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‘Herd immunity a tall order’ Galvez sees huge challenge amid low jab rate, vax supply shortage

By Joyce Pangco Pañares, Willie Casas and Joel Zurbano

HE government said achieving herd immunity by the end of the year remains a huge challenge as the only 4.5 percent of the target population have been fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, vaccine czar and National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said.

“We have administered so far 13,196,282 vaccines. Of that number, we have given the first dose to 9,669,940 or 12.44 percent of our target population. For the second dose, we have only fullvaccinated 3,526,342 or about 4.54 percent of our target. So, achieving herd Next page

EFFICACY VS. VARIANTS OF CONCERN (VOC). Food and Drug Administration director-general Eric Domingo presented Monday a matrix showing the

efficacy levels of various COVID-19 vaccine brands against the different novel coronavirus variants. Domingo said while there is a decrease in efficacy as more mutations emerge, vaccines remain effective.

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JULY 13)

1,481,660

WHO SLAMS SENSELESS VAX ‘GREED’

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

3,604 46,934 NEW

ACTIVE

26,092

1,408,634

5,840

DEATHS

WORLD / B2 VOL. XXXV • NO. 149 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

RECOVERIES

NEW

WHO: PH strain New cases break downtrend in 7 Metro Manila cities—DOH no longer major health threat By Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz

By Willie Casas THE World Health Organization (WHO) has reclassified the COVID-19 strain that originated from the Philippines as under "alert for further monitoring" from being a variant of interest, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday. The P.3 variant is no longer called the Theta variant as it is now considered a

last two weeks, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday. DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Dr. Alethea De Guzman said Makati and THE declining COVID-19 case trend in San Juan were classified as high risk due seven Metro Manila cities has reversed to their average daily attack rate (ADAR) after they posted a rise in cases over the of 9.76 and 8.95 cases per 100,000

population, respectively, and high hospital bed occupancy. Other cities that posted a growth in cases were Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, Manila, Malabon, and Navotas. The DOH also flagged Davao, Western Visayas, and the Cordillera regions as

Riders and hoax orders

By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Vito Barcelo and Jess Malabanan

DELIVERY riders will henceforth be protected from pranksters once a bill seeking to criminalize “hoax ordering," which was approved in a Senate panel, is passed into law. Next page

Olympic meals: No sashimi

Late president Quezon’s daughter passes on, 100 ZENEIDA Quezon-Avanceña, the last surviving daughter of President Manuel Quezon, passed away Tuesday. She was 100 years old. Next page

Zenaida QuezonAvanceña

Inday Sara pulls away from pack; Isko far second

EVEN under ordinary circumstances, feeding an Olympic Village is a mammoth task, with chefs preparing tens of thousands of meals a day for elite athletes from Next page around the world.

high-risk areas for COVID-19 because of their high ADAR and intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rate. De Guzman said the ADAR in the three regions were higher than seven cases per 100,000 people while ICU utilization

File photo shows a family of four eating inside their makeshift shelter along Roxas Boulevard, one of at least 4.2 million families who have experienced hunger in the past three months based on the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations. Felino Santos

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio held a formidable lead if the presidential elections were held last June, the survey company Pulse Asia said Tuesday. Its survey, conducted from June 7 to 16, showed the presidential daughter had a substantial lead among the 2,400 respondents interviewed, 28 percent of whom said they would vote for DuterteCarpio. In the presidential race, she was followed by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso with 14 percent, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with 13 percent, and Senator Grace Poe with 10 percent. Next page

4.2m suffered hunger in Q2—poll By Vito Barcelo AT LEAST 4.2 million Filipino families experienced hunger due to lack of food at least once in the past three months, according to the latest report released by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Mindanao now has the highest incidence of hunger at 20.7 percent or estimated at 1.2 million families, followed by the Visayas at 16.3 percent (776,000 families), Balance Luzon at 15.7 percent (1.8 million families), and Metro Manila in 14.7 percent Next page (496,000 families).

Fat cops may be promoted : Rules eased THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has suspended the policy requiring police officers to comply with their prescribed body mass index (BMI) before they can get promoted. "I already approved it," PNP chief Gen.

Guillermo Eleazar said in a text message to reporters on Tuesday when asked for an update regarding the matter. Last month, the PNP Directorate for Personnel Records Management (DPRM) Next page

The Philippine National Police temporarily suspends a requirement for officers seeking promotion to meet body fat targets as the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for cops to work out and lose weight. File photo shows members of the 220,000-strong force working out at Camp Crame.

News

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SC reaffirms Du30's immunity from suit By Rey E. Requejo

In its latest ruling, the SC reminded litigants and their lawyers that an incumbent president is immune from suit and therefore cannot be impleaded as respondent in any court proceedings during his six-year incumbency. “With executive power solely vested in the President of the Philippines, he (President Duterte) should be freed from

any distraction that would imperil the performance of his duties as mandated by the Constitution,” the 15-member bench held. “Thus, presidential immunity from suit shields President Duterte from facing any complaint or petition during his tenure,” it said. Nonetheless, the SC stressed that “while

he remains accountable to the people, the only proceeding for which he may be involved in litigation during his term of office is an impeachment proceeding.” The high court reiterated the established rule on the immunity from suit of an incumbent President when it issued a resolution that dismissed the petition which sought to stop the government’s procurement and use of Sinovac, a Chinese manufactured vaccine against the coronavirus disease. In unanimously dismissing the petition, the SC through Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez ruled that Republic Act 11494, the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, bestowed the President the discre-

‘Herd...

lion a month, that can be achieved in 140 days,” Duque said. Decreasing efficacy vs. variants For his part, Food and Drug Administration director-general Eric Domingo said all vaccine brands are effective in protecting individuals against COVID-19, even as their efficacy slightly decreases depending on the variant. The Pfizer jab, for example, has a 93 percent efficacy rate against the Alpha variant first detected in the UK, and 88 percent against the Delta strain which first emerged in India. AstraZeneca had a 66 percent efficacy rate against the Alpha variant, and 60 percent for the Delta mutation, Domingo said. "There's a decreasing efficacy as we get more mutations but the vaccines remain efficient and useful,” he said. Moderna and J&J have also shown at least 80 percent efficacy against the Delta variant, while other drugmakers

such Sinovac, and Sinopharm are still conducting efficacy trials against the strain. OCTA: Prioritize NCR Plus 8 The independent OCTA Research Group on Tuesday urged the government to keep prioritizing NCR Plus 8 in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines amid limited supply. OCTA made the suggestion in light of the government's plan to deploy the 3,239,400 doses of J&J vaccine to island provinces, including those in the Visayas and Mindanao. NCR Plus 8 is composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Batangas, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao. "The key to short- or medium-term success is to stick with the plan. We already have a blueprint – the prioritization of NCR Plus 8. We hope that this will not be subject to political influences," said Prof. Ranjit Rye. "If we stick with that plan, the country

will move forward," Rye added. Focusing on NCR Plus 8 will reduce the number of COVID-19 cases where they are most prevalent, he said. 1m more Sinovac jabs One million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from China are set to arrive today (Wednesday) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Manila International Airport Authority chief information officer Connie Bungag said the shipment of governmentprocured Sinovac is scheduled to land at the NAIA Terminal 3 around 7:35 a.m. on board Cebu Pacific Air flight 57-671. The government's third-party coldchain and logistics partner Pharmaserv Express will receive the vaccines upon arrival at the airport to keep them safe in its facility in Barangay San Roque in Marikina City. The latest shipment followed the arrival of 37,800 additional doses of Sputnik V vaccine last Saturday aboard Etihad Airways flight from Dubai.

while cases in Negros Oriental are on a downtrend. The independent OCTA Research Group urged on Tuesday the government to keep Metro Manila under general community quarantine (GCQ) beyond the middle of July. GCQ is considered as the second loosest quarantine level. With nearly 13.5 million people, Metro Manila is under GCQ "with some restrictions" until July 15. It should keep its current quarantine after July 15 as a safeguard against the more contagious Delta COVID-19 variant, said OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye. “Although our situation now in the NCR is good, it needs to continue, be sustained, while we increase our vaccinations,” Rye said during a press briefing. "We are not yet ready for MGCQ (modified general community quarantine)," Rye added. The Philippines logged 3,604 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections to 1,481,660. There were 77 new fatalities,

bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 26,092. The DOH also reported 5,840 persons recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 1,408,634. The DOH also reported 46,934 active cases, of which 89.6 percent were mild, 4.3 percent were asymptomatic, 1.6 percent were critical, 2.6 percent were severe, and 1.83 percent were moderate. Nationwide, 56 percent of ICU beds, 46 percent of isolation beds, 42 percent of ward beds, and 37 percent of ventilators, were in use. In Metro Manila, 43 percent of ICU beds, 37 percent of isolation beds, 32 percent of ward beds, and 33 percent of ventilators, were in use. Also on Tuesday, a lawmaker said the COVID-19 vaccination certificates the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) would issue should be free of charge on the part of the public. “The government should not burden the people financially for these certificates, which should be issued fast with no red tape and bureaucratic delay

as soon as the needed data reaches the DICT. There should also be no politics in their issuance,” Assistant Majority Leader and Quezon City Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo said. She said those fully vaccinated would need such certifications for local or international travel, employment, mobility, education, and other purposes. “The fast and free-of-chance issuance of the vaccination document and the numerous purposes it would serve could entice those still hesitant to get vaccinated to finally take the vaccine. For one, the document could enhance mobility,” she added. The DICT has promised to issue the certificates to those fully vaccinated starting next month. In the meantime, it is urging local government units (LGUs) to upload their vaccination lists to its database. The decision to issue a uniform certificate arose from the fact that LGUs have varying documents evidencing single-dose and full-dose vaccination, making it difficult for the authorities to verify such documents.

ing out with President Duterte, has also shown an interest in running for the highest elective position next year. Lacson, who, along with Senate President Vicente Sotto III, have started their “Tour of Luzon” to get the pulse of the public on various issues, has not yet decided if he is running for president. Sotto, who wants to be his running mate, said they will make anannouncement on Aug. 6. Go has repeatedly said he will not seek higher office. Former vice president Jejomar Binay, Taguig City-Pateros Rep. Alan Cayetano and former senator Antonio Trillanes IV all received 2 percent in the Pulse Asia survey. Others on the Pulse Asia list that received less than 1 percent were Senator Richard Gordon and former associate justice Antonio Carpio, who both got 0.3 percent. Former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, both got 0.1 percent. In the vice presidential race, 18 percent of the respondents favored President Duterte, who most recently said he was open to running for the post, while Moreno got 14 percent, putting both in a statistical tie because of the 2 percent margin of error. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

4.2m...

in the last three months. Meanwhile, severe hunger refers to those who experienced it "often" or "always" in the last three months. The May 2021 hunger rate is 0.8 points above the 16 percent rate in November 2020. It is 4.3 points below the 2020 annual average of 21.1 percent, but still double the December 2019 pre-pandemic level of 8.8 percent or around 2.1 million families, the SWS said. The May 2021 survey found 49 percent of families rating themselves as poor, 33 percent feeling borderline poor, and only 17 percent feeling not poor. It also found 32 percent of families rating themselves as food-poor, 45 percent feeling borderline food-poor, and 23 percent feeling not food-poor.

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, as sitting president, cannot be sued in any proceedings during his term of office, according to the Supreme Court.

From A1

immunity by the end of the year remains a huge challenge,” Galvez said during President Rodrigo Duterte’s public address late Monday evening. The government initially targeted vaccinating 60 to 70 percent of the population or about 70 million individuals to achieve herd immunity. However, the tight global vaccine supply has forced health experts to shift the target toward population protection, which entails vaccinating 58 million individuals in highly urbanized areas. Health Secretary Francisco Duque said achieving herd immunity is the ultimate goal, but it will depend on the arrival of life-saving vaccines in the country as it would require a total of 140 million doses. “If, on a regular basis, we receive 10 to 15 million a month, or even 20 mil-

New... From A1

stood at 81.41 percent in Region 11, 87.34 percent in Region 6, and 68.54 percent in Cordillera as of July 10. However, the entire Philippines remains a low-risk area with an ADAR of 4.88 cases per 100,000 population and a two-week case growth rate of negative 10 percent. Average daily new infections fell to 5,221 during July 6 to 12 from 5,458 during June 29 to July 5. COVID-19 cases in NCR Plus (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal) have plateaued while infections are “slightly increasing” in the rest of Luzon and “slowly declining” in Visayas and Mindanao following a spike in cases, said De Guzman. De Guzman also said the COVID-19 case trend is “plateauing” in Region 7, where health authorities have reported a third wave of infections. She said Bohol, Cebu City, and LapuLapu City are showing an upward trend

Inday... From A1

Boxing champion and Senator Manny Pacquiao, who wants to run for president under the banner of the ruling PDP-Laban, had 8 percent, while Vice President Leni Robredo, leader of the opposition, received 6 percent. Senator Panfilo Lacson had 4 percent, while Senator Christopher Go, who President Duterte supports, got 3 percent. The Davao mayor has been non-committal about a presidential run in 2022, but her allies are pushing hard with a “Run Sara Run” campaign, over the objections raised by her father, the President. Moreno has said he will definitely run next year, but has not said which position he will seek. Marcos, Poe, and Robredo have remained mum about their political plans. Marcos, who lost the vice presidential race in 2016 to Robredo, is being eyed for a second vice presidential run under the banner of the Nacionalista Party. It is unclear if Robredo will agree to be the standard bearer for the opposition Liberal Party. Pacquiao, who has had a public fall-

Riders... From A1

“We need a law protecting our delivery riders and drivers. It is very timely and relevant. Even after the pandemic, this measure will be relevant because we have now grown accustomed to online services,” said Senator Aquilino Pimentel III. The bill was contained in the Committee Report No. 273, recently filed by the Senate trade committee chaired by Pimentel, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship. The senator underscored the urgent need to protect delivery riders of all food, grocery and pharmacy delivery services in light of the rising cases of unjust order cancellations and bogus transactions. The proposed measure prohibits food, grocery, and pharmacy delivery service

app providers from requiring their delivery riders and drivers to advance money for the fulfillment of orders. It also requires these delivery service app providers to establish a mandatory reimbursement scheme in favor of delivery riders and drivers in case of cancellation of confirmed orders. To facilitate collection against cancelling customers, the bill requires the implementation of Know-Your-Customer (KYC) rules which will entail the submission and verification of proof of identity and residential address of customers, subject to compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012. “The recent incidents of fake booking and hoax orders are quite alarming. Those acts must be criminalized," said Pimentel. The proposed law seeks to criminalize several prohibited acts, such as placing of “hoax orders,” cancellation of confirmed orders, and refusal to receive unpaid orders.

From A1

In November 2020, hunger in Metro Manila was at 23.3 percent, 16.0 percent in Mindanao, 14.4 percent in Balance Luzon, and 14.3 percent in the Visayas. Of 1,200 household heads that the SWS polled from April 28 to May 2, about 16.8 percent said their families experienced involuntary hunger. The 16.8 percent hunger rate in May 2021 is the sum of 14.1 percent or 3.6 million families who experienced moderate hunger and 2.7 percent or 674,000 families who experienced severe hunger. Moderate hunger refers to that hunger experienced "only once" or "a few times"

Fat... From A1

recommended the suspension of the policy, citing the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. In a June 29 memorandum to Eleazar, DPRM chief Maj. Gen. Rolando Hinanay explained that the current situation where physical activities were limited prevented police personnel from achieving their ideal BMI. He added that any move to hasten weight reduction for the sake of compliance with the policy might put the health of concerned police personnel at risk. “Pursuant to our mandate of ‘Personnel Welfare is Above All’, this Directorate respectfully recommends the suspension of the implementation of BMI as a requirement for promotion amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the conduct of review of the policy to address both the concern of the organization and the welfare of our personnel. Apart from it, personnel who are assigned in the lower units are struggling from achieving the same due to the work schedule in the exigency of the service and the fight against Covid-19,” Hinanay added. The DPRM was forced to review the policy after it was flooded by request letters and even legal action from among its personnel, who cited the policy as discriminatory.

tion on how to address the pandemic brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The SC said that RA 11494 mandated the President to exercise powers necessary and proper to undertake and implement COVID-19 response and recovery interventions. In his petition, former Mayor Pedrito M. Nepomuceno included President Duterte as respondent. Before tackling the issues raised in the petition, the SC settled first the inclusion of Duterte as respondent. “President Rodrigo Duterte must be dropped as a respondent,” the tribunal held. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

The inclusion of the BMI as a mandatory requirement for promotion was embodied in the PNP Memorandum Circular 2020029 issued in December last year. The BMI requirement is part of the physical fitness program of the PNP in an effort to professionalize the organization. The BMI depends on a person’s height. A high BMI can indicate high body fatness, which may lead to health problems, although studies show it is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual. For most adults, an ideal BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. A range of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight while those having 30 and above are considered obese. Meanwhile, amidst the pandemic and controversies, the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) continues its efforts to professionalize the Philippine National Police by cleansing its ranks from erring police personnel with the resolution of summary dismissal cases since March to date. A total 275 administrative cases involving 515 members of the PNP were decided during the En Banc sessions held since March. NAPOLCOM Vice Chairman and Executive Officer Vitaliano Aguirre II said of the 166 police personnel who were given disciplinary sanctions, 75 were dismissed from the police service; 48 were penalized with one (1) rank demotion; and 43 were suspended.

1 voter at any time? Comelec eyes options By Maricel V. Cruz THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is planning to lower the number of people in polling places in the national elections in 2022. At a public hearing conducted by the House Committee on People's Participation forum on the 2022 elections, Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body is considering having only five individuals in one classroom that is being used as a voting venue. "In previous elections, the standard has always been that in any polling place, there should be room for at least ten people voting at the same time. This is understandable because you want people to be voting, filling out the ballots, while someone is at the machine, slipping their ballot at the vote counting machine," Jimenez said. "But now, with COVID, we are looking to lower the number of people who will be inside the polling place. Where there used to be ten voters at the same time in the classroom, we are exploring a range of possibilities now and the most extreme of these possibilities is that that number will be brought down to five people," he added. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

WHO:... From A1

"variant under alert for further monitoring," said Dr. Eva de la Paz, executive director of the National Health Institute, noting that it did not cause an increase in cases in a particular region. Variants of interest or variants of concern can be reclassified if it "has conclusively demonstrated to no longer pose a major added risk to global public health compared to other circulating SARSCoV-2 variants," WHO said. Alerts for further monitoring are issued for COVID-19 variants "with genetic changes that are suspected to affect virus characteristics with some indication that it may pose a future risk, but evidence of phenotypic or epidemiological impact is currently unclear." Those under alerts for further monitoring require “enhanced monitoring and repeat assessment pending new evidence," the WHO said. Despite the reclassification, the DOH will continue to monitor the presence of the P.3 variant, which was first confirmed in the Philippines in March. As of July 4, 2021, the Philippines has recorded 166 carriers of the P.3 variant in the country, according to data from the DOH. Of these patients, two died, 163 recovered, while one patient is still battling the disease.

Olympic... From A1

But at Tokyo 2020, there's an added pressure: strict coronavirus rules forbid athletes from eating at local restaurants, so it's their only chance to sample Japan's famous cuisine. It's a huge undertaking: the village can host up to 18,000 people at a time and its cafeterias will serve up to 48,000 meals a day, with some open around the clock. "I feel it's a lot of responsibility for us," admitted Tsutomu Yamane, senior director of Tokyo 2020's food and beverages services department. "We want them to enjoy (Japanese food)... but it's a major pressure," he told AFP. Anti-infection rules mean athletes can't go anywhere but the village, training sites and competition venues. So organizers will provide 700 menu options, 3,000 seats at the main two-storey cafeteria and 2,000 staff at peak hours to meet the needs of all. Menus are largely divided into three categories: Western, Japanese and Asian, which covers Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese options. And given Japan's world-famous cuisine, there will be plenty of local flavor. AFP

Late... From A1

“She passed away surrounded by her children, at home, achieving one of the most devout wishes of the faithful—a true Christian death, at peace with her Maker and the world,” said her nephew, Manuel Quezon III, in a Facebook post. Quezon-Avanceña was born on April 9, 1921. In his message, Quezon recalled his aunt’s conviction, standing up for the powerless and using whatever political or economic power at her disposal to support her many cause-oriented advocacies. “She did it in small and big ways, whether scandalizing fellow parents by advocating the abolition of dress codes and opposing the ban on long hair in the 60s and 70s, visiting political prisoners in prison, marching in the streets, or signing manifestos,” he added.

News

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

Marcos pushes VAT freeze on oil products By Macon Ramos Araneta THE lingering economic difficulties that arose from the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted Senator Imee Marcos on Tuesday to call for a oneyear suspension of the value-added tax (VAT) on oil products. Marcos said that suspending the 12% VAT on oil products will provide relief to various consumers other than motorists. “Oil price hikes have a domino effect on agricultural products and other essential goods. The higher costs will be passed on to the ordinary consumer who may still not have a job but has no choice but to deal with rising prices of food, electricity, and other goods,” Marcos explained. Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, noted another oil price increase amounting to P1.15 for gasoline, P0.60 for diesel, and P0.65 for kerosene. Since January, she said fuel prices per liter have already increased by P13 for gasoline, P10 for diesel, and P9 for kerosene. The 12% VAT on fuel products was applied by the government in addition to the excise tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law. President Duterte signed the law imposing excise taxes of P2.50 per liter of diesel and Php7 per liter for gasoline in December 2017. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Cebu Pacific wows to comply with protocols CEBU Pacific has given the assurance that it will comply with health protocols set by the government, including negative RT-PCR test results for fully-vaccinated passengers, should it be required by the local government of our destination. A passenger is considered fullyvaccinated at least 14 days after having received the second dose in a twodose series, or at least 14 days after having received a single-dose vaccine. Among its destinations, the provinces that are accepting vaccination card as a travel requirement are Cauayan City of Isabela province, Cotabato, Dumaguete, Negros Occidental province (except Bacolod City), and Virac. Dumaguete requires fully-vaccinated travelers to present their vaccination cards along with a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours prior to entry. Apart from this, an approved Spass from the LGU of final destination will also need to be presented. Virac, on the other hand, requires fully-vaccinated individuals to upload their COVID-19 Vaccination Card on their S-PASS account three (3) days before their scheduled trip to secure Approved Travel Coordination Permit. The approved permit and vaccination card will be presented upon check-in.

RESCUE TRAINING. The Philippine Coast Guard beefs up its Special Operations Force with an all-female rescue divers composed of five commissioned officers and seven enlisted personnel, at the Coast Guard Base Parola today, 13 July 2021. They will undergo four to six months of training in all basic facets of rescue missions. PCG

Rody accepts World Bank apology, demands update By Vito Barcelo

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has accepted the apology of the World Bank after its premature publication of a report on Filipino students’ academic abilities but said he wanted to see the actual and latest assessment of the students’ performance.

“I accept the apology. It’s a very good one. I said it’s a poignant one, direct to the point,” the President said after the WB issued an apology. The WB apologized for publishing a report that showed that 80 percent of Filipino students do not possess the basic math and reading skills they should have based on their academic level. In his public address, Duterte said the Department of Education (DepEd)

is focusing on a new set of data that will be soon presented to the financial institution so that they can amend their statistics and data inputs. In welcoming the World Bank’s apology for its report, the President said he hoped the organization would be more cautious in the future. “I would not want to begrudge World Bank. But these international whatever bodies working on the problems of the

world should be very careful in their statistics,” Duterte said. “It is not good to, you know, commit a wrong internationally.” The World Bank has published a study reflecting the low performance of Filipino students without giving DepEd the chance to provide inputs. The report was based on three assessments the Philippines previously participated: the Program for International Student Assessment in 2018, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study in 2019, and the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics also in 2019. Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the report “insulted” and “shamed” the Philippines and she had requested the World Bank to issue an apology.

PLAYTIME. A boy rides a standing swing at the Bernardo Park in Barangay Kamuning, Quezon City on Tuesday (July 13, 2021). The city government has identified ‘childfriendly safe zones’ which include outdoor playgrounds and parks for children five years old and above. Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

High court warns Shopee, Lazada: Items not for sale

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has imposed a prohibition on the production, distribution and sale of any items or merchandise bearing its seal, or similar items indicating any connection with the judiciary without its permission. In a resolution regarding the “Unauthorized Online Selling of Merchandise Bearing Supreme Court Seal and/ or Insignia”, the SC also warned individuals and entities including various online platforms such as Shopee Philippines, Inc. and Lazada Group that those who will be found guilty of the illegal act may facing a prison term of notmore than six months under Article 179 of the Revised Penal Code. The provision of the RPC states that “(t) he penalty of arresto mayor shall be imposed upon any person who shall publicly and improperly make use of insignia, uniforms or dress pertaining to an office not held by such person or to a class of persons of which he is not a member.” The duration of penalty for arresto mayor is one month and one day up to six months. The SC said it has furnished the Philippine head offices of Shopee and Lazada of its resolution. Prior to the issuance of the resolution, the Office of Administrative Services (OAS) through Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Administrative Officer Atty. Maria Carina M. Cunanan, brought to the attention of SC the sale by various vendors of merchandise bearing the official Supreme Court seal, such as I.D. lanyards, car stickers, emblems, and license plates, in online platforms without authorization from the Court. The SC acknowledged the probability that these merchandise would be used wrongly by unscrupulous individuals or entities.

Housing agency builds Valenzuela units for squatters By Rio N. Araja SECRETARY Eduardo del Rosario of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development has spearheaded a groundbreaking and capsule-laying for 20-story buildings in Arkong Bato Disiplina Village, Valenzuela City, the fourth settlement project for the informal settler families. He said the shelter program could accommodate 720 informal setter families

residing in the city’s danger zones. He said the project, in coordination with the National Housing Authority, Department of Budget and Management and the city local government unit shall feature the Arkong Bato park where residents could spend their leisure time and connect with nature. “It was Mayor Rex (Gatchalian) who started the rental housing program here in Valenzuela City. That is the direction of DHSUD, most especially in urban areas

due to congestion. Sixty-five percent of residents will be residing in urban communities by 2050, so there is no way but to go up in our residential units,” he noted. The soon-to-rise settlement site would also feature concrete roads, markings and alleys, drainages and sewer system as well as individual power and service connection. Arkong Bato is the fourth Disiplina Village in the city following the success of those located in barangays Ugong, Bignay and Lingunan.

Five-year wait for disbarred lawyers, SC rules

HIT AND RUN SUSPECT. Quezon City Police finally arrest a hit -and-run suspect Arvin Tan who fled the scene of the incident and tried to evade the authorities by driving away from Timog Avenue in Quezon City to Morayta Manila to Quezon Avenue. The suspect claimed he is a DILG employee. Manny Palmero

DISBARRED lawyers would need to wait for 5 years before they can seek for reinstatement as members of the court and of the Bar, according to the Supreme Court. In a resolution penned by Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, the SC laid down this new requirement in its new guidelines for judicial clemency. Under the new clemency guidelines, a lawyer who has been disbarred is prohibited from filing a petition for judicial clemency within a period of five years from the effective date of his or

her disbarment, “unless for the most compelling reasons based on extraordinary circumstances.” The SC stressed that upon the filing of the petition for clemency, a preliminary evaluation will be conducted to determine if it merits a Court action based on the criteria it provided. The criteria to be met include the compliance of the petitioner with the terms and conditions of all prior disciplinary orders, including orders for restitution, as well as the five-year period to file; recognition by the petition the wrongful-

ness and seriousness of the misconduct for which he or she was disbarred; and notwithstanding the conduct for which the disbarred lawyer was disciplined, the disbarred lawyer has the requite integrity and competence to practice law. If all the criteria are met, the SC said the petition for judicial clemency would be referred to the Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC) or any fact-finding body it has designated in order to verify the details and authenticity of the statements and the evidence attached to the clemency petitions. Rey Requejo

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

News

Waste-dumping in WPS not true, says Lorenzana By Macon Ramos-Araneta DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday the dumping of waste in the West Philippine Sea as reported by an American think tank is untrue. “The reported dumping of waste in the WPS is not true. That photo is from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia,” he said in a text message. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. also refuted the report. “Report fake,” he said in a tweet. Simularity, a geospatial intelligence firm, earlier said that raw sewage from hundreds of Chinese ships were being dumped on reefs in the Spratly Islands, leading to concentration of unwanted and harmful algae in the maritime area. It said wastewater is being disposed of in the Spratly and Paracel Islands, based on satellite images taken by the European Space Agency. Still, Senator Francis Pangilinan condemned the reported dumping of sewage and called on the Chinese government to stop such activities and leave the area. “The area’s not even yours, yet you’re ruining it. Leave at once,” Pangilinan said in reacting to Simularity’s satellite data imagery showing the dumping. Senator Risa Hontiveros also strongly deplored the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s assertion that the Philippines’ 2016 The Hague victory on the South China Sea is “a piece of waste paper.” “I unequivocally condemn Chinese Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian’s statement that described our 2016 Hague victory as ‘nothing more than a piece of waste paper’ and that it is ‘illegal, null, and void,’ said Hontiveros.

Taguig cops nab Abu Sayyaf men in Upper Bicutan By Joel E. Zurbano TWO suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group wanted for kidnapping and other crimes were arrested in Taguig City, police said on Tuesday. A composite team from the National Capital Region Police Office, Southern Police District, and Taguig City Police Station arrested Taupik Galbun, also known as “Pa Wahid,” and Saik Galbun, alias “Pa Tanda,” Saturday night in Barangay Upper Bicutan. The suspects were alleged members of the group linked to Basilan-based ASG leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Bakal Hapilon. The authorities made the arrest by virtue of a warrant issued by Pasig City Regional Trial Court Judges Toribio Ilao Jr. and Judge Nicanor A. Manalo Jr. SPD officials said Taupik is wanted for six counts of kidnapping with serious illegal detention, and kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom, on cases docketed at the Pasig Regional Trial Court in November 2009. Saik was also wanted for kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom. Police said Taupik was also involved in the beheadings of Primitivo Falcansantos, Crisanto Suela, and Guillermo Sobero and the abduction of teachers of Landang Gua Elementary School in Sacol Island, Zamboanga City.

PRICE CHANGE.

A gasoline station attendant changes the price display at the station along Batasan Road in Quezon City after oil companies announced hefty price increase in petroleum products on Tuesday. Manny Palmero

Body cam data policies in place, PNP tells CHR

By Francisco Tuyay and Maricel V. Cruz

HE Philippine National Police on Tuesday assured the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) that mechanisms are in place for data management and privacy in the use of bodyworn cameras in police operations.

PNP Chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the agency’s technical working group, which was tasked to incorporate the protocols created by the Supreme Court with the rules crafted by the PNP, is also making sure that data privacy issues are all addressed. Meanwhile, a House leader hailed the Supreme Court for issuing the guidelines on the use of body-worn cameras in serving search and arrest warrants, and explained how these would help ensure that police operations are above board and conducted in accordance with the law.

“A win for the people and the police,” Rep. Fidel Nograles of Rizal said, saying the guidelines “will go a long way in reassuring our people.” “I assure the CHR that in the crafting and issuance of the Supreme Court’s guidelines on the use of body-worn cameras, data management and privacy were given primary importance in our honorable Justices’ deliberations,” Eleazar said. “The Supreme Court resolution includes the importance of data privacy and the protection of information gathered using body-worn cameras. We are also continuously coordinating with the

National Privacy Commission regarding this matter,” he added. The CHR expressed hopes the bodyworn cameras would result in more transparent police operations, which would bring back public trust in law enforcement. The PNP introduced last month the use of the body-worn camera system to ensure transparency and the legitimacy of law-enforcement operations. Initially, a total of 2,696 body cameras were distributed to 171 city police stations and offices nationwide. Eleazar had said the police force needs 30,000 body-worn cameras so that all police stations and units will be provided with them for use in operations. Nograles, vice chair of the House committee on justice, said that he looks forward to the Philippine National Police incorporating the guidelines into its operations.

BBM RELIEF. Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos leads his Batangas Relief Operation on Tuesday, visiting several evacuation centers in Talisay, Batangas and distributing aid to those affected by the restive Taal Volcano.

Sara tops survey of mayors, QC’s Joy No. 1 in NCR DAVAO City Mayor “Inday” Sara Duterte-Carpio emerged as the eminent performing local chief executive in the Philippines with a 93% job approval rating, according to a survey conducted by the RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. In the National Capital Region, Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte of Quezon City ranked No. 1 among mayors with an 87% achievement rating. Duterte-Carpio placed first at 93% and

Belmonte got the highest approval rating in Metro Manila, followed closely by Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig City with 86%. Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso was third with 80%. “In every region, the city mayor of each capital in area has been assessed by the constituents when it comes to their overall job performances or achievements,” Dr. Paul Martinez of RPMDinc said. “As for the governors, we chose the re-

gional center of the provinces to gather a significant data for analysis. We are hoping that this will give our public servants a good insight on how they are doing with their constituents,” Martinez added. The RPMDinc survey is an independent and non-commissioned survey with 3,500 respondents in the NCR conducted from July 3 to 10, and 5,000 respondents across all regions for governors and city mayors outside Metro Manila conducted from June 10 to 25.

’Neutralize assassins in La Union’

SCHOOLS FIXED. As an active partner of the Department of Education’s Adopt-A-School

program, SM Foundation helps address the classroom shortage in the country through its School Building program. For 2021, school buildings that were donated in 2016 were repaired, including Bakod Bayan Integrated School in Cabanatuan City; San Francisco Elementary School in Concepcion, Tarlac; Lucban Elementary School in Baguio City; Jugan Elementary School in Consolacion, Cebu; and Northern Tacloban National High School in Tacloban City (pictured).

LA UNION Second District Rep. Sandra Y. Eriguel called on the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to neutralize an assassination squad that conceived a plot to kill her and two municipal mayors in the province. “I condemn to the highest degree the assassination plan on me and on two municipal officials in the Second District of La Union,” Rep. Eriguel, widow of slain congressman Eufranio “Franny” Eriguel, said in a statement. “I am also deeply concerned of the presence of a gun-for-hire group operating within our beloved province of La Union most especially that the 2022

national and local elections are just months from now,” she added. Eriguel was referring to the plot uncovered by La Union police following the arrest of several members of the notorious Winston Magpali assassination squad on June 23, 2021. The plot allegedly involved assassinating an incumbent member of the House of Representatives and two town mayors ahead of the 2022 elections. Eriguel said it was reminiscent of the 2018 killings that victimized Balaoan Vice Mayor Alfred Concepcion on November 14; Sudipen Mayor Alexander Buquing on October 1; and former Second District Rep. Franny Eriguel on May 12.

‘Citizen BBM’ serves public in Batangas HE IS no longer a senator. He did not make it to the second highest post of the land, but former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. did not stop serving the public, particularly those who are in crisis. On July 12, Marcos or “BBM” personally went to a number of towns in Batangas without fanfare since his purpose was to assist residents directly affected by the relentless movement of Taal Volcano. Volcanic activities of Taal started on July 1. Marcos personally witnessed the condition of the affected residents in the towns of Talisay, Laurel, and Agoncillo, including those who have been staying in evacuation centers. BBM extended his assistance to the affected residents by leading the release of some 3,000 sacks of rice, 500 cartoons of surgical masks, 3,000 pairs of slippers, 4,000 cartoons of vitamins, and 500 bottles of coconut water to the residents. The former lawmaker successfully distributed the goods in coordination with the officials and frontliners of Talisay, Laurel, and Agoncillo towns together with several groups from the private sector and Governor Dodo Mandanas office through lawyer Genaro Cabral, Batangas Provincial Public Order and Safety Department head. BBM stressed that his assistance to the public will not end in Batangas, as he launched “#BatangasMagiting, #HandaIngatMagiting and #HugasIwasMask.”

Sen. Villar assists evacuees fleeing towns near Taal TO HELP ease the burden of people affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano, Senator Cynthia A. Villar extended immediate assistance to them over the weekend. Villar distributed relief packs to the evacuees from the restive volcano in the towns of Laurel and Agoncillo in Batangas. The senator also gave food packs and boxes of alcohol in Laurel and Agoncillo. “By giving food packs to the victim, we are helping our government feed our people, especially the families who were displaced due to the volcanic activity,” said Villar. “We also gave them alcohol as a way to protect themselves as we are facing a global health crisis,” she added. During this time, the senator cited the need for the so-called “Bayanihan spirit” among Filipinos. “Let us join forces and extend a helping hand to alleviate the plight of the people who were victims of the volcanic eruption,” Villar said. Last Wednesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said a “shortlived” phreatomagmatic eruption occurred at the main crater of Taal Volcano. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Opinion Righting wrongs

The disrupted approval rating, the betting has been toward whomever he endorses as successor. He has publicly stated he does not want Inday Sara to run. The many slings and arrows that come with the top prize campaign is not something a father would wish upon his own daughter, not unless she is steeled for it, or he is uber-confident of his endorsement value, IN 2016, Rodrigo Roa Duterte was the candi- along with the powers of incumbency. date who espoused disruption of the system. But in the first quarter of 2021, it became evThe people bought his wares. ident that a Pacquiao run, using the PDP as flag In 2019, his popular acceptance shafted the of convenience, would likely diminish the votes entire Otso Diretso slate of the identified opposi- of another candidate from Mindanao, be it Inday tion to kingdom come. I distinguish opposition Sara, or the loyal assistant, Senator Bong Go. in terms of the “identified” as against those indeFirst things first: Fortress Mindanao had to pendent but bide their time, or those who qualify be protected. their support on an issue-for-issue basis. The disruptor had to take the spurs away The aftermath of the 2019 mid-term vicfrom the challengtories gave rise to er within the PDP. a feeling of invinHence, what was cibility, and as early rumored earlier as Despite the as then, two movea vice-presidential ments emerged: continuing prevalence run became publicly One, a draft for acknowledged. No of the virus, the Inday Sara Duterlonger “resist”; no te-Carpio, mayor politics of next May longer “refused”, as of Davao and prespresidential spox cannot but be grist for the idential daughter, earlier distinguished. to run as immethe mill. And likely, at the diate successor. PDP convention in Two, the float of a Clark this weekend PRRD running for --- ratified, delivered vice-president in the 2022 elections, where he and accepted. is constitutionally barred from re-election, but Manny Pacquiao, in absentia as he is not necessarily another position, not even, the training for a boxing bout with a certain Erargument goes, the vice-presidency which is a rol Spence in the peak of the coming ghost breath away from the presidency. month, will not only be disrupted from his poCOVID-19 initially froze most of the political quest. Maybe not just disrupted; rather, litical discussions leading to 2022, but now, discombobulated. despite the continuing prevalence of the virus, Meanwhile, the respected favorite of the the politics of next May cannot but be grist thinking class, Sen. Ping Lacson, who in prefor the mill. Because a publicized 2020 year- COVID times had also sealed a deal with the end survey gave the president a 91-percent Senate President, Tito Sotto, to be his vice-pres-

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

EDITORIAL

The executive judgTHE Supreme Court is es and vice executive on the right track in actjudges concerned shall ing decisively on two issue the warrants, if life-and-death issues. justified, which may be First, it disallowed served in places outside judges and Manila and the territorial jurisdicQuezon City from istion, but within the jusuing search and arrest dicial regions of these warrants for operations by law enforcers in the provinces in the wake courts, the tribunal said. A search warrant of complaints of abuse and the killings of ac- issued by a Metro Manila judge may only be tivists. Second, it also required law enforcers enforced within and not outside the National to make video recordings of their implemen- Capital Region. The court also requires law enforcers to use tation of court-issued warrants or face sancat least one body camera and an “alternative tions. The SC order on June 29 lifted the special recording device,” such as a mobile phone power of local court judges to issue search with camera, to make a digital recording of the implementation of search, arrest and seiwarrants beyond their judicial regions. Several human rights groups insisted that zure warrants. “Failure to observe the requirethese judicial orders had become virtual ment of using body-worn cameras or alter“death warrants” for political activists and native recording devices, without reasonable members of militant groups that had been grounds, during the execution of the search warrant shall render the evidence obtained inRed-tagged by the government. As a case in point, nine activists were killed admissible for the prosecution of the offense on March 7 in simultaneous raids by police for which the search warrant was applied,” it and soldiers who were implementing search stressed. The two orders of the Supreme Court have warrants issued by the executive judges of the been hailed by PNP Manila and Que-Chief Police Generzon City Regional al Guillermo EleaTrial Courts in the We welcome these zar as he believes provinces of Rizal, this would “further Batangas and Cavite. Supreme Court orders professionalize our The police said those but at the same time organization and to killed were all sus-strengthen a human pected communist ask these questions. rights-based aprebels who allegedly proach” in the confought back when duct of their operaaccosted by the raidtions, adding that the guidelines would help ing teams. Their families claimed otherwise. One of the groups that asked for the inter- “erase doubts and speculations in the conduct vention of the Supreme Court on the matter, the of our operations,” including those against ilNational Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), legal drugs. We likewise welcome the two orders of the said: “We are grateful and appreciative of the responsive action of the Supreme Court on the Supreme Court as we think these underscore matter... Generally, it is grounded on abundant respect for the constitutional guarantee of due experience and appears to have taken into good process and represent a big step forward in reaccount the clamor to address the situations that storing the rule of law in this country. But at the same time, we should ask: Will resulted in human rights violations.” The group had asked the High Tribunal the judges in Metro Manila who signed search not only to limit the power of judges to issue and arrest warrants that led to the killing of the search warrants, but also to prohibit the multi- subjects of these warrants in several provinces face sanctions from the Supreme Court for, at ple application for search warrants. The high tribunal said the guidelines man- the very least, grave abuse of discretion? Moreover, shouldn’t the Supreme Court dating the Philippine National Police and other law enforcers to use cameras in implement- also take note of what appears now to be the ing search and arrest warrants were issued in standard operating procedure of charging susview of “increasing reports of civilian deaths pected rebels and NGO workers with illegal resulting from the execution of warrants is- possession of firearms and explosives—a non-bailable offense—that their families and sued by trial courts.” In approving the new rules, the court said human rights groups claim were planted? And still more: The Supreme Court, if I body-worn cameras would make it possible “to support law enforcement and to guarantee remember right, ruled many years back that the protection of fundamental rights,” while there’s no such crime as rebellion complexed video recordings “can deter the excessive use with murder, arson, etc. It appears no one is of force by law enforcement officers in the ex- charged nowadays with simple rebellion which ecution of warrants and can aid trial courts in is bailable and carries a lighter punishment than resolving issues that may become relevant in murder and kidnapping. The High Tribunal the criminal case, such as conflicting eyewit- should render a clear ruling on this as the more than 400 “political prisoners” in Muntinlupa ness accounts.” The Supreme Court requires lower courts have been charged with common crimes rather to maintain a special docket book containing than rebellion precisely to keep them locked up the names of judges who handle the applica- until they kick the bucket behind bars. tions for warrants, the details of the applicaEmail: ernhil@yahoo.com tions and the post-operation reports.

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Pandemic vice

HEN is something an act of selfpreservation, and when is it a demonstration of unbridled greed?

The question gets complicated when we move from individuals to nations —specifically prosperous, supposedly progressive ones looked upon as global leaders. More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, several pharmaceutical companies have developed vaccines against the dreaded disease, and inoculation programs have begun in many countries. More than 3.35 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been injected in at least 216 territories around the world, according to a count by Agence France-Presse. The progress of such programs, however, vary greatly from place to place, the main cause being access to the vaccines determined by how wealthy and influential the procuring country is.

In high-income countries, 86 doses have been injected per 100 inhabitants. Among the 29 lowest-income countries, just one dose has been given per 100 inhabitants. Worse, there is now talk of booster shots for populations already substantial-

There is a greater moral obligation to ensure the protection of the rest of humanity and helping those who are most at risk. ly covered by basic protection. This is a reasonable idea given the emergence of new variants everywhere, but it is almost unconscionable when taken with the fact that many vulnerable sectors in develop-

ing nations, the ones who cannot afford treatment and whose hospital systems are likely inadequate, are barely protected against the virus. This has prompted the World Health Organization’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to say that vaccine nationalism is preventing the world from endend ing the pandemic, and that the greed of rich nations will cause the world to look back on itself with shame. He took to task vaccine manufacturers, specifically Moderna and Pfizer, for exploring booster deals with relatively better-protected nations; they should, instead, channel the supply to the Covax global facility to make the distribution gap less glaring. The leaders of rich nations do right by their people in wanting to provide even greater protection to them in the form of booster shots. But such is only secondary to the greater moral obligation to ensure the protection of the rest of humanity and helping those who are most at risk.

President Duterte II THE intention is as clear as the skies on a sunny day at the peak of summer—Rodrigo Roa Duterte wants to be president. Again. And the motive is as dark as a dungeon for COVID victims on doomsday. Duterte wants to perpetuate himself in power, or at least, extend his presidency, either by hereditary succession (through daughter Sara Duterte) or by proxy (through a trusted and tested factotum like Bong Go or some other patsy personality). Why? One, to protect the gains of his presidency, some of which are solid and sterling; Two, to protect the gains of his family— personal, political and financial; and Three, to insulate him, his family and friends from possible political and judicial prosecution, here and abroad, and even more possible, a jail term or forced exile (in China?). Lord Acton once said, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Absolute power corrupted the Roman emperors who declared themselves God. A corporal, Napoleon Bonaparte, declared himself emperor, thanks to absolute power. Monarchies, where the king is succeeded by his children, lose their moral sense and decency, thanks to absolute power. Since 1986, three presidents were either exiled, placed under house arrest, or simply jailed in solitary confinement. Ferdinand E. Marcos was seized by a US embassy helicopter on the night of Feb. 25, 1986 and sent into forced exile in Hawaii where he died, a gravely sick, lonely, despondent, and despised fallen leader, in September 1989, at age 72. The strongman’s four successors did not want his body returned until Duterte became president who gave him a hero’s burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, on Nov. 18, 2016. Marcos’s alleged crimes: Human rights violations, plunder, and abuse of power. FM was a president who saved his country from a communist takeover, undertook genuine land reform, achieved rice self-sufficiency, solved the energy crisis, tried to integrate the Muslims into the body politic, and planned to invade Sabah because it is idential partner, was seeing survey results stuck at single digits. He publicly acknowledged being dismayed, but recently, with the actions of the disruptor and the seemingly uncontrollable determination of the daughter-mayor, began a “consultation” tour with Sotto. Will the numbers increase considerably as to make a run viable? It would seem, by the words of Tito Sen, that a fallback has been arranged for him by Ping himself, and that is, a match-up with the Pacman upon his return, likely victorious, from his boxing bout. So after this weekend, the administration will have Inday Sara running under a combination of her Hugpong and GMA’s Lakas, her running-mate still up in the air and decisions most likely announced after August. Choices are Bongbong Marcos, if he agrees to descend from his lofty political dream; or cousin Martin Romualdez if Bongbong decides to forego both presidency and the vice; or even a feebly resurrected Gibo Teodoro. On the official flag, the PDP, it will be a Bong Go-PRRD tandem, with high chances of last-minute substitutions, every move and timing to be decided by the disruptor – El Presidente, mismo! Next to be disrupted is the 1Sambayan, which

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

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part of the national territory. Joseph Ejercito Estrada was ousted from the presidency after only 30 months in power, and placed for several weeks in solitary confinement in a darkened and heavily guarded room (“I thought they would kill me,” he said) at the PNP SAF training camp in Santo Domingo, now gated and well-fortified in Santa Rosa, Laguna, before he was transferred to an army camp in Tanay, which had stinking and waterless toilets, and then carted, a prisoner, across the street to his Tanay resort, which has the amenities of paradise. I visited Prisoner Erap in Tanay a few times. He told me: “Even if you live in paradise and

The intention is clear. you are a prisoner, you are still a prisoner.” So the lesson: Do not let yourself get imprisoned. Erap was later pardoned by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In September 2007, the anti-graft court found Estrada guilty of plunder (of $80 million of gambling money) and was sentenced to reclusion perpetua. He was, however, pardoned by his tormentor, President Gloria Arroyo. Having been pardoned, Erap ran for president, again, in 2010. He placed a decent second to Benigno Simeon Cojuangco III. Erap would have won, had not two people died, Cory Aquino and Iglesia ni Cristo leader Eraño Manalo, both in 2009. Estrada went on to serve two terms as an elected mayor of Manila, his birth place, from 2013 to 2019. After his ouster from the presidency, his wife and two sons became senator. President Noynoy Aquino had his predecessor arrested and jailed inside a hospital suite at the suburban Veterans Hospital in Quezon City. After nearly four years of hospital arrest and an oppressive neck brace, Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo walked free, on July 21, 2016. The Supreme Court, voting 11-4, acquitted her of plunder for alleged misuse of P366 million in sweepstakes charity money. after a grand debut in March, with venerables leading its convenors, found itself politely rejected by most of the names it floated. In the absence of a strong defined political party, and in the wake of the LP-led Otso Diretso shut-out in 2019, the anti-Duterte forces had to go the convenor route, resurrecting what Cory Aquino supporters did in 1985 to thwart Doy Laurel’s established UNIDO proclamation as candidate against Ferdinand Marcos. It succeeded then, especially with the imprimatur of the late Cardinal Sin. It does not seem so this time, as 1Sambayan likely becomes not a convenor, but part of the support chorus for whomever. Disrupted as well has been Vice-President Leni Robredo’s chances at a presidential run. Her numbers are at low double digits, far from frontrunners Inday Sara and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. Separating her from the two are Bongbong Marcos, Grace Poe, and the Pacman, all statistically tied. Wisely though, the lady has prepared a fallback --- the governorship of Camarines Sur, or even back to Congress representing her late husband’s Naga City. Either way, she is likely to win, while the presidency may be a long shot, given the paucity of time to catch up, and the lack of resources to fuel an uphill climb. The enfant terrible in this election season is

Mrs. Arroyo was president for nine years and four months, the second longest term, after Marcos’s 20 years. I visited her twice in her hospital suite. She exhibited an aura of calm and quiet courage and a sense of optimism that things could be better for her. She was not at all bitter. In July 2016, Rodrigo Duterte, whom she helped finance as candidate, had assumed the presidency. Mrs. Arroyo ran for congressman of her Pampanga home district and was elected speaker of the House of Representatives. Both Estrada and Arroyo proved that there is a political life after the presidency. Perhaps drawing lessons from the travails (from political and judicial prosecution) and triumphs (of being elected to public office again) of Estrada and Arroyo, President Duterte is carefully following in their footsteps, using a different approach. Duterte wants to be vice president of the republic. He said so publicly on at least three different occasions. If elected vice president, and he will mostly likely win, given the poor competition (he might even be the common candidate for VP of at least four major political parties), Dear Digong will be second in the line of succession, which means he will be president again if the elected president dies, resigns, or is incapacitated. There is nothing in tradition, practice, law, jurisprudence and the Constitution, that bar Duterte from running for vice president and from succeeding as president if something happens to the incumbent president, by design, by accident, or by an act of God. According to lawyers who have studied the Constitution on presidential succession, a VP Duterte can be president again—by succession. What the constitution bans is a president immediately succeeding himself or herself by reelection. Duterte will be president by succession, not by direct election of the people as president. One question: Will Duterte resign as president if he files his certificate of candidacy for vice president? My bet is: He won’t. Given the possibility of a Duterte president again by succession, it is worth remembering Lord Acton’s dictum: “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” biznewsasia@gmail.com the 46 year-old mayor of the nation’s capital, the former basurero from Tondo’s fetid slums, who pulled himself by sheer grit from poverty to become Manila’s youngest mayor at 44. He defeated in 2019 two political legends, Former President and Manila mayor Erap Estrada and former senator and mayor Fred Lim, garnering more votes than their combined totals. Isko Moreno turned around a decaying city into one of Bloomberg’s 50 Champion Cities of the World and with his excellent management of the Covid-19 situation, the young-looking mayor, older by three years over Inday Sara and the Pacman, has become the man to watch in the political circus of 2022. Without confirming higher ambitions, and with a certain re-election, political and business circles, not to mention the diplomatic community, are taking a closer look at Yorme’s next moves. Will he, or won’t he? Will he be the un-disrupted by the disruptor? Will he be the next disruptor of the political scene? We should know in a few more months, when the major palay crop has been harvested, what political seeds will be planted for the May 2022 harvest.

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World

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

‘Increased risk’ of rare disorder after J&J jab

A pedestrian wearing a face mask walks through the quiet streets of the central business district in Sydney on July 13, 2021, during a lockdown as authorities stepped up efforts to curb a fast-growing coronavirus outbreak. AFP

THE US Food and Drug Administration updated its warning labels Monday for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to include information about an observed “increased risk” of a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). The news is a further blow for the company, which was granted an emergency use authorization for its shot in February but has played a minor role in America’s coronavirus immunization campaign. Based on analysis of a federal vaccine safety monitoring system, officials have identified 100 preliminary reports of GBS after approximately 12.5 million doses administered, people familiar with the matter said. Of these reports, 95 of them were serious and required hospitalization. There was one reported death. GBS is a neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness or, in the most severe cases, paralysis. It affects an estimated 3,000 to 6,000 people each year in the United States, and most go on to recover. The new warning label for caregivers and recipients says in most people, symptoms began within 42 days of receiving the vaccine, and “the chance of having this occur is very low.” AFP

IN BRIEF France fines Google $593m in media copyright row FRANCE’S competition watchdog on Tuesday slapped Google with a 500-million-euro ($593-million) fine for failing to negotiate “in good faith” with media companies over the use of their content under EU copyright rules. It is “the biggest ever fine” imposed by the Competition Authority for a company’s failure to adhere to one of its rulings, the agency’s chief Isabelle De Silva told reporters, saying the decision was intended to “reflect the gravity” of Google’s shortcomings. The regulator also ordered Google to present media publishers with “an offer of remuneration for the current use of their copyrighted content,” or risk paying additional damages of up to 900,000 euros a day. A Google spokesperson said in a statement to AFP that the company was “very disappointed” by the decision. AFP

Death toll in China hotel collapse rises to eight EIGHT people have been confirmed dead and nine more remain missing after a budget hotel collapsed in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, the local government said Tuesday. Six others were rescued from the rubble of the Siji Kaiyuan hotel, which collapsed on Monday afternoon, the government of the district of Wujiang said on an official social media feed. Authorities had earlier suggested that 14 people had already been rescued but offered the new tally following “further analysis and screening of new information”. No cause for the disaster has yet been given. The hotel opened in 2018 and had 54 guest rooms, according to its listing on the travel site Ctrip. AFP Manila

Standard

TODAY REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES National Capital Judicial Region REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Branch 91, Quezon City

IN RE: PETITION FOR CORRECTION OF ENTRIES IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH RECORDED IN THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRY OF QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA EMMAN BRIAN L. KERR, Petitioner, -versus-

SP. PROC. CASE NO.R-QZN-21-01413-SP

THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA Respondent. x---------------------------------------------------------------x

ORDER

This is a verified petition filed by the petitioner Emman Brian L. Kerr, praying that after due notice and hearing, judgment be rendered ordering the public respondents the Local Civil Registry of Quezon City and the Philippine Statistics Authority to cause the correction of entries and to reflect the Father’s Surname in the Certificate of Live Birth of petitioner Emman Brian L. Kerr bearing Registry No. 97-56810. Entry No. 1 (Name)

From

First: EMMAN BRIAN Middle: Last: LOVENDINO

First:EMMAN BRIAN Middle: LOVENDINO Last: KERR

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is hereby set for hearing on September 29, 2021 at 8:30 in the morning before this Court located at Room 403 Hall of Justice Building Annex, Elliptical Road, Quezon City. All interested parties are required to appear and show cause during the said hearing why the petition should or should not be granted. Let a copy of this Order be published at the expense of the petitioners once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of General Circulation to be selected by raffle pursuant to P.D. No. 1079. Furnish the Office of the Solicitor General, the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City, Office of the City Prosecutors, Quezon City and the Philippine Statistics Authority of this Order, together with the copy of the Petition and its Annexes. SO ORDERED. Quezon City, Philippines. May 5, 2021 (Sgd.) KATHLEEN ROSARIO D. DE LA CRUZ-ESPINOSA Presiding Judge

Copy furnished:

Atty. Osias M. Merioles Counsel for the Petitioner 33 J.P. Rizal Extension, Comembo, Makati City Emman Brian L. Kerr Petitioner No. 13 Sta. Lucia St., Santolan, Pasig City OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL 134 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village Makati City OFFICE OF THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY East Avenue, Quezon City CITY CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY QC Hall Compound, Diliman, Quezon City OFFICE OF THE CITY PROSECUTOR Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma Bldg., Quezon City

(MStandard-June 30, July 7 & 14, 2021)

2cols. x 18cms.

WHO slams senseless vax ‘greed’ Gene editing T ‘blocks virus

HE World Health Organization blasted the senseless “greed” of rich countries considering COVID-19 booster vaccinations while the most vulnerable in other nations were left exposed to the virus. Striking an increasingly exasperated tone, the WHO said the world would look back on itself with shame if it knowingly chose to leave the world’s weakest at the mercy of the pandemic. The UN’s health agency also scolded vaccine manufacturers prioritizing deals for booster third doses rather than first and second shots for the completely unvaccinated healthcare workers and elderly people in poorer nations. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference that the question he was most often asked was when the pandemic would end. “We can end it very soon, because we have the tools now,” he said – but for the lack of decisive global leadership. Tedros said vaccine nationalism was “prolonging the agony” and there

was only “one word that can explain this... it’s greed.”

Thailand defends ‘mix-and-match’

rus vaccine – Sinovac – with a viral vector vaccine such as AstraZeneca. “We can’t wait 12 weeks (for a booster effect) in this outbreak where the disease is spreading fast,” he said.

New rules spark vax rush

A record number of French people booked appointments for COVID-19 jabs after President Emmanuel Macron announced restrictions on the unvaccinated, including mandatory tests to enter restaurants. The head of the main website to book vaccination appointments said traffic was at an all-time high following Macron’s televised speech on Monday night. “We recorded 20,000 appointments per minute, an absolute record since the start of the campaign, and it’s continued during the night and into this morning,” Doctolib boss Stanislas Niox-Chateau told BFMTV. Macron announced that from August anyone wanting to go out to eat or drink, take a long-distance train or visit a shopping center would need to show a “health pass” which means either proof of vaccination or a negative test. AFP

transmission’

SCIENTISTS have used CRISPR gene-editing technology to successThailand on Tuesday defended mixing fully block the transmission of the two different COVID-19 vaccines to batSARS-CoV-2 virus in infected human tle a surge in infections, after the WHO’s cells, according to research released top scientist warned it was a “dangerous Tuesday that could pave the way for trend” not backed by evidence. COVID-19 treatments. The kingdom is struggling to conWriting in the journal Nature Comtain its latest outbreak fueled by the munications, researchers in Australia highly contagious Delta variant, with said the tool was effective against viral cases and deaths skyrocketing and transmissions in lab tests, adding that the healthcare system stretched thin. they hoped to begin animal trials soon. Authorities said they will mix a CRISPR, which allows scientists first dose of the Chinese-made Sinoto alter DNA sequences and modify vac jab with a second dose of Astragene function, has already shown Zeneca to try and achieve a “booster” promise in eliminating the genetic effect in six weeks instead of 12. coding that drives the development Thailand’s chief virologist Yong of children’s cancer. Poovorawan said this would be posThe team in Tuesday’s study used sible by combining an inactivated vian enzyme, CRISPR-Cas13b, that binds to relevant RNA sequences on the novel coronavirus and degrades the genome it needs to replicate inside human cells. Lead author Sharon Lewin from Australia’s Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity told AFP the team had designed the CRISPR tool to recognize SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. “Once the virus is recognized, the CRISPR enzyme is activated and CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK chops up the virus,” she said. “We targeted several parts of the virus – parts that are very stable and don’t change and parts that are highly changeable – and all worked very well in chopping up the virus.” The technique also succeeded in stopping viral replication in samples of so-called “variants of concern” such as Alpha. Although there are several COVID-19 vaccines already on the market, available treatment options are still relatively scarce and only partially effective. Lewin said that using the CRISPR technique in widely available medicine was probably “years, not months” away. But she insisted that the tool could still prove useful in tackling COVSEEKING JUSTICE. Members of the pro-democracy group League of Social Democrats gather outside the Chinese Liaison Office ID-19. AFP

in Hong Kong on July 13, 2021, and hold up portraits of political prisoners, including one of Chinese Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo (pictured) on the fourth anniversary of his death. AFP

US helping investigate Haitian president’s killing THE United States said it was helping investigate Haitian president Jovenel Moise’s assassination and did not rule out sending troops at Haiti’s request. According to Haitian authorities, a hit squad of 28 men – 26 Colombians and two US citizens – killed the president in his home last week, also injuring his wife. “At the request of the Haitian government, the Department of Justice, along with its US government partners, is assisting the Haitian National Police in the investigation,” the department said in a statement. “An initial assessment has been conducted in Haiti by senior US officials. The department will continue to support the Haitian government in its review of the facts and circumstances surrounding this heinous attack.” It added it would also investigate if any US laws had been broken. “Political leaders need to come together,” Biden told reporters earlier. “The US stands ready to continue to provide assistance.” AFP

DEADLY HEAT. The sun sets behind Joshua Trees in Lancaster, California where temperatures reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.6 degrees Celsius). Wildfires were burning across more than one million acres of the western United States and Canada on Monday, as scorching temperatures held their grip on areas reeling from a brutal weekend heat wave. AFP

Business US economy not yet ready for end to Fed stimulus plan WASHINGTON—The recovery in key areas of the US economy is not sufficient enough for the Federal Reserve to start pulling back on its aggressive stimulus program, a top central banker said Monday. While the Fed has begun to consider when to taper its massive bond-buying program, New York Fed President John Williams told reporters the economy has not made the “substantial progress” required for it to act. The US economy shed more that 20 million jobs last year amid the pandemic, and still has not recovered 6.8 million of those. Policymakers have stressed that they will wait for more improvements before acting. “I’m very focused on substantial further progress” on increasing employment and inflation, Williams told reporters. “It’s really about achieving our maximum employment and two percent inflation goals... and clearly right now, we have not achieved that,” he said. The Fed cut the benchmark lending rate to zero in the early weeks of the pandemic and has been buying $120 billion a month in bonds—$80 billion in US Treasury debt and $40 billion of agency mortgage-backed securities. “In terms of thinking of potentially adjusting asset purchases, we’ve set a very clear marker,” Williams said. He noted there has been “strong movement” in employment and inflation data but “this is a time of very high uncertainty” and it’s too soon to judge the economy’s progress, Williams said. Unemployment has fallen to 5.9 percent but remains well above the pre-pandemic level, while year-overyear consumer inflation jumped five percent in May. Data for June are due out Tuesday. Williams and Fed Chair Jerome Powell have downplayed the recent spike in inflation, blaming transitory issues like the uneven reopening of the global economy and supply bottlenecks for most of the increases. AFP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

PSEi July 13, 2021

TOP GAINERS PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, July 13, 2021

-118.74 PTS. 6,795.13

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE

1,886,260,470 81,121 5,779,223,126.11

ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

66 125 51

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.111

Japan

Yen

0.009064

0.4542

Pound

1.389

69.6042

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.12876

6.4523

MEXICOFranc CABLE CAR. 54.7781 Passengers 1.093135

Switzerland

travel on the cable car system dubbed Dollar 0.803019 40.2401 Cablebus Dollar after its0.739809 inauguration Singapore 37.0726outskirts of MexicoDollar City, on July 12, 2021. Australia 0.7479 37.478 Mexico City put into a Bahrain Dinar operation 2.652731 on Monday 132.931 cable car Rial system0.266617 that promises to save Saudi Arabia 13.3604 Brunei Dollar 0.737083 time for thousands of users36.936 who must Indonesia Rupiah 0.000069 0.0035 travel from the peripheral neighborhood Thailand Baht in 0.030618 1.5343 of Cuautepec, the north of the capital, UAE Dirham 0.272272 13.6438 towards downtown areas. AFP Canada

Euro

1.1863

59.4467

Korea

Won

0.000873

0.0437

China

Yuan

0.154412

7.7377

India

Rupee

0.013417

0.6723

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.23872

11.9625

New Zealand

Dollar

0.6985

35.0025

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035767

1.7923

Market retreats on Fitch’s rating outlook downgrade T Source: BSP

HE stock market slumped Tuesday in knee-jerk reaction to the move of Fitch Ratings to revise its credit rating outlook on the Philippines to negative from stable after keeping the investment grade score of “BBB.”

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index sank 118.74 points, or 1.7 percent, to 6,795.13 on a value turnover of P5.8 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 125 to 66, with 51 issues unchanged. Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. fell 3.5 percent to P35.65, while Universal Robina Corp. of the Gokongwei Group, the biggest snack food maker, dropped 3.2 percent to P138.50.

LT Group Inc. of the airline and tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan declined 6.2 percent to P11.44, while SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group shed 2.8 percent to P990. Meanwhile, the rally in global stocks extended into the rest of Asia on Tuesday as optimism about the upcoming earnings season outweighs worries over the fastspreading Delta virus variant that is forcing leaders to reimpose containment measures. Hope that central banks will maintain their ultra-loose monetary policies, or taper them very gradually, is also providing support to traders as economies recover from the ravages of last year’s pandemic-induced collapse. The release of key data and other events will also be closely tracked this week as markets try to get an idea about the state of the global rebound, with Chinese growth, US inﬂation and several central bank decisions in view. Wall Street’s three main indexes chalked up more records as investors prepared for

the earnings deluge with the release of top banks including JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs later in the day. Observers are predicting the period could be the best in more than two decades, though they warn that the readings would have to be blockbuster to build on the latest markets rally, with many traders “buying the rumor and selling the news”. Hong Kong led the gains in Asia, rising 1.7 percent, while Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Mumbai, Wellington, Bangkok and Taipei also enjoyed gains. However, Sydney gave up early advances to end ﬂat, while Jakarta slipped. COVID-19 continues to cast a dark shadow as new case numbers rise around the world, with the United States and Britain—which are well advanced in their vaccination programs— also seeing high numbers, though with lower deaths and hospitalizations. Some governments are also now considering approving third jabs for those who have had their full dosage. With AFP

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

CHI

6.8

0.44

6.92%

PSE

238

14.4

6.44%

LSC

1.05

0.05

5.00%

NRCP

0.72

0.03

4.35%

5 6

SBS JOH

4.64 5.87

0.19 0.24

4.27% 4.26%

UPM

0.0098

0.0004

4.26%

APC

0.39

0.015

4.00%

IPM

5.8

0.2

3.57%

PRMX

2.7

0.09

3.45%

TOP LOSERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

CIP

144.4

-29.6

-17.01%

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

LRW DFNN BHI BCB EVER LTG LFM APO KPPI

1.6 4.42 0.138 5.32 0.415 11.44 29.1 0.95 4.87

-0.15 -0.37 -0.011 -0.41 -0.03 -0.76 -1.85 -0.06 -0.3

-8.57% -7.72% -7.38% -7.16% -6.74% -6.23% -5.98% -5.94% -5.80%

MOST ACTIVE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

AC ICT ALI BDO SM SMPH ACEN BPI URC MONDE

VOLUME 403210 1911610 7817700 1898490 208285 5319600 19265200 1967070 1204130 10100900

VALUE (PHP) 318688385 315496722 281364170 209951790 207834482.5 188946070 170647949 169940839.5 167620320 167510072

Manila

Worries and refound happiness of tourists in Europe

TODAY

SEC Memorandum Circular No. 8 Series of 2021

By Anouk Riondet with Marie Giffard and Thomas Perroteau PARIS, France—They’re back! Foreign tourists can once again be seen and heard strolling the streets of European cities. But despite Europe throwing open its doors, tourists say traveling during the pandemic is complicated. Since June 9, it is possible for tourists to visit Europe again, depending on the health situation in their country of origin, and vaccination record of the traveler. Among the different measures that can apply are a proof of full vaccination more than two weeks prior to travel, a certificate of COVID recovery less than six months prior to travel, a negative RT-PCR or antigen test, health form, quarantine or selfisolation of seven to 10 days. The differences feed into uncertainty that travelers face. “One day you need this, another day that. When we arrived at the airport, we were asked to fill out new papers, even though we had already filled out several,” remarked Brandon McDaniel, a Texas businessman who was on a five-week trip with his family. His wife Crystal, a designer, added: “We know that it will be very expensive after a while to do all the tests required to enter each country, but if that’s what it takes to be able to travel again, we will do it.” The United States is on a “green” list of countries according to a scale established in France in mid-June, which means people from there do not need a test if they have been fully vaccinated. “Americans have wanted to come back for some time,” noted Corinne Menegaux, head of the Paris tourism office. “In all surveys we see that Paris is still the main destination for them. And since vaccination campaigns began there earlier, many have been inoculated, which makes traveling easier,” she added. Not many tourists In spite of the reopening, the number of US tourists visiting Paris is down by 85 percent from the level in June 2019, and arrivals by foreign tourists in general are down by 60 percent, the tourism office says. “In 2019, there were 10 million people over the summer. In 2020 we welcomed two million and this year we expect between four and five million,” Menegaux said. Denis Farias, who runs a souvenir shop near the landmark Eiffel Tower, said: “There are really no more tourists in Paris

Standard

SUBJECT

AMENDMENT TO SEC MEMORANDUM CIRCULARS NO. 14, SERIES OF 2018, NO. 3, SERIES OF 2019, NO. 4, SERIES OF 2020 and NO. 34, SERIES OF 2021 TO CLARIFY TRANSITORY PROVISION

The Commission on various dates issued the following Memorandum Circulars (MCs) relative to pronouncements issued by the Philippine Interpretations Committee (PIC) and International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) on the implementation of Philippine Financial Reporting Standards 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers:

In this file photo taken on August 03, 2018, tourists use umbrellas to shelter from the sun as they walk at Esplanade du Trocadero in front of The Eiffel Tower in Paris. AFP

at the moment. “Two years ago there were ﬁve of us (working) in the shop, now I am on my own.” Which is ok with many of the tourists. “Since there are fewer people, you can take the time to do more things, spend less time in line, it’s a relaxing atmosphere,” observed Mohammed Charpenel, who works in the real-estate sector in Dubai. “It’s happiness again,” he concluded. The tourism numbers may be down in part to the uncertainty whether Europe would allow in tourists for the summer, which discouraged some people when making their vacation plans months ago. “The worst part was the waiting. We had booked in March but we didn’t know when France would reopen,” Chicago teacher Martin Douglass said. “Today, travelling is like gambling.” In Madrid 1,300 kilometers to the south in the Spanish capital, tourists told a different story. “My plane was full,” said Luke Johnson, a 19-year-old student from Denver, Colorado. “We would have liked to go to Germany and the Netherlands, but we would have had to make a quarantine.” Elena Schupp, 56, a dual US-Spanish national who lives in South Carolina, said she made it to Madrid via Dallas with her daughter, despite numerous measures that made things a bit complicated. “What will it be like for those who are

not technically minded,” she asked. “I know, for example, that my mother would never have been able to do it!” From January through April, Spain welcomed 1.8 million foreign tourists, according to the national statistics institute. That leaves the country well shy of its 2021 target of 45 million. Euromonitor International, a market research company, has estimated that there will be 61 percent fewer Chinese visitors to Western Europe this year, despite a continent-wide digital COVID certificate designed to ease travel restrictions. In Venice Foreign tourists could also be found ambling along the canals of Venice, although in far fewer numbers than usual. “Less tourists so it’s better for me!” said 34-year-old Ann Fang from Arizona. She said she had already been vaccinated, so that didn’t pose a problem, but that there was a bit of paperwork. “I think it’s a little more difficult because of all the documentation to come to Europe, but I got here,” she said. Even those from “red” countries who need to request permission to enter Europe manage to make it. Kokulo Lawuobahsuno, 33, from Liberia, acknowledged he was a bit worried at first. “But then I just followed the requirements, it wasn’t a problem for me,” he said. “I did my test, I’m fully vaccinated.” AFP

Memorandum Circular

Rule/Guideline

Date Issued

SEC MC No. 14, Series of 2018

Deferral of the application of the provisions of PIC Q&A No. 201812 with respect to the accounting for significant financing component, and the treatment of uninstalled materials and land in the calculation of the percentage of completion (POC) for a period of three (3) years.

29 October 2018

SEC MC No. 3, Series of 2019

Deferral of PIC Q&A 2018-12(H) on Accounting for Common Usage Service Area (CUSA) Charges and PIC Q&A 2018-14 on Accounting for Cancellation of Real Estate Sales until December 31, 2020.

08 February 2019

SEC MC No. 4, Series of 2020

Deferral of the Implementation of IFRIC Agenda Decision on Over Time Transfer of Constructed Goods [Philippine Accounting Standards (PAS) 23-Borrowing Cost] for the Real Estate Industry until December 31, 2020.

21 February 2020

SEC MC No. 34, Series of 2020

Deferral of PIC Q&A 2018-12 and IFRIC Agenda Decision On Over Time Transfer of Constructed Goods (PAS 23- Borrowing Cost) for the Real Estate Industry for Another Period of Three (3) Years or Until 2023.

17 December 2020

The aforesaid MCs, except SEC MC NO. 34, Series of 2020, contain a transitional provision which states that effective January 1, 2021, real estate companies will adopt the above PIC’s Questions and Answers/IFRIC Agenda Decision and any subsequent amendments thereof retrospectively or as the SEC will later prescribe. On the other hand, SEC MC No. 34, Series of 2020 further extended the deferral of application of the provisions of PIC Q&A No. 2018-12 with respect to the accounting for significant financing component and the exclusion of land in the calculation of percentage of completion and IFRIC Agenda Decision on Overtime Transfers of Constructed Goods under PAS 23-Borrowing Cost, for another three (3) years or until 2023. To assist real estate companies to finally adopt the said PIC and IFRIC pronouncements and enable them to fully comply with PFRS 15 and revert to full PFRS, the Commission en banc, in its meeting held on July 8, 2021, approved the amendment to the transitional provisions in the above MCs which would provide real estate companies the accounting policy option of applying either the full retrospective approach or modified retrospective approach when they apply the provisions of the PIC and IFRIC pronouncements. The Commission en banc, in the same meeting, likewise approved that the policy option be available to entities that cease availing of the above SEC financial reporting reliefs whether in full or in part. Issued this 8 July 2021 at Pasay City, Philippines. For the Commission:

EMILIO B. AQUINO Chairperson (MS-JULY 14, 2021)

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, July 13, 2021

-118.74 PTS. 6,795.13

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,886,260,470 81,121 5,779,223,126.11 66 125 51

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.111

Japan

Yen

0.009064

0.4542

Pound

1.389

69.6042

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.12876

6.4523

Switzerland

Franc

1.093135

54.7781

Canada

Dollar

0.803019

40.2401

Singapore

Dollar

0.739809

37.0726

Australia

Dollar

0.7479

37.478

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

132.931

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266617

13.3604

Brunei

Dollar

0.737083

36.936

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030618

1.5343

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.6438

Euro

1.1863

59.4467

Korea

Won

0.000873

0.0437

China

Yuan

0.154412

7.7377

India

Rupee

0.013417

0.6723

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.23872

11.9625

New Zealand

Dollar

0.6985

35.0025

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035767

1.7923 Source: BSP

Business PSEi July 13, 2021

TOP GAINERS

By Jenniffer B. Austria OFFSHORE gaming companies are slowly renewing their interest in the Philippine office market after a massive exit last year, Leechiu Property Consultants LPC said Tuesday. LPC chief executive David Leechiu said the company is starting to receive several inquiries from online gaming operators for possible office lease by the fourth quarter of the year. “The POGOs [Philippine online gaming operators] are coming back and I am not talking about 500 to 1,000 square meters of office space but a chunky amount of space,” Leechiu said. He said the passage of the proposed Senate Bill 2232, which seeks to clarify the tax concerns of POGOs and the recovery of the domestic economy, are among the factors that could bring back POGOs into the country. LPC earlier said that of POGOs’ total 1.7 million square meters of footprint in the country, at least 396,000 sq. m. were vacated from the second quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021 mainly because of the imposition of higher taxes. LPC said POGO contractions which were reported at 118,000 sq. m. in the first quarter of 2021 retreated to 59,000 in the second quarter Leechiu said the return of POGOs would benefit not only the only office space sector but also the retail, residential and tourism sectors. LPC expects office demand to reach 600,000 sq. m. in 2021 on strong take up from the business process outsourcing companies. Demand reached 291,000 sq. m. in the first half. “Meanwhile, IT-BPMs [information technology-business process management] are driving the office sector with 44 percent of demand in the first half. Economic stability in the west and the sustained rollout of the vaccines in the Philippines have prompted their return. They will be on expansion mode up to year-end,” said LPC director Mikko Barranda.

CHANGE

% CHANGE

1 2

CHI PSE

6.8 238

0.44 14.4

6.92% 6.44%

3 4

LSC NRCP

1.05 0.72

0.05 0.03

5.00% 4.35%

5 6

SBS JOH

4.64 5.87

0.19 0.24

4.27% 4.26%

7 8 9

UPM APC IPM

0.0098 0.39 5.8

0.0004 0.015 0.2

4.26% 4.00% 3.57%

PRMX

2.7

0.09

3.45%

TOP LOSERS 1 2

CIP LRW

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

144.4 1.6

-29.6 -0.15

EVER

0.415

-0.03

-17.01% -8.57%

-6.74%

May remittances rose 13%, MOST ACTIVE fastest in nearly five years 7 8 9

LTG LFM APO

11.44 29.1 0.95

-0.76 -1.85 -0.06

-6.23% -5.98% -5.94%

KPPI

4.87

-0.3

-5.80%

VOLUME VALUE (PHP) 1 AC 318688385 By Julito G. Rada 403210 2 ICT 1911610 315496722 EMITTANCES from 3 ALI 7817700 281364170Filipinos working overseas 13.1 percent 4 climbed BDO 1898490 209951790in May to $2.382 billion from $2.106 billion a year ago, the Bangko Sentral 5 SM 208285 207834482.5 ng Pilipinas said Tuesday. 6 SMPH 5319600 188946070 7 ACEN 13.1-percent 19265200 expansion 170647949 January to May 2021,” the BSP said. It said the

was the the 18.5-percent 8 fastest BPI since1967070 169940839.5 Data showed the US registered the growth in November 2016. highest share of overall remittances at 9 wasURCdue to the1204130 167620320 “This 16.2-percent and 40.1 percent, followed by Singapore, 2.7-percent increase 10100900 in receipts167510072 from Saudi Arabia, Japan, the United King10 MONDE land-based workers [to $1.894 billion dom, the United Arab Emirates, Canfrom $1.631 billion] and sea-based ada, South Korea, Qatar and Taiwan. workers [to $488 million from $475 The combined remittances from these million], respectively,” the BSP said in 10 countries accounted for 78.3 percent a statement. of cash remittances. The May figures brought cash rePersonal remittances which include mittances in the first five months to non-cash items also increased by 13.3 $12.28 billion, or 6.3 percent higher percent to $2.652 billion in May from than $11.554 billion in the same pe- $2.341 billion a year earlier, also the riod last year. fastest since the 18.4-percent rise in “The growth in cash remittances from November 2016. the United States, Malaysia, South KoThis brought the cumulative personal rea, Singapore, and Canada contributed remittances to $13.68 billion in the first largely to the increase in remittances in five months, a 6.6-percent rise from the

STRATEGIC Power Development Corp., a wholly- owned subsidiary of SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., plans to build a P26.3-billion, 300-megawatt pumped-storage hydropower project in Aklan province, documents ﬁled with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources show. SPDC which also operates the San Roque hydro plant in San Miguel, Pangasinan, disclosed the plans to the DENR under its notice of public scoping report. “With the development and operation of the project, it is projected that 300-MW pumped storage hydro power facility will be able to cover a portion of the renewable energy requirement to the Visayas Grid particularly during peak hours,” SPDC said.

THE country’s gross international reserves level slipped to $106.08 billion as of endJune 2021 from $107.25 billion in May, on lower value of gold holdings and government’s payment of foreign debt, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilpinas said Tuesday. “The month-on-month decrease in the GIR level was mainly attributed to the downward adjustment in the value of the BSP’s gold holdings due to the decrease in the price of gold in the international market, foreign currency withdrawals of the national government from its deposits with the BSP to pay its foreign currency debt obligations and various expenditures, and BSP’s foreign exchange operations,” the BSP said. “These were partly offset, however, by the inﬂows from the BSP’s income from its investments abroad,” it said. It said the latest GIR level continued to represent adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 12.1 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. It is also about 7.8 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 5.2 times based on residual maturity. The GIR ended 2020 at a record $110 billion. This year, the BSP expects GIR to settle at $115 billion, before rising further to $117 billion next year. Julito G. Rada

$12.835 billion recorded in the same period in 2020. Personal remittances from land-based workers with work contracts of one year or more rose 16.2 percent in May to $2.056 billion from $1.77 billion in May 2020. Remittances from sea-based workers and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year also increased by 2.7 percent to $532 million from $519 million a year ago. Cash remittances slightly declined by 0.8 percent to $29.903 billion amid the pandemic in 2020 from the record $30.133 billion in 2019. The BSP expects cash remittances to grow by 4 percent to reach a new record this year, taking into account the brighter global outlook amid the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and reopening of major economies. Remittances account for about a tenth of the gross national income and support various industries in the Philippines, including banking, real estate, automotive, transportation, travel and tourism, hotel, food retail, health care and education.

GRID operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines on Tuesday placed the Luzon grid on yellow alert for several hours amid low power reserves. NGCP raised the yellow alert from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on July 13 as net operating margin reached only at 143 megawatts. Power demand climbed to 10,924 MW against available capacity of 11,067MW. “Four plants are on unplanned outage and three plants have derated capacities, for a total of 1,522 MW unavailable energy,” NGCP said. The power plants that were on forced outages included Quezon Power Philippines Ltd. (460 MW), Pagbilao Unit 2 (382 MW), GMEC Unit 1 (316 MW) and Calaca Unit 2 (300 MW). Meanwhile, plants with derated capacities also affected available power supply. NGCP lifted the yellow alert at 1:10 p.m. for the Luzon grid as rain in many areas helped temper demand in the grid. Alena Mae S. Flores

Cirtek wins extended supply deals in the US SEMICONDUCTOR producer Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp. said Tuesday US-based unit Quintel USA Inc. extended supply agreements with two major leading carriers in North America. Cirtek said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the extension of the master supply agreement between its telecom base station antenna unit with two telecom carriers would be for another five years. The company did not identify the two firms. “Quintel is poised to grow its business in the near to medium term as evidenced by the relevance of its pioneering products that has been well received by our customers. Our products allow carriers to stay ahead of their game and maximize 5G services in the quickest and most cost economical manner,” Cirtek group vice chairman Jorge Aguilar said. “We are preparing our supply chain, planning, capacity expansion and capital expenditures to fully support the demand as we look to grow our market share to double digit figures in the next three to five years,” Aguilar said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Economist sees Fitch cutting PH credit rating this year amid sluggish recovery

AREIT SAFETY SEAL. AREIT Inc.’s properties Ayala North Exchange, Solaris One, McKinley Exchange Corporate Center and The 30th Corporate Center secure safety seal certifications from the Department of the Interior and Local Government within their respective LGUs. In compliance with recent public health standards set by the government, the safety seal certification recognizes and verifies the safety initiatives an establishment has implemented in order to continue with operations in lieu of the global health crisis. AREIT’s buildings have given attention to improvements in ventilation systems to limit risk of COVID contamination and transmission through maximizing fresh air intake in the air-conditioning systems.

San Miguel building P26-b hydro project in Aklan By Alena Mae S. Flores

Foreign reserves fell to $106b in June

Luzon grid placed on ‘yellow alert’

3 DFNN 4.42 Aboitiz -0.37 Foundation, -7.72% the corporate social responsibility arm of the Aboitiz Group, teams up with the ABOITIZ DONATION. Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and the League of Corporate Foundations to provide immediate relief to the families in the 4 BHI 0.138 -0.011 -7.38% municipality of Agoncillo in Batangas affected by the continued unrest of Taal Volcano. Joan Morte (second from left) of the Municipal BCBDepartment 5.32 of Agoncillo -0.41 -7.16% the donation from the League of Corporate Foundations represented by Fred Social 5Welfare receives Dalumpines (center), who is also the Aboitiz Foundation supervising project officer and chair of LCF committee on disaster resilience. 6

POGOs’ return to PH expected to lift local real estate industry

LAST PRICE

IN BRIEF

“This will also contribute to the stabilization of the Visayas grid by providing ancillary services and peaking power,” it said. The project in Barangay Nabaoy, Malay is being developed under Hydropower Service Contract (No. 2014-01-288) given to SPDC on Feb. 5, 2014. SPDC said if the project fails to push through, the impact would be the continued shortage in power supply to the Visayas Grid and loss of tax revenues. The proposed 300-MW Aklan pumpedstorage hydro project is a greenﬁeld project which involves the construction of two dams and covers 122.7 hectares of land. Project construction is estimated at 4.5 years, including the main access tunnel, the underground powerhouse and the installation of the pumping/generation equipment.

A BANK economist on Tuesday warned of a possible downgrade of the Philippines’ investment grade score by credit rating agencies before the end of the year amid the slow economic recovery caused by the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said in a report the latest move by Fitch Ratings revising the rating’s outlook from “stable” to “negative,” while keeping the “BBB” rating reﬂected the growing attention ratings agencies were giving to the protracted rise in Philippine debt and the slowing momentum of the economic engines. “Despite showing some green shoots, the overall growth trajectory is likely less vibrant compared to pre-pandemic levels as consumption remains constrained by high unemployment and investments are held back due to poor sentiment,” Mapa said. “If trends continue we could see other ratings agencies follow suit in the next three months with a possible downgrade by year end if ﬁscal metrics worsen further,” Mapa said.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno, however, said the drag caused by COVID-19 on the Philippine economy was expected to be transitory, as the sharp economic contraction last year was caused primarily by strict containment measures to prevent the spread of the virus, save lives and increase the capacity of the healthcare system. “When the daily tally of cases showed a sustained decline and the government started to relax the mobility restrictions, the surveys showed the economy was able to generate jobs quickly,” Diokno said. “As the government accelerates the vaccination program and implements recovery measures, we expect the green shoots of recovery to further strengthen and the economy to return to its robust growth path. Of course, we recognize that there are risks to our growth outlook,” Diokno said. He said solid fundamentals and ongoing reform initiatives should carry the country through toward a solid rebound—to a state that is well-calibrated to the emerging new economy. Julito G. Rada

Vehicle sales climbed by 56.1% to 132,767 units in first six months By Othel V. Campos VEHICLE sales climbed 56.1 percent in the ﬁrst half to 132,767 units from 85,041 units in the same period last year, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association said in a joint report Tuesday. Data showed members of the two industry groups sold 22,250 vehicles in June up 44.8 percent from 15,578 units a year ago. The automotive sales ﬁgures, however, were still down from the pre-pandemic performance of 31,950 units sold in June 2019 and 174,135 units in the six-month period in that year. “The industry is coping up with the pandemic recording a double-digit year-on-year growth of nearly 49 percent, but measly

growing by 2.2 percent versus the previous month. This is a respite amid the less buoyant consumer outlook for big-ticket items for the second quarter of this year according to a government survey,” said CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez. Passenger car sales jumped 77.3 percent in the ﬁrst six months to 42,406 units from 23,912 units in the same period in 2020. Commercial vehicle sales also increased 47.8 percent to 90,361 units from 23,912 units a year earlier. CAMPI said that month-on-month sales rose 2.2 percent in June from 22,072 units in May 2021. Sales of passenger cars dropped 2.86 percent month-on-month to 7,382 units from 7,599 units while commercial vehicle sales grew 4.9 percent to 15,158 units from

14,463 units. It said that year-on-year sales rose 44.8 percent from 15,578 units in June 2020. Passenger car sales grew by 56.7 percent to 7,382 units from 4,711 units while commercial vehicles increased by 39.6 percent to 15,168 units from 10,867 units a year ago. “The auto industry continues to adjust to the effects of the pandemic at the same time striving to strike a balance between its contribution to the economy and keeping its stakeholders safe and healthy during these unprecedented times,” Gutierrez said. Top selling companies in the ﬁrst half were Toyota Motors Philippines Corp., Mitsubishi Motors Philippines. Corp., Suzuki Philippines Inc., Ford Motor Company Philippines Inc. and Nissan Philippines Inc.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

IOC chief Bach praises ‘best-prepared’ Tokyo Olympics

Autonomous electric vehicles, which will be used at the Olympic Village, are seen during a media tour of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo. For athletes competing at the Tokyo Games, the Olympic Village will be almost all they see, with strict coronavirus rules preventing them from leaving the compound except to train and compete. AFP

Filipinos bow to Thais in 4th Asian U21 Beach Volley THE Philippines’ Jayrack de la Noche and Alexander Iraya dropped a 12-21, 14-21 decision to Thailand 2’s Netitorn Muneekul and Wachirawit Muadpha to open the country’s campaign in the Fourth Asian U21 Beach Volleyball Championships in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, on Tuesday. The seventh-seeded Filipinos kept the match close early in the second set only to lose steam against the sharper Thais who clinched a spot in the quarterfinals via a 2-0 (won-lost) sweep of Pool B. Seeded 10th in the 12team tournament, Thailand 2 earlier scored a 21-19, 2114 win over the second-seeded Australian pair of Ruben Gale and Connor O’Neill in last Monday’s opener. De la Noche and Iraya— whose participation is supported by Philippine National Volleyball Federation partners Philippine Sports Commission and Rebisco— must beat Gale and O’Neill at 9 a.m. (Manila time) on Wednesday to make it to the top eight. “This is our last chance. I hope we win through your prayers,” Iraya said. The tournamnent is a qualifier for the FIVB U21 Beach Volleyball Championships in Roi Et also in Thailand set from September 24 to 29. De la Noche and Iraya, standouts from University of Santo Tomas high school program, made their international debut in the Third Asian U19 Beach Volleyball Championships last week.

Incentive for Olympic gold may reach P50m “I expect more to come once the gold is delivered. It may even reach P50 million,” Tolentino told the forum presentFILIPINO athlete who will win a gold medal in the ed by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska RestauSummer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan could rant, and the Philippine Amusement receive as much as P50 million in cash incentives. and Gaming Corporation. Tolentino also promised a brand-new This was how Philippine Olympic pic gold, P4M for silver and P2M house and lot for every athlete, who Committee president Rep. Abraham for bronze based on Republic will win the gold. “Bambol” Tolentino put his estimate on Act 10699 or the Coaches and Again, the POC president exhow much cash bonus will be in store for Athletes’ Cash Incentives pressed full confidence that the a Filipino gold medalist in Tokyo. Act. Philippines will end the So far, a gold medal in Tokyo is now Tolentino made the angold-medal drought in the worth a whopping P30 million. A silver nouncement of the additional Tokyo Olympics, slated medalist gets P15 million, and a bronze P10 million from the San from July 23 to Aug. 8. winner receives P6 million. Miguel Corp. top honcho Tolentino said the 19 Business tycoons Ramon S. Ang of during Tuesday’s online athletes who will repSan Miguel Corporation and Manny Philippine Sportswriters resent the country are Pangilinan of the MVP Group and MVP Association Forum. determined and highly Sports Foundation both dangled P10 milThe Tagaytay conmotivated to win the lion each for every gold, P5 million for gressman said more gold. silver and P2 million for bronze. cash bonuses will come “Definitely. This is The government, through the Philip- once the gold medal— our time. We’ll win that pine Sports Commission, has assured the the Philippines’ first gold as one,” he said. cash incentives of P10 million for Olym- ever—is finally won. Rep. Abraham Tolentino

By Randy Caluag

TOKYO—Olympics chief Thomas Bach praised Tokyo on Tuesday as the “best-ever prepared” host city, as athletes began entering the Olympic Village 10 days before the opening ceremony. The final countdown to the Games comes with Tokyo under a coronavirus state of emergency and spectators banned from attending all Olympic events in the city and surrounding regions. International Olympic Committee President Bach, who arrived in Japan last week and spent three days in quarantine, told Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto that organisers were “doing a fantastic job”. “You have managed to make Tokyo the best-ever prepared city for an Olympic Games,” he said. “This is even more remarkable under the difficult circumstances we all have to face.” The pair met as the first athletes began entering the Olympic Village, which opened Tuesday without any of the welcome ceremonies or media opportunities often seen at the Games. Organizers declined to even specify which teams were entering or how many athletes were now in the Village. Strict coronavirus rules mean athletes can only enter the Village five days before their events and must leave within 48 hours of winning or being eliminated. Despite the low-key opening, Bach said organisers could “be confident that the stage is set”. Aside from the spectator ban in Tokyo and surrounding regions, the public will also be kept out of almost all venues elsewhere in Japan. Athletes, media and officials are subject to regular virus testing and limits on their movement. Polls have regularly found most Japanese would prefer the Olympics to be postponed further or cancelled outright, though opposition has softened in recent weeks. AFP

Scheduling conflicts in Tokyo force Team PH to choose new flagbearer By Peter Atencio ANOTHER flagbearer will have to be selected from the among the nine male athletes in the Philippine delegation to the Tokyo Olympics as pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena can’t join Fil-Japanese judoka Kiyomi Watanabe in doing flagbearing duties during the Parade of Nations on July 23. Tokyo organizers are now requiring all flagbearers to be present in Tokyo some 48 hours before the opening rites at the Olympic Stadium. And with Obiena arriving at noontime on the day of the opening ceremonies, flagbearing duties may not be possible as he could encounter delays that could go as much as five hours at the airport. Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino said they have already informed the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association of their decision to relieve Obiena off his duties. “I have told the PATAFA of this development, na malamang, mag-iba ng flag-bearer,” said Tolentino during Tuesday’s weekly virtual session of the PSA Forum. Tolentino said they have asked the PATAFA if

SPORTS LOCKER RANDY CALUAG AT 19 years old, triathlete Andrew Kim Remolino made his first splash into the Southeast Asian Games and bagged the silver medal after finishing second to compatriot John Chicano in the men’s triathlon category. It was Remolino’s most memorable performance--bagging a medal in front of the hometown crowd and getting praise from team captain Nikko Huelgas, who cited him as a potential Olympian in triathlon.

Obiena’s arrival could be rebooked to an earlier date, but this was not possible. The POC chief said they will not risk having Obiena get stuck at their airport, hours before the opening ceremony. Obiena, who is no. 6 in the Olympic rankings of the men’s pole vault, will now have to give way to any of the eight male athletes who will not have practice sessions and competitions the following day. Because gymnast Carlos Yulo won’t be available, choices have been narrowed down to boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Carlo Paalam, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, shooter Jayson Gonzales and golfer Juvic Pagunsan. Philippine officials and members of the secretariat who are already in Tokyo reported of delays experienced by delegates at the airport. Online registration requirements have slowed a lot of delegates as they leave the airport go to the Athletes’ Village. “Maraming bottlenecks upon arrival. And many take around five hours to get through this at the airport,” said Tolentino. Organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are restricting attendance at the games’ opening ceremony to a limited

Ernest John Obiena

number of VIPs, according to reports. The curtain-raiser at the 68,000-seat main stadium will be watched only by people connected to sponsors, along with diplomats and other special guests.

Remolino’s burnt SEAG silver medal In his first foray as a senior triathlete and in an international event in his home country, that silver shone like gold for Remolino. But on July 12 last year, Remolino’s family house ini Talisay, Cebu was among the 15 houses that were razed to the ground by fire. They were not able to save anything, but fortunately, his entire family was safe. Among those which were burned were Remolino’s triathlon gears, the Stock Visioner bike he used in the previous SEA Games and his Philippines SEA Games silver medal. He even posted his burnt silver

medal on his social media page and was picked up by several publications. A popular digital media site even made a call to “Make this burned SEA Games medal shine again” by sending a donation to Remolino sister’s bank account to help them recover from the fateful incident. A few months later, Remolino got a new bike with the help of Storck Philippines. The current COVID-19 pandemic, however, still hampers Remolino to get going with his training. Although he failed to finish the Olympic qualifying race in Japan last

April, the young Cebuano athlete is still regarded as a future triathlon champ. The cold temperature forced Remolino’s arms to go numb during the swimming stage, resulting in a poor timing in the bike stage and paved the way for his early exit. “Exactly a year ago, our family suffered the tragic fire accident where almost all of our belongings were lost from it. However, because of the help of our friends, relatives and the triathlon community we were able to rise up again and because of that I would just like to express my gratitude to all of those

who helped us during those times especially to @goforgoldph , @phil. sportscommission and @sbrshopph.” But this corner could not help but notice the charred silver medal in yet another socmed post. It was not the best way to remember his feat. So immediately, I sent Remolino a message and asked him to send the medal to me and I vowed to put it back to its unblemished condition with the help of a jeweler friend. Remolino was so excited. I won’t fail him. So expect the transformation in the days to come.

Sports

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

Pagadian five upsets powerhouse Zamboanga IPIL, ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY— Rich Guinitaran drained big buckets as Pagadian dropped the upset axe on powerhouse JPS Zamboanga City, 8268, in the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup, Tuesday at the Provincial Gymnasium here. After being down by as much as 13 in the game, Zamboanga was able to cut the deficit to just three on a Jaypee Belencion triple at the 3:54 mark of the fourth quarter. But Guinitaran had all the answers in him. The CEU product, who transferred to Arellano late last year, went on a personal 8-0 run, capped by a putback off a Mark Benitez’s miss, to restore Pagadian’s lead to 11 with just 1:51 left. “What do you expect? Si Rich isa sa mga main man ko yan. Rich is a very versatile player and anytime pwede pumutok sa labas yan,” said Explorers head coach Harold Sta. Cruz. Guinitaran was ultra-efficient with 26 points - on a hot 8-of-10 shooting clip, including 5-of6 from behind the arc—to go with five rebounds and five assists as the Explorers rose to 2-0. Keanu Caballero flirted with a tripledouble with 10 markers, seven boards, and seven dimes. Big men Gabby Espinas and Jerwin Gaco paced the 1-1 JPS with 14 and 11 points, respectively, with the latter adding 11 rebounds. Playmaker Fran Yu did not play for Zamboanga due to a stiff neck, while Gino Jumao-as appeared to hurt his right knee after a collision down low at the 1:57 mark of the first quarter. He did not return. Pagadian aims for a 3-0 start when it squares off against another powerhouse in Basilan on Thursday at 4 pm. Meanwhile, JPS looks to return in the win column on Saturday, 2 pm against MisOr. AFP

Australia hands US 2 straight loss nd

OS ANGELES— The United States men’s team suffered its second straight shocking loss on Monday, losing 91-83 to Australia in a pre-Olympic friendly tournament in Las Vegas. The Americans, whose roster includes a host of NBA all-stars, also lost 90-87 to unheralded Nigeria on Saturday and have now lost four of their last five games dating back to the 2019 FIBA World Cup, where they finished an embarrassing seventh. Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant was held to 17 points for the second consecutive game, and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers finished with a team-high 22. Patty Mills, of Canberra, scored 22 points, and Adelaide’s Joe Ingles

scored 17 for the Aussies, who shot 53 percent from the floor as a team in the tuneup event for the Tokyo Olympics. Australia outscored the US 6-0 in the final 30 seconds. Boston Celtics player Jayson Tatum threw up an airball in the final minute, and Durant missed a three-pointer in the waning seconds. Australia, one of the favorites to reach the podium in Japan, has never beaten the US in the men’s Olympic basketball tournament in eight

tries dating back to 1964. Monday’s exhibition win comes 33 years after the US defeated the Boomers 78-49 to win the bronze medal in Seoul, South Korea. The United States were without three players still active in the NBA finals. The United States, who have won three Olympic men’s basketball titles since earning bronze in 2004, are looking to regain global dominance after finishing in seventh at the 2019 World Cup. Meanwhile, 3 years after being the top pick in the NBA Draft, 22-year-old Bahamian big man Deandre Ayton has fine-tuned his talents and made the Phoenix Suns a championship contender. Ayton scored 22 points and

grabbed 19 rebounds in the Suns’ game-one NBA Finals win but struggled with foul trouble for the first time in the playoffs in a game three loss as Phoenix carries a 2-1 lead into Wednesday’s fourth game of the best-of-seven series at Milwaukee. The Suns, who hadn’t reached the finals since 1993, could win their first title since joining the league in 1968. Ayton shakes off pre-game goose bumps with a routine that locks him in upon the on-court challenges. “I really just take three deep breaths, close my eyes and after that, the whole arena is really empty,” he said. “I just see my teammates and my coaches. There’s a task at hand after that.” AFP

Suns try to keep Bucks from tying Finals

Dante Exum of the Australia Boomers is guarded by Zach LaVine of the United States during an exhibition game at Michelob Ultra Arena ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games in Las Vegas, Nevada. Australia defeated the United States, 91-83. AFP

Facebook, Twitter vow to tackle racial abuse of England footballers WASHINGTON—Facebook and Twitter said Monday they were scrambling to take down racially abusive comments directed at members of the England football team following a heartbreaking loss in Sunday’s Euro 2020 final. The US social media giants said they were taking down racist and hateful content which had prompted condemnation from British political leaders. The actions came after a stream of abusive messages on Twitter and Facebook-owned Instagram directed at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, the three players who missed England’s penalties on Sunday. “The abhorrent racist abuse directed at

In this file photo England’s forward Marcus Rashford reacts after he fails to score in the penalty shootout during the UEFA EURO 2020 final football match between Italy and England at the Wembley Stadium in London . Facebook and Twitter said they were scrambling to take down racially abusive comments directed at members of the England football team following a heartbreaking loss in Sunday’s Euro 2020 final. The US social media giants said they were taking down racist and hateful content which had prompted condemnation from British political leaders.

England players last night has absolutely no place on Twitter,” said a spokesperson for the San Francisco-based short messaging service. “In the past 24 hours, through a combination of machine learning based automation and human review, we have swiftly removed over 1,000 Tweets and permanently suspended a number of accounts for violating our rules -- the vast majority of which we detected ourselves proactively using technology. “ Facebook said earlier in a statement it had “quickly removed comments and accounts directing abuse at England’s footballers last night and we’ll continue to take action against those that break our rules”. “No one thing will fix this challenge overnight, but we’re committed to keeping our community safe from abuse,” it said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other leaders expressed dismay over the online abuse. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden tweeted, “I share the anger at appalling racist abuse of our heroic players” while warning online services. “Social media companies need to up their game in addressing it and, if they fail to, our new Online Safety Bill will hold them to account with fines of up to 10 per cent of global revenue,” he wrote. AFP

MILWAUKEE —A frustrated Phoenix Suns squad, struggling to slow Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, risks losing its NBA Finals lead unless it can find some answers in the next two days. The 26-year-old Greek star scored 41 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the host Bucks to a game three win on Sunday and Milwaukee can level the best-of-seven series at 2-2 with another home triumph Wednesday. “It’s on us to stop him, give him more resistance,” Suns forward Cam Johnson said. It’s tough to balance that physicality, especially when he’s coming at you so hard. “But you just got to do it. We’re capable of doing it. We know that. We’ll go back, look, see what we need to change and change it.” The Suns will need to adjust to boost their hopes of the first NBA title in their 53-year history. “We know we got to be better,” said Johnson. “There’s a lot of frustration anytime you lose. You can see it on everybody’s face. It’s a terrible feeling. “That feeling is going to motivate us to get back out there, get ready for the next one and go right back at them.” The Suns have been resilient in the playoffs, winning nine playoff games in a row after back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round. “We got to be the desperate team next game. We got to bring the fight to them,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to come back and execute better and play with more physicality. “We’ve shown we can do it. It takes poise. We knew this one wasn’t going to be easy. (Milwaukee) is a team that’s desperate, that wants to fight.” Antetokounmpo has consecutive 40-point games, aided in game two by foul trouble on Suns center Deandre Ayton, whistled for five violations for the first time in the playoffs. “It affected us obviously, but we have to weather the storm,” Suns forward Jae Crowder said. “We have to adjust. “We had to throw a lot of different things at them and it led to us scrambling. We have enough bodies to get that job done. We just got to do it collectively and be better individually. “We got to man up and do what we’ve been doing all year, respond to a defeat, to things not going our way.” AFP

3 matches kick off PVL inaugural pro league PLDT and Chery Tiggo gain the honor as the first two teams to play in the country’s firstever professional volleyball league as the Premier Volleyball League sets off a milestone in the sport Saturday (July 17) with the PVL Open Conference in Ilocos Norte. Four other squads gear up for a spirited clash in the kickoff of the five-week tournament with Perlas slugging it out with Cignal HD and fancied Creamline testing the mettle of Sta, Lucia at the PCV Socio-Civic Cultural Center in Bacarra. Completing the 10-team roster are Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, Bali Pure and guest squad Philippine Army. Play is a single round robin with the Top 4

teams advancing to the crossover semifinals, a pair best-of-three affair. Winners will then dispute the title, and the bragging rights as the first pro volley league champion, in another best-ofthree series. As part of the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force’s strict and health protocols together with the PVL Omnibus Guidelines, games will be held without audience although they will be telecast on One Sports (Free to Air), and One Sports+ (Pay TV) with both channels available for linear streaming on Cignal Play and on gigafest.smart. The Crossovers and the Power Hitters usher in the inaugurals of the pro league held under the Games and Amusements Board supervision at 1

p.m. with Perlas Spikers and Cignal HD Spikers tangling at 4 p.m. and the Cool Smashers and the Lady Realtors mixing it up at 7 p.m. The four other teams launch their respective bids on Sunday with the Angels and the Lady Troopers colliding at 3 p.m. and the Water Defenders squaring off with the Flying Titans at 6 p.m. Games can also be viewed via live streaming on pvl.ph. Though Creamline, which snapped a couple of third place finishes in its first foray in the then semi-pro PVL in 2017 with three title romps and a runner-up effort in the next two seasons before the league went on a hiatus due to pandemic, is tipped to lead the title chase with its stellar crew,

the rest of the cast are ready and eager to prove their worth, whipping themselves up during the long break prolonged by a number of postponements due to the spike of coronavirus cases in the NCR Plus. That also paved the way for the organizing Sports Vision to look for a venue that would meet the government’s specifics for holding such pro tournaments while conforming to the latter’s continuing effort to help stem the transmission of infections. 1st District Ilocos Norte Rep. Ria Fariñas first offered the province to host the launch of the pro league and worked with Gov. Matthew Manotoc to help facilitate the staging of the bubble tournament.

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ETON CONCEPCION

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

Our next Miss International finished as first and second runner up, respectively. Basiano was named best in long gown while Cruz won best in swimsuit. Rounding out the lucky 13 semi-finalists were: Patrizia Mariah Garcia, Miss Photogenic (Face of Bb. Pilipinas 2021) winner; Maria Francesca Taruc, former Miss Tourism World Intercontinental 2019; Karen Laurrie Mendoza, former Supermodel Philippines 2019; Jashmin Dimaculangan, former Daragang Magayon 2019; and Honey Cartasano, Graciella Lehmann, and Patricia Denise Babista. Vianca Louise Marcelo won Miss Talent while Leslie Anne Ticaro and Ma. Ruth Erika Quin bagged the Miss Friendship and Best in National Costume special awards, respectively. Other special award winners were Alexandra Faith Garcia, Miss World Balance; Micca Rose, Manila Bulletin Readers’ Choice; Mendoza, Miss Pizza Hut; Taruc, Miss Silka and Miss Araneta City; Montagne, Miss Ever Bilena, and Miss Cream Silk; and Arnold, Miss Jag Denim. The 57th Bb. Pilipinas pageant paid tribute to the country’s former Miss International winners Aurora Pijuan, Melanie Marquez, Lara Quigaman, Bea Rose Santiago, and Kylie Verzosa, who sat as one of the judges, together with actors Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil, fashion designer Rajo Laurel, broadcast journalist Pinky Webb, Novotel GM Maria Garcia, and Usec. Benito Bengzon, Jr., chairman of the panel of judges. Celebrity online guest panelists included fashion designer Michael Cinco, TV host Boy Abunda, and Rep.Vilma Santos-Recto. Hosted by Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and Miss Grand International 2016 1st runner up Nicole Cordoves, the pageant finals saw outgoing 2019 queens relinquish their titles, led by Bb. Pilipinas-International Bea Patricia ‘Patch’ Magtanong; Bb. Pilipinas-Grand International Ma. Andrea Abesamis, Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental Emma Mary Tinglao, and Miss Globe 2019 2nd runner-up Leren Mae Bautista.

ISS Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach believes that Hannah Arnold, the newlycrowned Binibinining Pilipinas International, has what it takes to win the country's seventh Miss International title. On Monday, Pia took to Instagram Stories to congratulate Arnold, whom she called “our next Miss International.” Arnold topped the pandemic-halted Binibining Pilipinas annual search that crowned its 2021 batch of queens during its tone-down grand coronation held at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday night. The 5-foot-10 beauty is a FilipinoAustralian model who graduated from the University of Canberra with a degree in Applied Science in Forensic Studies. She is an advocate for accessible learning resources for the underprivileged and disadvantaged Filipinos, especially, in her province of Masbate. The 25-year-old beauty queen impressed the judges on her Q&A answer citing the ‘importance of free speech in a democracy and the coming election.’ Arnold will be joining other delegates in the Miss International pageant later this year in Tokyo, Japan. Samantha Alexandra Panlilio, 25, niece of Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 1964 Myrna Panlilio-Borromeo, was named Bb. Pilipinas-Grand International 2021, while Cinderella Faye Obenita from Misamis Oriental, who made it as the 13th semi-finalist via fan vote, realized a ‘Cinderella-finish,’ by winning the Bb. Pilipinas-Intercontinental 2021 title. Fil-American Maureen Montagne, Miss Eco International 2020 1st runner-up winner, snagged the Bb. Pilipinas-Globe 2021 title. Gabrielle Basiano and Meiji Cruz

Arnold (second from left and the queens of the 57th edition of Binibining Pilipinas.

Hannah Arnold, 25, is a model who graduated from the University of Canberra with a degree in Applied Science in Forensic Studies.

A NEW and exciting chapter is about to unfold as 20 artists officially joined the growing Star Magic family after inking their exclusive contract with the premier talent management agency last June 19. This year, Star Magic’s strategic partnerships with Rise Artists Studio, Star Hunt, and the different production units of ABSCBN, as well as, the forging of co-management deals with various independent managers like Arnold Vegafria, among others, has made it possible to welcome some of the Kapamilya network's most reliable actors, reality show alumni, and promising new faces under its fold. Fans can catch this milestone event on July 18 at 9:30 p.m. as it airs on A2Z and Kapamilya Channel. Here are the latest names to join the Star Magic family and their upcoming projects:

JC Alcantara

Hailing from Nueva Ecija, he broke into the industry as a commercial model. His humble beginnings from taking a bus from the province to Manila just to audition served as his biggest motivation in continuously bettering his craft. While the world stopped and turned backwards f o r many during 2020, it was an auspicious time for JC as he was not just launched as part of the Rise Artists Studio, he also headlined his breakthrough serieslater-on-turned-BL-film Hello Stranger.

Jayda

She got herself busy writing and creating songs during the quarantine, this is an activity that she has been enjoying for the longest time, which started when she was 12 years old. For this promising singer and performer of the Rise Artists Studio, coming into showbiz is something that was somehow expected, given that she was born to singer parents

CROWNING MOMENT. Hannah

Arnold with outgoing Bb. Pilipinas International queen Patch Magtanong.

Young, seasoned actors to shine under Star Magic

during the pandemic, apart from taking online home decorating workshops. While she dreams of starting from small roles once she’s given an acting project, Lou dreams of working with Jodi Sta. Maria in order to learn from her and see her do her acting chops.

Richard Juan

He was originally being Jessa Zaragoza and Dingdong Avanzado. But, she of her talent management, Karina is confident that her groomed by his family to was able to up her game in the industry when she awareness of her strengths and weaknesses can serve become a businessman. But started writing songs to communicate her thoughts, a good purpose as she pursues her career in the fate has its own plan for him industry. Those who are eager to see imaginations, and even her messages to people. after being offered a chance to her won’t have to wait too long come out of the television. That Kiko Estrada as she is part of the upcoming was exactly when his life took a It’s unsurprising that he has show Viral. 180-degree turn and since then he decided to stay followed the same path as his in the industry that he has grown to love. To date, grandfathers Paquito Diaz and Aljon Mendoza this Broadcast Communication graduate from the George Estregan, his mom He was one of the mostUniversity of the Philippines, has been seen in Cheska Diaz, and his dad, watched faces during his stint films, on tv and as part of Pinoy Big Brother 737. Gary Estrada. While he admits inside the most popular house in He hopes to be able to carve a name for himself to being “pressured” in carving his the country. Aljon would fondly recall t h a t as a host, although he recognizes the fact that he own path in the business, this promising he actually lined up and auditioned in Araneta for the still needs more training on it. Richard recently actor, who has come to love the craft and filmmaking reality show. Although he wasn’t declared as the Big showed his potential in hosting as one of the itself, considers the “pressure” as something good as Winner of Pinoy Big Brother Season 8, projects started hosts of PBB Connect and that of the recentlythe same it makes it possible for diamonds to come pouring in as soon as he went out. Among them, being concluded show, Bini: The Launch. to life. Co-managed by Arnold Vegafria, while he part of Rise Artists Studio and some shows namely has been part of several Kapamilya shows, his recent Sandugo and a Maalaala Mo Kaya episode. But 2021 Kiara Takahashi exceptional performance in the soap Bagong Umaga is probably the biggest year for him as he has projects Her humble beginnings as has been a crowd favorite as well as his comeback upon projects namely Viral, Hoy Love You Season 2, a guest singer for Filipino Love on the Move in TV5 and a hosting stint for Bida soap Pamilya Ko. artists who often performs Star. in Japan eventually Karina Bautista encouraged Kiara to really Inspired and blessed are two Lou Yanong try her luck in the local of the words that she used to Originally, she is targeting show business. In order to describe this new chapter in her to pursue modeling in New make her dream a reality, she life as a Star Magic artist and a York and Paris. But a nagging d i d the work by doing workshops Rise Studios artist. While she feeling made her want to stay and auditions and eventually, found her way to is now constantly paired with and explore the Philippines Pinoy Big Brother 8. Known for adaptability Aljon, Karina also dreams of some more. Her venture in during tough situations, Kiara takes pride in her accomplishing milestones as an the business also started inside awareness that she has some facets of herself individual such as singing, dancing, the Pinoy Big Brother 8 where that she needs to improve on, such as singing and modeling. If given the chance, she would like s h e turned heads because of her beauty and surfing. In the future, she hopes to be able to breathe life to a “shady” character in a movie or and her character. This is something that Lou’s been to share the screen with Toni Gonzaga. Read eventually be a host for PBB. Aside from the guidance showcasing a lot on her own YouTube channel full story on manilastandard.net

Darryl Yap redefines beauty in new film ‘Gluta’

The cast of Darryl Yap’s (center) ‘Gluta’ headlined by Ella Cruz (inset)

FROM Darryl Yap, the writer and director of the blockbuster movie Jowable, and Vivamax original movies Paglaki ko, Gusto ko Maging Pornstar, Tililing, and Ang Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam, comes another comedy-drama movie that many viewers will be able to relate to, Gluta. Streaming now on Vivamax, it stars 2019 Cinemalaya Best Supporting Actress award winner Ella Cruz. Gluta tells the story of Angel (Ella), an indigenous Aeta, who’s always dreamed of being a beauty titlist despite all the discouragements and ridicule she’s been getting because of her dark skin. Angel keeps telling herself that she is beautiful and that one day, she will prove to her doubters that she can win in a beauty contest. As a beauty pageant is about to be held

in her university, Angel’s finds herself included as a contestant because of the malicious intent of her schoolmates. Angel’s crush, Bambino, also starts to show interest in her, but Bambino is just being used by a mean girl named Lovely. As people try harder to bring Angel down, the more she stands proud of how she looks and who she is. She must stay focused on the Miss University pageant where her confidence will ultimately be tested. Ella Cruz has expressed her excitement about this project, not only because it is her first time to be directed by Darryl Yap, but also because of the valuable lessons this movie has about the true color of happiness. With Ella’s massive online following and her many talents, Ella will surely make a mark in her role in Gluta. Playing the role of Bambino is Marco

Gallo, a former Pinoy Big Brother housemate, and one of Viva’s top heartthrobs. This is Ella and Marco’s second time to work together after a thriller movie that is yet to be released. Gluta also stars Juliana Parizcova Segovia as Uncle Goliath, who is secretly gay, and secretly using glutathione to achieve whiter complexion. Rose Van Ginkel plays the role of Lovely, the contestant who will do anything to win the crown. Cristina Gonzales also plays a significant role as Angel’s teacher who tells her that she can’t be an angel in a school program because angels are supposed to be fair-skinned. Vivamax is available online at web. vivamax.net. You can also download the app and subscribe via Google Play Store and App Store or get your Vivamax vouchers on Shopee and Lazada.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2021

Stylish must-haves from favorite K-drama female leads By Ellicia Frentzen C. Del Mundo

NE of things that make Korean drama series exciting is the unique and chic fashion style of the characters. Every episode delights with accessories and apparel worn by the stars that make audience go to Google real quick to find out where to get the pieces or how to achieve the look.

Ko Moon-young’s replica earrings from Aishang Store PH.

Nordstrom’s cable knit cardigan a la Lim Ju-kyung.

Ko Moon-young’s drop earrings (It’s Okay To Not Be Okay)

Ko Moon-young (played by Seo Yea-ji), a famous children’s book author struggling to empathize with others because of her troubled childhood, is noted for her charismatic aura and extravagant clothes and fine jewelry. Moon-young loves drop earrings that flatter her face. Most of the pieces she wore on the show were from luxury brands, with one pair worth over P1 million.

Lim Ju-kyung’s cardigan (True Beauty)

In the K-drama adaptation of the webtoon series of the same name, Lim Ju-kyung (played by Moon Ga-young) looks absolutely gorgeous and chic in casual wear, with or without makeup. True Beauty follows the story of a high school girl who was taunted by her friends and family for being ugly until she decided to learn how to transform herself with makeup.

Jang Man-wol’s replica hair clip from Reiss Store.

Jang Man-wol’s petal hair clip (Hotel del Luna)

Fierce detective Jeong Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun) in the Netflix hit series keeps it cozy and professional with her winter coats in warm and cool neutrals. Her style is marked with layering and lots of sweaters, jackets, cardigans, blazers, and a memorable brown trench coat.

Ahn Jeong-ha’s necklace (Record of Youth)

The series, which aired in 2020, follows the lives of three young people in the fashion industry, including Ahn Jung-ha (Park Sodam), a makeup artist who struggles to survive in her field. Her character is in mid-20s and most of her outfits are remarkably casual millennial style. On the show, she shows how to add style to a simple look with the right accessories.

The moody owner of Hotel del Luna, Jang Man-wol (IU) is noted for her charming and glamorous looks. A visual treat every episode, Man-wol’s style is composed mostly of vintage and elegant dresses, glittering jewelry, goddess-like hairdo, and sparkling hair accessories, particularly the popular petal hair clip.

Yoon Se-ri’s designer bags (Crash Landing On You)

South Korean heiress Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) in this hit K-drama series sure knows how to complete a “power look”, with designer bags that scream style and sophistication – which she temporarily left behind when she crash-landed and lived in North Korea. Se-ri has many fashion moments on the show, one of them is her comeback look wearing a white power suit and carrying a black top handle leather bag.

All K-drama photos (except Crash Landing On You—tvN) courtesy of Hancinema.

SALE ALERT IT’S the most wonderful time of the year again. No, it’s not Christmas yet but it sure feels like it at The SM Store’s Big Clearance Sale. Ongoing until July 25, score discounted accesso-

ries and apparel from SM Fashion Men, SM Fashion Women, SM Fashion Youth, and SM Fashion Babies and Kids. The sale is available in store and via call to deliver (#143SM) for those who prefer to shop at home.

Check out some of the items on sale:

Wide-brimmed buri hat (now P150 from P349.75)

Backpack and duffle bag (now P500 each from P999)

Sugar Kids Farliza Mary Janes (now P150 from 299.75)

Floral printed shawl (now P100 from P149.75) Character tees (now P200 from P399.75)

Black beret from Fashion Chingu and mustard yellow cropped jacket from Forever 21 a la Eun Tae-hee.

Eun Tae-hee’s mustard yellow jacket (Tempted)

Tempted, also known as The Great Seducer, follows the story of three wealthy best friends who devised a plan to break Eun Tae-hee’s (played by Park Soo-young) heart. Tae-hee is noted for her feminine and classy sense of style. One of her notable Parisian looks is her crop mustard yellow jacket paired with black beret

SOMETHING’S BREWING

Huge markdowns at The SM Store

Cropped polo with front tie (now P300 from P799.75) and denim skirt (now P300 from P699.75)

Ahn Jeong-ha-inspired necklace from So Not Size Zero.

Yoon Se-ri’s comeback look complete with Longchamp Roseau.

Raglan wool coat similar to Jeong Tae-eul’s.

Jeong Tae-eul’s trench coat (The King: Eternal Monarch)

Here we list down some of the many stylish items female leads of K-dramas that premiered in 2018 to 2021 worn, and the exact item (for those who want to get the same look) or similar and affordable alternatives (for those who want to sport an “inspired by” look).

Starbucks to serve

sporty street style apparel

Double wall ceramic mug (12 oz.)

COFFEE company Starbucks ventures said in a statement. into athleisure as it partners for the The collection consists of carfirst time with a sports fashion label. ryall bag, on-the-go tote bag, Available for a limited time mesh bag, bucket bag, ID lanstarting July 20 at select Staryard, tumblers, and mugs in Fibucks stores are pieces la’s signature white, navy, from the Starbucks x and red. FILA collection. “Our first collabora“The Starbucks x tion with Starbucks FILA collection unites is sure to energize Starbucks’ mission to customers and fans nurture the human across Asia,” said spirit and Fila’s legChase Park, head acy of celebrating manager of apathletics and the parel division at collective good,” Fila Korea. Erin Silvoy, vice The collection president of prodwill be available uct and marketing at exclusively to cusBucket bag Starbucks Asia Pacific, tomers in Asia Pacific.

Kicks lace-up sneakers (now P150 from P499.75)

The Asia Pacific-exclusive Starbucks x FILA collection consists of bags, drinkware, and wearable items.