Manila Standard - 2021 July 17 - Saturday by Manila Standard

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Delta spreads; surge feared DOH reveals 16 news cases of deadly strain, 11 local infections By Willie Casas, Christine Cortez, Maricel Cruz, Rio N. Araja and Vito Barcelo

EALTH authorities warned of a possible surge in virus infections after detecting 16 new cases of the more transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19, including the first eleven local cases.

VOL. XXXV • NO. 152 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Five of the 16 news cases of the more and are part of a large cluster of cases, virulent strain were Filipinos returning with dates of onset between June 23 and from overseas. 28. All have been tagged as recovered. Eleven cases were classified as local Two cases were detected in the National cases. Six were detected in Region 10 Next page

‘Sinos dumping human waste fake news’ BEIJING has refuted a report of a US-based think tank that Chi Chinese vessels have been dumping human waste in Spratly Islands, calling it “fake news” meant to trig trigger Sinophobia. “It all started with a foreign agen agency issuing a report full of lies. Some media immediately spread fake news based on the fabricated report. Fi Finally, some anti-Chi anti-China forces used fake news to accuse and demonize China,” the Chinese embassy in Manila said in a post on Twitter. “It’s a typical ‘whole industry chain’ aiming at cre creating hatred and Sin Sinophobia in the Philip Philippines,” it added.

SOVEREIGNTY PATROL. The Philippine Navy’s new missile frigate “BRP Antonio Luna” conducts a maritime and sovereignty patrol at the Malampaya gas field in Palawan, days after the Philippine government marked the 5th anniversary of the Hague ruling that nullified China’s territorial claim to certain areas in the West Philippine Sea. PN/JTF Malampaya

COVID-19 PH AT A GLANCE

(AS OF 4 PM JULY 16)

1,496,328 TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES

5,676 48,480 NEW

ACTIVE

26,476

162

1,421,372

2,670

DEATHS

RECOVERIES

Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog now under restrictive ECQ THE quarantine status in the province of Iloilo and its highly-urbanized city has been elevated to the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from the more relaxed modified ECQ (MECQ), Malacañang announced Friday. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious

Diseases (IATF) made the reclassification upon the recommendations of the Department of Health, its Technical Advisory Group, and the Technical Working Group on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Variants, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. The ECQ classification in the province and city of Iloilo will take effect

“immediately” and will last until July 31, Roque said. Data from the Iloilo Provincial Health Office showed that the province has 2,975 active COVID-19 cases, 349 deaths, and 11,087 recoveries. Apart from Iloilo province and its city, Cagayan de Oro and the City of Gingoog in Misamis Oriental have also

NEW

NEWS / A2

‘Mask-free Yule likely if vaccine arrives on time’

PFIZER PRODUCES MORE ANTIBODIES WORLD / B3

Lakas going strong with 9 new members

By Willie Casas, Joel E. Zurbano and Julito B. Rada

MORE DOSES. Filipino and American officials stand before stand before a Johnson and Johnson vaccine crate containing 3,213,200 doses donated by the US government through COVAX facility of the Unite Nations-World Health Organization. The shipment arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3 Bay 114 in Pasay City on Thursday, July 16, 2021, on the same day the Philippines took delivery of AstraZenecavaccine, the first tranche of doses purchased by the LGUs and the private sector. Danny Pata

By Maricel V. Cruz

Ruling party forms council ahead of crucial vote

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE ruling political party PDP-Laban began Friday the process of electing its new national officers amid infighting within the group. At the meeting of the national council members in Clark, Pampanga, the

New school year opens in Sept. CLASSES for the school year 20212022 will open on September 13, as approved by President Rodrigo Duterte, the Department of Education announced Friday. “We thank the President for his full support to the delivery of quality basic education for the incoming school year,” DepEd said in a statement.

CHINA DANGLES $3B AID AT APEC

NEW

A MASK-FREE Christmas will not be realized this year because of the scarce supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Friday. “It looks like that will be delayed,” Duque said, referring to the goal of a mask-free Christmas. Duque, in an interview on radio dzBB, said there is a high chance that the COVID-19 vaccination campaign would run until 2022. Duque said the country would need around 25 million doses each month to achieve population protection in the next 130 to 140 days. “Let’s not keep our hopes up for that because we’ll just end up frustrated since we don’t control the supply,” he said.

been placed under ECQ until the end of the month, Roque said. The IATF, Roque said, also decided to extend the general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” classification in Antique until July 31. Misamis Oriental, which was initially

“The school calendar for SY 20212022 will be released soon. “We hope for our stakeholders’ continued cooperation and support as we prepare for another challenging yet worthwhile endeavor of educating our children amid a global health crisis.” Schools in basic education remain

group led by party vice chairman Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi opened the nomination process and designated members of the election committee headed by National Police Commission vice chairperson Vitaliano Aguirre II. The election will take place on Saturday, with President Rodrigo Duterte,

chairman, presiding. The party also approved Cusi’s suggestion to create a “council of elders” headed by Duterte. Its initial members include Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, Next page

THE strength of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) has been growing consistently with the entry to the party of nine new members who will seek elective posts in next year’s presidential elections. This, as Lakas-CMD President and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez of the 1st District of Leyte and Secretary General and Deputy Speaker Prospero Pichay Jr. of Surigao del Sur on Friday administered the oath to San Pedro Councilor Michael

Graft court junks 34-year-old case vs. Marcoses THE Sandiganbayan dismissed a complaint originally filed 34 years ago by the post-EDSA Revolution Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) against late businessman Ricardo Silverio Sr. and Pablo Carlos Jr., former First Lady

Imelda Marcos, and the late former President Ferdinand Marcos. In a decision dated June 30 and recently made available online, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division said “for failure of the plaintiff (PCGG) to prove its allegations by preponder-

ance of evidence, the subject complaint filed against defendants Ricardo C. Silverio, estate of Pablo P. Carlos Jr., estate of Ferdinand E. Marcos, and defendant Imelda R. Marcos is hereby dismissed.” Next page

News

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

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China dangles $3-b aid at Apec C

HINA’S President Xi Jinping on Friday promised $3 billion in aid to developing countries to fight COVID-19 at an unprecedented emergency online meeting of APECheads of state. Xi said the additional funds, which come after a similar pledge in May, were intended to “support COVID-19 response and economic and social recovery in other developing countries,” according to the official Xinhua news agency. Appearing via a video-link, Xi added that China has already supplied developing countries with more than 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was scheduled to host the annual summit of leaders from the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperationgroup in December, but called an

‘Mask-free... From A1 The Philippines has only received over 23 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since the launch of its vaccination program in March. Over 10 million people have received at least one shot, more than 4.2 million of whom have completed both doses, still far from the government’s target of vaccinating 70 million people to achieve herd immunity. In June, Malacañang expressed optimism that Filipinos would enjoy a maskfree Christmas this year based on projections by the OCTA Research group. On the other hand, the DOH is optimistic that it can reach its target of administering 500,000 vaccine jabs daily by August. “Our assumption is we will reach 500,000 jabs per day. Yesterday, we already reached the highest-- 392,000 jabs. The day before, it was 352,000 jabs. What’s the target? 500,000 jabs a day,” Duque told reporters on the sidelines of the arrival of the China Airlines flight carrying 1,150,800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines procured by the private sector on Friday. A portion of the jabs will also be donated to local government units. Once the country achieves this goal, Duque said population protection is achievable in 130 days. The country is also focused on administering second dose vaccines to Filipinos. “I think, hopefully by next month, we should be able to reach it. It is because the second dose is aggressively being pushed since we cannot only have the first dose. We have to do a second dose, in fact, it counts more, when you talk about herd immunity,” Duque added.

‘Sinos... From A1 In a separate statement posted on its Facebook account, the Chinese embassy accused Simularity of “sparing no efforts to produce lies and hype up the South China Sea issue to discredit and demonize China.” “The Chinese Embassy believes that a lie told a thousand times is still a lie. Any rational person will see through the tricks. China is willing to work with countries along the coast of the South China Sea, including the Philippines, to eliminate interference and jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the embassy said. Simularity on Thursday urged the government to validate its findings, even as lawmakers called for a congressional investigation into the reports. “My message to the government of the Philippines is: verify our findings, do your best to verify the findings,” said Simularity founder and CEO Liz Derr.

Lakas... From A1 Murillo Casacop and Divina De Vera Olivarez and would be candidates for councilor Marky Oliveros, Aldrin Gerrold C. Mercado, Jose Enrico Manas Mendoza, Sheriliz Bendaña Almoro, Chelsea Viaje Villegas, Vincent Jude Solidum, and Mark Elizier Acierto. “I would like to thank [San Pedro, Laguna] Vice Mayor Art Mercado for bringing them to our ever growing Lakas-CMD family. We will protect and safeguard the interest of our members and we are going to be a resilient and victorious team in the 2022 polls,” said Romualdez, president of the LakasCMD and chairman of the House Committee on Rules. Mercado is a Lakas-CMD member who will seek the mayoralty post. In the House of Representatives, the strength of Lakas-CMD has grown to 48, of which 26 are district congress-

additional meeting with less than five days’ notice to address urgent issues caused by the global pandemic. US President Joe Biden and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are attending the meeting, which began on Friday evening Beijing time.

‘Virus still running after us’

The World Health Organization’s emergency committee warned that new and more dangerous COVID-19 variants were expected to spread around the world, making it harder to halt the pandemic.

The announcement was further bad news as several countries battled a new wave of infections fanned by new variants, namely Delta which was first identified in India. “The pandemic is nowhere near finished,” the committee warned in a statement. “We are still running after this virus and the virus is still running after us,” said Committee chairman Didier Houssin.

EU: Brace for sharp spike in cases

The EU’s disease agency said Friday it was predicting a sharp increase in coronavirus cases, with nearly five times as many new infections by August 1. The expected rise in cases was linked to the highly-transmissible Delta variant, along with the relaxing of meas-

ures in European countries. “The current continuing deterioration of the epidemiological situation in many countries is expected to continue given the rapid increase in the Delta variant,” the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said in the report.

Masks up again

Wearing a face mask at indoor public establishments will once again be mandatory in Los Angeles starting this weekend due to a steady increase in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, health authorities said Thursday. Los Angeles is the first large US metropolis to reimpose the use of face masks – regardless of vaccination status – in shops, grocery stores, restaurants and workplaces to help contain the pandemic. AFP

IBP denounces murder of Davao lawyer, husband

‘Fabian’ enters PAR; Habagat induces rain By Rio N. Araja A LOW pressure area inside the Philippine area of responsibility developed into a tropical depression named “Fabian” on Friday, raising the risk of more flooding and rain-induced landslides due to enhancement of the southwest monsoon of habagat. “Fabian,” sixth tropical cyclone for 2021, east of northern Luzon already developed into tropical depression, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Ana Clauren. As of 3 p.m. Friday, the center of “Fabian” was estimated at 1,320 kilometers east of Northern Luzon, and was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 55 km/h. The weather bureau said “Fabian” was moving northward slowly. The southwest monsoon is also affecting Southern Luzon and the Visayas. Based on the current conditions and model forecasts, there is more than 50 percent chance that La Niña would develop in either late October or November to last through the first quarter of 2022.

A DAVAO City-based lawyer and her husband were gunned down by a still unidentified suspect outside their home in Barangay Talomo Wednesday afternoon. The victims were identified as lawyer Gilda Mahinay-Sapie and her husband, Muhaimen Mohamman Sapie. The murdered couple used to host an online-based radio program, “Justice Redeemer,” which gives free legal ad-

vice to its callers. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines on Friday condemned the killing as it called on the government to ensure that lawyers are able to work without fear of attacks. “The IBP condemns the treacherous and cold-blooded murder of Atty. Sitti Gilda Mahinay-Sapie and her husband,” IBP national president Burt Estrada said in a statement.

“[The IBP] calls upon the government to protect its citizens from such brazen killings and to ensure that lawyers can do their jobs without fear of reprisal, attacks, and harassment. Amidst the apparent attacks on lawyers with impunity, we enjoin all Filipino lawyers to express their condemnation and indignation against the same by courageously upholding their sworn duty to provide justice for all,” Estrada added.

Delta... From A1

statement Friday. The DOH also reminded the public that the spread of COVID-19 globally, while being controlled by vaccination, is still being driven by the emergence of variants of concern, increased social mobility, and inappropriate use of public health measures. “Even while we are vaccinating the Filipino people, minimum public health measures such as physical distancing and masking should not be neglected,” the DOH said. Dr. Alethea de Guzman of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau said that although local cases have been detected, the department still needs to establish evidence and case links before declaring that there is local transmission of the Delta variant. Vaccine czar and chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the Philippines is “well prepared” against the highly transmissible Delta variant. “We have seen after an outbreak in India that we have to prepare everything on a large scale,” Galvez said in Filipino. “We already have an SOP [standard operating procedure] if we encounter these variants of concern. We were called to an emergency conference by the SOH [Secretary of Health] and we were instructed to go… to the local government units (LGUs),” he added. To ensure that the health care capacity of LGUs is sufficient, Galvez said officials from NTF will visit Region 10, most especially Cagayan de Oro, where there is a cluster of the Delta variant cases.

“We will [meet] with Region 10 LGUs to prepare them and contain the area. We will intensify contact tracing, testing, and immediate isolation of possible persons of interest,” Galvez said. “CDO is becoming a concern of interest because we are not seeing a decrease in the number of cases due to the presence of different variants.” Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez had urged the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) to immediately send a team to Cagayan de Oro. Earlier Friday, the IATF placed CDO, along with Gingoog City, Iloilo City and Iloilo Province, under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the strictest quarantine status in the Philippines. “It is beyond alarming to note that the five cases of Delta variant, the highest so far in any city or province, have been detected in Cagayan de Oro. Of the total 11 local Delta variant cases in the Philippines detected today, five are from CDO,” Rodriguez said. The Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, can spread more easily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Rodriguez said research says that it has mutations on the spike protein that make it easier for it to infect human cells. “This means that people may be more contagious if they contract the virus and more easily spread it to others,” he said. In Quezon City, Mayor Joy Belmonte ordered the creation of a Delta variant task force to prepare for a possible resurgence of COVID-19.

under the most relaxed modified GCQ (MGCQ) classification until July 31, 2021, has been put under GCQ “with heightened restrictions” until the end of July, Roque said. Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte has already approved the new quarantine classifications. Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, and Butuan City are under MECQ until 31. Other areas under GCQ “with heightened restrictions” until the end of July include Cagayan, Lucena City, Naga City, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, and Davao City, The GCQ classification “with heightened restrictions” has also been imposed in Aklan, Bacolod City, and Capiz from July 16 to 22. GCQ sans restrictions has been implemented in Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Bulacan, Puerto Princesa City, Zamboanga del Norte, Davao Oriental, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Baguio City, Apayao, City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Quezon, Batangas, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Zamboanga, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Cotabato City. The rest of the country stays under MGCQ. Meanwhile, the provincial governments of Davao del Sur and Davao de Oro asked the IATF to no longer extend their MECQ status, citing the lower number of COVID-19 cases.

The faction of acting party president Senator Manny Pacquiao, currently in the United States, did not attend the meeting. He earlier warned attendees of possible sanctions as his faction considered it as an unauthorized assembly. At the same time, Pacquiao warned that members of the PDP-Laban, including Duterte as party chairman, may face sanctions for attending gatherings which were not recognized by the ruling party as it is a violation of their Constitution. “Definitely, there are sanctions. By-laws, rules of the party, Constitution of the party

should be followed. The ideology of the party should also be followed,” said Pacquiao. In an interview over DZBB, Pacquiao said the sanction will range from suspension to expulsion and this will not exempt even high-ranking officials of the party. “If there are grounds, all members, even I, the president of the party, will be expelled,” said Pacquiao. “But if they remove me due to vested interest, for the self-interest of others, then I will assert my authority. I have the support of the majority of PDP national members,” he said.

According to Pacquiao, they do not recognize the national assembly in Clark because it was not coordinated with him and the members of the national council. During the said meeting, the PDP-Laban national council approved a motion which voided the “illegal” resolution of the Pacquiao-led wing that ousted Cusi as party vice-chairman and two others. Cusi said he hoped that the council of elders would guide PDP-Laban in its journey towards becoming a party that “would really represent and lead the country to progress.”

Graft... From A1

timonial and documentary evidence offered by the plaintiff showed that it failed to satisfactorily prove the specific averments in the complaint,” the court said. The PCGG claimed Silverio and Carlos gave the Marcoses improper payments in hundreds of thousands of US dollars in exchange for awarding them the contract to supply Kawasaki scrap loaders and Toyota rear dump trucks. The two, PCGG added, received for

three consecutive years special accommodations, privileges, and exemptions from the Central Bank in the form of increased dollar import quota allocation for the importation of Toyota vehicles for Delta Motors Inc., and air-conditioning and refrigerating equipment in excess of the limits prescribed. Silverio, who died in 2016 at 87, founded Delta Motors Corporation in 1961 and acquired the exclusive right to assemble and distribute Toyota cars and trucks in the country.

inclined to agree with you. We might differ in our opinions on the matter,” Duterte told Education Sec. Leonor Briones during a public address. “It is difficult. I cannot gamble on the health of the children. I hope you will understand,” he added. With the policy statement from the chief executive, Briones withdrew the proposal. Briones earlier said there were origi-

nally 1,900 schools approved by DepEd regional directors for the pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes. The number was reduced further to 300 upon the advice of lawmakers who said it was “too many.” Schools across the country have remained closed since March last year when the pandemic broke out, with learners at the basic education level remaining at their homes.

Capital Region (NCR). One case died after being taken to the emergency room of a hospital on June 28. The other is an outpatient with an onset date of June 23, who was tagged as recovered. One other case, an outpatient with an onset date of June 27 and was also tagged as recovered, was initially tested in the National Capital Region but has an indicative address in Region 3. All these cases have no known connection to each other. The last two local cases were detected in Region 6, both with an onset date of May 27. Both have also been tagged as recovered. The Department of Health (DOH) said it was coordinating closely with the Centers for Health Development and local government units to ensure that all cases have been traced and managed. The Bureau of Quarantine and the Department of Transportation are on high alert to implement strict border control measures. “The DOH underscores that with our 4-door strategy, we have delayed the entry of the Delta variant with the activation of Doors 1 and 2. Now that the country has detected local cases of the Delta variant, Doors 3 and 4 are being activated. Door 3 would involve strengthening the implementation of the PDITR (Prevention, Detection, Isolation, Treatment, and Reintegration) strategies while Door 4 is ensuring that our health care capacity is ready for a possible surge,” the DOH said in a

Ruling... From A1 Rogelio Garcia, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, and whoever is elected PDP-Laban president. “Currently, all national officers and committee chairmen are acting in holdover or appointed capacity. Such a nomination and voting process is what is in accordance with our constitution. Gone are those days [when] only a few members will appoint our national officers,” Cusi said. men and 22 are party-list allies. “Lakas-CMD is re-emerging as a major political force, just in time for the coming elections. We have activated our regional councils, who are now busy screening applicants for new party membership all over the country,“ said Romualdez, president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa). Romualdez told the new recruits that Lakas-CMD executive committee had decided on June 23, 2021 to renew its political alliance with the influential regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. “The Lakas-CMD was the first political party to signify intention to renew an alliance with Mayor Sara’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago. This alliance binds our party to support whoever is chosen by HNP as their candidates for President and Vice President,” Romualdez said. The Lakas-CMD officials and members in the House of Representatives are Lakas-CMD Vice President for Lu-

The complaint, known as Civil Case No. 0011 was filed on July 22, 1987 for reconveyance, reversion, accounting, restitution, and damages in relation to the alleged ill-gotten wealth purportedly acquired by the Marcoses during their incumbency and the businessmen. “An assiduous review of all the tes-

New school... From A1 closed, as students shifted to distance learning for the school year 2020-2021. Last month, President Duterte rejected a proposal from the Department of Education to allow limited face-to-face classes in 300 public schools nationwide. “As for face-to-face classes, I am not

Iloilo,... From A1

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Marijuana bricks valued at P7.8m seized in Kalinga

CLEAN-UP DIVE. Volunteer divers of Cenro Cavite prepare their underwater equipment to pick up garbage under the sea during a simultaneous clean-up activity on the long beach in Noveleta town of Cavite on Friday, July 16, 2021. JR Josue

DepEd learning centers receive P12-m donation from US agency By Rey Requejo

HE United States Agency for International Development has donated P12 million ($240,000) worth of distance learning equipment to the Department of Education for its Alternative Learning System (ALS) e-Skwela Learning Centers.

In a virtual ceremony, USAID Acting Mission Director Sean Callahan turned over the assistance to DepEd ALS Assistant Secretary G.H. Ambat and Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal. The US agency through its Opportunity 2.0 program has been supporting DepEd ALS’s continuity and COVID-19 response plan, supporting the restoration of access to education for vulnerable out-

of-school youth. Equipment donated to the DepEd include desktop units, printers, projectors, wireless routers, and other necessary materials for ALS implementers and learners to execute distance learning programs. E-Skwela Centers in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Angeles, Legazpi, and Davao are among the recipients of the US donation.

Waster water treatment plant soon to rise in Pasay—MMDA By Joel E. Zurbano THE government will build in Pasay City another sewage treatment plant in an effort to prevent wastewater discharge from polluting Manila Bay. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benhur Abalos said the Libertad Sewage Treatment Plant is part of the Manila Bay Cleanup program that will help improve the quality of water being discharged to the bay. “This is a good partnership between the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and the MMDA. The STP is capable of treating 10 million liters of waste water per day from the retarding pond of the Libertad Pumping Station before being discharged to Manila Bay,” said Abalos. DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said the STP—to be constructed in four months adjacent to the Libertad Pumping Station —is the second to be installed in partnership with the MMDA. The first one is located along Roxas Boulevard, launched in 2020. “The sewage treatment plant in the Baywalk area now shows water quality results as low as 1.8 mpn (most probable number) per 100 ml. This level is most

certainly within the fecal coliform standard of 200 mpn per 100 ml,” said Cimatu. “We proudly support another project with the MMDA that also promises to give the best results,” added Cimatu. “With this STP, no untreated waste water from Tripa De Gallina and Libertad Pumping Station will flow into the Manila Bay.” While the DENR will fund the STP’s construction, the MMDA will be incharge of the maintenance and operations of the sewage treatment plant. Pasay City Rep. Antonino Calixto and his sister Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano thanked Cimatu and Abalos for the establishment of STP that will rehabilitate, restore, and maintain the historic Manila Bay. Pursuant to the Writ of Continuing Mandamus issued by the Supreme Court for the Manila Bay, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Administrative Order No. 16 series of 2019. The Order “Expediting the Rehabilitation and Restoration of the Coastal and Marine Ecosystem of the Manila Bay and Creating the Manila Bay Task Force” is being implemented in South Metro Manila by the DENR, MMDA, and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Magelco cuts power systems’ losses POLLOC Freeport, Maguindanao— Systems losses in the province’s lone electric cooperative distributor went down to seven percent in 2001 from 40 percent in 2015. The sharp decline in systems loss meant that illegal connections were reduced by 82 percent in less than six years, said executives of the Maguindanao Electric Cooperative on Wednesday. At the opening Wednesday of the Polloc Power Substation, Magelco General Manager Engineer Sultan Ashary Maongco said the electric cooperative has achieved maximum efficiency rate in collection of electric bills on its domain of clientele. The substation will enhance distribution lines by increasing power supply here from single-phase to three-phase, which is seen to improve level of business investments in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through this Freeport. A succession of regional autonomous

governments and administrations since 1970s groomed this 40-year old port to become a regional economic zone. Maongco said single circuit 40-footer concrete poles will increase by 13.2 Kilowatt power supply along the highway for communities bounded by the Polloc Pigcalagan Distribution Line. Officials also ceremonially switched the lighting of highways that will energize more communities with double circuit on 40- to 45-footer concrete poles through increased power distribution with a 13.2KW supply along the Simuay to Polloc Distribution Line. Power utility companies like the Aboitiz-run Cotabato Light and Power Company, charge at consumer billings about eight percent in systems loss, nine percent generation charge; a distribution charge that is close to 50 percent of generation charge, a supply charge of close to five percent and a fixed monthly metering charge of P 243.00. Nash B. Maulana

“The U.S. government, through USAID, is here to support DepEd in reinvigorating education programs. We are working hard so that vulnerable, out-of-school youth who have stopped schooling due to the pandemic are given the opportunity and tools to adapt, grow, and have a better tomorrow,” Callahan said, in a statement released by the US Embassy in Manila. Ambat expressed DepEd’s gratitude to the USAID for continuously supporting the department’s various education projects. “The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the out-of-school youth’s lack of access to education. This has magnified their vulnerability, leaving them less able to pursue education and progress towards better

economic opportunities for themselves and their families. We are happy that USAID remains one of DepEd’s strongest partners, committed to supporting us in improving the quality of basic education for Filipino youth,” Ambat said. “With this program, we’ll be able to keep up,” Rosal said, about the city’s collaboration with USAID Opportunity 2.0. As the lead for the local Youth Development Alliance, the city local government unit encouraged local stakeholders to continue working together for the program to achieve its goals. “This is for our youth, not only for this generation, but all generations to come,” noted Mayor Rosal.

QUICK police response to a civilian tip-off led to the capture of P 7.8M worth of dried marijuana bricks and tubes ready for transport in Rizal, Kalinga, Wednesday, July 14, 2021. While conducting checkpoint, police operatives received another call from a concern citizen regarding the presence of three (3) marijuana sacks hidden underneath a concrete sewer along the Barangay Road at Sitio Anonang, Liwan West, Rizal, Kalinga Reports submitted to the Regional Director disclosed that joint elements of KalingaPolice Offic and PDEA Kalinga set up checkpoints and dispatched tracker teams after receiving an information regarding an alleged transportation of marijuana from Hilltop, Agbannawag, Tabuk City, Kalinga to Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. Upon arrival at the scene, operatives discovered three abandoned sacks containing 53 pieces of dried marijuana leaves and stalks in bricks and 24 pieces of dried marijuana leaves and stalks in tubular form. These all weighed 65.3 kilograms with standard drug price of P7,836,000, police said. As this developed, a congressional leader on Friday said the next administration should have a strong antiillegal drugs advocacy to sustain the gains that the administration has achieved in its campaign to neutralize drug syndicates and pull the plug on their operations. Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez of Ormoc City, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Disaster Resilience, said it is important to sustain the advances made by the PNP and the PDEA in the fight against prohibited drugs to ensure the long-term impact of their efforts. The lawmaker said the campaign, though, should be less intimidating and violent and resolutely ensure the protection of human rights, especially the rights of accused individuals. Torres-Gomez cited the experience of Ormoc City, which she noted was once called the drug capital of Eastern Visayas before the current leadership. Maricel Cruz

HIGH VALUE.

Marijuana bricks valued at P7.8million were seized by authorities who obtained information from a concerned citizen that the shipment would be transported from Kalinga to Cagayan. Dave Leprozo

Health workers seek payment of perks; Duque reacts By Willie Casas HEALTH workers staged a protest on Friday outside the Department of Health (DOH) office in Manila to demand the release of their benefits. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that he had done his best to advance their calls and that his “conscience is clean.” According to Super Radyo dzBB, various health worker groups from the private and public sector gathered along Rizal Avenue to call for the release of benefits pro-

vided under the Bayanihan 2 law. The protesters demanded their special risk allowance (SRA) and meal, transportation, and accommodation allowances, among others. Duque, in a separate interview on Super Radyo dzBB, insisted that he had long been advocating for health workers, citing the Office of the President’s approval of his request to allow the conversion into cash of the meal, transportation, and accommodation allowances. “Kung bitin sila doon sa aking gina-

UNHEALTHY. Health workers make some noise to catch public attention to their plight during a protest rally demanding the release of unpaid benefits outside the Department of Health office in Manila on July 16, 2021. Norman Cruz

gawa ay hindi ko naman kontrolado ‘yan lahat dahil meron tayong DBM (If that’s not enough for them, I don’t control everything because we also have the Department of Budget and Management),” Duque said. “Basta ako, malinis ang konsensiya ko. Pinaglalaban ko sila (My conscience is clean. I fight for them),” Duque added. A day before the expiry of the Bayanihan 2 funds on June 30, the DOH announced that it had released P9 billion worth of special risk allowance released to regional offices and hospitals. The DOH also said, however, that the national government has yet to find a source of funding for the meal, transportation, and accommodation allowances but assured health workers that it was coordinating with the DBM. “Hindi ko alam ba’t ako pinupuntirya nila eh hindi naman makatarungan ‘yun dahil ako naman po ay ginagawa ko ‘yung trabaho ko nang maayos… Hindi ko naman madesisyunan ‘yun nang nag-iisa. Kung pwede nga lang noong araw ko pa ibinigay ‘yung hinihingi nila (I don’t know why they’re targeting me. That’s not fair because I do my job properly. I don’t decide on my own. If only I could, I would have released what they wanted a long time ago.),” Duque said.

News

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SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

Group urges human rights, CHR mandate vs. CPP-NPA THE Commission on Human Rights must deliver on its mandate against the Communist Party of the Philippines and its allied groups, the Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI) said Friday. In a statement, Jose Antonio “Ka Pep” Goitia, LIPI Secretary-General, said National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) play a big role in human security as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through resolution 66/290, which addresses the challenges to the survival, livelihood, and dignity of people.

MORE ‘LAKAS’. House Majority Leader and Lakas-CMD Party President Martin Romualdez (left), assisted by Secretary General and Surigao Del Sur Rep Prospero Pichay Jr. (right), administers the oath to new party members from San Pedro Laguna (2nd from left to right) Michael Murillo Casacop, Sheriliz Bendana Almoro, Aldrin Gerrold Mercado, Divina De Vera Olivarez, Marky Oliveros, Chelsea Viaje Villegas, Jose Enrico Manas Mendoza, Vincent Jude Solidum, and Mark Elizier Acierto, during the ceremony at Lakas-CMD headquarters in Manila (Story on Page 1). Ver Noveno

2 woman Red leaders nabbed in Quezon City By Francisco Tuyay and Maricel V. Cruz TWO ranking female communist rebel leaders operating in the Caraga Region were arrested by a joint military and police force at a village in Quezon City at dawn Thursday. Maj. Francisco Garello Jr., Public Affairs chief of the Western Mindanao Command, identified the arrested Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army officers as Juliet Gomez, alias “Tina,” 39, and Niezel Velasco, alias Mary Jane Velasco, 39. Garello said the two were ranking officials of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) and were served warrants for murder and two attempted murders at Kaingin 1, Barangay Pansol, Quezon City. Maj. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Commander of the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division, said the fall of Gomez and Velasco was a result of the convergence of efforts of the Armed Forces, the Philippine National Police, and other law enforcement agencies.

4 Abu Sayyaf fall in Basilan to police force FOUR suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group were killed after they fought lawmen serving warrants for their arrest for murder, kidnapping and carnapping offenses in Lamitan, Basilan on Thursday. The Philippine National Police Public Information Office identified the suspects as Remie Ganie, Mando Morales, Jack Akalulu, and a certain “Baradi” while Dawan Morales was captured by authorities. The suspects resisted arrest and fired at the lawmen, leading to a lengthy gunbattle. They were all believed to be under the command of ASG sub-leader Radzmil Jannatul. Authorities recovered one KG9 Cal. 9mm submachine pistol, one Cal. 45 pistol, a shotgun, one Cal. 30 rif le, and numerous fired cartridges of different calibers at the encounter site. Francisco Tuyay

20 roving MTC judges to help unclog courts By Rey E. Requejo

ALACAÑANg has appointed 20 municipal trial court judges as judges-at-large or roving judges who can be assigned by the Supreme Court anywhere in the country to hasten resolution of cases in courts with overloaded dockets. In a transmittal letter dated July 14, 2021 sent by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed 20 new judges-at-large, bringing the total number of roving judges to 40. The President had earlier appointed 20 regional trial court roving judges who have been fielded by the SC in various judicial regions. Designated MTC judges-at-large include Eduardo Eric Adversario, Jason Alquiroz, Joy Bolivar, Marilex Cabading, Maria Celina Carungay Servillano, Charisma Naida Castillo Martin, Ruel

Espaldon, Eric Labuguen, Carolyn Delos Reyes Lorenzo Tanudtanud, Maria Rhodoro A. Malabag Peralta, Charlene Clara Mendoza, Maria Monette Mesa, Ruben Mission V, Ma. Victoria Patinio, Anthony Prince Tominez, Jesus Torres, Lady Ivy Vanity Velasco, Geronimo Ventura III, Michael Hanz Villaster, and Mark Louie Zabala. The appointment of judges-at-large, who have no permanent stations, is provided for under Republic Act No. 11459 or the Judges-at-Large Act of 2019, which was signed into law by the President in August last year. RA 11459 mandated the creation of 100

new positions for RTC and 50 new posts for MTC judges-at-large. RA 11459 amended Batas Pambansa No. 129, known as the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980. Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez recommended the partial implementation of RA 11459 “since only 50 of the 150 positions were funded by Congress in the judiciary’s 2020 budget.” Marquez said the other 100 positions are expected to be funded in 2021 and thus the posts will be open for application when the funds are ready. Under the law, RTC judges-at-large will be assigned as acting or assisting judges to any RTC branch, while the MTC judges-at-large will be assigned to any first-level courts in the country —such as MTC, municipal circuit trial court (MCTC), municipal trial court in cities (MTCC) or metropolitan trial court (MeTC)—as public interest may require.

LIPI Sec. Gen. Jose Antonio Goitia

“We can surmise that NHRIs are most effective participating on addressing the root causes of personal insecurity (physical violence in all its forms, human trafficking, child labor and abuse), community insecurity (inter-ethnic, religious and other identity-based tensions, crime and terrorism) and political insecurity (political repression, human right violation, lack of rule of law and justice),” Goitia said. The mandate of the CHR of the Philippines derives from the UN position on human security. Its principal function consists in investigating all forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights, he added. “The Armed Forces, through Brigadier-General Jose Alejandro Nacanac, submitted a total of 1,506 cases between 2010 and 2020 perpetrated by this terrorist organization,” Goitia said, referring to the CPP, its armed wing New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front (CPPNPA-NDF). The list includes 532 incidents of destruction of civilian assets, the killing of 77 soldiers and 296 civilians, and the recruitment of 464 child combatants, the LIPI chief noted.

IN BRIEF

Gabunada drops hefty DOF contract

MARCOS DONATION.

Former Senator Bongbong Marcos (center) turns over face masks and supplies in his Batangas Relief Operation on Friday for the families in the danger zone of Taal Volcano in Agoncillo, Batangas who are now in evacuation centers.

Kiko files cyber libel raps vs. 2 YouTube channels SENATOR Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has filed cyber libel charges against two YouTube channels that he said were spreading false information against him and his wife, actress Sharon Cuneta. Pangilinan filed on Friday the separate cyber libel complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) Cybercrime office against YouTube channels “Latest Chika” and “Starlet.” The senator said that on several oc-

casions this May, both channels posted videos claiming a domestic squabble between Pangilinan and Cuneta and a supposed third party in their marriage. Pangilinan was also accused of physically hurting the singer-actress. Cuneta has denied being abused by the senator and laughed off rumors that she had an affair with a younger man. The opposition lawmaker noted that he

has been singled out by “fake news sites” over the last five years, and now they have resorted to attacking his family. “This is too much,” he added. Pangilinan accused the owners, authors, or persons behind the two channels of violating section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175) on cyber libel in relation to Art. 355 of the Revised Penal Code on libel.

New CEZA infra projects in Sept.

CEZA INSPECTION. Cagayan Economic Zone and Authority Sec. Raul L. Lambino

(second from right) leads the site inspections to the ongoing projects in Cagayan Freeport in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, including warehouses and offices in Port Irene, road and bridges, Port San Vicente Causeway and Wharf, CEZA Corporate and Commercial Centers, CEZA Global City, Smart City, and Alpha Palawig Mixed Used Development.

CAGAYAN FREEPORT—Secretary Raul Lambino, administrator and CEO of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, expressed confidence that the various infrastructure projects being constructed at the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport would be ready for inauguration in September, auguring a new era of modern business facilities here. Lambino, who is also the Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon, said the three-story commercial building and another three-story corporate center, both equipped with internet connectivity, would be used by companies engaged in the cutting-edge, digital-based financial technology solutions and other enterprises to include supermarkets, banks, and

outlets of various products. He inspected the infrastructure projects recently in Sta. Ana, Cagayan to coincide with the blessing of the different vehicles and equipment procured by CEZA to augment the agency’s services and operability in the Freeport. They include new dump trucks, an ambulance, a fire truck, a low-bed transport truck, and several pick-up trucks. “CEZA is on full steam building new infrastructure and modernizing our port facilities to accommodate larger vessels in the near future,” said Lambino. He also inspected the ongoing retrofitting works at the 49-year-old Port Irene and the newly completed road and bridge section of the port to provide a turnaround route for cargo trucks.

NICANOR Gabunada, the former social media strategist for President Rodrigo Duterte who has been linked to a network of fake pro-Duterte Facebook pages, has declined a contract offered by the Department of Finance following criticism. The DOF had awarded Gabunada a P909,122.40 six-month contract to help the government’s public awareness campaigns for pending economic bills and proposed capital market development reforms. In a message to ABS-CBN, Gabunada said: “I did not push through with it,” without elaborating. Reacting to news reports highlighting his affiliation with the shuttered FB pages, Gabunada said: “It is unfortunate malice was imputed.” But the DOF earlier said the decision to hire Gabunada was “legal and aboveboard.”

DBP accredited with UN fund arm STATE-OWNED Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has secured the accreditation of a United Nationsbacked institution that provides financing for environment and climaterelated programs and advocacies in line with the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol. DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel G. Herbosa said DBP is only the second Philippine institution, and one of 10 foreign institutions, approved recently as Accredited Entities of the Green Climate Fund. The GCF is an international fund created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to support climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives in developing countries. “We are honored to be in the select roster of international and national commercial banks; multilateral, regional and national development finance institutions; and civil society organizations, among others, that are working together for the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation projects on a global scale,” Herbosa said.

Opinion Wanted: Feminist spaces Culture can, and does change. But because patriarchy is very well entrenched in our societal systems and structures including family, education, media, government, and most especially religion, change is very slow to come. After all, we are dealing with mindsets and trying to create a counter culture that is based on human rights. THE past few days, actor Robin Padilla has This brings me to a conversation I recently been in the news regarding the breakdown of had with a few feminist friends. For so long, his daughter, Kylie Padilla’s marriage to Aljur whenever we would see each other at events, Abrenica allegedly due to a third party on the we would promise each other that we would part of Aljur. Robin was reported to have told get together. The pandemic happened and it his daughter that she’s still lucky because at was only recently that the four of us were able least her husband is a “real man.” to sit down (still physically distanced) and reIn succeeding reports, Padilla has been ally talk. quoted to have advised Aljur to just convert They are my friends from those days when to the Muslim religion. People interpreted the we would passionately discuss women’s issues “advice” as a way for his son-in-law to legal- for hours on end. Sometimes with matching ly have more than one wife, a practice that banging of tables to stress points we felt strongly is accepted among Muslims. Robin himself about, but always, we would emerge united. It converted to Islam a few years back and ne- was not unusual for us to argue and “fight,” and tizens were quick to say, “alam na!” referring ask, “so, ano kakainin natin?” in the end. to the reason for his conversion since Padilla We found ourselves reminiscing a lot about is a known womanizer. our shared experiences. These feminist disPadilla’s remarks reek of sexism. Obvious- cussions very rarely happen now. There are ly for the actor, men having affairs outside of very few spaces. Again, we found ourselves marriage is acceptable, even desirable. This discussing the challenges we have faced and is his measure of what a “real man” is. But are facing now. Again, we question many what if the tables were things as we used to turned and it was the during those heady woman who had an days of feminism. And More women affair? Would Robin again, through our inalso say that the husneed to question the dividual experiences band is lucky because now, we feel that femroot cause of their at least, his daughter inists are under attack is a “real woman”? and the attacks have bebeing unequal with Or would he shut up come more vicious than men. in shame because a before. woman having anothWe are called names er partner can never when we try to probe acceptable? Also, tect our few women’s does it follow that for Padilla, men who do spaces. We are told to not say things, not use not have affairs are not real men? If so, what certain words and terminologies because othare they? erwise, we will not be politically correct. In On Twitter, Padilla was promptly bashed left effect, we are being silenced. and right for his statements. As a feminist, I felt Since we have been working in different some reassurance from people’s reactions. It but interfacing fields, we examined our opseems that not a few in social media now under- tions given the contexts we operate in. We stand that in a monogamous relationship, cheat- discussed Philippine politics, friends that we ing is cheating no matter who does it. miss, challenges in the international developStill, the kind of conservative perspective that ment world and how resources for the work Padilla has remains prevalent in many commu- we do are being co-opted by big multinationnities in the country and in many parts of the als, the local NGO scene that has very signifideveloping world. Women remain second-class cantly changed, and our activism and whether citizens and “properties” of men. We still often how we do things remain relevant. Eventualencounter women themselves saying, “babae ly, we all agreed that the feminist struggle is lang ako,” “ginamit ako ng asawa ko,” to mean both the same, as in the issues faced by comthey had sex, even, “ganyan talaga ang mga munity women, and different, because of “delalaki, hindi makuntento sa isa lang” when hus- velopments” at the national and international bands are discovered to have cheated on wives. milieu. Yes, women believe these because they were We emerged convinced more than ever socialized into accepting that they are lesser per- that our safe space needs to expand. We sons than men. want to be able to say what we want in the Thus, the need for feminist education and spirit of learning and not be labeled or sidiscourse remains urgent. More women need lenced. to question the root cause of their being unOur get-together was fun, but also quite equal with men. It will be good for women to emotional. We realized how limited our space understand and realize that their experience of is and vowed to create more feminist spaces marginalization, even abuse and violence, is a for others, especially community and young shared experience with many other women – women, and for ourselves. that they are not alone, and that the abuse is systemic. This is how patriarchy works and @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angthe Filipino culture was and is, patriarchal. sioco on Facebook

Just how could they miss? First of all, have they checked on the background of Simularity? According to Rigoberto Tiglao, in his column in the Manila Times the other day, Simularity Corp., although based in Florida in USA, was funded by Shatter Tech Venture Holdings, a firm based in Makati, owned by the family of former Noynoy Aquino’s TransEARLY this week, a respected television net- portation and Communication Secretary, work uploaded on its website a story generat- Joseph Abaya. Yes, the same person whom ed from a video press conference hosted by Aquino vowed to run over a train should the former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Ro- LRT project from Cavite not be finished by mulo with Elizabeth Derr of Simularity Corp. 2015. as resource person, regarding allegations of a Of Simularity’s three directors, one is JoChinese vessel dumping human feces near an seph’s brother, Peter Anthony, who was forisland in the South China Sea, which is be- mer general manager of the National Recing claimed by many lamation Authority countries including during Aquino’s time. the Philippines. The other two are ElizLet’s check the facts The story was accompaabeth Derr and her husnied by a photo showband Raymond. rather than rely on ing an unnamed ship According to Tiglao, which appears to be those hosting press the Abaya’s shelled out really dumping hu$1 million to fund Simconferences. man waste. ularity. However, just Now, isn’t the backhours after posting, ground regarding the there were claims that people behind Simulathe photo of the unnamed ship was actually rity, and in fact, the conference’s host, too obtaken years ago thousands of miles from the vious to be biased that they, and the news they South China Sea, somewhere in Australia’s are peddling, merit validation? That the said Great Barrier Reef to show the extent of the story needs validating and that since the story damage to coral reefs by the dredging con- probably concerns diplomatic issues, official ducted by Australia. Simularity was quick to government position on the matter should wash its hands of the booboo saying it cap- have been sought? tioned the photo as an unnamed ship, putting But no, they didn’t bother with that. Probably the blame on the television network, which because they were too excited with the story, or reacted by pulling down the controversial that they have their own political biases. photo. Even the satellite photos which SimAs journalists, we have to admit we all ularity attached with story were unconvinc- have our own biases, and that includes poling and were not validated. Unfortunately, itics. But that was supposed to be a straight another media outlet still uploaded the photo news presentation and facts should have been later in the day when its authenticity had been validated. challenged. Tiglao furthers this is not the first time SimFor its part, Simularity urged the govern- ularity, which incidentally, had only been inment to validate its findings, even as lawmak- corporated last year, had presented fake news ers called for a congressional investigation regarding China. into the reports. Last May, Tiglao said, Simularity “postWhat I find weird is the failure of these gi- ed scores of photos of what it reported as ant media organizations to check on the facts showing over 200 Chinese ships in the Union themselves? Why do they have to rely solely Banks area, titled as ‘Chinese fishing vessels on the statement of the one hosting the press in Philippine EEZ,’ even as the area is claimed conference and the materials he or she is dis- by China and Vietnam as their own sovereign tributing? territories.”

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

EDITORIAL

A persistent threat

HE good news has been that the number of fully vaccinated individuals against COVID-19 in the Philippines has surpassed the four million mark of the 70 million target population for jabs against the coronavirus. The pace is slow but moving, and we hope to see a faster rate of vaccination in the coming days.

against COVID-19 said 20.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered, of which 10.6 million were procured by the government, 900,000 were purchased by the private sector and local government units, 2.1 million doses were donated by other countries, and seven million came from the COVAX facility.

We should not let our guard down.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told a Palace online briefing of the 10,026,722 who have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, a total 4,047,792 had received their second dose as of July 14, 2021. That’s six days after Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said 12,703,081 doses have been administered nationwide, with an average of 200,000 shots per day. A total 9,493,839 individuals have received at least one dose. Since February, the National Task Force

But there is a disturbing development amid this news. Recently, the Department of Health, the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health reported the detection of four additional Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases, 14 Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant cases, 21 Beta (B.1.351) variant cases, and one Theta (P.3) variant case based on the latest whole-ge-

nome sequencing report. Three of the four additional Delta variant cases are returning Overseas Filipinos from the MV Eastern Hope, a ship currently docked in South Korea. Of the additional 14 Alpha variant cases detected, 12 are local cases while two are being verified as to whether these are local or ROF cases. Based on the case line list, two cases have died and 12 cases have been tagged as recovered. The Alpha variant cases now total 1,085. Of the additional 21 Beta variant cases detected, 20 are local cases while one case is being verified as to whether this is a local or ROF case. Based on the case line list, 20 cases have been tagged as recovered and one case is currently active. The total Beta variant cases are now 1,267. Given these distressing developments, we should not be complacent as the authorities try to battle against the virus, particularly amid official reports that Central Visayas is now on a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the curve shows an upward trend. Let’s not congratulate ourselves as yet – as we try to protect ourselves and the rest in the community by following the basic health protocols.

Why the President is seeking re-election MANY of us are very much preoccupied about whom to elect this coming May 2022 presidential election. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has allowed the electorate to guess whether he will seek reelection. But because of fear the opposition might just create trouble by questioning his decision before the Supreme Court it is likely he will run for vice president. The temptation is there, and this stems from the fact that he remains most popular. The reason he is seeking reelection is a different reason from what the average voters have in mind. The Liberal Party as usual zeroes in on such issues as human rights violation, extrajudicial killings and the extravagant expenses incurred in the name of his Build, Build, Build projects. The communists insist on disguising themselves as nationalists, centering their attack on their favorite staple of human rights but calculated and calibrated to link the sins of the present administration to their hated Marcos regime. They tone down the US bases by substituting the issue by accusing China of illegally occupying the South China Sea and depriving our fishermen of their livelihood. The nearest charge of the opposition against the President is the threat by International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to prosecute him for the extrajudicial killings of suspects in the early years of his administration. Some believe this has somewhat jolted the President and is possibly the reason the President refuses to step down. Many suspect that the US is behind the drumming up of the issue. Their objective is to embarrass him for alleged human rights violation but visibly connect much of it with their anti-China rhetoric to justify its geopolitical objective of isolating China in this part of the globe. Rightly applied, US partisanship against Duterte to advance and promote US position against China in this part of the globe. The Philippines, not even the opposition, is on their mind. The only hitch is that the Duterte administration has pointed out that the US is not a signatory to the ICC even threatening to arrest any ICC prosecutor that would investigate and set foot in the US for its conduct in Iraq, for its treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo and for locking them up in secret detention centers in what is known as operation “secret rendition.” This opposition should by now realize that the anti-Chinese support of the US is not to In that post, Simularity didn’t mention at all that Union Banks also is mostly controlled by Vietnam. However, Tiglao said that as early as April 23, he had already proven in his article, the “report of Chinese maritime militia was a hoax, that the vessels were simply Chinese fishing fleets from its coasts seeking refuge from a storm in the boomerang-shaped atoll.” Tiglao, citing sources, say Simularity had been contracted by the US State Department to set-up a South China Sea Rapid Alert Forum, a platform for manufacturing anti-China propaganda using its interpretation of satellite images. While this allegation is yet to be proven, it only validates how we are at the mercy of how Simularity interprets a satellite photo. And these two giant media networks happened to accept hook, line and sinker Simularity’s inter-

sympathize with them but to see to it that the issue would somehow help to stem the influence of China. The Duterte administration should be reminded that his coziness with China is the principal reason why the US engineered the ouster of President Marcos. Today is 2021 and China’s influence is not only apparent but could be seen all over Asia. The so-called victory of the Aquino administration over our claim in the South China Sea continues to be played up both by the local and international media. Their local clappers continue to create tension by accusing China of dumping human waste and toxic waste in the South China Sea. The defeat of the Duterte administration is foremost in the mind of the US. To US policy makers, the objective is to secure a geopolitical advantage in the South China Sea. It would seem that the first line of US defense is to ensure that the US bases in the Philippines will not be vexed or asked to leave.

He remains most popular. Corollary to this is the US military assistance to this country. Particularly, a number of US supplied aircraft resulted in the death of many of our pilots and servicemen. Most hideous, the US keeps announcing they were given under the military assistance agreement. The latest was the crash landing of a US-built C-130 Hercules transport plane we acquired at a cost of more than P1 billion despite the fact that the aircraft has been in service since 1956. Forty-five died and 49 were injured, and their media hooters remained unusually silent. Many political observers see that the US continues to dictate the supply of military equipment despite the fact that many are second hand, outrageously overpriced and have resulted in many fatal accidents. In fact, our defense acquisition, it says, is intended to fend off possible invasion from China. Many of its pro-American sympathizers in the opposition, the Church, the oligarchy, and from the vacillating middle class ignore or tend to overlook Malaysia as the greatest threat to our security with respect to the disputed islands in the South China Sea and for its support to local insurgency for the Islamic separatist group. Malaysia has no rightful place in the South China Sea had it not been for the British-created federation. The issue raised against Duterte remained calculated to affect their interest rather than

to the nation where they should show their allegiance. Unfortunately, these are interests that bear no direct geopolitical interest of the US. This also explains why the opposition is hampered in putting up a credible candidate against the President. The opposition cannot castigate the achievements of the President as propaganda. People can detect they are merely sour-groping. Despite the fact that the President affiliated himself with PDP-Laban, the party remains treated by Senator Pimentel as a private organization, to be reined in by him. The policy direction of the party is obviously on the side of such institutional pillars of reaction and conservatism. PDP-Laban appears to be balanced but in truth the party is a staunch supporter of US policy in this part of the globe. This column has long anticipated that PDP-Laban will support Senator Manny Pacquiao should he decide to run for president. It is not even a question of being supported by leaders like Pimentel but the US itself is aimed at promoting their newly found lackey. This is a dilemma for admittedly China has all the financial resources to allow the President to carry out many of its projects. This also explains why the traditional party like the Nacionalista Party, a party that wooed much the President to join has suffered the same sickness of political atrophy because the leaders there suffer the same malaise of political megalomania. Yet, CPP continues articulating an outmoded ideology anchored on anti-Americanism to entice radicalism among our people. The party reflects more of the hardheadedness of the party to respond to change contrary to their claim of being dialectical. The party today stands as the only communist party not invited by the biggest, oldest, most successful and most powerful party in the world. The US for its part is willing to play tango with this terrorist for as long as it will advance and promote its objective of thwarting China’s influence in the region. President Duterte experimented on this by appointing known communists into his cabinet. The trouble is that the party itself refused to avail of that window of opportunity until the unwritten modus vivendi ended in an all-out war. Many suspect the intransigence of the communist leadership to reach a compromise was itself dictated by Washington more so after the Trump administration stepped up its anti-China rhetoric. The Philippines is now caught in the crossfire for it seems the Americans were unwilling to relent, fearing it could be interpreted as victory to China. rpkapunan@gmail.com

pretation of a satellite photo which it claimed shows Chinese ships dumping human waste into the South China Sea. I just don’t understand how these respected media outlets missed that. The manner by which they gathered and presented that particular news item defies generally accepted journalistic norms. Kinuryente sila ng harap-harapan. *** Last week, we woke up to devastating news of a C-130 plane crashing in Mindanao, killing 52 of its military personnel passengers and injuring 49 others. While the photos and videos gathered from the crash site were truly saddening, one positive thing we witnessed there is how the civilians mobilized themselves and deployed themselves to rescue the survivors. And one of them was Erham Awaluddin. In an interview with Noli de Castro, Awa-

luddin identified himself as a Computer Science student who dropped out and had to work in construction because he cannot afford to buy a laptop. Kabayan helped him air his appeal for some kind-hearted soul to provide him a laptop so he could pursue his studies. A dear friend, my partner-in-crime, Jenni Munar, along with her sister, the real Tapang at Malasakit, Jovie Monsalud, heeded the call. Last Tuesday, Jenni and Jovie dropped by at the Villamor Airbase to hand over the brandnew laptop to Philippine Air Force col. Dennis Estrella who promised them he would personally hand over the unit to Awaluddin. I may have not been there to witness the handover but if only I could, I would willingly have accorded my Partner Jenni and Tapang at Malasakit Jovie my own version of a 21-gun salute.

Right against unreasonable searches and seizures

Luna, Arquitecto: Rethinking the Juan Luna trial

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

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Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Jimbo Owen Gulle

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Republic of the Philippines TODAY ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Pasig City

CONDITIONS PRECEDENT, EFFECTIVE DATE, AND COMMENCEMENT DATE 2.3.1

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE ELECTRIC POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN LA UNION ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. AND MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO. LTD., WITH MOTION FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY OR INTERIM RELIEF AND CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION

Effective Date

2.3.1.1

ERC CASE NO. 2021-048 RC

4.1

ORDER

2.3.3.1

The “Commencement Date” shall occur upon the satisfaction of the conditions set out in Section 2.3.2.

2.3.3.2

It shall be on August 26, 2021 or upon approval by the ERC, (whether interim relief, provisional or final), whichever is later but to coincide with NGCP Billing every 26th day of the month.

Supply of Electricity. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, from the Commencement Date until the expiration of the Cooperation Period or earlier termination of this Agreement, SELLER shall make available to LUECO the Contract Capacity to be sourced from the Power Plant, the WESM, or any other source at prevailing Electricity Fee. SELLER shall ensure that its daily declarations of BCQs reported to the Market Operator (as required by the WESM Rules) accurately reflects the metered quantities in each of LUECO’s Delivery Points net of any reduction by reason of enforcement of RCOA and/or Renewable Energy Law. xxx

On 07 July 2021, La Union Electric Company Inc. (LUECO) and Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd. (MPPCL) filed a Joint Application dated 21 June 2021, seeking the Commission’s approval of their Electric Power Purchase Agreement (EPPA), with motion for the issuance of a provisional authority or interim relief and confidential treatment of information. 4.2

The pertinent allegations of the Joint Application are hereunder quoted as follows:

LUECO is the grantee of a legislative franchise (R.A. No. 9385) issued by the Thirteenth (13th) Congress of the Philippines on 24 July 2006 to operate and maintain an electric distribution system within the City of San Fernando and the Municipalities of Bauang and San Juan, all in the Province of La Union.

LUECO is represented in this Joint Application by its President, Mr. CARLOS L. VALERO.

MPPCL is a limited partnership established in the Philippines to invest in, acquire, finance, complete, construct, develop, improve, operate, maintain, and hold power production and electric generating facilities in the country, with business address at Masinloc Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant, Barangay Bani, Masinloc, Zambales. It may be served with notices and other processes of this Honorable Commission though its counsel at the address herein indicated.

MPPCL owns the 1 x 315 MW (Unit 1), 1 x 344 MW (Unit 2) and 351.75 MW (Unit 3) of the Masinloc Coal Fired Thermal Power Plant located in Barangay Bani, Masinloc, Zambales.

MPPCL is represented in this Joint Application by its authorized representatives, Mr. PAUL BERNARD D. CAUSON.

This Joint Application for the approval of the “ELECTRIC POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT” (“EPPA”) dated 28 May 2021 entered into by and between LUECO and MPPCL is being submitted to this Honorable Commission for its review and approval pursuant to Sections 25 and 45 (b) of Republic Act No. 9136 otherwise known as the “Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001” (“EPIRA”), Rules 5, Sections 4 (e) and 11, Section 5 of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (“IRR”), Rule 20 (B) of its Rules of Practice and Procedure, and other pertinent rules and regulations.

12.

5.1

13.

14.

The salient provisions of the TOR are herein provided: TYPE OF CONTRACT Commencement Date of Supply Tariff Structure

ELECTRICITY FEES.

(1)

the extent to which the information is known outside of the employer’s business;

(2)

the extent to which the information is known by employees and others involved in the business;

(3)

the extent of measures taken by the employer to guard the secrecy of the information;

(4)

the value of the information to the employer and to competitors;

(5)

the amount of effort or money expended by the company in developing the information; and

(6)

the extent to which the information could be easily or readily obtained through an independent source.” (citations omitted, emphasis supplied)

The metered quantities at BUYER’s Delivery Points for the Billing Period that is net of energy carved out by reason of enforcement of RCOA, Renewable Energy Law, and Event of Force Majeure affecting SELLER, expressed in kWh.

EFM

50% maximum of the BER can be escalated at an annual rate not greater than 3.5% beginning on the second contract year. • Inclusive of Line Rental and all other market related charges • Exclusive of VAT

The metered quantities at BUYER’s Delivery Points for the Billing Period measured for hours during which Event of Force Majeure is affecting SELLER, expressed in kWh.

EFM Rate

Where:

ADJESC = [ Percent Subject to Escalation x ( 1 + Escalation) ^ (Contract Year – 1) ] + [ 1 – Percent Subject to Escalation ] Percent Subject to Escalation = none

Effective VAT = Blended Maximum VAT and VAT from WESM Purchases RATE IMPACT ON LUECO’S OVERALL GENERATION RATE 26.

SUPPLIER Average Rate PhP/kWh (for the recent 12 months)

CURRENT SUPPLIER

MPPCL

DIFFERENCE

4.2876

3.4939

0.7937

27.

LUECO SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

“B”

Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws

“C”

Latest General Information Sheet (GIS)

“D” “E” & series “F” “G” “H” & series

Load forecast projections in accordance with the latest DDP Average daily load curve, supply and demand scenario in accordance with the templates under Annex A of the Prefiling Checklist Requirements Demand Side Management (DSM) Program

“I”

Executive Summary of the LUECO-MPPCL EPPA

“J”

Rate Impact Study

“L”

2007 Articles of Partnership

“M”

2020 Amended Articles of Partnership

“M-1”

Certificate of Registration issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

“N”

Write-up – Explanation on the Requirement of Shareholders Agreement

“O”

Write-up – Explanation on the Requirement of List of Shareholders (GIS Sheet)

Accordingly, LUECO and MPPCL are hereby directed to host the virtual hearing at LUECO’s principal office located at LUECO Building, Quezon Avenue, San Fernando City, La Union, as the designated venue for the conduct thereof, and ensure that the same is open to the public and the community quarantine guidelines are observed at all times. Moreover, LUECO and MPPCL shall guarantee that, during the conduct of the expository presentation, the participation of the public shall not be impaired.

Furnish with copies of this Order and the attached Notice of Virtual Hearing, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), the Commission on Audit (COA), and the Committees on Energy of both Houses of Congress. They are hereby requested, if they so desire to send their duly authorized representatives and attend the scheduled hearings; and

Furnish with copies of the Joint Application and its attachments all those making requests therefor, subject to the resolution of the prayer for confidential treatment of information, if any, and reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs.10

Relevant technical and economic characteristics of the generation capacity, installed capacity, mode of operation, and dependable capacity

“BB”

Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of the DOE Certificate of Endorsement (COE) for MPPCL Units 1 and 2

Environmental Compliance Certificates for MPPCL Units 1-3 issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO. LTD.

3.4508

TEAM (PHIL) ENERGY CORP

3.9462

4.2971

SEM-CALACA POWER CORPORATION

4.0948

4.4460

“CC”

DOE COE for MPPCL Units 3 and 4

SN ABOITIZ POWERMAGAT INC.

4.2777

4.4538

“DD”

ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

4.5210

4.9087

Transmission Service Agreement (TSA) between the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and MPPCL

“EE”

Audited Financial Statements (AFS), Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Statement of Cash Flows

The term of this Agreement (the “Cooperation Period”) shall commence on the Commencement Date and shall expire on February 25, 2032, unless terminated earlier or extended in accordance with the terms of

Pre-trial Conference and presentation of evidence

“AA and series”

2.2.1.1

Microsoft Teams

Inform the consumers within LUECO’s franchise areas, by any other means available and appropriate, of the filing of the Joint Application, its reasons therefor, and of the scheduled virtual hearings thereon;

Affidavit of Competitive Procurement Process of Fuel executed by the Procurement Manager of MPPCL (Confidential)

Subject to Section 2.3, this Agreement shall become effective on the Effective Date.

11 August 2021 (Wednesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 PM)

“Z”

2.2.1

Activity Determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements and expository presentation

Furnish with copies of this Order and the attached Notice of Virtual Hearing the Offices of the Provincial Governor, the Mayors and the Local Government Unit (LGU) legislative bodies within LUECO’s franchise area for the appropriate posting thereof on their respective bulletin boards;

Write-up – Explanation on Pre-filing Requirements on Computation of Rates

“FF to FF-2” “GG and series”

Certification from MPPCL Units 1-3 on Net Heat Rate

Within five (5) calendar days prior to the date of the initial virtual hearing, LUECO and MPPCL must submit to the Commission via electronic mail (e-mail) at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, the scanned copies of their written compliance with the aforementioned jurisdictional requirements attaching therewith, methodically arranged and duly marked, the following: 1)

The evidence of publication of the attached Notice of Virtual Hearing consisting of affidavit of the Editors or Business Managers of the newspapers where the said Notice of Virtual Hearing was published, and the complete issue of the said newspapers;

The evidence of actual posting of this Order and the attached Notice of Virtual Hearing consisting of certifications issued to that effect, signed by the aforementioned Governor, Mayors and LGU legislative bodies or their duly authorized representatives, bearing the seals of their offices;

The evidence of other means employed by LUECO and MPPCL to inform the consumers within the affected franchise area of the filing of the Joint Application, its reasons therefor, and of the scheduled hearings thereon;

The evidence of receipt of copies of this Order and the attached Notice of Virtual Hearing by the OSG, the COA, and the Committees on Energy of both Houses of Congress;

The evidence of receipt of copies of the Joint Application and its attachments by all those making requests therefor, if any; and

Such other proof of compliance with the requirements of the Commission.

MPPCL Secretary’s Certificate for Filing of Joint Application and Delegation Letter to Counsels

ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE IMMEDIATE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY OR INTERIM RELIEF 28.

LUECO and MPPCL replead the foregoing allegations in further support of their prayer for the immediate issuance of a provisional authority or interim relief.

29.

Currently, LUECO continues to source its power from TPEC pursuant to a Letter of Agreement dated 11 June 2019 for a period of one (1) year from 26 August 2020 to 25 August 2021 under the same terms and conditions.

30.

Given the impending expiration of the Letter of Agreement between LUECO and TPEC and without a provisional authority or interim relief issued by this Honorable Commission authorizing the supply by MPPCL starting 26 August 2021, LUECO will be left with no other supplier. Moreover, LUECO cannot purchase from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) as it is not a direct member therein. Thus, with no supplier to provide the much-needed electric service, consumers of LUECO may experience total blackout instead of enjoying the lowest generation rate offered by MPPCL.

COOPERATION PERIOD OF AGREEMENT

Platform Microsoft Teams

“Y”

The EPPA dated 28 May 2021, entered into by and between LUECO and MPPCL, a copy of which is hereto attached as Annex “A” and made an integral part hereof, contains the following salient features:

Date 04 August 2021 (Wednesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 PM)

BOI COR for MPPCL Units 3 and 4

Certification by the CFO of MPPCL on items under Sources of Funds/ Financial Plans of the Pre-filing Requirements (Confidential)

* First Year and Final LCOE rates are net of offered PPD and/or PAR

Other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are likewise prayed for.

“R”

“X”

Out of the eight (8) GenCos who purchased bid documents, two (2) did not submit their bids while one (1) GenCo withdrew prior to the submission of bids. The GenCos who submitted their bids are the following:

After due notice and hearing, render a Decision approving the EPPA including the rates set out therein and authorizing LUECO to charge and collect the fees therein from its customers reckoned from the start of the supply by MPPCL to LUECO under the EPPA.

Cause the publication of the attached Notice of Virtual Hearing in two (2) newspapers of nationwide circulation in the Philippines at their own expense, twice (2x) within two (2) successive weeks, the dates of publication not being less than seven (7) days apart, and the date of the last publication to be made not later than ten (10) days before the date of the scheduled initial hearing;

Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of Requirements regarding the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement

2.2

an Issuance concerning the procedures for handling the confidential information upon the close of the proceedings and its return/delivery to MPPCL.

RELATIVE THERETO, LUECO and MPPCL are hereby directed to:

“W”

25.

Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of Minimum Energy Offtake Provision

SALIENT FEATURES OF THE EPPA

An Order treating Annexes “X”, and “Z” and all the information contained therein as confidential in perpetuity, directing their non-disclosure to persons other than the officers and staff of the Honorable Commission, perpetually protecting the said information from public disclosure by maintaining the same separate and apart from the records of the case, ensuring that these are not divulged to unauthorized persons, from the time these annexes are received by the Honorable Commission up to the termination of the instant case; and,

Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of the Board of Investments (BOI) Certificate of Registration (COR) for MPPCL Units 1 and 2

“V”

A copy of the TPBAC Summary Report regarding the conduct of LUECO’s CSP is likewise hereto attached and marked as Annex “H-10”.

Corporate Structure Chart

a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h.

24.

An Order be issued GRANTING provisional authority or interim relief authorizing the immediate implementation of the EPPA including the rate embodied in Schedule 4 thereof.

“P”

Letter of Provisional Authority to Operate (PAO) issued by the ERC

On 17 May 2021, the Notice of Award was sent to MPPCL which it accepted on 24 May 2021 via zoom meeting. A copy of the “Notice of Award” is hereto attached and marked as Annex “H-8”.

“Q”

Write-up – Explanation on the Non-applicability of the Requirements regarding Renewable Energy Plant

23.

Before and during the pendency of the proceedings:

Finding the said Joint Application to be sufficient in form with the required fees having been paid, the Commission hereby sets the same for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on the following dates and online platform for the conduct thereof, pursuant to Resolution No. 09, Series 0f 2020,8 dated 24 September 2020 and Resolution No. 01, Series of 2021, dated 17 December 2020 (ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure)9:

PSPP Documents showing the conduct of CSP

MPPCL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

GNPower DINGININ LTD. CO SOLARACE1 ENERGY CORPORATION SEM-CALACA POWER CORPORATION TEAM (PHIL) ENERGY CORP MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO. LTD. THERMA LUZON INC. SN ABOITIZ POWER - MAGAT INC. ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

DESCRIPTION OF THE DOCUMENT

“T”

On 07 May 2021, LUECO sent MPPCL the result of the post evaluation qualification.

In compliance with the pre-filing requirements of this Honorable Commission and in further support of the instant Joint Application, Joint Applicants submit the following:

“U”

22.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, in view of all the foregoing, Joint Applicants, LA UNION ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. and MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO., LTD. respectfully pray of this Honorable Commission that:

COMPLIANCE BY THE JOINT APPLICANTS WITH THE PRE-FILING CHECKLIST REQUIREMENTS

In response to LUECO’s published Invitation to Bid, eight (8) GenCos purchased bid documents, namely:

On 03 May 2021, LUECO’s TPBAC sent a Notification of Best Bid to MPPCL as the winning power supplier confirming after post-evaluation that its proposed energy price was found to be the best bid.

This is guided by the fact that MPPCL will seek for the return of these sought to be declared confidential annexes after its utilization as evidence in this case and/or at the close of the proceedings hereof, so as to relieve the Honorable Commission of the burden of safekeeping the trade secrets of MPPCL enclosed in the subject annexes.

Details of the calculation of the rate impact on LUECO’s overall generation rate with the supply from MPPCL is hereto attached and marked as Annex “J”.

18.

21.

38.

The indicative rate impact on LUECO’s overall generation rate with the supply from MPPCL is as follows:

“S and series”

On 30 April 2021, the respective bid offers of the bidders who passed the prequalification were opened. MPPCL’s bid was declared as the best bid.

Lastly and corollary to the foregoing, MPPCL would like to implore the discerning wisdom of the Honorable Commission to include in its issuance for this purpose the “xxx procedures for the handling or returning the confidential information, as appropriate, upon the close of the proceedings or at the end of the period provided in this Rule7”.

VAT = Maximum Value Added Tax equivalent to twelve percent (12%)

On 05 January 2021 and 12 January 2021, LUECO caused the publication of its “Invitation to Bid” in the Manila Bulletin which contained the TOR, indicating a summary of the process and timelines of the CSP and inviting generation companies (“GenCos”) to submit an Expression of Interest between 06 January 2021 and 19 January 2021.

20.

37.

Escalation = none

17.

Final LCOE Pre-VAT rate* (PhP/kWh)

Accordingly, Joint Applicants hereby submits one (1) copy of the confidential documents in a sealed envelope, with the envelope and each page of the document stamped with the word “Confidential”.6

BER = is the Base Energy Rate equivalent to PHP3.5575/kWh

Power Supplier may opt to offer a Power Act Reduction (PAR) rate of Php0.30/kWh applicable to energy affecting residential customers only (approximately 50% of LUECO’s annual energy requirement; that the actual average for the last 5 years preCOVID19 is 44%).

First Year PreVAT rate* (PhP/kWh)

36.

GENRATE = BER x ADJESC

Bid VAT Rate shall be the maximum VAT rate that Winning Bidder may charge LUECO for any given Billing Month.

GENERATION COMPANY

More importantly, competitors of MPPCL, should they obtain the information in Annexes “X”, and “Z” may gain undue advantage to the prejudice of MPPCL. The negotiating power of MPPCL with parties it plans to contract with or who it is currently doing business with, will clearly be thwarted if it is compelled to disclose such information;

GENRATE or Ex-Ante WESM Price at BUYER’s relevant Delivery Point, whichever is lower, expressed in Php/kWh

Where:

Bids shall be evaluated based on Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) after VAT, whenever applicable which shall be derived using the LCOE calculation sheet in accordance with the formula in Annex B. The Bidder’s Proposed Price (for the first Billing Year) and its LCOE are both subject to predetermined “Reserved Prices”.

19.

The interest of the consuming public is sufficiently protected by the review and evaluation of the rates under the EPPA by the Honorable Commission, without the need to disclose the contents of Annexes “X”, and “Z”. The reasonableness and transparency of the prices of electricity is to be assured by the Honorable Commission through its own review and verification of MPPCL’s generation costs.

GENRATE The generation fee rate applicable for the Billing Period, expressed in PHP/ kWh.

•

Power Act Reduction (PAR)

Unsupplied Energy = the average of the last four (4) same day, same hour of the Trading Intervals affected by the loss of supply from Power Plant, WESM, and any other source which shall be used to reduce the generation charge to the consumers. For avoidance of doubt, in case SELLER fails to supply electricity despite availability thereof, then Section 14.1 shall apply.

BASELOAD AND LOAD FOLLOWING, FIRM

Base Energy Rate (BER) in Php/kWh subject to the following:

Annexes “X”, and “Z” contain the details of the power rate calculations and financial model of MPPCL as well as the manner by which these were derived. These information are proprietary in nature and should be protected as trade secrets as contemplated by law and jurisprudence. In the case of Air Philippines Corporation vs. Pennswell, Inc.5 , the Supreme Court defined a trade secret, as follows: “A trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern, device, or compilation of information that: (1) is used in one’s business; and (2) gives the employer an opportunity to obtain an advantage over competitors who do not possess the information. Generally, a trade secret is a process or device intended for continuous use in the operation of the business, for example, a machine or formula, but can be a price list or catalogue or specialized customer list. It is indubitable that trade secrets constitute proprietary rights. The inventor, discoverer, or possessor of a trade secret or similar innovation has rights therein which may be treated as property, and ordinarily an injunction will be granted to prevent the disclosure of the trade secret by one who obtained the information “in confidence” or through a “confidential relationship”. American jurisprudence has utilized the following factors to determine if an information is a trade secret, to wit:

ANNEX

August 26, 2021 or upon approval by the ERC whichever is later but to coincide with NGCP Billing every 26th day of the month.

“Z”

Where:

On 22 December 2020, the DOE sent its reply to the 21 December 2020 letter of LUECO recommending the removal of the option to extend for a maximum period of five (5) years pursuant to the Supreme Court Decision in G.R. No. 227670 requiring all PSAs to undergo CSP and the deletion of the Prompt Payment Discount and Prompt Payment Discount Period.

16.

Affidavit of Competitive Procurement Process of Fuel executed by the Procurement Manager of MPPCL (Confidential)

Electricity Fee = [(E x GENRATE)] x (1+VAT)] + [(EFM x EFM Rate) x (1+ VAT)]

On 02 December 2020, pursuant to DOE Department Circular DC2018-02003, LUECO sent a letter to the DOE attaching its Terms of Reference (TOR) for its approval.

On 29 December 2020, LUECO sent the revised TOR in compliance with the 22 December 2020 letter of the DOE, and on 04 January 2021, the DOE via electronic mail approved the TOR and allowed LUECO to cause the publication of the Invitation to Bid on 05 January 2021 and 12 January 2021.

“X”

ELECTRICITY FEES

However due to the issuance of Proclamation No. 929, Series of 2020 on 16 March 2020 by President RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE declaring a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines due to Corona Virus Disease 2019 Pandemic or COVID-19 Pandemic, LUECO was not able to complete the conduct of its CSP.

15.

Annex

SCHEDULE 4:

On 25 November 2019, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued its Certification (COE-CSP-2019-10-001) certifying that LUECO “is exempted from the conduct of COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCESS (CSP) to extend its existing power supply agreement with Team (Philippines) Energy Corporation (TPEC) for one (1) year supply under the same terms and conditions starting from 26 August 2019 until 25 August 2020.”2 Furthermore, the DOE also stated that “LUECO’s succeeding PSA procurement shall undergo CSP in accordance with DC2018-02-0003 in a manner provided under Section 5 thereof – through public bidding x x x .”3

Pursuant to the 10 December 2020 letter of the DOE, LUECO, on 21 December 2020, submitted its compliance and likewise furnished the DOE the Secretary’s Certificate providing the composition of LUECO’s Third Party Bids and Awards Committee (“TPBAC”), TPBAC- Technical Working Group (“TWG”) and TPBAC Secretariat.

Documents and/or Information Certification by the CFO of MPPCL on items under Sources of Funds/Financial Plans of the Pre-filing Requirements (Confidential)

SELLER shall render to BUYER an itemized Invoice for each Billing Period in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and SCHEDULE 5. BUYER shall pay Invoices when due and payable in accordance with this Agreement and SCHEDULE 5.

On 18 July 2019, two months before the expiration of its EPPA with Team (Philippines) Energy Corporation (“TPEC”) on 25 August 2019, LUECO wrote the Hon. ALFONSO G. CUSI, Secretary of the Department of Energy, requesting for the issuance of a Certificate of Exemption (“COE”) “to enable LUECO to extend its existing power supply agreement under the same terms and conditions.”1

On 10 December 2020, the DOE sent its reply to the letter dated 02 December 2020 of LUECO suggesting some revisions in its TOR, particularly the revision of the 2020- 2029 Power Supply Procurement Plan (PSPP) and the submission of the 2020-2029 Distribution Development Plan (DDP).

35.

Under the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, a party to any proceeding before the Honorable Commission may request that certain information not be disclosed and be treated as confidential.4 Pursuant to this, Applicant MPPCL prays for the confidential treatment of the information contained in the following annexes:

Where:

STATEMENT OF FACTS

11.

34.

Fine = 5% x GENRATE from the previous Billing Period x Unsupplied Energy

NATURE OF THE APPLICATION

10.

In further support of the immediate issuance of a provisional authority, Joint Applicants attach as Annex “K” the Judicial Affidavit executed by Mr. JOSEPH BERNARD G. VALERO, EMO Manager and Member of the Board of Directors of LUECO. ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION

Failure of Power Plant to Generate Electricity. In case SELLER is unable to source electricity from Power Plant for whatever reason except cases of Force Majeure, SELLER shall undertake alternative sourcing arrangements to compensate for the failure or shortfall, provided that, BUYER shall pay to SELLER the prevailing Electricity Fee or from the alternative source, whichever, is lower. In case SELLER fails to supply BUYER electricity due to unavailability of supply from its Power Plant, WESM, and any other source, SELLER shall pay a fine calculated as follows:

LUECO is a private electric distribution utility duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at LUECO Building, Quezon Avenue, San Fernando City, La Union. It may be served with notices and other processes of this Honorable Commission though its counsel at the address herein indicated.

33.

xxx

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

The Effective Date shall be the date the conditions precedent in Section 13.1.1 and 13.2.1 have been satisfied or waived by the relevant Party (the “Effective Date”).

2.3.3 COMMENCEMENT DATE

LA UNION ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. (LUECO) AND MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS CO. LTD. (MPPCL), Applicants. x-------------------------------------------------------x

Authority or Interim Relief may be acted upon with or without hearing. The Commission shall act on the motion on the basis of the allegations of the application or petition and supporting documents and other evidences that applicant or petitioner has submitted and the comments or opposition filed by any interested person, if any.”

this Agreement. 2.3

31.

In the interest of LUECO’s consumers, there is a necessity for the immediate issuance of a provisional authority or interim relief in order to have a continuous and reliable supply of electricity.

32.

Pursuant to its Rules of Practice and Procedure, this Honorable Commission may issue a provisional authority or interim relief: “Section 3. Action on the Motion. – Motions for Provisional

Moreover, LUECO and MPPCL are hereby required to post on their bulletin boards, the scanned copies of the foregoing jurisdictional requirements, together with the newspaper publications and certifications issued by the concerned Office of the Governor, Mayors, and Local Legislative Bodies, and to submit proof of their posting thereof. LUECO, MPPCL and all interested parties are also required to submit via e-mail at docket@ erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, at least five (5) calendar days before the date of the scheduled virtual hearing and Pre-trial Conference, their respective PreTrial Briefs containing, among others: 1)

A summary of admitted facts and proposed stipulation of facts;

The issues to be tried or resolved;

The documents or exhibits to be presented, stating the purposes and proposed markings therefor, which should also be attached to the Pre-trial Brief; and

The number and names of the witnesses, with their written testimonies in a Judicial Affidavit form attached to the Pretrial Brief.

LUECO and MPPCL must ensure that all the documents or exhibits proposed to be presented have already been duly submitted to the Commission at least five (5) calendar days before the

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BioNTech produces 10 times more antibodies than Sinovac

BANGLADESH has executed an hardline Islamist for a 2005 bomb eople who received BioNTech’s coronavirus attack in which eight people died, officials said Friday. vaccine had ten times the amount of antibodies than Asaduzzaman Ponir, 37, was those given China’s Sinovac, a Hong Kong study hanged at the Kashimpur High Security Prison at 11:00 p.m. (1700 has shown, adding to growing data on different jabs’ GMT) Thursday, the prison’s chief effectiveness. Mohammed Gias Uddin told AFP. Ponir was found guilty in 2008 of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) But they warned that “the difference organizing the bombing of Udichi research, based on a study of 1,442 in concentrations of neutralizing anShilphi Goshti, a secular cultural healthcare workers, was published in tibodies identified in our study could group in the northeastern district of Netrokona. An alleged suicide Lancet Microbe on Thursday. translate into substantial differences in bomber was among those who died. Researchers said antibodies are not vaccine effectiveness.” Ponir was a member of Jamayetul the only measure of a vaccine’s success Those who received Sinovac had Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), auat fighting a particular disease. “similar or lower” levels of antibodies thorities say, a radical group which staged a series of attacks in 2005 on courts, administrative offices, Sufi Muslim shrines and cultural groups. The group was founded in the 1990s by militants who had fought in Afghanistan before vowing to establish Islamic Sharia rule in Bangladesh. Prison chief Uddin said Ponir had exhausted all his appeals, with his death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court and President Abdul Hamid rejecting a clemency appeal last month. Six JMB leaders, including its supreme leader Shaikh Abdur Rahman, were hanged in 2007. A JMB offshoot, reportedly linked to the Islamic State group, has emerged in recent years and was blamed for deadly attacks on foreigners, atheists and LGBT activists between 2013 and 2016. Five members of the splinter group attacked a Dhaka cafe in 2016, killing at least 22 people including 17 foreigners. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK date of the scheduled initial virtual hearing and Pre-trial Conference pursuant to the preceding paragraph. Failure of LUECO and MPPCL to comply with the above requirements within the prescribed period shall be a ground for cancellation of the scheduled hearing, and the resetting of which shall be six (6) months from the said date of cancellation. LUECO and MPPCL must also be prepared to make an expository presentation of the instant Joint Application, aided by whatever communication medium that they may deem appropriate for the purpose, in order to put in plain words and explain, for the benefit of the consumers and other concerned parties, the nature of the Application with relevant information and pertinent details substantiating the reasons and justifications being cited in support thereof. LUECO and MPPCL are hereby directed to file a copy of their Expository Presentation via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, at least five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled virtual hearing. LUECO and MPPCL shall also be required, upon the request of any stakeholder, to provide an advance copy of their expository presentation, at least five (5) calendar days prior to the scheduled virtual hearing. Any interested stakeholder may submit its comments and/or clarifications at least one (1) calendar day prior to the scheduled virtual hearing, via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph. The Commission shall give priority to the stakeholders who have duly submitted their respective comments and/or clarifications, to discuss the same and propound questions during the course of the expository presentation. LUECO and MPPCL are hereby directed to submit, either through personal service, registered or ordinary mail/private courier, one (1) set of the original or certified true hard/ printed copy/ies of their Jurisdictional Compliance, Expository Presentation, Pre-trial Brief, and Judicial Affidavit/s of witness/es, within five (5) working days from the date that the same were electronically submitted, as reflected in the acknowledgment receipt e-mail sent by the Commission. Similarly, all interested parties who filed their Petition for Intervention or Opposition are required to submit the hard/printed copy thereof within the same period through any of the available modes of service. Finally, LUECO and MPPCL, including their authorized representative/s and witness/es, are hereby directed to provide the Commission, thru legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, with their respective e-mail addresses upon receipt of this Order. The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned hearing platform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled hearing. SO ORDERED. Pasig City, 12 July 2021. FOR AND BY AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION

AGNES VST DEVANADERA Chairperson and CEO

Copy Furnished:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

LA UNION ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. (LUECO) Applicant LUECO Building, Quezon Avenue, San Fernando City, La Union lueco@luecoinc.com jbvalero.lueco1955@gmail.com glenntan0322@gmail.com

MASINLOC POWER PARTNERS, CO. LTD. (MPPCL) Applicant Masinloc Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant, Barangay Bani, Masinloc, Zambales

MANJARES & MANJARES Atty. Norberto C. Manjares III Counsel for Applicant LUECO No. 6 St., Anne Provident Villages, Marikina City jcmanjaresiii@gmail.com

ATTYS. JUPITER M. CABAGUIO and AVELINO G. CEDO III Counsels for Applicant MPPCL 23rd Floor, San Miguel Properties Centre, No. 7 St., Francis Street, Mandaluyong City jcabaguio@smcgph.sanmiguel.com.ph acedoiii@smgcph.sanmiguel.com.ph

OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL (OSG) 134 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City docket@osg.gov.ph

COMMISSION ON AUDIT (COA) Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City citizensdesk@coa.gov.ph

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY GSIS Building, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City senateenergycommittee@gmail.com

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY Batasan Hills, Quezon City committee.energy@house.gov.ph

Office of the Governor Province of La Union

10.

Office of the Local Government Unit (LGU) Legislative Body Province of La Union

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Office the City Mayor City of San Fernando, La Union

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Office of the LGU Legislative Body City of San Fernando, La Union

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Office of the Mayor Bauang, La Union

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Office of the LGU Legislative Body Bauang, La Union

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Office of the Mayor San Juan, La Union

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Office of the LGU Legislative Body San Juan, La Union

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Office of the Governor Province of Zambales

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Office of the LGU Legislative Body Province of Zambales

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Office of the Mayor Masinloc, Zambales

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Office of the LGU Legislative Body Masinloc Zambales

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Regulatory Operations Service Energy Regulatory Commission Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City ros@erc.ph

Last paragraph, page 2, letter dated 18 July 2019 to Sec. Alfonso G. Cusi. Underscoring supplied. First (1sT) paragraph, COE-CSP-10-001 dated 25 November 2019. Underscoring supplied. First (1st) paragraph, page 2, letter of Secretary Cusi to Mr. Bernardo L. Valero dated 25 November 2019. Underscoring supplied. Section 1, Rule 4, Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory Commission. G.R. No. 172835, December 13, 2007 Soft copies of the same to be provided to this Honorable Commission are password protected. Rule 4, Section 2, paragraph 5 of the 2021 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure. A Resolution Adopting the Guidelines Governing Electronic Applications, Filings and Virtual Hearings Before the Energy Regulatory Commission. A Resolution Adopting the Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory Commission. For the e-mail address of the applicants, please see page 18. (MS-JULY 17 & 24, 2021)

to those seen in patients who caught and successfully fought off the disease. The study adds to the growing body of evidence that vaccines using pioneering mRNA technology – such as BioNTech and Moderna – offer better protection against the coronavirus and its variants than those developed by more traditional methods such as using inactivated virus parts. Traditional vaccines are cheaper to produce and less complicated to transport and store, making them a vital tool for fighting the pandemic in less wealthy countries. Epidemiologist Ben Cowling, one of the report’s authors, said people should

OTHERWORLDLY. A staff member sits at an interactive digital installation ‘Fire / Forest and Spiral of Resonating Lamps in the Forest’ during a media preview of ‘teamLab: A Forest Where Gods Live’ at the lobby of Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel, Takeo Hot Springs in Saga prefecture. “Sometimes, people think digital art and nature are completely against each other,” said Takashi Kudo, a member of teamLab. “But at the same time, we think digital and nature are quite easy to merge, because our ‘paint’ is light. So we don’t destroy nature itself, we don’t paint on original trees or rocks... in the daytime it’s going to disappear.” The exhibition, which opened Friday and runs until November 7, is in a park whose boundaries blend into an ancient forest in the Saga region near Nagasaki. AFP

Life-saving potential in spider venom A GROUP of Australia-based scientists are looking to venom from a deadly native spider to actually save lives, by halting the harmful effects of heart attacks. Researchers used venom from a type of funnel-web spider – among the world’s deadliest species – in a drug they hope can soon be taken to human trials. So far the experimental medicine has only been lab-tested. University of Queensland scientist Nathan Palpant said Friday the venom helped stop the body sending a “death signal” after a heart attack, which causes cells to die. “After a heart attack, blood flow to the heart is reduced, resulting in a lack of oxygen to heart muscle,” Palpant said. “The lack of oxygen causes the cell environment to become acidic, which combines to send a message for heart cells to die. Despite decades of research, no one has been able to develop a drug that stops this death signal in heart cells, which is one of the reasons why heart disease continues to be the leading cause

of death in the world.” The team has successfully used a protein from spider venom on beating human heart cells that were exposed to heart-attack stresses. “The Hi1a protein from spider venom blocks acid-sensing ion channels in the heart, so the death message is blocked, cell death is reduced, and we see improved heart cell survival,” Palpant said. It is hoped the drug could help not only prevent heart damage and save lives, but improve the quality of donated hearts during transplants. Previous research has indicated funnel-web spider venom may also be useful in curbing damage from strokes. The University of Queensland said the team was aiming for human clinical trials for both stroke and heart disease “within two to three years.” The most recent research was published in the latest edition of the journal Circulation. AFP

still get vaccinated with Sinovac if there was no other option because some protection was always better than none. “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” he told AFP. “It is clearly better to go and get vaccinated with an inactivated vaccine than to wait and not get vaccinated,” he added. “Many, many lives have been saved by the inactivated vaccine.” The researchers said their data suggested “alternative strategies” such as earlier booster shots might be needed to increase protection for those who have received Sinovac.AFP

Kenya arrests ‘vampire’ for killing 10 kids KENYAN police were holding a man described as a “bloodthirsty vampire” accused of the grisly murders of at least 10 children. Masten Milimo Wanjala was arrested on Wednesday over the disappearance of two children but in a chilling confession, admitted to killing many more, police said. The 20-year-old took officers to the site where he had dumped their bodies in a forested area of the capital, and confessed to the cold-blooded killing of at least 10 young teenagers, they said. Police described his arrest as a major breakthrough in an investigation into a spate of disturbing child disappearances in Kenya – almost two a day in recent weeks, according to policeManila data. Standard “Wanjala single-handedly massacred his victims in the most callousTODAY manner, sometimes through sucking blood from their veins before executing them,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on Twitter late Wednesday, describing him as a “bloodthirsty vampire.” A Nairobi court ordered Thursday he be held in custody for 30 days to give police more time to investigate the case. The murders, targeting 12- and 13-year-olds, stretch back five years. His victims were drugged and drained of their blood and some of them strangled, police said. Such cases of kidnappings involving school-going children, some ending up dead, have become rife in recent months and sent parents panicking. Wanjala’s arrest was splashed across Thursday’s front pages of the main newspapers in Kenya, with some publishing pictures of the suspect in a blood-stained football jersey. AFP

Eiffel Tower to reopen after 9-month closure THE Eiffel Tower is to reopen to visitors on Friday for the first time in nine months following its longest closure since World War II. The lifts of the “Iron Lady” are set to whir back into life, transporting tourists to its 300-meter summit, ending a long period of inactivity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Daily capacity is set to be restricted to 13,000 people, however, about half of the normal level, in order to respect social distancing. And from Wednesday next week, visitors will need to show either proof of vaccination or a negative test, in line with recent government-imposed requirements. “Obviously it’s an additional operational complication, but it’s manageable,” the head of the operating company, Jean-François Martins, told AFP. After a final round of safety checks by staff, he announced that the “lady is ready.” Early reservations for tickets during the summer holiday period underline how the tourism industry in Paris has changed due to travel restrictions. Martins said there was an “almost total absence” In this file photo taken in 2018, tourists use umbrellas to shelter from the sun as they of British ticket holders, while only 15 percent were walk at Esplanade du Trocadero in front of The Eiffel Tower in Paris. The ‘Iron Lady’ Americans and very few are from Asia. AFP reopened to visitors Friday after being closed for nine months. AFP

Death toll in German floods rises to at least 81, dozens missing AUTHORITIES in Germany’s RhinelandPalatinate said Friday that 50 people have died in devastating floods in the western state, bringing the national death toll to at least 81, with dozens more missing. “The number of dead has gone up to 50” from 28 in the badly hit region, a spokesman for the interior ministry of Rhineland-Palatinate, Timo Haungs, told AFP. Dozens remain missing in western Germany, raising fears the death toll could rise further following the region’s worst floods in living memory. “I fear that we will only see the full extent of the disaster in the coming days,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said late Thursday during

a visit to Washington. Merkel said her “heart goes out” to the victims of the flooding. US President Joe Biden, speaking alongside Merkel at a joint news conference, offered his “sincere condolences and the condolences of the American people for the devastating loss of life and destruction.” Around 15,000 members of the German emergency services, police and army were on the ground in the worst-hit areas. Pensioner Annemarie Mueller, 65, looking out at her flooded garden and garage from her balcony, said her town of Mayen had been completely unprepared for the destruction.

“Where did all this rain come from? It’s crazy,” she told AFP, recalling the floodwater crashing through her street during the night. “It made such a loud noise and given how fast it came down, we thought it would break the door down.” North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) premier Armin Laschet, who is running to succeed Merkel in September elections, canceled a party meeting in Bavaria to survey the damage in his state, Germany’s most populous. “We will stand by the towns and people who’ve been affected,” Laschet, clad in rubber boots, told reporters in the town of Hagen. AFP

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

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, July 16, 2021

-34.10 PTS. 6,693.83

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

2,395,227,060 109,209 7,592,471,597.11 48 164 34

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.2790

Japan

Yen

0.009106

0.4578

Pound

1.382800

69.5258

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128738

6.4728

Switzerland

Franc

1.089087

54.7582

Canada

Dollar

0.794092

39.9262

Singapore

Dollar

0.738280

37.1200

Australia

Dollar

0.742300

37.3221

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655619

133.5219

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266624

13.4056

Brunei

Dollar

0.735565

36.9835

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030618

1.5394

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

13.6896

Euro

1.181500

59.4046

Korea

Won

0.000876

0.0440

China

Yuan

0.154763

7.7813

India

Rupee

0.013418

0.6746

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238039

11.9684

New Zealand

Dollar

0.698300

35.1098

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035867

1.8034 Source: BSP

DBM: No funds withheld for infra, social programs

Business SEC approves P44-b initial public offering of Del Monte By Jenniffer B. Austria

HE Securities and Exchange Commission said Friday it approved the P44-billion maiden share offering of fruit grower and canner Del Monte Philippines Inc. The SEC said it approved DMPI’s initial public offering of 699.33 million secondary common shares with an over-allotment option for another 104.899 million shares at a price of up to P54.80 apiece, subject to the company’s compliance with certain remaining requirements. “DMPI will receive the corresponding order of registration and permit to sell after complying with the conditions set by the SEC,” the corporate regulator said. The company’s parent, Del Monte Pacific Limited, will eventually receive and use part of the net proceeds for the repayment of loans, redemption of certain preferred shares and general corporate purposes.

Latest submissions to the SEC showed the offering period would be set from Aug. 9 to 13, and the listing of the shares under the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange scheduled on Aug. 23. DMPI is a food manufacturer operating four main product segments, including convenience cooking and dessert, healthy beverages and snacks, premium fresh fruit and packaged fruit and beverage export. Its Del Monte brand offers a line of ketchup, tomato sauce and paste, pasta, spaghetti sauce and packaged pineapple products. The company is one of the largest fresh pineapple growers in Asia, with a 26,000-hectare plantation in the Bukidnon province.

Aside from being a market leader in the ready-to-drink juices in the country, DMPI is the largest fresh pineapple exporter to China, with a 43.7-percent market share by volume of imported fresh pineapples in 2020. It also exports pineapples to Japan, South Korea and the Middle East. DMPI engaged Morgan Stanley Asia (Singapore) Pte. and Credit Suisse (Singapore) Limited as joint global coordinators and bookrunners for the offering, while CLSA Limited, DBS Bank Ltd. and Jefferies Singapore Limited will act as joint international bookrunners. The company also hired BDO Capital and Investment Corp. and BPI Capital Corp. as joint local lead underwriters and bookrunners. First Metro Investment Corp. was tapped as local co-lead underwriter. DMPI earlier said net income in the fiscal year 2021 ending April climbed 33 percent to P4.6 billion from a year ago on improved sales and lower expenses. DMPI said sales also climbed 8 percent to P34.5 billion.

By Julito G. Rada THE Department of Budget and Management said Friday no funds are being withheld, including over P158 billion For-Later-Release appropriations for infrastructure and social amelioration programs that were identified by some members of the Senate. “It is noted that of the P158.36-billion FLR appropriations intended for the infrastructure programs of the Department of Public Works and Highways, P144.81 billion have already been recommended by the DBM to the president for approval,” the agency said in a statement. “This amount comprises the bulk of the P261.05 billion unreleased appropriations under the P4.506-trillion FY 2021 national budget as of June 30, 2021,” it said. The DBM made the statement amid allegations of withholding funding due to politicking. It said P3.83 trillion or 85.1 percent of the FY 2021 national budget was released from January to June 2021. Of the amount, releases to line departments reached P2.38 trillion, or equivalent to 90.1 percent, an improvement from 79.8 percent in the same period last year. “The DBM has fully released the respective allotments of most departments, including the P176.66 billion FLR appropriations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the implementation of its various social amelioration programs,” it said. Expenditure items classified as FLRs require the submission of special budget request and other supporting documentary requirements from the agencies concerned, consistent with National Budget Circular No. 583. These documents will be evaluated by the DBM based on budgeting rules and regulations and subsequently endorsed to the Office of the President for approval. The corresponding Special Allotment Release Order and Notice of Cash Allocation will be issued immediately upon approval of the President. “The DBM remains committed to ensuring that funds are readily available to support the implementation of various COVID-19 response programs geared towards making all sectors of the economy stronger and more agile,” it said.

EXPRESS STORE.

Tokyo Tokyo opens express stores and launches its online delivery website as the restaurant chain pivots its business and changes the way it offers Japanese food to customers. The trailer-sized express stores offer only takeout and delivery and make Tokyo Tokyo favorites, such as Prawn Tempura Bento, Beef Misono Bento, California Maki and the signature Red Iced tea, more accessible and convenient to order. The design of the trailer outlets was inspired by the new lifestyle design stores that translated into a food truck. Tokyo Tokyo now has around 30 express stores around Metro Manila and plans to open more for the rest of the year.

DOE set to award three exploration contracts in WPS By Alena Mae Flores THE Department of Energy said Friday it recommended the award of three new service contracts at the West Philippine Sea to the Office of the President. Meanwhile, three oil and gas service contractors sought suspension of work activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOE said the three service contracts are SC 54, SC 58 and SC 59. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the award follows the policy of President Rodrigo Duterte on the promotion of energy security and the exercise of sovereign rights, including the lifting of the moratorium on oil and gas activities in the WPS and the resumption of all programmed work and financial plans in the area. Cusi said these activities are concrete and explicit forms of the enforcement of sovereign rights consistent with real gains in the South China Sea arbitral award. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, petroleum licensing is the most important sovereign right of a coastal state like the Philippines. With the lifting of the moratorium in the WPS, the service contractors are obliged to comply with approved work commitments in their respective areas. The DOE said SC 72 or the Recto Bank consortium is set to drill exploratory wells next year while the SC 75 group is scheduled to conduct exploratory activities. Exploration activities include a thorough study and understanding of the geological and geophysical characteristics of the area, as well as the conduct of on-site survey and drilling activities. It said that because of the significant investment involved in carrying out exploration programs, on-site exploration activities are carefully planned to ensure the maximum coverage of data collection in the study area.

IN BRIEF

San Miguel unveils big reforestation plan

PH-BRUNEI AGREEMENT. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez (right) of the Philippines and Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr. Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Minister of Finance and Economy II of Brunei Darussalam, hold their copies of the double taxation agreement they signed on behalf of their respective governments on July 16, 2021 in Bandar Seri Begawan. The Philippines-Brunei Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect To Taxes on Income aims to further ease trade in goods and services and enhance investment flows and economic activity between the countries.

PH favors swift talks to end subsidies that contribute to unregulated fishing By Othel V. Campos THE Philippines urged trade and agricultural ministers to speed up negotiations to eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in time for the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) on December 2021. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Agriculture Secretary William Dar issued the joint call to the World Trade Organization virtual meeting on fisheries subsidies held on July 15, 2021, “The Philippines stands together with other Members who are committed to deliver an outcome in the fisheries subsidy negotiations ahead of MC12. This will only be possible if there is solid political will and diplomatic flexibility in the negotiations,” said Lopez in his statement during the meeting. The current draft text of the agreement contains a provision that the WTO panel will not address prohibited subsi-

dies in disputed waters. Dar urged WTO members to reconsider the current language, saying it will provide a loophole for countries involved in maritime disputes to be exempted. “Issues of territorial claims or delimitation of maritime boundaries or zones are of the highest concern for the Philippines but nothing must prohibit a duly constituted Panel from hearing a case,” he said. He stressed that the flexibility and exemptions of poor and vulnerable artisanal fishers in developing and leastdeveloped countries should not create a permanent exception to address overcapacity and overfishing. Declining fish stocks threaten to worsen poverty and endanger coastal communities that rely on fishing. According to the WTO, based on the latest data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, fish stocks are at risk of collapsing in many parts of the world due to overexploitation.

DPWH declares partial opening of Central Luzon expressway link By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it has partially opened to the public the P11.81-billion Central Luzon Link Expressway Project. The first 18-kilometer section of CLLEX from Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, or Subic -Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway connection in Tarlac City up to the intersection of Aliaga-Guimba Road in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija was inaugurated on July 15. This toll-free expressway project is one of the key infrastructure projects with funding assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the Build, Build, Build program. The partial opening of CLLEX up to Aliaga is expected to provide options to motorists and spread out traffic better. The agency said the CLLEX sections covered by three contract packages that will be opened are the 4.10-kilometer Tarlac Section, 6.4-kilometer Rio Chico River Bridge Section including 1.5-km Rio Chico Viaduct, and the Aliaga Section with up and down ramps at Guimba-Aliaga Road. The DPWH said it is committed to complete the entire 30-kilometer expressway project within the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The 10.3-kilometer Cabanatuan Section under Contract Package 4 is already 88.7-percent complete. Meanwhile, the Zaragoza Interchange Section under Contract Package 5 is 26.9 percent complete and expected to gain significant progress as site possessions are secured for the project’s right of way requirements.

SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., a unit of San Miguel Corp., is embarking on a massive reforestation and carbon capture program to help mitigate climate change. SMCGP to date has planted 2.7 million seedlings and propagules since 2019 as part of a reforestation and carbon capture program dubbed Project 747, aimed at scattering seven million trees over 4,000 hectares in at least seven provinces. The project, which aims to plant a million trees every year, complements SMCGP’s goal of adding cleaner and renewable power facilities into its power portfolio after dropping plans to put up three coal power plants with a capacity of 1,500 MW as part of the firm’s larger sustainability goals. “Through massive reforestation, we can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. Over the past couple of years, we have also been utilizing the best and most modern technologies to minimize our impact on the environment, even as we try to provide for our country’s growing need for reliable and affordable power,” said SMC president Ramon Ang. Alena Mae S. Flores

OceanaGold allowed to resume operations

THE Philippines defended Thursday its decision to allow a foreign miner to restart operations at a controversial gold and copper project that has been blockaded by protesters over alleged environmental violations. OceanaGold—which is listed in Australia and Canada—has been given a new 25-year license for the Didipio mine in Nueva Vizcaya, the Philippine government said. The previous agreement expired in 2019. Didipio had been one of the largest operating mines in the Philippines, where authorities are trying to revive the stagnant industry to boost state revenues and create jobs in a coronavirus-devastated economy. “This decision recognizes that we need to have more jobs for our fellow countrymen in the time of the pandemic,” Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque told reporters, vowing regulators will “ensure there is responsible mining.” Duterte—who had previously threatened to shut down the mining sector completely—has faced growing criticism over his handling of the pandemic that has thrown millions out of work. AFP

Telco firms complete interoperability tests

TELECOMMUNICATIONS Connectivity Inc. (TCI), the joint venture company of the country’s three mobile phone operators, has successfully completed the initial tests of their technical capabilities and interoperability ahead of the implementation of the number portability in September this year. The joint effort will soon allow customers the option to keep their mobile numbers permanently, even when they change network providers or switch subscriptions. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the mobile network operators said the outcome of the initial technical tests are ‘within expectations’. After the initial tests yielded positive results, the next steps will be to streamline the external porting process, implement fraud and security safeguards, optimize systems and backend business operations in time for a smoother and faster porting experience for customers by September 30, 2021. By conducting a successful actual porting test, Dito Telecommunity Corp., Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. secured initial insights and details on how to address remaining concerns and possible challenges, before making the service available to all customers. Darwin G. Amojelar

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

PVL launches inaugural pro meet today Games today

(Ilocos Norte) 1 p.m. – Chery Tiggo vs PLDT 3 p.m. – Perlas vs Cignal 7 p.m. – Creamline vs Sta. Lucia

Blackwater’s KG Canaleta drives against Alaska’s Yousef Taha.

PH drawn in ‘light’ group of Asian Senior Volleyball tilt THE Philippines was drawn in Pool A in the 21st Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship which the country is hosting from August 29 to September 4. The virtual draw was held at the Asian Volleyball Confederation office in Bangkok on Friday. This developed as the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved on Thursday the request of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation to host the Asian championships in Clark, Pampanga and Subic. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Friday that the country’s hosting of the tournament will be subject to strict compliance with health and safety protocols. “We would like to thank the IATF and Malacañang for approving our request,” PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara said, also citing the support of the Philippine Sports Commission and Rebisco and the Bases Conversion Development Authority headed by President and CEO Secretary Vince Dizon. It was a favorable draw for the Filipinos, which is eyeing a top four finish in the continental tournament. Making a comeback after missing the 2019 edition in Seoul, the Philippines found itself in a relatively light group with Chinese-Taipei, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Thailand and South Korea, podium finishers in the last two tournaments, are bracketed in Pool B, along with Iran and Australia. Japan, which ruled the 2017 Biñan and 2019 Seoul editions, withdrew from this year’s competition. The tournament also serves as part of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship which the Netherlands and Poland are co-hosting, with the top two teams advancing.

Aces clobber Bossing in lopsided PBA opener By Arman Carandang

Games today

LASKA relied on a big third-quarter assault as it blasted Blackwater Bossing, 103-77, in a Friday afternoon massacre highlighting the opening of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.

The Aces spent the first two quarters trying to size up the seemingly-game Bossing (formerly Elite), before they caught fire in the third period, where they exploded for 32 points. Alaska’s top three scorers for the day— Mike DiGregorio, Yousif Taha and Abu Tratter—combined for 21 points during that third quarter assault which gave the Aces a 71-57 lead. The Aces then sustained the heat all the way to the fourth period and never gave the Bossing any room for a comeback as they opened up their campaign in the kickoff tournament of the league that has been on a roller-coaster ride for six months since its bubble tournament in Angeles City. It was a close game though all the way between NLEX and Rain or Shine, with the latter needing to take extra care of the ball in

the stretch to escape with an 83-82 win later in the afternoon. Protecting a scary 83-79 lead with 31 seconds, the Elasto Painters saw the Road Warriors threaten at 82-83 after Kiefer Ravena knocked in a long three-pointer with 19 seconds left. The Road Warriors even forced them (Elasto Painters) to a couple of turnovers, but were lucky enough to preserve their hairline lead after Anthony Semerad bungled a short jumper in the face of a tight ROS defense. The Bossing though played without big men Carl Bryan Cruz and Frank Golla—probably the reason why the Aces were able to dominate the rebound department, 66-46. Cruz missed the game as he has yet to recover from a torn meniscus injury that has actually kept him out of the bubble last year, while Golla is nursing a strained injury. Without Cruz and Golla, the Bossing

(Ynares Arena, Pasig City) 2 p.m. – TNT Tropang Giga vs. Terrafirma 4:35 p.m. -- Magnolia vs. Phoenix

fared miserably inside, unable to cope with the aggressive play of the Aces, who scored heavily in the paint, 48-26. Blackwater coach Nash Racela clearly saw the big difference in the game. “Nagsimula nu’ng binugbog na kami sa loob. Kulang kami sa malaki,” said Racela, who could not say when Cruz and Golla would return to action. The Aces also had excellent ball movement all gamelong as manifested by the 28 assists they made against Blackwater’s 16. Digregorio finished with 20 points built around four triples, Taha tallied 16 points and seven rebounds, while Tratter added 13 points and six rebounds as the Aces made what will go down as the most lopsided season-opening game in the PBA in 22 years, or since Mobiline routed Tanduay (Asi Taulava’s pro debut) 90-64 in 1999 All-Filipino Cup. League Commissioner Willie Marcial expressed elation over the turnout of events, uttering words of thanks after the league finally got going once again even when the pandemic isn’t totally over.

THE Premier Volleyball League finally gets to unveil its inaugural pro staging stalled for quite some time due to the global health crisis with three explosive matches kicking off hostilities in the Open Conference today (Saturday) at the PCV Socio-Civic Cultural Center in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Creamline, the winningest team with three championships in the last four conferences before play in the then semi-pro league was halted due to pandemic last year, parades its starstudded crew against a Sta. Lucia side out to make an immediate impact following its transfer from Superliga. Bannered by crowd darlings Alyssa Valdez, Michele Gumabao and Jia Morado, the Cool Smashers test the Lady Realtors’ mettle in the 7 p.m. nightcap of a triple-bill that also features the Chery Tiggo-PLDT and Perlas-Cignal duels. But Sta. Lucia also boasts of a slew of the country’s top players, led by Mika Reyes, Pam Lastimosa, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Jovie Prado, guaranteeing a slam-bang action right in the first day of the five-week tournament marking the return of the sport to the mainstream as the country’s first pro volley league. The Chery Tiggo Crossovers tangle with the PLDT Home Fibr Power Hitters in the 1 p.m. opener with the former to be bannered by jaja Santiago, Gyzelle Sy, Mylene Paat, Maika Ortiz and Jasmine Nabor and the latter to anchor their campaign on the likes of Isa Molde, Rhea Dimaculangan, Nieza Viray and Toni Rose Basas. The 3 p.m. clash between the Perlas Spikers and the Cignal HD Spikers also promises to be fierce and tight with Nicole Tiamzon, Sue Roces, Michelle Morente, Jhoanna Maraguinot and Cherry Nunag raring to slug it with the likes of Rachel Daquis, Cherry Vivas, Arielle Estranero, Janine Marciano and Klarrisa Abriam. Meanwhile, the four other teams launch their respective bids tomorrow (Sunday) with the Petro Gazz Angels and the Army Lady Troopers colliding at 3 p.m. and the Bali Pure Water Defenders squaring off with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans at 6 p.m. 1st District Ilocos Norte Rep. Ria Fariñas and Gov. Matthew Manotoc are expected to grace the inaugurals along with organizing Sports Vision president Ricky Palou and league commissioner Tony Boy Liao.

Esteban stuns Cantantan, nails fencing title By Peter Atencio Maxine Esteban

ATENEO de Manila standout Maxine Esteban got back at Samantha Catantan, 11-10, in the finals of the senior women’s foil action over the weekend in the final leg of the National Open Fencing Championships in Ormoc City. The 20-year-old Esteban avenged her loss to Catantan,

8-15, in the second leg, and this allowed her to remain in contention for a slot in the national squad. A bronze medallist in the women’s team foil, Esteban fought her way in the finals with a 15-11 triumph over Wilhelmina Lozada during action that was held at the Ormoc Superdome. Earlier, CJ Concepcion ruled the men’s sabre after he disposed of Daniel Sia, 15-11. Noelito Jose Jr. took the top honors in the men’s epee after he prevailed over

Lee Ergina, 15-4. Jose earlier towed Team Bench to the team top honors with a 5-1 win over Prince Felipe. Team Bench went on to post a 45-33 beating of Canlas Fencing. Team Ormoc, behind Mickyle Bustos and Hanniel Abella, stopped University of the East-Manila, 45-38, for the women’s team epee gold. Bustos edged Andrea Matias, 7-2, while Abella drew with Jaymi de los Santos, to power Ormoc to the title.

Superal notches 2nd straight Ladies PH Golf Tour win GEN. TRIAS, Cavite—Bracing for a tight finish, Princess Superal cruised to a troublefree three-stroke victory instead, her even par 72 proving enough to dominate the field in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Ladies Classic and complete a back-to-back title feat on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour. With no one able to mount a serious challenge in calm conditions at the demanding Norman course yesterday, Superal hardly exerted any effort to press her charge after gaining a two-shot lead over Chihiro ikeda in the weather-delayed second round Thursday as Chanelle Avaricio’s rally fizzled out with a bogey on the 12th after moving to within three with birdies on Nos. 2 and 7. Ikeda pulled to within one with a birdie on the par-5 No. 5 for the third straight day but the Fil-Japanese yielded two strokes on No. 9 and bogeyed the 10th and never seriously

threatened again. Taking the cue, Superal wittingly went for a routine par-game to shun any risks that could possibly result from an attacking kind of game although she still shot down a couple of birdies on a solid tee-shot on the par-3 14th and a superb approach to within six feet on No. 16 to go unassailably ahead. Not even her closing back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 18 and 1 and Avaricio’s hot finish could derail Superal’s march to a cruising win after squeaking out a one-stroke victory over Avaricio in last week’s ICTSI Sherwood Ladies Challenge as the 2019 Ladies PGT Order of Merit winner pocketed another P112,500 after a twounder 214 total that included a 72 and 70. “I just focused on my goal to get into a certain score and didn’t mind who was making a move,” said Superal. “But I struggled with my putting at the front and missed a number of

birdie chances.” Unlike Superal, Avaricio birdied the last two holes but could only finish with a 70 for another runner-up effort in LPGT’s resumption in new normal after a three-month hiatus. The Alabama State U product ended up with 217 and received P75,000. Ikeda limped with a 75 and finished third at 219 worth P60,000 while Harmie Constantino, who foiled Superal by two at the adjacent Aoki course last March but who struggled in the first two days, rallied with a 71 to salvage fourth at 220 and took home P56,250. Arnie Taguines closed out with a 75 and ran away with the low amateur honors at 224 for solo fifth while Daniella Uy, who led in the first round of the 54-hole second leg of the six-tournament swing in Cavite and Batangas organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., wound up sixth at 228 after a horrible 80.

There’s no stopping Princess Superal, who made it twoin-a-row and three overall in the LPGT resumption.

Sunshine Baraquiel, who also stayed in early contention with an opening 72, hardly improved from a second 80 with a 78, ending up seventh at 230 while Marvi Monsalve placed eighth at 234 after a 79 and last week’s low amateur Burberry Zhang carded a 77 for ninth at 235.

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor E-mail: jdlacsamana@gmail.com

Home/Design SUSTAINABILITY MODEL AYALA North Exchange, the gateway to the Makati Central Business District, sets the pace in green design through its LEED-compliant model to minimize its carbon footprint. The mixed-use development utilizes environment-friendly systems to reduce waste generation and power consumption. “The towers were designed to create far-reaching positive impacts not only on the environment but on the local economy and community as well,” said Francis Roxas, chief operating officer of Ayala Land Offices. The towers of Ayala North Exchange have a combined gross leasable area of approximately 56,000 square meters, stands above a threelevel retail podium with 10,000 square meters of restaurants and shopping spaces. Located in one of the office towers is Seda Residences Makati, the first serviced apartment under the Seda Hotels brand.

By Joel Lacsamana

HE Philippines’ real estate industry appears to be riding on the coattails of the local economy’s gradual recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Online knowledge resource Lamudi, in its latest outlook on the residential real estate market, highlighted shifts in property demand in the first quarter (Q1) of the present year as seeker age groups explored different properties, led by Generation X, aged 35 to 44, and the ‘Boomers’, aged 65 or older. Gen X, millennials lead the way While the Q1 of the previous year saw college students and fresh graduates, aged 18 to 24, leading in terms of pageview growth for condominiums, seekers from Generation X were seen to have commanded the highest year-on-year (y-o-y) growth figures for pageviews in the said property type at 106.8%. The same age group also tallied the highest quarter-on-quarter pageviews at 6.68%. “With flexible schedules and remote work continuing to be the norm, more C-suite executives within the age group may be looking at homes closer to the office,” explained the report. Lamudi likewise revealed that the 25-34 age group—leaning closer to the millennial segment—led the demand for apartments, contributing 42.76% of all leads for that property type. Apartments also earned the largest y-o-y growth for leads by property type by 16.11%, and Lamudi attributed the uptick to “consumers’ desire for extra space without compromising the experience of living large in units smaller and more affordable than the single-detached house.” The size of apartments, Lamudi’s

PH real estate eyes opportunities as economy recovers

report noted, is especially attractive to young professionals and couples who are planning to expand their family, and wish to move in immediately. Retirees ‘most optimistic’ Meanwhile, the 65+ age bracket, also known as the ‘retiree market’, showed the ‘most optimistic’ growth figures in the same quarter. From 107.99% dip in Q1 2020, the segment’s annual pageview growth rebounded to an uptick of 80.32% in Q1 2021. The bracket also posted the highest y-o-y and quarteron-quarter growths in pageviews for houses in Q1, at 93.58% and 77.16%, respectively.

“The positive trend is indicative of an older population adjusting to the Internet of Things and growing their presence on digital platforms,” the report said. In terms of location, demand has been spotted in areas outside Metro Manila. Lamudi particularly noted Antipolo City, Rizal as the prime location of choice for house seekers and land seekers in Q1. The location garnered 24.95% of all pageviews for seekers looking for houses outside the region, plus 39.11% of leads. Properties closer to home, work in demand “The city’s abundant green space and tranquility makes it an excellent option

Zen living in the heart of Ortigas IT’S EASY to fall in love with the way of Zen, especially during these uncertain times. It is about simplicity, finding ways to meditate to cope with the chaos of everyday living. “The Japanese have a distinctive style of form, shape, and tradition, carried down through the ages,” revealed Paul Tange, chairman of Japanese architectural firm, Tange Associates. ”In our firm, we inject simplicity to provide living and working spaces for self-discovery, personal growth, and relaxation.” Stand high This type of serene living stands high in the heart of Ortigas Central Business District (CBD). With Tange Associates as its design consultant, The Grand Midori in Ortigas, developed by Federal Land Inc., features Japanese aesthetics that exhibit the “height of Zen living.” The Grand Midori Ortigas is situated in a 5,090 square meter prime property. It is a two-tower condominium that houses 908 units that will be a mix of studio, onebedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom variations. Interiors and landscape take inspiration from the Japanese concept of ‘wabi-sabi’ and ‘miyabi’ that focuses on the discovery of beauty in imperfection and expression of elegance and refinement. “When we work on design, we consider how to incorporate the individual style and personality into the architecture,” said Tange. “Of course, we prioritize comfort of the people who will use the space in all our architecture, whether residential or commercial.” Dynamic district Federal Land chose to redefine the skyline of Ortigas Center with The Grand Midori Ortigas as it sees the area as a dynamic central business district. Ortigas is accessible via major thoroughfares: there is Ortigas Avenue from the north, EDSA from the west, C-5 Road

from the east, and Shaw Boulevard from the south. The Grand Midori Ortigas is located at

for seekers looking for a relaxed pace without moving too far away from family in the metro,” the report noted. Other areas within the region, meanwhile, attracted pageviews from seekers of foreclosed properties. This is led by San Pedro City, Laguna, at 26.74%; followed by Bacoor, Cavite and Lucena, Quezon, at 20.93% each; and General Trias, Cavite, at 15.12%. “Given all the new residential, commercial, and infrastructural projects developing in Southern Luzon, the trend may be driven by seekers looking to capitalize on more affordable properties in a region ripe with

opportunities for price appreciation,” the report stressed. Hunting for less stressful surroundings Lamudi’s findings in Q1 also observed the growing preference among seekers for a home environment that promotes their health, well-being, and productivity. The top desired property feature is fitness amenities such as gyms and swimming pools, with a lead share jumping from 32.84% in Q4 2020 to 34.19% in Q1 2021. Seekers also look for reliable Internet connection, as this amenity increased from 12.57% to 18.24%.

SUBURBIA IN ROXAS CITY. CENTRUMLAND Development Corp., a member of the B&P Property Group™, recently launched Palm Glades, an exclusive 28-home neighborhood at Roxas City’s Teodorica Ave. To reside in Palm Glades means a family gets to live in American suburbia-style homes that are anywhere between 150 to 160+ sqm, and come with 2 or 3 bedrooms. A clubhouse comes with a semi-roofed pool, as well as a playground, a spacious gym, and 24/7 security features. For more information, visit www.bandppropertygroup.com.

Exchange Road corner Jade Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. It rises directly in front of Tektite Towers, a well-known office tower.

ASIA PROPERTY AWARDS ACCEPTING ENTRIES.

Nominations for the 2021 PropertyGuru Awards season ends on August 20. The grandest real estate ceremony in the region will kick off with a virtual ceremony in Indonesia on October, 14, followed by Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Chinese territories (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau). The 16th edition of the event will begin by presenting the final country awards to Sri Lanka, India, Greater Niseko, and Australia before crowning the best developers, developments, and designs in Asia Pacific. The virtual gala is set on December 9. For more information, email awards@propertyguru.com or visit the official website: AsiaPropertyAwards.com.

SPACES FOR SUCCESS. SMDC’s ICE Tower Residential-Offices (RESO) is an emblem of every entrepreneur’s success, with its sleek, modern working spaces that are comfortable yet professional: a receptionist area for residential and office use, lounge areas for business and clients, personal spaces designed to harness the use of natural light and ventilation. Fiber optic internet technology makes possible a seamless transition between being a homeowner web-surfing for leisure at night to an entrepreneur hosting an overseas client meeting from your own office during the day. Located at the MOA Complex, RESO is designed by Plus Architecture, a master planning firm based in Australia. Units range from 18.60 to 31.16 sq.m. For more information, visit https://smdc.com/properties/ice-tower/.

Tech & Gadgets

SATURDAY, JULY 17 , 2021

5 video games that boomed

during the COVID-19 pandemic released on June 2, 2020. It is a 5v5 character-based ﬁrstperson shooting game similar to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The game had almost 3 million players per day during the beta phase for 2 months. Valorant has different agents with different abilities. When starting, there will be 5 agents available for free, while the others have to be unlocked by gaining experience from playing or buying them. Currently, Valorant has 17 playable agents, while one of the 6 maps is randomly picked when queuing in a game. The game has different game modes, but its main focus is the search and destroy game similar to CS:GO, but it is a ﬁrst to win 12 rounds. In the game mode Unrated, if both teams get 12 rounds each it goes to overtime and whoever wins that round wins the game. But in Ranked mode, if it goes to overtime, one team has to win 2 consecutive rounds to be victorious. Valorant is a free game that can be downloaded from the Riot Games website and gun skins, buddies, and player cards can be bought in-game.

By John Christopher Aquino, Nijel Matthew Aquino and Jonas Ryan Nitura

LTHOUGH the pandemic has separated people due to health and safety reasons, video games gave the opportunity for them to gather virtually through various multiplayer games that helped them cope with the situation. Here are some of the ﬁve video games that gained attention and a massive player base during the pandemic.

1. Among Us (Mobile, PC)

A space-themed game developed by American game studio Innersloth, this cross-platform multiplayer game gained popularity during the start of the pandemic, two years after its initial release. Among Us gameplay revolves around four to 15 players, called crewmates—deducing who among them are the impostors, hence the title. The game ends when either the crewmates eject all impostors in the ship, or the impostors successfully kill off all other crewmates one by one or through a sabotage. The game saw its popularity rise in early 2020, attributed to the start of the lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19.

4. Genshin Impact (PC, Mobile, PS4, PS5)

Among Us

Given the social restrictions that were in place, Among Us allowed players around the world to interact with each other, with YouTubers and Twitch streamers even collaborating through a series of games. The game set a record 438.5-thousand player count on Steam last September, 2020. It can be downloaded for free on the Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS, while the PC version is for P160 (USD4) on Steam.

This multiplayer action role-playing game developed and released by China-based miHoYo in 2020 is currently on the top charts of mobile app stores and was even considered one of the highestgrossing games worldwide last year. Featuring the open-world of Teyvat, Genshin Impact takes its players, called Travelers, on an adventure around the world to ﬁnd their missing sibling. The game features story quests and daily missions and is being updated to include future storylines. Players are then given characters with elemental powers to aid them through their journey, with the elements being a key gameplay feature.

2. Apex Legends (PC, Console)

A spin to the battle royale genre, Respawn Entertainment spiced up the battleﬁeld combining elements of a hero shooter to the chaotic all-out warfare of the battle royale with Apex Legends. Released back in early 2019, its integration to the Steam platform last year brought more players to the game, garnering 100,000 to 200,000 players daily on Steam alone. The game revolves around outlasting other teams of 3 in one gunﬁght after another as you explore the map for upgrades and weapons to get you through a match. A typical match starts with over 20 squads with 3 players each, the last squad to survive wins the game. Each match could play out differently as squads can consist of combinations of hero combos from a pool of 17 selectable characters and with 26 guns with multiple attachments scattered around each of the 3 arenas. Apex Legends can be downloaded for free on Steam and Origin with available in-game purchases as you can purchase characters and cosmetics.

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact takes its popularity from its evergrowing story, anime-esque art style, and its gacha system, wherein players can use earned currency called “primogems” (or even real-world currency) to pull for stronger characters and equipment. The game also features certain multiplayer events, using its built-in “co-op” system. The game can be downloaded for free on the ofﬁcial Genshin Impact website for PC and the Play Store and App Store for Android and iOS, respectively.

5. Phasmophobia (PC)

An indie game that seemingly came out of nowhere, Phasmophobia puts you and your friends in the shoes of a Riot Games ﬁrst teased Valorant as “Project group of ghost hunters as you visit ghastly environments A” last October 2019 and ultimately revealed its and levels such as an abandoned school, a haunted suburban current title during the beta phase. It was ofﬁcially home, or a prison.

3. VALORANT (PC)

Apex Legends

CitizenWatch: LGUs need digital connectivity CONSUMER advocate CitizenWatch Philippines urged business groups to help local governments with digital solutions to strengthen ongoing COVID-19 response and vaccination deployment amidst the prevailing high rate of infections. In a recent statement, CitizenWatch Convenor, Atty. Tim Abejo said: “Ongoing COVID-19 responses and vaccination deployment in LGUs need to be empowered with the capability to harness digital technologies and fast connectivity to avoid leakages and delays.” Abejo pointed out that, “Government data shows that daily infections hovering at 5,000 a day show that the COVID 19 virus is still spreading at an alarming rate. Sustained communication, accurate data gathering, and monitoring of vaccination data will be useful not just for implementation but will be a valuable reference for any unforeseen permutations of the virus.” “A practicable and very doable example is the Free Wiﬁ initiative deployed by the local government of Mandaluyong in cooperation with Globe to support daily information and communication for its vaccination operations and ongoing COVID-19 response. We strongly encourage more private sector interventions that would help hasten population herd immunity that we need to achieve as soon as possible to reverse the trajectory of this deep economic crisis,” Abejo said. Carmelita "Menchie" Abalos, Mayor of Mandaluyong City, said, "Alam natin kung gaano kahirap at ka-importante ang communication at this time. Every day, we need to reach out one by one to 10,000 Mandalenyos to inform them of their vaccination schedule, but Globe's AMBER facilities help us make a better and smoother coordination for our MandaVax program." Last year, GoWiFi hotspots were also installed at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), Mandaluyong Public Markets 1 & 2, and Puregold Price Club-Shaw. Peter Maquera, Senior Vice President of Globe Business for his part, said, “With digital solutions proven to be critical to overcome the challenges of the pandemic going into the new normal, I'm happy to share that Globe will be supporting the city with Globe GoWiFi and AMBER, technologies that we hope will improve emergencypreparedness and manage the safety of Mandalenyos.”

LG goes beyond boundaries with new monitor line OVER the past year, working from home has gone from the exception to the norm. The convenience of foregoing hours stuck in trafﬁc, as well as being safe from the pandemic, directly translates to increased happiness, efﬁciency, and productivity. Consumers were quick to transition at home. However, not all setups were conducive as a workspace. One of the biggest issues that arose was the requirement for proper computer monitors. One of the segments that grew the most over the past year has been monitors. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), in the 4th quarter of 2020, the monitor market grew 16.9% year over year with shipments surpassing 39.2 million units worldwide. LG Electronics, always at the forefront of innovation, has seen this surge and developed new line of monitors that improve upon existing technology in order to help

users even more. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer, a budding streamer, or just working from home, LG has a monitor that’s perfect for you. They provide a wide variety of improved features from breathtaking colors, fast response time, to clearer images to enhance customer’s experience. To introduce the new line of monitors to the local market, LG Electronics Philippines hosted the LG Monitors: Performance Beyond Boundaries livestream event on their social media channel to showcase what the new displays are all about. This was hosted by LG brand ambassador Luis Manzano and featured several other inﬂuencers who have had experienced the new line of monitors, namely actor and director Joross Gamboa, photographer Magic Liwanag, and gamer, cosplayer, and content creator Myrtle Sarrosa.

LG's premium line of monitors immerse you in everything from content creation to gaming

Joross Gamboa admired the versatility of the LG UltraWide™. “LG monitors give you the ﬂexibility to adapt to situations as

it happens. Whether it’s for work or for leisure, LG UltraWide™ will get the job done for you.”

Sellers of e-cigars, tobacco products told to pay taxes

Local logistics firm adopts digital tech MOST logistics companies planned on digitizing their operations before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the implementation was at a snail's pace. The coronavirus emergency exposed the fragility of the existing supply chain systems. Fortunately, the pandemic is doing an excellent job of accelerating the digitization of the industry. "COVID-19 sped up the rollout of the digitization plans," said Beth M. Umali, chief operating ofﬁcer at Le Soleil International Logistics Company. She added Le Soleil spent the last year under strict lockdown conditions to reinvent itself and adopt digital technologies to modify its business model and provide new revenue and valueproducing opportunities. Over the past months, the company tapped the expertise of Shiptek Solutions Corporation to access its plethora of modern solutions for its digital transformation. Shiptek is the creator of the shipping and logistics digital platform called XLOG, an end-toend solution for industry players across the globe. Le Soleil's rebranding and digital push immediately saw a positive impact on the company with marked improvement in data collection, which is often done manually and prone to human error

LG UltraWide™ monitors lets you immerse in everything from content creation to gaming. See a panoramic view made possible by the extra wide 21:9 IPS display for true color accuracy at wide angles. Experience easier multitasking, quickly switch between applications and enjoy a full, unencumbered view. It offers 33% more screen space than a regular 16:9 aspect ratio. Stop Alt-tabbing and start viewing side-by-side. HDR10 brings work and virtual worlds to life, backed by up to 350 nits of brightness. This display tech elevates textures, elements, character movements and natural light and shadow. The 3-side virtually borderless design with slim bezels will give you a wider view of your screen. For gaming, it has an AMD FreeSync technology eliminates the tearing difference between the graphics card’s frame rate and monitor’s refresh rate.

and delays, is now fully automated. The digitization also expedited the company's logistics processes, strategies, and systems. Technology created opportunities for Le Soleil and saved money on operating systems, accurate order fulfillment and lost productivity. Enhanced efficiency Umali also an increased efficiency since adopting the XLOG systems. "Our customer satisfaction has never been this great! XLOG greatly enhanced our performance, not only with our customers but even with our suppliers," she added. Shiptek Chief Operating Officer Jose Emmanuel Ynion said, "We envisioned XLOG to provide the digitization solutions for the logistics industry, which is very slow in coming because of the amount of investment required." Conservative estimates to digitize a logistics firm at P5 million, excluding the software maintenance.

BUREAU of Internal Revenue Regional Director for Manila Je- nies doing business in the country to duly register your company thro Sabarriaga has vowed to go after delinquent business estab- and products with the BIR,” the Director said. “And for those who lishments that failed to pay their taxes properly, reminding them continue to be non-compliant on the payment of proper taxes, the of their duty as responsible corporate citizens after a series of raids BIR will clamp down on you.” “Let us all help the government raise revenues especially duron establishments selling thousands of unregistered e-cigarettes ing these trying times. Let us all do our share and pay the proper and heated tobacco products. “While the BIR fully supports and encourages all lawful conduct taxes,” Sabarriaga stressed, noting that the Department of Finance of business in the country, the agency must also ensure that all per- still continues to work towards reaching its P297.8 billion excise sons fulfill their duty to pay taxes,” Sabarriaga said after a raid re- tax collection target for 2021. Records from the BIR show that two years after the passage of cently conducted by the BIR-Manila in various malls revealed that Republic Act 11346, which imposed exsome vapor and electronic-cigarette cise taxes on Vapor Products and Heated products being sold are not registered Tobacco Products; the three distributors with the tax-collecting agency. are still not paying excise taxes. Upon On 1 July, the Regional Investigainternal verification, the BIR National tion Division with the assistance of Office confirmed these goods as nonthe Legal Division, conducted Tax tax paid, and their respective distribuCompliance Verification Drive optors as not duly registered with the BIR erations and seized thousands of Relx Excise Tax division. and Snowplus++ heated tobacco and As of August 2020, the Departvape products sold in several estabment of Finance’s “sin” tax collections lishments particularly in major shopreached P140.1 billion. Despite higher ping malls such as Robinsons Place tax collections in 2020, rising illicit Manila, Robinsons Otis, Robinsons trade and production halt at the height Metro East Pasig, Met Live Macapagal of the COVID-19 lockdown had reand Shopwise Makati. sulted in low yields from Vapor Products “We appeal to all Vapor Product and Heated Tobacco Products. and Heated Tobacco Product compaPhoto from BIR

Ramon L. Tomeldan Editor

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

Motoring

Hyundai Elantra N in world debut

YUNDAI Motor Company’s highperformance N brand gas rolled out its Elantra N (sold as Avante N in Korea) in a digital world premiere (https://www.youtube.com/ hyundainworldwide). The hot sedan completes the N brand lineup of ‘everyday sports cars.’

FAST FACTS * 2.0L turbo flat power engine 8-speed wet DCT = 280 hp Top speed of 250 km/h 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds

Elantra N is a high-performance variant of the All New Elantra, released in April 2020. It adds strong, dynamic driving capability and aggressive design elements on top of the sporty standard model. In a video released today, Hyundai Motor’s N brand provides details of over 40 N elements applied to Elantra N through a story about a boy falling in love with cars, and visually reveals the excellence of this everyday sports car, which has been tuned precisely to enhance driving performance. At the end of the video, N brand teases that it will participate in another endurance race with a car that combines a hydrogen fuel cell and an electric battery. “Pairing hydrogen and battery power could open up very interesting future options for Hyundai in motorsports and beyond,” said Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Head of booster. We have the technology avail- driving enthusiasts from street to circuit Elantra N is powered by a 2.0-liter Customer Experience Division at Hyun- able and I am quite confident that we turbo flat power engine with a 52-mm dai Motor Company. “Hydrogen can will make this happen.” First high-performance N sedan takes turbine wheel, which is 5 mm larger in be used as a range extender or a power

diameter than before, and a 12.5-mm2 turbine passage with an area increased by 2.5 mm2. These enhancements, along with the optimization of the shape

WEEKEND WANDER

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Changan lets loose a troika of autos to take for a spin THE new kid in the motoring block, Changan Philippines is bringing its mission of delivering “Lasting Safety “closer to more Filipinos with its “Kailangan, Changan” weekend market car fair and test drive. Customers interested in taking a

closer look at the Alsvin, CS35 Plus, and CS75 Plus can now watch out for their market display at Landers Arcovia from July 15 to August 15, 2021. Test drive, Landers vouchers and other freebies await customers. Apart from showcasing its prime car offerings, the "Kailangan, Changan" weekend market car

fair and test drive encourages customers to look beyond the usual facets of choosing cars and prioritize safety and practicality for a wise investment. In Chinese, Changan means Lasting Safety. It is in the Changan brand’s DNA to ensure the safety of its customers from the moment they start up the engine. This is apparent with the bevy of safety features that come standard across its lineup. Wherever you go, you are sure to breathe in fresh air, thanks to its N95 Grade-Filter that ensures only clean and fresh air comes into the cabin. Changing lanes, merging into traffic, backing up in tight spaces or moving off on a hill can be challenging but worry no more because your Blind Spot Camera, Reverse Camera and Hill Hold Control has got your back. Not only that, standard in every Changan vehicle are Dual Front Airbags, Electronic Stability Program and Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Proving that safety of car owners is a top priority, Changan Philippines also provides free towing and roadside assistance roundthe-clock through the Changan Pace-Setter service. All customers have to do is to dial the Changan Hotline 24/7 at 02-8459 4767 wherever they are, whenever they need it. Kailangan, Practical.

and material of the cylinder lock, improve both the performance and durability of the engine. As a result, the flat power technology maintains the maximum output from about 5,500 rpm for brisk acceleration. Elantra N’s spirited performance is further supported by N Corner Carving Differential (e-LSD, electronic Limited Slip Differential), Variable Exhaust Valve System and Launch Control—all of which are specialized, high-performance features that are applied as standard. For DCT models, N Grin Shift (NGS), N Power Shift (NPS) and N Track Sense Shift (NTS) are provided as standard features to maximize driving pleasure. To shine in the corners, Elantra N provides robust braking performance. The 360-mm brake discs are equipped with high-friction material pads to ensure best-in-class braking performance for high-performance vehicles. Furthermore, a cooling hole is applied to the dust cover along with a brake air guide structure to improve cooling efficiency and the area is also optimized to vent heat from braking friction. Attention has been paid to every detail so that consistent braking force can be maintained even in harsh driving conditions. For the first time ever in a Hyundai, Elantra N applies an integrated drive axle (IDA), inspired by technology used in WRC rally cars. By integrating drive shaft, wheel hub and bearing, weight reduction of 1.7 kg enables a ‘lighter and stronger’ car. This is also beneficial in terms of withstanding extreme lateral g-force.

FASTLANE GR Yaris previews online

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THE Toyota Gazoo Racing thrill never stops. Following the teaser by Toyota Motor Philippines President Atsuhiro Okamoto during the kick-off weekend of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup, Toyota Motor Philippines will have its digital preview of its most anticipated hatchback today at 6 p.m.. TMP invites eveGR YARIS, the real thing, retails at P2.65m. ryone to have a sneak preview of the heartracing excitement on July 17, 2021 body the essence of Toyota’s global through the official Toyota Motor motorsports brand – passion, perPhilippines and Toyota Gazoo Rac- formance, and racing experience. ing PH Facebook pages. There will The GR Yaris retails at P2.65 m, and be fun games and announcements, features 1.6L Turbocharged Inline-3 with exclusive Toyota Gazoo Racing engine with 257HP max output and a GR Four FWD system. Initial units items up for grabs. Developed under Toyota Gazoo will be released to customers with Racing, the GR Yaris is built to em- confirmed reservations next month.

Hyundai CV opens new Cebu showroom By Othel V. Campos EMBARKING on a southern expansion, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. , the official distributor of Hyundai commercial vehicles in the country, launched on Thursday another commercial vehicle showroom in Cebu - the Hyundai Trucks and Buses Cebu. Owned and operated by one of HARI’s pioneer dealers, Hyundai Cebu, Inc. (HCI), the new showroom was inaugurated through a new virtual launch concept known as the Hyundai Trucks and Buses News, newscast-inspired format adopted by the car company to manage hybrid event launches. The new showroom, highlights Hyundai’s strong commitment to expand their commercial vehicle business in the Visayas region, the car company continues to take strides toward shaping a progressive society, and how Hyundai makes a meaningful impact to their partners in various businesses, industries, and in the community that the brand actively participates in. Hyundai Trucks and Buses Cebu showcased their refreshed 3S - sales, service, spare parts - dealership facility inspired by Hyundai’s Global Dealership Space Identity (GDSI). The facility is a 2,000-square meter elegant space that houses a robust line-up of Hyundai trucks and buses, provides superior service and maintenance, and supports the customer

with their dependable team of professionals ready to respond to their needs in areas of sales, service, and customer care. Through this new milestone, Hyundai Trucks and Buses Cebu aims to continue helping enterprising Filipinos in moving their businesses further into more progressive ventures. “Helping you advance your business toward the outcomes that you aim for is

paramount to our mission in growing a fruitful partnership with you,” said Edward Vincent G. Onglatco, President of Hyundai Trucks and Buses Cebu. “You can trust that we shall treat your business in the best way we know how—by keeping your best interests at heart and delivering on our promise of

partnership and service the Cebuano way…with integrity, care, and commitment,” he added. Presidential Assistant to the Visayas Secretary Michael Lloyd L. Dino acknowledged HARI’s and HCI’s continuing contribution to the country’s economy, emphasizing that the assistance HARI has contributed to helping the economy move on from the pandemic.

“As we move forward along the path to economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we look into the future with optimism and relief that we have partners such as HARI and HCI that will uplift Visayas economy, ensuring our continued growth and sustained development in the region,” he said.

PIT STOP at Cleanfuel station, on your way to the sandy beaches of Zambales.

Cleanfuel expands in ‘Gapo AS THE Philippine economy is steadily making its rebound, Cleanfuel—the leading independent oil player in the country—makes sure that it is covering key locations to further help Filipinos with their fuel needs. Recently, the company—known to provide “Quality Fuel for Less”— inaugurated its newest station in one of the fastest growing cities in Central Luzon: Olongapo City. According to Cleanfuel President Jesus “Bong” Suntay, the opening of Cleanfuel Olongapo is designed to cater to motorists within the Subic economic growth area and which is also the gateway to the sandy beaches of Zambales. “Getting access to affordable products is one way to stimulate growth anywhere in the country and we at Cleanfuel strongly believe in this,” Suntay said. “Rest assured that aside

from providing ‘Quality Fuel for Less’, we will continue to be every city’s constant partner and advocate for progress.” Situated along the National Highway in Barangay Barretto, Olongapo City, Zambales, Cleanfuel Olongapo is strategically-placed along the busiest stretch that interlinks Olongapo and Zambales province. The newest establishment will be beneficial to the transport and logistics arm of various manufacturers and other businesses thriving within the area. Moreover, tourism is also seen to be enjoyed by many, as Cleanfuel Olongapo—just like every Cleanfuel station—offers quality fuels at very affordable price, which essentially means more miles at a fraction of the cost. As such, customers can expect top-notch fuel products such as Clean 91, Premium 95, and high grade diesel.