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GRANULAR LOCKDOWN PILOT-TESTING SET; STAY-HOME LIFTED FOR GCQ tests "granular lockdowns” in a bid to rein in COVID-19 cases and revive the economy, an official said Monday. More than 13 million people in the National Capital Region—the country's ecoTHE government will lift a stay-at-home nomic heartland—have been in lockdown order in Metro Manila this week as it pilot since Aug. 6 amid record infections fueled

By Willie Casas, Othel V. Campos, Macon RamosAraneta and Maricel V. Cruz

by the hyper-contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. The move to ease restrictions from Wednesday comes after nationwide daily cases exceeded 20,000 for the past three days—double the number at the start of Next page

GRANULAR LOCKDOWN LEVELS Alert Level 4—No one would be Alert Level 2—Only 50 percent of allowed to go out of their homes ex- residents would be allowed to go out. cept health care workers. Alert Level 1—The least restricAlert Level 3—Only 30 percent of tion under the new normal. residents would be allowed to go out. Source: DILG Secretary Eduardo Año

NCR in ‘highest alert’ level Except in Manila, MM hospitals 70% occupied, critical risk for COVID

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

HE entire National Capital Region, except the city of Manila, is under the highest alert level for the coronavirus due to a spike in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the Department of Health said Monday.

With the Delta variant of the coro- tary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the navirus being detected across all region is on Alert Level 4—meaning Metro Manila, Health UndersecreNext page

VOL. XXXV • NO. 204 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

COVID WARD.

Suspected COVID-19 patients rest in a parking lot turned into a COVID ward outside a hospital in Binan town, Laguna on September 6, 2021, with record infections fuelled by the hyper-contagious Delta variant. Maria Tan / AFP

DOH justifies abolition of 10-nation travel ban, sets controls

2,103,331 22,415

159,633

34,337

103

1,909,361 20,109 (As of 4 PM, SEPTEMBER 6)

PDP-Laban set to name official bets By Maricel V. Cruz THE faction of the ruling party's PDP-Laban led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi will hold its national convention on Sept. 8, where members are expected to vote on its official slate for the May 9, 2022 national elections. In a notice sent to the media on Monday, PDP-Laban Secretary General Melvin Matibag said the national convention venue had been changed to comply with quarantine guidelines. “The National Assembly shall nominate and proclaim the party’s official candidates in the coming national election during the scheduled national convention,” Matibag said. The PDP-Laban has endorsed the tandem of Senator Christopher Go – Next page

THE Department of Health (DOH) on remain in place. Monday defended the decision to lift the The travel restrictions on India, Pakistan, restrictions on people traveling from 10 Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the United countries, saying border control measures Arab Emirates, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia,

and Indonesia were lifted on Monday after In an online briefing, Health President Rodrigo Duterte approved the Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said recommendation of the COVID-19 task the COVID-19 situation has improved in force over the weekend. Next page

Duterte open to face-to-face class testing By Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte might allow a proposed pilot test for in-person classes in some 120 schools, Malacañang said on Monday – and the Department of Education already has an idea how to roll it out. Meanwhile, almost 18 million students, or 68.5 percent of last year's enrollees, have enlisted a week before academic year 20212022 for public schools, DepEd said. If approved by the President and local governments, parents must consent to students' participation, said Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan. Next page

TIME TO PAY. As the nation marks the National Teachers’ Month, militant teachers stage a protest at the Department of Education to demand the immediate release of public school teachers’ overtime pay for the extra services they have rendered for 87 days, a claim which the DepEd has refused to honor.

‘Jolina’ gains pace, threatens Samar By Rio N. Araja TROPICAL depression “Jolina” intensified into a tropical storm on Monday afternoon. At 4 p.m. yesterday, “Jolina” was estimated at 95 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar with 75 kph winds that could gust up to 90 kph. It was moving west northwest at 20 kph. Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 2 was raised over Eastern Samar, the eastern portion of Northern Samar, and the northeastern portion of Samar. Signal 1 was also raised in the eastern

portion of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Biliran, the eastern portion of Leyte, the eastern portion of Southern Leyte, the rest of Samar, the rest of Northern Samar, Dinagat Islands, Siargao Islands, and Bucas Grande Islands. “Jolina” is forecast to make landfall over the north-central Luzon area by Thursday morning. It is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Friday morning. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

WEATHER

REGISTERED.

Two young women display their thumb marks as proof they have completed the process of voter's registration at the COMELEC office in Manila on Monday Sept. 6, the first day of resumption of voters' registration. The poll body approved the voter registration from 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. in areas under MECQ starting September 6, 2021. Norman Cruz

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

15m fully vaccinated—Palace Authorities have administered 35,838,964 COVID-19 shots, of which around 20.8 million were first jabs, said Palace spokesman Harry Roque. At least 15,044,354 people have been fully immunized so far, he said in a press

briefing. Government aims to vaccinate up to 70 million people before the year ends to achieve herd immunity and safely reopen the economy. Meanwhile, private medical cold

chain firm Pharmaserv Express Inc. gave assurances Monday no COVID-19 vaccine was wasted since the inoculation’s rollout earlier this year. The firm made the statement after a Health department official mentioned during a Congressional hearing that 4,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been wasted but stressed that the “figure is still relatively low." “As the national logistics partner of the Department of Health, Pharmaserv Express has ensured that no COVID-19 vaccine has been wasted from storage to careful packing and distribution to LGUs since April 2021,” Pharmaserv President

NCR...

added. High-risk areas included the NCR, Calabarzon, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Northern Mindanao, Ilocos Region, Davao Region, Caraga, Western Visayas, and Soccsksargen. The majority or 95 percent of provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities remain flagged under alert levels 3 and 4, Vergeire said. All areas in the NCR have a positive two-week growth rate and a high-risk average daily attack rate, she added. Only the city of Manila is not under alert level 4, which means an area has been classified as moderate to critical risk and has a health care utilization rate (HCUR) higher than 70 percent. Metro Manila’s average daily reported cases stood at 4,974 between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5, up from 4,400 cases a week before, based on DOH data. There were 103 new deaths Monday, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 34,337. The Department of Health said 20,109 patients recently recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,909,361. The country conducted 73,264 tests, with a positivity rate of 28.8 percent, far from the international Nationwide, 76 percent of the ICU beds, 66 percent of the isolation beds, 72 percent of the ward beds, and 57 percent of the ventilators, were in use. In Metro Manila, 73 percent of the ICU beds, 63 percent of the isolation beds, 74 percent of the ward beds, and 63 percent of the ventilators, were in use. The increase in cases has affected the supply of oxygen, mechanical ventilators, and medicines, said Dr. Jose Rene de Grano, president of the Private Hospitals Associa-

tion of the Philippines (PHAPi). Some hospitals in Regions 3 and 4, aside from Metro Manila, have also reached full capacity, he said. De Grano said many health care workers have also contracted COVID-19. PHAPi advised those with moderate and asymptomatic COVID-19 to go to isolation facilities or undergo home care with teleconsultations with doctors unless the case is an emergency. The Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City said its COVID-dedicated beds are already 96 percent occupied. This means out of the 164 COVIDdedicated beds at LCP, 157 are already occupied. The hospital's occupancy rate at the intensive care unit is already at 97 percent. Some patients at Ospital ng Imus in Cavite were being treated while they are inside their vehicles or even in public tricycles as the hospital's COVID-19 emergency room (ER) and ward are already full. The hospital has temporarily stopped accepting patients with COVID-19. Thirty of the hospital's personnel were still in quarantine after they tested positive for COVID-19. Other hospitals have also reported they have reached full capacity. The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City said its COVID-19 dedicated beds and intensive care unit are already full. Patients waiting for the results of their COVID-19 tests are in the ER together with non-COVID patients. The NKTI said they are also transferring some patients to other hospitals. The hospital said its dialysis schedule is already full, as well as slots for modular he-

modialysis. NKTI executive director Dr. Rose Liquete said they lack nurses. The hospital advised non-COVID patients to undergo online consultation with doctors first before going to hospitals. It also advised COVID-19 patients to coordinate first with their local government units and the One Hospital Command Center as to which hospital or facility they could go to. NKTI said their supply of tocilizumab which is used to treat COVID-19 ran out the past three days. At the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, the supply of remdesivir was running low. “This is the longest period of time that we see that the number of [COVID-19] cases arriving at the hospital is not going down. We are already starting to feel the [lack of supply] of remdesivir as it is out of stock, although we could still find some with much effort,” Dr. Rontgene Solante, infectious disease specialist at San Lazaro Hospital, said. The DOH supported the implementation of strict granular lockdowns and to shorten the interval between detection and isolation, enforce compliance to the minimum public health standards, and ramp up vaccination efforts to protect the vulnerable population to address the surge in cases. The department on Monday recorded 279 new Delta variant carriers, including five in the Bangsamoro, confirming that all regions in the Philippines are now infected with the more virulent COVID-19 strain. A total of 367 samples submitted by 60 laboratories, collecting institutions, and different Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Units (RESU) were sequenced. Of the additional 279 Delta variant cases, 245 are local cases, 21 are returning overseas Filipinos, and 13 were being verified.

rants will be allowed to accept diners and beauty salons permitted to operate -- albeit at reduced capacity. Limited numbers of faithful will be allowed to attend in-person church services. President Rodrigo Duterte said recently the country could not afford more lockdowns, after previous measures shattered the economy, left millions out of work, and sank the government deeper into debt. But with only about 19 percent of the targeted population fully vaccinated and hospitals filling up fast, authorities have had few options to slow the spread of the virus. The country's infection caseload has passed 2 million, with over 34,000 deaths. The granular lockdown set to be pilottested starting Wednesday in several areas in Metro Manila will have four levels that determine the activities allowed. In an interview Sunday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said the pilot testing would be carried out until Sept. 30 and assessed every two weeks. Only certain areas such as barangays,

streets or subdivisions identified as high risk for the coronavirus would be placed under a granular lockdown, unlike community quarantines declared for an entire region or province, he added. The strictest is Alert Level 4 where no one would be allowed to go out of their homes except health care workers. Under Alert Level 3, only 30 percent of residents would be allowed to go out and 50 percent under Level 2, Año said. Alert Level 1 would have the least restriction under the new normal. It was unclear how these restrictions would be enforced. Some local government units in the NCR have already implemented granular lockdowns in their respective areas. Based on police data, there are 51 barangays in Metro Manila currently under a granular lockdown. From Aug. 6 to 20, Metro Manila was placed under the strictest enhanced community quarantine amid the rise in cases of the highly infectious Delta coronavirus variant. Metro Manila will go down to a GCQ from Sept. 8 until the end of the month, while 10 other areas in the country will

be under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) during the same period, Malacañang said on Monday. The government earlier said agencies have agreed to replace region- or province-wide quarantine restrictions with localized lockdowns that may be limited to certain houses, streets, or villages. Authorized persons outside their residence (APORs) will be allowed to leave areas under granular lockdown but will not be permitted to return while restrictions are in effect, Roque said. "It will be literally a complete lockdown if you are subject to granular lockdown," he said. The national and local governments will provide food aid to residents under granular lockdowns, Roque added. The Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 will release other granular lockdown guidelines that considered inputs from mayors later Monday or on Tuesday, Roque said. “We will look at whether or not these intensified localized, granular lockdowns will be more effective,” he said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

as part of the distance learning system or blended learning. The Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 has agreed "in principle" with the proposed limited face-to-face classes, which a "small group" of officials will present to Duterte, said spokesman Harry Roque. “The initial reaction of the President is if it's really a pilot and will be held in areas with few COVID-19 cases, he may allow it. But it should first be in pilot areas with low cases,” he said. The conduct of face-to-face classes has "ceased to be a purely education issue," Roque said. "It is a multi-disciplinary issue now involving the health department" because of impact on children's mental well-being and their socialization skills, he said. Government is also treating it as an "economic problem because we are dealing with a generation that could possibly be lost" as a result of hybrid learning, added Roque. The 17.9 million enrolled students represent about 68.5 percent of 26.2 million enrollees last year when the country started holding distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Malaluan. The Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia that has yet to hold in-person classes for basic education, even on a limited scale to supplement distance-learning modalities, officials earlier noted. Duterte has twice rejected a pilot test for face-to-face classes, the latest in February, because the COVID-19 vaccination drive had yet to be launched then. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

PDP-Laban...

Last month, OCTA Research released results of presidential and vice presidential polls topped by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, respectively. OCTA Research fellow Ranjit Rye explained that the group had two separate research components, one is its COVID-related research and the other one is its public opinion research. At the same time, he said the work done by the group was purely voluntary. "Sir, we are a research group which has two research components, one is dealing with COVID research, the other is dealing with public opinion research. In our public opinion research, we have been providing the public the outputs of our surveys since January of this year. There's no problem with that," Rye said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

By Joel E. Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz

HE Philippines has at least 15 million people fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Malacañang said on Monday, as the country battled a surge in infections linked to the contagious Delta coronavirus variant.

From A1

local hospitals have more than 70 percent of their bed capacity occupied, and the area is under moderate to critical risk for COVID-19. This developed as the Philippines logged a record-breaking high of 22,415 new COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the total number of infections to 2,103,331. The tally overtook the 22,366 new cases logged on Aug. 30, and pushed active cases up to 159,633, the highest since April 13, when there were 165,534 active cases. The DOH said the country remained a high-risk area for COVID-19, as cases are expected to climb further in the coming weeks. The Philippines had a 32-percent growth in cases in the past two weeks, compared to 72 percent in the previous monitoring. In an online briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country also posted an average daily attack rate of 15.79 cases per 100,000 population for the period Aug. 23 to Sept. 5, up from 11.96 cases during the period Aug. 9 to 22. The Philippines averaged 18,292 daily reported cases from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, compared to 16,513 cases from Aug. 23 to 29. "Nationally and some regions show a slowing down in the increase in the number of cases. However, the national case classification and health systems capacity remains at high risk," Vergeire said. “Cases may still continue to increase in the next few weeks due to higher transmissibility of the Delta variant of concern,” she

Granular... From A1

the latest lockdown—straining hospitals as they grapple with a shortage of nurses. "Localized lockdowns will be piloted in Metro Manila," said presidential spokesman Harry Roque, explaining that a household, building or street could be targeted. “It will be literally a complete lockdown if you are subject to granular lockdown -- even the food will be delivered to you." There were no further details about how the more targeted measures would be enforced, but Roque said except for areas under a granular lockdown, Metro Manila would be under a general community quarantine (GCQ), the second loosest lockdown level. The lighter restrictions in the NCR, which accounts for about a third of the country's economy, will enable many hard-hit businesses to reopen and spur local tourism. Based on previous guidelines, restau-

Duterte... From A1

Children who need extra attention or lack instructional support at home will be prioritized. In-person classes will only have up to 12 students in kindergarten, and up to 16 participants from grades 1 to 3. They should live within walking distance of the school and hence, would not need to take public transport, he said. Malaluan added that classes would be limited to 3 hours and would reinforce "what will still be predominantly distance learning." Classes would be held in open areas. Otherwise, air-conditioning will not be used, with windows and doors kept open to ensure good ventilation, he said. The official said health protocols like temperature tests and the use of anti-virus masks and face shields would be followed. While students will not have lunch at school, they can eat snacks at designated areas, Malaluan said. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has joined education and local government officials in the ongoing public schools' cleanup operation in preparation for the upcoming school year. MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. explained that while there were no face-toface classes yet because of the COVID-19 pandemic, these cleaning efforts and initiatives were still very important, especially since teachers and parents still go to school for distribution and submission of modules

From A1

who rejected the party’s nomination -- and President Rodrigo Duterte, who accepted it, for its standard-bearers in the 2022 elections. Meanwhile, a senior congressman on Monday questioned the political surveys by a research group that has gained prominence because of its accurate predictions on the COVID-19 situation. Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza on Monday asked why the independent OCTA Research Group is conducting political surveys previously dominated by Pulse and SWS. In addition to issuing regular projections on the COVID-19 pandemic, OCTA Research has been releasing survey results in relation to the coming national elections.

’Jolina’... From A1

(PAGASA) weather forecaster Chris Perez said these areas will experience rains and strong winds. PAGASA forecast moderate to heavy rains over Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands. Light to moderate, with at times heavy rains may also be experienced over northern Cebu, Bohol, Camiguin, and the rest of Eastern Visayas. Isolated to scattered flash flooding

Andrian Perez said in a statement. The firm was tapped by the government as a cold chain facility and logistics partner in the vaccination program. Meanwhile, a party-list lawmaker sought an investigation into what she called the "slow" acquisition of anti-COVID vaccines by the government. AAMBIS-OWA Rep. Sharon Garin, in filing House Resolution 2154, noted that 53.911 million Filipinos had yet to be vaccinated. She added the figure proved the government had a long way into achieving its desired 70.851 million vaccinees needed to achieve herd immunity. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

and rain-induced landslides are possible, especially in areas susceptible to these hazards. "We are expecting 'Jolina' to be in the vicinity of San Mariano, Isabela, by Thursday. 'Jolina' may make landfall over the Isabela area," Perez said, adding that "Jolina" will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday. Meanwhile, Perez said moderate to rough seas will continue to prevail over the eastern seaboards of the Visayas and Mindanao. PAGASA maintained that mariners of small seacraft should take precautionary measures when venturing out to the sea.

Senate resets BARMM polls by 3 years THE Senate on Monday approved on final reading a measure seeking to postpone for another 3 years the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's (BARMM) first regular election, originally synchronized with the May 2022 polls. The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), sitting as the region's parliament, has yet to enact its own electoral code, which would govern the supposed elections in May 2022. Fifteen senators voted in favor of Senate Bill 2214, three voted against it, and one abstained. Under the bill, the Bangsamoro Organic Law would be amended to indicate that the region's first elections would be in 2025, instead of next year. Its counterpart bills have yet to advance in the House of Representatives. Last January, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim vowed to finalize its electoral code in the first quarter of 2021, but the document has yet to be made, eight months away from the May 2022 polls.

Gatchalian: I'm not an appointee in PRC board By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian, a member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), on Monday stressed they are not presidential appointees. "We're duly elected Board of Governors by the members of Philippine National Red Cross," he said. According to Gatchalian, they can only be removed for cause, end of term, and failure to participate in the elections of PRC. Lawyer Larry Gadon on Sunday called for the removal of Senator Richard Gordon as PRC chairman and chief executive officer, and six other presidential appointees as members of the agency’s board. The other senator-member of the PRC Board is Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri, who has yet to give a statement on the issue like Gordon. President Rodrigo Duterte last week accused Gordon of using the Red Cross to fund his election campaigns, but the PRC stood by its chairman, with 20 of its governors expressing “staunch and unequivocal support” to Gordon. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

DOH... From A1

countries previously covered by the travel ban such as India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Vergeire said these countries have been placed on the "yellow list” for having moderate risk for COVID-19. “We don’t have to worry because we have safeguards in place. Even if we don’t impose a travel restriction on a particular country, our strict border control requires travelers to undergo quarantine. There is no exemption,” Vergeire said. Inbound travelers from areas on the "Yellow list," regardless of their vaccination status, will undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, with the first 10 days at a quarantine facility and the remaining four days under home quarantine. They will also have RT-PCR testing on the seventh day, counting the day of their arrival as Day 1. Vice President Leni Robredo, however, questioned the lifting of travel curbs while infections in the country continue to spike. “I hope all of our policies are datadriven. I don't know why we removed this restriction when our cases are increasing. Other countries are very strict,” Robredo said in Filipino during her weekly radio program over the weekend. Senator Imee Marcos labeled as “reckless if not premature” the recommendation by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to lift the travel ban. The action, she said, would only add anxiety to people who are already seeing cases spike on a daily basis. Senator Risa Hontiveros also questioned the move as hospitals are still close to full capacity. “Are they playing with this?” she said. The labor group Anakpawis asked why the government would impose granular lockdowns when it simultaneously allows international travelers to come into the country? “We don't know what to make of the Malacanang and IATF's decision,” said Anakpawis national president Ariel Casilao. "It's senseless and unproductive.” Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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Drilon bares P393-m profit of Pharmally THE private company linked to the Department of Budget and Management’s much-criticized procurement deals made a P393 millon profit from April to June 2020, according to Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon. Pharmally’s profit came from sales to DBM from April to June 2020. They (DBM) could’ve gone straight to the manufacturer, why did they have to go through Pharmally?, Drilon asked. Drilon renewed his call to Pharmally officials to appear before the Senate’s probe into theP10 billion supply deals that the firm got from DBM. The minority leader challenged the Pharmally executives to appear before the probe if they are not hiding anything because “I have many questions.” Meanwhile, the opposition senator also asked whether Pharmally was able to pay taxes after the government awarded multi-billion peso contracts to the firm. Malacañang, for its part, earlier said it did not need to check the profile of Pharmally, which allegedly had links with former presidential adviser Michael Yang.

Southern Leyte pays tribute to philanthropist from Germany By Ronald O. Reyes TACLOBAN City—Southern Leyte honored the life and works of Jürgen Schneidt, the German founder of KinderHilfe (Children’s Village) Philippinen in Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte who died after battling a short and serious illness on August 30, 2021. He was 83. On social media, local residents and government officials expressed their gratitude to the German humanitarian worker for his immense help and contributions, particularly in building schools, offering scholarships, donating state-of-the-art health facilities and equipment, and providing medical assistance to the poorest families in Southern Leyte since 1985. “Jürgen touched the lives of so many people here in Southern Leyte, and will be sadly missed. An inspiration to us and to future generations of charities,” wrote Pascal Canning, founder of Star Apple Foundation based in Maasin City. “He fell asleep peacefully in the company of his closest confidants in the place that has been the center of life and fulfillment of life for him for over 35 years: his children’s village. He was a man who gave his strength, his energy and his life to help the weakest on the ground. We are grateful that we were allowed to accompany this unique project with him,” said ZDF, the German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate where Schneidt formerly worked. In a statement, ZDF said they will sustain the management of the children’s village “as his inheritance and in his interest even after his death.” “His courage, his commitment and his love for the children were admirably unbroken right up to the end. He was also an excellent ambassador for our country. His extraordinary achievements contributed to a very large extent to the friendship between the two countries,” it added.

House okays bill banning child marriage By Maricel V. Cruz

‘JOLINA’. The low pressure area has developed into tropical depression ‘Jolina’which is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains in the next 24 hours over Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands. Under these conditions, isolated to scattered flash flooding and rain-induced landslides are possible especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to areas identified in hazard maps, according to the weather bureau. Story on A1

12 cops, 4 PDEA agents charged in QC shootout T By Rey E. Requejo

HE National Bureau of Investigation has asked the Department of Justice to prosecute 12 members of the Quezon City police district and four agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in connection with the “misencounter” during an illegal drugs operation in Quezon City last February 24. The controversial shootout near a fastfood restaurant along Commonwealth Avenue resulted in the deaths of two policeman, a PDEA agent and an informant. Justice Undersecretary Adrian Ferdinand Sugay conﬁrmed on Monday that the NBI ﬁled the complaints after conducting an investigation into the incident, which was ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte. Named respondents in the complaints were PDEA-Special Enforcement Service (PDEA-SES) agents Khee Maricar Pornobi Rodas, Jelou Juanitez Santiniaman, Jeffrey Panhon Baguidudol, and Romeo Asuncion, along wity Quezon City Police District-District Special Operating Unit members PCPL Alvin Borja, PLT Ronnie Ereno, PCPL Marlon Masiclat, PCPL Ronilo Prepose, PCPL Jason Coranez,

PCPL Aries Curit, PCPL Marco Tapanan, PCPL James Dasalla, PMAJ Sandie D. Caparroso, PCPL Raul Christian Zacarias Gandeza, PLT Honey Besas, and PCPL Christopher Alvarez. The NBI recommended the prosecution of PDEA agents Rodas, Santiniaman, and Baguidudol for homicide over the death of QCPD member PCPL Eric Elvin Garado. Baguidudol was also accused of having falsified official documents. PDEA agent Asuncion and policeman Borja were recommended criminally charged for the deaths of policeman Lauro De Guzman and PDEA agent Rankin B. Gano, respectively. But the NBI only named as “John/Jane Doe” and has yet to identify who killed the informant identified only as “Untong.”

Attempted homicide was recommended for Santiniaman for wounding policeman Ereno. Attempted homicide was also recommended for the eight other policemen—Ereno, Borja, Masiclat, Propose, Coranez, Curit, Tapanan, and Dasalla—for wounding PDEA agents Martin Matthew Soriano and Baguidudol. Policemen Caparroso, Gandeza, and Besas were also accused of direct assault with physical injuries, direct assault with less serious physical injuries, and direct assault. Caparroso was also charged with robbery and conniving or consenting to evasion. His co-respondents in the robbery charge were Gandeza and Besas. Alvarez, Besas and Erena were named Caparroso’s co-respondents in the allegation of having committed conniving or consenting to evasion. After the “misencounter”, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra directed the NBI to conduct a parallel investigation since the Philippine National Police and PDEA decided to conduct their own probe. However, the President intervened and ordered the NBI to be the lone investigating agency.

VOTING 197-0-2, the House of Representatives on Monday approved House Bill 9943 which prohibits the practice of child marriage and imposes penalties for violations thereof. One of the bill’s authors, Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay, welcomed the bill’s approval, citing the United Nations World Population Prospect that ranks the Philippines as the 10th country with the highest absolute number of child marriages at 808,000 in 2019. “The country’s adverse situation is due to the practice of child marriage by Filipino Muslims and indigenous peoples, in addition to co-habitations outside wedlock or illicit live-in unions involving adult men and young girls, which the bill now proscribes”, Lagman said in a statement. Lagman said child marriage violates the human rights of children under international conventions and domestic laws. It also “vitiates marital consent because either or both the child bride or groom are underage to give valid consent,” said Lagman. According to Lagman, among the “deleterious” effects of child marriage is that it compromises the child bride’s maternal health and her infant’s health and development outcomes; It also “exposes the child bride to economic vulnerabilities as she is deprived of completing her education, attaining adequate work skills, and securing remunerative employment; and perpetuates intergenerational povert,” he said. Lagman also explained that the concept of “child marriage” must be revised to include co-habitations outside of wedlock between children, and between adult men and underage girls because they have the same adverse consequences of child marriages. “Enactment of the enabling law is assured because the Senate has already approved its counterpart bill prohibiting child marriage,” he said.

PAF ‘scrambles’ for unknown jet THE Philippine Air Force fleet of FA50 jets are on guard keeping watch of the country’s skies even before the Sept. 2 incident of a detected unidentified aircraft flying 120 nautical miles northwest of Bolinao, Pangasinan. “Your PAF is always on watch for aircraft entering our airspace without proper clearance or permission,” PAF spokesperson Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA). “The FA-50s are always on alert even before the Sept. 2 (scramble).” Scramble, in military aviation, refers to the immediate deployment of fighter aircraft to intercept an unknown or hostile aircraft. Through its radars, the Philippine Air Defense Control Center detected last week an unidentified inbound aircraft in the Philippine Air Defense Identification Zone. The unidentified aircraft was heading towards Philippine airspace and upon coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, it was classified to have an “unknown track of interest.”

The unidentified aircraft did not respond to radio calls made by the PADCC. The PADCC issued a “scramble” order to two FA-50 and were given the mission to intercept the unknown aircraft for visual identification. Four minutes into the intercept, the aircraft changed direction towards the north and increased its speed to 400 knots and headed away from the Philippine airspace. The intercept was terminated at 9:45 a.m. Mariano said the incident is under investigation and they are trying to determine the exact type of the unidentified aircraft. Meantime, Mariano said the PAF does not want to speculate on the sighting of an unknown aircraft in Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon, also on Sept. 2, that was posted on social media. “We might not be able to really know the origin of the said aircraft, and what type of aircraft, and we don’t want to speculate on the sighting of our netizen. But it is good to know that our countrymen are beginning to appreciate the importance of the security of our airspace.

SMALL FRY. Marginal fishermen and mussel growers in Cavite step up their opposition to a plan to dismantle fishing structures by staging a picket at the DENR head office in Quezon City on Sept. 6, 2021 . They say four coastal towns in Cavite with 15,000 fishermen will lose their livelihood in the process. Manny Palmero

Celebrities, youth join forces vs. terrorism

‘PANDAYNIHAN’. The house of an 87-year-old man, which is in a state of disrepair, gets renovated through the initiative of police officers in Eastern Samar. Personnel from the 1st Eastern Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company rebuilt the house of Lolo Diego Cecista Baculungan, who lives alone. He was the second beneficiary of the PANDAYanihan project of the cops in the area, which aims to help an indigent senior citizen or a family whose house is already destroyed or in need of repair.

MAGDALENA Mission: Alagang Ate, a newly-formed women advocacy group composed of beauty titlists and other female celebrities joined hands with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conﬂict (NTF-ELCAC) and various national youth organizations to promote peace and development in the country and stop the atrocities perpetrated by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front. At the weekly virtual press conference of the NTF-ELCAC held on Monday, 2018 Miss Globe Philippines and Volleyball standout Michelle Gumabao explained that their organization is a “joint effort” that values the “mindset of women” and empowers them to become fruitful members of society. Calling all their members as “ate” (older sister) regardless of their age, Gumabao, one of the lead convenors said the term is

a “very important word” in Filipino culture as it connotes a helpful hand in every Filipino family. Gumabao is the group’s advocate for “Women’s Psychosocial Empowerment and Mental Health.” “Bago lang ang aming organization, pero malaki ang aming mga puso para tumulong,”she added, noting that Magdalena would be kicking off their ﬁrst activity on Wednesday (September 8) to extend their help to the Hospicio de San Jose in Manila, a foster care facility whose orphans and staff were inﬂicted by the deadly virus of COVID-19. Ramona Cecilia Muñoz, better known as model-actress Arci Muñoz, joined the virtual presser from abroad and said she was “very grateful to be part of the organization” as she expressed her desire to help our countrymen through the mission. The ABS-CBN actress said, “Bilang isang

artista, kami na nakikita ng mga tao, ng mga kabataan, and I want to be a really good example to them. So I want to tell the youth and the women that there is someone here for them. Someone out there na handing makinig sa kanila, sa mga problema nila. And who’s ready to speak up for them, to stand up for them and of course to inform them of their rights… and to guide them.” Muñoz revealed that while studying at the University of the Philippines, she witnessed ﬁrst hand how her classmates were recruited by militant left-leaning groups with some of them even cutting classes to join rallies. Some of their professors even coaxed students into joining such activities, the actress said. Joining the mission as an advocate for the youth, Muñoz explained that the continuing youth recruitment by the CTGs must immediately be addressed to save students and teenagers, especially defenseless young girls.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

Binay: PGH budget slash ‘unjustifiable’

News

By Joel E. Zurbano FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday questioned the decision of the Duterte administration to slash the 2022 budget of Philippine General Hospital as the country continues to struggle to contain COVID-19 cases. “There is no way the administration can justify its decision to cut the budget of the Philippine General Hospital during a pandemic,” Binay said. “PGH is the hospital of our poor countrymen, especially during this time of COVID-19 crisis, when many of our countrymen who are sick are brought here. We have already seen the lack of facilities here in PGH, but instead of increasing the budget, it was further reduced,” he added. In the proposed 2022 budget, PGH was allotted pnly P5.67 billion, lower than its P6.87 billion budget this year. The hospital’s budget slash was part of the P1.3 billion cut in the budget of the University of the Philippines, of which the PGH is a part of. Binay said this was reflective of the “disastrous management of the pandemic and misplaced priorities in the 2022 budget.” “Congress should not only restore the budget of PGH but increase it. This will correct an unforgivable act of neglect not only for the value of academic freedom in a democracy but public health during a disastrous pandemic,” the former vice president said.

Oil firms hike pump prices by P0.95/li

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES. Health workers and other progressive groups hold a protest rally in front of the Department of Health office in Manila on Monday as they

continue to demand the immediate release of their benefits from the government. The Department of Budget and Management has released an additional P888.12 million to cover another round of special risk allowances for health workers but the amount has yet to be downloaded to hospitals. Norman Cruz

Stronger health security pushed Robredo skips T ’frustrating’ HE House of Representatives on Monday approved on final reading a measure that seeks to establish a health security national action plan and strengthen institutional capacity to implement disease prevention, surveillance, control, and response systems.

With 191 affirmative votes, six negative votes, and no abstention, the chamber passed on third reading House Bill 9561 that will pave the way for the creation of a Philippine Health Security

Council (PHSC) that will be tasked to craft a national health security plan. The measure also aims to implement contingency plans to deal with public health events and emergencies, deliberate release of biological or chemical agents intended to harm civilian populations, House committee on health chair Angelina Tan, said the national health security plan shall be a country-owned, multi-year planning process that can accelerate the implementation of the country’s International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities. “It captures national priorities for health security, brings sectors together, identifies partners and allocates resources for health security capacity development. It also serves as an overarching

FORMIDABLE VICTORY. Senate

President Vicente Sotto III commends weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz for winning a gold medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics during the awarding ceremonies for the Senate Medal of Excellence on Monday. “Hidilyn’s dedication, sacrifices and self-discipline to achieve her Olympic goal were beyond compare. Her journey was never easy, but she rose above it,” Sotto said.

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms raised pump prices by as much as P0.95 per liter effective today (Tuesday) to reflect the movement of prices in the world market. Oil firms raised the price of diesel by P0.95 per liter, gasoline by P0.50 per liter and kerosene by P0.60 per liter. Caltex, Petron Corp., PTT Philippines, Seaoil Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, PetroGazz and Cleanfuel issued separate advisories of the last price adjustment. Over the weekend, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said diesel will likely increase by P1 to P1.10 per liter while gasoline will increase by P0.40 to P0.50 per liter. World oil prices went up last week on reports that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies decided to increase production output by 400,000 barrels per month. On August 31, the oil companies implemented a price increase in domestic oil products, specifically P0.25 to P0.40 per liter for gasoline, P0.60 per liter for diesel and P0.70 per liter for kerosene. These resulted in the year-to-date adjustments to stand at a total net increase of P12.85 per liter for gasoline, P9.95 per liter for diesel and P8.10 per liter for kerosene, according to the Department of Energy. As this developed, Petron announced that vaccinated customers (at least with their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine) will get fuel discounts of P3 per liter for gasoline and P2 per liter for diesel at participating Petron stations nationwide. Promo is open to both Petron Value Card(PVC) and non-PVC cardholders, and runs until September 21, 2021 with a transaction limit of 70 liters per customer.

process to capture all ongoing preparedness initiatives along with the country’s governance mechanisms for emergency and disaster risk management,” Tan said. Tan said the proposed measure will provide and institutionalize the needed synergy with the landmark Universal Health Care Act (UHC) and bring into fruition the completion of the “other side of the coin under the ambit of health systems strengthening policy mechanism.” Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr., who is also the chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, earlier underscored the need to pass the Philippine Health Security Act in response to the current health crisis.

DOJ backs bill increasing payment for wrong convictions By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice on Monday backed the enactment in Congress of a law seeking to increase the compensation for persons who have been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for crimes that they did not commit as well as for victims of heinous crimes. “The DOJ will give its full support for the amendment of Republic Act No. 7309 to increase the amount of compensation for victims of heinous crimes and persons wrongfully convicted,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said, referring to five bills pending before Congress seeking to amend the measure that created the Board of Claims under the DOJ in 1992. Last week, Deputy Speaker Michael Romero of 1PACMAN party-list said the old law “now finds itself outdated in terms

of the amounts awarded to the victims.” Once enacted into law by Congress, the measure will “breathe life to the noble intentions of RA 7309.” Under RA 7309, those who may file claims before the BOC for compensation are as follows: any person who was unjustly accused, convicted and imprisoned but subsequently released by virtue of a judgment of acquittal; any person who was unjustly detained and released without being charged; any victim of arbitrary or illegal detention by the authorities as defined in the Revised Penal Code under a final judgment of the court; and any person who is a victim of violent crimes. The proposed measure covers violent crimes such as rape as well as offenses committed with malice which resulted in death or serious physical and/or psycho-

Pagcor told: Get P1.36b POGO debt By Macon Ramos-Araneta

GRANULAR RESTRICTIONS. Barangay 7 in Caloocan City was placed under

total lockdown from September 5 to September 11 due to increasing COVID-19 cases. Residents were not allowed to go outside of their homes and mass testing will be conducted. Danny Pata

logical injuries, permanent incapacity or disability, insanity, abortion, serious trauma, or committed with torture, cruelly or barbarity. The law provides a compensation of not exceeding P1,000 a month, and “in all other cases, the maximum amount for which the Board may approve a claim shall not exceed P10,000 or the amount necessary to reimburse the claimant the expenses incurred for hospitalization, medical treatment, loss of wage, loss of support or other expenses directly related to injury, whichever is lower. This is without prejudice to the right of the claimant to seek other remedies under existing laws.” Qualified persons may claim their compensation under the law “with six months after being released from imprisonment or detention, or from the date the victim suffered damage or injury.”

SENATOR Risa Hontiveros on Monday called on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to immediately collect the P1.36 billion that Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) owe the government. Hontiveros said according to a report from the Commission on Audit, the amount represented the total outstanding debt of 15 POGOs in the country. “Why was the debt of POGO allowed to reach this big?” she said. According to PAGCOR’s Legal Department, of the 15 delinquent POGOs, three were still operating as of January 12, 2021 while eight had their licenses canceled, three were under review, and one was suspended. “Once they have paid, they should not be given a license,” Hontiveros said. When POGOs first entered the country,

the promise was for more investment and economic activity, but what the country got was a myriad of crimes. Hontiveros, who led the Senate investigation on the rise of POGO-related prostitution, said the National Capital Region Police Office recently nabbed two Chinese POGO employees who abducted two other Chinese nationals. The senator stressed that until now, even in the middle of the pandemic, POGO-related crimes continue. “If we don’t kick POGOs out, chances are these crimes will only multiply,” Hontiveros said. Hontiveros, along with Senators Franklin Drilon and Kiko Pangilinan, also voted no to the POGO tax bill approved in the Senate last June. The senator had disagreed with the preferential tax treatment given to POGOs in the bill because of the opacity and murkiness of the industry.

Rody report

By Rio N. Araja VICE President Leni Robredo has stopped watching the weekly report to the public of President Rodrigo Duterte in the “past several months” as these were no longer centered on the COVID-19 pandemic. “When I listen and read the transcript [of the press conferences], I get the sense that he does not know all the details. I think he lacks focus on details,” she told ANC’s Headstart. “The last two press conferences were really quite frustrating for us. We are in the middle of a surge [of COVID-19 cases] and all hands on deck are needed but the greater part of the press conference was [about] criticizing senators and the Commission on Audit,” the Vice President added. Robredo said the government should focus the 2022 budget to its COVID-19 response amid reports of huge cuts in the Department of Health budget totalling more than P53 billion. The DOH proposed a budget of P73.9 billion but was only allocated P19.6 billion. “We originally proposed P73.99 billion, P50.41 billion of which will be for the meals, accommodation and transportation and life insurance of frontliners,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said. Duque said the reduction explains why no funds were allotted for the allowances and benefits of health care workers in the proposed DOH budget for 2022. Duque said funds for the benefits of medical frontliners were instead covered by the proposed Bayanihan 3 bill, which is still pending at the Senate.

‘Revoke Boracay casino green light’ By Maricel V. Cruz A CONGRESSIONAL leader has appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his directive to allow casino operations in Boracay, the country’s top tourist destination. In a letter addressed to the President received by Malacañang on September 3, Deputy Speaker Bienvenido Abante Jr. urged Duterte “to protect the crown jewel of Philippine tourism.” “Mr. President, people from here and all over the world go to Boracay for its beaches, not baccarat; they flock to the island for peace and tranquility, not poker tournaments,” Abante said in his letter. “This representation humbly appeals to Your Excellency to save Boracay again––by keeping it gambling-free and by preventing it from becoming a cesspool of casinos.” Abante, in his letter, recalled the President having ordered in April 2018 “the temporary closure of the island to tourists to allow the government to address environmental issues that had plagued the popular tourist destination for years.” “Because of this timely intervention, the government was able to take significant steps to reverse the abuse and neglect that had turned the island into––as Your Excellency accurately and bluntly put it––a cesspool,” said Abante in his letter.

World

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Army seizes power in Guinea, holds president Conde captive

ONAKRY, Guinea—Guinean special forces seized power in a coup on Sunday, arresting the president and imposing an indefinite curfew in the west African country. “We have decided, after having taken the president, to dissolve the constitution,” said a uniformed officer flanked by soldiers toting assault rifles in a video sent to AFP. The officer also said that Guinea’s land and air borders had been shut and the government dissolved.

An earlier video sent to AFP by the putschists showed President Alpha Conde sitting on a sofa surrounded by troops. The 83-year-old leader refused to answer a question from one soldier about whether he had been mistreated. Later Sunday, the junta announced a nationwide curfew “until further no-

tice”, saying it would convene Conde’s cabinet ministers at 11:00 am (1100 GMT) Monday. “Any refusal to attend will be considered a rebellion,” the statement added. The country’s governors and other top administrators will be replaced by the military, the statement said. For their appearance on state television, members of the junta were wearing berets and dressed in fatigues, with no weapons apparent. Government ‘mismanagement’ The nation of around 13 million people—one of the world’s poorest coun-

tries despite boasting significant mineral resources—has long been beset by political instability. Earlier Sunday, residents of the capital Conakry’s Kaloum district, the government quarter, had reported hearing heavy gunfire. One Western diplomat in Conakry who declined to be named suggested the unrest may have started after the dismissal of a senior commander in the special forces—provoking some of its highly trained members to rebel. AFP was unable to independently confirm this account. AFP

Blinken heads to Qatar on Afghan misson WASHINGTON—US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed Sunday to Qatar on his first trip since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan as he seeks a united front with allies shaken by the chaos. Qatar, a major US military base, has been the gateway for 55,000 people airlifted out of Afghanistan, nearly half the total evacuated by US-led forces after the Taliban’s stunningly swift victory amid a US withdrawal. Blinken will then head Wednesday to the US air base of Ramstein in Germany, a temporary home for thousands of Afghans moving to the United States, from which he will hold a virtual 20-nation ministerial meeting on the crisis alongside German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. Blinken said that in Qatar he will “express our deep gratitude for all that they’re doing to support the evacuation effort” and meet rescued Afghans as well as US diplomats, who have relocated functions from the shuttered embassy in Kabul to Doha. He will also speak to the Qataris about efforts alongside Turkey to reopen Kabul’s ramshackle airport -- a pressing priority that is necessary for flying in badly needed humanitarian aid and evacuating remaining Afghans. The Taliban have promised that they will keep letting Afghans leave if they want to—one of the key issues that US allies expect to discuss in the talks in Germany. AFP

RESISTANCE QUASHED. In this file photo taken on September 2, Afghan resistance movement and anti-Taliban uprising forces take part in a military training at Malimah area of Dara district in Panjshir province. The Taliban said on September 6 the last pocket of resistance in Afghanistan, the Panjshir Valley, had been “completely captured.” AFP

Marchers walk 7,000 steps for Canadians held in China OTTAWA—Hundreds of supporters of two Canadian men being held on what Ottawa says are specious charges marched 7,000 steps through the Canadian capital on Sunday to mark the pair’s 1,000th day of “unjust” detention in China. Similar events in support of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were held elsewhere in Canada and across the world in cities including Brussels, New York, Washington, Seoul, and Singapore. “These are unjust detentions,” Kovrig’s wife Vina Nadjibulla told AFP. “These marches are about solidarity

with our Michaels, they’re about honoring their strength and resilience and also calling for action to finally break the stalemate, to bring them home and do everything possible to end this injustice,” Nadjibulla said at the start of the rally. The two men were arrested in December 2018 and accused of espionage in what Ottawa has said was retaliation for its detention on a US warrant of a prominent Chinese national, Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. A decision is expected in coming months on whether to send Meng to the United States to face fraud

charges related to alleged violations of Iran sanctions by the Chinese tech giant. Spavor, a businessman, and former diplomat Kovrig went on trial in March. Spavor was handed an 11-year jail sentence just as final arguments in Meng’s extradition trial got underway last month. No decision has been announced in Kovrig’s case. The seemingly tit-for-tat arrests plunged Ottawa-Beijing relations into a deep freeze, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling the charges against the Michaels “trumped up.” AFP

Mexican police break up US-bound caravan of Central American migrants

BIRD SAVED. A wader knight walks in the water in the “Vieux-Salins” in Hyeres, southeastern France, on August 31. The Vieux-Salins d’Hyeres, the last wetland between the Camargue and Italy, blew up two kilometers of artificial rocks and chose to let the sea do its work. Very quickly, a beach was redesigned, and an entire ecosystem was created. AFP

Ex-US army sniper kills 4, plus infant, in Florida shooting spree WASHINGTON—A former sniper in the US military went on a shooting spree in central Florida, killing four people, including an infant boy in his mother’s arms, officials said Sunday. The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Bryan Riley, shot and killed a 40-yearold man, a 33-year-old woman and her three-month-old son in a residential area in Polk County, Florida, said County Sheriff Grady Judd. The fourth victim was the child’s 62-year-old grandmother. Riley, who was wearing full body armor, also wounded an 11-year-old girl before surrendering himself to the police following an intense gunfight, Judd said.

Riley, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the police he was a “survivalist” and that he had been taking methamphetamine. The suspect also told the police, without elaborating, “You know why I did this,” according to a statement from Judd published on social media. Riley was wounded in the gunfight and was rushed to a local hospital, where he again tried to attack police officers and had to be sedated. After he received medical help, the suspect was transferred to a local jail. It was not immediately clear what prompted the attack, Judd said. An investigation is underway. AFP

TAPACHULA, Mexico—Mexican police dispersed on Sunday a caravan of about 400 mainly Central American migrants who had been hoping to walk to the US border. Ending the fourth such procession in a week, police intercepted the group as it prepared to leave the town of Huixtla in southern Chiapas state, AFP observed. It was made up mainly of people from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, and Venezuela. Police blocked streets that the travelers would need to use to get out of the town onto a northbound highway, making some arrests while others from the procession fled further into Huixtla. The police also took up positions on the highway itself to keep the caravan from reforming. About 80 people were arrested in the operation and would be deported, according to a police source. A member of the National Guard

FRESH BLOOD.

This photo taken on September 5 shows high school students taking part in a military education and training session at the beginning of the new semester in Huaibei in China’s eastern Anhui province. AFP

was injured in the operation, authorities said. “We are asking for asylum in Mexico, we do not want to go there (the United States),” Alexander, a man traveling with his wife and eight-year-old grandson, fleeing violence in El Salvador, told AFP. Like other recent caravans, this one had set out from the Mexican town of Tapachula on the border with Guatemala. It did so amid a heavy presence of Mexican national guards bent on stopping asylum-seekers hoping to reach the United States for a better life. Activists and UN officials traveling with the migrants say police have used excessive force against them. Two migration agents were suspended for hitting a traveler. The government has said it will nonetheless maintain its policy of trying to keep US-bound migrants from traveling through Mexico. AFP

Taliban: Rebels in Panjshir ‘completely captured’ KABUL—The Taliban said Monday they had captured the last pocket of resistance in Afghanistan, the Panjshir Valley, as the top US diplomat flies to Qatar to try and handle the aftermath of the chaotic American withdrawal. Following their lightning-fast rout of Afghanistan’s army last month— and celebrations when the last US troops flew out after 20 years of war —the Taliban turned to crush the forces defending the mountainous Panjshir Valley. “With this victory, our country is completely taken out of the quagmire of war,” chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. Late Sunday, the so-called National Resistance Front (NRF)—made up of anti-Taliban militia and former Afghan security forces—acknowledged suffering major battlefield losses in Panjshir and called for a ceasefire. The NRF includes local fighters loyal to Ahmad Massoud—the son of the famous anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud— as well as remnants of the Afghan military that retreated to the Panjshir Valley. The group said in a tweet Sunday that spokesman Fahim Dashty—a well-known Afghan journalist—and General Abdul Wudod Zara had been killed in the latest fighting. The NRF had vowed to fight the Taliban but also said it was willing to negotiate with the Islamists. But initial contact did not lead to a breakthrough. The Panjshir Valley is famed for being the site of resistance to Soviet forces in the 1980s and the Taliban in the late 1990s. The Taliban are yet to finalise their new regime after rolling into Kabul three weeks ago at a speed that analysts say likely surprised even the hardline Islamists themselves. Afghanistan’s new rulers have pledged to be more “inclusive” than during their first stint in power, which also came after years of conflict—first the Soviet invasion of 1979, and then a bloody civil war. AFP

Islamists’ grip at stake in tepid Morocco polls RABAT—Moroccans go to the polls Wednesday for parliamentary and local elections that will determine the fate of the Islamist party that has ruled since the Arab Spring uprisings. First elected in 2011, the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) hopes to win a third term this year, having clung on to power at the head of coalitions for the whole intervening decade. But there are few clear battle lines between the PJD’s coalition partners and the opposition, and big decisions on key policy areas like agriculture, energy and industry remain in the hands of King Mohammed VI. Opinion polls are banned in Morocco near election time, but a survey in February by the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis showed around 64 percent of people planned to abstain. Political science professor Ahmed Bouz highlighted “voters’ feeling that elected officials have little leeway to make decisions”. People are still sceptical of whether elections make a difference to how the country is governed, even after a 2011 constitutional reform, he added. Morocco adopted the new constitution after decades of skirmishes over the separation of powers and the king’s role in the day-to-day running of the country.AFP

Business

Stocks decline; Converge, SM Investments top losers European banks S still active in tax havens despite scandals—poll

BRUSSELS, Belgium—European banks have not reduced their presence in tax havens, despite several scandals that have revealed the dubious practices multinationals use to avoid taxes, according to a study published on Monday. Europe’s leading banks each year book 20 billion euros ($24 billion), or 14 percent of their total profits, in 17 territories with particularly favorable tax regimes, said a report by the EU Tax Observatory, which is housed at the Paris School of Economics. That percentage has remained stable since 2014 when a wave of revelations, such as Lux Leaks and Panama Papers, exposed the tax practices used by companies and high-wealth individuals to avoid tax. “Despite the growing importance of these issues in the public debate and in the political world, European banks have not significantly reduced their use of tax havens,” the report said. The Observatory, which is headed by Berkeley University professor and tax expert Gabriel Zucman, reviewed data published by 36 financial institutions over the 2014-2020 period, with a special focus on big banks HSBC, Deutsche Bank, and Societe Generale. “We observe a diversity of situations: for HSBC, the bulk of haven profits come from just one haven (Hong Kong), while in other cases multiple tax havens are involved,” it said. HSBC was tipped as a leader of these practices with more than 62 percent of its pre-tax profits booked in tax havens between 2018 and 2020, compared to 49.8 percent for Italy’s Monte dei Paschi, which came in second place. Standard Chartered rounded out the podium. To be sure, both HSBC and Standard Chartered are—while domiciled in London—leading Hong Kong retail and commercial banks. HSBC derives the vast majority of its profit in Asia, with China and Hong Kong the major drivers. Germany’s Deutsche Bank and NordLB come in fourth and fifth. The report identifies 17 states and territories as preferred destinations, including the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Jersey and Guernsey, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Macau, Panama and the EU member states of Malta and Luxembourg. “Profits booked by banks in tax havens are abnormally high: 238,000 euros per employee, as opposed to around 65,000 euros in non-haven countries,” the report said. AFP

TOCKS fell slightly Monday on profit taking in dull trading as the market awaited the final guidelines of looser quarantine restrictions.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 20.03 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,877.10 on a value turnover of P5.3 billion. Gainers, however, beat losers, 95 to 86, with 57 issues unchanged. SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group declined 2.2 percent to P998, while leading fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. dropped 1.2 percent to P31.50. Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, shed 1.6 percent to P143.40, but Jollibee Foods Corp., the largest fast-food chain, rose 2.7 percent to P206. Meanwhile, Asian markets mostly rose Monday after a big miss on US jobs creation last month fueled optimism that the Federal Reserve will hold fire on tapering its massive financial support program, while Tokyo extended last week’s rally on hopes for more economic stimulus. Closely watched data on Friday showed about a third of the expected number of new jobs were added to the world’s top economy in August, largely because of the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, which has sent infection rates around the world spiking in recent weeks. But while the reading suggested the blockbuster recovery enjoyed at the start of this year appeared to be stuttering, observers said it will allow the US central bank to take a little more time scaling back its bond-buying

monetary easing. Fed boss Jerome Powell indicated last month that officials would begin tapering the policy, which has been a key pillar of the economic and market surge for more than a year, by the end of 2021—but would take it slowly. He did not provide a timetable, and Friday’s jobs data was considered a crucial guide to when it would begin, with some saying a wellbelow-par figure would mean policymakers would not move until November or December. “It reinforces the Delta variant impact on current economic conditions and therefore policy makers have to pivot and be agile,” George Boubouras, of K2 Asset Management, said on Bloomberg Television. “It reinforces that some form of stimulus will remain in the system for the foreseeable future.” The jobs data was met with a shrug on Wall Street, with the Dow and S&P 500 edging down, though the Nasdaq ticked up to another record. Asia built on last week’s broadly positive performance. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Wellington all rose, while Taipei and Bangkok dipped. National Australia Bank’s Tapas Strickland said: “The market reaction to the report suggests they are viewing the jobs slowdown as transitory for now, with the Fed still likely to taper, though more likely in November or December rather than as early as September.” Tokyo was the standout again, surging 1.8 percent going into the break after a more than two percent rally Friday. The Nikkei 225 is now closing in on levels not seen in more than 30 years. With AFP

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TODAY

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC In accordance with the NTC guidelines, here’s the mechanics for the DITO 99 Online promo: Promo Mechanics: 1)

Promo will be available starting from September 10 – September 30, 2021 in the following additional areas as approved by DTI-FTEB: Bataan: Orani Bulacan: San Rafael, Pulilan Nueva Ecija: Jaen, Quezon Pampanga: Lubao Pangasinan: Alaminos, Bolinao, Urdaneta, Urbiztondo, Bani, Bugallon, Mangaldan Tarlac: Victoria Negros Oriental: Dumaguete, Valencia The promo package must be purchased within this period. SIM and promo must be activated within 30 days from delivery. Promo will not activate beyond the 30-day delivery period.

The Php 99 promo + Php 40 SIM bundle is priced at Php 139.00 and is inclusive of the following: a. SIM card with 1GB data valid for 7 days b. 10GB Data for 30 days upon activation of the SIM card. c. Unlimited DITO-to-DITO calls for 30 days upon activation of the SIM Card. d. Unlimited DITO-to-DITO SMS for 30 days upon activation of the SIM Card e. 300 minutes of calls to other networks f. Unlimited texts to other networks

Prerequisites: a.

b. 4)

How to buy the “10GB Data” package Via the DITO Website, DITO App and DITO Facebook account: a.

Only those with device compatible with the DITO SIM card and has passed the location validation may avail the promo. Device and location compatibility shall be assessed during the online ordering process. The list of available devices shall be available at DITO’s website (https:// www.dito.ph/). Network locked phones, aside from DITO’s, and phones blocked by government agencies shall be considered as non-compatible devices. DITO shall have the sole discretion on whether a particular device is compatible with DITO SIM cards. In case of dispute on device compatibility, the list, and records of DITO shall prevail. Promo is only valid for the subscriber’s DITO compatible mobile phone where the purchased DITO SIM and Promo are installed.

Go to DITO’s Promo Page at (https://dito.ph/promo-page.html) or DITO’s Facebook page at (https://www.facebook.com/DITO.ph/) or Go to “Purchase your DITO SIM” in the DITO App login page. Scan the promo QR code or access the promo link to access the DITO Online Store. In the DITO Online Store or DITO App, check if your handset is compatible and location covered by the promo. Read, understand, and accept the terms and condition of the SIM card, Welcome Offer Promo, and privacy policy. Purchase the “10GB Data” package. Customers can pay using credit/ debit cards and various e-wallet as indicated in the online store. Customers will be asked to input their name, email address, contact number and delivery address where the DITO packaged will be delivered, delivery is valid within the promo areas only. The promo package shall be delivered to the customer via third-party courier and may be subject to a delivery fee. Delivery schedule may be subject to change by the third-party couriers depending on its terms and conditions or force majeure. If you are unable to receive your order or received a damaged SIM card, you may reach out send an email to customerservice@dito.ph or send your concerns via DITO’s Facebook messenger or using the DITO App.

Promo shall only be offered in the following cities and municipalities in the following: LUZON: NCR: Manila, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Pasay, Taguig, Pateros, Makati, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Marikina, Las Pinas; Pangasinan: Basista, Binmaley, Dagupan, Manaoag, Mangatarem, San Manuel, San Carlos City, Lingayen (Capital), San Nicolas; Bulacan: Pandi, San Jose del Monte, Malolos, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Plaridel, Baliuag, Guiguinto, Bustos, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Santa Maria; Nueva Ecija: Llanera, Palayan City, Santa Rosa, Santo Domingo Science City of Munoz, Talavera, Cabanatuan, Gapan City, San Leonardo, San Jose, General Mamerto Natividad, Rizal, Zaragoza, General Tinio (Papaya), Licab; Pampanga: Angeles, Mabalacat, Mexico, Guagua, San Fernando, Magalang, San Simon; Tarlac: Capas, Tarlac City, Concepcion, Gerona, Moncada, La Paz, Ramos, San Manuel, Pura; Zambales: Olongapo, Subic; Bataan: Balanga, Dinalupihan; Batangas: Alitagtag, Bauan, Cuenca, San Jose, Ibaan, Batangas City, Malvar, Mataas na Kahoy, San Pascual, Santo Tomas, Lipa City, Talisay, Tanauan City, Taysan, Balete, Padre Garcia, San Juan, Balayan, Calaca, San Luis, Taal, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Lian, Calatagan, Tuy, Laurel; Cavite: Kawit, Bacoor, Imus, Tagaytay City, Silang, Dasmarinas, Carmona, Amadeo, Rosario, Mendez, Indang, Alfonso, General Trias, Trece Martirez, Tanza, Magallanes. Naic; Laguna: San Pedro, Sta Rosa, Binan, Cabuyao, Los Banos, Calamba City, Victoria, Calauan, Alaminos, San Pablo, Majayjay, Luisiana, Rizal; Rizal: Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay; Quezon: Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Pagbilao, San Antonio, Sariaya VISAYAS: Cebu: Toledo City, Balamban, Barili, Carcar, Cebu City, Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Danao, Liloan, Mandaue, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando, Lapu Lapu, Dumanjug, Talisay, Moalboal, Bogo City, San Remigio, Sogod, Alcantara, Santander, Ginatilan, Daanbantayan; Negros Occidental: Bacolod City, Kabankalan, Pulupandan, Silay City, Valladolid, Binalbagan; Iloilo: Iloilo City, Oton MINDANAO: Agusan Del Norte: City of Butuan; Agusan del Sur: Rosario, San Francisco, Trento, Bayugan, Santa Josefa; Compostela Valley: Monkayo; Davao del Norte: Santo Tomas, Braulio E. Dujali, Panabo, Tagum, Carmen, Island City of Samal; Davao del Sur: Santa Cruz, Bansalan, Davao City, Digos, Hagonoy; Davao de Oro: Montevista, Compostela, Nabunturan, Maco; Cotabato: Kidapawan, Makilala; South Cotabato: General Santos City, Polomolok; Bukidnon: Malaybalay, City of Valencia, Quezon, Don Carlos, Manolo Fortich, Baungon, Libona, Impasugong, Maramag; Lanao Del Norte: Linamon; Misamis Oriental: Balingasag, Cagayan de Oro, Claveria, Talisayan, Manticao, Sugbongcogon, Medina, Kinoguitan, Binuangan, Balingoan, Naawan, Villanueva, City of El Salvador, Jasaan, Opol, Tagoloan, City of Gingoog, Lugait; Gitagum, Laguindingan, Libertad, Initao; Saranggani: Alabel

Via Lazada Mall: a.

GERMAN MOTOR SHOW. Fair goers inspect a Microlino electric bubble car during a

b. c.

press preview at the International Motor Show (IAA) on September 6, 2021 in Munich, southern Germany. Germany’s revamped IAA auto show, one of the world’s largest, officially opens in Munich on September 7, for a celebration of all things car-related, but climate concerns and pandemic woes threaten to spoil the party. AFP

d. e.

France draws ire over wind farm next to WWI memorial By Clare Byrne PARIS, France—Opponents of a wind farm planned next to a battlefield in France where hundreds of Australian soldiers died during World War I are urging the government to cancel the plan, calling it an affront to the memory of the dead. Politicians and campaigners have spent years trying to overturn plans for turbines next to World War I killing fields in northern France, where around 10,000 Australians were among hundreds of thousands killed and wounded. In 2017, Australian officials expressed relief after French state electricity company Engie pulled the plug on a wind farm project in Bullecourt, site of two battles that were particularly deadly for the Australians. The firm said at the time that the negative reaction—not least from the French state—had underscored the site’s “sacredness.” The same year, French authorities rejected plans for another wind farm next to Australia’s national war memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, close to President Emmanuel Macron’s hometown of Amiens, saying it would be a blot on the landscape. But in March this year, an appeal court in the town of Douai overturned that decision and gave wind energy company Les Vents de Picardie the green light to proceed with the farm around five kilometers from the memorial. The case has become a cause celebre among local politicians, who are piling pressure on Macron to take the fight to France’s top courts. “We cannot accept that the transition to green energy, which is necessary, be given precedence over the memory of, and respect for the dead,” Christophe Coulon, vice-president

of the Hauts-de-France region, told AFP in a lian troops who died in France with no telephone interview. known grave. “It’s a moral issue,” said Coulon, who held a “We will never forget our history and the ulManila press conference with two other prominent lo- timate sacrifice made by the Australians,” said Standard cal politicians at the memorial siteTODAY on Thursday. Stephane Haussoulier, president of the Somme But the government has so far refused to area, who joined Coulon at the press confercontest the decision. ence. Ecology minister Barbara Pompili’s office He views the prospect of wind turbines told AFP last month it was not generally op- looming over the site as an “affront to our Ausposed to the idea of wind turbines being visible tralian comrades.” AFP from memorial sites, so would not refer the case to higher courts. Villers-Bretonneux marks the site of one of Australia’s greatest NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT World War I victories when Australian OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING troops encircled the village and retook To All Stockholders: it from Nazi forces, Please be informed that the annual meeting of stockholders some 1,200 dying the of PRIME MEDIA HOLDINGS, INC. (the “Corporation”) for the fight. Every year, a small year 2021 which is scheduled to be held on 22 September 2021 (Wednesday) has been postponed and reset to 13 October 2021 Anzac Day cer- (Wednesday). emony is held at the site, which is one of The purpose of the postponement is to give the Management the first stop-offs in more time to prepare for additional matters that will be presented France for many Aus- to the stockholders at the meeting, including amendments to the Articles of Incorporation and the By-laws. tralian tourists. ‘An affront’ A Notice of Meeting will be issued in relation to the new The memorial, which is next to a meeting date on 13 October 2021. military cemetery, Makati City, 7 September, 2021. has a tower surrounded by walls and panels inscribed MAILA G. DE CASTRO with the names of (MS-SEPT. 7 & 8, 2021) Corporate Secretary the 10,732 Austra-

Open Lazada and search for DITO in the Lazada Mall (DITO Telecommunity) account or DITO SIM. Click on DITO SIM product in DITO’s shop in Lazada Mall. Go thru handset validation using the link displayed in the Product Description Section. Select the SIM type compatible exactly to your handset and click Buy Now. The promo package shall be delivered to the customer via Lazada partner courier and may be subject to a delivery fee. Delivery is subject to the terms and conditions of Lazada and their partner couriers. If you are unable to receive your order or received a damaged SIM card, you may reach out send an email to customerservice@dito.ph or send your concerns via DITO’s Facebook messenger or using the DITO App. You may also reach out to Lazada or its partner couriers pursuant to their terms and conditions.

Via Shopee: a. b. c. d.

Open Shopee and search for DITO in the Shopee Mall (DITO Telecommunity) account or DITO SIM. Click on DITO SIM product in DITO’s shop in Shopee. Select the SIM type compatible exactly to your handset and click Buy Now. The promo package shall be delivered to the customer via Shopee partner courier and may be subject to a delivery fee. Delivery is subject to the terms and conditions of Shopee and their partner couriers. If you are unable to receive your order or received a damaged SIM card, you may send an email to customerservice@dito.ph or send your concerns via DITO’s Facebook messenger or using the DITO App. You may also reach out to Shopee or its partner couriers pursuant to their terms and conditions.

How to Activate the Promo a.

Insert the DITO SIM in the prescreened DITO compatible device or other DITO compatible devices. The 10GB high-speed data, on-net call, and on-net text promo shall be automatically enabled upon activation of the SIM Card. To activate the SIM card, subscribers may turn on their data, attempt a call or send an SMS. b. Subscribers will receive confirmation via SMS for the activation of the SIM card and the promo. 8) Once availed, the promo is non-refundable / non-replaceable / non exchangeable. The promo must be availed and activated within 30 days from the date the DITO SIM was successfully delivered. The SIM card shall expire if not activated within “1” year from purchase. 9) The promo cannot be used in conjunction with any unlimited promo offers, discount available and other exclusive promo offers. 10) The promo cannot be converted to cash, credit, or other goods and services of DITO. 11) By availing of the promo, the subscriber confirms that he/she has read, understood, and agrees to the promo mechanics, its terms and conditions, the terms and conditions of the SIM card. Subscriber also agrees not to use the SIM card and/or promo for illicit or illegal means. 12) For any concerns and/or inquiries regarding the promo, information may be sent to customerservice@dito.ph. All matters and disputes will be subject to the final decision of DITO Telecommunity. All decisions made by DITO Telecommunity pertaining to the promo will be deemed final and irrevocable, with the prior concurrence of DTI. Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-124998 Series of 2021 (MS-SEPT. 7, 2021)

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

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

Business

Pacific Online wins P5.8-b lotto deal to provide a new PCSO national lottery system for the next five years. are pleased to inform you that in TATE-RUN Philippine the“We Bidding conducted for the ProcureCharity Sweepstakes ment of Five (5) Years Lease of the Customized Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office awarded the Lottery System, also known as P5.8-billion lottery contract Office ‘2021 PLS Project’ under SBAC Conto a joint venture company tract No. 2021-01, the special bids and awards committee declared you as the owned by Pacific Online single calculated and responsive bid for Systems Corp., Philippine the abovementioned Project,” PCSO Gaming Management Corp. said in a notice of award to the joint and International Lottery & venture. “The award is therefore made in your Totalizator Systems Inc. favor with a total contract price of [P5.8 billion].” Pacific Online said in a disclosure Pacific Online in March signed a joint to the stock exchange the joint venture venture with PGMC and ILTS to parcompany was named the winning bidder ticipate in the bidding for PCSO’s five-

By Jenniffer B. Austria

year lease of customized lottery system called the 2021 PLS Project. The joint venture is 50-percent owned by Pacific Online, with PGMC owning 49 percent and ILTS having the remaining 1 percent. Pacific Online and PGMC are equipment lessors to PCSO for the online lottery systems being used for lotto operations throughout the Philippines, while ILTS is the equipment supplier of PGMC. Pacific Online is PCSO’s operator for lotto in the Visayas and Mindanao, while PGMC is the lotto operator for Luzon. Pacific Online is 50.1 percent owned by Premium Leisure Corp., while PGMC is owned by Berjaya Group from Malaysia. Shares of Pacific Online jumped

13.78 percent Monday to close at P2.33. The joint venture of Pacific Online, PGMC and ILTs emerged as the single bidder after the PCSO earlier disqualified the joint venture of Philippine United Technic Corp., Digi-Specs IT Corp. and GenLot Game Technology Co. Ltd. PCSO reported a 58-percent drop in 2020 revenues after it suspended lotto operations amid the imposition of lockdown measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. Revenues fell to P18.63 billion in 2020 from P44.03 billion in 2019. The state-run gaming company said revenues reached P11.24 billion in the first quarter, or 3 percent short of its collection target of P11.59 billion for the period.

UK think tank sees weak PH growth in Q3 By Othel V. Campos OXFORD Economics, a British think tank, expects the Philippine economy to post a weak growth in the third quarter after a strong expansion in the second quarter because of new quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila. Oxford Economics said Monday in its latest ASEAN-6 Growth Tracker the Philippines’ growth would likely fall sharply because of another two-week strict lockdown in August. The report, which sums up growth updates of six ASEAN countries— Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam— pointed to a weak start in the third quarter, following a gradual pick-up in the first quarter and a substantial rebound in the second quarter, The trackers for Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines suggest thirdquarter forecasts may be pessimistic for these countries. Oxford said the sizeable gap between the forecast and the growth tracker for the Philippines was justified given the strict lockdown imposed in Metro Manila in August. “The strong end to Q2 with a significant rebound in industrial production in June is unlikely to continue into Q3. Therefore, we expect a sharp reversal in the Philippines’ growth tracker in August, bringing it closer to our Q3 growth forecast,” the report said. The waning base effect partly explains the downtick in the growth tracker in July, but the coronavirus outbreak in recent months also weighed on ASEAN’s economic recovery, Oxford said. The global forecasting firm also found out that the surge in COVID cases in the region led to renewed anxiety and tighter government-imposed restrictions from June onwards. Restrictions were either tightened or extended into August for most ASEAN-6 economies, and daily infections were still rising rapidly in Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Monday, September 6, 2021 -20.03 PTS. 6,877.10

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

1,799,830,354 75,801

TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES

5,304,730,919.65 95 86

UNCHANGED

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.7810

Japan

Yen

0.009110

0.4535

Pound

1.385900

68.9915

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128677

6.4057

Switzerland

Franc

1.094571

54.4888

Canada

Dollar

0.798403

39.7453

Singapore

Dollar

0.745657

37.1196

Australia

Dollar

0.745000

37.0868

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653717

132.1047

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266638

13.2735

Brunei

Dollar

0.742887

36.9817

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.030665

1.5265

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.5547

Euro

1.188200

59.1498

Korea

Won

0.000866

0.0431

China

Yuan

0.154835

7.7078

India

Rupee

0.013702

0.6821

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.241313

12.0128

New Zealand

Dollar

0.715400

35.6133

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036210

1.8026 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF Japan debt watcher affirms PH ‘A’ rating

THE Japan Credit Rating Agency affirmed the Philippines’ “A” sovereign rating with a stable outlook, citing the country’s resilience to external headwinds and manageable external debt. “The ratings mainly reflect the country’s high and sustainable economic growth performance underpinned by solid domestic demand, its resilience to external shocks supported by an external debt kept low relative to GDP and accumulation of foreign exchange reserves, the government’s solid fiscal position and a sound banking sector,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said in a statement Monday. JCR said it does not consider the fiscal soundness would be impaired because while the fiscal deficit had widened, “the support package at this time was backed by appropriate fiscal policies and the government debt will remain comparatively subdued.” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said JCR’s move recognized the government’s scaled-up efforts to put the economy back to its high-growth path. “Such recovery programs include the faster COVID-19 vaccination deployment; accelerated infrastructure development; and continued push in the Congress for further reforms to supercharge the economy and modernize taxation,” Dominguez said. Julito G. Rada

SM Prime to raise P10b in bond market offering

HEALTH INFO WEBINAR. Officials of the Board of Investments, the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines, the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau and the Philippine Trade and Investment Centers in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New York jointly organize an online seminar on the HIMS industry. Participants say the Philippines remains an attractive location for HIMS operations, and is poised to have a robust growth this year in the face of the ongoing pandemic.

PAL eyeing exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by yearend By Darwin G. Amojelar PHILIPPINE Airlines said Monday it is eyeing an exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy it filed in the US before the end of the year, but does not expect a return to pre-pandemic level until 2024 or 2025. PAL president and chief operating officer Gilbert Santa Maria said in a virtual briefing the airline would likely emerge from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy “before the end of the year.” “In the old process the last time PAL went through rehabilitation, it took 7 or 8 years for PAL to leave the receivership program that was then the practice. That is no longer going to be necessary by filing under the Chapter 11. So once we exit before end of the year, we’re done. We will have a lighter balance sheet. We will have a capital and our costs structure will be a lot lighter. We will be done by end of the year,” he said. “This is unusual for aviation. We don’t anticipate staying in the Chapter 11 process for very long. We will likely be out before the end of the year,” Santa Maria said.

Bangko Sentral pushes enactment of financial consumer protection bill BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Monday the proposed Financial Consumer Protection Act will have significant benefits to financial consumers. “The proposed reforms in the financial sector will enhance the authority of regulators and ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place to safeguard the interest of financial consumers,” Diokno said. Under the proposed FCPA which is pending Senate deliberation in the committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies, financial regulators may issue a cease-and-desist order without the need for prior hearing in unfair collection practices deemed as threats or harassment against a financial consumer. Consumers would no longer need to go to court if their claim involves a return of money from a financial service provider. This translates into a prompt and more efficient process when consumers seek reparation in financial transactions, as warranted by financial

PSE INDEX CLOSING

regulators, according to the BSP. It said that in cases of undispensed ATM withdrawals, both the depository bank and bank operating the ATM might be liable to cardholders. “However, when neither is willing to settle a customer’s claim, a consumer may go through the adjudication process and file a claim directly with the BSP,” Diokno said. Financial service providers found responsible for credit card fraud in online shopping may be subject to sanctions. These include fines, suspension or penalties. Diokno said consumer protection is a shared responsibility among regulators, consumers and relevant stakeholders, adding consumer welfare is a continuing agenda of the BSP. “We enjoin financial institutions, bank organizations, and relevant partners and stakeholders to push consumer protection initiatives forward as the responsibility is too great for any entity to take on singly,” he said. Julito G. Rada

He said the chance that the US court would not approve its petition “is very, very small.” PAL voluntarily filed for a pre-arranged restructuring under the U.S. Chapter 11 process in the Southern District of New York on Sept. 3 to implement the consensual restructuring plan. Under the restructuring plan, PAL will raise $505 million in long-term equity and debt financing from majority shareholders and $150 million in additional debt financing from new investors. The bailout deal provides more than $2 billion in permanent balance sheet reduction from creditors and a reduction in fleet capacity by 25 percent. Santa Maria said the airline’s financial advisers invited over 118 investors to participate in its fund raising. “These potential investors are looking at it. There was a general interest in continuing to support PAL,” he said.. Nilo Thaddeus Rodriguez, PAL’s chief finance officer, said the funding would be used for catch up payment to creditors and the rest would finance liquidity requirements.

“Since the process is rather short from the normal traditional process, the liquidity will require PAL earmarks to its continuing recovery and continuing to operate beyond once we emerge from the Chapter 11,” he said. “As part of the restructuring and based on the view of our strategy planning team, we were really looking at a 5-year horizon from 2020. So, we expect that getting back to 2019 level might go beyond 2025,” Rodriguez said. He said PAL negotiated with Airbus to postpone the delivery of 13 narrow-body Airbus aircraft, with an option to cancel some orders beyond 2026 to 2030. Santa Maria said PAL would return 22 aircraft to lessors as the airline was expecting travel demand to recover by 2024 or 2025. PAL will end with 70 aircraft, lower from its original fleet of 92 aircraft. “We don’t see demand coming back to pre-pandemic level until 2024 or 2025. That point in time, we don’t believe we will be at what our size was—more than $3 billion in revenues by 2025,” said Dexter Lee, PAL ‘s senior vice president and chief strategy and planning head.

PROPERTY developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. is returning to the bond mark as it seeks to raise P10 billion from the issuance of sevenyear fixed-rate bonds. SM Prime said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission an application for the offering of P5 billion worth of fixed-rate bonds, with an oversubscription option for another P5 billion. The latest bond offering will be the third tranche to be issued from the company’s P100-billion bond shelf registration program approved by the SEC in February 2020. The bonds will be listed and traded through the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. The bond offering was assigned a rating of PRS Aaa by Philippine Rating Services Corp. PRS Aaa, the highest rating assigned by Philratings, denotes that such obligations are of the highest quality with minimal credit risk and that the issuing company’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligations is extremely strong. Jenniffer B. Austria

PrimeBMD names new chief executive

INFRASTRUCTURE development company Prime Metro BMD Corp. on Monday announced the appointment of Sebastian Lacson as its new chief executive. PrimeBMD is a joint venture between Prime Infrastructure Holdings Inc., the infrastructure arm of the Razon group, and BMD Group, one of Australia’s largest privately-owned construction companies. “Construction is a frontliner in our country’s march to progress. I’m very pleased to participate in nation-building in a major way through PrimeBMD,” said Lacson. Lacson replaced J.V. Emmanuel De Dios, who was tasked to head Manila Water Company Inc. as part of Prime Infra’s portfolio of companies. Lacson, who has extensive experience in the power sector, will continue to lead the waste-to-fuel project of Prime Infra. The PrimeBMD board also transferred Mick Slocombe, who previously held the role of chief operating Officer to executive vice president for engineering as well as a member of the board operations committee to focus on strategic and material operational matters affecting the business. Alena Mae S. Flores

LPG TRADING. JG Summit Petrochemicals Group, a pioneer in the petrochemical industry in the Philippines, enters the fuel sector as it kickstarts the formal operations of a new subsidiary dedicated to the wholesale trading of liquefied petroleum gas. Peak Fuel Corp., the new business unit, started the fuel trading business in August this year with its first sale of liquefied petroleum gas delivered to a valued customer in Southern Luzon. Peak Fuels, through its facility inside the world-class JGSPG Complex in Barangay Simlong, Batangas City, is capable of supplying customers either through land-based or seabased channels.

Power generation charges of Meralco likely flat in September By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER generation charges may remain flat in September on low demand arising from the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine for the National Capital Region, Manila Electric Co. said Monday. “The generation charge for September might be flattish as lower demand

due to the return to ECQ of NCR and neighboring regions starting Aug. 6 mitigated the impact of higher plant outages during the supply month,” Meralco vice president Joe Zaldarriaga said. Meralco’s generation charge in August was at P4.9322 per kilowatt-hour. Zaldarriaga noted an upward pressure on the generation charge to reflect

the adjustments of the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines in the July bill of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market. IEMOP operates the WESM, the trading floor of electricity. “IEMOP made significant corrections on the Net Settlement Surplus component of the WESM bill,” Zaldarraiga said.

Sports

Speed is Buntan’s top weapon SPEED has always been a plus for rising Muay Thai star Jackie Buntan. Since she was a kid, the 24-yearold Buntan said she has made strides to master this ability in her bag of tricks. “When I was a kid, it was a disadvantage when it comes to committing. Now, I’m older, it’s with more practice, (it’s done) with more power, plus precision. Now, it’s with time coming all together,” said the 5’4” Buntan. Buntan said this after she came out with a unanimous decision win over Argentina’s Daniela Lopez in the strawweight division of the ONE: Empower at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last Friday. The Southern California-born Buntan has now improved her overall career win-loss record to 23-5 in stopping the Argentine. Lopez, on the other hand, now has a 7-4 slate. “I always had speed when I started out,” added Buntan. After making her ONE debut early this year, Buntan has gone 3-0, earlier beating Thailand’s Wondergirl Fairtex in February and Russia’s Ekaterina Vandaryeva in April. During the Friday fight, Buntan displayed speed and agility as she took control of her fight with Lopez in all the three rounds. And it was Buntan’s solid right hand straights and stinging right leg kicks that stung her opponent. Peter Atencio

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 , 2021

Obiena recovers

from Brussels slide, nd grabs share of 2 place

LYMPIC pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena recovered nicely from his Brussels showing as he ended up grabbing a share of second place in the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial 2021 in Poland last Sunday.

In making a clearance of 5.80 meters on his second try, Obiena snared the silver medal to settle for a twoway tie at no. 2 spot with American KC Lightfoot in the men’s pole vault event of the Skolimowska tournament at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzow. “Good job. Hope he maintains performance,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association president

Philip Ella Juico. Obiena went up to no. 5 in the world rankings on August 29 following his 5.91 meter-performance right on his first attempt during the Paris leg of the Wanda Diamond League. The feat shattered his own Philippine mark of 5.87 meters and netted him the silver medal behind world-record holder and Olympic

Unheralded Dutch qualifier flies into US Open’s last 8

Ernest John Obiena

By Peter Atencio

PSC chairman William Ramirez

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

champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden. But after his record-breaking show, the 25-year-old Obiena once again tried to find his bearings in the Brussels’ stop of the Wanda Diamond League series, where he slipped to 10th place with a leap of 5.65 meters on Friday. Duplantis went on to dominate the Brussels’ leg. Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Christopher Nilsen of the United States won the Poland meet with a 5.86-meter effort. The event is part of of the Continental Tour Gold Level Series of World Athletics. A total of 10 pole vaulters saw action, with Duplantis notably absent after skipping the event.

NEW YORK—Botic Van de Zandschulp matched the best run by any US Open qualifier in reaching the quarterfinals and hopes to shock Daniil Medvedev and equal more Grand Slam history. The 25-year-old Dutchman upset 11th seed Diego Schwartzman of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1 after four hours and 20 minutes to book a last-eight match with Russian second seed Medvedev, a two-time Grand Slam runner-up. “What I’ve done for me, it’s amazing that I beat No. 11 here, especially in a match like this,” Van de Zandschulp said. “It was my first time in a big stadium. “The next match is maybe going to be on Arthur Ashe. Going to be even more people there, so I’m looking forward to it.” World number 117 Van de Zandschulp became the third qualifier to reach the US Open men’s quarter-finals, matching Frenchman Nicolas Escude in 1999 and Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller in 2008. No Dutchman had reached a Grand Slam quarter-final in 17 years and not in 18 years at the US Open. Now he’s one win from matching the best Slam runs by qualifiers, into the semi-finals five times, most recently at this year’s Australian Open. “I have to say when I’m playing against guys who are better, my level is also increasing,” the Dutchman said. “So I prefer to play against better guys. I start playing better myself.” Instead of an early flight home, Van de Zandschulp will try to capture a Slam before playing for the Dutch at Uruguay in Davis Cup. His apparel sponsor has helped with unexpected needs in New York. “They have good laundry service here, so I can get it washed every day so I have enough stuff for the rest of the matches,” Van de Zandschulp said. T h e US Open debutante b e g a n playing Slams this year, winning once each at Roland Garros Botic van de and Wimbledon. Zandschulp AFP

PSC chief lauds Tokyo Paralympians Brazil-Argentina clash abandoned following virus controversy PHILIPPINE Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and the PSC Commissioners thanked all of the six Filipino Paralympians, coaches, officials, and support staff after the delegation wrapped up its Tokyo Paralympic Games campaign Sunday. “They were exceptional and dedicated Paralympians caught in a pandemic. Despite this, they carried the flag with pride and honor,” said Ramirez. “They were playing against the best Paralympians in the world. To qualify and participate in the Paralympics is a great honor in itself.” Days before the departure of Team Philippines, some officials and athletes tested positive for COVID-19, including three of the country’s bets in the Games —para powerlifter Achelle Guion, para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin, and para discus thrower Jeanette Aceveda who all pulled out from their events. Despite the obstacles faced by the delegation, the three remaining Paralympians in Jerrold Mangliwan of para athletics, and para swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Gary Bejino stood proud and fought well against champions from their respective sports. Mangliwan advanced into the finals of his three events. He placed fifth and made his new personal best in the men’s 400m T52 race finals and also broke his own best time in the men’s 1500m T52 competition. Gawilan placed sixth in the men’s 400m freestyle S7 event and became the first Filipino para swimmer to advance in the Paralympics finals. Bejino, on the other hand, also showed great potential for the 2024 Paris Games despite being a first-timer in the quadrennial meet. “We take pride in these rare Filipino Paralympians. They inspire the country with their achievement. They are our new heroes today who in spite of their conditions fought well,” said Ramirez. The sports agency chief also noted that in the face of the pandemic, the PSC managed to respond to the concerns of the para athletes. On August 12, Ramirez announced that each of the para athletes, coaches, and officials will receive P100,000 additional travel allowance for the Games.

SAO PAULO—Brazil’s World Cup qualifying clash against Argentina was sensationally abandoned shortly after kick-off on Sunday as controversy over Covid-19 protocols erupted. Amid incredible scenes at Sao Paulo’s Neo Quimica Arena, the match between the two giants of South American football was halted when Brazilian health officials ran onto the pitch, triggering a melee involving team officials and players from both sides. The stunning intervention came just hours after health authorities in Brazil said four Englandbased players in Argentina’s squad should be placed in “immediate quarantine” for breaching COVID-19 protocols. According to Brazil’s Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), Premier League players Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa) and Cristian Romero (Tottenham) provided “false information” upon their entry to Brazil. Romero, Lo Celso and Martinez were all in the Argentina’s Lionel Messi (left) and Brazil’s Neymar are seen after Argentina starting line-up that kicked off Sunday’s employees of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) game—prompting the surreal intervention of entered to the field during the South American qualification ANVISA officials. football match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between Brazil The four players were accused of failing to disclose and Argentina at the Neo Quimica Arena, also known as Corinthians that they had spent time in the United Kingdom in Arena, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Brazil’s World Cup qualifying clash the 14 days prior to their arrival in Brazil, where between Brazil and Argentina was halted shortly after kick-off on Covid-19 has claimed more than 580,000 lives. Sunday as controversy over Covid-19 protocols erupted. AFP

FREE THROW SHOOTER NATHANIEL DELA CRUZ

Bangkô “BANGKÔ” is a Filipino word that means “bench” or “seat”. It is a sturdy, reliable creature of purpose. It is where the weary takes his rest. It is where the thinking man anchors his mortal shell so that his thoughts can freely swim around untethered. For lovers, it is a space for intimacy, perhaps the first time they are this close to one another, skin to skin. If I would be an implement in a public space, I can’t think of a nobler, more useful role to take on. The bangkô is used and useful, very different from the bangkô in Philippine basketball parlance—benchwarmer. Why was humility, or sense of duty, or fealty never the outstanding quality, the defining quality, of the bangkô? When was it reduced to being nugatory, and why this

unfortunate descent to ignominy? We are accustomed to being role players in our numerous and various social functions in the community, in the state, in our religion, in our politics; we are ok with the duty of doing less, or sometimes doing nothing at all, as part of the collective, and we are never humiliated when we stand back so others can do the heavy lifting, but why is this not the case when it comes to basketball? Instead, we’ve internalized the belittling of the benchwarmers, and it is widespread at the grassroots level, where notions influence the young minds of athletes who are in that critical stage of forming their opinions about the (basketball) world anchored on beliefs that they will carry for the rest of their lives. We tell them to feel ashamed, to be embarrassed if they are benched. It’s a scene that’s all too familiar, happening all the time: a young boy or girl boasts about making the team for a local neighborhood tournament, and what he/she hears in return are a chuckle and a snide, dismissive comment: Sus, eh bangkô ka naman! People make fun of benchwarmers; the malice is real even if they make the excuse that it is just friendly ribbing, and the person at the receiving end will feign brushing it off casually so as not to appear pikon (irascible) or iyakin

Argentina captain Lionel Messi and his teammates trooped off the field as confusion reigned over the fate of the game. Messi later hit out at the intervention by Brazilian officials. “We’ve been here for three days, why are you doing this just now?” he said on Argentina’s TyC network. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was similarly incensed, telling media that “at no time were we told that they could not play the game.” Argentina were due to fly back to Buenos Aires later Sunday on a charter flight. Argentina Football Association president Claudio Tapia said the federation had followed FIFA protocols for the game, pushing back at the claim that players had falsified entry records. “It is not possible to speak of any lie,” Tapia said. ‘Series of breaches’ Brazilian officials were unrepentant about the decision to halt the game however. “We got to this point because everything that ANVISA directed, from the first moment, was not fulfilled,” ANVISA director Antonio Barra Torres said on Brazilian television. The four players “were directed to remain isolated while awaiting deportation, but they did not comply. They went to the stadium and they entered the field, in a series of breaches,” the official added. AFP

(bellyacher), but aware, nonetheless, of the venom from such an evil snakebite, and it is now fast poisoning his mind and heart. Hurt, he/she will redirect the insult, the humiliation, the belittling, to other benchwarmers. It becomes a disease that we pass on to one another until everyone is infected. It goes on and on, spreading like an epidemic, turning us into jealous, envious, covetous, and conceited individuals who are disgruntled and spiteful in defeat, and bitter in victory we don’t feel we are a part of. That is how it became the cancer that we know it is today. Because the benchwarmer is mocked, insulted, made fun of, and trivialized, no one wants to accept this as his or her place in the pecking order. Everyone wants to be first, which is not a good quality to have playing in a team sports. Are we surprised why almost all young basketball players have the same me-first mentality when playing basketball? Aren’t we wondering why young basketball players are too focused on learning how to shoot the basketball, sometimes even outside the range of their short, scrawny young arms, just to have an offensive game they think is superior to their peers, but very, very few are intent on learning how to pass and understand the geometry of passing lanes and the

nuances of ball movement? They’re focused on asking for the ball, shooting it, and winning it. They confuse being competitive with playing with one’s self-interest in mind. Why? Because they’ve been told that to be a bangkô is to end up in a really embarrassing place where no one wants to be in. So the 12 players in the roster end up pushing and shoving each other hoping to force the weakest into that cursed hole. Perhaps without the stigma, it would be easier for the bangkô to truly fulfill its duty befitting its namesake: to be used and be useful as every day (or every game) circumstances would allow it. Without the stigma, players will realize what a great learning opportunity it is to be benched, to watch more talented teammates play, and learn from them. Without the stigma, the benchwarmer’s basketball experience can be used to identify and nurture good qualities that will prove useful in life, and that includes becoming a real team player who is intelligent, grounded, aware, and attuned. Above all and most importantly, we should stop belittling the bangkô, so that we don’t feel so little ourselves when it is us wearing the shoes worn nowhere else but the sideline, of someone who went to all the trouble of showing up in uniform only to lace up for warm-ups.

Sports

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

Cantlay edges Rahm for PGA crown, $15M

ASHINGTON—Patrick Cantlay held off topranked Jon Rahm to win the US PGA Tour Championship Sunday and claim the $15 million FedEx Cup playoffs top prize.

Cantlay two-putted for birdie at the par-five 18th to cap a one-under-par 69 that gave him a 21-under-par total and a one-shot victory over Spain’s Rahm, who made the second birdie of his twounder 68 at the final hole to finish on 20-under. “I played great today. It hasn’t even sunk in yet,” Cantlay said. “I just kept telling myself to focus and lock in and I did a great job of that Manila today.” Standard While TODAY Cantlay had said throughout that he was trying to approach each

awarded the 30 starters strokes based on their place in the playoff standings. He led every day, with Rahm pushing hard but unable to get past him. Cantlay’s third bogey of the day at the par-four 17th saw his lead shrink to one, the American doing well to limit the damage after going right off the tee round as usual and tune out the prosfrom where his second shot bounced pect of a monster payday, he admitted through the green. that it wasn’t just another week. He responded with a booming drive “It was tough,” he said. “It was up the middle of the fairway at the definitely different than any other par-five 18th, where he two-putted for week. birdie from 11 feet. “It was the longest lead I’ve ever held. Rahm pushed to the bitter end, his But I just tried to stay, day after day in second shot at 18 tracking the pin only the present, and I did an amazing job of Patrick Cantlay of the United States plays his shot from the 11th tee during the final to bounce through the green and into that this week because the last couple round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 05, 2021 in CYANthe MAGENTA BLACK greensideYELLOW rough from where he got days I made some mistakes I don’t usu- Atlanta, Georgia. AFP up and down for birdie. Manila ally make and I was able to reallyManila center Standard Standard Rahm’s only other birdie was a tap-in Cantlay came into the tournament stroke advantage over Rahm—unmyself and hit a lot of good shots when TODAY TODAY at the fifth hole. AFP staked to a two-shot lead—and a four- der the staggered scoring system that I needed to.” NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

In accordance with the NTC guidelines, here’s the mechanics for the 25GB Online promo:

In accordance with the NTC guidelines, here’s the mechanics for DITO 99 Offline promo:

In accordance with the NTC guidelines, here’s the mechanics for the 25GB offline promo:

Promo will be available starting from September 10 – September 30, 2021 in the following additional areas as approved by DTI-FTEB:

Promo Mechanics:

Bataan: Orani Bulacan: San Rafael, Pulilan Nueva Ecija: Jaen, Quezon Pampanga: Lubao Pangasinan: Alaminos, Bolinao, Urdaneta, Urbiztondo, Bani, Bugallon, Mangaldan Tarlac: Victoria Negros Oriental: Dumaguete, Valencia

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

Bataan: Orani Bulacan: San Rafael, Pulilan Nueva Ecija: Jaen, Quezon Pampanga: Lubao Pangasinan: Alaminos, Bolinao, Urdaneta, Bugallon, Mangaldan Tarlac: Victoria Negros Oriental: Dumaguete, Valencia

The promo package must be purchased within this period. SIM and promo must be activated within 30 days from delivery. Promo will not activate beyond the 30-day delivery period. 2)

The Php 199 promo + Php 40 SIM bundle is priced at Php 239.00 and is inclusive of the following: a. b. c. d. e. f.

c. d. e. 3)

d. e.

b. c. d.

How to Activate the Promo Insert the DITO SIM in the prescreened DITO compatible device or other DITO compatible devices. The 25GB high-speed data, on-net call, and on-net text promo shall be automatically enabled upon activation of the SIM Card. To activate the SIM card, subscribers may turn on their data, attempt a call or send an SMS. b. Subscribers will receive confirmation via SMS for the activation of the SIM card and the promo. Once availed, the promo is non-refundable / non-replaceable / non-exchangeable. The promo must be availed and activated within 30 days from the date the DITO SIM was successfully delivered. The SIM card shall expire if not activated within “1” year from purchase.

The promo cannot be used in conjunction with any unlimited promo offers, discount available and other exclusive promo offers.

10)

The promo cannot be converted to cash, credit, or other goods and services of DITO.

11) By availing of the promo, the subscriber confirms that he/she has read, understood, and agrees to the promo mechanics, its terms and conditions, the terms and conditions of the SIM card. Subscriber also agrees not to use the SIM card and/or promo for illicit or illegal means. 12)

For any concerns and/or inquiries regarding the promo, information may be sent to customerservice@dito.ph. All matters and disputes will be subject to the final decision of DITO Telecommunity. All decisions made by DITO Telecommunity pertaining to the promo will be deemed final and irrevocable, with the prior concurrence of DTI.

How to download and install DITO App: Download and install the DITO App via the link included in the activation SMS. The activation SMS will be sent to the SUBSCRIBER after activation of the SIM card. (note – use of the DITO App will not use or require any data allocation from the subscriber, free WiFi access shall be available in the DITO’s partner stores for application downloading and promo activation purposes, subscribers may also use the 1 GB data allocation included with the SIM card to download and activate the promo) Create and Log-in on the DITO App – initial password will be given via SMS.

How to avail the promo: a. Log-in on the DITO App. b. Go to the App Home Page then select the 25GB Data Promo. c. Subscriber must click on the confirmation button to proceed with the purchase of the offer. d. Subscriber will receive confirmation via APP and SMS.

Promo shall only be offered in the following new areas: LUZON: NCR: Manila, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Pasay, Taguig, Pateros, Makati, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Marikina, Las Pinas; Pangasinan: Basista, Binmaley, Dagupan, Manaoag, Mangatarem, San Manuel, San Carlos City, Lingayen (Capital), San Nicolas; Bulacan: Pandi, San Jose del Monte, Malolos, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Plaridel, Baliuag, Guiguinto, Bustos, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Santa Maria; Nueva Ecija: Llanera, Palayan City, Santa Rosa, Santo Domingo Science City of Munoz, Talavera, Cabanatuan, Gapan City, San Leonardo, San Jose, General Mamerto Natividad, Rizal, Zaragoza, General Tinio (Papaya), Licab; Pampanga: Angeles, Mabalacat, Mexico, Guagua, San Fernando, Magalang, San Simon; Tarlac: Capas, Tarlac City, Concepcion, Gerona, Moncada, La Paz, Ramos, San Manuel, Pura; Zambales: Olongapo, Subic; Bataan: Balanga, Dinalupihan; Batangas: Alitagtag, Bauan, Cuenca, San Jose, Ibaan, Batangas City, Malvar, Mataas na Kahoy, San Pascual, Santo Tomas, Lipa City, Talisay, Tanauan City, Taysan, Balete, Padre Garcia, San Juan, Balayan, Calaca, San Luis, Taal, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Lian, Calatagan, Tuy, Laurel; Cavite: Kawit, Bacoor, Imus, Tagaytay City, Silang, Dasmarinas, Carmona, Amadeo, Rosario, Mendez, Indang, Alfonso, General Trias, Trece Martirez, Tanza, Magallanes. Naic; Laguna: San Pedro, Sta Rosa, Binan, Cabuyao, Los Banos, Calamba City, Victoria, Calauan, Alaminos, San Pablo, Majayjay, Luisiana, Rizal; Rizal: Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay; Quezon: Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Pagbilao, San Antonio, Sariaya VISAYAS: Cebu: Toledo City, Balamban, Barili, Carcar, Cebu City, Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Danao, Liloan, Mandaue, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando, Lapu Lapu, Dumanjug, Talisay, Moalboal, Bogo City, San Remigio, Sogod, Alcantara, Santander, Ginatilan, Daanbantayan; Negros Occidental: Bacolod City, Kabankalan, Pulupandan, Silay City, Valladolid, Binalbagan; Iloilo: Iloilo City, Oton MINDANAO: Agusan Del Norte: City of Butuan; Agusan del Sur: Rosario, San Francisco, Trento, Bayugan, Santa Josefa; Compostela Valley: Monkayo; Davao del Norte: Santo Tomas, Braulio E. Dujali, Panabo, Tagum, Carmen, Island City of Samal; Davao del Sur: Santa Cruz, Bansalan, Davao City, Digos, Hagonoy; Davao de Oro: Montevista, Compostela, Nabunturan, Maco; Cotabato: Kidapawan, Makilala; South Cotabato: General Santos City, Polomolok; Bukidnon: Malaybalay, City of Valencia, Quezon, Don Carlos, Manolo Fortich, Baungon, Libona, Impasug-ong, Maramag; Lanao Del Norte: Linamon; Misamis Oriental: Balingasag, Cagayan de Oro, Claveria, Talisayan, Manticao, Sugbongcogon, Medina, Kinoguitan, Binuangan, Balingoan, Naawan, Villanueva, City of El Salvador, Jasaan, Opol, Tagoloan, City of Gingoog, Lugait; Gitagum, Laguindingan, Libertad, Initao; Saranggani: Alabel

Promo resubscription is allowed even if the current subscription is active. The remaining data and off-net minutes allocation from the previous subscription will be carried over to the latest subscription.

Once availed, the promo is non-refundable / non-replaceable / non-exchangeable. Promo is only valid for the subscriber’s DITO compatible mobile phone where the purchased DITO SIM and Promo are installed.

Once availed, the promo is non-refundable / non-replaceable / nonexchangeable. Promo is only valid for the subscriber’s DITO compatible mobile phone where the purchased DITO SIM and Promo are installed.

Promo cannot be used in conjunction with any unlimited promo offers, discount available and exclusive promo offers.

10)

Promo cannot be converted to cash, credit, or other goods and services.

10)

Promo cannot be converted to cash, credit, or other goods and services.

11) By availing of the promo, the subscriber confirms that he/she has read, understood, and agreed to the promo mechanics, its terms, and conditions. Subscriber also agrees not to use the SIM and/or promo for illicit or illegal means. 12)

Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-123441 Series of 2021

Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-122325 Series of 2021 (MS-SEPT. 7, 2021)

MINDANAO: Agusan Del Norte: City of Butuan; Agusan del Sur: Rosario, San Francisco, Trento, Bayugan, Santa Josefa; Compostela Valley: Monkayo; Davao del Norte: Santo Tomas, Braulio E. Dujali, Panabo, Tagum, Carmen, Island City of Samal; Davao del Sur: Santa Cruz, Bansalan, Davao City, Digos, Hagonoy; Davao de Oro: Montevista, Compostela, Nabunturan, Maco; Cotabato: Kidapawan, Makilala; South Cotabato: General Santos City, Polomolok; Bukidnon: Malaybalay, City of Valencia, Quezon, Don Carlos, Manolo Fortich, Baungon, Libona, Impasug-ong, Maramag; Lanao Del Norte: Linamon; Misamis Oriental: Balingasag, Cagayan de Oro, Claveria, Talisayan, Manticao, Sugbongcogon, Medina, Kinoguitan, Binuangan, Balingoan, Naawan, Villanueva, City of El Salvador, Jasaan, Opol, Tagoloan, City of Gingoog, Lugait; Gitagum, Laguindingan, Libertad, Initao; Saranggani: Alabel

Must have a valid and working DITO prepaid SIM card installed in one DITO compatible phone. The list of outlets selling the SIM card can be found in DITO’s website (https://www.dito.ph). b. Must have an existing DITO load of at least Php 199.00. The list of outlets selling the DITO load can be found in DITO’s website (https:// www.dito.ph). c. Installed and working DITO App in device.

VISAYAS: Cebu: Toledo City, Balamban, Barili, Carcar, Cebu City, Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Danao, Liloan, Mandaue, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando, Lapu Lapu, Dumanjug, Talisay, Moalboal, Bogo City, San Remigio, Sogod, Alcantara, Santander, Ginatilan, Daanbantayan; Negros Occidental: Bacolod City, Kabankalan, Pulupandan, Silay City, Valladolid, Binalbagan; Iloilo: Iloilo City, Oton

Prerequisites: a.

Promo shall only be offered in the following areas: LUZON: NCR: Manila, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Pasay, Taguig, Pateros, Makati, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Marikina, Las Pinas; Pangasinan: Basista, Binmaley, Dagupan, Manaoag, Mangatarem, San Manuel, San Carlos City, Lingayen (Capital), San Nicolas; Bulacan: Pandi, San Jose del Monte, Malolos, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Plaridel, Baliuag, Guiguinto, Bustos, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Santa Maria; Nueva Ecija: Llanera, Palayan City, Santa Rosa, Santo Domingo Science City of Munoz, Talavera, Cabanatuan, Gapan City, San Leonardo, San Jose, General Mamerto Natividad, Rizal, Zaragoza, General Tinio (Papaya), Licab; Pampanga: Angeles, Mabalacat, Mexico, Guagua, San Fernando, Magalang, San Simon; Tarlac: Capas, Tarlac City, Concepcion, Gerona, Moncada, La Paz, Ramos, San Manuel, Pura; Zambales: Olongapo, Subic; Bataan: Balanga, Dinalupihan; Batangas: Alitagtag, Bauan, Cuenca, San Jose, Ibaan, Batangas City, Malvar, Mataas na Kahoy, San Pascual, Santo Tomas, Lipa City, Talisay, Tanauan City, Taysan, Balete, Padre Garcia, San Juan, Balayan, Calaca, San Luis, Taal, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Lian, Calatagan, Tuy, Laurel; Cavite: Kawit, Bacoor, Imus, Tagaytay City, Silang, Dasmarinas, Carmona, Amadeo, Rosario, Mendez, Indang, Alfonso, General Trias, Trece Martirez, Tanza, Magallanes. Naic; Laguna: San Pedro, Sta Rosa, Binan, Cabuyao, Los Banos, Calamba City, Victoria, Calauan, Alaminos, San Pablo, Majayjay, Luisiana, Rizal; Rizal: Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay; Quezon: Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Pagbilao, San Antonio, Sariaya

Via Shopee: a.

How to avail the promo: a. Log-in on the DITO App. b. Go to the App Home Page then select the 10GB Data Promo. c. Subscriber must click on the confirmation button to proceed with the purchase of the offer. d. Subscriber will receive confirmation via APP and SMS.

Via Lazada Mall:

b. c.

How to download and install DITO App:

The promo is priced at Php 199.00 and is inclusive of the following: a. 25GB Data for 30 days upon activation of the promo. b. Unlimited DITO-to-DITO calls for 30 days upon activation of the promo. c. Unlimited DITO-to-DITO SMS for 30 days upon activation of the promo. d. 300 minutes of calls to other mobile networks e. Unlimited texts to other mobile networks

Create and Log-in on the DITO App – initial password will be given via SMS.

(note – use of the DITO App will not use or require any data allocation from the subscriber, free WiFi access shall be available in the DITO’s partner stores for application downloading and promo activation purposes, subscribers may also use the 1 GB data allocation included with the SIM card to download and activate the promo)

Must have a valid and working DITO prepaid SIM card installed in one DITO compatible phone. The list of outlets selling the SIM card can be found in DITO’s website (https://www.dito.ph). Must have an existing DITO load of at least Php 99.00. The list of outlets selling the DITO load can be found in DITO’s website (https://www.dito.ph). Installed and working DITO App in device.

Download and install the DITO App via the link included in the activation SMS. The activation SMS will be sent to the SUBSCRIBER after activation of the SIM card.

Promo shall only be offered in the following new cities and municipalities in the following: LUZON: NCR: Manila, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Pasay, Taguig, Pateros, Makati, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Marikina, Las Pinas; Pangasinan: Basista, Binmaley, Dagupan, Manaoag, Mangatarem, San Manuel, San Carlos City, Lingayen (Capital), San Nicolas; Bulacan: Pandi, San Jose del Monte, Malolos, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Plaridel, Baliuag, Guiguinto, Bustos, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, Santa Maria; Nueva Ecija: Llanera, Palayan City, Santa Rosa, Santo Domingo Science City of Munoz, Talavera, Cabanatuan, Gapan City, San Leonardo, San Jose, General Mamerto Natividad, Rizal, Zaragoza, General Tinio (Papaya), Licab; Pampanga: Angeles, Mabalacat, Mexico, Guagua, San Fernando, Magalang, San Simon; Tarlac: Capas, Tarlac City, Concepcion, Gerona, Moncada, La Paz, Ramos, San Manuel, Pura; Zambales: Olongapo, Subic; Bataan: Balanga, Dinalupihan; Batangas: Alitagtag, Bauan, Cuenca, San Jose, Ibaan, Batangas City, Malvar, Mataas na Kahoy, San Pascual, Santo Tomas, Lipa City, Talisay, Tanauan City, Taysan, Balete, Padre Garcia, San Juan, Balayan, Calaca, San Luis, Taal, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Lian, Calatagan, Tuy, Laurel; Cavite: Kawit, Bacoor, Imus, Tagaytay City, Silang, Dasmarinas, Carmona, Amadeo, Rosario, Mendez, Indang, Alfonso, General Trias, Trece Martirez, Tanza, Magallanes. Naic; Laguna: San Pedro, Sta Rosa, Binan, Cabuyao, Los Banos, Calamba City, Victoria, Calauan, Alaminos, San Pablo, Majayjay, Luisiana, Rizal; Rizal: Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay; Quezon: Candelaria, City of Tayabas, Pagbilao, San Antonio, Sariaya

The promo must be activated within the promo period. Promos activated after the promo period shall not take effect.

10GB Data for 30 days upon activation of the promo. Unlimited DITO-to-DITO calls for 30 days upon activation of the promo. Unlimited DITO-to-DITO SMS for 30 days upon activation of the promo. 300 minutes of calls to other mobile networks Unlimited texts to other mobile networks

Prerequisites:

Go to DITO’s Promo Page at (https://dito.ph/promo-page.html) or DITO’s Facebook page at (https://www.facebook.com/DITO.ph/). Scan the promo QR code or access the promo link to access the DITO Online Store. In the DITO Online Store, check if your handset is compatible and location covered by the promo. Read, understand, and accept the terms and condition of the SIM card, Welcome Offer Promo, and privacy policy. Purchase the “25GB Data” package. Customers can pay using credit/debit cards and various e-wallet as indicated in the online store. Customers will be asked to input their name, email address, contact number and delivery address where the DITO packaged will be delivered, delivery is valid within the promo areas only. The promo package shall be delivered to the customer via third-party courier and may be subject to a delivery fee. Delivery schedule may be subject to change by the third-party couriers depending on its terms and conditions or force majeure. If you are unable to receive your order or received a damaged SIM card, you may reach out send an email to customerservice@dito.ph or send your concerns via DITO’s Facebook messenger or using the DITO App.

Bani,

The promo is priced at Php 99.00 and is inclusive of the following: a. b.

How to buy the “25GB Data” package Via the DITO Website and DITO Facebook account:

Only those with device compatible with the DITO SIM card and has passed the location validation may avail the promo. Device and location compatibility shall be assessed during the online ordering process. The list of available devices shall be available at DITO’s website (https://www.dito.ph/). Network locked phones, aside from DITO’s, and phones blocked by government agencies shall be considered as non-compatible devices. DITO shall have the sole discretion on whether a particular device is compatible with DITO SIM cards. In case of dispute on device compatibility, the list, and records of DITO shall prevail. Promo is only valid for the subscriber’s DITO compatible mobile phone where the purchased DITO SIM and Promo are installed.

Urbiztondo,

The promo must be activated within the promo period. Promos activated after the promo period shall not take effect.

Prerequisites: a.

SIM card 25GB Data for 30 days upon activation of the SIM card. Unlimited DITO-to-DITO calls for 30 days upon activation of the SIM Card. Unlimited DITO-to-DITO SMS for 30 days upon activation of the SIM Card 300 minutes of calls to other networks Unlimited texts to other networks

Promo will be available starting from September 10 – September 30, 2021 in the following additional areas as approved by DTI-FTEB:

(MS-SEPT. 7, 2021)

Entertainment G

MA Artist Center (GMAAC), the talent arm of GMA Network, is committed to its vision of being at the forefront of discovering and honing next generation stars and talents.

On Sunday, viewers witnessed a glimpse of “Signed For Stardom,” the biggest contract signing event spearheaded by GMA Artist Center, in the hit weekend variety show, All-Out Sundays. GMAAC talents have already been recognized in various international competitions and festivals. As they progress into the ever-changing landscape of show business, they aim to produce more globally competitive artists that can impress audiences in and out the Philippines. Opening the All-Out Sundays special segment was a short glimpse of how the management has helped its existing artists wow the world in several different fields and various prestigious award-giving bodies across countries. Throughout the years, the GMA Artist Center is always on the lookout for projects and collaborations, both local and international, where their artists could showcase their versatility in their chosen field of expertise. Present during the contract signing ceremony were GMA top executives Felipe S. Yalong, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, Lilybeth G. Rasonable, Regie C. Bautista, Jose Mari R. Abacan, Oliver B. Amoroso, Angel Javier-Cruz, Gigi Santiago-Lara, and Simoun Ferrer, GMA Artist Center consultant Johnny Manahan, and GMA Artist Center Senior Talent Managers Daryl Zamora, Vic Del Rosario, Tracy Garcia, and Joy Marcelo. GMA Artist Center proudly sealed the contracts of various Kapuso talents in the event namely Mark Herras, Pauline Mendoza, Ashley Ortega, Faye Lorenzo, Therese Malvar, Vaness Del Moral,

SIGNED FOR STARDOM GMA Artist Center welcomes new generation of talents

From left: Levince Sotto, Migs Villasis, Gab Yabut, Kimson Tan, and Sebastian Pajarillo

From left: Saviour Ramos, Lala Vinzon, Julia Pascual, Alexandra Yap, Claire Castro, and Sandro Muhlach

Mikael and wife Megan plans to make new memories in Zambales platform Netflix. IN A recent virtual “Such development interview in line with really makes me proud. his contract renewal We have our soap opera, with GMA Network, something we put so actor Mikael Daez JOSEPH PETER much blood, sweat, and revealed that he and wife GONZALES tears into, and it can Megan Young are keen be viewed by people on residing in Subic, around the world in Zambales. “Actually, we already have a place in High Definition (HD). Guess it’s pretty Zambales but we haven’t moved yet,” he cool and nice,” stated Mikael. said. “Megan and I are very spontaneous *** and we realized that a lot of work still Asked about Julia Montes’ recent requires us to be based in Metro Manila. entry in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, Yassi “We are very grateful for all the Pressman averred that it was “definitely, wonderful opportunities that come our it’s a great move.” way so we decided to stay. What happens She said that she was so excited when is that when we have time, maybe one day she saw the teaser. or during the weekend, we go to Subic to “Well, I’m sure many already miss seeing visit our place.” Julia on screen again. She took a rest for Residing in Subic is part of their long- quite some time, right? I don’t know what term goal. she did but I’m certain it was great for her. “Given the right timing, we’ll really And for her to make FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano move there in a heartbeat. For one, the as her comeback vehicle, I’m sure that her quality of life there is very different. fans are hugely excited.” You don’t have to go through EDSA and Yassi wishes her former program the encounter traffic. Spending two hours of best of luck. your day literally or almost ten percent of “I know that whatever they do, it will your life in traffic is a waste of time. Megan always be well-thought of and exciting.” and I believe that living in Zambales will She was part of Kapamilya’s longestbe a great experience and will be the running action-drama series for five source of wonderful memories.” years as Coco Martin’s love interest. Meanwhile, the \ actor is happy with Her character exited the show in the fact that the latest drama series January this year. he starred in Love of My Life “I’m grateful to be with Carla Abellana, Rhian with them for a long Ramos, Tom Rodriguez, time. It was a conflict and Coney Reyes can now of schedule why I left,” Yassi ended. be seen in the streaming

SHTICKS

Actor Mikael Daez with wife and former Miss World Megan Young

From left: Martin Javier, Patricia Tumulak, Rain Matienzo, Luane Dy, and Chef Jose Sarasola

From left: Pauline Medoza, Faye Lorenzo, Analyn Barro, Sherilyn Reyes Tan, Ashley Ortega, Therese Malvar, Lucho Ayala, and Vaness Del Moral

West returns to #1 in the US, the UK, and Australia with his biggest career streaming numbers to date, and sees his first career #1 debuts in France, Italy and Sweden. Donda set an Apple Music alltime record at #1 in 152 countries. Donda was previewed at three historic livestreamed listening events – at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium and Chicago’s Soldier Field – each of which successively broke Apple Music’s global records for livestream audience. “For the last few years, Kanye West — perhaps tired of the insufficiency of the

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

Analyn Barro, Lucho Ayala, Sherilyn Reyes-Tan, Luane Dy, Jose Sarasola, Rain Matienzo, Martin Javier, Patricia Tumulak, Claire Castro, Alexandra Yap, Julia Pascual, Sandro Muhlach, Saviour Ramos, Lala Vinzon, Denise Barbacena, Shemee Buenaobra, Gab Yabut, Sebastian Pajarillo, Levince Sotto, Kimson Tan, Migs Villasis, Jamir Zabarte, Ashley Alcayde, Carlo San Juan, Lei Angela, Coleen Paz, Bryce Eusebio, Gabrielle Hahn, and Shanelle Agustin. This roster boasts of a variety of talents in the fields of acting, singing, dancing, and hosting, as well as showbiz royalties who are full of promising potential. Also in attendance were the artists’ comanagers Bernard Anacta, Gertrudes Piccio, Ferdie Lapuz, Jay-Bee Ron Tañedo, Angelo Diego Castro III, Christopher Tan, Jeffrey Gonzales, Lyndon Raymund Santos, Alberto Monteras II, Ernesto Unay, Tyronne Escalante, Charlie Dy, Mark Salamat, and Rex Bellarmino. Mr. Yalong expressed his delight in signing up these artists through this grand event, “As far as I can remember, this is the biggest contract signing event that GMA has done. We are happy that you trusted your contracts and management with us. I would like to welcome our new artists that will be signing as you made a good decision to make GMA Artist Center manage your showbiz career. You can expect changes on how our talent management and development will revitalize GMA Artist Center, now that we have Mr. M helping us in this area.” Meanwhile, Mr. M teased about the exciting future of GMAArtist Center, "As you know, the job of an actor or an artist is to deliver memorable performances in whatever projects he or she may be doing. Our job, my job, is to transform GMA Artist Center into a world-class organization, ready for the challenges of a new era of artist management. This is your home and we are happy to be at your service and hoping for a mutually satisfying professional relationship." Read full story on manilastandard.net

MBC short film fest winners revealed TITSER Gennie, a highly moving documentary about an Aeta teacher’s sacrifices in fulfilling her calling while surmounting various challenges, was named Grand Prix winner at the recently concluded 2021 MBC Short Film Festival. Produced and directed by Elijah Prades, a broadcast production alumna of the University of Makati (UMAK), the film first took home the category win for the Documentary Film genre before being voted by judges Laurice Guillen, Quark Henares, and Joey Reyes as over-all best movie in the first ever film festival launched by Manila Broadcasting Company.

A scene from 'Titser Gennie,' a documentary about an Aeta teacher’s sacrifices in fulfilling her calling while surmounting various challenges.

From a storyline originally developed by UMAK students Eudel Ayuban, Leda Razel Miranda, Yvonne Clarisse Dalusong, and Jean Pearl Silvestre, Prades used her learnings as a former intern at Probe Team to follow the journey of Gennie Panguelo, who pursued her dream of becoming a licensed teacher, trekking three hours daily through lahar roads, streams, and mountains just to teach her fellow Aetas in Sitio Tarukan, Capas, Tarlac. Prades and her team earned a total cash prize of P165,000 for the Grand Prix win. Sonny Calvento’s Excuse me, Miss, Miss, Miss, which provided a comic view into the life of a contractual saleslady was named Best Short Feature, while Stay, a heartwarming story about the relationship of a dog and his human, directed by Irenea Catalina Valencia, was named Best Animated Film. Both took home P90,000 each The films of Prades and Valencia were joined in the top 15 final roster by three other student works from the University of Makati: Mga Batang Anipa by Maria Fyl Gultian and Alundra Villanueva; Home by Bryan Kent Abias; and Last Piece (directed by Andrea Bonagua and Anthony Santiago), which also won the award for Fan Favorite. The broadcasting network group of MBC, which is continuously developing events for its digital platforms, launched the film competition to celebrate the extraordinary creative energy of Filipino filmmakers nationwide, and called for entries depicting human interest stories based on real-life characters/situations in which the Filipino triumphs over adversity The competition also served as the centerpiece of the anniversary celebrations of MBC’s flagship station DZRH.

BTS, K-Pop docus premiere in PH via iWantTFC A K-POP party is happening on iWantTFC as it premieres two documentaries that celebrate the world’s biggest musical idols, The Rise of K-pop and BTS: Global Takeover, in the Philippines on Sept. 17 at 10:00 a.m. The Rise of K-Pop takes an inside look at how Korean pop music’s catchy songs, polished choreography, and high-concept production became a worldwide cultural phenomenon, with groups such as BTS, Blackpink, iKON, EXO, VIXX, NCT, and G-idle amassing millions of ‘stans’ globally. BTS: Global Takeover, meanwhile, is a must-watch

Considered as the biggest boyband since The Beatles, BTS is at the forefront of the k-pop revolution that is sweeping the world.

Kanye West’s ‘Donda’ makes history as 2021’s biggest debut US rapper and record producer Kanye West, dubbed as among the most influential pop stars of the 21st century, returns to the top of the album charts in historic fashion again this week. Released off-cycle on Aug. 29, Donda is the biggest album debut of 2021, racking up over 520,000 equivalent units globally in its first week of streaming. The record has accumulated over 775 million global streams; over 442 Million at Spotify, and 242 Million at Apple Music worldwide. Donda is a global phenomenon, topping the album charts in eleven countries.

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

album, or music-making in general — has been seeking increasingly grand canvases for his various projects… New music may have been the raison d’être for these events, but it is not his sole goal… the version of Donda played at each event has been different — and West’s refining of it in public is his true artistic project now. It is an ideal strategy for West, still among the most influential pop stars of the 21st century, an artist who is almost incalculably popular and yet almost wholly removed from the pop music mainstream,” New York Times said of the new album.

for all Filipino ARMYs. It traces the humble beginnings of the Grammy-nominated band, the setbacks that plagued their early years, and the successes that made them the leader of the K-pop revolution. Now, devoted fans follow their every move, from their personal vlogs to their high-energy performances, thought-provoking lyrics, and trendsetting style that set them apart from the others. Access to the docus will be valid for 48 hours only upon purchase. Fans can now purchase a ticket for P499 to watch the back-to-back documentaries on the iWantTFC app or website (iwanttfc.com).

Kanye West's new album 'Donda' has amassed 775 million streams since its debut a week ago.

Life

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

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

HEALTH BULLETIN

Do UV lamps, air purifiers, double-masking work against COVID-19 throat irritation, shortness of breath, and chest pain even in low amounts.”

...and the wearable ones?

Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat

DFA Ladies Foundation chairperson Maria Lourdes Locsin

Women sustainability champions honored in mid-autumn celebration

Katutubo PH founder Mons Romulo

House deputy speaker Loren Legarda

By Bernadette Lunas

S IS the tradition of giving thanks for the harvest, a hotel’s celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival is a thanksgiving for Filipino women championing sustainability in their respective fields. “We are turning the spotlight on the Filipino’s harvest of bountiful produce, born from the nation’s hard work and ingenuity,” said Conrad Manila general manager and sustainability advocate Linda Pecoraro at the launch of the hotel’s Mid-Autumn Festival event, themed “Harvest”. Despite the challenges the pandemic brought to the hospitality industry, Pecoraro said Conrad Manila had “a good harvest season”. She said, “We did it with the strength of our corporate vision to spread the warmth and light of hospitality, and with our passion to make a difference in the market we serve.” The awardees, dubbed Women Champions of Sustainability, served as an inspiration for the five-star seaside hotel, according to its general manager. “All of the ladies have the same belief of sustainability as Conrad Manila, so it Each Zarah Juan-designed Harvest bag packs four mooncakes, including the new Baked Fragrant Pandan with Taro Black Gold Charcoal Mooncake.

was a very easy choice for us,” Pecoraro added. Pecoraro, together with director of operations Emile Otte, commercial director Michael Albaña, and F&B director Ben Nicholas, awarded, in a virtual event, House deputy speaker Rep. Loren Legarda. The journalist-turned-political leader is noted for her work on women’s and children’s rights, Philippine culture, and the environment. She authored, among others, the Climate Change Law, the Environmental Awareness Education Act, and the Clean Air Act. But at the end of the day, Legarda said, the laws must be “mainstreamed” to make a difference. She said, “We must institutionalize waste segregation, composting, and recycling. It’s good for the pocket, good for the health, good for the environment.”

Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano

Sustainability, she clarified, does not mean “everything should be bamboo”, albeit using it as an alternative will help. “Programs are in place and it would be great if institutions can mainstream them as well,” said Legarda, a 2001 United Nations Environment Programme Laureate and a UN Global Champion for Resilience in 2015, among other recognitions. Pecoraro said sustainability measures in place at the “ecoconscious Hilton property” amid a plastic-ridden pandemic included using bamboo utensils for their takeaway food and beverage products. “As for plastics,” she added, “we still use a little bit of plastic because of safety factors”. Also recognized for championing sustainability was Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat. Deemed the hospitality industry’s driver on its journey towards recovery, her work focuses on the development of areas supporting sustainable tourism, increasing investments in the sector, and enhancing programs for tourism infrastructure. Pasay City Mayor Imelda “Emi” Calixto-Rubiano was also awarded for her efforts in health, infrastructure, diversity and inclusion, and empowering persons with disability. DFA Ladies Foundation chairperson Maria Lourdes Locsin’s promotion of Filipino indigenous fashion, heritage cuisines, and visual arts earned her a place in Conrad Manila’s list of sustainability champions. Mons Romulo, Katutubo PH founder, rounded off the list for promoting local products on her platform as well as championing children’s rights against abuse and providing healthcare for cancer victims. Each woman sustainability champion was presented with Conrad Manila’s limited edition bag designed by Zarah Juan and made from upcycled wood by community artisans from Paete, Laguna. Called Harvest, each bag features an embroidery depicting the traditional barong fabric with an intricate design of rice grains. It comes in luscious red and coral tan. The bag packs four mooncakes – including the new Baked Fragrant Pandan with Taro Black Gold Charcoal Mooncake – by executive Chinese chef Eng Yew Khor of China Blue by Jereme Leung.

Wearable air purifiers have become a popular “shield” the public uses believing the claim they protect the wearer from the virus, so much so that a public official in Cebu ordered PUV drivers and conductors to wear them. But Dr. Ocampo says there’s little scientific evidence that these personal devices are effective against viruses because they don’t have a reliable filter. “As far as the medical and scientific community knows, it’s much better to get rid of viruses from the An infectious disease expert advises to limit air through air purifiers with HEPA filters, time in closed spaces and always wear a face which these necklaces don’t have.” mask.

THE war against COVID-19 is expensive. Not including the hefty treatment costs, buying vitamins and supplements, face masks and other protective equipment, and health products like air purifiers to prevent infection can burn a hole in one’s pocket – especially if they don’t really work. Health experts from Makati Medical Center give the lowdown on products that claim to help prevent the virus and suggest the right way to protect ourselves from the disease.

Does UV lamp work?

Joseph Buensalido, MD, from the Section of Infectious Diseases, says UV light has been used against pathogens for decades, and some recent studies reported it can also inactivate SARS-CoV-2. “But to kill viruses and bacteria using UV light,” he adds, “you should use the right kind as there are three types of UV light – UVA, UVB, and UVC”. Of the three types, UVC is used to kill microorganisms. It has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy. “UVC damages the DNA and RNA of pathogens, stopping them from replicating,” adds Dr. Buensalido. Using it right also factors in its effectivity. The infectious disease expert reveals that for UVC to disinfect, the right dosage must be emitted, which can cause skin burns and eye injuries to a person exposed to it, even briefly. “That is why only a trained professional should be allowed to use it within a controlled environment such as hospitals and industrial spaces,” points out Dr. Buensalido. UVC lamps marketed for home use, he says, “may or may not be effective”, adding, “There isn’t enough evidence to use it outside of a clinic or a hospital setting, particularly because its misuse may be harmful or produce long-term adverse effects on people’s health.”

To use or not to use

At the end of the day, Dr. Buensalido reminds that UVC lamps and air purifiers should only be part of a multifaceted approach in fighting the virus. “Nothing beats following minimum standard health protocols such as wearing face masks, frequent washing of hands, observing physical distancing especially in confined spaces, opening windows for improving air flow, and avoiding sick people,” he says. “And these won’t even cost you thousands of pesos.”

Double mask versus Delta

With a more contagious variant, another Makati Med infectious disease expert, Marion Kwek, MD, reiterates the importance of following – and augmenting – safety practices that stem the spread of the virus. Dr. Kwek underlines the importance of the quality of face mask. She says, “It’s a must for your mask to snugly fit your face. Choose a mask with nose wire so you can adjust it to your face accordingly. She suggests avoiding masks with gaps on the side of the face or exhalation valves or vents which render them ineffective in stopping the virus from spreading. “Your mask should also have at least two layers of breathable materials.” Double-masking, Dr. Kwek says, helps improve the fit or fill in the gaps. “But ideally, you should wear a disposable surgical mask underneath and a cloth mask on top.” Men with beards, on the other hand, are recommended to trim the hair close to the face for a better mask fit. Dr. Kwek seconds the use of air filters to improve ventilation – or better still, open windows or turn on fans to reduce virus particles from accumulating in the air. She also reminds retaining practices such as sanitizing frequently touched objects and surfaces, avoiding touching of face (“At times when you really need to; just make sure that you do so with clean hands,” she says); and washing hands properly, at least 40 to 60 seconds (“If soap and water are not easily available while you’re out, you can use an alcoholbased hand sanitizer. Make sure to wash your hands when you get home.”). When going outside, Dr. Kwek says to limit the time spent in closed spaces because “there is a larger risk of being exposed to the virus when you’re indoors with strangers for a longer time”. “Whether you’re vaccinated or not, avoiding exposure to the virus is the best way to keep COVID-19 away from your home. It’s best to mask up, wear a face shield, and keep observing COVID-19 safety protocols until this pandemic is all over.”

How about air purifiers?

If you are getting an air purifier to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Gregorio Ocampo, MD, of the Section of Pulmonary Medicine, suggests getting one with HEPA or high-efficiency particulate air filter “since it can capture particles smaller than SARS-CoV-2, which can be transmitted in small droplets that may linger in the air for hours”. Dr. Ocampo reminds consumers to check the unit’s specifications if it is suitable for the size of the room in which it will be used. He adds, “Be careful of air purifiers that may produce ozone, which can damage the lungs when inhaled. It can even make Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer to disinfect asthma worse and can cause coughing, hands if soap and water are not available.

Score discounted disinfectant spray on 9.9 sale Lysol products are discounted during Shopee 9.9 sale.

HOUSEHOLD cleaning and disinfectant brand Lysol joins the upcoming 9.9 sale on Shopee, offering up to 35 percent discount. On top of the 35 percent off, an additional 5 percent discount will apply for every three or more Lysol products bought on Sept. 9-10. Get P90 off using the code LYSOL90 for orders of disinfectant sprays, multi-action cleaners, or multipurpose surface wipes worth at least P999.