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‘PANDORA PAPERS’ EXPOSE OFFSHORE HOLDERS, INCLUDING 900 IN PH STORIES BELOW

PH still classified as moderate risk despite declining cases By Willie Casas THE Philippines is ate” risk for COVthe decline in the Depart-

Health (DOH) said on Monday. During a press briefing, Health Unstill at “moder- dersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire ID-19 despite said the country’s two-week growth recent cases, rate decreased to -21 percent, with an average daily attack rate (ADAR) ment of

VOL. XXXV • NO. 232 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 •TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Get vaxxed, win P1m cash prize as gov’t pushes drive THE government said Monday a total P3 million in cash prizes would be raffled among Filipinos who are vaccinated against COVID-19 -- including P1 million for the grand draw in December. The announcement of the raf-

fle promo at an event at SM City Clark in Pampanga said 100 winners would be picked during the monthly draw that begins this month. The prize for the monthly winners was not disclosed. Next page

Duterte ready to face ICC raps

OFFICIAL BETS. Aksyon Demokratiko

presidential bet Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso (left) and vicepresidential hopeful Dr. Willie Ong gesture after filing their certificates of candidacy at the Harbour Garden Tent of Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City for the May 2022 national elections on Monday. Inset is former President and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who also filed her COC for Pampanga’s 2nd congressional district through her lawyer (see stories on A4). AFP with Norman Cruz

By Jimbo Gulle PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he is ready to face the charges brought against him at the International Criminal Court for his deadly drug war even when he retires to his hometown of

Davao City, as long as the evidence is not fabricated against him. Duterte also formally endorsed his longtime aide, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, for vice president, saying he respected the will of the people in withdrawing his own bid for VP Next page

Kids with disorders jab priority DOH lists 11 medical conditions for minors to be first in line

By Willie Casas

HE Department of Health (DOH) has listed 11 medical conditions that would make children aged 12 to 17 priorities for vaccination against COVID-19.

In a message to reporters, the DOH said children with the following medical conditions would get priority for vaccination: medical complexity, genetic conditions, neurologic conditions, metabolic or endocrine conditions, cardiovascular disease, obesity, HIV infection, tuberculosis, chronic respiratory disease, renal disorders, and hepatobiliary In a media forum, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said children seeking vaccination must get a clearance from their

doctors as well as give their consent. Vergeire said children with comorbidities will be part of priority group A3. The DOH earlier stressed the need for a carefully planned rollout of vaccines for children, especially since the risks of contracting severe forms of the disease are significantly lower for healthy children. While vaccinations for children will be done in hospitals, Vergeire said there is no change Next page

SM-VAXCERTPH PACT. SM Supermalls became the first official VAXCertPH venue partner after signing a deal with the Department of Health and the Department of Interior and Local Government at SM City Clark on Monday. During the initiative’s launch, SM announced it will be providing specific areas in 76 SM malls for VAXCertPH booths, where Filipinos can get their digital vaccination records verified from their local government unit. Present during the signing are (from left) SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan; vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr.; Health Secretary Francisco Duque III; DILG Usec. Jonathan Malaya; and testing czar Sec. Vince Dizon.

Mago retracts testimony in Senate, calls it as ‘pressured response’

2,604,040 10,748

106,160

38,828

2,459,052 16,523 (As of 4 PM, October 4)

By Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas

testimony before the Senate that her company had swindled the government by tampering with the manufacturing dates of face shields sold to it denied her acTHE executive of Pharmally Pharma- count on Monday, calling it a “pressured ceuticals Corp. who admitted in sworn response.”

“Given the level of pressure I was under, and the rush of emotions associated with the allegations and my subsequent admission, I was not in the best frame of mind to think clearly,” Next page

Memo bars Cabinet execs from Senate probe By Joyce Pañares, Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday signed a memorandum formally barring Cabinet officials from attending the Senate hearings on the govern-

ment’s controversial deal with pharmaceutical firm Pharmally. “We cannot allow this blatant disrespect to continue. (Senator Richard) Gordon, you are not god, and you cannot play god -- no, you cannot continue this hearing till kingdom come. You

are not a senator forever and your time of reckoning will come,” the President said in his Talk to the People aired late last night, which also showed him signing the memorandum. He accused Gordon, chairman Next page

‘Pandora Papers’ expose leaders’ offshore millions... OIL RISING.

A worker attends to a gasoline pump at a station in Quezon City on Monday. Local oil firms will raise the price of diesel and kerosene by P2.05 per liter and gasoline by P1.45 per liter today, the sixth consecutive weekly oil price hike reflecting the movement of prices in the world oil market. Manny Palmero

NEW YORK -- More than a dozen heads of state and government, from Jordan to Azerbaijan, Kenya and the Czech Republic, have used offshore tax havens to hide assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a far-reaching new investigation by the ICIJ media consortium. The so-called “Pandora Papers” investigation -- involving some 600 journalists from media including The Washington Post, the BBC

and The Guardian -- is based on the leak of some 11.9 million documents from 14 financial services companies around the world. Some 35 current and former leaders are featured in the latest vast trove of documents analyzed by the InterInter national Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) -- facing allegations ranging from corruption to money laundering and global tax avoidance.

PH’S GARCIA TOPS MISS AURA INT’L

Turn to A3

NEWS / A2

...900 local persons, firms linked to those accounts MORE than 900 individuals and companies linked to the Philippines have appeared in thick files on offshore accounts leaked from unnamed finance providers, which journalists from 117 countries recently investigated, according to the In-

ternational Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The report for the country, produced by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and Rappler, features the offshore companies linked to more

than 35 Filipino politicians, contractors, bankers, and business professionals. Their profiles are based on a cache of leaked documents from offshore service providers, namely, Trident Trust, ComNext page

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

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DOJ: No one spared in EJK probe policemen involved in the initial 52 cases of deaths arising from illegal drugs operations, whose records had been reviewed by the DOJ. According to him, the DOJ has informed the PNP that “these cases will be endorsed to the NBI for case buildup and filing of criminal complaints if warranted by the evidence.” The DOJ will meet with the NBI today to discuss the case build-up. Guevarra earlier said the DOJ met with the PNP last Friday and discussed the reports on the findings of the Justice panel that reviewed the records on 52 cases involving deaths in police operations. The DOJ chief stressed their move to refer the results of the review to the NBI was also discussed during the meeting,

which was held in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s instruction to the PNP and the DOJ in his message to the United Nations General Assembly. The records of the 52 cases involving deaths were submitted to the DOJ for review by the PNP-IAS last June. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency also submitted over 100 records of similar cases. The PNP-IAS has investigated around 6,000 anti-illegal drugs operations that resulted in deaths. Guevarra also said the DOJ will closely monitor about 100 cases, which are pending preliminary investigation or trial before the courts, against law enforcers for alleged violations of the law in connection with illegal drugs operations.

give consent and children will give their assent,” Vergeire said in Filipino. She said vaccinated children will also have to be monitored closely. Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines will be used for children, as these are the only vaccines granted an emergency use authorization for younger age groups. Vergeire declined to name the hospitals involved in the pilot implementation of pediatric vaccination, saying that an agreement has to be in place before she can make an announcement. But Health Undersecretary Myrna

Cabotaje said among the confirmed hospitals are the National Children’s Hospital, the Philippine Heart Center, and the Philippine General Hospital. The Philippine Heart Center aims to inoculate children aged 15 to 17 with heart disease first. “Once we are ready in the next two or three weeks, we can expand to regular sites,” Cabotaje said in GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday. “We are monitoring children with allergies because of the mRNA vaccine,” she added.

4,320 on Sept. 20 to 26. With nearly 2.6 million coronavirus infections and more than 38,000 deaths, the Philippines has the second-worst coronavirus outbreak in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. It currently has 112,008 active cases of COVID-19. The OCTA Research Group said on Monday that the NCR is now at moderate risk for COVID-19 with an average daily attack rate of 22.34. The group said the seven-day average of new cases in NCR decreased by 28 percent to 3,120 while the reproduction number in the region also decreased to 0.81 from 0.84, said OCTA fellow Guido David. A reproduction number of one or higher is an indication of the continuous transmission of the virus. Conversely, a number below 1 indicates infections are slowing down. OCTA said the positivity rate in the region also decreased to 16 percent. The DOH said testing output for COVID-19 in 14 regions has gone down in the last two weeks, with the largest decline reported in Metro Manila. “We’ve observed that 14 regions had fewer RT-PCR tests done in the recent week versus the previous week,” Vergeire said in a press briefing.

NCR logged the “largest decline” in testing output, with a positive rate of 16.4 percent in the recent week compared to previous week’s 19.3 percent, said Vergeire. Due to this, the number of positive cases also decreased from 48,229 to 35,603. “We are still assessing the reasons for this decline and if this reflects a true decline in cases or is affected by other factors such as ongoing active case finding and contact tracing and the use of rapid antigen test to complement the RT-PCR testing,” Vergeire said. The undersecretary added that six local governments in the NCR reported a decrease in tests during the last two weeks. “Of these, four local governments reported a general decrease in the case trend and, by extension, contacts detected: Caloocan, Pasig, Pateros, and Mandaluyong,” she said. “Parañaque cited a decrease in testing capacity by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine as a reason for the decrease in their tests reported. Only Pasay reported a decrease in tests due to the shift to antigen tests,” she added. Vergeire also stressed the need to address the decrease in testing output to validate the decrease in cases.

under the ruling PDP-Laban party. “I will prepare for my defense, ‘yung ICC na ‘yan, ‘wag lang kayong mgaimbento diyan. Hindi ko kayo tinatakot, huwag lang ninyo ako dayain sa ebidensya (just don’t invent anything. I am not scared, just don’t cheat on the evidence),” he said last night in a prerecorded televised briefing.

Last month, Duterte said through spokesman Harry Roque he would rather “die first” before facing an international tribunal, a day after the ICC announced it would investigate allegations of crimes against humanity during his bloody war on drugs. But last night, he told the ICC: “You never acquired jurisdiction over my person.” “I will prepare for my defense, yung ICC na yan... Huwag lang kayong magsinungaling (Just don’t lie about me),” he added.

The ICC said it had authorized an investigation requested by former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda into Duterte’s anti-drugs campaign, saying it could not “be seen as a legitimate law enforcement operation.” More than 6,000 mostly poor drug suspects have been killed during the campaign, according to the government. But human rights groups say the death toll is considerably higher and should include many unsolved killings by motorcycle-riding gunmen who may have been deployed by police.

Philippine addresses in the leaked files. “We sifted through hundreds of emails, documents, and corporate records and selected names that were in the public interest. There are legitimate uses of offshore companies, and we do not intend to imply that all of the individuals or companies included in this page were in violation of the law,” PCIJ and Rappler said. The two agencies said they sent requests for comment to all those on the list. The answers they received are included in the profiles. On a global scale, the Washington,

DC-group found that fugitives, con artists, murderers, and world leaders used offshore accounts to hide wealth and buy properties – in the report it called the “Pandora Papers” which it said “reveal the inner workings of a shadow economy that benefits the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of everyone else.” An extremely small number of these accounts are tied to big businesses with legitimate sources, and whose reasons for moving and keeping their wealth overseas may indicate how the Philippine financial system has been slow on

reforms, the journalists said. They added that the rest of the Philippine-linked accounts are mysterious at the very least. Another page found in the investigation was that a high-ranking Cabinet official in the Duterte administration, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, has his name listed as keeping an offshore firm off the business list. Despite repeated attempts by the PCIJ and Rappler to send questions to Tugade, neither he nor his staff had responded as of press time.

Partially vaccinated people are entitled to one raffle entry and will get two more entries once they complete their vaccination. Those who receive single-dose vaccines will get three raffle entries. Senior citizens are entitled to double the number of raffle entries. The raffle promo is sponsored by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), in partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and the Department of Health, according to the announcement. Different kinds of incentives for those who get COVID-19 shots have been offered in other localities in the country, and in many parts of the world amid vaccine hesitancy among some members of the population. Based on the latest data from the National Vaccination Operations Center, a total of 46,251,087 doses have been administered nationwide as of Oct. 2. Of these, at least 24,513,343 doses were administered as first shots, while 21,737,744 were second doses. The government aims to fully vaccinate some 77 million individuals to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19.

audit on the subsidies received by the Philippine Red Cross, of which Gordon is chairman. Third, he called on COA to run after Gordon over the notice of disallowance for P140 million issued to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority when Gordon headed the agency two decades ago. He said COA chairperson Michael Aguinaldo issued the special audit order on Sept. 23, covering all subsidies or funds transferred to the PRC from January 2016 to September 2021. “When Gordon runs for any public office, remember the P140 million [covered by the COA disallowance], including the P86 million…If you used that money, or if you stole that money, re-

turn that,” the President said. The President’s announcement that he has already issued a memorandum ran counter to the assurance given by presidential spokesman Harry Roque earlier in the day that Cabinet officials will continue attending the Senate hearings for the purposes of transparency because they are not hiding anything. Roque made the assurance after several business groups and professionals called on public officials to cooperate with the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged overpriced procurement of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat COVID-19. In a statement from the Makati Busi-

ness Club on the PPE purchases, the groups called on “all parties to pursue and cooperate with this investigation to the fullest extent allowed by law.” “Our frontliners and the Filipino people deserve a full and fair accounting. As well, the pursuit of good governance is a pillar of the just, inclusive, and functioning society we aspire to,” they said. Signing the statement apart from the MBC were the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Investment Houses Association of the Philippines, Judicial Reform Initiative, Management Association of the Philippines, Shareholders Association of the Philippines,

Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Naga University, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, De La Salle University, and De La Salle Philippines. Roque maintained that the Senate should not hold in contempt Cabinet officials who ignore their summons to attend probes. Citing again the High Court’s 2008 ruling on the case Romulo Neri vs. Senate, Roque said the Senate’s contempt power is limited. “They should not be held in contempt because they are alter egos and under the control and supervision of the President. So, it’s not their fault if they are barred by the President,” he said.

By Rey E. Requejo

HE Department of Justice on Monday said that if persons or officials other than policemen are involved in the 52 illegal drugs operations that resulted in the death of suspects, they too will be made criminally accountable for the alleged extrajudicial killings.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra stressed the probe to be conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation will focus on those who were actually involved in the ground operations and were identified as such by the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service. “If in the course of the investigation, it would appear that other persons were likewise involved in any capacity whatsoever, so be it. All persons against

whom competent evidence will show a degree of culpability shall be made to account,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters. When asked up to what level in the government should accountability be imposed, Guevarra replied: “To whatever the evidence will lead.” On Sunday, Guevarra said criminal charges, not only administrative offenses, may be filed against 154

Mago... From A1

Kids... From A1

Pharmally’s head of regulatory affairs Krizle Grace Mago told a more sympathetic hearing at the House of Representatives. Mago, who has been under the protective custody of the House since Oct. 1, also denied allegations that Pharmally delivered expired, substandard, and tampered COVID-19 supplies to the government. “It is in the conduct of this quality control that PPC was able to identify damaged items such as, but not limited to, dented, folded, torn or broken, and discolored face shields,” she said, adding that the damaged items were immediately segregated subject to disposal and excluded from delivery. It was the first time Mago appeared before the House panel, which has been less critical of the government and its P8 billion deal with Pharmally, after she allegedly went missing following her controversial admission in the Senate last Sept. 24 that Pharmally changed the manufacturing dates on the face shields distributed to medical frontliners last year. Mago also said her experience with the Senate was “extremely traumatic” having been repeatedly accused of lying and threatened with contempt. In fact, she noted that another Pharmally executive, Linconn Ong, is still detained in the Senate for contempt after declining to testify in an executive session. “Personally, I was perplexed as to how I could be perceived as a liar when I was simply responding directly to questions based on facts reflected on the records, which I even promptly forwarded to the committee upon request,” Mago said. Mago revealed she contracted COVID-19 during the course of the Senate hearings, which resulted in a decline in her physical health. “Additionally, the overwhelming pressure and intense scrutiny of the investigations have had a detrimental effect on my mental health,” Mago said. “Over and above these, my personal mobile phone number and address were also revealed, resulting in unwanted harassment and distressing messages,” she added.

in the process of registration. Parents will still have to register their children through their local governments. Aside from comorbidities, other prerequisites would have to be presented before a child is vaccinated. “Children with comorbidities need clearance from their doctor. They should also have informed consent and assent. This means their parents must

...900... From A1 mence Overseas Limited, Overseas Management Company Trust Limited, Asiaciti Trust, and Alcogal. The documents were shared with PCIJ and Rappler by ICIJ, which led a global investigation with more than 600 journalists in 117 countries (see related story above and on A3 – Editors). PCIJ and Rappler found more than 940 individuals and companies with

Palace:... From A1 of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, of conducting a witch hunt. “If you think you have enough evidence against Pharmally, file cases against them at the proper courts. The Senate is not a criminal court. Stop using it simply as a witch hunt,” Duterte said. The President turned the tables anew on Gordon. First, he called on Filipino voters to shun Gordon should he run for any elective post in the future. Second, he announced the decision of the Commission on Audit to conduct a special

PH bet Garcia wins Miss Aura beauty pageant

PH... From A1 of 14.73 cases per 100,000 population. ADAR is the number of new cases over a two-week period, divided by the population. Meanwhile, Vergeire said the country’s health systems capacity remained at high risk, with intensive care unit (ICU) utilization at 73.20 percent. Vergeire also said that Metro Manila was showing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases but is still classified under “moderate” risk for the disease. The National Capital Region’s twoweek growth rate decreased to 33 percent, with an average daily attack rate of 26.64 cases per 100,000 population. But Metro Manila’s health systems capacity remained at high risk with ICU utilization at 75 percent, she said. Vergeire said coronavirus infections in Metro Manila peaked on Sept. 5 to 11, which posted a daily average of 5,714 cases. Vergeire said Metro Manila then showed a slow downward trend with reported cases decreasing by 28 percent against the previous 7 days. The NCR had 3,121 average daily cases on Sept. 27 to Oct. 3, compared to

Duterte... From A1

By Eton Concepcion ALEXANDRA Faith Garcia gave the Philippines another international beauty title on its first participation in the Miss Aura International 2021. Garcia bested 35 other contestants from around the world during the finals held Sunday night at Rixos Sungate in Antalya, Turkey. Garcia was crowned by outgoing Miss Aura International 2020 Andreia Correia of Portugal. Miss Romania Alexandra Stroe was named first runner up, with Miss Ukraine Katerina Pidkopai as second runner up and Miss Colombia Maria Del Mar Meza and Miss France Cassandra de Soussa, finishing as third and fourth runnersup, respectively. Garcia, who is a 27-year-old Tourism Management graduate from Olongapo City, was handpicked by the Miss Aura International Philippines Organization through a special screening due to the pandemic restrictions. A pageant veteran, Garcia had joined Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014, Reyna ng Aliwan 2015 and Bb. Pilipinas 2016 and 2021 before finally representing the Philippines in an international beauty contest. Also an actress, she was part of the cast of Jose Javier Reyes’ film “No Boyfriend Since Birth.” “We did it, Philippines!” a victorious Garcia posted on Instagram. The former triathlete champion who works as Operations Head of RED Sports PH, a sporting-event company, supports Dialysis PH, a non-government-organization that provides healthcare support to indigent kidney disease patients. Garcia took preparatory training with the prestigious KF beauty camp headed by pageant queen maker Rodin Gilbert Flores. “Faith has never been more confident in herself, and I believe she is 100 percent prepared for the Miss Aura International pageant,” Flores said before sending Garcia off to Turkey. During the finals, Miss Philippines paraded in an elegant Sampaguita-inspired national costume with the Calesa designed by Jorick Lopez Limpag, while her shimmering silver ensemble during the evening gown competition was designed by Cathy Mora-Capistrano.

Get vaxxed,... From A1

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Congress recalls UP security bill

‘Lannie’ to make more landfalls, bring more rains TROPICAL Depression Lannie is expected to make more landfalls and bring more rains, the weather bureau said on Monday. “Inaasahan dahil dadaan sa gitnang bahagi ng Visayas ang bagyo, may multiple landfalls ang mangyayari (We expect multiple landfalls as the tropical depression will pass through the central part of the Visayas),” weather forecaster Ariel Rojas of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said. “Lannie” already made four landfalls, according to Rojas. These were in Bucas Grande Island in Surigao del Norte; Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands; Liloan, Southern Leyte; and Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte. The typhoon was heading towards Camotes Sea. “Most of southern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao will experience rains. Floods and landslides are possible,” Rojas said. PAGASA forecast moderate to heavy, with at times intense rains to continue over the Visayas, Mimaropa, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, and Dinagat Islands. Light to moderate, with at times heavy rains will still prevail over Calabarzon and the rest of Bicol Region and Mindanao. Chris Perez, senior weather specialist at PAGASA also said “Lannie” was last seen 100 kilometers east of Surigao City. The tropical depression packs maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph. “Because of this (strength) tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 has been raised over several areas,” he said. Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 was raised over the southern part of Masbate; southern part of Romblon; southern part of Oriental Mindoro; southern part of Occidental Mindoro; northern part of Palawan; Eastern Samar; Samar; Biliran; Leyte; Southern Leyte; Capiz; Aklan; Antique; Iloilo; Guimaras; Negros Occidental; northern and central parts of Negros Oriental; Cebu; Bohol; northwestern part of Surigao del Norte; and Dinagat Islands.With Ma. Cristina Arayata, Rio N. Araja

Customs donates seized goods to Education, other agencies

By Willie Casas

BREAKWATER PATROL. Community watchmen patrol the Manila Bay breakwater on Monday to prevent people from taking a dip, following reports that people flocked to Manila Bay to swim a day before. Danny Pata

Lawmakers seek more benefits for poll volunteers By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

AWMAKERS are urging the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to increase the honoraria and other beneﬁts for election service volunteers.

House of Representatives Assistant Minority Leader France Castro on Monday also welcomed the 10-day service credit for teachers who will volunteer in the coming polls. In a Comelec budget deliberation last week, Castro asked for updates on the demands of teachers for an increase in honoraria and beneﬁts for poll volunteers. The lawmaker said the Comelec has drafted a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education (DepEd) on the additional 5-day service credit for election service volunteers. Castro said lawmakers are asking that there should be enough funds for additional honorarium, transportation, meals allowance, and hazard pay for election

service volunteers. These will include P10,000 for the chairman of electoral boards; P9,000 for the members; P8,000 for DepEd supervisor ofﬁcials; and P7,000 or the support staff. The lawmaker noted that there “will be unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Comelec already stated that it will likely adopt longer hours for voting as a contingency to minimize and prevent the further spread of COVID-19 Senator Win Gatchalian meanwhile renewed calls to uphold the welfare and safety of education frontliners who have been sacriﬁcing their health and safety to ensure learning continuity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the crucial next steps include

Pandora... From A1

In most countries, the ICIJ stresses, it is not illegal to have assets offshore or to use shell companies to do business across national borders. But such revelations are no less of an embarrassment for leaders who may have campaigned publicly against tax avoidance and corruption, or advocated austerity measures at home. The documents notably expose how Jordan's King Abdullah II created a network of offshore companies and tax havens to amass a $100 million property empire from Malibu, California to Washington and London. The Jordanian embassy in Washington declined to comment, but the BBC cited lawyers for the king saying all the properties were bought with personal wealth, and that it was common practice for high proﬁle individuals to purchase properties via offshore companies for

the vaccination of all teachers, nonteaching staff, and other school ofﬁcials. Gacthalian said this is necessary especially since the DepEd is set to begin the pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes in areas with minimal risk of COVID-19. The DepEd earlier announced that full vaccination will be required for the pilot test. Public school teachers have Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) coverage, which they can use if they get infected with COVID-19. Teachers, however, still need to shoulder medical expenses before receiving reimbursements from the state insurer. One of Gatchalian’s suggestions is the creation of a PhilHealth special lane for teachers to allow the speedier provision of aid for COVID-19 treatment. Further, Gatchalian sought to exclude from gross income and exempt from taxation the honoraria, travel allowance, and other beneﬁts granted by the Comelec to teachers and poll workers.

CONGRESS has approved the motion to reconsider House Bill (HB) 10171. The motion to reconsider the controversial bill was filed by Cavite 7th District Rep. Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla. HB 10171 or the University of the Philippines (UP) Security Act which would prohibit the inherent right of the state to exercise police power in its campuses will no longer push through the Bicameral Committee, the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said on Monday. The NTF-ELCAD said Remulla, who is currently the Senior Deputy Majority Leader of the Committee on Rules, had said that HB 10171 is “dead” as the House of Representatives on September 30, unanimously approved in plenary the motion to reconsider the bill. Remulla revealed that the members of the Makabayan Bloc “smuggled” the bill by pushing it during the budgetary process in Congress. “During the budgetary process, everyone (House members) is busy over their congressional district’s concern,” Remulla said, adding that it was during that time that the Makabayan Bloc moved to tackle the bill for the third and final reading. He said the motion for reconsideration which he filed in two ways, one by himself and the other on behalf of the majority, was carried without any objections, thereby the 179 congressmen whom the Makabayan Bloc claimed to have voted in favor of the proposed bill will also be considered to have voted for the approval of his motion. This would mean that the bill will then be turned back to the committee level, particularly the Committee on Rules which is co-chaired by Remulla. Remulla said that his motion is a “corrective action” as the UP-DND Accord of 1989, was abrogated by the Duterte Administration through Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and was not even made into law. Remulla vowed that “House Bill 10171 is not going to be passed into law.”

Tau Omega Mu sets charity events to mark 49th year

MAKABANSA has joined in celebrating the 30th year of the end of the US-PH military base pact, as it continues to call on Filipinos to support efforts to assert the country’s sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea through peaceful channels. “Sa buwan ng Setyembre igunita natin ang 30 taong pag basura ng 12 magiting na senador ang tratado sa ng base military sa pagitan ng US at Pilpinas. Nagpupugay ang aming grupo sa pag gunita ng makasaysayang buwan ng Setyembre.” (This September, we celebrate the 30th year when 12 senators voted against the US-PH Bases Treaty. Makabansa salutes

and commemorates this historic month), the group, in a statement said. The 12 former senators who voted against the renewal of the US-PH Bases Treaty in 1991 were Agapito “Butz” Aquino, Joseph Estrada, Teoﬁsto Guingona Jr, Sotero Laurel II, Ernesto Maceda Jr, Orlando Mercado, Aquilino Pimentel Jr, Rene Saguisag, Jovito Salonga, Wigberto Tañada, Victor Ziga, and Juan Ponce Enrile. “Ginugunita natin ang September 16 bilang panalo ng bayan na merong paggalang sa sarili, political will at tapang na itulak ang ating mga karapatan, ang

ating kasarinlan, ang ating interes bilang isang Republika (This September 16, we celebrate the country’s victory and its dignity, political will, and bravery to push for our independence as a republic.) ” Makabansa chairman Randy Pablico said. Makabansa also added that efforts by the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia to establish an unprecedented security alliance in the Asia-Paciﬁc is ”contrary to the stand of all direct claimants particularly the Philippines and China not to provoke each other and settle things through diplomatic channels.”

THE Tau Omega Mu Fraternity and Ladies Circle (TOM) will hold a series of activities to mark the organ zation’s 49th anniversary in October 2021 and ﬁnalize a year-long program for the 50th anniversary celebration next year. TOM members from all over the world are encouraged to join a virtual convergence on October 10, 2021, at 10 a.m. (Philippine time). Small groups of Omegans will also hold actual social gatherings in selected chapters here and abroad and subsequently link up in one big, fun virtual gathering at pre-designated hours on October 16 and 17. The scheduled assemblies will offer an excellent opportunity for TOM membersto share fresh ideas and suggestions related to internal and external or community activities they want added to this year’s 49th anniversary celebration and to the golden anniversary in 2022. These assemblies also provide a more convenient venue where Omegans around the world can interact with each other and renew their fraternal bonds, as well as commitment, to pursue the goals of the organization founded in October 1972 at the University of the Philippines - Manila. Activities lined up so far for the 49th and 50th anniversary celebrations include a medical mission, anti-COVID supply/ equipment donations, food distribution runs for indigents, a fund drive for selected charitable institutions/orphanages, tree and vegetable planting, blood-letting, webinars, chapter exchange visits, sports competitions and a grand ballroom celebration next year.

privacy and security reasons. Family and associates of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev—long accused of corruption in the central Asian nation—are alleged to have been secretly involved in property deals in Britain worth hundreds of millions. And the documents also show how Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis—who faces an election later this week—failed to declare an offshore investment company used to purchase a chateau worth $22 million in the south of France. "I have never done anything illegal or wrong," Babis hit back in a tweet, calling the revelations a smear attempt aimed at inﬂuencing the election. Tony Blair and Shakira In total, the ICIJ found links between almost 1,000 companies in offshore havens and 336 high-level politicians and public ofﬁcials, including more than a dozen serving heads of state and government, country leaders, cabinet ministers, ambassadors and others.

More than two-thirds of the companies were set up in the British Virgin Islands. Nearly two million of the 11.9 million leaked documents came from prestigious Panamanian law ﬁrm Aleman, Cordero, Galindo & Lee (Alcogal), which the ICJ said had become "a magnet for the rich and powerful from Latin America and beyond seeking to hide wealth offshore." Alcogal, whose clients allegedly included the Jordanian monarch and Czech prime minister, rejected accusations of shady dealings, saying it was considering legal action to defend its reputation. "I guess it mostly demonstrates that the people that could end the secrecy of offshore, could end what's going on, are themselves beneﬁting from it," the ICIJ's director Gerard Ryle said in a video accompanying the investigation. "We're looking at trillions of dollars." For Maira Martini, a policy expert with Transparency International, the latest investigation once more offers "clear evidence of how

the offshore industry promotes corruption and ﬁnancial crime, while obstructing justice." "This business model cannot go on," she said. Among the other revelations from the ICIJ investigation: -- Former British prime minister Tony Blair, who has been critical of tax loopholes, is shown to have legally avoided paying stamp duty on a multi-million-pound property in London when he and his wife Cherie bought the offshore company that owned it. -- Members of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's inner circle, including cabinet ministers and their families, are said to secretly own companies and trusts holding millions of dollars. In a series of tweets, Khan vowed to "take appropriate action" if any wrongdoing by Pakistani citizens is established. -- Vladimir Putin is not directly named in the ﬁles, but he is linked via associates to secret assets in Monaco, notably a waterfront home acquired by a Russian woman believed to have

had a child with the Russian leader, The Washington Post reports. -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta—who has campaigned against corruption and for financial transparency—is alleged along with several family members of secretly owning a network of offshore companies. -- As well as politicians, the public figures exposed included the Colombian singer Shakira, the German supermodel Claudia Schiffer and the Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Representatives for all three told the ICIJ the investments were legitimate and denied tax avoidance. The "Pandora Papers" are the latest in a series of mass ICIJ leaks of financial documents, from LuxLeaks in 2014, to the 2016 Panama Papers—which triggered the resignation of the prime minister of Iceland and paved the way for the leader of Pakistan to be ousted. They were followed by the Paradise Papers in 2017 and FinCen files in 2020. AFP

WINNERS.

Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman poses with members of the DepEd TV Bicol Production Team which won at the first ever DepEd TV Awards night. Norman Cruz

By Julito G. Rada THE Bureau of Customs has donated mobile phones, laptops, educational materials and other seized goods to the Department of Education and other government agencies. The bureau said this is in compliance with the instructions of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. In a report to Dominguez, the BOC said that from March 2020 to August 2021, the bureau turned over abandoned or conﬁscated broadcasting equipment, food items, temporary shelters, face shields and various medical supplies and equipment to government agencies where these goods will be put to good use. BOC turned over to the DepEd assorted cellular phones and laptops from the Port of Clark in Pampanga on January 29; and learning packets for learners from the port of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on March 16, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said in his report. Guerrero said the BOC donated to the Presidential Communications Operations Ofﬁce abandoned broadcast equipment from the Port of Davao on October 20, 2020, and another 17 packages of live broadcasting room equipment with FM broadcast transmitter last July 27. The BOC is also set to turn over a separate set of live broadcast room equipment and medium wave transmitter abandoned in the Port of Cebu to the PCOO.

Group marks end of US-PH military base pact 30 years ago

News

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 E-mail: mst.daydesk@gmail.com

UNIQUELY PINOY DÉCOR. Colorful Christmas lanterns are on display along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City on Sunday. The government earlier said Filipinos can expect a better holiday season this year as population protection against COVID-19 is expected to be achieved before yearend due to the intensified vaccination drive. Joey Razon

Wait for deadline for substitution, Palace tells those doubting Rody By Vito Barcelo MALACAÑANG on Monday urged those who doubted the announcement of President Rodrigo Duterte that he is already retiring from politics to wait until the deadline of candidacy substitutions to find out whether or not he will keep his word. Political analysts have earlier raised skepticism over Duterte’s pronouncement, noting he may still change his mind as in 2015 when he joined the presidential race at the last minute. Prior to the 2016 national elections, Duterte said he would not run for president but later replaced Martin Diño as the standard-bearer of the PDP-Laban. “If there are doubts, let’s just wait for Oct. 8 to find out the President’s plans. If there are still doubts by then, let’s just wait until Nov. 15 because that is the deadline for substitutions,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. “I can no longer give any further assurance to those who are really doubtful,” he added. Asked if Duterte had plans to run as a substitute for Senator Christopher Go, who filed his COC for vice president, Roque said he is not in a position to predict the President’s future plans. “I don’t know what could happen but as of now he has made a decision – Senator Bong Go will be the candidate for vice president,” he said. “The President said he is retiring. Let’s leave it at that,” Roque added.

Eleazar: Identify police with kin running in polls PHILIPPINE National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Monday ordered all chiefs of police to identify cops who have relatives running in next year’s elections, especially at the local level. “As part of our commitment to continuously isolate the PNP from partisan politics, I have already instructed all chiefs of police to start the accounting of their respective personnel whose relatives have already filed the COC or would certainly run for public office in the May elections,” he said in a statement. “The purpose is to possibly reassign them eventually in other areas outside the cities, municipalities, and provinces where relatives of our personnel would seek elective posts,” he added. Citing cases in the past years, Eleazar said there were complaints and reports about some policemen actively campaigning for their relatives and engaging in partisan politics. Eleazar vowed the police force would remain apolitical. “This is to ensure that any of our personnel would not be given the opportunity to intervene and likewise prevent speculations and allegations in the future that the PNP is engaging in partisan politics, especially at the local level,” the country’s top cop said. Meanwhile, Eleazar said the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) and Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) for next year’s elections nationwide has so far remained peaceful and orderly.

Isko, Doc Willie file COC for ‘22 ‘healing’ tandem By Macon Ramos-Araneta

ANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Dr. Willie Ong on Monday filed their certificates of candidacy as standard bearers of Aksyon Demokratiko.

“Today, we made history. I hope it’s destiny,” Domagoso said. “I will be with you to stop the divisiveness in the country. We are too divisive and indecisive. Give me the chance and let us heal the country,” he added. The tandem timed the filing of their COC on the feast day of St. Francis of

Assisi, the patron saint of animals after whom Domagoso was named. “We will not focus on politics because that’s the reason why government help is delayed,” the Manila mayor said. Prior to serving as mayor, Domagoso was previously elected as vice mayor

and councilor of the capital city. He served as undersecretary of Social Welfare and Development for Luzon Affairs and chairperson of the Board of the North Luzon Railways Corporation under the Duterte administration. Ong, for his part, was a consultant of the Department of Health during the Aquino administration. He is a cardiologist and internist. The doctor, who described himself as a “vlogger,” has 16 million followers on Facebook. He lost in the 2019 senatorial elections, placing 18th out of 62 hopefuls.

COC FILING. Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano submits her certificate of candidacy for her reelection bid in next year’s polls at the Comelec office at the SM Mall of Asia. (Inset) in Laguna, Rep. Sol Aragones formalizes his bid for the gubernatorial post, with Jericho Ejercito, son of former Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito, as her running mate. Norman Cruz and Roy Tomandao

Ex-Pres. Arroyo seeks return as Pampanga lawmaker CMD) on Monday expressed strong support behind Arroyo’s decision to run for Congress in next year’s election. FORMER President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has Led by Lakas-CMD President and House filed her certificate of candidacy for the second Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez of Leyte’s district of Pampanga under the Lakas-CMD party. first district, Secretary-General and Deputy Her lawyer, Peter Paul Maglalang, filed her COC Speaker Prospero Pichay Jr. of Surigao del Norte, on her on Friday, her son Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo Spokesman and Pangasinan Rep. Christopher de confirmed on Monday. Venecia, and members of the Executive Committee, “She’s still very energetic. I believe she can the party welcomed Arroyo’s COC filing. serve the 2nd district much better than me at my “We strongly support the former President’s very best,” the younger Arroyo told ABS-CBN Former President decision to return to public service, and to represent News. Gloria Arroyo her constituents from the second district of After the term ended, she was appointed by Pampanga. Mrs. Arroyo has a proven track record President Rodrigo Duterte as his adviser on Clark with excellent credentials in leading our country to Flagship Programs and Projects. Meanwhile, the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas- greater heights,” the party said in a statement.

By Maricel V. Cruz

Sara won’t join PDP; Baste: unlikely for sis to change mind By Macon Ramos-Araneta DAVAO City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio has rejected the feelers of the divided PDP-Laban for her to become the standard bearer of the Cusi-led wing. “Mayor Sara has no intention of becoming a member of PDP or of being its standard-bearer now or in the near future,” said Liloan Cebu Mayor Christina Garcia Frasco, the mayor’s spokesperson. Duterte-Carpio is the chairperson of the regional political party Hugpong ng Pagbabago and a member of the local party Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod in Davao City. She filed her candidacy for a third and final term as Davao City mayor on the same day that Senator Christopher Go filed his COC as vice presidential candidate of the PDP-Laban faction led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi. Cusi earlier said joining the PDPLaban remains an option for the Davao City mayor. “That is a possibility, she can opt to join PDP. That will be an open option. We can adopt a candidate who is aligned with our advocacies. It can happen,” Cusi said hours before the mayor’s camp issued the statement flatly rejecting the offer. Sara’s brother, Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, said his sister is not likely to withdraw her COC as mayoralty candidate. “Once she has said something, she does not go back on her word. She doesn’t change. it. That’s how she is,” he said. “She had said before that she won’t run for president, but the people won’t believe her. Now, you saw her file her COC for mayor,” he added.

Piñol quits MinDA; to run for senator under Lacson slate MINDANAO Development Authority chairman Manny Piñol has resigned to run for senator under the Nationalist People’s Coalition of Senator Panfilo Lacson. “I wrote President Rody Duterte a letter tendering my resignation as a member of his Cabinet effective at the end of office hours on Oct. 5. I assured him that our friendship will remain steadfast and will never be affected by politics,” he said in a post on Facebook. Piñol said for those asking why he was running under the NPC and not with Duterte’s political party, the divided PDP-Laban, he said the question should be answered by the group of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, president of the Duterte-led faction. “For those asking why I am not part of the administration ticket, that is best answered by the group of Secretary Cusi who were the ones who released the initial list of names of their senatorial bets. From the start, they never included my name in their list,” he added. Cusi, for his part, said at least four members of the Cabinet will run in next year’s elections under the PDPLaban. Cusi named these officials as presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, and anti-corruption commission chief Greco Belgica. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade are still mulling their decision, he added. “There are also other candidates we’re considering to run under the PDP,” Cusi said.

Marcos: 800k transport workers have yet to receive financial aid By Vito Barcelo OVER 800,000 transport operators, drivers and transport workers still have not received the financial assistance due them from the government, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said. Saying this has affected the mobility of people and the delivery of goods amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Marcos urged the national government to provide more assistance to transport workers. According to a 2020 Commission on Audit report, only P59 million of the P5.58 billion fund allocated to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) was used for the service-contracting program to subsidize operators and drivers to ply their routes to serve those allowed to report for work. A spokesperson from the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator

Nationwide (PISTON) said recently the organization was surprised to hear that there was P5 billion earmarked for transport workers. Piston lamented the funding should have been distributed to the workers in all modes of transportation, including buses, taxis, tricycles, and UV Express vans, who were among the hardest hit by the pandemic. Marcos added the service-contracting program should continue to supplement the reduced income of PUV drivers, with some reporting that they only earn a measly P250 for a day’s work now. Marcos also appealed to the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to increase the seating capacity in PUVs to allow drivers and operators to recoup their losses since passenger numbers are still weak even as the country slowly reopens.

MORNING RUSH. Commuters line up at the Roosevelt EDSA Bus Carousel Station in Quezon City on Monday, October 4, 2021. Manny Palmero

Opinion Everything falls into place COVID-19 pandemic crisis. BBM said the next seven months should be a time to nurture Filipinos’ “sense of nationhood” under the leadership of President Duterte. I cannot agree more and I share BBM’s empathy with Digong. To me, the President’s announcement of quitting politics means a lot more than Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s decision to hang up his boxing gloves simply because he can no longer fight as well as he did years ago. In contrast, Digong is more than capable of leading this country for another six years but he is constrained by the 1987 Constitution’s term limit. He has done so much more than the accomplishments of the previous five presidents combined, such that continuity must be assured. He wants to guarantee he leaves the government in good hands. Sunday morning was a cunningly unexpected move by the President indicating that everything is falling into place. BBM has yet to declare his candidacy as of this writing but he strongly believes Digong’s legacy will be paramount in the people’s mind. If given the chance, Senator Go is more than able and ready to assume as a “working Vice-President” as he promised. It has been quite a roller-coaster ride for Digong in the last five years, especially in the past year and eight months of the worst calamity in world history. The 76-year old Digong gave all he had and did what he had to do to alleviate the quality of life amid the extremely difficult times. Now the President deserves a break as well as our heartfelt gratitude for a job well done. Taking some time off politics may not be such a bad idea, to be with his loved ones in the serenity of madayaw Dabaw. Meanwhile, Pacquiao was compelled to declare his retirement from boxing to dramatize his seriousness about running for President otherwise he might be deemed a “nuisance candidate.” Anyway, he can always go back to the ring after the presidential race. And, who would mind really if the President-wannabe goes to Las Vegas for a couple more boxing matches to settle the score with Yordenis Ugas and, perhaps, Floyd Mayweather?

I UNDERSTAND why President Duterte’s announcement of his plan to retire from politics has been met with skepticism and speculation. It is construed by many as his maneuver to allow his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reconsider running for President, because she expressly detested the idea of father-and-daughter tandem vying for the top posts in the May 9, 2022 polls. In a surprising move, Digong is having his best friend, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, filling in for him for the vice-presidential run.

Digong wants some continuity. It is said to be for the same reason — to push Inday Sara to run for president — that Senator Go had rejected the PDP-Laban’s endorsement for him to be the administration’s standard-bearer. Further, critics and political analysts say all this is a ploy to keep the opposition off-balance and fragmented at least — until the deadline for substitution on Nov 15. The whole hullaballoo attests that Digong has done a great job and the Filipino people reasonably clamor for Inday Sara to carry on Tatay’s program of government. Everyone in the opposition wants to be the next president and thinks they now have a viable chance to win but anxiously do not discount the possibility of Inday Sara suddenly running for president. Nothing can be more far-fetched, according to former-senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. who believes that Inday Sara is true to her words, as she has shown consistently. As a former LGU executive himself, BBM understands and supports the Davao City Mayor’s decision to go for re-election and focus on leading her townsfolk through the continuing

My choice: Sara-Bongbong WARNING: A group of people are going around, soliciting money at P1,000 apiece supposedly for the campaign funds of Vice President Leni Robredo who has been claiming she lacks funds for her bid for President. When I ask the people why they are soliciting funds for the Vice President, their answer was if you believe in Robredo, P1,000 will do. I did not contribute because I don’t believe in Robredo. I knew it was a scam, my gulay! Just beware. This is the time when scammers take advantage of the gullible. ••• There are now at least six running for President: Senator Ping Lacson, Senator Manny Pacquiao, former Senator Bongbong Marcos, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Vice President Leni Robredo, and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. I included presidential daughter Sara because sources told me she would run for President. I am told Bongbong Marcos and Sara will eventually team up, with Bongbong running as vice president. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Ping Lacson: He is popular, having been a senator for quite some time. Senate President Tito Sotto, as Ping’s vice president, will also help him a lot. Both senators can rely on name recall and their stand against graft and corruption. There are more popular candidates, to be sure. Nevertheless, I believe that the Lacson-Sotto team is strong. Manny Pacquiao: His strength is his popularity as a boxing icon and his billions of money he earned while in the boxing arena. But I cannot believe that money and popularity can make a president. People are smarter than that. Pacquiao can also say all that he was once a poor man and a stevedore. But people know he lacks education, having finished only up to the fourth grade. Pacman’s choice of Lito Atiene will not help him, either. Lack of education, to my mind, will be

Pacquiao’s downfall. Personally, I will be ashamed to have Pacquiao as my President. Isko Moreno: his strengths are his looks, and the fact that he is still young. People usually go for good-looking politicians, and the fact that Isko was a onetime movie actor. Having defeated Erap Estrada as mayor of Manila itself is a big score in his favor. Metro Manila and the National Capital Region are also his bailiwick. But I believe it was a big mistake for Isko to have Dr. Willie Ong as his vice-presidential candidate. Isko should have chosen a running mate from anoth-

The tandem would be formidable.

er region. Vice President Leni Robredo: Considering the fact that the Liberal Party is no longer in power, funding could be a problem for Robredo. Surveys already show that her rating is way down. I don’t know if Robredo will pursue her candidacy for president since up to this later date, her efforts to unify the opposition is becoming an impossible dream. She can always opt to run for Camarines Sur governor. As far as I’m concerned, Robredo cannot win. Bongbong Marcos: The name Marcos is still alive in politics no matter how the haters and enemies are concerned. I am convinced that Bongbong was cheated by the Liberal Party in the 2016 elections. I am writing this on the belief that at the end, it will be a Bongbong Marcos-Sara Duterte-Carpio tandem. This is a winning combination, geographically and demographically speaking. With regard to the poll surveys, their findings are just snapshots at that particular time when the surveys were taken. They could well reflect growing sentiments of people. What we should watch out for are poll surveys done during the last two weeks before election day. This is almost always accurate. •••

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EDITORIAL

Deeper into a hole VERY new word that President Duterte utters on the Pharmally mess just digs him deeper into a hole of his own making.

Last week, he ordered members of the executive department—including his Cabinet secretaries—to ignore summonses to appear before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigating irregularities in his administration’s multi-billion-peso purchases of medical supplies in the middle of a pandemic. The ostensible reason is that his officials were using up time to attend the hearings, when they should be at their jobs fighting the pandemic. In his now-familiar manner, Duterte used bluster, anger and personal insults to make his actions seem justifiable—but we have all seen this show before and very few of us are fooled. The facts are clear. Going against all established principles of good governance, the President appointed his volunteer election lawyer—out of a personal debt of gratitude--to a position that gave him access to billions in government funds. As the chief of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), this official approved more than P8 billion in government contracts to buy what we now see as overpriced face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment, from an under-capitalized

start-up, Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp., whose main asset was that it had the backing of the President’s friend, a Chinese national who Mr. Duterte once appointed as his adviser on economic policy.

This is not a principled objection to legislative overreach. Testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee has already uncovered several unsettling details of Pharmally’s operations—including an admission that they tampered with the manufacturing dates on face shields, presumably to measure up to government procurement standards. We also learned that key executives of this company bought luxury vehicles for themselves after bagging the lucrative government accounts— hardly the action one would expect from stakeholders in a company that was woefully under-capitalized.

Given these circumstances, it would be a dereliction of duty for the Senate to ignore the red flags that have sprouted around the sweet deals that the government cut with Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. Alumni from two of the country’s top universities have already spoken out against what they called the President’s unconstitutional order. “President Duterte’s directive has created an unnecessary constitutional crisis in the middle of a pandemic that has wrought havoc on the lives of Filipinos,” one group from the University of the Philippines College of Law said. “The president must respect the constitutional exercise of power by a coequal branch of government.” A group of Ateneo de Manila University alumni also issued a statement, saying Duterte should let the Senate “perform its constitutional oversight function” in investigating Pharmally. To stand in the way of this investigation, as the President has done time and again, speaks, not of a principled objection to legislative overreach, but of a brazen attempt to cover up corruption in the government. How did Mr. Duterte get from promising to fight corruption at the start of his term to becoming the obstructionist-in-chief in a key Senate investigation his last few months in office?

Communications submitted to the ICC IN A 77-page complaint, lawyer Jude Sabio (who is now deceased) filed a complaint against Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (“Court”) accusing him of extrajudicial killings during his nationwide anti-drugs crackdown. The complaint was filed before the Court alleging that Duterte was involved in the Davao Death Squad extrajudicial killings, further stating that Duterte “repeatedly, unchangingly and continuously” committed extrajudicial executions from his term as Mayor of Davao City through to his current presidency and that under him, killing drug suspects and other criminals has become “best practice.” Sabio charged Duterte and 11 senior government officials with crimes against humanity and to issue an arrest warrant for them. Duterte has repeatedly denied his involvement in the death squad and maintained that any killings of drug suspects were conducted within the bounds of the law. It must be remembered that Atty. Sabio was the lawyer for Edgar Matobato, a man who testified in the Philippines Senate that he was part of a hit squad that operated on Duterte’s orders. Matobato was a self-confessed assassin who testified in September of 2016 on his experiences and even revealed names of policemen he worked with in the past. Another witness presented before the Senate hearing, retired police officer Arturo Lascańas also admitted to have killed 300 people, about 200 as a member of a hit squad that terrorized Davao City at the behest of then Mayor Duterte. Despite the damning testimonies of the two witnesses, the Senate concluded after its inquiries that no proof existed that the “Davao death squad” existed. In an affidavit submitted before the ICC, Sabio later withdrew his complaint against Duterte, saying that it should be “set aside and trashed” because it was being used by Duterte’s critics for political propaganda. Sabio’s affidavit detailed

A development that the much-touted Sambayan which hoped to unite the opposition under one banner is its decision to field Vice President Leni as its candidate for President. Some may say that I am biased — sure I am -- but I believe, considering the low ratings of Robredo in surveys, the opposition will lose. It was different during the 2016 polls when the Liberal Party was in power. So, what will it be? From the looks of it, and unless my inside sources are wrong, it will be a fight between the Isko Moreno-Willie Ong tandem and the Sara Duterte-Carpio-Bongbong Marcos tan-

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

how he was “devastated, disillusioned and disenchanted” in helping out self-confessed hitmen Edgar Matobato and Arturo Lascañas in the complaint before the ICC after he lost financial support from former opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor, however, said that no communication before them can be withdrawn. It added that any supposed withdrawal “would have no impact” on the preliminary examination it is conducting. It added that the ICC has a “wide range of reliable sources” and is not confined to information in the communications alone. Besides, many other communications were received by the Office of the Prosecutor. The National Union of People’s Lawyers representing families of victims and Senators Sonny Trillanes and Leila De Lima were among those who submitted communications.

The Court said there was reasonable basis to proceed with the probe.

On June 14, 2021, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced that the preliminary investigation, which started on 8 February 2018, on the situation in the Philippines in the context of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs has been concluded. As such, the prosecutor is now requesting the International Criminal Court to authorise the commencement of an investigation into the situation in the Philippines in relation to War on Drugs campaign by the Philippine government The same request is grounded on the determination by prosecutor Fatou Bensouda that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the crime against humanity of murder has been committed on the territory between 1 July 2016 and 16 March 2019 in the context of the Government of Philippines “war on drugs” campaign. As reported by Prosecutor Bensouda, extrajudicial killings, perpetrated across the Philippines, appear to have been committed

dem. I am inclined to favor the Sara-Bongbong team since it’s geographically and demographically formidable. In my over seven decades as a journalist, I know the regional sentiments of voters. An Ilocano tends to vote for an Ilocano candidate wherever he is, whether in the North or in the South, whether he is in Ilocos or in Mindanao. But as I said, we must remember that politics is the art of the possible. For the sake of our children, I hope and pray that our next President is somebody we can all be proud of.

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

pursuant to an official State policy of the Philippine government. Police and other government officials planned, ordered, and sometimes directly perpetrated extrajudicial killings. They paid police officers and vigilantes bounties for extrajudicial killings. State officials at the highest levels of government also spoke publicly and repeatedly in support of extrajudicial killings, and created a culture of impunity for those who committed them. In an attempt to evade a formal investigation and indictments by the ICC, Duterte in March 2018 had the Philippines rescind its ratification of the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the international court. Withdrawal from the treaty went into effect a year later, in March 2019. To Prosecutor Bensouda however, the International Criminal Court retains jurisdiction over these crimes. While the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Statute took effect on 17 March 2019, its jurisdiction remains with respect to alleged crimes that occurred on the territory of the Philippines while it was a State Party, from 1 November 2011 up to and including 16 March 2019. The prosecutor advanced the main thesis that there is reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the court have been committed by the Philippine Government and State forces in the context of its war on drugs campaign. In a most recent development, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally authorized an official probe into alleged crimes against humanity in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs.” The Court then stated that there was “reasonable basis” to proceed with the probe noting that “specific legal element of the crime against humanity of murder” has been met in the crackdown that left thousands dead. The next columns will summarize and analyse this Pre-Trial Chamber decision. Website: tonylavina.com Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

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World

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LDP’s soft-spoken Fumio Kishida becomes Japan’s prime minister TOKYO—Japan’s parliament on Monday voted Fumio Kishida the country’s next prime minister, with the new leader expected to announce a cabinet including both holdovers and fresh faces. The soft-spoken scion of a Hiroshima political family, Kishida beat popular vaccine chief Taro Kono to win leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party last week. He easily won a vote Monday in parliament’s lower house, where the LDP’s ruling coalition holds a commanding majority, taking 311 votes to the 124 for opposition leader Yukio Edano. “This chamber names Mr. Fumio Kishida as the prime minister,” lower house speaker Tadamori Oshima declared after the vote. The upper house will also vote but the lower house holds sway on the decision. The upper house also approved him in a

PREMIER SWITCH.

Fumio Kishida (left), the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is applauded after being elected as new prime minister, while outgoing PM Yoshihide Suga bows after casting his vote at the lower house of parliament in Tokyo on October 4. AFP

vote shortly afterwards. Kishida bowed to his fellow lawmakers after the vote but did not immediately speak. Earlier, he told reporters he was ready for the top job. “I think it will be a new start in its true sense,” he said. “I want to take on challenges with a strong will and firm resolve to face the future.” Kishida is widely considered a safe pair of hands, who commands support from his own faction within the LDP and is not expected to veer significantly from the government’s existing policies. His election came after former prime minister Yoshihide Suga, who submitted his resignation on Monday morning, announced he would not stand for the LDP leadership after just one year in office. Kishida will unveil his new cabinet shortly, but details reported in local media suggested he would keep on several ministers in key portfolios. AFP

Doubt clouds COP26 climate summit

ARIS—One month out from the COP26 climate summit, world leaders are under unprecedented pressure to decarbonise their economies and chart humanity’s path away from catastrophic global warming. But in the midst of a pandemic still raging in parts of the globe, and with countries already battered by climatedriven calamities pleading for help —and money— the negotiations in Glasgow are likely to be fraught. The summit, already delayed a year by Covid-19, comes as the gap between what science says is needed to avert di-

North, South Korea restore phone hotline SEOUL—North and South Korea restored their cross-border hotline on Monday, a step that Seoul said could help improve relations after Pyongyang sparked global concern with a string of missile tests in recent weeks. The two sides resumed communications with officials exchanging their first phone call since August, days after the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting over the North Korean missile tests. The two Koreas had signalled a surprise thaw in relations in late July by announcing the resumption of cross-border communications -- severed more than a year earlier -- but the detente was short-lived, as Pyongyang stopped answering calls just two weeks later. Seoul’s unification ministry confirmed the phone call on Monday morning between officials from the two rivals. “It’s been a while and I’m very happy that the communication line has been restored,” a South Korean official told his northern counterpart in footage provided to reporters by the ministry. The South’s defence ministry also confirmed that cross-border military communications have resumed. AFP

UK inquest seeks to solve sinking of French trawler LONDON—A coroner’s inquest opens in London on Monday into the mysterious sinking of a French fishing trawler 17 years ago, which the victims’ families blame on a submarine. French courts spent years investigating the sinking of the Bugaled Breizh in international waters off Cornwall, southwest England, on January 15, 2004. But there has never been a full explanation about what happened. The ship’s crew of five French nationals—Yves Gloaguen, Pascal Le Floch, Georges Lemetayer, Patrick Gloaguen, and Eric Guillamet—all perished in the sinking. Judge Nigel Lickley will hold inquests into the deaths of Yves Gloaguen and Le Floch, whose bodies were found by UK search and rescue. Over three weeks, the judge will hear around 40 witness statements from seamen, rescuers, maritime experts, submarine commanders and the victims’ families. Inquests are held in England and Wales in the event of a sudden or unexplained death. AFP

saster and what governments are doing is larger than ever. Addressing around 50 ministers on Thursday at the start of a pre-COP gathering in Milan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres laid out the choice facing delegates in Glasgow: “We can either save our world or condemn humanity to a hellish future.”

COP26 host Britain says the summit’s main aim is to keep in play the 1.5 degree Celsius temperature goal enshrined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. In August, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change dropped a bombshell report warning that the 1.5C threshold—by far the most ambitious target of the Paris deal—would be reached as soon as 2030. By 2050, Earth will be 1.5C hotter than pre-industrial times, no matter what is done about planet-warming carbon emissions in the meantime, it said. With a little over 1C of warming so

far, the two years since the last UN climate summit have seen record-shattering wildfires in Australia and the US, tarmacmelting heatwaves in North America and Siberia, and massive flooding in Southeast Asia, Africa and Northern Europe. The Paris deal requires nations to renew their plans to cut domestic emissions— known as national determined contributions, or NDCs—every five years. Far from limiting warming to 1.5C, the UN says countries’ latest submissions over the last year put Earth on course to heat a “catastrophic” 2.7C this century. AFP

SECURITY GUARD. A Taliban fighter mans a machine gun mounted on a vehicle near the venue of an open-air pro-Taliban rally on the outskirts of Kabul on October 3. AFP

US Supreme Court returns with explosive cases to decide on WASHINGTON—Abortion, gun rights, religious freedoms and potentially race: the US Supreme Court begins a new term Monday with blockbuster cases on its docket that could spotlight the influence of conservative justices chosen by Donald Trump. For the first time in 18 months, the court’s justices will be back on the bench in person—although one member, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, recently tested positive for Covid-19 and will participate remotely. Kavanaugh is one of the three justices confirmed to the court during Republican Trump’s four-year presidency, which shifted the court to a solidly conservative 6-3 majority. Last year, this reorganized court as-

serted its independence, however, notably rejecting Trump’s crusade to invalidate the 2020 election results that saw him defeated by Joe Biden. But in such “shadow” cases—the nickname for expedited rulings that are not debated in public—the court has begun a rightward tilt, highlighted by its September 1 decision to not block a Texas law that bans almost all abortions in the state. The ruling enraged Democrats, including President Biden, and renewed calls for Supreme Court reforms that are being considered by a presidential commission studying options including adding seats to the bench. More broadly, public frustration with the court has grown—only 40 percent of Americans now say they appreciate its

work, compared to 49 percent in July, while 37 percent of respondents consider it “too conservative,” according to a Gallup poll. In a sign of the tumult, abortion rights defenders protested outside Kavanaugh’s home, and on Saturday thousands of people converged on the Supreme Court— and in cities across America —proclaiming abortion as a personal choice and not a legal debate. To calm the waters, the justices have gone to great lengths recently to convince the public of their impartiality. “This court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks,” Amy Coney Barrett, the justice who succeeded the late liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, said in a speech to students in Kentucky. AFP

Taliban: IS-K cell crushed after attack on mosque

KABUL—The Taliban said on Monday they had destroyed an Islamic State cell in the Afghan capital, hours after a suspected IS attack on a mosque killed five people. The Taliban’s chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said fighters carried out the operation in the north of Kabul on Sunday evening. “As a result of the operation, which was very decisive and successful, the IS centre was completely destroyed and all the IS members in it were killed,” Mujahid said on Twitter. Witnesses and AFP journalists heard blasts and gunfire in the capital at the time of the raid, and images posted to social media showed a large explosion and a fire at the scene. Kabul resident and government employee Abdul Rahaman told AFP that a “large number” of Taliban special forces attacked at least three houses in his neighborhood. “The fighting continued for several hours,” he said, adding the sound of weapons kept him awake all night. “They said they were after Daesh (IS) fighters in the area,” Rahman said. “I don’t know how many were killed or arrested but the fighting was intense.” The operation took place within hours of a deadly attack targeting a prayer ceremony at the Eid Gah Mosque in memory of Taliban spokesman Mujahid’s mother, who died last week. A government cultural commission official, who asked not to be named, told AFP that five people died and 11 were wounded, adding the casualties included both civilians and Taliban members. “We have also arrested three people in connection with the blast,” he said. According to the official, the device was placed at the entrance to the mosque and detonated as mourners were leaving after offering condolences to Mujahid and his family. On Monday, Mujahid told AFP that an investigation was still ongoing but “initial information suggests that Daesh-linked groups may have carried out the attack”. AFP

Prophet Mohammed cartoonist Vilks, cop escorts die in car crash STOCKHOLM -- Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, who lived under police protection after his 2007 depiction of the Prophet Mohammed prompted death threats, died Sunday in a car accident. The 75-year-old and two police officers were killed in a collision with an oncoming truck, Swedish police confirmed to AFP. “This is being investigated like any other road accident. Because two policemen were involved, an investigation has been assigned to a special section of the prosecutor’s office,” a police spokesperson told AFP, adding that there was no suspicion of foul play. The accident occurred near the small town Markaryd when the car Vilks was travelling in crashed into an oncoming truck. Both vehicles caught fire and the truck driver was

hospitalised, according to police. In a statement, the police said the cause of the accident was unclear. “The person we were protecting and two colleagues died in this inconceivable and terribly sad tragedy,” said regional police head Carina Persson. Vilks had been under police protection since his 2007 cartoon of Mohammed with a dog’s body prompted outrage among those who consider depictions of the Muslim prophet deeply offensive or blasphemous. Al-Qaeda offered a $100,000 reward for Vilks’ murder. The depiction also sparked diplomatic friction, with Sweden’s then prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt meeting ambassadors from several Muslim countries to ease tensions. AFP

ANTI-ABORTION. A woman holds a sign during a march by ProVida association against the legalization of the abortion, on their way to Paseo Reforma, in Mexico City on October 03. AFP

Business

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market nears 7,000 points; MREIT climbs S TOP GAINERS PSEi September 6, 2021

ACEX

LAST PRICE 17.3

% CHANGE CHANGE 1.82 11.76%

2 3 4

V HOUSE SCC

0.89 10.76 23.95

0.07 0.76 1.65

8.54% 7.60% 7.40%

5 6

MWC ALLHC

19.8 5.75

1.32 0.35

7.14% 6.48%

7 8

PA DMC

3.25 7.7

0.19 0.41

6.21% 5.62%

9 10

RRHI DDMPR

55.25 1.9

2.65 0.09

5.04% 4.97%

TOCKS inched up Monday closer to 7,000 points, buoyed by a report that COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila were slowing down.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index gained 37.29 points, or 0.5 percent, 6,960.89 on a value turnover of P5.6 billion. Gainers and losers were even at 93 each, with 55 issues were unchanged. MREIT Inc., the newly-listed real estate investment trust company of Megaworld Corp., the biggest lessor of office spaces, climbed 4.2 percent to P17.40, while PLDT Inc., the largest telecom-

munications firm, rose 3.2 percent to P1,692. DMCI Holdings Inc. of the Consunji Group advanced 5.6 percent to P7.70., while unit Semirara Mining and Power Corp., the biggest coal producer, surged 7.4 percent to P23.95. Hong Kong stocks, meanwhile, plunged Monday on concerns about troubled property giant China Evergrande, though most other markets in Asia rose after a strong lead from Wall Street. The crisis at Evergrande, which is drowning in a sea of debt worth more than $300 billion, has roiled markets in recent weeks on fears that its failure could spill over into the wider Chinese economy and possibly further.

The firm said in a statement that the trading halt was called “pending the release by the Company of an announcement containing inside information about a major transaction.” The news came as reports said Hopson Development Holdings planned to buy a 51-percent stake in its property services arm. However, traders remain concerned Evergrande will miss payments on bond obligations, putting it in default. “There still remains very little visibility from the Chinese Government over Evergrande’s fate, although a slow and steady dismantling of the company appears to be the favored course right now,” said OANDA’s Jeffrey Halley. Hong Kong stocks, already under

CONCEPT CAR.

The interior of the SAIC Motor autonomous new energy concept car ‘Kun’ is on display at the China pavilion at the Expo 2020, in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai, on October 3, 2021. AFP

TOP LOSERS 1

LFM

LAST PRICE 27.85

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MED PRIM EURO MHC APC MBC T CEU ECP

0.32 1.67 1.68 0.43 0.25 8.51 0.89 6.69 5.01

% CHANGE CHANGE -2.95 -9.58% -0.025 -0.12 -0.12 -0.03 -0.015 -0.49 -0.05 -0.31 -0.23

-7.25% -6.70% -6.67% -6.52% -5.66% -5.44% -5.32% -4.43% -4.39%

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

CNVRG ACEN DMC MONDE SCC TEL MREIT HOUSE RRHI AC

VOLUME 11,106,700 34,487,800 35,613,200 13,207,900 9,859,400 132,280 12,819,900 20,975,400 3,586,130 232,100

VALUE (PHP) 443,770,995 412,719,038 268,930,814 250,089,520 235,441,295 222,987,350 221,869,564 204,291,068 195,194,596 191,321,260

Evergrande halts share trading pending a major deal HONG KONG, China—Embattled property giant China Evergrande suspended trading in its shares in Hong Kong on Monday pending an announcement on a “major transaction,” as the firm struggles in a sea of debt and faces a default. The halt came as reports said Hong Kong real estate firm Hopson Development Holdings planned to buy a 51-percent stake in Evergrande’s property services arm as the troubled giant tries to offload assets to meet its obligations. “At the request of the Company, trading in the shares of the Company was halted at 9:00 a.m. on 4 October 2021 pending the release by the Company of an announcement containing inside in-

formation about a major transaction,” Evergrande said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. Trading in Hopson was also suspended “pending the release of announcement(s) in relation to a major transaction,” according to a company statement to the exchange. Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Patrick Wong said the suspension may be related to a major asset disposal or capital restructuring. Evergrande Property Services Group was also suspended but the firm’s electric vehicle company, which last week scrapped a proposed Shanghai listing, continued to trade and rose nearly 30 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index

lost more than two percent. Officials at the firm have been struggling to deal with a crisis that has left it more than $300 billion in debt, fueling fears of a contagion for the wider Chinese economy that some warn could spread globally. Last week it said it would sell a $1.5-billion stake in a regional Chinese bank to raise much-needed capital, as it struggles to make interest payments to bondholders. Beijing has stayed silent on the travails of the property empire, but state media has trailed various responses in a nod to the mood towards a private company that grew on a debt binge in the boom years of Chinese real estate. AFP

‘Mad’ Israeli quest to revive 2,000-year-old date palm seeds bears fruit By Claire Gounon KIBBUTZ KETURA, Israel—When Sarah Sallon first thought of cultivating 2,000-year-old date palm seeds from a Roman-era fortress towering above the Dead Sea, she received a less than encouraging response. “The botanical archaeologists said ‘you’re completely mad. It will never work’,” the 72-year-old British-Israeli expert on natural medicine told AFP. But Sallon’s bet that the Dead Sea’s unique, bone-dry environment could enable the seeds from the Masada fortress to flourish has been proven right. With lots of patience and care, she and project partner Elaine Solowey managed to grow date palms from seeds dating back to the Kingdom of Judah which emerged in the 11th century BC. The kingdom was “renowned for the quality and quantity of its dates,” praised at the time for their “large size, sweet taste... and medicinal properties,” the two wrote in an article for Science magazine. Bringing back the ancient variety with Solowey, a specialist in sustainable agriculture, was not just a novelty project, Sallon said, but offered “a beacon of hope” for a planet battling the climate crisis and mass species extinction. “Perhaps these amazing species that are everywhere around us will not disappear,” she said, suggesting that “nature has tricks up its sleeves. “It can let its seeds stay dormant for thousands of years, and we think it’s gone extinct, and—boom!—it takes a pair of golden hands, like Elaine’s, to bring it back to life.” ‘A lot of hassling’ Before embarking on her date palm revival, Sallon had read about 500-year-old lotus flower seeds that had germinated. In 2004, she asked Israel’s Bar Ilan University for access to a few of its preserved date palm seeds found in

Israeli scientist Sarah Sallon (right) and a kibbutz worker transplant into the Negev desert soilManila ‘Judith,’ a female palm tree grown from Standard TODAY 2,000 year-old seeds discovered in the Judean desert, in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel, on September 27, 2021. AFP

1960 under debris at Masada, the Herodian-era mountain-top Jewish encampment famous for having been besieged by Roman forces in the first century. Undeterred after being called “mad” by botanical archaeologists at Bar Ilan, Sallon showed them evidence of ancient seeds being germinated elsewhere. With that and “a lot of hassling,” she obtained five seeds and then approached Solowey, based on Kibbutz Ketura, near Israel’s border with Jordan. Solowey recounted how Sallon sent her the ancient seeds from the fortress with the instruction to “try to sprout them.” “So I said: ‘What? How old are they?’ She said: ‘2,000 years old.’ I said: ‘I can’t sprout them!’ She said: ‘try.’” Solowey said she spent several months considering the best approach, before deciding to use an enzyme-based fertilizer while ruling out the use of any man-made chemicals. In her greenhouse, where she grows many dozens of plants, she tried to sprout three of the seeds, but for weeks saw no signs of life. ‘Fickle process’ Then, one day in March 2005, small cracks

opened in the earth of one of the date palm pots, a sign that roots were beginning to take hold. “I began to think, wow, if this is what I think it is, I’d better start being a lot nicer to it,” Solowey quipped. “I didn’t realize the significance that (the plant) had.” Out of the three seeds planted, just one thrived, acquiring the nickname “Methuselah” after the biblical figure known for his longevity. But “Methuselah” was a male plant and therefore bore no fruit. Having proven that cultivation can work, Sallon went in search of more seeds in hopes of sprouting a female plant. Then last year, after a long wait, a date palm named “Hannah” produced about 100 dates. An even more bountiful harvest followed this August: 800 light brown dates, slightly dry but with a delicate honey flavor. Samples will be available for sale soon, the team promises. There is also hope that Hannah’s sister “Judith,” planted this month, will produce more dates. AFP

pressure owing to concerns about China’s crackdown on a range of industries including tech firms and casinos, sank more than two percent. Tokyo fell 1.1 percent—a sixth straight loss—while Taipei was also in negative territory. Still, there were gains in Sydney, Singapore, Wellington, Bangkok, Mumbai and Jakarta. Shanghai and Seoul were closed for public holidays. Global markets endured a torrid September owing to growing concerns about inflation, spiking virus infections that are hobbling the economic recovery, and political gridlock in Washington that is pushing the United States towards a financially catastrophic debt default. With AFP

OPEC, allies grappling with mixed blessing of rising prices LONDON—OPEC and its key allies will meet on Monday to decide whether to ramp up oil production in a bid to calm overheated global energy prices. The market landscape has changed little since the previous September 1 meeting of the oil exporters’ cartel and its allies, together known as OPEC+, with demand continuing to weigh on global crude supply. Oil prices jumped above $80 last week for the first time in almost three years, handing the club, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, both a boost and a dilemma. The 23 countries in the group are expected to start their video conference meeting at 1300 GMT (3 pm local time at OPEC’s Vienna headquarters). While higher prices benefit producers in the form of increased exports and revenues, there are medium-term drawbacks if rising prices stifle the fragile post-pandemic economic recovery. The trend could also encourage new competitors into the market, making the exploration of new fields more profitable or even encouraging the trend towards renewables. OPEC has been sticking to an increase in production of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), agreed in July, but could nonetheless be tempted to open the taps further. US President Joe Biden’s administration urged such an approach in August, when National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the cartel was not doing “enough” to boost oil production. Helima Croft, of RBC Capital Markets, predicted in a meeting preview note that the bloc will “come under increasingly intense pressure from Washington to open the production release valve and cap the upside.” “With Europe and China in the throes of an escalating energy crisis, we think the odds are rising that the producer group will revisit their original tapering timeline and move to accelerate their output return,” she wrote. AFP

(MS-OCT. 5 & 12, 2021)

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

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

Business

GT Capital boosts secondary car market By Jenniffer B. Austria

ONGLOMERATE GT Capital Holdings Inc. said Monday it is bringing in Japan’s number one automotive warranty provider to boost the country’s used car market.

GT Capital, the listed holding family of the Ty family, said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Premium Warranty Services Philippines Inc. started commercial operations and was aiming to be a first-mover in providing vehicle warranty for second-hand vehicles. PWSPI is a joint venture of GT

Mobility Ventures Inc. and Premium Group Co. Ltd., Japan’s number one automotive warranty provider. Vince Socco, chairman of PWSPI and GT Capital Auto Dealership Inc., said the partnership aimed to help create a more transparent secondary car market and to improve Filipino car owners’ experience of buying and selling preowned cars. “We intend to deliver a much more value-driven experience for both buyers and sellers. We are very pleased to be working with Premium and Mitsui, both leading Japanese companies in delivering world-class service solutions,” Socco said. PWSPI offers an on-demand service that certifies a vehicle’s condition

based on engine, body and frame, undercarriage, interior and exterior condition and registration details. Premium inspection can be used to identify eligible vehicles that can be covered by PWSPI’s warranty offering. Customers may choose from a variety of options ranging from comprehensive coverage across all the vehicles’ mechanical and electrical components to limited coverage for only the vehicles’ engine and transmission. Customers may also opt for either a one-year or a two-year coverage. PWSPI will initially work through select online auto portals, used car dealers and financial

FMIC and UA&P economists see ‘decent’ growth ECONOMISTS from First Metro Investment Corp. and University of Asia & the Pacific said Monday they expect a “decent” economic growth this year, based on the latest indicators showing the economy is gradually recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused a five-quarter technical recession beginning the first quarter of 2020. They noted in the latest “Market Call” the decline in unemployment rate to 6.9 percent in July from 7.7 percent in June and the 537-percent increase in manufacturing output in July, propelled by petroleum products’ upswing. Exports kept a double-digit expansion pace (up 12.6 percent) in July, although it was slower than the 17.6-percent rise in June, they said. Fiscal deficit in the first seven months reached 45.1 percent of the full-year target, providing fiscal space for the rest of 2021, according to the economists. “Some recent economic indicators paint an optimistic recovery, shoring confidence that we would end the year with a decent growth. Manufacturing and export outputs kept their torrid triple and double-digit growths, respectively,” they said. “National government disbursements slightly inched up. Employment print, likewise, showed lower unemployment rates, although some negatives also appeared,” they said. The uncertainties caused by elevated COVID-19 cases and strict lockdowns compelled the National Economic and Development Authority to reduce the full-year’s growth projection to 4 percent to 5 percent from the previous estimate of 6 percent to 7 percent. Investors, however, kept a more optimistic outlook as Japan Credit Rating Agency maintained it’s A- stable rating for the country’s debt, while foreign investors started to boost the equities market. “We remain confident that the economy will overcome the current obstacles—especially with faster vaccination rollouts and better weather conditions in the last four months of the year,” the economists said.

PH-DENMARK RELATIONS.

In celebration of 75 years of DenmarkPhilippines diplomatic relations, Danish Ambassador to the Philippines Grete Sillasen (right) and SM Mall of Asia senior assistant vice president for operations Perkin So lead the commemorative lighting of the anniversary logo at the SM Mall of Asia Globe. The anniversary logo encapsulates the theme for this year’s celebration, ‘Partners in Progress for Sustainable Growth’, through the depiction of windmills with wind blades in the shape of each country’s local flowers— the Philippines’ sampaguita and Denmark’s daisy.

EEI bares homegrown app to connect shippers, truckers By Darwin G. Amojelar EEI Corp., an affiliate of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, on Monday unveiled a Filipino-made logistics mobile app and web-based platform that supports frontload cargo transport and fleet management. Called eCarga, the app utilizes several platforms that will initially serve hundreds of shippers, professional truck owners and drivers operating within Luzon. EEI president and chief executive Roberto Jose Castillo said eCarga app’s goal is to fulfill the growing demand for a more efficient flow of local cargo deliveries. “The app is designed to connect our local shippers and truckers so they can meet real-time demand for cargo deliveries. It is our way of addressing the evolving industry needs through solutions that are convenient, fast and se-

Domestic plastic manufacturers oppose safeguard duties on imported materials By Othel V. Campos THE Philippine Plastics Industry Association said Monday it opposes the anticipated slapping of safeguard duties on imported high-density polyethylene and low linear density polyethylene that will bring additional cost to locally-manufactured plastic-based consumer products. PPIA president Danny Ngo said the safeguard duties, once implemented, would result in a “serious domestic injury triggering additional price increases on local commodities with its spawning impacts over a wide spectrum of basic consumers’ goods from food, beverage, cosmetics, personal and home care, medicines and a lot more.” Ngo said about 417 plastic downstream enterprises employing more than 23,000 workers would be severely affected if the government imposed the safeguard duties. The industry has more than 23,000 consumer products manufacturers, with an aggregate 343,262 workers, contributing about P1.79 trillion to the national output. “The move is very untimely amidst

institutions. It plans to eventually handle direct customer-to-customer transactions and expand its footprint throughout the Philippines. Socco said the second-hand vehicle market was growing at a fast pace and was estimated to expand to half a million units annually. “This volume is far larger than the market for new vehicles and represents a very significant demand for our services,” Socco said. Tokyo-based PGC has 14 years of experience in the industry. It has more than 1 million total warranty contracts and 23,500 partner dealers. Anticipating sustained growth in Asia’s automotive market, PGC expanded its presence to Thailand and Indonesia and now the Philippines.

the pandemic where local industries and businesses, at present, are still recovering from losses, and the majority of Filipinos were battered by the series of lockdowns following health protocols and mobility restrictions that forced many livelihood activities to stop,” said Ngo. PPIA said, “the real issue here is not from us but originated from the petitioner itself when JGSPC [JG Summit Petrochemicals Group] commercially operated its naphtha cracker plant in 2016 to also produce PP and other petrochemical additives, and when they started failing to deliver the HDPE and LLDPE raw material supplies orders of the downstream sector.” Ngo said the lapses created a severe shortage of raw materials that significantly disrupted the entire supply chain in the downstream plastic sector. He said the alarming situation inadvertently compelled the local plastic converters to source their raw materials from stable and steady foreign suppliers so that their production plants would continue to operate, as many already stopped, other partially-operated, given the raw material shortage.

cure,” Castillo said. The initial fleet accredited by eCarga includes over a hundred trucks combining open and closed type vans. Accreditation of more professional truckers will continue to allow eCarga adopt to the expected increase in demand from consumers. EEI said it aimed to have 400 active users by fourth quarter of 2021 and 1,500 by end of 2022. Depending on the actual customer demand, EEI intends to continuously make adjustments in fleet size specific to the type of truck needed. The app will also extend its logistics platform and capabilities to support backload service, business-to-business market and offer multi-modal logistics services through innovative digital platforms. Using the eCarga mobile app, shippers only need to make a few taps to book a pick-up and delivery request with the necessary shipping details.

The truck owners can access the request through a web based platform where they can also perform fleet and schedule management. The first registered truck owner who receives the request gets the delivery task and assign it to one of his drivers. The driver then receives the assignment details through his own mobile application. The platform enables cashless cargo transport with tracking and monitoring capabilities that provides convenience, safety and seamless delivery of goods. On the admin side, eCarga handles dayto-day operations, which include app and platform registration, delivery monitoring and customer support, through its admin platform. Booking fee is competitive in the market. Operations will be rolled out in three phases for the next three years to eventually cover transport logistics requirements outside of Luzon.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, October 4, 2021

37.29 PTS. 6,960.89

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

955,461,243 100,159

TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES

5,889,841,799.16 93 93

UNCHANGED

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.8910

Japan

Yen

0.009015

0.4588

Pound

1.354900

68.9522

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128457

6.5373

Switzerland

Franc

1.076079

54.7627

Canada

Dollar

0.790639

40.2364

Singapore

Dollar

0.737191

37.5164

Australia

Dollar

0.725700

36.9316

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652661

134.9966

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266638

13.5695

Brunei

Dollar

0.734484

37.3786

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.029744

1.5137

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.8570

Euro

1.159700

59.0183

Korea

Won

0.000847

0.0431

China

Yuan

0.154524

7.8639

India

Rupee

0.013488

0.6864

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.239349

12.1807

New Zealand

Dollar

0.693100

35.2726

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036018

1.8330 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF Petromobil faces closure, warns DOE THE Department of Energy said Monday new petroleum industry player Petromobil Corp. has no certificate of compliance and could be found liable for penalties and closure. “We have not issued any COC to Petromobil,” said Rino Abad, director of the agency’s Oil Industry Management Bureau. The DOE said it is coordinating with the Bureau of Customs following the seizure of around 6,357 liters of unmarked diesel at one of the Petromobil retail gas stations in Pampanga. The move is part of BOC’s efforts to step up the implementation of the fuel marking and monitoring program to curb oil smuggling. By operating without COC, Petromobil could be liable for illegal trading which carries monetary penalties and recommendation of revocation of the permit or license to the local government unit, according to the DOE. Petromobil can also be held liable for product quality violation, it said. The agency is looking at the compliance of eight Petromobil stations. Alena Mae S. Flores

FOBAP eyes 33% growth in orders THE Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines, a major trading group, said it expects to generate $1.2 billion in booked contracts by end-2021, up 33.3 percent from $900 million in 2020. “If there will no crippling quarantine, we are trying our best effort for $1 billion to $1.2 billion this yearend,” said FOBAP chairman and president Robert Young. He said the Philippines was looking at around $300-million worth of additional orders from overseas garments clients because of the lockdown in Vietnam. “Plus, there are more orders from Myanmar whose currency devalued at around 60 percent,” he said. FOBAP, however, expressed concern over the opportunities in the US. The group said the unprecedented supply chain disruptions in the United States might affect the Philippine textile and garment industry. FOBAP said this was due to the factory closures and quarantine rules around Asia and Europe and the debilitating shipping delivery delays linked to COVID-19. Othel V. Campos

DITO CME taps SriKarTech services DITO CME through wholly-owned subsidiary Dito CME Ventures Inc. teamed up with StriKarTech, a leading global and professional IT solutions and services provider, to expand its data analytics services. Unalytics, in partnership with StriKarTech, will provide cost-effective intelligent solutions such as enterprise fraud management, anti-money laundering, advanced link analysis, loan early warning signals, identity resolution engine and customer experience management. “With most enterprises undergoing digital pivot and transformation, both public and private sectors must effectively adapt to the rapidly changing preferences and behaviors of the consumers and ensure their businesses are well-protected and able to manage cyber risks,” said DITO CME president Eric Alberto. “Enterprises need to build trust and inspire confidence with consumers, especially with the growing threats in the cyber security space. This is why data analytics and digital tools are very critical and as these enable businesses to operate confidently and better understand the customers’ needs, allowing deeper engagements and strengthening their trust in what we do,” he said. Darwin G. Amojelar

SBFI EVENT.

Security Bank employees and scholars take part in the online bingo night organized by Security Bank Foundation Inc. for its ‘Regalo Mo, Kinabukasan Ko’ scholarship program for agency personnel and their children. Through the online bingo with playing fee, employees and foundation college scholars raised funds to sustain the RMKK scholarship program despite the pandemic.

AC Energy starts operation of 88-MW wind farm in Vietnam By Alena Mae S. Flores AC Energy Corp. and the BIM Group announced Monday the start of commercial operations of their latest joint venture— the 88-megawatt Ninh Thuan wind farm in Vietnam. AC Energy said in a statement the project brings its Vietnam renewable energy capacity to 1,000 MW in operation and under construction, making it the second largest market to date after the Philippines.

“We are very excited to bring this new project into commercial operations ahead of the feed-in-tariff deadline, notwithstanding the many challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Patrice Clausse, chief operating officer of AC Energy International. Located in South Central Vietnam, the $155-million wind farm features 22 units of GE Renewable Energy’s Cypress turbines. It is expected to generate 327 gigawatt-

hours annually once fully operational, enough to power around 50,000 homes a year that can help avoid 298,551 tons of carbon dioxide. This is the second joint project of ACEN and the BIM Group following the 405-MW Ninh Thuan solar farm, one of the largest in Southeast Asia. The Ninh Thuan solar farm was inaugurated in 2019 and reached a significant milestone with one billion kilowatt-hour output.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

Chot credits TNT Giga’s ‘superhuman’ effort in win By Peter Atencio

SMB’s June Mar Fajardo fights through the defense of TNT’s JP Erram in a PBA Philippine Cup semifinal game won by the Tropang Giga, 89-88.

PSC seeks Justice Dept. aid on unliquidated NSA funds By Peter Atencio

HE Philippine Sports Commission is once again seeking the assistance of the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation in its efforts to get the various national sports associations liquidate the ﬁnancial assistance provided them by the government sports body. Commissioner Ramon Fernandez said the PSC is seeking the liquidation of more than P100 million in support that was given to national coaches, athletes and national sports associations. “Humingi na kami ng tulong sa DOJ and the solicitor general to write the NSAs that have not liquidated, and then humingi ang DOJ sa NBI ng assistance. Our finance department got a subpoena from the NBI requesting the list of NSAs

na mayroong unliquidated,” said Fernandez in a Radio Pilipinas 2 interview. “As of last week, may mga P100 million pa na hindi nali-liquidate, padadalhan muna ng demand letter ‘yun ng NBI. There’s a process for that, may puwersa na lang ngayon dahil hindi na PSC at finance department or legal ang nagpapadala sa kanila (NSAs) ng demand letter. Gusto naman namin na ang iwanan ang PSC na malinis and liquidation, kasi

baka naman kami ang athletes and coaches and habulin ng COA (Comother sports officials have mission on Audit),” added been properly tackled by the PSC commissioner. the PSC. Fernandez said the PSC Fernandez echoed PSC needs to put its accounts in chairman William Ramirez’s order as the Commission belief that guidance from of Audit will soon review the DOJ is needed since acthe financial books of the countability is expected of sports body. the PSC. “We supported them The PSC has been (NSAs) fully. And being adopting a “no liquidafinancially supported by PSC commissioner tion, no assistance” policy the PSC is not a right, but a Ramon Fernandez for the last three years. privilege,” said Fernandez. This is for NSAs which For the last three years, the agency have internal disputes and those that have has been in a partnership with the DOJ unliquidated financial assistance within and the NBI to help ensure good gov- 30 days after getting funds from the PSC. ernance among the national sports asIn line with the requirements of the sociations. DOJ, the agency is now creating a task With the help of the two government force that will coordinate and work institutions, mishandled financial as- closely on standing cases and other consistance and criminal cases involving flicts that may be referred by the PSC.

Rebisco targets 5th place at Asian tourney TEAM Rebisco looks forward to a modest fifth-place finish in the consolation phase following an 25-11, 25-19, 25-18 loss on Monday to four-time Thailand League winner Nakhon Ratchasima Qminc VC in a game, where Ivy Lacsina and Faith Nisperos pulled off potent performances. “We may have had some ups and downs, but we have a lot to improve on,” Nisperos said after the one-hour and 28-minute match. “But I am so happy spiritually seeing how my teammates and I are really trying to fight.” That was the third loss in as many matches for Rebisco, who refused to be bullied to the sides by an opponent that has played much longer together than the Filipinas’ two- to three-month training, no thanks to more rigid health protocols back home. The consolation round is meant for teams who do not make the semifinals of the 21st Asian Women’s Club VolleyMhicaela ball Championship that the Thailand fedBelen eration is hosting in Nakhon Ratchasima, which has since become one of the host’s sports hub since it hosted the 2007 Southhave learned from Coach Jorge [Edson rifled in eight of 11 spikes, made five east Asian Games. “We are really trying to apply what we Souza de Brito],” said Nisperos, who blocks and a team-best nine points.

Nisperos complemented the six kills from Nisperos, who entered the match as a substitute in the second set. “This is a learning experience for us, and for sure we can take all the lessons from here moving forward,” added Nisperos, who made 14 points on attacks at the Terminal 21 competition hall bubble. Despite the defeat, Brito praised his wards for showing nigh fighting hearts. “Even when they didn’t play well in the first set, they picked their game up in the second and third set,” Brito said. “This is really important … inside the match, you are always going for improvement.” “For sure, we will be really preparing for the next match and do our best always,” added Brito, a member of the Brazilian team that won the men’s gold medal in the Barcelona 1992 Olympics. Rebisco will play in Wednesday’s classification round against the loser of the quarterfinals duel between Choco Mucho and Supreme Chonburi of Thailand. Rebisco’s participation, as well as that of Choco Mucho, in the championships are supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Rebisco, Taguig City and Asics.

Adiwang pumped for Rodtang-DJ faceoff at ONE X

Lito Adiwang: Giddy

LITO “Thunder Kid” Adiwang shared the excitement of most fight fans for the announcement of the hybrid megabout between mixed martial arts legend Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon at ONE X in December. “I was surprised when I found out about it because we all know what a big deal it is to hear that two of the alltime greats in Rodtang and Demetrious are fighting,” he said. It truly is groundbreaking news, with two of the best in

their disciplines facing off in a never-before-seen fight setup to celebrate ONE Championship’s 10-year anniversary. Both Rodtang and DJ are set to wear 4 oz gloves while splitting the four rounds down the middle. Rounds one and three will be contested in a Muay Thai set up, while rounds two and four will be under the promotion’s Global Martial Arts ruleset. It’s a first of its kind arrangement that has left the likes of the Filipino intrigued. “First time in history that such a setup will be held. It’s really exciting and I really want to see what will happen between them,” said Thunder Kid, who is coming off a sensa-

tional unanimous decision triumph over Chinese foe Hexigetu at ONE: REVOLUTION. Pardon Adiwang for feeling giddy talking about this colossal match which will see the best of both worlds collide in an unconventional setup. “Imagine: you have one who is a pure striker who’s the best in his field, so that’s a clear advantage for Rodtang. On the other hand, you have Demetious who we all know what he’s capable of because he’s one of the greatests of all time, and there’s no question that he can finish Rodtang if the fight is under MMA rules. So it’s really interesting to see how that fight will play out,” he said.

THE TNT Tropang Giga struggled with the absence of their starting big man Kelly Williams. But they still found answers on how to limit 6’11” San Miguel Beer slotman JuneMar Fajardo. But it took more than one person to do the job as the Tropang Giga grabbed Game 1 of their best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series with an 89-88 win over the Beermen at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga Sunday evening. “No one can stop JuneMar. Our best is to stay and contain him and do our best,” said Tropang Giga coach Chot Reyes after they earned the momentum in their semis affair. With the Beermen in control the boards, the Tropang Giga instead took command with their better shooting percentage, making 39 out of 90 attempts. And with Williams sitting out due to health and safety protocols, defense on Fajardo became the work of four guys—Roger Pogoy, Poy Erram, Dave Marcelo and Troy Rosario. “It was a hell of an effort, a superhuman (effort) by our bigs,” said Reyes. Pogoy played a big role on both ends of the floor, coming up with a season-high 23 points, including 10 in a pivotal third quarter. But it was on the defensive end where Pogoy shone most as he denied Marcio Lassiter’s game-winning attempt at the buzzer. CJ Perez led the Beermen with 23 points, while Fajardo added 13 points and 11 rebounds. After Pogoy put TNT ahead, 8984, with his driving layup, the Beermen continued attacking and scoring to come close to within one off a pair baskets from Perez with 36 ticks left. Pogoy then safeguarded the win for TNT with his defensive effort on Lassiter.

Water Warriors, Delta turn back NBL opponents THE Pampanga Delta and the Muntinlupa Water Warriors beat their respective opponents last Sunday to climb in the team standings of the Chooks-to-Go National Basketball League Chairman’s Cup 2021 at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga. Encho Serrano scored a teamhigh 13 points as the Delta defeated the Paranaque Aces, 69-55, to take third place in the team standings with a 5-1 win-loss record. Jed Mendoza had 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists, nine steals and four steals to power the Water Warriors to a 76-67 victory over the Taguig Generals to take fourth place along with the Quezon Barons with a 4-1 win-loss slate. The Delta and the Water Warriors are within striking distance of first place La Union PAOwer (4-0) and Bulacan DF Republicans (6-1) in the standings following Sunday’s games. MJ Garcia and Rhanzelle Yong scored 10 points each, and made key baskets in the fourth quarter including a triple by Garcia with 1:03 left that increased the Delta lead to 11 points, 66-55. The Water Warriors overcame a slow start as they trailed by 13 points, 18-5, by slicing the gap to two, 22-20, at the end of the first. They outscored the Generals, 2211, in the second quarter and the Water Warriors were ahead, 42-33, at halftime. Muntinlupa pulled away in the second half and led by as many as 17 points. The Aces lost for the third time in four games despite a gallant stand against the Delta, while the Generals also went winless in their two weekend games, settling for a 3-2 win-loss mark.

Sports

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

Vaccinated Wiggins can play in Dubs’ home games SAN FRANCISCO—Golden State Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and will be able to play in NBA home games this season, coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday. Wiggins’ status was in doubt after the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced anyone age 12 or older had to be fully vaccinated to attend indoor events in the city. “Andrew got vaccinated,” Kerr said after a team practice. “He just told me today that he was fine with us acknowledging it and that will be the end of it so I’m not going to answer any questions beyond that.” Wiggins said last week the issue was his to deal with, given he would potentially lose paychecks for any missed games. The NBA denied Wiggins a religious exemption to getting vaccinated, according to ESPN. The NBA announced on Wednesday that players who miss games due to local Covid-19 mandates will not be paid, a move that could have impacted Wiggins. A New York regulation also means players on the Knicks and Brooklyn Nets will be required to get vaccinated to play in their home arenas, and that could be an issue for Nets guard Kyrie Irving, who has not commented on his vaccination status. He would not be able to play in Nets’ home games unless he gets vaccinated. About 90% of NBA players have been vaccinated but some have refused or declined to divulge their vaccination status. It was not certain what type of vaccination Wiggins received but if it was the one-dose Johnson & Johnson variety, Wiggins would be available for the Warriors and not miss any practice or pre-season games prior to Golden State’s home opener on October 21 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Kerr said the Warriors were 100% vaccinated or on the verge and that he expected Wiggins would play in Golden State’s pre-season opener Monday against Portland. AFP

Boutier bags LPGA title; Saso tied for 19th Yuka Saso of the Philippines hits her tee shot on the 2nd hole during the final round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic on the Bay Course at Seaview Golf Club in Galloway, New Jersey. AFP

EW YORK—France’s Celine Boutier matched the low round of her career with a bogey-free eight-under par 63 on Sunday to capture the LPGA ShopRite Classic, winning her ﬁrst US title.

The 27-year-old closed with two birdies in her last three holes to finish the 54-hole event on 14-under 199 at Seaview Bay in Galloway, New Jersey. That was enough for a one-stroke victory over world number two Ko Jinyoung and third-ranked Park In-bee, both of South Korea, and Canada’s Brooke Henderson. The Philippines’ Yuka Saso finished in an eight-way tie for 19th. “I just made a lot of putts today,” Boutier said. “I played really solid, gave myself a lot of opportunities and dropped a lot of putts.” Boutier’s only other LPGA title

came at the 2019 Women’s Victoria Open in Australia. “It’s unbelievable,” Boutier said. “My first win in Australia was so long ago. It was time for another one. I’m just over the moon.” Born in France to Thai parents, Boutier has won three Ladies European Tour titles, the most recent two weeks ago at the Women’s French Open. Boutier birdied six of the first nine holes to leap into contention, then birdied the par-4 16th and closed with a six-foot birdie putt at the par-5 18th to seize a one-stroke clubhouse lead

with Ko and Park one stroke back. The South Korean stars each parred the par-3 17th and needed birdies at 18 to force a playoff. Park was short of the green but pitched from short rough to eight feet past the hole. Ko reached the green in two but was on the opposite side from the hole and left her long-range eagle bid almost 10 feet short. Park slid her birdie putt a foot past the cup and Ko’s putt went left of the hole, giving Boutier the title. Boutier watched it happen on a television in the locker room. “It was the perfect place to chill and watch the end,” Boutier said. “I couldn’t find a TV anywhere else.” Mexico’s Maria Fassi fired a career-low 64 to grab a career-best LPGA finish of fifth on 201, one

Tom Brady now NFL’s all-time leading passer LOS ANGELES—Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady became the NFL’s all-time passer in his homecoming game against the New England Patriots on Sunday night. Seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady is the all-time leader in passing yards after completing a 28-yard throw to Tampa teammate Mike Evans with six minutes remaining in the first quarter to pass Drew Brees by one yard. Brady entered the contest with 80,291 yards, needing 68 to pass Brees. He now has 80,359 compared to Brees’ 80,358. Brady, who is in his second season with the Buccaneers after spending 20 years with New England, is making his first return to New England since leaving in 2020. Brees was in Foxborough and on the sidelines when Brady broke his mark. Brees played 20 seasons in the NFL, retiring in March. He won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints in the 2009. AFP

Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on against the New England Patriots during the third quarter at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, AFP

stroke ahead of Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit. “It was awesome,” Fassi said. “We did such good work today, all week really. Just stayed true to our game plan. It was happy to see it pay off. I’ve been waiting for this.” Ko missed a chance for her third win of the season after triumphs at Dallas in July and Portland two weeks ago. Park, ending a six-week layoff this week, sought her 22nd career LPGA title and first since March’s Kia Classic. The season continues next week with Ko defending her title at the Founders Cup in West Caldwell, New Jersey, before the LPGA makes a reduced Asia swing to South Korea and Japan ahead of next month’s season-ending Tour Championship. Events in China and Taiwan were canceled due to Covid-19 issues. AFP

Malditas grace online session of PSA Forum THE Philippine women’s football team which qualified in next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup, headlines the online edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday. Head coach Marlon Maro, assistant Rose Ton Barinan, and team captain Inna Palacios are appearing in the 11 a.m. session to talk about their preparation for the January 20 to February 6 event to be held in India, where the top five teams will qualify to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Malditas clinched a berth in the Asian Cup for the second straight year after topping Group F of the recent qualifiers held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The weekly public sports program is presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, the Daily Tribune, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. PSA president Rey Lachica of Tempo enjoins members to attend the Forum through the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation which is livestreaming the session, and also being shared by Radyo Pilipinas 2 facebook page.

PPGL champs to share prize money with charitable beneficiaries TO mark the annual celebration of the Globe National G Day, Philippine Pro Gaming League Valorant and League of Legends: Wild Rift SEA Icon Fall Season champions have pledged to share a portion of their prize money to charitable institutions of their choice. The National G Day on September 17 or 917 does not only refer to Globe’s iconic prefix but is also the time when Globe and its partners come together to give back to the people. Globe co-presents the PPGL, the largest multititle gaming esports league in the Philippines, which is becoming an avenue for the country’s best esports athletes to uplift the lives of Filipinos aside from showcasing their skills. The winners of the Valorant Challengers Tournament Stage 3 Challengers PH—Sunsparks and Oasis Gaming—have already identified their beneficiaries from a list of non-profit organizations. Tanging Yaman Org and the Pawsion Project will both receive P50,000 each. The same amount will be given to Wild Rift SEA Icon Series--Fall Season winners Team Secret and Fennel Adversity’s beneficiaries. “Globe is embarking on a pioneering effort as it continues its thrust to serve as the stepping stone

for Filipino gamers to international success. We are presenting the best of Philippine talents to the rest of the world while helping them champion the community they support,” said Rina Siongco, Head of Get Entertained Tribe at Globe. “Mineski has always advocated for responsible gaming. We look forward to providing more opportunities for gamers to not just compete at a global standard, but also give back to society and support good causes such as these,” said Mark Navarro, Country Manager of Mineski Global, one of Southeast Asia’s largest esports organizations and organizer of PPGL. True to form, the PPGL has allowed Filipino esports athletes to shine on a regional and world stage. The rising popularity of esports in the country has also paved the way for communities to band together. Being the co-presenter of PPGL, Globe solidifies its play in the esports industry by bringing the best esports tournament to its subscribers. This is done in the form of the tournaments held in PPGL, where top esports talents of the featured games battle it out to see who is the best in the Philippines. Winning teams also have the chance to compete in the regional and world championships of the respective games.

Globe is committed to upholding the United Development Goals. Nations Global Compact principles and conTo know more about Globe, visit www.globe. tributing to the 10 United Nations Sustainable com.ph.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

CEBUANA ENGINEER

TO WEAR PHILIPPINE SASH AT

MISS WORLD PAGEANT IN DECEMBER

Telco brand culminates 20th year with star-studded virtual show AS A brand made by Pinoys for Pinoys, TM has continued to celebrate two decades of uplifting and connecting Filipinos across the country. Since June, TM has showered its loyal subscribers with weekly prizes, offers, and exciting activities. Now, it culminates its 20th anniversary celebration with TM Doble Dekada Piyestang Pina-Easy, an interactive online event. The online event, which will give out 2 million peso grand prize and 500,000 peso worth of FunKabuhayan package, features the performances of the country’s biggest stars and rising music acts like Alden Richards, Andrea Brillantes with Seth Fedelin, Riva Quenery, SB19, The Juans, Silent Sanctuary, Matthaios, and Parokya ni Edgar. The event is hosted by Baninay Baustista and Luigi Pacheco. perfor There will also be musical performances from artists all over the Philippines like singer Ian Sison from Luzon, Cebu-based Jerika

Teodorico, and the Banaag Brothers from Mindanao. “TM has always been proud of its Filipino heritage as a brand made for Pinoys by Pinoys. For the past 20 years, it has made the lives of Filipinos easier and more convenient by being the first to provide affordable services that gave them more ways to build and nurture relationships,” says Darius Delgado, Vice-President of Consumer Mobile Business at TM. The TM Doble Dekada Piyestang Pina-Easy is happening tonight at 6:00 via the TM Tambayan Facebook page.

TM’s 20th-anniversary show is headlined by big stars and top music acts led by Alden Richards.

RACY Maureen Perez, a 28-year-old Cebuana model and Industrial Engineering graduate will be the country’s representative in this year’s Miss World pageant after bagging the Miss World Philippines 2021 title during finals held at Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) on Sunday night.

Perez was crowned by Miss World Philippines 2019 Michelle Dee. Perez, originally from Baguyan, Agusan del Sur, competed in the same pageant in 2019 and in Miss Universe Philippines 2020 where she won best in swimsuit and most photogenic. An advocate for equal access to quality education, Perez fell on stage twice possibly due to exhaustion over the seven-hour-long ceremony. Co-host actor Xian Lim and fellow candidate Emmanuelle Vera helped her back on her feet before the winners were announced. Vera, an actress and singersongwriter, was named ReinaHispanoAmericana Filipinas 2021, while Fil- Australian Kathleen Paton won Miss Eco Philippines 2021. Other winners were: Trisha Martinez, a dentist, who was named Miss Tourism Philippines 2021; Michelle Arceo, GMA’s Gandang Filipina 2017 winner, was Miss En-

AWARE of the damage wrought by COVID-19 pandemic on livelihood locally and globally, showbiz celebrities came out in support of the local backyard piggery farmers by encouraging Filipinos to buy pork from local hog-raisers. One example of solid support to this campaign is that of lifestyle show host Chemist Pinky Tobiano. In several seasons of her online public service program Grateful Tuesdays, Chemist Pinky met ordinary citizens gravely affected by the pandemic. Some of them were farmers-backyard Rocco Nacino earns an acting nomination in the 36th Star Awards for TV.

Langit). “Honestly, I don’t feel I’m in the same level as them. I feel honored to be in the roster of nominees alongside their names. The nomination itself is already an award for me. It will truly motivate me to further hone my craft and make more meaningful projects with the Kapuso network in the future,” he said of being nominated alongside seasoned actors. Speaking about projects, Rocco is happy to know that Derek Ramsay felt glad upon knowing that he is his replacement in the new GMA primetime drama To Have and to Hold. It can be remembered that the role was first offered to Derek but he declined saying he is not ready to work yet. “I learned that Derek was happy that the role went to me instead. I want to thank him for the kind words and his confidence in me.” Despite not being the first choice for the part, Rocco is glad that the role ended on his lap.

Jose Mari R. Abacan selected jury for Venice TV Award 2021 TV executive Jose Mari R. Abacan.

This year’s queens were announced at the conclusion of the seven-hour event held in Subic.

vironment Philippines 2021; Shaila Rebortera, a dentist and former Sinulog Festival Queen 2018 won Miss Multinational Philippines 2021; and Tatyana Austria, an 18-year-old, model bagged the Miss Eco Teen Philippines 2021 title. Riana Pangindian, a Bb. Pilipinas 2016 Top 15 semi-finalist, and Ganiel Krishnan, former Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia Pacific International 2016, were named First and Second Princess, respectively. “After this pandemic, I hope that we never take for granted our family that we have, our health, and the people who protect us -- our frontliners. We should always give importance to those people,” Perez answered when asked what she would want the people to learn from the pandemic when it’s over. Miss World 2021 will be held at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Dec. 16.

Celebrities encourage public to buy local, support ‘Pinoy pork’

Rocco Nacino marks new milestone in acting career APART from headlining GMA’s latest primetime offering To Have and to Hold, Rocco Nacino achieved another milestone as an actor with his nomination as Best Drama Supporting Actor in the forthcoming 34th Star Awards for Television, which is being handed out annually by the Philippine Movie Press Club. “I feel elated and proud with the citation given to me for my work in Descendants of the Sun where I played the character of the soldier named Diego Ramos or Wolf,” he stated. “When my program managers and bosses sent me the photo of the certificate of nomination, it felt great. It only means that my performance got appreciated,” he added. Rocco shared that the show has definitely a soft spot in his heart. “I thank God because I somehow look like Jin Goo, the actor who originally played the role. That’s one of the reasons why they say I nabbed the part.” Meanwhile, for the PMPC award, Rocco is be pitted against seasoned thespians Jaime Fabregas (Ang Probinsyano), Roderick Paulate (One of the Baes), Michael de Mesa (Ang Probinsyano), Joel Torre (Starla), Gardo Versoza (Sandugo), and Gabby Eigenmann (Bilangin ang Bituin sa

Tracy Maureen Perez, 28, is a model and an Industrial Engineering graduate.

GMA Network’s First Vice President for Program Management Department Jose Mari R. Abacan was among the top-class media experts chosen to be part of the esteemed online jury at this year’s prestigious Venice TV Award. Celebrating the masterpieces of television, the event gathered innovative leaders that encourage creativity from different places in the world to deter-

‘Grateful Tuesdays’ host Pinky Tobiano with Dr. Vicki Belo.

pig raisers whose income plummeted due to African Swine Flu and the skyrocketing price of pork and pork products. This situation prompted Chemist Pinky to push the “Support Pinoy Pork” campaign with fellow advocates, like Chester Warren Tan (National Federation of Hog Farmers) and Nonon Tambago (Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines). They were later joined by celebrities Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Erik Santos, Dr. Vicki Belo, Moie Bien, and others. “We are encouraging our countrymen when they go to the market, to please buy Pinoy pork. Yummier, tastier, safer,” said Tobiano also underscoring that such campaign can be a big help in encouraging Filipinos to buy pork, in effect helping others involved in the business. She is grateful to the celebrities involved for their sincere help in promoting local products-especially agricultural products, including Pinoy pork. “They believe God loves a cheerful giver that’s why they really want to help especially during this pandemic,” Chemist Pinky Tobiano added. Next week, Chemist Pinky, joined by Erik Santos, will cook Pinoy pork adobo, which they’ll give out to over 100 jeepney drivers from Quezon City, who lost their boundary income due to the pandemic. “Let’s be one with them supporting local pork. Support Pinoy pork,” Chemist Pinky Tobiano concluded.

‘Master director’ Chito S. Roño helms ‘Darna’ series STEAMED director Chito S. Roño is officially making a comeback via the muchawaited television adaptation of the Philippines’ iconic superheroine in Darna: The TV Series. The cameras are set to roll in early November with master director Chito, who is behind the hit Kapamilya series Imortal, Lastikman, and Spirits, now making a TV comeback after almost a decade to lead one of ABS-CBN’s biggest projects for 2022.

He is expected to take today’s audiences to the edge of their seats with his expertise in visual effects production and masterful storytelling for the adaptation of the heroine created by the late Mars Ravelo, whose 115th birth anniversary is commemorated on Oct. 9. The renowned director, who made his last TV show Maria Mercedes back in 2013, is also known for being the ‘master of scare’ on the big screen. He had previously directed the hit

mine the work that sets the standard for creativity across the industry. Abacan selected winners for the TV Series and Light Entertainment categories from the 29 countries that joined, determining those underlining

horror flicks Feng Shui and The Ghost Bride. He also served as director of award-winning drama films Dekada ‘70 and Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa?. In recent years, he was at the helm of the family drama Signal Rock, the Philippines’ entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 91st Academy Awards. Top-billed by Jane de Leon, the upcoming series will be produced by ABS-CBN’s JRB Director Chito S. Roño Creative Production.

the continued – and growing – global appeal of TV. The event was launched as a tribute to and celebration of television, increasing national and international recognition for both producers and

broadcasters who create high-quality output. The awarding ceremony was held online last Sept. 28. To view the list of winners, visit www.venicetvaward. com/winners-2021/.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

No plastic allowed in the ocean promotes products in recyclable and sustainable packaging.

NO PLACE FOR PLASTIC. Different sectors of the society are working together to help prevent the grave prediction that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.

Collective action towards a sustainable world

By Ellicia Frentzen Del Mundo

HE plastic pollution crisis continues to worsen at an alarming rate especially today in the wake of the pandemic. Every day, tons of ocean-bound plastic waste endangers marine life and the ecosystem.

Experts predict that by 2050, “there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean,” said Watsons Philippines PR and sustainability director Viki Encarnacion during the webinar “Do Good for the Ocean” organized by A.S Watson Group. She added that every year, “over 8 million tons of plastic waste escape in the ocean from our coastal nations” leading to the death of “more than 1 million sea birds and 100,000 marine animals”. Recognizing the adverse effects of plastic, Watsons entered a partnership with nonprofit organization Plastic Bank for the Impact Program Collaboration to stop ocean-bound plastics while also providing income to communities. “With our long-lasting commitment

towards sustainability, we continue to look for new ways to reduce plastic waste,” said Encarnacion. “Together with our partner suppliers, we aim to turn waste into valuable resources. We would like to encourage consumers to also practice recycling and bring forth more sustainable product options for all our shoppers.”

Stopping ocean-bound plastic waste

Watsons and Plastic Bank aim to prevent 50,000 kilos of plastic bottles from entering the world’s oceans – equivalent to 2.5 million bottles in the next 12 months through the Impact Program. This undertaking does not only seek to campaign for a recycling economy

Giovanni Bottazzi, head of sales at Plastic Bank Asia.

but also to increase livelihood opportunities and support Filipino families. In exchange for plastic waste, collectors will receive money and other incentives to help them access basic goods and services. The plastic waste is brought to the designated local collection point of Plastic Bank. Plastic Bank Asia head of sales Giovanni Bottazzi emphasizes that plastic is not the problem, but the improper waste disposal is. “The problem with plastic is the way it is consumed or disposed of,” he said. “Oftentimes, it is disposed of as improper waste. But if it is disposed of correctly, it can be regenerated and find new life in new products.”

Viki Encarnacion, PR and sustainability director of Watsons Philippines

Watsons Philippines is dedicated to inspiring behavioral and lifestyle changes. Earlier this month, the health and beauty retailer launched the “Do Good” sustainability campaign.

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The problem with plastic is the way it is consumed or disposed of. – Giovanni Bottazzi, head of sales at Plastic Bank Asia It offers four sustainable choices for consumers to reduce their environmental footprints. The Refill and Reduce instills the habit of refilling used containers; Clean Beauty and Better Ingredients highlight products with no “unwanted” ingredients, particularly microplastics; and Better Packaging

Experts say plastic waste in the ocean is the cause of death of more than 1 million sea birds and 100,000 marine animals.

Working towards a sustainable environment is not just the social responsibility of consumers and businesses, every sector of society has to work together. Watsons Philippines invited government agencies and private companies to talk about their sustainability strategies. NEDA Regional Development Group Undersecretary Mercedita Sambilla discussed the Philippine Development Plan which aspires for “Matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay para sa lahat”, a long-term vision dubbed as “AmBisyon Natin 2040” rooted in the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sambilla said one of the key outcomes they wanted to achieve was ensuring ecological integrity and clean and healthy environment. With their advocacy grounded on the UN SDG 12: “Responsible consumption and production”, Department of Trade and Industry director of consumer protection and advocacy bureau Marcus Valdez II reminds consumers to be conscious of the things they consume to minimize waste. He said sustainable consumption was more than “consumption of green products and availing of green service”, but it is about changing consumption patterns to “meet the needs of current and future generations”. Procter and Gamble, for its part, has incorporated sustainability in its business strategies and is committed to their company’s “Ambition 2030” to make responsible consumption from start to finish. According to P&G communications head Anna Legarda, the company’s factories recycle all plastic waste.

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY 2021

Iron and silk: An ode to educators shaping their students. Despite the same routine every day, the teacher plods on. Most times she gets rewarded with positive feedback from parents and fond BEING a teacher is no simple matter. For most people in other professions, a day ends memories of former students who felt that she made when the sun goes down. For teachers, their job can’t a difference in their lives, something intangible but be shut down at the end of the day. There are test pa- rooted inside, like self-worth, peer acceptance, and pers to look into, grades to evaluate, lesson plans to personal pride. make, and other routine school stuff to do. She goes to bed palpably weary, her shoulders heavy – a telltale sign of fatigue. Fundamentally, the role of a teacher in the classroom is to impart to the students the concept of understanding and apprizing themselves on the most basic stuff of life: knowledge, moral integrity, civil propriety, and family values. The pay is relatively subordinate to that of other professionals. To supplement their income, some teachers “moonlight” when school is out for the summer break. Also called an educator, a teacher can make an extraordinary impact on young minds by helping them maximize their potential towards upward social and economic mobility or an eventual release from grinding poverty. Such an important role – disciplinarian, parent substitute, confidant of students, and a remarkable agent If there was one teacher who indelibly impressed of societal change – is akin to an inherent maternal obsession that keeps a teacher fiercely concerned in me, it would be my Algebra teacher during high school.

Text and photos by Diana B. Noche

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A teacher can make an extraordinary impact on young minds by helping them maximize their potential.

Teachers help hone students like Yna dela Cruz (third from left) and her classmates.

Teacher Maia (third from left) with her co-teachers at Bangkal High during their lunch break.

Retired teachers dancing at their reunion party.

Her look was oldfashioned, kind of antique: way below-the-knee skirt, no lipstick, thick-rimmed eyeTeacher Maia Mindo with a glasses, a chignon student. perched atop her head, very erect, shoulders tilted back, very temperate with her smiles. She looked like a woman of galvanized iron despite the small build, and always seemed battle-ready with dabs of black war paint under her eyes. Definitely one you can call a pop culture laggard. She could make a strong statement without uttering a word – a simple wave of her hand and an index finger pointed at the classroom door was enough to send a student packing up his school bag and spending the rest of Algebra class in the library. I was always having trouble with that subject and she would point her finger at me and then toward the door. I was the grain of sand that irritated inside her flat shoes. Despite the comparatively low salaries, teaching is still one of the world’s largest professions. In some ways, there are perks to somewhat compensate for the low pay: vacation and leaves of absence, pensions, life and health insurance. Plus, of course, the nobility of the profession. For some years, there have been serious ideas afloat as to the way learning in school should be fundamentally altered to keep pace with the modern precepts of education. Students have always felt undue pressure to do good in school. The one-size-fits-all quality of

classroom education teaching is exhaustingly repetitive and predictably in a rut which could create generations of gadget-obsessed high school graduates with a depthless sense of love for the country but more and more skillful and adaptive to modern times and technology. A teacher’s stick no longer motivates the students to excel in the classroom since everyone equally shares the random things they need to memorize and regurgitate on a test the following day. The concept of homework adds to the students’ burden and has to be redefined. Individual intelligence, as it happens these days, is based on standardized tests. Top-notch students find no challenge; those in the lower rung merely move on to the next lesson before they have gained a thorough comprehension of what was taught the previous day. Clearly, teachers, no matter what, are heroes of today, always around, working devotedly on their exceptional skills. Maia Mindo was born to be a teacher. For 15 years, through fair or foul weather, she would see her students and use her considerable communication skills to get through them. Former students who have successfully moved up the career ladder remembered her with flowers and her favorite doughnuts on occasions. One particularly warm night last year she succumbed to a fatal cardiac arrest and passed away at age 48, leaving some unfinished school and family affairs. She was cremated in her high school teacher uniform, something she would have thoroughly approved of.