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Duterte warns poll meddlers Threatens use of military, police force to ensure clean elections

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

EFORE he steps down from Malacanang, President Rodrigo Duterte wants to leave office with “clean” national and local elections next year, especially in his home region, he said in a taped address Monday night. “What I want, before I leave, is for Filipinos to have a taste of a clean election, especially in Mindanao. I am appealing to the leaders, to all the tribes,” he added in his regular weekly TV address. Duterte also appealed to would-be candidates to keep the conduct of the May 2022 polls peaceful. He also warned communist rebels

and warlords that he will use military and police force should they interfere in the coming national elections. Duterte said he would not allow the New People’s Army (NPA) to influence the elections. “I will not allow fraud, especially those warlords with arms. If that’s what

VOL. XXXV • NO. 233 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 •WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Marcos declares presidential bid

Lawyers to Rody: Recall order to ignore Senate summonses ONG GOES SILENT, CITES CORP. CODE

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja FORMER Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, son and namesake of the country’s longestserving chief executive, announced Tuesday he was joining the 2022 presidential race after taking oath as member of the revitalized Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), a political party allied with the Duterte administration. The 64-year-old Marcos Jr., who has defended President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial drug war and supported the death penalty for traffickers, declared his candidacy in a video broadcast live on Facebook and after taking his oath as member of the PFP.

NEWS / A2

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

2,522,965 13,846

161,447

37,686

2,353,140 39,980 (As of 4 PM, September 28)

HIS TIME. Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos

THE country’s oldest voluntary national organization of lawyers on Tuesday criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for issuing what it called an unconstitutional order to members of the Executive Department to ignore the

Jr. speaks at the inauguration of his campaign headquarters for his 2022 presidential run along EDSA in Mandaluyong City on Tuesday.

Gov’t approval rating in COVID response, curbing corruption drop THE Duterte administration’s approval rating in addressing 14 national issues amid the pandemic decreased, based on a September Pulse Asia poll, with its approval score on preventing graft and corruption dropping 12 percentage

points to 52 percent from 64 percent three months ago. The Pulse Asia poll, conducted via face-to-face interviews of 2,400 respondents from September 6 to 11, showed that the government’s approv-

al rating in protecting the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs also went down to 66 percent from 77 percent, as well as enforcing the law on people whether influential or otherwise (60 percent from 67 percent).

The same poll showed Filipinos believed that controlling inflation (41 percent) and increasing the pay of workers (40 percent) are the two top “most urgent” national concerns. Next page

Tugade refutes ‘Pandora Papers,’ claims offshore funds in SALN By Darwin G. Amojelar TRANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur Tugade on Tuesday denied wrongdoing in his offshore investments in Solart Holdings, as he said this investment was disclosed in his Sworn Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN). Tugade said in a statement that his offshore investments in Solart Holdings “was a personal financial move that was established long before I joined the government. “ “Solart Holdings was organized in 2003 to hold a portion of our family’s cash assets,” said Tugade, who was appointed President of the Clark Development Corp. in 2012, and as Secretary of the Department of Transportation in 2016. “Having some of our family’s savings invested in Solart Holdings was our legitimate

TEACHERS’ DEMANDS.

Members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines lead the protest and activities in celebration of World Teachers’ Day near Mendiola Bridge in Manila on Tuesday (see story on A3). Norman Cruz

153 cops linked to EJK may face murder, homicide Facebook deals with dueling crises

Facebook battled dueling crises Monday as potentially billions of users were impacted when its dominant social network went offline for seven hours, and the company fought against a whistleblower’s damning revelations. (Full story on A5)

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.

By Rey E. Requejo MURDER or homicide complaints may be filed against 153 policemen for their involvement in the 51 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings arising from anti-illegal drugs operations, Justice Undersecretary Adrian Ferdinand Sugay said Tuesday. In a media forum, Sugay said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is currently reviewing the cases to determine if there is substantial evidence to file criminal cases against the policemen. “When it comes to criminal liability, which is the subject of the DOJ’s ongoing review and the ones referred to the NBI, if it would be seen that there was intent to kill the illegal drugs suspect, they might be charged with murder or at the very least homicide,” Sugay said. The cases were forwarded to them by the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS). Next page

PANDORA ‘DAMAGE CONTROL’ BEGINS NEWS / A6

attempt to grow our financial portfolio like what any astute and judicious entrepreneurs would do to diversify their investments. We decided to have a portion of our savings invested outside the Philippines, which is valid and legal,” Tugade added. Tugade was one of the Filipino tycoons and government officials cited in the “Pandora Papers” as reported by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and Rappler. The Transportation chief added he had consistently disclosed in his SALN under “Personal Properties – Intangible,” particularly, as “Offshore Investments” from 2012 to 2020. According to Tugade, in the said period, the account barely moved. Next page

News

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

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‘Daily cases to fall below 10k’ By Willie Casas, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Julito G. Rada

EW COVID-19 cases in the country could fall below the 10,000 mark daily starting today as hospital utilization for persons sick with the coronavirus is also going down to about 57 percent, the OCTA Research Group said Tuesday. This dovetailed with the Department of Health report that the Philippines logged on Tuesday 9,055 new cases of COVID-19 -- the lowest number of daily infections recorded since August 10. Meanwhile, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the government is eyeing to borrow around P45.3 billion ($900 million) from multilateral agencies to fund the purchase of booster shots against the COVID-19 virus. “The National Task Force, DOH and DoF have initially identified multilat-

eral and bilateral financial institutions as possible sources of funding for this allocation,” Dominguez said, noting the amount was in the 2022 National Expenditure Program. As of end- August 2021, government data showed that foreign financing to fund its COVID-19 response efforts already hit $22.51 billion (more than P1.1 trillion). The latest daily number brought total infections since the pandemic began to 2,613,070, with 103,077 active cases,

Marcos... From A1

Duterte... From A1

“I will bring... unifying leadership back to our country,” the Marcos scion said, joining a growing field of contenders seeking to replace Duterte, whose six-year term ends in May next year. “Let us bring Filipinos back to one another in service of our country, facing the crisis and the challenges of the future together,” he said. A tilt for the country’s highest office comes after Marcos Jr.’s failed bid for the vice presidency in 2016, which he narrowly lost to Leni Robredo and which he raised an electoral protest. He was the fourth major personality in this election season to declare his bid for the Palace, following Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso. The Commission on Elections has received 23 applications to run for President so far from mostly unknowns, with boxing legend Pacquiao filing on day one last Friday, followed by ex-actor Domagoso. One candidate -- Tiburcio Marcos -- shares the former senator’s surname. Lacson, meanwhile, has yet to officially file his certificate of candidacy (COC). Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, and Robredo are expected to join the race as well, with the latter’s spokesman saying the Vice President will make an “important announcement” on Thursday, a day before the deadline of filing of COCs. Marcos Jr., meanwhile, vowed to offer a solution to the COVID-19 pandemic that the nation has been grappling with for almost two years now, infecting hundreds of thousands and killing nearly 40,000. The former congressman and governor of his province of Ilocos Norte declared his aspirations for president in next year’s national elections during the inauguration of his official headquarters along EDSA in Mandaluyong City. PFP earlier endorsed Marcos as its candidate for president, followed by his father’s Kilusang Bagong Lipunan Party. Marcos Jr. was in second place behind Duterte’s daughter, the 43-yearold Sara, in a recent PulseAsia Research survey of voter preference for president, though she has denied plans to run and said she was running for re-election as mayor of her hometown Davao City. Analysts predict a possible Marcos Jr.-Sara Duterte alliance for the 2022 election, which they say would be a formidable combination. Before his official announcement, Marcos took his oath as member of the PFP and assumed the chairmanship of the three-year old political party, which the former senator said he admired for its commitment to public service above politics.

you’ll do, including you, the NPA, do not meddle. You’re fighting for a cause that is a losing one,” the President said. Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said almost 8 million people have submitted their applications to become voters in next year’s elections. “As of Sept. 25, the number of applications filed totaled 7,994,821,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said in a press briefing during the fifth day of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for national positions at the Sofitel Harbor Garden Tent in Pasay City. The number is almost double the poll body’s target of 4 million new registrants for next year’s polls. Voter registration is currently suspended, to give way to the eight-day COC filing period for aspirants to national and local positions. Registration will resume on Oct. 11 and will run until Oct. 30 in all Offices of Election Officer and satellite registration sites from Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Comelec extended the original Sept. 30 voter registration deadline in response to calls from various sectors and the public to enable more Filipinos to vote in next year’s polls. Voter registration activities in areas under an enhanced community quaran-

Gov’t... From A1

cent); and terrorism (2 percent). The survey also showed that staying healthy was the top personal concern of most of the respondents. Results of Pulse Asia’s poll found that 70 percent of Filipinos wanted to stay healthy and avoid illnesses. Forty-seven percent of the respondents also hoped to have a “secure and well-paying” job, 46 percent wanted to have enough food every day, and 43 percent looked forward to finishing schooling or being able to provide schooling for their children. Other personal issues include the respondents’ desire to have savings and avoid being a victim of any serious crime (32 percent each), as well as to have a house and lot (30 percent).

According to the survey, other issues that must also be addressed included the spread of COVID-19 and poverty of many Filipinos (29 percent each), graft and corruption in government (26 percent), employment (25 percent), and the distribution of assistance to those affected by the pandemic (19 percent). Other urgent issues cited by Pulse Asia were law enforcement, promotion of peace, and involuntary hunger (15 percent each); criminality (14 percent); destruction and abuse of environment (11 percent); tax reduction (8 percent); defending the Philippine territory and protecting OFWs (5 per-

Lawyers... From A1 summonses from the Senate, which is investigating alleged irregularities in his administration’s purchase of pandemic-related medical supplies. The Philippine Bar Association also assailed the President’s order for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and other uniformed services to ignore the warrants of arrest that may be issued by the Senate, particularly its Blue Ribbon committee. “We appeal for President Duterte, a brother in the legal profession, to immediately recall his twin directives that in our view constitute clear violations of our Constitution,” the association said in a statement. The group said politicians should “not trifle with our people’s Constitution in the political games they play.” “We humbly remind all our leaders, both elected and appointed, that they are all mere transients in power and that they are public servants, first and foremost — who hold office to be in the service of the Filipino people,” the lawyers’ group added. It noted that the Senate Blue Ribbon committee is currently investigating “various alleged anomalous transactions amounting to billions of pesos, in the midst of a pandemic, principally involving the Department of Health, the

also the lowest figure since August 15. The reproduction number in the National Capital Region has gone down to 0.76, as the area has averaged 2,942 new cases a day, OCTA fellow Guido David said. However, David cautioned that intensive care unit (ICU) beds across the country continued to have a high use rate, even as usage of hospital beds overall has gone down. The DOH reported that nationwide, 72 percent of ICU beds, 59 percent of isolation beds, 62 percent of ward beds, and 54 percent of ventilators were in use. In other developments: • The Philippines will receive the Chinese made tocilizumab manufactured by Livzon this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Tuesday. • An all organic product made of vir-

gin coconut oil and lagundi that aims to give relief to symptomatic COVID-19 patients has been developed and is now in the process of securing approval from the FDA. • There is no evidence yet proving that booster shots may provide complete protection against COVID-19, the DOH said. • The Philippine government is trying to obtain a better position to purchase Merck & Co’s experimental antiviral pill molnupiravir if ever it is proven beneficial, the DOH said. • Senator Christopher “Bong” Go appealed to government authorities, in coordination with local government units, to ensure the efficient distribution of doses to its constituents to ensure that more Filipinos are protected against the virus.

tine and modified ECQ were also suspended to curb the spread of COVID. Also on Tuesday, Senator Panfilo Lacson -- who is also running for President in 2022 -- questioned a supposed “global coalition” in the Philippine National Police (PNP), saying it could be used for partisan politics. Lacson asked what was the purpose of the “Global Coalition of Lingkod Bayan Advocacy Support Groups and Force Multipliers,” which was launched on June 25. “The last time I heard, the PNP is a territorial force. It is supposed to address internal threats. Why do they have a ‘global coalition’? Why the need for a force multiplier which is global? The OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) seem to be the target here,” he said during a hearing on the 2022 budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which supervises the PNP. “I’ll be blunt. This looks like a tool for politicking by the PNP’s community relations arm,” said Lacson, who is running for president next year. Some months ago, Lacson said Police Maj. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, then the director of the PNP Police Community Relations unit, had much explaining to do about his involvement in activities to gather data including email addresses and phone numbers. He added that Sermonia had already been “lambasted” by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. for campaign-

ing in the 2019 midterm elections using the resources of Philippine embassies. Lacson, who headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001, questioned in particular why the PNP would look for force multipliers abroad such as in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong -- when the PNP’s mandate is only to address internal threats. “What gives?” he asked. The senator said he was not convinced with the “assurance” of PNP chief Guillermo Eleazar that this activity of the PNP to engage with the public will not be used for political purposes. “The nomenclature itself suggests otherwise,” Lacson said. “You are looking for members in areas with many OFWs. How can they help enhance the anti-criminality campaign of the PNP that is supposed to address internal threats? I cannot reconcile this,” he said. Lacson also questioned the use of other government agencies for partisan politics, including a recent social media attack on him. He said that when he questioned earlier the propriety of the “Global Coalition,” he was attacked last Sept. 20 on the official Facebook and Twitter accounts of the National Task Force to End Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), particularly the office of Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy. The attacks, which were taken down, quoted ex-NPA cadre Jeffrey Celiz. “If that is not politicking, I don’t know what is,” Lacson said.

Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and management and an alleged favored supplier.” “The directive of President Duterte, acting as Chief Executive, directing officials of the executive department to disobey summons issued by the Senate upsets our system of checks and balances and transgresses the doctrine of separation of powers among the three branches of government under our Constitution,” the lawyers said. “The directive is detrimental to our people exacting public accountability from officials of the executive department, through our duly elected representatives in the Senate Blue Ribbon committee exercising their constitutional power of legislative oversight. “That the ongoing investigation focuses on alleged anomalies in the use of huge amounts of public funds, during a pandemic that has cost countless Filipino lives, makes the quest of public accountability of vital importance,” they said. The association also reminded the President with his own words that there should not be even “a whiff of corruption in the government,” particularly in “these most challenging times.” The lawyers’ group also said the Senate has “the power to enforce its own processes in accordance with the Rules of the Senate governing its legislative investigations, which are recognized under our Constitution and settled jurisprudence.” “Instead of upholding professionalism in the ranks of our military, police,

and the rest of the uniformed services by shielding them from partisan politics, the directive unjustifiably reduces them into political pawns used as shields against what is perceived as political attacks.” “The directive is a disservice to the principle of civilian supremacy over the military. We should be mindful that an unlawful order invites disobedience and challenge,” the association said. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the legality of the President’s orders could be challenged before the Supreme Court but said he did not have the legal personality to do so. “I cannot represent the Senate,” he said, adding that Senate President Vicente Sotto III or Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee, would be the right people to initiate such a challenge. Gordon questioned why the President refused to allow executive officials to attend the ongoing probe of how a small startup, Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp., bagged more than P8 billion in government contracts. “It looks like there is some corruption being covered up,” he said in Filipino. Gordon, too, said the order forbidding Cabinet members to attend the hearings was unconstitutional. “You are violating the Constitution,” he said, addressing the President. He ridiculed Duterte for acting as a lawyer for foreigners involved in anomalous transactions with the government.

153 cops... From A1 Based on what they have seen, there were policemen who did not follow protocol in the anti-drug operations, Sugay said. The NBI could also use the information available in the case folders submitted by the PNP-IAS such as the reports of the Scene of the Crime Operation (SOCO) teams, results of paraffin tests and ballistic tests and the initial investigation reports. Sugay said it will be up to the NBI to determine whether to file complaints before the DOJ or to conduct further investigation for case build-up. The PNP earlier found administrative

liability against these police officers. Sugay said the creation of the DOJled panel to review the drug war cases was not in response to the pressure from the International Criminal Court (ICC), since they started the review last year. “Whether or not there is an ICC investigation, whether or not there’s pressure from anybody, we will prosecute those involved when there’s a complaint and it was found that something happened,” he said. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the DOJ panel has also begun reviewing cases based on 107 drug operations submitted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). “Actually, we have scrutinized these case folders from the PDEA, but we need to get more information. That is where we

Ong goes silent, cites Corporation Code as defense PHARMALLY Pharmaceutical Corp. executive Linconn Ong will no longer participate in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearings on the government’s deals with his firm, as he invoked the Corporation Code on Tuesday. Although Ong is detained at the Senate building in Pasay City for being evasive in previous hearings, the Blue Ribbon panel was told by committee secretary-general Rodolfo Quimbo that the Pharmally official is no longer participating in the probe. Quoting Ong’s lawyers, Quimbo told senators that “Mr. Ong, in so far as the missing documents is concerned, stated that he is not participating anymore in this proceeding, nor is he submitting anything, reiterating their supposed rights under the Corporation Code, on confidentiality which your honor had previously ruled as not applicable to the Senate investigation.” Sen. Richard Gordon, who chairs the committee, said any members of the company who attempt to withhold public documents in the Senate investigation could be held liable. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon added there is nothing in the Corporation Code that justifies Ong’s decision. “These are matters of public interest. These are matters submitted being asked of them in relation to this inquiry. And this is in performance of our constitutional duty. And there’s nothing in the revised Corporation Code -- we wrote that law -- we see nothing there that would justify the invocation of those provisions,” said Drilon, also a former Justice Secretary. Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, who introduced himself last week as Ong’s legal counsel, had said they were “reconsidering” his client’s earlier stand to continuously cooperate with the Senate, which he called a “kangaroo forum.” “We are reconsidering that... because this is not a fair forum. This is a kangaroo forum. The blue ribbon, not all ha? Some members of the blue ribbon committee are not out to get the truth. They’re out for blood. That’s why it’s unfair for my client if he is being used as a pawn,” Topacio said.

Tugade... From A1 “As an appointed public servant, I have taken an oath to uphold transparency, honesty, integrity and good governance. These are cherished values that I personally believe in, and I have made it a lifelong commitment to sustain and carry around myself,” Tugade said. In an open letter, the lawyers of Tugade said the article of PCIJ and Rappler was “false, misleading and downright defamatory.” “In this regard, we take strong exception and will not take lightly this apparently well-oiled and orchestrated effort to malign and discredit the good image and reputation of Secretary Tugade and his family,” the open letter read. “We give emphasis to the fact that whatever Secretary Tugade has is a product of his decades of hard work and perseverance, which are exemplified by his no-nonsense leadership, character and untarnished credibility,” it added. The open letter further said, “The imputations are clearly intended to besmirch the character of Secretary Tugade, and by extension, the Duterte Administration.” “Consider this as a stern warning and an assertion that our lawyers will exert all necessary effort, to the fullest extent of the law, to find those behind the malicious and irresponsible publication of this report,” it added. are going now,” Guevarra said. On Oct. 1, Guevarra and PNP chief Gen. Guillermo T. Eleazar met to discuss the DOJ findings on the review of the 51 cases. During the meeting, Sugay said Guevarra and Eleazar both agreed to hold accountable those involved. President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will prepare his defense against an ICC probe into his deadly drug war, after previously insisting he would not cooperate. ICC judges authorized in September a full-blown investigation into Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign, which rights groups estimate has killed tens of thousands of people, saying it resembled an illegitimate and systematic attack on civilians.

News Workers pin hopes on 13th month pay, Xmas checks By Vito Barcelo MILLIONS of Filipino workers are looking towards their company’s 13th month pay and Christmas bonus payout as the only hope to temporarily cope with the continuing increase of basic goods, following the big-time price increases in gasoline and cooking fuel beginning this month, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said. ALU-TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay said the series of increases in prices of food, gasoline and cooking gas are significant additional economic burden for the working people hit by pandemic-induced massive unemployment and underemployment phenomenon. Oil firms announced this week an increase of P1.45 per liter of gasoline, P2.05 in diesel and kerosene. They also announced an increase of P7.35 to P7.40 per kilogram of liquified petroleum gas or P80.85 to P82.40 per 11-kilogram standard gas tank, to be implemented in two tranches on October 1 and October 8. The labor group is seeking the government’s help to address the increasing prices by way of putting up price limits, opening up more establishments, and shortening the curfew hours. Gasoline and LPG price hikes came a month after the Department of Trade Industry granted the petition of manufacturers to increase the prices of basic food essentials in September. The big-time price hikes will further push up the prices of rice, fish, meat, and spices and vegetables and make the cost of living more expensive, deepen poverty, adversely affect family nutrition, and directly impact productivity of workers, the union said. “With the eroding purchasing power of stagnant wages and in view of series of increases in prices of food and costs of services last month and this month, workers seriously look to the 13th month pay payout and depend on the Christmas bonus payday as a lifeline in coping with the rising cost of living,” Tanjusay said.

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Teachers present 5 WTD demands By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

HE Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines, the largest organization of teachers’ unions and associations in the country, led a day of protest Tuesday to register their ﬁve World Teachers’ Day (WTD) demands for decent pay, beneﬁts, and support amid the health crises.

This developed as the country’s over 900,000 public school teachers are expected to receive their P1,000 World Teachers’ Day Incentive Beneﬁt without any delay, Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said on Tuesday. In the Senate, Senator Imee Marcos said more than a year of joblessness awaits this year’s education graduates who cannot take the Licensure Examinations for Professional Teachers (LEPT) until 2023 due to pandemic restrictions. “As teachers remain overworked, underpaid, and undersupported by the Duterte administration, we are challenged yet again to take action and utilize our collective strength to forward

the interests of our sector,” ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio said in a statement. “We shall exhaust all available measures, exercise our constitutionally protected rights and freedoms to better the conditions of millions of educators in the country and the state of Philippine education—not only for our benefit, but for the entire nation whom we continue to serve,” Basilio added. ACT’s five WTD Demands include: 1) Salary upgrading; 2) Overtime compensation; 3) Support for teachers and learners in the form of laptops and P1,500 monthly internet allowance for teachers, and gadgets and P10,000 pandemic aid for students; 4) P3,000 inflation

adjustment allowance; and 5) P10,000 taxexempt election service honorarium. In the House of Representatives, Campos said the P910 million meant to pay for the WTDIB of public school teachers “is itemized and fully funded in this year’s General Appropriations Act.” “In fact, we’ve also earmarked another P925 million to pay for the WTDIB in the 2022 national budget,” said the House appropriations committee vice chairperson. “We expect a greater number of newly hired teachers to receive the beneﬁt next year, thus the bigger funding,” Campos said. Campos co-sponsored the DepEd budget during plenary deliberations on the proposed P5.024-trillion General Appropriations Act of 2022. Speaking out on World Teachers’ Day, Marcos called it “utterly inexcusable” that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has not yet shifted from an in-person to an online mode of conducting the LEPT after a year and a half into the pandemic. Marcos, who will defend the CSC’s 2022 budget before the Senate, cited that some 200,000 government posts including those

for public school teachers remain unﬁlled, adding that an online LEPT would make more applicants eligible for jobs in government-run educational institutions. “We are delaying job creation and may even be causing a shortage of teachers. The solution is to fully digitize the LEPT to make it pandemic-proof now and in the future,” she said. “The Career Executive Service Board (CESB) and other professional regulatory boards have succeeded in conducting online exams. Surely, the CSC can modify those templates for the LEPT,” Marcos asserted. “Let’s not impair our capacity to provide crucial government services, especially in education and public health, during this ongoing crisis,” she added. Education graduates last year made up most of the 170,000 registered examinees that have been grouped in four smaller batches to observe physical distancing while taking the LEPT. Last September’s exam was the only one scheduled for this year but will be followed thereafter by exams in January, March, and June of 2022.

P536.74-m in SRA distributed to health workers so far—DOH By Willie Casas

LAST ROUND. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar (third from left) inspects the progress of the modular hospital at the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong in his final inspection as head of the DPWH. Villar resigned from the Cabinet on Monday (inset) as he plans to run for elective office anew. Norman Cruz

THE Department of Health (DOH) has already distributed P536.74 million worth of special risk allowance (SRA) to health workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Monday. Duque reported to President Rodrigo Duterte in a taped Cabinet brieﬁng that for Batch 3 and Batch 4 of the SRA, they also have disbursed P662.20 million to health facilities, as of October 4. The DOH is also coordinating with private hospitals and local government units in releasing the remaining amount of P1.33 billion SRAs to health workers. “We are continuing to work with local governments and private hos-

pitals to complete the disbursement of P1.33 billion to health workers as soon as possible,” said Duque. The Health Secretary said they are also asking more funds from the government to expand its SRA to other health workers. Overall, Duque said they have so far disbursed P15.3 billion beneﬁts to healthcare workers amid the pandemic. Several medical frontliners have expressed frustration over the delays in the distribution of beneﬁts, holding protests and calling for Duque’s ouster. During the House budget deliberations, it was revealed that the reduction in the proposed 2022 budget for the country’s COVID-19 response affects funds for health workers’ SRA.

News

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

Thousands of businesses get govt safety seal amid COVID-19 T By Othel V. Campos

HE government has issued thousands of safety seal certificates indicating the compliance of business establishments to minimum public health standards.

A total of 43,332 public and private establishments have been issued the safety seal as of October 1, through the joint efforts of the Department of Health, the Department of Interior and Local Government, including local government units, Department of Labor and Employment,

Department of Tourism, and the Department of Trade and Industry. Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said the certification program is beneficial to the country’s recovering economy as it boosts the confidence of consumers to go out and visit establishments with the assurance of compliance to health protocols. He encouraged more businesses to adopt the seal as an effective measure in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. “Businesses can do their share in the fight against the pandemic and create a healthy space for consumers to transact their purchases and for employees to gainfully and safely earn a living,” Lopez. Since its implementation in May 2021, issuing agencies have received around 85,731 applications based on the report of

the Safety Seal Technical Working Group. More than half or 50.54% were approved while 11.5% (9,858 applications) were either denied or referred to the appropriate agency while the balance represents are those till under assessment. Based on the government’s guidelines for its Safety Seal Certification Program, a business establishment is eligible to apply for a safety seal given that it is duly registered, adopting the Staysafe.ph or any other local government unit-mandated digital contact tracing application, and most importantly, strictly following and implementing the minimum public health standards set by the government. The safety seal certification also “bodes well with the DOT’s priority to ensure the health and safety of both

tourists and tourism workers,” Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said. The government’s Safety Seal Technical Working Group meanwhile urged the public to be more informed of various ways to keep safe from COVID-19 and its variants, following the announcement on the new classification framework advocating the principles of 3C’s (Closed, Crowded, and Close Contact) strategy. This framework follows alert level systems that shall determine, among others, the protocols and allowable operational capacity of business establishments per city/municipality. Metro Manila is classified under Alert Level 4 since September 16, which means that establishments and/or activities classified as high-risk for transmission shall not be allowed to operate.

Developers vow to back Housing on affordable shelter for poor By Rio N. Araja THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Tuesday welcomed the commitment of several major developers to provide underprivileged Filipinos access to affordable housing. In celebration of the “National Shelter Month,” the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association Inc. (SHDA), National Real Estate Association Inc. (NREA), Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers Inc. (OSHDP), and Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations (CREBA) voiced their support to the DHSUD. The groups further vowed to support the DHSUD’s 20-year housing roadmap, especially in establishing more socialized housing projects nationwide. May Rodriguez, SHDA national president said the SHDA will help the DHSUD “build homes that our fellow Filipinos strive to have.” “The government has responded with a wide array of measures to protect our tenants, mortgage holders as well as support developers and lenders. We can do this together, DHSUD, NREA, and all other stakeholders,” NREA chairperson-emerita Marissa del Mar said. OSHDP head Paolo Giovanni Olivares said this month’s celebration “reminds us of the continuing partnership with the government through DHSUD and other shelter-related agencies.”

INFLATION. Vendors in Quiapo arrange their fresh produce. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is looking at a higher inflation forecast for the month which could affect the prices of vegetables and other goods. Norman Cruz

PH realtors eye honors in Prix d’Excellence awards THE Philippine chapter of the Parisbased International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI-Ph) is eyeing international honors for the recipients of its Property & Real Estate Excellence Awards this year. Showing videos of the nominated projects for the awards, FIABCI-Ph chairman emeritus and former FIABCI-World president Florentino Dulalia Jr. said many of these projects stand a good chance of winning the Prix d’Excellence, the highly-acclaimed

“Oscars of Real Estate.” “Prix d’Excellence is awarded by the FIABCI-World to only those projects that embody excellence in all disciplines involved in their creation–from conceptualization to execution and completion–and the winners of FIABCI-Ph Property & Real Estate Awards automatically become eligible for participation in such a prestigious international competition,” Dulalia said. “The Prix d’Excellence is held every last week of May annually, which means

the would-be awardees of the 2021 FIABCI-Ph excellence awards in December can be included among the finalists in the FIABCI-World’s international awards next year,” Dulalia added. Technically, the property projects for the Prix d’Excellence are judged according to architecture and design, development and construction, community benefits, environmental impact, and financial and marketing success, according to FIABCI-Ph chairman Nestor S. Mangio.

Customs agents seize smuggled cosmetics, vitamins in Valenzuela raid By Joel E. Zurbano

RESCUED. The Philippine Coast Guard Station in Aklan on Tuesday rescued two fishermen of a distressed fishing boat amid strong winds and big waves caused by Tropical Depression “Lannie.” The fishing boat had engine trouble causing it to drift toward the vicinity waters between Sta. Fe, Romblon; and Nabas, Aklan. PCG Photo

Substantial changes in birth certificate require adversary proceedings, says SC By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has ruled that substantial changes made in a birth certificate such as legitimacy or citizenship status must be resolved through the appropriate adversary proceedings. The SC made the ruling as it dismissed the petition for correction of entries and cancellation of annotation in the certificate of live birth of petitioner Eduardo Santos, without prejudice for the petitioner to refile a petition to change his surname to that of his mother. In his petition, Santos sought to correct his records in the civil registry to reflect his surname as “Santos” instead of “Cu,” his nationality as “Filipino” instead of “Chinese,” and his mother’s civil status as “single” instead of “married.” In ruling against Santos, the high court held that a petition for correction of entry

under Rule 108 of the Rules covers clerical errors and substantial changes. Because of this, the SC stressed that the changes sought by Santos must be resolved through the appropriate adversary proceedings under Rule 108. “What Eduardo seeks to correct are not mere clerical errors as the changes sought to be carried out are substantial. It is not a simple or negligible matter of correcting a single letter in his surname dues to a misspelling,” the court noted. “Rather, Eduardo’s filiation, status, and citizenship will be gravely affected. This will affect not only his identity but his successional rights as well,” it said. The high court also said that Santos failed to demonstrate that he exerted all efforts to bring to court the interested parties such as his siblings and their descendants. Both his parents have passed away.

AUTHORITIES raided a warehouse in Valenzuela City and seized cosmetic products, supplements, and vitamins imported without clearance from the Food and Drug Administration and believed unsafe for human consumption. Armed with a letter of authority from Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, operatives from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service conducted the raid last Friday in coordination with the Coast Guard, and the National Bureau of Investigation. “The goods were hauled to the bureau’s premises at midnight of the same day since these will be subjected to further inspection and will be recommended for issuance of Warrant of Seizure and Detention,” said Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intel-

DAILY CATCH. Residents from the Baseco Compound in Manila catch various kinds of fish in Manila Bay. People often go to Manila Bay to catch fish for consumption, which others say can be dangerous due to pollutants found at the bay. Danny Pata and Norman Cruz

ligence Group Raniel Ramiro. He said the agency is still determining the market value of the goods. Customs agents assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport also intercepted at a bonded warehouse 146,640 boxes of Lianhua Qingwen medicines, also without importation clearance from the FDA. Based on import documents, the six shipments worth more than P29 million came from Hong Kong. The FDA had approved the use of Lianhua Qingwen produced by one of China’s renowned traditional Chinese medicine manufacturers, Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The Chinese Embassy in Manila lauded the move, saying it marks a milestone in the entrance of traditional Chinese medicines in the country.

Lacson urges DOH to hasten release of budget for district hospitals By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Panfilo M. Lacson is urging the Department of Health (DOH) to fast-track the release of much-needed funds for district hospitals. Lacson on Tuesday also pushed for the devolution of the budget for the government’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) from the DOH central office to local health units. Lacson said local government unit officials he has talked to have expressed concerns that funds for district hospitals in their areas are still lodged with the DOH central office. “District hospitals are unmanned or do not have enough facilities because the DOH is sometimes slow in downloading or procuring equipment for district hospitals. There is no true service in district hospitals as a result,” Lacson said. Lacson proposed that local units should be able to procure the needed facilities for district hospitals and even provincial hospitals. From the 2022 budget, he said the government should itemize and earmark funds for the HFEP and even personnel that will man the district hospitals. “Funds are needed especially in the poorer provinces,” Lacson said. Lacson also maintained that this will also address the DOH’s unused appropriations. “What is happening now is that the DOH has a huge unused appropriation,” he said. Senator Francis Tolentino, who heads the Senate local government panel said he agrees with Lacson.

Immigration agents arrest Korean ex-cop wanted for ‘phishing’ By Vito Barcelo BUREAU of Immigration agents arrested a former Korean police officer wanted in his home country for setting up a phishing company. Officers from the BI Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) in coordination with Camarines Sur 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company, Naga City Mobile Force Company, and Korean authorities arrested Park Junghoon along Magsaysay Avenue in Naga City. Authorities say Park was able to collect at least P5 billion from his Korean victims through phishing. Park was arrested on the strength of a warrant of deportation issued against him for being an undocumented and undesirable alien. Park is a wanted fugitive, with two outstanding warrants of arrest issued by Gwangju District court in August 2013 and Seoul Daejeon District court in 2014 both for Fraud. He is likewise the subject of an Interpol Red Notice issued in 2013 for the same cases. Records reveal that Park is a former Korean National Police Agency Officer who set up call centers for telecom fraud in the Philippines, as well as in Vietnam and China. He reportedly conspired with other members of a voice phishing crime organization from 2012 to 2013 and deceived thousands of victims by pretending to be a loan officer in financial institutions with total damages to more than $100 million or more than P5 billion. ‘Phishing’ is often described as a type of scam where victims are tricked into revealing sensitive personal information, among others. He was said to have tricked his victims by telling them that they would receive a loan if they paid processing fees, and asked the victims to pay directly to his account. Park is likewise reported to be the leader of the crime group wherein Park Voram and Kim Tae Ho, who were earlier arrested by the FSU on separate enforcement operations, are affiliated. BI Commissioner Jaime Morente commended FSU agents for the arrest of Park. “The arrest of this big fish has put a stop to their criminal operations that they attempted to relocate to our country. This is a big case in South Korea, and we are happy to have put a stop to their illegal activities and rid the country of these undesirable aliens,” he added.

Opinion Not just a whiff of corruption

WHAT did President Rodrigo Duterte say about corruption in his last State-of-theNation Address (SONA) in July? He pointed out that it “is but another term for stealing people’s money, dashing, in its wake, a nation’s goals and aspirations,” and called on the anti-corruption agencies, such as the Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), to go hammer and tongs after those involved in brazen misappropriation of public funds. Llest we forget, Duterte had time and again emphasized that he would not tolerate even a “whiff of corruption” and that he would galvanize the entire machinery of government to send malefactors to jail.

What’s being done about this case? It appears, however, that some public officials are just plain lucky—or perhaps mastered the fine art of playing hide-andseek with the law—that they have managed to hold on to their positions despite serious allegations of malfeasance. Take the case, for instance, of Iriga City Mayor Madelaine Alfelor who faces graft complaints against her for at least 16 alleged anomalies. Most of the complaints against Alfelor involve anomalies in the distribution of the ayuda or cash grants to unqualified recipients under the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP). These have been lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman. Aside from the reportedly anomalous distribution of the SAP cash assistance, there is an administrative complaint against Alfelor before the same agency for obtaining a P275-million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to build an amusement park with a humongous ferris wheel. This at a time when mobility restrictions continue to be imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our source tells us that the city mayor has ignored two Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolutions against this questionable initiative and proceeded to obtain a bank loan to finance the project. Critics have asserted that the project funds could have been better used for the city’s COVID-19 medical response. Or maybe to give financial assistance to legitimate pandemic-hit households and businesses in dire need of government support. There are also criminal and administrative complaints against the city official before the Ombudsman for malversation and graft involving P32.84 million in un-

liquidated cash advances, and another set of complaints involving P27.89 million. But wait, there’s more. There is also a complaint against her for undocumented procurement transactions totaling P17.25 million, and another one involving P14.19 million in allegedly unsupported/ undocumented advances to contractors. The Ombudsman has also received a complaint against her and several other respondents for reportedly procuring P13.51 million-worth of seedlings without competitive bidding. The city mayor has also been accused in a complaint of malversation and graft for releasing scholarship funds amounting to P2.78 million to only one beneficiary. The other complaints against Alfelor involve entering into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with a national basketball league where she bound the city to pay an P800,000 participation fee and paid a P50,000 bond without the knowledge and consent of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Iriga City; the non-release of P6.48 million each to two barangays as their legitimate share in the real property tax; the unlawful appointments and compensation to unqualified personnel; and an invalid expropriation case. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has also filed criminal and administrative complaints against her and other respondents before the Office of the Ombudsman for violations of the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1) for disbursing SAP cash grants to disqualified beneficiaries. At a hearing last year by the House committee on good government, which was then chaired by Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, at least three whistleblowers admitted to the lawmaker-probers that it was the mayor herself who had handed out the cash subsidy (P5,000) to each one of them, with one even telling the committee that the mayor had confided to her that it was a “secret” grant. Camsur residents claim that the extent of corruption at the Iriga city hall has reached such intolerable levels that even the mayor’s relatives have filed separate graft complaints against her. The complainant in the case for malversation for the undocumented disbursement of P14.188 million in public funds was filed in May 2019 before the Office of the Ombudsman was a cousin of the mayor. Another cousin has also filed before the Ombudsman a complaint against the mayor for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for procuring P13.5 million-worth of seeds and seedlings without competitive bidding. Amid all this, the question should be asked: Can Camsur folk expect action from the Office of the Ombudsman, PACC and the Department of Interior and Local Government on this matter since no less than President Duterte has made the war on corruption a centerpiece program of his administration? ernhil@yahoo.com

Facebook battles global outage, whistleblower revelations By Joshua Melvin with Thomas Urbain in New York FACEBOOK battled dueling crises Monday as potentially billions of users were affected when its dominant social network went offline for seven hours, and the company fought against a whistleblower’s damning revelations. Many long-held fears and criticisms about the platform seem to have been backed up by Facebook’s own research, which ex-worker Frances Haugen has turned over to authorities and the Wall Street Journal. But as US senators prepared for her highly anticipated Tuesday testimony on the documents, Facebook went offline in an outage that hit users across its platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp. “Billions of users have been impacted by the services being entirely offline today,” tracker Downdetector wrote on its website. Facebook apologized in a tweet later Monday Silicon Valley time, just as the apps started to go back online. “We’ve been working hard to restore access to our apps and services and are happy to report they are coming back online now,” the company added. Facebook late Monday blamed the outage on configuration changes it made to routers that coordinate network traffic between its data centers. “This disruption to network traffic had a cascading effect on the way our data centers communicate, bringing our services to a halt,” Facebook vice president

of infrastructure Santosh Janardhan said in a post. Cyber security expert Brian Krebs described what happened as Facebook taking away “the map telling the world’s computers how to find its various online properties.”

There are many longheld fears and criticisms about the platform.

In addition to the disruption to people, businesses and others that rely on the company’s tools, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took a financial hit. Fortune’s billionaire tracking website late Monday said Zuckerberg’s personal fortune plunged by nearly $6 billion from the prior day to land at just under $117 billion. For Facebook’s rivals, it was a good day, however. The messaging service Telegram went from the 56th most downloaded free app in the US to the fifth, according to specialist firm SensorTower. The encrypted messaging app Signal tweeted that “millions” of new users had joined, and added that it was “Signal and ready to mignal.” It was not the only Twitter user to crack jokes over the outage, though

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EDITORIAL

Teachers’ tales

HIS week culminates a month-long celebration of teachers’ role in society. Much has been said about educators’ self-effacing, persevering, caring nature, and the huge responsibility they bear in molding the minds and characters of our young people.

reliable — for some, existent — internet connection have defined the way our students have plodded through the past year and a half. But teachers are suffering, too.

They put up a valiant fight against the pandemic and against the imperfect system, day after day.

That we are in a pandemic and struggling with novel ways to deliver education to our children makes this year’s Teachers Day, marked on Tuesday, an especially sobering occasion. The lockdowns have put to test an already-struggling education sector. Students and their families have had to shift to either an online or a blended type of learning, where socio-economic gaps are magnified. Lack of access to learning tools and a

Many of them are themselves no strangers to students’ struggles. They, too, have to make do with smartphones or computers that cannot cope with the demands of online work, or unreliable internet connections that could make them unavailable to their students. Many others struggle to print their learning materials and bring them to the homes of their students. Many of these homes

are remote, or inaccessible. It is not uncommon to hear stories of teachers shelling out their own cash just to do this. Lest we forget, they, too, are vulnerable to the virus with their frequent trips outside their homes to meet with their colleagues or to reach their students. We fall into the habit of extolling teachers only on Teachers Day. The demands on them, however, are there all year long. So are their difficulties. And yet they try to get the job done, anyway. This year, a fitting tribute to all educators, themselves exhausted and fed up, would be to acknowledge that they, too, need help. They do not have all the answers or the resources. While they valiantly put up a fight against the many constraints posed by the pandemic — and, in fact, the imperfect system — they do not win all the time, and that is all right. Because they wake up the following morning and try, all over again.

Defenestration approval or trust ratings at the height of their power. So a drop of from 91 percent to 62 is a loss of trust or public satisfaction of 32 percent (one of every three Duterte believers). A drop from 79 to 62 is a loss of 17 percentage points or 21.5 percent. In effect, one of every five of Duterte’s potential voters abandoned him. Such massive declines in job satisfaction or public approval of a president’s performance are unprecedented Only Joseph Estrada before Duterte suffered huge erosion in public satisfaction ratings in his performance as president. Erap, also a populist like Duterte, went down from +65 percent satisfaction in June ‘99 to +9 by Dec 2000, and from +19 in September 2000, to +9 in December 20O0, a 52 percent drop. The veteran actor turned politician lost half of his total support by the time he was ousted in January 2001—for corruption.

DURING President Duterte’s Talk to the People on Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque crowed about the net satisfaction ratings of the chief executive barely a year before his leaving office. Roque reported to the President and the Cabinet that Social Weather Stations surveys showed Duterte with a net satisfaction rating of +79 percent in November 2020, +65 percent in May 2021, and +62 percent in June 2021. “Despite +62 being lower than +72, it (+72) is still very good and unprecedented for any president,” the presidential spokesman gushed, as the cabinet broke into a polite half-hearted applause. Roque recalled the net satisfaction ratings of past presidents about a year before they left office: Corazon Aquino +24 percent in March 1995, Fidel V. Ramos +49 in June 1997, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo -31 in June 2009, and Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, +30 percent in June 2015. Roque said he did not include Joseph Estrada (19982000) because he did not complete his sixyear term, having served as president for only 30 months, before he was ousted—for corruption. Per SWS, Duterte has the highest satisfaction rating among presidents leaving office with a year to go. That’s true — in absolute numbers. The proper way to interpret that +62 percent satisfaction rating of Duterte as of June 2021 is to check his satisfaction rating about six months before that—the +79 percent of November 2020. Subtract 62 from 79, that’s a drop of 17 percentage points, or a steep decline of 21.5 percent. Assuming there are 50 million adult Filipinos or voters, a 17-percentage-point drop is equivalent to 8.5 million adults or voters suddenly dissatisfied with you. That’s a disturbingly large number. Note that also in November 2020, a separate survey by rival Pulse Asia gave Duterte a job approval rating of 91 percent. That’s the highest job approval rating of any ruler in world history, in fact, in the history of man and the animal kingdom. Kings, emperors, pharaohs, popes, dictators and strongmen, including Jesus, the King of Kings, never enjoyed a 91 percent job

Corruption — not human rights violations, not incompetence, not womanizing — always brings down presidents, When Pulse Asia conducted its survey Sept. 6-11, 2021, Richard Gordon’s Senate Blue Ribbon Committee had conducted seven hearings on anomalies in government’s purchases of P12 billion worth of face masks, face shields, and PPEs from an unknown, undercapitalized and small company called Pharmally. The company had no personnel, no capital, no financial standing, no product, no factory, no warehouses, no delivery trucks, no tract record, no-nothing, not even a decent office (except an email address), but the backing of an alien presidential economic adviser of Duterte. The lesson: Whenever a sitting president is perceived as corrupt to the core, the outrage, by the public, is untrammeled and immediate. They know how to handle such corrupt public officials— defenestration. Throw them out of the

others complained about being cut off from contacts, their sources of income or business tools. Some were philosophical, however — such as Cindy Bennett, a baker in New York City, who told AFP: “I think the world would probably be a better place if everybody didn’t know what everybody else was doing every second of every minute of every day.” ‘Make body dissatisfaction worse’ Facebook has pushed back hard against the outrage regarding its practices and impact, but this is just the latest crisis to hit the business. US lawmakers for years have threatened

to regulate Facebook and other social media giants to address criticisms that the platforms trample on privacy, provide a megaphone for dangerous misinformation and damage young people’s well-being. After years of criticism directed at social media, without major legislative overhauls, some experts were skeptical that change was coming. “This is a situation where there’s going to be a lot of smoke, and a lot of fury, but not a lot of action,” said Mark Hass, an Arizona State University professor “It’s going to have to come down to the platforms, feeling pressure from their users feeling pressure from their employees,” he

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

Whenever a sitting president is perceived as corrupt to the core, the outrage, by the public, is untrammeled and immediate.

biznewsasia@gmail.com added, noting authorities won’t effectively be able to regulate content. Haugen, a 37-year-old data scientist from Iowa, has worked for companies including Google and Pinterest — but said in an interview with CBS news show “60 Minutes” that Facebook was “substantially worse” than anything she had seen before. Facebook’s vice president of policy and global affairs Nick Clegg vehemently pushed back at the assertion its platforms are “toxic” for teens, days after a tense, hours-long congressional hearing in which US lawmakers grilled the company over its impact on the mental health of young users. AFP

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window. Throw them out of office. Do not let them run again for the top offices. No wonder President Duterte lost his enviable slot as the No. 1 choice of the people for vice president if elections were held in September 2021, when Pulse Asia conducted its survey on people’s choices for president, vice president and senators. In June 2021, per Pulse Asia, President Duterte was the unrivalled leader in the vice presidential race, with 18 percent, or one of every five voters, going to vote for him. By September 2021, Duterte had just 14 percent (one out of every seven voters) and was dislodged, by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto who garnered 25 percent (one of every four voters). Sotto improved from 10 percent or No. 3 choice to 25 percent or No. 1. Duterte lost four percentage points , equivalent to two million votes (assuming there are 50 million voters) while Sotto gained 15 percentage points, equivalent to 7.5 million votes, a huge surge in popularity. On Oct. 4, Duterte reiterated his desire to quit running for vice president. He first disclosed his decision to retire from politics on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, “respecting the will of the people who after all placed me in the presidency several years ago.” On television and before his cabinet Monday night, Duterte read a prepared statement and said: “I withdrew my vice presidential bid for next year’s election after giving serious thought to the sentiment of the Filipino people expressed by different surveys, forums, caucuses, and meetings. It is time to give way to a new set of leaders who hopefully will continue the reforms, projects, and programs that this administration has pursued for the past few years. It is my hope that the new set of leaders will pursue a platform of government that will build on our gains in the areas of fighting illegal drugs, criminality, corruption, terrorism, and insurgency.” “I likewise hope that they will continue what we have begun in terms of infrastructure development and the many other initiatives we have undertaken during my term,” Duterte said. He then endorsed the VP candidacy of Senator Bong Go. Duterte said his long-time personal assistant “is the best person to help the next president continue my legacy and build on the gains that we have achieved, especially in terms of providing basic services to healthcare, education, and other social services for the people.”

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US hopes to restart Iran talks but cites ‘alarming’ nuclear progress

STORM DAMAGE. A view shows the aftermath of tropical Cyclone Shaheen in al-Khaburah city of Oman’s al-Batinah region on October 4. At least 11 people died after the powerful cyclone struck Oman, causing widespread flooding and landslides, emergency authorities said. More people are missing, they added. AFP

WASHINGTON—The United States hopes to restart nuclear talks with Iran soon, a senior US official said Monday, while noting “alarming” progress by Tehran on developing nuclear capacity. “We’re hopeful we can be back in Vienna (for talks)... in a fairly short period of time,” the senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said Monday that the new round of discussions could begin by early November. Iran’s nuclear activity will be at the center of talks between US and Israeli national security teams in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday. Israeli National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata and his White House counterpart, Jake Sullivan, will join a meeting of the US-Israel Strategic

Consultative Group, which groups representatives from both countries’ diplomatic, military and intelligence agencies. President Joe Biden—who reversed his predecessor Donald Trump’s decision to pull the United States from international negotiations on curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions—is keen to resolve the standoff diplomatically. “The path in Vienna for negotiations does remain open,” the US official said. “The Iranians are sending indications to a number of parties that they are preparing to come back to Vienna and of course we will have to see whether they reengage in that process constructively or not.” Despite Israeli skepticism, the Biden administration believes “very strongly that the diplomatic path remains the best,” the official said. AFP

OVER PANDORA PAPERS RELEASE

35 leaders scramble to limit damage N

EW YORK —World leaders were on the defensive on Monday after the release of millions of documents detailing how heads of state use offshore tax havens to stash assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Thirty-five current and former leaders are featured in roughly 11.9 million documents leaked from financial services companies that include reports of luxury mansions on the French Riviera and in Monte Carlo and California. The so-called “Pandora Papers” were

obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and released in stories by media partners including The Washington Post, the BBC, and The Guardian. Allegations range from corruption to money laundering and tax evasion.

Holding assets offshore or using shell companies is not illegal in most countries, but the revelations are embarrassing for leaders who have pushed austerity measures or campaigned against corruption. While Russian leader Vladimir Putin is not named, he is linked via associates to secret assets in Monaco, including a waterfront home acquired by a Russian woman reported to have had a child with him. “This is just a set of largely unsubstantiated claims,” said Kremlin spokesman

Vatican finance case resumes, cardinal on trial VATICAN CITY, Holy See— The trial of a once powerful Catholic cardinal and nine others resumes Tuesday at the Vatican over alleged financial fraud and a disastrous London property deal paid for with charity funds. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who served as the equivalent of chief of staff for Pope Francis at the time of the deal and was later fired from another post, is being tried alongside high-rolling London-based financiers and other Church employees. They are accused of crimes including embezzlement, fraud and corruption relating to the Church’s loss-making purchase of a luxury property in London’s upscale Chelsea district. Becciu was at the time number two at the Secretariat of State, the most powerful department in the Vatican’s central administration. The case against the 73-year-old, which carries charges of embezzlement, abuse of office and witness tampering, also includes separate allegations over hundreds of thousands of euros of Church funds paid to his brother’s charity. The trial is unprecedented in going before a Vatican tribunal of three lay magistrates rather than a religious court, after Francis changed the law to strip cardinals and bishops of legal privileges. AFP

Refugees who hid Snowden find sanctuary MONTREAL—Four Sri Lankan refugees who hid Edward Snowden in their tiny Hong Kong apartments when he was on the run after exposing US National Security Agency (NSA) spying landed in Canada on Tuesday where they were granted asylum, ending years in limbo. Supun Thilina Kellapatha and Nadeeka Dilrukshi Nonis touched down in Toronto with their children Sethumdi and Dinath and were due to go on to Montreal to “start their new lives,” non-profit For the Refugees said in a statement. The family were part of a group of seven poverty-stricken refugees from Sri Lanka and the Philippines living in Hong Kong who nonetheless agreed to shelter Snowden after his bombshell revelations in 2013. Vanessa Rodel, from the Philippines, and her daughter Keana were granted asylum in Canada in 2019 with the help of For the Refugees, who have lobbied Canada to take in the others, arguing they faced persecution both in their homeland and in Hong Kong because they helped Snowden. Kellapatha’s family had faced deportation after their initial refugee claims in Hong Kong were rejected.AFP

Dmitry Peskov. “We didn’t see anything on hidden wealth within Putin’s inner circle.” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been vocal on anticorruption issues, used a network of offshore companies to buy three upmarket properties in London, the ICIJ revealed. His office said it had been a way of protecting himself against the “aggressive actions” of the regime of his predecessor, the pro-Russia president Viktor Yanukovich. AFP

YEARLY FLIGHT.

Airforce fighter jets fly past the National Monument to mark the Indonesian military’s 76th anniversary, near the presidential palace in Jakarta on October 5. AFP

European Union heads seek unity on how to face China, US BRUSSELS—European Union leaders will have a hard discussion on Europe’s place in the world on Tuesday as they seek unity on how to approach ties with superpowers China and the US. The 27 heads of state and government are set to converge on Brdo Castle in the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia, the country that currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency. While no concrete outcome is expected from the meeting, “this is the first time leaders have met since June, and with everything that has happened, that seems ages ago”, a senior EU diplomat said. The dinner takes place on the eve of an EU-Western Balkans summit in which countries to the bloc’s east will seek assurances on one day joining the European Union.

At the dinner, leaders will have a “strategic discussion on the role of the Union on the international stage”, according to an invitation letter sent out by EU Council chief Charles Michel, the former Belgian prime minister who organizes summits. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to again warn his partners that Washington’s close allegiance to Europe is no longer a given, with Paris still smarting over the cancellation of a massive submarine contract to the benefit of the US. “It would be a mistake to pretend that nothing happened,” said a French presidency source ahead of the talks. France was infuriated last month when Australia cancelled a deal for French submarines worth tens of billions of dollars,

saying it would pursue US nuclear versions as tensions rise with China. EU partners have expressed solidarity with Paris to varying degrees, with Baltic and Nordic countries reluctant to criticize the Cold War superpower that they deem their ultimate protector against Russia. The subs debacle came weeks after the US pulled out its troops after two decades of presence in Afghanistan, seeing the Taliban sweep to power and catching the Europeans off guard. Under the auspices of NATO, the Europeans provided troops and were major donors to the overthrown Afghan regime and have warned they will not recognize the Taliban government, made up largely of Islamic hardliners and no women. AFP

PM Tsai warns of ‘catastrophic consequences’ if Taiwan falls TAIPEI—Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen warned of “catastrophic consequences” if the island were to fall to China and vowed to “do whatever it takes” to guard against threats in an article published on Tuesday. Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which views the self-ruled democratic island as its territory to be re-taken one day, by force if necessary. President Xi Jinping has described the seizure of Taiwan as “inevitable” and Beijing has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure since Tsai’s 2016 election, as she views the island as “already independent” and not part of a “one China”. Nearly 150 Chinese warplanes had breached Taiwan’s ADIZ since Friday when Beijing marked its National Day with its then-biggest aerial show of force, buzzing the island with 38 planes. Tsai warned a failure to defend Taiwan would be “catastrophic” for both the island and the wider region in an article she wrote for Foreign Affairs published on Tuesday. “They should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system,” Tsai said. “It would signal that in today’s global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy.” Taiwan hopes for peaceful coexistence with China, she said, but “if its democracy and way of life are threatened, Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself.” Tsai’s government on Monday urged Beijing to stop “irresponsible provocative actions” after a record 56 Chinese jets including nuclearcapable bombers crossed into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone. “Amid almost daily intrusions by the People’s Liberation Army, our position on cross-strait relations remains constant: Taiwan will not bend to pressure,” Tsai added. AFP

Malaysia summons Chinese envoy to protest South China Sea incursion

COCA BATTLE. Coca leaf producers opposed to the government take control of the coca market ADEPCOCA after clashes with riot police in La Paz on October 4. Several thousand anti-government coca growers from Bolivia’s Yungas region seized control of a coca market in La Paz on Monday after violent street clashes with police left several people injured and caused a week of anxiety for residents. AFP

KUALA LUMPUR—Malaysia late Monday summoned Beijings’s envoy to the Southeast Asian country in protest after Chinese vessels entered its maritime economic zone in the disputed South China Sea. Kuala Lumpur summoned Chinese ambassador Ouyang Yujing “to convey Malaysia’s position and protest against the presence and activities of Chinese vessels, including a survey vessel, in Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry accused China of going against local and international law with the presence of its ships off the coast of Sabah and Sarawak states, on the Malaysian part of Borneo Island. Monday’s move was the second time this year Malaysia has summoned Beijing’s envoy to protest Chinese activity related to the hotly contested waters.

In June, Malaysia scrambled fighter jets to intercept 16 Chinese military aircraft that appeared off Borneo over the South China Sea, where it has overlapping territorial claims with Beijing. Malaysia accused China of breaching its sovereignty, while Beijing said the flight was routine training. Malaysia-China relations are usually warm but have been ruffled by recent tension-raising incidents over the sea, which is home to key shipping lanes and is believed to harbor rich oil and gas deposits. “Malaysia’s consistent position and actions are based on international law, in defense of our sovereignty and sovereign rights in our waters,” the foreign ministry statement said Monday, adding the country had “also protested against the previous encroachments by other foreign vessels not our waters”. AFP

News

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Belmonte, Sotto seek reelection... Velasco wants fresh mandate Q By Rio N. Araja

in Congress

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Lord Allan Velasco has sought reelection for another threeyear term as representative of the lone district of Marinduque province in Congress. Velasco said he has more work to do in the House of Representatives where he has been serving two consecutive terms as congressman for over five years now and as Speaker since October 2020. “I’m really grateful to the people of Marinduque for giving me many chances and I’m asking them for another one so I can continue to champion their interests and welfare in Congress,” Velasco said as he filed Tuesday, October 5, his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the May 2022 polls before the local office of the Commission on Elections in Boac town. “There’s so much to do for Marinduqueños, and I would very much like to have the honor of representing them again,” he added. Hailing from Torrijos town, Velasco was first elected Marinduque representative in 2010. He tried to get reelected in 2013 but lost to Regina Ongsiako Reyes, whose COC was later canceled by the Comelec after she was found to be a naturalized American citizen. After almost three years of battling it out at the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal and the Supreme Court, Velasco took his oath of office as congressman in February 2016 or three months before that year’s general elections. He ran again for the same post in 2016 and 2019, winning both instances. Last year, Velasco assumed the speakership in the middle of a raging global pandemic. Undaunted, he was able to lead the “bigger house of Congress” in producing desperately needed legislation aimed at mitigating the impacts of COVID-19.

UEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte is seeking reelection in the May 2022 polls under the Serbisyo sa Bayan Party, along with her running mate Vice Mayor Gian Carlo Sotto.

The two incumbent officials filed their certificates of candidacy at the Commission on Elections office yesterday at Centris, Quezon City. Belmonte, daughter of former mayor and House speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., served as the city’s vice mayor since 2010 before defeating then Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo in the 2019 mayoralty election. Belmonte will be pitted against Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, who is running in tandem with Councilor Winston Castelo. “It is with a great sense of honor

and humility that I officially filed my certificate of candidacy to seek a second term as mayor of Quezon City,” Belmonte said in a statement. “I hope and pray that our beloved QCitizens will once again entrust me with the stewardship of our great city. With your kind support, we can continue the strong momentum we have gained in terms of programs and projects, particularly jumpstarting the economy and creating better livelihood opportunities. My other priority includes housing and security of land tenure for our QCiti-

zens, as part of the overall 14-point agenda that our administration has outlined,” she added. Meanwhile, more entertainment celebrities are joining the local race in Quezon City. Actor and television host Bobby Andrews is running for councilor in District 4 while actor-turned-politician Rep. Alfred Vargas is seeking a comeback in the city council to represent District 5. Actor Arjo Atayde will compete against incumbent District 1 Rep. Peter Anthony “Onyx” Crisologo while television host Joseph Peter Sison is running for a legislative seat in District 4 against incumbent Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay and ex-councilor Marvin Rillo. Vito Sotto, the grandson of Senate President Vicente Sotto III, also ﬁled his certiﬁcate of candidacy for councilor in District 6.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice Mayor Gian Sotto file their certificates of candidacy for reelection on Tuesday. (Inset) In San Juan. Mayor Francis Zamora also formalized his reelection bid. Manny Palmero

Pimentel: No reconciliation talks for divided ruling party PDP-Laban By Macon Ramos-Araneta

CAMPAIGN HQ. Former Senator Bongbong Marcos, who filed his certificate of candidacy for president in the 2022 polls Tuesday, leads the inauguration of his official headquarters in Mandaluyong City. With him are (from left) Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Chavit SIngson, South Cotabato Gov. Jun Tamayo and House Majority Leader Rep. Martin Romualdez. Manny Palmero

SAYING he only wants to be associated with people he can trust, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III , the national chairman of the Pacquiao faction in the PDP-Laban, rejected possible unity talks with their rival faction led by Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi. In an interview over CNN Philippines, Pimentel said he is not interested anymore to talk with the Cusi camp to settle their rift over several issues within the ruling party. “Anyway, being in a political party is an exercise of your right to association,” said Pimentel. The Cusi faction, which is backed by President Rosrigo Duterte as its chairperson, earlier expelled Sen. Manny Pacquiao from the party after he filed his certificate of candidacy for president under his Promdi political party. But Pimentel said Pacquiao’s COC filing under Promdi is “normal” and “in order” under the party’s constitution. “It’s so easy to explain. Cusi and Matibag do not know the facts. There is a PDP-Laban, Promdi, PCM alliance agreement called ‘MP3 Alliance’ where the alliance partners also proclaimed Sen. Pacquiao as their presidential candidate,” Pimentel said. He said the PDP-Laban National Executive Committee, in Resolution No. 12, allowed Pacquiao to use the Promdi certificate of nomination and acceptance to consolidate his support base and alliance partners. “He was officially nominated and proclaimed as presidential candidate also by PROMDI in its National Assembly. Hence, everything is normal and in order per our party constitution,” Pimentel said. Pimentel, son of the founder of PDP-Laban, Aquilino Jr., also appealed to those who are illegitimately claiming the name “PDP-Laban.” “Why don’t you just form your own group, invent your own name instead of hijacking an existing political party?” he said.

...As Defensor, Castelo ready to challenge QC top posts ANAKALUSUGAN party-list Rep. Mike Defensor and Councilor Winnie Castelo will file their certificates of candidacy today (Wednesday) for Quezon City mayor and vice mayor, respectively. The Defensor-Castelo tandem will be leading Malayang Quezon City, a broad united opposition coalition that is fielding a full local slate in the 2022 elections. The coalition includes incumbent and reelectionist Quezon City Representatives Anthony Peter “Onyx” Crisologo (first district); Precious Hipolito-Castelo (second district); and Allan Reyes (third district). The alliance is also fielding Councilor Marvin Rillo as congressional candidate for the fourth district of Quezon City; Rose Lin as congressional candidate for the fifth district; and former Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo as congressional candidate for the sixth district. The fifth and sixth congressional districts will be vacated by representatives who shall have fully served their three consecutive three-year terms in Congress. Earlier, Defensor, Crisologo, HipolitoCastelo and Reyes have called for an inquiry into the alleged anomalous procurement by the Quezon City government of 350,000 grocery packs worth a total of P403 million, which they claimed was overpriced by a whopping 44 percent or by as much as P179 million. In House Resolution No. 2184, the four lawmakers urged the appropriate congressional committee to investigate the purchase of the overpriced grocery bundles meant as “ayuda” or relief goods for families reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The groceries were acquired at a price of P1,149.98 per pack. However, upon inspection of the items, these could have been easily bought off the shelf from any supermarket at a total cost of no more than P636 per pack,” the House members said in their resolution.

School head eyes Sta. Ana mayorship By Jess Malabanan STA.ANA, Pampanga—Banking on the support of business and professional groups, lawyer and businessman Dennis Pangan and his entire slate trooped to the Commission on Elections here Tuesday and filed their respective certificates of candidacy. Pangan is gunning for the mayoralty post in tandem with former mayor Rommel ‘Omeng’ Concepcion who will run for vice mayor under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC). Four aspiring councilors, Tek Concepcion, Greg Del Rosario, Ephraim Matias and Oday Nacpil, completed the PanganConcepcion slate. Pangan is the president of Holy Cross College and founder of the law firm Pangan and Associates. He worked as a professor and Bar reviewer at the Far Eastern University, University of the East and Adamson College in Manila and served as head of the San Beda College of Law legal aid clinic. Pangan will challenge incumbent mayor Rose Gamboa while Concepcion will be pitted againt Vice Mayor Soy Guevarra. Meanwhile, Allan Policarpio, president of the Floridablanca Doctors Hospital, filed his certificate of candidacy as mayor of the Floridablanca town. It will be a three-corner fight between Policarpio, incumbent mayor Darwin Manalastas and ex-mayor Eduardo Guerrero.

Senate urged to pass P1k hike in senior’s pension By Maricel V. Cruz A PARTY-LIST legislator on Tuesday renewed his appeal to senators to support the enactment of a bill that calls for a P1,000 increase in the social pension for elderly people. Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna said increasing the pension from P500 to P1,500 would be a big help for the elderly, especially those who are considered poor, in this time of pandemic. “Today, during our celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week, we express support to all our elderly all over the country,” Zarate said. At the same time, Zarate urged President Duterte to fulﬁll his promise for the P1,000 pension increase as “our se-

nior citizens are practically crippled by poverty amidst this pandemic.” The country has about 3.7 to 3.8 million poor elderly people, per the latest count of the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC). Zarate, together with other members of Congress, earlier filed HB 9459 that seeks to increase the social pension of senior citizens. The bill has already been approved by the House on final reading on August 21, 2021. The counterpart bill was filed by Senate President Vincente Sotto III and is currently pending at the Committee on Justice headed by Sen. Richard Gordon. “We earnestly request the Senate to

deliberate and pass in the soonest possible time this long awaited measure by our elderly people. In this time of pandemic-aggravated crisis, many of our senior citizens surely need an increase from their current P500 per month social pension” said Zarate. “The current social pension law suffers from various defects that need improvement. Not only is the P500 per month pension dismally low, but the law allows for the disqualiﬁcation of many elderly due to its requirement that senior citizens must prove that they are ‘frail and sickly’ in order to qualify for social pension. Out of millions of senior citizens of the country, only less than half of them receive social pension,” he added.

FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS OF COC FILING. A staff of the Manila Office of the Commission on Elections prepares her workspace in Arroceros, Manila on October 5, 2021. Incumbent Vice Mayor Honeylet Lacuna is expected to file her certificate of candidacy for the mayoralty position today (Wednesday). Norman Cruz

Sports

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

WEDNESDAY,

Herbalife Nutrition Virtual Run returns

OCTOBER 6, 2021

HEAT BLUDGEON HAWKS. Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat drives to the basket against Solomon Hill of the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter of preseason action at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. The Heat won, 125-99. AFP

World’s finest kickboxers banner ONE: FIRST STRIKE THERE will be no shortage of knockout action when ONE Championship returns for its next colossal event— ONE: FIRST STRIKE—next Friday, October 15. Some of the world’s best kickboxers will compete on the all-striking card bannered by a clash between #1-ranked featherweight kickboxer Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan and #2-ranked Superbon for the inaugural ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title. “I am truly thrilled for this match. I can’t wait for the opportunity to fight for another World Title, and I can’t wait for fight day to come,” Petrosyan told ONEFC.com. But the card includes more than just Petrosyan – considered the best in the sport today – and Superbon. The card features the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix, which pits eight of the best strikers on the planet in one tournament. Two former World Champions in Andy “Souwer Power” Souwer and #3-ranked featherweight contender Marat Grigorian will tangle in one of the most interesting pairings, while Sitthichai “Killer Kid” Sitsongpeenong returns to kickboxing to take on #5-ranked Tayfun “Turbine” Ozcan. A pair of Grand Prix veterans look to make the most of their second chances as Samy “AK47” Sana takes on Chingiz “Chinga” Allazov and Enriko “The Hurricane” Kehl faces Davit Kiria in another tournament pairing. For Petrosyan, who won the 2019 Grand Prix against Sana, he knows just how big this event is for the sport and for the athletes participating in it. With that, the Armenian-Italian would love to watch these stars go at it, but he can only do so after he faces Superbon. “It is an extremely tough tournament. I know all the fighters involved. Right now, honestly, I cannot predict who is going to win, but, for sure, the best will win at the end,” he said. “ONE has signed all the best athletes in the 70-kilogram division. This is something that ignites me. But right now, I am only thinking about my next opponent. I am thinking about the World Title and about delivering a great performance.”

Fitness gyms getting ready for reopening By Randy Caluag

ITNESS stakeholders lauded the Department of Industry’s support to allow ﬁtness clubs and wellness centers to operate under Alert Level 4—a quarantine level in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces imposed by the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez, in a recent briefing in Malacanang, batted for the inclusion of fitness centers as part of the essential sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. “From our end as well as other agencies, we see the rationale and the justification that gyms can help in boosting peoples’ immunity through exercise, especially as we are in the fight against COVID-19,” Lopez said. “Napakagandang balita po nito. Paghahandaan na namin a n g protocol. Mabubuhay na po uli ang

aming industriya at maraming matutulungan na mga taong gustong maging healthy and fit during the pandemic,” said Romeo Moderno Jr., martial arts coach at Supima Fitness Centers. “We won,” said fitness enthusiast Franco Mabanta, who cited the tireless lobbying of the fitness groups, led by the Fitness Alliance of the Philippines. Lopez said pilot testing for gradual reopening of fitness clubs and gyms will start this month. Health protocols will be formulated, similar to dine-in in restaurants and personal services, which are now opened

under limited capacity. Among the biggest stakeholders in the fitness industry largely affected by the lockdown are Anytime Fitness, Gold’s Gym, Fitness First Philippines, UFC GYM Philippines and Slimmers’ World International. Lopez said re-opening of fitness gyms will also help bring back jobs while helping people fight COVID-19 by boosting their immunity. “Bottom line here, it (gym) is essential and it will boost immunity. And the virus is here to stay so we should manage how to function in a very safe manner and save very small businesses and jobs,” he added. For a while, fitness gyms were allowed to operate under a 20 percent capacity under the General Community Quarantine, but were closed again when “Metro Manila Plus” went back to Modified General Community Quarantine due to COVID-19 surge. “Sana, tuloy-tuloy na ito kasi talagang magtatagal naman ang COVID so basta ingat lang talaga and strict health protocols,” said coach Monith Pabroa of Elements MMA.

HERBALIFE Nutrition will stage the second edition of its Virtual Run from October 1 to 31, 2021. Now on its second year, the challenge is part of the premier global nutrition company’s Get Moving With Good Nutrition campaign that seeks to give people the push toward healthy active living. Sridhar Rajagopalan, Senior Director, Sub-Regional General Manager of Herbalife Nutrition Philippines, said that the Virtual Run is aimed at breaking the health inertia and fostering communities that support one another on their healthy living journey. “We want to encourage every Filipino to start moving and take the challenge to walk or run a certain distance. Through this initiative, we would like to inspire communities to support one another on a healthy living journey and strengthen their relationships through teamwork,” he said. Rajagopalan added that this running challenge seeks to continue Herbalife Nutrition’s campaign of promoting a healthy, active lifestyle especially during this time. Apart from the Philippines, the Herbalife Nutrition Virtual Run 2021 will also take place in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Last year’s Virtual Run gathered 14,000 participants covering a total distance of close to 600,000 kilometers across Asia Pacific. This year, Herbalife Nutrition aims to achieve bigger and bolder goals in the 11 participating markets. The registration period for this year’s Virtual Run is until October 15, 2021. For more information about how to join and the mechanics of the challenge, visit HerbalifeVirtualRun.com. During the online media launch of the Herbalife Nutrition Virtual Run 2021, Rajagopalan shared the following tips on how to prepare for a running routine: ● Have the Right Running Gear One of the key preparations in running is having the right running gear. Invest in essential items to make your running journey comfortable. Some of the items that you need to have are a pair of running shoes, distance running socks, and comfortable clothing. ● Run It Out Practice running your actual distance. Don’t forget to schedule one to two rest days a week to allow your muscles to adapt to the increase workloads and efficiently repair themselves. If you’re new to running or not ready to run yet, start with walking. Once walking for a set time becomes easy for you, start alternating between jogging and walking until you find a comfortable and sustainable pace.

Bolts seek equalizer; Hotshots eye 2-0 lead By Peter Atencio THE Magnolia Hotshots expect another intense encounter with the Meralco Bolts in Game 2 of their bestof-seven semifinal duel Wednesday in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. Following an 88-79 win in Game 1 of the semifinals last Sunday, the Hotshots will have the momentum when they collide with the Bolts at 6 p.m. at the Don Honorio Ventura State University Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga. “It’s only the start of the series. You saw how physical and emotional it got today. But at least we got Game 1,” said Hotshots’ coach Chito Victolero. The Hotshots’ coach noted that

Meralco’s Chris Newsome charges into Magnolia’s Calvin Abueva.

Magnolia was able to control most of the first half before they hung on to a 47-40 lead at halftime. Meralco pushed ahead behind Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge, who scored half of the Bolts’ 24 points in the third. By then, one of their main men Calvin Abueva was in foul trouble, picking up his fifth personal with under two minutes left to go in the third. But Ian Sangalang and foul-troubled Abueva asserted themselves in the last 12 minutes to carry the Hotshots home. Earlier at 3 p.m. is the Game 2 semis showdown between TNT Tropang Giga and San Miguel Beer. The Tropang Giga, without big man Kelly Williams, won the semis opener with an 89-88 squeaker last Sunday.

2 Filipina pros in Japan league to rejoin Malditas TWO professional Filipina booters playing in Japan will soon rejoin the Philippine Malditas national women’s football team. Quinley Quezada, who became the first Filipina to play the first fully-professional women’s soccer league in Japan, will be coming back to play for the Malditas with Sarina Bolden. Both will be available when the Malditas compete in the tournament proper of the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asian Cup 2022 in India this January. National coach Marlon Maro confirmed their availability on Tuesday, saying he is set to have a series of meetings with the two players by Wednesday. “Tomorrow, we have a meeting with Quinley and Bolden, the two players in the

Japanese pro league, for their availability. I think it’s a go for them,” said Maro during the weekly online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. Quezada, who plays for club team JEF United Chiba in the 2021-2022 Women’s Empower League in Japan, was with the Malditas when they trained in Irvine, California last August, along with Bolden. But the two did not join the Malditas when they went to Tashkent, Uzbekistan to take part in the Group E qualifiers last month because of the prolonged isolation period as part of the strict COVID-19 protocols that they needed to go through. “Hindi na sila nakarating sa Uzbekistan kasi pagpasok pa lang sa Japan, 14 days na ang quarantine. Paglabas nila sa Uzbekistan, another 14 days pagbalik,” said Maro.

Maro said their respective clubs have already agreed to release them before the start of the Asian Cup and by then, the WE League season would have been over. Last Saturday, Quezada played as a substitute for club team JEF United Chiba, which absorbed a 0-3 setback to Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza, with around 1,281 fans watching at the Fukuda Denshi Arena. On the other hand, Bolden is now with Chifure AS Elfen Saitama, which also absorbed a 0-3 beating from MyNavi Sendai, at the Kumagaya Athletic Stadium in Saitama, Japan. Bolden will make her debut this weekend when her team meets Nojima Stella on October 10 at 1 p.m., Manila time. Maro said he is making arrange-

Malditas and their coach Marlon Maro at the PSA Forum.

ments for the Malditas to train together seeking the assistance of the US Socas a team in the United States and the cer Federation on the visas of other Philippine Football Federation is now team members. Peter Atencio

Business SC voids rules on mandatory power supplies By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Supreme Court declared as void the directives of the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission on the mandatory compliance to the retail competition and open access rules. RCOA allows power consumers to choose their own power suppliers under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. The high tribunal, in a 37-page decision, granted the consolidated petitions seeking to void DOE Circular 2015-06-0110 and ERC Resolutions 5, 10, 11 and 28 series of 2016 on the implementation of RCOA. Several groups including the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry claimed that the DOE and the ERC issuances–which had been the subject of a temporary restraining order issued in February 2017–were unconstitutional and went against consumers’ “power of choice.” The groups said the issuances were “unconstitutional for usurping legislative authority, violating the right to due process, equal protection clause and nonimpairment clause, as well as being an unreasonable exercise of police power.” The issuances required large power users or those with consumption of 500 kilowatts and above to enter contracts with any of the 23 ERC-licensed retail electricity suppliers under the stipulated deadlines. Failure to comply would result in disconnection from their respective distribution utilities. The issuances specifically ERC Resolution 11 imposed restrictions on distribution utilities and retail electricity suppliers and prohibited DUs from participating as suppliers in the contestable market and gave local retail electricity suppliers three years to wind down their business. It also barred them from entering into new retail supply contracts. Respondents to the case included Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and defunct officials of the ERC then led by chairman Jose Vicente Salazar and commissioners Alfredo Non, Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Josefina Patricia Asirit and Geronimo Sta. Ana.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, October 5, 2021

20.35 PTS. Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

September inflation slowed to 4.8% on stable food prices By Julito G. Rada

NFLATION in September slightly eased to 4.8 percent from 4.9 percent in August, on slower annual increases in transport and food prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday.

The figure brought the average inflation from January to September to 4.5 percent, above the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for 2021. Inflation was 2.3 percent in September 2020. National statistician and civil registrar general Dennis Mapa said in an online briefing the transport index registered an inflation of 5.2 percent in September, down from 7.2 percent in August. Mapa said the inflation in the National Capital Region for tricycle and jeepney fares softened to 2.7 percent from 9 percent in August. Food inflation also decreased to 6.5 percent in September from 6.9 percent in August, on slower price increases of rice, fish and meat. Rice inflation recorded zero growth, following the issuance of Executive Order No. 135. Fish inflation decelerated to 10.2 percent from 12.4 percent. Meanwhile, meat inflation decreased to 15.6 percent from 16.4 percent, as pork inflation declined to 36.4 percent

from 39 percent. Month-on-month meat inflation continued to decline at -0.4 percent, suggesting some price stabilization following the implementation of EOs No. 133 and 134. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the September inflation was within the forecast range of 4.8 percent to 5.6 percent for the month. “Inflation could remain elevated in the near term before decelerating to within the target range of 2 to 4 percent by the end of the year. Inflation is projected to settle close to the midpoint of the target range in 2022 and 2023 with inflation expectations remaining firmly anchored to the target,” Diokno said. “The recent slower inflation was mainly due to lower annual rate of increase in transport index. But the recent inflation upticks is expected to be driven largely by supply side factors related to weather disruptions, global oil prospects, and continued impact of the

6,981.24

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

African swine fever,” Diokno said. He said these supply side shocks would be best addressed by timely nonmonetary policy interventions that could ease domestic supply constraints. The return of inflation to the target range is highly contingent on the successful implementation of these supply measures, he said. “The risks to the inflation outlook remain tilted towards the upside for the remaining months of 2021, but remain broadly balanced for 2022 and 2023. Upside risks may come from pressures on world commodity prices, effects of weather disturbances, and prolonged recovery from the ASF outbreak. On the other hand, downside risks are seen from the spread of more contagious Covid-19 variants and weaker-than-expected global growth prospects,” he said. Excluding selected food and energy indices, core inflation for the month remained at 3.3 percent. Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the proactive implementation of EOs 133 and 134 helped stabilize pork prices. “The government is continuously accelerating and calibrating its implementation so we can further lower pork prices towards their pre-African Swine Fever level,” Chua said.

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

1,080,089,610 88,395 6,565,815,677.09 84 106 58

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2021

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.7440

Japan

Yen

0.009016

0.4575

Pound

1.361300

69.0778

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128418

6.5164

Switzerland

Franc

1.082368

54.9237

Canada

Dollar

0.794786

40.3306

Singapore

Dollar

0.737137

37.4053

Australia

Dollar

0.728800

36.9822

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652590

134.6030

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266638

13.5303

Brunei

Dollar

0.734430

37.2679

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.029603

1.5022

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.8169

Euro

1.162200

58.9747

Korea

Won

0.000844

0.0428

China

Yuan

0.154524

7.8412

India

Rupee

0.013413

0.6806

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.239693

12.1630

New Zealand

Dollar

0.696400

35.3381

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035854

1.8194 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF NLEX installs solar panels at toll plazas NLEX Corp. said Tuesday it will install solar panels in more toll plazas at North Luzon Expressway and Subic Clark-Tarlac Expressway to further lessen its carbon footprint. The company said the total energy harvested in 2020 reached 171 megawatt-hours, which gained carbon emission savings of 134,232 kilograms, or equivalent to 4,006 trees planted. Records show the Bocaue barrier generated the highest CO2 emission savings with 50,618 kg. or equivalent to 1,511 trees planted. The Balintawak toll plaza yielded CO2 emission savings of 42,980 kg. or 1,283 trees planted. The tollway company first harnessed solar power in its Meycauayan southbound toll plaza in 2018, followed by the toll plazas in Balintawak, Bocaue, Mexico, Angeles, San Fernando southbound and Harbor Link (Karuhatan) in 2019 to boost energy efficiency and contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions along the expressway network. Darwin G. Amojelar

NPC warns mobile users vs. ‘smishing’

CEBU-CORDOVA LINK. Both sides of the 390-meter central span of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway cable-stayed bridge is joined together successfully by the Cebu Link Joint Venture, a consortium consisting of ACCIONA, First Balfour and DMCI. The project, awarded in 2017 by the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp., a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways, consists of the design and construction of a 650-meter cable-stayed bridge as the principal structure, with a main span of 390 meters between pylons, located over the entrance to the Port of Cebu. The new infrastructure includes several viaducts and a section of highway on a 5.2-kilometer embankment.

Jollibee announces buyback of $250m worth of securities Bicol International Airport set to start domestic operations By Jenniffer B. Austria

By Darwin G. Amojelar

RESTAURANT chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. said Tuesday it started the buyback of up to $250 million worth of senior perpetual securities as a part of debt management. Jollibee said in a disclosure to the stock exchange wholly-owned subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. would conduct the tender offer. The company plans to buy back up to $250 million of its $600-million senior perpetual capital securities issued in January 2020. The securities are listed in the Singapore Stock Exchange. “The tender offer is part of JFC’s liability management strategy to strengthen its balance sheet,” the fastfood giant said. Funding for the buyback will be secured from the P12-billion preferred shares offering being conducted by Jollibee. The company earlier obtained the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval for the issuance of 12 million cumulative, non-voting, non-participating, non-convertible, redeemable, peso-denominated perpetual preferred shares. Jollibee said it was expecting to have fewer debt, more distributed financial maturities over the next few years, lower foreign exchange risks and better leverage and debt servicing ratios once the buyback was completed. “All these actions will support JFC in maintaining its capability to finance its profitable growth, which is forecasted to accelerate in the next few months and years, as the JFC Group plans to accelerate its worldwide store expansion in 2022 and onward,” the company said. The tender offer will expire on Nov. 3, 2021.

THE Department of Transportation said Tuesday the Bicol International Airport in Daraga, Albay is ready to start operations and receive commercial domestic flights on Oct. 7. “Construction works for the BIA were delayed for 11 years. It went through three groundbreaking ceremonies prior to this administration. While it was being constructed, there were arson incidents. Now, construction of the Bicol International Airport is almost complete,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said. The BIA is touted as the country’s “most scenic gateway” with the iconic Mayon Volcano for its backdrop.

The agency said that as of Oct. 3, the overall progress rate of the BIA was at 92.56 percent, with its passenger terminal building now 97.28-percent finished; runway extension, 79.27 percent; administration building, 98.93 percent; air traffic control building, 98.65 percent; crash fire rescue building, 98.40 percent; cargo terminal building, 98.59 percent; and power house building, 98.69 percent. Meanwhile, the airport’s passenger boarding bridge is targeted to be positioned on Oct. 5, while domestic operations is slated to commence on Oct. 7. “We are happy to announce that the Bicol International Airport is now nearing completion and will be ready

to serve domestic air passengers by Oct. 7. Secretary Tugade and the CAAP are focused on this project and we intend to deliver as promised,” said Danjun Lucas, head of airport projects team at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. “The BIA shall also be ready for international operations by Nov. 7, subject to airline’s application/intent to operate international flights,” he said. Once fully operational, the BIA is expected to accommodate 2 million passengers a year. Construction of the airport also created 755 jobs with 1,100 more indirect jobs expected to become available once the airport begins commercial operations.

THE National Privacy Commission said Tuesday it received reports of “smishing” where mobile users received unsolicited SMS messages allegedly due to the contact information they provided in COVID-19 contact tracing and health declaration forms. Smishing is a type of phishing attack that targets victims through mobile text messaging or SMS. Smishing attacks occur when threat actors send text messages to trick subscribers into clicking malicious websites. The privacy commission highlighted the importance of being vigilant and aware of cybersecurity attacks. “One of the best ways users can arm themselves against smishing attacks is to be aware of this kind of manipulation. Scrutinize the text messages you receive, especially if they come from an unknown number and request information about you. Be skeptical and don’t assume that every message you receive is genuine,” said NPC commissioner Raymund Liboro. An example of a smishing scenario involves the activation of a dummy Facebook account. The text message sent to a user contains a code and a shortened link that, when clicked, binds the recipient’s mobile number to the dummy account. Othel V. Campos

Oil companies told to watch inventory ENERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Tuesday called on oil companies to ensure their compliance with the minimum inventory requirements amid the global oil supply outlook and forecasted higher world oil prices for the fourth quarter. “I am directing all oil companies in the country to ensure adequate supply, and come up with plans to mitigate possible price hikes of oil products in the coming months,” Cusi said in a statement. Oil prices rose for the six consecutive weeks. On Tuesday, oil companies implemented a big time oil price hike of P2.05 per liter of diesel and kerosene and P1.45 per liter of gasoline. “The DOE will continue to closely monitor global oil supply and price movements. As always, we are working with the downstream oil industry players to ensure that all mechanisms to protect our consumers against the impact of such developments as much as possible,” Cusi said. Alena Mae S. Flores

PH climbs 18 spots in Digital Quality of Life index THE Philippines climbed 18 places to rank 48th among 110 countries in the third annual edition of the Digital Quality of Life Index conducted by cybersecurity company Surfshark. Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said the goal of digital transformation is finally being realized. “Your DICT is working tirelessly to achieve the future that we envision for all Filipinos,” he said. Evaluated on five fundamental digital wellbeing pillars, the Philippines ranked impressively in internet quality (20th) and e-security (30th). The country demonstrated the fastest mobile and broadband speed growth annually. It surpassed DQL leaders New Zealand, Australia and South Korea in e-security, showing a 20-percent advantage over the global average. The research also showed that the country has room for improvement

in internet affordability (72nd), e-infrastructure (63rd) and e-government (67th). Overall, the Philippines showed one of the most notable improvements in the past year, ranking up from 66th place to 48th. Moreover, the country’s internet affordability was found to have improved by 156 percent. Acting on President Rodrigo Duterte’s mandate to advance the improvements in internet services to keep up with other Southeast Asia countries, the Philippine government strictly monitored connection-related services in the country. “Your DICT is striving to provide connectivity and quality of service to the Filipino people. The results present great development but we will not stop there. We are working with the telco industry and other government agencies to ensure that even the average Filipino will have access to the best service possible,” Honasan said.

HALAL CERTIFICATION. The Department of Trade and Industry through the Philippine Accreditation Bureau accredits Prime Certification and Inspection Asia Pacific Inc. as the first local Halal certification body. Prime’s accreditation will augment the country’s Halal industry, contributing to the trade of locally-made Halal products and services in the international arena. Shown holding the DTI certificates are members of the Prime C&I Asia-Pacific team.

Business

B2 || WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks rise slightly; Manila Water advances T HE stock market rose slightly Tuesday after the inflation rate unexpectedly eased to 4.8 percent in September from 4.9 percent a month ago and COVID-19 infections continued to drop.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 20.35 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,981.24 on a value turnover of P6.6 billion. Losers, however, beat gainers, 106 to 84, with 58 issues unchanged. Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. surged 5 percent to P42, while Globe Telecom Inc., the sec-

ond-biggest mobile phone firm, climbed 3.8 percent to P3,114. Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group advanced 5.3 percent to P58.20, while Manila Water Co. Inc. of the Ayala Group gained 3.5 percent at P20.50. Most Asian markets fell Tuesday following a Wall Street slump as soaring oil prices put further upward pressure on inflation while a standoff in Washington over raising the country’s borrowing limit fueled fears of a catastrophic US debt default. Investors were nervously monitoring developments in the crisis surrounding troubled property giant China Evergrande, which has raised warnings about contagion in the

world’s number two economy and possibly beyond. A decision Monday by OPEC and other major producers not to increase their output by more than previously agreed—despite tightening supplies and rising demand—sent crude prices rocketing, with WTI hitting a seven-year high and Brent a three-year peak. Both main contracts rose Tuesday. The announcement fanned expectations that inflation, already sitting at multi-year highs, will spike further, putting pressure on central banks to taper their ultra-loose monetary policies sooner than flagged with interest rates to then rise. And some analysts are warning of a period of stagflation, in which prices

surge while economic growth stalls. Crude markets have come under pressure as the global economy emerges from the pandemic, pushing up demand for travel, among other things, while the approaching northern hemisphere winter has seen gas prices jump, which has in turn led companies to switch to oil. “Prices are likely to remain supported in the final quarter, with gas-to-oil switching and pricey coal adding to oil consumption,” Will Sungchil Yun, an analyst at VI Investment Corp, said. All three main indexes on Wall Street ended deep in the red, led by the Nasdaq, as tech firms took a beating owing to their susceptibility to higher interest rates. With AFP

Another China real estate firm fails to make debt payments BEIJING, China—Another Chinese homebuilder has hit financial trouble after it missed payments on debt obligations, adding to worries over the country’s property sector as embattled giant China Evergrande teeters on the brink of collapse. Fears of contagion through the Chinese economy have grown as Evergrande, the most indebted of the country’s private homebuilders, struggles with more than $300 billion in liabilities and heads towards a massive restructuring. Fantasia Holdings failed to repay a $205.7 million note Monday, the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement. This came as property management firm Country Garden Services Holdings added that a unit of Fantasia had missed repayment on a 700 million yuan ($108 million) loan, saying it was likely Fantasia would default. The news comes as investors await news from Evergrande after it suspended trading of its shares Monday pending an announcement on a “major transaction,” with reports saying Hong Kong real estate firm Hopson Development Holdings planned to buy a 51-percent stake in its property services arm. While Fantasia is a smaller player in the market than Evergrande, its struggles highlight investor concerns over companies’ financial disclosures. Fitch Ratings downgraded Fantasia to “CCC-” on Monday, a move that points to default as a possibility. The ratings agency added in a statement that although media reports said Fantasia missed an earlier payment to bondholders, the bond “does not appear to have been disclosed in the company’s financial reports.” AFP

TOP GAINERS LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

REG OPM

2.78 0.011

0.28 0.001

11.20% 10.00%

PCOR

3.39

0.25

7.96%

4 5

RRHI CNVRG

58.2 42

2.95 2

5.34% 5.00%

6 7

TECHW RCI

1.52 0.77

0.07 0.03

4.83% 4.05%

8 9

DIZ GLO

6.23 3114

0.23 114

3.83% 3.80%

MWC

20.5

0.7

3.54%

TOP LOSERS

SHORTAGE. Fuel tanker drivers drive their lorries laden with petrol fuel along the M180 motorway in near the Prax Lindsey Oil Terminal in North Killingholme, north east England on October 4, 2021. The British military started delivering fuel to petrol stations on Monday, after a tanker driver shortage sparked two weeks of panic-buying by motorists and emptied pumps. AFP

OPEC+ sticks to planned output despite soaring prices LONDON—The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its key allies decided at a meeting on Monday to stick to planned moderate increases in output for November despite market expectations that the alliance would further boost production in order to dampen soaring crude prices. A statement released after the brief videoconference meeting of the OPEC+ alliance said that participants had agreed to stick to the schedule agreed in July, namely to “adjust upward the monthly overall production by 0.4 million bpd (barrels per day) for the month of November 2021.” Markets have been sent surging further by Monday’s decision, with prices for the benchmark WTI contract reaching $78.38 and Brent contracts trading at $82, the highest levels since November 2014 and October 2018 respectively.

Manila

Standard ATRAM UNICAPITAL DIVERSIFIED TODAY GROWTH FUND, INC.

8th Floor, 8 Rockwell Building, Hidalgo Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City, Metro Manila Tel. No. 8814-7800; Fax No. 8841-0315

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (ASM) of the aforementioned Corporation will be held virtually or via remote communication on 28 October 2021 at 2:00 PM via Zoom webinar. Stockholders can register at https://bit.ly/ATRAM2021ASM. Webinar password will be sent via email after registration. The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows: 1. Call to Order 2. Certification of Notice and Quorum 3. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on 15 October 2020 4. Management Report 5. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements as of 31 March 2021 6. Ratification of the Corporate Acts of the Board of Directors since the last annual stockholders’ meeting 7. Election of Directors for 2021 to 2022 8. Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation to align with the Revised Corporation Code and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Investment Company Act 9. Amendment of the By-laws to align with the Revised Corporation Code and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Investment Company Act 10. Appointment of Standard Chartered Bank as Primary Custodian and Fund Accountant 11. Appointment of External Auditor for 2021 12. Other Matters 13. Adjournment Only holders of issued stocks of record as at the close of business hours on 3 September 2021 and whose status as stockholders on that date has been satisfactorily established in accordance with the corporate records of the Stock and Transfer Agent and the Corporate Secretary of the Company, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the scheduled stockholders’ meeting. Given the current circumstances and in order to ensure the safety and welfare of our stockholders in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Corporation will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication and by voting in absentia or voting through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy. Stockholders who intend to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to exercise their vote in absentia must notify the Corporate Secretary by registering through the Company’s website for the 2021 annual meeting of the stockholders on or before 18 October 2021. All information submitted will be subject to verification and validation by the Corporate Secretary by 22 October 2021. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online web address which will allow them to join the meeting and cast votes in absentia or by proxy in favor of the Chairman of the meeting. The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

The 23 countries in the group, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, took under an hour to reach the decision after the meeting started shortly after 1300 GMT. Their statement issued after the meeting said the decision had been taken in light of “current oil market fundamentals.” While higher prices benefit producers in the form of increased revenues— particularly after the lean period of the coronavirus pandemic—but there are medium-term drawbacks if rising prices stifle the fragile post-pandemic economic recovery and thus demand for oil. The trend could also entice new competitors into the market or even encourage the shift towards renewables. US President Joe Biden’s administration urged increased output in August, when National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the cartel was not doing

ATRAMth CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC. 8 Floor, 8 Rockwell Building, Hidalgo Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City, Metro Manila Tel. No. 8814-7800; Fax No. 8841-0315

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Stockholders' Meeting (ASM) of the aforementioned Corporation will be held virtually or via remote communication on 28 October 2021 at 3:00 PM via Zoom webinar. Stockholders can register at https://bit.ly/ATRAM2021ASM. Webinar password will be sent via email after registration. The Agenda of the Meeting is as follows: 1. Call to Order 2. Certification of Notice and Quorum 3. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on 15 October 2020 4. Management Report 5. Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements as of 31 March 2021 6. Ratification of the Corporate Acts of the Board of Directors since the last annual stockholders’ meeting 7. Election of Directors for 2021 to 2022 8. Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation to align with the Revised Corporation Code and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Investment Company Act 9. Amendment of the By-laws to align with the Revised Corporation Code and the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Investment Company Act 10. Amendment of the Registration Statement to update the Fund’s Dividend Policy 11. Appointment of Standard Chartered Bank as Primary Custodian and Fund Accountant 12. Appointment of External Auditor for 2021 13. Other Matters 14. Adjournment Only holders of issued stocks of record as at the close of business hours on 3 September 2021 and whose status as stockholders on that date has been satisfactorily established in accordance with the corporate records of the Stock and Transfer Agent and the Corporate Secretary of the Company, will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the scheduled stockholders’ meeting. Given the current circumstances and in order to ensure the safety and welfare of our stockholders in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Corporation will dispense with the physical attendance of stockholders at the meeting and will allow attendance only by remote communication and by voting in absentia or voting through the Chairman of the meeting as proxy. Stockholders who intend to participate in the meeting via remote communication and to exercise their vote in absentia must notify the Corporate Secretary by registering through the Company’s website for the 2021 annual meeting of the stockholders on or before 18 October 2021. All information submitted will be subject to verification and validation by the Corporate Secretary by 22 October 2021. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online web address which will allow them to join the meeting and cast votes in absentia or by proxy in favor of the Chairman of the meeting. The procedures for participating in the meeting through remote communication and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement. Makati City, Philippines, September 28, 2021. (Sgd.) ATTY. MA. ALICIA G. PICAZO-SANJUAN Corporate Secretary

(Sgd.) ATTY. MA. ALICIA G. PICAZO-SANJUAN Corporate Secretary (MS-OCT. 6 & 7, 2021)

LAST PRICE

% CHANGE CHANGE

1 2

MACAY CA

6.24 48.3

-0.76 -3.7

-10.86% -7.12%

3 4 5 6 7

MHC ABA MJC LBC PHA

0.4 1.09 1.81 16.04 0.88

-0.03 -0.07 -0.11 -0.96 -0.05

-6.98% -6.03% -5.73% -5.65% -5.38%

8 9

HOUSE AP

10.28 29.3

-0.48 -1.25

-4.46% -4.09%

CIP

144.3

-5.9

-3.93%

MOST ACTIVE

“enough” to boost oil production. In a study published last week, Morgan Stanley analysts noted the possibility of “demand destruction” if oil prices VOLUME VALUE (PHP) creep over $80 a barrel. MONDE 37,192,900 703,468,226 In the current market, Goldman Sachs 1 sees Brent crude oil soaring towards 2 CNVRG 10,826,400 440,424,315 $90 within months. But even if OPEC+ members had 3 ALI 11,551,900 376,931,745 wanted to open the taps further, there had been question marks over their abil- 4 AP 11,094,500 327,455,720 ity to do so. GLO 92,135 283,441,820 “Perhaps the more important question 5 is whether OPEC+ will even be able ACEN 22,651,300 269,435,752 to meet these less ambitious targets” 6 agreed in July, according to Kieran 7 TEL 146,955 249,324,790 Clancy, analyst at Capital Economics. “OPEC managed less than half of its 8 RRHI 4,047,830 232,283,073 planned increase in production in August SCC 9,226,900 222,301,520 (the latest available data), largely due to 9 disruptions to operations in Angola and 10 MREIT 11,766,000 208,044,070 Nigeria,” Clancy pointed out. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Makati City, Philippines, September 28, 2021.

(MS-OCT. 6 & 7, 2021)

PSEi OCTOBER 5, 2021

Goods trade surging past pre-pandemic peak—WTO GENEVA, Switzerland—Resurging global economic activity has lifted merchandise trade above its pre-pandemic peak, the World Trade Organization said Monday as it upgraded its 2021 and 2022 trade forecasts. Supply-side issues such as semiconductor scarcity and port backlogs may strain supply chains, but are unlikely to have large impacts on global aggregates, WTO experts said. They said the biggest downside risks came from the coronavirus crisis itself, with the strength of the recovery from COVID-19 now dependant upon more equitable access to vaccines, with some countries starved of doses while others offer booster shots. “The WTO is now predicting global merchandise trade volume growth of 10.8 percent in 2021—up from 8.0 percent forecasted in March—followed by a 4.7-percent rise in 2022,” up from four percent previously, the global trade body said. The strong annual growth rate for merchandise trade in 2021 is mainly due to the collapse in 2020, when trade bottomed out in the second quarter. The rate is expected to moderate as merchandise trade returns to the long-term trend it was on before the COVID-19 crisis struck. “Trade has been a critical tool in combatting the pandemic, and this strong growth underscores how important trade will be in underpinning the global economic recovery,” said WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. “But inequitable access to vaccines is exacerbating economic divergence across regions,” she added. While regions with access to COVID-19 jabs and sufficient fiscal space are recovering strongly, poorer regions with mostly unvaccinated populations are lagging behind. “The longer vaccine inequity is allowed to persist, the greater the chance that even more dangerous variants of COVID-19 will emerge, setting back the health and economic progress we have made to date,” said Okonjo-Iweala. The Middle East, South America and Africa seem set to have the weakest pandemic recoveries on the export side. Risks to the WTO forecasts also include inflation spikes, longer port delays and higher shipping rates. Quarterly trade growth was up 22 percent year-on-year in the second three months of 2021 but is expected to slow to 6.6 percent in the final quarter, reflecting 2020’s drop and recovery. Global gross domestic product is set to grow by 5.3 percent in 2021—up from the 5.1 percent forecasted March- then slow to 4.1 percent in 2022, up from the 3.8 percent earlier predicted. Service trade is likely to lag behind goods trade, particularly in the sectors related to travel and leisure, said the WTO. AFP

Entertainment on struggles as newbie

The cast of ‘Heartful Cafe’ led by David Licauco and Julie Anne San Jose.

‘Heartful Cafe’ to start brewing on Netflix

shoe designer Jojo Bragais, with Michelle Jhoie Ferraris as co-producer. The BL series started streaming Oct. 2, 8:00 p.m. on BRAGAIS TV on YouTube. ••• Alfred Vargas supports PM Vargas Rep. Alfred Vargas, who is in his last term as representative of the 5th district of Quezon City is supporting the candidacy of his younger brother, PM Vargas. “His decision to run for a congressional seat made me emotional on so many fronts. Naalala ko si Mommy and how she would have been proud of her youngest son. Public service is one of her legacies which has inspired all her children not only to be of help to the less fortunate and disadvantaged but to effect positive change,” Rep. Vargas said when his brother filed his Certificate of Candidacy. “Si PM ang isang matibay na sandalan ko sa tatlong termino ko bilang congresista. He would support me in all my initiatives no matter how unpopular they may be. Kinausap niya ako bago siya nag file ng COC. Sabi niya, ‘dapat pang ituloy ang lahat ng iyong ipinaglalaban, Kuya. I understand your cause and vision. And because of that, I will run. Your positive effect on the lives of our ka-distritos has to continue. I will do it for your constituents. You and I owe them that.’ Then I knew, my brother and I are one,” he added. Rep. Vargas, a TOYM awardee, a consistent recipient of recognitions and awards on his performance as a congressman, a multi awarded actor and producer. “I am supporting his candidacy because I believe in what he stands for. I’ve known him all his life. We come from the same tree and the fruit never falls far from it. I am proud of PM but I am sure Mom and Dad are even prouder of him,” he ended.

A BREWING romance between two business owners-turned-lovers is set to conquer the hearts of online viewers as GMA Network’s well-loved primetime series Heartful Cafe streams on Netflix Philippines beginning Oct. 14. Following its well-received run on GMA since its premiere in April, Heartful Cafe joins the growing list of Kapuso shows on the popular video streaming platform. The original series is headlined by Julie Anne San Jose as Heart Fulgencio, an online romance novelist and coffee enthusiast who owns a cozy and quaint cafe called the Heartful Cafe, and David Licauco as Ace Nobleza, a competitive and goal-driven businessman who takes an interest in Heart’s cafe. Joining them in the series are EA Guzman, Ayra Mariano, Victor Anastacio, Angel Guardian, Zonia Mejia, and Jamir Zabarte. Set in a coffee shop located inside a university campus, Heartful Cafe follows

the story of Heart Fulgencio (Julie). For Heart, the Heartful Cafe is more than just a stomping ground for coffee drinkers; rather, it’s a place where all the magic happens. Despite having experienced heartbreak herself, Heart enjoys playing cupid for her customers who seek help regarding matters of the heart. When her cafe turns into shambles, Ace Nobleza (David), a handsome co-investor, comes into her life and rescues her. Just like how love brews in mysterious ways, will this investment lead to an unexpected romance between two opposing strangers? Viewers can also binge watch on Netflix Philippines the internationally-acclaimed primetime series Descendants of the Sun Philippines, the groundbreaking program I Can See You, the top-rating drama series Love of My Life, the hit romanticcomedy series Owe My Love, and the heartwarming movie Family History. Heartful Café is directed by Mark Sicat Dela.

Brothers Herbert and Hero Bautista carry on father’s legacy

Brothers Herbert (right) and Hero Bautista on set with actress Liza Soberano (center).

Rep. Alfred Vargas (left) with brother PM Vargas.

‘The Rescue’ unearths rare footage of Thai cave saga AFTER their Oscar-winning movie Free Solo, about a daredevil rock climber, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin found an even more remarkable true story for their next film— the rescue of a boys’ soccer team from a Thai cave in 2018. The husband-and-wife team had watched transfixed with the rest of the world as amateur divers, Navy SEALS and hundreds of volunteers pulled off a seemingly impossible rescue through miles of dark, perilous, flooded caves. Once the 12 boys and their coach had been plucked miraculously from their subterranean prison, the documentary makers teamed with National Geographic to tell the inside story in The Rescue, out in theaters Oct. 8. “It moved us as humans, as Asian parents, and as storytellers. I think that this really is one of the great stories of the last 10 years,” Vasarhelyi told AFP. The directors sifted through 87 hours of never-before-seen footage -- obtained from the Thai Navy Seals after two years’ of negotiations during which military chiefs “said no in every possible form of ‘no’,” Chin recalled. “For me it wasn’t fair—if it existed the world needed to see it,” said Vasarhelyi. The behind-the-scenes footage shows the euphoric moment two British divers returned to the cave’s entrance with news they had located the children, and the precarious pulley contraption used to transfer them on stretchers out of the final cavern.

is one of the lead stars of ‘Limited Edition,’ a romantic BL series streaming now on Bragais TV.

Andrew Gan reflects

Yes, starting a career as an actor can be difficult and there will be times that you would question yourself if choosing this career path was a good decision. Up-and-coming actor Andrew Gan can attest to this fact. It took him six years to get the biggest break in his career, it’s more than half a decade of trying to prove his talent and capabilities as a reliable actor. “Before Limited Edition, I thought showbiz was not really for me. I was already in the brink of quitting showbiz,” the 27-year-old actor told Manila Standard Entertainment in a virtual interview over the weekend. Limited Edition is a romantic drama about finding one’s elusive and everlasting love with a love triangle story arc that gives it more kilig, heartstrings pull, and a fairy-tale-like conclusion of who ends up with whom. “The most challenging part about doing this series is really playing the role. I need to know how to feel like him, to live in his shoes, and give justice to that feeling of falling in love with another young man,” added Andrew who lists projects like Batang Foz, Super Ma’am, The Third Party, and Ang Henerasyong Sumuko Sa Love as part of his resume. Limited Edition came at a very opportune time, he said. Being cast in this Boys Love series along with other newbies Ron Angeles, and Jomari Angeles has opened many doors for him. “I’m just really glad that I was given this chance to showcase my talent as an actor. It’s every actor’s dream to be part of a project and see their names as part of the lead cast. I’ve done so many projects on television and in movies and getting those roles was not easy,” he shared. Andrew believes that Limited Edition is his springboard to stardom and he wouldn’t mind doing another BL project and go daring if the script calls for it. “I’m always drawn to projects with great stories. So, if I need to show skin for a project as long as the story is good and going daring is justifiable, then I’m all for it. Coco Martin and other big names in showbiz now did it before so who am I to say no to those kinds of projects,” the actor who is now managed by talent manager Leo Dominguez said. Andrew did not just mention the name of Coco Martin in passing, in fact, he was vocal that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of the Ang Probinsyano star. “My big dream is to make it big in showbiz. I know the feeling of being rejected for a role, waiting in line just for an audition, basically all the struggles of people who want to enter showbiz. When I become a big star, I would like to help struggling actors because I know the feeling. I know the feeling of being in their shoes,” Andrew ended. Story by Bernard Umali, screenplay written by John Fontanos, Limited Edition was produced by world-famous

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

Up-and-coming actor Andrew Gan

GUNNING FOR STARDOM

OST A-list stars in showbiz started their career playing bit roles. They were once struggling actors trying to make it in the business.

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

The mission to rescue a young Thai football team who had become trapped in a cave captivated the world.

But the film focuses mainly on the personalities and backstories of the rescue’s unlikely heroes. The rag-tag group of middle-aged hobbyists’ unique skillsets and homemade equipment enabled them to reach sections of the cave that military divers could not begin to fathom. AFP, Read full story on manilastandard.net

WORKING with family members can be trying at times, especially when it comes to public service. But for brothers Herbert and Hero Bautista, carrying on their father’s legacy serves as a guiding light for both. “Our father was our inspiration. He was the reason why we entered public service,” Hero shared. Both entered public service at a young age, with Herbert becoming the president of the Kabataang Baranggay National Federation in 1986, and Hero being one of the council members. In later years, Hero devoted his time to running the family business while Herbert continued to make strides in the political field. However, the call to serve the public remained. For Hero, this led to the creation of the Batang QC Foundation in 2004 and has been continuously helping kids go to school through this foundation. Apart from that, he is also an active member of YMCA of Quezon City, the Rotary Club of Cubao West, the Knights of Columbus, and the Quezon City Capitol Jaycees, among others. Despite being executives in their own rights, both brothers see to it that their staff and employees can easily approach them. “We always treat our employees and staff as family. That was how we were raised by our parents – we learned love and God is always the first,” Herbert said.

This solidarity between the officials and their respective staff allows their offices to quickly address any constituent concerns that are brought to them. The brothers were able to team up once again when Hero became councilor of the 4th District of Quezon City during the term of Herbert as mayor. Herbert served as the experienced mentor who helped his younger brother navigate the waters of local politics. Meanwhile, Hero was the fiery newcomer who was ready to help his constituents but needed some guidance in the new playing field. One of their crowning achievements as brothers is the passage of a local ordinance establishing the Quezon City Scholarship Program for Specialized Courses. Authored by Hero who is a staunch proponent of education for all, and signed by Herbert during his term as mayor, the ordinance expands Quezon City’s scholarship program to include specialized courses such as international studies, environmental science, social work and community development, and other courses. Herbert served as mayor for three consecutive terms while Hero is currently an incumbent councilor. Hero continues to find ways to serve his constituents, especially now with the COVID-19 pandemic severely affecting the livelihood of Filipinos.

Knowledge Channel returns to digital TV

Knowledge Channel has allowed learners in over 7 million households to continue learning from home during the pandemic.

KNOWLEDGE Channel returned to digital TV on World Teacher’s Day on Oct. 5 via its partnership with the broadcast company BEAM. The iconic educational programs of Knowledge Channel are now available again in Mega Manila, Baguio, Naga, Metro Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, and Zamboanga to aid young Filipinos in their distance learning education this pandemic. Viewers can access Knowledge Channel via BEAM DTT by simply doing a channel rescan on any digital TV box. Dubbed as the “biggest classroom on-air,” ETV-pioneer Knowledge Channel now reaches over 10 million Pinoy households, providing them over 1,500 video lessons from Kinder to Grade

10 and the Alternative Learning System and programs hosted by media personalities such as Robi Domingo, Enchong Dee, and MayMay Entrata, and online educators Lyqa Maravilla and Peter Esperanza through digital, cable, and direct-to-home satellite TV. Knowledge Channel continues to bring quality learning to every Filipino child this school year 2021–2022. Educational shows are available daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Knowledge Channel on digital, cable, and direct-to-home satellite TV. Meanwhile, video lessons for Grades 1 to 6 are also airing via A2Z weekdays from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m.. Preschoolers and their parents

can also enjoy viewing Knowledge Channel’s educational shows, available for free on theAsianparent Philippines app. Students and teachers can also join School at Home’s array of interactive online programs on Kumu’s SeenZone channel and Knowledge Channel’s Facebook Page, weekdays at 11:00 a.m. The weekly lineup includes Wikaharian Online World every Monday, Team Lyqa every Tuesday, Knowledge on the Go and MathDali’s Math Talks every Wednesday, Money Lessons with FQ Mom and Sons every Thursday, and Art Smart with Teacher Precious every Friday. Through its Stay at Home, Learn at Home campaign launched last year, Knowledge Channel has allowed

learners in over seven million households to continue learning from home during the pandemic despite the cancellation of face-to-face classes via ABS-CBN TVplus, SKYdirect, and SKYcable. It then shifted to its “School at Home” campaign to continue delivering its educational programs online as the non-renewal of ABSCBN’s franchise and cease-anddesist order issued to TVplus and SKYdirect narrowed down its reach. These online efforts garnered various milestones, including a 150,000 follower mark on Facebook and a Silver Button award from YouTube, and the Outstanding CSR Project in Education award in the 2021 League of Corporate Foundations CSR Guild Awards.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Editor

manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

WHAT DO GILLIAN ANDERSON AND

URSULA CORBERO

HAVE IN COMMON

Spanish actress and model Ursula Corbero

By Monica Sanchez

SIDE from the very obvious answer that they star in hit television series and are both wonderful actresses, they also seem to have the same taste in handbags. American actress Gillian Anderson and Spanish star Ursula Corbero, along with other celebrities and personalities from different parts of the globe are featured in a campaign shot by German fine art and fashion photographer Juergen Teller. The cast represents the “Amazonas of today”, individuals of different cultures and identities drawing a kaleidoscope of humanity that reflects Loewe’s Amazona bag’s prismatic identity. What is Amazona The Amazona was launched in 1975 when women were beginning to gain more equality and independence in the workplace. Inspired by the spirit of the time, the bag’s hand-held style was designed to hold everything needed over the course of a day. Coinciding with Loewe’s 175th anniversary, the Amazona has been reimagined and presented as part of the fall/winter 2021 runway collection. Three new shapes feature in the campaign: the Amazona 19 Square, the Amazona

28, and the upcoming Amazona 23 for spring/summer 2022. Each is available in nappa calfskin and features the house’s signature Anagram jacquard, with a fully functional padlock sealing the style. Who are the ‘Amazonas’ Capturing the spirit of the moment and of the very inspiration of the 40-plusyear-old line are empowered individuals who are helping shape the industry they are in. Anderson, who first achieved international recognition as Dana Scully on “X-Files”, recently received an Emmy, a SAG Award, a Critic’s Choice Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the royal drama “The Crown”. She also stars as a sex therapist in another Netflix hit, “Sex Education”. Prior to becoming internationally popular for appearing in TV series “La Casa de Papel” (“Money Heist”) as Tokyo, Corbero also starred in films “Tree of Blood” and “Snake Eyes: G.I.

British artist Anthea Hamilton

Award-winning television actress Gillian Anderson

Joe Origins”, and TV series “Fisica o quimica” and “Isabel”. Also part of the Teller-shot campaign are American award-winning singer, writer, painter, and performance artist Justin Vivian Bond; actress and model Jamie Clayton; Venezuelan musician, singer, composer, record producer, and DJ Arca (Alejandra Ghersi); Pattern Beauty chief executive and “Blackish” star Tracee Ellis Ross; Turner Prize-nominated British artist Anthea

Hamilton; South Korean singer HyunA; American author and teacher Susanna Moore; Chinese model Liu Wen; and British actor Nabhaan Rizwan of BBC’s “Informer”. The portraits were shot in London,

Seoul, New York, Los Angeles, Altadena, Barcelona, Madrid, Shanghai, and France. Loewe is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and located at Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing.

LOOK! Discounted beauty products and other surprises

From left: South Korean singer HyunA, British actor Nabhaan Rizwan, and American actress and model Jamie Clayton carrying Loewe’s reimagined Amazona bag.

Uniqlo Manila unveils new collections on 3rd anniversary celebration THE Philippine flagship store of global apparel retailer Uniqlo marks its third year with updated outlet designs, new collections, and exclusive offers. “Uniqlo Manila global flagship store showcases the full-range collection of LifeWear and informative and interactive store designs that will provide Filipinos a unique and enjoyable shopping experience,” Masayoshi Nakamura, chief operating officer of Uniqlo Philippines, said in a statement. New collections launched on Oct. 1 and 4 included LifeWear 2021 fall/winter, UT featuring anime and manga series Jujutsu Kaisen, Musée du Louvre UT Collection 2021 fall/winter, and Uniqlo x Theory 2021 fall/winter. Pieces from the

aforementioned collection are now available at Uniqlo Manila in Makati. In addition to new pieces on racks and shelves, installations are mounted on each floor of the store to convey the appeal of LifeWear, the retailer’s high-quality everyday wear line. At the first floor entrance, customers are welcomed by the LifeWear 2021 fall/winter installation featuring the newest styles from Uniqlo and key stories from the LifeWear magazine. The men’s section is refreshed with a feature on Jeans Innovation Center and a display about Uniqlo Masterpiece. There is also an installation conveying the functionality of AIRism. On the second floor, shoppers can see the sustainability area

highlighting the Power of Clothing through local initiatives, an updated wall design in line with the new UT collections, and an exhibit of the local UTme! collaboration with Manix Abrera. According to Uniqlo, Abrera, known for Kikomachine comics, captures the concept of “Neighborhood Living” in his designs. The UTme! collection allows customers to create their own one-of-a-kind T-shirt using photos, text, and stickers they can choose instore. Uniqlo Manila has an ongoing promo until Oct. 7 on select LifeWear pieces for men’s, women’s, and kids. Shoppers with at least P3,000 worth of purchase will get a free gift from Uniqlo and its community partners.

Pieces from Uniqlo x Theory 2021 fall/winter and Musée du Louvre UT Collection 2021 fall/winter are now available at Uniqlo’s global flagship store in Makati.

The multi-concept beauty store offers customers an immersive retail experience with health and safety protocols in place.

A PREMIER beauty destination that has brought beloved brands and hardto-find products under one roof is celebrating its first anniversary this October. LOOK, Watsons’ prestige beauty retailer at SM Aura Premier, marks its first birthday with lots of deals and surprises for shoppers looking for their favorite skin care and makeup from The Ordinary, CeraVe, ColourPop, Glossier, Charlotte Tilbury, Botanist, Shiseido, Nars, Laura Mercier, L’Oreal, Benefit, Laneige, Jumiso, Klavuu, Son & Park, YSL, Shu Uemura, Paula’s Choice, SKII, Gucci, and more. More than a beauty destination, LOOK offers an immersive retail experience with health and safety protocols in place. It houses over 150 brands and thousands of products, features seamless integration of its e-commerce platform to the brickand-mortar store, and has areas where

LOOK houses over 150 skincare and makeup brands, including cultfavorite and hard-to-find products.

Watsons’ prestige beauty brand LOOK celebrates its first anniversary this October with discounts and other deals.

beauty experts can hold tutorials and demonstrations. Shoppers also get free Nespresso coffee during their visit. Members, called LOOK Listers, of the store’s membership program get to enjoy more perks and rewards such as a welcome voucher of P300 (with minimum purchase of P3,000), birthday treat, free samples, and exclusive offers and invites to events. High spenders can also get a virtual personal shopper and store credit of up to P2,000. Customers may opt to shop in store located on the upper ground floor of SM Aura, or online at lookatme.com. ph or via the LOOK mobile app.