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MARCOS JR., 9 OTHER PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS ON FINAL BALLOT Cebu, Negros cities cancel classes NEWS / A4

VOL. XXXV • NO. 338 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 •WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

CITIES in Central Visayas have suspended their classes due to the rise in COVID-19 cases there, the regional Department of Education office said on Tuesday. Cebu City, Talisay City, and Carcar City in Cebu and Bais City in Negros Oriental have asked for a health break, DepEd Region 7 said. DepEd regional

director Salustiano Jimenez said the local chief executives and the division superintendents coordinated with them for the suspension. Cebu City will suspend classes from Jan. 17 to 30, followed by Talisay City (Jan. 19 to 28), Carcar City (Jan. 24 to 31), and Bais City (Jan. 16 to 31). Next page

Reported cases ‘understated’

DOH official admits low count as sharp spikes sweep across regions By Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz

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HE number of COVID-19 infections in the country is “understated” even as spikes in new cases are being registered in all regions, the director of the Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau said Tuesday. At a congressional briefing, Dr. Alethea de Guzman said anyone who has not been tested using an RT-PCR or antigen test is not included in the DOH data, even though they might be infected. De Guzman said those who are unknowingly infected are also not included in the DOH list of confirmed cases because they go undetected. Speaking to the House committee on health, De Guzman said all regions of the country were now experiencing sharp increases in infections. “We have now observed an increase in cases across all regions and all provinces, highly-urbanized cities and independent component cities but there are still areas whose counts are lower than what we are Next page

HOUSE TO HOUSE. Health workers sweat it out in the midmorning sun as they conduct house-to-house antigen testing to residents of West Rembo in Makati City on Tuesday. The activity is part of the COVID-19 response program of Office of the Vice President (inset photo). Norman Cruz

DOLE says unvaxxed workers exempt from no vax, no ride policy By Rey E. Requejo

At a press briefing, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said workers render WORKERS are exempted from a ban “essential services” without which busion unvaccinated people using public ness could not operate. “They are exempted from the ‘no transport in Metro Manila, the Labor vax, no ride’ police. That’s very clear,” Department said Tuesday.

Bello said. “That is very clear,” he continued in Filipino. “If you stop them, how can our businesses operate? If there are no businesses, there is no economy.” The “no jab, no ride” policy took effect

Monday, days after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to arrest the unvaccinated who went outside their homes. The Department of Trade and Industry initially estimated that 100,000 to Next page

House suspends session as staff, execs get virus

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28,471

284,458

52,962

34

2,933,338 34,892 (As of 4 PM, January 18)

By Maricel V. Cruz, Joel E. Zurbano, Rio N. Araja and Willie Casas THE surge of the new COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila has prompted the leadership of the House of Representatives to suspend its sessions up to Jan. 24. Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said Tuesday the session that resumed on Monday had to be suspended again because of the reported infection of tens of members of the staff and officials of the chamber. “We have decided to suspend the plenary sessions for the rest of the

3,270,758

Rody expands F2F classes in Alert Levels 1, 2 NABBED WITH FAKE VAX CARD. Julieta Mabion (left) bows her head as she is booked by Police Staff Sargeant Richard Domingo of the Dasmariñas City Police after being caught via an entrapment operation with a fake vaccine card, a fake vaccination certificate, marked money and a cellphone on Monday night. The Interior Department has warned the public against so-called “COVID-19 vaccination exemption cards” (sample inset) that are being used to excuse the unvaccinated from stay-at-home orders. JR Josue

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, made this remark after testing czar Vince Dizon announced the pilot rollout of COVID-19 vaccination in select pharmacies and clinics from January 20 to 21. “Pre-registration is required). So that way, we can manage the flow of those showing up at drugstores and private

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Department of Education (DepEd) to expand limited face-to-face (F2F) classes in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2 by February, Malacañang said Tuesday. This, after Education Secretary Leonor Briones proposed the “progressive expansion” of in-person classes in areas under Alert Levels 1 and 2 following the positive outcome of the pilot run from Nov. 15 to Dec. 22, 2021. Schools in areas under Alert Level 3, such as Metro Manila, will not be included in the expansion phase due to a surge of COVID-19 infection in these areas.

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7 drugstores to roll out ‘Resbakuna sa Botika’ By Willie Casas and Maricel V. Cruz TO PREVENT crowding in pharmacies set to administer COVID-19 jabs to the public, Malacañang said Tuesday expected vaccine recipients would have to pre-register before arriving at participating drugstores. Acting presidential spokesperson,

China still rejects PH arbitral win amid offer to settle row amicably By Rey E. Requejo WAITING THEIR TURN. People form a long line to get their COVID-19 vaccines and

booster shots outside a vaccination site at the Double Dragon Plaza in Pasay City on Tuesday. Norman Cruz

CHINA on Monday again rejected the 2016 decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated its expansive claims over the South China Sea and that

upheld the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. At the 5th Manila Forum for ChinaPhilippines Relations, the vice chairman for the foreign affairs committee of China’s 13th National People’s Congress Fu

Ying said China’s decision over the longstanding sea dispute was to respect the pending border disputes with many developing countries and to try to find peaceful solutions with their “friendly neighbors.” Next page

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DA OKs import of 60k tons of fish By Othel V. Campos

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HE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) estimated the country’s fish deficit to hit 119,000 metric tons (MT) in the first quarter of 2022.

tor to close gaps in fish production and sustainably improve our catch,” he added. The DA also foresees spikes in fisheries and aquaculture input costs, as global prices of petroleum and fish feed inch upwards. “We are, as always, striking the crucial balance to ensure fish security among consumers while coming to the aid of our fish producers,” Dar said. He explained that the CNI is seen as a means to stem the high prices of fish in the local wet markets and even in groceries and supermarkets.

To help the subsector, the DA has allotted P 50 million from the P 1 billion Quick Response Fund for post-Odette recovery effort. The fund was allocated for the distribution of marine diesel/gasoline engines, fabrication of durable fiberglass fishing boats, and the distribution of fisheries relief goods such as canned tuna, sardines, and frozen fish. The amount added to the P35 million worth of fisheries interventions already distributed in the most affected region.

even as the growth rate of infections has slowed down. Duque said the Omicron variant already accounts for 90 percent of the latest genome sequencing. Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said there has been an increase in hospital admissions in the NCR as well. Some 32 out of 159 NCR hospitals do not meet the required COVID-19 capacity allocation, 42 hospitals have high-risk bed utilization, and 29 hospitals have high-risk ICU utilization, Vergeire said. She said occupied beds decreased by 219 while occupied ICU beds increased by 67 compared to the previous week. “We have the DOH One Hospital Command Center and they will refer, help navigate patients who visited hospitals that are already full,” the spokesperson said. Vergeire said 75 percent of the cases reported in January were mild to moderate, 13 percent were asymptomatic, and 12 percent were severe or critical. “Mild cases are reminded to remain at home. Home isolation or quarantine will significantly reduce the burden on health care workers and facilities,” she said. The DOH has also called on local government units to activate telemedicine services, prepare isolation facilities, and monitor probable and confirmed cases. The Philippines logged 28,471 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 3,270,758. The positivity rate was at 43.4 percent, based on samples of 51,738 people tested on Jan. 16. There were 34 new fatalities reported, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 52,962.

The DOH also reported 34,892 new recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 2,933,338. There were 284,458 active cases, of which 8,930 were asymptomatic; 270,784 were mild; 2,957 were moderate; 1,484 were severe; and 303 were critical. Nationwide, 49 percent of ICU beds, 49 percent of isolation beds, 53 of ward beds, and 22 percent of ventilators, were in use. In Metro Manila, 53 percent of ICU beds, 48 percent of isolation beds, 63 of ward beds, and 29 percent of ventilators, were in use. Vergeire said it was too early to say that the number of new COVID-19 infections in the NCR is on a decline, contrary to the claim of the independent OCTA Research Group. She said the difference in daily data may be subject to some variables, like submissions of laboratories. “If we look at the data, we see that there is a slight decrease in the transmission. Our case doubling time was just two days when the Omicron situation started,” she said. The current case doubling time in the NCR is now four days. On the other hand, Vergeire said the fresh cases reported daily are still high, which means continuous caution and interventions are still needed to prevent the rise in cases. “So, it is still very early to say and conclude that cases are declining already,” she added. The NCR logged 13,543 cases on Monday -- lower than Sunday’s 15,959 and Saturday’s 18,422. OCTA said Monday that while the growth rate in the NCR has dropped, Metro Manila was still at a “very high risk” of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Nograles clarified that Resbakuna sa mga Botika would initially cater to recipients of booster shots only. He assured that the pilot implementation of the program would be adjusted accordingly. “We will tweak and perfect it accordingly, depending on learnings we have while we are piloting the Bakuna sa Botika,” he added. According to the Department of Health, fully vaccinated individuals are allowed to receive their booster shots at least three months after the second dose of a primary-two dose vaccine or at least two months after the primary single-dose vaccine is given. AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, Sinovac, or Sputnik are two-dose vaccines while Janssen is the sole single-dose vaccine currently approved for use in the country. Eleven manufacturers of self-administered antigen test kits have applied to the Food and Drug Administration for approval, the Department of Health said Tuesday.

More benefits given to HCWs —Health dept. By Maricel V. Cruz and Willie Casas MORE benefits have been released for health care workers, the Department of Health said Tuesday, as the House of Representatives Committee on Health, chaired by Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, received a briefing from various experts on the country’s latest COVID-19 situation. DoH Assistant Secretary Maylene Beltran, in her updates on the health care workers (HCWs) benefits, revealed that a total of P16.188 million was released as of last week, while P7.98 million Special Risk allowance (SRA) was disbursed for 496,314 HCWs. “More than P401 million was disbursed for meals, accommodation, and transportation (MAT) allowance for 106,115 HCWs,” Beltran said. Tan said the briefing seeks to ensure that the public will be armed with accurate information regarding the peak and projection of cases. Key officials from the DOH, the National Task Force Against COVID-19, and other stakeholders led the briefing. Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center Chair Myrna Cabotaje reported that as of January 17, 2022, a total of 118,944,889 doses were already administered covering 100.34 percent of the A1 priority group or the workers in the frontline health services with at least one dose and 91.96 percent of those fully vaccinated. Lagging behind in the vaccine coverage was the A3 group or pregnant individuals with only 19.49 percent of those with at least one dose and 12.15 percent of those fully vaccinated; while 22.75 percent of the Pediatric A3 or 12 to 17 years old with comorbidities with at least one dose and 15.57 percent of those fully vaccinated were covered. Overall, the coverage of individuals with at least one dose is at 81.59 percent and 70.54 percent of those fully vaccinated.

To plug the shortfall, Agriculture Secretary William Dar signed Monday the Certificate of Necessity to Import (CNI) 60,000 MT of small pelagic fish. Dar reported massive damages sus-

tained by the fisheries sub-sector from Typhoon Odette amounting to almost P4 billion, which added to reduced fish production due to the closed fishing season. “We are bolstering the aquaculture sec-

DOLE... From A1

Reported... From A1

200,000 workers would be affected by COVID-19 restrictions, Bello said, but noted that 11,500 workers have already lost their jobs because they were retrenched or their companies closed down. Some 20,000 other workers are earning less because of shortened work hours or arrangements to reduce working days, he added. According to Department of Transportation Undersecretary for Railways TJ Batan, a total of 1,749 commuters attempted to take Metro Manila’s rail lines without showing proof of their vaccination. About 1,204 were recorded at the MRT-3, 401 at LRT-1, 136 at LRT-2, and eight at the Philippine National Railways, he added. Enforcers from the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) also said 160 passengers were barred during the first day of implementation of the policy, aside from other violations such as excess passengers, obstruction, inspection report summons, and overloading. Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) warned the public against so-called “COVID-19 vaccination exemption cards” that can allegedly be used to excuse the unvaccinated from stay-at-home orders. “The public is warned that there is no such thing as a ‘vaccination exemption card.’ This is not authorized, issued, nor recognized by the government. In other words, these are fake,” DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said in a news release. He said according to reports received by the DILG, the “exemption cards” which supposedly originated in Facebook groups and group chats in Regions 11 and 12 can allegedly be registered to local government units (LGUs) and are supposedly recognized by local authorities in lieu of COVID-19 vaccination cards. Malaya said the government will never issue nor recognize such cards because this runs counter to the government’s national vaccination program to inoculate the majority of the populace to achieve population protection. He expressed dismay that some people will resort to such gimmicks and disinformation so that they will be exempted from vaccination and even dupe others into believing that they can be exempted from vaccination. The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, said it continued to defer making arrests on the second day of the implementation of the “no jab, no ride” policy in Metro Manila. “No arrests will be effected except for specific violations of law that au-

seeing now in the NCR Plus. But we’re already seeing continuous and swift increases,” De Guzman said. She said the increase in cases was driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. De Guzman said 15 areas in Metro Manila already have Omicron cases, but did not specify which areas these are. “Our latest whole genome sequencing showed that the Omicron variant is now the predominant variant in the National Capital Region,” the official said. “It’s also detected in 13 of 17 regions and in the National Capital Region, 15 of its 17 areas already have local Omicron cases,” she said. However, the increased mobility and reduced adherence to minimum public health standards as well as delays in detection and isolation also contributed to the spike in infections, she said. De Guzman said the increase alone in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces, or the NCR Plus, is larger than the peak that was observed in September 2021 brought about by the Delta coronavirus variant. Still, hospitalization as well as severe and critical cases were fewer than what were observed in August to September last year. De Guzman said the recorded increase of cases for January 2022 was the “fastest and largest case increase since the start of the pandemic.” She also said that while the increase has slowed down, they do not yet see any decline in cases. Earlier, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Philippines remains at critical risk for COVID-19

clinics that are participating in this pilot implementation,” Nograles said in a Palace press briefing. Meanwhile, the Department of Health has ramped up the COVID-19 vaccination in regions with slow operations in preparation for a possible surge caused by the more transmissible Omicron variant. During a radio interview, Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said the agency was anticipating a similar experience with the Delta variant, wherein cases in other regions surged two to three weeks after the increase in Metro Manila. “We are currently ramping up vaccination, especially identifying areas that are somewhat slow in their inoculation operations,” she said. “We are anticipating a similar experience with Delta. Cases in NCR increased first but after two to three weeks, case surge in other regions fol-

lowed,” she said. Vergeire said cases in other regions have started to increase. Dubbed “Resbakuna sa mga Botika,” Dizon said the program would start with seven participating drugstores. Dizon said they talked to Mercury Drug, Watsons, Rose Pharmacy, Southstar Drug, Generika, and clinics like Healthway and QualiMed. Nograles said each of the seven participating drugstores/clinics would be provided with an initial 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccines per week or a total of 3,500 doses. “If it’s 500 [doses] per week, per botika times seven, that is our allocation for that week. So, seven times 500 – 3,500 [doses],” he said. Nograles also noted that participating drugstores and clinics would be implementing this vaccination drive in coordination with local government units. “The responsibility of registration and documentation lies within LGUs while pharmacies will oversee administration,” he added.

Rody... From A1

would only be allowed with concurrence of local government units and consent of parents and other stakeholders. “It will be the DepEd and the [Department of Health] combined that will be assessing the expansion of pilot implementation of face-to-face classes,” he added. During Duterte’s prerecorded Talk to the People aired Monday night, Briones

described the pilot run of limited F2F classes as “highly successful,” noting that there was a high level of attendance among students. She said a total of 287 schools and 15,000 students participated in the pilot run. There were no confirmed COVID-19 cases among the participants of the pilot implementation. For the expanded phase, Briones said

she has recommended that only vaccinated teachers and non-teaching personnel will be allowed to participate. Meanwhile, she also recommended that vaccinated students will be preferred to participate during the expansion phase. Last month, Duterte said he was pleased with the “gradual” rollout of pilot limited face-to-face classes.

week because of the continuing surge in COVID-19 cases in almost every corner of the metropolis, and the House of Representatives is no exception,” Velasco said in a statement. “We arrived at such decision to control the spread of the fast-moving coronavirus that has also affected our members and staff,” he added. Since the start of the year, the House chief said more than 70 House members and employees had contracted the virus and many others were undergoing quarantine or self-isolation after exhibiting symptoms or having close contact with people who tested positive for COVID-19. “Despite this, we continue to fulfill our constitutional duty of enacting laws that promote the interests and welfare of our people, while taking restrictive yet necessary measures to create a safe environment for House members and employees,” Velasco said Granular lockdown Some 540 areas across the country have been placed under granular lockdown as the country continues to grapple with a surge in coronavirus disease 2019 cases, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said Monday night. Año, meanwhile, reported that personnel of the DILG and its attached agencies, including him, were not spared from the surge in infections. As of Monday, Año said the Philippine National Police had the greatest number of COVID-19 active infections with 4,015, followed by the Bureau of Fire Protection with 471 and the DILG central and regional offices with 98 cases.

ing, he said. Jimenez disclosed that three teachers, five non-teaching personnel, and a student contracted COVID-19 in the region as of Tuesday. Since the pandemic began, 2,000 students, faculty and school staff members have recovered from the coronavirus. The Health department, meanwhile, confirmed 22 cases of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant in the region. On Monday, DOH data showed that Central Visayas logged 1,101 new coronavirus cases, bringing its total number of infections to 6,686.

China... From A1

Fu, who also served as China’s vice foreign minister and former ambassador to the Philippines, said “China cannot accept the South China Sea Arbitration because it’s not fair.” “The Law of the Sea did not give countries the right to decide the territory. The Law of the Sea is about maritime rights. The Law of the Sea does not give any country the power or the right to impose on others. So, China does not want to accept the unfair conclusion of the arbitration,” the Chinese official added. Fu said the friction in Philippines-China relations was “mostly caused by the differ-

ences and disputes concerning the islands and shores in the South China Sea,” which she tagged as a “difficult issue.” With China’s history of “many outstanding, unresolved border and territory disputes,” China never renounced its sovereign rights and its interest, the Chinese diplomat said. “And it cannot renounce it now. Its position is unshakable,” she said. Nonetheless, Fu said China is “determined to resort to peaceful means” to manage the differences with its neighbors, “especially with the Philippines, which is an understanding and friendly country.”

“The President has no objection to the recommendation,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, acting presidential spokesperson, said in a Palace press briefing. Nograles, however, said F2F classes

Cebu... From A1 “If the suspension is not more than two weeks but still within the allowable required number of school days in a school year, it is fine. But if it goes beyond, the division shall prepare a scheme to either extend the year-end or makeup classes,” said Jimenez. Most of the schools affected in these areas have been adapting to the modular and blended type of learn-

7Fromdrugstores... A1

Despite China’s talk of peaceful solutions, Beijing has expanded its hold over the disputed waters of the South China Sea by flexing its military muscle and harassing Filipino fishing vessels in areas claimed by the Philippines. Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy on Tuesday said its purchase of Indianmade cruise missiles would enhance its ability to defend the country’s vast maritime borders.

Booster recipients only

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Disaster dept. bill might not be OKd S ENATE President Vicente Sotto III said a bill creating a Department of Disaster Resilience might not be passed during the 18th Congress.

Sotto on Tuesday said the interpellation for the proposed department will most likely be “intense” and that there might not be enough time for it to be tackled by lawmakers. He said the next Congress “might pick it up.” Lawmakers at the House of Representatives have already passed a version of the bill in 2020, but it remains pending in the Senate. Some senators earlier expressed opposition to the proposal due to a lack of funding. Proponents see the need for the new department, citing the recent super typhoon which devastated many regions. In a related development, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri has filed Senate Bill No. 2487 or the Paglaum

Fund of 2022, which appropriates P20 billion for the rehabilitation of provinces affected by Typhoon Odette. “We were in Visayas and Mindanao recently, and we saw just how bad the situation really is on the ground,” Zubiri said. “Everything’s been flattened down, especially in places like Dinagat and Siargao. Homes and livelihoods have been wiped out. So we really need a substantial budget to help affected provinces rebuild and recover from the typhoon.” Zubiri was in Visayas and Mindanao before Christmas and just after New Year, visiting affected provinces and delivering rice, groceries, water, tents, and face masks to Odette survivors. Amid his relief operations, he was also

able to speak with local government officials regarding their next steps forward, with regard to recovery and rehabilitation. “Talking to local officials, we determined that we need at least P20 billion to begin rebuilding affected areas across Visayas and Mindanao,” he said. “It’s a large amount, and I expect we will run into some budgetary concerns, but we’re really hoping the executive finds it to be a fair assessment of what our affected provinces need, given how massive the damage has been.” As of 14 January 2022, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has reported that over 2.2 million families have been affected by Typhoon Odette, with infrastructural damage amounting to P17.7 billion, and agricultural damage amounting to P11.5 billion. Under the Paglaum Fund bill, the NDRRMC will be tasked to create a

Rehabilitation Plan for the Department of Budget and Management, identifying specific infrastructure projects for rehabilitation or reconstruction. In conjunction with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units, the plan will also provide necessary intervention for affected families, with direct financial subsidies for families or individuals whose homes were damaged by the typhoon. “Having talked to Odette survivors face to face, and having seen the absolute devastation of their homes and their communities, we really specified the need for direct financial subsidies in the Paglaum Fund bill.” “So I hope my colleagues can help me pass this bill and ensure that our people will get the support they need in order to recover from Odette as soon as possible,” he further said. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

BuCor confirms fourth escapee in New Bilibid THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Tuesday confirmed that another inmate escaped from the New Bilibid Prison’s maximum security compound. The BuCor said the inmate has been identified. He is said to be the fourth escapee during a jailbreak incident reported on Monday. BuCor spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag, quoted by reports, said BuCor has named a certain “Chris Candas Ablas” as the fourth escapee. Chaclag said Ablas has been convicted of robbery with homicide. Ablas was first reported missing, before BuCor confirmed that he was, indeed, one of the escapees. Chaclag said out of the four inmates who escaped, two were killed in a shootout. Ablas and a certain Drakilou Falcon, are still at large, BuCor said. The New Bilibid maximum security prison compound has been under lockdown while authorities are conducting a probe and recovery of the incident, Chaclag said. PMGEN Vicente Danao, Jr., director of the National Capital Region Police Office has reportedly ordered a regionwide manhunt for the two escaped convicts. Danao, in a statement, said all police units have been alerted and have been ordered to assist in the apprehension of the escapees. He also warned the public to be “alert and vigilant” in the aftermath of the incident.

TRAFFIC BUILD-UP. Traffic is seen building up at the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City on Jan. 18. The Metro Manila Development Authority closed the southbound lane for 60 days to give way for the Department of Public Works and Highways to conduct drainage works (inset). The closure is expected to affect hundreds of trucks plying Roxas Boulevard to travel to South Manila. Norman Cruz

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Rody wants bigger statue of Lapulapu in Mactan By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he wants a bigger statue of Filipino hero Lapulapu in Cebu than colonizer Ferdinand Magellan. In his public address, the Chief Executive said he is uncomfortable to see the statue of the native chieftain who killed the foreign colonizer smaller than the latter. “I am not belittling Magellan...I do not mean to offend the sensibility of Cebuanos. I’m just a citizen of this country expressing my opinion. When I was campaigning for the presidency, I went to Cebu and there was this statue of Magellan and Lapulapu. Magellan’s statue is bigger than Lapulapu. I don’t know about the Cebuanos, but I am very uncomfortable to say that the statue of Lapulapu is smaller than Magellan,” Duterte said. Duterte wanted to ensure at the tail end of his term, it’s for Philippine hero Lapulapu to be the more revered figure locally especially when compared to Magella, who was a Portuguese. The statue of Lapulapu and Magellan Shrine are situated a short distance from each other, where the historic Battle of Mactan was believed to have taken place in 1521. He asked Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles to contact the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) so it may “look into the situation”. “Note it there, Karlo. Somebody from the Historical Commission, you just tell them that the president has requested you to go there and try to look at the situation without offending the inhabitants there,” the chief executive said. Nograles said a bigger statute of Lapulapu was already unveiled. But Duterte didn’t seem satisfied with this and still wanted the NHCP to give Lapulapu a “higher honor.”

COVID cases PAGASA: Colder days in Metro Manila until March in PNP ranks reach 45,000 THE temperature in Metro Manila dipped to a new record low since the onset of the northeast monsoon or amihan and may even fall further until the end of this weather system by around late March. The temperature dipped to 19°C at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, lower than the 19.7°C record low on January 16 this year as amihan is surging, Philippine Atmo-

spheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Ana Clauren said. “It’s possible for Metro Manila to experience even lower temperatures during forthcoming amihan surges,” she said. Clauren said such surges can be expected as northeast monsoon is already beginning to peak.

According to PAGASA, the annual amihan starts over Siberia as cold, dry air mass that gathers moisture while traveling across the Pacific Ocean. On Tuesday, the state weather bureau said amihan is affecting Metro Manila and other parts of the country. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rain are possible due to amihan, it said.

QC gov’t preps vax drive for minors By Rio N. Araja

NO BUS RIDE FOR THE UNVACCINATED. Authorities prevent unvaccinated passengers from riding the bus plying the Quezon Avenue route along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City during the second day of the government’s “No Vaccine No Ride” policy in Metro Manila. Unvaccinated commuters were assisted to get their vaccines at the Quezon Memorial Circle on the same day. Manny Palmero

THE Quezon City government is ready to vaccinate children aged five to 11 years old against COVID-19 once the go signal is given in February. Dr. Maria Lourdes Eleria, coordinator of QC Task Force Vax to Normal, said the city government is closely working with barangays, and both public and private schools to consolidate a master list of all children residing in the city from the ages of 5 to 11 years old. “We are now synchronizing the list of children enrolled in our schools and those included in the census of our barangays so we can identify the number of children eligible for this round of pediatric vaccinations,” she said. She clarified that the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and the Department of Health have yet to issue additional guidelines to aid the city toward properly imple-

menting the vaccination program. “We need to abide by the guidelines of the national government especially concerning issues such as the number of doses, requirements on eligible vaccination sites, protocols in administering the vaccines, and other special instructions for the safe implementation of the vaccine program for this younger population,” she added. The Food and Drug Administration has already approved the emergency use authorization of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for 5-11-year-old children. The city government is also preparing its online registration system wherein parents can sign up their children for vaccination at the time and place of their choice. The online registration shall be posted on the website of the QCVa Easy Portal (www.qceservices.quezoncity.gov.ph/qcvaxeasy) once available.

AT least 45,000 police officers and men have been infected with COVID-19, with 125 of them losing their lives since the onslaught of the pandemic. This was revealed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Retirees Association party-list, citing data from the PNP Health Service. The co-founders of PRAI party-list -- Gen. Reynaldo Velasco, Gen. Leo Napenas, and Gen. Van Luspo -- lauded some 250,000 police officers and men in active service for doing their share in enforcing health protocols to help contain the spread of the virus despite being exposed to COVID-19 in various areas of their places of their assignments in the Philippines. The policemen have not been spared by the dreaded disease as 125 officers and men have succumbed to the virus, the PRAI co-founders said. As of last week, the PNP Health Service reported that a total of 45,028 policemen have been infected with COVID-19, reports reaching Gen. Velasco stated. “It’s good that with vigilance and proper case, a total of 41,422 or 98.9 percent have recovered,” Gen. Velasco said, quoting reports from the PNP Health Service. So far, there are only 336 active cases of Covid-19 infections among police officers and men, the PNP Health Service stated in its latest bulletin.

Taguig sets up booths, shuttle for vax checkpoints By Joel. E. Zurbano THE Taguig City government has put up registration booths and deployed shuttle vehicles at COVID-19 vaccination checkpoints in the city to ensure that residents can have easier access to inoculation. On Monday, more than 450 individuals unvaccinated against COVID-19 who were flagged at checkpoints and wanted to get inoculated were brought to the city’s vaccination hubs where they got their first jabs of the vaccine. The local government also implements the exemptions for those who are unvaccinated that they may still travel but are limited to the buying of essential goods, as well

as those persons whose medical conditions prevent them from being inoculated. Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano thanked the Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año after the agency expressed its intention in replicating the initiative of Taguig in other parts of Metro Manila. Cayetano said he will continue to work while in isolation after he got infected with the virus. “Our focus during this period will be taking care of our citizens by capacitating them with a deeper understanding of the virus and how to manage cases including access to all our services like testing, telemedicine, delivery of medicine and vaccination,” he said.

Cayetano said the city government will continue to lead the transition to the new normal. “Moving from pandemic to endemic, making the virus endemic, getting used to living with it is up to us, on how fast we act and adjust. Government must lead in this transition,” Cayetano said. As of Monday, Taguig has already vaccinated 834,449 individuals or 95 percent of the total population. Of the number, 771,245 individuals or 88 percent of the total population have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. A total of 1,699,212 jabs have already been administered across Taguig’s vaccination hubs.

VACCINATION CARDS REQUIRED. MRT 3 security guards check passengers’ vaccination cards upon entry at the Guadalupe MRT Terminal. Only fully vaccinated passengers can board the train, following the government’s “No Vaccine, No Ride” policy to help control the spread of COVID-19. Manny Palmero

Robredo’s Swab Cab offers free house-to-house antigen testing

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022 E-mail: mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

THE Office of the Vice President (OVP) Swab Cab in Makati City has started offering free house-to-house antigen testing to residents in response to the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. Vice President Leni Robredo visited the Swab Cab yesterday as the OP’s medical team visited pre-identified symptomatic patients and close contacts for their antigen test at home. The Swab Cab visited barangays Poblacion, Pembo, Rizal, West Rembo, Pio del Pilar, Guadalupe Nuevo, San Antonio, and Palanan. These barangays were identified by the Makati local government as the ones having the highest positivity rates in the city. Robredo is advocating for free mass testing to identify individuals who have contracted COVID-19 and help mitigate the spread of the disease. Meanwhile, Robredo has signed a covenant with various environmental groups that outlined her green agenda if elected President in the May 9 polls. The covenant was signed with representatives from LILAK, or the Purple Action for Indigenous Women; NAS- HOUSE-TO-HOUSE TESTING. Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, visits the Office of the Vice President Swab Cab in Makati City, which offers free antigen SA-Caritas Philippine Ecology Pro- testing to residents amid the soaring number of COVID-19 cases. gram; Healthcare Without Harm; Environmental Studies Institute – Miriam College; Alyansa Tigil Mina; Philippine Permaculture Association; GreenAgenda4Leni; and EnviRobredo. Robredo vowed to put forward clear and coherent land use policies, food sovereignty, elimination of plastic pollution, climate justice, a minerals management regime that prioritizes local community development, and transiBy Macon Ramos-Araneta tion to safe, clean, and affordable enAguila said the printing of the ballots is ergy, among others. EN presidential candidates, including former PARTIDO Reporma standard-bearer

Isko inaugurates world-class rehab robotics program By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo PRESIDENTIAL aspirant and Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso described as “truly world-class” the newly-opened Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine and Robotics Center of the Sta. Ana Hospital. “We always wanted the best. Sometimes, it is being compared to, maybe first-class services the private sector can offer. If the private sector can provide first-class service, the government is more capable because the government has money—people’s money which should be returned to them through efficient services,” Domagoso said as he and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna inaugurated the facility on Monday. According to the 47-year-old presidential candidate, the center is part of the city government’s continuous effort to improve health services and upgrade medical equipment in district hospitals to further serve its constituents. The program is in partnership with private firm Robocare Solutions, Inc., from which the Manila City government loaned units of Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) that is powered by advanced robotic rehabilitation technology. It is the first and only robotic exoskeleton that trains the brains and limbs of a patient to walk again. HAL is the leading advancement in addressing stroke and other neurologic conditions by helping patients recover their physical mobility. The machine is programmed to detect faint bioelectric signals on the surface of the skin, which reflects a patient’s intention to move. Using these signals, HAL allows the wearer to perform the desired movements with their voluntary commands. The physical therapist can see these signals and adjust settings on the robot suit to amplify weak signals and focus on desired signals.

Marcos, 9 other prexy hopefuls in final ballot T Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., remain on the national ballot for the upcoming elections in May, the Commission on Elections said Tuesday. “We already have what the ballot will look like with all of the names that will be included in the final ballot. Yes, the name of Bongbong Marcos is there,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said in a television interview. Rounding up the list are Vice President Leni Robredo, Senators Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, labor leader Leody de Guzman, former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, former Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, Faisal Mangondato and Jose Montemayor Jr. “The people who are left on the ballot

cannot be considered nuisance candidates because they’re able to show they have legitimate intention to run for office,” Jimenez said. The names of nine vice presidential aspirants, 64 senators, and 178 partylist groups will be included in the ballot, which will be printed back-to-back. In a presentation shown during the virtual walk-through of the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City on Tuesday, Comelec printing committee vice chairperson Helen Aguila said a total of 67,442,714 ballots will be printed – of which 1,697,202 are for overseas voting.

expected to be finished in April, including the buffer period. “The buffer period is incorporated there because if we are to compute based on the peak performance of the printers of NPO, the accumulative capacity is 1,100,000 per day if it is working in peak performance. We are realistic in anticipating contingencies including the COVID surge and infection of our workers, so until April 21 that includes the buffer period. Our buffer period is about two weeks or three weeks,” she added. Meanwhile, Comelec chairperson Sheriff Abas reported that three printing machines will be used while another machine is put on standby. “We have one new printer machine which we require for the 2022 polls. The three machines, we’ve used them in the 2019 elections. We have four available machines,” he said.

HIGH-TECH.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna lead the launching of the city’s new Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine and Robotics Center at the Sta. Ana Hospital.

Binay to gov’t: Address post-Odette humanitarian crisis By Joel E. Zurbano FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Tuesday urged the government to immediately address the needs of families affected by the recent Typhoon Odette to prevent what he called a “humanitarian crisis.” “The pandemic should not be an excuse for neglecting the survivors of Typhoon Odette. While it is true that the pandemic caught us off guard almost two years ago, typhoons occur every year. Government

agencies should have learned their lessons from Typhoon Yolanda. There should be no excuses,” Binay said. “Even during a pandemic, do not leave the victims of Typhoon Odette alone,” he added. Binay, who is running for senator in May 9 elections, made the appeal as the United Nations issued a call over the weekend for more aid to areas severely affected by typhoon Odette. More than a month after the typhoon battered parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, the

UN said most survivors still do not have access to food, drinking water, and shelter. Binay said concerned government agencies should address reports of deaths attributed to poor and unsanitary living conditions, especially the lack of access to clean water. “These deaths could have been prevented with timely intervention,” he said. “Until now, the affected residents are still struggling to survive. Government needs to act immediately if we want to prevent a humanitarian crisis,” Binay added.

Marcos pushes for renewable energy sources By Rey E. Requejo

FINAL FAREWELL. Families and relatives of the late National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose pay their last respects during the inurnment at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani in Taguig City on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. Jose died on the night of Jan. 6, at a hospital where he was scheduled for an angioplasty the next day. He was 97. Danny Pata

PARTIDO Federal ng Pilipinas standard bearer Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is convinced that going green and harnessing renewable energy sources will be effective ways to solve the problem of perennially high power cost in the country. Marcos said that aside from bringing down electricity rates, using renewable energy could greatly help in saving the country’s environment and natural resources, and consequently address the problem of climate change and global warming. He said it is time to re-examine the various alternative energy sources which he believes will be of great help to Filipinos if utilized. “What we will use is natural sources of energy. We will no longer use coal. We will no longer use fossil fuel. We need to have a replacement and the renewables are available,” Marcos said.

Marcos said high electricity costs have discouraged businessmen from investing in the country. “This has been a constant sticking point with all of our investors, not only foreign investors even the local investors. When you ask the entrepreneurs who want to build a plant, want to build manufacturing, that’s what they’re complaining about. They say their power is too high,” he said. He said what is needed is a committed and dedicated leadership that has the political will to move from the traditional coal and fossil fuel use to renewable forms of energy. Marcos cited as example the successful Wind Farm in Ilocos, which supplies a significant volume of the energy requirements of the province. There is also a 20-megawatt solar power farm in Bgy. Pagudulan, Currimao town benefiting an estimated 26,000 families.

Send corrupt politicians to jail­—Lacson

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said corrupt politicians should be held accountable for their crimes and be sent to jail. He said he is not convinced that people who plundered public funds should be given a redemption arc. “We seem to have lost that sense of accountability. Over time, we have learned to shrug our shoulders over issues of corruption. Some of us even idolize the supposed public servants who got rich through questionable means,” Lacson said. He said this has emboldened corrupt officials as they keep getting reelected. The veteran lawmaker and presidential aspirant has a long history of running after corrupt public officials and their cohorts, who either end up in jail or in exile because of strong evidence gathered against them upon investigation. Lacson said the first major step toward fighting the never-ending problem of corruption is to implement a standard policy against erring government officials and restore a culture of accountability. “It hurts to see us laugh off the excesses by some government officials. To me, this is a bad sign,” he said, “If there is no accountability, they will get bolder,” Lacson said. Lacson has maintained a very strong anti-corruption advocacy –”Ubusin ang Magnanakaw” – from his days as Chief of the Philippine National Police to his stint as senator. If the issue of corruption among government officials is solved, Lacson as much as 50 percent of the nation’s problems are also solved.

‘Disaster resilience office needed for economic recovery’ By Maricel V. Cruz SENATORIAL aspirant and Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday reiterated his call for the establishment of a Department of Disaster Resilience, saying having an agency in charge of recovery from natural calamities will be key in restoring economic activity in areas frequently ravaged by disasters. “We shouldn’t get used to just responding to disasters. We should instead be proactive. We really need a Department of Disaster Resilience to take charge of rehabilitation,” Cayetano said in a statement. The lawmaker earlier sent financial aid to 20 small business owners as well as food packs to a number of families in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental who were hit hard by typhoon Odette last month. Through his Sari-saring Pag-asa program, Cayetano also gave cash aid to around 100 microentrepreneurs in Taysan, Batangas. The establishment of an executive department dedicated to disaster response and rehabilitation has been a long-standing legislative advocacy of Cayetano. As a Senator in 2013, he filed a bill seeking to form the Emergency Response Department in the aftermath of super typhoon Yolanda. In September 2020, the House of Representatives under Cayetano’s leadership passed House Bill 5989 which proposes the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience to centralize and oversee the government’s disaster response system.

Opinion A mockery of our electoral process THE Commission on Elections deserves commendation for “unanimously” and “resoundingly” rejecting the petition filed by a faction of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino -Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) to re-open the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the May 2022 general elections. The Comelec did the right thing because giving due course to the petition would have upended the entire electoral process and allowed it to descend into chaos, with a new set of candidates filing their COCs and throwing the preparations of the poll body into total disarray, thus possibly leading to a postponement of the May 2022 political exercise. A postponement of the May 2022 polls does not mean that President Rodrigo Duterte can extend his constitutionally mandated six-year term. That’s the good news. Duterte was swept to power in 2016 using the PDP-Laban as his political vehicle, although we seriously doubt that he had even read the party’s constitution and by-laws and been formally inducted as a member after going through the regular process. He was designated as party chairman after winning the 2016 election apparently as an honorary title since he had no record as a party member before then. Part of the plot to keep the interlopers in the ruling party in power for as long as they can is the proposed resolution of a supporter of the Duterte-Cusi faction in the PDP-Laban to extend the terms of all elective officials. The Comelec likewise rejected this proposal. Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. pushed for longer terms for the president, members of the House of Representatives, and local officials. His proposal, contained in Resolution of Both Houses No. 7, sought to give the president and vice president a term of five years with one reelection. “A six-year tenure is too short for a good president, especially if he is confronted with a crippling crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to wreak havoc on our health and economy and whose end is not yet in sight. It may take more than one presidency before the nation can fully recover from this catastrophe,” he said. “On the other hand, if we do not like the way the president is governing, we can vote him out of office a year earlier if his term of office is five years,” he added. The Gonzales resolution proposes to ban the president from running for any elective post after serving his term of office. In addition, it would make a vote for the president also a vote for his running mate in the vice presidential race. Thankfully, the Comelec likewise rejected the proposal, saying that given the advanced stage of its preparations for May 2022, now is not the time to consider the lifting of term limits as this would further delay the timetable for the

upcoming polls. While the poll body is kept busy preparing for May 2022, is it possible that the crucial political exercise may not happen at all for one reason or another? That’s the fear of three senators, presidential aspirant Ping Lacson and his running mate, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, plus Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, who want their remaining 12 colleagues to elect a new Senate President by next month who is “independent” to assure a smooth constitutional succession should the May 2022 polls not push through. In the event that President Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo can no longer continue in office, then the new Senate President can become president of the Republic through constitutional succession.

What a shame it has all come to this. And who can that “independent-minded” senator be? Given the political composition of those staying on as senators until 2025, is there anyone there who can be considered “independent”? At any rate, the way things are going, making a mockery of our electoral process is consistent with the Duterte administration’s travesty of our justice system and the rule of law, as amply demonstrated by its bloody war on drugs where thousands of alleged drug suspects supposedly fought back and engaged law enforcers in gunbattles. But law enforcers have not presented hard evidence that such gunbattles actually took place, instead conveniently putting all these under the category of “deaths under investigation” whose results have not been made public. Or was there any investigation at all? We believe that the time has come for PDP-Laban President, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, the heir to the party’s illustrious record of defending and strengthening Philippine democracy since its founding in 1981 by his father, former Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., to assert his leadership and restore the party’s good name. We supported the vice-presidential bid of Nene Pimentel in tandem with former Senate President Jovito Salonga as presidential bet in the 1992 elections. While the duo landed sixth in a field of seven, with Fidel Ramos emerging as the winner with a little over 20 percent of the total votes cast, Nene Pimentel nurtured the pro-democracy stand of the over the years, even counseling media to “speak out” against abuses by government, including infringement of press freedom. We’ve said it before and it bears repeating now: the late Nene Pimentel must not only be turning but even spinning in his grave over what the PDP-Laban has become under the Duterte regime – a battering ram against Philippine democracy any way you look at it, instead of its ardent defender. What a shame it has all come to this. ernhil@yahoo.com

RSA: Mr. Malasakit, the environmentalist Everyman By Melandrew T. Velasco FOR almost two years now, we as a nation have been battling the scourge of COVID-19 that has caused so much suffering among Filipinos and affected the country’s economy. We have kept faith and persevered. Slowly, the economy was starting its recovery. But before it could fully recover, typhoon Odette devastated parts of the country and a surge in COVID cases dealt another blow to our country. We are grateful that we have in our midst kindhearted individuals who endlessly share their resources to uplift the lives of the needy. One of them is San Miguel Corporation’s president and chief executive officer Ramon S. Ang (RSA). RSA, who celebrated his birthday recently, has been actively involved in efforts to boost the economy through the varied businesses of SMC. He has also involved his businesses in programs and projects for the social good. His compassion for his kababayans is evident as the country continues its fight against COVID-19. SMC has extended assistance to those immensely affected by the varying quarantine classifications and alert levels. It has donated food and medical supplies and assisted in vaccinating Filipinos against the virus. It ensured a steady supply of SMC products for the consumers even during the strictest lockdown imposed by government. It has its Ligtas Lahat employee vaccination program to ensure the safety of employees. With NCR now on alert level 3, SMC limited its workforce prioritizing essential workers involved in critical business activities. RSA said that with the increase in COVID cases, the

most important thing as a company is to help prevent its further spread and avoid burdening the hospitals and health care system. AsTyphoonOdettebatteredpartsofthecountry, SMC led by RSA once more has shown what malasakit is all about. It immediately conducted relief operations—sending food donations estimated at P30 million to affected areas. An additional P5 million worth of food donations was given out through partner organizations and its own businesses. It has donated water from its Bulacan Bulk Water Project.

His initiatives are worth emulating. Beneficiaries of SMC donations included Antique, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur, Bacolod, Bohol, Biliran, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Camiguin, Cebu, Dinagat island, Davao del Sur, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Iloilo, Leyte, Marinduque, Misamis Oriental, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Siquijor, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Tagoloan, among others. SMC also immediately repaired and reopened its damaged fuel service stations since these are necessary in restoring business operations, transportation, and relief operations in the affected places. According to RSA, even as we continue to deal with the surge in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, let’s not forget that many of our countrymen in the Visayas and Mindanao are still struggling to recover from the devastation of typhoon Odette. “Many are still left with almost nothing. Together with partners from LGUs, the Armed

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022

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EDITORIAL

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Spectacles of corruption

TELEVISION show in China is attracting viewers for its approach to government corruption, Agence France Presse reports.

The five-part series aired by the state broadcast network supposedly shows officials confessing to corrupt acts they committed while in office. One such official is the former vice public security minister Sun Lijun, who is accused of taking bribes, manipulating the stock market, illegally possessing firearms and paying for sex. The confessions come even before the officials appear in court. AFP also describes the show as a display of wealth and excess, such that the public is drawn to how the officials cannot seem to hide their pride at pulling off their corrupt acts. Then again, critics of the President, Xi Jinping, say that the very public anti-corruption campaign was also

crack down on corruption, and aggressively. Some even declare that they would not hesitate to fire anyone, even their own allies, if there were a whiff of corruption around them. Others have uttered sound bytes that they would not honor friendships in the fight against corruption. Despite these strong words, corruption remains very much alive – so alive that many have become resigned that it is a given in public life. It has historically crossed political persuasions and geographic areas that the likelihood of exposure, prosecution and even conviction depends on one’s political affiliations. Indeed, wars against corruption are only as convincing as the leaders who wage them. This is such a tragedy, because the act of corruption, by itself, gravely injures the people and must be exposed and punished – whoever commits it, whatever the rank and whatever the color.

his way of silencing his political opponents.

Wars against corruption are only as convincing as the leaders who wage them. Whatever the politics may be, corruption is corruption – taking something that is not yours and using your position to gain advantage in any way. If there were a similar show here, we wonder: Whose story would be told, and how would the comeuppance be portrayed? Many leaders have promised to

Who will stop BBM?

IF YOU believe surveys (I do), the next president of the Philippines will be former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., 64. All the major and most recent surveys show an overwhelming and landslide victory by the son of the longest-serving and most vilified Philippine president, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, chief executive from Dec. 30,1965 to Feb. 25, 1986, a total of 20 years, 14 of them under martial law or one-man rule that gave the elder Marcos his strongman gravitas. Bongbong Marcos got 47 percent of the vote in the SWS survey of October 2021, 58 percent in the Laylo poll of Nov. 22-29, 2021, 53 percent in the Pulse Asia survey of Dec. 1-6, 54 percent in OCTA Research of Dec. 7-12, 2021, and 62 percent in the private poll of 3,600 respondents (one the largest) done by a Swiss consultant for the Marcos campaign. Leni Robredo did 18 percent in SWS, 13 percent in Laylo, 20 percent in Pulse Asia, 14 percent in OCTA, and 15 percent in Swiss. She is going up and down in surveys, indicating a lack of solid base, if not a declining base of support. Probably, nearing May 9, 2022 or by April 2022, VP Leni will end up a poor third to Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. The other candidates, Manny Pacquiao and Ping Lacson, are stagnating in single digits. Bongbong’s victory, if allowed by fate, the Comelec and its machines, and of course, by people power, will be a stunning turn of events for a country that has been imprisoned for the last half century in the Prism (in Jedi terms) of a family rivalry between the Marcoses and the Cojuangco-Aquino clan of slain Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr.. Ninoy’s assassination, blamed on Marcos (rather unfairly,), triggered two presidencies for the Aquino family—six years and four months under his widow Corazon Cojuangco Aquino (Feb. 25, 1986-June 30,1992) and six years under their only son, Benigno Simeon (BS) Cojuangco Aquino III, June 30, 2010-June 30, 2016. Cory’s stint was marked by nine coup attempts, the worst volcanic eruption of the Forces and non-profit groups, we in San Miguel continue to leverage our resources to help affected families gain immediate access to basic needs such as food and water. There is nothing we can’t do when we come together and look out for each other. We are in this together and we’ll be here to help you recover and rebuild. Samasama. Walang iwanan,” he added. RSA is also an environmentalist. Under his leadership, SMC undertakes several environment protection projects. One of its environmental protection initiatives is coastal clean-up. Recently, its coastal clean-up drive benefitted the towns of Calatagan and Balayan in Batangas where a total of 1,340 bags of garbage were collected. The activity was done in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Employment through its TUPAD program. Weekly clean-up activities are also being done by SMC together with DENR and the LGU of Navotas in Isla Pulo, site of the Tanza Marine Tree Park in Navotas. The tree park is a 26-hectare mangrove strip with a 3.5

century, the worst earthquake of the century, the worst sea accident, and massive floods. The communist New People’s Army rose to its mightiest, with 35,000 regular guerillas. The separatist movement, somehow muddled into a stalemate by Marcos, was revived with Nur Misuari having a summit with Cory in the MNLF territory in Jolo, Sulu, Mindanao, in1986, with the president of the Philippines surrounded by fully armed Muslim separatists. I covered the event and we newsmen went through at least three checkpoints manned by

He just might be a majority president. the guerillas. The presidential party passed through the same checkpoints. Noynoy Aquino’s presidency was marked, among other things, by the Mamasapano massacre and the Yolanda disaster. In both, he was out of his wits and mostly detached. There is very little difference between a democratic rule and a dictatorship or ruthless rule. Marcos’s 20-year reign, the longest, averaged 3.83 percent in economic growth (as measured by GDP growth per year). Cory’s so-called democratic rule averaged 3.86 percent in six years and four months, with her last year in recession and the economy down by 0.578 percent. Also a democrat, Noynoy in six years produced 6.25 percent GDP growth. That is not much better than the 6.63 percent average of supposedly tyrannical Rodrigo Duterte in his first four years in office, pre-pandemic. If democracy and autocracy produce the same results, why should BBM’s critics then worry about his impending presidency? Why does Business hate Marcos Jr.? And why do people, from the lowest income class to the highest, want him as their president? “We are on track to seeing our first postEDSA majority president. Marcos enjoys a lead that is very difficult to dismantle – especially as the same surveys show a high voter commitment among his voters,” writes political scientist Alex Magno in his column Jan. 18, 2021 in the Philippine Star. Four reasons for Bongbong’s popularity: one, people identify him with President Duterte km shoreline and protects nearby cities from storm surges and coastline erosion. The coastal clean-up drives complement SMC’s ongoing river rehabilitation programs for Tullahan and Pasig. It has already removed 640,384 metric tons of silt and solid waste from the Tullahan-Tinajeros River system and 165,700 metric tons of silt and solid waste from the Pasig River. SMC will also start cleaning up the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System (MMORS), a major component of its flood mitigation initiative for Bulacan where the New Manila International Airport will rise. According to RSA there is a need to continuously educate the coastal communities on proper waste disposal as well as recycling and upcycling of waste products. RSA’s advocacy for environment protection is also very visible in SMC’s other projects. These include tree-planting activities such as SM Global Power Holdings Corporation’s Project 747 that aims to rehabilitate 2,800

who still enjoys high approval rating (77 percent among voters) and who has not been a bad president after all; two, Bongbong is the best person to carry on the good in the Duterte presidency; three, people appreciate the late strongman Marcos in a much better light today. Marcos’s favorability rating is up at 72 percent, from 65 percent in April 2021, and 55 percent in April 2016. And four, Bongbong has his own endearing qualities. Meanwhile, the three-person Comelec Second Division this week dismissed by a unanimous vote the petition to cancel the CoC of Bongbong Marcos. The suit, filed by a group of Marcos critics represented by former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te, wanted to stop Marcos Jr. from running for president. The Comelec panel scolded the petitioners for attempting to mislead the poll body with misrepresentations of facts and wrong quotations of certain provisions of the law. “Petitioners shamelessly cited a certain provision denominated as Section 254 of the 1977 NIRC which they alleged such provision punishes those who fail to file an ITR fine of not less than P10,000 ‘AND’ imprisonment. However, a careful reading of the actual Section 254 of the 1977 NIRC shows that it refers to rentals and royalties and mineral lands under lease,” read a portion of the Second Division’s ruling penned by Second Division penned by Presiding Commissioner Socorro B. Inting. The misrepresentation made by the petitioners on Section 254 of the NIRC to make it appear that imprisonment is mandatory punishment “reeks of deliberate intent to deceive or mislead the Commission,” another portion of the ruling read. Commissioners Antonio T. Kho, Jr. and Rey E. Bulay concurred with the ruling, which lamented what it called an “obvious clutching at straws,” or a desperate attempt, by the petitioners to convince the poll body to cancel the CoC of Marcos, Jr. “It somehow becomes ironic when we realize the thought that herein Petitioners accuse Respondent Marcos of misrepresentation while they themselves are guilty of supposed misrepresentations in this very same proceeding,” the decision said. biznewsasia@gmail.com hectares of upland forests and 1,204 hectares of mangrove forests in Albay, Bataan, Bulacan, Davao Occidental, Quezon, Negros Occidental, Pangasinan, and Zambales; Petro Corporation’s Puno ng Buhay program that has adopted a total of 30 hectares of mangrove reforestation areas in Tacloban City, Leyte and Roxas City, Capiz; San Miguel Brewery’s Tree Brew Life program; and Ginebra San Miguel’s Mangrove Project. Another subsidiary, Luzon Clean Water Development Corporation, actively participates in the Annual Million Trees Challenge project. In fact, RSA recently donated P5-million to the initial phase of the Million Trees Foundation, Inc. (MTFI) at the La Mesa Watershed. “Caring for the environment is key to mitigating the global problem of climate change,” RSA said. RSA is a role model. His initiatives are worth emulating. Mr. Velasco has authored at least 50 coffeetable books.

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Winter storm brings travel woes as it blankets eastern US, Canada

TSUNAMI EFFECT.

Aerial view showing cleaning crews work to remove oil from a beach in the Peruvian province of Callao on January 17, after a spill which occurred during the unloading process of the Italian-flagged tanker “Mare Doricum” at La Pampilla refinery caused by the abnormal waves recorded after the volcanic eruption in Tonga, which triggered waves around the Pacific strong enough to drown two women in Peru, more than 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) away. AFP

MONTREAL—A major winter storm blanketed a swathe of North America in snow Monday as it sliced up the US east coast into Canada, disrupting travel and cutting power to thousands of homes. Many Americans who had been without electricity—about 120,000 of them Monday afternoon—seemed to be back online by the evening, according to the website PowerOutage.us. The biggest concentration of outages came in the mid-Atlantic state of West Virginia and the southeastern states of North and South Carolina and Georgia. More than 1,700 flights within, into or out of the United States were canceled by Monday evening, in addition to the 3,000 the day before, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Large parts of the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario remained under winter storm or blizzard warnings, according to a Canadian government website. In Toronto, up to two feet (60 cen-

timeters) of snow was expected -- “a historic storm for the city,” tweeted Anthony Farnell, chief meteorologist of Canadian TV channel Global News. “The @cityoftoronto has declared a major snow storm condition in response to today’s heavy and disruptive snowfall which will help support our citywide snow removal operations,” Toronto Mayor John Tory tweeted Monday, and triggering a rule that prevents cars from parking in certain areas while the powder is cleared. Many schools were closed and school buses were not operating in Quebec and the south of Ontario, including the Toronto area. Students had been due to return to classrooms on Monday in both provinces after the holiday break. Monday was a national holiday in the United States, so most schools and businesses were already closed, though many people usually take the opportunity to travel during the long weekend. AFP

ISLAND KINGDOM ‘VIRTUALLY CUT OFF’

‘Extensive damage’ in tsunami-hit Tonga W ELLINGTON, New Zealand—Aid agencies reported “extensive damage” in the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Tuesday following a massive underwater volcanic blast and tsunami, as the first death from the disaster was confirmed. Early indications of the scale of the crisis on the virtually cut-off island kingdom were emerging through patchy satellite phone contact with Tonga, surveillance

flights and satellite images, three days after the volcanic eruption. The body of a British woman swept away by the tsunami had been found, her

family said. At least one other person in Tonga was reported missing. Australia and New Zealand, which scrambled Orion reconnaissance plane flights over Tonga the previous day, readied aid ships for deployment to Tonga. The UN said a signal had been detected from a distress beacon on a low-lying island, Mango. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said surveillance flights had confirmed “substantial property damage” on Mango and an-

other island, Fonoi. “An active distress beacon had been detected from Mango,” OCHA agency said in an urgent report. The island is home to more than 30 people, according to Tongan census figures. Volcanic ash and dust OCHA also reported “extensive damage” on the western beaches of the main island Tongatapu, “with several resorts and/or houses destroyed and/or badly damaged”. Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa was blanketed in two centimetres of volcanic ash and

dust, it said. Power had been restored to parts of the capital. Local phones systems had been restored but international communications were severed. The capital’s waterfront, it said, was “seriously damaged with rocks and debris pushed inland from the tsunami”. Satellite images released by the United Nations Satellite Centre showed the impact of the eruption and tsunami on the tiny island of Nomuka, one of the closest to the Hunga-Tonga-HungaHa’apai volcano. AFP

‘Tactical guided missiles’ tested by Nokor anew

MORNING STRETCHING. A

police officer stretches before a rehearsal for the upcoming Republic Day Parade in New Delhi on January 18. AFP

Dimming Sun’s rays should be off-limits, say experts PARIS—Planetary-scale engineering schemes designed to cool Earth’s surface and lessen the impact of global heating are potentially dangerous and should be blocked by governments, more than 60 policy experts and scientists said on Monday. Even if injecting billions of sulphur particles into the middle atmosphere —the most hotly debated plan for so-called solar radiation modification (SRM)—turned back a critical fraction of the Sun’s rays as intended, the consequences could outweigh any benefits, they argued in an open letter. “Solar geoengineering deployment cannot be governed globally in a fair, inclusive and effective manner,” said the letter, supported by a commentary in the journal WIREs Climate Change.

“We therefore call for immediate political action from governments, the United Nations and other actors to prevent the normalization of solar geoengineering as a climate policy option.” An increase of 1.1 degrees Celsius above mid-19th century levels has already boosted the intensity, frequency and duration of deadly heat waves, droughts and megastorms. The world’s nations have committed to capping the rise in Earth’s surface temperature to 1.5C above mid-19th century levels, but UN-backed scientists have said that threshold will be breached, possibly within a decade. The failure to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that drive global heating has led some policy makers to embrace solar geoengineering -- widely

dismissed not long ago as more science fiction than science—in order to buy time for a more durable solution. It has long been known that injecting a large quantity of reflective particles into the upper atmosphere could cool the planet. Nature sometimes does the same: debris from the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines lowered Earth’s average surface temperature for more than a year. But the open letter said there are several reasons to reject such a course of action. Artificially dimming the Sun’s radiative force is likely to disrupt monsoon rains in South Asia and western Africa, and could ravage the rain-fed crops upon which hundreds of millions depend for nourishment, several studies have shown. AFP

SEOUL —North Korea said Tuesday it had launched two tactical guided missiles, its fourth sanctions-busting test of the year as it seeks to bolster its conventional weaponry while rebuffing offers of talks from the United States. Since leader Kim Jong Un avowed his commitment to military modernization at a key party speech last month, the nuclear-armed country has conducted a string of weapons tests, including of hypersonic missiles. Washington hit Pyongyang with fresh sanctions last week and North Korea responded by doubling down on testing, asserting its “legitimate right” to self-defense. The most recent weapons test involved two “tactical guided missiles” that “precisely hit an island target in the East Sea of Korea,” state news agency KCNA said Tuesday. The launches “confirmed the accuracy, security and efficiency of the operation of the weapon system under production,” it added. South Korea’s military earlier said two suspected “short-range ballistic missiles” were fired east from near Pyongyang Monday, flying 380 kilometers (about 240 miles) at an altitude of 42 km. Japan also detected the test, with Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi warning the string of recent launches indicates North Korea “is trying to improve its technology and operational capability”. The launches come at a delicate time in the region, with North Korea’s sole major ally China set to host the Winter Olympics next month and South Korea gearing up for a presidential election in March. AFP

US condemns, vows to hold Huthi rebels accountable for UAE attack WASHINGTON—The United States condemned Monday’s drone strike on Abu Dhabi claimed by Yemen’s Huthis, and vowed to hold the rebels accountable for the “terrorist attack” that left three people dead. “The Huthis have claimed responsibility for this attack, and we will work with the UAE and international partners to hold them accountable,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a White House statement. “Our commitment to the security of the UAE is unwavering and we stand beside our Emirati partners against all threats to their territory.” The United Arab Emirates—of which Abu Dhabi is the capital—is part of a Riyadh-led military coalition that supports Yemen’s government against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels,

who have repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia with cross-border strikes. The State Department echoed the condemnation, according to a statement from spokesman Ned Price. “We express our condolences to the families of these victims and to the people of the UAE,” he said. “We reiterate our unwavering commitment to the security of the UAE and stand united with our Emirati partner.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke later Monday with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Price said in a second statement. “Secretary Blinken condemned the terrorist attacks today, which killed and wounded innocent civilians,” Price said. AFP

BACK TO SCHOOL. A teacher gives instructions to pupils during their first day

of class on the return to schools after the winter break amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Medellin, Colombia, on January 17. About 10 million students from public and private institutions gradually return to schools with full presence in Colombia amid a wave of COVID-19 infections due to the Omicron variant. AFP

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Bank of Japan raises inflation forecast; no policy change

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12,020,900 203,352,650 1,364,790 176,035,399 152,340 146,451,300 3,801,200 135,847,135 3,906,600 135,213,560 14,182,700 121,173,459 3,133,200 117,777,555

EUROGROUP TALKS. Spain’s Economy and Business Minister Nadia Calvino (left) talks with Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (center) and Luxemburger Finance minister Yuriko Backes during a Eurogroup meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels on January 17, 2022. Germany and France laid out differing visions for the future of the European economy Monday, signaling a fight later this year to overhaul the bloc’s strict rules on government spending. AFP

Stocks up on easing COVID cases; ICTSI and BDO climb

S

TOCKS surged Tuesday on reports daily COVID-19 cases in the Philippines may have reached their peak, fanning hopes of less restrictive mobility restrictions, especially in the capital region.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 120.13 points, or 1.7 percent, to 7,343.96 on a value turnover of P4.9 billion. Gainers beat losers, 100 to 85, with 56 issues unchanged. BDO Unibank Inc. of the Sy Group, the largest lender in terms of assets, rose 2.2 percent to P130, while sister unit SM Prime Holdings Inc. climbed 2 percent to P34.85. International Container Terminal Services Inc., the biggest port operator and owned by tycoon Enrique Razon

Jr., advanced 4.1 percent to P211.40, but noodles maker Monde Nissin Corp. fell 3.1 percent to P16.70. Meanwhile, crude oil hit a more than seven-year high Tuesday on optimism the global recovery will ramp up demand, but concerns about the end of long-running central bank support and rising Treasury yields saw most equity markets reverse early gains. After an almost uninterrupted rally from the early days of the pandemic, world markets are showing signs of leveling out as global finance chiefs shift from economy-boosting largesse to measures aimed at reining in inflation. Still, there is an expectation that equities will enjoy further gains this year as countries reopen and people grow more confident about travel, especially as studies suggest the more prevalent Omicron coronavirus variant appears to be milder and as vaccines are rolled out. Analysts are also watching the corporate earnings season that is under

way, with hopes that firms can match their stellar performances last year. But while Asian markets started the day brightly after Monday’s travails, traders returned to selling, with US Treasury yields surging on expectations the Federal Reserve will have to unveil several interest rate hikes to tackle a worrying spike in inflation. Wall Street was closed Monday. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta all fell. There were gains in Shanghai on hopes of fresh economy-boosting measures, while Wellington also edged up. But oil built on its early promise, with Brent climbing to $88.13 a barrel and WTI hitting $85.74, both levels not seen since October 2014. The gains came thanks to demand optimism as the world reopens and concerns about Omicron ease. The loosening of travel restrictions in several countries has seen jet fuel costs soar. With AFP

TOKYO, Japan—Japan’s central bank revised its inflation forecast on Tuesday and adjusted its view of price risks, while leaving its monetary easing policy in place in a nod to lingering pandemic uncertainty. As prices rise swiftly in other economies, Japan’s inflation remains relatively feeble, and still far below the long-held two percent target seen as necessary to turbo-charge the world’s third largest economy. In a quarterly report on prices and the economy, the central bank said it now forecasts inflation of 1.1 percent for the fiscal year to March 2023, up from its previous forecast of 0.9 percent. It also revised up its forecast for the fiscal year to March 2024 to 1.1 percent from 1.0 percent, leaving the projection for the current year unchanged. “The projected rate of increase in the CPI (consumer price index) for fiscal 2022 is somewhat higher, mainly reflecting a rise in commodity prices and the pass-through of that rise to consumer prices,” the central bank said. It declared “risks to prices are generally balanced,” adjusting its previous assessment of risk as “skewed to the downside.” The BoJ revised down its growth forecast for the current fiscal year to 2.8 percent from the previous 3.4 percent. But it now sees faster-than-expected 3.8-percent growth in the fiscal year to March 2023, with a slight downward revision of 1.1-percent growth in the year to March 2024. “Risks to economic activity are skewed to the downside for the time being, mainly due to the impact of COVID-19,” it added. The central bank maintained its longstanding target of two-percent inflation, which remains far off despite years of efforts and prices surging globally. Even with the latest upward revision in prices, “a change in (the BoJ’s) policy stance is hard to imagine” as the inflation target “is still far away,” said economist Masamichi Adachi of UBS in a note ahead of the Tuesday decision. AFP

Being IT’S the third week of January. Reported daily new COVID-19 cases continue sporadic increases, currently hovering in the 30,000 range. Four days after the January 16 massive underwater volcano explosion threw a blanket of ash and sent a tsunami roaring towards the island nation of Tonga, communication lines remain down and the extent of casualties or property loss remains undetermined. Current tennis world number one Novak Djokovik, who was deported from Australia for violating border rules, will be unable to defend his title in the Australian Tennis Open, which commenced on January 17. Djokovic, who remains unvaccinated againstCOVID-19, runs the risk of being banned from future international tournaments. For me the theme of the week continues to be about transition and, more specifically, the question of what comes next. Also, strangely, it has been a week about the number 7. Next There is a scene in the NetFlix series The Queen’s Gambit when protagonist Beth Harmon plays with 13-year-old player Georgi from Russia. The intense young man speaks of his career trajectory and declares that he aims to be world champion in three years. Beth asks him what happens next. It is a reasonable question. If you become world champion of chess at the age of 16, what is next? Young Georgi stares at Beth and simply mutters, “I don’t understand.” It is always a difficult question, what do you do next? Whether it is after failure or after success, there is still a question of what to do next. For many of us during this pandemic, the question of what to do next is often focused on after the pandemic. However, this question applies today. What do we do next? What do we do today? Much like business strategy, the answer to this must be crafted based on at least three things. What is our current external situation? What is our current internal or personal situation? What are our goals? In the language of strategy, what is our personal mission and vision? Seven selves Coincidentally, I ran across an article on emotional intelligence and the seven selves by Stu Sjouwerman. Sjouwerman explains that developing emotional intelligence begins with exploration of the seven selves: self-image, self- and social awareness, self-reflection, self-discipline, self-management, self-disclosure and self-development. I thought this was an interesting take on exploring emotional intelligence. Generally, in studies of emotional intelligence, four dimensions are studied: self-management of emotions (which includes self-awareness), social skills, empathy and utilization of emotions. I think Sjouwerman’s approach, which is intensely personal would be very helpful in the early stages of the exploration of emotional intelligence, and would certainly

have been helpful to young Georgi, who seems to have defined his entire self solely in terms of the game of chess. In fact, for anyone grappling with choices, exploring the self is the first step. Seven selves is also the title of a poem by Kahlil Gibran. In the poem, Gibran imagines a quiet moment between awake and asleep when his seven selves converse about the challenges of their lives. Each of the six selves lament the sameness of their lives, being tasked with a single task: the first self with pain and sorrow; the second self with joy and laughter which seem to pale in unending sameness; the third self with the blaze of passion; the fourth with hatred and loathing; the fifth with curiosity, thinking and fancy; and the sixth self with labor and creation. Whether filled with joy or pain, tasked with fancy or labor, unending sameness is lamented. At the end of the poem, the seventh self expresses envy of the six with tasks to fulfill and compares their pain to his own life, “the one who sits in the dumb, empty nowhere and nowhen, while you are busy re-creating life.” Thus ends the discussion, with the six selves looking with pity on the “do-nothing” self. The literature on happiness reflects this reality, that people who are engaged in something are far happier than those who are not engaged. And this, in fact, is the desperation of the “what next?” question posed to Georgi. If you have focused on a single thing all your life and you achieve that, what is next? Being So much of human reality revolves around what we do. Gibran’s poem even uses the analogy of work for the different facets of existence. And certainly, at the end, it is shown that doing nothing is the worst lot. However, it is also true that focusing on a single thing to the exclusion of all others is rarely the best choice. Most of us have different roles, parent, child, sibling, worker, employer. Our lives are more than just work, and more than just raising children, no matter how noble those endeavors are. One of my favorite mentors once explained that once we begin to go to school and especially when we begin to work, we become human doings instead of human beings. The great danger of this is we can lose touch of our true selves. So much of what we do is dictated by others, our employers, our co-workers, society, even our family and friends. It is so easy to lose track of our own voice. This week, when you find yourself in that most quiet time of the night, in the stillness of you own self, that is something worth asking. Not what do you want to do but what do you want to be. Readers can email Maya at integrations_manila@yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http://integrations.tumblr. com.

President of the Pierre Cardin company Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin poses among mannequins during a photo session at the Cardin fashion house workshop in Paris on January 11, 2022. AFP

Pierre Cardin plans comeback in Paris after death of founder By Olga Nedbaeva PARIS, France—Luxury label Pierre Cardin is set to return to Paris Fashion Week in a bid to breathe new life into the brand, its new boss told AFP, just over a year after the death of its legendary founder. The famed couturier died in December 2020 at the age of 98, having built a hugely profitable business empire by licensing his name around the world. He stayed in the spotlight to the very end, with blockbuster shows in Russia, Kazakhstan and even on the Great Wall of China in the last years of his life. But Cardin stayed away from the official fashion calendar in his last two decades— and that is something his nephew and handpicked successor Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin wants to reverse. “Pierre wanted to be free,” BasilicatiCardin told AFP in an interview ahead of the latest Paris Fashion Week, which kicks off on Tuesday. “As he approached his 80th birthday, he said there were lots of young designers who needed to be part of fashion week and he didn’t want to get in their way.” But Basilicati-Cardin says it is time to relaunch the brand. The first step is a special commemorative show dedicated to the label’s founder on January 28 at the end of the haute couture week. Out of this world “We want to return to fashion week, at least once a year,” said the new CEO. “We need the publicity. “My uncle did a lot and the publicity came naturally. But he dedicated the last part of his life to creativity, not to distribution,” he added. Cardin helped revolutionize fashion in the 1960s and 1970s with bold and futuristic designs that tapped into the excitement around the space age.

Not for nothing is the tribute show being staged at the Air and Space Museum outside Paris. “We wanted the theme to be outer space to evoke the 1960s, when Pierre Cardin wanted to dress the sort of person who travels on spaceships,” said his nephew. “He was the first—the only who dared to do that alongside Andre Courreges—and was criticized by everyone at the time.” But from the 1970s, Cardin began licensing his brand name to hundreds of other companies and products, from food mixers to answering machines to—famously— tinned sardines. It was an immensely profitable move, and one that Cardin never regretted, telling the New York Times in 2002: “During the war, I would have rather smelled the scent of sardines than of perfume.” But for some, these licensing deals also reduced the brand’s allure, as its name was plastered across bargain-basement clothing all over the globe. ‘A certain simplicity’ Basilicati-Cardin, an engineer and graphic designer by training, was chosen to take over by his uncle in 2018, having worked alongside him since the 1990s, primarily on accessories. “He really liked a certain simplicity, the love of the curve. He explained things to me that I was doing instinctively,” Basilicati-Cardin said. Now CEO, he still designs glasses and picks ideas to be developed in future collections. “In one design out of 50, I find something new, I jump on it,” he said. But he recognizes a need to “rejuvenate” the storied label, perhaps with a new group of designers from outside. Never without forgetting their legendary founder: plans are in place for another major commemoration in July to mark Cardin’s 100th birthday—this time perhaps in Venice. AFP

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

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BSP expects wider adoption of digital payments to tame inflationary trends By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Tuesday he expects the wider adoption of digital payments to have a positive impact on inflationary trends in the coming months. “Digitalization is one of the huge changes that will have an effect in lowering the inflation in the long run,” Diokno said during the gathering of journalists and opinion-makers of the Tuesday Club. He said aside from monetary and fiscal policies, technological advancements could help keep prices low and stable over the long-term. “By making payments and transactions more convenient, digitalization reduces the costs of production and distribution for businesses,” he said. He said digitalization made it easier for consumers to gather information on products and services and make informed purchases. These forces encourage competition among enterprises to capture or maintain market share, which in turn helps keep consumer prices low and stable, he said. Under the Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap 2020-2023, the BSP pursues the twin goals of converting at least 50 percent of all retail transactions into digital and onboarding at least 70 percent of the population to the formal financial system by 2023. The share of digital payments to total financial transactions reached 20.1 percent in 2020, up from 14 percent in 2019 and 1 percent in 2013. “I am very confident, because we are ramping up the use of digital payments, that by the end of my term, we will reach the 50-percent target,” Diokno said. Diokno said inflation would remain manageable in 2022 and 2023 unless world crude prices continued to increase in the coming months. He projected inflation to average 3.4 percent in 2022 and 3.2 percent in 2023, both within the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

Contactless ways indispensable to travel, says AirAsia By Darwin G. Amojelar FILIPINO travelers are looking for safer ways to travel amid the global pandemic, making contactless solutions indispensable in their travel experience, according to a survey commissioned by AirAsia Philippines. The survey, conducted in December last year, showed that 62 percent of Filipinos traveling in the next 180 days had contactless travel touchpoints as among their prime concerns, followed by value for money and better flight timing. Included in the points of contact they hoped would be digitized were passenger boarding and booking process. “AirAsia is among the first airlines in the Philippines to embrace digitalization. We aimed at making the travel experience frictionless, ridding the need for long queues in counters and face-to-face interactions, consequently ensuring guest safety,” said Ricky Isla, chief executive of AirAsia Philippines. “Processes like document verification and flight check-ins, for instance, can be done at least 24 hours prior to departure through the AirAsia Super App, hence enabling a simpler and more convenient travel experience. At AirAsia, guests can enjoy various options that make traveling in the new normal easier and safer,” he said. Since the onset of the global pandemic, AirAsia Philippines has fortified its partnership with the country’s top ewallet solutions, GCash and PayMaya, to broaden its array of convenient and secure payment options as guests prefer to limit their face-to-face transactions. The recent survey revealed that this pivot to contactless solutions is in agreement with current traveling behavior as 31 percent of the travelers said they used mobile e-wallets in purchasing their tickets.

Business DTI sees investment pledges reaching level of P1t this year By Othel V. Campos

T

HE Department of Trade and Industry said Tuesday it is confident of attracting P1-trillion worth of investments in 2022, matching the record P1.02trillion worth of projects approved by the Board of Investments in 2020. It said investments pledges registered with the BOI in 2021 fell 35.7 percent to P655.4 billion from P1.02 trillion. “Buoyed by 2021 FDI results as well as the healthy pipeline of strong investment leads—both foreign and domestic, and with the reforms that we are anticipating to still be passed in the next months, we are confident of hitting P1 trillion in BOI-approved investments this year,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said. The BOI downgraded the 2021 investments target to P750 billion from P905 billion, but still missed the revised target by 12.61 percent. It also fell short of the P905-billion target set by the Office of the President. The BOI attributed the decline in investments last year to the rise in Delta

cases as it also extended investors timeline for finalizing studies, decisions and registrations. Data showed that while foreign investment approvals increased in 2021, the amount of registered domestic investments decreased by 48.1 percent to P503.6 billion from P970 billion. Among the big-ticket projects approved last year were the P81.1-billion Makati City Subway project and the P25-billion Calatagan Cement Plant. Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said mobility restrictions both on the global and local scale were the primary reason for not reaching the 2021 investment target. “Because of the global surge in the Delta variant and now with the emer-

gence of the Omicron variant, these resulted in global setbacks in economic recovery, which then translated into the implementation of stricter protocols in the country. We were hit hard during the second quarter and the early part of the third quarter last year,” he said. Rodolfo said the strong investment leads in 2021 would add up by the second or third quarter of 2022. The BOI focused on helping the micro, small and medium enterprises to reopen, businesses that were closed and those that continued their operations amid the pandemic. Rodolfo also disclosed the approval of a P155-billion telecommunication project which is pending at the Fiscal Incentives Review Board. Some projects in the pipeline include a new domestic shipping operator; new operator of electric vehicle charging stations; three new operators of telecommunications infrastructure; a new producer of animal feeds; and a cement manufacturer. Other upcoming projects include hyperscalers in telecommunications and production of e-vehicles and COVID medicines.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, January 18, 2022

120.13 PTS. 7,343.96

TOTAL VOLUME 850,251,710 TOTAL TRADES 68,178 TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) 4,952,329,508.55 ADVANCES 100 DECLINES 85 UNCHANGED 56

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.2780

Japan

Yen

0.008726

0.4475

UK

Pound

1.364900

69.9893

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128360

6.5820

Switzerland

Franc

1.094331

56.1151

Canada

Dollar

0.798786

40.9601

Singapore

Dollar

0.741840

38.0401

Australia

Dollar

0.721000

36.9714

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

136.0267

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266525

13.6669

Brunei

Dollar

0.739098

37.8995

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.030257

1.5515

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.9623

Euro

Euro

1.141100

58.5133

Korea

Won

0.000840

0.0431

China

Yuan

0.157535

8.0781

India

Rupee

0.013470

0.6907

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.239120

12.2616

New Zealand

Dollar

0.679700

34.8537

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036353

1.8641 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF RCBC to issue P3-b sustainability bonds

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp., one of the largest banks in the country, plans to raise at least P3 billion from the issuance of fixed-rate peso sustainability bonds, the seventh tranche of its P100-billion bond and commercial paper program. RCBC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Tuesday the bonds would have a tenor of two years and three months (2.25 years) from the date of issuance. These are intended to be issued as sustainability bonds under the ASEAN Sustainability Bond Standards, subject to confirmation from the Securities and Exchange Commission. “The bank is looking to raise at least P3.0 billion, with an option to upsize. The funds to be raised from the offer will be used to support asset growth, refinance maturing liabilities and other general funding purposes in line with the bank’s Sustainable Finance Framework,” it said. “As it continues to raise funding allocated for sustainability assets whenever there is an opportunity, RCBC shows its commitment in providing the investing public a way to participate in these types of assets when available,” it said. Julito G. Rada

Medilines renews tie-up with German company

HAUS TALK DEBUT. Haus Talk Inc. debuts at the Philippine Stock Exchange with the listing of its initial public offering shares at the Small, Medium and Emerging Board on Jan. 17. HTI raised P750 million from the maiden offering. Attending the listing ceremony Monday are (from left, by row) HTI director Maria Leah Madlambayan, PSE chief operating officer Roel Refran, HTI director Joselito Madlambayan, HTI president Maria Rachel Madlambayan, PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon and PSE general counsel Veronica Del Rosario, Investment and Capital Corporation of the Philippines managing director Mariano Ocampo, HTI director Luis Pio Madlambayan and Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines chief operating officer Renee Rubio.

NGCP warns against thin power supply in next dry months By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER transmission operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines on Tuesday warned against thin power supply in the next dry months, especially in May, on higher demand that may even exceed the pre-pandemic levels. “Thin operating margins [power in excess of demand, which is used to manage and balance the grid] is forecasted in the Luzon grid from April to June due to increase in demand during the summer, which includes the critical election period,” NGCP said in a statement. It cited a need for policies to support demand side management and ensure adequate power in the upcoming national elections in May. “NGCP, in compliance with its mandate, coordinated with the generation and distribution sectors so that we could optimize and rationalize our own maintenance schedules, to ensure sufficiency, at least on paper, of power supply through-

out the year,” the company said. The Department of Energy forecast total peak demand of 12,387 megawatts for Luzon in the last week of May, representing an increase of 747 MW from the actual 2021 peak load of 11,640 MW which occurred on May 28, 2021. Peak demand in Luzon in May 2019 was at 11,344 MW. Peak demand in the Visayas occurred in December last year due to the holiday season. The peak demand is seen to reach 2,528 MW this year from 2,252 MW last year. Mindanao peak demand occurred in August which is forecast to reach 2,223 MW this year from 2,144 MW last year. NGCP said it was coordinating the preparation and submission to the DOE of an annual grid operating and maintenance program, which is the consolidated preventive maintenance schedules of power plants, considering the needed supply to meet the projected demand.

The 2022 GOMP was approved by the DOE on Jan 10 in compliance with the directive of the DOE that no maintenance shutdowns should be scheduled during the summer months. Some generating units extended their maintenance shutdowns in January while others derated to decrease their committed generation output. As a result, yellow alerts were issued on Jan. 10 and 11. A yellow alert is issued when the excess power is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s regulating and contingency requirement, pegged at the time at about 495 MW and 647 MW respectively. “On paper, there appears to be sufficient supply to meet demand; but the plan on paper, the GOMP, is not always followed. It is when there are unscheduled shutdowns and derations, and extensions of maintenance duration that grid operations may be disrupted enough to warrant the issuance of a grid alert status,” said NGCP.

MEDILINES Distributors Inc. said Tuesday it renewed its distribution partnership with German health technology company Siemens Healthineers. The partnership, which will be for another three years, involves the sale and distribution of Siemens Healthineer’s flagship division—diagnostic imaging devices such as CT scans, MRIs and X-rays as well as specialized molecular imaging equipment like PET CTs. “Our partnership with Siemens Healthineers started in 2016 and is now on its third renewal. This reflects Siemens’ confidence in Medilines’ established name in the Philippine healthcare industry, market dominance, and proven expertise in providing high quality medical devices to hospitals nationwide,” Medilines chairman Virgilio Villar said. It said that with the new three-year renewed partnership, it expects to retain position as the leading distributor of cancer therapy equipment. The segment, which contributes around P 1 billion to the company’s annual sales, is expected to grow by more than 20 percent this year. Jenniffer B. Austria

SMC speeds up P3-b river cleanup program

CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. said Tuesday it is ramping up its P3-billion Tullahan-Tinajeros and Pasig River clean up and rehabilitation program. San Miguel said in a statement it aimed to remove 1 million tons of waste from the Tullahan-Tinajeros river system by June this year. San Miguel president and chief executive Ramon Ang expressed confidence the company would achieve its target in four to five months, with daily dredging output already at 3,000 tons per day. Total extraction output since June 2020 already reached 653,434 tons. “Throughout the pandemic, and through many typhoons that have passed, our cleanup team has been relentless in their efforts to remove waste and silt from the Tullahan River. We’re encouraged by the big, positive changes we’ve already seen after just over one year of cleaning up the river. That’s why we have steadily built up our extraction capacity, bringing in more equipment and employing more people to help,” Ang said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Ormoc City declares renewable energy as priority THE city government of Ormoc in Leyte issued a resolution declaring the promotion of renewable energy as an official policy. The resolution was authored and filed by Sangguniang Panlungsod member Lalaine Marcos, who is also the chairperson of the Ormoc City government’s committee on environment, natural resources and energy conservation. The move received the support of Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez. The resolution cites Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, which declares as a state policy the promotion and the utilization of new, indigenous and renewable energy sources in power generation, and Republic Act No. 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which encourages the development and utilization of RE to effectively reduce or prevent harmful emissions. “With the undeniable consequences of climate change by way of the massively destructive typhoons and natural disasters that we have been experiencing in the past

years, going for more sustainable sources to sustain the energy needs of our local as well as national economy has become imperative,” said Marcos. Ormoc is host to several RE power plants that generate clean, reliable power, contributing greatly to the electricity needs of the Visayas region. It is among 165 members of the Powering Past Coal Alliance convened during the UN Climate Summit COP26 in Glasgow, United Kingdom in November last year that committed to domestic phase-out of coal and acceleration of global transition to clean energy. “Consistent with these directives and ideals, the City of Ormoc prioritizes the utilization of clean, renewable energy, which is abundant in the province; to continuously protect and develop such renewable energy sources and, at the same time, shun operations and activities including sourcing and use of energy sources that are destructive to the environment and harmful to its citizens’ health and livelihood,” said Gomez.Alena Mae S. Flores

MARIVELES PIER REHAB. In line with the commitment to building a better future, Aboitiz Construction starts the early stages of the pier rehabilitation of Mariveles Grains Corp. in Bataan province. Once completed, the project will ensure stability of the logistics of imported grain products. Aboitiz Construction bagged the contract to rehabilitate piers 1 and 2 and the threshold facilities of MGC. The rehabilitation is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter this year.

Sports

Organizers determined to jumpstart NCAA 97 WITH or without the basketball and volleyball games, organizers are determined to continue with their plans to push through with the start of Season 97 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. With the help of the Commission on Higher Education, the league can still stage the ballgames once the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases decides on a proposal that that they have put forward. “NCAA applied for exemption for contact sports training under Alert Level 3 to CHED, which shall endorse to IATF for approval,” said NCAA management committee chairman Dax Castellano of Season 97 host College of St. Benilde, in an interview with the Manila Standard. If their plan is turned down, the league could once again be limited to online events. “We are waiting for their approval to resume contact sports training as per the CHED-DOH Joint Memorandum Circular No. 4, Series of 2021,” added Castellano. Under the circular, “contact and non-contact sports activities for PE classes are allowed in areas under Alert Level 1 and 2. Only non-contact sports activities are allowed in areas under Alert Level 3.” The circular added that it will make room for adjustments should they be necessary. “In the event of new IATF resolutions on the conduct of contact and non-contact sports, such is deemed part of the issuance and should be observed,” according to the memo. This means that they will just settle for the staging of online chess games and skills events in taekwondo, which involve speed kicking and poomsae. The league opens Season 97 on March 5. The Mancom talked in detail of their plans last Friday, now that the National Capital Region is on COVID-19 Alert Level 3, following a big spike in virus cases recently. Peter Atencio

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022

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CAVS BEAT DURANTLESS NETS. Isaac Okoro of the

Cleveland Cavaliers guards Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. Darius Garland scored 22 points and delivered 12 assists as the Cavaliers stretched their winning streak to five games with a 114-107 win over the Nets. Issac Okoro scored 15 points and Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Love and Jarrett Allen each added 14 points for the Cavs, who avenged two losses to the Nets back in November. AFP

Vietnam reaffirms hosting of 31st SEA Games in May

T

HE 31st Southeast Asian Games is definitely pushing through. The Hanoi SEAG Organizing Committee reaffirmed Vietnam’s hosting of the delayed games from

Yao Ming invites Kanter to visit China BEIJING—Former basketball star Yao Ming on Monday invited staunch Beijing critic Enes Kanter Freedom to visit China after the Boston Celtics player urged athletes to boycott the Winter Olympics in the capital. Kanter has emerged as one of China’s most vocal critics in the sporting world, a rare athlete willing to forgo lucrative endorsements to speak on issues such as Beijing’s treatment of its Uyghur Muslim and Tibetan minorities. He has repeatedly spoken out on social media and been a guest on Western news shows as the Olympics nears. In recent interviews he has accused China of using “money to buy silence” and called on other athletes “to pick morals over money”. He also said the diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Games by the United States, Britain and Australia was “good, but not enough”. Yao, China’s most famous basketball star and one of its Olympic bid ambassadors, was asked about Kanter’s politics at a press gathering in Beijing on Monday. “I’ve heard of him, but I can’t really judge him because I don’t know him,” the retired Houston Rockets player and current president of the China Basketball Association said. “If there is an opportunity, I would like to invite him to visit China... Then he may have a more comprehensive understanding of us.” Chinese officials have previously invited foreign journalists and diplomats to take part in state-arranged tours to Xinjiang to counter claims by human rights groups and Washington that a genocide is being carried out against Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities, including forced labour in factories and internment camps where detainees have allegedly suffered torture and sexual abuse. But foreign reporters regularly encounter interference, surveillance and even detention by police and unidentified individuals while attempting to report from the ground in Xinjiang. AFP

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

POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (top left) and chef de mission Ramon Fernandez (bottom right) attend the first chef de mission online meeting for the Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games on Tuesday.

May 12 to 25 following Tuesday’s first chef de mission meeting that was held online because of travel protocols wrought by the spike in Covid-19 omicron variant cases early this month. “It’s certainly a go for the SEA Games in Hanoi in May,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who attended the meeting with Team Philippines chef de mission Ramon Fernandez. “Pre-Games formalities and timelines were presented, as well as soft copies of the Games manual were distributed to the members,” said Tolentino as the countdown to the Games, originally scheduled from November 21 to December 2 last year, ticked at 114 days on Monday. With the entry by numbers done last January 12, Tolentino said Hanoi set a February 12 distribution date and March 12 deadline for the submission of accreditation forms.

The deadline for the submission of entries by names, Tolentino added, is set for March 12, after which the chefs de mission will meet again, most likely face-to-face, on March 18. The POC submitted a 627-athlete entry by numbers for the Games with Filipino athletes competing in 39 of the 40 sports on the Hanoi program. The Philippines is not competing in xiangqi or Chinese or elephant chess, but is fielding athletes in bodybuilding which is making a comeback in the SEA Games after getting scrapped because of rampant doping. The medical and doping control handbooks, Tolentino said, are due one month before the opening ceremony on May 12, while the Accreditation Center in Hanoi will open on April 25. Vietnam set a May schedule for the Games to give Cambodia enough window for its firtst-time hosting of the multi-sport competition in February 2023. The Philippines is the reigning overall champion of the biennial Games following a successful hosting of the 30th edition in 2019.

UAAP getting advice from pro league on bubble setup By Peter Atencio SAFETY and health protocols used by the Philippine Basketball Association over the last two years will most likely be followed when the University Athletic Association of the Philippines returns with its 84th season this year. The league, through executive director Rene “Rebo” Saguisag Jr., have been in discussions with the PBA for the past months over their plans to restart their season. “Tumutulong kami sa protocols. Nag-uusap kami sa protocols kung ano ang dapat gawin,” confirmed PBA commissioner Willie Marcial over his discussions with

the UAAP, during Tuesday’s weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. The PBA has been able to stage two tournaments under a bubble-type of setup for the past two seasons. With the country in various stages of lockdown in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PBA held the Governors’ Cup inside a bubble at the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center. Last year, the PBA did the Philippine Cup and the Governors’ Cup at the Don Honorio Ventura State University on Bacolor, Pampanga using a similar setup. So far, COVID-19 vaccinations have began for student-athletes belonging to member-schools of the

UAAP last October. The league is looking forward to starting Season 84 in the first quarter of 2022 with its basketball tournament. Volleyball events are being planned to be held after the Holy Week. Member schools of the UAAP have been planning to have physical training activities in a bubble type of environment since October last year. But schools have not pushed through with this, pending clearance from the Commission on Higher Education. The league has been continuously refining its setup for months as organizers pursue plans to stage face-to-face competitions in 2022.

PBA Governors’ Cup fate known by next week THE PBA is set to hold a board meeting next week to decide the fate of the season-ending Governors’ Cup following the indefinite suspension of its games due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. Commissioner Willie Marcial had a talk with Chairman Ricky Vargas regarding the crucial meeting of minds among members of the Board of Governors to talk about plans of whether to push through with the stalled season or not. Marcial bared the timeline of the league moving forward when he appeared as special guest in the virtual session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday. “Magtatawag kami ng board meeting next week para pag-usapan na kung ano ang dapat gawin kung saan patungo ang PBA,” he said. “‘Pag nag-meeting kami next week, malamang ‘yan na ‘yung fate ng PBA kung saan tayo patungo. Malalaman kung

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial at the online PSA Forum

ano ba, itutuloy natin or hindi natin ituThe spike in COVID-19 cases after tuloy? Anong gagawin natin sa imports, the holiday season forced the league to anong gagawin natin sa players? By next shut down the import-spiced tournament week, siguro may kaunti nang liwanag.” indefinitely, an obvious setback for a

league that just a few weeks ago welcomed back its beloved fans live inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum. But a ray of hope shone on the league a few days ago when the Games and Amusement Board endorsed before the Inter-Agency Task Force the resumption of the PBA games behind what Marcial referred to as a ‘Type C bubble,’ or the home-venue-home setup which was similar to the arrangement done by the league during the early part of the Philippine Cup last year. Currently, the National Capital Region and nearby provinces are under Alert Level 3, where professional leagues are still allowed to play but under a full bubble. “Nag-endorse na sila (GAB) ng letter sa IATF na payagan na tayong maglaro,” said Marcial in the weekly Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Unilever, and social media and webcast partner Prime Edge.

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Sports

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022

ONE: Miado more excited to take on Ikeda now

BRAVE CF lauded at FightBook Awards BRAVE Combat Federation garnered a noteworthy recognition at the 7th Annual FightBook MMA Awards for its effort to work through the socalled new normal in 2021. Staying true to its commitment to deliver top-notch mixed martial arts action to fans around the world, American website FightBook MMA bestowed the Global Promotion of the Year award on BRAVE CF for the fifth year in a row. Founded by His Highness Shaikh Khaled bin Hamad Al Khalifa in 2016, the Bahrain-based outfit overcame an array of challenges caused by the global health crisis last year, finding a way to hold a total of 11 live shows in countries such as Russia, Belarus, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, and Serbia. The year 2021 was an eventful one as it witnessed the successful title defense of BRAVE CF Super Lightweight World Champion Eldar Eldarov with his first-round stoppage of Leonardo Mafra and the coronation of Ahmed “The Butcher” Amir as the BRAVE CF Lightweight World Champion by way of unanimous decision against Amin “Fierceness” Ayoub. Meanwhile, new contenders emerged through the pandemic-raged year with the likes of Abdisalam “Omok” Kubanychbek, Tae “Ares” Kyun Kim, Velimurad Alkhasov, Sam “The Future” Patterson, and Ahmad “The Shadow” Labban establishing themselves in their respective divisions. Aside from the organization itself, BRAVE CF 50—the culminating card of the four-event stretch known as “21 Days of MMA Mayhem” held from March to April last year— shared the 2021 Best Event of the Year citation with UFC 268 and LFA 97. Members of the BRAVE CF broadcast panel were recognized during the recently-concluded 7th Annual FightBook MMA Awards as Carlos Kremer won the Cage Announcer of Year for the fifth-straight time, while for the second year in a row, Phil Campbell and Kirik Jenness claimed the MMA Commentators of the Year trophy.

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez hits a return against Australia’s Maddison Inglis during their women’s singles match on Day 2 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

US Open finalist Leylah stunned in Melbourne M

ELBOURNE—Leylah Fernandez said she must “improve in every aspect” after the US Open runner-up was dumped out in the first round of the Australian Open by a wildcard on Tuesday. The 19-year-old Canadian, who lost to fellow teenager Emma Raducanu in the championship decider at Flushing Meadows in September, saw her Melbourne title bid fall at the first hurdle against Australia’s 133rd-ranked Maddison Inglis, 6-4, 6-2. Fernandez, seeded 23, was at a loss to explain her poor performance

but said the only thing she could do would be to get back on the practice court as soon as possible. “Today was just not a good day, too many mistakes,” said Fernandez, whose stunning exploits in New York where she knocked out defending champion Naomi Osaka and world number two Aryna Sabalenka had earmarked her as a star of the future.

“We had a good pre-season, we worked hard, we improved my tennis game,” she added after her return to Grand Slam action turned sour. “Just leading up to these tournaments, I was just extremely happy with how I was progressing and how I was practising.” Fernandez said she was determined to look forward despite her disappointment. “I can’t go back in time,” she said. “The only thing I can do right now is get back on the tennis court and put in the hours, work hard and just improve in every aspect.” AFP

PLDT Home Fibr continues manpower buildup Wendy Semana

PLDT Home Fibr unveiled three more additions to their roster for the upcoming 2022 Premier Volleyball League season Headlining the latest recruits of the High Speed Hitters is former Shakey’s VLeague Best Setter Wendy Semana. She is also joined by former Cignal spiker Fiola Ceballos and ex-University of the East Lhara Clavano. Ceballos is a 26-yearold outside hitter who stands at 5-foot-7 and hails from Iloilo while Clavano is a 22-year-old playmaker from Tanauan, Batangas. The latter had to forego her final year in UE to turn pro. For the 35-yearold Semana, she is just glad to have been given the oppor-

tunity to play in the pro league by new PLDT head coach George Pascua. “Na-miss ko kasi maglaro and then ininvite ako ni Coach George na mag-tryout,” said the setter from the Philippine Air Force, who missed the 2021 Open Conference but suited up for Perlas in the inaugural PNVF Champions League tournament late last year. “Nag-try ako at hayun, nabigyan ako ng chance. “May halong kaba, kasi napakalayo na ng volleyball noon sa ngayon. Marami na ring malalaki at magagaling na players kaya magiging malaking challenge sa akin na ito,” she added as this will be her first stint in the PVL since it turned pro a year ago. Semana will be playing alongside another decorated setter in Rhea Dimaculangan in PLDT. And it’s a long time coming for Semana as the last time she played alongside Dimaculangan was back in 2015 when the latter was still an enlisted Air Force personnel. “Nakasama ko na si Rhea before sa Air Force,” recalled Semana as they were able

Eumir Marcial back in US, eyes 2nd pro bout, SEA Games stint THE road to boxing greatness continues for Eumir Felix Marcial as he seeks his second professional victory in the United States. After months of committing to business and personal matters owing to his Olympic bronze-medal achievement, Marcial arrived in the US Monday night (Tuesday morning, Manila time) to begin his Los Angeles training camp in anticipation of an upcoming bout in early April. “Finally, I can now fully focus on my training. I was told to prepare for a scheduled outing. I need to be in excellent shape because I want to get back in the ring soon and also make myself available for the na-

tional team by May,” said Marcial. He is also eyeing a possible stint at the 31st Southeast Asian Games scheduled on May 12 to 23 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Marcial won gold medals in the last three editions of the biennial meet and is looking at a fourth straight SEA Games title. From LA, the 26-year-old Marcial will move to Las Vegas to be with famed conditioning coach Angel Memo Heredia by mid-February, something that excites the Zamboangeño Olympian. “I thank Sir Sean (Gibbons, MP Promotions President) and Senator Manny (Pacquiao) for making sure I get the best possible team here in the US. I know a lot of great things that

coach Memo has done, that’s why it excites me a lot that I will also be under his program,” said Marcial. A native of Lunzuran, Zamboanga City, Marcial signed a multi-year contract with Pacquiao’s MP Promotions July of 2020 then made his pro debut in December of the same year, beating American Andrew Whitfield in a four-round battle in Los Angeles. After claiming a bronze medal in last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Marcial married his longtime partner Princess Galarpe in a classy beachside wedding in Batangas. Marcial started the year by training in Tagaytay City with world-rated fellow Zamboangeño Jonas Sultan.

to steer Air Force to a runner-up finish in the 2014 Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference. “Kaya masaya ako dahil matagal na kaming hindi nagkasama muli. Ito na ‘yung chance namin.” Ever since she played in the SVL -which later on became the PVL, a championship has eluded Semana with the closest she ever got to winning a crown was back in the 2016 Open Conference. With a crack lineup, Semana is hoping that this will be it. “Sa ngayon, bagong players kaming lahat sa PLDT pero buto beterano,” said the Far Eastern University product. “May chance na maging contender kami pero nasa sa amin pa rin itong mga players kung paano kami makakapag-adjust sa system ni Coach George.” Semana, Ceballos, and Clavano join Kath Arado, Jessey De Leon, Mean Mendrez, Dell Palomata, and Jovie Prado as the new signings of PLDT so far. Dimaculangan, Chin Basas, Eli Soyud, and Nieza Viray are the team’s holdovers from last season.

JEREMY “The Jaguar” Miado was hardly surprised with the performance Senzo Ikeda had at ONE: HEAVY HITTERS. With the Filipino forced to pull out due to health and safety protocols, Ikeda had to make a quick pivot and face Elipitua “The Magician” Siregar in the first fight night of 2022. And as expected, the Pancrase World Champion showed his might against his Indonesian opponent, displaying his educated hands and connecting with devastating body shots to earn a third round knockout win. It is this gameplan which Miado said that his camp anticipated from Ikeda before changes were made in the card. “I know and I expected those from him. I can say that I’m amazed with how both athletes performed in that match, but I’m certainly impressed with Ikeda. You can see how determined he was to get the win and he really showed his best to win that fight,” he said. Not only did Ikeda earn that scintillating victory, his performance was also such a standout that he was one of three recipients of the $50,000 bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. The other two awardees were Saygid Izagakhmaev and Ekaterina “Barbie” Vandaryeva. Miado agreed that Ikeda really deserved the reward with the kind of performance that he delivered. “He really worked hard for it. You can see his dedication and his fighter spirit in all those three rounds. He never gave up and he really wanted that finish, and he got it,” he said. That only made Miado all the more pumped to get back to training and hope to be booked anew against Ikeda -- an opponent he sees as someone who could really push him to his limits. “I’m more excited now. We prepared for him and he proved that he’s really a strong fighter. He presents a very interesting challenge for me that I need to get over to progress with my career,” he said. “You can see that he’s really a striker, and that means that we have the same bread and butter. So if ever we get matched up again, I have to really be at my best and strive harder in my training.” It also fortified Miado’s belief that beating Ikeda could be the springboard he is looking for to be considered as one of the perennial contenders in the strawweight division. “He really proved himself in that fight, all the more that the changes were made at the last minute,” he said. “For me, I know that I still have a lot to learn and prove here before I can get to my goals of being included in the ONE Athlete Rankings. But it doesn’t mean that I’ll quit that easily. No matter how hard the task is, I can only promise that I will work hard to make it there.” And if his showing also brings him that $50,000 bonus? That’s just the cherry on top for Miado. “I’m focused on the fight and everything that comes after that is just a plus. If ever I’ll be given that, I know that will be a big help for my family, for the future of my baby Tobiko. That’s why I can only assure everyone that I will give my best with or without the bonus because all I aspire to is to earn a future title shot,” he said. “So I just hope that I get a chance to face Senzo soon.”

Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial (left) is reunited with MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons in the boxer’s Los Angeles apartment Monday night (Tuesday morning, Manila time).

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022

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TAYING in show business for a long time is every actor’s goal. Ask anyone in the industry and they would tell you that their mission as actors is to share their talent with their audiences and leave a legacy that can inspire a new generation of artists.

Clearly, longevity is what everyone aims for. But how can stars make sure to keep their sparkle for a long time? “Talent and good looks are not enough,” Johnny Manahan, otherwise known as Mr. M., told Manila Standard Entertainment in an interview. “Apart from having a good character, one must be dedicated in his craft. And young artists should learn from these stars because they’ve shown, through their hard work, where your dedication can take you if you really take your profession as an artist to heart,” Mr. M added alluding to the batch of stars introduced under the newly branded Sparkle. With Sparkle, formerly known as GMA Artist Center, the network aims to light a fun and exciting spark in the entertainment industry all while evolving to fit the ever-changing new media and digital landscape. Spearheaded by Mr. M together with Gigi Santiago-Lara, Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions, Sparkle introduces its brightest stars:

Sanya Lopez

Bianca Umali

Gabbi Garcia

Ysabel Ortega

Let them sparkle

Sanya Lopez

Sensual, beautiful, talented, and down to earth. That’s what people think when Sanya’s name is mentioned. Her versatility is shown in the various roles she has played onscreen, including the phenomenal hit First Yaya. In 2022, she is all set to star in more teleseryes like Agimat ng Agila and First Lady. Her musical and dancing talents are quite phenomenal as well making her one of the top TikTok stars and a regular host on All-Out Sundays. She even has her very own single titled “Hot Maria Clara.” A reliable brand ambassador, Sanya is a trusted endorser to several brands that include cosmetics, appliances, and other beauty products.

Bianca Umali

She is ready to set 2022 on fire. Bianca is a versatile actress who dances, sings, and looks great in anything she wears. She is also a great host and an interesting content producer where she shows off how smart and “woke” she is in real life. Bianca’s challenging roles in Legal Wives and Sahaya plus her international series on HBO’s Halfworlds are sure signs that this young star is really sparkling. This year, catch her in Mano Po 2 and enjoy her performances on AllOut Sundays.

Miguel Tanfelix

Gabbi Garcia

More than just our favorite It Girl, Gabbi is on top of her game, capturing hearts with her stellar moments on-screen through singing and dancing, hosting with so much ease, and au naturel acting. Gabbi’s commanding presence on social media can be felt by her loyal followers from IG to YouTube as her gift of gab, wit, and intelligence make her a favorite of brands that matter. Currently headlining All-Out Sundays, she is set to make a primetime soap early this year with twin soul Khalil Ramos. An international movie to be shot in the US is also in the works. Indeed, things are looking big and shiny for Gabbi.

Ysabel Ortega

GMA’s new sweetheart is Ysabel Ortega. Her sparkling eyes, a sincere smile, and sweet personality have made Ysabel an easy favorite. Even with such assets, Ysabel stays humble and always looks back to her roots in her provincial family home. She will soon be seen in a new primetime se-

Khalil Ramos

ries titled What We Could Be and will be one of the leads in the much-awaited Voltes V: Legacy as Jamie Robinson. Ysabel is also a hit online with her social media pages and her own YouTube channel. Apart from that, she is also a sought-after endorser.

Miguel Tanfelix

Heartthrob is the best word to describe this young star. Every girl would feel a romantic excitement when they get to see and meet Miguel. His look and captivating smile could easily win the hearts of many. Miguel is a multi-awarded actor who has graced the screen in many memorable projects. Being a great dancer and performer has made Miguel a TikTok superstar, but this young man has a keen business sense too. He invests in the right portfolios and has started businesses at such a young age. He is also an endorser of international brands. You will get to see more of him on GMA’s Sunday noontime show All-Out Sundays and in the upcoming primetime

Ruru Madrid

series What We Could Be. His biggest project to date would be Voltes V: Legacy where he plays the lead character of Steve Armstrong.

Khalil Ramos

His soulful eyes and killer smile say it all for this young and talented man who can sing his way to every girl’s heart and act just about any role with so much grit and honesty. Armed with multiple talents up his sleeve, Khalil is currently making all our fan hearts swoon in Love on Air. This photographer and promising director is also a sought-after creator on the net. This year, we will see him paired with twin soul Gabbi in the primetime soap, Love You Stranger. Plus, he is gearing up to release a musical album that’s sure to set sparkles of light and love to everyone.

Ruru Madrid

Good looks, a killer bod, and an irresistible charm make Ruru the ultimate leading man in GMA. Ruru has partnered with beautiful leading ladies

Derrick Monasterio

and has become the top choice for male lead roles. He is also a businessman and is into creating his own content empire starting with his recently launched YouTube channel. Ruru endorses big brands and will be starring in the political-fantasy drama, Lolong, one of GMA’s biggest Primetime shows in 2022. You can also catch him perform and host every week on All-Out Sundays.

Derrick Monasterio

This Kapuso hunk has killer eyes that will melt even the toughest hearts. Derrick Monasterio is Sparkle’s man’s man. He is fit, athletic, and handsome. His sense of humor as well as his dramatic prowess have made him a favorite in shows like Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko and Regal Studio Presents. Catch Derrick’s maiden soap this year as this young hunk will show you what he’s got. Oh, and he sings and paints, too. What more can you ask for? Derrick is all set to make your hearts flutter this 2022 and he will do just that with a wink.

ABS-CBN stars raise millions for Odette survivors MORE than 90,000 families who lost their homes and livelihoods due to Super Typhoon Odette have already received aid from ABS-CBN Foundation with the help of donations raised via the “TulongTulong sa Pag-ahon” fund drive. Operation Odette has reached 92,845 families or 464,225 Filipinos in areas devastated by the typhoon such as Antique, Bohol, Bukidnon, Cebu, Dinagat Islands, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Palawan, Siargao Island, Southern Leyte, and Surigao City. They were brought food and basic necessities to help them get through the days as they begin to rebuild their lives again. Moreover, there were 41,346 individuals served with hot meals from the Mobile Kitchen. Helping ABS-CBN Foundation in this mission are

private comp a nies, local

volun-

teers, and government Daan sa Pagtutulungan,” agencies such as the wherein it will have conArmed Forces of secutive fundraising the Philippines. activities in 100 days “They are for the benefit of always open Odette survivors. to partner The first with us in event, called bringing By Request A help to those Benefit Conin need. cert, hosted by While our Darla Sauler, kababayans already raised try to rise from over P3.5 milthis tragedy, lion with the help we will not of stars Regine stop in purVelasquez-Alcasid, suing this advoKyle Echarri, Ogie Alcacy,” said Sagip Kacasid, KD Estrada and Alexa pamilya program head Kyle Echarri Ilacad, Jed Madela, Erik SanEarl Bacabac in an tos, Gary Valenciano, Gigi De interview. Lana and GG Vibes Band, MoiAs of Jan. 16, ra Dela Torre with Jason Marvin the foundation has received and I Belong to the Zoo, and Darren P65,436,000 in cash donations Espanto. and in kind donations such as This will be followed by Truth or rice, canned goods, water, hy- Dare, where Kapamilya leading men giene kits, and blankets worth will answer questions and do challenges P12,599,000. from donors from today until Jan. 28 on With approximately 1.4 the same platforms: FYE Channel on million families affected Kumu, ABS-CBN Entertainment Faceby Super Typhoon book page and YouTube channel, and Odette, ABS-CBN iWantTFC. launched on JanuFor information and other ways to doary 9 the second nate, visit the official pages of ABS-CBN phase of its fund Foundation on Facebook, Twitter, and drive called Instagram or go to https://foundation. abs-cbn.com. The DSWD Authority/ Darren Solicitation Permit No. of this campaign Espanto is DSWD-SB-SP-00026-21, which is “Isang valid nationwide until May 28.

The cast of ‘Quizon CT’

Wholesome brand of comedy in ‘Quizon CT’

NET25 welcomed the New Year with a new show that features the children of the late Comedy King Dolphy. Wittingly titled Quizon CT or Quizon Comedy Theater, the gag show premiered on Jan. 9. Starring Eric, Epy and Vandolph Quizon, the gag show also includes Vandolph’s wife Jenny Quizon, Martin Escudero, Bearwin Meily, Gene Padilla, Garry Lim, Tanya, Charuth, and beauty queen Billie Hakenson. Eric, who also directs the program along with Epy, said that Quizon CT is their tribute to the memory of their late father. “We tried to pitch the program to different networks, but it was Net25 who showed great interest in the concept. The show itself honors our father and his brand of com-

edy,” he said during the show’s virtual junket held last week. “So, nakakataba ng puso na hanggang ngayon ay buhay pa ang tatay ko in terms of comedy. He is still alive terms of making people laugh,” Epy said in turn. According to Vandolph, there is a segment in the show where they try to imitate and recreate Dolphy’s memorable skits on the screen. Called “Dolphy Classics,” it allows them to relive their father’s funny sketches. “It’s our way to reminisce and emulate din, and at the same time, pagbibigay tribute sa mga ginawa ni Daddy,” the young Quizon said. Quizon CT airs on Net 25 every Sunday at 8:00 p.m., after Aga Muhlach’s Tara, Game, Agad Agad game show. The Quizon brothers (from left) Epy, Eric, and Vandolph

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2022

Renowned performance artist Eisa Jocson

ART AND CULTURE

plastic art

Wearable in harmony with nature Film Director Ea Torrado (left) and costume designer Leeroy New

“B

ARI-BARI, magmagnakami apo.”

combined the interviews and the contemporary dance interpretations of folk and ethnic dances in Ilocos Region. “Bari-Bari” featured Filipino dancer-choreographers Eisa Jocson, Mia Cabalfin and Abee Manotoc who immersed themselves with the land and waters of La Union and Ilocos Sur. The featured artists found their own spot in La Union and conveyed their thoughts on environmental stewardship through performance. CCP Thirteen Artists awardee Leeroy New designed the wearable arts pieces worn by the dancers. The costumes were made from recycled plastics, which were collected by the Dalumpinas Oeste Eco Rangers (DOERS) during their daily coastal cleanups in La Union. Collaborating with the local arts community, three of the featured dancers are from Sanduli Dance Troupe, the dance ensemble of LORMA Colleges in San Juan, La Union. Ea explained that this is their way to “help collaboratively channel or steer the attempts of local communities at environmental stewardship towards awareness, and through creative production.” “Bari-Bari” premiered in December 2021 as the Philippine representative at the Environmental Dances platform, a global project by Germany-based choreographer Christoph Winkler that seeks to explore how dance culture could contribute to achieving a less destructive way of dealing with nature and the ecosystem.

A phrase I would usually utter while walking along a dimly-lit road with thick foliage. An Ilocano expression I learned and grew up with, it is BY GLAIZA LEE roughly translated as “Tabi tabi po. Makikiraan lang (Excuse me. We will just pass through).” I would often hear bari-bari whenever someone spits on the ground, walks near the punso (dirt mound), passes under an old tree (especially balete tree), crosses a river, or just enters a place where spirits and otherworldly entities are thought to be possibly living in. Most cultures have their own version of this oral tradition. Cebuanos say “paagi a’ mi” while Bicolanos would simply utter “tabi apo.” In Leyte, they would speak “buyag tawn.” In Negros, it would be “tabi tabi malabay.” However, every culture says this expression. It all centers on being respectful to other elemental beings, and by extension, to nature. For La Union-based artists Ea Torrado and Chino Neri, saying bari-bari represents the Philippines’ pre-colonial attitude of respect for nature. The two artists collaborated to produce a dance series – aptly titled “Bari-bari (We Mean No Harm)” – on rethinking plastics and advocating for environmental sustainability and regeneration. Ea, who is also the artistic director of Daloy Dance Company, believes that nature worship and eco-conscious reverence to nature, as well as environmental awareness, are deeply part of the Filipino cultural heritage. The artist explored this concept through a collection of seven short dance films. Merging different art forms such Eaisa Jocson in Leeroy New’s design as film, visual arts, and dance, the series

GLAZING LIFE

Precious Jewel Gacad in Leeroy New’s wearable art

Student-artist explores Pablo Antonio’s ancestral home THE legacy of Philippine archives, as well as well-kept National Artist for Archistories through a series of intecture Pablo S. Antonio terviews with family members continues to be preserved and heritage professionals to by his descendants, led by better understand the imporgreat-grandson Joshua Bartance of this home in relation rera. The young artist grew to Philippine architecture and up being exposed to coloring, modern living,” he narrated. sketching, fashion, and travel, According to Barrera, Joshua Barrera which enabled him to apprethese stories have not been ciate various arts and cultures, discussed nor mentioned to a heritages, and landscapes. broader Filipino audience. “This aspect of my child“One insight revealed to me hood further fueled my creahow the home inspired the detivity and constant excitement signs of the exclusive Manila Polo to immerse myself in new enClub and the very first houses in vironments,” he shared. Forbes Park – which Pablo S. AnThus, for his collegiate thesis, tonio likewise designed.” he opted to scan and scrutinize Today, he is the curator of the home of his great-grandfathe property. ther, the Pablo S. Antonio Resi“Curating a heritage house is Philippine National Artist for dence in Pasay City. neither limited to the arrangeArchitecture Pablo S. Antonio “My interest in architecment of furniture and collectural heritage, in particular, was not only tions, nor a designed pathway for visitors to be because of my great-grandfather’s built lega- toured around. It is all about creating an expericies, but also due to my love to visit and learn ence – the chance to fully experience a Pablo S. about them. For example, Casa Gorordo in Antonio design and his architectural vision for Cebu and the Syquia Mansion in Vigan are ‘modern living in the tropics’.” two of my favorite heritage houses in the In addition to his responsibilities, he finds country. Their digital marketing through time for his own art pieces, specifically in websites sparked my thesis project – where pointillism, with motifs inspired by PhilipI could apply this promotional and curatorial pine ethnic patterns. strategy to uplift a home dear to me and my Innerbloom, a piece he created in August family,” he continued. 2021 amid the pandemic, which reflected his The thesis, entitled Pablo S. Antonio’s state of mind and personal growth, garnered House of Dreamers, is a curatorial study on 3rd Place at an international competition the significance, narratives, and aesthetic hosted by sterling art marker brand Copic in features of his great-grandfather’s home. Tokyo, Japan. “I began “This marked a triumphant moment not collecting pho- only in 2021 but my in life,” he confessed. tographs and Together with best friend Nigel Villaceran, dwelling on they likewise launched Vibrant Art Studios PH, a collective of young artists who wish to uplift emerging talents while they advocate for the preservation of architectural heritage. “We call ourselves Vibrant to celebrate diversity in the Filipino youth Ataraxia (acrylic on canvas) – there is a lot to offer in by Joshua Barrera An exhibit from Vibrant Art Studios PH Philippine art,” he ended.

Mia Cabalfin

Multi-field contemporary artist Leeroy New

Tapping various artists around the world, the dance platform features dance pieces from Europe, Japan, Indonesia, Colombia, USA, Uganda, Burkina Faso, among others. Check them out at https://www.environmental-dance.com. With the support of Goethe Institut-Manila, the Filipino dance series also participated in 2021’s Fifth Wall Fest, the Philippines’ first international platform for dance on camera (fifthwallfest.com), The Green UnConference 2021: Transition Journeys, and Art in Nature: Nature in Art Festival in LORMA Colleges, La Union. Ea plans to participate in various film festivals in 2022. I do hope their film series would have a Philippine premiere. Their message on respecting and protecting nature is quite timely, especially with the climate changes happening around us.

Balay San Nicolas, a cultural tourism haven

The ancestral house will be restored to its grandeur to be a significant landmark in theprovince.

By Pete Dacuycuy

THE grand opening of the restored ValdesLardizabal House, now called Balay San Nicolas, is an important cultural tourism event in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte. Headed the guestlist was Tourism Sec. Bernadette Romulo- Puyat, the inauguration of the 19th century bahay na bato was also attended by key personalities of the province and the town which include Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc, Vice Gov. Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba, Mayor Alfredo Valdez Jr., Vice Mayor Marlow Valdez, Consul Annette Ablan, and National Museum Ilocos representative Paolo Mar Chan. The San Nicolas Bin-I Foundation, Inc. together with art patron Dr. Joven Cuanang, helped the local government in the restoration of the house, wich was declared an important cultural property (ICP) by the National Museum in 2015. Apart from the house, the 2015 ICP declarations also included the San Nicolas de Tolentino Church, convent (Santa Rosa Academy,), Via Crucis structures, San Nicolas Central School building, Municipio, and Nagrebcan archaeological site. Mayor Valdes, who described the house ( known by the townfolks “kabite”, Ilocano word meaning big strong bato) as the most significant among the heritage houses of San Nicolas, said the restored house will now be a cultural tourism center with the ValdesLardizabal family memorabilia, a souvenir

Balay San Nicolas is considered the most significant among the heritage houses of San Nicolas.

shop, restaurant, events place, a DOT Office, and exhibition spaces for artists. He said the house is their town’s identity that needs to be preserved for the appreciation not only of the San Nicoleños but of the Filipinos in general. The Tourism Secretary, in her speech, congratulated the local government and its partners in the restoration and the inauguration of the house which she said: “has witnessed many historical events, as well as mundane activities of the townsfolk—all vital to the heritage of San Nicolas which gives visitors a unique, exciting, and meaningful experience.” As an Important Cultural Property, it deserves to be restored to its grandeur and be

a significant landmark, not only in the municipality, but the whole province, and she said the house will be a living museum that tourists can visit and appreciate. “As the tourism industry strives to recover from the adverse impacts of the pandemic, we have been ramping up efforts toward promoting sustainable tourism, which UNESCO defines as ‘tourism that respects both local people and the traveler, cultural heritage and the environment,’” she stressed. “From this day on, Balay San Nicolas will be an important cultural vessel and a storyteller to future visitors,” she went on. On the other hand, Governor Manotoc and Rep. Barba both congratulated the local government and all those involved in the restoration of the house. \ Barba , who hails from the town, said he is glad to see another tourist site opened in the Ilocos region. He said this is “one step towards truly establishing San Nicolas as a Tourist Town.” The inauguration was marked by a cultural show of the Bin-I Foundation which featured among others, the Ilocano folk song “Pamulinawen” and poetic chant dallot. A fashion show of Abel Ilocos featuring designs by Edgar Madamba, Vic Barba, and Niña Corpuz was also one of the highlights of the successful late afternoon event, followed by cocktails with Valdes-Lardizabal House, now called Balay San Ilocano merienda cena fare. Nicolas, in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte