Manila Standard - 2022 January 21 - Friday by Manila Standard

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

manilastandard.net

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net

844 areas under lockdown

PNP tally up 300% in just a week with 4 provinces now at Alert Level 4 By Joyce Pangco Pañares

HE number of areas placed under granular lockdown due to COVID-19 has climbed to 844 across the country, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said, a more than 300 percent increase in a week's time from only 206 on Jan. 12.

VOL. XXXV • NO. 340 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

As this developed, three provinces Province—as well as Northern Samar in the Cordillera Administrative were placed under Alert Level 4 by Region – Kalinga, Ifugao and Mountain Next page

Workplaces eyed new jab sites after drugstores trial By Willie Casas THE government is considering allowing workplaces to serve as vaccination sites to make it easier for unvaccinated workers to get their jabs

against COVID-19. “We want to make vaccines more accessible to workers,” Labor Undersecretary Benjo Santos Benavidez said in Filipino during an online briefing. To get even more people protected against COVID-19, the government has also begun the pilot run for its “Resbakuna sa mga Botika,” a program to get Next page

OUCH. A resident of Manila reacts as he receives his COVID-19 vaccine booster inside a drugstore in Quirino Avenue as part of the pilot run of the government's 'Resbakuna sa Botika.' Norman Cruz

Duque to Acosta: Get vaccinated Passengers returning home not covered by ‘no vax, no ride’ rule

By Willie Casas and Rio N. Araja

HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III told Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta Thursday to already get her vaccine against COVID-19, saying she needed protection from the coronavirus. “I am appealing to PAO chief Acosta, because I think she is about to become a senior citizen, that she should be given additional protection from COVID-19 through vaccination,” Duque said. Acosta has publicly admitted in a Next page

‘Unvaxxed people likely to develop new virus strains’ By Willie Casas

AN INFECTIOUS disease specialist said Thursday that unvaccinated people had a higher chance of developing new variants of COVID-19. Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Dr. Edsel Next page

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and other transport agencies have been ordered to allow stranded passengers, especially those with children, who are returning to their provinces from Metro Manila or vice versa to do so regardless of their vaccination status, as returning home is considered a form of essential travel. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued this order to qualify its “no vaccination, no ride” policy in Metro Manila that bars the unvaccinated from

taking public transportation as a way of curbing COVID-19 infections. “The primary rule is—returning home is a form of essential travel,” said Goddes Hope Libiran, DOTr spokesperson. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said he was “fuming” when he learned that children were not allowed to board because their parents were not vaccinated and they did not have the proper documentation. “My instruction from the very beginning is plain and simple — the 'no vax, no ride' policy [implementation Next page

3,324,478 31,173

275,364

53,153

110

2,995,961 26,298 (As of 4 PM, JANUARY 20)

US warship sails thru SCS, snubs China warning

Healthworkers, teachers to get more cash aids By Maricel V. Cruz

A US warship sailed through the South China Sea on Thursday, sparking a warning from China's military as tensions between the superpowers remain high. The American navy said the 7th Fleet Destroyer USS Benfold "asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law." The Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army said the US ship had "illegally" entered what Beijing regards as its waters. The PLA "organized naval and air forces

THE Department of Education (DepEd) said Thursday its teachers and nonteaching personnel would receive their performance-based bonus for Fiscal Year 2020, which contrasts with the plight of nurses still awaiting their pay increase. Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor urged the Department of Health to implement Malacañang’s order to increase the basic salary of most government nurses by at least P3,053 a month. Defensor made the appeal after learning

DOH: VAX DRIVE FOR 0-4 YRS OLD MAY START APRIL NEWS / A2

WAITING GAME. Stranded passengers in North Port Terminal were given food packs Thursday as they waited to be allowed to board their respective vessels. The Department of Transportation yesterday clarified that stranded passengers, especially those with children, should be allowed to return to their provinces regardless of vaccination status. Facebook page of Charis Villasis

9 COPS CHARGED FOR MURDER OF CALBAYOG MAYOR NEWS / A3

News

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Vax for 0-4 yrs old to start April or May By Willie Casas

At the Laging Handa public briefing, Cabotaje said the government was considering this period when there would already be a study and recommendation on the inoculation of the youngest age group. At the same time, the national government is finalizing guidelines for the

COVID-19 vaccination of children 5 to 11 years old, which is expected to start in early February, the Department of Health said. Earlier, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government was eyeing to vaccinate against COVID-19 around 11.11 million children aged 0 to 4 years

old before the end of June. He said they were making contingencies to secure a supply of doses for 0-4 years old as COVID-19 vaccine brands with formulation for children are only limited, which, he said, will create shortage in the first quarter. At the same time, the national government is finalizing guidelines for the COVID-19 vaccination of children 5 to 11 years old, which is expected to start in early February, the Department of Health said. Cabotaje said the Health Technology Assessment Council was set to come up with recommendations, and authorities continue consulting experts.

844...

infections yesterday, bringing the total to 3,324,478, the Department of Health (DOH) said. The positivity rate stood at 43.3 percent. Of the 275,364 active cases, 8,424 were asymptomatic; 262,168 were mild; 2,979 were moderate; 1,488 were severe; and 305 were critical. Nationwide, 50 percent of ICU beds, 51 percent of isolation beds, 54 percent of ward beds, and 24 percent of ventilators were in use. In Metro Manila, 51 percent of ICU beds, 47 percent of isolation beds, 58 percent of ward beds, and 29 percent of ventilators were in use. National Task Force Against COVID-19 medical adviser Dr. Ted

Herbosa said it was still difficult to tell if the recent decline of cases in the National Capital Region is already the start of the downward trajectory of infections. “It is hard to say if there is already a downward trend even though there was indeed a rapid decline in the past two days. We cannot relax yet. We are still cautious,” Herbosa said. Herbosa said that they are looking at the one-week average daily attack rate and growth rate to assess the trend of COVID-19 cases. As of Thursday, Metro Manila still topped the regions with the most number of new cases at 8,883 or 30 percent of the total, followed by Calabarzon with 6,471 and Central Luzon with 2,783.

OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David, said the weekly growth rate of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila is now at -10 percent, indicating a downward trajectory. The Department of Health, however, said the cases continue to increase even as the growth rate has started to plateau. “It is starting to plateau but we still do not know if it will go up again. Hopefully, it will start to go down,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a recent report to President Rodrigo Duterte. “Before, the growth rate was almost double every one or two days. Now, it is still increasing, but the growth rate is slowing down,” Duque added. With Willie Casas

The participating pharmacies are: Mercury Drug in Pres. Quirino Avenue, Malate, Manila; Southstar Drug in Marikina; Watsons in SM Supercenter Pasig; Generika Drugstore in Signal 1, Taguig; The Generics Pharmacy in Edison St. Sun Valley, Parañaque; QualiMed Clinic in McKinley Road, Makati;and Healthway in Manila. The NTF said all persons aged 18 and above, aside from senior citizens and individuals with comorbidities, can get their COVID-19 booster shots through the program. Deputy Chief Implementer Vince Dizon on Wednesday said walk-ins are allowed but they will still need to register

online once at the pharmacies. “Our plan is that once a pharmacy starts, it will continue. The government will continuously supply them with vaccines,” Dizon said in Filipino. The boosters will be administered daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. after the initial rollout. Dizon reminded the public to bring their vaccination cards as well as valid government IDs. As of Jan. 16, the NTF said a total of 55,195,486 Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The Department of Health (DOH) said on Thursday two COVID-19 vaccine brands—Sinovac and AstraZeneca -- will

be available in drugstores and clinics during the trial run of their booster jab rollout. Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, who chairs the National Vaccination Operations Center, said both vaccines can be stored in regular refrigerators. After an evaluation, the program will be expanded across Metro Manila. It might be launched in other parts of the country by the second or third week of February, Cabotaje said. “If the results are good, extra vaccination sites, extra hands will be a big help to our local government units,” Cabotaje said.

Police’s Highway Patrol Group, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic have conducted joint operations since the new policy limiting the movement of unvaccinated individuals was implemented. She said commuters unable to present a COVID-19 vaccination card were apprehended and brought to the vaccination site at the Quezon Memorial Circle to receive their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Belmonte assured the public, however, that unvaccinated individuals who need to acquire essential goods or services, as well as those who have medical conditions that prevent them from getting vaccinated, are exempted from the rule. Unvaccinated individuals who were hesitant to get inoculated were not forced and were instead sent home and told to get a certification from a licensed physician and their barangay for clearance as proof that they cannot get vaccinated. Task Force Disiplina Action Officer Deck Pelembergo, meanwhile, appealed to unvaccinated commuters to immediately get inoculated. Meanwhile, a total of 234 out of 1,300 ambulant vendors, and market vendors and employees who remain unvaccinated and have been identified by local government agencies, received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday. Belmonte earlier announced that the city government would extend P2,000 to each ambulant vendor, and market vendor and employee as compensation for lost income, if they agree to get inoculated from Jan. 8 to 31. "We understand that most vendors cannot take a day off due to loss of income that would put food on the family table, so we decided to provide them with an incentive to encourage them to receive COVID-19 shots," she said.

Healthworkers,...

Hospital, Defensor said most government nurses are Nurse ll holders. According to the group, out of PGH’s 1,142 nurses, 823 or 72 percent are ranked as Nurse ll. Under DBM Circular 20204 issued on July 17, 2020, these nurses were demoted to Nurse I. Defensor said Nurse II position occupants should now receive a basic monthly salary of P38,150 to P41,172 (SG 16) depending on length of service, while those with SG 15, which is the hiring rate for government nurses, should get P35,097. “This means that most nurses in public hospitals, including those in local government units throughout the country, should be receiving additional compensation of P3,053 to P6,075 a month,” he said. He said hospitals and LGUs that have not complied with the June memo of the Office of the President (OP) should start complying this month “since the government and LGUs are opening on new budgets.” He pointed out that the non-compliant agencies should also pay their personnel a salary differential for six months because the OP directive was effective June 1, 2021. Defensor admitted though that a number of government hospitals, including the National Kidney and Transplant Institute on East Avenue, Quezon City, are already compliant. The OP memo, which sustained the DOH position on nurses’ compensation and staffing, also restored all nurse positions, including Nurse VII, which the DBM had abolished, and retained their salary levels.

to engage in tracking and monitoring as well as to warn and drive (the destroyer) away," its statement added. But the US 7th Fleet said there is nothing that China can say that will deter them from doing freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs). “USS Benfold conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations in international waters. The operation reflects our commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea as a principle. The United States is defending every nation’s right to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Benfold did this week.” China claims almost all of the South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, with competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Beijing has ignored a 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that its historical claim is without basis. Led by the United States, multiple Western navies conduct FONOPs to assert the idea that the South China Sea is an international waterway. Thursday's passage by the USS Benfold was the first declared FONOP of the year. It came a week after the United States laid out its most detailed case yet against Beijing's "unlawful" claims in the South China Sea, rejecting both the geographic and historical justifications. In a 47-page research paper, the State Department's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs said China had no basis under international law for claims that have put Beijing on a collision course with the Philippines, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations. China has rejected the report. Over the years Beijing has steadily cemented its control of key islands and atolls in the South China Sea through land reclamation and the construction of military facilities that have alarmed many of its neighbors. AFP

and as she mentioned earlier, she has comorbidities. So, all the more she needs to be vaccinated,” he said. Secretary Menardo Guevarra of the Department of Justice, which has jurisdiction over the PAO, said he advised Acosta to comply with existing government rules regarding onsite work for unvaccinated personnel. He said he advised her as well "to ensure a COVID-safe working environment in her agency without sacrificing efficiency." “Personnel reporting for on-site work should be vaccinated. Those who have yet to get their jab must at least undergo RT-PCR or antigen testing once every two weeks if they work onsite,” said Guevarra, citing IATF rules. Senator Franklin Drilon, a former Justice Secretary, said Acosta should be barred from physically reporting to work because of her current vaccination status. Acosta, reacting to the comments of Duque and Drilon, maintained that COVID-19 vaccination was just an

experiment. “The vaccine does not have a certification of product registration to prove its safety, efficacy and quality. Only an emergency use authorization was issued,” she told a radio interview over dzRJ. “Since it is an experiment, do not force a person to get a jab if he or she does not want to,” she said. “I broke my silence over the issue of vaccination because comments flooded my email and messenger. I have all kinds of vaccination, except the one for COVID-19. I am not anti-vaccine but I am just waiting for the protein-based vaccine." She claimed there were requests for an autopsy of those who died after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine but PAO declined to do so. She took a swipe at Duque, saying he would be spared from any culpability under Republic Act 11525 or An Act Establishing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Program should a person who received the jab die due to its complications.

this year.

EALTH Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje said Thursday the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 0 to four years old might start by April or May

From A1

the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases starting today (Friday) to Jan. 31. Metro Manila topped the list with 233 areas from only 103 Wednesday last week, followed by the Cordillera Administrative Region, 210 (from only 1); Cagayan Valley, 203 (from 57), Ilocos Region, 165; Mimaropa, 18 (from 5) and Western Visayas, 15. From 765 areas under granular lockdown on Tuesday, 79 more were added on Wednesday, the PNP said. The country logged 31,173 new

Workplaces... From A1

pharmacies to administer booster shots in Metro Manila. A medical adviser to the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF), Dr. Ted Herbosa, said each pharmacy in the pilot run will administer up to 100 doses per day. Seven pharmacies are taking part in the pilot run amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Three opened Thursday, and four will open Friday, Herbosa said. Only booster shots will be administered during the weeklong pilot run.

Passengers... From A1

should be] as patient and tolerant as possible, but firm,” he said. Tugade ordered PPA General Manager Jay Santiago to immediately allow the stranded passengers with children to return home to their provinces, provide them with food, assist in the costs of their tickets, and give financial assistance. Tugade also reiterated his previous directive to all transport sectors to put vaccination stations in strategic places, similar to what the road sector has done at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) since July last year. “Make sure to continue our vaccination efforts at the PITX. Put similar vaccination facilities in rail stations and in North Harbor,” Tugade ordered. “I have also ordered the Toll Regulatory Board to consider having vaccination stations at NLEX and other toll roads. This is now being discussed by the TRB with toll operators,” he said. The PPA on Tuesday said it assisted about 100 passengers bound for Zamboanga who were stranded at the North Harbor Terminal 4 due to the “no vaccination, no ride” policy of the government. Santiago said the passengers were barred from leaving Monday due to incomplete documentary requirements. “We were able to help with their condition, but they were not allowed to board,” Santiago said. Meanwhile, 570 unvaccinated commuters apprehended in Quezon City have received their first dose of COVID-19 jabs since the implementation of the "no vaccination, no ride" policy on Monday. In a statement Wednesday night, Mayor Joy Belmonte said the city’s law enforcement cluster, led by Task Force Disiplina, the Philippine National

’Unvaxxed... From A1

Salvana pointed out that unvaccinated people were shedding more viral loads due to rapid replication of the virus, compared to those vaccinated. “Because of the fast replication of the virus in an unvaccinated person, the chance of yielding new mutations and variants is higher,” Salvana said. The Philippine government has imposed restrictions against unvaccinated people due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in the country. Under Alert Level 3, local government units and the police are enforcing restrictions on the mobility of unvaccinated people, who are not allowed to go outside except for availing essential

goods and services. Earlier this week, President Rodrigo Duterte appealed to Filipinos to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “What do you want? Let’s just fill up our cemeteries?... Please listen to us and get vaccinated,” the President said. He enjoined Filipinos to get inoculated against COVID-19 otherwise they are at higher risk for critical symptoms or death. “If you are vaccinated, you have a fighting chance. If not, then we’re going to bury people,” he said. Although the Omicron variant has appeared less severe compared to the Delta variant, Duterte said those unvaccinated are most likely to suffer the consequences of not getting their jabs. “If you are unvaccinated, you’re going to die. Even if it’s just Omicron, it’s death,” he added.

From A1

that many nurses in Quezon City hospitals, including those working at the Veterans Medical Memorial Center on North Avenue, were still awaiting their pay hike.. The DepEd statement came after the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Harmonization of National Government Performance Monitoring, Information and Reporting Systems assessed the department as eligible for the incentive. “School-based personnel are eligible for the grant of the FY 2020 PBB subject to the result of DepEd’s school-level results-based performance management system for 2020,” it said. The school-based personnel will be the first to receive their bonuses, the DepEd said. DepEd personnel in “best performance” classification will receive a bonus worth 65% of their salary, 57.5 percent for “better performance,” and 50 percent for “good performance.” In the House, Defensor said the DOH should compel these hospitals to follow the June 1, 2021 memorandum of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea reversing the demotion by the Department of Budget and Management of government nurses. He said the Medialdea memo also upgraded the position and compensation of nursing personnel with several years of experience from Nurse 1 to Nurse II, and from Salary Grade (SG) 15 to SG 16. Citing a statement from the nursing staff association of the Philippine General

Duque... From A1

television interview that she chose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 due to age and various health reasons, adding she was waiting for a protein-based vaccine. Currently, the available COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines are mRNA or RNA (ribonucleic acid)-based such as Moderna and Pfizer's, inactivated (Sinovac, Sinopharm), and adenovirus or viral vectorbased (Janssen, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V). Novavax, which is unavailable yet in the country, is a protein-based vaccine. In late December, the vaccine was authorized for use by European Union regulators and the World Health Organization. Without a vaccine, Acosta may be in danger if she contracts COVID-19, Duque said. “We do not want her to be in danger, especially if it becomes a severe to critical COVID-19 infection because we know that most senior citizens experience this...

Cabotaje said the Philippine Pediatric Society and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines have endorsed the vaccination of 5 to 11-year-olds. “We will just look at the operational guidelines. We are finalizing this. We might designate specific sites for the 5 to 11 age group,” said Cabotaje, who chairs the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC). About 56.4 million of the Philippines’ 110 million people have been fully vaccinated so far against COVID-19. Minors aged 12 to 17 started getting COVID-19 jabs in October last year. The country rolled out its vaccination program on March 1 of last year.

Minority senators want to assess gov't response to Typhoon Odette By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Othel V. Campos MINORITY senators have sought an assessment of the government's response to cushion the impact of supertyphoon Odette which lashed Visayas, Mindanao, Bicol and Palawan last month on its victims. As hardship lingers in areas devastated by Odette one month after it struck, the senators said they want an assessment of the damage brought by the calamity, as well as the government’s rehabilitation and recovery efforts. They noted that many families remain without a decent roof over their heads, groping in the dark, with scarce food and clean water. "We must not forget that a heavy task lies ahead to help Odette survivors,” said Senator Francis Pangilinan, one of the authors of Proposed Senate Resolution 976. Meanwhile, relief assistance released by the Department of Agriculture to typhoon-affected farmers and fisherfolk climbed to P3 billion-peso. “For the last two weeks of January, the DA has been doubling its efforts in the distribution of these interventions to farmers and fishers who have been heavily affected by the typhoon,” said Agriculture secretary William Dar. Of the total amount, P1 billion came from the Quick Response Fund (QRF) of the DA for the rehabilitation of affected areas particularly in regions 6, 7, 8, 13, and MIMAROPA which have been directly hit by Typhoon Odette. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

US... From A1

News

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

OSG, NTC say ‘no’ to franchise ‘hold over’ bid By Rey E. Requejo

YEAR OF THE TIGER. One of the shopping malls in Valenzuela City displays Chinese decors and tiger characters to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year According to the Chinese zodiac, 2022 is the ‘Year of the Tiger.’ Boy Bautista

‘Govt is losing billions to firm’s overpriced drugs’ FORMER ABAKADA party-list representative Jonathan Dela Cruz said the government has been overcharged billions of pesos by a single pharmaceutical company in the procurement of pneumococcal vaccines (PCVs). Dela Cruz, who is also a national consultant for the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC), added that because of this, UFCC has filed a complaint before the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to investigate the alleged anti- competition practice. PCVs are meant to prevent child pneumonia, one of the top killer diseases among children 5 years old and below. Dela Cruz, in a Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel forum, said that the government might be unknowingly losing billions in procuring unnecessarily expensive pneumonia vaccines. As an example, he pointed out that U.S. biopharmaceutical company Pfizer did not have credible competition for the PCVs, but started to offer P816 per single dose to capture the market. Then, to increase their chances of winning the recent bids, “kung saan mayroong nagbabantang bagong kompetisyon, binaba nila ang presyo hanggang makaabot ng P345 per dose. So, ninanakawan mo na ang gobyerno, niyari mo pa mga kabataan na dapat nabigyan ng mga bakuna. (When they faced new competitors in the last bidding, they brought down the price of their vaccine to P345 per dose. So, they did not only steal from the government, but they also compromised our ability to inoculate more of our children if the price were lower in the first place),” Dela Cruz said.

More infra projects in Marawi By Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development has inaugurated two more public infrastructure projects under a massive rehabilitation in the war-torn Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, the country’s only Islamic City. Housing czar Eduardo del Rosario as Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) chairperson spearheaded the launching of the Pumping Bridge in Barangay Raya Madaya, the repair of which was completed in December last year. The bridge was among the key infrastructure damaged during the five-month battle between government forces and Daesh-inspired terrorist groups in 2017. He also inaugurated the Lilod Madaya Barangay Complex, the seventh such facility to be established inside the most affected area. He branded the construction of modern barangay complexes as a symbol of good governance and leadership. At least 17 other facilities are expected to be completed and inaugurated inside the former ground zero within the first quarter of 2022. However, the launching and turnover of the newly refurbished Masjid Macaorao were rescheduled to a later date.

Nine cops charged in death of Calbayog mayor, 3 others By Rey E. Requejo

HE Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the indictment for murder and frustrated murder charges of nine policemen for their alleged involvement in the killings of Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo P. Aquino and three other persons on March 8, 2021. “The criminal information (charge sheets) for four (4) counts of murder and one (1) count of frustrated murder will be filed before the Regional Trial Court of Calbayog City,” the DOJ, said in a statement issued on Thursday. Recommended for filing of criminal charges include PLtCol. Harry Villar Sucayre, team leader of the Philippine National Police–Integrity Monitoring and Enforce-

ment Group (PNP–IMEG); PMaj. Shyrile Co Tan; PCapt. Dino Laurente Goles; PLt. Julio Salcedo Armeza, Jr.; PSSg. Neil Matarum Cebu; PSSg. Edsel Tan Omega; Pat. Niño Cuadra Salem; PCpl. Julius Udtujan Garcia; and PSSg. Randy Caones Merelos. The DOJ said a panel of prosecutors approved the filing of charges in a resolution dated Dec. 15, 2021, and released Jan. 19 after preliminary investigations were

conducted on the consolidated complaints filed against the nine policemen. “In the decision to file charges for murder and frustrated murder against the respondents-PNP personnel, the Panel determined that the defenses of denial, alibi, and self-defense, interposed by the respondents-PNP personnel, cannot be given weight in light of the positive assertions of the witnesses and the pieces of evidence submitted by the National Bureau of Investigation,” the DOJ said, in a statement. Aquino and his companions were on board a Toyota Super Grandia HiAce van when they were ambushed at around 4:45 p.m. on March 8, 2021, along Labuyao Bridge in Barangay Lonoy, Calbayog City.

THE Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) are opposing fresh calls seeking the approval of legislative measures that would allow holders of expired franchises to continue to operate while their renewal applications are still pending with Congress. The two government agencies maintained that such a move, which is now being pushed by detained Senator Leila de Lima, is in violation of the Constitution and lacks a legal basis. According to the OSG, the two bills— Senate Bill No. 1530, authored by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and House Bill No. 7923 filed by Parañaque City Rep. Joy Myra Tambunting—are both unconstitutional and highly illegal. In the OSG’s view, “the proposed bills disregard the legislative nature and origin of a franchise in contravention of the Constitution.” In the position paper it submitted to Congress which was supported by the NTC, the OSG said: “Also by institutionalizing the system of ‘hold-over franchise’ in the broadcasting industry, the proposed bills violate the settled rule that the privilege to operate a broadcasting station requires a legislative franchise in the form of a law.” The two bills seek to amend the law that the final determination of the fate of the franchise will only be made once the franchise applicant has received written notice of approval or disapproval from Congress.

IN BRIEF DOH, RITM set up vaccine labs in PH THE Department of Health (DOH), through the leadership of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), is establishing seven subnational laboratories (SNLs) for the detection of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) in the Philippines. The SNLs, located in various regions of the country, lay the foundation of a public health laboratory network for the timely confirmation of infectious diseases and more efficient responses to outbreaks. To fully operationalize the SNLs, the WHO provided over P36 million worth of laboratory equipment and supplies. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III received the donations in a turnover ceremony held today on January 20, 2022, at the DOH. Willie Casas

Energy regulator orders VECO to probe ‘extortion’ CONTRABAND INSPECTION. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) staff examine illegal drugs worth P5.36 billion confiscated in the agency’s operations. The illegal drugs will be destroyed and burned by the PDEA at a facility in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martires City in Cavite. JR Josue

DENR halts mining operations in Davao Oriental By Rio N. Araja THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources has ordered the suspension of a mining company’s extraction activities due to heavy siltation of the Mapagba and Pinatatagan rivers in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental.

“I have received the report (on Jan.17) confirming that the river has turned red due to extraction activities. I have instructed our regional office to immediately address the incident and to suspend the operations of the mining company,” DENR Secretary Cimatu said. Initial investigation and assessment of

COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES. A member of the

Manila Police District Special Mayor’s Reaction Team inspects around 18,000 anti-flu medicine tablets worth at least P1 million seized during an inspection by the Manila City Hall’s Bureau of Permit at a store in Bambang Street, Manila on Thursday. An online seller was arrested for violation of selling and possession of counterfeit medicines. Danny Pata

DENR-Davao region, together with the region’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau and Environmental Management Bureau showed the siltation and discoloration of the Mapagba and Pinatatagan rivers were attributed to the extraction activity of Riverbend Consolidated Mining Corp./ Arc Nickel Resources Inc.

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has directed Visayan Electric Company (VECO) to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of the alleged rampant extortion from its contractors or volunteers. “The number of incidents reported to the Commission which involved either VECO contractors or volunteers or both allegedly extorting money from VECO’s consumers to expedite the restoration of their electricity is alarming and needs the immediate appropriate action by VECO,” ERC chairperson and chief executive officer Agnes Devanadera said. “Thus, we have directed VECO to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of the matter and submit the result to the Commission in writing within fifteen (15) days from receipt of our directive,” Devanadera said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Villar pushes for ‘abaca capital’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar urged her colleagues in the Senate to support her proposed bill to make Catanduanes the “Abaca Capital of the Philippines.” Villar, chairperson of Senate Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Agrarian Reform, on Monday presented for approval Committee Report No. 272 on Senate Bill No. 1978, taking into consideration H.B No. 6149), entitled, “An Act Declaring the Province of Catanduanes as the Abaca Capital of the Philippines.” “I call for everyone’s enthusiasm and cooperation so that our abaca industry will grow even better. The Philippines has long

been known to be the leading producer of abaca for several years now,” Villar said. She noted that Catanduanes Province leads the highest production in the country with a 31.72 percent contribution in the country’s abaca production in 2020; 33.74 percent in 2019; and 33.37 percent in 2018. The senator said Catanduanes accounts for more than 80 percent of the Bicol regions’ production, with at least 21,500 hectares of land dedicated to abaca planting. “Farming is one of the major livelihoods in the Philippines and abaca farming is the source of livelihood of about 200,000 farming families in 56 provinces in the Philippines,” she said.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

IN BRIEF Las Pinas gains ‘21 Housekeeping Seal LAS Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar has announced the city recently passed the 2021 Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping (SGFH) of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Mayor Aguilar said the DILG recognized the city government’s efforts for sustaining good practices in fiscal accountability and transparency in local governance. Based on the recommendation of the DILG-Bureau of Local Government Supervision (DILG-BLGS), Las Pinas City was among the three cities recognized by the DILG’s 2021 Good Financial Housekeeping Passers. The other two cities joining Las Pinas were Makati and Muntinlupa. The mayor said the recognition was certified and approved by the agency in the National Capital Region (NCR) dated November 5, 2021.

Pensioners’ rights bill OK with House A COMMITTEE at the House of Representatives on Thursday recommended for plenary approval a bill granting equal rights, benefits, and privileges to pensioners. This came after the House special committee on senior citizens during a meeting Thursday approved House Bill 9773 or the proposed Pensioners’ Equal Benefits Act, authored by Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, who welcomed the committee action on his bill. Vargas said pensioners, who had been deprived of benefits which should have been accrued to them, shall be granted with these privileges. This includes the pensioners under Republic Act 7699 who were denied annual Christmas cash gifts and the right to get pension increase. Maricel V. Cruz

4 economists support Leni for president By Rio N. Araja FOUR known economists are backing the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo in the 2022 elections. Robredo’s supporters are former National Economic and Development Authority director general Solita Monsod, political analyst Andrew Marasigan, professor JC Punongbayan, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy governor and 1Sambayan convenor Diwa Gunigundo. Monsod, also a television host, said Robredo has the most extensive economic plan, citing her five-point program, including the COVID-19 plan, her compassion for the poor, integrity, and solid experience in public service and people empowerment. “She has compassion for the poor, giving them the opportunity to improve their lives. This is the only one person who got the checkmark,” she said. Marasigan cited Robredo’s economic plans, such as focusing on the “blue economy” of the country to maximize the potential of the maritime industry. “Given our strategic place in the world trade superhighway there’s no reason why the Philippines cannot be a logistics hub, we can be a center for shipbuilding and repair,” he said.

News

PHARMACY JABS. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (right), Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna lead the launching of the five-day ‘Resbakuna sa Botika’ pilot program at a pharmacy along Quirino Avenue in Manila on Thursday. Norman Cruz

UniTeam introduces 10-man Senate lineup

By Rey E. Requejo

EN names have been included in the partial list of senatorial candidates of the UniTeam of presidential aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and vice-presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in the May 2022 elections.

The group is composed of reelectionist Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Juan Miguel Zubiri, former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, former Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, former senator and Antique Rep. Loren Legarda, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bau-

tista, and lawyer Larry Gadon. Meanwhile, the BBM-Sara UniTeam also held for the first time a one-of-akind online Caravan in place of the physical version to steer clear of the risks posed by COVID-19. Lasting for almost two hours, the event top-billed Marcos Jr. and presidential daughter Duterte along with several members of the UniTeam’s Senate slate.

Among those present were incumbent members of Congress such as Senator Imee Marcos, Senator Win Gatchalian, Rep. Onyx Crisologo, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos, Jr. They were joined by members of the Vice-Mayors League of the Philippines (VMLP), Philippine Councilors League (PCL), Metro Manila Councilors League (MMCL), Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), and supporters to hear the formidable tandem and the Senate slate discuss their respective advocacies and priority programs for the country. In a statement Thursday, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, Marcos’ chief of staff, said the list represents a mixture of seasoned political personalities who have

STEAM PLUME. Taal Volcano, which remains

under Alert Level 2, emits steam plumes in this photo taken from Banadero Baywalk in Tanuan, Batangas on Thursday. Upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the volcano lake generated plumes 1,200 meters tall that drifted southwest, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Binay to gov’t: Get your act straight on COVID-19

By Joel E. Zurbano

FORMER Vice President and senatorial aspirant Jejomar Binay on Thursday reiterated his appeal to government officials to speak with one voice regarding policies being enforced to stop the spread of coronavirus disease. Binay called the fiasco over the “No

Vaccination, No Ride” policy as the latest example of government still fumbling its way through the present health crisis brought by COVID-19. “Hello, it’s 2022 and the lockdown is about to take two years. Aren’t they still talking even in group chat?” said Binay. The new policy imposed by the Department of Transportation restricting

unvaccinated individuals from using public transport has caused confusion, triggering public outrage and a series of clarifications from government officials. “As we have repeatedly pointed out, government’s response to the pandemic has been defined by the absence of clear directions and efficient management,” Binay said.

Isko: Dolomite Beach as vax site okay PRESIDENTIAL candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso is open to use the controversial Manila Bay Dolomite Beach as another COVID-19 vaccination site. “If it’s feasible, why not? That’s a very good idea, but is the construction finished, and will people be safe? That’s always our concern,” Domagoso told reporters in Filipino during the opening of the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden as the latest vaccination site for minors and senior citizens. Domagoso on Monday night also led the inauguration of the newly-refurbished Plaza Asuncion in Malate, one of the many projects promised - and

fulfilled - by the 47-year-old local executive for the people of the city when he campaigned for the mayorship in 2019. “I’m happy for you. I had made a promise to you and today there is a proof for it,” Moreno told Manileňos as he inaugurated the fully-lighted public space that is now replete with fountains, good quality benches and speakers for background music. Although the city has been conducting the vaccination in secluded places, Domagoso said conducting vaccination at the Dolomite Beach is very feasible. “It’s geographically feasible to hold that function for a particular action plan. But I think it’s okay,” he said.

DONATION TURNOVER. Pitmaster Foundation Inc. turns over P50 million worth of antigen kits and P50 million cash assistance for COVID-19 response to National Capital Region’s local government unit on Wednesday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Kapitolyo Pasig. In photo are (from left) DOH Regional director Gloria J. Balboa, DILG undersecretary Epimaco V. Densing, Pitmaster Foundation Inc. executive director Atty. Caroline P. Cruz, MMDA undersecretary Frisco San Juan, and MMDA general manager Atty. Don Artes. Manny Palmero

Ping, Imee rip ‘galunggong’ importation By Macon Ramos-Araneta IMPORTING “galunggong” (mackerel scad) is like buying smartphones from snatchers, said Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Thursday. According to the presidential bet of Partido Reporma, Filipinos deserve better than to be fed by their government imported fish products like the iconic “galunggong,” especially “when they come from nations ransacking our own territorial waters.” Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos on Thursday said she will file a resolution this week to investigate the decision of the Department of Agrarian (DA) to import fish as it is insisting there’s a shortage. She also chided the DA for conjuring a “fake shortage” to justify the importation of 60,000 metric tons (MT) of fish and urged it “to stop the rampant importation that will kill our local fisheries.” Lacson noted this situation is comparable to someone buying electronic gadgets from snatchers. “Our aquatic resources in the West Philippine Sea are being stolen, right, and we are also deprived (of our liberty to fish),” Lacson noted. The presidential bet, who visited Pagasa Island off Palawan late November last year, said he is taking the issue of solving the regional disputes in the West Philippine Sea high up on his list of priorities “because of the plight of our fishermen that are relying on the bounty of the sea for their livelihood.”

EJK also ‘stealing’, won’t happen in my gov’t—Lacson SENATOR Panfilo Lacson yesterday assured that stealing lives through extra-judicial killings (EJK), which he considered a form of theft, will not be a policy under his watch. He said stories of civilians getting their lives cut short because of EJK at the height of the gruesome war on drugs and the pervading culture of impunity are something that Filipinos would neither be forced to accept nor endure under a Lacson administration. The Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer said this is part of his commitment to wipe out thieves and turn the wheels of justice in favor of the oppressed and the aggrieved when he receives the mandate to lead the country in the next six years. “The EJK is a form of theft in that you are deliberately taking the life (of your victim) outside of what is called the rule of law,” Lacson said of lives that could never be recovered once stolen. He explained that acts of stealing are not just limited to the intent of taking material possessions or properties without the consent of their rightful owners, but also lives and opportunities for a better future, especially for the minors who have fallen victims to EJK and other crimes, including corruption. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Opinion Unmasking the practice of child marriage

PRESIDENT Duterte recently signed into law Republic Act (RA) 11596, which prohibits and criminalizes the practice of child marriage. The law abolished “the traditional structures that perpetuate discrimination, abuse, and exploitation of children such as the practice of child betrothal and marriage”. Child marriage is entered by one or both parties who are below 18 years of age or one who is unable to fully take care or protect oneself from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition. It covers marriages solemnized before judges, priests, ministers or pastors, and those solemnized in a traditional, cultural or customary manner (Section 3(a)(b), RA 11596). Under the Family Code, only males and females 18 years and above, without legal impediments, may consent to a contract of marriage (Section 5). It also requires that: (a) the solemnizing officer is authorized to celebrate the marriage; (b) the contracting parties obtained a valid marriage license; and (c) there is a marriage ceremony with the appearance of the parties before a solemnizing officer, with a declaration that they take each other as husband and wife, in the presence of at least two witnesses of legal age (Section 3, Family Code).

The law affirms the country’s obligations under international conventions to protect the Filipino child against abuse, exploitation and discrimination. Under RA 11596 any person who is found guilty of fixing, facilitating, or arranging a child marriage shall suffer imprisonment from 8 years and 1 day to 10 years, or prision mayor medium, and a fine of not less than P40,000. However, if the perpetrator is an ascendant, parent, adoptive parent, stepparent, or guardian of a child, the imprisonment shall be from 10 years and 1 day to 12 years, or prision mayor maximum, and a fine not less than P50,000 (Section 4(a), RA 11596). Any person who produces, prints, issues and/or distributes fraudulent or tampered documents such as birth certificates, affidavits of late registration of birth, and/or foundling certificates for the purpose of misrepresenting the age of a child to facilitate child marriage or evade liability under RA 11596 shall be liable in the same manner as those who fixed, facilitated, or arranged a child marriage without prejudice to liabilities under other laws such as falsification of documents Section 4(a), RA 11596). An adult who cohabits with a child, and likewise any person who performs and officiates a child marriage shall suffer imprisonment from 10 years and 1 day to 12 years, or prision mayor maximum, and a fine of not less than P50,000. Furthermore, in all of the aforementioned offenses, if the perpetrator is a public officer, he or she shall be dismissed from the service and may be perpetually disqualified from holding office, at the discretion of the court (Section 4(b) (c), RA 11596).

The offenses under RA 11596 are deemed public crimes and can be initiated by any concerned individual (Section 5). It means that the commencement of the criminal action is not limited to the offended party, his or her parents, grandparents or guardians. In simpler words, it may be instituted by a concerned neighbor, friend, government agency, or law enforcement officers, among others. Because the penalty for the offenses under RA 11596 is not lower than four years, two months and one day of imprisonment, the complaint against the offender or respondent will have to be filed with the Office of the Prosecutor, who will conduct a preliminary investigation. After the Office of the Prosecutor finds probable cause, the criminal information will then be filed with the Regional Trial Court within whose territorial jurisdiction the crime was committed. If the marriage is entered between parties who are both children, they will not be criminally liable under RA 11596, unless they falsified documents to mislead the officiating officer to perform the marriage or may have violated any other law to consummate the marriage. In case the child is not exempt from criminal liability, he or she will be dealt with under RA 10630 and the 2019 Supreme Court Revised Rules on Children in Conflict with the Law. This must be distinguished from a cohabitation of a child with an adult, wherein the perpetrator will be held criminally liable. However, it seems that the law has an inherent weakness, as Section 4(c), captioned “Cohabitation of an Adult with a Child Outside Wedlock”, reads: “[A]n adult who cohabits with a child outside wedlock shall suffer the penalty…” Hence, if the adult marries the child, he will not be liable, although the marriage is void. Only those who facilitated, arranged, fixed, and officiated the marriage will be held criminally liable and never the adult who married the child. Child marriages are void ab initio, and the action or defense for the declaration of nullity of a child marriage shall not prescribe (Section 6, RA 11596). All children conceived or born before the judicial declaration of absolute nullity of the child marriage are considered legitimate children (Section 54, Family Code). These children are entitled to support from the parents. The judgment of absolute nullity of (child) marriage, the partition and distribution of the properties of the spouses, and the delivery of the spouses’ presumptive legitimes shall be recorded in the appropriate civil registry and registries of property; otherwise, these shall not affect third persons (Section 52, Family Code). The properties of the parties to the child marriage, if any, shall be partitioned after an inventory of their common and exclusive properties, and after the debts and obligations of the spouses have been paid out of their community assets. Whatever remains of the exclusive properties of the spouses shall thereafter be delivered to each of them. The net remainder of the properties shall constitute their net assets and shall be divided equally between the spouses (Section 102 (1)to(4), Family Code). Unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties whose marriage was nullified, the conjugal dwelling and the lot on which it is situated shall be adjudicated to the spouse with whom the majority of the common children choose to remain. Children below the age of seven years are deemed to have chosen the mother, unless the court has decided otherwise (Section 102 (6), Family Code). The enactment of RA 11596 sends a clear message that the Philippine government recognizes the role of women in nation-building and is ready to protect and promote their empowerment. It also affirms its obligations under international conventions to protect the Filipino child against abuse, exploitation and discrimination.

Goodbye to COVID-19? Africa, the numbers are crashing. In London, the numbers are beginning to fall only because, once it spreads like wildfire, and when all the trees are burned, there’s nowhere for it to go. So it begins to crash,” he explained.

IS IT the light at the end of the tunnel, or the headlight of an oncoming train? The Omicron variant of COVID-19 may be “the beginning of the end” of the pandemic, according to Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, a molecular biology expert and OCTA Research Fellow. The Fil-American priest believes that the Omicron variant is a “natural vaccine” and those infected with it will acquire antibodies that will protect them “not only against Omicron but against Delta, Gamma, Beta, Alpha and D614G” variants. “As the virus rapidly increases, it’s going to try to spread to everyone and it’s going to try to find as many of our kababayans vulnerable. It is spreading so rapidly, what you will expect is it will run out (of) food sooner,” Austriaco said. “And when it runs out of food, it will begin to crash — which is why you see in South

Nobody is saying that we should now let our guard down. “Omicron is the beginning of the end of the pandemic because it is going to provide the kind of population immunity that should stabilize our societies and should allow us to reopen,” he said. “This is the hope and the prayer. The Omicron is actually a blessing. It will be hard for one month, but afterwards, it should be a blessing because it should provide the population protection that we need everywhere,” he added. Nevertheless, Austriaco said, the public should be reminded to be cautious, particularly those still unvaccinated against COVID-19: “It’s milder, but if you’re unvaccinated, it’s still harder for you.” The variant will continue

ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Bicol rail project: A long time coming

HE railroad system in the Philippines is one of the most neglected road transportation modes. It had stretched once from San Fernando, La Union in the north to Legazpi City, Albay in the south, and dated back from its first commercial run in 1891 under the Spanish regime.

fruition after the Department of Transportation the other day signed a P142-billion contract with Chinese companies to build the first 380 kilometers of the Philippine National Railway Bicol Project from Banlic, Calamba to Daraga, Albay.

The social and economic benefits are unquestionable.

The Japanese invasion during World War II destroyed much of the railway system and no administration thereafter succeeded in restoring the Luzon train system. Politics and funding problems have hounded the project. Its rebirth was shelved and left in the government drawing board for a long period, until President Duterte’s administration took interest in it. The restoration of the La UnionAlbay rail link will hopefully reach

The first 380 kilometers of the so-called PNR Bicol project will traverse 39 cities and municipalities, four provinces and two regions. It will involve the construction of 23 stations, 230 bridges, 10 passenger tunnels and a 70-hectare depot in San Pablo, Laguna. The social and economic benefits of this giant rail project are unquestionable. PNR Bicol,

along with its future segments, will stretch 565 kilometers, connecting Metro Manila to the southern Luzon provinces of Sorsogon and Batangas. Once fully operational, it will cut travel time between Metro Manila and Bicol from 12 hours by road to as short as four hours. The PNR Bicol project will be an infrastructure milestone once it is completed. This project will create 5,000 jobs yearly during its construction phase and develop growth corridors along its routes. It is thus incumbent on the next administration to implement much of the construction phase of the railway system. The Philippine railway system is one of the most obsolete in this part of the world. It now deserves support from every political color. Filipinos in the countryside have long awaited this endeavor to improve their economic fortunes.

President Marcos and the construction of EDSA UNDER the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos (1965-1986), infrastructure development in the country was in high gear. The Marcos administration is known for, among others, the North Luzon Expressway and the South Luzon Expressway; the San Juanico Bridge which connects Samar and Leyte; the National Arts Center in Laguna; the Marcos highway, which created a third major route to Baguio City; and the Pantabangan Dam which established a new source of freshwater for the nation. This essay will focus on what President Marcos did for the roadway in Metropolitan Manila called Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, also known as EDSA. During his first term as the nation’s leader, President Marcos carried out Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon’s dream for a circumferential road in Manila and its surrounding areas. As president, Quezon ordered the construction of a long roadway, starting at Balintawak and on to the east in Mandaluyong and Makati, then south to Pasay City. After stretches of the relatively unpaved roadway were finished in 1940, it was given the name North-South Circumferential Road. After the war, the roadway was called Avenida 19 de Junio, referring to the birthday of the national hero, Jose Rizal, and later Highway 54. In April 1959, the roadway was named Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, in honor of one of the greatest intellectuals who supported the Philippine Revolution against Spain. During President Diosdado Macapagal’s

time, the avenue wasn’t a real thoroughfare because it had no bridge to connect its Makati segment at Guadalupe with the Mandaluyong part of the roadway. Motorists of that period had to divert to the Lambingan Bridge in Santa Ana, Manila, and then return to the highway.

to bring high COVID-19 cases, but the public “should not be scared of these numbers...We should expect that most of these cases will be mild. We should expect fewer hospitalizations and deaths,” the molecular biologist said. Foreign experts agree with Austriaco’s assessment. Despite its increased level of infection, Omicron appears milder than the delta variant, and so post-surge it may leave us “in a better place than we were before,” said Tyra Grove Krause, chief epidemiologist at Denmark’s State Serum Institute. For the UK Health Security Agency, “the risk of presentation to emergency care or hospital admission with Omicron was approximately half of that for Delta.” It also declared “a substantial reduction in risk of hospitalization for Omicron cases after 3 doses of vaccine compared to those who are unvaccinated.”  On the other hand, the World Health Organization has warned that soaring Omicron cases around the globe could increase the risk of a newer, more dangerous variant emerging. “The more Omicron spreads, the more it transmits and the more it replicates, the more likely it is to throw out a new variant. Now, Omicron is lethal, it can cause death ... maybe a little bit less than Delta, but who’s to say what the next variant might throw out,” said WHO Senior Emergencies Officer Catherine Smallwood. At least one local health reform advocate agrees with the WHO position and contends that studies by foreign experts may not hold true in the case of the Philippines, as vaccination rates are still low especially in areas outside of Metro Manila. “The premise in Denmark cannot be applied to the general population and the whole world, because a lot of people are unvaccinated and have

weaker immune systems and protection. It will be difficult to gamble”, said health reform advocate Dr. Antonio Leachon. For the doctor, the surge in cases will have an adverse economic impact. “Even if it’s mild, people who get it will still have to isolate. They won’t be able to work. The effect may not be mortality or death, but the sheer volume can jeopardize and cause economic depression,” he explained. Like the rest of the world, the Philippines has had to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly two years now. Since March 2020, we have struggled to contain the spread of the dreaded disease. As of Jan. 17, we had 3,242,347 confirmed cases, 2,898507 recoveries and 52,654 deaths. Globally, according to the WHO, as of Jan. 19, there have been 332,617707 confirmed cases and 5,551, 314 deaths. Considering that we’re among the top 15 most populous countries in the world, the total number of our COVID-19 cases and the death rate since March 2020, while grim, show that our efforts in fighting the disease should continue through upgraded testing and treatment facilities, mobility restrictions and intensified vaccination programs. With government moves to strike a balance between observance of strict health protocols and gradual opening up of the economy, we may yet see faster economic recovery this year. Is it goodbye to COVID-19 this year? Maybe, maybe not. While some are saying that the Omicron variant is mild and others are saying it is not, nobody is saying that we should now let our guard down. The light at the end of the tunnel may yet be on the horizon.

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

By the end of the 1970s, the entire stretch was made of high-grade concrete. President Marcos ordered the construction of the Guadalupe Bridge. It was completed in 1967. Soon after that, the entire stretch of the avenue, from Quezon City to Pasay, was paved. A segment near the Bel-Air area in Makati was levelled to make the roadway safer. The completion of the Guadalupe Bridge marked the start of commercial development along the highway. Among the early enterprises along the avenue were Farmer’s Market in Cubao, Quezon City; Polymedic General Hospital (now the Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center) in Mandaluyong; and Crescent Farms and Hotel Inter-Continental Manila in Makati. With the completion of the Guadalupe Bridge, Quezon’s dream project finally became a real, continuous highway. President Marcos himself took pride in the construction of the bridge in his subsequent State of the Nation Address to Congress. Traffic lights were erected at major

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

intersections along the highway. A series of islands was constructed in the center of the avenue to divide the northbound lane from the southbound one. In 1972, during the early weeks of the martial law regime, curfew violators were tasked to remove weeds on the island in the early morning hours. Roadside light posts kept the highway lit at night. Complementing their illumination were large roadside billboard advertisements consisting of multi-colored neon lights, located mostly in Makati. The most famous of them was the PanAmerican airways advertisement which showed a simulation of an airplane taking off. Everyone considered it a landmark. It was called “the PanAm sign.” By 1969, President Marcos completed the highway’s Magallanes-Pasay City flyover exchange, which was the most spectacular interchange of its time. In 1973, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue was simply called by its acronym EDSA. Buses plying the highway were the first to use the word EDSA, as seen on their signage. Two years later, President Marcos ordered the construction of flyovers at the intersections of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard, and at EDSA and Aurora Boulevard. The latter project had an extension bridge to ease traffic at the intersection of Aurora Boulevard and Rodriguez Avenue. Additional construction on these flyovers were undertaken by a later administration. By the end of the 1970s, the entire stretch of EDSA was made of high grade concrete. The Quezon City segment of the avenue was the last to be paved with asphalt. EDSA also hosted two military camps, Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame. Aguinaldo is the general headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Crame was the home of the Philippine Constabulary, a military peace keeping force, until its abolition in 1991 and its replacement with the Philippine National Police. In February 1986, President Marcos chose to step down from power in the wake of a civilian and military uprising outside of Camps Aguinaldo and Crame. Marcos could have used military force on the crowds when it was still vulnerable during the first two days of the four-day revolt. Refusing to use violence on his own people, Marcos relinquished power peacefully. The so-called EDSA Revolution was peaceful precisely because Marcos kept it peaceful. In that sense, therefore, the EDSA peaceful revolt is also an accomplishment on the part of President Marcos.

MORE OPINION ONLINE (www.manilastandard.net)

New man at MAP

ernhil@yahoo.com Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Joyce Pangco Pañares News Editor

Jimbo Owen Gulle City Editor Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

World

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ex-pope under scrutiny over child abuse probe

POTENTIALLY explosive report into the handling of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church will on Thursday be published in Germany, with former pope Benedict XVI among those in the spotlight. The report by law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW) will analyze how abuse cases were dealt with in the archdiocese of Munich and Freising between 1945 and 2019. The Munich archdiocese, which commissioned the report, said it will examine “whether those responsible complied with legal requirements... and acted appropriately in dealing with suspected cases and possible perpetrators.” Ex-pope Benedict—whose civilian name is Josef Ratzinger—was the archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982. During this time, a now notorious pedophile priest named Peter Hullermann was transferred to Munich from Essen in western Germany where he had been accused of abusing an 11-year-old

boy. Hullermann was reassigned to pastoral duties despite his history. In 1986, by which time Ratzinger had been transferred to the Vatican, Hullermann was convicted of molesting more children and given a suspended prison sentence. Even after the conviction, he continued to work with children for many years and his case is regarded as a pertinent example of the mishandling of abuse by the Church. Benedict has denied knowing about the priest’s history. The ex-pope has provided an 82-page statement in response to questions from WSW, according to German media reports.

Former Pope Benedict XVI

The pope emeritus “takes the fates of the abuse victims very much to heart” and is fully “in favor of the publication of the Munich report,” his spokesman Georg Gaenswein told the Bild daily. AFP

Humanitarian flights finally reach Tonga

RED LANTERNS. A man walks past a tree decorated with lanterns at Jingshan Park on a snowy day in Beijing on January 20, 2022. AFP

Blinken seeks united front over Ukraine US SECRETARY of State Antony Blinken heads Thursday to Berlin for meetings with key European allies, as part of a whirlwind diplomatic tour to stop Russia from marching on Ukraine. Blinken will seek a united front with counterparts from France and Germany as well as Britain’s junior foreign minister before his crunch talks with Russia’s Sergei Lavrov on Friday. He had begun his tour on Wednesday with a first stop in Kiev as a show of support, as he urged Vladimir Putin to stay on a “diplomatic and peaceful path.” In Washington, President Joe Biden said Russia would pay a stiff price for invading Ukraine, including a heavy human toll and deep harm to its economy. “It is going to be a disaster for Russia,” Biden said, adding that Moscow might ultimately prevail, but its losses are “going to be heavy.” Biden insisted that Putin “still does not want

any full-blown war,” but said the standoff could “easily get out of hand.” And the US leader said he was open to a summit with Putin about the situation. With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border, fears are mounting that a major conflict could break out in Europe. Biden sparked controversy Wednesday when he suggested that “something significantly short of a significant invasion” would be met with a lesser pushback from NATO. “It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion, and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do, etcetera,” he said. But the White House moved swiftly to clarify the comments, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki vowing any Russian movement in Ukraine would face “severe” retaliation. Moscow insists it has no plans to invade but has at the same time laid down a series of demands—including a ban on Ukraine joining NATO—in exchange for de-escalation. AFP

THE first humanitarian flights arrived in volcano and tsunami-stricken Tonga Thursday, five days after the dual disaster cut the Pacific nation off from the rest of the world. Tonga has been inaccessible since Saturday, when one of the largest volcanic explosions in decades cloaked the kingdom in a layer of ash, triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami and severed vital undersea communication cables. Officials said military transport planes from Australia and New Zealand touched down at Tonga’s main airport—only recently cleared of a thick layer of ash after painstaking effort. A “C-17 Globemaster left from Amberley Airport Base around 7:00 am today (2000 GMT),” an Australian defense official told AFP. “The aircraft is carrying humanitarian aid and disaster relief supplies, including water containers, kits for temporary shelters, generators, hygiene and family kits, and communications equipment,” New Zealand foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta said. The first smattering of images to emerge from Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa show ashen buildings, toppled walls and streets littered with boulders, tree trunks and other debris. More than 80 percent of the archipelago’s population of 100,000 have been impacted by the disaster, the United Nations has estimated, and initial assessments indicate an urgent need for drinking water. Tongans worked for days at the airport trying to clear the runway of ash so that much-needed aid could arrive. The work was painfully slow, with only a few hundred meters being cleared each day. AFP

Quarantine-free travel resumes in Thailand

THAILAND will resume its quarantine-free travel scheme from February 1, officials said Thursday, after the program was suspended due to the fast-spreading Omicron COVID-19 variant. Pandemic travel curbs have hammered the kingdom’s tourism-dominated economy, sending visitor numbers dwindling to a trickle. Fully vaccinated travelers will now be able to enter under the “test and go” scheme as long as they take COVID tests on the first and fifth days after arriving, spokesman for the country’s COVID-19 taskforce Taweesin Visanuyothin told reporters. Visitors will have to isolate at a hotel while waiting for their test results and will be required to download a tracking app to ensure they comply with the rules. Seeking to bounce back from its worst economic performance since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Thailand launched the “test and go” scheme in November as an alternative to two weeks’ hotel quarantine. The program was suspended late last month over fears about Omicron, but with deaths and hospitalizations not spiking, Taweesin said it could resume, though the authorities will keep it under review. AFP

SILHOUETTE. A bird rests on dry branches in front of a full moon in Banda Aceh province in Indonesia on January 20, 2022. AFP

CIA: ‘Havana Syndrome’ not foreign power campaign—US media THE CIA has concluded that US diplomats suffering mysterious headaches and nausea in what has been dubbed “Havana Syndrome” were not targeted in a global campaign by a foreign power, reports said Wednesday. NBC News, The New York Times and Politico cited multiple officials briefed on a CIA intelligence assessment on the incidents that first surfaced among diplomats in 2016 in the Cuban capital, in which US and Canadian officials complained of severe headaches, nausea and possible

brain damage after hearing high-pitched sounds. Since then, diplomatic and intelligence officials have reported similar experiences in countries including Australia, Austria, China, Colombia, Germany and Russia. The reports said the CIA did not rule out foreign involvement in about two dozen cases that remain unexplained, which continue to be investigated. “In hundreds of other cases of possible symptoms, the agency has found plausible, alternate explanations,” the NBC sources told the network.

Some US officials previously alleged the cases could have been caused by Russian microwave attacks, but scientists expressed doubts about the theory and said there was not one affliction or cause of the reported cases. The reports said the CIA document reported interim findings. “The interim report was not a final conclusion of the broader Biden administration or the full intelligence community,” NBC reported, citing US officials. AFP

Business PSEi January 20, 2022

TOP GAINERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

1 ATNB 0.74 0.24 48.00% 2 ATN 0.64 0.12 23.08% 3 OPM 0.012 0.002 20.00% 4 OPMB 0.012 0.002 20.00% 5 MARC 1.55 0.19 13.97% 6 ABG 5.95 0.6 11.21% 7 ORE 0.84 0.06 7.69% 8 RLT 0.214 0.015 7.54% 9 SFIP 1.5 0.1 7.14% 10 SPM 2.15 0.14 6.97%

TOP LOSERS

1 WIN 2 GEO

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE 0.215 -0.026 -10.79% 0.184 -0.015 -7.54%

3 VMC 2.41 -0.13 -5.12% 4 PRF3B 1091 -49 -4.30%

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks retreat; ICTSI, Alliance Global down

TOCKS fell Thursday on another bout of profit taking as some investors went into consolidation mode.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 22.26 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,239.28 on a value turnover of P6.1 billion. Gainers, however, beat losers, 109 to 81, with 44 issues unchanged. Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. of the Ayala Group dropped 2.6 percent to P34.10, while Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan declined 2.3 percent to P12.50. International Container Terminal Services Inc., the biggest port operator and owned by tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., lost 2 percent at P200.20, but Nickel Asia Corp., the largest nickel miner, climbed 4 percent to P6.06.

The rest of Asian markets mostly rose Thursday as investors tentatively returned to buying after recent losses, with Chinese property firms enjoying a much-needed lift on fresh easing measures by the country’s central bank. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index—one of the worst performers in the world last year—rallied more than three percent thanks to a surge in tech giants including Alibaba, Meituan, Tencent and JD.com, while property firms also enjoyed healthy gains. Shanghai, however, was unable to maintain early gains and ended slightly lower. Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Seoul, Bangkok and Jakarta also rose but Taipei, Wellington and Mumbai were down. Signs that Beijing was on a new monetary easing course also provided some crucial support to the tech giants who

have been hammered in recent months as they were caught in the clutches of a wide-ranging, private-sector clampdown. The People’s Bank of China on Thursday lowered a key bank lending rate for the second time in as many months, days after slashing its policy rate for the first time since the pandemic struck. The move was the latest aimed at boosting the world’s number two economy, which has been crippled by lockdowns to stem fresh COVID outbreaks as well as a sharp slowdown in the vast property sector, a key driver of growth. Chinese property firms will be among the biggest winners as the easing improves their chances of accessing muchneeded funds to repay monumental debts that have threatened their future and raised concerns of contagion in the broader economy. With AFP

5 HTI 1.49 -0.06 -3.87% 6 ELI 0.255 -0.01 -3.77% 7 BSC 0.54 -0.02 -3.57% 8 MB 0.415 -0.015 -3.49% 9 CA 44 -1.55 -3.40% 10 JAS 1.72 -0.06 -3.37%

MOST ACTIVE

1 AGI 2 ALI

VOLUME VALUE (PHP) 104,036,700 1,310,782,420 11,850,400 405,895,290

3 ICT 1,380,520 279,474,254 4 SPNEC 133,677,000 215,095,450 5 MONDE 13,120,200 214,264,484 6 CNVRG 7 NIKL 8 AC 9 AP 10 BDO

6,306,300 198,668,940 28,847,800 174,079,501 176,230 149,262,410 4,370,200 146,365,805 1,127,270 145,469,889

Omicron will pinch, not derail US growth WASHINGTON, United States—The latest coronavirus variant will weigh on US economic growth in the months ahead but will not derail it, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen assured the nation’s mayors Wednesday as they gathered in Washington. “Yes, Omicron has presented a challenge and will likely impact some of the data in the coming months, but I am confident it will not derail what has been one of the strongest periods of economic growth in a century,” Yellen said. “None of this was guaranteed. I think it’s important we recognize that,” she added in her appearance before the US Conference of Mayors. “There’s a very real counterfactual where Omicron did derail our recovery; a scenario where the new variant hurdled our economy backwards towards its state on Inauguration Day 2021” when Joe Biden assumed the presidency. The Omicron variant has led to a surge in infections and quarantine cases, keeping many Americans away from their jobs. Airlines, for example, have cancelled thousands of flights since Christmas due to staff shortages. As a result of the COVID-19 surge, growth is expected to slow in the first quarter of 2022, economists forecast. But Yellen insisted the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in March 2021 under the impetus of Biden, just weeks into his White House job, “acted like a vaccine for the American economy, protecting our recovery from the possibility of new variants.” “The protection wasn’t complete, but it was very strong—and it prevented communities from suffering the most severe economic effects of Omicron and Delta,” she said, noting that $350 billion in emergency funding was funneled to local governments. The first year of the pandemic “decimated government budgets” and forced mass layoffs and the collective furlough of some 1.3 million workers including teachers and health care workers deemed essential personnel, Yellen said. AFP

TOURISM FAIR. A woman stands in front of a mural on Poland’s stand during the opening day of the 2022 International Tourism Fair (FITUR) held at the Ifema congress center in Madrid on January 19, 2022. AFP

China trims lending rates to boost real estate firms BEIJING, China—China further reduced bank lending costs Thursday in the latest move to boost its stuttering economy, providing some muchneeded support to the country’s beleaguered developers. Property firm shares and bonds surged on the fresh rate cut from People’s Bank of China—the second in two months—days after Beijing reported slower growth in the final months of 2021. The slowing real estate industry has put downward pressure on growth, with several large companies including debt-laden development giant Evergrande defaulting in recent months. The central bank said it had lowered the one-year loan prime rate (LPR) to 3.7 percent, from 3.8 percent in December. It had reduced the LPR—which guides how much interest commercial banks charge to corporate borrowers—in December, for the first time in 20 months, as the economy was threatened by the real estate crisis and coronavirus flare-ups. The launch of a regulatory drive last year to curb speculation and leverage had cut off avenues to crucially needed cash, sparking a crisis in the property sector. But investors regained confidence amid expectations of regulatory easing with shares in Hong Kong-listed Agile Group up more than six percent and Country Garden climbing 7.4 percent. Property developer bonds also surged Thursday on news of the rate cut, in what Bloomberg said was a record-breaking rally, highlighting the huge sums of money primed to flow into distressed securities if the property sector crackdown was eased. Thursday’s move comes after the world’s second-biggest economy reported strong a 8.1-percent growth in 2021, but with the first half of the year accounting for much of that growth. The central bank also cut the interest rate on its one-year policy loans on Monday—the first drop in the key rate for loans to financial institutions since early 2020. AFP

Peril and promise: Methane gas from ‘killer lake’ powers Rwanda By Marion Douet LAKE KIVU, Rwanda—The engineers aboard the floating power station on Lake Kivu could only watch nervously as the volcano in the distance erupted violently, sending tremors rumbling through the water beneath them. It was not the lava shooting from Mount Nyiragongo last May that spooked them, but the enormous concentrations of potentially explosive gases within Kivu, one of Africa’s great Rift lakes lying between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Flanked by rolling green hills tumbling into glassy waters, Kivu is not quite the picture of tranquility it seems, according to Francois Darchambeau from KivuWatt, a company that extracts gas from the lake’s waters for electricity. Thousands of years of volcanic activity has caused a massive accumulation of methane and carbon dioxide to dissolve in the depths of Kivu— enough to prove monumentally destructive in the rare event they were released. If triggered, a so-called limnic eruption would cause “a huge explosion of gas from deep waters to the surface” resulting in large waves and a poisonous gas cloud that would put the lives of millions at risk, said Darchambeau, environmental manager at KivuWatt. “This is what we call a killer lake,” the limnologist, or an expert in fresh-

water systems, told AFP. Only three such lakes exist in the world: Kivu, and Lakes Nyos and Monoun in northwest Cameroon. The latter two experienced limnic eruptions in the 1980s, and the bigger disaster at Nyos suffocated more than 1,700 people in a toxic release of carbon dioxide. But these catastrophes occurred in a rural area, whereas some two million people would be “at risk” of such a similar disaster involving Kivu, said Darchambeau. In both Rwanda and DR Congo,

many live in fear of the lake’s harmful potential, and stories abound of swimmers disappearing into its depths after being asphyxiated or pulled under. World first The lake, however, poses both peril and promise. KivuWatt, which says this is the only project of its kind anywhere in the world, saw an opportunity to tap these abundant gases for energy generation. A 20-minute speedboat ride is required to reach KivuWatt’s unique floating platform, a compact tangle of pipes and buoys as high as a multi-story

Fishing boats are parked on the shores of Lake Kivu in Kibuye, Karongi District, in the Western Province of Rwanda, on November 1, 2021. Thousands of years of volcanic activity has caused a massive accumulation of methane and carbon dioxide to dissolve in the depths of lake Kivu, enough to prove monumentally destructive if released. AFP

building moored in the Rwandan part of Kivu. With a deafening roar, the facility pumps water saturated with carbon dioxide and methane from around 350 meters (1,150 feet) to the surface. As it rises, the water and gas separate as the pressure changes. “It is like opening a bottle of soda,” said KivuWatt director Priysham Nundah, who described the project as “halfway between a thermal and a renewable energy plant.” The extracted methane is sent through a pipeline to a second facility located onshore in Rwanda, where the gas is transformed into electricity. The carbon dioxide is pumped back into the lake at a precise enough depth to ensure the delicate balance is not upset. The company says it hopes that removing methane could over time reduce pressure within the lake, possibly lowering the risk of a limnic eruption. ‘It was frightening’ But fears of such a disaster were reawakened when Nyiragongo—an active volcano north of Kivu in DR Congo—roared to life in early 2021. The lava flow killed 32 people and destroyed hundreds of homes, as earthquakes shook the region. A second wave of lava pushed deep into the earth under the lake itself. From their station, KivuWatt’s engineers watched the sky turn red and angry. “It was very frightening,” said Nundah. AFP

Britain’s December inflation hit decades high of 5.4% in cost-of-living squeeze LONDON, United Kingdom—The annual rate of inflation in Britain rose to a near 30-year high in December, official data showed Wednesday, stoking fears about a cost-of-living squeeze as wages fail to keep pace. The UK’s inflation rate hit 5.4 percent last month and could move even higher with domestic energy prices set to rise further, according to analysts. Economies worldwide are battling decades-high inflation that is forcing central banks to lift interest rates, including the Bank of England which last

month raised its key borrowing cost for the first time in more than three years. The BoE, whose chief task is to keep inflation close to 2.0 percent, is now expected to raise rates again at its next meeting in February amid easing concerns over economic fallout from the Omicron coronavirus variant. The pound on Wednesday hit a near two-year peak versus the euro on increased expectations of another rate rise, while the European Central Bank has yet to follow the BoE in tightening monetary conditions.

BoE governor Andrew Bailey, addressing a cross-party panel of MPs Wednesday, refused to be drawn on the rate outlook, but said the prospect of prolonged high energy prices was “a cause of concern.” Finance minister Rishi Sunak earlier insisted that the Conservative government understood the cost-of-living squeeze. However, the main opposition Labor Party argued that families would be rocked by “substantial” tax rises and “huge” increases in energy bills. The cost of living in Britain is fore-

cast to soar even higher in April owing to a tax hike and further planned increases to domestic energy bills, according to analysts. National insurance, paid by workers and employers, is being increased to help fund social care for the elderly. Analysts expect more painful tax increases to foot the vast bill for COVID. In addition, electricity and gas prices are set to rocket higher when the UK government shortly lifts a cap on energy bills amid record-breaking wholesale costs. AFP

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

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

Philex infusing fresh capital into Silangan mine By Jenniffer B. Austria PHILEX Mining Corp. said Thursday it will infuse additional fresh capital into subsidiaries undertaking the $224-million Silangan mine in Surigao del Norte province to jumpstart the gold and copper mine project. “This is a significant indication that Philex, as parent company of Silangan Mindanao Exploration Co. Inc. and Silangan Mindanao Mining Corp. Inc., is committed to get this project going,” Philex chief finance officer and treasurer Romeo Bachoco said. “This would signal to qualified shareholders, and potential investors alike, who will participate in the stock rights offer as well as the lenders who will join the loan syndication that Philex will infuse fresh capital because it strongly believes in the feasibility of the Silangan Project,” he said. The company did not indicate how much capital it would put in, but it had P4.7 billion as unappropriated retained earnings as of end-2020. The project will involve the development of a starter mine beginning this year and will go on commercial operation by early 2025. It aims to initially produce 2,000 tons of ore a day or about 700,000 tons a year. The will figure will gradually ramp up to 12,000 tons a year as Philex invests additional capital for the mining operations. The Silangan project has estimated 81 million tons in mineable reserves that contain around 993 million pounds of copper and 2.8 million ounces of gold. It will produce, throughout its 28year life, an annual average of 35 million pounds of copper and 100,000 ounces of gold. Bachoco said it would require about P11.2 billion or about $224 million to develop phase 1 of Silangan mine. He said that aside from capital infusion from Philex, the part of the funding requirement for the starter mine would be sourced from a proposed P3.15-billion stock rights offering. The plan is subject to approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Vaccination rollout seen to lift foreign direct investments

Business AmCham urges PH Senate to ratify RCEP trade accord By Othel V. Campos

HE American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines asked the Senate to immediately ratify the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement which entered into force on Jan. 1, 2022.

AmCham executive director Ebb Hinchliffe said the Philippines could not afford not to join RCEP as it would not be a good signal not only to foreign investors but to the whole Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “We see RCEP as a platform for our members to source cheaper local goods for production and manufacturing, as well as benefit the country’s vital sectors such as the creative sectors, financial services, research and development, IT-BPM, professional services, and energy, given the transparent, stable and

predictable rules that the agreement provides,” said Hinchliffe. The group said it was looking forward to the country’s participation in the RCEP accord and expressed commitment to working with the government in ensuring that the agreement would be fully utilized by both the Filipino and American business community, including the micro, small and medium enterprises. AmCham welcomed RCEP’s complementation with existing government reforms to facilitate a more conducive business environment and growth in employment considering the ongoing pandemic. “The entry into force of RCEP for the Philippines complements the country’s programs and policies for the resurgence of manufacturing sectors, including incentives provided for by the CREATE Act wherein in addition to the lowering of corporate income taxes additional tax incentives in the form of tax deductions are included which includes power, local materials, research and development, among others,” Hinchcliffe said. He said the recent passage of the amendment to the Retail Trade Liberal-

ization Act was also a good signal that the Philippines was working towards a more open, transparent and stable market in the region. The agreement was approved by the President in September 2, 2021. AmCham expressed hope that the Senate would immediately concur the executive ratification of the agreement before end of the 18th Congress. “We would like to emphasize the need for the Senate concurrence of RCEP as soon as possible in order for Philippine and American businesses based in the country to fully utilize the agreement and maximize its benefits. We already know that we are behind as the agreement was already implemented on 1 January 2022. We hope to see the country implement the agreement by early 2022,” Hinchliffe said. Six ASEAN countries already ratified the agreement, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. There were also five non-ASEAN signatory states, including Australia, China, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Thursday, January 20, 2022 -22.26 PTS. 7,239.28

TOTAL VOLUME

2,568,823,561

TOTAL TRADES

61,706

TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) 6,149,557,391.06 ADVANCES 109 DECLINES 81 UNCHANGED 44

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.4580

Japan

Yen

0.008747

0.4501

Pound

1.361000

70.0343

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128378

6.6061

Switzerland

Franc

1.092299

56.2075

Canada

Dollar

0.799169

41.1236

Singapore

Dollar

0.742115

38.1878

Australia

Dollar

0.721000

37.1012

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652942

136.5151

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266574

13.7174

Brunei

Dollar

0.739372

38.0466

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.030294

1.5589

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

14.0113

Euro

1.134400

58.3740

Korea

Won

0.000842

0.0433

China

Yuan

0.157612

8.1104

India

Rupee

0.013436

0.6914

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238607

12.2782

New Zealand

Dollar

0.678600

34.9194

Taiwan

Dollar

0.036202

1.8629 Source: BSP

IN BRIEF

Solar PH, listed unit eye share swap deal SOLAR Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. said Thursday it is willing to sell over 10,000 megawatts of solar portfolio to listed unit Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija Corp. in exchange for shares. Solar Philippines said in a statement the potential asset for share swap deal could involve 20 solar projects to be exchanged for 24.37 billion SPNEC shares. SPNEC earlier said its board approved the increase in the authorized capital stock to P5 billion from P1 billion in preparation for possible acquisition through asset-forshare swap. The deal is subject to a thirdparty valuation and fairness opinion by an independent financial advisor. SPNEC scheduled a special stockholder’s meeting on March 7, 2022 to approve the proposed capital hike. Solar Philippines said it is reserving the subject assets for the potential asset-forshare swaps with SPNEC, in the interest of giving this opportunity to SPNEC’s public shareholders. Jenniffer B. Austria

PH companies told to look at US market PHILIPPINE Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez urged Philippine businesses to seize opportunities in the US market while the US interests remained focused on the Indo-Pacific and the ASEAN region. “We need to take advantage of this opportunity and put more investments not only in the region, but in the Philippines,” Romualdez said at the first Global Biz Investment Forum in 2022 organized by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority Tuesday. “The Philippines is ready to do more business with the United States. Our celebration of 75 years of Philippine-US relations this year culminates today’s Global Biz with PEZA as the most opportune time for the Philippines and the United States to engage in more economic partnerships with the participation of both our countries’ dynamic business community,” he said. PEZA continues to engage foreign trade partners on updates on Philippine economy and how the agency can help US investors asses the local investment scene in the regular investment forum Global Biz with PEZA. Othel V. Campos

CARGILL’S SUPPORT. Cargill Philippines and CARE Philippines team up with non-government organizations and business partners to boost vaccination in select areas of Bulacan, Batangas and South Cotabato provinces through the COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement and Vaccination Roll-Out project. The vaccine advocacy project is expected to reach about 260,000 people.

AC Energy set to finish new 60-MW Vietnam wind farm in Q1

By Julito G. Rada

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Department of Finance said Thursday the faster pace of vaccination rollout against COVID-19 will play a vital role in attracting more foreign direct investments in the coming months. Finance Undersecretary and chief economist Gil Beltran said in an economic bulletin the continued year-onyear recovery of foreign direct investments in the first 10 months of 2021 suggested that the country’s long-term prospects remained positive in the eyes of investors. “Sustaining the pace of our vaccination drive and responding appropriately to risks posed by the virus and its variants will be key in maintaining investor confidence,” Beltran said. Latest data showed that net inflows of foreign direct investments sustained the uptrend for the fifth straight month in October, posting a 98.9-percent growth year-on-year to $855 million from $430 million a year ago. This brought the FDI net inflows in the 10-month period to $8.1 billion, higher by 48.1 percent than the $5.5-billion net inflows a year earlier and surpassing the $8-billion net FDI target for the whole of 2021. The recorded increase in FDI net inflows in October was mainly on account of the 78.5-percent growth in non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments to $637 million from $357 million in October 2020. Non-residents’ net investments in equity capital (other than reinvestment of earnings) also increased to $141 million from $1 million in the comparable month in 2020. The notable expansion was due to the improvement in equity capital placements by 80.0 percent to $154 million from $86 million and the decline in equity capital withdrawals by 84.1 percent to $13 million from $85 million.

AC ENERGY Corp., the listed energy platform of the Ayala Group, said Thursday it plans to complete the 60-megawatt Lac Hoa & Hoa Dong Wind project in Soc Trang in the first quarter. The Vietnam project is in collaboration with partner UPC Renewables that will feature the tallest wind turbines in Vietnam at a record hub height of 162 meters. This follows the successful switchon of three wind farms with over 380 MW of renewable capacity in Vietnam in 2021. AC Energy jointly developed wind projects with partners in Vietnam,

where renewables growth remained unaffected by the pandemic. “We are pleased with the rapid progress that we have seen in our Vietnam projects. Powering three energy plants in 2021 was a significant accomplishment that we could not have achieved without the collaboration with our partners and strong support from the government of Vietnam,” said AC Energy president and chief executive Eric Francia. “We will continue to actively participate in the green-led recovery and deliver on our net-zero aspirations,” Francia said. The 88-MW Ninh Thuan wind farm in South Central Vietnam began operations in October last year and is the

second partnership between ACEN and the BIM Group. It is expected to produce 327 gigawatt-hours a year, enough to power around 136,000 homes with renewable energy and help avoid 298,551 tons of CO2 annually. The 252-MW Quang Binh wind farm, a collaboration with AMI Renewables in the North Central Vietnam, began commercial operations in November 2021. As one of the largest wind farms in Vietnam, it can produce around 648 gWh of renewable energy per year, enough to power 270,000 homes and help avoid 580,000 tons of CO2 annually. It also features wind turbines at a hub height of 145 meters.

BSP, regional partners share best practices THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday it is actively working with several central banks and other financial authorities in the region to exchange information, share best practices in areas of mutual interest and guard against potential regional and global financial risks. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said in an online briefing the BSP formalized these agreements through memorandums of understanding and financial cooperation arrangements. The BSP recently renewed bilateral swap arrangement with Japan effective Jan. 1, 2022 until Dec. 31, 2024. The BSA is a two-way swap facility designed to provide short-term liquidity support to the Philippines and Japan in the event of balance of payment challenges. It allows BSP to draw up to $12 billion or its equivalent in Japanese yen. Meanwhile, Japan can draw up to $500 million. “We believe that the renewal of the bilateral swap arrangement for 2022-2024 is valuable for the Philippines as it serves as an additional safety buffer against liquidity and balance of payment difficulties,” Diokno said. Julito G. Rada

AF Payments upgrades app to top up beep cards By Darwin G. Amojelar AF PAYMENTS Inc. said Thursday beep cardholders can now purchase real-time loads for their stored value cards straight from their mobile app. It said the first-in-the-market offering involved harnessing near-field communication technology present in mobile phones to enable users to conveniently top up their card in just a few taps. “Our innovations are always aligned with what’s convenient for beep card customers. We’re adding a contactless way to reload that’s actually received in real-time in order to help our cardholders save time in queuing and to limit their exposure to COVID-19 when outside,” said Sharon Fong, chief commercial officer of AF Payments. “With more and more transport and retail partners joining the beep ecosystem, we strongly encourage Filipino consumers and businesses alike to

maximize the benefits of our contactless payment solution,” she said. Cardholders should download the latest version of the beep card app on their NFC-enabled smartphone. The app accepts payments via Mastercard, Visa or JCB credit and debit cards, GCash, Paymaya or QR PH. It carries a minimal processing fee. Apart from real-time reloading, cardholders can use the mobile app to check their balance and monitor transactions. Beep cards are available at any LRT or MRT station, EDSA bus stops, select P2P terminals, jeepney terminals and Ministop branches in Metro Manila. For their safety, customers are advised to only buy from legitimate and authorized resellers. AF Payments said it would roll out more features on the beep app in the coming months to provide passengers relevant information and services to make daily commuting a hassle-free experience.

SM SCHOLARS. SM Foundation invites incoming college freshmen to apply for the SM College Scholarship program for school year 2022-2023 via its online application portal from Jan. 15 to March 15, 2022. The program is open to Grade 12 graduates from public and private schools, with household income of P150,000 at most a year and who achieved general weighted average grade of at least 92 percent or its equivalent for Grade 12-first semester.

Women’s top seeds tumble; Medvedev faces Kyrgios MELBOURNE—Top women’s seeds including Garbine Muguruza were sent packing on a day of shocks at the Australian Open on Thursday ahead of men’s title favourite Daniil Medvedev and Nick Kyrgios squaring off in a blockbuster encounter. Third seed Muguruza and sixth seed Anett Kontaveit both suffered secondround upsets in straight sets, opening up the bottom half of the women’s draw. WTA Finals winner Muguruza struggled with her serve against 61st-ranked veteran Alize Cornet, losing 6-3, 6-3 in 1hr 27min. “I am a bit of a dinosaur on the tour,” said Cornet, who turns 32 on Saturday. “I’ve been there for 16 years so I have played a lot of matches and faced a lot of situations that I have overcome.” Kontaveit, seen by many as a serious title contender after a breakout 2021, committed 27 unforced errors as she was stunned 6-2, 6-4 by fast-rising Danish teenager Clara Tauson. But second seed Aryna Sabalenka lives to fight another day, just, after coming from a set down for the second successive match to beat China’s world number 100 Wang Xinyu. The Belarusian has struggled with her serve since arriving in Australia and served 19 double faults -- six in the opening game alone -- before managing to drag herself through 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. In the men’s draw, Australian wildcard Chris O’Connell continued the day of upsets with a straight-sets win over 13th seed Diego Schwartzman 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-4. World number 175 O’Connell, who has reached the third round of a Slam for the first time, faces America’s Maxime Cressy. Fifth seed Andrey Rublev calmly avoided the carnage with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis. He will now face Marin Cilic, who lost the 2018 Australian Open final to Roger Federer. Croatia’s Cilic, seeded 27, beat Slovakia’s Norbert Gombos 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6). Later, world number two Medvedev faces ultimate showman Kyrgios in a night match on Rod Laver Arena that could play a big part in shaping the destiny of this year’s Australian Open men’s title. ‘Best player in the world’ Also in action are Andy Murray and fourth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas, but all eyes will be on Medvedev and the maverick Kyrgios, who won both the pair’s previous meetings in 2019. With Novak Djokovic kicked out of Australia and Federer absent because of injury, the draw has opened up for the 25-year-old US Open champion Medvedev— but first he has to get past Kyrgios and the raucous antics of his legion of home fans. AFP

Sports

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

France’s Alize Cornet serves against Spain’s Garbine Muguruza during their women’s singles match on Day 4 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

Momentum on side of PH women’s booters vs. Thais By Peter Atencio

HE Philippine women’s national football team will have the momentum on its side against Thailand. National coach Alen Stajcic is upbeat about this going into their first game in the 2022 Asian Football Confederation Women’s Asian Cup this Friday. The Thais, according to Stajcic, have not played in any competitive way after bagging the silver medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines. “We’ve got a lot of respect for them. But after having watched the Philippines play in the last Asian Cup. And with a score of 2-1 in their (Filipinas’) last game, that should keep them going for a long time. If we can improve on their performance, we can give them a good run for their (Thais)

money,” said Stajcic. Thailand and the Filipina booters clash at 5:30 p.m. (8 p.m. in Manila) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi, Mumbai. Stajcic liked what he saw for the Philippines during the Group Stage in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where the Filipina booters lost to Nepal, 1-2, but bounced back with a 2-1 triumph over Hong Kong last September. After that, the Filipinas went through a big makeover with their two-and-half month training camp in Irvine, California. Stajcic believes that Thailand’s lack of games and exposures over the last two years could take a toll on their rivals, who lost the SEA Games’ women’s crown to Vietnam. Meantime, members of the team said they are taking very well the lessons they have learned from Stajcic, who took over from Marlon Marlo after he stepped down at the end of their campaign in Uzbekistan. “We’re doing good. Preparations are going well,” said Fil-American forward Chandler McDaniel.

The Filipinas, according to McDaniel, are making the transition into a fighting team following their early arrival in Mumbai. “It’s nice to fly out to India a few days earlier than we did. I think it’s helping all us of us adjust,” added McDaniel. The squad will be playing with four new faces, namely Filipino-French Katrina Guillou, Fil-Americans Kiara Fontanilla, Dominique Randle and Isabel Flanigan. Guillou, 28, is a midfielder currently playing for Swedish t team Piteå IF. On the other hand, Fontanilla comes from Eastern Oregon University, while Stajcic also put two junior players, Keanne Alamo and Carleigh Frilles, into the senior squad. Midfielder Tahnai Annis will be the skipper for this campaign, to be assisted by co-captain Hali Long. Inna Palacios is returning to the squad with Sara Castaneda and Cam Rodriguez, alongside the likes of Chandler McDaniel, Tara Shelton, and Sofia Harrison. The Filipina booters will be rein-

Reyes hooks up with High Speed Hitters MIKA Reyes has finally made her decision. After long deliberation with her camp, the 6-foot middle blocker has signed with PLDT Home Fibr for the upcoming 2022 Premier Volleyball League season. And for the 27-year-old native of Pulilan, Bulacan, the High Speed Hitters is the team that will help her develop more as a player. “Unang-una, siyempre malaking factor ‘yung team composition kasi PLDT was looking for middles,” said Reyes. “Tapos out of all teams that made an offer, sila Sir Bajjie [Del Rosario, team manager] ang talagang naramdaman ko who really wants me. Nagulat ako na sobrang interested nila na kunin ako sa team so I’m very grateful.” In PLDT, Reyes reunites with Rhea Dimaculangan, with whom she won three championships during their time in Petron from 2017-19. In addition, she gets to play alongside former Sta. Lucia

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

players Dell Palomata and Jovie Prado. “Of course, pero hindi lang si Ate Rhea lang makakasama ko muli. Si Dell and si Jovie nakasama ko din sa Sta. Lucia,” the four-time PSL Best Middle Blocker said. “Maganda ring time ito compared to time namin before. This time, may mashe-share na kami sa isa’t isa ni Ate Rhea. Iba na rin ‘yung level ng paglalaro namin ngayon. After three years, magkakasama na kami muli at mas madami na na-experience namin now.” What excites Reyes the most is that she finally gets to be under new High Speed Hitters head coach George Pascua. Reyes had only faced Pascua before in the PSL. “To be honest, never ko pa siya nakasama,” shared Reyes. “Magandang experience ito for me to adjust sa system niya. Especially now na target is next month mag-start, kailangan mag-adapt ako kagad sa system niya. Nagtitiwala ako sa goals niya for the team and same

Mika Reyes

sa bago kong mga teammates.” Other new additions to PLDT are Kath Arado, Jessey De Leon, Mean Mendrez, Wendy Semana, Fiola Ceballos, and Lhara Clavano. Besides Dimaculangan, the team retained Chin Basas, Eli Soyud, and Nieza Viray. Expectations will be high for PLDT —a team coming off a seventh-place finish in last year’s open conference —as it has a cracked lineup on paper. But Reyes though wants to temper it, saying that the team has to gel first before they can the high standards set on to them. “I’m a team player and as long as we work out namin ‘yung chemistry, makakatulong yun sa amin. Talagang nag-revamp din ‘yung PLDT now so magiging challenge sa amin ‘yung chemistry.”

Running toward the ‘national’ dream By Camille Anne M. Arcilla

Ken Mendola, coach and founder of WeKenRun with Jessica Lina and Jomm Lacanilao-Gay, who both placed 4th during the PATAFA qualifiying in Baguio

FROM barely sustaining a 3-kilometer run two years ago, 26-yearold Jessica Lina found herself on the track, competing against national athletes in a major sporting event last December. Lina, together with We Ken Run teammate 23-year-old John Ephraim Gay, competed at the 2021 Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships, organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association on December 16 and 17, 2021 in Baguio City. We Ken Run is a group led by running Coach Ken Mendola. “It didn’t register in my head what big of a deal it was when Coach Ken encouraged us to apply. Only when I saw the list of whom I was competing against, I realized how big time my com-

petitors were,” Lina said. With high hopes from her and her running team, she placed 4th in 10K Women’s Division. Gay, on the other hand, placed 4th in the 5K Men’s Division. Both Lina and Gay were not trained athletes and were only given three weeks to prepare prior the competition. However, their coach Mendola believed it was not a hindrance for them to go to the nationals. “It was really a matter of giving them the needed exposure. I had to put them in an environment where their competitiveness steps up,” Mendola said. “When you start to compete at this level, you also somewhat elevate yourself. It’s already not what the regular runners do.”

Potential athletes

Lina initially joined We Ken Run with a goal of losing weight. She admitted that she was not even as

active as she was before but now her workouts are now consistent. “I definitely wasn’t active or committed to running. Although I was part of the track and field team in high school, I only did it to get out of PE class,” she said. “When I met CK, I got into it and felt like I was good at it, so that’s why I stuck.” Gay, on the contrary, grew up as a hyperactive kid and he was already joining all kinds of sports, especially basketball. He only stopped playing when the pandemic happened. “All the basketball courts in our were closed, so I had no choice but to run every day. It’s the only available option. It’s easy. You just have to go put your shoes on and run around,” he said. Similar to Lina and Gay, one of Turn to C2

Alen Stajcic

forced by Japan WE.League veterans Quinley Quezada of Chiba and Sarina Bolden of Saitama. Australia will be the Philippines’ next foe on January 24, followed by Indonesia three days later.

PBA adjusts 47th season schedule for EASL kickoff THE PBA is ready to adjust its 47th season schedule for teams set to represent the group in the East Asia Super League. Commissioner Willie Marcial said there was already an agreement within the PBA Board about tweaking the playing dates of the two teams seeing action in the homeand-away tournament once the meet kicks off on the second week of October. Marcial added he had a recent talk with EASL co-founder and CEO Matt Beyer, who provided him already with the playing calendar for the five-month long meet. “Nagbigay na sila ng schedule. October 12 away, and October 19 home. Ang alam ko ang kalaban natin either Japan or Korea,” said the PBA commissioner. Similar games will be held on November as each of the eight participating teams are scheduled to play three games at home and three games on the road. “Kinausap ko na si Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro na i-adjust ang schedule. Kailangan i-adjust ‘yung schedule para doon sa mga teams na pupunta,” said Marcial. “Hindi muna natin sila paglalaruin ng isang lingo, tsaka na lang pagbalik nila,” he added. “Kaya green and go and EASL. Excited na nga kami na maglaro sa East Asia.” A similar adjustment in the schedule was made by the league back in 2019 when three teams in San Miguel, TNT, and Blackwater played in the Terrific 12 version of the EASL featuring some of the top commercial ballclubs around the region.

Sports

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

Loman wants to take on another top 5 bantamweight STEPHEN “The Sniper” Loman came to ONE Championship with high expectations. The Team Lakay fighter, who held championships in his past promotions, was counted on to be one of the rising stars from the Baguio-based stable. And in his first fight inside the ONE Circle, he didn’t just break every expectation, he smashed them. Loman delivered a resounding victory in his promotional debut as he scored the first Stephen Loman round technical knockout win over Russian contender Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev, battering him with his heavy hands at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II last December. It was just the kind of performance he craved for his introduction in The Home of Martial Arts and safe to say, he has put the bantamweight division on notice. Loman has immediately propelled himself to the ONE Athlete Rankings, taking Saadulaev’s position as he’s now the no. 3 contender in the bantamweight class. Although the ascent came as expected, it still surprised Loman that he got to this high in an instant. “It was my debut fight and it is a great feeling to be at the top five after defeating a ranked opponent. I was positive that I will be climbing up the rankings, but surprisingly, they put me in the third spot. I’m so thankful,” he said. Loman is well aware of Saadulaev’s pedigree, and the fact that he was able to topple such a tough cookie weighed heavily on his jump to this spot in the list. “When I was watching Yusup in his fights and when he teaches his students, he is very technical on the ground and I can’t help but be impressed and learn, too, from him,” he said. “Yusup is not just good at the ground but in striking as well. When I was landing my kicks, he was fast with his punches and that got me. He put me down and when I tried to counter him too, he got a solid chin and a good heart to stand back up again.”

Striegl upbeat of chances at higher weight UFC category By Peter Atencio

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball against the Orlando Magic on January 19, 2022 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AFP

Sixers’ Embiid scores 50, Nuggets’ Jokic 49 in wins L OS ANGELES— Philadelphia center Joel Embiid and Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic lit up the NBA on Wednesday, underscoring their MVP credentials in leading their teams to victory.

Embiid matched his career high with 50 points in a display of ruthless efficiency that fueled the 76ers’ 123-110 victory over the Orlando Magic. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic scored 49 points in a triple-double that also featured 14 rebounds and 10 assists, powering the Nuggets to a 130-128 overtime triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers. Jokic scored 37 points in the second half and overtime. The Serbian star handed out his 10th assist of the contest with 2.2 seconds left in overtime when, facing a double team himself, he lofted a cross-court pass to Aaron Gordon for a tie-breaking three-pointer. Gordon’s fourth three-pointer of the game made it 130-127 and proved to be the game-winner. The Clippers made it

130-128 with a free throw after Denver reserve Davon Reed received a technical foul for coming onto the court after Gordon’s basket. But Clippers guard Reggie Jackson couldn’t get his three-pointer to fall at the buzzer. Jokic notched his 10th triple-double of the season, connecting on 16 of 25 shots from the field, including three of five from three-point range. Embiid was even more efficient, connecting on 17 of 23 shots from the field and putting up his half-century in just 27 minutes on court. “Fifty in 27, that’s the most impressive part,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. “That was easy, quick, efficient and determined.” Embiid made eight of 10 shots in scoring 23 points in the third quarter. His step-back three-pointer with 25

seconds left in the third put Philadelphia up 92-80 and took his tally to 47 points -- two more than the rest of his teammates combined to that point. His dominant effort helped the Sixers, trailing by 10 at halftime, out-score the Magic 47-23 in the third and take a 94-80 lead into the fourth quarter. “I was feeling great,” said Embiid, who also pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked three shots. Embiid played less than a minute in the fourth quarter, scoring three points—all on free throws—to take his tally to 50 then remaining on the bench as the Sixers led all of the final frame. He joined Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Allen Iverson as the only 76ers with multiple 50-point games. “I thought even tonight I was making fadeaways all over the place and getting to the free-throw line,” Embiid said. “But at the same time I was still moving the ball. “These guys have a lot of trust in me, and they’re also looking for me,” Embiid added of his teammates. “It doesn’t matter any time in the game, the ball is always going to find me.” AFP

Running... From C1

We Ken Run’s fastest runners Dean Ellison Cunanan was also gunning for a spot in the PATAFA competition. However, he was not able to reach the qualifying time. “I was really bummed out. I questioned myself and I tried to think as to why I can’t do it. Good thing, CK was there and he said to get it next time,” he said. “This year, this is one of my goals—to be able to get in the National Open this year. “ For these potential athletes, Mendola said it was not planned as you cannot choose your athletes. Whoever is there and is interested, he works with them and pushes them to be at the best version of themselves. He said the common denominator with the three athletes is that they all love what they are doing. “From there, you just really have to improve yourself and learn not to just dream big, but to take action. Dreaming big is one story, but getting things done to commit to those dreams is another story,” he said.

Training with CK

All three runners met Mendola by chance, but with a goal of getting better in running. Them participating in sporting events wasn’t really the plan initially. “I have no idea what the group (We Ken Run) was until we joined and ever since

WeKenRun members with coach Ken Mendola

then, it was super fun. It was a great experience with the team,” Gay said. Mendola said that he does not check his runners’ backgrounds, but instead, he takes it from the fitness level they are currently in. “With me, whatever their fitness is, how they respond with the training, where they are at right now—I only started to notice after their first training block and by the end of their second training block. I started to notice that their [running] times are not normal for an average runner,” he said. When PATAFA announced APAC, Mendola encouraged the three to join. He checked the qualifying times and he thought that they are all within that range.

As their coach, he said he got excited and asked them to submit the requirements. “For me, that’s how they would get the exposure, at that level. Whatever their event was, just give their best,” he said. “The goal was just actually to give their best, with their PR or personal best, without thinking that they had to place in that competition.” Mendola said that there is nothing extra special with the training they have been doing, but the difference would be on how he connects with his athletes. He said it’s not going to be effective if the athlete would not be able to do what the coach wants them to do. “So, for me, it’s good that they knew about their goal. And of course, their trust with me as

a coach is the biggest factor among all,” he said.

Running forward

For Gay, joining the PATAFA was the best decision he has made recently because now, he sees the path he’s heading towards to. “Running for me feels really good. I want it to become my actual job. I want to get paid to run one day. It’s not far from happening because I’ve been training really hard and been hitting the goals I’ve been setting myself,” he said. He plans to qualify for the Southeast Asian Games, and hopefully, for the Olympics soon. Cunanan, on the other hand, besides pursuing the PATAFA tournament this year, also aims to be part of the SEA Games.

MOVING back to a higher weight class would hopefully change the fortunes of Filipino-American mixed martial artist Mark Striegl. Fighting in the heavier featherweight category this time around, the 33-year-old Striegl is looking forward to his return to the Octagon this coming February 20 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 5’8” Striegl will be looking for his first win the Universal Fighting Championship when he clashes with American Chas Skelly. This will be Striegl’s second UFC match since his debut in UFC Fight Night 201. His match will be one of the 11 undercards of the lightweight encounter between Rafael Dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev. “Majority of my career, I fought in the 145-lbs class, I just feel that making it that 135 (bantamweight) is a pretty hard weight class,” said Striegl in an online Zoom huddle with Filipino scribes, made possible through Tap Go DMV. Striegl tried shifting to a lower weight class for UFC 180 last October 17, 2020, but Russian fighter Said Nurmagomedov knocked him out in the first round. At a heavier category, Striegl said he feels more upbeat of his chances of improving on his 18-3 win-loss record. “As I got older, I put on a lot of muscle mass over the years. Maybe in my early 20s, I could have made it easily,” added Streigl, who seeks to become the next Fil-American fighter to have a successful career in UFC since Brandon Vera with a great start in 2005. Striegl’s preparation for the fight is also the subject of a mini-documentary that is being produced by the Philippines’ newest sports channel Tap Digital Media Ventures. The three-part documentary will tackle Striegl’s journey from Japan to promotions like the URCC, PXC, and One Championship all the way to the UFC. “With my age, I’m already 29, I’m already in my latter part of my career in Track and Field… but my ultimate goal is to complete the six marathon majors at below three hours,” he said. Lina, meanwhile, sees to continue improving her skills to be able to represent the Philippines and inspire more people. She said she’s been getting messages from others who are saying that she inspired them to work out and run. “It’s definitely more than a hobby right now. I want to do more races, eventually do a marathon. I’m happy about that and it makes the journey more worth it,” she said. For aspiring runners who also dream to be part of the Nationals, the three all echoed in that part of the process is to love what you do, have fun, and embrace the failures. “Loving what you’re doing makes the process so much easier and you’re going to want more. You have to think of the three Ds: Desire, devotion, and discipline,” Gay said. Cunanan added: “Embrace the suck. It’s not always the good parts. Failing the workouts, not finishing the runs, it’s part of the progress. So you have to embrace those along with the positives.” For those who are interested to join the WeKENRun community, you can follow or message their Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/WeKenRun.

Azkals eye ‘friendlies,’ camp in Europe; good luck Malditas!

WITH the whole country practically experiencing a surge of new COVID cases in the past few weeks and the subsequent upgrade to Alert Level 3, the Philippine Azkals have to scuttle plans to hold a camp by the end of January. Azkals’ team manager Dan Palami says they have to put into consideration the various quarantine protocols and travel restrictions being implemented not only here but in other countries as well where a number of Azkals are currently based. “With everything going now in the world, and the rising cases in Europe and in the Philippines as well, we thought that the safety of players and our coaching staff was paramount so we decided to forego that important camp. Our team is composed of new players, younger players who need to have time together but unfortunately we

can’t do that,” Palami explained. Palami, however, revealed that there are plans to hold the camp in March in the hope that things are more feasible by that time. He said that there are FIFA calendar dates in March that will allow the international players of Azkals to go to the camp. “We are looking at playing some games, maybe two games in Europe plus some training for the team,” added Palami. Palami refused to reveal, for now, where exactly and which team they are going to play against, but he gave a clue. “We are looking at a region in Spain as a possible venue for the camp and the games. We are still finalizing the details but in principle, there have some agreements among parties already. We just can’t disclose more details until the contracts are signed,” he said. “Once this is done, the parties will announce it together.” For the meantime, local-based Azkals will have to train on their own. Their Under-23 counterparts are busy, despite quarantine restrictions and all, gearing up for the U-23 AFF Suzuki Cup set to unfold next month in Cambodia. “Even assembling the team locally has

been a challenge. Most of the players are in the provinces and those coming from outside the Philippines are having a hard time getting their flights. It is really a challenge,” Palami said. The Under-23 camp and try-outs will start on Monday, January 24, 2022. With the players coming from a long break, Palami is not sure about their fitness. Palami is also giving much consideration on the possibility of the U-23 team leaving early for Cambodia. “It will depend on the level of quarantine protocols in Cambodia. If they have stricter and longer quarantine protocols, it will be more ideal for us to just go to Cambodia much earlier and have the training there. Our foreign-based players can just fly directly to Cambodia and meet the team there,” Palami quipped. Palami clarified that although there were call ups, the composition of the U-23 team is not yet final. The camp will include 2-3 days of tryouts and there will be players coming from youth teams before and newly-discovered talents who will compete for spots in the national team. The coaching staff then will choose the final composition of the team. The U-23 team is in Group A in the

competitions along with host Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Brunei. The team’s first game will be on February 14, 2022, 4 p.m. local time against Timor Leste at the Morodok Techo National Stadium. While the Philippine Azkals and the U-23 team are preparing for the upcoming camp and tournament, the Philippine Women’s National Football team is actually competing for a possible spot in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup that will be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20 next year. The Malditas will face Thailand, 8 p.m Philippine time this evening at the Dy Patil Stadium in Navi, Mumbai as the ladies open their bid in the SFC Women’s Asian Cup in India 2022. The team will next face Australia on Monday, January 24, 6 p.m. Philippine time at Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai before wrapping up their campaign in the group stage against Indonesia on Thursday, January 24, 10 p.m. Philippine time at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune. The top two teams and the best third place team in the three groups will advance to the next round.

The Malditas’ chances to qualify to the World Cup is very promising. The team is in top form and is coming from a twomonth camp in Irvine, California. “We were able to work on all the technical and tactical aspects and really get aligned with the group and form the team chemistry. Everyone is on the same page. They all know what their roles are on and off the pitch and have formed a strong bond,” Allen Stajcic, the national team coach, said in an IG post. The team is composed of goalkeepers Inna Palacios, Kiara Fontanilla, and Olivia Davies McDaniel; defenders Dominique Randle, Tara Shelton, Hali Long, Kristen Bugay, Morgan Brown, Isabella Flanigan, Soña Harrison, and Kartina Guillou; midfielders Male Cesar, Tahnai Annis, Camille Rodriguez, Jessica Miclat, Anicka Castañeda, Sara Castañeda, and Keanne Alamo; and forwards Chandler McDaniel, Carleigh Frilles, Sara Bolden, Eva Madarang and Quinley Quezada. Good luck Malditas! And lastly, there is a reason why it is called Australian Open, Novaxx Djokovic! Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!

Entertainment GMA News Pillar Jessica Soho

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

Presidential aspirants face-to-face with Jessica Soho TO AID our citizens in making an informed choice in the coming elections, GMA News and Public Affairs presents a significant television event this Saturday, Jan. 22: The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews. The show will feature one-onone interviews of the leading presidential aspirants, hosted by award-winning and trusted broadcast journalist Jessica Soho.

In this must-see special, Soho boldly asks the presidential aspirants the questions that need to be asked – their intentions behind running for the position, the controversies thrown at them, their stand on pressing issues, and their concrete plans should they be elected. Unexpected and revealing questions will also be asked for viewers to get to know the aspirants in-depth. In the two-hour-long episode, Soho

will scrutinize each presidential aspirant with the aim of helping the public decide who deserves their vote come May. Meanwhile, to reach more Filipinos, The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews will also air across various platforms. It will be simulcast on the GMA Network’s flagship international channel, GMA Pinoy TV available worldwide – US, Canada, Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the

Asia-Pacific, simulcast on radio via the flagship AM station Super Radyo DZBB 594khz and all its Super Radyo stations nationwide. It will also be live-streamed via GMA News Online and GMA Public Affairs’ YouTube channel, Twitter, and TikTok accounts. Eleksyon 2022 Special, The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews airs at 6:15 p.m. on GMA Network. For updates, visit www.gmanetwork.com and www.gtv.ph.

Joel Lamangan heaps praise on ‘Deception’ stars Claudine Barretto, Mark Anthony Fernandez

Claudine (2nd from left) in a scene from the Joel Lamangan mystery drama.

‘Deception’ marks Claudine’s return to showbiz

more than 25 years? Are they still good at what they do, are they still professional like they were at the beginning of their ORMER flames Claudine Barretto career?” he went on. and Mark Anthony Fernandez Lamangan, the genius behind critically-acclaimed films such as The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), Sidhi (1999), are reunited in the mystery drama Deathrow (2000), and Aishte Imasu 1941 (2004), was Deception. It’s the project that brought them pleasantly surprised to discover that Barretto and Fernandez have not changed despite the years of not being active in together again after more than two-and-afilms or television. “They are still the same. They are still good at half decades of not sharing the same screen. understanding their characters. They are intelligent actors The film, directed by Joel Lamangan, tells the story of that’s why it was easy working with them. Alam nila kung Rose (Barretto) a famous actress, and Jericho (Fernandez) a paano bibigyang buhay ang mga character na na-assign stunt double, who fell in love and got married. sa kanila. Mas malalim sila ngayon because of their As they start their own family, they are blessed with experiences in life. Their perception of the harsh reality of a son and named him Thomas. From the looks of it, it was The film reunites Claudine and Mark life is now much deeper. And they can translate that into already a perfect life filled with love, but what could have after two-and-a-half decades of not acting,” Lamangan related. been a promising future for their family starts spiraling down sharingthe same screen. Meanwhile, when asked about their reunion project, the after Rose became convicted for killing her husband and was former couple could not be more excited to work together sentenced to ten-year imprisonment. With Rose in prison and Jericho’s death, again and has nothing but praises for each other. their son is taken to an orphanage and learns to live without his parents. “What I like about Claudine is she became an independent woman, that’s what As Rose’s time in prison ends, she tries to start her life anew, among them I’ve noticed,” said Fernandez. is finding and reconnecting with his estranged son, who is now a teenager. “The script is very timely. If it weren’t for the script, I don’t think we’d be But her troubled past starts to catch up with her and reveals all the lies working together again on a movie project. The story has suspense, drama, and it will that go with it. She also soon finds out why her almost perfect life went make you laugh a little as well,” he added. crumbling down. In turn, Barretto returned the praises saying it’s such a breeze working with the Speaking to Manila Standard Entertainment, Lamangan sent a virtual former Gwapings member. tribute to the stars of his film talking about their acting skills, creative “Working with Mark is very easy, we really have a good rapport. And he’s very process, and professionalism as actors. professional now,” Barretto, who is making a movie comeback after her six-year “I didn’t have to work on their chemistry because they already break from acting, stated. have it. Mahusay ang kanilang tambalan at alam mong mayroon Produced by Viva Films and Borracho Film Production, Deception premieres on silang kahusayang itinatago,” the seasoned director stated. Jan. 28 and will stream exclusively on Vivamax Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, “When I was told that Claudine and Mark will be my stars in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Macao, Vietnam, Deception, I asked myself, ‘How will I able to make things work Brunei, Maldives, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Europe, Canada, and for these two actors who haven’t been together in a project for the United States.

People

...are talking about

Love Is Color Blind

Star Cinema’s bubblegum romance, starring Twitter’s favorite sweethearts Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, is the highest-grossing film of 2021. That’s according to Mico del Rosario who made the announcement on Instagram. While the post is no longer available, “resibo” instantly spread online with DonBelle fans celebrating the feat. Though no figures were quoted, which is definitely odd, it’s easy to believe how a mediocre romantic drama can achieve such an incredible milestone.

Gameboys

The adorable gamers turned lovers Gavreel and Cairo (played by Kokoy de Santos and Elijah Canlas, respectively) whose relationship and struggles are relatable because we’ve experienced them at some point in our lives, are set to woo a different set of audience. After playing with the emotions of local fans, this time, it’s premiering in Japan. If that isn’t a level up, we don’t know what is. Talk about gamechanger.

…are not talking about

Kim Chiu

She doesn’t seem to have learned her lesson even after being heavily bashed due to her “bawal lumabas” blunder. Netizens are calling out the actress again for her random statements in the ABS-CBN’s noontime variety show It’s Showtime. Who wouldn’t feel bothered listening to a public figure condone cheating and promote animal cruelty? Kim has already explained herself, saying that it’s not what she meant. We know that she can only do so much apologizing but how many times do we have to consider her kind of defense?

Sparkle

Just so you know, GMA Network’s talent arm has rebranded itself with a less effulgent name and relaunched its lineup of “brightest stars.” While other management agencies field their priority list of talents with new faces, Sparkle just recycled its roster with existing names. Behind the effort is Mr. M, whose star magic wand starts to look like a dying ember. With him on top of the effort, will these talents glitter or just simply spark? Let’s wait and see.

Search is on for Miss Universe Philippines 2022

AFTER the Philippines’ Masquerade 2021,” a red-carpet Top 5 finish at the Miss dinner show held at Grand Universe 2021 pageant Ballroom, Okada Manila on held in Eilat, Israel, the Dec. 29. search for Beatrice Luigi Organized by Mrs. Universe Gomez’s successor has Philippines 2019 Maria Charo just been announced Calalo, national director of by the Miss Universe Mrs. Universe Philippines, purification Philippines organization with the screening of tablets the charity event was for the to applicants set next month. benefit of the Li’l Brave Hearts the stranded “Another year, another set of queens! passengers and Foundation, a non-stock, nonThe most prestigious pageant in the country truck and cargo profit organization that supports will start its screening in February parents with children afflicted drivers in 2022. Get your profiles and with Down Syndrome and Cebu papers ready, aspiring congenital heart diseases. City queen. We’re brewing Hosted by actor-singer Lance something phenomenal. Raymundo II and Gail de Asis, Miss Universe the event was highlighted by a Philippines 2022, this mini-fashion show where the The hosts of Glamour Feast coming April,” the guests walked the ramp with Masquerade 2021 organization said in a their colorful masquerade attires social media post. concluding with the presentation Meanwhile, Gomez, Ports caused by typhoon of special awards. who was back in her Best Dressed Female was Mamou Virgie Odette. Gomez is a Reserve hometown Cebu, joined Sargeant of the Philippine Navy. Monton and Best Dressed Male was Dennis the SimplyShare Foundation Ventolino while Meg Tolino and James • • • Inc., headed by Pam and Brian Boado were named Glamour Queen and Adding glamour to red carpet To, Dr. Nicole and Dr. Janos, of Glamour King. benefit show Philippine Navy Naval Reserve Center Eastern The Mrs. Universe Philippines is preparing The Mrs. Universe Philippines organization Visayas, in the distribution Miss Universe 2021 welcomed the New Year with for the Mrs. Universe 2021 pageant to be held of packed meals and water Beatrice Luigi Gomez the staging of “Glamour Feast in Seoul, South Korea from April 11 to 23.

Hanging out with charming Cha Eun-Woo

SMART Hallyu Hangouts in partnership with Viu, will allow Smart customers to spend virtual primetime with Cha EunWoo in an intimate and fun session that will be streaming live on Jan. 29, Saturday at 4:00 p.m., with a replay at 8:00 p.m. on the same day. Cha Eun-Woo himself has expressed his excitement to spend time with his Filipino supporters. “Mabuhay, Philippines! I’m inviting all my Filipino fans to come and spend a day with me on Smart Hallyu Hangouts for a special day,” he said. “Let’s deepen our connection with each other and create special memories together this 2022. Please look forward to it,” added the 24-year-old Astro boyband member and True Beauty lead actor. Cha Eun-Woo is known for his roles in the K-Dramas like My ID is Gangnam Beauty and Rookie Historian. He showed his charm in the variety shows All The Butlers and Handsome Tigers, which are all

available for his fans to by Smart subscribers–in enjoy streaming on Viu. both the original audio “Korean content with English subtitles, continues to be a major and dubbed in Tagalog. passion among many We’re happy to work Filipinos, and in our with Smart to bring CHA commitment to bring our EUN-WOO closer to his subscribers closer to what fans who love to watch they love, we have turned his shows on Viu.”, says Smart into the ultimate Vinchi Sy-Quia, Head of K-content destination Growth Marketing at Viu of Pinoys. Aside from Philippines. making it simpler for fans South Korean actor Cha Eun-Woo Smart launched the to enjoy the best Korean Hallyu Hangouts series entertainment at their fingertips through last year to bring top South Korean stars like the GigaPlay App, we also go beyond Hyun Bin, Son Ye-Jin, and Park Seo Jun by providing exclusive Hallyu Hangout closer to Filipino K-drama fans and Smart experiences that bring them closer to their subscribers. Korean idols,” says Jane. J. Basas, SVP For more information on how to watch and Head of Consumer Wireless Business Smart Hallyu Hangouts with Cha Eunat Smart. Woo, visit https://smart.com.ph/Pages/ “True Beauty, which was launched hallyu-hangouts and follow to follow exclusively on Viu, continues to be Smart’s official accounts on Facebook, popular and was received very positively Twitter, and Instagram for updates.

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

Actress Sunshine Cruz finds happiness in her hobby of crocheting clothing for herself and her family.

Sunshine Cruz (leftmost) and her daughters wearing some of the tops that she crocheted herself.

T IS never too late to upgrade your skillset. Actress Sunshine Cruz is proof to that as she dabbles in crafting in her 40s. Getting her hands busy, she revealed, was a result of trying to be productive while in quarantine.

SUNSHINE CRUZ is hooked on a hobby

“Crocheting makes me happy,” said Sunshine when I asked what got her hooked to the needlework. The particular kind allows one to create garments by interlocking loops of yarn or threads with literally, a hook. “It takes away my stress and anxiety. And it also makes me proud when my kids are happy to wear the pieces I make. That makes me a happy mom,” she added. Known to many, Sunshine is a single mom to her three daughters Angelina, Sam, and Chesca. Asked if she has always been artistically inclined, Sunshine laughed and replied, “Not really!” In fact, the actress said, even she was surprised with her creations. “I didn’t realize I could crochet tops! I just made placemats and coasters back in school,” she explained. Sunshine recalled that it was in fifth or sixth grade that she learned how to crochet. The little girl who did edging for a dress in art class is now a crafty mom who dresses up her daughters with cool tops made out of milk cotton yarn. Her partner Macky Mathay is also a recipient of her lovingly made pieces. After a long time, the old hobby made a comeback in Sunshine’s life during the travel to her friend and fellow actress Ara Mina’s destination wedding in 2021. “I made a beanie for Macky while we were on the road to Baguio. A few days before the trip, I ordered yarns and hooks online,” she shared. Lately, it just takes around two days for Sunshine to finish a crocheted top. “I usually crochet while watching [TV] or when I chat with the girls. When I have free time, I multitask,” she related with excitement. The handmade project is obviously giving Sunshine joy that I was curious to know if any of her girls also tried to get into it. “Oh, they did! Angelina and Sam tried but their final pieces looked like chicharon!,” she said matter-of-factly. “That’s when I said, just give me a peg and I will work on the design for you.” “I do get orders already but for now, I just do this for my family,” Sunshine explained when asked if she has plans of turning her art into a business. Clearly, her career keeps the actress busy. She currently appears in GMA primetime series Mano Po Legacy: The Family Fortune.

Sunshine Cruz (right) with her partner Macky Mathay

A crocheted top by Sunshine Cruz

While she has yet to monetize her “works of heart,” Sunshine believes learning is growth and wishes to empower aspiring crochet artists. “It is easy to learn. You can find crocheting tutorials and buy basic tools online,” she enthused. “Even when we are stuck at home, we can turn our passions into something purposeful and even profitable.” Kate Adajar is a former media strategist and brand communications manager for multinational companies. She is now an entrepreneur and content creator behind RandomRepublika. com. Apart from being a TV, lifestyle, and travel junkie, Kate nurtures her creative side through watercolor painting, polymer clay art, and digital illustration. You can connect with her via Instagram @kate.adajar or drop her a note at kate.adajar@ gmail.com.

Film workshops highlight Batangas culture and heritage FROM the Batangas Forum for was also designed to uplift the morale of Good Governance and Development the Batangueños and send a message of Association, Inc. (BF), in partnership positivity in the midst of these difficult with the Film Development Council of times of the pandemic,” Batangas Forum the Philippines (FDCP), comes a series President Mauro Barradas said. of online workshops on the foundational The pride campaign was the brainchild skills in filmmaking through the FDCP of Batangas Forum member Leo Film Talks @ Doon Po Sa Amin Pride Martinez, a veteran actor, filmmaker, and Campaign for all Saturdays of January. icon of Batangas. It seeks to be a push The creative videography workshop in reigniting local cultural and heritage series aiming to encourage the creation consciousness and appreciation. of worthwhile content through video The partnership with the FDCP productions highlighting Batangas’ strengthens the core of the project by culture and heritage commenced last giving opportunities for the participants, Jan. 8 and welcomed 120 participants to especially the young students, to nurture its initial session on visual storytelling. and hone their creative talents by learning Majority of the selected participants are from industry experts. from the youth sector of Batangas,18 to The “FDCP Film Talks @ Doon Po Sa 30 years of age. Amin Pride Campaign” has put together The conclusion of the four-part virtual a line of award-winning speaker-mentors workshop is an invitation by the Batangas for the different sessions—John Carlo Forum for participants to produce short Pacala for Storytelling last Jan. 8, Zig videos captured through mobile devices Dulay for Introduction to Directing last for a Festival of Short Videos to be held Jan. 15, Anjanmar Rebeta for Basic this year. Cinematography on Jan. 22, and Ilsa The coming festival is a key component Malsi for Basic Editing on Jan. 29. of the organization’s “Doon Po Sa In his remarks during the opening session Amin Pride Campaign,” an initiative to of the workshop, Martínez, the Chair of the awaken the sense of pride of the people Batangas Forum’s Doon Po Sa Amin Pride of Batangas through the production and Campaign Committee, expressed Batangas dissemination of short videos that will showcase the many unique and distinguishing aspects of the culture and heritage of the province. “The Doon Po Sa Amin John Carlo Pacala Anjanmar Rebeta Pride Campaign Ilsa Malsi

Forum’s deep appreciation for the generosity of the FDCP in providing this free virtual workshop for the aspiring filmmakers and film practitioners from his home province, Batangas. On her part, FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño noted that “this initiative of Batangas Forum matches the thrusts of our agency which includes the promotion of culture and heritage through films, popularizing filmmaking in the regions, and conducting local and international cinema festivals, among many others. And we are just so delighted to work with BF to kickstart the year with this activity.” Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas, in his keynote remarks at the event, warmly commended the FDCP and the Batangas Forum for the joint project and strongly encouraged the participants to take full advantage of the unique opportunity the workshop offers so that, with the knowledge that they will acquire, they may contribute to the upliftment of the culture and heritage of Batangas. The final outputs of the creative videography workshop capturing the sources of pride of Batangas will be showcased in the forthcoming short video festival to be organized this year by the Batangas Forum. These videos may also be used as promotion materials of the province and its towns and cities, and, in the long run, serve as records of the province’s culture and heritage for future generations. Zig Dulay

Angelina Cruz

Sunshine Cruz (right) with daughter Samantha, wearing crocheted tops made from milk cotton yarn.

The actress learned how to crochet when she was a young girl but her old hobby recently made a come back in 2021.

Chesca Montano

A space for Bangtan Boys and their Army WITH the dynamite success of the BTS pop-up store last year, SM Megamall will once again thrill army members with BTS Pop-up: Space of BTS in Metro Manila at the Upper Ground Floor of SM Megamall Building B. The BTS Pop-up: Space of BTS which will run until March 31, showcases new official A corner of the BTS Pop-up Space of BTS BTS merchandise ranging from displays “Boy with Luv” merchandise including apparel, stationery, and household pillows, robe, room shoes, and stationery. items. It highlights exclusive items inspired by to ensure proper physical some of BTS’s distancing between guests greatest hits such and staff. Slot bookings as “Mic Drop,” can be made through “Boy with Luv,” https://2022btspopupasia. “Idol,” “DNA,” morningkall.com every and “Dynamite.” Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. Clothes and One slot is good for two accessories with persons including the one the BTS name BTS TinyTAN Dynamite figures making the reservation. and logo design Only one booking can be are also available. In between shopping, made per account per day. fans can also take the opportunity to To further ensure the safety of its patrons, have a full BTS Pop-up: Space of BTS wearing of face mask is mandatory at all experience with a photo opportunity in times. Also, guests with a temperature of front of the purple backdrop with the 37.5 and higher will be denied entry. signature “I Purple You” neon signage. To find out more about BTS Pop-up: In light of the COVID-19 situation, Space of BTS at SM Megamall, follow advance registration is required through the @morningKall on Twitter and Instagram online booking platform Morningkall to and stay tuned for announcements through limit the number of people inside the store SM Megamall’s social media pages.

BTS Pop-up: Space of BTS at the Upper Ground Floor of SM Megamall Building B