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MARCOS LEAD COMES FROM ACROSS REGIONS – PULSE ASIA EXEC By Joyce Pangco Pañares

across regions, Pulse Asia Research Director Ana Tabunda said, adding that it THE seven-percentage point increase was the first time the pollster has seen in the numbers of former Senator Ferdi- a majority presidential candidate with nand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was seen more than 50 percent of the potential

votes. Marcos posted a higher rating of 60 “He increased by 7 percentage points, percent in the January survey of Pulse which is considered significant. He got Asia, up from 53 percent in its Decemit from across the regions,” Tabunda ber 2021 poll. said in an interview with ANC. Vice President Leni Robredo came in

second at 16 percent, followed by Senator Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso who were statistically tied at third place Next page

SMNI PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

BBM, Leody, Abella, Gonzales okay to issue SALN, bare gov’t platforms VOL. XXXV • NO. 6 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 •WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Alert Level 4 areas widen biz window IATF adds 20% operational capacity

By Vito Barcelo and Willie Casas

HE government’s COVID-19 task force has allowed more establishments in areas under Alert Level 4 to increase their operational capacity by 20 percent as COVID-19 infectious continues to decline, Malacañang said Tuesday.

3,641,940 2,010

Acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has permitted establishments in these areas to increase the allowable indoor and outdoor capacity by 20 percent. Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Northern Samar were placed on

Alert Level 4 last January. These areas have a moderate to high-risk classification for COVID-19 transmission and healthcare capacities are higher than 70%, according to the Department of Health (DOH). The same IATF resolution provides these same establishments under Alert Level 3 can even operate at an additional 10 percent capacity if they have secured Safety Seal certificates, Nograles said. Alert Level 3 provides for 30 percent indoor capacity and 50 percent outdoor capacity only for fully vacNext page

DE GUZMAN

MARCOS JR.

GONZALES

ABELLA

3,514,489

6,293

Prosecutor nixes Pacquiao’s libel suit vs. Quiboloy By Macon Ramos-Araneta

72,305

55,146

PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he is okay with releasing his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) in public if he wins the May 9 national elections, but added that it is still a government official’s prerogative to do so. In the presidential debate hosted by Sonshine Media Network Inc. of controversial pastor Apollo Quiboloy, Marcos Jr. said it is not a problem for him to make his SALN public. Previously, the former senator said SALNs could be weaponized for political attacks, and that giving the media access to the document may also be used by political opponents. All presidential bets present in the televised forum -- former presidential spokesperson Ernie Abella, labor leader Leody De Guzman, and former defense chief Norberto Gonzales apart from Marcos -- said they are okay with releasing their SALNs. The three-hour program also revealed the following statements from the participants: The four presidential aspirants agreed

THE camp of Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday slammed the decision of the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office to dismiss his libel complaint against Apollo Quiboloy, saying a distinction must be made between mere criticism and the spread of fake news. In September last year, Pacquiao filed cyber libel complaint against Quiboloy seeking P100 million in damages for spreading “fabricated” claims about him. The complaint stemmed from a television appearance and social media post by Quiboloy in which he claimed Pacquiao, then a congressman of Saranggani, had misused funds for the unfinished Sarangani Sports Training Center. Quiboloy claimed that the project had cost the government some P3.5 billion.

(As of 4 PM, February 15)

MAKATI BIZ CLUB PUSHES PASSAGE OF FREE INFO ACT NEWS / A2

ENTHUSIASM. A young pupil raises his

hand to answer the teacher’s question as kinder and Grade 1 to 3 students attend limited face-to-face classes Tuesday at the Epifanio Delos Santos Elementary School in Singalong, Manila. Norman Cruz

‘DONG’ PUNO PASSES AWAY AT AGE 76 NEWS / A4

Health chief says gov’t safety seal key to NCR shift to Alert Level 1

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas

METRO Manila could be de-escalated to COVID-19 Alert Level 1 by March if enough public and private establishments comply with the government’s safety seal certification program, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III

said Tuesday. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Duque said the goal of the safety seal program is to ensure that all establishments will have “very minimal or low to no risk” for those who will enter these places. Malacañang has announced that Metro Manila will remain under COVID-19

Alert Level 2 until the end of February. The government, Duque said, still needs to observe how recent gatherings and political activities for the upcoming May 9 elections will affect the COVID-19 figures. Duque also said Alert Level 1 will likely be considered the “new normal” scenario if the state of public health

emergency is lifted in the country. However, he said the public must still continue observing the minimum health standards even if the government finalizes its new normal action plan. He said Alert Level 1 is the lowest level while the country is in a state of public health emergency. Next page

SC directs CA to formulate rules on terror law THE Supreme Court has directed the Court of Appeals to come up with rules to be observed that would protect and uphold the rights of a suspected terrorist or terrorist groups when the appellate court hears any petitions on a proscription under the Anti-Terror-

ism Act of 2020. This is after the high tribunal published Tuesday its full decision and the separate opinions on the controversial law that 37 groups tried to have declared as unconstitutional. “The Court has also directed the CA

to immediately formulate the rules to be observed for judicial proscription with the objective of upholding the rights of groups of persons, associations, or organizations,” the high tribunal said. Next page

PNP foils plot of Hamas to gain foothold in PH THE Philippine National Police-Intelligence Group (PNP-IG) on Tuesday announced that it has uncovered attempts by a known foreign terrorist organization to wage a proxy war in the country by recruiting Filipino sub-

ordinates who will carry out terrorist activities targeting Israeli citizens. In a report to PNP director for Intelligence Maj. Gen. Michael John Dubria, IG chief Brig. Gen. Neil Alinsangan said a local contact of

Hamas, a Middle East-based Islamist militant group that played a major role in carrying out attacks against Israelis and Arabs, tipped them about the alleged plot. Next page

INAUGURATION. President Rodrigo Duterte is captured on a video screen next to San Miguel Corp. (SMC) President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang as they formally inaugurated the P14-billion South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Elevated Extension project on Tuesday. This marked the full completion of the project that is seen to help solve traffic in Metro Manila.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

DFA ready to evac Pinoys in Ukraine T

HE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is preparing several repatriation arrangements for Filipinos in Ukraine amid the ongoing tensions and invasion fears of neighboring Russia in the eastern European state.

group United Filipino Global Ukraine, the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw already advised them to leave the European state while they can. “The advice of the Embassy is only one. Go home to the Philippines while you can,’” it said, citing its recent meeting with the Embassy on February 13. In an ANC interview on Tuesday, United Filipino Global Ukraine head Shirley Santosildes said eight Filipinos already availed of the government’s free repatriation flight, the earliest of which is scheduled to depart on February 17. Meanwhile, she said the situation in Kyiv remains normal and “very peaceful” but some Filipinos have already

left the capital. “At this time, everything is normal, everything in Kyiv is operational. The transportation it’s normal, the supermarket, everything, there’s no indication that there is conflict. But for now, we are all hoping that nothing like that will happen,” she said. Filipinos in Ukraine are advised to contact the Philippine Embassy in Poland as early as possible through the following contact details: WhatsApp/ Viber: Emergency: +48 604 357 396; Assistance to Nationals: +48 694 491 663; Email: warsaw.pe@dfa.gov.ph. There are around 380 Filipinos currently residing in Ukraine, according to the latest data from the DFA.

“The DFA is in close coordination with its Foreign Service Posts in the region on arrangements to bring home the Overseas Filipinos in Ukraine who may wish to return to the Philippines. The situation at Ukraine’s border remains fluid, and security conditions could change at any moment,” it said in a statement Tuesday. The DFA noted that discussions are ongoing with the Filipino community, as well as other governments and in-

ternational partners to assist Filipino nationals who wish to relocate to more secure areas. This includes the European Union to ensure the safe passage of Filipinos across EU borders. “We urge Filipinos in Ukraine to keep communication lines with the Philippine Embassy in Poland open, and wait for updates, bulletins, and safety instructions,” the DFA said (see related story on World page – Editors). According to Filipino community

SMNI... From A1

Makati bizmen push passage of info freedom act

that Filipino fishermen must be able to fish freely and without threat from other countries, in particular China, but differed on how to approach the maritime dispute. De Guzman said the West Philippine Sea must be “an economic zone and not a war zone.” “We should use our win before the international tribunal and work with other countries that are also being harassed by China,” the labor leader said. Marcos said the Philippines should turn to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for help as he said the Philippines must maintain military presence in the WPS. “Asean has been drafting a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea and we are hoping that will be passed,” he said. Gonzales, a former national security adviser, said the country must regain the respect of other nations to avoid conflict amid the overlapping claims in the SCS. Abella, for his part, said Coast Guard ships should accompany Filipino fishermen in the WPS to ensure their safety. Last month, Marcos said of releasing his SALN: “Depends what the purposes are for making them public; if the purpose is going to be a political attack, then why would we want to do that?” “Sa issue ng pagbigay ng SALN, ako para sa akin, hindi problema un. Hindi lang ako nagsusulat ng SALN for the last 6 years pero kung ako ay maging mapalad sa darating na halalan, natural ay kailangan gagawa ng SALN at ito ay ibibigay ko sa publiko kung hihingin sa akin,” he explained last night. [On the issue of submitting a SALN, for me it is not a problem. I have not submitted a SALN for the last six years but if I am blessed in the coming elections, naturally I would make a SALN and give it to the public if it is asked of me.] All public officers and employees are required to submit a declaration of their assets, liabilities and net worth under oath according to Article XI, Section 17 of the Constitution. The law also states that in the case of the President, the Vice President, the members of the Cabinet, the Congress, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the armed forces with general or flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the public in the manner provided by law.

FREEDOM of information. This is being pushed by the Makati Business Club as it called Tuesday on national candidates to give priority to the passage of the country’s FOI law. Freedom of Information is a right enshrined in the Constitution and refers to the right of the people to information on matters of public concern which includes the public’s right to know the public officials’ and employees’ assets, liabilities, net worth and financial and

business interests. According to MBC executive director Coco Alcuaz, the passage of the FOI would arm both the citizenry and the private sector, making the government more accountable moving forward. “We believe in democracy and we believe you need an informed citizenry to make democracy work. We believe FOI is one of the rights and tools of an informed citizen,” he said in a virtual press conference.

Alcuaz noted the most recent development on the matter came last year when the House of Representatives committee on public information consolidated several measures which seek to boost the country’s FOI. This includes measures involving people’s right to information, the implementation of constitutional policies on public disclosure, ensuring public access to official records, and enabling the public’s constitutional right to access to information.

Alert... From A1

percent, Region 4-A (Calabarzon) with 183 or 12 percent, and Region 6 (Western Visayas) with 159 or 10 percent. There were 52 new fatalities reported, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 55,146. The DOH also reported 6,293 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recoveries to 3,514,489. There were 72,305 active cases, of which 1,498 were asymptomatic; 66,093 were mild; 2,961 were moderate; 1,441 were severe; and 312 were critical. Nationwide, 34 percent of ICU beds, 28 percent of isolation beds, 25 percent of ward beds, and 18 percent of ventilators, are in use. In Metro Manila, 32 percent of ICU beds, 23 percent of isolation beds, 27 percent of ward beds, and 17 percent of ventilators, are in use. Nograles said the country was finalizing a roadmap to Alert Level 1, which would further ease COVID-19 restrictions. Under Alert 1, the public may still be required to wear face masks and observe physical distancing, but limits to the operating capacity of establishments would be lifted, he said. The DOH said it was possible that new

cases would fall to 100 cases a day by mid-March if the public continues to observe minimum public health protocols. “Based on different factors, if our compliance to minimum public health standards goes down by even just 12 percent, we might see 2,000 cases a day by March 15 instead,” DOH spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Tuesday. The present compliance to minimum public health standards has brought a slow but steady decline in daily recorded number of cases the past weeks, she said. Vergeire, however, warned that the slightest increase in complacency can affect the number of daily reported cases exponentially. While the DOH has yet to see patterns that point toward a surge in cases caused by the election campaign, experts continue reminding organizers and candidates to set an example for their supporters. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III previously reminded candidates to make sure that systems are in place so minimum public health standards are practiced by the supporters.

Meanwhile, the independent OCTA Research Group said COVID-19 cases in highly urbanized cities in Luzon continued to decline. In a Twitter post, OCTA fellow Guido David said Angeles, Dagupan, Lucena, and Olongapo improved to low risk for COVID-19. Baguio City and Puerto Princesa improved to moderate risk, while Naga and Santiago remained at moderate risk, OCTA said. Earlier, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año reported that the number of areas placed under granular lockdown for COVID-19 decreased to 319. Speaking to President Rodrigo R.

Duterte during the Talk to the People briefing Monday night, Año said the number decreased by almost half from 605 areas last week. “From 210 barangays last week, the number of barangays affected by granular lockdowns has dropped to 153. From 744 affected households, we only have 355. Only 499 individuals have so far been affected,” Año said. He added that the number of places under granular lockdown is expected to drop as the government is intensifying its vaccination drive. The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) still has the highest number of areas under granular lockdown with 176, followed by Ilocos Region with 97; National Capital Region, 22; Cagayan Valley, 19, Mimaropa, four and the Zamboanga Peninsula, one.

Nograles said the country was now at “low risk” for COVID-19 as more people get vaccinated and hospital admissions dropped. The country last week reopened to foreign tourists for the first time in two years, though some health restrictions remain as campaigning for the May 9 elections starts, with political rallies seen as potential superspreader events. “The National Capital Region and the entire Philippines now have a low-risk classification” in terms of case growth, prevalence and health system capacity, Nograles told reporters. After surges of the highly transmissible Omicron and Delta strains of the virus that led to government-enforced restrictions on mobility, hospital bed occupancy rates have eased to about 30 percent.

She said they had already filed a motion for reconsideration before the Makati Prosecutor’s Office, but would consider withdrawing it so that the US Pacquiao’s lawyer, Nikki de Vega, government, through the Federal Buobserved that the case was dismissed reau of Investigation (FBI), can propeven without a counter-affidavit erly facilitate the extradition and arrest from Quiboloy. of Quiboloy in relation to his sex traf-

ficking case in the US. The senator said it is more important to bring justice to the victims of those heinous crimes. “Many lives were destroyed that should be given justice,” he said in a statement. Quiboloy, the founder of the King-

dom of Jesus Christ and spiritual adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte, was indicted in the United States in November last year for orchestrating a sex trafficking operation that coerced girls and young women to have sex with the church’s leader under threats of “eternal damnation.”

cinated individuals. Under Alert Level 2, the second lowest in the new alert level system, certain establishments and activities are allowed at 50 percent capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults (and minors, even if unvaccinated) and 70 percent capacity outdoors. The IATF placed Zamboanga City, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental, and South Cotabato under Alert Level 3 while most of the rest of the country will be under Alert Level 2 until Feb. 28. The Philippines logged 2,010 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, which is the lowest daily tally this year. The new cases brought the total case count to 3,641,940, the Department of Health (DOH) said. The positivity rate was at 10.4 percent based on 20,084 people tested for COVID-19 on Feb. 13. This is still higher than the World Health Organization’s target of less than 5 percent. The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were National Capital Region (Metro Manila) with 238 or 15

Health... From A1

Prosecutor... From A1

PNP... From A1 “Our Filipino source identified the Hamas operative as ‘Bashir’ who was reportedly attempting to establish a foothold in the Philippines with pledges of financial support to some local threat groups including militant extremists with links to the international terrorist organizations,” Alinsangan said. Alinsangan, citing information obtained from coordination with their foreign and local counterparts, disclosed that Bashir’s real name is Fares Al Shikli, who is purportedly the head

of Hamas’ Foreign Liaison Section. “He has also an Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) red notice and is charged with an Offense of Terrorism Logistics Support,” he added. The report also cited that the source made several trips to Malaysia from 2016 to 2018, where he met with Al Shikli to discuss the possibility of mounting attacks against Israeli nationals in the country in exchange for financial assistance by Hamas. It was in 2016 when Al Shikli started grooming him as a local contact in the Philippines and introduced him to theoretical bomb-making training in one of their meetings in Malaysia.

Marcos... From A1 with 8 percent each, and Senator Panfilo Lacson with 4 percent. It was the first time for the survey firm, Tabunda said, “to see a presidential candidate garner more than 50 percent of the votes.” Marcos is getting “at least 50 percent voter preference among Class C respondents,” she said, and getting even higher numbers among Class D, which is the largest socioeconomic class. Robredo’s voter preference, on the other hand, went down by four percentage points from 20 percent in Decem-

ber to 16 percent last month. Tabunda said “it’s not impossible” that some voters may have shifted their preference to Marcos. Tabunda said Robredo appears to have a “ceiling” when it comes to voter preference as she only placed fourth among the second-choice candidates with 13 percent, trailing behind Domagoso with 24 percent. “That means that the voter preference for Leni has a ceiling such that she will not come out as a second choice,” she said. Tabunda attributed Marcos’ popularity to his being the son of the late president Ferdinand Marcos. “Apparently, some of our people think that Ferdinand E. Marcos was a good presi-

‘Dong’ Puno passes away at age 76 FORMER Press Secretary and veteran broadcast journalist Ricardo “Dong” Puno Jr. died on Tuesday, his family confirmed. He was 76. He died at 12:15 p.m. due to a lingering illness, his son Donnie said in a text message to CNN Philippines. With a career in the media industry spanning three decades, Puno hosted a number of news and public affairs shows, including “Dong Puno Live,” “Insider,” “Business Today,” and “Viewpoint.” He also served as senior vice president for ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. In 2000, Puno became press secretary for the administration of President Joseph Estrada. In the years after, he ran for senator but lost, and later unsuccessfully vied for a congressional seat of Muntinlupa. In a statement, Malacañang extended its condolences to the family and friends of the former Palace official. “Our thoughts are with the loved ones of Sec. Puno as we join them in praying for his eternal repose,” it said. “Known for his intelligent, insightful interviews, Secretary Puno received numerous distinctions for his work in public affairs programs that helped provide the public with a better understanding of the issues of the day,” Malacañang added. Puno was a lawyer with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and a Master of Laws degree from the Harvard Law School. He was the son of former Minister of Justice Ricardo Puno Sr., with whom he co-founded the PunoLaw firm.

SC... From A1 The act was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2020. Months later, the Supreme Court declared only two parts of the measure were unconstitutional. Over three dozen petitions seeking to nullify the measures were filed against it, making it one of the most challenged laws before the High Court. Republic Act 11479 or Anti-Terrorism Act was signed into law on July 3, 2020, and took effect on July 18. It alarmed some lawyers and human rights activists who feared it could be used to suppress free speech and harass government opponents. The law grants police and military sweeping powers to tackle security threats, but legal experts had warned its overly broad articles could open the door to discriminatory enforcement, privacy infringements and suppression of peaceful dissent. Last December, the Supreme Court said in a statement it struck down a part of the law “for being overbroad and violative of freedom of expression.” It also declared as unconstitutional a provision that allows an anti-terrorism council appointed by the president to adopt requests by other entities, including international organizations, to designate individuals and groups as terrorists. In its full 235-page resolution, the high tribunal voted on the following nine critical questions identified as the core issues: --Whether to grant due course to 35 out of 37 petitions --Whether a facial challenge or an as-applied challenge should be used in analyzing the ATA --Whether the “Not Intended Clause” in the proviso of Section 4 is constitutional --Whether the phrase “organized for the purpose of engaging in terrorism” in the third paragraph of Section 10 is constitutional

dent. The link between BBM and his father, that’s what’s coming out,” Tabunda said. In a separate interview with CNN, Tabunda acknowledged that Marcos’ absence in some presidential interviews did not seem to have a negative effect. She said Pulse Asia has yet to determine whether Marcos’ win last month in a petition challenging his presidential bid may have boosted his numbers. “We cannot be sure that it was these issues that led to his voter preference but we can say these were not affecting him negatively,” Tabunda said. But Tabunda said while Marcos’ 60 percent voter preference may seem formidable, other candidates should not lose hope.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Salceda sees major role of IBC during PH local disasters

MFTI ‘Million Trees’ project nearly complete AS the election fever heats up and the fight to control the spread of the pandemic persists, Million Trees Foundation, Inc. (MFTI) is diligently continuing efforts to promote environmental protection. MFTI president and executive director Melandrew T. Velasco announced that the first phase of its project, the MFTI Tree Nursery and Eco Learning Center, is almost complete. “We have to push for environment protection continuously despite the pandemic,” Velasco said. He added that deforestation is a major environmental concern in the country. The project is located in the La Mesa Watershed. The area was granted to the Foundation by the government through the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). This was provided for in a memorandum of agreement between the two entities. He commended MWSS concessionaires Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) President Ramoncito S. Fernandez, Manila Water Company, Inc. (Manila Water) President Virgil De Dios, Manila Water Foundation President Donato Almeda for supporting by shelling out a P1 million each for the first phase of the MTFI nursery that includes a converted office two container vans, greenhouses, and a coffee shop. which will be the center of activities of MFTI. SMC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang, whose subsidiary Luzon Clean Water Development Corporation (LCWDC) is the third MWSS concessionaire, extended cash donation amounting to P5 million for the project. MTFI also got support from Sta. Clara International Corporation President Nick Linao in preparing the grounds for the construction.

IN BRIEF Agents seize illegal shipment of black ants CUSTOMS agents assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have foiled an attempt to smuggle import and export shipments containing harmful black ants. The ﬁrst seizure involved three export shipments of ants concealed in specimen tubes misdeclared as “Lego Toys” bound for France, Singapore, and Italy. The shipper was identiﬁed as “Shin Yap”. “The subject parcels yielded a total of 21 small cups and 21 specimen tubes containing assorted black ants concealed in a Lego Box,” said Port of NAIA collector Carmelita Talusan. “On the other hand, the two similarly suspicious imported shipments from Poland were also subjected to mandatory non-intrusive inspection and physical Customs examination. The same yielded a total of 375 specimen tubes containing black ants,” she added. Talusan said her team already turned over the shipments to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for custody. Joel E. Zurbano

By Maricel V. Cruz

SHADE AND COLORS. A fruit vendor pushes his wooden cart under a colorful lines of hanging umbrellas along Cristobal Street in Sampaloc, Manila. Norman Cruz

SC orders 80% of staff to return to work onsite T By Rey E. Requejo

HE Supreme Court (SC) has ordered that starting today, Wednesday, at least 80 percent of its personnel, except those in four offices, will be reporting physically for work from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, and the personal filing of pleadings and other court submissions will be allowed. In a memorandum order, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said that not covered by the 80 percent workforce are the SC’s medical and dental services, security division, maintenance division, and motor pool section. All personnel in these four offices are required to work onsite starting Feb. 16. Gesmundo approved the revised work schedule in the SC “considering that the COVID-19 growth rate in Metro Manila has decreased and notwithstanding the extension of Alert Level 2 until Feb. 28, 2022.” At the Court of Appeals in Manila,

80 percent of the total workforce should report physically to their offices starting Feb. 16 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. The office order issued by CA Presiding Justice Remedios A. Salazar Fernando stated that onsite raffles and hearings of cases are allowed, and court visitors must present their present proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon entry. Solemnization of marriages by CA associate justices is limited to five participants, including the justice, the order said. At the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City,

all offices are open to court users starting Feb. 16, and personal and electronic filing of pleadings and court submissions are allowed. The anti-graft court will also continue with the issuance of clearances through its outdoor kiosk. In a memorandum issued by Presiding Justice Roman G. Del Rosario, 80 percent of workforce of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) will report physically to their offices starting Feb. 16. Those not reporting for work onsite must work from home just like the arrangements in the SC, CA, and Sandiganbayan. For trial courts nationwide, those under Alert Level 3 – Iloilo City, Iloilo province, Guimaras, Zamboanga City, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental, and South Cotabato – will have 60 percent of personnel reporting onsite starting Feb. 16. The same number of personnel is also required during Saturday duty. In areas under Alert Level 2, a total of 80 percent of court personnel will report for work with the same percentage of personnel during Saturday duty.

REP. Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay, chair of the House ways and means committee and principal author and sponsor of House Bill 5404, said he envisions a stronger role for an expanded Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) in disaster preparedness and participative governance, “given its design as a corporation without a profit motive.” Salceda is the principal author of a bill proposing a 25-year renewal of the legislative franchise for IBC, which was approved by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises today. IBC is a state-owned television network under the Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO), “I envision IBC TV and state media in general to play a more significant role in disaster preparedness. As being close to the organs of government, the station is uniquely positioned to be the first source of government announcements, requests, and instructions,” Salceda said. “That unique position is most crucial during a disaster. That’s why I think programming has to be geared towards disaster announcements. The airing of the Laging Handa briefings in the network is a prime example of what can be sustained as it repurposes.” The network was also tapped to air educational programs to aid remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The IBC has a missionary role, and its potential to fulfill that role effectively was demonstrated during the pandemic,” Salceda added. Salceda added the IBC can serve as an avenue for the public to air out their concerns on pressing or relevant issues and directly interact with concerned officials. “I strongly suggest that the IBC also air programs where members of the public can pose questions to government officials, on everything from how to pay taxes as a small business, to how to avail of medical assistance programs of the government,” Salceda said. “We have long abdicated that role of direct public assistance to private broadcasters who make money out of this mission. We should reclaim some of that space through the IBC,” Salceda added.

Big pharma firms face flu vax probe

QCU opens new center for urban agri programs TO further expand its learning hubs, the Quezon City University (QCU) has opened its Center for Urban Agriculture and Innovation to develop different models of urban farms to meet the needs of diverse stakeholders. In partnership with the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) and through the city government’s Sustainable Development Affairs Unit, the center would provide training and development activities to enable QCU to mainstream urban agriculture into its curriculum programs. DA-ATI has provided the funds amounting to 14.5 million to develop the center within the QCU campus. Such is part of the city’s effort to create a smart and sustainable city. Among the center’s innovations is a bee farm with an initial five bee colonies funded by the QCU cooperative. Rio N. Araja

‘KASALANG BAYAN.’ Some 40 couples in Navotas celebrate Valentine’s Day this year as they gathered to exchange vows in a ‘Kasalang Bayan’ with their families and friends as witnesses. Mayor Toby Tiangco, John Rey Tiangco, and other officials, led the ceremony. Andrew Rabulan

CONGRESS will summon big pharmaceutical companies to probe the alleged “bakuna budol” on pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) which has caused billions of pesos in losses to the government. In today’s Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel, Probinsyano Ako party-list Congressman Jose Bonito C. Singson Jr., who is also the chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts, revealed that he filed House Resolution 2492, which hopes to dig deep into the ongoing controversy on alleged overpricing of PCVs. The house resolution is co-filed with Congresswoman Marisol C. Panotes, Representative, Second District, Camarines Norte; Congres woman Joy Myra S. Tambunting, Representative, Second District, Paranaque City; Congressman Virgilio S. Lacson, Representative, Manila Teachers Partylist; and Congresswoman Florida P. Robes, Representative, Lone District, San Jose Del Monte City. Singson cited the World Health Organization (WHO) study showing that pneumovaccine types PCV10 and PCV13 are non-inferior to each other. “This is a confirmation that there are several choices in the market. We have options which

can be cheaper. However, only PCV13, which is more costly, is the only one available in the Philippine market,” he said. He added that while there might be reasons for limiting the choices for such vaccines such as pending patents, “everybody can manufacture these vaccines especially in the interest of public health...but eventually, the formulation of a patent can be shared and should be shared and we cannot allow a monopoly in our national formulary.” Recent data, such as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report that pneumococcal diseases were the fourth biggest cause of mortality in the country in 2020, have again resurfaced the importance of vaccination for this condition, especially for children. The consumer association United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC) had ﬁled a formal complaint to the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), calling for the review of the PCV procurement; the complaint was made following allegations of misleading the government into procuring only the more expensive PCV13 as the single solution to pneumococcal diseases, which is right now being dubbed as a sort of “bakuna budol.”

Moro youth express concerns on foreign military bases (Part 1) By Nash B. Maulana MARAWI CITY—A group of Moro youth students expressed concerns that any conduct of multinational military exercises within the territory of the Bangsamoro waters could stir security peril on a fragile local peace situation. Amana Hamid, spokesperson of the group, said Muslims youth and student organizations in the region are wary of the possibilities that Muslim Mindanao provinces will become “unwitting hosts” to military exercises involving countries of the Indo-Paciﬁc Region. Hamid said Moro youth students, having been to traumatic experience here in 2017, even feared what she described as a “Marawi Siege Part 2,” if the government proved not cautious enough in implementing foreign policies at hosting military exercises involving multinational forces. Under the Annexes of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the Bangsamoro Waters (BMW) runs ﬁve more nautical miles off the 15-ki-

lometer municipal waters or 22.22 kilometers from the coastal contour during the low-tide period. This developed Monday, as the White House disclosed “U.S. Fact Sheets on Indo-Pacific Strategy (consisting of) five Core Objectives,” according to foreign news reports. To recall, the Philippine government in November 2015 entered into a cooperation treaty for the Freedom of Navigation with the United States and subsequently with other countries of the Indo-Pacific Region. The Indo-Pacific Region is composed of Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, United States, and Vietnam. Hamid said Moro students here have gone through traumatic experiences from the bloody Marawi siege stirred by youthful adventurism in the advent of ISIS-influenced terrorism.

The Philippines is the oldest US ally in the region marked by cooperation in times of war and peace and with sustainable aid programs that spans in over a century of friendship. Only last February 10, the US turned over a newly constructed assault boat pier and maintenance bay facility worth $5 million in Ternate, Cavite, to the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) as part of a small-scale construction Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant. Incidentally, local observers have noted a fast-pace development of infrastructure facilities in Panglima Sugala town in Tawi-Tawi, during the last 10 years, evolving into what appears an ideal open port and anchorage for navy ships. The town is known for its cove coastal sea made anchorage in the past for Philippine Navy ships. Tawi-Tawi is part of the ﬁve-province and three-city BARMM. The other provinces of the region are: Basilan, Lanao Sur, Maguindanao, and Sulu. (To be continued)

‘NO’ TO FOREIGN BASES. Moro students hold a sign opposing the establishment of foreign military bases in BARMM and nearby regions. It is believed that hosting foreign military forces may give rise to social concerns, such as prostitution. Nash Maulana

Pacquiao seeks face-to-face debates among presidential bets

By Macon Ramos-Araneta CITING the importance of face-toface debates, presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao yesterday urged the Commission on Elections and the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) to organize these. He said this would not only provide them the opportunity to properly explain their platform of government and policy positions but also demonstrate their competence and sincerity in their pursuit to serve the people. He said face-to-face presidential debates initiated by neutral and nonpartisan groups would dispel any claim of bias for or against a candidate. While he is happy to share his visions and aspirations for the country in various media fora, talk shows, and interviews, Pacquiao said these are not enough to give the electorate a full and unadulterated preview of the true character and the qualities of the presidential aspirants. “I’m challenging my fellow presidential candidates – let us have a face-to-face debate,” he said. “Actual and face-face discussions are much better since they can see who among us are sincere leaders and capable of giving genuine reforms to improve the lives of Filipinos,” added the standard bearer of Promdi. Pacquiao said the electorate should be wary of candidates who refuse to face their rivals and avoid public scrutiny as this is a foreboding sign that they are either incompetent or have too many skeletons in the closet which they do not want to be exposed in a noholds-barred debate. While debates are not required by law, attending these face-to-face debates is a very important responsibility for anyone seeking the highest and most powerful position in the country, he said. Pacquiao also dismissed claims that the debates are just divisive because, on the contrary, these can help unify the people for them to make the right choice.

Lakas-CMD sees more politicians uniting behind Marcos-Duterte

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022 E-mail: mst.daydesk@gmail.com

JAMPACKED. The Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City turned into a sea of red and green on Monday as UniTeam supporters filled up the main stadium for the proclamation rally of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. The rally was organized by the Partido Malayang Quezon City led by mayoralty aspirant Mike Defensor and vice-mayoralty aspirant Winnie Castelo.

AKBAYAN, OTHER PETITIONERS FILE MOTION

Comelec en banc asked to reverse DQ decision T HE Akbayan partylist on Tuesday asked the Commission on Elections to reconsider its decision junking their petition to disqualify presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from the May 9 elections.

In a 16-page motion for reconsideration, Akbayan chairperson emeritus Etta Rosales and nominees Percival Cendaña and RJ Naguit called on the Comelec en banc to reverse the decision of its First Division and include the points raised by retired Commissioner Rowena Guanzon in her separate opinion in the deliberation of the case.

Cendaña said they will pursue the case until the end. “The fight is far from over. Bongbong cannot just sweep this under the rug…We will pursue this to the end and ensure a just conclusion to the case,” he said. The petitioners argued the First Division’s ruling may be void and may have violated its own rules when it issued the decision with only two actively serving commissioners. “The Comelec’s rules provide that a Division shall be composed of three commissioners. As such, the decision issued on the petitions may be void as it was issued by a Division that was not validly constituted, there being only two commissioners left. Had they issued the resolution when the Division was still validly constituted by three Commissioners, then it would have been a valid resolution,” Cendaña said.

“Since there were only two Commissioners in the so-called ‘First Division’ or the so-called ‘former First Division,’ there clearly was no validly-constituted Division of the Comelec to begin with. Consequently, the so-called ‘resolution’ dated 10 February 2022 should not be treated as one that is validly issued by the Comelec. It is nothing more than a document issued by two Commissioners, but certainly not a Resolution or Decision that should be treated as having been issued by the Comelec,” the petitioners added. The group also called on Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, the ponente of the February 10 decision, to inhibit herself from the en banc’s deliberations. Petitioners represented by Martial law survivor Bonifacio Ilagan have also asked the Comelec en banc to reverse the ruling.

WARM WELCOME. Vice presidential

By Rey E. Requejo MANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso vowed to continue the “Build, Build, Build” program in the whole of Samar to help uplift the lives of residents in one of the poorest islands in the country. Domagoso issued the statement when asked to comment about the absence of infrastructure projects in the province, which is composed of Northern, Eastern and Western Samar. “You know Samar, correct me if I’m wrong, for the past 60 years, no national official has been elected here at the national level. My point is maybe it’s time – these Waray-Waray compatriots of ours – to unite [behind] the son of Waray, right?” the presidential aspirant said. Domagoso’s mother, Rosario “Nanay Chayong” Moreno, hails from Allen town, Northern Samar. His father, Joaquin Domagoso, was from Antique in Panay Island – making the mayor a full-blooded Visayan: one-half Waray and one-half Ilonggo. “Why was it left behind? Samar is one of the poorest towns in the province,” he added. Samar is the third largest island in the country and faces the Pacific Ocean, making it one of the most vulnerable regions to typhoons. If elected president, Domagoso vowed to address the perennial problems of poverty, hunger, unemployment, inequality and social injustice in the country by focusing on providing the minimum basic needs of the people – housing, education, health care and jobs – through the efficient and prudent management of government resources. These form the main pillars of his 10-Point Bilis Kilos Economic Agenda. To improve the country’s health care system, Domagoso said his administration will build more public hospitals and health care centers throughout the country, with a target of providing 107,000 additional hospital beds in his first 1,000 days in office. He also plans to boost the country’s digital infrastructure by building and completing a national fiber backbone that will connect all schools, government offices and industries that rely heavily on internet connectivity. “We will find a real solution and quick action so we will do what we can to continue the fight,” he added.

Lacson: Improving transparency to boost investments

By Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE Majority Leader and LakasChristian Muslim Democrats (CMD) President Martin Romualdez on Tuesday called on candidates and political parties to unite for the good of the country as he extended the message of the UniTeam led by presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Lakas-CMD vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. Romualdez, who joined the campaign of the UniTeam in Cagayan and Isabela, said the country’s political leaders, political parties and those who are running in the May elections, particularly those who are seeking national positions, should work together as this is what the Filipinos want. “I think all candidates are listening to the call of UniTeam that so long as we are united, we can rise again. That is why UniTeam’s message and call for unity is very timely. Everybody is welcome regardless of what party he belongs to. Even ordinary citizens are welcome,” he said. “This is what the people want – that we unite,” Romualdez added. Meanwhile, Governor Manuel Mamba has endorsed the Marcos-Duterte tandem, a move that is expected to consolidate the so-called Solid North, the traditional bailiwick of the Marcoses, behind the UniTeam ticket. Mamba said he was encouraged to support the Marcos-Duterte slate because the Nacionalista Party (NP), where the Cagayan governor belongs, has resolved to rally behind the tandem.

More hospitals, schools under ‘Build’ program in Samar–Isko

MASSIVE GROUFIE. Lakas-CMD vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio takes a selfie with thousands of supporters during a campaign rally at the Queen Isabela Park in Ilagan City. (Inset) Duterte-Carpio is assisted by Lakas-CMD President and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and UniTeam senatorial candidates Mark Villar and Gilbert Teodoro in inaugurating the new Marcos Sara Duterte Alliance (MASADA) Headquarters at La Riena Traveler Hotel in Isabela. Ver Noveno

Corruption deprived Filipinos of health services—Robredo By Rio N. Araja CORRUPTION is eating up billions of pesos in government funds that could have been used for health services, including dialysis patients in need of aid, according to Vice President and presidential bet Leni Robredo. She said the P8 billion worth of government money paid to start-up firm Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. for medical supplies amid the COVID-19 pandemic deprived dialysis patients who badly

aspirant Senate President Tito Sotto woos the people of Parañaque City during his visit on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. Danny Pata

needed the government’s help. “Every year, we lose billions of pesos to corruption. Those billions lost to corruption could have been for government assistance for the people. There were too many huge amounts of money being lost to corruption,” she said. “I have always been thinking, those dialysis patients who could not have their treatment could have been helped if there was no corruption,” she added. The Senate Blue Ribbon committee earlier recommended plunder, graft and

other criminal and administrative charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, former government officials, and Pharmally executives. Meanwhile, Robredo, in her sortie in Roxas City in Capiz, called on the public to think about what is really at stake on May 9. “The election is not the same as before. It is no longer just a contest between candidates. This election, we will decide: What kind of government do we really want in the next six years?” she said.

Binay, Gordon still Lacson’s guest candidates By Joel E. Zurbano and Macon Ramos-Araneta FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay and reelectionist Sen. Richard Gordon remain in the senatorial ticket of presidential aspirant Sen. Panfilo Lacson and his running mate, Senate Pres. Vicente Sotto III. “It is not true that we are dropping, much less have removed, ex-VP Jojo Binay and Sen Dick Gordon from our senatorial slate,” said Lacson, Partido Reporma standard bearer. “As far as SP Sotto and I are concerned, they continue to honor our gentlemen’s agreement unlike the two that we have dropped earlier,” he added.

Lacson and Sotto earlier removed reelectionist Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista from their lineup after the two attended the proclamation rally and openly endorsed former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for president. Binay, for his part, said he has not violated the agreement for guest candidates not to endorse a specific presidential bet. “I never applied to be a guest candidate, but I welcomed my inclusion in their ticket,” Binay said. “We had a gentleman’s agreement – no endorsement for guest candidates. I didn’t declare my support for anyone and didn’t attend any event. Lalaki akong kausap,” he added.

THE Lacson-Sotto administration believes improving the country’s global ranking in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) will attract more investors to do business in the country and generate more jobs. Citing 2021 CPI figures, Partido Reporma standard-bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said the Philippines ranked 117 out of 180 countries all over the world, creating the perception that it has one of the most corrupt and hostile governments. The Philippines was dead last when the list was narrowed down to nations that belong to the Southeast Asian region. If the next administration would allow this downward trend to continue, Lacson said the country might lose out on potential foreign direct investments, resulting in less business development projects and less jobs generated for Filipinos. “Isn’t it shameful for us Filipinos that our nation ranked 117 out of the 180 countries that were listed for comparison? Now, what is the consequence of this? Other countries might look for other places to invest and build their businesses in,” he said. “What is the implication if foreign investors choose not to do business here? We would have no jobs. Because where there is investment, there is job generation. That’s why it is very important for us to fix the government so we can improve the lives of every Filipino, your lives,” Lacson added. He emphasized that fighting corruption has been his advocacy for the longest time because it is one of the root causes of poverty in the country. “If we study the problems of our country, we would always go back to the issue of corruption. That’s why our primary objective is to fight corruption, go against the burglars, the thieves in government,” he said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Opinion How about making our elections really ‘clean’?

WHEN we talk of NOT having clean elections in the Philippine context, we often refer to the 3 G’s, or ‘guns, goons and gold’ that traditional politicians or ‘trapos’ employ to ensure victory at all costs. Perhaps we ought to add to that triad of evil another ingredient—a fourth G, if you will—which is ‘guile’, to refer to online trolls hiding behind a panoply of false identities to spread disinformation, character assassination and cyberlibel. But how about making future elections really clean? As in literally clean, or eco-friendly? That’s the novel proposal of Alan Peter Cayetano, former House Speaker and Foreign Affairs Secretary, who wants to return to the Senate via an eco-friendly election campaign this year. How does he plan to do this?

As in, literally clean and eco-friendly.

He laments that candidates usually spend a lot of money for the printing and distribution of posters, tarpaulins and other paraphernalia that all end up in the garbage bin after the election. Instead, Cayetano is shifting his campaign to the digital media using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and his alanpetercayetano.com page to woo voters this coming election. Data gathered by the Cayetano camp indicate that in the 2016 election campaign, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) collected nearly 207 tons of campaign-related materials for the entire campaign season. This huge amount of trash was collected only in Metro Manila and does not yet include other regions. During the May 2019 campaign period, the MMDA collected 169 tons of election paraphernalia, including those placed outside Comelec-designated areas during the campaign period. A day after the elections, the MMDA collected 23.42 tons more of campaign materials that filled up 7 dump trucks. A huge volume of campaign materials that would end up in garbage dumps is likewise expected in this year’s elections, considering that over 18,000 national and local posts are being contested by over 45,000 candidates. In previous elections, government agencies led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had been urging candidates to uphold the provisions of the Ecological Solid Waste

Management Act by either refraining from using wasteful campaign materials or volunteering to clean up their trash after Election Day. Environmental groups such as the EcoWaste Coalition, Greenpeace and the Mother Earth Foundation have also urged the Comelec to make push for the conduct of “green” elections by issuing regulations on a ‘zero-waste’ policy in campaigning. Cayetano’s eco-friendly election campaign is likely to earn him more ‘pogi points’ as the campaign progresses. He is already among the top choices for senator as reflected in the latest Pulse Asia survey. Will the former House Speaker be able to convince his fellow candidates to adopt his eco-friendly campaign? Or, for that matter, the public to support him in this new, modern, and ‘clean’ style of campaigning? We’re been informed by the Cayetano camp that he has taken his eco-friendly campaign another step further by doing away with motorcades that contribute to traffic congestion in major thoroughfares as well as to noise and air pollution. He has also urged his supporters to stop printing and distributing posters, leaf lets and other campaign materials that end up as waste, and to follow his example of using the Internet, through social media platforms such as Facebook, Tiktok, and Twitter, to vote for him in the May 2022 polls. Looking beyond the elections, Cayetano has also called on his supporters to instead help plant more trees or turn to urban farming or green wall gardening to preserve the environment. A recent Pulse Asia survey has shown that 63 percent of the population now have access to social media, which makes it possible to conduct a successful digital-based election campaign this year. In the digital age, candidates for elective posts whether at the national or the local levels have to be environmentally responsible. They should be reminded that by leaving tons of campaign garbage after the elections, they directly contribute to environmental degradation. Cayetano’s move to conduct a ‘clean and green’ campaign should prod other candidates not only to do the same but also to make environmental issues a key component of their political platforms, whether they are running for national or local positions. After all, sustainable development, defined by the United Nations in the late 1980s as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, remains a valid concern today amid climate change and global warming. What is needed is strong political will to protect the environment to benefit present and future generations of Filipinos. And a good starting point, from where we sit, is how we conduct election campaigns to choose our future leaders.

Study says plastic, chemical pollution beyond planet’s safe limit By Marc Préel THE torrent of man-made chemical and plastic waste worldwide has massively exceeded limits safe for humanity or the planet, and production caps are urgently needed, scientists have concluded for the first time. There are an estimated 350,000 different manufactured chemicals on the market and large volumes of them end up in the environment. “The impacts that we’re starting to see today are large enough to be impacting crucial functions of planet Earth and its systems”, Bethanie Carney Almroth, co-author of a new study, told AFP in an interview. The study, by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, comes ahead of a UN meeting in Nairobi at the end of the month on tackling plastic pollution “from source to sea”, UN Environment Programme head Inger Andersen said on Monday. Chemicals and plastics are affecting biodiversity, piling additional stress on already stressed ecosystems. Pesticides kill living organisms indiscriminately and plastics are ingested by living things. “Some chemicals are interfering with hormone systems, disrupting growth,

metabolism and reproduction in wildlife,” Carney Almroth said. While greater efforts are needed to prevent these substances being released into the environment, scientists are now pushing for more drastic solutions, such as production caps. ‘Enough is enough’ Recycling has so far yielded only mediocre results. Less than 10 percent of the world’s plastic is currently recycled, even as production has doubled to 367 million tonnes since 2000. Today, the total weight of plastic on Earth is now four times the biomass of all living animals, according to recent studies. “What we’re trying to say is that maybe we have to say, ‘Enough is enough’. Maybe we can’t tolerate more,” the Sweden-based researcher said. “Maybe we have to put a cap on production. Maybe we need to say, ‘We can’t produce more than this’.” For several years, the Stockholm Resilience Centre has been conducting studies on “planetary boundaries” in nine areas that inf luence Earth’s stability, such as greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater usage and the ozone layer.

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EDITORIAL

‘Low risk’ is not ‘no risk’

UST four regions in the Philippines—Western Visayas, Davao Region, Socksargen, and the Cordillera Administrative Region—remain at moderate risk for COVID-19, while the rest of the country is back at ‘low risk,’ according to the Department of Health. On Tuesday, as well, the Philippines logged its lowest number of fresh cases this year, at 2,010. Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said average daily cases are now 56 percent lower than the previous week’s, and the average daily attack rate in the last two weeks was at 5.26 cases per every 100,000 individuals. These positive developments come just one month after the peak of the COVID-19 surge in January, where the number of new cases

Have we learned anything in the past two years? reached 39,004. Certainly this is reason for optimism after we started the year with the alarming surge. More businesses can open at greater capacity, public transportation can be more accessible, and face-to-face classes can once more begin, albeit

gradually. This development also coincides with the campaign period, where rallies and other gatherings are prevalent. We hope no further surges happen, especially during the time when Filipinos are supposed to troop to the polls to cast their vote. We have long conceded that it is not yet possible to eliminate COVID-19. What we can do is to live with it and manage our response to it so that it sickens as few people as possible, and so that it does not cripple our economy, leading to unemployment, poverty and hunger. Let us continue to practice basic safety measures as we move into this new phase of our fight against the pandemic. We hope we have learned our lessons in the past two years.

Shaping military history COL. Ariel Querubin has drafted his autobiography book, “A Question of Valor”. Here is how former President Fidel V. Ramos introduces the book: “A Question of Valor” is a collection of stories, anecdotes and lessons during the life and time of one of the most bemedaled officers in the history of our Republic, Marine Colonel Ariel O. Querubin. It contains priceless insights into the life of an accomplished Filipino soldier, and a glimpse of his character, values and beliefs, unseen by many. This book is a significant and meaningful contribution to the development of the Philippine Military Tradition in our country. During his career in the military service, Colonel Querubin played a significant role in several legendary exploits, as well as political movements, which have helped shape the history of the military and its role in an emerging global society such as ours. Not only was he an excellent warrior in the jungles fighting terrorism and insurgency, he, too, represents a class of thinking Filipino soldiers imbued with a sense of idealism to take the urgent measures, if necessary, to assert their belief of how and what this country should be. In 2001, Querubin, then a lieutenant colonel, was awarded the Medal for Valor for acts of conspicuous courage and gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer, Marine Battalion Landing Team 1, Philippine Marine Corps, Philippine Navy during a 24-hour firefight against an estimated 800 fully armed men belonging to the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front at Barangay Inudaran, Kauswagan, Lanao de Norte, from March 18 to 19, 2000.

The effects are large scale and long term, scientists tell us. The aim is to determine if mankind is in a “safe operating space” or if the limits are being exceeded and threaten the future of the planet. The impact of so-called “novel entities” —or man-made chemical products such as plastics, antibiotics, pesticides, and non-natural metals—has until now been a big question. And the answer is complex. “We are only beginning to understand the large-scale, long-term effects of these exposures,” Carney Almroth said. Not only are there thousands of these products but the data on the risks they

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

Tasked to capture the formidable MILF Camp John Mack (ABDULLATEF), headquarters of the 303rd Brigade, 3rd Field Division of the MILF, commanded by the notorious Abdul Rahman G. Macapaar, alias Commander Bravo, Lieutenant Colonel Querubin spearheaded the 1st MBLT composed of 117 officers and men in this hazardous mission against the enemy, which was superior in numbers and had mastery of the terrain, and believed responsible for the spate of bombings in Central Mindanao and the siege of and hostage-taking at Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.

Here are the words of former President Ramos. On or about 1815H March 18, 2000, while en route to their objective, Lieutenant Colonel Querubin, and his men were subjected to a heavy volume of fire by rebels from their well-entrenched dugouts, bunkers and, trenches. Unable to maneuver due to darkness and intense fires from both heavy and light machineguns, B-40 rockets, mortar, and snipers, he nevertheless ordered his men to hold the line and directed the Special Operation Squad to close in on the enemy camp and pinpoint its location to the Marine battalion’s artillery supporting fires, and the V-300 and V-150 armored vehicles to dislodge the enemy from their heavily fortified bunkers. Unmindful of his own safety, Lieutenant Colonel Querubin continuously moved from one forward position to another, thus drawing enemy fires to his own location, purposely to pinpoint enemy targets for their artillery sup-

pose is often non-existent or classified as corporate secrets. Additionally, the chemicals are relatively recent, most of them developed in the past 70 years. “And we’re talking about 350,000 different substances,’ Carney Almroth said. “We don’t have knowledge on the vast majority of those, in terms of how much are produced or their stability. Or their fate in the environment or their toxicity.” “We know what some of them are. For most of them, we have no clue.” Even the most comprehensive databases, such as the European Union’s REACH inventory, only cover 150,000 products, and only a third of those have been the subject of detailed toxicity studies. ‘No silver bullet’ As a result, the team of researchers focused on what is known, and this partial information was enough to draw an alarming conclusion.

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port fires. The battle which raged continuously until the following day did not deter him from rallying his men in repulsing wave after wave of enemy reinforcements and continued assaults in their attempt to encircle his unit. Bunker to bunker, he personally led the assault until the enemy’s line of defense started to crumble. Under his inspiring leadership, the marines fought ferociously until the enemy scampered to different directions while dragging along their dead and wounded, and leaving behind their vaunted rocket launchers and high-powered firearms as well as documents of high intelligence value. The capture of Camp Mack resulted in the neutralization of the MILF’s strategic staging area for operations and, more importantly, liberated the residents along the coastal municipalities of Lanao del Norte from the oppressive MILF revolutionary tax collection estimated at P38 million annually. By this gallant deed, Lieutenant Colonel Querubin distinguished himself in combat in the finest tradition of Filipino soldiery. This book is a “must-read” for every Filipino soldier and every Filipino aspiring to be part of this grand and illustrious tradition of service to our country. We hope the life of his military hero is told a thousand times over in the generations to come, so that those who come after him may learn from both his triumphs and defeats, successes and shortcomings, and ultimately believe that offering the ultimate sacrifice for one’s country is the most noble act any soldier can do. May the story of Colonel Ariel O. Querubin continue to live on and inspire, through the words and pages of this book and beyond. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!!! biznewsasia@gmail.com

“Looking at changes over time and trends in production volumes lost in the environment ... and connecting that to the little bit we do know about impacts, we could say that every arrow is pointing in the wrong direction”, Carney Almroth said. There is still “time to revert this situation” but it will take “urgent and ambitious actions ... at an international level”, she added. Furthermore, “there’s no silver bullet”. “No one answer is going to solve all of this, because a lot of these chemicals and materials are things that we use and that are necessary for our lives as of right now,” she said. Regardless of how much effort is made during the production or waste management phase, production volumes need to come down, she stressed. “This seems very obvious to say but it’s only recently accepted as truth: The more you produce, the more you release.” AFP

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German chancellor Scholz to meet Putin PM Trudeau uses M emergency law OSCOW —German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was due in Moscow Tuesday in search of a diplomatic solution to avoid a war in Ukraine as the West and Russia signaled tentative hopes of an easing in the tense standoff.

His talks with Vladimir Putin are the latest in an intense diplomatic scramble to dissuade the Russian leader from attacking his ex-Soviet neighbor Ukraine. Western leaders consider the Russian troop buildup on its border with Ukraine to be the worst threat to

the continent’s security since the Cold War, and have prepared a crippling package of economic sanctions in response to any attack on its neighbor. While Western intelligence officials warned Wednesday could mark the start of an invasion, comments from Putin and his foreign and defense ministers seemed to offer hope of a de-escalation. During a carefully choreographed meeting Monday with Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said “there is always a chance” of reaching an agreement with the West over Ukraine. He told Putin that exchanges with leaders in European capitals and Washington showed enough of an opening for progress on Russia’s goals to be worth pursuing. “I would suggest continuing,” Lavrov said in tele-

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region BRANCH 226, QUEZON CITY rtc1qzn226@judiciary.gov.ph +639109078610

vised remarks, to which Putin replied—“fine”. The Russian leader and his top aides have consistently argued that the current crisis is the result of the United States and western Europe ignoring Moscow’s legitimate security concerns. Russia, which denies any plan to invade Ukraine, already controls the Crimea territory seized in 2014 and supports separatist forces controlling the Donbas region in the east. The Kremlin insists NATO must give assurances OTTAWA—Canadian Prime Minister Ukraine will never be admitted as a member and Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked rarely withdraw from eastern European countries already in used emergency powers to bring an end the alliance, effectively carving Europe into spheres to trucker-led protests against COVID-19 of influence. The United States and its European alhealth rules, afterYELLOW police arrested 11 peoCYAN MAGENTA BLACK lies reject the demands. AFP ple with a “cache of firearms” blocking a border crossing with the United States. It marked only the second time in Canadian history such powers have been invoked in peacetime, and came as hundreds of big rigs still clogged the streets of the capital Ottawa, as well as two border crossings. “The federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations,” Trudeau told a news conference. The prime minister said the military would not be deployed at this stage, but that authorities would be granted more powers to arrest protesters and seize their trucks in order to clear blockades, as well as ban funding of the protests. “We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue,” Trudeau said. “This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people’s jobs and restoring confidence in our institutions,” he added, noting that the scope of the measures would be “time-limited” and “geographically targeted,” but without providing specifics. As the threat of violence lingered, federal police said they arrested 11 protesters with rifles, handguns, body armor and ‘JE T’AIME’. French artist Zarpo (right), known as the “beach gardener”, draws the ammunition at the border between Coutts, words “I love you” on the beach, on Valentine’s Alberta and Sweet Grass, Montana, just a Day in Les Sables d’Olonne, Western France, day after another key US-Canada border on February 14. AFP crossing was cleared in Ontario. AFP

IN THE MATTER OF THE INTESTATE ESTATE OF THE LATE PUE SIN CHUA ENRIQUEZ SPEC PRO. CASE NO. 21-10386 JOSEPH GO ENRIQUEZ, Petitioner. x----------------------------------------------------x

ORDER This Petition for the Judicial Settlement of the Estate of decedent Pue Sin Chua Enriquez with prayers for Issuance of Letters of Administration filed by petitioner Joseph Go Enriquez. The petition alleges that the decedent Pue Sin Chua Enriquez was a resident of 150 Kaliraya Street, Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City. The decedent passed away in St. Lukes Medical Center in Quezon City last March 6, 2020 at the age of 88. He died intestate, and with no known creditors.

to end protests

Pollution beyond planet’s safe limit—study STOCKHOLM—The torrent of man-made chemical and plastic waste worldwide has massively exceeded limits safe for humanity or the planet, and production caps are urgently needed, scientists have concluded for the first time. Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Branch 86, Quezon City

The decedent left the following legal heirs: Name Yu Son Jun Enriquez

Status Surviving spouse

Joseph Go Enriquez

Son

Jean Enriquez Monteverde Daughter Jocelyn Enriquez-Young Daughter (MS-FEB. 16,2022)

Jorge Yu Enriquez

Son

Julieta Yu Enriquez

Daughter

Address No. 150 Kaliraya Street, Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City No.490 G. Araneta Avenue, Barangay Doña Imelda, Quezon City No. 2131, Taft Avenue, Pasay City No. 30-D, 11th Street, New Manila, Quezon City No. 150 Kaliraya Street, Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City No. 5701, Balboa Dr., Oakland, California, 94511, U.S.A.

The decedent left the real property described as follows:

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that THE NEW APEC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION with office address at Unit 1603-1605 The Orient Square Bldg. F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Makati City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-cost Housing Project (Saffron Hills) with a capacity of 687 economic and low-cost housing units, with project site located at Brgy. Duhat, Bocaue, Bulacan. Any person with valid objections on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastucture and Services Industries Service

(MS-FEB. 16, 2022)

Asset TCT No. T-25193

Description 5,204 square meters located at Tabaco, Albay

Probable Value Php 3,200,400.00

St. Lukes Medical Center, Quezon City the medical bills amounting to a total amount of Php 13,641,274.12. Petitioner further allege that, in order to preserve the Estate of the decedent and to properly administer it for the benefit of all the legal heirs, Letters of Administration should be issued in his favor having all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications to serve as the administrator of the intestate estate of herein deceased Pue Sin Chua Enriquez. Petitioner, thus, pray that the petition be given due course and be set for hearing and after proper proceedings, letters of administration be issued to the petitioner upon the filing of a bond in such amount as may be fixed by the Court. Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is hereby given due course and is set for hearing on February 23, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. sharp, through video conferencing, at which date, time and place, any interested person may appear and show cause if any, why the petition should not be granted. Let a copy of this Order be published at petitioner’s expense in Manila Standard , a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines selected by raffle pursuant to PD No. 1079, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks, prior to the date of hearing. Likewise, let copy of this Order together with a copy of the petition and its annexes be served, at petitioners’ expense, at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of hearing, to the following:

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that THE NEW APEC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION with office address at Unit 1603-1605 The Orient Square Bldg. F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Makati City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-cost Housing Project (Paragon Village Phase 5) with a capacity of 637 economic and low-cost housing units, with project site located at Brgys. Cabuco & San Agustin, Trece Martires City, Cavite. Any person with valid objections on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastucture and Services Industries Service (MS-FEB. 16, 2022)

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that THE NEW APEC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION with office address at Unit 1603-1605 The Orient Square Bldg. F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Makati City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-cost Housing Project (Sonoma Residences Extension - B) with a capacity of 575 economic and low-cost housing units, with project site located at Brgy. Sta Cruz, Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Any person with valid objections on the abovementioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Director Infrastucture and Services Industries Service (MS-FEB. 16, 2022)

I.1) The Bureau of Internal Revenue -Agham Road, Quezon City; I.2) The Solicitor General- 134 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City; I.3) The Department of Foreign Affairs - 2330 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City; I.4) Yu Son Jun Enriquez No. 150 Kaliraya Street, Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City I.5) Joseph Go Enriquez - No. 490 G. AranetaAvenue, Barangay Dofia Imelda, Quezon City I.6) Jean Enriquez Monteverde - No. 2131, Taft Avenue, Pasay City I.7) Jocelyn Enriquez-Young - No. 30-D, llth Street, New Manila, Quezon City I.8) Jorge Yu Enriquez - No. 150 Kaliraya Street, Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City I.9) Julieta Yu Enriquez - No. 5701, Balboa Dr., Oakland, California, 94511, United States of America

FERDINAND J. RECTO, Petitioner, -versus-

Civil Case No. R-QZN-19-12690-CV For: Declaration of Nullity of Marriage

ELIZABETH M. COSME, Respondent. x---------------------------------------x

ORDER For resolution is the Manifestation/Compliance with Motion to Resolve Petitioner’s Motion for Leave of Court to Effect Service of Summons by Publication. Petitioner avers that in the Order dated August 19,2020, the court deferred the resolution of his Motion for Leave of Court to Effect Service of Summons by Publication pending submission of a better address of the respondent or proof that latter said in the address indicated in the Petition. He claimed that he exerted diligent efforts to obtain the current address of the respondent but it was in vain. He further claimed that the address of the respondent in their Marriage Certificate is the same as that what he stated in his petition. Petitioner cited Sections 3 and 16 of Rule 14 of the 2019 Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure to support his motion. He prayed that his motion be granted. Acting on petitioner’s motion, the court resolves to GRANT his Motion for Leave of Court to Effect Service of Summons. Section 16, Rule 14 of A.M. No. 19-10-20-SC (2019 Proposed Amendments to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure) provides: Section 16. Service upon defendant whose identity or whereabouts are unknown. - In any action where the defendant is designated as an unknown owner, or the like, or whenever his or her whereabouts are unknown and cannot be ascertained by diligent inquiry, within ninety (90) days from the commencement of the action, service may, by leave of court be effected upon him or her by publication in a newspaper of general circulation and in such places and for such time as the court may order. Any order granting such leave shall specify a reasonable time which shall not be less than sixty (60) calendar days after notice, within which the defendant must answer. Considering the above provisions, let Summons by Publication be issued for the service of Summons to respondent Elizabeth M. Cosme. Also, pursuant to Section 16, Rule 14 of A.M. No. 19-1020-SC, the respondent is given sixty (60) calendar days from the publication of this Summons to file her Answer. WHEREFORE, in light of the foregoing, petitioner’s Motion for Leave of Court to Effect Service of Summons by Publication is GRANTED. SO ORDERED. Quezon City, February 11, 2021.

The petitioner is directed to comply with the above.

(Sgd.) HON. ROBERT P. BUENAVENTURA Presiding Judge

The petitioner as well as the above government agencies and heirs are directed to submit within five (5) days from receipt hereof their email addresses.

Republic of the Philippines Regional Trial Court National Capital Judicial Region Branch 86 Quezon City

The petitioner as well as the above government agencies and heirs are directed to submit within five (5) days from receipt hereof their email addresses and contact numbers. SO ORDERED.

FERDINAND J. RECTO, Petitioner,

December 7, 2021, Quezon City, Philippines. (Sgd.) MANUEL B. STA. CRUZ, JR. Presiding Judge Copy furnished: Atty. Pablito F. Sanidad, Jr. Atty. Dick R. Sanidad Counsel for the petitioner Sanidad & Associates Law Offices Top V Compound, Barangay San Jose, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur

-versus-

CIVIL CASE No. R-QZN-19-12690-CV SUMMONS

ELIZABETH M. COSME, Respondent. x---------------------------------------------x TO : ELIZABETH M. COSME 142 Fabella Street 1550 Mandaluyong City

Yu Son Jun Enriquez No. 150 Kaliraya Street Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City

GREETINGS: You are hereby required to file with the Branch Clerk of Court, at Rm, 110 Ground Floor. Hall of Justice, Quezon City, within fifteen (15) days from receipt of this Summons your ANSWER to the Petition, copy of which is hereto attached, together with the annexes. You shall furnish petitioner a copy of your ANSWER within the same fifteen (15) day period. If you fail to answer within fifteen (15) days, petitioner shall take action as authorized under Rules of Court the relief applied for in the said petition.

Joseph Go Enriquez No. 490 G. AranetaAvenue, Barangay Dona Imelda, Quezon City Jean Enriquez Monteverde No. 2131, Taft Avenue, Pasay City Jocelyn Enriquez-Young No. 30-D, 11 th Street, New Manila, Quezon City

You are reminded of IBP-OCA Memorandum on Policy Guidelines dated March 12, 2000 to observe restraint in filing a motion to dismiss and instead alleged the ground thereof as defenses in the answer.

Jorge Yu Enriquez No. 150 Kaliraya Street, Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City Julieta Yu Enriquez No. 5701, Balboa Dr., Oakland, California, 94511, United States of America

The Respondent in an action for Annulment of Marriage, Declaration of Nullity of Marriage, or Legal Separation must strictly observe the above-prescribed period to file answer.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue Agham Road, Quezon City

WITNESS my hand under seal of the Court, this 9th day of SEPTEMBER 2019 in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

The Solicitor General 134 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City

(Sgd.) HON. ROBERT P. BUENAVENTURA Presiding Judge

The Department of Foreign Affairs 2330 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City (MStandard-Feb. 9, 16 & 23, 2022)

(MStandard - February 16, 23,& Mar. 2, 2022)

There are an estimated 350,000 different manufactured chemicals on the market and large volumes of them end up in the environment. “The impacts that we’re starting to see today are large enough to be impacting crucial functions of planet Earth and its systems,” Bethanie Carney Almroth, co-author of a new study, told AFP in an interview. The study, by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, comes ahead of a UN meeting in Nairobi at the end of the month on tackling plastic pollution “from source to sea”, UN Environment Programme head Inger Andersen said on Monday. Chemicals and plastics are affecting biodiversity, piling additional stress on already stressed ecosystems. Pesticides kill living organisms indiscriminately and plastics are ingested by living things. “Some chemicals are interfering with hormone systems, disrupting growth, metabolism and reproduction in wildlife,” Carney Almroth said. While greater efforts are needed to prevent these substances being released into the environment, scientists are now pushing for more drastic solutions, such as production caps. Recycling has so far yielded only mediocre results. AFP

Accountants drop Donald Trump NEW YORK—Donald Trump’s longtime accountants have ditched the former US president as a client, saying a decade’s worth of financial statements could not be relied upon, court documents showed Monday. Mazars informed the Trump Organization in a letter last Wednesday that it would no longer work for the company, which is being probed by New York prosecutors for alleged fraud. The letter was revealed in court by New York state attorney general Letitia James as she asked a judge to force Trump to comply with subpoenas seeking testimony in her investigation. James announced last month that her civil inquiry into Trump’s family firm had uncovered “significant evidence” of misleading business practices, including the fraudulent valuation of assets. Mazars wrote that James’s findings had contributed towards it deciding that accounts for Trump for the years ending June 30, 2011 to June 30, 2020 “should no longer be relied upon.” The accounting firm added that an investigation of its own and “information received from internal and external sources” had also played a part in it reaching that conclusion. “While we have not concluded that the various financial statements, as a whole, contain material discrepancies, based upon the totality of the circumstances, we believe our advice to you to no longer rely upon those financial statements is appropriate,” it said. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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Japan’s GDP rebounds before Omicron wave hit

PARIS WINE EXPO. Visitors attend the Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris exhibition at Paris Expo (Porte de Versailles) in Paris on February 14, 2022. The 2022 edition of the show reserved for a key sector of French foreign trade should bring together 2,800 exhibitors from February 14 to 16, 2022, representing all of the French wine regions, but also some foreign vineyards. AFP Manila

Market falls; AC Energy and SPNEC lead losers S TOCKS fell Tuesday to join the rest of Asian markets on fears that Russia is about to invade Ukraine.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 51.21 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,309.94 on a value turnover of P8.03 billion. Losers beat gainers, 106 to 75, with 56 issues unchanged. Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. dropped 5.9 percent to P25.50, while AC Energy Corp. of the Ayala Group sank 4.6 percent to P8.20. Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija Corp., or SPNEC, which is building the biggest solar farm in Southeast Asia, declined 4.6 percent to P2.09, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group fell 4 percent to P36.50. Meanwhile, Asian markets mostly fell again Tuesday but early signs that Ukraine tensions could be easing boosted European stocks and sent oil prices down. Tokyo retreated as investors brushed off data showing Japan’s economy rebounded in the final three months of 2021, while there were also losses in Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Wellington and Taipei, but Shanghai, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta edged up. Equities have been in turmoil after US national security advisor Jake Sullivan warned last week that Russia could storm

into Ukraine “any day now,” having amassed more than 100,000 troops on its border in recent weeks. Western powers have drawn up a series of tough sanctions against Moscow in the event of an invasion but there is a big worry that such a move would have economic consequences since the two countries are key sources of vital commodities including oil, gas and wheat. The price of each of them has soared in recent weeks. However, while Washington continues to fret, there was a glimmer of hope that recent diplomatic efforts could pay off, with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov saying there was “always a chance” for agreement with the West. In a televised meeting, he told President Vladimir Putin that talks with US and European leaders showed enough of an opening for progress on his goals, adding: “I would suggest continuing.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was due in Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Putin. Hopes were also given a lift after a Russian defense ministry spokesman said some forces on the border were beginning to return to their bases. With AFP

Standard

TODAY

TOKYO, Japan—Japan’s economy rebounded in the last part of 2021, as virus cases slowed and restrictions were eased, spurring demand before the Omicron wave hit the country, data showed Tuesday. The world’s third-largest economy grew 1.3 percent in the three months to December, rebounding from a revised contraction of 0.7 percent in the previous three months, as virus cases surged. The quarter-on-quarter figure released by Japan’s cabinet office Tuesday was slightly lower than market expectations of 1.5 percent, and was driven by a sharp recovery in spending after the lifting of emergency virus restrictions in October. The data also showed the economy grew 1.7 percent in real terms in 2021, the first annual expansion for the economy

Energy Generation Output

Pasig City

15. In the past five (5) years, Applicant INEC’s AGMMHPP has an average output of about 5,227,519 kwh and a plant capacity factor of 32% in the last five years as presented under Table 2.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE GENERATION RATE RECOVERY FOR THE ILOCOS NORTE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE’S 2.000MW AGUA GRANDE/ MABOGABOG MINI-HYDRO POWER PLANT (AGMMHPP)

Total Project Cost

he said. However, the New York Fed released a survey Monday showing consumer inflation expectations dropped for the first time since October 2020. The data showed median expectations for inflation a year ahead fell to 5.8 percent in January from 6.0 percent in December, the New York Fed said. That remains well above the central bank’s two-percent target and far higher than officials had hoped to achieve as the supply chain snarls caused by the pandemic recede. Bullard said he would try to convince his colleagues at the central bank of the need to move quickly on interest rates, but defer to Fed Chair Jerome Powell. “I do think we need to front load more of our planned removal of accommodation than we would have previously,” he said. “However, I think we can do it in a way that’s organized and not disruptive to markets.” The Fed’s next policy meeting is set for March 15-16, and some economists say the central bank could even make an aggressive, half-point increase to signal its determination to contain rising prices. AFP

16. The electro-mechanical components of AGMMHPP (historical cost) and the cost of civil structures and other assets was loaned from NEA but was condoned and assumed by PSALM Corporation. However, the rehabilitation/development cost was loaned from NEA, of which, INEC started its amortization this 2020. A breakdown of the cost of the project together with the sources of funding is hereto attached as Annex “L” and made an integral part hereof.

ERC CASE NO. 2021-102 RC ILOCOS NORTE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (INEC), Applicant. x------------------------------------------------------------------x

Total Operations and Maintenance Cost

NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING

17. In the past five years (5) years, Applicant INEC’s annual average operation and maintenance cost of its AGMMHPP amounted to PhP22,349,600.82. A breakdown of AGMMHPP five year historical total operation and maintenance cost is attached hereto as Annex “M” to form an integral part hereof.

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 06 December 2021, Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (INEC) filed an Application dated 29 October 2021, seeking for the Commission’s approval of the generation rate recovery for its 2.000 MW Agua Grande/Mabogabog Mini-Hydro Power Plant (AGMMHPP).

Operations and Maintenance (“O&M”) Fee 18. The O&M fee consists of the fixed and variable operating and maintenance expenses associated with the operation of the plant.

The pertinent allegations of the Application are hereunder quoted as follows: 1.

Applicant is an electric cooperative duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office at Brgy. Suyo, Dingras, Ilocos Norte, represented herein by its General Manager, Engr. Felino Herbert P. Agdigos, duly authorized pursuant to Board Resolution No. 2021-11-122 dated 02 November 2021, of the Board of Directors, a copy of which is hereto attached and marked as Annex “A-1”;

It holds an exclusive franchise issued by the National Electrification Commission (NEC), to operate an electric light and power distribution service in the municipalities of Adams, Bacarra, Badoc, Bangui, Banna, Burgos, Carasi, Currimao, Dingras, Dumalneg, Marcos, Nueva Era, Pagudpud, Paoay, Pasuquin, Piddig, Pinili, San Nicolas, Sarrat, Solsona and Vintar and the cities of Laoag and Batac, all in the Province of Ilocos Norte;

By and pursuant to Section 25 of Republic Act No; (sic) 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), and by suppletory application of Rule 20 (B) of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, and of Article VI, Sections 1 and 2 of the ERC Guidelines for the Recovery of Costs for the Generation Component of the Distribution Utilities’ (DUs) Rates, and other pertinent laws, Applicant INEC, in its capacity as the owner and operator of the 2.000MW Agua Grande/Mabogabog Mini-Hydro Power Plant (AGMMHPP), submits this Application for the approval of the proposed generation rate recovery for its 2.000MW AGMMHPP to this Honorable Commission for its due consideration;

Applicant INEC has furnished the legislative bodies of the local government units where it principally operates with copies of the Application with all its annexes and accompanying documents. Copies of the proof of service to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Ilocos Norte, and Sangguniang Bayan of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte are attached as Annexes “B- 1” and “C-1”, respectively;

Applicant has also published the Application sans annexes in its entirety in a newspaper of general circulation within its franchise area. Copies of the Affidavit of Publication and the Newspaper where the Application was published are hereto attached as Annexes “D-1” and “E-1”, respectively;

19. The five year average Fixed O&M cost for the operation of AGMMHPP amounting to PhP19,143,919.26 accounts for expenses for salaries and wages, office supplies, professional services, insurance and registration, taxes and licenses, depreciation, administrative expenses, finance cost and generation tolerance due to climate change among others. Please see Annex “M”. 20. On the other hand, the five year average Variable O&M cost for the operation of AGMMHEPP amounting to PhP3,205,681.57 which accounts for repairs and maintenance and the benefit to the host communities (ER-194) among others. Please see Annex “M”. Determination of Generation Rate 21. Based on the foregoing, the resulting generation rate shall be Php 6.0445/kWh broken down as follows:

THE APPLICATION AND ITS PURPOSE

Table 4: Proposed Generation Rate Recovery 22. The power rate is fixed for the next fifteen (15) years, wherein it is computed as the levelized rate over a 15-year period after considering the inflation driven cost increase over the same period of time indexed to the Philippine CPI; ADVANTAGES ON THE SUPPLY OF POWER FROM AGMHEPP 23. The Board and Management of Applicant INEC developed, constructed and operated the AGMMHPP to augment the power requirement in the nearby areas as it is the load demand of the distribution feeder. Further, it will compensate for the required reactive power to improve the under voltage problem in the northern part of the franchise area; and

STATEMENT OF FACTS 6.

In 2020, applicant INEC sourced about ninety nine percent (99%) of its energy requirements from its power suppliers with an approved Power Supply Agreement and WESM as shown in Table 1 below. A copy of the Applicant INEC’s Supply and Demand Scenario is attached and made an integral part hereof as Annex “F”:

24. The generated power from AGMMHPP can reduce the pass- on VAT on generation considering that it is a renewable source which subject to zero percent (0%) VAT pursuant to Section 4 (108-5) of the BIR Revenue Regulation No. 16-2005. Likewise, the transmission cost will be reduced considering that it is directly connected to the distribution system/line of INEC.

(This space is intentionally left blank.)

Month

INEC MQ (MWH)

MPPCL (MWH)

Exposure (MWH)

MHPP (MWH)

January

24,711.36

23,582.85

1,128.52

February

23,074.67

22,366.54

708.13

March

24,900.99

24,581.90

319.09

April

26,786.25

26,554.99

231.26

May

28,743.38

28,356.97

45.39

341.02

June

31,082.17

30,784.82

68.62

228.73

July

28,976.85

28,771.82

26.21

178.82

August

28,348.19

28,177.10

4.60

166.49 132.44

September

29,991.26

29,845.10

13.72

October

27,918.76

27,916.10

2.66

November

25,608.04

December

23,548.65

323,690.58

320,094.87

161.21

3,434.51

100.00%

98.89%

0.05%

1.06%

Total %

COMPLIANCE WITH PRE-FILING REQUIREMENTS 25. Applicant INEC hereby manifests compliance with the pre- filing requirements mandated under Rule 4, Section 2 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the EPIRA and Rule 6 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, as stated above; 26. Moreover, in support of the instant Application for the approval of the generation rate for the 2.000MW AGMMHPP, other pertinent documents were submitted in compliance with the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) Checklist as a requirement of the Pre-filing. PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission that after due notice and hearing, a decision be rendered APPROVING the generation rate of Php 6.0445/kWh for the 2.000MW Agua Grande/ Mabogabog Mini- Hydro Power Plant of INEC. Other just and equitable reliefs are likewise prayed for. The Commission has set the instant Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on the following dates and online platform for the conduct thereof, pursuant to Resolution No. 09, Series 0f 20201 dated 24 September 2020 and Resolution No. 01, Series of 2021 dated 17 December 2020 (ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure):2

Date

Table 1: INEC Power Supply Mix Details for CY2020 7.

tions is very slow,” he said ahead of the release of the latest data. “While the damage from Omicron appears to be less severe than feared for global economy, Japan may be an exception,” Adachi told AFP. “Still, we are expecting that the Japanese economy will resume a solid recovery this year after disappointing stagnation in 2021,” he said, adding “the timing of the rebound is just delayed.” Tom Learmouth, Japan economist at Capital Economics, also said the road bump created by the Omicron variant would likely only temporarily derail growth. “While Omicron will cause Japan’s economy to only tread water this quarter following a rebound in Q4, output should soon resume its recovery and get back on its previrus trend by the end of the year,” he said in a note. AFP

Republic of the Philippines

ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

In the last five years, applicant INEC’s Agua Grande/Mabogabog Mini-Hydro Power Plant (AGMMHPP) has an actual average plant capacity factor of 32% only as shown in Table 2 hereunder:

Platform

2 March 2022 (Wednesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 PM)

Microsoft Teams

9 March 2022 (Wednesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 PM)

Microsoft Teams

Activity Determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements and expository presentation Pre-trial Conference and presentation of evidence

Accordingly, INEC is hereby directed to host the virtual hearing at INEC’s Principal Office at Brgy. Suyo, Dingras, Ilocos Norte, as the designated venue for the conduct thereof, and ensure that the same is open to the public and the community quarantine guidelines are observed at all times. Moreover, INEC shall guarantee that, during the conduct of the expository presentation, the participation of the public shall not be impaired.

Fed’s credibility is ‘on the line’ amid US inflation spike—official WASHINGTON, United States— The Federal Reserve needs to accelerate the pace of interest rate increases to fight inflation, but can do so in a way that doesn’t roil financial markets, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said Monday. “Our credibility is on the line here,” Bullard said on CNBC. After consumer prices saw their biggest jump in 40 years in January, he said the Fed should “front load” its actions and raise the benchmark borrowing rate to one percent by July. Bullard, a voting member of the Fed’s policy-setting committee, caused a sharp reaction in markets last week with similar comments on the need to remove stimulus provided to the US economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The consumer price index in January jumped 7.5 percent compared to a year earlier, its largest increase since 1982. Bullard said the data capped four months of worrisome reports indicating that “inflation is broadening and possibly accelerating in the US economy.” “We’ve been surprised to the upside on inflation. This is a lot of inflation in the US economy,”

in three years. After a spike in virus cases in the summer of 2021, when Japan hosted the Olympics with virtually no spectators, the government lifted restrictions in October, prompting private consumption to grow 2.7 percent quarter-on-quarter. That growth is unlikely to have lasted however, with a wave of Omicron cases spurring new restrictions in January. The restrictions, which mainly target nightlife and are far less strict than a blanket lockdown, will be in place until early March. Japan is facing “more damage than expected from the Omicron variant,” said Masamichi Adachi, UBS Securities Chief Economist for Japan. “Self-restraint by consumers has been greater than expected and the pace of booster vaccina-

Table 2: 5-Year Historical Generation of AGMMHPP 8.

In INEC’s latest Power Supply Procurement Plan (PSPP) submitted to NEA and DOE, the generation of AGMMHPP is primarily considered under Self-Generation as shown in Table 3 hereunder:

Table 3: INEC PSPP Summary 9.

Applicant INEC’s forecasted demand increases by an average rate of 4% per annum over the next 5 years. With the generation of AGMMHPP, the capacity to be withdrawn by INEC from its power suppliers including WESM will be 5.6MW lower;

10. Due to the foregoing impacts of AGMMHPP to INEC’s overall power supply, Applicant INEC urgently needed to apply for generation Rate Recovery for AGMMHPP. Hence, on 18 May 2021, the Board of Directors of Applicant INEC passed Board Resolution No. 2021-05-63 approving the application for approval of the GRR for AGMMHEPP before the Energy Regulatory Commission, hereto attached and marked as Annex “G”; 11. Copies of AGMMHPP’s Certificate of Compliance issued by ERC which is subject of renewal, Certificate of Endorsement from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the 2021 Business Permit of INEC, evidencing the latter’s due registration and permit to operate the embedded 2.000MW Agua Grande/Mabogabog Minihydro Power Plant are hereto attached and marked as Annexes “H-1”, “I-1” and “J-1”, respectively; 12. In 1983, Applicant INEC commenced the operation of the AGMMHPP with a 4.55MW capacity (5 turbines with 910MW capacity each). However, sometime in 10 June 1985, AGMMHPP was attacked by NPAs and put the plant in fire reason thereof that the facility was destroyed. When it was restored, only 2 turbines were fixed and for the longest time, it was operating under a 1.8MW capacity. It supplied its consumers through the INEC’s 13.2kV distribution line. Subsequently, it was rehabilitated in 2019 and its capacity was upgraded to 2.000MW and is now connected to the 23kV distribution line of INEC. Copy of the Single Line Diagram of INEC’s distribution line is hereto attached and made an integral part hereof as Annex “K”;

Any interested stakeholder may submit its comments and/or clarifications at least one (1) calendar day prior to the scheduled initial virtual hearing, via electronic mail (e-mail) at docket@ erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph. The Commission shall give priority to the stakeholders who have duly submitted their respective comments and/or clarifications, to discuss the same and propound questions during the course of the expository presentation. Moreover, any persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) calendar days prior to the date of the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1)

The petitioner’s name, mailing address, and e-mail address;

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and

A statement of the relief desired.

Likewise, all other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file through e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, their Opposition or Comment thereon at least five (5) calendar days prior to the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1)

The name, mailing address, and e-mail address of such person;

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

The grounds relied upon.

Any of the persons mentioned in the preceding paragraphs may access the copy of the Application on the Commission’s official website at www.erc.gov.ph. Finally, all interested persons may be allowed to join the scheduled initial virtual hearings by providing the Commission, thru legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, with their respective e-mail addresses and indicating therein the case number of the instant Application. The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned hearing platform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled hearings. WITNESS, the Honorable Commissioners CATHERINE P. MACEDA, FLORESINDA th G. BALDO-DIGAL and MARKO ROMEO L. FUENTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 25 day of January 2022 in Pasig City.

AGNES VST DEVANADERA DEV Chairperson and CEO

COMPUTATION OF PROPOSED RATE 13. As mandated by Section 25 of the EPIRA “retail rates charged by distribution utilities for the supply of electricity in their captive market shall be subject to regulation by the ERC based on the principle of full recovery of prudent and reasonable economics costs incurred, or such other principles that will promote efficiency as may be determined by the ERC”; 14. Accordingly, Applicant INEC hereby submits for the due consideration and approval of this Honorable Commission herein proposed Php 6.0445/kWh computed using the following cost components and determinants to wit:

LS: MVM/LSP/MCCG Regulatory Commission. 1

A Resolution Adopting the Guidelines Governing Electronic Applications, Filings and Virtual Hearings Before the Energy Regulatory Commission; A Resolution Adopting the Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory Commission. (MS-FEB. 8 & 16, 2022)

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

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022

PSE INDEX CLOSING Tuesday, February 15, 2022 -51.21 PTS. 7,309.94

TOTAL VOLUME

1,206,492,516

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES DECLINES

108,305 8,032,045,194.40 75 106

UNCHANGED

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.3750

Japan

Yen

0.008656

0.4447

Pound

1.353000

69.5104

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128179

6.5852

Switzerland

Franc

1.081783

55.5766

Canada

Dollar

0.785669

40.3637

Singapore

Dollar

0.742611

38.1516

Australia

Dollar

0.712500

36.6047

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

136.2841

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266546

13.6938

Brunei

Dollar

0.739864

38.0105

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.030750

1.5798

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.9887

Euro

1.130900

58.1000

Korea

Won

0.000835

0.0429

China

Yuan

0.157295

8.0810

India

Rupee

0.013217

0.6790

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.238720

12.2642

New Zealand

Dollar

0.661500

33.9846

Taiwan

Dollar

0.035886

1.8436 Source: BSP

Citicore renews renewable supply deal with Shell By Alena Mae S. Flores CITICORE Energy REIT Inc.’s sponsor and major tenant Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. renewed its agreement with Shell Energy Philippines Inc. over the supply of clean and renewable energy coming from its portfolio of solar power generating plants. CREIT president and chief executive Oliver Tan said in a statement Tuesday Shell and Citicore share the same vision of a future powered by clean and renewable energy. “This development is a testament to the very high customer satisfaction and excellent service we provide our clients, who continue to trust and believe in us since 2017,” said Tan. The partnership is an extension of the short-term power supply agreement earlier signed by the two parties and covers several PSAs that will complement SEPH’s supply needs. CREC said the SEPH renewal is a strong vote of confidence in CREC’s ability to deliver a steady supply of energy, which also supports the company’s objective of securing long-term offtake agreements with its customers. “We are happy to have this strengthened partnership with CREC as we provide cleaner energy to our customers,” said Shell Energy Philippines president Bernd Krukenberg. CREC operates and maintains eight strategically located solarenergy producing assets across the country, generating a combined power of 163 megawatts. The company is expanding its renewable energy capacity by an additional 1,500 MW over the next five years, which potentially could be infused into CREIT. Shell Energy, meanwhile, is a retail electricity supplier under the Shell Group offering competitive and cleaner environment-friendly energy solutions to various businesses in the Philippines. Citicore’s subsidiary Citicore Energy Solutions Inc. recently renewed its retail electricity supplier’s license from the Energy Regulatory Commission and secured the Green Energy Option Program operating permit from the Department of Energy.

Business Cash remittances rose 5.1% to hit record $31.42b in 2022 By Julito G. Rada

EMITTANCES from Filipinos working overseas hit a record $31.418 billion in 2021, up 5.1 percent from $29.903 billion in 2020, on sustained demand for skilled workers abroad as most countries reopened despite the continuing global health crisis, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Tuesday.

It also eclipsed the previous record of $30.133 billion registered in 2019 prior to the pandemic. The 5.1-percent expansion missed the 6-percent growth target earlier set by the government for last year, but it was a significant improvement from the 0.8-percent contraction in 2020 amid the series of lockdowns imposed by countries to prevent the spread of the disease. Data showed that in December, cash remittances coursed through banks grew by 3.3 percent to $2.987 billion from $2.89 billion in the same month of 2020. “The growth in the 2021 cash remittances was supported by the increase in

receipts from land-based and sea-based workers, which rose by 5.6 percent [to $24.873 billion from $23.55 billion] and 3.0 percent [to $6.545 billion from $6.354 billion], respectively,” the BSP said in a statement. “Notwithstanding the global pandemic, cash remittances sent by OFs [overseas Filipinos] across various regions remained robust. This was evident in the growth in annual inward remittances from the Americas [7.1 percent], Europe [5.5 percent], Asia [4.5 percent] and the Middle East [0.7 percent],” it said. By country source, cash remittances from the United States accounted for the largest share of overall remittances

at 40.5 percent, followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Taiwan, Qatar and South Korea. The combined remittances from these top 10 countries represented 78.9 percent of total cash remittances in 2021. Likewise, personal remittances, which include non-cash items, reached a new high of $34.884 billion in 2021, surpassing the previous record of $33.467 billion in 2019 and the $33.194 billion recorded in 2020 by 5.1 percent. The BSP said that in December, personal remittances grew year-on-year by 2.9 percent to $3.298 billion, the highest monthly level since the tracking of personal remittances data series began in 2005. It said the sustained growth in personal remittances last year was driven by remittances sent by land-based workers with work contracts of one year or more, which increased annually by 5.6 percent to $27.005 billion from $25.564 billion, and sea- and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year, which went up by 2.9 percent to $7.138 billion from $6.934 billion in 2020.

IN BRIEF AirAsia to open more local, foreign flights

AIRASIA Philippines on Tuesday said it will open new domestic and international flights within the first half of the year following an increase in forward bookings. The budget airline maintains its bullish performance for the dry season with a 38-percent increase in forward bookings for the next three months. AirAsia Philippines recorded an 18-percent rise in 15 to 30 days booking, especially for top dry season destinations. “Boracay dominates the list of top guest destinations with a 24 percent increase–almost doubling last week’s 15 percent. Cebu, Tagbilaran (Panglao), Kalibo and Tacloban also made the top 5 most-booked destinations,” the company said. AirAsia is keen on further propelling the buoyancy of the local travel market with the opening of new domestic routes. Launching in April is the route to Dumaguete, known as a top favorite among travelers from East Asia and Europe because of its ancestral houses and popular baywalk. Flyers to the country’s seafood capital Roxas will also enjoy AirAsia flights starting April. Darwin G. Amojelar

SOPA announces Pushkart.ph purchase

SOCIETY Pass Inc. (Nasdaq: SOPA), a leading Southeast Asian data-driven loyalty platform, announced Tuesday the acquisition of Pushkart.ph a leading online grocery delivery service in Philippines. SoPa said in a statement the acquisition will speed up the company’s expansion into the Philippine logistics space, which has accelerated exponentially during the pandemic. “We are excited to combine the robust technology, retail and operational prowess of a high-performance brand like Pushkart. ph with our brand building experience. As the Philippine consumer faces tremendous challenges with traditional brick and mortar shopping due to a plethora of hurdles including excessive wait times in traffic/public transport, SoPa aims to provide viable solutions by providing impetus to the growing ecommerce industry in the country,” said SoPa founder and chief executive officer Dennis Nguyen. He said the Philippines is a cornerstone of SoPa’s VIP—Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines—acquisition strategy and “given the immense potential of the Philippines, we are excited to acquire a number of market leading companies in Philippines over the next few months.” Othel V. Campos

SPNEC okays P10-b stock rights offering

PEDIATRIC VACCINATION.Ayala Malls is extending its facilities to host pediatric vaccinations along with the Department of Health and local government units. Children within 5 to 11 years old are qualified to register to the ‘Vax to the Max!’ program, where each child may receive a jab of Pfizer-BioNTech’s reformulated vaccine as their first or second dose. The program also accommodates booster shots through an appointment system. Parents and guardians are welcome to stay through the process to ensure their children’s safety and overall positive experience. The program is ongoing at Ayala Malls Manila Bay every Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

PNR expected to resume San Pablo-Lucena line in 1st half By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Transportation said Tuesday it expects the San-Pablo, Laguna to Lucena, Quezon route of the Philippine National Railways to reopen in the first half of 2022. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the PNR San Pablo-Lucena route would not only link the rail line to the Bicol network, but would also unlock economic potentials and enhance mobility in Southern Luzon. He said that aside from being a passenger commuter service, the PNR LucenaSan Pablo route could also be converted into a commercial or cargo freight service. “Mahalaga rin po na sabihin na itong rutang ito ay convertible hindi lamang papuntang Bicol, kundi maging convertible na maging commercial route dito sa

Lucena,” Tugade said. Stalled for almost a decade, the PNR San Pablo-Lucena route is a 44-kilometer inter-provincial commuter railway which was part of the commuter train service to Bicol with stations and flag stops for daily commuters or short travels. The PNR Lucena-San Pablo commuter line ceased operations in October 2013 after the collapse of an abutment. Once operations resume, the line will have two terminal stations and four flag stops in between, with travel time of 1 hour and 32 minutes from Lucena to San Pablo. Parts of the long-distance rail network’s right-of-way will also be utilized for the PNR South Long Haul Project or the “Bicol Express”. The DOTr earlier signed a P142-billion contract with Chinese companies to

build the first 380 kilometers of the PNR Bicol Project from Banlic, Calamba to Daraga, Albay. The agency tapped China Railway Group Ltd., China Railway No. 3 Engineering Group Co. Ltd. and China Railway Engineering Consulting Group Co. Ltd. for the design, construction and electromechanical works of the project. The first 380 kilometers will span 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 project will be funded by official development assistance from China. The Chinese government may finance up to 85 percent of the contract amount, with the balance to be funded by the local counterpart budget.

Phirst Park Homes to launch 4 new projects in 2022 as part of expansion PHIRST Park Homes Inc. is set to launch four horizontal projects this year as parent company Century Properties Group Inc. earmarks a substantial portion of its P3-billion bond offering to fund capital expenditures in support of the continuing strong and robust demand for quality affordable homes. A joint venture between CPG and Mitsubishi Corp., PPHI will launch four sites this year, beginning with Naic, Cavite and its maiden venture in Bataan province. The two other projects which will be announced soon will also be in Central Luzon. The four projects have a projected combined revenue of P5.47 billion and a combined total of 3,029 units. This follows the company’s successful launch of three

CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE. The

government has improved the cycling infrastructure along Roxas Boulevard in Manila as part of its efforts to build 500 kilometers of bike lanes in less than a year amid the pandemic. In September 2020, the rise of cycling led the national government to allocate more than $22 million for active mobility infrastructure, translating into the largest bike lane construction program in the country’s history with almost 500 kilometers across Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao.

projects in 2021 in General Trias, Baliwag and Tayabas. “We expect to remain the strong choice for first home buyers as we continue to deliver beyond industry standard offerings for our projects,” PPHI president and chief executive Ricky Celis said, adding that “the new projects will continue to bear the quality that buyers have patronized in all PPHI properties.” The expansion adds to the ten masterplanned communities it has launched since its maiden project in 2017, which include Tanza, Cavite; Lipa, Batangas; San Pablo, Laguna; Pandi, Bulacan; Calamba, Laguna; Nasugbu, Batangas; Magalang, Pampanga; General Trias, Cavite; Tayabas, Quezon; and Baliwag, Bulacan. “We will keep on serving the new generation of real estate buyers with quality homes through PPHI as affordable housing has proven to be strong even through the challenging periods in recent years,” CPG president and chief executive Marco Antonio said.

SOLAR Philippines Nueva Ecija Corp. (SPNEC) plans to raise P10 billion from a stock rights offering. SPNEC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Tuesday its board on Monday approved the planned rights offering in line its goal to build 10 gigawatts of solar projects. The terms of the rights offering, where eligible stockholders would have the opportunity to subscribe to shares, will be determined by management and relevant requirements and regulatory approvals. “We need at least P10 billion to complete the development of 10 GW of solar projects. This is only a small percent of project cost, but we believe is a large percent of the value, with development being the bottleneck for the energy transition of the Philippines,” said Solar Philippines founder Leandro Leviste. “As a developer, SPNEC’s business model is to make projects shovel-ready, then bring in joint-venture partners who can help fund the construction,” Leviste added. Jenniffer B. Austria

DoubleDragon set to acquire 1st hotel outside PH in Q2 By Jenniffer B. Austria DOUBLEDRAGON Corp. expects to finalize the acquisition of its first hotel outside the Philippines by the second quarter. DoubleDragon said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it amended the primary purpose of its offshore subsidiary Hotel 101 Worldwide Private Limited in preparation for its first Hotel 101 project outside the country. The company said it shortlisted potential sites where Hotel 101 is expected to be patronized by local and foreign tourists and Filipinos who visit that country for business or leisure. “The first Hotel 101 project outside the Philippines is also expected to give Filipino investors a chance to make their first offshore real estate investment with affordable payment terms for their hybrid condotel Hotel 101 investment,” the company said. “The unique Hotel 101 asset light concept allows DoubleDragon to generate revenue and income twice, first from the pre-selling of the Happy Rooms, then second after the project is constructed it generates long term recurring revenue from hotel operations,” it said. The expansion may be led directly by Hotel 101 Worldwide or through partnerships and joint ventures with other property developers in other countries, it said. Hotel 101-Manila achieved an average occupancy rate of 96.03 percent in 2021 despite the pandemic. “The development and completion of these new Hotel 101 projects will be perfectly timed with the full recovery and anticipated rebound in the tourism industry. We believe in a couple of years, all this pent up demand for tourism will cause an unseen surge in demand for hotel rooms across the globe,” said DoubleDragon chief investment officer Hannah Yulo-Luccini. Tourism Secretary Berna RomuloPuyat lauded DoubleDragon’s efforts to establish its Hotel101 concept as the very first homegrown global hotel chain.

Sports

PH lady booters to get PSC incentives THE Philippine Sports Commission Board on Tuesday approved the awardi ng of P1,250,0 0 0 wor th of special i ncentives for the Philippi ne Women’s Football Team for qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women World Cup. The board unanimously approved the incentive as it “recognizes the significance of their breakthrough performance during the Asian Cup and the qualification to the 2023 World Cup,” said PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez on the approval of special incentives. The 23 players plus 2 reserves shall receive P50,000 each for their historic feat made at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India, after reaching the semifinals and making it to the World Cup next year. “I am proud of our women football team members. We met them yesterday and we can feel their humility and strong team spirit. I think this contributed much to their success, among other factors” the sports agency chief said. Last Monday, Ramirez along with PSC commissioners Celia Kiram and Arnold Agustin, warmly welcomed Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta Jr. and the members of the national team, namely Chandler and Olivia McDaniel, Camille Rodriguez, Anicka and Sara Castañeda, Hali Long, and Inna Palacios during their courtesy visit at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

WNBL 3x3 unveils 2nd leg on Feb. 26 A BIGGER and more competitive WNBL 3x3 is on tap as it unveils its second leg on Feb. 26 at the Hoopla gym inside the Angelis Resort in Muntinlupa City. Ten teams divided into two groups will vie for honor, prize money, and prestige of helping the country gain valuable points in the FIBA ranking for the long-term goal of qualifying in the Olympics. First leg champion Uratex Dream led by Alyssa Villamor, will be aiming for back-to-back titles, but is expected to be challenged by the rest of the field led by sister team Uratex Tibay. “It’s going to be an exciting leg again for our viewers and to our women basketball players,” said commissioner Haydee Ong in Tuesday’s virtual Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. Uratex Dream retained the same core that won the inaugural leg last December led by Villamor, Kaye Pingol, Tina Deacon, and Angel Anies, and will be hard-pressed to go for a second straight championship and the P15,000 top prize money that goes with it. “Always naman na nandiyan ‘yung pressure. So ‘yung pressure na ‘yun ay gagawin na lang naming motivation para kami mag-work hard at mag-push pa,” said Villamor, who also graced the public sports program together with Callie Paguigan of Sureviewd, and Uratex Tibay’s Kat Quimpo, who is also executive committee chairman of the league. Quimpo expects tough games down the road especially now that players are already settled down following their experience playing in the first leg. “The second leg will be more competitive and we’ve always said that. ‘Yung first leg kasi had been new to all of us,” added Quimpo, who coaches the Ateneo women’s team, in the same session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. Although Sureviewd is seeing action for the first time, Paguigan hopes her team gets to compete for the championship despite limited time of practicing together due to the current health pandemic. Uratex Dream headlines Pool A together with Boost Basketball, We Got Next, Sureviewd, and Angelis Resort, while Teachshare leads Pool B along with Uratex Tibay, Rizal Huskies, JJD, and Dreamers. WNBL officials are also hoping the country’s FIBA ranking will continue to rise with the regular holding of 3x3 games, which will have a total of six legs to be played.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022

Philippine women’s football team members Inna Palacios, Anicka Castañeda, Camille Rodriguez, Chandler McDaniel, Olivia McDaniel, Sara Castañeda, Hali Long and PFF President Mariano “Nonong” Araneta (left center), pay a courtesy visit to PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez (right center) at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Malate, Manila.

Miller seeks redemption at Beijing winter games

ANQING, China—Asa Miller gets a shot at redemption on Wednesday in the highly unpredictable men’s slalom of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

After taking a day’s off on Monday to shake off frustration from his mishap in the giant slalom on Sunday, Miller took to the course on Tuesday not only to get his legs and arms get the feel of the course again, but reset his focus as well. “Trust your feet and trust yourself as the skier you are,” American coach Will Gregorak told his 21-year-old and twotime Olympian ward in between training runs at the National Alpine Skiing Centre. “It’s similar to what I told you before—the best you can possibly ski on race day is to ski like yourself.” The start list won’t be known until during the coaches’ meeting set later Tuesday, but definitely, Miller will be up against world-class opponents seeking Olympic glory—including the man they call “The Rocket,” Dave Ryding. Most eyes are on Ryding, whose tough task is to end Great Britain’s lengthy wait for a first Olympic medal in Alpine skiing. Alain Baxter won Britain’s first Olympic medal in Alpine skiing, but was stripped of his slalom bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games for using a decongestant that contained a banned stimulant. Ryding, now 35, is in his fourth Olympics. Gregorak was aggressive in helping Miller put his mind on the course.

“You’re not going to become another person and you are already an excellent skier,” the 31-year-old coach told the Filipino-American athlete. “All you have to do is find the feeling that you already know.” Gregorak added: “When you get

into the gate, it’s just you and the course. Go and have some fun by making your best turn.” Just how unpredictable was Alpine skiing this season? There were six World Cup slaloms with six different winners with only four skiers making the podium more than once and no one doing it more than twice. Miller was one of 33 skiers—out of 84 starters—who were DNF (Did Not Finish) in the giant slalom on Sunday when natural snow fell incessantly for the first

Asa Miller (left) prepares for his last day of ski training for Wednesday’s slalom event in the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games here at the National Alpine Skiing Centre. With him are American coach Will Gregorak (right) and Asa’s father Kelly.

time in the Games during the weekend and rendered visibility poor at the Ice River course. Besides Ryding, the other favorites include World Cup veteran Lucas Braathen of Norway, 2017 world champion Manuel Ferrer of Austria, 2018 world junior champion Noel Clement of France, and Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics team event gold medalist Daniel Yule of Great Britain. Miller, whose Olympic campaign is fully supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, concentrated on his training and only smiled or waved his hand when sought for an interview. Gregorak, meanwhile, said that the slalom “hill is a little bit an easier place than giant slalom” so he is expecting more racers to finish. “It’s an easier slalom hill than GS [giant slalom] where the upper and lower pitches were very difficult,” said Gregorak, who owns 23 World Cup stints while playing for the US team from 2008 to 2014. “This is exactly a mellow slalom, not a particularly difficult hill so there should be plenty of skiers who will go pretty intensely.” “GS is the purest form of ski racing and technically the most difficult,” he said. “Slalom comes at you the fastest even though you don’t move as fast as other events, but not technically difficult like GS.” The giant slalom’s first run is also set at 10 a.m. and the second run is slated at 1:45 p.m.

Coach Hall praises PH U-23 team’s character TEAM Philippines displayed a different kind of courage that may have unnerved Timor Leste as they settled for a 2-all draw on Monday evening at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Marcel Ivan Arcenal Ouano responded twice on every goal that the Timorese booters sent in, allowing the Filipino booters to pull even at the start of their ASEAN Football Federation Under-23 Youth Championship 2022 campaign. Philippine coach Stewart Hall said they did not underestimate the Timorese, more so since the PH squad only got together three weeks ago. “They (Timor Leste) have been together for three months, and we have

been together for for three weeks. So they got better match habits than we. They have been playing games, and we haven’t. And on the context of this, I think we showed courage both times,” said Hall. “The boys fought with great character to come back from two goals down. Timor Leste gave us some problems tonight and Cambodia will give us different problems in our next game,” added Hall. Timor Leste head coach Fabio Maciel, who formed the squad three months ago, said they were in control for most of the game, but the Filipinos still found openings, which could probably be the result of goalkeeping mistakes.

“We know we deserved to win the game. But we conceded two goals because of our mistakes. And we were more in control of the game,” said Maciel during a livestreamed post-game huddle Maciel believed that it was a different Filipino squad that they faced, saying the young players that went in the field were good players. “I saw the faces of these players. They are good players, young and like my team, which is a new generation that we are exposing,” he said. Mouzinho Barreto De Lima struck first for the Timorese side, firing in a penalty on the sixth minute. After that, the 21-year-old Ouano, who plays for National University in

the UAAP, attacked the net and blasted past Timor Leste goalie Junildo Pereira to equalize in the 44th minute. The Timorese booters continued to press in the second half and struck in 56th minute when Jaimito Soares picked a loose ball and sent it in past Filipino goalie Quincy Kameraad. But the Filipinos refused to be discouraged, with Ouano driving home another goal following a mad scramble in the 62nd minute. Host Cambodia took the lead in Group A with a 6-0 rout of Brunei and will meet the Philippines on Thursday. Peter Atencio

Korea heads into FIBA play minus 2 veterans By Peter Atencio KIM Sun-hyung and Yang HongSeok, veteran players of the South Korean national team, are among 11 Korean Basketball League players, who are now undergoing quarantine back in Seoul due to COVID-19 infection. The 6’2” Kim and the 6’6” Yang were supposed to spearhead the Koreans’ campaign against the Philippines, India and New Zealand in the FIBA World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers’ February window at the Araneta Coliseum in a week’s time. But the presence of Kim and Yang when

the Korean squad plays in Manila is now doubtful. All 24 members of the Korean national quintet have gone through RT-PCR tests. If any more players are found positive, they will no longer proceed to training camp in Goyang. From there, the coaching staff will select 14 players from those who have negative results. Because of this, the Koreans will have to face the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s team without Yang and Kim, who was also a member of the gold medal-winning team at the 2014 Asian Games.

Kim Sun-hyung (fiba.basketball)

Sports

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022

Injured Harden LIFE CHANGING OR SCAM? out of All-Star tiff; NBA lifts ban on Evans

Axie Infinity helps PH’s poor earn D By Allison Jackson, with Alice Philipson

LOS ANGELES—Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden was ruled out of this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game on Monday, the league said in a statement. Harden, who joined the Sixers last week in a stunning trade from the Brooklyn Nets, will be replaced by Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen on LeBron James’ team. The Sixers said Harden would also miss the team’s final two games before the All-Star break -- against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday and Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. Harden is still recovering from a hamstring strain that forced him to miss multiple games with Brooklyn before he was traded away last week. Harden had been selected by team captain James after being ignored by former Nets team-mate Kevin Durant during selection of the All-Star line-ups last Thursday. The All-Star game takes place on Sunday in Cleveland. Meanwhile, guard Tyreke Evans has been reinstated by the National Basketball Association, almost three years after being banned for violating the league’s anti-drug programme. The 32-year-old American became eligible for reinstatement last year and was officially reinstated on Monday which means he can now start negotiating with teams. Evans last played for the Indiana Pacers in 2018-19, averaging 10.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. In 594 career games, he has averaged 15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He was initially slapped with a twoyear ban on May 17, 2019 after testing positive for a “drug of abuse”. He is the first player to be suspended and reinstated since Chris Andersen’s reinstatement in 2008. Evans was the 2010 NBA rookie of the year with the Sacramento Kings (20092013). He also had stints with New Orleans (2013-2017), Sacramento (2017), Memphis (2017-2018) before joining the Pacers for one season. Evans was the fourth overall pick out of University of Memphis in the 2009 entry draft. After just one season with Memphis he decided to enter the NBA draft, opting to forgo his remaining three years of US college. AFP

OMINIC Lumabi sits on the computer in his Manila bedroom pitting his puffer ﬁsh-like cartoon NFT characters against others. But this is not just a game—he is earning cryptocurrency to support his family during the pandemic.

The source of his income is Axie Infinity, a blockchain-based play-to-earn game that exploded in popularity in developing nations such as the Philippines as Covid-19 destroyed jobs and forced many to stay home. Its fans, financial backers and creators —Vietnam-based Sky Mavis—say it is a revolutionary step towards the future of the internet. Detractors warn the game is a “house of cards”, some likening it to a fraud scheme driven by hype and speculation. “At first, I was sceptical because I thought it was a Ponzi scam,” said Lumabi, 26, who began playing last June after losing his job at an advertising

firm and making a failed foray into online selling. About 35 percent of Axie Inf inity traff ic—and the biggest share of its 2.5 million daily active users—comes from the Philippines, where high proficiency in English, strong gaming culture and widespread smartphone usage have fuelled its popularity, Sky Mavis said. In Axie Infinity, players participate in battles using colourful blob-like Axies, and are mainly rewarded “Smooth Love Potion” (SLPs) that can be exchanged for cryptocurrency or cash— or invested back into the game’s virtual world Lunacia.

blockchain—a digital ledger that cannot be changed. Axies can be bought, sold or rented to other players. Owners can also breed them to create new Axies that provide more value. At the peak of the game’s growth last year, a starter team of Axies could cost hundreds of dollars, far beyond the reach of aspiring players in poorer countries. When AFP accessed the game’s marketplace on February 9, the cheapest Axies cost $37 each, putting the cost of a basic team at $111. However, players who spend more get better Axies, giving them a better chance of winning battles to earn SLPs and— from some activities—the game’s other crypto token AXS. Those with the capital to assemble more lucrative Axie teams have set up guilds and “scholarships”—profit-sharing systems where players are charged a percentage of their earnings. The owners’ take can reportedly go as high as 30 percent. AFP

Super League begins 1st conference on March 18

This photo taken on December 10, 2021 shows siblings Eugene (left) and Ginger Arboleda giving a demonstration on how to play Axie Infinity, an NFT game where players earn tokens that can be exchanged for cryptocurrency or cash, during an interview with AFP in Taguig, suburban Manila. AFP

World Athletics tells Patafa to resolve disputes internally; reiterates support THE World Athletics, through its president Sebastian Coe, twice Olympic middle-distance gold medalist and holder of three world records in one year, reiterated in a letter to Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association dated February 10, 2022 the athletics body’s right to resolve, “in accordance with stated processes and procedures in the Federation’s Constitution or applicable relevant rules and that these are run fairly for all concerned.” Coe, who is now on his second term of the world’s premier international federation of a sport that is the centerpiece of any Olympic-type sporting event, wrote PATAFA president Dr. Philip Ella Juico after the PATAFA Board of Trustees updated the WA on certain actions the NSA took to promote accountability and integrity among its athletes and the entire NSA. In his letter, Coe stated that, “as previously stated, we consider this (the procedures undertaken by the PATAFA Board

Lumabi plays for two hours a day in the tiny house he shares with his parents and four sisters, earning 8,000 to 10,000 pesos ($155 to $195) per month—nearly half of what he makes at his current job as a content moderator working ninehour graveyard shifts. He has used Axie Infinity earnings for his sister’s university fees, groceries and bills—expenses his father’s struggling electrical repair business cannot cover. The pandemic was the perfect environment for this game to attract players from all walks of life, said Leah CallonButler, a blockchain consultant based in the Philippines. “They could sit at home, protected from the virus, and play a cute game and earn money from it.” Rent-an-Axie But there is a catch. To play the game, players first have to purchase at least three Axies. An Axie is an NFT—a unique, nonfungible token, with a particular set of abilities and characteristics. Like NFT pieces of art, they are stored on the

and the Committee assigned to undertake the necessary investigations), an internal matter.” He added, “We encourage all internal disputes of a Member to be resolved with stated processes and procedures.” Coe reemphasized the fact that the PATAFA is a member of World Athletics and “as such is the sole governing body of Athletics in the Philippines. He added that under the World Athletics Constitution (Article 9) regarding the obligations of Member Federations, PATAFA amongst other things are responsible for: administering, promoting and developing Athletics in the Philippines in accordance with the purposes of World Athletics; and democratically electing or appointing its officers and executive body. To remove any doubt as to the legitimacy and the right of its present officers and Board of Trustees to assume their respective roles and responsibilities despite the

Dr. Philip Ella Juico

overreaching acts of certain parties, Coe asserted, “We can confirm that PATAFA and its current office bearers are set out in the World Athletics website.” For good measure, Coe added, “The outcome of the last PATAFA elective

general assembly held on 10 November 2021 was that Dr. Philip Juico was elected as the office bearer of President.” A representative from the Philippine Olympic Committee was present during the elective assembly. In exercise of his responsibility, as duly elected by authorized voters of the PATAFA, Coe reported that “Dr. Philip Juico was the voting delegate for the Philippine Member Federation at the World Athletics Congress held on 17-18 November 2021.” To heighten the active participation of the PATAFA leadership in World Athletics initiatives and the latter’s full support of and alignment with Mr. Coe’s priorities, the World Athletics president who was head of the 2012 London Olympics Organizing Committee and was credited with its overall success and financial transparency, proclaimed that “Dr. Philip Juico was also a member of the World Athletics Governance and Integrity Reform working Group and the Values Commission and provided valuable inputs to support the implementation and promotion of these critical areas of work, which are fundamental to underpin our sport and the governance of Athletics.”

THE newly-formed Pilipinas Super League is all set to hold its inaugural conference beginning on March 18 in Dipolog City and Roxas City in Zamboanga del Norte. So far, 11 teams have confirmed their participation in the regional-based tournament that’s looking at a maximum field of 12 teams. Super League president Rocky Chan and commissioner Marc Pingris bared the latest developments regarding the league during Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. Chan said the final composition will be announced next week but those in the fold include El Nido in Palawan, Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Lapu-Lapu in Cebu, Davao Occidental, Cagayan de Oro, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte, and Basilan. “There are others knocking on the door but we will lock in on 12 teams. We want to stabilize the league first so we can give proper exposure to the teams and the sponsors. It’s not that easy to accommodate more teams,” said Chan. Pingris, who retired from the PBA in May last year after a career that lasted 16 years, expressed his enthusiasm assuming the role as commissioner and vowed to give his best performing his duties. “I think my long experience playing in the PBA has given me a glimpse of how to run a league. But our primary goal in putting up the Super League is to provide inspiration to our young players,” he said. Chan said while teams may openly hire any available player in the market, including ex-pros, they have to make sure that players from their respective regions or provinces are given proper exposure. “We will follow the 2-2-1 formal of two reinforced players, two regional players and one local player at any given time on the floor,” Chan told the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Tokyo Jujutsu High’s Finest Join the Battlefield: JUJUTSU KAISEN x PUBG MOBILE live now PUBG MOBILE and JUJUTSU KAISEN have officially launched their partnership, adding gameplay mechanics, content, challenges, companions and more to the game. Today, PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular mobile games, is officially launching its partnership with the world-famous anime series, JUJUTSU KAISEN. The partnership adds Cosplay Sets of the series’ main characters, Cursed Corpse enemies, a Cursed Object Crate hunt, new special emotes and other JUJUTSU KAISEN themed items. Starting Feb. 15 until March 15, PUBG MOBILE players will have one month of themed content and challenges to look forward to in this exciting collaboration. JUJUTSU KAISEN has descended on Erangel and Livik! The popular anime series focuses on a high school student named Yuji Itadori, who swallows a cursed finger and taking the curse into

his own soul. JujutsuSorcerers sentence him to death, but before that happens, he must find and consume the Curse’s remaining fingers. In a first-time partnership between PUBG MOBILE and JUJUTSU KAISEN, fans will see the charactersandartwork from the world-renowned and much beloved Shōnen seriesenter the game. Yuji Itadori, along with fellow students Megumi Fushiguro, NobaraKugisaki and teacher Satoru Gojo will all be available through Cosplay Sets for players to collect and use in battle. Choose Ranked Theme Mode for either Erangel or Livik, where players can battle on the new special theme mode. In each map, players will find Cursed Object Crates, which contain Sealed Sukuna Fingers. Find and collect all the fingers for rewards and special achievements. Beware! These crates won’t be easy to find–players who struggle can check the clues in the Cycle system to

help them locate the crates. Cursed Corpses can now also appear in this Theme Mode! The Cursed Corpse Grenade has also been added, which when used will summon a Boss Cursed

Corpse. Defeat it to earn supplies that will help players win a Chicken Dinner. Cursed Corpse Grenades can be found throughout the map as they have a small chance of randomly spawning.

Throughout the collaboration, players will also be able to accumulate Exploration Progress, either through playing the JUJUTSU KAISENTheme Mode or normal Classic Mode matches–players can earn more Exploration Progress in the JUJUTSU KAISENTheme Mode. Collecting enough Exploration Progress allows players to earn JUJUTSU KAISENthemed rewards, temporary special emotes, Cosplay Sets and Ornaments for Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, NobaraKugisaki, Satoru Gojo, custom weapon and car skins and items such as Cursed Corpse Cathy, who is available as a companion. Players who want to keep these items can upgrade them from temporary to permanent during the collaboration period. Earn Exploration Progress and start your adventure with Cathy in PUBG MOBILE now!

Entertainment Vivamax logs 2.5M downloads, unveils list of new titles AS VIVAMAX celebrated its first anniversary on Jan. 29, the leading streaming platform continues to reach milestone after milestone, setting a gold standard for the growth of digital entertainment in the country. In 2021, Vivamax racked up a total of 14 million views on the platform on the strength of a veritable treasure trove of Viva library titles of both local and Korean movies as well as a formidable line up of Hollywood blockbusters added regularly, and the premiering of one new Vivamax Exclusive every week. This aggressive strategy has resulted in 2.5 million users registering on Vivamax as of Q1 2022. And the entertainment company expects the numbers to grow with its effort this year to the premiere two new exclusives per week. While Vivamax is a 100 percent Pinoy platform, it’s ambitions are set for the world.

In 2022, Vivamax is geared on establishing a wider global footprint with the availability of the platform in the following territories: United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, France, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. In the first quarter of 2022, Viva also sees the growth of Vivamax Plus, the new transactional video on demand (TVOD) service of Vivamax. Launched in the last quarter of 2021, Vivamax Plus serves as the premier access point for new Vivamax original movie titles, newly-enhanced digital classics of the huge Viva Films inventory, newest blockbusters from Korea and Hollywood,

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022

Nadine Lustre in ‘Greed’

Julia Barretto (left) and Carlo Aquino

concert specials produced by Viva Live and more, all delivered in 4K resolution. Vivamax builds on Viva’s drive to produce films featuring the biggest and hottest stars, covering the widest range of genres, and catering to the tastes of every Filipino.

The end of Barbie ImperialDiego Loyzaga love affair

When a movie fan crosses the line

between love and obsession

The cast of ‘Takas’ with its director, writer, and producer during the press launch

OME people are content with watching their idols from afar. But we have heard of so many stories of fans going too far with their obsession even taking their “love” to a creepy, and at times, criminal level. I guess, this is the best way to describe Ray An Dulay’s Takas.

The movie revolves around the encounter between Jake (Teejay Marquez) and Belle (Janelle Lewis). The two main characters in the story. Jake is a movie star, while Belle is a simple suburban lady. They met an unfortunate fate. While they thought to have survived the crisis, a dark secret was unveiled. It tells the story of how a star survived in the hands of a psychopath. Without giving away too much, the film narrates a story of captivity and tortures, of love and obsession, hate and rejection. There will be a run for life. The film focuses on one’s twisted mind and one’s ordeal for survival when an avid fan’s attraction turns into a dangerous obsession. “It revolves on survival of a star in the hands of a psychopath that sets up a trap to isolate themselves away from the outside world and creates a new world where only the two of them exists,” Dulay says of his film. Dulay is a pioneer independent actor. He began his showbiz career with a lead role in Bath House,” a film by Cris Pablo. He then starred in other mainstream movies and television series. He completed his directorial workshop at the UP Film Institute under Director Maryo J. Delos Reyes. His directorial debut was Potpot, a story written by his wife Joyzell Regalario Dulay, won awards in several award-giving bodies. Later, he started producing movies Palo-Palo (2011) and Turo-Turo (2015), which starred AJ and Enchong Dee. It became a finalist at the Metro Manila Film Festival New Wave

who gives so much when it comes to loving someone. “Yes, to the point that I’m already consumed, yet, I continue to give. Until finally, I realized that the reason why heartbreaks happen to me repeatedly is that I don’t love myself first. It’s the same old stories with each of my boyfriends,” she admitted. “So, I thought, what if I change the trend? You see, if you won’t love yourself, what will happen is that you’ll just go with the flow. You should love yourself first so that you’ll be whole. Your bravery and stand will be there,” she went on. Barbie also shared that she is the type who doesn’t give up easily. But when does she feel that it’s time to say goodbye to a relationship? “It’s just that when I feel that me and my partner are not growing together, I decide to call it quits. I mean, what’s the reason for staying if you’re not contributing to each other’s growth, right” she ended.

* * *

On the set of ‘Takas’ with (from left) Janelle Lewis, Ray An Dulay, and Teejay Marquez

Category. He now owns a production company and has also been the marketing head of multiple production outfits. “My goal is to make artistic and senseful films. Takas is far from perfect but I’d like you to focus more on what the film showcases rather than looking for what it doesn’t have,” he states. Takas was written by Regalario Dulay over a decade ago. She said she was just waiting for the perfect timing to have it produced for the big screen. Katrina Lyn Javier Polotan, also known as Kate Javier, is the producer of the movie. It is her debut project under Hand-Held Productions. Completing the cast are David Chua, John Lapus, Easy Ferrer, Marvin Yap, and Rob Sy. the film is streaming on

Oscars adds ‘fan favorite’ prize voted by Twitter NEXT month’s Oscars will include a new “fan favorite” prize for the year’s most popular film as voted for by Twitter users, organizers said Monday seeking to lure viewers back to a ceremony that has seen audiences plummet. The announcement—which will be made during the 94th Academy Awards telecast on March 27—comes after several crowdpleasing blockbusters including SpiderMan: No Way Home and No Time To Die failed to earn Oscar nominations in major categories, including best picture. Their omission raised fears that many movie fans will skip the show. But any film released in 2021 can be voted for in the new category using the Twitter hashtag #OscarsFanFavorite or via the Academy’s website, raising the chances of a blockbuster being honored on the night. Television ratings for the Oscars have dramatically declined in recent years. Last year’s edition, which honored mainly smaller, arthouse movies such as best picture winner Nomadland, was watched by just over 10 million viewers—a 56 percent decline from 2020, which was already a record low. As Oscars voters have increasingly drifted away from more mainstream fare, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has toyed with various reforms to boost the ceremony’s popularity.

TO END mounting speculations, Barbie Imperial recently admitted in a television interview that she and Diego Loyzaga have already called it quits. The actress didn’t elaborate on what transpired between them but she assured that they separated in good fate. Their relationship lasted for a year. When the 23-year-old actress was asked during the virtual media con for The Goodbye Girl, which was intended as a Valentine offering for IWantTFC, though indirect, she admitted her split with her former boyfriend. Her answers to the press’ relationship questions were meaningful. Like when she was asked on the lesson she recently learned Barbie (right) in happy times with Diego about love, she averred: “When we hear the phrase that we should love ourselves first before we can love other people, it sounds overused, right? But based on what I experienced in my previous relationships, it’s true that you should love yourself first.” Barbie admitted that she’s the type

As Oscars voters have increasingly drifted away from more mainstream fare, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has toyed with various reforms to boost the ceremony’s popularity. In 2018, organizers proposed a “popular film” Oscar to honor blockbuster movies such as Star War films or Marvel superhero films that rake in millions at the box office. But it swiftly shelved those plans after critics ridiculed the move, and the new “fan

favorite” award will not be a formal Oscar category. Meryl Johnson, the Academy’s vice president of digital marketing, said the move would “help build an engaged and excited digital audience leading up to this year’s ceremony” and allow fans to “engage with the show in real-time, find a community and be a part of the experience in ways they’ve never been able to before.” Twitter’s Sarah Rosen said the collaboration was “an exciting way to further engage movie fans and celebrate their love and passion for the films released this year.” Movie fans can vote up to 20 times per day until March 3, and three randomly selected winners will be invited to present an Oscar at next year’s ceremony. A separate poll will ask voters to chose their favorite “movie cheer moment.” The five most popular choices—billed as scenes where “audiences couldn’t help but erupt into cheers in theaters”—will be shown during the Oscars. Next month’s Oscars will return to the ceremony’s traditional Dolby Theatre venue in Hollywood, after the pandemic-affected 2021 Academy Awards were held at a Los Angeles train station. They are being held later than usual, reportedly to avoid clashing with February’s Winter Olympics and Sunday’s Super Bowl in Los Angeles. AFP

In a recent virtual press conference, Luis Manzano stated that he and Jessy Mendiola are not really in a hurry to have a child. “I have high respect for women,” he said. “One thing that I always tell my wife is that I am willing to wait whenever she’s ready.” The TV host-actor is not the type who

will dictate his wife on pregnancy matters. “I cannot and will not force the issue that I want to have a baby right now and she has to adjust or give in. Never will I do that,” he stated. “I have utmost respect for a woman. I can never be like that. I believe that once you’re ready, then it will be given to you!”

More celebrities join Robredo bandwagon MORE local stars have expressed full support for the candidacy of presidential bet and Vice President Leni Robredo, the latest coming from veteran actresses Carmi Martin, Angel Aquino, and Marjorie Barretto. In a video posted on Facebook, Martin said she will vote for Robredo in the May 2022 elections for an honest government that will iron out all the country’s problems. “Iboboto ko si Leni Robredo para sa gobyernong tapat at siguradong maayos natin ang lahat,” she said. “Iboboto ko si Leni Robredo dahil sa gobyernong tapat, maisusulong ang tunay na pagbabago para sa kapakanan, kaunlaran at kasaganahan ng lahat,” Aquino said. Barretto, for her part, said Filipinos can have peace of mind that they will overcome any crisis under an honest government led by Robredo. “Iboboto ko si Leni Robredo dahil sa Gobyernong Tapat, panatag tayo na malalagpasan natin ang anumang crisis. Makakaahon tayo,” she said. Actor/host Robi Domingo believes that the development of the Filipino youth will

happen under Robredo. “Iboboto ko si Leni Robredo dahil sa Gobyernong Tapat, ang Kabataang Pinoy ay angat,” he said. Veteran actress Earlier, Angel Aquino singers Ogie is among the Alcasid and celebrities Gary Vawho supports lenciano, Robredo in and actress the upcoming Iza Calzado presidential further soelections lidified their support for Robredo, saying the country needs a leader like her to solve Carmi Martin various probbelieves that lems such as voting for hunger, unRobredo “will employment iron out all and the panthe country’s demic. problems.” Other celebrities, including John Lapus, Jugs Jugueta, Pinky Amador, Yayo Aguila, Jolina Magdangal, Saab Actor-host Robi M a g a l on a , Domingo Jaime Fabsupports regas, Pia Robredo for M a g a l on a , the benefit Bituin Esof the Filipino calante, K youth Brosas, Gab Valenciano, Rita Avila, Nikki Valdez, Arlene Muhlach, Macoy Averilla, Cherry Pie Picache, Jim Paredes, Noel Cabangon, Ogie Diaz, Ana Roces, Susan Africa, Mitch Valdes, and Rica Peralejo also aired their full support for Robredo.

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022

Life

MOA Globe, world’s famous landmarks

light up for NTD Day

ONE hundred landmarks in 34 countries, including the iconic SM Mall of Asia Globe in the Philippines, recently lit up for World NTD Day to highlight neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which affect more than 1.7 billion worldwide, including one billion children. The Great Wall of China, Niagara Falls in Canada, The Colosseum and Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the Carter Presidential Library in the U.S., and the Windmills of Kinderdijk in The Netherlands were among the iconic landmarks that participated in the global light up for the third annual World NTD Day. Several monuments, universities, and notable buildings were also lit up in Abu Dhabi, where World NTD Day was originally announced in 2019. The 100 “light ups” aim to shine a light on NTDs in support of the World

Health Organization’s goal to eliminate at least one NTD from 100 endemic countries by 2030. The Philippines is endemic to 6 of the 20 identified NTDs in the world. NTDs are a group of communicable diseases including dengue, chikungunya, leprosy, rabies, and lymphatic filariasis. While these diseases can debilitate, disfigure, and even be fatal, they are preventable and treatable. World NTD Day was officially recognized by the WHO in May 2021. The UAE with the commitment of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, helmed diplomatic efforts to obtain official recognition of the day, and several WHO member states were instrumental in building consensus to support it. The Department of Foreign Affairs Office of Public and Cultural DiplomacyCultural Diplomacy Division Assistant

The iconic SM Mall of Asia Globe lights up for World NTD Day to support the global campaign to end neglected tropical diseases for a healthier and brighter future for all.

Italy’s world famous Leaning Tower of Pisa lights up for World NTD Day (Photo credit: Vanessa Salvati)

Director Emmylou Felimer and SM Mall of Asia mall manager Ly-anne Salazar graced the light up in the Philippines. In her message, Department of Health Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, Health Promotion Bureau Concurrent Director IV Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho said,

The Great Wall of China is aglow for the global light up to mark World NTD Day. (Photo credit: WTown)

The UAE Emirates Palace shines brightly for the World NTD Day light up. Several monuments, universities, and notable buildings were also lit up in Abu Dhabi, where World NTD Day was originally announced in 2019.

“the day marks a momentous moment as we hold our very first celebration of the Philippines’ World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day as part of our commitment to the World Health Assembly resolution last May 2021”. The World NTD Day light up in the

Philippines was held in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and SM to help raise awareness on neglected tropical diseases, and support the global call to end NTDs to enable a healthier and brighter future for all.

Bringing Japanese culture closer

to Filipinos through cinema in understanding them better. To satiate viewers’ curiosity about the basics of Japanese films, JFM also prepared a free two-part online event titled “Let’s Talk about Japanese Films!” available to interested participants even outside the Philippines. The first session, titled “Your Guide to Japanese Films,” is moderated by Tito Valiente and joined by panelists, professors Daisuke Miyao and Nick Deocampo, and film director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo.

By Patricia Taculao

OVIES have become a significant part of our lives. We often take time off our busy schedules to indulge ourselves and spend a few hours watching a compelling story that leaves its mark on our hearts. As many of us already know, good quality cinema can stir emotions, educate people, and transport viewers to a different dimension entirely. And since good movies come from all over the world, we jump at every chance we get to watch these films in length and understand the stories behind them. Starting today, Japan Foundation Manila (JFM) brings back the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) to give Filipino viewers a glimpse of Japanese culture through a series of films that premiered virtually. “JFF will come back to celebrate and offer the beauty and diversity of Japanese cinema. JFF has continued to push for online streaming to accommodate more viewers and reach more audiences,” said JFM Director Suzuki Ben. “At the heart of this year’s JFF are 20 outstanding films that will serve as a window to Japanese culture, one cinematic experience at a time,” he added. These 20 impressive titles span different genres from bittersweet comingof-age stories to thriller, sci-fi, comedy, documentaries, animation, and drama that promises to leave viewers with something memorable. Most importantly, these films highlight Japanese culture and history. For instance, one of the movies, It’s a Summer Film!, tackles the story of a girl who’s passionate about samurai films and convinces a mysterious boy to make a film together that transcends time and space. This coming-of-age masterpiece incorporates elements of science fiction while providing a fresh look at young peo-

A scene from ‘It’s a Summer Film!’

Meanwhile, the second event titled “Inside the World of JFF 2022 Films” will have Richard Bolisay as moderator and feature five young film critics, namely, Skilty Labastilla, Princess Kinoc, Janus Nolasco, and Stephanie Mayo. So despite the distance and travel restrictions, the JFM, through the 2022 JFF, brings Japanese culture closer to Filipinos using the power of cinema. JFF runs until Feb. 27. Watch the featured films on https://jff.jpf.go.jp/watch/ jffonline2022/philippines/.

‘Under the Open Sky’ tackles the struggles of a yakuza as he tries to fit in with society

Spolarium by Filipino painter Juan Luna

A still from the docu-movie ‘The God of Ramen’

ple who are serious about filmmaking. Another film is Under the Open Sky. This award-winning film tells the story of a former yakuza’s struggles to be accepted by society, even as he tries to live an earnest life. In the meantime, The God of Ramen is a moving documentary about a man who started a legendary ramen shop in

Tokyo. This uniquely moving film is a record of a man’s uncompromising attitude expressed to its fullest. Other films in the festival’s line-up Mio’s Cookbook, Masked Ward, Aristocrats, and more. Besides watching movies, those at the JFM also know that a person’s love for cinema also translates to an interest

Filipino animator honors Luna’s Spoliarium for National Arts Month IN COMMEMORATION of the Na- Spanish artists and won a first-class tional Arts Month for 2022, a Filipino medal in the Madrid Exposition of motion graphics artist has brought Fine Arts is 1884.” Juan Luna’s Spoliarium to life. “The painting also has a hidden mesMark Cañega, a sage not many realDe La Salle-College ize. The gladiators of Saint Benilde can be understood part-time professor, as our own country worked on this am– the Philippines, a bitious project since land with rich and last year. vibrant culture. But “The painting a twist of fate left has several elethe mighty nation ments. However, I weapon-less and no wished to magnify garment to protect the piece’s mesits dignity.” sage,” he shared. “The gladiators In the 58-second being dragged to animation set to a side depicts our the song “Pasiya country’s situation ng Langit” by laudof being suppressed DLS-CSB’s Mark Cañega ed opera singer and oppressed. Conching Rosal, The audience was the despoiling scene comes alive as like indifferent Filipinos who had the deceased gladiators are scavenged for strength to do something but wouldn’t. weapons and belongings. And the mourning crowd represents In his post, Cañega laments: “Spo- those who were in pain for the situation liarium is one of the best-known of the country but still had hope for a paintings in the country, it brought better future,” he ended. historical triumph not just to Luna but To date, his Facebook post has also to the Philippines when it bested 5,400 reactions and 6,900 shares.