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DEBATE PART 2. Nine presidential candidates exchange views once again in the second debate sponsored by the Commission on Elections. On stage (from left) are Ernesto Abella, Leody de Guzman, Isko Moreno Domagoso, Norberto Gonzales, Panfilo Lacson, Faisal Mangondato, Jose Montemayor, Manny Pacquiao, and Leni Robredo.

MOST PRESIDENTIAL BETS SAY

Gov’t system, not officials, to blame for PH corruption By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo THE system of government is to blame for corruption in the country, which costs Filipinos P700 billion every year, most of the nine presidential candidates in the May 9 general elections present Sunday night said in the second debate sponsored by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). But only one of them—Senator Panfi-

lo “Ping” Lacson—thinks the people running the government are solely to blame for the endemic corruption hounding the country in the event hosted by veteran journalist Ces Orena Drilon. In answering the question "Sa palagay niyo, ang korupsyon ba ay dulot ng kahinaan ng tao o kahinaan ng system? (In your opinion, is corruption caused by the weakness of a person or a weakness in the system)," Lacson said corruption is

NPC local leaders in Tarlac endorse BBM-Sara tandem By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta STALWARTS from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in Tarlac have endorsed the UniTeam tandem of ex-senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte for president and vice president, respectively, in the 2022 elections. But news of the endorsement drew a denial from NPC chairman and vice presidential candidate Vicente

Sotto III that his party had endorsed any candidate for president. “Let me make this clear. The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) has not endorsed any presidential candidate,” Sotto said. “I chair the NPC, [this] is an unacceptable and desperate move to optimize lies and exaggerated optics.” Sotto, who is the running mate of Senator Panfilo La son, said the NPC—with only a little more than a month before Election Day— has yet to reach a

VOL. XXXVI • NO. 50 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Social mobilizers’ to push vax drive Gov’t pressed for time to use 27m expiring doses

By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta

HE government will continue its targeted special vaccination days in April to ramp up inoculation against COVID-19 in areas and regions where coverage is low.

In an interview on radio dzBB, National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) chairperson Dr. Myrna Cabotaje said the special vaccination days are a variant of the national vaccination days called "Bayanihan, Bakunahan.” “What we will do in April is to look at which areas need special assistance so that the regions or provinces near them can help them regarding their low vaccination coverage,” Cabotaje said in Filipino.

The Department of Health (DOH) had initiated special vaccination days in Cebu province, Davao region, and Cotabato City from March 29 to 31, and in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from March 30 to April 1. On Thursday, Cabotaje said COVID-19 vaccination in BARMM remains a challenge as it is “at the bottom of [the] list” having only about 26 percent or

940,000 out of the region’s target population of 3.5 million completing their primary vaccine series. Based on the DOH’s national COVID-19 vaccination dashboard, at least 65.8 million Filipinos are already fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of March 30. Of this number, 64.3 million have received one dose, while 12 million have received booster shots. The government aims to fully vaccinate 90 million people by the time President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office on June 30. The DOH on Saturday reported 373 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 3,678,968. There were 37,115 active cases. Next page

MAGNITUDE 6.1 QUAKE HITS SURIGAO DEL SUR NEWS / A2

Group seeks probe of power outages By Alena Mae S. Flores THE consumer advocacy group Laban Konsyumer, Inc. urged the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) over the weekend to investigate the recent unplanned outages of several power plants and to protect consumers from the impact of high world oil prices.

LKI president Vic Dimagiba said the recent increases in world oil prices coupled with the unplanned plant outages add a burden on consumers, as these factors add pressure and jack up the power rates charged by distribution utilities and electric cooperatives. “Instead of just conditioning the minds

PINOY MUSLIMS MARK START OF RAMADAN

NEWS / A2 HOLY MONTH BEGINS. A young girl stands by a post (inset photo upper left) as Muslims gather for afternoon prayers at the Manila Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila on Sunday, the first day of the month-long observance of Ramadan. This scene was replicated across the world, in mosques in Turkey, Syria and elsewhere (main photo, inset upper right). Norman Cruz with AFP

4k evacuees from Taal danger zone still in govt centers UNITED MAKATI. Candidates of Makati’s United Team headed by Mayor Abby Binay (second from right) hold a meet-and-greet with residents of Brgy. Tejeros on Saturday night. Also present are (from left) 1st District Rep. Romulo Pena, 2nd District Rep. Luis Campos, and Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo. Diana B. Noche GIRL SCOUTS’ JABS.

SM Supermalls and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines launched ‘Resbakuna Kids’ to vaccinate GSP members ages 5 to 17 against COVID-19 and adult members for booster shots at SM Megamall’s Kids wonderland themed vaccination site. Officials and executives of SM, the Department of Health and the GSP continuously collaborating for the betterment of the country against the pandemic.

MORE than 4,000 people remain in evacuation centers in Batangas, a week since magmatic unrest was reported in Taal Volcano that raised its alert status to Level 3, the regional disaster office said Sunday. The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction

and Management Council in Calabarzon said 4,135 individuals were still staying in 21 evacuation centers in Lemery, Agoncillo, and Laurel towns in Batangas. Taal Volcano was placed on Alert Level 3 last March 26 after its "main crater

generated a short-lived phreatomagmatic burst," with plumes reaching as high as 1,500 meters. As a result, Phivolcs recommended that Taal Volcano Island and the high-risk Next page

Ukraine reclaims Kyiv, Russians retreat UKRAINE claims it has regained control of the Kyiv region, with Russian troops retreating from around the capital and Chernigiv city, as evidence emerged of possible civilian killings in areas the invading forces have been occupying. Agence France-Presse reporters saw at least 20 bodies on a single street in the town of Bucha near the capital city, in-

cluding one with his hands tied, and the body of a missing photographer was discovered in a nearby village. "All these people were shot," Bucha's mayor Anatoly Fedoruk told AFP, adding that 280 other bodies had been buried in mass graves in the town. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said Next page

News

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Pinoy Muslims mark Ramadan start

ILIPINO Muslims—in Mindanao, Metro Manila, and other areas of this predominantly Christian country of 110 million—marked the start of the month-long Ramadan Sunday with prayers at mosques.

Since Muslims were not allowed to go the Golden Mosque for Ramadan in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were excited to be able to do so this Sunday. The Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month in the Islamic calendar, calls for prayer and fasting, one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. The other pillars are

profession of faith, five daily prayers, giving of alms and pilgrimage to Mecca. During Ramadan, Muslims are allowed to eat from sunset to sunrise only. The end of Ramadan, also known as Eid al-Fitr, will be celebrated on the first three days of the Shawwal, or the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. At the Golden Mosque in Quiapo dis-

trict, in the country's capital, Muslims arrived early for the prayers which started past 4 a.m., according to a report by Rod Vega on Super Radyo dzBB. With a total 6,064,744 followers or 6.01 percent of the Philippines' total population, Islam is the second largest religion in Mindanao based on the result of the 2015 Census of Population. The Mindanao island group is home to majority of the Filipino Muslims in the Philippines. It is where 93 percent of the entire Islamic population resides. Of Mindanao’s 24,135,775 population, Muslims make up about 23.39 percent of the island’s entire population with

’Social..

lizers. This means they will do house-tohouse, and inform the community. What is the side effect? In order to convince the people to have vaccination," Cabotaje said. This will be done next week in areas with a low vaccination rate. The DOH will do this in partnership with UNICEF, she added. Among those still lagging in terms of COVID-19, she said, are the BARMM, Soccsksargen, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Central and Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon expressed dismay over the 27 million unused doses of CO-

VID-19 vaccines which may expire soon. He assailed the DOH and the InterAgency Task Force on COVID-19 for what he called “a callous disregard for the taxpayers." He underscored that each centavo that was used for the purchase of the anti-coronavirus vaccines come from the taxpayers. “More than two years into the pandemic, the IATF still manages to mismanage the government’s response to the pandemic. It is unconscionable that the vaccines that were purchased through loans could end up in the garbage,” Drilon said. “It is criminal neglect if they let that happen," he added.

He reminded the DOH and the IATF that it is the taxpayer who will pay for these vaccines. He noted that the purchase of millions of COVID-19 vaccines raised the country’s debt stock from P9 trillion pre-pandemic to P12 trillion as of February 2022. At P500 per dose, the government is throwing away P13.5 billion if the 27 million doses are not administered within the next three months, Drilon said. The minority leader said that the government should not allow the doses to expire, as he pointed out that still a considerable number of Filipinos have not yet received their booster shots.

ganbayan and Ombudsman are also present to avert massive graft and corruption, “but the people in the government are weak,” the former national police chief said. Due to his, Lacson underscored the need to strengthen the system of management, saying if there are violators of laws, they should immediately be sent to jail. He also cited the need for "leadership by example," saying it was "one of the leadership principles I learned from the Philippine Military Academy.” “Leadership by example is very important. If a leader cannot practice what he preaches, what he has been instructing his followers or subordinates, he will not succeed,” the three-term senator said. Robredo reiterated that the government system should force public officials to be good, in the second installment of the “Pilipinas Debates 2022: The Turning Point.” This was her answer to the question by Drilon as the amount lost to corruption annually was enough to build 1.4 million homes for Filipinos. Robredo said while both the people and the system are to blame, there are three ways to strengthen the system versus corruption. She said the first is ac-

countability, with punishment for corrupt officials. Second was a citizen’s charter, and third was people empowerment. Pacquiao said corruption was triggered by a weak system and weak people in the government. He vouched for the automation of all government operations to avoid "commissions.” He also cited the need for leadership and political will. According to the PROMDI standard bearer, he wants to see in jail all thieves in the government and vowed to send them behind bars. He challenged Filipinos to try him for six years, as he promised that the mega prison to be built under his administration “will be filled with robbers.” Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer Domagoso vowed to seek the United Nations General Assembly’s full recognition and enforcement of the ruling rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration declaring as illegal China’s massive claims over the South China Sea and upholding the validity of the country’s exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. Moreno stressed that if he is elected President on May 9 national elections, his administration will adopt the so-called

“Filipino First Policy” as the country’s foreign policy where it gives priority to the welfare of the nation and the Filipino people. “These countries in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) mostly will not join us due to their personal reasons—economic or other things. But there is a proper venue, the UN General Assembly,” Moreno said. According to Moreno, it is now appropriate to bring the Hague ruling before the UNGA. The Manila mayor also vowed to protect the livelihood of the Filipino fisherfolks in the West Philippine Sea. He said he will not allow the repeat of the Bajo de Masinloc incident where a Chinese Coast Guard vessel engaged in “close distance maneuvering” that heightened a risk of collision in the West Philippine Sea. Moreno also advocated for constitutional reforms, including the return of the two-party system, election of senators from 17 regions and the voting of both the president and the vice president from the same political party. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

the start of the current administration. “The Department of Energy (DOE) should do everything in its power to make sure committed power projects, especially those that can boost our available baseload capacity, will come online and on time. It should also push more investors to put up the much-needed generating capacity that we need to support the country’s growing energy requirements,” Dimagiba said. He said increases in world oil prices not only affect the cost of transportation and production of basic goods and services, but also directly affect the cost to produce electricity. When fuel and power prices increase, prices of food and other commodities follow suit as well, he said. He said that since the Malampaya gasto-power project is indexed to world oil prices, consumers will experience the impact of the high oil prices. Power distributor Manila Electric Co. expects the impact of the high oil prices to be felt in the May billing of consumers. "The government needs to act fast in finding a solution that would shield consumers from bearing these unwarranted costs to produce electricity during these challenging times,” Dimagiba said.

4k... barangays of Bilibinwang and Banyaga in Agoncillo, and Boso-boso, Gulod and eastern Bugaan East in Laurel be evacuated “due to the possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should stronger eruptions” occur. In its 8 a.m. bulletin Sunday, Phivolcs said that during the last 24 hours, Taal Volcano’s main crater was monitored with upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in its lake which generated 900-meter-tall plumes that drifted southwest. Due to the possible danger from pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should there be stronger eruptions, Phivolcs reiterated that Taal Volcano Island and the high-risk barangays Bilibinwang and Banyaga in the municipality of Agoncillo and Boso-boso, Gulod and eastern Bugaan East in the municipality of Laurel, Batangas were evacuated. It added that Taal Volcano Island is a Permanent Danger Zone. Up to 5,261 people have sought tem-

porary shelter in 25 evacuation centers since the crisis started anew last weekend, the RDRRMC report showed. Taal, one of the active volcanoes in the country, had 17 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. These include four volcanic tremor events lasting from one to two minutes, and 13 low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, Phivolcs said in its bulletin. Hot volcanic fluids continued upwelling in the volcano's crater lake, which led to plumes rising 900 meters tall before these drifted southwest. An average of 1,232 tonnes of sulfur dioxide was emitted by the volcano on Saturday. There are also 4,982 others who are staying with their relatives and friends, mostly in Batangas, the report added. A few of them are in Tagaytay City and Calamba City. The RDRRMC said a total of 3,068 families or 10,415 people from 20 barangays in Batangas have been affected by the Taal Volcano phreatomagmatic bursts. Some P2.6 million worth of assistance had been provided, the report said. Rio N. Araja

consensus on whether or not to support Lacson's presidential bid. While regional and provincial chapters may have their preferred list of candidates, Sotto said these choices do not reflect the NPC as a national coalition of political allies and people's groups. Earlier, Tarlac Gov. Susan Yap and her brother Rep. Victor Yap organized a meet-and-greet between local and sectoral leaders, and the UniTeam candidates at the Diwa multi-purpose center. Tarlac is a known stronghold of the once-ruling Liberal Party (LP), being the home province of the Aquino clan. But congressman Yap said his sister gave them the freedom to choose who to support among the presidential and vice presidential aspirants. “I was tasked to speak on behalf of the commitment of the party, the NPC in our province. The governor has talked to all members in Tarlac, including influential families, such as the Cojuangcos. She has also talked to the other party leaders to give them the freedom to choose the path of the tandem,” he said. He said the NPC-Tarlac chapter and its political allies have decided to back the UniTeam candidates, then introduced Marcos during the program as the “best candidate” for president. “I saw how simple he is. We saw his capacity as a candidate with his programs in the fields of investments, infrastructure, agriculture, social services, (and) digital infrastructure. I have so much belief in his models,” he said. The governor thanked the Davao City mayor and her father for not neglecting the needs of Tarlac. “They have not taken us for granted. We had many building projects under the Build Build Build (program). I feel the warmth of this administration and it is my responsibility to really campaign hard for her, no other than my beloved Mayor Sara Duterte.” In endorsing Duterte, the Tarlac NPC members effectively junked the vice presidential candidate of their own party, Sotto. Meanwhile, the UniTeam said they have secured the endorsement of 20 mayors from Bulacan, the fifth vote-rich province. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

address late Saturday. "What is our goal? To defend our freedom, our land and our people." But Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak warned on social media that "without heavy weapons we won't be able to drive (Russia) out". Ukraine authorities nevertheless offered citizens elements of good news Saturday in claiming progress against the Russians more than five weeks after Moscow's invasion triggered Europe's worst conflict in decades. "Irpin, Bucha, Gostomel and the whole Kyiv region were liberated from the invader," deputy defense minister Ganna Maliar said on Facebook, referring to towns that have been heavily damaged or destroyed by fighting. Putin ordered tanks into Russia's proWestern neighbour on February 24, and Ukraine estimates 20,000 people have been killed in the war so far. More than 10 million have had to flee their homes. Pope Francis spoke of "icy winds of war" again sweeping over Europe as he brought up the conflict Saturday at the outset of his trip to Malta—and made what appeared to be a barely veiled reference to Putin.

"Once again, some potentate, sadly caught up in anachronistic claims of nationalist interests, is provoking and fomenting conflicts," the pope said, adding he was still considering a visit to Ukraine's capital. In Bucha, 16 of the 20 corpses found on one street were lying either on the pavement or by the verge. Three were sprawled in the middle of the road, and another lay on his side in the courtyard of a destroyed house. An open Ukrainian passport lay on the ground next to the person who had his hands tied behind his back with a piece of white cloth. Two other people had white cloth tied around their upper arms. All were wearing civilian clothes— winter coats, jackets or tracksuit tops, jeans or jogging bottoms, and trainers or boots. "These are the consequences of Russian occupation," said Fedoruk, Bucha's mayor. Ukrainian troops, meanwhile, were seen patrolling in armored vehicles and on foot through the ravaged town, where some women wept as they stood outside their homes. The International Criminal Court has opened a probe into possible war crimes

committed in Ukraine, and several Western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, have accused Putin of being a "war criminal". And in Russia, hundreds of people gathered across the country Saturday to protest the war in Ukraine. Police detained 211 people in several cities, including more than 20 people in a park in Moscow under heavy snowfall, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors arrests. Russia's efforts to consolidate its hold on southern and eastern areas of Ukraine have been hampered by the resistance of Mariupol despite devastating attacks lasting weeks. At least 5,000 residents have been killed in the besieged southern port city, according to local officials, while the estimated 160,000 who remain face shortages of food, water, and electricity. The International Committee of the Red Cross said its team left for Mariupol on Saturday to make another attempt at conducting an evacuation, after being forced to come back the day before. In another southern city, Enerhodar, which is under Russian control, a Ukrainian official said Russian forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrators, injuring four with severe burns.

In his video address, Zelensky thanked the residents of Enerhodar, the site of Europe's largest nuclear power plant that had been seized by Russian troops in early March, for their bravery. "When people protest, and the more they protest, the harder it is for the occupiers to destroy us, to destroy our freedom," Zelensky said. In a potential sign of progress, Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia told local television channels that Russia had "verbally" accepted most of Kyiv's proposals in peace talks—except on the issue of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014. Among the agreed-upon points was that a referendum on Ukraine's neutral status "will be the only way out of this situation", Arakhamia said. Still at the warfront, explosions rocked the strategic Ukrainian port city of Odessa on Sunday, as a top UN official headed to Moscow to try to secure a "humanitarian ceasefire" and after evidence emerged of possible civilian killings around Kyiv. Thick plumes of black smoke rose from several areas on the historic Black Sea port, after air strikes shook the city at about 6:00 am (11 a.m. In Manila) but the Ukrainian army said no one was killed. AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

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At least 3,582,529 individuals recovered from the disease, while the country’s death toll climbed to 59,324. On Saturday, the DOH said it is planning to deploy "social mobilizers" to improve COVID-19 vaccination in areas with still low coverage. Cabotaje, in a briefing, said vaccinations in houses and workplaces are still ongoing but this may not be enough to boost the COVID-19 inoculation rate. “We see that there will be social mobi-

Gov't... From A1

due to weak people implementing the system in the government. Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Manny Pacquiao, and Dr. Jose Montemayor Jr. all said both person and system should be blamed for corruption, while the rest pointed to the system only as the cause. Also present in the second Comelecorganized debate were Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, former presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, labor leader Leody de Guzman, former Defense chief Norberto Gonzales, and Muslim businessman Faisal Mangondato. Presidential survey frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was again absent, opting to campaign in Tarlac and northern Luzon. Lacson said the current government system is not weak, as there are many laws like the Anti-Corrupt and Practices Act, the Government Procurement Act, Philippine Competition Act, and AntiRed Tape Act that prohibit it. Government institutions like the Sandi-

Group... From A1

of the public that power rates will increase in the coming months, the ERC should also investigate, reprimand and even penalize these power producers for their unplanned outages, as these pressure the generation costs to increase, which are eventually charged to many hapless consumers,” he said. Dimagiba said power producers should always ensure that their power plants are well maintained, and that they have the necessary spare parts available onsite in case equipment breaks down. “The penalties must also be severe to encourage these power producers to improve their services and to ensure their facilities are well-maintained to avoid any occurrence of unplanned outages,” Dimagiba said. Dimagiba said the tight supply resulting from these unplanned outages could also have been managed better if there were more reserves. Dimagiba said no additional capacity has also been put up in the last six years, which he said was critical given the bullishness and projected economic growth at

Ukraine... From A1

Saturday the body of a well-known photographer, Maks Levin, had been found near a village in the region around Kyiv that had been caught up in the fighting. Levin became the sixth journalist killed in the war, according to Reporters Without Borders. Prosecutors said Levin, who was unarmed, "was killed by servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces with two shots from small firearms." Levin, a 40-year-old father of four, had been reported missing on March 13; the body was found on April 1. Meanwhile, in an attempt to raise economic pressure on Russia, the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania announced Saturday that they had stopped all imports of Russian natural gas. As it withdraws from some northern areas, Russia appears to be focusing on eastern and southern Ukraine, where it already holds vast swathes of territory. "What is the aim of the Russian forces? They want to seize both Donbass and the south of Ukraine," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video

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more than half of this percentage (14.30 percent) occupying the ARMM. In Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, Muslims prayed for peaceful elections and an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report on News Live. Meanwhile, senators sent their messages of peace through statements released to media. Senator Risa Hontiveros said Ramadan was a time for reflection and self-restraint. "Now, more than ever, we need to take time to nourish our spirits as we strive to recover from crises and conflicts," she said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

6.1 earthquake recorded off Surigao del Sur A MAGNITUDE 6.1 earthquake shook Bayabas town off the coast of Surigao del Sur on Sunday evening, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said. The earthquake, tectonic in origin, occurred at 6:24 p.m. Its epicenter was located 49 kilometers or at 09.18°N, 126.67°E - 049 km N 61° east of Bayabas. The quake had a depth of 45 kilometers. Intensity III was recorded in Rosario, Agusan Del Sur, while Intensity II was felt in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte. Bislig City, Surigao del Sur and Abuyog and Hilongos, Leyte experienced Intensity I. Phivolcs cautioned residents in the quake-stricken areas to expect aftershocks, although no damages were expected from the temblor. This is the second significant earthquake on Sunday that struck near the Philippine trench. A magnitude 4.7 quake also struck off Davao Occidental at 8:52 a.m., Phivolcs reported. Earthquakes are often experienced in the Philippines, as the country is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

NPC... From A1

News

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

ELCAC defends Badoy-Palparan gab By Willie Casas

HE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Sunday defended the media interview of retired Army General Jovito Palparan, insisting it was in accord “with prevailing rules, legal precepts, and jurisprudence.”

Palparan was interviewed by Presidential Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy on SMNI last March 30 despite being incarcerated for the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño.

The NTF-ELCAC stressed that under Republic Act (R.A) No. 10575, or the Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013, “it is the policy of the State to promote the general welfare and safeguard the basic rights of every prisoner incarcerated in our national penitentiary.”

IN BRIEF Daily tourist arrivals hitting 15k since April 1 INTERNATIONAL arrivals to the Philippines have increased since the country fully opened its borders to tourists this month, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Sunday. During the first two days of April, total arrivals in the country reached more than 28,000, with 13,525 arrivals recorded on April 1 and more than 15,000 on April 2, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in an interview with ABS-CBN TeleRadyo. From about 4,000 to 5,000 daily arrivals last February, the country recorded close to 10,000 arrivals by the end of March, Sandoval said, noting a daily increase of 1,000 arriving passengers per day. While the government has implemented pre-pandemic arrival requirements, Sandoval noted the current figures are still far from 2019 when the country had more than 40,000 passengers arriving daily. “It will take a while before our arrivals return to pre-pandemic levels, but we can see that the numbers are consistently increasing through the weeks,” she said.

1 dead, 2 hurt as fire hits homes in Sta. Cruz ONE died and two others were injured after fire broke out in a residential area in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Sunday morning. The fire, which started at around 7 a.m., affected an old two-storey apartment and some other houses at the corner of Leonor Rivera and Antipolo Streets, according to Super Radyo dzBB. Thick black smoke was seen rising over the affected area. The Bureau of Fire Protection raised the second alarm past 7 a.m. The fire was put under control past 9:22 a.m. The identity of the fatality was not yet revealed by authorities. Around 80 families were affected by the fire. Affected residents will stay at the barangay center temporarily, while others will go to their relatives. Authorities are investigating a possible arson angle, and a suspect is already under the custody of police and barangay officials.

“Consistently, the Supreme Court jurisprudential pronouncement in the Matter of Writ of Habeas Corpus vs. De Lima (GR No. 215585, Sep 08, 2020), provides that the BuCor had authority under the law and existing rules and regulations to determine the movement of national inmates, provided that these are done within the penal institutions.” “Any movement outside the penal institution, such as court appearances, must have prior court authorization,” it pointed out. Given these measures, NTF-ELCAC noted that BuCor exercised “due diligence and has authority” over the

movement of Palparan. “Relevantly, a prior leave of court is required only if the movement is outside the penal institution. To emphasize, Gen. Palparan was interviewed by SMNI within the four corners of the New Bilibid Prison. Perforce, no prior leave is necessary,” the task force argued. The NTF-ELCAC went on to accuse alleged communist supporters of reacting “negatively to the government’s relentless effort to expose the lies and deception of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s ArmyNational Democratic Front (CPP-NPANDF).” With Macon Ramos-Araneta

Sotto: Missing ‘sabungeros’ probe before ‘e-sabong’ plenary debates THE Senate investigation into the missing “sabungeros” or e-cockfighting workers should continue before the chamber holds plenary debates on one online cockfighting firm’s franchise, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Sunday in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. The vice-presidential candidate said discussions during the investigation might have a “very strong effect” on lawmakers’ discussion on the franchise application which is set in May. “If I were to be asked, the investigation is not yet over because we will be taking up the franchise on May 23. I’m sure they will bring it up in May,”

Sotto told reporters, referring to the bill granting gaming tycoon Atong Ang’s Lucky Star 8 Quest Inc. franchise to operate. “So, it’s best that we continue with the hearing...It might have a very strong effect on how we will vote on the franchise,” the Senate chief added. The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs is investigating the disappearances of some 34 cockfight enthusiasts. Earlier, the Senate came up with a resolution calling for the suspension of the e-sabong licenses pending the resolution of the missing sabungeros’ cases.

‘P5.6b to LGUs as 40% cut of PH mining tax’ PROVINCES, cities, municipalities, and barangays that host mining operations are getting an extra P5.6 billion in fresh development funding this year from the national government, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said on Sunday. “The amount represents the 40 percent share of local government units (LGUs) in the gross earnings derived by the National Treasury from mining activities,” Pimentel, a member of the House ways and means committee, said. The P5.6 billion is provided for in the 2022 National Expenditure Program and is on top of the internal revenue allotment (IRA) share of the host LGUs, according to Pimentel, whose home province hosts nickel mining operations. “We expect the national government as well as host LGUs to generate more income from mining activities in the years ahead, in light of the lifting of the ban on the issuance of new mining permits,” Pimentel said. In April last year, President Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order revoking the nine-year freeze on the grant of new mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs), in a bid to boost government income, stimulate employment, and the accelerate the country’s economy recovery from the pandemic.

Solon: Final draft of strategic investment plan ready By Rio N. Araja THE Department of Trade and Industry has already notified the House committee on ways and means that the final draft of the Strategic Investment Priorities Plan (SIPP) under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law

is already complete. This would be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte for his approval, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said Sunday. The move would allow investments under Tier 2 and Tier 3 of the law for high-tech and high-value sectors to receive higher tax incentives and would encourage more investments in

these sectors. Salceda, the measure’s principal author and sponsor, said he has already conducted talks with DTI in December, urging it to pass a “transitional SIPP of industries we are sure we want to give incentives to” so that firms in such industries could already apply for tax incentives under CREATE.

Opinion

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Scientists risk arrest to sound climate alarm By Marlowe Hood

EDITORIAL

based Extinction Rebellion. The group’s first significant action with more than 100 scientists, in March 2021, targeted the British Royal Society and science publishing behemoth Springer Nature. “We basically pasted enlarged copies of their journal articles calling for rapid transformative change onto their offices,” said Kyle Topher, an environmental scientist from Australia and full-time activist for the group.

A LOOSELY federated network of scientists in more than two dozen countries plan acts of civil disobedience starting this week to highlight the climate crisis, members of Scientist Rebellion told AFP. Their non-violent actions are timed to the release Monday of a landmark report from the UN’s climate science advisory panel laying out options for slashing carbon pollution and controversial schemes for extracting CO2 from the air, they said in interviews. Scientist Rebellion targets universities, research institutes and major scientific journals, prodding them and their staff to speak out more forcefully on what they describe as the existential threat of global warming. “Scientists are particularly powerful messengers, and we have a responsibility to show leadership,” said Charlie Gardner, a conservation scientist at the University of Kent specialised in tropical biodiversity. “We are failing in that responsibility. If we say it’s an emergency, we have to act like it is.”

‘It is survival’ Last year’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow saw a score of their members arrested. “As far as we know this was the first mass arrest of scientists anywhere in the world since Carl Sagan protested nuclear weapons testing in the 1980s,” said Gardner. They also made headlines by leaking an early draft of Monday’s IPCC report, which warned that carbon dioxide emissions need to peak within three years if the world is to keep the Paris Agreement targets for global warming in reach. “As scientists, we tend to be risk averse — we don’t want to risk our jobs, our reputations, and our time,” said Rose Abramoff, a soil scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Knoxville, Tennessee and a Scientist Rebellion member. “But it is no longer sufficient to do our research and expect others to read it and understand the severity and urgency of the climate crisis.” The aim of the group is to “make this crisis impossible to ignore”, she added. Many of its members are in the Global South, where climate change protests up to now have been more muted, even if the impacts are more keenly felt. “I am not sure this is our last chance, but time is definitely running out,” said Jordan Cruz, an environmental engineer in Ecuador who studies the devastating impact of mining industries on human communities in the Andes. “I am terrified,” he said by email. “But it’s the kind of fear that motivates action. It is survival.” More information about Scientist Rebellion can be found here: https:// scientistrebellion.com/take-action/. AFP

Scientist Rebellion targets universities, research institutes and major scientific journals. Starting Monday, the group hopes to see “high levels of disobedience” with more than 1,000 scientists worldwide taking part in direct nonviolent action against government and academic institutions. The world has seen a crescendo of deadly extreme weather amplified by rising temperatures — heatwaves, wildfires, f looding, storms engorged by rising seas — and a torrent of recent climate science projects worse to come. Much of that research is distilled in periodic reports from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC). Scientist Rebellion was founded in 2020 by two physics PhD students at St Andrews College in Scotland, inspired in part by the more broadly

Swiss Cold War bunkers back in vogue as Ukraine conflict rages By Agnès Pedrero RUSSIA’S invasion of Ukraine has reawakened interest in Switzerland’s concrete nuclear fallout shelters, built during the Cold War with enough space to shelter everyone in the country. Since the 1960s, every Swiss municipality has had to build nuclear bunkers for their residents, while such shelters have also been mandatory in all homes and residential buildings over a certain size built since then. The shelters have become an integral part of the Swiss identity, on a par with the country’s famous chocolate, banks and watches. But the underground spaces, long seen as a quirky curiosity mostly used for storage or as very well-protected wine cellars, are being viewed in a new light since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Just days into the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin put the country’s strategic nuclear forces on high alert, sparking global alarm. Fierce fighting near Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, including Chernobyl — the sight of the world’s worst nuclear accident in 1986 — have also heightened fears that even traditionally neutral Switzerland could be affected by the war. ‘Ukraine is very nearby’ “People are discovering that Ukraine is very nearby,” Marie Claude Noth-Ecoeur, who heads civil and military security services in the mountainous southern Wallis region, told AFP. The wealthy Alpine country has pledged that each and every resident will have a shelter space if needed. In fact, the country of 8.6 million people counts nearly nine million spaces across 365,000 private and

public shelters. But while there are more than enough spots at a national level, there are vast regional differences. Geneva is worst off, with only enough places for 75 percent of its population. Nicola Squillaci, head of Geneva’s civil protection and military affairs division, said the shelters were conceived to provide protection “especially in the case of a bombing and a nuclear attack”. They would help protect the population “against the shock waves, and against radioactivity in the air”, he told AFP. Ducking into a private shelter for around 150 people, underneath a brand new residential building in the Geneva suburb of Meyrin, Squillaci pointed out how, in peace time, it was equipped with basement storage units for the apartment dwellers above. But unlike most storage facilities, this one comes with composting toilets, kits for quickly assembling beds, and a ventilation system that filters the air coming in from the outside. ‘Capsule’ “It is like a capsule, with airlocks on emergency exits and main exits,” Squillaci said. “If the building were to collapse, the shelter would remain intact.” Switzerland’s vast network of nuclear bunkers have a range of other day-to-day uses, including as military barracks or as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. But Swiss authorities require that they can be emptied and reverted back to nuclear shelters within five days. So far, Switzerland’s population has never been ordered down into the shelters, not even in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster. Experts say the most likely scenario

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Small victory in a great battle

HYSICIAN Natividad “Naty” Castro, who was seized from her San Juan City home on Feb. 18, held incommunicado, brought first to Butuan City and then to Bayugan in Agusan del Sur on charges of kidnapping serious illegal detention and then detained for 42 days, was released last week.

The Bayugan City Regional Trial Court dismissed the charges against Castro for “denial of substantive right to due process” and “lack of jurisdiction over the person of the accused.” The Philippine National Police accused Castro of being a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army and of heading its health bureau.

Outrage broke upon the taking of Castro. Her classmates and colleagues swear to her competence and her caring nature. She excelled academically and, once finally a doctor, set up community health centers in Mindanao. She spoke up on behalf of indigenous peoples in Mindanao who fell victims to militarization.

Castro’s release is a relief and a welcome development. Indeed she was not an ordinary doctor, her classmates said, but more of a servant leader. Castro’s connections were able to drum up sufficient public outcry against the manner she was seized, detained, and accused. Even then, weeks passed before the case dismissals showed the flimsy and arbitrary basis of her case.

The release is a relief and a welcome development. One can only imagine how difficult and hopeless it could seem for other individuals, similarly taken and accused in an unfair manner, who are not able to amplify their side and rally support from many groups. Their families are outraged, too, but they remain unheard by those of us focused on many other loud things especially leading up to elections. Their cases equally deserve to be known, discussed, and acted upon. Meanwhile, those accusing them of and detaining are emboldened by top leadership, which has also tolerated and even inspired acts of violence against those simply working with those who cannot speak for themselves. In the waning days of this administration, may we be mindful and watchful of injustices that may be committed while we are not looking, or while we are distracted with other things.

Focus on persistent inequality

WITH just over a month before election day, we will be bombarded with a tsunami of campaign promises from national and local candidates vowing to deliver their own solution to poverty. As responsible voters, we need to go beyond the propaganda creatively crafted to evoke a more emotional, rather than a rational response – to click “like” and not to think. The country’s poverty problem has been as old as the re-hashed dreams of greatness vowed by presidential candidates. What analysts are seeing is that a deeply polarized electorate may be the ref lection of the unfulfilled promises of our leaders to deliver prosperity to the broad population. Some of the top developmental thinkers offered their well-studied analyses and recommendations during the latest series of forwardlooking policy fora of the Stratbase ADR Institute held last week. Themed, “Bridging the Gap: Reducing Inequality in the Philippines for Inclusive Growth”, the truthful insights of the special papers launched in the event will save the next government a lot of over-thinking time and get the country back on the right track, hopefully. Prof. Ronald Mendoza, Dean of the Ateneo School of Government, in his paper, “Reducing Inequality in the Philippines: Rationale and Reforms”, pointed out that “inequality in its different forms, most notably in the political sphere, could derail economic growth and development by creating the conditions for impunity and severe political instability.” Dr. Mendoza stressed that political party reform, freedom of information, dynasty regulation and campaign finance reforms as key political and governance reforms that must be prioritized. The special paper on “Promoting

for needing to use them has always been a possible accident at one of Switzerland’s own nuclear power plants.

The conflict raging in Ukraine has added a new, urgent layer to the national nuclear anxiety. But now the conf lict raging in Ukraine has added a new, urgent layer to the national nuclear anxiety. With public concern growing, Swiss authorities have published overviews of the available shelter spots, and have urged households to always maintain a

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

an Investment-Driven Economy Through Good Governance” by Dr. Charlotte Justine Diokno-Sicat, Research Fellow, Philippine Institute for Development Studies and Vice President, Philippine Economic Society focused on the need for improved and innovative public sector governance. Dr. Diokno-Sicat said that fiscal consolidation of the national government and strategic investments in both physical and human capital of both national and local governments is critical to encourage private sector participation at all levels.

Let’s stop and think before we give these politicians the power to run our country. She also points out that “Harnessing digitalization requires a whole-ofsociety approach and provides a major role for the private sector to contribute to or participate in sustaining economic recovery. This requires laying the foundation in infrastructure and systems, investments in human capital, financial sector, and private sector as partners.” Dr. Carlos Primo “CP” David, Stratbase ADR Institute Trustee and Program Convenor and Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship, Geologist, and Professor of the University of the Philippines in his paper “Improving the Philippine Agriculture Sector by Establishing Food Production Areas” lamented government leaders’ degradation of agriculture opting for industrialization resulting in problems in food security. Dr. David recommends a selfcontained food production area of mechanized industrial farms operating with surrounding small farms with integrated training, food processing and storage – a more feasible approach of the” one town, one product” idea of government. Critical reforms in the education sector that must address the issues of

stock of food to last at least a week. With Ukraine, “the geopolitical situation has altered the paradigms a bit,” Squillaci said, adding that authorities were receiving “enormous numbers of legitimate questions from citizens.” A number of property owners who previously sought to pay a fine rather than build bunkers were also backtracking, he said. ‘Temporary protection’ To compensate for the lack of shelters under chalets and other traditional mountain homes, Alpine cantons like Wallis meanwhile rely heavily on large collective bunkers. In Evionnaz, a municipality with around 1,000 inhabitants, the collective shelter can accommodate around 700 people, counting 15 dormitories filled

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

access, completion, and employment were underscored by Mr. Christopher Tan, Chief Operating Officer of PHINMA Education and Board Member of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities. He pointed out the core market failure of providing low-cost high-quality education, the problem of completion owing to the conf luence of financial, academic, and personal issues leading to dropouts among low-income students, and employment because of the focus on diplomas instead of skills needed by industries. Mr. Francisco del Rosario, Jr., Chairman of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia called for the transformation of the public sector before we can realize inclusive growth. He pointed out to self-serving leaders interested only invested interests, poor public services, and the immemorial problem of corruption draining our financial and natural resources for the enrichment of a few. He espoused “a government where every institution delivers, and every citizen participates and prospers.” For his part, Stratbase ADR Institute president, Prof. Victor Andes “Dindo” Manhit stated addressing the persisting inequality in the Philippines requires a multi-stakeholder strategy where there is a better environment for investments by the private sector and public private partnerships that would generate jobs, improve livelihood income, and build comfortable lives for Filipinos in the long term. In the next government, “We need a leader who acknowledges the important role that the private sector plays in development, especially through their investments across a wide range of sectors,” Manhit said. In the next weeks, politicians who at least care to do so, will be trumpeting their platform of reforms to convince us voters to shade their little oval in the ballot, a power that we wield at the end of every political cycle. Before we give these politicians the power to run our country, it is our duty as citizens to scrutinize the historical facts and not be blinded by the deceivingly populist political showmanship designed to hide ugly truths.

with row after row of three-storey bunk beds. “The country asks us to be on the ready,” Noth-Ecoeur said. “Today we are in a preparatory phase, and we are ready to put the shelters to use.” Experts caution though that the level of protection provided by the shelters in the case of actual nuclear weapons use would depend heavily on the intensity and proximity of the strikes. “The shelters could offer the population a certain level of temporary protection against radioactive events,” Swiss defence ministry spokesman Andreas Bucher told AFP. “A large-scale nuclear war would however be catastrophic, and no state would be able to guard against the effects.” AFP

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Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

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Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

World

Pope evokes Malta’s welcome of St. Paul VALLETTA — Pope Francis visited the grotto Sunday where St. Paul lived after washing up on Malta, recalling the welcome the Apostle received and urging better treatment of modern day arrivals on the Mediterranean island. On the final day of his weekend trip to Malta, the 85-year-old pontiff will also hold open-air mass before visiting a migrant centre that will soon host refugees from the Ukraine war. According to Christian tradition, Paul was shipwrecked on Malta in 60 AD while en route to Rome, and performed several miracles in his three months there. Following in the footsteps of former popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, Francis visited the holy grotto in Rabat, lighting a candle and saying a prayer. He recalled how Paul and his fellow travellers were welcomed, even though “no one knew their names, their place of birth or their social status”. AFP

BELGRADE — Serbians went to the polls on Sunday in elections that will likely see populist President Aleksandar Vucic extend his rule in the Balkan country, as he vows to provide stability amid war raging in Ukraine. The country of around seven million will elect the president, deputies for the 250-seat parliament and cast votes in several municipal contests. The latest opinion polls see Vucic’s centre-right Serbian Progressive Party maintaining its control over the parliament, while the president is poised to win a second term. “Personally, I see a stable progress and I voted in accordance with this opinion,” Milovan Krstic, a 52-year-old government employee, told AFP after casting his vote in Belgrade. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has cast a long shadow over a contest that observers had earlier predicted would focus on environmental issues, corruption

Kazakhs arrest spy in plot vs. president ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s security services said Sunday they have arrested a foreign spy allegedly plotting an attack against the president and other high-level officials. “A foreign intelligence agent, a Kazakh citizen, was arrested on March 25 in Nur-Sultan by the counter-espionage services,” the National Security Committee said in a statement. The suspect “was planning an attack against the president of Kazakhstan and a number of high-level officials,” as well as against members of the special services and security forces, the statement said. A foreign-made gun, drugs and large sums of money had been found during a search of his home. AFP

YIV — Eleven local community leaders in Ukraine have been kidnapped by Russian forces, deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Sunday.

“Up to today, 11 heads of local communities in the regions of Kyiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Donetsk are in captivity,” she said in a video message posted on her Telegram account. “We are informing the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the UN, all possible organisations, just like for the other civilians who have disap-

peared.” Vereshchuk urged “everyone to do everything in their power to get them back.” Meanwhile, nearly 4.2 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia’s invasion began on February 24, with almost 40,000 pouring into neighbouring countries in the past 24 hours, UN numbers show. The deputy prime minister announced

that Olga Sukhenko, head of the village of Motyjin, west of Kyiv, and her husband had been “killed in captivity” by Russian soliders. Their abduction had been announced by prosecutors on March 26. The European Union has condemned the kidnapping of several mayors in Russianoccupied territory, including the mayor of the southern town of Melitopol, who was freed in an exchange for several captured Russians. Human Rights Watch on Sunday said it had documented several cases of Russian troops committing possible war crimes against civilians in occupied areas of the

Chernigiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv. These included a case of repeated rape, and two cases of summary execution -one of six men, the other of one. Soldiers were also implicated in looting, including food, clothing, and firewood, the rights group added. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said Sunday that 4,176,401 Ukrainians had fled in just over five weeks, up 38,559 from the figure given a day earlier. Women and children account for 90 percent of those who have left Ukraine, with men aged 18 to 60 eligible for military call-up and unable to leave. AFP

Pakistan premier Khan foils attempt to sack him as nation poised to vote

POPE IN MALTA. Pope Francis blesses attendees as he arrives in the popemobile car to celebrate mass on April 03 outside the St. Publius parish church at Piazzale dei Granai in Floriana, Valletta, Malta, on the second and last day of the Pope’s trip to the Mediterranean archipelago. AFP

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan will go to the polls to elect a new government within three months after Prime Minister Imran Khan foiled an attempt to boot him from office Sunday by getting the president to dissolve the national assembly. On a day of high drama, the assembly deputy speaker refused to accept a motion of no confidence in the government, as Khan appeared on TV to say there had been “foreign interference” in Pakistan’s democratic institutions. “I have sent advice to the president to dissolve the assemblies. We will go to the public and hold elections, and let the nation decide,” he said. The presidency — a largely ceremonial office — acceded hours later. No premier of Pakistan has ever completed a full term, and Khan has been facing the biggest challenge to his rule since being elected in 2018, with opponents accusing him of economic mismanagement and bungling foreign policy.

Hungary vote goes to wire as Orban eyes 4th term BUDAPEST — Nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces a tough challenge with a united opposition in an unpredictable general election Sunday, after a campaign dominated by Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine. The six main opposition parties are for the first time fielding a joint list, determined to roll back the “illiberal” revolution Orban’s Fidesz party has pursued during its 12 consecutive years in office. That has involved repeated confrontations with EU institutions, including over the neutering of the press and judiciary, and measures targeting the LGBT community.

On Saturday, opposition supporters braved rain and chilly temperatures in Budapest to hear the opposition alliance’s candidate for prime minister, Peter Marki-Zay. While admitting the election was “an uphill battle” given what he called “12 years of brainwashing” under Fidesz, he insisted the opposition alliance stood “at the gates of victory”. Polls opened at 6:00 am local time (0400 GMT) and will close at 7:00 pm. However, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs says a definitive picture of results will likely only emerge between 11:00 pm and midnight. Turnout is expected to be high, surpassing 70 percent.

- ‘Anything can happen’ Orban himself voted on Sunday morning at a school in a Budapest suburb and told reporters on the way out he was expecting a “great victory”. “It’s a fair election,” he said, dismissing complaints that the process had been weighted towards Fidesz. More than 200 international observers will be monitoring the vote for the first time. The capital is favourable territory for the opposition and 75-year-old retiree Maria Rapcsak said that she had “voted for the alliance for change”, adding: “I hope today we will put an end to Orban’s corrupt pro-Putin politics”. AFP

Taliban leader orders ban on poppy cultivation, warns of strict crackdown KABUL — The Taliban’s supreme leader on Sunday ordered a ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, warning that the hardline Islamist government would crack down on farmers planting the crop. Afghanistan is the world’s biggest producer of poppies, the source of sap that is refined into heroin, and in recent years its production and exports have only boomed. “All Afghans are informed that from now on cultivation of poppy has been strictly prohibited across the country,” said a decree issued by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. The decree was read out by government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid at a gathering of reporters, foreign diplomats and Taliban officials. “If anyone violates the decree the crop

and rights. Vucic has deftly used the return of war in Europe along with the coronavirus pandemic to his advantage, promising voters continued stability amid uncertain headwinds. “We expect a huge victory. That’s what we worked for in the past four or five years, and we believe that we will continue with the great efforts and the development of this country,” the president said after casting his ballot early Sunday. Only a few months ago, the opposition seemed to have gained momentum. In January, Vucic axed a controversial lithium mine project following mass protests that saw tens of thousands take to the streets. The move was a rare defeat for Vucic who has rotated through a range of positions, including prime minister, president and deputy premier along with a stint as the defence chief during a decade in power.

Russians snatch Ukraine mayors K

One dead, scores hurt in Baku blast BAKU — One person was killed, and 37 others injured in an explosion at a nightclub in Azerbaijan’s capital early Sunday, the prosecutor general said. “One person, a 43-year-old employee was killed,” the prosecutor general was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. “Thirty-seven others were injured, of whom four are in a serious condition,” the statement said. RIA Novosti quoted medical sources as saying that an Italian and a Senegalese citizen were among the casualties. The blast, which occurred at 3:00 am (2300 GMT), was caused by a leak from a tank of liquefied gas stored in the nightclub, according to the national gas utility, Azerigas. A fire caused by the explosion has been extinguished and the search and rescue operation completed, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said. AFP

In polls overshadowed by war in Ukraine, Serbians cast votes

BLACK SIGHT.

Smoke rises after an attack by Russian army in Odessa, on April 3. Air strikes rocked Ukraine’s strategic Black Sea port Odessa early Sunday morning, according to an interior ministry official, after Kyiv had warned that Russia was trying to consolidate its troops in the south. AFP

IN BRIEF

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will be destroyed immediately and the violator will be treated according to the sharia law,” it added. It is not the first time the fundamentalist group has vowed to outlaw the trade. Production was banned in 2000, just before the group was overthrown by US-led forces in the wake of the September 11 attacks. During their 20-year insurgency against foreign forces, the Taliban heavily taxed farmers cultivating the crop in areas under their control. It became a key resource for the group to generate funds. The United States and NATO forces tried to curb poppy cultivation during their two decades in Afghanistan by paying farmers to grow alternative crops such as wheat or saffron.

MACRON’S MEET. French President and liberal party La Republique en Marche (LREM) candidate for re-election Emmanuel Macron sings the French national anthem at the end of his first campaign meeting at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, on April 2, ahead of the French presidential election first round next April 10. AFP

On Sunday parliament was due to debate a no-confidence motion that looked certain to succeed, but the deputy speaker — a Khan loyalist — refused to accept it, causing uproar in the chamber. The move appeared to blindside the opposition, who had confidently predicted they had enough votes to boot Khan from office. ‘Spark anarchy’ “This day will be remembered as a black day in Pakistan’s constitutional history,” said Shehbaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), who had been tipped to replace Khan if the vote had succeeded. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) effectively lost its majority in the 342-member assembly last week when a coalition partner said its seven lawmakers would vote with the opposition. More than a dozen PTI members had also indicated they would cross the floor. AFP

Sri Lankans defy curfew after social media shutdown COLOMBO — Armed troops in Sri Lanka blocked a Sunday opposition march that defied a weekend curfew to protest the island nation’s worsening economic crisis, after authorities imposed a social media blackout to contain public dissent. The South Asian nation is facing severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials, along with record inflation and crippling power cuts, in its most painful downturn since independence from Britain in 1948. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa imposed a state of emergency on Friday, the day after a crowd attempted to storm his home in the capital Colombo, and a nationwide curfew is in effect until Monday morning. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sri Lanka’s main opposition alliance, denounced a social media blackout aimed at quelling intensifying public demonstrations, and said it was time for the government to resign. Troops armed with automatic assault rifles moved to stop a protest by opposition lawmakers and hundreds of their supporters attempting to march to the capital’s Independence Square. The road was barricaded a few hundred metres from the home of opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and the crowd engaged in a tense stand-off with security forces for nearly two hours before dispersing peacefully. AFP

News

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

Leni to digital natives: Push vs. fake news By Macon Ramos-Araneta

MEET AND GREET WITH BARONG MAKERS. Lakas-CMD vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte looks on to the sewing machines that make world-class Barong Tagalog during her meet and greet with Barong makers at Disenyo Pandi Bagonh Barrio, Pandi, Bulacan. Ver Noveno

Sara thanks Rody for endorsement L

AKAS-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Sunday thanked her father, President Rodrigo Duterte for supporting her vice presidential bid. Inday Sara expressed her gratitude after President Duterte promised to support her in his speech during the rally of the ruling Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) last March 31 in Lapu-Lapu City. “Nagpapasalamat po ako sa endorsement ni Pangulong Duterte sa aking kandidatura as vice president,” Mayor Duterte said in an ambush interview after attending the meet-and-greet with Barong makers of Pandi in Disenyo Pan-

di, Bagong Barrio, Pandi, Bulacan. In his speech, the Chief Executive vouched for his daughter’s dedication and hard work in public service. In Bustos, Bulacan, Mayor Francis Albert “Iskul” Juan formally announced his support to Duterte. Pandi Mayor Enrico Roque is also supporting Mayor Duterte. Roque and his team also declared their full support to Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) presidential candidate former Sen. Fer-

dinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. In the Bustos meet-and-greet held at the Malamig Resort, Mayor Duterte reiterated before local leaders the “three pillars” of a potential UniTeam administration involving her and Marcos Jr.. These three pillars are job generation, quality education, and peace and order. According to the Lakas-CMD chairperson, the era of lockdowns is now over thanks to interventions made by the Duterte administration which involved strict orders to use face masks, procurement of supply of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, and medicines that can be used to treat COVID-19. She also said businesses will open and there will be no more lockdowns

and that she will be supporting the recovery of the country’s economy. Inday Sara meanwhile aired concerns over the Filipino youth’s mastery of learning competencies, which is the reason why quality education is the second pillar under a Marcos-Duterte administration. She cited that in many cases, Filipinos aged 11 years old are not able to read and write properly, which means the educational system should be improved. Last but not the least is peace and order, which according to Mayor Duterte is everybody’s aspiration. Mayor Duterte, who like her election partner Marcos is a survey frontrunner, also attended a similar meetand-greet in Bagong Barrio, Pandi, where she touched base with local barong makers.

Former DICT chief backs Ping, says May elections are ‘critical’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta FILIPINO voters either have the power to lift the struggling Philippine economy or sink it deeper into uncertainty, said former Information and Communications Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio, Jr. Due to this, he said it is important to take this 2022 elections seriously. Rio expressed this observation prior to the recent press conference and manifesto signing of the “Generals for Ping,” led by former Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, to support the presidential candidate Senator Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson. Lacson entered the 2022 presidential race with a mission to restore public trust in government through the elimination of corruption and by instituting budget reforms, which makes a lot of sense for the Philippines, now that it continues to grapple with

VICE President Leni Robredo and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Sunday exhorted young people, to parry lies unleashed by those who would like to win the elections through disinformation. The Vice President is running for President under the Leni-Kiko tandem while Trillanes is seeking re-election under their senate slate. Robredo said the youth who have access to information can correct the falsehood being propagated on social media by her opponents who twist her statements and put her in a bad light. “The problem on social media is that they are twisting what we are saying to make it appear we have no good program for them,” Robredo told a political rally in Naval, Biliran. For his part, Trillanes noted that millennials are fighting back and are engaging the “well-paid trolls of the other camp.” He said there is a push back from young people- community-based volunteers. He said there are many independent initiatives to fact-check. He said people within the education sector – both teachers and students – are fighting lies with truth. He said it’s not surprising that all big schools are endorsing Robredo. In all surveys in campuses, team Leni-Kiko prevails. Robredo also said young people should fight fake news for the truth to prevail. “Majority of you young people are digital natives. You know what are lies and truth. so you must fight always fight for the truth to prevail.” The vice president cited a statement on the maritime industry that was mangled to convey the opposite of what she said. “That’s a grave lie,” she said. FOR WORKERS’ WELFARE. LUNAS Partylist supporters in Obando, Bulacan listen as LUNAS first nominee Brian Raymund Yamsuan explains the group’s main advocacy of protecting the rights and welfare of “nowork, no-pay” members of the labor force during a caucus organized by Obando Mayor Edwin Cruz Santos.

the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We think he (Lacson) is the best candidate that our country can have in this very trying time. This 2022 election is the most crucial in our history. The result of this election will determine—mark my words—whether our country will float or sink,” Rio said. Because of this pandemic, Rio said our economy has fallen, a lot of people became unemployed) and things like that. “So, we need a strong leader whose only focus is the development of our country,” he added. Rio, who is also an electronics engineer, said he saw in Lacson the kind of leader, who is capable of bringing the country back on the track through judicious spending, especially after he exposed several anomalies in the past and even right in the middle of the pandemic.

‘Vote for bet who can defend country’s WPS claim’ Zubiri clears issue on Bongbong A MARITIME law expert called on Filipinos to choose a presidential candidate who has firm policies and can defend the country’s claim to the West Philippine Sea (WPS). University of the Philippines professor Atty. Jay Batongbacal, in a radio interview, said voters should carefully look at the thoughts and stances of candidates and choose one who can the country’s rights to the WPS. Batongbacal made the comments after the March 2 incident in the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, wherein a Chinese Coast Guard ship sailed close to a Philippine Coast Guard vessel.

The law expert also slammed President Duterte who continues to be “friendly” with China. Batongback said Duterte’s actions is just “emboldening the Asian superpower into taking more of the Philippines’ territorial waters.” He also criticized Duterte’s 2016 campaign promise of riding a jet ski to defend the West Philippine Sea, saying that it can’t be used again in 2022. He urged voters not to fall for such empty promises, come election time in May. “Please lang, bumenta na iyon. Huwag na tayong maniniwala doon sa ganoong klaseng mga pangako,” Batongbacal, in the radio interview, said.

Batongbacal said voters should think about the future generation, when it comes to the WPS and who to vote for in the May elections. He said “our grandchildren and their grandchildren will be affected by this, especially if we lose the West Philippine Sea,” and that the WPS “will determine the country’s food supply as well as the future of its indigenous energy sources.” The WPS, Batongbacal said, accounts for 27 percent of the country’s fish supply. He noted that among the presidential candidates, Vice President Leni Robredo’s approach to the WPS issue is the most “comprehensive.”

not raising incumbent gov’s hand By Macon Ramos-Araneta REELECTIONIST Sen. Migz Zuburi on Sunday branded as “part of an adversarial spin” which intends to sow disunity within the UniTeam and our local political party the issue on the alleged failure of presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to raise the hand of his father. Marcos reportedly did not raise the hand incumbent governor and congressional candidate Joe Zubiri during the joint grand rally in Malaybalay, Bukid-

non March last March 31, 2022. “The truth is it’s just a simple miscommunication between my Father and BBM on the sequence of events, which is that, after BBM speaks, he was supposed to wave the flag and then raise the hand of the local parties. Which he did, after he waved the flag,” Zubiri said. Obviously, he noted that there is a malicious intent to create intrigue by only showing that particular portion of the video and omitting totally the second portion of that sequence of events.

PNP: 2.3k poll gun ban violators arrested so far A TOTAL of 2,313 people have been arrested so far for violating the election gun ban, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Sunday. In a statement, the PNP said 2,249 of those apprehended were civilians, 40 security guards, 14 police officers, and 10 military personnel.

It added that a total of 2,209 police operations yielded 1,785 firearms, 10,157 pieces of ammunition, and 826 deadly weapons. Citing its latest data, the PNP said the top five regions in terms of the number of arrested violators are the National Capital Region with 854, followed by Calabar-

zon (250); Central Visayas (241); Central Luzon (231); and Western Visayas (137). According to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 10728, the bearing, carrying, or transporting of firearms or deadly weapons is prohibited outside of the residence and in all public places from January 9 until June 8.

Villanueva urges govt to go after ‘ayuda’ scammers By Macon Ramos-Araneta

AGAINST E-SABONG. Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano discusses e-sabong and other forms of online gambling during a press conference at SM Aura, BGC Taguig. Norman Cruz

RE-ELECTIONIST Sen. Joel Villanueva urged authorities to stop text scammers from taking advantage of the government’s rollout of “ayuda” to those hard-hit by the spike in prices of fuel and basic goods.

“We‘re seeing a new surge of text scams. This is like an epidemic. This is a new wave,” he said. This time scammers, Villanueva said, are riding on the government’s distribution of ayuda. Some of the text messages, he said, lure individuals to call a certain num-

ber or send an email for information on how to claim government aid such as senior pension, Bayanihan allowance, tax refunds, and others. Villanueva said the government should take preventive measures before it begins to distribute the P500 monthly subsidy to low-income families.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

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TODAY

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market keeping tabs on oil prices, inflation S By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARES prices are expected to remain on the sideway trading mode this week as investors track global oil prices and inﬂation rate.

Investors will also monitor the release of the March inflation rate. “March inflation rate will be a key figure in the coming sessions through forecasts are erred towards the downside given the biting impact crude’s volatility has provided over the past month,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno last Thursday inflation in March likely rose to least 3.3 percent from 3 percent in February, driven by higher oil and power prices. Diokno said the March inflation would likely settle within a range of 3.3 percent to 4.1 percent. With high oil prices expected extend until the first half of the year, the online brokerage firm said investors should avoid stocks with crude exposure. They should also focus on companies that are able to pass on

the inflation burden and those that could raise their margins despite the current business environment, like renewables and banks. Investors may concentrate on stocks that will benefit from election-related spending and the onset of the dry season. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week inched up 0.4 percent to 7,152.88 after a sideways trading due to geopolitical uncertainties. The All Shares Index added 0.4 percent to 3,788.59. The average daily value traded stood at P6 billion, down from the previous week’s average of P6.6 billion. Foreign investors were net sellers for the week by P3.1 billion. Weekly top price gainers were PAL Holdings Inc., which advanced 9.1 percent to P6.60; Puregold Price Club Inc., which increased 8.3 percent to P35.70; and Cebu Air Inc., which rose 6.7 percent to P47.15. Weekly top price losers were Nickel Asia Corp., which slid 6.1 percent to P7.72; Globe Telecom Inc., which dropped 4.5 percent to P2,520; and Emperador Inc., which fell 4.1 percent to P14.04. Meanwhile, Wall Street stocks finished modestly higher Friday as solid US jobs data boosted expectations for more Federal Reserve interest

rate hikes, while oil prices retreated after US allies agreed to tap their emergency stockpiles. The government jobs report for March showed US employers adding 431,000 positions and the unemployment rate falling to 3.6 percent, a hair above where it was before the pandemic. The data showed progress in the US economic recovery, but also raised expectations of an aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate hike to tame runaway inflation. “Given the strength of the labor market and inflation well above target, the probability that the Fed raises rates by 50 (basis points) at its next meeting in May—which is our baseline—is rising,” Daniel Vernazza of UniCredit Bank said in a note. However, the Institute for Supply Management reported the US manufacturing sector’s expansion slowed last month amid a spike in energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. After a choppy session, all three major US indices finished modestly higher with the S&P 500 up 0.3 percent, lifting the index narrowly into positive territory for the week. European equities also climbed, despite data showing eurozone inflation surged by a record 7.5 percent last month. With AFP

ASIAN TERMINALS, INC.

ATI Head Office, A. Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila Tel. No. 8528-6000 NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS To the Stockholders of Asian Terminals, Inc.: To ensure the safety and welfare of the stockholders against the COVID19 risk, the Board of Directors on March 1, 2022, resolved to hold the annual meeting virtually, pursuant to applicable SEC regulations. The annual meeting will be virtually conducted and streamed live on the link https://bit.ly/ATI_ASM2022 .on April 28, 2022, 2:00 p.m., to consider and take action upon the following matters: 1.

Call to Order. This officially commences the meeting.

Proof of Notice and Quorum. The Corporate Secretary, will certify that the notice of meeting had been sent to stockholders as of record date and that there is a quorum.

Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held on April 22, 2021. The Minutes record the proceedings of the 2021 annual meeting. The minutes were included in the Information Statement and may be accessed in the Company Website https://www.asianterminals.com.ph/ati_disclosures_minutesofmeeting.aspx

Chairman’s Address. The Chairman will address the stockholders and present the highlights of the business operation and performance of the corporation in 2021.

Election of Directors. The nominees are named in Item 5 of the Information Statement, together with their qualifications and profiles for the election of the stockholders. Pursuant to the by-laws, the directors (including the independent directors) shall be elected annually and shall hold office until the next annual meeting and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified. Pursuant to the Company’s Corporate Governance Manual and applicable regulations of the SEC, an independent director who has served more than nine (9) consecutive years reckoned from 2012, can serve as such based on meritorious justifications and with the stockholders’ approval. Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban has been the Company’s independent director since 2010 and the Board resolved to retain him as independent director based on meritorious justification, subject to the approval of the stockholders. (Please refer to Item 5 (a) (1) of the Information Statement) The stockholder’s vote in his favor is deemed an approval of the justification, otherwise he may choose to abstain.

Approval of the Audited Financial Statements for the Year Ended December 31, 2021. The stockholders are asked to approve the 2021 Audited Financial Statements, a copy of which is attached to the Information Statement.

Appointment of Independent Auditors. The appointment of R.G. Manabat & Co. as the independent auditors for 2022. Approval of the stockholders is sought.

Approval and Ratification of the Acts of the Board and the Management during the year 2021. The acts of the Board and Management in 2021 were summarized in Item 15 of the distributed Information Statement. Approval and ratification of the stockholders is sought.

Other Matters. Any other relevant matter to the meeting may be raised by the stockholders.

10. Adjournment. This is to officially end the meeting. All stockholders of record at the close of business on March 31, 2022 are entitled to notice and to vote at the annual meeting and at any adjournment thereof. The stock and transfer books of the Company will be closed from March 31 up to April 28, 2022. Stockholders may only appoint the ATI Chairman or the President as proxy. Proxies should be submitted on or before 7pm of April 18, 2022. Please refer to Annex “A” for the procedure. Proxies will be validated on April 22, 2022 at the Office of the Corporate Secretary., ATI Head Office, A. Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila, 1018.

Shell-amat, Shell! I HAVE been working for Shell The author is an MBA student for four and a half years alat the Ramon V. del Rosario LOUISE ready. Whenever someone asks College of Business, DLSU. She VERGARA me where I am currently workcan be reached at louise_vering, I am still proud to say that gara@dlsu.edu.ph. I am employed in Shell. I heard The views expressed above a lot of good feedback about are the author’s and do not this company when I was still with my previous em- necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its ployer. It was just once a dream to work in one of faculty, and its administrators. the Fortune 500 companies. The reason why I am still staying in Shell is its corporate culture. People left NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC the company and came back after a few years simply because they could not ﬁnd We would like to inform the general Public that the Official a company with a culture similar to Shell. Receipt booklet of SKY Cable with series number 1969238 This company and its people strongly adto 1969250 was reported as lost receipts. Any transactions here to its core values—honesty, integentered and issued with these receipts will be considered null rity, and respect for people. These core and void. values are very evident in the company, and anyone who dares to violate any If found, contact us at Jhanrenz Corporation, address #19 -C of these will be properly reprimanded. Abanad Cmpd. S. Villanueva St. Bgy. Ibaba, Malabon City. Tel. Like growing a child, organizational culNo. (02) 83762572 / (02) 89218493. Look for Ms. Tessie San ture requires strong management (like a Juan. mother) who will guide and build them. All Shell employees and contractors are expected to adhere to this set of core values we share. As tackled during our class discussion on corporate culture, no individual can build or change a company’s culture alone. It is a combined effort of the corporate leaders and their people. Living in a world of diversities poses a challenge for companies to keep such good corporate culture alive. People have different ethical values, beliefs, and behavior which could be the main blocker in achieving an ethical corporate culture. It takes years to build a culture of trust, openness, teamwork, and professionalism. In terms of ethical leadership, I can say that most of the leaders I know, if not all, walk the talk and do the right thing. Most of them always send and reinforce the right messages and actions that matter in the culture. In our department, the leads serve as role models for us. During meetings, you can really feel that your opinions and inputs are being heard and valued. They also respect your time off, especially when you are on sick leave. This kind of culture where managers have integrity and respect for their people plays a vital role in building an ethical culture in the workplace. This inspires me to be an ethical leader who sets a great example. Shell’s General Business Principles, Code of Conduct, and Ethics and Compliance Manual guide its people to align with its core values. Also, part of our culture is speaking up. The company creates a space where people are free to speak up and let their leaders and management their opinions on different matters. Aside from this, Shell also creates a culture of care and safety. I am forever grateful to Manila be part of this company. Standard TODAY

The Information Statement and its attachments is accessible at the PSE EDGE website and ATI Website at https://www.asianterminals.com.ph The detailed procedure of the registration and voting process are stated in Appendix “A” hereof. Manila, Philippines, March 16, 2022. (SGD.) RODOLFO G. CORVITE, JR. Corporate Secretary

GREEN LIGHT

Procedure for the Registration, Participation and Voting in the 2022 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting To ensure the safety of ATI stockholders, directors, officers and other stakeholders against the COVID19 risk, the Board of Directors on March 1, 2022, resolved to hold the annual meeting by remote communication or virtually, pursuant to applicable SEC regulations. All stockholders of record at the close of business on March 31, 2022 are entitled to notice and to vote at the annual meeting and at any adjournment thereof. A)

Registration will be from 9:00 am of April 8, 2022, until 7:00 pm of April 18, 2022. Stockholders are advised to register as early as possible. To proceed with the registration, personal information will be required. For identification, the Company shall only accept a scanned back-to-back copy of one valid government-issued ID bearing photo and signature which will be uploaded in the Registration Portal. Consent to process the personal information is included in the Registration Portal.

(MS-APRIL 2/4/9/11, 2022)

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Robinsons Recreation Corporation (“Corporation”), doing business at 4th Floor, Robinsons Galleria, EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City will have a meeting on April 6, 2022 via videoconferencing. The purpose of which is to vote regarding the voluntary dissolution of the Corporation.

(MS-APRIL 4, 2022)

REGISTRATION: Stockholders may register to participate in the virtual meeting at the Registration Portal (“Registration Portal”) at: https://bit.ly/34INqR7

Individual stockholder with shares recorded in their name: name, valid email address, active contact number and upload a valid government-issued ID. For stockholders with joint accounts, only the authorized stockholder will register and in addition to the above, shall upload scanned copy of a notarized authorization letter signed by the other stockholders, indicating who among them would be authorized to participate and/or vote and upload their valid government-issued IDs. Individual Stockholder under a broker/ PCD: in addition to the name, valid email address, active contact number and a valid government-issued ID, the stockholder needs to coordinate with his broker and secure a duly signed Broker’s Certification stating the full account name and account or reference number which shall be uploaded in the Registration Portal.

Corporate stockholder: the duly authorized representative of the corporate stockholder shall register and provide his name, valid email address, active contact number, valid government-issued ID and the scanned copy of the notarized Secretary’s Certificate and proxy appointing either the ATI Chairman or President. A proxy given by a broker in respect of shares of stock held by such broker for the account of the beneficial owner must be accompanied by a certification under oath stating the number of shareholdings and a that the broker has obtained the written consent or authorization of the account holder. The Company reserves the right to require additional documents as may be necessary or relevant.

VALIDATION: A notification by email from ATISHMeeting@asianterminals.com.ph shall be received by the stockholder together with a unique passcode which shall be used to access the ATI Voting Portal or other instructions. For queries, the stockholders may communicate with the Company through the above-mentioned email address. Stockholders may only appoint the ATI Chairman or the President as proxy. Proxies should be submitted on or before 7pm of April 18, 2022. The duly accomplished scanned copy of the proxy may be uploaded by the stockholder upon registration or hard copies may be sent at the address below. Proxies will be validated on April 22, 2022 at the said address. Office of the Corporate Secretary Asian Terminals, Inc. ATI Head Office, A. Bonifacio Drive Port Area, Manila, 1018

VOTING: All the agenda items indicated in the Notice will be set out in the ATI Voting Portal (“Voting Portal”). Voting shall be online and the Voting Portal shall be open from 9:00 am of April 19, 2022 up to 7:00 pm of April 26, 2022, in the link below: https://bit.ly/3q69lcl 1.

Individual stockholder with shares recorded in their name: they may access the Voting Portal by providing the valid email address they used in the registration and the sent unique passcode. For stockholders with joint accounts, only the stockholder who registered and was authorized by the joint stockholders shall vote by providing the valid email address they used in the registration and the unique passcode. Individual Stockholder under a broker/ PCD: they may access the Voting Portal by providing the valid email address they used in the registration and the unique passcode.

Corporate stockholder or broker. Either the ATI Chairman or the President may vote, as may be provided in the proxy. CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK The Office of the Corporate Secretary shall tabulate all votes received and the results shall be validated by R.G. Manabat and Co.

QUORUM: The following stockholders shall be deemed present for purposes of quorum: a) whose registrations are validated b) who sent their accomplished proxies and validated c) who voted from 9:00 am of April 18, 2022 up to 7:00 pm of April 26, 2022.

LIVESTREAM: The meeting will be streamed live on April 28, 2022 at 2pm, on the link https://bit.ly/ATI_ASM2022 Every item in the agenda for approval of the stockholders will be shown on the screen during the livestreaming as the same is taken up at the meeting. During the meeting, the Secretary shall report the votes received and inform the stockholders if the particular item is carried or disapproved. The total number of votes cast for each item for approval under the agenda will be shown on the screen.

QUESTIONS: Questions on the items in the Agenda may be sent to ATISHMeeting@ asianterminals.com.ph on or before 7pm of April 26, 2022 with the subject heading “ASM 2022 Question” and the identity of the sender must be stated after the question. Replies may be given during the meeting and any unanswered will be replied to by email. (MS-APRIL 4 & 5, 2022)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business

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

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

IN BRIEF Philex defers P3.15-b stock rights offering PHILEX Mining Corp. has deferred its P3.15-billion stock rights offering due to volatile market conditions. Philex said in a disclosure to the stock exchange over the weekend it made the decision to ensure the success of the fund raising activity. “In relation to the outstanding stock rights offering application of Philex Mining Corp. with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the listing application with the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the issuer and BDO Capital & Investment Corp., the issue manager and lead underwriter for the offer, agreed to further adjust the timetable of the offer to a later date given the current market volatility to help ensure its success,” said the mining company. “The company has notiﬁed the SEC and the PSE of the change in the timetable accordingly. Once the revised Offer timetable is ﬁnalized in coordination with the SEC and the PSE, the company will make the necessary disclosures,” it added. Philex plans to sell up to 842 million common shares through a stock rights offering to be sold at a maximum price of P4.81. Jenniffer B. Austria

Recovery now in full swing as March production surged By Othel V. Campos

HE Department of Trade and Industry said over the weekend the economic recovery is now in full swing, as a leading gauge of manufacturing output climbed to 53.2 in March, the highest in three years and the best in Southeast Asia, following greater mobility and effective implementation of health and safety protocols. “The surge of the Omicron variant dampened our recovery expectations at the start of the year but with the lesser and lesser COVID-19 cases in February and March, all signs point to a full recovery in full swing starting March and in the coming months,” said Trade Secretary and Board of Investments chairman Ramon Lopez. The manufacturing output, through

the Purchasing Managers’ Index of the IHS Markit Philippines, climbed to a three-year high of 53.2 in March 2022. An index above 50 means it is on an expansion mode. “With this, we expect a robust ﬁrstquarter gross domestic product performance and for manufacturing PMI to again signal expansion in April. Still on the brighter side, manufacturing output

for the whole of 2021 capped a solid year marked by nine straight months of growth culminating in December,” Lopez said. The Philippine Statistics Agency reported that 11 industries grew in December, including wood, bamboo, cane, rattan articles and related products which attained a 122.6-percent expansion year-on-year. Other gainers in December were the manufacture of machinery and equipment and electrical which botth grew by 50 percent. Other industries recorded double-digit growth such as coke and reﬁned petroleum products at 48 percent; computer, electronic and optical products at 27 percent; non-metallic mineral products, 37 percent; food products, 32 percent; and fabricated metal products, 40 percent. About a fourth of factories were at the full-capacity operation, Lopez said.

SL Agritech selling another P2-b notes PIONEER hybrid rice producer SL Agritech Corp. (SLAC) is raising another P2 billion through the issuance of corporate notes that are based on socio-economic benefits. SLAC chairman Henry Lim Bon Liong said during an investors’ meeting last week the company was the first private corporation issuer of a social finance instrument in the Philippines. “We are excited for this new offering. We can pursue more expansion and help farmers earn more income using our technology and the products we offer,” he said. The issuance to be managed and arranged by MIB Capital Corp. will support SLAC’s continuing expansion which has become critical as it pursues Philippines’ food security goals. SLAC’s financing has obtained the approval of DNV Business Assurance Pty. Ltd., which assured that the funds to be raised will be used for projects with “social” benefits. The funds will be drawn in one or more tranches over three years. Othel B. Campos

Eastern expanding in Negros and Bicol EASTERN Communications said said it expanded its footprint in the Negros provinces and Bicol region as part of its commitment to help businesses emerge stronger in 2022. The expansion is part of the company’s goal of democratizing technology in the country by becoming a one-stop shop for all connectivity and ICT demands across the country, as ﬁrms continue to strive and emerge stronger in 2022. Early this year, Eastern Communications announced its P3-billion worth of capital expenditure for infrastructure improvement and countryside development. “Our goal this year is to make digital technology as accessible as possible, especially to serve the underserved and unserved area in the country,” said Michael Castañeda, Eastern Communications sales head. Eastern Communications introduced its Internet Direct Service (IDS), a premium and dedicated high-speed business-grade connectivity and other borderless solutions. Darwin G. Amojelar

WAWA CONSENT. After months of navigating the free, prior and informed consent process, the Razon-led Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project Phase II, Upper Wawa Dam, receives consent from the Dumagat/Remontado Indigenous Peoples of Antipolo and Montalban. Attending the signing of the memorandum of agreement on March 17, 2022 are (by row, from left) members of the IP community Francisco Doroteo, Felizardo Doroteo, Marina Villarama, Rosalina Fernando, Pecina Ferrer, Rogelio Cruz, Alfredo Vertudez Sr. and Renato Cruz; lawyer Jeric Jucaban (consultant), Regie Batiao of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, IP members Modesto Sta. Ana and Marcial Vertudez, NCIP-FPIC team leader Angelo Salidao, Aprille Adis of WawaJVCo Inc., IP members Ernesto Doroteo and Nicanor Del Rey, and Raquel Bernardo and Wilma Serafines of NCIP.

SC 72 consortium preparing to drill two wells in gas-rich Recto Bank By Alena Mae S. Flores THE joint venture holding Service Contract 72 plans to drill two exploratory wells in the gas-rich Recto Bank in northwest Palawan by June. FEC Resources Inc. said was preparing its share in the drilling costs for SC 72. FEC is a subsidiary of listed PXP Energy Corp. The principal investment of FEC is a 6.8-percent stake in the UK company Forum Energy Ltd. whose principal asset is a 70-percent interest in SC 72 . The company said FEL was mak-

ing reparations to drill two exploratory wells in SC 72 by June “as required to keep SC 72 in good standing.” The area contains the Sampaguita gas discovery, which has an estimated reserve of 3.4 trillion cubic feet and a potential upside to 20 TCF. FEL submitted a funding request for additional pre-drilling costs to its larger shareholders where FEC’s share is $198,620. The pre-drilling costs are to be provided to FEL via non-interest bearing loans. FEC said it agreed to pay its further share of the pre-drilling costs from

loans it will receive from PXP. FEC already advanced $224,200 to FEL for pre-drilling funding. “Shareholders should be aware that the drilling of two wells will require a signiﬁcant amount of funding by those involved in SC 72, including FEL and this could result in FEL being diluted in SC 72 or FEC being diluted in FEL or both in the event FEL or FEC respectively is unable to fund its share of such funding for any reason whatsoever including inability to comply with the payment terms set above,” FEC director and chief executive Daniel Carlos said.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, April 1, 2022

-50.59 PTS. 7,152.88

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES DECLINES UNCHANGED

15,203,059,591 68,752 5,401,927,300.93 65 106 46

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.9060

Japan

Yen

0.008219

0.4266

Pound

1.314100

68.2097

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127676

6.6272

Switzerland

Franc

1.083893

56.2606

Canada

Dollar

0.799808

41.5148

Singapore

Dollar

0.738225

38.3183

Australia

Dollar

0.748500

38.8516

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652027

137.6561

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266567

13.8364

Brunei

Dollar

0.735510

38.1774

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.030075

1.5611

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

14.1333

Euro

1.107000

57.4599

Korea

Won

0.000824

0.0428

China

Yuan

0.157746

8.1880

India

Rupee

0.013175

0.6839

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237925

12.3497

New Zealand

Dollar

0.693300

35.9864

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034947

1.8140 Source: BSP

MREIT acquires 4 more buildings from Megaworld By Jenniffer B. Austria MREIT Inc., the real estate investment trust company of Megaworld Corp., is expanding its leasing portfolio with the acquisition of four office building properties worth P5.3 billion. MREIT in a statement sent over the weekend said the four properties with a total gross leasable area (GLA) of 44,567 square meters (sqm) represents the initial tranche of the company’s P20-billion property-for-share acquisition plan this year. It will purchase the properties from Megaworld’s Festive Walk 1B and Two Global Center in Iloilo Business Park, and One West Campus and Five West Campus in McKinley West, Taguig City. “This will be the first time that we infuse office assets from McKinley West, one of our fastest growing townships in Metro Manila where some of the big names in the BPO industry are operating today. This township location also commands one of the highest rental rates in the Greater Manila Area because of the high demand for office spaces in this area,” said MREIT president and chief executive Kevin L. said. In exchange for the properties to be acquired, MREIT will issue 263.7 million MREIT primary common shares to Megaworld. MREIT will issue the shares at an offering price of P20 apiece, which represents a 1.4-percent premium over the volume weighted average closing price over a period of 40 trading days until March 30, 2022. “Our objective is to accelerate our growth plans and double MREIT’s portfolio by the end of this year while ensuring that our acquisitions will be accretive to our shareholders. We aim to deliver an attractive total return to MREIT investors,” Tan said. The four prime office properties have an average occupancy rate of 96 percent. The acquisition will increase MREIT’s asset portfolio by 16 percent to 325,000 sqm of GLA with a total value of P65 billion from the current portfolio of 280,000 sqm.

38 shipping firms to raise passenger, cargo rates by 20% By Darwin G. Amojelar

CYBERSECURITY TIE-UP. Cyber Defence QCD Corp. and OmniSecuritas Technologies announce a long-term strategic partnership where OmniSecuritas will be CYDEF’s exclusive Philippine distributor of its entire suite of ‘zero trust’ cybersecurity products. Formalizing the partnership are (by row, from left) OmniSecuritas chief executive Paul Izon Reyes, CYDEF executive chairman Paul Hindo, OmniSecuritas president and general manager Bernard Gibbs and Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Peter MacArthur.

THE Maritime Industry Authority said over the weekend at least 38 shipping operators are set to increase passenger and cargo rates by up to 20 percent this month on high fuel prices. Lawyer Maria Rowena Hubilla, director of franchising service at MARINA, said two shipping companies in the National Capital Region would impose a 20-percent increase in passenger and cargo rates in April. She said 31 shipping operators in Central Visayas, would also charge a 20-percent increase in passenger and cargo rates this month. Feelisa Orongan, regional director of

MARINA, said five shipping firms in Western Visayas sent notice they would raise passenger and cargo rates by 20 percent. Fifty shipping companies nationwide raised passenger and cargo rates between 12 percent and 50 percent in March. MARINA said Republic Act No. 9295 provides for the deregulation of domestic shipping industry where domestic operators are given the right to fix their own passenger or cargo rates or both to encourage and attract new operators and foster effective competition to serve the public interest. “The directive of Secretary [Arthur] Tugade of DOTr, [is that] there shall be no

fare hike in view of the snowball effect, which will greatly impact the ordinary and common people,” Orongan said. Orongan said that DOTr was planning to include the maritime transport sector in the grant of fuel subsidies for the second tranche which is expected to be released in April. The DOTr earlier started to roll out the ﬁrst tranche of its P2.5-billion fuel subsidy to public utility vehicle beneﬁciaries amid soaring oil prices. Data from the Department of Energy showed that Dubai crude increased by around $8 a barrel from March 21 to 25. MOPS gasoline and MOPS diesel also went up by about $8 and $21 a barrel, respectively.

PMFTC certified top employer for three consecutive years; parent firm PMI also gets global recognition PMFTC Inc., the local affiliate of Philip Morris International, was certified as a top employer in the Philippines for the third consecutive year. This is a further acknowledgment of PMI’s excellence in people practices, firmly establishing the company among the ranks of employers of choice focused on meeting the needs of a globally diverse workforce. “The recognition of PMFTC as top employer in the Philippines for the third consecutive year is a strong endorsement of the

working environment that we constantly build at the company,” said PMFTC director of people and culture Andreea Chiriac. “PMI strives to design a workplace of the future; a culture that empowers and inspires people to do their best, celebrates diversity and well-being, and leverages on technology to deliver fast and amplify positive change to our employees and our stakeholders,” she said. “We are grateful and humbled to have received this recognition. We view it as an afﬁrmation that PMFTC is heading in the right

direction with the company’s commitment to provide a workplace that helps Filipinos thrive and hone their professional career. This inspires us to continue innovating to promote a positive and productive environment for our employees,” said PMFTC director of communications Dave Gomez. The top employer certiﬁcation is the result of an independent assessment by the Top Employers Institute, which recognized PMFTC’s parent company, PMI, as a Global Top Employer for the sixth year in a row. PMI’s afﬁliates were

also recognized as leading employers in 44 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia/Paciﬁc. Chiriac said, “the award was made possible through our consolidated efforts as an organization, along with our vision to create a smoke-free future, which has spurred the energy and passion of our 4,019 employees to deliver positive change for adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking, and for society.”

PMFTC director of people and culture Andreea Chiriac

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

Creamline turns back Choco Mucho, makes finals

Sports Members of the Creamline team, led by Alyssa Valdez, celebrate their return trip to the PVL finals following a 23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-15 victory over Choco Mucho.

Momentum on side of Gin Kings in finals By Peter Atencio

T THE start of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings were not in the best shape. Heck, they even did not expect to make it all the way to the ﬁnals.

They were in seventh place during the elimination round, with a dismal a 5-5 record following a 103-115 loss to the NLEX Road Warriors. Back then, Gin Kings’ coach Tim Cone felt their situation was unacceptable. Cone was worried after noting that some of his key players were struggling. “Japeth (Aguilar) and Christian (Standhardinger) were struggling, while they were on the floor together. Justin (Brownlee) was still trying to get his legs,” said Cone during the weekly program, “Power and Play.” The long layoffs due to COVID-19 restrictions have also somehow affected the performances of the Kings’ two

POC okays PH Ski and Snowboard Federation THE Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation is now a full regular member of the Philippine Olympic Committee family after two years of waiting, according to PSSF president Jim Palomar Apelar. Apelar announced that PSSF has been granted full recognition during the POC General Assembly in Tagaytay City last Wednesday, after the federation completed all of its necessary documentation, like the Securities Exchange Commission’s Certificate of Incorporation. “I would like to thank our president Abraham Tolentino and the POC family for granting us the full recognition as the legitimate winter snow sports body in the Philippines,” Apelar said, whose national sports association has become the 52nd voting regular member of the POC. Apelar joined the country’s lone Winter Olympics representative skier Asa Miller in Beijing, China last February 4 to 20, together with Chef de Mission Bones Floro, Nikki Cheng and Jobert Yu. “We will follow the same initiative of the POC to find the very best Filipino talents in winter snow sports, skiing and snowboarding all over the world, athletes who will bring pride and honor to our tropical nation. This is a great day for us,” Apelar, who is based in Los Angeles, California, added. Other PSSF officials aside from Apelar, who is the group’s chairman, are his son Jezreel Gaius Apelar (secretary general and vice chairman), Samantha Uichico (vice president and secretary), Charlie Walker (treasurer and financial secretary) and Angeline Marie Gervacio (board member and vice president for public relations).

best players. On the other hand, Brownlee was having trouble getting his game back after taking a long layoff with Al Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates Basketball League. While in the UAE tournament, the prolific Brownlee contracted COVID-19 and was sidelined for some time. “He was really out of basketball for a long time. He had a hard time trying to get himself back to peak form and in peak shape. And so, we were struggling, and he was struggling,” said Cone. The team eventually addressed their woes during one of the team’s huddles, when Cone challenged the

team’s leadership. “We challenged the leadership on the team. We brought the team together and told them that we have been through this. This is done, and we can’t do a thing about it. But we can work from here. And we talked about leadership, and how our leaders needed to step up,” added Cone. The Gin Kings eventually turned things around as they went on to beat the TNT Tropang Giga twice in the quarterfinals to reach the best-of-five semifinals against the NLEX Road Warriors, whom Ginebra beat in three of four matches to advance to the finals. “Momentum is really a fickle thing. You have it or you don’t. And we started generating a lot of momentum and kind of grabbed hold of that. And we’ve been going with it ever since,” added Cone of his wards who will be riding the crest of this momentum all the way to the championship round. Last Wednesday, Brownlee impressed

Tim Cone

with one of his best games in five conferences as he led the Gin Kings to another finals’ stint when he scored a season-high 47 points to help power Ginebra to a 11293 smothering of NLEX in Game 4.

Knights maul Altas, stay unbeaten DEFENDING champion Letran downed University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 68-57, to remain unbeaten in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Sunday at the La Salle Greenhills Gym. Rhenz Abando played his best game so far in a Knights’ uniform, as the highleaping swingman drilled in a NCAA career-high 24 points, to go with five rebounds, four assists and three steals. “Focused lang kami sa game,” Abando said in a post-game interview over GTV. “Lagi sinasabi ni coach na ituring natin na championship every game, kasi

Games tomorrow (La Salle Greenhills Gym) 12 noon – SSC-R vs Mapua 3 p.m. – EAC vs CSB hindi talaga kami makakabawi ‘pag natalo kami.” Letran is bracing for a tough twogame stretch, as it faces Intramuros neighbor Mapua on Friday before taking on long-time rival San Beda in a rematch of the 2019 Finals on April 12. Mark Sangalang and Allen Mina each had 10 points, while big men Christian

Fajarito and Jeo Ambohot grabbed 11 rebounds apiece for the Knights. Abando scattered 10 points in Letran’s 26-point third quarter to erect a 54-36 advantage and never looked back. The Altas fell to 1-2, as second year guard, as Jielo Razon had a frustrating afternoon. After dropping 22 points in last Friday’s 58-63 loss to San Sebastian, Razon went scoreless, missing all five attempts from the field. Jeff Egan paced Perpetual with 15 points, while Kim Aurin contributed 12 points and six rebounds.

ITS will and character tested, Creamline took Choco Mucho’s challenge to heart, battling back from a set down and pounding out a 23-25, 25-19, 2518, 25-15 victory to clinch the first championship berth in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference in Pasay yesterday. The big crowd were back at the MOA Arena and so were the Cool Smashers in the finals as the 2018-19 champions came away with two decisive scoring runs in the last two sets, the first shattering a 15-all count with a six-point roll and the other breaking a 7-all game with a seven-point binge for a pair of breakaway romps. Creamline, which failed to make it three-in-a-row in the league’s centerpiece event after losing to Chery Tiggo in Ilocos Norte last August, awaits the winner in the other semifinal duel pitting Cignal HD and Petro Gazz, which are still playing at presstime. Game One of the Finals will start Wednesday, also at the MOA Arena. A victory by Petro Gazz will set a knockout match for the other finals berth today (Monday). Creamline also subdued Choco Mucho in four, 25-18, 17-25, 25-19, 2511, in Game One at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan last Friday. While the Flying Titans surprised the Cool Smashers with their solid net defense in the opening set that saw them produce seven blocks against their rivals’ one, the latter went to their vaunted power game, raining Choco Mucho with 62 attacks points, 26 more than their sister team. “We’re thankful that we were able to recover from our first set loss. We came up short but the team’s maturity and chemistry are there. We only have to play our game,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses. And play they did. The high-flying, jump-serving Tots Carlos stood at the forefront of Creamline’s offense with 23 points, including 19 attacks, while Jema Galanza unloaded 16 attacks and finished with 18 points and skipper Alyssa Valdez backed them up with a solid 17-hit effort. Pangs Panaga added 10 points, making her presence felt at the end of the fourth set where she pumped in back-toback attacks that likewise exposed the Flying Titans’ inability to respond to the Cool Smashers’ quick plays. “We really trained hard and studied Choco Mucho’s play,” said Galanza, named the best player of the game that actually produced a lot of heroes for the Cool Smashers, who drew inspiration from and lived through the roars of the crowd all game to mark their return to the Open finals for the fourth straight year. It was a sorry setback for the young Flying Titans, who had appeared headed to extending the series with an impressive win in the opening set. But they slowed down in net defense in the next two, scoring just two in the second and had zero blocks in the third. Kat Tolentino finished with 14 points while Des Cheng scored 13 points, the last two kept the team in the hunt at 14-20 and 15-22. But the Cool Smash-

Army Navy Club 200 conquers BOSS Ironman Challenge THE Army Navy Club 200 conquered the 1,200-kilometer 2022 BOSS (BMW Owners Society of Safe Riders) Ironman Motorcycle Challenge XVI with flying colors and plenty of time to spare. Participants of the taxing ride from the Laus Group Event Center in San Fernando City in Pampanga on Monday to Vigan, Sanchez Mira, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Dipaculao, Aurora and back the following day had to finish the challenge between 16 to 24 hours. The Army Navy Club 200 answered the starting gun at 9:15 p.m. and arrived at the starting point at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, accomplishing the challenge in just 16 hours. Members of the elite motorcycle club, namely Hubert Soriano, Ren Sy, RG Romero, Julius Avenido, Ali Khatibi, Bong Fantillanan, Rene Tayag, Ali Khayam, Noel Policarpio and Roberto Cojuangco arrived in intervals of 5 to 10 seconds ahead of everybody else. “The challenges are physically exhausting because we had to ride overnight with no sleep. Checkpoints were in place to check individual time,” said

Members of the Army Navy Club 200, led by Hubert Soriano and Ren Sy celebrate their BOSS Ironman Challenge conquest.

Romero, reigning champion of the 2021 Philippine Super Bikes Championship. “You need to prepare yourself riding in the dark, practice night riding.” Romero emphasized that even though they finished ahead of the 1,500-plus rider field, they kept their motto of safe riding by heart.

“There are a lot of riders/groups in other challenges that are fast, but not safe and makes mistakes easily. But we at the Army Navy Club 200 always preach safety first. This proves that the Army Navy Club 200 team is composed of riders who practice safe riding with zero accident during the event.”

“Besides, some of our Club 200 riders have already taken the Ironman Motorcycles Challenge about two to three times already,” he added. The Club 200 was formed in 1994 by six founding members, who were into sports bikes. The group has grown into 35 active members, chosen by invitation only. But an invite doesn’t assure one of outright membership as a prospective member has to ride every Sunday with the group, plus two long rides for six months before being accredited as a safe rider of Club 200. Club 200 members have undergone schooling from different safety riding schools abroad and most are Philippine superbike champions. “We have also done community services through medical and dental free clinic and tree planting activities. As a group that practices safety on the streets, we have also been lecturing on safe riding techniques,” Romero revealed. “Club 200 is also planning on holding a safe endurance race on racetracks, where there are no dogs and tricycles crossing.”

Sports

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

4 share lead at crowded Texas tilt

LOS ANGELES—Brandt Snedeker and Beau Hossler shot five-under-par 67s to join a four-way tie at the top of the Texas Open third round leaderboard on Saturday. Snedeker and Hossler’s matching scores left them on 10 under, alongside South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli and journeyman J.J. Spaun in San Antonio. Spaun, who carded a three-underpar 69, missed a golden chance to take sole possession of the lead but was left ruing a bogey six on the par-five 18th. Scott Stallings, who also carded a five-under-par 67, is one off the lead on nine under, one ahead of veteran Matt Kuchar on eight under. A cluster of nine players, including South Korea’s Kim Si-woo and England’s Aaron Rai, are tied for seventh on seven under. The crowded field sets the stage for a tense final round at TPC San Antonio on Sunday, where a place in next week’s Masters field at Augusta will be at stake in addition to a $1.55 million winner’s cheque. None of the top six players on the leaderboard after Saturday’s third round are in the field at Augusta. Snedeker moved into contention on Saturday after a late flurry of three birdies over the closing five holes. The 41-year-old, chasing his first

Ginobili, Hardaway elected into Hall of Fame NEW YORK—Argentinian legend Manu Ginobili and former NBA star Tim Hardaway were among 13 honorees voted into basketball’s Naismith Hall of Fame on Saturday. Ginobili, who won four NBA titles with the San Antonio Spurs and 2004 Olympic gold with Argentina, headlined the 2022 inductees. Ginobili spent his entire 16-year NBA career with the Spurs and together with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker made San Antonio one of the most dominant NBA teams of the early 2000s. He also won a Euroleague title in 2001 with Virtus Bologna, being named the finals Most Valuable Player. Hardaway meanwhile played 13 seasons in the NBA and won a gold medal for the USA at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Other inductees named on Saturday include WNBA icon Swin Cash, a four-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist in 2004 and 2012. Cash played on three WNBA championship teams during her 15-year career, winning two titles with the Detroit Shock in 2003 and 2006 and a third title with Seattle Storm in 2010. Another two-time Olympic gold medalist, Lindsay Whalen, joins Cash in the Hall of Fame. Other inductees named Saturday include college coach Bob Huggins, former NBA coach George Karl, and referee Hugh Evans. Former WNBA coach of the year Marianne Stanley was also among those honored. Enshrinement will take place at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, on September 9-10. AFP

PGA Tour win since victory at the 2018 Wyndham Championship, said he hopes to draw on his experience on Sunday. “I’ll pull on all those years of experience out here, get ready to relish the challenge,” Snedeker said. “Tomorrow’s not going to be easy, it never is to win a golf tournament. So knowing that going into it hopefully gives me a little leg up.” Hossler meanwhile staged a similar late charge to join the leaders, with a trio of birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th holes to move to 10 under 206 through 54 holes. It is reminiscent of Hossler’s 2018 Texas Open campaign, when he was amongst the co-leaders after three rounds and ultimately lost to Ian Poulter in a playoff after a triple bogey on the first extra hole. “I’ve just got to take it one step at a time tomorrow, try to get the ball in the fairway on the first hole, hit the green and hopefully get a couple things to my way, play a solid round of golf and I think I’ll be right there,” Hossler said. Spaun meanwhile shrugged off the disappointment of his last-hole bogey that cost him a one-shot lead. The 31-year-old world number 242 is optimistic he can hang with the leaders through the final round. AFP

Touring golf ladies face big test at Hallow Ridge Princess Superal will banner the compact field that includes last year’s Order of Merit champion Harmie Constantino and fellow leg winners Daniella Uy, Sunshine Baraquiel and Chanelle Avaricio

HE Ladies Philippine Golf Tour makes a stop in San Pedro, Laguna for the ﬁrst time in 10 years as it holds the ICTSI Hallow Ridge Challenge beginning Wednesday at the former KC Filipinas/TAT Filipinas course which underwent a major facelift last year to conform to championship standards. Now named as Filipinas Golf Hallow Ridge, the par-72 course situated on a sprawling lush hills is expected to provide a different kind of test for the touring ladies, who are coming off a challenging campaign at the tight, demanding Luisita layout in Tarlac last week. The contenders in this week’s P750,000, 54-hole tournament have already sampled the layout set up on a rolling terrain where fully-grown trees line up the fairways, noting the firm greens with subtle slopes and hazards that come into play in most holes, especially in the presence of wind, will be their main concern in pursuit of leg honors. “For me, it’s a different course, a chal-

lenging one, particularly in reading the greens with slopes,” said Princess Superal, who will banner the compact field that includes last year’s Order of Merit champion Harmie Constantino and fellow leg winners Daniella Uy, Sunshine Baraquiel and Chanelle Avaricio. The five leading players are all geared up for a three-day battle of shotmaking and iron play and a short game that has always been a key to any title run in the country’s premier circuit put up by ICTSI the past decade. “I have played Hallow recently and it’s interesting. I think it’s pretty long and tight compared to the other courses we’ve played last season,” said Constantino, out to atone for her joint

eighth place finish at Luisita. Amateur Rianne Malixi won the last leg of the 2021 LPGT season at Midlands last December and topped this year’s kickoff event in Tarlac, upstaging Constantino and Superal, respectively, although the two pros ended up pocketing the top purses in both events. But they sure want to nail the overall championship with a wide-open finish looming in this week’s title chase in the absence of Malixi, who left for the US Sunday to compete in at least three tournaments in the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) circuit as part of her buildup for the SEA Games in Hanoi next month. “I have played Hallow Ridge, but I don’t remember anything although I know it’s a challenging course,” said Uy, seeking a follow-up to her breakthrough win at the tough Langer layout of Riviera last year. “I have to be smart in my decisions when playing the course.” “I find the course challenging every time I play,” said Avaricio, who marked her first pro win via a seven-shot romp over Constantino and Chihiro Ikeda at

Riviera-Couples last year. “I think the challenge will be the tee shots and having the right misses or ball positioning on the course.” But if there’s one player likely to contend for the crown given her local knowledge of the course, it should be Marvi Monsalve, who had played the course in her jungolf days. “I have played Hallow Ridge when I was in junior golf. I’d say the course is pretty tough,” said Monsalve, still winless on the tour although she has had a number of strong starts but just couldn’t unleash the kind of finish to net a first championship. “It’s a tough layout with some narrow fairways and there are holes that you need to manage your shots to reach the green,” she added and, like the rest of the bidders, she has put emphasis on driving accuracy and putting. Others joining the title chase are Ikeda, Sarah Ababa, Florence Bisera, Apple Fudolin, Lovelyn Guioguio, Lucy Landicho, Pamela Mariano, Eva Miñoza, Majorie Pulumbarit, Gretchen Villacencio, Sheryl Villasencio and Korean Jane Jeong.

PLDT support seeks to bring PH volleyball to higher level THE country’s largest integrated network company PLDT Inc. is supporting the development and promotion of volleyball in the Philippines by signing a two-year deal with the Philippine National Volleyball Federation. Present at the ceremony were PLDT and Smart Communications President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT Home Senior Business Advisor Jeremiah de la Cruz, PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara, PNVF Secretary General Don Caringal, and national team captains Johnvic de Guzman and Aby Maraño. “The PLDT group has always been big in sports, and we are happy to support volleyball in its aspiration to compete well internationally. Together with PNVF, we can continue our commitment in nation-building through sports,” said Panlilio, who also serves as the First Vice President of the Philippine Olympic Committee. “PLDT Home, along with the PLDT group, is keen on supporting all forms of sports by working at the grassroots level and developing our

promote the sport in the country. “This is a very good day for volleyball. I’d like to thank PLDT for their support to sports, particularly by bringing Philippine volleyball to a higher level. The backing of PLDT makes us more enthusiastic and energetic. We have a lot of young players coming in, so it inspires the youth. And with PLDT there, it gives more chances for volleyball to shine,” said Suzara. Suzara also wants to further promote the sport as a family-oriented event. Currently, PLDT’s wireless unit Smart is able to bring volleyball and Filipino volleyball athletes closer to fans by streaming games on its platform, Smart GigaPlay. Panlilio also wishes the national athPLDT president/CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio (3rd from left) and PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara (4th from left) are shown after a recent signing ceremony. Joining letes the best of luck in their upcoming them are (from left) national team captain Aby Maraño, PNVF Secretary General tournaments. “They should be proud in Don Caringal, PLDT Home Senior Business Advisor Jeremiah de la Cruz, and national carrying the flag on their chests when team captain Johnvic de Guzman. they represent the country in these international events. We want them to really focus on their training and try communities. We are involved quite leagues,” said de la Cruz. extensively at the national level. We Under this deal, PLDT will work with their very best, with the support of the also have our professional volleyball PNVF in various efforts to train and federation and us at PLDT. Good luck team and in professional volleyball empower Filipino volleyball players and to all of you!”

Iga Swiatek: From shy Nadal, Guns N’ Roses fan to no. 1

Poland’s Iga Swiatek reacts after winning the women’s single finals at the 2022 Miami Open presented by Itaú at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Swiatek’s dream season continued as the incoming world no. 1 scooped her third successive WTA 1000 title, beating Naomi Osaka in the final. AFP

MIAMI—Iga Swiatek was once a bashful, teenage hard-rock fan who watched Rafael Nad al i n awe before stor m i ng to a memorable Grand Slam triumph at a bleak, Covid-hit autumn edition of the French Open in 2020. On Monday, she will be the new world no. 1. With Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” in her headphones, the Pole took to the clay courts of Roland Garros in October 2020. There was hardly anyone to applaud the teenager in that first year of the Covid pandemic as she swept to her first Grand Slam trophy without dropping a set to become the youngest winner since Monica Seles lifted the Suzanne Lenglen Cup in 1992. On Saturday, under the Florida sun, there were crowds to cheer the 20-year-old as she swept past four-time major winner Naomi Osaka in the Miami Open final, two days be-

fore officially taking her place at the top of the world hierarchy, on the throne abandoned by Ashleigh Barty. It was on the hard courts of the Australian Open in Melbourne that Swiatek played her first Grand Slam tournament three years ago, reaching the second round. A few months later, she only lasted 45 minutes in a fourth round defeat to Simona Halep at her first French Open. Everything started to come together for the youngster from Warsaw in 2020. A fourth round finish in Melbourne, third round at the US Open and then the delayed French Open her very first title on the main circuit with victory over Sofia Kenin in the final. Poland’s first Grand Slam singles champion was propelled into the top 20 in the world. Another turning point followed as Swiatek, who was still a diligent high school student in

2019, graduated in 2020. A relief for her, but also for her coach Piotr Sierzputowski. “(Before) tennis was not the main part of her life. It was difficult. Imagine, I had to practice at 7 in the morning, because she had to go to school afterwards. And she arrived tired, because she had had to study at night,” explained Sierzputowski. A situation that now belongs to the past even if, on the courts, the Pole remains studious, with in particular a psychologist who helps her prepare for matches. “She made me smarter. Thanks to her, my confidence level is higher,” Swiatek said of her psychologist. “Mental strength is particularly important. At the top level, everyone is capable of playing well, but the best are those who are strongest in their head.” AFP

Entertainment Can CARLO AQUINO move on in 30 days?

VERY WANG

NICKIE WANG

CREEN star Carlo Aquino’s romantic life is an open book that’s why at the press screening of How to Move On in 30 Days, a series made possible by a partnership between ABS-CBN and YouTube, he was asked if he had to go through a long process of moving on from his failed relationship with model Trina Candaza with whom he has a daughter. In January, reports circulated that Carlo and Trina called it quits following the latter’s cryptic post referring to knowing one’s worth after being separated from a partner. Then, Trina’s moving to a new home further prompted speculation that the two had already separated. The two then have stopped posting photos of each other on social media and neither of them went publicly to address the real score. “Moving on has no timeline, It’s a process. In time, mawawala siguro. Mawawala na lang siya eventually. Minsan nga, hindi mo alam, naka move on ka na pala,” was Carlo’s careful response. “Right now, I’m just taking care of the present para yung mga mali nuon hindi na magcatch up in the future.Yes, nalulungkot ako pero kelangan ko bang i-video or ilagay sa IG stories na malungkot ako?...Do I still love her? Love will not just easily go away,” he said making showbiz reporters just read

Maris Racal (left) and Carlo Aquino as Jen and Franco in ‘How to Move On in 30 Days’

Carlo shares that he relates with the character he plays in his new series Carlo Aquino during the grand media conference of ‘How to Move On in 30 Days’

Nickie Wang, Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

between the lines. Noting that the series he stars in opposite Maris Racal is also about heartbreak and moving on, Carlo admitted that he can definitely relate to the character he portrays in the story. The series revolves around the story of Jen (Maris), a vlogger in her 20s who suddenly gets dumped by her long-time boyfriend Jake (Albie Casiño). Jen’s heart breaks when she finds out that Jake cheated on her with Anastacia (Sachzna Laparan), a model and social media influencer. Jen struggles to cope with the breakup, gets drunk, and instantly goes viral on social media for causing a scene about her miserable situation and becomes known as “The Winarak Girl.” To help Jen move on, her best friends Anton (Kyo Quijano) and Sara (Jai Agpangan) convince her to download the ‘break app’ - a navigation app that will give her a step-by-step guide and useful tips that will help her move on within 30 days. Things will get complicated in Jen’s life when she is assigned as Jake’s handler and is tasked to accompany him out of town for his work projects. As she chronicles her exciting journey on her vlog, Jen bumps into a charming surfer named Franco (Carlo), who is also a professional boyfriend-for-hire. Jen will face a tough dilemma and will be forced to hire Franco as her fictitious boyfriend as she intends to fully heal from heartbreak. Directed by Benedict Mique and Roderick Lindayag, the series also stars John Lapus, John Arcilla, Sherry Lara, Phoemela Baranda, Poppert Bernadas, Hanie Jarrar, Elyson De Dios, Rans Rifol, and James Bello. This co-production with YouTube is the latest initiative of ABS-CBN to expand its digital content offerings and reach younger audiences while continuing to serve more Filipinos on various platforms. How to Move On in 30 Days premieres today and is available on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel.

Stars roll dice for Grammys gold as Vegas hosts music’s best Jon Batiste, the jazz artist and bandleader, has the most chances at Grammy gold at the 2022 gala

THE music world’s A-listers will hit Las Vegas for the Grammy Awards, where pop’s chart-toppers along with jazzman Jon Batiste will compete for the industry’s most coveted trophies. The US gambling capital is hosting the ceremony for the first time ever, after organizers postponed the original January 31 event over a surge in COVID-19 cases and then moved it out of Los Angeles. The timing of the Grammys just one week after Will Smith stunned the world by slapping Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars adds an extra layer of unpredictability to what is already usually one of the more bizarre nights

rapper Saweetie and experimental pop act Japanese Breakfast, among others. Like Eilish in 2020, Rodrigo has the opportunity to sweep the top four categories on the same night, which would make her only the third artist to do so. The first was singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. But it is Jon Batiste—the jazz and R&B artist and bandleader, who won an Oscar last year for his soundtrack to the Pixar animated movie Soul—who has the most chances at Grammys gold, snagging 11 nominations including in two top categories. The artist born into a prominent New Orleans musical dynasty will compete mainly on the strength of his album We Are and its rousing single “Freedom.” AFP

Fil-Am star Olivia Rodrigo is poised to make history at the Grammys

GMA Pinoy TV now leading international Filipino channel on social media

ARIAS ALWIN IGNACIO

Music man Ronnie Liang APART from being a singer, actor, model, influencer, Army Reservist, and licensed private pilot, Ronnie Liang makes the hearts of all jump and scream with his emotionally committed renditions of romantic songs. That heartfelt singing and the fact that he is o oppa-looking made a lasting impact on all who believed in his talent and people started to love the popular reality-talent search franchise Pinoy Dream Academy. Fast forward to the present, Liang holds court as one of the “JukeBosses”/judges of TV5’s (airing every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 6:30 p.m.). with OPM icons Rey Valera and Ariel Rivera, phenomenal chanteuses Jessa Zaragoza and Jona Viray, seasoned performers and sing-along masters Allan K, Ethel Booba, and comedian Bayani Agbayani. The man of music imparts how music and the many songs at present, play many important functions in his life. His taking the shower song: “Josh Groban’s ‘You Raise Me Up.’ It has always been my contest piece and when you take a bath, the acoustics of the bathroom, ang ganda di ba? The anthem also is the song I dedicate to my parents.” Classical piano tunes are his aural background when he does house cleaning. The sexiest song, Liang says is “Ricky Martin’s ‘She Bangs.’ The tempo is upbeat. The lyrics are engaging. Anyone who listens to it cannot resist the urge to dance and feel sexy. I sang it before in a concert, with matching costumes and dance moves. It was a pleasant surprise to many all who heard me sing it. It is now part of my regular repertoire.” “Ngiti”, of course, is dearest to his heart: “Every time I get to feel the realization that I have a hit song, it makes me tear up,” admits Liang. “Grateful that the song made a mark and was embraced and loved

on the showbiz awards circuit. Justin Bieber will vie for eight trophies at the ceremony hosted by late night television personality Trevor Noah, as will R&B favorite H.E.R. and singer-rapper Doja Cat. Grammys darling Billie Eilish is in the running for seven prizes. The same holds true for Olivia Rodrigo, a former Disney channel actress who exploded onto the pop scene last year with her breakout smash hit “drivers license.” The 19-year-old Rodrigo landed expected nods for her much-touted debut album Sour, and is a near shooin for the Best New Artist prize—she is up against Eilish’s brother Finneas,

Ronnie Liang

by many.” “All I wanted was that the song brings a smile to people who will listen to it,” Ronnie comes clean. “It is my gift to my audience, my followers. It becoming popular, ang sarap sa feeling, sa puso. The song is relatable. The experience and story in it, it does pull the heartstrings.” When a Sing-Galing contestant gets to perform it, Ronnie shares: “I can feel how nervous and pressured they are because they are singing it, with the original singer not only as an audience but a judge. They cannot even look at me. I appreciate all those who had the opportunity to sing it.” Being part of Sing Galing, Ronnie considers an achievement “We are like a counterprogramming to all the newscast that dominate the time slot,” Ronnie says. “We were all a nervous wreck when the show started. Slowly but surely, the audiences became apparent kasi gumanda ang digits namin sa ratings. The commercials, dumating rin. And then, our team monitors the social media buzz about the show. Encouraging ang appreciation. Now that we are on our second season, we feel proud and happy.” Liang carries on: “Aside from the obvious talents, of course, all the jukebosses do not scrimp in sharing our personal experiences, our career hurdles, how we perceived and overcame them. The anecdotes that the judges share, hindi siya scripted.” The show’s Season 2 excites Liang because he believes that majority of the contestants are confident, competitive, and determined to win. “What we are looking for is a singer who has charisma and that special kind of magic. Someone who knows how to tell the story of a song,” he ends.

GMA Pinoy TV is now the most followed international Filipino channel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. As of March 17, 2022, GMA Pinoy TV has amassed 1,889,466 followers on its Facebook page compared to its rival The Filipino Channel (TFC) which has 1,750,665 followers. On Twitter, GMA Pinoy TV has 103,754 followers compared to TFC’s 42,759 followers. GMA Pinoy TV has more than 247,208 followers on Instagram, which is 135,000+ followers bigger than TFC’s 111,568. In line with GMA Pinoy TV’s #StrongerTogether campaign, the channel continues to produce and publish engaging and informative content for its followers and fans in the digital space. On Facebook, Kapuso fans can be updated with the latest Kapuso shows and stars through GMA Pinoy TV’s digital series, Quick Chat. In its recent episode, Quick Chat interviewed Dingdong Dantes who hosts the world’s favorite game show, Family Feud. Meanwhile, Widows’ Web stars Carmina Villarroel, Ashley Ortega, Vaness del Moral, and Pauline Mendoza explained why they do not keep secrets from their families and loved ones. Last March 11, GMA Pinoy TV also held an online meet-and-greet entitled “March-Merizing FunCon.” The event was attended by the cast of Artikulo 247 bannered by Rhian Ramos, Kris Bernal, Mark Herras, and Benjamin Alves, and Mano Po Legacy: Her Big Boss starring Bianca Umali, Kelvin Miranda, and Ken Chan. EntrePinoy Abroad, another GMA Pinoy TV original on Facebook, was awarded last March 16 by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Migration Advocacy and Media (MAM) Awards 2021. It was hailed as the Best TV Special in the Television Journalism category.

On the GMA Pinoy TV YouTUbe channel, fans all over the world can subscribe to watch exclusive videos. In Kapuso 101, netizens can know more about their favorite Kapuso stars - how they were discovered, their notable programs, and their official social media accounts. In the Everything Pinoy playlist, subscribers can learn about Philippine history, culture, and tradition. The playlist features short videos like History ni Juan, Birthday ni Idol, Saya-wikain, Pamana ng Lahi, and Fili-pedia. GMA Pinoy TV’s interstitial “Global Pinoy Unlimited” which features updates on trailblazing, successful, and inspiring Filipinos around the world can also be seen on YouTube. It spotlights relevant community news and Pinoy headliners and their significant contributions to the community. The program received recognition in the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Migration Advocacy and Media (MAM) Awards 2021 as Best TV Interstitial under the Television Journalism category. GMA Pinoy TV’s Tiktok account now has more than 198.5k followers and 1.9 million likes, so you can definitely expect more funny, witty, and informative short videos from @gmapinoytv this 2022. Last February 1, GMA Pinoy TV also launched the #StrongerTogetherDanceChallenge

on TikTok to unite all Pinoys here and abroad against our common challenges – the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian hate, and the continuous fight for inclusivity. It now has more than 1.2 million video views across GMA Pinoy TV’s social media accounts. In March, Stronger Together: The GMA Pinoy TV Podcast opened its 2nd season featuring stories of outstanding Filipinos abroad. For its first two episodes, the audio show featured Fil-Canadian voiceover actor Eric Bauza who voices Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird and, other famous cartoon characters, and FilAm animator, writer, and director Bobby Rubio who created Pixar’s short film Float. The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, and the GMA Pinoy TV Facebook page. The theme song of GMA Pinoy TV’s latest station ID, “Stronger Together,” which was performed by Julie Anne San Jose and Sparkle’s all-female vocal group, XOXO is also available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music, and other digital platforms worldwide. This year, GMA Pinoy TV will continue to use its social media platforms not only to keep you updated with its latest programs, promos, and events, but also with information and entertainment that will bring you closer to the Philippines.

Fans from across the globe can enjoy watching their favorite shows on GMA on GMA Pinoy TV

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022

Life

Binalot na Cochi, a culinary masterpiece made of shredded cochinillo and adobo flakesin a bed of lettuce topped with atchara, red onion, and pork liver salsa

Buluan Balut Park GenSan’s newest world-class attraction

Buluan Balut Park is the ideal place to enjoy two Pinoy favorites while watching fountains come to life

HEN it comes to iconic landmarks in General Santos City, Baluan Balut Park stands out as a unique must-try experience. Here you can enjoy your favorite balut and penoy while enjoying the captivating water fountains brought to life with stunning lights of turquoise, violet, and green.

Opened to the public on December 23 last year, Baluan Balut Park is the brainchild of South Cotabato First District Representative Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles. Straddling the main highway connecting General Santos City to Sarangani Province, Barangay Baluan is home to the city’s numerous balut vendors. On Baluan’s Foundation Day, Congresswoman Bañas, along with husband Danny Nograles, first approached the idea of turning the barangay plaza into a tourist attraction. “Kap, your plaza is very ideal for development,” Nograles told Kap Armando Diamante. Initially, barangay officials thought the project would only include lighted pathways around the plaza with a fountain as its centerpiece. Congresswoman Bañas, however, knew it had to be something bigger and, more importantly, sustainable. “We wanted to build an iconic landmark for the city and at the same time create a permanent livelihood for our constituents,” said the amiable lawmaker from General Santos. “Our desire is for the park to become a catalyst for economic activity and development in this part of the city. We also hope to decongest our main business district by drawing more people here. Let’s give the people the service they deserve,” the public servant added. Since the park’s opening, demand has skyrocketed for the popular Pinoy delicacy and more supply is now brought in from nearby South Cotabato, Iloilo, and as far as Pateros.

To date, more than 120,000 eggs have been sold and average daily consumption is steadily rising. The park has many other food options as well. One of the best-sellers is Pastil, a popular Maguindanao treat that is steamed rice topped with dry shredded beef, chicken, or fish wrapped in banana leaves. The delicacy is a street food staple and is sold for 10-20 pesos apiece. Selling and consumption of alcohol are strictly prohibited inside and around the park’s premises. Balut Park is credited with driving growth and economic activity in the barangay by drawing in big crowds, especially during the weekends. “Everything comes from God. I am

The park now serves as an iconic landmark for the city while creating a permanent livelihood for the numerous balut vendors who live there

expand and operate in Metro Manila and other parts of the Philippines and Southeast Asia, promising the global charm of Filipino hospitality where luxury is experienced in the details of Filipino care. Down the line, NUSTAR Resort & Casino will have its namesake NUSTAR Hotel as the 6-star, ultra-luxury signature hotel in the entire complex that will open its doors to VIPs who are looking for a fresh and exciting luxury experience. NUSTAR will have a variety of entertainment spots that will cater to families, friends, and even business groups. With a never-ending aim to please, NUSTAR Resort & Casino’s convention facilities, performance venues, parks, and an impressive collection of retail brands treat visitors with an endless opportunity for unique and exciting entertainment. To date, NUSTAR’s luxury retail includes brands such as Rolex, Porsche Design, Beyond The Box, Clarins, and Chow Tai Fook. The resort will also have a Marina, theme park, and cinema as its signature family entertainment attractions. Finally, it will soon boast a Skydeck and a live performance theatre venue to give guests plenty of options for entertainment. NUSTAR’s SkyDeck offers visitors a picturesque view of As the first Integrated Resort Cebu City and the sea in Cebu and the rest of southern entertainment and leisure possibilities and Philippines, the resort invites promising a one-of-a-kind experience in the guests to explore an elevated lifestyle island of Cebu, the prime tourist destination in the new regional icon on the horizon. in the country. NUSTAR Resort and Casino is committed The NUSTAR Resort & Casino to consistently provide guests with a variety experience will captivate its guests. The of activities such as watching movies at the resort will house an eclectic selection of state-of-the-art cinema, enjoying the rides at food and beverage outlets that are both the theme park, or taking a leisurely stroll at foreign and familiar to the Philippine and the marina. There is also a plentiful choice international markets. For guests planning a of cuisines like the premium cuts that Il longer stay, the resort sees itself to be Cebu’s Primo steakhouse offers or the Cantonese nexus of hospitality with over 1,000 key favorites from Mott 32. rooms soon to unveil in its fold. Finally, there is an abundance of Fili, the first genuinely Filipino 5-star spectacles and curiosities to marvel such hotel will be perfect for discerning luxury as the resort’s Skydeck that’s soon to be travelers. It is envisioned as a chain that will unveiled and enjoyed by visitors.

Cebu’s new star player

The soon to open NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu aims to elevate luxurious and indulgent experiences

THE soon to open NUSTAR Resort & Casino is anticipated to elevate luxurious and indulgent experiences as it establishes itself as the key regional icon on the beautiful island of Cebu. Poised to attract tourists and those longing to escape the daily confines of routine, the resort – guided by its vision of delivering unmatched hospitality in the Philippines – will offer an exceptional service in entertainment, leisure, dining, retail, and gaming. Propped up to be the first Integrated Resort in Cebu and in the southern Philippines, NUSTAR Resort and Casino is eponymous to it being the new star player in the Integrated Resort industry. With an impressive set of business units under its wing, from premium hotels and upscale restaurants to luxury retail brands, the NUSTAR brand will signify the best in service and hospitality that will primarily cater to the Cebu and southern Philippine market and the rest of Asia. The name also alludes to the northern star that acts as a beacon. Much like the brightest star in the galaxy, NUSTAR Resort and Casino will be beaming as an island of new

grateful to the Almighty for blessing Congresswoman Shirlyn Bañas with the wisdom to come up with the idea for the Baluan Balut Park. We are truly blessed.” Kap Armand affirmed. Besides being the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines,” General Santos in partnership with Congresswoman Bañas and TESDA is positioned to become a major player in the balut industry currently dominated by balut giants Pateros and Bulacan by leveraging the use of modern technology and practices. Officials are now working to launch the first-ever Balut Festival in Mindanao to showcase this booming industry in the SOCCSKSARGEN region. The city is eyeing the world record for the largest number of balut eaten within a given timeframe. Indeed, much like Balut Park’s dazzling plaza lights, days and nights in General Santos City are now brighter and more hopeful than ever before.

Haliya, a culinary paradise

WHEN I first heard of Haliya, the new restaurant that opened at Nuwa Hotel, I immediately said to myself, “Wow, there’s a restaurant now that specializes in jam or jelly” because that’s what the word means to us, Cebuanos. But I found out later that the restaurant is named after the Warrior Goddess of the Moonlight, one of the most beautiful deities in Bicolano mythology. Certainly fit for a goddess, the plush 40-seater restaurant displays the touches of luxury Buron, a sinfully deliciously dessert in its well-appointed interiors, a characteristic of any Forbes Five-Star- made from glutinous rice with chocolate filling anddipped in dulce de leche sauce rated hotel. As I entered, I was immediately dazzled by two large festive murals by with Binalot na Cochi, which has Filipino muralist-painter Yana Ofrasio, shredded cochinillo (roast suckling pig) which fused patterns of the colorful and adobo flakes in a bed of butter lettuce vintas of Zamboanga and other elements topped with achara (pickled green depicting the celebratory spirit of Filipino papaya), red onion, and pork liver salsa. This was followed with the fiestas and the artist’s affection for colors. The impressive visual display of a slice mouthwatering kare-kare, made of 24of Philippine culture instantly gave me hour slow-cooked US Angus beef brisket, a hint of the richness of the Philippine asparagus, baby Baguio pechay and fried eggplant sitting on top of a luscious roasted cuisine I was about to partake of. Haliya’s modernized Filipino cuisine and crushed peanut sauce and paired with offers everyone a new culinary adventure. finely blended bagoong (shrimp paste). Popular dishes on Filipinos’ dinner tables I also had Adobo, which features twiceare made to stand out even more by the cooked chicken, garnished with foie gras, kitchen wizardry of Chef de Cuisine grilled pineapple, shallot confit, baby bok choy, marble Edmundo potatoes, set San Jose. He YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE in adobo glaze made subtle innovations on Did you hear about the first restaurant and enhanced 20 of the most that opened on the moon? It had great with golden crispy garlic w e l l - l o v e d food, but no atmosphere. chips. Of Filipino dishes course, I had by infusing unique add-ons and garnishing, using these delectable specialties with Tinapa the freshest mix of local and imported (smoked fish) rice which is cooked with aligue (crab fat) and tinapa salsa. ingredients. When Chef Ed declares that the Honing his 24-year culinary career in banqueting and all-day dining restaurant menu items in Haliya make customers operations in the Philippines and Middle experience Filipino dishes in a refined East, he was exposed to various cuisines setting, yet, still bannering the country’s elegant heritage and vibrant culture, I and techniques in international hotels. During the 10 years he worked believe him completely. One of the dessert items I tried was overseas, Chef Ed mastered his craft and reaped awards, particularly in live the Chichingka, which is bibingka and cooking competitions at the Horeca cheesecake magically blended together and Kuwait Culinary Show from 2013 to served steaming hot on a native burner. For 2015. In fact, in 2016, his first year as City those who don’t have to worry about their of Dreams Manila’s Chef de Cuisine of body sugar, I recommend the Buron, which banquets, he led his Dream Team to win is glutinous rice with chocolate filling, the gold medal in that year’s Philippine dipped in dulce de leche sauce. There are many other indulgent Culinary Cup. Haliya’s generous portions of classic choices of Filipino specialties to enjoy at Filipino dishes are served with creative Haliya and I assure you, when these start interpretations and surprising elements tickling your taste buds, you wouldn’t that excite the imagination of diners and care anymore which meaning of Haliya redefine the Filipino dining experience is most appropriate for this new dining to a new level. I really enjoyed venue. You’ll be too busy singing Hallelujahs with each delicious bite, as the dishes I ordered you find yourself happily levitating in for lunch. I culinary paradise! started Due to limited seating and restricted capacities for indoor dining, reservations are encouraged through 8800-8080 or guestservices@cod-manila.com For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@ gmail.com Have you ever tried Adobo this rich? It uses twice-cooked chicken garnished with foie

Cebu Pacific flies its 200 millionth passenger CEBU Pacific (PSE: CEB), the movement of goods across its widest Philippines’ leading airline, expects domestic network. CEB also celebrated another to restore over 100 percent of its prepandemic domestic capacity in April milestone today as it flew its 200 2022 after it ramped up its network millionth passenger on board one of with the easing of pandemic travel its 18 times daily Manila-Cebu flights. restrictions, marking a strong start for This route was the first ever flown by CEB back in 1996. its 26th year. Cebu Pacific operates the widest As the summer peak approaches, the airline has noted a 200 percent increase domestic network in the Philippines in its average daily flights for both covering 33 destinations, on top of domestic and international combined – its 14 international destinations. Its from about 100 flights per day in 2020, 74-strong fleet, one of the youngest in to about 300 at present. Flights from the world, includes two dedicated ATR Manila to key domestic destinations, freighters. CEB has achieved a 7-star safety rating such as Boracay and Cebu, have exceeded their 2019 flight frequencies. from airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 The airline compliance. currently It continues to operates 96 implement a percent of its multi-layered pre-pandemic approach to domestic safety, while capacity. The it operates improvement with a 100 has enabled percent fully CEB to vaccinated carry more crew – all passengers to ensure its and boost its Cebu Pacific President and Chief Executive every Juan cargo service Officer Lance Gokongwei (left), with flies safely and which means Department of Transportation Art Tugade (right), conveniently faster and awards the airlines’ 200 millionth passenger during on Cebu Pacific. more efficient flight 5J575 bound for Cebu