Manila Standard - 2022 April 7 - Thursday by Manila Standard

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

manilastandard.net

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

COMELEC FORMS ANTI-FAKE NEWS TASK FORCE WITH POLICE, NBI HELP

US, UK READY NEW SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA OVER UKRAINE DEATHS WORLD / B2

NEWS / A4

VOL. XXXVI • NO. 53 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BBM, Sara still top Pulse Asia Marcos at 56% leads Robredo by 32 points Duterte-Carpio ahead

by 36 points over Sotto

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja

By Jimbo Gulle

rontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has built a seemingly insurmountable lead in the second presidential survey conducted by Pulse Asia, the pollster’s research director said Wednesday, but Vice President Leni Robredo has gained nine percentage points from the last poll in what her spokesman said was the “turning of the tide.”

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio still held sway in the second vice-presidential survey conducted by Pulse Asia, results of which were released Wednesday with over a month left before the May 9 national elections.a Meanwhile, broadcaster Raffy Tulfo continues to lead candidates for 12 Senate seats, and four party-list groups were projected to earn the maximum three seats to the House of Representatives in the second survey conducted by the polling firm from March 17 to 21. T h e survey was conducted with 2,400 respondents and has a ± 2% error margin at a 95% confidence level, Pulse Asia said. Duterte-Carpio, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats chairperson, increased her lead over second-running Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, garnering a 56-percent preference rating or a three-percent increase from the previous survey. According to Pulse Asia, public sentiment regarding preferences for vice-president remained

Pulse Asia Research Director Ana Tabunda said despite Robredo's higher rating at 24%, she was still lagging behind by 32 percentage points compared to Marcos' 56%, with three complete weeks of campaigning left before the May 9 general elections. Although former senator Marcos’ preference numbers dipped from 60 percent, “his decline is not significant nationwide,” Tabunda said in an interview over ANC News Channel. The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard Next page

PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE

BONGBONG MARCOS JR.

MARCOS, Bongbong

56%

ROBREDO, Leni

24%

DOMAGOSO, Isko

PACQUIAO, Manny

LACSON, Ping

Rody rejects Alert Level 0 ‘until everything is alright’ By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night rejected proposals to shift the country to COVID-19 Alert Level Zero, saying now is still not the right time as there are still cases of infection in the country. "Many want to implement Alert Level] Zero. That cannot be

LENI ROBREDO

VICE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE

S E N ATO R I A L P R E F E R E N C E S GATCHALIAN, Sherwin 50.3%

ESTRADA, Jinggoy 36.5%

DUTERTE, Sara

56%

LEGARDA, Loren 58.3%

ZUBIRI, Migz

50.1%

EJERCITO, JV

SOTTO, Vicente III

20%

CAYETANO, Alan 56.4%

VILLANUEVA, Joel

43.9%

HONTIVEROS, Risa 35.6%

PANGILINAN, Kiko

15%

ESCUDERO, Chiz 54.4%

PADILLA, Robin

42.5%

BAUTISTA, Herbert 34.3%

ONG, Willie

VILLAR, Mark

BINAY, Jojo

42.5%

ATIENZA, Lito

TULFO, Raffy

65.6%

52.4%

35.9%

Bus terminals on Holy Week exodus alert

Duque to solons: Pass law making vax mandatory

By Vito Barcelo

By Willie Casas HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday urged Congress to pass a law making vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory. Duque made the statement as the number of Filipinos getting vaccinated against COVID-19 declined and as millions of vaccine doses are set to expire in the next few months. Duque, during the weekly “Talk to the People” of President Rodrigo Duterte, Next page

PROTECTING LEARNERS. The Department of Education and its partners, SM Supermalls and the United States

Agency for International Development (USAID), launch the BIDA Kid Program – a national campaign to support efforts for the safe resumption of face-to-face classes. From left: DepEd Usec. Wilfredo Cabral, DepEd Usec. Annalyn Sevilla, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Education Secretary Leonor Briones, USAID Mission Director Ryan Washburn, SM Supermalls Senior Vice President for Operations Bien Mateo, and DepEd Asec. Malcolm Garma.

BUS terminals nationwide will be put on “heightened alert” starting Friday to April 16 as part of the government’s preparation for the exodus of devotees and vacationers during the Holy Week and summer vacation. In a statement Wednesday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said its central office and regional directors were given orders to work with other government agencies in ensuring the security of commuters and proper Next page

Villar keeps no. 1 spot in billionaires row Comelec allows By Jenniffer B. Austria REAL estate tycoon Manuel Villar Jr. retained its top spot as the country’s richest with a net worth of $8.3 billion, based on Forbes’ 36th-annual ranking of the world’s richest people. The number of Filipino billionaires for 2022 also increased to 20 from the previous year’s 17. Villar, primarily engaged in real estate and retail development under several listed firms, is ranked 263 worldwide, a significant jump from his last year’s standing of 352. Ports and gaming tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. came in second with total net

worth of $6.7 billion followed by Henry Sy Jr. with total net worth of $2.8 billion. Andrew Tan, who owns diversified businesses including real estate, gaming and quick service restaurants, placed fourth with a total net worth of $2.8 billion. Sy siblings Hans ($2.6 billion), Herbert ($2.6 billion), Harley ($2.4 billion), Teresita Sy-Coson ($2.4 billion) and Elizabeth ($2.1 billion) as well as San Miguel Corp. president Ramon S. Ang ($2 billion) rounded up the list of top 10 Filipino billionaires. Other Filipinos who made it to the list include JG Summit Holdings Corp. Next page

resumption of fuel subsidies to PUVs By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Commission on Elections has exempted the release of fuel subsidies to public utility vehicle operators and drivers from the campaign spending ban. “The grant of the petition of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is subject to the strict implementation of the program, such as the submission of information on how the project will be implemented, the Next page

FIRST WEDNESDAY MASS. Catholic devotees attend the 7 a.m. mass inside the Baclaran Church in Parañaque City on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. Ben Briones

News

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Pope slams ‘horrendous cruelty’ in Ukraine

OPE Francis on Wednesday denounced the "ever more horrendous cruelty" against Ukrainians after reports of massacres and summary executions by retreating Russian invaders emerged from the town of Bucha near the capital of Kyiv.

"The recent news about the war in Ukraine, instead of bringing relief and hope, instead attests to new atrocities, such as the Bucha massacre," the Pope said during his weekly general audience at the Vatican. "Ever more horrendous cruelties, also perpetrated against defenseless civilians,

women and children. These are victims whose innocent blood cries out to heaven and begs for mercy," he said. Francis, 85, then stood and held up a Ukrainian flag that he said came “from that martyred city Bucha." He then folded the flag and kissed it. The discovery of dozens of bodies in

mass graves or littering the streets in Bucha over the weekend has sparked global outrage. Francis also deplored the "powerlessness of international organizations" in the face of Russian aggression. "After the Second World War, attempts were made to lay the foundations for a new history of peace, but unfortunately the old history of competing great powers continued," he said. "And in the current war in Ukraine, we are witnessing the powerlessness of international organizations". The Ukrainian army retook control of the key commuter town outside Kyiv

Marcos...

accelerate all the way to May 9," Gutierrez said. "What we are seeing now is the turning of the tide. With the help of our fellow Filipinos, we will win this,” he noted. Conducted from March 17 to 21, the survey’s results were released yesterday. It was the second done by Pulse Asia during the official campaign period for the May 9 elections. The first survey was conducted from February 18 to 23, or shortly after the campaign period started on February 8. The survey, however, noted that Marcos' bid was supported by "near to sizable majorities" across geographic areas (48% to 64%) and socio-economic classes (52% to 56%). “The gap between them is 32 percentage points, so if Bongbong Marcos loses 16 points and Leni Robredo gains 16 points. They will be statistically tied. So, you need a larger than 16 points decline for Bongbong Marcos and a larger than 16 points increase for Leni Robredo,” Tabunda said. Robredo saw her rating go up from the previous 15%, putting more distance between herself and third placer Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, whose rating dipped from 10% to 8%. Senator Manny Pacquiao settled at fourth with a 6% rating, down from the previous 8%, and Senator Panfilo Lacson got 2%, the same as before. According to Pulse Asia, the 2,400 respondents were asked: "Of the people on this list, whom would you vote for as President of the Philippines if the May 2022 elections were held today, and they were candidates?"

The latest survey has a ± 2% error margin, Pulse Asia said. Reacting to the survey, Marcos spokesperson Vic Rodriguez noted his candidate’s “strong majority preference rating at 56%” was “fueled by an equally resolute 53% trust rating as shown in the more recent Laylo survey.” “Although 32 days remain before the national and local elections, we entreat our supporters, volunteers, and campaigners to refrain from complacency and remain focused in achieving our common target of 70% presidential preference mark,” Rodriguez added. The Marcos camp recognized the overwhelming support of the people, as the Pulse Asia survey results clearly show, “but the challenge to make history shall remain kindled until election day, and even beyond.” “We shall not rest until the 70 % preference survey polls position is attained, until every vote is counted, and the aspiration of the Filipino becomes a reality,” Rodriguez said. As for the other presidential bets, Lacson said the survey does not reflect what he and his running-mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, are seeing in their own campaign. "What we feel on the ground is different from what the survey shows. We just cannot explain that is so," Lacson told reporters in Argao, Cebu as he continued to campaign in central Visayas. The three-term senator cited his recent visit to Tagbilaran City, the provincial capital of Bohol, where he and Sotto were warmly welcomed. The former national police chief said he is not disturbed by the surveys, and

as he and Sotto will continue their direct engagement with the people. For the Moreno camp, Aksyon Demokratiko chairman Ernest Ramel said it is unfair to characterize the latest survey as a two-way fight in a message to reporters. “On the contrary, it will be a 3-way race as evidenced by Mayor Isko being the top 2nd choice,” Ramel said. “By Friday, we will discuss before the media a more recent survey done a few days ago that shows it will be a three-corner contest, with Mayor Isko having the best possibility to increase his numbers as the election draws near,” he said. Among the key national and international developments that took place in the weeks immediately before and during the conduct of the Pulse Asia survey are: • The first presidential debate, held on February 27 and hosted by CNN Philippines, which Marcos did not attend; • The continuous decline in the number of reported COVID-19 cases and the placing of Metro Manila and other areas under Alert Level 1; • The temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court on the Commission on Elections for it to stop removing campaign materials displayed on private properties while the high court was hearing the petition filed by Robredo supporters against the poll body's "Oplan Baklas"; • The huge increases in the prices per liter of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene; and • The 36th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.

their choice for vice president (0.4%). Sotto scored 20% in the Pulse Asia poll, with Senator Francis Pangilinan at third with 15%, followed by Dr. Willie Ong with 5% and House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza with 1%. Manny Lopez got 0.3%, Walden Bello was at 0.1%, while Carlos Serapio and Rizalito David both received 0.01% scores. At the same time, Tulfo remained on top of the senatoriables list in Pulse Asia's survey, posting a 65.6% rating -a slight decrease from his 66.9% rating in February and 66.1% rating in January this year.

Tulfo was followed by Antique Rep. Loren Legarda with 58.3%, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (56.4%), Sorsogon Governor Francis Escudero with 54.4%, former Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar (52.4%), and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (50.3%). Other aspirants who have a statistical chance of earning a Senate seat are reelectionists Miguel Zubiri (50.1%) and Joel Villanueva (43.9%), actor Robin Padilla (42.5%), former Vice President Jejomar Binay (42.5%), and former senators Jinggoy Estrada (36.5%) and JV Ejercito (35.9%). With the “magic circle” of 12 given

the survey's margin of error are Senator Risa Hontiveros and former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista with 35.6% and 34.3%, respectively. In the party-list survey, Pulse Asia noted that ACT-CIS, Ako Bicol, Ang Probinsyano, and An Waray groups were poised to gain the maximum three seats to the House, as all scored better than 3.0 rating points. Senior Citizens Party-List, Gabriela, 4PS, and Ako Ilocano Ako would get two seats in Congress each, while 43 other groups were poised to earn a seat each, the pollster added after its March survey.

the COVID-19 vaccines are not permissible in their religious and cultural beliefs. Geography is also a challenge, he said. For instance, it would take six to seven hours of travel each time the vaccination team would go to the remote areas of Tawi-Tawi and Basilan. Galvez said the government aims to vaccinate a majority of BARMM residents. To date, there are 66,230,305 Filipinos who have already received two primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, with 12,208,931 eligible for booster shots. On Wednesday, an infectious disease expert said the Philippines is seeing some signs of COVID-19 endemicity despite the new threat posed by the recombinant variant Omicron XE. In a televised public briefing, Department of Health – Technical Advisory Group member Dr. Edsel Salvaña said endemicity is a gradual process a country goes through. “We can see the signs of endemicity here – the health system is not pressured, [admissions are] manageable, we have cure [for cases]) and we know how to prevent it with masks and vaccines. In a way, it’s becoming endemic,” Salvaña said. Daily coronavirus cases remain low, a step forward toward endemicity, he added. However, the public has to remain vigilant in using safeguards like the minimum health protocols to avoid a possible surge in infections. Health experts said the endemic phase means that the pandemic will not end with the virus disappearing. Even as the virus continues to circulate, enough people will gain protection from vaccination and from natural infection, resulting in less transmission and less COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. In his presentation to Duterte Tuesday night, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the country logged only 2,548 cases for the period of March 30 to April 5 – lower than last week’s tally at 2,643. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Duque...

proposal to replace vaccination cards with a booster card as a requirement starting in June. In other developments: • The Palace reported that a total of 3,760,983 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been wasted. At a Palace briefing, acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar presented the data coming from the Department of Health, saying that this was only 1.54 percent of the country’s total COVID-19 vaccine doses. • Duque said the Technical Working Group (TWG) and experts are set to discuss whether a booster dose should be added as a requirement for an individual to be considered as fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Their conclusions would then be presented to the next meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. • Education Secretary Leonor Briones said schools holding limited in-person classes should not be used simultaneously as COVID-19 vaccination sites. She said as more schools across the country have resumed physical classes, this was a precaution against the continued spread of COVID-19. She said vaccination sites should be separate from places where the classes are being held to minimize the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

From A1

bearer was “obviously not affected” by several issues being hurled against him, she said, adding that the “slight” increase of Robredo’s survey rating is not enough for her to catch up in the presidential race. “No, because the increase is not enough,” the survey firm executive noted. “It’s difficult to say, but there has to be a larger decline in the voter preference and larger increases in Robredo’s preference votes for her to be able to catch up,” she said. But Robredo's spokesperson, Barry Gutierrez, said it is now established the Vice President has the momentum that is expected to "intensify and accelerate all the way" to election day. “The survey numbers are starting to reflect what we have been seeing on the ground all along: the massive crowds, the fierce passion, the untiring commitment of Filipinos from all walks of life, coming together to rally behind Leni Robredo's bid for the presidency," he said. In the Pulse Asia's March survey, Gutierrez noted that support for Robredo rose 13 percent among Class C voters, 10 percent in Class D, and 9 percent in Class E – the classes that form the bulk of the country’s 67 million registered voters. "This 13-point swing going into the last two months of the campaign clearly establishes what we have long known: that VP Leni has the momentum, which we expect will only further intensify and

Duterte-Carpio... From A1

"essentially constant" between February 2022 and March 2022. President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter was the favored vice-presidential candidate of big pluralities to overwhelming majorities across geographic areas (44% to 83%) and socio-economic classes (55% to 63%), the pollster added. The rest of the respondents were undecided on whom to elect as the next VP (2%), were not voting for any candidate for the post (1%) or refused to identify

Rody... From A1

done because there are still areas with Covid-19 cases," Duterte said in his prerecorded “Talk to the People” Tuesday night. “Alert Level 1 would still be our good buffer, until such time when we record just one case or two cases all over the country. We will not lift that until we are very sure that everything is really all right.” The President pointed out that other countries that eased their restrictions such as the United States and Japan saw another increase in COVID-19 infections. The President said further easing the restrictions is risky as new variants of COVID-19 are being identified in other countries. The President also reminded the public to still follow public health protocols, especially the wearing of face masks, which he called the “most basic and fundamental gadget” to guard against the virus. The government’s pandemic task force had earlier announced that it would discuss the parameters of an Alert Level Zero as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country continues to drop and critical indicators, such as health care utilization rate, remain in the low-risk classification. During the same broadcast, the chief implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said the government is keen to address the low daily vaccination rate, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Galvez said both the World Health Organization (WHO) and Department of Health (DOH) have raised alarm over the possible surge of COVID-19 cases in BARMM, which has the lowest vaccination rate among 17 regions in the country, with only 25 percent of its target population inoculated. Galvez said some Muslims were refusing to get vaccinated over concerns that

From A1

said the government had already exhausted all means to inoculate Filipinos. “The government is already doing everything, Mr. President. I can't imagine what else we haven't done yet,” Duque said. He said the DOH would welcome it if Congress could “muster the political will” to make vaccination and booster shots mandatory, as it is in other countries. Duque admitted that such a move would be “very controversial” but expressed hope that the public would understand the country’s COVID-19 situation. He said the government bought vaccines to protect the public, but it cannot compel people to get vaccinated. In January, the Department of Transportation implemented a “no vaccination, no ride” in public transport in Metro Manila, but the Public Attorney’s Office said the policy was unconstitutional and discriminatory. Duque asked candidates in the May 9 elections to include in their platforms the importance of getting COVID-19 jabs. Also on Wednesday, presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said business groups supported his

Bus... From A1

observance of protocols in all bus terminals. “We are expecting a massive influx of passengers because of the Holy Week,” the LTFRB said. Under the program, dubbed “Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Summer Vacation 2022” of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the LTFRB would carry out random inspections of buses to ensure their roadworthiness and the safety of passengers. Commuters in the NCR and neighboring

just a few days ago and said it had found the bodies, some with their hands bound behind them, after Russian forces pulled out. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called the killings "war crimes" and "genocide" and Western countries have ramped up sanctions against Russia in reaction to the deaths. But the Kremlin has denied the accusations and claimed the images emerging from Bucha and other towns are fakes produced by Ukrainian forces, despite reports coming from various independent journalists at the scene of the massacre. China on Wednesday called reports

of civilian deaths in the Ukrainian city of Bucha "deeply disturbing" as international condemnation grows over the massacre in the town. Beijing has throughout refused to condemn Moscow's invasion, now into its fifth week, as it treads a diplomatic tightrope between backing its close ally and maintaining ties with the West. But when asked about the reported discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves or littering the streets in Bucha over the weekend, China said the "reports and images of civilian deaths in Bucha are deeply disturbing." AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Comelec...

cities are advised to use the four major land terminals -- the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), the Santa Rosa Integrated Terminal (SRIT), and the North Luzon Expressway Terminal (NLET), and the Araneta Center Terminal. Malasakit Help Desks will be set up in integrated terminals and in areas near private terminals to provide information to commuters. Private terminals in the NCR are allowed to operate only from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in accordance with the “window scheme” being implemented by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the LTFRB said. Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte

From A1

parameters of the implementation, and the specific target beneficiaries, and how they will apply to avail of the grants of the programs,” Commissioner George Garcia said. The release of the fuel subsidies can resume next week once the Comelec en banc comes out with a formal resolution, Garcia said. The exemption also covers the release of fuel subsidies channeled through the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Garcia said the agencies and departments must “specifically mention the beneficiaries, how and when the project will be implemented, as well as documentation as to the compliance to the implementation before of similar projects.” The LTFRB's Pantawid Pasada program seeks to provide P6,500 worth of fuel subsidy each to some 377,443 PUV drivers. Earlier, independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson questioned the suspension of the fuel subsidies. "Unless there is jurisprudence along that line, I don’t think the national government should be covered by the election ban on providing social services to our people especially at a time when the prices of fuel continue to go up," Lacson said. Lacson said the fuel subsidy was a "call of the times," adding the continued rise in the prices of oil threaten to crush those in the transport sector, as well as fisherfolk and farmers. "I do not see how that can be construed as vote buying," he added. Meanwhile, transport group Pasang Masda has filed a new petition seeking to increase the minimum jeepney fare from P9 to P14. This as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board last month denied the P1 provisional fare hike petitions of 1-UTAK, Pasang Masda, ALTODAP AND ACTO. The LTFRB Board explained it had to 'judiciously balance' the rights of the riding public who depend on the public transport system, vis-à-vis the right of the operators to financial returns. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Villar... From A1

president Lance Gokongwei ($1.6 billion) Jollibee Food Corp. chairman Tony Tan Caktiong ($1.3 billion), Monde Nissin Corp. president Betty Ang ($1.2 billion), and LT Group chairman Lucio Tan ($1.2 billion), Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc., (CNVRG) founder Maria Grace Uy ($1.2 billion), the Genomal brothers, Nari, Ramesh, and Sunder ($1 billion each), Alphaland Corp. chairman Roberto V. Ongpin ($1 billion) and Converge ICT co-founder Dennis Uy ($1 billion). In total, Forbes listed 2,668 billionaires worldwide with a total net worth of $12.7 trillion. This figure is lower by $400 billion compared to 2021 as the Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in fewer Russian billionaires. China’s crackdown on tech companies also led to 87 fewer Chinese billionaires on the list. is expected to spend the Holy Week in his hometown Davao City, the Palace said. “I would like to believe that the President will stay in Davao City as usual. In previous years, the President stayed in his home in Davao City,” acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said in a Palace briefing when asked where the President will spend the Lenten season. He said the President had spent most Holy Week celebrations in Davao City since he became president in 2016. However, in 2017, Duterte spent the Holy Week making a historic threecountry swing in the Middle East, specifically in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar.

News

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

P63m in fake items seized in San Juan By Othel V. Campos

HE 15-member National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR), led by the Intellectual Property Ofﬁce of the Philippines (IPOPHL), seized on Monday P63 million worth of possible counterfeit goods in Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan City. The operation, spearheaded by NCIPR member National Bureau of Investigation, led to the haul of 755 pieces of fake Louis Vuitton products. The activity is part of the NCIPR’s commitment to remove Greenhills from the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) list of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy. The shopping center is the lone market in the coun-

try that was included in the list. “Unless drastically changed, Greenhill’s reputation as a go-to for fake goods will damage our country’s reputation, eventually affecting our economic interests in the US and other trading partners that highly value intellectual property (IP) protection,” said IPOPHL deputy director general Teodoro C. Pascua. Following the raid operation, the NCIPR

also met with ofﬁcials of Greenhills’ management group to discuss and explore collaborative steps to wipe out counterfeit selling activities in its halls. Greenhills’ external affairs head and legal manager Isagani I. Elacio assured that the group will coordinate with the NCIPR for further action plans. Aware of the company’s perception among enforcement groups and its negative standing in USTR reviews, Elacio has offered to provide an in-site ofﬁce for NCIPR member staff to help educate Greenhills tenants and enforce IP rights protection. Also present at the meeting was a representative from the US Embassy to help clarify the USTR report and provide full support to NCIPR efforts. The NCIPR, along with Greenhills’ management, is expected to hold more ac-

tion plan meetings to respond to the growing counterfeit sales, Pascua said at a press conference IPOPHL held last April 4. One of the 35 physical markets the USTR identiﬁed as notorious for counterfeits in 2021, Greenhills has long been on the list for selling fake electronics, perfumes, watches, shoes, accessories, and fashion items. The NCIPR has heightened its watch on Greenhills, especially with the latest USTR report finding that counterfeit sellers in the mall are becoming more open with their illicit trade. To address the counterfeiting activities in Greenhills, IPOPHL has established a Technical Working Group (TWG) within the NCIPR. The TWG will soon be meeting with the local government of San Juan to explore collaborative work in stamping out counterfeiting city-wide.

After incursion, Palace insists Duterte will protect PH By Vito Barcelo MALACAÑANG reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte will always protect the Philippine territory and will uphold national interest following reports of a Chinese ship observing the country’s military exercise. Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) described the action of the China ship as violating national sovereignty. He said the DFA had already taken diplomatic action. “The President, while engaging in diplomacy in dealing with China, will always protect our territory and uphold our national interest,” Andanar said. An “electronic reconnaissance ship” of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) had entered Philippine waters without permission from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, the DFA said. The Chinese vessel claimed it was exercising its right to innocent passage and ignored the demands of the Philippine Navy’s BRP Antonio Luna to leave the area immediately. The DFA summoned Chinese ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian over the incident. The Philippines and China are among several nations locked in a territorial dispute over the South China Sea, part of which is being claimed by the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea. Duterte earlier said Manila and Beijing “do not have any quarrel” despite fresh incursions in the West Philippine Sea. “The Philippines and China, we do not have any quarrel,” Duterte told Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian during the inauguration of the China-funded BinondoIntramuros Bridge in Manila.

READY, SET, GO! French Ambassador to the Philippines Michele Boccoz (2nd from right) sounds the horn to start the Paris 2024 Olympic bike race in line with the International Day Sports for Development and Peace at Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila on Wednesday. The Philippines will be a part of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games.

DENR wants to create new team to probe Boracay waters By Rio N. Araja ENVIRONMENT Secretary Jim Sapulna on Wednesday ordered the creation of a new team to conduct study on the coastal waters of Boracay Island’s recurring algal bloom. “I am still forming a team. I want the study conducted by the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. We will work together to make the report credible,” he said. He justiﬁed that he wants another study with the help of UP-MSI to better understand the recurrence of algal blooms in Boracay’s waters despite lower coliform levels brought about by the ongoing rehabilitation of the island. He assured that the water in Boracay is very clean, saying he is focused on the completion of the rehabilitation of Boracay Island before his term ends in June. UP-MSI is one of DENR’s longtime partners in conducting research to protect the country’s marine ecology and biodiversity. In 2017, the DENR conducted its study of Boracay Island in before the island’s rehabilitation in 2018. Research by the DENR-Region 6 (Western Visayas), where Sapulna served as regional executive director, found that untreated wastewater was causing algal blooms in Boracay. Soaps and detergents being ﬂushed out to the sea have also been named as suspects behind the recurrence of green algae in the country’s top tourist destination. As of February, the coliform level in Boracay’s front beach was measured at 11 most probable number per 100 milliliters (mpn/100mL). He said that only showed that the island’s waters meet the water quality standard suitable for swimming, skin diving and other recreational activities.

Farmers hit DepEd for ‘lack of support’ DAIRY farmers lamented the lack of support of the Department of Education (DepEd) on a current proposal to source milk from multinational companies for the government’s School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP). In a letter to DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis-Briones, the Dairy Confederation of the Philippines (DCP) said Filipino milk farmers stand to lose the opportunity to earn P250 million from the policy. “This is in violation of the purpose and spirit of RA 11037. We strongly object to this sudden and unilateral implementation of the program under the 2022 GAA (General Appropriations Act) . The schedule will unfairly prevent the local farmers, cooperatives and local milk processing plants from supplying the milk requirements of the SBFP under the 2022 GAA,” said DCP director Danilo V. Fausto. RA 11037 or the Act institutionalizes the National Feeding Program for Undernourished

Children in Public Day Care Center, states unequivocally that as far as practicable, milk for the SBFP shall be sourced from local farmers and processors. The national feeding program schools is scheduled to run from April to June 2022. Local dairy farmers, processors and cooperatives started serving the SBFP during GAA 2019 in the last quarter of 2020 and continued on to GAA 2020 and then to GAA 2021 which is currently ongoing. “They cannot possibly be expected to supply the GAA 2022 milk requirement in because the 2021 GAA is still ongoing and the milk is still being produced and delivered by them,” Fausto said. He explained that the milk feeding program for 2021 is still ongoing until June 2022 due to the delays caused bu the pandemic. The proposed feeding program for 2022 will overlap with the ongoing milk feeding using the budget for 2021. Othel V. Campos

MOTORCYCLE BASICS. A motorcycle driving instructor teaches students from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) the technique of proper motorcycle driving at the launch of the Basic Motorcycle Driving Program by the TESDA and motorcycle ridehailing company Angkas on Wednesday. Danny Pata

PUP, MMDA sign agreement on scholarship programs By Joel E. Zurbano THE Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) has signed an agreement with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) offering continuing tertiary education through a scholarship program for qualiﬁed employees. MMDA chairperson Romando Artes said the free scholarship program is aimed at providing employees of the agency the opportunity to advance their careers by investing in professional

development programs for them. “The goal of this partnership with PUP is to offer study grants to our employees. Through this program, we can give our employees a chance to continue, sustain, and complete their bachelor’s degrees and further advance their careers in the agency,” Artes said during the ceremonial signing ceremony. “We urge qualiﬁed employees to avail of the program that would help develop their skills and knowledge,” Artes added.

PUP president Dr. Manuel Muhi, for his part, said that the partnership is an avenue of collaboration in sharing and exchanging values and academic programs. “We are thankful to the MMDA for recognizing the university’s expertise in conducting baccalaureate, post-graduate, and continuing professional development programs. These will contribute to the capability and provision of the necessary foundation for further professional education and training of the MMDA employees,” Muhi said.

Lawyers urge Tulfo to stop ‘maligning’ PAO to get votes By Rio N. Araja MEMBERS of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Central Luzon on Wednesday asked senatorial aspirant Raffy Tulfo to stop maligning the Public Attorney’s Ofﬁce (PAO) just to woo voters. In a statement, the IBP-Central Luzon chapter, led by its governor Peter Paul Maglalang, said PAO has been doing its job well to assist its indigent clients, and that they could attest to the truth that PAO has never failed to appear before inquest proceedings. Maglalang, vice governor Leonardo Bernabe and IBP-Cagayan chapter president Girlie Cuntapay backed PAO chief Persida Acosta’s demand of public apology from Tulfo. “Clearly, Mr. Tulfo’s statements are misleading. He disregarded those readily available data to paint a backdrop that would justify the structure of his program, in which he, not being a member of the bar, interprets legal issues according to his whims,” Maglalang said. “We take this opportunity to highlight the sacriﬁces of the 203 public attorneys in Central Luzon and the rest of all public attorneys in the country who, at the height of COVID-19 pandemic, have continuously risked their own health and safety as well as of their families to ensure that a PAO lawyer is available 24/7 to render inquest and custodial investigation assistance,” the group’s statement read.

SEEKING A DIALOGUE. Members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers troop in front of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) building in Intramuros Manila to demand a dialogue with officials regarding concerns including but not limited to the 20-percent tax on their honoraria and allowances, overtime pay, medical support for COVID-19 positive poll workers, and other safety and support mechanisms. Danny Pata

Cayetano: Govt should earn more from e-sabong By Maricel V. Cruz SENATORIAL aspirant and Taguig City Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano has questioned the revenue scheme being implemented for online cockfighting, saying the government should be earning more than e-sabong operators and not the other way around. Cayetano made the statement as he noted that based on the Senate hearing on e-sabong on March 4, 2022, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) stands to earn only P7.6 billion a year while e-sabong operators can earn around P36 billion. Cayetano said under the current setup, the operator only pays the government P12,500 per cockfight and keeps the rest of the earnings. “This is in stark contrast to the way the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) operates lotto, in which it gives the operator, Berjaya Philippines, Inc., a fixed amount of P5.8 billion for a lease period of five years for its technical know-how and software to operate the lottery,” he said. The licensees and agents who accept the bets, however, deal not with Berjaya but directly with PCSO, which earns 20 percent from ticket sales. An additional 20 percent tax on ticket sales goes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). “If the government says it needs funds, this is the model. Before the pandemic, lotto earned P18 billion a year. In five years, (it should earn) P90 billion, but it pays Berjaya only P5.8 billion,” Cayetano said. “So may I humbly submit that we prohibit it (e-sabong), but if we really need the funds, we [the government] do the contract,” he said. Cayetano said the contracts for online gambling are not ordinary contracts that cannot be amended. At the same time, Cayetano warned PAGCOR officials that they risk being sued for “entering into a contract grossly disadvantageous to the government” if they continue with the current setup.

Isko to boost STEM, agri courses to make Mindanao more competitive MANILA Mayor and Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso on Wednesday said that if elected president, he would invest in Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Agriculture courses to enable Filipino students in Zamboanga del Sur to become competitive with other countries, as well as ensure food security in southern Philippines. “Well as a general rule, we will invest in the STEM education program-Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics—and agriculture because (during) my travels around the Philippines I really saw the hardships of the farmers. They are the ones who feed us really hard, they are the ones who give us the assurance that what we eat is sustainable and that we are not dependent on imports,” Moreno told reporters in Pagadian City after his courtesy call on Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Victor Yu | Moreno maintained that reinforcing agriculture courses in Zamboanga del Sur is very important considering that the province, like almost all of the rural provinces in the Philippines, is mostly reliant on agriculture for the bulk of its economy. The 47-year-old presidential candidate pointed out that investing in STEM

News

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 courses and in Agriculture would ensure that college students taking the course would be better equipped with the technical know-how so they can compete with their foreign counterparts. “So STEM will be STEAM. S, T, E then there is A plus M. A is for agriculture which we will return as part of the curriculum on how people can earn a living by farming or planting,” Moreno pointed out. Moreno said with many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning hom, there is also a need to reintegrate them back into the community. “They may have some savings or a house while others don’t have one. How can we integrate them? That’s two things, they can make a living through DTI or go back to planting, to agriculture. They need a government again and again, the Department of Agriculture. It seems that these are the things we should be thinking about rather than just the quarrels between politicians, between two families. It looks like they are the only ones,” Moreno explained. After a four-day break from his campaign sorties, Moreno hit Zamboanga del Sur with a series of motorcades BLUE BALLOONS FOR ISKO. Presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno greets his supporters during a moand town hall meetings as part of Team torcade around Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur on Wednesday. He also met with his supporters at Saint Columban College Isko’s strategy to win voters. during his campaign sortie in the city. Norman Cruz

Comelec to run after fake news purveyors with PNP, NBI help T By Vito Barcelo

HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has created “Task Force Kontra Fake News” that will go after fake news meant to undermine the electoral process, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said in a press briefing.

“That is our, to make a point, that we are so desirous in eliminating any attempt by anyone, by any individual to destroy the credibility of our electoral process,” Garcia said. “Any misinformation directed against the integrity (of the Comelec), we will go after them. We will file a case against them,” he added. Garcia warned the public against false information usually spread through social media. He said the Comelec would tap the National Bureau

Quezon City congressional bet faces vote-buying raps MEMBERS of progressive groups on Tuesday sued Quezon City congressional candidate Rose Nono Lin and several others for alleged vote-buying under the pretext of ‘ayuda’ (cash aid) or scholarship. A total of 30 people from Koalisyon Novalenyo Kontra Korapsyon and Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan ng Bagbag lodged the complaint before the Commission on Elections (Comelec), claiming to have witnessed the “massive vote buying operations,” a CNN report said. “Even before the filing of respondent Lin’s certificate of candidacy and beyond March 25, 2022, when the official local campaign period started, respondents undertook a concerted and coordinated scheme to buy the votes of tens of thousands of Novaleños,” the complaint stated. “Even now, the vote buying scheme continues in one of the many headquarters,” it added. Lin’s16 co-accused were only as her “close associates” in Barangay Sta. Lucia and Barangay Novaliches Proper. The complainants said some were barangay councilors while others were private individuals acting as “barangay coordinators.” Comelec Commissioner George Garcia vowed the poll body will immediately issue a subpoena to proceed with the preliminary investigation into the allegations. “We will afford due process to all, and we will not allow our judgment to be swayed by publicity or popularism. Ours will be guided only by the evidence presented and the law applicable based on the given facts,” he said. Comelec earlier warned that cash distribution by candidates, even in the form of “aid,” will be considered vote-buying once the campaign period starts, although it noted a complaint is needed to prosecute violators. The congressional candidate is the wife of Lin Weixiong, identified as the financial manager of controversial government supplier Pharmally. She herself has been linked to the Pharmally controversy.

of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for investigation and to ensure that people behind the fake news would be prosecuted. “We will utilize the full force of the law, including the combined forces of the PNP and the NBICybercrime to track down these individuals,” Garcia stressed. He clarified though that Task Force Kontra Fake News will not go after individuals who criticize or oppose the Comelec. Garcia said the creation of the task force would enable the poll body to better investigate and file appropriate charges against those who spread rumors that undermine the integrity of the election process. An example of such false reports is the rumor that official ballots have been illegally obtained from the National Printing Office (NPO) and are now circulating in public. Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday said his department will help the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Iin going after peddlers of fake news that may undermine the integrity of the poll

body and the election process. “Purveying false news that affect public interest or public order is a criminal offense that falls squarely within the mandate of the DOJ/NBI to investigate and prosecute,” Guevarra said. Guevarra made the statement after Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said he would seek the help of the NBI and the Philippine National Police to go after purveyors of fake news. As in the case of the Comelec’s campaign against vote buying, the DOJ is ready to extend help to the poll body, he said. With 33 days left before the May 9 national and local elections, Garcia said the creation of such a task force would enable them to better investigate and file appropriate charges against those who spread rumors that may raise questions on the integrity of the electoral process. He cited the false reports circulating in the social media that claim that a number of official ballots have been illegally obtained from the National Printing Office (NPO) and are now circulating in public.

Lacson: To stop corruption, LGUs should get bigger share of budget PRESIDENTIAL candidate Sen. Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson believes corruption could be stamped out if public officials do not feel the need to steal. If elected president, Lacson said, he would enforce a 15-85 partition of the national budget, the lion’s share of which goes to local government units (LGUs). Lacson outlined his ideas in a radio interview on Wednesday in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. Asked about his strategies to reduce graft and corruption at the LGU level, Lacson said he would institute singlestandard policies from the top. The presidential aspirant looked back to his own experiences when he led the Philippine National Police (PNP) from1999 to 2001 and how he man-

aged its contingency and discretionary funds. One of his first orders of business was to address cases of corruption in the PNP. Lacson adopted a policy where 85 percent of the organization’s annual budget allocation would be distributed to the regional units, leaving 15 percent for the national headquarters to spend. “Because at that time, 60 percent (of the funds) were at the headquarters, only 40 percent were going to the frontline units. I said, this cannot be, because without proper funding, the police would be tempted to extort money. So, I said, the headquarters would only take 15 percent, 85 percent (would go to regional offices),” Lacson said. He also said during his watch, the discretionary fund (also known as command

reserves) was pegged at P100-million. He refused to spend it for himself and instead redirected the budget for the financial assistance of uniformed personnel killed in the line of duty. Lacson also used to instruct his comptroller, then PNP Chief Superintendent Romeo Acop, to send money to regional units for their command conferences, so they would not go into so much trouble of allocating a portion of their own budgets just to host him and his team during such events. Lacson also talked about his refusal to use a company credit card for his own business expenses or personal consumption. He said he saw no need for it because he was never the type of leader who would spend lavishly on personal things. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Retired junior police officers, soldiers rally behind BBM

By Rey E. Requejo CONVINCED that presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos is the best man to lead the country towards progress in the next six years, some 500 retired junior police officials and soldiers on Wednesday issued a manifesto expressing their support to his candidacy. The support came barely a few weeks after more than 100 former chiefs of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and chiefs of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as well as retired generals, also announced their support for Marcos. “We are retired soldiers, police and Navy who have sacrificed our talents and if necessary our lives as sergeant majors, police executive senior police officers, master CPO of the Coast Guard and senior non-commissioned officers, towards peace, safety and development of our country the Philippines wholeheartedly, support the candidacy of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos who is running for president in the May 9, 2022 elections,” the manifesto stated. The document was submitted to the office ofthe Federal Party of the Philippines. Most of the signatories have the ranks of corporal, sergeant, master sergeant and lieutenant. The group expressed belief that Marcos’s call for national unity and reconciliatory leadership is the best way to lead the country to development and progress.

Ifugao solon cites Robredo advocacies for OFWs IFUGAO Rep. Teddy Baguilat on Wednesday cited Vice President and presidential aspirant Leni Robredo’s advocacies to decentralize and bring government services closer to the people. Baguilat said under Robredo’s plan, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) chasing their travel papers no longer need to go to Metro Manila to transact business with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and other pertinent government agencies. Baguilat, who is running for senator under the Robredo-Kiko Pangilinan ticket, said Robredo earlier vowed to establish a migrant workers’ office in every province to bring the newly created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) closer to the people. “If VP Leni becomes president, you no longer need to go to POEA in the NCR or regional office to process your documents,” Baguilat said. DOING WHAT THE LOCALS DO. Vice President and presidential “You can all do this without leaving your candidate Leni Robredo gets in step with members of the Mangyan ethnic tribe province. No more long and expensive trips in Mindoro doing their traditional dance during her campaign rally dubbed and no need to look for a place to stay,” Ba‘Mindorosas’ at the town plaza of San Jose City, Occidental Mindoro.

guilat added. He said Robredo came up with the idea because “it is in her nature to be (on the ground) when talking about issues with the people.” He added that Robredo understands that whatever hardship an OFW faces is also felt by the family. “So she has hit the sentiments of the OFWs and their families during the last (presidential) debates,” the lawmaker said. The DMW would cover seven related agencies presently scattered and attached to different line departments, including the POEA, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administtration (OWWA), the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA) which is under the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, National Reintegration Center for OFWs, and the National Maritime Polytechnic, which are all attached to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).Macon Ramos-Araneta

Defensor unfazed by Belmonte-Robredo alliance QUEZON City mayoral candidate and party list (Anakalusugan) Rep. Michael “Mike” Defensor has indicated he was unfazed by the alliance between his main opponent, incumbent mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice President-now presidential aspirant Leni Robredo. “We expected their alliance from the start because they (Belmonte and Robredo) go back a long way,” Defensor said, referring to Belmonte’s open support for Robredo when the latter ran for vice president in 2016. Defensor said he was not bothered by Robredo’s decision to endorse Belmonte for mayor, as well as Belmonte’s support Robredo for president in the forthcoming May 9 elections. Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio earlier endorsed Defensor for Quezon City mayor.

Defensor sees the Marcos-Duterte tandem for president and vice president winning by a landslide in Quezon City, which has 1.4 million registered voters. “Our projection is that the Marcos-Duterte tandem could receive up to 64 percent of the votes in Quezon City, depending on the number of people that will actually go out and cast their ballots on May 9,” Defensor said. In the latest Pulse Asia survey conducted March 17-21, Marcos retained his big lead in the presidential race with 56 percent as opposed to Robredo’s 24 percent. The same survey showed Duterte-Carpio enjoying 56 percent voter support, whereas Robredo’s vice presidential running mate, outgoing Sen. Francis Pangilinan, was also way behind with only 15 percent.

MUTUAL SUPPORT. Party-list Rep. Michael Defensor, who is running for mayor in Quezon City, raises the hand of frontrunning presidential aspirant Ferndinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr during a rally in Quezon City. Defensor says he is unfazed by the alliance between his prime rival, incumbent QC Mayor Joy Belmonte and Vice President Leni Robredo who is running against Marcos for the presidency in the May 9 polls.

Opinion Raising unpaid tax issue is perfectly good politics

LAST week I drew on the political experience of the United States to illustrate a point regarding this country’s coming election, namely the finding by a major opinion-survey institution that one of the candidates for the presidency, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., enjoyed a commanding lead over his nearest rival, Vice President Leni Robredo. I reminded Manila Standard readers eligible to vote on May 9 – and the rest of this country’s voting population – of the US presidential election of 1948, in which Democratic incumbent Harry Truman, who after having been declared the likely loser by the opinionsurvey industry, humiliated the pollsters by defeating the popular and highly competent Republican candidate, New York governor Thomas Dewey. That colossal blunder of the opinion-survey industry is still remembered by American politicians today, almost eight decades after its occurrence.

‘It’s the estate tax, stupid.’ For this column I’m going to draw on another piece of American political experience to drive home a point related to one of the issues that have been raised against the fitness of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to be president of the Philippines. The 1992 US presidential election saw the ambitious young Democratic governor of the southern state of Arkansas, William Jefferson Clinton, challenging the re-election bid of President George H. W. Bush. Clinton’s campaign strategists determined that the biggest weakness of Mr. Bush’s platform was the US economy, and so they wrapped the governor’s campaign strategy around that issue – more precisely, the weak state of the world’s No. 1 economy. “It’s the economy, stupid!” quickly became the slogan of the Clinton campaign. As history now shows, the catchy slogan became the spearhead of the Arkansas governor’s successful challenge to Mr. Bush’s reelection bid. The Bush people could immediately have stood up and angrily declared “It’s all about politics.” Or a key supporter of the incumbent president could have branded as “rotten politics” the conversion of the US economy’s weakness into an electoral issue.

But they did not. For then, any issue relating to a candidate’s fitness for the position sought by her or him is perfectly legitimate politics. I am citing the “It’s the economy, stupid!” episode in American political history because of the reaction of the camp of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the introduction of his family’s tax delinquency – more precisely, his family’s continued unwillingness to settle the P203 billion tax on his father’s estate – into the public’s discourse on his fitness to be a presidential candidate. The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s P23-billion assessment was declared final and executory by the highest court in the land. The ballooning of the Marcos estate’s liability is indicative of the length of time that the liability has remained unsettled. Marcos’ campaign spokesman has made the following statement: “It’s not a coincidence that rivals of presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos are raising this matter in unison a few weeks before the election; sadly, this is all about politics.” Ferdinand Jr.’s sister Imee has fulminated thus: “Why did (the estate tax case) suddenly come out? Indeed, they are just trying to destroy Bongbong. This is rotten politics.” Being a non-lawyer, Senator Imee Marcos may or may not understand the meaning of the Latin phrase “non sequitur,” but Bongbong’s spokesman, a lawyer, certainly does. What the senator and the spokesman have said on the estate tax case have been non-sequitur statements. “It does not follow” – the meaning of the phrase – that an imputation or charge against a candidate constitutes bad politics just because it is made during an electoral season. Raising the issue of your family’s longunsettled estate tax liability is not “rotten politics,” Senator Imee. It is perfectly good politics. Did you want the Filipino people to vote your brother into the presidency ignorant of the fact that your father’s estate, of which your brother has long been the coadministrator, has owed the BIR at least P23 billion since 1997? Keeping the Filipino people ignorant can hardly be right, Senator. And what better time to raise the issue than this time, when the voters are reaching a decision on who is fit to become this country’s next president? A candidate whose family is unwilling to settle its tax liabilities to the government – and who does not believe in filing an income tax return is not fit to be president of the Philippines. Raising the issue of a candidate’s unpaid estate tax liability is good politics, not just in April 2022 but at any time. Were the Marcos estate tax case happening in America in 1992, Bongbong Marcos’ rivals would have told his supporters: “It’s the estate tax, stupid.”

TikTok having a bad war, say disinformation experts By Eric Randolph THE war in Ukraine has rapidly positioned TikTok as the number one source of misinformation thanks to its gigantic number of users and minimal filtering of content, experts say. Every day, Shayan Sardarizadeh, a journalist with the BBC’s disinformation team, ploughs through a hallucinatory mix of fake and misleading information about the war being spewed out on the video-sharing site. “TikTok is really not having a good war,” he told AFP. “I haven’t seen another platform with so much false content,” he added. “We’ve seen it all: videos from past conflicts being recycled, genuine footage presented in a misleading way, things that are so obviously false but still get tens of millions of views.” He said the most disturbing were fake livestreams in which users pretended to be on the ground in Ukraine, but were actually using footage from other conflicts or even video games — and then asking for money to support their “reporting.” “Millions tune in and watch. They even add fake gunshots and explosions,” said Sardarizadeh. Anastasiya Zhyrmont of Access Now, an advocacy group, said it was no excuse to say that the war came as a surprise. “This conflict has been escalating since 2014 and these problems of Kremlin propaganda and misinformation have been raised with TikTok long before the invasion,” she

told AFP. “They’ve promised to double their efforts and partner with content checkers, but I’m not sure they are taking this obligation seriously,” she added. ‘No context’ Zhyrmont said the problem may lie with the lack of Ukrainian language content moderators, making it trickier for TikTok to spot false information. TikTok told AFP that it has Russian and Ukrainian speakers, but did not say how many, and said it had added resources specifically focused on the war, but did not provide details.

‘I haven’t seen another platform with so much false content.’ But some say the very nature of TikTok makes it problematic when subject matter becomes more serious than funny skits and dance routines. “The way you consume information on TikTok — scrolling from one video to another really quickly — means there is no context on any given piece of content,” said Chine Labbe of NewsGuard, which tracks online misinformation. NewsGuard ran an experiment to see how long it would take for new users to start receiving false information if they lingered on videos

ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 8-5646225 and 8-5646229 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

A pariah in the community of nations

MAGES of the latest atrocities committed by Russian soldiers on the people of Ukraine were horrific—and undeniable.

In the town of Bucha on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, retreating Russian troops left streets, buildings and yards strewn with corpses of civilians. Through journalists at the scene, the whole world—except for totalitarian states where Russia’s barbarism is still being defended by state-run media--saw grisly images of battered or burned bodies left out in the open or hastily buried. Associated Press journalists saw dozens of bodies in Bucha, including at least 13 in and around a building that local people said Russian troops used as a base. Three other bodies were found in a stairwell, and a group of six were burned together. Many victims seen by AP appeared to have been shot at close range. Some were shot in the head. At least two had their hands tied behind their backs. A bag of spilled groceries lay near one victim. Journalists also saw bodies wrapped in black plastic, piled on one end of a mass grave in a Bucha churchyard. Many of those victims had been shot in cars or killed in explosions trying to flee the city. A woman said she buried her husband in a garden outside their apartment building after he was detained by Russian troops. His body was one of those left heaped in a stairwell. Russian officials shamelessly lied, claiming that the bodies were “staged” and that images of them had been spread on social media by Western countries and Ukraine. But so many independent journalists from various news organizations saw the evidence of Russian brutality and savagery

with their own eyes. And satellite images taken weeks ago of Bucha show bodies of civilians on a street, undercutting the Russian government’s outrageous claims that Ukrainian forces caused the deaths or that the scene was staged.

Moscow may lie all it wants to its people, but the rest of the world already knows the true nature of its unprovoked war in Ukraine. Recounting the latest atrocities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that the Russian military must be brought to justice immediately for war crimes, accusing the Kremlin’s troops of the worst atrocities since World War II. “Civilians were crushed by tanks...they cut off their limbs, slashed their throats, women were raped and killed...their tongues were pulled out,” he said. Zelensky also called into question the effectiveness of the Security Council itself, where Russia holds a permanent seat and can veto any actions proposed to end the war. “Where is the security that the Security Council must guarantee? There is no security,” he said. “So where is the peace that the

UN was created to guarantee? It is obvious that the key institution of the world, which must ensure the coercion of any aggressors to peace, simply cannot work effectively.” Calling for reforms in the UN system, he said Russia’s use of its veto power “undermines the whole architecture of global security and allows them to go unpunished.” The UN Security Council would lose all credibility if it continued to allow Russia to sit on the Council and wield such authority, he said, urging that Russia be removed from the body “as an aggressor and a source of war, so it cannot block decisions about its own aggression, its own war.” The Ukranian leader’s word rang painfully true—this is not the first failure of the UN Security Council to prevent wars that involved one of its permanent members. In the meantime, the United States said it will ask the UN General Assembly to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, saying its participation in the UN body is a farce. Outraged by the latest atrocities in Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and Romania announced the expulsion of a total of 90 Russian diplomats, following similar moves in recent days by Germany, Poland and Slovakia. Moscow may lie all it wants to its people, but the rest of the world already knows the true nature of its unprovoked war in Ukraine. We have seen the invaders targeting and killing thousands of civilian targets, including the elderly, women and children. We have seen the butchery in Bucha. This war is brutal, savage and inhuman, and the people who launched this aggression, the soldiers who carried out immoral orders, and the Russian people who refused to see the truth all deserve to be pariahs in our community of civilized nations.

MMDA’s new traffic improvement plans

LAST week, the new Metropolitan Manila Development Authority management held a traffic summit to once again try to come up with new ideas on how to tame Metro Manila’s monstrous traffic gridlock. We had a traffic respite for the last couple of years due to the pandemic but traffic is now back to pre-pandemic levels. Hence, the need for some traffic amelioration programs is more urgent than ever. After the summit attended by all stakeholders, the MMDA released to the media some of the plans that the agency is considering for implementation. Predictably, not everyone is happy about it. By the looks of it, the plan is not new but a recalibration of the existing number coding program with the end in view of increasing the number of vehicles that will be taken off the road. For instance, MMDA wants to implement a modified odd and even scheme to get 50 per cent of vehicles of the road. It also wants to add two ending numbers to the current number coding scheme so that 40 per cent of all vehicles will be taken off the road. These two schemes look complicated and confusing and will be more difficult to implement. And why choose Wednesday for a free day? Why not Sunday instead? Not a good idea. Wanting more vehicles off the road is understandable but these two programs is too punishing to all those who will be affected. Odd and even schemes have been implementabout the war. The answer was 40 minutes. “NewsGuard’s findings add to the body of evidence that TikTok’s lack of effective content-labelling and moderation, coupled with its skill at pushing users to content that keeps them on the app, have made the platform fertile ground for the spread of disinformation,” it concluded in its report. TikTok recognizes the problem. In a blog post on March 4, it said it was using “a combination of technology and people to

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

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

ed in other countries before but only for short durations and never for long periods. Taking fifty or forty per cent of the vehicles off the will have a big effect on the economy which the government could ill afford. Besides, MMDA did not say in the report whether these two programs will be for all vehicles or simply for privately owned vehicles.

Why is this important? Because the buses, jeepneys, taxi cabs and others according to recent government data only occupies 30 percent of the road space but carries the bulk of the ridership. Privately owned vehicles on the other hand occupies 67 per cent of road space while carrying only about thirty-two per cent of the ridership. We do not know whether this was factored into the MMDA planning. The old number coding scheme is good enough and should be maintained. Being able to take 20 per cent of all vehicles off the road is a lot if implemented thoroughly without exceptions and should be for the whole day. What the MMDA wants to do is to device a formula to ease traffic by simply taking vehicles off the road. MMDA must surely understand that any vehicle reduction program must be supplemented with other programs. One of these as already mentioned by MMDA is exploiting technology to aide in the enforcement of violations. Adding a thousand CCTVs in strategic areas throughout the Metro area for instance will go a long way in helping in clear-

ing the roads of illegally parked vehicles. Another is modernizing the antiquated traffic signaling system. Trouble is, the MMDA does not seem to want to undertake old and tried labor intensive solutions to alleviate traffic. MMDA can start by doing an honest-togoodness survey of all Metro roads to find out the roads that are already unusable to vehicles because these roads are either being used for commerce or for residential purposes. MMDA should not be so fixated by traffic along EDSA because it is not the only road in the metro. Four-day work weeks will also limit movement and thus affect the economy. What we want is to keep everybody moving but seeing to it that the road system is used as efficiently as possible. This is one of the big problems of traffic in the NCR--- the inefficient use of roads. I quite understand the immensity of MMDA’s problems. How can we really solve the traffic in a Metropolitan area populated by 13.45 million people living in an area of only 619 square kilometers? The road system in the Metropolitan area is also totally inadequate to accommodate the burgeoning vehicle population which is worsening the vehicle to road density to about 550 vehicles per kilometer of road. It is a terrifying prospect for all transport and traffic planners. I remember my old university professor years ago defining traffic as the consequence of transport and land use. It is so simple a definition yet, many local government units seem to be struggling when it comes to traffic and transport management. This shows simply that some of those people involved in the endeavor have very little understanding of the relationship between transport and land use or do not understand it at all. Let’s wish the MMDA all the luck and success in the world.

protect our platform” and partnering with independent fact-checkers to provide more context. ‘Really troubling’ In the meantime, the particular concern with TikTok is the age of its users: a third in the United States, for example, are 19 or younger. “It’s hard enough for adults to decipher the real from the propaganda in Ukraine. For a young user to be fed all this false information is really troubling,” said Labbe. All those interviewed emphasized that misinformation is rampant across all social media,

but that TikTok had done even less than Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to combat it. TikTok’s relative infancy also means its own users have not yet joined the fight as they have on other platforms. “There are communities on Twitter and Instagram who are involved in disinformation,” said Sardarizadeh. “Some are starting to do fact-checking and educate people on TikTok, but we’re talking about a dozen or two dozen, compared with hundreds on Twitter.” AFP

My professor once defined traffic as the consequence of transport and land use.

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Jimbo Owen Gulle

Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

IN BRIEF

World

TODAY THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

US $95m arms sale to Taiwan approved WASHINGTON—The US announced Tuesday it has approved the sale of up to $95 million worth of training and equipment to support Taiwan’s Patriot missile defense system, something Taipei said would help protect the island from any invasion by China. “The proposed sale will help to sustain (Taiwan’s) missile density and ensure readiness for air operations,” the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. It added Taiwan will use the proposed training and equipment as a “deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen homeland defense.” Taiwan’s foreign ministry welcomed the arms deal -- the third approved under US President Joe Biden -- saying it would help protect against Beijing’s “continuing military expansion and provocation”. “In the face of China’s continuing military expansion and provocation, Taiwan must fully demonstrate its strong determination to defend itself,” it said in a statement. “Our government will continue to strengthen our self-defense and asymmetric combat capabilities.” AFP

US to announce new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine killings K YIV—The United States was expected to announce tough new sanctions on Russia Wednesday, including a ban on new investments, a day after Ukraine’s president showed the UN Security Council harrowing images of violence and accused Moscow of widespread atrocities.

The sanctions come after an outcry over the discovery of dozens of bodies in civilian clothing in areas from which Russian troops have withdrawn around Ukraine’s capital, including the town of Bucha. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky likened Russia’s actions to Nazi atrocities in an impassioned speech by videolink to the 15-member UN Security Council on Tuesday. “They cut off limbs, slashed their throats, women were raped and killed in front of their children,” Zelensky said. He demanded stronger action from Western powers and called for Russia’s exclusion from the Council, where it holds veto power. Later in his nightly address, a frustrated Zelensky said Russia was blocking the UN from carrying out “the functions for which it was created”. “The UN Security Council exists, and security in the world doesn’t,” he said. In an interview with the BBC, the US ambassador to the UN admitted that “no one can question (Zelensky’s) frustration with the Council and how the Council operates”. But she insisted that the Council was holding Russia to account, and that Moscow was isolated within it. The killings in Bucha and elsewhere have galvanised support for Ukraine, with Washington announcing another $100 million in military aid, and produced new momentum for additional sanctions on Moscow. AFP

Sedition raps for 6 over court ruckus

‘BLISTERING ADDRESS’. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine addresses a meeting of the United Nations Security

Council in New York City on April 5. Zelensky challenged the UN to “act immediately” or “dissolve yourself altogether” during a blistering address in which he showed a harrowing video of dead bodies—including children—he said were victims of Russian atrocities. AFP

Sudanese planning big anti-coup rallies

US, UK, Australia vow cooperation on hypersonic weapons LONDON -- The United States, Britain and Australia said Tuesday they would begin collaborating on hypersonic missile strike and defense capacity, as rivals Russia and China advance rapidly in the cutting-edge technology. The trio said they would work on hypersonics in an expansion of their recent AUKUS defense alliance, which is to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines to counter China’s growing military clout. They pledged “new trilateral cooperation on hypersonics and counter-hypersonics, and electronic warfare capabilities” in a statement by US President

Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Hypersonic missiles can travel more than five times the speed of sound and maneuver in mid-flight, making them much harder to track and intercept than traditional projectiles. They may carry conventional or nuclear warheads. Hypersonics and related technologies were now “very much a part of what the AUKUS partnership is striving to deliver”, Australia’s Morrison told reporters on Wednesday. But there were few details about

what the leaders’ hypersonic plan entailed. Marcus Hellyer, defense analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said it was hard to judge “what is actually new” in the statement. Australia and the United States were already working together on hypersonics, he said, although the new commitment may open up new areas of cooperation with Britain. Australia announced in December 2020 it would work with the United States on developing hypersonic weapons in a so-called SCIFIRE programme. AFP

KHARTOUM—Sudanese protesters are gearing up for mass anti-coup rallies Wednesday to mark the anniversaries of historic events that toppled Sudanese autocrats, most recently President Omar al-Bashir three years ago. The planned demonstrations will come as political and economic turmoil have deepened in Sudan following an October 25 military coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The protests have been planned for April 6, which coincides with the anniversary of a 1985 popular uprising that toppled president Jaafar Nimeiri after years of harsh rule. It also marks the third anniversary of the beginning of a mass encampment outside the army headquarters in Khartoum, the culmination of months of protests demanding an end to Bashir’s three decades in power. Bashir was ousted on April 11, 2019 by senior military officials. Protesters then kept up the sit-in to demand civilian rule, but in June that year it was violently dispersed by men in military fatigues. AFP

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit Mechanics

DITO 5G Home WiFi Promo Mechanics

DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit is available from April 1 to June 30, 2022.

The DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit costs ₱12,990 (one-time purchase), which includes the following: • One (1) DITO 5G Home WiFi CPE with DITO 5G Home WiFi SIM card • 1GB for DITO App download, valid for 7 days • 50GB Open Access Data valid for 30 days and supports data rollover • One (1) 3-month subscription to HBO Go

2) The promo name, pricing and inclusions are indicated below:

3) Prerequisites for purchasing the DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit: • Customer must use the DITO 5G Home WiFi CPE included in the kit in a location confirmed to have 5G coverage • Customer is not allowed to use the DITO 5G Home WiFi CPE in a location that has not been confirmed to have 5G coverage as DITO cannot guarantee the performance of the device in such locations 4)

HONG KONG—Six people accused of causing a nuisance in a Hong Kong courtroom found themselves arrested for sedition Wednesday, as local authorities continue to ramp up use of the colonial-era law against critics. Court disruptions are usually dealt with under contempt rules but authorities have chosen to deploy sedition, a charge treated as a national security offence. Police said four men and two women aged between 32 and 67 were arrested over behaviour at court hearings between December and January. The suspects “purposely caused nuisance” while attending the hearings and “severely affected jurisdictional dignity and court operations”, police said in a press release. The statement did not detail what specific behaviour or actions were deemed to be seditious. Hong Kong’s courts have become gathering places for democracy supporters as authorities prosecute thousands of activists and protesters following citywide protests in 2019. AFP

How to avail of the DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit: If potential customer lives in an area covered by DITO Telecommunity’s 5G signal (according to promotional materials), they may approach the following DITO Experience Stores: • Greenhills – San Juan, Metro Manila • Robinsons Galleria – Quezon City, Metro Manila • SM Manila – Manila, Metro Manila • SM North EDSA – Quezon City, Metro Manila • Glorietta – Makati, Metro Manila • SM Southmall – Las Pinas, Metro Manila • Udenna Tower – Taguig, Metro Manila

PROMO NAME

Promo shall only be offered in following Cities/ Municipalities listed in Annex A.

Warranty. The DITO 5G Home WiFi CPE in the DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit is covered by a product warranty on all parts, valid for one year from the date of purchase. • This warranty is granted only to original purchaser of the DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit • Warranty may be availed of at any of the following DITO Experience Stores: • Greenhills – San Juan, Metro Manila • Robinsons Galleria – Quezon City, Metro Manila • SM Manila – Manila, Metro Manila • SM North EDSA – Quezon City, Metro Manila • Glorietta – Makati, Metro Manila • SM Southmall – Las Pinas, Metro Manila • Udenna Tower – Taguig, Metro Manila

7) To avail of product warranty, customer must show proof of purchase that the product was purchased from a DITO Store or an authorized DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit Dealer. 8) Warranty does not apply if the DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit has been altered, repaired or otherwise tampered with by unauthorized persons and/or is used or subjected to the unintended usage of a product of its nature. 9) By availing of the DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit, the subscriber confirms that he/she has read, understood, and agreed to the DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit mechanics, its terms, and conditions. Subscriber also agrees not to use the DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit for illicit or illegal means. 10) For any concerns and/or inquiries regarding the DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit, information may be sent to customerservice@dito.ph. All matters and disputes will be subject to the final decision of DITO Telecommunity. All decisions made by DITO Telecommunity pertaining to the promo will be deemed final and irrevocable, with the prior concurrence of DTI. DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit CITIES/ MUNICIPALITIES COVERAGE “ANNEX A”

PRICE

DATA ALLOCATION

INTRODUCTORY PROMOS – DOUBLE DATA DITO 5G Home WiFi 590

₱590

100GB

DITO 5G Home WiFi 990

₱990

200GB

DITO 5G Home WiFi 1490

₱1490

340GB

DITO 5G Home WiFi 1990

₱1990

500GB

• • •

All promos are data-only All promos are valid for 30 days All data promos support data rollover

Prerequisites: • Must have a valid and working prepaid DITO 5G Home WiFi SIM card installed in a DITO-compatible CPE. The list of DITO Stores selling DITO 5G Home WiFi CPEs will be detailed in targeted communications. • Promos are available via DITO App only -- requires installed and working DITO App in mobile device. • Must have an existing DITO load value that is at enough to cover the cost of the desired promo.

How to avail of the promos: • Log-in on the DITO App using the DITO 5G Home WiFi number. • On App Home Page, select “Buy Promo”. • Subscriber must select desired promo and click on the confirmation button to proceed with the purchase of the offer. • Subscriber will receive confirmation via APP and SMS.

Once store specialist assesses that customer’s address/location is covered by DITO Telecommunity’s 5G network, customer will be allowed to purchase a DITO 5G Home WiFi Starter Kit. 5)

Promo period is from April 1 to June 30, 2022. The promo must be activated within the promo period. Promos activated after the promo period shall not take effect.

Promos shall only be made available to DITO 5G Home WiFi numbers and shall only be offered in the following areas listed in Annex A.

Promo resubscription is allowed even if the current subscription is active. The remaining data from the previous subscription will be carried over to the latest subscription.

Once availed, the promo is non-refundable / non-replaceable / non-exchangeable. Promo is only valid for the DITO 5G Home WiFi CPE that contains the DITO 5G Home WiFi SIM.

Promo cannot be converted to cash, credit, or other goods and services.

By availing of the promo, the subscriber confirms that he/she has read, understood, and agreed to the promo mechanics, its terms, and conditions. Subscriber also agrees not to use the promo for illicit or illegal means.

10) For any concerns and/or inquiries regarding the promo, information may be sent to customerservice@dito.ph. All matters and disputes will be subject to the final decision of DITO Telecommunity. All decisions made by DITO Telecommunity pertaining to the promo will be deemed final and irrevocable, with the prior concurrence of DTI. DITO 5G Home WiFi Promos CITIES/ MUNICIPALITIES COVERAGE “ANNEX A” #

REGION

PROVINCE

City/Municipality

NCR

Caloocan

NCR

NRC

Las Piñas

REGION

PROVINCE

City/Municipality

NCR

Makati

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR

NCR NRC NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR

Caloocan Las Piñas Makati Malabon Mandaluyong Manila Marikina Muntinlupa Navotas Parañaque Pasay Pasig Pateros Quezon City San Juan Taguig Valenzuela

NCR

Malabon

NCR

Mandaluyong

6 7 8 9

NCR NCR NCR NCR

Manila Marikina Muntinlupa Navotas

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR NCR

Parañaque Pasay Pasig Pateros Quezon City San Juan Taguig Valenzuela

(MS-APRIL 7, 2022)

PERU RIOT. People clash with riot police during a protest against the government of Peru’s President Pedro Castillo in Lima on April 5. Castillo announced the end of a curfew in the capital aimed at containing protests against rising fuel prices following crisis talks with Congress. AFP

England adopts ‘no-fault divorce’ NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT Notice is hereby given to the public the the Extra Judicial Settlement of Estate with Waiver of the Intestate Estate of Lutgarda Delgado Sangalang has been executed by and among her heirs, namely: Milagros D. Sison, Ana Victoria Delgado Torroba, and Teresita L. Goddard, as per Doc. No. 505; Page No. 102; Book No. VIII; Series of 2022 of the Notarial Register/Book of Atty. Henson M. Montalvo, Notary Public for and in the City of Makati. (MS-MAR. 31, APR. 7 & 13, 2022)

NOTICE Notice hereby given that AYALA LAND INC. has filed with the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development for a Change of Ownership of a Commercial Subdivision project from AYALA LAND INC./CEBU HOLDINGS INC to AYALA LAND INC. located at South Road Properties, Cebu City All papers relative thereto shall upon request and payment of processing fee be available for inspection and examination for any person having interest thereon. Absent any legal impediment, the above-cited project name is deemed change and a new Certificate of Registration and License to Sell, shall forthwith be issued after two weeks from the last day of publication. Cebu City, March 18, 2022. (SGD.) ATTY. LYNDON D. JUNTILLA Regional Director (MS-APRIL 7 &13, 2022)

LONDON—No more faked evidence or years-long waits—from Wednesday, unhappy spouses in England and Wales can end their marriages without blaming each other, in the biggest reform of divorce law for half a century. The onset of “no-fault” divorces means one spouse no longer needs to prove the other guilty of adultery, “unreasonable behaviour” or desertion. If such grounds did not exist, the couple had to live apart for two years before a divorce could be granted—or five years if one partner objected to the proceedings. The change brings England and Wales into line with Scotland, which has its own legal system, and with other countries including the United States, Australia and Germany. While experts expect a rush of divorces by couples who were waiting for the legal reform, they predict it could also ironically increase rates of marriage, by promising an easier way out if the relationship sours. The case of Tini Owens galvanized a campaign for the change after she lost a Supreme Court fight in 2018, having failed to persuade the judges that her 40-year marriage should end. Her husband had contested her claims of unreasonable behaviour, and the judges ruled that being trapped in an unhappy marriage was not in itself grounds for divorce. “No-one should have to remain in a loveless marriage or endure a long, drawn-out and expensive court battle to end it,” Owens said. “This change in the law guards against that happening and I welcome it,” she added. The reform does not herald US-style “quickie divorces”—there is a minimum wait of 20 weeks between a spouse first initiating proceedings and then applying for a legal order. AFP CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Business PSEi April 6, 2022

TOP GAINERS

1 VMC 2 IRC 3 BC 4 RLT

LAST PRICE CHANGE 2.79 0.36 0.98 0.08 7.6 0.48 0.23 0.014

% CHANGE 14.81% 8.89% 6.74% 6.48%

5 6 7 8 9 10

7.56 2.84 13.78 2.35 2.08 122.9

6.48% 5.97% 5.84% 5.38% 4.52% 4.15%

BCB VLL ATI PRMX BKR URC

0.46 0.16 0.76 0.12 0.09 4.9

TOP LOSERS 1 FAF 2 MA 3 APL 4 PRIM 5 LODE 6 FCG 7 APC 8 ACE 9 CPG

LAST PRICE CHANGE 0.59 -0.11 0.01 -0.001 0.045 -0.004 1.46 -0.11 0.54 -0.04 0.61 -0.03 0.24 -0.01 1.68 -0.07 0.4 -0.015

% CHANGE -15.71% -9.09% -8.16% -7.01% -6.90% -4.69% -4.00% -4.00% -3.61%

20.05

-3.61%

MWC

-0.75

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market drops; Ayala issues, ICTSI lead decliners

HE stock market fell Wednesday along with the rest of Asia after Wall Street tumbled on bets the Federal Reserve will act more aggressively to bring inflation under control. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 46.81 points, or 0.6 percent, at 7,109.26 on a value turnover of nearly P5 billion. Losers beat gainers, 102 to 79, with 51 issues unchanged. Conglomerate Ayala Corp. of the Ayala Group dropped 1.8 percent to P800, while unit Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest lender in terms of assets, slipped 1.1 percent to P98.10. International Container Terminal Services Inc., the largest port operator and

owned by tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., declined 1.8 percent to P222, but Semirara Mining and Power Corp. of the Consunji Group, the largest coal miner, climbed 2.9 percent to P31.50. The rest of Asian equities sank while oil bounced from the previous day’s losses. All three main indexes on Wall Street ended in the red, with the Nasdaq off more than two percent owing to tech firms being more susceptible to higher rates. And the selling seeped through to Asia. Hong Kong and mainland Chinese investors returned from a break to data indicating a sharp drop in China’s services sector caused by the imposition of lockdowns around the country including Shanghai, its biggest city. Hong Kong dropped 1.9 percent but Shanghai recovered from early selling to end marginally higher.

Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Mumbai, Jakarta, Bangkok and Wellington retreated. While the Ukraine war continues to cast a shadow across trading floors, Fed monetary policy is at the top of the agenda this week as investors fret over how quickly officials will withdraw their vast pandemic-era financial support. After last month’s 0.25-percentagepoint hike in interest rates, the focus is now on its plans for May’s meeting, with expectations growing that it will announce a 0.50-point lift followed by several more before the end of the year. Fed governor Lael Brainard, who is considered a dove, on Tuesday spooked traders by saying bringing inflation down from 40-year highs was of “paramount importance” and that the bank was “prepared to take stronger action” if warranted. With AFP

MOST ACTIVE

1 ALI 2 AC 3 CNVRG 4 SM 5 BPI

VOLUME 7,997,800 327,560 7,428,100 246,680 1,931,100

VALUE (PHP) 279,306,005 263,104,575 217,407,430 217,054,625 189,963,446

6 7 8 9

GLO SCC TEL BDO

70,860 5,441,100 93,095 1,249,340

172,290,470 171,426,650 170,314,555 165,888,384

ICT

657,400

146,308,452

FIRED UP. Congress Party workers take part in a demonstration against the hike in prices of fuel and other essential commodities in Mumbai on April 6, 2022. AFP

Ukraine war brings bitter harvest to Moldovan orchards By Mihaela Rodina BILICENII VECHI, Moldova—A warehouse in Moldova is piled high with crates of red apples but for an industry reeling from war in neighboring Ukraine, the sight is far from appetizing. The conflict has all but ended apple exports to Russia, traditionally the main buyer of produce from Moldova’s orchards. “I don’t know what we are going to do with the apples that are left over,” admits grower Valeriu Matcovschi. “There are too many for us to sell on the Moldovan market,” he says in the northern village of Bilicenii-Vechi. In normal times, lorries would arrive at least five times a week to take his 2,000-ton yearly harvest to Russia. Now he is scrambling to find new customers. In late March he sent a first shipment to Kuwait, but he had to slash his prices by a third and accommodate clients with different demands about which varieties of apple they will take. “I hope I won’t have to start pulping the fruit. That would be a tragedy,” he says. Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe. The former Soviet republic of

A Moldovan woman works on a apple sorting line in a warehouse in Bilicenii Vechi village, northern Moldova, on March 31, 2022. For the owner of the premises, the abundance is nothing to cheer about: the invasion of Ukraine has cut ties with Russian importers and weakened an already shaky economy. AFP

around 2.6 million people is sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania. Desperate appeals Moldova is in a “difficult situation,” senior government official Dumitru Udrea told AFP. More than 360,000 Ukrainians have fled into Moldova since the start of Russia’s invasion. The vast majority have travelled on elsewhere, but 90,000 have stayed. Energy price hikes, already rising but now exacerbated by the war, could push inflation to 30 percent by the end of the year. Udrea fears the effects of the war mean that “in 2022 we could see a recession of between three and 15 percent.” The largely rural country, whose gross domestic product (GDP) is 0.4 percent that of Britain’s, was already struggling to recover from a string of political and economic crises. These came on top of a 2014-15 banking scandal that led to the disappearance of around $1 billion (911 million euros). Responding to desperate appeals from Moldova—which formally asked to begin the process of joining the EU at the beginning of March—Germany, France and Romania held a donors’ conference in Berlin on Tuesday to help lighten the load.

More than 30 countries and international groups participating in the Berlin gathering agreed a total of 659.5 million euros in direct financial support and help to resettle some 12,000 Ukrainians from Moldova. Ties to Russia Thanks in part to a 2014 association agreement with the EU—which drew the ire of Moscow—trade with countries to its west now accounts for more than 60 percent of Moldova’s total foreign trade. But some traditional economic ties with Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have been less easy to replace. “At first sight the share of exports to these countries—15 percent—doesn’t seem huge but several sectors are very dependent on it, above all apple growers,” economist Adrian Lupusor, from the Expert-Grup think tank, told AFP. Construction and agriculture are dependent on materials shipped from Russia and Ukraine. “Even if importers find suppliers elsewhere, the prices will be much higher,” Lupusor says. Udrea says the war could also see a plunge in the vital remittances sent back to Moldova by the more than one million people who have emigrated over the past 20 years. AFP

ADB trims Asia growth forecast on accelerating price pressures THE Asian Development Bank trimmed its 2022 growth forecast for developing Asia Wednesday as “increasing” price pressures after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threaten a recovery from Omicron surges. Inflation across the vast region stretching from the Cook Islands in the Pacific to Kazakhstan in Central Asia was expected to gather pace as countries bounced back from the pandemic, and energy and food costs rose, it said. In the wake of the Omicron-driven surge in coronavirus infections and the conflict in Ukraine, the Philippinesbased lender lowered its 2022 economic growth forecast to 5.2 percent. That compares with its previous prediction in December of 5.3 percent and the 6.9 percent growth chalked up last year. While the bank was optimistic the region would continue to rebound from COVID-19, chief economist Albert Park said the recovery would be “uneven” and there were “significant downside risks.” “What is certain is that the fallout from the war is an additional hurdle for economies in developing Asia which are still contending with the pandemic,” Park said. While the Caucasus and Central Asia would take a direct hit from the Ukraine crisis due to their close trade and financial links to Russia, the rest of the region would be affected indirectly through higher food and energy prices. “Energy bills will rise for energy importers, pushing inflation up and weighing on demand,” the bank said in its flagship Asian Development Outlook report. Inflation was expected to reach 3.7 percent, compared with 2.5 percent in 2021, which Park noted was “still well below” other parts of the world, which he partly attributed to relatively lower consumption of wheat and fewer supply chain disruptions. But he warned that in developing Asia “price pressures are increasing and monetary authorities need to remain vigilant.” AFP

Twitter nominates Elon Musk to board, further lifting shares NEW YORK, United States—Twitter announced Tuesday that Elon Musk will join its board, boosting hopes the Tesla boss will lift the social media company’s prospects as some observers expressed wariness of the billionaire’s influence. Shares rose for a second day on news of Musk’s board appointment after surging on Monday’s disclosure of the outspoken entrepreneur’s large stake in the company. “I’m excited to share that we’re appointing @elonmusk to our board! Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value,” Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal said in a tweet. Agrawal called Musk “a passionate believer and intense critic of the service which is exactly what we need,” while Musk said he looked forward to soon making “significant improvements to Twitter.” Musk, who also leads the SpaceX venture and is the world’s richest man, had the day prior announced his purchase of 73.5 million shares or 9.2 percent of Twitter’s common stock, sending the company’s value up more than 27 percent on Wall Street. Analysts at Wedbush said the invitation from Agrawal marks “a friendly move by the Twitter board to embrace Musk” that could lead to strategic shifts for a company “still struggling in a social media arms race,” according to a note. Musk had previously questioned the platform’s commitment to freedom of speech—criticism that has now fed hopes among political conservatives who accuse the platform of “censorship” and hope to see former US president Donald Trump returned to Twitter following a lifetime ban in the wake of the January 6 riot. AFP

Putin says Moscow will ‘monitor’ food exports to ‘hostile’ countries

MOSCOW, Russia—Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday Moscow would carefully “monitor” food exports to “hostile” nations as the West pummels the country with sanctions over its military action in Ukraine. “Against the backdrop of global food shortages, this year we will have to be prudent with supplies abroad and carefully monitor such exports to countries that are clearly hostile towards us,” Putin said at a meeting on agriculture. The Russian leader also said that the country’s food production “fully” covered domestic needs and urged officials to ramp up import substitution. “We need to set clear targets for import substitution and persistently pursue them in the very near future,” he said, referring to the country’s “potential” in agriculture, industry and science. He also said it was important “to minimize the negative external effects” for Russians who should have access to “high-quality affordable food products, including fish products.” “This is a key task for the current year.” Developing and import-dependent countries have been heavily impacted by Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine—the two countries that account for more than a quarter of the world’s annual wheat sales. Supply chain problems caused by the COVID pandemic quickly worsened after Putin sent troops to pro-Western Ukraine on February 24, sending food prices even higher. Russia is a major producer of fertilizer and the financial and logistics sanctions have also hit exports, which may depress agricultural production elsewhere and further fuel price increases. AFP

Business

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022

PSE INDEX CLOSING Wednesday, April 6, 2022

-46.81 PTS. 7,109.26

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

11,532,305,220 64,903 4,978,915,933.65 79 102

UNCHANGED

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.2620

Japan

Yen

0.008092

0.4148

Pound

1.307700

67.0353

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127650

6.5436

Switzerland

Franc

1.076426

55.1797

Canada

Dollar

0.800769

41.0490

Singapore

Dollar

0.735943

37.7259

Australia

Dollar

0.757600

38.8361

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652520

135.9735

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266581

13.6655

Brunei

Dollar

0.733245

37.5876

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000070

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.029904

1.5329

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.9580

Euro

1.090800

55.9166

Korea

Won

0.000821

0.0421

China

Yuan

0.157183

8.0575

India

Rupee

0.013255

0.6795

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.237614

12.1806

New Zealand

Dollar

0.694300

35.5912

Taiwan

Dollar

0.034895

1.7888 Source: BSP

Century Pacific’s income rose 20% to P4.7b in 2021 By Jenniffer B. Austria CENTURY Pacific Food Inc. said Wednesday net income grew 20 percent in 2021 to P4.7 billion from a year ago, as its branded business segment drove revenues higher. CNPF said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the 2021 revenues rose 13 percent to P54.7 billion on robust sales from the export business and the strong performance of branded food business, which includes marine, meat and milk. It said exports climbed 29 percent from the previous year on the global economic reopening and higher demand for healthier products. The company’s branded segment also reached P42.8 billion, up 10 percent from a year earlier. Gross margin dipped 1.4 percentage points on the general rise in raw prices globally. CNPF chief finance officer Chad Manapat said demand for consumer staples remained resilient in 2021 amid prolonged pandemic. “Amidst a challenging macroeconomic environment, we are pleased to keep our strong growth momentum in 2021. Apart from the healthy operational performance, the company has likewise benefitted from favorable tax rates due to the implementation of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act, allowing us to reinvest in growth and sustainability programs,” Mandapat said. CNPF said it started 2022 at a positive pace as it saw first-quarter revenue increase by high single-digit, fueled by the branded segment. “2022 is shaping up to be another challenging year with pandemic disruptions and geopolitical events resulting in a high-inflation environment,” CNPF chairman Christopher Po said. “We continued to see strong revenue growth in the first quarter but significant uncertainty lies ahead. We will continue to play the long game and invest in the business. At the same time, our team has plans in place to mitigate the new risks that emerged and still aim to deliver decent business results,” Po said. The company announced in December the acquisition of the ‘Ligo’, a heritage brand known for its high-quality marine products. The deal is expected to close within the first half of 2022.

ADB expects PH to gain traction with 6% growth By Julito G. Rada

HE Asian Development Bank said Wednesday it expects the Philippine economy to grow 6 percent this year, stronger than the actual expansion of 5.6 percent in 2021, driven by more robust consumption and business activity as the economy reopens further.

“The Philippines’ economic recovery is expected to gain traction this year and the next, underpinned by rising domestic investment and consumption as pandemic restrictions eased, allowing for more manufacturing and construction activities,” the ADB said in its Asian Development Outlook 2022.

It forecasts the Philippine economy to expand 6 percent in 2022 and by 6.3 percent in 2023. “Government measures issued last month to reopen the economy, lift mobility restrictions, expand coronavirus disease vaccination and relax international travel restrictions will boost the services sector,” the ADB’s flagship publication said. ADB Philippines country director Kelly Bird said nearly all indicators point to higher growth for the Philippines this year and in 2023, barring the impact of external factors from geopolitical tensions that may dampen growth globally, including in the country’s key export markets Europe and the United States. “Policies to build the resilience of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises which play a vital role in the country’s economic recovery should be strengthened to support the sector’s digital transformation, business innovation and skills development,” Bird said. ADB is assisting the government to

provide employer-led skills trainings to selected sectors to upgrade MSME workers’ competencies under the Skills Up Net Philippines program. Metro Manila and areas in Luzon, which account for about 70 percent of the gross domestic product, shifted to the lowest level of pandemic restrictions in March, as daily COVID-19 cases averaged below 1,000. Businesses and public transport are allowed to operate at full capacity. The government reopened the country to fully-vaccinated international travelers since February. This should boost tourism and employment in the services sector, which accounts for 60 percent of GDP, according to the report. Increased public investment in large, priority infrastructure projects will continue to boost growth, with the government aiming to sustain infrastructure spending at over 5.0 percent of GDP in 2022 from 5.8 percent in 2021, the report said.

TRAVEL APP.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. executives and partners show the company’s latest innovation, MPT DriveHub app, an all-in-one travel app that integrates RFID transactions, trip planning and emergency roadside assistance. Leading the launching of the new app are (from left) MPT Mobility vice president for business development Mark De Leon, Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. and MPCALA Holdings Inc. president and general manager Roberto Bontia, Toll Regulatory Board chief of regulation division Joz Carlos Ordillano, NLEX Corp. president and general manafer Luigi Bautista, Land Development Construction Management and Technical Services assistant general manager Joselito Gonzales, and MPT Mobility president and general manager Raul Ignacio. Roy Tomandao

THE Philippines attracted P256.6-billion worth of renewable energy investments to generate a total capacity of 2,630.55 megawatts from 2009 to 2021, according to the Department of Energy. Mylene Capongcol, director of the DOE Renewable Energy Management Bureau, said the additional capacity created 184,055 green jobs and reduced 25.73 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Capongcol said on the second day of a virtual conference organized by the Meralco Power Academy that such investments could have been higher if not for the delays in the implementation of some RE policies. “Yes, in fact in the earlier National Renewable Energy Program, we fell behind. We were short of the target, so that’s why we are now doing a review... One of the challenges, of course, is the delay we experienced in the implementation of all the RE policy and developments and mechanism for RE, and it’s only in the later years that we had a rollout of these policies,” Capongol said. Capongcol expressed optimism there

By Darwin G. Amojelar PAL Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it posted a comprehensive income of P56.49 billion in 2021, a turnaround from the comprehensive loss of P73 billion in 2020. The parent firm of Philippine Airlines said consolidated revenues amounted to P58.70 billion last year, or 6.2 percent higher than P55.26 billion in 2020. “The significant increase in revenues was mainly due to the increase in cargo revenues as air cargo has been a vital partner in delivering essential goods since the COVID-19 pandemic,” PAL Holdings said. PAL Holding’s consolidated operating expenses were reduced by 23.3 percent from P81.84 billion in 2020 to P62.80 billion in 2021 mainly due to expenses related to grounded aircraft. Flying operations expenses fell P15.14 billion or 31.3 percent to last year’s P48.43 billion because of lower fleet costs such as depreciation expenses and lease charges related to grounded aircraft. Aircraft and traffic servicing expenses also decreased to P6.11 billion or 14.8 percent from P7.18 billion in 2020 mainly due to lower ground handling and landing and take-off charges. Passenger service expenses dropped 21.3 percent from P5.08 billion to P4 billion on fewer passengers that resulted in lower passenger food and inflight. “Due to the COVID-19 contagion which has had a catastrophic impact on the world economy, most specially in the airline industry, PAL sales/ revenues/income have decreased significantly due to cancelled flights and restrictions imposed by the different destinations that PAL has operations. This has a huge impact on the airline,” PAL Holdings said.

IN BRIEF

Synergy subscription to boost NGCP capex

PH renewable energy investments reached over P256b in last 13 years By Alena Mae S. Flores

PAL Holdings swung to P56-b profit last year

would be more investors going into RE following the issuance of policies in place, such as the Green Energy Auction Program, Renewable Energy Market, Renewable Portfolio Standards and others. She said the DOE, with the support from the World Bank Group and funding from WBG’s Energy Sector Management Program, is crafting the Philippine Offshore Wind Roadmap set to be launched this month. The DOE also plans to develop the Philippine Marine Energy Roadmap, she said. The DOE and the Manila-based policy group Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities said renewable energy sources—through flexible, distributed generation—best suit the power generation needs of the Philippines. “Renewable energy can definitely compete with coal. In the renewable space, you only pay for the cost of developing, and naturally, the supply is available for use. This is why the DOE is looking for strategies to buy down the cost of RE in the country, not just in the investment side but also for the consumers,” said Capongcol.

DTI CAMPAIGN.

The Department of Trade and Industry-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau clamps down P5.89million worth of uncertified products in the National Capital Region and Visayas in March. The agency confiscated 37,870 pieces of uncertified products after conducting periodic series of random spot-checking activities in 324 local establishments. The DTI issued a notice of violation to 175 outlets for selling consumer products without the quality mark and required markings and labels to attest that the products passed the DTI-Bureau of Philippine Standards product mandatory certification process and are declared safe for use by end-consumers.

SM Prime to open newest shopping mall in Roxas City PROPERTY developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. is set to open on Friday its newest mall in Roxas City, Capiz. SM Prime said in a disclosure to the stock exchange SM City Roxas will have 41,000 square meters of gross floor area. This will be the 79th SM mall of SM Prime across the country. It also has seven malls in China. Located along Arnaldo Boulevard in Barangay Baybay, Roxas City, the mall offers two levels of shopping, dining and entertainment experience with almost a thousand parking slots and a transport hub that offers convenience to customers. It also features an atrium that features a large open-air, skylighted space design incorporating distinctive modern textures and fascinating colors, which will give shoppers a fun shopping and exciting shopping and leisure experience. “It is our privilege and honor to finally welcome our fellow Capiznon to our newest mall in the Philippines, SM City Roxas. The opening of SM City Roxas offers a place to reconnect with friends and celebrate with families, while enjoying a wide variety of food, activities and services that can be found inside the mall,” SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim said. The mall, which is 81-percent leased out, will house local and international retail shops and restaurants. “Together with our business partners and tenants, we hope to spur more economic activities and provide job opportunities in areas where we have plans to open new SM malls this year,” Lim said. Aside from SM City Roxas, SM Prime is also set to open SM City Tugeugaro (63,000 sq. m.) SM City Sorsogon (40,000 sq. m.) and SM City Tanza (60,000 sq. m.) this year. Jenniffer B. Austria

SYNERGY Grid and Development Philippines Inc.’s subscription to P12.239-billion worth of preferred shares in National Grid Corp. of the Philippines will boost to the latter’s capital expenditure program. “This amount will be a huge boost to fund NGCP’s capital expenditure, a huge chunk of which is on new transmission projects for the improvement, upgrading and expansion of the country’s power grid,” SGP chairman Henry Sy Jr. said in a statement. SGP’s total subscription of P12,238,163,000.00, at P60.10 per nonvoting preferred share, will be paid in cash from the proceeds of the follow-on offering. NGCP holds the sole and exclusive concession and franchise for the operation of the Philippines’ transmission network. In the next 13 years, NGCP is committed to invest P440 billion across 211 projects, which aim to support the growing electricity demand in the country. “Our investors who chose to partner with us at SGP are instrumental in ensuring that NGCP’s projects in the pipeline will come into fruition and play a significant part in the country’s economic development,” said SGP vice chairman Robert Coyiuto Jr. Alena Mae S. Flores

NTC ordered to grant permit to Now Telecom THE Anti-Red Tape Authority affirmed its decision ordering the National Telecommunications Commission to extend the permit of Now Telecom Company Inc. to operate mobile telephone services and mobile and fixed wireless frequencies. ARTA in a resolution dated March 31 denied the motion for reconsiderations filed by NTC and DITO Telecommunications and reiterated its earlier resolution declaring the completeness of NowTel’s application for provisional authority to operate cellular mobile telephone service in the 220 Mhz frequency range from 1970Mhz-1980Mhz paired with 2160Mhz to 2170Mhz and 3.6Ghz to 3.8Ghz, including 5G frequencies for mobile and fixed wireless. “ARTA did not rule on the rights and obligations of parties, but merely resolved the issue whether the documents submitted by NowTel are complete which will warrant an automatic approval by operation of law,” the resolution said. Darwin G. Amojelar

BIR taps GCash for tax payment TAXPAYERS can now avoid the long queues at the Bureau of Internal Revenue, after GCash made it possible for individuals to pay income taxes safely and securely through mobile phones. “All you have to do is download the GCash app and create your account. Once you’re ready to make your payment, just log in to your GCash account, go to “Pay Bills” and select “BIR” for your payment,” GCash said in a statement. “Remember to input the details: BIR Form, Return Period, TIN, the branch code, amount, and email address. Once all details are confirmed, just press the payment button and you’re all done! Just make sure to save a screenshot of the payment. You’ll receive confirmation of payment in three days free of charge,” it said. “At GCash, our company’s thrust is to make our users’ lives safe and more convenient, especially since the pandemic isn’t over. Through the GCash app, you can send BIR tax payments safely and securely in the comfort of your own home,” said GCash president and chief executive Martha Sazon.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022

Woods seeks to pull off another Masters’ miracle Tiger Woods of the United States warms up on the range during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. AFP

UGUSTA—Tiger Woods plans to tee it up in the Masters on Thursday, gunning for a recordequalling sixth green jacket in what would be the most miraculous resurgence of a career studded with epic comebacks.

Woods last played 17 months ago, in the pandemic-delayed 2020 Masters. His lower right leg is knit together with the “hardware” of stabilizing rods and screws inserted after he suffered devastating injuries in a February 2021 single-car crash. Woods spent three months in a hospital bed, more time in a wheelchair before graduating to crutches, and now thinks he can not only walk the rolling, 7,510-yard Augusta National course for four rounds, but also give himself a chance to match Jack Nicklaus’s record of six Masters titles. “I do,” Woods said when asked outright if he thought he could win. Through years of injury and comebacks, Woods has always said he wouldn’t enter a tournament he didn’t think he could win. He won the 2008 US Open with a broken leg and torn knee ligament. It

Pirates winless no more Games tomorrow (La Salle Greenhills Gym) 12 noon – Mapua vs Letran 3 p.m. – SSC-R vs San Beda

LYCEUM of the Philippines University bested Jose Rizal University, 82-75, to finally enter the win column in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the La Salle Greenhills Gym. Enoch Valdez, who came through with 21 points, 12 rebounds and five steals, simply kept the faith as the Pirates made a breakthrough. “Sa amin, mas natutunan namin ‘yung trusting each other, believing in the system. Kasi pag sa iba, ‘yung 0-3, mada-down ka talaga,” said Valdez. “Kami, mas na-build namin. Mas magtiwala kami sa isa’t isa,” the pride of Mangatarem, Pangasinan added. Coach Gilbert Malabanan, who took over from Jeff Perlas, who left LPU without handling a single NCAA game due to family reasons late last year, was satisfied his troops responded in earning his first win. “I’m very happy sa ipinakita ng mga players ko. I give credit to them. Kasi they are the ones who are working hard sa practice,” said Malabanan, who was one of Topex Robinson’s assistants in the Pirates’ Finals runs in 2017 and 2018. “’Yun lang ang sinasabi ko sa kanila. I want to be aggressive offensively and defensively,” he added. Rookie McLaude Guadaña played his best game so far in LPU uniform with 14 points, three assists and two boards while Yancy Remulla also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Bombers fell to 0-4 to become the lone winless team. Jason Celis scored 24 points, JL delos Santos added 14 points, six rebounds and five assists while Marwin Dionisio also scored 14 points to go with 10 rebounds for JRU.

would be more than a decade, and five back surgeries later, before he won his next major title at the 2019 Masters, taking his career tally to 15. “You know, 72 holes is a long road, and it’s going to be a tough challenge and a challenge that I’m up for,” Woods said. “I don’t have to worry about ball striking or the game of golf, it’s actually just the hills out here. That’s going to be the challenge, it’s going to be the challenge of a major marathon.” Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama is in a race for fitness. Rory McIlroy is still chasing the Masters title that would complete his career Grand Slam. Scottie Scheff ler arrives at the first major of the year as a newly minted world number one. But Spain’s second-ranked Jon Rahm is one of five players who could topple

Scheff ler from his perch. The others are British Open champion Collin Morikawa, US PGA FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, rising Norwegian star Viktor Hovland and Aussie Cameron Smith—who shot four rounds in the 60s in 2020 in a runner-up finish to Dustin Johnson at Augusta. The contenders have been greeted this year by significant changes to several holes at the iconic Georgia course. But every story pales in comparison to that of Woods and his bid to claim another Masters title, 25 years after his first in 1997 launched a new era in golf. From the moment Woods played a practice round at Augusta National last week, speculation has been rampant. Fans and pundits have scrutinized his every move: his swing, his demeanor, his gait, even his shoes—which are not those of long-time sponsor Nike but of rival brand FootJoy, which Woods said provide the support he now requires. Nike, he was quick to add, is working to create a product that will suit his new needs. Feeling the energy Woods’s tweet on Sunday that it

would be a “game-time decision” as to whether he played only served to fire up fans. Those lucky enough to have practice-round tickets have flocked to watch him. “It was good to feel the energy again,” Woods said. “Really cool,” Woods’s friend Justin Thomas said of the huge crowds that followed their practice round. “I think something like that is going to just help him get through the week and being able to feed off that energy, use the adrenaline. It’s definitely going to be helpful.” Woods’s final preparations on Wednesday could be impacted by the storms that rolled in on Tuesday. But the forecast for the tournament days is largely fine, and the painstakingly maintained Augusta National course will no doubt provide a perfect stage for whatever Woods drama unfolds. “I think the fact that I was able to get myself here to this point is a success,” Woods said. “Now everything is focused on how do I get myself into the position where I’m on that back nine on Sunday with a chance.” AFP

Lopena makes cut, but isn’t satisfied By Peter Atencio ANFERNEE Lopena is slowly getting back in the groove after taking a podium finish in the 100-meter sprint of the recent MILO-Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association Performance Trials at the Philsports Complex in Pasig in the last week of March. The 28-year-old Lopena clocked 10.77 seconds to finally make the cut to the 2022 Southeast Asian Games. Lopena placed second to earlier qualifier Clinton Kingsley Bautista, who emerged first in 10.66 seconds. In doing so, Lopena will have a chance to help the national men’s 4x100 meter relay team improve on their bronze-medal performance in the 2019 SEA Games. “My need to lower it (my time) is still in the process. It needs more improvement,” said Lopena in an interview with the Manila Standard. Lopena hit the bronze-medal qualifying standard of 11 seconds with Bautista, along with Janry Ubas, who equalled the qualification mark with his 11-second clocking. This is will allow Lopena to rejoin the relay team, which is made up of Bautista, Francis Medina and Eric Cray. There won’t be a chance for Lopena to help defend the mixed relay gold that he and teammates Eloisa Luzon, Cray and Kristina Knott won two years ago because the event has been stricken off the schedule of events in Hanoi. Lopena will be joining another series of performance trials to be held this month to determine if he can still submit a lower time. And his chance to do so will happen on April 21 and 22 at the Philsports oval in Pasig. So far, there are now a total of 34 pool members, who have made the bronze medal standard that the PATAFA has set for prospective entries to the national squad to the SEA Games.

Team Lakay: Folayang’s victory not surprising BEFORE ONE X, people doubted whether former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang would stand his ground against John Wayne “The Gunslinger” Parr under Muay Thai rules. After all, the Australian has over three decades of experience in the discipline. Meanwhile, the Filipino mixed martial arts legend has never fought in ONE Super Series - though he has a wushu and kickboxing background. Despite the odds, the 38-year-old competitor from Baguio City scored a unanimous decision victory over Parr at ONE X on 26 March at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. However, fellow Team Lakay athletes Joshua “The Passion” Pacio and Jhanlo Sangiao weren’t surprised with the results at ONE Championship’s 10th-anniversary show. “Even before the fight, I already knew that manong Eduard would win. I saw how he prepared. He and the team drilled well for his fight, and they studied his opponent thoroughly,” Sangiao said. “Since the training camp of manong Eduard, I knew that he was going to win. I could read his eyes,

Eduard Folayang (right) hurts John Wayne with a right kick.

the determination, and [his] need to prove something to the world,” said Pacio, the ONE Strawweight World Champion. Folayang was indeed a man on a mis-

sion against Parr after a series of setbacks inside the Circle. But the fight itself against the Australian wasn’t a walk in the park, especially in the third round

when the Boonchu Gym representative made a last-ditch effort to claim what would have been his 100th career victory. “I think [Parr] caught kuya Eduard with a nice knee. The world knows that both of these guys are warriors, and they’re going to throw everything left in them in the final round, especially for Parr because it was his farewell fight. And honestly, that was the fight of the night right there,” Pacio said. While this was the first all-striking battle Folayang has had during his 10year career with ONE, Pacio and Sangiao credited his wushu background to completing the fantastic performance. “I think the footwork we have in wushu hugely helped manong Eduard. He was not stationary; his movement was in and out, throwing shots, and his hands were finding a home,” Pacio said. “His wushu skills and background helped him hugely. Remember that he was a multi-gold medalist in wushu, so he could catch up with a Muay Thai legend,” Sangiao pointed out. Folayang’s triumph may lead him to focus on ONE Super Series and abandon MMA. But for Pacio, the victory proved that the icon still has limitless tricks up his sleeve.

Superal salvages a 73, ties Avaricio at top Princess Superal swings to early contention despite a day-long struggle on Hallow Ridge’s unpredictable greens.

SAN PEDRO, Laguna—Princess Superal ran off a slew of pars on Hallow Ridge’s undulating surface at the finish to salvage a 73 and catch Chanelle Avaricio at the helm, one stroke ahead of Harmie Constantino and amateur Lois Kaye Go at the start of the ICTSI Hallow Ridge Ladies Challenge at the Filipinas Golf Hallow Ridge here yesterday. Superal, who lost in a shootout to national team standout Rianne Malixi at Luisita two weeks ago, kept her poise after a double bogey mishap on the par-5 No. 7 of the rolling layout, birdying the 13th while surviving the challenge of the layout’s last line of defense for a 38-35 card. “I had a tough time at the front. You need to place your ball on the right spot on the greens,” said Superal, who birdied the par-3 No. 3 but bogeyed the next short hole on

No. 5 and yielded two strokes on the seventh. Avaricio hung tough on a twobirdie, two-bogey card after 13 holes but lost her touch off the mound in the closing holes, leading to a third bogey on No. 16 and a 36-37 that enabled the multi-titled Superal to gain a shared view of the top in the P750,000 championship serving as the second leg of the 2022 Ladies Philippine Golf Tour. “I started pretty well but struggled with my long game towards the end,” said Avaricio, seeking a follow-up to her breakthrough triumph at RivieraCouples last year on a course she calls home. “Yes, I think I have some edge here but there’s also the pressure,” said the former Alabama State U mainstay, who birdied the opening hole but failed to set up other

chances in the next 11, two of which she bogeyed. She gained a stroke on the 13th, only to yield it on No. 16 on a three-putt miscue. “Hopefully tomorrow (today), I get back on track and be able to put the ball in good positions to make birdies,” added Avaricio, who brushed off Go’s backside challenge in the featured flight with Daniella Uy. Harmie Constantino joined the crowded leaderboard halfway through but slipped with two bogeys in the last five holes, including on the par-5 18th that dropped last year’s two-leg winner to joint third with Go and Jane Jeong at 74. “The greens are tough, some of them are hard to read unlike in the practice round where they were a bit receptive,” said Constantino, the reigning LPGT Order of Merit champion.

Sports

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022

Lakers out of postseason contention after Suns rout L

OS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Lakers were ofﬁcially eliminated from postseason contention on Tuesday as the Phoenix Suns sent the crisisstricken NBA giants spinning to a seventh straight defeat. With an injured LeBron James watching from the sidelines, the Lakers’ faint hopes of scraping into the playoffs were snuffed out as the Western Conference leaders turned on the style to complete a convincing 121-110 win in Phoenix. The Los Angeles defeat—and San Antonio’s 116-97 win over the Denver Nuggets earlier Tuesday—mean the Lakers will not be in the postseason for the first time since 2019. It is only the fourth time since James entered the league in 2003 that the NBA superstar has failed to reach the postseason. Tuesday’s loss brings the curtain down on a miserable campaign for the Lakers. A decision to rebuild their roster last year in a blockbuster trade for Russell Westbrook has been a spectacular failure, accentuated by a long-term injury to Anthony Davis that kept the star forward sidelined for roughly half the season. A pall of gloom shrouded the NBA’s most glamorous franchise in recent weeks, as loss after costly loss piled up to leave the 17-time NBA champions needing a miraculous sequence of results to somehow scrape into the play-in tournament. Before Tuesday’s game, social media had been ablaze with speculation that the Lakers will move quickly to fire beleaguered coach Frank Vogel, who led the team to the NBA championship in 2020. Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers and Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder have both been linked to the Lakers hotseat. With San Antonio clinching victory over Denver well before the Lakers-Suns game had finished, Los Angeles knew that only a win would do in Phoenix. However after a bright opening they were rapidly outclassed. The Suns surged into a 59-50 lead shortly before

Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers walks off the court following an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns won, 121-110, to snuff out the Lakers’ playoff chances. AFP

half-time and kept the hammer down in the third Suns pulled 26 points clear. quarter, Devin Booker draining a three-point Booker led the scoring for Phoenix with 32 jump shot to put Phoenix 84-65 ahead before the points, with Deandre Ayton adding 22. AFP

Huge field vies in PPS Bacolod tilt OVER 200 entries in eight age categories slug it out for top honors and ranking points in the PPS-PEPP Fernando Arguelles III National age-group tennis tournament, which gets under way today (Thursday) at the Negros Occidental Tennis Association courts in Bacolod City. Faith Banico and Jufe-Ann Cocoy banner the girls’ 18-and-under class that also includes Alexa Milliam, who topped the kickoff leg of the circuit presented by Dunlop in Iloilo last week, along with Althea Martinez, Therese Gauran and Hannah Divinagracia. Iloilo’s Nikhel Nowlakha also shoots for a second straight win but braces for a tough challenge in a souped-up 18-U field that also features Khenz Justiani, Andre Rodriguez, Alekzander Po, Elemar Sealza and Herman Illusurio. Banico and Gauran also loom as the players to beat in the 16-U play that also drew Eunice Rodriguez and Mary Peñalosa with Gauran gaining the top seeding in the 14-U division that includes Louchelaj Estember, Queen Villa and Hannah Co, who also earned the top ranking in the 12-U play of the Group I tournament put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala president and CEO Bobby Castro and backed by the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating). Herman Illusorio, Kirby Ramacho, Jay Lorico and Cloyd Canoy gear up for a fierce duel in the boys’ 16-U class, while Lorico and Canoy, along with Juvels Velos and Bjorn Castigador are the marked bets in the 14-U side, which held a qualifying to accommodate the big number of players seeking spot into the main draw. All but two of the eight categories feature 32-player draws, underscoring the tremendous response of the young bidders in Bacolod, Aklan, Roxas, Iloilo, Tayasan, Dumaguete, Valencia, San Carlos, La Carlota, Cadiz and Sagay to the resumption of the junior circuit following the long hiatus due to pandemic. Meanwhile, La Carlota, also in Negros Occidental, will host the next stop on April 10-13. For listup and details, contact event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Flying Titans edge HD Spikers, close in on 3rd Mercedes’ struggles put to test in Melbourne MELBOURNE—An uncompetitive Mercedes and admission that he is “struggling mentally and emotionally” have put Lewis Hamilton’s remarkable record at the Australian Grand Prix under severe threat this weekend. Britain’s deposed seven-time world champion is bidding to make it an incredible seven straight pole positions in Melbourne. But Hamilton has endured a torrid start to the season with Mercedes alarmingly adrift of pace-setters Red Bull and Ferrari, unable to challenge for grid position or victory in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The once-dominant German manufacturer has had problems with porpoising—bouncing at high speed —after a radical design overhaul in the off-season to meet new technical regulations designed to promote closer racing. “Hard some days to stay positive,” the 37-year-old Hamilton said on Instagram last week. “I have struggled mentally and emotionally for a long time, to keep going is a constant effort but we have to keep fighting. We have so much to do and to achieve.” Hamilton, who was demoralized at the messy way his world crown slipped from his grasp last year in the final race at Abu Dhabi, described his car as “undriveable” after qualifying only 16th in Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago. It was the first time since the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he crashed, that the Briton had failed to progress from the Q1 section of qualifying. Things didn’t improve much during the race, ending 10th to earn a solitary point, some 1:13.948 secs adrift of winner, world champion and rival Max Verstappen of Red Bull. While Hamilton managed third in the opening round at Bahrain, it was only after both Red Bull drivers -- Verstappen and Sergio Perez—retired in the closing stages. AFP

STALLED by Cignal HD’s big surge in the third set, Choco Mucho lived through a tense duel of nerves and poise in the next, pounding out a 25-17, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22 victory to zero in on third place honors in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the MOA Arena last night. Deanna Wong put up a stellar performance orchestrating the Flying Titans’ offense and played a key role in defense, coming up with 30 excellent sets, 10 more than her counterpart Gel Cayuna; while Kat Tolentino dished out another fiery outing and banged in 23 points, including three blocks Rose Ponce and Wong, meanwhile, anchored the back row with 26 and 20 digs, respectively, as the Flying Titans finished with 110 against the HD Spikers’ 80. The two-hour, one-minute win thus moved the young Flying Titans a victory away from claiming third place after losing to the Petro Gazz Angels in the battle for bronze in the pro league inaugurals in Ilocos Norte last year. They go for the clincher tomorrow at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The setback was the third straight for Cignal, which extended its skid following an impressive run of six victories, including a sweep of the five-team group prelims, a quarterfinal win over BaliPure and a comefrom-behind triumph over Petro Gazz in the opener of their best-of-three semis.

Choco Mucho’s Toni Rose Ponce kneels as she tries to keep the ball at play while teammate Isa Molde looks on during the battle for third place between the Flying Titans and Cignal in the Premier Volleyball League at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday. Danny Pata

But the Angels swept the next two in backto-back, energy-sapping matches to seal a title showdown with the powerhouse Creamline Cool Smashers, bundling the frustrated HD Spikers out of the title playoffs. Bea de Leon backed Tolentino with 10

points, including four blocks, while Des Cheng added 10 points and Aduke Ogunsanya, Ponggay Gaston, Isa Molde and Wong combined for 20 points. Wong’s fourth point, an off-the-block hit, also finished off the HD Spikers.

Gretchen Ho: Meeting NBA legends humbled me

Gretchen Ho with Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry

HAVING had the privilege to meet the likes of Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry once upon a time, PLDT Home Ambassador Gretchen Ho reveals the most important life lessons she’s learned in her career as a sportswoman Volleyball may have been Gretchen Ho’s ticket to fame as one of the Ateneo Lady Eagles’ Fab Five during the 2010s—the sport that paved her way to being a celebrity athlete and journalist. But catch the PLDT ambassador in a heart-to-heart, and she’ll let you in on her first great love —basketball. “My dad was a basketball player in his youth, so he would always teach us how to play and keep us abreast with the latest basketball games. My three brothers and I grew up to be basketball lovers! We’re a very sporty family, so enjoying the NBA with them was just one natural way we bonded together,” Gretchen recalls. From an NBA fangirl to a bona fide sportscaster who has covered the games on location and met the league’s stars in person way back when, Gretchen — like many other basketball

fans—has found new ways to enjoy the games despite the pandemic. The TV5 and One News anchor remains updated with the league’s 75th season through the NBA League Pass, the NBA’s premium live game subscription service. Using the League Pass, made more affordable and accessible through PLDT Home Fiber, Gretchen is able to watch the games and other exclusive content with the family— an experience that triggers many childhood memories and even life aspirations. An NBA fangirl’s dream One of Gretchen’s most memorable NBA moments was watching the historic Chicago Bulls - Utah Jazz Finals Game 6 back in 1998. At eight years old, she saw Michael Jordan steal the ball from Karl Malone, with the Jazz leading 86-85 and with 18.9 seconds left. A young Gretchen found herself sharing the victorious moment as MJ nailed that game-winning jumper to give the Bulls their sixth title. “When Michael Jordan made his final winning shot, I was jumping up and down the bed in my pajamas! Sabi ko nga nu’ng bata ako, pan-

garap ko maging NBA player—hindi WNBA, NBA talaga! I don’t know why I said that to my dad as a young girl!” she recalls with a laugh. While the opportunity to be an NBA player remains a hoop dream, Gretchen was able to experience the next best thing: Covering the NBA All-Star Weekend twice in a row as a sports journalist. “It was surreal for me and a great privilege. Seeing all the top NBA athletes come together to play felt like being in the Disneyland of basketball. It was great seeing how agile, strong, and flawless they were in their play,” she enthuses. Among Gretchen’s biggest NBA fangirl moments were in 2018, when she interviewed Chris Bosh who was then set to retire from a blood clot injury; and in 2019, when she saw Michael Jordan himself in the historic Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) in Los Angeles. “I’ve always loved every chance I got to tell these stories. As an athlete and a sports fan myself, I’ve always made sure to pour my heart into sharing these inspiring journeys to the audiences,” she says of the experience.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang,, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022

‘Drive My Car’ director ready for Hollywood ‘challenge’

Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi wins Oscar for Best Foreign Film in this year’s awards

JAPANESE director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, whose Drive My Car won this year’s best international film Oscar, said Tuesday he is ready to “take on the challenge” of a Hollywood blockbuster. The 43-year-old said he was still in shock over the film’s Oscar win. “Until the very last minute, I was convinced that the Oscars and my life were two things that had absolutely nothing in common,” he told reporters in Tokyo at a press conference with the film’s lead Hidetoshi Nishijima. The 51-year-old actor said he thought the film’s success was due in part to its universality and “the fact that the main

character has lost someone dear and is trying to continue living nonetheless.” Inspired by a work by famed author Haruki Murakami, the three-hour film scooped multiple honors en route to its Oscars triumph, including Golden Globes and a Bafta. Hamaguchi said he had received some counsel from fellow director Chloe Zhao, whose Nomadland was the toast of the Oscars last year and who went on to direct Marvel superhero movie The Eternals. “She told me ‘Stay sane,’ and I found these words very important,” said Hamaguchi, adding that he felt ready to “take on the

challenge” of a Hollywood blockbuster, if offered the opportunity. Taking on such a project would depend on the subject of the film and whether conditions would allow him to “keep my feet firmly on the ground,” he added. Hamaguchi is the fifth Japanese director to have a film receive the foreign-language Oscar, along with the likes of cinema icon Akira Kurosawa, whose Rashomon won in 1952. Drive My Car was also nominated for best director and best adapted screenplay, as well as best picture — a first in the history of Japanese cinema. AFP

Supporting children’s dreams by fostering a healthy immune system By Patricia Taculao EVERY child is unique in their way. They usually exhibit their talents and interests at an early age, and parents, being as supportive as they are, take all the necessary steps to nurture their child’s gifts. Whether it’s singing, dancing, creating art, or more, parents send their children to camps, schools, and seminars so they’ll receive Audie Geemora proper tutelage from experts in Ryan Cayabyab various fields of arts and more. The Promil4iShine Talent Camp is a good Arts; and Celebrity Choreographer Georcell example of a learning avenue where children Dapat-Sy, Founder of G-force Dance Center, can harness their gifts for the arts. But aside all believe that being healthy also helps young from helping children nurture their skills, the artists give their all. Anything less than a hundred percent mentors at Promil4iShine Talent Camp also value the significance of health and a strong healthy, according to these artists, can hinder immune system. a child’s potential in improving their gifts. “All of us at the #Promil4iShine Talent One way that parents can boost their child’s Camp—we want to remind you to please keep immune system is by giving them a glass of healthy, and especially keep your immune PROMIL FOUR everyday. Now with a new formulation, PROMIL system strong, really strong, so you’ll be able to play your music well, write your new FOUR has the NutriGift SystemTM with songs, and be able to sing, and play your MOS+ (Milk Oligosaccharides), the notinstruments,” said Maestro Ryan Cayabyab, so-secret ingredient that doubles children’s National Artist for Music. immunity, giving them more energy and Even Kara Escay, an art director security to nurture their gifts. and co-founder of Masterpiece Aside from MOS+, the new Movement, shares the same reformulation contains 4x higher sentiments. She believes that DHA levels versus the previous being healthy supports young formulation, contributing to artists’ growth and development, overall brain growth or mental both physically and artistically. development, and 37 other “Growing artists need a strong mind and body nutrients, like body to build and create works Selenium, Vitamin B12, of art. Let’s help our bodies stay Vitamin D, and more. healthy and strong with double the With the proper nutrition immunity, so our hearts and minds and immune-boosting can soar, explore and have exciting properties, children can new art adventures! Health is a top easily seize the day priority! Let’s keep our immunity to learn new things strong and keep our creative light or enhance their gifts. shining bright,” she said. After all, good health Several artists, including opens doors to countless Craftmaster Robert Alejandro, opportunities. President of Papemelroti; Theatre Veteran Audie Gemora, Director and Teacher Georcelle Founder of The School of Academic and

Filmmaker Quark Henares, head of ANIMA and Secret Menu, introduces the production houses that aim to bring award-winning films, series and podcasts, and highly engaging brand content

A NEW “traDigital” company backed by the 917Ventures Retirement Fund is set to revolutionize the Philippine entertainment industry with the launch of Kroma Entertainment Inc. Kroma brings together passionate content and experienced creators, the best talent, and innovative technology to produce fresh and engaging entertainment for the Filipino audience. KROMA offers entertainment for all across screens and formats, be it highquality films, series, TV shows, music, digital content, or events. The company is a culmination of Globe’s years of groundwork to further enrich and future-proof the Globe Group ecosystem. “We are excited to share Kroma with you. It’s a treasure trove of creative and innovative content that’s relevant to our audiences, featuring the country’s best creators, and talents. We are determined to forge a new path for entertainment,” says Ian Monsod, CEO of Kroma Entertainment, Inc. “Our vision is to become the leading TraDigital entertainment player in the Philippines in line with our goal of entertainment for all.” The Globe Group is going full-scale into entertainment with Kroma, expanding its earlier venture into live events, production, publishing, and music with what was then

Forging new path to elevating local entertainment

called Globe Entertainment (GENT). Kroma’s brands offer a new entertainment experience, converging to create a more engaging, exciting, and different experience for its clients and audiences. While revamped, LIVE MNL, a rebrand of Globe Live, still works on events and activations on ground, online, and in hybrid. They are keeping the same standards that have made them a keepsake in the industry after successfully bringing to life events such as It’s A Girl Thing, ETO NA! Musikal nAPO! and the first-ever Korean virtual fan meet back in 2020. Likewise rebranded, Globe Studios has spun off its businesses: Anima continues to produce award-winning and critically-acclaimed films, series, and podcasts, while Secret Menu, a full-service production house, creates branded content and television commercials. Kroma likewise takes charge of music label Paradise Rising, in partnership with international label 88Rising, to champion Filipino talent on the global stage. Kroma’s video-on-demand platform Upstream has been home to the latest films, series, and events for Filipinos everywhere. Nyma focuses on pushing talent growth across the company’s network of partners and clients. Pie, a partnership with ABS-CBN and BEAM digital television network and supported by 917Ventures, is a multi-platform, real-time, interactive entertainment channel. It provides memorable and rewarding experiences, prizes and connections for and with Filipinos. Rounding up the Kroma roster are Wonder, a pop culture and style platform, and FreebieMNL, everyone’s destination for the latest news and deals on food and lifestyle. Kroma CEO Ian Monsod leads the launch of the new To know more about Kroma, ‘traDigital’ Entertainment company on Wednesday in a visit https://www.kroma.ph/ virtual event

(Top row from left) GMA Network’s Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., Felipe S. Yalong, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, and Jose Mari R. Abacan; (Bottom row from left) ABS-CBN’s Mark Lopez, Carlo L. Katigbak, Cory V. Vidanes, Ricardo B. Tan, Jr., and Olivia Lamasan

What Star Cinema movies can you watch on GMA-7?

N TUESDAY, April 5, GMA Network hosted a historic contract signing with ABS-CBN to license some of Star Cinema’s most popular and well-loved movies. Notable blockbuster movies like Alone/Together, How to Be Yours, Till My Heartaches End, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, Ang Cute ng Ina Mo!, It Takes a Man and a Woman, Just The Way You Are, and No Other Woman will soon be available on the channel. Other titles include Fantastica, Can We Still Be Friends?, Finally Found Someone, Won’t Last A Day Without You, Must Be…Love, The Panti Sisters, Isa Pa With Feelings, James & Pat & Dave, Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay, Feng Shui, Suddenly It’s Magic, and I Love You, Hater. Present during the virtual event were GMA Network President and Chief Operating Officer Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Felipe S. Yalong, GMA Network Films, Inc. President and Programming Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, First Vice

President for Program Management Department Jose Mari R. Abacan, Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications Angel Javier-Cruz, Assistant Vice President For Program Management Department Mitzi Garcia, and Assistant Vice President for Corporate Communications Jojo Aquio. In attendance from ABS-CBN were Chairman Mark Lopez, President and Chief Executive Officer Carlo L. Katigbak, Chief Operating Officer for Broadcast Cory V. Vidanes, Group Chief Financial Officer Ricardo B. Tan, Jr., Managing Director of ABS-CBN Films Productions Olivia Lamasan, Head of International Sales and Distribution Pia B. Laurel, Vice President of Corporate Communications Kane Errol C. PR Director Christelle Choa, Belmonte, and PR Manager Tonichi Tataro. Duavit believes that the partnership is mutually beneficial for both companies, “To us, we are very pleased because the significance of our partnership today ushers in the possibility of a far broader set of conversations, potential partnerships, and cooperation that will have the benefit not only mutually to GMA and ABS-CBN but as importantly, if not perhaps more importantly, to the benefit of the public we both serve –

Carlo Aquino (left) and Maine Mendoza in ‘Isa Pa with Feelings’

the Filipino viewer. Looking forward, since we have, as they say, broken the ice, there is great optimism that these conversations will start and continue, and we look forward to the possibility of this type of an opportunity again moving forward.” Abacan, meanwhile, shares his excitement for this collaboration, “Sa tagal ko pong nagpo-programming ng network at sa pagbili ng pelikula, tuwang-tuwa po ako na after having a lot of relationships with other majors ay madadagdagan na naman po tayo ng isang grupo na tinitingala ko magmula pa nung una. Maraming salamat, Star Cinema at ABS-CBN. And I am inviting everyone to witness this momentous affair.” Katigbak, on the other hand, says that he is hoping to bring Star Cinema movies to more viewers through this partnership, “Every storyteller’s dream is to have as many people as possible experience their creations. Now, because of the kindness of our friends at GMA, we have the special opportunity to bring our Kapamilya stories to a new audience. We hope the Kapusos find joy and inspiration in viewing our Star Cinema movies and we also look forward to a new era of friendship and cooperation within our small industry.”

‘Alone Together’ starring Liza Soberano (left) and Enrique Gil

Talent reality champions join KZ and Darren in new campaign VALUE mobile brand TNT is gearing used to dream about it but now, we are Kim Natividad, and Rocher Joyce Villa to up for more positivity and inspiration for living it. We are grateful and excited to have complete Yara. Kabataang Pinoys as it launches its “Tropang this opportunity to become the newest kaAsked about their advice for Versus, Yara, Malakasan” campaign that highlights tropa and experience an amazing adventure and the rest of Kabataang Pinoys carving ‘pangmalakasang saya’ and connection that with our TNT family” said Ken Huroichi their path toward their dreams, TNT endorser a reliable and well-bonded “tropa” brings. of Versus, whose members also include and Asia’s Soul Supreme KZ Tandingan TNT introduced the campaign with an Kheene Salas, Josh Van Gozo, Joerell San shared: “Have ambitious dreams, but make upbeat “Tropang Malakasan” music video Juan, and Gabriel Luis Pascual. sure you’re working towards that goal. One led by TNT endorsers KZ Tandingan and Asked about how her group has been day at a time! Be patient with yourself, and Darren Espanto and featuring PoPinoy helping here, Yara member Christa you will get there someday.” winners Versus and Yara, who are the Leiechano said, “I always see Yara strive TNT endorser and Filipino-Canadian latest ambassadors to join the growing TNT to bring out the best in everyone. Like a true singer and actor Darren Espanto added, family. Tropang Malakasan, we inspire and motivate “Trust in God’s timing. If something is “Our Tropang Malakasan campaign is a each other to keep leveling up our skills as meant for you, it’ll happen eventually. Don’t tribute to every tropa that is a positive force performers.” try to rush it and don’t be disappointed if Christa is joined by Gelou Villanueva, things don’t go your way. Don’t give up, in the lives of our subscribers to achieve their dreams,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP even when it feels like nothing’s and Head of Consumer Wireless happening. Stay confident and be Business at Smart. yourself, always.” “What better way to do this than Gelou of Yara is grateful for with our growing TNT tropa, who the opportunity to work with the now include PoPinoy winners Versus two OPM hit artists for the TNT TVC. “It was a great experience and Yara? These two promising Pinoy for all of us. We learned a lot Pop groups rose to the challenge and about how they work and their proved that Kabataang Pinoys can professionalism,” she said. achieve their dream if they put their Gab of Versus added, “They were heart and soul into it.,” she added. both friendly and accommodating to Versus and Yara shared that they us. We felt their energy and positive are all pumped up to be part of the presence during the shoot. We are TNT tropa and thankful to have their looking forward to bond with them groups to enjoy the ride with. more next time.” “It feels surreal because we just (From left) Versus, Darren Espanto, KZ Tandingan, and Yara

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

Life

Dieting will be more efficient if a person couples it with exercise

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022

By Patricia Taculao

T’S been two years since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in the Philippines. Today, the public is slowly regaining their lives by going outdoors and engaging in the activities they once loved. Yet this slow reclamation of freedom and mobility shouldn’t be why people become complacent with their health. The public should continue approaches to combat COVID-19 and stay healthy despite the global health crisis. Dr. Emmanuel U. Sarmiento, the top US-based immunology expert, believes that when it comes to health, people should prioritize their immune system because it’s their first line of defense against viruses, diseases, and other ailments. On April 2, Sarmiento, with professional experts in nutrition and fitness, collaborated with Essential for Daily Living to hold the Boosted and Fit in the Pandemic forum, held at the Estancia de Lorenzo, The Luxe Pavillion, San Mateo, Rizal, to educate the public about maintaining a holistic approach to health in the new normal. When it comes to combating COVID-19, the most feasible approach is getting vaccinated and practicing health protocols. But to boost one’s immune system and prevent the effects of other diseases, people need to follow a

healthy lifestyle where they get enough exercise, rest, and nutrition. Good nutrition is a known secret that helps people stay fit and healthy, especially during a pandemic. Julianne Malong, a registered nutritionist and dietitian, shared during the event that good nutrition comes

from eating the right food and steering clear of unhealthy lifestyle practices, like smoking, excessing drinking, low physical activity, and excessive salt intake. Meanwhile, Nix Quejada, a fitness coach, shared that dieting won’t be efficient if a person doesn’t partner it with

Dr. Emmanuel ‘Emil’ Sarmiento at the ‘Boosted and Fit during the Pandemic’ forum

Julianne Malong emphasizes the importance of consuming the right food

Nix Quejada talks about how people can get in shape at home or the office

Promoting holistic wellness and boosting immunity amid the pandemic

Going beyond travel Cebu Pacific, AXA partner to offer affordable personal accident insurance

Cebu Pacific continues its partnership with AXA to create an affordable personal accident microinsurance THE Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), recently announced its continued partnership with one of the country’s leading insurance providers, AXA Philippines, with the launch of Piso Protect, an affordable personal accident microinsurance for “everyJuan.” Piso Protect Personal Accident microinsurance ensures everyJuan’s financial security, in case of accidents, that may result in injuries, disabilities, or death. With this product, the insured can get accidental death or permanent disablement coverage of up to P250,000, daily hospitalization coverage of P1,000 per day for a maximum of P5,000, and a surgical cash benefit of P5,000. Flight purchase is not required to avail of Piso Protect. For as low as P1/day or P365/year, this easy-onthe-pocket accident insurance can help cover the cost of hospitalization due to accidents. The new offering comes at a critical time when the world is gradually transitioning to normalcy. More people need accident insurance coverage, as accidents happen to nearly everyone anytime, anywhere. Hospitalization can be costly, that is why it is better to be prepared for these unforeseen in-

stances. “It has been our commitment to keep passengers’ safety and peace of mind our priority, and we are delighted to offer something relevant, valuable, and affordable, addressing needs that cover beyond travel,” said Candice Iyog, CEB vice president for Marketing and Customer Experience. “We are happy to continue our partnership with CEB to offer affordable, high-value personal accident insurance that can help provide extra financial protection for all,” said Nandy Villar, AXA Philippines Chief Customer Officer. Choosing Piso Protect is readily available on the CEB website here https://bit.ly/CEBPisoProtect – once selected, customers will be redirected to AXA’s website to complete purchase. Back in September 2020, CEB and AXA Philippines were the first to offer non-travel insurance products in the Philippine aviation industry, with CEB Health Protect, insurance that provides coverage for the top three critical conditions, namely cancer, stroke, and heart attack. For more information, visit www. cebupacificair.com.

YOUNG entrepreneur Hero Go didn’t have second thoughts when he decided to launch his adult and baby diaper company in the midst of the pandemic on online shopping sites. He actually saw an opportunity during the lockdown and his guts didn’t fail him. Today, the diaper company which he calls Assure has exponentially grown. Such a feat for a 28-year-old entrepreneur who chose a product that is close to his heart, for nostalgic reasons. Go recounted that he was stunned at the influx of orders online. “We were not prepared. It was me and my family and it was the middle of the lockdown. There were many orders online, but we’ve eventually managed all the orders,” Go said in an interview. Go knew they had a good product in their hands when they launched it, first, in online stores and eventually in a store, at the Royal Subic. What makes their product really stand out is its quality, it has the same quality as other established brands but is more affordable. “With Assure diapers, you can ensure dryness and discretion by locking the urine and odor away from the body, assuring the customer of freshness, good hygiene, and the assurance of priceless comfort,” said Go. That is probably the reason why customers keep on purchasing the products online because of their high

exercise. Exercising, for him, is a balancing act that people can easily do even from the comfort of their homes. But for maximum results, he advises people to choose the time of day where they’re most comfortable moving around, try two to three movements that engage them in physical activity, and record their progress to see how far they’ve come. Apart from the ways mentioned, another way to boost one’s immunity is by taking competent immunity boosters. “Supplements are critical because there is something called micronutrient malnutrition. You can feel healthy, but if your body is not taking the right amount of micronutrients from the food you eat, then you can still get malnutrition,” Sarmiento said. In search of a solution, Sarmiento researched, developed, and formulated

Essen Immunoboost SP, a supplement manufactured in the USA and designed with natural active components that work on a cellular level to support the proper function of immune cells. Immunoboost contains scientifically curated ingredients, including vitamins A, C, D, E, B6, and B12, Thiamine, Zinc, Selenium, ginger, and turmeric. However, boosting one’s immunity isn’t enough to achieve holistic wellness. It also involves solving existing physical conditions to be more productive and fit. Sarmiento developed the Essen Fit capsule, a combination of powdered mangosteen and turmeric, to boost energy, enhance recovery, and encourage weight loss to complete a healthy and holistic lifestyle. Essen Immunoboost SP and Essen Fit are available in many leading drugstores nationwide and on immunoboostsp.com, essen.ph, or edl-store.com.

Assure got you covered quality. “The product speaks for itself,” Go said. “We really developed a product that we can be proud of, that can be at par with more established brands,” said Go. When he could choose other products to build, why did Go choose a diaper for adults and babies? “ I connect with my childhood experience of angkong (grandfather) changing my and my siblings’ diapers to the period that I am the one buying and changing diapers for angkong. I choose a brand name that conveys and denotes care, focus, protection, and most of all, love, there is no better name than ‘Assure’ wherein it says

and encapsulates everything that the product delivers,” Go said. Go made sure that they only deliver the highest quality in their products. With regards to the Assure diapers, he said the hygienic aspect is very important. “The hygienic aspect of all people should be primal, it is the essence of wellbeing and healthy living. I think ‘Assure’ diapers both adult and baby, are in the very best position to deliver the assurance of priceless comfort,” Go stressed. When asked about his short-term plans, Go said he is bent on saturating the market and making the brand popular in the Philippines. His long-term plan would be for Assure to become the leading brand in the Philippine market.

Assure is a protective diaper brand for adults and babies

An all-in-one wellness destination

The Wellness Place in Glorietta is an all-in-one self-care haven that also emphasizes over all health

FINALLY, an all-in-one self-care haven is available in the Metro. For haircuts and long-overdue treatments to tame those frizzy stands, The Wellness Place houses salons and barbershops for men. Patrons can also get their regular waxing appointments done, try on eyelash extensions, then complete their overall look with freshly painted nails. The Wellness Place also puts an emphasis on the body’s overall health. It includes clinics for premium face, skin, and body treatments, or body therapy, and hearing-care consultations and therapies. The Wellness Place is currently expanding to offer customers more options that cater to a balanced and healthy lifestyle with soon-to-open boutiques. Get that much-deserved pampering and relaxation at The Wellness Place. Rediscover self-care by treating yourself to a trip to the best self-care hubs this summer. For more information on store openings and ongoing promos, visit Glorietta’s Facebook and Instagram page @iloveglorietta.