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D-Day: Nation goes to polls

Over 65m voters to elect next leaders; 18,100 positions up for grabs By Vito Barcelo and Joel Zurbano

M VOL. XXXVI • NO. 82 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

ORE than 65 million voters are expected to troop to polling centers on Monday, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., with poll officials projecting a high 80 to 90 percent turnout nationwide as Filipinos choose their next President for six years.

“It's all systems go,” said Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, despite some minor problems. “We are just waiting for the day of elections. We conducted FTS (final testing and sealing of the vote counting machines or VCMs) and

the problems were resolved. We are 100 percent all set for the May 9 elections.” He said the Comelec completed the final testing and sealing of 56,864 VCMs that will be used in the polls. Next page

ALL SYSTEMS GO. Then Commission on Elections National Board of Canvassers prepare for today's synchronized national and local polls at the Philippine International Convention Center. (Inset below) The Comelec, along with various government agencies from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Health and Department of Education, express their readiness for the nationwide elections that will see as many as 65.7 million voters casting their ballots from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Danny Pata

Palace: Vote but choose candidates best qualified ON THE eve of national elections, Malacañang enjoined nearly 66 million Filipino voters to select leaders who will prioritize the welfare of this nation of 110 million people. Acting presidential spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said: “Tomorrow, May 9, 2022, the Filipino people will exercise their right to vote. The Palace encourages all registered voters to use this occasion to choose the next set of leaders, who have the interest of the nation and the welfare

of the citizens in their minds.” Andanar said the May polls were “proof” of the country’s strong democracy and stability. He also enjoined the public to adhere to minimum public health standards during the entire voting process. “Let's go to the precincts early and vote for the candidates we want to elect while continuing to follow the existing health and safety protocols,” he said. In a taped interview on Friday, Next page

PNP admits violence, gun ban ‘Campaign arrests mar low recorded cases by supporters By Rey E. Requejo

TROOP DEPLOYMENT. Augmentation cops from the National Capital Regional in Taguig arrived at the Manila Police District headquarters in UN Avenue on Sunday, May 8, 2022. They will be deployed to the various polling centers across Manila for today's elections. Danny Pata

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed 16 validated cases of violent election-related incidents across the country since the election period started on Jan. 9 with the gun ban. In a press conferenceSunday, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the number was much lower than 133 in the 2016 national polls and 60 in the 2019 mid-term polls. Gun ban violators and confiscated firearms were 50 percent lower than in the two previous elections. As of Sunday, 3,081 people

have been arrested and 2,459 firearms have been seized. The latest additions to violent election-related incidents were two shootings on Saturday among supporters of rival mayoral candidates. Four died in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur, while 24 were arrested in General Tinio, Nueva Ecija. Fajardo said the general situation and assessment for Monday’s elections is still “green” or generally peaceful with a few isolated incidents. “We are not discounting any possibility. All contingencies are in place for Next page

public opinion representative of ANY population of interest," it said. "Surveys nowadays cannot only be good. It has to be excellent," the society added. Former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. had consistently enjoyed the top spot in the Pulse Asia research firm's pre-election surveys, with the runner-up behind by some 30 percentage points. In the final survey, Marcos and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, led their respective races for president and vice president. Different groups, including a presidential candidate, have questioned Pulse Asia's pre-election surveys. Next page

A SENIOR official of the Commission on Elections has admitted difficulty in prohibiting supporters of candidates from campaigning on the day after the 90-day campaign period ended on May 7, with the prohibition applicable only to candidates and political parties. “We admit it’s very difficult to impose that prohibition on supporters because they are entitled to what we call freedom of expression. That is their right,” Commissioner George Garcia said Sunday, eve of the national elections. He added: “Supporters who continue Next page

Researchers back Pulse, SWS surveys THE Marketing and Opinion Research Society of the Philippines (MORES) said Sunday it was supporting research firms Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS), against doubts on the integrity and accuracy of their pre-election surveys done during the 90-day campaign period. In a statement, MORES said the two firms, being their corporate members, had "resolved to uphold professional standards in delivering the most precise and representative feedback and insights, as evidenced by their reputation and track record." "MORES supports companies who deliver results with consistency and reliability. Companies such as SWS and Pulse Asia have shown their commitment to use scientific methods to provide

hard to stop’

Electricity rate hike to follow fuel price rise By Alena Mae Flores and Macon Ramos-Araneta

EU'S COLORS. The monument of Dr. Jose Rizal in Luneta Park is illuminated with the colors of the European Union flag on Sunday evening, May 8, 2022, ahead of today's European Day commemoration. Danny Pata

CONSUMERS are in for a doublewhammy as power rates are expected to go up this month as pump prices are set to increase this week. Pump prices are expected to rise again this week, with companies expecting to raise diesel by P3.90 to P4.00 a liter and gasoline by P4.00 to P4.20 a liter. The increase follows a slight rollback Next page

News

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

60 feared dead in Ukraine school bombing S "Bilogorivka (village) was hit in an air strike," on Saturday said Sergii Gaidai. "The bombs fell on the school and unfortunately it was completely destroyed. There were a total of 90 people, 27 were saved," he said on Telegram. "Sixty people who were in the school

are very probably dead." Rescuers could not work overnight because of a threat of new strikes, but resumed their work on Sunday. Rescuers were also looking for survivors in the neighbouring village of Shepilivka after a strike hit a house where 11 people were sheltering in the base-

ment, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that "evil has returned" to Europe, comparing Russia's invasion to Nazi Germany during an address commemorating World War II. "Decades after World War II, darkness has returned to Ukraine, and it has become black and white again," Zelensky said in a video address, in which he was filmed standing in front of destroyed residential buildings. "Evil has returned, in a different

D-Day:...

Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Vicente Danao Jr. said 225,000 PNP personnel would be operationally ready to ensure and secure an accurate and fair election. He also announced the implementation of the nationwide total liquor ban effective on Saturday night, May 7 until Monday, May 9. The PNP OIC also warned those who would try to conduct campaign activities would be apprehended. The National Capital Region Police Office said all station and district command units in Metro Manila were ready for today’s synchronized national and local elections. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Andres Centino said that AFP personnel were also on full alert, with their naval and air assets ready for the May 9 polls. Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan promised that the poll body would protect the sanctity of all votes in the country. “The guiding principle of the Comelec will be to protect the sanctity of the vote by all means and in whatever circumstances. Together with our partner agencies, the PNP, AFP, PCG, DepED, and other government agencies, we are going

to pursue this to the end,” Pangarungan said. At the same time, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said there would be a sufficient level of supply and reserves in all power grids across the country on election day. The NGCP said the Luzon grid had a total available cap of 14,031 megawatts (MW) against a system demand of 10,125 MW as of Saturday evening. The Visayas and Mindanao grids had available caps of 2,797 and 2,930 MW, respectively, against a demand of 1,988 and 1,795 MW. The NGCP also reported that "all transmission lines are under normal operations." President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated the call to the police and the military to ensure honest and violence-free elections, noting it is his duty as President to ensure an orderly election. At the same time, he assured voters that they will be able to exercise their right to vote and choose whoever they want to vote for. He again advised his Cabinet members to stay neutral and urged the people to go out and participate in the national and local elections. In other developments:

• PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) over the weekend said they are on full alert to ensure services remain seamless during this year’s presidential polls. PLDT and Smart have prepositioned personnel and mission-critical equipment to ensure uninterrupted service across the country ahead of the May 9 elections. Quick response teams are on standby, ready to be deployed in areas that might experience service issues, the company said. • The watchdog group Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) will deploy 4,000 volunteers from its 40 law school chapters nationwide to monitor and to ensure safe, accountable, transparent, and inclusive elections. “We call on the public to remain vigilant on irregularities and election offenses that would affect the free vote of Filipinos. Particular attention should be given to vote buying efforts as candidates and supporters would drum up such efforts on the last day before elections,” the group said in a statement. For any reports of election offenses or questions on election procedures, Lente can be reached on the following hotlines: 0917106 6265 (Globe), (02) 7502 1591 (landline), 0920-266 0944 (Smart), and on our social media pages: Lente Philippines (Facebook) and @LENTE_PH (Twitter).

hicle, and pointed it at Rillo and Dr. Efren A. Rillo (Rillo’s brother). Candidate Rillo was able to parry the firearm, which fell on the ground, they said. Immediately, Arca’s group fled, they added. Efforts to contact Arca for comment were unsuccessful. DOJ records showed that Arca has been charged in the 2018 killing of Trece Martires City Vice Mayor Alexander Lubigan. Arca was later on pinpointed as the alleged mastermind in Lubigan’s killing. Lubigan and his aide, Romulo Guillemer, were killed along the Trece MartiresIndang Road in Cavite on July 8, 2018. On Saturday, allegations of votebuying reportedly triggered a shooting incident that left four dead in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur on Saturday morning. Charges will be filed against the two groups composed of supporters of rival mayoral candidates, according to a press briefing at the provincial capitol on Sunday attended by Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson, Ilocos Sur Police Provincial Director Col. Wilson Doromal, and Ilocos Sur provincial election supervisor Alipio Castillo. Six supporters of mayoral candidate Alrico Favis -- Guillermo Unciano, Agustin Unciano, Dante Tolentino, Archie Garcia, Menelio Oliver Jr, all of Barangay Patong; and Albert Bańez of Barangay San Ramon -- will face murder and frustrated murder charges, while two supporters of rival candidate Lorry Salvador Jr., identified as Teofilo Taasin, 39, of Barangay Maratudo, and Kenneth Salvador, 40, of Barangay Napo, will be slapped with frustrated murder charges. Initial police investigation showed that the incident stemmed from an alleged votebuying activity that went out of control. Investigators said that a group backing Salvador went to Barangay Labut to verify alleged vote-buying and were confronted by supporters of Favis, husband of outgoing mayor Victoria Ina Favis who is running for vice mayor. Police identified the casualties as Lerry Torda, 41, of Barangay Maratudo; Recto Bagani, 65, of Manabo, Abra; Jovito Tomaneng, 61, of Dingras, Ilocos Norte, a retired member of the Philippine Army; and William Bulil-lit, 61, former chief of Barangay Barbaquezo in Carasi, Ilocos Norte and former Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit member. Teofilo Taasin, 39, of Barangay Maratudo; suspects Kenneth Salvador and Bańez, who is Favis’ driver; and Romnick Villanueva, 25, of Barangay Patong were wounded.

Electricity... last week, when diesel was cut by P1.15 and gasoline dropped 65 centavos a liter. Data from the Department of Energy (DOE) show that year-to-date adjustments stand at a net increase of P15.45 per liter for gasoline, P27.35 per liter for diesel, and P21.55 per liter for kerosene. Consumers, meanwhile, can expect higher electricity bills this month due to high fuel costs and the depreciation of the peso, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said over the weekend. “While we have yet to receive final billings from our suppliers, we expect an upward adjustment in the generation charge of the May bills,” Meralco vice president and spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said. Meralco previously warned that the impact of higher coal and oil prices due to volatilities in the world market would be felt in the May rates for consumers. “There is an upward pressure due to the quarterly repricing of the Malampaya natural gas which already reflects the spike in international crude oil prices in the past months and the peso depreciation,” the official said. Crude prices have been rising in recent months due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and increased global demand due to widespread mobility as most countries lifted COVID-19 restrictions. He said this month’s generation charge also includes the first installment of the deferred costs from April equivalent to around P0.15 per kWh. “We hope that the increase will somehow be mitigated by the refund of distribution-related charges recently ordered by the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) that will be implemented starting this month,” Zaldarriaga said. ERC has ordered Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to refund its customers over P7.75 billion in over-recoveries on electric bills for 12 months, starting this month. ERC commissioner and spokesperson Floresinda Digal said residential consumers will experience a higher refund of P0.47 per kWh, as Meralco must implement an average refund of P0.2583 per kWh effective the May billing period. Meralco’s overall rate for a typical household went up by P0.5363 in April to P10.1830 per kWh from P9.6467 per kWh in March. Higher charges from its independent power producers (IPPs) and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), the

trading floor of electricity, triggered the generation charge increase. Meanwhile, the operations of the country's power generation, transmission, and distribution sectors remained normal a day before the national and local elections. The DOE has assured the public there will be no outages during the election period. Meralco also said it will be on full alert until the proclamation of newly elected officials. "As part of the Energy Task Force Elections, Meralco closely works with other members of the energy industry to ensure that there will be safe, adequate and reliable electricity service for the May 9 elections," Zaldarriaga said. Meralco conducted inspections of electricity distribution facilities in more than 3,000 polling precincts, canvassing centers, and vital election sites located within its franchise area. The company also conducted maintenance activities of its distribution assets including substations, circuits and transformers to make sure they are in optimum condition on election day. "Historically, Meralco’s franchise area has had no problems during the election period, but we have prepared contingency plans in case of isolated power outages. Our crews and personnel, who are strategically positioned all over our franchise area, will be ready to respond to any emergency. We also have more than 270 mobile generator sets and over 500 flood lights ready to be deployed in case of interruptions," Zaldarriaga said. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the P7.8 billion refund ordered by the ERC would be a welcome relief for Meralco customers. “Given its mandate of protecting consumer interest as an independent electric power industry regulator, I laud the latest order issued by the ERC to Meralco," he said. He said the relief that will be enjoyed by consumers for a period of 12 months can make a difference especially to poor households. The demand for a refund which is equivalent to 46.69 centavos per kilowatt hour (kWh) is equivalent to P93 for residential customers consuming 200 kWh. The re-electionist senator also extolled Meralco in assuring its customers immediate compliance starting this month. “It’s appropriate and timely and shows the company’s due regard to the interests of their consumers especially at a time when the cost of other basic commodities is increasing,” Gatchalian said.

Presidential bet Sen. Panfilo Lacson had noted his zero scores in Visayas and Mindanao in the final pre-election survey conducted last April. "Aside from the constant 2 percent survey results that they’ve been giving me for the past few months, now it is zero scores in both Visayas and Mindanao," Lacson said in a May 3 statement. National Statistical Coordination Board Secretary General Dr. Romulo Virola also released his analyses on the February Pulse Asia survey, saying it had "underrepresented" millennial and Generation Z voters and "overrepresented" voters from older generations, such as baby boomers. Pulse Asia, in a separate statement, denied accusations of being paid and its work being compromised due to the alleged infiltration of partisan groups. "Our organization will never submit to any form of material inducement or even intimidation that will make us deviate from or distort accepted social science principles and practice. We have also taken all the necessary safeguards to secure the integrity of our field work against any and all forms of infiltration," Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes said. Pre-election surveys can be considered "snapshots of the moment" and reflect the people's sentiments at the time these were conducted, analysts have explained. Earlier, PUBLiCUS Asia chief data scientist Dr. David Yap Jr. said, amid accusations that surveys are “polluted,” it was up to the people to interpret their results. “I would like to disagree with the notion that statisticians are soothsayers or fortune tellers. When you consider statistical predictions, even the most advanced method of predictions, are subject to criticism. For the very simple reason that those predictions are based on specific sets of assumptions, the moment that these assumptions are tweaked, those predictions will no longer hold,” he said.

as it was possible people involved in the activity might be part of the candidates’ and political parties’ campaign teams. “We can always look into that, and we can always say that this is campaigning.” The poll body is also monitoring “mass and group texting” as a form of campaigning, which he said was prohibited if candidates were involved. Distributing sample ballots is prohibited as well because it is considered another form of campaigning, the official said. Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año appealed to the voters to report to proper authorities immediately any vote

buying or vote selling activities in their communities. “If you see something suspicious, report it immediately. Do not hesitate to report so that authorities can act on it as soon as possible,’’ Año said in a radio interview. Año said that starting May 8 until the actual election day on Monday, it was the duty of the deployed police officers to ensure that no all sorts of election campaign activity, like the distribution of political materials, is being done. “The police will have no second thoughts of arresting violators. That

is why, we are warning you that the campaign period has ended starting today and at the same time those buying votes will be directly arrested,’’ he added. Año has directed the Philippine National Police to create Anti-Vote Buying Teams in each province and city to receive complaints and investigate allegations of vote-buying and voteselling in compliance with election laws, rules, and regulations. “This is a concrete effort of the DILG and PNP to support the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the interagency Task Force Kontra Bigay in ensuring a

fraud-free election,” he said. Año said the Anti-Vote Buying Teams were also tasked to gather and preserve evidence, take statements of witnesses, and protect witnesses or complainants by coordinating with the proper government agencies. “Evidence-based complaints will be acted upon and will be verified by PNP Anti-Vote Buying Teams and will undergo the same process in gathering evidence. These will be forwarded to the Comelec which has a motu proprio power, or on its own accord, file cases of violation of election laws,” he said.

OME 60 people sheltering in a village school in east Ukraine are feared dead after it was hit by an air strike, the Lugansk regional governor said Sunday.

From A1

The poll body also assured the public that it has competent technicians who are capable of addressing any problems that might crop up. “I can assure the public that we are not going to have problems with the VCMs. We have 1,100 contingency machines which are more than enough,” he said. A total 18,100 elective positions will be contested in the May 9, 2022 elections. The national positions are for president, vice president, 12 senators and 63 party-list representatives. The local positions are for 253 district representatives, 81 governors, 81 vice governors, 782 provincial board members, 146 city mayors, 146 city vice mayors, 1,650 city councilors, 1,488 municipal mayors, 1,488 municipal vice mayors and 11,908 municipal councilors. Police and the military said they were on full alert and prepared for the elections. Comelec commissioners and officials of the country’s security forces conducted a walkthrough inspection of the Philippine International Convention Center, where the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) will convene on Monday.

PNP... From A1

all possible scenarios and we identified the number of personnel needed. Checkpoints are established and we have more than 40,000 personnel deployed,” she said. “We also have a security and quick reaction team and convoy for the transport of election paraphernalia,” Fajardo added. All campaign activities ended on Saturday and the liquor ban is in effect Sunday and Monday. The PNP National Election Monitoring and Action Center reported 92 percent completion of delivery of official ballots to 1,635 Treasurer’s Offices for further distribution to 37,113 polling centers, Fajardo said. PNP officer-in-charge, Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr., said the 225,000-strong police force would ensure peaceful, orderly, and credible elections. Danao reminded police officers to remain apolitical and treat all candidates equally. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice, the PNP and the Commission on Elections have been asked to investigate the reported election-related violence in Maragondon, Cavite on Saturday night, May 7. The violence was allegedly perpetrated by the camp of Lawrence “Umbe” Arca, a candidate for mayor of Maragondon. Witnesses said that on Saturday night, the group of Noel A. Rillo, also a candidate for mayor, passed by the house of Barangay Chairman Eric Acosta. They said they noticed that a vehicle with blinkers was parked in front of Acosta’s house in Barangay Bucal 3. They said that Rillo and his group decided to alight from their vehicle to find out if Acosta had some concerns. Acosta met Rillo’s group outside his house and said he (Acosta) was also wondering who owned the vehicle and who were onboard. At that point, witnesses said that Arca and his bodyguard identified as Roel Bidbid alighted from the parked vehicle. They said that another Arca’s bodyguard, identified as Rodrigo Tanagras, shouted at Rillo’s group in Filipino: “What are you proud of, what do you want to happen.” "Nothing, we're just talking here," a member of Rillo's camp replied. The witnesses said that Arca shouted: "Hit him." Tanagras followed Arca’s command, got an Armalite rifle from the parked ve-

‘Campaign... From A1

to promote their preferred candidates cannot be apprehended because illegal campaigning rules starting Sunday are applicable only to candidates and political parties. “Therefore, if there are 50 million Filipinos posting in favor of their preferred candidates, in the end, these are not covered by the campaign prohibition.” Garcia, however, said house-to-house visits of supporters was another matter,

From A1

uniform, under different slogans, but for the same purpose," he added, in the video showing archive footage of World War II and black and white footage of Russia's invasion. The Ukrainian leader accused Russia of implementing a "bloody reconstruction of Nazism," in his country using "its ideas, actions, words and symbols." He said Moscow's army was replicating Nazi "atrocities" and giving justification that "aims to give this evil a sacred purpose." Zelensky appealed to European na-

tions including the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands, by likening Nazi bombings of their towns and cities to Russian strikes on urban hubs in Ukraine. Ex-Soviet Ukraine was invaded by Russia in late February and Moscow claimed its operation was in part to "deNazify" the country. Both Ukraine and Russia have likened actions by the other side's army to those of Nazi Germany, whose defeat by the Soviet Union in 1945 is celebrated in ex-Soviet countries on May 9. AFP

Palace:... From A1

President Rodrigo Duterte urged voters to be discerning in choosing the next president and look into the biodata of all 10 candidates. "Please review the biodata of the candidates, including the presidency," he added. Duterte, during his remark at the United States' Summit for Democracy convened by US President Joseph Biden Jr. in December 2021, described democracy in the Philippines as “vibrant.” He said he would spend the remaining months of his term ensuring that no one was left behind as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. “I step down in June 2022. The work of our imperfect democracy will certainly continue. My administration will ensure an honest, peaceful, credible, and free elections in May,” he said. He said it would be his “highest honor” to turn over the reins of power to his successor knowing that he did his best to serve the country and people. More than 65.7 million Filipinos will be eligible to cast their ballots in the May polls, aside from the 1.697 million Filipinos overseas. Majority of voters or 53,795,522 voters are aged 18 to 57. In total, there are 37,015,901 voters aged 18-41 years old while there are 11,925,708 voters who are aged 58-60 and above. The Commission on Elections has set voting hours from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., which can be extended depending on the number of voters. Voters must follow standard health and safety protocols, such as the mandatory wearing of face masks, the voluntary wearing of face shields in areas under Alert Level 3 or lower, frequent washing or sanitizing of hands, and physical distancing.

Researchers.. From A1

News

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022

Group seeks stronger drive against piracy AN ADVOCACY group has urged Philippine legislators to add more teeth to the government’s fight against piracy of intellectual property by coming up with new law enabling site blocking, among others. The CitizenWatch Philippines also called on the Senate to immediately ratify the Philippines’ participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), saying it would be advantageous for the country. “Ultimately, piracy is a bane to society in general, and to consumers in particular,” lawyer Tim Abejo, coconvenor of CitizenWatch Philippines, said in a statement. “Our group is one with many industry supporters already supporting site blocking and collaborating to put in place site-blocking mechanisms. But we need an enabling law so that these initiatives could be done in a more efficient and effective manner.” The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and various internet service providers have signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the setting up of mechanisms to rapidly block pirated sites. IPOPHL has also recently partnered with the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) and Motion Picture Association for the same purpose. Currently, sites can be blocked within two hours from the release of an order from the NTC.

DOLE: 30% extra pay for employees working today EMPLOYEES in the private sector who work today, May 9, must receive an additional 30 percent in their pay, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Sunday. DOLE made the announcement following President Duterte’s declaration that today (May 9, 2022) being election day, is a special non-working holiday. “We highly encourage our workers who are registered voters to exercise their rights to suffrage, and if they will report to work on May 9 after casting their votes, they must receive an additional 30 percent in their daily pay,” Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said. Under Labor Code’s Chapter III, Article 94, or the right to holiday pay, the wage rules for special non-working holiday provides that “if employees did not work, the “no work, no pay” principle shall apply, unless there is a company policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) granting payment on a special day. For work done during the special day, the workers should be paid an additional 30 percent of their basic wage on the first eight hours of work [(basic wage x 130%) + COLA]. For work done more than eight hours (overtime work), they shall be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate on the said day [hourly rate of the basic wage x 130% x 130% x number of hours worked].

GEARING UP FOR VOTING.

Volunteers unwrap vote counting machines as they convert a Quezon City chapel into a makeshift voting precinct for today’s political nationwide elections.

‘Pastillas’ boys lose appeal at CA By Rey E. Requejo

HE Court of Appeals (CA) has junked a petition filed by two employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) seeking the dismissal of an administrative complaint filed against them before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for their alleged role in the so-called “Pastillas” bribery scam that led to the unrestricted entry of Chinese nationals into the Philippines. In a seven-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Maria Elisa Sempio Diy, the CA’s Seventh Division ruled that the order issued by the DOJ on August 10, 2021 is interlocutory in nature since it denied the petitioners’ motion to dismiss the administrative case, paving the way for a continuation of the trial.

The petitioners were BI agents Abdu Fahad Calaca and Phol Bendana Villanueva who were facing criminal and administrative charges in connection with the Pastillas bribery mess. The appellate court clarified that the DOJ’s order was not an award, judgment, final order, or final resolution of a quasi-judicial agency from which an

appeal may be brought through a petition for review. The CA stressed that a final order disposes of the subject matter in its entirety or terminates a particular proceeding or action, leaving nothing more to be done except to enforce the decision. On the other hand, an interlocutory order deals with preliminary matters and the trial on the merits is yet to be held and the judgment rendered. The appellate court pointed out that the Supreme Court has prohibited an appeal from an order denying a motion for reconsideration of an interlocutory order. “An order denying a motion to dismiss an action is interlocutory, hence, not appealable,” the CA stressed.

LOCKED AND TAPED STOREROOM. A security guard stands outside a class room turned into a temporary storeroom for ballot boxes at a high school in Manila preparatory to today’s local and national elections. AFP

Over 33,400 prisoners nationwide to cast their votes—BJMP

THEY may be isolated from the outside world, but 33,409 prisoners, euphemistically called Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), can cast their votes today. The rule provides however, that they can vote from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. only. BJMP director Allan Iral led a simu-

THIS IS JUST A DRILL.

The Manila City Jail in Sta. Cruz Manila conducts a simulated voting for inmates, also called People Deprive of Liberty, who are allowed to take part in today’s political exercise across the country. Danny Pata

lation exercise at Manila City Jail–Male Dormitory on Sunday while also directing all units to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the rehearsal. Let’s make sure our PDLs vote properly and we don’t have any (untoward) incidents in our facilities),” Iral said in an interview. Commission on Elections’ Resolution

No. 10768 states that a PDL may vote either at a special polling established inside a jail facility or escorted to a regular polling place. BJMP spokesperson Xavier Solda said 30,726 will vote on-site. There are 29,534 male voters and 3,875 female, or 39.2 percent of the 131,021 jail population in 475 district,

city, and municipal jails nationwide. The city jails with the highest number of inmate-voters this year are Cebu City, 1,102; Talisay City, 878; LapuLapu City, 701; Antipolo City, 576; and Bacoor City, 534, all male dormitories. Only PDL voters whose names appear in the certified list or posted computerized list may vote.

Boost medical delivery system post-COVID—Go SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go has reiterated his call for lawmakers to pass more laws meant to strengthen the country’s healthcare and medical services delivery system, citing lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Go urged fellow legislators to continue supporting specific measures that would upgrade existing hospitals and build new ones in the countryside. Go, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, earlier spearheaded the passage of 24 laws upgrading some existing medical institutions and setting up new public hospitals across the country. Last April 19, President Duterte signed into law four measures establishing hospital in Tayabas City, Quezon; Calbayog City, Samar; Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; and Candon City, Ilocos Sur. More recently, the President enacted 11 similar bills passed by the legislature under Go’s stewardship, creating new hospitals or improve existing ones in Abulug, Cagayan; Bocaue, Bulacan; Villanueva, Misamis Oriental; Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao; Cagayan de Oro City; Cebu City; Daraga, Albay; Jolo, Sulu; Santa Barbara, Iloilo; San Fernando City, La Union; and Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo. “Now that we have heard reports of new Covid-19 variant, it would be better to boost Our healthcare system,” Go said. Even before the pandemic, beds are lacking in public hospitals,” Go noted. Go also filed Senate Bill No. 2158 which establishes the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC shall serve as the lead agency for developing communicable disease control and prevention initiatives. It will be primarily responsible for controlling the introduction and spread of infectious diseases in the Philippines. He likewise filed SB 2155 which establishes the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP). Macon Ramos-Araneta

DOLE: EU states eyeing OFWs By Vito Barceló THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced that more countries are opening their doors for migrant workers in various industries, but mostly in the healthcare sector. Labor attaché Maria Corina Buna said even in the middle of the pandemic, various European countries covered by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Milan, Italy were eyeing the Philippines for their need for workers. “Aside from Milan, and Northern Italy, we have an emerging labor market in Austria, Romania, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia. Italy is now

fast becoming an active destination for our OFWs because the employment landscape remains strong and attractive and there is a huge demand for Filipinos,” Buna said. The POLO chief said she looks forward to securing a bilateral agreement with Austria following their interest to hire around 1,000 nurses, nursing assistants, and other workers in the healthcare industry. “Since there is a dearth of health care workers in the European region, for its initial project, the government of Austria is looking into hiring 1,000 nurses, from healthcare assistants to registered nurses or even higher ranks,” she said.

Decision on DQ appeals vs BBM set for release

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022

News

‘BAKLAS.’ Members of the Commission on Elections and MMDA remove banners of candidates hanging at F. Ma. Guerrero Elementary School in Manila on Sunday. Norman Cruz

Defensor urges public to uphold right to vote QUEZON City mayoral candidate Michael “Mike” Defensor has called on Filipinos to go out and vote on Monday, May 9, saying they should not forfeit their right to choose the country’s future leaders. “We implore all registered voters to go out and cast their ballots on Monday. We all should exercise our right to elect our leaders – from the president all the way down to councilors,” Defensor said in a statement on Sunday. “People should not surrender their right to vote. Those who abstain from voting will in effect be enabling others – those who will actually cast their ballots – to decide for them,” Defensor, an incumbent member of Congress, said. Defensor is running for mayor of Quezon City – the country’s largest city by population and by registered voters – with former Rep. Winnie Castelo as vice mayoral running mate. The Defensor-Castelo tandem is being supported by former Quezon City mayor and now senatorial candidate Herbert “Bistek” Bautista. The city’s major political families, such as the Mathays and the Libans, have also rallied behind the tandem. The Defensor-Castelo team up likewise enjoys the backing of presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice-presidential running mate Sara “Inday” Duterte. Grouped under the Malayang Quezon City banner, the tandem has a full slate of candidates for the city’s six congressional districts. They are re-electionist Rep. Anthony Peter “Onyx” Crisologo (first district); re-electionist Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo (second district); re-electionist Rep. Allan Benedict Reyes (third district); Councilor Marvin Rillo (fourth district); newcomer Rose Lin (fifth district); and former Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo (sixth district).

Senate prepared to receive COCs, poll returns—Sotto By Macon Ramos-Araneta

ENATE President Vicente Sotto III said the Senate is ready to receive the certificates of canvass (COCs) and election returns (ERs) for president and vice president after the closing of the election precincts on May 9. Under Article VII, Section 4 of the Constitution, the Senate is mandated to receive the returns of every election for President and Vice-President, duly certified by the board of canvassers of each province or city. The returns will then be transmitted to Congress. The Senate President will receive the certificates of canvass and shall open all the certificates not later than 30 days after the day of the election in the presence of the Senate and

House of Representatives in a joint public session. Congress shall proceed to canvass the votes. Senate Secretary Myra Marie Villarica said the Senate’s reception of the COCs and ERs shall be live-streamed via the Senate’s YouTube channel, starting from 6 pm on May 9, 2022. “This is the first time we will broadcast live the arrival and deposit of all election documents for 24/7 in the Senate YouTube channel,” Villarica said.

“We are taking this opportunity to advance our digital initiatives and ensure transparency of the entire activity. We have also tightened security, particularly where the ballot boxes of the COCs and the ERs will be stored,” she also said. Aside from CCTV cameras located in strategic areas, she said the Senate will also have roving cameras manned by personnel from the Public Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB). Villarica said only vehicles transporting the ballot boxes containing the COCs and ERs and other vehicles that may be authorized shall be allowed to enter the indoor parking area. Vehicles bearing the Office of the Sergeant-AtArms (OSAA) car stickers will be allowed to park at the open parking area on a “first-come, first-served” basis.

ISOLATION AREA.

A staff member of the Aurora Quezon Elementary school in Malate Manila places a sign for voters with COVID-19 symptoms during election day. Danny Pata

DepEd slams Pacquiao, says he must identify corrupt officials THE Department of Education (DepEd) on Sunday said Senator Manny Pacquiao must not stop with just allegations of corruption in the agency. Instead, the presidential candidate must identify the corrupt officials he accused during the Commission on Elections-Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (Comelec-KBP) panel inter-

view aired Friday. “To allege wrongdoing, unsupported by specific facts or without naming names, is tantamount to false accusation,” the DepEd said in a statement. Pacquiao said the quality of education is not improving due to corruption while DepEd funds are not properly utilized. “Hindi lang po ako nagsasalita, pero

Poll watchdog seeks probe of CHED By Rio N. Araja A POLL watchdog on Sunday slammed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for supposedly endorsing vice presidential bet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and five senatorial bets. Kontra Daya represented by convenor Danilo Arao of the University of the Philippines accused CHEd chairperson Prospero de Vera III for his endorsement. In an interview over Super Radyo dzBB yesterday, Arao said the endorsement was part of the sixth episode of CHEd’s PILI-PinaSkolar Halalan series of voter’s education forums aired

through Facebook Live. The forum was broadcast on the official Facebook page of CHEd, citing De Vera’s action was a “misuse and abuse” of government resources during the campaign period. “We call on the Commission on Elections to investigate chairperson Prospero De Vera for what he did,” Arao said. “This is clearly using his position to advance the candidacy of several candidates,” he added. The election watchdog said CHED endorsed Duterte, and senatorial aspirants Gregorio Honasan, Gilbert Teodoro, Emmanuel Piñol, Loren Legarda, and Herbert Bautista.

alam ko po ang mga nangyayari dyan sa DepEd. Ayaw ko lang ibulgar ngayon. Pagdating ng panahon, eh alam ko na kung paano ko halungkatin ‘yan at itutuwid (I prefer to be quiet for now but I know that there is something happening within DepEd. I just don’t want to divulge it now. Time will come, I know how to dig into it and we will correct that),” Pacquiao

said during the taped interview. DepEd said Pacquiao, as a public servant, has “every right, legally and morally, to assail and question the wrongdoings in the government and put to question whatever wrongdoing, any person or instrumentality of the government for that matter in his quest to eradicate graft and corruption in the bureaucracy”.

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it will release the decision on the appeals regarding the disqualification case filed against presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on May 10. The poll regulator said that the decision on the three consolidated cases have already been signed and that the Comelec has decided to wait foe the promulgation of the fourth case. Comelec chair Saidamen Pangarungan, quoted in a GMA News report said, “Actually, the three consolidated cases have been signed. But the fourth disqualification case just arrived recently. We decided to release the decision after the promulgation of the fourth case. I received the fourth disqualification case last Thursday night.” The official further said he read the fourth case on Friday “and then I voted. We did not promulgate it because the following day was a Saturday.” Pangarungan assured the public that the Comelec’s decision will be released on Tuesday. “Then today is Sunday, tomorrow is a special non-working holiday, we cannot promulgate the ruling. But rest assured that by Tuesday the first working day of next week we will promulgate the fourth disqualification case. Just wait until Tuesday,” Pangarungan, in the GMA News report said. The official earlier said five Comelec commissioners have already signed the resolution. Two commissioners have yet to sign the resolution, including Pangarungan . The Akbayan party-list, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA), and the Pudno Nga Ilokano (Ang Totoong Ilokano) filed the said petitions. The groups asked the Comelec en banc to reconsider the division’s decision to junk the disqualification case against Marcos Jr.

Rody urged to make final 8 weeks count By Maricel V. Cruz FORMER Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said he is hoping President Rodrigo Duterte will make the remaining eight weeks of his administration count by “doing more good” in the government. Cayetano said he has encouraged the President to spend the “last two minutes” of his administration resolving “evils” in the country. He cited the President’s order to stop all online sabong (e-sabong) operations on May 3 as well as his careful review of the Vape Bill in accordance with the cautions made by the Department of Health, medical groups, and lawmakers such as Cayetano himself. Cayetano also urged Duterte to continue serving the country after his term as elder statesman, similar to former President Fidel V. Ramos. “We need elder statesman who will give a sound advice to the next President and the new government,” he said. Cayetano was Duterte’s running-mate in the presidential and vice presidential elections in 2016. The former Speaker, meanwhile, appealed to the voting public to choose wisely in the general elections on May 9, 2022. He urged them to research about the political candidates through social media and public affairs shows, and fact-check the information they receive. He also encouraged the public to pray “for divine guidance” even as he urged the Filipino people to support whoever wins, but “not blindly”. Cayetano is currently gunning for a comeback in the Senate on a faithbased and values-oriented platform.

VOLUNTEER MOM.

A Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting volunteer mother cuddles her son while attending an orientation at the University of Sta. Tomas on Sunday. Danny Pata

Opinion Expect the vilification of the Marcoses to continue

TODAY, barring any last-minute not-sodivine intervention, the country will bear witness to the return of another Marcos to the seat of power in the person of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. It was 36 years ago when his father, the late Ferdinand, Sr. voluntarily or was coerced by a foreign power by some account, vacated the Palace, to avoid bloodbath as his most trusted aide then, the late General Fabian Ver was raring to slug it all out with the putschists led by then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile and then General Fidel Ramos who were being backed up then by tens of thousands of people who have gathered in EDSA (believe me, that span of EDSA cannot accommodate two million as claimed by some writers).

First, let’s look back. The rest is history. Cory Aquino assumed power. First thing she did was to do away with all the things associated with Marcos and continued demonizing the former president, a campaign started by her late husband, former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. And that is what the Yellows have been doing for the past 36 years. Textbooks were even re-written to adapt to their version of history. Unfortunately, they failed as despite their massive propaganda against the Marcoses, an offspring – Bongbong or BBM to his supporters - is about to stage a political comeback on behalf of his maligned family. And we do expect that the vilification of the Marcoses will continue, and would even intensify to greater

(To be continued)

Election influencers for hire: Kenya’s disinformation factories By Mary Kulundu/ Hillary Orinde IN A nondescript office north of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, social media influencer Ian James Mwai constantly glances at his two mobile phones, wary of missing an opportunity to promote the political party he works for. The 23-year-old is in the vanguard of the growing ranks of influencers feverishly punching keyboards and hoping to tilt the outcome of the country’s highstakes elections, which are less than 100 days away. The rising dominance of platforms like Twitter and Facebook has opened up a new front in Kenyan politics, with candidates desperate to draw the attention of the country’s 12 million social media users. “This election is going to be very close,” Mwai told AFP. “Any politician who chooses to ignore social media is a fool.” Demographics are a key factor behind the drive: Kenya’s population is estimated to be 50 million, more than half of them under 35. Six million youngsters will also become eligible to vote this year as they come of age. It has spawned a new industry -packed with online personalities who parrot politicians’ views, create false narratives, deflect criticism and promote viral conspiracies. And they offer clients something invaluable: plausible deniability. “There are so many teams and personnel out there and you cannot control what they put online,” said Mwai. “My team is ethical,” the social media strategist hastily adds, referring to the 70 influencers under his wing. Charging a minimum of 50,000 Kenyan shillings ($430, 409 euros) per day

for a trending hashtag on Twitter, their services are in hot demand. Mwai, who declined to say who he works for, has more than 110,000 followers on Twitter and pays close attention to their online behavior. “Mornings are the best time to post online just before people reach the office... since the first thing they do is go online to see what’s trending,” he said. ‘Weaponizing trends’ Kenya is no stranger to election meddling. An undercover expose by UK media revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm that used the personal data of millions of Facebook users to target political ads, played a critical role in Uhuru Kenyatta’s successful presidential campaigns in 2013 and 2017. But today, local influencers have taken the lead. Facebook pages and Twitter accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers have become a goldmine as administrators are increasingly approached to rent out their pages. A simple search by AFP shows hundreds of Facebook groups named after the two main presidential candidates Deputy President William Ruto and veteran politician Raila Odinga. Analysts worry the campaigns, driven by a number of faceless bots and sock puppet accounts, are sowing discord with coordinated disinformation attacks. Alphonse Shiundu of fact-checking non-profit Africa Check pointed to the “active recruitment of online soldiers to blow out political messages for their masters and in effect spread misinformation”. “People are weaponizing trending topics to spread misinformation,” Shiundu said. Even political veterans are not spared.

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EDITORIAL

D-Day

(First of four parts) heights even if BBM assumes office at noon of June 30. Anticipating that, we deem it proper to trace back the story behind the vilification campaign against the Marcos so as to fully understand why the Yellows and the Left had ceaselessly mounted the same campaign to date, even as it had become obvious the people are now rejecting their narrative. The plot to oust the elder Marcos and seize political power is one for the books as it involves an unholy collaboration between two inherent class enemies – the bourgeoisie as represented by a select group of Oligarchs led by Ninoy Aquino and basic masses as represented by the Left led by Jose Maria Sison’s reconstituted Communist Party. They have time and again colluded with each other in their objective to topple Marcos, although it is an open secret, they are bound to betray each other once the objective is on the brink of achieving as manifested in the 1986 Edsa Uprising when the Left were sidelined. While there is an infinity of issues raised against Marcos, two of them stand out – the issue of massive corruption enabling the First Family to illegally acquire wealth; and the issue of human rights violation. On the former, it has significantly lost traction as to date, no conviction involving the members of the former First Family in connection with the issue has been reached. It is on the second issue this paper will focus. As it is, the issue of human rights violation has been the bread and butter of the Oligarch-Left campaign against Marcos. And they readily equate human rights violation to Martial Law. According to these people, human rights violations proliferated under Marcos’ Martial Law Regime. Interestingly, they also equate the declaration of Martial Law to the Plaza Miranda Bombing. Based on the Oligarch-Left narrative, Marcos instigated the Plaza Miranda Bombing to justify the declaration of Martial Law.

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022

ITH the grueling, months-long campaign period over, all that is left to do is to decide.

That is what millions of Filipinos will do today as they troop to their designated polling places to cast their ballots. We hope—and trust—that they do so with some measure of intelligence, wisdom and forethought; that they aren’t swayed by campaign pap or mud or fake news, and that they can see clearly to vote for who, in their truly informed opinion, are the right persons to lead this nation, regardless of what anyone else—politicos, pop stars, pundits, or pollsters—says. Could the election have been better organized? Most assuredly. Certainly, we would have preferred to have seen and heard all the serious contenders for high office engage in a honest-togoodness live debate on all the issues

Elections are more than just making do. that affect our lives. As a measure of leadership under pressure for each of the candidates, this would have been ideal. This did not happen, however, and the last round of the presidential and vice presidential debates were canceled, overshadowed by questions about millions of pesos in unpaid hotel bills, and whether or not the poll body should have authorized the payment of those debts, incurred by its private debate organizer. The absence of a credible, unfil-

tered debate platform left voters to fend for themselves, gathering what information they could from social media and traditional news sources—certainly not the best option for a head-to-head comparison of the candidates. Still, we are a people accustomed to making the best of whatever is at hand. Bombarded from all sides with often conflicting information, we need to be able to distinguish between fact and fiction. But elections are more than just making do—or they should be. We do not want just any leader; we don’t want one that is just good enough. We want the best—the most intelligent, the most capable, the most hardworking, the most courageous, and the most honest one there is. That is the choice we have today—and we need to exercise that choice wisely. Today is Decision Day, and our fates hang in the balance.

God bless the Philippines with good leaders

TODAY is a pivotal junction for our country. As voters, we will exercise the power to choose the leaders who will be given the authority to govern a nation that is struggling to heal and rise from the deep damage of the still-lingering global pandemic. Whoever emerges as victor in this most polarizing campaign season will be faced with the daunting mission of solving the problems that this administration will pass on, plus the complications of ongoing geopolitical crises in Europe and China’s ongoing incursions into our Exclusive Economic Zones in the West Philippine Sea. We have seen so many elections since the violent and cheating-prone manual elections of the 60s. Thus, the revolutionary transition to automated elections has restored the credibility and confidence in our electoral process. Several nationwide studies have verified this fact. As expected, the seasonal social media chatter on so-called threats to compromise or hack the automated election system have been proven many times to be baseless with election watchdogs verifying the accuracy of results in the manual audit of ballots. If all goes well, by tomorrow morning we will know who the next president, the legislators, and the local government leaders of the next political cycle will be. This new administration will be faced with a deeply scarred economy and a government bureaucracy that is still infected with corruption and inefficiencies. The big lesson of the pandemic crisis is the interlinked dynamics of health, the environment, and the economy which will need an all of society approach that harnesses the resources, expertise, and active participation of the private sector, civil society, and the people – and for this, the next government must listen to

‘Any politician who chooses to ignore social media is a fool.’ At 77, Odinga has found himself in the crosshairs of a Twitter controversy, thanks to the trending hashtag #RailaStateProject, which alleges that his ambition is to uphold the status quo, following his endorsement by former rival Kenyatta in March. Meanwhile, #hungryruto has painted Ruto—once Kenyatta’s anointed successor—as the alleged beneficiary of multi-billion dollar corruption scandals. Across the political divide, fabricated pictures showing huge crowds

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

the top thought leaders for sound guidance. A compendium of 16 special studies with strategic analyses and solutions have been authored by some of the country’s experts which will soon be launched by think tank Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute entitled “Beyond the Crisis: A Strategic Agenda for the Next President”. The book offers objective and forward-looking solutions based on well researched scientific data with peoplecentric and sustainable nation building through policy reforms that form part of the strategic agenda for sustainable recovery and governance.

These special papers have been launched in ADRi’s recent series of online policy forums tackling the full range of issues from the health crisis of COVID-19 which revealed the inefficiencies of a fragmented health system, the depressed economy, the digital readiness challenge, the environmental crisis of climate change and our lack of resilience, the regional threat of China’s expansionist ambitions and continuing incursions in the West Philippine Sea, and persistence of graft and corruption in government. Here are the gists of some of them. Guidance for economic growth is given by former BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo’s special paper “Philippines: Pursuing an Investment-Led, More Sustainable Economic Growth”. He posits that health mitigation should remain a priority alongside public policies that encourage private investments. Prof. Vicente B. Paqueo and Michael R. M. Abrigo’s paper “Issues for the Next Administration’s Development Agenda On Human Capital and Labor Markets” calls for a shift in the labor sector’s development agenda by updating their skills and acquir-

ing new competencies, and strengthening unemployment insurance. ADRi fellow, Prof. Francisco “Kiko” Magno’s paper on “Governance agenda for development in a post COVID-19 Philippines” pursues reforms addressing shortcomings based on World Governance Indicators. Dr. Ronald U. Mendoza’s paper on “Reducing Inequality in the Philippines: Rationale and Reform Options” offers a framework for inequality reduction through reforms that focus on building strong social safety nets and enhancing competition in the market economy and political system. Independent political analyst Dr. Rizal G. Buendia’s paper on “Lessons and prospects in Philippine political governance: cutting across regimes from Marcos to Duterte” suggests the adoption of policies that bolster a transparent and accountable government to address issues of graft and corruption and the institutionalization of holistic governance. Another ADRi fellow Prof. Renato C. De Castro’s paper “A National Security Strategy (NSS) for the 17th Philippine President: The Case for A Limited Balancing Strategy” proposes an 11-point formal grand strategy for the next President. On the other hand, “The Great Cauldron: China, US, and the New Cold War in the Indo-Pacific” paper by ADRi fellow Prof. Richard Heydarian advocates ‘integrated deterrence’ against Beijing’s coercive activities and strategic regional alignments to defend sovereign rights and territory. Dr. Sherwin E. Ona’s special paper “Digitalization Agenda 2022: Towards a resilient Philippines through digital transformation and inclusion” proposes a citizen centric digital transformation of government into an integrated platform of services, digital inclusion that address access issues, and protection of the country’s digital infrastructure. You can read these and the other special policy papers in Stratbase ADRi’s Facebook page and website. God Bless our country with leaders who will best serve our country.

at campaign rallies, fictitious poll data and edited videos taking candidates’ speeches out of context have become commonplace. “So long as they (influencers) have cultivated an online audience, they monetize it: that means they push content for whoever can pay,” said Shiundu. Exploiting Kenya’s lax enforcement of laws against hate speech or fake news, influencers have muddied the reputation of journalists, activists and even judges who have questioned powerful politicians. ‘Guns for hire’ The barrage of disinformation poses a huge threat to the August polls, six civil society groups said last month. “We are concerned that social media influencers have become guns for hire who churn out disinformation and hate

speech,” they said in a joint statement. The costs can be deadly. More than 1,100 Kenyans lost their lives in 2007 when a disputed election result sparked politically-motivated tribal clashes. Ten years later, dozens died in another bout of post-poll violence. But influencers say they have little option but to defend their candidates. Mac Otani, a digital media consultant working with Odinga’s party, told AFP that when propaganda spreads, he has to hit back to ensure that their base receives the “correct message”. It’s all part of the game, according to Mwai. “We are ready for the backlash that comes with it. We are ready for the negative energy,” he said. “We are always ready.” AFP

Whoever wins will have a daunting mission.

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

World

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ex-security chief anointed Hong Kong’s next leader A FORMER security chief who oversaw the city’s population. the crackdown on Hong Kong’s democAfter a brief secret ballot on Sunday, racy movement was anointed the busi- 99 percent (1,416 members) voted for ness hub’s new leader on Sunday by a Lee while eight voted against, according small committee of Beijing loyalists. to officials. John Lee, 64, was the only candidate Beijing hailed the near-unanimous rein the Beijing-backed race to sult saying it showed “Hong succeed outgoing leader CarKong society has a high level rie Lam. of recognition and approval” The elevation of Lee, subfor Lee. ject of US sanctions, places “This is a real demonstraa security official in the top tion of democratic spirit,” job for the first time after a the Hong Kong and Macao tumultuous few years for a Affairs Office said in a statecity battered by political unment. rest and debilitating pandemic Under President Xi Jincontrols. ping, China is remoulding John Lee Despite the city’s mini-conHong Kong in its own austitution promising universal suffrage, thoritarian image after huge and someHong Kong has never been a democracy, times violent democracy protests three the source of years of public frustration years ago. and protests since the 1997 handover to Beijing deployed a sweeping national China. security law to stamp out dissent and rolled Its leader is instead chosen by an “elec- out a new “patriots only” political vetting tion committee” currently comprised of system to guarantee anyone standing for 1,461 people – roughly 0.02 percent of office is considered suitably loyal. AFP

FOR BUDDHA. Worshippers line up to pray after a service to celebrate Buddha’s birthday at the Jogye Temple in Seoul on May 8, 2022. AFP

BRUTAL FINAL SHOWDOWN WITH RUSSIAN INVADERS

Mariupol’s defenders make last stand

KRAINE’s last soldiers in the port city of Mariupol face a brutal final showdown Sunday with besieging Russian forces, who are hoping to deliver a critical win ahead of the country’s victory day. President Volodymyr Zelensky is also set to hold talks with G7 leaders via video conference to discuss the situation in his country, which fears a renewed intensity to Moscow’s offensive after the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks. The complex – the final pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the devastated port city – has taken on a symbolic

value in the war, with the last soldiers holed up in its sprawling network of underground tunnels and bunkers. Taking full control of Mariupol would allow Moscow to create a land bridge between the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, and regions run by pro-Russian separatists in the east. “The enemy is trying to finish off the

defenders of Azovstal, they are trying to do it before May 9 to give (Russian President) Vladimir Putin a gift,” Oleksiy Arestovych, an aide to Ukraine’s president, said. Ukraine’s far-right Azov battalion, leading the defence at the steelworks, said one of its fighters had been killed and six wounded when Russian forces opened fire during an earlier attempt to evacuate people by car. Zelensky said hundreds of people had been removed from the plant Saturday and that preparations for another stage of evacuation comprising the wounded and medics were under way.

Civilians who have escaped have described passing through Russian “filtration” sites where several evacuees told AFP they were questioned, stripsearched, fingerprinted, and had their phones and documents checked. “They asked us if we wanted to go to Russia or to stay in (eastern Ukraine’s self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic) or stay and rebuild the city of Mariupol,” said Azovstal evacuee Natalia, who spoke on condition that her full name not be published. “But how can I rebuild it? How can I return there if the city of Mariupol doesn’t exist anymore?” AFP

Not subservient: Sokor’s new president to get tough on North SOUTH Korea’s hawkish new president will be sworn in Tuesday, and he looks set to get tough with Pyongyang, departing from what he has called the “subservient” approach of his predecessor. For the past five years, Seoul has pursued a policy of engagement with North Korea, brokering summits between Kim Jong Un and then-US president Donald Trump while reducing joint US military drills Pyongyang sees as provocative. But talks collapsed in 2019 and have languished since, while the nucleararmed North has dramatically ramped up weapons tests, conducting 15 so far this year, including the launch of its largest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile. Unlike outgoing President Moon Jaein, who saw North Korea as a negotiating partner, incoming leader Yoon Sukyeol sees the country as an adversary, said Cheong Seong-chang of the Center for North Korea Studies at the Sejong

Institute. Yoon has pledged to officially define Pyongyang as South Korea’s “principal enemy,” Cheong added, and has not ruled out pre-emptive strikes on the North. This hard-line stance appears to have already annoyed Pyongyang. On Thursday, North Korean propaganda website Uriminzokkiri said Yoon was stirring up “confrontational madness” and it was “preposterous” for him to discuss pre-emptive strikes. Moon, who met Kim four times while in office, sought to avoid harsh rhetorical exchanges with Pyongyang, prioritising engagement. But Cheong warned of a rough ride ahead and said he expected no summits. Instead of delicate diplomacy, Yoon wants the “complete and verifiable denuclearization” of North Korea – something that is anathema to Kim, said Hong Min, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. AFP

Saudi King Salman enters hospital for unspecified tests SAUDI Arabia’s ageing King Salman has been admitted to hospital for unspecified tests, state media reported Sunday. The kingdom has generally sought to quell speculation over the health of the 86-year-old monarch, who has ruled the top oil exporter and the Arab world’s biggest economy since 2015. He entered King Faisal Specialist Hospital in the coastal city of Jeddah on Saturday “to conduct some medical examinations,” according to an official report, citing a royal court statement. “May God preserve the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and may he enjoy health and wellness,” the statement said. It is rare for the secretive kingdom to report on the health of the monarch. In 2017, Saudi Arabia dismissed reports and mounting speculation the king was planning to abdicate in favour of his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler. King Salman underwent surgery to remove his gall bladder in 2020. He was most recently hospitalized in March, for what state media described as “successful medical tests” and to change the battery of his pacemaker. Under his rule, Saudi Arabia has launched ambitious economic reforms for a post-oil era and given more rights to women, while adopting a more assertive foreign policy including entering a war in neighbouring Yemen. AFP

RACE AGAINST TIME. Rescuers in a crane work in the ruins of the Saratoga Hotel, in Havana as the death toll after a powerful blast due to a suspected gas leak climbed to 27, authorities said. AFP

Rescuers comb through Havana hotel blast rubble RESCUERS combed through what remained of a luxury Havana hotel Saturday, as the death toll after a powerful blast due to a suspected gas leak climbed to 27, authorities said. No survivors were found in the upper floors of the prestigious Saratoga Hotel, and rescuers said they were now concentrating their efforts on the jumbled debris filling the two-level basement of the neoclassical building. Authorities reported Saturday that 37 people had been hospitalized, down from an earlier number of 46. There was meanwhile some confusion after a Red Cross official gave a death toll of 32, but the higher number was later reported to be “an error.” The hotel had been closed for business during renovation work, and many victims of Friday’s explosion were either construction workers or hotel employees preparing for its

reopening. But a 29-year-old Spanish tourist, who had been walking nearby, died in the blast. So far, 11 hotel employees have been identified among the dead, said Roberto Enriqez Calzadilla, a spokesman for the state-run tourism group Gaviota, which operates the hotel. He said the explosion happened while a gas tank was being refilled by a tanker truck. Officials said the dead included four children and adolescents. More than a dozen of those hospitalized were listed in critical or serious condition. With the search now turning toward the building’s basement levels—a woman’s cry for help was heard emanating from there on Friday afternoon—tons of smoking debris have complicated the task. AFP

Ukraine war puts Europe ‘at crossroads’ on anniversary As the EU poises to mark its anniversary on Monday, it is morphing into a more muscular global actor, a transformation accelerated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “(The) war in Ukraine is fundamentally challenging our European peace architecture,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen declared on Friday. That can be seen in the EU’s evolution. What began seven decades ago as a trade bloc binding formerly warring nations together, is today a political heavyweight funnelling weapons to Kyiv and imposing unprecedented sanctions on Russia. The EU is also challenging an assertive China, and it learned bitter lessons from Brexit and four years of Donald Trump in the United States. But analysts say it still has a long way to go to become the strategically autonomous goliath championed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who currently holds the EU presidency. “Fundamentally, for Europe to morph into a geopolitical actor, this requires more than some policy fix or institutional fixes,” said Luuk van Middelaar, a Dutch political theorist who served in the cabinet of former European Council president Herman Van Rumpuy. The EU indeed “crossed a Rubicon” by deciding to finance 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) of arms deliveries to Ukraine, he said, a “striking” turnaround from its pacifist history. Yet it has a poorly defined common strategy towards its near neighbours, whether they be Russia or the “grey zone of countries” aspiring to join, including Ukraine, he said. Newly re-elected Macron is expected to pursue his agenda more vigorously, backed by some other leaders this week and a bloc-wide citizens’ consultation for ground-up changes to the EU’s underpinning treaties. AFP

Queer Britain: UK’s first LGBTQ+ museum opens doors in London

ECONOMIC CRISIS. Consumers in long lines to buy cooking gas use their empty cylinders to block a main intersectional road in Colombo on May 8, 2022, after a local store ran out of supplies. Protests have spread across the country against worsening paucity of gas, fuel, food and medicines as the country faces an unprecedented economic crisis of foreign exchange to finance essential imports. AFP

QUEER Britain, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ museum, opened its doors in London this week, promising to bring the history and culture of the community to a wider audience. Housed in a 19th-century building in a redeveloped area behind King’s Cross railway station, the museum has been four years in the making and is entirely financed by private donations. A major exhibition is slated for the coming months combining photos, artworks and costumes. Visitors can already discover the history of the community in the UK, from cross-dressing Victorians to more recent Pride marches. Pioneers honoured include racing driver Roberta Cowell, thought to be the

first British trans woman known to have had reassignment surgery, and Justin Fashanu, the first professional footballer to publicly acknowledge he was gay. Fashanu – who in 1981 became the country’s most expensive black player when he made a £1 million move from Norwich City to Nottingham Forest – killed himself in 1998, eight years after coming out. One of the museum’s managers, Stephanie Stevens, said Queer Britain was “a permanent place for us to be able to celebrate who we are, the amazing contributions we’ve made to history, and then to educate the nation so that they know about those contributions as well.” AFP

Business

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Errrr…. gonomics THE United States Census Bureau reported over 128 million full-time employees in the US in 2019, with some working from home. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says people working a portion or all of their hours from home increased from 19 percent in 2003 to 24 percent in 2015. While many occupations (e.g., manufacturing, construction, and warehousing) were less likely to work from home, 38 percent of management, business, and financial operations and 35 percent of professional workers worked from home at least partially (Thomas et al., 2021). In the Philippines, it has been discovered that Filipino workers want more flexibility in how they work. Cisco, a global tech firm, found that 66 percent of employees want to travel less, and 83 percent incorporate more exercise in their daily routine (Cisco, 2021). This, undoubtedly, impacts businesses to provide strategies that can help employees with the challenges they face due to remote working. Remote work, work from home, virtual work, or telecommuting (hereafter referred to as telework), developed in the 1970s, covers various work strategies that involve the use of information and communication technologies such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, or smartphones for work that is completed outside of the employer’s buildings. Telework has traditionally allowed workers to save time and money on commuting. Still, in the current environment, its value is also reducing the risks associated with employees congregating at work during the ongoing pandemic. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States, the Philippines and several other countries declared health emergencies, allowing all associated with the quarantine policy to remain at home. As a result of these policies, many workers were compelled to make the abrupt transition to working from home. Millions of people transitioned to working from home. Fortunately, I continue to benefit from the work-from-home arrangement.

STRONG JOBS DATA. Customers browse racks of clothing as they shop inside a discount department retail store in Las

Vegas, Nevada, on May 7, 2022. The US economy added a better-than-expected 428,000 jobs in April, with the unemployment rate remaining at a low 3.6 percent, the Labor Department reported. The data pointed to continued strong employment growth and contained hints that some inflationary pressures may be easing, with workers’ wages rising less than in March. But investors remain anxious that rising prices and higher interest rates will hit consumers, slowing the economy’s expansion in the second half of 2022. AFP

Stock market cautious, weighs election results S By Jenniffer B. Austria

hare prices are expected to move sideways during this shortened trading week as investors may opt to stay on the sidelines while waiting for the outcome of the presidential election.

Financial markets will be closed on Monday after President Rodrigo Duterte declared May 9, Election Day, a special non-working holiday. Analysts said investors would be on wait-and-see mode, with uncertainties likely to linger until the proclamation of the winners of the national elections by the Commission on Elections.

Investors will also wait for the first quarter gross domestic product report scheduled for release on Thursday. “The week’s close at 6,759.90 highlights near term risk is still tilted to the downside. Expect the market to range between 6,750-6,850 in the week ahead,” said BDO Unibank Inc. chief investments strategist Jonathan Ravelas. Last week’s move of US Federal Reserve to hike interest rates by 50 basis point and the higher-than-expected local inflation rate in April also put more pressure on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to tighten monetary policy earlier than expected. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the Monetary Board would review its assessment of the inflation outlook and macroeconomic prospects after the release of the first-quarter GDP growth figures, along with evidence of possible

second-round effects during the monetary policy meeting on May 19, 2022. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 0.4 percent last week to 6,759.90 points due mainly to bargain hunting. Foreign investors were net sellers for the week by P3.63 billion, while the average daily value traded stood at P5.5 billion, down from the previous week’s average of P6.2 billion. Weekly top price gainers were Globe Telecom Inc., which rose 8.5 percent to P2,464; Universal Robina Corp., which climbed 6.3 percent to P109; and Petron Corp., which advanced 6.2 percent to P3.40. Weekly top losers were Manila Water Co. Inc., which dropped 4.9 percent to P17.50; East West Banking Corp., which fell 4.8 percent to P7.67; and GMA Network Inc., which declined 4.6 percent to P12.70 apiece. With AFP

BRYAN ANTIDO

Green Light

I’ve been in a situation where I wake up at 4 a.m. to avoid being late for work, and I get home around 10 to 11 p.m. Moreover, the talk of Dr. Alma Jennifer Gutierrez, a Southeast Asian Network of Ergonomics Societies (SEANES) Educator Awardee and a Full Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at De La Salle University, provided me with insights into the benefits and drawbacks of working from home. She said the lack of ergonomic office furniture at home harms employees’ posture and concentration, affecting work efficiency. Luckily, employees are each given P12,000 to spend on items that they can use for work from home in our company. This amount is reimbursable, and the items purchased are no longer required to be returned to the company as long as the employee remains with the firm for at least one year. In my case, I purchased an office chair with adjustable features to allow me to work at an appropriate height to avoid lumbar and neck discomfort. As I have observed, it promotes better wrist alignment avoiding impingement or carpal tunnel stress. Indeed, many people across the country wish they could trade their home comforts for those in the office due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has resulted in new work-from-home and distance learning routines. In the end, our homes are our sanctuaries, designed for our comfort. However, we can take steps to adhere to ergonomic principles to ensure our continued well-being. The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. He can be reached at bryan_antido@dlsu.edu.ph. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Soybean boon for Argentina as war lifts prices LOBOS, Argentina—Russia’s war on Ukraine has sent grain prices skyrocketing—a worry for consumers worldwide but potentially a boon for producers like Argentina, which hopes an influx of soybean “agridollars” will boost its faltering economy. South America’s third-largest economy is the biggest exporter of soybean meal and oil in the world, and only the United States and Brazil export more soybean grains. Soy represents nearly a third of Argentina’s exports and in 2021 contributed $9 billion to the state coffers. This year, the sector is expecting record sales of $23.7 billion—about $700 million more than in 2021— despite a 10-percent smaller harvest due to severe drought. “The prospects for the producer are good... There is optimism,” said Martin Semino, who sells farming equipment and presides over the Rural Society of Lobos, a fertile agricultural zone southwest of Buenos Aires. The harvest season is at its height, and workers are laboring from dawn to dusk to clear the fields before the autumn rains arrive. “Soy is the dollar, the currency of the countryside,” Semino told AFP. In the past, the grain has been a savior for inflation-troubled Argentina. A soybean boom in the 2000s is widely considered to have helped the country recover from its worst economic crisis in 2001. In the last 40 years, the planted surface area of soy has multiplied 14 times. Argentina is also a major producer of sunflower oil and wheat—other grains affected by the ongoing war. After a record sunflower harvest of 3.4 million tons in 2021-2022, the area under cultivation is set to increase by 17 percent this season to two million hectares (4.9 million acres). The country also had a record wheat harvest this season. Estimates are that in 2022, Argentina’s agroindustrial exports will bring in a record $41 billion—about $3 billion more than in 2021. AFP

BALANCE SHEET As of MARCH 31, 2021 ASSETS

This undated and unlocated image released by Wisk Aero LLC.,shows the company’s all-electric, self-flying, vertical takeoff and landing air taxi. Companies such as Archer, Joby and Wisk are working on electric-powered aircraft that take off and land vertically like helicopters then propel forward like planes. AFP

Companies envision taxis flying above jammed traffic

By Glenn Chapman SAN FRANCISCO, United States—As urban traffic gets more miserable, entrepreneurs are looking to a future in which commuters hop into “air taxis” that whisk them over clogged roads. Companies such as Archer, Joby and Wisk are working on electricpowered aircraft that take off and land vertically like helicopters then propel forward like planes. “’The Jetsons’ is definitely a reference that people make a lot when trying to contextualize what we are doing,” Archer Vice President Louise Bristow told AFP, referring to a 1960s animated comedy about a family living in a high-tech future. “The easiest way to think about it is a flying car, but that’s not what we’re doing.” What Archer envisions is an age of aerial ride-sharing, an “Uber or Lyft of the skies,” Bristow said. Neighborhood parking garage rooftops or shopping mall lots could serve as departure or arrival pads for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Commuters would make it the rest of the way however they wish, even synching trips with car rideshare services such as Uber which owns a stake in Santa Cruz, California-based Joby. Joby executives said on a recent earnings call that its first production model aircraft should be in the skies later this year. That comes despite a Joby prototype crashing early this year while being tested at speeds and altitudes far greater than it would have to handle as part of an air taxi fleet. Joby has declined to discuss details of the remotely piloted aircraft’s crash, which occurred in an uninhabited area, saying it is waiting for US aviation regulators to finish an investigation. “We were at the end of the flight test expansion campaign at test points well above what we expect to see in normal operations,” Joby executive chairman Paul Sciarra told analysts. “I’m really excited about where we are right now; we have demonstrated the full performance of our aircraft.” Its eVTOL aircraft have a maximum range of 150 miles (241 kilometers), a top speed of 200 miles per hour and a “low noise profile” to avoid an annoying din, the company said. Joby has announced partnerships with SK Telecom and the TMAP mobility platform in South Korea to provide emissions-free aerial ridesharing. AFP

Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit of Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets-Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets-Net Unquoted Debt Securities Classified as Loans-Net Investments in Non-Marketable Equity Security-Net Loans and Receivable - Net Loans to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables- Others Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Equity Investment in Subsidiaries,Associates and Joint Ventures-Net Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment-Net Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net Non-Current Assets Held for Sale Other Assets-Net Net Due from Head Office/Branches/Agencies, if any (Philippine branch of a foreign bank)

CURRENT QUARTER 2,172,993.61 207,059,525.23 427,433,842.56 0.00 0.00 10,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 2,500,723,504.80 2,534,494,409.80 0.00 33,770,905.00 96,669,903.30 0.00 26,682,983.16 2,491,704.59 285,212,124.99 24,180,243.35

AMOUNT PREVIOUS QUARTER 10,470,784.66 128,305,220.26 548,437,843.01 0.00 0.00 10,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 2,572,021,703.35 2,605,792,608.35 33,770,905.00 100,067,967.26 0.00 27,448,283.42 2,500,702.34 235,527,765.90 23,072,438.73

0.00

3,582,626,825.59

3,657,852,708.93

Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Due to Other Banks Bills Payable a) BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) b) Interbank Loans Payable c) Other Deposit Substitutes d) Others Bonds Payable-Net Unsecured Soubordinated Debt-Net Redeemable Preferred Share s Special Time Deposit Due to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities Net Due to Head Office/Branches/Agencies/(Philippine branch of a foreign bank)

0.00 2,478,974,105.45 0.00 196,000,000.00

0.00 2,249,429,909.36 0.00 509,000,000.00

196,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 32,191,132.70 61,267,567.89

509,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 28,606,921.50 58,815,930.71

TOTAL LIABILITIES

2,768,432,806.04

2,845,852,761.57

709,328,996.98 4,172,785.66 100,692,236.91 0.00

707,796,711.27 (350,046.17) 104,553,282.26 0.00

TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES

BOARD OF DIRECTORS FR. ANTONIO CECILIO T. PASCUAL Chairman ATTY. MICKEL M. BORIGAS Vice-Chairman PATRIA T. CHIONG ROMEO A. DE JESUS DORIS R. DORIGO JOVITO P. GAMMAD EDITA S. LAURON GARIBALDI O. LEONARDO ROBERTO C. MASCARINA WILFREDO F. MERCADO DIVINA C. QUEMI NICOLAS H. VERONILLA SATURNINO J. GALANG JR. PONCIANO D. PAYUYO BOARD SECRETARY ATTY. SIMEON T. ASIA, JR. EXECUTIVE OFFICER MA. THERESA T. NACAR OIC & CASD Head

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings Assigned Capital TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

814,194,019.55

811,999,947.36

3,582,626,825.59

3,657,852,708.93

Guarantees Issued Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Securiites Held Under Custodianship by Bank Proper Trust Department Accounts a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts b) Agency Accounts c) Advisory/Consultancy Derivatives Others

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 8,970,497.17

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 8,970,511.17

TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

8,970,497.17

8,970,511.17

2,675,389,385.76 140,894,975.96

2,742,108,303.82 136,315,695.47

549,059,312.90 20.52% 408,164,336.94 15.26% 31.81% 25.66%

643,290,808.21 23.46% 506,975,112.74 18.49% 26.44% 21.19%

45.00 221,323,459.79 8.27% 0.00 0.00%

45.00 341,195,667.85 12.44% 0.00 0.00%

11.93% 27.56% 2.00%

15.33% 34.31% 1.00%

22.62 21.67 0.00 0.00

21.07 20.12 0.00 0.00

0.00

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross Total Loan Portfolio (TLP) Specific allowance for credit losses on the TLP Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) c. Net NPLs d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) e. Ratio of total allowance for credit losses to gross NPLs (%) f. Ratio of specific allowance for credit losseson the gross TLP to gross NPLs (%) Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross allowance for credit losses DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross allowance for credit losses Ratio of DOSRI loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to gross TLP (%) Gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables TLP (%) Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Small Enterprises b. 2% for Medium Enterprises Return on Equity (ROE) (%) Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations a. Total CAR b. Tier I CAR c. Common Tier 1 Ratio (%) Deferred Charges not yet Written Down Unbooked Allowance for Credit Losses on Financial Instrument Received Republic of the Philippines ) Makati City ) s.s. I/We, RODA L. CRUZ and MA. THERESA T. NACAR of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of my/our knowledge and belief. RODA L. CRUZ Finance Head

MA. THERESA T. NACAR OIC & CASD Head

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 25th day of APR 2022 at Makati City, affiant affiant exhibiting his/her/their Passport No. P8336853B , issued at DFA NCR WEST on November 30, 2021 and Passport No. P6985950A, issued at DFA NCR South on April 29, 2018. Doc. No. 149 Page No. 31 Book No. 115 Series of 2022

NOTARY PUBLIC

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

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022

IN BRIEF

Robinsons Retail earned P1.2b in Q1

ROBINSONS Retail Holdings Inc. said over the weekend net income jumped 24.8 percent in the first quarter to P1.2 billion from P945 million in the same period last year on the back of a double-digit growth in sales and improved margins. RRHI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange net sales rose 10.7 percent to P39.4 billion, with positive contribution across all business segments. It said that despite the imposition of different alert levels in the quarter, businesses remained strong, as same-store sales grew 4.9 percent. Meanwhile, e-commerce sales doubled in the first quarter and contributed 4.1 percent of total sales. “The strong first-quarter performance validates our optimism entering 2022. We saw upbeat performance across our formats in the first quarter of 2022 as consumers regained greater mobility to visit stores and grew even more accustomed to online shopping,” RRHI president and chief executive Robina Gokongwei Pe said. Jenniffer B. Austria

LandBank clarifies UCPB cash-out price

Business NEDA: PH economy will return to pre-pandemic level this year

CONOMIC Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the Philippine economy will return to pre-pandemic growth this year as the country continues to build on progress in recovering from COVID-19.

Chua, who attended the Philippine Consulate General town hall meeting in New York City on April 29, discussed the country’s progress in reducing poverty in the last six years, medium-term priorities and economic prospects moving forward. “In 2015, poverty was estimated at 23.5 percent. By 2018, we have reduced it to 16.7 percent. Prior to the

pandemic, we were very much on track to achieving 14 percent or less. The reason why we are able to do this is because of our commitment to the zero-to-ten point socioeconomic agenda,” said Chua. Chua said the progress in achieving the zero-to-ten point socioeconomic agenda paved the way for the country to achieve its target of lifting six million Filipinos out of poverty in 2018, four years ahead of schedule. This also provided the Philippines with strong foundations to better address the challenges of the pandemic. Chua stressed some of the administration’s notable achievements since 2016. Among these are the amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Foreign Investment Act and the Public Service Act, which will help relax foreign ownership restrictions and increase compe-

tition that can improve the quality of goods and services at lower prices. The government also enacted the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, which helped fund more infrastructure and social services, and the Rice Tariffication Law in 2019, which supported rice farmers in improving their productivity and significantly lowering the price of rice. “Without a doubt, the pandemic and its adverse economic impacts are indeed testing the Philippine economy like never before. But unlike past crises, the Philippines has solid fundamentals to address this crisis. […] It is very important at the outset to have a strong macroeconomy so that you have enough buffers and enough resources to withstand any shocks, and you can concentrate on improving the welfare of the people,” he said.

STATE-RUN Land Bank of the Philippines said Sunday the reported cash payout to minority shareholders of the former United Coconut Planters Bank is not a payment for dividends but the cash-out price for their remaining shares in UCPB. LandBank earlier issued a “Notice for the Minority Shareholders of United Coconut Planters Bank” that the amount of P0.337 per share would be paid to the minority shareholders of UCPB representing the cash-out price for their remaining shares in UCPB. The bank clarified that this is not a cash dividend. It said that when the merger became effective on March 1, 2022, all issued and outstanding shares of UCPB not in the name of LandBank and the Republic of the Philippines were effectively cancelled and terminated. “In exchange, these shares are entitled to the cash-out price of P0.337 per share as a pay-out of their shareholdings in UCPB, and not a dividend pay-out,” LandBank said.

AREIT posted P796-m income in first quarter

AREIT Inc., the real estate investment trust company of Ayala Land Inc., booked a net income of P796 million in the first quarter, up 59 percent year-on-year on higher revenues and contribution of newly-acquired assets. AREIT said in a disclosure to the stock exchange first-quarter revenues increased 66 percent as the occupancy and collection rates of leasing projects remained stable at 97 percent and 98 percent, respectively. The company said to boost asset portfolio, it secured shareholders’ approval for a second property-for-share swap with sponsor Ayala Land. The transaction involves six Cebubased office buildings with an aggregate value of P11.257 billion. Under the plan, AREIT will acquire these assets in exchange for 252.136 million AREIT common shares at a swap price of P44.65 per share, as validated by a third-party fairness opinion. The office buildings have gross leasable area of 124,299 square meters, with an overall occupancy rate of 97 percent, leased by major business process outsourcing firms. Jenniffer B. Austria

RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP. Aboitiz Power Corp.’s subsidiary Therma Luzon Inc. signs an agreement with the University of the Philippines Los Baños to implement a community baseline program in its host communities in Pagbilao, Quezon province. The research program will be conducted by the UPLB-Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement and UPLB Foundations Inc. in Barangays Ilayang Polo and Ibabang Polo. Signing the agreement to explore the needs of their host communities and implement more sustainable programs are (from left) TSI reputation and stakeholder management supervisor JK Huyatid, UPLBFI executive director Dr. Enrico Supangco, UPLB-BIDANI project leader Dr. Marites Yee and TLI reputation and stakeholder management specialist Rupert Vito.

Pilipinas Shell eyes 60 new stations this year as part of expansion plan By Alena Mae S. Flores PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. plans to put up 40 to 60 stations this year as part of its expansion program, an executive said over the weekend. The retail expansion is included the company’s P3-billion to P4-billion capital expenditure rollout for 2022. “We continue to invest. We will be building 40 to 60 mobility stations this year. We are building more companyowned sites and a bigger footprint to ensure that we have the complete offer. We are not just a fuel station, but we are a mobility destination to offer various items beyond fuels,” PSPC vice president for mobility Randolph del Valle said. PSPC is the country’s second-largest

oil company with over 1,100 retail stations nationwide. PSPC is also building at least 70 nonfuel retail outlets, Shell Select and Helix Oil change facilities and car wash stations. “There are really various offers that are relevant these days. After pandemic, there are services our customers really need. We want to make sure we expedite this based on our learning,” he said. Rey Abilo, PSPC vice president for finance, said the company would maintain its P3-billion to P4-billion capex program annually. “Sixty percent of this will be dedicated on the expansion of mobility footprint, while the other 40 percent will be dedicated to further strengthening our supply chain network,” Abilo said.

“We are pretty confident that for the year, we will be able to actually spend that capex, because we are seeing recovery in demand and we continue to invest in the country to make sure the PSPC will remain competitive in the market,” he said. PSPC built 43 new mobility stations nationwide, 26 of which were the bigger company-owned sites located in key cities/higher foot traffic areas, below the company’s target of 60 openings in 2021. “This is our highest CO station opening in the last decade. Based on our financial evaluation, the returns on building slightly less number but bigger stations with full mobility offer and more strategic locations, makes better economic prospects for us in the longerterm, compared to the original plan.”

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, May 6, 2022

-109.02 PTS. 6,759.90

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

653,644,826 68,389 5,949,061,380.96 60 107 61

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

52.3310

Japan

Yen

0.007681

0.4020

Pound

1.236200

64.6916

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127400

6.6670

Switzerland

Franc

1.015125

53.1225

Canada

Dollar

0.779241

40.7785

Singapore

Dollar

0.722804

37.8251

Australia

Dollar

0.711300

37.2230

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

138.8201

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266610

13.9520

Brunei

Dollar

0.720202

37.6889

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.029125

1.5241

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

14.2491

Euro

1.054400

55.1778

Korea

Won

0.000788

0.0412

China

Yuan

0.150297

7.8652

India

Rupee

0.013069

0.6839

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.230044

12.0384

New Zealand

Dollar

0.642300

33.6122

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033747

1.7660 Source: BSP

Foreign reserves fell to 7-month low of $106.8b in April THE country’s gross international reserves declined to a seven-month low of $106.76 billion in April from $107.31 billion on government’s payment of foreign debt and a decrease in the value of gold in the global market, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said over the weekend. It said the latest GIR level still represented a more than adequate external liquidity buffer equivalent to 9.4 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. It was also about seven times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 5.5 times based on residual maturity. “The month-on-month decrease in the GIR level reflected mainly the national government’s foreign currency withdrawals from its deposits with the BSP as the the national government settled its foreign currency debt obligations and paid for various expenditures as well as the downward adjustment in the value of the BSP’s gold holdings due to the decrease in the price of gold in the international market,” the BSP said in a statement. Net international reserves, which refer to the difference between the BSP’s reserve assets and reserve liabilities (short-term foreign debt and credit and loans from the International Monetary Fund), decreased by $560 million to $106.74 billion as of end-April from $107.3 billion a month ago. Michael Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the end-April GIR was the lowest in seven months since the $106.59 billion in September 2021. He said the other reason for the decline in GIR was the “increased volatility in the global financial markets largely due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since February 24, 2022, and more hawkish Federal Reserve signals in terms of more aggressive rate hikes to curb elevated inflation.” “For the coming months, the country’s GIR could still increase and potentially post new record highs amid the continued growth in the country’s structural inflows from OFW remittances, BPO revenues, foreign tourism revenues as well as foreign investment inflows, most of which are among record highs/pre-pandemic highs recently,” Ricafort said. Julito G. Rada

Rice Tariffication Law enabled NFA to cut losses by 38% to P9.6b in 2021

WASTE COLLECTION. SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, adds SM Telabastagan and SM Pampanga to the growing list of SM malls that are part of its Plastic Waste Collection Program. Customers from nearby communities may now drop off their clean and dry plastic waste at Parking D near the SM Store Entrance in SM Telabastagan, or near the steel deck parking in SM Pampanga, every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Plastic materials such as PET bottles, grocery bags, e-commerce pouches, food containers, dishware, plastic utensils and alike are accepted, except for PVC pipes. Launched in 2021 in partnership with Plastic Credit Exchang, SM Cares’ Plastic Waste Collection Program promotes responsible and proper plastic waste disposal by making plastic waste collection points accessible to everyone.

By Julito G. Rada THE National Food Authority reduced its net loss by 38 percent to P9.6 billion in 2021 from P15.44 billion in 2020 under the Rice Tariffication Law, the Department of Finance said over the weekend. The DOF’s Corporate Affairs Group said in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III the net loss did not include the NFA’s subsidy support from the national government of P30.65 billion in 2020 and P7.46 billion in 2021, representing the conversion of government advances into subsidy. Under the Rice Tariffication law or Republic Act No. 11203, the NFA’s mandate was limited to providing emergency buffer rice stock to be sourced exclusively from local farmers. “The targeted use of its buffer stock as

mandated by law meant lower procurement volumes, which can be funded solely out of subsidies from the government. Thus, it no longer needed to borrow funds to augment the financial resources needed for procurement activities,” said DOFCAG head and Undersecretary Antonette Tionko. The DOF and the Department of Budget and Management provided the necessary support to facilitate NFA’s financial restructuring. The NFA was able to gradually reduce its outstanding borrowings and financial charges, the DOF-CAG said. Assistant Secretary Soledad Emilia Cruz said the NFA’s lower procurement volumes led to a reduction in operating costs and the organizational restructuring of the NFA, resulting in billions of pesos in savings for the government.

LRT 1 operator seeks P2.7-b compensation and fare adjustments in a new international arbitration case By Darwin G. Amojelar LIGHT Rail Manila Corp. filed an arbitration case against the government before the International Chamber of Commerce for failure to pay P2.7 billion and implement long-overdue fare adjustments under the concession agreement. The operator of LRT Line 1 filed a request for arbitration with the ICC over disputes with the Department of Transportation and the Light Rail Tran-

sit Authority, consistent with the dispute resolution procedures under the existing contract. “The request pertains to the adjustment of the approved fare for the years 2016, 2018 and 2020 and LRMC’s claims for compensation relating to the grantors’ [DOTr and LRTA] contractual obligations to compensate LRMC for: the difference between the stipulated fare and the approved fare based on the schedule provided in the

CA, following the grantors’ inaction on LRMC’s application for fare adjustments based on the CA,” LRMC said. It said the claims included the losses, costs and expenses incurred by LRMC for the government’s failure to deliver to LRMC the required number of light rail vehicles that meet the stipulated technical requirements under the contract and the structural defects on the existing LRT 1 system, both of which

are required to ensure that LRMC is able to provide a safe, efficient and reliable service to the public as required under the CA. LRMC said that as of March 31, its monetary claims amounted to about P2.67 billion before interest, in addition to its application for the implementation of the long-overdue fare adjustments for 2016, 2018 and 2020. “Despite compliance with applicable legal requirements and after ex-

erting best efforts to amicably discuss the foregoing claims with the grantors, LRMC has not received any offer from the DOTr and LRTA. In view of this, LRMC was compelled to deliver the request to preserve and enforce its rights under the CA,” LRMC said. “LRMC believes that the settlement of these claims is critical to enable it to continue to be viable and provide safe, efficient and reliable services to the public,” it said.

PH beach handball team nails 2nd victory THE Philippine beach handball team snatched its second straight victory at the expense of Singapore, 22-19, 22-16, in the 31st Southeast Asian Games at Tuan Chau Island in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, on Sunday. The win was a fitting follow-up to the Filipinos’ 18-16, 18-16 upset of Thailand, which clinched silver in the 2019 Philippine games, behind Vietnam, two days ago. Meanwhile, Ariana Drake finished fourth— and last—in the women’s 1-meter springboard of diving on Sunday afternoon, a performance that could augur well for the youngster in future Southeast Asian Games. Only 17 and a SEA Gamesfirst-timer, Drake was ranged against experienced divers Nur Dhabitah Sabri and Kimberly Bong Quian, who finished 1-2 in the event, thus, allowing Malaysia to win the first top medals of the Games that has yet to formally open on Thursday. Sabri, a multi-medalist in Commonwealth and Asian Games and owner of four SEA Games gold medals, scored 290.45 points while her equally experienced teammate posted 230.00 points for the silver in the event that only had four competitors. Vietnam also got into the medal tally board early on Ngo Phuong Mai’s bronze in the event with a 224.00 score in the diving competitions being staged at the My Dinh Aquatics Center in Hanoi. Drake will compete in the women’s 3-meter springboard on Tuesday. The 1-meter springboard for women wasn’t on the Philippine SEA Games program in 2019.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022

Maroons stun Eagles in Game 1, zero in on 1st title in 36 years By Peter Atencio

HE momentum to claim the 84th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament title is now within reach of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. Top scorer Ricci Rivero and Carl Tamayo once again carried the fortunes of the Fighting Maroons in their hands, as they needed an overtime period to bring down the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles, 81-74, in Game 1 of their best-of-three finals series Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena. Rivero, who led with 19 points, and the 6’7” Tamayo, struck with the winning shots in the last two minutes, handing UP a decisive 79-74 edge. After that, UP banked on their air-tight defense on Angelo Kouame and the prolific Gian Mamuyac to leave the Blue Eagles

scoreless in the remaining time. “Maraming nangyari sa game on both ends. I just told the boys not to give up and continue with what they’re doing. And be consistent sa game,” said Fighting Maroons’ coach Goldwin Monteverde. A three-point play by Rivero, who went perfect with 11 out of 11 converted charities, pulled through with his baskets off a foul from Mamuyac in the last 2:31, allowing the Maroons to shatter the game’s final deadlock, 77-74.

Tamayo outran Kouame after he mishandled a pass by Mamayuc, and his driving layup with two minutes left widened UP’s lead by five, 79-74. The Blue Eagles, who could not cash in on the absence of a fouled out big man Malick Diouf in the extra five minutes, then lost one of their key scorers in SJ Belangel to cramps as they struggled with their perimeter shots with Mamuyac in the last 8.2 seconds. As UP regained possession in the remaining time, Rivero finalized the count with two more charities at the three-second mark. The Diliman dribblers, with Zavier Lucero hitting 17 points and hauling down 13 rebounds, now have a fighting chance to claim UP’s first crown in over three decades when they play the Blue Eagles in Game 2 at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. But the Blue Eagles, getting 18 points and 11 rebounds from Kouame, could still equalize and force a deciding Game 3 on Friday.

COVID curbs push China off global sporting map

UP’s Carl Tamayo drives to the basket against an Ateneo defender in Game 1 of the UAAP finals.

Knights barge into NCAA finals LETRAN outlasted University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 77-75, to advance to the finals for the second straight season in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Centre. The fourth-ranked Altas gave the back-to-back title-seeking Knights everything to handle before falling short of their bid of sending the Final Four to a deciding game. Jielo Razon missed a potential game-winning triple in the dwindling seconds, allowing Letran to extend its perfect run to 10 games. Rhenz Abando matched his ca-

The Maroons are seeking to end a 36year title drought, with their first crown coming under coach Joe Lipa in 1986. James Spencer, who had 13 points, forced a 70-all deadlock with a triple with 24.7 ticks to go. The Blue Eagles had good chances to win Game 1 in regulation, but a well-defended Kouame and Tyler Tio could not find openings for their baskets inside and outside the paint. Diouf had 10 points and 15 rebounds before he went out on his fifth foul off Kouame, who initially put Ateneo ahead, 74-72, with two charities in the last 4:42. It was quite an achievement for Monteverde on his first head coaching job in the collegiate ranks, reaching the UAAP finals and doing the same thing that Baldwin did on his debut year, along with Aldin Ayo. Ayo was still with the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers when they made the finals as well back in Season 79.

reer-high 24 points highlighted by a couple of crowd-pleasing slam dunks to go with three rebounds, two assists and two steals while Jeo Ambohot produced a doubledouble effort of 14 points and 14 boards for the Knights. Letran will face the winner of the other Final Four duel between Mapua and San Beda in the bestof-three championship starting on Sunday. Fran Yu had 13 points, including a free throw that gave the Knights a two-point lead in the final 7.4 seconds, five rebounds and three assists. It was an end of an improbable journey for Perpetual, which

hurdled Arellano University and College of Saint Benilde in the play-in stage to arrange a semifinal duel with Letran. The Altas almost pulled it off without forward Kim Aurin, who missed the second straight game due to chickenpox. Razon led Perpetual with 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, while Jeff Egan added 14 points, four assists and two steals for Perpetual. Having beaten their opponents by an average of 13 points in the eliminations, the Knights’ twopoint victory against the Altas is their smallest winning margin this season.

Rhenz Abando matched his career-high 24 points

BEIJING—China’s ambitions to be a global sporting hub took a heavy blow as the postponement of this year’s Asian Games further isolated a country already cut off by its hardline zero-Covid strategy. The ruling Communist Party burnished its global image with an array of dazzling spectacles such as Beijing’s 2008 Summer and 2022 Winter Olympics, tennis and golf tournaments featuring all the world’s leading stars, and a showpiece annual Formula One grand prix. The country also wants to host football’s World Cup. But with the exception of this year’s Winter Olympics—held in a virussecure, closed-loop Beijing bubble in February—the world’s most populous nation has cancelled or postponed almost all events since Covid emerged in Wuhan in late 2019. The Olympic-sized Asian Games became the latest and biggest casualty on Friday as organisers decided to delay the multisports extravaganza “after carefully considering the pandemic situation and the size of the Games”. No new dates have yet been given for the continental showpiece, originally scheduled for September 10 to 25 in the eastern city of Hangzhou with around 10,000 athletes due to compete across 40 sports. The World University Games due to begin next month in Chengdu were also postponed for a second time citing “continued uncertainty over conditions”. They were part of a blitz of announcements on Friday as the Asian Youth Games were also cancelled, having been delayed once already, and two prestigious Diamond League athletics meetings later this year in Shanghai and Shenzhen were shelved. AFP

Sports

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022

Bivol stuns Alvarez, retains WBA crown L AS VEGAS—Unbeaten Dmitry Bivol retained his WBA light-heavyweight world title with a unanimous points decision over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Saturday, handing the Mexican superstar just the second defeat of his career.

Russia’s Bivol, 31, improved to 20-0 with 11 knockouts while multiweight champion Alvarez, the pound-for-pound king who went in a heavy favorite, fell to 57-2 with two draws. His only other defeat was to Floyd Mayweather at light middleweight in 2013. Alvarez made boxing history in November when he stopped Caleb Plant to become the first man to unite all four super middleweight world title belts. He had fought at light-heavyweight before, stopping Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round to win the WBO 175-pound title in November 2019. But there would be no late heroics against Bivol, who pressured Alvarez relentlessly throughout the bout and never appeared to be hurt seriously by the Mexican, who struggled to get past Bivol’s guard. “He hurt my arm,” Bivol said, displaying a bruised upper arm that absorbed a string of punches. “I felt his power, you can see on my arm. He beat my arm up—but not my head.” All three judges—Tim Cheatham, Dave Moretti and Steve Weisfeld—scored the bout 115-113 for Bivol. “I prove myself today, I’m the best (in my division),” Bivol said. “Thank you, Eddie Hearn,” he added in a nod to the promoter, “sorry I broke your plans with Gennadiy Golovkin.”

That was a reference to the planned third fight between Alvarez and Golovkin, which had been tentatively planned for September. It was a massive disappointment for the pro-Alvarez crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, who were pulling for a Mexican victory on the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend. While Alvarez was feted with Mexican flags and Mariachi music, the Russian national anthem wasn’t played and Russian flags were banned inside the arena because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Bivol said the crowd’s partisan cheers whenever Alvarez seemed to be gaining ground “gave me more energy.” Alvarez landed a big uppercut to Bivol’s chin to end the fourth round. But his aggressive start to the fifth yielded little as Bivol turned the tables with a big flurry in the middle of the round and closed with a punishing left hand. Bivol fought a disciplined fight, keying a steady attack with a piston-like jab that opened the door for powerful combinations. Alvarez was put on the defensive, and the naturally lighter fighter couldn’t find a way to respond. By the seventh round his face was bruised, his feet looked slow and as the fight wore on his punches lacked their usual power.

Dmitry Bivol (right) punches Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bivol retained his title by unanimous decision. AFP

‘I lost, he won’ When a weary Alvarez ducked his head under Bivol’s arm in the 11th round, the Russian leaned over and let himself be lifted off the ground. Alvarez tried to pour it on in the 12th, but his combinations made little impres-

Alcaraz downs Djokovic in thriller match MADRID—Carlos Alcaraz believes the sky is the limit after becoming the first player to beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the same tournament on clay as he stormed into the Madrid Open final on Saturday. The 19-year-old Spaniard reached his second ATP Masters final in five weeks and claimed his first win over a reigning world number one, overcoming Djokovic 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) in front of a sell-out home crowd at the Caja Magica. Alcaraz has a tour-leading seven wins against top-10 players this season. He enters Sunday’s final against defending champion Alexander Zverev carrying a nine-match winning streak, having triumphed in Barcelona a couple of weeks ago. He is the youngest player to beat a world number one in 17 years. Asked if he sees a limit to what he can achieve, Alcaraz said: “I don’t think so. Tomorrow I will go for the final as I did in Miami. I’m really happy to be able to play a second Masters 1000 final.” “I would say that I feel ready to compete against them (the top players) in every single tournament, in every single surface,” added the Miami champion.

Zverev moved into his third Madrid final with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win against Greek world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas, in a clash that finished at 1:06 am local time (2306 GMT Saturday). The German second seed, a champion in the Spanish capital in 2018 and 2021, extended his Madrid winning streak to nine consecutive matches. Zverev has won both of his previous meetings against Alcaraz. A calm and collected Alcaraz kicked off the match against Djokovic with a service break, thanks to a welltimed cross-court backhand passing shot. He was soon up 3-1 on the top seed. Djokovic, who turns 35 this month, struck back to draw level at 4-4 as the set went to a tie-break. A fired-up Djokovic sped to a 5-1 advantage and soon got his hands on four set points. Alcaraz saved the first with an aggressive return and an-

other with an ace. The Spaniard save a third with a spot-on drop shot to narrow his deficit to 5-6 but Djokovic closed out the set on his fourth opportunity after 62 minutes. The players were neck and neck in the second set, until Alcaraz upped the ante in game 12, winning key battles

sion on the remorseless Bivol. “He’s a very good fighter,” Alvarez said. “He comes in, goes out. He managed his distance really well. That’s boxing. “He’s a great champion,” Alvarez added. “I lost. He won.” Although he had no complaint with at the net and perfectly using his drop shot when he needed to. The Murcia native claimed a break and the set with a sensational get, running down a Djokovic drop shot and hitting a winner from outside the doubles alley. Djokovic cuts hand Djokovic staved off three break points on his serve in game four of the decider, digging deep for a 2-2 hold. The world number one fell during the next game and needed some medical attention for a wound on his right hand. Two more break points came and went for Alcaraz on his opponent’s serve as Djokovic battled to hold for 3-3. It was Djokovic’s turn to put pressure on the Alcaraz serve, but the seventh seed successfully side-stepped a break point to hold in game seven. The crowd went wild as Alcaraz blasted a forehand winner for his first match point. Djokovic responded with a steely ace and dug deep to level at 5-5. It all came down to a final-set tiebreak and the Caja Magica was shaking with “si se puede” (‘Yes you can’) chants. Alcaraz drew first blood, opening up a 4-2 gap. Djokovic saved a second match point for 5-6 but Alcaraz was third time lucky, claiming a statement three-hour 35-minute victory with another forehand winner—his 35th of the match. AFP

Longshot Rich Strike in stunning Kentucky Derby triumph WASHINGTON—Rich Strike, an 80-1 longshot who only got into the field the day before the race, stormed home on the inside to seize a stunning upset victory in the 148th Kentucky Derby on Saturday. The colt, trained by Eric Reed and ridden by Sonny Leon, gained a place in the field when Ethereal Road was scratched on Friday morning, as owner Richard Dawson put it, “about 30 seconds before the deadline” to enter. Breaking out of the 20th post, Rich Strike was well back in the field of 20 as they turned for home, but Leon patiently guided him through the throng on the Churchill Downs dirt track. Epicenter, sent off as the 4-1 favorite, was dueling with Zandon in the stretch when Rich Strike burst through on the rail for the greatest upset in terms of odds since 1913, when 91-1 longshot Donerail won the first event in US flat racing’s Triple Crown. Epicenter, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Joel Rosario, was second and Zandon, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Flavien Prat, was third. For Asmussen, it was his 24th Kentucky Derby start without a victory. “I fell down in the paddock when he hit the wire,”

said Reed, who like Leon was in the US classic for the first time. “I about passed out!” The chestnut colt’s only prior victory came at Churchill Downs in September. But Dawson said that he wouldn’t have entered the horse if he didn’t think he had a chance. “Never, ever would Eric and I put a horse in a race we didn’t think we could win,” he said. “We just knew that we had a shot because every time he went longer he got better. Today he went a mile and a quarter and he just kept going.” Indeed, the fired-up winner tried to take a bite out of his escort horse as they made their way to the winner’s circle to celebrate the victory, worth $1.86 million of the $3 million purse. “I knew I had a horse for the race,” said Leon, who said he tried to keep the ride “nice and easy.” “I waited for my moment and I came through on the stretch. The last 100 yards, I said, ‘I think I’ve got this race.’” ‘Not supposed to be here’ Reed called Leon’s performance “just the greatest ride that I’ve ever seen.” “It’s the reason everybody does this,” he said of the

Rich Strike with Sonny Leon up wins the the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. AFP

astonishing win. “We’re not supposed to be here. But I knew this horse loved the track and he’d been training so good all year.” AFP

Anytime Fitness back on track, opens 140th club The group Live Love Party graces the Zumba Marathon Session.

ANYTIME FITNESS is growing and expanding across the Philippines. Its 140th club opens at Fishermall Branch. Amidst the pandemic, Anytime Fitness continues maintaining companionship to lifestyle and fitness. And that every step of the way, Anytime Fitness assures all club members to achieve their fitness goals. This ever-growing community is accessible to any of your nearby go-to’s. Anytime Fitness clubs are located in your favorite shopping mall, like the SM City Manila Branch in Manila, or within your condominium, such as the Vista Residences Branch in Katipunan. Anytime Fitness provides the best equipment and technology that gears the members to a con-

venient and healthy way of getting fit. Moreover, people of all ages and sizes are welcome in the club to start and to continue their fitness journey. Anytime Fitness offers an exclusive utilization on digital platforms such as Anytime Fitness App and AF Connect. These mediums can guide club members in their workout routines anytime and anywhere. Anytime Fitness is excited to be every Filipino’s “Health and Fitness Partner” as more branches will be opening in more cities soon. Join ANYTIME FITNESS in promoting the #AFExperience! For more information, you may visit Anytime Fitness Philippines Main Website, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.

the decision, Alvarez said he wanted a rematch. “Of course, I want the rematch,” Alvarez said. “This doesn’t end here.” “Rematch? No problem,” Bivol said. “Let’s talk about that. I want respect as the champion.” AFP

Giannis scores 42, lifts Bucks past Celtics; Warriors win SAN FRANCISCO—Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and passed off eight assists to spark defending champion Milwaukee over Boston 103-101 on Saturday in the NBA playoffs. The Greek superstar center also had two blocked shots and two steals for the Bucks, who seized a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference second round series, which continues at Milwaukee on Monday. In Western Conference action, the Golden State Warriors went up 2-1 on the Memphis Grizzlies with a 142-112 blowout in San Francisco. The defeat was even more painful for the Grizzlies as they saw star Ja Morant limp out with an apparent knee injury late in the fourth quarter. Morant had been sensational in defeat, scoring 34 points with three rebounds and seven assists. He appeared to hurt his knee in a tussle for a loose ball in the final period. But the Grizzlies couldn’t slow a Warriors team that connected on 63.1% of their shots, with Stephen Curry leading the way with 30 points and Jordan Poole adding 27 off the bench. Klay Thompson scored 21 for the Warriors, who had six players score in double figures in a comprehensive victory. Memphis got off to a hot start, leading by as many as 13 on the way to a 28-26 lead at the end of the first quarter. But the Warriors responded and pulled ahead in the second quarter, building a 64-57 halftime lead that would have been bigger but for Morant’s buzzer-beating three-pointer from halfcourt. The Warriors took a 21-point lead into the final quarter and were never threatened. “We were a little bit more composed,” Curry said. “They got off to a hot start, like six threes in the first quarter. We had to settle in. We still had too many turnovers. “But our shot selection, moving the ball, let us settle in the game a little bit, helped our defense, helped us run away with the game.” In Milwaukee, the Celtics rallied from 14 points down to pull within 103-100 with 4.6 seconds remaining, and Boston’s Marcus Smart sank the first of two free throws to lift the visitors within the final margin. Smart missed the second free throw with hopes of grabbing a rebound and making a tying inside shot, but Robert Williams missed a tip-in try and Al Horford’s tip-in was ruled to have come after the final buzzer, giving Milwaukee the victory. “It was very close,” Bucks center Brook Lopez acknowledged of the Horford tip-in. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang,, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022

Election plugs remind people to vote orderly and peacefully

Some guidelines for voters on how to stay safe against COVID-19 on election day

The roles that Pokwang plays OF THE many roles that Marietta Subong plays – as the actress we know as Pokwang, brand ambassador, comedian, host, and partner to Lee ‘O Brian – the dearest one, of course, is that of a mother to her daughters, the eldest Ria Mae and the youngest, Malia Francine. She believes that the best part of being a mother is when your prayers for your children have been answered and you see them growing up as good persons. The most challenging part, she shares: “I think that was the time when I decided to go abroad as an OFW so I can give my children a good life. I know the pain of being separated from your children.” As a mother, Pokwang describes herself as a fighter who is willing to face anything for her children. “Parang si Lea Salonga lang sa Miss Saigon, I swear I’ll give my life for my children. I will work hard to give them the best education because that is the only thing that can make them achieve their goals.” Apart from her comic flair and beauty, what she wants her daughters to inherit, is her love for cooking. Pokwang has always been fond of cooking. Even as a child, she always stayed in the kitchen to learn to cook new dishes. “I always wanted to be the cook because I don’t want to go out and wash clothes in the river,” she says with a guffaw. “I love to cook and modesty aside, I cook very well.” A m o n g Pokwang’s favorite dishes are callos, laing, karekare, and sea food fares. And she’s able to put her cooking skills into good use by putting up a food business during the pandemic. It did not only make her busy but it also gave her a good source of income during the height of the lockdowns. All the happy chaos brought about by her cooking business, led her to discover a locally

made brand of plastic products, Klio which she uses as storage for her food deliveries. And the forces of the Universe conspired to make her its first celebrity brand ambassador. “When you are an endorser, you should be the first one to use the product that you are endorsing. Your followers should see that you are using the product that you are asking them to buy as well. Trust is very important.” Of course, no conversation with Pokwang will be complete without a sprinkling of showbiz intrigues, with regard to the never-ending chatter that is not only she has an invisible war but an obvious rivalry between her and the Comedy Concert Queen AiAi delas Alas who is a Kapuso “royalty” as well. “AiAi and I have already met twice at All Out Sunday (AOS) studio and we were cordial with each other. Who knows, we might work in a project together soon,” Pokwang teased. “I have been in showbiz for two decades and I know that intrigues are part and parcel of showbiz. Tao ako so I get hurt sometimes especially if a colleague makes a nasty remark on my post just because we have different opinions on matters. Respect lang ang hinihingi ko. May kanya-kanya naman tayong paniniwala kaya sana irespeto natin kung anuman ang choice ng kaibigan natin o kasama,” she ended. Pokwang (right) with daughter Malia

ID, the COMELEC said it will be helpful to bring one, according to the “Paalala sa Botante: Dos and DON’Ts” plug. Voters may also bring a list of the candidates they will vote for on paper or on their cellphone. It is, however, prohibited to take selfies or record videos and to take photo or video of one’s ballot. In the “Paalala sa Botante: Balota” plug, voters are reminded to make sure their ballot has no tear or any writing, and is not pre-shaded. It should be kept clean. They can’t write on other parts of the ballot or cross out names of those they won’t be voting. They should only shade in full the circle beside the name of their chosen candidate. They cannot vote more than the allotted number per position. They should also check the back of the ballot and make sure their

votes are complete. These videos, which were produced by the ABS-CBN Creative Communication Management division, are shown on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, iWantTFC, and in different Facebook pages and YouTube channels of ABS-CBN. Previously, ABS-CBN also released a series of plugs featuring Filipinos from different walks of life, including an OFW, vendor, driver, farmer, fisherman, doctor, and a member of the youth, who shared the qualities and values they are looking for in the candidates they will vote for. Meanwhile, the whole ABS-CBN News is all set for the marathon Halalan 2022: The ABS-CBN News Special Coverage that starst today at 5:00 a.m. until 12:00 nn on Tuesday (May 10).

Bringing comprehensive election coverage to Filipinos across regions

As part of GMA Network’s election advocacy campaigns, GMA Regional TV and Synergy went around the country for the “GMA Masterclass Series”

S FILIPINOS vote for the country’s next leaders, GMA Regional TV (RTV) is all set to deliver local election news in various communities outside Metro Manila via GMA Regional TV Eleksyon 2022 Special Coverage. With its local news hubs strategically located all over the Philippines, GMA RTV deploys its over 60 news teams in key areas of North Central Luzon (GMA Dagupan and GMA Ilocos), Southern Luzon (GMA Batangas), Bicol Region (GMA Bicol), Central and Eastern Visayas (GMA Cebu), Western Visayas (GMA Iloilo and GMA Bacolod), Northern Mindanao (GMA Cagayan de Oro), Southern Mindanao (GMA Davao), South Central Mindanao (GMA General Santos), and Western Mindanao (GMA Zamboanga). Today and tomorrow, viewers in the regions get the latest election news via the 13 GMA RTV-produced programs composed of award-winning local newscasts airing at 5:00 p.m. on GMA regional channels: GMA Regional TV Balitang Amianan, GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia, GMA Regional TV Balitang Southern Tagalog, GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak, GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas, GMA Regional TV One Mindanao; as well as the morning shows GMA Regional TV

Live!, At Home with GMA Regional TV, GMA Regional TV Early Edition, Mornings with GMA Regional TV, GMA Regional TV Balitang Southern Tagalog Early Edition, and GMA Regional TV Balitang Bicolandia Early Edition airing at 8:00 a.m. On national TV, GMA Regional TV News airs local news at 10:00 a.m. on GTV. Online, local news and information are available on www.GMARegionalTV. com and the programs’ Facebook pages. “This Eleksyon 2022, GMA Regional TV supports GMA Network, especially the GMA News and Public Affairs Group. As local news matters to many Filipinos, we remain steadfast to our commitment to deliver the biggest, most comprehensive, most trusted election coverage across all platforms,” says GMA Regional TV and Synergy First Vice President and Head Oliver Victor Amoroso. Eleksyon 2022 Help Desk GMA RTV is working hand-in-hand with various schools to provide public service to Kapuso all throughout the country. An Eleksyon 2022 Help Desk has been set up in all its regional TV stations with the following hotlines: For GMA Dagupan: 09285500500, (075) 540-6910, and (075) 540-7055; for GMA Ilocos: 0905-5644780; (077) 604-4929, and (077) 644-0218; for GMA Batangas: 0956918 6720, (043) 728-0188; for GMA Bicol (054) 8713717 and 09562118516; for GMA Cebu: (032) 272-8235 and 09276252939; for GMA Iloilo (033) 503-6096 and 09218267723; for GMA Bacolod: (034)

432-9655 and 09952480517; for GMA Cagayan de Oro: (088) 855-0058 and 09952119621; for GMA Davao (082) 224-5745 and 09218267722; for GMA General Santos: (083) 552-5327 and 09993087770; and for GMA Zamboanga (062) 983-0546 and 09667114256. With the help of the network’s Eleksyon 2022 partner-schools, student volunteers will receive calls and assist the public with election-related concerns. Leading the partner-schools are the University of Northern Philippines, University of Luzon, Ateneo De Naga University, University of Nueva Caceres, University of San Carlos, Silliman University, Central Philippine University, University of Saint La Salle Bacolod, Xavier University-Ateneo De Cagayan, Central Mindanao University, Holy Cross of Davao College, Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, and Western Mindanao State University – all of which have pledged their support to give the voters the assistance they need this election. And for the first time, GMA’s Eleksyon 2022 partners are also joined by the member schools of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA): Arellano University, Colegio De San Juan De Letran, De La Salle - College of St. Benilde, Emilio Aguinaldo College, José Rizal University President, Lyceum of the Philippines University, San Sebastian College-Recoletos, and University of Perpetual Help System - DALTA. Stay updated through all the Facebook pages of GMA Regional TV’s newscasts and morning shows.

Smart partners with Eplayment for Liga Adarna Season 5

Intensive workshop for dance enthusiasts THE Bayanihan Folk Arts Foundation, Inc. has announced that its Sayaw Workshop 2022 will begin on May 23. The workshop is an intensive dance workshop that will run for two weeks and is designed for children, teens, and dance enthusiasts. Join the “Sayaw Workshop 2022” and learn the dances, songs, and music Children can also participate in the intensive dance workshop

Young dancers learning the dances, songs, and music of the Bayanihan, The National Dance Company of the Philippines

ABS-CBN offers reminders and tips to Filipinos to ensure their safety as they cast their votes today. In separate short videos, ABS-CBN explained what voters should and should not do, the proper way of handling the ballot, and other important guidelines to make the voting process easy and orderly. In the “Paalala sa Botante: Pagiingat sa COVID-19” plug, everyone is reminded to wear face masks, follow social distancing, and undergo a temperature check before entering the voting site. Voters do not need to present a COVID-19 vaccine card or a negative result of a COVID-19 test. Those who are found to have a fever may still vote in a special isolation polling place. While it is not necessary to bring an

of the Bayanihan, The National Dance Company of the Philippines. Workshop for kids is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; teens, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; and dance enthusiasts 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A culminating show will be staged on June 4 at 3:00 pm at the Philippine Women’s University Conrado Benitez Hall. For details, call 02-85246285; 09225551534 (Lhen Piorque); or 09178714429 (Monette Garcia).

MOBILE services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has teamed up with Eplayment Entertainment for the fifth season of Liga Adarna, the country’s biggest all-female esports league. Running until June 30, with the theme “Ikaw Ang Bida,” the new season of Liga Adarna will showcase once again the skills and strategic gameplays of the country’s top female esports players in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB). For the first time this season, Liga Adarna has also added PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) in its tournament. This season, Smart O m e g a

Empress (formerly known as LVD Huntress) is set to defend its title as the MLBB champion of Liga Adarna Season 4. Avid gamers and enthusiasts can watch the games live on the FB pages of Liga Adarna, Smart Communications, Inc., and SMART Sports. The latest season of Liga Adarna is in line with Smart’s long-standing support for Philippine esports to cultivate the passion, skill, and talent of Filipina gamers. Aside from o rg a n i z i n g t h e country’s

biggest esports events and backing Filipino esports athletes, Smart supports gamers with relevant data offers and services to level up their gameplay. Earlier this year, Smart launched the enhanced GIGA Games, which now includes data for PUBGM, on top of Mobile Legends, Facebook Gaming, and many more. Smart Prepaid and TNT subscribers can conveniently register to GIGA Games via the GigaLife App, which is available on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Huawei Mobile Services. Customers may also avail of GIGA Games by dialing *123#. Smart also recently launched GIGA Arena, the country’s first all-in-one esports platform that aims to simply bring the total esports experience to mobile gamers who are looking to test their skills on Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends: WildRift, PUBG and Call of Duty Mobile. Liga Adarna is the country’s biggest all-female esports league where players showcasetheir skills and strategic gameplays in selected games

Participants at the 19th Club Punta Fuego Regatta

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

MONDAY, MAY 9, 2022

APART from providing an exclusive beach respite for Manila’s affluent, Landco’s development in Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas has also been anchored on serving the sailing and yachting lifestyle of its residents. Bouncing back after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the highly-anticipated 19th Club Punta Fuego (CPF) Regatta was recently held as one of the major sailing events in the Philippines. The CPF Regatta brought together not only the sailing enthusiasts and sailor members of Punta Fuego Yacht Club (PFYC) but also select members of the Philippine Inter-Island Sailing Foundation (PHINSAF) from all over the country. Participants joined the exuberant yet highly competitive yacht race and winners were recognized in three categories: IRC Racing Class, Cruising Class, and Ocean Multihull. Sy Selma Star with captain Jun Avecilla was hailed as the champion of this year’s Racer Cruiser Class, followed by Belatrix with captains Jun Villanueva and Sean Mitchell, Hurricane Hunter of Albert Aluta, and Karakoa of Ray Ordovesa in the same IRC Racing Class. For the Cruising Class, Wild Honey of captain James Villareal got the top mark, in second and third place were Plus Ultra of Pablo Lobregat and Isa-

Life

Supporting Punta Fuego’s sailing community belle of Tere Marcial, respectively. Twin Popsies of captains Dylan Tantuico and Gordon Luk aced the Ocean Multihull, trailed by second placer MYGP of Vin-

cent Ruais. Club Punta Fuego, managed by Anya Hospitality Group (AHG), is the luxurious private Batangas beach resort that

Conrad’s Got Talent

is the gemstone of the 88-hectare seaside residential community of Peninsula de Punta Fuego. This sprawling luxury property is developed by Landco, a sub-

sidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), and is known for pioneering premium landscapes for more than 30 years.

Demand seen for Horizon Terraces Garden Suites’ nature views

COULDN’T help borrowing the title of that famous talent search on TV when I came to know of the varied talents of employees of Conrad Manila.

Before the pandemic set in, Ian Bencio David, Senior Sales Manager of the hotel and a talented singer, was one of the four global winners of Hil- greatly influenced by the varied ton Worldwide’s singing contest for its nature and culture of the city. employees, Rockstars of Hospitality. He has a degree in Commerce He was thrilled to find out that among and Marketing from St. Louis the valuable prizes he received was a University which equipped him reserved seat at the Grammy Awards to work in various Tourism esin Los Angeles, California in January of 2020, as the representative of Hilton Worldwide and, of course, Conrad Manila. Naturally, it was a euphoric once-in-a-lifetime experience for this young man. David is a BS Tourism cum laude Chai with onion ginger oyster sauce, graduate of the Asian Institute of Tourfried lapulapu fillet, braised abalone, ism and is completing his Master of Management degree at UP Diliman. He started out as a Sales Executive of the hotel and won the coveted Sales and Marketing Associate Award in the prestigious Hotel Sales and Marketing Association’s (HSMA) 2019 Virtus Awards. This recognition won him a promotion to Sales Manager. During the pandemic, David continued strengthening the hotel’s customer base through online and offline platforms and contributed to innovations Among his masterpieces on exhibit, Ozo introduced by the hotel towards pro- choose this, entitled Self Worth, as his favorite ducing continuous revenue. This com- tablishments like the Baguio Country mitted and effective strategy earned Club, Holland America Lines, and him another promotion to the position New World Hotel prior to taking up a he currently holds. position at Conrad Manila. Aside from being a vital cog in When asked which of his masterConrad Manila’s Sales and Market- pieces is his favorite, he chose “Self ing Department, he continues to be Worth,” a 24” X 36” acrylic which is the in-house program host and singer, prized at P35,000, because “it repredelighting his colleagues and clients sents the struggles and adversities of with his enviable renditions of Frank women’s rights and how they overSinatra and come all those Conrad Manila’s David, after HSMA gave him Michael Buble it is the Sales and Marketing Associate trophy at YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE challenges; classics. also a reminder the prestigious Virtus Awards Another tal- If April showers bring May flowers, what that all of us ented officer do May flowers bring? Pilgrims. are important, and many others. Of course, all moms of the hotel is and no one can dining in the restaurant also bring Spencer Ozo, put us down, as home a beautiful gift from the hotel. The hotel offers many other ways to Assistant Front Office Manager, who long as we believe in ourselves.” recently launched his solo exhibit of Curated by Nestor Jardin, Spencer pamper moms – with delicious Mothmasterpieces, Positive/Negative at Ozo’s 24-piece collection, his first solo ers’ Day Flower Jelly Mini-Cakes at Bru’s Coffee Bar, or luxurious headthe hotel’s Gallery C. Ozo is a self- exhibit, runs until June 11 this year. taught artist whose passion for paintFor Mother’s Day, Conrad Manila’s to-toe treatments at the Conrad Spa, to ing kept him busy and prolific during talented chefs are bannering their culi- name a couple. I know there are many other talented the lockdowns. He works with acrylic nary expertise with a wide array of depaint and mixed media creating figu- lectable specialties designed to make employees of the hotel but I just didn’t rative and abstract works that depict mothers be at their happiest when din- have the time to go around the other animals and human figures against ing in the hotel. Executive Sous Chef departments. I do know that all of backgrounds of various moods and Patricia Mesina offers a fla- them enjoy their work because the Hilemotions. vorful ensemble at Brasserie ton hotels in the Philippines – Conrad Born and raised in on 3 – Ribeye Roast, Lechon Manila, Hilton Clark Sun Valley ReBaguio Sisig con Chorizo, Pa- sort, and Hilton Manila---ranked very C i t y , ella Risotto, among high (number 3, in fact) among “The O z o ’s many others…and Best Companies To Work For in the art moms dine free in a Philippines” with a rating of 89 peris group of four, aside cent. Hilton is also the highest-ranked from bringing home a hospitality company on the list. The popular global chain provides a varispecial gift. At China Blue by ety of resources and programs aimed Jeremy Leung, Execu- at attracting, developing, and supporttive Chinese Chef Eng ing team members at various stages of Yew Khor highlights his their careers to support their profesauthentic Chinese fla- sional and personal growth. More information on Spencer Ozo’s vors---Stir-fried Sliced Positive/Negative exhibit and of the Beef, Chinese Gong hotel’s Mothers’ Day offerings may be obtained at +632 8833 9999 or conradIan Bencio David (leftmost) at the Grammy manila@conradhotels.com Awards in Los Angeles, with other Hilton Worldwide executives

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Horizon Terraces Garden Suites continues to rise to the occasion to meet transformed demands for suburban living amid signs of economic recovery

NOTHING says ‘perfect home’ quite like the seamless blend of contemporary living and proximity to nature, recent studies on the Philippine property scene reveal. Filipinos’ interest in residences with private green spaces has spiked, with home seekers especially drawn towards spacious and airy condominium units with wellness and leisure amenities within reach. Presenting itself to discerning Filipinos seeking alternative primary homes is premier mountain resort development Tagaytay Highlands. Within its sprawling complex rises Horizon Terraces Garden Suites, its luxury condominium estate that is surrounded by lush greenery and majestic nature views. Global real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Philippines’ recent findings add that homebuyers now prefer functional property features, such as allocations for a home office and study area—and health- and wellnessrelated amenities. And with restrictions easing up, Filipinos are not only eager to explore the outdoors once more but seriously consider living close to it. Horizon Terraces Garden Suites’ five-storey, low-density residential condominiums offer one- to two-bedroom units, thoughtfully laid out to accommodate resident families’ varying needs, be it for work- and study-from-home setups or for lavish rest and relaxation opportunities. Living spaces feature large windows and sliding doors that let natural light and ventilation in. This means constantly indulging in the morning sun and the fresh mountain breeze, with the midrise’s higher floors offering stunning vistas of Taal Lake and Volcano, Mount Makiling, and distant mountain ranges. Those who prefer the garden units have immediate access to verdant greenery and the chance to commune with nature. An idyllic choice for affluent Filipinos seeking alternative primary homes, Horizon Terraces Garden Suites has a Central Garden which comprises 70 percent of the community’s land area dedicated to recreational and open garden space. Designed to be exclusively savored by only a number of homeowners, the Central Garden entices one

At Horizon Terraces Garden Suites, one gets a daily dose of mountain view as garden units inspire one to mindfully commune with nature

to take leisurely walks at its Garden Courtyard and have fun checking the time with the Sun Dial. In this serene setting, children may enjoy frolicking at the Sensory Garden while adults and senior residents can read, do yoga, stretch their bodies, and otherwise spend tranquil moments at the Pocket Gardens. As for group-friendly engagements, families and their guests can take a dip in resort-inspired swimming pools, while the Midlands Golf Course is just a stroll away. Because the expansive Central Garden is only a few steps from Horizon Terraces Garden Suites, the condominium complex meets—and actually surpasses—the World Health Organization’s recommendation that every resident should have 0.5 to 1 hectare of green space of no more than 300 meters from their homes. This bolsters the notion that open green spaces enhance the physical and mental health of community members, who also benefit from reduced air and noise pollution. All the aforementioned features define everyday living for Horizon Terraces Garden Suites residents, who also have access to Tagaytay Highlands’ dizzying array of amenities for leisure and recreation. These include world-class golf courses, sports facilities, outdoor pursuits, and specialty restaurants offering various cuisines and gourmet delights. Over and beyond the concerns of future health crises, families and prospective property investors would do well to choose Horizon Terraces Garden Suites as an alternative primary home. Offering flexible payment terms, Horizon Terraces is an upscale development of SM Prime Holdings subsidiary, Highlands Prime, Inc. (HPI), which currently dominates the Metro Tagaytay market, boasting the most active inventory at a time of peak market interest. Attesting to its steadfast commitment to providing safe and secure facilities for its members, residents, and their guests, Tagaytay Highlands has been awarded the Safety Seal of the City Government of Tagaytay. The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development also recently recognized HPI as one of CALABARZON’s 2021 Outstanding Developers for Open Market Projects. Tagaytay Highlands’ Property Management remains efficient—from compliance with health and safety precautionary measures to delivery of quick crisis responses during adverse natural and high-risk events. For inquiries and other information, interested buyers may access Tagaytay Highlands’ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ Tagaytayhighlands; Instagram @tagaytayhighlandsofficial; and website www.tagaytayhighlands.com. Horizon Terraces Garden Suites is a safe alternative primary home where one takes in breathtaking nature views from all around. Close by is the Midlands Golf Course for the ultimate in work-life balance