Manila Standard - 2022 July 5 - Tuesday

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Xi to invite Marcos to visit China, Beijing’s top diplomat set to arrive CHINESE State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will arrive in Manila today (Tuesday) for a two-day visit upon the invitation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. He is scheduled to make a courtesy call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

to personally extend an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the Philippine leader to visit China. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wang will be the first foreign counterpart to be received

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VOL. XXXVI • NO. 140 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BBM tackles food shortage

Sets marching orders in first meeting with DA execs By Vince Lopez

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RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a flurry of marching orders to officials of the Department of Agriculture, with focus on policies to address a looming food crisis which he said could hit the country “in the next two quarters.” Marcos, who personally heads the DA portfolio, met with the agency’s officials Monday. “We have to attend to the impending food crisis. It

seems that it’ll be visiting us in the next two quarters. When we look around the world, everyone is preparing for it. We are already at a disadvantageous position in terms of food supply,” he said

during the closed-door meeting. “Even with the problem of pork and chicken, we have to think very hard that people have sufficient food, number one, at the price they can afford. It’s useless to have food if they cannot afford it,” Marcos added. In May, the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. warned food shortage may happen within the year as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to affect food and raw material prices in the world market. Next page

FIRST DAY HIGHS. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. beams at the staff at Malacanang as he attends the first flag ceremony at the Palace since becoming Chief Executive on Monday. Later, he hands over a plaque of appreciation from incoming Presidential Security Group chief Col. Ramon P. Zagala to outgoing PSG boss BGen Randolph G. Cabangbang, then leads the first Executive Committee Meeting of the Department of Agriculture under his leadership (inset photos). Presidential Photos

Palace: Evaluation of candidates for still-vacant posts in final stage By Vito Barcelo, Vince Lopez and Willie Casas PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is moving closer toward completing his Cabinet as the selection process for the remaining vacant posts is now in the “final evaluation stage,” the Palace said Monday. “It takes time to evaluate candidates for these positions. I understand this is now going to the final evaluation stage. So, I don’t think it will take too long,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a press briefing. “There’s no deadline. What we’re saying is that we’re evaluating the candidates very well,” she added.

Bautista nixes status quo in land transport

Marcos, she said, is still looking for qualified people to head the departments of Health, Energy, Science and Technology, Environment and Natural Resources, and Housing and Urban Development. The Health portfolio, Cruz-Angeles said, is crucial given the ongoing pandemic. “[It is taking a while] only [because] they’ll have to evaluate it very well and fully. The President is quite aware, and in fact one of the priorities is managing the effects of this pandemic. So, you must also understand that this is so important. They must look very closely and carefully at the candidates,” she added. Next page

All’s not lost for Bulacan freeport, gov’t to back bill once ‘corrected’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will fully support the establishment of a special economic zone and freeport adjacent to the proposed airport city in Bulacan province once Congress “corrects” provisions that pose substantial fiscal risks to the country, Malacañang said Monday.

In her first regular Palace press briefing, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the President was committed to efforts “to sharpen the law” that he vetoed in a letter on July 1. “We understand their feelings of disappointment but this is the stand of the President. Let’s fix this now so we don’t wait for it to be challenged later on,” Cruz-Angeles said. Next page

TURNOVER. Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista holds the symbolic flag of leadership of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Monday while new LTFRB Chairperson Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil (left) and her predecessor Martin Delgra (right, behind flag) watch. DoTr photo TRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime Bautista said the status quo in land transportation is simply “unacceptable” as he saw for himself the long queue of passengers hoping to catch a free ride at the EDSA Carousel Monday morning. “At 7 a.m. earlier, I saw the long line of passengers. I don’t think the status

quo is acceptable to the President,” Bautista said after Monday’s flag raising ceremony and change of command at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board office. Marcos earlier approved the extension of the Libreng Sakay program for the EDSA Carousel until December and

free train rides for students from August 22 to November 4. Bautista met with new LTFRB chairperson Cheloy Garafil to discuss possible solutions to the problem “as fast as possible.” “We must focus on innovative ways Next page

Big price cuts on diesel, LPG, but gas unchanged Average daily COVID cases jump PRIZED STAMPS.

A stamp collector shows a commemorative cover with images of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio to mark their inaugurations at the Manila Central Post Office in Manila on Monday. The commemorative cover is now available at the Central Post Office in Lawton for P30 each. Danny Pata

By Alena Mae S. Flores and Macon Ramos-Araneta OIL companies cut pump prices by as much as P3.40 per liter effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market. The rollback cut diesel prices by P3 per liter and kerosene by P3.40 a liter, but left gasoline prices unchanged. It also gave consumers a reprieve after four consecutive weeks of oil price hikes across all products. “Effective 12:01 a.m. July 5, 2022, Caltex (Chevron Philippines, Inc.) will decrease fuel prices of diesel by P3 per Next page

60%, OCTA sees drop next week By Willie Casas THE Philippines logged 7,398 new COVID-19 cases from June 27 to July 3, 2022 with a daily average of 1,057 cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday. The DOH reported that this average is 60 percent higher than the average of 662 cases recorded from June 20 to June 26. Data also showed that 497 severe and critical cases are currently admitted, making up 8.4 percent of total COVID-19 admissions. Of the intensive care unit beds, 15.3

percent are occupied while 19.9 percent of the non-ICU COVID-19 beds are in use. The DOH said the country logged 19 new severe and critical cases. More than 70.7 million individuals, or 78.64 percent of the government’s target population, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The DOH said 15.1 million individuals have received their booster shots. More than 6.7 million senior citizens or 77.66 percent of the target population have also received their primary vaccine series, the DOH also said. Next page

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Medical reserve corps bill pushed By Maricel V. Cruz

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HREE legislators led by Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez have proposed the creation of a Medical Reserve Corps for deployment in case of health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposal of Romualdez, and Representatives Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre, both of party-list group Tingog, is contained in House Bill (HB) 2 filed on Friday. The three are among the early bill filers in the House of Representatives in the 19th Congress. “The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the inability of the country’s health care system to cope with the surge of patients needing medical care due to lack of medically-trained personnel,” according to the measure’s explanatory note. Citing the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), said there were six medical doctors per 10,000 Filipinos in 2017, a ratio lower than the WHO-recommended 10 physicians per 10,000 population.

“Compared to other Southeast Asian countries, Singapore has 23 doctors per 100,000. Vietnam, Thailand, and impoverished Timor Leste each have eight doctors per 100,000 people. In developed countries such as Italy and the United States, the doctor-population ratio is 40 and 26 per 10,000 population, respectively,” the note stated. It said that at present, the country has a shortage of 290,000 health workers, which is aggravated by an annual migration of 13,000 health care professionals. “Against this backdrop, this bill aims to enhance the capacity of our country to produce and call on the needed manpower and expand its human health resources in times of disasters and public health emergencies of both national and local scale through the mobilization of

Palace:... From A1

BBM... From A1

A group of nurses urged the President to appoint someone who has “malasakit” or concern for Filipinos as Health chief. “The next Health Secretary should not only have technical and special skills in public health and administration, but also have a heart for the people,” Filipino Nurses United president Maristel Abenojar said. “We want someone who can act fast while always consulting constituents, especially the health workers who are partners of DOH in implementing health programs,” she added. Abenojar also expressed hope the Marcos administration would address the shortage of nurses in public health facilities nationwide. “We lack nurses because they go abroad. Last December 31, the DOH said 316,405 Filipino nurses are working abroad, and that’s 34 percent of all Filipino registered nurses,” she said. FNU, she said, is pushing for a P50,000 starting salary for nurses nationwide. Meanwhile, Cruz-Angeles said there is no official word yet as to when the first Cabinet meeting is going to be held. “But the secretaries are given the opportunity – those who have been appointed – to make the assessments. These will all be taken into consideration,” she said. Marcos on Monday attended his first flag raising ceremony in Malacanang where he urged Palace employees – whom he called “partners” – to continue doing their jobs right. “I know how hard that you work and you do your job without choosing but you just follow whoever the people elect to occupy this Palace,” he said. “I hope this is the start of a very good working relationship between us.”

“We have to increase our production and we have to talk about the ways that we can do it,” Marcos said. The President directed the DA officials to submit their proposed executive orders, including a possible measure seeking a supplementary budget from Congress. “Do not be hesitant to make it [proposal] multi-year. I don’t believe you can do this in one year or in three years,” he said. Marcos likewise ordered the DA to submit a list of pros and cons on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) – a free-trade agreement among the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its partners, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. “The programs we talked about, just give me a baseline of what has been done so that I would know the programs

Bautista... From A1 of moving passengers and goods. Our mantra then shall be accessible, affordable, comfortable, and safe transport service throughout the country,” he said. “I challenge Atty. Garafil and everybody here today to give focus on the task at hand – help the riding public. Their cries are getting louder by the day,” Bautista added. Bautista, a former president of Philippine Airlines, said his own experience with the flag carrier will serve as motivation to transform and improve the transport sector. “[PAL was] voted as the most improved airline in the world in 2019. That will serve as my inspiration, and I will use my experience to improve our air transport, as well as land, rail, and sea,” he said. Garafil, for her part, said the marching orders of the President include streamlining the transaction process in the agency, providing assistance to public utility drivers and prioritizing the welfare of commuters. “I’m a good listener as I am a former prosecutor,” she said. For his part, DOTr Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said the department is now reviewing the possibility of expanding the routes covered by the free bus ride program.

All’s not... From A1 She made this remark after Senator Imee Marcos said that while her brother’s veto might drive away foreign investors, the measure could face further delays if its constitutionality were challenged. “Well, the Palace merely says that the law has to be sharpened. We have to [anticipate]... possible constitutional challenges on this one. It will cause further delays if the law is challenged and invalidated. So, this is the best way to address the problems, the innate problems of the House bill, and it gives an opportunity for the legislature to make those corrections,” she added. Cruz-Angeles could not say if the bill would be certified as urgent. Senator Marcos, as chairman of the Senate committee on economic affairs in the 18th Congress, sponsored the passage of House Bill (HB) 7575 or the proposed Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Act. She earlier expressed concern that a veto might force foreign investors to think twice about investing in the Philippines. However, she said she recognizes the President’s authority to veto any proposed law. In his veto message, Marcos rejected HB 7575 because of its provisions that “pose substantial fiscal risks to the country” and its “infringement on or conflict with other agencies’ mandates

Average... From A1

The DOH said there were also 74 verified deaths during the past week. However, none occurred from June 20 to July 3. The independent OCTA Research Group, meanwhile, said the COVID-19 reproduction number—or the number of people who can be infected by one case-was recorded at 1.5 I Metro Manila. A reproduction number that is below 1 indicates that the transmission of the virus is slowing down, while a higher number points to an increase in its rate of infection. Some areas of Calabarzon, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, Pampanga, Benguet, and Western Visayas have

a medical reserve force specifically trained to supplement the existing human health resources to ease the burden in our healthcare system,” the explanatory note said. It stressed that the primary mission of the proposed Medical Reserve Corps is to support the public health system in times of health emergencies. The reserve group would consist of licensed physicians, including those who have retired and those who are no longer practicing in the hospital setting, medical students who have completed their first four years of the medical course, graduates of medicine, and registered nurses. The proposed Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) would be under the Health Emergency Management Bureau of the Department of Health (DoH). It would be given compulsory basic training and continuing training on responding to different national and local health emergency scenarios. The bill provides that the MRC “shall be organized, trained, developed, and maintained to ensure its readiness to immediately respond to the call to service.”

It mandates the DoH to maintain a registry of all medical reservists, including their addresses, contact numbers, and similar information, and to issue MRC members identification cards. The reserve corps may be mobilized to conduct contact tracing and monitor suspected cases during disease outbreaks, help ensure quarantine measures, and provide logistics and manpower support for large-scale disaster and health emergency operations. The bill provides for the establishment of mobilization centers in every province, where medical reservists can register for duty. The President, upon recommendation of the DoH, may mobilize the MRC to complement the military’s medical corps “in case of a declaration of a state of war, state of lawless violence or state of calamity.” Failure to respond to any deployment directive or request without justifiable reason would result in the errant MRC member being required to reimburse the government for all expenses related to his recruitment, training, and compensation.

you have been working on,” the President said. Marcos Jr. also instructed the DA to “operationalize” Masagana 150 and Masagana 200 – two proposed programs named after the Masagana 99 rice production program during the administration of his father, Ferdinand Sr. Masagana 150 seeks to produce 7.5 tons of inbred rice per hectare at P8.38 per kilogram (kg), to allow farmers to earn at least P50,000 per hectare. Masagana 200, on the other hand, seeks a yield of 10 tons of hybrid rice per hectare at a production cost of P7.82 per kilogram so that farmers can earn at least P70,000 per hectare. “These are good plans that we have to put in place. Let’s operationalize them already,” Marcos said. He also broached the possibility of “remaking” Kadiwa stores to make them more responsive to the times. “On the longer term, we really have to reconstruct our value chain all the way from our scientists all the way to our Kadiwa stores,” he said. “We have

to remake that model. It’s a very different world out there because of the technology [but] the concept is still going to be similar.” Meanwhile, after his meeting at the DA headquarters, Marcos attended the change of command ceremony of the Presidential Security Group. Former Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala assumed command of the PSG. He will also serve as Marcos’ senior military assistant in concurrent capacity. “What you are guarding is not only the personages of the First Family, but you are guarding and keeping safe an institution, the institution of Presidency,” Marcos said in his speech. “Because should you fail in your mission, that institution will collapse and the effects on our country will be dire. That is why we only pick the best men and women that we have within our military to join the Presidential Security Group,” he added. Marcos thanked Zagala for “stepping up to the challenge.”

and authorities.” “At the foreground, fiscal prudence must be exercised particularly at times when resources are scarce and needs are abundant. While this administration recognizes the objective of the proposed measure to accelerate economic growth in its locality, I cannot support the bill,” he said in a letter dated July 1 and addressed to the Senate President and House Speaker. Marcos said the enrolled bill “lacks coherence with existing laws, rules, and regulations”, noting that it has no provisions for an audit by the Commission on Audit, procedures for expropriation of lands awarded to agrarian reform beneficiaries, and a master plan for the specific boundaries of the economic zone. He added that the proposed measure grants the proposed economic zone authority “rule-making powers relative to environmental protection that are not found in the charter of other economic zones,” as well as “blanket powers to handle technical airport operations in contravention of existing aeronautical laws.” Marcos said the proposed economic zone is located “in close proximity” to the Clark Special Economic Zone, which is “against the government’s policy on creating special economic zones in strategic locations.” Incoming Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said they will give priority to the Bulacan freeport bill that Marcos vetoed.

“Of course, we will give it due priority, correcting the deficiencies pointed out by the executive department,” Zubiri said. He also said the Senate can report the bill even without the House bill being transmitted to the Senate. “It has just been a practice here in the Senate to wait for the House bill,” he said. Senator Joel Villanueva, who comes from Bulacan, vowed to re-file the measure, adding that the President’s concerns would definitely be considered in drafting the revised bill. He said lawmakers are willing to work with Malacañang in ironing out a better version of the proposed Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Act or House Bill 7575. The chairman of the House committee on ways and means, Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, meanwhile, assured the President that they ill require a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed economic zone and will introduce safeguards to address his fiscal and economic concerns. “While I was not one of the original proponents of the vetoed bill, I hope to help move this bill forward by filing a corrected version,” Salceda said. “The President’s concerns are valid, so we have to take heed.” On fiscal incentives, Salceda said they would propose that the bill explicitly state that the ecozone will be fully subject to the rules, procedures (including approvals), and regulations under Title XIII of the Tax Code (CREATE Act).

also shown an increase in cases, said OCTA fello Guido David said. But David said they expect cases in Metro Manila to go down in a week or two, as its growth rate has slowed. Over the weekend, the DOH said it is considering including COVID-19 vaccines to its regular immunization program. This move is part of a review of its policies to increase penetration of vaccines and boosters more than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and at the start of a new administration, the DOH said. While a head for the department has yet to be appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC) will continue to operate and administer shots in vaccination sites all over the country, the DOH said.

“NVOC is also reviewing existing policies to identify possible points for revision, one of which is the integration of COVID-19 vaccines to routine immunization,” the DOH said. Among the vaccine-preventable diseases being addressed by current government immunization drives are polio, measles, pneumonia, rabies, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B. The shift is seen as a move to help address vaccine hesitancy, particularly on boosters, and ensure many Filipinos remain protected against the coronavirus. “If we’re really saying this is endemic, then it should be routine. And the way this should be managed should be like a program. Like every year you have to vaccinate X million people. That’s how it’s going to be,” Dr. Susan

SC strikes down ERC regulation on power mart By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has nullified the order issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) that regulated the prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) for the supply months of November and December 2013 to ensure a competitive market environment among power generation companies (gencos) and to safeguard the interest of the consuming public. In a 32-page en banc decision, the SC stressed that the order was issued by the ERC even if it was still in the process of completing its findings on the possible abuse of market power which could have negatively impacted the prices of electricity in the market. The SC was referring to the ERC’s investigation of the alleged collusion among gencos to manipulate prices of electricity in the spot market during the shutdown of the Malampaya gas facility in 2013. It said the March 3, 2014 order was primarily intended to address the abnormal spiked and unreasonable prices of electricity imposed by gencos during the said period. “The March 3, 2014 order acknowledged that it was based on an unfinished investigation, and yet it included a fallo (decision) voiding the Luzon WESM prices and imposing regulated prices instead,” the SC said.

Big... From A1 liter and kerosene by P3.40 per liter. No movement for Platinum and Silver,” Caltex said in its advisory, referring to its brand names for gasoline. Rino Abad, director of the Department of Energy’s Oil Industry Management Bureau, attributed the decline in world oil prices last week to fresh lockdowns in China and suppressed demand due to the implementation of interest hikes from the United States. On June 28, the oil companies raised the price of gasoline by P0.50 a liter, diesel by P1.65 a liter and kerosene by P0.10 a liter. These resulted in a net increase of P30 per liter for gasoline, P45.90 per liter for diesel, and P39.75 per liter for kerosene since the start of the year. In Metro Manila, gasoline sells from P77.15 to P98.40 per liter, and diesel from P83 to P98 per liter. Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Monday filed a bill to suspend value added taxes and excise taxes on fuel.

Xi... From A1 by Manalo. The two officials are set to have a bilateral meeting where they will discuss a wide range of issues, focusing on maintaining and building on the positive trend of relations between the Philippines and China. Wang was last in Manila in January 2021 for an official visit upon the invitation of then-Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. Wang is currently on a Southeast Asian swing and will be in the region until July 14 to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Palace said Marcos has no scheduled state visit yet as the Chief Executive is busy completing his Cabinet. Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles made the statement after an open invitation from United States President Joseph Biden for Marcos to visit Washington. Vito Barcelo and Vince Lopez Pineda-Mercado, adjunct faculty of the University of the Philippines-ManilaNational Institutes of Health National Telehealth Center, said at a UP online forum on Friday. It would use “granular and localized analysis” of areas with low first booster vaccine coverage and high unvaccinated numbers to focus its immunization efforts, the DOH said. Health experts are pointing to the slow uptick in boosters as a factor in the increase of COVID-19 cases in the country in previous days, along with relaxed implementation of minimum health protocols. Only two out of 10 Filipinos who have been fully vaccinated (or 15 million out of nearly 71 million) have received their boosters as of July 1, data from the DOH COVID-19 vaccine tracker showed.

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Biz group sends ‘wish list’ to new admin By Othel V. Campos

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HE Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has submitted a wish list to President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. containing programs for the economy and society in general. The group identified policy and program support and public investments as two of the most important priorities of the new administration. “We need a favorable enabling environment for investments if we are to

succeed in attracting greater and more diverse job-creating investments for more Filipinos to be gainfully and productively employed, so that overseas employment would merely be a choice for our workers, rather than a necessity. The enabling

environment includes infrastructure adequacy, labor market and employment policies, fiscal and financial sector policies, and justice and the rule of law,” said new MAP president Rogelio Singson. On education, MAP recommends the creation of a second education commission to develop a clear roadmap out of the learning crisis that will pursue foundational reforms, ensure public-private complementarity, institutionalize lifelong learning, and draw on international best practices and new knowledge in the neurosciences. The group also called for the return

of face-to-face classes, upskilling of teachers, cooperation among academic institutions and industry participation in K-12 senior tracks. On healthcare, MAP recommends the overhaul the Philippine Health Insurance System (PhilHealth) leadership and management; scale up programs nationwide to combat hunger, malnutrition and child stunting; and, establish a National Recovery and Resilience Council (NRRC) and a Health Security Council (HSC), to be headed by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA). The group also asked the new President

Remulla: DOJ will focus on 3 ‘problematic’ govt agencies

IN BRIEF Legislator seeks more funding for free rides A legislator from Southern Tagalog on Monday said he would file a bill mandating an additional budget to fund the Libreng Sakay program not only on the Edsa Carousel Route that has been extended by President Marcos, but on all routes and train services up to the end of the year. “I thank President Marcos and Transportation Secretary Jimmy Bautista for extending the Libreng Sakay on the EDSA Carousel bus service for all passengers and the free rail rides for students,” Rep. Reynan Arrogancia of Quezon said. He said the supplemental bill will tap the incremental revenues from the fuel excise tax and other TRAIN Law taxes. “In order to ease the burden on the commuting public due to the spike in the price of prime commodities caused by the spiraling fuel prices, let us expand the coverage of Libreng Sakay not only to include the Edsa Carousel Route but also other routes and train rides not only for students but for all up to December 31, 2022, thus the need for a supplemental budget,” Arrogancia said. Maricel V. Cruz

By Rey E. Requejo

FIRST DAY ON THE JOB. New Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos discusses DILG priorirty programs for the first 100 days. Employees of the Commission of Audit (COA) welcome newly-appointed chairperson Jose C. Calida at COA’s main building in Commonwealth Avenue. Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla attends a flag-raising ceremony as the newlyappointed chief of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday. New National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief, Dr. Arsenio Balisacan (left) receives the NEDA flag from outgoing Secretary Karl Chua (right) during the turnover ceremony at the NEDA office in Pasig City. Manny Palmero, Danny Pata, Ben Briones

PAO chief announces hiring of 225 new lawyers THE Public Attorney’s Office on Monday announced its recruitment of 225 new lawyers, promotion of 19 staff and regularization of 36 lawyers. Chief Persida Acosta said “the official oath-taking will take place on Wednesday.” “Under Republic Act 9406, the appointing authority of all public lawyers is PAO,” she said. She urged the PAO lawyers to be Godfearing. She said a public servant has now a monthly basic income of over P100,000. “Gone are the days when you would no longer wear socks with holes, and when you would ride a tricycle and (public utility) jeep even if you have a heavy workload of cases,” she cited. “Don’t think of the quantity of cases,” she said. Rio N. Araja

Ferrer seeks extension of property tax measure A ROOKIE councilor from District 1, Quezon City is batting for the extension of the suspension of the implementation of realproperty taxes on based on the approved schedule of fair market values until 2024. “WHEREAS, there is a need to extend the period of suspension in the collection of real-property taxes on land based on the approved schedule of fair market values on land as provided for by Ordinance No. SP-2556, S-2016 until December 2024 in order to continually help the constituents of Quezon City to recover from the effect of the significant increase in the prices of commodities,” Councilor Charm Ferrer’s measure read. Ferrer is the first alderman of the 22nd City Council that has filed a proposed ordinance. Ordinance 2556 of 2016 shall enact the updated schedule of fair market values and it was expected to marginally increase the real property taxes of properties in the city. It was put on hold in 2016 due to a temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by the Alliance of Quezon City Homeowners Association Inc., questioning the legality of the ordinance. The TRO was lifted by the High Court on Sept. 18, 2018 to rule in favor of the city government. Rio N. Araja

to wrap up farm consolidation by declaring the completion of agrarian reform and lift land ownership ceilings on farmlands. On trade, MAP calls for a policy environment that fosters level competition, lowers costs of doing business, and encourages productivity-enhancing innovation, specifically calling for the immediate ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement and other trade agreements and creation of a new Philippine Export Development Plan to close the country’s wide export gap relative to its ASEAN peers.

Senators file bills on 2nd day of new admin By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATORS filed their priority bills on economic recovery on the second day of the turnover of the new administration to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The suspension of the imposition of value-added tax (VAT) and excise tax on fuel was among the first 10 bills filed by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. Sen. Imee Marcos also filed a similar bill that grants the President the power to suspend the imposition of VAT on petroleum products. She likewise sought the Pandemic Protection Act, exemption of migrant workers from payment of Philhealth premiums, and Doubling Farmers’ Income Act. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said majority of his first 10 bills are focussed on the labor sector. He stressed his priority bills will help our

workers look for jobs and will guarantee a fair and decent wage for them. Among his bills are the Act Providing Indigent Job Applicants 20% Discount in Payment of Fees and Charges for Certain Certificates and Clearances Issued by Government Agencies and an Act Regulating the Compensation of Public Utility Drivers and Conductors by Requiring Bus Operators to Pay them Fixed Monthly Salaries. Senator Lito Lapid iled his priority bills- Monthly Social Pension for Indigent Persons with Disability Act, Free Professional Examinations Act, Tourist Protection and Assistance Act, Climate Resilient Agriculture Act and Medical Bill Transparency Act. Sen. Bong Go filed bills for Free Annual Medical Checkup, Comprehensive Dialysis Benefit Package, Advanced Nursing Education, Center for Disease

and Prevention Control, Virology Science and Technology of the Philippines, Emergency Medical Services Act, Barangay Health Workers Benefits and Compensation and Drug Abuse Treatment ahd Rehabilitation Centers. Sen. Sonny Angara filed the following: Exports and Investments Development Act, Underprivileged Students Discount Act of 2022, Poverty Reduction through Social Entreprenuership, Magna Carta for Workers in Informal Economy, Domestic Bidders Preference Act. Senators Joel Villanueva and Risa Hontiveros, who both won a fresh mandate in the last elections, meanwhile filed the anti-endo bills or the End of Endo Act (Security of Tenure in the Private Sector). Sen. Loren Legarda meanwhile was the first among the 24 incumbent and newlyelected senators to file priority bills.

ON his first day at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” C. Remulla revealed that three attached agencies of the DOJ are considered “problematic” and need cleansing to weed out syndicates, corruption, and irregularities. During the flag-raising ceremony at DOJ, Remulla identified the three agencies as the Land Registration Authority, the Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). Remulla assured the DOJ officials and employees that he is committed to fulfill the mandate of the department. “You can expect me to be totally committed to our case, totally committed to what the Department of Justice stands for and what we should stand for,” he said. According to him, he has been informed that there is a syndicate operating at the LRA. “I am not making generalizations. I believe that 95 or maybe 99 percent of those at the LRA are clean. But the one percent who are corrupt stains everyone. It is a heavy task,” he admitted. At the BI, he said that there are a number of syndicates operating, including those engaged in extortion, protection, and human trafficking. At the BuCor, Remulla lamented that illegal activities continue to taking place inside the country’s prisons. He said that since he was named by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. to head the DOJ, he has been studying the work that needs to be done at the department and at its 10 attached agencies. The DOJ on Monday designated Rogelio D. Gevero, Jr. as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Bureau of Immigration, in place of BI Commissioner Jaime Morente whose term is co-terminus with former President Rodrigo Duterte. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered all coterminous officials from the previous administration to vacate their posts. With Vito Barcelo

Oaminal appeals to BBM to replace head of police

VOTER REGISTRATION. The Commission on Elections has started conducting voter registration this Monday in preparation for the scheduled barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on December 5. Norman Cruz

MISAMIS Occidental Gov. Henry Oaminal has appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to order the relief of the head of the Police Regional Office 10 over the alleged resurgence of criminals in the area. PRO-10 director Brig. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., however, denied the accusation, saying the crime rate went down by 9.4 percent to 755 incidents from January to June this year compared to the same period in 2021. “The allegations of some individuals that your police in Region 10 are inactive are baseless. Our record speaks for itself,” Acorda said in a statement posted on his Facebook page. “We will continue our law enforcement operations and eliminate all forms of criminalities.” Oaminal, in a statement, said the police

allegedly failed to stop the resurgence of the dismantled Kuratong Baleleng and illegal drug personalities. “We were happy with the drug war of [former President Rodrigo Duterte], so we really supported him and the Kuratong and illegal drug personalities were dismantled. However, since they cannot hit back at PRRD, I turned out to be their target of concentration,” Oaminal said. “And because of the political interest of our opponents, they aligned with the criminal syndicate and were able to have an ally with some police. That gave them the strength,” he added. Oaminal claimed the inaction of the police cost the life of his running mate, former Lopez Jaena Mayor Michael Gutierrez who was killed in December during a party meeting. Joyce Pañares

Public warned on alarming rise of dengue cases By Willie Casas FORMER Philippine Medical Association president Benito Atienza on Monday warned the public against the alarming increase of dengue cases in the Philippines. “Yes, dapat tayo ma-alarma (we should be alarmed),” Atienza said at the Laging Handa briefing. Atienza made the statement when asked about the 45,416 dengue cases recorded from January 1 to June 11 this year, 45 percent higher than cases recorded during the same period last year. More people have died of dengue than

COVID-19 in Singapore, Atienza said. “That’s why we should be careful right now. We should be alarmed because even senior citizens, nurses, and anyone can get dengue,” Atienza said. “We should remember that dengue chooses no one, even those as young as six months,” he added. On the other hand, Atienza likewise cautioned the public against water-borne diseases, influenza, and leptospirosis. The Department of Health (DOH) advised the public to follow the 4S strategy which is to search and destroy breeding places, secure self-protection, seek early consultation, and support fogging or

spraying in hotspot areas. In a statement, the DOH reported the following data: There were 51,622 dengue cases reported from January 1 to June 18, 2022. Cumulatively, cases this year is 58% higher compared to the reported cases during the same period in 2021 (32,610). Cumulatively, most dengue cases were reported from: Region III: 6,641 (13%) Region VII: 6,361 (12%) Region IX: 4,767 (9%) In the recent period (May 8 to June 18, 2022) where 13,075 cases were recorded, the region with the highest number of cases: Region III: 1,826 (14%) Region VII: 1,570 (12%) CAR: 1,175 (9%)

P20 PER KILO RICE. Members of the Working for a Socialists Philippines troop along Recto Avenue near Mendiola Bridge in Manila to call on President Ferdinand Marcos to fulfill his campaign promise to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo. (inset) Sacks of rice are displayed in a market at Golden City Business Park, Wakas in Bocaue, Bulacan. The price of rice has increased significantly. Danny Pata, Andrew Rabulan

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Abalos vows to sustain drug war with multi-sector help

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

News

DEPED CHANGING OF THE GUARDS. Outgoing Education Secretary Leonor Briones (right) officially turns over the reins to her successor, Vice President Sarah Duterte-Carpio. In their remarks, the two manifested great respect for each other. Duterte even tapped Briones to be her consultant, citing her predecessor’s vast experience in the academe and in public service.

NEWLY installed Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos on Monday vowed to sustain the drug war under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. with the same zeal as that of the Duterte administration. “The war against drugs will be as intensive as before on the basis of my oath as a public official in accordance with the Constitution,” Abalos told reporters. Asked about the possible participation of the DILG on the investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) into the drug war killings under the Duterte administration, he said the matter has not yet been discussed. Abalos also regretted that many cases involving illegal drugs have been dismissed due to technicalities such as the absence of a witness during the inventory of operations. Under the Section 21 of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, an elected public official and a representative of the National Prosecution Service or the media are required to sign the copies of the inventory. Abalos thus encouraged local government units to assign one personnel

Sara is new Deped chief; sees need to boost PH education V ICE President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday underscored the urgent need to strengthen the education system in the country.

Duterte made this observation as she took over the reins of the Department of Education (DepEd), and named her predecessor, former Education Secretary Leonor Briones, as her consultant. In a virtual discussion with National Private Education Association, Duterte acknowledged the “strain on public schools” due to numerous transfers of students from private schools amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “There is an urgent need to build back and build back stronger and better. The migration of students from private to public schools has put enormous

strain on our public schools,” she said. The vice president also said her team is carefully looking into the situation of private schools. “I have taken notes. And would like to assure you that we will take these issues into consideration, with the hope of coming up with appropriate actions and effective solutions... I understand that many private schools across the country are suffering from losses,” she added. She said she expects the sector’s support for government to come up with remedial measures.

“I ask for your indulgence as I also expect your support as we study and explore the appropriate measures to resolve issues and concerns,” she said. Duterte earlier announced the opening of several satellite offices nationwide to further streamline services. In her Facebook post, Duterte said these include Dagupan, Cebu, Tacloban, Zamboanga, Davao, and Tandag in Surigao del Sur. Lawyer Reynold Munsayac, Duterte’s spokesperson, said the OVP satellite were launched on July 1, the first day of Duterte’s term as Vice President. These offices are open to the public Monday to Friday. Munsayac said the opening of the satellite offices is part of the Vice President’s “earnest efforts” to make sure the OVP is closer to the people.

PH-US mulling bigger military joint exercises in 2023­—Army THE Philippines and the United States are looking at a larger joint training exercises next year, meanwhile, former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Jose Faustino Jr. formally took over the helm of the Department of National Defense (DND) on Monday. Delegations of both the Philippine Army (PA) and the US Army Pacific (USARPAC), during a meeting in Hawaii, agreed on the possibility of holding larger “Salaknib” joint training exercises starting next year. In a statement Sunday, Army spokesperson Xerxes Trinidad said the PA and USARPAC planning delegations reviewed the updated mission statement and area of operations, strategic objectives, exercise timeline, and scaling up of “Salaknib” during a meeting in Hawaii. “The PA and the USARPAC are gearing to scale up the 2023 edition of the combined Salaknib exercise during the planning conference attended by delegations from both armies in Hawaii from June 27 to June 30, 2022,” Trinidad said. Both militaries are expected to field more participants to train in a series of exercises. The number of participating Philippine and US units as well as the exercise area will be announced later. “Salaknib,” which means shield in Ilocano dialect, is an annual bilateral combined exercise meant to enhance the defense readiness of Filipino and American troops by developing tactical interoperability. Some 2,200 Filipino and US Army troops trained in Central Luzon during the first quarter of this year, focusing on capability development of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, the PA’s primary combined arms and rapid deployment unit. The 20-day exercise started on March 5 this year. Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. earlier said the combined exercise is a testament to the “long-standing bilateral relations” between the Philippines and the US that will contribute to the “pursuit of a common goal of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

Meanwhile, Duterte showed Briones with praises. “She was always generous with her advice. And I’m truly happy that she committed to stay on as a consultant for the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Education.” Duterte also lauded the department’s workforce under Briones for continuing to provide quality education to Filipino students. “Headed by Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, DepEd adopted and implemented bold, but necessary measures to provide Filipino children with accessible, quality education, ensuring that learning is unhampered, and our learners are not left out, while also ensuring the economic welfare of our teachers and the non-teaching personnel working under the organization,” the new DepEd Secretary said.

MANILA’S FIRST LADY MAYOR.

Mayor Honey Lacuna presides at her first flag-raising ceremony held at the Kartilya ng Katipunan shrine. Norman Cruz

Frasco: BBM eyes tourism as pillar of PH recovery PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the Department of Tourism (DOT) to be a major contributor to the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said on Monday. In remarks during the DOT’s flagraising ceremony, Frasco enjoined the department’s workforce to “not only continue to do the work that we have been doing, but we must exert extra effort to give everything that we can within what is humanly possible.” Tourism was considered among the hardest hit sector of the Philippine economy at the height of the pandemic. Frasco cited her experience as mayor

of Liloan in Cebu province, a major tourism hotspot, before her appointment in the DOT. “The work that we do here in the central office and in the regional offices all over the Philippines is important because it will determine whether or not the Department of Tourism can continue to be a potent force for economic resuscitation and economic survival,” she said. In addition to crafting national policy, she said the DOT would be “in touch with the realities on the ground” and give attention to tourism sites, peoples, and products that “have not necessarily been given equal opportunity.”

“All of our partners in the local government units in the 81 provinces, over 140 cities, and over 1,400 municipalities across the Philippines, to extend to them the hand of collaboration from the DOT, and to send across the message that we are here to help the industry arise and recover,” she said. She said she would begin a tour of the regional offices of the DOT nationwide within the week. “The objective being to be front and center of the prevailing issues that need to be addressed, and to craft solutions that will ensure the full rehabilitation and recovery of the tourism industry,” she said.

MMDA: COA-flagged projects substantially completed this year

PEEPING SOLON.

Comebacking Senator Jinggoy Estrada can’t resist but take a peek at his would-be Senate office which undergoes renovation after it was vacated by Senate Minority Leaderturned private citizen Franklin Drilon whose term ended on June 30, 2022.

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has asserted that the flood control projects the Commission on Audit (COA) cited as delayed in 2021 have been substantially completed this year. MMDA Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office (FCSMO) chief Baltazar Melgar said the programmed 59 flood control projects last year were not completed or left unfinished due to several factors. These reasons, according to Melgar, included the delayed procurement process due to the COVID-19 pandemic; late or pending issuance of clearances from local government units and other concerned government offices; right-of-way issues; relocation of informal settler families; change in order due to additional items/realignment of activities based on current situation/conditions on site upon implementation; and restrictions on worker and equipment mobility brought by the pandemic, among others. Melgar said the COA-reported “projects are only minor ones like pipe-laying, drainage and riverbank improvements, and rehabilitation of waterways leading to agency-operated pumping stations.” Joel E. Zurbano

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos

from the National Prosecution Service for this purpose. Abalos also suggested involving the youth, parents, schools, churches, and communities in a “people power” against illegal drugs. “We are with the children, schools, churches, parents, communities, so it is people power against drugs and other social ills,” he said. Meanwhile, Abalos said the DILG would also focus on building more jail facilities to ease the congestion of prisons in the country.

Fate of barangay elections still up in the air—DILG INTERIOR and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos on Monday said he has submitted recommendations to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on whether or not to call for barangay elections. Abalos was sort of vague however, as to what kind of recommendation he gave, saying the public should just wait for the announcement by Marcos about the matter. (If you would ask me about barangay elections, if it is going to be postponed or not, we’ve already made some recommendations here to the President. Let’s just wait for his announcement.) The October 2016 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls were postponed to October 2017. From then, it was postponed to May 2018. It was reset to May 2022 and again to December 2022. In May, then House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said more than P8 billion worth of savings could be generated if the barangay elections scheduled this year would be postponed. He suggested that such amount could instead be allocated for the COVID-19 response. On June 25, Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez said they are “studying thoroughly the plus and the minuses of spending or calling for elections, and there is nothing definite yet.” Rodriguez said Marcos is looking at the possibility of passing a law giving barangay officials a five-year term of office.

BOC seizes P265-m bogus cigarettes, nabs 4 Chinese in Cavite raid THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Monday seized some P265.5 million worth of counterfeit tobacco products and other cigarette-making paraphernalia and arrested four Chinese nationals in a joint buy-bust operation along Tanza-Trece Martires Road, Cavite. In a statement, the BOC said the June 28 operation was led by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Armed with a letter of authority and a mission order issued by Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the team raided a warehouse in Barangay De Ocampo. The authorities found raw materials for cigarettes such as tobacco filler, filter paper and paper rod with an estimated value of P105 million. Also found were one filter maker, two cigarette makers, and six packing machines worth P75 million; four boxes of tax stamps worth P18 million each for a total of P72 million; and 81 master cases of Marvel cigarettes worth P50,000 each for a total of P4.05 million. Finished cigarette products such as Marvels, Two Moon, Mighty, and others were also discovered in the warehouse. Assigned Customs examiners, in the presence of members of the CIIS, Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), barangay officials, and representatives of the warehouse, had begun a complete inventory of the warehouse. Joel E. Zurbano

Opinion Ressa and Rappler must be exposed THE outcry of left-leaning members of Congress, particularly by Leni Robredo appointed opposition leader Senator Risa Hontiveros and lamentably by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) against the closure of Rappler media group for alleged violation of Article XVI Section 11 of the Constitution springs from utter ignorance of the mandate that mass media ownership should be 100 percent owned by Filipinos. Actually, the closure order was based on the decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) way back which found that Rappler violated the law on 100 percent ownership by Filipinos in mass media, when the so-called PDRs or Philippine Depository Receipts given to foreigners when they want to invest in mass media, blatantly violated the Constitution. An American firm, Omidyar, with alleged connections to the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had donated to Rappler to continue with its operations in the Philippines. According to the SEC closure order on Rappler, the firm breached the mandate of the Constitution in which the SEC found the PDRs to have control of Rapper operations. The SEC found that in 2015 the Omidyar had some control granted by the PDRs, since they required the Filipino stockholders of Rappler to seek the approval of Omidyar on fundamental corporate matters. The SEC found this blatant violation of the Constitution on 100 percent ownership by Filipinos on mass media ownership and showed that fundamental matters on Rappler’s activities must be referred to Omidyar, founded by Pierre Omidyar in 2015, and, worse, had connections with the CIA. To cure this blatant violation of the Constitution, Omidyar “donated” the funds to Rappler, which the SEC found that Rappler was really American controlled. In 2018, the SEC issued a cease-and-desist order on Rappler, but then Rappler appealed the case to the Court of Appeals, which in turn upheld the SEC order and remanded to the SEC for final decision. Predictably, Rappler thru its CEO Maria Ressa arrogantly says that Rappler will continue operation and will appeal to the Court of Appeals, and all the way up to the Supreme Court. Thinking that Filipinos were ignorant of the law, lamentably some media groups, like the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, have joined the outcry of the closure of Rappler as an assault on press freedom. Assault on press freedom, my foot ! Santa banana, Rappler blatantly violated the mandate of the Constitution and the case had nothing to do with press freedom. (The closure of ABS-CBN was another case because the House of Representatives did not renew its 25-year franchise. The House found many violations of the ANS-CBN franchise.) Predictably, the Left and some sectors of the media defended Maria Ressa’s allegations for suppression by then President Duterte. As a journalist myself, I did not notice any suppression at that time of press freedom. What I’m saying here is that the law is the law and no matter how it hurts, it must be observed. In the case of Senator Hontiveros, now that Leni Robredo had handed down to her the opposition leadership, she seems to parrot Robredo’s charges against the Duterte administration: charges against violation of human rights and press freedom. My gulay,I am afraid Risa is beginning to sound like Robredo herself, always commenting on something she doesn’t know. With due respect to the senator -- lest she does not seem to realize -- she should not comment on everything an administration does.

Maria Ressa and her lawyers have made conflicting statements about the P500 million investments of the Omidyar Network to Rappler. When the Court of Appeals and the SEC said the PDRs are illegal, Ressa and Rappler had no legal basis to use the PDRs. Ressa then said they will continue operations. If I seem to be so much against Ressa and Rappler, I am, for one big reason. With Ressa being on the cover of Time Magazine as a defender of press freedom in the Philippines, and with her winning the Nobel Peace Prize with the P570,0000 prize, it would seem that Ressa is the only journalist in the Philippines who is fighting for press freedom against an authoritarianism and tyranny, and that all other Filipino journalists like me, with my 74 years in journalism, are not doing anything.

Rappler can continue with its activities as usual, because the SEC closure order is not final and executory because Ressa and Rappler have the right to appeal the closure order of the SEC It would seem Ressa is accusing the Philippine press of not doing anything to protect press freedom, that only Ressa and Rappler had the courage to comment against alleged suppression and alleged assault on press freedom. My gulay, it would seem that only Ressa and Rappler are the crusaders against these. I would suggest that some enterprising and trueblooded journalists from the West should dig deep into the background of Ressa and Rappler and expose them for what they really are, that Ressa, who is more American than Filipino, is truly not what she claims to be. She is after American interests. And just how Ressa and Rappler look at Filipinos and our laws and Filipino journalists, comes her arrogant statements that Rappler will continue as usual despite the closure order of the SEC. Yes, Rappler can continue with its activities as usual, because the SEC closure order is not final and executory because Ressa and Rappler have the right to appeal the closure order of the SEC. But, that’s how it is with Ressa, after so much accolades given her for allegedly fighting for press freedom in the Philippines, which, as anybody can see, continues to exist in the country. There is no suppression of press freedom. You may accuse me for being biased and prejudiced against Ressa. I am, since I am a Filipino and a journalist who is after the truth.

••• As of this column writing on Sunday, President Marcos has not yet appointed a new Health Secretary in the wake of the surge of COVID-19. I don’t know what is delaying him. He must be having a difficult time trying to find who will replace Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. Likewise, President Marcos has not yet appointed a new Energy Secretary in the wake of a looming energy crisis which I believe is crucial for the country. I don’t like to suggest anyone who will be best for the position of Health Secretary. But for Energy Secretary I would endorse Energy Regulatory Board Chairman Agnes Devanadera. She has all the qualifications. She was once the Finance Secretary of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Migrants recount nightmare journeys in US-bound trucks By Herika Martinez JOSE Mario Licona and his family spent 18 hours in a refrigerated truck being smuggled to the Mexican-US border — a journey he feels lucky to have survived. Others have been less fortunate, including dozens of migrants from Mexico and Central America found dead on Monday after being abandoned in a sweltering tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas. In all, 53 people died in the incident. Licona knew all too well the dangers of entrusting his life to the criminal gangs trafficking migrants in trucks that are often overcrowded and lack ventilation. But the smugglers — who were paid $13,000 by his relatives to take him, his wife and three children to Texas — left him with no choice, he said. “When you make a deal, the first thing you ask (the smugglers) is not to be put in a container, but during the journey they do what they want,” Licona told AFP in a shelter in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez. “Often they leave the containers abandoned” with people shut inside, the 48-year-old Honduran said. Licona, his wife and children aged two, six and eight traveled in a truck from Mexico City to the northeastern city of Reynosa, just south of Hidalgo, Texas. Around 100 people were traveling in the

same vehicle, which was not checked even once by Mexican authorities during the more than 1,000-kilometer journey, Licona said. From Reynosa the family crossed the border on foot, but they were sent back by the US authorities.

Around 100 people were traveling in the same vehicle, which was not checked even once by Mexican authorities during the more than 1,000-kilometer journey ‘Criminal enterprises’ The smuggling networks operating the tractortrailers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, said Dolores Paris, a migration expert at the Colegio de la Frontera Norte. “We’re talking about criminal enterprises,” she told AFP. The tractor-trailer involved in the San Antonio tragedy went through two immigration check-

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TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

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Honor Blanco Cabie, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Cause for concern RANSMISSION of coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19 has shown no signs of slowing down, with daily infections appearingly still on the rampage, sans signs of slowing down in recent days, breaching the 1,000 mark after a relative decline of about four months.

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We know health authorities are on top of the situation, monitoring in the process the national positivity rate which has since breached the 5 percent benchmark set by the World Health Organization. At one point five days back, the Department of Health’s national case tally stood at 1,309, the highest since February 25 when infections were pegged at 1,671, which reflected a 68 percent increase from the previous day’s 781 cases. Active cases have remained over the rung of 7,000, for instance, over the fourth straight day since the 7,087 number on June 27, with 7,871 individuals during the week ill with the stalking and mean coronavirus. At the same time, the DOH released data which suggested the Philippines’ positivity rate has risen to 6 percent, above the WHO-recommended 5 percent. It was the first time the country’s positivity rate exceeded the WHO benchmark since March, when the DOH ceased issuing daily case an-

nouncements. Authorities have underscored that the recommended 5 percent mark be sustained for two weeks or 14 days before the COVID-19 scenario in any particular area can be considered contained.

Authorities have underscored that the recommended 5 percent mark be sustained for two weeks or 14 days before the COVID-19 scenario in any particular area can be considered contained Health and Task Force officials have said four regions, including Metro Manila where 13 million of the country’s 110 million population live, have gone past the WHO benchmark, with the national capital posting the highest at 8.2 percent,

chased by Calabarzon (7 percent), Mimaropa (6.6 percent), and Western Visayas (6.4 percent). From June 25 to July 1, exactly seven days, the Philippines registered an average 914 infections, up by 53 percent from the previous week figures, while average cases in the congested metropolis were at 442, a hike of 52 percent. The figures stand alongside oneweek to two-week growth rates from 86 areas outside Metro Manila, with three localities — Lucena City and Bohol province and Tawi Tawi in the far south — exhibiting increasing hospitalizations, with moderate risk to critical risk bulletins. If there is any whiff of hope, while we look at the concerning figures, it is the line from the DOH that health care utilization rate and average daily attack were still at low risk classification a cross all regions. The DOH said: These increases have not translated to (a jump) in other metrics, as ADAR were still at low risk classification across all regions. Active cases surveillance must be done to address these case increases, maintain minimal transmission and keep severe and critical areas low.” Given the figures that we see across the bulletin board, we see a reasonable cause for concern.

Gov’t to miss $200B in high-value exports Ang points out that the Bulacan economic zone, if approved, could be managed by the Philippine government, and any tax incentives to be given to investors will still pass the Department of Finance’s Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) review and approval process, to ensure these are aligned with the CREATE Law. GOVERNMENT stands to reap upwards of US$200 billion in export revenues annually from potential foreign investors -- from the aviation, manufacturing, technology, education, healthcare, and tourism industries -- if the vision for the Bulacan Airport Economic Zone is realized, says SMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang. The SMC CEO was reacting to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s veto on July 1, 2022 of House Bill 7575 “An Act Establishing the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport.” In his letter to the Senate, Marcos cited “substantial fiscal risks to the country,” “infringement of or conflict” with the mandates of other government agencies, “lack of coherence with existing laws, rules and regulations,” and the proposed ecozone’s proximity to the state-owned Clark International Airport and freeport zone. The Senate version of the bill was authored by no less than elder presidential sister Senator Imelda “Imee” Romualdez Marcos. Unfazed, Ang has expressed optimism that the vision for the ecozone could still be eventually realized, given the many benefits it will bring to the country. “It is the President’s prerogative to veto the bill and we respect and abide by his decision. We fully support President Marcos and the new administration. We are eager to contribute and continue working with government, and play an active role in helping our country reach its goals -- as we have always faithfully and consistently done,” says Ang. In seeking an ecozone status to areas near the New Manila International Airport, San Miguel wants to establish three things: one, a state-of-art Silicon Valley of the East to attract the best in technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution; two, Asia’s most modern medical facility and health care and drugs research center; and three, a university city in partnership with the world’s Ivy League schools and institutions. SMC is fully financing and building the P740 -billion New Manila International Airport (NMIA) project sprawled on 2,500 hectares of fishing and farm lands in Bulacan. Ang has maintained a positive outlook about the veto decision. “If all the issues raised in the President’s veto could be properly clarified, addressed, or resolved, it would be easy to see that the intention for the ecozone is for it to greatly benefit the country and Filipinos,” he explains.

The CREATE Law was enacted to provide relief to foreign and local corporations already doing business in the Philippines, in light of the pandemic. Relates Ang: “Among our plans for the ecozone is to help create science and technology export hubs with the cheapest logistics cost, because these will be close to the airport and seaport. “We will attract world-class semiconductor manufacturers, battery power storage system manufacturers, electric vehicle makers, and even modular nuclear power assemblies and other new and emerging tech industries. We estimate these industries alone will add some US$200 billion in annual exports -- a big boost to our GDP.” The SMC president firmly believes that the long-term benefits to the country of the ecozone would far outweigh and outnumber any supposed “losses” due to the grant of incentives to future investors. He points out these benefits include hundreds of thousands of new jobs, which will benefit primarily the next and future generations of young Filipino graduates, professionals, and skilled workers. The transfer of knowledge and technology from foreign investors and locators, as well as access to world-class education and healthcare opportunities and services -- industries the ecozone also looks to attract -- would also be invaluable. These gains are on top of the trillions in tax revenues that will accrue to the government for the entire lifetime of the ecozone and airport, coming from the various industries and institutions that will set up facilities and operations there, to take advantage of the low cost of logistics, incentives, and our country’s primary asset: a high-quality workforce.

points in Texas and had cloned license plates, according to the Mexican government. Investigators are still trying to establish where the vehicle began its journey. It was the second such disaster in the city in a little over five years. In July 2017, 10 migrants were found dead in an overheated truck that was discovered parked

outside a Walmart supermarket. In 2003, 19 migrants died in similar circumstances in Texas. Licona, a shopkeeper, left Honduras in May after he was shot in the arm during a robbery. The trailer ride was so grueling that he still regrets it, he said. “It was very cold. I gave my children two pairs

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 SMC president firmly believes that the long-term benefits to the country of the ecozone would far outweigh and outnumber any supposed ‘losses’ due to the grant of incentives to future investors

Ang explains: “Incentives are really a way for government to attract much-needed investments into our country, especially now that we are all pulling together to help our economy not just recover, but continuously grow in the post-pandemic era. “This way, our future generations will have enough and better opportunities than we have.” On NMIA’s being close to the Clark Airport, which issue is mentioned in the veto and was initially raised by the DoF under the previous administration, which says NMIA would “compete” with Clark International Airport, Ang recalls many modern metropolises have now two or three airports cheek by jowl to each other. Ang says that apart from the considerable distance between the two airports -- Clark is approximately some 100 kilometers from Metro Manila -- large and progressive cities all over the world employ a multiple airport strategy, such as Tokyo and New York, among others. From a long-term 20-30-year population and economic growth of Metro Manila and Luzon provinces two airports just 100 kms apart are not a bad idea. The current gateway, Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), has limited expansion, if any, space. NAIA has space for one runway operating at any given time, compared to NMIA’s four parallel runways. “The country would need several airports to efficiently serve Filipinos, tourists, and industries,” Ang asserts. “What we don’t want is to repeat the mistakes of the past where we were not quick enough to develop new infrastructure, giving rise to overcapacity and congestion on our aging roads, ports, and other facilities, and even in our skies. Temporary fixes will not do anymore. We are building for the future, with a clear vision of a fully-developed and progressive, prosperous Philippines,” Ang says. Ang adds: “Regardless of the outcome of any further government review or action on the ecozone, SMC remains fully committed to continuing on its path of growth through nation-building, and building the NMIA -- seen as the solution to decades of air traffic and land congestion that have severely limited the country’s growth.” Ang says: “We believe in, and fully subscribe to President Marcos’ message of unity. It’s something we have always tried to demonstrate in many ways, particularly in times of great difficulty for our nation. “We will do everything we can to help President Bongbong Marcos and his administration succeed, because their success is our country’s success. We look forward to working with them and contributing to their efforts to build our country back even better.” biznewsasia@gmail.com of pants, three shirts and a quilt. They slept during the journey. We brought hydration drinks for them but I didn’t want to wake them. Thank God we’re here,” he said. The cold made his arm hurt more, but he endured it in the hope of reaching Texas. AFP

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

Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

Honor Blanco Cabie Opinion Editor Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

B2

World

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ukraine retreats from key city S in east in major Russian gain

IVERSK, Ukraine —The Ukrainian army retreated from the strategic city of Lysychansk over the weekend, as Russia claimed a major victory by seizing control of the entire eastern Lugansk region.

IN BRIEF Another Black man shot dead in Akron AKRON—Several hundred protesters marched Sunday in Akron, Ohio after the release of body camera footage that showed police fatally shooting a Black man with several dozen rounds of bullets. As anger rose over the latest police killing of a Black man in the United States, and authorities appealed for calm, a crowd marched to City Hall carrying banners with slogans such as “Justice for Jayland.” The slogan refers to Jayland Walker, 25, who was killed Monday after officers tried to stop his car over a traffic violation, police said. Sunday marked the fourth straight day of protests. Demonstrations were peaceful but for a tense moment in which some protesters got close to a line of police and shouted at them. After the first rally, a crowd of people remained in the street protesting. Fearing potential unrest, authorities in the city of 190,000 people moved snowplows and other heavy equipment near the police department to serve as a barrier. After initially providing few details of the shooting, Akron authorities released two videos Sunday: one that was a compilation of body-camera footage, body-cam still frames and voiceover, and another of the complete body-cam footage of the entire chase and shooting. The voiceover explained that Walker did not stop and drove off. Police engaged in a car chase and said a shot had been fired from Walker’s vehicle. AFP

PNG votes in heavily guarded elections PORT MORESBY—Voters headed to the polls Monday for heavily guarded elections in Papua New Guinea, where millions live in poverty despite vast mineral and energy riches. About 10,000 police, army and corrections services personnel have been mobilised for the vote in the Pacific island nation, which has a history of corruption and election-related killings. Australia deployed 130 troops with transport aircraft to help secure the lengthy voting process across the rugged, densely forested country of nine million. “We want transparency, we want accountability and above all we want a safe, fair and secured polling period,” Prime Minister James Marape said after casting his ballot on the first day of voting. Marape later had to deny any connection to illegal financing after confirming his eldest son had been detained for being “in the vicinity” when police found a suitcase containing a large sum of cash. “I just want to inform the country: Nothing to do with me,” he told reporters. “My son had no input in the transportation of the money,” the prime minister said, adding that the funds -- 1.56 million PNG kina ($440,000) in cash, according to police -- belonged to a local construction firm. Election rivalries can quickly spill over into bloodshed in Papua New Guinea, especially in the remote and mountainous highlands provinces. During the last vote in 2017, Australian National University monitors documented more than 200 election-related killings and widespread “serious irregularities”. This year, 15 election-related deaths have already been recorded, according to Papua New Guinea police. AFP

SHAKEN. A woman is comforted

outside Fields shopping mall, where a gunman killed three people and wounded several others in Copenhagen on July 3. A 22-year-old Danish man was arrested after the shooting, but his motives were unclear, police said, as they and the media stand near the site of the incident (inset). AFP

Man with mental problems kills 3 in Copenhagen mall COPENHAGEN—Danish police said Monday the suspect in a weekend shooting at a Copenhagen mall that left three dead, including two teenagers, was known to mental health services. “Our suspect is also known among psychiatric services, beyond that I do not wish to comment,” Copenhagen police chief Soren Thomassen told a press conference. Thomassen added that the victims appeared to have been randomly targeted and there was nothing to indicate it was an act of terror. “Our assessment is that the victims were random, that it isn’t motivated by gender or something else,” Thomassen said. The police chief could not yet comment on a motive, but said there seemed to have been preparation ahead of the at-

(MS-June 21, 28 & July 5, 2022)

security cordon guarded by numerous police officers, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene. Police confirmed that the suspected shooter was known to the police, “but only peripherally”. They added that they believe videos of the suspect circulating since Sunday evening on social media to be authentic. In some of the images, the young man can be seen posing with weapons, mimicking suicide gestures, and talking about psychiatric medication “that does not work”. Three videos believed to have been posted to YouTube by the suspect were all titled “I don’t care”. YouTube and Instagram accounts believed to belong to him were closed overnight, AFP noted. AFP

12 bodies found after South China Sea typhoon shipwreck BEIJING—Twelve bodies have been found following a shipwreck in the South China Sea over the weekend that left more than two dozen crew members missing, Chinese authorities said Monday. The announcement came days after an engineering vessel 160 nautical miles (296 kilometres) southwest of Hong Kong suffered substantial damage and broke into two pieces during a typhoon. “As of 3:30 pm on July 4, rescue forces found and recovered 12 bodies, suspected to be of victims who drowned, in an area around 50 nautical miles southwest of the site where the vessel sank,” said the Guangdong Maritime Search and Rescue Centre. “The relevant departments are stepping up identity confirmation work.” A total of 30 crew members abandoned the vessel, Fujing 001, used for offshore wind power construction,

Thousands evacuate from ‘dangerous’ Sydney floods, spills from largest dam SYDNEY—Rapidly rising rivers swamped swathes of rain-lashed Sydney on Monday, forcing thousands to flee “dangerous” floods as the city’s largest dam spilled torrents of water. On the third day of torrential east coast rains, emergency workers said they had rescued more than 140 people since the stormy weather began. But evacuated residents in one area of western Sydney were now being allowed to return home, officials said, as weather conditions in New South Wales were forecast to ease over the next 24 hours. Manila Many of NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL Standard SETTLEMENT and WAIVER those resTODAY Notice is hereby given that the cued had been estate of the late PRESENTACION A. CUSTODIO, who died on trapped in their October 23, 1989 in Lucena City, Quezon Province and left the cars trying to following real property pursuant with cross floodthe: a) Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-12952: b) Tax Declaration swept roads or No. 02-02007-00028-R; Property Index No. 073-02-007-01-034, were unable to located at Casiguran, Aurora has been extrajudicially settled among leave homes heirs MANUEL C. LABESTE and LUNINGNING C. LABESTE with surrounded by waiver of rights , as per Doc. No. 429, Page No. 86, Book No. VII, rising waters. Series of 2022 before Notary Public Australia Atty. Ryan C. Cortez of Quezon City. has been at

tack and that he was not aided by anyone else. “As things stand, it seems he was acting alone,” he said of the 22-year-old suspect. The three killed have been identified as a Danish teenage girl and boy, both aged 17, and a 47-year-old Russian citizen residing in Denmark. Another four were injured in the shooting: two Danish women, aged 19 and 40, and two Swedish citizens, a 50-year-old man and a 16-year-old woman. About 20 more were lightly injured in the panicked evacuation after the shooting. The area around the busy mall was quiet on Monday morning. Mostly journalists were present in front of the main entrance, behind a

The Ukrainian withdrawal followed weeks of fierce fighting and marked a decisive breakthrough for Moscow’s forces more than four months after their invasion and after turning their focus away from the capital Kyiv. Leaders from dozens of countries and international organisations will meet Monday in Switzerland to map out a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Ukraine -- aimed to begin even as Russia’s war efforts continue to rage. A major flashpoint in the conflict, Lysychansk had been the final holdout in the Lugansk area of the eastern Donbas region and Moscow’s capture of it frees up Russian forces to advance on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in neighbouring Donetsk. “The continuation of the defence of the city would lead to fatal consequences” in the face of Russia’s superiority in numbers and equipment, the Ukrainian army said in a statement announcing its retreat Sunday evening. “In order to preserve the lives of Ukrainian defenders, a decision was made to withdraw. “Unfortunately, steel will and patriotism are not enough for success -- material and technical resources are needed.” The fall of Lysychansk comes after Russian forces seized its twin city of Severodonetsk last week after bouts of intense fighting. In an address late Sunday, Zelensky vowed Kyiv would fight on and ensure the military had “the most modern weapons”. “Ukraine will reach the level when the fire superiority of the occupiers will be levelled.” The latest country to provide aid was Australia, whose Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday pledged further military support -- including armoured vehicles and drones during a meeting with Zelensky in Kyiv. On Sunday, Moscow accused Kyiv of firing three cluster missiles at the Russian city of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border, which came a day after neighbouring Belarus said it had intercepted Ukrainian missiles. AFP

the sharp end of climate change, with droughts, deadly bushfires, bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef and floods becoming more common and intense as global weather patterns change. Higher temperatures mean the atmosphere holds more moisture, unleashing more rain. About 32,000 people were under orders to evacuate or be ready to flee across New South Wales, the state’s emergency services said. The army sent 100 troops to help operations in the storm-battered state. “The ground is saturated, the rivers are fast flowing, the dams are overflowing,” said State Emergency Services commissioner Carlene York. “It is particularly dangerous out there.” Mud-brown river waters transformed a large stretch of land into a lake in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Camden. Roads disappeared into the waters and mobile homes stood in knee-high water, at least one toppled on its side, television images showed. AFP

after its anchor chain broke in the typhoon, according to Chinese state media outlet CGTN. The floating crane of the offshore wind farm project was found to be in danger by a monitoring system on Saturday, and it later sank, state broadcaster CCTV said. Three people were rescued on Saturday and one more in the early hours of Monday, according to Chinese state media, leaving 26 still unaccounted for. Rescuers have expanded the scope of their search around the point of wreckage, with medical workers dispatched on each rescue ship to provide assistance to any crew member found as soon as possible, CCTV said. Earlier footage provided by Hong Kong authorities showed a person being airlifted onto a helicopter while waves crashed over the deck of the semi-submerged ship below. AFP

GLACIER RESCUE. A rescue helicopter flies on July 4 over the glacier that

collapsed the day before on the mountain of Marmolada, the highest in the Dolomites, one day after a record-high temperature of 10 degrees Celsius was recorded at the glacier’s summit. Rescuers resumed the search for survivors after an avalanche set off by the collapse of the glacier, the largest in the Italian Alps, killed at least six people and injured eight others. AFP

Macron reshapes French cabinet for tricky second term PARIS—French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday reshuffled his government in search of a fresh start for his second term, dogged by his failure to win a parliamentary majority last month. While he finally ceded to public pressure by removing Damien Abad, the solidarity and social cohesion minister facing a rape probe, there was little sign of a major renewal that could turn Macron’s fortunes around. Monday’s reshuffle brought in some new faces, including Abad’s replacement, French Red Cross chief JeanChristophe Combe, and emergency doctor Francois Braun as health minister. OECD chief economist Laurence Boone was named Europe minister, replacing Macron loyalist Clement Beaune who became notorious for verbal jousting with Brexit supporters. Beaune was moved to the transport ministry. Other posts in the 41-strong cabinet mostly went to politicians from the different factions in Macron’s camp. The foreign, finance and defence ministers all remained in place. Christophe Bechu, mayor of the Loire city of Angers and a close ally of former

“There’s no surprises here,” Communist Party chief Fabien Roussel told broadcaster LCI, saying he “feels like they’re just starting over again with the same people”. A first test for the new government will come on July 6, when Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne will lay out her policies before parliament. The government is still mum on whether it will hold a traditional highstakes confidence vote afterwards. - Short of majority France’s President Emmanuel Macron Macron beat far-right leader Ma(right) shakes hands with Australia’s rine Le Pen a second time in April’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prior presidential run-off to win a new fiveto a working lunch at the presidentialCYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK year term. Elysee Palace in Paris on July 1. AFP But a lacklustre campaign for last prime minister Edouard Philippe, was month’s parliamentary vote saw his named environment minister -- long supporters win just 250 seats, 39 trailed by the president as a top prior- short of the absolute majority needed ity for the five years ahead. to push through new laws. “It’s a message to the troops: loyalty “In a mere press release, Emmanwill be rewarded. Looking ahead to the uel Macron announces the new govcoming months, when votes on new ernment. Those who failed are all laws are likely to come down to just reappointed,” tweeted Le Pen, saya few votes,” tweeted Frederic Says, a ing the president had “ignored” the political commentator for broadcaster demands of the French for a “differFrance Culture. ent politics.” AFP

Business PSEi July 4, 2022

TOP GAINERS

1 LSC 2 KEP 3 SFI

LAST PRICE CHANGE 0.73 0.19 3.75 0.9 0.096 0.01

% CHANGE 35.19% 31.58% 11.63%

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

82.95 0.59 0.168 55 5.28 22 4.2

9.50% 7.27% 6.33% 5.77% 5.60% 5.01% 5.00%

UBP FOOD ZHI SEVN ANI CNVRG DITO

7.2 0.04 0.01 3 0.28 1.05 0.2

TOP LOSERS 1 WEB 2 ACEX 3 I

LAST PRICE CHANGE 4.3 -0.75 10.16 -1.44 0.73 -0.1

% CHANGE -14.85% -12.41% -12.05%

4 5 6 7

DFNN MB ARA ALHI

3.2 0.335 1.58 6

-0.43 -0.04 -0.17 -0.58

-11.85% -10.67% -9.71% -8.81%

8 9

KPH VMC

9.01 2.55

-0.79 -0.22

-8.06% -7.94%

10

T

0.72

-0.05

-6.49%

B3

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market up slightly; SM Investments advances

T

HE stock market rose slightly Monday on thin trading as investors await the release of the June inflation rate today.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 18.27 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,183.62 on a value turnover of P3.8 billion. Losers, however, beat gainers, 111 to 69, with 50 issues unchanged. Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. surged 5 percent to P22, while PLDT Inc., the biggest telecommunications firm owned by Indonesia’s Salim Group, climbed 3.5 percent to P1,729. SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group, advanced 3.9 percent to P800, while unit BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender in terms of assets, rose 3 percent to P115.50. The rest of Asian markets swung Monday as traders fret over a possible recession caused by central bank interest rate hikes aimed at fighting soaring inflation. Data showing a flare-up of fresh COVID-19 cases in China revived concerns about the government’s policy of lock-

ing down towns and cities to eradicate the disease, despite the economic cost. After the S&P 500’s worst JanuaryJune since 1970, Wall Street got the second half off to a healthy start Friday as a below-forecast reading on US manufacturing provided hope banks will not go on an extended period of monetary tightening. That followed a drop in confidence among consumers—a key driver of the world’s top economy. However, National Australia Bank’s Rodrigo Catril said the Federal Reserve and other global financial chiefs might not ease back on their rate hikes too soon as inflation remains stuck around multi-decade highs. “While the data is suggesting a US economic slowdown is coming, we are not yet seeing signs of an ease in inflationary pressures, an important distinction given the Fed will continue with its aggressive tightening approach until it sees evidence of the latter,” he said in a commentary. In a sign of the struggle officials will have in controlling rising prices, figures showed eurozone inflation hit a record 8.6 percent in June. The European Central Bank is due to lift rates this month for the first time in more than a decade.

Still, while surging prices remain a huge problem, Chris Weston, at Pepperstone Group, said the psychology is “shifting radically from inflation concerns to one now where we’re firmly focused on growth”. While New York provided a strong lead, Asia struggled. Hong Kong dropped as investors returned from a long weekend to play catch-up with Friday’s losses, while Seoul, Taipei, Bangok and Jakarta were also down. However, Tokyo, Shanghai, Mumbai, Sydney, Singapore, Taipei and Wellington rose. A rise in new COVID cases in China over the weekend weighed on sentiment among investors who fear a return to the painful lockdowns in major cities including Shanghai, which hammered the world’s number two economy. The country saw more than 700 new infections Saturday and Sunday, having held below 50 a day for the previous two weeks. Macau saw its first two COVID deaths at the weekend and authorities said they would consider a city-wide lockdown to fight the disease. The comments sent Hong Kong-listed shares in Macau casinos plunging. With AFP

MOST ACTIVE

VOLUME

VALUE (PHP)

1 2

TEL CNVRG

189,010 11,083,400

327,363,760 240,851,560

3 4 5

BDO SMPH SM

1,946,140 6,157,800 278,230

224,598,807 222,513,390 221,575,170

6

ALI

8,108,800

210,302,190

7 8 9

SCC ICT URC

4,565,400 796,650 1,221,410

165,274,100 147,439,893 134,443,085

10

JFC

551,770

111,941,850

China’s property company Shimao fails to pay $1-b worth of bonds BEIJING, China—Chinese developer Shimao Group said it has failed to make payment on a $1 billion bond that matured Sunday, one of the biggest such defaults so far this year in the country’s troubled property sector. China’s real estate sector has been struggling since authorities began a crackdown on excessive debt and rampant consumer speculation in 2020, with giants such as Evergrande and Sunac scrambling to make payments and renegotiate with creditors. The crisis has sparked fears that the industry’s struggles could spread to the wider economy, and the latest jolt came Sunday when Shimao said it had not paid the principal and interest on a $1-billion offshore note. In a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where it is listed, Shimao said it has experienced a noticeable decline in contracted sales due to “significant changes to the macro environment of the property sector in China since the second half of 2021 and the impact of COVID-19.” The firm added that it had attempted to negotiate refinancing and waivers but was unable to make some payments because of “challenging” market conditions. It said it has not received notice from creditors for accelerated repayment, and that lenders have indicated they will not take enforcement action at this point. Shimao develops residential, hotel, office and commercial properties in China, with projects in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. It was China’s 14th biggest developer by contracted sales last year, according to Bloomberg News. China’s developers have been struggling as homebuyers tightened their purse strings owing to an uncertain economic outlook. AFP

Manila

Standard NO GARAGE SALE. This photo taken on July 2, 2022 shows people selling items from the trunks of their cars at a market TODAY

located in a parking lot in Shenyang, in China’s northeastern Liaoning province. AFP

Turkey’s May inflation rate hit 2-decade high of 78.6% ISTANBUL, Turkey—Inflation in Turkey in June soared to an annual rate of 78.6 percent, the highest in 24 years, official data showed on Monday, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s unconventional economic policies continued to take their toll. The figure released by Turkey’s state statistic agency was the highest since January 1998. Inflation had stood at 73.5 percent in May and at 15.0 percent at the start of last year. Economy Minister Nureddin Nebati on Friday “promised” that consumer prices will start dropping in December. The data showed that headline inflation was driven by a 123.4-percent jump in the cost of transportation and a 94-percent increase in non-alcoholic drinks. The price of household goods surged by 81.1 percent, the statistics agency calculated. Turkey’s economic crisis started when Erdogan forced the central bank to go through with a series of interest rate cuts last year. The policy rate went down despite rising consumer prices. But the Turkish leader rejects conventional economics and affirms that high interest rates cause prices to rise. Turkey on Friday substantially raised the minimum wage for the second time in a year to cushion the blow on households. The hike of the net monthly takehome pay to 5,500 liras ($330) means the nominal minimum wage has nearly doubled since the end of last year. It stood at 2,826 liras in late December and 4,253 liras in January. Economists warn that substantially raising the pay of a large swathe of the population is an inflationary measure that should be accompanied by interest hikes or other means of limiting spending. AFP

The nightmare of irresponsible marketing MY LASALLIAN Business Leadership class sequences of being exposed to the digital world covered marketing ethics, advertising and digi- and the usage of evolving technology. Our security and privacy are at risk, and tal marketing. So why has marketing ethics bemany have also been forced to read false inforcome so important these days? mation online. Some polBefore, marketing iticians have exploited was all about the trathis tool by hiring online ditional ways like what JAYSON trolls instead of using we see and hear on the becoming traditional billboards and signagFULGUERAS ‘digital’ marketing. This es, newspapers, telehas become a next-level visions, radio stations strategy to spread false and other standard information where these paid trolls act like ormethodologies to market a product. As technology evolves, there have become dinary people on social media, but they are not. Fake news has become rampant in the Philipmore ways to sell products digitally. Since the pandemic started, many producers have ex- pines today, and the only way we can combat ploited digital marketing to increase their prod- this is to voice out the truth and our opinions. The more we become vocal, the stronger our uct exposure and niche. Though digital marketing has a fair share of collective voice will become and hopefully benefits to our struggling economy, it has also wake up those brainwashed by false informabrought harm and risks, especially to younger tion through irresponsible marketing. Has the current administration set us up for people exposed to the internet with limited parental guidance. In this case, is it the responsi- a greater downfall in the past six years? We ofbility of the sellers and marketers to limit their ten say that the youth is our country’s last hope, target market and audience to attract attention? but is that the case? Truth be told that there are In a way, I believe they are responsible for be- many uneducated Filipinos, and the schools ing ethical and for stopping producing distaste- have remained closed for the past two years. Should we assume that our country’s last ful advertisements. However, ultimately, in the end, the parents are still the one responsible for hope has gone? Not when few of us still believe in the youth. We can only fight misinformation explaining and guiding their children. Aside from the risk of digital marketing if we continue to stand for the truth. With the among the young generation, there are security closure of the biggest television station in the and privacy issues. Recently, I have received country and continuous attacks on the freedom various text messages from companies such as of the press, Filipinos are also deprived of aploan offers, credit card companies, insurance, propriate information and forced to consume and even political advertisements for which I stories promoted by irresponsible marketing. have never signed up. I believe this has root- The reality is that we are moving backward, ed in contact tracing forms we filled up at the and I can only hope to wake up from this nightmalls or different establishments. I observed mare. that restaurants often collect my contact details The author is an MBA student at the Ramon when ordering food online or through phone applications. My phone inbox has been filled V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. He with advertisements and offers instead of per- can be reached at jayson_fulgueras@dlsu. sonal messages from people I know. I would, edu.ph. if I only had enough time and resources, sue The views expressed above are the author’s every company using our personal information without consent. Many have been hacked and and do not necessarily reflect the official poscammed online primarily due to our private sition of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrainformation being collected. These are the con- tors.

Green Light

NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING To All Stockholders:

Please be advised that the annual meeting of stockholders of MARCVENTURES HOLDINGS, INC. (the “Corporation”) will be held virtually on July 28, 2022 (Thursday) at 2 p.m. As a precautionary and safety measure in view of the ongoing threat of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and to further safeguard the health and safety of the stockholders, there will be no physical venue for the meeting. The meeting will be held via remote communication or in absentia and may be accessed through this link (https://conveneagm.com/ph/mhi), with the Chairman of the meeting presiding from Makati City. The Agenda of the meeting is as follows: Call to Order Proof of Notice and Certification of Quorum Approval of the Minutes of the Previous Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held on 03 September 2021 4. Approval of the Management Report and Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021 5. Ratification of All Acts of the Board of Directors and Management 6. Amendments to By-laws 7. Election of Directors 8. Appointment of the External Auditor 9. Other Matters 10. Adjournment 1. 2. 3.

For purposes of the meeting, stockholders of record as of June 28, 2022 are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the said meeting. Stockholders intending to participate by remote communication should preregister at https://conveneagm.com/ph/mhi on or before July 18, 2022. The password to attend the meeting shall be provided by the Corporation to all stockholders of record or their proxies who have successfully registered to attend the meeting. Please refer to the Requirements and Procedure for Participation and Voting at the 2022 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (attached to the Definitive Information Statement) for detailed information on participation by remote communication and voting in absentia (electronic voting) or by proxy. The deadline for submission of proxies is on July 18, 2022. Validation of proxies will take place on July 23, 2022. Pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Notice dated February 16, 2022, availability of an electronic copy of the Information Statement and Management Report and SEC Form 17A and other pertinent documents, as may be necessary related to the meeting may be accessed through the Corporation’s website https://www. marcventuresholdings.com/ and Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Edge. For any question about the conduct of the virtual meeting, you may send an email to inquiries@marcventures.com.ph or maila.decastro@ marcventures.com.ph. Makati City, 04 July 2022. MAILA LOURDES G. DE CASTRO Co-Asst. Corporate Secretary *All proxies which have been previously submitted shall remain valid unless revoked.

(MS-JUL. 5 & 6, 2022)

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

B4

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

PSE INDEX CLOSING Monday, July 4, 2022

18.27 PTS. 6,183.62

TOTAL VOLUME TOTAL TRADES

499,977,207 58,223

TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES DECLINES

3,847,549,031.57 69 111

UNCHANGED

50

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • MONDAY, JULY 4, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

55.1170

Japan

Yen

0.007394

0.4075

UK

Pound

1.210300

66.7081

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127440

7.0241

Switzerland

Franc

1.041775

57.4195

Canada

Dollar

0.776578

42.8026

Singapore

Dollar

0.716178

39.4736

Australia

Dollar

0.680800

37.5237

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652590

146.2028

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266496

14.6885

Brunei

Dollar

0.713623

39.3328

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000067

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028070

1.5471

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

15.0072

Euro

Euro

1.042400

57.4540

Korea

Won

0.000770

0.0424

China

Yuan

0.149209

8.2240

India

Rupee

0.012670

0.6983

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.226963

12.5095

New Zealand

Dollar

0.619900

34.1670

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033550

1.8492 Source: BSP

EDC wins Bohol’s 10-year electricity supply contract By Alena Mae S. Flores FIRST Gen Corp. subsidiary and renewable energy leader Energy Development Corp. won a contract to supply electricity to the island province of Bohol for 10 years starting 2024. The joint competitive selection body of One Bohol Power Distribution Utilities awarded the power supply contract to EDC following a competitive selection process or bidding. IBP is composed of three power distributors, including Bohol Light Co. Inc. and Bohol Electric Cooperative I and II. The CSP requires a baseload power supply from a renewable energy source and an in-island backup power to ensure that Bohol would have a steady 24/7 supply of electricity even if it gets isolated from the grid in case of natural catastrophes such as typhoon Odette, a typhoon that severely impacted the province in late December 2021. It said that among the bidders, only EDC met their requirements through the 50.83 megawatts of dependable power it committed to provide from the Unified Leyte Geothermal Power Plant. EDC’s bid accompanied a backup power supply from an 85.12-MW diesel-fired power plant that it will construct in Bohol with a partner. Upon completion of the diesel power plant, it will be the first time Bohol province will have a backup source to keep its industry, tourism and residential sectors supplied with electricity even if the connection to Leyte island is cut. EDC said geothermal energy provides uninterrupted baseload power all year round. 1BP and its power consumers would avoid about 312,355 to 524,757 tons of carbon dioxide instead of coal each year by using geothermal energy. EDC said the generation charge for the Bohol contract would be about P4.70 per kilowatt-hour at the start of contract in January 2024. This would be below 1BP’s price cap of P5.4089 per kWH and the current blended generation rates of all three Bohol electric cooperatives.

Business SMC to cooperate with gov’t on Bulacan airport ecozone By Darwin G. Amojelar

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AN Miguel Corp. said Monday it will cooperate with the government to realize the vision of Bulacan Airport Economic Zone in generating $200 billion in export revenues annually.

SMC president and chief executive Ramon Ang expressed optimism about the development of the proposed ecozone, despite President Ferdinand Macos Jr.’s veto of House Bill 7575, or “An Act Establishing the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport”. “We respect and abide by the government’s decision. We thank him for recognizing where the proposed Freeport bill can be further improved, and we look forward to working with his administration towards perfecting this. We are eager to continue working with government, and play an active role in helping our country reach its goals—as we have faithfully and consistently done,” said Ang. Ang, whose group is fully financing and building the P740-billion New Manila International Airport project in Bulacan, said the ecozone’s full potential would still be realized if all the issues raised in the President’s veto could be addressed.

He said the Bulacan economic zone, if approved, would be managed by the Philippine government, and any tax incentives given to investors would still pass the Department of Finance’s Fiscal Incentives Review Board review and approval process, to ensure these are aligned with the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act. “Among our plans for the ecozone is to help create science and technology export hubs with the cheapest logistics cost, because these will be close to the airport and seaport. We are looking to attract worldclass semiconductor manufacturers, battery power storage system manufacturers, electric vehicle makers and even modular nuclear power assemblies and other new and emerging tech industries. We estimate these industries alone will add some $200 billion in annual exports—a big boost to our GDP,” Ang said. He said the long-term benefits to the coun-

try of the ecozone would far outweigh and outnumber any supposed “losses” due to the grant of incentives to potential investors. Ang said these benefits include hundreds of thousands of new jobs to be generated, which would benefit the next and future generations of young Filipino graduates, professionals and skilled workers. Ang also addressed the issue of NMIA being close to the Clark Airport, which was mentioned in the veto and was initially raised by the Department of Finance under the Duterte administration, which said NMIA would “compete” with Clark International Airport. Clark Development Corp. said it welcomes the veto of HB 7575, saying it put emphasis on the significant role of Clark Special Economic Zone as the center of economic development, not only to Central Luzon but to the rest of the country. “This sets the tone of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s administration vis-a-vis Clark Freeport Zone and Clark Special Economic Zone. This decision is a big boost to our marketing efforts and our goals of attracting investments in Clark. God bless this administration for not succumbing to pressures from the proponents of the Bulacan City Special Economic and Freeport,” CDC president and chief executive Manuel Gaerlan said in a statement.

IN BRIEF

Wawa water project achieves milestone PRIME Infrastructure Capital Inc., a company led by businessman Enrique Razon, said Monday unit WawaJVCo Inc. achieved a milestone with the completion of the Tayabasan Weir, representing phase 1 of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project. The Tayabasan Weir filled up its reservoir in early June, signaling its completion ahead of its schedule in October 2022. The weir is a 25-meter high roller compacted concrete structure designed to deliver 80 million liters per day. Tayabasan is comprised of three parts: the weir where water is impounded, the pumping station that brings the bulk water to the water treatment plant and the buried water pipeline where the bulk water passes to get to the water treatment plant. Phase 2 dubbed as Upper Wawa Dam will be completed by 2025 and will eventually deliver at least 518 MLD to offtaker Manila Water Company and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System. “True to our fast and lean management approach, Prime Infra through WawaJVCo has delivered a critical water infrastructure that supports the country’s infrastructure development agenda with speed – as you all know, this phase of the project was finished ahead of schedule in the middle of a pandemic,” said Prime Infra president and chief executive Guillaume Lucci.

Ayala Land raises P33b from bond sale PROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. raised P33 billion from the issuance of fixed-rate bonds amid strong demand from investors. ALI deputy treasurer Jose Emilio Jamir said during the listing ceremony total demand from domestic retail and institutional investors reached P131 billion. Jamir said with the latest bond offering, ALI completed its P45-billion debt financing program for 2022. The company in May also issued P12-billion worth of fixed-rate retail bonds. The P33-billion bonds were issued in three series. The Series A bonds due 2024 carry a coupon rate of 4.5969 percent per annum; Series B due 2027, 6.211 percent; and Series C bonds due 2029, 6.8045 percent. ALI plans to use the proceeds from the bond offering to refinance short-term debt and partially fund capital expenditures for 2022. Jenniffer B. Austria

BPO sector eyeing 2.5m jobs in 6 years THE IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines expects the industry to have a labor pool of 2.5 million employees in the next six years, a top executive said Monday. IBPAP president Jack Madrid said the potential of the industry to double its work force is strong if the industry receives the right set of incentives. “The message that I like to always deliver is how indispensable the ITBPM [ITbusiness process management] industry as an economic pillar is to our economy,” he said. Madrid said the industry contributed at least 7 percent to the Philippine economy during the pandemic, when other industries failed to grow and contribute to economic stability. He said the future of work holds the key to the sustained growth of the industry. A survey shows that about 80 percent of respondents prefer to keep the work-from-home and hybrid work set-up. “The future of work is already happening, and it’s going to be hybrid. Otherwise we will not grow. I think it’s all about flexibility,” he said. Othel V. Campos

LAGUNA LAKE PROTECTION. Laguna Water adopts a portion of the 13-hectare land dedicated by the city government of Santa Rosa as a bamboo planting site. Fish pole bamboos were planted in the area to prevent siltation and soil erosion in Laguna Lake. To kick-start the lifetime commitment, employee-volunteers of Laguna Water initially planted 120 propagules on June 28.

Tariff Commission recommends safeguard duties on HDPE By Othel V. Campos JG SUMMIT Olefins Corp. said Monday it welcomes the recommendation of the Tariff Commission to impose safeguard duties on imported highdensity polyethylene resins. HDPE resins are used in consumer and industrial goods, such as pipes, tanks, industrial packaging, bottles, healthcare articles, containers, toys, films, tapes and fibers. “We thank the Tariff Commission for their positive recommendation on the safeguard petition for HDPE. We greatly appreciate that government has recognized the urgency and the need to protect local manufacturing industries especially during this difficult economic period,” said JGSOC president and chief executive Patrick Henry Go. Plastics manufacturers, however, asked the TC to reconsider its recom-

mendation. “We implore the TC to consider their position and the Department of Trade and Industry not to impose safeguard duties on HDPE resin,” said Philippine Plastic Industry Association president Aaron Timothy Lao. The TC’s investigation began on Sept. 30, 2021 on the petition filed by JG Summit Petrochemical Corp. with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Import Services on March 9, 2020. JGSPC merged with JGSOC on Jan. 1, 2022, with the latter as the surviving entity. JGSOC said the application of a safeguard measure for HDPE for a period of three years would help the local petrochemical industry recover from the damage that the proliferation of imported HDPE caused in the previous years. It said this provides the local petrochemical industry, which is a strategic manufacturing sector with strong sup-

ply chain linkages, much-needed time to further improve its production capacity, utilization rate and price competitiveness. “It is our prayer that with continued support from the government, the domestic petrochemical industry can carry on with its roadmap to becoming globally-competitive and to achieving long-term viability. This decision of the commission is an encouraging step also for other local industries and for all who are looking to invest in the Philippines, where both government and private sector work together towards economic self-sufficiency,” Go said. PPIA said, however, the TC decision would benefit only one producer at the expense of the downstream manufacturing industry dominated by micro, small and medium enterprises that are employing hundreds of thousands of Filipinos.

Marcos administration’s goal to cut poverty to a single-digit level viable By Julito G. Rada

CEBU-SEOUL FLIGHT. Cebu Pacific flies its first direct international flight from Cebu to Seoul on July 3, marking the restart of its international operations outside Manila. The airline operates the route twice weekly, every Thursday and Sunday. Flight 5J 128 departs Mactan Cebu International Airport at 12:25 p.m. and arrives at Incheon International Airport at 6:10 p.m. The return flight, 5J 129, is scheduled to leave Seoul at 6:55 p.m. and will arrive in Cebu at 10:50 p.m. To celebrate the resumption of its first Cebu-Seoul flight, Cebu Pacific awarded the first passenger to check-in online with a free roundtrip flight from Cebu to Seoul, valid for one year.

THE government’ “ambitious” target of reducing the poverty level from more than 20 percent to single digit at the end of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is doable, new Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said Monday. Balisacan took the helm of the National Economic and Development Authority from Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua in a turnover ceremony in Pasig City. Balisacan said President Marcos and the economic team agreed on the overall goal of the administration focusing on job generation and poverty alleviation. “We all agree to quickly revive job creation and poverty reduction by steering the economy back to the high-growth path while addressing government debt and the sharply rising prices of food and essential commodities,” Balisacan said.

“In particular, we aim for economic growth at least at par with pre-pandemic levels through 2028. And we are raising the bar higher: we must make this growth more inclusive and resilient. In other words, growth must be pro-poor and can weather adverse global events such as pandemics, calamities due to climate change, and geopolitical and technological disruptions,” he said. “With quality growth and jobs, we aim to rapidly reduce poverty to a single-digit level at the end of the administration. I recognize such a target is ambitious, but I firmly believe it is achievable,” he said. Balisacan said the reforms the past administrations laid down made the economy’s foundations stronger. He said a robust economy could be attained by recovering lost ground and tapping into the country’s latent human and natural capital.

SEC approves LFM Properties’ listing sans IPO By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday it approved the listing of LFM Properties Corp., a company owned by listed flour manufacturer Liberty Flour Mills Inc., on the stock exchange by way of introduction or without public offering. LPC, a real estate company incorporated in 1995 under its original name Alfaro Land Holdings Corp., derives revenues from lease rentals of real estate properties owned by the company in the central business districts and commercial hubs of Metro Manila. The SEC said it approved the registration of 10.35 billion common shares of LFM in LPC as property dividend to stockholders as of Dec. 18, 2020. Eligible stockholders will receive 69 shares of LPC for every LFM share they own. LPC will then list by way of introduction on the small, medium and emerging board of the Philippine Stock Exchange. LPC will have an initial listing price of P0.107 per common share. Under the PSE rules, listing of securities by way of introduction may be done when the stocks of an unlisted company are distributed by way of property dividend by a listed company to shareholders. LFM’s ownership in LPC will drop to 60.11 percent after the listing, while Parity Values Inc. will own 16.11-percent interest. Public float will be at 22.78 percent. LFM plans to develop projects in the Ortigas CBD within the next seven years. It also plans to expand its land bank in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon and Metro Manila. Listed firm AbaCore Capital Holdings Inc. also announced in June plans to list wholly-owned unit Philippine Regional Investment Development Corp. by way of introduction.

Gilas’ lack of size a concern

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

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By Peter Atencio LACKING in size, the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team will make the necessary adjustments with players who are available next week for the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup. And they will most likely include Japan B.League veterans Thirdy Ravena and Bobby Ray Parks Jr. in the roster when action begins on July 12 in Jakarta, Indonesia. “We are in a situation that we are playing unbalanced as a team. We don’t really have enough size, enough big guys that we can rotate,” said Gilas coach Nenad Vucinic after Gilas pulled off a 79-63 win over an inexperienced India side on Sunday. Team Philippines’ final win in Group A allowed Gilas to finish second place at the end of the third window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The Filipinos, playing with only 10 men, leaned much on Dwight Ramos (21 points) on the scoring end and finished their Group A stint with a 2-2 win-loss record. In this game, Geo Chiu (6’9”) and William Navarro (6’6”) served as the Gilas’ big men. “We are playing William Navarro out of position as a big guy, so it is difficult because of the composition of the team,” said Vucinic. India still made it to Group E in the second round of the qualifiers with the Philippines and New Zealand, along with Lebanon (4-1), Saudi Arabia (3-2), and Jordan (3-2). The Philippines has reached the second round as one of the pre-qualified host teams, regardless of the first round results and standings. The fourth window will be from August 25 to 29 and for now, Vucinic feels that reinforcements from the Philippine Basketball Association can be called on by then. For now, 7’3” Filipino center Kai Sotto won’t be available when they see action in Indonesia. But Gilas Pilipinas program director Chot Reyes hopes that Sotto can be around on the fourth window in August. The coaching staff, according to Reyes, is studying the possibility of having TNT Tropang Giga big men Poy Erram or Kelly Williams to be around with Gilas when their elimination-round campaign in the PBA Philippine Cup ends on July 10.

Avaricio launches drive for 4th LPGT title GEN. TRIAS, Cavite—Chanelle Avaricio sets out for another title crack with a form that continues to get better over time, poised to reassert her mastery over a field she had dominated the last time out in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge at Aoki Invitational, which reels off today (Tuesday) here. With Princess Superal opting to strike out her name in the roster for a much-needed rest following a grueling campaign in Thailand LPGA, Avaricio faces practically the same set of rivals she trounced on her way to posting an imposing six-stroke triumph in the Pradera Verde Ladies Classic last month. That was her third victory in the last five Ladies Philippine Golf Tour events, counting her playoff win over Superal at Hallow Ridge and a onestroke escape over Chihiro Ikeda at Caliraya Springs, easily making her the player to beat in the 54-hole championship put up by ICTSI, which doubled this week’s prize fund to P1.5 million. But she expects a stiffer challenge this time, particularly from Harmie Constantino, who is hoping to cash in on her own good run of form on a course where she reigned twice on her way to claiming the Order of Merit title right on her rookie season last year. The former national champion upstaged Superal by two in bubble setup in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Challenge in March 2021 then struck again when the circuit headed back to Aoki in November, edging amateur Mafy Singson by one. With a victory and a runner-up finish in the last three legs of the circuit, Ikeda is also upbeat of her chances while the rest of the pack seek to spring a surprise or two in the next three days to stir up play in the tournament serving as the seventh leg of this year’s Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized circuit.

3X3 CHAMPS. Members of the TNT Tropang Giga, led by Lervin Flores and Almond Vosotros, celebrate their title triumph over the Purefoods TJ Titans in the PBA 3x3 tournament at the Robinsons Place in Manila on Sunday.

No boxing, weightlifting in LA Olympics, for now By Randy Caluag

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OXING and weightlifting are not included in the initial program approved by the International Olympic Committee for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. These two sports, which have provided unprecedented success for Team Philippines in the recent 2020 Olympics held last year in Tokyo, have yet to address reforms demanded by the IOC in their respective federations. The International Boxing Association is accused of failure in governance and integrity of officiating.

As per the IOC report, an independent investigation of the boxing event in the 2016 Rio Olympics found manipulation of the outcome and matches by officials. On the other hand, weightlifting has been battling doping issues for years. In the Tokyo Games, the IOC excluded IBA from off iciating the

boxing events. The result was smooth and fair officiating that churned positive results for the Philippine boxing team as it emerged with three medals courtesy of silver winners Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam and bronze medalist Eumir Marcial. Weightlifting provided the country’s first gold medal in the Olympics with the golden victory of Hidilyn Diaz, making the Philippines the best performing nation among Southeast Asians in the Tokyo Games. Turning its focus on the young market, the OIC on Tuesday, approved 28 sports, including new sports— skateboarding, sport climbing, and

surfing. Modern pentathlon was also scrapped. Earlier, the IOC also excluded IBA from running the affairs of boxing qualifying events and the actual competitions in Paris 2024. IBA’s degrading integrity in judging of the matches has caused its slow loss of grip on world amateur boxing. It comes at a time when the World Boxing Council, one of the major professional boxing organizations, is beginning to focus on grassroots development. It recently launched the WBC Amateur boxing and several countries like Poland have already planned for monthly tournaments.

Shootout looms as ICTSI Aoki golf unwraps GEN. TRIAS, Cavite—The forecast of rains notwithstanding, the men of the Philippine Golf Tour look to pound the Aoki course and provide some stellar play given their form and class as the ICTSI Eagle Ridge at Aoki Invitational unfolds Tuesday here. Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club general manager Antonio Ocampo said that while the Isao Aoki-designed course, one of the championship courses inside the expansive golf complex, has been prepared and set up to challenge the country’s leading pros’ skills and wits, including its last line of defense, he expects a shootout in a field made more formidable by the presence of two Japan Tour campaigners. “Rain is forecasted for the week. The greens are sleek but are rolling well and we expect excellent low scores because of the caliber of these pros,” said Ocampo. He added the roughs aren’t too high, virtually making it negligible, although the course remains as challenging with many levels of difficulty present. As it stands, Juvic Pagunsan is the marked player, particularly after the former Asian Tour No. 1, who

has not played on the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized circuit since posting a record fourleg sweep in 2019, put himself in pre-tournament conversation with a runaway victory in a pro-am event last week. Angelo Que is the other multi-titled player tipped to contend for the crown in the P2 million tournament put up by ICTSI with the former threetime Asian Tour champion also raring to mark his Tour return with a top podium finish after a tied for 11th effort in his last PGT event, also here last year. But the field is full of pros in blistering form, including Dutch Guido Van der Valk, who foiled twotime Philippine Open titlist Miguel Tabuena in sudden death to win the last PGT tournament at Splendido Taal, along with veteran Tony Lascuña, Jerson Balasabas, Joenard Rates and Zanieboy Gialon, who dominated the inaugural Caliraya Springs leg in Cavinti, Laguna last April. Lascuña, for one, has put premium on power while stressing the need for solid iron play to set up good birdie opportunities and fuel his title drive in the 72hole championship.

“There’s a lot of power hitters in the field and they have the edge but it’s still a wide-open race. For as long as I’ll be able to get my iron game going and come up with recovery shots, I’ll be in the hunt,” said Lascuña, a four-time Order of Merit winner, including three straight in a dominant run from 2012 to 14. The young guns are also going flat out to make their case, including Ira Alido, who nailed his breakthrough win in the PGT Riviera Championship in 2020, but has struggled trying to regain his form while playing in a couple of tournaments on the Asian Development Tour. He placed sixth at Caliraya Springs and finished joint ninth at Splendido Taal. Others expected to crowd the leaderboard are Jhonnel Ababa, Reymon Jaraula, Michael Bibat, Jerson Balasabas, Fidel Concepcion, Jun Bernis, Marvin Dumandan, Joenard Rates, Keanu Jahns, Jay Bayron and Ruperto Zaragosa along with Lloyd Go, Sean Ramos and Ivan Monsalve, while four amateurs, including Marc Lu, Perry Bucay, Jed Dy and Lester Lagman, spice up the 62-player cast.

Immersive basketball experience for Filipino NBA fans

Hundreds of fans visited the NBA Iconic Shots Challenge event to get their chance to play and win prizes.

THE National Basketball Association (NBA) hosted the first “NBA Iconic Shots Challenge” on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 at the Mega Fashion Hall activity center, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. The NBA Iconic Shots Challenge is an immersive basketball experience for fans to attempt select signature shots from the league’s landmark 75th Anniversary Season, which concluded with the Golden State Warriors winning their fourth NBA championship in eight years and seventh championship overall. Simulating an authentic NBA arena atmosphere, the challenge took place on a half-court in front of a virtual audience displayed on a curved LED panel. Each player had 60 seconds to score from five different spots on the court, ranging from four

feet to 24 feet, and complete the shooting challenge in the following order: layup, floater, midrange jump shot and threepointers from the wing and the top of the arc. Each made basket had a corresponding prize from a selection of premium partner items, NBA Store gift vouchers and official NBA merchandise. The on-ground activation will also feature a pop-up NBA Store and interactive booths from partners. The NBA Iconic Shots Challenge is supported by official partners AXA Philippines, Energen Champion and Gatorade and official media partners Cignal, Globe, Smart, and PLDT. Official NBA merchandise are available through the NBA Store and NBAStore.com.ph, the official online NBA Store in the Philippines.

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Sports

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

Myanmar faces Timor Leste in AFF meet GAMES TODAY

(Binan Football Stadium) 4 p.m. – Laos vs. Cambodia 7 p.m. – Timor Leste vs. Myanmar

REGIONAL power Myanmar faces Timor Leste today in one of two matches highlighting the start of Group B action in the 12th Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship at the Binan Stadium in Laguna. The Burmese, who were bronze medalists in the 2019 edition of the tournament in Chonburi,Thailand and in the last 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games two months ago, face the Timorese at 7 p.m. Next-door neighbors Laos and Cambodia play in the other match at 4 p.m. in the premier women’s Southeast Asian soccer competition organized and hosted for the first time by the Philippine Football Federation and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission. Defending champion Vietnam won’t play until Thursday as it kicks off its title-retention drive against Cambodia also at the Binan Stadium, which also hosted most of the women’s matches of the 30th SEA Games three years ago. Meanwhile, tickets to the remaining group matches of the 12th AFF Women Championship are still on sale at all SM tickets and online at SMTickets.com. Prices are pegged at the P400 and P300, respectively, for Grandstand Category 1 and 2 and P150 for bleachers at the Rizal Stadium, and P300 for both the Grandstands of the Binan Stadium and Imus Stadium in Cavite. All three venues will have limited seating capacity in line with the health and safety guidelines of the event, with ticket-holders required to show proof of full vaccination before they are permitted to enter the arenas. Advisory: Results/stories of Group A matches between Singapore vs. Malaysia at 4 p.m. and Philippines vs. Australia U-23 at 7 p.m. will be sent separately and then consolidated (following the second match) later as soon as their games are over.

Online PSA Forum to tackle PBA D-League THE return of the PBA D-League will be the center of discussion in the virtual session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday. PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro leads the guests list that also include coaches Derrick Pumaren of EcoOil-La Salle and Jino Manansala of Adalem Construction-St. Clare as they talk about the coming Aspirants Cup set for a July 7 opener at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The D-League is set for a return after a two-year absence due to COVID-19 pandemic. The 10:30 a.m. session is presented by San Miguel Corporation (SMC), MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Amelie Hotel Manila, Unilever, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. The Forum is being livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2, which also shares it on its official Facebook page.

Sainz nails maiden F1 win in epic British Grand Prix S ILVERSTONE —Carlos Sainz claimed his first Formula One victory in his 150th race on Sunday when he drove his Ferrari to a spectacular triumph in a furious and crash-hit British Grand Prix.

The 27-year-old Spaniard, starting from his maiden pole position, resisted a charging Sergio Perez of Red Bull, who recovered from 17th, to take the flag by 3.7 seconds in front of a record 142,000 crowd at the high-speed Silverstone circuit. Home hero and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes took third to claim a record 13th podium finish on home soil, an unprecedented total by any driver at a single event. Drawing on his fresher tyres in the closing stages, Hamilton resisted and passed Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari, who finished fourth ahead of Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris of McLaren. World champion and series leader Max Verstappen finished seventh for Red Bull, recovering after picking up debris and suffering a puncture, ahead of a revitalised Mick Schumacher of Haas, collecting his first points in his second season. Sebastian Vettel, who had started 18th on his birthday, and Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas completed the top 10. “I don’t know what to say,” said a beaming Sainz. “It is amazing. My first win in Formula One on my 150th race and for Ferrari at Silverstone! It’s amazing.” Perez was also delighted. “It was a great comeback,” he said. “We never gave up and we kept pushing. We kept trying. It was epic in some of those final laps.” Hamilton paid tribute to the crowd, saying Silverstone was unmatched around the world for the scale and depth of enthusiasm demonstrated at the British event, which on Sunday provided stunning entertainment. “I gave it everything today,” said Hamilton. “I tried to chase, but the Red Bull and the Ferraris were too quick on the straights.”

Multi-car crash Verstappen remained ahead in the title race with 181 points, clear of Perez on 147, Leclerc on 138 and Sainz on 127. The start was marred by a massive high-speed multi-car collision, which saw Zhou Guanyu make a remarkable escape after his Alfa Romeo skidded upside down through a gravel trap. The Chinese rookie was extricated from his stricken car by a specialist team and after a thorough check-up was back in the pits to watch the end of the race. “I’m ok, all clear. Halo saved me today. Thanks everyone for your kind messages!” he tweeted. The race restarted an hour later, using the original grid order. Three drivers were missing—Zhou, Williams’ Alex Albon and George Russell of Mercedes—as the lights went out and Sainz, in ferocious fighting mood, boldly resisted Verstappen to retain the lead. Leclerc also made an aggressive start and banged wheels with Perez,

who suffered front wing damage, and Verstappen before the order settled on lap five. In a frantic spell of action, Sainz ran off-track and across the grass at Becketts on lap 10, gifting Verstappen the initiative again, but two laps later the Dutchman slowed and pitted with a puncture. Sainz led again as a 3.1 seconds stop for Verstappen, who reported he had hit debris, dropped him to sixth. Amid this drama, Hamilton closed on Leclerc before Sainz pitted from the lead, Leclerc taking over ahead of Hamilton with the Spaniard rejoining third ahead of Norris. Hamilton pushed as Verstappen pitted again before Leclerc pitted on lap 25. He returned in third, behind Sainz, while Hamilton stayed out and revelled in leading a race for the first time this year. Behind him, Ferrari told their drivers they were “free to fight” as Leclerc chased second-placed Sainz,

who was 18 seconds adrift of Hamilton, but warned that a swap was needed. It duly came on lap 31 when Sainz let Leclerc by on Wellington Straight for second. This left Hamilton 18.7 seconds ahead, before he pitted on lap 34, emerging third 3.4 seconds behind Sainz, but with tyres that were 13 laps fresher until a safety car intervention with 12 laps to go when Esteban Ocon’s Alpine came to a halt. On the restart, Perez surged past Hamilton and Sainz overtook Leclerc to lead again, but it was tense stuff and as the Spaniard pulled clear, the trio behind him scrapped and swapped places with ferocious abandon. Perez muscled his way to second, Leclerc and Hamilton fought and both Alonso and Norris closed to within a second, setting up a furious finale. During the red-flag stoppage, climate activists staged a sit-down protest on the circuit before being removed, with police making a number of arrests. AFP

Race winner Ferrari’s Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr. celebrates after the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England. AFP

Djokovic in 13th Wimby quarters; 1 more time for Federer LONDON—Six-time champion Novak Djokovic reached his 13th Wimbledon quarter-final on Sunday as injurystricken rival Roger Federer revealed his desire to play at the All England Club “one more time”. Top seed Djokovic, seeking to move level with Pete Sampras as a seven-time champion, defeated Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. “He was very tough. I have never faced him before,” said Djokovic after racking up a 25th successive win on grass. “He has a great serve, powerful forehand and nice touch.” Earlier Sunday, 20-time major winner Djokovic had seen fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz, his scheduled last-eight oppoSerbia’s Novak Djokovic points to the sky nent, beaten by Jannik Sinner. after beating the Netherlands’ Tim van The 20-year-old Italian clinched a Rijthoven’s serve during their round of 16 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3 win to set up a men’s singles tennis match on the seventh day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships meeting with the top seed instead. Sinner, who had never won a grass at The All England Tennis Club in court match before this Wimbledon, is Wimbledon, southwest London. AFP

the youngest man in the last-eight since Nick Kyrgios in 2014. “Carlos is a very tough opponent and a nice person. It’s always a huge pleasure to play him,” said Sinner after making the quarter-finals of a Slam for the third time. Sinner needed six match points to seal the deal while Alcaraz was left to regret failing to convert any of his seven break points. For the first time, play took place on middle Sunday. It has traditionally been a rest day with the exception of a handful of occasions when rain in the opening week forced a quick planning reset. The action on Centre Court was preceded by a parade of champions to mark the 100th anniversary of the stadium. One of those was eight-time champion Federer, who is sitting out the 2022 tournament as he continues his slow recovery from knee surgery. However, he insisted that he plans to

be back in 2023, even though he will be within sight of his 42nd birthday. “I hope I can come back one more time,” said the 20-time Grand Slam winner. “I’ve missed it here.” Federer has been out of action since a quarter-final loss at Wimbledon last year before undergoing another bout of knee surgery. “I knew walking out here last year, it was going to be a tough year ahead,” said Federer. ‘Knee rough on me’ “I maybe didn’t think it was going to take this long to come back—the knee has been rough on me.” Belgium’s David Goffin defeated Frances Tiafoe of the United States in the longest match at this year’s Wimbledon to reach the quarter-finals. Goffin, who also made the quarters on his last appearance in 2019, came out on top 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 after four hours and 36 minutes on Court Two. AFP

MILO, DepEd celebrate 1st Palarong Pambahay virtual sports competition NUTRITIOUS beverage brand MILO® Philippines and the Department of Education celebrated the recent success of its inaugural MILO-DepEd Palarong Pambahay. The joint effort was the first-of-itskind inter-sport, inter-school virtual competition held on a nationwide scale. The 2-day live broadcast saw more than 700 participating schools and featured over 2,000 aspiring student athletes who showcased their skills and competed with pride for themselves and their school in front of 1.5 million-plus online viewers. “It is our great pleasure to partner with MILO® Philippines for the first-ever MILO-DepEd Palarong Pambahay competition. Even though the pandemic has hindered most of our on-ground activities, our organization, as well as coaches, teachers, and parents, have worked tremendously hard to make this event a reality. This is

quite a milestone and integral proof that nothing can stop the Filipino champion spirit and our winning culture of Bayanihan,” said DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito M.C. Umali, Esq. The groundbreaking online sports event opened doors for young athletes who showed their determination as they trained and competed from their homes, as well as their parent coaches who helped guide them along the way to overcome the many challenges of staying indoors. “Nakita natin ang pagpupursige ng mga atleta at mga magulang na sumali sa Palarong Pambahay, dahil hindi nila hinayaang maging hadlang ang pandemya,” said Carlo Sampan, MILO® Sports Executive. MILO-DepEd Palarong Pambahay is just the latest of many creative and innovative programs now available from MILO® Philippines designed to provide kids with an outlet to stay physically active and teach them the

important values learned from sports such as discipline, respect, and determination. “Taekwondo helps me build my self-confidence so that I can attain success through hard-work and determination,” said Justin Apura who hails from the University of San Agustin, Iloilo. Apura won gold in Taekwondo and has been competing in local and international competitions since he was 6 years old. Jennie Villanueva, whose son Marvi Marcelo competed in Athletics, also shared: “Andun yung pag-strive niya na gawin niya yung best niya sa isang bagay para kahit hindi siya manalo, alam niyang nagawa niya yung best niya.” Faced with a new reality and challenges, MILO® Philippines and DepEd has proven Some of the participants of the Palarong Pambahay to parents across the country that there are opportunities to adapt and continue up again, MILO® Philippines is excited ing MILO® Summer Sports Clinics. For their child’s Champion journey at home. to welcome back kids to continue to more details on how to join, please visit As schools and sports venues start to open their Champion journeys in the upcom- the official MILO® Philippines website.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang,, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

Latest ‘Minions’ installment breaks box office records MINIONS: The Rise of Gru, the latest installment in the animated Despicable Me franchise, crushed the competition at the North American box office in its opening weekend, with an expected $127.9 million take over the four-day July 4th holiday. Universal’s Minions far outpaced the number two film, Top Gun: Maverick, which came in at $32.5 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday. “This is a sensational opening,” said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. “Family animation, more than any other genre, has struggled to find its

A scene from ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’

Actress Ella Cruz’s ‘history is tsismis’ comment draws flak from netizens

Ella Cruz as Irene Marcos in ‘Maid in Malacañang’

in more than $1.1 billion worldwide. Baz Luhrmann’s music biopic Elvis – starring relative newcomer Austin Butler as the King alongside Tom Hanks as his exploitative manager, Colonel Tom Parker – dropped to third place in its second weekend of release, at $23.7 million. Fourth place went to Jurassic World Dominion, Universal’s sixth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, at $19.2 million. Rounding out the top five was horror film The Black Phone starring Ethan Hawke as a serial killer, which earned $14.6 million in its second weekend in theaters. AFP

Liza Soberano signs with new management, takes charge of her career

By Patricia Taculao “HISTORY is like tsismis,” starlet Ella Cruz said when asked about the lessons she learned from portraying Irene Marcos in Darryl Yap’s upcoming movie, Maid in Malacañang. While she views it as a harmless quote defending her role in the film, netizens thought otherwise and showered the actress with flak on social media. As of writing, Ella continues to trend on Twitter and is the butt of jokes on numerous posts. The full quote she said during an interview to promote Maid in Malacañang goes, “History is like tsismis. It is filtered and dagdag na rin, so, hindi natin alam what is the real history. Andoon na iyong idea, pero may mga bias talaga. As long as we’re here alive at may kanya-kanyang opinion, I respect everyone’s opinion.” Some of the netizens who commented on Ella’s controversial statement was Edwin Lacierda, former presidential spokesperson for the late President Benigno Aquino III. He cited Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s quote: “You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.” TV presenter and former volleyball player Gretchen Ho joined the public, saying, “History’s narrative, while subject to the perspective of the author, must be written based on facts, and not opinion,” Meanwhile, historian Xiao Chua, who was tagged multiple times on Twitter to comment on Ella’s remark, tweeted, “Sino ba itong pinapakomentuhan ninyo sa akin? Hindi ko siya kilala. Hindi siya mahalaga. Waste of time.” Netizens also created several memes mocking Ella’s remark, showing gossipers (or mga Marites colloquially) as historians if the young actress’s claim is valid. At this point, netizens are calling to reopen the schools. They likened Ella’s quote to the Pinoy Big Brother episode, where the housemates played a quiz bee and were unknowledgeable in Philippine history. Ella has yet to comment on the ongoing controversy, but netizens aren’t letting up and continue to call her out, hoping they’ll get through to her and educate her that facts are entirely different from opinions. Yap’s Maid in Malacañang focuses on the Marcos family’s last three days in the presidential palace back in 1986.

footing during the pandemic,” he said. “This weekend, Minions is breaking through and big animation is back in business.” According to Variety, if confirmed, the box office haul would make the fifth chapter in the Despicable Me series about reformed supervillain Gru and his yellow Minions the highest film opening over Independence Day, besting 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Rolling along in second place is Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick, the crowd-pleasing sequel to the original 1986 film that once again features Tom Cruise as cocky US Navy test pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. The film has raked

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CTRESS Liza Soberano has confirmed that she doesn’t have any existing contract with ABS-CBN, Star Magic, and Star Cinema. She decided not to renew her ties with the media company.

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Despite the nonrenewal of their contract, the 24-yearLiza portrays a more sultry image under new management

old star still opts to do projects with the Kapamilya. “My contract with ABS ended in 2019 but I still work closely with them,” she averred. “I haven’t worked with any other network until now. When it comes to Star Magic, my contract with them expired in June 2021. Even if I don’t have an exclusive contract with the network now, I still prefer to work with them. I always have a loyal heart for them.” Liza confessed that she’s always been a fan of the Kapamilya even before she started working for the media company. “They kind of brought in the Filipino culture in me mainly because of The Filipino Channel. I don’t know if I have it in my heart to work with other stations. I’m sorry but it’s just that I love ABS-CBN so much,” she admitted. The actress revealed that the station has a new offer for her and for Enrique Gil. “Yes, they have. But it’s really a matter of like, whether the project is something that is right in the direction that we’re going towards or something that excites us.” Liza is now being managed by Careless Music headed by James Reid. Interestingly, does she want to enter

the music field? former as well in the “When we had our coming days. first meeting, they asked “Well, a lot of me what I wanted to people say we look like do. The first thing I said siblings. I don’t know was I wanted to explore with James if he’s auditioning abroad and still pursuing acting. everything. Then, I kind Perhaps, in music, we of initiated a possible can collaborate,” Liza music career because ended. they never saw me as a ••• singer. Nobody did. It was After more than 25 something that was never years with ABS-CBN, known about me,” the Dominic Ochoa will young star pointed out. be doing a project “So, I suggested, ‘Maybe with GMA. I t (From left) Liza Soberano, Bella a little music on the side.’ Poarch, and Bretman Rock was learned that he is They were surprised to hear part of the cast of the that I’m interested in music forthcoming Kapuso which is something they’re very good at, drama offering titled, Abot Kamay na right? They didn’t know how I sound until Pangarap where he will share stellar we went to Los Angeles where I took vocal billing with Carmina Villaroel, Richard lessons with James and that was the first time Yap, Andre Paras, and Jillian Ward. that he heard me sing live,” she went on. According to reports, the show’s Liza shared that James and his team storyline is about a poor girl whose watched her previous videos online, mother has very little education. The including her YouTube videos as far drama series will highlight her journey back as six years ago when she was still as she faces life-changing situations that will put her family ideals, dreams, and doing singing tours. “I sound a lot more different now. love to the test. And that’s what we’re trying to address This will be Dominic’s maiden at this point: discover what my sound is regular show for GMA since he is more now and what genre suits my voice. I’m identified with ABS for the past two really excited about this development,” decades. Although he made a guest she admitted. appearance in the GMA-Viva youthConsidering that James is also an oriented show T.G.I.S. in the mid-‘90s, actor, many are curious if apart from he became a staple in various Kapamilya Enrique, she can do projects with the programs over the years.

2022 finalists to MBC’s short film fest named The 15 films, which are automatically guaranteed P20,000 each, go back to square one, with a different but equally elite panel of jurors choosing the three category winners who will receive P100,000 each, and will then compete for the Grand Prix, with a total take-home prize of P220,000. Trailers of these films are now up on dzrh.com.ph/msff . The full films will be posted from July ‘Nasaan Sila, Nasaan ang Virus’ by Ram Esteban A scene from ‘Ang Liwanag ng Bakunawa’ by 15 to August 5, when viewers can also Estael is among the documentaries that also Shem Domingo begin casting their votes received a high score daily for their choice of Fan Favorite, which will receive P25,000. MANILA Broadcasting Company has Nasaaan Sila, Nasaan ang Winners will be announced the 15 films that made it into the Virus by Ram Esteban announced in a special final round of the 2022 MBC Short Film Estael; Lola Samiya, 109 program on August 6, to be Festival, which drew 152 entries anchored by Samer Sulaiman; streamed at 7:30 p.m. on all by Gio on human interest stories underscoring Kambalingan social media platforms of Gonzalves; and Super-Able acts of kindness and compassion. MBC stations nationwide For the animation category, Ang by Arjanmar H. Rebeta. – DZRH, Love Radio, Liwanag ng Bakunawa by Shem Domingo; The French Embassy’s Yes The Best, Easy Rock, Guhit by Dionisio V. Bacudio III; Bahay- audio-visual attache Aksyon Radyo, Radyo Bound by Danica Sy and Andrea Castillo; Martin Macalintal joined Natin, and DZRH News Proud by Are Jay Madrigal Peralta; renowned documentary Television. and CITSALP by Jean A. Evangelista filmmakers Sari Dalena The MBC Short Film got the nod of selection jurors Gary and Jewel Maranan on the Festival was conceptualised Thomas of the British Council London’s selection panel. as the centerpiece of the ‘Lorna’ by Noel Esconda is Film Programs Division; Fil-Canadian The short features anniversary celebrations one of the short features that animation specialist Mars Cabrera, and that scored highest were The film fest also recognizes of the network’s flagship received the highest scores game developer/animation guru Miker Beauty Queen by Myra ‘Daluyong,’ a short film by Ervie station DZRH, now on its inthe film fest Rivero. Aquino; Lorna by Noel Jay Torzar 83rd year, as it continues to The documentaries that received the Esconda; Daluyong by highest scores were Ang Pagpakalma Ervie Jay Torzar; Haan Ta Mataengan acknowledged father of digital filmmaking watch history unfold, giving unparalleled service to the Filipino public. sa Unos by Joanna Vasquez Arong; nga Aggidan by Mike Cabarles; and The in the Philippines Khavn de la Cruz. Transfiguration of Marya by Jericho Rimando. All 105 short features were screened by the selection panel composed of New York-based writerdirector Nicole Lauchengco Yulo, Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, and the

Angeline Quinto highlights mom and baby care with own brand By Patricia Taculao AS A first-time mother, Angeline Quinto spends most of her time caring for her newborn son, Sylvio. While she hasn’t any prior experience in the role, she makes up for it by seeking advice from fellow mothers and experts. She also loves to research baby products and how they can affect her baby. “Sobrang nakakarelate talaga ako sa pagka-choosy ng mga mommy nowadays sa pagpili ng mga products na ginagamit nila. Kahit ako very pihikan sa mga ginagamit ni Baby Sylvio,” she said. The Queen of Teleserye theme songs also divulged that despite her sometimes hectic schedule and the presence of a helper for Sylvio, she remains a very hands-on mother who stays by her son’s side for hours. However, when she has other commitments in the morning, she leaves her son in the care

of her partner, Nonrev Daquina. Ultimately, they have a give-and-take relationship so they both can meet their needs while looking out for their firstborn son. Another way that Angeline cares for Sylvio is by looking after herself. Now that she’s back to work, Angeline is finding other ways to stay healthy so she can better perform her motherly role and tend to her son. “Before, hindi ako masyadong ma-alaga sa sarili ko. Siguro dahil ang hilig kong kumain na kung ano na lang ‘yung gusto ko, kahit hindi healthy, kakainin ko. Pero since dumating ‘yung anak ko, mas iniingatan ko ‘yung sarili ko,” she said. Her lifestyle change, albeit slow, includes dieting despite others saying she doesn’t need to. Yet, for Angeline, it’s one step closer to being healthy. And whenever she goes out to work, before returning home to Sylvio, Angeline takes an antigen test to protect her

son from the COVID-19 virus. Early in her journey as a mother, Angeline realized the need for products that care for both moms and babies. With all the brands available in the market, it’s hard for mothers like Angeline to find what’s best for her and Sylvio. She solved this dilemma by starting her own company, Twinqle. The Queen of Teleserye Theme Songs took on the role of CEO of Twinqle and partnered with individuals knowledgable in pediatrics, marketing, and finance. She officially launched her company on June 15, Wednesday, at Dusit Thani Makati. “Ang goal talaga namin ng mga partners ko is to create effective and affordable products na ramdam ‘yung alagang ina na walang kapantay. Sinigurado namin na quality lahat from ingredients, production, and certification. We made sure na safe at effective ang bawat Twinqle product,” she

said. Some Twinqle products for babies include bar soap, outdoor spray, and top-to-toe wash that’s paraben-free. Meanwhile, mothers can choose from a scar gel, stretchmark oil, and breastfeeding balm to soothe their post-pregnancy woes. The products are also vegan, cruelty-free, and affordable. Other than developing a skincare line for moms and babies, Angeline also highlights that Twinqle will also open income-generating opportunities for stay-at-home moms, working moms, and budding entrepreneurs. Twinqle will be available through exclusive distributors and resellers nationwide. For business inquiries, email the sales team at twinqleph@ gmail.com.

Angeline Quinto develops a mommy and baby skincare line called Twinqle

Freia is a premier leisure resort community in Nasugbu, Batangas

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

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Freia is a three-step, mid-rise structure that features spacious two-bedroom and threebedroom units

Indulge in luxury seaside living DO IMAGES of ‘sand, sea, and surf’ dance inside your heads as you and your family pine for a beach getaway? Does everyday life in charming and elegantly appointed beachfront homes appeal to you? Do you envision looking out, at any time of the day, on calming vistas of placid sea and verdant mountains? This idyllic environment – of serenity and natural beauty – is a priceless indulgence that affluent Filipinos can look forward to at Freia, the most luxurious condominium development to date in the sprawling seaside estate of Costa Del

Hamilo, Inc., a duly recognized company under SM Prime. Nestled in the picturesque Pico De Loro Cove in Hamilo Coast, a premier leisure resort community in Nasugbu, Batangas, Freia is a three-step, mid-rise structure that features two-bedroom units with floor areas of 67 to 154 square meters, and three-bedroom units with floor areas of 221 to 392 square meters. To realize Freia’s commitment to luxury seaside living and provide a truly upscale edge, Costa Del Hamilo tapped a distinguished ensemble of project development

teams and consultants. Globally-acclaimed Broadway Malyan and award-winning GF & Partners conceived the architectural concept that integrated the contemporary framework and sustainable design of Freia. The modern tropical design aesthetics in the grand lobby and common area interiors are innovations of world-class Filipino designers, Budji+Royal while at the helm of the landscape design is a team of professional environmental architects from Crearis. With Freia presenting haute seaside living, the condominium nonetheless employs sustainable green living strategies as well. Incorporated in the building’s design are large panel windows in each unit to maximize the stunning views of its natural surroundings that also provide natural ventilation and day lighting. Sustainable

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strategies also include solar panels, and an efficient waste management system. All these ensure reduced carbon footprints on the part of the residential community. Freia offers exclusivity to its homeowners through its own amenities such as function room, outdoor adult and kiddie pool, a lounge deck, and lush pocket gardens. Also within reach is Pico Beach’s 1.5-kilometer shoreline of pristine white sand and clear turquoise waters, granting residents spectacular views of the West Philippine Sea and cloud-covered mountain ranges. Freia’s unrivaled location likewise brings them next door to natural topographies, a tremendous advantage for lovers of the outdoors. Freia homeowners are granted membership to the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club, which gives them access

to the Beach Club, as well as to the most extensive land- and sea-based recreational facilities in Nasugbu, Batangas. A distinct factor of Freia’s appeal is accessibility. It is only an hour and a half drive from Metro Manila via the Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) and Ternate-Nasugbu Road with the Nasugbu town proper being just half an hour away. Also forming part of the exceptional living experience that Freia homeowners enjoy is Hamilo Coast’s Property and Estate Management team, which ensures professional and expert services in maintenance and security. A sanctuary reserved only for a few, Freia at Pico de Loro Cove in Hamilo Coast truly delivers the meaning of coming home to a lifestyle of priceless luxuries. For inquiries, call (632) 7-945-8000 or visit www.hamilocoast.com.

Bringing HUE back to Puerto Princesa

Alden shopping for groceries at WalterMart

Asia’s Multimedia Star Alden at the WalterMart Supermarket fresh section

Alden has ‘More to Love’ at WalterMart Luli Island in Honda Bay is a favorite among tourists because of its Instagrammable locations and other amenities

A local weaving textiles at Rurungan sa Tubod

The suites are more spacious and also has pops of color similar to the other rooms

By Patricia Taculao

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HERE are many things to do in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, especially if it’s your first time. Fortunately, the province has already reopened its doors to tourists to explore the area and its features.

The modern facade of HUE Puerto Princesa

Cowrie Island, named after the shell. The water was calmer and fit for tourists who wanted a leisurely swim. For dinner, we went to Badjao Seafront Restaurant. The food there was fresh and savory. Our tour guide explained that it wasn’t a usual stop for tourists on a tight schedule, but it’s worth visiting. This information solidified that spending a few days in Puerto Princesa doesn’t even cover half of the places worth exploring. People always come back, or as the locals say, “comeback comeback.” By the third day, we had the run of the city as HUE and CML took us on a city tour. We saw areas like the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, Balayong Park, and homegrown stores that focus on local craftsmanship, such as Rurungan sa Tubod and Palaweño Brewery. Our final destination was Kinabuchs Grill and Bar for dinner and drinks. HUE Hotel Puerto Princesa wants its guests to experience the beauty of Puerto Princesa entirely, from the food to the people to the nature, especially now that the tourism industry reopened for visitors. They want tourists to come and return to the province with the hotel as the point of interest, given its strategic location. Aside from being the jump-off point, HUE encourages its guests to stay longer and enjoy the amenities. One is the Aminah Spa which offers affordable massages to guests looking to relax. We tried the Traditional Hilot, complete with banana leaves, which took the strain away from our bodies. There’s also their pool, located on the 5th floor and provides a great view of the city and poolside bar. With HUE located at the heart of the city, guests can accomplish a lot during their trip. Whether it’s for business, leisure, or both, the hotel always has something to offer. And as the locals said, there will always be a “comeback comeback” from the guests. Visit www.puertoprincHUE’s poolside bar offers a variety esa.thehuehotel.com for of drinks from local to international more information.

fet in HUE’s restaurant, LA-UD. They serve a variety of options, from healthy food, pastries, Filipino favorites, and homemade ham. And during our four-day stay, we had the chance to taste some of the restaurant’s specialties, including Tuna Tatake Salad, Chicken Binakol (HUE’s version of tinola in coconut broth), Pinakbet, Baby Back Ribs, and Crispy Pork Binagoongan, among others. According to HUE Puerto Princesa General Manager Chris Guballa, the hotel uses locally sourced ingredients from farms around Puerto Princesa to support the locals and boost their economy. During the second day, we further saw how HUE showed its dedication to uplifting the local community. They took us, the press, island hopping to three popular destinations, Starfish Island, Luli Island, and Cowrie Island. CML Travel and Tours Palawan, HUE Puerto Princesa’s official travel agency partner, led us on the exciting trip and ensured that we were well-equipped to enjoy the islands. We visited a local store that fitted us with aqua shoes and snorkeling gear. Upon reaching Starfish Island, we took a leisurely dip in the cool water and went snorkeling to view the marine life. As we enjoyed swimming around, the members of CML prepared a seafood lunch using fresh ingredients caught along the seas of Puerto Princesa. We later moved to Luli Island. The tour guide explained that the name is short for “Lulubog Lilitaw” because the island appears and disappears depending on the tide. It had Instagrammable locations, a diving spot, and floating cottages where tourists could relax. Last on our itinerary before returning to the hotel was

When I went to Palawan for a fam trip, the event coordinators packed our schedule with activities meant to highlight the province’s culture. Although I had the chance to stay there for four days and three nights, it wasn’t enough to fully experience everything it has to offer. On the first day, we saw the hotel we stayed at, HUE Hotel Puerto Princesa, celebrating five years in the tourism and hospitality industry. One of the many things we loved about the hotel was its accessibility to key destinations in the province. It’s 15 minutes from the Puerto Princesa airport, right next to a mall, and only a few minutes away from tourist sites, which we visited in the following days. We always had an early start of the day to get the scheduled activities done, but it was somehow difficult to get out of our comfy beds. We stayed in deluxe rooms, suitable for single travelers and friends. There are single beds and twin beds available upon request. Their other rooms include a family room and a suite, perfect for those traveling in larger groups or wanting more space. Each room has pops of bright colors and a modern vibe that allows guests to mix business with leisure (or bleisure). While the family and deluxe rooms have showers, the suite has a bathtub. HUE The interior of LA-UD Restaurant Hotel Puerto Princesa has 105 deluxe rooms, ten suites, and seven family rooms. Yet the beauty of Puerto Princesa beckons, encouraging us to go out and seize the day. Every morning, we start the day with a sumptuous buf-

AS WALTERMART continues to bring its signature service through its “More to Love at WalterMart” campaign, it welcomes multimedia star Alden Richards as its new brand ambassador. Originally from Laguna, Alden used to frequent WalterMart’s Sta. Rosa branch during his early years. “Noon pa lang avid goer na ako ng WalterMart, kaya sobrang excited ako to be part of WalterMart family,” he says. “I really love grocery shopping especially for my family and it has become more exciting because of this partnership.” “Alden Richards is the perfect fit to be the newest ambassador of WalterMart, mainly because he’s very much aligned on the values that the brand upholds,” says WalterMart General Manager Rose Caalam. “WalterMart has always been keen in uplifting the lives of the communities it serves and it’s perfect that Alden also has his causes such as this, through his AR Foundation” Although his schedule is relatively much busier than his Sta. Rosa days, Alden finds comfort in knowing that he has a partner in fulfilling his family’s needs at home, and he is delighted at what WalterMart has to offer – Choices, Convenience, and Savings. A l d e n finds more to love with WalterMart’s Choices. With over 20,000 competitivelypriced items, Wa l -

terMart sees to it that it provides consumers with a wide range of choices from fresh meats & produce, pantry and breakfast essentials, health and beauty products plus ready-to-cook and food to go for those who seek convenience. As a busy person, he loves WalterMart’s Convenience. From easy accessibility to available parking, WalterMart upholds the highest level of service and safety standards. Faster, easier and hassle-free options await our customers to receive their orders thru designated pick-up points via the curbside pick-up program. WalterMart.com is the solution for hassle-free grocery shopping with a wide range of fresh products, same-day delivery options, and no picking fee. As a businessman himself, Alden is happy with Savings from shopping at WalterMart. WalterMart promises to provide its customers with value for money quality products. Whether instore or online, WalterMart ensures that shoppers get the best deals and promos every day, and the same as store prices on its online delivery platform. Learn more about WalterMart’s More to Love campaign at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7pPPl9GsOKA&ab_ channel=WalterMartMall

Alden is the new face of WalterMart