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PBBM reports to the nation

SONA to detail strategies for recovery, development By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Rio N. Araja, and Othel V. Campos

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) today, unfolding his agenda to bring the country back to overall good health while aiming to fulfill the many wish lists expressed by various sectors and groups that helped him win the presidency in a landslide last May.

The Palace said over the weekend that plans for economic recovery and the resumption of face-to-face classes will figure high on the President’s address to the 19th Congress, where he has the support of the supermajority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives (see related story on A1 – Editors). Senators, meanwhile, said they hope Marcos will lay down his legislative agenda with a specific focus on the pandemic response and full and inclusive recovery. Next page

VOL. XXXVI • NO. 159 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Arroyo COVID Zubiri, Romualdez shoo-in for 19th Congress top posts positive, won't attend SONA By Rey E. Requejo, Rio N. Araja and Joel E. Zurbano FORMER President and current Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be unable to attend President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. According to a statement released by Arroyo's chief of staff, the congresswoman tested positive in an antigen test on July 15 and went into quarantine. Her doctor Dr. Martha Nucum said Arroyo "has been religiously taking the prescribed medicines and supplements required of a COVID-19 patient." A follow-up RT-PCR test on July 22 still returned a positive result. Three days before her first positive result, Arroyo met with former president Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City. Meanwhile, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo along with some other Supreme Court associate justices will attend the SONA Monday. The top magistrate said he and the Next page

Rep. Martin Romualdez

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta PHOTO WALL. Workers of the House of Representatives complete the picture wall of 127 new congressmen and 40 returnees

during the preparation for the opening of the 19th Congress’ first regular session and the State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. today. HOR Photo

Doc kills 3, hurt 1 in shooting at Ateneo campus By Rio N. Araja, Vince Lopez, Rey Requejo, and Gabriellea B. Parino

SHOOTING CAST.

Dr. Chao-Tiao Yumol talks to the media while in police custody after he opened fire during graduation rites at Ateneo’s Loyola Heights campus, killing (clockwise from top) bodyguard Victor George Capistrano, former Lamitan Mayor Rose Furigay, and Ateneo security guard Jeneven Bandiala. Furigay’s daughter Hannah (far left) was in critical condition.

China builds SCS rescue, maritime station CHINA has built permanent stations for its rescue and maritime forces on its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. Citing reports from state broadcaster China Central Television, South China Morning Post said that a new flying squadron and maritime rescue and administration staff will be stationed on the Fiery Cross, Subi, and Mischief reefs, Beijing's three biggest man-made islands in the Spratlys.

The SCMP said the Chinese move boosts a regular on-call rescue ship deployment into a permanent institutional presence that could greatly improve the coverage of the southern area of the South China Sea. The Chinese newspaper added that the forward-stationed Chinese departments will "undertake maritime emergency rescue tasks, perform maritime traffic safety supervision and prevention of ship pollution and Next page

A FORMER mayor of Lamitan, Basilan and two others were killed at a shooting incident in broad daylight at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City on Sunday, hours before the start of its law school’s graduation rites. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion turned into a traumatic experience after a lone gunman, later arrested and identified as Dr. Chao-Tiao Yumol, opened fire at the guests and security personnel at Ateneo’s Loyola Heights campus. Authorities identified the fatalities as former Lamitan mayor Rose Furigay, Next page

DOH: We're prepared for monkeypox By Willie Casas THE Department of Health said Sunday it has been preparing for the monkeypox virus ever since an uptick in cases was reported in other countries in May 2022. The World Health Organization declared monkeypox – which has affected nearly 16,000 people in 72 countries – to be a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the highest alarm it can sound. Monkeypox, so called because it was

THE 19th Congress opens Monday and will welcome new leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate as lawmakers vow to support the policies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.— who will deliver his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) before them today—with legislation backed by supermajorities in both chambers. Most members of the House are expected to overwhelmingly elect Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez as Speaker of the 19th Congress, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said Sunday. Meanwhile, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said he sees no rival for the Senate presidency, telling a radio interview Sunday he hoped 20 members of the Senate majority would vote for him. Barbers lauded Romualdez for his performance record as Majority Leader during the Speakerships of Taguig City Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Alan Velasco. He said the Leyte lawmaker is known as a consensus-builder who helped stabilize political turmoil among Congress Next page

OCTA notes 10 areas with 20% positivity rates

first discovered in monkeys, is related to the deadly smallpox virus, which was eradicated in 1980, but is far less severe. The strain currently circulating outside Africa is the milder of the two known versions. DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said there is no reported case of monkeypox in the Philippines yet and the government is doing everything it can to prevent it from entering the country. “Up to now, there has been no finding

AT LEAST 10 areas have logged above 20 percent or “very high” one-week COVID-19 positivity rates, independent monitoring OCTA Research Group said on Sunday as the country recorded 3,657 new cases – the highest daily tally in more than five months. The Department of Health recorded 13 new fatalities, with a national positivity rate for the week of July 17 to 23 at 14.1 percent, higher than the 11.9 percent in the previous week. Of the new cases, 1,327 are from Metro Manila, which is now at moderate risk in terms of average daily attack

News

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PNP says PITC has delivered gear T

HE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday said that 70 percent of PHP1.3 billion worth of equipment has been delivered by the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC). In 2016, the PNP transferred PHP1.348 billion to PITC to procure various mission-critical equipment. Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform

Act, authorizes the PITC to act as procuring agent for other government agencies, including the PNP “Out of these funds, 70 percent have already been fully utilized, and

PBBM...

2023," Escudero said. Escudero said the SONA should go beyond the aspirational to the immediately actionable because the people need relief now, not later. "Therefore, the SONA must not only inspire hope, but must show directions,” he said. “A people tired of rhetoric would rather have a SONA that is delivered without flair, for as long as it is full of clear details on how their lives will be made better. They are excited about programs, not prose,” he said. “Battered by high prices of food and fuel, low pay, and lack of jobs, what the people will be looking for in the SONA is the government’s response to their resilience.” Senator Loren Legarda said she looks forward to hearing the President speak about his priority programs and policy reforms on health and education, food security, agriculture and sustainability, economic and fiscal policies, human rights and social justice, unemployment and underemployment, the legislative agenda, and the critical role of local governments. During his inaugural speech on June 30, Marcos told the public that concrete measures to address the country’s many challenges, from economic recovery to poverty alleviation, will be presented during his first SONA when

From A1

Senator Christopher Go, chairman of the Senate health committee, said he hopes to hear how the President intends to strengthen the country's health care system amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising threat of monkeypox (see related story below – Editors). Go is also looking at plans to make food affordable, communities safer, and government agencies more responsive to calamities. A close aide to former President Rodrigo Duterte, Go said he hopes the new administration will continue projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program. Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, on the other hand, said he expects to hear details of Marcos's plan for the economy and how to assist sectors that need help Senator Francis Escudero listed three items. "In every SONA that I attend, I expect that the President will state, with frankness and candidness, 1) the true and current state of our nation; 2) outline his plans and programs for the ensuing year; and 3) inform Congress about his legislative agenda for the coming year until his next SONA in

the corresponding items have already been delivered to the PNP," Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr., PNP Officerin-Charge, said in a statement on Sunday. “Throughout the years, the logistics arm of the PNP has been in constant coordination with PITC to ensure successful procurement and timely and complete delivery, especially of the remaining equipment," Danao added. The PNP coordinates with the PITC

for the procurement and delivery of three police equipment, namely combat helmets, night vision goggles, and sniper rifles. In its 2021 audit report on the PNP, the Commission on Audit said that out of the PHP1.348 billion transferred to the PITC in 2016, “requested items amounting to PHP602.768 million remained undelivered and savings from completed projects were not returned/remitted to the Bureau of the Treasury as of Dec. 31, 2021.”

the 19th Congress opens on July 25. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda believes the President's first SONA is the best time to signal a foreign policy doctrine of national interest and global cooperation.

fuel and fertilizer would demand that Marcos “make deals in the national interest that are not necessarily perfectly aligned with the designs of our traditional allies,” he said. Rep. Marlyn Alonte of Biñan City, Laguna said she wants to hear about the inclusion of school clinics, tourism promotion, and forest and ecology laws at the SONA. “I await the SONA details on Monday, and I will be listening for broad strokes and some specifics on improved health care and education, strengthened tourism, jobs creation, and sustainable development because these are among the top concerns of my constituents and neighboring areas,” she said. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said it is looking forward to learning what the administration hopes to accomplish in its first 100 days and in the rest of its term. The dean of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Faculty of Civil Law Nilo Divina said there is nothing more crucial than to unite under one decisive and responsive leadership. As poverty, inflation, and increasing economic uncertainties loom not just in the Philippines but all over the world, Divina said now is the time to set aside political differences and animosity to prioritize meaningful work.

Marcos “may have to make deals” with “non-traditional partners” such as Russia, Arab nations, and India, he said, citing “new goals, new friends, new projects,” he said. The SONA would be “his (Marcos) chance to articulate as President to the diplomatic corps his guiding foreign policy doctrine,'' he said. “Because much of the current threats to economic recovery are externally driven, domestic policy and foreign policy will be deeply interconnected in the coming months. The SONA is the first best chance for [the President] to articulate to the world how he will navigate this dynamic,” he said. “While domestic policy is a power shared among the three branches, foreign policy is almost exclusively the domain of the President. He is, after all, the chief architect of foreign policy. Tomorrow, the entire diplomatic corps will be at the State of the Nation Address. That will be his chance to articulate what the Marcos Doctrine will be,” he added. To find cheap sources of food,

Doc...

Arroyo... From A1

From A1

other justices who will be attending Monday’s SONA will comply with the requirements for COVID-19 testing before the event. The Office of the President had earlier said that President Marcos’s SONA will begin at around 4 p.m. The House of Representatives, meanwhile, has launched a website dedicated to all relevant information and updates on preparations for the SONA. In other developments: • The Commission on Human Rights on Sunday reminded state forces to protect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest in the same manner that it endeavors to ensure peace and order. It also reminded protest groups to comply with the requirements to stage a demonstration, including a written permit unless the event is held in a freedom park, a private property, or the campus of a government-owned educational institution. • Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the early dismissal of city hall employees at noon Monday ahead of the SONA. The order does not cover essential services, however, including law enforcement, traffic management, fire protection, health and rescue, and disaster response. • The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Sunday announced it is ready for the SONA. All assigned personnel are required to report to their designated post as early as 6 a.m. They are tasked to manage both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, respond to emergencies, clear roads, and assist in crowd control. The MMDA also deployed 1,133 personnel from the Traffic Discipline Office, Road Emergency Group, Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group, Flood Control, and Metrobase along Commonwealth Avenue and other roads leading to and within the vicinity of the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City. Ambulances, tow trucks, fire trucks, mobile patrol units, motorcycle units, and other resources will also be deployed at designated routes and staging areas.

her aide Victor George Capistrano and Ateneo campus security guard Jeneven Bandiola. Furigay’s 25-year-old daughter, Hannah – a graduating law student – was rushed to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center for treatment. "Ateneo de Manila University extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. There is no acceptable reason for violence. We hope and pray that justice will be swiftly served," the university said in a statement. QCPD director Brig. Gen. Remus Medina said Yumol, 38, is a medical doctor from Lamitan City, Basilan. “Initially, during our questioning, we learned that there were already disputes between them in Lamitan. They were filing cases against each other and the fight was personal. He (Yumol) was unable to practice his profession as a doctor. That’s one of his motivations in committing the crime,” Medina said. He said the Furigays had filed 76 cyber libel cases against Yumol. The Furigays’ legal counsel, Quirino Esguerra, added the shooter held a personal grudge against the former mayor. “Because of that, he posted several malicious insinuations against the mayor, the vice-mayor, and the city government employees leading to the filing of more than 70 cyber-libel cases,” Esguerra told ABS-CBN in an interview. “Tomorrow we are supposed to have a hearing in Davao City for the cyber-libel cases,” he added. The gunman was able to hide his two

DOH:... From A1

in the Philippines that fits the definition of a suspect monkeypox case. The clinical presentation is often explained by other diseases that look like monkeypox, but is not the same,” she said. She said government preparations were all aligned with WHO’s list of temporary recommendations, which include aggressive information, communication, and educational campaigns about the disease in coordination with other relevant government offices and private partners. “Consistent with WHO recommendations, the DOH has been carefully communicating the risk of monkeypox transmission along with other pertinent facts about its causative agent and clinical presentation. DOH emphasizes across all its guidelines and advisories that any individual can get monkeypox,” Vergeire said. She said they have been holding online town halls and meetings with health care workers, DOH regional offices, and local health officials in the past weeks to educate and help them detect and stop the virus from spreading. “The DOH is currently working with local civil society organizations, community-based groups, social hygiene clinics and advocates to properly communicate the risk of monkeypox transmission among certain population groups without stigma,” she added.

“This is consistent with the evidence that anyone can get monkeypox, and we must all work together to prevent not just the disease but also stigma that may cause undetected transmission,” Vergeire said. Ninety-eight percent of reported cases "are among men who have sex with men (MSM) – and primarily those who have multiple recent anonymous or new partners," Rosamund Lewis, the WHO's technical lead for monkeypox, told a press conference last week. They are typically of young age and chiefly in urban areas, according to the WHO. Just like the minimum public health standards for COVID-19, measures to prevent the transmission of the monkeypox virus include wearing the best-fitted mask, ensuring good airflow, keeping hands clean, and observing physical distance, the DOH said. The DOH noted that the smallpox vaccine has been proven to be "85% effective" in preventing monkeypox. In June, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was set up by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) to detect possible monkeypox virus cases in the country. As cases of monkeypox were rising around the world in May, the DOH quickly convened the Philippine Interagency Committee on Zoonosis (PhilCZ). Members of the PhilCZ include the DOH, the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and their respective agencies.

China... From A1

other duties in the Nansha (Spratly) waters, provide strong protection for the safety of ship navigation and daily production activities at sea for the people of coastal countries", quoting a report from the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, using the Chinese name for the archipelago. "This is a concrete step for China to better provide public goods to the international community and actively fulfil its internationalresponsibilities and obligations," Xinhua added. The SCMP recalled that there have long been calls to upgrade China's search and rescue capabilities in the South China Sea, including a 2018 article by Shi Chunlin, a professor at the Dalian Maritime University, who argued it could help strengthen its "substantial presence in the disputed waters and enhance China's dominance over South China Sea affairs".

firearms equipped with silencers as he entered the campus. Yumol tried to escape by scaling the wall of Varsity Hills Subdivision inside Barangay Loyola Heights and taking a ride to a waiting getaway vehicle heading toward Aurora Boulevard, but he was nabbed along Esteban Abada Street. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was shocked and saddened by the shooting incident. “We are shocked and saddened by the events at the Ateneo graduation today. We mourn with the bereaved, the wounded, and those whose scars from this experience will run deep,” Marcos wrote in a Facebook post. “We commit our law enforcement agencies to thoroughly and swiftly investigate these killings and bring all involved to justice,” he added. Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman also condemned the shooting. “It is especially heartbreaking because Mayor Rose was there as a parent excited to attend her daughter’s graduation. What was supposed to be a happy moment was destroyed by this senseless violence,” Hataman said. While the gunman has been arrested, Hataman urged authorities to identify the crime's mastermind. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte similarly denounced the shooting, saying that it had “no place in our society and must be condemned to the highest level.” “We also extend our sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims who lost their lives in the incident,” she said. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo was supposed to be the guest speaker during the scheduled graduation ceremony. However, Gesmundo, who at the time China claims sweeping sovereignty over the South China Sea under what it calls its historical nine-dash line, including all of the Spratly archipelago. But the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan have competing claims over some or all of the islands. Beijing has repeatedly rejected a 2016 ruling on the Spratlys by an international tribunal at The Hague that was overwhelmingly in favor of claims by the Philippines. The SCMP said the Chinese Ministry of Transport's newly established 2nd Flying Service Squadron of the South China Sea will be stationed in the Spratlys, taking on rescue duties that were previously performed by planes flying from bases on the mainland or Hainan Island. Profession Shi stressed that arriving at a rescue site later than other claimants "does not match China's status." The three reefs chosen for the enhanced facilities are located in a key area of the region and also host military garrisons. Each of them has large

Zubiri,... From A1

members during the reported VelascoCayetano speakership rift in October 2020. “He was also credited for steering the House minority and majority members in the passage of crucial pieces of legislation such as the Bayanihan 1 and 2 to help alleviate economically the welfare of Filipinos badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added. Moreover, Barbers said, Romualdez is an amiable House leader who always consults and listens to colleagues, possesses a positive outlook, and pushes harmony among members of the opposition bloc, thereby gaining or earning trust and respect from most of his fellow lawmakers. Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. echoed Barbers' sentiment. “We will elect him as our speaker. He has the full support of our party, PDPLaban, and almost all political groups in the House led by his own Lakas-CMD, which he heads as president,” he said of Romualdez. Following tradition, the House is expected to elect its new speaker on its first day of the session, and vote for its other officers, including some deputy speakers and committee chairmen, and the chamber’s secretary general and sergeant-at-arms. He said Reginald Velasco, who served as deputy secretary general and spokesman of the National Unity Party, would most likely be elected as House secretary general. In a meeting with Zubiri, returning Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said he wants to be the watchdog in the Senate and was eying the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon Committee, which the incoming Senate president has offered to Senator Francis Tolentino. If he does not get the Blue Ribbon chairmanship, Cayetano added, he may form another bloc in the Senate— although it is unclear how many senators outside of his own sister, Senator Pia Cayetano, would be left outside the majority and minority. "There will be a third bloc. In the House, there is a majority, there is a minority, there is (an) independent (group),” said the former House speaker. Cayetano said he and his sister are keeping their options open to be independent.

OCTA... From A1

rate (ADAR) at 6.4 cases per 100,000 population. Healthcare utilization rate in Metro Manila, however, remained low risk at 32 percent. Earlier in the day, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Isabela all posted a positivity rate of more than 20 percent on July 22, compared to the data on July 16. Aklan remained on top of the list despite its positivity rate going down from 35 percent on July 16 to 32.6 percent on July 22. It was followed by Capiz with 31.9 percent, Nueva Ecija with 30.5 percent, Isabela with 27.8 percent, Pampanga with 26.1 percent, Laguna with 26 percent, Cavite with 24.5 percent, Tarlac with 24 percent, Rizal with 22.8 percent, and Antique with 22.2 percent. As part of the government’s plan to curb the COVID-19 infections in the country, the Department of Health is set to launch on July 26 a campaign that aims to administer booster shots to 50 percent of the country's eligible population in the next three months. Based on the government’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard, there are now 71.5 million Filipinos who are fully vaccinated. Of this number, 15.9 million have received their booster dose. Willie Casas hharborsand a runway long enough for passenger planes. The vast South China Sea is one of the world's busiest waterways where up to 30 percent of the world's trade passes through. More than 100,000 ships sail through each year. South China Sea emergency forces have successfully rescued 1,721 people over the past 10 years, according to official data from Beijing. Ships in need of help can send distress signals either through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) or directly to the nearby local maritime administration. Beijing's new offices in the Spratlys could also improve communication and emergency response, according to Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow with the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. However, search and rescue in this area is not only a humanitarian mission, but also involves political complexities, because of the overlapping territorial demarcations by six rival claimants, including China. Rey E. Requejo

News

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022

IN BRIEF Frogs, fish won’t stop dengue, agencies say SEVERAL government agencies on Sunday reminded the public that vector control, and not placing frogs and fishes in swamps and stagnant water, could help curb the increasing dengue cases in the Philippines. In a joint advisory, the Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) stressed that only scientific solutions can solve the country’s health problems like dengue. “Dengue is caused by a virus that is transmitted through a vector, the Aedes sp. mosquito. The main solution to the dengue problem is vector control, that is, to destroy the breeding grounds of these mosquitoes,” the advisory read.

‘Gulayan’ gives income to Iloilo area residents THE “Gulayan sa Pamayanan” project of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) will be an additional source of household income for 10 barangays in Iloilo City and Miagao, especially in metropolitan areas. This will be implemented through the newly approved PCAARRDfunded project, “Urban Spaces as Workplace for Augmenting Income through Gulayan sa Pamayanan Iloilo Kontra COVID-19 Project.” Dubbed as USWAG IKSP, it will be implemented by the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV). “Uswag” from the project title is a Hiligaynon word for progress or moving forward. Butch Gunio

LPA to bring showers over Caraga, E. Visayas A LOW-pressure area (LPA) will bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Caraga and Eastern Visayas, PAGASA said on Sunday. As of 3 p.m., the LPA was located 605 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, according to the agency’s 4 p.m. weather report. PAGASA warned of possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains in areas affected by the LPA.

TWIN PROTESTS. Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Southern Tagalog troop in front of the Chinese Consulate – protected by scores of policemen -- in Makati City on Sunday to protest the continued aggression of China in the West Philippine Sea and the spiralling oil prices in the country. Danny Pata and Norman Cruz

Bakeries shrink pan de sal as inflation bites Filipinos

S THE war in Ukraine pushes up wheat prices and a weaker peso raises the cost of imported edible oil, many Philippine bakers are shrinking the size of a popular breakfast roll to cope with higher inflation.

The slightly sweet and pillowy soft “pandesal”, which Filipinos often dunk in coffee or stuff with cheese, used to weigh 35 grams at Matimyas Bakery, a breadmaker in suburban Manila. But as the cost of local and imported ingredients soared in recent months, co-owner Jam Mauleon gradually reduced the size of the roll -- known as the “poor man’s bread” because it is cheap -- to around 25 grams to avoid raising the 2.50 peso (about $0.04) price. She feared that even a slight increase would send cash-strapped customers in her neighborhood to a rival bakery five blocks away. “We had to reduce the serving size to survive,” Mauleon told AFP, as children, workers, and retirees arrived early to buy rolls baked in a brick oven that morning. As the Philippines lifted Covid-19

Villar lauds CPA group, pushes gov’t-biz pacts THE government and the private sector are bound to work together to get rid of all the barriers and challenges so businesses can thrive, even those online, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar said over the weekend. Speaking during the 9th Summit of the Philippines Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), Cebu Chapter, Villar cited a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report that in many less developed countries, consumers and businesses haven’t capitalized on pandemic-induced e-commerce opportunities due to persistent barriers. “These include costly Internet or broadband services, overreliance on cash, lack of consumers’ trust, poor digital skills among the population, and governments’ limited attention to ecommerce,” said Villar during the summit at Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City. “These are the barriers that need to be broken,” noted the senator, who lauded the chapter’s new set of officers, who took their oath of office before her. Villar also described timely and relevant the summit’s theme, “Break Barriers Through Innovation”, since “we are recovering from the pandemic and exerting efforts to rebuild the economy.” Macon Ramos-Araneta

SONA CHECKPOINT.

Members of the Manila Police District Station 2 conduct a checkpoint for motorists during a gun ban operation along Moriones Street in Tondo on Sunday on the eve of the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Norman Cruz

restrictions and schoolchildren began returning to the classroom this year, Mauleon had hoped economic conditions for the bakery would improve. But since December, as wheat and fuel prices surged, the price of flour has increased by more than 30 percent, while sugar is up 25 percent and salt costs 40 percent more, she said. The bakery survives day to day and does not make enough money to buy ingredients in bulk, leaving it vulnerable to changing prices in domestic and international markets. After reducing the number of employees and absorbing higher costs, Mauleon was forced this week to raise the price of a pandesal by 20 percent to three pesos. Shrinking the size of the roll any further would affect its quality, she said. “We will try it out if people will still

Solon asks telcos for cell towers in rural areas

buy it,” Mauleon said. “Pandesal is very important in the lives of Filipinos.” For mother-of-five Laarni Guarino, the price hike means her family now eats fewer rolls for breakfast. “We will have to redo our budget. From five pieces each, my children will have to eat just three to four,” Guarino, 35, told AFP. “Fifty centavos is a big thing for poor people like us.”

‘SHRINKFLATION’

Lucito Chavez, president of an association representing local bakeries, said thousands of breadmakers were reeling from the higher cost of raw materials, most of which are imported. “All of us are struggling, not to make a profit, but to survive,” Chavez told AFP. “We have to protect the pandesal industry.” Inf lation in the Philippines hit 6.1 percent in June, the highest level in nearly four years, as steep fuel price hikes pushed up food and transport costs. AFP

BILLION-DOLLAR PICTURE. Princess Jacel Kiram cleans the

portrait of her father Jamalul Kiram III, Sultan of Sulu, who led the siege of Lahad Datu in 2013 to repossess Sabah from Malaysia, at their residence in Taguig City. A French arbitration court has instructed the Malaysian government to pay US$14.92 billion (about P837 billion) to the descendants of the last Sulu sultan last February 2022. Danny Pata

A MEMBER of Congress has appealed for the rollout of additional cell towers and signal relay stations in the countryside, saying that rural communities are getting left behind in terms of access to high-speed internet connectivity badly needed to achieve greater economic productivity. Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan of 4Ps Party-list made the plea in separate letters addressed to PLDT Inc. president Alfredo Panlilio, Globe Telecom Inc. president Ernest Cu, and DITO Telecommunity Corp. president Ernesto Alberto. “The current density of cell towers and/or signal relay stations in the rural areas makes it hard for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to access the internet,” Libanan told the chief executive officers of the country’s three major telecommunications companies. “It is strongly requested that your good company immediately establish, commission, and activate more cell towers in the countryside to afford our MSMEs adequate and stable access to the internet,” Libanan said in his letter, a copy of which was furnished to Gamaliel Cordoba, chief of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). Cell towers, or cell sites, host electronic communications equipment and antennae that allow people in surrounding areas to access the internet using their wireless communication devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and computers. Libanan said a key program of the Pagtibayin at Palaguin ang Pangkabuhayang Pilipino (4Ps Partylist) is “to support and assist the country’s MSMEs by providing them the necessary tools, technologies, skills and competencies.” “We believe that ample access to information through stable communication facilities and services is an essential ingredient to the development of our MSMEs not only in the urban centers but equally in the countryside,” Libanan said.

Win: ‘Grossly unfair’ of GenCos to appeal fixed price clause of PSAs By Macon Ramos-Araneta IT’s “grossly unfair” for a Generation Company (GenCo) to appeal a temporary suspension of the “fixed price clause” in their Power Supply Agreement (PSA) contract with a Distribution Unit due to the spiraling global fuel cost, Sen. Sherwin

Gatchalian said. In an interview over the weekend, the senator also said the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) should not allow -- and must reject -- any appeal from a GenCo for temporary relief on the fixed price clause in a PSA contract, saying it would set a “bad precedent” and a negative impact on investors.

“You made the commitment for the fixed price, so you (GenCo) should stand by that commitment,” said the chair of the Senate Energy Committee. According to Gatchalian, the latter PSAs were all subjected to a competitive selection process as they underwent bidding. He noted that the goal in the competi-

tive selection process is to lower prices that will be passed on to the consumers. “They were given a free hand to compete and propose innovative ways of bringing down prices,” said Gatchalian. “They were also given a free hand to innovate, to propose how to lower costs so that the consumers will enjoy lower electricity price,” he stated.

Groups eye BBM insurgency plans PARENTS’ groups and anti-communist advocates are looking forward to “concrete plans” that will address insurgency problems during President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. Remy Rosadio, League of Parents of the Philippines president, said they expect that the deceptive recruitment of the youth by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) through its front organizations will be included in Marcos’ priorities. “As our new head of state, father and protector of all children and youth of our country, we are expecting that he will give priority to the security of our children while they are in school and university campuses,

vulnerable to CPP-NPA’s recruitment,” Rosadio said in a text message on Sunday. She noted that most parents, especially those whose children were recruited to join the armed struggle, wish that their efforts will be pay off through support from the government. “We risk our lives going out on the street and at other concerned government offices and private offices staging rallies so that our voices, the parents’ voices, can be heard,” she added. Rosadio said they “need assurance” that the government will continue to lay down supportive plans and actions against the insurgency and appealed to Marcos to continue programs of the Duterte administration being implemented by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Gatchalian: Focus on ‘crisis’ in education

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

News

READY FOR TOMORROW. Members of labor and other cause-oriented groups prepare their placards and other materials for tomorrow’s rally. (inset photo) The Public Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB) displays IDs for accredited members of the media and PRIB who will cover the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’ Jr. Revoli Cortez and Senate PRIB

DepEd bares new enrollment plan T

HE Department of Education (DepEd) said it has released “enhanced enrollment procedures that are reflective of the current health and safety situation in the country.”

The DepEd said these new enrollment procedures will be implemented in public schools for the school year (SY) 2022-2023. The enrollment period will run from July 25 to the opening of classes on Aug. 22, based on DepEd Order No. 35 signed by Vice President and Educa-

tion Secretary Sara Duterte, ABS-CBN News reported. “In preparation for the opening of School Year 2022-2023 on August 22, 2022, and in consideration of the easing of mobility restrictions, the Department of Education will be implementing the enhanced enrollment procedures that are

reflective of the current health and safety situation in the country,” the agency said. The DepEd said remote enrollment, which the agencycarried out in the last two years as a measure against COVID-19, will still be implemented. “This can be facilitated by filling out of the digital forms and sending it through the official email address of the school or through any of the available messaging platforms provided by the school,” the DepEd said. According to the DepEd, “schools can

Zubiri willing to postpone SK, brgy polls SENATOR Juan Miguel Zubiri is willing to postpone for a year the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections scheduled this December. Zubiri, who is expected to be the next Senate president of the 19th Congress, cited the huge savings for the government if the local elections will be rescheduled. Zubiri said that more than P8 billion worth of savings would be needed if SK and barangay elections would push through, GMA News reported. “Personally, if the President asks for one year to postpone [the SK and barangay elections] so that we have some funds for the needs of our poor countrymen... I’m willing to postpone, maybe for a maximum of 1 year,” Zubiri, quoted by GMA News, said. “Second, this is to match the 5-year terms of SK and barangay officials, I think the President wants 5 years... don’t worry, the barangay and SK will have elections before the 2025 elections.” Zubiri earlier said the Senate will wait for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) before making a decision on the said elections.

conduct in-person enrollment as long as parents, students and staff follow COVID-19 health and safety standards.” Parents, guardians or students may also fill out enrollment forms and physically submit them in dropboxes in schools or barangay (village) halls, ABS-CBN reported. Vice President Duterte earlier ordered all schools in basic education to shift to full in-person classes by Nov. 2, but President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has suggested to keep blended learning in “very specific areas.”

‘NEW RICH.’ A

family walk past a neon sign bearing “Happy is the new rich” and “Celebrate what you love today!” inside SM City Dasmarinas in Cavite on Sunday. Norman Cruz

2 bettors win P23m lotto jackpot in Lotto 6/42 draw TWO bettors became instant millionaires after winning the P23-million jackpot in the Lotto 6/42, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said Sunday. In an advisory, the PCSO said the bettors guessed the winning combination 17-11-23-21-05-25 from Saturday night’s draw, with total prize money of P23,061,318. The winning tickets were bought by bettors in Marikina and Antipolo City,

Rizal. They can claim the check at the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City upon presentation of the winning ticket and two identification cards. Lotto winnings of over P10,000 shall be subject to a 20-percent tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law. A total of 111 won P24,000 each for guessing five out of the six winning digits; 3,778 will get P800 each for four correct digits, and 43,040 will settle for P20 each for three correct digits.

Prizes not claimed within a year shall be forfeited. The 6/42 Lotto is drawn every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The PCSO is urging the public to patronize its games to generate more funds for health programs, medical assistance, and services, and charities. Through its mandatory contributions, the agency said it does not only help individuals in need of medical assistance but also provides funds to government institutions.

ADDRESSING the education crisis will be the focus of Senator Win Gatchalian’s priority measures under the 19th Congress. Gatchalian, who will retain his chairmanship of the Basic Education, Arts and Culture Committee, has filed a Senate resolution that calls for an inquiry on the implementation of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or the K to 12 Law (Republic Act No. 10533). Gatchalian has pointed out that based on the results of international large-scale assessments, learners are failing to master basic competencies and lagging behind their peers abroad. Based on pre-pandemic data, the World Bank estimates that learning poverty in the Philippines – which is defined as the percentage of children aged 10 who cannot read or understand a simple story – is now at 90.5 percent. Gatchalian’s top priority measure is the Teacher Salary Increase Act, which seeks to raise the Salary Grades of Teachers I to Teachers III. Under Gatchalian’s proposal, the new Salary Grades for Teachers I to III will be Salary Grades 13, 14, and 15 respectively---two Salary Grades higher than their current Salary Grades. Other measures of Gatchalian from the 18th Congress which were refiled for the incoming Congress include the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act and the 21st Century School Boards Act. The proposed ARAL Program Act seeks to institute a nationwide learning recovery program to address the impact of COVID-19 school closures. The proposed program seeks to focus on the most essential learning competencies in Language, Mathematics, and Science. The 21st Century School Boards Act, meanwhile, seeks to strengthen local government units’ (LGUs) involvement in improving the quality and delivery of education.

BBM loyalists back Rodriguez amid rumors A GROUP of civic-minded Marcos loyalists has expressed support for Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez amid rumors of his supposed resignation. The Filipino League of Advocates for Good Governance (FLAG) - Maharlika believed Rodriguez was a victim of fake news and disinformation. FLAG-Maharlika issued a statement on Saturday, a day after Rodriguez denied that he has resigned because of alleged participation in extortion. “It could be clearly seen in his faceto-face[interview] with the media held at the Office of the Executive Secretary in [Malacañang] that this rumor is far from the truth, that he is instead in his usual self, dispensing his regular duties,” said Aio Bautista, FLAGMaharlika lead convenor. Bautista said the smear campaign against Rodriguez is part of efforts to cause a rift between Marcos and his allies. “Since the enemy failed in stopping the Marcos family from returning to Malacañang, the new goal is to remove all loyalists from power and to surround our President with puppets of the oligarchs, opportunists, and gold diggers,” he said. Bautista also advised the public, especially Marcos loyalists, not to fall victim to fake news and hearsay. He attributed Marcos’ win to Rodriguez, whom he said is a “true loyalist, a diligent worker, a friend to our beloved President.”

NAIA runway undergoes repair, flights affected

A RUNWAY of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was closed temporarily for repair early Sunday morning, the Manila International Airport Authority said. The MIAA said NAIA’s international runway 06-24 was temporarily closed from 1:30 a.m. to 6:20 a.m. for the repair of a pothole on the pavement.

The closure affected flights using wide-body aircraft, it added. Meanwhile, the domestic runway 1331 remained open during runway 0624’s temporary closure, the MIAA said. The repair on the international runway was finished and operations went back to normal on Sunday morning, Super Radyo reporter Mao dela Cruz

reported past 7 a.m. However, flights from the following areas have new arrival schedules: Vancouver; Bangkok; Hanoi; Los Angeles - flight was diverted to Clark International Airport at 4 a.m.; San Francisco; New York; Phnom Penh; Singapore; Jakarta; Ho Chi Minh; and Dubai.

Cagayan de Oro plans to impose curfew for minors CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—After a series of untoward incidents here this month, the local government and Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) are planning to reimpose curfew hours for minors. In an interview on Saturday night, Col. Aaron Mandia, COCPO chief,

said Mayor Rolando Uy has discussed with him the possibility of limiting the movement of those aged 17 and below during certain hours to prevent more crimes from happening. “This was being talked about as a recommendation with the mayor, but we would like to inform the public

that the peace and order situation is under control,” Mandia said. On June 6, former Mayor Oscar Moreno signed an executive order that lifted the curfew hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. that was imposed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

CIRCUMCISION PROGRAM. More than a hundred male teens from Brgy. Toro in Quezon City flock to the Quezon City General Hospital for a free circumcision procedure organized by the Sanggunian Kabataan. Manny Palmero

Opinion Give him space

Our internal economic problems are also a result of years and years of neglect, of putting premium on politics over sound economics Pres. Duterte inherited a better economy and half of the current indebtedness from his predecessor Benigno Simeon Aquino III, and thus had the wherewithal to jumpstart his Build, Build, Build and many popular initiatives. Marcos Jr. does not have the same economic capital. So let us give him space. To those who did not vote for him, and who probably “hate” him for his “ancestors,” it is time to take pause. We are all in this together. Up to the present, we see many in media, both traditional and social, unable to rise above their pre-election biases. Typical is one who interviews new appointees and keeps twitting the president for his “4.4 versus 6.1 percent” statement on the current inflation rate, even if his secretary of finance has since clarified what the president meant. I did not vote for Marcos Jr. I campaigned for another candidate, and in several interviews, gave my own share of criticisms against the man who would be president. But the problems we face today are almost insurmountable. There are no quick fixes. The president will have to summon every ounce of cooperation and sacrifice from an already suffering public. Let us listen to today’s SONA with that openness to sacrifice, that willingness to wait patiently for change, and pray that indeed, the leader the majority of us chose will succeed in the end.

High expectations for Marcos’ first SONA

SINCE his inauguration as the 17th president of the Republic of the Philippines, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos will deliver his first State of the Nation Address today. As in the past, this momentous event such as the SONA is being awaited with much anticipation. But it may be a little different this time. What with the COVID 19 pandemic now in its third year, and the majority are feeling the pinch of skyrocketing and unabated increase in the price of gas and other prime commodities. To millions of BBM supporters, the SONA is a cause for celebration, if not guarded optimism. To the victims of the father’s iron rule and those who fought martial law, the son’s ascent into the highest post is to open anew old wounds. But still to most ordinary people in the street, who have seen presidents come and go, a BBM presidency will make no difference to their lives. As I have written with a colleague in an online article, the Marcos Jr. electoral victory is a bitter pill to swallow to many. This is especially true since Marcos Jr. cruised along the campaign without bothering to address vital national issues when, as a matter of strategy as pundits would suspect, he refused to participate in presidential debates or was selective in interviews. To make matters worse, the Marcos family have long been suspected of maintaining a machinery for disinformation

to sanitize the family name and romanticize the Marcos era and distort, if not erase from national memory, the traumatic martial law experience of the patriarch. The Marcos victory is doubly painful to activists and journalists who have been fighting a “losing battle” of fake news and disinformation, in no small measure caused by the accessibility of social media and other digital platforms. Yet, no matter what people say, no matter what people do, the Marcos electoral victory, and his presidency for that matter, is now a fait accompli. It is safe to assume, however. that his triumph will be weighed down to some degree by resurfacing skeletons from the past. As President Marcos Jr. delivers his maiden SONA, he will face a perfect storm of crises, be it health, economy or climate change. His administration will grapple with a wide variety of challenges, problems and issues, now existing or may yet emerge in the coming years. It is for this reason that his SONA is important. It is a singular occasion for Marcos to finally say what has been unsaid during the campaign, to allay fears of future uncertainties, and to inspire hope to a

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EDITORIAL

Surely he is aware of that. But he has to tread with care in the exercise of such power, because people’s lives and the nation’s future are on the line. He cannot swing to the left or zig to the right as easily as his predecessors who inherited less problems can. Pandering to populist demands should be his least concern. Navigating the ship of state through treacherous eddies and high waves is a most difficult responsibility. Thus far, he has chosen a good crew, disdained the pure blandishments of political pay-back, and insisted on a careful selection process. Still, one has to acknowledge the enormous burden of “great expectations.” And one cannot blame the public, especially the poor and marginalized, for having such high hopes. They have seen presidents come and go. They have seen promises made and promises left forgotten. They were quite understanding of Marcos’ predecessor, who has left the presidency with the highest approval ratings of any in recent history, and whose growth record was blemished because of the pandemic. Now Marcos Jr., like it or not, inherits the tailspin.

THIS article is being written a day before the 17th President delivers his much-awaited State of the Nation Address before the joint session of the houses of Congress. The business community is asking for details of his economic plan, at a time when the country and its people are beset by times no less difficult as when the Pacific War ended. They admired the eloquence by which he wove the words of his clarion call for unity in his inaugural address last June 30. But eloquence is not enough; details are asked. Since then, external developments have made us all the more anxious about what’s in store for us. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has deepened, and there seems to be no end in sight. The stand-off between the NATO allies and the intransigent Vladimir Putin has merely stretched the time for all of the world to suffer alongside the people of Ukraine. Economic sanctions are not working as well as the West hoped. Variations of the coronavirus has meanwhile mutated into God knows how many and under whatever specie, more so in a country whose youth are about to resume normal face-to-face classes in a month’s time after almost three years of abnormality. We sigh with relief each time petrol prices at the pump go down a bit, and hope for more, yet deep in our hearts we know that this trend could be discombobulated anytime by the oil cartel or the shooting war thousands of miles away from our shores. In short, we are all driving across an unfamiliar and precarious zigzag road. And we look towards our newly elected leader to provide us with answers today. Can we have our cake and eat it too? Evince growth amid scarcities and fighting the scourge of inflation which is our greatest public enemy this time? Everyone and his mother has put in his fair share of prognostications about our dire situation. Nobody is saying that things are looking up. This writer has time and again written about our critical food supply situation. And, yet, worse is likely to come. Amid all these, let us tame our expectations for today’s SONA. Let us not expect Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to have all the answers, nor to come up with the “perfect” solutions to the ills that beset the country. Apart from the external developments, whether in public health due to the pandemic and its mutations, or the geopolitical situation which impacts on almost everything from food to supply chains to transport, our internal economic problems are also a result of years and years of neglect, of putting premium on politics over sound economics. Sure, Pres. Marcos Jr. is armed with tremendous political capital, having garnered an unprecedented number of votes in the last elections. That political capital equates with power, and, as in Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibilities.”

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022

The State of the Nation

HEN President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivers his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) today at the Batasang Pambansa after his resounding triumph in the May 9 general elections, he will have the opportunity to present to the Filipino people and their elected representatives in the legislature his vision for the nation in the next six years.

President Marcos draws from his experience as a local government executive in Ilocos Norte province and as congressman and senator to sit as the highest elected official in the entire country and the rare chance to decisively lead it to a new era of economic progress, political stability and social concord. The new president’s mandate to serve as the Chief Executive rests on the 31 million votes he obtained in the recent polls. But history will judge him on what he can do to secure a better future for 110 million Filipinos—and counting—in his six years in office. The challenges are daunting.

First of all, he has to revive the economy brought to its knees by the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020. To do this, he has to attract more investments from both domestic and foreign sources to perk up economic activity and shore up confidence in the capacity of government to effectively execute economic policies and programs.

A serious and sustained campaign against corruption at all levels must be launched to restore public confidence in their government Second, he has to keep the bureaucracy working at peak efficiency. A serious and sustained campaign against corruption at all levels must be launched to restore public confidence in their government. This must go hand-in-hand with a sustained drive to maintain law and order throughout the country. Third, he has to exert every effort to

reduce poverty incidence in the country. The Marcos administration has the unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos, particularly the poor and the disadvantaged sectors, by creating job and livelihood opportunities while giving them the means to avail of monthly cash subsidies through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps. And fourth, he has to pursue an independent foreign policy that seeks to uphold national sovereignty and national interests at all times, whether it’s dealing with Washington or Beijing. The general policy is that we should make no enemies where we can make friends. That’s easier said than done, but a realistic pathway nonetheless. “Unity” was the overarching theme of the Marcos Jr. campaign for the May polls. Now that he occupies the highest elective post, then he has to make good on his pledge to unite the nation on a comprehensive reform program in the economic, political and social spheres. The Marcos administration has the unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos, particularly the poor and the disadvantaged sectors, by creating job and livelihood opportunities while giving them the means to avail of monthly cash subsidies through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps”

Blended learning and the new normal

ACCORING to DepED’s Department Order 34, school year 2022-2023 shall formally start on Monday, August 22, 2022. The order directs schools to conduct faceto-face classes allowing a transition period until October 31, after which all public and private schools “shaIl have transitioned to 5 days in-person classes. After the said date, no school shall be allowed to implement purely distance learning or blended learning except for those that are implementing Alternative Delivery Modes.” The impetus for this is the alarm raised by the National Economic Development Authority on the learning loss of Filipino students from the long school shutdowns because of the pandemic. Another reason is the economic stimulation that will be driven by the reopening of the whole educational ecosystem. These are indeed compelling rationale to fully reopen our schools but as a parent, I am concerned about the readiness of our schools to shift back to in-person teaching and, more important, the safety of my children from getting infected by COVID 19 with latest news reports saying infection rates are again on the rise. The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines, in its July 14 letter to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio, appealed for more flexibility and to allow blended learning in private schools beyond the October 31 deadline. COCOPEA stated that blended learning modes in private schools have been effective in delivering the curriculum in these challenging two years of the pandemic. They reasoned the wide range of online and hybrid learning modes that integrate with in-person methods enrich the horizon of educational tools for providing the best

His administration will grapple with a wide variety of challenges, problems and issues, now existing or may yet emerge in the coming years nation afflicted with self-doubt and sagging confidence. In the past few weeks, we saw encouraging signs. Marcos has mentioned that the drug war must be done ‘within law.’ This was echoed by newly appointed National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos who also said that red-tagging must be stopped under the new administration. This is a clear break from the policy of the

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

learning for students. To comply with international health and safety standards, COCOPEA estimates an increase of 50 percent of current capacity will need to be built to observe the onemeter social distancing requirement which limits classes to have only 20 students. A legal issue was also raised on the different policy environments of the public schools under the control of the DepED “while private schools are governed by their respective governing boards and administrators subject only to the Constitutional reasonable supervision and regulation by the State in recognition of its complementary role in education.”

This then allows private schools to implement learning modes that their management see best for their respective local situations and capacities which include flexibility to adopt online and hybrid classes for blended learning. For my part as a parent, if I am not confident on the readiness of schools to transition to full face-to-face classes, I want to have the option to have my kids attend hybrid classes to protect my family from getting infected by whatever COVID variant is out there. There is also the question of liability in

case, God forbid, my children get infected. These are serious points of concern causing hesitation for many if not all parents. Until we have fully defeated COVID 19, I believe parents will still favor online classes or at least a hybrid mode that will have the lowest risk to our children. Don’t get me wrong. I agree that inperson classes will still be most effective in delivering the highest learning experience for students. But we cannot go back to normal. It’s about moving forward to a new normal with the hard lessons of the pandemic crisis adopting to new solutions and strategies for a sustainable post-pandemic society. It’s good that this issue has reached the President and has ordered the continuation of blended learning beyond October 31 to which Education Secretary Sara Duterte has proposed to institutionalize blended learning in addressing gaps in teacher and classroom shortage and other problems in the sector. With this development, COCOPEA has responded with appreciation. To quote their latest statement, the group said, “The unique experiences in our schools in the last two years on the effective implementation of online learning platforms have allowed for a diversity of instructional strategies to maintain the quality of learning through the quality of our teachers, and the use of innovative teacher training, content development, educational technology and media. “With the integration of online and remote modalities to face-to-face classes this coming school year, it would allow these private schools to further enhance their students’ learning experiences without compromising their safety against COVID-19.” The COCOPEA has reached out to the Education Secretary and will be meeting to share constructive insights on their experience and data on blended learning that would hopefully result in a more responsive policy for the whole Philippine education system. We need more of these close consultation with education stakeholders in our common goal to provide the best learning for all our students.

previous administration when human life became so dirt cheap that thousands had been killed and imprisoned in the murderous war on drugs. Additionally, initial Marcos appointees in the Cabinet are above par. It is shaping up to be the least militarized as compared to other post-EDSA I administrations. There are also excellent choices in other departments including in the energy and environment departments. To have competent, brilliant and independent minds in the Cabinet is critical in any administration. With Marcos leading the agriculture department himself, we can expect a major push towards achieving food security and self-sufficiency. The same with Vice President Sara Duterte who has assumed the position of education secretary. More than two years of the pandemic have thrown our education system into serious disarray. We must expect the vice president to dedicate her time to more meaningful programs that will make Filipino education system more competitive and attuned with the times.

These are small and incremental but nonetheless meaningful steps in the right direction. Yet, they are but openings, mere opportunities with the potential to improve the lives of the people. And they will remain as mere potentials unless and until they achieve their end goals. In the meantime. We can only work, fight, and hope that the mistruths, lies, and deceit that have long been, rightly or wrongly, ascribed to the Marcoses will be debunked and righted by an effective, competent and honest Marcos’ presidency. In these times when we are not so certain what is in store for us, we can only hope that this administration will deliver. And, yes, aside from hope, we must also remain vigilant—vigilant against abuse of power, vigilant against dishonesty, and vigilant against deceit. To paraphrase Apolinario Mabini, the most brilliant of Filipino revolutionaries, the person is truly a patriot when, whatever his or her post, high or low, that person tries to do the greatest possible good to our countrymen. Website: tonylavina.com Facebook page: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

It’s about moving forward to a new normal with the hard lessons of the pandemic crisis adopting to new solutions and strategies for a sustainable postpandemic society

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MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF Sri Lanka president’s office to reopen

SRI Lanka’s besieged presidential office will reopen on Monday, police said, days after anti-government demonstrators were flushed out in a military crackdown that triggered international condemnation. The colonial-era building was occupied earlier this month by protesters angered by the island nation’s unprecedented economic crisis. Soldiers rescued then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa from his nearby residence before it was overrun by an angry crowd the same day, with the leader eventually fleeing to Singapore and resigning. Troops armed with batons and automatic weapons cleared the presidential secretariat shortly after midnight Friday on the orders of Rajapaksa’s successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe. At least 48 people were wounded and nine arrested in the operation, during which security forces tore down tents set up by protesters outside the complex earlier this year. “The office is ready for reopening from Monday,” a police official told AFP on Sunday, adding that forensics experts had visited the office to gather evidence of damage by protesters. “The siege of the secretariat, which lasted since May 9, has now been lifted.” Western governments, the United Nations and human rights groups have condemned Wickremesinghe for using violence against unarmed protesters who had announced their intention to vacate the site later on Friday. AFP

‘US made biological arms in Ukraine’

NORTH Korea accused the United States on Sunday of manufacturing biological weapons in Ukraine, echoing a Russian claim dismissed by the United Nations in March. Moscow ally Pyongyang in February said the US policy was the “root cause of the Ukraine crisis,” and this month formally recognized two self-proclaimed pro-Russian separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to cut diplomatic ties with North Korea. Washington “set up many biological labs in tens of countries and regions, including Ukraine, in disregard of the international treaties,” the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Sunday, citing what it said had been “detected” by Russia. Moscow in March accused Washington of funding research into the development of biological weapons in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia nearly five months ago. Washington and Kyiv denied the existence of laboratories intended to produce biological weapons in Ukraine, with the United States saying the allegations were a sign that Moscow may use such tactics itself. Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General of Disarmament Affairs, also said in March that the UN “was not aware of any biological weapons program in Ukraine.” AFP Manila

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TODAY

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 90, QUEZON CITY rtc2qzn090@judiciary.gov.ph 09152246749

CRACKED DRY. A buoy that reads ‘No Boats’ lays on cracked dry earth where water once was as people carry a boat further out to reach water at Lake Mead, Nevada on July 23, 2022. Water levels in Lake Mead are at the lowest level since April 1937 when the reservoir was being filled for the first time, according to NASA. AFP

Russia: Strike on Odessa port hits ‘military facility’ R CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

seized included self-sealing transparent plastic bags containing white crystalline substance; and a tea bag color gold and yellow with Chinese characters3 which upon laboratory examination tested positive for methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.4 The confiscated item weighing 2,486.377 grams of shabu estimated by the Dangerous Drugs Board at P17 Million Pesos. The urine test of Wilson Sy Tan resulted positive for drugs5. Upon inspection by of the Ford Everest with Plate Number NGG3733 used to transport the illegal drug, a copy of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. deposit slip which showed a deposit of Php500,000.00 on 17 July 2020 was discovered. Respondent WeIson Sy Tan is a holder of Account No. 0020001004500007045559285 with the Metrobank and Trust Company.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES represented by the ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERlNG COUNCIL, Petitioner, -versus-

AMLC Case No. 003 (22) For: Civil Forfeiture

WELSON SY TAN, MARY JOY MORAN PERFECTO, LARESSA MORAN PERFECTO, METROPOLITAN BANK & TRUST CP. (MBTC) , LAND REGISTRATION AUTHORlTY AND LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE, Respondents. x-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

After inquest proceedings, cases of violation of Section 5 (sale of illegal drugs), Article II, R.A. No. 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, was filed against Welson Sy Tan @Intsik, Mary Joy Moran Perfecto and Annabhel Llamado San Jose.6 Also, a case for violation of Section 15 (use of illegal drugs), Article II, R.A. No. 9165, was filed against Welson Sy Tan @Intsik which are now pending with RTC Branch 62 Angeles City. 7 Per AMLC Resolution No. 221 dated October 28, 2021 authorizing the filing through the OSG an ex-parte petition for issuance of freeze order on the bank accounts of Welson Sy Tan and real and personal properties8 was filed at the Court of Appeals. In its Resolution dated 28 December 2021, the Court of Appeals ordered the freezing of the following bank accounts and properties for twenty (20) days:9

NOTICE OF PETITION WELSON SY TAN Blk. 26, Lot 7, Davidson St., Timog Residences Brgy. Pampang, Angeles City, Pampanga

Account Name Welson Sy Tan Laressa Moran Perfecto Mary Joy Moran Perfecto Mary Joy Moran Perfecto Laressa Moran Perfecto Mary Joy Moran Perfecto

MARY JOY MORAN PERFECTO 12A Frabella 1, Condominium, 109 Rada St., Legaspi Village, Makati City and/ or

List of Frozen Main Accounts Account No. 0020001004500007045559285 005340102972

Mary Joy Moran Perfecto

Blk. 26, Lot 7 Davidson St., Timog Residences Brgy. Pampang, Angeles City, Pampanga

010300047320 IC-6005348012208

Bank Name MBTC BDO Unibank, Inc (BDO) BDO BDO Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)

ST0200195400000009

In Resolution No. 221-A dated January 17, 2022 the Court of Appeals extended the freeze for up to six (6) months.

LARESSA MORAN PERFECTO 23/F The Grand Midori Condominium, Legaspi Street, Makati City

Upon AMLC investigation, per DTI Certification 22 January 2021, Welson Sy Tan has no business registered in his name. Examination of the Statement of Account (SOA) for the period from February 2020 to December 2021, has accumulated deposits/credits in the total amount of Php 5,145,948.59 which financial transactions has no logical or economic justification.

METROPOLITAN AND TRUST COMPANY (MBTC) c/o The President Metrobank Plaza, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Urdaneta Village, Makati City 1200

With respect to Mary Joy Moran Perfecto, her four (4) bank accounts have all been closed. Institution

BDO BPI

LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE (LTO) c/o Atty. Romeo G. Vera Cruz Executive Director LTO Compound, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City

Account No 005340102972 IC-6005348012208 010300047320 9543-1315-01

USSIAN missiles destroyed Ukrainian “military infrastructure” in a strike on Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odessa, crucial for grain exports, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman said Sunday.

The strike Saturday came a day after Kyiv and Moscow signed a landmark agreement hammered out over months of negotiations aimed at relieving a global food crisis. “Kalibr missiles destroyed military infrastructure in the port of Odessa, with a high-precision strike,” Maria Zakharova said on Telegram in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who said dialogue with Moscow was becoming increasingly untenable after the attack. Zakharova said the strike destroyed a Ukrainian “patrol boat.” On Saturday, Ukraine accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having “spit in the face” of the deal to unblock grain exports brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.

Zelensky claimed the strikes on Odessa showed Moscow could not keep its promises. But Turkey said Saturday that Russia denied any attack on the port. “The Russians told us that they had absolutely nothing to do with this attack and they were looking into the issue very closely,” Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said. Ukraine’s Western allies including Britain and the United States condemned the attack. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the attack cast “serious doubt on the credibility of Russia’s commitment” to the deal. The Ukrainian military had said its air defenses had shot down two cruise missiles but two more hit the port Saturday. AFP

From December 2015 to June 2017, the first BDO Account has accumulated deposits/ credits in the total amount of Php15,104,888.00. However, the DTI Certification showed that there is no business registered under the name of Mary Joy Moran Perfecto.

GREETINGS You are hereby notified that a Petition for Civil Forfeiture (with Urgent Prayer for the issuance of a Provisional Asset Preservation Order and/or Asset Preservation Order) has been filed against you by reason of and in relation to an unlawful activity (ies) under Sections 5 and 15 of R.A. 9165. You are hereby required, within fifteen (15) days after service of this Notice of Petition upon you, to file with this Court and serve on the petitioner your comment and/ or opposition to the Petition for Civil Forfeiture, copy of which is0attached, together with the annexes. You are reminded of the provision in A.M. No. 05-11-04-SC to observe restraint in filing a motion to dismiss and instead allege the grounds thereof as defenses in the comment or opposition. If you fail to comment within the time fixed, the court shall hear the case ex parte and render judgment as may be warranted by the facts alleged in the petition and its supporting evidence and may be granted the relief/ s applied for in the Petition for Civil Forfeiture. WITNESS my hand under the seal of the Court this 21st day of June, 21, 2022, in Quezon City, Metro Manila. (Sgd.) Sylvia Joy D. Corrales Officer-in-Charge

NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 90 , QUEZON CITY rtc2qzn090@judiciary.gov.ph Mobile No. 091522 46 749 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, represented by the ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING COUNCIL, Petitioner, - versus -

AMLC CASE NO. 003(22) For: Civil Forfeiture

WELSON SY TAN, MARY JOY MORAN PERFECTO, LARESSA MORAN PERFECTO, METROPOLITAN BANK & TRUST CO. (MBTC) , LAND REGISTRATION AUTHORITY, AND LAND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE, Respondents. x-------------------------------------------------------------x

ORDER In this verified Petition, filed under R.A. 9160, as amended1 petitioner Republic of the Philippines represented by the Anti Money Laundering Council, through the Office of the Solicitor General filed this case of Civil Forfeiture against the above named respondents in connection with and in relation to unlawful activities under Sec. 5 and 15 of R.A. 9165 sale of illegal drugs and use of illegal drugs with prayer for the issuance of a provisional asset preservation order and/or after due hearing, asset preservation order and forfeiture of assets, related accounts and properties therein stated. The Petitioner is represented in this case by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC for brevity), a government agency created under Republic Act No. 9160 with address at 5/F EDPC Building, BSP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Malate, Manila. Respondent Welson Sy Tan is of legal with address at Blk. 26 , Lot 7 , Davidson St. Timog Residences, Brgy. , Pampang, Angeles City, Pampanga

In her BPI account, Mary Joy Moran Perfecto showed that from June 2017 to 2019, the account accumulated deposits/credits amounting to more than Php7.8 Million Pesos and transactions in this bank account has no logical or economic justification. There is no registered business in the name of Laressa Moran Perfecto. Laressa Moran Perfecto has declared income as Autocad operator but her declared income was not commensurate to the amount transacted in her bank account. Mary Joy Moran Perfecto and Laressa Moran Perfecto are sisters. When Mary Joy Moran Perfecto opened savings account at Naga on February 6 , 2022 she allegedly confirmed that her partner for six (6) years, the respondent Welson Sy Tan, has been sending her allowance in the amount of Php500,000.00 for support. Welson Sy Tan has declared Mary Joy Moran Perfecto as his spouse. Registered in the name of Mary Jane Moran Perfecto on January 11, 2017 is a parcel of land covered by Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) No. 2017000113 located in Concepcion Grande, Naga City; a 2020 Black Ford Everest with Plate Number NGG3733 and Yamaha FZIBP71 with Plate Number 050108; that Laressa Perfecto is a registered owner of Yamaha Mio Sporty 40C6 with Plate Number DA80243 registered in her name on 17 April 2018. After considering the allegations in the Petition and examination of the supporting evidence, the Court finds the Petition sufficient in form and substance and that probable cause exist on the basis of allegations of the verified Petition and that the monetary instrument, property or proceeds subject of the Petition are related to unlawful activities as defined in Section 3 (i)(2) of Republic Act 9160, as amended by Republic Act No. 9194. Respondents Welson Sy Tan and Mary Joy Moran Perfecto have no business registered in their names and Laressa Moran Perfecto declared the source of income as Autocad operator. The huge amount of deposits/credits and transactions in their bank accounts at BDO and BPI and acquisition of motor vehicle as well as land property have no logical or economic justification and are not commensurate to the amount transactions of their bank accounts. They are suspicious transactions under Sec. 2 of Republic Act 9160, as amended by Republic Act No. 9194. WHEREFORE, considering the foregoing, the Court hereby issues this provisional asset preservation Order effective immediately the following bank account, properties and assets: 1. Metrobank Account No. 0020001004500007045559285 of Welson Sy Tan; 2. 2020 Black Ford Everest with Plate Number NGG3733; 3. Yamaha FZIBP71 with Plate Number 050108; 4. Yamaha Mio Sporty 40C6 with Plate Number D~43 registered under the name of Laressa Moran Perfecto. 5. Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) No. 2017000113 located in Concepcion Grande, Naga City ordering the respondents Welson Sy Tan, Mary Joy Moran Perfecto, Laressa Moran Perfecto or any person acting in their behalf, the head/chief of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (MBTC), Register of Deeds of Camarines Sur and Land Transportation Office, Diliman, Quezon City forbidding any transaction, withdrawal, deposit, transfer, removal conversion, concealment or other disposition of the above-listed subject bank account, properties or proceeds. This order shall be effective for a period of twenty (20) days from the respective dates of service to respondents or any person acting in their behalf, and upon each covered institution or government agency in accordance with Section 14 of the Rule. Let this case be set for summary hearing on July 6, 2022 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning at which date and time respondents may for good cause show why the provisional asset preservation Order should be lifted. The Sheriff of this court is hereby directed to serve a copy of this Order personally upon the respondents or any person acting in their behalf and upon the heads of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (MBTC) and the government agency, Land Transportation Office (LTO). SO ORDERED. June 21,2022, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

Respondent Mary Joy Moran Perfecto is of legal age with addresses at 12A Frabella 1, Condominium, 109 Rada St., Legaspi Village, Makati City and Blk. 26, Lot 7, Davidson St., Timog Residences, Brgy., Pampang, Angeles City, Pampanga. Respondent Laressa Moran Perfecto is of legal age with address at 23F, The Grand Midori Condominium, Legaspi Street, Makati City. Respondent Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (MBTC) is impleaded as a necessary party to completely accord petitioner the reliefs prayed for with address at Metrobank Plaza, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Urdaneta Village, Makati City 1200. The Register of Deeds of Camarines Sur is a government agency impleaded as a necessary party to completely accord petitioner the reliefs prayed for with address at J. Miranda Ave., City Hall Compound, Naga City. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is a government agency impleaded as a necessary party to completely accord petitioner the reliefs prayed for through its Executive Director, Atty. Romeo G. Vera Cruz, at LTO Compound, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. Petitioner alleged that there is sufficient evidence that the subject bank accounts of Welson Sy Tan and Mary Joy Moran Perfecto the properties consisting of real property and motor vehicles owned by the respondents, represent, involved, correlate the lawful activity defined under Section 3(i)(2) of the AMLC proceeds thereof. AMLC Resolution No. 109 was issued on May 10, 2022 authorizing the filing of this Petition for Civil Forfeiture of said bank accounts and properties.

/jjc copy furnished: Atty. Juan Antonio D. Sta. Cruz Legal Officer III Anti-Money Laundering Council 5/F EDPC Building BSP Complex, Roxas Blvd. Malate, Manila Jstacruz@amlc.gov.ph 1

2 3 4 5 6

In the Petition, it is alleged that after a buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) on September 5, 2020 respondent Welson Sy Tan, Mary Joy Moran Perfecto and Annabhel Llamado San Jose were arrested in Clark Pampanga.2 The item

7 8 9

(Sgd.) MARlA ZORAIDA S. ZABAT TUAZON Presiding Judge Welson Sy Tan Blk. 26, Lot 7, Davidson St., Timog Residences, Brgy., Pampang Angeles City, Pampanga Mary Joy Moran Perfecto 12A Frabella 1, Condominium 109 Rada St., Legaspi Village Makati City/ Blk. 26, Lot 7, Davidson St. Timog Residences, Brgy. Pampang Angeles City, Pampanga

An Act Defining the Crime of Money Laundering, Providing Penalties Therefore and For Other Purposes, otherwise known as the “Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001”. Annex “C” Affidavit of Arresting Officer Annex “D” Annex “E” Annexes “F” Annex :G” Annex “H” Annex “I” Annex “J” (MStandard - July 25 & August 1, 2022)

OFF TO APOLOGIZE. Pope Francis boards his plane on July 24, 2022 at Rome’s Fiumicino airport as he departs for a trip to Canada. Pope Francis heads to Canada for a chance to personally apologize to Indigenous survivors of abuse committed over a span of decades at residential schools run by the Catholic Church. AFP

Pope off to Canada to make amends for school scandal POPE Francis left Rome on Sunday for Canada for a chance to personally apologize to Indigenous survivors of abuse committed over a span of decades at residential schools run by the Catholic Church. The head of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics will be met at Edmonton’s international airport by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Pope’s plane took off from Rome shortly after 9:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT). The 10-hour flight constitutes the longest since 2019 for the 85-year-old pope, who has been suffering from knee pain that has forced him to use a cane or wheelchair in recent outings. The pope was in a wheelchair on Sunday and used a lifting platform to board the plane, an AFP correspondent accompanying him said. Francis’ Canada visit – which he has called a “penitential pilgrimage” of “healing and reconciliation” – is primarily to apologize to survivors for the Church’s role in the scandal that a national truth and reconciliation commission has called “cultural genocide.” From the late 1800s to the 1990s, Canada’s government sent about 150,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit children into 139 residential schools run by the Church, where they were cut off from their families, language and culture. Many were physically and sexually abused by headmasters and teachers. Thousands of children are believed to have died of disease, malnutrition or neglect. Since May 2021, more than 1,300 unmarked graves have been discovered at the sites of the former schools. AFP

Business IN BRIEF Investors await Marcos’ SONA

STOCKS are expected to trade sideways this week as investors will closely watch the first State-of-the-Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Analysts said investors were interested in hearing Marcos’ programs particularly on how to boost the domestic economy amid high interest and inflation rate s. Marcos will deliver his first SONA on Monday. Major business groups and foreign chambers last week recommended the passage of 24 priority measures to ensure inclusive growth. Aside from the SONA, investors will also monitor the secondquarter earnings of listed firms which are expected to be released starting this week. Among the companies slated to release their financial results are Manila Electric Co., Aboitiz Equity Ventures and Wilcon Depot Inc. “As the market continues to walk on eggshells, there is something to be said on how valuations have been favorable to long term investors now, versus when the pandemic started. Brace for lighter trading sessions building up ahead of Chinese ghost month,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index climbed 1.1 percent last week to close at 6,263.39 on Friday. Jenniffer B. Austria

Gatchalian pushes transport subsidies

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Economist expects peso th to rebound in 4 quarter A By Julito G. Rada

BANK economist said over the weekend the peso will likely recover against the US dollar in the fourth quarter after it depreciated more than 10-percent since the start of the year.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said in a report the peso weakened by a total of P5.281 or 10.4 percent against the greenback since the start of the year from 50.999 at the end of 2021. The peso closed at 56.28 on Friday following the recent correction of global currencies against the US dollar which received a boost from the US Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes. The local currency hovered near the record low of 56.45 despite the unexpected 75-basis-point local policy rate

hike on July 14 to 3.25 percent that could support or at least help stabilize the peso exchange rate. “However, in the fourth quarter, the peso exchange rate could be supported by the expected seasonal increase in OFW remittances, export sales proceeds that are converted to pesos especially during the holiday season,” Ricafort said. “These are based on consistent patterns seen in recent years/decades,” Ricafort said. He said the US dollar’s gain against the peso since January increased the preference by foreign investors to convert US dollars into pesos and purchase Philippine investments, especially those at relatively bargain levels such as stocks, government securities and other investments. Ricafort said more local policy rate hikes were possible, if needed, as a function of any further Fed rate hikes to bring down elevated US inflation. “Any further local policy rate hikes would also be partly a function of how the peso exchange rate behaves and the

impact on inflation as well as actual inflation data, going forward,” Ricafort said. “The markets still wait-and-see on any additional actions/measures by the local authorities; would it be similar to 2004-2005 when they effectively limited the upside of the US dollar/peso at 56.40 levels; would they further raise the local policy rate to provide greater support/stability for the peso exchange rate and to better manage/anchor both inflation and inflation expectations; yet see how local authorities would further use their toolkit related to the exchange rate vis-a-vis the inflation-targeting framework since 2001 and the price stability mandate,” he said. The peso on July 7 pierced the 56-per-dollar boundary and has been on a retreat mode since the aggressive 75-basis-point hike in the policy rate by the US Federal Reserve in June. Fed officials hinted of more and aggressive hikes in the coming months. Economists earlier said the Fed’s move would lead to a stronger US dollar against global currencies.

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian proposed an energy subsidy program for the transport sector. Gatchalian said consumer protection is of utmost importance in filing his priority bills in the energy sector, although he would no longer chair the Senate Energy Committee. Senate Bill No. 384 or the proposed Pantawid Pasada Act seeks to establish an ESP to cushion the adverse effects of sudden and drastic increases in the prices of petroleum products. Gatchalian said this would guarantee a speedy and simplified procedure as its provisions mandate the distribution of cash through digital payment systems to qualified beneficiaries within 30 days from the issuance of certification from the Department of Energy when the average price of oil for three consecutive months is equal to or hit more than $80 a barrel. Gatchalian also vowed to continue pursuing the country’s energy security through sustainable and alternative sources. Alena Mae S. Flores

Coins.ph and Globe offer loyalty program

COINS.PH, the leading fiat and crypto wallet services provider, teamed up with Globe Telecom Inc. to introduce a new offering for its loyalty program Globe Rewards. It said that starting July 20, prepaid and postpaid subscribers of Globe could start exchanging rewards points in their new GlobeOne app for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency vouchers redeemable at Coins.ph. Users can simply redeem rewards points and complete a crypto transaction without using their own money, making it perfect for crypto natives and newcomers alike. “We’re introducing a new feature in the Coins.ph app called ‘Redeem Crypto’ to continuously empower Filipinos in their quest for financial freedom. Customers can now take advantage of mainstream loyalty programs such as Globe Rewards for a low- or almost zero-risk approach to get started with their crypto journey. At the same time, we’re also opening opportunities for businesses to diversify their loyalty program offerings to remain competitive and maximize their potential for growth,” said Coins.ph chief executive Wei Zhou.

PSE INDEX CLOSING Friday, July 22, 2022

7.22 PTS. 6,263.39

TOTAL VOLUME

604,043,382

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP)

46,315 3,286,464,457.17

ADVANCES

DECLINES UNCHANGED

92 56

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

56.3450

Japan

Yen

0.007280

0.4102

Pound

1.199700

67.5971

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127410

7.1789

Switzerland

Franc

1.034661

58.2980

Canada

Dollar

0.777242

43.7937

Singapore

Dollar

0.719632

40.5477

Australia

Dollar

0.693300

39.0640

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653224

149.4959

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266134

14.9953

Brunei

Dollar

0.717051

40.4022

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000067

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.027233

1.5344

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

15.3416

Euro

1.023000

57.6409

Korea

Won

0.000765

0.0431

China

Yuan

0.147754

8.3252

India

Rupee

0.012523

0.7056

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.224467

12.6476

New Zealand

Dollar

0.625300

35.2325

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033452

1.8849 Source: BSP

DOE auction program leads to competitive renewable rates By Alena Mae S. Flores

INVESTMENT ROADSHOW. Officials of the Board of Investments, together with representatives from various industry and business stakeholders, associations, chambers of commerce, national government agencies and local government units, hold the first roadshow on the Strategic Investment Priority Plan in Cebu City. The BOI informed participants of the salient features of the recentlyapproved SIPP and the business opportunities that await them through numerous incentives.

Petroleum companies bullish on revival of oil and gas exploration THE Philippine Petroleum Association of the Upstream Industry expressed optimism on a reinvigorated exploration industry under the Marcos administration. The group, which represents key players in the local upstream industry, gave their support to Department of Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla. “I am pleased that we share a common view [with Lotilla] of the country’s precarious energy security situation, with its almost total dependence on imported oil and the imminent depletion of Malampaya gas. Thus, we agree that it is extremely imperative for the country to resume oil and gas exploration as soon as possible,” PAP chairman Rufino

Bomasang said in his chat with Lotilla who was nominated to be the new DOE secretary. The Philippines lags behind other ASEAN countries on exploratory drillings. The scheduled oil and gas drilling of PXP Energy Corp. this year was suspended over geopolitical concerns with China. Bomasang and PAP president Edgar Benedict Cutiongco said in letter to the DOE dated July 18 the group’s members were excited at the new opportunities for energy growth and development. Lotilla said in his Facebook post that he was still recovering from COVID and was asked by his doctors to take full rest until after the required isolation

period. “I would appreciate your patience as I work in the weeks ahead to play catch up with the President and the Cabinet on the priority action items for our people,” Lotilla said. Meanwhie, oil and gas veteran Abet Morillo said the government should not extend the Malampaya gas contract which expires in 2024 and instead conduct an auction to continue its operations. “The companies awarded with service contracts to develop and operate these proven fields should commit to drill exploratory wells with cross-cost recovery contract provisions in all energy related projects,” he said. Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Department of Energy said the Green Energy Auction Program generated competitive rates especially for wind capacities that will redound to the benefit of consumers. Amihan Renewable Energy Corp.’s 70-megawatts Caparispisan II wind project in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte offered the lowest bid of P3.8583 per kilowatt-hour during the auction held in June. Its offer was 36 percent lower than the ceiling imposed by the Energy Regulatory Commission at P6.0584 per kWh for wind capacities. Amihan is one of the five winning bidders for wind capacities offered under GEAP. Other winning bidders are Solar Philippines Calatagan Corp. which offered P4.1998 per kWh for its 30MW Calatagan wind project, Bayog Wind Corp.’s 160-MW wind project in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte which offered P4.4386 per kWh and CleanTech Global Renewables Inc.’s 1008 MW Kalayaan 2 wind project with P4.6368 per kWh offer. Petrowind Energy Inc. offered P5.755 per kWh for its 13.2-MW wind project in Aklan. The wind projects are expected to be completed by 2025. PAVI Green Rnewable Energy Inc.’s 40.4-MW PAVI Green Naga solar project in Camarines Sur offered the lowest bid for solar at P3.40 per kWh. Green Energy Solutions Inc.’s 99.98-MW Talugtug solar project in Nueva Ejica followed with P3.41 per kWh. Solar Philippines Commercial Rooftop Projects Inc. offered P3.67 per kWh for three projects including the 200-MW Concepcion Tarlac 2 solar project, 280-MW Santa Rosa Nueva Ecija 2 solar project and 450MW Tayabas solar project.

AirAsia PH offers P1 promotional fare to induce travel despite high fuel prices

CLLEX COMPLETION.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

Public Works Undersecretary Emil Sadain (center) leads the inspection of the 30-kilometer Central Luzon Link Expressway which reaches 96-percent overall completion. Other than cutting travel time between Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, the partial opening in 2021 of CLLEX provided options to motorists and spread out traffic better resulting in reduced transportation costs.

AIRASIA Philippines reduced its base fare to as low as P1 to entice more Filipinos to travel despite high jet fuel prices. The budget carrier brought back its P1 promotional fare from July 25 to July 31 this year for travels happening from Oct. 1 to 28, 2023. AirAsia’s sale covers 16 domestic routes including the newly opened destinations of Dumaguete and Roxas and high foot-traffic routes like Caticlan and Tagbilaran. The promotion also boasts of a slashed price tag of as low as P688 for international destinations like Bangkok and Singapore.

“The AirAsia Big Sale is among the many regular promos that we roll out to cushion the fuel surcharge cost. We at AirAsia are solid on our promise of making it possible for everyone to access world-class flying without hurting the wallet,” AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan said. “We encourage our guests, especially those giddy to fly home to their families or spend time with their loved ones out-of-town over the holidays, to plan around these promos to maximize their travel budget,” he said. AirAsia Philippines earlier said it was looking to recover as high as 70 percent of its pre-COVID capacity for international routes by the fourth quarter this year.

Quick commerce provider DART teams up with Robinsons Supermarket to expand presence in more cities By Jenniffer B. Austria DART, a Manila-based quick-commerce provider, teamed up with Robinsons Supermarket to expand its presence in the country. “This partnership with Robinsons is providing an extreme value to our business—from the access to a large assortment, advantageous prices as well as leveraging Robinsons existing supply chain infrastructure,” DART chief

executive and co-founder Harm-Julian Schumacher said. DART offers a wide assortment of goods covering a range of popular snacks, drinks, fresh produce, dry and frozen goods and local partnership brands. DART banks on its promise of 15-minute instant grocery delivery service to attract a critical mass of shoppers who desire for rapid delivery of items ordered online.

Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. president and chief executive Robina Gokongwei-Pe said the partnership with Q-Commerce provides a unique opportunity to address the needs of consumers that are complementary to its traditional supermarket offering. “We are excited to team up with DART and together push forward the digital transformation of the grocery industry,” Gokongwei-Pe said.

DART said the Philippines, with its 110 million population and an annual grocery spend of above $50 billion, represents one of the most attractive markets in Southeast Asia for quick delivery service companies. Citing data from e-Conomy study by Google, Bain & Company and Temasek, DART said the penetration level in the country is only at 2 percent compared to 25 percent in the non-grocery space.

“Delivering grocery goods to customers in 15 minutes represents a great opportunity,” Schumacher said. “Our model allows gratification of instant needs and cravings while simultaneously saving time and money enabling us to create tremendous value for our customers,” he said. DART is now serving Makati and Mandaluyong and plans to expand to other cities in Metro Manila within the year.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Randy M. Caluag, Assistant Editor

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022

Team Philippines will be represented by top players from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

World Games champion Tsukii hopes to inspire new karatekas By Peter Atencio

IL-JAPANESE Junna Tsukii is hoping to inspire more karatedo athletes following her gold-medal conquest in the Karatedo World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Tsukii, who was granted a P500,000 cash incentive by the Philippine Olympic Committee for her feat, said she hopes to inspire a new generation of athletes to do their best in the sport. “I hope this is just the beginning of everything for our karate future,” said Tsukii after she was honored on Saturday evening by officials of POC, the Philippine Sports Commission and Karate Pilipinas in a simple thanksgiving gathering at the Joy Nostalg Hotel in Ortigas Center. “Before I got this medal, many times I cried. But I hope everything’s working [out]. I hope there’s a new generation (of karatekas), who will get more (medals)

World meet berths staked in IRONMAN 70.3 Cebu THE IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines in Cebu will not only mark the return of the premier endurance race to the mainstream after a two-year hiatus but will also serve as qualifier for the next year’s World Championship in Lahti, Finland. The Aug. 7 event at The Mactan Newtown will offer 30 slots to the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Finland, giving the qualifiers a one-of-a-kind experience to race under the Nordic midnight sun in Lahti, the gateway to the Finnish Lake District, less than an hour from the capital city of Helsinki. Close to 2,000 triathletes from 46 countries are all geared up for the battle, including the overall championship, two weeks into the 1.9 km swim, 90km bike and 21k run event put up by Megaworld and presented by AIA Vitality with 12 titles up for grabs in various age group categories on a new world class course designed to test the field’s speed, strength and staying power. A total of 1,113 entries are vying in the individual competition to be spiced up by the chase for the CEO trophy with the rest clashing for top honors in team events, including the relay all male and all female and the relay mixed. Registration is ongoing. For details, visit www.ironman.com/ philippines70.3 with official hashtags: #IM703Philippines and #IMasia, social media (Facebook) Megaworld IM703 AIA Vitality and im703ph (Instagram). The US and Singapore lead the foreign pack with 68 and 66 entries, respectively, while Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan are fielding in 58, 43 and 41 participants, respectively.

than me. I don’t want to think that this is the only one,” added Tsukii. POC president Abraham Tolentino said they were inspired to extend incentives to Tsukii because of her great showing. “Our incentives were only meant for the SEA Games, Asian Games and the Olympics. But realizing what you won in the World Games, hindi ka namin natiis sa POC. So we decided to give something,” said Tolentino, who was present with newly appointed PSC Commissioner Bong Coo. The 30-year-old Tsukii, who will be honored by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacanang this week, leaves for Tokyo by August to Junna Tsukii prepare for her next competitions. She will start joining Premier League meets in Baku, Azerbaijan in September, before heading to Los Angeles in October and Kazakhstan in December for more karate tournaments. “I hope more medals will come next week, and the

next generation will follow,” added Tsukii. It was an emotional victory for Tsukii following her gold-medal victory in the -50 kg category in the kumite competitions of the Karatedo World Games. A change in format, from an elimination-round knockout system to a round-robin one, boosted Tsukii’s chances of making a podium finish. She had faced most of her rivals in the past like Venezuelan Yorgelis Salazar and Miyo Miyahara, who bagged the silver and bronze medals. But once she lost to them in the past, Tsukii no longer had a chance to get medals. But this time around, the round-robin format gave her high hopes of advancing. Karate Philippines chief Richard Lim said they laud and congratulate Tsukii for holding her own against the world’s top 10 in the sport.

PH belles vie in AVC Cup for Women set in August THE Philippines hosts another major international volleyball tournament—the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup for Women— from August 21 to 29 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. Nine of the top Asian teams— with the Philippines as the 10th squad as host—are taking part in the tournament’s seventh edition that was originally scheduled for 2020 but was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Team Philippines will be represented by top players from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, according to Philippine National Volleyball Federation President Ramon “Tats” Suzara. “This is a strong tournament and our young players, who we vision as the future of Philippine volleyball, will get the needed exposure against the continent’s best teams,” said Suzara, whose PNVF successfully hosted a Men and Women leg of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) only last June at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The Philippines is bracketed in Pool A with reigning champion China, South Korea, Iran and Vietnam. Pool B is composed of 2018 runner-up Japan, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipai and Australia. “Just like the VNL, Filipino volleyball fans will again be treated to world-class volleyball action considering that world-ranked teams China, Japan, Iran, South Korea and Thailand are playing,” Suzara said. The preliminaries are set from August 21 to 25 with the Philippines facing Vietnam on August 21, China on August 23, Iran on August 24 and South Korea on August 25, all scheduled at television prime time 7 p.m. The top five teams from each pool will advance to the knockout quarterfinals set on August 27 with the semifinals set for August 28 and the qualification matches and final on August 29. China won five of the tournament’s six editions—Nakhon Ratchasima 2008, Taicang 2010, Shenzhen 2014, Vinh Phuc 2016 and Nakhon Ratchasima 2018. Thailand broke the streak in Almaty 2012. Details on tickets sales and prices will be announced soon.

Barroca achieves milestone as Hotshots crush Warriors

NEW JUMP ROPE CROSSOVER RECORD. Ryan

Alonzo tries to break the Guinness World Record for the most number of consecutive jump rope crossovers on Sunday in Makati City. Alonzo made 3,732 in his first attempt to break the record of 2,405 set by Harbaksh Singh of India on December 18, 2019. Nicknamed the Skipman, Alonzo tried to surpass his own record in his second attempt, but fell short with 3,282. Danny Pata

MARK Barroca hit a career milestone when he shot a game-high 24 points for no. 3 seed Magnolia as the Hotshots dropped the sixth-seeded NLEX Road Warriors, 98-89, Sunday night to win Game 1 of their 2022 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup best-of-three quarterfinal showdown at the Araneta Coliseum. Barroca unloaded 11 points as the Hotshots scored 40 points in the second period and took a 64-47 halftime lead. The Hotshots, who trailed, 24-26, at the end of the first period, were never in trouble afterwards when Paul Lee’s jumper with 15 ticks left allowed them to enjoy a 17-point spread, their biggest lead when the third quarter got under way. The 36-year-old Barroca went on to become the 94th cager to be part of the PBA’s 5,000 Points Club.

A layup from Barroca at the 7:32 mark of the third quarter gave him the distinction as the Hotshots stayed in front by 13, 68-55. “Bonus na lang iyun (milestone) dahil ang goal namin ay ang mag-champion,” said said Barroca, who also delivered seven rebounds, two steals and two assists. Calvin Abueva and Lee contributed 13 points each for the Hotshots, who played the Road Warriors to five lead changes. Taking 16 points from 15 turnovers, the Hotshots stayed in control even when the Road Warriors managed to come close by 11, 70-81, at the end of the third. “It was a hard, grinding game hanggang sa dulo. We just stayed focused in our 48-minute game,” said coach Chito Victolero. Anthony Semerad tallied 19 points for the Road Warriors, while Don Trollano and Calvin Oftana knocked in 15 each. Peter Atencio

Vingegaard heads to Paris for Tour coronation PARIS—Jonas Vingegaard rides into Paris on Sunday to be officially crowned the 2022 Tour de France champion after three weeks and 3,350km of relentless struggle up peaks, over plains and through a crushing heatwave. The 21st and final stage is a largely ceremonial run which will see the remaining riders sip champagne as they breeze into the French capital. The peloton rolls past the Jardin de Luxembourg, through Saint Michel, over Pont Neuf and past the Louvre before a sprint over eight laps of the Champs Elysees. A presentation ceremony beneath the Arc de Triomphe takes place as the sun sets on the 109th edition of the world’s greatest bike race that has been broadcast live in 60 nations. Team Jumbo’s Vingegaard tops the overall standings, 3min 34sec ahead of two-time defending champion Tadej Pogacar, while Geraint Thomas, the 2018 winner, stands third at 8min 13sec. The 25-year-old Vingegaard, who was runner-up in 2021 behind Pogacar, said he was already thinking about his 2023 challenge. “I want to celebrate this victory first but of course I want to come back to the Tour to win another one,” said the reluctant star. “I didn’t set myself five Tours de France or anything

like that. I just want to come back and win.” The Dane was eight seconds faster than his great rival on Saturday, and Pogacar looked downhearted at the finish line. “I’m proud of myself, I did what I could, and at least I have the white jersey (best under25s),” Pogacar said. “I learned a lot, I’ll go away and analyse it.” Thomas will also be remembered for his under the radar approach that delivered a podium place at 36. “I’m over the moon to be on the podium, people talk about age, but for me it’s about mentality, if you eat, train, rest properly you can achieve a lot,” said Thomas. Just three weeks ago, a wall of sound accompanied Vingegaard as he set out on the Tour Jumbo-Visma team’s Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the which started on home ground in Copenhagen. overall leader’s yellow jersey cycles to the finish line during the 40-degree heat 20th stage of the 109th edition of the Tour de France cycling Danish fans turned out in astonishing race, 40,7 km individual time trial between Lacapelle-Marival and numbers as the race sped through the verdant Rocamadour, in southwestern France. AFP Scandinavian nation, taking in a sensational rider Wout van Aert, a Jumbo teammate of Vingegaard, crossing of the 20km long Great Belt Bridge. On day three, local man Magnus Cort Nielsen was coming third on all three opening stages then pulling off a late escape to finally land a win on stage four at cheered all the way through Jutland. Many stars emerged along the route with Belgian Calais as the race returned to France. AFP

C1 MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022

6-year roadmap to economic revival and sustained growth E

VER wondered why the President has to speak before the honorable members of both chambers of Congress—as well as his Cabinet, other invited guests and foreign dignitaries— to tell them what he plans to do every year? Quite possibly unknown to many, the State of the Nation Address (SONA) by the President at the start of his/her term and every year thereafter is mandated by the Constitution.

In Sec. 23 of Article VII (Executive Department) of the 1987 Constitution, there is this provision: “The President shall address the Congress at the opening of its regular session. He may also appear before it at any other time.” By tradition, the SONA takes place on the last Monday of the month of July of every year. Hence, we can say that it’s an obligation on the part of the Chief Executive to tell the people what he intends to do during this six-year term. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s SONA

on July 25, 2022 at the opening of the 19th Congress is widely anticipated as it is expected to flesh out in some detail the general direction of his administration in the next six years that he outlined in his inaugural address right after taking his oath of office last June 30, 2022. The SONA will therefore be a veritable roadmap that the new president will pursue following his landslide victory in the May general elections that gave him a clear mandate to lead the nation. Next page

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Gov’t crafts new dev’t blueprint to achieve pre-pandemic gains By Julito G. Rada

tion targets to bring the rate lower to 9 percent of the population. It also aims to elevate the country to upper middle-income status, where per capita income for Filipinos is at $4,046, by the end of the president’s term, Diokno said. Diokno is confident that to support growth, government revenues will continue to pick up and the budget deficit will decrease in the near term. “The desire is to reduce the deficit which ballooned during the pandemic to around 9 percent deficit-to-GDP ratio to around 3 percent,” he said. The government also aims to cut the debtto-GDP ratio from the 63.5 percent as of the first quarter of 2022 to 60 percent by 2025. Diokno said Marcos wants all industries to perform well. In a separate interview over a public affairs program, Diokno said the president particularly wants the agriculture sector to catch up with other sectors to reduce the country’s reliance on imports. The government will continue importation in the meantime until domestic production increases, Diokno said. Diokno also sees the mining industry as a growth sector, especially with the current uptrend in metals prices. The government will also continue spending for key infrastructure projects. “On the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program, we are committed to spend some 5 to 6 percent of GDP for infrastructure annually between 2023 and 2028,” he said. The economic team is composed of Diokno, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. Single-digit poverty Balisacan said the “ambitious” target of reducing the poverty level to single digit at the end of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is doable. He said Pres-

ident Marcos and the economic team were in substantial agreement on the overall goal of the new administration. “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 that the past administrations laid down made the economy’s foundations stronger. Thus, a robust economy is truly realizable—one capable of recovering lost ground and tapping into the country’s latent human and natural capital to accelerate the country’s progress and be on a par with its neighbors in the region, he said. Poverty incidence among Filipinos in the first semester of 2021 increased by 2.6 percentage points to 23.7 percent from 21.1 percent in the first semester of 2018, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. Balisacan said to achieve these targets, NEDA will push for necessary measures to raise the country’s economic performance. He said the reforms in the past two decades, including under the Duterte administration, encouraged stakeholders to expect greater things from the economy. “As such, despite all the headwinds and economic pains confronting us in the near term, we can aim to do even better and surpass the country’s previous performance, bringing it closer to its long-term development anchor: the AmBisyon Natin 2040,” he said. Debt sustainability Diokno is not bothered by the country’s debt that ballooned to a record P12.76 trillion as of end-April 2022, driven by the Duterte administration’s borrowings to finance COVID-19 response efforts and infrastructure projects. “While our debt-to-GDP ratio is above the 60-percent limit, I don’t think that is a cause of concern,” he said in a briefing. Full story on www.manilastandard.net

The roadmap aims for the gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent this year, and 6.5 percent to 8 percent from 2023 to 2028. The target for 2022 is the highest in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, the government seeks to reduce the budget deficit to 3 percent of GDP starting 2026 until 2028. The budget deficit as a share of GDP stood at 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2022. The administration also hopes to cut the deficit-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio from the current 9 percent to 3 percent by 2023. The national debt-to-GDP level will be reduced to about 60 percent by 2025 from the current 63 percent due to pandemic-related expenses, which is slightly above the 60 percent threshold of multilateral lenders. Filipinos will see more spending for infrastructure under Marcos. The administration plans to spend 5 percent to 6 percent of GDP on infrastructure yearly from 2023 to 2028. In the last 50 years before the Duterte administration, the spending on infrastructure was only less than 2 percent. By the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term, public infrastructure spending would attain its highest share in the economy with a record-high 6.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to his economic team’s medium-term plan. The new administration is also seeking a renewed focus on public-private partnership (PPP) projects. As a follow-through to the P1.12 trillion—or 5.8 percent of GDP—that the national government, local government units (LGUs) and state-run corporations spent on infrastructure last year, the government plans to spend P1.19 trillion, or 5.5 percent of GDP this year. For 2023, the government has set total infrastructure spending at P1.28 trillion (5.4 percent of GDP); P1.39 trillion (5.4 percent of GDP) in 2024; P1.51 trillion (5.3 percent of GDP) in 2025; and P1.71 trillion (5.5 percent of GDP) in 2026. By 2027, the amount to be disbursed on infrastructure will breach P2 trillion, equivalent to 5.8 percent of GDP. In 2028, or the year Marcos ends his sixyear term, the infrastructure program will reach P2.38 trillion, or 6.3 percent of GDP. In his inaugural speech on June 30, President Marcos vowed to continue to build and complete the projects that have been started on schedule. Under the comprehensive infrastructure plan, “no part of our country will be neglected,” and “progress will be made wherever Filipinos are so (that) no investment is wasted.” He also pledged to continue to build and complete the projects that have been started on schedule. The administration hopes to have enough funds for various infrastructure projects and vital social services as tax collections are expected to rise with economic growth. The economic team is confident that revenues will increase to cover debts incurred during the pandemic. High inflation in June was driven by increases in fuel and transport costs as well as higher prices for basic commodities. Consumers and minimum wage earners continue to bear the brunt of soaring commodity

prices, with the country’s inflation soaring to a three-year high of 6.1 percent last month. But the economic managers said this is not a huge concern unique to the Philippines because other countries face the same problem. The government will work to maintain price stability. Among the measures aimed at easing inflationary pressures are the fuel subsidies for public utility vehicle operators and drivers. While oil prices are expected to remain high in the near term, the government will expedite the release of the second tranche of subsidies for the transport sector. The Marcos administration will also focus on providing long-term solutions to the problems hounding the agricultural sector as a key to building a strong economy. This is the reason President Marcos has chosen to head the Department of Agriculture (DA) in a concurrent capacity. The President has indicated that he has made agriculture the single highest priority of his administration amid the production shortfall in palay, corn, livestock, and fisheries. The country cannot build a strong economy unless the country has a robust agricultural sector, which assures food supply even in emergencies. “We need long-term solutions. Solutions that can take care of this problem. We no longer take care of the symptoms – we take care of the disease. And that’s what we are trying to do in agriculture.” According to the President, he would try to address gaps in the value chain by encouraging integration. “When you vertically integrate, there are savings all along the line. And hopefully that gets to the point that we can retail these agricultural products at a good price that’s affordable to people.” The President’s plans to prioritize agriculture and promote self-sufficiency will mean unprecedented assistance for the country’s farmers, many of whom are self-employed “agri-preneurs.” As to the demand of the labor sector for wage increases, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has said another round of wage increases is only possible if there is a supervening event that will warrant it, such as an extraordinary increase in prices of petroleum products and basic goods and services. Earlier, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards in the National Capital Region granted a P33 increase for minimum wage earners in the region. The government will also re-energize the travel and tourism industry that had been badly affected by lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years. The tourism campaign will encourage both domestic and foreign travelers to visit travel destinations with astounding natural beauty and immense historical and cultural value. Our political system, and what should be done to curb corruption The Marcos administration has already moved to rightsize the bureaucracy as part of a comprehensive plan to ensure seamless operations of agencies within and across sectors. Rightsizing will necessarily include cutting bureaucratic red tape that has hobbled government services for as long as we can remember. A component part of political reforms is a relentless drive against graft and corrup-

HE economic team of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. crafted a fiscal strategy that will lower poverty incidence, reduce budget deficit and promote fiscal sustainability to enable the economy to return to the growth levels before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in early part of 2020.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the economic team submitted the first Medium-Term Fiscal Framework to President Marcos. The fiscal strategy will be implemented in two stages over the entire six-year term of the administration. “This framework will set the tone or will be our game plan for the next six years. This is the first time that this government or any government of the Philippines has presented such a game plan,” Diokno said. Diokno said the MTFF contains near-term and medium-term strategic plans for socioeconomic development, which will be presented in detail to the public by Marcos in his first State-of-the- Nation Address. Among the targets under the framework is for the economy to expand by 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent in 2022. Economists expect this goal to be the highest growth rate among the ASEAN+3 countries, which include the 10 Southeast Asian economies, Japan, South Korea and China. Economic growth is expected to be faster 6.5 percent to 8 percent from 2023 to 2028. Diokno said the MTFF demonstrates the government’s holistic approach in accelerating growth and promoting the welfare of Filipinos. The MTFF will also serve as the government’s guidebook in reducing poverty incidence and lowering the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio. “We are not only concerned with growth per se, but we are also concerned with reducing poverty. So, our target is that by the end of President Marcos’ term, poverty incidence will be down to a single digit – nine percent,” Diokno said. The Duterte administration was able to bring poverty incidence down from 23.5 percent in 2015 to 16.7 percent before the pandemic hit. Between the first semester of 2018 and the first semester of 2021, poverty incidence rose to 23.7 percent. The Marcos administra-

6 year... From C1 The SONA today is expected to be comprehensive, as it will discuss policies and programs for economic recovery as well sustainable and inclusive development. It will address pressing concerns, including food security and self-sufficiency, infrastructure development, jobs and livelihood generation, agriculture modernization, and stable and adequate energy supply, apart from poverty alleviation, reforms in education and the public health system, and environmental protection. It is also likely to delve into how an independent foreign policy can be pursued amid dramatic changes in the geo-political situation in the world today. More than a roadmap that will guide those in public office at all levels, what the new administration wants to achieve in the economic, social and political spheres, the SONA is at the same time a sort of a social contract with the people as it should elicit the broadest possible support and active participation in the massive and herculean task of nationbuilding. After all, the new president campaigned for the highest elective post on a general platform of “unity.” That “unity” should be spelled out in concrete terms, with government asking the private sector and civil society composed of the broad sectors—farmers and fisherfolk, labor, youth, women, indigenous peoples—to lend their support to development initiatives. Without the full support of the people, the best-laid plans of government, no matter how well-intentioned and well-crafted, are likely to flounder on the shoals of uncertainty and doubt and thus erode its credibility and claim to legitimacy. In the final analysis, what the SONA should do is to inspire collective confidence and hope for the future, with the government, the private sector, civil society groups and Filipinos working hand in hand to achieve peace, stability, prosperity and a better quality of life for all. Our economic situation, and what should be done to accelerate recovery The country faces many challenges on the economic front in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic: factory and business shutdowns, job losses, and high fuel and food fuel prices, among others. President Marcos is expected to unveil his economic game plan at his first State of the Nation Address today. The administration’s economic team led by Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno has crafted a comprehensive economic recovery roadmap good for the next six years. This all-inclusive economic transformation plan prioritizes job creation and security, sustained infrastructure development, food security and self-sufficiency, adequate energy supply, 21st-century education, public health, and tourism. The goal is to revive an economy adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and the war in Ukraine.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno

A LOOK BACK AT HISTORY:

SONA’s relevance in nation-building By Patricia Taculao PRESIDENTS may go over the years, but one tradition remains steadfast for the head of the country: giving the State of the Nation Address (SONA). It’s more than just a day where Filipinos enjoy a day off from school or work. It’s when they can listen to the president’s plans for the country’s future as long as they hold the position. Delivering the SONA has always been a part of the President’s duties ingrained in the Philippines’ history and Constitution. The SONA that Filipinos know today underwent several revisions throughout the years, depending on the mandate of the existing constitution. It began during the Commonwealth of the Philippines. The 1935 Constitution, as amended, stated in Article VII, Section 5 that: “[T]he President shall from time to time give to the Congress information on the state of the Nation, and recommend to its consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Thus, the annual address became known as the State of the Nation Address. Former President Manuel L. Quezon delivered the first SONA during a special session of the National Assembly on November 25, 1935. Quezon mentioned in his speech that he was giving his message in fulfillment of the Constitutional mandate to report to “the state of the Nation” to Congress during its opening session. Thus, the priority of his speech involved the “first and most urgent need” involving the “very existence when we become a free member of the family of nations”–the establishment of a national defense policy. Afterward, Commonwealth Act No. 17 fixed the opening date of the National Assembly’s sessions to June 16. Quezon delivered the second SONA at the Legislative Building on June 16, 1936, the first SONA before a regular session. Commonwealth Act No. 49, however, amended CA 17 and designated the 16th of October as the date of the opening of the regular sessions of the National Assembly. Since this fell on a Saturday in 1937, the

third SONA by President Quezon fell on Monday, October 18, 1937. Quezon delivered his sixth and last SONA on January 31, 1941, as he would already be in exile the following year because of the Japanese occupation. By the Second Republic, President Jose P. Laurel delivered his first and only message before the special session of the National Assembly, led by Speaker Benigno Aquino, on October 18, 1943, four days after establishing the Republic. It also took place in the Legislative Building in Manila. However, Laurel, who drafted the 1935 Constitution among other delegates, said the 1943 Constitution lacks a report to the Legislature on the nation’s state. His message before the assembly is not on the roster of SONAs. The next SONA occurred after restoring the Commonwealth from the Japanese occupation. The Congress of the Philippines, elected in 1941 as a bicameral body, convened on June 9, 1945. A special session saw the deliverance of the SONA. During this session, President Sergio Osmeña addressed the lawmakers at their temporary quarters in a converted school house at Lepanto Street in Manila. It was Osmeña’s first and only SONA. President Manuel Roxas delivered the last SONA under the Commonwealth of the Philippines on June 3, 1946. After establishing the independent Republic of the Philippines on July 4, 1946, the SONA was to be delivered on the fourth Monday of January, under Commonwealth Act No. 244, starting with Roxas’s address to the First Congress of the Republic on January 27, 1947. In the Third Republic, starting in 1949, the address was held at the reconstructed Legislative Building. Only once did a president not appear personally before Congress: On January 23, 1950, President Elpidio Quirino, who was recuperating at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, delivered his SONA to the Joint Session of Congress via radio broadcast through RCS in the United States that was picked up by the local radio network at 10:00 a.m., just in time for the opening of the regular Congressional session. Full story on www.manilastandard.net

tion. Filipinos already know which agencies are the most prone to corruption, which can take various forms, from traffic enforcers demanding bribes from both private motorists and drivers of public utility vehicles for traffic violations, whether imagined or real, to unscrupulous bureaucrats demanding huge sums to approve contracts. Maintaining peace and order is necessary for government to do its work and for the citizenry to feel secure in their homes, out in the streets or in their workplaces. The Philippine National Police (PNP) must therefore be given all the support it needs to do its job while ensuring that the officials and rank-and-file adhere to the highest standards of discipline law and misfits and scalawags are punished or even dismissed as evidence warrants. The creation of a new office, the Presidential Adviser for Military and Police Affairs, will ensure that these two institutions act in accordance with established protocols in launching national security operations and maintaining law and order throughout the country. The communist insurgency remains a grave national security threat. President Marcos is likely to retain the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to pursue localized peace talks rather than national-level peace negotiations that have failed in the past. The National Security Adviser has instead proposed granting amnesty to those willing to return to mainstream society as one way of ending the decades-long armed rebellion. At the same time, the national government is expected to lend full support to the efforts of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to strengthen self-government as part of the peace process and to accelerate the socio-economic development of the region. Our social structure, and what should be done to reduce poverty The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically set back poverty reduction efforts. Hence, the Marcos administration will seek to lower poverty incidence in the country to 9 percent before the end of its term in 2028. By then, the country should have attained upper middle-income status, with a $4,046 per capita income for Filipinos. The new administration’s economic team aims to bring down poverty to single-digit levels by 2028, which would be the lowest in history. In the previous administration’s first year in office, the poverty level was around 25 percent. But the target under the new situation is for the poverty rate to go down to 9 percent by 2028. The poverty incidence among Filipinos rose to 23.7 percent in the first half of 2021, equivalent to 26.1 million Filipinos, based on official data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. This rose from the 21.1 percent recorded in 2018 due to the pandemic. Along with poverty reduction programs, the national government will focus on education to provide Filipino youths with 21stcentury knowledge and skills, particularly in the sciences. An updated education system will not only be the best defense against ignorance, but also bring to an end to the ex-

ploitation of overseas Filipino workers and allow them to come home with better job opportunities. The new administration should also upgrade the public health system and address the shortcomings in COVID-19 response with transparent public health policies. The national government should also strive to give the poor and disadvantaged sectors adequate social protection to allow them to go beyond the exigencies of daily survival and improve their quality of life over time. Our foreign policy, and what should be done to enhance relations with the international community The Marcos administration should strictly adhere to the constitutional mandate to pursue an independent foreign policy. This means that in its relations with other states, it should assert national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest and the right to self-determination. More than this, it should uphold peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation and amity with all nations. The new government should strengthen diplomatic ties, trade and investments, economic cooperation and cultural and peopleto-people exchanges with as many countries as possible, including the United States, Japan, China, Russia, the European countries and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), among others, on the basis of mutual benefit and mutual respect. President Marcos has indicated that he would uphold the landmark ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on July 12, 2016 favoring the Philippines in the maritime dispute in the South China Sea. He has said he would not “allow a single millimeter of our maritime coastal rights to be trampled upon…We have a very important ruling in our favor and we will use it to continue to assert our territorial rights. It is not a claim. It is already our territorial right.” This is a step in the right direction. On the sixth anniversary of the award, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo correctly said that the South China Sea arbitration is “final” and “indisputable.” The Philippine government should insist that maritime disputes in the South China Sea should be properly handled through dialogue and consultation. At the same time, the Marcos administration should support efforts to advance the consultations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea between China and the ASEAN. Our bilateral relations with China, however, cannot be entirely defined by the South China Sea issue as we have robust trade and investments, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges with Beijing in recent years, and likely to grow even stronger in the future. After the SONA, what? After President Marcos’ SONA, the hard work begins. The road ahead may be full of challenges and roadblocks, that’s already a given. But it’s a new beginning that brings new hope: that the next six years will bring real change that will lead to a stronger democracy, a resilient economy, and a much better future for the nation as a whole.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022

Disney announces two new Marvel ‘Avengers’ films at Comic-Con DISNEY announced a slew of Marvel superhero movies including two new Avengers films Saturday at Comic-Con, as it offered screaming fans an emotional first glimpse at its upcoming Black Panther sequel. The record-breaking Marvel movies have dominated Hollywood and global box offices in recent years, with 2019’s Avengers: Endgame briefly becoming the highest-grossing film of all time at more than $2.79 billion. “I wonder if you guys wouldn’t mind looking ahead a little bit?” studio president Kevin Feige asked the wildly cheering hall of die-hard superhero fans toward the end of a

A scene from ‘Avengers’

raucous hour-plus presentation at a San Diego convention center. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars will hit theaters in 2025, he then announced. The films will aim to follow in the footsteps of Avengers: Endgame, which built unprecedented hype by rounding off storylines presented in all the preceding Marvel films. The two new Avengers titles will conclude the next “saga” of more than a dozen interconnected films and television shows in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” said Feige. “That will complete the second saga of the MCU, which of course is The Multiverse

Saga,” he said. The Marvel franchise in recent films and shows has explored the “multiverse” concept popularized by superhero comic books, in which infinite universes—and infinite versions of each hero and villain—exist in parallel realities. Other films announced Saturday by Disney at the world’s most famous pop culture gathering included Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four, both due in 2024. Feige also set out dates for Blade—in theaters November 2023—and the newly titled Captain America: New World Order coming May 2024.

Kuya Kim realizes dream of hosting a variety show with Pokwang By Patricia Taculao

EING a news personality over the years, Kim Atienza, better known as Kuya Kim, has hosted various shows that allowed him to try new experiences, meet people, and travel to exotic locations. One might assume that Kuya Kim has seen and done it all, but he still eyes some goals he wants to tick off his bucket list. Among them is having a variety show with seasoned comedienne Pokwang.

Kuya Kim finds Pokwang hilarious and great to be with

It was 12 years ago when he first worked with Pokwang as a co-host for the hit noontime show Wowowee. “We hit it so well. Kasama namin si Chokoleit and then sabi ko, ‘I wish I had a game show or variety show with Pokwang.’ It’s always been my wish,” Kuya Kim said during an online media conference. He may have wished for it enough that it manifested as GMA Network premieres its first variety show, Tiktoclock, with Kuya Kim and Pokwang as its hosts. “Tawang-tawa ako kay Pokwang. Gusto ko yung humor niya. Gusto ko yung kabilisan at out-of-the-box humor niya. Matagal na akong tagahanga ni Pokwang sa kaniyang pagpapatawa. Ngayon, nakikilala ko si Pokwang bilang kaibigan kasi we’re even closer now we work together,” Kuya Kim added. Pokwang shares the same sentiments and also finds Kuya Kim hilarious.

“Kung si Kuya Kim natatawa sa akin, ako din natatawa sa kaniya. Hindi niya alam na nakakatawa din siya, especially ‘pag sumasayaw siya. Natural na siyang ganyan,” the comedienne said. She added that having Kuya Kim around also allows them to learn new things, true to his personality as the Philippines’ one and only Trivia King. Yet Kuya Kim and Pokwang aren’t the only ones tasked to host the new show. Joining them is Miss Universe Philippines 2020, Rabiya Mateo. Although Rabiya starred in other shows, including Agimat Ng Agila, Kuya Kim found her presence on the upcoming variety show surprising. Since she’s a beauty queen, Kuya Kim assumed she’d be self-conscious about her appearance on the show. Rabiya proved him otherwise. According to Kuya Kim, Rabiya shows a more authentic side to her on Tiktoclock and matches the energy her

‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ redeems Jane Foster in newer light Displeased, Portman chose to distance herself from the franchise altogether. The WARNING! Some spoilers ahead. After character was then written off but occasionally more than a decade after the first Thor mentioned throughout the franchise’s other movie debuted, the fan-favorite god of films after Portman’s decision. However, in an interview, Portman thunder returns to the screen with a new adventure with the premiere of Thor: Love revealed that she was ecstatic when the studio approached her about the idea of and Thunder. reprising the role for the The movie follows the fourth installment. The Asgardians of the galaxy Thor-star also gushed into a new adventure about working with Taika involving the defeat of Waititi as the director the God-butcher Gorr heavily influenced her (Christian Bale). Fans decision to return for remain too nostalgic for Love and Thunder. the comedic brilliance of “I was so excited to director Taika Waititi, [get] to work with him who brought back a that I think I would’ve familiar face to the said yes to anything he screen alongside Thor: asked me to do,” the Jane Foster. actress gushed. Natalie Portman’s Portman’s Jane Foster Jane Foster returns as was initially introduced the “Mighty Thor” who as Thor’s love interest, now wields the hammer Natalie Portman as Jane Foster in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ with her character Mjolnir. “They came to me with the fourth idea development heavily influenced by the title and said, ‘You know that we have this idea character’s story. The fourth installment sheds new light on that was a storyline in some of the comics where Jane becomes Lady Thor,” said Jane Foster—it takes her out of the shadows as more independent and empowering. Portman in an interview. Love and Thunder revamped Natalie Portman, who debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as astrophysicist Dr. Portman’s character to explore outside Jane Foster, left the franchise after the the box and live up to her potential as the studio decided to part ways with director worthy Mighty Thor. Thor: Love and Thunder now screens in Patty Jenkins for the second installment, theaters nationwide. Thor: The Dark World.

By Gabriellea Parino

co-hosts give off. For Pokwang, that’s what makes the three of them jive well together as hosts. Rabiya also had her expectations of other cohosts. Since Kuya Kim is in the news and current affairs industry, she thought he had a stiff personality. Kuya Kim also debunked her ﬁrst impression. Now, Rabiya sees him as a kind and humorous individual. As for Pokwang, who Rabiya fondly calls “Mamang,” she ﬁrst felt nervous around the comedienne because of her years and experience in the industry. “Parang dati takot akong magkamali kasi I know napakatagal na niya sa industriya. Pero si Mamang, nandoon talaga yung touch ng pagiging nanay. Hindi talaga maiiwasan,” the beauty queen said. She added that Pokwang would give her food and medicine, proving that no matter how long she’s been in the industry, she still puts her heart into

Pokwang frequently shows her motherly side to her co-hosts Rabiya Mateo debunks her co-hosts’ first impressions by showing her comedic side

everything she does. Tiktoclock, which showcases Filipinos’ abilities in singing and dancing, premieres today on GMA.

The blossoming of Cinemalaya LOVERS of the cinematic arts will troop once more to the Cultural Center of The Philippines as the curtains are raised for Cinemalaya 18: Breaking Through The Noise, with eleven fulllength feature films ready to dazzle, intrigue, and surprise the audience from August 5 to 14. Multi-awarded film director and Cinemalaya’s Main Competition and Monitoring Chair Jose Javier Reyes declares: “What these filmmakers experienced is nothing short of ridiculous and downright amazing. They made their films during the height of the pandemic. They are survivors because… oh, no, no, no no! That’s not correct. They’re more than survivors.” “These are the passionate filmmakers who had to work so hard to get their voices and their visions brought right back to the main theater of the CCP. And regardless of who among them should win, they should be honored for being the true passionate Filipino filmmakers,” Reyes added. The crème dela crème of filmmakers in Cinemalaya’s debutant season are: Maan L. Asuncion’s Blue Room starring JK Labajo, Elijah Canlas, Harvey Bautista, Nourijune, Keoni Jin, Ricardo Cepeda, and Soliman Cruz; Real S. Florido’s Bakit Di Mo Sabihin starring Janine Gutierrez, JC de Vera, Divine Aucina, Shing Gener, and RJ Agustin; Rainerio Yamson II’s Angkas with Joem Bascon, Benjamin Alves, Meryll Soriano, and Jolo Estrada in the cast; Anna Isabelle Matutina’s 12 Weeks featuring Max Eigenmann, Bing Pimentel, Vance Larena,

and Claudia Enriquez; TM Malones’s Kargo topbilled by Max Eigenmann, Jess Mendoza, Myles Robles, and Ronnie Lazaro; Milo Alto Paz and Cynthia Cruz Paz’s Retirada bannered by Peewee O’Hara, Jerry O’Hara, Donna Cariaga, Dexter Doria, and Nanding Josef; Carlo Obispo’s The Baseball Player that stars Tommy Alejandrino, JM San Jose, Sue Prado, Tess Antonio, and Joel Saracho; Roman Perez Jr.’s Kaluskos starring Coleen Garcia, Cara Gonzales, Elora Españo, Karl Medina, and Queenzy Calma; Christian Paolo Lat’s Ginhawa billed by Andrew Ramsay, Ruby Ruiz, Dido de la Paz, Rolando Inocencio, Kiko Matos, and Chanel Latorre; Sheenly Gener’s Bula sa Langit with cast members Gio Gahol, Kate Alejandrino, AIR; and Ronald Espinosa’s Batsoy starring Ethan Sean Sotto, Markko Cambas, Karen Laurrie Mendoza, Nathan J. Sotto, and Jonalie Asdolo. Aside from the CCP, the competing ﬁlms

are up for screening in select partner cinemas nationwide from August 10 to 17 and in selected regional communities from August 22 to 29. The online run of the films is from October 17 to 31 via the CCP Vimeo account. The opening night film this year is Leonor Will Never Die (Ang Pagbabalik Ng Kuwago) by Marika Perez Escobar. The closing films are documentaries entitled We Don’t Dance for Nothing by director Stefanos Tai, and Delikado by Karl Malakunas. The Cinemalaya Awards Night will be held on August 14 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. Without a doubt, Cinemalaya, has remained true to its mission and vision to discover, encourage and support cinematic works of upcoming and seasoned Filipino filmmakers who boldly articulate and freely interpret the Philippine experience with fresh insight, heart, and soul as depicted and presented in the motion pictures in competition and exhibition. Since its inception in 2005, Cinemalaya has built its reputation as the Philippines’ most prestigious independent film festival and has showcased over 1,000 works from the best and brightest Filipino filmmakers.

The filmmakers of Cinemalaya 18

Top 5 ‘Ang Babae Sa Likod Ng Face Mask’ fan theories THE Puregold Channel’s digital series Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask has taken the online world by storm. The funny and heartwarming love story of Malta and Sieg, played by Herlene Budol and Joseph Marco, respectively, has cre-

ated a massive fan base among Filipino romcom fans all over the world. Its most recent episode turned into a cliffhanger as Malta bailed on their ﬁrst face-to-face date, leaving Sieg frustrated and heartbroken. Will Sieg ever forgive Malta for her alibis and lies? With their story taking a provocative turn, the show’s ever-growing fanbase is speculating about what’s to come next. Here are just ﬁve of our favorite theories: Sieg goes back to his ‘ex’ Episode 6 ends with Sieg extremely upset about being ghosted by Malta—and turning to drink that night. Fans now wonder: could Malta’s latest caper drive an inebriated Sieg Madam Baby remains a supportive presence in Malta’s life back into the arms of his ex?

It’s a prank! plastic surgery solve her problem? The big quesThis one’s a little out there but it’s what tion would then be: but can Malta afford it? With makes fan theories . . . uhm, fun! And one of a sudden cash windfall perhaps? Or an enamored the funniest is Madam Baby’s attempts to be a and wealthy Sieg paying for it? viral Tiktok star. She’s done a number of dance Sieg x Trina Forever? crazes—and quite a slew of pranks—to have a We all know that Trina has the hots for Sieg, shot at Tiktok and YouTube fame. who could be feeling vulnerable at the moment. Is Madam Baby simply using Malta and Sieg’s She could grab Sieg for herself, couldn’t she? budding romance to rev up With Trina using all the tricks fans’ interest in her life? Pershe knows, it could even lead to haps she’s the puppet master wedding bells! Well, stranger pulling all the strings. After all, things have happened. wasn’t it Madam Baby who Sieg forgives Malta once sweet-talked Malta into conand for all fessing her feelings for Sieg in We’re saving the last for the Episode 5? ending that romcom fans clamThe last resort: cosmetic or for—the Happily Ever After. surgery As crazy love stories go, Sieg If feelings of insecurity are Malta’s affection for Sieg is can see past Malta’s antics and standing between Malta and matched only by her own understand where she’s coming her happiness, could turning to insecurity about her looks from. Love can ﬁnally bloom

Sieg has been speaking with Malta entirely via video and phone calls since meeting her and grow—unrestrained. These are all just theories, though. What’s yours? See how their love story unravels by watching the forthcoming episodes of Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask, streaming every Saturday at 7:00 p.m., on the ofﬁcial YouTube Puregold Channel.

Life

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

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022

A visit to my mother’s hometown O

(Part 1)

RMOC City was where my siblings and I, as gradeschoolers, would spend our summer vacations. Mama would always be proud to show us around where she grew up — her school, her favorite playground — and introduce us to her former schoolmates and other friends she grew up with. Of course, we would always look forward to such visits because it also meant endless feasting on the sweetest pineapple Ormoc is known for and the delectable Pastillas de Leche from Carigara, an hour’s drive from the city province, which our grandmother would always welcome us with. As we grew older, visits to Ormoc became less frequent because we realized we wanted more excitement in our summer vacations. As grown-ups, we started to realize that Ormoc is a sleepy town. We would just stay home at my grandmother’s house, then pray the rosary with her when the bells toll at the nearby Sts. Peter and Paul Church for the 6:00 p.m. Angelus. For teenagers, that daily routine was dull. As the years progressed, we even got to the point of avoiding Ormoc because we learned that criminality in the city increased and the use of prohibited substances became prevalent. In fact, the city became the drug capital of Eastern Visayas. Fast forward to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, which put an emphasis on eliminating these prohibited substances. Then Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez worked hand-in-hand with the president in

restoring peace and stability in the city and freeing it from the clutches of drug purveyors and users. Finally, in 2018 and 2019, my dearly beloved mother’s hometown was named “Safest City In The Country” by the Philippine National Police Crime Research and Analysis Center. It remains drug-free to this day, thanks to the hardworking tandem, the best-looking husband-and-wife government officials in the country, former Mayor Gomez and former Congressman Lucy Torres-Gomez of the 4th District of Leyte. The May 9 elections saw the couple switch positions, which the Ormocanons agreed with overwhelmingly, as each won over their respective rivals not just by a landslide but by an avalanche. To the newly elected Congressman of the 4th District of Leyte Richard Gomez and newly elected Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, I owe a debt of gratitude for putting my mother’s hometown back on the tourist map once again. So, when this “good-looking duo” invited some media friends and I to attend the city’s various fiesta celebrations, I immediately accepted. My last visit to Ormoc was almost a decade ago, so I wanted to see the changes. And I was not disappointed.

After the Piña Festival event, the “hardworking and good-looking tandem” joins the media team for a freewheeling discussion on anything and everything. (From left) Daily Tribune’s MJ Blancaflor, Congressman Richard Gomez, Business Mirror’s Stella Arnaldo, Philippine Star’s Wilson Lee Flores, Mayor Lucy TorresGomez, People Asia’s Bum Tenorio, the author, and Inquirer’s Tina Arceo-Dumlao

The façade of Ormoc City Hall

Driving anywhere in the city is such a Piña Festival yearly when they started their pleasant experience because all the roads respected terms in office six years ago. It are either smoothly asphalted or cemented. has become a very effective way of attractTourism has grown by leaps and bounds, as ing more visitors to the city. It was always shown in the hotels’ high occupancy rates. a big success because it translated to a reAccording to Congressman Gomez, big markable increase in revenue for the cominvestors have come knocking at the city’s mercial establishments. door non-stop. This first-class city is now Of course, it is also fitting to have a festeeming with commercial establishments, tival that celebrates the farmers’ bountiful in fact, it’s beginning to look like any city harvest of pineapple because the fruit is one here in Metro Manila…and, of course, it’s of Ormoc’s top agricultural products. The a sleepy town no more. I’m very proud to Ormoc pineapple is relatively small comlearn that Ormoc is now the economic, cul- pared to those grown elsewhere, but what tural, commercial, and transportation hub makes it very much in demand is its pleasof Western Leyte, thanks to the hardwork- antly saccharine taste. ing Gomez tandem, who best exemplifies Congressman Gomez told us that pineapple farmers have to wait 18 months before what good governance is all about. After a two-hour drive from Tacloban the fruit is ready for harvest, so they sched(Ormoc’s new airport is scheduled to start ule their planting to ensure a harvest every operations next year), my media friends and day of the year. I arrived just in time for the Piña Festival With 500 hectares of agricultural land Parade that kicked off the city’s series of planted with pineapple, small wonder the fiesta celebrations. Congressman Gomez city has more than enough of the sweet fruit invited us to join to offer visitors him and his famany day of the ily on the City year. YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE G o v e r n m e n t ’s After the Piña “When your friends begin to flatter you float so, there Festival event at on how young you look, it’s a sure sign we were, with the city plaza, you’re getting old!” – Mark Twain the newly elected the Gomez coucouncilors, wavple invited us to a ing at the throng sumptuous buffet of happy Ormocanons who lined the streets, dinner at the new Ormoc Museum, which is who were also excitedly waving back at us. another feather in their cap. They both made it possible for the Ormocanons to have this They must have wondered who we were. The parade ended with the proclamation “window to their past” through the beautiful of the Piña Festival Queen, the contestants and important exhibits. The priceless art and who also participated in the parade on their historical pieces displayed on the museum’s respective floats accompanied by their own two floors, including Congressman Gomez’s pep squads. There were eight of them, rep- personal collection of Amorsolos, make this resenting different schools in the city. Af- new Ormoc landmark a “must” for visitors. ter the customary “look over” by the board Our dinner stretched longer than usual of judges, the very pretty Princess Donah because the couple shared with us more of Ortega Paraiso of STI College was pro- the city’s interesting attractions and events, which conversation later included “juicy claimed Piña Festival Queen 2022. The Gomez tandem decided to stage this tidbits” on anything and everything that

New Clark City features open spaces and parks for athletic guests and tourists

The new Piña Festival Queen 2022 is Princess Donah Ortega Paraiso from STI College

Congressman Richard poses in front of his own masterpiece which he finished in one day when he saw on TV that the Amazon warehouse in California was burning only good friends talk about. These and more, next week! For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Hilton Manila appoints Ryan Hong as new executive chef

Luzon’s next top tourist destination HIGHLIGHTING New Clark City’s potential as the next choice tourist destination in Luzon, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) recently pitched this 9,450-hectare greenfield development to investors in the travel and tourism industry. BCDA Senior Vice President for Conversion and Development Engr. Joshua M. Bingcang during the recent Central Luzon Tourism Investment Summit and Business Exchange (CLTISBEX) urged local and foreign investors to explore opportunities in New Clark City, especially in the field of ecotourism. The summit was attended by 36 investors and agencies from the Philippines, Singapore, China, Japan, and South Korea. “BCDA is always open to tourism investments in New Clark City. Given its strategic location, rich biodiversity, and vast open spaces, it is the perfect place for eco-theme parks and ecotourism projects,” Bingcang shared. He said BCDA also continuously looks for partners to increase mixed-use, retail, and food and beverage establishments in New Clark City. In line with the vision to make New Clark City as the country’s next green, sustainable, and smart urban center, BCDA’s master plan

Congressman Richard at the massive pineapple plantation of the Larrazabal family and the author couldn’t resist the sweet, juicy temptation

An overhead view of New Clark City proposes that only 40 percent of the total land area will be built on, leaving 60 percent for forests, open spaces, and parks. This makes New Clark City the perfect hot spot for ecotourism and outdoor recreational facilities. Currently, New Clark City is already home to the 4.5-hectare River Park, which features a 1.4-kilometer walkway along the Cutcut River. There are also plans to develop the 44.8-hectare Central Park at the heart of the city, which will be one of the largest public parks in the country once completed. During his presentation, Bingcang cited the qualities that make New Clark City a promising tourist and investment haven in the region. For one, he said New Clark City’s strategic location, high elevation, and disaster-resilient features help ensure its resiliency against

natural calamities, such as typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Connectivity is also the main feature of New Clark City, with a network of infrastructure projects already existing or in the pipeline to make it a globally competitive destination. This includes the Clark International Airport (CRK) and its new passenger terminal, which became operational on May 2. With state-of-theart facilities, contactless features, and inclusive amenities, the world-class gateway is expected to boost tourism arrivals in Central Luzon. New Clark City will also become more accessible upon the completion of the North-South Commuter Railway. Crucial road infrastructure projects are also being developed in the area, including the New Clark City to Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway Access Road, and the New Clark City to CRK Airport Access Road. There are also plans to develop a public transportation system inside New Clark City as locators and residents increase. This rising metropolis stands to benefit from the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure Project (LBIP) by BCDA and the Department of Information Communications and Technology (DICT). Through the LBIP, special economic zones including Clark and New Clark City will be equipped with 500,000 megabytes per second (MBps) every year. “We are already getting there. We’ve accomplished much of the infrastructure development. Our roads are already complete. The national government said let’s do all the design in accordance with the long-term requirement. We should already future-proof it,” Bingcang said.

HILTON Manila recently announced the appointment of Ryan Hong as its new executive chef. In his new role, Chef Ryan will be responsible for the culinary operations of the hotel’s dining outlets: Kusina Sea Kitchens, Hua Yuan Brasserie Chinoise, Madison, and Port Bar, as well as its in-room dining services. Chef Ryan will also oversee the hotel’s banquets and catering including weddings and corporate events. “We are delighted to welcome Chef Ryan at Hilton Manila where his dedication to his craft, positivity, and over 15 years of experience are a welcome addition to our team,” shares John Lucas, hotel general manager, adding, “We are optimistic as we venture forward and upward in a reenergized market that is hungry for new and As Hilton Manila’s new executive chef, Ryan exciting culinary experiences.” Chef Ryan will be at the forefront of Hong is responsible for the hotel’s dining Kusina Sea Kitchens, the hotel’s famed all- outlets and events day dining restaurant known for its MarHilton Manila is part of Hilton Honors, ketplace or Dampa-style offerings highlighted by sustainably- sourced seafood, the award-winning guest-loyalty program premium meats, and seasonal produce. The for Hilton’s 18 world-class brands. Honors restaurant serves a rich ensemble of Fili- members enjoy special savings of up to 25 pino gourmet favorites seamlessly blended percent when dining at Hilton Manila’s restaurants and bars as well as at other Hilton with recipes from all over the world. “I am excited to be a part of Hilton Manila hotels in the Philippines. Members who also book directly through and share my knowledge of the kitchen and hospitality industry with the team,” said Chef Hilton’s direct channels have access to instant Ryan, adding, “I look forward to treating our benefits, including a flexible payment slider guests to dishes that they have come to love at that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Hilton Honors Points and our restaurants, while also introducing cash to book a stay, free standard Wi-Fi, new and fresh flavors.” and exclusive discounts. Members also A Korean-Australian native, get to enjoy popular digital tools availChef Ryan has over 15 years of able only through the industry-leading culinary experience where he has Hilton Honors mobile app, where they consistently worked and champican check-in, choose their room, oned the kitchen teams of and access amenities using the several hotels in Australia, Digital Key. South and Southeast Asia including tours in Jeju, For inquiries and reservaBangladesh, Phuket, and tions, visit www.hiltonmanila. Sydney, to name a few. com or call +632 7239 7788. Chef Ryan has also reFollow Hilton Manila (@hilceived several accolades tonmanila) on Facebook, Insincluding ‘Hotel Chef of the tagram, and Youtube for more Year 2015,’ ‘Metro Restauinformation and updates. rant of the Year 2015,’ and Finalist for ‘Chef of the Executive Chef Ryan Hong is a Year 2016’ in both Tourism Korean-Australian native with Accommodation Australia more than 15 years of culinary and the Hotel Management experience Magazine.