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BBM: No to sugar import plan (Story on A4)

SRA proposal to buy 300k MT abroad intended to boost tight supply

By Vince Lopez and Othel Campos

ESPITE tight supply, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday rejected a proposal of the Sugar Regulatory Administration to import 300,000 metric tons (MT) of raw and refined sugar. “The President rejected the proposal to import an additional 300,000 MT of sugar,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a press statement. Marcos, concurrent Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, is also the chairperson of the Sugar Regulatory Board. Cruz-Angeles issued the statement following online reports that Marcos

supposedly approved the importation plan. “(Marcos) is the chairman of the Sugar Regulatory Board and has denied this in no uncertain terms,” she added. After the sector missed production targets due to high input costs and typhoons, retail prices of sugar have already breached the P100 per kilogram level in wet markets and grocery stores. Next page

VOL. XXXVI • NO. 176 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P20 THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Congress asked to stretch validity of COVID vax law By Willie Casas, Macon Ramos-Araneta, and Rio N. Araja THE Department of Health (DOH) has asked Congress to extend the validity of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act, saying its provisions would become invalid once the government lifts the state of calamity. The law, Republic Act 11525, remains in full force and effect during the period of the state of calamity declared by the President, DOH officer-in-charge and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told senators at the launch of the “PinasLakas” COVID-19 vaccination booster program at the Senate Wednesday. The law covers the emergency use authorization of the COVID-19 vaccines, tax exemptions for the assistance received by the government, emergency procurements, and measures to control the price of commodities. In September 2021, former President Rodrigo Duterte extended the COVID-19 state of calamity until Sept. 12, 2022.

“This declaration will, among others, effectively afford the national government, as well as local government units’ ample latitude to continue to implement the COVID-19 vaccination program,” Duterte said in his proclamation. It also allowed the government to use appropriate funds, including a Quick Response Fund, and monitor and control prices of basic necessities and prime commodities as well as provide basic services to affected populations. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the senators would study the DOH appeal, saying if the law is time-bound, they could simply extend the validity of the act. On Monday, the Senate leaders said they will hold a hearing with the DOH to look into the amendments the agency wanted amid the COVID-19 surge. In an interview Wednesday, Vergeire said the DOH would propose redefining the term “fully vaccinated” to people who have had their first jabs and a booster shot. Vergeire said they had already proposed such a plan to the previous administration Next page

FLEXING JABS. Department of Health OIC Maria Rosario Vergeire and other doctors flex their arms as they lead the launching of the Pinas Lakas COVID-19 booster vaccination program at the Manila Medical Center Manila in UN Avenue Manila on Wednesday. Danny Pata

PH won’t get monkeypox vax this year, maybe 2023 Vergeire said the earliest that the country may likely procure the life-saving vaccine THE Philippines is not likely to get access would be next year with the help of to monkeypox vaccines this year due to the private sector but gave no specific rising demand for the jab, the Department timeframe. "Unfortunately, based on our discussions, of Health said Wednesday. Next page DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario

By Willie Casas

Speaker cites media’s role in democracy MEDIA’S FRIEND. Speaker Martin Romualdez (left) administers the oath to the new officers of the United Print &

Multimedia Group (UPMG) on Wednesday at the House of Representatives. They are (from right) director Jeanette Somiguez, advertising manager of BusinessWorld; director Annie Grefal, Sales and Operations OIC of Manila Standard, director Vivienne Motomal, AVP Sales and Marketing of the Journal Group of Publications; PRO Jong Arcano, AVP Key Relationship Officer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer; treasurer Sherly Baula, Credit and Collection Manager of Chinese Commercial News; secretary Angel Guerrero, President and Editor-in-Chief of Adobo Magazine; vice president Jay Sarmiento, Sales and Marketing Director of PhilStar Media Group; and group president Barbie Atienza, External Affairs and HR Development Head of Manila Bulletin. Ver Noveno

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday said public officials should not shun the media, as it is a partner in nation-building. “From day one in government, I

have considered the Philippine media not as an adversary but a partner in nation-building,” he told officers of the United Print and Multimedia Group during their oath-taking at the House of Representatives in Quezon City

Gov’t media first among equals as they get priority to interview THE Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said Wednesday it is giving priority to government media when it comes to granting interviews. Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said this is her agency’s “standout policy” since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

assumed office. In an interview on state-run Radyo Pilipinas, she said private media will also be accommodated, but state media will be given "a premium first." In July, Marcos ordered the abolition Next page

Wednesday afternoon. “Some say we in government should be wary of journalists, as the media usually focus on the negatives rather than report the positive. They say good news doesn’t make headlines.

Senate on lockdown, 3 senators positive for COVID SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday said visitors will not be allowed entry to the Senate premises for three weeks beginning August 15 after three senators tested positive for COVID-19 in just a week.

“We beg for the indulgence of the public. We just want to be safe; we have members and staff with comorbidities,” Zubiri said. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano first tested positive on Aug. 3, followed by Senators Imee Marcos on Aug. 8 and Cynthia Villar

on Aug. 9, prompting the Senate leadership to conduct a caucus with the medical team on Wednesday. Zubiri said all senators during the caucus agreed to tighten health and safety protocols. Next page

SHOPPING FOR SCHOOL. Shoppers buy school supplies at a store in Baclaran on Wednesday. The Paranaque City district is one of the go-to places for shoppers looking for pencils, crayons, uniforms, and bags, which are sold at cheaper prices compared to malls and department stores. Gil Calinga

DepEd urges parents to enroll kids as only 67% of goals have enlisted BELUGA WHALE DIES IN RESCUE ATTEMPT

PH FIRMS IN FORBES UNDER-BILLION LIST

IGNACIO TAPPED AS OWWA CHIEF

NEWS / A2

NEWS / A3

MORE than 18.6 million students in basic education have registered for the coming school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Wednesday. In a press conference, DepEd spokesman Michael Poa said the figure was about 64 percent to 67 percent of the agency’s target of 28.6 million students. Poa urged parents to enroll their

children as soon as possible to help schools prepare for the school year. He noted that in previous years, students enroll on the last day of enrollment or even during school opening, while classes are ongoing. Having “concrete” enrollment figures would help DepEd carry out strategies Next page

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

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DOE eyes hybrid systems for power By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Willie Casas

HE Department of Energy (DOE) is looking at shifting to hybrid systems to provide long-term solutions to the country’s energy problems DOE Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla said: "The long-term solution... is really to shift to hybrid systems.” “We must end this overdependence on petroleum and petroleum-based fuels because otherwise we will always experience the volatilities in prices and, therefore, it means we would have to invest in solar, in wind, and as you mentioned even newer technologies," Lotilla, quoted in a

GMA News report, said. Lotilla, speaking at a briefing with the Senate energy committee, also said: "Hopefully, down the road, ocean, thermal, hydrogen, offshore wind, these are the things that we need to invest in so that our people don't have to depend on petroleum-

BBM:...

Commerce and Industry president George Barcelon said the importation of 300,000 MT would have given food processors “a breather.” “There is currently a sugar shortage. Lower than expected harvest, sometimes due to calamities, causing high prices is a recurring issue over the years, similar to rice. The Department of Trade and Industry jointly with the Department of Agriculture should institute a monitoring system to avoid inflationary impact,” Barcelon said. “A system of balancing supply versus price so the local sugar farmers and mills would not be unduly impacted, and the consumers of processed food and beverage products (would) not be burdened,” he added.

From A1

Traditionally, the retail price of sugar is only P50 per kilo. SRA data in July showed sugar production at 1.792 million MT – 16.18 percent lower than the 2.139 million MT produced in the previous crop year. The agency forecasts the current crop year to drop further to 1.982 million MT – from an earlier estimate of 2.072 million MT – due to typhoons. Aside from importation, another measure being considered by the SRA is the setting of a suggested retail price for sugar. For his part, Philippine Chamber of

Congress... From A1

but were told to put it on hold so as not to derail the reopening of the economy. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has tested positive twice for COVID-19, has consistently reminded the public to get their booster shot as additional protection. The DOH also launched its PinasLakas campaign with a goal to boost 23.8 million Filipinos or 50 percent of the eligible population within the first 100 days of the Marcos administration. It also aims to vaccinate 90 percent of the target senior citizens within the same period. Based on DOH’s latest data, 16.6 million Filipinos have now received their booster shots, while 71.9 million are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In other developments: • The Public Attorney’s Office on Wednesday maintained that COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory. PAO chief

PH... From A1

the earliest we will be able to get the deliveries, if ever we are able to buy, would still be 2023," Vergeire said in a television interview. The DOH is exploring other avenues to acquire at least a minimal amount of monkeypox vaccines – which will be first given to healthcare workers – including the possibility of procuring these through an ASEAN mechanism, Vergeire said. Three manufacturers of monkeypox vaccines have so far been identified by the DOH. "With this Asean, it is still on the stage of exploratory meetings and then the whole ASEAN membership – these 10 countries – will be procuring as one so that we can have stocks for all of these countries. But this is still at the initial stage," Vergeire added. The Philippines confirmed its first case on July 29, and the patient had since recovered from the disease With monkeypox surging across the world, experts are gathering more evidence on how people catch it and its typical symptoms. Several months into the epidemic, it is clear the wave of infections is linked above all to sexual intercourse between men. Nearly 28,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide in the last three months and the first deaths are starting to be recorded. Here is a summary of what we know: Who is catching it? Monkeypox has been around in a dozen African countries for decades, but in contrast to previous outbreaks on the continent, the virus is now predominantly spread through sexual activity. Some 99 percent of US cases have so far been among men who have sex with men (MSM). In Africa, the virus notably affects children. In the last three weeks studies printed in leading medical publications – British Medical Journal (BMJ), The Lancet and New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) – painted a clinical picture of the current spike in infections, even if it is still early days and the results are based on only a few hundred cases. In each study, the MSM community accounts for nearly all cases.

Persida Acosta backed the Department of Education, which said it can only abide by the national policy that vaccination is not mandatory. Acosta welcomed DepEd’s anti-discrimination position against unvaccinated children, teachers, and non-faculty personnel. • The independent monitoring OCTA Research Group said Wednesday that the one-week growth rate of COVID-19 infections in the National Capital Region (NCR) has decreased to 5 percent. OCTA fellow Guido David, in a tweet, said that NCR’s growth rate as of Tuesday, Aug. 9, was at 5 percent after logging 828 new COVID-19 cases. This is down from the 14 percent growth rate recorded in the region on Aug. 2. NCR's reproduction number — or the number of people infected by one case — also went down to 1.17 as compared to the 1.24 recorded last week. Metro Manila’s one-week positivity rate—or the percentage of people found positive for COVID-19 among the total number of people tested—also decreased from 17.4 percent on Aug. 6 to 15.9 percent on Aug. 9. How is it transmitted? The male sex link was no surprise as it appeared from the first recorded observations and has been targeted by health authorities. This leads to the sensitive question of whether the virus is transmitted through sexual activity. The latest clinical reports leave little doubt. "Our study strengthens the evidence for skin-to-skin contact during sex as the dominant mechanism of transmission of monkeypox, withimportant implications for disease control," said The Lancet with data from several Spanish hospitals. The viral charge had been found to be much higher in patients' skin lesions than in their breathing equipment. This observation seems to undermine the idea pushed by some researchers that airborne transmission was also playing a major role in the spread of cases. At the same time, monkeypox is not thought to be caught via sperm, and although that has not been totally ruled out, current research is far from proving it. Symptoms? All three studies agreed on the main symptoms. "The characteristics of the cohort we describe differ from those of populations affected in previous outbreaks in endemic regions," the BMJ noted in the study of UK cases. The two key elements are fever, often with muscular aches, and skin lesions which scab over. But the details vary, probably because of the type of transmission, with recent cases heavily linked to sexual activity. For all three studies, the lesions often break out in the anus, penis and mouth. One complication that has previously been rarely observed has been inflammation of the rectum or a swelling on the penis. The Lancet found complications occurred in 40 percent of cases and the NEJM in some 20 percent. But there was also some good news about the gravity of the illness. "Clinical outcomes in this case series were reassuring. Most cases were mild and self-limited, and there were no deaths," the NEJM said. "Although 13 percent of the persons were admitted to a hospital, no serious complications were reported in the majority of those admitted." With AFP (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

based fuels." However, Lotilla said this could not happen in a short period of time, but it should start immediately, especially now that the cost of renewables is declining, GMA News reported. Lotilla, in the same report, also said he is inclined to discuss reforms in the energy sector with Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangadaman, who are both sitting as board members of the National Power Corporation and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM). Lotilla also said he’s already “having nightmares on power outages during the

coming summer months.” "But the summer months, I have to tell you, I'm beginning to have also not only nightmares but concerns about that (brownouts)," Lotilla told a Senate committee hearing. Senate energy committee chair Raffy Tulfo earlier filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the "persistent and recurring" power outages and rotational blackouts plaguing several parts of the country in the past two years, including Mindoro, which he described as the "most disturbing" case among all regions suffering from power outages. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

‘PH has detailed plan if Taiwan tensions escalate’ A TOP official of the Department of National Defense (DND) yesterday warned of a humanitarian crisis as the Philippines continues to monitor the tension between Taiwan and China. Speaking during the organizational meeting of the Senate Committee on National Defense, DND OIC Usec. Jose Faustino Jr. noted they already have a detailed plan and timeline in case of the repatriation of Filipinos in Taiwan. "Right now, what we can do is closely monitor, we have prepared contingency if and ever the worst-case scenario will happen," Faustino said. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, the chairperson of the said Senate committee, said he “hopes the situation will not worsen.” "We are hoping the tension won't escalate, but if it heightened, the military is prepared to repatriate our OFWs," he said in a media briefing. He said Faustino and Vice Admiral Reyes assured him they have prepared a contingency plan. Faustino cautioned against the impact of the China-Taiwan conflict on the whole world. He said this is because the Taiwan Strait is considered a "sea lane of communication." Macon RamosAraneta (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

IN BRIEF TAIWAN DONATION. Representative Peiyung Hsu of the Taipei Economic

and Cultural Office in the Philippines (TECO) and Silvestre Bello III, Chairman and Resident Representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), flank Abra Governor Dominic B. Valera (center) after Taiwan donated US$200,000 to the Philippines as a disaster relief fund to assist the people affected by the recent earthquake in northern Luzon at a handover ceremony in TECO on Wednesday.

Gov’t... From A1

of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and the restoration of the OPS, an agency PCOO superseded 12 years ago, through Executive Order (EO) No. 2. Under the EO, OPS has the authority to "pronounce, on behalf of the President, matters pertaining to his actions, policies, programs, official activities, and accomplishments." It is also tasked to develop and implement necessary guidelines and mechanisms pertaining to the delivery and dissemination of information on policies, programs, official activities, and achievements of the The OPS currently supervises the operations of state-run TV stations PTV-4 and IBC-13, radio station Radyo Pilipinas, and the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) is now controlled by the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) while the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) has gone back under the supervision of the Office of the President (OP). Cruz-Angeles also said the OPS is preparing for the release of an

DepEd... From A1

to deal with COVID-19, dengue, and monkeypox, Poa said. The DepEd assured the public that schools are expected to have an infection control plan for the opening of in-person classes this month, considering the possible surge of COVID-19 cases. The DepEd made the statement in a press briefing in response to the OCTA Research Group’s pronouncement that cases could go up once the in-person classes resume. "We take OCTA Research seriously as guidance. However, we look also at the study of [the United Nations Children's Fund]. There's actually no direct correlation between in-person classes and transmission, as long as the minimum safety standards are observed, most particularly the wearing of face masks. That is important,” Poa said. Poa noted that under DepEd Order 34, schools are required to have an “infection containment” strategy. The DepEd, meanwhile, assured the public it is coordinating with the Department of Health to promote the government's vaccination campaign, as well as counseling that will be launched per region. It maintained its stance that the vaccination remains voluntary and that no one will be discriminated against for being unvaccinated. “There will be no discrimination. So this

Senate... From A1

He said not all visitors would be allowed entry unless they are resource persons in the committee hearings and regular sessions. “We'll receive no guests for three weeks except for resource persons which will be limited to two per agency or organization. The others could participate remotely," Zubiri said.

accomplishment report on the first 100 days of the Marcos administration. “Primarily that we coordinate with the other departments and agencies for single messaging,” she said. In a 2022 PAHAYAG Second Quarter Survey (2022 PQ2) from June 16 to 22, 68 percent of respondents said they expect Marcos to perform “well” or “very well” during his first 100 days as president. At least 14 percent said they expect him to perform “poorly” or “very poorly” while 11 percent said they expect the incoming president to perform “neither poorly nor well” and 7 percent were unsure. Survey respondents were also asked to select and rank the three most important issues that the next President should focus on. About 73 percent of respondents chose the Philippine economy as one of their top three issues, 42 percent ranked the economy as the number one issue for the next president to address, and 53 percent of respondents selected jobs as a top-three issue, while 32 percent chose education. The 1,500 Filipino respondents who participated in the 2022 PAHAYAG Second Quarter Survey were randomly sampled from their national panel of more than 200,000 Filipinos with a sample-wide margin of error is +/- 3 percent. year, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, the teachers, the non-teaching staff, and the learners, all of them can go to school and teachers can conduct classes,” he said. The DepEd has also confirmed that the budget for the construction of temporary learning spaces in quake-affected areas has already been downloaded. Poa said the cost needed to build each temporary walled and roofed learning space is P180,000. He said they are also conducting a mapping of affected areas to identify students who need additional learning materials like books. At the same time, the department said it will either do a "quick fix" or avail of the warranty for the allegedly "pricey" laptops that the agency had bought for its distance learning program. Poa said they will also “closely coordinate” with the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) over the laptop purchase which the Commission on Audit had earlier flagged. “We will use a two-pronged approach. First, let’s evaluate and see if these laptops are truly slow and do an internal quick fix in the department, if we have one, to help the teachers," he said. "The second is legal in nature. If these computers are slow and not at par with what we wanted, these computers, as I understand, are still under warranty so we will invoke the warranty provision in our contract with our laptop suppliers," he added. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) Those who will be permitted to enter must present negative RT-PCR test results taken in the last 24 hours. The senators also agreed to limit elevator capacity to only five passengers. "According to the DOH and OCTA Research... The cases will peak in the next few weeks. So maybe we could give ourselves a bit of a safety net for the next few weeks at least in the Senate," Zubiri said. Macon RamosAraneta

Trump home raided, in NY to be deposed NEW YORK -- Donald Trump looks set to be deposed Wednesday in New York as part of the state attorney general's civil probe into alleged fraud at his family business, the expresident said on his social media network. The deposition comes on the heels of a Federal Bureau of Investigation raid on Trump's Florida residence in an escalation of legal probes into the 45th president that has set off a political firestorm. The FBI declined to provide a reason for the raid, but US media outlets said agents were conducting a court-authorized search related to the potential mishandling of classified documents that had been sent to Mara-Lago after Trump left the White House in January 2021. AFP

Stray Beluga whale dies amid rescue try SAINT-PIERRE-LA-GARENNE, France -- An ailing Beluga whale that strayed into France's River Seine has died during a last-ditch rescue attempt, as experts decided to put the animal down to prevent further suffering, local officials said Wednesday. The fate of the animal has captured the hearts of people across the world since it was first spotted in the highly unusual habitat of the river that flows through Paris, far from its usual Arctic waters. Rescuers had overnight winched the male out of the River Seine for transfer to a saltwater pen, in a delicate final effort to save the life of the ailing mammal, which was no longer eating. "Despite an unprecedented rescue operation, we must announce with sadness that the cetacean has died," the authorities in the Normandy region of Calvados tweeted, adding that the whale had to be put down during transport. AFP

Speaker... From A1

My experience with Filipino journalists debunks this myth," Romualdez said. “Quite a number of journalists I have met are decent people and are responsible members of the profession. They report what they think are the burning issues of the day that deserve public attention,” he said. Romualdez cited media practitioners covering the House of Representatives who, he said, “religiously report to the public the legislative measures being acted upon from the committee level to the plenary.” “They are nosy, yes, but they are just doing their job. And they are helping us do our job, too. With their help, we galvanize popular support for measures that are needed to uplift the living condition of our people,” he said. The Speaker revealed that he had been at the receiving end of negative media reports. “Rather than being offended, I take them as an opportunity to explain my side to the public and expound on the issues involved. Media reports—be it positive or negative —give us, government officials, relevant and timely feedback from the public with regard to our official acts. They also provide us with a platform on issues that need (to be) discussed with a bigger public,” he stressed. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ignacio named as OWWA chief; New DMW executives also bared P By Vito Barcelo

RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named TV and movie personality Arnaldo Arevalo “Arnell” Ignacio as head of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), in place of Hans Leo Cacdac, Malacañang announced on Wednesday.

“We conﬁrm the appointment of Mr. Ignacio as Executive Director Administrator V of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration,” Press Secretary Beatrix ``Trixie” Cruz-Angeles said in a statement. Before being named as OWWA administrator, Ignacio served as OWWA deputy administrator under former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018, but resigned in February 2019, citing “personal reasons.”

“He was reappointed in September of last year to the same post and will now occupy the position of Administrator, vice Hans Cacdac who will be serving as Usec (Undersecretary) of DMW (Department of Migrant Workers) on Welfare and Foreign Employment,” she said. Meanwhile, the President also designated Mary Melanie Quiño and Emma Sinclair as Deputy Administrators.

Cruz-Angeles meanwhile said Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) head Bernard Olalia would serve as the agency’s ofﬁcer in charge (OIC). “POEA Admin. Bernard Olalia will be Usec. for Licensing and Adjudication. He will be the OIC of POEA until such time that the department is deemed fully constituted on the approval of the 2023 budget,” she said. Cruz-Angeles said Venecio Legaspi, a former OFW, has also been appointed as assistant secretary for reintegration. “For reintegration, a former OFW for 29 years—Venecio Legaspi, who worked for several years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has been appointed. He rose from the ranks to assume the post of vice president in a prominent Saudi Bank,” Cruz-Angeles said. With the appointment of key ofﬁcials that will comprise the Department of Mi-

grant Workers (DMW), Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople said the agency will now become a home for overseas Filipino workers as well as their families. Cacdac, who has been in DOLE and OWWA for a total of 21 years, will serve as Undersecretary for Welfare and Foreign Employment and will oversee the department’s Aksyon Fund, which will be used to help distressed OFWs in various countries. The department’s Undersecretary for Finance and Internal Affairs is Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones, whom Ople said, is another seasoned ofﬁcial who has been in the civil service for 31 years. Velasco-Allones was the former head of the Tourism Promotion Board prior to her latest appointment, and also served as a former DOLE Assistant Secretary during the Arroyo administration.

3 PH companies included in list of ‘Best Under A Billion’ FORBES Asia has named three companies from the Philippines in its “Best Under A Billion” list. The list recognizes 200 publicly traded companies in the region with sales under $1 billion. Included in the list is COL Financial Group, which was listed with $27 million in sales, $1 -million in net income, and a market value of $319 million. Next is Crown Asia Chemicals Corp. with $35 million in sales, $5 million in net income, and $21 million in market value. Crown manufactures plastic compounds, plastic pipes, and other related products including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pellets. These products are used in the construction and telecoms industries. The third company is Eagle Cement Corp. with $434 million in sales, $122 million in net income, and $1.17 billion

in market value. The company’s main products are cement bags under the “Eagle Cement” brand. It has a cement production facility in Barangay Akle, San Ildefonso, Bulacan, and a grinding and packaging facility in Limay, Bataan. The company has a distribution network in Luzon, particularly Metro Manila, Region 4A, and Region 1. Forbes Asia’s latest list features companies such as semiconductors, software and services, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and manufacturing, among others, GMA News reported. “While healthcare and pharmaceutical related companies were standouts last year, the post-pandemic return to daily life has beneﬁtted apparel makers, mall operators, restaurants, consumer electronics, and entertainment companies, among others,” Forbes said, in a writeup.

IN BRIEF Housing chief seeking PPP ties for quake-hit Abra HOUSING czar Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar wants a public-private partnership (PPP) for resettlement projects in the earthquake-stricken Abra province. He said he is keen on forging a partnership with the private sector to fast track land development and construction of resettlement sites, particularly in calamitystricken areas in the country. Meanwhile, The amount of infrastructure damage from the magnitude 7 earthquake that rocked Abra and nearby provinces in Northern Luzon on July 27 has climbed to PHP1,805,650,590.62. In its 8 a.m. report, the NDRRMC said the cost of 2,383 damaged infrastructure in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) now stood at P1,805,650,590.62. He said he has already initiated preliminary talks with several of the country’s biggest developers to explore potential development projects for affected families whose houses were either destroyed or damaged by a 7 quake in Northern Luzon last month. Rio N. Araja

Relatives seek SC help for 2 missing KMU volunteers

EDUCATION ON WHEELS.

Students hold their face-to-face classes aboard a Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) education bus (inset) at the Smokey Mountain Tondo in Manila, two weeks before the nationwide opening of public schools for School Year 2022-2023 on August 22. Under the PUP Open university system, students can take up Bachelor in Office Administration using the bus. Norman Cruz

THE Supreme Court (SC) has been asked to issue protection orders to two missing volunteers of the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and to help in locating them after they went missing last May 3 after attending a meeting in Valenzuela City. Relatives of the two missing KMU volunteers, identified as Elizabeth “Loi” Magbanua and Alipio “Ador” Juat, filed before the SC a petition for a Writ of Amparo with pleas for temporary protection order and inspection order. The petitioners believed that their relatives have been arrested by the military and detained in a military camp, either at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City or Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija. The joint petition was filed for Loi by her niece Alyssa Marie Condez Magbanua and her long-time partner Ruth H. Maglalan. For Ador, the petition was filed by his eldest daughter Maureen T. Juat. The petitioners were assisted by lawyer Minerva F. Lopez of the Gabriela Legal Services and lawyer Armando C. Teodoro Jr. of the Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center. Rey E. Requejo

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

PBBM adopts 7 previous Sandigan rulings as defense proof in ill-gotten wealth raps IN BRIEF

DND scraps P12.7-b chopper purchase

THE Department of National Defense (DND) has disclosed it is formally cancelling the multibillion-peso contract for the purchase of 16 Russian-made Mi-17 heavy-lift helicopters. Earlier, then DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the P12.7 billion contract was canceled as the Philippines could face sanctions from the United States if the project pushes through. Lorenzana added that the termination of the contract was approved by then President Duterte before the Chief Executive stepped down on June 30. “The DND is formalizing the termination of the contract with SOVTECHNOEXPORT LLC of the Russian Federation for the procurement of 16 units of Mi-17 heavy-lift helicopters for the Philippine Air Force (PAF),” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement. Andolong said the DND Contract Termination and Review Committee (CTRC) would undertake the appropriate processes and due diligence in formalizing the termination of the negotiations. “We are also preparing to initiate a diplomatic dialogue with the Russian side regarding matters arising from the project’s cancellation,” Andolong said. He added that “changes in priorities necessitated by global political developments resulted in the cancellation of the project by the previous administration.”

Comelec ‘fully supports’ anti-vote buying measure

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it fully supports a bill declaring vote-buying as a heinous crime punishable by life imprisonment (reclusion perpetua), or 20 to 40 years of jail time. Comelec acting spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said Comelec Chairman George Garcia backs House Bill (HB) No. 1709 or the Vote-Buying Act, as he recommended revisiting the law, particularly Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code. “This specific recommendation is made insofar as the updating of the definition of vote-buying and vote-selling, to be more attuned to current times and situations, particularly encompassing vote-buying/selling via online or overthe-air fund-transfers, internet cash transmittals and other analogous modalities,” Laudiangco said in a statement. He said Malasakit at Bayanihan party-list Rep. Anthony Golez Jr. has filed House Bill (HB) No. 1709 considered vote-buying as a heinous crime, and would “send a strong message to the electorate and the would-be elected officials that Filipinos have had enough of vote-buying during elections.” Vito Barcelo

DOJ leaves it to RTC to decide De Lima cases

THE Department of Justice is leaving it up to the Muntinlupa City regional trial court to decide on the illegal drugs charges filed against detained former Senator and former Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. “It’s up to the courts,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said, commenting on the dismissal by the Office of the Ombudsman of the direct and indirect bribery complaints filed against De Lima and her former aide Ronnie Dayan. The anti-graft body dismissed the complaints against De Lima and Dayan on alleged attempt to extort P8 million from self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa in exchange for his protection. The Ombudsman cited the “glaring inconsistencies” in the testimonies of Kerwin and government witness Marcelo Adorco. The testimonies prevented the conclusion that De Lima and Dayan are probably guilty of the offenses charged against them, the anti-graft body stressed. Rey E. Requejo

RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has adopted seven Sandiganbayan decisions junking ill-gotten and forfeiture cases involving P304 billion against the Marcos family as defense evidence in the ongoing illgotten wealth trial of Civil Case 0014. During Wednesday’s proceedings, Marcos’ counsel, lawyer Manuel Plaza III, formally made the court pleading to adopt the following decisions as part of their defense: Sandiganbayan Resolution dated December 16, 2019 for Civil Case 0002 junking the P200 billion forfeiture case vs. the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and daughters Imee and Irene; Sandiganbayan Resolution dated October 14, 2019 for Civil Case 0007 dismissing a P267 million ill-gotten case against Marcos Sr. and his wife Imelda and their alleged cronies, namely Fe Roa Gimenez and her husband, Ignacio Gimenez; Vilma Bautista and her husband, Gregorio,

among others; Sandiganbayan Resolution dated January 23, 2020 for Civil Case 0007 upholding the October 14, 2019 dismissal of the ill-gotten wealth case; Sandiganbayan Resolution dated September 25, 2019 on Civil Case 0008 dismissing the P1.052 billion ill-gotten wealth case against Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., the Marcos couple, among others, in connection with the Tantoco clan’s 11 real estate properties located in the Philippines, Hawaii and Rome; shares of stocks in 19 companies; cash on hand and in bank; pieces of jewelry; notes, loans and mortgages receivable; motor vehicles and three Cessna aircraft;

Sandiganbayan Resolution dated November 20, 2019 denying the Philippine government’s appeal on the dismissal of the P1.052 billion ill-gotten wealth case under Civil Case 0008; Sandiganbayan Resolution dated August 5, 2019 for Civil Case 0034 dismissing the P102-billion forfeiture case against Marcos Sr. and Imelda, as well as 11 of their alleged cronies; and Sandiganbayan Resolution February 13, 2020 on Civil Case 0034 denying the Philippine government’s appeal on the August 2019 dismissal of P102 billion illgotten wealth case against Marcos Sr. and Imelda, as well as their 11 other alleged cronies Civil Case 0014 accuses couple Rebecco and Erlinda Panlilio — alleged business associates of the Marcoses— of acting as dummies in acquiring ownership/ control of several companies by securing financial assistance from state institutions on liberal terms “for their financial and pecuniary interests.”

SPEAKER’S CALLERS.

Brig. Gen. Acmad Omar of the Philippine Air Force pays a courtesy call on Speaker Martin Romualdez at the House of Representatives. Another photo shows Sogod, Cebu Mayor Moon Yeen Durano Streegan (10th. right) and Vice Mayor Richard Streegan (9th, right) accompanied by TUCP party-list Rep. Raymund Democrito Mendoza. Cebu Rep. Vincent Franco Frasco , and barangay chairmen of the town during a call on the Speaker. Ver Noveno

DPWH seeks Laguna Lake-Manila Bay water tunnel By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will construct a multibillion-peso 10.5-kilometer long underground flood control project connecting Laguna Lake to the Manila Bay, to mitigate massive flooding in Metro Manila. Meanwhile, The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) urged the DPWH deploy its mobile pumps to help ease flooding in the metropolis. Public Works Secretary Manuel

Bonoan said discussions were already underway with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Department of Finance (DOF), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the planned Parañaque Spillway Project in a bid to protect low-lying communities in Metro Manila from flooding particularly during heavy downpour. Bonoan said the floods that affect the Laguna lakeshore area during the rainy season due to the effects of climate change should not be ignored because it may

eventually have an effect on nearby cities. According to DPWH Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain, the Parañaque Spillway Project needs an immediate intervention to address extreme flooding by draining excess water from the Laguna Lake into Manila Bay. “Using underground tunnel technology, this flood control option for the Laguna de Bay basin is based on the comprehensive flood management plan supported by surveys carried out by JICA experts,” he said.

Solon eyes probe on NCAP amid complaints from vehicle owners By Maricel V. Cruz, Joel E. Zurbano and Rio N. Araja SURIGAO del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Tuesday called for the immediate suspension of the no-contact apprehension policy (NCAP) until all issues hounding it, including questions on its constitutionality, have been resolved. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) welcomed a congressional inquiry on the NCAP which has drawn mounting complaints from motorists in Metro Manila. Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing between Quezon City government and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to resolve issues surrounding the NCAP system. Barbers, chair of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, cited the need for a thorough review of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed among the MMDA, the LTO, and at least four local government units in Metro Manila that are currently implementing the NCAP policy. “The mounting complaints against NCAP’s implementation necessitate the review of all contracts and MOAs to determine their constitutionality,” Barbers said. On Tuesday, Barbers delivered a privilege speech calling for an inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the NCAP implementation amid reports and complaints from motorists, particularly motorbike drivers engaged in delivery services, who allegedly violated certain traffic laws and penalized with heavy fines without due process of law. Under the NCAP system, the MMDA and LGUs concerned issues notices or citations, then mail them directly to the vehicles’ registered owners. Non-payment of dues or fines within seven days would mean that the violators’ vehicles would not be eligible for renewal of registration by the LTO. Barbers said the NCAP implementation gave rise to more questions than answers. “It took a life of its own and became a problem by itself, an additional burden and could become a source of corruption, institutionalized by the state,” Barbers said. “This NCAP system is laudable since the intent is to discipline erring, abusive, or wayward drivers. But the implementors, I was told, are imposing excessive fines and could be violating the Constitution since there is no due process of law. And there is no law, ordinance or regulation prohibiting vehicle registration due to non-payment of fines for traffic violations,” Barbers said.

Basilan solon wants barangay, SK polls reset to May 2024 to save P8b for gov’t

PLAQUE OF APPRECIATION. Jomerito Soliman, chief executive officer

of the Pure Gold Group of Companies is conferred a plaque of appreciation for the firm’s ‘Pureforce and Rescue Corporation,’ highlighting the Bureau of Fire Protection’s celebration of its 121st anniversary held at the Manila Hotel on Monday. Norman Cruz

A BASILAN congressman has bill has been filed seeking the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections set on December 5, this year. Meanwhile, the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives refiled a bill aimed at exempting poll workers’ honoraria and other benefits from income tax. Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman filed House Bill 3384 proposing to amend Republic Act 9164 to reset the barangay and SK elections from Dec. 5 this year to the second Monday of May in 2024. Hataman said the government would be able to save P8 billion if the polls were deferred, adding it would be “a significant amount for a cash-strapped government.” “Across the globe, more than 80

countries have decided to postpone their national and subnational elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the recent elections in the Philippines is considered the most expensive one in the country’s history in an effort to have ‘COVID-proof’ elections,” Hataman said. “More than P1 billion was allocated for the purchase of items labeled as ‘COVID-19 supplies:’ face masks, alcohol, plastic acetates, and antigen tests for election officers who attended training,” he added. Hataman said the budget to be used for the holding of this year’s barangay elections could be realigned for economic stimulus and COVID-19 response programs for the benefit of the entire nation. Maricel V. Cruz

NCRPO seizes P43.5m drugs, arrests 2 suspects in QC operation OPERATIVES of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) have arrested two suspected drug dealers and seized P43.5 million worth of illegal drugs in Quezon City. Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomed reforms at the Philippine National Police (PNP), including ensuring accountability of erring police officers, especially those allegedly involved in deaths relating to antidrug operations. A composite team from the Quezon City Police District, Cubao Police Station - Drug Enforcement Unit (Cubao-SDEU) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted the raid on No. 46 C, 16th Ave. in Barangay San Roque around 2:30 a.m. The suspects were identified as Riza Bilbao, 25; and Alvin Rapinian, 26. The confiscated contraband consisted of dried marijuana, shabu, cocaine, ecstasy, liquid marijuana, and kush. Other materials seized were several pieces of vape cartridge, unlabeled bottles, two weighing scales, a mobile phone, and the boodle and cash money used by the authorities in the entrapment operation. NCRPO director Felipe Natividad said the estimated total weight and value of shabu confiscated was 1.5 kilos worth P10.2 million; while the dried marijuana was 85 kilos worth 10.2 million; a kilo of cocaine worth P5.3 million; 7,594 tablets of

ecstasy P12.9 million; and kush (high grade marijuana) 35 kilos worth P4.9 million. The suspects are now detained at the Cubao SDEU detention facility and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Act) while the recovered pieces of evidence were turned-over to the Central Police District Forensic Unit for laboratory examination. “I commend the joint efforts of our operatives for a job well done which resulted in the arrest of the suspects and seizure of large amount of suspected illegal drugs. May this accomplishment serve as a warning to those who are engaged in similar unlawful activities that Team NCRPO will not cease in its endeavor to fight illegal drugs in the region,” said Natividad. From March 1 to July 31 this year, the Metro Manila police were able to arrest more than 9,000 suspected drug dealers and dependents. Natividad lauded the men from the five police command offices—Manila, Quezon City, Southern Police District, Eastern Police District and Northern Police District—under his jurisdiction for their efforts implementing the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, especially in going after individuals and their cohorts engaged in drug dealing. Joel E. Zurbano and Rio N. Araja

ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR SCHOOL OPENING. Paranaque City Mayor Eric Olivarez says all it is all systems go for the opening of the city’s 46 public schools, with a mix of face-to-face classes and online learning as deemed appropriate. In a press briefing, the mayor also discloses that the city government has released P600 million in financial assistance to the students. Danny Pata

Opinion Headwinds WE BEGIN this article with an apology to our editors and readers. In last Monday’s column, I mentioned that there are three major political developments in the near horizon, one of which was the November elections in Taiwan when President Tsai’s term expires. My bad. The mid-term elections this year will be for local officials, the mayors and city officials, principal of which are Taiwan’s largest: Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung. Tsai’s term expires in 2024. The electoral timetable in Taiwan is similar to the US, where presidents may be elected for two consecutive terms, and mid-way through these terms, elections are held for state, city and county officials as well as a set of legislators. We used to have a similar system, where presidents, governors and mayors had a term of four years each, and senators were elected by a nationwide vote for a term of six years. Presidents of the Third Republic had fouryear terms, and limited to one re-election or a total of eight years. Senators had six-year terms with no term limits. Congressmen too, as well as local officials. More on the political system will be written in this space in succeeding columns. ••• As much as one would like to hope for a quick recovery from our economic ills, there are headwinds, both domestic and external, which do not give much reason for optimism. The recently announced data about the July inflation rate, now at 6.4 percent, higher than June’s 6.1 percent, despite the easing of gasoline and diesel pump prices for the past 40 days, is depressing. Following this are the second quarter 2022 GDP growth figures, which slowed down at 7.4 percent, below most estimates of the private sector and government itself. NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan points to inflation as the culprit. Clearly, consumer spending has been affected by an avalanche of high prices, particularly of food and basic household necessities. Depressing too but, expectedly, food production has been on the downtrend. The Philippine Statistics Authority released data last Monday stating that agriculture and fisheries production shrank 0.6 percent yearon-year compared to last, and 0.3 percent compared to the first quarter of this year. These agriculture figures may seem small, but, when put side-by-side with the annual decline over the past years, it is alarming. Agriculture produces the food that feeds 110 million mouths in this benighted land. The shocking imagery in April this year of Occidental Mindoro farmers burning their red onion harvests instead of selling these at a huge loss, tells us the sad, sad state of our agriculture. Had government invested in cold storage facilities in San Jose City, using perhaps the largely empty NFA warehouses there as locus, the farmers need not have suffered such huge losses. Now juxtapose this to the retail prices of the by-now rare white onions, most of which were imported in the first quarter of 2022. Reports put it as high as 400 pesos per kilo. And 80 to 100 for the red onions. Three month ago we had onions our farmers could not sell except at a loss. Now we pay through the nose. So now, government’s reaction is to allow the importation of more onions to stabilize prices. Sugar prices have reached all-time high, as much as 100 pesos per kilo of white sugar. People should really switch to washed, or even brown sugar, which is cheaper by 20 to 25 pesos per kilo, and healthier. White sugar is bleached with chemicals, a taste affliction we got from the Americans, whose discriminatory taste for food somehow reflects their skin color bias. And I agree with Rep. Joey Salceda and others who say we must ban sugared drinks

SOLDIERS on Ukraine’s eastern front have spent five exhausting months under Russian bombardment, measuring out the long days and longer nights in the metronomic cadence of relentless artillery fire. Yet sometimes it is the quiet moments that kill — when there is a let-up in shelling and a stillness descends — as thoughts inevitably return to family and home. The Ukraine army’s 10th Battalion had begun pushing forward, excavating new trenches in the humus-rich grassland soil just two kilometers from the Russian border, when it experienced such a lull. “We had missiles and shooting periodically. But now we have the grain armistice for the harvesting period on both sides,” says Sergeant Chekh, whom AFP is identifying by his code name in accordance with security protocol. “But in two or three days when it’s over, the artillery and mortar shelling will resume

in our schools, particularly unhealthy soft drinks. Meanwhile, we will import 300,000 tons of sugar to relieve the supply shortness. Oh well! Thank the highest heavens that Thailand had a bumper harvest of rice, which tames the increase in world prices of our staple commodity which, again, we need to import. Per USDA, we will likely buy 3 million tons from our Indo-Pacific neighbors this year. Still, latest reports show that domestic rice prices have been inching up slowly, even as our farmers cry about the high cost of fertilizers. Wait for our September-October harvest. I hope to God we will not weep again. Short-sightedness and neglect are the hallmarks of government policies and programs on food production, across several administrations post FM Sr. Nakakapagod na to keep writing about this. ••• I have stated in this space months ago what I shall repeat now -- we will experience stagflation. Which means we will continue to suffer high prices of basic commodities while our puny efforts at growing the economy will not catch up. The Bangko Sentral keeps using monetary tools to combat the inflationary scourge. That is the usual financial approach, similar to what the US Federal Reserve Board is doing.

As much as one would like to hope for a quick recovery from our economic ills, there are headwinds, both domestic and external, which do not give much reason for optimism I am afraid this will not stem the tide enough. With higher interest rates, over-all business expansion will grind to a halt, and foreign investments in an uncertain world will not be forthcoming as much as we can dream. Think of all those skyscrapers being built -- on loans -- and cry once more. The supply chain crisis affecting the entire world will linger, unless Putin suddenly goes to heaven, or hell … wherever. And as described in our last two columns, trouble brews in our region as well. We heave sighs of relief each time oil prices are lowered at the pump. This is caused by the law of supply and demand. With bad economies, particularly China’s slowdown and America’s recession, demand for oil is going down. But wait till winter, when the temperate countries need fuel for heating, or their population freezes after a terrible heat wave this summer. Then oil goes up once more. ••• Then we are told that our “learning poverty” is among the worst in the world. The term, simply put, means the inability of our 10-year old kids to read and understand what they should already know. We are lowest in our part of the world, with 9 out of 10 children unable to properly understand what they read. As far back as the time of President GMA, I have been writing about the malnutrition of our teeming poor as cause for extreme worry. Urban poor diets consisting of rice and instant noodles (flour laced with MSG) stunt the mental growth of children. In one extreme piece, I warned about our raising a “nation of morons.” Now, even instant noodles are hardly affordable to the poorest of our poor. Neither canned sardines. Or daing. Or vegetables. How I wish I could write about something good.

with renewed vigor.” The 51-year-old squadron commander has family behind enemy lines in Kherson, a largely Russian-occupied province 500 kilometers away from the war he is fighting in the northeastern Sumy region. “I’ve had no contact with my mother for three months and I don’t know if she’s alive. She’s 88 years old,” he tells AFP in a brogue so gentle he is almost whispering. “I’ve had some contact with the neighbors, and I sent money, but I have no idea of the situation.” ‘Motivation’ A lawyer by profession, Chekh brought his family to the relative safety of the western city of Lviv when war broke out, and then volunteered at the local recruiting office. As well as worrying about an uncontactable mother, he longs to be reunited his wife, two daughters and young son, all of whom are waiting out the war abroad. He says the goal of getting back to his family is what keeps him going.

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EDITORIAL

A painful pause as Ukraine’s frontline troops think of family By Frankie Taggart

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

We need a transport safety agency HEN lives are at stake, it really doesn’t make sense for government to scrimp and save on taxpayers’ money.

After all, accidents, whether on land, sea or air, exact a heavy toll on human lives. Road mishaps, in particular, occur on a daily basis, with danger lurking at every turn due to human error or mechanical malfunction. That’s why private sector groups have roused a howl over President Marcos’ decision to veto a bill creating an independent body to be tasked with improving transportation safety. The Joint Foreign Chambers, Safe Travel Alliance and the International Airport Transport Association have collectively said the bill pushing for the establishment of the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) would have resulted in better transportation safety measures and standards for the country. Among the proposed mandates of the PTSB is to investigate transportationrelated accidents. “Presently, different agencies handle different sectors of transportation with regard to accident investigations, however, there are limitations on the ability of the investigating agencies to delve deeper and find forensic evidence on the real cause of the accidents or by witnesses of the accidents,” they said.

Marcos justified his veto of the PTSB measure by saying the proposed functions of the agency were already being “undertaken by different agencies.”

We urge Malacañang to reconsider the veto of the PTSB bill as public safety should be paramount, and redundancy can be eliminated by the simple expedient of transferring proven transportation safety experts to a single office But private sector groups point out that the separate body is still needed because of concerns over conflict of interest. Most of these agencies, after all, are also tasked to regulate and/or operate the sector, hence, there is an inherent conflict of interest in the performance of

their duties as an investigating body. The Move As One Coalition, in fact, agrees that PTSB would be beneficial for the transportation sector and commuters. “Government agencies need to welcome independent and evidence-based feedback. Otherwise, we will just continue to hear a lot of ‘victim blaming’ from our transportation and traffic officials – poor discipline, irresponsible behavior, human error, and lack of proper licensing and training as the reasons behind rising road deaths and injuries,” the group said. “We will continue to be blind to other likely causes, such as faulty road design, lack of proper pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, unsafe vehicles, excessive speed limits and problematic traffic rules,” they added. One other benefit from creating the PTSB is that it can recommend road safety measures that would lead to “huge savings in health-care costs” due to “fewer injuries and fatalities from road crashes.” We agree completely with these observations, and urge Malacañang to reconsider the veto of the PTSB bill as public safety should be paramount, and redundancy can be eliminated by the simple expedient of transferring proven transportation safety experts to a single office.

ROTC revival 21-year-olds, usually by lottery for military training by the AFP for 18 months. This, unfortunately, was also discontinued years ago and, at present, we do not actually have a trained pool to source our reserve force that can be activated in case of emergency. We will simply have to rely on our regular standing force. There is, therefore, another option in addition to ROTC.

The way things stand, it seems the government prefers to revive the ROTC program because nothing is being mentioned about the 21-year-olds and I am surprised the AFP has not brought this out at all. Is it possible that AFP planners have forgotten this old program? All current media reports indicate the ROTC proponents want to inject other disciplines like teaching patriotism and disaster response. If we still have to teach our young citizens patriotism when they reach 16 or 17, then our entire educational system is a total failure. Patriotism is supposed to be taught in earlier grades especially in civics. It is also wrong for schools to have the flag raising ceremony on Mondays only. We used to do it every day with the singing of the national anthem and the recitation of the pledge of allegiance.

This country is in trouble if our young citizens will still have to be taught love of country in senior high. We have to remember that ROTC is first and foremost a military training program. Disaster response comes with the discipline and regimentation acquired while undergoing ROTC training. To those who are objecting to the resurrection of the ROTC, we have to bear in mind that the primary duty of every citizen is to fight and defend the country in times of war. All others are considered secondary. It is, therefore, shocking to read some of the reactions of those who are opposing the revival of the program. One House member even said the ROTC program is simply a ploy by the government for the military to infiltrate the schools. One of the issues that must be settled is whether the program will be for 11th and 12th graders or 1st and 2nd year college students. For the sake of continuity, it is probably preferable for ROTC to be taken in college. This way, those who complete the basic and want to take the advance course to become officers in the AFP will not have to wait for two years to apply. It is also better to train more mature students. Another issue that must also be resolved is whether to train with real firearms or wooden replicas. This is important because it affects the quality of the reserve force that will be formed. Our leaders are all apparently banking on the ROTC program for the bulk of our reserve force. Prudence, however, tells us that we should not abandon the calling of selected 21-yearolds to train for 18 months to form part of our ready military reserve. Regardless of the merits of an ROTC revival – to which I quite agree, being a product of the four-year ROTC program and a former ROTC Commandant – let us not put all our marbles in one basket.

in the Sumy region, its 39-year-old governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky told AFP. The towns and villages along its 564-kilometer border with Russia are still experiencing almost daily bombardment by Grad rockets, howitzers and mortars, he said. But for now, at least, the 10th Battalion’s part of the frontline seems oddly peaceful. On the short trek through dense woodland to get to the new frontline, there is no crackle of gunfire or the familiar boom of exploding shells that tightens the throat and quickens the blood. In a moment of unintentional comedy, the air vibrates with a cacophonous wail that sounds like a warrior’s battle cry — but then a snare drum kicks in and it’s obvious that it’s just someone’s ringtone. Role model The laconic company commander, Captain Roman, oversees the excavation of the new trench, hands joined formally behind his back as if on a parade ground rather than a mound of mud. He scans the treeline, eyes narrowing, looking for signs of movement from the enemy that never come. “They shoot artillery and grenades from

time to time and there is always the odd single shot,” the 43-year-old tells AFP, almost apologetically. Around 90 percent of the fighters in the 10th Battalion are volunteers who have seen little or no combat, but their commanding officers say that what they lack in experience, they make up for in heart. “We are here to defend our country,” Roman tells AFP. “The soldiers know they can die, but they are ready to fulfill their task – to defend Ukraine.” Down below, platoon commander Lieutenant Volodymyr proudly shows off the new trench — apparently a labor of love — as he explains his motivation for volunteering. An administrative worker at Lviv’s polytechnic in another life, the 43-year-old quit his job and signed up because he wants to be a role model for his two sons. He has thought about the effect that his death in combat would have on 12 and 16-year-old boys, but he argues that his valor would also set them a good example. “If I’d stayed in Lviv doing nothing, what example would that be to my sons about being patriotic to Ukraine?”AFP

IT SEEMS there is no stopping the revival of the ROTC program. It is no longer just Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio who wants it but PBBM as well. What remains is simply the knots and bolts of its implementation. For instance, should it be with the 11th and 12th grades or the first and second year college students? Will the military training that will be given similar to the old ROTC program of a generation or two ago? In that old program, we had the basic twoyear program for first and second year college students and the two-year advance course for third and fourth year students who wanted to become officers in the Armed Forces. Also, the two-year basic course required students to pay for the enrolment to earn 1.5 units per semester, not to mention the fact that students had to provide their own uniforms. During our time, we trained with real firearms. Later, however, ROTC cadets were made to train with wooden firearm replicas because all the real firearms were recalled by the AFP which, for all intents and purposes, was short of what military training should be. If this is what will happen to the new ROTC program, we will have a reserve force whose military training will undoubtedly be questionable. Training with wooden replicas will hardly qualify ROTC graduates to be able to fight as soldiers in a shooting war. It is therefore essential to ensure that the new ROTC program of instructions meet the minimum standard of what military training should be. The ROTC program was just one source of our military reserve. The other was the call up of selected “’Difficult’ isn’t really the right word for it,” he tells AFP. “For me it’s another motivation that supports me and helps me to focus my mind on the job in hand.”

In a moment of unintentional comedy, the air vibrates with a cacophonous wail that sounds like a warrior’s battle cry — but then a snare drum kicks in and it’s obvious that it’s just someone’s ringtone Nearby, Chekh’s comrades sit under the forest canopy smoking and swapping stories as they take a break from digging trenches, their main job while the pause in fighting continues. Around 150 civilians have died in the war

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

It is therefore essential to ensure that the new ROTC program of instructions meet the minimum standard of what military training should be

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

China warns it won’t tolerate ‘separatist’ acts in Taiwan

EIJING—China on Wednesday vowed zero tolerance for “separatist activities” in Taiwan and reaffirmed that it would take the self-ruled island by force if necessary.

The warning from Beijing, which considers Taiwan its territory, came after days of unprecedented Chinese military drills around the island sparked by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip. Pelosi last week became the highestranking US official to visit Taiwan in decades despite stark threats from China, which tries to keep Taipei isolated on the world stage. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday issued a white paper laying out how it intends to claim the island through a range of economic incentives and military pressure. “We are ready to create vast space for peaceful reunification, but we will leave no room for separatist activities in any form,” said the white paper. China will “not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures”. It added, however: “We will only be forced to take drastic measures to respond to the provocation of separatist elements or external forces should they ever cross our red lines.” China last issued a white paper on Taiwan in 2000. Since the late 1990s, the island has

transformed from an autocracy into a vibrant democracy, and a distinct Taiwanese identity has emerged. Relations between the two sides have significantly worsened since Tsai Ingwen became president in 2016. Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party do not consider Taiwan to be part of China. Their platform falls under China’s broad definition of Taiwanese separatism, which also includes those who advocate for the island to have an identity separate from the mainland. Invasion fears The Chinese white paper promised Taiwan economic prosperity as well as “greater security and dignity” after “reunification”. But that offer comes in the shadow of the biggest military exercises China has conducted around the island, including training for a blockade. The drills have raised fears that China’s Communist leadership could be preparing for an invasion. The exercises were initially expected to conclude on Sunday but have continued this week with no confirmation of when they will end. AFP

POLL WATCHERS. Presiding officers sleep next to ballot boxes as they wait to return all electoral materials following Kenya’s general election at the tallying center in Kilgoris on August 10. AFP

‘Russia aims to connect nuclear plant to Crimea’

KYIV—Russian forces occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeast Ukraine are preparing to connect to Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, and are damaging it by reorienting its electricity production, Ukrainian operator Energoatom warned Tuesday. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and was occupied by Russia early in its invasion. Kyiv and Moscow blamed each other for attacks on the plant last week. “The Russian military present at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are implementing the program of (Russian operator) Rosatom aimed at connecting the plant to the Crimean electricity grid,” Energoatom president Petro Kotin told Ukrainian television. “To do this, you must first damage the power lines of the plant connected

(MS-AUG. 11, 18, 25, 2022)

a nuclear plant would be “suicidal.” “I hope that those attacks will end, and at the same time I hope that the IAEA will be able to access the plant,” he said Monday. Recent fighting around the plant has prompted the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to warn of the “very real risk of a nuclear disaster”. Moscow insisted Tuesday that major blasts at a key military airbase on the Russian-annexed Crimea peninsula were caused by exploding ammunition rather than Ukrainian fire. Dramatic amateur footage shared on social media appeared to show panicked holidaymakers fleeing a Crimean beach with young children, as ballooning clouds of grey smoke rose over the horizon. AFP

China’s landmark #MeToo harassment sex case returns to court after setback

US’ Biden signs ratification of bids of Sweden, Finland to NATO WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed US ratification of bids by Finland and Sweden to enter NATO, taking expansion of the Western alliance in response to Russia’s Ukraine invasion one step closer. Biden said the two northern European countries would become “strong, reliable highly capable new allies” by making the “sacred commitment” to mutual defense in the US-led transatlantic alliance. Earlier this month, the Senate voted 95-1 in favor of the Nordic states’ accession, making the United States the 23rd of the 30 NATO countries to give a formal endorsement. Unanimous support is needed for new membership. Biden, who has made restoring traditional US alliances a cornerstone of his administration after Donald Trump’s move to upend ties around the world, praised NATO as “the foundation of American security.” “The United States is committed to the transatlantic alliance.” Biden also praised Finland and Sweden, saying both have “strong democratic institutions, strong militaries, and strong and transparent economies” that would now bolster NATO. President Vladimir Putin’s Russia “shattered peace and security in Europe” by invading Ukraine, Biden said. “Putin thought he could break us apart… Instead, he is getting exactly what he did not want.” The White House said that ahead of the signing ceremony, Biden talked by telephone with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto. “President Biden congratulated them on the US Senate’s swift, bipartisan ratificaManila LEGAL NOTICE tion of their Standard AFFIDAVIT OF SELFTODAY NATO accesADJUDICATION sion protocols, Notice is hereby given that the legal heir of the and welcomed late SEVERINO MAGNO GARCIA (the “Decedent”), Finland and who died intestate on April Sweden mov7, 2022at Metro Manila, has executed an AFFIDAVIT ing one step OF SELF-ADJUDICATION. The sole heir, being of legal closer to beage, hereby adjudicate unto herself the properties left by coming NATO the decedent. As per Doc No. 468; Page No. 94; Book Allies,” the No. IV; Series of 2022 as notarized by Atty. Ernesto White House O. Pua. said. AFP

to the Ukrainian energy system. From August 7 to 9, the Russians have already damaged three power lines. At the moment, the plant is operating with only one production line, which is an extremely dangerous way of working,” he added. “When the last production line is disconnected, the plant will be powered by generators running on diesel. Everything will then depend on their reliability and fuel stocks,” Kotin warned. Located not far from the Crimean peninsula, the plant has six of Ukraine’s 15 reactors, capable of supplying power for four million homes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday raised the specter of nuclear disaster after strikes on the plant, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that any attack on

FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS. Zhou Xiaoxuan (C), also known as Xianzi, a feminist

figure who rose to prominence during China’s #MeToo movement, stands with supporters as she arrives to attend a hearing in her sexual harassment case against prominent television host Zhu Jun at the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing on August 10. AFP

BEIJING—A landmark sexual harassment case in China was set to return to court Wednesday after an earlier ruling dealt a blow to the country’s fledgling #MeToo movement. Zhou Xiaoxuan stepped forward in 2018 to accuse state TV host Zhu Jun of forcibly kissing and groping her during her 2014 internship at the broadcaster. While the case of Zhou, now 29, inspired many others to share their experiences of sexual assault publicly and sparked a social media storm, a court ruled last year there was insufficient evidence to back her allegation. Zhou appealed and is scheduled to appear in court for another hearing at 2 pm (0600 GMT) Wednesday in Beijing. “I still feel a little scared and dejected now,” she told AFP ahead of the hearing. “The process of the first trial was a deep secondary injury.” She told AFP her legal team will focus

on getting access to more evidence such as the police transcripts of interviews with her parents after she reported the incident -- which were not included in the earlier trial. They are also requesting access to surveillance video footage. Zhou said that Zhu was absent from earlier proceedings, and that while he had sued her for defamation, she was not aware of further developments in that case. ‘Too difficult’ Zhou, also known by the pseudonym Xianzi, originally sued for a public apology from Zhu and 50,000 yuan ($7,400) in damages. Her first hearing in December 2020 drew a large crowd and a significant police presence in Beijing. Reporters from foreign media outlets including AFP were dragged away by police while filming the scene. AFP

Firefighters, helicopters battle to contain Matanzas fuel depot blaze MATANZAS, Cuba—Helicopters and firefighters battled Tuesday to contain a days-old blaze at a fuel depot in Cuba that has already destroyed four tanks and was threatening four more. The fire, which started on Friday after lightning struck one of the tanks, left a 60-year-old firefighter dead and 14 colleagues missing, according to authorities. More than 100 people were reported injured, with 22 still hospitalized. About 5,000 people have been evacuated from around the disaster zone on the outskirts of Matanzas, an industrial

city of 140,000 people some 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Havana. As teams prepared Tuesday to try and douse the fire with foam, fears were rising that the blaze could threaten the fuel supply to thermoelectric plants at a time Cuba is already battling electricity outages. Four military helicopters flew repeated sorties over the depot, dropping sea water on the blaze. “The firefighting teams continue to clear a path to the flames so the teams charged with applying the foam can get to the place,” Matanzas governor Mario

Sabines said on Twitter. He added that smoke from the fire had reduced visibility to near zero, and drones were deployed to provide a better view. Help arrives Four of the eight tanks on site have already collapsed in the blaze, have spilled their contents, and were still burning, according to deputy fire chief Alexander Avalos Jorge. Water was being sprayed on the remaining four tanks, clustered just 150 meters (about 492 feet) from the other four tanks, in a bid to keep them cool.

The tanks each have a capacity of some 50,000 cubic meters or 50 million liters of fuel. The Matanzas depot, built in the 1980s and modernized several times, supplies the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the largest in the communist nation. The plant features five docks to receive ships of up to 180,000 tonnes, and can handle 40,000 barrels a day. The big question now is “the supply of fuel to thermoelectric plants,” said Jorge Pinon, a Cuban expert in energy policy at the University of Texas. AFP

Austria in shock over doctor’s suicide following anti-vax protesters’ abuse

BLESSINGS. Pope Francis, assisted by Argentinian priest Monsignor Luis Maria Rodrigo Ewart (right), blesses attendees during the weekly general audience on August 10 at Paul-VI Hall in The Vatican. AFP

VIENNA—Austrians expressed shock —subsequently dropped—of making and anger this week over the suicide of vaccination against the coronavirus a doctor who had been the target of a compulsory. torrent of abuse and threats from antiKellermayr—whose practice was in CYAN MAGENTA BLACK vaccination protesters. the region ofYELLOW Upper Austria where imThe bells of Vienna’s St. Stephen’s munization rates are particularly low Cathedral rang out in memory of Li- —had frequently complained of the sa-Maria Kellermayr on Monday, and menace. hundreds of people held a candle vigil “For more than seven months, we outside after the 36-year-old doctor was have been receiving... death threats found dead at her practice on July 29. from those opposed to coronavirus She had long been the target of death measures and vaccinations,” she wrote threats because of her criticism of the wide- at the time, sharing a message from one spread anti-lockdown protests of 2021. internet user who said they would pose An autopsy later confirmed that Kell- as a patient to attack her and her staff. ermayr had taken her own life. She described how she had “invested Austria has found itself deeply po- more than 100,000 euros” ($102,000) in larized over coronavirus restrictions measures to ensure her patients’ safety and in particular a government policy and was on the brink of bankruptcy. AFP

Business PSEi August 10, 2022

TOP GAINERS

LAST % PRICE CHANGE CHANGE

MJC

1.4

0.34

32.08%

2 3

IMP REG

1.34 3

0.21 0.38

18.58% 14.50%

4 5 6 7

ATNB MAB APC FAF

0.45 0.01 0.237 0.68

0.055 0.001 0.022 0.06

13.92% 11.11% 10.23% 9.68%

ALLDY

0.36

0.03

9.09%

9 10

DWC PRMX

1.82 2.47

0.14 0.18

8.33% 7.86%

TOP LOSERS 1 GMAP 2 MAHB

LAST PRICE CHANGE 10.14 -1.22 0.81 -0.09

% CHANGE -10.74% -10.00%

3 4

JAS APVI

1.49 13.4

-0.16 -0.98

-9.70% -6.82%

CAB

-3

-4.84%

6 7

HOUSE MVC

9.12 5.2

-0.44 -0.25

-4.60% -4.59%

8 9 10

T ACEN DDPR

0.68 8.39 97

-0.03 -0.25 -2.8

-4.23% -2.89% -2.81%

MOST ACTIVE

1 ICT 2 BDO

VOLUME 6,233,530 3,237,660

VALUE (PHP) 1,110,164,645 365,755,806

3 4 5

SM ACEN ALI

411,620 33,919,300 10,237,600

332,502,390 283,019,504 269,630,310

6 7 8 9 10

SMPH AEV TEL MER EMI

7,166,700 4,444,420 110,150 589,020 6,937,400

267,374,375 253,750,248 195,524,600 183,817,374 132,571,402

Cathay Pacific reduced first-half loss to US$637m HONG KONG, China—Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific on Wednesday reported losses had narrowed in the first half after an “extremely difficult start” to the year, but said its capacity will improve in coming months as travel sentiment improves. The US$637-million loss in January-June was narrower than the US$968-million deficit suffered in the same period last year, as the airline benefited from strong cargo demand and cost-cutting measures. Chairman Patrick Healey said in a statement that the first few months were “particularly unfavorable” as pandemic-related travel restrictions severely constrained Cathay’s flight operations and greatly affected demand for travel. But he added that the airline was gearing up for borders reopening and expected a stronger second-half. Cathay aims to boost passenger flight capacity to a quarter of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022, while it is looking to lift cargo capacity to 65 percent, Healey said. The airline carried 335,000 passengers in the first half of the year, more than double that of the same period in 2021, bringing in US$263 million in revenue. Income from the cargo unit jumped 9.3 percent to US$1.5 billion. Total revenue was up 17 percent onyear at US$2.4 billion. Hong Kong has taken tentative steps toward reopening its borders after being internationally isolated for two and a half years owing to strict COVID rules for travelers. On Monday authorities said visitors would now have to spend just three days in hotel quarantine, down from seven and much lower than the three weeks earlier in the year. Cathay praised the adjustments as “positive steps” but pressed the government to “urgently provide a clear roadmap” to remove all pandemicrelated restrictions on passengers and aircrew. The firm’s ability to operate more flights “continues to be severely constrained by a bottleneck on crewing resources under the existing quarantine requirements,” Healey said on Wednesday. AFP

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 || extrastory2000@gmail.com

Consumer inflation in China rises

A woman in this photo taken on August 9, 2022carries a dog as she shops at a market in Shenyang in China’s northeastern Liaoning province. China’s consumer price index, a key gauge of retail inflation, grew less than expected at 2.7 percent from a year ago in July, National Bureau of Statistics data showed. AFP

Stocks end flat; PLDT, SM Prime lead gainers

HE stock market closed virtually flat Wednesday ahead of a crucial US inflation report later in the day, which could have a huge bearing on the Federal Reserve’s plans for raising interest rates.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added just 2.87 points, or 0.04 percent, to 6,471.84 on a value turnover of P6.3 billion. Gainers beat losers, 111 to 59, with 63 issues unchanged. PLDT Inc. of Indonesia’s Salim Group, the biggest telecommunications firm, rose 1.8 percent to P1,780, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group, the largest operator of shopping malls, gained 0.9 percent at P37.65. ACEN Corp. of the Ayala Group, however, dropped 2.9 percent to P8.39, while BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, fell 1.9 percent to P112.80. The rest of Asian equities fell Wednesday, tracking a drop on Wall Street. Investors are preparing for the consumer price figures with a sense of dread as analysts warn a forecast-beating reading would ramp up bets on another big Federal Reserve hike and reinforce recession expectations.

Tech firms led losses in New York, with the Nasdaq off more than one percent, and they did so in early Asian trade. Hong Kong led losses, shedding two percent, while Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Mumbai, Wellington, Taipei, Bangkok and Jakarta also dropped. Traders were unmoved by the news that China’s consumer price index rose last month to a two-year high but came in below expectations. The US central bank has said its decision on when and by how much to tighten monetary policy will be driven by data as it struggles to walk a fine line between bringing inflation down from four-decade highs and trying not to damage the economy. There had been hope that recent indicators showing activity slowing would give the Fed room to be less hawkish. But a bigger-than-predicted jump in jobs last month revived talk of a third straight three-quarter-point hike in September. “The (Fed policy board) will need to make sure inflation moves back towards target sustainably before contemplating pausing its tightening cycle,” Carol Kong, of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said. “A strong inflation outcome today will likely reinforce the (board) is still some way away from that point yet, and see markets readjust higher their expectations for US interest rates.” With AFP

In Norway, deactivated oil platforms get a second life A handout released by Aker Solutions shows a machine demolishing elements of decommissioned oil platform Gyda in a yard in Stord (Norway) on July 11, 2022. Placed on the quays of the island town of Stord, three gigantic but obsolete modules, or 40,000 tons of material in total, are waiting to be dismantled and reduced to pieces. AFP

By Pierre-Henry Deshayes STORD, Norway—At an industrial yard in southwestern Norway, decommissioned oil platforms are slowly being dismantled for a second life in the circular economy. Three gigantic disused platforms stand on the docks on the island municipality of Stord where they are being taken apart bit by bit—as much as 98 percent of their total 40,000 tons is suitable for recycling. “If you come here in a year-and-ahalf, you will see nothing left,” says Sturla Magnus, a senior official at Aker Solutions, a group specialized in both building and dismantling oil platforms. Behind him, workmen in hardhats and fluorescent jackets are busy on the three structures: the platform from the Gyda field that was closed in 2020, and two others that have paid their dues at the Valhall field still in operation. Once the security inspections are complete and the electrical equipment and dangerous materials like asbestos have been removed, the remainder—the giant, empty shells—are left to powerful cutting machines. The most attractive waste are the tens of thousands of tons of high-quality steel, which can be reused on new oil platforms, other industrial structures or offshore wind turbines.

“This is steel that has to stand up to the harsh weather conditions in the North Sea. In other words, this is the best there is”, says Thomas Nygard, project director for decommissioning at Aker Solutions. While the company is a player in the highly polluting oil industry and still makes more oil installations than it demolishes, it is in favor of recycling. According to various estimates, one kilo (2.2 pounds) of recycled steel generates 58-70 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than a kilo of new steel. 10,000 installations to dismantle The North Sea is one of the oldest offshore oil and gas basins in the world and is gradually being depleted. Many of the oil platforms there are coming to the end of their life spans. In a 2021 report, the industry association Oil and Gas UK (OGUK)—which has since changed name to Offshore Energies UK (OEUK)—forecast that more than one million tons of North Sea platforms would need to be dismantled by the end of the decade. That is a large market, and one that is growing. Several years ago, OGUK’s forecast was for 200,000 tons. “If you look globally, it’s probably close to 10,000 installations which are going to at some point in time come back to shore,” Magnus says. Aker Solutions’ current workload is

scheduled through 2028. Meanwhile, some platforms are being maintained despite their advanced age. One of Norway’s oldest platforms, Statfjord A, has been in use since 1979. It was due to be taken out of service in 2022, but oil giant Equinor decided in 2020 to extend its life span until 2027. The same is true for two other platforms in the same field, Statfjord B and C, which are only a few years younger, but have been extended until 2035. The reprieve is due to the remaining oil reserves which are believed to be “considerable,” a decision sure to have been sugar-coated by soaring oil prices. Environmental stakes Nevertheless, even some environmental activists are reluctant to see the platforms disappear entirely. The earliest installations were made with legs of concrete—metal was preferred for later models—and according to the Norwegian branch of Friends of the Earth, the cement made for “fantastic” artificial corals because of its rough, pock-marked surface. “All those who have worked on a platform will tell you: there are a lot of big fish that live nearby because there’s no industrial fishing and the fish can grow to be up to 10 years old,” says the group’s marine biologist, Per-Erik Schulze. AFP

BEIJING, China—China’s consumer inflation rose in July to a two-year high, official data showed Wednesday, with a surge in pork prices pushing up the cost of food. Compared with other countries, consumer costs in the world’s secondbiggest economy have not skyrocketed, largely spared by the impact of a global surge in food prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. China’s consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of retail inflation, grew less than expected at 2.7 percent from a year ago in July, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showed. CPI rose slightly on-year “due to an increase in prices of pork, fresh vegetables and other food, as well as seasonal factors,” NBS senior statistician Dong Lijuan said in a statement. Food prices were up 6.3 percent onyear, with pork spiking 20.2 percent in July, she added. Prices of the staple meat rose in part because of the reluctance of some farmers to sell—ostensibly to maximize profits—and a pick-up in consumer demand, according to the NBS. While fuel prices were also higher than the same period last year, their growth rates have declined, Dong said. “The headline rate has been lifted by fuel inflation and, more recently, a rebound in food inflation,” said Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics in a recent report. He added that a weak labor market “may further sap price pressures,” and that he expects inflation to fall later this year. The producer price index (PPI)— measuring the cost of goods at the factory gate—rose 4.2 percent in July, down from 6.1 percent in June, official data showed Wednesday. This was lower than the expectation in a Bloomberg poll of analysts. The NBS said this was influenced by a drop in international commodity prices such as crude oil and non-ferrous metals. “The priority given to keeping factories open while restricting many consumer activities has meant that, domestically, lockdowns have been disinflationary,” Evans-Pritchard added in his earlier report. AFP

Biden signs key microchip bill into law

WASHINGTON, United States—President Joe Biden signed into law Tuesday a multibillion dollar bill boosting domestic semiconductor and other high-tech manufacturing sectors that US leaders fear risk being dominated by rival China. The Chips and Science Act includes around $52 billion to promote production of microchips, the tiny but powerful and relatively hard-to-make components at the heart of almost every modern piece of machinery. Tens of billions of dollars more are allocated for scientific research and development. The White House says the government commitment to bolstering hightech industries is already drawing in large-scale private investors, with some $50 billion in new semiconductor investment alone. The lion’s share of that is a plan announced by US firm Micron to put $40 billion into domestic expansion by 2030. Biden said at a White House speech that the cash injection from the Chips Act will help “win the economic competition in the 21st century.” Entrepreneurs are “the reason why I’m so optimistic about the future of our country,” he said, and “the Chips and Science Act supercharges our efforts to make semiconductors here in America.” One of the Democrat’s key themes since taking office has been the need to revamp US leadership in cutting-edge innovation and rebuild the homegrown industrial base in the face of China’s mammoth state-backed investments. Semiconductors are of particular concern because they are vital to everything from washing machines to sophisticated weapons and nearly all are made abroad. Although the semiconductor was invented in the United States, the country only produces around 10 percent of global supply, according to the White House, with some 75 percent of US supplies coming from east Asia. “Today’s signing of the bipartisan Chips Act is a historic investment in America’s future. It will boost microchip production at home, strengthen our supply chains, increase domestic research and development, and bolster our national security,” said US Chamber of Commerce vice president Neil Bradley. AFP

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

PSE INDEX CLOSING Wednesday, August 10, 2022 2.87 PTS. 6,471.84

TOTAL VOLUME

843,399,817

TOTAL TRADES TOTAL VALUE (IN PHP) ADVANCES DECLINES

61,289 6,336,803,628.20 111 59

UNCHANGED

F oreign E xchange R ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

55.5420

Japan

Yen

0.007402

0.4111

Pound

1.207800

67.0836

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127395

7.0758

Switzerland

Franc

1.048768

58.2507

Canada

Dollar

0.776096

43.1059

Singapore

Dollar

0.725426

40.2916

Australia

Dollar

0.696600

38.6906

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

147.3380

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266028

14.7757

Brunei

Dollar

0.722804

40.1460

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000067

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028289

1.5712

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

15.1229

Euro

1.021500

56.7362

Korea

Won

0.000765

0.0425

China

Yuan

0.148085

8.2249

India

Rupee

0.012569

0.6981

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.224568

12.4730

New Zealand

Dollar

0.628500

34.9081

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033312

1.8502 Source: BSP

D&L Industries’ second-quarter income up 22% By Jenniffer B. Austria D&L Industries Inc., a food ingredients and plastics manufacturer, is on track to attaining a net income of P3.1 billion this year on the back of sustained strong demand from domestic and overseas markets, a top executive said Wednesday. D&L president and chief executive Alvin Lao said in a news briefing demand would likely remain strong in the second half despite the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the country and higher inflation rate. The company reported a record firsthalf net income of P1.6 billion, up 17 percent year-on-year. Net income climbed by 22 percent year-on-year in the second quarter to P851 million. DNL said the better-than-expected earnings were driven by the continued economic reopening of businesses which was felt in all segments. “Our record first-half 2022 results demonstrate that despite various global macroeconomic headwinds, our company is benefiting from renewed business momentum amidst economic reopening and pent up demand from the past two years,” Lao said. “Barring any unforeseen event, we will likely at least match our record full-year income booked in 2018,” he said. Revenues from exports climbed 69 percent in the first six months to P7.7 billion from P4.5 billion in the same period last year, boosted by coconutbased products. The export business now accounts for 34 percent of the group’s total revenues. Lao said with the upcoming completion of a new manufacturing plant in Batangas in January 2023, the export business would account for at least 50 percent of revenues over the long term. The P10.2-billion facility will cater to D&L’s existing and new clients in the food and oleochemical segments. “D&L’s Batangas expansion will be instrumental to its future growth, as this facility will enable the company to develop more high value-added coconut-based products and penetrate new international markets,” the company said.

Business

FDIs climbed by 18.8% to $4.2b in five months By Julito G. Rada

ET inflows of foreign direct investments rose 64.1 percent in May to $742 million from $452 million a year ago on investors’ sustained confidence in the Philippine economy, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday. The figure brought the FDI net inflows in the first five months to $4.2 billion, up 18.8 percent from $3.5 billion registered in the same period last year. “The year-to-date growth was mainly on account of the increase in non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments, which muted the decline in net equity capital placements [other than reinvestment of earnings],” the BSP said in a statement. It said the FDIs grew in May on strong non-residents’ net investments in debt instruments and equity capital of their local affiliates. Data showed equity capital placements by country source came mainly from Japan, the United States, Singapore and the Netherlands. These were invested mostly in manufacturing, real estate, information and communication

and transportation and storage industries. Net inflows of FDIs reached a record $10.5 billion in 2021, breaching the previous high of $10.3 billion in 2017. The 2021 level represented a 54.2-percent increase from the $6.8-billion net inflows in 2020. It also surpassed the $8-billion target for the year set by the BSP. The BSP expects FDI net inflows to reach $11 billion this year, exceeding last year’s $10.5 billion despite the challenging global environment marked by high inflation and supply disruption. It also expects FDI flows to reach $11.8 billion in 2023, supported by several legislative reforms. These reforms include the amendments to the Retail Trade Act, the Foreign Investment Act and the Public Ser-

vice Act which opened more industries to foreign investors. The amended Public Services Act allows greater foreign ownership in telecommunication, airlines and railways. Data on FDIs are compiled based on the Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual, 6th Edition of the BSP. FDIs include investment by a non-resident direct investor in a resident enterprise, whose equity capital in the latter is at least 10 percent, and investment made by a non-resident subsidiary/associate in its resident direct investor. FDIs can be in the form of equity capital, reinvestment of earnings and borrowings. The BSP said the FDI statistics are distinct from the investment data of other government sources. FDIs cover actual investment inflows, while the approved foreign investments data published by the Philippine Statistics Authority, which are sourced from investment promotion agencies, represent investment commitments, which may not necessarily be realized fully, in a given period. The PSA data are also not based on the 10-percent ownership criterion under BPM6.

Pilipinas Shell recorded 254% rise in 6-month profit to P7.8b By Alena Mae S. Flores PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. said Wednesday net income jumped 254 percent in the first half to P7.8 billion from P2.2 billion a year ago on the back of record fuel prices. “Through the disciplined and resilient implementation of our strategy, we have recovered from the deficit in retained earnings in the past two years and are now able to deliver dividends to our shareholders. This reflects our strong culture of sustained performance even in the midst of a prolonged volatile business environment. We are confident to continue our momentum, deliver shareholder returns and power progress for the Philippines,” said PSPC president and chief executive Lorelie Quiambao-Osial. Global product prices reached historical highs from the start of 2022, causing a rise in working capital requirements. PSPC said strong fiscal management allowed the company to maintain a controlled level of borrowings. Excluding movement in working capital, the company said it ended with a positive cash flow from operations of P13.7billion—an upside from the previous year’s P7.6 billion. “The world is evolving, and so is Shell. Through our 108-year history, we have been offering our customers more than just high-quality products and services,” said Quiambao-Osial. PSPC helped B2B customers increase their operational efficiencies through the company’s technical services and the first carbon offsetting program in the country. It made consumer travel more enjoyable with convenience offers, designing its mobility sites to be more than just stopovers but points of destination.

IN BRIEF

Robinsons Land’s income hits P5.36b

MONDE-EDC DEAL. Noodles maker Monde Nissin Corp. signs up for close to 16 megawatts of renewable energy from Energy Development Corp., a subsidiary of First Gen Corp., as part of its commitment to find sustainable solutions on food security. Signing the agreement are (from left) First Gen assistant vice president Arlene Sy-Soriano, First Gen vice president Carlo Vega, Monde Nissin chief operating officer Michael Stanley Tan and Sarimonde Foods operations head Rico Bautista.

DTI drafts vape law rules as studies show no impact on indoor air quality VAPORS produced by smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes like vapes and heated tobacco products have no adverse impact on indoor air quality unlike smoke from combustible cigarettes, according to peerreviewed scientific studies. The studies provide evidence that smoke-free products do not negatively affect the air quality in enclosed areas and may provide smokers a far less harmful way of consuming nicotine, while reducing the exposure of non-smokers to harmful second-hand smoke. The Philippines recently enacted the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Product Regulation Act or Republic Act No. 11900 to regulate vapes and HTPs, providing adult smokers with less harmful alternatives to cigarettes with the goal to bring down the smoking rate which affects more than 16 million Filipinos. The Department of Trade and Industry is finalizing the draft implementing rules and regulations for RA 11900, according to Trade Undersecretary for consumer protection group Ruth Castelo. She said the DTI would also consult with the Food and Drug Administration as the first step

in drafting the IRR. “In a couple of days, we will start the consultation with the FDA. After that, we will proceed with the public consultation with stakeholders, retailers and users, to get their inputs,” she said. “The DTI will follow what is stated in the law. We will not turn down the responsibilities due to us. In fact, we have prepared for this. We have the capability to test devices since we have, in our possession, the testing machines,” Castelo said. A 2018 study published in ScienceDirect found that emissions from heated tobacco products are reduced in indoor air compared to those of conventional cigarettes. The researchers said HTPs have a significantly lower impact on indoor air quality than the conventional combustible cigarette because of significantly lower emissions profile of both aerosol particles and chemical emissions. It concluded that HTPs had significantly less impact on indoor air quality and that its emissions were significantly less odorous than those from conventional cigarettes and their emissions.

Othel V. Campos

LOWER ELECTRIC BILLS. Manila Electric Co.

vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga announces another round of rate reduction, as August costs go down by P0.2087 per kilowatt-hour, equivalent to a decrease of around P42 in the monthly bill of a residential customer consuming 200 kWh. Zaldarriaga says with the adjustment, Meralco’s rates now have a combined reduction of P0.9154 per kWh over the past two months and a net decrease of P0.2315 per kWh since the start of the year.

ADB vows to back new government’s economic agenda THE Asian Development Bank expressed full support to the Marcos administration’s socioeconomic priorities aimed at achieving a sustainable longterm economic growth. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno and ADB country director Kelly Bird recently discussed development cooperation and alignment of priorities between the government and the multilateral lender for the next six years. “I am very pleased to hear that the bank is fully committed to helping us fulfill our goal of inclusive and sustainable long-term growth by aligning the ADB-Philippines Country Partnership Strategy with this administration’s socioeconomic priorities,” Diokno said in a statement Wednesday. ADB proposed three key pillars for its 2024-2029 framework, including climate action, climate smart transport and communication and investing in Filipinos’ welfare. Consultations to refine this framework will commence in October this year, according to Diokno. Diokno thanked the ADB for its strong support and for charting its direction within the Marcos administration’s 8-point socioeconomic agenda. The Marcos administration seeks to address the most urgent issues confronting the Filipino people in the near term, such as rising prices of essential commodities and the lingering economic scars from the pandemic. The medium-term plan aims to drive the creation of more jobs, quality jobs and green jobs. The Marcos administration aims to achieve this through massive investments in infrastructure, human capital development and digitalization. Bird said ADB was fully committed to supporting the administration’s programs. He said the ADB’s program for the Philippines has been large and diversified, with its lending program to the country averaging $3 billion annually until 2024. Julito G. Rada

ROBINSONS Land Corp., the property arm of the Gokongwei Group, said Wednesday net income rose 42 percent in the second quarter to P3.63 billion on the back of strong recovery in the mall and residential businesses. RLC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the strong second-quarter earnings pushed the first-half net income to P5.36 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers by 34 percent. “With the economy moving towards full reopening, we continue to sustain our upward trajectory and exceed pre-pandemic earnings. As we move to the second half of the year, we are encouraged by the strong recovery of our malls and hotels, sustained increase in residential sales, the resilience of our office and industrial businesses, and the overall strength of our diversified portfolio,” RLC president and chief executive Frederick Gi said. “We remain upbeat on our future growth prospects anchored on improved business environment and the country’s stable macroeconomic fundamentals,” Go said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Smart calls DITO’s complaint ‘baseless’

SMART Communications Inc. said Wednesday DITO Telecommunity Corp.’s complaint of anti-competitive behavior with the Philippine Competition Commission is “baseless.” Smart vice president for regulatory affairs Roy Ibay assured the PCC and the public the company was “not engaged in any act constituting abuse of dominant position or anti-competitive behavior against DITO.” Ibay said DITO’s claim that its subscribers were not being allowed to interconnect with the Smart network was “simply false.” “Smart and DITO have an existing interconnection agreement, which Smart continues to honor. DITO is now requesting for additional capacity, and has raised this via petition to the National Telecommunications Commission where it is pending. DITO’s filing of the PCC complaint on the same subject-matter is blatant forum-shopping,” he said. DITO asked NTC for extra capacity for interconnection, citing congestion and overutilization of trunks. Darwin G. Amojelar

SM ‘Hall of Famer’ for good governance

SM INVESTMENTS Corp. was recognized as a “Hall of Famer” in the corporate governance category of the Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards 2022. AREA recognized SM Investments for “demonstrating transparency and completeness of disclosure and reporting of governance practices in their annual report.” This is “while also safeguarding integrity in financial reporting, promoting ethical decision making through a structured board of committee, respecting the rights of shareholders and remunerating fairly and responsibly.” “We are pleased to receive this award which is a recognition of our practices as we endeavor to uphold good governance and transparency in our businesses,” said SM Investments president and chief executive Frederic DyBuncio said. “As SM is a company that touches different industries in the country, we ensure our publicly-listed business units produce a transparent report through our Integrated Reports that tell the story of our sustainability across the group’s wide ecosystem of businesses,” DyBuncio said.

Life

Nickie Wang, Editor Patricia Taculao, Editorial Assistant E-mail: lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

Self-care: What is it all about? Self-care isn’t selfish; it is self-love. It is about being aware of your own health, empowering yourself, and owning your health.

JOB WELL DONE BY JOBA BOTANA

UCH has been said about selfcare, and I am certain you have heard about the concept of it, some beliefs about it, or its true meaning. People have different concepts of what selfcare really is.

Beyond taking care of ourselves, the impact of self-care is more far-reaching. Research conducted recently has shown that self-care and the use of self-care products provide a global annual gain of 22 million quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), a measurement of health outcomes that include both length of life and health-related quality of life. The study states that thanks to selfcare, there is a global annual saving of 40.8 billion productive days. Globally, the practice of proper selfcare has shown to save healthcare systems around $119 billion per annum (predicted to rise to $178.8 billion). It has also saved 1.8 billion hours of physician time, which means healthcare workers have more time to focus on patients with more complex conditions that can’t be self-managed. In the Philippines, there is a notion that self-care is [being] selfish and so many Filipinos feel guilty when they do self-care. But what is really self-care? Where do we draw the line between exercising self-care and just being selfish? Selfcare is self-love The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” In commemoration of the 11th International Self-Care Day held every July 24, and in celebration of the 75th anniversary of French-Filipino relations, Sanofi and

the French Embassy in the Philippines organized “Health In Your Hands,” a self-care global awareness event that aims to highlight the importance of responsible self-care practices. The intimate gathering, held at Pardon My French (formerly Strumms) in Bel-Air, Makati City was hosted by broadcast journalist Karen Davila. On the panel were H.E. Michèle Boccoz, Ambassador of the French Republic to the Philippines; Dr. Manuel Dayrit, former Secretary of the Department of Health and former Dean of and current Professor at the Ateneo School of Medicine in Public Health; and Vanee Gosiengfiao, General Manager of Consumer Healthcare, Sanofi Philippines. The event was one of Sanofi’s thrusts to increase awareness of self-care. Sanofi, a global biopharmaceutical company that is focused on human health, is one of the many companies and organizations that have come together globally to form the Global Federation of Self-care. The group aims to advance knowledge, studies, and understanding of self-care and now we can share it among individuals. “Self-care is about being aware of your own health, empowering yourself, and owning your health. More than proper maintenance of health, it is about preventive care -- preventive care vs. sick care. Self-

Stakeholders dig deeper on breaking the barriers to self-care, challenging misconceptions, offering important information

tently are efficient ways of doing self-care,” she said. According to the group, the basis of selfcare must include right and trustworthy information; science; and [embedding self-care practices in our] culture. Self-care must also be part of our education, so that children will grow up knowing the right concept of it, and more importantly, including it in their practice. And for our part, as Filipinos, not feeling guilty about it. Certainly, there are gaps that need to be filled in to ensure that Filipinos’ understanding of self-care is rooted in science. “Apart from the fact that many Filipinos don’t want to do self-care and would rather just wait for them to feel better later, we also say that self-care is selfish. And that we feel guilty of taking care of ourselves first because a lot of people need our attention. The truth is, we need to take care of ourselves first so we can better take care of others. So, I think this is one of the gaps. We need to correct that --because self-care is healthy,” enthused Gosiengfiao. “Another thing, we need to Increase health care literacy. It must start among the young, in their education. I think all of us here have been educated about proper hygiene, proper nutrition, exercise, and rest — these are all important,” Gosiengfiao carried on. Self-care is holistic. It is not just about having a much-needed metime, but it is part of it. And everyone should practice it. Regardless of gender and status in life – we all need to practice self-care. Let’s all be kind to ourselves. As they say, when our cup is filled with love and care for ourselves, then we have Broadcast journalist Karen Davila (fourth from left) with panel something more to give to others. members (from left) Vanee Gosiengfiao of Sanofi Philippines,

care is self-love,” Gosiengfiao emphasized. Misperceptions Davila, known for her piercing questions to her interviewees, posed this question to the panel: what is the biggest challenge or misconception when it comes to self-care?

and maintaining their health, there are still a lot of Filipinos who display an ‘erratic’ behavior. In wanting to avoid the cost of healthcare, they don’t realize that they are making it worse,” he shares. Dayrit suspects that this fragmented grasp of the concept has been ingrained in our minds since we were young and has been embedded in our culture. “People need to realize that taking care of ourselves is our own responsibility. It is important to fully understand the value of resting, of not prolonging an illness and knowing when to go to the doctor, of finding the balance, and of communicating these, if need be, to their families or loved ones,” he adds. What needs to be done To Ambassador Boccoz, self-care is one of our fundamental needs. “I think prevention [of an illness] is the best way to stay healthy, as well as having healthy habits and hygiene, such as leading an active life or exercising regularly. These little or simple things that are done consis-

“The thing with many Filipinos is that they try to avoid going to the doctor, as much as possible. They think that they can prolong the illness, and so they wait for as long as they can before going to the hospital. But what if it’s a disease at an early stage? The prolongation can cost them their life,” Dr. Dayrit pointed out. At a one-on-one interview later at the event, I asked Dr. Dayrit where the Filipinos are right now in terms of understanding and awareness of self-care. He was quick to say that there are areas where we do well, and areas where we need to improve upon. H.E. Michele Boccoz, Ambassador of the French Republic to “When it comes to practicing the Philippines, and Dr. Manuel Dayrit, former Secretary of the self-care, preventing an illness, Department of Health

For feedback, you may email the author at joba.botana@gmail.com.

Entertainment

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

Introducing Andrew Ramsay

Andrew Ramsay makes a conscious effort to step out of the shadow of his celebrity brother, Derek

HIS last name may ring a bell, but Andrew Ramsay is not here to be the next matinee idol. A new player in the local entertainment scene, he is more than just a kind and pretty face. With a passion for performance arts, Andrew is on the way to building his empire. The theater is Andrew’s first stage. He found an interest in the theater at a tender age and dived deeper after learning about the works of Shakespeare. He has received training for acting in the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the Philippine Educational Theater Association. Andrew also earned his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Acting for

Bollywood seeks boost with Tom Hanks movie remake

Christian Paolo Lat for the ambitious project. To breathe life into the character of Anton, Andrew had to live in a boxing gym. He also lost weight and immersed himself in the vernacular to portray his character. Another project that Andrew worked on recently is Living in the Dead of Night, a short film under the creative direction of David Olson. In the film, he plays Tom, a dubious drug dealer who takes advantage of the sheltered Hunter. Tom’s character is different from his real-life disposition, but it was a role that he took on with much intensity.

Film from the New York Film Academy. Andrew returned to the Philippines after his stints in London and LA. In hopes of making a name for himself in the film circle, he auditioned for a role in Ginhawa, a feature-length film in competition for the 2022 Cinemalaya Film Festival. His character, Anton Banal, is an impoverished local boxer who dreams of making it big. While most films featuring athletes follow their road to success, Ginhawa tells otherwise. The story shows the grim realities of the sports industry and the harsh realities these hopeful boxers face. Andrew worked alongside veteran actress Ruby Ruiz and director

Andrew also pursues his love for film in different ways, particularly as the Head of Partnerships for Cutaway Productions, a company that creates ads, social media content, and fulllength features for a broad clientele. The future is looking bright for the actor. His performing expertise is apparent in his works. In the age when everyone wants to be famous in a flash, Andrew is one of the few creatives who put in the hard work for their art. He hopes to land more challenging roles; maybe a gruesome murderer, a swindler on a mission, or a goofy character. But one thing is sure, Andrew Ramsay’s name is here to stay.

New series gives voice to marginalized communities

Lovi plays Luna who suffers from a rare sleep disorder that keeps her awake at night and asleep during the day

By Patricia Taculao

S THE world evolves, so do the people in it. People are slowly beginning to unlearn problematic notions that once caused political unrest among different communities. Yet, despite the progress, there’s still a long way to go before the Philippines becomes a wholly-inclusive country for every community.

Aamir Khan's (left) 'Laal Sing-h Chaddha' is an adaptation of the 1994 Hollywood feelgood hit 'Forrest Gump'

ONE of India’s biggest stars is banking on a remake of Hollywood feel-good hit Forrest Gump to revive the fortunes of Hindi-language Bollywood, after a string of weak box-office showings. Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, an adaptation of the 1994 US classic starring Tom Hanks, hits cinemas on Thursday ahead of India’s 75th independence celebrations. Disappointing takings for other Bollywood A-listers have cast a pall over an industry still recovering from COVID-19 lockdown losses when many in moviemad India turned to streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar. The adaptation keeps several iconic scenes from the original – which netted six Oscars, including for Best Picture – such as a floating white feather, ping-pong playing and lots of running. But there are several changes, with Gump’s “box of chocolates” line becoming “Life is just like a golgappa. Your tummy might feel full, but your heart always craves more.” Golgappa is a popular Indian snack, while the second half of the saying – “you never know what you’re gonna get” in the original – draws from a common Hindi phrase. The film promises to take people through India’s history in the same way Gump stumbled through and influenced major US events like the Vietnam War. This could irk Indian right-wing critics who have already called for a boycott of the film because of comments made by Khan in 2015 that were deemed to be unpatriotic. AFP, Read full story on manilastandard.net

In some instances, persons with disabilities (PWDs) have trouble accessing some of the essentials without asking for assistance. They are also victims of prejudice from those who don’t understand their conditions. Even the LGBTQIA+ community experiences this lack of accessibility and acceptance from society. So how can someone raise awareness about the struggles of marginalized communities to make the general public understand that there’s still much to be done? The answer, for Samantha Lee, lies in using her abilities as a director and writer. Lee is known for making queer films like Billie and Emma and Janine Gutierrez watches YouTube videos Baka Bukas. This time, she created a series that trains the spotlight on the and spends time practicing with her challenges of the PWD and LGBTQIA+ communities by inserting their wheelchair to give an accurate portrayal experiences into a romantic drama. Her series, Sleep With Me, stars Lovi Poe and Janine Gutierrez in the However, it was a different scenario for the duo when preparing for their lead roles. They both play characters who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community and with disabilities of their own. Harry (Janine) is a radio DJ character’s disabilities. Janine frequently kept her wheelchair with her to practice accurately who needs a wheelchair, while her crush Luna (Lovi) suffers from a sleep portraying a physically disabled individual. She watches YouTube videos disorder. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community herself, Lee is aware of the to get the nuances of using a wheelchair, from swiveling to moving the need for proper representation of marginalized people. Apart from Lovi bed. Eventually, Janine realized the fact that the Philippines isn’t PWDfriendly. When she brought her wheelchair and Janine, the crew and team behind to her hotel room, she found it hard to fit it Sleep With Me are women or members into the space. of the LGBTQIA+ community. Still, On the other hand, Lovi learned from articles she needed Lovi and Janine to take on Lee sent her about a rare sleeping disorder. Her the lead roles because of the scope and character feels lonely because her condition impact of their platform. keeps her awake through the night and asleep The series premiered at the Outfest during the day. Lovi shared that since people LGBTQ+ Film Festival in Los Angeles, can’t see Luna’s disability, they judge her as where it bagged the Audience Award for a party animal and other similar prejudices Best Episodic. instead of considering other factors. In playing their roles, Lovi and Janine With their well-researched portrayal, Janine were comfortable enough with each and Lovi make Sleep With Me a relatable other to do the intimate scenes. Lee romantic six-part series that tackles the ensured that their romantic scenes were struggles of marginalized communities in raw and vulnerable for viewers to relate modern society. to the laughter, banter, and other usual Sleep With Me will premiere on iWantTFC occurrences when people explore their (From left) Director Samantha Lee, Lovie Poe, and Janine Gutierrez during the media conference for 'Sleep With Me' on August 15. relationship deeper.

Unraveling secrets in ‘Love You Stranger’ finale THIS week, the truth will set everyone free as Love You Stranger concludes the enthralling story about the legend of a shadow creature called Lilom. Bannered by real-life couple Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos in their firstever primetime TV series together, the GMA Public Affairs’ miniseries has kept viewers hooked on the plot that merges mystery and romance with folklore and filmmaking. “It will be more and more exciting. Abangan n’yo na kasi mayroong hindi inaasahang mangyayari sa finale week ng Love You Stranger na kahit ako, personally, nawindang noong nabasa ko yung last week na script. So I’m really excited for the reaction of the viewers,” shared Gabbi, who plays the role of LJ. Khalil, as Direk Ben, also added that the viewers are bound to get the answers to their questions during the finale week. “Abangan nila kung paano mangyayari ang pagtatapos ng Love You Stranger, ang napakalaking finale. Mayroong mangyayari na malaking magbibigay talaga ng pagbabago sa buhay ng lahat ng characters.” “That’s what I love about this show – [the plot is] very unexpected,” expressed Gil Cuerva who portrays Tristan. “You can tell that with the reaction ng fans. Pati sila nabibigla. For example, yung pag-twist sa character arc ni Tristan. I feel like this is a show with a lot of depth.” The series has earned praises for its storyline, cinematography, as well as the acting performances of its cast –including Gil’s portrayal of his character. In the finale week culminating today

The lead starts of 'Love You Stranger' (from left) Gil Cuerva, Gabbi Garcia, and Khalil Ramos

(August 11), Ben confronts Tristan about his involvement in Coleen’s disappearance on the night of the Lilom festival. Lorraine (Andrea del Rosario), LJ, Ben, Tristan, and Alfie (Tonton Gutierrez) will finally meet over a tense dinner. The characters talk about how Mang Larry was able to conceal his identity as the Lilom who victimizes women. Alfie, later on, found a way to meet Lorraine but didn’t realize that it would be the key for her to remember the truth on the night of her disappearance during the Lilom festival. Ben will finally confess to Lorraine what he witnessed that night, admitting his guilt of not being able to help her. Tristan will face a major dilemma. His next actions would be crucial. Meanwhile, someone from the past will return to aid Ben in his quest to bring the truth behind the Lilom of Sta. Castela. LJ will once again try to unlock the mystery behind the secret door in the library of the Dela Paz mansion. A tragedy awaits that will endanger the lives of LJ’s loved ones. Who will make it out alive? Will LJ’s family be reunited? And will she and Ben fulfill their promise to change the ending

of their story together? Love You Stranger also stars Carmi Martin, Lexi Gonzales, Kim De Leon, Maey Bautista, Angelli Sanoy, Alex Medina, Nor Domingo, Ces Quesada, Lui Manansala, Bodjie Pascua, Soliman Cruz, and Dindo Arroyo. The series is an original concept written by GMA Public Affairs Assistant Vice President Angeli Atienza. The creative team is led by Program Managers JM Cobarrubias and Kristian Julao with Executive Producer Jacel Ann Chiu, Supervising Producer Sharon Rose Masula, and writers Clarissa Navarro and Jessie Villabrille. King Baco directs with Irene Villamor as script consultant. Love You Stranger: The Final Act airs tonight at 9:35 after Bolera on GMA Telebabad.

Sarah G, Mimiyuuuh together for epic collab FOR the first time, value mobile brand her bucket list — the dream to collaborate TNT has brought together Popstar Sarah with the Popstar Royalty. Geronimo and YouTube star Mimiyuuuh “We had so much fun shooting this at for an epic music video collab meant to nakaka-proud po to be part of a project encourage Filipinos to get their “says” that celebrates the Filipinos’ strength and going in these challenging times. positivity lalo na during these challenging Entitled “Tuloy Ang Saya,” TNT’s times,” Mimiyuuh said. latest music video shows both celebrity Fans can get their saya going by joining endorsers in a catchy song and dance Sarah G. and Mimiyuuuh on the “Tuloy performance that highlights how ordinary Ang Saya” dance challenge and sharing Filipinos can find simple their version on ways to stay happy and TikTok using the productive powered official hashtag by TNT - whether it’s #TNTuloyAngSaya through connecting with “Now, more than loved ones on social ever, many Filipinos media, destressing on rely on the internet TikTok with co-workers, for their daily dose bonding with friends via of saya despite trying online games, learning times. That’s why new things on YouTube, TNT is committed or even starting out a to making available small online business. affordable promos The campaign video to keep everyone also capitalizes on the connected online, song’s LSS-inducing powered by Smart’s message: “Sa TNT, A behind-the-scenes look at Sarah nationwidest mobile tuloy ang saya—kahit Geronimo (left) and Mimiyuuuh during coverage,” said nagigipit, dyan tayo their video collaboration for TNT Francis E. Flores, kakapit, problema’y maitatawid.” SVP and Head of Consumer Business The new ad comes on the heels of the Wireless – Individual at Smart. much-awaited new TVC of Sarah G. after To keep the subscribers connected to a short hiatus. their daily source of saya, TNT recently “Masaya po ako na among my first unveiled Sulit Affordaloads’, which include projects is this music video with Mimiyuuuh Pantawid 10, SurfSaya 20, and All Data 50 na may importanteng mensahe: Kahit ano with Free TikTok For All- three offers that pa pong pagsubok ang dinadaanan natin, suit the connectivity needs of subscribers sama-sama natin ‘tong lalagpasan at even on a tight budget. nandito lang kami ng TNT para ituloy ang Subscribers may register to any of sayang makakapitan saan man kayo sa TNT’s Sulit Affordaloads by logging into bansa,” Sarah G. said. the GigaLife App, by dialing *123#, or by On the other hand, Mimiyuuuh could not purchasing at accredited retailers and saribelieve that she just ticked off an item from sari stores nationwide.

Sports

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

PPS tennis title chase resumes in Mandaue CLASHES in the boys’ 12-and-under division and girls’ 14-U play ushered in the PPS-PEPP Mandaue City national age-group tennis tournament yesterday (Wednesday) with a mix of old and new joining the hunt in the second leg of a four-leg swing in Cebu at the New Mandaue Tennis Club’s clay courts. Ormoc’s John David Velez and Tiffany Nocos from Quezon City go for back-toback victories in the premier 18-U class after toppling Marc Jarata of La Union and Ormoc City’ Kimi Brodeth in their respective sides in last week’s skirmish in Lapu-Lapu City. But they both brace for a tougher challenge this time along with the rest in the other divisions of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop. More than 200 entries from all over are disputing top honors in eight divisions with the boys 14- and 16-U classes drawing huge 64-player draws each, underscoring the continued popularity of the country’s longest talentsearch put up by Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro as part of his commitment to help develop the sport and produce future members of the national team. The girls’ 14- and 16-U sides also feature 32-player charts each with Jana Diaz from Bacoor, Cavite, Adriana Lanza, Maristella Torrecampo and Kate Imalay headlining the 14-U cast and Brodeth, Diaz and Imalay looming as the players to beat in the 16-U side of the event backed by ProtekTODO, PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating). Meanwhile, the City of Naga will stage the next leg on Aug. 17-24 before the Cebu joust winds up in Consolacion, Laray on Aug. 25-31. For details, contact Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464. David Sepulveda, Rafa Callao, Clemente Barrera, Gabrio Serillo, Lexious Cruz, Urcisino Villa and David Neri lead the chase in the boys’ 12-U category while seven matches kicked off hostilities in girls’ 14-U side of the tournament. Other players tipped to contend are Cagayan de Oro’s Johann Aguanta and Pete Bandala from Dipolog (boys’ 14-U), Bacolod’s Mcleen Gomera, Ivan Manila from San Jose, Nueva Ecija, Maranding, Lanao’s Kale Cyd Villamar and Ormoc”s Gerald Gemida (boys’ 16-U), Pasig City’s Lanza, Maristella Torrecampo from Los Baños, Laguna, and Camiguin’s Zita Clarke (girls’ 12-U), and Amygray Olalo from Tagbilaran, Bohol and Judy Ann Padilla from Ozamiz City (girls’ 16-U).

Arejola, Malixi miss US match play stage

Talor Gooch of the United States plays his shot from the 20th tee during round one of the 122nd US Open Championship at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. The US PGA Tour filed a motion in federal court asking three LIV Golf players, including Gooch, not be allowed to compete in this week’s FedEx Cup playoff opener. AFP

LIV trio denied chance to play in PGA playoffs S AN FRANCISCO —A federal judge on Tuesday denied a request by three LIV Golf Series players for a temporary restraining order allowing them to play in this week’s US PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoffs.

US District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman made the ruling after a hearing at San Jose on the lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California. Australian Matt Jones and Americans Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford had sought the chance to compete in the FedEx Cup playoff opener, the St. Jude’s Championship, that begins Thursday in Memphis. All three were among those suspended by the PGA Tour after they teed off in their first event of the Saudi-backed LIV

Golf Series in June. The ruling upheld that ban. “We’re disappointed that Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones won’t be allowed to play golf,” LIV Golf said in a statement. “No one gains by banning golfers from playing.” Gooch was ranked 20th in FedEx Cup points with Jones 65th and Swafford 67th. The top 125 players in season points qualified for Memphis with 70 players advancing to next week’s BMW Championship and the top 30 reaching the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. Had they been able to play and reached the Tour Championship, the trio would have earned berths in next year’s Masters and US and British Opens. But LIV Golf players could not show irreparable harm since they will be allowed to play LIV Golf events when those resume next month in Boston. While LIV Golf players claim they are independent contractors, the PGA Tour argued they were members and the tour can punish members who violate rules, such as playing in LIV events.

“With today’s news, our players, fans and partners can now focus on what really matters over the next three weeks, the best players in the world competing in the FedEx Cup playoffs,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo obtained by The Golf Channel. LIV Golf has lured away such top stars as Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson with guaranteed money and record purses of $25 million at events. Jones, Gooch and Swafford were among 11 LIV Golf players who filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, who had been among the 11 players in the lawsuit, has dropped out of the case, his manager said. Some players at Memphis warned of a frosty reception for LIV golfers had they been allowed to tee off after departing for richer prize money as well as trying to knock PGA players out of their own playoffs. “Going to be a pretty icy Thursday morning if those guys play,” 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover told The Golf Channel. “They want their cake and eat it too.” AFP

RIANNE Malixi and Tomi Arejola waged late rallies on separate nines but came up short at the finish and missed the match play stage by one shot on a 74 and 75, respectively, after the 36-hole stroke play elims of the US Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington Tuesday.Three shared medalist honors, including 13-year-old Chinese Alice Zhao, who took control after 18 holes with a 67 then held on with a 69 for a 136 matched by Americans Latanna Stone, who scorched the par73 layout with a 65, and Laney Frye, who carded a second straight 68, as they led 61 others into the knockout stage starting Wednesday. Reeling from a disastrous first day 77, Malixi fell even farther with bogeys on the first two holes but found her touch and range and racked up four straight birdies to crash into the Top 64. But a missed green bogey on the seventh stalled her charge and though she recovered the stroke with another birdie on No. 12, she lost it all as she lost her putting touch and poise on the tricky greens of Chambers Bay. A rare five-putt mishap on the par-5 No. 13 led to an 8 and sent the ICTSIbacked Malixi crashing out and her birdie bids in the next two holes that lipped out only added to her putting woes. Still, she stepped onto the par-5 18th mound nurturing hopes for a playoff for the last berth but after setting up a 12-foot birdie putt, she missed it again, settling for a 36-38 and a 151. Eight players finished with 150s and tied for 61st. They were disputing the last four slots in playoffs at presstime. Like Malixi, Arejola also needed to bounce back big after an opening 76 but a birdie-less backside 40 start all but stymied her drive for a spot in the match play with a sevenover aggregate. But she snapped a four par-game at the front with back-to-back birdies from No. 5 then the Campbell University mainstay gained another stroke on the par-5 eighth to get into the Top 64. She, however, bogeyed the par-3 No. 9 and finished with a 75 for a similar 151. Meantime, Nicole Abelar, safely at joint 21st with an opening one-under 72, fell off the leaderboard with a thud on an erratic backside start marred by four bogeys and a double bogey with no birdie to show for a 42.

Cool Smashers primed for crack at 2nd PVL diadem WHILE it would rather last two games in heartGame Friday prefer to get a crack at a breaking fashions— (Filoil EcoOil Centre) second straight champiblowing a 2-0 set lead onship on its own merits, 4 p.m. – Kingwhale vs Creamline and yielding to the Cool Creamline is pleased and Smashers, and squanrelieved to have moved into the finals of dering a 12-8 bulge in the fifth set and the Premier Volleyball League Invitation- losing to the Taiwanese. al Conference ahead of everybody else With a 2-2 card, the High Speed Hitwithout going through the service line or ters could hope for Kingwhale to drop hitting an attack. its last two games to Creamline and For Kingwhale-Taiwan made the Open Cignal (1-2) and force a three-way tie Conference champion’s drive to the cham- for second at 2-2. The team with the supionship round simpler after repulsing perior tiebreak score will face Creamhard-luck PLDT in a five-set thriller last line in a winner-take-all match. Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. PLDT closed out its campaign with With a 3-0 slate, the Cool Smashers 1.027 points ratio, Kingwhale has 1.076 could afford to drop their final match to with two games left, and Cignal has 0.909 the Taiwanese Friday back at the Filoil with one more match. EcoOil Centre in San Juan and still Creamline tests Kingwhale’s mettle at 4 clinch a spot in the finals even if King- p.m. tomorrow as the league takes a twowhale would go on to sweep the five- day break with the final semis pairing pitteam semis phase. ting Cignal and Kingwhale on Saturday, PLDT, which looked set to nail the also at 4 p.m. at the San Juan venue. The first finals seat after sweeping its first winner-take-all final is set Sunday at 5:30 two games in the semis, dropped its p.m. after the 2:30 p.m. clash for third,

back at the MOA Arena. Whatever, the Cool Smashers are eager and ready to go for another championship. “Whichever team we’d be facing in the finals, we’re excited,” said Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses, who boasts of a crack squad led by the league’s leading scorer Tots Carlos, the durable Alyssa Valdez, heavy hitter Jema Galanza and ace playmaker Jia de Guzman, along with Celine Domingo, Michelle Gumabao, Pangs Panaga, Risa Sato and defenders Kyle Atienza, Ella de Jesus and Kyle Negrito. “PLDT and Kingwhale have different systems. Though we beat PLDT in the semis, it was a struggle and I know they will be extra motivated if they get to the final,” said Meneses. “We’ll be facing Kingwhale tomorrow and they are very exciting,” he added. “But it will all depend on our team what kind of game we’d play since it’s a winnertake-all final.” At stake for Creamline isn’t only a second straight championship after

Creamline ready for another championship run

sweeping Petro Gazz in the finals of AVC (Asian Volleyball Confederation) the Open Conference but the right to Championship for Women starting Aug. represent the country in the upcoming 21 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

5 exciting female fighters inside the ONE Circle

Jackie Buntan

ONE Championship’s female roster is one of the most exciting in all of combat sports. From dominant World Champions to up-and-coming stars, the promotion is unmatched for its depth of female talent. Below, we break down five female fighters who always deliver inside the Circle, starting with a FilipinaAmerican standout. Jackie Buntan Jackie Buntan is a fighter who has made a name for herself in ONE’s strawweight division, going 3-1 against some of the toughest women in Muay Thai. The Boxing Works standout is well known for her promotional debut win over Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak, in which she dropped the Thai superstar with a powerful punch en route to a unanimous decision win. She recently faced Smilla “The Hurricane” Sundell at ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic this past April in a five-round battle for the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title, and although she came up short, Bun-

tan showed why she’s going to be a force for some time. Angela Lee Angela Lee has proven time and again that she is truly “Unstoppable” as the ONE Atomweight World Champion. Lee holds a record of 10-2 in the Circle, with her latest win against Stamp Fairtex at ONE X this past March ending in round two by submission. Her feat was all the more impressive because she had been away from competition for two years to focus on motherhood, while Stamp was rising through the ranks as the next biggest thing. Stamp Fairtex Stamp is one of the brightest stars in the organization. With five finishes to her name, she’s gone 11-4 in ONE’s kickboxing, Muay Thai, and MMA divisions. Stamp has also held multiple titles in her tenure with the organization, more specifically the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Titles. Although she fell to Lee in her quest to become a three-sport ONE World Champion, Stamp is always

just one win away from testing herself against “Unstoppable” once again. Smilla Sundell Sundell looked superb against the aformentioned Buntan, but it was in her debut where she really shined. She faced Diandra Martin at ONE: FULL CIRCLE this past February in a catchweight banger, and the teenage phenom knocked Martin out in the third round. At just 17 years old, and with the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title around her waist, Sundell is the woman to beat. Nat Jaroonsak “Wondergirl” might’ve been known as a Muay Thai prodigy, but the Thai sensation recently showed off her talent in MMA. She needed less than a minute and a half to armbar Zeba “Fighting Queen” Bano at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot this past May, setting her mixed martial arts career off to a thrilling start. Up next, download the ONE Super App to catch all the action at ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II on Friday, August 26, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Sports

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

Bolts shackle Fajardo, torch Beermen to square series By Peter Atencio

Meralco’s Cliff Hodge scores with an uncontested layup against San Miguel Beer in a PBA Philippine Cup game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Bolts won, 11197, to even their semifinal series with the Beermen at 2 wins apiece.

Sotto-Clarkson teamup forms formidable 1-2 punch for Gilas By Peter Atencio

ILIPINO cage star Kai Sotto, who will be playing for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League for a second straight year, is making himself available to the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team in the fourth FIBA World Cup Asia qualifying window. The 7’2” Sotto will be around when Team Pilipinas meets Lebanon in an away-game in Beirut on Aug. 25 and in a home-game against Saudi Arabia at the Mall of Asia Arena on Aug. 29. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas confirmed Sotto’s decision to join the national squad. “We are glad to have Kai into the Gilas fold and thank him for his proactive response to the call to play for flag and country for the August qualifiers,” said SBP executive director and spokesman Sonny Barrios in a statement.

Bersamina leads PH to shock win over Norway THE Philippines relied on International Master Paulo Bersamina’s crucial win on board four as it pulled the rug from under third pick Norway, 2.5-1.5, Tuesday to finish on a bright note in the 44th World Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India. Getting a go after a last-minute decision to rest an ailing Grandmaster Banjo Barcenilla, Bersamina brought down Grandmaster Frode Olav Olsen Urkedal to lift the Filipinos to a shock win against a team that faultily decided to rest reigning world standard champion Magnus Carlsen. GMs Mark Paragua, John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo eked out draws on boards one to three that paved the way for Bersamina’s magnificent, lastgasp triumph agaimst Urkedal. The upset win put the 52nd-seeded Filipinos, who were backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, at 32nd place, an improvement to their effort in the last over-the-board edition of this biennial meet in Batumi, Georgia four years ago at 39th. It was also a solid effort individually for all five Filipinos, who all gained FIDE rating points. The most gains were achieved by the duo of Gomez and Paragua, who finished with seven and 6.5 points in 10 games, respectively. The Filipinas, for their part, failed on their bid of registering their best effort in the Olympiad after faltering against the 14th-seeded Cubans, 2.5-1.5. The defeat was sealed by WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda’s defeat on board two that came after WGM Janelle Mae Frayna and WIMs Marie Antoinette San Diego and Kylen Joy Mordido all drew their games on boards one, three and four, respectively.

Last week, the SBP confirmed the inclusion of Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz in the Gilas roster as an import and not a naturalized player. A Sotto-Clarkson partnership would form a formidable 1-2 punch for Gilas, which as of late, has suffered a spate of setbacks, including a stinging loss to Indonesia in the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games, where the Philippines was dethroned as champion. Team Pilipinas is set to commence practicing for its two coming games this Monday.

The 20-year-old Sotto has east Asian Games was part of the left his training camp in Ohio reason why the schedule of the to join the 36ers for a seccoming PBA Commissioners’ ond season in the National Cup will be shortened. Basketball League, which Sotto might not be around, begins in Oct. 1. though, to play for Gilas in But Sotto will first head the fifth window in Novemto Manila to catch up with ber and in the sixth window the Gilas scrimmages on in February next year, due to Aug. 18. Clarkson is also rehis games with the 36ers. portedly set to join the Gilas For now, the players who preparations when he arrives will make the PBA Philippine in Manila on the same day. Cup Finals will be unavailable for Barrios added that the PBA board Kai Sotto the coming window. has committed to finish the season And those who are expected to early to give Gilas time to prepare make it are Barangay Ginebra’s for the coming fourth and fifth windows, Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson, plus the 2023 FIBA World Cup. NorthPort’s Jamie Malonzo and NLEX’ “Last month, PBA chairman Ricky Calvin Oftana. Vargas said that by early May titigil na, Those expected to be back in the pool so Gilas can have three months of prepa- are Bobby Ray Parks, Thirdy Ravena, rations, and they can pick anyone they Kiefer Ravena, Jordan Heading, Rooneed in the team,” said Barrios. sevelt Adams, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Considerations for the coming South- Quiambao and Francis Lopez.

MERALCO’S team defense slowed down big man Junemar Fajardo in the second half and the Bolts went on to smother the San Miguel Beermen, 111-97, on Wednesday to even up the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup bestof-seven semifinals at the Aranate Coliseum. Aaron Black led four others in double digits with 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Bolts equalized their series with the Beermen at 2-all. Allein Maliksi fired 19 points, including one of his four three-pointers finding its target in the 11:10 mark of the first period, allowing the Bolts to grab a 17-point led at 36-19 on a 6-0 run that he and Black initiated. Cliff Hodge chipped in 18 points, while Raymond Almazan made 17 for the Bolts, who weathered a late comeback by the Beermen in the second half. CJ Perez topscored for the Beermen with 24 points, while Marcio Lassiter and Fajardo added 23 and 21 points, respectively. They managed to stay close at halftime, 53-58, but they struggled in the next two quarters as the Bolts’ defense, led by Almazan, ganged up on the 6’10” Fajardo. Fajardo was held to just four and six points in the third and fourth periods, respectively. The Bolts’ big effort to contain Fajardo allowed them to pull away, 8569, in the final 1:14 of the third off Almazan’s jumper. “Mahirap bantayan si Junemar. It was a team effort on him,” said Almazan. Bong Quinto gave Meralco its biggest edge, 94-72, in the remaining 10:25 with his two freebies. “We saw in Game 3 that they were leaving their bigs wide open. And the bigs are not going anywhere, and they’re gonna be out there in the court. So we made sure that they end up with a lot of confidence when the shots come, and they made those shots,” said Bolts’ coach Norman Black. The last time the Beermen fell behind from the first to the final quarter was in Game 3 of last season’s Philippine Cup semifinals, when they fell in a 98-115 setback to the TNT Tropang Giga.

Kho named new PATAFA secretary general

Edward Kho

EDWARD Kho, an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics, is the new secretary general of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association. PATAFA president Terry Capistrano on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Kho, who was the marketing and communications director of the association during the time of Dr. Philip Ella Juico as president. Kho was previously named as an executive officer last August 3 by Capistrano, replacing Engr. Noel Silva. He recently returned to the country from Greece following the completion of his Masters degree in Olympic Studies and Management at the International Olympic Academy. “With the appointment of Mr. Edward Kho as

the new Sec Gen, PATAFA can focus on moving forward to continue all the athletics development programs that have been ongoing over the years,” said Capistrano. PATAFA is preparing for a busy season next year, with the Southeast Asian Games just around the corner (May 2023). After that, there will be the Asian Championships in July, the World Championships in August and the Asian Games in September. On Sunday, the PATAFA, in cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission, will finally resume its grassroots athletics program, the PATAFA Weekly Relays. The PATAFA has is back after a two-year hiatus due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Peter Atencio

Chooks-to-Go honors PH wheelchair cage team FOR its heroic stand during the 11th ASEAN Para Games, the Philippine National Wheelchair Basketball Team was treated by Chooks-to-Go to a feast befitting heroes on Tuesday at the Chooks! dine-in restaurant in Ali Mall, Araneta Center. Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas personally invited and welcomed the Pilipinas Warriors, who were coming off silver-medal finishes in both 5-on-5 and 3x3 wheelchair basketball in the games held in Indonesia last week, treating them to an eat-all-youcan dine-in experience at Chooks! Besides the sumptuous meals, Mascariñas bestowed each player and coach of the Warriors with P20,000 and Chooks-to-Go chicken vouchers as rewards for their feat. “We pay tribute to this brave group of athletes who brought honor to our country. Their gallant stand and achievement in the ASEAN Para Games should serve as inspiration for all of us to realize that there is no challenge in life that cannot be

baskeball team are Alfie Quiñones Cabañog, John Rey Escalante, Rene Macabenguil, Kenneth Christopher Tapia, and Clifford Trocino while the 5-on-5 team consists of Freddie Magdayo, Marlon Nacita, Jefferson Legacion, Moises Escobar, Kyle Carlo I. Carandang, Jannil B. Cañete, and Mark Vincent P. Aguilar. The team’s coaching staff consists of Juanito Mingarine, Vernon Perea, Michael Angelo Galea, Harry Solanoy, and Yolanda Hernandez. The Warriors have long been close to the hearts of Chooks-to-Go and Mascariñas. Prior to the pandemic, Chooks-to-Go gave the team new equipment and paid for the team’s trainings for their competitions in the lead-up to the 2020 ASEAN Para Games. The event though was eventually canceled. Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas congratulates the Pilipinas Warriors. Moving forward, Chooks-to-Go will look to continue support, not just the overcome by an earnest belief in one’s self proud,” said Mascariñas. Warriors but also the country’s other and a genuine desire to make the country Members of the 3x3 wheelchair para-athletes in their competitions.