BusinessMirror April 22, 2023

‘KEEP ’EM HONEST’

By Lenie Lectura

“ Higher demand during summer lowers the available generating capacity from Weeks 17 (April 24 to 30) to 24 (June 12 to 18) of 2023. The supply can further deplete as forced outages of large baseload power plants can unexpectedly occur in these times, likely pushing the system into yellow alert and near red alert levels. This highlights the need to monitor the compliance of all power plants with the GOMP of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP),” said ICSC chief data scientist Jephraim Manansala.

Th e Department of Energy (DOE) earlier said there would be 15 weeks of yellow alert for the Luzon grid, with peak demand reaching 13,125 megawatts (MW) to occur towards the end of May, an 8.35-percent increase from the actual 2022 peak load of 12,113MW which occurred on May 12, 2022.

ICSC, in its report entitled “Luzon Power Outlook: Reviewing the Adequacy of Power Supply for April to June 2023,” studied the sufficiency of power supply in Luzon for the second quarter of this year based on the power demand forecasts presented by the

DOE last month. Yellow alerts are issued when the level of power reserve in the grid is low, while red alerts are declared when actual power supply against demand is insufficient and power interruptions are imminent.

To prevent the power supply from falling under red alert levels, leading to rotating power interruptions in Luzon, ICSC noted that the government and power industry players in the country need to ensure that power plants comply with NGCP’s GOMP by minimizing outages during this critical period, as mentioned; ancillary services are sufficient to support power transmission; the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) is effectively implemented by distribution utilities and ILP participants; and committed power projects are completed in time to supplement the capacity needed.

For its part, the NGCP said it will allow the generation and distribution sectors to optimize and rationalize maintenance schedules to ensure sufficiency, at least on paper, of power supply throughout the year. “Unplanned shutdowns, which are outside of the GOMP, may still have a significant impact on the supply demand profile if, as in the past years, several power plants simultaneously shut down outside of their schedule,” NGCP said.

W hile the GOMP is formulated to ensure adequacy of supply especially during the critical months, NGCP said there are instances of forced or unplanned outages of plants, which may disrupt the normal operations of the grid and warrant the issuance of yellow or red alerts. “As transmission service provider, NGCP can only give an overview of the current supply and demand situ -

ation, and endeavor to dispatch any and all available grid resources. It cannot intervene on matters concerning power generation,” said NGCP.

M anansala pointed out that more long-term solutions are needed to address the Philippines’s energy challenges.

“ The current grid, centralized on large baseload coal power plants, is unsuitable for the country’s variable load demand and recurring supply shortages. Instead, evidence shows that we urgently need to shift towards flexible and distributed power generation using indigenous and readily available renewable energy sources. This will enable us to achieve affordable, reliable, and secure power for everyone, while reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and promoting sustainable development,” he said.

For the DOE’s part, the agency cited a crucial transmission project that could reduce the number of yellow alerts.

With the import from the Visayas of about 250 MW to provide stability to Luzon’s supply, the number of critical weeks with yellow alerts might be reduced,” said DOE Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara.

S he was referring to the interconnection project that will link the Visayas and Mindanao grids, which was expected at 80-percent completion rate last month. However, there is no word yet if the target date for the MVIP was achieved.

Th e DOE is also banking on the ongoing development of the LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals that will provide fuel to the Ilijan power plant. If and when this happens, there could be an additional 1,200 MW in -

jected into the Luzon grid.

L inseed Field Corp. is set to commission the country’s first LNG import terminal in Batangas this month following the arrival of the first LNG commissioning cargo. According to ICSC, the LNG terminal’s timely operation could potentially augment the power supply this quarter and reduce the risk of power outages.

Th e DOE official explained that the country’s energy sector is market-driven and, as such, it is the private sector, comprising of the generation, transmission and distribution, who will have to work very hard to make this outlook a reality.

Of course, demand-side management [DSM] is expected from our residential, commercial and industrial consumers. We all have to do our part.

“ The DOE family will continue to come up with relevant, timely and fair policies, policy recommendations and programs, in partnership with our stakeholders, to deliver secure, sustainable, sufficient, affordable and environment-friendly energy to all economic sectors,” added Guevara.

M anansala agreed that aside from the government and key power sector players, the cooperation of consumers is needed in ensuring the continuous supply of electricity in Luzon. He said consumers must practice energy-saving measures in their workplace, shift energy-intensive activities to non-peak hours, and upgrade to more efficient technologies in homes, commercial and industrial establishments to help balance the power supply in the grid and reduce the risk of power outages.

Th e DOE has been pushing for DSM programs for vari -

ous sectors to soften the impact of any power supply tightness. These are initiatives meant to encourage consumers to optimize their energy consumption. We should not look at demand-side management as only a band-aid solution. Instead, it should be a natural element embedded already in our entire management system,” DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said. “If our consumption becomes more efficient, that means we will no longer have to run diesel-fired power plants that are more expensive.”

Th e Manila Electric Company (Meralco), for instance, wants more of its large customers to sign up for its Interruptible Load Program (ILP).

Th e ILP is a DSM program wherein participants will be asked to temporarily de-load from the grid and use their generator sets when there is supply deficiency and power interruptions are imminent.

I n this case, the ILP participants may run their facilities to allow more grid capacity to serve other customers.

A ccording to the DOE, the DSM programs for various sectors focus on the utilization of efficient equipment and appliances, and the promotion and implementation of policies and programs that best fit each industry.

F or the commercial sector, the utilization of energyefficient equipment such as inverter-type air conditioners and LED lightings is promoted. Further, the promotion of the energy-labeling program will ensure informed decisions of households regarding the energy performance and efficiency of all household appliances.

A watchdog for sustainable energy is urging government to ensure gencos’ compliance with the schedules they committed to NGCP, to avoid needless disruptions in summer.

THE Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) urged government to closely monitor the compliance of power generation companies (gencos) with the Grid Operating and Maintenance Program (GOMP), a consolidated preventive maintenance schedule of power plants.

“The current grid, centralized on large baseload coal power plants, is unsuitable for the country’s variable load demand and recurring supply shortages. Instead, evidence shows that we urgently need to shift towards flexible and distributed power generation using indigenous and readily available renewable energy sources.”

—Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities chief data scientist Jephraim Manansala

Fatal Hawaii shooting shows dangers of popular cockfights

By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher

The Associated Press

The shooting early Saturday in a rural community more than 48 kilometers from downtown Honolulu killed a man and woman and wounded three others. The Honolulu medical examiner’s office on Wednesday identified the man as Gary Rabellizsa, 34, and the woman as Cathy Rabellizsa, 59.

Two suspects, including a 16-year-old boy, turned themselves in Tuesday, Honolulu police said.

Jacob Borge, 23, was charged Wednesday with first- and seconddegree murder, three counts of attempted murder and firearms charges, police said. Bail was set at $2 million. Petitions were filed against the juvenile for the same charges, police said.

State Public Defender James Tabe, whose office represented Borge in a previous disorderly conduct fight threat case, declined to comment Wednesday.

A uthorities say investigating cockfights is difficult in part because they are highly organized

events on private property and their illegal nature and the large amount of money wagered means they often have links to organized crime.

The clandestine fights happen all over Hawaii, usually on large, remote properties shrouded by brush and accessible only by dirt roads, like in Waianae, where the weekend shooting took place.

“ Neighbors are also reluctant to get involved for fear of retaliation,” Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan said in a statement.

‘It’s in my blood’ DESPITE being illegal in Hawaii since 1884, the fights between roosters with blades affixed to their legs have remained a part of life in the islands, especially among the state’s large population of Filipinos, who are credited with bringing the practice from the Philippines, where it was introduced by Spaniards. Many cockfighting fans claim the blood sport is part of local Hawaii culture.

COCKFIGHTING takes place in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on December 18, 2019. Honolulu police have yet to make any arrests in a fatal shooting Saturday, April 15, 2023, that’s highlighting the dangers that come with cockfighting, which has long been popular in Hawaii. AP/CARLOS GIUSTI

People that are attendees are local, locally based, and have been doing it for generations,” said former Maui police chief Gary Yabuta, now executive director of the Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. “A saying among chicken fighters is, ‘It’s in my blood.’”

But Saturday’s shooting, which police say started with an argument at the end of a cockfight, has some saying enough is enough, and cultural claims should no longer be used to excuse the illegal fights that happen every weekend.

“People say, ‘I grew up with it. It’s a cultural thing. Papa had chickens…we went to chicken fights, that’s how we made our money,’” said Patty Kahanamoku-Teruya, chair of the neighborhood board in the area of the shooting. “It’s not a cultural right. It’s illegal. Period.”

Yabuta said his program, which helps local and federal law enforcement collaborate in the fight against illegal drugs, is concerned about cockfighting because it’s wrapped up in organized crime and has links to drug-trafficking.

He notes that the fights often attract hundreds of people placing bets totaling more than $100,000.

“It’s something that is so huge and so popular in Hawaii that it really can’t be controlled by law enforcement,” he said.

A global industry

THE popularity of cockfighting extends far beyond Hawaii and is truly a global industry, said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action.

“It was started by the Romans and the Greeks 3,000 years ago. And it spread all over the world with colonialism,” he said.

The sport has flourished in many areas of Hawaii, including urban parts of the islands, such as Kalihi, where many fighting birds are raised, said state Rep. Sonny Ganaden.

Crowing roosters are “part of the sights and sounds of Kalihi,” he said of the neighborhood that’s home to many Filipinos and Pacific Islanders.

Kids will grab a chicken and get them to fight each other,” he said. Cockfighting has been illegal in all 50 states, but hadn’t been illegal in US territories until 2019, when a law signed by former President Donald Trump banning all animal fighting went into effect.

Th e argument that cockfighting is a cultural practice has been used in lawsuits challenging the ban, but with little success. The US Supreme Court turned away a challenge to the federal law brought by individuals and organizations that argued Congress

exceeded its power in applying the ban to Puerto Rico.

Gun worry

SOME in Hawaii worry that violence linked to cockfighting will grow more volatile in a state that previously had largely escaped the scourge of gun violence seen elsewhere in the US. Saturday’s shooting was among the worst since 1999, when seven workers were shot and killed at a Xerox Corp. warehouse. Other shootings that grabbed headlines were a man who killed a taxi driver and a couple taking photos at a Honolulu scenic lookout in 2006 and a highway shooting spree that left one woman dead and two others injured in 2011.

C hris Marvin, a Hawaii resident with Everytown for Gun Safety, said these types of shootings would increase with the proliferation of guns in the islands.

Data from the Hawaii attorney general’s office says the number of firearms registered annually in Hawaii climbed 319 percent from 2000 through 2021. We are going to start to replicate the trends that we’ve seen in the mainland,” Marvin said. “And in the rest of the country, there is more than one mass shooting per day. We don’t hear about all of them.”

HONOLULU—Police in Hawaii have vowed to step up illegal gambling enforcement after one of the most serious shootings in state history called attention to the dangers that come with cockfighting, which has deep roots in the islands and remains popular despite being illegal.

LT. DEENA THOEMMES, the lead homicide investigator for the Honolulu Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, holds a photo of Jacob Borge, one of two suspects in a shooting Saturday, April 15, that killed two people and injured three others after a cockfight, during a news conference in Honolulu, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Police in Hawaii have vowed to step up illegal gambling enforcement after one of the most serious shootings in state history called attention to the dangers that come with cockfighting, which has deep roots in the islands and remains popular despite being illegal. AP

Poe presses transport authorities to promptly resolve reported ‘shortage’ of driver’s license

By Butch Fernandez

SENATOR Grace Poe, presiding chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, pressed concerned authorities to promptly resolve the reported “shortage” of drivers’ plastic license cards.

Lamenting that the problem could have been avoided, the senator stressed that it should have been nipped in the bud “before it could create another gargantuan backlog” for the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to handle.

Poe pointed out that “issuing a license printed on paper is prone to wear and tear, tampering and could compromise the security of the holder.”

She added: “Isa ang driver’s license sa mga government-issued IDs na karaniwang ginagamit sa iba’t ibang transaksyon. Pera ng ating mga kababayan ang pinambayad d’yan. Bigyan naman natin sila ng tama at kagalang-galang na lisensya, hindi lang kapirasong papel.”

Poe recalled that way back in 2017, “We pushed for the passage of the law extending the validity of driver’s license to five or 10 years to incentivize our drivers, cut red tape and give them an identification card they can conveniently use for official transactions.”

She lamented that “the inconvenience hounding our motorists due to the unavailability of the license cards defeats the purpose of the law.”

The senator reminded, “We expect the timely intervention of the Department of Transportation to end this shortage issue.”

In a news conference Thursday, LTO Chief Jay Art Tugade admitted that there is a shortage of license cards in the country, noting that “as of today [Thursday], we have LTO offices that have ran out of drivers license.”

As such, Tugade said the agency is allowing drivers to use their official receipts as “temporary driver’s license” in lieu of the physical cards.

He reminded that the official receipts should have complete details, a unique QR code, and a “screenshot of the license card’s front and back portions.”

Mor eover, Tugade also ordered the reallocation of the supply of plastic cards in LTO offices.

According to data from the LTO, about 147,522 plastic cards are left for printing, which “might only be enough until the end of this month.”

As the LTO admitted on Thursday that there is a shortage of drivers license cards in the country, DOTr is stepping in to seek approval of its initiative to purchase part of the total volume of the license cards needed by its attached agency.

The DOTr is communicating with the Government Procurement Policy BoardTechnical Support Office—under the Department of Budget and Management—to expedite the purchase of the license cards, after LTO’s failure to undertake early procurement activities in compliance with existing rules,” the transport department said.

The LTO submitted to the DOTr the terms of reference (TOR) for the license card procurement in late March. It held a pre-bid conference earlier this month.

H owever, the DOTr “decided to assess the TOR to determine a more efficient, effective and economic option at procuring the license cards.”

“DOTr hopes to procure enough license cards before supply runs out and while the TOR is being remedied so the bidding for supply of license cards can proceed,” the agency said.

Biden to host PBBM for talks at White House next month

By Samuel P. Medenilla

R. Marcos

Ferdinand

PRESIDENT

Jr. is set to fly to Washington

D.C. for a working visit upon the invitation of US President Joe Biden early next month.

Both leaders will hold a bilateral meeting at the White House on May 1, 2023 to “further deepen relations and political ties” between the Philippines and US.

“The President is expected to advance the Philippines’s socio-economic and development priorities and harness closer partnership in such areas as agriculture, energy, climate change, digital transformation and technology, humanitarian assistance and disaster

relief, supply chains, and infrastructure,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a news statement issued on Friday.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that the two leaders’ meeting on May 1 is expected to also focus on deepening economic cooperation, climate change, human rights, efforts to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region and more.

The visit comes after the Philippines announced earlier this year that it would allow US forces to broaden their footprint in the Southeast Asian nation. It was one of a series of moves by the administration aimed strengthening an arc of military alliances in the

Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan.

Biden and Marcos had their first face-to-face meeting in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

After his meeting with Biden, Marcos is also expected to meet with a “key Cabinet official” from the US government.

The PCO said the President will travel to Washington D.C. from April 30 to May 4.

“The trip will highlight the steadfast commitment by both sides to be reliable and resilient allies and partners in times of crisis and prosperity, amid a challenging global and regional

environment,” the PCO said.  It will substantively progress efforts to further deepen relations and political ties, to bring about lasting socio-economic partnerships, as well as to enhance defense and security cooperation, PCO added.

The announcement of the visit also comes after the Chinese embassy warned of the possible repercussions for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Taiwan if Manila would allow US force access to its military bases near the Taiwan Strait.

Tension between the US and China has been brewing over the former’s support for self-governing Taiwan, which the latter maintained as part of its territory.  With AP

Palace AO creates organizing committee for ‘25 Osaka expo

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) will be spearheading the Philippine Organizing Committee (POC) for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.

In his A dministrative Order (AO) No.

7, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced the composition of the committee, to be led by the Tourism Secretary as its chair and commissioner-general.

It will be vice-chaired by the Trade Secretary and its members will include respective secretaries of the Departments of Foreign

Affairs (DFA), Budget and Management (DBM), Labor and Employment (DOLE), Finance (DOF), Science and Technology (DOST), Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Health (DOH), and the National Economic and Development Authority. Each of the members, however, may designate an alternate, which must have a rank not lower than an assistant secretary or its equivalent.

Foremost of the task of the POC will be

to formulate plans and activities as well as organize and manage requirements for the country’s participation in the Expo 2025 Osaka.

It will also ser ve as the coordinating body between the private and public sector participants in the event; recommend or issue guidelines for preparations for the expo; accept or receive sponsorship, donations and other gratuitous transfer of funds or properties related to the Osaka expo; and undertake marketing campaigns and promotional activities also related to the event.

The Expo 2025 Osaka will be held from April 13 to October 13, 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan with the theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” Marcos said the country’s participation in the event aims to promote the country in the international community as a tourism destination and one of the rising investment locations in the Asia Pacific Region. The President said he also hopes it will further strengthen the country’s bilateral relationship with Japan. Samuel P. Medenilla

OFWs in Sudan told: Evacuate voluntarily

FILIPINO workers in Sudan can evacuate if they can no longer feel they are safe to stay amid the growing conflict in the African state.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has raised the contingency level for Filipinos in Sudan to Alert 3, or voluntary repatriation.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said they are verifying reports that a Filipino was hit by a stray bullet and recuperating now in the hospital.

There is no Philippine Embassy in Sudan. The Philippine Embassy in Cairo has jurisdiction over diplomatic and consular affairs with Sudan.

“Balita lang ng Embahada (sa Cairo) from the Filipino community (na may sugatang Pilipino), pero walang confirmation.  We do not even know the name,” De Vega told BusinessMirror

As of Wednesday, April 19, 86 Filipinos in Sudan have requested for repatriation.

There are around 400 Filipinos in Sudan, as of Wednesday, April 19. This is twice the number of estimates of Filipinos from the survey the Embassy conducted in 2022.

Since fighting between the army and another faction began Sunday, at least 270 people died and more than 2,600 injured.

The DFA said the Embassy is coordinating now with the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Khartoum.

China plans to conduct ‘intensive’ military drills amid US tensions

“Our Embassy in Cairo is preparing for an assistance-to-nationals mission to Sudan to facilitate evacuation and provide relief goods to Filipinos there,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said.

BusinessMirror spoke with the Philippine Honorary Consulate. They said the conditions are still “very bad.”

“Even if there are Filipinos who want to be evacuated, we cannot do that at the present time. Because all crossings are closed, airports, ports and land roads,” the Consulate said. Germany and Japan are reportedly planning the evacuation of their citizens in Sudan.

Filipinos are advised to get in touch with the Embassy or consulate at these numbers:

Philippine Embassy in Cairo

WhatsApp/Mobile: (+20) 122 743 6472

Facebook/Messenger: PHinEgypt

Email: cairo.pe@dfa.gov.ph

Philippine Consulate in Khartoum

Telephone Number (+249) 91 239 9448

Email: phil.cons@elnefeidigroup.com

CHINA’S military plans to conduct at least five drills in various areas that include waters off its coast and in the South China Sea (SCS), amid simmering tensions with Taiwan and the US.

One of the announced military exercises will be held for three days in waters off the port city of Qingdao, home to a major naval base for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), according to a statement by China’s Maritime Safety Administration Thursday. Unspecified “major military activities” were conducted in the same area from 9 a.m. till noon Tuesday.

The agency warned mariners against entering waters off the coast of Shandong province, an area that is the site of frequent military drills

and well away from the territory of the US’s regional security partners.

China has escalated military and aerospace activities off its coast in recent days amid simmering tensions with Taiwan and the US. Beijing similarly declared an area north of the democratically run island off limits Sunday because of what it said was the risk of falling debris from the launch of a weather satellite.

Tensions over Taiwan, which Beijing considers to be part of China, are especially intense after President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California earlier this month, prompting the Chinese military to conduct drills in the area. Beijing restricted flights and shipping around Taiwan in August

as it held military exercises to protest a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The PLA will also hold drills starting 6 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. Sunday in the South China Sea, according to a separate statement from the Maritime Safety Administration Wednesday.

This comes before the biggest USPhilippine military exercises, which run through next week—part of the wider push from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to advance the longstanding alliance. The US recently gained expanded access to Philippine military sites, and the two nations are planning joint patrols in the SCS, where Beijing and Manila have a territorial dispute. Bloomberg News

₧180-M fish landing, trading facility to rise in Orani, Bataan

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—A

P180-million fish landing and trading facility that is expected to boost the local fish industry will soon rise in Orani, Bataan.

Governor Jose Enrique Garcia, who led the groundbreaking ceremony in Barangay Pantalan Bago on Thursday, said the facility, one of the biggest in Central Luzon, will benefit some 9,600 residents of the coastal town, particularly stakeholders at the Orani fishing port, such as fisherfolk, fishing brokers/traders, buyers and consumers.

He thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for granting the fund for the

construction of the project, the World Bank and the Department of AgriculturePhilippine Rural Development Project.

“We are thankful to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for giving the fund. It is easy to have groundbreaking but it is difficult to implement if there is no fund,” Garcia said in Filipino during the event.

The President personally handed the P180million check to Orani Vice Mayor Emmanuel Roman during his visit to Bataan last March 31.

Orani Mayor Efren Pascual also thanked the Chief Executive for the funding that will pave the way for the establishment of the fish port facility in their coastal town.

“This will provide a big contribution to Orani, to the entire province and to the whole region. Our heartfelt gratitude to our beloved President Bongbong Marcos for the unending support to Orani and to our province,” he said.

Aside from boosting the local fishing industry, Pascual said the soon-to-rise facility will also attract tourists.

“This can be a way so our place will be visited, so complementary,” he added.

Also present at the event were Senator Cynthia A. Villar, Rep. Geraldine Roman and other local officials.

The project is expected to be completed within 422 days. PNA

SEC field drive seeks to heighten awareness in investment scams

By Manuel T. Cayon

DAVAO CITY—The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is doing the rounds among communities here to heighten the awareness of residents against fake investment offers reportedly being peddled by some unscrupulous individuals.

This week, SEC officials headed by Commissioner Karlo S. Bello and SEC Davao Extension Office Director Atty. Katrina PoncoEstares visited the Island Garden City of Samal to present the SEC campaign program called Campaign and Advocacy Network (SEC CAN!) to the city government.

The SEC CAN! contains basic information on spotting investment scams from real estate investment projects and frequently asked questions on legitimate investments.

The SEC said Samal island is considered “the crown jewel of the Davao Region

tourism industry” and it would likely to be a target of scammers preying on unsuspecting residents.

“The leadership of (Samal) Mayor David Uy, having the trust and confidence of its people, will prove crucial in this information drive to safeguard your constituents against investment scams,” Bello said.

Under the SEC CAN! initiative, implementors would partner with public and private organizations in promoting financial literacy and investor education.

Ponco-Estares presented its details to the city officials.

Uy assured that his administration would collaborate with the SEC in order to protect Samaleños from fraudulent investment schemes.

The SEC earlier went to Digos City, Davao del Sur to present its SEC CAN! literacy program to Gov. Yvonne R. Cagas.

By Butch Fernandez

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) was prodded to provide marginalized local government units (LGUs) the platform to automate their operations, including tax administration.

S enator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday suggested for the DICT to “provide local government units with the necessary platforms.”

The senator stressed, “It is important that all LGUs, particularly those belonging to the lower income class levels, have the necessary technology tools that would enable them to automate their respective operations.”

Presiding over the hearing as chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Gatchalian aired the call as the panel’s technical working group (TWG) was fine-tuning the provisions of the proposed real property valuation reform measure, which he hopes would expedite the automation of LGUs across the country.

A t the same time, the senator also stressed that the automation of LGU operations would significantly improve efficiency in revenue collection, along with other services provided by LGUs.

We all realize the benefits of digitalization in today’s age,” Gatchalian noted but added, “Unfortunately, many of our LGUs, particularly those in far-flung areas have no capacity to undertake a digitalization process.”

The senator suggested that in such cases, “the DICT should provide all the tools necessary for these LGUs to automate their operations.”

Moreover, Gatchalian took note of the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF), an attached agency of the Department of Finance (DOF), pointing out the challenges faced by some LGUs, especially those with funding constraints.

He recalled that BGLF’s Officer-in-Charge Executive Director Pamela Quizon said in a recent technical working group (TWG) meeting that some LGUs’ systems could not connect to the tax mapping and to the system of the BLGF.

“Inaasahannatinnabukodsamaisasaayos na nang husto ang pangongolekta ng buwis, ang digitalization ng mga LGUs ay magdudulotngmasmaramipangbenepisyo sa kanilang mga nasasakupan na kalaunan aymakakatulongnamapasiglaangnegosyo at ekonomiya sa kanilang mga lokalidad,” he said.

Only about 68 percent of LGUs in the country are implementing some form of automation. Out of this number, only 729 LGUs have existing real property assessment processes. The remaining 32 percent, which are mostly 5th and 6th-class municipalities, have no real property assessment-related system.

Under the proposed Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform (RPVAR) Act, BLGF is mandated to develop, adopt, maintain, and implement uniform valuation standards that shall be used by all appraisers and assessors in the LGUs and other government agencies in the appraisal or valuation of lands, buildings, machinery, and other real properties for taxation and other purposes.

IN the April 21, 2023 frontpage story, “CJ Gesmundo cites digital push, reforms in judiciary,” there were some inaccuracies in the second photo caption showing Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo posing with Rotarians. The correct caption should be:

CHIEF Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo (fourth from left, second row) joins RCM officers and members, including President Hermie Esguerra, former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III, Mr. Jackie Rodriguez and Past District Governor Alex Cureg. SUSAN CAMBRI

Sen. Gatchalian prods DICT to provide LGUs with platform for tax automation

First US heroes: Revolutionary War soldiers to get proper burial

By Jeffrey Collins The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C.—The 12 US soldiers died in a pine forest in South Carolina in 1780, their bodies hastily buried beneath a thin layer of soil as their comrades fled from the British who appeared ready to put a quick and brutal end to the American Experiment.

But later this month, the carefully gathered and studied remains of the dozen unknown soldiers are getting a proper memorial and burial where they fell on the Camden battlefield. It's part of the ongoing 250th anniversary commemorations of the Revolutionary War, which historians hope will highlight history that unites instead of divides.

Our democracy is the oldest in the world—we don’t always get it right, and we have fought amongst ourselves more than I care to think about. But today, we are the most powerful country in the world. This is what you paid for with your life,” reads a letter from Air Force veteran Stacey Ferguson that was placed in the soldiers’ coffins in late March as she helped prepare the remains for reburial.

But the soldiers’ excavation and reburial is not only a memorial. It’s also illustrative of what modern science can do. Several of the fallen were teenagers, and one had a musket ball in his spine. Their names may soon be discovered through DNA testing and genealogy.

However, there are limits to what can be discovered. Time took its toll on the bodies. Bones that didn't decompose to dust were scattered by wild animals, souvenir hunters and a mid-1900s farmer growing watermelons. Some of the remains showed scars from plows or other equipment. Consequentially, a gap in a bone might be a wound from a musket ball or a bayonet—or it might not be.

“ For a lot of these people, we were not able to ascertain their exact cause of death. The skeletons are very fragmented,” said Madeline Atwell, a deputy coroner and forensic anthropologist with the Richland

County Coroner’s Office. Atwell’s office has spent several months helping other archeologists carefully dig up the soil at the site. When remains were found, they were draped in a US flag and a veteran escorted them to a truck. The remains have been X-rayed, tested and meticulously cataloged. They are now being prepared for a reburial ceremony worthy of what historians are calling America’s first heroes.

“ They are truly America’s first veterans. We have a responsibility to honor their sacrifice,” said Doug Bostick, the CEO of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust.

A huge ceremony is planned in South Carolina from April 20-22. The soldiers will be honored at the national cemetery at Columbia’s Fort Jackson Army basic training base before heading on a 20-mile (32-kilometer) procession to Camden. They will lie in state for two days before horse-drawn caissons carry them back to their resting places.

A similar project is underway in New Jersey, where the bodies of as many as 12 German soldiers, called Hessians, who fought for the British were found in a mass grave at the Red Bank battlefield. In-depth testing, including DNA, are taking place there as well.

History is an ongoing process. It’s not like we’ve written the Battle of Red Bank and we know everything that happened,” said Jennifer Janofsky, a public historian at Rowan University and director of Red Bank Battlefield Park. “We have a better opportunity to tell a more complete story of these individuals. Who were they? Why were they here? What was their fate?”

T hese soldiers are the lucky ones—they can be remembered.

Many of the 900 killed in Camden—one of the most disastrous battles for the US—were left above ground, where wild animals and South Carolina's heat and humidity removed any trace of them within a few years. Nearly every American soldier in the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780, either deserted or was killed, wounded or captured, historians have said.

Leaving the conversation

2 GenSan lady centenarians get ₧100,000 cash incentive

KORONADAL CITY—Two

lady centenarians in General Santos City received their cash incentive on Thursday afternoon from the city government, with the recipients sharing their secrets to long life.

“Healthy lifestyle is the key and make sure you have a very supportive family,” said centenarian Cecilia Custodio of Barangay Dadiangas South, when asked for tips to reach her age. Custodio said eating more vegetables than meat will help keep one’s body healthy.

On the other hand, Exaltacion Gonzalez, another centenarian from Barangay Katangawan, said regular exercise had helped her to reach 100 years old.

I n particular, Exaltacion said “daily walking” made her bones and muscles pain-free.

T he centenarians received P100,000 cash each from the city

social welfare office during the simple awarding rites.

“ When one reaches 100 years old, it is an indication of having good health early on, our city mayor is happy to learn we have more senior citizens becoming centenarians,” said City Hall official Nikki Kristine Catolico, who represented City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao during the awarding.

E dwin Espejo, the National Commission of Senior Citizens Regional Cluster No. 7 commissioner-in-charge who also joined the awarding, said his office is in the process of determining the exact number of senior citizens in the city and in Region 12 to come up with an accurate databank of seniors in the area.

T he national government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, grants P100,000 cash to centenarians under the Centenarian Act or Republic Act 10868. PNA

Social Security System eyes hiring of PWDs in branches, offices in 2023

THE Social Security System (SSS) announced on Friday that it plans to hire additional Persons with Disability (PWDs) in its branches and offices.

SSS President and CEO Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said that even as the SSS is compliant with the Magna Carta for PWDs, it continues to look for other ways to encourage the active participation of PWDs in the society.

As one of the country’s primary providers of meaningful social security protection to Filipino workers, we can attest to the importance

The option “leave the conversation” is more conspicuous because everyone sees the text notification: so and so left the conversation.

Ouch! It can be hurtful to the creator of the chat group or to the person who started the conversation.

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

Bacolod City earmarks P4M to buy drugs for indigent elderly

By Nanette Guadalquiver

BACOLOD CITY—The city government here has earmarked an initial P4 million for the purchase of maintenance medicines for hypertension and diabetes intended for indigent senior citizens.

T he assistance is provided in the ordinance approved by the City Council on third and final reading on Wednesday to improve the health and well-being of the elderly in the city by providing them with access to necessary medication.

of having gainful work during your younger years not only to make ends meet but also to secure your future,” Macasaet said. “Having this in mind, we want to do our part in helping PWDs obtain this right by providing them with more employment opportunities in our offices.”

T he SSS will coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and other agencies and organizations that share the same goals, to disseminate vacancy announcements, to

tion, which in itself is a statement.

A nyway, I am happy to pick up these new words now and then from digital natives.

facilitate the hiring of PWDs, and to ensure the provision of special facilities.

T he SSS is a state-run social insurance institution that extends social security protection to Filipino workers in the private and informal sectors. Under the Social Security Act of 2018, it provides seven benefit programs: Sickness, Maternity, Unemployment, Retirement, Disability, Death, and Funeral, as well as loan privileges.

A s of December 2022, the SSS has 279 local and 28 foreign offices staffed by 6,525 regular employees.

Councilor Celia Flor, the main author, who sits as the chair of the committee on senior citizens and veterans affairs, said they may file for a supplemental budget at the end of the year for the allocation. However, the funding could also be made available next year yet since this year’s annual budget has already been allocated, she said.

“ The City Council is committed to improving the quality of life of its senior citizens and this initiative is just one of the many programs that they are implementing to achieve this goal,” Flor added. She noted that indigent senior citizens, who are unable to purchase their maintenance medicines and sustain their day-to-day living due to lack of funds, need financial support from the government. PNA

AFEW weeks ago, my wife was emotionally riled up because she did not like the tone of the comment made by a relative on FB Messenger who apparently got offended by her latest postings. I wasn’t at all surprised by the turn of events because my wife can be sometimes too blunt, opinionated and verbose when expressing herself.

Since it happened much too often, my

advice was for her to abstain from the chat group for a while, take a break and who knows she might even be missed.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to exit from a group without notifying other members. One option is by muting the chat instead. When you mute the group, other members won’t get notifications about it, but you need to remember that they still can see what messages you’ve opened and seen.

T his happened to my wife when she was soliciting donations for a close family relative who was confined in a hospital. She tagged a few specially selected relatives and friends. In the middle of the long thread, someone abruptly “left the conversation.” The timing was unfortunate because it appeared that the said person was unsympathetic or probably vexed for being tagged without her consent or had enough of the whole crowd-sourcing thing.

Maybe she had good reasons for pulling out. But when a member leaves the chat group without an explanation, it inadvertently sends a negative message.

T he more graceful way to exit from a chat group is to announce it and explain your reason as honestly and as clearly as you can. Something along the lines of “I want to hibernate for a while to prepare for a major task” or “I’m emotionally down at the moment so I’ve decided it’s best for me to leave this chat.”

You can be courteous or civil in your explanation but I believe you can also be frank when you feel the direction or the tenor of conversations in the chat group is becoming more offensive or distasteful. Just say so and make your exit, without feeling any shame or guilt. Or you can just leave without any explana-

T he phrase “leaving the conversation” has actually been my personal approach to living a simple life.

In my younger days, I would silently disappear in the middle of drinking sessions with friends and colleagues. Most of them were to me a waste of time and money (which I could hardly afford to do as a struggling employee). After a few drinks I excuse myself to go to the comfort room but when no one is looking, I would make my way to the door. My sudden absence wouldn’t even be noticed because everyone in the group would be tipsy by then.

During long interminable brainstorming meetings, when the discussions were going nowhere, I would surreptitiously leave earlier and work alone at my desk. Those sessions were fruitless and unproductive because somehow, someone would grandstand and dominate the “conversation” to show his creative brilliance and get the credit for coming up with the idea.

Even now, when I attend lectures or conferences, my default seat is in the last row, near the exit. That way, I could easily leave without being noticed, if I found the activity boring or there’s nothing new or substantial enough to invest my time on. No wonder I became notorious for my disappearing acts and tagged as the “great escape artist” by friends.

But the more I soak myself with the insights of the true sages and spiritual leaders and the farther I expand my knowledge on human nature, the more I realize I am on the right path.

Especially in these last years of my life, I am striving to be a “social minimalist,” which is another new phrase I picked up recently.

Said in another way, I am seriously trying to “leave the conversation” one friend and acquaintance at a time. I am paring down my list of active social connections to the meaningful, substantial minimum.

T his is in some way a variation of a trending phenomenon called “quiet quitting.” In a relationship, “quiet quitting” means you stop exerting the energy, emotion, or investment in the future that you previously put into the relationship. It can be beneficial because it provides more time for a person to pursue his or her passion projects.

As it is, my social circle is becoming smaller and smaller. I am now more forthright in saying no to invitations to meet-up. My schedule of appointments is as clear as my lungs. Except for visits to the doctor for the regular quarterly check-ups and diagnostic tests.

B ut in cutting connections won’t I end up without friends?

Won’t I feel isolated?

More to the point is the title of an interesting article on social minimalism in the web magazine “Einzelganger” (19/05/2022)—

“Can we be Happy without Friends?”

T he article elaborates: “...many consider living with a few or with-

out friends unhealthy and painful. Being friendless deprives us of the benefits of a social group. So, is a lack of friends synonymous with a dreadful existence of loneliness and social isolation?”

Not so. On the contrary, I am enjoying a more peaceful, less stressful, quieter life nowadays. I’m not missing the old-fashioned face-to-face interaction at all. In the final analysis, leaving the conversation is not being an isolationist or being a-social. It’s really not about other people. As the article says: “It’s about getting into alignment with your true self; with your intentions and goals and values. What matters most to you?

How can you spend your time in accordance with those priorities?”

A s senior citizens, we are given a bonus time of 10 or maximum of 20 years. Why not spend this bonus time having a quality conversation with your inner self? You are your most valuable friend.

With a smaller circle of carefully selected friends who will value your time, honor your cherished privacy, and preserve your priceless energy, there will be less distractions and minimized dissipations.

T he people who are on the same frequency with you will serve to be the wind beneath your wings to lift you up to a more fulfilling level.

So, to the question “will I be happier by ending up with less friends?” Why not, if that means I’ll be going on an upward spiral!

T hink about it. Then click on that option to notify obnoxious friends: “Left the conversation.”

GENERAL Santos City centenarian Cecilia Custodio of Barangay Dadiangas South holds the P100,000 cash given by the city government on April 13, 2023 as cash incentive for reaching 100 years old. Another centenarian from the city, Exaltacion Gonzalez, received the same cash incentive.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GENSAN CIO

Lawmaker: Local maritime learning should level-up

Gatchalian stated, as he cited that his Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers will be a “significant step forward.”

As such, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the EU’s move also acknowledged the Philippines’s efforts to boost the state of education for the maritime sector.

The European Commission recognized the country’s serious efforts particularly in complying with requirements in key areas such as monitoring, supervi -

sion, evaluation of training and assessment.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture,Gatchalian urged concerned agencies to ensure that the training must be provided to seafarers to improve their overall competitiveness.

“The challenge remains for the

Philippines to ensure that our seafarers are globally competitive, given their critical role and contribution to the economic growth of the country,”

In 2022 he filed Senate Bill 822, or an act seeking to protect Filipino seafarers beyond “our borders and build their competency [via] education and skills training to sustain and improve…overall competitiveness and professional advantage.”

Sea-based remittances in 2021 reached $6.54 billion, which comprised at least 21 percent of the total dollar remittances of all overseas Filipino workers, and was slightly higher than that of 2020 at $6.35 billion. Leonel

THE United States government, RTI International and the Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) signed last March a n ew tie-up to boost the reading skills of Kindergarten to Grade 3 students via radio and television-based learning resources.

Starting March 13 KCFI will regularly air existing learning materials jointly developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Advancing Basic E ducation in the Philippines (ABC+) program-implementing partner RTI International, and the Department of Education (DepEd). The programs were designed to instill genuine love for reading in young children, and help them master the four macro literacy skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing.

By Roderick L. Abad

IT’S back to basics for students in Muntinlupa, as the city government has renewed its priority on one of the most vital building blocks of learning, which is reading.

Following its recent launch, the Muntinlupa Readers Book Club (MRB Club) is now making rounds within the locality with the conduct of free book-reading sessions with the help of volunteers.

“This reading program aims to develop basic literacy skills such as reading, listening and comprehension, especially among young learners, to give them the necessary skills to achieve in life,” Mayor Ruffy Biazon said.

To date the MRB Club has reached out to the communities of Southville 3, NHA Phase 1 to 4, and Sto. Niño, Aplaya—all in Barangay Poblacion.

“We also aim to encourage Muntinlupeños to be part of the MRB Club by volunteering as readers to kids in their community under the ‘Make Your City Proud (MYCP)’ volunteer program,” the local chief executive added.

Currently the MRB Club, through the Tourism, Culture, and the Arts Department, is calling for volunteer readers. Muntinlupa residents who are 18 years old and above, with clear speaking voice plus good storytelling and communication skills, may apply. They must be in good health, and willing to commit at least an hour to the MYCP.

Under the volunteerism program, qualified volunteer readers will undergo free workshops and are entitled to MYCP points, which can be used to redeem benefits and incentives from the city government and accredited partners.

IN a few short weeks, thousands of graduating highschool students will make one of their biggest decisions: choosing a college degree.

However, most students pick a course based on their chances of landing a job quickly after graduation, rather than building toward a long-term career.

Mapúa’s director for its Center for Guidance and Counseling (CGC) Arlene Macatuggal said students should think of the professional and personal journeys they want to pursue before they even zero-in on a specific course.

“Choosing a personally and professionally fulfilling career is important, because it gives a person guidance in life,” said Macatuggal. “Students should, early on, set their sights on a career path to quickly sift and assess if a specific course can pave the way to their target profession, and eventually help them experience not just longterm financial and professional growth, but also personal fulfillment.”

Graduating students, and their parents, should also be aware of the possible jobs each course can offer to align the degree program the former enroll in and their career pathway.

which senior high-school strand or college program a student should take in Mapúa.

“At the same time prospective college applicants should also proactively self-assess their abilities, talents, and potential. They can reflect on the things or work they enjoy, activities they find rewarding, their skill sets, values, likes and dislikes, and their longterm vision and goals,” added Macatuggal.

In the case of Mapúa, a significant number of students enrolled in their top courses like Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, BS Architecture, BS Computer Engineering, BS Mechanical Engineering, and BS Computer Science cited interests and skills in math, computers, building and sciences as main drivers for their career choice. The influence of their parents, teachers, peers, and previous positive experiences in high school aided some Mapúans arrive at their career choice.

S aid partnership addresses the continuing gaps in education in the Philippines, and ensures that children have access to quality education that will build their literacy skills for lifelong learning. It also supports educational innovations through the creation and promotion of multimedia learning resources for young children.

“We thank KCFI for its interest in our initiative and desire to promote learning and access to education, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized children,” Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks of USAID Phils. said. “As your en -

during friend, partner and ally, [we] w ill continue to forge and strengthen partnerships with the private sector to expand learning opportunities for children, so that they can grow up to reach their full potential and contribute to the country’s growth.”

“ We are confident that this new partnership between ABC+ and KCFI will not only be beneficial to our respective organizations but more important, to the students, teachers, and communities that we serve,” P resident and Executive Director Rina Lopez of KCFI said. “By bringing the video lessons to more audiences all over the country, we will be making… meaningful contribution to the efforts of schools, teachers, and parents n ationwide who are working hard to enrich their students and children’s learning.”

“It is our fervent hope that this work will encourage practitioners and teachers to be knowledgeable, skillful and insightful as we all work together to the care and education of young children,” Education finance undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said.

“The DepEd wholeheartedly believes in this collaboration, and we are all confident that we will contribute to the commitments of our ‘ MATATAG ’ agenda: a whole pro-creation approach which aims to support our l earners— Bansang Makabata —to become productive and nation-loving Filipinos: ‘ Batang Makabansa.’”

MANILA-BASED Top Draw Animation plans to open three academies, each in Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Caraga regions, as part of its expansion and harnessing of untapped talent in the provinces.

wants to promote them to the global market.

THE Philippines’s consulategeneral in Hong Kong recently conducted its first language and cultural-exchange program with local university students. Held online, the program featured presentations on the Philippine and Hong Kong cultures, then provided an opportunity for students to exchange their perspectives on their respective cultures, as well as to

practice their English and Cantonese with their contemporaries.

The program was conducted in partnership with the Hong Kong Metropolitan University, the Ateneo de Manila University, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Hong Kong’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

This strategy can help learners (and also, their elders) determine if their chosen course covers the required units and learning outcomes for their professional journey, and if they need additional exposure, or postgraduate or supplementary studies.

To take the guesswork out of it, graduating students should also consult a guidance counselor for career counseling or better yet, take the MPASS or the Mapúa Program Placement Assessment—a tool that measures the student’s cognitive and academic development, and comprehensively recommends

Of course, enrolling in an internationally recognized higher education institution like Mapúa University, which has a diverse range of futureready degree programs, is a huge advantage that many college students also consider. Its undergraduate programs, which include double degrees, joint-program offerings, and full online programs enable students to have a wide range of options and possibilities in pursuing their chosen career path.

For more information on how Mapúa’s varied degree programs can help you achieve your career goals, visit www. mapua.edu.ph. College and senior high school applications for Academic Year 2023 to 2024 are still open. Interested applicants can go to https://www.mapua. edu.ph/ApplyNow to apply.

In a recent press briefing, Top Draw executive vice president Jared Wolfson said animation companies are interested in establishing presence in the country because of its enormous talent: “They’re coming to the Philippines for quality talent and production that they can get at the right price, and right sensibility to do it. They can get all here…and most of our team members are based in Metro Manila, but there are still lots of talented Filipinos outside [of it].”

The Top Draw official disclosed that the company has definite expansion plans, with a presence outside the National Capital Region. He added that this move is part of keeping people where they want to be: “You will have excellent work when you have happy animators and production people. At the end of the day, if you have unhappy people, you can see the difference and feel it on the screen.”

Through the Top Draw Academy, Wolfson said the animation school wants to reach out to Filipinos who are interested in animation and possibly pursue a career in the future. Being attractive industries, Wolfson said movies and television can have a strong attachment to their work when they are shown to the global market.

Further, he believes Top Draw is ready to train Filipinos who want to hone their talents in animation. As some of the best in the world, Wolfson

As an option to work overseas, he said a career in the animation industry will enable Filipinos to earn competitive salaries and packages without the need to seek overseas employment. “There’s no point in traveling around the world if you are working in the animation business.”

He added: “Top Draw is one of the premier 2-D animation studios in the world. We think about the world of animation, and…[it’s] coming to the Philippines.”

The animation firm is well-known for programs like “Littlest Pet Shop,” “Monster High,” “My Little Pony,” as well as the “Tom and Jerry Show.” Such were put together by Top Draw’s 400-plus animation pros. Most of its customers rely heavily on animation as part of its offerings, and include entertainment heavy-hitters like Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, and other leading global-content providers.

His visit to the Philippine operations, Wolfson shared, is to continue to bolster and support the firm’s new phase for strategic growth. He currently heads business development, partnerships, and critical operating divisions.

According to Wolfson: “The Top Draw Animation family is filled with great talent…to drive this organization forward with best practices, operational efficiencies, and the support needed to thrive. Having the opportunity to meet with the teams in person to assess opportunities, address challenges, and discuss needs is crucial to sustainable success.” Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

A6 Editor: Mike Policarpio

Saturday, April 22, 2023

GATCHALIAN: The challenge remains...to ensure our seafarers are globally competitive.

FB: SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN

ASOLON believes the quality of local maritime education must be improved, amid the European Union’s (EU) continued recognition of Filipino seafarers’ certificates.

In college: Choosing a career, and not a course, is important

Tourism&Entertainment

There’s more to Isabela than the Bambanti

Its icon and mascot is the bambanti (the Ilokano word for “scarecrow”), the human-like figure, wrapped in old farmer’s clothing stuffed with straw and grass and held up by a frame over a field that guards crops against marauding birds.

d u ring our stay, we also experience snippets of the province’s history and culture as well as the Isabelinos’ religiosity, industry, and cuisine. Just as in the 2020 edition, our home for our 5-day stay in Isabela was to be at the 110-room The hotel Sophia in Cauayan City.

d u ring our first and rainy afternoon stay in Isabela, a break in the Bambanti Festival proceedings brought us to the Mangi Food h auz and

Pasalubong Center, a restaurant in the City of Ilagan which offers corn fare. The city is the country’s Corn Capital with 80 percent of the population being corn farmers. he re, manager Ms. e l izabeth S. a l lam introduced us to cornbetes, a decadent soft-serve ice cream with the pure flavors of corn topped by crunchy corn kernels.

We also explored the nearby d O Taccredited d e partment of a g riculture-Cagayan Valley Research Center ( da - CVRC, one of the Bureau of a gr icultural Research’s active partners in research and development in the region) a g ro- e co Tourism Farm, home to the Cagayan Valley Research Centera n nex; the Plant Genetics Resources Center, Organic Seed Storage d i splay

ho use, the Learning Center and Museum for Organic a g riculture, he rbal Garden, Children’s Park, a l phabet Garden, Pinakbet Park, among others.

We were next brought to the Ilagan Japanese Tunnel, just a short 6.5 km (15 minutes) drive away from the Provincial Capitol. This man-made war tunnel, part of the Japanese military headquarters during the 1942 to 1945 Japanese Occupation of the Philippines in World War II, is one of the few remaining tunnels in the province. a s ide from being the headquarters, it was also a weapons storage facility for bombs, explosives, guns, and ammunition. Captured Filipino guerrillas were also imprisoned and tortured here.

On our third day, we dropped by the Isabela Museum and Library. This two-story museum, built in 1946, once housed the province’s old capitol until 1991. It now showcases Isabela’s history and cultural heritage. a mong the museum’s collections are antique furniture, fossils, ethnographic items, heirloom pieces, visual arts (photographs, paintings, sculpture, and graphic arts), artworks, historical and cultural dioramas, and miniature models of provincial landmarks,

among others.

The following morning, we toured the nearby Church of Our Lady of the Pillar of Cauayan City, one of five Spanish-era churches in the province. The others are the Church of St. Matthias in Tumauini, the Church of Our Lady of a t ocha in a l icia, the San Pablo de Cabagan Church Ruins in San Pablo, and the St. Rose of Lima Church in Gamu. This church, built with stone, mortar, and bricks, was begun in 1825 by d o minican Fr. Juan Prieto and was completed in 1830. d u ring our visit, we got to climb to the very top of the bell tower (its upper level is a modern addition as it was destroyed during the violent d e cember 27, 1949 Intensity 7 earthquake) where we had a panoramic bird’s eye view of the city and the surrounding countryside.

From the church, we had our lunch at Otep’s Tinuno, a hidden gem of Cauayan City and a local version of Gerry’s Grill. This one-story, nativestyle family restaurant serves comfort Filipino food in an al fresco but relaxing tropical ambiance. The word tinuno is an Ilocano term for “grilled.” he re, we feasted on their sumptuous best-seller Boodle 3: Fiesta fare which

In Awe Of CAppAdOCIA’S wInteR wOndeRlAnd

consisted of Crispy Pata and Fried Chicken plus the best freshly grilled Filipino eats such as Inihaw na Tilapia, Inihaw na Liempo and Inihaw na Tanigue, all served with e n saladang Kamatis, Sili, Talong, Steamed Rice, and Otep’s Pancit.

On our fifth and last day in Isabela, we boarded our tour bus for the long 85 km (2 hours) drive to Santa Maria where we were to observe the indigenous Ybanag method of producing pots and earthenware. a l ong the way, we crossed the Cagayan River via the Cabagan–Santa Maria Overflow Bridge (usually impassable during heavy rains) which will soon be replaced by the still unfinished, 720 m. long, 12-span, P639.6 million Santa Maria-Cabagan Landmark Bridge.

Upon arrival at Brgy. Poblacion 3, one of four barangays engaged in pottery making (the others are Poblacion 2, San Rafael West, and Quinagabian), we were welcomed by Santa Maria Vice-Mayor Michael a b raham G. Pagauitan and Municipal Tourism Officer Rex T. a r ao who toured us around the center of pottery making in the community. a f ter our pottery tour, we again

boarded our bus for the short 7.1 km (20 minutes) drive to Balay San Jose within Rancho a g ripina, owned by Santa Maria Mayor h i lario “Larry” G. Pagauitan. Its Sanctaurio de San Jose (a favorite wedding venue) and Casa di Spiritualita di San Giuseppe (a 42-room retreat center) are visited by tourists and religious pilgrims. a f ter a short visit to the Giant Banga (native pot) Landmark, Vice Mayor Pagauitan brought us to the nearby13room Maria Lourdes Mansion (named after her late sister Maria Lourdes G. Pagautan), the town’s first upscale hotel, for lunch. The hotel also has a function room, swimming pool, cottages, and a chapel.

Our food journey wasn’t over yet as 1st d i strict Congressman a ntonio “Tonypet” a lbano invited us over to his residence in Cabagan for a merienda of native bibingka, tupig, and the festive, hearty and mouth-watering Pancit Cabagan, a must-try if you are in town.

Prior to our return to the City of Ilagan, we took time out to observe the making of Pancit Cabagan, demonstrated by the owner, Marivic Tagao ofMariloi’s Panciteria and Restaurant, one the well-known pansiterias in town.

The shuttle I booked drove through the snow-covered Turkish countryside. I included Cappadocia on my itinerary but was unable to go during my first trip to Turkiye. This time, I made sure it was on my list so I can go and see its famous and stunning landscapes.

Of Cliches and Sunsets

I had a few extra hours in town before it got dark. a local I met told me about a sunrise and sunset viewing point that overlooked the town. I decided to go despite the below-zero temperature since it wasn’t too far away. The thick

snow and ice made the road difficult to walk on, but seeing several tourists that had the same idea passed me by, I soldiered on.

I got to the viewpoint freezing while waiting for a sunset that I’ve seen in so many other places. What could be different with this one? I asked myself. Snow covered the town and the landscape as far as my eyes could see.

Roofs and rock formations jutted out of the white blankets that covered them. It was about to get dark, and the event that everyone waited for was about to happen. The sky turned light orange, then deep red blended with the white land -

scape. I took some photos, including some mental snapshots. Maybe it’s a sign, a symbol, or simply something beautiful. I admired the view one last time and went on my way.

On the Road

The famous balloon rides that many visitors take while in Cappadocia had been canceled for days before I got here. The tour which included a short walk through the valley was also canceled due to the poor weather and icy roads. h o wever, I didn’t let this let me down, so I decided to just do a combined tour of the region’s highlights.

Cappadocia has had an interesting history as jagged and beautiful as the

contours of its landscapes. Its historical borders have shifted depending on the dynasty that ruled it from the Seleucid e mp ire to the Romans, while raids into the region from different armies took place throughout the centuries. Vestiges of early Christianity are also found within its confines with rock-cut churches and frescoes depicting Christian events. The First e p istle of Peter also mentions the region in the Bible. This condensed history of Cappadocia swirled through my mind as our guide took us to different spots while pointing out rock formations and touring us to small villages. I could make out the curves and edges of the famous fairy chimneys of Cap -

padocia blanketed with snow. It was a picturesque sight to behold.

One of the highlights of the trip was the underground city. There are approximately 200 such cities in Cappadocia, with two that tourists frequent, namely, Kaymakali and d e rinkuyu. The underground cities were abandoned for decades only to be rediscovered by accident in the early 1960s. I could only imagine living underground for centuries. The ancient Cappadocians carved and built houses with bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and storage areas several feet below the ground. It amazes me what people can do when they really want to achieve something, or when faced

with an existential crisis from foreign invasions, persecution, and wars. We ducked our heads and weaved in and out of narrow passages to see the remnants of small spaces that many used to call home. We saw the ingenuity of the people that built the underground rooms we visited. a s t he trip was about to end, I looked back at the places I’d been to in Turkiye during this trip. Cappadocia was a definite highlight with its natural and historic attractions. d e spite the snowy and cold weather, the region's beauty can leave one in awe. I was already thinking of a possible return trip during sunnier and warmer weather.

Story & photos by Benjamin Locsin Layug

For five days during the busy festival month of January, the media were invited to cover Isabela province’s Bambanti Festival.

Story & photos by Joshua Berida

Gue S t S visit Balay San Jose in Santa Maria.

Il AG An Japanese tunnel is one of the few remaining man-made war tunnels in the province.

Chu RC h of Our lady of the pilar in Cauayan is one of five Spanish-era churches in the province.

Ind I G en O uS pottery is shown to visitors in Santa Maria.

IS AB el A Museum and l brary showcases Isabela’s history and cultural heritage.

t h e landscape is covered in snow as far as the eyes could see. Sn Ow- C Apped rock formations dot the landscape. t h e stone houses are historical wonders in Cappadocia. R O C k formation towering over the town is postcard perfect.

t h e Sophia hotel is a two-star hotel in Cauayan City.

dA-CVRC Agro-ecotourism farm in Ilagan is accredited by the dept. of tourism.

COOP Fresh is known as a phygital store, which means that it provides the experience of going out to a physical grocery with the ease and convenience of online shopping.

PHOTOS BY DINNA CHAN

EU NEARS DEAL ON $47B LAW TO BOOST COMPUTER CHIP PRODUCTION

LONDON—The European Union was closing in Tuesday on approval for a plan to ramp up semiconductor production as it seeks to wean itself off reliance on Asia for the tiny computer chips that control everything from cars to washing machines.

The European Parliament and the bloc’s 27 member states struck an informal agreement for the €43 billion ($47 billion) Chips Act, which pools public and private funds and allows for state aid to kick-start massive investments for chipmaking facilities.

“The Chips Act puts Europe in the first line of cutting-edge technologies which are essential for our green and digital transitions,” Ebba Busch, industry minister for Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said in a statement.

The EU is scrambling to keep up with the US, which launched its own $52 billion Chips Act to boost the American semiconductor industry.

The EU Chips Act will link research, design and testing as well as coordinate EU and national investment. It’s aims to help the semiconductor industry develop so that the bloc’s global market share of chip production can double to 20 percent by 2030.

Both the US and the EU want to reduce their dependence on Asia, which accounts for the bulk of global semiconductor production—a vulnerability that was exposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, when supply chain disruptions led to extended shortages of autos, smartphones and medical devices. Chips are integrated circuits that are embedded in a semiconductor, a material—notably silicon— that can manage the flow of electric current. The terms “chip” and “semiconductor” are often used interchangeably. AP

This phygital store combines best of online, of�line shopping Twitter removes policy against deadnaming transgender people

IFIRST heard of COOP Fresh during the pandemic. Then, it was an online marketplace where young millennials and Gen Z got their vegetables, fruits, meat, and coffee.

Finally, COOP Fresh opened its first brick-andmortar store at BGC in January 2022. I have been wanting to see it but living in Fairview made that difficult.

On Tuesday, I had to attend a beauty event and I asked my friend Olivia Estrada, who is a COOP expert of sorts, to take me there. What makes COOP Fresh unique in the Philippines is that it’s cashless. Your purchases are rung up on the computer and you pay using your preferred method. I used a debit card and I imagine they accept credit cards and other cashless options such as Maya and GCash.

By the way, the COOP Fresh store is also very Instagram-worthy and very Gen Z-friendly. For any boomer or millennial going there, be prepared to see influencers shooting content all over the store. It’s their world. We’re just sharing it.

Here’s the thing: COOP Fresh is known as a phygital store, which means that it provides the experience of going out to a physical grocery with the

ease and convenience of online shopping.

When you visit the BGC store, you’ll see a mini supermarket setup where you can find snacks, milk and oatmilk, meat, deli meats and cheeses, bread and, of course, coffee. There’s also a coffee and milk bar.

The store carries products such as COOP-branded chips, drinks, pasta sauces, meat, and deli goods, as well as house-made gelato, bottled cocktails, and even plant-based ethyl alcohol. I tried the Cereal Milk Crack, which was made with Oatside, and it was good.

You can put your desired items into your grocery cart and approach any of the COOP staff to have your items scanned with their phone. Your bill goes to your COOP Fresh account and you can pay via online banking.

Of course, the COOP Fresh website is up and running and it’s still where a lot of people, including my friend Olivia, shop.

The store has a campaign, called #AdultingAtCoop, which makes buying, preparing, or cooking food less intimidating. For instance, there an #AdultingAtCoop sign in front of the beef tapa that explains how COOP Fresh’s beef tapa doesn’t have any preservatives like most commercially prepared ones.

For a person like me, buying food and cooking sounds simple enough even if I’m not really a great cook. But for Gen Z living alone for the first time in their lives, it can be very intimidating.

I read somewhere that COOP has a real-time inventory. The stocks you see in the store are those that you will find on the web site. They have one fulfilment center for Metro Manila. The quantity of the item you see on the website is accurate and you can say goodbye to days of the shopper calling you to inform you that the item you ordered is out of stock. When you order something, it is there.

Globally, consumers are embracing digital and interactive shopping, which is an offshoot of the pandemic.

For instance, Snap Inc. developed AR tools such as filters and lenses that allow consumers to interact with product catalogs and try on products virtually. By adding Snapchat QR codes to grocery packs, brand owners can also leverage physical products to create interactive digital experiences.

In China, KFC has fully phygital locations where consumers can place their orders on touchscreens upon entering the restaurant, and use facial recognition to complete payment.

According to Google, the pandemic has made people more flexible about whether they buy online or off. About 73 percent now describe themselves as channel agnostic, compared with 65 percent before Covid-19. But with things getting back to normal, people are going to stores again while not completely abandoning online shopping.

While the pandemic has accelerated digital adoption and online sales are growing, new research from Euromonitor found “it is expected that 78 percent of purchases will still be made in stores by 2024,” said Jason Spero in the Google report.

And here’s why I think phygital tores like COOP Fresh are doing it right. According to Spero, “People care about what’s in stock, and they want to know whether a store offers curbside pickup and when its doors open and close. Everyone needs reassurance that they’ll find what they’re looking for before they leave home.”

Phygital stores like COOP Fresh provide in-store and digital shopping with interactive experiences and this makes a difference for consumers who now expect more when they buy anything. ■

SAN FRANCISCO—Twitter has quietly removed a policy against the “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals,” raising concerns that the Elon Musk-owned platform is becoming less safe for marginalized groups.

Twitter enacted the policy against deadnaming, or using a transgender person’s name before they transitioned, as well as purposefully using the wrong gender for someone as a form of harassment, in 2018.

On Monday, Twitter also said it will only put warning labels on some tweets that are “potentially” in violation of its rules against hateful conduct. Previously, the tweets were removed.

It was in this policy update that Twitter appears to have deleted the line against deadnaming from its rules.

“Twitter’s decision to covertly roll back its longtime policy is the latest example of just how unsafe the company is for users and advertisers alike,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of the advocacy group GLAAD.

“This decision to roll back LGBTQ safety pulls Twitter even more out of step with TikTok, Pinterest, and Meta, which all maintain similar policies to protect their transgender users at a time when anti-transgender rhetoric online is leading to real world discrimination and violence.”

Twitter did immediately respond to a message for comment on Tuesday. AP

MMDC, partners launch program to help working students get college degree

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES

TO help working students achieve their dream of getting a college degree, the Yuchengco familycontrolled Mapua Malayan Digital College (MMDC), and the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), together with their partners Contact Center Association of the Philippines, McDonald’s, Concentrix, Genpact, and Globe Business, launched the program “Step Up Sa Pangarap” to empower working students toward a brighter future.

According to the proponents of the program, the movement brings together the academic and business communities to acknowledge and support working students nationwide. Since its launch earlier this year, it continues to feature powerful stories from working

students who overcame obstacles to follow their dreams and inspire others to do the same.

Jezzel Garcia is one of the students who are looking forward to Step Up Sa Pangarap.

Now a BPO manager and a first-year Operations Management student at MMDC, she managed to juggle how to balance her career, and studies through the guidance of the school. Furthermore she commended MMDC for helping her bridge the gap between the technical and communication skills she has with leadership and other skills needed in the workplace.

“The people in MMDC are not just concerned with helping you finish your education, but they are [equally] concerned with your growth and the values that you have learned,”

In Step Up Sa Pangarap, powerful stories like

Garcia’s inspire the working student community to keep working hard to achieve their dreams and goals in life.

“Since we opened our doors, almost 60 percent of our learners are currently working students. Through this campaign, we aim to empower more potential returnees across the country to pursue a college degree that will make a difference in their career, at an institution that supports their needs.” said Derrick Latreille, chief learning officer of MMDC and cofounder of Ayala Education.

Step Up Sa Pangarap is gathering the working student community, as well as various industries and stakeholders, for a Virtual Summit from May 10 to 12. It will bring these stories to life, provide guidance to working students, and give them access to coaches and mentors who can help them Step Up in their

careers, lives and finances.

“Step Up Sa Pangarap is an ideal platform that we are happy to roll out to our BPO players so that we can design even more flexible programs for our employees that can help us achieve our own objectives of job generation,” said Celeste Ilagan, IBPAP chief policy and regulatory affairs officer. “This also helps working students achieve their personal goals of succeeding in life, getting better jobs, getting higher pay and a lot more.”

MMDC is a digital-first college that is part of Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna, which is dedicated to nurturing nation-building students who will thrive in a business and technology-driven world. Mapúa University and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna are wholly owned subsidiaries of iPeople inc., a Yuchengco-Ayala education partnership.

VASQUEZ

K-POP FANDOMS ENGAGED FOR WORLD VISION’S #GIRLSCAN CAMPAIGN

THROUGH its online K-culture community, telecom giant Globe engages fandoms of popular South Korean girl groups in promoting women empowerment and girls’ rights to support World Vision’s #GirlsCan campaign.

The long-running campaign has successfully given thousands of young girls a chance for a brighter future. KmmunityPH is working with BLINKs (Black Pink), MIDZY (Itzy), Once (Twice), RevLuv (Red Velvet), MY (aespa) and many others to make a positive impact on the lives of Filipino women. Through Globe Rewards, the fandoms have raised P51,715 for World Vision’s various initiatives that aim to support women entrepreneurs, combat the exploitation of children, and improve maternal and child health, among others.

World Vision programs include the Sustaining Women’s Economic Empowerment Thrust (SWEET) project, Project ACE, Maternal and Child Health Programs, the Mother-Baby Friendly Philippines Project, and the Menstrual Hygiene Campaign.

The partnership between Globe and World Vision is aligned with the company’s sustainability strategy of Caring for People, which promotes diversity, equality and inclusivity.

“As a company that helps millions of people connect with their passions, including K-pop, we believe in the power of community to create positive change. Our #KmmunityPHForGood allows us to engage with our customers and stakeholders to do good. This time, we engage empowered girls to pay it forward and empower other girls. By working together, we can make a real difference in the lives of many,” said Mike Magpily, head of customer segment strategy for Globe.

“World Vision is grateful for the support of KmmunityPH in our efforts to empower girls and promote their rights.

With our various collaborations with Globe and through this partnership, we can provide vital resources and support to vulnerable girls, helping them achieve their dreams and reach their full potential,” said World Vision national director Rommel V. Fuerte.

Violence against children, particularly online sexual exploitation, remains a major concern in the Philippines, with a 264 percent increase in cases according to data from the Department of Justice. Additionally, over 2 million girls drop out of school and more adolescent girls get pregnant and give birth every day, according to World Vision.

World Vision celebrated the fourth year of its #GirlsCan campaign, which was launched on the International Day of the Girl on October 11, 2022. They also strengthened their Safeguarding Policy for children.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN GET AHEAD WITH YOUR SAVINGS

BUILDING up your savings is no easy feat, especially when you barely earn interest. While most traditional banks offer interest rates of less than 1 percent p.a., Maya, touted as the No. 1 digital bank in the Philippines, allows you to earn up to 10 percent interest—just by using the Maya app to pay for your essentials.

All Maya Savings customers can enjoy a base interest rate of 4 percent p.a. on balances up to P5,000,000— that’s already 30X higher than traditional banks. Customers can boost their interest rate up to 10 percent p.a. just by reaching the spending milestones on Maya. It’s as simple as buying load, taking care of your bills, and paying for your wants and needs using your Maya Card, number, or QR.

And the best part? You can see your money growing every day because Maya credits your interest earnings to your account daily.

If you want a surefire way to save and grow your money, here’s an easy step-by-step guide:

■ GET TO 5 PERCENT. To get started, spend P250 using your Maya app to get an additional +1 percent p.a. on top of your 4 percent base interest rate. Buying load and data packages is an excellent way to start. For example, when you reach a total spend of P250 and pay via QR, you can get a bonus of +1 percent p.a. on top of your base interest rate of 4 percent p.a. for a total of 5 percent p.a.

■ LEVEL UP TO 6 PERCENT. With your current 5 percent p.a. interest rate, you can still level up and receive a bonus of another +1 percent p.a. by simply reaching a total spend of P1,000 for a total of 6 percent p.a. So, when you do a quick run at the convenience store, don't forget to whip your phone out and pay using your Maya app.

■ JUMP TO 8 PERCENT. Want to grow your money further? Why not pay all your bills on your Maya app?

From credit cards to utility bills and more, you can settle all these in just a few taps, and if it reaches a total spend of P20,000, you can enjoy a bonus of +2 percent p.a. that jacks up the total to 8 percent p.a.

■ BOOST UP TO 10 PERCENT. Get another +2 percent p.a. by increasing your total spend to P30,000. Think about it: you can pay for your groceries, flights, or your sulit finds at that double-digit sale using Maya and feel great that you’re actually boosting your savings.

This offer is available to all Maya Savings customers until April 30, and the boosted rate of up to 10 percent p.a. applies to deposits up to P100,000.

More information can be found at www.mayabank. ph/10percentboost.

BusinessMirror

Redmi-fining mid range photography

WE celebrated the 40th day of my mom’s passing this week, and contrary to what I’ve heard people say, I don’t think it will ever get easier in time. I remember whenever I had a new phone to review, one of the first photos I’d take would usually be of my mom while she was cooking in the kitchen. She would get furious about the stolen shot and snap at me for taking a deglamorized photo of her, but she would always end it with “Is that a new phone?” Then, I’ll let her guess the price.

Looking back though, my mom would always wear makeup even if she was just doing the laundry. It was also a clue as to what her mood was for the day. If she didn’t have lipstick on when she came down, that usually meant it’s best to stay away.

I was going through her stuff and found out she had been using six phones. The funny thing though is that she never answers my call or reply until after a few days—even if her reply was just “OK.”

The launch of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 series was the first event I attended since my mom passed and I missed how she’d text me asking where we were, if we already ate and what time were we going home—in that order. The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is also the first phone I never got to show her, but I still went to the kitchen to open it, out of habit I guess. I would’ve loved to hear her reaction to the 200MP camera, though I doubt she’d be able to guess the right price.

HIGH-RES FOR LESS

THE Redmi Note 12 Series is composed of the Redmi Note 12, Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G, and Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G—and is designed to keep up with Gen Zs’ vivid lifestyle and personalities and their budget. The Redmi Note series has delivered on the price-toperformance ratio and the Note 12 series brings with it many of the improvements that fans have been asking for. The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G will go down in the history books for its 200MP camera, 120W hyper fast charging, and enhanced Dolby sound features. It also comes equipped with a Dimensity 1080 chipset and a beefed-up 5000mAh battery—all while maintaining its P21,999 tag. Sounds too good? Here’s what we think of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G.

DESIGN AND BUILD

THE Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G combines asymmetrical design language and artistic geometry for a dynamic balance of aesthetic elements. This is enhanced by the texture of the smartphone body, showcasing a new material made with advanced CMF process and polished glass back that gives off a premium look and feel. There are three color options: Sky Blue, Midnight Black and the one that we have, Polar White. I do like how Xiaomi kept the finish clean and simple without those dizzying gradient patterns. Despite the smooth finish though it’s able to hide those fingerprints and smudges quite well.

It has a polycarbonate instead of metal frame, and its rear panel is made from glass. It feels cool to the touch and the subtly curved edges makes the phone a bit easier to hold despite its large size (162.9mm x 76mm x 8.98mm) and hefty 210.5g weight. It comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection as well as an IP53 splash-proof rating.

Unlike the recent “minion goggles” camera module trend, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has a more subdued design. It’s not the best we’ve seen but it blends well with the overall aesthetics of the device.

On the right edge is the volume rocker and fingerprint sensor. This side-mounted fingerprint scanner also does more than just unlock your phone as it supports double-tap gestures that lets you perform different actions, including turning on the flashlight, opening the control center, taking a screenshot, toggling silent mode, or launching the default camera app or the calculator.

It’s 2023 and the Redmi Note might be one of the last of its species to include a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also includes another Xiaomi trademark—the IR blaster. Both are located on top together with a mic and loud speaker.

FLOW AMOLED SCREEN

FOR the display, it has a 6.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED display that offers a 1080 x 2400-pixel resolution and a flagship 120Hz refresh rate for a smoother visual and gaming experience. But what makes it even more special is its Flow AMOLED screen which results in slimmer bezels that are almost visually symmetrical. It’s a first for the Redmi Note series and the remarkable display improves color performance, increases brightness and delivers over 1 billion colors with smooth gradation between colors and shades.

As for the 120Hz refresh rate, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has an adaptive mode for the first time allowing the phone to automatically switch between power-friendly 60Hz or the silky smooth 120Hz. All that means the phone delivers an amazing visual experience. The colors are bright, the 120Hz refresh rate is smooth, viewing angles are great and the display remained easily legible even in direct sunlight. As for the sound, you get stereo speakers with decent volume and the mid-range clarity that’s good enough for watching YouTube or listening to music without needing to reach for a pair of headphones.

200 MEGAPIXEL GOODNESS

MOVING on to the cameras, the flagship of the Redmi Note 12 series is equipped with the world’s highest 200MP Samsung sensor with a 1/1.4” large sensor size. It also has an 8MP ultrawide lens and a decent 2MP macro. For selfies, it retains the same 16MP front camera. Xiaomi said it aims to redefine photography for upper mid-range smartphones and it makes a strong statement with the Redmi Note 12 Pro + 5G. The main camera can capture photos in 3 different resolutions using pixel-binning technology: 12.5MP, 50MP, and 200MP modes. For photographers who want maximum detail, you can choose between 50MP and 200MP in Ultra HD mode.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G also comes with a feature called Xiaomi ProCut. Once you’ve taken a photo under 200MP mode, simply review it in your gallery, and the system automatically detects human and animal subjects, generating 3 to 5 photos with different composition/ratios automatically for you to choose from. Furthermore, Redmi Note 12 Pro + 5G includes a unique film camera feature that adds a vintage vibe to your photos, perfect for fun social media posts.

Night photos are enhanced with a stronger lens setup, offering 159 percent improvement in low light capture for challenging scenes. The main camera

also features ALD (Atomic Layer Disposition)—this coating technology can effectively reduce lens reflection, reduce glare and lens flares, and improve imaging in night scenes and backlight shooting. Camera performance in bright daylight was really good, capturing accurate real-life colors, and also works quite well even in less-than-ideal lighting. It has easily one of the best cameras in its price range and I was also impressed by the edge detection in portrait shots.

The 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor isn’t the best out there and the difference is quite noticeable. It also struggles indoors and in less-than-ideal lighting. The 2MP macro camera is OK but remember, the Redmi Note series once had a 5MP macro sensor.

As for videos, it can record 4K videos up to 30fps. Video quality is above average though it’s still shaky and a bit jittery when you are walking, or when panning the camera. If you are serious about shooting good videos, it’s best to use a tripod or a gimbal for more stable shots.

PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY

POWERED by the high-performance MediaTek Dimensity 1080 processor, the Redmi Note 12 Pro + 5G delivered all-around impressive performance during our two-week review. With its 8GB+3GB RAM configuration, it was able to handle all our daily tasks, like checking emails, managing our blog and social media accounts, web browsing, watching YouTube, Netflix, and editing reels and photos. The phone performed as well as any flagship would and everything felt snappy and responsive.

As for gaming, it has enough power for all those casual and 2D titles, but I think you need to stay on the default settings for more complicated games like Genshin Impact to get a smoother experience.

You get the latest MIUI 14 interface from Xiaomi but I was surprised a bit that it was still running Android 12. It’s not a dealbreaker, but a lot of other phones already run the latest Android OS out of the box.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G comes with a large 5,000mAh battery as well as 120W HyperCharge which lasted me more than a day of regular use. The 120W HyperCharge can fully charge the smartphone from zero to 100 percent in around 20 minutes. With the Xiaomi Surge P1 chipset, it also boasts improved battery health and overall battery efficiency.

FINAL WORD: The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is a gorgeous phone that is bursting with all the features you might be looking for in a smartphone. You get a clear 120Hz AMOLED display, a 200MP primary camera that delivers nice photos, snappy performance, and an all-day battery life with 120W fast charging, making it one of the best options in its price range. ■

Biden set to unveil China investment curbs for high-tech with G-7 backing

By Jenny Leonard

The administration, which has been debating the measure for almost two years, plans to take action around the time of a summit of the Group of Seven advanced economies that’s due to start on May 19 in Japan.

North Korea calls its nukes

By Hyung-Jin Kim The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea’s foreign minister on Friday called the Group of Seven wealthy democracies a “tool for ensuring the US hegemony” as she lambasted the group’s recent call for the North’s denuclearization.

The top diplomats from G-7 nations, who met recently in Japan, had jointly condemned the North’s recent ballistic missile tests and reiterated their commitment to the goal of North Korea’s complete abandonment of its nuclear weapons. Their communiqué was prepared as a template for leaders at the G-7 summit next month in Hiroshima, where North Korea’s nuclear program will likely be discussed again.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said her country will take unspecified “strong counteraction” if G-7 countries—the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and the European Union—show “any behavioral attempt” to infringe upon the fundamental interests of North Korea.

“G-7, a closed group of a handful of egoistic countries, does not represent the just international community but serves as a political tool for ensuring the US hegemony,” Choe said in a statement carried by North Korean state media.

Choe said the G-7 communiqué “malignantly” raised the North’s legitimate exercise of its sovereignty.

North Korea has steadfastly argued it was forced to develop nuclear weapons because of US nuclear threats against it. It has said the United States’ regular military drills with South Korea are a rehearsal for invasion, though US and South Korean officials have said their drills are defensive and they have no intentions of attacking the North.

North Korea has test-fired about 100 missiles since the start of last year in the name of responding to US military training with South Korea. But many experts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un likely uses his rivals’ military drills as a pretext to advance his weapons programs, cement his domestic leadership and be recognized as a legitimate nuclear state to get international sanctions on the North lifted.

North Korea has been hit with 11 rounds of U.N. sanctions because of its past nuclear and ballistic missile tests banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions. Kim has previously said those sanctions “stifles” North Korea’s economy.

The G-7 foreign ministers in their communiqué Tuesday said North Korea will never have the status of a nuclearweapons state under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

domestic capital pool and state support as foreign investment continues to withdraw.”

AI, quantum computing

The US has been briefing its G-7 partners on the investment curbs for high-tech industries, and hopes to get an endorsement at next month’s meeting, even though the other countries aren’t expected to announce similar restrictions at the same time, the people said. The likeliest sequence is for the executive order to be signed soon after that expression of international support, one of the people said.

The move marks a new phase in the years-long economic campaign against China that’s already seen the US impose tariffs on Chinese imports under ex-President Donald Trump, and more recently seek to restrict exports of key American technologies. Now, capital flows between the world’s two biggest economies are in the crosshairs.

Investors largely shrugged off concerns of more restrictions, saying they would do little to impact actual business because US investments in some of China’s high-tech sectors have already been receding. Chinese chip shares slid on Friday after opening higher, with traders citing profit taking after a recent rally rather than geopolitical concerns.

“The US has been working towards this for awhile and US investments in sensitive areas has already been declining,” said Marvin Chen, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “Nonetheless, China tech will become more reliant on

THE US says it’s imposing the curbs on national security grounds— a point emphasized by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a speech Thursday—rather than in an effort to hold back the development of a rival superpower, as Beijing has argued.  Tensions have escalated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a conflict in which the US and China effectively find themselves on opposite sides, and there’s growing concern about a new Cold War that could fracture the world economy into rival blocs.

The executive order will cover the fields of semiconductors, artificial intelligence and quantum computing—focusing on investments where US firms play an active role in management. That includes venture capital and private equity, as well as certain forms of technology transfer and joint ventures. Officials involved in drafting the order say it targets potential new investments, not existing ones.

Some types of investment will be barred outright, while others will require companies to notify the government. Details are set to be outlined in a set of regulations to follow the executive order, and companies will have some time to offer feedback before the order goes into effect.

US officials say the investment limits are intended to choke off critical funding and know-how that could advance China’s military capabilities.

In a speech delivered in Washington Thursday that addressed US-China economic ties, Yellen said the curbs on outbound investment will affect “specific sensitive technologies with significant national security implications.”

Competitive advantage

“THESE national security actions

are not designed for us to gain a competitive economic advantage, or stifle China’s economic and technological modernization,” Yellen said. The US will pursue its security concerns regarding China “even when they force trade-offs with our economic interests,” and will “engage and coordinate with our allies and partners” over the policies, she said.

US officials have made clear that a unilateral measure wouldn’t fulfill the national security goals because investments in China by other countries could just take the place of the American ones that the administration is about to block.

Treasury Department officials this week briefed their European counterparts on the measure, and the administration has begun sharing information with business leaders too. Once the order takes effect, Treasury will be administering a one-year pilot program that could later be expanded.

A spokesman for the National Security Council declined to comment.

As China’s economy took off in the past three decades, American companies plowed money in as they sought to capture a slice of the world’s fastest-growing major market and lower the cost of production for supply chains.

Cumulative total investment there by US business was worth almost $120 billion at the end of 2021, with about half of that going into manufacturing, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

But the growing consensus in Washington in favor of curbs on China, along with Beijing’s turn to more interventionist policies, may already have dented the enthusiasm of many firms.

Last year, the share of deals by US private equity investors that involved buying stakes in Chinese companies shrank to about onequarter of what it was a decade earlier, PitchBook data show. With assistance from Alberto Nardelli, John Cheng and Catherine Ngai/Bloomberg

China foreign minister steps up threats against Taiwan

BEIJING—China’s foreign minister stepped up threats Friday against the self-governing island of Taiwan, saying any who go against Beijing’s demand to exert control over the island are “playing with fire.”

Qin Gang’s remarks Friday came at the end of a speech espousing China’s contribution to the global economy and the interests of developing nations, in which he repeatedly praised Communist Party Secretary General Xi Jinping’s Global Security Initiative.

The concept is the latest of China’s moves to position its singleparty political system, with its claim to social stability and economic growth, as an alternative to the Western liberal approach that largely defines international relations.

Toward the end of his speech in the financial hub of Shanghai, Qin turned to what China calls the “Taiwan problem,” using harsher terms than Chinese diplomats have typically employed in past in international settings.

“The safeguarding of national sovereignty and territorial integrity is beyond reproach,” Qin said.

“The Taiwan problem is at the

Muslims end Ramadan and begin holiday amid war, reconciliation

By Kareem Chehayeb & Niniek Karmini The Associated Press

BEIRUT—Large parts of the Muslim world marked the end of the fasting month of Ramadan at sundown Thursday and ushered in the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, but the festivities were overshadowed by raging battles for control of Sudan and a deadly stampede in Yemen.

In other parts of the region, the holiday came against the backdrop of reconciliation and rapprochement between former rivals.

The Islamic calendar is lunar and depends on the sighting of the moon—something Muslim religious authorities tend to disagree on. Ramadan sees worshippers fasting daily from dawn to sunset, ending with Eid al-Fitr celebrations.

This year again, the holiday comes amid fighting and devastation, particularly in the Middle East.

In Sudan, the holiday was eclipsed by raging battles between the army and its rival paramilitary force, despite two attempted ceasefires. The fighting since Saturday has killed hundreds of people and wounded thousands.

In Yemen, the Arab world’s most impoverished nation, a stampede late Wednesday at a charitable event in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa killed at least 78 people and injured 77.

Religious authorities in both Sudan and Yemen said they will mark the start of Eid al-Fitr on Friday.

In Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population worldwide, the second-largest Islamic group, Muhammadiyah—with over 60 million members—said that according to its astronomical calculations, the holiday of Eid al-Fitr starts on Friday. However, the country’s religious affairs minister had announced on Thursday that the start of the holiday would fall on Saturday.

In some places, tensions and fighting had calmed. Long-time Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed last month to restore diplomatic ties after China-brokered negotiations—an ongoing reconciliation that has deescalated proxy wars in the region.

Saudi officials and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen recently began talks in Sanaa and during the last days of Ramadan exchanged hundreds of prisoners captured in Yemen’s civil war, which erupted in 2014.

Riyadh also sent its top diplomat to Syria to meet with President Bashar Assad on Tuesday, a significant step towards ending his political isolation and potentially returning the war-torn country to the Arab League.

However, Tehran and Riyadh disagreed on the start of the holiday—for Saudis, Eid al-Fitr would begin Friday while officials in Iran said it starts on Saturday.

The start of the holiday is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon, which vary according to geographic location, while some countries rely on astronomical calculations rather than physical sightings to determine the start of Eid al-Fitr.

core of China’s core interests,” he said. “We will never back down in the face of any act that undermines China’s sovereignty and security. Those who play with fire on the question of Taiwan will burn themselves.”

Such remarks are typically directed at the island’s democratically elected government under President Tsai Ing-wen and its most important ally, the United States. China considers Taiwan a part of its territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

Earlier in April, China held large-scale air and sea drills in the areas surrounding Taiwan in retaliation for Tsai’s meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on April 5 in California. China said the exercises simulating an encirclement of Taiwan were intended as a “serious warning” to pro-independence politicians on the self-governing island and their foreign supporters.

China has stepped up its military pressure and diplomatic isolation against Taiwan in recent years, sending fighter jets and navy vessels towards the island on a near-daily basis.

While Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with just

13 sovereign states, it retains robust ties with most major nations, including the US.

After former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, China sent more and more military vessels over the midline of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary that had been accepted for decades.

The heightened pace of military activity and increasingly bellicose language have raised concerns about a possible conflict in one of the world’s most economically vital regions. Taiwan produces much of the world’s much-needed computer chips and the Taiwan Strait separating the island from mainland China is one of the world’s busiest waterways.

Taiwan will elect a new president and parliament in January, with China seen as heavily favoring the opposition Nationalist Party that backs political unification between the sides under terms yet to be defined. Taiwanese and US authorities say China is using economic leverage and disinformation to bolster its military threats, but most Taiwanese responding to surveys back the status quo of de facto independence. AP

United Arab Emirates and Qatar followed Saudi Arabia and announced the holiday would begin for them on Friday, while their Gulf Arab neighbor, Oman, declared that the moon had not been sighted and the holiday would begin on Saturday.

Iraq’s Sunni authorities announced the holiday would begin Friday, while the country’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali alSistani, set a Saturday start date. The governments of Lebanon and Syria, both in the throes of crippling economic crises, said Friday would mark the beginning of the dayslong holiday.

Indonesia’s Security Minister Mohammad Mahfud called on Muslims to be respectful of each other’s celebrations, and asked Muhammadiyah members to have their holiday feasts at home—in consideration of the Muslims who would still be fasting on Friday.

The country’s roads and highways were gridlocked as millions crammed into trains, ferries, buses and on motorcycles, as they left cities to return to their villages to celebrate with family. The government estimated that more than 123 million travelers were expected to crisscross the vast archipelago that spans 17,000 islands, with about 18 million departing from Jakarta’s greater metropolitan area.

Meanwhile, clerics of Pakistan’s state-backed moon sighting committee announced at a news conference in Islamabad that Eid al-Fitr would be celebrated on Saturday in Pakistan as there were no sightings of the moon there.

Egypt and Jordan said that for them, Eid al-Fitr would begin on Friday. In divided Libya, the religious authorities based in the capital of Tripoli, said it would start on Saturday. In the country’s east, run by a rival administration, authorities marked Friday as the start.

In Afghanistan, the head of the Taliban-appointed judiciary, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, also said the holiday would start on Friday.

PRESIDENT Joe Biden aims to sign an executive order in the coming weeks that will limit investment in key parts of China’s economy by American businesses, people familiar with the internal deliberations said.

K armini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut, Samy Magdy in Cairo, and Munir Ahmad and Rahim Faiez in Islamabad contributed to this report.

SHIITES observe the crescent moon to determine the start of the tenth Islamic month of Shawwal, which marks the end of a month-long fasting of Ramadan and the beginning of the Eid al-Fitr festival in Najaf, Iraq on Thursday, April 20, 2023. AP/ANMAR KHALIL

‘stark reality,’ criticizes G-7

The World Sudan general says military committed to civilian rule

A MAKESHIFT memorial is created at the scene of the fatal shooting at a dance studio in Dadeville, Alabama on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Two teenagers have been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the shooting that killed four young people at a Sweet Sixteen birthday party, investigators announced Wednesday. MICKEY

Police make 6th arrest in Alabama Sweet 16 birthday party shooting

DADEVILLE, Ala.—Investigators on Thursday charged a sixth person with reckless murder in connection with a deadly shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party, saying in court documents they believe gunmen shot into the crowd during the celebration.

Investigators said in court documents filed Thursday that they believe five of those charged were present at the party on April 15 and “discharged firearms into the crowd,” resulting in the deaths of four people.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Thursday night announced the arrest of a 15-year-old juvenile from Tuskegee, Alabama, the sixth person charged in the case, but court records were not released because of the person’s age.

All six face reckless murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting, the state agency said.

The Sweet 16 birthday, at a dance studio just off the town square, was in full swing when gunfire erupted.

Investigators have not discussed a motive or what they believe led to the shooting.

The shooting killed four young people, ranging in age from 17 to 23, and shocked the small east Alabama city of Dadeville. Besides the four slain, 32 others were injured, four of them critically.

Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, both of Tuskegee, were arrested Tuesday. Wilson LaMar Hill

Jr., 20, of Auburn, Alabama, was arrested Wednesday. Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee and Willie George Brown Jr., 19, of Auburn, were arrested Thursday. All are charged with four counts of reckless murder, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.

The district attorney said the teens will be tried as adults as required by Alabama law when anyone 16 or older is charged with murder.

All of the suspects are being held in the Tallapoosa County Jail with no bond with the exception of the 15-year-old, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.

The birthday girl’s brother, 18-year-old Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell of Camp Hill, Alabama, died as his sister knelt beside him begging him to keep breathing. He and another fatal victim, 17-year-old Shaunkivia Nicole “KeKe” Smith of Dadeville, were high school seniors. Also slain were Marsiah Emmanuel “Siah” Collins, 19, of Opelika, Alabama, and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, of Dadeville.

The shooting was the 16th mass killing in the US this year. A 17th took place in Maine on Tuesday. A total of 88 people have died in mass killings so far in 2023.

A mass killing is defined as the slaying of four or more people other than the perpetrator, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

India looks to procure more LNG as heat wave boosts power demand

By Stephen Stapczynski

INDIA is looking to procure more natural gas from abroad as a heat wave pushes the nation’s power demand to record levels.

Companies including GAIL India Ltd. and Petronet LNG Ltd. released several tenders this week to buy liquefied natural gas shipments for delivery from early May to June, according to traders with knowledge of the matter. Some of that gas will go to power generation, they said.

The move is abnormal, since gas makes up a small portion of India’s coal-dominated power mix, and indicates the nation is working to ensure electricity keeps flowing to customers. Peak demand hit an all-time high earlier this week as blazing summer temperatures forced citizens to crank up their

air conditioning.

Heat wave warnings are in place for parts of the nation’s east including Odisha, according to a bulletin from the India Meteorological Department. Maximum temperatures were in a range of 40C-44C (104F-111F) over many parts of the eastern region on Thursday, the bureau said.

NTPC Ltd., India’s largest electricity producer, was asked by the government to increase gas-fired power generation to meet peak demand during April and May.

Gail is being tapped to help secure the fuel, Bloomberg reported last month. The company already purchased an LNG shipment for early May this week.

India started to buy more LNG from the spot market this year due in part to a slump in prices. With assistance from Ben Sharples/ Bloomberg

In a video message released early Friday to mark the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said: “We are confident that we will overcome this ordeal with our training, wisdom and strength, preserving the security and unity of the state, allowing us to be entrusted with the safe transition to civilian rule.”

Since he took control of the country in an October 2021 coup, Burhan and his rival, commander of the Rapid Support Forces Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have repeatedly promised to shepherd the country until a civilian government has been elected. However,

both have failed to sign political agreements that would see their institutions lose power.

The video message was the first time Burhan has been seen since the capital and other areas descended into chaos in the fighting. It wasn’t known when or where the video was made.

On Thursday, Sudan’s military ruled out negotiations with the rival Rapid Support Forces, saying it would only accept its surrender. The two sides continued to battle in central Khartoum and other parts of the country, threatening to wreck international attempts to broker a longer cease-fire.

Vietnam’s commercial hub orders mask-wearing as Covid cases surge

By Mai Ngoc Chau

VIETNAM’S commercial hub

of Ho Chi Minh City is ordering the return of maskwearing at school campuses amid a rise in Covid infections, the city’s education department said in a post on its web site.

Hanoi earlier this week ordered the return of mandatory indoor mask wearing in public places. The Ho Chi Minh City directive does not apply to universities.

Ho Chi Minh City’s party committee recommended the donning of masks on public transport and in public places, according to its website. The city’s health department called on residents to limit gatherings and avoid crowded areas, it said in a statement on its web site.

Covid cases in the city jumped to 163 on Thursday compared with a total of 181 this year through April 16, according to city health department data. Bloomberg News

The military’s statement raised the likelihood of a renewed surge in the nearly weeklong violence that has killed hundreds and pushed Sudan’s population to the breaking point. Alarm has grown that the country’s medical system was on the verge of collapse, with

many hospitals forced to shut down and others running out of supplies. “Ruin and destruction and the sound of bullets have left no place for the happiness everyone in our beloved country deserves,” Burhan said in the speech.

CAIRO—Sudan’s top general said Friday the military remains committed to a transition to civilian rule, in his first speech since brutal fighting between his forces and the country’s powerful paramilitary began nearly a week ago.

WELSH/THE MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER VIA AP

LASCUÑA: OLDER BUT STRONGER IN CALIRAYA

finish at 274 worth P132,000.

May asim pa (he still has it),” said

Mondilla, who trailed Lascuña by five with a 66 Thursday but wavered with a frontside 37 in the final round. He birdied three of the last seven holes to save a 70 and tied Ira Alido, who fired a 69, at fifth at 276.

J honnel Ababa rallied with a 68 to end up seventh at 277 while

Sean Ramos put in a 70 for joint eighth with Michael Bibat, who shot a 71, at 279.

BusinessMirror

Sports

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Editor: Jun Lomibao

UNILAB signs as FIBA World Cup major sponsor

UNILAB Inc. joined the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 (FBWC23) by signing as a major local sponsor of the event the country is co-hosting with Japan and Indonesia from August 25 to September 10.

A s lead co-host, the Philippines will supervise 52 of the 92 games— including the final phase of the 32-team championship—at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Mall of Asia Arena and Philippine Arena.

Ushering UNILAB into the FBWC23 fold are Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) chairman Emeritus Manuel Pangilinan and president Alfredo S. Panlilio.

“ We welcome UNILAB to this prestigious event that will be followed by nations throughout the world,” said Pangilinan, a key member of the powerful FIBA Central Board and chairman and CEO of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. “ This partnership will go a long way in ensuring the success of our country’s efforts to co-host this grand event, a national endeavor if ever there was one since this marks only the second time in our history that we will be staging a world basketball championship,” he added.

Panlilio, a vital member of the FIBA Asia Board and president and CEO of PLDT and Smart Communications, meanwhile, praised UNILAB’S sense patriotism and generosity in coming to the aid of the national team and of the overall effort to promote the country’s leadership organization and hospitality.

“ We thank UNILAB for agreeing to be part of this once in a lifetime experience, and to share in this global activity, this journey which in a sense is truly a merger of world caliber sports and big business,” Panlilio said.

A lexander Panlilio, Corporate Vice President of UNILAB, said that “partnering with the FBWC23, and being able to support our local athletes as they go up to compete against the best in the world, is an irresistible call.”

“ Who better to support our Filipino athletes than fellow Filipinos like UNILAB?” Alexander Panlilio said. “Our mission is to care for them—as manifested in our company slogan Alagang UNILAB—and this is one way to do that.”

LASCUÑA defied father time with a dominant wire-towire victory in the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI)

Caliraya Springs Championship at the Caliraya Springs Golf Club on Friday.

ascuña cracked a pair of runnerup finishes with his triumph in Cavinti, Laguna, that could spur another title run on the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) with his high level of e closed out with a 69 and beat

Asian Tour campaigners Angelo Que and Lloyd Go by three on an 18-under 270 total that included rounds of 68, 66 and 67, keeping his overnight four-stroke lead as firm as he kept his form through sheer training and teaching through the years. ot even a bogey on No. 15 could derail the 52-year-old shotmaker’s march to another championship after claiming the inaugural ICTSI Match Play crown at

Villamor last year as his pursuers all failed to mount any last-gasp attack in baking heat on this mountain-top course.

I’m so thankful that I was able to win it. I kept an eye on Angel (Que) and Clyde (Mondilla) and just did what I did in the first three rounds—fairways and greens and make the most of my (putting) chances,” said Lascuña, who kept polishing his stroke on the practice green late Thursday when all the others had left for home.

H is frontside 34 practically held off his rivals’ charge as he stayed four shots ahead heading to the last nine holes.

A lthough Que pressed his bid to pull within two in a flight ahead of the championship group of Lascuña, Mondilla and Reymon Jaraula, the Davaoeño ace kept his nerves in check and hit clutch birdies on Nos. 12 and 14 to keep a three-four shot cushion on his way to victory worth P450,000.

“I just stayed focused but it was only after I hit my approach shot on the 18th that I knew I would win,” added Lascuña, who also gained the needed momentum as the Philippine Golf Tour heads to Luisita next month.

There’re a lot of young, talented players, but I am able stay in shape through training, practice while

Hectic May for PHL weightlifters

By Josef Ramos

EXCEPT for Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, Filipino weightlifters face a hectic schedule in May, according to Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) coach Richard Augusto. The athletes, Augusto told BusinessMirror are seeing action in both the Asian championships in Jinju, South Korea, from May 3 to 13 and the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia from May 13 to 16.  Tokyo Olympian Elreen Ann Ando (59 kgs) and Asian championships gold medalist Vanessa Sarno (71 kgs) lead the

women’s team also composed of Lovely Inan (49 kgs), Rose Jean Ramos (45 kgs) and Kristel Macrohon (kgs) with John Fabuar Ceniza (61 kgs) as the lone men’s entry. They fly to Jinju on May 2 for the Asian championships. Sarno, Macrohon and Inan will then proceed to the SEA Games where they will team up with Angeline Colonia (45 kgs), Inan, Rose Faustino (55 kgs), Dave Lloyd Pacaldo (67 kgs) and Ceniza and Dexter Tabique (89 kgs) in Phnom Penh. Training-wise, they are doing very well and all are in good condition,” Augusto said. “Our priority is the Asian championships which is an Olympic qualifier, but we are not setting aside our campaign in the SEA Games.”

D iaz-Naranjo is skipping the SEA Games in favor of the Olympic qualifier Asian championships. She is currently training in Tokyo with Rosegie Ramos and Rose Jean Ramos.

“ It’s like hitting two birds with one stone when our team sees action in two competitions, but we are hopeful we can also win at least three gold medals in the SEA Games,” Augusto said.

More Filipino champions upcoming–Gibbons

INTERNATIONAL matchmaker

Sean Gibbons believes Vincent Astrolabio and Jade Bornea will capture world boxing titles this year.

It’s going to be the year of Philippine boxing after Marlon Tapales’s milestone as the first boxer to win two titles in one fight,” Gibbons told BusinessMirror on Friday before flying back to the United States.

“The Nightmare” Tapales beat

Celebrities boost fun bike event in Cavite

Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan via split decision early this month in San Antonio, Texas, to capture the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) belts.

A strolabio faces Australian Jason Moloney on May 13 in Stockton, California, for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight belt while Bornea challenges IBF super flyweight champion Fernando

ACTORS Piolo Pascual, Matteo Guidicelli and Donny Pangilinan take a break from their busy schedule to provide the Sun Life Cycle PH drawing power when the annual fun ride hits the road again Sunday after a three-year lull because of the pandemic.

More than a thousand participants of various age categories and skill set are all geared up for a friendly ride at the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City with the event featuring the kids (2-3 years old) 100-meter ride, criterium (30 minutes solo ride) and criterium with parents, and the individual 30K, 40K and 60K corporate/team ride.

“ The city will continuously promote and support the Sun Life Cycle PH, which includes the youngsters, for the benefit it provides, especially in the physical aspect,” Imus City Mayor Alex Advincula said.

The kids bike camp last week at the Bonifacio GC ushered in the Sun Life Cycle PH with Pangilinan gracing the event where Sun Life donated 25 bikes to the Good Neighbors Foundation International.

Pangilinan will also join his fellow Sun Life ambassadors at the stateof-the-art Vermosa sports complex, which has hosted a number of big sporting events, including the SEA Games and the IronKids.  Sun Life, as part of its commitment to promote active and healthy lifestyle

improving my mental well-being,” Lascuña said.

W hile Go, who with Que headed straight into the P2.5 million championship from the International Series Vietnam, sustained his final round charge, a solid 66 highlighted by a final-hole birdie, the 28-yearold Cebuano still fell way short of his breakthrough bid on the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.organized circuit.

B ut his closing six-under card netted him a joint runner-up finish with Que at 273 after the latter lost steam while trying to cap a blistering rally in the last 36 holes that produced a course-record setting 64 Thursday.

T he three-time Asian Tour kept his charge going in the final round, birdying four of the first nine holes and adding two more on Nos. 11 and 12. But a bogey on the next all but scuttled his bid as he settled for a run of pars the rest of the way to finish with a 67.

G o and Que each received P232,500.

Jaraula, who edged Lascuña in two extra holes to annex his first PGT win at Pueblo de Oro in 2019, also turned in a bogey-free card but his 69 could only net him a solo fourth place

K orean Rho Hyun Ho carded a 70 for 10th at 280, Rupert Zaragosa fought back with a 77 to salvage 11th place at 281, while back-toback The Country Club Invitational winner Guido van der Valk and last year’s runaway champion Zanieboy Gialon stumbled with identical 74s for joint 12th at 282.

L ascuña’s triumph was some sort of redemption for the former fourtime PGT Order of Merit winner, who lost by one to a rallying Alido in the Negros Occidental Classic and got humbled by 9 by Zaragosa in the Iloilo Golf Challenge. He braced for another exacting week after forcing a four-way at 68 in the first round but took control in the next day as erstwhile co-leaders Mondilla, Go and Zaragosa failed to match his sizzling 66.

A s Jaraula and Que charged back in moving day with low rounds, including the latter’s course-setting 64, Lascuña impressed in the accuracy of his short game, including putting that startled third round flightmate Marvin Dumandan. “ I never seen him putt that well in a long time,” said Dumandan, referring to Lascuña’s long putts that helped anchor his 67 and stave off Jaraula, Mondilla and Que’s onslaught.

Daniel Martinez on June 24 in Minneapolis.  We will have Astrolabio fighting in May and Bornea in July, then we have Jerwin Ancajas debuting as a bantamweight,” Gibbons, who heads MP Promotions, said. “So it’s going to be exciting and everybody wants to be like Marlon.” B oth Bornea and Astrolabio are first-timers in world title fights.

while helping build family bonds, launched the event in 2016 with threetime Tour de France winner Robbie McEwen gracing its second staging along with some a host of local stars, including Pascual and Guidicelli, both cycling buffs.

Pascual and Guidicelli are two of the long-time clients and Sun Life brand ambassadors with the former’s association with the top Canadian insurance company tracing back to

Gibbons said months without a world champion is now a thing of the past for Philippine boxing after Dave Apolinario won the International Boxing Organization (IBO) flyweight belt last July and Melvin Jerusalem captured the WBO minimum weight title last January.

Tapales also expressed his desire to fight either against undisputed bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue and reigning World Boxing Council and WBO super bantamweight titlist Stephen Fulton later this year. Josef Ramos

more than a decade ago through the SunPIOLOgy, an annual charity fun run that has raised funds for its health and education advocacies.

“ We know that cycling is a sport that has gotten more Filipinos interested, especially during the pandemic. So this is the perfect time to again come as one (cycling) community,” said Sun Life Philippines Chief Client Experience and Marketing Officer Carla Gonzalez-Chong.

Japanese bring world-class act to Subic Sunday

JAPAN’S Ren Sato defends his title in the elite male division and Sarika Nakayama takes a stab at the women’s crown vacated by their compatriot on the final day of the celebration of the 30th year of the Subic International Triathlon (SuBIT) Sunday.

Ranked No. 35 in the world, Sato leads the 66-men field and expects a tough challenge from world No. 82 Jumpei Furuya and No. 87 Genta Uichida, last year’s fifth placer, in his bid for backto-back championship in the longest running Olympic distance triathlon in Asia and at the Subic Bay Freeport.

Last year’s third placer, world No. 112 Oscar Dart of Australia and sixth placer, world No. 94 Jason Tei Long of Hong Kong, and Uzbekistan’s Alexandr Kurishov (No. 105), runner up in the April 1 Asia Triathlon Cup Pokhara, are the darkhose in the event.

In the women’s competition of the event—also called the 2023 NTT AST Subic Bay Asia Cup—world No. 77 Nakayama is seeking redemption from her 39-second loss in the World Triathlon Cup Plymouth last month to Australian Charlotte Mc Shane (No. 91).

Out to spoil the duo’s campaign is Slovakia’s Margareta Bicanova (No. 93), who was third in the Asia Triathlon Cup Pokhara, and compatriot Zuzana Michalickova (No. 101), who finished 40th in Plymouth.

Komana Gajdosova (No. 106) also poses a threat following her thirdplace finish at the Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck. Heading the local assault are Fernando Casares, Kim Remolino, Josh Ramos and Mathew Hermosa in the men’s division and Kim Mangrobang, Raven Alcoseba, Heart Quiambao and Kira Ellis, the youngest at 17, in the women’s side.

PHL 7S LEAGUE Anton del Rosario (right), founder of the Philippines’s 7s Football League, launches the BPI AIA Asia 7s with (from left) Partnership Marketing Principal of BPI AIA Mika Calixterio, Head of Branding and Communications of AIA Bernadette Chincuanco and partner and general counsel of AIA Philippines Dinesh Natarujan in a press conference on Thursday night at the Mansion Sports Bar & Lounge in Makati City. The tournament kicked off Friday at the McKinley Hill Stadium with four countries competing—host Philippines, Brunei, India and Japan. ROY DOMINGO

UNILAB Assistant Vice President Sunshine Aquino (from left), Division Vice President Kathrine Margaret Claire Martinez and Operating Vice President Jose Antonio Evangelista, Head of Operations John Lucas and Head of Marketing of JMC Joseph Barrios with the official mascot.

TONY LASCUÑA steals the thunder from his younger and fancied opponents in Laguna. NONIE REYES

| SAturdAy, April 22, 2023 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph