BusinessMirror August 05, 2023

PLAN, PREPARE, PREVAIL

‘Gibo’ seeks to redefine OCD’s role in disaster response and readiness

By Rex Anthony Naval

Now, on our part what we want to be is the ‘bridge’ between concerted national government assistance and efforts in all these aspects and the local government units. That is what the OCD is all about,” he said during the postState-of-the-Nation Address briefing on July 26.

Doing this role merely means increasing the OCD’s capacity of marshaling and coordinating all efforts related to disaster response, Teodoro said.

A nd as of this time, the defense chief said the OCD is now “increasing its coordinative functions” to allow it to get real-time data and information needed for making critical and timely decisions in times of disasters in case LGUs are overwhelmed.

“So, what the OCD is doing is to [increase] its coordinative functions to get as reliable and timely information and analyze this in as much a real-time situation or scenario as possible for concerted efforts of the national government, in case a local government unit cannot cope with a natural or a man-made disaster,” the defense chief emphasized.

In line with this, Teodoro said the country is continuing to galvanize its partnerships with international humanitarian organizations and response agencies to beef up its response capabilities.

“ That being the case, too, we continue also to partner with international humanitarian agencies and response agencies to advocate with the rest of the national government in best practices in disaster risk reduction,” he added.

However, Teodoro also maintained that the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are getting the lion’s share in terms of helping fellow Filipinos in times of disasters and calamities.

That being said, in the DND proper, the AFP too are tasked— big share—of helping our people in times of crisis and in terms of delivering basic goods and services

when communities are isolated as we see now,” he stressed.

Preparedness, resiliency

AS this developed, Teodoro said that major gains have been made by DND partner agencies when it comes to disaster preparedness and resiliency.

These partner agencies include the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“ Well, great strides have been made by our partner agencies with the primary responsibility for preparedness and resiliency, namely, of course the DILG because the first responders are the local government units,” he added.

“In case of predictive capabilities for natural calamities, a lot has been done by the DOST through Phivolcs and Pagasa,” Teodoro said.

Meanwhile, the DPWH and the DENR are doing everything possible in terms of ensuring disaster mitigation and resilience, he added.

Teodoro also lauded Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian for being one of the driving factors in improving the country’s disaster response and rehabilitation.

To add to that, the coordination between the DSWD, of course, anchored on the much-improved predictive capabilities of Pagasa and Phivolcs, has allowed us to adequately plan beforehand and marshal our resources more efficiently in order to serve our people in a faster manner. And it is a testament to the close coordination between Cabinet members that we are able to function this efficiently,” he emphasized.

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AS the country beefs up its disaster response capabilities, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” C. Teodoro Jr. wants the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), one of the attached agencies under him, to act as a “bridge” between the national and local government units (LGU) in times of disasters and calamities.

RESCUERS use a rubberboat to evacuate quarry workers trapped in Naguilian, La Union, on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Typhoon Egay (Doksuri) lashed northern Philippine provinces with ferocious wind and rain, leaving several people dead and displacing thousands of others as it blew roofs off houses, flooded low-lying villages and triggered dozens of landslides, officials said. PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD VIA AP

DEFENSE Secretary Gilbert Teodoro arrives at Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan on Thursday Auguts 3, 2023. The airport is one of the additional sites for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States. JAM STA. ROSA/POOL PHOTO VIA AP

Climate change made July hotter for 4 of 5 humans on Earth, scientists find

By Seth Borenstein

The Associated Press

More than 6.5 billion people, or 81 percent of the world’s population, sweated through at least one day where climate change had a significant effect on the average daily temperature, according to a new report issued Wednesday by Climate Central, a science nonprofit that has figured a way to calculate how much climate change has affected daily weather.

“ We really are experiencing climate change just about everywhere,” said Climate Central Vice President for Science Andrew Pershing.

‘Fingerprints’ RESEARCHERS looked at 4,711 cities and found climate change fingerprints in 4,019 of them for

July, which other scientists said is the hottest month on record.

The new study calculated that the burning of coal, oil and natural gas had made it three times more likely to be hotter on at least one day in those cities.

In the US, where the climate effect was largest in Florida, more than 244 million people felt greater heat due to climate change during July.

For 2 billion people, in a mostly tropical belt across the globe, climate change made it three times more likely to be hotter every single day of July. Those include the millionperson cities of Mecca, Saudi Arabia and San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

The day with the most widespread climate-change effect was July 10, when 3.5 billion people experienced extreme heat that had global warming’s fingerprints, according to the report.

Th at’s different than the hottest day globally, which was July 7, according to the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer.

The study is not peer-reviewed, the gold standard for science, because the month just ended. It is based on peer-reviewed climate fingerprinting methods that are used by other groups and are considered technically valid by the National Academy of Sciences.

Two outside climate scientists

told The Associated Press that they found the study to be credible.

Climate Shift Index

MORE than a year ago Climate Central developed a measurement tool called the Climate Shift Index. It calculates the effect, if any, of climate change on temperatures across the globe in real time, using European and US forecasts, observations and computer simulations.

To find if there is an effect, the scientists compare recorded temperatures to a simulated world with no warming from climate change and it’s about 2 degrees (1.2 degrees Celsius) cooler to find out the chances that the heat was natural.

“By now, we should all be used to individual heat waves being connected to global warming,” said Princeton University climate scientist Gabriel Vecchi, who wasn’t part of the study.

Unfortunately, this month, as this study elegantly shows, has given the vast majority of people on this planet a taste of global warming’s impact on extreme heat.”

In the United States, 22 US cities had at least 20 days when climate change tripled the likelihood of extra heat, including Miami, Houston, Phoenix, Tampa, Las Vegas and Austin.

Fossil fuels blamed

THE US city most affected by climate change in July was Cape Coral, Florida, which saw fossil fuels make hotter temperatures 4.6 times more likely for the month and had 29 out of 31 days where there was a significant climate change fingerprint.

The farther north in the United States, the less of a climate effect was seen in July.

Researchers found no significant effect in places like North Dakota and South Dakota, Wyoming, northern California, upstate New York and parts of Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Heat waves in the US Southwest, the Mediterranean and even China have gotten special analysis by World Weather Attribution finding a climate change signal, but places like the Caribbean and Middle East are having huge climate change signals and not getting the attention, Pershing said.

Unlike the other study, this one looked at the entire globe.

PLAN, PREPARE, PREVAIL

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Cooperation boosts disaster resilience

EARLIER, OCD administrator, Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, called for enhanced cooperation among the various government agencies, the private sector and the public to boost the country’s disaster resilience.

He made this comment as the country observed its 35th National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) in July.

The OCD chief said that a “whole of nation” approach is important in building disaster resilience.

NDRM 2023 is a call for us to continue working to make the Signature Filipino Smile of Resilience clearly stand for our ability to mitigate, prepare, respond and recover from disasters. The time is now for us to scale up our strategies and work in surmounting the impacts of disaster through foresight and preparedness,” Nepomuceno, who is also executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said in a new statement.

With the theme: “BIDAng Pilipino: Building a stronger Filipino well-being towards disaster resilience,” the agency is advocating for a collective effort to ensure the safety of communities against disaster by promoting well-being holistically.

“Our goal is to make the annual NDRM observance bring our nation closer to the goal of building safer,

climate change-adaptive and disaster-resilient communities across these islands. Our countrymen can thus be assured that we at the OCD will continue to advocate for action and cooperation from all levels of governance, community-based organizations and the public to ensure the safety, adaptiveness and resilience of every Filipino for this generation and the next,” he added.

E xecutive Order No. 29, signed on June 28, 2017, mandates the observance of NDRM “throughout the country through the conduct of activities relative to building of disaster resilience covering the four thematic areas. Regional DRRMCs, local DRRMCs and barangay committees are also tasked to implement activities and programs relative to NDRM.

The NDRRMC through the OCD led the month-long celebration of NDRM.

The council member agencies, regional DRRMCs and OCD regional offices have also started implementing their respective programs and activities for NDRM 2023.

Participants hailed TEODORO lauded all participants, both in the government and private sector, for the successful conclusion of this year’s NDRM on July 31.

Th is is for dedicating their resources and time in making this year’s celebration a resounding success.

“ Without your unwavering support, we could not have achieved such a meaningful and

impactful commemoration. This year’s theme, BIDAng Filipino: Building a Stronger Filipino Wellbeing Towards Disaster Resilience,” perfectly encapsulates the indomitable spirit of the Filipino people,” the DND chief stressed.

Bida is not merely a word; it is a manifestation of our national character, our innate ability to rise to any occasion, whether it be in normal or disaster situations. It signifies the heroic actions, resilience and compassion that define us as a nation. Throughout the month, we have witnessed countless stories of heroism and selflessness displayed by our fellow Filipinos, who have acted as ‘Bida’ in their communities, saving lives, offering a helping hand, and rebuilding in the aftermath of disasters.”

He added that this year’s theme is also a reminder that resilience starts within us, within our families and communities.

And by building a stronger foundation of well-being, Teodoro said the country can better withstand the challenges that come in its way.

“In closing, let us remember that the work does not end here. Our commitment to disaster resilience should extend beyond this month-long observance. We must continue to collaborate, innovate, and advocate for strategies that build the resilience of our nation. Together, we can create a future where no disaster can break our spirit, and where the Filipino people can thrive amidst any challenge,” he added.

HUMANCAUSED global warming made July hotter for four out of five people on Earth, with more than 2 billion people feeling climate changeboosted warmth daily, according to a flash study.

A TOURIST drinks water as she and a man sit under an umbrella in front of the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis hill during a heat wave, on July 13, 2023. AP

SP Zubiri says Senate reso vs China bullying in WPS not a ‘pro-US’ move

By Butch Fernandez

SENATE President Miguel Zubiri

has debunked speculations that a Senate Resolution denouncing China’s continued harassment in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) will be seen as a “proUS” strategy, saying it was adopted as part of the country’s continuing exercise of its options in the face of threats to its forces and its people.

Asked in a TV interview how real is the risk Senate Resolution No. 718 would be seen, as Senator Alan Cayetano warned, as an embodying pro-US sentiment should the Executive eventually decide to raise the issue with the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Zubiri said there is no such possibility.

“You know, in my resolution I removed whatever mention [there is] of the United States. In the initial Resolution of Sen. Risa Hontiveros, there was mention of likeminded countries like the United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. I had that removed, because I don’t care what.... I do not want this to be a geopolitical move. This is not a geopolitical move. I don’t want it to have a political color, that we are America’s minion that is why China is targeting us,” Zubiri said, partly in Filipino.

“ There is nothing of that sort,” Zubiri stressed. “I want to remove that from the equation. Of course, we have a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States. I’m thankful that in case of conflict, they could come to our aid, that’s a big help. But my point is, this is an issue of sovereignty.”

He recalled pointing out in a media interview: “Imagine if a Chinese boat was just 80 nautical miles from Hawaii. I think the United States 7th Fleet will deploy several ships. Say, the Chinese boat is 80 nautical miles from the Russian coastline, even Russia would react. They will not agree to it. And even, as a matter of fact, the BRICS—note that’s composed of states like India, Brazil, Russia—they have one group. But India already has come out [with its position on China’s] Nine Dash Line.”

He noted that the BRICS countries, which are outside the ambit of western powers, have come out warning against China’s push of its Nine Dash Line claim “because

it’s not right that it seeks to cover such a big part of the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea.”

He cited another example, pointing with a ballpoint to a map: “If this w ere Palawan, 80 nautical miles is here from Northern Palawan and their closest, they were there last week; three weeks ago—almost a hundred ships!”

And yet, Zubiri said, the closest to China of the archipelago it claims is 600 nautical miles to Hainan province. That’s the island under China. That’s how far they are, so I’m surprised they can be so insistent on their claim. No rhyme, no reason, their conclusion of their territory is illogical. So my advice to them is, “Please get out of this area. It belongs to the Philippines.”

Zubiri was asked on a question raised by the French Ambassador to Manila on what is Manila’s expectation should the Executive decide to elevate the issue before the UNGA.

“The ambassador is asking what’s the point of taking it up to the UNGA? Well, it’s very simple: didn’t we win in the arbitral ruling, and 7 years have passed since the arbitral ruling. What’s stated in the arbitral ruling? It cites the 200-mile exclusive economic zone. Pag-Asa Island is 114 nautical miles from Palawan. Yet our friends from China, keep approaching [the area] committing many violations,” the Senate leader said.

He recalled the laser tagging incident by Chinese troops against personnel on the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard boats as well as the harassment of the supply lines not only for Pag-Asa Island, but also for Ayungin Shoal “which is much nearer to Palawan. They want to remove our soldiers there and take over Ayungin Shoal.”

The whole world should know about it because “if we don’t speak up and just keep filing diplomatic protests,” China will presume everything is well.

“So, we have to present this to the UNGA and show to our like-minded allies there, democratic countries there that believe in the rule of law and freedom of navigation, that there have been many violations since the arbitral ruling was given to us seven years ago.”

DFA chief Manalo lauds ACEN

Renewables investment in Laos

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique

Manalo lauded the recent investment by Ayala Group’s energy platform ACEN to Laos’ renewable infrastructure as “new facets of cooperation” between Manila and Vientiane.

ACEN’s subsidiary ACEN Renewables International is co-financing the first wind power project in Laos for the Monsoon Wind, ACEN told its shareholders in a disclosure last April. Monsoon Wind will construct, own and operate a 600-megawatt (MW) wind power plant. The electricity will be sold to Vietnam, making it the first cross-border wind project in Southeast Asia (SEA).

“As far as the Philippines’ support for Laos ’ sustainable future and resilient economy is concerned, there is no better sign of the way ahead than the new facets of cooperation emerging in renewable energy and infrastructure. In fact, a Philippine company, ACEN Renewables, has taken a significant stake in the Monsoon Wind Power Project, which is the first wind power project in Laos and the first cross-border renewable energy project in Asia. This investment supports Laos’ Green Growth Strategy and Smooth Transition Strategy,” Manalo said in a speech before Lao Institute of Foreign Affairs in Vientiane.

The wind power project will start commercial operations by the end of 2025 and is projected to be largest renewable

Sen.

Rice price hike may dampen momentum to tame inflation

By Cai U. Ordinario

RICE may again be the cause of higher inflation in the coming months as Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed that prices returned to levels that were seen prior to the implementation of a law that sought to bring down the price of the staple.

On Friday, the PSA reported that inflation averaged 4.7 percent in July 2023 and was the lowest in 16 months. (Full story here: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2023/08/04/commodity-prices-hit16-month-low-in-july-psa/).

PSA data showed rice inflation averaged 4.2 percent in July 2023, the highest since February 2019 when the increase in the commodity’s prices was at 4.5 percent. The Rice Trade Liberalization (RTL) Act was implemented in March 2019.

“Ngayon,hindipasiya[rice prices] ganun kataas but I agree with your observation na pwedeng ito ang magiging source ng future inflation natin,” National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said.

Mapa said rice prices this year gradually increased starting in February when inflation for the staple posted a 2.2 percent increase; March, 2.6 percent; April, 2.9 percent; May, 3.4 percent; and June, 3.6 percent before reaching 4.2 percent in July.

Further, Mapa said that in July, similar to June, the PSA also recorded increases in the price of all rice varieties that they monitor— regular milled, well-milled, and special rice.

Based on data, Mapa said regular milled rice prices averaged P41.50 per kilo, higher than the P41.20 per kilo in June and P39.60 per kilo in July 2022.

For well-milled rice, Mapa said the average price was at P45.50 per kilo in July, higher than the P45.20 in June and P43.90 in July 2022.

Special rice, Mapa added, averaged P54.60 per kilo in July, higher than the P54.40 posted in June and P53.10 in July 2022.

Data obtained from PSA also showed that average regular milled rice prices started climbing in March 2022 at P38.97 per kilo, while special rice, the most expensive rice variety, started increasing from P52.96 per kilo in June 2022.

“While we continue to experience a downtrend in inflation, we need to be vigilant, especially as we face increasingly volatile weather disturbances as well as external headwinds, such as oil price increases and trade restrictions on food,” National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said.

“The government will implement necessary measures to prevent price spikes, protect the purchasing power of Filipino families, and sustain our economic recovery and momentum,” he vowed.

To ensure that current weather disturbances will not have a lingering impact on inflation and the economy for the rest of the year, Balisacan said the government has proactively taken steps to deploy its resources to affected areas as well as prepare its policy and on-the-ground response as it expects more typhoons and weather disturbances from the El Niño.

In light of global climate uncertainties and food supply challenges, the Inter-Agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook (IAC-IMO) and the Economic Development Group (EDG) held a joint meeting last July 20, 2023 to discuss proposed policy adjustments that seek to ensure a more stable supply of agricultural products to meet the demand of different users and end-consumers adequately.

At the same time, the committee reiterated the productivity-enhancing and efficiency-improving strategies laid out in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028

concerning agriculture and agribusiness.

These measures aim to secure the country’s food supply, prevent sudden increases in agricultural commodity prices, improve the well-being of farmers and fisherfolk, and ensure the vital contribution of agriculture to other sectors of the economy.

“The balance of risks to the inflation outlook continues to lean towards the upside owing to the potential impact of additional transport fare increases, higher-thanexpected minimum wage adjustments in other regions, persistent supply constraints of key food items, El Niño weather conditions, and possible knock-on effects of higher toll rates on prices of key agricultural items. Meanwhile, the impact of a weaker-than-expected global economic recovery remains the primary downside risk to the outlook,” the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

Nonetheless, the BSP still expect that inflation will gradually decelerate back to the target range by the fourth quarter of 2023 in the absence of further supply-shocks.

“The BSP stands ready to adjust the monetary policy stance as necessary to prevent the further broadening of price pressures as well as the emergence of additional second order effects in view of the persistent upside risks to the inflation outlook,” BSP said.

“The BSP also continues to support the timely and effective implementation of nonmonetary government measures to mitigate the impact of persistent supply-side pressures on inflation,” it added.

Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, meanwhile, believes the country is “over the hump” when it comes to inflation as this the sixth consecutive month that inflation has eased.

“This the sixth consecutive month that inflation has eased, strongly supporting the likelihood that inflation might be within the

2 to 4 percent target range by the fourth quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, core inflation, which excludes selected food and energy items, decelerated, too—to 6.7 percent in July 2023 from 7.4 percent in June 2023,” Diokno said.

Bottom 30 percent

PSA said the country’ overall inflation for the bottom 30 percent income households continued to exhibit a downward trend as it decelerated further to 5.2 percent in July 2023 from 6.1 percent in the previous month, the lowest inflation observed since April 2022 with an inflation rate of 5 percent.

This brings the national average inflation rate from January to July 2023 for this group of consumers to 7.6 percent. In July 2022, the headline inflation for this income group was higher at 7.2 percent.

The main driver of the continued downtrend of the overall inflation in July 2023 was the lower year-on-year increase in the heavily weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages at 6.1 percent in July 2023 from 6.9 percent in the previous month.

This was followed by housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, which posted an annual mark-up of 3 percent during the month from 4.8 percent in June 2023.

The third main driver to the slowdown was transport, which exhibited an annual contraction of 3 percent from the decline of 1.2 percent in the previous month.

Meanwhile, faster annual increases were posted in the indices of recreation, sport and culture at 6 percent in July 2023 from 5.8 percent in the previous month; and education services at 3.3 percent from 3.2 percent. The indices of the rest of the commodity groups moved at their respective previous month’s annual rates.

CEZA taps NOW Group to advance connectivity, ICT infra in Cagayan

fostering innovation, we are charting a course toward a digital future,” CEZA Administrator Secretary Katrina Ponce Enrile said, while citing its added force to their efforts to develop CEZA as a critical hub of economic activity and technological progress not just for Northern Luzon but nationwide as well.

energy platform for regional connectivity and decarbonization in SEA.

Manalo is in Vientiane for the second Laos-Philippines Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation. He met with his counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith.

Both sides discussed bilateral cooperation in areas ranging from politics to national defense, security, economics, trade and investment, energy, technology, telecommunications, public works and transport, social and cultural spheres, education, sports, tourism, labor, agriculture, and foreign affairs, Laos’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement.

“I also foresee that the forthcoming years will witness stronger bilateral cooperation in agriculture for inclusive growth and food security,” Manalo said in his speech.

Laos and the Philippines are negotiating for agreements in agri-fishery and forestry cooperation, which would involve colleges or universities.

Manalo also said both countries are now finalizing the agreement for cooperation on basic education.

Education is one of the most prominent sectors in the Philippines-Laos bilateral relationship.

In 2017, both countries signed an agreement on academic cooperation in higher education. Because of this, many Laotians have graduated in the Philippines in the fields of science and technology, education, agriculture and English.

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

SUPPORTING President Ferdinand

R. Marcos Jr.’s goal of “The Digital Philippines,” Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) forged a landmark partnership on Thursday with the NOW Group in a pioneering project to modernize the telecommunications and digital infrastructure in the country.

Per their memorandum of agreement (MOA), NOW Corp. and NOW Telecom will work with CEZA in designing a world-class and communications critical infrastructure that will provide unified connectivity, software systems and services to the province of Cagayan, especially for its people and ecozone locators.

Once the technical studies are completed, it is hoped that the digital infrastructure system and design to be proposed and presented to CEZA will form the basis for the project to push through.

Such initiative aims to deploy fixed wired, fixed wireless, terrestrial, satellite, and other delivery systems to CEZA, thus, guaranteeing reliable and quality broadband and other information and communications technology (ICT) services to businesses.

CEZ A’s strategic positioning and critical infrastructure are pivotal to Cagayan’s economic development.

Its proximity to two US military bases in the country, which is integral to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the United States and the Philippines, amplifies its global security influence.

U nderscoring its commercial and strategic reach, on the other hand, is its nearness to Taiwan that positions Ceza as a potential extension for the tiny yet progressive nation’s industrial zones.

“CEZA welcomes this initiative and interest of NOW Corp. and NOW Telecom in pursuing this transformative project which underpins our commitment to national development. By attracting investments and

Villanueva leads turnover of ₧50-M med assistance funds to 10 QC hospitals

SENATE Majority Leader Joel Villanueva led the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the turnover of medical assistance funds from the Department of Health (DOH) to 10 government hospitals in Quezon City at the Quezon City Hall on Wednesday, August 2, 2023.

Villanueva, who is celebrating his birthday on the day of the signing, said that one of his main priorities is to ensure that every Filipino is relieved of the financial burden brought about by high medical expenses.

“ Out-of-pocket health expenses remain to be the biggest burden for Filipinos,” he said.

According to the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS), only 40 percent of medical expenses are covered by the National Health Insurance Program of the government.

Mean while, in 2021, Filipinos spend an average of P10,000 a year for medicalrelated expenses according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

“Our main priority is to make sure that every Filipino gets the service that they deserve, not only in our legislative achievements in the Senate but also through the government’s social programs,” Villanueva said.

He thanked Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, DOH Metro Manila Center for Health and Development Officer-in-Charge Director Dr. Pretchell Tolentino and the Medical Directors of the 10 hospitals for their dedication to provide quality health-care services to their constituents.

The 10 QC-based government hospitals that received P5 million medical assistance funds each from the DOH through the initiative of Villanueva are East Avenue Medical Center, National Children’s Hospital, Philippine Orthopedic Hospital, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, Veterans Memorial Medical Center and Quezon City General Hospital.

“B y tapping NOW, a US Government partner, CEZA aims to ensure a clean, reliable and secured information infrastructure to serve the ecozone and the people of Cagayan, and to contribute as well to the advancement of EDCA’s goals,” she added.

F or NOW Group Chairman Mel V. Velarde, their team up with CEZA shows their commitment to support the current administration’s Digital Philippines goal.

As we advance in this era of digital

transformation, we prioritize reducing the digital divide region by region. Our strategic intent is to leverage the power of technology and telecom, presenting a growth potential that can captivate international investors and locators,” he said.

During her recent visit to the country, US Vice President Kamala Harris recognized NOW as its partner for the rollout of a secured 5G mobile network and NBN. The US government, acting through the US Trade and Development Agenc, provided a grant to NOW.

T his project of NOW with the US government supports the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment, further underscoring America’s commitment to a free and secure Indo-Pacific region.

CAGAYAN Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) Administrator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Katrina Ponce Enrile (third from left) and NOW Group Chairman Mel V. Velarde show the memorandum of agreement they signed for their partnership in a trailblazing project to help advance the Philippines’ telecommunications and digital infrastructure. Joining them are (from left) Carlos Miguel Hernandez, chief of staff, and Atty. Marichelle de Vera, deputy administrator for operations of CEZA; Henry Andrews Abes, president and CEO of NOW Corp., and Rene L. Rosales, president and chief operating officer of NOW Telecom.

Saturday, August 5, 2023

DENR reviewing land reclamation project in Manila Bay, DFA assures US Embassy

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) assured it is “committed” to work with relevant agencies on concerns raised by the US Embassy in Manila over land reclamation activities in Manila Bay.

“The DFA is fully committed to working with relevant government agencies to ensure the safety and wellbeing of diplomatic missions accredited to the Philippines,” DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresa Daza said in a text message

to reporters Friday. Daza made a statement in reaction to concerns raised by the US Embassy in Manila on the negative environment impact of a massive reclamation project in Manila Bay and the involvement of a Chinese-state owned construction company.

The US Embassy complex in Manila is situated along Roxas Boulevard fronting the Manila Bay.

Two major concerns were raised by the Embassy over some the reclamation project in Manila Bay:

Sen. Go pushes prioritization of pro-poor health programs in proposed 2024 budget

AS the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for the year

2024 was submitted to Congress, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go expressed his support for the administration’s proposed budget, but reminded them to prioritize pro-poor programs and initiatives to improve health-care services in the country.

The proposed budget for 2024 is targeted to help secure a “future-proof and sustainable economy” with an emphasis on recovery from the pandemic’s impact, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

In an interview on Wednesday after extending assistance to poor residents in Caloocan City, Go detailed his vision for the budget and the legislative process, stating, “Ako naman po tutulong ako sa Senado ‘pag dumating na po sa amin.”

“Mauuna po sila [House of Representatives] na mag -scrutinize, mauuna sila na mag -hearing, mauuna po sila na titingnan nila at kung anong dapat nil a i -realign. Ang Lower House po ang mauuna. Pagkatapos po niyan ay sa amin na po sa Senado,” Go further explained.

He emphasized his priorities for the poor, saying, “rest assured po na uunahin ko po ‘yung makakatulong sa mga mahihirap, pro-poor programs ang mga uunahin ko po. Ang makakatulong sa mga mahihirap, dapat po’y walang magutom.”

“Magtulungan tayo na walang magutom na Pilipino, magtulungan tayo na ilapit po natin ‘yung serbisyo medikal sa mga kababayan. ‘Yung serbisyo ng gobyerno ilapit natin sa kanila,” he said.

“Huwag na ‘yung sila pa ang lalapit sa atin para magmakaawang humingi

1. Potential negative long-term and irreversible impacts to the environment, resilience to natural hazards of Manila and nearby areas, and to commerce;

2. Projects have ties to the China Communications Construction Co., which was blacklisted by the US Department of Commerce for helping the Chinese military construct and militarized artificial islands in the South China Sea.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of the concerns raised by the US Embassy with regard to the reclamation

ng tulong. Tulungan natin ang mga mahihirap, sino ba naman ang magtutulungan kung ‘di tayo po kapwa natin mga Pilipino. At ‘yung mga helpless, hopeless na umaasa po sa gobyerno, sila po ang dapat nating unahin,” added Go. Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, also highlighted the need to improve the health-care system.

“Asahan n’yo ako na magpa-participate at bilang vice-chair ng committee on Finance ay isusulong ko kung ano ang makakatulong sa mga kababayan natin na mahirap at makaka-improve sa ating health-care system,” he assured.

“Ilapit natin ‘yung serbisyo medikal sa ating mga kababayan,” added Go.

The 2024 budget, amounting to P5.768 trillion, reflects an increase of 9.5 percent from the P5.268-trillion budget for 2023. The education sector is expected to get the largest portion at P924.7 billion, followed by public works at P822 billion.

NTA cites BIR chief for drive against illicit tobacco products

INTERNAL Revenue Commis -

projects in Manila Bay and the risk of further exacerbating the coastal erosion and flooding in the area,” Daza said. She added the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is “already preparing to undertake a cumulative impact assessment” on the Manila Bay reclamation.

“We are also aware that the DENR is looking into the compliance of the projects with the conditions of their permits, as well as with existing environmental laws and regulations,” she added.

sioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. was awarded by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) under the Department of Agriculture for his consistent leadership and programs against illicit tobacco products.

Commissioner Lumagui received his award during the NTA event on August 3, 2023. Here, he discussed ramping up government initiatives to combat illicit trade.

“Illicit tobacco products is a scourge of our economy. The BIR will hunt down all illegal traders of tobacco. We must level the playing field so we can attract investors. We have

done nationwide raids of illicit tobacco products, and we will continue to do so,” the commissioner stated. Under the administration of Commissioner Lumagui, the Bureau of Internal Revenue had its first nationwide raid of illicit tobacco products last January 2023. He repeated this historical feat by having another nationwide raid last July 2023. Lumagui, and the whole of BIR, appreciated the award given by the NTA, saying it serves as a recognition of the efforts made by hundreds of revenue officers who participated in the nationwide raids against illicit tobacco.

BFP told to probe collapse of Binondo poles, LGUs to inspect similar facilities

SECRETARY Benjamin “Benhur”

Abalos Jr. of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) instructed the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to investigate the collapse of electric poles in Binondo, Manila, on Thursday. At the same time, the DILG chief called on concerned local government units (LGU) to proactively inspect electricity and telephone poles in their respective jurisdiction to prevent any untoward incident.

Manila Electric Company (Meralco) Corporate Communications Head Joe Zaldarriaga reported that they have completed pole replacement and restoration activities in the Binondo area on Friday morning.

“Similarly, electricity service was also restored for the customers affected

by the temporary power interruption that we implemented for the safe conduct of the restoration process. Investigation of the cause is still ongoing.

Once again, I ask for your understanding and patience for the inconvenience caused by this incident,” the Meralco official said in a text message.

News reports indicate three people were hurt and eight vehicles parked in the area of the collapsed poles were damaged.

The collapse of the power poles happened after days of heavy rains that flooded streets in low-lying areas in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.

Meralco described the incident as “unfortunate” and immediately dispatched teams to clear the area and work to restore power in affected areas.

The DILG chief also instructed the

BFP to coordinate with the private utility companies that own the electric posts to provide assistance to the individuals and help clear the area.

The collapsed poles were cleared as of Thursday evening.

The eight poles supporting power and telecom lines fell at around 12:41 p.m. Thursday, the Public Information Office of Manila and Meralco reported. Aside from ordering the BFP to investigate the incident, Abalos also called on all local government units to inspect electricity posts, construction sites, billboards, and other similar installations that may collapse during heavy rains.

The DILG chief is expected to issue a memorandum circular to ensure compliance and prompt action.

Jonathan Mayuga with Lenie Lectura

Time BusinessMirror Our

Leon Gautier, last member of French D-Day military commando, dies at 100

Jinggoy bats for added 20% travel discount for elderly

By Butch Fernandez

Moving to frontload its timely passage for the President to sign into law, Sen. Estrada expects elderly beneficiaries keenly awaiting passage of the enabling law that seeks to boost able elderly benefits.

By The Associated Press

PARIS—Leon Gautier, the last surviving member of an elite French unit that joined US and other Allied forces in the D-Day invasion to wrest Normandy from Nazi control, has died. He was 100.

The death was announced Monday by Romain Bail, the mayor of Ouistreham, an English Channel coastal community where Allies landed on June 6, 1944, and where Gautier lived out his final decades. He had been hospitalized for the past week with lung trouble, Bail said.

Gautier was a nationally known figure, and met with President Emmanuel Macron as part of commemorations for the 79th anniversary of D-Day last month. He was also an important voice of memory of World War II, and of warning.

“The younger generations have to be told, they need to know,” Gautier told the Associated Press in 2019. “War is ugly. War is misery, misery everywhere.”

He devoted much of his life after the war making sure that lessons from the war aren’t forgotten by giving interviews, taking part in commemorations and helping put together the museum in Ouistreham that commemorates the French commandos who helped liberate Normandy.

“He was a father to us, a grandfather to us, an important figure of daily life,” the mayor said. “He was the hero of 1944, the hero of June 6, but also the little old guy that everyone knew.”

Gautier was born on Oct. 27, 1922, in the Brittany village Fougeres, and grew up amid bitter memories of World War I.

At 17, he joined the navy in 1940. When France fell in June that year to the Nazi blitzkrieg, he shipped off to England, where French Gen. Charles de Gaulle was rallying his countrymen.

On D-Day, Gautier and his comrades in the Kieffer Commando unit were among the first waves of Allied troops to storm the heavily defended beaches of Nazi-occupied northern France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe.

In the huge invasion force made up largely of American, British and Canadian soldiers, French Capt. Philippe Kieffer’s commandos ensured that France had feats to be proud of too, after the dishonor of its Nazi occupation, when some chose to collaborate with Adolf Hitler’s forces.

“For us it was special. We were happy to come home. We were at the head of the landing. The British let us go a few meters in front, ‘Your move, the French,’ ‘After you,’” Gautier recalled. “For us it

was the liberation of France, the return into the family.”

They came ashore carrying four days’ worth of rations and ammunition, 30 kilograms (nearly 70 pounds) in all. They sprinted up the beach with their heavy sacks.

The commandos spent 78 days straight on the front lines, in everdwindling numbers. Of the 177 who waded ashore on the morning of June 6, just two-dozen escaped death or injury, Gautier among them.

Their initial objective was a heavily fortified bunker. Although the strongpoint was just a few kilometers (miles) away, it took them four hours of fighting to get there and take it. On the beach, they cut through barbed wire under a hail of bullets.

“We were being shot at, but we shot at them too,” Gautier remembers. “When we arrived near the walls of the bunkers, we threw grenades in through the slits.”

He later injured his left ankle jumping off a train and was forced to sit out much of the rest of the war. His ankle remained painfully swollen for the rest of his long life.

Gautier met his wife, Dorothy, when he was stationed in England and they were married for more than 70 years.

After the war, Gautier worked building car bodies and then training mechanics, living in England, Nigeria and Cameroon before returning to France.

Gautier said he didn’t like talking about the war: “The older you get, you think that maybe you killed a father, made a widow of a woman.... It’s not easy to live with.”

But his testimonies to schools were a crucial part of Normandy’s efforts to remember the war. He also built a close friendship with a former German soldier who settled in Normandy, Johannes Borner, and the two often spoke together about the horrors they saw.

In a statement, Macron said Gautier “united the virtues of a warrior and those of a peacemaker …a will for pardon, and union.”

In addition to a national tribute expected to be led by the president, Ouistreham plans a “people’s gathering” to remember Gautier, Bail said.

“The commemorations won’t have the same flavor in his absence,” the mayor said. “We won’t have the possibility to transmit the same way. Someone who lived it directly transmits differently than someone who didn’t.”

Gautier is survived by many descendants - including a great-greatgrandson, born on June 6, 2017— exactly 73 years after D-Day. John Leicester and Angela Charlton contributed to this report.

The bill was filed to optimize leisure rights of senior citizens by granting them a 20-percent discount on travel tax so they can afford to travel in the country and abroad.

“Para sa mga kagaya ko na senior citizen na at nais na makapag-travel sa iba’t ibang lugar, maging sa ibang

bansa, malaking bagay kung may diskwento sa mga gastusin nila lalong lalo na sa mga binabayarang buwis,” Estrada said. “Para sa mga ordinaryong senior citizens, ang matitipid nila ay maaari nilang ipangtustos sa iba pa nilang mga bayarin,” he added.

When he was still a senator, former President Joseph Estrada filed Senate Bill 2379 seeking to provide senior citizens a 20-percent discount on travel taxes. The measure sought to amend Section 4 and expand the coverage of Republic Act 7432, other-

wise known as “An Act to Maximize the Contribution of Senior Citizens to Nation Building, Grant Benefits and Special Privileges and for other purposes” or the “Senior Citizens Act.”

As filed, the enabling legislation aims to “make travel more accessible and enjoyable, acknowledge the financial constraints faced by senior citizens due to retirement or their fixed incomes.”

In his earlier bill, former President Estrada explained that the proposed discount would “encourage the elderly to travel, explore new places, and experience different cultures, ulti-

mately contributing to their overall quality of life.”

In his proposed measure, Senator Estrada emphasized that travel fosters social connections and engagement, which are vital for the mental and emotional well-being of senior citizens and their continued participation in national development.  “Kung maisasabatas ito, hindi lang 20 percent at VAT exemptions sa room accommodations, kundi discounts din sa restaurants ang mapapakinabangan nila sa pagliliwaliw nila sa iba’t ibang sulok ng bansa,” the former president added.

Before spaghetti, Italy gave us Commedia dell’arte

Italian spaghetti to suit local taste.

After all, we were a colony of Spain, a European nation. One can see European influence on our art and architecture, literature and music, in varying degrees. So, why not our theater?

By Nick Tayag

After digging into it more, it turns out that Spain did indeed bring comedia and zarzuela to the Philippines but not Commedia dell’arte. I may be over stretching or going out on a limb, but it seems to me that Commedia dell’arte came to us not directly from Europe but in a roundabout way in the form of the Americanized vaudeville brought to our shores by visiting American troupes.

The original French comédies de vaudeville were farcical entertainments performed at fairs featuring character types derived from those of the Italian commedia dell’arte.

When the Americanized vaudeville was embraced by local audiences, we naturally nativized it and turned it into our own bodabil

Willie Nepomuceno and Alan K would probably have thrived in that era.

Although I like highbrow witty comedy, my guilty pleasure is watching the brand of low comedy of our native comedians. This includes vulgarity and slapstick, which by the way is a word derived from two wooden boards tied together that, when hit, sounded like someone being slapped. I specially miss our comedy icons of bygone years because they were so improvisational, quick-witted, and freewheeling then. Hindi pilit. Like the style of Commedia’dell arte, it was very visual, physical and verbal. Everything was allowed, including making fun of physical features and defects.

IWAS watching “Turandot” by Giacomo Puccini the other day and I was amused that in spite of the somber spirit of tragic opera, the famous composer was able to insert 3 stock figures straight from Italian Commedia dell’arte named Ping, Pang and Pong in a drama set in ancient China where there were no such characters in that country’s theatrical tradition.

By free association, I remembered the Filipino comedian named Ponga who was always cast as a Chinese character who spoke pidgin Tagalog with a Chinese accent. I wondered if his name had something to do with Puccini’s characters.

It’s really not surprising for Puccini to use some elements of Commedia dell’arte in his opera for after all he was an Italian and the Commedia originated in Northern Italy sometime in the 15th century, and then rapidly gained popularity throughout Europe. This theatrical form is characterized by improvised dialogue and a cast of colorful stock characters who often represented different social statuses and commented on Italian and Venetian social structure in a satirical or comedic way.

You might be interested to learn that many character archetypes you see portrayed in today’s modern com-

edy and even in serious literary works like “Don Quixote” and “Waiting for Godot” can be traced all the way back to the Italian Commedia dell’arte.

The commedia has proven to be infinitely adaptable and its influence is recognizable in almost all forms of art and performance.

Come to think of it. In my own lifetime, these stock characters were brought to life by a cavalcade of Filipino comic tandems and trios who made local audiences roar with laughter: Pugo and Tugo, later Pugo and Bentot, Patsy and Lopito, Pugak and Tugak, Dolphy and Panchito, with Babalu added later on, Chichay and Aruray and many more. On stage, we had the Reycard Duet and Big 3 Sullivans. Today we have Tito, Vic, and Joey.

Even if they were cast in varying scenarios, Filipino audiences could easily and consistently recognize them: the mean contrabida, the sensitive male bida, the persecuted heroine, the naive simpleton, the faithful friend or funny sidekick of the hero or heroine and the like.

It makes one think: is there a link or connection between the Italian Commedia dell’arte and our type of comedy? We probably appropriated elements of Italian comedy theater to make it appealing to masang Pinoy in the same way we were able to nativize

The comedy skits became the most popular segments of these bodabil shows. They became the training ground and launching pad for many native comic talents who later on made it big on radio, TV and the movies.

In college, one of my writing assignments was on the Pinoy bodabil and I was able to watch one or two bodabil acts at the defunct Gala Theater in Quiapo. Of course, the main attraction was the strip show at the end. But what I found really enjoyable was the rapidfire give and take banter of two seasoned comic talents named Popoy and Poleng, who I now realize were doing a routine that goes back to the Italian Commedia dell’arte.

But let me just interject here that comedy has always been part of our culture. Our pre-colonial ancestors were practiced comic performers. One of the sailors of Legazpi named “Roque” was delighted to discover this and thus he wrote in his diary:

“Their comedy is rare from our style of comedy where jesters went to the stage and make funny jokes about someone who is in the place. And there is strange part in this ritual where an Indio stands himself and tells jokes not about someone like teasing him or her but telling stories.”

Was he describing pre-Spanish Pinoy stand-up comedy? The late

Remember Pablo Virtuoso who was slightly cross-eyed? Every movie he appeared in would always insert a scene that spotlighted it. He started as one of Fernando Poe Jr.’s regular sidekicks along with Dencio Padilla. He was an excellent guitarist, hence his screen name “Virtuoso.”

Later on, he capitalized on his eye defect in such spoofy movies as Zatoduling and the Man from A.N.K.L.A. Another trademark antic of his was his confident way of speaking fractured English, which paved the way for other comedians of another generation such as Jimmy Santos.

Nowadays, when I want something to get me in the mood, I search for the old films of Pugo and Bentot produced by LVN Studios. The duo’s disastrous schemes conceived by Pugo as the mischievous Tatang serve as social commentaries that can be biting even now.

I also love the early Sampaguita-produced films featuring Dolphy as the perennial sidekick, who took turns playing the harmless chaperone, balloon-pricker, prankster and matchmaker but always providing comic relief, whose perfectly timed verbal zingers are to be treasured.

Pugo and Dolphy. If indeed there’s a little bit of Italian in their acts, one could probably say they were the best of the Pinoy “spaghetti” comedians.

So next time you’re looping Filipino style sweet spaghetti around your fork, remember to thank Italy also for how they influenced our brand of Pinoy comedy.

Da Italia con mucha risata!

Filing an awaited legislation by the elderly sector, Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada sought to frontload passage of the enabling legislation granting senior citizens separate additional 20-percent discount on travel tax to optimize leisure travel rights of senior citizens.

my sixty-zen’s WORtH

JINGGOY

FreNch WWII veteran of the commando Kieffer Leon Gautier attends a ceremony in tribute to the 177 French members of the “commando Kieffer” Fusiliers Marins commando unit who took part in the Normandy landings, as part of the 79th anniversary of D-Day, in colleville-Montgomery, Normandy on June 6, 2023. Leon Gautier, the last member of an elite French unit that joined US and other Allied forces in the 1944 D-Day invasion to wrest Normandy from Nazi control, died on July 3, 2023, at 100 years old. Ludovic Marin, PooL via aP

Mike

Sen. Gatchalian: ‘Aral’ bill passage to boost learning recovery focus

In his second State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed renewed hope in providing the best education to the country’s students, especially the 28.4 million learners who returned to school.

After almost two years of remote and blended learning because of the pandemic, full face-to-face classes resumed in public schools on November 2, 2022. The lack of face-to-face classes, however, has been linked to learning loss, with the World Bank estimating learning poverty in the country

at 90.9 percent as of June 2022.

This alarming figure indicates that 9 out 10 Filipino children aged 10 cannot read or understand a simple story.

The World Bank also sees a decline in Learning-Adjusted Years of Schooling or “Lays” from 7.5 years to 5.7 to 6.1 years, which means that 12 years of basic education would only be equivalent to around 6 years because of the pandemic’s impact.

The Aral Program Act, or Senate Bill 1604, which Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian filed and sponsored and the Upper House already ap -

proved on third and final reading last March, seeks to address learning loss by accelerating learning recovery and mitigating the pandemic’s effects.

The proposed program will give learners access to well-systematized tutorial sessions and well-designed intervention plans.

Gatchalian—as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education—thanked the president for recognizing the importance of

learning recovery in helping address the damage by the pandemic among students. By the strength of Marcos’s Sona message, the senator is confident that the Aral Program Act will be enacted to ensure that the local education sector can rebound.

The chief executive also emphasized the strengthening of literacy and numeracy skills, which aligns with one of the key objectives of the Aral bill.

Teco honors top Filipino scholars in Taiwan Scholarship Awards rite

IMPLEMENTING its “New Southbound Policy” to enhance cooperation with neighboring countries, the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) Ministry of Education (MOE) and the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) have selected anew outstanding Filipino students as scholarship-recipients to study in the island-state.

This year, 18 students were awarded with the MOE’s scholarship, 45 students will study Mandarin through the “Huayu (Mandarin) Enrichment Scholarship,” while seven were awarded with the Taiwan ICDF study grant.

On July 28, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in the Philippines held the 2023 Scholarship Awards Ceremony for the 70 scholarship recipients. During the program, new representative Wallace Minn-Gan Chow congratulated the scholars for their achievements, as he encouraged them to promote study opportunities in Taiwan to friends and colleagues.

“Over the past years, more and more Filipinos have chosen Taiwan as their higher education

destination for advanced studies, and they have earned high praises from academic institutions in Taiwan,” Chow said. “They are not only highly regarded, but…also… possess admirable work ethics and uphold high academic standards.” He also talked about future linkages with leading universities in the Philippines for fields related to electronics, artificial intelli -

gence or AI, and semiconductors, then motivated everyone to take advantage of work opportunities in Taiwan in these fields.

Some of the scholars shared their motivations for choosing Taiwan as their study destination. ICDF Scholar Lindsey Yu took her Master’s degree there because of “[its] success in terms of democracy and freedom of speech.” She

hopes to return to the Philippines after her studies at the National Tsing Hua University, and help her country achieve the same success.

Meanwhile, MOE scholar Karen Yu opted to study in Taiwan “because of its reputation [as] one of the most accommodating countries to foreigners who wish to study abroad. Furthermore, Taiwan’s proximity to the Philippines makes it feel like a home away from home.”

Yu will be pursuing her Master’s degree at the National Chengchi University, and looks forward to exploring the city while meeting new people from the institution to learn more about the culture.

Prior to learning Mandarin, Rubielyn Causapin had lived in Taiwan, and fell in love with its culture, food, people, history, and breathtaking landscape. This year, she will return there to further her studies through the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship.

Teco in the Philippines wishes this year’s scholars a pleasant stay in Taiwan, and is determined to attract more Filipino students for local matriculation.

SmartClass redefines mode of PHL learning in digital era

LEARNING is borderless. In this digital era, it has to keep pace with technological advancements and changes of time.

O ne such academic breakthrough that enabled students to s till continue their studies amid the Covid-19 crisis is “SmartClass,” which was established a few years back under the merger of the AyalaYuchengco education groups. It is an innovative homeschooling program that caters to students from G rades 7 to 10 and recognized by the Department of Education.

L aunched during the onset of the pandemic that resulted in the implementation of online classes, SmartClass now has more than 200 students, and the number of enrollees continues to grow.

U nlike the traditional mode of learning, it encourages students to research and discover their own ways of working on problembased lessons that need delving into multiple subjects to find solutions. This method hones the p roblem-solving abilities of children, letting them develop vital

s kills to become future leaders.

Learning the ‘new gen’ way TODAY’S generation is more adventurous and free-spirited. They d efy conventional approaches to exploring new things. With this in mind, SmartClass’ Lifestyle Adaptive Learning model lets students w ork at their own pace and pursue their interests; thus, allowing for a truly personalized learning experience.

T his approach also promotes self-motivation, independent thinking, and imbibing problemsolving skills. With SmartClass, students take control of their studies, and learn based on their individual needs, which help prepare t hem for a rapidly evolving world.

What’s more, this program represents an evolution of the usual h omeschooling paradigm, where parents take on the bulk of their child’s education. With this home e-learning setup, they can get additional coaching to help them b ecome more effective parent-instructors.

For further assistance, children can also consult with individual subject-matter experts for seven different subjects, as well as academic coordinators who facilitate a nd check on the progress of students. With them, students can g ain effective study habits, practice learning organization skills, and be confident to become independent learners.

By providing ample resources and guidance, SmartClass is committed to ensure that every kid gets a world-class education suited to their unique needs and strengths.

The program also has synchronous sessions, usually at an hour, but c an extend to 90 minutes, depending on students’ concerns. These sessions provide real-time interaction b etween students and teachers, as well as allow for personalized attention and support, thereby enhancing t he learning experience.

Flexible education

DUE to its flexible attendance policy, SmartClass students need not have to worry about their edu -

cation being hampered by factors s uch as travel or other family circumstances.

R ather than requiring daily attendances, parents take responsibility in guaranteeing that their c hild attends both asynchronous and synchronous classes. Such flexibility is tailor-made to the new lifestyle developing among millennial p arents who give more importance to experiences over possessions, as well as prioritize travel and other activities that broaden their children’s horizons.

A dditionally, SmartClass caters to students who have migrated abroad, or are children of overseas Filipino workers. The program ensures they can continue their education seamlessly wherever they a re in the world.

Indeed, education knows no boundaries with SmartClass as it empowers parents to embrace new lifestyles while nurturing their children’s intellectual growth and development. For more details, visit https://smartclass.com.ph. Roderick L. Abad

ON July 27, the United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), turned over P9.7 million ($175,000) in education materials and hygiene kits to support Albaybased teachers and out-of-school youth who were affected by Mayon Volcano’s eruption.

The donation, provided through USAID’s “Opportunity 2.0” program, will benefit more than 1,700 learners enrolled in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) alternative learning system (ALS), and 100 teachers in 34 affected barangays in the cities of Legazpi and Tabaco, as well as municipalities of Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, Camalig, Daraga, and Guinobatan.

In addition to teaching and learning materials and hygiene kits, beneficiaries also received psychosocial support.

“Our out-of-school youth have already faced so many challenges in their journey to continue their education,” USAID Philippines Regional Legal Officer Michelle McLeod said. “Through our collaboration with our Philippine partners, we are restoring educa -

tion in challenging circumstances, [while] minimizing the effects of disruption in learning.”

“[The] learning kits and psychosocial support from USAID will give our ALS learners and teachers a fighting chance to recover from this disaster,” DepEd’s assistant regional director Bebiano Sentillas said. “[We are] committed to ensuring as little disruption to education so that vulnerable youth may continue to learn and upskill toward a better tomorrow—no matter…the circumstances.”

Earlier this month, the US government, through USAID’s “Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines (ABC+)” program, donated P1.86 million ($33,600) worth of learner and teacher kits to 19 schools, which will benefit more than 6,000 students and 200 teachers affected by the Mayon Volcano eruption.

USAID’s donation of educational and hygiene kits is part of the broader pact of the US government to support the Philippine government in mitigating learning loss and ensuring continuity of education even during crisis situations, such as those caused by natural calamities.

MAPÚA University has named Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo as its new president and chief executive officer, making him its fourth top official since 1925.

He succeeds Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, who completed his tenure last June after 23 years of service. The announcement was made at the university’s Intramuros campus, where Dr. Maestrecampo shared his vision and plans for the country’s leading engineering and technological institution.

Known for his visionary academic leadership in technology and education for more than 30 years, Dr. Maestrecampo is concurrently serving as president of Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao, higher education institutions (HEIs) under the Mapúa University system, and the Ayala-Yuchengco education partnership iPeople Inc.

Under his watch, the university will continue introducing more groundbreaking, future-ready programs and courses that will enable students to hone their global proficiencies using cutting-edge technologies, while bringing positive impact in society.

“In today’s rapidly changing world, it is more important than ever for Mapúa to be at the forefront of education,” said Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo. “We must equip our students with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to succeed in an extremely agile work force, while they become leaders of digital transformation.”

He emphasized his commitment in leading Mapúa into a new era of excellence, and ensuring that the “university of the future” is where students can thrive, learn, and grow: “I will also work to make [it] a more accessible and inclusive institution. I look

forward to working with the Mapúa community to build a brighter future for our university and our country.”

Before becoming head of the three HEIs, Dr. Maestrecampo served as Mapúa’s executive vice president for academic affairs. At that time, he prioritized the university system’s expansion by establishing and heading the operations of the former Malayan Colleges Laguna in 2006, followed by then-Malayan Colleges Mindanao in 2017.

His expertise in technology and education proved instrumental in steering both Mapúa Malayan Colleges’ digital transformation. His foresight and emphasis on integrating digital technologies into the schools’ teaching and learning systems enabled them to seamlessly deliver consistent, international standards and outcomes-based, research-driven education despite challenges before, during, and after the pandemic. Dr. Maestrecampo also played a key role in creating linkages with international universities that facilitated global exposure for students. He also initiated numerous research and development programs to help advance various industries and society.

THE Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (Aral) program’s enactment will be key in hastening learning recovery as a priority of the government’s education agenda.

SENATOR Gatchalian, who is the chair of the Upper House’s Education Committee

US allocates some P10M to aid learners, teachers affected by Mayon’s eruption

A.L.S. learners at the Malilipot Elementary School evacuation center display the education materials and hygiene kits provided by USAID’s “Opportunity 2.0” program.

A PARADISE CALLED CORON A vISIt tO thE SAfE hAvEN Of CLub PARADISE PALAwAN

Coron is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan. It is home to the Coron Island Natural Biotic Area, which is listed in the natural category of the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. This information a lready suggests that you can expect to swim in clean and clear waters and be closer to nature and wildlife.

It is also home to Dimakya Island and its exclusive island resort, Club Paradise Palawan.

How to get to Coron

W E t raveled via Sunlight Air’s new hub in Clark International Airport to Busuanga Airport. That, in itself, is an entirely new experience. Passengers of connecting flights from NAIA i n Manila can get on a P2P (Pointto-Point) bus at the airport that goes to Clark directly. Sunlight Air also offers flights to different destinations such as Siargao, Camiguin, S an Vicente and the latest stop is

Naga in Bicol. The bus ride from Manila took about 2-3 hours. When we arrived, I couldn’t help but marvel at the modern and huge airport in Clark. I appreciated the space and the food choices offered at the restaurants. We even had to take a golf cart to our gate since walking would take a few minutes.

The flight was on time and it took only over an hour to get to Coron. Francisco B. Reyes Airport, also known as Busuanga airport or sometimes called Coron airport, is the gateway to paradise. After waiting for our bags and paying the 200 p eso environmental fee, we headed outside the airport towards the parking area.

Club Paradise awaits

We were picked up at the airport by the resort’s shuttle van and t aken on a short ride to the port of

THE CiT y THaT SHoES madE

Here in the Philippines, when one mentions locally made shoes, the first word that comes into mind is Marikina. The Shoe Capital of the Philippines, the shoe making industry in this city began in 1887 when Don Laureano “Kapitan Moy” Guevarra served as Marikina’s captain municipal.

Historical accounts s ay that he ripped apart his pair of imported shoes to see how it was made and then put it back together again. Using the dismantled parts as padron or patterns, he then was able to produce cheap canvas shoes that eventually evolved to the leather tanned footwear made of imports from e ur ope. Kapitan Moy’s willingness to open up a small shoe store ignited the interest of his community. Soon, every corner of Marikina has a shoe shop of its own.

At the poblacion is the house where it all started. Constructed in 1780 by Don Jose Guevarra whose family owns “Asyenda Tyason,” it is now almost two and a half centuries old.

Formerly the old Kapitan Moy building, the first pair of shoes in Marikina was designed and made here in 1887. Andres Bonifacio of the Katipunan once visited the place and American soldiers made it a camp in 1901. Then, it became a primary school in 1907, the house of the American tribunal and, from 1942 to 1945, became the Japanese Imperial Army’s headquarters. In 1968, it was declared as a National Shrine by the municipal council

and NHCP. Now the city’s Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina, it houses the Café Kapitan r e staurant at the ground floor and the second floor is a venue for seminars, conventions and other events. Beside this house is Chanyungco Heritage House, an elegant bahay na bato (stone house) built sometime at the turn of the 20th century by Thomas Chanyungco, a shoe manufacturer who owned Gandara shoes, a prewar brand. These two houses are not the oldest structures in the city. The honor belongs to the nearby Baroque-style Church of Our Lady of the Abandoned, which was built on its present site in 1687. It was destroyed twice during earthquakes, was gutted by fire in 1891 ,and suffered major damage during the PhilippineAmerican War in 1898 and its bell tower w as totally destroyed during World War II. By 1957, the church was restored and refurbished. It is home to the venerated image of Our Lady of the Abandoned (fondly called “Mama Ola”).

The church is known for featuring Metro Manila’s longest Holy Week processions with around 87 floats (as of 2023). Nationwide, it is third overall after the St. Augustine Parish in Baliuag and the San Isidro Labrador Parish in Pulilan, both in Bulacan, which features at least 110 floats.

Across the Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina is the Museo ng Sapatos (Shoe Museum), which is housed in an old stone building (bigasang bayan) built in 1880s by Doña Teresa de la Paz of the affluent Tuason family to store palay. Opened on February 16, 2001, it aims to showcase the shoes worn by

Decalachao. From there, we took a 30-minute private boat trip along mangroves that open up to the sea. Along the way, we were given snacks and a native token from the resort.

We marveled at the crystal blue waters and powdery white sand beach as we arrived. We were welcomed with hot towels and the customary welcome drinks before heading to the resort’s front desk to check in.

Sunset Villa

O UR ro om was in front of the beach and near the clubhouse. It had a queen size bed, a spacious bathroom, and all the amenities you would need. There was also an available beach bag to use around the resort or during island tours.

A fter settling in, we were treated to a relaxing organic foot wash and scrub at the room’s veranda. The view of the ocean from there was well appreciated. It was so relaxing that I w as able to take a short nap at the daybed after the massage.

In the late afternoon, we were also pleasantly surprised that the resort’s housekeeping team provides snacks with their turndown service. The provided snacks were tasty treats of local delicacies like fried puto bumbong and chocolate candies.

Private dinner by the beach

T HE highlight of the day was having dinner at Firefish Restaurant. T he moonlight dinner was set up at the beach, a few steps away from the restaurant. The coastal cuisine combined with the ocean breeze makes f or an excellent meal. The restaurant serves a huge variety of fresh seafood and tender meats that we savored as we enjoyed the surroundings.

Complementing the meals were the herbs and spices that are organically grown from the resort’s garden.

The Sunrise Coffee Service

A PERFECT way to wake you up the n ext day is the resort’s sunrise service. Just let the housekeeping team

k now what time and they will bring your morning coffee with pandesal and a platter of fruits. Definitely a great way to slow down and enjoy the veranda views before heading to the Firefish restaurant for the breakfast buffet.

There are many choices during breakfast. What’s available are the usual Filipino breakfast of fried rice, beef tapa, adobo, tuyo and the like. Guests can also have pancakes, cereals or assorted fruits. Guests take t heir time to eat up before the day’s island festivities.

As you walk the resort’s pathways, don’t be surprised as you encounter monitor lizards and exotic birds along the way.

Eagle’s point

R E ADy to take in more of that fresh ocean breeze? Club Paradise also has a hiking trail going up to Eagle’s point, Dimakya island’s highest point.

O nce up there, be rewarded by

magnificent views of Isla Walang Lang-Aw (Island without Trees) and Coron’s glorious sunsets.

Takeaway

C LU B P aradise Palawan is best described by one word, and that is p eace.

“Everyone has a gift of space in the island, even if we’re high in occupancy, people don’t feel like the re sort is packed because the island is huge and has almost a kilometer of beach front where people can enjoy”, said Hotel Manager, Mr. Joegil M agtanggol Escobar.

Mr. Escobar also mentions that the resort has an in-house marine biologist who helps the Club Paradise team maintain and protect the e nvironment. Just snorkeling in front of the resort can be gratifying because the underwater marine life is in abundance.

Discover paradise. It still exists and it is found here in Coron. Welcome home to Club Paradise Palawan.

a 16cm. x 16cm. shoe design made of brass. Just outside the Shoe Museum is a century-old acacia tree, one of two Heritage Trees in Marikina, which are enduring witnesses to city’s history particularly, the growth and struggles of its footwear industry. Now laying on its side, the trunk blocking J.P. r i zal Street and half of the roots unearthed and exposed, it was uprooted by a tornado spawned by Typhoon Ompong on September 14, 2018. First aid methods and bonsai techniques had been used to revive this acacia and it is now considered a symbol of the community’s own survival and resilience. At the nearby Philippine International Footwear Center is the Otto Shoes Mini Museum, which exhibits works of art using shoes as the medium.

prominent figures and personalities in the Philippine history and to trace the history of the shoe industry.

The centerpiece of its exhibits are the 749 pairs (as of 2020) of size eight-and-ahalf footwear of former First Lady Imelda r Marcos, an active promoter of Marikina’s shoe industry, are displayed. Also on display are shoes worn by former Presidents Ferdinand e . M arcos, Fidel V. r am os, Joseph e s trada (a size 10), and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. There are also shoes donated by other poli -

ticians (Sen. Loren Legarda, Cong. Jose de Venecia, Bongbong Marcos, Miriam Defensor Santiago, etc.), showbiz figures (Dolphy, Fernado Poe Jr., Christine r e yes, etc.) , athletes, and other well-known personalities (Lisa Macuja- e l izalde, First Lady Amelita r a mos, etc.). Aside from celebrity shoes, it also displays the products that made Marikina as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines. On another corner are award-winning shoes, mostly fantasy footwear from the city’s annual design competition. There is also a display about

footwear through the ages.

On the sidewalk surrounding the Shoe Museum is the Shoe-perstar Alley, a walkof-fame inaugurated on November 13, 2012 (Sapatos Festival). It features 49 famous personalities from different careers like politics, sports, arts, entertainment, music, philanthropy, business, news and current affairs, fashion and beauty, and religion who have greatly contributed to the upliftment of the shoe industry in Marikina. Their names are placed on 60cm. x 60cm. tiles that have

About 2.5 kilometers away from all this history is the 23-hectare (57-acre) r i verbanks Center, home of the Philippine’s biggest outdoor amphitheater and outlet center (located inside the r i verbank Mall) for Marikina’s finished shoe products as well as branded labels such as Adidas, Converse, Nike, Puma, r e ebok, and World Balance, among others. Its Shoe Gallery once housed the Guinness World r e cords largest shoes in the world (since surpassed in April 2013 by a replica of a Superga shoe), measuring 183 centimeters high, 5.29 meters (17.4 feet) long and 2.37 meters (7 feet 9 inches) wide, equivalent to a French shoe size of 753. The heel measures 41 centimeters (16 inches). It is made of genuine leather and upper lining and took 77 days to finish (August 5, 2002 to 21 October 21, 2002). The shoes can be worn by a 125foot high person and can fit 30 people inside. The materials used can produce 250 pairs of regular shoes. The shoes are currently being rehabilitated.

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan

Story & photos by Ardee P. de los Angeles

It will take you just more than an hour to get to paradise from Manila’s airport.

A paradise called Coron awaits as more Filipinos and foreign tourists travel to Palawan this year. If it is any indication, what is frequently heard among people making travel plans and inquiries is the interest in going to Palawan.

Story & photos by Benjamin Locsin Layug

from the veranda. Fir EFiSH restaurant and its wonderful views, Sunlig HT air flies from Clark to Busuanga. T H E breakfast buffet. T H E foot scrub service for guests.

PE aCE and quiet at Club Paradise.

W ElCom E to d makya island.

C H urCH of our lady of the abandoned

oTTo Shoes mini museum

SEn T r ong Pangkultura ng marikina

T H E exhibit at the museo ng Sapatos

Acer beefs up cybersecurity for MSMEs with downloadable toolkit

PHOTO

MORE than 50 percent of SMEs in APAC member-countries have experienced cyber-attacks in the last six months and more than 60 percent of companies collapse after such attacks, said Jason Chen, chairman and CEO of Acer. Medium, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are particularly vulnerable to these attacks.

Chen attended the third APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting of the year held in the Philippines from July 27 to 30, wherein Acer’s subsidiary Acer Cyber Security Inc. (ACSI) shared its cybersecurity self-assessment toolkit designed for MSMEs in APEC member economies to help them quickly identify potential cyber threats.

ACSI is a cybersecurity company that focuses on related technical services and consultancy. It provides a full range of prevention, monitoring, and response services through its Security Operation Center (SOC) to enhance the resilience of enterprise operations.

CY Huang, technology vice president of ACSI, said the comprehensive toolkit, which can be downloaded for free, incorporates cutting-edge technology to assess and detect critical vulnerabilities in MSMEs’ systems. The toolkit can assess and detect errors in configurations, weak account credentials, major security updates, suspicious behavior indicating intrusion, and malicious software. It can be downloaded for free at at sat.acercsi.com

Given that MSMEs usually have limited resources, Chen says that the self-assessment toolkit is designed to help them easily generate a report. The idea is to help MSMEs understand their cyber security risks, which will then prompt them to seek help from reliable local vendors or take corrective action through detailed instructions provided in the report.

Chen added that Acer is willing to work with governments to secure MSMEs as small companies that need to improve their cybersecurity posture must first identify the system’s vulnerabilities, if any. We also talked to Chen about Acer’s commitment to sustainability and developments in the company.

includes the Philippines,” Chen said.

Acer decided to take its environmental commitments further with Earthion, a platform that combines the strengths of the company, its supply chain partners, consumers (channels), and their employees.

“Earthion” is a blend of the words “Earth + Mission,” and is the name Acer has created to represent its mission to help tackle environmental

Partnerships with investors to boost local tech industry

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES

PARTNERSHIPS between the public and private sectors are going to be a key element in turning the Philippines into a technology hub in the Asean region, according to a tech executive.

“More tech firms will consider expanding their presence in the Philippines to ride a wave of digitization, and we see one of the major trends for companies associated with this shift is attracting more foreign companies,” said Fujikura Shigemoto, executive officer, head of overseas establishment team of Sansan, Inc. told the BUSINESSMIRROR

Sponge Cola, Mayonnaise, December Avenue, Zach Tabudlo, and Sunkissed Lola. Fans will also be treated to a special song collaboration between Sarah G and SB19, which will be available on all digital music platforms and Acer’s social media accounts.

For more information about Acer and Acer Day, follow Acer Philippines on its social media platforms: @AcerPH on Facebook, @acerph on Instagram, and @acerphils on Twitter, or go to www.acer.com. ■

Vintage computer that helped launch the Apple empire being sold at auction

A VINTAGE Apple computer signed by company cofounder Steve Wozniak is being sold at auction.

The Apple-1 set in motion the company that in June became the first publicly traded business to close a trading day with a $3 trillion market value, according to RR Auction in Boston. The computer has been restored to a fully operational state and comes with a custom-built case with a built-in keyboard, the agency said. “It’s an incredibly rare commodity,” said Tim Bajarin, chairman of Creative Strategies, a technology research firm with deep knowledge of the industry.

“You can trace the growth of the PC industry to the Apple-1.”

The computer, which originally sold for about $666, is expected to sell for about $200,000 at an auction that runs through Aug. 24. An Apple-1 prototype sold last year for nearly $700,000.

“Before this, the idea of having a personal computer was totally outrageous,” Bajarin said.

About 200 were manufactured in Steve Jobs’ garage in Los Altos, California, in 1976 and 1977 and about 175 of them were sold, RR’s Executive Vice President Bobby Livingston said.

“It is the legendary computer that launched Apple,” he said.

Jobs approached Paul Terrell, owner of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, and he agreed to buy 50 Apple-1 computers, but only if they were fully assembled, according to RR Auction. The Apple-1 thus became one of the first personal computers that did not require soldering by the purchaser, RR said,

although it did not come with a power supply, case, keyboard or monitor. It was followed by the introduction of the Apple-2 in 1977, which revolutionized the personal computing industry.

The Apple-1 up for auction was signed “Woz” by Wozniak at an event at Bryant University in 2017. The signature “adds to the desirability,” Livingston said.

It was acquired used by the owner in 1980 at a computer hobbyist show in Framingham, Massachusetts, and was used throughout the 1980s.

It was brought to an operational state earlier this year by Apple expert Corey Cohen, the auction house said. The auction also includes Apple company check No. 2 signed by Jobs and Wozniak and dated March 19, 1976.

The check for $116.97 was made out to Ramlor Inc., a circuit board maker, and experts think it was likely linked to the production of the first Apple-1 computers, RR Auction said. The check was expected to sell for $50,000, but early bidding has already surpassed that total. AP

“Partnerships with investors will be beneficial for both parties as this will encourage innovation,” he added. For this to happen, Shigemoto said the Philippine government and the private sector must increase access to quality education and create an attractive business and investment climate.

Investing in developing the educational infrastructure and providing targeted training in key areas of technology and entrepreneurship, for instance, will set the path for the Philippines to become a more competitive regional hub for tech talent. Shigemoto suggested mounting initiatives to partner with leading technology firms and educational institutions to provide enhanced educational opportunities and training programs.

He added that the country should also look into creating policies that encourage innovation, reward entrepreneurship, and reduce barriers to entry for tech start-ups. Also important is infrastructure development, which includes high-speed broadband and telecom networks, as well as the promotion of talent mobility.

For its part, Shigemoto said Sansan promotes cloud-based solutions that promote digital transformation with the mission, “turning encounters into innovation.”

Shigemoto said Sansan aims to accelerate its overseas product expansion with a focus on Southeast Asia, starting with putting up a regional head office in Singapore.

Through its overseas subsidiary Sansan Global, Shigemoto said the company has been rapidly expanding the availability of the Sansan and Bill One solutions in countries including Singapore and Thailand, with the new development center based in the Philippines. The Sansan Global Development Center in Cebu was established to strengthen the development of its product functions for global markets by establishing a global-standard technology development environment.

“To accelerate our global ambitions, we must increasingly respond to the needs of local customers in each country and region, which will require greater investments into multi-language support teams and development of unique functions in line with each country’s laws and regulations, systems, business customs, and workflows,” Shigemoto said.

THIS photo provided by RR Auction shows vintage Apple computer built in the 1970s and signed by company co-founder Steve Wozniak. It is being sold at auction in Boston. AP

BY TOM MURPHY The Associated Press

AMAZON is adding video telemedicine visits in all 50 American states to a virtual clinic it launched last fall, as the e-commerce giant pushes deeper into care delivery.

Amazon said on Tuesday that customers can visit its virtual clinic around the clock through Amazon’s website or app. There, they can compare prices and response times before picking a telemedicine provider from several options.

The clinic, which doesn’t accept insurance, launched last fall with a focus on text message-based consultations. Those remain available in 34 states. The new video telemedicine option also will be available in Washington, DC.

Virtual care, or telemedicine, exploded in popularity when COVID-19 hit a few years ago. It has remained popular as a convenient way to check in with a doctor or deal with relatively minor health issues like pink eye.

Amazon says its clinic offers care for more than 30 common health conditions. Those include sinus infections, acne, COVID-19 and acid reflux. The clinic also offers treatments for motion sickness, seasonal allergies and several sexual health conditions, including erectile dysfunction. It also provides birth control and emergency contraception.

Chief medical officer Dr. Nworah Ayogu said in a blog post that the clinic aims to remove barriers to help people treat “everyday health concerns.”

“As a doctor, I’ve seen firsthand that patients want to be healthy but lack the time, tools, or resources to effectively manage their care,” Ayogu wrote.

Amazon said messaging-based consultations cost $35 on average while video visits cost $75.

That’s cheaper than the cost of many in-person visits with a doctor, which can run over $100 for people without insurance or coverage that makes them pay a high deductible.

While virtual visits can improve access to help, some doctors worry that they also lead to care fragmentation and can make it harder to track a patient’s overall health. That could happen if a patient has a regular doctor who doesn’t learn about the virtual visit from another provider.

In addition to virtual care, Amazon also sells prescription drugs through its Amazon Pharmacy business and has been building its presence with inpatient care.

Earlier this year, Amazon also closed a $3.9 billion acquisition of the membership-based primary care provider One Medical, which had about 815,000 customers and 214 medical offices in more than 20 markets. One Medical offers both in-person care and virtual visits.

Anti-monopoly groups had called on the Federal Trade Commission to block the deal, arguing it would endanger patient privacy and help make the retailer more dominant in the marketplace. The agency didn’t block the deal but said it won’t rule out future challenges.

That deal was the first acquisition made under Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who took over from founder Jeff Bezos in 2021. Jassy sees health care as a growth opportunity for the company.

Mark of the (Mr)Beast

T was through my then eight-year-old nephew that I was introduced to the name MrBeast.

Like the countless kids of his generation, utterly infatuated with YouTube, MrBeast had achieved a level of popularity comparable to any Hollywood A-lister, with millions of eager eyes fixated on his every video.

I must admit, I had given up on YouTube due to the multitude of absurd and junk videos that countless creators had been uploading for the longest time. However, he was a true exception—a “beast” like no other. His videos were equally absurd as they were extravagant, and the moment I clicked on the subscribe button, I made sure to receive notifications for his latest uploads.

His Instagram posts were just as intriguing. One video showed him asking a waitress what was the biggest tip she received before giving her a car. In another, he challenged a couple to trade their dinner to solve a mystery in Paris, before sending them to Paris to attend a sponsored movie premiere. He also sent some random guy to Bermuda Triangle to dive for a treasure chest that contained thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry. And in one of his most recent videos, he traded a brand-new Tesla at a stoplight.

Dubbed the “Willy Wonka of YouTube,” MrBeast has risen to the pinnacle of online stardom, boasting an astonishing 280 million subscribers and a staggering 45 billion combined views across his various channels. His fame has transcended the platform, captivating audiences on TikTok with 85 million followers and Instagram with an additional 39 million.

MrBeast’s influence extends beyond entertainment, having even outpaced Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to become the first person ever to amass 1 million followers on Threads.

Pioneering an entire genre of lavish stunt content, he has crafted a fast-growing empire that is rumored to be worth a jaw-dropping $1 billion. And at just 25 years old, you could say MrBeast has barely just begun.

THE RISE OF THE BEAST

MRBEAST was born James Stephen Donaldson, on May 7, 1998, in Wichita, Kansas. Contrary to rumors that he was a “trust fund baby,” he grew up in a middle-class household in Greenville, North Carolina and raised by a single mom who was in the military. He got the handle “MrBeast6000,” from his Xbox account and began his YouTube journey at the age of 13.

He started by making “let’s play” videos where he would play a video game, and comment on his own performance. His early content also included silly stunts and skits. But throughout his high school years, he immersed himself in popular YouTube videos, meticulously analyzing their titles and thumbnail images, hoping to unravel the secrets of YouTube success through reverse engineering. In one of his interviews, MrBeast said his plan was to earn enough money so he could avoid going to college.

His passion for creating videos became an obsession and he invested countless hours into his craft. Although he initially garnered only a modest subscriber base, it took four to five years before he truly soared to new heights. Every day, he woke up with a relentless drive, fixated on improving his content. Watching, tweaking, and obsessing over his own videos, he relentlessly sought to outdo himself, always striving to create the next remarkable hit.

One of his first successful videos was where he counted to 100,000—just him sitting in front of his computer, in his room, counting from 1 to 100,000 for 40 hours. People watched it. People loved it. It went viral.

He then followed it up by reading the script of 2007’s Bee Movie, reading the entire dictionary and other absurd challenges that no one thought of doing back then.

What MrBeast learned is that if you spend a lot of time and focus a lot of energy on doing a video that makes it very clear how much time you spent, how much effort you put into it, the physical pain and

exhaustion you had to endure, that’s something that YouTube viewers connect with.

He finally got his first sponsorship offer for $5000 dollars which he immediately declined. Instead, he demanded double to make a viral video—which was just him donating $10,000 to a homeless man he met on the street. It went viral and what followed next was a history filled with suitcases of cash and more extravagant giveaways.

MrBeast has mastered a unique style of video called “junklord videos,” characterized by extravagant and wasteful stunts that generate heaps of junk. The more ridiculous, silly, and extravagant the stunt, the more viewers are drawn in.

MOST EXPENSIVE GIVEAWAYS

ASK any creator and they’ll tell you that giveaways are a surefire way to get tons of interactions and views. But I don’t think anyone could match the millions of dollars MrBeast has given away randomly or as prizes for his lucky subscribers.

Among the most expensive giveaways hosted by MrBeast so far include hosting a real Squid Game type competition. Following the popularity and success of the Korean Netflix show, MrBeast decided to recreate the entire set even consulting the creators to make it as accurate as possible. MrBeast rounded up 456 people willing to take part in this contest. Whoever managed to survive all the rounds and challenges was lucky enough to take home $456,000. It’s also said that MrBeast spent almost half a billion dollars to stage the contest.

His other contests include spending 100 days in a circle to win $500,000. In this giveaway, one lucky subscriber had the chance to win $500,000; all he had to do was stay in the circle for 100 days. The only catch is that he needs to endure all the shenanigans MrBeast and his team got up to over the span of more than three months.

Other memorable challenges include one minute to spend $1,000,000; keep your hand on the prize and $1,000,000 is yours; the hide and seek mall challenge for $1,000,000; giving away $1,300,000 worth of his Feastables chocolates for 10 minutes, and many others. MrBeast even gave away an ISLAND. Yes a real island to his 100,000,000th subscriber. Each video garnered millions of repeated views.

BEAST OF BURDEN

WHILE all these lavish, extravagant videos of him giving away money are filmed to generate views and revenue, what makes MrBeast unique from other content creators is his philanthropy work. Using his influence on his subscribers, MrBeast uses the revenue he makes from his channels to fund his numerous advocacies.

In collaboration, with fellow YouTuber Mark Rober, MrBeast launched the #TeamTrees campaign in 2019, pledging to plant 20 million trees by the end of that year. The campaign received overwhelming support from fellow YouTubers, celebrities, and the global community. It successfully reached its goal, with over 20 million trees planted worldwide.

MrBeast has a reputation for handing out large sums of money to strangers, sometimes in

truly heartwarming and unexpected ways. From surprising food delivery drivers with extravagant tips to distributing cash to individuals in need on the streets, his random acts of kindness have touched countless lives.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, MrBeast took it upon himself to help struggling local businesses by ordering large quantities of food and tipping generously to support the workers and keep the businesses afloat. In one of his videos, he bought out an entire store and donated everything to help the community. He’s also launched several food banks across America in the hopes of actually going international in the future.

In 2020, he created the Beast Philantrophy channel where he uploads videos of his charitable efforts. According to the channel description, 100 percent of its advertising revenue, brand deals, and merchandise sales are donated to charity and uses the revenue to enable him to have an even greater impact on various causes.

In addition to helping individuals in need, MrBeast has been known to cover medical bills for those facing financial hardships. His generosity has alleviated the burdens of medical expenses for numerous families, providing them with much-needed relief.

In January 2023, MrBeast paid for cataract surgery for a thousand people who had severely limited vision and had been unable to afford the procedure. He then followed it up by helping a thousand deaf people across the US, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, South Africa, Malwai and Indonesia. All documented in his videos.

Even Filipinos have benefited from MrBeast’s philanthropic efforts. In one of his most recent videos, he sent his teammates Darren and Dan to Davao City to visit the Cure Hospital and provide life-changing surgery for children who had a condition called Clubfoot. The two met doctors and children, who spoke about the condition.

The initial idea was to fund 100 surgeries at the hospital, but when they saw the number of children who needed it, Beast Philanthropy offered to pay for all surgeries that would take place over a month. In the end, over 160 children got the chance to go through this life-changing surgery.

In an interview, MrBeast was asked why he just keeps on giving away money and stuff to which he answered, “Helping people’s fun. On my philanthropy channel I literally just want to help people…I like helping people because it just makes me happy and it makes me feel good. I like seeing their faces light up. I like seeing how excited they get.”

“A lot of people like, I don’t know, watching movies, or these other things, other forms of entertainment,” he said. “But for me, nothing is more entertaining than just seeing someone just go from like having a rough day to just going like, what? It just makes me feel good.”

MrBeast has demonstrated the power of social media for good, inspiring others to make a difference in their own communities. His actions exemplify the notion that with creativity, passion, and a generous heart, anyone can positively influence the lives of others and contribute to a better world. ■

A SCREENCAP of MrBeast’s recent Youtube video titled “We Paid for a Free Children’s Hospital,” which was uploaded on his @BeastPhilanthropy channel. The video follows how the generous Internet personality facilitated life-changing surgery for Filipino children suffering from Clubfoot.

US dares world to tell Russia to stop using Ukrainian grain as ‘blackmail’

of State

adding that an estimated 148.1 million children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth because of malnutrition.

The United States circulated a communique to the 193 UN member states seeking commitments “to take action to end the use of food as a weapon of war and the starvation of civilians as a tactic of warfare.” Blinken said 91 countries have signed, less than half the membership.

The Security Council statement stressed the need “to break the vicious cycle between armed conflict and food insecurity.”

PBOC chief meets with property developers, vows funding help

food insecurity. He called for a single body to galvanize collective action—the UN High Level Task Force on Preventing Famine established in 2021 and headed by Reena Ghelani.

Ghelani said international collaboration is essential. She told the council that in too many nutrition wards and camps for the displaced she has visited, the eerie silence of small children fighting for their lives who are too weak to cry because of malnutrition “never leaves you.”

“That silence is also a call for action,” she said. “Business as usual will not work.”

CHINA’S central bank said it would increase funding support for the private sector after meeting with executives from the property industry, identifying several companies by name in a statement that underscores growing urgency among regulators to boost market confidence.

America’s top diplomat lashed out at Russia at a UN Security Council meeting for ignoring the world’s appeals and pulling out of the year-old deal that allowed Ukraine to ship more than 32 tons of grain from Black Sea ports to needy countries.

“And what has Russia’s response been to the world’s distress and outrage? Bombing Ukrainian granaries, mining port entrances, threatening to attack any vessel in the Black Sea,” he said.

Blinken was chairing the signature event of the United States’ council presidency this month on conflict as a key driver of hunger and famine.

He announced that the United States, which has provided more than $17.5 billion since January 2021 to address famine and food insecurity, will give $362 million more to tackle the drivers of hunger in Haiti and 11 African countries.

He pointed to the UN World Food Program, which said last week it needs $20 billion to deliver aid to everyone in need but was aiming for between $10 billion to $14 billion, the amount it has received in the past few years. So

far this year, however, WFP said it had received only around $5 billion and therefore 38 of 86 countries where it operates have already seen cuts or are planning cuts in food assistance soon.

“The cost of that shortfall will be measured in growth stunted and in lives lost,” Blinken said.

He also implicitly criticized China, which is the world’s secondlargest economic power behind the United States, saying “the world’s largest economies should be the world’s largest donors, for member states to consider themselves global leaders. This is your chance to prove it.”

Blinken added that “All of us. All of us can dig deeper.”

At the start of the meeting, the Security Council adopted a presidential statement, approved by all 15 members, strongly condemning “the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare” and expressing concern at the growing number of armed conflicts all over the globe.

In 2022, “armed conflict was the most significant driver of high levels of acute food insecurity for roughly 117 million people in 19 countries and territories,” the council said,

China eases business visa rules in bid to further open borders

CHINA released a series of measures intended to ease movement across and within its borders, as the country’s post-Covid economic recovery stalls.

The Ministry of Public Security released 26 new measures on Thursday, with some intended to ease visitation rules, including allowing travelers to upgrade their singleentry arrival visas to multiple-entry versions valid for as many as three years.

Foreign nationals who travel to China for reasons such as business negotiations, investment and entrepreneurship, and exhibitions and conferences can apply for landing visas with an invitation letter and supporting materials, according to the measures. Those with additional business needs can convert the visa-on-arrival to a multiple-entry visa after entering the country.

The new rules also allow foreign nationals to keep their passports while their residence permits are being processed. Previously, authorities would issue a temporary travel document that was not as widely accepted as passports for arranging travel.

“While a welcome step in the right direction, these measures by themselves will not be sufficient to restore business travel to pre-pandemic levels, nor to restore China’s attractiveness as a destination for foreign talent,” said Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Beijing. Other issues affecting foreign companies, including the lack of transparency and predictability of China’s policy environment, need to be addressed, he added.

China’s top leaders have been trying to signal that the country is open for business and investment after closing its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic. The country’s economic growth is sputtering amid a build up of risk in local government debt and the property sector, while geopolitical risks continue to weigh on confidence.

Meanwhile, raids and detentions at foreign firms and those serving overseas clients have raised questions among executives on whether it was safe to travel to the country.

The measures also detail plans to scrap restrictions on household registration in cities of less than 3 million people and relax policies for those with a population between 3 million and 5 million people, state-owned Global Times reported, citing comments by Ministry of Public Security official Yuan Xiguo at a briefing on Thursday. China’s household registration system, known as hukou, restricts people from accessing government services outside the area where they are registered as residing.

T he Ministry of Public Security said it plans to implement the measures by the end of August, according to the Global Times. Bloomberg News

David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, reminded the council it called for that link to be broken five years ago, but today “there is more armed conflict, more famine, more malnutrition, and more and more food insecurity.”

He said every assessment has the same list of countries where conflict is driving hunger: Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Haiti.

Miliband called for action— not more words—to help the 375,000 people who faced famine-like conditions at the end of 2022 and the 35 million on the brink.

As an example, he said, 80 percent of acutely malnourished children aren’t getting any treatment because of divided approaches toward moderate and severe malnutrition. He said the solution is simply to put a tape around a child’s arm and measure the circumference to diagnose malnutrition and provide one or two doses of therapeutic food per day depending on whether the case is severe or moderate.

Miliband told the council there is also a proliferation of different global initiatives on famine and

Representatives of 80 countries were on the list of speakers at the day-long council meeting.

Russia’s deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky responded to the criticism over its withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal by claiming that it had become commercial, not humanitarian. He accused the West of becoming interested in the threat of world hunger “only insofar as they think they can attempt to exploit this topic to demonize Russia” and indulge their “pipe dreams” of defeating it in Ukraine.

Nonetheless, Polyansky held open the possibility of resuming the Black Sea deal if the West ensures that Russian grain and fertilizer can get to countries in need “without hindrance.”

Blinken told reporters after chairing the meeting that if Russia returns to the agreement, the US will continue “to do whatever is necessary to make sure that everyone can export their food and food products freely and safely, to include Russia.”

“We want to see that food on world markets,” he said. “We want everyone to benefit from the lower prices.” AP

Newly appointed People’s Bank of China (PBOC) Governor Pan Gongsheng met with representatives from eight private firms, including developers Longfor Group Holdings Ltd., CIFI Holdings Group Co. and Midea Real Estate Holding Ltd. to hear about their difficulties and corporate financing needs, the PBOC said in a statement on Thursday. Banks like Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. were present as well.

The meeting is the latest in a series of attempts by regulators across China’s government to shore up the private sector as the country’s economic recovery sputters and stress in some corners of the bond market increases. Reviving the property market would be key to boosting growth, with the Communist Party’s Politburo last week signaling a shift toward looser policies for the sector.

Zhang Zhiwei, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management Ltd., said the message from top officials is to support the housing market, although it’s unclear if any new measures are coming.

“Under-stressed sectors require more financial help, and that’s the property sector, which is clear,” said Zhang.

Chinese high-yield dollar bonds gained about 1 cent Friday morning, according to credit traders, after dropping earlier this week.

The strongest-performing developer was investment-grade rated Longfor, whose 3.375 percent bond due 2027 jumped 3.5 cents to 73.9 cents, set for the largest advance in over a week.

Pan said the central bank would expand a support tool for private

companies’ bond issuance and meet the reasonable financing needs of developers to foster the healthy development of the housing market. Last year, China’s financial regulators widened a bond financing program to about 250 billion yuan ($34.9 billion) for private companies including developers. The PBOC didn’t provide details on what the latest changes would entail.

Zerlina Zeng, a senior credit analyst at CreditSights, said the meeting echoed the Politburo’s dovish tone “but fell short of new funding support measures for the property and private sectors.” Confidence among private developers and appetite for borrowing, investing, or hiring won’t be meaningfully restored “until the policymakers come up with a more predictable, rule-based, and well-communicated regulatory framework for the sector,” she said.

Other businesses that were present at the meeting included dairy producer Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. and aluminum maker China Hongqiao Group Ltd.

While supportive statements like the PBOC’s have helped buoy markets somewhat, skepticism remains elevated among investors and company executives burned by years of unpredictable policy shifts.

Sentiment in China’s property sector has been particularly fragile, with bonds of real estate companies including Country Garden Holdings Co., Dalian Wanda Group and Sino-Ocean Group Holding Ltd. coming under pressure in recent weeks. The three companies weren’t among those mentioned by the PBOC.

“Developers have had some refinancing troubles again recently,” said Ding Shuang, chief economist for Greater China and North Asia at Standard Chartered Plc. “Support will be targeted toward highquality companies.” Bloomberg News

Jokowi’s EV ambition takes a step forward with $9.8-B cathode factory

PRESIDENT Joko Widodo’s ambition of building out Indonesia’s electricvehicle (EV) supply chain is seeing another step forward with plans for a cathode plant.

Indonesian state miner Aneka Tambang, Indonesia Battery Corporation, and a consortium led by South Korea’s LG Energy Solution Ltd. are building the facility as part

of a $9.8 billion “grand package” to build battery production onshore, according to a statement by Indonesia’s investment ministry on Thursday.

The Southeast Asian country is the world’s largest source of nickel, a key material for high-performance batteries, and it’s seeking to use that advantage to build out an EV industry onshore. Indonesia has seen a rush

of investments into building nickel smelters, followed by plans for a cathode precursor facility. A cathode plant would take the country one notch higher in the value chain.

Construction for the cathode plant will begin as early as this year after the companies resolved the trickiest part of the negotiation involving shareholding, LG Energy Chief Executive Officer Young

Soo Kwon said in the ministry statement. The group of companies are also building a nickel smelter, cathode precursor factory and a $1.1 billion battery cell factory set to start production in April. Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the plans were set back after the US issued the Inflation Reduction Act, which disrupted the global supply chains for EV battery materials. Bloomberg News

AI boom fuels 487 percent stock surge for South Korean family

AS investor interest in ar -

tificial intelligence (AI) sends shares of technology giants soaring, a little-known circuit board maker in South Korea is cashing in big.

Isu Petasys Co., which counts Alphabet Inc., Nvidia Corp. and Microsoft Corp. as customers of its multilayered boards, has seen its share price surge 487 percent this year—among the biggest gainers on South Korea’s benchmark stock index. The company’s recent boom has also helped boost the value of stakes held by Chairman Kim Sang-beom and his family to more than $800 million as of August 3.

Kim, who controls 100 percent of holding company Isu Corp., is just the latest example of how soaring demand for AI investments is creating massive wealth. Jensen Huang, chief executive officer of leading AI company Nvidia, has seen his fortune surge almost three-fold this year to $39.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. “Hardly any local companies directly supply Nvidia and Google, but

Isu Petasys got the job,” said Baik Gil-hyun, an analyst at Yuanta Securities Korea Co. “If the AI boom continues, so will the interest in the company.”  Isu Petasys, founded in 1972, began distributing printed circuit boards, mainly for hard disk drives, in 1989. Its parent company, Isu Group, has businesses in industries, including chemicals, construction and biopharmaceutzicals.

Kim became the group’s chairman in 2000 after his father, Joon-sung, stepped down after four years. Before joining Isu, the younger Kim worked at the now-defunct industrial conglomerate, Daewoo Group, which was founded by his father-in-law Kim Woo-choong, according to local newspaper Korea Joongang Daily.

On top of their 26 percent stake in Isu Petasys, Kim and his family also own stock in the group’s other publicly traded units, including Isu Specialty Chemical and Isu Chemical. Company filings show that shares pledged for loans account for just under half of the total value of their stakes.

Diversifying base

ISU PETASYS didn’t make Kim available for an interview. The company didn’t respond to questions about their customers or the value of the family’s stakes.

In recent years, Isu Petasys has leaned into the AI craze, diversifying its customer base from predominantly telecommunications manufacturers like Nokia Oyj, and adding technology giants such as Alphabet and Nvidia, according to Park Hyungwoo, an analyst at SK Securities Co. in Seoul.  Orders for its boards used for AI accelerators jumped almost eightfold to 47.3 billion won ($36.4 million) in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to a June presentation.

Other prominent players in high-end printed circuit boards include Japan’s Ibiden Co., Taiwan’s Unimicron Technology Corp., and Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co.

While the company’s revenue grew 3.9 percent to 172 billion won in the first three months of this year from the previous quarter, its operating profits fell 33 percent to 20.2

billion won, according to filings.

‘Obvious beneficiaries’ SK Securities’ Park said he expects a drop in operating profits for the year, partly because Isu Petasys’s AI products are less lucrative than those sold for telecommunications devices. Despite that, he remains optimistic.

“The company is one of the most obvious beneficiaries because it’s actually seeing a growing portion of its revenue from AI-related sales,” Park said.

Increasing tensions between the US and China may have also contributed to Isu Petasys’s expansion, as US companies prefer non-Chinese suppliers, according to analyst Baik. Park said he expects AI-related business to make up 20 percent of the company’s revenue this year and at least 30 percent in 2024.

“It doesn’t look like AI is a temporary trend that will fade soon,” he said. “It could change the direction of the industry, like how PCs and smartphones did in the past. Then things look bright for Isu Petasys.” Bloomberg News

UNITED NATIONS—US Secretary

Antony Blinken challenged all countries Thursday to tell Russia to stop using the Black Sea and Ukraine’s grain as “blackmail” and stop treating the world’s hungry and vulnerable people as leverage in its “unconscionable war.”

US military may put armed troops on commercial vessels in Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran seizures

malign activity.”

And White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, speaking to reporters, underscored the importance of the strait and US concerns about Iranian harassment of vessels there.

“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital seaway that has a huge impact on seaborne trade around the world,” Kirby said. “It’s a critical choke point in the maritime world. And we have seen threats by Iran to affect that choke point.”

its way to the Mideast.

Already, the US has sent A-10 Thunderbolt II warplanes, F-16 and F-35 fighters, as well as the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, and other warships to the region over Iran’s actions at sea.

The deployment has captured Iran’s attention, with its chief diplomat telling neighboring nations that the region doesn’t need “foreigners” providing security.

Since 2019, Iran has seized a series of ships in the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, as part of its efforts to pressure the West over negotiations regarding its collapsed nuclear deal with world powers. Putting US troops on commercial ships could further deter Iran from seizing vessels—or escalate tensions further. The contemplated move also would represent an extraordinary commitment in the Mideast by US forces as the Pentagon tries to focus on Russia and China. America didn’t even take the step during the so-called “Tanker War,” which culminated with the US Navy and Iran fighting a one-day naval battle in 1988 that was the Navy’s largest since World War II.

While officials offered few details of the plan, it comes as thousands of Marines and sailors on both the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall, a landing ship, are on their way to the Persian Gulf.

Those Marines and sailors could provide the backbone for any armed guard mission in the strait, through which 20 percent of the world’s crude oil passes.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP about the US proposal.

Five US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the proposal, acknowledged its broad details. The officials stressed no final decision had been made and that discussions

continue between US military officials and America’s Gulf Arab allies in the region.

Officials said the Marines and Navy sailors would provide the security only at the request of the ships involved. One official described the process as complex, saying any deployment likely also would require approval of the country under which the ship is flagged and the country under which the owner is registered. So far, that has yet to happen and it might not for some time, the official said.

At the Pentagon, Brig. Gen Pat Ryder was asked about the plans and would only say that he has no announcements to make on the matter. More broadly, however, he noted that additional ships, aircraft and Marines have been deployed to the Gulf region, making it easier to respond more quickly to any Iranian provocations.

That effort by US and partners, he said, is aimed at ensuring “the Strait of Hormuz remains open, there’s freedom of navigation, and that we’re deterring any type of

A Learjet pilot thought he was cleared to take off. He wasn’t. Luckily, JetBlue pilots saw him

FEDERAL investigators said Thursday that the pilot of a charter jet took off without permission, creating a “conflict” with a JetBlue plane that was preparing to land on an intersecting runway at Boston’s Logan International Airport in February.

A screen grab from video shot from the JetBlue cockpit captures the moment that the Learjet operated by charter service Hop-A-Jet crossed the runway just in front of the JetBlue plane.

Pilots of the JetBlue Embraer jet estimated they were about 30 feet off the ground when they saw a plane cross in front of them—the captain said he couldn’t estimate

how close they were to the smaller plane, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The JetBlue pilots were able to pull up and circle around and land safely.

The captain of the Hop-A-Jet said he heard air traffic controllers tell him to line up and wait before taking off—and even repeated the order back to the controller—“but in his mind, they were cleared for takeoff,” the NTSB said.

The Hop-A-Jet plane was being operated by the co-pilot, who told investigators that his captain told him they were cleared to take off.

The captain, Alvaro Donado,

said in a statement to the safety board, “I cannot understand what happened to me during the clearance, the only thing that comes to my mind is that the cold temperature in Boston affected me, I was not feeling completely well and had a stuffed nose. My apologies.”

Once the Hop-A-Jet plane landed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the 63-year-old captain and 23-yearold co-pilot were told by the Boston tower that they had taken off without authorization and that the JetBlue plane passed about 400 feet above them as it performed a go-around, the NTSB said in its final report.

A man who answered the phone at Hop-A-Jet headquarters said the company had no comment about the incident or the report. When asked if the captain and copilot were still flying for the company, he said he could not provide that information, and hung up. The incident was one of several early this year that raised alarms about aviation safety in the United States despite the lack of a fatal crash involving a US airline since 2009. The close calls led the Federal Aviation Administration to convene a “safety summit” in March to brainstorm ways to prevent planes from coming too close together. AP

Pope gets ‘electrifying’ welcome in World Youth Day fest in Lisbon

LISBON, Portugal—Hundreds of thousands of flag-waving young people from around the globe gave Pope Francis a raucous welcome to the World Youth Day festival in Portugal’s capital Thursday, in a sign of youthful support for the 86-yearold pontiff and his calls for inclusivity and economic justice.

In a display of enthusiasm not seen since the early years of Francis’ decade-old papacy, teenagers and young adults thronged a downtown Lisbon park for the opening ceremony of the Catholic jamboree. Pilgrims ran alongside as his popemobile made languid loops through the crowd and a smiling Francis basked in their cheers.

The pope, who was hospitalized twice this year, had said he hoped to be “rejuvenated” by his five-day trip to Portugal, and it appeared as if the sun-baked crowd delivered.

Organizers estimated some 500,000 pilgrims attended the music-and-dance filled World Youth Day opening ceremony in Lisbon’s Eduardo VII park, a figure that was expected to more than double during the festival’s coming days.

Volunteers with huge water packs on their backs doled out water to keep the youngsters hydrated, an increasing concern

given temperatures are expected to soar to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) by Sunday, when Francis closes out the festival with a final outdoor Mass.

Francis is in Portugal through the weekend to preside over the jamboree that St. John Paul II launched in the 1980s to encourage young Catholics in their faith. The Argentine Jesuit has picked up John Paul’s mantle with gusto as he seeks to inspire the next generation to rally behind his key social justice and environmental priorities.

On Thursday, he emphasized his call for the Catholic Church to be welcoming to all,

sinners included. “There is room for everyone in the church,” Francis told the crowd, leading the young people in a chant of “todos,” which is Spanish and Portuguese for “everyone.”

“I think he is a very modern pope. I like his thoughts on many things,” Gaia Selva, 27, who traveled to Lisbon from Italy with a group of 374 members of the Salesian religious order and was in the park for the opening ceremony.

“I hope his support can help us as youth but also others, to understand our religion better and to live it to the fullest.”

Maria Seybert, 19, of Littletown, Colorado, was attending her first World Youth Day and

Earlier Thursday, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of the Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet, met with the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The six-nation bloc includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

While a statement from the GCC about the meeting did not hint at the proposal, it did say that Cooper and officials discussed “strengthening GCC-U.S. cooperation and working with international and regional partners.”

The Bataan and Carter Hall left Norfolk, Virginia, on July 10 on a mission the Pentagon described as being “in response to recent attempts by Iran to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters.” The Bataan passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea last week on

On Wednesday, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched a surprise military drill on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, with swarms of small fast boats, paratroopers and missile units taking part.

The renewed hostilities come as Iran now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels after the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal. International inspectors also believe it has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to build them.

Iran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes, and US intelligence agencies assess Tehran is not pursuing an atomic bomb.

The US also has pursued ships across the world believed to be carrying sanctioned Iranian oil. Oil industry worries over another seizure by Iran likely has left a ship allegedly carrying Iranian oil stranded off Texas as no company has yet to unload it. AP

2 US Navy sailors charged with selling military secrets to China

TWO US Navy sailors have been arrested on charges of providing sensitive US military information to China in exchange for money in what the Justice Department called a relentless effort by China to get US secrets.

Jinchao Wei was the first person ever charged with espionage in the San Diego district, US Justice Department officials said at a news conference. Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, of Monterey Park, California, was charged with conspiracy and receipt of a bribe by a public official in Los Angeles.

Both men are Chinese-born naturalized US citizens. It wasn’t immediately clear whether they have retained lawyers.

Wei sent documents to China and received thousands of dollars, providing the country information on potential vulnerabilities of ships, photos of military hardware and scores of technical manuals, placing the safety of US sailors in jeopardy, prosecutors said.

“The charges demonstrate the PRC’s determination to obtain information that is critical to our national defense by any means so it can be used to their advantage,” Matthew Olsen, head of the Justice Department’s national security

division, told reporters Thursday during a news conference in San Diego. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said he wasn’t aware of the details of the case, but cautioned about jumping to conclusions.

“In recent years, the US government and media have frequently hyped up cases of ‘espionage’ related to China, many of which later proved to be unfounded,” Liu said in a statement. “China firmly opposes the US side’s groundless slander and smear of China.”

Michael Casey, the Biden administration’s pick to lead counterintelligence efforts, said the US faces “unprecedented” threats from China, Russia and other foreign actors during a Senate confirmation hearing in July.

“China, among all such nations, stands apart in terms of the threat that its government poses to the United States,” Olsen said.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray said last year that the FBI opens a new counterintelligence case against China every 12 hours on average. China’s foreign ministry routinely denies US allegations of state-sponsored espionage. Bloomberg News

seemed inspired by Francis’ exhortations to spread the faith.

“Yeah, know that our church is very broken; we have a lot of sinners and broken people,” Seybert said. “I desire to hear something that encourages us to recognize our poverty and woundedness, and then run with it.”

Many young Catholics around the world have embraced Francis’ core teachings about correcting economic injustices and promoting environmental custodianship, joining churchsponsored foundations and social movements under the banner of the “Economy of Francis” and the “Laudato Sii” movement, named for Francis’ 2015 encyclical on the environment.

Francis pressed those causes again Thursday, first at Catholic University, one of Portugal’s top institutions of higher learning, where he urged students to take risks and reject the temptation to merely perpetuate the status quo, or what the pope called the “present global system of elitism and inequality.”

“An academic degree should not be seen merely as a license to pursue personal well being, but as a mandate to work for a more just and inclusive—that is, truly progressive— society,” he said. AP

South Korea tightens security to prevent stabbing copycats

SOUTH Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered police to mobilize all possible forces as a series of threats to commit copycat crimes were posted on social media after a stabbing rampage near Seoul injured 14 people.

“ The stabbing rampage at Seohyeon subway station is an act of terrorism against innocent citizens,”Yoon said Friday, according to presidential spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye. Yoon instructed police to deploy security personnel with suppression equipment to prevent another attack.

F ourteen people were injured after a man drove a car onto a pedestrian walkway and went on the stabbing rampage at a department store in the affluent district south of Seoul on Thursday. Nine people were stabbed and five others were hit by the car—with two of victims in critical condition, according to the fire and disaster center in Gyeonggi province.

Police arrested the 22-year-old suspect who was diagnosed with schizophrenic personality disorder through psychiatric treatment two to three years ago, Yonhap News Agency reported. Police have only released the family name of the suspect, Choi. F ear of random crime is growing as copycat crime threats were posted online hours after the attack. One of them threatened to kill 20 people Friday morning at Jamsil Station, one the most busiest subway stations in Seoul and connected to the tallest building in the country, according to Yonhap. Thursday’s attack came less than two weeks after a 33-year-old man fatally stabbed a stranger in his 20s near Sillim Station in Seoul and attacked three more men in a nearby alleyway. During the investigation, police reported the suspect as saying he “wanted to make other people miserable” because he was living a miserable life, Yonhap said. Bloomberg News

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—

The US military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, in what would be an unheard of action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels, American officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.

IN this handout photo from the US Navy, the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan travels through Atlantic Ocean on July 20, 2023. As thousands of Marines backed by the United States’ top fighter jet, warships and other aircraft slowly building up in the Persian Gulf, the US military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, four American officials told The Associated Press on Thursday, August 3, 2023.

UCI recognizes Tolentino, 3 other cycling-NOC heads in world congress

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee

(POC) chief Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and three other national Olympic committee (NOC) presidents who are also heads of their cycling federations were recognized by the International Cycling Union (UCI) during its Congress on Thursday in Glasgow, Scotland.

Most prominent among the cycling and NOC heads was UCI president David Lappartient, who now leads France’s Olympic committee—a position the world sporting community believes is a prelude to the Frenchman succeeding Thomas Bach as International Olympic Committee president.

It’s a rare and historic event and opportunity,” said Tolentino of the ongoing UCI World Championships where the sports’ governing body packed the world championships in 13 cycling disciplines in 11 days in Scotland.

“ This won’t be happening again soon,” said Tolentino, adding that next year’s world championships in Zurich would only feature road events.

A lso recognized alongside Lappartient and Tolentino were NOC and cycling head of Indonesia, Raja Sapta Oktohari, and Mauritania’s Abderrahmane Ethmane.

Their recognition was one of the agenda in the UCI’s 192nd Congress attended by the international federation’s 203 member-countries in Glasgow. The UCI was founded 123

PSC does a simul as PNG returns with Batang Pinoy

THE Philippine National Games (PNG) returns after four years and will be held simultaneously with the Batang Pinoy National Championships from December 17 to 22 both at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.

PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann made the announcement on Tuesday where he also bared that the Batang Pinoy will now cater to children athletes aged 17 years old and below, and no longer at 15 years old.

Twenty sports will be played in both PSC programs—archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball 3x3, boxing, chess, cycling, dancesport, esports, gymnastics, karatedo, lawn tennis, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, beach volleyball, weightlifting and wushu.

We have 20 sports for now, but we intend to add more next year,”

Bachmann told a press conference at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Friday. “We have to build local events, I’ll make sure the NSAs [national sports associations] are invited.”

The PNG featuring the national and elite athletes aged 18 years or older was last held in Cebu City in 2018, while the Batang Pinoy returned from the pandemic hiatus last December in Ilocos Sur.  Bachmann, who was joined in the media briefing by newly-appointed Executive Director Paulo Francisco Tatad, also unveiled the new logos for Batang Pinoy and PNG that bears the colors and traditional icons of the flag while adding elements that highlight the essence of grassroots sports talents. “

Together with Chairman Bachmann, we will do our very best in the coming months and years to increase the participation of our youth in our grassroots sports programs like the BP and PNG, and improve our facilities and infrastructure for our athletes,” Tatad said. Josef Ramos

years ago on April 14, 1900.

Tolentino also had the opportunity to get close and personal with Lappartient and former UCI president Pat McQuaid.

Lappartient was one of the commissaires in the Asian road and track cycling championships the country hosted at the Amoranto Velodrome and Subic in 1995, while McQuaid called the Philippines his second home in the mid and late 1990s when—as UCI’s road commission head—he worked on transforming the Marlboro Tour into a major international race in Southeast Asia.

WIDE-OPEN WORLD CUP

AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Brazil and Canada are out. Same for Italy and Germany, all powerhouse teams already eliminated from the Women’s World Cup following shocking upsets in group play.

The United States, meanwhile, hardly looks as dominant as it did in winning the last two consecutive titles.

The round of 16 begins Saturday in what’s now a wide-open World Cup with plenty of underdogs still in contention. Morocco, ranked 72nd in the world and in the tournament for the first time, used an unbelievable upset over Colombia to advance.

South Africa made it through to the round of 16 for the first time in its history, and same for Jamaica, which needed a GoFundMe campaign to afford the travel to the tournament. Nigeria is through for the first time since 1999, while Colombia and its 18-year-old star Linda Caicedo made it to the round of 16 for the second time in team history and just four years after it failed to qualify for the tournament.

There are plenty of heavyweights still in play, but one will be eliminated Sunday when the top-ranked United States plays third-ranked Sweden. Australia, England, Denmark, France,

2019 runner-up the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland all advanced, and Japan just might be the new favorite after scoring 11 goals in three group-stage wins.

The knockout round kicks off Saturday when Switzerland plays Spain in Auckland, and Norway faces Japan in the New Zealand capital of Wellington.

SWITZERLAND-SPAIN

SWITZERLAND quietly won Group A with two scoreless draws and a 2-0 victory over the Philippines, which was playing in its first World Cup.

The Swiss have now drawn seven of their last 10 international matches, and in this World Cup, they are one of only three teams yet to concede a goal. The Swiss defense has been exceptional, but La Nati have never advanced to the quarterfinals of a major tournament.

Switzerland failed to qualify for six of the previous eight World Cups, and didn’t enter in 1995. The Swiss reached the round of 16 in 2015, their only previous appearance in the World Cup.

We played very well in our group stage and we understand that Spain might be the favorites,” said Switzerland coach Inka Grings. Spain, meanwhile, looked to be a top contender for the title following a 3-0 win over Costa Rica and a

YULO, ARCHER TAGLE DOMINATE PALARO

MEMBERS of the Taichung Highschool representing Western Visayas turn hysterical on the court for an amazing reason—they just beat National University of the National Capital Region in the girls’ secondary volleyball final. BERNARD TESTA

By Josef Ramos

KARL ELDREW YULO wielded the broom in boys’ gymnastics where he was a cut above the rest and won six gold medals, the same number of titles Naina Dominique Tagle bagged in girls’ archery on the penultimate day Friday of the Palarong Pambansa.

It wasn’t easy as you think it is,” the 15-year-old Yulo humbly told BusinessMirror. “My parents are my motivation here. So after this I will go back to training. No rest after this.”

It was a no-contest for Yulo.

Trained in Japan and polished by international competitions, the younger brother of world champion and Olympian Carlos Yulo topped the floor exercise (13.500), horizontal bar (9.00), vault (13.95) and horse (9.250) apparatuses gold to go with his alaround gold he clinched the other day.

He also led the National Capital Region (NCR) to secondary boys’ team gold medal in artistic gymnastics at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

W hile Yulo was dominating the field

in Manila, Tagle was doing her own thing at the STI Gold Toe Archery Center in host city Marikina.

The young pride of archery hotbed Dumaguete City and Central Visayas led her team to the girls’ secondary team gold that went with her triumphs in the 30 meters (338), 50m (308), 60m (327) and FITA Round.

“I wasn’t aiming for gold, I just wanted to do my best and God did the rest,” said Tagle, a 10th grader at Siliman University, long regarded as the country’s epicenter of archery. “But during the gold medal matches, I thought about my Nanay. It’s her birthday and I wanted to dedicate my wins to her.”

Her mom Fe Marie Tagle turned 47 on Friday.

I n volleyball, Western Visayas beat NCR’s National University, 1825, 25-20, 19-25, 25-16, 18-16, to win the girls’ secondary gold medal, Central Luzon defeated Central Visayas, 25-21, 23-25, 25-19, 17-25, 15-12, in the boys’ secondary final.

NCR seized the lead in the medal tally with 56 gold, 52 silvers and 39 bronze medals late Friday, while West-

ern Visayas slid to second with a 4533-29 gold-silverbronze haul.

Southern Tagalog was third with 35-44-41 and Central Luzon dropped to fourth with 22-24-34.

Jie Angela Mikaela Talosig of SOCCSKSARGEN and Paolo Miguel Labanon of Davao Region, meanwhile, wound up with four gold medals each after the last day of swimming at the Marikina Sports Center pool.  Talosig, 17, got her fourth gold in girls’ secondary 800-meter freestyle and missed a fifth mint after her team finished sixth in the 4x100 relay. She earlier won the 1,500m, 400m and 200m freestyle events.

Labanon topped the 200 and 400 butterfly and 1500 earlier this week and added the 800 freestyle gold on Friday.

In athletics, Bicol Region’s Jan Jose Alaon won gold in elementary boys’ 1500 meters in 4:53.843 and Jewel Courtney Trangia topped the secondary girls’ discus throw with 35.66m. Jazen Araño won gold in girls’ secondary shot put with 10.66m.

Tambalque, Villaroman eye top finish in Pradera

THE International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI)

2023 Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) Series moves to Lubao in Pampanga on Sunday with Round 3 of the 18-hole stroke play tournament for boys’ 13-14 and 15-18 age groups and girls’ 15-18 play at the sprawling Pradera Golf and Country Club. The 48-player field set to vie for top honors and ranking points surpasses the 45-player cast in the last JPGT leg at Valley Golf Club in Antipolo, which featured the boys’ and girls’ 9-10, boys’ and girls’ 11-12 and girls’ 13-14 classes, as the series continues to gain traction while providing a new platform for these

youngsters to hone and develop their talent and skills.

The JPGT series, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and sponsored by long-time golf patron ICTSI, also includes the drive, chip and putt skills challenge.

Patrick Tambalque, the Round 1 winner at Mount Malarayat last June, seeks another top finish in the 13-14 division that also drew the likes of Tristan Padilla, Alex Crisostomo, Bien Fajardo, Gabriel Handog, Felix Saludar, Ramon Fabie, Santi Asuncion and Clark Bayani.

Z achary Villaroman, on the other hand, leads the chase in the 15-18 category that includes David

Serdenia, Alonso Espartero, Zeus Sara, Rafael Manaol and Vasco Esquivel, while Angelica Bañez, Casey Frankum and Lee Ji Won banner the girls’ 15-18 division at the par-72 course, a regular venue of the Philippine Golf Tour and Ladies PGT circuits.

Play will be under the Modified Stableford scoring system.

Registration starts at 6 a.m. with the first group to tee off at 7 a.m.

Spicing up the boys’ 13-14 battle are Geoffrey Tan, Ryan Nicolas, Jr., Santi Asuncion, Beng Bang-I, Carlos Taruc, Stefano Tami, Rafael See, Luciano Copok, Lorenzo Lim, Harry Sales, Justin See, Akio Lee, Gabriel See and Seth Koa.

5-0 rout of Zambia. But those two opponents were among the lowestranked teams in the tournament, with Zambia a World Cup debutante.

JAPAN-NORWAY

JAPAN looked awfully strong in a three-game sweep of Group C, and now faces Norway, which was second in Group A despite playing most of the first round without star forward Ada Hegerberg.

H egerberg trained with her teammates in Wellington on Friday but hasn’t played in more than two weeks, in Norway’s tournamentopening loss to New Zealand. She was listed in the starting lineup ahead of Norway’s game against Switzerland only to be a game-time

scratch with a groin injury. She didn’t play the finale against the Philippines, and replacement Sophie Roman Haug scored a hat trick. Norway coach Hege Riise wouldn’t confirm Hegerberg’s playing status against Japan.

She’s been following the medical plan and been successful in every step of that plan,” Riise said. “So we will see her in training [Friday] and see how how she reacts to that, like the last step before the game.”

And we prepare for Ada to play or come in,” he said, noting that having two strong choices at forward is “luxury for me as a coach.”

Japan, meanwhile, sailed through group play with 11 goals over its three games. The Japanese have yet to concede a goal this tournament.

Adamson U in Invitationals finals

ADAMSON University soared to the Shakey’ Super League National Invitationals final after sending University of Perpetual Help System Dalta crashing back to earth with a convincing 25-19, 25-21, 25-16 semifinal victory Friday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Lady Falcons needed only 76 minutes in halting the Lady Altas’ run that included a victory over

two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association champion College of Saint Benilde in the quarterfinals.

Ayesha Juegos had 29 points for Adamson University which will face the winner of the semifinal clash between De La Salle and University of Santo Tomas set late Friday.

T he best-of-three finals are set next week.

M aria Rochelle Lalongisip banged in 21 points while Lucille Almonte and Lorene Toring added 15 and 10 points, respectively, for yet another sweep by Adamson University in the 12-team tournament presented by Eurotel and Victory Liner and in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education.

It’s God’s will we’re in the finals,” Adamson University’s first-year coach JP Yude said. “But we have to prepare well for the finals.”

The Lady Falcons finished third in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines last season.

ALMONTE plays a key role for the Lady Falcons.

S haila Omipon, Razel Paula Aldea and Charmaine Ocado had 17, 16 and 14 points, respectively, for Perpetual Help, while NCAA MVP Mary Rhose Dapol settled for only nine points after exploding with 33 against Saint Benilde.

Inter-collegiate table tennis tilt up

THE  Philippine Table Tennis Federation Inc. (PTTF) is staging the inaugural Huaching Inter-Collegiate Challenge from August 11 to 13 at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

A total of 23 collegiate teams have already confirmed their participation with the tournament still open for registration. Deadline of entries is on Monday, August 7.

De La Salle, Ateneo, University of Santo Tomas, University of Mindanao, Central Philippine University, Far Eastern University and University of Perpetual Help System Dalta are among the notable teams that will see action.

“ We thank our supporters for making this competition possible as this is also part of our grassroots programs,” PTTF president Ting Ledesma said. “We invite college teams who haven’t registered to join as it is a perfect opportunity for them to gain experience for their mother leagues.”

The tournament is supported by Huaching Foundation of philanthropist Bill Yap, Philippine Olympic Committee, Gold Cross Security and Investigation Agency, Cara Celine Dormtel, Coca-Cola Bottlers and Dino Jalandoni.

This is the biggest collegiate national table tennis event in the last 15 years so we are very excited to organize this event,” PTTF secretary general Pong Ducanes said. “I believe that collegiate table tennis level has been underutilized lately and this is a chance for them to showcase their talent and skills. Teams are preparing whole year but most of the time they only play one big tournament per year.”

I nterested parties can contact coach Neil Patrick Ferrer through mobile and Viber at 0998-4758695 and at facebook.com/Neil.Patrick.

Ferrer.16. Tournament format is team event with first to reach two victories out of the three singles matches declared as winner.

PHILCYCLING and Philippine Olympic Committee head Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (center) shares a light moment with current International Cycling Union president David Lappartient (left) and former chief Pat McQuaid at the sidelines of the UCI’s 192nd Congress in Glasgow on Thursday.

JAPAN’S Hinata Miyazawa and her teammates warm up during a training session ahead of their match against Norway in Wellington on Friday. AP

LUCILLE