2 Wednesday, June 21, 2023

TOPNEWS
Youth groups call to stop tuition fee P13-M worth
of illegal drugs

increase for upcoming academic year

By Joseph B.A. Marzan
seized under
Aliño’s stint
By Glazyl Y. Masculino

Progressive youth sector groups commemorated the 162nd birth BACOLOD City - The Bacolod
anniversary of Philippine national hero José Rizal on June 19, City Police Office (BCPO)
with a lightning rally in Iloilo City to protest the looming tuition seized 1920.52 grams of illegal
fee increases and oppose proposed constitutional amendments. drugs worth P13,059,536 from
The Panay chapters of Kabataan Partylist, Anakbayan, and the April 18 to June 18.
National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), among oth- This drug accomplishment
ers, were joined by students from various schools across the city covered the two-month stint of
despite the academic year having already ended. Police Colonel Noel Aliño upon
They dubbed their protest blitz as ‘Yes to Lato-lato, No to Paglalako his assumption as BCPO acting
ng ating Kinabukasan, Edukasyon, at Soberanya’, referring to the tra- director three months ago.
ditional toy craze popular among children and younger adults. A total of 100 anti-illegal
The three groups released a joint statement to Daily Guardian drug operations were conduct-
emphasizing on the importance of their calls to the country, espe- ed which resulted in the appre-
cially today’s youth. hension of 114 suspects.
They stated their long-held belief that the Filipino people de- This included the recent
serve affordable and quality education, with guaranteed academ- big drug haul of the BCPO in
ic freedom, as a right, and not as a privilege or commodity that Barangay Pahanocoy, where-
needs to be availed expensively. in personnel of Police Sta-
Kabataan Partylist called for support to House Resolution No. 9, penned tion 8 confiscated 800 grams
by their representative, Raoul Danniel Manuel, which calls for a moratori- of suspected shabu worth
um on increases to tuition and other fees in all educational institutions. P5,440,000 from a young man
The resolution has remained pending since July 27, 2022, last Sunday.
when it was referred by the full House Committee on Rules to the Aside from the campaign
Committee on Higher and Technical Education. against illegal drugs, the BCPO
Crimson Labinghisa, Kabataan-Panay chapter spokesperson, also arrested 29 Most Wanted
cited Commission on Higher Education (CHED) data indicating Persons (MWP) and 69 Other
that 15 out of 42 private higher educational institutions which re- Wanted Persons (OWP).
quested for an increase were approved. With regards to the anti-il-
“In this state when the inflation rate is at 6.1 percent and that of legal gambling operations, the
Western Visayas is at 7.1 percent, base prices of goods remain high city police force conducted 46
while the ordinary worker’s salaries remain low. If tuition and other operations, resulting in the
school fees increase, it would be an additional burden to parents and arrest of 157 individuals and
working students alike”, said the party-list in its statement. the confiscation of P12,335 bet
Continuing inflation was also the focus of NUSP Panay in sup- money.
porting Kabataan’s call and in reiterating their own call to scrap For the campaign against
proposals in Congress to mandate the Reserve Officers’ Training loose firearms, the BCPO ar-
Corps (ROTC) in senior high school and tertiary levels. rested six persons and confis-
“Today, inflation rate remains high in the city of Iloilo and cated seven firearms.
in Western Visayas, but it has been a problem of the people for Eight firearms with un-
a long time, that is why we wish to seek public support for the renewed licenses were de-
amortization of tuition and other fees and other activities which posited and 21 loose firearms
would increase access to education, instead of meaningless proj- YOUTH groups hold a picket Monday to protest tuition fee increases and oppose proposed constitutional were surrendered in the said
ects like reinstating mandatory ROTC,” they said. amendments. (Photos by Kabataan Partylist Panay and Forum-Dimensions) period.

Five street pushers

fall in four drug stings
By Jennifer P. Rendon
Five alleged street level individual (SLI) drug
personalities were arrested in separate police
anti-narcotics operations in less than 24 hours
in Iloilo City.
The suspects were identified as Monaliza
Flores, 37, of Barangay North Baluarte, Molo, Il-
oilo City; Romel Zamora, 49, of Lanit, Jaro; Rogell
Lawrence Maglupay, 40, of Barangay Bantud, La
Paz; and Gilbert Deslate, 36, and Jhossar Lacson,
29, both of Zone 1-A, Barangay San Juan, Molo.
Members of the Iloilo City Police Office -
Five/p11

BYSTANDERS look on in Barangay Caduhaan, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental where an elderly man was hit by
a motorcycle and later died in a hospital Monday. (Photo courtesy of Cadiz City Police Station)
Teen fails to attend graduation
after being ‘abducted’ in Iloilo City
Elderly man killed in motorcycle mishap By Jennifer P. Rendon ertad-Santa Isabel, Jaro, Iloilo him out of the vehicle after re-
City. alizing that they picked up the
By Glazyl Y. Masculino Despi said the victim was crossing the road
Trembling and on the verge The woman who helped wrong person.
when the 28-year-old motorcycle rider probably
of crying, a 19-year-old lad Junjun claimed that the teary- The woman claimed that
BACOLOD City – An elderly man died after he failed to notice him.
sought help from a resident eyed teenager told her that sev- when Junjun told her that he
was hit by an alleged speeding motorcycle in The victim was taken to a hospital but later
of Barangay San Antonio, San eral men in a white van forced was “kidnapped,” she looked
front of a public cemetery in Barangay Cadu- passed away, according to Despi.
Miguel, Iloilo at around 2 p.m. him to board the vehicle. around but did not see any van.
haan, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental last Mon- Despi said the victim’s family has yet to de-
on June 19. His “abductors” allegedly She claimed to have doubts
day. cide on the filing of case against the motorcycle
Junjun (real name withheld) took his wallet but left his mo- about what really happened
Police Lieutenant Colonel Gil John Despi, city rider, who was already released from police cus-
claimed that he was abducted bile phone. but still helped the teenager.
police chief, identified the victim as Jose Medida, tody after the lapse of the 18-hour reglementary
around 1 pm at Barangay Lib- The suspects later kicked Teen/p11
85, Barangay Luna. detention.

Rider killed in three-vehicle collision

By Jennifer P. Rendon
A 53-year-old rider died after he al-
legedly collided with a police vehicle
and got hit by another motorcycle
evening of June 19 in Roxas City,
Capiz.
Richard Deo, 53, a construction
worker from Barangay Lanot, Roxas
City succumbed to multiple body in-
juries.
Another rider, Aaron Balcoba, 30,
of Ivisan, Capiz, was also wounded in
the incident. But he was sent home af-
ter getting treated.
According to reports, Corporal
Dominick Himan, 34, a member of
the Dumalag Municipal Police Station,
was driving a Mahindra police car
when the collision occurred.
Himan and another policeman
came from the Capiz Police Provincial
Office (CPPO) headquarters at Camp
Teodorico Apil in Barangay Lanot and
were on their way to Dumalag PNP
when the collision occurred.
Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Pa-
guia, Roxas City police chief, said Deo
was passing through Barangay Cab-
ugao around 8:40 p.m. Monday when
the incident happened.
Witnesses said he was speeding
and suddenly encroached on the op-
posite lane.
This allegedly left no time for Hi-
man to evade the motorcycle.
Deo was tossed from his bike and
landed in the middle of the road. He
was then hit by Balcoba’s motorcycle.
Emergency responders took Deo
and Balcoba to the hospital, but the
former was declared dead on arrival.
Himan and his companion were
unhurt.
Deo’s identity was not immediate-
ly known, as no identification card or
driver’s license was found in his pos-
session.
Family members only learned of
an unidentified man who figured in
a road crash at noontime on June 20.
According to his family, he
brought a relative to the nearby
Barangay Cabugao and didn’t mind
wearing a helmet or bringing with
him his wallet.
He also left his mobile phone at
home.
Deo was believed to be drunk
when the incident happened.

NGCP invests PhP6.47 billion
in substation improvements
To ensure the power grid’s op-
timal performance, transmis-
sion service provider NGCP
continues to upgrade its sub-
station facilities nationwide
through its ongoing substation
reliability projects.
These improvements intro-
duced by NGCP are filed with
the Energy Regulatory Com-
mission (ERC). Many of these
projects were implemented
from 2016 onwards but have
not yet received ERC’s provi-
NGCP continually invests in new technology to improve substation oper-
ations for more reliable and efficient transmission of power.
sional approval.
Given the operational need,
NGCP proceeded with the im-
plementation of these projects,
setting aside for later, the issue
on recovery approvals from
the ERC.
“Our priority has and will
always be doing what is best
for the public. Financial con-
siderations can take a back seat
and be threshed out later,” the
company stressed.
“We hope to correct the im-
pression that the consumers
are somehow shortchanged
with how rates are computed.
Our commitment has never
wavered: we serve the public,
and we work within the legal
and regulatory framework of
our concession and franchise,”
NGCP emphasized.
Since taking over transmis-
sion operations in 2009, NGCP
invested PhP3.289 Billion in
upgrades across 15 of its substa-
tions and converter stations in
Taytay, Binan, Quezon, Abaga,
Mexico, San Jose, Sucat, Com-
postela, Davao, Ormoc, Naga,
Araneta, Agus 2, Calaca, Agus
Old and aging power transformers installed pre-privatization were replaced with new equipment like this 100MVA transformer in Olongapo Substation
6, and Tiwi A and C. These
improvements cater to the in-
creasing load growth and reli-
ability of the system.
NGCP also implemented its
power transformer replace-
ments to update old and aging
transformers installed prior to
the privatization of the trans-
mission grid. From 2018 to
2021, NGCP replaced 33 pow-
er transformers and improved
the efficiency and reliability of
substation operations.
Twelve transformers were
replaced in North Luzon, 4 in
NCR, 5 in South Luzon, 3 in
Visayas, and 9 in Mindanao
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
with a total equipment cost of
US$37.7 Million or PhP1.8 Bil-
lion.
Besides this, 14 spare power
transformers worth US$14.6
Million or PhP764 Million
were also delivered to 6 sub-
stations in North Luzon, 5 in
South Luzon, 1 in Visayas, and
2 in Mindanao.
NGCP also constantly pre-
pares for possible effects of
man-made and natural ca-
lamities that may affect the
continuous transmission of
power. The company includ-
ed the procurement of mobile
transformer units that can be
3
moved, installed, and ener-
gized within the region in less
than 36 hours to restore power
serving specific localities.
Four mobile transformer
units worth US$12.1 Million or
PhP612 Million have been de-
livered to substations in Mex-
ico in Pampanga, Daraga in
Albay, Cadiz in Bacolod, and in
South Cotabato.
“The company continually
implements projects to im-
prove substation operations for
the efficient and reliable deliv-
ery of power. NGCP invests in
the best technology to better
serve its customers,” said NGCP.
4 Wednesday, June 21, 2023
OPINION
Is CPD an Act
of burden or
a blessing?
T
HE CONTINUING Professional Development (CPD) Act of
2016 was supposed to promote and improve professional
practices in the country. However, its implementation has
created burdens for licensed professionals instead of facilitating
their growth. Many professionals find it financially challenging to
attend costly seminars and workshops to earn CPD units, espe-
cially those with limited resources. Inadequate employer support
and limited subsidies make it even more difficult for profession-
als to access valuable learning opportunities. Additionally, the
requirement to accumulate many CPD units adds stress and time
constraints for professionals already balancing work and person-
al lives.
For example, when renewing my Guidance Counseling license
recently, I was asked to provide my active membership certificate
from the Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association (PGCA).
Thankfully, since it was my first re-

Much ado about SOGIE,

newal, I didn’t need to submit CPD
units. I was fortunate to have attend-
ed the PGCA’s International Confer-
ence last month, earning 24.5 CPD
points, ensuring my future renewal
and active membership certificate.
homosexuality
T
While some teachers and, occa-
HERE appears to be lit- condemns discrimination on On the contrary, we are uality. If you have forgotten,
Herman M. Lagon sionally, guidance counselors have tle hope for the SOGIE familiar with cases where search the old newspapers via
their seminars and training expenses (Sexual Orientation, certain celebrities earn pub- Google.
IMPULSES covered by their schools, profession- Gender Identity and Expres- lic ire for anti-homosexual On his flight back to Rome
als in other fields often need more sion (SOGIE) equality bill to statements. Hard to forget is from a week-long tour of Brazil
support. Limited access to subsidized pass into law even if its sup- boxer-turned-senator Manny in July 2013, an accompany-
seminar workshops and high participation costs create significant posedly noble intention is Paquiao, who once demonized ing reporter from the National
challenges, especially for fresh graduates or those with low sal- to prevent and penalize dis- a group lobbying to legalize Catholic Review asked him to
aries. This inequality in CPD opportunities hampers the profes- crimination on the basis of same-sex marriage. comment on the “gay lobby”.
sional growth of individuals in various sectors. sexual orientation, gender Realizing it was political- Pope Francis quipped, “If a
Although the CPD law allows professionals to engage in re- identity, or expression. ly incorrect, he appeased the homosexual person is of good-
Discrimination, to cite an angry “mob” by saying he was will and is in search of God, I
search, publications, and academic studies, the financial burden of
these activities, such as paying for research publications, is limited
example, is when an employ-
er refuses to employ an ap- PEOPLE merely quoting two Bible vers-
es. Here’s from the Old Testa-
am no one to judge.”
The Pope could have been
in their full utilization. Additionally, the requirement for institu-
tions or organizations to apply as CPD providers add unnecessary
plicant just because he or she POWWOW ment: “If a man has sexual re- paraphrasing Jesus Christ who
is identified with the LGBTQ Herbert Vego lations with a man as one does had said: “Judge not, that you
redundancy as CHED-accredited colleges and universities still community. The moniker re- with a woman, both of them may not be judged” (Matthew
need separate CPD accreditation. fers to “lesbian, gay, bisexual, have done what is detestable” 7.1).
The CPD law unintentionally encroaches on professionals’ transgender and queer”, whom the basis of sexual orientation, (Leviticus 20:13). Gays around the world nat-
work and rest time. Teachers, already burdened with responsibil- we would henceforth call “gay” gender identity, or expression. And here’s from the New urally take it to mean that the
ities like lesson planning and classroom management, are sacrific- for brevity. Anyway, with or without the Testament: “Neither fornica- Pope himself is “neutral” on ho-
ing their weekends for CPD activities. These additional demands The snag largely stems from bill ripening into law, discrim- tors, nor idolaters, nor adul- mosexuality regardless of Bible
hinder professionals from balancing work, rest, and growth, po- disagreement among religious ination is a fact of life that will terers, nor effeminate shall verses condemning it.
tentially affecting their overall well-being. leaders on the acceptability of naturally die down at some inherit the kingdom of God” (I In the same interview, the
sex outside of the traditional point in time. Gender inequal- Corinthians 6:9). Pope admonished his flock to
Recognizing these challenges, lawmakers have started discus-
male and female classifications. ity, in fact, has never been ab- The issue on homosexuality, also shake off their obsession
sions to amend or repeal the CPD law. Proposed amendments in-
Against the opinion of the solute. not gender discrimination, is a against abortion and contra-
clude addressing accessibility, cost, availability, and quality of CPD
majority of the clergy, Bishop It stands to reason that no more ticklish issue to resolve ception, and become more
programs. Suggestions include (1) incorporating regular in-service Solito Toquiero, representing man can put a good “woman” among Jews and Christians merciful or risk the collapse of
teacher training, (2) temporarily suspending compliance during the National Council of the down – as in the case of gay who “could not be wrong” in its entire moral edifice “like a
exceptional circumstances, (3) granting exemptions for specific Churches Philippines (NCCP), hairdressers and beauticians interpreting the quoted scrip- house of cards.”
groups, and (4) providing free or inexpensive training programs. supports the SOGIE bill be- who are preferable to their ture. In another interview. Pope
It is essential to assess and consider the CPD law thoroughly cause it seeks to recognize the “straight” counterparts. If Ironically, however, no less Francis told Civilta Cattolica
to ensure the effectiveness of professional development initia- importance of the LGBTQ com- this discriminates against the than the leader of 1.36 billion (an Italian Jesuit journal), “Re-
tives and uphold the well-being of professionals. It is crucial to munity. “straight” hairdressers, woe Roman Catholics worldwide, ligion has the right to express
address concerns regarding accessibility, cost, and redundan- This writer sees nothing unto them for not being so Pope Francis, has spoken in its opinion in the service of the
wrong with the bill that simply good. defense of homosex-
Impulses/p5 People Powwow/p5

LEMUEL T. FERNANDEZ DANIEL Y. LABINDAO

Founding Publisher Marketing OIC-Manila Bureau WEBSITE:
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 OPINION Wednesday, June 21, 2023 5

Privatize NAIA or the government Revisiting

‘Caesar and
G
oing by the logic of Senator Grace flimsy line of reasoning, more embarrassing that?

Poe to privatize the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport (NAIA), may I
ask, with due respect: Why not propose also
to privatize Congress?
It has been said that “be-
neath the ocean’s waves lie
many tiny and wonderful
Reni M.
COMMENTARY
sea creatures.” True. But in
the case of some govern-
ment programs, it is the
opposite that is more believable.
The overture to privatize NAIA is un-
supported neither by reason or sound argu-
ment nor any philosophy. It looks to me that
one of the chief aims of the move is to X out a
martyr from its name which is tantamount
to assassinating Ninoy Aquino for the sec-
ond time. The puzzle pieces seem starting to
connect.
It is frustrating indeed (and a shame) that
brownouts persist to besiege our premiere
airport. But worse, some officials think that
privatizing NAIA is the solution. Such a
(internationally) than “brownouts.” The fact
is, most of the world’s premiere airports are
state-owned - for sane reasons that cover
multiple national development interests and
national security. Imbecilic.
“Ingenious” souls argue
Valenzuela that NAIA would be better
off managed by a private
corporation, due the bum-
bling of its administrators.
But this is like admitting all our government
officials are incompetent and helpless in the
face of the numerous lingering problems
we, Filipinos, are constantly bedeviled with.
Are they, in effect, proposing to privatize
even Malacanang?
Katatapos lang umugong muli sa media
kamakailan ang ingay na i-privatize ang
NAIA, tapos biglang nag-brownout ulit sa
nasabing problemadong airport. (Just days
after the siren sounded anew in media to
privatize NAIA, there the brownout hit
again the said beleaguered airport). How is
For all we know, corruption (as in the case
of most problems in the country) may have
a great deal to do with the brownouts, tech
glitches, inconveniences, incompetence, etc.
in NAIA.
“That’s the standard technique of pri-
vatization: defund, make sure things don’t
work, people get angry, you hand it over to
private capital.” - Noam Chomsky
Clearly, the problem is not NAIA as a pre-
miere airport, run and owned by the gov-
ernment, but the government people who
manage it, including (incidentally) those
who openly/covertly push to privatize it.
The issue is not whether NAIA is being op-
erated by the government or private sector.
It is rather whether or not the people behind
it are capable and good-hearted or inept and
crooked-minded.
“Privatization is more efficient and effec-
tive in some cases, but not in intelligence.” -
Valerie Plame
renivalenzuelaletters@yahoo.com
Christ’
He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s,
and to God what is God’s.” --Luke 20:25
C
AESAR and Christ” is Part III of Dr. Will Durant’s mon-
umental survey of world history.
I found the hardbound copy of this book in a book
sale inside a Presbyterian Church in faraway City of Surrey
in British Columbia, Canada in 2011.
I haven’t finished reading the book, which I hand-carried
in a flight from LA to Manila in 2012. It is now displayed in
my small library in Iloilo City.
Dr. Durant’s work on “The Story of Civilization” originated
in 1914 when he first began to collect material. Fame–with
“The Story of Philosophy”—lay a dozen years ahead.
More than 20 years later in 1935, Part I, “Our Oriental Her-
itage,” was offered to the public. This was followed in 1939 by
the second part, “The Life of Greece.”
In 1944 came “Caesar and Christ,” the result of 25 years’
preparation and five years’ writing. Like the earlier parts, this
volume is an independent self-con-
tained segment of a 10-volume cultur-

The proper intention al history of civilization.

In this massive book, whose scope
and wit recall the golden days of his-

I
N all our moral acts which
are done knowingly and
freely, we should have the
proper intention. That’s because
our intention plays a crucial role
in our life. It is where we decide
whether we would like to be
with God or simply with our
own selves, to glorify God, love
and help others, or simply play
the game of self-indulgence.
We are reminded of this duty
to have the proper intention in
that gospel episode where Christ
told his disciples, “Take care not
to perform righteous deeds in
order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no rec-
ompense from your heavenly
Father. When you give alms, do
not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the syna-
gogues and in the streets to win
the praise of others.” (Mt 6,1-2)
We know that with our in-
tention, we can direct our acts
to God, following what was once
indicated by St. Paul, “Whether
you eat or drink, or whatsoever
else you do, do all to the glory intention, because our intention We need to actively purify our torical writing, Dr. Durant recounts
of God.” (1 Cor 10,31) That’s how is the very expression of who intentions, since we have to con- the flaming pageant of the rise of
our acts become and where in the tend with many spoilers in this Rome from a crossroads town to world
good, or moral. end we want to regard these days. In fact, we just mastery.
Otherwise, they be. Do we choose have to look around and see how He tells of its achievements through
are bad, or at least God, or do we openly opposed many people are Alex Vidal two centuries of security and peace,
dangerous.
This is so,
simply choose
ourselves, or the
of directing their intentions to God.
To them, intentions are strict-
ABOVE from the Crimea to Gibraltar and from
the Euphrates to Hadrian’s Wall, of its
since God, being world, in gener- ly personal and confidential THE BELT spread of classic civilization over the
the Creator, is al? It’s actually a matters that others do not have Mediterranean and western Europe-
the standard for choice between any right to meddle. While an world.
everything. And good and evil. there is a certain truth to this
more than the Even if we are claim, we have to remind our- -o0o-
standard, he is, Fr. Roy Cimagala not aware, or re- selves that our intentions too Dr. Durant tells of Rome’s struggle to preserve its ordered
in fact, the very
substance of what
REFLECTIONS fuse to be aware,
of this choice, the
are subject to a moral law.
This moral law is universal
realm from a surrounding sea of barbarism and of its long,
slow crumbling and final catastrophic collapse into darkness
is good, true and choice between in character. There is something and chaos.
beautiful, what is fair and just, God and us, between good and essential in it that cannot change Primarily a cultural history, Caesar and Christ lavishly dis-
what is perfection itself. evil is always made with every in spite of the variations that this cusses government, industry, manners, morals, the status of
Nothing is good, true and human act we do. law can come to us due to the dif- women, law, philosophy, science, literature, religion, and art.
beautiful, nothing is fair and We need to realize then that ferences of cultural, historical and Besides the varied pageant of the Catos, the Scipios, and
just, nothing is perfect if it is not we have to take care of our in- social conditionings, etc. the Gracchi, of Hannibal, Marius, Sulla, Catiline, Pompey,
done with God and for God. In tention, making it as explicit When we have the proper Caesar, Antony, Cleopatra, and the Emperors, good, bad, and
short, we need to refer all our as possible, and honing it to get intention, we would be pursu- indifferent, we view Cicero (busy in all departments of life),
acts to God. We have to make engaged with its proper and ul- ing what is truly good for us. Lucretius, Catullus, Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Tacitus, Juvenal,
this affirmation very clear in our timate object who is God. We We would be approaching the and such cultivators of latterday Hellenism as Plutarch, Lu-
mind and do everything to make should try our best to shun be- fullness of our humanity, in fact. cian, and Marcus Aurelius.
that ideal a reality. ing simply casual or cavalier Email: roycimagala@gmail. Dr. Durants accompanies us to watch the rise of temples,
And so, a lot depends on our about this responsibility. com basilicas, and forums pass a day of games and spectacles at
the Flavian amphitheater (correctly nicknamed the Colos-

Impulses... from p.4

cy, with the possibility of recalibration or
even repeal. By doing so, professionals can
thrive in a supportive environment that
fosters growth and development. Achiev-
ing a harmonious equilibrium between
work, rest, and personal growth will pave
the way for a sustainable and flourishing
professional community throughout the
country.
***
Dr. Herman Lagon fondly describes him-
seum). Turning to the eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Durant’s
book will make us accompany Christ on his ministry, witness
self as a ‘student of and for life’ who, like
the tragic scenes of the Passion, and sail and walk with Paul
many others, aspires to a life-giving and
on his missionary labors.
why-driven world that is grounded in social
justice. He is an ISUFST professor, a USLS
student, an Ateneo retiree, and an alumnus
-o0o-
The colors darken, Palmyra rises and falls. The Empire at-
of UP, UI, and WVSU.
tains a new–and spurious–invincibility under Aurelian, de-

P P
eople owwow from p.4 ...
people, but God in creation has
set us free. It is not possible to
interfere spiritually in the life of
a person.”
The 86-year-old Pope does
not complement the view of his
predecessor, Benedict XVI, who
had described homosexuality as
an “intrinsic disorder.”
John Gehring, Catholic pro-
gram director at Faith in Public
Life, wrote in a Washington
Post article, “This Pope is rescu-
ing the Church from those who
think that condemning gay peo-
ple and opposing contraception
define what it means to be a real
Catholic.”
“Francis distinguishes be-
tween the sin and the sinner.
He says that homosexuals are
not inferior or different to
others,” read an editorial in
the Vatican’s Osservatore Ro-
mano.
Now we can imagine more of
our gay Catholic friends coming
out of the closet, no longer feel-
ing “guilty”.
The Church itself would find
it very embarrassing to take ac-
tion against homosexuals, since
everybody knows of priests and
ministers who flaunt their ho-
mosexuality on the undisputed
ground that homosexual feel-
ings are inborn in their genes,
not optioned.
-oOo-
CENECO REFERENDUM
PUSHING THROUGH
“Let the people decide.”
According to MORE Power
President Roel Z. Castro, the ma-
jority of the 207,000 member
consumers of the Central Negros
Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Cene-
co) would have to decide on a
joint venture agreement (JVA)
between the two distribution
utilities through a referendum.
For several months already,
the need for MORE Power to
come in has been played up in
the Negros media because of the
heavy operational losses being
incurred by Ceneco – between
₱15 and ₱20 million per month.
Ceneco is buried deep in debt to
the tune of around ₱600 million.
MOREPower--thesoleelectricity
distribution utility in Iloilo City under
Primelectric Holdings – would spend
P2 billion for the asset purchase and
another P2 billion for capital expendi-
ture to modernize Ceneco.
The Ceneco-Prime JVA has
been signed by both parties.
However, under the guidelines
set by the National Electrification
Administration, it has to get the
majority votes in a referendum
to be conducted in nine districts
in various voting centers and pre-
cincts on four dates -- on June 24
and 25, and July 1 and 2, 2023.
clines, and finally stiffens into a bureaucratic mold.
Caesar and Christ contains many parallels to modern his-
tory, and Dr. Durant presents them with lucid authority. He
believes that a reading of past events should illuminate the
present. In the class struggles and jockeying for power that
typify Roman history from the Gracchi to Caesar, he finds an
analogue to the development of Europe and America from
the French Revolution to the present time.
He reminds us that dictators have ever used the same
methods. He tells us that the dole was restored to more than
a century before Christ and that the first Roman labor union
was established about 600 B.C.
We hear of bank failures, pork barrels, depressions, gov-
ernmental projects and regulations, State Socialism, war-time
priority plans, electoral corruption, pressure groups, trade as-
sociations, and other phenomena of ancient Rome that might
easily fit into front-pages headlines of our own era.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be
the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)
6 Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Capiz developer taps LANDBANK for growth, expansion
ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Nes-
tled amid the lush greenery
of a tranquil rural landscape
is a 670-hectare mixed-used
township development of the
Pueblo De Panay, Inc. (PDPI)
that has been a contributing
pillar to Roxas City’s bid for in-
clusive development.
Home to various commer-
cial establishments, agro-in-
dustrial zones, and endearing
tourist attractions—with a
residential component that
integrates Capiznons’ tradi-
tional lifestyle with contem-
porary living—the PDPI mega
township development steers
local economic activities and
generates average foot traffic
of 60,000 alongside employ-
ment opportunities for almost
10,000 locals.
Before becoming one of the
largest real estate developers
in the region, the journey of
PDPI started with Ong Fami-
ly’s humble beginnings in 2001
having only P1.7 million in cap-
ital. Today, the family-led PDPI
has grown into a developer of
several successful horizontal
and vertical residential and
commercial projects, providing
housing and business opportu-
nities to all market segments in
Roxas City.
Recently, PDPI ramped up
improvements in its property
to accommodate key locators,
including business process
outsourcing (BPO) companies,
restaurants, hotels, banks,
government offices, and other
firms that provide local em-
ployment.
As with any business ex-
pansion, the PDPI needed fi-
nancial backing for its plans
BUSINESS
and projects to fruitfully ma-
terialize. They turned to the
Land Bank of the Philippines
(LANDBANK) in 2017, and
secured funding for the con-
struction of a seven-story BPO
building and fish processing
plant in the township.
LANDBANK likewise ex-
tended financing support for
site development of a 7.4-hect-
are IT Park that can host up to
10 BPO buildings; construction
of a five-story building to be oc-
cupied by a private educational
institution; and concreting of
roads across the development,
which include drainage works
and electrical and water lines.
“LANDBANK and PDPI
share the same vision of pro-
The 670-hectare township development of Pueblo de Panay, Inc. (PDPI) in Roxas City, Capiz steers local economic activities and generates employ-
moting countryside develop- ment opportunities for almost 10,000 locals. The construction and improvement of various projects within the property are supported by LANDBANK,
ment and inclusive growth. It’s which has been PDPI’s development partner since 2017. (Photo courtesy of PDPI)
about connectivity: We under-
stand them, and they under-
stand us. We are lucky to have
LANDBANK as our reliable
partner,” said PDPI Chief Oper-
ations Officer Lex Lavin.
Pueblo de Panay has trans-
formed a once undeveloped
parcel of land into a mas-
ter-planned township and via-
ble investment destination de-
signed by the Singaporean firm
Surbana Jurong. The township
has become a bustling business
hub where people can live,
work, relax, and have fun, em-
bodying the company’s advo-
cacy of “Life. Work. Balance.”
With this success, the PDPI The six-story BPO building (left) and fish processing plant (right) in Pueblo de Panay are among the first developments
has proven that a country- financed by LANDBANK in support of PDPI’s expansion plan.
side-based and homegrown
brand could have world-class ther developments within the country, PDPI is developing ad- cluding an affordable housing BANK, the Capiz-based devel-
aspirations and be a catalyst township. ditional residential projects in project to cater to government oper is also planning to expand
of local growth. The firm is Responding to the call of the the next five years to provide workers and Overseas Filipino in other key cities and towns
committed to pursue this un- National Government to allevi- almost 2,000 housing units for Workers (OFWs). and offer PDPI’s brand of excel-
dertaking by stepping up fur- ate the housing backlog of the middle-income households, in- With the help of LAND- lence all over the country.

PNP, GCash: Lending

USAID Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer meets Robert Antonio,
Chieftain of the Agta community in Sitio Golden Valley, Lal-lo, Cagayan.
USAID Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer (second from left) and
USAID Philippines Mission Director Ryan Washburn (leftmost) hand over
three additional garbage collection vehicles and newly designed uniforms
to the Eco Warriors women waste collectors during a visit to Puerto Princ-
esa City, Palawan.
apps unsafe unless
listed with SEC
Financial loans from lending apps have now become a vital
source of funds for consumers during emergencies.
However, it is important to make sure that the loaner or lend-
ing institution is a legitimate company that abides by the stan-
dards of the government.
This is the warning that the Philippine National Police (PNP)
Anti-Cybercrime Group and GCash, the country’s leading mobile
wallet app, is giving to consumers who are thinking of applying
for a loan, to make sure they will not fall victim to scams and that
the lending company is a legitimate entity registered with the Se-
curities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
“A lot of people are falling victim into lending schemes, we are
reminding the public to be vigilant and beware of these through
the tips we constantly send the public via our social media chan-
nels and we are happy with the strengthened partnership with

USAID assistant administrator awards

GCash for this cybersecurity public service campaign,” says PNP
ACG Spokesperson, PCapt Michelle Sabino.
GCash is also a player in the lending space with products such

Php65M in new energy grants during PHL visit
On June 16, United States Agency for Inter-
national Development (USAID) Assistant
Administrator for Asia Michael Schiffer
awarded more than Php65 million ($1.16
million) in grants to support energy secu-
rity and conservation in the provinces of
Cagayan and Isabela as part of his visit to
the Philippines from June 15 to 18.
Recipient organizations are USAID’s Fil-
ipino partners Tri-Sky Inc. and the Philip-
pine Disaster Resilience Foundation.
Provided under USAID’s Php1.6 billion
($34 million) Energy Secure Philippines
program, the grants will support local
energy planning and the installation of
renewable energy technologies, such as
solar roofing and nano generators in the
province.
With greater energy access, Cagayan
and Isabela’s remote communities can bet-
ter prepare for and recover from natural
disasters. Communities surrounding the
Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agree-
ment sites in Lal-lo and Santa Ana will also
benefit from the grants.
“USAID understands that energy is the
foundation for systems such as banking,
telecommunications, digital platforms,
health, education, and transport, among
other services,” Assistant Administrator
Schiffer said. “We look forward to part-
nering with the Philippines to provide
greater access to sustainable energy in re-
mote communities, increasing prosperity
for families across the country.”
In partnership with the Mabuwaya
Foundation and the Agta Indigenous Peo-
ples community at Sitio Golden Valley in
Barangay San Mariano, Assistant Admin-
istrator Schiffer also launched the “From
Ridge to River” project. Through this proj-
ect, USAID will work with local communi-
ties, partners, and government officials to
conserve forests in northern Sierra Madre.
“This launch is an important step to-
ward preserving the natural beauty and
ecological balance of the region, and we
are proud to be part of it,” said Assistant
Administrator Schiffer.
During his time in the Philippines, As-
sistant Administrator Schiffer also spoke
at the Asian Development Bank’s annual
Asia Clean Energy Forum in Manila and
visited a USAID-supported drug rehabili-
tation program in Mandaluyong City.
Additionally, he traveled to Palawan,
where he toured the Puerto Princesa Sub-
terranean River National Park; visited a
waste collection and sorting site; sat with
civil society organizations to discuss con-
cerns over illegal, unreported, and unreg-
ulated fishing in the Philippines’ exclusive
economic zone; and visited the BRP Teresa
Magbanua to learn about the Philippine
Coast Guard’s protection of marine re-
sources in Philippine waters.
as GCredit, GGives, and GLoan available on its platform which is
safe and protected by advanced cybersecurity technology. As of
the 1st quarter of 2023, GCash has disbursed more than P70B loan
transactions making it one of the most trusted loaners.
“More than just offering secure, convenient and accessible loan
products, we at GCash aim to empower our customers with the
knowledge and tools to protect themselves against online lend-
ing scams. By educating them about the importance of SEC-listed
lending apps, we are helping ensure their financial safety,” says
Fuse Lending CEO , Tony Isidro.
But for those who opt to loan from different lending company,
GCash gives a few tips for a safe and secure loan.
The lack of knowledge when it comes to loan applications can
lead to scams or falling into the hands of abusive lending com-
panies with dubious interests and can even lead to harassment.
To avoid such situations, it’s important to read the fine print and
understand the terms and conditions of the app before proceed-
ing. Additionally, it is recommended to exercise due diligence to
ensure submitted IDs are sent to legitimate recipients to prevent
unauthorized use. It is also wise to refrain from transacting with
individuals that they have met only online and to beware of any
processing fees, as they often indicate a scam.
By verifying a lending app’s registration with the SEC, users
can avoid falling victim to scammers, fraudsters, and cyber-crim-
inals. The list can be viewed on SEC’s website at https://www.sec.
gov.ph. If an online lending app is not on the SEC’s registered list, it
is critical to block and report it immediately.
 BUSINESS Wednesday, June 21, 2023 7
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative JobStreet
launches new standards at Global Conference by SEEK
hit record
high of
Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary and minerals production. energy transition, social and environmental impact
Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initia- During the four-day event, Undersecretary Magno monitoring, and tax transparency.
tive (PH-EITI) Chairperson Maria Cielo D. Magno led was also re-elected for another three (3) years in the She also delivered her closing remarks at the
the PH-EITI delegation during the launch of the 2023
EITI Standard at the 2023 EITI Global Conference
EITI Board, representing the government constituen-
cy from Asia and the Pacific.
Leadership Forum, where global leaders from gov-
ernments, companies, and civil society organizations registered
from June 12 to 15, 2023 in Dakar, Senegal.
Almost 1,400 participants from governments, com-
As a representative of the civil society constituency
in the EITI Board for the past seven (7) years, Undersec-
have committed to strengthening transparency in im-
plementing the EITI standards. and active
hirers
panies, and civil society organizations attended the retary Magno has pushed for more robust extractive “I know that in the next 20 years, the principles of
four-day event. governance standards on free, prior, and informed EITI––the spirit of shared leadership between govern-
The 2023 EITI Standard sets forth several new and consent (FPIC), gender disaggregation of extractives ment, civil society, and the private sector, open gover-
refined provisions on revenue collection, anti-corrup- data, social and environmental monitoring, company nance and accountability––will live on. These spirits Leading online job portal Job-
tion, and gender, social, and environmental impacts of disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions, and beneficial that are mainstreamed, championed, adopted, owned, Street by SEEK reaches yet an-
the extractives sector. ownership reporting, among others. and innovated [by EITI’s implementing countries] will other milestone as its number
It also includes energy transition as one of its re- Aside from her re-election to the Board, Undersec- become the basis on how we will achieve our shared of registered and active hirers
quirements, recognizing the global shift to a low-car- retary Magno participated in three panel discussions mission to reverse the resource curse,” Undersecretary in the platform hit a record
bon economy, as well as the importance of critical on strategies and insights on critical minerals and the Magno said. high of 40,000 employers.
Dubbed the first in history
since its inception, the online
employment marketplace’s
hirer base has doubled from an
average of 20,000 employers
pre-pandemic, paving the way
for more jobs available for Fili-
pino employees.
“We are very grateful for the
hirers who have been trusting
us throughout this journey. It
gives us the inspiration to do
so much more for them—giving
them more quality candidates
and the best talents available
in the market. This proves that
through teamwork and pas-
sion for the mission of giving
jobs to every Filipino, it can
actually be achieved,” shared
Philip Gioca, JobStreet by SEEK
Country Manager.
Currently, the platform re-
cords a daily average of 80,000

Shoppable Business raises US$1.15M

jobs available, the highest num-
ber to date since the pandemic.
Of these, 40% are entry-level
jobs available for fresh gradu-

in oversubscribed pre-seed round

Shoppable Business, the B2B eCom-
merce marketplace and technology
company, has closed its oversub-
scribed pre-seed financing round
of US$1.15M. The company aims to
digitize procurement and wholesale
distribution in the Philippines, pav-
ing a better way to buy and sell for
businesses.
Foxmont Capital Partners and
Seedstars International Ventures co-
led the round, alongside a global net-
work of angel investors with deep
knowledge and connections in dig-
itizing procurement and wholesale
distribution in the Philippines and
Southeast Asia. Past investors include
AHG Lab who provided initial fund-
ing and early stage support for Shop-
pable Business.
“Sourcing and procurement have
traditionally been a very manual
and a very challenging experience
in the Philippines. The lack of trans-
parency in pricing and difficulty in
finding goods at scale and quickly is
something Filipino companies have
had to deal with for too long. Shop-
pable Business helps to directly solve
that problem, and we believe Carlo
and his team are exactly the right
team to do it,” says Franco Varona,
Managing Partner of Foxmont Cap-
ital Partners.
“Shoppable is an innovative plat-
form that addresses a critical gap in B2B
procurement in Southeast Asia. By im-
proving access and transparency, Shop-
pables aim is to solve the pain points of
procurement for businesses. We look
forward to supporting their vision to
make B2B procurement in the Philip-
pines more efficient, accessible, and re-
liable.” shared Patricia Sosrodjojo, Gen-
eral Partner at Seedstars International
Ventures.
“In early stage startup invest-
ments, funders are essentially un-
derwriting the Founders’ character,
track record, and vision. Even from
Shoppable’s early days, Carlo and
his team already had these rockstar
foundations that could revolutionize
B2B procurement in the Philippines
and Southeast Asia,” says Rene Cuar-
tero, CEO of AHG Lab.
The funding will be used to grow
Shoppable Business’ business develop-
ment team, develop more products and
features, and expand into new markets
within the region.
Shoppable Business helps any busi-
ness or “business consumer” looking for
branded products and services to pro-
cure for their own use and retailers/re-
sellers looking for new products to sell
in their own stores.
This is especially beneficial in the
Philippines where it is difficult to pro-
cure authentic branded products online
and offline. The country’s eCommerce
sector has not seen innovations dedi-
cated to business owners/consumers
since social commerce was introduced
in 2015, and all its technology was de-
signed for individual consumers in
general. In the absence of a B2B mar-
ketplace in the Philippines, suppliers
and companies primarily turned to FB
Marketplace and classified ads for doing
business online, yet processing orders
was still a tedious and traditional pro-
cess.
Carlo Silva, co-founder and CEO of
Shoppable Business, says, “Our cost-ef-
fective eCommerce procurement tech-
nology, access to 100% authentic brand-
ed products and services at wholesale
prices with no MOQ, empower entre-
preneurs so they can focus on growing
their business.
Consistent with its mission to help
sellers and brands worldwide, Shoppa-
ble Business aims to make eCommerce
better, accessible, and convenient for
customers at the best pricing, with
faster shipping, better selection, and
guaranteed product authenticity. It is
a proud marketplace partner of GS1
Philippines. GS1 is the global standard
for barcodes and product identification,
present in 116 countries, has 2M+ mem-
ber companies, and does 6B+ in daily
transactions.
Shoppable Business also guaran-
tees the issuance of official BIR-cer-
tified sales invoices and receipts
with every purchase, which compa-
nies need in the Philippines to claim
the full purchase on their books.
Shoppable Business is well on its way
to building the largest network of vet-
ted suppliers in the country. It offers
thousands of products from hundreds
of trusted brands, such as comput-
er equipment, furniture, appliances,
construction supplies, made-to-order
goods, food and business services, and
much more!
ates or jobseekers with no ex-
perience.
Gioca also added that 30%
of the employers in JobStreet
by SEEK are offering flexible
working arrangements.
The peak in JobStreet by
SEEK’s hirer base also trans-
lated into one billion pesos in
revenue. This significant event
indicates that more and more
hirers are trusting the job por-
tal in seeking quality candi-
dates, offering a variety of jobs
for many Filipinos.
JobStreet by SEEK is com-
pliant with the Department of
Labor and Employment, and
mechanisms are in place to elim-
inate scammers that are prolifer-
ating in current times, so candi-
dates and hirers can guarantee
that the jobs on the platform are
from real employers and that
they can find real talent.
Driven by its mission of pro-
viding jobs to every Filipino,
JobStreet by SEEK has been at
the forefront of nation-build-
ing. The platform has worked
with different government
agencies and private sectors to
bring together hirers and can-
didates through on-ground and
online job fairs. Not to mention
its continued innovation in the
platform offering useful tools
for jobseekers.

Tosia... from p.1

where they named the highly covet-
ed ‘Circle of Five’ in junior high school
and college students.
They were adjudged based on the
four ‘pillars’ of TOSIA: academic excel-
lence, leadership, community involve-
ment, and faith.
A new feature to the awards is the
live Advocacy Jam, which was kicked
off last May 21 at the Festive Walk Il-
oilo in Mandurriao district, where the
finalists discussed their advocacies
not only to family, friends, and sup-
porters, but also to mallgoers.
This portion of the TOSIA was
started in 2021 virtually, but in its
third year, it was held with a physical
audience, and with an advocacy post-
er exhibit, where finalists’ advocacy
projects were displayed for 10 days
at Festive Walk Mall’s activity center
from May 21 to 30.
The junior high school ‘Circle of
Five’ included Rhianne Faye Alag
(Cabatuan National Comprehensive
High School), Romald Angelo Bayting
(PAREF Westbridge School), Beneil
Christian Caperocho (Central Philip-
pine University), Gena Faith Cortez
(Cabatuan National Comprehensive
High School), and Reysheil Anne
Doromal (Philippine Science High
School – Western Visayas Campus).
In the collegiate category, this ‘elite’
group included Sam David Andrada
and Jireh Daniel Tim Pinuela (Central
Philippine University), John Paul Su-
papo (West Visayas State University),
Kezia Camille Tenefrancia (John B.
Lacson Foundation Maritime Univer-
sity-Arevalo), and Ram Angelie Va-
lasote (University of San Agustin).
Other junior high school finalists
include Angela Francheska Amboy
(Cabatuan National Comprehensive
High School), Mark Francis Eusoya
(Philippine Science High School –
Western Visayas Campus), Mary An-
tonette Gison (Colegio de San Jose),
Sheriemei Anne Hojilla (Central Phil-
ippine University), Akyzah Denyss
Inate (Hua Siong College of Iloilo), and
Harlene Faith Labos (Barotac Viejo
National High School).
College finalists included Kriss
Kringle Inge Bancolo (Central Phil-
ippine University), Mary Divine De
Villaluna (University of San Agustin),
Raymart Eufracio (West Visayas State
University), Erica Opinion (John B.
Lacson Foundation Maritime Univer-
sity-Molo), and Lara Taclima (Iloilo Sci-
ence and Technology University).
The finalists were also honored
in specific areas, with Tenefrancia
named as TOSIA Artisan and TOSIA
Scholar, Doromal as TOSIA Scholar
and TOSIA Speaker, Bayting as TOSIA
Worker and TOSIA Leader, Alag and
Pinuela as TOSIA Writers, Valasote
as TOSIA Speaker, Supapo as TOSIA
Worker, and De Villaluna as TOSIA
Leader.
John B. Lacson Foundation Mari-
time University-Molo Campus, Caba-
tuan National Comprehensive High
School, and PAREF Westbridge School
were named as TOSIA Elite schools,
having had finalists for the past five
editions of the awards.
Pototan town councilor Paolo Ti-
rador, who was the ceremony’s guest
speaker, shared his journey of growth,
from refusing to participate and inter-
act as a child, to becoming proactive
in his life as a student and as a leader,
which he touted help him to become
one of TOSIA’s first honorees in 2010.
The 2023 TOSIA is organized by
Junior Chamber International (JCI)
Regatta in partnership with the De-
partment of Education and the Com-
mission on Higher Education, with
Daily Guardian as one of its media
partners.
8 Wednesday, June 21, 2023
VMC continues rehab efforts in Malihaw River
By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Victorias Milling
Company (VMC) mobilized employ-
ees and volunteers in their recent
waterways clean-up drive as part of
continuing efforts to rehabilitate the
Malihaw River in Victorias City, Ne-
gros Occidental.
VMC President Linley Retirado
said Tuesday that the clean-up was
conducted in collaboration with the
regional Environmental Management
Bureau (EMB) as part of Environment
Month to “ensure that our waterways
remain clean and safe and also to pro-
tect marine life.”
VMC also invited environmental
experts to assess and set up addition-
al mitigating measures to ensure that
NEGROS
their wastewater treatment facility
levels are stabilized which eradicated
the odor caused by the molasses leak
last month.
Environmental specialist Dr. Ram
Bautista of the University of the Phil-
ippines Visayas said, “The positive
impact of this incident is that it has
caused VMC to start developing new
protocols for molasses tank monitor-
ing and emergency response plan.”
“The company is now in the course
of improving the performance of the
wastewater treatment plant to consis-
tently comply with the effluent stan-
dards of the Department of Environ-
ment and Natural Resources (DENR)
and to accommodate and treat sudden
increases in organic load,” Bautista
added.
VMC recently requested the Sug-
ar Regulatory Administration as a
third-party monitoring agency to val-
idate and assess their findings and re-
cent tests conducted at the Daan Ban-
wa in Barangay 9 and at Avery Bridge
showed that ambient water quality
levels in the river have stabilized.
Results in the report show that
upon a series of close monitoring, the
water quality has improved in BOD
such that it went below the maxi-
mum value of 50mg/L and further de-
creased when resampled several days
after.
BOD is a measure of the amount
of oxygen required to remove waste
organic matter from water in the
process of decomposition by aerobic
bacteria (those bacteria that live only
in an environment containing oxy-
gen). 50 mg/L is the maximum BOD
for class C water. Anything below 50
is within standard.
Other findings were likewise val-
idated by the Victorias City Environ-
ment and Natural Resources Office
which issued a statement that VMC’s
wastewater ponds have been “stabi-
lized.”
The VCENRO team was present
during the water sampling at the
wastewater plant of the mill, noting
that “VMC had effectively controlled
the adverse effects of the molasses
spill on its wastewater treatment fa-
cility and resolved the issue of the foul
odor.”
Recently, a fact-finding committee
was organized to probe the molasses
spillage incident of VMC at the Mali-
haw River in Victorias City, Negros
Occidental, where a foul odor affected
more than 200 families.
Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Beni-
tez said that the molasses spillage
took place on May 5, after a 10,000
metric ton capacity molasses tank of
the said sugar central exploded and
its contents spilled into the Malihaw
River.
The foul odor, which has spread
to different barangays of Victorias,
becomes worse during nighttime, ac-
cording to complaining residents, who
have been enduring it for more than
two weeks.
Benitez reported that the foul odor
has affected residents of Brgys. 6A, 9,
and 13, all in Victorias City.

Roads upgraded for seamless travel Bacolod

to northern Negros Occidental
Traveling to the cities and towns in northern
Negros Occidental will be more convenient
with the road improvement activities being un-
dertaken by the Department of Public Works
and Highways (DPWH).
DPWH-Negros 1st District Engineering Office
is currently implementing asphalt overlaying
along two major roads in northern Negros Oc-
cidental, specifically in the cities of Cadiz and
Sagay.
Citing from the report of OIC-District Engineer
Dene B. Baldonado Jr., DPWH Regional Director
(RD) Nerie D. Bueno said these preventive mainte-
nance projects will extend the lifespan of the road,
and provide motorists and travelers with a seam-
less and cost-efficient transportation, benefiting all
road users and the environment.
“Overlaying the existing concrete roads with
asphalt will strengthen the pavement, correct-
ing the surface defects, and improving pave-
ment serviceability. This will also offer high skid
resistance and provide high contrast between
the pavement and road markings, giving drivers
better visibility of the signs,” RD Bueno said.
“Overlaying road with asphalt will also re-
store the ability of the road to handle heavy traf-
fic on its smooth, sealed surface. Overlaying does
not also require longer curing time, hence, con-
struction time is minimized, and traffic delays
VALHALLA RESORT & RESTO INC. ( VALHALLA BAR & RESTAURANT)
No. Position
*To manage the business in accordance International
1 ASSISTANT MANAGER
level of quality in overall operations.
Submit resume and application letter to VALHALLA RESORT & RESTO INC. ( VALHALLA BAR & RESTAURANT) at Phase IV Dmall Boracay Balabag Malay Aklan.
will be minor,” RD Bueno added.
Meantime, OIC-DE Dene B. Baldonado, Jr.,
said that the overlaying projects will benefit ve-
hicle owners and operators, as well as the resi-
dents along the road.
“Asphalt road surfaces offer cost-efficient
vehicle maintenance, reducing frequent occur-
rence of “wear-and-tear.” The smoother road
surface also reduces noise and air pollution as
vehicles could run smoothly, reducing strong
engine revolution, OIC-DE Baldonado said.
“Asphalt overlay provides a smoother, dark,
solid surface that improves the ride quality, re-
duce noise levels, and reduce the full cycle cost
of the surface,” Baldonado added.
Expected to be completed within the 3rd
quarter this year, the two asphalt overlaying
projects include the 1.42-kilometer portion of
the 4-lane Bacolod North Road from Cadiz City
to Sagay City in the amount of ₱20 million; and
the 495-meter portion of the 4-lane Sagay-Ba-
to-Dian-Marcelo-Balea Junction Road in Sagay
City in the amount of ₱8 million, which includes
provision of metal guard rails for additional pro-
tection.
DPWH remains committed in its mission in
providing necessary engineering solution for
road safety by ensuring that road surface is at
par with international standards. (DPWH)
Phase IV Dmall Boracay Balabag Malay Aklan
JOB VACANCY
Job Description Qualifications
* 10 Years experience in Managing
Restaurant with Food Preparation 30,000 - 59,999
Expertise
City eyes
completion
of 400
housing
units in July
BACOLOD City – The city
government here is eyeing
the completion of at least 400
housing units under the Pam-
bansang Pabahay Para sa Pil-
ipino Housing (4PH) program
in time for the second State of
the Nation Address (SONA) of
President Ferdinand R. Mar-
cos Jr. on July 24.
Construction is underway
Ongoing asphalt overlaying on a portion of Bacolod North Road (top) and for the first set of housing
Sagay-Bato-Dian-Marcelo-Balea Junction Road in the cities of Cadiz and
units to be part of the Yuhum
Sagay. (Photos courtesy of DPWH, Negros Occidental 1st DEO)
Residences at the Arao relo-
Republic of the Philippines
Department of Transportation cation site in Barangay Vista
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
Region VI, Jaro, Iloilo City Alegre.
Case No.: LPTRP-IC-NC-MPUJ-PA-10-111 Mayor Alfredo Abelardo
Metro Iloilo Transport Service Cooperative (MITSCOOP)
Applicant/Petitioner Benitez said the developer told
Notice of Hearing
Applicant request authority for the issuance of a CPC with Provsional Authority
to operate a MPUJ Service pursuant to MC No. 2022-024, to operate on the line:
him that two buildings are ex-
Tagbak-Iloilo City Proper Loop, with the use of Fifty Eight (58) units.
This application/petition shall be considered by the Board on June 27, 2023 at
pected to be finished before the
9:00 a.m. thru online hearing.
At least FIVE (5) days prior to the date of hearing, applicant/peitioner shall SONA.
publish this notice once in any newspaper of general circulation in Region VI.
Proof of the publication and other piece of evidence must be sumbitted at least “It’s about 400 units. There
three (3) days before the scheduled online hearing.
Together with the foregoing proof of publication, applicant and counsel are are (similar housing programs)
directed to submit their email addresses.
Parties opposed to the granting of this application/petition must file their being implemented in other
written opposition supported by the documentary evidence unless the Board
deems it necessary to receive additional documents and/or oral evidence. provinces, but we are more ad-
Witness the Honorable Richard Z. Osmeña, Regional Director, this 15th day of
June 2023. vance,” he said in an interview
Atty. Salvador A. Altura Jr.
Salary Range
Hearing Officer Sunday night.
Republic of the Philippines In March this year, the
Department of Transportation
city government entered
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
Region VI, Jaro, Iloilo City
Case No.: RVI-EV-MR-TT-2023-05-18-062 into a joint venture agree-
Paradise Island Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (2018-VI-062)
Applicant/Petitioner ment with the consortium
Notice of Hearing
Peitioner request authority for the Extension of Validity of CP with Modification
of Route to operate a Tourist Transport service from the line: Based in Kalibo
of WRS Holdings Inc. and
International Airport to any point in Western Visayas tot he line: Based in Mabini
St., Corner N. Roldan Kalibo, Aklan to any point in Western Visayas with the use of
Scheirman Construction
Four (4) unit.
This application/petition shall be considered by the Board on June 27, 2023 at Consolidated Inc., which
9:00 a.m. thru online hearing.
At least FIVE (5) days prior to the date of hearing, applicant/peitioner shall will invest PHP2 billion for
publish this notice once in any newspaper of general circulation in Region VI.
Proof of the publication and other piece of evidence must be sumbitted at least
three (3) days before the scheduled online hearing.
the development of mixed-
Together with the foregoing proof of publication, applicant and counsel are
directed to submit their email addresses.
use human settlement proj-
Parties opposed to the granting of this application/petition must file their
written opposition supported by the documentary evidence unless the Board ects in two locations.
deems it necessary to receive additional documents and/or oral evidence.
Witness the Honorable Richard Z. Osmeña, Regional Director, this 16th day of On the other site at Bredco,
May 2023.
Atty. Salvador A. Altura Jr.
Hearing Officer
Reclamation Area will rise the
Yuhum Executive.

JOB OPENING!! “We are planning to ex-

pand the Yuhum housing
program to many other sites.
This will be scattered all over

5 CHINESE TOUR GUIDE Bacolod City so that the ben-

eficiaries will not be forced
Qualification: Must be fluent in both to live in just one area. They
will have the option to de-
English & Chinese Mandarin cide where they want to live,”
Benitez said.
With or without experience Bacolod is considered the
first local government unit in
as Tour Guide. the country to implement the
4PH, a flagship shelter pro-
gram of the Marcos adminis-
5’ STARS PREMIUM- HOLIDAYS TRAVEL tration which seeks to build a
total of 6 million housing units
AND TOURS to address the country’s hous-
ing backlog in six years or until
Brgy. Balabag, Boracay Island, Malay, 2028.

Aklan
Under the city’s agreement
with the consortium, some
Email: 5starstravel@gmail.com 3,000 units will rise at the
Yuhum Residences while the
Mobile No. 09275670991 Yuhum Executive will have
7,000 units. (PNA)
CLASSIFIED ADS Wednesday, June 21, 2023 9
10 Wednesday, June 21, 2023 EDUCATION
UPV Graduate school benchmarks with graduate
programs of UP Los Baños and UP Manila
UP Visayas is partnering with
the UP Los Baños Graduate
School (UPLB-GS) and UP Ma-
nila National Graduate Office
for the Health Sciences (NG-
OHS) for a Tri-campus Bench-
marking on Graduate School
Academic Policy and Opera-
tional Processes.
Spearheaded by the Office
of the Vice Chancellor for Ac-
ademic Affairs and the UPV
Graduate School, the in-person
activity was held at the AVR,
GCEB, UPV Iloilo City Campus
on June 15-16, 2023.
The two-day benchmarking
gave UPV the chance to look
into the best practices of UPLB
GS and UP NGOHS. These
graduate entities showed dis-
tinct and interesting structures
and approaches to managing
their graduate programs. They
provided valuable insights for
UPV GS as it pursues its track.
Leading the presentations
and discussions were UPV
Vice Chancellor for Academic
Affairs, Dr. Phillip Ian Padil-
la, UPLB Dean of Graduate
School, Dr. Jomar Rambajante;
Director of NGOHS, Dr. Leslie
Michelle Dalmacio and Dean
of UPV Graduate School, Dr.
Rowena Paz Gelvezon. The
discussion included graduate
structure, faculty profile, staff-
ing pattern, support services,
academic processes, and cur-
ricular proposals.
UPV GS recognizes the
need to continually evaluate
its operations and competitive
position in the face of increas-
ing competition, demand for
accountability, and a changing
macro environment. Bench-
marking has been identified
as a valuable management tool
and ensure continual learn-
ing and improved efficiency
among organizations.
The UPV Graduate School
is conducting a benchmarking
activity to assess the quality of
its academic and operational
processes and identify areas
for improvement. This is also
done to ensure continual learn-
ing and improved efficiency as
this involves a systematic way
of measuring and comparing
its work processes with the
those of others while at the
same time bringing external
perspectives. (Ms. AL Ramirez,
IPO)

2nd CHED Regional FROM SEA TO SKY

Quality Awards UPD-CS scientists feted

(Conclusion)
T
he Commission on Higher Education (CHED) celebrated its 29th Founding Anni-
versary last May 15-19, 2023. The highlight of the celebration was the 2nd CHED
Regional Quality Awards Program conducted to recognize the efforts and initia-
tives of higher education institutions in the areas of instruction, research and commu-
nity extension.
The 3 HEIs awarded as Best in Community Extension were University of San Agus-
tin, TUP-Visayas and Kabankalan Catholic College.
The 3 HEIs awarded as Best in Research were University
of San Agustin, West Visayas State University and Universi-
ty of St. La Salle.
The 3 HEIs awarded as Best in Internationalization Imple-
mentation were ISAT University, West Visayas State Univer-
sity and University of St. La Salle.
The 3 HEIs awarded as Model Implementers of Unified Fi-
nancial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST)
were Colegio de Sta. Ana de Victorias, HerCor College, and
Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology
(NONESCOST).
Dr. Rex Casiple The 3 HEIs awarded as Model Implementers of CHED
Scholarship Programs (CSP) were STI-West Negros Universi-
EDUCATION ty, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, and ISAT Uni-
UPDATES versity.
The 3 HEIs awarded as Model Implementers of Staff and
Instructors Knowledge Advancement Program (SIKAP) were
Central Philippine University, Iloilo State University of Fisheries, Science and Technolo-
gy (ISUFST) and John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University.
The 3 HEIs awarded as Model Implementers of Higher Education Management Infor-
mation System (HEMIS) were Garcia College of Technology, St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary,
and Iloilo Doctors College.
The 3 HEIs awarded as Model Implementers of Registrars Records (Certification, Au-
thentication and Verification; and Special Orders) were Iloilo Doctors College, Universi-
ty of Negros Occidental – Recoletos, and Iloilo City Community College.
The 3 HEIs awarded as Best in the Students Affairs and Services (SAS) implemen-
tation were University of St. La Salle, University of San Agustin, and ISAT University.
The 3 HEIs awarded as Best in National Service Training Program (NSTP) implementation
were Central Philippine University, Colegio San Agustin – Bacolod and Bago City College.
And the 33 HEIs awarded as Best Implementers in Sustaining Flexible Learning in
Higher Education as a Measure to Continue Learning under the COVID 19 Pandem-
ic were Aklan Catholic College, Aklan Polytechnic College, Aklan State University,
Bacolod City College, Capiz State University, Central Philippine University, Central
Philippine State University, Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, Colegio de Sta. Ana de
Victorias, Colegio de San Agustin – Bacolod, College of St. John-Roxas, Fellowship Bap-
tist College, Guimaras State College, Iloilo Doctors College, ISAT University, Iloilo State
University of Fisheries, Science and Technology, John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime
University, John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation, Kabankalan Catholic College, Northern
Iloilo State University, Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology, Riv-
erside College, Southland College of Kabankalan City, St. Anthony’s College – Antique,
STI-West Negros University, University of Antique, University of Iloilo, University of
Negros Occidental – Recoletos, University of San Agustin, University of St. La Salle, and
West Visayas State University.
Congratulations to all the awardees!
for pioneering research
From the deepest stretches of the ocean to the far-
thest reaches of the sky, Filipino scientists are adding
to humanity’s collective knowledge of the world.
Their efforts have not gone unsung, as recent ex-
plorations by University of the Philippines-Diliman
College of Science (UPD-CS) researchers have earned
acclaim from both national and international scientific
and award-giving bodies.
The Philippine National Academy of Science and
Technology-Philippines (NAST) recently recognized
six members of the UPD-CS community: two were
named Academician; two were recognized as out-
standing young scientists (OYS); and one won the
grand prize in the 2023 NAST Talent Search for Young
Scientists (NTSYS). Meanwhile an additional four UPD-
CS researchers were highlighted in this year’s edition
of the prestigious Asian Scientist 100.
New Academicians
The NAST is the Philippines’ highest scientific advi-
sory and recognition body; its distinguished members
are selected exclusively by the Academy itself and
conferred the title, “Academician.” Gil S. Jacinto, PhD,
of the UPD-CS Marine Science Institute (UPD-CS MSI)
and Maria Corazon A. de Ungria, PhD, of the UPD-CS
Natural Sciences Research Institute (UPD-CS NSRI),
were recently inducted as Academicians for their re-
spective work in marine chemistry and forensic DNA
technology.
Jacinto’s research interests are in nutrient and trace
elements in tropical marine environments, marine pol-
THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines - Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) is one of the country’s premiere research and
teaching institutions. In 2023, its outstanding researchers were honored locally and abroad by the NAST and Asian Scientist
Magazine. (Photo credit: Nadine Lim, UP Photography Society)
lution chemistry, submarine groundwater discharge,
hypoxia, and seawater carbonate chemistry. He was
MSI director from 2000 to 2006 and established the
Marine Chemistry and Pollution Laboratory at the
MSI, the first chemical oceanography laboratory in the
Philippines.
Meanwhile, De Ungria is known for her research in
human population genetics and forensic DNA technol-
ogy, which are invaluable tools for human identifica-
tion in criminal investigation, disaster victim identifi-
cation, and resolving parentage disputes. She provided
technical assistance in drafting the Supreme Court
Rule on DNA evidence, which was approved in 2007
and has since been used nationwide by the Philippine
judicial system in handling sexual assault cases. She is
the director of the Program on Biodiversity, Ethnicity,
and Forensics at the Philippine Genome Center and
concurrently heads the DNA Laboratory of the NSRI.
Outstanding Young Scientists
The NAST OYS award is given annually to Fili-
pino scientists aged 41 and below who have made
significant contributions to science and technolo-
gy and have been published in reputable scientific
journals.
Jillian Aira S. Gabo-Ratio, DEng, of the UPD-CS Na-
tional Institute of Geological Sciences (UPD-CS NIGS),
and Reinabelle C. Reyes, PhD, of the UPD-CS National
Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP) were recognized as
this year’s OYS in the field of earth resources engineer-
ing, and astrophysics, respectively.

Health... from p.1
Pediatric Society, infectious
disease specialist para nga
magbulig pa gid sa aton kag
maghatag sang important
knowledge on clinical manage-
ment of Japanese encephalitis
and dengue,” Quiñon said.
The PHO chief stressed
that the campaign should be
focused on prevention, not-
ing that the public also needs
to help local health officers
by observing precautionary
measures, like the 4S strategy
(search and destroy breeding
places; seeking early treat-
ment; self-protection mea-
sures; say yes to fogging).
As to the JEV, Quiñon earli-
er revealed that Iloilo logged 14
confirmed cases of the viral in-
fection, including four deaths,
from Jan 1 to June 3, 2023.
Data from IPHO indicated
that the four fatalities came
from the towns of Barotac
Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Leganes,
and Lemery, while the remain-
ing cases were recorded in
Ajuy, Badiangan, Barotac Vie-
jo, Cabatuan, Dingle, Duenas,
Dumangas, Janiuay, San Rafa-
el, and Passi City (component
city).
Quiñon explained that
JEV is transmitted to humans
through the bites of infected
mosquitos called Culex tritae-
niorhynchus, which thrives in
rural agricultural areas such as
rice-growing and pig-farming
regions.
“If matapna ta na tani sila sa
ila reservoir, hindi mag spread
more ang virus nga na,” she
added.
Quiñon noted that while
there is no cure for JEV, it could
still be prevented through vac-
cines, but these are currently
not available in the province,
despite Iloilo being tagged as
Teen...
from p.2
The San Miguel Police Sta-
tion responded to the area after
the case was reported.
After hearing Junjun’s ver-
sion of the story, they endorsed
his case to the Iloilo City Police
Station (ICPS) 3.
On their end, Captain Les-
ter Oliveros, ICPS3 chief, said
investigators were sent to the
area where the supposed ab-
duction happened.
It was near a big grocery
store and was also surrounded
by houses.
Not one resident corrobo-
rated Junjun’s claims that two
men went near him and cov-
ered his head with a black gar-
bage sack.
As alleged, the two men
then carried him inside the
van where there were around
three other men.
Later on, he claimed to have
heard one of the men saying,
“daw indi man ina si Roland.”
Five... from p.2
City Drug Enforcement Unit
(ICPO-CDEU), together with
the Iloilo City Police Station 4,
nabbed Flores at her home eve-
ning of June 19.
She allegedly sold a sachet
of suspected shabu for P12,000.
Police later seized four more
sachets of suspected shabu
from her.
The recovered drugs from
Flores weighed around 25
grams with a standard drug
price value of P170,000.
Marck... from p.12
Jumbos.
His name was announced
after Mongolian sensation Ed-
die and Ryohei Iga of Japan
who were drafted by the Dae-
jeon Samsung and Suwon KEP-
endemic of the said virus.
“Endemic kita sa sini nga
virus, meaning to say may ara
kita sang amu na nga virus,
just like leptospirosis, dengue.
Ang gwa ya, kinahanglan gid
prevention. First gid tani nga
need is vaccination, pero since
the Department of Health so
far has no available vaccines
against JE, so wala kita sang
may mahatag nga vaccine...
Medyo costly sya but then it
is effective, but as of now, ang
public health wala pa sang may
maihatag,” she said.
In a press statement re-
leased on Tuesday, June 20,
2023, DOH-6 said they re-
ceived 256 reports of suspected
Acute Meningitis Encephalitis
Syndrome and 25 of these cas-
es turned out positive for JEV,
with 12 coming from Iloilo
province, seven from Antique,
five from Capiz, and one in Iloi-
lo City.
However, DOH-6, as of the
writing, did not give an answer
or clarification as to why there
are no available vaccines in
the region but noted that they
have distributed logistics for
vector control to all provinces
and HUCs, and have provided
technical assistance on vector
control and surveillance.
“The DOH WV CHD urges
everyone, especially parents
with young children, to ensure
the continuous practice of the
4S strategy as this strategy has
been effectively used against
the Dengue virus-carrying
mosquito and will do the same
with the Japan Encephalitis
virus-carrying mosquito,” the
statement read.
DENGUE
Aside from JEV, Quiñon ap-
pealed to the public to monitor
Upon this “realization,” he
was allegedly kicked out of the
van at San Miguel town.
Aside from the lack of a wit-
ness, evidence also did not fa-
vor Junjun’s claims.
Oliveros said investigators
checked several CCTV cam-
eras in the area, including the
high-resolution CCTV camera
near the village chief’s house.
Junjun was there along
with some family members
and officials of Barangay Lib-
ertad-Santa Isabel during the
review of the camera footage.
“We reviewed the footage
taken before and after the al-
leged abduction but we didn’t
see him pass by the area,” he
said.
Oliveros noted that the
teenager was silent and did not
show any emotion during the
entire CCTV viewing time.
On Junjun’s claim that he
was kicked out of the van, the
Meanwhile, members of
ICPS3 arrested Zamora at Lanit
village around 12:10 a.m. on
June 20.
Suspected shabu worth
P54,400 was seized from the
suspect.
Maglupay, on the other
hand, was arrested 3:30 p.m.
of Tuesday at Zone 1, Barangay
Nabitasan, La Paz.
Drugs valued at P20,400
were seized from his posses-
sion.
CO, respectively.
This is Espejo’s fifth overseas
volleyball stint as an Asian im-
port after rendering his services
to Japan, Bahrain, and Thailand
during the last five years.
their surroundings and prac-
tice measures against dengue
hemorrhagic fever, noting that
the rainy season is coming, and
the province has already re-
corded its first dengue-related
death this year.
Quiñon earlier said that an
18-year-old male from Concep-
cion, Iloilo died on June 1, 2023
due to dengue. The town, as of
June 10, already has 13 dengue
cases with one fatality, which
is higher than the eight cases
with zero deaths logged in the
same period last year.
Dengue cases in the
province have also already
breached the 500-mark with
571 cases recorded as of June
10, seven percent higher com-
pared to the 535 cases logged in
the same period in 2022.
The town of Barotac Nue-
vo has the highest number
of cases with 44, followed by
Estancia with 35; Ajuy (27);
Barotac Viejo (23); Calinog
(22); Oton (22); Carles (21);
Banate (21); Alimodian (21),
and Dumangas with 19 cas-
es, while the rest of the cases
spread in other municipali-
ties. Only the town of Mina
remains dengue-free as of the
writing.
The PHO chief, on the oth-
er hand, said that the provin-
cial government is already
strengthening its surveillance
and monitoring against mos-
quito-borne diseases, espe-
cially in affected areas, and
has provided Local Govern-
ment Units (LGUs) with adul-
ticides.
Quiñon added that they
will include the “4S Strategy
Kontra Dengue, Zika, Chikun-
gunya, and Japanese Enceph-
alitis” during the next series of
“Limpyo Iloilo” campaign.
San Miguel police investigator
claimed they found no stain on
his shirt or pants. He also did
not sustain any hematoma or
even scratches from the fall.
Meanwhile, Junjun’s moth-
er claimed that they were un-
able to attend the teenager’s
graduation because of the in-
cident.
They were allegedly prepar-
ing to go to school when they
were informed about the inci-
dent.
His mother claimed that
the boy is her 6th child and an
honor student.
As this developed, Oliveros
said they have considered the
incident as “closed” since the
family asked that they will just
do their own investigation.
The teenager’s family also
asked the police that they
be given the leeway to go to
his school to check on his re-
cords.
Forty minutes later, CDEU
and ICPS4 operatives arrested
Deslate and Lacson at San Juan
village.
The duo allegedly confeder-
ated in selling a sachet of sus-
pected shabu for P7,000.
Seized from their possession
were drugs valued at P81,00.
All five suspects are now de-
tained and will be charged for
violation of Republic Act 9165
(Comprehensive Dangerous
Drugs Act of 2002).
Espejo became the second
Filipino that will see action in
Korea after Petro Gazz’s star
middle blocker MJ Phillips was
also selected several weeks ago
in the women’s division.
Biz... from p.1
He added that what the
chamber desires from the joint
venture is an affordable, reli-
able, and available power sup-
ply.
Montelibano said that MB-
CCI as the voice of the business
sector in Negros Occidental
has focused advocacy on busi-
ness growth and socio-eco-
nomic development, water,
power and connectivity are
some essential utilities vital for
development.
“While we support the
JVA, MBCCI and the business
sector will vigilantly monitor
the delivery of the promises
of Primelectric and Ceneco
throughout the joint venture
period,” Montelibano said.
The MBCCI joined a busi-
ness forum held at Seda Hotel
C
...
omplainant from p.1
May 10, 2023 resolutions.
Raleigh did not delve much
into the details of their filing,
but briefly explained their
disagreement with certain as-
pects of the May 8 resolution,
which was filed against Treñas
and then-CCRO assistant head
Cherie Ampig.
On the May 10 resolution,
which stemmed from a white
paper of an ex-CCRO client,
they would challenge the Om-
budsman’s finding of lack of
probable cause.
“There is a particular as-
pect cited by the Ombudsman
with regard to the [May 8] case,
specifically, […] with respect to
their definition or consider-
ation of the terms and condi-
tions of an officer-in-charge.
There are certain aspects
thereof that we disagree with,”
Raleigh said in the phone inter-
view.
“We believe that to charge
the public officer merely on
the basis of a white paper, is
not right. As to the probable
cause, the Ombudsman might
have a different aspect on that,
because assuming that the
[complaint against Manikan]
is [based] on a white paper,
is there sufficient ground to
charge Mayor Treñas and Atty.
Gil with [the accusations]? The
Ombudsman believes that
there is no probable cause, but
then again, it is subject to a mo-
tion for reconsideration if any,
and we’ll see from there,” he
added.
“There is no question on
the evidence because it comes
from the city government and
it exists. It’s only a matter of
appreciation of the grounds for
probable cause.”
Atty. Manikan also suggest-
ed that they may appeal the
administrative case with the
Court of Appeals and the crim-
inal case with the Supreme
Court if the Ombudsman sticks
to its earlier resolutions.
L ...
ittle from p.1
presence of the agency in the
city and province of Iloilo.
DTI-Iloilo Provincial Direc-
tor Dinda Tamayo said this is
a positive development, noting
that there have not been any
complaints from local govern-
ment units (LGUs) which do
not have Negosyo centers in
their towns yet.
Tamayo said Negosyo Cen-
ters have been helpful to the
provincial office in getting out
the word on, and in conduct-
ing, their programs.
These centers have been
key in implementing the
DTI-Iloilo’s regular programs,
including the facilitation of
business one-stop shops, entre-
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
that examined the salient fea-
tures of the JVA.
Among the features pre-
sented is the actual payment
of 70 percent of Ceneco assets,
particularly distribution facil-
ities. The assets were valued
by an independent third-party
valuator.
The JVA also promised a
concrete and doable program
for the reduction of system loss
that will lead to lower and af-
fordable power rates.
System loss refers to elec-
tricity lost to technical reasons
and pilferage.
The JVA also vowed to a
“strategic massive rehabilita-
tion leading to 24/7 supply,
lower occurrence of unsched-
uled power interruptions,
more efficient operations and
HARASSMENT
Juncae Manikan said he
felt harassed the reason why
he charged the mayor and
City Legal Officer Edgardo Gil
of violating Republic Act Nos.
3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt
Practices Act) and 6713 (Code
of Conduct and Ethical Stan-
dards for Public Officials and
Employees).
The case stemmed from a
complaint filed against him by
a CCRO client who accused
him of requiring them to pay
an “extravagant” fee of ₱14,500.
But the CCRO client, whose
husband applied for a correc-
tion of entry, already had the
correction granted in 2015, ear-
lier than the date alleged in the
accusation against him which
was in 2017.
“A certain Sandoval com-
plained that she paid me
₱14,500 to speed up her case to
correct the birth certificate of
her husband in 2017. But there,
in fact, the petition had already
been granted by 2015, and it
was filed by her husband, not
her, so it was impossible for
her to pay from something that
had already been finished,”
Juncae Manikan said.
“I filed that complaint with
the Ombudsman because for
me, it wasn’t legal for me to be
served with a complaint which
was not even served to me per-
sonally because I was on leave
when they asked me to respond
to it, and that led to my preven-
tive suspension,” he added.
He also saw politics in the
complaints filed against him
by the mayor’s office after he
was linked to city government
employees who were alleged-
ly campaigning for then-city
mayor Jose Espinosa III in the
2019 local elections in violation
of civil service rules.
“We cannot campaign for
a political candidate because
civil service personnel are re-
quired to be neutral. Personal-
preneurial development sem-
inars, skills and managerial
training, and micro, small, and
medium enterprises (MSMEs)
counseling.
The center also spearhead-
ed medium and big events
including the Agro and Trade
Fair in the province’s 1st dis-
trict and the Mierkado-Tienda
Fair in the 2nd district.
“We only have 12 organic
staff [in the DTI-Iloilo office],
so the plan to really reach out
to the 44 local government
units of Iloilo alone is through
the Negosyo Centers,” Tamayo
said.
“I call them our ‘little DTIs’,
because primarily we have
11
reasonable power rates.”
A proactive information
system, use of the latest tech-
nologies to monitor service
areas and a state-of-the-art
customer care program which
means faster responses to re-
quests of consumers will also
be part of the JVA programs.
Employees of Ceneco will
be rehired if qualified and giv-
en adequate compensation.
The joint venture will
also initiate corporate social
responsibilities and partner-
ships that will help commu-
nities and local government
units.
Ceneco will have 30 per-
cent equity in the joint venture
and representation in the gov-
erning board that will oversee
the joint venture.
ly, I feel like this is harassment
because the [sanctions against
me] were all from claims that
are political,” he said.
Another case Juncae Man-
ikan filed against Treñas and
Ampig was for alleged viola-
tion of Article 177 (Usurpation
of Authority or Official Func-
tions) of the Revised Penal
Code (RPC) and Grave Miscon-
duct and Grave Abuse of Au-
thority.
He clarified that he had al-
ready returned to work at the
CCRO before August 19, 2019 or
the date when Ampig recom-
mended the transfer of book-
binder Joemari Esteral to the
General Services Office at the
city dumpsite in Mandurriao
district’s Calajunan village.
The Ombudsman took cre-
dence of Memorandum Order No.
19-22-C, which designated Ampig
as officer-in-chief of the CCRO
while Manikan was on leave, stat-
ing that her authority was until
the designation was revoked, re-
gardless of the fact that the latter
had already returned to work.
“[Ampig] signed [Esteral’s]
detail order on August 19, 2019,
when in truth and in fact, I was
on duty [at the city hall]. How
come she signed that order
when she was not the head of
the [CCRO]? The civil service
rules state that the department
heads of Esteral’s mother unit
and his destination would have
an agreement via detail order
on his transfer. Ampig signed it
while I was there,” he explained.
“I was no longer on leave on
August 19 [2019] when Ampig
signed the [detail] order. In fact,
I was already back by August
15 [2019]. I was on leave since
July [2019] but I was able to re-
turn. I have a daily time record
indicating that I returned by
that specific date,” he added.
Juncae Manikan vowed to
continue his cause against City
Hall even as he maintains his
respect for the mayor.
to serve LGU requirements in
terms of developing MSMEs
and at the same time, ease in
doing business, so they don’t
have to go to [Iloilo City] to reg-
ister their companies. It really
makes good extension offices.
How much more if they are
completed? The whole of Iloilo
[province] would be reached,”
she added.
Negosyo Centers were de-
veloped and opened by the DTI
in 2014 via Republic Act No.
10644 (Go Negosyo Act) and
are tasked to be responsible for
promoting the ease of doing
business and facilitating access
to services for MSMEs within
their jurisdiction.
QL advances to finals, Marck Espejo ready for PHL
Dois force do-or-die
semis showdown men’s volleyball squad return
in ICBC playoffs By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Filipino volleyball superstar Marck

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña Espejo will once again don the blue
and white Philippine team jersey
Team QL Mortgage became the first squad to clinch a grand fi- after announcing his return to the
nals ticket while team Dois Seafood/Its RELX Iloilo forced a do- national squad last June 19, 2023.
or-die semifinals against team Vtrain Vape in the ongoing 2023 Espejo is expected to lead the
Iloilo City Basketball Club (ICBC) playoff round. men’s national volleyball squad in
It was a stellar performance from QL Mortgage after pulling the upcoming 2023 AVC Asian Men’s
off a come-from-behind victory against team Selecta, 91-84, to ad- Volleyball Challenge Cup in Taipei,
vance to the championship game. Taiwan.
Team Selecta controlled the pace of the game in the first five Aside from joining the team in the
sets, even taking a 16-point lead heading to the sixth set. AVC Challenge Cup, Espejo will also
However, QL Mortgage fought back with their all despite being be playing in a couple of internation-
undermanned and out-maneuvered Selecta in the crucial min- al friendly matches against the Neth-
utes of the game. erlands and China.
Team QL also capitalized on Selecta’s lapses on the defensive Espejo said that these two upcom-
end and banked on a huge game from John Mark Alerta who ex- ing international friendlies will be
ploded for 31 big points. a huge training ground not only for
Alerta kept QL in the game and sank clutch baskets that helped him but also for the national team’s
his squad retake the lead and establish momentum for the rest of cohesiveness.
the final set. The matches against Netherlands
Meanwhile, team Dois notched an impressive win over Vtrain, and China will take place this July
81-70, to force a rubber match against their twice-to-beat opponents. while the AVC Challenge Cup will be
It was all that you can ask for in an intense back-and-forth kicking off from July 8-15, 2023.
game as both squads traded baskets from the first to the last set but After his short campaign with the
Dois captured the momentum of the game in the last four minutes national team, Espejo revealed that
when Joshua Mana-ay drilled three-straight three-pointers. he will be flying back to Korea for
After the Mana-ay trey barrage, it was then all team Dois in the the Korean Volleyball League.
last two minutes as Vtrain failed to put up baskets that could’ve Espejo was drafted by the Korean
kept the game closer. league last April 29, 2023, and was
Mana-ay contributed 15 points for team Dois while his back-court picked by the Incheon Korean Air
partner Rush Rubin led the squad in scoring with 25 markers. MARCK Espejo is back (philstar.com) Marck/p11

Juan Gomez de Liaño set

to take hoops talent to
Korean Basketball League
By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Juan Gomez de Liaño is the newest Filipino to
play in the Korean Basketball League.
After his stint with the Lithuanian basketball
club BC Wolves already ended, the former Uni-
versity of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons
superstar will be headed to Korea and signed
with the Seoul SK Knights for the 2023-2023
season of the KBL.
The development was confirmed last June 20,
2023, after Seoul SK officially welcomed the left-
ie guard in a team announcement.
De Liaño signed a three-year contract with the
Knights and will be a huge boost to the team’s bid
for a second-straight grand finals appearance.
Seoul SK had a chance to clinch the trophy
during the recently concluded KBL season but
Rhenz Abando and the Anyang KGC squad halt-
ed their hopes of a championship title.
With de Liaño’s arrival in Seoul, the Knights
will be expected to bounce back and run a faster
type of offense that suits the leftie’s playstyle.
“It was an opportunity I simply couldn’t pass
up. I’m all about personal growth, and joining
this team aligns perfectly with my ambitions as
a basketball player,” said de Liaño.
This is already de Liaño’s third international
stint after playing his import appearance debut
in the Japan B. League several years ago.
De Liaño played for the division II team Earth-
friends Tokyo Z but failed to remain healthy due
to his recurring injuries.
After his Japan stint, de Liaño was given a
chance to redeem himself in Lithuania when he
grabbed the offer from the BC Wolves.
De Liaño will be joining Abando, SJ Belangel,
Dave Ildefonso, and Justin Gutang as the only
Filipinos offered to play as Asian imports in the
KBL.

THANK you, Lou Williams! (Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Lou Williams announces NBA

retirement after 17 seasons
By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The game will miss you, Sweet Lou.
After 17 illustrious years in the NBA, scoring
machine guard Lou Williams just announced
that he will be hanging up his jersey following a
tribute video posted on YouTube narrated by his
daughter Jada last June 18, 2023.
Williams last played for the Atlanta Hawks
during the 2021-2022 season and has not been
signed by any teams since then during the past
free agency periods.
The 36-year-old offensive superstar will be
retiring from the game as a three-time NBA
Sixth Man of the Year and the league’s all-time
leading scorer off the bench with 13,396 points.
Williams, a known offensive juggernaut
throughout his professional career, was selected
45th overall during the 2005 NBA Rookie Draft
ceremony.
Poised to become a lottery pick after a stellar
high school career, Williams’s draft stock sur-
prisingly fell and was tapped by the Philadel-
phia 76ers.
Williams then proved his worth year after year
and took a major leap when he was tasked to fill in
a sixth-man role midway through his career.
The six-foot-one guard then found his perfect
role in the big boys’ league and played the rest of
his years with the Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles
Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets,
and the Hawks.
Williams once dropped 50 points against the
Golden State Warriors when he was still with
the Clippers last January 10, 2018.
As of now, Williams is yet to announce his
future plans whether he will take a break from
playing hoops or sign with the BIG3 3x3 game
owned by Ice Cube.
“For 17 years, you moved to your own
rhythm in this game. And the time is now, that
you’ve chosen to announce your farewell. But
still fulfilling your legacy within us. You gave it
all that you could give. You left nothing more to
unturn. And I’m truly proud of you, Dad,” Jada
said during the video.
JUAN Gomez de Liaño will play in the Korean Basketball League (FIBA photo)