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SC ruling on prisoners scored

PHOTO BY MIKE GONZALEZ

THE SUPREME COURT’s (SC) ruling allowing prisoners convicted of heinous crimes to be entitled to the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) diminishes the weight of the penalty imposed on those found guilty by the judicial system, a congressman said on Wednesday.

“Granting GCTA to individuals who committed rape and other heinous crimes normalizes brutal offenses,” Party-list Rep. Arlene D. Brosas said in a statement.

Heinous crimes, as defined under Republic Act No. 7659, include treason, murder, plunder, rape, and kidnapping, among others.

For National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) President Ephraim B. Cortez, the SC’s ruling “does not diminish the weight of penalty” of those found guilty of these crimes.

“They are required to serve a four-fifth of their prison term before they could qualify, which means that they have to stay in prison for a substantial number of years,” he said.

The SC reaffirmed last week the entitlement of convicts of heinous crimes to a shortened prison sentence through the GCTA.

“The Court…is clear that any convicted prisoner is entitled to GCTA as long as the prisoner is in any penal institution, rehabilitation or detention center, or any other local jail,” the SC decision read.

“The Department of Justice exceeded its authority when it excluded those convicted of heinous crime from its coverage, when the law it is implementing does not make such distinction,” Mr. Cortez commented on the SC ruling.

He stressed that incarcerated convicts may develop a change in behavior, which can be seen as an indication that they have redeemed themselves since the commission of the crime, he added. “This is in fact the reason why the GCTA was devised and implemented in the first place,” he said.

The GCTA was the center of a controversy in 2019 when former Caluan Mayor Antonio L. Sanchez, a convicted rapist and murderer, was able to avail himself of an early release under the mechanism of law. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Aid El Niño-hit farmers — senator

A farmer guides his carabao on dry and cracked farmland in San Juan town, Batangas, April 18, 2010. — REUTERS

A PHILIPPINE senator on Wednesday urged the government to fast-track financial support for farmers whose livelihoods are suffering from the El Niño weather phenomenon.

“It is important that we have funds to provide the necessary support to protect our farmers’ investments and to revive their crops,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said in a statement. “We have to be ready to aid our agriculture sector, especially the rice sector, to guarantee the availability and supply of agricultural products.”

Meanwhile, Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos filed on Monday a resolution seeking to probe the adverse effects of dry spells and drought on the country’s water supply, despite state efforts to conserve water.

“Despite the various efforts and initiatives being conducted by the government and the increase in water rates, the entire country is still experiencing strained water resources and water crisis in various regions and provinces,” according to a copy of Senate Resolution No. 986 sent on Wednesday.

The agricultural damage due to El Niño totaled to P2.63 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture. The government has distributed assistance worth P1.1 billion to those affected.

Mr. Gatchalian , who heads the Ways and Means Committee, earlier said Manila must seek more rice deals with countries like India and Vietnam since the country’s rice production still needs work to ensure food security.

The Bureau of Plant Industry has said Philippine rice imports reached 995,841 as of March 21.

The US Department of Agriculture expects Philippine rice imports to reach 4 million MT this year.

“The disruption of El Niño on the agriculture sector could be devastating to the economy and to our farmers as we have seen in previous El Niño episodes and thus the need for a timely release of fund support for farmers in areas affected by El Niño,” Mr. Gatchalian said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Women in STEM education pushed

THE BRITISH Council in the Philippines said it aims to further strengthen its mission on culture, arts, and education in the country through its Women in STEM scholarship for post-graduate degree studies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the United Kingdom.

“Educating, training, and hiring more women in STEM can lead to better scientific and financial outcomes, increasing diversity in the workforce, bringing variety in perspectives and ideas, and giving organizations a competitive edge,” British Council Country Director Lotus Postrado told BusinessWorld through an e-mail.

“This year, Filipinas were eligible to apply for scholarships at Bath University, University of Warwick, and Imperial College London.”

Running in its fourth year, the Women in STEM program is expanding its reach by “providing additional scholarships across ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian) countries and Timor-Leste.”

The program aims to address the low global enrolment of female students in Information and Communications Technology at 3%; natural science, mathematics, and statistics at 5%; and engineering, manufacturing, and construction at 8%.

For its cultural mission, Ms. Postrado said: “The British Council strongly values Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). Our work is based on building meaningful, enduring, and respectful relationships across different cultures and this cannot be done without our commitment to EDI.”

Its Connection through Culture grant, which focuses on diversity and inclusion, and climate change themes, is a partnership between British and Filipino artists who create projects that “celebrate diverse cultural expression and knowledge sharing,” she said.

The Council also runs a global LGBTQIA+ film festival, called “Five Films for Freedom.” The films were screened last year at the Great British Festival in Bonifacio Global City.

“Just last March, we partnered with institutions such as the National Teachers College and the University of the Philippines Cebu, bringing films and raising conversations on the topic through in-person screenings,” Ms. Postrado said. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Seaweed dev’t plan in the works

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Laczko Istvan Stefan from Pixabay

THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) said it is seeking to implement a development program for local seaweed production, beginning with the southern Philippine province of Tawi-Tawi, a major seaweed producing area.

“In order to address the emerging concerns of the seaweed industry in the province of Tawi-Tawi, a technical working group (TWG) for the assessment and sustainability of the seaweed industry is hereby created,” the DA said in a special order.

Apart from providing support for seaweed growers in the province, the TWG is tasked with formulating policies to address the problems and concerns of the local seaweed industry.

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said that P1 billion was earmarked for investment in large tissue culture laboratories, dryers, warehouses, and technician training.

This is in response to stakeholders who cited the lack of seed material, implements, lines, floaters, and counterweights as the current concerns of the industry.

Most seaweed farms in the country are located in Mindanao, while processing facilities are in Cebu and Manila.

In February, the DA said that it would increase investment in the seaweed industry to boost its export potential.

It had also ordered the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute to coordinate with the local government, universities, and stakeholders to address the industry’s concerns.

The Philippines produced 1.63 million metric tons of seaweed in 2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, up 5.3%. — Adrian H. Halili

15 Pinoys hurt in Taiwan quake

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AT LEAST 15 Filipino migrant workers were hurt in the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan last week, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

In a statement, the DMW said all 15 of the Filipinos received initial medical treatment and have been discharged, adding that they are recovering in their respective medical dormitories.

“The DMW, through its Migrant Workers Offices in Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung, is working closely with the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) led by Chairman Silvestre H. Bello III in monitoring the situation of and helping our OFWs in the aftermath of the earthquake,” it said.

The agency also gave the injured Filipinos P30,000 each in financial aid as well as food packs among other supplies.

The Taiwan quake, the strongest in 25 years, killed at least seven people and injured more than 700, according to Taiwan’s fire bureau.

Taiwan is just 376 kilometers away from the northernmost Philippine province of Batanes. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Elderly group bats for universal coverage of social pension

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A GROUP of elderly Filipinos supporting a bill expanding the coverage of the social pension system said the government must implement a universal program that meets the needs of the country’s aging citizens without discrimination.

“We are advocating for the approval of a universal social pension program as the current system does not sustain the needs of indigent senior citizens,” Dioscoro B. Benalla, Sr., president of the Confederation of Older Persons Association of the Philippines (COPAP), told BusinessWorld in a phone interview.

Mr. Benalla said the state pension should also be inclusive, citing the explanatory of House Bill (HB) No. 10109 which states that around 54% of elderly Filipinos do not receive a pension from the government.

The proposed measure file by the Makabayan bloc lawmakers last month seeks to expand the coverage of the country’s social pension system and increase the monthly take of senior citizen beneficiaries from P1,000 to P2,000.

The proposal to increase the pension stipend to P2,000 is P500 more than the initial amount forwarded by COPAP, he said.

A salient feature of the bill is the removal of a clause that restricts social pension beneficiaries to only senior Filipinos who do not receive state pension or financial assistance from their relatives.

The current social pension is not being implemented properly due to its “discriminatory” clause, Mr. Benalla said, referring to the indigency requirement to receive the monthly state financial support.

COPAP is advocating for an inclusive and universal social pension program so that “every senior citizen will be given a monthly stipend.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Eid’l Fitr celebrations peaceful in Central Mindanao

THOUSANDS of Filipino Muslims gathered at the Quezon City Memorial Circle on Wednesday to celebrate Eid’l Fitr, which marks the end of fasting under Ramadan. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

COTABATO CITY — Local executives took turns urging Muslims to vigorously sustain their spiritual solidarity with non-Muslims during the Eid’l Fit’r congregational outdoor prayers on Wednesday in different areas of Central Mindanao.

The obligatory prayer rites marked the end of Ramadhan, a holy month in Islam, where Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for 28-29 days as a religious obligation and to inculcate among them the importance of self-restraint to achieve spiritual perfection.

Major Gen. Alex S. Rillera, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, and Bangsamoro regional police director Brig. Gen. Prexy D. Tanggawohn separately told reporters on Wednesday that the Eid rites in areas under their jurisdiction were peaceful, facilitated with the support of local government units (LGUs).

Muslim leaders and Islamic theologians in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and in Region 12 had called on their constituents, via reporters, after the Eid gatherings to continue supporting the multi-sector cultural and religious-solidarity thrusts of their LGUs in support of the Mindanao peace efforts of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and the southern Moro communities.

“Islam has very extensive teachings on religious tolerance and about the obligation of every Muslim to be in peace with people with different religions. That should encourage us to be instruments of religious solidarity,” Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal A. Adiong, Jr., said.

Some Christian local executives had set a precedent on Wednesday by reaching out to Muslims in designated Eid’l Fit’r worship sites, providing food and bottled water as offerings.

Mr. Rillera and Cotabato’s provincial police director, Col. Gilbert B. Tuzon, separately told reporters that many Christian LGU officials, among them Mayor Rolly C. Sacdalan and Evangeline P. Guzman of Midsayap and Kabacan towns in Cotabato province, respectively, even helped military and police units plan out security contingencies for Wednesday morning’s Eid events in their municipalities.

Muslim officials in the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region said they also appreciate the distribution in mosques of food and drinks during the Ramadhan for iftar, the first meal after a day-long fast, by the LGU of Lamitan City in Basilan.

The mayor of Lamitan City, Roderick Furigay, a Christian, is the only non-Muslim mayor in BARMM whose office has subsidies for clerics managing mosques in all of the 45 barangays under its jurisdiction.

“We in Basilan are keen on fostering religious unity among the local Muslim and Christian communities. It is for that unity that we have driven out from the Abu Sayyaf that for so long made life so uneasy for our people. We now have peace here, courtesy of our Muslim and Christian communities,” Gov. Hadjiman Salliman, chairperson of the multi-sector Basilan Peace and Order Council, said.

Many erstwhile non-Muslims who have embraced Islam in recent years, among them active members of the Philippine National Police and personnel of units of 6th ID, attended the Eid congregational ceremony at the division’s mosque in the premises of Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, organized by Mr. Rillera and their Islamic preacher, the Maranaw Captain Alinair C. Guro.

Mr. Tanggawohn, who assumed as police director of BARMM only last week, said he shall embark on projects, along with the provincial police offices in the autonomous region, that can help maintain cordiality among the local Muslim, Christian and non-Moro indigenous communities. — John Felix M. Unson

Gov’t urged to ensure workers’ safety amid summer heat

A mural in Paco, Manila is seen on May 16, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

AMID rising temperatures this summer, the government should formulate a comprehensive strategy for workers’ safety and protection from heat-related health risks, a labor group leader said Wednesday.

Jose “Sonny” G. Matula, who chairs the NAGKAISA labor coalition, said in a statement that current workplace safety regulations do not address the challenges faced by workers as summer temperatures reach dangerous levels.

“Current laws and regulations fall short in addressing the challenges and stresses faced by workers due to extreme heat,” he said.

The latest heat index bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that Dagupan City in Northern Luzon and seven other cities and municipalities throughout the country may reach “dangerous” levels of heat on Thursday.

Metro Manila’s heat index may reach temperatures of 40° to 41° Celsius, which warrants an “extreme caution” rating — meaning a person exposed to such temperatures could experience cramps and heat exhaustion that may potentially lead to heat stroke.

NAGKAISA recommended that the government institutionalize hazard pay for employees exposed to hot weather. It is also pushing for the inclusion of “heat leaves” within emergency leave provisions of collective bargaining agreements between workers and their management.

“While some CBAs (collective bargaining agreements) address leaves for natural calamities like typhoons, floods, fires, and earthquakes, there’s a critical gap regarding heat waves,” it said.

The group also called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to inspect the work environments of industries to ensure adherence to health and safety standards to prevent the ill effects of heat on workers. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Benilde pushes women’s volleyball win streak to 30 games over 4 years

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Games Tomorrow
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
7:30 a.m. — Mapua vs SSC-R (men’s)
10 a.m. — Mapua vs SSC-R (women’s)
2 p.m. — LPU vs San Beda (women’s)
5 p.m. — LPU vs San Beda (men’s)

FOR 29 straight NCAA games spanning four years, College of St. Benilde (CSB) was nothing short of immaculate.

Make it 30 in a row.

Brandishing the same deadly and unforgiving roster that netted them two straight title sweeps, the Lady Blazers walloped the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Lady Generals, 25-15, 25-14, 25-23 Wednesday that kept them on track for a three-peat sweep in NCAA Season 99 women’s volleyball action at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

It also extended CSB’s run of excellence to 30 consecutive wins — seven four years ago when the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a pair of 11-game championship sweeps the last two seasons.

Mycah Go, the team’s former skipper and MVP who was back after missing more than a year due to multiple knee injuries, however, said the team is not focused on the streak and taking it one game at a time. “Hindi namin iniisip na wala kami talo o champion kami, lagi namin sinasabi back to zero kami (We never think about being undefeated or winning the championship; we always consider every game to be a reset back to zero),” the 23-year-old Ms. Go said, after playing minimal minutes in a bid to fully recover.

The Lady Blazers faltered in the third set when they trailed the Lady Generals by two, 21-19, but kept their wits about them with recalibrated attacking and defensive schemes to seize six of the last eight points.

“Lagi namin sinasabi kalaban namin sarili. Iyun nangyari, nag relax at feeling namin okay na maski hindi pa tapos ang game (We can be our own worst enemies. What happened was, we relaxed and felt we had done enough, even though the match was not over),” Ms. Go said.

In men’s action earlier, EAC edged CSB, 22-25, 25-23, 25-22, 22-25, 15-12, to launch its bid to duplicate, if not improve on its Final Four finish last year.

Jan Ruther Abor came off the bench and fired 26 points with 25 kills, while Marvin Williams Romero and captain Kenneth Batiancila contributed 16 and 11 hits, respectively. — Joey Villar

Cignal ‘can’t afford to lose’ going into matchup with Chery Tiggo

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Games Today
(PhilSports Arena)
4 p.m. — Capital1 Solar vs Akari
6 p.m. — Cignal vs Chery Tiggo

JOVELYN Gonzaga, Cignal’s charismatic leader, knows that for the HD Spikers to survive the heated Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference semifinal race, they needed to play with urgency and desperation.

“We can’t afford to lose,” said the 32-year-old opposite hitter whose squad clashes with a dangerously resurgent Chery Tiggo in today’s critical elimination round showdown at the PhilSports Arena, which could make or break the campaign.

Cignal is currently tied for fifth with Chery Tiggo, going into their 6 p.m. battle, with both risking their identical 5-2 records.

The winner of that duel would enter the magic four and share third spot with powerhouse Creamline and Petro Gazz, which own 6-2 slates.

Ms. Gonzaga, the so-called “Bionic Ilongga,” is embracing the responsibility of helping the team playing its best by providing much-needed leadership for the HD Spikers.

“Hindi talaga ako vocal unlike Rachel (I’m not as vocal as Rachel),” she said, referring to former captain Rachel Daquis, who is on temporary leave. “Kailangan ko maging vocal and tulungan si Ces (I need to be vocal and help Ces Molina). Knowing Ces, very tahimik iyun at nasa transition pa ng pagiging team captain (Ces is quiet and still transitioning into the team captain role).”

“So kailangan ko talaga mag-step up para sa team, kailangan ko i-embrace responsibility (I need to step up for the team and embrace the responsibility),” she added.

The HD Spikers are expected to have their hands full in tackling a team that has strung together three straight wins, with their victims including contenders Creamline and Petro Gazz.

And the key for the Crossovers’ resurgence has been their much improved team chemistry.

“Mas maganda na chemistry namin, kumpara nung una (Our chemistry has been better than it was),” according tod Chery Tiggo skipper Aby Marano, who has been with the club for only two months.

“But we’re still working hard on that, as well as our communication as a team,” she added.

Akari (3-5), meanwhile, fights for dear life as it squares off with Capital1 Solar Energy (1-7) at 4 p.m. — Joey Villar

Warriors shoot 63.4% from deep, knock down Lakers

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KLAY THOMPSON scored 27 points and Stephen Curry added 23 as the sharp-shooting Golden State Warriors inched closer to the host Los Angeles Lakers in the battle for play-in tournament seeding with a 134-120 victory Tuesday.

Golden State made a season-high 26 3-pointers on 41 attempts, one made triple short of the franchise record, and won the season series with three wins in four games.

Mr. Curry was 6-for-6 from distance and Draymond Green went 5-for-7 as the Warriors delivered the best 3-point shooting percentage in a game in NBA history (63.4%) with a minimum of 40 long-range attempts, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points and Mr. Green added 15 to go along with 10 assists as the Warriors (44-35) won for the eighth time in their past nine games.

LeBron James scored 33 points and dished out 11 assists and Austin Reaves had 22 points for the Lakers (45-35), who lost consecutive games for just the second time since the start of February.

It was Los Angeles’ final home game of the regular season. The Lakers were playing without Anthony Davis, who took a blow to the side of the head in Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and still was experiencing nausea with a headache on Tuesday.

Rui Hachimura supplied 20 points and 11 rebounds and D’Angelo Russell scored 14 points for the Lakers, who had won nine of 10 games before dropping the last two, both at home.

The ninth-seeded Lakers are now just a half-game ahead of the No. 10 Warriors. The No. 9 and 10 seeds face off in the play-in tournament, with that winner set to go up against the loser of the 7-8 game for the final Western Conference playoff spot. — Field Level Media

Paris Olympic Games on track to exceed NBC record for advertising sales after pandemic

AS THE July opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics draws closer, US broadcaster NBCUniversal (NBCU) is seeing renewed interest from major corporate sponsors in the premier global sporting event as fans are expected to fill Olympic stadiums for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comcast-owned NBCU said Tuesday it has sold $1.2 billion in advertising for the Paris games and is on track to achieve a new sales record in Olympic history.

The company paid $7.65 billion to renew its broadcast rights deal through 2032, the largest deal in the world for the games.

Ad spending from International Olympic Committee (IOC) sponsors is currently up 18% from the previous summer Olympics in Tokyo that took place in 2021, Dan Lovinger, president of Olympic and Paralympic sales at NBCU, said in an interview.

The announcement represents a rebound from previous years. In recent Olympics, IOC sponsors reduced their ad spending with the media company, according to a former NBCU executive and a second person familiar with the ad sales.

IOC sponsors, which include major brands like Visa, Toyota and Procter & Gamble, pay upwards of about $100 million for the right to use the Olympic rings in their marketing materials.

The growth can be attributed to Paris being the first Olympics to allow all spectators since the pandemic, and with a more favorable time zone for US audiences, Mr. Lovinger said.

“Very few properties can help (brands) build reach and know exactly where their advertising is running. That is why the Olympics continues to garner support from major advertisers,” he said.

As viewers, particularly young people, increasingly consume content online and through social media, NBCU has taken steps to follow the shift. It announced last month that in a summer Olympics first, every Paris event will be available on its streaming service Peacock.

Advertisers will be able to buy ads for the first time using automated technology, rather than salespeople, and NBCU has also signed agreements to post clips on X and Snapchat. NBCU’s digital advertising revenue for Paris has surpassed any past Olympics, Mr. Lovinger said.

In previous Olympics as top IOC sponsors reduced their ad spending, NBCU cast a wider net to sell to brands that were not Olympic partners in order to make up the difference, according to the former NBCU executive and the second source familiar with its ads sales.

The former executive said the media company sold to about three times as many advertisers to reach sales goals for Tokyo and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, adding that the effort was “getting harder and harder.”

In March 2020, NBCU said it sold $1.25 billion in ads for the Tokyo Summer Olympics. The media company restarted the sales process when the games were delayed to the following year due to the pandemic.

NBCU said in mid-2021 that Tokyo was on track to exceed the $1.2 billion in ads sold for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, but declined to say whether it would beat the $1.25 billion sold before the Tokyo games were postponed.

NBCU has booked $350 million in revenue from brands advertising for the first time during the Olympics, Mr. Lovinger said, adding that the growth in the number of advertisers supporting the games is a positive for the Olympics.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) was previously spending in the tens of millions of dollars with NBCU for the Olympics, but cut its spending by about 50% over time, the former NBCU executive said. NBCU declined to comment on P&G spending.

P&G said its brands will have television commercials during the Paris games. Chipmaker Intel and tire brand Bridgestone, two IOC sponsors, told Reuters they will forgo television ads and place their Paris marketing campaigns on digital platforms.

“The days of big TV campaigns are behind us,” said Bridgestone’s chief marketing officer Sara Correa. Bridgestone filmed a video showcasing how it uses its rubber technology to help Paralympic athletes with tires for their wheelchairs and rubber soles for running blades, which it posted on its YouTube, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Intel said it was exploring billboards and so-called out-of-home advertising in addition to digital and social.

Digital can be a draw for brands with an eye on reining in costs. “The absolute cost of digital is lower. Digital is easier to track and easier to measure,” according to Martin Sorrell, founder of advertising firms S4 Capital and WPP.

Visa said it continues to believe in the power of TV for live sports, but added that the “center-of-gravity for fans, especially relatively young fans, is social media,” according to Frank Cooper, Visa’s chief marketing officer.

Toyota said it will advertise on TV, including during the opening and closing ceremonies, while working with celebrities and athletes to connect with audiences that are not traditional sports fans.

“It’s an interesting way of expanding a traditional Olympic marketing base and connect with people through influencers,” according to Dedra DeLilli, Toyota’s head of sponsorships. — Reuters

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