Author: user user

I don’t like to gloat, and I avoid saying I told you so, but sometimes I can’t help sprinkling some salt or alcohol on some people who got in my face and poked fun at me for political reasons.

During the last presidential campaign, two friends of mine tried to get my goat by wearing their partisan bias for Bongbong Marcos in person and online. Why they did so was a mystery to me since I consider myself apolitical.

I remember the time we were driving through zigzag roads towards the town of Sagada and my friend kept chanting ‘BBM’ – ‘BBM’ – ‘BBM!’ I took it all good naturedly even when my friend persisted, to the point of getting in my face.

But as we love saying, ‘There is a God, and he punishes small sins quickly.’

While enjoying annoying me, my friend inexplicably drove to the side of the road and asked me to take the wheel. He apparently got car sick, got so dizzy that he was forced to go on ‘silent mode’ for the rest of the drive!

My other pro-BBM ‘bro’ regularly sent me selfies with BBM at events to show or brag that he was tight with BBM. They knew each other undoubtedly, but ‘close’ and ‘tight’ are ideas I never associate with politicians and people in power. You can only imagine how the ‘pang-aasar’ escalated once BBM became PBBM.

In spite of it all, I was never affected or annoyed because I understood their loyalties, their hopes to be of influence or be part of the circle. And as I said, political allegiance has never been my game. I swear allegiance only to God, country and family.

As the years passed, the chants toned down, the posts got fewer and I assumed it was because post elections, everybody went back to their normal life. But then one day, the BBM cheer leader/chanter sent me a very short message: ‘Sorry about BBM, pare. Na budol ako.’

Only when we actually met up did my friend pour out his disappointment and bad judgment of BBM as president as well as his administration. He felt so stupid and misled, that only by confessing it and apologizing could he forgive himself.

I did not do a chant, but I had a good laugh over the ‘na budol ako’ statement. It certainly made me wonder how many million others have felt ‘na budol sila’ in past elections?

The video posting loyalist, on the other hand, came down harder with his criticism not just of BBM but almost everyone around him, immediate or otherwise. What I heard and read and presumed as gossip and half-truths, he claimed to have seen or known.

Unlike Mr. Na Budol Ako, the Loyalist witnessed the dark side along with others in his circle. He was not just disappointed, he was disgusted by the characters and behavior in the circle of power, as many of us now know from the DPWH scandals.

His discoveries went beyond disappointments, they were like a slap on the face of a trusting friend. It reminded me of the story of a man who went to bed with a prostitute, then found her disgusting after the fact and kicked her out in order to redeem himself.

My wife once made a comment about a difference between the Dutch and Filipinos. The Dutch don’t casually use the term ‘my friend’ when introducing or talking about an acquaintance or professional associate.

The only time the term ‘my friend’ is used or applies is with someone you have very close, long-term relations. In contrast, Filipinos casually introduce, tag or label acquaintances as ‘friends.’

Similarly, many Filipinos campaign, support and chant for a politician as if they were immediate relatives or intimate relations when in fact they are not! Imagine ‘unfriending’ or blocking real people for political ‘idols’ or a stranger?

To this day, I know people who have been swallowed up by politics and don’t realize that people who sincerely cared for and respected them are no longer in the room because the campaign propaganda and political hatred never stopped.

Even the most God-fearing, church-going, Bible-reading people lose themselves in Philippine politics and alliances. Look at what happened to several churches and church leaders that have fallen into the quicksand of iniquity and accusations.

I am glad and appreciate that many of my friends are honest enough to admit when they are wrong, made bad choices and bad decisions. We are only human. The ugly ones are those who feed fires of contempt, reject alternative realities and sacrifice friendships made through time.

In the first chapter of the Book of Proverbs we are warned:

‘My son, if sinners entice you, do not go to them. My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths. These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves!… Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those get it.’

Sinner or saint, we all need to ask ourselves: is politics worth losing friends over? Is my political passion and beliefs disrespecting those who respect me? ‘Seeing, do I actually see?’ ‘Hearing, do I actually hear the truth?’

Politicians are not our friends. They do not have our personal interest at heart. They will not be in the room when we need real friends.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has called on his counterparts in Southeast Asia to condemn the harassment being perpetrated against Filipino fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), who are denied the right to fish in sovereign waters.

‘We must condemn the unilateral declaration of a nature reserve in Scarborough Shoal, or Bajo de Masinloc, which denies fisherfolk of various countries the right to fish in what has been legally recognized as their traditional fishing grounds,’ Teodoro said during the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM)-Plus meeting on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur.

‘This, to us, is a veiled attempt to wield military might and the threat for use of force, undermining the rights of smaller countries and their citizens who rely on the bounty of these waters,’ he added.

Even as the Philippines engages in practical cooperation under the ADMM-Plus, the defense chief called harassment faced by the country in the WPS as ‘behavior that flatly and blatantly contradicts the principles enshrined in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (in Southeast Asia).’

‘The ADMM-Plus is a framework not only for exchanges of views but also for functional cooperation, even among states with differing interests, and sometimes dichotomic interests,’ Teodoro noted.

The secretary acknowledged that countries such as India and Vietnam exhibit ‘sterling approach’ in complying with international law in good faith and working together with others ‘despite, in the true spirit of ASEAN, our differences.’

Attended by defense officials and delegates from ASEAN member states, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States, the 12th ADMM-Plus also featured the adoption of the ‘Joint Statement by the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Commemoration of the 15th Anniversary of the Founding of the ADMM-Plus.’

Teodoro reaffirmed that the Philippines will ‘continue to forge results-oriented partnerships with peace-loving and law-abiding states both in Southeast Asia and beyond.’

‘As we navigate our future together, our wish is that we go beyond practical cooperation, but towards principled and purposive collective action. Only in this manner will the ADMM evolve to truly serve the interests of ASEAN, as our people deserve,’ he said.

The government is planning to release within the next two weeks the revised guidelines for its funding facility that supports the local farm sector, with around P700 million earmarked for the development of the domestic coffee industry

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the amount makes up about 70 percent of the first P1 billion to be released from the P4 billion Competitiveness Enhancement Measures Fund (CEMF).

‘If we are successful in using all of that, then maybe the next draw of P1 billion will be all for the coffee sector,’ Tiu Laurel said in an interview on the sidelines of Nestlé Philippines’ closing ceremony for its coffee accelerator program in Sultan Kudarat.

The EMF was established under Republic Act 8800, also known as the Safeguards Measures Act of 2000.

The law aims to help improve the competitiveness of domestic industries that may be affected by the influx of imported goods.

Half of all safeguard duties, fees and other charges collected by the government from imported products are remitted to the CEMF, which serves as a financing mechanism for programs that strengthen local industries.

Tiu Laurel said the country’s coffee deficit stands at around 200,000 tons annually, highlighting the need to ramp up local production to reduce dependence on imports.

‘We are importing that amount. So, if we can produce one ton per hectare, we need to plant 200,000 hectares,’ the agriculture chief said.

In Sultan Kudarat, the country’s top coffee producer, he said the plan is to develop around 32,000 hectares for coffee production.

The agriculture chief admitted that the country cannot yet achieve full self-sufficiency in coffee but said the goal is to reach at least 80 to 90 percent in the long term.

He added that such progress would take time, noting the challenges for Filipino coffee producers.

‘There are no roads. So, it’s a wasted opportunity. Those are what we will build first, roads and irrigation facilities,’ he said, adding that training programs for coffee farmers are also in development.

Tiu Laurel also expressed support for the Philippine Coffee Board Inc.’s proposal to establish a Philippine Coffee Research Institute, a move that could require funding of about P40 million to P50 million.

He said the Department of Agriculture (DA) could fund the establishment of the institute if additional resources next year become available.

‘If we can get the CEMF funds, that will free up our other funds,’ he said.

Beef Stroganoff is a classic international comfort food that is quite popular in the United Kingdom, but it is believed to have originated from Russia.

Dating back to the early 1900s, it is thought to be named after Count Pavel Stroganov, a rich Russian nobleman and diplomat, and created by the family’s French chef, who ‘married’ Russian ingredients and French culinary techniques.

Beef Stroganoff is slow-cooked strips of tender beef (oftentimes sirloin) with mushroom and onion, simmered in a rich and creamy sauce, and served with pasta or rice.

This interpretation by Home Foodie and San Miguel Foods Culinary Center adds a local Pinoy flavor to it. With fusilli pasta, it becomes a one-dish meal.

Bistek Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Magnolia Gold Butter Unsalted

5 pcs. (50 grams) fresh button mushrooms, sliced

1 pack (450 grams) Purefoods Ready-to-Eat Bistek Tagalog

2 packs (250 ml. each) Magnolia All-Purpose Cream

4 cups (240 grams) fusilli pasta, cooked according to package directions

1 bundle (10 grams) parsley, chopped (2 tbsps.)

Procedure:

1. Melt butter in a pan and sauté mushrooms for 1 minute.

2. Add frozen bistek and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until heated through. Stir occasionally.

3. Slowly add cream while mixing. Bring to a boil and then toss in pasta until well-coated with sauce.

4. Turn off heat and mix in chopped parsley.

Tip: Canned mushrooms may be used in place of fresh ones.

The world heaved a sigh of relief after the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that eased the trade tensions between the two largest economies, President Marcos said yesterday.

The meeting, one of the most anticipated events on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), ended with Trump agreeing to slash the total combined tariff rate on China from 57 percent to 47 percent.

The US has slapped tariffs on the exports of several countries – including its traditional ally, the Philippines – to address what Trump described as ‘trade disparities’ and to support its local industries.

Marcos said it was very hard to obtain information about the meeting, but based on what he got, the US and China have declared a year-long ‘peace.’

Before leaving for South Korea to attend the APEC summit, Marcos said the meeting between Trump and Xi would color the actions of the members of the economic bloc.

WTO structures ineffective

Meanwhile, economies are concerned that the structures behind the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) – which was formed to ensure free and smooth global trade – are no longer effective, Marcos said, after APEC issued a declaration that did not mention the international body.

The Gyeongju Declaration, which was adopted by APEC leaders during the conclusion of their 32nd summit on Sunday, is widely seen as a departure from earlier joint statements as it did not contain the term ‘World Trade Organization.’

The declaration by the 21-member economic bloc merely acknowledged the importance of a trade and investment environment that ‘promotes resilience and benefits for all.’

The move has been linked to the US government’s criticisms against the WTO and protectionist policies, such as the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on several countries’ exports.

‘The fear that everyone is feeling now is that the principles and the strictures that guided the creation of WTO are no longer in place or at least no longer effective. And a great deal of what was spoken about is that we have to return to the free market principles that WTO was created for,’ Marcos told reporters here last Saturday.

‘Now, it seems that the first idea that the WTO will help us open markets between countries is not being followed… The trend now is the opposite. It’s closing markets,’ he added.

The Philippines is joining the United States, Japan and Australia in setting up a new Indo-Pacific defense council, the latest move to push back against Beijing’s growing aggression in the South China Sea.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. met with his counterparts from the three countries on November 1 in Kuala Lumpur, where they “expressed support for the framework to establish” the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Cooperation Council.

The body, according to a joint readout, will help the four militaries work together more smoothly amid China’s “destabilizing actions” in the East and South China Sea.

In their joint statement, Teodoro, Australian Minister for Defense Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro and United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said they had ‘serious concern regarding China’s destabilizing actions in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.”

They also said they opposed ‘any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.’ They reaffirmed that the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling ‘is final and legally binding.”

The Kuala Lumpur meeting, the fifth among the four countries in three years, marked a tightening of security ties as regional flashpoints, including the dispute in the South China Sea, continue to multiply. The defense officials agreed to focus joint efforts on ‘deterrence and operational readiness’ and to ‘enhance coordinated defense cooperation activities,’ including expanded information-sharing and joint training.

They also welcomed the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan and the Philippines, which allows troops from both nations to operate on each other’s soil – a deal that officials said strengthens ‘bilateral and multilateral’ defense readiness.

Next year’s Balikatan exercises in the Philippines will include troops from all four nations, the statement read.

Manila has been dealing with increasingly brazen harassment by Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea – the part of the South China Sea that falls within its exclusive economic zone.

In October, the Philippine Coast Guard reported multiple incidents of harassment while escorting fishermen near Scarborough and Sabina Shoals. In the same month, a China Coast Guard vessel rammed and water-cannoned a Philippine fisheries-support ship near Pag-asa Island, which the Philippines considers part of its territory through the Kalayaan Island Group.

Last week, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said Beijing ‘would never allow any provocation and trouble-making to work, nor would we leave any room for blackmailing the big by the small,’ in comments directed at Manila.

Teodoro reacted to that yesterday by saying it was these comments that made him shun any contact with his Chinese counterpart during the ASEAN summit, on top of the absence of any “line of communication” between them.

“Would you talk to, would you offer to talk to somebody who slammed your country that way? Of course not,” Teodoro said yesterday, November 2. “I would be willing to talk if there was a semblance of good faith”

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) expects to be ready to support Apple Pay and Google Pay by next year, as global digital wallet providers gear up to launch in the Philippines.

BPI president and CEO Jose Teodoro Limcaoco, who also serves as president of the Bankers Association of the Philippines, said banks have been in talks with both Apple Pay and Google Pay as they prepare for their local rollout.

‘We talk to everyone. It would be crazy for a bank not to participate,’ Limcaoco said. ‘(BPI) is not ready yet, but we can do it next year.’

According to Limcaoco, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recently cleared a major hurdle for the two payment operators by ruling that they do not have to register as payment service providers, effectively allowing them to proceed with their Philippine launch.

BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan earlier said the central bank has determined that these global digital wallets act only as technology service providers and do not directly handle or store funds, which are key factors in determining whether they should be classified as operators of payment systems.

Both Apple Pay and Google Pay allow users to make financial transactions through near-field communication devices. By linking their debit or credit cards and e-money accounts, users can simply tap their smartphones or smartwatches to pay at merchants that accept contactless payments.

Tangonan had said that the BSP is not imposing any regulatory barrier on the entry of these services in the local market.

Limcaoco said banks now need to ensure their systems can support tokenization, a security feature that enables encrypted card transactions for mobile wallet use.

‘What (Apple Pay and Google Pay) have to do is make sure that the banks who want to participate have their card products capable of being tokenized,’ he said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it has issued subpoenas to five respondents in connection with the alleged anomalous flood control projects.

Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said in a message to reporters that the preliminary investigation into the cases will begin on November 10.

When asked who was issued subpoenas, Fadullon did not name specific individuals but said the summons were sent to ‘all the respondents in the five cases.’

Last week, Fadullon said subpoenas would be served to former district engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, Arjay Domasig and JP Mendoza.

In a separate message to reporters, DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez confirmed that the subpoenas were served last week.

Last month, the DOJ submitted the prosecution’s findings on the alleged anomalies in the flood control projects to the Office of the Ombudsman for review.

However, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla returned the recommendations to the DOJ, directing the department to conduct the preliminary investigation instead.

The DOJ’s decision was based on the fact that most government officials recommended for prosecution hold a salary grade of 26 or below, which falls under the department’s authority to investigate and file cases before the regional trial courts (RTCs).

Once filed in court, the Supreme Court said on October 30 that it will designate special courts within the RTCs to exclusively handle corruption cases arising from anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, government officials with Salary Grade 27 and above will fall under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.

More than 1,100 people were arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days nationwide.

From Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, police carried out 1,391 operations that led to the arrest of 1,163 people, including 517 fugitives.

Of the number of operations, 307 were conducted against illegal drugs, 223 targeted illegal gamblers and 199 focused on loose firearms.

Up to 92,894 police personnel were deployed across the country for Undas.

Authorities seized 478 bladed weapons, 65 bottles of liquor, playing cards and other banned items at cemeteries and police checkpoints.

Police also responded to reports of direct assault, vehicular accidents, fire incidents and illegal possession of firearms.

Meanwhile, more than 21,000 passengers traveled through the country’s ports as thousands returned home yesterday from the provinces following the observance of Undas, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

The PCG logged 10,772 outbound and 10,326 inbound passengers across all ports yesterday.

The PCG deployed 5,243 frontline personnel from its 16 districts to assist travelers, manage port operations and ensure compliance with maritime safety protocols.

Up to 157 vessels and 26 motor boats were inspected to ensure seaworthiness.

The PCG will remain on heightened alert until tomorrow to ensure the safe return of passengers in Metro Manila after the long weekend.

The Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum returns after a three-week break and will feature the sports of boxing and billiards in its Tuesday session, November 4, at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Rising middleweight prospect Weljon Mindoro makes his first appearance in the public sports program along with his managers Orly Barcelango and Gerry Balmes to make an update on the next fight of the undefeated 25-year-old Filipino boxer.

Sharing the limelight with them are the people behind the Sharks Billiards Association led by its founder Hadley Mariano, who will talk about the coming Season 2 of the SBA.

Presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus, the session starts at 10:30 a.m.

The Forum is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2, while also being shared on its official Facebook page Radyo Pilipinas 2 sports.