Lacson Stands by His Record and Experience

 

Sen.  Ping Lacson: The most qualified, the most competent, the most experienced candidate.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” has once again proven he is truly the corruption-buster “Mr. Clean” he is touted to be. In recent articles, the presidential candidate known for his strong anti-corruption stance was recently vindicated for previous crimes he was unjustly accused of during the Arroyo administration. No less than former President Sen. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in her recently launched memoir entitled “Deus Ex Machina,” admitted that the accusations against Sen Lacson were fake.

 “The information that was made public could not be substantiated,” GMA wrote in her memoir. 

 Years later, Marquez recanted accusations against Sen Lacson and apologized. Corpus also issued a publicly televised apology to Lacson for falsely accusing the senator. 

 True to form, the magnanimous Lacson did not hurl vindictive comments against his accusers. Instead, he tweeted a forgiving message to his former detractor. “Late is always better than never. To ex-PGMA’s credit, she has the decency and courage to admit that she publicly and unjustly accused me of various crimes based of false information. Whatever, I have already forgiven her a long time ago.” 

 Even in the thick of the present presidential election, Lacson maintains his nonbelligerent stance, preferring not to say anything about the other candidates wanting to be President of the Philippines because he is also running for the position. 

 In his recent interview session with Boy Abunda for the television personality’s series 2022 Presidential One-on-One Interviews, Lacson, one of five presidential candidates who were invited to the show, chose to talk instead about what made him best suited for the highest position in the Philippines. 

 “I am the most qualified, the most competent, the most experienced (candidate),” he told Abunda matter-of-factly without mentioning any of his rivals. 

 The candidate said it was time for voters to be discerning, to realize that politics was not entertainment and they should not be influenced by dole-outs. 

 In his campaign sorties, a singing and dancing Lacson would certainly not be on the program. “I won’t sacrifice authenticity,” he said, and would not do anything that had nothing to do with the country’s problems. 

 “The number one problem is the government, so the solution is the government- good, honest governance,” he said. 

 Lacson stressed, “Tough problems need tough solutions from the country’s top leaders.” His goal, if elected president, was to leave the country better off than when he started and see a greater respect for government officials. 

 Although he acknowledged that the qualifications for presidential candidates were so much simpler than those required of job applicants, the senator also pointed out that college degrees do not guarantee outstanding public service. 

 “Maraming may PhD na mas magaling magnakaw kaysa magsilbi sa bayan (there are many people with doctoral degrees who are very skilled in stealing public funds than in serving the country),” he said. 

 He would not oppose though some changes in the qualifications, although it would require a constitutional amendment. The job was demanding, he pointed out, and it called for skills in handling crises like the still ongoing corona virus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. 

 Lacson said he would lead by example if he were elected president. He recalled that he was able to minimize graft and corruption in the Philippine National Police when he was its chief by consistently showing he could not be bribed. It was his leadership by example, he said, that drastically reduced, if not totally eliminated, corruption in the police establishment. 

As a senator, he did not collect the pork barrel, or extra funds allocated to legislators ostensibly to finance pet projects. He was able to save the country millions of pesos by carefully and thoroughly reviewing every proposed annual budget of the government, he said. 

Lacson would push for digitization and automation in government as president so there would be no human intervention. He said, “Human intervention always resulted in corruption.” Lacson supported the resumption of mining in the country, “a major industry” of the Philippines, but it should be sustainable and responsible. “It must be data-driven and science-based.” 

However, he also expressed concern that corruption would create the same problems as before. “Corruption lets violators get away (with their crimes). Palakasan (pull or influence) allowed people with the right connections to do as they please.” 

Lacson’s vice presidential candidate is Senate President Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III. 

For more info on Ping Lacson, follow https://www.facebook.com/PingLacsonOfficial. 

Sen Lacson being interviewed by host Boy Abunda

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Globe reaps two golds and a silver at the 2021 Stevie Awards for Great Employers

Globe received a Gold Stevie for Employer of the Year, in the Telecommunications division, at the 2021 Stevie Awards for Great Employers. A company known for treating its people right, Globe truly stepped up during the pandemic, ensuring its employees safety and extending invaluable support amidst a difficult time.

Among some of Globe's award-winning programs were the Globe Labs, its own PCR testing facility, Thursdays By The Desk, which discouraged meetings every Thursday to give way to productive, uninterrupted work, and HopeChat, which connects employees to mental health experts via Messenger.

“Ultimately, by caring for our employees, we can achieve great business results and create products that connect families, help businesses flourish, and make the nation admired — not only during this difficult time but for many years to come,” said Ato Jiao, Globe Chief Human Resource Officer.

Meanwhile, in recognition of its best practices in employee engagement, Globe also received a Gold Stevie for Achievement in Employee Engagement. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Globe’s engagement score in the 2020 iSpeak Employee Engagement Survey from Willis Towers Watson was at 93% - the highest in five years. A true feat, at a time when most organizations are struggling to sustain employee engagement and business continuity. Globe is also the only Filipino Company to be part of the WTW High Performing Organizations.

To honor the numerous initiatives to provide employee care during the pandemic, Globe also won a Silver Stevie for Most Valuable HR Team.

Globe aligns its actions with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals No. 3 on good health and well-being, UN SDG No. 8 on decent work and economic growth and UN SDG No. 9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure. 

To know more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.

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Turn PayDay Sales into PayDay Save with PayMaya

There’s truly nothing like treating yourself after all your hard work every PayDay - from splurging on a good meal at your favorite restaurant, to finally buying that air fryer you’ve been eyeing for a while. 

While these PayDay sales and 10.10 budols are enticing, it's also important to ensure that you're spending your sweldo smartly, and not simply giving in to impulse buys that you'll soon regret. 

Digital payments leader, PayMaya, lets you do just that with its #PayMayaPayDaySave offers - giving you massive savings of up to P1,500 when paying for the things you need like your Meralco bill, or the things that elevate your day like a Spotify Premium Subscription for your daily soundtrack needs, from October 10 to 17, 2021. 

Now you can indulge in spending your hard-earned sweldo on yourself and on your loved ones without feeling guilty – because you know you’re spending smartly with PayMaya. Your go-to e-wallet has also partnered with your favorite brands to ensure that you get to shop with only legit items - no more worrying about getting scammed or not getting your money's worth. Say goodbye to 10.10 budols, and hello to saving while you spend with these offers! 

Save up to P500 on your Meralco bill when you settle it via the PayMaya app for the first time – with a minimum spend of P1,500. Within a few taps on your smartphone, you can already complete your transaction and enjoy the 33% savings (max of P500) as a cashback that you can use to treat yourself later! 

You can also enjoy up to P150 in savings when you settle other bills on the PayMaya app. When you pay a minimum of P1,000 for any of the 600 billers featured on the app, you’ll get 10% savings if you’re a new user or 5% savings, if you’re a returning user, max of P150 as a cashback. 

When shopping for your groceries and other essentials, be sure to scan-to-pay via PayMaya QR to enjoy safer transactions and save up to P200 at your go-to supermarket or retail store for a minimum spend of P500. First time PayMaya users will get to enjoy a 20% cashback on the transaction while returning PayMaya users will get 10% cashback as savings at establishments like Robinsons Supermarket, Shopwise, Super8, AllDay, Waltermart, Mercury Drug, Watsons, The SM Store, Abenson and many more! 

First-time Spotify users can now purchase Spotify Premium subscription plans and enjoy savings of up to P194. Get up to 100% cashback off your first month when you use your registered PayMaya mobile number to pay, to access more than 70 million music tracks and 2.2 million podcasts. This offer is applicable for the following Spotify Premium Plans: 

 

• Student (P65) Monthly Subscription Plan 
•  Individual (P149) Monthly Subscription Plan 
•  Duo (P169) Monthly Subscription Plan 
•  Family (194) Monthly Subscription Plan

You can also rack up savings when shopping or ordering online – be it for a nice meal for your family, or a new kitchen must-have. Simply pay with your PayMaya mobile number at your go-to website or at the in-app MayaMall to save up to P200. Just be sure to spend a minimum of P500, to get a 20% cashback for first-time PayMaya users, and 10% cashback for returning PayMaya users. You can enjoy this deal with brands including Jollibee, McDonald’s, Bonchon, Frankie’s, Army Navy, 8cuts, Ooma, Landers Pick.a.roo, AllDay, and many more! 

Save up to P100 when you purchase digital vouchers, prepaid airtime load, and gaming pins at the PayMaya in-app Shop. When you spend a minimum of P200, you’ll get a 10% cashback if you’re a first-time PayMaya user or a 5% cashback if you’re a returning user. Enjoy these extra savings when buying gaming pins like Steam, Xbox, Mobile Legends, PUBG, and Valorant; transportation credits from beep, and Grab; and lifestyle subscriptions like Viu and even Tinder for yourself or for a friend!

On top of these savings for your wants and needs, you can also get an additional reward of P200 when you complete these Smart Spending Goals with PayMaya: 

•  Cash-in worth at least P5,000 to your PayMaya Account 
•  Send Money worth a minimum of P1,000 to a verified PayMaya user using the PayMaya Send Money Feature 
•  Purchase a min. of P200 from the In-App Shop

With PayMaya, it’s easy to stretch your sweldo to cover both your wants and needs – and even save a little extra so you can have a payday with no regrets. 

To check out all available offers, simply go to the Missions tab on your PayMaya app. From the app homepage, just click the profile button at the upper right side of your app, choose Missions, and see the full list of ongoing offers from merchant and biller partners. 

Download the PayMaya app from Android Playstore or iOS App Store, and register to enjoy the safety, convenience, and additional savings when paying for your wants and needs! 

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines, with platforms and services that cut across consumers, enterprises, communities, and government. Through its enterprise business, it is one of the leading payments processors for "everyday" merchants in key industries such as retail, food, transportation, utilities, and e-commerce. 

It provides more than 38 million registered users access to financial services through its consumer platforms. Customers can conveniently cash in, pay, cash out, and remit through its over 300,000 digital touchpoints nationwide. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of 55,000 partner agent touchpoints nationwide serves as last-mile financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved access to digital services. For more information, visit www.PayMaya.com.

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Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam to receive a House and Lot from Cebu Landmasters in CDO property

 Leading developer in VisMin Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) announced it is gifting Olympic Silver Medalist boxer Carlo Paalam a 3.6M house and lot (townhouse) in its subdivision project Velmiro Uptown CDO, located in the prime Upper Canitoan Cagayan de Oro area. 

The listed company joins the rest of the country in the celebration of Paalam’s extraordinary achievement at the Tokyo Olympics bringing honor to every Filipino especially the Mindanaoans. Cagayan de Oro’s adopted son from Talakag, Bukidnon, a scavenger turned Olympic silver medalist boxer is an inspiration to millions of Filipinos all over the world. Since the age of 12, Carlo has been part of CDO’s grassroots boxing program under the support and leadership of Mayor Oca Moreno. 

“We are very proud of Carlo’s achievement and want to take part in uplifting his quality of life especially when it comes to housing. He deserves to live well, and we hope his family will enjoy their new home in our Velmiro Heights community in CDO. We look forward to welcoming him home.” says Jose Soberano III, Chairman and CEO of Cebu Landmasters Inc. 

Velmiro Uptown CDO is a beautiful community located at a prime spot in Upper Canitoan in Cagayan de Oro City , and CLI’s third residential project in CDO . The community offers impressive views, efficiently designed homes with generous space and premier amenities for a serene family life. 

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DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND LIANHUA QINGWEN CAPSULE IMPORTER HOST WEBINAR WITH CHINA’S “PEOPLE’S HERO”

July 13, 2021 

Manila, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Service Institute along with Philippine Archipelago international Trading Corporation presented a webinar featuring prominent figures in Traditional Chinese Medicine which was instrumental in the pandemic management in China. 

The webinar, entitled “Learning from the China Experience – Control and Surge Prevention”, featured prominent Chinese medical figures such as Academician Zhang Boli, Honorary President of the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and recipient of the national honorary title of People’s Hero in August 2020 & Dr. Jia Zhenhua, Chief Physician of TCM, Doctoral Supervisor and President of Hebei Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. 

On the Philippine side, guests were able to listen talks from two of the most important figures in our fight against COVID-19 – National Task Force Deputy Chief Implementor and Testing Czar Secretary Vince Dizon & NTF Contact Tracing Czar and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong. 

The program started with a few words from Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Hon. Teodoro Locsin, Jr. During this address he thanked the co-presenters, the Chinese diplomatic core and the distinguished guests and speakers. He also set the stage of our current COVID-19 situation stating over 4 Million deaths and 186 Million infections and counting globally. “This webinar highlights knowledge sharing as one of if not the most essential form of cooperation in managing COVID-19. The slogan is: No one is safe unless everyone is safe.” he said. 

The first speaker, Mayor Benjamin Magalong discussed the case study of Baguio City and how it navigated through the pandemic. He discussed how proactive contact tracing efforts and control efforts enabled them to control spreads, something he likened to a Hammer & Dance situation. More importantly, he discussed the importance of the PDITR strategy, which is Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat, and Reintegrate strategy. This strategy simple cuts off transmission chain. He added how vital cooperation was to the efficacy of all preventive and control efforts, not only to Baguio City. The implementation of a top-down, side-to-side, and bottom-up approach basically ensures that the paramount objective of having a proper communication and information dissemination to the entire community, involving all sectors of society, is met. Towards the end of his presentation, he touched on the city’s Recovery and Resiliency Plan as well as their goal of becoming a Smart City by 2022. 

Secretary Vince Dizon reported on the National Vaccination Program. He thanked the Chinese foreign service representatives for their continuous supplies of Chinese vaccines which to date is still the country’s most largest supplier of COVID-19 Vaccines at 11 million procured doses plus 1 million donated. He had also thanked Philippine Archipelago International Trading Corporation President, Olivia Limpe-Aw, as EUA Holder of Sputnik V Vaccines, for the continuous supply of the vaccine. 

Dr. Jia Zhenhua then moved on to discussing the utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the prevention and treatment of respiratory infectious disease in China. During his talk, he broke down COVID-19 based on Collateral Disease Theory and discussed how this is treated through the approach of Traditional Chinese medicine. One treatment of note that was mentioned was Lianhua Qingwen capsule, already widely used and distributed in major drugstores in the Philippines. 

Academician Zhang Boli, one of the most prominent figures in China’s fight against COVID-19 begins his presentation explaining why COVID, to him, is considered the “Plague of the Century.” He expounded by showing data driven effects and evolution of the virus. After his brief introduction on the effects and symptoms of Covid in China, he stressed how preventive measures were executed. He discussed the importance of early intervention to reduce severe conversion rate and the integration of Chinese and Western medicine with comprehensive rehabilitation treatment such as breathing training, physical therapy, Taichi etc. , psycho-therapy to prevent after effects of the Covid-19 infection such as physical injury (damage to immune function, heart, lung and kidney) and psychological trauma such as insomnia, anxiety and depression. He had also introduced Xuanfei Baidu Decoction, another traditional Chinese medicine widely used in China’s fight against COVID-19. He had earlier stressed the importance of medication. “Quarantine without medicine is only half the success,” he said through an interpreter. Academician Zhang Boli shared how they shared this knowledge with the world through donations of traditional Chinese medicine, Lianhua Qingwen to different countries. Exchange of knowledge (like this webinar) were also done in other countries. 

Vaccination is very important but even when vaccinated we should not forget the usual daily personal and household prevention measures and emotion management – keep positive, avoid anxiety and have a healthy lifestyle. 

Philippine Archipelago International Trading Corporation President, Olivia Limpe-Aw, started to close the webinar by thanking the speakers as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Foreign Service Institute who spearheaded this webinar. She summarized the webinar and drew the conclusion that there are definitely similarities in terms of experiences, government policies and values of both countries. In fact, significant learnings gathered from all panelists cover early intervention, quarantine with medication is key, integration of Chinese and western medicine with rehabilitation treatment all help to increase curative rate and reduce mortality rate. 

Learning that there are two other TCM to treat COVID-19 aside from Lianhua Qingwen is something new to us so it has expanded our knowledge on TCM and that there are other options that we hope will be available in the Philippines in the next few months since it looks like COVID-19 isn't going to be over that easily, so we will have to deal with it -manage, mitigate so we can all move on and bring back normalcy to our lives. 

This webinar was attended by Ambassadors, local government officials, health officers, hospital administrators, health workers and the media

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