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US, Filipino forces hold combat drills on beach facing China

US Marines alight from a transport helicopter during Balikatan, annual US-Philippines joint war exercise, at Claveria, Cagayan, on Thursday, March 31, 2022. US and Filipino Marines sprang from amphibious vehicles and transport helicopters to defend an island from potential aggressors during a military exercise and show of American firepower. AP/AARON FAVILA

By Jim Gomez & Joeal Calupitan

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The Associated Press

LAVERIA, Philippines—With assault weapons ready, US and Filipino Marines sprang from amphibious vehicles and transport helicopters to defend an island from potential aggressors in a war exercise and show of American firepower staged on Thursday in the northern Philippines.

PHILIPPINE Marines alight from a military helicopter during the annual Balikatan military exercise on the beaches of Claveria, Cagayan, March 31, 2022. AP/AARON FAVILA

PHILIPPINE Marines maneuver their amphibious assault vehicle at a Balikatan military exercise on the beaches of Claveria, Cagayan, March 31, 2022. AP/AARON FAVILA

The exercise—held in farflung Claveria town across the sea from China and Taiwan—fits into a strategy unveiled in February by the Biden administration to considerably broaden US engagement in the Indo-Pacific region by strengthening a web of security alliances and partnerships, with an emphasis on addressing China’s growing influence and ambitions.

High time

WATCHED by invited journalists,

the mock combat ended with the allied forces successfully securing the island before it could be seized by invaders in a clear warning to would-be aggressors in a region with multiple trouble spots.

“We should indeed improve our preparation for external aggression,” said Philippine regional military commander Maj. Gen. Lawrence Mina, who spoke with reporters as the Marines took combat positions on the sandy beach and a narrow trench under the

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.9060

scorching summer heat.

“It’s high time because we never know if we’ll get embroiled in the unfolding events that we’re hearing in the international scene,” he said. “At least we’re ready.”

The beach landing and coastal defense maneuvers were part of one of the largest combat exercises in years between the longtime treaty allies that began Monday and would include live-fire drills, aircraft assaults, urban warfare and civic projects mostly in northern and the western Philippines, which faces the disputed South China Sea.

The ‘objective’

COL. Timothy Brady Jr., who heads the US 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, said he was “very pleased” with the outcome of the mock beach maneuvers, which started in the nearby coastal town of Aparri.

“Certainly, the objective of what we’re doing is demonstrating the strength of the alliance as well as the commitment to regional security,” Brady said.

Called Balikatan—Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder—the annual exercises will run up to April 8 with nearly 9,000 navy, marines, air force

and army troops, including 5,100 American military personnel, to strengthen their joint fighting capabilities and readiness “for real-world challenges,” according to US and Philippine military officials.

First staged in 1991, the Balikatan exercises are anchored on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which commits the United States and the Philippines to come to each other’s aid in case of an attack.

When President Duterte took office in 2016, he threatened to scale back US military activities in the country as he nurtured closer ties with China and Russia but walked back on many of his threats, including a move to abrogate a defense pact that would have restricted American forces from large-scale combat exercises in the country.

trol with India.

“Integrated deterrence will be the cornerstone of our approach,” the strategy paper said. “We will more tightly integrate our efforts across war-fighting domains and the spectrum of conflict to ensure that the United States, alongside our allies and partners, can dissuade or defeat aggression in any form or domain.”

Last week, US Indo-Pacific commander Adm. John C. Aquilino said China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it built in the South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment, and military aircraft in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating in the disputed waters.

Deterrence

“I THINK over the past 20 years we’ve witnessed the largest military buildup since World War II by the

PRC,” Aquilino, using the initials of China’s formal name, People’s Republic of China, told The Associated Press in an interview on board a US Navy reconnaissance aircraft that flew near Chinese-held outposts in the South China Sea’s Spratly archipelago, one of the most hotly contested regions in the world.

China has been staging threatening exercises and flying military planes near Taiwan’s airspace, including on February 24, when Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, in what it calls a warning to Taiwan independence supporters and their foreign allies.

Chinese officials led by President Xi Jinping say they are committed to using peaceful means to bring Taiwan, which they claim as Chinese territory, under Beijing’s control. Chinese military action against the island in the short to medium term is generally considered a remote possibility.

Continued on A2

‘Coercion and aggression’

CHINA’S “coercion and aggression spans the globe, but it is most acute in the Indo-Pacific,” the strategy paper said, citing Beijing’s “economic coercion” of Australia, the intensifying pressure on Taiwan, bullying of neighbors in the East and South China seas and the conflict along the Line of Actual Con-

n JAPAN 0.4266 n UK 68.2097 n HK 6.6272 n CHINA 8.1880 n SINGAPORE 38.3183 n AUSTRALIA 38.8516 n EU 57.4599 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.8364

Source: BSP (April 1, 2022)

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A2 Saturday, April 2, 2022

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Dump-and-fill ‘deterrence’ O

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

CEAN conservation advocate Oceana has urged national and local officials to protect marine habitats and coastal communities against the environmental impact of massive land reclamation projects and climate change.

In a news statement, Oceana particularly called on local government units (LGU) to prioritize fisheries management, ecological protection, promotion of food and nutritional security, and ensure the resiliency of marine habitats and coastal communities.

“The local governments have a shared responsibility with national agencies in the maintenance of ecological balance and thus should take the overall responsibility in their jurisdiction that proposed projects do not harm coastal and marine resources and the livelihoods of their constituents, including those residing along the coasts,” said the nongovernment Oceana’s vice president Gloria Estenzo Ramos.

Ramos, an environmental lawyer and advocate of ocean conservation, said allowing ecologically disastrous projects such as land reclamation, also called dumpand-fill, is inconsistent with such

Group calls for protective measures on the environmental impact of land reclamation

LGU mandate.

Strong policy action

RAMOS also commended the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), led by Secretary Eduardo Año, for what she described as the strong policy action “to deter these projects which violate the right of the people to a healthful and balanced ecology by reminding the local authorities to prioritize ecological protection.”

According to Ramos, deterring destructive development projects such as dump-and-fill should be in accord with the local development plan, coastal resource management plan, land use plan, climate change action plan, among others, which local governments are tasked to perform.

On Tuesday, Oceana unveiled its Citizen Scorecard to strengthen the aforesaid policy issuance by the DILG and provide a guiding tool for citizens on the en-

IN this April 15, 2021, file photo, heavy equipment dump dolomite sand over a portion of Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard in Manila to create an artificial beach. NONIE REYES

vironmental impact assessment and legal safeguards.

The DILG, meanwhile handed down Memorandum Circular 2022-018, which reiterates the responsibility of all LGUs over projects covered by the Philippine Environmental Impact Assessment Statement System (PEISS) and provides the necessary guidelines for them.

Under the PEISS Act and several environmental laws, proposed projects such as dumpand-fill have to be thoroughly assessed on their environmental, climate, cultural, social and health impacts. Violators of the various laws face administrative, civil, or criminal liability.

“The scorecard will enable constituents to assess compliance with the existing environmental, fisheries, and other related laws in processing application and approval of reclamation projects. Citizens have the most to lose if destructive dump-and-fill projects and other unwarranted developments of coastlines continue to persist.

The proponents of these projects, including local governments, must not be allowed to circumvent relevant rules and regulations, and cause us to be more vulnerable to the continuing loss and damages on our coasts and oceans amid the declining state of fisheries, biodiversity degradation, and climate vulnerability,” Ramos said.

Irreversible damage

DUMP-AND-FILL activities all over the country are causing mas-

sive and irreversible impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems, Ramos reiterated.

“We must protect these resources from which we derive food, livelihood, nutritional security, and climate resiliency. We urge our fellow Filipinos to use this scorecard as this is an empowering tool for participatory and accountable governance and preventing further environmental impacts of these projects,” she added.

Oceana devised the scorecard for citizens and stakeholders to rate the compliance by proponents of dump-and-fill activities with their impacts on coasts and marine habitats, which are covered by the PEISS and related laws.

It will enable citizens and stakeholder communities to check if all the required steps are fulfilled in processing the proposals for dump-and-fill and other similar projects.

Among the questions asked are whether genuine public consultations and public hearings were conducted on the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) of the project.

Roberto Ballon, 2021 Ramon Magsaysay and Ocean Heroes awardee and president of Katipunan ng mga Kilusan ng Artisanong Mangingisda sa Pilipinas (KKAMPi), a newly established national coalition of fisherfolk federations and organizations in the country, underscored the importance of LGU commitment to ensure marine habitat and coastal communities’ defense against destructive development proj-

ects. He reiterated that as fishermen, they depend on a healthy and balanced marine ecology for their income and livelihood.

As such, Ramos said, the national agencies and LGUs must ensure the protection of the coastal and marine environment.

Coastal cities and municipalities have primary jurisdiction over the sustainable management of municipal waters; thus, they must be accountable since it is in their purview.

“The Philippines has the fifthlongest coastline in the world.

About 60 percent of its municipalities and cities are coastal, with 10 of the largest cities located along the coast. We ranked second in the world…as having the most number of people highly dependent on a healthy marine ecosystem, next to Indonesia. It is incumbent upon LGUs of these municipalities and cities to strictly follow the safeguards in the Philippine EIS System and related rules and regulations,” she said.

“We urge the local governments to exercise great care and caution when they deliberate on dump-and-fill proposals.

Oceana’s scorecard is a valuable tool to help them in handling projects that can potentially harm the marine environment.

Dump-and-fill projects cause permanent and irreversible damage to coastal habitats and estuaries which serve as spawning grounds of many economically important fishes and are important in securing food security,” Ramos added.

US, Filipino forces…

Continued from A1

While adhering to a One-China policy—recognizing Beijing as the government of China but allowing informal relations and defense ties with Taipei—the US said in its strategy paper that it “will also work with partners inside and outside of the region to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, including by supporting Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, to ensure an environment in which Taiwan’s future is determined peacefully in accordance with the wishes and best interests of Taiwan’s people.”

The US and its allies have been routinely sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait, between the island and mainland China, to visibly demonstrate that they are international waters, and conduct major naval exercises in the region.

Beijing maintains its military profile is purely defensive, aimed at protecting what it says are its sovereign rights. But after years of increased military spending, China now boasts the world’s secondlargest defense budget after the US and is rapidly modernizing its force with weapons systems.

China is also expanding its nuclear arsenal, with the Pentagon saying Beijing is on track to field at least 1,000 warheads by 2030— five times the current number.

Philippine Marines Coastal Defense Regiment commander Col. Romulo Quemado said the Balikatan exercises were complementing crucial efforts to bolster his country’s coastal defense, including the acquisition of armored amphibious vehicles, but were not meant to antagonize any particular country.

“Deterrence is all about perception,” Quemado said.

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Scientists flag rice sufficiency woes as world frets about food

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oncerns are rising over the ability of Southeast Asia to retain its title as a major rice supplier to the world as countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines struggle to even produce enough for their own needs.

Current yield trends will not allow the two countries to be self-sufficient in rice, according to a study published in Nature Food journal in March. This means they will have to rely on imports to meet domestic demand for a staple crucial to food security, political stability and export potential.

“The new millennium has brought a number of challenges to rice systems in Southeast Asia,” the researchers said, citing increasing rice demand, yield stagnation and limited room for cropland expansion.

“Concerns about rice shortages are back.”

The findings come at a time when worries over food security are growing around the

world as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine puts one of the world’s major breadbaskets in jeopardy, further pushing up food prices that had already been on the rise. Still, rice prices have been relatively subdued due to ample production and stockpiles in top growing regions, keeping the food crisis from getting worse.

Prospects for rice self-sufficiency vary by country. Thailand and Vietnam produce more than they consume, while Indonesia and the Philippines “have struggled consistently” to meet rice demand from their own production, relying on imports, the researchers said.

It’s particularly crucial for regions like sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East that Southeast Asia continues to produce a large surplus of rice, the researchers added, as it can help reduce global price volatility and provide stable and affordable rice supplies.

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PHL sustains strong manufacturing performance in March–S&P Global T

he country has continued to post a strong manufacturing score in March this year as purchasing managers’ index (PMI) hit 53.2, higher than Februar y’s reading of 52.8.

The S&P Global Manufacturing PMI, formerly under IHS Markit, said Friday manufacturing score last month was the highest since December 2018, which signals solid improvement in the condition of the local manufacturing sector.

It attributed the strong manufac-

turing performance last month to easing of restrictions as Metro Manila and key areas in the country were placed under Alert Level 1.

It added both new orders and output expanded in the previous month, with demand for Philippine-made products at its fastest pace since July 2019. “ W hi lst the countr y recovers from the pandemic, with alert levels downgraded and restrictions eased, international concerns and supplyside performance constrained the

momentum growth,” S&P Global economist Maryam Baluch said.

Baluch added the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the rising coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in China, created supply bottlenecks that led to further worsening of delivery time of inputs. “(I)nflationary pressures reached record-highs as cost burdens and selling prices rose at faster paces,” she added.

The headcount of factories declined last month as companies

Read experts’ lips: Wellness, not illness; health education key to fighting pandemic

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

BOI and PEZA okay P12.8-B T investments in Jan and Feb

T

he Board of Investments (BOI) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the country’s major investment promotion agencies, have approved P12.82 billion worth of investments for the first two months of the year.

Government data show that P7.55 billion investment approvals were from BOI, while PEZA registered P5.27 billion worth of projects.

However, these investment approvals were lower by 90.4 percent from January to February 2021 figures amounting to P133.24 billion –PHP121.93 billion was approved by BOI and P11.31 billion was approved by PEZA. In terms of employment, registered projects for January to February this year are expected to create 4,847 jobs.

The biggest share was committed to real estate activities at P5.12 billion (39.9 percent).

This was followed by electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply with P5.09 billion (39.7 percent), manufacturing with P1.50 billion (11.7 percent), administrative and support service activities with P1.04 billion (8.1 percent), and agriculture, forestry and fishing with P0.06 billion (0.5 percent).

In terms of approved foreign investments, Singapore was the biggest source with approved investments amounting to P1.32 billion.

This was followed by Japan with P310 million; British Virgin Islands, P220 million; Liechtenstein, P140 million; and the United States, P120 million. PNA

Global manufacturing rebound falters as invasion takes its toll

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he manufacturing resurgence in Europe and Asia softened in March as factories saw worsening supply shortages and soaring costs after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It’s the latest signal of how far the ripple effects from the war have spread, and another setback for countries that were poised to rebound more strongly from the latest wave of Covid-19 infections.

The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for the euro area sank to a 14-month low, though at 56.5 remained well above the 50 level that separates expansion from contraction. Germany and France, the currency bloc’s two top economies, both lost steam.

“Just as the fading of the latest pandemic wave was creating a tailwind for the euro-zone manufacturing recovery, with economies reopening and supply-chain bottlenecks easing, the war in Ukraine has created an ominous new headwind,” Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global, said Friday.

In Asia, manufacturing hubs South Korea and Vietnam saw the sharpest downturn in their PMIs. Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia also declined, with the latter slipping below 50.

Japan’s gauge accelerated as dwindling virus cases allowed factories to ramp up production, according to compiler au Jibun Bank. Indonesia and the Philippines also saw improvements.

Asian economies are relying on their factory sectors to help drive recoveries, while virus curbs hold back traditional

growth engines of consumption.

Rising energy costs and ongoing supply disruptions mean the region’s PMIs will likely soften further, said Chua Hak Bin, senior economist at Maybank Investment Banking Group in Singapore.

For China, a private gauge of manufacturing activity dropped in March by the most since the pandemic’s onset as Covid lockdowns took a toll on production and sales. The Caixin Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 48.1 from 50.4 in February, Caixin and S&P Global said in a statement.

That reading came a day after both the official manufacturing and nonmanufacturing PMIs for March posted larger-than-expected declines and slipped to contraction territory for the first time in roughly half a year.

A slowdown in Asia has potential knockon effects for the rest of the global economy.

The region is the world’s top manufacturing base, and its exports ranging from energy to food are critical in augmenting supplies and tamping down prices in nations beginning to emerge from the pandemic.

In a warning sign for global demand given its status as a weather vane for trade, South Korean new export orders fell by their quickest pace since July 2020. Input price inflation hit a three-month high.

“Manufacturing firms noted the impact that economic sanctions on Russia and the war with Ukraine had on international demand,” Usamah Bhatti, an economist at S&P Global, said in a release.

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re por ted resig n at ion a nd some cost-cutting initiatives.

Meanwhile, Philippine-based manufacturers’ outlook for the next 12 months remains optimistic due to easing of restrictions, increasing demand, and positive election outcome.

“That said, solid upturn in demand and output led to manufacturing expectations remaining strongly optimistic. Firms sustained hopes that Covid-19 will pose a lesser threat to the economy and demand will continue to pick up,” Baluch said. PNA

HE next chapters of the fight against a pandemic will hinge not just on reforms in health financing and infrastructure, but also an intensified effort to make health education that transcend all aspects of national life, a top public health expert said on Friday.

Former Health Undersecretary and National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa underscored, in the second of a series of Experts’ Forums organized by media and nongovernment groups, the importance of personal health and wellness and encouraged local government units (LGUs) to promote physical activity and active living.

“Health is not about illness, it’s about wellness. And if we’re talking about politics and governance, what is important is that Universal Health Care (UHC) actually means healthy living, healthy schools, and healthy workplaces,” Herbosa said in a forum on Health and Wellness organized by the ALC Media Group, Manila Standard, Manila Times and Bigkis Pinoy Movement in partnership with the Alliance of People’s Organization on Friday.

It was moderated by DWIZ Karambola host and former congressman Jonathan dela Cruz and streamed live on DWIZ. Herbosa, also a professor of the University of the Philippines-Philippine

Health and Wellness experts (from left to right) Dr. Ma. Lourdes Peralta, Dr. Rene Punzalan, Dr. Alberto Wonchai and Dr. Ted Herbosa lend their expertise during Experts Forum on Health and Wellness at Treston International College at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Friday.

NONOY LACZA

General Hospital, stressed that investments in health and wellness—both by the government and at the individual level— would mean less expenses for the household and better fiscal position for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.

The LGUs, he said, should construct facilities or grounds where people can exercise, jog, walk and children can play—all while getting some sunshine, which has been deemed helpful not just for building up the body’s immunity but more so against Covid and most diseases.

“Sabihin nyo mag bike, tapos di ka nagpapatayo ng bike lanes. Pinaparadahan ng mga sasasakyan, e di hindi makapag

bisikleta yung mga tao, magkakasakit din ang mga tao,” he lamented.

[You tell people to bike, but you don’t build bike lanes. Their paths are used as parking for vehicles; when people can’t bike, then they end up getting sick].

He also said the government should support the agriculture sector as it plays a vital role in promoting wellness by bringing farm products directly to the table, making it affordable to the consumers.

“We have to get the products of the farmers to our people—to the table of our people, [so they can have access to] nutritious [food],” he said, adding that if the products from the farm are expensive, due

to the involvement of middlemen, people tend to buy instant and processed food like noodles very frequently, putting them at risk of kidney disease and hypertension, among others.

Schools, he reiterated, also have role for to play in health and wellness promotion.

“If you want children to wash hands often, be clean, then teach them health education. Our teachers should teach them what to do. It’s really very important that people know what to do to maintain good health,” he said.

One of the reactors to Herbosa, Dr. Alberto Wonchai, pointed out that in Japan, personal hygiene and discipline in maintaining a clean environment are taught at an early age in schools.

Another reactor, Dr. Maria Lourdes Peralta, weighed in and said one consequence of the pandemic—which should be encouraged –is that people developed an appreciation for abundant, natural food in their locales, especially for those who left the cities for the countryside to cut their risk of Meanwhile, Herbosa also cautioned that the country’s next leader would have to maintain the gains of UHC, even though it will be a complex undertaking.

“UHC is a good program. Dapat ituloy ito ng next administration pero hindi sya ganun kadali. Very complex sya kasi hindi lahat ng gagawin mo mangyayari,” he said.

IPOPHL celebrates Natl Intellectual Property Month 2022 with focus on digital economy

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n 2022, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is leading the celebration of the National Intellectual Property Month (NIPM) as the Office aims to highlight the importance of strengthening policies and holistic efforts to protect intellectual property (IP) in maximizing the benefits of the digital economy.

The celebration comes as the country takes on heavy lifting work to speed up its economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic’s economic shocks.

Amid this upheaval, the digital economy has presented hope by enabling business continuity, distance learning and work-from-home arrangements amid limited face-to-face interactions.

Borderless trade opportunities are also made more accessible to MSMEs. At IPOPHL alone, the adoption of technologies and digital tools proved imperative in furthering the wheels of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in the country, especially during lockdowns.

While it creates a better normal, the digital ecosystem also has its set of challenges, including on IP rights holders.

In 2021, IPOPHL received new record-high reports and complaints in counterfeiting and piracy with 90 percent of alleged violations found online.

Director General Rowel S. Barba said issues in the digital economy need to be

addressed urgently and the NIPM 2022 celebration, with a focus on the role of strong IP protection in the digital economy, demonstrates this need.

Strong IP protection, a pillar of trust

“While IPOPHL has improved significantly in improving IP protection, going so far as gaining recognition from the international community and moving upward in world rankings, we need to sustain conversations with fellow regulators, stakeholders and the larger public to determine how best to protect IP in the digital economy. Through these dialogues, we can provide actionable insights to foster innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship in this borderless space,” Barba said.

“We must ensure that a balanced and robust IP system is at the foundation of interactions and transactions within the digital economy. From this, we can capture economic, social, innovative, and cultural benefits derived from our IP assets for use in the recovery of the country,” he added.

Strengthening IP protection online is part of the key actions of the recently released E-commerce Philippines 2022 Roadmap, which aims to harness the digital economy’s opportunities for value creation. It is also a key recommendation in the World Bank Group’s Philippines Digital Economy Report 2020 for building trust online.

A daily celebration

IPOPHL will be conducting daily events throughout April to fulfill the goals of IP Month 2022.

On April 4, IPOPHL will be unveiling its Legacy Wall to recall former Director Generals and their various milestones, including the Office’s digital transformation, that have helped the agency evolve into its current innovative and development-oriented status in 25 years.

For social media content creators, IPOPHL’s IP Academy will be holding a learning event on April 7 to help users understand how to best protect their unique content and respect those of others in order to avoid content takedowns or even legal disputes.

And with the digital economy creating a rise in IP cases, IPOPHL’s Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA) will conduct on April 11 a Stakeholders Forum to discuss its suite of alternative dispute resolution services and how these can help rights holders resolve issues efficiently and at a minimum cost.

For its part, the IP Rights Enforcement Office (IEO), in coordination with foreign IP offices, will be holding workshops to boost the capacity of the IPOPHL-led National Committee on IP Rights in curbing counterfeiting and piracy which have spurred online over the years.

The Bureau of Trademarks (BOT),

Bureau of Patents (BOP) and Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights (BCRR) will also be providing a weekly IP consultation to the public for free.

Further information on IPOPHL’s April events and activities can be found on the National IP Month 2022 webpage.

Empowering the youth for a better digital future

Meanwhile, in line with the World Intellectual Property Organization’s World IP Day celebration themed “IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future IP,” the Documentation, Information, Technology Transfer Bureau (DITTB) will launch on April 8 the Young IP Advocates (YIPA) Trek IP. The event brings together members of IPOPHL’s YIPA Program to help them explore the stages of the IP cycle by creating an IP product.

IPOPHL will also be holding on April 22 its much awaited IP Grand Forum, Converging with WIPO’s focus on the youth, with the theme “IP and Youth: Innovating for a Better Future” to highlight IPOPHL’s initiatives in empowering the youth to lead the future innovation and creativity landscapes.

The IP Month is also a major event in IPOPHL’s year-long celebration for its 25 years as an Office. Themed “Creating a Silver Bright Year,” its silver anniversary celebration aims to accelerate the country’s economic recovery through IP.

Pag-IBIG Fund Chairman’s Report ‘21 cites SHDA members as top-performing real-estate developers

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ine members of the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, Inc. (SHDA), an alliance of private housing developers, were recently recognized as top-performing real estate developers in the Pag-IBIG Fund 2021 Chairman’s Report.

The Chairman’s Report is an annual event conducted by the Pag-IBIG Fund and the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) to highlight the accomplishments of Pag-IBIG Fund and its stakeholders, partner institutions,

and developers who had excelled in their performance for housing loan deliveries and take out of accounts.

Included in the partner developers whom the Pag-IBIG Fund awarded as the top developers in terms of housing loan takeout-loan value for 2021 are SHDA members Raemullan Lands (Top 1), The New APEC Development Corporation (Top 2), 8990 Holdings (Top 3), Axeia and Basic Housing (Top 4), Hausland Group (Top 8), Lynville Land Development Corporation (Top 9) and Homemark (Top 10).

SHDA members also received several special awards, which include “most number of members served” for Raemullan Lands, “highest growth rate” for 8990 Holdings, “highest performing accounts ratio” for The New APEC Development Corporation, and “highest performing loans ratio” for Lynville Land Development Corporation. Charles Builders Group of Company also bagged a special award.

“As an alliance of more than 300 housing developers in the country, we are honored and grateful to HDMF and DHSUD

for recognizing the achievements of some of our members which have delivered outstanding performance year after year.

We are proud that 7 out of the Top 10 awardees this year are SHDA members.

This performance shows our organization’s commitment to Pag-IBIG Fund’s pursuit of providing affordable home financing for Filipino families wanting to own a home.

It also solidifies SHDA as a leading voice in promoting a more vibrant housing and real estate sector,” said SHDA President May Rodriguez.

According to Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy Moti, these awards mark the success of the housing industry as a whole.

“We acknowledge the dynamic home builders whose contributions tremendously helped Pag-IBIG Fund achieve its mandate of addressing the housing needs of Filipinos and who had shown exemplary performance given the difficulties spawned by the pandemic. Through our members’ trust and the unwavering support of our partner-developers and industry partners,

our home loan releases reached P100.8 billion in 2021—the highest-ever in our history. We want to encourage our housing developers to continue building affordable communities and realize the Filipino dream of homeownership through these recognitions. As the economy continues to recover, we expect that this synergy with our stakeholders will further strengthen the housing industry, as we continue our shared pursuit of providing Filipino workers and their families a home they deserve and can call their own,” Moti shared.

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DOF chief nixes minimum net worth requirement bill for insurance firms

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

F

INANCE Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III has thumbed down a proposed Senate bill seeking to cap the minimum net worth requirement of insurance players at P900 million instead of jacking it up to P1.3 billion by the end of this year.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 73rd Insurance Commission anniversary on Friday, Dominguez said the proposed higher capitalization was meant to protect the public.

“You know, to improve the protection to the public, the capitalization has to really go up just like in banking.

You want to make sure that the public is protected. I was telling (Insurance Commissioner Dennis) Funa, the job of this Insurance Commission is not to protect the industry, it’s to protect the public,” Dominguez told reporters.

Citing the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Senator Lito Lapid filed a bill last year seeking to once again amend the Insurance Code to give insurance players a reprieve from the required final minimum net worth requirement.

Life and non-life insurers had

earlier pushed to retain the minimum net requirement at P900 million.

Under Republic Act 10607, or the Amended Insurance Code of the Philippines, new industry players are required to have at least P1 billion in paid-up capital, while existing insurance companies need a net worth of P550 million by December 2016, P900 million

by December 2019 and P1.3 billion by December 2022.

Funa agreed with Dominguez’s position on the bill, adding that the proposed higher capitalization would be beneficial for insurance companies.

“As an attached agency of the DOF (Department of Finance), I have to abide by the directives of the Secretary—if given this administration and the succeeding administration— we have to comply with policy directions from our mother department.

And this matter really, if it will have to go change, it would really depend on Congress. It does not depend on the Insurance Commission,” he said.

“You know, the higher capitalization will always be good for any company. The higher capitalization is, the farther it is from any financial threat,” he added.

While Funa acknowledged that a small portion of insurers have yet to meet the P1.3-billion net worth requirement, he expressed confidence these companies would be able to comply. He also pointed out that there are ways to raise capital, such as getting new investors and new stakeholders.

“We are still in April so they have more than six months to comply and it is possible,” he said.

Thriving in pandemic

Meanwhile, Dominguez said in his speech at an IC event that the insurance sector managed to thrive even during the pandemic as shown by its continued growth in terms of assets, premiums earned, and investments.

In 2021, the total premiums collected by the insurance industry reached P374.7 billion, up by almost 22 percent from the P308.3 billion worth of premiums it collected in the previous year, Dominguez said.

By the end of 2021, the industry’s total assets reached an all-time high of P2.1 trillion, which was 8.4 percent higher than the P1.9 trillion recorded in 2020.

The total net income and net worth

of the industry also increased by 18.6 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively, Dominguez said.

“All these numbers underscore the resilience of the industries under the Commission. In addition, this impressive performance reflects the efficiency of the regulatory and supervisory measures that the Insurance Commission issued and implemented, during and even prior to the pandemic,” he said.

D e s p i t e I C ’s a c c o m p l i s h ments, Doming uez sa id t here is “much more work to be done to broaden insurance coverage in our society.”

To reca l l, insurance penetration—the ratio of total premiums generated over gross domestic product—rose to 1.93 percent last year from 1.71 percent in 2020, while insurance density or the average amount spent by every Filipino last year went up to P3,400 from P2,800 in the previous year.

“As we move forward to a new normal, I trust that the Insurance Commission will continue to invigorate the industry and make it a key player in helping fulfill President Duterte’s goal of financial inclusion,” Dominguez said.

Ten ‘everyday heroes’ recognized as outstanding men, women of ‘21

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

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he Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines held the The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awards on Friday, recognizing 10 “everyday heroes enabling extraordinary impact” to their communities.

TOYM Awardees for 2021 are Ariestelo Asilo for Social Entrepreneurship; Iloisa Romaraog-Diga for Agricultural Entrepreneurship; Eleazar Abraham “Abe” L. Orobio for Education and Culture; Anna R. Oposa for Environment Marine Conservation; Jayeel S. Cornelio, PhD for Education: Sociology; Maria Yzabell Angel V. Palma for Science and Technology; Jaime Alfonso M. Aherrera for Medicine: Cardiology; Lou Sabrina S. Ongkiko for Education and the Academe; Jaemark Tordecilla for Digital Journalism; and Melvin Sanicas for Medicine.

“The task of rebuilding our society is humongous. The four women and six men who are gifted and whose hearts are in the right place will hopefully continue to be successful in their fields and then influence and inspire others. We need them to be the true and real influencers,” TOYM Foundation Inc. Chairman and Rustan’s President Bienvenido Tantoco III said during the awarding ceremonies on Friday.

For his part, JCI National President Jude Acidre said the awardees, whom he described as “everyday heroes enabling

The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardees are presented by the Junior Chamber International, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) and the Board of Judges of TOYM Foundation in a simple ceremony at the PLDT Building in Makati City. In photo are (from left) Jaemark Tordecilla for digital journalism; Lou Sabrina Ongkiko for Education and the Academe; Maria Yzabelle Palma, for Science and Technology; Jayeel Cornelio for Education and Sociology; PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, a former TOYM awardee himself; Cardiologist Dr. Jaime Alfonso Aherrera, for Medicine; Eleazar Abraham Orobia for Education and Culture; Anna Oposa for Environmental Marine Conservation; Ariestelo Asilo for Social Entrepreneurship; on the TV screen is Melvin Sanicas for Medicine. Not in photo is Iloisa Romaraog-Diga, for Agricultural Entrepreneurship. Bernard Testa extraordinary impact,” were chosen as they stepped up and out of their comfort zones even during the pandemic to “make a difference not just for themselves, but also for our shared goal of building a more resilient and transformed nation.”

“This award is about the best, about building a culture of excellence, where people always strive despite challenges to be at their

best,” he said.

One of the awardees, Cornelo, a sociologist and educator, shared that being recognized as one of the outstanding young men in the Philippines is a humbling experience that magnified the weight of responsibility he has towards nation building.

“This is the best time, most opportune time to be a Filipino—that is what struck

me the moment I learned [that I was one of the awardees]. It was not joy, not happiness, not exuberance, but a sense of responsibility because our nation is at a crossroads... and I feel that every sector…all have to do something to make sure that the future children will benefit from the fruits of our labor and that labor should not be about us,” he said.

Palma, the youngest awardee of the 2021 batch, added that with the award she hopes to inspire more people to become better versions of themselves for the betterment of the society.

“Together we can initiate, innovate and inspire, because even if you were just able to inspire one person, it will create a ripple effect and that is how we see development,” she said.

Ongkiko, an educator in a public school in Culiat, Quezon, shared that the award is not just about being recognized for her contribution to her field, but is actually a challenge to be able to make her students outstanding as well.

“As a teacher, if I am not able to make my student outshining as well, then this award is nothing. And I think that is the challenge for all of us—that if we can’t make other Filipinos outstanding as well this doesn’t mean anything. And we will continue to strive for that—whether there’s a pandemic or not—because that is our calling,” she said.

Presidential frontrunner former Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. is joined by Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. and other local officials during his visit to the province on Thursday, March 31.

More Mindanao leaders assure BBM, Sara of landslide victory

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ANAO del Sur Governor Mamintal A l o n t o A d i o n g J r. e x p r e s s e d confidence that their province will deliver the votes for the tandem of presidential frontrunner former Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and his running mate Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, as thousands of supporters showed full support for UniTeam at the tandem’s visit to the province.

The rousing rally in Lanao del Sur followed an earlier huge gathering in Bukidnon province, where another southern leader, Gov. Jose Maria Zubiri, pledged support for the duo.

In his speech, Adiong said, “The full support of Lanao del Sur is here today to show the province’s support for UniTeam; we are here today with the one expected to next lead and continue our country’s transformation.”

Adiong expressed confidence in Marcos’ message of unity and cooperation, which he deemed key to the country’s success.

“Today let us show support for UniTeam, whose main goal is unity and the success of every Filipino,” he said.

“There is no hesitation when we say we trust BBM,” the governor added, speaking in the dialect.

The governor believes Marcos will continue the successful programs of President Duterte, including Marawi City’s rehabilitation.

“BBM will further expand the initiatives of President Duterte, who is stepping down soon; but we won’t forget what he did for

us Maranaos, especially the rehabilitation of Marawi City,” he said.

Adiong assured the UniTeam of a landslide victory in the province.

Over 100,000 in Bukidnon

In Bukidnon earlier, Marcos thanked tens of thousands of residents who welcomed him on Wednesday in Malaybalay City.

The show of support was first felt at the UniTeam’s two-hour caravan, which started at Valencia City where Marcos led the inauguration of the BBM-Sara UniTeam headquarters.

“I thought it’s cold here in Bukidmon, but I did not feel that because I felt your warm support for UniTeam,” Marcos said.

Governor Zubiri, meanwhile, said he had known the former senator for a long time, that’s why he knew that he had a great love for the poor and those in need.

“I’ve known him a long time, his heart is bigger than his body when it comes to the poor and underprivileged, like some of you,” Zubiri said.

“Therefore, let’s not look for another candidate for President, Mabuhay si Bongbong,” he added.

Marcos’ running mate, Mayor Duterte, was represented by Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa said the Marcos-Duterte tandem must always be united in order so the country can have continued progress, scoffing at efforts by some presidential wannabees who were dumping their running mates in favor of Sara.

PMFTC recognized as top employer in PHL for three consecutive years

Contact tracing to boost vax drive in Davao City

By Manuel T. Cayon

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AVAO CITY—Contact-tracing for Covid-19 infection would shift to higher gear, this time to do family profiling to aid the city health personnel on its mobile vaccination and targetting of communities to ensure higher vaccination coverage.

Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesman of the City Covid-19 Task Force, said contact tracers underwent training on family profiling to assist the vaccination cluster and its partners, the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) and United Children’s Fund (Unicef), in the house-to-house mobile vaccination

that would be conducted in the barangays.

“Today, we have already trained contact tracers to do the family profiling. Once the family profiling is completed, we will consolidate the data so we will know who among the families have not yet received Covid-19 vaccine as the mobile vaccination team will go after them,” she said.

She said family profiling was developed for the house-to-house mobile vaccination more effectively to deliver better vaccination results for boosters, the first dose, and second doses among the 12 years old and above population group.

Dr. Schlosser said the city has a target population and actual population “but sometimes, vaccination in the target

population is either too fast or too slow.”

“We need to have an actual population to know the actual number of those vaccinated so we will do a family profiling.

Apart from that, we’re going to involve the barangays, especially the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams functionaries.

They’ll be helping the district health offices to consolidate which barangays in their districts have low vaccination rollout or have individuals who have not yet been vaccinated).”

A family profiling will be first conducted in Bunawan in the northeast and Toril in the southwest.

She said they anticipated rejection and refusal from some barangay residents but

“a refusal does not mean they should stop their efforts to convince Dabawenyos to get themselves vaccinated or boostered.”

“That’s why it’s mobile vaccination because we are bringing the vaccination, as well as bringing the education to them. We will keep going back to them until we convince them of the importance and benefits of the vaccine,” she added.

She said fixed vaccination hubs in strategic areas in the city are still open for walk-ins from Mondays to Fridays while the ones in Crocodile Park and People’s Park are open until Saturdays for walk-ins and drive-thru. Its hub at Abreeza Ayala Malls is open until Sunday, April 3, for first, second, missed, and booster doses.

Andreea Chiriac

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MFTC, Inc., the local affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI) was certified as a Top Employer in the Philippines for the third consecutive year. This is a further acknowledgement of PMI’s excellence in people practices, firmly establishing the company among the ranks of employers of choice focused on meeting the needs of a globally diverse workforce.

“The recognition of PMFTC as Top Employer in the Philippines for the third consecutive year is a strong endorsement of the working environment that we constantly build at the company,” said Andreea Chiriac, PMFTC’s Director of People and Culture.

“PMI strives to design a workplace of the future; a culture that empowers and inspires people to do their best, celebrates diversity and well-being, and leverages on technology to deliver fast and amplify positive change to our employees and our stakeholders.”

“We are grateful and humbled to have received this recognition. We view it as an affirmation that PMFTC is heading in the right direction with the company’s commitment to provide a workplace that helps Filipinos thrive and hone their professional career. This inspires us to continue innovating to promote a positive and productive environment for our employees,” said Dave Gomez, PMFTC’s Director of Communications.

The Top Employer certification is the result of an independent assessment by the Top

Employers Institute, which has recognized PMFTC’s parent company, PMI, as a Global Top Employer for the sixth year in a row. PMI’s affiliates were also recognized as leading employers in 44 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia/Pacific.

Chiriac noted that, “This award was made possible through our consolidated efforts as an organization, along with our vision to create a smoke-free future, which has spurred the energy and passion of our 4,019 employees to deliver positive change for adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking, and for society.”

As part of the certification process, PMI was required to demonstrate to independent human resources (HR) auditors that it excelled in six HR dimensions by answering 400 questions backed up with evidence. n Attract: Employer branding, talent acquisition, and onboarding n Develop: Performance, career, and learning n Engage: Well-being, engagement, rewards and recognition, and “offboarding” n Unite: Values, ethics and integrity, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability PMI is also one of the 11 international organizations awarded during this year’s Global Top Employer certification. PMI employs more than 73,500 people worldwide.

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Angel R. Calso

The World

Top Chinese diplomat Wang: Nobody can break up G-20 bloc

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hinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said no one has the power to split up the Group of 20, hitting back at suggestions Russia should be booted for invading Ukraine.

Wang stressed in a meeting with Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi that the bloc “should focus on coordination of macroeconomic policies, and that it should not be politicized,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday. Indonesia holds the G-20’s rotating presidency.

The statement added that the pair also discussed the situation in Ukraine at their meeting Thursday in Tunxi, in the eastern province of Anhui, where Wang has been sitting down with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other diplomats for talks on issues such as Afghanistan. The US sent a lower level envoy.

Nations that have been punishing Russia with sanctions and other measures have floated the idea of ejecting Moscow from the G-20, which since 2008 has served as the major international council for discussing economic matters by holding annual gatherings of the world’s top leaders. China has expressed opposition to such a move before, but Wang’s comments mark the Asian nation’s strongest statement yet on the matter.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

has called for talks over whether Russia should be excluded from the grouping, as part of broader efforts turn President Vladimir Putin into an international pariah for the invasion.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said the US doesn’t “believe it can be business as usual” with Russia and international organizations like the G-20, and that the Biden administration would “consult with our allies and partners around the world” on the issue.

While officials haven’t reached any conclusions, it’s likely that US and allied leaders would refuse to attend the Indonesia summit if Putin does, one person familiar with the matter said. The person asked not to be identified because the discussions are preliminary.

Putin plans to attend the G-20 gathering hosted by Indonesia later this year, Moscow’s ambassador to Jakarta, Lyudmila Vorobieva, has said, adding that Russia appreciated Indonesia for not bowing to pressure.

Russia was suspended from the Group of Eight industrial countries in 2014 after Putin’s annexation of Crimea and permanently withdrew from the intergovernmental organization in 2017. Removal from the G-20, which includes many developing economies, requires the bloc’s consensus. Bloomberg News

BusinessMirror

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flected a shift away from heavy spending on goods to a focus on services, such as health care, travel and entertainment, which consumers had long avoided during the worst of the pandemic.

Spending on such services grew 0.6 percent, the most since July, while purchases of autos, furniture, clothes and other goods dropped 2.1 percent. Many economists had previously suggested that a shift away from goods purchases might loosen supply chain snarls and cool inflation. But prices are still rising rapidly for goods, including a 1.1 percent increase in February.

Americans’ overall incomes rose 0.5 percent in February, the highest gain since November and up from just 0.1 percent in January. Wages and salaries jumped 0.8 percent, the most in four months.

Businesses have been raising pay to attract and keep employees—a trend that is benefiting workers but also giving employers cause to raise prices to offset their higher labor costs. That cycle is helping fuel inflation.

L a st mont h , food cost s climbed 1.4 percent, the most in nearly two years. Energy costs spiked 3.7 percent, the biggest such increase since October.

The Federal Reserve responded this month to the inflation

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il slid below $100 a barrel and is heading for the biggest weekly loss in almost two years after the Biden administration ordered an unprecedented release of strategic US reserves to tame rampant prices.

West Texas Intermediate futures lost as much as 1.7 percent on Friday after tumbling 7 percent in the previous session. The US plans to release 1 million barrels a day for six months, although analysts warned any reprieve would be short-lived.

The news filtered into the market early on Thursday, just before the OPEC+ alliance gathered to ratify a modest increase in supply for May. Russia’s war in Ukraine has roiled global commodity markets and driven up the price of everything from food to fuels, challenging governments seeking to encourage economic growth after the pandemic.

It’s led to tumultuous trading in the oil market, with wild swings during

sessions throughout March.

President Joe Biden blamed a spike in gasoline prices this year on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine, calling it “Putin’s price hike.”

He also criticized US oil companies that have been reluctant to boost production. The cost of retail gasoline at the pump was already high prior to the invasion, but the war has turbocharged prices worldwide.

The US has already tapped its reserves twice in the past six months but it’s done little to cool prices. As much as 180 million barrels may be released this time, and Biden said he expects allies to release 30 million to 50 million more barrels from their own reserves. Ameri-

surge by raising its benchmark short-term interest rate by a quarter-point from near zero, and it’s likely to keep raising it well into next year. Because its rate affects many consumer and business loans, the Fed’s rate hikes will make borrowing more expensive and could weaken the economy over time.

Michael Feroli of JPMorgan is among economists who now think the Fed will raise its key rate by an aggressive half-point in both May and June. The central bank hasn’t raised its benchmark rate by a half-point in two decades, a sign of how concerned it has become about the persistent surge in inflation.

On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.6 percent from January to February, up slightly from the previous month’s increase of 0.5 percent and matching the highest monthly figure since 2008. Core prices rose 0.4 percent, down from a 0.5 percent increase in January.

Gas prices have soared in the past month in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion, which led the United Kingdom and the Biden administration to ban Russia’s oil exports. The cost of a gallon of gas shot up to a national average of $4.24 a gallon Wednesday, according to AAA. That’s up 63 cents from a month ago, when it was $3.61.

Michael Pearce, an economist at Capital Economics, estimated that the gas price spike would cost Americans an annualized $100 billion in March.

Americans will likely dig into their savings to cover the higher gas costs in the near term, he said. “But if higher gasoline prices are sustained, that will eventually weigh on spending in other areas.”

On Thursday, President Joe Biden is expected to order the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil a day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve in an effort to reduce gas prices.

Thursday’s report follows a more widely monitored inflation gauge, the consumer price index (CPI), that was issued earlier this month.

The CPI jumped to 7.9 percent in February from a year ago, the sharpest such increase in four decades.

Many economists still expect inflation to peak in the coming months. In part, that’s because price spikes that occurred last year, when the economy widely reopened, will begin to make the year-over-year price increases appear smaller.

Yet Fed officials project that inflation, as measured by its preferred gauge, will still be a comparatively high 4.3 percent by the end of this year. AP

European gas rises as traders assess Putin’s ruble payment plan

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atural gas prices in Europe rose as traders weighed the impact of Russia’s decision to shift payment for its supplies to rubles, and as colder weather is set to boost demand.

Benchmark gas futures pared gains of as much as 5.6 percent.

President Vladimir Putin’s demand to be paid in rubles for gas has been looming over the market for days, with traders on edge about how that may affect flows.

Russia said Thursday f lows will continue to Europe, but the lack of details on the new mechanism has left buyers scratching

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Oil extends drop below $100 as US plans reserves release

A key inflation gauge sets 40-yr high as prices of gas, food soar A SHINGTON—A n inflation gauge that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve jumped 6.4 percent in February compared with a year ago, with sharply higher prices for food, gasoline and other necessities squeezing Americans’ finances.

The figure reported Thursday by the Commerce Department was the largest year-overyear rise since January 1982.

Excluding volatile prices for food and energy, so-called core inflation increased 5.4 percent in February from 12 months earlier.

Robust consumer demand has combined with shortages of many goods to fuel the sharpest price jumps in four decades.

Measures of inflation will likely worsen in the coming months because Thursday’s report doesn’t reflect the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which occurred Feb. 24.

The war has disrupted global oil markets and accelerated prices for wheat, nickel and other key commodities.

Squeezed by inflation, consumers increased their spending by just 0.2 percent in February, down from a much larger 2.7 percent gain in January.

Adjusted for inflation, spending actually fell 0.4 percent last month. The decline partly re-

Saturday, April 2, 2022

their heads amid uncertainties on the impact on contracts. Many consumers are still waiting to unpick the move.

The market is also being affected by forecast for colder weather.

Below normal temperatures are seen across most of Europe at the start of next week, Maxar said in a

report, posing a risk that the market could get tight amid increasing demand for heating.

Dutch gas for next month was 0.9 percent higher at 127.05 euros a megawatt-hour as of 8:30 a.m. in Amsterdam. Prices in March had their biggest monthly gain since November. Bloomberg News

Emissions stacks at the Valero Energy Corp. oil refinery in Memphis, Tennessee, US, on, February 16, 2022. The US and other major oil-consuming nations are considering releasing 70 million barrels of oil from their emergency stockpiles as crude prices surge amid growing concerns over supply after Russia invaded Ukraine. Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

can physical crude prices tumbled.

The release by the US and potentially other countries will not have a material impact on the supply-demand balance, said Jeffrey Halley, a senior market analyst at Oanda Asia Pacific Pte. Brent crude will likely fluctuate in a broad range of $100 to $120 a barrel in the weeks ahead, he added.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. cut its forecast for Brent in the second half by $10 a barrel to $125

following news of the US release.

The bank said in a note that the release won’t resolve “oil’s structural deficit.”

The market also faced pressure this week from concerns about Chinese demand as the world’s biggest oil importer implements a series of lockdowns to curb a virus resurgence. Those curbs are starting to have an impact on the economy, with manufacturing activity contracting in March. Bloomberg News

Seafood biz braces for losses of jobs, fish due to sanctions

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ORTLAND, Maine—The worldwide seafood industry is steeling itself for price hikes, supply disruptions and potential job losses as new rounds of economic sanctions on Russia make key species such as cod and crab harder to come by.

The latest round of US attempts to punish Russia for the invasion of Ukraine includes bans on imports of seafood, alcohol and diamonds. The US is also stripping “most favored nation status” from Russia. Nations around the world are taking similar steps.

Russia is one of the largest producers of seafood in the world, and was the fifth-largest producer of wild-caught fish, according to a 2020 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Russia is not one of the biggest exporters of seafood to the US, but it’s a world leader in exports of cod (the preference for fish and chips in the US).

It’s also a major supplier of crabs and Alaska pollock, widely used in fast-food sandwiches and processed products like fish sticks.

The impact is likely to be felt globally, as well as in places with working waterfronts. One of those is Maine, where more than $50 million in seafood products from Russia passed through Portland in 2021, according to federal statistics.

“If you’re getting cod from Russia, it’s going to be a problem,” said Glen Libby, an owner of Port Clyde Fresh Catch, a seafood market in Tenants Harbor, Maine. “That’s quite a mess. We’ll see how it turns out.”

Russia exported more than 28 million pounds (12.7 million kilograms) of cod to the US from January 1, 2020, to January 31, 2022, according to census data.

The European Union and United Kingdom are both deeply dependent on Russian seafood. And prices of seafood are already spiking in Japan, a major seafood consumer that is limiting its trade with Russia.

In the UK, where fish and chips are a cultural marker, shop owners and consumers alike are bracing for price surges. British fish and chip shops were already facing a squeeze because of soaring energy costs and rising food prices.

Andrew Crook, head of the National Federation of Fish Friers, said earlier this month that—even before the war—he expected a third of Britain’s fish and chip shops to go out of business. If fish prices shoot up even higher, “we are in real dire straits,” he said.

In mid-March, the UK slapped a 35 percent tariff hike on Russian whitefish, including chip-shop staples cod and

haddock.

“We’re a massive part of UK culture and it would be a shame to see that go,” he told broadcaster ITV. US consumers are most likely to notice the impact of sanctions via price and availability of fish, said Kanae Tokunaga, who runs the Coastal and Marine Economics Lab at Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland.

“Because seafood is a global commodity, even if they are not harvested in Russia, you will notice the price hike,” Tokunaga said.

In the US, the dependence on foreign cod stems to the loss of its own oncerobust Atlantic cod fishery that cratered in the face of overfishing and environmental changes. US fishermen, based mostly in New England, brought more than 100 million pounds (45.4 million kilograms) of cod to the docks per year in the early 1980s, but the 2020 catch was less than 2 million pounds (900,000 kilograms).

Regulators have tried to save the fishery with management measures such as very low fishing quotas, and many fishermen targeting other East Coast groundfish species such as haddock and flounder now avoid cod altogether.

Seafood processors in Massachusetts are concerned about job losses due to loss of Russian products, Democratic US SeNator Ed Markey, who does support sanctions on Russia, said.

“I have heard from seafood processors in my home state with concerns about potential sudden effects of a new, immediate ban on imports on their workforce, including hundreds of union workers in the seafood processing industry,” he said on the Senate floor in February.

For US producers of seafood staples such as fish and chips, the lack of Russian cod could mean pivoting to other foreign sources, said Walt Golet, a research assistant professor at the University of Maine’s School of Marine Sciences.

“We might be able to bring in more from Norway, a little more from Canadian fisheries,” Golet said. “It really is driven by the price of those imports.”

As an alternative, producers and consumers could try underutilized fish species caught domestically, such as Atlantic pollock and redfish, said Ben Martens, executive director of Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.

“Maybe this is a time to use haddock or hake or maybe monkfish, something different,” Martens said. “If it’s going to disrupt supply chains it does present an opportunity for other species to fill that void.” AP

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Saturday, April 2, 2022

The World BusinessMirror

Biden: Putin may have put advisers under house arrest

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resident Joe Biden said Russian leader Vladimir Putin may have fired some of his advisers or put them under house arrest, and that it’s an “open question” as to whether Putin is fully informed on his military’s performance in Ukraine.

Biden told reporters at the White House on Thursday “there’s some indication that he has fired or put under house arrest some of the advisers.”

“But I don’t want to put too much stock in it at this time because we don’t have that much hard evidence,” he added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview that Biden’s comments were “a perfect example of disinformation of a head of state.” Asked if that meant it was Biden instead of Putin who

was poorly informed, Peskov replied, “exactly.”

Biden’s remarks add to a steady drip of suggestions in Washington and by US allies of distance between Putin and his top advisers. The comments also build on indications of inner-circle dissent, such as the departure of Russia’s climate envoy and the unsuccessful bid by central bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina to step aside.

Scant public appearances in the last month by Russia’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, raised

questions about whether he had fallen afoul of Putin.

Biden said “there’s a lot of speculation” about how informed Putin is on Russian military progress in Ukraine, where his army has suffered staggering casualties while failing to capture major cities, including the capital, Kyiv.

Biden said Putin “seems to be self-isolated ” and said he was skeptical of the Russian military’s claims that it is de-escalating its invasion.

Putin’s advisers fear giving him a clear picture of the situation, Jeremy Fleming, director of GCHQ— the branch of British intelligence dealing with intercepts and cybersecurity—said Thursday.

“Even though we believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth, what’s going on and the extent of these misjudgments must be crystal clear,” Fleming said in a speech in Australia.

Putin “massively misjudged” the resistance of the Ukrainian people, the strength of Russia’s military and the economic fallout

from his invasion, he added.

On Wednesday, a White House spokeswoman said in strong terms that Putin had been misinformed by advisers about the status of Russian military efforts in Ukraine and the effect of sanctions on his country’s economy.

“We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military which has resulted in persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership,” said White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, citing unspecified US intelligence. “We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing, and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth.”

Bedingfield declined to elaborate on the US intelligence, saying the administration didn’t want to risk compromising its sources or methods of gathering the information. Bloomberg News

Russians leave Chernobyl; Ukraine braces for attacks

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Y IV, Ukraine—Russian troops left the heavily contaminated Chernobyl nuclear site early Friday after returning control to the Ukrainians, authorities said, as eastern parts of the country braced for renewed attacks and Russians blocked another aid mission to the besieged port city of Mariupol.

Ukraine’s state power company, Energoatom, said the pullout at Chernobyl came after soldiers received “significant doses” of radiation from digging trenches in the forest in the exclusion zone around the closed plant. But there was no independent confirmation of that.

The exchange of control happened amid growing indications the Kremlin is using talk of deescalation in Ukraine as cover to regroup, resupply its forces and redeploy them for a stepped-up offensive in the eastern part of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russian withdrawals from the north and center of the country were just a military tactic to build up forces for new powerful attacks in the southeast.

A new round of talks between the countries was scheduled Friday, five weeks into a conflict that has left thousands dead and driven 4 million Ukrainians from the country.

“We know their intentions,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video

A Ukrainian soldier stands on top of a destroyed Russian tank on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 31, 2022. AP/Rodrigo Abd

address to the nation. “We know that they are moving away from those areas where we hit them in order to focus on other, very important ones where it may be difficult for us.”

“There will be battles ahead,” he added.

Meanwhile in Mariupol, Russian forces blocked a convoy of 45 buses attempting to evacuate people after the Russian military agreed to a limited cease-fire in the area. Only 631 people were able to get out of the city in private cars, according to the Ukrainian government.

Russian forces also seized 14 tons of food and medical supplies in a dozen buses that were trying to make it to Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

The city has been the scene of

some of the worst suffering of the war. Tens of thousands have managed to get out in the past few weeks by way of humanitarian corridors, reducing the population from a prewar 430,000 to an estimated 100,000 by last week, but other relief efforts have been thwarted by continued Russian attacks.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had been informed by Ukraine that the Russian forces at the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster had transferred control of it in writing to the Ukrainians. The last Russian troops left early Friday, the Ukrainian government agency responsible for the exclusion zone said.

Energoatom gave no details on the condition of the soldiers it said

were exposed to radiation and did not say how many were affected.

There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin, and the IAEA said it had not been able to confirm the reports of Russian troops receiving high doses. It said it was seeking more information.

Russian forces seized the Chernobyl site in the opening stages of the February 24 invasion, raising fears that they would cause damage or disruption that could spread radiation. The workforce at the site oversees the safe storage of spent fuel rods and the concreteentombed ruins of the reactor that exploded in 1986.

Edwin Lyman, a nuclear expert with the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said it “seems unlikely” a large number of troops would develop severe radiation illness, but it was impossible to know for sure without more details.

He said contaminated material was probably buried or covered with new topsoil during the cleanup of Chernobyl, and some soldiers may have been exposed to a “hot spot” of radiation while digging. Others may have assumed they were at risk too, he said.

Early this week, the Russians said they would significantly scale back military operations in areas around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv to increase trust between the two sides and help negotiations along. AP

South Korea eases distancing amid slowing Omicron spread

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EOUL, South Korea—South Korea will ease some of its pandemic restrictions starting next week as officials express cautious hope the worst of its Omicron outbreak has passed.

The limit on private social gatherings will be raised from eight to 10 people starting Monday, while restaurants, bars and other indoor spaces can stay open an hour later, until midnight, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday.

Of f ic i a l s sa id most soc i a l distancing restrictions could be removed, except for an indoor mask mandate, if the outbreak further slows and the medical response remains stable over the

next two weeks.

Kim’s announcement from a government anti-virus meeting came after the country reported a daily average of 316,000 new coronavirus cases in the past seven days, a modest decrease from the average of 357,800 a week before.

The one-day record was 621,187 on March 17.

While Kim said the country has likely passed the peak of infections, there’s still worry about the pressure on hospitals, given the week or longer intervals between infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

Officials also say the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant

called BA.2 is slowing the decline in overall infections.

“Fortunately, the outbreak has slowed for the second consecutive week,” Kim said. “But there’s persisting concern about an increase in serious cases and deaths that might come after time lags, the spread of ‘stealth Omicron,’ or BA.2, which has become the dominant strain, and an expected increase in travel during spring weather.”

The country has averaged 328 deaths in the past week, including 360 in the latest 24 hours, while around 1,300 virus patients were in serious or critical condition.

More than 64 percent of South

Korea’s 2,800 intensive care units designated for Covid-19 treatment were occupied.

Health Minister Kwon Deokcheol said social distancing measures have clearly become less effective because Omicron is much more contagious than previous variants of the virus.

“Even if we ease social distancing, the increase in infections is expected to be only around 10 to 20 percent,” he said during a briefing.

Quarantine requirements for close contacts, hospitalization for mild cases and proof of vaccination or negative tests when entering public spaces were some of the measures eased or lifted earlier. AP

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Inflation protests turn to clashes at Sri Lanka President’s home

H

undreds of protesters clashed with police outside Sri Lanka President Gotabaya R ajapaksa’s pr ivate residence into the early hours on Friday amid widespread anger over surging living costs and daily power cuts stemming from a foreign-exchange crisis.

L oc a l te le v i sion c h a n ne l s showed crowds screaming “Go home Gota” at the house on the outskirts of Colombo. Police fired tear gas and water cannons after the demonstrators broke past the barricades and pelted stones, the Daily Mirror reported.

Nearly 50 people were injured and protesters set fire to an army bus and a jeep, the news website said. The police imposed a curfew in several areas of Colombo and its suburbs, which was later lifted on Friday 5:00 a.m. local time. No further incidents were reported and dozens of people were arrested for their role in the demonstrations.

Rajapaksa, who enjoys twothirds parliamentary majority, has yet to comment on the clashes.

National polls are due in 2023 at the earliest.

R ajapa ksa’s gover nment is grappling with debt obligations, limited foreig n reser ves and inf lation which is the highest in Asia. People are queuing for hours for fuel and living with daily power cuts that stretch for more than half a day as supplies of diesel are running out and the government lacks the dollars to pay for shipments.

The government is seeking a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) while asking for bilateral aid from countries including China, India and Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka has raised interest rates, devalued the rupee and reduced stock-trading hours in a bid to preserve electricity and foreign currency.

Sri Lanka, whose trade deficit doubled to $1.1 billion in December, had about $2.3 billion of foreignexchange reserves in February and faces a $1 billion dollar bond repayment in July.

The IMF last month said Sri Lanka faces a “clear solvency problem” due to unsustainable debt levels, as well as persistent fiscal and balanceof-payments shorts. Bloomberg News

Japan subsidizes IVF treatments in bid to reverse falling birth rate

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he wait to see the doctor at Japan’s popular fertility clinic Saint Mother Hospital just got longer.

Starting Friday, public health insurance will reimburse 70 percent of the costs of advanced fertility treatments as part of the government’s attempt to halt a decline in one of the world’s fastest-aging populations.

Atsushi Tanaka, doctor and director of Saint Mother in Kita Kyushu, southern Japan, expects more patients at his clinic, already packed with couples seeking treatments such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF) which previously cost over 500,000 yen ($4,090) per cycle—more than the average household’s monthly income.

“I think we’ll see a huge number of patients,” he said, adding that nationwide IVF attempts may even double.

Yet Tanaka and other specialists say this won’t be enough to reverse Japan’s demographic decline, with patients still facing considerable costs, and insurance coverage excluding procedures such as genetic screening and the use of donor eggs.

With the number of women of child-bearing age dropping off in the coming years, they said, the government needs to do more.

Japan’s experience will serve as a test case for advanced economies facing declining birth rates. While free, or mostly free, IVF treatments are already available in a handful of countries, including Denmark and France, Japan is the biggest economy to subsidize most costs for such treatments.

It already has one of the world’s biggest number of women trying IVF. One in 14, or about 7 percent of babies, were conceived through IVF in 2019, compared with 2 percent in the US. Yet its birthrate still hovers around 1.3, far below the 2.1 rate the Office of Cooperation and Development says is needed to sustain a stable population.

The move is the latest attempt to encourage younger people to have babies. Over the past decade, it has expanded financial subsidies for daycare and monthly allowances to families with children. Japan’s childcare leave policies are already among the most generous in the world, although few fathers take full advantage of what’s offered, due to social and work pressure.

The government had already offered some financial assistance to lower-income couples seeking fertility treatment, but the latest change aims to provide access for a broader population seeking IVF, including methods such as injecting sperm into the uterus during ovulation and the use of frozen embryos.

Cost concerns

Policymakers hope the insurance coverage will encourage couples, who are grappling with years of low wages amid a weak economy, to try treatment sooner.

“It’s good that it will lower the bar for people in their early 30’s who need IVF treatment but were waiting for their bonus payments,” said Yuko Imamura at Health and Global Policy Institute, a Tokyo-based

independent think-tank focusing on health policy.

Yet for Yuki Yano and her husband, who have been trying to conceive for a few years, treatments such as IVF are still too expensive.

Even with insurance coverage, they may need to pay around 150,000 yen per cycle. ”The two of us are barely making ends meet as it is, and we don’t have the money to pay hundreds of thousands of yen for IVF,” said the 31-year-old.

For now, she is sticking to Clomid, a drug which helps stimulate ovulation. Since suffering an ectopic pregnancy that required the removal of one fallopian tube, she has found treatment stressful, particularly when her husband—a long-distance truck driver—is away during peak fertility days.

“It’s hard, to be honest. And I just get older in the meantime.”

To pay for the new coverage, the government has set aside 17.4 billion yen in the budget for the fiscal year that began on Friday. Analysts say it’s hard to say whether the spending will pay off. South Korea’s birthrate continues to decline despite expanded public insurance coverage of fertility treatments, although some studies on countries such as Denmark are more encouraging.

Investors have tempered their expectations. The 2020 announcement of the plan by then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga triggered a spike in shares of Aska Pharmaceutical Holdings, which produces estrogen shots, and Fuji Pharma Co., another producer of hormone treatment. But both have since retreated, underperforming the benchmark Topix index.

Some say there’s room to do more.

Saint Mother’s Tanaka said the government should consider helping to pay for egg freezing, a costly treatment not covered by public insurance. Companies like Google have offered female employees the chance to freeze their eggs, giving them greater freedom to pursue careers and family planning.

“The government is telling women to work. But they’re also telling women to have children sooner, and isn’t that contradictory?

This is a solution,” he said. He also supports insurance coverage of methods such as time-lapse monitoring or preimplantation genetic testing, technologies credited for higher success rates.

But many women say it’s not just about medical treatment. A recent study by Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. found that a majority of Japanese women thought it was impossible to pursue both fertility treatment and work.

Megumi Takai, 33, plans to leave her full-time office job soon, and work part time to focus more on fertility treatment.

She said many women were unable to use time off for doctor appointments, feeling it was too sensitive a subject to bring up at work.

“I wish society were more supportive about this, and that everyone could take time off when needed,” she said. Bloomberg News

OurTime BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, April 2, 2022

A7

SSS pensioners get relief, ACOP till June 30 S

OC I A L Sec u r it y Sy stem (SSS) President and CEO Michael G. Regino announced that the compliance deadline for the Annual Confirmation of Pensioners’ Program (ACOP) for the calendar year 2021 has been extended from March 31, 2022 to June 30, 2022.

The ACOP covers the following pensioner types:

Survivor pensioners (receiving pensions through Death Benefit); Total disability pensioners; Guardians and their dependents; and Retirement pensioners residing abroad.

Retirement pensioners residing in the Philippines remain exempted from complying with

the ACOP. Reg ino said the extension aims to give those who have not yet complied with the ACOP more time to do so for them to avoid the suspension of their monthly pensions.

“Originally, we have given covered pensioners a period of six months from October 1 last year to comply with the ACOP for the cal-

endar year 2021. But in view of the restrictions that were implemented at some point earlier this year due to the Omicron variant along with other considerations, we decided to extend the deadline for another three months or until June 30,” Regino said.

“We urge those who have not yet complied with the program to submit their compliance imme-

63-year-old starts life anew under ‘Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa’ program

By Lade Jean Kabagani

T

HROUGH their sunset years, many people’s enthusiasm and general interest in life seem to dwindle. These are the elderly people who believe that entering the other side of 60 means that one must start preparing for the end of life’s journey. Not so for 63-year-old Lucy Torlao. Under the government’s “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa” Program, Lola Lucy is enthusiastic to start a new life in her hometown in Catarman, Northern Samar.

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa gobyerno na natulungan ako para bumalik ng probinsya para sa bagong panimula.

Malaking bagay na rin sa akin ang makauwi kung saan talaga ako nanggaling [I thank the government for helping me go back to my province for a fresh start. It’s really an important thing for me to go home to where I really came from],” Lola Lucy said in an interview.

Lola Lucy said it was Lolo Jesus, her late husband, who broached the idea for them to apply for the BP2 program.

Amid the pandemic, Lola Lucy said her husband worked double-time, as a welder, to earn extra money they can use once they go back to the province.

Unfortunately, Lolo Jesus died due to high blood pressure on October 25, 2021.

“Sa hangarin na magkaroon ng extra income, bumigay siya sa sobrang init [For wanting an extra income, he collapsed due to excessive heat],” Lola Lucy shared while emotionally remembering the good things about her husband.

Grieving the death of her husband, Lola Lucy said she got a call from the BP2 program.

It turned out that Lolo Jesus was

SIXTY-THREE year old Lucy Torlao, with her five-year-old grandson, arrives at the BP2 depot in Agham Road, Diliman, Quezon City, on Monday (March 28, 2022). Lola Lucy is among the four families, consisting of 20 individuals, returning home to their province of Northern Samar.

PNA PHOTO BY ROBERT ALFILER

qualified to avail himself of the assistance provided under the program.

Lola Lucy did not think twice and immediately accepted the assistance to go back to their hometown because she knows this is what her late husband wants—for them to renew their life peacefully in the province.

“Nagdesisyon na ako na umuwi na ng probinsya kasi wala naman na akong kasama dito. Kailangan ko na rin kumayod para sa sarili ko kaya uuwi na ako doon sa lugar ko [I decided to go back in the province since I don’t have companion here anymore. I also have to work hard for myself that’s why I will go home to my hometown],” said Lola Lucy.

“Tinanggap ko nang maluwag sa kalooban ko ang tulong kasi alam ko

ito ang gusto niya [I accepted it wholeheartedly because this is what he wants for us],” she added.

Lola Lucy will be going home with their adopted five-year-old grandson.

She has five children, who have their own families, three of them are residing in Caloocan, Manila, while the other two were already home in Catarman.

Lola Lucy said she doesn’t want to bother her children anymore.

“Gusto ko naman tumayo ako sa sariling kong mga paa. Mahirap umasa sa kanila kasi may mga pamilya din sila [I want to stand on my own feet. It’s hard to rely on them because they have their own family],” she said.

Lola Lucy expressed her gratitude to the government for also provid-

Speaking of habits

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

T

HERE are habits and there are habits.

Let me start with the habits that can either cut down your life’s timeline or extend it.

After monitoring nearly 5,000 adults for 20 years, researchers have come to this conclusion: four common bad habits combined—smoking, drinking too much, inactivity and poor diet—can age you by 12 years!

These findings provide another sobering reason to drop those four bad habits.

On the other hand, good healthy habits can add nearly 15 years to your life expectancy! That’s from a study done in 2021 by Harvard researchers.

The healthier the lifestyle, the greater the increase in life expectancy.

Let us set aside these hard data for a while and reflect on our personal experiences, at least from my own.

The first time I met some friends and ex-schoolmates after many years of not seeing them, I was aghast.

They looked much older than me and yet we’re about the same age. It was like they were afflicted with a case of belated progeria, which is a genetic disorder that causes people to age rapidly, starting in their first two years of life.

Think about it this way. Suppose you were given money to spend on a one-week holiday in a resort, but in

just the first two days, you’ve used it all up and you’re forced to pack up and end the holiday.

Or you’re watching a movie and before you know it you’re at the end sequence already, with a missing middle sequence. WTF you say.

My friends’ bad habits have put their life’s lifeline on fastforward. Still, they’re lucky to be still alive.

Others were not so lucky. R. died of cancer of the liver in his mid-forties. Just two weeks ago, a text message told me a young video director and a friend of mine had died of a heart attack.

He was in his early 50s. I was also surprised to learn that at least 2 ex-classmates in high school have passed away when we could be enjoying each other’s company now.

Without bragging, I am 70 years old but I can pass for a 60-year-old man. Lots of people are surprised when I tell them my age. They have this expectation of a 70-year-old man as feeble, wrinkled, unable to walk without a cane and all that.

Anyway, what’s my secret?

ing senior citizens, like her, a chance to pursue a fresh start through the Balik Probinsya program.

“Salamat natawagan ako kahit na inabutan pa ako ng one year, at least natuloy ang pangarap naming dalawa.

Kasi ’yun talaga ang pangarap namin na makapag-umpisa na lang ng hanapbuhay sa probinsya [Thanks that I got a call, even though it took a year. At least our dream came true. Because that’s what we dreamt of, to start a livelihood in the province],” she said.

Lola Lucy wants to start up a sarisari store to save money for the future of her grandson.

“Malaking tulong talaga itong Balik Probinsya kasi bukod sa makauwi na ako eh makakaiwas pa ako sa banta ng Covid kasi di ba sa probinsya medyo madalang naman ang mga tao dun lumabas-labas [This Balik Probinsya is a huge help for me because aside from going home, I can also avoid the threat of Covid infection since there’s only a few people roaming around in the province],” Lola Lucy said, citing the risks of infection in the dense areas in Metro Manila.

Lola Lucy is among the four families, consisting of 20 individuals, who departed Manila on Tuesday going to the provinces of Northern Samar.

President Duterte on May 6, 2020, signed an Executive Order (EO) No. 114, institutionalizing the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa program.

The EO aims to address overcrowding in Metro Manila and assist informal settlers to go back to their home provinces with a fresh start. It also seeks to create a balanced development in the countryside.

The application for the BP2 program is accessible via the web site https://balikprobinsya.ph/ or applicants can call 0919-0657896 and 0919-0692530. PNA

Nothing special. It’s simply because I never smoked, drank, or over ate. My life’s mantra is “moderation” in everything, including moderation, as one Buddhist monk says.

Actually, we know all this. But we still fall into the trap of bad habits. We are good at rationalizing and denying. Consider the case of J. who is at least 15 years younger than me. I know for a fact that he used to be a chain smoker before he suffered a stroke three years ago. For a long while, he had a blood pressure of 179/100 and when told to stop smoking he just laughed it off and bragged that his heavy smoking was what made his life worth living. He even scoffed at us for taking maintenance medicines. He thought his youth would immunize him from the afflictions of the elderly. I wonder what he’s now thinking, when half-paralyzed, he can no longer drive his car, which he loves more than his late wife.

But not everything about habits is bad news.

Let us now talk about what I call “habits of the heart,” taken from the title of a book I read many years ago.

diately for them to not miss the new deadline. We have various methods for compliance that we developed with the utmost consideration for their safety and convenience,” he added.

The guidelines and documentary requirements for the different methods of compliance such as through e-mail, mail, courier, drop box, video conference, and

home visit (for total disability pensioners residing in the Philippines) can be accessed at https:// bit.ly/3iwZBUE. Covered pensioners under the ACOP who have already complied for the calendar year 2021 are no longer required to re-submit t hei r compl i a nce. T he u su a l schedule of the ACOP will resume on July 1, 2022.

3 unvaccinated Dabawenyo senior citizens die of Covid

DR. Michelle Schlosser, spokesman of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force SCREENGRAB

By Che Palicte

D

AVAO CITY—The three senior citizens here who died from Covid-19 were unvaccinated, the local Covid-19 task force said Monday.

The three unvaccinated senior citizens succumbed to the virus from March 13 to 19, Dr. Michelle Schlosser, the Davao Covid-19 Task Force spokesman, said in a statement.

“The casualties were severe to critical cases and required hospital care,” Schlosser said.

Fully vaccinated individuals and those who received booster doses only manifest mild or no symptoms at all when they contract Covid-19, she noted.

“It is important, especially for the 60 years old and above age group, to get vaccinated,” she said.

Schlosser reiterated that two doses of the vaccines with a

These are emotional dispositions designed to help people develop their social-emotional intelligence.

I know senior colleagues who have developed good habits of the heart duringthelongpandemiclockdowns.

They not only stopped smoking and drinking, they have become walk-a-holic. They may not admit it but they have become plantitos, goaded by their plantita wives.

While marooned at home during the pandemic, they developed the habit of listening to good music and watching good documentaries, which are mentally and spiritually enriching. They now have a better AQ (artistic quotient).

Personally, I want to keep cultivating a new habit I acquired during the lockdowns. I want to keep physically distancing myself from toxic people and those who waste my time on trivialities.

Then there is the habit of readiness, which my wife and I have mutually engendered in ourselves during the pandemic.

It’s the habit of expecting the unexpected or the worse. In the wake of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, we have adopted this

booster shot would reduce the risk of getting severe to critical symptoms that may lead to death.

She also noted that from the 1.8 percent recorded in the past, the Covid-19 positivity rate in the city slightly increased to 2 percent as of March 25.

“We have 12 active cases today with a 2 percent positivity rate, still very low compared to our previous 5 percent positivity rate,” she said.

Schlosser attributed the low positivity rate to the sense of responsibility and discipline among Dabawenyos and their positive response to the vaccines and booster doses.

She reminded Dabawenyos to continue the wearing of face masks and frequent handwashing to help contain Covid-19 transmission amid the more relaxed Alert Level 1 status of the city. PNA

motto: horrible stuff happens, and people rebound from it.

Mark Brennan-Ing, a senior research scientist at a Center for Healthy Aging, calls it “crisis competence.” This means, “As we get older, we get the sense that we’re going to be able to handle it. These things happen, but there’s an end to it, and there’s a life after that.”

Then one of the most meaningful habits of the heart that many have acquired during these times is compassion. I know a lot of people who have gotten into the habit of being sensitive to the needs of others, and sharing what they have.

My wife, for instance, has made it habitual to respond to online cries for help. Relatives, acquaintances, even friends of friends— everyone has an equal chance of being a receiver of her compassion.

Sometimes even people who have hurt her before but who are now in need.

With the bad habits, and keep the best habits. They will not only add years to your life but they will also enrich it with new meaning.

Education BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, April 2, 2022

Editor: Mike Policarpio

PPP plans to prep Pinoy students for PISA 2022

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By Roderick L. Abad

O improve on the performance from its previous participation, the Philippines is busy preparing for the upcoming Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Held every three years across different countries, PISA analyzes the competencies of 15-year-old students in mathematics, science, and reading. Apart from demonstrating academic competency, test takers must overcome technical challenges related to computer-based exams such as performing simulations, data generation, and information analysis.

“When Filipino students took

PISA in 2018, there were factors that negatively impacted their performance,” said Dr. Luz Bay, senior psychometrics director at College Board from the United States, and senior advisor of Frontlearners. “ These include their lack of familiarity with the testing environment, and their lack of experience with technology-laden assessment questions.”

Helping improve the nation’s

performance this year compared to what was accomplished in its first participation three years ago, which was way below the average of other participants, are public-private partnership or PPP initiatives set to identify and address various education challenges, including creating a world-class, technology-enabled learning environment for teachers and students.

In 2021 the Professional Development Program on Assessment and Emerging Literacies, with focus on PISA, was developed and implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd), together with the Bureau of Education Assessment, the Bureau of Learning Delivery, assessment experts, and learning-service providers accredited by the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines as partners; specifically, the Assess-

ment, Curriculum and Technology Research Center, the Center for Educational Measurement Inc., and Frontlearners Inc. “We want to remove…technical barriers that students encounter when taking a computer-based exam, so that they can focus and spend more time on the academic and conceptual aspects of the assessment,” Frontlearners founder Leo de Velez said, as he cited that such experience assists teachers to effectively familiarize their students with technology-enabled testing environments. “To achieve [such], we provided teachers with simulation-training activities that allowed them to experience taking a computer-based exam like PISA, as if they were the students.”

“In addition, we gave…teachers simulation tools and resources for their students to use in order to gain experience in answering dif-

Reborn@28: City of Malabon U levels up for global education

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HE City of Malabon University (CMU) marked its 28th anniversary with certifications and accomplishments that enable its students to become transformative leaders and innovative citizens of the future.

In recent years CMU has undergone tremendous growth: improved its faculty, upgraded its facilities and infrastructure during the pandemic, and elevated course offerings—some with industry partnerships—that make these at par with the country’s best local universities.

Allaiza Mae Alamo, third-year student from CMU’s College of Teacher Education, recalled what the school was like before: “We didn’t have the advanced facilities needed to improve our skills and be updated with best practices. Now, we have chemistry and computer laboratories, a podcast room, and a Criminology lab, which houses a state-of-the-art polygraph machine.”

In addition, there is now a refurbished Student Center building, which houses a canteen on the first floor, a student lounge and club offices on the second, and a multimedia room on the third.

T he u niversit y a lso held a groundbreaking event for the construction of a 5-story multipurpose building to provide 10 more classrooms for its Business Administration students.

CMU President Prof. Melissa Grace Sison-Oreta is proud of the recent accomplishments gained, as the school remains true to its

THE CMU is reborn with a bolder identity

vision of being “a home of Global Malabonians:” “Today, CMU is now ISO-certified, [as the United Registrar of Systems Philippines granted an] ISO 9001:2015, which means that the Quality Management System of CMU has met international standards.”

Early this year the learning institution also added another accolade when nine of its programs were accredited by the Association of Local Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation. The agency recognized CMU’s Accountancy program with Level-1 ac-

creditation; while Early Childhood Education, Public Administration, Journalism, and Management Accounting were granted with “candidate status.” This makes CMU one of the leading accredited universities in the Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela area, or Camanava.

Since CMU has received a Certificate of Eligibility from the Commission on Higher Education, it can now enjoy the privileges specified under the Republic Act 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act. Since last

year, CMU—with the help of the United Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education, or UniFAST—has been very enthusiastic in complying with the requirements needed for the acquisition of the said certification, so that all CMU students can gain access to free education. This means learners like Alamo can gain knowledge, improve their skills, and become future-ready, while studying at CMU for free.

“Studying at CMU and witnessing all these changes, I can attest that our institution’s yearly development and innovation is shaping us to become more competent leaders,” said Alamo.

Even amid the pandemic, the university ensured that its students could still have the education they deserve, as it launched a series of webinars on new technologies, while also providing free SIM cards with monthly load allowance for data connection.

CMU’s 28th year is a time to be reborn, with a revitalized, more vigorous, and bolder identity.

“I am just one of the over 5,000 students of CMU who has experienced this total improvement,” added Alamo. “I am now proud to announce to all that I’m a student of CMU since I know that I could gain here the quality global education that I need to succeed in life.”

It is said the hope of a nation lies in its youth, and with its quality education, the future of the Malabonian student is better and brighter than ever—thanks to CMU.

ferent types of interactive questions,” de Velez stated.

For its part, Frontlearners released thousands of curriculumaligned interactive lessons and exercises focused on mathematics, science, and reading. Incorporated were tools for better visualization and comprehension of difficult concepts. Also included were application exercises for real-life situations to further develop the students’ higher-order thinking skills. “ These are skills that PISA encourages us to develop and measure in our students,” noted Frontlearners CEO Elaine de Velez. “PISA does not require memorization of facts; instead, it measures [the way] students are able to ‘connect the dots,’ make data-driven conclusions, and solve problems.”

“What Frontlearners has con-

tributed to the collaboration efforts can reduce such negative impact on students’ performance on PISA,” Dr. Bay furthered. “As a collateral benefit, it can also pave a way for students to learn 21st-Century skills, which are important for the well-being of the country.”

The participation of the Philippines in the PISA 2022 from March 28 to May 20 is crucial in reviewing the impact of the initiatives enforced so far by DepEd and other stakeholders. Outcomes and recommendations that will come out from it will provide additional data points and valuable insights needed by the policymakers and educators in reengineering the country’s educational landscape to be globally competitive. The aim is to make Filipino students able and ready for higher education and the workplace.

Asean youth organization forum cultivates leadership for SE Asia’s sustainable future

J

AK ARTA, INDONESIA—With the aim of promoting further international understanding and leadership among the region’s young individuals, the Asean Youth Organization—a leading nonprofit and nongover nmenta l organization—recently organized the Asean Youth Leader Forum 2022 virtua l ly v ia Zoom v ideo conference and Facebook/ YouTube livestream platforms.

The event took on the theme of “Youth Leadership Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow” to celebrate acts of courage and determination by aspiring young Asean leaders who have played extraordinary roles in advocating for inclusivity, mental health, and women empowerment in the region.

The theme was also aligned with that of the United Nations’ observance of Inter nationa l Women’s Day: “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”

The event was attended by 500 participants aged 15 to 35 from various professional and academic backgrounds who have made lifechanging contributions to their respective societies within the region.

Participants were given the opportunity to brainstorm ideas, develop connections, and gain deeper understanding of current challenges and issues facing three areas consisting of inclusivity, mental health, and women empowerment.

Prior to the event, the Asean Youth Organization also selected six young speakers to spark discussions during

the event: two from Indonesia, and one each from Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Soe Tjen Marching, senior lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London, expressed: “What inspired me to be a writer was meeting survivors of violence whose stories were really touching and full of struggle…

Even after the traumatic events, they remained brave and incredible.”

Adding to the conversation on the topic of women’s movement, producer of Asia TV Studios Regine Guevara explained: “The women’s movement is a constant reminder for all of us, regardless of the generation, [that] the struggle for equality is real, [and it’s doable. We are] able to do it.”

Further, Michael Nugraha Budiarto, Asean Youth Organization’s vice president for External Affairs, added: “In the workplace, we still don’t have gender equality, because of our history and common mindset, that we see women…[are still] somehow lower than men. As young people, we should create movements and campaigns to change this mindset for…future generations.”

The forum serves as a platform for aspiring young changemakers of Asean to build networks, brainstorm ideas, and develop connections between individuals and communities to deepen their passion in creating meaningful change in the region. It was supported by Asia TV, in partnership w it h Dicer ita in.id, Ser i Begawan Religious Teachers University College, and MentalHealthPH.

Future-ready career in engineering through future-geared school

E

NGINEERS are considered “future-ready professionals” due to their expertise and the demand for them by almost all industries. From construction to manufacturing, as well as health care and aviation, engineers play key roles toward profitability and relevance. They are, in fact, society’s enablers of progress, since they continuously create better systems using their knowledge in math and science.

Considered “rising stars” in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by a report by the Industrial Labor Organization’s (ILO) entitled: The Future of Work in the Philippines: Assessing the impact of technological changes on occupations and sectors, engineers’ competencies and background enable them to easily adapt to the new work qualifications and jobs that are emerging moving forward.

The Department of Science and Technology–Science Education Institute, meanwhile, projects a steady growth and demand for engineering graduates within the domestic market in the coming years.

Engineering expertise

IT takes time and effort to develop the

engineering expertise that employers look for. To become an engineer, one starts with the academic training he needs to develop the required competencies.

Mapúa University’s president Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea emphasized the importance of carefully mapping out one’s future career, and meticulously choosing an educational institution that can empower them.

“Graduating senior high school students should be very discerning in choosing undergraduate degrees and colleges. The four to five years they spend in college will determine how they will fare in life and in their chosen profession,” Vea said. “Now that the wheels of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are turning, they must do everything they can to remain competitive and relevant.”

While shortlisting colleges and universities for engineering, students should consider their strength and expertise in engineering education, and one good indicator is the breadth of degree programs they offer. Some universities only focus on four major categories: civil, mechanical, electrical, and industrial;

while others provide new, highly specialized tracks with double majors or dual degrees.

Universities with a full spectrum of engineering tracks like Mapúa give students access to the best minds in each field, and a comprehensive view of each discipline. It also provides opportunities for collaboration with other disciplines—much like a realworld scenario.

Accreditations

THE next important consideration is the school’s curriculum. Aspiring engineers who plan to work overseas should opt for internationally accredited or recognized schools. Foreign employers want assurance that the education of potential employees meets the current global professional standards.

Engineering and technology schools that have programs recognized by international bodies such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Inc., or ABET, have this guarantee. It is a United States-based organization that accredits programs in the disciplines of applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. Its ac-

creditation assures confidence that a collegiate program has met standards essential to prepare graduates to enter critical engineering and computing fields in the global work force.

The Commission on Higher Education, meanwhile monitors, regulates, and certifies higher education institutions and programs. CHED classifies a program with exemplary curriculum and facilities, including faculty and staff, as either a Center of Excellence or Center of Development.

In the Philippines, Mapúa is one of the few universities with internationally and locally accredited engineering programs. It has 14 accredited by ABET, with 11 engineering and three computing programs. It also has seven programs named by CHED as Centers of Excellence—the most for a university in the country. These are Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Environmental and Sanitary Engineering, as well as Mechanical Engineering. Its Industrial Engineering program is known as a Center of Development.

Incoming college students should

UNIVERSITIES with a full spectrum of engineering tracks like Mapúa give students access to the best minds in each field. also assess the credentials of a school’s faculty and staff. Universities that are also flanked by highly credentialed professors and instructors with doctorate or Master’s degrees, who are actively involved in research and collaborative work with the public or private sector, are likely to provide well-rounded and up-to-date lessons.

Advanced and state-of-the-art learning facilities, learning-management systems, laboratories, online resource materials and software should also be readily available to enrolled students.

Same goes for academic support and regular teacher-student consultations. All these are to ensure effective learning, regardless of delivery modality.

Aspirants should also seek for colleges that will develop their soft skills like communication, leadership, teamwork, organization, adaptability and a growth mindset.

Meanwhile, schools that foster innovation and problem-solving like Mapúa help students establish a creative mindset and engineering judgment early in their careers.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, April 2, 2022 A9

47th Int’l Bamboo Organ Fest goes online this April

The Las Piñas Bamboo is known for its unique organ pipes that are mostly made of bamboo.

The Saint Joseph Parish is also known as the Las Piñas Church, or Bamboo Organ Church.

By Bernard L. Supetran

F

or the second year in a row in the pandemic era, the International Bamboo Organ Festival will go online to provide a continuing stream to the country’s longest-running musical event.

Now on its 47th edition, the festival is set inside the majestic St. Joseph Church in Las Piñas City featuring the 19th-century Bamboo Organ, the only one-of-its-kind musical instrument in the world which was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum in 2003.

Slated from April 8 to 10 at 8:00 p.m., this year’s lineup includes world-class musicians interpreting timeless classical compositions from the Baroque era, as well as sacred music.

Taking center stage once more is Prof.

Armando Salarza, titular organist of the Bamboo Organ for 28 years and the current Festival artistic director.

Featured artists on April 8 opening are former Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra principal cellist Renato Lucas, the Manila Baroque Ensemble with violinist Christian Tan as concertmaster, and conducted by Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng, who will also perform solo on the harpsichord.

Performances swing to the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Monserrat at the San Beda College in Manila on April 9 with Salarza playing the newly installed pipe organ, along with soprano Pauline Arejola, and Villancico Vocal Ensemble, the official performing arm of the UP College of Music’s Junior Philippine Conductors

Las Piñas Boys Choir

Armando Salarza

Villancico Vocal Ensemble

Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng

Association.

There will also be a documentary video “Visit to the Workshop of the Diego Cera Organ Builders” before the concert proper.

The three-day festival draws to a close on April 10 with the Sonata for Two Organs featuring Louie Angelo Oca at the Bamboo Organ and Sr. Marie Enoch Kim of South Korea, at the organ of the St. Scholastica College in Manila.

Capping the evening show is the Concert as Las Piñas Church with Armando Salarza at the Bamboo Organ and the world-

RENATO LUCAS

renowned and award-winning Las Piñas Boys Choir, the resident choral ensemble of the St. Joseph Parish Church founded in 1969 by Fr. Leo Renier which has been a Festival regular for the past 4 decades.

The documentary “Things you didn’t know yet about the Bamboo Organ” will be shown prior to the performances.

“We continue to mount the Festival amidst the challenges even before the pandemic struck to sustain the future of their musical frontliners whose livelihood have been greatly affected,” says Festival

Christian Tan

Executive Director Leo Renier who has been painstakingly putting together the performances in the past decade.

He also pointed out that the virtual format of the concerts also enables them to show documentaries to the public and hold simultaneous performances in two separate locations.

The musical event will be streamed on Facebook: bambooorganfestival, YouTube: International Bamboo Organ Festival (Official), Twitter: @bambooorganfes1, and Instagram: @bambooorganfestivalofficial.

Platforms and channels for donations to sustain the Festival are also indicated in the said social-media accounts.

Last year’s virtual concert had some 50,000 viewers on Facebook and YouTube combined, reaching out to more people both here and abroad through the internet.

The St. Joseph Church and the Bamboo Organ were both built by Augustinian Recollect priest Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen who served the Las Piñas parish from 1795 to 1830. The organ, which has 1,031 pipes, 902 of which are made of bamboo, was completed in 1824 after 6 years of work.

Rendered unplayable for a long time due to age and various disasters, the musical instrument was shipped to Germany for a three-year restoration in 1972.

For its anticipated return in 1975, the parish church and adjoining buildings were restored to their 19th-century splendor and given a bamboo-themed look by the late National Artist for Architecture Francisco Mañosa.

Topping the herculean restoration effort of the Bamboo Organ was the Festival’s inaugural concert in 1976 under the auspices of the Cultural Center of the Philippines which showcased the artistry of the Filipino musicians and the grandeur of the newly restored instrument.

Luxe NUSTAR complex to open in Cebu C

ebu City will take center stage once more with the planned soft opening of the ultra-luxurious NUSTAR Resort and Casino complex this year. The first of its kind and the biggest lifestyle and entertainment destination outside Manila, it will redefine five-star luxury, gaming, entertainment, leisure, dining, and retail in the southern Philippines.

Situated at the picturesque Kawit Island along the South Road Properties, NUSTAR Resort and Casino is the flagship project of Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc. of the Gokongwei Group which is focused on gaming and integrated resort developments.

Designed to be an iconic destination for leisure, business and entertainment, the sprawling property is a collaborative masterpiece of renowned international master development planners and interior designers.

The design will reflect a majestic development executed with luxurious artistry to

evoke world-class style and sophistication, evident in its expansive casino, three hotel towers, and four-level shopping haven.

Hotel brands include 379-room Fili Urban Resort, Grand Summit Hotel, which will all be managed by Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR), the hospitality arm of Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) and one of the Philippines’ top hotel chains.

Through its world-class casino, NUSTAR will introduce a new experience and pleasure of gaming with a floor area of 21,000 square meters, 1,500 machines and 250 tables, the largest and most varied in Cebu.

Guests will surely enjoy the thrill of exciting gaming action and live performances at the Entertainment Bar and exclusive events at the Sports Bar. Star-rated hotels will boast of wellappointed rooms which will elevate the gold standard in luxury accommodations, while its vast retail space will showcase

luxur y brands, high-fashion boutiques, plush VIP cinemas, and a carefully curated mix of global and regional dining concepts, featuring international and home-grown restaurants.

With health and safety is the utmost priority, the resort complex has a 100 percent vaccinated work force and is equipped with disinfectant technologies to give guests peace of mind when staying at the resort.

As Asia’s newest leisure colony, NUSTAR is envisioned to be a choice venue for business events, conferences, social gatherings, and entertainment events in showcasing Filipino culture and artistry at its state-ofthe-art performing arts theater.

The recreational enclave is expected to be a hub for domestic and international Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE), with its spacious exhibition halls, elegant ballrooms, and high-tech support facilities suited for big events.

NUSTAR Resort and Casino

The property will also have a water theme park and viewing deck located at the pinnacle of the main NUSTAR Hotel tower, overlooking the mountains and the seas of Cebu.

Guests can also take a scenic walk along the 580-meter boardwalk connecting NU-

STAR to the Cebu strait, designed by famed contemporary artist, JEFRË.

Located along Cebu’s coastal road, it is easily accessible from the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) via the soon-to-open Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX).

A10 Saturday, April 2, 2022 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

BusinessMirror

How e-commerce has evolved in this pandemic IT’S now possible to buy makeup without leaving your house, thanks to virtual testers.

W

ITHOUT a doubt, shopping online is no longer just the domain of the privileged and moneyed. Thanks to e-commerce platforms like Lazada and Shopee, Filipinos do not need credit or debit cards to shop online. These channels accept cash-ondelivery and GCash, and this is how even teenagers on allowance from their parents can now shop online.

Shopping online is now less intimidating for most people. I will admit that pre-pandemic, I barely shopped online because the whole process seemed too much.

During Lazada’s 10th Epic Birthday Sale, I remember posting good finds on my Instagram Stories and friends were commenting that there were indeed many steals. For example, you could purchase six cans of soda from the Coca-Cola Flagship Store on Lazada and pay only P159 plus P38 for shipping. If that isn’t a steal, I don’t know what is. A can of soda usually costs P35 each in our neighborhood.

A 30ml bottle of my favorite scalp serum was priced at P1,500 and with that purchase, you get free gifts worth over P5,000. These gifts included a P400 voucher for your next purchase, a travel blower, a 30ml deluxe sample and a hand mirror. This is truly a steal.

Beyond sales, discounts and steals, these online shopping platforms have helped boost the economy by directly and indirectly becoming sources of livelihood for many Filipinos. It is not yet the most perfect set-up at the moment because there are so many concerns to be addressed such as packaging waste, security and privacy for buyers and many others, but these are things that can be taken care of as e-commerce continues to grow.

“We are proud to be commemorating 10 years of investing in the Philippine digital economy, becoming a top trusted lifestyle destination. In the road ahead, we will continue to empower more MSMEs to transform and scale their businesses,” said Ray Alimurung, chief executive officer of Lazada Philippines.

“Spurring the growth of Southeast Asia has been at the heart of Lazada’s mission since our inception as a pioneer of e-commerce in this region. As we mark our 10th anniversary this year, we also celebrate the businesses and communities that make up our ecosystem, for it is their trust in us that has enabled Lazada to become integral to the everyday lives of Southeast Asian consumers as we are today. Looking forward, we also remain committed in our trajectory to chart sustainable growth across our ecosystem and deliver value to our consumers’ lives—from investing

in local competencies and enabling livelihoods to uplifting consumer experiences.” said Raymond Yang, chief operating officer of Lazada Group.

Recent developments on the e-commerce front are encouraging not just for shoppers but also online sellers.

Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) recently teamed up with Lazada to give online sellers more options when it comes to bringing their products closer to customers.

UnionBank, through its digital MSME online platform UnionBank GlobalLinker (UBGL), will create a special site for all Lazada sellers and the latter will do the same for UBGL sellers. All existing Lazada sellers prior to the partnership will be automatically included. The joint initiative aims to encourage more sign-ups in both of their respective marketplaces. It will help entrepreneurs expand their online presence much easier, as enlisting with either platform automatically opens up another virtual storefront for them, resulting in more opportunities to do business with customers.

On the Shopee front, 2C2P, a Singapore-based payments platform, and ShopeePay, a Singaporebased integrated mobile wallet, announced a new

partnership to increase access to digital payments for consumers and merchants by enabling ShopeePay as a payment option to 2C2P’s merchant network across five markets in Southeast Asia.

The move will enhance connectivity to the digital economy, a key driver of regional economic development, 2C2P said in a statement.

With ShopeePay as a payment option for 2C2P’s regional merchant network, businesses and retailers across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand can accept cash-free payments seamlessly, manage and track their finances with ease, and attract more offline traffic to expand their customer base. Because of this development, ShopeePay users can securely pay and earn Shopee coins to gain rewards with an increased number of participating merchants.

An IDC Infobrief commissioned by 2C2P showed that mobile wallets adoption will grow at an average rate of 35.3 percent from 2020 to 2025. Mobile wallets are changing the way people spend, lend and borrow money, invest and handle payments globally. Because of their nature, mobile wallets are seen as the fintech solution that would most significantly impact businesses and consumers. ■

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PhoenixLab, Locad make work, gaming stations set up easier

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor BECAUSE of the “new normal,” more people nowadays are searching for the right tool that will not only keep them productive while working, learning, or gaming remotely at home. This has paved the way for long-time information technology (IT) professional Edmark Gruezo to leverage on this growing market by establishing PhoenixLab. The beginning of his foray, however, was not easy as he had difficulty providing top-of-theline products and services to his customers due to fulfillment dilemmas. So he had to devise ways to keep up with delayed pick-ups in his warehouse or not at all, on top of managing and sorting the orders correctly before shipping them out.

“Since I have other delivery partners, I also had to coordinate with all their couriers to schedule the pickup from the warehouse. That was the second pain point. But what if they didn’t go? Sometimes the riders get lost, then orders also get lost,” he recalled.

Luckily, Gruezo found the right partner with Locad, a provider of on-demand warehousing and multi-channel fulfillment, enabling him to address those business pain points, making “everything become smooth and automated.”

Adding to PhoenixLab’s efficient operations, the seamless cross-platform integration of his shop to Locad has bolstered his earnings from zero up to 80 percent in one online marketplace.

Months later, he began selling anew in the marketplace where he used to be inactive. The difference was that he replaced his former fulfillment partners with Locad, thus resulting to double sales.

Budding e-commerce players now have a higher chance of acquiring new customers given that they can offer convenience and a more seamless user experience, according to Locad’s 2022 e-commerce trend report.

This holds true to PhoenixLab for having a good jump-off point in the tough office and gaming supply industry. Today, its customers range from IT professionals, gamers, online shop owners, to students.

Gruezo is positive that their top-quality products such as laptop accessories, desk organizers, and gaming chairs keep these clients engaged and loyal.

With his commitment of giving unparalleled customer experience, he said that “even if I lose out, I take care of the customers.”

Thanks to Locad, he has gained positive feedbacks from his clients for the fast and safe delivery of their work-from-home and gaming equipment.

He hopes to accomplish soon the integration of Locad to PhoenixLab’s portal so as to facilitate directto-customer purchases and same-day delivery.

“People now see the opportunity of working from home. This trend might still continue in the years to come. As for me, I will continue selling more products and promoting integration to keep up with it,” he said.

Enjoying more sales and repeat clients, PhoenixLab is slowly but surely fulfilling its goals of helping the customers attain remote-work-lifebalance one at a time. He said: “They can work harder and more productively, and play harder as they enjoy their games.”

EU agrees on new digital rules to rein in Big Tech dominance BRUSSELS—The European Union set the stage for a stepped-up crackdown on big tech companies with an agreement on landmark digital rules to rein in online “gatekeepers” such as Google and Facebook parent Meta.

EU officials agreed late Thursday on wording for the bloc’s Digital Markets Act, part of a long-awaited overhaul of its digital rulebook. The act, which still needs other approvals, seeks to prevent tech giants from dominating digital markets, with the threat of whopping fines or even the possibility of a company breakup.

For instance, they face tighter restrictions on using people’s data for targeted online ads—a primary source of revenue for Google and Facebook—while different messaging services or social-media platforms would be required to work together. The new rules underscore how Europe has become a global pacesetter in efforts to curb the power of tech companies through an onslaught of antitrust investigations, stringent regulations on data privacy and proposed rules for areas like artificial intelligence.

“What we have been deciding about yesterday will start a new era in tech regulation,” the European Union’s lead

lawmaker Andreas Schwab, said at a press conference Friday.

The same day, however, the European Union reached a preliminary agreement with the US that paves the way for Europeans’ personal data to be stored in the US. In its crackdown on tech giants, the EU also has another set of rules, the Digital Services Act, that aim to ensure online safety for users through stricter requirements to flag and remove harmful or illegal content or services like hate speech and counterfeit goods. Both are expected to take effect by October, EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said.

The European Consumer Organisation, or BEUC, welcomed the agreement on the Digital Markets Act, saying it would help consumers by creating fairer and more competitive digital markets. Digital rights group EDRi said it will “narrow the power imbalance between people and online platforms.”

Tech companies were less enthusiastic.

Apple said it was concerned that parts of the Digital Markets Act “will create unnecessary privacy and security vulnerabilities for our users while others will prohibit us from charging for intellectual property in which we invest a

great deal.” Google said it will study the text and work with regulators to implement it.

“While we support many of the DMA’s ambitions around consumer choice and interoperability, we remain concerned that some of the rules could reduce innovation and the choice available to Europeans,” the company said.

Amazon said it is reviewing what the rules mean for its customers. Meta, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, didn’t reply to a request for comment.

The Digital Markets Act includes a number of eyecatching, groundbreaking measures that could shake up the way big tech companies operate.

They wouldn’t be allowed to rank their own products or services higher than those of others in search results. That means Amazon, for example, wouldn’t be allowed to list its own brand of goods ahead of rival offerings from independent merchants.

Essential software or apps such as web browsers can’t be installed by default along with the operating system, in the same way Google’s Chrome comes bundled with Android phones. There’s also a measure aimed at loosening Apple’s

stranglehold on iPhone apps through its App Store.

A user’s personal data also couldn’t be combined for targeted ads unless “explicit consent” is given. That would prevent Google from collecting information on YouTube viewing, online searches, travel history from Maps and Gmail conversations to build a profile to serve up personalized ads, unless users agree to each one.

Messaging services and social-media platforms must work with each other to avoid the domination of a few companies that have already established big networks of users. That opens up the possibility, for example, of Telegram or Signal users being able to exchange messages with WhatsApp users.

Online services would have to ensure that users can opt out just as easily as they can sign up.

That’s “aimed at services where it’s super easy to sign up—boom, you’re a customer—but unsubscribe is hidden under three levels of menus,” such as Amazon Prime, said Jan Penfrat, senior policy adviser at EDRi. “They push it on to you with big, colorful buttons, but getting out of it is really difficult.” AP

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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, April 2, 2022 A11

Try crypto but make it social GOOGLE CHIEF: I.T. FOCUS ON RELIABLE INFORMATION FOR UKRAINE WARSAW, Poland—Information technology companies are focused on providing reliable information and stymying Russian propaganda about the invasion of Ukraine, the CEO of Google and Alphabet Inc. said on Tuesday.

Sundar Pichai met with Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw to discuss ways of aiding the people of war-torn Ukraine. “We are also working to make sure that trustworthy and helpful information gets to people through our products,” Pichai said after the meeting. That includes air raid alerts to Ukrainians as well as information about shelters and humanitarian aid. “We are also blocking channels and apps associated with Russia’s state-funded media,” Pichai said.

Google has donated $35 million to humanitarian organizations working in Ukraine and is offering grants and fellowships for refugees and for Poland’s NGOs. Another $10 million will go to supporting civil society in Ukraine.

Pichai and Morawiecki also held a remote meeting with the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Jansa and with a representative of Covid-19infected Czech premier, Petr Fiala. The three prime ministers met with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv two weeks ago, to discuss best ways of offering support. Leaders of countries bordering Russia and Ukraine have appealed to the heads of big IT companies for help in fighting false information and in curbing Russian propaganda about the war.

Morawiecki expressed his “personal thanks” to Pichai, for his “critical role” in spreading the truth at the time of war.

“Russia is moving from autocracy to the totalitarian regime where the propaganda is so important,” Morawiecki said.

This is why the role of Google and information platforms is “critically important in this war for freedom,” Morawiecki said. “Google is helping in this war for freedom [by] spreading the truth.”

Pichai also met with Poland’s NGO humanitarian organizations and teams of Ukrainian startups.

Some 2.3 million from the 4 million Ukrainian refugees have sought safety in Poland since the February 24 start of Russia’s invasion. AP

PHOTO BY KANCHANARA ON UNSPLASH

I

F it’s not about the election colors, or the recent “slapgate,” my feed is starting to get filled up with all sorts of information about crypto. I must admit that like a lot of people, I do have crypto FOMO (fear of missing out) especially when you hear about those very early retirement stories, but even the best digital currency evangelists admit that investing in bitcoin and its brethren remains a largely speculative bet on an unknown future.

One investment expert even compared it to guessing the Internet’s future in the 1990s as cryptocurrencies and their blockchains—the open and communally maintained electronic ledgers that record transactions—have potential that we don’t fully understand and as this is a fast-moving market, it’s hard to know where it will go.

Recently, a company called MoonXBT has even turned to influencers to encourage socialization among crypto traders and industry stakeholders.

As the first crypto social trading platform, MoonXBT encourages communication between traders, as they would share the advantages of options trading and foster a welcoming environment for both newcomers and experienced traders.

At the virtual press conference held via Discord, MoonXBT COO George Lee said, “MoonXBT’s vision is to optimize adoption of crypto throughout the world and foster connection between expert traders and common users. In ensuring user’s trading safety, MoonXBT put in place safeguards for risk management by recording from the stretch of traders’ trading history and Fireblocks as the five-star grade custodian of our system.

“What people will do on MoonXBT is more than just trading crypto,” Lee added. “We want people to educate people.” He then led a hands-on session, displaying how to go from account registration and authentication to setting up options parameters.

To invite more users, the company announced the “MoonXBT Options Promotion Ambassador Plan,” where influencers in crypto and the wider finance industry are invited to head first in trading the new product, and further discussions and socialization are encouraged among the influencers and their followers. The signed contracts with influencers will become NFTs that will be uploaded to Opensea and each of these influencers will also have a unique NFT identity symbol that will last indefinitely, and they will witness the coming of the new option era

together.

Over 30 influencers in the field of crypto options attended the virtual presscon and they expressed their prospect views about the new products and shared their views about the wider crypto industry.

MoonXBT likewise announced its new options product—Warrant Options. The first crypto options product launched on the platform, Warrant Options, is the least complicated and easiest product to use.

MoonXBT also offers open lessons, information packs, detailed guides, etc., which can help users to get started quickly and easily and minimize the difficulties users encounter when trading options derivatives. Aside from BTC and ETH warrants, the platform also offers DOGE warrant options, which can be found on very few platforms. In the future, more tokens will be supported for trading warrant options on MoonXBT. In addition, MoonXBT will launch three other options products in April, including European Spread Options, American Standalone Options, and Touch Options.

MoonXBT options have the lowest premium in history, half that of exchanges such as Binance, which means users could buy two options on MoonXBT at the same price to double the return.

As the crypto asset market matures and the market’s overall volatility tends to decline, crypto trading derivatives will also become more highquality and mature in the face of the diversified needs of the market. As the influencers also agreed, the options product launched by MoonXBT has brought new life to the industry market and effectively solved several pain points of the industry products, which will effectively promote the upgrade of the industry and make the market pattern more diversified.

“We want more people to get familiar with options,” said Lee, “which can make more discussion of trading, and make active more social behavior.”

Through this plan, MoonXBT hopes to promote the popularization of options, create value for users, and make the industry a positive progress.

2021 was a significant year for the crypto industry, witnessing the expansion of NFTs, GameFi, and the Metaverse. The trading volume of crypto in 2021 rose by more than five times that of 2020, with crypto derivatives performing the best. Among the many crypto-traded derivatives, options are gaining momentum, with positions climbing and rivaling major options products in traditional capital markets in Europe and the US. ■

Understanding the harm beyond the screen that the situation is not normal, they tend to look down on themselves.

“We help these children have better self-esteem because doubts happen when they learn the impact of what they did.

We make them understand that they are important, that they can still be somebody someday,” said Bolivar.

She added that social workers conduct psycho-social interventions to prepare children to reenter normal life.

There are therapeutic activities for them to unlearn distorted views on sex that they were exposed to and learn new values through psychologists.

“NO touch, no harm, no damage done.”

Parents may not see the physical impact of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), but these unseen wounds may linger and affect the lives of young victims. This was pointed out by Emelita Bolivar, Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 3 Center Head, who joined the panel discussion at the #MakeITSafePH OSAEC webinar organized by Globe.

Bolivar said children are often not aware of the abuse they encounter if it does not involve overtly sexual acts— especially if the parents themselves encourage such lascivious activities. She mentioned that rescued children would even get mad or upset over the economic disruption they may cause if they stop, which affects the family’s income.

“It’s a long process. Unlearning is very difficult since the parents are powerful and very authoritative figures in their lives,” Bolivar said, noting that local government units must also have interventions for affected families to improve their well-being.

PHILIPPINES AMONG TOP SOURCES OF OSAEC CONTENT

THE Philippines is among the world’s highest producers of content rooted in online child sexual abuse and exploitation, according to a study led by the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). UNICEF’s SaferKidsPH Advocacy Officer Ramil Anton Villafranca, meanwhile, said that one of the primary reasons why OSAEC thrives in the Philippines is due to the high incidence of poverty, where parents sometimes force their children to perform sexual acts online to earn money.

CREATING A SAFER SPACE ONLINE FOR CHILDREN

Many parents mistakenly believe that the lack of physical contact does not cause harm to their children, and that other people should not meddle with family affairs. “OSAEC is composed of any act of exploitative nature carried out against any child and has at some stage connected to the online environment. It doesn’t necessarily need physical contact. For instance, undressing in front of a camera for a live stream can already be considered OSAEC,” he explained.

One unfortunate trend online is #bagets, a hashtag used by those with sexual interest in children to find their prey. One search of the hashtag on Twitter, where it thrives, yields posts

of those either looking for illicit encounters with minors, or else those offering such a service.

CARING FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF OSAEC

VILLAFRANCA said social and behavior change campaigns are necessary to push for OSAEC prevention and response, especially in communities where sexual abuse occurs behind closed doors.

Victims are usually oblivious to the sexual relationships they are coerced into, Bolivar shared. But once they realize

MARIA AMPARO VENTURA, a teacher from Moonwalk Elementary School in Las Piñas City, echoed Globe’s call, saying OSAEC is a problem that needs the effort of all stakeholders.

Ventura said they regularly conduct webinars and orientation programs for parents and children to educate them about the problem. “We help each other. We don’t just teach the kids, but also the parents,” she said. Since the launch of its #MakeITSafePH campaign in 2017, Globe has been actively educating consumers on stopping OSAEC and protecting children from further risks.

Globe has invested over $2.7 million in content filtering systems that block websites and online imagery that promote child pornography and online piracy. It partnered with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to find, remove, disrupt and prevent child sexual abuse imagery on the internet, and with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection to identify illegal web sites and block them out of the network.

PHOTO BY ANNIE SPRATT ON UNSPLASH

Sports BusinessMirror

A12

| Saturday, April 2, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

HD SPIKERS ZERO IN ON PVL OPEN FINALS C

IGNAL HD stuck to its game plan and never wavered to hack out a nerve-wracking three-set victory, 25-21, 25-23, 25-23, over Petro Gazz to move closer to the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference Finals at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan on Friday.

The HD Spikers used their veteran smarts to rattle the Angels and flashed the poise and character that win big-time championships in overcoming deficits in the clutch while shutting down their rivals to seize Game 1 of the best-of-three series.

“I was very happy and at the same time I enjoyed the game,” Cignal Coach Shaq de los Santos said.

“Neither team wanted to lose.”

Cignal goes for the clincher at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Creamline and Choco Mucho played Game 1 of their own semifinals duel late Friday.

With Rachel Anne Daquis and Ces Molina providing the leadership, Angeli Araneta and Rosely Doria supplying the key blasts and Ria Meneses dominating the middle

with her quick hits and blocks, the HD Spikers shrugged off the Angels’ gritty plays most of the way then unleashed a series of strong finishing kicks to fashion out the sweep in one hour and 26 minutes.

Meneses pumped in 11 hits on quick plays and tips and came away with three block points.

Daquis continued to flash vintage form and added 11 points while Molina and Doria scored 10 points apiece and Araneta chipped in nine hits, including the clincher.

Throughout their remarkable run from the preliminaries to the quarters, which they dominated, and in the Final Four, playmaker Gen Cayuna operated like she owned all zones of the court, baffling the Angels with her blend of front- and back sets and quick plays.

Her last feed set up Araneta for a clever push that ended the match that was close throughout.

Cayuna produced 32 excellent sets and added five points.

Aiza Pontillas matched Meneses’s 14-point output while Grethcel Soltones had 11 points but Jonah

Cebu Chooks winds up 6th place in 3x3 Dubai Expo Super Quest

C

EBU Chooks finished in sixth place in its International Basketball Federation (Fiba) 3x3 Dubai Expo Super Quest debut on Wednesday evening in the United Arab Emirates.

Mac Tallo, Zach Huang, Brandon Ramirez and Mike Nzeusseu went 1-2 in a tough Pool B of the Level 8 FIBA 3x3 tournament held at the Expo Sports Arena.

Figuring in a do-or-die game against world No. 2 Antwerp of Belgium, Cebu Chooks could not sustain the momentum it got from its win over USA’s Chicago earlier, bowing to the Belgians, 19-12.

Cebu Chooks’ sole win—21-15 (8:14)—came at the expense of USA’s Chicago, a team bannered by USA’s No. 3 player Craig Moore and No. 4 Zahir Carrington.

Trailing 10-5 midway through the game, the trio of Tallo, Zach Huang and Brandon Ramirez joined hands in an 8-3 run to tie things up at 13-all with four minutes remaining.

The lead changed hands several

times before Nzeusseu scored inside to give Cebu Chooks a 16-15 lead with three minutes left.

With momentum on their side, Huang and Tallo continued the scoring spree while a Ramirez putback sent the Filipinos to match point with two minutes left. Nzeusseu then scored the winner after a blow-by of Zahir Carrington with under two minutes to spare.

Tallo led Cebu Chooks with 10 points built on three deuces in the contest.

Cebu Chooks almost stunned 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalists Riga of Latvia, falling short late in a 2117 (9:07.5) loss.

With 1:17 left and Riga clinging to a 1716 lead, world No. 1 Nauris

Bolts eye 2nd straight ‘Lakas ng Tatlo’ title

M

ERALCO eyes a second straight leg title without its regular man in the middle when the Philippine Basketball Association 3x3 Lakas Ng Tatlo Second Conference resumes on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Bolts will miss injured big man Alfred Batino in Leg 5 of the standalone tournament because of a plantar fasciitis which he aggravated during the previous finals against Limitless App. Meralco beat the Southeast East Games-bound Appmasters, 17-14, to claim the P100,000 prize money.

Batino is on the reserved list with

Maclean Sabellina taking his spot in the two-day competition serving as the penultimate leg of the second conference.

Tonino Gonzaga, Dexter Maiquez and Joseph Sedurifa are again going to answer the call for Meralco in its bid to become the second team to win back-to-back leg titles.

Meralco opens its campaign against Pioneer Pro Tibay as it leads Pool A along with Platinum Karaoke, CAVITEX and NorthPort.

Coach Patrick Fran admitted teams now have become even more competitive in the tournament since its inauguration five months ago.

‘Gawad’ awardees in PSC web series

T

HE Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) “Rise Up! Shape Up!” web program will present two Gintong Gawad 2021 awardees in separate episodes this weekend.

The online series will feature on Saturday the province of Pangasinan and its various local sports development initiatives that earned it the “Kaagapay ng Isport sa Komunidad” award.

One of the province’s notable sports development projects is the establishment of the Pangasinan

Sports Academy, which offers training programs for tennis, archery, basketball and taekwondo.

On Sunday, the program will present the inspiring story of Kyla Ong Soguilon, a 17-year-old swimming prodigy who was honored as Gintong Gawad 2021 “Babaeng Atleta, Modelo ng Kabataan.”

Soguilon, a native of Kalibo, Aklan, was a two-time recipient of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Tony Siddayao Awards in 2014 and 2015. From 2014 to 2017, Soguilon was also recognized as

Sabete struggled for eight hits after an 18-point effort against F2 Logistics the last time out. MJ Phillips added seven hits and Nicole Tiamzon finished with five points.

It was a duel that had Petro Gazz wresting control at 21-19 in the first set and 23-21 in the last two frames.

But on each occasion, the HD Spikers responded to delos Santos’ challenge and found a way to fight back while the Angels failed to check their skid that would’ve at least extended the match or turned the game around.

Down by two in the third set, Meneses ended a long rally with a push, Daquis banged away a hit to an unguarded spot in Zone 5 then Meneses foiled a Soltones’ attack before Araneta closed out the Angels with another push.

It was more of the same in the first two frames as the HD Spikers battled back from 19-21 down in the opener by sweeping the last six points, highlighted by three Cayuna aces, including a loaded serve that gave the prelims topnotcher a 1-0 set cushion.

V

IETNAM expects more or less 8,000 athletes in the 31st Southeast Asian Games that are due in six weeks starting on May 12 with health and safety protocols unique to the host country.

The organizers, according to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, also announced during a virtual SEA Games Federation meeting on Friday afternoon that there will be 256 events for the men and 242 for the women for a total of 498 events in 40 sports.

But making this edition of the SEA Games that Vietnam is hosting for only the second time since 2003— with Hanoi as main hub anew—are its unique health and safety protocols against the pandemic.

The organizers, according to Tolentino, would only allow delegation officials to go from one distant area to another during the Games.

“Athletes and coaches will be confined to their respective areas and hotels for the duration of their stay,” Tolentino said.

But—Tolentino added—the

W

ORLD Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight titlist Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. and unified world champion Naoya Inoue of Japan will collide for the second time on June 7 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Donaire Jr., 39 and sporting a 42-6 win-loss record with 28 knockouts, is coming off back-to-back wins over former world champion Nordine Oubaali of France last May to seize the WBC belt and over compatriot Reymart Gaballo in a title defense last December.

Inoue, the 28-year-old World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation bantamweight

M

RACHEL DAQUIS continues to flash vintage form.

R

Philippine Junior Athlete of the Year and Milo Junior Athlete of the Year, a feat that no other junior athlete in the Philippines has achieved to date.

PSC Oversight for Women in Sports Celia Kiram will discuss the legal mandates related to grassroots and community sports and will host a virtual tour of the country’s natural pools in her regular segment “K-Isport.”

“Rise Up! Shape Up!” is a weekly web series streamed via Facebook and YouTube on Saturdays and Sundays at 7 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ riseupshapeup and https://www. youtube.com/riseupshapeup.

titleholder knocked out his last three opponents—Thai Aran Dipaen, Filipino Michael Dasmariñas and Australian Jason Moloney during the pandemic.

Inoue, undefeated in 22 fights with 19 knockouts, had a classic first showdown with Donaire in November 2019 also in Saitama where he won via unanimous decision.

“I am ready to fight him. I learned my lesson during our first fight,” Donaire said.

Donaire fractured Inoue’s left orbital bone and broke his nose during that thrilling battle that featured countless solid exchange of punches.

The 12-round fight is co-promoted

by Top Rank chief Bob Arum.

Josef Ramos

Osaka looking well, happy in Miami IAMI GARDENS, Florida— Naomi Osaka’s eyes welled with tears when her match ended, an all-too-familiar scene for her in recent years.

These were of the happy variety.

For the former world No. 1,

ATENEO VS. DE LA SALLE

“Every leg is a challenge,” said the Meralco mentor. “Lahat ng teams is really hard to play.”

Limitless App, meanwhile, shows the way in Pool B with Barangay Ginebra, guest team Master Sardines and Sista Super Sealers.

Pool C has regular contenders TNT Tropang Giga, San Miguel, Purefoods TJ Titans and Terrafirma 3x3.

Guest teams Pioneer Pro Tibay clashes with Platinum Karaoke to open hostilities in the first day of pool play starting at 8 a.m. and featuring another heavy 16-game schedule.

Six more games during pool competitions will be played on Sunday starting at 2 p.m. before the knockout stage involving the eighth surviving teams see action at 4:30 p.m.

organizers would allow athletes and coaches to visit restaurants, bars, shopping centers and tourists spots within their areas.

Interestingly, the organizers don’t include proofs of vaccination against Covid-19, said Tolentino who added that Vietnam has designated 3,000 volunteers to work the non-sports matters of the Games.

“Countries can also change an athlete or athletes who test positive of the virus before the Games start, but not anymore when the competitions are ongoing,” Tolentino said. “Football is exempted from the rule because it allows teams to have extra players.”

Fans or spectators?

“The hosts said that would depend on the Covid situation in the area or cluster,” Tolentino said. “If the figures are high, fans won’t be allowed in the venues, if their low, then they’ll be allowed to watch the games.”

The wires indicated that Vietnam posted more than 92,000 new cases on Thursday.

The Philippines will be leaning on 584 athletes in 39 sports in its bid to retain its overall championship in the regional games.

Team Philippines will fly to Hanoi in batches with the main bulk departing on May 10.

DONAIRE-INOUE SET IN JUNE

Miezis knocked down a two-ball to put Riga just two points away from taking the game.

Though Tallo was able to score on a nifty move inside, the 31-yearold Miezis nailed a one-legged deuce to seal the win for Riga with 52 seconds to spare.

Miezis had 18 points in the contest built on five deuces.

PLAYERS of Cebu Chooks map their strategy.

Unique health protocols in Vietnam SEAG

By Josef Ramos

EIGNING champion Ateneo and De La Salle renew on Saturday their fabled and at times heated rivalry behind closed doors—but not because of anything else but pandemic protocols.

Forced to play without fans just to get the league back for Season 84 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of fans and supporters from both sides won’t get to watch the two schools’ first confrontation in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball action that were locked down in early 2020.

The game between the unbeaten teams—in three games—is set at 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Had the eliminations schedule been generous to Ateneo and De La Salle fans, a limited number of them could have been in the upper and lower box sections of the arena.

The UAAP confirmed a BusinessMirror exclusive that students and fans—although at a limited capacity and those who’re fully vaccinated—will be allowed entry to the games starting on Tuesday.

A missed opportunity it is for both sides.

Nevertheless, fireworks are expected to explode as the Blue Eagles and Green Archers continue their fight for honor and pride, with De La Salle hoping to get back at Ateneo which beat them twice in Season 82.

“We generally have deep teams at Ateneo. When you emphasize defensive, we extend a lot of energy and we like pressure defense,” Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin said. “So we’ve always had teams with players who we’re able to rely on.”

De La Salle big man Justin Baltazar said he’ll unleash his full potential against Ateneo’s naturalized center Ange Kouame, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds in the Blue Eagles’ 78-47 rout of the Soaring Falcons on Thursday.

“I will just apply what I learned from coach [Derrick Pumaren], that’s what I will do,” Baltazar said.

The other games pit Far Eastern University (1-2) against National University (1-2) at 10 a.m., University of the East (0-3) against University of the Philippines (2-1) at 1 p.m. and Adamson University (1-2) against University of Santo Tomas (1-2) at 4 p.m.

that’s major progress.

The unseeded Osaka defeated No. 22 Belinda Bencic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, on Thursday in the Miami Open semifinals. She’s in a championship match for the first time since the 2021 Australian Open, and will meet either No. 16 Jessica Pegula or No. 2 Iga Swiatek on Saturday.

“Damn, I’m almost crying,” Osaka said.

Maybe not even almost. She hid her face in an orange towel a few times right after the match ended, at least one tear clearly making its way down her right cheek. Osaka entered this tournament ranked No. 77 in the world, will leave Miami no worse than 36th and would be back in the top 30 if she wins the title.

It has been a long, trying and often emotional ride for Osaka since her win in the 2018 US Open final over Serena Williams. She was rattled during a loss at Indian Wells on March 12 following a derogatory shout from a spectator, withdrew from last year’s French Open to address her mental state and left last year’s US Open in tears.

But in South Florida, one of the places she considers home, it’s been all support from the fans.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Osaka told them in her on-court interview.

Pegula and Swiatek—who will replace the now-retired Ashleigh Barty as the No. 1-ranked women’s player in the world next week— were meeting in the other women’s semifinal on Thursday night.

Daniil Medvedev, meanwhile, came into the tournament as the No. 2-ranked men’s player in the world. Hubert Hurkacz ensured he will stay there.

Hurkacz—the No. 8 seed and defending Miami champion—wore down the top-seeded and crampriddled Medvedev, 7-6 (7), 6-3, on Thursday in a men’s quarterfinal.

“Every muscle just went ‘cramp, cramp, cramp, cramp,’” Medvedev said.

Had Medvedev prevailed, he would have overtaken Novak Djokovic on Monday and returned to No. 1 in the world rankings.

Instead, the Russian will stay No. 2 in the world and find out who wins the Miami title on Sunday like everyone else. AP NAOMI OSAKA poses for selfies with fans after winning her women’s semifinal match on Thursday. AP

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

3D ANALYZER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES INC. 7-8/f Double Dragon Plaza, 255 Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd., Barangay 76, Pasay City HOANG THANH TAN Customer Service Representative - Mandarin Speaking 1.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services. Maintains customer records by updating account information in Mandarin Format.

LEE, BYEONGMIN Customer Service Representative - Mandarin Speaking

2.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services. Maintains customer records by updating account information in Mandarin Format.

LEE, MINSU Customer Service Representative - Mandarin Speaking

3.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services. Maintains customer records by updating account information in Mandarin Format.

VO TAN PHAT Customer Service Representative - Mandarin Speaking

4.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services. Maintains customer records by updating account information in Mandarin Format.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in spoken & written mandarin and other dialect spoken in other parts of china.

5.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

PENG, XIAOSHAN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 6.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in spoken & written mandarin and other dialect spoken in other parts of china.

7.

Brief Job Description: Liaising with colleagues or managers to find the best solutions to customer’s issues. Attending workshops and meeting as required.

CHANG, YA-TING Mandarin Speaking Operations Specialist 8.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the management of workflow throughout all departments within a business. The purpose of this position is to optimize daily activities and performance of the business across the board.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in spoken & written mandarin and other dialect spoken in other parts of china.

9.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin speaking.

WONG YET TUONG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 10.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin speaking.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in spoken & written mandarin and other dialect spoken in other parts of china.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potentials products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

11.

Brief Job Description: Gives data management support on a large complex, on- and offshore dredging & land development project.

13.

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potentials products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

14.

Brief Job Description: Set up the project organization, preparing the work and optimizing work processes so that the project activities are carried out in an efficient timely and safe manner

SOSA COOPER, LUIS OLMEDO Sand Fill Master 15.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the safe and correct execution of the sand fill plan. The project is highly complex in terms of design, processes, logistics, construct, survey, and is having an innovative character. This function is reporting directly to the Works Manager.

CHEN, LIANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 16.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

QIU, XU Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 17.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

TRUONG THI TU ANH Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 18.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

LI, JUN Marketing And Sales Agent

Basic Qualification: Good social and presentation skills; excellent oral and written communication skills.

Brief Job Description: A customer service representative supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

They’re the front line of support for clients and customers and they help ensure that customers are satisfied with products, services, and features.

19.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

HAO, BINYI Area Manager 20.

Brief Job Description: Ensuring that the shops, offices and employees that fall in their area meet their sales or profit target

SUWAN, NUT Hub Training Deputy Manager 21.

Brief Job Description: Develop and administers training program for employees, assess training and development needs for organizations

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Experience as Discipline Specialist of at least 3 years in dredging and land development industry Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: proven successful relevant experience for at least 10 years in the international dredging, land development industry and construction

No.

23.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: proven successful relevant experience for at least 5 years in the international dredging, land development industry and construction

24.

25.

26.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information , Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

HO VAN BIEN Customer Service Representative 27.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

HO THI LIEN Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information , Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

DUONG HOANG MY NHI Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Must have at least 15 years work experience in a sand fill position on International Dredging, Land Reclamation or construction projects

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

DUONG CONG HA Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Extensive Project Management experience of at least 15 years International Dredging and Land Reclamation project environment

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION CHU TIEN MANH Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

HOANG MINH DUC Customer Service Representative 28.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

HOANG THI BICH HOA Customer Service Representative 29.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can Prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information; Can contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed; Can Manage large amounts of incoming calls Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

HUI MINH HUNG Customer Service Representative 30.

Basic Qualification: Job-relevant degree/ 5-10 yrs. Supervisory/ managerial experience in logistics or operations/ multilingual

31.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

LAM A NHI Customer Service Representative 32.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: Job-relevant degree/ 5-10 yrs. Supervisory/ managerial experience in logistics or operations/ multilingual Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

LA TRUNG KIEN Customer Service Representative

FLASH EXPRESS SOFTWARE (PH) CO., LTD. INC. 11/f Cybersigma, Lawton Ave., Mckinley West, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503, Nueva St., Barangay 289, Binondo, City Of Manila

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints

NGUYEN THI KIM LIEN Customer Service Representative 33.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information , Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. Ri Rance Ii Bldg., Block 2 Lot 3 Aseana City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

CHU NHU HAI Customer Service Representative 22.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

A13

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

DYNAMIC STUDIO TECHNOLOGY INC. 5th To 10th/f Platinum Tower Building, Aseana Ave. Cor. Fuentes Street, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: At least 6 months related experience. Good oral and written communication skills in Mandarin.

Knowledgeable in computer applications.

Brief Job Description: manage logistics, warehouse, transportation and customer services

DE VETH, TAKO Package Manager Dredging And Sand Supply

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BOSKALIS PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 3701, 3801 The Orient Square, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

VAN ADRICHEM, STEFANUS JOHANNES MARIA Discipline Specialist

Brief Job Description: manage environmental and social aspect for the dredging and reclamation works of the project

LANGERBERG, OLIVIER CAMIEL Logistics Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

AMUSETECH BUSINESS OUTSOURCING 2/f Rivergreen Residences, 2217 Pedro Gil St., Barangay 880, Santa Ana, City Of Manila

HUANG, WEN-YEN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

12.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ACSTREAM MANAGEMENT INC. 2204b/2206, 22/f Pbcom Tower, Ayala Avenue, Bel-air, City Of Makati

TRAN LE MI Mandarin Speaking Customer Representative

WESTERMAN, SALLY ELIZABETH Environmental & Social Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

8 STONE BUSINESS OUTSOURCING OPC 5-10/f Tower 1, Pitx Kennedy Road, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

HU, JUN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Saturday, April 2, 2022

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customers Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NGUYEN VAN DIEN Customer Service Representative 34.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customers Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with Customer Service or Salese experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with Customer Service or Salese experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customers Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with Customer Service or Salese experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with Customer Service or Salese experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customers Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate level, preferably with Customer Service or Salese experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customers Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A14 Saturday, April 2, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

NGUYEN Y NHI Customer Service Representative 35.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information , Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

SAI THAN MAR KHAING MYIE Customer Service Representative 36.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

TRAN NGOC PHUONG ANH Customer Service Representative 37.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information , Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

TRAN QUANG BINH Customer Service Representative 38.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

VO THI PHUONG QUYNH Customer Service Representative 39.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

VUONG THI BACH NGOC Customer Service Representative 40.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information , Answering Questions and Responding to Complaints

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

No.

MISRA, PUSHKAR President And Ceo, Apac 49.

QU, XINXIN Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer 50.

41.

Brief Job Description: Oversees accounting operations which include financial accounting

51.

42.

Brief Job Description: Provides measurable input to the new processes and optimization of operational actions in line with the corporate strategy in support for brewery setup in the Philippines

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customers Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customers Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

THAKUR, UMESH KUMAR National Sales Manager 52.

43.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking

HAN, ZHONGMENG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 44.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking

WEI, LEILEI Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 45.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking

YANG, QIAN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 46.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking

ZENG, XIAOQIN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 47.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking

ZHANG, HAIBO Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 48.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in mandarin speaking

Brief Job Description: Expertise in branding and promoting pharmaceutical products.

DONG, CHAO Marketing Officer (Mandarin Speaking) 53.

Brief Job Description: Maximize profits through developing sales strategies that match customer requirements and by promoting services.

LIU, KAIXIN Marketing Officer (Mandarin Speaking)

54.

Brief Job Description: Maximize profits through developing sales strategies that match customer requirements and by promoting services.

PENG, HENG Marketing Officer (Mandarin Speaking)

55.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

56.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

57.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

HINDUJA GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LIMITED 11th To 21st Floor, Zeta Tower Bridgetowne C5 Road, Ugong Norte, Quezon City

Brief Job Description: Maximize profits through developing sales strategies that match customer requirements and by promoting services.

JIN, GAOYUAN Mandarin Operations Specialist 58.

Brief Job Description: Committed to improving customer experience and operational efficiency LEE, CHIN-YANG Mandarin Operations Specialist

59.

Brief Job Description: Committed to improving customer experience and operational efficiency LIU, I-TING Mandarin Operations Specialist

60.

Brief Job Description: Committed to improving customer experience and operational efficiency ZHANG, YANQIANG Mandarin Technical Support

61.

66.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

67.

68.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

69.

70.

Basic Qualification: 12-15 years of experience of pharma selling with at 2 years of exposure in international pharma business.

71.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Chinese dialect (Mandarin, Folkien, Cantonese)

72.

73.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Chinese dialect (Mandarin, Folkien, Cantonese)

74.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Chinese dialect (Mandarin, Folkien, Cantonese)

75.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Chinese dialect (Mandarin, Folkien, Cantonese) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

76.

77.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Chinese dialect (Mandarin, Folkien, Cantonese) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

78.

Brief Job Description: To troubleshoot, maintain and monitor the computer system

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin

79.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin

80.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHIN SIN YEN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHU THI HONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHU VAN THI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries DEVI YANA CHANDRA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries DOU, YUFEI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries GONG, WENWEN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HA VAN QUAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HERAWATY Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HONG, HANSHENG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HUANG, JIE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries JACKIE MARTIN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries JEE KEN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries JIA, WENJIE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries KANG WEI LING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries KANG WEI ZHUAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries KOW YONG SHING Chinese Customer Service

81.

82.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

83.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language LANH VAN HONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LE DANG HAI HA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower, C4 Rd. Edsa Ext., Barangay 76, Pasay City ALVIN LO WEN CONG Chinese Customer Service 62.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries BASIR Chinese Customer Service

63.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

No.

MINDSCAPE CREATIVES INC. Unit 19-o, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

Brief Job Description: Maximize profits through developing sales strategies that match customer requirements and by promoting services.

ZHANG, YUTAO Marketing Officer (Mandarin Speaking)

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

Brief Job Description: Maximize profits through developing sales strategies that match customer requirements and by promoting services.

WU, XIAOLAN Marketing Officer (Mandarin Speaking)

Basic Qualification: Experience in brewery and business management Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: running a bpo business of usd138M profitability with 20 blue chip US customers

JOBHUB INC. Phil Song Te Temple Inc, 4/f 900-910 Reina Regente St., 028, Barangay 292, Binondo, City Of Manila

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Excellent management and supervisory skills

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

IPCA PHILIPPINES REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE U-1811 Cityland 10 Tower Ii, 154 H.v Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor, Silver City 4, Ortigas East, Ugong, City Of Pasig

CHEN, DEHAO Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about products and services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

GEA PILIPINAS INC. 8/f Alabang Corporate Center, Km 25 West Service Road, Cupang, City Of Muntinlupa PARK, CHAIRIN Service Product Manager

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about products and services

ZHANG, HUIZHUO Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer

FUJIAN ELECTRIC POWER ENGINEERING COMPANY 5, West Lawin, Phil-am, Quezon City WU, SHAOYONG Mandarin Accounting Supervisor

Brief Job Description: acquisition, expansion, integration, budgetary and P&L responsibility

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

INFOVINE INC. 8th, 9th, 10th/f Aspire Corporate Plaza Bldg., Macapagal Blvd. St., Zone 10, Barangay 76, Pasay City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHANG WAI KAEN Chinese Customer Service

64.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHIA ZHI KHENG Chinese Customer Service

65.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

84.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

85.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

86.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

87.

LE THI TUYET Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LE VAN THIEN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LI, MENGXIANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LIN HTET AUNG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

88.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION LINH VAN CAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LINH VAN PAN Chinese Customer Service

89.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LOC VAN PHONG Chinese Customer Service

90.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LOC VAN VUI Chinese Customer Service

91.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LU SAU CONG Chinese Customer Service

92.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LUONG THI THANH YEN Chinese Customer Service

93.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LY THAI NAM Chinese Customer Service

94.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries MINA Chinese Customer Service

95.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NG FUI DJAN Chinese Customer Service

96.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN HUU TRUONG Chinese Customer Service

97.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN LE PHUONG THANH Chinese Customer Service

98.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN THI LINH YEN Chinese Customer Service

99.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN TIEN HAO Chinese Customer Service

100.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN VAN LUAN Chinese Customer Service

101.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN VAN MINH Chinese Customer Service

102.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN VAN SON Chinese Customer Service

103.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN VAN XUAN Chinese Customer Service

104.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN VIET CUONG Chinese Customer Service

105.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NINH VAN HOAN Chinese Customer Service

106.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NONG DUC CANH Chinese Customer Service 107.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NONG VAN DAI Chinese Customer Service

108.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries PATRICK GOH CHEE SENG Chinese Customer Service

109.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

No.

PHAM QUOC PHU Chinese Customer Service 110.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

111.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

112.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

113.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

114.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

115.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

116.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

117.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

118.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

119.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

120.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

121.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

122.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

123.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

124.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

125.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

126.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

127.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

128.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

129.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

130.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

131.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries PHAN VAN THANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries QUACH THI DAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SONTY ZUNTAMY BUULOLO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SUNNY TRUWISH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TAN EARN KING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TAN SHYNG YIE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TEH QIN CHANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries THAN NAING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries THO WAI HOONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN DUC THANH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN THI AI NGAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN THI HANH NHI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN THI KHANH LINH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN THI KIM HUONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRINH THANH DANH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries VI VAN DUC Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries VO THANH NAM Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

VONG CA CHONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

VONG CHAN SENH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

VONG CUN LAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

WAN SOON YIP Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Saturday, April 2, 2022

A15

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

No.

132.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

133.

134.

135.

136.

137.

138.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

139.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

140.

141.

142.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as Mandarin Mechanical Superintendent, excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Identifying and resolving issues critical to the client’s strategic and operational success and solving problems; Developing conclusions and recommendations for the company.

Basic Qualification: College graduate. Having a Master’s Degree is an edge. Fluent/ able to speak, read and write in Japanese and in English.

High proficiency in the Japanese Language.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

SOGA, MASAHIRO Japanese Director

Basic Qualification: Management personnel.

Brief Job Description: Head of direct divisions in the company.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

QIXING INDUSTRIAL INC. 102 C-3 Rd., 6th St. District 2, Barangay 123, City Of Caloocan CHEN, JIANCHUN Technical Service Supervisor 143.

Brief Job Description: To prepare reports and to make cost material and equipment estimates.

Basic Qualification: Complete maintenance on technical aspects of units.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SOMI UNLIMITED SOLUTIONS, INC. 10/f Tower 2 Double Dragon Plaza Bldg., Edsa Corner Macapagal Ave. St. Zone 10, District 1, Barangay 76, Pasay City BUI SY DUYET Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 144.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential Customers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SOMI UNLIMITED SOLUTIONS, INC. 10/f Tower 2 Double Dragon Plaza Bldg., Edsa Corner Macapagal Ave. St. Zone 10, District 1, Barangay 76, Pasay City BUI THI HAU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 145.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential Customers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services BUI THI THUY HANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

146.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

PHILIPPINE EDS TECHNO-SERVICE, INC. 6/f Aseana One Bldg., Bradco Ave. Aseana City, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Brief Job Description: The Mandarin Mechanical Superintendent will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals.

IKEDA, KIYOSHI Consultant (japan Desk Officer), Translator/ interpreter

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

PHIL. ASSIST LIFE MANPOWER CORPORATION Unit No. Rm. 201-203 Cya Corporate Center Bldg., Edsa Ext. St., Barangay 75, Pasay City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customer information about product and services

CHENG, WEI Mandarin Mechanical Superintendent

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

NEPC POWER CONSTRUCTION CORP. 15/f Cyber One Bldg., Eastwood Cyberpark City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customer information about product and services

ZHAO, YUHANG Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN THI HAI YEN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

NEO INCORPORATED North Tower Centrum Bldg., Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHUO, MENG Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHANG, HAO Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

YANG, YI-CHENG a.k.a. SOLOMON C. YANG Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

XU, CHAOYA Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

WANG, XIAODONG Chinese Customer Service

WELLY HALIM Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential Customers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services BUI VAN THO Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

147.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential Customers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A16 Saturday, April 2, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION DANG XUAN HOANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

148.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential Customers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services DAU DUC GIANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

149.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential Customers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services DAU XUAN NAM Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

150.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential Customers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services DINH HAI PHUONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

151.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential Customers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services DO THI THUY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

152.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential Customers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services DO THUY HANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

153.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services HOANG THI GIANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

154.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services HOANG THI TUOI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

155.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services HOANG VAN BINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

156.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services KHONG THI LAN ANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

157.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services LE DUC ANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

158.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services LE VAN HANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

159.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services LY HONG MANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

160.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services LY VAN NGOC Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

161.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services NGUYEN VAN PHONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

162.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services VU ANH TUAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

163.

Brief Job Description: Attracts Potential CUstomers by Answering Product and Services Questions Suggesting Information About other Products and Services

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills)

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

164.

Brief Job Description: Customer service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

165.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the management and successful achievement of all aspects of the food & beverage division in accordance with prescribed service standards and financial targets that have been agreed upon

LU ZHEN SIONG Malaysian Customer Support Representative 167.

168.

169.

170.

171.

172.

173.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

174.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

175.

176.

177.

182.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Brief Job Description: Provide daily support to users of various computer systems including answering questions, analyzing problems, and quickly forming solutions to return systems to proper operation

183.

184.

185.

186.

187.

188.

189.

LIM YEE ENN Chinese Language-customer Service Staff

190.

Brief Job Description: Deal w/ and resolve customer complaints

191.

WEERAWAN, TUNSAWAT Thai Language-customer Service Staff Brief Job Description: Deal w/ and resolve customer complaints

JUSTINE DARRYL WILIS Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

192.

178.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties ABDI NATA PRATAMA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

179.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

193.

ALBERT CANDRA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 180.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading & writing; bachelor’s degree in hospitality management

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties ANDY Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

181.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties RIKI ANGGARA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

194.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties SELLY LORIS Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

195.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties STEFANI FORENSKI Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

WILSON CHANDRA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

196.

197.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties RENDY RAHMAN Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties NOVIANTO PRATAMA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in foreign language

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties MONICA ROULETTA WIJAYA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Proficient in foreign language

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties MELANI SRI REZEKI Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties KELVIN Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties IVO FEDRICO Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Mandarin and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties GUNTUR PUTRA IMANUEL Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties GEVIN Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MALAY and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties ELIS Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MALAY and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties DEVION Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MALAY and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties DANIEL Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MALAY and at least college level with related BPO experience.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION BAMBANG SURYA PERMANA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

ZAPPORT SERVICES, INC. 36/f Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

TONY & JACKEY BEAUTY SALON CORP. 2/f Zen Bldg., 647 Nakpil St., 076, Barangay 697, Malate, City Of Manila

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading & writing hangul (native language)

No.

WISHLAND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY INC. 28/f Techzone Condo Corp., 213 Buendia Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills)

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services

MA THI LOAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

Brief Job Description: Experts at their product, and their primary duty id to resolve customer issues quickly and efficiently.

HOANG HOA THIEN THANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

WANFANG TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, INC. 6-9/f Double Dragon Plaza, Edsa Cor. Macapagal Ave., Barangay 76, Pasay City

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

WANG, JIANTENG Mandarin Customer Support Specialist

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

WANG, LIANMEI Mandarin Customer Support Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

TIONG WEI PING Malaysian Customer Support Representative

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

TAN SUI HON Malaysian Customer Support Representative

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

TAN CHUN SIONG Malaysian Customer Support Representative

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

TAN BOON HUI Malaysian Customer Support Representative

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Provide an excellent service to customer within the salon environment

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

TRIVES TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION Tower 4 Bayport West, Naia Garden Residence, Naia Road, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills)

SURESTE PROPERTIES INC. The Executive Offices, Solaire Resort & Casino, 1 Asean Avenue, Entertainment City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque KUMAR, RAVI Director, Food & Beverage

166.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION KWAK, JUNYOUNG Hair Stylist

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SPEED QUALITY TECH INC. 3/f Eco Plaza Bldg., 2305 Chino Roces Ave. Extn., Magallanes, City Of Makati VOONG SY MUI Mandarin Customer Service Specialist

No.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Indonesian speaking and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 *Date Generated: Apr 1, 2022

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.