BusinessMirror April 09, 2021

BSP poll: More businesses grow optimistic

By Bianca Cuaresma

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@BcuaresmaBM

OCAL businesses are growing more optimistic about economic oppor tunities in the countr y, as more and more firms adapt to the “new normal,” a recent survey by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

In the BSP’s quarterly survey of business and consumer sentiment, the countr y's central monetar y author it y repor ted on Thursday that the outlook of firms in the economy improved for the second consecutive quarter in January to March this year.

In particular, the overall con-

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fidence index (CI) for the first quarter of the year rose to 17.4 percent from 10.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020. This is the second consecutive quarter that confidence in the business community grew based on the survey.

The confidence index is computed as the percentage of optimistic respondents minus the percentage of pessimistic respondents in the local economy. A higher confidence index means the optimists outweigh the pessimists during the survey period.

Local firms attributed their more upbeat outlook to easing of quarantine restrictions and reopening of businesses, obser-

vations that people are adapting to the new normal, and increase in volume of sales and orders.

Some also said the rollout of vaccines for Covid-19, and the development of new business/ marketing strategies are starting to work in their favor.

Respondents also cited expectations of higher demand for electricity and construction activities during summer for their more buoyant views for the second quarter of 2021.

Favorable sentiment prevailed across the different types of trading firms like exporter, importer, dual-activity, and domestic-oriented, but at varying degrees.

Importer, dual-activity, and

Friday, April 9, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 177

domestic-oriented respondent firms were more confident in the business environment for the first quarter of 2021, while exporters were less optimistic.

The first quarter 2021 Business Expectations Survey (BES) was conducted during the period February 4 to March 12. There were 1,512 firms surveyed nationwide.

Samples were drawn from the Top 7,000 Corporations ranked based on total assets in 2016 from the Bureau van Dijk (BvD) database, consisting of 585 companies in the National Capital Region and 927 firms in areas outside NCR, covering all 16 regions nationwide.

MANUFACTURING WOES SEEN TO RESTRICT JOBS n

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 18 pages |

MOBILITY CURBS BOOST ONLINE PURCHASES OF IMPORTED GOODS—DATA

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OBILITY restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-19 boosted the Philippines’s online purchases of imported manufactured items, including consumer goods, telecommunication equipment, and office equipment, based on latest trade data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA reported on Thursday that export earnings contracted 2.3 percent while imports posted a growth of 2.7 percent, the highest since April 2019.

Exports in January contracted 4.8 percent and grew 3.4 percent in February 2020. Imports contracted 12.1 percent in January and 7.3 percent in February 2020.

“E-commerce, induced by movement restrictions due to Covid, may have favored imported consumer manufactured goods not only of food items but also durables,” said former Dean of University of the Philippines

A barangay officer reminds residents of Barangay Batasan Hills in Quezon City to maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19, as they wait for the distribution of financial assistance for communities impacted by the two-week enhanced community quarantine in NCR and nearby provinces where infections have soared. NONOY LACZA

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By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

HE Covid-19-induced trade bottleneck affecting the country’s major markets is a growing concern for the Philippine manufacturing sector, which continued to suffer a contraction in February, local economists said on Thursday.

See “manufacturing,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 48.5760

School of Economics Ramon L. Clarete.

Based on data for imports, capital goods such as office and electronic data processing (EDP) machines surged 22.9 percent and telecommunication equipment and electronic machines grew 10.6 percent.

Further, imports of manufactured goods grew 20.4 percent in February led by a 52.2-percent growth in Textile yarn, fabrics and made-up articles and Nonmetallic mineral manufactures which grew 40.8 percent.

Data also showed that imports of consumer goods saw an increase of 3.9 percent led by a 36.8-percent growth in home appliances.

“If [it is confirmed that] imports surged of the items that local manufacturing can produce, that is very worrisome. [This means] China is better positioned to ride the new wave of e-commerce than locals,” Clarete added.

See “Mobility,” A2

PSA: ’20 GDP shrank even more, at 9.6%

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HE economy was worse off than initially estimated in 2020, according to latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

On Thursday, PSA disclosed that Philippine GDP growth contracted 9.6 percent in 2020. This

was a downward revision from the decline of 9.5 percent, the statistical agency announced in January.

However, PSA data showed that GDP growth for the fourth quarter of 2020 was retained at -8.3 percent.

“These are due to the latest full-

year data. We always update as needed if new data are available,” Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua told reporters.

Revisions on the estimates are based on the updated data submissions/releases by the data source agencies.

The PSA revises the GDP estimates based on an approved revision policy (PSA Board Resolution 1, Series of 2017-053) which is consistent with international standard practices on national accounts revisions.

n japan 0.4423 n UK 66.7580 n HK 6.2396 n CHINA 7.4235 n singapore 36.2291 n australia 36.9615 n EU 57.6646 n SAUDI arabia 12.9533

See “PSA,” A2

Source: BSP (April 8, 2021)

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A2 Friday, April 9, 2021

Mobility...

Continued from A1

A c t i n g S o c io e conom ic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua told reporters on Thursday that "these are signs of recovery overall" and hopes that the improved performance will continue in the coming months.

However, Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development (Acerd) Senior Fellow and John Gokongwei School of Management Dean Luis F. Dumlao said the recovery would only happen in May. Dumlao said the opening of the US economy in May will also signal the opening of the country's other export markets. This will not only improve export performance but also boost manufacturing output.

“Manufacturing and exports will slowly pick up beginning in May. The road to normalcy will [begin] when the Philippines meets herd immunity,” Dumlao said.

Earnings and receipts

Total Philippine ex port earnings decreased to $5.31 billion in February 2021 from $5.43 billion in Februar y 2020. In January 2021, export earnings reached $5.52 billion.

T he cumulative ex port earnings from January to Febr uar y 2021 amounted to $10.83 billion, a contraction of 3.6 percent from the export value of January to February 2020.

Commodity groups posting the highest increase in export earnings in February are chemicals which grew 80.5 percent; other mineral products, 37.4 percent; coconut oil, 21.4 percent; and miscellaneous manufactured articles, 21.2 percent.

Import receipts, meanwhile, rose to $7.6 billion in February 2021 from $7.4 billion in February 2020. In January 2021, the import bill reached $8.4 billion.

The cumulative import value from January to February 2021 amounted to $16 billion, representing a decline of -5.6 percent from the import value of $16.96 billion in the same period of 2020.

Top commodity group imports in February were led by telecommunication equipment and electrical machinery at 23.2 percent; other food and live animals, 13.7 percent; plastics in primary and nonprimary forms, 8.8 percent; and industrial machinery and equipment, 7 percent.

Markets

The country’s top export markets are the US, with the highest export value of $895.74 million, or a 16.9 percent in total exports for the month.

Completing the top 5 major export trading partners were Japan with $880.59 million (16.6 share of the total); Hong Kong, $659.22 million (12.4 percent); People’s Republic of China, $639.42 million (12 percent); and Thailand, $260.24 million (4.9 percent).

In terms of import sources, China remained the biggest supplier of imported goods valued at $1.9 billion or 24.9 percent of total imports in February 2021.

The other major import sources: Japan with $693.19 million or 9.1 percent of total;, Republic of Korea, $680.96 million, 9 percent; Singapore, $560.16 million, 7.4 percent; and Indonesia, $513.85 million, 6.8 percent.

Cai U. Ordinario

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Revenue loss of pork tariff cuts manageable–DOF

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

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@BNicolasBM

HE revenue impact from the lowering of pork tariff rates for one year is considered “manageable” and would easily be offset if imports increase, a Finance official said Thursday, after President Duterte approved the Department of Agriculture’s recommendation for such.

The chief of the Senate’s Economic Affairs committee, however, deplored the tariff reduction, saying the revenue forgone from such could have been used for urgent response to the impact of the African swine fever (ASF) and Covid-19 pandemic.

“In the greater scheme of things, the price impact to consumers outweighed revenues foregone for the proposal. The increase in welfare benefits to the Filipino people outweighed revenue foregone concerns,” Finance Assistant Secretary Maria Teresa Habitan said in a message to the BusinessMirror.

“If imports grow, that would easily be offset naman [anyway],” she added.

Habitan clarified that the government’s recommendation to increase the minimum access volume (MAV) or import quota was prompted by the need to “alleviate supply issues and the upward pressure on pork prices” and not to offset the revenue impact.

On Thursday, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said the lowering of pork import tariff rates as proposed

by DA spells an annual foregone revenue of P1.9 billion, citing Tariff Commission estimates.

For in-quota pork imports, the tariff rates would be drastically cut to 5 percent from the current 30 percent for the first

three months of effectivity of EO. This will then be raised to 10 percent in the succeeding nine months.

On the other hand, the levy for out-quota pork imports for the first three months will be slashed to 15 percent from the current 40 percent. It will then be increased to 20 percent for the next nine months.

Despite the revenue impact due to pork tariff rate reduction, economists backed the government’s move, saying this is a good “trade-off ” to address inflation.

Asian Institute of Management (AIM) economist John Paolo R. Rivera conceded the move will reduce revenues which can be used for pandemic response, but said “helping the consumers survive the pandemic with less decline in their already low purchasing power can be deemed as an indirect and nonmedical support for consumers to survive the pandemic rather than an outright ayuda.”

“In the short run, while it's detrimental to governmen’ funds, it’s good for consumers, who badly need any form of support to make pandemic life bearable.

It’s a trade-off,” Rivera told the BusinessMirror in a message.

UnionBank Chief Economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion also said this is the way to go for the government, given that lowering

pork tariff rates would have a “huge” impact on inflation.

“The issue here really is keeping inflation on target. It will be more costly if inflation is not eventually tamed especially in a pandemic,” Asuncion said.

Found ation for Economic Fre e dom P reside nt C a l i x to Chikiamco called the tariff reduction a “right move,” adding, “At this point, government is not focused on the tariff revenue loss but is focused on the need to subdue food inflation."

De La Salle University Maria Ella Oplas said this is a “better strategy” as imported pork will increase supply in the market.

It was a “good idea” for the government to impose a price ceiling instead on imported pork to protect the local industry and enable them to compete with pork imports, she added.

“So I think this is a win-win solution for consumer and producer, as well as local producers and importers. If the concern is tax collection, this is now the time for the government to be ‘creative’ in terms of revenue generation,” she added.

Oplas and Rivera agreed it’s time for the government to cut unnecessary expenses to save money for its pandemic response.

“So I would like the government to go back and check its own backyard. Who are the nonperformers? Who are the nonessentials and redundant offices that we continue to maintain?

Review the benefit packages that we are giving to government employees. In times like this we all need to do little sacrifices. Why can’t they?” Oplas said.

Rivera suggested the government cut down on too much paper work by shifting to digitalization and limiting personal appearances.

“Other than levying further taxes and foreign borrowings, government can learn something from the private sector in tightening belts—more than

cutting costs, government can cut waste by reducing bureaucratic processes that consume resources but do not add value for the people. You can just imagine the savings that can be generated,” he said.

For Asuncion and Chikiamco, the government can pursue imposing digital tax in the future to raise revenues.

Apart from digital tax, Chikiamco said, “The BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] can purchase dollars in the open market and also signal that it would like to see the peso depreciate.”

Marcos castigates DA

The DA, meanwhile came under fire from Sen. Imee Marcos Thursday for “crippling” the Duterte administration’s ability to raise revenue to cope with ASF and Covid-19.

Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, castigated DA officials for giving Duterte “questionable advice” to sign Executive Order (EO) 128 on Wednesday, lowering tariffs, in the hope it can reverse supply shortage triggered by ASF. “Aren’t we looking for more f u nd i n g? ” s he a s k e d , ad d ing: “Where is the much touted whole-of-government approach?”

Lamenting what would be lost from lowering pork tariffs, the senator recalled in a statement Thursday that “the DA had assured pork importers of scandalous profits but has left the local hog raisers it is supposed to protect with a very sketchy plan.”

She noted the P1.5 billion that the DA allotted to the livestock industry in its 2021 budget is “measly, token support, knowing ASF has been around since 2019.”

The Sen. added: “Clearly, the main beneficiaries of the EO are foreign producers, foreign exporters, local pork importers, and perhaps corrupt government officials selling import licenses.” With Butch Fernandez

Manufacturing...

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The sobering outlook could impact efforts to help the jobs sector recover, they said.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the Volume of Production Index fell by 43.6 percent and average capacity utilization was at 53.8 percent, the fifth consecutive month of decline.

The gradual reopening of top exporting countries like China and the United States have created a container crisis, which has hampered the movement of goods starting the fourth quarter of last year.

Former Dean of University of the Philippines School of Economics Ramon L. Clarete said this development, coupled with a slowdown in demand for local goods and supply chain bottlenecks, are putting the brakes on factory output.

“Definitely. Plus Covid induced slowdown of demand for local food and beverages manufacturing and supply chain bottlenecks,” Clarete told the BusinessMirror when asked if the trade bottlenecks had an impact on the performance of the local manufacturing sector.

Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development (Acerd) Senior Fellow and John Gokongwei School of Management

Dean Luis F. Dumlao explained to BusinessMirror that these trade bottlenecks affect manufacturing performance on the supply and demand side.

“On the supply side, the supply chain gridlocks prevent intermediate goods from arriving at factories which limits manufacturing activities. On the demand side, lockdowns around the world have limited expenditures which have limited demand for manufactured goods,” Dumlao said.

Clarete also lamented that exporters are experiencing difficulties in overcoming these trade bottlenecks because of the “uncertainty in the direction of government policy on manufactured exports.”

Ofreneo, Clarete: jobs affected

To former dean of the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations (Solair) Rene Ofreneo, the weakness of the manufacturing sector mainly owes to the weak demand due to the recession.

The pandemic, Ofreneo said, disrupted Global Value Chains (GVCs) and the operations of “Factory Asia.” He said China is experiencing problems due to protests in Myanmar, which disrupted the garments GVC. This poor manufacturing per-

formance, Clarete and Ofreneo agreed, will likely lead to a bleak jobs situation in the coming months.

Clarete said the government needs to be more proactive in its response to the ongoing crisis. “It will take some years before we go back to the surge in Aquino [era] to prepandemic Duterte government,” he stressed.

Implications

Former Tariff Commissioner George Manzano told the BusinessMirror that ultimately, logistical issues, supply chain disruptions and lockdowns will have implications on the flow of raw material as well as the distribution of goods.

“Of course, another source for the low utilization could be deflated demand for manufactured goods. The unemployment, uncertain export environment, investment uncertainties combine to soften demand for manufactured products,” he said in an e-mail.

Based on the results of PSA's Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI), now termed the Production Index and Net Sales Index, VoPI declined to its lowest since the contraction of 56.7-percent recorded in September 2020.

PSA said in January, the VoPI

declined 12 while it increased by 0.4 percent in February 2020. The downturn in VoPI was brought about by the contractions in the indices of 19 industry divisions.

In terms of Average Capacity Utilization, PSA said 15 of the 22 industry divisions had at least 50-percent average capacity utilization rate in February.

These were led by manufacture of furniture with a capacity utilization of 72.7 percent; other manufacturing and repair and installation of machinery and equipment, 65 percent; and manufacture of computer, electronic, and optical products, 63.8 percent.

PSA data showed the lowest recorded was in April when it averaged 46.1 percent. However, it was in October 2020, at the start of the trade bottlenecks in major markets, when the average capacity utilization rate declined to 59.1 percent.

The rate continued to decline to 58 percent in November 2020; 55.4 percent in December 2020; and 56.7 percent in January 2021.

MISSI is a report that monitors the production, net sales, inventories, and capacity utilization of selected manufacturing establishments to provide flash indicators on the performance of the manufacturing sector.

PSA...

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RA 10625 or the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013 provides that respondents are required to give truthful and complete answers to statistical inquiries or surveys of the PSA and other statistical offices of the PSS. However, the law provides that “Individual data furnished by a respondent to statistical inquiries, surveys and censuses of the PSA shall be considered privileged communication and as such shall be inadmissible as evidence in any proceeding.”

The law provides that persons violating the confidentiality clause “shall be liable to fines as prescribed by the PSA Board which shall not be less than P5,000 nor more than P10,000 and/or imprisonment of three months but not to exceed one year, subject to the degree of breach of information.”

Cai U. Ordinario

DND: U.S. WARNING TO CHINA VS. USE OF FORCE AFFIRMS MDT Continued from A10

“A s we have stated before, an armed attack against the Philippines armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.”

T he 1951 treat y mand ates t he US to come to Manila’s aid if it is attacked by any other state, an obligation that the Philippines is also required to carr y and undertake for Washington if it goes into war.

At least 220 Chinese mar itime militia vessels have been spotted moored at the Julian Felipe Reef, located near Balabac, Palawan, on March 7, alerting Filipino defense and security officials, with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana demanding their pullout. The Chinese embassy berated Lorenzana, repeating the claim that these are fishing boats, and the area is part of traditional fishing areas.

Foreign Affairs Secretar y Locsin on Monday issued a statement berating Chinese officials who took issue with Lorenzana, and said that, as the Julian Felipe Reef lies well within the Philipppine EEZ, “tradition yields to law”—in this case, only the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) upholding countries’ rights to their EEZ, and the 2016 arbitral ruling voiding China’s excessive claims in the West Philippine Sea. Since the March 7 sighting, most of the ships have left the reef, but several were spotted in other features in the WPS, thus raising more concern from the Philippines and its allies—the US, Japan, Australia and the United K ingdom.

At least 44 Chinese ships have remained berthed at the reef based on the latest Philippine militar y patrol, which Chinese forces tried to shoo away from the area.

Andolong said Manila remains in talks with the US on the matter of mutual defense, and both parties are committed to undertake their obligations under the MDT, so that neither stands alone in “these issues involving the two states’ inherent right of self-defense, indiv idually and collectively.”

Andolong said the DND is keeping all of its options open in managing the developing situation in the WPS, including leveraging its partnerships with other countries like the US. Price said the US shares the concerns of the Philippines and its allies, while prodding Beijing to heed the UN Arbitral Tribunal ruling. “ We have reiterated our strong support for the Philippines and we have called on the PRC [People’s Republic of China] to abide by the 2016 arbitral tribunal award under the Law of the Sea Convention, which is final and legally binding on all parties,” the US State Department spokesman said.

ror A BusinessMir e

ROADSafety R Special Featur

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Friday, April 9, 2021

A3

Road safety tips for a healthier, safer summer essential summer driving safety tips which every driver should take to heart to stay safe (and cool) on the roads this summer. Here are some of them:

nKeep your car cool. Park in the shade or use sunshades on hot days. Give yourself a few minutes when you open the doors and windows to allow the warm air to circulate. Or, run your air-con to help cool your car down and avoid immediate discomfort from the heat before setting off.

nDouble Down on Equipment Maintenance. Extreme heat takes a toll on vehicles. It can lead to tire blowouts, problems with the brakes and overheated engines.

nKeep hydrated. It is extremely important to keep hydrated when stuck in a long traffic jam under the searing sun. Take plenty of cold water with you before heading out on longer journeys – enough for you and all of your passengers. It would be a good idea to invest in insulated drinks bottles for the kids to keep a source of cold water in the car, particularly after a long day of adventure.

nConsider summer allergies and medications. The last thing you want is to be sneezing why driving at a high speed. How-

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By Leony R. Garcia

HE World Health Organization reports that a total of 1.35 million people die in road accidents around the world annually, “the equivalent of a Covid-19 pandemic every single year,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Millions more are seriously injured and face the prospect of the long-lasting consequences of the physical and psychological trauma that they have endured,” the WHO chief said during a webinar to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDoR) in November 2020.

To illustrate the parallelism was a report from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center which at that time indicated that over 1.3 million people succumbing to the virus.

Zeleka Mandela, the Global Ambassador for London-based non-profit organization Child Health Initiative, said the main difference between Covid-19 and road traffic injuries as a health issue is that the latter does not need a vaccine.

“We have the solutions right in front of us – safer roads for walking and cycling can help us in our Covid-19 response in our efforts to promote clean, socially distanced transportation. This is a solution that’s better for us, for our environment, for our health, and our children,” she said.

50by30: A new target for a new decade

TO promote road safety and save around 675,000 lives a year, the UN General Assembly launched the 50by30 campaign calling for a 50 percent reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

Ghebreyesus said the second Decade of Action for Road Safety, which will be launched this year,

is an “opportunity to work across sectors and across borders to make roads safer for all” to ensure a 50 percent cut in road crash fatalities.

“The best way to honor the memory of those who have died on the world’s roads is for governments and partners to fulfill their commitments to make our roads safer,” he said.

In the Philippines, government reports indicate that around 600 children aged 14 and below die every year from road crashes.

And despite a lockdown due to the pandemic, road crashes in the country are still prevalent.

Road Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility

WHILE quarantine restrictions do not encourage road travel, there are times when you need to be on the road. Driving in hot weather, particularly in heatwave conditions, can pose significant challenges and risks to the health and safety of drivers, passengers and passers-by alike.

Various foreign and local automobile associations and motoring clubs agree that road safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Global Rescue (www.globalrescue.com) has been a leader and pioneer in the travel services industry since its founding in 2004. It provides integrated medical, security, travel risk and crisis management services available and this is delivered by their teams of critical care paramedics, physicians, nurses and military special operations veterans. It has outlined several

ever, allergy medicines are known to have side effects that could affect your driving. Be sure to check the label of your medication before taking them.

nAvoid sun glare. Impaired vision from the sun is a common cause of accidents during summer.

Replace worn windscreen wipers to help keep your windscreen clean and make sure you have enough supply of windscreen washer fluid to help you maintain a clear view of the road under the sun. Use sunglasses and overhead sun visors to help block out the sun from your eyes.

nMaintain tire condition.

Tire blowouts are a more common occurrence in hot weather.

Tires that are under-inflated increases the likelihood of blowouts and punctures. So before setting off, check that your tire pressure is at the optimum level.

nPrepare for the inevitable rain. Be prepared to adapt your driving style in the event of any changes in weather, as driving through heavy summer storms comes with a totally different set of challenges. These often can happen with little to no warning, so make sure you know the forecast for the area you’re driving each day.

nIncrease following distance. W hether you are hauling a heav y load or driving a light vehicle, increasing your distance between yourself and the vehicle in frmt of you can help lessen the danger brought by heavier traffic, construction zones, and vacationing drivers who are traveling in unfamiliar areas.

nRespect the effects of heat. Heat exhaustion can make drivers drowsy while an overheated vehicle can leave them stranded.

Combat fatigue by taking frequent breaks, and pay attention to your vehicle’s warning signs to prevent breakdown and malfunction.

nLook out for more than just cars. Drivers have to share the roads with a lot more than just other cars during the summer months. Better weather and longer days attract far more tractors, caravans, cyclists, and walkers. Watch out for distracted drivers, too. If you see a distracted one, avoid being near him on the road.

While you cannot change the behavior of other drivers around you or the conditions of the road you’re on, following these tips can help you have a healthier and safer summer.

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A4 Friday, April 9, 2021 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Two ships collide in Cavite waters; no casualties reported but fuel leak feared

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PRC, NCR schools agree to install in-campus Covid isolation rooms

By Rene Acosta

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

WO foreign-registered vessels loaded with coal and gasoline fuel collided on Wednesday night in the waters of Cavite with no reported human casualties. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has secured both vessels for investigation.

A PCG report, through its spokesman, Commodore Armand Balilo, said the Marshall Island-registered cargo vessel MV Ivy Alliance and Thailand-flagged MV Rich Rainbow collided in waters some three nautical miles from Cavite City at past 9 p.m.

“The PCG found out that Rich Rainbow…was loaded with gasoline, while Ivy Alliance, registered under the flag of Marshall Islands, was loaded with coal when the accident occurred,” the PCG said in a news statement issued on Thursday.

Balilo said Rich Rainbow, with a gross tonnage of 29,513 GRT, was on its way to China from the Philippines, while the 31, 572 GRT Ivy Alliance was on its way to the country from Indonesia.

Following the incident, the PCG deployed emergency response team from its substation in Cavite City, assisted by other teams from its other substations in Kawit and Noveleta, Cavite province.

Based on the initial investigation of its personnel, the PCG said that Ivy Alliance incurred approximately

HE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has finalized its pl a n to i n st a l l i sol a tion facilities at the Ateneo de Manila Universit y (A DMU), University of the Philippines (UP), and De La Salle University (DLSU) campuses to help control the spread of Covid-19 infections. “ T he genera l objective is to remove the asymptomatic spreader in a multi-generational household, or those families living with grandparents and little children, para maiwasang makapanghawa pa sila [to prevent transmission]. We will put them in isolation centers like in Ateneo, La Salle or UP starting this week so we can provide for them,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Richard J. Gordon. “ They will be taken care of,” Gordon stressed, assuring that these facilities will be equipped with showers and toilets. Food w i l l a l so b e ser ve d to t he patients.

Likewise, Gordon said that the families of patients in isolation, especially those who are breadwinners in their families, would also be provided for with food assistance.

He said the PRC staff and vol-

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Correspondent

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PHILIPPINE Coast Guard personnel on board a small boat conducts an ocular inspection to assess the damage on the MV Rich Rainbow following a collision with MV Ivy Alliance some 3 nautical miles from Cavite City on Wednesday night. PHOTO COURTESY OF PCG

about 10 to 15 meter horizontal long hole at her forward starboard bow above the waterline.

On the other hand, the RichRainbow sustained a 15 to 20 meter horizontal long hole from her “starboard bow to starboard beam” above the waterline.

Hours after the incident, Commodore Leovigildo Panopio, commander of the PCG District National Capital Region-Central Luzon (NCR-CL), ordered the deployment

of personnel from the Manila PCG station, as well as the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU) from the PCG District NCR-CL onboard BRP Malabrigo (MRRV-4402) to ensure the safety of the crew and gather additional information about the collision.

Balilo said there have been reports of oil leaks from the two crippled vessels.

“While waiting for the marine protests that will be filed by the concerned shipping companies, the Coast Guard Station Cavite conducts necessary preparations for the availability of technical experts who will conduct marine casualty investigation,” the PCG said.

It said that the Port State Control (PSC) would issue notices of detention for both foreign ships in relation to the investigation.

unteers are already converting 32 ADMU classrooms to isolation units.

“Ateneo President Fr. Roberto Yap even offered to fund raise among the Ateneo alumni to help support the facility, and I am more than grateful for their solidarity with our efforts,” he revealed.

UP Diliman, on the other hand, offered 96 dormitor y rooms of its newly retrofitted Kamia Residence Hall, which the PRC has started provide with furniture for a maximum of three patients each.

The PRC is also making arrangements for patient monitoring via telemedicine with the help of the Philippine Medical Association and Philippine Nurses Association Inc., and for immediate ambulance service to nearby hospitals in case of emergencies.

“We are also reaching out to other universities and organizations within the Metro to help augment the resources of the local government units.

Talaga namang kapag ang tao at ang lider ay nagsama-sama, lalabas ang tibay at galing natin laban sa pandemya [If we the leader and the citizens unite, we can show our strength and excel lence in hand ling this pandemic],” Gordon said.

DA assures sufficient food supply DTI’s SB Corp. sees more MSME lending for consumers in areas under ECQ despite curbs; ₧3.38-B loans approved

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HE Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday assured that the country has sufficient food supply this year across all commodities from rice, vegetable, fish, pork and chicken.

For rice, Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan, during a virtual presser, said the agency expects the country to have an ending stock of 2.6 million metric tons enough to last for 75 days, which is until mid-March.

Cayanan also said that the country has ending stocks of 78,048 metric tons of pork and 58,437 MT of chicken that will last for 18 days and 14 days, respectively.

He added the fish and vegetables have ending stocks that will both last up to 8 days.

“We learned a lot from our

experience last year, so now we have enough basic commodities, including rice, pork, vegetables, fish, and chicken and eggs,” he said.

With the extension of the enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining four provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna until April 11, Agriculture Secretary William Dar, meanwhile, assured that farming and fishing operations will continue, including related activities throughout the food value chain to ensure the continuous supply of adequate and affordable basic food commodities to residents in the “NCR plus bubble.”

“We reiterate our appeal to the members of the PNP and respec-

tive local government units [LGUs] to allow the unhampered movement of farmers, fishers, food entrepreneurs, and food transport vehicles and personnel—who are also essential workers—so as not to unnecessarily disrupt the flow of food from the farms and fishing grounds to the markets and our dining tables,” said Dar in a news statement.

Dar also said DA regional directors were instructed to ensure the continuous delivery of surplus farm and fishery products to the NCR plus bubble, through farmers’ cooperatives and associations, and through Kadiwa outlets in partnerships with local governments in Metro Manila and the private sector.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

D

ESPITE the strict lockdown protocols in place, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is anticipating more microlending applications from the business sector, with Small Business (SB) Corp. having approved P3.38 billion worth of loans already.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told the reporters on Thursday that loan take up from the business sector has seen improvement, noting that applications per week rose from 200 to 1,000.

“But we were expecting more applications than these numbers,” the DTI chief said.

As a response, the trade department said the processing capacity for loan applications was increased

Undisclosed hospital granted LTFRB to open more provincial, Metro transport routes next week limited-use permit to treat

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

T

HE Department of Transportation (DOTr) will open more transport routes and deploy additional public-utility vehicle (PUV) units to accommodate the demand for transportation amid the prevailing curbs.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Officer in Charge Zona R. Tamayo said the group would start opening the new routes by next week.

“We continue to open more routes and starting next week, we are looking at opening an additional 4,400 units for traditional public-utility jeepneys [PUJ] and for provincial buses coming into Metro Manila,” she said.

The regulator is opening a total of 250 routes for both jeepneys and provincial buses. Broken down, 60 more routes will be opened for 1,800 traditional jeepneys and 190 routes from 2,600 provincial buses.

“In opening routes, we are always reminding operators to observe

health protocols for their operations.

So starting next week, please expect an increase in the routes particularly in Metro Manila. For other areas, our regional offices are in constant dialogue with local government units for the resumption of operations,” Tamayo said.

She stressed that for provincial buses, local government units have the last call if they will allow the resumption of operations of the said transport mode.

Currently, there are 53,441 units of PUVs allowed to operate in 745 routes. This, including the operations of taxis, ride-hailing services, shuttle buses, and trucks for hire, amount to 76 percent of the pre-Covid transport operations in Metro Manila.

Earlier, various government officials and commuter groups called on the government to open more routes and add capacity to the current transport structure to accommodate the demand, which has led to the patronization of illegal transport means—colloquially termed “colorum.”

Covid patients with Ivermectin

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

T

HE Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the “compassionate” use of anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin to treat Covid-19.

In an interview with PTV on Thursday, FDA Director General Eric Domingo said they issued the compassionate use special permit (CSP) to an unnamed hospital to use the drug to treat its Covid-19 patients.

“The application was granted today [April 8],” Domingo said.

FDA did not disclose the name of the said hospital, citing patient privacy, which comes with issued CSPs. CSP is required before an unregistered drug, medical device or food product can be locally used.

Currently, FDA said it noted two parties, one of which is

Lloyd Laboratories Inc., are now applying for the certificate of product registration for their respective Ivermectin products.

“They [applicants] were given the list of requirements that must be submitted before their application can be evaluated [by FDA],” Domingo said.

“We are not against the use of Ivermectin, but it should be registered and go through the necessary process [with FDA] to ensure the quality of the drug before it is given to people,” Domingo added.

Some lawmakers are pushing for the use of Ivermectin, which is currently being used to treat animals with parasites, for Covid-19 patients.

This despite the World Health Organization warning that there is currently no available data that Ivermectin can be used to treat Covid-19.

to 4,000 per week.

Some 25,920 borrowers are seen to benefit from the recent loan approvals by SB Corp., an attached agency of DTI. Lopez said that less than 10 percent of the borrowings came from the tourism sector.

Of the approved loan amount, P2.78 billion was released already to 23,141 borrowers.

SB Corp. launched Covid-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises program earlier to serve as a lending facility for struggling micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) amid the pandemic.

Apart from SB Corp., other financial institutions have been giving focus as well to MSME lending.

Providing accessible lending to MSME is seen as crucial given that this sector because it accounts for 99 percent of the businesses and employs

about 63 percent of the work force in the country.

“We should continue with this microlending program because there are still many takers, still in need of working capital loans to save their operations and jobs,” Lopez added.

Last year, DTI renewed its partnership with First Circle Growth Finance Corp. to extend more loans to MSMEs. The parties signed their first memorandum of understanding back in 2018 in a bid to promote financial literacy and access to the said industry.

From October 2018 to July 2020, the finance firm had extended borrowings to 6,000 SMEs and disbursed over 16,000 loans. In terms of amount, First Circle has provided P4.5 billion worth of loans to the MSME industry since the contract signing a few years ago.

A.T.A. LAW ORAL ARGUMENTS LIKELY TO GO VIRTUAL, TOO, AMID PANDEMIC

By Joel R. San Juan

T

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Supreme Cour t announced on Thursday that the continuation of the oral argument on the 37 petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020 will be conducted virtually.

The Court, however, has yet to set a definite schedule for the continuation of the oral argument, but said it would be held two weeks after the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ ) in the National Capital Region, likely to be on April 27, May 4 and May 11.

“The continuation of the oral arguments shall be through videoconferencing with live audio streaming made available to the public,” the SC said through Clerk of Court Marife M. Lomibao-Cuevas.

“The technical details and the rules for the videoconferenced oral arguments pro hac vice [for this oc-

casion] shall be promulgated as soon as the Court en banc is able to convene,” it added.

The SC was supposed to hold the continuation of the oral argument last Tuesday but it was canceled for the fifth time as the SC and other courts in the National Capital Region and its nearby provinces have remained closed due to the surge in Covid-19 infections.

The NCR, along nearby provinces such as Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal, were initially placed under ECQ from March 29 until April 4, but because of the rise in cases, the government extended the ECQ period in these areas for another week, from April 5 until April 11.

This prompted the Court to extend anew the physical closure of all courts in areas under ECQ. SC first postponed the oral arguments last February 23, followed by three consecutive postponements on March 9, March 16, and March 23, and the latest is April 6.

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

The World

Taiwan will fight ‘to the very last day’ if attacked by China

T

AIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwan’s foreign minister on Wednesday said the island will defend itself “to the very last day” if attacked by China.

Joseph Wu said China’s attempts at conciliation while engaging in militar y intimidation are sending “mixed signals” to the island’s residents.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be won over peacefully or by force.

Wu noted China flew 10 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone on Monday and deployed an aircraft carrier group for exercises near Taiwan.

“We are willing to defend ourselves, that’s without any question,” Wu told reporters. “We will fight a war if we need to fight a war, and if we need to defend ourselves to the very last day, then we will defend ourselves to the very last day.”

C h i n a d o e s n o t r e c o g n i z e Ta i w a n’s democratically elected government, and leader Xi Jinping has said “unification” between the sides cannot be put off indefinitely.

“On the one hand they want to charm the Taiwanese people by sending their condolences, but at the same time they are also sending their military aircraft and military vessels closer to Taiwan aimed at intimidating Taiwan’s people,” Wu said at a ministry briefing.

“The Chinese are sending very mixed signals to the Taiwanese people and I would characterize that as self-defeating,” Wu said.

The vast improvements in China’s military capabilities and its increasing activity around Taiwan have raised concerns in the US, which is legally bound to ensure Taiwan is capable of defending itself and to regard all threats to the island’s security as matters of “grave concern.”

Speaking in Washington, State Depar tment s p o ke s m a n N e d P r i c e re a f f i r m e d t h e U S commitment to Taiwan. “The United States

maintains the capacity to resist any resor t to force or any other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan,” Price said on Wednesday.

The naval drills being conducted in waters off Taiwan were meant to help China “safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” the army said Monday, using language often interpreted as being directed at Taiwan’s leadership that has refused to give in to Beijing’s demands that it recognize the island as part of Chinese territory.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and most Taiwanese favor maintaining the current state of de facto independence while engaging in robust economic exchanges with the mainland.

China has created conditions for greater economic integration, while also targeting some communities such as pineapple farmers in hopes of weakening their support for the island’s government.

Chinese diplomatic pressure has been growing also, reducing the number of Taiwan’s formal diplomatic allies to just 15 and shutting its representatives out of the World Health Assembly and other major international forums.

Taiwan has responded by boosting its hightech industries and unofficial foreign relations, particularly with its key partners the US, Japan and others, and by building up its own defense industries, including a submarine development program, while buying upgraded warplanes, missiles and other military hardware from the US. Meanwhile, the US Navy says the carrier Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group reentered the South China Sea on Saturday to “conduct routine operations.” It is the second time the strike group has entered the waterway this year as part of its 2021 deployment to the US 7th Fleet area of operations. AP

China protests passage of US destroyer through Taiwan Strait

B

EIJING—China on Thursday protested the passage of a US destroyer through the Taiwan Strait in the latest move as both nations increase their naval activity in the region.

China tracked and monitored the USS John S. McCain throughout its passage on Wednesday, Zhang Chunhui, spokesperson for the Chinese militar y ’s eastern theater command, said in a statement.

The US move sent the “wrong signal” to Taiwan’s government and “willfully disrupted the regional situation by endangering peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” he said.

China firmly opposed the move and Chinese forces will respond with “strict precautions and vigilance,” he added.

China threatens to invade Taiwan to assert its claim over the self-governing island democracy, which enjoys strong US support.

In a one-sentence statement, the US Navy said the McCain “conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit April 7 [local time] through international waters in accordance with international law.”

Th e M c Ca i n’s t r a n s i t f o l l o w s C h i n a’s announcement on Monday that its aircraft carrier Liaoning and associated vessels were holding drills near Taiwan meant to help it “safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” terms often interpreted as being directed at Taiwan’s leadership that has refused to give in to Beijing’s demands that it recognize the island as part of Chinese territory.

Meanwhile, the US Navy announced the carrier Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group reentered the South China Sea on Saturday to “conduct routine operations,” the second time the strike group has entered the strategic waterway this year.

China claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety and strongly objects to foreign naval activity in the resource rich and heavily transited waters, especially the US practice of sailing naval vessels close to Chinese-held features in what it terms “freedom of navigation operations.”

While the Taiwan Strait lies in international waters, its transiting by US naval vessels is seen as a partly symbolic show that Washington will not permit Beijing’s forces to dominate the waterway.

Along with military exercises, China has been sending warplanes on practically a daily basis into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone to pressure the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen and advertise its threat of military action.

That prompted a statement from Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu on Wednesday that Taiwan would “fight a war if we need to fight a war, and if we need to defend ourselves to the very last day, then we will defend ourselves to the very last day.”

The vast improvements in China’s military capabilities and its increasing activity around Taiwan have raised concerns in the US, which is legally bound to ensure Taiwan is capable of defending itself and to regard all threats to the island’s security as matters of “grave concern.”

At a regular briefing on Wednesday, US State Depar tment spokesman Ned Price reiterated that, “Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid.”

“We think and we know that it contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region as well,” Price said. “The United States maintains the capacity to resist any resort to force or any other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan.” AP

Australia Trade Minister Tehan tells China sovereignty non-negotiable

A

ustralian Trade Minister Dan Tehan said the government will protect the c o u n t r y ’s s o ve re i g n t y a n d n a t i o n a l interest, in response to a warning from China’s ambassador that it will “respond in kind” if Canberra joins sanctions on officials accused of human-rights abuses.

“That’s something we’ve made ver y clear is non-negotiable,” Tehan said in an inter view w i t h B l o o m b e rg Te l e v i s i o n o n Th u r s d a y.

“But that doesn’t mean that we can’t have productive relationships. Good friends always are able to have ver y difficult conversations.”

International tensions have flared over repor ts of forced labor being used to har vest cotton in China’s western province of Xinjiang, prompting several countries to sanc tion Communist Par t y officials. B eijing has dismissed the accusations about its behavior against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs as politically motivated lies. Late last month it announced retaliator y sanctions on individuals in the US and Canada, adding to t h o s e i m p o s e d e a r l i e r o n t h e U K a n d European Union.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne, in a March 23 joint statement with her New Zealand counterpart, said that the government had “grave concerns” over reports of human-rights abuses against Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, and welcomed the measures taken by

the US, Canada, the UK and the EU. Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said Wednesday that people should not be under the illusion “that China would swallow the bitter pill” of meddling in its internal affairs, nor attempts to mount a “pressure” campaign.

Ties between Australia and its largest trading partner have deteriorated since last April, when Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government called for independent investigators to be allowed into Wuhan to probe the origins of the coronavirus.

Since then, Beijing has implemented a range of trade actions against Australian goods, including coal, wine and barley.

Tehan sought to emphasize the importance of the economic relationship between Australia and China as a counter to the mounting political tensions.

“That’s helped millions in China come out of poverty and helped grow our economy so we very much think that we can have constructive relationships,” he said. “But those constructive relationships will be built on us protecting our sovereignty and our national interest. We’ve made that very clear.”

S e p a rate l y, t h e m i n i s te r, w h o i s a l s o responsible for tourism and investment, said the government is currently focused on getting a travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand up and running before looking to expand it elsewhere. Bloomberg News

BusinessMirror

Friday, April 9, 2021

A5

India reports another record daily peak with 115,736 cases

N

EW DELHI—India reported a record daily surge in new coronavirus cases for the second time in four days on Wednesday, while New Delhi, Mumbai and dozens of other cities announced they are imposing curfews to try to slow the soaring infections.

The new record of 115,736 coronavirus cases reported in the past 24 hours tops the 103,844 infections reported on Sunday. Fatalities rose by 630, the highest daily total since November, driving the confirmed death toll in the country above 166,000.

The federal government has so far refused to impose a nationwide lockdown to contain the latest surge but has asked states to decide on imposing local restrictions.

“The pandemic isn’t over and there is no scope for complacency,” Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Twitter. He urged people to get vaccinated.

India has reported 12.8 million virus cases since the pandemic began, the highest after the United States and Brazil.

While 85 million Indians have received at least one coronavirus vaccine shot, only 11 million of them have received both. India has nearly 1.4 billion people.

Due to a surge in infections, India has now delayed exports of large quantities of vaccines.

Experts say the surge, which is worse than last year’s peak in midSeptember, is due in part to growing disregard for social distancing and mask-wearing in public spaces.

As health officials warn about g at her i ngs i n publ ic pl aces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party leaders continue to hold mammoth rallies in several states where local elections are underway.

His government has also allowed a month-long Hindu festival that draws tens of thousands of devotees daily to go ahead on the banks of the Ganges River in northern Uttarakhand state.

In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region: n North Korea has continued to claim a perfect record in keeping out the coronavirus in its latest report to the World Health Organization. At the beginning of the pandemic, North Korea described its efforts to keep out the virus as a “matter of national existence.” It shut its borders, banned tourists and jetted out diplomats. The country still severely limits cross-border traffic and has quarantined tens of thousands of people who have shown symptoms. But it still says it has found no case of Covid-19, a widely doubted claim.

In an e-mail to The Associated Press on Wednesday, Edwin Salvador, WHO’s representative to North Korea, said the North has reported it tested 23,121 people for the coronavirus from the beginning of the pandemic to April 1 and that all results were negative. Salvador said the North said 732 people were tested between March 26 and April 1. WHO officials say the North is no longer providing the UN agency with the number of people it quarantines with suspected symptoms. n South Korea is temporarily suspending administrating AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine

to medical workers and people in long-term care settings 60 years old or younger as health authorities in Europe investigate a possible link between the shots and rare blood clots in adults. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Wednesday it will also pause a vaccine rollout to school nurses and teachers that was to begin Thursday, while awaiting the outcome of the European Medicine Agency’s review. South Korea has so far administered the first doses of coronavirus vaccines to about 1 million people after beginning its mass immunization program in late February. The country’s vaccinations have so far relied mainly on AstraZeneca shots produced by local firm SK Bioscience. The suspension comes as South Korea on Wednesday reported 668 new virus cases, its highest daily jump in nearly three months. n Facing criticism for a vaccine rollout that’s behind schedule, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison notes his country has faced difficulty in getting promised vaccine doses from Europe. He said over 3 million of Australia’s contracted AstraZeneca vaccine doses haven’t yet arrived—but that shouldn’t be taken as him criticizing the European Union.

“That’s just a simple fact. That’s not a dispute. It’s not a conflict. It’s not an argument. It’s not a clash.

It’s just a simple fact. And I’m simply explaining to the Australian public that supply issues is what’s constraining and has constrained, particularly over these recent months, the overall rollout of the vaccine,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra. He said he will write again to the European Union and AstraZeneca requesting they send the full order of vaccine doses.

Morrison said some of the doses will be sent to help its neighbor Papua New Guinea deal with its virus outbreak. In March, Europe stopped about 250,000 vaccines going to Australia due to concerns about European supply shortages. n Japan’s Osaka prefecture issued a special warning Wednesday that a rapid surge in coronavirus cases is placing medical systems at the verge of collapse and requested the cancellation of the Olympic torch relay along all public roads in the prefecture. Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura declared a “medial emergency” in the western Japanese prefecture, where daily cases have reached new highs, and asked hospitals to urgently prepare additional beds. Yoshimura said all torch relay segments on public roads should be canceled. The Tokyo Olympics are to start in just over three months with Japan’s vaccination drive still in its initial stages. Experts say more contagious new variants of the virus are becoming more common and are urging health officials to respond quickly to prevent an explosive increase with only a fraction of the people inoculated. AP

A woman along with her children wait for a train at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai, India on April 7. India hits another new peak with 115,736 coronavirus cases reported in the past 24 hours with New Delhi, Mumbai and dozens of other cities imposing night curfews to check the soaring infections. AP/Rafiq Maqbool

BusinessMirror

Friday, April 9, 2021

A6

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

8 STONE BUSINESS OUTSOURCING OPC 5/f To 10/f, Tower 4 Pitx #01 Kennedy Road Tambo Parañaque City

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D. Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street Tambo Parañaque City

1.

CHEN, BIWU Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

41.

2.

CHEN, DONG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. Eastfield Center Cbp1, Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

3.

LEI, ZHOULUN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

42.

TONG, YULIN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

4.

LI, CHUANBIN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

43.

XIE, XIAO Chinese

5.

LI, SHIXUN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

44.

6.

LIN, ZHAN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

45.

XU, TAO Chinese

www.businessmirror.com.ph

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

NO. 72.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

NO.

XU, CHUNQUN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

112.

XIAO, GANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

113.

YI, ZHIQIANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

114.

ZHANG, DINGCHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

115.

ZHENG, CHONGXIANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

116.

ZHONG, RONGBIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

117.

WANG, JIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE-MANDARIN SPEAKING

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. Malate Bayview Mansion 1781 M. Adriatico Street 076, Brgy. 699 Malate Manila BAI, BINGRAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

74.

DENG, QUANLI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

75.

GUO, DANPING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

XIE, YIDUAN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

76.

WANG, KUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

ZHANG, XU Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

77.

ZHAO, XIYANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

78.

ZHUANG, TIANHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

73.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

7.

LIN, ZHENFENG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

46.

BAI, ZHIWEI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

8.

LIU, HUI Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

47.

FU, XIAONI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

79.

CAI, KANG Chinese

9.

MO, JINLONG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

48.

LIN, DONGYING Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

80.

CAI, YUNQING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

118.

10.

DONG, LANGLANG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

BLOOMBERRY RESORTS AND HOTELS INC. Solaire Resort And Casino 1 Asean Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City

81.

CAO, JINGWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

49.

NG YI KAI Malaysian

BUTLER, VIP F & B

82.

11.

DU, WEI Chinese

CAO, XU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

INFOSYS BPM LIMITED - PHILIPPINE BRANCH 19th-23rd Flr. Bgc Corporate Center 11th Ave. Corner 30th Sts. Taguig City

50.

WONG JUN WEN Singaporean

DIRECTOR , EGM FLOOR OPERATIONS

83.

CHEN, WEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

51.

ZOU, XIANGYING Chinese

EXECUTIVE HOST, VIP JUNKET SERVICES

84.

CHEN, DAJIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

85.

DENG, ZIFENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

86.

FENG, XINHE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

87.

GUO, LIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

88.

HUANG, APING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

89.

LAN, JIANAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

90.

LEI, YUSHUANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

91.

LI, ZHENGXIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

92.

LI, YU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

CHINESE - FIELD SALES CONSULTANT

93.

LI, GUANGYAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

ZHANG, MINHAO Chinese

CHINESE - GENERAL TRADE MARKETING SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

94.

LI, ZHENCHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

95.

LI, CHONGJIA Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

58.

CHINESE - KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

128.

QUAN, HUIHUI Chinese

LIU, YANTONG Chinese

96.

QIN, SHUAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

129.

YAO, FUQING Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

97.

WU, XINGXING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

KONGANBUDDIES MARKETING INC. Rm. 201/202 2/f Rci Bldg. 105 Rada St. San Lorenzo Makati City

98.

XU, YU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

130.

HENDRIK Indonesian

INDONESIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

99.

YANG, ZHONGMEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

131.

WANG, LIPING Chinese

MANDARIN MARKETING SUPERVISOR

100.

ZHANG, QIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

LAN TIAN ZI XUN INC. Rm. 2510 25/f Zen Tower 1111 N.lopez St., 071 Bgy. 659 Ermita Manila

101.

ZHANG, YONGBING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

132.

WAN, LI Chinese

CHINESE IT SPECIALIST

102.

ZHANG, LIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

133.

XING, HONGXING Chinese

CHINESE IT SPECIALIST

103.

ZHAO, YAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

134.

YIN, LIPING Chinese

CHINESE IT SPECIALIST

12.

13.

KUANG, YUEMING Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

LI, JIAQI Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

BORAM MILLENIALS MARKETING CORPORATION (BORAM MILLENNIAL CENTER AND BORAM MILLENNIAL STORE) #136 Timog Ave. Sacred Heart 4 Quezon City

LI, LEI Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

15.

LI, ZUCAN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

BOSKALIS PHILIPPINES INC. R-5008-b12/f A-place Bldg. Cbp Coral Way Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City

16.

LI, JUNMING Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

53.

DE LANGE, JURGEN SVEN Dutch

54.

ASJEE, NIELS Dutch

14.

17.

18.

19.

20.

CHEN, JIANYE Chinese LI, JIAN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING DATA ENTRY CLERK CHINESE SPEAKING DATA ENTRY CLERK

52.

SON, DONGJIN South Korean

INTERPRETER/TRANSLATOR

LOGISTICS MANAGER

SITE MANAGER

C’EST LA VIE EVENT MANAGEMENT INC. 230 Narra Street Marikina Heights Marikina City

WEN, JUNQIANG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING DATA ENTRY CLERK

55.

XU, GUOPENG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING DATA ENTRY CLERK

56.

SHI, YANGXIAN Chinese ZHAO, CUILING Chinese

CHINESE - BOOTH FABRICATION SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

21.

FENG, MANMAN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING GRAPHIC DESIGNER

22.

ZENG, ZHOUFU Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING GRAPHIC DESIGNER

LIEW KOK HOO Malaysian

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

59.

LU, HUANGHONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SUPPORT TRAINOR - MANDARIN SPEAKING

24.

TRU QUY THANH Vietnamese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

60.

SATATE, MICHIAKI Japanese

JAPANESE - BOOTH FABRICATION SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

25.

ZHANG, JIAHE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

ZHENG, HANYU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

61.

27.

CHAN KIN WAI Malaysian

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

CONCENTRIX DAKSH SERVICES PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Bldg. F Ayalaland Technohub Quezon City

28.

FENG, SONGSONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

62.

29.

HOANG LY LIEM Vietnamese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

DA SUCCESS BUSINESS TRADING INCORPORATED 2503 The Finance Centre 26th Street Corner 9th Avenue Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

30.

JIMMY Indonesian

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

63.

HU, AN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING MARKETING SPECIALIST

31.

LIU, FAN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

64.

LAU LIK PING Malaysian

MANDARIN SPEAKING MARKETING SPECIALIST

32.

TANG, HAIFU Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

65.

LIU, YANG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING MARKETING SPECIALIST

33.

GAO, SIZHUO Chinese

MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila

34.

HU, PENGFEI Chinese

MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING

23.

26.

57.

CHINA HARBOUR ENGINEERING COMPANY 5/f Rm 501 Ramon Magsaysay Center 1680 Roxas Blvd. 076, Bgy. 699 Malate Manila

66.

YANG, FANGLING Chinese

BHAKRI, SUMIT Indian

LI, ZHUOLIN Chinese

HYDRO STRUCTURAL SPECIALIST

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, SERVICE DELIVERY

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

35.

LI, QIANGMU Chinese

MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING

67.

LI, SHIQIANG Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

36.

LYU, JIANAN Chinese

MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING

68.

YANG, WEI Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

37.

SHI, JINMENG Chinese

MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING

38.

39.

40.

TAN, RICHENG Chinese WANG, KAI Chinese WU, JIAJIA Chinese

MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING

FIRST GREAT COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES INC. Lot 5 Sta. Agueda Cor. Queensway Pagcor Drive Sto. Niño Parañaque City 69.

XIAO, XIANGZI Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

70.

YANG, XIONGJIE Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

ZHENG, CHENG Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

71.

GATEWAYSOLUTIONS CORP. 8/f Edsa Cor. Sultan Brgy. Highway Hills Mandaluyong City 104.

HA VAN BINH Vietnamese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

105.

XU, XIAOFEN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

GENX SPORTS & MEDIA PRODUCTION CORP. 26th And 27th Flr. Eastwood Cyber One Bldg. Eastwood City Cyberpark No. 188 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. Bagumbayan 3 Quezon City YONG YAO XIONG Malaysian

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MALAYSIAN SPEAKING

107.

LI, MAOYE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

108.

PENG, YANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

109.

TAN, QIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

WU, HAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

XIANG, ZHIJUN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

106.

110.

111.

HASKONING PHILIPPINES, INC. U-62 6/f Legaspi Suites 178 Salcedo St. San Lorenzo Makati City

119.

BALABAN, MEHMET OZGUR Turkish

GAUVIN EPOUSE MALAN, MOHYA JEANNETTE EMMANUELA Ivorian

PROJECT MANAGER

PROCESS SPECIALIST

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Floor Six West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 120.

GONG, CHUNXIANG Chinese

I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN

121.

HUANG, HUIXIANG Chinese

I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN

122.

ZHU, RONGJUN Chinese

I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN

123.

ZHANG, ZEQUN Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

124.

FU, YIFAN Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

125.

MENG, XIANLONG Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

126.

SHAO, YIBIN Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

127.

SU, BINGDI Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. 7/f Aseana I Bldg. Bradco Avenue Aseana Business Park Tambo Parañaque City

LEARNINGLITZ, INC. U-209-215 The Peninsula Court, 8735 Makati Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City 135.

DAWELBAIT, ALRADIA TAGELSIR MOHAMED Sudanese

SENIOR PROJECT COORDINATOR (ARABIC)

LOGICDOSE INC. 19f Marco Polo Ortigas, Sapphire Road Ortigas Center San Antonio Pasig City 136.

YUAN, YANXUN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

137.

ZHANG, HAN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

MAA GENERAL ASSURANCE PHILIPPINES, INC. 10/f The Pearl Bank Centre 146 Valero St. Bel-air Makati City 138.

MUHAMMAD SAKIN SIM BIN ABDULLAH Malaysian

TREASURER

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 139.

CAO, ZHIYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

140.

CHEN, CHI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

141.

CHEN, QINZHU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

Friday, April 9, 2021 A7

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

142.

CHEN, XIAODI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

196.

YU, WENXIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

245.

DUAN, YU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

143.

CHEN, GUO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

197.

ZHANG, LIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

246.

GAO, HONGXI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

144.

CHENG, WENGUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

198.

ZHANG, HUAISEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

247.

HE, ZONGYING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

145.

CHENG, SHUANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

199.

ZHENG, YANGWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

248.

HUANG, JINGCONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

146.

CHENG LING YI Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

200.

ZHU, WENYI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

249.

LI, CHUNQIU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

147.

CUI, CHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

201.

CAO, HAICHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

250.

LIANG, JUNYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

148.

DENG, JIANFENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

202.

CHEN, JIA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

251.

LIANG, FUSONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

149.

DING, DAWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

150.

DONG, SHUJIE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

151.

GAO, FENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

152.

GUO, JIACAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

153.

HE, LIHUA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

154.

HONG, XIAOWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

155.

HOU, LONGYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

156.

HUANG, FENGJIAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

157.

JIANG, KUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

158.

LAI PEI NIE Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

159.

LI, QIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

160.

LI, XU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

161.

LI, WENLONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

LI, SIHUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

163.

LONG, GUOSHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

164.

LUO, WEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

165.

LUO, GUOHUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

166.

LYU, CONGMING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

167.

LYU, CHANGLONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

168.

MA, TING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

169.

PENG, XIA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

170.

PENG, PINGBO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

171.

QI, CHENGHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

172.

RAO, ZIWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

173.

REN, YANMING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

174.

SHEN, YUJIE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

175.

SHEN, WANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

176.

SOE LWIN OO Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

162.

177.

178.

SOE WIN Myanmari SUN, HONGLI Chinese

POSITION

SKY DRAGON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES CORP. 2f-5f Unit 710 Shaw Blvd. Global Link Center, Brgy. Wack Wack Mandaluyong City 292.

MO, GUANPENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

SMC MASS RAIL TRANSIT 7 INC. #40, 3/f San Miguel Building San Miguel Avenue Brgy. Wack-wack Mandaluyong City 293.

MCDONALD, GARY ANTHONY British

CONSULTANT

TELEHEALTH SOLUTIONS INC. Unit 604, The Infinity Tower 26th Street Bonifacio Global City Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 294.

HERBERTS, DEBORAH LOUISE British

CUSTOMER SUCCESSS MANAGER

203.

CHEN, ZUYING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

252.

204.

CHEN, YEPENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

253.

LIU, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

TENMAN PROJECT MANAGEMENT INC. Unit 805-808 The One Executive Office Bldg. #5 West Ave. Nayong Kanluran 1 Quezon City

205.

CHEN, JINNIU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

254.

LU, YANPING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

295.

206.

CUI, TONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

255.

QIU, MEINUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

207.

FAN, JIAYOU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

256.

SUN, XIAOSONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

THREE STAR FASHION BOUTIQUE INC. K-07 G/f Baclaran Lrt Terminal Center 1 Bldg. Taft Ave. St. Zone 10 Barangay 076, District 1 Pasay City

BUTCHER, GLEN RAYMOND New Zealander

SENIOR DESIGN MANAGER

296.

BHUIAN, IMRAN Bangladeshi

INVENTORY SPECIALIST

297.

HAWLADER, MOHAMMAD LITON Bangladeshi

MARKETING SUPERVISOR

FU, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

257.

TANG, GUISONG Chinese

209.

GAO, HANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

258.

TONG, SHUO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

210.

GENG, FAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

259.

WANG, CHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

211.

GUO, BINGZHI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

260.

WU, PENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

212.

HUANG, HENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

261.

WU, JIAQI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

213.

LI, YU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

262.

WU, WENYA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

214.

LIU, HONGXING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

263.

XIE, FUTIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

LIU, CHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

264.

YE, YI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

215.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

265.

YU, LIMIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

216.

LU, ZHICHAO Chinese PAN, LONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

266.

YUAN, ZHENGLI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

VAN GOGH BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING INC. 5th To 8th Flr. Sm Southmall Tower 2 Alabang Zapote Rd. Almanza Uno Las Piñas City

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHEN SOOK FOON Malaysian

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

ZHANG, SHUAI Chinese

302.

TANG, SITE Chinese

267.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

WU, SHAOXIAN Chinese

I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

ZHANG, ZIYU Chinese

303.

TANG, CHONGWEN Chinese

268.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

ZHI, GUANGHUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

304.

WANG, JIANYU Chinese

269.

HE, YULONG Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

ZHU, YIXUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

305.

WANG, XING Chinese

270.

YU, HAIBO Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

271.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

306.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

MENG, JIAYI Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

WANG, DELIN Chinese

ZHU, JIAOJIAO Chinese

272.

ZHAO, YONGTIAN Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

223.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

INDONESIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE

307.

WANG, JIANG Chinese

JACKSON Indonesian

308.

224.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

ZHAO, LIANG Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

XIE, WEIXIAN Chinese

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS CONSULTING SERVICES PHILS. CO. LTD. 25/f Philamlife Tower 8767 Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City

XIE, YANTING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

226.

XU, ZHICHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

227.

XU, SHENGDA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

274.

ARR KHAING Myanmari

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST

228.

YANG, JIANYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

275.

PANG, DIE Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

229.

YANG, SHENGFU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

276.

JIANG, KUNXIU Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

230.

YAO, YU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

277.

LIAO, XIUTONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

231.

ZENG, BO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

278.

SONG, LINGYU Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

279.

WANG, JIANBO Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

208.

218.

219.

220.

221.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

LIN, XIN Chinese

217.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

NO.

222.

225.

273.

WAGHMARE, SANDEEP Indian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

SENIOR MANAGER

PRIME GREAT COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES INC. 3/f To 8/f, Nissan Sucat Zentrum Building 8390 Dr. A Santos Avenue Bf Homes Parañaque City

232.

ZHANG, SONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

233.

ZHANG, XU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

RED DOT MARKETING AND BRANDING INC. Unit 1514 Burgundy Transpacific Place Taft Ave. 079, Bgy. 727 Malate Manila

TRI7 SOLUTIONS, INC. Unit 9-a 9/f Marvin Plaza Bldg. 2153 Don Chino Roces Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City 298.

KEVIN KOSASIH Indonesian

BAHASA LANGUAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

299.

WEWIN CALVIAN Indonesian

BAHASA LANGUAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

300.

WILLIAM Indonesian

BAHASA LANGUAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

301.

YOHANNES Indonesian

BAHASA LANGUAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

VASTLINE BUSINESS SUPPORT INC. U-504p Five E-com Ctr. Bldg. Pacific Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City 309.

KHO YIAN HONG Malaysian

HR OFFICER - MANDARIN

VENTANAS PHILIPPINES CONSTRUCTION INC. 9/f Philamlife Tower 8767 Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City 310.

CHOI, HYUNJIN South Korean

INSTRUMENTATION MANAGER

WISHLAND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY INC. 28/f Techzone Condo Corp. 213 Buendia Ave. San Antonio Makati City 311.

LI, XILE Chinese

CHINESE LANGUAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

WNS GLOBAL SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. 9/f 1880 Bldg. Eastwood City Cyberpark Bagumbayan Quezon City 312.

BINDRA, GAGANPREET SINGH Indian

SENIOR GENERAL MANAGER OPERATIONS

313.

BHATTACHARYA, ANNESHA Indian

SENIOR GROUP MANAGER HUMAN RESOURCES

179.

TRAN THI KIM ANH Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

180.

TRAN THI LOAN Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

181.

WANG, CHENYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

234.

ZHAO, YIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

280.

BUI NHAM PHAT Vietnamese

FOREIGN LANGUAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE

XINCHUANG NETWORK TECHNOLOGY, INC. 3rd, 5th-10th Flr. Alabang Zapote Rd. Almanza Uno Las Piñas City

182.

WANG, TAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

235.

ZHU, XIAOYANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

281.

LE DAN PHUONG Vietnamese

FOREIGN LANGUAGE MARKETING SPECIALIST

314.

HUANG, ZHANGHU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

183.

WANG, SHULING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

236.

ZHUO, LIUBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

282.

LE PHAN HUY HOANG Vietnamese

FOREIGN LANGUAGE MARKETING SPECIALIST

315.

PAN, BAOE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

184.

WANG, QIAOXUE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

237.

FU, JUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

283.

NGUYEN TIEN DAT Vietnamese

FOREIGN LANGUAGE MARKETING SPECIALIST

316.

WANG, HUAYUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

185.

WANG, HUIPING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

238.

LI, YAJUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

284.

PHU CONG KIN Vietnamese

FOREIGN LANGUAGE MARKETING SPECIALIST

317.

XU, QIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

186.

WANG, QIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

239.

HOANG VAN XANH Vietnamese

VEITNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

285.

HOANG THI HIEN Vietnamese

FOREIGN LANGUAGE OPERATION SPECIALIST

318.

ZHAN, KUNLONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

187.

WANG, SHAOPENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

MONDELEZ PHILIPPINES, INC. #8378 Dr. A Santos Ave. Bf Homes Parañaque City

286.

MANDARIN MARKETING SPECIALIST

319.

ZHANG, YIHUA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

188.

WEI, LIANQIANG Chinese

NGUYEN THI NGAN TRAM Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

240.

287.

ZHUANG, YULING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

189.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

288.

HE, YUNPENG Chinese

MANDARIN OPERATION SPECIALIST

190.

XIE, HUI Chinese

MPOTECH DIGITAL SYSTEM, INC. 11 P/f Burgundy Corporate Tower 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City

MANDARIN MARKETING SPECIALIST

320.

WU, MANMAN Chinese

VU HOANG ANH Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

289.

MANDARIN TEAM LEADER

XIE, LINHONG Chinese

NGUYEN TRUNG HIEU Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

191.

192.

XIONG, CHUANSONG Chinese

193.

YAN TING TING @ WAI HNIN YEE Myanmari

194.

YIN, MANXIN Chinese

195.

YOON NANDAR Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

LAZZARI, ALBERTO Italian

SOUTHEAST ASIA STRATEGY MANAGER

241.

CHERLY RAHMADANI Indonesian

INDONESIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

242.

MATIO CHRISIDO BRILLIAN Indonesian

INDONESIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION Sky Garage Bldg. Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City 243.

CAO, WEIXING Chinese

244.

DONG, JINYANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

SECURITY BANK CORPORATION Security Bank Centre Bldg. 6776 Ayala Avenue San Lorenzo Makati City 290.

MICHELLE FEELICIA Indonesian

*Date Generated: Apr 8, 2021 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-NCR Regional Office located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

Please inform DOLE-NCR if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS PROJECT MANAGER

SHELL SHARED SERVICES (ASIA) B.V. 16/f-25/f Solaris One Bldg. 130 Dela Rosa St. San Lorenzo Makati City 291.

RAMOS AVALOS, ROMO ISMAEL Salvadoran

CUSTOMER OPS SPECIALIST

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

A8

Friday, April 9, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Rules for journalism

T

he Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias stating that people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability.

There is Confirmation Bias, paying attention to information that reinforces held beliefs and ignoring evidence to the contrary. Ingroup Preference Bias is when people tend to divide themselves into groups, and then attribute positive attributes to their own group. The Ostrich Effect is avoiding bad news by ignoring data that might be negative.

There should be an “It’s not MY fault” bias.

Globally, trust in journalists has never been any lower at 59 percent. That number is probably a little distorted by the percentage of “trust” from Uzbekistan (93 percent), Tanzania (90 percent), Rwanda (89 percent), and Myanmar (80 percent). Only 25 percent trust journalists in Taiwan and in the US, the press/media trust is at 40 percent. Only 26 percent in the UK trust journalists to “tell the truth.”

The press/media blames the “government,” individual politicians, “uneducated readers,” and Facebook for the lack of trust.

Gwen Aviles, doctoral candidate at the Columbia School of Journalism, writes: “I’m working on a story about journalists’ mental health since the work reporters do is so trauma-facing.” Robert Stacy McCain, 35 years a journalist, replies: “Journalists have mental health problems because no genuinely sane person would ever get into this miserable racket. Nowadays, every 23-year-old J-school grad thinks he’s qualified, telling us How to Save Our Democracy. They don’t want to do any actual work, but you can find them on Twitter 24/7.”

Michael S. Schudson is professor of journalism in the graduate school of journalism of Columbia University. Mr. Schudson says: “Is too much made of the mistrust of journalists? Presidents from George Washington on judged newspapers to be full of lies.” Perhaps true.

But then he writes, “Even if we can agree that trust in government and trust in the media were too high before Nixon, it might still be that trust today has sunk too low.”

The problem with that statement is that as early as 1998, trust in the press/media was only 53 percent, hardly “too high.”

However, Mr. Schudson does say, “It may be time for journalists to acknowledge that they write from a set of values, not simply from a disinterested effort at truth. This will not be easy.” The problem with that is, an “effort at truth” used to be the norm.

Jim Lehrer was an American journalist, novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and executive editor and news anchor for the PBS NewsHour starting 1975 through 2009. He wrote his personal “Rules for Journalism.”

“Do not distort, lie, slant or hype. Do not falsify facts or make up quotes. Carefully separate opinion and analysis from news stories and clearly label it as such. Do not use anonymous sources or blind quotes except in rare and monumental occasions. Acknowledge that objectivity may be impossible, but fairness never is.”

Robert Stacy McCain goes on to write: “For years, my job included typing in the local bowling-league scores, which is about as low on the journalistic totem pole as it gets. The problem with most young journalists today is they never had to do any kind of grungy low-level local journalism. Instead, they graduated from Northwestern or Columbia and landed a job with one of those clickbait farms—HuffPost, Buzzfeed, Vox—cranking out listicles and other worthless crap.”

Professor Schudson concludes, “There are worse things than being widely disliked.” It has nothing to do with being “disliked.” Finally, “It was not media action that reduced trust.” That may gain an award for lack of self-awareness.

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More Covid-19 blues Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

W

E only have four living ex-presidents—Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph “Erap” Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno C. Aquino III. Regardless of our political orientation and belief, each of them occupies a special place in our history, not exactly on Mt. Rushmore, but in a hallowed spot nevertheless reserved only to former residents of Malacañang. Undeniably, they still command a sizable following that continue to revere them, rejoice with their good fortune and grieve with their pain.

The sad announcement last week that President Erap has been stricken with the coronavirus has brought sorrow to his legions of supporters. His two sons, two former senators of the Republic, had given separate interviews confirming the tragic news and appealed for prayers for the former Chief Executive. As of this writing, President Erap has been intubated due to severe pneumonia and his condition remains critical per his sons. The former president himself met the press earlier while in bed and assured his partisans not to be concerned and instead told them to stay safe from the virus. It’s vintage Erap—looking after the interests of the poor and the downtrodden. President Erap is 83 and he will be adding one more year to his age 10 days from today. There’s no more bounce in his steps, the swagger is gone and the smirk and the grunt are just the shadows of the old Geron Busabos, Kumander Alibasbas and Asiong Salonga. We may disagree with some or many of his actions in the past but

now in his twilight years, bedridden by Covid-19, our hearts sink as he battles the toughest fight of his life. Let’s offer our collective prayers for the complete healing and speedy recovery of President Erap. nnn

It’s revolting when people who are not yet supposed to receive vaccination skip the line and get their shots ahead of the most vulnerable sectors of our population. We should not allow vaccine patronage to disrupt the orderly and equitable distribution of the Covid-19 vaccines. It’s disheartening to read about actors or celebrities and government officials throwing their weight around, or powerful individuals exerting their influence to get ahead of the pack. Unfortunately, this sorry state of affairs also happens in many countries. Even in the US, vaccines meant for a poor community in Chicago were diverted by a public hospital to some residents of a plush condominium tower and employees of a luxury jewelry store and a famous steakhouse located in

Chicago’s ritziest address. A ll this occurred because these special people happened to have connections to the hospital’s Medical Director who lives in Trump Tower condo in the city and who shopped at the jewelry shop and dined at the five-star steak house. It’s a classic case of favoring one’s friends and knowing the right persons. You may recall that many months ago when swabbing was still scarce, Governor Andrew Cuomo of NY allegedly diverted some Covid -tests to help his family and friends. Likewise, Governor Ron deSantis of Florida rolled out vaccines to his wealthy political supporters that should have been administered to others in the priority list. Given the scarcity of the vaccine in our country, it’s almost criminal to divert vaccines to the less deserving individuals when frontliners who risk their lives get severely ill and die from Covid-19 everyday. The hottest place in hell should be reserved for the rogue people who take advantage of their position, status and connection to get vaccinated ahead of those in the priority list.

The headlines read that the vaccine will not end the pandemic. Getting a jab or two may give most people false security. We should not let our guard down even after getting vaccinated. Everyone should strictly comply with the tried and tested health protocols such as wearing a mask and face shield and observing physical distancing. We have just recorded the highest number of deaths from Covid last Tuesday at 382 casualties. This month of April, we have been averaging over 10,000 new cases each day. When OCTA Research predicted this last month, we listened to their spokesman with disbelief and regarded it as another

scare ploy of the academics. Recently, OCTA Research says that we will hit the 1 million mark by the end of this month, and now nobody takes it with a grain of salt. This is truly worrisome and the thought that the situation will get worse before it gets better has alarmed most people. Our hospitals are full, afflicted persons are now seeking admission outside NCR, drugs like remdesivir and dexamethasone are running out. The IATF and our pandemic czars know exactly our deficiencies and should ramp up the testing, intensify contact tracing, fast track the acquisition and roll out of the vaccines. On top of these, our country has imposed the longest lockdown in the world, which is implemented by the police, with former top brass of the military leading the battle against the pandemic. Maybe we should have covered Covid-19 by the Anti-Terrorism Act. The current pandemic surge is staggering. Our health-care system and medical services can no longer cope with the demand. More people are getting sick and dying. Kin, friends and colleagues close to us who we exchanged Christmas and New Year greetings have succumbed to coronavirus. It rends our hearts to revisit their texts and viber messages, which had given us so much joy and hope not too long ago. Now, our chat groups talk of nothing except about our acquaintances who have been stricken by the virus and the round-the-clock monitoring of their health conditions. Prayers and goodwill have replaced the jokes and humor that we used to recycle to our circle of friends. Before, social media spread mirth; today, they bring gloom. What a difference a pandemic has made to our lives.

EU fails to find united response to AstraZeneca vaccine risk

By Joao Lima, Viktoria Dendrinou & Chiara Albanese Bloomberg Opinion

T

he European Union failed to form a united response to links between AstraZeneca Plc.’s Covid-19 vaccine and a rare type of blood clotting, missing an opportunity to inject momentum into the bloc’s sluggish inoculation program.

At a meeting that ran until late Wednesday, EU health ministers promised to continue discussions on vaccination planning and process. Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides had called on the bloc’s governments to forge a coordinated strategy, saying it “will be key for us to speak with one voice.” The EU needs “an approach which does not confuse citizens and that does not fuel vaccine hesitancy,” she said.

But in a statement after the meeting, the EU said ministers had shared “different interpretations” of a safety report on the AstraZeneca shot by the bloc’s drugs regulator, indicat-

ing what may be deep divisions on the way forward.

Despite the risks, the EU regulator—and its British counterpart— on Wednesday insisted that the product’s benefits outweigh its risks, that the clot occurrences are rare and that the shot should remain a vital tool in the pandemic fight.

However, in response to the safety concerns, Italy followed Germany and France by recommending it only for people over 60. Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government urged other EU members to implement the same policy, according to people familiar with the matter who asked

not to be identified.

The Spanish government will also this week recommend limiting the Astra vaccine to over 60s, Health Minister Carolina Darias said late Wednesday. The moves to limit the vaccine’s use came just hours after the European Medicines Agency announced finding a “strong association” with blood clots. The regulator didn’t issue any guidelines about usage, leaving the implementation up to member states.

Thomas Mertens, the head of Germany’s vaccine commission, said that while the EMA bases its decisions on what it believes is best for the whole EU, Germany can afford to be more careful as it is not so dependent on the AstraZeneca shot for its inoculation drive.

“We can therefore greatly reduce or even eradicate the risk of these serious side-effects in certain age groups,” Mertens said Thursday in an interview with ZDF television. “I

think you can justify both approaches very well.”

The EU has been hit by a fresh wave of the coronavirus, which has caused more than 600,000 deaths in the region. Italy and France have gone back into lockdown. Germany is debating stricter curbs, while Chancellor Angela Merkel considers taking control from state leaders.

The continent’s immunization program has been bogged down by poor planning, supply delays and increasingly a lack of solidarity. Greek Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias expressed concern about the pluralism that confuses citizens on such an important issue.

With aggressive variants spreading, the region can ill afford further problems. The EU has administered doses for just 9.5 percent of its population—about a third of Britain’s pace, according to Bloomberg’s Coronavirus Tracker.

See “EU,” A9

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Probabilities and the pandemic

Friday, April 9, 2021

A9

Counting online losses, and still hoping Tito Genova Valiente

Dr. Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes

EAGLE WATCH

O

N Monday, March 29, 2021, it was reported that a lone bettor from Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur won the jackpot in the 6/55 Grand Lotto draw held on Saturday, March 27, 2021.

The player picked the winning six-number combination of 38-35-1122-39-47, which had a total jackpot prize of P298.77 million.

Indeed, this news item can serve as a good review of basic probability concepts. There are some interesting questions that people can try to answer. One, does the jackpot worth P298.77 million make the game fair?

Two, if it is not a fair game, then what amount will make it fair? Three, where else should people consider putting their money?

The game has the numbers 1 to 55, and it requires a person to randomly pick six numbers out of these. Selection is done without replacement.

This means that once a number has been picked, it can no longer be returned to the pool.

Also, in this game, the arrangement of the numbers does not matter. This means that people are dealing with combinations rather than permutations. So, if six numbers are to be picked randomly from 55, then there are 28,989,675 possible combinations, and only one can win.

Each lotto ticket costs P20 and represents one bet. Now, if the game were to look for a winning permutation instead of combination, then 20,872,566,000 possible permutations would have to be considered, and the probability of winning would drop significantly.

By definition, expected value is a weighted average where the possible values of a random variable are weighted by their corresponding probabilities of occurrence. A fair game is one whose expected value is zero. If the 6/55 Grand Lotto were a fair game, then neither the bettor nor the lotto operator would be favored.

So, here are the answers to the questions posed earlier. Regarding the expected value of the 6/55 Grand Lotto, it is computed as follows: (P298,770,000.00)(1/28,989,675) + (-P20)(28,989,674/28,989,675) ≈ -P9.69. P298,770,000 is the jackpot prize, and it is weighted by its corresponding probability of occurrence, which is 1/28,989,675.

The -P20 represents the amount of money that a person pays the lotto operator in every transaction, and it is weighted by its corresponding probability of occurrence, which is 28,989,674/28,989,675. Over a very large number of bets, the bettor, therefore, stands to lose about P9.69 on average to the lotto operator.

Clearly, this is not a fair game because the lotto operator is being favored. This should not come as a surprise, though, since lotto outlets are meant to raise funds for charity.

Also, to many people, P298.77 mil-

EU. . .

continued from A8

The UK conducted a similar safety review of the AstraZeneca vaccine and is now advising that people under 30 be offered an alternative if one is available, the country’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said Wednesday.

The warnings dealt another blow to the vaccine Astra developed with the University of Oxford and continued to cloud its global rollout. The drugmaker said it’s studying the individual cases to understand the “epidemiology and possible mechanisms that could explain these extremely rare events.” It’s also working with regulators on their request for new labels on its shots, AstraZeneca said in a statement.

Concerns about the vaccine cen-

lion might already look obscenely huge; nevertheless, in reality, this jackpot amount is not yet huge enough to make the game fair.

So, to answer the second question regarding the jackpot amount that will make the game fair, people can set up an algebraic equation and then solve for the unknown value. (X)(1/28,989,675) + (-P20)(28,989,674/28,989,675) = 0. Isolating X on one side of the equation yields thus: X = ((P20)(-28,989,674/28,989,675))/ (1/28,989,675) ≈ P579,793,480.00.

If one wishes to surely win, then he should have pockets deep enough to churn out this amount of capital: (P20 per bet)(28,989,675 possible bets) = P579,793,500. Again, if P298,770,000 is the jackpot amount, then it will be a losing venture. The jackpot amount should exceed the required capital to make it worthwhile for the bettor.

To answer the last question regarding where else to put one’s money, one should be aware of some practical considerations. Of course, it is unlikely that the average Pinoy can make 28,989,675 bets in one day. It is also unlikely that the average Pinoy has close to P580 million in capital.

It is also unlikely that the average Pinoy can win the 6/55 Grand Lotto.

What is certain, though, is that this world is finite. On a microeconomic level, the likelihood of getting sick and dying far outweighs the likelihood of winning the 6/55 Grand Lotto. On a macroeconomic level, experiencing financial distress is made highly probable by a large informal economy, a low propensity to save and invest, and widespread financial exclusion. With people losing loved ones and the entire economy suffering, this pandemic should make each person realize his finitude all the more.

Those fortunate enough to have buffer resources during this pandemic can reflect on two options.

One option is to become someone who generously spends P20 per lotto ticket per day for an outcome that is unlikely to happen, although the money supposedly goes to charity.

Another option is to become someone who saves money, pays for insurance, and makes wise investments, in anticipation of life events that are far more likely, or even certain, to happen.

Where should charity begin?

Dr. Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes teaches economics at the Ateneo de Manila University.

ter on an unusual type of blood clot in the brain called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. There were also some cases of clots in the abdomen and in the arteries, which occurred together with low levels of blood platelets.

Italian officials said the change of policy wouldn’t hamper the country’s rollout as supplies increase and doses of other shots get redistributed.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been dogged by controversy. Before the health concerns, the drugmaker got embroiled in a battle with the EU after a production issue led to delivery delays.

Unity among member states has become a broader issue.

“We must not forget that individual decisions affect everybody,” Portuguese Health Minister Marta Temido said, appealing for a coordinated position.

annotations

W

E have been counting losses online. Deaths by Covid-19.

The technologies have given us symbols with which to express grief: lighted candles; the desperate blueness of a sky bereft of clouds; interminable sunsets; and, flowers.

Flowers are problematic signs.

They could be blooms for the lovely transitions in human events—weddings, birthdays, or graduations. The lockdown counts out graduations.

And we are left with marriages contracted or people marking milestones.

But when the blooms stay solitary within a frame, we feel there is something else to the floral display. We skip the images and scroll quickly and find below memories extolling the virtues of a person and thanking that person for what she or he has done to us.

We always know death. If I may correct that: we sense death. The empirical moments of the slowness of notification are still there in the blunt news that one is gone. Or, that, right now, “we cannot understand all this but soon we will find the reason why this person had to go.” Or, how “the pains are gone and where our beloved is now is a place where all the tribulations are unheard of.”

We are animals. For all the neutral candor of mobile phone or a laptop, our response to the screen and the words they bear prompt us how we are of bodies, first, than of soul. We smell the vanishing; we consume the departure by our troublingly quiet search for footprints, for tracks, for memories.

The thread of prayers follow the exordium to a biography and we are on our way to reading again about

death. The prayers are similar; the farewells are products of ancient templates that gloried the pages of books and filled with assuring predictability greeting cards of various persuasions, publishing origins, and functions. It has been a year now, and one month more. The lockdown did not prepare us for a shift in living.

A month after we were ordered to stay home or move only within circumscribed areas, we somehow had gotten used to the new order of life.

We wore masks. We stayed far from each other. Overnight, we buried in our subconscious the newly developed gesture of hugging or kissing to acknowledge mutual presences. In a day, we conjured gestures and enacted them in real-life setting—the bumping of fist, the awkward and less brutal touching of arms curved at the elbows. Online, the creators of emoticons caught up with the alternative sociality—hands in prayer are now as popular as the faces in varied expressions of amiability.

Covid-19 has prepared us for this life; it has not prepared us for deaths.

There are no icons or online gestures, certainly no words that could resuscitate us from silence into the most endearing of condolences.

This is what happens during deaths, any kind of death, under the present condition. The patient or the victim dies and no one is there

beside the person. Even the most loving kin shall not be there. For the Catholics, no one is assured of the last sacrament unless. No wake follows. No one has the final look of the beloved departed. Somehow, a funeral is done. Or inurnment, if the body has been cremated.

The more technology-oriented family puts up an online meeting.

Shall this be called a virtual grieving?

A friend has told me he was trying to find it in himself to feel the loss of an aunt but, somehow, it was not there. It was when they gathered online that the sadness set in. “Covid is real,” was how he put it. This is the response of many—when deaths come close to home, an urgency or panic about this dark period in our history ultimately turns physical. That unmentionable scent of decay composes a sensation in our mind. We breathe fast; we try to control the convulsion that starts from our shoulders. Then we cry. Or weep. Or sob.

In my case, a cousin passed on a few days ago. His demise was announced by way of his photograph and beside it that lighted candle. I remember him as a young boy, frisky and friendly.

He was one of the younger cousins because his father happened to be one of our younger uncles. He was a director in a government bureau.

In another time, the duty to be with the grieving family could have been uppermost in one’s schedule. It would have been a grand reunion as well and a time to share the sorrows that naturally accompany death. It would have been a reminiscing in the language of the small island of our birth. That death would have been life in a form that only humans in their capacity for transcendence can ritualize.

There are 14,000 plus deaths by Covid reported as of this writing. In a country where the number of active cases is not properly reported, who would believe these figures? There could be more. But the old poet is right, any man’s death diminishes us.

Let us wait for some techie to provide us the tolling of the bells online, admonishing us to summon the words of John Donne, “and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls: it tolls for thee.”

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

US military cites rising risk of Chinese move against Taiwan

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By Robert Burns | AP National Security Writer

ASHINGTON—The American military is warning that China is probably accelerating its timetable for capturing control of Taiwan, the island democracy that has been the chief source of tension between Washington and Beijing for decades and is widely seen as the most likely trigger for a potentially catastrophic US-China war.

The worry about Taiwan comes as China wields new strength from years of military buildup. It has become more aggressive with Taiwan and more assertive in sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea. Beijing also has become more confrontational with Washington; senior Chinese officials traded sharp and unusually public barbs with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in talks in Alaska last month.

A military move against Taiwan, however, would be a test of US support for the island that Beijing views as a breakaway province. For the Biden administration, it could present the choice of abandoning a friendly, democratic entity or risking what could become an all-out war over a cause that is not on the radar of most Americans. The United States has long pledged to help Taiwan defend itself, but it has deliberately left unclear how far it would go in response to a Chinese attack.

State Department spokesman Ned Price on Wednesday expressed “great concern” at what he called pattern of Chinese efforts to intimidate others in the region, including Taiwan.

“The United States maintains the capacity to resist any resort to force or any other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan,” Price said.

This accumulation of concerns meshes with the administration’s view that China is a frontline challenge for the United States and that more must be done soon — militarily, diplomatically and by other means — to deter Beijing as it seeks to supplant the United States as the predominant

power in Asia. Some American military leaders see Taiwan as potentially the most immediate flashpoint.

“We have indications that the risks are actually going up,” Adm. Philip Davidson, the most senior US military commander in the AsiaPacific region, told a Senate panel last month, referring to a Chinese military move on Taiwan.

“The threat is manifest during this decade—in fact, in the next six years,” Davidson said.

Days later, Davidson’s expected successor, Adm. John Aquilino, declined to back up the six-year timeframe but told senators at his confirmation hearing: “My opinion is, this problem is much closer to us than most think.”

Biden administration officials have spoken less pointedly but stress the intention to deepen ties with Taiwan, eliciting warnings from Beijing against outsider interference in what it considers a domestic matter.

On Wednesday, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the military threat against his country is increasing, and while he said it was not yet “particularly alarming,” the Chinese military in the last couple of years has been conducting what he called “real combat-type” exercises closer to the island.

“We are willing to defend ourselves, that’s without any question,” Wu told reporters. “We will fight a war if we need to fight a war, and if we need to defend ourselves to the very last day, then we will defend ourselves to the very last day.”

Hardly an aspect of China’s military modernization has failed to rile the US military. Adm. Charles Richard, who as head of US Strategic Com-

The implications of a Chinese military move against Taiwan and its 23 million people are so profound and potentially grave that Beijing and Washington have long managed a fragile middle ground—Taiwanese political autonomy that precludes control by Beijing but stops short of formal independence.

mand is responsible for US nuclear forces, wrote in a recent essay that China is on track to be a “strategic peer” of the United States. He said China’s nuclear weapons stockpile is expected to double “if not triple or quadruple” in the next 10 years, although that goes beyond the Pentagon’s official view that the stockpile will “at least double” in that period.

Taiwan, however, is seen as the most pressing problem.

US officials have noted People’s Liberation Army actions that seem designed to rattle Taiwan. For example, Chinese aerial incursions, including flying around the island, are a near-daily occurrence, serving to advertise the threat, wear down Taiwanese pilots and aircraft and learn more about Taiwan’s capabilities.

Chinese officials have scoffed at Davidson’s Taiwan comments. A Ministry of Defense spokesman, Col. Ren Guoqiang, urged Washington to “abandon zero-peace thinking” and do more to build mutual trust and stability. He said that “attempts by outside forces to use Taiwan to seek to restrain China, or the use by Taiwan independence forces to use military means to achieve independence, are all dead ends.”

The implications of a Chinese military move against Taiwan and its 23 million people are so profound and potentially grave that Beijing and Washington have long managed a fragile middle ground — Taiwanese political autonomy that precludes control by Beijing but stops short of formal independence.

Predictions of when China might

decide to try to compel Taiwan to reunite with the mainland have long varied, and there is no uniform view in the United States. Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, said last week he doubts Chinese leaders are ready to force the issue.

“I don’t think it’s coming soon,” he said.

The Trump administration made a series of moves to demonstrate a stronger commitment to Taiwan, including sending a Cabinet member to Taipei last year, making him the highest-level US official to visit the island since formal diplomatic relations were severed in 1979 in deference to China. The Biden administration says it wants to cooperate with China where possible but has voiced its objections to a wide range of Chinese actions.

China is a frequent target of criticism in Congress. Concerns about countering its growing military might are reflected in passage of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, funded at $2.2 billion for 2021. Davidson wants it to support, among other initiatives, establishing a better air defense system to protect the US territory of Guam from Chinese missiles and preserving US military dominance in the region.

Rep. Adam Smith, a Washington Democrat and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, is skeptical of the military’s fixation on dominance.

“Given the way the world works now, having one country be dominant is just hopelessly unrealistic,” he said in a recent online forum sponsored by Meridian, a nonpartisan diplomacy center. He said the US military can maintain sufficient strength, in partnership with allies, to send the message: “China, don’t invade Taiwan because the price you’re going to pay for that isn’t worth it.”

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, AP writer Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, and AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

A10 Friday, April 9, 2021

BOC, BIR set field test on fuel sites, transport

T

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) announced they will begin on April 26 Field Testing Enforcement activities on gasoline, diesel, and kerosene found in warehouses, storage tanks, gas stations, other retail outlets, and properties, as well as those in vessels, tank trucks and other similar fuel transporting vehicles.

This, as BOC and BIR are set to end on the same day the Transitory Field Testing Activities that began in February this year. Under the Transitory Field Testing of the government’s fuel marking program, sample fuels from retail stations and tank trucks in National Capital Region and nearby provinces were tested to determine the marker levels in the fuel supply available in the domestic market.

In a statement on Thursday, BOC said the Field Testing process will entail the use of Mobile Laboratory Units equipped with analyzers capable of detecting the official fuel marker’s presence in any fuel sample.

The test result will be generated on-site and will indicate a “pass” or “fail” result. Bernadette D. Nicolas

Peza lists CREATE IRR inputs: tax incentives, ecozone devt

T

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @Tyronepiad

HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) wants to highlight the tax incentives granted to company locators and ecozone development in the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) of the recently signed corporate tax reform measure.

The regulator of economic zone locators is preparing its inputs for the IRR of Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act. Peza is set to meet with locator companies to discuss the potential impact and benefits of CREATE on their operations.

Peza Director General Charito Plaza told BusinessMirror she wants the investment promotion agency (IPA) to still have “the same globally competitive tax incentives and enhance with tax and non-tax subsidy for strategic big-ticket industries.”

Among the incentives of a Pezaregistered enterprise are income tax holiday (ITH), tax- and duty-free raw materials importation, capital equipment, machineries and exemption in other related fees.

Plaza said Peza wants to give focus as well on the development of public and special economic zones in the private sector located in the countryside.

This will allow the transformation of

idle lands, which can attract different types of industry, she explained.

Peza regulates around 410 economic zones nationwide as of November 2020, majority or 290 of which are IT parks and centers.

While the regulator welcomed CREATE’s signing, a Peza official raised concern over a vetoed item which resulted in removal of tax incentive extension availment for foreign direct investors.

CREATE leaves registered business enterprises (RBEs) no choice but to accept the 10-year sunset period after the lapse of ITH, which follows the adoption of 25-percent corporate income tax (CIT) rate. Only new activities and projects will be granted fresh incentives, Peza noted.

Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning Tereso Panga, in a recent statement, said this can have repercussions for existing locators.

“This scenario could be a make or break for the Philippines as the affected ecozone locators, for example,

might decide to retain their facilities and invest in new projects to be entitled to a longer ITH and SCIT (special corporate income tax) period (total of 14-17 years),” Panga said. “[Or] worse, they might just pack up and transfer to a more willing hostcountry that can offer better incentives for their investments as their availment of more advantageous incentives for sunk projects with the IPAs prior to CREATE were cut short by the mandatory sunset period for RBEs,” he added.

Still, Plaza is “hopeful” the locator companies can adjust to the new measures under CREATE. “We believe that effective governance will be pivotal in our resolve to retain, expand and attract investments into the ecozones under the CREATE regime and in due time, our existing locators will be able to adjust to CREATE and continue to secure their investments in the Philippines,” Plaza added.

President Duterte signed CREATE into law last month after the measure underwent different versions through the years.

The law cut CIT rate to 20 percent from 30 percent for domestic corporations with net taxable income of P5 million and below, and have total assets of P100 million and below effective July 1, 2020. All other local firms and resident foreign companies pay 25-percent income tax.

DND: US WARNING TO CHINA VS USE OF FORCE AFFIRMS MDT

By Rene Acosta

T

@reneacostaBM

HE Department of National Defense (DND) welcomed the United States’s latest warning against China on the use of force in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), amid the Philippines’s demand for Beijing to remove its flotilla of paramilitary vessels within the country’s maritime waters.

“The US admonition to China against the use of force on Philippine public vessels and aircraft, which are performing their constitutional mandate to protect and defend Philippine rights in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, is an additional affirmation of the long-standing partnership between our two countries,” the DND through its spokesman Arsenio Andolong said.

“This also demonstrates the strength of our alliance and mutual commitment to promote the rules-based international order,” he added.

T he DND st atement comes a day after the De-

partment of Foreign Affairs fired off another diplomatic protest over the continued reef occupation. DFA Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. had said Manila will lodge one protest for “each day” that Chinese vessels remain in the reef.

Andolong’s statement came just few hours after US Department of State spokesman Ned Price reiterated Washington’s support for the Philippines over the current imbroglio in the West Philippine Sea, which was spawned by the swarming of Chinese maritime militia vessels.

“Well, Secretary [James] Blinken actually spoke to this just a couple days ago.

He said on March 28 that the United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in the face of the PRC’s maritime militia amassing . . . ,” Price said in a news briefing on Thursday, Manila time.

“He said, we will always stand by our allies and stand up for the rules-based international order,” the US State Department spokesman said.

Continued on A2

Companies BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Friday, April 9, 2021

B1

Meralco hikes rates in April AirAsia, group to revive Cebu as spot market prices rise

P

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

ower rates for April rose by P0.0872 per kilowatt hour (kWh) to P8.4067 kWh, from last month’s P8.3195, which is equivalent to an increase of around P17 in the total bill of residential customers consuming 200 kWh, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) reported Thursday.

Meralco said the rates reflect higher generation charge and spot market prices.

Generation charge for April is P4.5370 per kWh, P0.1621 higher than last month’s P4.3749 per kWh. WESM (Wholesale Electricity Spot Market) charges increased by P2.5991 per kWh due to tighter supply conditions in the Luzon grid.

Peak demand in Luzon increased by almost 1,000 megawatts (MW) in March as a result of warmer temperature, while unavailable capacity from plant outages remained above 3,400

MW. WESM share is slightly down to 11 percent this month.

Mitigating the increase in WESM charges are the lower costs from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Power Supply Agreements (PSAs). Charges of IPPs and PSAs declined by P0.2090 and P0.1371 per kWh, respectively, due to improved average plant dispatch and peso appreciation. The shares of IPPs and PSAs this month were 39 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, the transmission charge for residential customers

decreased by P0.0856 per kWh mainly due to lower ancillary service charges, while taxes and other charges registered a net increase of P0.0107 per kWh. Collection of the Universal Charge-Environmental Charge amounting to P0.0025 per kWh remains suspended, as directed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

Meralco’s distribution, supply, and metering charges, meanwhile, have remained unchanged for 69 months, after these registered reductions in July 2015.

Meralco reiterated that it does not earn from the pass-through charges, such as the generation and transmission charges. Payment for the generation charge goes to the power suppliers, while payment for the transmission charge goes to the NGCP. Taxes and other public policy charges like the Universal Charges and the FIT-All are remitted to the government.

This month’s overall rate is still P0.5884 per kWh lower than last year’s rate of P8.9951 per kWh. Also, it includes the ERC-approved adjustments for passthrough over/under-recoveries for

the period January 2017 to December 2019.

The ERC directed Meralco last December to refund over-recoveries in transmission and other charges over a period of approximately three months and to collect an underrecovery in the generation rate for approximately 24 months.

Meralco implemented the ERCapproved adjustments starting January 2021. The impact to residential customers, from the months of January to April 2021, is a net refund of around P0.1150 per kWh. Also, Meralco continues to implement the Distribution Rate True-Up refund, which began in March 2021.

The ERC provisionally approved Meralco’s proposal to refund around P13.9 billion over a period of 24 months or until the amount is fully refunded.

This amount represents the difference between the Actual Weighted Average Tariff and the ERC-approved Interim Average Rate for distribution-related charges for the period July 2015 to November 2020. For residential customers, the refund rate is P0.2761 per kWh and will appear in customer bills as a line item called “Dist True-Up.”

Petron to issue perpetual securities P

etron Corp. plans to issue senior perpetual capital securities to pay off its obligations and finance its operations, among others.

It disclosed Thursday a copy of the preliminary offering circular to “the contemplated issuance by the Company of US Dollar-denominated senior perpetual capital securities.”

No amount has been finalized yet.

But the proceeds, said Petron, would be utilized “for the repayment of indebtedness and for general corporate purposes.”

Petron’s Bataan refinery is expected to resume operation in about

4 months from the time it temporarily shut down last February 10. But the oil firm plans to build a Refinery Solid Fired Boiler (RSFBB-3) Phase 3 that would entail an investment of P11 billion.

Dubbed as the “Petron Refinery Special Projects” the main facilities of the project will be two 200 tph Circulating Fluidized Broiler (CFB), two 22megawatt Backpressure Turbine Generators, 500-meter fuel transfer line.

Petron earlier reported a net loss of P11.4 billion last year, as sales dropped 27 percent to 78.6 million barrels compared to its 2019 figures.

PLDT deploys 5G technology in Catanduanes

Luxury car dealers pin hopes on Covid-19 response

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

T

he PLDT Group is improving its network capacity in Catanduanes, firing up its fiber optic link in the province, while deploying 5G technology in Virac.

Smart Communications Inc. has also “beefed up” its 4G services through the roll out of additional multi-element on wheels facilities.

“We will continue to invest and build out our network to support the needs of our customers in all areas, despite the inherent challenges of rolling out across an archipelago and connecting islands like Catanduanes,” said Mario G. Tamayo, who heads the technology group at PLDT and Smart.

He added: “In fact, following this development, our customers in Catanduanes have experienced around three to four times faster speeds using appropriate devices.”

Tamayo noted that these initiatives are part of PLDT’s program to connect island provinces to the rest of the country via inter-island submarine and inland cable systems.

They also help in improving the resiliency of the group’s network through the addition of alternate fiber routes to ensure better customer experience in the event of calamities and multiple fiber breaks.

As of end-2020, PLDT’s fiber infrastructure sits at 429,000 kilometers, while Smart’s mobile network covers 96 percent of the total Philippine population.

PLDT is spending as much as P92 billion in capital expenditures this year to further modernize its network through the deployment of additional fiber optic cables and the construction and upgrading of new and existing cell sites.

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

T

he automotive industry, including the luxury car segment, may be able to survive the bumpy ride this year and step on the gas if all goes well with the country’s Covid-19 response.

SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp.—local dealer of German brand BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)—told the BusinessMirror that the car industry is now moving slowly towards recovery, noting that it could be quicker if the pandemic situation improves.

“I believe that the automotive segment is slowly recovering, and with the country finding its way towards resolving this pandemic, I am positive that we will see the industry achieve stability by the end of the year,” said Spencer Yu, president of the car company.

Yu stressed the need for a “national effort” in rolling out a vaccination program across the country.

This would put the customers at ease, he said, when visiting showrooms and during test drives of vehicles.

“For a full recovery to be possible, everyone must do their part and practice health and safety protocols in every way possible,” he added.

The government recently extended the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for “NRC Plus”— Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Lagu-

The company said sales suffered from a slump in demand, poor refining margins, and collapse in global prices during the period brought about by the pandemic.

Petron President Ramon S. Ang said he is optimistic that demand for fuel products will recover this year.

“We have been working hard to minimize the impact of the pandemic on our business and our performance in the second half of 2020 proves that we are moving in the right direction.

We look forward to sustaining our recovery as we anticipate higher demand and a more stable industry

na and Bulacan—for one more week or until April 11 as more Covid-19 cases are logged in the country.

The local BMW distributor was among the firms affected by the impact of the pandemic in the past year, including the lockdown measures that slowed down business activities.

“2020 was a journey into the unknown, and we are thankful to have survived the challenge all thanks to the great efforts of the BMW team and the entire BMW dealer network,” Yu said.

SMC Asia Car Distributors saw its sales plunge by 15.5 percent to 611 units last year from 723 units sold in 2019, according to the joint sales report by Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA).

“It was a significant drop compared to 2019, but we are always thankful to the loyalty of our customers, and the efforts of everyone involved. With this momentum, we are looking forward to making new strides this year,” Yu said.

Earlier this year, the BMW importer and distributor launched its new 4-Series model, which is a two-door, four-seater car. It is available in two variants: the 420i Model Advantage and 420i M Sport.

Return of demand

For Lexus Philippines, attaining pre-pandemic level of car sales

situation with an end to this crisis finally in sight,” he said.

Petron vowed to further improve its competitiveness after it secured approval as a registered enterprise in December 2020 by the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB).

FAB-registered enterprises are entitled to avail of fiscal incentives under the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 or Omnibus Investment Code of 1987. This will benefit the company in the form of better timing on the payment of value added taxes, which shall be upon withdrawal of the products from the refinery. Lenie Lectura

will depend on the demand for luxury vehicles.

Lexus Philippines Vice President Carlo Ablaza, in an interview with the BusinessMirror, noted that the company’s sales fell to 474 units last year, or a 24-percent decline from 626 units sold in 2019.

“Despite the decline in total number of sales during ECQ/general community quarantine [GCQ] in 2020, Lexus’ market share increased by 2 percent with 25 percent last year,” he said.

Ablaza recalled that the local Lexus dealer reached a record-high of over 1,200 car sales back in 2017, which normalized to a 600-unit sales level in 2018 and 2019.

This year, the car company is optimistic that it can sell more than 500 units, but the target is still below recent pre-pandemic sales.

Lexus Philippines noted it had to make adjustments when it comes to maintaining customer relationships amid the pandemic. Ablaza said the firm ramped up its digital channels to allow continued communication with existing and potential customers.

This is in addition to complying with safety protocols in terms of operating its showroom, he said.

“In terms of achieving our sales target, we had to adjust and further expand in reaching out to our customers when it was GCQ,” Ablaza added.

tourism sector

Contributed Photo

By Recto L. Mercene

A

irAsia on Wednesday announced its partnership with the Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu Inc. (HRRACI) to help revive Cebu’s tourism sector and restore confidence in air travel.

HRRACI is a nonprofit, nongovernment organization that provides an avenue for strategic partnerships among its member companies, associates, schools, and other stakeholders with the common goal of promoting Cebu as a world-class tourist destination.

According to recent data from health authorities, cases of Covid-19 infections in the Cebu have significantly decreased over the past weeks, signaling a strong comeback for the tourism sector, in time for the various festivities and summer activities.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said, “Filipinos are looking forward to traveling this summer.

Though the enhanced community quarantine [ECQ] in the NCR Plus has greatly affected the decision-making of most local travelers, we believe that there will be enough time for our ‘kababayans’ to ‘beat the summer heat’ and visit Cebu.”

“Tourism stakeholders including AirAsia, are united with The Department of Tourism and local government units in rebooting the tourism industry in Cebu, a vital industry that contributes to the Philippine economy. When one speaks of Cebu, it means relaxation, luxury, pleasure, and fun, all in one island.

It won’t be much of a challenge to attract tourists to rediscover the Queen City of the South.”

The partnership kicked off with a virtual program last April 6 and was well attended by various stakeholders in the hotel, resort, and food and beverage services industries.

During the program, AirAsia presented potential partnership opportunities for the various stakeholders, such as APass—a virtual passport that gives the holder special discounts to AirAsia’s partner establishments— and SNAP, airasia’s flight + hotel combo platform on the airasia super app that offers affordable fly and stay packages.

“This new partnership with HRRACI brings about great opportunities for us to work together, to rise above the challenges we are facing, and usher the tourism industry to its prepandemic glory,” he added.

Members of the HR-

RACI expressed their appreciation for the efforts taken by AirAsia in rebuilding confidence in tourism and air travel.

HRRACI President Alfred Reyes said, “In an effort to accelerate economic recovery, and in support to boost tourism in the country, AirAsia presented projects to continue rebuilding confidence in travelling.

With proper strategies, domestic tourism can lead the rebound in the early phase of recovery.”

“I would like to thank AirAsia for leading this amazing initiative.

What we need right now is a collective effort and we look forward to working together with all the tourism stakeholders from hoteliers, restaurants, to travel agents to attain our objectives.”

Department of Tourism-Region VII Regional Director Shalimar Tamano said, “Tourism stakeholders are taking the initiative to not only restart the industry but to also rebuild, revive, and re-imagine a new Cebu. We go beyond what we have achieved in the past; we always look ahead by innovating for the better and reinventing ourselves. Our deepest thanks to HRRACI and AirAsia for organizing this event. Rest assured you have our full support.”

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, April 9, 2021

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

April 8, 2021

Net Foreign Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Stocks Buy (Sell) FINANCIALs

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL IREMIT MEDCO HLDG NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE VANTAGE

41.75 101.4 83.2 23 9.71 44.75 22.05 23.1 55.2 17.4 121.8 70 1.6 3.97 1.44 0.41 0.75 143.2 2,300 0.97

43.35 101.7 83.7 23.05 9.74 44.8 23.4 23.15 56 17.8 122.9 71.1 1.65 3.98 1.5 0.425 0.79 144.3 2,340 1.03

41.75 102.3 84 22.95 9.7 44.8 23 23 56 17 122.5 70.5 1.6 3.99 1.51 0.435 0.79 143.8 2,300 1.03

41.8 102.6 84.2 23.05 9.76 45.15 23.4 24 56 17.3 123 71.1 1.67 3.99 1.51 0.435 0.79 144.4 2,300 1.03

41.65 101.3 82.05 22.95 9.69 44.7 23 22.9 55.5 17 121.6 70.5 1.57 3.97 1.5 0.405 0.75 142 2,300 1.03

41.75 101.4 83.7 23.05 9.71 44.75 23.4 23.15 56 17.3 122.9 71.1 1.65 3.98 1.5 0.425 0.79 144.4 2,300 1.03

3,300 3,401,250 1,875,290 53,800 137,100 3,902,500 400 1,132,300 2,810 6,700 194,540 3,290 759,000 96,000 90,000 440,000 50,000 2,200 5 14,000

137,685 346,001,758 157,231,516 1,239,795 1,332,957 174,862,865 9,240 26,057,465 157,047 115,570 23,839,208 232,134 1,240,720 382,130 135,560 182,100 38,740 316,726 11,500 14,420

-122,783,473 -18,239,696.50 41,555 41,003 -76,740,945 -2,412,040 -4,160,153 206,669 4,300 -18,200 0 11,500 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 7.63 7.64 7.65 7.73 7.51 7.64 21,592,900 164,990,946 ALSONS CONS 1.25 1.27 1.26 1.27 1.26 1.26 521,000 656,480 ABOITIZ POWER 23.7 24.1 24.2 24.25 23.7 23.7 1,216,600 29,076,925 BASIC ENERGY 1.01 1.02 1.05 1.06 1.01 1.02 67,544,000 69,221,710 FIRST GEN 30.95 31 31.15 32 30.8 31 619,100 19,426,200 FIRST PHIL HLDG 69 69.25 69.55 70.9 69.25 69.25 26,150 1,818,562.50 MERALCO 280.6 282 283.6 284 280 280.6 188,590 53,105,130 MANILA WATER 15.14 15.2 15.46 15.46 15.02 15.2 3,179,900 48,284,112 PETRON 3.15 3.17 3.17 3.18 3.11 3.15 780,000 2,451,000 PETROENERGY 3.8 3.9 3.85 3.9 3.8 3.9 19,000 73,200 PHX PETROLEUM 11.86 12.28 12 12.3 11.52 12.3 396,800 4,786,502 PILIPINAS SHELL 20.15 20.6 20.5 20.75 20.15 20.15 125,200 2,555,660 SPC POWER 10.74 10.76 10.64 10.9 10.64 10.76 537,500 5,773,406 VIVANT 13.8 14.48 13.8 13.8 13.8 13.8 200 2,760 AGRINURTURE 7.08 7.12 7.1 7.16 7.02 7.12 1,232,200 8,759,238 3.41 3.45 3.51 3.52 3.37 3.45 3,601,000 12,384,980 AXELUM 13.22 13.6 13.22 13.22 13.22 13.22 500 6,610 CNTRL AZUCARERA CENTURY FOOD 18.64 18.78 18.94 18.94 18.48 18.64 238,300 4,428,742 9.54 9.6 9.35 9.8 9.35 9.54 281,800 2,676,239 DEL MONTE 7.19 7.2 7.29 7.29 7.15 7.2 526,000 3,788,276 DNL INDUS 10.24 10.36 10.3 10.36 10.08 10.36 412,400 4,234,034 EMPERADOR 67.1 67.2 67.3 67.3 65 67.1 20,440 1,367,658.50 SMC FOODANDBEV 1.4 1.42 1.4 1.45 1.38 1.42 17,071,000 24,159,550 FRUITAS HLDG 51.8 51.9 51.5 51.95 51.5 51.8 75,190 3,895,637 GINEBRA 179 179.5 184.8 185 179 179 426,470 76,953,549 JOLLIBEE 32.05 32.9 32.9 32.9 32.9 32.9 1,800 59,220 LIBERTY FLOUR MACAY HLDG 7.28 7.84 7.84 7.84 7.28 7.84 500 3,864 MAXS GROUP 5.98 6 5.95 6 5.92 6 103,100 616,004 0.34 0.345 0.35 0.355 0.34 0.345 12,340,000 4,252,050 MG HLDG SHAKEYS PIZZA 7.21 7.25 7.24 7.24 7.2 7.21 113,300 819,127 ROXAS AND CO 1.09 1.1 1.05 1.16 1.03 1.1 12,295,000 13,438,570 RFM CORP 4.68 4.75 4.75 4.75 4.75 4.75 1,000 4,750 ROXAS HLDG 1.46 1.54 1.49 1.5 1.49 1.5 24,000 35,940 SWIFT FOODS 0.14 0.142 0.144 0.144 0.14 0.142 8,100,000 1,144,150 UNIV ROBINA 140 142 140 142 137.1 142 1,390,580 196,288,234 VITARICH 0.83 0.84 0.84 0.85 0.83 0.84 457,000 385,020 VICTORIAS 2.26 2.31 2.25 2.25 2.25 2.25 2,000 4,500 CONCRETE A 56.2 58.5 55 64.95 55 58.5 4,040 238,442.50 CONCRETE B 61.2 66 57 79.5 56.95 62.1 3,530 212,503 CEMEX HLDG 1.21 1.22 1.22 1.23 1.2 1.22 1,881,000 2,279,180 DAVINCI CAPITAL 3.3 3.31 3.36 3.4 3.21 3.3 4,190,000 13,854,460 EAGLE CEMENT 11 11.04 10.9 11.02 10.76 11 155,400 1,698,668 EEI CORP 7.32 7.33 7.4 7.4 7.27 7.32 488,800 3,596,838 5.55 5.6 5.63 5.65 5.5 5.6 74,200 416,662 HOLCIM 6.89 6.9 6.99 7 6.78 6.89 754,300 5,144,267 MEGAWIDE 12.22 12.28 12.28 12.3 12.2 12.28 64,000 784,652 PHINMA 1.17 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.15 1.2 546,000 638,620 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 2.39 2.4 2.37 2.41 2.28 2.39 8,857,000 20,633,700 1.86 1.87 1.86 1.88 1.86 1.87 1,201,000 2,245,810 CROWN ASIA 2.06 2.1 2.06 2.12 2.05 2.1 62,000 128,160 EUROMED LMG CORP 4.51 4.96 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 10,000 45,000 PRYCE CORP 5.27 5.49 5.21 5.24 5.21 5.23 4,900 25,625 21.4 21.45 21.15 21.4 21 21.4 7,500 159,705 CONCEPCION GREENERGY 3.99 4 3.9 3.99 3.85 3.99 20,940,000 82,596,530 11.26 11.34 11.4 11.4 11 11.34 389,200 4,363,328 INTEGRATED MICR 1.12 1.14 1.14 1.15 1.13 1.13 204,000 230,880 IONICS PANASONIC 5.63 5.76 5.6 5.8 5.6 5.76 13,900 78,011 SFA SEMICON 1.39 1.4 1.4 1.42 1.39 1.4 595,000 833,630 CIRTEK HLDG 6.35 6.36 6.47 6.47 6.3 6.35 994,500 6,315,556

-1,923,296 -13,710,185 -2,519,450 1,083,810 -1,554,360.50 -591,218 -29,631,532 233,690 -1,123,142 365,105 -1,646,336 -66,415 -2,513,980 226,544 -94,800 -1,590,143 -570,152.00 686,719 18,180 2,778,322 -29,257,107 -32,096 -24,500 224,330 17,980 4,750 69,021,863 -3,360 -144,320 521,520 -187,252 -656,138 -19,213 -113,328 -429,980 204,010 239,350 5,210 -3,612,520 -515,124 53,200 460,695

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 1.25 1.26 1.28 1.28 1.24 1.26 17,120,000 21,501,120 ASIABEST GROUP 7.02 7.28 7.28 7.28 7 7.28 3,100 21,832 AYALA CORP 760 765 770 784 756 760 172,120 132,161,435 ABOITIZ EQUITY 35.5 35.95 36.25 36.35 35.5 35.5 983,100 35,113,285 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 11.4 11.44 11.34 11.5 11.14 11.4 8,861,000 100,833,184 AYALA LAND LOG 3.03 3.04 3.09 3.12 3.01 3.04 1,244,000 3,813,320 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.73 0.74 0.71 0.76 0.71 0.73 3,823,000 2,808,580 ATN HLDG A 0.76 0.78 0.78 0.79 0.75 0.78 1,566,000 1,200,880 COSCO CAPITAL 5.25 5.28 5.28 5.35 5.2 5.28 2,161,600 11,357,851 DMCI HLDG 5.74 5.75 5.76 5.8 5.71 5.75 11,326,100 65,208,526 FILINVEST DEV 8.4 8.5 8.21 8.89 8.21 8.5 12,500 106,735 FJ PRINCE B 2.79 4.34 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 1,000 3,300 FORUM PACIFIC 0.275 0.28 0.26 0.3 0.255 0.275 1,120,000 310,850 GT CAPITAL 535 538 551 553.5 535 535 67,970 36,699,385 HOUSE OF INV 3.6 3.67 3.68 3.68 3.68 3.68 1,000 3,680 60 60.6 61.75 61.8 59.6 60 880,470 53,106,570.50 JG SUMMIT 4.71 5.73 5.79 5.79 5.73 5.73 3,000 17,260 JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.11 1.07 1.08 2,548,000 2,757,500 LT GROUP 13.8 13.94 13.98 13.98 13.6 13.94 776,100 10,713,944 4.05 4.06 4.1 4.12 4.05 4.05 20,378,000 83,232,710 METRO PAC INV 3.8 3.97 3.71 3.99 3.71 3.8 197,000 762,540 PACIFICA HLDG 3.05 3.06 2.95 3.05 2.95 3.05 4,441,000 13,377,940 PRIME MEDIA 1.24 1.25 1.23 1.25 1.23 1.25 70,000 87,150 SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID 343 384 350 380 350 380 2,540 939,230 SM INVESTMENTS 965 972 1,003 1,003 965 965 240,380 234,490,305 117.9 118 119 119.2 117.8 118 113,300 13,403,770 SAN MIGUEL CORP 0.73 0.75 0.72 0.75 0.72 0.75 160,000 118,730 SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER 131.3 134.4 132.3 139.9 130 134.4 19,570 2,580,060 0.265 0.275 0.275 0.275 0.265 0.275 1,250,000 335,350 WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG 0.208 0.214 0.209 0.219 0.201 0.214 360,000 75,370

-123,900 -31,586,735 -17,665,570 -9,488,478 -15,460 -4,805,621 -2,672,771 -15,187 -11,340,620 3,680 -8,071,108 -875,822 -6,999,240 -45,930 814,780 -63,960,045 1,372,740 -1,965,490 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.66 0.67 0.7 0.7 0.65 0.67 1,489,000 1,005,410 ANCHOR LAND 7.65 8 8 8.39 7.61 8 9,200 73,600 AYALA LAND 34.45 34.5 34.6 34.7 34.5 34.5 10,989,900 379,894,055 ARANETA PROP 1.23 1.28 1.22 1.23 1.22 1.23 9,000 11,060 AREIT RT 34.5 34.9 34.9 34.95 34.3 34.5 457,100 15,790,495 BELLE CORP 1.5 1.53 1.53 1.53 1.52 1.52 44,000 66,890 A BROWN 0.87 0.88 0.87 0.88 0.87 0.88 1,454,000 1,275,580 CITYLAND DEVT 1.23 1.24 1.22 1.28 1.18 1.23 5,222,000 6,408,250 CROWN EQUITIES 0.146 0.148 0.136 0.155 0.136 0.147 99,730,000 14,679,220 CEB LANDMASTERS 6.07 6.1 6.19 6.19 6 6.07 1,755,700 10,696,582 CENTURY PROP 0.385 0.39 0.38 0.4 0.38 0.39 17,630,000 6,896,400 CYBER BAY 0.345 0.36 0.355 0.37 0.345 0.36 490,000 173,000 DOUBLEDRAGON 13.3 13.36 13.4 13.4 13.14 13.36 1,224,300 16,268,530 DDMP RT 2.25 2.26 2.26 2.27 2.23 2.26 8,482,000 19,080,740 DM WENCESLAO 6.87 6.9 6.98 6.98 6.55 6.87 164,500 1,104,465 0.285 0.29 0.29 0.3 0.29 0.29 880,000 256,650 EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO 0.147 0.148 0.151 0.16 0.141 0.148 85,260,000 12,801,290 1.14 1.15 1.15 1.15 1.12 1.14 6,594,000 7,502,520 FILINVEST LAND 0.84 0.85 0.82 0.85 0.81 0.84 1,101,000 904,300 GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG 7.12 7.44 7.42 7.46 7.42 7.46 14,600 108,696 1.43 1.44 1.47 1.47 1.43 1.43 209,000 301,080 PHIL INFRADEV 2.61 2.62 2.73 2.75 2.51 2.61 9,380,000 24,487,610 CITY AND LAND 3.65 3.66 3.69 3.7 3.63 3.65 11,758,000 43,145,970 MEGAWORLD 0.41 0.415 0.415 0.415 0.405 0.41 18,540,000 7,584,350 MRC ALLIED 0.78 0.79 0.75 0.8 0.72 0.79 76,721,000 59,005,510 PHIL ESTATES 2.96 2.98 2.9 3.02 2.78 2.98 10,936,000 31,868,610 PRIMEX CORP 18.26 18.28 18.4 18.4 18.14 18.28 811,600 14,831,106 ROBINSONS LAND 0.28 0.29 0.28 0.29 0.28 0.29 420,000 118,500 PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL 1.58 1.6 1.58 1.6 1.58 1.6 290,000 462,160 SHANG PROP 2.69 2.7 2.7 2.71 2.69 2.7 87,000 235,170 STA LUCIA LAND 2.23 2.3 2.29 2.3 2.29 2.3 362,000 832,400 SM PRIME HLDG 35.6 36 36.3 36.35 35.6 35.6 3,411,200 122,361,560 VISTAMALLS 3.8 3.9 3.71 3.94 3.62 3.9 23,000 86,020 SUNTRUST HOME 1.55 1.56 1.58 1.58 1.5 1.56 337,000 512,940 VISTA LAND 3.8 3.81 3.86 3.88 3.79 3.8 946,000 3,606,590

-9,800 -63,073,960 -2,423,735 -530,360 -595,100 -163,780 -3,381 -109,200 -7,023,788 1,960,210 -72,900 -3,948,680.00 -3,715 -24,310 26,210 -13,737,640 401,800 -163,750 2,559,620 -5,028,676.00 -137,000 -25,756,460 25,620 -1,881,330

SERVICES ABS CBN 11 11.04 11.1 11.1 10.98 11 299,800 3,303,988 GMA NETWORK 8.79 8.8 8.78 8.8 8.7 8.8 2,317,700 20,277,465 MANILA BULLETIN 0.47 0.495 0.46 0.5 0.46 0.47 510,000 248,200 GLOBE TELECOM 1,829 1,830 1,852 1,857 1,830 1,830 53,225 97,620,455 PLDT 1,255 1,257 1,259 1,264 1,242 1,255 115,185 144,350,020 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.21 0.211 0.22 0.221 0.21 0.21 420,860,000 89,828,900 CONVERGE 18.38 18.4 18.46 18.64 18.34 18.4 7,446,100 137,445,816 DFNN INC 3.75 3.8 3.75 3.84 3.72 3.8 113,000 429,690 DITO CME HLDG 10.98 11 11.1 11.14 10.76 10.98 15,204,300 166,330,658 IMPERIAL 1.72 1.73 1.65 1.72 1.63 1.72 12,000 19,960 JACKSTONES 2.2 2.23 2.14 2.25 2.09 2.23 197,000 433,910 NOW CORP 2.85 2.86 2.75 2.92 2.73 2.86 6,220,000 17,709,700 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.46 0.465 0.465 0.47 0.455 0.465 9,260,000 4,273,700 PHILWEB 2.83 2.9 2.85 2.9 2.82 2.9 470,000 1,344,130 2GO GROUP 8.49 8.5 8.41 8.5 8.4 8.5 22,900 193,575 15.12 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.5 15.5 6,000 93,000 ASIAN TERMINALS 3.3 3.32 3.3 3.33 3.27 3.32 780,000 2,572,390 CHELSEA 47 47.1 46.05 47.2 45.7 47 563,600 26,369,640 CEBU AIR 124 125.5 127.6 128 122.8 125.5 1,138,790 141,929,122 INTL CONTAINER 16.42 16.7 16.78 16.78 16.42 16.7 900 14,870 LBC EXPRESS LORENZO SHIPPNG 1.03 1.07 1.02 1.07 1.01 1.07 53,000 55,440 MACROASIA 5.02 5.04 5.18 5.18 5.02 5.02 886,800 4,478,602 2.39 2.43 2.4 2.43 2.38 2.43 196,000 469,310 METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B 2.45 2.87 2.88 2.89 2.88 2.89 4,000 11,550 PAL HLDG 6.02 6.05 6.1 6.24 6.02 6.02 21,200 129,004 HARBOR STAR 1.28 1.3 1.31 1.31 1.26 1.28 466,000 597,020 1.97 1.99 2.05 2.05 1.86 1.99 525,000 1,014,050 ACESITE HOTEL 0.089 0.09 0.094 0.099 0.09 0.09 750,980,000 70,729,190 BOULEVARD HLDG 3.93 3.95 3.99 4.1 3.9 3.95 268,000 1,064,190 DISCOVERY WORLD WATERFRONT 0.66 0.67 0.66 0.68 0.65 0.66 22,606,000 14,960,260 CENTRO ESCOLAR 6.63 7.31 7.32 7.32 6.61 7.32 900 6,517 IPEOPLE 6.85 7.88 6.81 6.85 6.8 6.85 8,100 55,164 STI HLDG 0.38 0.395 0.39 0.39 0.38 0.39 390,000 151,650 BERJAYA 4.46 4.64 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.6 6,000 27,600 BLOOMBERRY 6.87 6.89 7.01 7.01 6.86 6.89 3,499,200 24,182,600 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.05 2.11 2.03 2.13 2.03 2.11 82,000 169,770 LEISURE AND RES 1.82 1.89 1.81 1.9 1.8 1.82 1,038,000 1,931,470 MANILA JOCKEY 2.06 2.07 2.1 2.1 2.07 2.07 15,000 31,350 PH RESORTS GRP 2.24 2.25 2.3 2.3 2.24 2.25 2,210,000 4,991,260 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.42 0.425 0.4 0.435 0.385 0.42 48,370,000 18,812,400 PHIL RACING 6.25 6.5 6.2 6.5 6.02 6.5 1,800 11,004 ALLHOME 7.88 7.95 8.18 8.18 7.95 7.95 839,500 6,710,684 METRO RETAIL 1.34 1.35 1.32 1.34 1.31 1.34 1,359,000 1,795,010 37.6 37.95 38.1 38.5 37.6 37.6 3,841,300 145,443,200 PUREGOLD 55 55.15 55.1 55.4 54.85 55 531,020 29,217,279 ROBINSONS RTL 96 99 100 100 98 98 350 34,919 PHIL SEVEN CORP SSI GROUP 1.23 1.25 1.24 1.25 1.22 1.25 688,000 852,200 17.5 17.7 17.4 17.6 17.32 17.5 717,000 12,525,582 WILCON DEPOT 0.41 0.415 0.415 0.415 0.4 0.41 1,190,000 484,600 APC GROUP EASYCALL 6.6 6.65 6.8 6.8 6.65 6.65 18,400 122,987 421.2 448 440.2 448 440.2 448 410 183,602 GOLDEN MV IPM HLDG 5.1 5.15 5.1 5.1 5.1 5.1 100 510 PRMIERE HORIZON 2.26 2.27 2.3 2.3 2.22 2.27 13,487,000 30,388,420 4.5 4.68 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 1,000 4,500 SBS PHIL CORP

-62,416,765 -51,320,640 -1,350,610 -26,637,536 7,620 9,776,488 182,560 -41,400 8,480 1,550 102,450 2,594,820 -60,736,828 -2,696,395 -51,120 2,000 -1,773,210 36,180.00 -20,820 27,880 -8,134,747 -22,560 79,020 -99,800 2,890,218 135,960 -5,210,365.00 -7,723,467.50 -634,880 -657,648 93,600 363,340 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 9.4 9.69 9.4 9.8 9.4 9.69 984,400 9,462,411 -412 APEX MINING 1.46 1.47 1.46 1.49 1.46 1.46 933,000 1,371,340 -710,970 ATLAS MINING 6 6.17 6.2 6.21 5.91 6 1,275,000 7,725,629 -183,851 BENGUET A 2.5 2.85 2.6 2.85 2.6 2.85 10,000 26,250 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.31 0.315 0.29 0.31 0.29 0.31 1,040,000 319,550 CENTURY PEAK 2.75 2.76 2.6 2.76 2.6 2.76 62,000 166,720 153,480 DIZON MINES 9.1 9.19 9.35 9.35 9.1 9.19 5,500 50,477 -39,532 FERRONICKEL 2.58 2.59 2.57 2.61 2.5 2.58 3,413,000 8,737,660 2,028,670 GEOGRACE 0.395 0.4 0.41 0.455 0.4 0.4 22,470,000 9,678,350 -221,200 LEPANTO A 0.136 0.137 0.137 0.138 0.133 0.136 2,030,000 274,650 LEPANTO B 0.13 0.134 0.138 0.138 0.134 0.134 480,000 65,370 24,910 MANILA MINING A 0.0098 0.0099 0.0099 0.01 0.0099 0.0099 39,000,000 386,600 MANILA MINING B 0.0097 0.01 0.0099 0.01 0.0098 0.01 8,000,000 79,700 MARCVENTURES 1.28 1.3 1.34 1.34 1.28 1.28 454,000 589,490 -27,620 1.91 1.93 1.83 2 1.83 1.93 2,112,000 4,028,020 NIHAO NICKEL ASIA 5.18 5.19 5.2 5.22 5.12 5.19 1,306,600 6,770,337 879,595 0.42 0.43 0.44 0.44 0.44 0.44 100,000 44,000 OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA 0.9 0.91 0.91 0.94 0.88 0.91 1,029,000 936,940 -27,300 4.66 4.67 4.78 4.83 4.66 4.67 393,000 1,862,760 -33,490 PX MINING 12.16 12.18 12.4 12.4 12.1 12.16 2,151,700 26,219,396 -8,304,416 SEMIRARA MINING 0.0096 0.0098 0.0097 0.011 0.0096 0.0098 1,216,000,000 12,056,000 9,700 UNITED PARAGON 21.8 21.85 22 22 21.75 21.85 260,900 5,717,930 308,000 ACE ENEXOR 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 45,700,000 556,900 ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 1,000,000 12,600 PHILODRILL 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 126,500,000 1,607,700 PXP ENERGY 8.2 8.22 8.23 8.23 8.16 8.2 294,200 2,411,625 262,099

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF B 100.3 100.9 100.9 100.9 100.9 100.9 3,030 305,727 AC PREF B1 517 534 517 517 517 517 6,000 3,102,000 CEB PREF 42.6 42.8 41.25 42.8 41.25 42.6 255,200 10,643,630 3,620,650 CPG PREF A 101.1 103.8 102 104 102 103.7 41,210 4,224,855 DD PREF 101.5 102.4 101.8 101.8 101.8 101.8 720 73,296 FGEN PREF G 106.6 110.5 107 107.1 106.5 106.5 30,000 3,198,320 GTCAP PREF A 981 1,028 1,030 1,030 1,000 1,000 405 405,150 GTCAP PREF B 1,035 1,042 1,042 1,042 1,042 1,042 1,530 1,594,260 MWIDE PREF 100.6 101.8 101.8 101.8 101.8 101.8 550 55,990 MWIDE PREF 2B 100.1 101 100.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 2,520 253,260 PNX PREF 3B 102 103 104 104 103 103 4,420 456,010 PNX PREF 4 992 1,000 996.5 999 992 999 1,780 1,769,480 PCOR PREF 2B 1,002 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 60 61,200 PCOR PREF 3A 1,070 1,100 1,068 1,115 1,068 1,100 65 69,975 PCOR PREF 3B 1,140 1,155 1,140 1,150 1,140 1,150 120 137,000 79 79.4 78.05 79.5 78 79.5 22,090 1,724,160.50 39,000 SMC PREF 2C 79 79.2 79 79.2 79 79.2 4,100 324,070 SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H 76.6 77 77.95 78 76.55 77 34,920 2,703,010 SMC PREF 2K 76.25 76.9 76.9 76.95 76.9 76.95 32,000 2,461,775 -769,000

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 10.4 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.4 10.44 707,100 7,422,370 -1,868,170 GMA HLDG PDR 8.35 8.38 8.4 8.45 8.32 8.38 587,700 4,911,752 2,617,401

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 2.31 2.34 2.14 2.46 2.07 2.31 35,287,000 81,640,390 -323,780

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 19.56 19.88 19.48 20.05 19.48 19.88 152,100 3,013,775 53,317 ITALPINAS 2.64 2.65 2.65 2.7 2.63 2.64 352,000 932,100 KEPWEALTH 5.27 5.4 5.15 5.44 5.15 5.4 60,800 323,036 MAKATI FINANCE 2.65 2.78 2.55 2.65 2.55 2.65 12,000 31,270 MERRYMART 5.48 5.49 5.51 5.53 5.35 5.49 9,410,300 51,173,517 -93,524

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 99 100 101.2 101.2 99 99 44,530 4,447,404 132,182

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Max’s suffers ₧700-M loss in 2020 due to restrictions

M

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

ax’s Group Inc., the casual dining restaurant operator, said it had a net loss of P700 million last year from the previous year’s income of P724.22 million, as the pandemic affected most of its operations despite the easing of lockdown measures.

The company recorded total systemwide sales of P10.85 billion generated by both company-owned and franchised stores, a 46-percent decline versus the P20.11 billion in 2019. Revenues were cut in half to P7.14 billion from the previous year’s P14.4 billion.

Systemwide sales for the fourth quarter alone fell 46 percent to P3.01 billion from the previous year’s P5.57 billion. Revenues for the quarter reached P1.94 billion.

“This extraordinary year was a reflection of the global restaurant industry performance amidst the Covid-19 pandemic,” Max’s President and CEO Robert Ramon F. Trota said.

“Nevertheless, we have taken this opportunity to overhaul our operating structure for a nimbler future.

We have chosen to focus on our core brands of Max’s Restaurant, Yellow Cab Pizza Co., Krispy Kreme and Pancake House to maintain market relevance through channel and menu

innovation, while likewise optimizing our store network and overall cost structure.”

He said the continued shift in pandemic restrictions drove the volatility of local performance. The government easing of dine-in restrictions from June onwards provided a strong upside over the second half of the year, a brief pause via a twoweek modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila and parts of Luzon notwithstanding.

“Core off-premise channels such as delivery and take-out performed at indices exceeding even pre-pandemic levels, proving that consumer demand for our portfolio of mostloved brands remains more vibrant than ever,” he said.

Max’s international business also exhibited an upward trend with systemwide sales increasing by 9 percent in the fourth quarter. It dipped 25 percent from the previous year, the company said.

“More than ever, we are thankful for a seasoned, agile management team. Amidst the steep operating losses from the first two quarters of the pandemic, we chose to be decisive

in taking these uncertain times as an opportunity to restructure and re-skin our identity as a business to take advantage of tomorrow’s growth,” Trota said.

Overall initiatives to optimize both costs and cashflow were key in the company’s gradual but sustained recovery. The focus on core brands was essential to these efforts, while it balances its marketing investments, building up supply chain efficiencies, inventory management and utilization, menu margin management, ramping up collection of receivables, head office relocation, rightsizing of staffing and alliances with lessors on rental concessions, the company said.

Total expenses for the fourth quarter decreased by 21 percent versus the same period last year and 18 percent for the full year, net of one-off restructuring costs and impairments. As of end-2020, the company’s store network totaled 14 territories, with 604 Philippine sites and 59 stores situated across various locations in North America, the Middle East, and Asia. Out of these 663 stores, 95 percent or 630 stores were operational.

DOE, HTI to explore hydrogen as energy source

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T

he Department of Energy (DOE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tokyo-based Hydrogen Technology Inc. (HTI) to explore the use of hydrogen as a fuel for power generation in the Philippines.

DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said the MOU would fast-track the research and development (R&D) activities for hydrogen. He hopes that HTI would be able to bring into the country its technology sooner so that the R&D activities can already commence.

“I had been wanting to bring the model here in the Philippines so that we can do the trial usage of the technology in one of the islands. I hope that with the signing of this MOU, the model can be immediately shipped,” Cusi told HTI executives led by its President and CEO Yasuhiro Yamamoto, who signed last April 7 the MOU on behalf of his company.

He further assured HTI that the DOE will help facilitate the entry of its technicians if needed, given the restricted movements because of the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the MOU, the DOE and HTI plan to “investigate hydrogen production in the Philippines to make the country energy independent and significantly reduce the country’s CO2 emissions.”

“The DOE, with the creation of the Hydrogen and Fusion Energy Committee (HFEC), commits to exploring hydrogen as a viable alternative and cleaner source of energy and its other beneficial applications for the Filipino people,” Cusi said.

This is the second MOU that the DOE signed to further study the research and development of hydrogen energy in line with Cusi’s vision to include hydrogen in the country’s future energy mix.

In January this year, the DOE signed a similar undertaking with Star Scientific Ltd., an Australian research and development company.

Apple reveals line of attack in app store trial against Epic

A

pple Inc. plans to argue at a trial that developers and consumers will suffer if Epic Games Inc. succeeds in upending how the iPhone maker’s app marketplace is run.

Apple presented a California federal judge on Thursday with a road map of how it will push back against Epic in a high-stakes antitrust fight over how much the App Store charges developers. The filing comes ahead of a May 3 trial before the judge with no jury.

In a summary of its legal arguments, Apple contends the 30-percent commission it charges most developers isn’t anticompetitive as it’s a typical fee across other mobile and online platforms. Moreover, the company argues taking a share of the revenue is justified by the billions of dollars it has invested in developing the proprietary infrastructure that underpins its App Store, including software development kits and application programming interfaces.

“Epic has benefited handsomely from its contractual relationship with Apple,” the court submission said. “Epic has used Apple’s propri-

etary SDKs, and thousands of proprietary APIs to develop games for iOS users.”

The maker of Fortnite, which Apple removed from its store last year, accuses the iPhone maker’s app store of being an illegal monopoly because developers are barred from making their iPhone and iPad apps available through their own websites.

On Thursday, the game studio laid out its own arguments in the dispute, saying Apple’s conduct harms innovation and allows it to profit at the expense of independent developers.

The games publisher wants no restrictions on apps, whether on technology or content, accessed through the App Store, Apple said in its filing.

But Epic overlooks the benefits of Apple’s app review process—such as protecting users’ privacy and controlling malware attacks on the platform—that have helped developers and consumers, Apple said.

The Fortnite maker has earned more than $700 million in revenue from iOS customers during the two years that the game was available on the App Store, according to Apple. Bloomberg News

mutual funds

April 8, 2021

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 213.24 14.52% -7.91% -3.37% -6.15% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.2987 44.03% -7.27% 1.65% -1.09% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.9209 16.94% -12.27% -5.62% -6.77% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7501 20.11% -7.54% n.a.

-6.69% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.6828 8.92% n.a. n.a.

-7.93% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.6517 15.04% -6.07% -2.44% -5.86% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.6756 6.93% -9.66% -7.27% -11.08% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 97.43 39.8% -6.3% n.a.

-4.42% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 43.8065 17.37% -5.98% -2.04% -6.49% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 458.67 15.33% -5.95% -2.61% -6.2% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 1.0336 24.19% n.a. n.a.

-5.81% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.1111 16.43% -5.51% -1.54% -4.89% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 32.7091 16.9% -5.65% -1.15% -5.93% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8506 15.51% n.a. n.a.

-6.83% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.4843 18.03% -5.57% -1.34% -6.41% 750.33 18.17% -5.45% -1.48% -6.4% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6753 17.5% -9.72% -5.03% -6.06% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.3921 14.75% -7.71% -2.88% -6.39% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8576 17.48% -5.79% -1.6% -6.55% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.1427 17.46% -5.07% -0.38% -5.31% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 100.6862 18.24% -5.25% -0.8% -6.39% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.275 48.51% 4.88% 8.95% 5.99% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.7244 53.77% 11.26% n.a.

3.08% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.6353 13.21% -2.45% -1.3% -2% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.1732 13.53% -2.7% -0.5% -4.91% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.5197 9.89% -1.89% -1.21% -4.08% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1895 5.98% n.a. n.a. -4.58% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.8871 6.79% -0.35% 0.45% -3.92% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.5906 11.16% -1.24% -0.51% -5.21% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 16.0988 11.07% -1.14% -0.49% -4.95% -0.18% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.0184 10.62% -2.06% -3.61% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.4209 9.89% -3.67% -1.47% -4.26% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9623 10.18% n.a. n.a.

-5.9% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.8817 13.33% n.a. n.a.

-7.11% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8673 14.09% n.a. n.a.

-7.05% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8483 12.72% -4.46% -2% -4.44% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03785 0.72% 2.28% 1.25% -3.25% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.1365 28.78% 2.79% 5.18% -1.19% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.606 38.75% 8.26% 8.41% 2.06% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.1946 21.16% 4.05% n.a.

-0.62% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 370.16 2.62% 3.08% 2.55% -0.25% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9095 -0.53% 0.74% 0.19% 0.48% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.2186 2.11% 4.06% 4.5% 0.12% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2479 0.44% 2.2% 1.49% -2.09% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4273 2.49% 3.09% 1.74% -1.06% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.4473 1.78% 3.93% -4.04% 1.57% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.316 4.68% 4.2% 2.63% -0.39% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9613 4.16% 4.32% 2.48% -0.99% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0271 5.85% 4.27% 1.77% -1.43% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1708 3.2% 4.63% 2.66% -1.1% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7314 1.67% 3.92% 1.99% -1.34% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $482.14 3.33% 2.88% 2.29% -0.36% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.63 2.73% 1.06% 1.17% 0.21% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.176 1.18% 1.7% 1.09% -8.15% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0258 0.78% 1.33% 0.96% -3.01% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0474 0.36% 0.03% -0.7% -4.15% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.4641 4.84% 3.95% 1.98% -2.82% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0625609 5.7% 3.23% 2.19% 0.39% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1215 0.4% 2.01% 0.82% -3.17% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 129.89 2.38% 3.2% 2.52% 0.06% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.05 1.48% n.a. n.a.

0.18% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.3012 2.07% 2.9% 2.58% 0.35% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0554 1.48% 1.75% n.a.

0.29% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.2237 n.a. n.a. n.a. 8.33% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.99 12.5% n.a. n.a.

1.02% a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019.

4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019.

6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020.

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

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Banking&Finance

DOF cites capital infused to LBP, DBP hits ₧53.3B

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

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HE Department of Finance (DOF) cited the capital of P53.3 billion in cash it infused into the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) over a 5-year period is larger than the combined capital infusion from all administrations.

The finance department said last Thursday that LandBank received a total of P38.79 billion in capital infusion as of February 28, 2021, which accounts for 72.11 percent of the total paid-up capital of the bank.

Meanwhile, DBP President Emmanuel G. Herbosa said the bank received a total of P14.5 billion in capital infusion.

The bulk of the capital infusion to LandBank and the DBP was done through Bayanihan 2. The DOF said P27.5 billion went to LandBank while the DBP got P12.5 billion. This was

made to support the institutions’ wholesale banking services as well to extend low-interest rate loans to sectors affected by the lockdown measures that nearly crippled the economy. The P12.5-billion infusion to DBP represented 39 percent of its total paid-up capital of P32 billion.

As for LandBank, the DOF said its paid-up capital of P1.8 billion in 1992 grew at a slow phase to P11.97 billion in 2010 as the past administrations did not inject capital into the bank but was instead issued stock dividends during the period.

LandBank issued stock dividends worth P5.6 billion during the administration of then-President Ramos; P1.6 billion during the term of exPresident Estrada and P2.97 billion during the time of former President Arroyo.

It was only during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III that the government infused capital into LandBank in the amount of P3.03 billion, the DOF added.

Banks close for Day of Valor; adjust Sat hours of operation

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OCAL banks will be closing operations on Friday, April 9, in observance of the national day of Valor.

Several banks announced on their social media pages their schedule and advised clients to call or use the online apps for their banking needs.

“Our ATMs, Cash Accept Machines (CAMs), BPI Online and BPI Mobile app will remain available for your everyday banking needs,” Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) said.

“You can still use the Metrobank Mobile App or Metrobank Online for your banking needs,” Metrobank said.

“We encourage you to use China Bank’s digital channels, available 24/7—Mobile App, Online Banking, Phone Banking, and ATMs,” China Bank said. ““For assistance during this time, you may call our Customer Service hotline at (02) 8887-9188 from 8 am to 5 pm,” Security Bank said.

Meanwhile, BDO Unibank Inc.

also announced that their Saturday branch banking within “NCR Plus” (the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Cavite) will be temporarily suspended this Saturday, April 10.

All other BDO branches with Saturday banking outside NCR Plus will be open until 3:00pm.

UCPB, on the other hand, announced that it is opening some of its branches for April 10, Saturday to accept tax payments. It is also extending banking hours to 5:00 pm from April 1 to 15, 2021.

“We’ve extended our branch operation schedule to give our clients and taxpayers as much time as possible to pay their taxes before the April 15 deadline. Online tax payments will certainly save them time and ease their worries. They may also pay over the counter in our branches where we make sure to follow health protocols for everyone’s protection,” UCPB First Vice President and Branch Banking Group Head Anthony Evan A. Lluch said.

Bianca Cuaresma

BusinessMirror

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Matanao to bolster its healthcare services, which include maintenance of Covid-19 isolation and monitoring units, as well as temporary treatment facilities for residents suspected or have tested positive with the virus, the Landbank said.

The loan will also replenish funds used by the LGU to procure food and medical supplies that are distributed to the poorest and most affected members of the community who are mostly engaged in rice farming and banana cultivation, the Landbank added.

Under Republic Act 11494 or the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act,” loans availed by LGUs during this time for such purposes will receive an interest subsidy until December 31, 2022 or until the total P1-billion subsidy fund under the Act is fully utilized.

Matanao Mayor Vincent F. Fernandez said the LGU will strive to keep Matanao as one of the most competitive municipalities in the Davao Region.

Matanao added that one of the term loans will be used to reconstruct the Municipal Hall building— previously financed by the bank in 2013—after it was severely damaged by earthquakes in 2019 and rendered unusable.

Another term loan will be used to acquire heavy equipment for the ongoing development of road networks and other infrastructure prospects within the Municipality that will pave the way for the enhanced

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BSP adopts policy analysis model developed with IMF

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By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced last Thursday it has recently adopted a new policy analysis model for the formulation of monetary policy decisions and forecasts in the country.

In a virtual briefing on, BSP governor Benjamin Diokno said the new framework, called Policy Analysis Model for the Philippines (PAMPh) is a re-specified and recalibrated version of the currency Macroeconomic Model of the Philippines (MMPH), developed in partnership with the International Monetary Fund.

Among the updated features in-

corporated into the PAMPh are the disaggregation of headline inflation into its core, food and energy components to more adequately capture the demand and supply sources of inflation and the inclusion of business process outsourcing (BPO) receipts and Overseas Filipinos remittances as drivers of aggregate demand and exchange rate.

The BSP said the PAMPh also includes a re-definition of the structure of interest rates based on the policy rate and market rate to ensure a more representative transmission of monetary policy to the economy and the re-definition of the real exchange rate relative to the US Dollar as the trade-weighted real effective exchange rate.

Diokno said these refinements are intended to “improve the representation of key dynamics of the Philippine macroeconomy: in the model and in turn better aid the BSP’s policy analyses.

“The PAMPh, which is a key element of the BSP’s suite of forecasting models, is fully operational. The results of the forecasting exercises using this model are submitted to the Monetary Board for consideration during monetary policy meetings,” BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said.

The ‘science’ of membership marketing

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couple of feedback from participants in our recent PCAAE webinar on “Top Tips for Recruiting and Retaining Members” has prompted me to write today’s column article. When we asked the attendees to name their key takeaways from the webinar, they mentioned that they now realize that membership marketing is a “science” and it involves a multi-channel and multi-touch approach.

Our speaker, Elisa Joseph Anders, DCMP, Senior Account director at Marketing General Inc. (USA), who has over 30 years of marketing, management, and consulting experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors, presented the membership lifecycle: a diagnostic and planning tool that MGI has successfully used to grow its association clients.

A lifecycle is a recurring series of stages in form and functional activity through which something, e.g., an individual, a culture, a product, a process, etc., passes through during its lifetime. In the case of membership lifecycle, it consists of two

Association World Octavio Peralta main aspects: member acquisition (under which are areas of awareness and recruitment), and member retention (engagement, renewal and reinstatement).

Awareness makes potential members be acquainted with your association and for them to engage with you. Recruitment finds them and invites them to join. Engagement encourages members to interact and get involved, as well as use their benefits; renewal asks members to extend their membership; and reinstatement urges lapsed members to re-join. Noting that “science” means “a systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject,” I agree that membership marketing using the membership lifecycle framework qualifies as one.

Landbank signs deals with Calamba, Davao LGUs ATANAO, Davao del Sur, and Calamba City, Laguna—The Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) announced it has signed agreements with the local government units (LGUs) of Matanao, Davao del Sur, and Calamba City, Laguna.

In a statement, the Matanao LGU said the recovery efforts of this second-class municipality against the ongoing health crisis, as well as natural calamities such as frequent earthquakes that rock the region, will receive crucial financial support from the LandBank.

The LandBank said the Municipality of Matanao signed six term loans totaling P200 million last March 15.

The Matanao LGU availed of the financial recovery package under a lending program designed to provide the necessary funding requirements of provincial, city, and municipal LGUs to revive their local economy and recover from the adverse impact of the pandemic, the Landbank said in a statement.

“We continue to encourage our LGUs to utilize their borrowing capacity to bolster local healthcare services and economic recovery programs,” Landbank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo was quoted in a statement as saying.

Borromeo added the bank’s lending program provides for “responsive and accessible financing for these requirements.”

Part of the loan will be used by

Friday, April 9, 2021

mobility of people and goods.

Moreover, the loan package will also fund the construction of a public market building that will benefit small farmers and fishers, as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Calamba

MEAMWHILE, LandBank said the City Government of Calamba is tapping its services to provide its constituents more convenient and safe additional payment channels to settle local government fees.

Calamba City Mayor Justin Marc SB. Chipeco and LandBank Calamba City Hall Branch Head, Assistant Vice President Anna Marie L. Mundin, signed last March 23 two Memoranda of Agreement for the use of Landbank’s Branch online collection facility and electronic payment channel.

The LandBank’s facility will allow Calambeños to pay Real Property Taxes to the Calamba City LGU at any Landbank branch nationwide, the bank said in a separate statement.

As part of the agreement, LandBank shall accept payments from the clients of Calamba City LGU in the form of cash, authority to debit account, on-us checks, manager’s checks, and local checks.

Meanwhile, through Landbank’s electronic payment channel, Calambeños will also be able to settle their RPT and business permit payments via the internet, the bank said.

Under the MOA, LandBank shall

make the electronic payment channel accessible to Calamba City clientele for the payment of fees and charges assessed manually. The Bank shall also report to Calamba City LGU the number and total amount of transactions or collections facilitated daily.

“LandBank’s digital payment facilities support LGUs in promoting ease of doing business, especially under the new normal. We are also looking to collaborate with more government partners toward providing uninterrupted public services amid ongoing mobility limitations and health concerns due to the pandemic,” Borromeo said.

As of end-February, the number of transactions facilitated through LandBank’s major electronic channels reached 18.6 million with a total value of P247.08 billion, representing increases of 16 percent and 47 percent, respectively, over the same period last year.

Specifically, LandBank’s electronic payment channel recorded 660,490 transactions amounting to P1.39 billion, equivalent to 37 percent and 41 percent growth rates, respectively.

With 781 enrolled partnermerchants nationwide as of March 2021, the channel is the bank’s response to the national government’s call for a National Retail Payment System, which also supports the “eGov Pay” payment solution of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the LandBank said.

Relatedly and on the aspect of multi-channel membership marketing, Elisa cited direct mail, in-person, digital/mobile and tele-marketing as the channels that associations need to be present and active. This is similar to the omnichannel selling approach in online shopping where a customer can use a desktop or a mobile device, via phone, or in a brick-and-mortar store that provide a seamless shopping experience.

Regarding multi-touch membership marketing, Elisa mentioned the “7 times” rule of thumb which associations may follow. It is a basic marketing principle that states it takes seven “touches” before someone will be able to internalize and/or act upon your call to action. So, for example, if you do email marketing, you have to send your message, say, once a week for seven weeks. With tons of emails one receives a day, you need of course to reach the right people with the right messaging in the right places at the right time. Good research and data will also help in this process.

Elisa also said that membership is

“The model focuses on key macroeconomic relationships that are most relevant for monetary policy, and can generate a medium-term policy rate path consistent with the achievement of the Government’s inflation target. This makes the PAMPh a useful guide for monetary policymaking,” the governor added.

The governor said that monetary policy decisions in this model are based for the most part on the evolution of inflation expectations and the inflation target.

It also captures three transmission channels of monetary policy including the following: interest rate channel; exchange rate channel; and, the expectations channel.

“The BSP continues to upgrade its analytical capability, in large part, through the development of models that support a disciplined and wellinformed formulation of monetary policy,” Diokno said.

a “push” product since, for example, no one actually wakes up in the morning thinking of joining an association. As such, an association really has to do membership marketing. By using the membership lifecycle and following a multi-channel, multitouch approach, there is a greater chance for associations to succeed in recruiting and retaining members.

Thus, is membership marketing using the membership lifecycle and the multi-channel, multi-touch strategy a ‘science’ in itself? I believe so!

The column contributor, Octavio ‘Bobby’ Peralta, is concurrently the secretary-general of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, Founder & CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives and President of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizations. The purpose of PCAAE— the “association of associations”—is to advance the association management profession and to make associations well-governed and sustainable.

PCAAE enjoys the support of Adfiap, the Tourism Promotions Board, and the Philippine International Convention Center. E-mail: obp@adfiap.org.

ADB raises $5B on 5-yr bonds, to boost OCR

By Cai U. Ordinario

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@caiordinario

HE Asian Development Bank (ADB) returned to the US dollar bond market to continue its efforts to boost its ordinary capital resources (OCR).

In a statement, ADB said it raised $5 billion on five-year global bonds with a coupon rate of 1 percent per annum payable semi-annually and a maturity date of 14 April 2026.

The debt papers were priced at 99.942 percent to yield 15.25 basis points over the 0.75 percent US Treasury notes due March 2026.

“With investor interest in excess of $14 billion, this represents ADB’s largest orderbook for a global benchmark bond to date and is a hugely impressive outcome for ADB and the regional members it supports in Asia and the Pacific,” said ADB Treasurer Pierre Van Peteghem.

The transaction was lead-managed by BMO Capital Markets, Credit Agricole CIB, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs International.

The issue achieved wide primary market distribution, with 33 percent of the bonds placed in Asia; 48 percent in Europe; Middle East, and Africa; and, 19 percent in the Americas.

By investor type, 53 percent of the bonds went to central banks and official institutions, 21 percent to banks, and 26 percent to fund managers and other types of investors.

“A coming together of factors contributed to the record $5 billion final print in the post-Easter issuance window, including attractive swap spreads and pick-up versus US Treasuries and relatively low issuance supply in March,” Van Peteghem said.

“We continue to be delighted with the consistent and deep support provided by investors across sectors which helped underpin the momentum for this trade,” he added.

The ADB plans to raise around $34 billion to $36 billion from the capital markets in 2021.

In 2015, the ADB announced it was significantly scaling up its capacity to provide more financing through a merger of its concessional Asian Development Fund loan portfolio with its OCR balance sheet.

The merger will boost the ADB’s total annual lending and grant approvals to as high as $20 billion—50 percent more than the current level.

ADB assistance to poor countries will rise by up to 70 percent.

The Manila-based multilateral development bank (MDB) extends two kinds of lending, the OCR for middle-income countries at market rates and the ADF for poor countries at concessional rates.

The Philippines’ ADB loans are obtained from OCR. The ADF, which was established in 1973, are extended to poorer countries at lower interest rates and longer maturities.

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Friday, April 9, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

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Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Elle Fanning, 23; Leighton Meester, 35; Keshia Knight Pulliam, 42; Dennis Quaid, 67.

Dangerous and stigmatizing stereotypes of depression prevail on YouTube IMAGE FROM PIXABAY

BY ANDREW DEVENDORF University of South Florida

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ATES of depression have tripled in the US since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and most recent estimates suggest these numbers remain elevated compared with pre-pandemic rates of mental health problems.

Even before the pandemic, depression was a leading source of disability, affecting over 17 million Americans each year. In a society where mental health education is not uniformly taught in schools, and where most people with depression go untreated, this is a recipe for disaster.

Psychologists have proposed ways to reform mental health care such as increasing access to care through telehealth. These actions are important. However, few experts have provided recommendations for how everyday citizens can flatten the depression curve by reducing stigma.

To better understand why depression stigma persists, my colleagues Ansley Bender and Jon Rottenberg and I examined how depression is depicted in the public sphere. In a recently published study, we systematically coded 327 YouTube videos on depression based on how they presented depression’s causes, prognosis and recommended treatment.

We hoped to gain insight into how one channel of social media presents information on depression.

We learned that popular messages on YouTube may unknowingly perpetuate stigma and misconceptions about depression.

STIGMA MAKES DEPRESSION EVEN HARDER WHILE we are no longer in the era of mental institutions and lobotomies, stigma toward depression is alive and well. In a 2018 study that provided 1,173 Americans with a vignette depicting someone with depression, 30 percent rated them as “violent,” and 20 percent supported the use of involuntary treatment. In everyday life, many people with depression hear declarations that “depression isn’t real” or “depressed people are just weak and lazy.” Public perception, it seems, either exaggerates or downplays the severity of depression—neither of which captures the truth.

Stigma like this worsens people’s ability to cope

with and seek help for depression. For example, a review of 144 studies found that stigma considerably lowers the chance that a person with depression will seek treatment. This is concerning—especially for those who struggle with thoughts of suicide. Former US Surgeon General Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams has called stigma the nation’s No. 1 killer.

YOUTUBE SAYS: NATURE OR NURTURE WE found that about 50 percent of the YouTube videos we viewed presented depression as a biological condition, like a “brain disease” or “chemical imbalance.” Over 40 percent discussed how situational circumstances like losing a job, experiencing abuse, or other life events can cause depression. But these messages are only partially true.

In most cases, depression is the result of a combination of biological, environmental and psychological circumstances, though just 8 percent of videos showed messaging consistent with this understanding. This is called the biopsychosocial model and is the consensus across clinical psychology and psychiatry. Framing depression as either biological or situational can narrow one’s view of potential treatments, so it is important to convey accurate information about the illness.

For instance, studies show when people are told that their depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, they are more likely to favor antidepressant treatments over other treatments.

In other words, these messages may lead people to accidentally ignore other evidenced-based treatments that could help them, including therapy, exercise and lifestyle changes and social support.

The reality is that many treatments work for depression. It might, however, take time for those with depression to find the right treatment combination that works for them. Further, while many believe that talking about biological origins decreases depression stigma, a review of studies actually found it can have the opposite effect. The story goes like this: When people view depression as a brain disease, they are less likely to blame someone for having depression. However, they are also more likely to view the person with depression as “different,” “dangerous” and “untreatable.” Studies show these beliefs may lessen people’s willingness to support or feel empathy for those with depression.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Choose your battles wisely this year. Keep the peace when dealing with friends and family. Kindness will get you further than criticism. Put more emphasis on personal growth and less on trying to change others. Look at every angle of each situation you face, and do what’s best for you. Your happiness is in your hands. Be true to yourself. Your numbers are 5, 11, 21, 24, 30, 47, 49.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Make a personal adjustment to the way you live and handle others. Focus on fitness, health and exploring the things that bring you the most joy. Don’t share secrets or give anyone the chance to take advantage of you. ★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t rely on others. If you want to change, roll up your shirt sleeves and put in the time and effort to make it happen. Keep your plans simple, doable and within your means. Don’t get caught in someone else’s dreams. ★★★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Broaden your horizons. Keep up with technology, what’s trending and how to use your skills to make a profit. Be aware of any limitations or jurisdictions that can stand in your way. Work with people you trust to do things properly. ★★

YOUTUBE SAYS: DEPRESSION LASTS FOR YEARS…SOMETIMES A LIFETIME THIS message is partial truth, but the science suggests a more complicated picture. For some, depression can last for years depending on their life circumstances and access to treatment. For others, depression may last for only a few months. A 2011 review of depression studies concluded “the majority of individuals who experience depression will recover within one year.”

Making this distinction is important because it reminds us that depression is not permanent; even though depression, by its nature, can make us feel as if everything is hopeless and won’t improve...or if things do get better, they will inevitably get worse again.

It is important for all of us, in these times of uncertainty, isolation, and worry about our loved ones, to remind ourselves and one another that, with time and direct efforts to improve our mental health, we can persevere.

YOUTUBE SAYS: THERE ARE QUICK FIXES SOME of the most irresponsible videos I watched suggested that depression can be “fixed” with a few “simple lifestyle hacks.” Such videos are reminiscent of overpromising self-help gurus. Quick-fix assertions like “just exercise, you’ll feel better” are not only invalidating but untrue. It’s concerning that these videos disguise themselves with scientific-sounding words. The video “10 Foods to Eat to Fight Depression” shows how the public can be misled. With over 1 million views, the video states, “Dark chocolate can help raise serotonin levels in the body” to fight depression. Unfortunately for people with depression who love chocolate, this scientific-sounding claim is not accurate. Our diet of course affects our mood. But it is oversimplified to say that eating chocolate cures depression.

These messages could lead people to downplay and invalidate the severity of depression. Imagine how a person with depression would feel upon hearing “I know you can’t get out of bed, but have you tried eating a Snickers?”

The next time you or someone you know is feeling depressed, take it seriously. Although the times are tough, and circumstances might feel hopeless, depression is treatable and can be overcome. Check out the pertinent government and health agencies for more information. THE CONVERSATION

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Do sufficient research. Take the initiative, and don’t rely on someone to do things for you. Using force will work against you. Look for an innovative way to use your skills, and you will reach your objective. Don’t fold under pressure. ★★★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Stop worrying about what others do; concentrate on your abilities.

Educational pursuits, personal growth and self-improvement are favored. Revisit your relationships with others, and consider what’s best for you. ★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Remain calm, regardless of what others do or say. Go about your business, and make changes that suit your lifestyle and your goals. Invest more time and money in acquiring skills, knowledge or technology that will help you excel. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You’ll receive false information. Verify what you hear before you spread the word. A joint venture or shared expenses will cause stress. Research, and choose options that protect you from anyone trying to push you in the wrong direction. ★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Get involved in something you believe in or can do to help others. Sharing information and skills will lead to unexpected rewards. You won’t welcome a lifestyle change, but it will be to your advantage in the end. Follow your passion. ★★★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take a moment to consider what’s fact and what’s fiction. You’ll be given mixed messages from people you think you can trust. Look at every angle and summarize what’s truthful. ★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Look for a unique way to put your skills and ideas to use.

Refuse to let anyone discourage you from doing your own thing. A change you make at home will make it easier for you to accomplish your goals. ★★★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take care of personal business. Refrain from sharing secrets or letting others get involved in your plans. It’s best to have everything in place before you present what you intend to pursue. The element of surprise will have the most significant effect. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): An emotional situation will develop if you aren’t upfront regarding your plans. Keep everyone in the loop and deal with issues as they arise, and you will accomplish the most. ★★★ BIRTHDAY BABY: You are sensitive, aggressive and imaginative.

You are articulate and charitable.

‘left side’ BY BRIAN GUBIN The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Epic tale 5 Comedian/actress Tyler 10 “For sure,” informally 13 Sesame or blueberry food 14 Was overly fond 15 One may be pierced 16 Youngest Stooge 18 Tire measure: Abbr.

19 Top-notch 20 Org. for physicians 21 Assistance 22 Show with Digital Shorts, briefly 24 Common shade tree 26 “Binging With Babish” YouTuber Andrew 27 Business run from home 33 Naked 34 Title for Galahad 35 Word hidden in the Wendy’s logo 36 ___ team (dance group) 37 Gunk on a log 39 Have to have 42 Carefully evaluate 44 Sine ___ non 46 Crushing on

47 Close-to-the-ground baseball play 52 “The Star-Spangled Banner” contraction 53 Hyundai subsidiary 54 Spanish for “aunt” 55 Fraction of an hr.

56 Protein synthesis molecule 58 Toast in Tel Aviv 63 ___ trip (vain journey) 64 Restaurant chain that uses a lot of syrup 66 “I’ve got it!”

67 Really, really love 68 Break things off 69 Highest degree in math?

70 Copy, like a test?

71 Hits the slopes DOWN 1 Better Call ___ 2 Indian city that anagrams to “raga” 3 Comes together 4 Milano who’s a leader in the #MeToo movement 5 Big fuss 6 State known for caucuses 7 Pollen source

8 9 10 11 12 13 17 23 25 27 28 29 30 31 32 38 40 41 43 45 47 48 49 50

Royal messenger Tack on One gets a head in school More doable When you’re likely solving this puzzle, and a phonetic hint to the starred answers’ starts Secretly loop in Dangles Garlands of flowers Silent I Love Lucy channel, once Grain that can lower cholesterol Born a Crime memoirist Home on the Plains Baghdad resident Justice Sotomayor Kick from a football team?

List-ending abbr.

Catchphrase for Homer Chiding syllable Spry “Nasty!”

Asset for most NBA players Angry speech Sought, as office

51 57 59 60 61 62 64 65

Secret hoards Hairstyle for The Weeknd Show displeasure from your car Its logo is four interlocking rings Goddess who resurrected Osiris Got together Hair removal choice Supervillain Luthor

Solution to Tuesday’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY REVEAL FIRST NETFLIX DOCUSERIES MEGHAN MARKLE and Prince Harry’s first Netflix series will center on the Invictus Games, which gives sick and injured military personnel and veterans the opportunity to compete in sports. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Productions announced on Tuesday its first series to hit the streaming service. The multi-episode docuseries, titled Heart of Invictus, is in partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, of which Prince Harry is a patron.

Prince Harry will appear on camera and serve as executive producer on the series. In a statement, producers said the series “will follow a group of extraordinary competitors from around the globe, all service members who have suffered life-changing injuries or illnesses on their road to the Invictus Games The Hague 2020, now set to take place in 2022.”

It is the latest in a flurry of activity for the couple. The couple signed a deal to create content for Netflix and are creating podcasts for Spotify. Prince Harry also has joined the corporate world as a leader with the employee coaching and mental health firm BetterUp Inc. The couple have been detangling their lives from the British royal family and are living in California. AP

ROCCO NACINO and Lovi Poe in Owe My Love

ROCCO NACINO JOINS ‘OWE MY LOVE’

VERSATILE actor and host Rocco Nacino joins the romanticcomedy series Owe My Love in a special role.

In the prime-time GMA series top-billed by Lovi Poe and Benjamin Alves, Rocco plays Dr. Kenneth Paul who is set to cause a stir in the lives of Sensen Guipit (Lovi) and Dr. Migs Alcancia (Ben).

After finally admitting their feelings for each other, it seems Sensen and Migs are ready to take their relationship to the next level. But to Sensen’s surprise, Migs withdraws. His parents’ falling-out and his mother’s infidelity have given him a fear of commitment and is making him doubt the possibility of any serious romantic relationship.

Though dismayed by the turn of events, Sensen is determined to fulfill her contract and remain Lolo Badong’s (Leo Martinez) caregiver, while keeping up the pretense that she and Migs are married.

Just as Sensen is starting to accept Migs’ decision, she reconnects with Dr. Kenneth, a former collegemate who returns to Brgy. Petsa de Peligro as a full-fledged cardiothoracic surgeon hired by Centimos Medical Hospital to be their newest head of medical services.

Will Kenneth be the wedge that breaks apart Sensen and Migs’ budding romance? Will Migs finally get over his commitment issues when he realizes Sensen is drifting away? Will Kenneth also be a threat to Migs’ medical career?

Produced by GMA Public Affairs, Owe My Love also features top comedienne Ai-Ai delas Alas, Winwyn Marquez and Jackie Lou Blanco. Also in the cast are Nova Villa, Ruby Rodriguez, Pekto Nacua, Buboy Villar and Kiray Celis.

Rounding the cast are Ryan Eigenmann, Jelai Andres, Jon Gutierrez, Jason Francisco, Divine Tetay, Terry Gian, and Mahal.

Owe My Love airs weeknights at 9:35 pm on GMA. Viewers abroad can also watch the series via the network’s flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV. More information is available on www.gmapinoytv.com.

• Friday, April 9, 2021

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The terrible beauty of dancing for life ANGELI SALAZAR in Dance for Life

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HE story has been done many times: a person is imprisoned, convicted of a crime, and now faces retribution and punishment.

In Dance for Life, however, something happens to this ancient cautionary tale. It is brimming with hope even if that hope cowers in the corner of the small space a Death Row cell can provide.

Angeli Salazar is 45 years old and she has spent 25 years in prison, sentenced to death for a crime she committed when she was young.

The documentary by Baby Ruth Villarama, a multi-awarded filmmaker and film scholar, about a person who has lost everything is also, ironically, the story of one who has found herself at the end of things. She does not deny the crime. She offers no excuse for the crime. She only tells us about a female friend she shared a home with, and a man who came and raped this friend. To defend her friend, she killed the man.

That is a synopsis of the crime. A man commits a crime and is killed. It becomes a murder. The person who does the killing becomes the murderer. There are no back stories that will redeem anyone. There are no dimensions large enough to contain regrets.

Indeed, if the story is about a crime, no art can be constructed out of the horrendous experience.

But there is an art involved here—a creative documentary, a short film. And a documentarian in the person of Villarama is telling us about it; she is providing a narrative that, with a full sense of irony, elevates the terrifying personal past into a thesis about the saving grace of arts. Herein lies the difficulties that are going to confront the audience when they get to watch Dance for Life; herein found are the contradictions in our societal notions of good and evil, of forgiveness and revenge.

In the jail, the murderer—for she is that— continues to dance. For all the added physical weight and emotional burden, our dancer shows us she still has the gracefulness and the imagination.

In between the dance or in between the memories of the crime is her life before imprisonment, her own hopes as a person, her past that is withering fast in isolation. Then, as if to cap whatever bright scenario there is in this tale, an issue arises about how the penal system can be unflinchingly rigorous.

You get this sense of the legalistic as a monument to civilization. Order and peace are created by men and women, and anyone who breaches said concepts are bound to be whipped back into submission and good behavior.

But there is the dancer in movements as fluid as they are liberating and redemptive.

Then you ask the question: Why is there beauty in prison?

Why allow the arts to thrive in system that is about walls of despair and segregation?

What happens when the refinement of ballet or even the transcendence of modern dance is made to co-exist with the sordid loneliness enforced by manmade laws?

Dance for Life would have been a tedious dissertation on why we humans forget about our personhood, and on the descent into a hell of our own making. But Villarama is never didactic. She gives you this rare sense that she has been given a privilege to view a personal account of a woman whose dreams have been crushed and, while waiting for the sunrise, remains awake to dance the life away.

In Dance for Life, Angeli is not only dancing for her own life, bringing into fruition any sign of beauty and refinement in the fissures of a society that has refused to come to terms with its own savagery, but is also the documentarian struggling with an advocacy. Death sentence is never a deterrent to crime. Killing a person in the name of the essentiality of justice is never about righteousness.

Outside of the blunt justice, to which we equate jails and death sentences, is the other kind of justice, that which is restorative, where persons are recognized as full of hopes.

As we wrestle with our sentiments, there is the dance and the dancer before us, the body where the

Pawnshop brand partners with streaming platform MORE Filipinos nationwide can now watch quality movies and series offered by the newest mobile streaming platform POPTV as it partners with RD Pawnshops in making its subscriptions more accessible to the mass market.

“We are grateful for this technology from POPTV. We now make it easier for consumers to enjoy high-quality programs that are our own by simply paying for a subscription at the nearest RD Pawnshop in your area. RD Pawnshop has more than 1,600 branches and can be easily found throughout the country,” said RD Pawnshop general manager Alma Sid M. Pascual.

POPTV is a video-on-demand streaming platform exclusively for the Filipinos that offers a wide array of local content and Tagalized international content.

It is a Singapore-based company run by founder and CEO Jyotirmoy Saha and COO Jackeline Chua.

“We are happy that RD Pawnshop shares our vision of making affordable and quality entertainment more available to our kababayans. Especially now in this pandemic, we really want to

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

manage our expenses so having a very affordable streaming service would hopefully give us some time to just relax either by ourselves or with our families,” said POPTV’s Chua.

Users can either purchase POPTV49 valid for 10 days or POPTV99 valid for 30 days. POPTV subscriptions can be bought the nearest RD Pawnshop and quickly activated.

With POPTV, consumers can enjoy

hundreds of movies and series that include local blockbusters from ABSCBN, Viva, Regal and TBA Studios, as well as tagalized K-dramas, BL series, animes, Asian movies and many more.

The streaming app can be downloaded for free from Google Play Store, Huawei App Gallery, and Apple App Store. Just search for POPTV PINAS app.

More information is available on www. poptv.ph.

universe has imbued all the notions of perfection—or, at least, the simulacra of eternity and mortality— and the fact that, upright as we have become in our evolution, the Fall of Man and Woman is embedded in our DNA. If the film has shown only a convict dancing for life and time, the film would be compelling enough.

Villarama, however, opts to employ the medium of dance to relay the plot, to bring us back into the tale of the two women and the man who ended their lives, as we know life. All throughout, Angeli dances with a dark black cloth as backdrop until the camera moves away and shows it being pulled aside to reveal a small plaza where fellow prisoners were waiting for her dance.

Angeli would continue to teach women to dance, some for life and some, perhaps, for death when this government “successfully” legislates back in our society the death sentence.

Dance for Life is a presentation of the Coalition Against Death Penalty in cooperation with the Commission of Human Rights. This Voyage Studio production has Ria Limjap as producer and Chuck Gutierrez as producer and editor. Dexter de la Peña fuses poetry and grit in his cinematography; Emerson Texon’s original music is as haunting as the dance itself happening behind bars. Sound design is by Andrea Teresa T. Idioma. ■

Pharrell wants federal probe into police shooting of cousin VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia—Grammy award-winning musician Pharrell Williams has called for a federal investigation into the fatal police shooting of his cousin along the Virginia coast.

Williams made the call in an Instagram post on Monday after attending his cousin’s funeral in Virginia Beach, where Williams grew up.

“I had to speak at my cousin’s funeral, and was choked up with emotions,” he wrote on the social media post. “Too many unanswered City and State questions.

Respectfully, I am calling for a Federal investigation. I also humbly ask that you all keep the family in prayer.”

An e-mail to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia was not immediately returned.

Donovon Lynch, 25, was killed in the early morning hours of March 27 along the city’s popular oceanfront strip of hotels and restaurants shortly after two other nearby shootings unleashed chaos.

Police said Lynch, a Black man, had a handgun and that it was recovered from

the scene. But the officer’s body camera had not been activated. The officer who killed Lynch is also Black.

The city’s police department recently turned over the investigation into Lynch’s death to the Virginia State Police.

Lynch lived in Virginia Beach. He was an offensive lineman for the University of Virginia’s College at Wise during the 2017 and 2018 seasons and a 2019 graduate of the school. AP

PHARRELL WILLIAMS

B6 Friday, April 9, 2021

Mondelez Philippines appoints new marketing head

Epson promotes greener, more sustainable businesses across Southeast Asia

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N many industries, one of the most significant side effects of the increased output impact on the environment, with greater use of resources affecting carbon footprint. For businesses, it can be a tricky balancing act to weigh productivity against sustainability, but the two do not have to be mutually exclusive.

This is the premise of Be Cool, the new printer sustainability campaign launched by Epson Southeast Asia. The regional campaign was created to remind customers that it is possible to maximize efficiency and productivity while reducing environmental impact. Banking on the brand’s expertise in innovation, businesses can choose to Be Cool and discover how Epson technology makes the sustainable choice a simple one.

The campaign is fuelled by Epson’s range of EcoTank and Business Inkjet printers that use Heat-Free Technology to deliver advanced benefits over laser and thermal inkjet technology. It also features the world’s first dry process office papermaking system, PaperLab. “Our Be Cool campaign demonstrates how Epson’s Heat-Free Technology and PaperLab can transform the way businesses

work by helping increase productivity, while saving on energy consumption and use of resources. By making the switch to our cool products, businesses can take an active role in the journey towards promoting greener, more sustainable businesses across Southeast Asia,” said Tan May Lin, Regional Director for Epson Sales Division, Retail Products, and Regional Brand & Communications.

Printing can Be Cool

BE Cool brings three product lines front and centre to highlight how its eco features can help significantly streamline processes and give businesses a competitive advantage.

Epson’s Heat-Free Technology ensures that its EcoTank and Business Inkjet printers use no heat in the ink ejection process, which means less power consumption and more savings on electricity costs.

With this original technology, no heat is required for printer warm up, allowing you to save time with consistent high-speed printing. Since inkjet printers do not have fusers that need heating, less energy is consumed, resulting in cost savings for the business. Epson’s EcoTank and Business

Inkjet printers also use fewer parts and consumables that require replacement which minimizes user intervention and increases productivity.

Pushing the envelope on environment-friendly technology is Epson’s first in-office paper recycling system, PaperLab. Powered by Dry Fiber Technology, PaperLab turns wastepaper into new paper, using a virtually dry process, in just 3 minutes. It uses only about 1/100th of the water it takes to make an equivalent mass of ordinary paper so that businesses conserve water while reducing the volume of paper that must be transported to off-site recyclers.

When data security is crucial for your business, PaperLab delivers absolute certainty that key confidential waste is safely and effectively destroyed.

It removes toner and inks and reduces the wastepaper into fibers. This means information stays safely on site with no need to trust external contractors.

With PaperLab’s unique technology, water is conserved, less heat is used, carbon footprint is reduced, and wood resources are saved. Combined with Epson’s heat-free printing solutions, PaperLab helps build a recycling loop in the office and promotes a circular economy for businesses.

Make the switch

BY highlighting the synergy between Epson’s Heat-Free Technology or Dry Fiber Technology with the products’ productivity features, the Be Cool campaign presents how performance and sustainability can go hand in hand and urges businesses to make the green choice with Epson’s business solutions.

To learn how you can make the switch to sustainable technology, visit the website or get in touch with your local Epson authorized dealers.

S

NACKS company Mondelez Philippines has welcomed a new marketing head to support its purpose to empower people to snack right. Toby Gatchalian joins the company, which makes beloved snack products Eden Cheese, Cheez Whiz, Tang, Oreo, Toblerone, Cadbury and Tiger.

In his new role, Toby will lead a team of more than 15 individuals across all the company’s product categories - biscuits, chocolate, gum, candy, powdered beverages and cheese.

The Philippines is one of parent company Mondelēz International’s biggest business in South East Asia and is a major growth driver for the business unit. Toby will report to South East Asia Senior Director for Marketing, Nikhil Rao. Toby comes with 21 years of marketing and sales background in FMCG and Banking; and has also taken a turn as an entrepreneur to run his own wellness products business. He is a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University. Toby has vast experience working in different countries, having held roles in Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam and the USA. Mondelez PH is looking forward to strengthening its brands and marketing excellence under Toby’s leadership.

Toby Gatchalian

Filipino artist, Swedish brand salute sisterhood

Finding Loro: The truth about parrotfish

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VER the past years, social media posts have been circulating about the need to avoid parrotfish, popularly called loro or molmol, in public markets.

These posts have been shared tens of thousands of times with the best of intentions, but there’s more to the discussion than simply banning the capture of these colorful reef residents.

Parrotfish are any of the 90 or so fish species belonging to the wrasse (pronounced rass) family. They’re common sights in tropical coral reefs because of their relatively large sizes (usually six inches to over three feet and shaped like a football), weird swimming behavior (like most wrasses, they use their pectoral or ‘arm’ fins to glide like mammals), and insanely vibrant coloration (get a psychedelic drug and imagine a green fish.

With teeth fused into a parrot-like beak that’s harder than gold, silver or copper, they efficiently scrape the surfaces of coral and rock, crushing whatever they eat into sand, which they poop out.

“Parrotfish are one of the many agents of bioerosion in coral reefs. Bioerosion combines physical and chemical erosion, plus natural reef growth. This natural process is important in maintaining the health of coral reefs,” explains Dr. Rene Abesamis, a noted marine scientist.

Divers love them because they’re great photo subjects, especially when they graze. Their constant crunching can also be heard underwater and is a constant reminder that reefs are very much alive and in flux. Fisherfolk like them because they have a tendency to sleep at night in predictable locations, usually cocooned in a protective mucous good enough to hide from most predators. Markets from Cebu to Curacao constantly are stocked with parrotfish.

rabbitfish, damselfish and most especially surgeonfish.

A 2015 study by Dr. Angel Alcala and other scientists found no significant correlation between the presence of parrotfish, hard coral cover and algae. It was instead found that more parrotfish were recorded in areas with less hard coral cover.

“A recent review of studies around the globe concluded that there’s almost no empirical support for the idea that protecting parrotfish prevents coral reef decline,” adds Dr. Abesamis. “These notions can distract us from addressing the true drivers of coral reef decline such as siltation, pollution, destructive fishing practices and climate change.”

Banning the capture and sale of parrotfish is an effective conservation tool.

EXPERIENCE has already shown that total fishing bans for selected groups of fish caught in non-selective gear, like a large net left for a few hours around a patch of reef, simply doesn’t work.

“A ban isn’t inclusive for fisherfolk because it’s a solution which caters to either the environment or people, not both. Sustainable solutions should be created in partnership with those who directly rely on marine resources. Fishers should always be considered collaborators for conservation, never enemies,” notes Gela Petines, founder of Batang VIP. Except for Bumphead Parrotfish, which are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a total ban on catching parrotfish shouldn’t be a priority management action. “If the objective is to sustain fisheries, then parrotfish must

be managed just like how most other reef fish targeted for food are managed,” adds Dr. Abesamis.

All sea creatures are equally important

THE solution to save the world’s coral reefs isn’t to ban the capture and sale of a single fish group. It’s to ramp up efforts to conserve the planet’s remaining coral reefs by veering away from expensive and dirty fossil fuels which accelerate human-induced global warming, minimizing coastal development (particularly reclamation), avoiding single use plastics (just imagine how much extra plastic we’re using now for facemasks, faceshields, takeout food... and delivery packages), minimizing coastal pollution and run-off from rivers, better-managing fisheries, shifting to more sustainable alternatives and empowering instead of castigating coastal communities whose lives and livelihoods depend so much on the sea.

When we apply these solutions cohesively, we protect not just our lovable, colorful parrotfish, but the natural systems that can keep tomorrow’s oceans as vibrant and productive as they are now and that’s the secret to saving Loro.

The Tubbataha Reefs in Palawan is a thriving and well-managed marine protected area or MPA. “For the Philippines, the creation of marine reserves like MPAs is one of the few viable options to manage coral reef fisheries,” explains Dr. Rene Abesamis. “MPAs can help boost populations of fish within and outside their boundaries.

Scientific evidence suggests that 15 percent to 30 percent of a region’s reefs should be protected to sustain fisheries – but less than 4 percent of Philippine coral reefs are currently protected in marine reserves.”

(Gregg Yan / Best Alternatives)

Parrotfish keep corals healthy

Nominations for exemplary gov’t workers accepted until 30 April

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OMINATIONS to the 2021 Search for Outstanding Government Workers will be accepted until 30 April 2021 as the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has extended the deadline for another month.

The CSC said that to protect both its Regional/Field Offices and the agencies under their jurisdiction from the risk of COVID-19 transmission, submission of nominations shall be done online.

Inquiries about the 2021 Search may be sent via email to the Honor Awards Program (HAP) Secretariat at hapsecretariat@csc.gov.ph.

Categories

“MOST parrotfish don’t really eat visible algae. They graze on microscopic bacteria which live on reef surfaces, including rocks, corals and even seaweed.

Some species also eat live coral, which are converted to sand,” explains Kent Sorgon, an ichthyologist or fish scientist. A large parrotfish like a Bumphead (Bolbometopon muricatum) for example, can transform a ton of live coral into white sand each year.

Without parrotfish, coral reefs will wither and die.

PARROTFISH mostly target cyanobacteria growing on reef surfaces. Many other grazers do a better job at keeping visible algae from choking off coral reefs – like

I

N addition to Monki’s exciting 2020 expansion into the Philippines, the Swedish fashion brand has teamed up with Marika Callangan, Filipino artist and founder of Woman, Create. The collaboration brings an exclusive t-shirt print designed by Marika, launched this March.

INDIAN PARROTFISH (Chlorurus capistratoides) and associated species sold fresh at a fish market in Cebu. Parrotfish have long been part of the diets of tropical coastal communities. (Gregg Yan / Best Alternatives)

Woman, Create is a Philippine-based art studio that advocates for intersectional feminism and empowerment for Filipino women and creatives. The inspiring illustration, captures the diversity of the Filipina identity and challenging the status quo. The accompanying text, ‘Pilipinas’, translates to ‘female form’. With female empowerment at the core of Monki’s DNA, both the brand and artist hope to spark a conversation around sisterhood – not only within the Filipino community but around the globe.

“While this work does not represent the full range of our identities and character, it aims to reclaim those who are often underrepresented - whether in media or in the general conversation of feminism and women empowerment,” said Callangan The t-shirt print was made available beginning March 10 at the brand’s Philippine-based stores: SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia and will be sold for PHP800 with limited stock. The illustration will also take over the store windows for shoppers to admire as a bold salute to sisterhood.

THE awards to be given out are the highest and most coveted recognition given by the government to individuals or group of individuals who have excelled or shown utmost dedication and commitment to public service.

All government workers in the career and non-career service including appointive barangay officials may be nominated. Employees who are under job order or contract of service are excluded from the coverage of the program.

The three award categories under the Search are the Presidential Lingkod Bayan, Outstanding Public Officials and Employees or the Dangal ng Bayan, and

the CSC Pagasa.

The Presidential Lingkod Bayan is conferred on an individual or group for exceptional or extraordinary contributions that had nationwide impact. The Dangal ng Bayan Award is conferred on an individual for performance of extraordinary act or public service and consistent demonstration of exemplary ethical behavior on the basis of adherence to the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Meanwhile, the CSC Pagasa Award is given to an individual or group of individuals for outstanding contributions that directly benefit more than one department of the government.

NO FACE SHIELD, NO PROBLEM WHILE CYCLING

A CRANE is used to lift Tiger Woods’s vehicle following his rollover accident in February. AP

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

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HE Department of Health (DOH) clarified on Thursday that cyclists are not obliged to wear face shields while biking.

The DOH made the clarification following reports that cyclists and other active transport users are being arrested for not wearing face shields Wearing face shields by active transport users, the DOH said, is not a requirement because they are potential safety risks when used.

The DOH based its clarification on Section II (B) (6) of DOH Department Memorandum No. 2020-0534 which provides guidance on the use of face shields for Covid-19 mitigation. It states that “individuals engaged in strenuous activities/work, fine workmanship, operation of transportation vehicles, and active transport” are exempted from wearing face shields.

Further, Section II (A) (5) of the DOH-DTI-DOLE-DILG-DOTr-DPWHPSC-GAB Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2021-0001, which provides clarificatory guidelines on the mandatory use of face shields outside of residence for Covid-19 mitigation, states that “due to the possible vision impairment face shields bring, bikers and users of other forms of active transport are exempted from the mandatory use of face shields outside of their residences."

"Nevertheless, pursuant to DOHDOTr-DILG-DPWH Joint Administrative Order No. 2020-0001, the DOH emphasizes that face shields must be worn before and after cycling or other similar activities. The DOH further reminds active transport users that the use of face masks; and the observance of physical distancing, respiratory hygiene practices, and other appropriate health interventions must continue to be practiced while cycling or engaging in other forms of active transport."

The DOH assured the public that they remain committed to working with national and local government units to ensure the safe and efficient use of active transport on the road, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

POC forms vaccine procurement body

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HILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) Vice President Al Panlilio formed a five-member task force that will oversee the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines for athletes, coaches and officials bound for the Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games later this year.

Panlilio was tasked by POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on Wednesday to take the lead in securing the vaccines for members of Team Philippines to the SEA Games set from November 21 to December 2.

Named as task force members were POC board member Dr. Jose Raul Canlas (surfing), Bones Floro (golf) and POC legal chief Atty. Billy Sumagui and general manager Dinah Remolacio Panlilio also told B usiness M irror that the POC will be working with PLDT Chief Procurement Officer Os Dela Paz in the acquisition of the vaccines.

Tolentino said on Wednesday the POC’s plan to secure vaccines for the athletes and coaches following Malacañang’s recent announcement on allowing private companies to purchase vaccines for their workforce.

Tolentino said the POC will purchase the vaccines in the organization’s capacity as a private entity and the funding will be sourced from a $40,000 grant from the Olympic Council of Asia.

Sumagui was also appointed as the Covid-19 monitoring head for Team Philippines to the Tokyo Olympics.

He said a Tokyo Olympics-accredited Philippine-based hospital will be tasked to give members of the Olympic delegation their medical clearance. Josef Ramos

Sports WOODS SUV 140 KPH CRASH SPEED L BusinessMirror

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| Friday, April 9, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

OS ANGELES—Tiger Woods was driving more than 80 mph—nearly twice the posted speed limit—on a downhill stretch of road when he lost control of an SUV and crashed in a wreck that seriously injured the golf superstar, authorities said Wednesday.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva blamed the February 23 crash outside Los Angeles solely on excessive speed and Woods’s loss of control behind the wheel. The athlete will not face any citations for his third high-profile collision in 11 years.

“The primary causal factor for this traffic collision was driving at a speed unsafe for the road conditions and the inability to negotiate the curve of the roadway,” the sheriff told a news conference.

Woods was driving 84 to 87 mph (135 to 140 kph) in an area with a speed limit of 45

mph (72 kph), Villanueva said. No one else was hurt, and no other vehicles were involved.

The stretch of road is known for wrecks and drivers who frequently hit high speeds. Due to the steepness of the terrain, a runaway truck escape lane is available just beyond where Woods crashed.

There was no evidence that the golfer tried to brake, and investigators believe Woods may have inadvertently stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake pedal in a panic, said sheriff’s Capt. James Powers, who oversees the sheriff’s station closest to the crash site.

Woods was wearing a seat belt at the time, and the vehicle's airbags deployed. He told deputies that he had not taken medication or consumed alcohol before the crash, sheriff’s officials said.

Detectives did not seek search warrants for Woods's blood samples, which could have

3 canoe bets vie for Olympic slots

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By Josef Ramos

HREE Filipino paddlerswillshootforTokyoOlympics slots—andmoreimportantlyPhilippinesportshistory—in the Canoe Sprint Asian Olympic qualifier in May in Thailand.

Philippine Canoe-Kayak Dragon Boat Federation (PCKDBF) head coach Leonora Escollante said Hermie Macaranas, Ojay Fuentes and John Paul Selencio will compete in the May 5 to 7 qualifiers in Pattaya, hoping to become the first Filipino or Filipinos to participate in Olympic canoeing.

Macaranas topped the men’s 200-meter C1 event for the country’s first-ever canoe gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. He also clinched silver medals in the 1000-meter singles and 200-meter doubles with Fuentes.

“Ican’tmakeanypredictionfornowbecauseIhaven’t seen their foreign rivals yet due to the pandemic,” Escol-

lante told a telephone interview from her hometown of San Miguel in Leyte. “But I have faith in God. Hopefully, we can get a spot.”

Macaranas, a native of Bayambang (Pangasinan), will team up with Selencio, of San Pascual in Masbate, in the 1000-meter C2 event in Pattaya, while the Cebuano Fuentes will compete in the non-Olympic qualifying 500-meter doubles and 200-meter singles events.

The top five finishers will qualify for the Olympics.

Escollante was a member of the national women’s volleyball team that won gold in the 1993 Singapore SEA Games but has since converted to canoe and kayak.

Fuentes,MacaranasandSelenciomovedtheirtraining camp from Laguna Lake to the isolated Malpag River in San Miguel, Leyte. They will fly to Pattaya on April 15 with assistant coach Christian Avejar and will undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine in a hotel.

“They really need to train in an isolated place so they will be focused,” Escollante said.

Gervacio joins Creamline beach program

T

HE Creamline Beach Volleyball Program acquired veteran national athlete Dzi Gervacio, the club announced through its social media accounts recently.

A co-founder of the Beach Volleyball Republic, Gervacio was part of the national team that clinched the bronze medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019, ending the country's 14-year wait for a podium finish in the event.

The former Ateneo star was previously attached with Premier Volleyball League club Perlas Spikers.

"Having Dzi in the Creamline Beach Team is a great addition to the long-term goals and programs that we have,” Charo Soriano, Program Director for Creamline Beach Volleyball said. “Her experience during the last SEA Games will bring the much-needed prowess in terms of team composition.”

“I’m excited to see her fully embrace the sport and focus on her dreams as a beach volleyball athlete," Soriano added.

Gervacio will be reunited with Sisi Rondina, Bernadeth Pons and Dij Rodriguez, who were already part of Creamline since last year.

"Ever since I started playing beach, it taught me a lot more perspective as regards to the sport and be-

yond,” Gervacio said. “I fell in love with it—I wanted to learn more and understand it better.”

"I'm grateful that Rebisco trusted our mission of growing the sport by providing this platform exclusively for beach volleyball athletes—it's the first of it's kind,” Gervacio added.

Creamline has tapped of Jozza Cabalsa last month.

Gervacio is a member of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation's Beach Volleyball Commission and was recently appointed as head of the Far Eastern University volleyball program.

DZI GERVACIO goes full time in beach volleyball.

PSC to launch Zumbarangay PHL program this weekend

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HE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will launch a nationwide exercise campaign dubbed the Zumbarangay Pilipinas with an original Filipino workout song “Igalaw Galaw Ating Katawan” on Saturday “Once we get motivated to move our bodies, exercising can make a big difference—it changes our mood,” PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said the PSC aims to emphasize the importance of physical fitness, especially dur-

ing the pandemic. The Zumbarangay Pilipinas project is a solo dance done either at home or in an open space.

Participants have to record their original dance exercise moves, form and style to the beat of “Igalaw Galaw Ating Katawan” and upload to the PSC’s website psc.gov.ph or its social media accounts.

“Workout music has a therapeutic ability to treat physical, psychological, emotional, and mental issues such as depression and anxiety,”

said PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram, organizer of the event under the sports agency’s “Women in Sports” program.

“This contest is PSC’s campaign to raise awareness on the value of solo dance fitness workouts,” Kiram said. “We designed this to provide a recreational activity for women and girls given the alarming increase in the number of cases whose well-being has been negatively affected by the pandemic.”

been screened for drugs or alcohol, or his cellphone. Authorities said there was no evidence of impairment or of distracted driving, so they did not have probable cause to get warrants.

Investigators did search the SUV’s data recorder, known as a black box, which revealed the vehicle's speed.

On Twitter, Woods thanked first responders, as well as the people who called 911.

“I will continue to focus on my recovery and family, and thank everyone for the overwhelming support and encouragement I’ve received throughout this very difficult time,” Woods wrote. Documents show that Woods told deputies he did not know how the crash occurred and did not remember driving. At the time of the wreck, Woods was recovering

from a fifth back surgery, which took place two months earlier.

Woods, who is originally from the Los Angeles area, had been back home to host his PGA tournament, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, when the crash happened.

He was driving an SUV loaned to him by the tournament when he struck a raised median in Rolling Hills Estates, just outside Los Angeles. The SUV crossed through two oncoming lanes and uprooted a tree, striking it at 75 mph (120 kph).

Jonathan Cherney, an accident reconstruction expert and retired Irvine, California, police detective, said the sheriff did not explain a fundamental part of the case: Why was Woods driving so fast?

“To just blanket it with an unsafe speed violation is the easy way out," said Cherney, who walked the crash site. "We still are missing the key factors that kind of explain why or how this whole sequence of events began.”

Cherney questioned whether Woods may have fallen unconscious at some point, citing the lack of evidence of braking, steering or anything else to suggest the driver was "aware of what’s going on or attempting to avoid the crash.” He also said investigators had enough probable cause to seek blood samples.

Woods is in Florida recovering from multiple surgeries, including procedures to repair two broken bones in his lower right leg with a rod in his shinbone. He also has screws and pins in his foot and ankle.

The 45-year-old athlete has never gone an entire year without playing, dating back to his first PGA Tour event as a 16-year-old in high school. He had hoped to play this year in the Masters tournament, which begins Thursday.

Rory McIlroy, a four-time major golf champion who lives near Woods in Florida, said he visited Woods last month and found him to be “in decent spirits.”

In the days after the crash, the sheriff called it “purely an accident” and said there was no evidence of impairment. Villanueva faced criticism for labeling the crash an accident before the investigation had concluded and pushed back Wednesday against allegations of special treatment for the golf star.

“That is absolutely false,” he said.

Last week, Villanueva said investigators had determined the cause of the crash but would not reveal it. He claimed he needed permission from Woods to do so. The sheriff said Wednesday that Woods—who has a yacht named Privacy—had approved the release of the investigation's findings.

Villanueva also declined to release footage from deputies' body cameras, citing the athlete's privacy.

This is the third time Woods has been involved in a vehicle investigation.

The most notorious example dates back to 2009, when his SUV ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree early on the morning after Thanksgiving. While Woods was cited for careless driving and fined $164, the crash was the start of revelations that he had been cheating on his wife with multiple women.

Woods also lost major corporate sponsorships in the backlash and went to a rehabilitation clinic. He did not return to golf for five months.

In 2017, Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car parked awkwardly on the side of the road. He was arrested on a DUI charge and said later he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine for his back pain. Woods pleaded guilty to reckless driving and checked into a clinic to get help with prescription medication and a sleep disorder. AP

Motoring BusinessMirror

B8 Friday, April 9, 2021

Editor: Tet Andolong

GAC introduces the GN6 MPV L

Story by Randy S. Peregrino

EGADO Motors, Inc., the official distributor of GAC Motor in the Philippines, recently launched its entry to the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment in the country—the GAC GN6.

With the growing number of contenders in the segment, it should be interesting to see how the consumer would benefit from the competition. Initially released in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this seven-seater MPV is also the newest model in its growing model lineup in the country.

Exterior-wise, the all-new GN6 boasts a sharp and elegant exterior emphasized by the fresh flying dynamics frontend design with the GAC Motor emblem highlighted at the center. The design is accentuated by the wing-shaped daytime running lamps functioning as the vehicle’s safety feature and provide a more appealing look. At the back, there’s a pair of LED taillights complemented by an LED braking light strip, which is similar to the GN8 minivan. The fitted 16-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels provide that good-looking stance.

Inside, meantime, is all about comfort and space. With dimensions of 4,780mm long, 1,860mm wide, and 1730mm tall, the GN6 provides a roomy and blissful ride for seven adult passengers. Its 190mm ultrawide second-row corridor makes passengers ingress and egress with ease. It also allows more accessible access to the third-row section. For that comfortable ride, the secondrow has captain seats complete with adjustable armrests. It also makes it more convenient to install a child

booster seat. Further, seats are adjustable frontwards or backward so that the passengers can relish generous legroom.

The GN6 offers a comfortable and relaxing experience for passengers thanks to a 360-degree Quiet Car technology that remarkably cancels ambient noise from the outside.

When it comes to cargo space, the GN6 offers a grand 324-liter trunk bay. More so, it expands up to 1,100 liters by simply folding down the third-row seats—an area that is enough to fit in fourteen 20-inch pieces of luggage.

Apart from a spacious and comfortable cabin, the GN6 also comes with a seven-inch instrument and eight-inch LCD infotainment display housed in a single panel providing a clean and elegant look. It is also equipped with Bluetooth connectivity and a six-speaker system for that crisp audio experience while listening to your favorite playlist.

Plus, its center console is fitted with cockpit controls for ease of access and undistracted driving.

Motivation comes from a Euro 5-compliant 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four engine capable of producing 170 horsepower, and 265 N-m of maximum torque is paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox.

The motor was manufactured by Aisin Seiki, the largest producer of automatic transmission engines in the world. The engine is also

The all-new GN6 is GAC Motor Philippines’s entry to the seven-seater MPV segment in the country. GAC Motors Philippines

equipped with a Bosch 200bar incylinder fuel injection technology, making the GN6 a powerful yet fuel-efficient MPV. GAC Motors Philippines claims fuel consumption of 14km/L. With its 52-liter tank capacity, refueling would be less frequent.

When it comes to safety, the GN6 offers a long list of advanced features. Came standard is the dual front airbags, front side airbags, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control system (TCS), hill-ascend, and descend controls. Moreover, there’s a rearview camera, parking sensors, electronic parking brake, three-point seatbelts with alarm, ISOFIX child seat anchors, brake hold assist, and engine immobilizer with anti-theft alarm.

Elegant and spacious cabin.

GAC Motors Philippines

It also comes with an intelligent keyless system. It performs the functions of a standard key but without physical contact with the car. Also, it includes a remote keyless ignition system, remote window, and sunroof controller. Its sensor lock feature activates when the driver or key holder is at least

three meters away from the vehicle.

While the unlock sensor activates when the driver is at least a meter away from the car.

The GN6 is built on a highstrength steel safe chassis. It keeps the vehicle from emitting vibrations while providing maximum protection for occupants in an intense col-

VW does it again; GR Yaris coming soon

lision impact. For better stability at high speeds, the GN6 is equipped with Bosch’s latest ESP 9.3 that corrects oversteering at sudden cornering and sudden lane change. It also has a 14-in-1 active safety system that provides uphill and downhill assistance. It is equipped with an Ltype Macpherson front suspension that effectively suppresses highfrequency vibration, resulting in better handling, a more stable ride, and better driving comfort.

The all-new GAC GN6 is priced at P1.480 million and comes in Pearl White, Elegant Black, and Peacock Blue color options. It also comes with a five-year warranty or 150,000 km, whichever comes first. To know more about the allnew GN6, customers may visit the nearest GAC Motor Philippines dealership or log on to https:// gacmotorph.com.

nounces the arrival of the GR Yaris here in the Philippines. It retails at P2.65M. Check out toyota. com.ph/GRYarisiscoming for more details on the GR Yaris, where dealers are ready to accept reservations.”

19th Triple Crown

W

HY did Volkswagen (VW) AG US unit knowingly issue a false news release claiming it would rename its US operations as “Voltswagen of America?” Reuters quoted the car company as saying it was a “marketing stunt” designed to call attention to VW’s electric efforts.

OMG! Was that necessary?

Reported Reuters: “VW came under criticism on social media for its misleading news release, some commentators recalling the company’s diesel emissions scandal and years of misleading customers and regulations.

“Volkswagen of America will not be changing its name to Voltswagen. The renaming was designed to be an announcement in the spirit of April Fool’s Day, highlighting the launch of the all-electric ID.4 SUV and signaling our commitment to bringing electric mobility to all,” a VW US spokesperson said in a statement.

Damage control?

Reuters: “The news release, posted on its website and accompanied by tweets, was reported by Reuters and other outlets globally and included detailed description of its purported rebranding efforts and new logos.

“A VW spokesperson in Germany called the rebranding a ‘nice idea’ with a focus on marketing. Volkswagen Group of America CEO Scott Keogh did not respond to messages.

Keogh should have responded to clear the air.

Reuters: “At least one analyst wrote a research note praising the name change. WV’s preferred shares closed 4.7 percent higher. Ordinary shares closed up 10.3 percent.

“The world’s second largest carmaker (next

to Toyota) expects to double electric vehicle deliveries and boost profits for its core brand this year after stepping up its switch to full electric vehicles (EV).

“Some VW officials have expressed frustration that its significant US EV efforts have not drawn as much attention as Tesla or General Motors.

“The Volkswagen brand aims to invest 16 billion euros ($19 billion) in electrification and digitalization by 2025. It has committed to sell one million EVs worldwide by 2025.

“Volkswagen in 2015 admitted to using illegal software to rig diesel engine tests in the United States, sparking Germany’s biggest corporate crisis and costing the carmaker more than 32 billion euros ($38 billion) in fines, refits and legal costs.

“In 2017, VW pleaded guilty to fraud, obstruction of justice and making false statements as part of a $4.3 billion settlement reached with the US justice department over the automaker’s diesel emission scandal.”

Lessons learned not?

GR Yaris coming

TOYOTA doesn’t seem to stop torpedoing the market with model after model after model.

After unwrapping a stunning slew of variants in pandemic-battered 2020, Toyota will let loose the GR (Gazoo Racing) Yaris shortly.

This, after Toyota had rolled out seven models last year—Wigo, Vios, Corolla Cross, Hilux, Fortuner, Innova, Yaris—in the boldest ever attempt at meeting head-on the Covid-19 challenges plaguing mankind.

Said Toyota’s Nadinne Capistrano: “2021 is an exciting year for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing brand as Toyota Motor Philippines proudly an-

PANDEMIC or no pandemic, Toyota remains the undisputed industry leader with its astonishing feat of recording recently a 19th Triple Crown victory by topping, yet again, the figures in sold passenger cars, commercial vehicles and overall sales.

In his opening remarks during the recent dealership Toyota Awards simultaneous with the newest sales milestone performance, TMP Chairman Alfred V. Ty expressed his appreciation for Team Toyota Philippines for assuming its role in economic rebuilding and enabling Filipinos to move again and move forward from the pandemic.

“This pandemic has really tested our spirits and pushed our limits,” Ty said. “Yet, we were able to achieve a record-setting 41.3 percent market share last year. We emerged from 2020 with new learnings, reflections and green shoots that we can nurture towards our sustainable growth in 2021 and beyond.”

Ty acknowledged that TMP and its network of dealers have a deeper obligation to its customers and a profound purpose in helping the nation.

“As the leading automotive company in the Philippines, I believe it is our role and responsibility to take the wheel and help steer the country towards economic recovery. Let me make this appeal to all the members of Team Toyota Philippines: Let us BE the solution. We should not watch from the sidelines. As a market leader, as a pillar of industry and as a partner in nation building, we must provide strength and hope for the healing of Filipinos all over,” said Ty. Indeed, if you have the nation’s interests at heart, success isn’t far behind.

PEE STOP The house is the best defense

against the pandemic. And the car stays in the garage—for now. Amid the virus rage, to go out is to court disaster. This time, house arrest matters.