BusinessMirror April 16, 2021 by BusinessMirror

OFW remittances rise to $2.48B in Feb By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

ILIPINO migrant workers were able to increase their remittances back home in February this year, as larger economies around the world start to recover and reopen. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Thursday that cash remittances to the Philippines hit a total of $2.48 billion in February. This is 5.1 percent more than the remittances sent to the country in February 2020 at $2.36 billion. Broken down, cash remittances from land-based workers in-

creased by 7.8 percent to $1.982 billion, while that of sea-based workers decreased by 4.6 percent to $495 million. For the first two months of 2021, cash remittances amounted to $5.1 billion, rising by 1.5 percent from the $5 billion level in the same period last year. The BSP said the growth in cash remittances for the first two months of the year largely emanated from remittances of Filipinos based in the United States, Malaysia and Singapore. In particular, in terms of country sources, the US registered the highest share to overall remittances at 41 percent for the first two

months, followed by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Qatar. The combined remittances from these top 10 countries accounted for 78.3 percent of total cash remittances during the period. ING Bank Economist Nicholas Mapa said the remittance growth during the month was an “upside surprise” from current market expectations. He also said this is expected to provide some support to the local currency in the near term. “Expectations for modest positive growth for Overseas Filipino

Friday, April 16, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 184

remittances will continue to be supportive of the Peso in the near term, especially with the economic recession weighing on corporate demand for the dollar,” Mapa said. “In 2021, we expect remittance flows to adequately cover the more modest trade deficit, a development that should help lend appreciation pressure to the Peso in the near term,” he added. R iza l Commercia l Bank ing Corp. (RCBC) economist Michael Ricafort, meanwhile, said that the future volume of remittances to the country will largely depend on further recovery of the major host countries’ economies.

LOPEZ PEGS TWO-WEEK n

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 18 pages |

ECQ LOSSES AT P180B Despite delays in construction and limitations caused by the pandemic, San Miguel Corp. President and COO Ramon S. Ang said work on the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT 7) is now more than halfway complete. He noted that around 51 percent of civil works are now completed, including installation of bored piles, girder, and foundational works on stations, while the laying of rails or tracks is ongoing. At least 55 percent of electrical/mechanical works also have been completed, he added. In photo, workers rush the laying of rails or tracks at the portion of MRT 7 project along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. NONOY LACZA

NEDA: TARIFF CUTS, MAV HIKE WON’T KILL LOCAL HOG INDUSTRY By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

HE National Economic and Development Author it y (Neda) maintained on Thursday that the reduction in pork tariffs and the increase in the minimum access volume (MAV) will not “kill” the local hog industry. In a presentation at the Senate Committee of the Whole, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said the temporary reduction in pork tariffs aims to reduce pork prices. Chua added that the increase in MAV will help augment pork supply. The MAV was increased to 404,000 metric tons from 54,000 metric tons, which is consistent with the supply deficit of pork carcass estimated by Neda at 477,000 metric tons this year. “The temporary increase in pork imports will not “kill” the local hog industry, as imports

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronPiad

HE Philippine economy lost about P180 billion during the recent two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) amid the displacement of 1.5 million workers, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Thursday. See “Lopez,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 48.5000

would potentially account for up to 22.8 percent of total consumption,” Chua said. “Also, as mentioned by some experts, imports will not flood our markets since ASF [African swine fever] has also affected hog production of many countries,” he added. Chua said temporarily reducing pork import tariffs to 5 to 10 percent will bring down the landed cost of pork to around P251 to P222 per kilo. This will translate to retail prices of P128 to P135 per kilo. This, he said, is significantly lower than the P252 to P267 per kilo landed cost if tariffs are kept at 30 to 40 percent. Chua said in March and April, the pork price ceiling was at P350 per kilo. The lower prices and the higher MAV would bring down inflation to around 3.8 percent, well within the Central Bank’s 2- to 4-percent inflation target this year. See “Neda,” A2

PHL among 69 places ‘closed’ by Covid By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

ANT to travel without getting a vaccine shot, RT-PCR test, or quarantining on arrival?

These are the countries you can go to: Albania, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, North Macedonia and Tanzania. According to the latest report from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), these destinations

have lifted all Covid-19 restrictions on international travel. In general, however, “One in three destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism,” said the UNWTO. “The emergence of new vari-

ants of the Covid-19 virus has prompted many governments to reverse efforts to ease restrictions on travel, with total closures to tourists most prevalent in Asia and the Pacific, and Europe.”

n japan 0.4453 n UK 66.8427 n HK 6.2454 n CHINA 7.4267 n singapore 36.3133 n australia 37.4469 n EU 58.1030 n SAUDI arabia 12.9330

See “PHL,” A2

Source: BSP (April 15, 2021)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, April 16, 2021

Lopez... Continued from A1

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said at the Laging Handa briefing that the recent ECQ is estimated to shave off 1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Assuming that the GDP is around P18 trillion, this translates to P180 billion in loss, he explained. “Yung 1 percent, kung tayo ay may GDP na P18 trillion... ay P180 billion ang estimate na nawala sa ating ekonomiya [The 1 percent, if we have GDP of P18 trillion, is equal to P180 billion in estimated economic loss],” Lopez explained. Last week, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) estimated that the twoweek ECQ would result in income loss of P30 billion. The National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby provinces, including Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal were placed under ECQ on March 29 to April 11 amid the recent surge in Covid-19 cases. On Sunday, the government eased the lockdown measure in NCR plus to modified ECQ (MECQ ) until April 30. ECQ is the most restrictive lockdown protocol, which meant many establishments were closed, resulting in joblessness. Based on the labor force survey, Lopez said that some 1.5 million workers were displaced during ECQ but 500,000 of them are likely to have returned already to their jobs during MECQ. “Sa pamamagitan ng pagbubukas ng ilang sector na napakaimportanteng maibalik, para maibalik ang mga trabaho, at least po ay yun ay binigyan po ng halaga under MECQ , yung jobs na maibalik [By opening up more critical sectors, more can go back to working again under MECQ ],” the Trade chief said. The remaining 1 million, he said, will “hopefully” have their jobs back when the country transitions to less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ ). Lopez explained that MECQ g u ide l i nes st r ic t ly proh ibit s high-risk activities to avoid further spread of infection, banning non-essential travels and the likes. On the other hand, he stressed that MECQ allows low-risk and essential industries to still permit some business activities while attempting to arrest the surging Covid-19 cases. All establishments allowed to operate under ECQ are permitted to operate at full on-site capacity under MECQ. Indoor dine-in restaurants are not permitted under MECQ. Outdoor dine-in, meanwhile, is allowed at 50 percent capacity with diagonal seating or acrylic dividers. A ll establishments banned from operating during ECQ can operate at 50 percent on-site capacity in MECQ. At the same time, these should also encourage work-from-home and other f lexible work schemes if possible. Under MECQ, the establishments that are not given permission to operate include theaters, cinemas, Internet cafes, amusement parks, casinos, libraries, museums and beaut y sa lons, among others. The Trade secretary said he will push for GCQ only if there has been a decline in the number of Covid-19 cases and the hospital capacity has improved. Meanwhile, Lopez said DTI will release an updated survey regarding the current situation of the business operations following the ECQ. Latest survey revealed that only 4.6 percent of the businesses have stopped operations amid the pandemic, but the Trade chief said that this is expected to go up.

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Palace on building structures in EEZ: Code on WPS priority By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

ALACAÑANG on Thursday said it will continue to push for the creation of a Code of Conduct in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to finally keep the movement of Chinese ships within disputed territory in check. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque issued the reply when asked if the government will consider a proposal for the government to construct “inexpensive structures” to assert its rights on its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the WPS. “We remain committed to the codification of a Code of Conduct, so that’s the direction,” Roque said in an online press briefing on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reiterated its concern over the “swarming” of 240 Chinese Coast Guard ships within the country’s EEZ. The Philippine Coast Guard, which conducted surveillance of the area, that several Chinese fishermen were poaching giant clams in the vicinity of the Pag-asa Islands off Palawan. The encroachment was con-

demned by the Department of Defense (DND), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and labor groups for compromising the country’s territorial integrity and freedom of navigation. In announcing the filing of more diplomatic protests over the swarming, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. earlier also expressed concern over the continued taking by the Chinese vessels of vital marine resources—“everything in the water that belongs by law to us: fish, clams, and in such big quantities as to wipe out sustainability.”

Friendly ties

Roque said President Duterte will use his friendly ties with China to resolve the encroachment of its ships in the WPS. He, however, declined to further elaborate on how the President will capitalize on the relations to compel China to respect the country’s territorial boundaries. “Let the President [do] it through

his private means. Such diplomatic initiatives should not be announced to the public. Needless to day, the reason why this is covered by the exception [to freedom of information], is the President must make the right decision [on issue] no matter what,” Roque said. The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) called on China to prove its friendly ties with the country by removing its ships from the Philippine EEZ. “Hundreds of thousands of Chinese now work in the Philippines, even as there are hundreds of thousands of Filipinos also working in Chinese territories,” TUCP Vice President Luis Corral said in a statement. “It is in this spirit that we speak candidly, and call on China to match deed to words, and respect, observe and abide with Philippine national sovereignty, if, we, as peoples and nations, will truly keep the peace and build prosperity for all,” he added.

GOVT MAY BUY, THEN CLOSE, MINDA COAL-FIRED PLANTS By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Philippine government is looking to set up a fund to acquire all coal-fired power plants in Mindanao and shut them down in a bid to make the island heavily reliant on renewable-energy resources. Fi n a nce Sec ret a r y C a rlos G. Dominguez III revealed on Thursday that they are studying the “actual viability” of this concept in Mindanao together with Manila-based Asian Development Bank, adding that they should be able to come up with a model sometime in the third

Neda... Continued from A1

Chua estimated that meat prices contributed 1.2 percentage points in inflation. If meat prices are lower and more supply is made available, Neda estimates this cut by 0.8 percentage points the country’s inflation rate. “We need to help domestic producers recover from ASF. We also need to help 95 million consumers of pork by reducing tariff and increasing the MAV temporarily to help fill the deficit, reduce food prices, and ensure our food supply is adequate and affordable so that we can prevent higher malnutrition and poverty,” Chua said.

Lawmakers vs EO 128

Chua’s presentation notwithstanding, the dominant mood at the second Committee of the Whole hearing on food security on Thursday weighed against the economic managers’ support for the twin moves to cut tariffs while hiking import quotas. Senate President Vicente Sotto III counted 19 senators from the Majority and Minority supporting the resolution asking President Duterte to recall EO 128 lowering the pork tariff which, if not revokes, is seen to result in P13-billion lost revenue and the “collapse” of the local hog industry. At least 17 members of the House of Representatives have also authored a House Joint Resolution 37 with a similar call.

Driver of inflation

Chua said meat has become the largest contributor to inflation, surpassing rice’s role in 2018, when the country encountered a rice price crisis. In 2018, rice contributed as much as 1 percentage point to inflation. Meat at that time only contributed 0.5 percentage points. However, in March, high meat prices contributed 1.4 percentage points in inflation; and rice, only 0.1 percentage points. “The large supply deficit has led to a rapid

quarter of this year. T h i s st udy, he s a id , w i l l coinc ide w it h t heir pl a n to get her w it h t he Depa r t ment of Ene r g y to f i r st i mpro ve t he g e ne r at i n g c a p a c it y o f the Ag us Pu lang i Hydropower Comple x wh ic h has deter io rated due to l ac k of ma inte na nce over t he yea rs. “So together with the Department of Energy, we have developed a plan to first improve the generating capacity of the Agus River System. As we do that, we are also studying the possibility of setting up a fund to acquire all the coal-powered plants in Mindanao, with the idea of shutting them down, as

spike in the retail price of pork. In March 2021, Philippine pork prices averaged P288 per kilo or 36 percent higher and reached as high as P327 per kilo in NCR, or 59 percent higher. Before the supply shock, pork prices were relatively stable at around P224 per kilo,” Chua said. Chua traced the limited supply of meat in the world market to the long list of ASF-infected countries. These includes Germany, one of the primary sources of pork of the Philippines, as well as Cambodia, China, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Laos, Latvia, Moldova, Mongolia, and Myanmar, among others. The countries that remain ASF-free are Argentina, Australia, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, European Union (with zoning), Guatemala, and the United States, which is also one of the sources of pork imports of the Philippines. Chua noted that recent studies have shown limited availability of cold-chain facilities in the country, crimping the huge importation since the capacity is estimated at only 400,000 MT, of which only 268,000 MT is allocated for pork. “Neda supports the temporary increase in the minimum access volume or MAV coupled with lower tariffs to help fill the deficit, reduce food prices, and ensure our food supply is adequate and affordable,” Chua said. Last week, the House of Representatives asked President Duterte to reconsider his recommendation increasing the MAV for pork by 350,000 metric tons (MT) and retain the existing 40-percent tariff. Agriculture and Food Committee Chairman Mark Enverga of Quezon said the House sent a letter to the Office of the President, through the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) last March 29. The letter was signed by Enverga, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Committee on Trade and Industry Chairman John Reynald Tiangco of Navotas. Last March 26, 2021, the Palace submitted a letter to the House of Representatives recommending the increase in the MAV for pork by 350,000 MT. With Butch Fernandez

the energy delivery of the Agus River increases,” said Dominguez at the Virtual Economic Briefing hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., as the Philippines and the United States mark the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations this year. Dominguez, who also sits as the chairman of the Climate Change Commission, is optimistic that this plan, together with the completion of the rehabilitation of the Agus River project, would greatly reduce the operations of older coalfired power plants on the island. “Now obviously, this will require long term, and low-cost

funds so we are working together with the ADB to study the actual viability of this concept in the Mindanao area, with the idea that Mindanao will be totally powered by, or at least 90 percent powered by, renewableenergy resources,” he added. C o a l s t i l l dom i n at e s t he cou nt r y ’s power generat ion mix at 49 percent; followed by renewable energy (26 percent) gas (21 percent); and, the remaining from other sources. Last year, the Department of Energy declared a moratorium on endorsing new coal power plant projects, citing the need for the country to shift to a more flexible power supply mix.

‘KNEE-JERK FISCAL RESPONSES MAY HARM FARM INVESTMENTS’ Continued from A10

FIA Executive Director Matt Kovac said there is also a need to understand the current and future risk landscape before implementing measures to revive the economy post-Covid-19. “The report has highlighted a range of substantial short-term and long-term challenges facing the agri-food sector in the Philippines, and it is crucial for policy-makers to recognize and work around these risks,” Kovac said. “FIA will be utilizing the report’s insights to actively engage industry stakeholders, regulators, and policy-makers to facilitate constructive and collaborative discussions that would support the agri-food sector’s contribution towards the Philippines’s recovery road map, ensuring that gains made in the industry are not lost during these challenging times,” he added. In the Philippines and Indonesia, the report said around 3 percent of GDP annually is spent by the government to support the farm sector. This is higher than the US and European Union at 0.5 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively. In the Philippines, the report estimated that the agri-food sector contributed $126.7 billion to the Philippine economy in 2019 using 2020 prices or 29.8 percent of GDP. The sector sustained 18 million

jobs in 2019, which is 42.7 percent of the national total, making it the single most critical source of employment in the economy. Further, the report stated that the agri-food sector generated an estimated $17.1 billion in taxes in 2019, using 2020 dollar prices. “With the agri-food industry being instrumental to the national economy, it is critical that both the industry and the public sector come together to sustain and uplift the agri-food sector as we move forward into the rest of this year. The sector holds the key to over 18 million jobs and P6.1 trillion in GDP contribution and as such, is undeniably an economic powerhouse and an important driver of local employment opportunities,” said Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers Inc. Chairman and President Elizabeth M. de. Leon-Lim. Singapore-based FIA provides an important hub for advocacy and debate. They bring together the food industry’s most senior business leaders to champion initiatives that promote sustainable growth and support regional policies that deliver harmonized results. Oxford Economics is one of the world’s foremost independent global advisory firms, providing reports, forecasts and analytical tools on 200 countries, 100 industrial sectors and over 3,000 cities.

PHL... Continued from A1

The UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report provides a comprehensive overview of the regulations in place in 217 destinations worldwide. While previous editions had shown a movement towards easing or lifting restrictions on travel, the latest report shows that the persistent seriousness of the epidemiological situation has caused governments to adopt a more cautious approach. At the beginning of February 2021, for instance, 69 countries which represent 32 percent of all destinations worldwide, were completely closed for international tourism. Of these, 38 countries, or just about half of the total, were closed for at least 40 weeks. At the same time, 34 percent of destinations worldwide have been partially closed to international tourists. In a news statement, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Polilikashvili said, “ Travel restrictions have been widely used to restrict the spread of the virus. Now, as we work to restart tourism, we must recognize that restrictions are just one part of the solution. Their use must be based on the latest data and analysis and consistently reviewed so as to allow for the safe and responsible restart of a sector upon which many millions of businesses and jobs depend.”

PHL among 69 ‘closed’ destinations

The Philippines has partial travel restrictions, as it allows the entry of returning overseas Filipinos, contract workers, and expatriates. However, it still prohibits the entry of foreign tourists and is thus, counted by UNWTO among the 69 destinations that have completely closed its borders to tourism. In Asia, it ranks with Brunei, Cambodia, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Taiwan, Timor Leste and Vietnam. Its tourism gross domestic product is over 20 percent and is clustered with 28 other high tourism-GDP countries such as Macau, Maldives, Cambodia, Iceland, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean nations. According to the UNWTO report, of the 69 countries which don’t allow tourists, 30 are in Asia and the Pacific, 15 are in Europe, 11 are in Africa, 10 are in the Americas and three are in the Middle East. But a growing number of destinations, 70 at the last count, now require tourists to resent negative RT-PCR or antigen test results upon arrival. However, they also require tourists to quarantine. Even a s t he U N W TO leads the restart of international tourism, its report also noted the top 10 tourism source markets have been advising their citizens to refrain from non-essential travels abroad. These markets—Germany, China, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Russia, the Netherlands, South Korea and Japan— accounted for 44 percent of international arrivals in 2018. “That advice issued by governments will play a crucial role in the restart and recovery of tourism in the weeks and months ahead,” said the UNWTO.

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Churches ask banks to stop supporting coal projects By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

HURCHES in Quezon and Negros provinces have unfurled banners urging Philippine banks to stop financing coal projects. Environmental groups have been strongly advocating the shift to clean, renewable-energy sources by harnessing the power of the sun and the wind and junking coal-fired power plant projects, which they consider as a major source of air pollution and contributor to greenhouse gas. The move by Negros and Quezon churches came a week ahead of the celebration of Earth Day on April 22 as the call is for Philippine banks was to “Restore our Earth” in line with the 2021 theme of the annual celebration. In the Diocese of Lucena, 15 major parishes participated in the symbolic initiative, including Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Atimonan, Saint Buenaventure Parish in Mauban, Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Pagbilao, and Saint John the Baptist Parish in Tiaong. “We cannot gather on the streets or in the Church’s halls to unite in prayer and action as many of the faithful do on Earth Day in normal circumstances, but that does not make addressing the climate crisis any less urgent. These banners we place at the front of our Churches symbolize the Church’s long-standing commitment to pursue ecological conversion and energy transformation to protect our common home. That would begin with moving away from coal,” Fr. Warren Puno, director of the Ministry of Ecology of the Diocese of Lucena in Quezon said in a news statement issued through the movement Withdraw from Coal (WFC). Quezon is dubbed by residents and clean energy advocates as the Philippines’s coal capital, with three coal-fired power plants with a total installed capacity of 2.195 giga watts currently operating in the province. As of December 2020, three more projects are reported to be in the pipeline. “If it were not for the banks and investors providing financial support to coal, our province would not have been tied down to decades of environmental degradation and health and livelihood problems,” added Puno. The initiative was also joined by parishes in the Diocese of San Carlos in Negros Occidental. “Our beloved Negros takes pride in being called the renewable-energy capital of the Philippines, but our heart goes to Quezon and all other communities in the Philippines suffering at the hand of coal proponents, especially since San Carlos is also the site of a proposed 300 megawatt coal plant,” San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza said in the same statement. Alminaza is a convener of WFC, which is currently conducting another assessment of Philippine banks’ coal exposure.

SL, Visayas may be hit by severe tropical storm ‘Bising’; NDRRMC cites precautions

By Rene Acosta

@reneacostaBM

HE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has alerted regional disaster officers to step up preparation measures for severe tropical storm “Surigae,” which may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Thursday night, or today, Friday, as a typhoon with local name Bising.

NDRRMC issued the alert during its pre-disaster risk assessment meeting on Thursday to ensure the safety of villages and communities that may be affected by the storm. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that as of 10 a.m. on Thursday, the severe tropical storm was estimated to be at 1,095 kilometers east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness up to 115 km/h and is moving westward at 10 km/h. The tropical storm remains

Poland identifies key investment areas in PHL

KRZYSZTOF KOGUTKIEWICZ of Nextbank; Undersecretary Ireneo Vizmonte of Department of Trade and Industry; H.E. Leah M. Basinang-Ruiz, Philippine Ambassador to Poland; Rafal Owczarek of Polish Investment & Trade Agency; Althea Antonio of Philippine Trade and Investment Center— Berlin; Consul Alena Borra of the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw; Allyson Artes of the PhilippinesPoland Business Council; Roberto Amores of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Dr. Andrzej Arendarski of the Polish Chamber of Commerce, Polish Chamber of Commerce Foreign Relations Department; Jerzy Pietrucha of Pietrucha Group; and Emmanuel Pineda of Authority of Freeport of Bataan during the “Let’s do business together” webinar last April 8, 2021. By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

OLAND seeks to deepen its bilateral relations with the Philippines, identifying green technology, agri-food and information technology as key investment areas. The Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC)-Berlin, Philippine Embassy in Warsaw and the Polish Chamber of Commerce recently held a virtual event to tackle the trade and investment opportunities between Warsaw and Manila. “The demographic and economic potential of the Philippines and Poland should generate greater cooperation.... We want to diversify economic cooperation, especially in the Asia-Pacific

area,” said Undersecretary Robert Tomanek of the Poland Ministry of Economic Development, Labor and Technology. Tomanek noted that the bilateral trade between Poland and the Philippines has grown by two-fold from 2015 to 2020. In addition, he emphasized the need to diversify trade and encourage businesses from both countries to continue looking for opportunities in various fields. Apart from mentioned key investment areas, Rafal Owczarek of Polish Investment and Trade Agency Office in Manila enumerated Poland ’s priority sectors. These include financial technology, cyber security, video games, smart cities, drone technologies and water management sector, among others.

Meanwhile, PTIC-Berlin Commercial Counsellor Althea Antonio noted that the priority sectors of the Philippines for promotion to Europe are electronics, semiconductors and information technology-business processing management. Antonio added that processed foods have a significant export potential as well, in addition to industrial products and service exports. For Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), agriculture is a key sector. PCCI Vice Chair for Asia and Asean Affairs Roberto Amores invited Polish firms to explore joint ventures, investments and market distributions of coconuts, bananas, processed mangoes and pineapples, cacaos and other high-value crops that have robust demand in the European Union (EU). Trade Undersecretar y Ireneo Vizmonte, in encourag ing Polish fir ms to invest in the Philippines, highlighted the efforts of the gover nment in boosting the countr y’s economic recover y, citing the recent sig ning of Cor porate Recover y and Ta x Incentives for Enter pr ises (CR E ATE) Act. CREATE reduced the corporate income tax 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 are imposed with 25-percent income tax. “Through our event today, allow me to reiterate the Philippines’s openness to explore business collaborations and opportunities with our Polish partners,” he added. Last year, Poland was Philippines’s 32nd trading partner, 26th biggest export market and 41st largest import source. Bilateral trade between the countries last year reached $298 million.

Tugade vows completion of Bohol transport infra projects by 2022 By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

HE chief of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) vowed to complete the ongoing construction of infrastructure projects in Bohol before President Duterte bows out of office next year, aiming to stimulate trade and tourism in the province that is no exemption to the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. During the inauguration of the new passenger terminal building (PTB) of the Tagbilaran Port in Bohol, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the department is determined to finish the infrastructure

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, April 16, 2021 A3

projects that it has started in Bohol, which is a major tourism destination in the country. “It will be a pity if we just let the calamity-stricken infrastructure stand as such and not let the people use them. We will finish the projects in Bohol before the end of the term of President Duterte,” Tugade. One of these projects, Tugade said, is the new PTB at the Tagbilaran Port, which was damaged by the strong earthquake in 2013. Completed in the fourth quarter of 2020, the new PTB was inaugurated on Wednesday. From only 497 passengers, the new terminal can now handle as much as 1,110 passengers, or double

its previous capacity. “My only request to the local government is to take care of the new infrastructure so that more people can benefit from these for a longer period of time. If we do the inauguration within this context, I assure you, we will come back in the future and say, before, I said ‘mission accomplished,’ now, I’d say ‘we have delivered,’” Tugade said. Bohol Governor Arthur Yap said the infrastructure projects in Bohol would enable the province to be “more progressive by achieving a diversified economy, especially amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic.” “We really felt the impact of Covid-19 in the services sector. About

200,000 of our people lost their jobs. This showed us the diversity of our economy and that need to further diversity. It is really the right time to build more infrastructure where we can expand,” he said. Aside from the Tagbilaran Port’s new terminal, the transportation department is also rebuilding the Port of Maribojoc in Bohol. The Maribojoc port is also one of the vital infrastructures in the province that was totally devastated by the 2013 Bohol earthquake. With works on full swing, the Maribojoc Port Improvement Project is almost complete with a 95.41-percent progress rate as of March 2021.

less likely to affect the country, and has a low chance to make a landfall, the state weather bureau said. However, state weather bureau explained that a westward shift is possible in the current forecast track and the storm may bring significant impacts in eastern portions of Southern Luzon and Visayas over the weekend until Monday. Moderate to heavy rains may be experienced over eastern portions of Visayas by Sunday. Pagasa also noted that gale warning might be raised over southern portion of Southern Lu-

zon and northern and eastern portions of Eastern Visayas by 5 a.m. on Saturday. Regional disaster risk reduction and management councils also conducted their respective pre-disaster meetings in preparation for the weather disturbance in compliance with NDRRMC’s guidance. The NDRRMC reminded the public to take precautionary measures and continue to monitor weather updates, and heed authorities’ warnings and advisories alongside observance of minimum health protocols against Covid-19.

DPWH chief: Binondo-Intramuros Bridge on track for 2021 opening

PUBLIC Works Secretary Mark Villar inspects the progress in the ongoing construction of the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge in Manila. Villar said they will be ready for launch by the end of the year. PHOTO COURTESY OF DPWH

E PA R T M E N T of P u b lic Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark A. Villar announced on Thursday that the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge is on track to be completed this year even amid the current pandemic situation. The DPWH chief said that implementing office DPWH Unified Project Management Office-Roads Management Cluster 1 (UPMORMC 1) and contractor China Road and Bridge Corp. have made efforts to speed up work progress to ensure that the P3.39-billion project will be completed by the fourth quarter of the year. Secretary Villar inspected the project on Thursday, April 15, 2021 and significant progress was observed in the construction of the two-way four-lane bridge, which will soon become a new iconic landscape in the City of Manila. In his briefing to Secretary Villar, Undersecretary for UPMO Operations Emil K. Sadain explained that as the 70-meter Main Bridge with steel arch and support steel bowstring is being pushed from pier 4 to pier 5, the temporary platforms will be removed after within a two-week period to lower the main bridge to its final position. The project’s overall progress is about 60 percent. The Binondo-Intramuros Bridge project involves the construction of basket-handle tied steel arch bridge with a total length of 680 lineal meter connecting historic district of Intramuros at Solana Street and Riverside Drive with the bustling district of Binondo at Rentas Street/Plaza del Conde Street and Muelle dela Industria having a viaduct structure over Estero de Binondo.

The design of the arch bridge, which symbolizes the friendly cooperation between Philippines and China, conforms to new seismic design specifications and climatechange considerations. Design and construction of Binondo-Intramuros Bridge as well as the ongoing Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge in Makati/Mandaluyong are funded by a grant of China and considered first-ever infrastructure partnership project under the present administration between Filipinos and Chinese. Binondo-Intramuros Bridge is expected to improve the capacity and efficiency of the road transport network in Metro Manila by providing additional fix links and additional routes crossing the Pasig River. Upon completion, it will carry extra traffic of around 30,000 vehicles per day and ease the traffic congestion between the Binondo and Intramuros. It will also extend the life of existing Jones, Delpan and MacAthur bridges by decongesting traffic, thus reducing bridge maintenance cost requirements. The project is part of the Metro Manila Logistics Improvement Program to address the long-held dilemma of traffic gridlock in major roads by constructing new bridges crossing Pasig and Marikina Rivers, and Manggahan Floodway. Other than the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, DPWH-UPMO Operations targets to deliver the full completion of Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge connecting Makati and Mandaluyong by the third quarter and Sta. Monica-Lawton Bridge, a component of the BGC-Ortigas Center Link Project connecting business districts of Ortigas and Bonifacio Global City.

A4 Friday, April 16, 2021 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Palace lifts ban on new mining agreements By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

& Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

R ESIDEN T Duter te has signed Executive Order (EO) 130 lifting an almost decadeold moratorium on the processing of new mining projects held in abeyance since 2012 by former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s EO 79. (See related story on Page B3) Specifically, Duterte’s order amended Section 4 of EO 79 signed by Aquino on July 6, 2021, on the Grant of Mineral Agreements Pending New Legislation, thereby allowing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to proceed with the processing of new mining

project applications. With the latest signed by President Duterte last Wednesday, new mining operations are also expected to resume In removing the prohibition, he cited the provision of the Republic Act 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act which doubled the tax rate for the said resources from 2 percent to 4 percent. President Duterte said higher tax rate coupled with the “additional rules, regulations, and policies” implemented by the DENR are sufficient grounds to allow the government to enter into new mineral agreements. “The DENR shall strictly implement mines safety and environment policies. It shall ensure strict implementation of and com-

pliance with the recommendation measures of the Mining Industry Coordinating Council involving all mining operations, including other pertinent laws, rules, and regulations, and terms and conditions of mineral agreements,” President Duterte said in his twopaged EO 130.

‘Welcome development’

MGB Director Wilfredo G. Moncano, in a telephone interview, said Duterte’s latest order in the mining sector is a “welcome development.” The mining official said he would immediately create a small group that will work on the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the new order. The MGB official said the IRR would focus principally on the grant of new mining permits and declaration of new mining areas as “mineral reservations.” “All these will be in the IRR. We will immediately work with the Department of Finance [DOF] and other stakeholders to craft the IRR,” he said. Moncano said big industry players, as well as local government units (LGUs) that host mining projects will be summoned for their inputs in the crafting of the IRR. In a separate text message,

Moncano expressed elation with the issuance of the new order, stressing that the lifting of the mining moratorium will boost the country’s economic recovery effort amid the unprecedented global health crisis brought by the onset of Covid-19 pandemic since last year. “The MGB, DENR, the mining industry, and the mining investors, among others, who were awaiting this Executive Order that will lift the moratorium in the processing of new mining projects, are elated that the mining sector’s proposal to contribute to the economic recovery of the country during this pandemic is heeded and supported by the highest Executive office of the country. There are mining projects under priority listing right now that are hindered or hesitant to invest and proceed to development and commercial extraction because of the previous EO [EO 79] imposing a moratorium to MGB-DENR on the issuance of new Mineral Production Sharing Agreement [MPSA],” he said. “The issuance of an MPSA by reason of the lifting of the moratorium through this EO 130 will authorize the mining company to proceed to development and commercial extraction. These are the activities or projects needed that can generate economic activities, revenues, employment, services, taxes, and other indirect economic activities in remote areas in the country,” he said. Moncano said, however, that the processing of applications and eventually, approval of new mining projects, do not mean that the protection of the environment and safety will

be taken lightly. “On the contrary, strict environmental and safety measures will be put in place. The DENR and DOF will soon craft the implementing rules and regulations for this EO 130,” he said. The mining industry’s big players, represented by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP), has been calling for the lifting of the mining moratorium, blaming President Aquino’s mining policy for the decreasing mining investments since EO 79’s signing in 2012.

Roadblock removed

IN a news statement, COMP said that the lifting of the moratorium on new mining projects is most welcome especially in the time of great national difficulty. “A major roadblock to the huge potential of the Philippine mining industry to contribute to socioeconomic growth has been removed. We welcome the lifting of the moratorium on new mining projects—in place for nearly nine years—in this time of great national difficulty as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,” COMP said. COMP said that mining projects that will be allowed to operate will provide additional government revenues in the form of taxes and fees, royalty fees, and increase in export value, as well as employment opportunities for thousands of Filipinos, especially those in rural areas. “The industry’s positive impact on host communities can be clearly seen in regions around the country where mining has been allowed to flourish, such as in Caraga and Mimaropa,” COMP said. “The removal of this policy roadblock will undoubtedly help encourage both local and foreign investments into the country. Since 2010, investor interest in the Philippines has declined. Executive Order 130 will help bring the Philippines back on the investment map,” the group added. COMP believes that adequate social and environmental laws, rules, and regulations are already in place to mitigate the impact of mining on communities and the environment. “Despite t h is, t he members of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines have voluntarily adopted the Towards Sustainable Mining program, a global social and environmental performance standard that compels us to operate beyond mere compliance. We have also subscribed to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative to further demonstrate our commitment to the highest standards of transparency and accountability in business,” the group added.

Reforms under way

SOUGHT for comment, COMP E xec ut ive Director Ronald Recidoro said he anticipates that the new order will bring about sig nif icant reforms in the contracting and regulation of new mining projects. “Government focus is really on strict compliance with social and environmental regulations and revenue generation. [The] industry will be happy to meet government halfway,” he said via text message to the BusinessMirror. Asked if it the new order would make min-

ing in the Philippines competitive while ensuring that both government and the private sector are equally benefiting from a new mining revenue-sharing scheme, he said the order to the DENR and DOF is clear. “The order to the DENR and DOF is to formulate the terms and conditions in the new mineral agreements that will maximize government revenues,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of discussions with our counterparts in the DOF and we [have] both agreed that the fiscal regime should be rational. For us, that means we must maintain our competitiveness as an investment destination. Because if the mining tax regime is ‘too onerous,’ it will also not attract the kind of long-term investments that we are all looking for,” he pointed out.

Betrayal of Lopez’s legacy?

THE anti-mining group Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), for its part, expressed surprise and dismay with the issuance of Malacañang of EO 130. “This is a betrayal of the Duterte administration against the legacy of former DENR Secretary Gina Lopez and treachery against the future generations of Filipinos,” Jaybee Garganera, national coordinator of ATM told the BusinessMirror via text message. “President Duterte has completed his turn around—from claiming to protect the environment and stop the destruction of forests by destructive mining—to a pro-mining President. Lifting the mining moratorium exposes his administration’s support for mining projects that will impact our water, food supply, forest, biodiversity, indigenous communities and fragile island-ecosystems,” Garganera said. Garganera lamented that the lifting of the mining moratorium was made one week before the celebration of Earth Day 2021. “The minions of this regime led by DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu and DOF Secretary Carlos Dominguez have once again failed the Filipino people in standing up for ecological integrity and environmental sustainability. This will be the saddest Earth Day celebration for many communities,” he averred. “In the middle of a climate crisis and this pandemic, corporate interests and profit has won again over the welfare and benefits of man,” he added. Garganera said ATM would not take Malacañang’s action sitting down. “We will mobilize all our members to intensify and broaden the resistance against mining, especially those who stand to benefit from this new policy. And we will defy this callous government who keeps turning a blind eye against mining-affected communities and environmental defenders,” Garganera said.

Amended provisions

THE revisions in EO 79 stipulated in EO 130 include the giving authorization to DENR to “formulate the terms of and conditions in the new mineral agreements that will maximize government revenues and share from production,” through royalties in accordance with existing laws. The task of “rationalizing existing revenue-sharing schemes and mechanisms” will be handled by both DENR and DOF. EO 130 retained the original provision of EO 79 in terms of allowing the grant of new mineral agreements subject to compliance with the Philippine Mining Act; granting of Exploration Permits; and the mandate of DENR to review existing mining contracts. EO 130 is set to take effect immediately after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

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

The World BusinessMirror

Friday, April 16, 2021

India’s second wave gathers pace with record 200,739 Covid cases

ndia reported more than 200,000 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday—its highest one-day surge since the pandemic broke out—as a deadlier new wave grips the world’s second worst hit country.

With 200,739 new cases, the outbreak in the South Asian nation has now recorded more than 14 million infections. Total deaths rose to 173,123, while more than 114 million vaccine doses have been administered, according to latest data from India’s health ministry. After new infections ebbed at the beginning of the year, Covid cases began spiking again in March. The latest wave shows no sign of receding has begun to overwhelm hospitals and crematoriums in India, triggered a shortage of vaccines and forced many parts of the country to impose lockdown-like restrictions this month to break the chain of viral transmission. Earlier this week, India fasttracked approvals for Covid-19 vaccines already approved in some developed countries to have a wider pool of shots in a race to curb the outbreak. The move effectively opened the door to cutting-edge shots made by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc., and came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government granted emergencyuse approval to Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, the third shot endorsed for the nation’s inoculation program. Key developments:

Malaysia’s Covid infection rate climbs

Malaysia’s coronavirus is spreading at its fastest rate since at least March, days after the government warned the country may be on the cusp of a fourth wave at the start of the holy month of Ramadan. The so-called “Rt” rate—the reproduction number that shows how quick ly the virus multiplies—was 1.14 as of April 14,

Astra shot safe, effective, Health Canada says

according to Health DirectorGeneral Noor Hisham Abdullah on Twitter. Malaysia added 1,889 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, the most since March 5.

Senior Japan official signals canceling Olympics an option

A senior official in Japan’s ruling party indicated that canceling the Tokyo Olympics was an option, according to a media report, as the country struggles with a surge in coronavirus cases less than 100 days before the Games are due to begin. Toshihiro Nikai, the secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said that if it was determined to be impossible to hold the Games, they would have to be canceled, according to local newswire Jiji. Earlier on Thursday, Taro Kono, Japan’s vaccine czar and administrative reform minister, signaled the possibility of holding the Olympics without spectators, according to Kyodo.

Thailand eyes partial lockdown

Thailand is considering imposing a partial lockdown in Bangkok and other provinces after coronavirus cases rose by a record this week, the Bangkok Post reported, citing Natthapon Nakpanich, secretary general of the National Security Council. The government’s commission will discuss with the health ministry the proposal for a partial lockdown along with other possible measures this Thursday, the report said. Thailand reported a record 1,543 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine may be linked to “very rare events of blood clots,” but the benefits of the shot outweigh its potential risk, Health Canada said in a statement following an assessment of scientific data. The federal agency has updated warnings about the possible side effects in product information and is providing information about potential symptoms as well as when to seek prompt medical attention following vaccination.

J&J continues to believe in vaccine

Johnson & Johnson said it continues to believe in the positive benefitrisk profile of its Covid-19 vaccine. “The safety and well-being of the people who use our products is our number one priority, and we strongly support awareness of the signs and symptoms of this extremely rare event to ensure the correct diagnosis, appropriate treatment and expedited reporting by health care professionals,” Scientific Director Paul Stoffels said in a statement. The company plans to proactively delay the rollout of the vaccine in Europe and pause vaccinations in all Janssen Covid vaccine clinical trials while it updates guidance for investigators and participants.

Qantas domestic passenger traffic bouncing back

Qantas Airways Ltd. said its passenger traffic in Australia has almost completely recovered, highlighting the potential for speedier travel rebounds than previously expected more than a year into the pandemic. Capacity on domestic routes will top 90 percent of pre-Covid levels this quarter, the airline said in a statement Thursday, up from its previous forecast of reaching 80 percent. Low-cost unit Jetstar will have even more capacity than before the pandemic. Qantas said it has seen “extremely strong” demand for leisure trips and a return of business travel, which is back to about 65 percent of normal.

Cambodia orders 2-week lockdown of Phnom Penh

H NOM PEN H , C a mb o d i a — C a m b o d i a ’s leader ordered a strict stay-at-home two-week lockdown in the capital Phnom Penh starting Thursday to slow a surge in coronavirus cases, warning “we will die unless we act responsibly.” With the vaccination campaign still at an early stage, the Health Ministry reported 178 news cases on Wednesday, including 145 plus two deaths in Phnom Penh. Cambodia has so far confirmed 4,874 cases and 35 deaths. T he latest outbrea k has been traced to a foreig n resident who broke the hotel quarantine and went to a nightclub in early Februar y. The government on Feb. 20 announced a two-week closure of public schools, cinemas, bars and enter ta inment venues in the capital. As

cases rose, the closures were e x t e nd e d t h rou g hout t he countr y for schools, g yms, concert halls, museums and other gathering places. The new measure extends an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in Phnom Penh and bars residents from venturing out unless for food and other necessities at locations authorized by the government. “We are facing an impending disaster and we will die unless we act responsibly and be united,” Prime Minister Hun Sen said in an audio address. Hun Sen also also ordered a t wo-week lockdow n in Takhmao, a town in Kandal province that borders the capital and is considered the center of the outbreak. A defunct hotel in the capital has been converted into a 500room coronavirus hospital, and authorities are enforcing a new

law imposing penalties for violating health rules. Last week, Cambodia shut its most popular tourist destination, the centuries-old Angkor temple complex, for two weeks. Authorities also broadened the vaccination campaign, targeting 1 million doses a month beginning in April. Through the end of March, about 400,000 people—about one-third of them members of the armed forces— had received their shots. By the end of March, Cambodia had acquired more than 3.1 million doses of vaccines from China and through the World Health Organization’s COVAX initiative. Cambodia has a population of about 17 million. Hun Sen said that vaccinations are voluntary, but civil servants and members of the military would be at risk of being dismissed if they fail to be inoculated. AP

Argentina restricts Buenos Aires area mobility

Stores in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area cannot open earlier than 9 a.m. and must close by 7 p.m. local time for the next two weeks beginning April 16, President Alberto Fernandez said in a televised statement. Argentina needs to restrict social gatherings due to Covid-19 spike in Buenos Aires metropolitan area, Fernandez said.

Singapore uncovers small Covid cluster

Singapore’s latest community case of Covid-19 infection widened a new cluster in the city-state to four patients, according to the health ministry. The lone reported community case that added to this cluster is a 44-year-old male Papua New Guinea citizen, with a short-term visit pass, who arrived from Australia on March 25 for a work project, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The linked spread of Covid-19 is the first after the ministry’s announcement on March 25 that there were no open clusters of infections.

Airline middle seats cited as risk

The risk of being exposed to the Covid-19 virus on an airline flight drop by as much as half when airlines keep middle seats open, a new study published by the US government concludes, a safety practice the carriers have abandoned. The study is the latest to roil the waters on a controversial topic: just how risky it is to travel during the pandemic. It didn’t attempt to estimate infection risks and was based on modeling done before the pandemic, so it didn’t consider rules that now require face masks on flights. The risk of coming in contact with the virus dropped by 23 percent to 57 percent if airlines limited passenger loads on both single-aisle and wide body jets, compared with full occupancy, according to research released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday. Bloomberg News

Japan joins U.S. in urging China to cut greenhousegas emissions

apan urged China to accelerate efforts to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions, echoing calls from the US ahead of global climate talks later this month. “It is important for the democratic countries to have one voice to encourage China to be more proactive,” Japan’s Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told a BloombergNEF summit in New York on Wednesday. China’s “air pollution control could directly affect our people’s health and society. We are calling on China to move ahead of its 2060 carbon neutral pledge, and to urgently peak-out their emissions.” The finger pointing is some of the harshest criticism of China’s green policies since President Xi Jinping announced last year a goal to become net-zero by 2060, a decade later than the date pledged by other key economies, including Japan. Koizumi’s comments come after US climate envoy John Kerry said in January Beijing’s carbon neutrality pledge needed to be fleshed out. Kerry was scheduled to hold talks in Shanghai this week to discuss climate ambitions with Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua. Leaders from 40 nations will attend a virtual climate summit organized by US President Joe Biden from April 22-23 aimed at galvanizing efforts to commit to more ambitious greenhouse gas mitigation targets. Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga may announce a stricter 2030 emissions reduction target at the event, after last year pledging to become net-zero by 2050. Bloomberg News

Friday, April 16, 2021

The World BusinessMirror

J&J vaccine to remain in limbo while officials seek evidence J ohnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine will remain in limbo for a while longer after government health advisers declared Wednesday that they need more evidence to decide if a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to the shot—and if so, how big the risk really is. The reports are exceedingly rare six cases out of more than 7 million US inoculations with the one-dose vaccine. But the government recommended a pause in J&J vaccinations this week, not long after European regulators declared that such clots are a rare but possible risk with the AstraZeneca vaccine, a shot made in a similar way but not yet approved for use in the US. At an emergency meeting, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrestled with the fact that the US has enough alternative shots to vaccinate its population but other countries anxiously awaiting the one-and-done vaccine may not. “I continue to feel like we’re in a race against time and the variants, but we need to (move forward) in the safest possible way,” said CDC adviser Dr. Grace Lee of Stanford University, who was among those seeking to postpone a vote on the vaccine. Authorities have studied the clots for only a few days and have little information to judge the shot, agreed fellow adviser Dr. Beth Bell of the University of Washington. “I don’t want to send the message there is something fundamentally wrong with this vaccine,” Bell said. “It’s a very rare event. Nothing in life is risk-free. But I want to be able to understand and defend the decision I’ve made based on a reasonable amount of data.” These are not run-of-the-mill blood clots. They occurred in unusual places, in veins that drain blood from the brain, and in people with abnormally low levels of clot-forming platelets. The six cases raised an alarm bell because that number is at least three times more than experts would have expected to see even of more typical brain-drainage clots, said CDC’s Dr. Tom Shimabukuro. “What we have here is a picture of clots forming in large vessels where we have low platelets,” Shimabukuro explained. “This usually doesn’t happen,” but it’s similar to European reports with the AstraZeneca vaccine. The good news: The government says there are no signs of similar clots after vaccination with the Pfizer and Moderna shots that are the mainstay of the Covid-19 fight in the US. The J&J cases now under investigation are all among women younger than 50. But the advisory panel stressed that there’s not enough information to tell if only certain groups would be at risk. In Europe, most but not all cases following AstraZeneca vaccinations have been among women under 60, leading different countries to use that vaccine in varying ways. Also, a 25-year-old man experienced a similar clot during US testing of J&J’s vaccine, something the government scrutinized at the time but could not link to the shot. On Wednesday, the company also brought to the CDC’s

attention a woman whose clot did not occur in the brain, sparking more questions about what other evidence to examine. The CDC expects its advisers to reconsider the evidence within two weeks. So far the clots have occurred between one and three weeks after people received the J&J vaccine, and officials cautioned that more reports could surface. The clot concerns could undermine public confidence in a vaccine many hoped would help some of the hardest-to-reach populations—in poor countries or in places like homeless shelters in the US. But the US has intensive monitoring for Covid-19 vaccines, since side effects too rare to have occurred in studies of thousands of people sometimes pop up once shots are used in millions. Shimabukuro said spotting such a rare potential risk amid the nation’s huge vaccine rollout “is an example of a success story for vaccine safety.” Some vaccine specialists who were closely watching the deliberations expressed dismay that the public—here and abroad—will have to wait for more advice. “What they did was they punted,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “I just don’t think waiting is going to give you a critical amount of information that is going to help you make a decision.” He noted that many European countries are dealing with the AstraZeneca uncertainty without stopping its use. Health officials recommended the J&J timeout in part to make sure doctors know how to recognize and treat the unusual condition. The CDC said Wednesday that four of the six women with the unusual clots were treated with a blood thinner named heparin—a treatment the government is warning doctors to avoid. The setback for J&J comes as the worldwide death toll from Covid-19 approaches 3 million, including more than 560,000 who perished in the US, which continues to report tens of thousands of new infections every day and an average of almost 1,000 deaths. So far, the J&J vaccine has been a minor player in US vaccinations. More than 122 million Americans have received at least one vaccine dose, and nearly 23 percent are fully vaccinated. Moderna and Pfizer are on track to have delivered 300 million doses each by mid- to late July. Vaccinations are slower in Europe, where many countries have struggled for supply. J&J delayed some of its European deliveries amid the clot evaluation, but Poland said it would use the batch it already has in hand. European medical regulators plan to issue their own evaluation of the J&J clot issue next week. When the clots were spotted after AstraZeneca vaccinations, scientists in Norway and Germany raised the possibility that some people are experiencing an abnormal immune response, forming antibodies that disable their platelets. That’s the theory as the US now investigates the J&J reports. AP

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Mexico’s Covid-19 policies cost huge number of lives

EXICO CITY— Mexico’s unwillingness to spend money, do more testing, change course or react to new scientific evidence contributed to the country being one of the worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released this week by the University of California, San Francisco.

Mexico would have had a significantly lower death toll if it had reacted as well as the average government, according to the University’s Institute for Global Health Sciences, which also released a report sharply critical of the US response to Covid-19. Mexico’s Health Department says there have been almost 210,000 deaths in the country of 126 million, but because so little testing is done, it acknowledges the real toll is around 330,000. The United States and Brazil have higher tolls, but much larger populations. The failure by officials to recommend face masks, institute travel restrictions, provide enough testing and protective equipment and institute social distancing measures were among the mistakes cited by the report, which was commissioned by the World Health Organization’s Independent Panel to the Institute for Global Health. “Key decisions about how to confront the health crisis were based on unwarranted assumptions, without sufficient evaluation and judgement of the risks,” according to the report, which cited excessive concentration of authority and “a government communication campaign that prioritized keeping up appearances, and partisan politics, before health.” For e x a mple, A ssi st a nt Health Secretary Hugo López Gatell, who has acted as the government’s point-man in the pandemic, repeatedly said that wearing face masks did not protect people from catching

Covid-19, even after evidence mounted that they did. “It is no coincidence that countries with the worst performance in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic have populist leaders,” according to the report. “They have in common traits such as minimizing the severity of the condition, discouraging the use of face masks, prioritizing the economy over saving lives, and refusing to come together with political opponents to mount a coherent response.” Neither López-Gatell nor the government has commented on the report. For mer hea lth secretar y José Narro said that “while it contains some inaccuracies, the truth is, (it is) very good.” Throughout the pandemic, López-Gatell ridiculed mass testing as a waste of money and effort. The government also emphasized the promise that there were hospital beds available, when in fact the system was saturated in many places. Austerity-minded President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has spoken with pride of not acquiring debt during the pandemic and not launching economic stimulus programs. But the report says that penny-pinching may have played a role in decisions not to expand testing, trace cases and quickly acquire PPE. “From the outset, health authorities deemed efforts to stop or contain the virus futile and a waste of scarce resources, arguing instead for a mitigation approach and the preparation of the health system to care for

In this October 27, 2020 file photo, workers wearing full protection gear amid the new coronavirus pandemic, lower a coffin into a grave in an area of the San Rafael municipal cemetery set apart for people who have died from Covid-19, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. According to a report released the third week of April by the University of California, San Francisco, Mexico would have had a significantly lower Covid-19 death toll if it had reacted as well as the average government. AP/Christian Chavez

the small minority that would require medical attention,” the report said. But concentrating so much power in the hands of LópezGatell, an appointee of López Obrador, led the government to double-down on early mistakes. The human cost of the missteps has been overwhelming. “Ever y day I cr y for my son, for the circumstances” in which he died, said Martha Méndez Guevara, whose son, television sports journalist José “Pepe” Roldán Méndez, 43, died of Covid-19 in June. Mendez Guevara brought photos of her son a nd a n urn with his ashes to Mexico City’s Basilica de Guadalupe on Wednesday to have them blessed at an improvised shrine for pandemic victims. She says she can’t judge whether authorities’ response to the pandemic was sufficient, in part because she never got to see her son after he was admitted to a government hospital in May. “We don’t know if they did enough for him, because we were not allowed to visit him,” she said. To be fair, the report notes that López Obrador’s administration had to contend with an already over-stretched health care system, and people’s “delays in seeking medical care out of fear that once admitted to a hospital, people would contract the disease or die.” That meant many patients arrived at hospitals in advanced stages of the disease.

“ T he high preva lence of chronic diseases, in combination with suboptimal timeliness and quality of medical attention, have likely contributed to relatively high Covid-19 mortality among the non-elderly population in Mexico,” the report said, referring to Mexico’s very high levels of obesity and diabetes. That also led to more deaths among younger patients; 50.6 percentof all Covid-19 death in Mexico occurred among people under 65 years old, compared to 18.7 percentin the United States. T he gover nment sa id it would not institute mandatory face mask rules, strict lockdowns or travel bans, saying such moves would violate individual liberties. But the report noted the government failed to follow even its own rules, something it claimed that by February made Mexico City the second worst-hit metropolis in the world after Lima, Peru. “Authorities’ miscalculations or tampering with the established epidemiological alert-system—which by December 4, signaled the highest level of risk—led them to postpone the reintroduction of strict restrictions in the city until December 18,” the report said, referring to a four-level sca le based on case loads, hospita l izations and ot her mea su res t hat wou ld have trig gered business closures. “By then, on the verge of the winter holidays, transmission had already spiraled,” it said. AP

Bangkok nightlife clusters expose Thailand’s coronavirus stumbles

ANGKOK—When Thailand’s transport minister was recently diagnosed with Covid-19, it was Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha who got a headache. Prayuth was not particularly lauded for his leadership last year against the coronavirus, but for much of 2020 Thailand fought the disease to a standstill, with low infection and death rates envied by more developed countries. Now, an outbreak at nightspots in the capital Bangkok has sent new infections surging, suggesting the country may have been lulled into a false sense of security before mass vaccinations begin. On Wednesday, 1,335 new cases were confirmed, taking the total to 35,910, with 97 deaths. While that is much better than most other countries, Thailand’s cases in the first three months of this year were triple what the country had all of last year and its daily numbers are rising fast. The new outbreak has spread among mostly young, affluent and mobile Thais, and some of the newly infected had the more contagious variant first identified in the UK. The government says Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob caught the virus from an aide who patronized some of the infectious nightspots, including a club described by Thai media as a glorified strip joint that

was blatantly ignoring social distancing precautions. That has added to widespread skepticism over the government’s handling of the latest crisis. Thailand only recently began easing strict border controls that for the past year have kept out most travelers, especially all-important tourists whose spending supports millions of jobs. The restrictions have included mandatory testing and 14-day quarantines for almost all arrivals. Officials had appeared reluctant to impose sweeping restrictions like curfews, bans on serving alcohol and closures of bars, parks and shopping malls that were the rule this time last year, when Songkran Thai New Year holidays were cancelled. This week, the holiday went ahead, and as many as a million Thais headed out to visit family or crowded onto beaches, even as some hospitals halted Covid-19 testing due to a rush by thousands of people worried they had been exposed or needing proof they were virus-free. Some hospitals claimed to have run out of testing supplies, but the government said the real reason was an unintended consequence of a well-meaning regulation—they are required to admit infected patients right away, but believed they lacked enough beds to accommodate them. Officials pivoted to allow referrals, and

thousands of beds have filled up at field hospitals set up to house those with confirmed infections, following the government’s protocol of isolating all known patients. Online photos show exhausted medical staff in protective gear, slumped over sleeping on their desks and chairs. A worst case scenario from the Department of Disease Control’s epidemiology division calculated that without safety measures, the country could see a maximum of 28,678 daily cases. “The situation is still worrisome; more measures are to come,” Dr. Opas Karnkavinpong, the department’s directorgeneral, warned Tuesday. Gen. Natthapon Nakpanich, operations chief for the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, elaborated Wednesday, saying the government was considering instituting lockdowns in several areas after the holiday. They include Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, Prachuab Khiri Khan to the south, where the resort town of Hua Hin is, the northern city of Chiang Mai, and parts of the Eastern Seaboard, where another popular holiday destination, Pattaya, is located. On Tuesday, the government raised eyebrows by posting photos of soldiers spraying forest areas along the border, even though experts say the greatest virus risk

is airborne. The latest crisis has made glaringly apparent an Achilles heel in Thailand’s strategy, a failure to secure enough doses this year to inoculate a targeted 70 percent of the population believed necessary to achieve herd immunity. So far, under 1 percent of 69 million Thais have been vaccinated, a smaller proportion than in many of its Southeast Asian neighbors. Thailand’s early success in containing the virus was remarkable given the millions of international travelers, especially from China, that it usually hosts each year. The first case outside China was a Chinese traveler whose fever was detected at Bangkok’s airport. It’s unclear why Thailand and several other Southeast Asian nations succeeded in constraining the pandemic for much of last year. Thailand’s extensive and experienced public health system played a large role, and Prayuth’s government generally deferred to medical experts’ advice. But the nation has paid a heavy price for its aggressive effort to control outbreaks: The economy contracted 6.1 percent in 2020 and the resurgence of cases makes a tourism recovery unlikely anytime soon. Household debt rose 42 percent last year as incomes fell or stalled, to 87 percent of the country’s GDP. AP

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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.

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24/7 BUSINESS PROCESSING INC. 11/f Capella Bldg. L-3&4 B2, Asean Drive Filinvest Alabang Muntinlupa City SRIANI Indonesian

BAHASA SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

FAN, YI Chinese

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HU, WENSONG Chinese

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LI, YUAN Chinese

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ZHAN, GUIYAN Chinese

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ZHONG, XINCHEN Chinese

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8 STONE BUSINESS OUTSOURCING OPC 5-10/f Tower 1 Pitx Kennedy Road Tambo Parañaque City 7.

LIN, ZHENGYU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

ZHAO, QIAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

AMAZING HOUSE, INC. G/f Oceanaire Residences, Cbpi Sunrise Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City 9.

PAN, DENG Chinese

CHINESE CUISINE SPECIALIST

AMAZON OPERATION SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. B21 Three E-com Moa Complex Harbour Drive Cor. Bay Shore Brgy. 076 Pasay City 10.

NUCHBANPA, SIRIRAT Thai

INVESTIGATION SPECIALIST I

AMDOCS PHILIPPINES INC. 23rd, 25th, And 26th Floors Eco Tower 32nd St. Cor. 9th Ave. Bonifacio Global City Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 11.

PRASHANTH SHASHIDHARAN Indian

CUSTOMER OPERATIONS PROJECT MANAGER

12.

PAREKH, PRAKASHKUMAR MANEKLAL Indian

SERVICE PARTNER

ANDES CONSULTING ADVISORY INC. 22/f Robinsons Summit Center 6783 Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City

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PAILI HOLDINGS CORPORATION 3rd Floor One/ Neo Building 26th Street Corner 3rd Avenue Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

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ZHOU, YIHUI Chinese

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CHINA WUYI CO., LTD. 4/f Commodore Bldg. 422 Arquiza St. 072 Bgy. 667 Ermita Manila 41.

XIE, WENPENG Chinese

MANDARIN MANAGING DIRECTOR

42.

LIN, LIZHEN Chinese

MANDARIN OPERATIONS MANAGER

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WANG, XIAOBING Chinese

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DA SUCCESS BUSINESS TRADING INCORPORATED 2503 The Finance Centre 26th Street Corner 9th Avenue Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 44.

AI, BINGCHEN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING MARKETING SPECIALIST

45.

YANG, CHANGCHUN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING MARKETING SPECIALIST

DIGICHROM INC. Unit 2602 & 2603 26/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City 46.

CHAO, YU-HSIN Taiwanese

MANDARIN SPEAKING HR OFFICER

FUTURENET AND TECHNOLOGY CORP. Unit 2104 Robinsons Equitable Tower Adb Avenue, Ortigas Center San Antonio Pasig City

53.

MANDARIN SPEAKING FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

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CALL CENTER AGENT MANDARIN SPEAKING

16.

NATHANIEL CHONG YANG SHUNG Malaysian

MA, WEIJIAN Chinese

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55.

YING, CAIDONG Chinese

CALL CENTER AGENT MANDARIN SPEAKING

17.

SUN, TONG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

56.

ZHANG, CONGLIN Chinese

CALL CENTER AGENT MANDARIN SPEAKING

18.

TAN HUI LIN Malaysian

MANDARIN SPEAKING FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

19.

YE, YONGHAO Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES PHILS. INC. U-5302, 53/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave., Cor., V.a. Rufino St. Bel-air Makati City

20.

YONG BOON KIONG Malaysian

MANDARIN SPEAKING FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

23.

CROUET, LAURENT CHRISTOPHE French

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. Eastfield Center Cbp1, Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 5f-13f, Jiaxing Tower Building Aseana Avenue, Aseana Business Park Tambo Parañaque City

57.

WANG, JIXU Chinese

CHANNEL MANAGER FOR HUAWEI MATE 40 PRO PROGRAM

58.

CHAN SZE MUN Malaysian

NETWORK PRODUCT MANAGER FOR GLOBE FIXED ACCESS AND IP TARGET NETWORK PROJECT

INQUICK SERVICES INC. Unit 606 6/f Itc Bldg. 337 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Bel-air Makati City 59.

SU, WEIKUN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

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

118.

WANG, CHAOMING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SUPPORT

119.

WANG, WENCAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SA RIVENDELL GLOBAL SUPPORT, INC. 9-11 Flr., The Biopolis Bldg. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 120.

LIU, XIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

MANDARIN SPEAKING HELPDESK SUPPORT

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CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

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MANDARIN SPEAKING HELPDESK SUPPORT

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TRAN LINH PHONG Vietnamese

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CHEN, JINGMIN Chinese

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WANG, JUAN Chinese

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85.

LI, ZHONGXU Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING SERVICE DESK SUPPORT

125.

YU, WENHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

86.

YANG, JINLONG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING SERVICE DESK SUPPORT

SAMSUNG SDS GLOBAL SCL PHILIPPINES CO., LTD. INC. 2001 Trade & Financial Tower 32nd St. Cor. 7th Ave. Bonifacio Global City Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

MINDSCAPE CREATIVES INC. Unit 19-o, Burgundy Corporate Tower 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City

89.

KIMURA, SHUNTA Japanese

MANAGER

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION Sky Garage Bldg. Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City 1331 Pearl Plaza Bldg. Quirino Ave. Tambo Parañaque City 90.

HAO, HUAIXIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

91.

HE, WENLI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

92.

HU, HUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

93.

JIANG, WEIBAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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KE, HEBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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LIN, KUNXIN Chinese

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LIN, XUEMING Chinese

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LIU, CHAO Chinese

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LUO, WEIWEI Chinese

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MI, XIUXIU Chinese

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SHANGGUAN, XINAN Chinese

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101.

SONG, LILI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

102.

SONG, HANXIAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

60.

JULIANA Indonesian

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST

61.

DIAN AGUSTINA Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

103.

SU, WENQIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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LINDAWATI Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

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SUN, SHIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

63.

RIO Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

105.

SUN, BIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

64.

ZENG, XIAODONG Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

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TANG, GE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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CHEN, ZHIJIE Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

107.

TANG, YUYONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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ZHANG, HAORAN Chinese

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108.

TIAN, XUN Chinese

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WANG, ZIDING Chinese

QA (QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

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68.

CHEN, TAO Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

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CHEN, HONGLIANG Chinese

70.

126.

KIM, SUNGTAEK South Korean

CHIEF FINANCE OFFFICER

SKY DRAGON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES CORP. 2f-5f Unit 710 Shaw Blvd. Global Link Center, Brgy. Wack Wack Mandaluyong City 127.

SHI, JIANKANG Chinese

CHINESE RESEARCH ANALYST

TIGER RESORT, LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Okada Manila, New Seaside Drive Entertainment City Barangay Tambo Parañaque City 128.

CHANG CHIN HOOI Malaysian

MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

VAN GOGH BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING INC. 5th To 8th Flr. Sm Southmall Tower 2 Alabang Zapote Rd. Almanza Uno Las Piñas City 129.

CHEN, LEI Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

130.

ZHANG, HE Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

VASTLINE BUSINESS SUPPORT INC. U-504p Five E-com Ctr. Bldg. Pacific Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City 131.

YIN, WEI Chinese

SITE TECHNICAL OFFICER MANDARIN

VPC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED 11/f 100 West, Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Cor. Washington St. Pio Del Pilar Makati City 132.

CHEN, YUSONG Chinese

BILINGUAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

133.

CHEN, LI-HSIANG Taiwanese

BILINGUAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

134.

JIAN, SHANYUAN Chinese

BILINGUAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

135.

JIANG, PEIPEI Chinese

BILINGUAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

136.

LIANG, HOUDA Chinese

BILINGUAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

137.

SHI, SHUXIAO Chinese

BILINGUAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

138.

XIAO, JINYIN Chinese

BILINGUAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

139.

NGUYEN THI HOANG NHI Vietnamese

VIETNAM-SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER

140.

TA BAO LE Vietnamese

VIETNAM-SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER

WOZOT NB OLIVE INC. Penthouse 1 One Corporate Center Julia Vargas Ave. San Antonio Pasig City 141.

NGUYEN CAM NHUNG Vietnamese

ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE

142.

NGUYEN DUY THANH Vietnamese

ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE

143.

NGUYEN VIET CUONG Vietnamese

ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE

144.

PHAN VAN GIANG Vietnamese

ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

145.

VO DINH HOANG Vietnamese

ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE

WANG, HUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

146.

DAO THI NHU QUYNH Vietnamese

OPERATIONS TEAM LEAD

110.

YANG, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

*Date Generated: Apr 15, 2021

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

111.

YU, CHUNYUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

FAN, ZIYI Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

112.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

YUE, YUAN Chinese

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.

113.

DANG THI NGAT Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

24.

HE, LIN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

25.

LI, KUN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

26.

LIU, YANBIN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

27.

SONG, MINGHAO Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

28.

WANG, XIN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

29.

YIN, QIXIAN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

30.

ZHANG, HE Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

31.

ZHANG, FUYONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

ZHANG, JIN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

71.

FENG, DANG Chinese

33.

HUANG, YANLING Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

72.

GAO, XIANGSHU Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

34.

JIN, XIN Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

73.

WANG, ZHIGANG Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

114.

HO TRONG CHUONG Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

35.

LI, WAN Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

74.

YU, YINGJIAO Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

115.

PHAM VIET DO Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

32.

RIGHT CHOICE FINANCE CORP. 5e-1 Electra House Bldg. 115-117 Esteban Street San Lorenzo Makati City

FU, PEIQI Chinese

MOSPENG RESEARCH LAB PHILIPPINES INC. Ub 111 Paseo De Roxas Bldg. 111 Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City

51.

SITE TECHNICAL SUPPORTMANDARIN

82.

PROJECT COORDINATOR

CALL CENTER AGENT MANDARIN SPEAKING

HOU, SHAOFENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

49.

GONG, YU Chinese

117.

QUAN, ZHILONG Chinese

ZHAO, YONGHUA Chinese

50.

REDSHIELD SERVICES INC. Rm. 127 12/f Times Plaza Bldg. Un. Cor . Taft Ave. 072, Bgy. 666 Ermita Manila

121.

MANDARIN DATA ANALYST

CALL CENTER AGENT MANDARIN SPEAKING

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTMANDARIN SPEAKING

MANDARIN SPEAKING ACCOUNT ASSOCIATE

KONG CHEE SEONG Malaysian

CHEN, GUOCHENG Chinese

QIU, YULONG Chinese

POSITION

KUO, CHIA-HAO Taiwanese

88.

GOLDENSKY INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC. Midas Hotel 2702 Roxas Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

116.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

81.

PROJECT COORDINATOR

14.

AXA GROUP OPERATIONS PHILIPPINES INC. 39/f Gt Tower International 6813 Ayala Ave., Cor. H.v. Dela Costa St. Bel-air Makati City

KONGANBUDDIES MARKETING INC. 48/f Lower Ground Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. Bel-air Makati City

WU, RONG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

22.

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT AND DEPUTY DIVISION MANAGER

48.

LIN, YU-JUNG Taiwanese

MANDARIN NETWORK AND SYSTEM SPECIALIST

80.

TODO, MOTOYUKI Japanese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

CALL CENTER AGENT MANDARIN SPEAKING

XIAO, WENBO Chinese

JGC PHILIPPINES, INC. Jgc Philippines Building 2109 Prime Street, Madrigal Business Park Alabang Muntinlupa City

BAI, XUE Chinese

HAN, ZHONGLONG Chinese

APPTECHURE CORP. Units A&b 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. San Lorenzo Makati City

CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPPORT

87.

52.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

NGUYEN VAN CHUNG Vietnamese

PROJECT COORDINATOR

MANDARIN SPEAKING FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

HE, RONG Chinese

79.

HUANG, LINGUO Chinese

CHEN, CHUN-HUNG Taiwanese

21.

ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. U-608 Eastfield Ctr. Moa Comp. Macapagal Ave. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

47.

13.

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

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

Friday, April 16, 2021 A7

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Friday, April 16, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

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editorial

We must hold on

T is absolutely no consolation or comfort to those who have had loved ones become ill or succumbed to Covid-19. It is absolutely no relief to those that are in grim financial condition because of the quarantines.

But as American author and disability rights advocate Helen Keller said: “The world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” The massive increase in cases since the beginning of March and the equally abhorrent increase in deaths will hopefully be a wake-up call for all of us. The statistics show that we did not take responsibility for our own health and safety and the health and safety of our loved ones. The data shows that. People over 60 years of age have been warned since the beginning that they are at the most risk and the 65-year-old cohort has been under strict quarantine. The 60-year-old and above group accounts for 18.3 percent of all cases. Yet, 49.3 percent of the deaths occurred in the 65 and above age group, and 63 percent of those that succumbed to Covid were 60 years old and above. By contrast, more than half—54.3 percent—of the cases were in the 25 to 50 age group. Only 15. 6 percent of the deaths were recorded in the 25 to 50 age group. If the senior citizens were quarantined and followed health protocols, where did they get the virus that killed many of them? From the statistics, it would appear that the children and grandchildren were not protective enough of their elders. How else can you explain the wide difference between the percentage of cases in the below 50 age group versus the number of cases in the elderly? The financial hardship is dependent on the health aspect. The two issues cannot be separated. The viral epidemic in the Philippines will eventually end based on time, natural herd immunity, and as more people are vaccinated. Ultimately, the government has limited financial capabilities to help the people. The longer the epidemic runs, the more suffering and the more difficult it becomes for government to mitigate the hardship. However, as bleak as the outlook appears to be, the larger reality is that we have seen a glimmer of light at the end of the economic tunnel. The third quarter of 2020 saw the Philippine economy frozen. Virtually nothing was moving. During the last three months of the year—the fourth quarter—quarantine restrictions started loosening. Private business has two critical inputs to the economy: companies pay wages to employees and taxes to the government. Jollibee Foods Corp. posted a net loss of P11.51 billion for 2020. Yet, “Jollibee was able to swing to profit in the 4th quarter.” Granted, a sizable portion of the profit was foreign generated. But a major property developer reported, “Real estate sales grew by 22 percent in the fourth quarter with reservation sales up 85 percent quarter on quarter.” Another P1 billion-revenue company with only local operations was able to see “revenues increased 58 percent during the last three months of the year.” “Banks’ bad loans hit 11-year high” and in February, “the highest in more than 11 years.” But “Moody’s Investors Service has raised the outlook of Philippine banks to stable from negative.” Further, “loan disbursements by Philippine banks are seen recovering this year, according to S&P Global Ratings.” The situation is dire but not hopeless. We must all work together to conquer our health and financial troubles. Since 2005

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business ✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Founder Publisher Editor in Chief Associate Editor News Editor

T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Online Editor

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Better Days

arlier this week, the Anti-Red Tape Authority, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government signed a joint memorandum circular enjoining all local government units (LGUs) to automate their Business Processing and Licensing Systems and setup an electronic Business One-Stop Shop (eBoss) by June 17 this year. With an eBoss in place in every LGU, business permit applications may be submitted online, the requisite fees may be paid through digital means, and electronic versions of permits, licenses, and clearances will be issued. The mandated migration to digital platforms could also make it easier for LGUs to streamline their processes and shorten the number of steps needed—by consolidating for instance the application forms for Business Permit, the Fire Safety and Inspection Certificate, locational clearances, or Sanitary and Environmental Permits into a unified application form. This is why the JMC signed earlier this week is laudable, as it marks yet another decisive step in the government’s digital transformation, which arguably has been accelerated by the mobility restrictions and social distancing protocols brought about by the pandemic. It’s equally heartening to note that according to the DICT, some 446 LGUs have already

signed agreements with the agency in relation to setting up these eBoss systems, and that some 200 are already operational. Getting the system set up in every LGU is but one step in the process, however. Making sure it is running smoothly, utilized well, and safeguarded properly is another matter altogether, especially when there are significant challenges we have to address before our country’s overall digital transformation can take place. For instance, a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) pointed out that limited access to computers, lack of standardization, poor infrastructure, and other related issues are hindering the development and implementation of e-government services throughout the country. In the United Nation’s 2020 eGovernment Survey, we ranked 77th out of 193 in the survey’s eGovernment Development Index, which is a composite of other metrics

Dramatic panic

Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Dennis D. Estopace Angel R. Calso

Chairman of the Board Ombudsman President Advertising Sales Manager Group Circulation Manager

Sonny M. Angara

Lourdes M. Fernandez

Senior Editors

Creative Director Chief Photographer

Digital transformation in government

Harald Eustachius A. Tomintz

EAGLE WATCH

ith one year of lockdowns and quarantines, many are now looking back at 2020 and commenting on how everything seems pretty much the same as it was when this all began. There is one notable exception though: unlike last year, the reports of panic buying and hoarding have become less prevalent, even with the reintroduction of the enhanced community quarantine and now the modified version. What has changed? Consumer behavior is one of the traditional topics of economics, and the phenomenon of stocking up on goods in an emergency falls squarely under that category. One might recall how last year, photos on social media and reports on the Internet were rife with posts about empty shelves and filled pushcarts at supermarkets. Netizens were posting their stories about how everyone seemed to be buying things out left and right like there was no tomorrow!

For a time, this panic buying seemed to be pure madness. People stocked up on face masks, food, cleaning products, vitamins, medicines, and everything in-between. It became so overblown that at least one viral post caught a person trying to purchase as many skinwhitening products as possible. One wonders what they intended to do with all of it. Then for a few weeks, shortages of nearly every kind of good imaginable were the

The digital transformation of our government is not a simple matter of “plug and play.” It is about genuinely engineering a shift not just in our infrastructure, but also in our people’s competencies.

of our people. For our part, we coauthored and co-sponsored the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act (SBN 1834), which lays out a comprehensive policy on digital upskilling. We also filed the National Digital Transformation Act (SBN 1470), which, among other things, establishes a Digital Competence Framework for Citizens and an ICT Competence framework for teachers. It also calls on the DICT and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to consolidate all the digital skills required of public employees in the career service and coordinate on annual digital skills training initiatives. To jump-start the digital transformation of government, we also filed the Local Information and Communications Technology Officer or ICTO Act (SBN 1943), which calls for the mandatory appointment of an ICTO in all provinces, cities, and municipalities. One aim in filing this bill was to ensure that every LGU had at least one tech-savvy person working, not just to be a resident “IT troubleshooter” but to be a genuine shepherd of sorts in the digital transformation process. The digital transformation of our government is not a simple matter of “plug and play.” It is about genuinely engineering a shift not just in our infrastructure, but also in our people’s competencies.

on the country’s online services, its human capital, and telecommunications infrastructure. Naturally, we scored the lowest in terms of telecommunications infrastructure. The 2020 e-Government Survey also ranked the Philippines 57th out of 193 in its e-Participation Index, which covers to what degree citizens are provided public information; are engaged and consulted via online means in deliberations on public policies; and are empowered to take part in the decision-making process and actual design of policy options and services. Our drop in the Tholons Top 50 Digital Nations List, from 5th in 2020 to 18th this year, is perhaps the most telling. The biggest drop was registered in our work force population, a fall of 95 percent, which is an indicator for the talent pool available that can be skilled or re-skilled. Another explanation is that in the 2021 edition of the list of digital factors, such as the presence of an open innovation ecosystem, our global digital competitiveness, the digital literacy rate, and the presence of digital talent were given more weight than in previous years. Clearly, there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed, a lot of barriers that have to be broken down to allow our digital transformation to flourish and for e-government to truly be realized. Infrastructure is one. Another is the digital skills

Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 16 years—nine years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and seven as Senator. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate. E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara

norm as the pandemic hit. A primary assumption in traditional economics is that consumers in the market are supposed to behave in at least a somewhat rational manner. Acts of buying due to hysteria seem to be the perfect counterexample. Then again, one might argue that there is no such thing as a panic buyer, for in a world of risk and uncertainty, with scarce resources to avail of, who can blame people for acting in such a manner? No one wants to die in such a situation. Thus the self-fulfilling prophecies of economics take effect: whether it’s a bank run or a shortage of any good, the logic is the same. It was not long before the Department of Trade and Industry stepped in and set limits on goods in order to prohibit citizens from buying certain products in huge amounts. Government mandates and quarantine passes served to limit the number of persons going out as well. Of course, the implementation of those policies came with their own problems: Consider the breadwinner of a multigenerational household, for example. How could one lone person,

the only one allowed to leave the home, manage to purchase enough goods for their four children, spouse, and parents or in-laws under one roof without looking brazen? It is so easy to form the unfair mental image of a hoarder: a miser who sits alone in a large home, relaxing on a comfortable chair, surrounded by a supply of products they couldn’t possibly use up by themselves—a mountain of skin-whitening products, perhaps—as the rest of the world weeps. In reality though, not everyone has enough space to sufficiently store large quantities of nonperishables, and buying an obscene amount of perishables runs the risk of spoilage. No, ultimately it wasn’t just the implementation of policies that curbed panic buying. The development of more efficient logistics chains, the advent of greater and necessary trust in online buying and selling, the availability of delivery services, and even the realization among consumers that some kinds of panic buying are not worth it due to spatial limitations, all contributed to the dying See “Eagle Watch,” A9

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Claudio Teehankee: A Justice for all Seasons

Memories of identities

in the photograph. Still, many took note of the fact that the men wore their hair long, and that they were not wearing trousers—the g-strings they were wearing were hidden by the shirt they put on. One observed how

The label imprisoned the community in accepting the identity of the group in the photograph. “We,” the Bikolanos were historicized in that document. We were that in Albay, in 1899. Even if “civilization,” as we lowland Christians call the change in our person at the turn of the century, is missing in that photograph, no one would outright deny the ascribed identity of the group. Then a member posited the notion that those people are the so-called “remontados” or “monteses,” people who refused to be Christianized and went back to the mountains to escape colonization. Ah, brave men and women then. Happy I was with the observation, I could not fully embrace these people and who they were being claimed to be. They look proud and beautiful but, I did not feel truth in their being Bikolanos. Something about their habiliment, the long hair on the men, the women with their armbands and

they look fierce. Another talk of their dark skin, adding how they were the real Bikolanos, without the admixture of Spanish and Chinese blood. On the women, the armbands were also seen and described. Were they Agta? Agta or Aeta is one of the ethnolinguistic and cultural communities common in the region. No one would say it, but rarely could you find lowland Bikolanos claim affinity with the Agta.

the middle part of the torso partly exposed. Digital tracks, I told myself. These photos must have appeared somewhere. I looked at the markings on the material: it says California State Library. I then went back online and surfed the Internet, googling the words “1899 + Albay natives.” The results came out: the photo came from the vast and amazing collection of photographs

Tito Genova Valiente

annotations

Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

T only took four years since its law school was established in 1936 for Ateneo to produce its first bar topnotcher. And it happened closely at the heels of the most sensational bar examinations in Philippine history when Ferdinand E. Marcos topped the same examination a year earlier and soon after the Supreme Court had acquitted Marcos on October 22, 1940 of the murder charge for the alleged killing of Julio Nalundasan. Finally, the almighty UP College of Law had its comeuppance compliment of the other law school in Padre Faura, the Ateneo de Manila Law School, whose top bet, Claudio Teehankee, copped the first place in the gruelling bar examination that year. Larry Henares, who was then an Ateneo student, recalled, “We were far from welcome across Padre Faura when we took courses there. We were marked as prep school kids and the butt of UP jokes. After Teehankee’s name came up in the papers and we had our noisy celebration, they became a bit more restrained and considerate.” Teehankee took up Bachelor of Arts at the Ateneo de Manila where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1938. He pursued his law degree in the same school and again graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1940. He graduated as class valedictorian and placed No. 1 in the bar examination that year with an average rating of 94.35 percent, a record at that time. This rating was eclipsed four years later by both Jovito R. Salonga of UP and Jose W. Diokno who was given a special dispensation by the SC to take the bar without completing the required legal education. The two obtained identical ratings of 95.30 percent. Soon after becoming a lawyer, Teehankee practiced law with the best legal minds in the country like Claro M. Recto and Lorenzo Tañada. He also worked with Jose W. Diokno later. Shortly after the war, he became a partner of the Tañada, Pelaez (of the Univ. of Manila and first placer in the 1938 bar) and Teehankee Law Office. He was a nationalist and a staunch advocate of civil liberties. For many years, he headed the Civil Liberties Union and served as Supreme Commander of the Knights of Rizal. He was one of the most successful and respected barristers in the country. His son, Manuel Antonio, of UP also landed first place in the 1983 bar examination. When Marcos assumed the presidency, Teehankee was appointed as Undersecretary of Justice on January 15, 1966. A year later he was named Justice Secretary. When a position at the Supreme Court became vacant, Marcos elevated him as an associate justice of the high court. His decisions and opinions were noted for their great erudition and scholarly research. During the dark years of the Martial Law, Teehankee upheld the rights of the people and exposed the abuses of the regime. He was dubbed as the “great dissenter” because he disagreed with the opinions of the majority of the justices. He was normally joined by Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma and

Eagle Watch. . . continued from A8

down of the issue as well. That said, as people scramble to buy goods, online or otherwise, under the new-old quarantine rules, will there be another wave of extreme panic buying in the event that an absolute lockdown becomes imminent? So far, while people are scared of the rising numbers of cases, the fact that many have gotten used to this uncomfortable system by necessity, and have become more judicious, seems to have prevented a resurgence of panic buying and hoarding. The higher prices of goods

later by Justice Vicente Abad Santos in championing civil liberties and opposing decisions which curtailed human rights. He was regarded as the “conscience of the Supreme Court” for denouncing the excesses of authoritarian rule. He challenged the jurisdiction of the military tribunals over civilians and the human rights abuses of the military. As the senior associate member of the Supreme Court, he was bypassed twice for the position of the Chief Justice at the time when it was the protocol for the most senior Associate justice to succeed the retiring Chief Justice. Teehankee’s adverse position did not sit well with the ruling administration. His citizenship and qualification to sit in the SC was seriously challenged but efforts to impeach him did not succeed. In recognition for his judicial independence and moral courage which he displayed during the Martial Law years, Cory Aquino chose to take her oath of office as the new president of the Republic before him at the height of the Edsa Revolution. It was a symbolic gesture to honor a great man who had helped keep the flickering flame of freedom alive during our nation’s darkest years. President Cory Aquino named Teehankee as the 16th Chief Justice of the SC after the Edsa Revolution in 1986. He served as Chief Justice until his retirement on April 18, 1988. He was designated as the Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations until his death from cancer on November 27, 1989 in New York at the age of 72. This coming Sunday, April 18, the nation shall celebrate his 103rd Birth Anniversary. Teehankee remained true to his calling. His entire life was spent in upholding the rule of law and defending the individual from the travesty of justice and abuse of power. He was steadfast and uncompromising in fulfilling his duty as a lawyer and magistrate. Unlike many of his contemporaries in the court, he was undaunted by the tyranny of power and unyielding to the perks of privilege and position. He was never obsequious to the appointing authority and he did not curry favor nor barter his integrity and independence for the coveted post of the chief justice. In the tradition of St. Thomas More, Teehankee was a “king’s good servant, but God’s first.” But we must add a proviso that the king must also be good. Definitely, he was a man for others, a lawyer for the oppressed and a justice for all seasons. I hope that Teehankee’s indomitable independence and moral courage will rub off on his fellow Atenean, the newly appointed Chief Justice of our Supreme Court, Honorable Alexander G. Gesmundo.

could also have been a factor to influence consumer decision-making as Filipinos continue to save and tighten their belts. In the end, it really would all depend on the public perception regarding how the situation will be. Speculation and fear could always return, after all, and with the numbers of reported Covid-19 cases climbing steadily, this may happen very soon. Will history repeat itself in this case, as people cope with anxiety? The burden to not repeat the mistakes of the past falls on every individual participating in the market economy. Harald Eustachius A. Tomintz teaches at the Department of Economics of the Ateneo De Manila University.

here is an online group called “Memories of Naga and Bicol,” of which I am a member. It is an interesting group in many ways. It merely requires that the members share memories pertaining to the region. No bashing is allowed; disputes and disagreements are not encouraged. I like the rules, after all memories are highly subjective and personal. For these memories to be part of the community, one must respect that sharer’s position. When it is thus your turn to share your own memories, expect the same attention and respect. I make it sound the closed group is all in agreement with each other. Not all the time. There are oppositions but the presentation of opinions is always couched in gentility, or humor. This group is a great equivalent of a true café society, where conversations are serene and muffled and, where there is a loud laughter (an amused observation, perhaps), it is easily dissipated. Bikolanos being contrarian in nature (the region is noted for being anti-Marcos when Manila had succumbed to the wayward political charm of the dictatorship), there is only one reason why this group has sustained a peaceful and graceful exchange of ideas—memories are always good for a community. Memories are about the past and the past is oftentimes the bearer of who our forebears or ancestors were, how our parents and grandparents acted in many situations. Memories, in other words, are not merely remembering but enumerating facets of our identities. But, a week ago, a photo appeared as one of the posts. Dated 1899, as the caption states, the photo is described showing natives of Albay, a region in southeast Luzon. The comments that followed the post were all amusing observations. Some did not outright deny the “Bikolanoness” of the individuals shown

Friday, April 16, 2021

of John Tewell. In his curating of the photos, he would always warn about how dates and identifications are never conclusive. Indeed science —anthropology, archival research, and cultural studies—is never about certainty but about the discipline of critical questioning. I checked the same photo and below it were three comments, one of which countered the label of “Albay natives” by referring to them as “Tingguian mountain men.” Excited, I checked about any ethnography of the Tingguian exists online. Fay-Cooper Cole, I know, is one of the early experts on this group based in what is present-day Abra. Fortunately, his pioneering work, The Tingguian. Social, Religious and Economic Life of a Philippine Tribe, is available in e-book form under the Project Guttenberg. Tingguian is an exonym, a name given by an outsider. The group calls themselves Itneg and they occupied what is now the present-day Abra. Descriptions abound: “The hair is worn long, and is parted straight down the middle…. Round bamboo hats, with low dome-shaped tops, are commonly worn [and a photo illustrates this hat].... The woman’s hair is parted in the middle, and is combed straight down to the nape of the neck, where it is caught by strings of beads…. Like the women and men in that photo. And yet, with the tag, Albay native becomes interchangeable with any native at all. One member said that precisely, that the photo can be anything at all. The point is, a photo and a label are all it takes to define a people. The point is we really do not have a clear notion of who we were, and are. Or, maybe we have severed our links to the past, and that our connection to it is through a kind of memory that serves us when we like the images, when the narrative suits us for the moment, or when the plot flatters us into believing an illustrious origin.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

Zero-carbon goal pushes Japan to bet on century-old technology By Erica Yokoyama & Tsuyoshi Inajima Bloomberg Opinion

ome of the biggest industrial companies in Japan are working on a project that could trigger a wave of investment into one of the most controversial forms of carbon capture: methanation. Shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. (MOL) is leading a working group of nine Japanese companies including steelmakers Nippon Steel Corp. and JFE Steel Corp. to assess the viability of producing and using methane to power “zero-emission ships” instead of liquefied natural gas or other fossil fuels, including a fleet of new vessels that would transport carbon dioxide for processing. Methanation is “the most realistic solution” for MOL to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Takeshi Hashimoto, chief executive officer said in an interview. “The challenge for the next 1-2 decades is whether the company could turn the technology into a sustainable and practical solution” by reducing the cost, he said. Discovered over a century ago by French chemists, methanation is a two-part process to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methane. The hydrogen can be produced by splitting water using renewable energy such as wind or solar power. The hydrogen is combined with CO2 and the resulting methane can be used as a fuel in ships or power plants. Yet the costs of producing and transporting the gases and the technical hurdles have so far kept the process largely at an experimental level. That may change as demand for carbon-neutral energy increases. One of methane’s advantages over alternative fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen is that it can more easily use existing natural gas infrastructure, said Hashimoto. An-

other is that it can effectively store excess energy created by solar and wind power as methane. When the gas is burned to produce power, the CO2 captured earlier is released back into the atmosphere, making it carbon neutral. For shipping, the task of finding an emission-neutral fuel is critical because onboard solar and wind systems don’t generate enough energy to propel large vessels. In 2018, the International Maritime Organization set a target to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in shipping 50% by 2050 and eliminate them completely as soon as possible this century. Japan’s land ministry wants zero-emission ships to be operating by 2028. “The working group aims to get the project in shape in 7-8 years to meet the land ministry’s goal,” said Hirohiko Oyabu, an assistant to the director of the technical division at MOL.

Life-cycle emissions

The MOL-led group is conducting a life-cycle assessment of methanation and “is working to remove difficulties step by step to make the technology feasible,” Oyabu said. It expects to produce a report on initial progress this summer. Because renewable energy is expensive in Japan, the methane may need to be made overseas. That would mean developing special vessels to transport the CO2. Key to commercialization would be the viability of shipping CO2 long distances as well as the price of the hydrogen. Balanced against those expenses is the rising cost of failing to curb emissions as regulations tighten. That may propel the technology “to the next stage, including commercialization,” Oyabu said. “Fuels with less CO2 emission will be valued more in the future.” A competitor to methane is LNG,

Discovered over a century ago by French chemists, methanation is a two-part process to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methane. The hydrogen can be produced by splitting water using renewable energy such as wind or solar power. The hydrogen is combined with CO2 and the resulting methane can be used as a fuel in ships or power plants.

which emits 20 percent to 30 percent less CO2 than vessels using oil, allowing shipowners to cut emissions with proven technology. Of the 804 vessels MOL operated as of December, 96 were fueled by LNG. The number of LNG-fueled ships, including those on order, is expected to double worldwide by 2027 from 2019, the company said. That could make LNG an interim choice until a true emission-neutral solution emerges. “A zero-emission fleet is only commercially viable if zero-emission energy sources are competitive with traditional fuels,” said Johannah Christensen, managing director of the Global Maritime Forum. There were around 38 active methanation projects around the world as of 2019, mostly in Europe and the US, according to research at the Technical University of Applied Science in Regensburg, Germany. Three pilot plants were set up in Germany, Italy and Switzerland after four-years of research into the technology under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research effort. Automaker Audi AG has been experimenting with methane-powered vehicles for almost a decade and sells versions of its A4 Avant and A5 Sportback that run on the fuel, made using wind power at a plant in Werlte in North Germany.

Innovation fund

IN Japan, interest in methanation increased after the government established a $19.2 billion green innovation fund last year, looking at technologies spanning everything from carbon recycling to ship propulsion as part of its 2050 zeroemissions goal. Oil and gas company Inpex Corp. and industrial conglomerate Hitachi Zosen Corp. have built a pilot facility at Inpex’s Koshijihara gas production plant in Niigata Prefecture. Commissioned by state-run New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, the four-year-old project makes about 47 tons of methane a year, and Inpex plans to ramp it up to commercial operation of about 350,000 tons after 2030. “Compared to ammonia or liquid hydrogen, methanation could be implemented with considerably lower capital investment,” as we can use many existing facilities, said Tatsuki Wakayama, a principal project engineer at Inpex’s renewable energy and new business division. Utility Osaka Gas Co. is working on a way to produce methane by electrolyzing water vapor and CO2 simultaneously using a Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell. The company claims the system is more efficient and announced a successful prototype in January. Critics argue that even with advances in technology, methanation will struggle to compete with LNG. Imported LNG costs around $8 per MMBtu in Japan, a price methane would struggle to beat even if solar costs were free, said Syed Naqvi, executive director at IHS Markit. “Methanation could be economical if hydrogen is obtained as a byproduct from somewhere,” he said.

A10 Friday, April 16, 2021

‘KNEE-JERK FISCAL RESPONSES MAY HARM FARM INVESTMENTS’ By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

EDUCING public expenditures and raising tax revenues to improve credit worthiness may threaten agriculture investments after the pandemic, according to think tanks. In a report titled, “The economic impact of the agri-food sector in Southeast Asia” commissioned by Food Industry Asia (FIA) and produced by Oxford Economics, the Philippines was listed as one of the countries at risk of seeing reduced subsidies and investments in the farm sector post-Covid-19. FIA and Oxford Economics also warned that poorly crafted fiscal responses can harm the agri-food sector’s recovery, impacting food security, income and employment, and economic opportunities as a whole. “Poor sovereign credit ratings in Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines will intensify the pressure on finance ministries to balance their books quickly,” the report stated. “In the Philippines and Indonesia, high prevailing agricultural subsidies raise the prospect of a cut in funding for the agri-food sector,” it added. The report said an abrupt reduction in subsidies could harm agricultural producers and the agro-food value chain. It noted that half of the inputs of the farm sector feeds into the food manufacturing sector. Further, the report said Covid-19 has had a significant adverse

impact on the sector. It is estimated that the Philippine agri-food sector experienced a 4- percent contraction in 2020, equivalent to a $5.4-billion reduction, from 2019 levels, in real terms. This is estimated to have led to a loss of 390,000 jobs or a 2-percent drop in employment sustained by the sector in 2020. Tax revenues are forecast to fall by $679 million, on a year-on-year basis. “As the Philippines looks to emerge from the pandemic stronger, it is important that policymakers provide the most conducive conditions for the agri-food industry to successfully rebuild itself, and that any fiscal policy implemented is carefully planned, designed, and communicated. That will allow the industry to continue to provide the economic benefits it has delivered over recent decades,” James Lambert, Director of Economic Consulting Asia, for Oxford Economics, said. Based on the report’s Fiscal Risk Assessment Framework the Philippines is among the most at risk in Asia from post-Covid-19 fiscal adjustments, scoring higher than China, India, and other higher-income Asia economies. The report recommends that for governments to develop successful fiscal responses that do not inhibit the recovery of the agrifood industry, three conditions need to be met: using education to influence behaviour; favouring regulatory standards over taxes; and maintaining a constant conversation with the industry. Continued on A2

PHL keen on pushing trade deal with US, GSP renewal

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @Tyronepiad

HE bilateral trade agreement between Manila and Washington remains up in the air as the latter recently transitioned to a new administration. Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, Philippine Ambassador to the US, said during the event titled “PH-US at 75: Strengthening Ties through Sustainable Recovery” on Thursday that Manila is still awaiting the go-ahead from the US Department of Commerce on how both parties will proceed with the trade deal discussions. “We are still waiting for word from the Department of Commerce of how will that go,” Romualdez said. “If you are talking about the bilateral trade agreement that we were talking about last year, it hasn’t been moved since there is new administration now,” he added. Joseph Biden Jr. took his oath of office as the 46th president of the US in January this year. Manila has been seeking to strike a trade accord with Washington to lift tariffs on a number of export products, including clothing

products. To recall, the US Trade Representatives were not able to make time for the said trade negotiation in 2019 as the US Congress was occupied in tackling the USMexico-Canada Agreement. American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Executive Director Ebb Hinchliffe, at the time, said that free trade talks between the Philippines and US were likely to start by 2020. “I cannot overemphasize the importance of cooperation and collaboration between and among our government and private sector at this time as we both work on addressing and mitigating the impact of the pandemic on our peoples and our economies,” Romualdez said.

Top trade partner

Meanwhile, US Embassy in the Philippines Charge d’Affaires John

C. Law said that both countries have “close bilateral ties” through the years as proven by the growing business connections between Manila and Washington, marking 2021 as the 75th anniversary of partnership. For example, the US diplomatic official noted that nearly 40 US companies operating in the integrated circuit industry account for about half of the Philippine exports. “We are proud that many US companies, including those in the Fortune 500, have found their home in the Philippines and hope that more companies would look to us as they diversify and reconfigure their supply chains,” Romualdez said. Both officials noted that the US has also been among the top sources of foreign direct investments and trading partners of the Philippines. Law, meanwhile, identified Washington’s priority sectors under its Indo-Pacific strategy, which include energy, infrastructure, digital connectivity and cybersecurity. “In close cooperation with the Philippine government and with our business partners, we are further strengthening the economic relationship and working to build back better from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said. Currently, the Philippines is

still waiting as well for the renewal of its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) perks granted by the US as it expired on December 31 last year. The US Congress has yet to pass a new bill for said trade privilege. Under the GSP, the Philippines can export to the US at zero or reduced tariffs for a total of 5,057 products, or nearly half of the 10,600 US tariff lines. The BusinessMirror reported earlier that the Philippines may lose $1.87-billion worth of shipments if its preferential trade incentives with the US will not be granted anew. (Related story: https://businessmirror. com.ph/2021/02/08/dti-pinshopes-on-fresh-wider-us-phlgsp-deal.) According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country’s exports to Washington declined by 16.1 percent to $9.71 billion last year from $11.57 billion in 2019. Imports from the US, meanwhile, plunged by 17.8 percent year-onyear from $8.07 billion to $6.63 billion in 2020. The Board of Investments and Philippine Economic Zone Authority approved P24.28 billion worth of investment pledges from the US last year, which is more than double the P11.51 billion greenlighted in 2019.

Higher pay, benefits sought for DepEd staff on poll duty By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Correspondent

MID the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) has requested the Commission on Elections to provide additional compensation and benefits for teaching and nonteaching personnel who will serve in the May 2022 polls. In her formal letter to Comelec Chairman Sheriff M. Abas dated February 15, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones noted that the current pandemic has prompted the department to seek higher honoraria for the teaching and nonteaching personnel on duty for the election. “We recognize that there is a need for a higher compensation for the teachers because the risk of the Covid-19 is still here. We also made sure that the requested amount or rates prescribed are just and reasonable,” Briones stated. Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo and DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua discussed the proposed increase in the honoraria of teachers during election time and other election-related matters as early as February 8 this year. The discussions led to the formalization of DepEd’s position through Briones’s letter to Comelec, after internal discussions spearheaded by the Office of Undersecretary for Administration, along with the Bureau of Human Resources and Organizational Development (BHROD) and the Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS), among others.

Proposed compensation

Based on DepEd’s proposal, the recommended compensation for the Chairperson of Electoral Boards is P9,000 while the members of

the board will have P8,000 each. Meanwhile, the Department of Education Supervisor Official (DESO) and the Support Staff are recommended to get P7,000 and P5,000, respectively, considering the prevailing Consumer Price Index and Inflation Rate as of January 2021. Aside from the benefits provided by the Election Service Reform Act (ESRA) and its IRR, the DepEd also requested P500 per day in Covid-19 Hazard Pay for authorized poll workers. Provisions of onsite swab testing and other health services in case of the existence of Covid-19 during the election period, P1,000 allowance for food and water, and P2,000 for transportation expenses were also proposed. Moreover, the DepEd asked for the grant of honoraria for selected members of the Comelec-DepEd Monitoring and Coordination teams from the Central and Field Offices under the 2022 DepEd Election Task Force. These teams will ensure that teachers get adequate information, technical and legal assistance in performing their respective roles in the election. The DepEd also proposed that teachers work only for eight hours at maximum, including the preparation and the post-election activities; it also requested for funds for the maintenance and repair of schools to be used as voting centers. Briones urged DepEd officials to actively participate in the elections with integrity and honesty.“We call on all our officials and personnel to maintain neutrality, focus on nonpartisan public service, and remain a beacon of integrity,” Briones said. She thanked teacher-volunteers for continuing “to be on the frontline” of the foremost exercise of democracy in the country.

Laptops are on display at a computer shop in a Manila mall, as photographed on Wednesday. Reports said global shipments of personal computers rose at their fastest pace in two decades in the first quarter as people bought computers to help them work and study remotely during the pandemic. Research firm Gartner Inc. was reported saying the shipments of laptops and desktop computer grew 32 percent in the quarter to 69.9 million. NONIE REYES

Meat importers vow stable pork supply, prices By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

@joveemarie

MID calls from lawmakers to revoke Executive Order 128, the Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita) on Thursday vowed to supply the country with 100 full-container load of headless carcass at P200 per kilogram. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary William Dar, the association’s President Jesus Cham made this commitment for as long as the 5-percent import duty for pork is maintained and in order to dispel any doubts and concerns on EO 128. Lawmakers in both chambers want the order revoked on fears it would wipe out the local hog sector already reeling from the impact of the African Swine Fever (ASF).

Mita’s commitment was apparently meant to ease concern that the low-tariff, higher-MAV strategy will not really solve the problem of tight supply and spiralling prices of pork, while causing local pork producers to go out of business. “We commit to supply 100 FCL [full container load] Headless Carcass 6 way cut at P200/kg [excluding cold storage warehouse costs]. Each container is roughly equivalent to 250 heads,” Cham said. “Price is for a whole set comprising of two fore ends, two middles and two whole legs; P200 is roughly equivalent to a liveweight price of P150 or better,” he added. According to Cham, traders and retailers can purchase and pick up products at designated Cold Storage Warehouses. “This price allows the retailer to

sell at/below suggested retail price or SRP,” he added. Cham said the association will leave to DA to look after downstream pricing to keep retail prices in line with SRP. “This is an initial offer and we will have more loads as more members and importers are enlisted to support this endeavor,” he said. Meanwhile, Cham said opposition against EO lowering tariff rates on pork only adds “confusion and uncertainty” that will break the momentum of falling prices.

‘Prices are dropping’

Cham expressed dismay at the reactions of the hog raisers and lawmakers to the reduction of import duty and the expansion of the Minimum Access Volume (MAV). He claimed that a few days after the announcement of the EO, prices of im-

ported pork have started dropping. “We are further dismayed at the misgivings of the senators with regard to the benefits that can be achieved through the duty reduction. The actions of the Senate only add confusion and uncertainty that will break the momentum of falling prices,” Cham said. Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives are seeking to revoke Executive Order 128, temporarily modifying the rates of import duty on fresh, chilled or frozen pork meat and rejecting the staggering expansion of the MAV. Lawmakers cited Section 1608 (f) of R.A. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, saying Congress has the power to withdraw or terminate the delegated power of the President to reduce existing rates of import duties.

Companies BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Megawide suffers ₧389-M loss as crisis stalls projects

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

egawide Construction Corp. on Thursday said it incurred an attributable net loss of P389 million in 2020 from the previous year’s income of P859.48 million as the pandemic paralyzed economic activities in the country.

Saavedra, the company’s president and CEO, said. The construction business contributed P10.8 billion, or 84 percent to total consolidated revenues, and the rest by its airport and transport terminal. Quarterly revenues rose from the low of P1.1 billion at the height of lockdown in the second quarter last year to P2.6 billion in the third quarter and P3.4 billion in the fourth quarter. As of end-2020, Megawide’s order book consisted of 21 live projects compared with 30 at the start of the year, with a number currently undergoing contract negotiations with various clients. New contracts, secured mostly in the fourth quarter of 2020, amounted to P34.8 billion and brought the company’s order book to P68.4 billion by the end of last year, a new record for the company. These new projects included

the North-South Commuter Railway North phase two, or more also known as the Malolos-Clark Railway Project, the Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant, Sun City West Side City Project and the Newport Link. Half of these projects were infrastructure-related, it said. The Aglipay water utility and MCRP commuter rail, highlights the company’s pivot to the segment in anticipation of weak local private developments in the near term, it said. Airport operations at Mactan Cebu International Airport delivered revenues of P1.11 billion and comprised 9 percent of total revenues. Total passenger count reached 2.7 million, with the domestic and international segments struggling at 1.9 million and 789,328 passengers, respectively. Total air traffic was likewise confined to 26,544 movements, split into 20,514 domestic and 6,030 international flights.

Revenues fell 35 percent to P12.9 billion for the year from the previous P20.01 billion. Megawide said it embarked on cost rationalization and expense management across the organization, including letting go of some of its workers, translating to a 15-percent reduction in consolidated operating expenses to P1.54 billion.

“Unfortunately, we also had to reduce and re-deploy our manpower complement on suspended projects. On the bright side, this allowed us to concentrate and monitor progress on our ongoing developments more closely. Our digitization and automation also enabled us complete the tasks previously done manually,” Edgar B.

Fruitas posts ₧48-M loss last year

Razon firms stick to financial prudence

ood and beverage kiosk operator Fruitas Holdings Inc. said it incurred a net loss of P48 million in 2020 from the previous year’s income of P121.52 million as its revenues were cut in half. Revenues fell 54 percent to P892 million for the full year from P1.94 billion in the previous year. For the fourth quarter alone, revenues reached P263 million, which was higher than the previous quarter’s figure but was also down by more than half compared with 2019 figures due to continued mobility restrictions. It also booked a fourth quarter loss of P11 million. The company said it also booked a nonrecurring allowance for doubtful accounts on its receivables of P5 million in the fourth quarter due to the uncertainties affecting some franchisees in the current environment. “Year 2020 was a challenging year of personal hardship for all Filipinos. In business, the food service sector was significantly affected. Like many others in support of our employees and our nation’s economy, we adapted quickly by expanding service channels and adding products. Our customers were able to benefit from our in-house delivery service. We invested in building a community store network. These initiatives will contribute to our recovery this year and strong growth in the coming years,” Lester Yu, the company’s president and CEO, said. As of end-2020, the company re-opened 819 stores. More than 150 stores remained temporarily closed largely on the initiation of the lessors, including those located in certain schools, office buildings, food courts and near cinemas. The company said it will re-open these stores as restrictions are lifted. The company also has opened 30 community stores, under the Babot’s Farm and Soy and Bean brands by the end of 2020. By April, it targets to have 50 of these stores by the end of April. Community stores are now contributing approximately 10 percent of revenues, which will further expand. The company is on track to increase the number of its community stores to 100 this year. VG Cabuag

illionaire Enrique K. Razon Jr. on Thursday said his companies are focused on preserving cash and shoring up profitability despite the adverse impact of the pandemic on businesses. Razon said both port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) and integrated resort and casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. will continue investing in the “barest minimum” as its way to survive the pandemic but “the road to recovery will be a rocky one.” “At Bloomberry, we will maintain prudence in the management of our operating costs and balance sheet by accounting for the worstcase scenario. That is, we recognize the possibility of remaining in a prolonged pandemic situation for the rest of this year,” Razon said during the company’s stockholders’ meeting. “Our management team is focused on bringing revenue and profit levels back up in spite of the limitations, while

remaining conscious of our cash preservation goals.” He said Bloomberry, which operates Solaire Resort and Casino, upsized one of its existing credit facilities to make available a P20-billion credit line that will help the company outlive the pandemic. “Our management approach and efforts have given us room to continue work on key capital projects at Solaire and in Quezon City. Work on Solaire North continues, but the pace has slowed since various health and safety measures have been set up to protect our workers,” Razon said. “Despite tough construction conditions, we look forward to delivering a high-quality product by 2023, in time for a potential strong economic recovery that usually follows a crisis and the return of international travel and tourism.” For ICTSI, Razon said it allocated some $250 million in capital expenditures (capex) for this year, still higher than last year’s actual spend of $198.7 million on, among others, the new terminal in Cameroon and the reinstitution of post-

poned capex in a number of terminals. This year’s capex, meanwhile, will be spent to complete the expansion project of its flagship port the Manila International Container Terminal, the ongoing expansion at Matadi Gateway Terminal in Congo, the new expansion project at VICT in Australia, equipment acquisitions and upgrades and for various maintenance requirements, Razon said. Both ICTSI and Bloomberry led the private sector in the procurement of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, the largest combined national government, local government and private sector order of a total of 20 million doses. “When deliveries arrive at the end of the second quarter, we shall immediately roll out our vaccination program for employees, their direct dependents and extended household members. In the meantime, we continue to be alert and prepared to adapt quickly as new information and challenges arise. We are certainly not letting our guard down,” he said. VG Cabuag

Cebu Pacific to end local hotlines on May 1

UDGET carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) will discontinue its local hotline numbers on May 1, as it focuses on its digital channels to quickly address common customer concerns such as flight booking, check in requests, and retrieval of boarding passes. Candice Iyog, the company’s VP for marketing and customer experience, said putting more premium on digital transformation strategies allows Cebu Pacific to maximize its resources to address its customers’ needs. She noted that in the first quarter alone, 87 percent of passengers used digital channels to book for their flights, while another 67 percent of passengers used the same channels to manage their booking requests. “We are glad to have started our digital transformation journey even before the pandemic, because we have come to rely on it in this new normal environment. We continue to prioritize the safety and convenience of our passengers, that is why we have accelerated our digital efforts to support contactless and self-service processes.” Aside from its social media channels, Cebu Pacific also has its tech-enabled chat support system called Charlie, which enables passengers to receive real-time answers to common queries and transactions such as flight schedule and status, check-in process, itinerary and boarding pass retrieval, and the like; or lead them to the right steps to address their concerns. “Rest assured Charlie, along with our Customer Care team, are online 24/7 to assist everyJuan. We continue to enhance existing processes as we remain committed to empowering custom-

ers and ensuring access to the information they need anytime, anywhere, without having to call the hotline or go to a ticketing office,” added Iyog. Cebu Pacific began ramping-up its customerfirst initiatives through digital innovation in 2017 when it was among the first airlines in Asia to invest in an integrated facility and technology for social intelligence and customer engagement. The airline still operates at very minimal capacity due to the restrictions brought about by the surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.

Vaccines

Cebu Pacific continues to airlift much-needed Covid-19 vaccines to different cities in the Visayas and Mindanao. A total of 91,200 doses (38,400 for Tacloban, 28,800 for Cotabato, and 24,000 for Zamboanga) were safely delivered on April 14. These vaccine deliveries are part of the government’s ongoing vaccination program that prioritize various groups across the country. “This shipment of vaccines is the fourth that we’ve received from CEB and we appreciate the smooth transport because it helps us expedite our ongoing vaccination program in the city,” said Beng Climaco, Zamboanga City Mayor. “With CEB’s regular flights to Cotabato, we in the government can efficiently act on and prioritize the national government’s recovery program,” added Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi. Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez added, “We are happy to be recipients of these life-saving vaccines, which arrive in great condition via CEB—these will help us reach more healthcare frontliners in our region.” Lorenz S. Marasigan

Friday, April 16, 2021

Tanduay forges new partnership in Arizona

Lucio Tan III

anduay President and COO Lucio Tan III and Executive Vice President Kyle Tan are leading Tanduay’s aggressive expansion in the United States and other countries. Most recently, the younger Tan worked on the partnership with leading US beverage distributor, Hensley Beverage Co., for its distribution in Arizona. “Our partnerships have been crucial to our success in the most recent years. It is important that we work with organizations that share our values like Hensley Beverage Company. Like them, Tanduay is a home-grown brand that prioritizes excellence as shown by the quality we put in the craftsmanship of our products,” said Kyle Tan, who joined the company last year. Chad Marston, Chief Sales Officer, Hensley Beverage Company, said that they expect the Philippinemade rum to have a strong customer following in the state. “We expect the market to embrace Tanduay Rum as a truly unique offering. While Tanduay is massive internationally, it is still relatively new to the United States. Rum is a popular spirit in Arizona and Tanduay will help drive category growth,” Marston said. Apart from Tanduay’s aggressive international expansion, the Tan brothers are spearheading the company’s move toward digital technology such as e-commerce. They both have a strong background in computer science and technology, having worked for tech giants in the United States before joining Tanduay in 2020. Lucio Tan III has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Computer Science from Stanford University, and has worked at Lyft in the Bay Area. Kyle Tan has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and a master’s degree in Computer Science from

Kyle Tan

the University of Southern California and was working for Microsoft before joining Tanduay. “Tanduay’s longevity is due to both tradition and innovation. While we have maintained the formulation and distillation process of our award-winning rums for decades, we are also always looking for ways to innovate our distribution channels so we could bring our products to more customers worldwide,” said Lucio Tan III. Lucio Tan III has given his younger brother the task of Tanduay’s overseas expansion. Since last year, Kyle Tan has been hands-on in the negotiations with prospective distribution partners, such as the one with Hensley Beverage Co. and exploring other export opportunities. He is also spearheading Tanduay’s further expansion in Europe, where Tanduay is now available in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Expansion in Canada is also underway and should be done by the end of the first quarter of this year. It is the young Tans’ goal to continue the vision of their grandfather, Chairman Lucio C. Tan, and their father, Lucio Tan Jr., to make proudly Philippine-made brands recognized around the world. Tanduay has already eclipsed rum brands from other countries in terms of sales to emerge as the World’s Number 1 Rum for three consecutive years. It has also received numerous awards from prestigious international wines and spirits competitions in the US, China, and Europe. To date, Tanduay is available in the US states of Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, and the territory of Guam. It is also available in China, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and select cities in Europe.

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, April 16, 2021

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

April 15, 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 PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FIRST ABACUS FERRONOUX HLDG IREMIT MEDCO HLDG NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE

42 103.7 82.65 22.9 9.62 44.3 22.8 55.5 17.2 118.9 70 1.63 3.96 0.6 3.15 1.45 0.4 0.73 143.1 2,338

42.9 104.9 83 23 9.63 44.35 22.9 56.7 17.46 119 70.95 1.7 3.97 0.62 3.2 1.54 0.43 0.75 145.9 2,348

42.5 103 82.6 23 9.65 44.4 23 55.3 17.5 119 69.8 1.72 3.95 0.62 3.14 1.44 0.43 0.75 146 2,338

42.5 104.9 83 23 9.65 44.8 23 56.7 17.5 119 70 1.72 3.97 0.62 3.15 1.44 0.435 0.75 146 2,348

42 102.5 82.25 22.9 9.6 43.95 22.75 55.3 17.2 118 69.8 1.6 3.95 0.62 3.14 1.44 0.43 0.72 144 2,338

42 104.9 83 22.9 9.62 44.35 22.8 56.7 17.2 119 70 1.7 3.97 0.62 3.15 1.44 0.43 0.72 146 2,348

1,300 2,244,560 982,380 38,800 59,900 2,101,900 690,400 170 40,700 354,210 11,640 568,000 187,000 4,000 31,000 21,000 140,000 110,000 650 155

55,200 232,800,566 81,381,684 891,490 575,821 93,082,115 15,762,630 9,597 702,194 42,070,452 812,934.50 929,520 741,310 2,480 97,550 30,240 60,400 80,860 94,800 362,490

-4,200 94,466,152 -6,624,481 -695,990 -142,279 6,631,705 -14,846,405 -549,010 -14,577,217 4,886 -475,500 -15,750 -70,360 67,260 339,010

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 7.18 7.19 7.5 7.5 7.16 7.18 24,712,500 178,997,023 ALSONS CONS 1.35 1.36 1.31 1.38 1.29 1.35 2,215,000 2,948,570 ABOITIZ POWER 23.5 23.65 23.75 23.75 23.5 23.5 2,335,600 54,971,550 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.03 0.99 1.01 42,005,000 42,451,240 BASIC ENERGY 30.85 30.9 30.9 31 30.5 30.9 497,200 15,349,860 FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG 67.05 67.7 67.7 67.7 67.05 67.1 109,460 7,374,727 MERALCO 275 277 278 278 274 275 116,130 31,986,126 14.4 14.44 14.78 14.78 14.4 14.4 3,049,600 44,101,556 MANILA WATER 3.21 3.24 3.18 3.24 3.18 3.21 400,000 1,289,390 PETRON PETROENERGY 3.75 3.89 3.82 3.88 3.7 3.88 64,000 243,660 PHX PETROLEUM 12.12 12.24 12 12.24 12 12.12 18,800 228,480 PILIPINAS SHELL 20.65 20.8 20.8 20.8 20.45 20.65 271,100 5,586,615 10.78 10.8 10.6 10.82 10.58 10.8 499,000 5,346,310 SPC POWER 6.88 6.98 7 7.05 6.87 6.98 1,232,800 8,635,353 AGRINURTURE AXELUM 3.41 3.42 3.45 3.45 3.41 3.42 894,000 3,058,580 CENTURY FOOD 18.98 19.02 18.6 19.22 18.5 18.98 3,813,900 72,255,772 9.72 9.75 9.7 9.78 9.6 9.75 64,800 626,820 DEL MONTE 7.14 7.15 7.22 7.23 7.1 7.15 806,100 5,762,980 DNL INDUS EMPERADOR 10.46 10.48 10.46 10.48 10.38 10.48 2,040,100 21,375,972 SMC FOODANDBEV 68.25 68.3 68 68.35 67 68.25 267,030 18,217,262 0.61 0.64 0.65 0.65 0.61 0.64 373,000 231,730 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.39 1.41 1.38 1.41 1.37 1.41 5,862,000 8,156,710 53.2 54.8 52.85 54 52.7 54 244,180 13,003,060 GINEBRA JOLLIBEE 180 180.1 182 182 179.2 180 630,720 113,571,668 LIBERTY FLOUR 32.2 33.2 32.85 32.9 32.85 32.9 400 13,145 7.34 7.81 7.82 7.82 7.82 7.82 500 3,910 MACAY HLDG MAXS GROUP 5.96 6 5.95 6 5.93 5.96 50,800 302,001 MG HLDG 0.34 0.35 0.355 0.355 0.335 0.34 18,040,000 6,164,050 SHAKEYS PIZZA 7.29 7.35 7.4 7.4 7.26 7.3 30,400 223,314 1.08 1.09 1.08 1.1 1.07 1.09 3,422,000 3,732,150 ROXAS AND CO 1.44 1.5 1.46 1.46 1.44 1.44 14,000 20,340 ROXAS HLDG SWIFT FOODS 0.135 0.136 0.136 0.14 0.132 0.136 8,810,000 1,196,550 UNIV ROBINA 129.3 129.5 130 131 128.1 129.5 1,107,240 143,325,441 VITARICH 0.83 0.84 0.83 0.84 0.82 0.83 1,891,000 1,567,280 57 62 64.45 64.45 62.45 62.45 56,640 3,563,886 CONCRETE A CONCRETE B 60.2 63.95 66 67 60.5 63.95 24,580 1,604,974.50 CEMEX HLDG 1.19 1.21 1.21 1.21 1.19 1.19 1,510,000 1,804,930 DAVINCI CAPITAL 3.03 3.04 3.08 3.13 3 3.04 2,173,000 6,609,160 11.34 11.44 11.3 11.5 11.28 11.34 16,900 192,540 EAGLE CEMENT 7.3 7.35 7.31 7.36 7.3 7.3 45,900 335,325 EEI CORP HOLCIM 5.59 5.77 5.54 5.78 5.54 5.78 105,100 594,109 MEGAWIDE 7.14 7.15 6.97 7.15 6.96 7.14 1,368,100 9,690,039 PHINMA 12.28 12.34 12.34 12.34 12.2 12.34 28,600 352,676 1.18 1.19 1.18 1.2 1.14 1.18 227,000 262,600 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 2.5 2.52 2.5 2.52 2.42 2.52 5,537,000 13,777,150 CROWN ASIA 1.82 1.84 1.87 1.87 1.82 1.84 782,000 1,435,010 EUROMED 2.01 2.04 2.06 2.06 2 2.04 93,000 188,010 4.58 4.6 4.63 4.63 4.6 4.6 13,000 59,860 MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP 5.27 5.48 5.31 5.31 5.27 5.27 4,000 21,180 CONCEPCION 21.05 22 21.6 22.35 21.2 22 57,200 1,252,595 GREENERGY 3.76 3.77 3.82 3.88 3.65 3.77 10,914,000 41,622,790 INTEGRATED MICR 11.28 11.36 11.36 11.72 11 11.36 467,200 5,359,524 1.11 1.13 1.15 1.15 1.11 1.11 249,000 279,770 IONICS 5.63 5.78 5.63 5.65 5.63 5.65 4,000 22,580 PANASONIC SFA SEMICON 1.39 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.35 1.39 1,044,000 1,428,100 CIRTEK HLDG 5.99 6.05 6.1 6.1 5.91 6.05 1,151,700 6,907,732

6,022,065 -81,370 3,232,350 -1,436,610 -918,820 -3,789,669.50 -17,457,898 -8,986,844 -109,070 397,250 -1,076,710 3,450 -588,100 -11,061,810 224,720 -3,513,952 184,198 -924,258.50 13,800.00 9,606,805 -25,971,069 -35,682 -33,350 42,308 -114,650 10,640 -81,027,514 17,430 -131,630 82,830 -10,052 51,115 -131,933 1,824,795 -259,140 383,600 459,200 1,581.00 94,170 -703,170 469,800 -14,690.00 26,040.00 72,320

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 1.17 1.18 1.16 1.17 1.12 1.17 20,920,000 24,182,740 ASIABEST GROUP 7.1 7.25 7.4 7.4 7.33 7.33 600 4,405 AYALA CORP 758 764 760 764.5 756 764 207,690 158,319,730 35.65 35.75 35.8 35.8 35.2 35.75 1,560,200 55,689,960 ABOITIZ EQUITY 10.94 11.02 10.82 11.02 10.8 11.02 2,026,600 22,109,248 ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG 3.19 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 5,917,000 19,209,040 ANSCOR 6.62 6.79 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.8 2,300 15,640 0.71 0.72 0.7 0.71 0.68 0.71 1,507,000 1,051,290 ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A 0.74 0.75 0.74 0.75 0.73 0.75 2,222,000 1,629,540 ATN HLDG B 0.73 0.78 0.74 0.78 0.74 0.78 105,000 77,900 COSCO CAPITAL 5.17 5.19 5.29 5.3 5.17 5.19 1,239,300 6,439,830 DMCI HLDG 5.25 5.29 5.28 5.29 5.18 5.29 2,479,800 12,997,265 8.4 8.66 8.35 8.35 8.35 8.35 3,000 25,050 FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC 0.255 0.3 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 170,000 42,500 GT CAPITAL 531.5 535 525.5 537.5 525 531.5 68,900 36,381,660 JG SUMMIT 59.2 60.65 61 61 58.6 60.65 1,462,510 87,700,677 1.09 1.1 1.16 1.16 1.08 1.1 9,069,000 10,054,710 LODESTAR 3.36 3.45 3.47 3.47 3.4 3.4 23,000 78,310 LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP 13.5 13.66 13.5 13.66 13.42 13.66 651,100 8,813,692 MABUHAY HLDG 0.475 0.5 0.495 0.495 0.45 0.495 120,000 57,600 METRO PAC INV 3.93 3.95 3.91 3.95 3.89 3.95 25,802,000 100,956,540 3.09 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.02 3.09 2,831,000 8,683,920 PRIME MEDIA 1.24 1.26 1.26 1.26 1.24 1.24 44,000 55,170 SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID 368 378 370 370 370 370 30 11,100 SM INVESTMENTS 976 980 980 980 970 980 119,240 116,598,380 116.4 116.5 118.5 118.5 116.5 116.5 323,940 37,850,822 SAN MIGUEL CORP 0.73 0.76 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.74 34,000 25,160 SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER 132.1 137.9 135.4 137.9 130 137.9 25,790 3,423,196 WELLEX INDUS 0.265 0.28 0.275 0.28 0.265 0.28 1,540,000 424,100 0.213 0.227 0.213 0.23 0.205 0.227 4,330,000 949,060 ZEUS HLDG

714,090.00 -1,058,910 -3,396,675.00 -4,134,572 4,271,450 -2,187,473 -2,181,599 -8,882,000 23,064,161.50 2,370 3,470 -3,115,100 9,900 -72,054,430 110,300 -12,101,040 -1,260,447 -2,218,260 -

PROPERTY

ARTHALAND CORP ANCHOR LAND AYALA LAND ARANETA PROP AREIT RT BELLE CORP A BROWN CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CEBU HLDG CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON DDMP RT DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG PHIL INFRADEV CITY AND LAND MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL SHANG PROP STA LUCIA LAND SM PRIME HLDG VISTAMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

0.65 7.63 33.65 1.21 33.85 1.54 0.9 1.02 0.136 6.33 5.6 0.38 0.34 13.14 2.19 6.86 0.28 0.13 1.12 0.83 7.26 1.38 2.14 3.35 0.4 0.7 3.36 17.76 0.27 1.53 2.55 2.23 35.7 3.8 1.5 3.75

0.66 8.09 33.7 1.23 33.9 1.58 0.92 1.03 0.137 6.79 5.62 0.385 0.345 13.16 2.2 6.87 0.29 0.132 1.13 0.85 7.42 1.4 2.15 3.39 0.405 0.71 3.37 17.78 0.275 1.58 2.65 2.3 36.5 3.9 1.52 3.76

0.66 8.19 33.25 1.23 34 1.52 0.9 1.11 0.139 6.31 5.58 0.385 0.34 13.38 2.21 6.71 0.285 0.14 1.13 0.83 7.21 1.37 2.35 3.5 0.39 0.71 3.33 17.88 0.27 1.58 2.67 2.27 35.6 3.75 1.49 3.78

0.66 8.19 33.95 1.23 34 1.58 0.92 1.14 0.142 6.31 5.64 0.39 0.35 13.46 2.22 6.86 0.29 0.14 1.13 0.86 7.42 1.4 2.39 3.5 0.41 0.74 3.45 17.94 0.27 1.58 2.67 2.3 36.5 3.9 1.54 3.79

0.65 8.12 33.1 1.2 33.9 1.52 0.9 1.01 0.134 6.31 5.5 0.38 0.33 12.94 2.19 6.7 0.28 0.129 1.11 0.83 7.2 1.37 2.12 3.35 0.385 0.69 3.2 17.64 0.27 1.52 2.65 2.27 35.1 3.63 1.48 3.75

0.66 8.12 33.7 1.21 33.9 1.54 0.92 1.02 0.137 6.31 5.62 0.385 0.35 13.16 2.19 6.86 0.285 0.13 1.13 0.83 7.42 1.39 2.14 3.35 0.4 0.71 3.37 17.78 0.27 1.58 2.65 2.3 36.5 3.9 1.5 3.75

443,000 500 12,635,900 127,000 716,500 110,000 586,000 5,123,000 27,790,000 5,900 983,600 4,180,000 1,530,000 1,910,400 14,416,000 43,400 470,000 10,170,000 3,649,000 81,000 59,200 328,000 12,996,000 67,289,000 31,050,000 42,404,000 13,160,000 2,346,500 100,000 22,000 21,000 88,000 6,105,400 18,000 146,000 244,000

288,170 4,074 425,522,845 154,560 24,322,510 171,620 531,610 5,318,150 3,755,600 37,229 5,456,683 1,607,400 513,950 25,484,112 31,730,710 293,299 134,800 1,343,650 4,088,960 67,320 426,794 452,800 28,618,520 228,018,590 12,324,600 30,257,930 44,095,280 41,678,304 27,000 34,310 55,850 200,940 220,715,005 66,920 216,980 920,050

-3,300 1,638 -185,726,210 -12,100 -14,559,470 -23,260 -36,400 -1,391,210 1,350 -19,153 -3,850 20,100 -704,280 -2,845,970 -3,057,220 -23,240 360,000 5,600 -481,030 2,832,200 -24,100 69,810 6,798,810 -25,533,348 -7,840 34,237,530.00 -282,790

SERVICES ABS CBN 10.92 11 10.84 11 10.7 11 111,100 1,202,828 GMA NETWORK 9.13 9.14 9.08 9.18 9.07 9.14 4,341,800 39,565,825 MANILA BULLETIN 0.46 0.485 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46 20,000 9,200 1,835 1,840 1,843 1,843 1,832 1,835 47,885 87,901,505 GLOBE TELECOM 1,254 1,275 1,240 1,275 1,239 1,275 128,195 161,962,065 PLDT APOLLO GLOBAL 0.235 0.236 0.203 0.236 0.203 0.235 2,416,600,000 537,554,010 CONVERGE 18.08 18.18 18.2 18.4 18.08 18.08 1,650,200 30,070,490 4.12 4.15 3.75 4.27 3.75 4.12 1,394,000 5,645,430 DFNN INC 10.62 10.64 10.72 10.86 10.6 10.62 6,486,600 69,167,148 DITO CME HLDG JACKSTONES 2.1 2.19 2.19 2.19 2.19 2.19 2,000 4,380 NOW CORP 2.84 2.85 2.87 2.87 2.81 2.84 1,129,000 3,205,290 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.445 0.45 0.445 0.455 0.44 0.445 6,860,000 3,047,600 2.68 2.71 2.73 2.73 2.67 2.68 200,000 538,030 PHILWEB 2GO GROUP 8.42 8.43 8.5 8.5 8.42 8.43 37,700 319,413 ASIAN TERMINALS 15.06 15.24 15.06 15.24 15.06 15.24 800 12,138 CHELSEA 3.29 3.34 3.36 3.38 3.26 3.29 594,000 1,965,550 48.4 48.45 49.3 49.35 46.95 48.4 307,100 14,832,130 CEBU AIR 126.5 127 126 126.9 125.1 126.5 1,167,870 147,606,108 INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS 16.24 16.4 16.4 16.4 16.4 16.4 200 3,280 LORENZO SHIPPNG 1.01 1.04 1.01 1.05 1.01 1.05 38,000 38,420 MACROASIA 4.93 4.95 4.98 5.08 4.92 4.93 625,000 3,109,460 2.42 2.48 2.46 2.5 2.42 2.48 206,000 501,060 METROALLIANCE A PAL HLDG 6.1 6.16 6.15 6.15 6.05 6.15 28,600 174,797 HARBOR STAR 1.28 1.29 1.28 1.3 1.27 1.28 185,000 236,450 ACESITE HOTEL 1.78 1.82 1.85 1.88 1.78 1.82 237,000 429,490 0.089 0.09 0.092 0.092 0.089 0.09 89,530,000 8,069,650 BOULEVARD HLDG 3.73 3.75 3.9 3.9 3.73 3.73 383,000 1,442,540 DISCOVERY WORLD WATERFRONT 0.66 0.67 0.66 0.67 0.65 0.66 7,180,000 4,745,770 IPEOPLE 6.87 7.8 6.89 6.89 6.86 6.86 3,700 25,440 0.38 0.39 0.38 0.385 0.38 0.38 440,000 168,200 STI HLDG BERJAYA 4.46 4.8 4.65 4.65 4.65 4.65 6,000 27,900 BLOOMBERRY 6.99 7.02 7 7.02 6.87 7.02 1,498,500 10,465,454 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.05 2.1 2.04 2.11 2.04 2.11 14,000 29,080 LEISURE AND RES 1.79 1.88 1.82 1.9 1.76 1.88 594,000 1,087,510 1.98 2.08 2 2 2 2 387,000 774,000 MANILA JOCKEY PH RESORTS GRP 2.17 2.18 2.22 2.23 2.17 2.18 1,285,000 2,829,730 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.465 0.47 0.425 0.475 0.425 0.47 77,360,000 35,823,650 PHIL RACING 6.1 6.15 6.15 6.15 6.11 6.11 1,200 7,340 7.95 8 8 8 7.9 8 110,200 878,000 ALLHOME 1.3 1.31 1.3 1.3 1.29 1.3 2,002,000 2,598,880 METRO RETAIL 36.65 36.75 37.05 37.1 36.4 36.65 1,748,900 64,223,430 PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL 55.1 55.35 55.05 55.8 55.05 55.35 379,080 21,003,599 PHIL SEVEN CORP 105 105.3 104 105.6 102.1 102.1 18,180 1,905,467 1.22 1.23 1.21 1.23 1.21 1.22 415,000 504,410 SSI GROUP 17.52 17.64 17.44 17.64 17.44 17.52 106,900 1,875,502 WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.4 0.405 0.395 0.4 0.39 0.4 1,510,000 597,100 EASYCALL 6.45 6.68 6.79 6.79 6.45 6.68 400 2,637 426.4 446 430 446 420.2 446 120 53,102 GOLDEN MV IPM HLDG 5 5.1 5.09 5.09 5.09 5.09 2,000 10,180 PRMIERE HORIZON 2.23 2.24 2.22 2.26 2.19 2.23 15,396,000 34,242,240

-6,230,165 -47,942,365 -1,488,960 10,098,372 1,360,280 -626,498 21,670 -37,160 10,141,500 -30,637,881 -541,230 -63,870 52,690 -34,310 -3,065,059 17,950 -90,800 -606,300 315,456 -1,654,800 -17,220,860 -4,889,840 1,621,102 27,860 200,602 -2,064,720

MINING & OIL ATOK 9.93 10 10.64 10.92 9.8 10 3,090,500 31,928,576 -109,926 APEX MINING 1.54 1.55 1.47 1.55 1.45 1.54 8,951,000 13,737,830 -9,979,840 6.14 6.18 5.92 6.18 5.9 6.18 1,031,600 6,255,583 2,939 ATLAS MINING 3.03 3.1 2.6 3.17 2.6 3.1 157,000 466,540 BENGUET A BENGUET B 2.86 2.93 2.74 2.9 2.52 2.9 79,000 218,920 -65,790 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.295 0.305 0.29 0.315 0.29 0.295 840,000 254,700 3,100 2.75 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.79 2.8 64,000 179,170 170,770 CENTURY PEAK 8.49 8.5 8.46 8.5 8.22 8.49 151,100 1,278,880 -810,900 DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL 2.71 2.72 2.55 2.71 2.51 2.71 11,950,000 31,525,740 4,175,780 GEOGRACE 0.37 0.375 0.35 0.375 0.345 0.37 3,920,000 1,431,650 -21,900 LEPANTO A 0.146 0.147 0.133 0.149 0.13 0.146 47,430,000 6,799,970 0.147 0.148 0.138 0.148 0.138 0.147 9,100,000 1,321,270 -61,740 LEPANTO B 0.01 0.011 0.0096 0.011 0.0096 0.01 410,000,000 4,387,100 MANILA MINING A MANILA MINING B 0.011 0.012 0.0099 0.011 0.0099 0.011 81,000,000 887,700 MARCVENTURES 1.32 1.34 1.26 1.35 1.2 1.34 2,298,000 2,976,460 -82,600 1.9 1.91 1.76 1.9 1.76 1.9 1,011,000 1,860,220 3,620 NIHAO 5.35 5.36 5.14 5.4 5.1 5.35 12,946,600 68,636,151 -10,110,322 NICKEL ASIA OMICO CORP 0.415 0.445 0.445 0.445 0.445 0.445 10,000 4,450 ORNTL PENINSULA 1 1.01 0.88 1.01 0.88 1.01 8,011,000 7,718,540 -12,600 PX MINING 5.13 5.14 4.6 5.19 4.55 5.14 4,913,000 24,489,670 -2,728,610.00 12 12.06 12 12.06 11.82 12 791,300 9,451,786 1,339,542 SEMIRARA MINING 0.0095 0.0097 0.0088 0.0098 0.0086 0.0096 259,000,000 2,459,000 412,600 UNITED PARAGON ACE ENEXOR 22.5 22.6 22.65 23.4 22.45 22.6 143,400 3,271,280 11,395 ORNTL PETROL A 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 117,600,000 1,414,800 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013 200,000 2,600 ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 125,600,000 1,577,900 PXP ENERGY 8.07 8.08 7.95 8.07 7.8 8.07 1,122,100 8,934,208 1,814,208 PREFFERED HOUSE PREF B 100.3 101 101 101 101 101 1,550 156,550 ALCO PREF C 102.5 109.9 102.5 102.5 102.5 102.5 160 16,400 CEB PREF 45.3 45.4 45.9 45.9 44.25 45.3 71,000 3,183,150 -228,090 101.4 103.5 103.4 103.4 103.4 103.4 1,000 103,400 CPG PREF A FGEN PREF G 107 110.5 107 107 107 107 1,100 117,700 7,490 GTCAP PREF A 1,001 1,030 1,030 1,030 1,030 1,030 25 25,750 MWIDE PREF 101 101.6 101.6 101.7 101.6 101.6 550 55,881 100.6 101.1 101 101 101 101 500 50,500 50,500 MWIDE PREF 2B 102 104 105 105 104 104 340 35,370 -1,050 PNX PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 993 1,000 995 1,000 993 1,000 5,755 5,720,910 PCOR PREF 2B 1,020 1,040 1,030 1,030 1,030 1,030 120 123,600 PCOR PREF 3A 1,079 1,117 1,079 1,079 1,079 1,079 20 21,580 1,130 1,159 1,129 1,155 1,129 1,155 20 22,840 PCOR PREF 3B SMC PREF 2C 78.7 79.55 79.55 79.55 79.55 79.55 90 7,159.50 SMC PREF 2E 76.25 77.8 76.1 76.25 76.1 76.25 24,400 1,859,497.50 SMC PREF 2F 78.5 79.5 79.2 79.2 78.5 78.5 177,700 14,028,418 76.95 77.8 77.95 78 76.95 76.95 166,100 12,808,195 SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I 78.6 79.5 79.5 79.5 79.5 79.5 11,640 925,380 SMC PREF 2J 76.65 77 77 77 76.55 77 1,400 107,575 SMC PREF 2K 76.55 77 76.9 77 76.9 77 880 67,710 - PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 10.46 10.94 10.46 10.46 10.46 10.46 100 1,046 GMA HLDG PDR 8.51 8.56 8.44 8.56 8.44 8.51 1,707,300 14,523,927 -6,764,617 WARRANTS LR WARRANT 2.1 2.14 2.22 2.22 2.05 2.1 3,509,000 7,421,070 -51,100 SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 19.5 19.62 19.62 20.3 19.5 19.5 198,600 3,875,923 27,568 ITALPINAS 2.49 2.5 2.51 2.52 2.48 2.49 407,000 1,018,650 208,780 KEPWEALTH 5.4 5.63 5.6 5.7 5.4 5.63 9,400 51,957 2.53 2.72 2.53 2.53 2.53 2.53 18,000 45,540 MAKATI FINANCE MERRYMART 5.16 5.17 5.4 5.41 5.1 5.16 18,625,500 97,084,195 567,770 EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF 99.05 99.45 99 99.05 98.5 99.05 38,120 3,773,044 298,980

www.businessmirror.com.ph

DOE to US investors: Explore opportunities in energy sector

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

nergy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi on Thursday called on American investors to take a look at the numerous energy investment opportunities in the Philippines. During a virtual economic briefing titled “PH-US at 75: Strengthening Ties through Sustainable Recovery,” Cusi presented the energy landscape in the Philippines. The event was attended by the Philippine Ambassador to the United States of America Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, US Embassy in Manila Charge d’Affaires John C. Law, USAID Acting Administrator Ms. Gloria D. Steele, US International Development Finance Corp. COO David Marchick and Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez. Cusi said the country’s goal is to increase the production of clean and indigenous sources of energy, such as geothermal, hydro, and natural gas. He said that in previous events, Cusi has provided European Ambassadors an overview of the country’s sustainable policy milestones, most of which put the Philippines at par with the competition. This time, he called the attention of American investors to consider investing in the country’s energy sector. “I have mentioned this in previous fora I had participated in, and highlighted the same with all the European Ambassadors I have had the chance to speak with. It is unfortunate that the US seems to have forgotten us, so I hope our American friends in the business community will again take a look at our new initiatives that aim to make the Philippines rife with many investment opportunities,” Cusi said. One of the business opportunities in the Philippine power sector is the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP), where clean energy advocates can source their clean power requirements through Retail Electricity Suppliers (RES). “I have asked some European Ambassadors in the Philippines to avail

of this option for their offices and residences, and although it may be expensive, it is high time that green technology advocates really walk the talk in using renewables,” said Cusi. Another policy innovation is the Green Energy Auction Program, which will support and facilitate compliance of the Mandated Participants to the Renewable Portfolio Standards’ (RPS) Rules. It also provides an additional market for Renewable Energy (RE) developers with the end view of accelerating greater entry of renewables in the power industry. It will also promote the competitive setting of rates for RE supply. The DOE is preparing for the conduct of the first auction in June this year. “Again, I want to invite you to participate in these renewable programs.” Another opportunity cited by the energy chief is in nuclear energy. Cusi said that with the evolution of Small Modular Reactors that are suitable for the off-grid or island areas of the Philippines, the possibility of integrating nuclear power in the country might come as early as 2027. This, he added, would depend on the passage of necessary legislative policies on nuclear power, which are among the bills that have been certified as urgent, and must be passed by the present Congress. In July 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 116 that created the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC). The committee submitted its recommendations to the President and is now awaiting his approval. Prior to the issuance of EO 116, the Philippine Energy Plan already projects the inclusion of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix by 2035.

SMC ramps up Tullahan River cleanup efforts

an Miguel Corp. (SMC) said it is on track to more than double its daily dredging of silt and trash for its P1-billion Tullahan-Tinajeros river system cleanup project from 600 metric tons (MT) per day to 1,500 MT per day for the 11.5-km stretch it is working on. This covers the initial sections 1-3 of the project from the mouth of the Manila Bay in Navotas City to Tinajeros Bridge, and sections 4-5 from Tinajeros Bridge to Potrero in Malabon and Valenzuela cities. SMC’s 5-year project covers the entire 27-km length of the Tullahan-Tinajeros river system. SMC is also advancing the start of dredging at the tributary’s Malabon and Valenzuela sections, to boost government’s flood mitigation efforts before the rainy season sets in. “We were able to average 1,000 MT per day last March to deliver our highest monthly dredging total so far. Currently, we are averaging 1,200 MT and we will gradually increase to 1,500 MT. With the arrival of our new, additional dredging equipment, we will also start dredging Sectors 4 and 5 where heavier flooding was experienced during heavy typhoons last November 2020,” Ang said. “Work on Sectors 4 and 5 involves more than just dredging to maintain its ideal depth. This part also involves widening parts of the river and removal of illegal structures that restrict the flow of water, especially during heavy rains. This is part of the dredging plan approved by DPWH.” Ang added: “We will need the support and cooperation of the local government units and other stakeholders to enable us to complete our task of

rehabilitating the river and assisting in their flood mitigation efforts.” As of April 13, Ang said a total of 168,004 MT of silt and solid waste had already been removed from the river. Last March, the company registered output of 29,555 MT, the highest since the project was started with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last June 2020. For the 11.5-kilometer stretch, which is close to half of entire length of the 27-kilometer river system that goes all the way to the La Mesa Dam in Quezon City, the company is targeting to dredge a total of 1.5 million metric tons of silt and solid waste. “We’re adding more personnel and more equipment, and with this, we are confident that we will able to cover more ground in the coming months. This also prepares us for our planned dredging and cleanup of the Pasig River and major tributaries in Bulacan,” Ang said. In preparation for these projects, Ang earlier disclosed it was acquiring an amphibious excavator for use in dredging shallow waters and for river widening. It is also acquiring a suction cutter dredger that can handle big volume throughput operations, such as required for cleaning up Pasig River. SMC is in the middle of talks with government for the dredging of the Pasig River, as part of its proposal to invest P95.4 billion to build the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX). For the Pasig River cleanup, SMC will utilize 2 new dredging equipment capable of removing 50,000 MT of silt and solid waste per month, or 600,000 MT per year for the next five years.

‘Fuel of the future’

Another investment opportunity is the potential of harnessing hydrogen, considered the “fuel of the future”. The DOE already signed last January a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Australian development company Star Scientific Ltd. On top of this, the agency also signed this month a similar MOU with Tokyo-based Hydrogen Technology Inc. (HTI) to explore the use of hydrogen as a fuel for power generation. T hrough t hese MOUs, t he Philippine government and these firms would be working together to explore the use of hydrogen as a fuel for power generation. Cusi urged business leaders to consider participating in the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program. As of December 2020, the DOE has received a total of 14 applications to explore and develop indigenous energy sources in nominated and new areas. “We’re still waiting for investments that will be com-

mutual funds

ing from US in this area,” said Cusi. Cusi encouraged investors to explore geothermal opportunities in the country after the Philippines has allowed100 percent foreign ownership in large-scale geothermal exploration, development, and utilization projects. “Geothermal energy is an area that we would really like to tap and develop. That’s the kind of power we need, and we’d like to see investors from the US doing a 100-percent participation in the development of our geothermal energy.” During the event, Dominguez also mentioned a plan discussed with the DOE to set up a fund meant to purchase all coal-fired power plants in Mindanao. Dominguez is the chairman of the Board of state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), which owns the Agus-Pulangi facility. He said Mindanao has sufficient power supply and yet AgusPulangi complex has not been maintained over the years and is producing below its capacity.

April 15, 2021

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 209.19 10.14% -8.59% -4.02% -7.94% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.2846 35.95% -7.42% 0.44% -2.16% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.8752 12.67% -12.79% -6.32% -8.23% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7388 13.38% -8.02% n.a. -8.1% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.6781 3.46% n.a. n.a. -8.56% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.582 11.25% -6.5% -3.06% -7.27% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.6627 2.63% -10.34% -7.86% -12.78% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 96.77 32.73% -6.4% n.a. -5.07% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 42.9863 12.62% -6.62% -2.79% -8.24% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 449.97 10.53% -6.61% -3.32% -7.98% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 1.0168 19.85% n.a. n.a. -7.34% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.0943 12.5% -6.15% -2.26% -6.33% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 32.1605 12.61% -6.32% -1.83% -7.5% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8345 10.57% n.a. n.a. -8.6% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.4017 13.27% -6.26% -2.02% -8.13% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 736.38 13.38% -6.15% -2.16% -8.14% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6659 13.13% -10.11% -5.64% -7.37% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.3275 10.07% -8.37% -3.57% -8.18% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8414 12.76% -6.5% -2.28% -8.31% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.0818 12.31% -5.78% -1.19% -7.15% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 98.8082 13.41% -5.93% -1.5% -8.13% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.2583 45.15% 3.99% 8.12% 4.61% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.746 47.47% 11.19% n.a. 4.38% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.6273 10.71% -2.78% -1.45% -2.48% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.1558 10.96% -3.05% -0.83% -5.67% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.4986 7.49% -2.13% -1.49% -4.89% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1879 2.4% n.a. n.a. -5.39% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.8992 6.42% -0.29% 0.44% -3.3% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.551 7.77% -1.81% -0.84% -6.26% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 15.9192 7.84% -1.67% -0.88% -6.01% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 1.9938 7.63% -2.56% -0.57% -4.79% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.3784 6.9% -4.13% -1.81% -5.45% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9546 7.13% n.a. n.a. -6.65% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.8685 8.85% n.a. n.a. -8.5% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8531 9.54% n.a. n.a. -8.57% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8347 8.59% -5% -2.44% -5.97% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03796 0% 2.39% 1.27% -2.97% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.1294 25.1% 2.03% 4.76% -1.81% 8.21% 8.4% 2.92% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.6446 34.4% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.1998 18.71% 4.06% n.a. -0.19% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 370.11 2.49% 3.06% 2.55% -0.26% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9099 -0.62% 0.71% 0.19% 0.51% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2198 1.98% 4.05% 4.47% 0.16% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2468 -0.19% 2.14% 1.59% -2.14% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4281 1.76% 3.11% 1.7% -1.02% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.4478 0.63% 3.63% 1.68% -4.03% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3167 4.22% 4.2% 2.65% -0.34% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.9557 3.43% 4.27% 2.77% -1.13% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0267 3.77% 3.94% 1.86% -1.47% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1726 2.75% 4.61% 3% -1.04% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7313 1.33% 3.88% 2.19% -1.35% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $482.75 3.44% 2.88% 2.29% -0.23% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.67 2.75% 1.01% 1.18% 0.22% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.177 1.18% 1.72% 1.1% -8.08% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0258 0% 1.33% 0.88% -3.01% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0512 0.43% 0.14% -0.66% -3.8% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.4722 4.22% 4.05% 2% -2.5% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0625892 5.53% 3.34% 2.19% 0.43% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1254 -0.52% 2% 0.83% -3.05% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 129.93 2.26% 3.18% 2.52% 0.09% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0502 1.43% n.a. n.a. 0.2% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.3016 2.04% 2.9% 2.58% 0.39% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0556 1.46% 1.74% n.a. 0.3% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.2267 n.a. n.a. n.a. 8.6% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.99 10% 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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Metro Cebu gets ₧33-M grant to decongest traffic By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

HE United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) signed last Thursday a $686,000 (about P33.25 million) grant agreement with the Philippines for technical assistance to improve mobility and traffic congestion in Metro Cebu. Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade and USTDA Acting Director Enoh T. Ebong signed the grant at a virtual economic briefing hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC as the Philippines and the United States mark their 75th anniversary of bilateral relations this year. In his remarks, Dominguez said the grant from the USTDA will help the government identify the physical improvement and equipment required to enhance the “logistical backbone of the region.”

Dominguez added the grant aims to fully examine the technical, financial, environmental and other critical aspects of the proposed intelligent transportation system for the Cebu metropolitan area. “Improvement of the transportation system in Metro Cebu is part of our ‘Build, Build, Build’ program,” he said. “The development of this project shows our commitment to maintain the pace of our infrastructure modernization program to hasten our economic recovery.” Dominguez also said the technical assistance to be provided by the USTDA under this project will help the country shift rapidly into the new digital economy. “We can learn from the existing and emerging technologies developed by American experts to effectively deploy intelligent transportation systems in order to make our roads safer and less congested,” he said.

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FTER the government lifted the moratorium on new mining agreements, the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means last Thursday said fiscal regimes and ground rules for mining should be established to ensure that the benefits of the industry are maximized for the country’s economic recovery post Covid 19-pandemic. House Committee Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said the establishment of new mining agreements will pave the way for the country’s bid for competitiveness in the electric vehicle and renewable energy battery sector, as well as the country’s long-term economic recovery. “We now have the power and the prospects to create millions of jobs in renewable energy, battery manufacturing, sustainable mining, and related sectors. This will be a key driver of economic recovery post-Covid, but we have to be very wise with our policies,” Salceda said. Over the next 10 years, Salceda said, some 1.3 million jobs await the country in nickel-related industries. “It can only mean well for our economic recovery, especially if we can set up the ground rules and the tax regime for mining well.” But he said officials should now develop a plan so the country can aggressively play a role in developing inputs to electric vehicles using its mineral resources. “We are currently in a mineral boom, and metallic resources that we have in abundance, like gold and silver, are at elevated prices. Because there has been much monetary expansion all over the world, investors want to hedge their bets on some store of value. Gold has been the first choice for that, historically,” Salceda said. The lawmaker also emphasized that the Philippines has some of the world’s largest deposits of the precious metal. “We also have Asia’s second-largest reserve of nickel in Asia, and we have large reserves of copper. These minerals are crucial to the global push for electric vehicles, as they are critical inputs to the batteries that power these vehicles. Nickel has also seen historic highs this year,” Salceda added. The lawmaker noted that the government hasn’t relied on renewable energy because of fluctuations in supply. “When there’s no wind, there is little wind-powered energy supply. Solar energy requires consistent sunlight, and so on,” Salceda said. “With powerful battery technology, driven by nickel and cobalt—another Philippine product—renewable energy can be stored better, so that fluctuations are managed.” The lawmaker added that the country “can become a global power in renewable energy and in the electric vehicle supply chain, but only if it makes the right policy moves.” “The Philippines remains among

the world’s largest producers of nickel. Despite taking a small production dip between 2017 and 2018, when nickel production fell from 366,000 metric tons (MT) to 340,000 MT, the nation increased its output to 420,000 MT in 2019. That is very strategic, when you account for the potential growth in prices of nickel,” he said.

Five polices

MEANWHILE, Salceda recommended five key policies that Congress and the executive “have to work together on” to ensure that the benefits of the industry are maximized. First, Salceda said, the fiscal regime on mining has to be enacted so that tax uncertainty can be removed. Salceda is a principal author of the existing proposal in the House on the matter (House Bill 6135). “Second, we have to establish a counter-cyclical mining trust fund that will accumulate revenues during commodity booms, and distribute aid to mining communities during commodity busts. It will help smoothen the impact of global prices on the communities that depend on mining for its economic survival,” he said. “Third, we must secure our energy supply. Mining has very high energy requirements. We may need to integrate mines with the downstream natural gas sector as the cleanest source of cheap power among the non-renewables,” he added. Fourth, the lawmaker said the country needs to encourage valueadded. “To maximize the benefits of its extractive industry, the Philippines should promote domestic value-added. The launching of the Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone (LEIZ) roadmap, accompanied by the Copper Industry Development Roadmap, is a welcome development in this direction. The country should make a push to occupy significant portions of the electric vehicle and battery manufacturing space,” he saod. “Fifth, we need to keep investing in research and development to find new ways to create value in mining. I strongly believe that R&D in mining should be part of the Strategic Investment Priorities Plan (SIPP) under Create, and should get the highest tier of benefits,” Salceda added. The lawmaker said he will coordinate with the Department of Finance for needed additional legislation. “My committee will continue to exercise oversight over the fiscal aspects of this new development. There are matters that need to be settled as to how the revenues will be shared with communities and the national government. Remember this is national patrimony,” Salceda said. “I will confer with the Secretary of Finance to see what we can do. The EO says the DOF and the DENR will have to harmonize the existing revenue sharing agreements, but they have very limited power to do that without legislation,” he added.

Fraudster-traits assessment part of rules in bank hirings

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

propensity to commit fraud is now part of how banks measure a candidate for their work force under the new rules that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) issued last Thursday.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said this measurement is included in the new guidelines approved by the Monetary Board. The guidelines, Diokno added, are part of the Central Bank’s aim to strengthen the “Know Your Employee” (KYE) policies and practices to tighten controls related

to confirmation of deposit accounts. “The issuance is part of the commitment of the Bangko Sentral to continue to raise the bar on corporate governance and risk management systems to protect the integrity of the financial system.” Diokno said. “Aligning BSP regulations with in-

‘Fiscal regime on mining Save the associations gains to boost Covid fight’ By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

Friday, April 16, 2021

HE first time I “e-met” Sarah Sladek, American best-selling author, association membership growth strategist and futurist, was when I attended the webinar of the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) in June last year. I also wrote about it in my June 19, 2020 column entitled, “All-Star Cast on Association Membership.” So it was a pleasant surprise when I received an email from Sarah last week, inviting my organization, the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE), to be one of the partners of her “Save the Associations” initiative. The initiative started out as a campaign to engage younger members, but has now morphed into something larger and more urgent than ever expected, especially during this pandemic. Based on information from its website, membership decline among young-

Association World Octavio Peralta er generations was first identified as a trend in 1994, and gained considerable momentum in 2016. As such, associations everywhere started to question their value propositions, relevance, and future. Some took a considerable revenue hit or were forced to close. To help associations struggling to engage the next generation of members and survive, Sarah and team decided to ramp up their efforts. In April 2017, they filmed a video with a call to save and encourage associations to be more engaging with the younger generation. The effort gained momentum over the years. Sarah released an e-book filled

ternational best practices on KYE procedures is just half the battle. The other half depends on the strength of oversight of the board of directors of BSFIs [BSP-supervised financial institutions] in implementing these policies.” Under the new rules, banks and other financial institutions monitored by the BSP are required to adopt a risk-focused screening process. The process considers sensitivities of certain positions that may require more stringent procedures. “Adequate understanding of a candidate’s personal background and character, conflict of interest, as well as propensity to commit fraud or irregularity shall be considered in the recruitment process,” the BSP said. The revised rules also emphasize the use of BSP records as part of the screening process of BSFIs.

Under the new set of guidelines, banks and other financial institutions are expected to leverage existing controls, available reports, and other relevant information to facilitate the assessment. The new policy also identified certain behaviors that serve as red flags warranting further scrutiny as part of personnel’s performance evaluation. Head offices of banks and other financial institutions are now also required to act on requests for confirmation of accounts from their clients or depositors. “Segregating the confirmation process from the branch or officer handling the account is a control measure aligned with the principles set out under the operational risk management guidelines earlier issued by the Bangko Sentral,” the BSP said.

with case studies and best practices, and launched a web show featuring associations that were successfully engaging younger generations. All the while, the challenges associations were facing were becoming increasingly difficult. Economic upheaval, social change, work force shifts, and advancements in technology were challenging associations and their members in unprecedented ways. In 2020, when the global pandemic forced organizations to work remotely, associations were catapulted into a crisis response situation. Whether they were representing front-line workers, organizing efforts to help their communities, recovering from revenues lost to event cancellations, or trying to adapt to a remote and technology-reliant workplace, every association in every country has been disrupted. For over 20 years, Sarah’s sole focus

has been to save associations from untimely demise and position them to be relevant, sustainable, and engaging in the 21st century. Every industry and every community everywhere is made stronger by associations. Save the Associations is doing its share to make sure it thrives for generations to come. The PCAAE is, indeed, pleased and honored to be a part of this mission.

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.

US gives nearly ₧170M to PHL for delivery of Covax By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario & Recto Mercene @rectomercene

HE United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), would provide $3.5 million (about P169,494,500) to support the Philippines in its efforts to deliver vaccines this year. In a speech at the “Philippines and US at 75: Strengthening Ties through Sustainable Recovery” event, USAID Acting Administrator Gloria Steele said the funds will be used to deliver Covax vaccines. Steele said this would bring up USAID’s total Covid-19 support in the health sector, starting from last year, to $25 million, or approximately P1.25 billion. “Our assistance will strengthen vaccine supply chains and support local governments to plan, track, and deliver vaccines. And it will help the Philippines’ Department of Health and local governments distribute essential public health messaging around the vaccines,” Steele said. Finance officials said the additional funding from the USAID will be used to strengthen the vaccine supply chain and monitor vaccine safety. The funds would also be used to deliver effective communication campaigns to address vaccine hesitancy in the Philippines. The funds would support local governments in their efforts to plan, track and administer vaccines. Apart from this, Steele said the US government is working with Australia and Japan to expand vaccine manufacturing in India and in other countries for use in Asian countries. “The US Government is helping to expand global vaccine access. The USAID recently contributed an initial $2 billion to COVAX, or the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access Initiative, and are committed to another $2 billion for next year,” Steele added. “And this is intended to increase the global supply of Covid-19 vaccines.” “While the pandemic has tested our peoples and our economies, the strong bonds between Americans and Filipinos will help us rise above this challenge,” US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires John Law said at a vaccination site in Caloocan City that he visited last Thursday. “We will continue to fight this unprecedented global health crisis together.” US government support for the Philippines’s Covid-19 response has helped the country implement internationally-recognized infection prevention and control strategies, strengthen laboratory systems and case management and communicate effectively about health risks. Through the Covax effort—of which the United States is the largest donor—the Philippines will receive enough

vaccines to immunize at least 20 percent of its population by the end of 2021. Apart from addressing the pandemic and administering vaccines, Steele said the USAID will also support the Philippine’s digital transformation. This includes improving Internet connectivity and fostering innovation in order to strengthen cybersecurity and expand e-commerce. Steele also said the USAID will support the private sector’s role in expanding energy sector opportunities and energy efficiency investments. “To help achieve our tar-

get of $750 million in new investment in the energy sector, USAID will provide transaction advisory services to help close deals and secure investments,” Steele said. As of June last year, the USAID has extended $528.83 million in grants to the Philippines. This made the US the country’s seventh-largest source of Official Development Assistance (ODA). The total ODA loans and grants received as of June last year was $26.21 billion. This is composed of $24.6 billion in loans and $1.61 billion in grants.

Friday, April 16, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

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Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jon Cryer, 56; Martin Lawrence, 56; Ellen Barkin, 67; Kareem AbdulJabbar, 74. Happy Birthday: Explore your options, find your passion and discover your talents and attributes. Turn something you love to do into a moneymaking venture. Think outside the box, and you’ll discover you have what it takes to transform your life into something that makes you want to give your all. Focus on happiness, love, health and being the best you can be. Your numbers are 2, 16, 23, 26, 30, 38, 44.

❶ ❶ Each plate shall only be in contact with the guest, apart from the chef safely serving the dish from their respective station.

❷ Chef Bettina

Arguelles and her team at Spiral, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Get involved in something you care about, and it will lead to a new beginning. Be the pioneer that you long to be, and delve into something that excites you. Indulge in an adventure that lifts your spirit and soothes your soul. HHHH

❷

Filipina chef helms, innovates at Manila’s popular buffet resto

ITH the Covid-19 pandemic raging, there has been no easy way for many hotels to reopen their homegrown restaurants. Emphasis has been made on health and safety, not only of their culinary and kitchen staff but also of their guests. Spiral, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s flagship restaurant popular for its global buffet offerings, has had to reengineer its processes and serving procedures in keeping with government-mandated guidelines for hotel restaurants. Guests follow a one-way path around the restaurant’s 21 ateliers to maintain safe physical distance, clear acrylic dividers separate diners from the chefs, only one dish per plate is served to avoid cross contamination, while seating capacity has been reduced (30 percent to 50 percent depending on the current community quarantine status), to name a few. On top of this massive effort is the hotel’s executive chef Bettina Arguelles, who reopened Spiral last October, after several months of the pandemic lockdown. While I have yet to make a trip to that part of town to savor the restaurant’s exquisite dishes once more, I’ve heard of its successful reopening, even as Chef Bettina and her team continue to work on improvements, slowly but surely, despite the limitations and constraints. Chef Bettina is probably most proud of her Food Truck project, where guests can dine al fresco, while chomping on their burgers and grilled favorites. The food truck park sits on an idle space within the hotel grounds with a grand view of the Manila Bay. “As the dawn of New Normal arises, we have to adapt to the new ways people may want to dine,” she said. “I wanted to harness one of the unique strengths and advantages of the property, which is the huge and

spacious outdoor space with a gorgeous view of the bay and sunset. Not only does this space drive revenue but it is also great exposure in social media as it is a highly Instagrammable location,” she added. Chef Bettina is also credited for the Spiral at Home luxury food-to-go concept and the development of cloud kitchen for online delivery platforms. Spiral at Home allows the public to order easy-to-cook kits like its Burger Royale (Angus beef burger topped with foie gras in a brioche bun) to the more indulgent and generous paella, cochinillo, roast turkey, to help uncomplicate those holiday family bubble gatherings. Many probably would not know that Chef Bettina, the first Filipina executive chef in a five-star hotel in the Philippines, had not actually aspired to be a chef. Although she dabbled in the kitchen as a child, she in fact, worked in advertising after graduating with a Communication Arts degree from the Ateneo de Manila. “I didn’t actively pursue a formal education in culinary arts because my parents could never afford it. At the time, culinary schools were uncommon in the Philippines and one had to go abroad to pursue it. It was just something that seemed out of reach for me,” she shared. But after she relocated to Singapore, and with her kids already in school, “I found my opportunity to take up the culinary world with its very robust F&B [food and beverage] landscape. The moon and stars just aligned,” she explained. After studying at the At-Sunrice Global Chef Academy in 2006, Chef Bettina jump-started her culinary career by working at prestigious establishments like the Fullerton Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa, Privé restaurant under Michelinstarred Chef Wayne Nish, and db Bistro Moderne by world-renowned French Chef Daniel Boulud at the Marina Bay Sands. (Chef Bettina’s Burger Royale was likely inspired by Boulud’s burger, which has the foie gras tucked into the patty.) The only Filipino expat at Accor Asia’s Marina Bay Sands, Chef Bettina helped opened Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s newly renovated Spiral in 2013 as French Sous Chef, and later managed all the other hotel restaurants including Le Bar, Sunset Bar, and Snaps Sports Bar as Restaurant Operations Chef. But she moved back to Singapore in 2016 to work as Chef de Cuisine at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make sure you have your facts or instructions in order before you proceed. A physical or health issue will prevail if you don’t take steps to resolve the problem swiftly. Taking care of others is honorable, but take care of yourself first. HHH

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Listen carefully, stick to the truth and don’t take a risk that will jeopardize your reputation. Look at the possibilities, and put paperwork that will help you achieve your goal in place. Educational pursuits will lead to new beginnings. HHH

In 2019, the internationally acclaimed World Gourmet Awards recognized Chef Bettina as Chef of the Year—a remarkable milestone as a Filipina chef and a testament to the sheer talent of Filipinos in the international arena. Having taken the reins of Sofitel Manila’s awardwinning culinary team, Chef Bettina happily shared her inspiring story of following one’s true passion, breaking glass ceilings, and making a mark in a very competitive industry: “I would like to prove that we don’t always have to resort to foreign talent to get the job done and done well. I would like to, albeit in a very small way, open doors for countless other Asian women rocking it in the industry. More than myself, I think I represent something symbolic. I don’t want to be considered a novelty, but the start of something great.” She believes, what sets people apart are ingenuity, resourcefulness, passion, talent, and resilience to rise above adversity. “I would like to leave behind a legacy here—especially being the first female, the first Filipina to be at the helm—that will last long after I have left. I’d like to inspire my young team to aim high and understand all that it entails to reach your dreams.” She has managed to navigate the rough waters of uncertainty during this pandemic toward monumental personal and professional growth. “My peers and colleagues have been generous in their help, promoting a culture of camaraderie and team work. I like to encourage collaboration and sharing of ideas, which stimulate and empower the team,” she underscored. Recognizing that few women are executive chefs across the industry, Accor launched Women in Leadership Disrupting F&B (WILD F&B), a program to tackle gender inequality in bars and restaurants, and promote more women into leadership positions across the group’s hotels and support female talent through career guidance, mentoring and leadership forums. “It’s been great to work for a company that promotes gender equality and particularly has a program that is aimed at getting more women into leadership positions in bars and restaurants,” said Chef Bettina. “Accor has given me so many opportunities to take on new challenges, and promoted my growth and development.” n

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Leave nothing to chance. Develop your plans carefully. Exaggeration will backfire when someone questions what you are doing. Moderation and patience will help you work your way to concrete results. HHH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Work alongside people who share your beliefs and concerns. Stick to a realistic plan that allows you to show off your intelligence and ability to get things done on time and within budget. HHHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Keep your goal in mind when asked to take on additional responsibilities. Emotional tactics will put you in an awkward position. Weigh the pros and cons, and don’t be afraid to say no to someone trying to take advantage of you. HH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): View a problem from every angle. To make the most of a situation and feel good about your contribution, it’s best to make suggestions instead of offering your time or money. HHHHH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Hang on to your cash. Don’t get involved in a joint venture or invest in someone’s plan. Make a change that is within budget and offers a new lease on life. Put your health, well-being and peace of mind first. HHH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll have plenty of opportunities to bring about change. Focus on partnerships that contribute to the lifestyle you want to live. Engage in pastimes that are exciting and adventuresome and push you to be and do your best. Don’t fight what’s obvious. HHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Say less and do more. If you are too accommodating, someone will take advantage of you. Put more emphasis on what will ease stress, make you happy and encourage a positive outcome. HHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Spend time with loved ones, fix up your space or aggressively pursue something you enjoy doing. Something good will transpire. Don’t take a risk with your health or cash. Stick to the rules and regulations, and avoid spending impulsively. HHHHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t take on anything or anyone you can’t handle. Protect against physical or financial dealings that can put you in a difficult position. Rely on what you know you can do, and don’t make promises you cannot keep. HH Birthday Baby: You are engaging, intense and resourceful. You are persistent and demonstrative.

‘xword puzzle’ by lana pivarnik and matthew stock The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Popular food in Rome 6 Opposite of trans 9 Blue Ribbon beer brand 14 Say suddenly, with “out” 15 Second Twitter account, in slang 16 Arrange, as a toga 17 Singer-songwriter Joplin 18 Jazz instrument made of rough fabric, informally? 20 Cut with scissors 22 Traveling through 23 Demolition letters 24 Movie extra’s breakfast bowlful? 29 ___ glands (kidneys’ neighbors) 30 Greek sandwich 31 Vegetable that symbolizes redness 32 Poorly lit 34 Quite unhappy 38 Pub serving 39 Portfolio for a manicurist, slangily? 42 Nintendo Switch avatar 43 Feeling 45 Sib who may borrow your clothes 46 Overflow (with)

7 An official language of Pakistan 4 50 Portman of Black Swan 52 Bagel topper made with sockeye and king salmon, say? 55 Conk on the head 56 Ice Age sloth 57 Upright row muscle, for short 58 Formal attire at Cannes, casually? 62 Seating levels 65 Got along 66 Caretaker for Santa’s reindeer 67 Photographer Adams 68 They may be under your mattress 69 Cori Bush’s Mo. city 70 Its mascots are Red Ruff and Blue Mews DOWN 1 Vegan sandwich, briefly 2 Chicken-king connector 3 Malibu bottle? 4 Knickknack 5 Twitter handle starter 6 Taxi 7 Message on a candy heart 8 Koto or cello part

9 Smooch on the subway, e.g. 10 Sculptor Jean 11 Verb in a turkey recipe 12 Shapewear brand 13 “LOL,” for one 19 ___ Bird (Greta Gerwig film) 21 Italian luxury brand 24 Rum cakes 25 “Set Fire to the Rain” singer 26 Oscar nominee Lena 27 Essence 28 Rabbit’s jump 33 Rx writers 35 Informal gauge of authenticity 36 Farm song refrain 37 Watch brand 39 Mint or marjoram 40 Pub serving 41 “To repeat myself...” 44 Total 46 Mark from a beach trip 48 Cup or bowl 49 Forms an alliance 51 Foot exercise in pilates 52 Great Barrier Reef material

3 Sydney ___ House 5 54 Fully grown 55 Closest buds 59 Word before “weight” or “worth” 60 LPs’ successors 61 Seattle Dragons’ gridiron org. 63 ___ room (Ping-Pong venue) 64 ___-mo Solution to Tuesday’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

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IVAN MAYRINA reporting on GMA’s Unang Hirit

GMA scores wins at Philippine Quill Awards

Leading broadcast company GMA Network won multiple honors at the 18th Philippine Quill Awards, considered as the country’s most prestigious awards program in the field of business communications. The annual event is organized by the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines (IABC Philippines), the first IABC chapter in Asia. During virtual ceremonies held on March 25, the network took home three Excellence Awards. The first was for its Corporate Social Responsibility project, the GMA Network Excellence Awards. Its regional arm, GMA Regional TV (RTV), gave the network two more honors for the “Kapuso Barangayan on Wheels” and “Kapuso Campus Tour: The Regional Masterclass Series.” Recognized under the Communications Management Division’s Corporate Social Responsibility Category, the GMA Network Excellence Awards is an annual nationwide search that honors outstanding graduating Filipino students of communication and technology-based courses. For 18 years, GNEA has conferred awards to future media practitioners who demonstrate leadership, academic performance and social responsibility. Also winning under the same category is Kapuso Barangayan on Wheels—the mobile version of GMA RTV’s “Kapuso Barangayan,” which was originally a community activity held in key barangays across the regions. As various areas have been placed under community quarantine, GMA RTV modified it last year to reach more communities and directly provide its residents the assistance they urgently needed. On top of distributing essential items to thousands of families across the country, GMA RTV conducted lectures on proper health and safety protocols. To further instill hope in the hearts of the beneficiaries, each pack of “Kapuso Barangayan on Wheels” items included notes with messages of encouragement from the anchors and hosts of GMA RTV’s newscasts and morning programs. Meanwhile, “Kapuso Campus Tour: The Regional Masterclass Series,” also organized by GMA RTV, won an Excellence Award in the Communication Training and Education Division. The series, which was launched in 2019, saw some of the network’s most talented personalities sharing their thoughts on various topics—from mobile journalism to choosing the country’s next leaders in this digital age. RTV brought the Masterclass series to seven key cities across the Philippines as a major component of the network’s election advocacy, “Pusuan ang Totoo”—a call to stand for what is true, fight against corruption and disinformation, and choose leaders who will truly serve the country. Moreover, the country’s longest-running morning show Unang Hirit also won a Merit Award for its “Serbisyo at Puso” (SAP) and “Ligtas-Padyak Project”—special projects launched at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year. Delivering journalism beyond lip service, Unang Hirit has a tradition of news and public service spanning 21 years and counting. Unang Hirit SAP extended assistance to locally stranded individuals, OFWs, jeepney drivers, MRT riders and other individuals severely affected by the lockdown, while the Ligtas-Padyak Project provided safety gear and brandnew bicycles to less-fortunate cyclists including essential workers and PWDs.

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Friday, April 16, 2021

The story behind Carla and Tom’s engagement G

By Pauline Joy M. Gutierrez

MA stars and longtime couple Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez have finally decided to tie the knot in a “small, intimate” ceremony at the end of the year. The two shared this announcement following their engagement in October 2020 (the engagement was only made public in March) during an online event attended by the press, in which Tom shared how he asked for Carla’s hand in marriage. “I just woke up one day and I knew. I knew it was the right time,” Tom revealed, adding that he always had “the intention to propose” but uncertainties over the coronavirus pandemic made him anxious— until he realized there simply was no “perfect time” to do so. “When it happened, there was no fear. It was the most lucid moment I’ve ever had. I couldn’t have chosen a better setup than her mom’s house with her family. There were no pretensions, we were not trying to put something on,” he shared. The proposal happened at the home of Carla’s mother, Aurea Reyes, which was decked out in a dreamy arrangement of white roses and candles. The actress was made to believe that she was attending a simple family dinner. Tom’s family members, who are based in the United States, joined the occasion via video call. “There was a photographer, a videographer, my family, some unfamiliar faces. I wondered: Why all the flowers? I wasn’t sure what was happening,” Carla shared. “At first, I couldn’t make out what Tom was saying. I kind of spaced out. But when it finally sank in, I started crying,” she said, recalling the moment Tom knelt before her and popped the question. Tom, on the other hand, was nothing but nervous: “My knees were shaking and my legs felt like jelly. I was 100 percent sure that she was going to say yes. I wasn’t sure, however, if Carla had caught on to my plan? Of course, there was still that uncertainty: What if she says no all of a sudden?” When Carla said yes, Tom could only stare at her. “It was a surreal moment,” he said. When asked about what excites and scares them about marriage, Tom said it makes him happy thinking about the prospect of spending the rest of their lives together, even though “the reality of the world” keeps him in fear sometimes. Carla related that she is wary of many things but she is excited to grow together and build a family with him. “She has helped me realize my goals of becoming a better person, a lot of things when it comes to my emotional quotient. I’ve benefited a lot from seeing how she reacts to stimuli and adversities, and how she manages her time and delegates responsibilities. I’ve learned to grow a lot from her examples,” shared Tom. The couple said they plan to hold a classic-style

church wedding once the country’s current situation gets better. In terms of their honeymoon plans, Carla shared that their priority at the moment is building their own house, although they would love to have kids as soon

as they get married. Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez first met on the massive GMA hit series My Husband’s Lover in 2013, and they have been together since 2014 after working on My Destiny. n

she has gained a legion of fans plus considerable social-media following. And when she posts messages either of her new boyfriend or of her disdain with what’s happening in the country, she is often met with messages of support. Though many followers also contradict her, Angelica claims she is already immune from this and what’s important is what is right. And now, she feels that taking a break from doing teleseryes is the right thing to do so she can concentrate on herself. Catch the finale of Walang Hanggang Paalam tonight on A2Z, Kapamilya Channel and TV5 after Huwag Kang Mangamba. Replacing it starting on Monday is Init sa Magdamag starring Yam Concepcion, Gerald Anderson and JM de Guzman. nnn BBC Studios and ABS-CBN Corp. have announced a new scripted format agreement that will see the

gripping psychological drama Doctor Foster remade for the Filipino audience. This was the basis of the series The World of the Married that aired in Korea, which had a phenomenal run not only in Korea but around the world including in the Philippines. Originally written by Mike Bartlett and produced by Drama Republic, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award-winning series centers around a trusted doctor whose life implodes when she suspects her husband of having an affair. The local 50 x 60 series will be made by ABS-CBN Entertainment and will go into production later this year. The agreement will make the Philippines the sixth international market to license the Doctor Foster story, having already been adapted in South Korea, France, Russia, Turkey and India. A second series has aired in France and is currently in production in India. André Renaud, SVP Format Sales for BBC Studios said: “It truly is an honor to know that Doctor Foster will be coming to life in the Philippines under the extraordinary creative team at ABS-CBN Entertainment. I know that they will not only craft a unique and special story, but that they will also capture the complex struggle of modern relationships from the perspective of the strong female character that sits at the heart of this series. I am confident this will be a hit among the Filipino audiences.” Cory Vidanes, ABS-CBN COO of Broadcast, said: “We are most grateful to BBC Studios for entrusting ABS-CBN Entertainment with the Philippine version of Doctor Foster. It is a privilege for us to be able to produce this highly engaging and relatable story for the Filipino audience.” Now, who do you think will be cast in the Pinoy adaptation? Jodi? Judai? Dimples? Arci? Julia Montes? We’ll just have to wait and see.

An engagement photo of Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez, captured by wedding photographer Pat Dy.

ABS-CBN takes on hit British series

Tonight is the airing of the finale of Walang Hanggang Paalam, the teleserye headlined by Paulo Avelino, Zanjoe Marudo, Arci Muñoz and Angelica Panganiban. While all of the leads have definitely paid their dues and deserve more than few column inches here, I decided to focus on Angelica. You see, with the finale, Angelica brazenly declared in her social-media accounts that she is saying goodbye to teleseryes. She already toyed with the idea a couple of years ago, with the conclusion of lighthearted soap Playhouse, but when the opportunity to do Walang Hanggang Paalam came up, she couldn’t turn it down. Angelica reasoned that because the offer came at the start of the pandemic, when everyone was having issues on job security, here was a tangible offer and she decided to give her yes. And why not? The role of Celine in the program is a good one. She plays a young mother who will do everything to rebuild her family after her son was kidnapped. There were scenes where she had to be strong in the face of the many adversities her character had to face in the search for her son—but oh those scenes when she would be overcome with frustration were screen gems. There was a scene

where she was all out in venting her sadness and frustration and anger, having no idea if her son was still alive, and it was just so perfect. And then there were other scenes where her character had to suffer in silence—you will see it in her eyes, how she delivered her lines. Her acting was just so sublime. But doing the soap took a toll on her. She claimed that with the lockdown taping measures as well as the demands of her character Celine, “naiyak ko na lahat.” That’s why she has decided to take a break from teleseryes with a caveat though, when the right role comes—and more importantly, if the timing is right— she is willing to eat her words and swallow her pride. That is what I admire most about Angelica. She may be far from perfect but she is very much human, someone who always wears her heart on her sleeve. “Napakatotoo n’yang tao,” claims a longtime friend of hers. And Angelica being true to herself is one reason

Angelica Panganiban and Paulo Avelino in Walang Hanggang Paalam.

B6 Friday, April 16, 2021

Mobile games could be good for you, latest Vivo smartphone enhances player performance

Converge racks up accolades for rapid growth, announces 2021 expansion plans

T is a common misconception that mobile games are bad for one’s health. With the explosion of gaming during quarantine, many mobile users have experienced its benefits, starting with treating it as a fun distraction from all the pandemic stress. There are many discovered health benefits of playing mobile games including helping people overcome anxiety and an improved mental memory. With proper selfregulation and a powerful gaming smartphone like the Vivo Y20s [G], with its maximized speed and long-lasting battery, online games can help players conquer real-life challenges. Here, we highlight how mobile games may actually be good for players.

Gives that sense of being ‘in control’ to combat anxiety

DENNIS Anthony Uy, Converge CEO and Co-founder (2nd from left) receives the Nordic Chamber of Commerce award for Growth Business Partner of the Year. The award is given by Nordcham Executive Director Jesper Svenningsen (3rd from Left) and Membership and Events head Mary Rose Yu (Leftmost). Mr. Uy is joined by Benjamin Azada, Converge Chief Strategy Officer (rightmost) during the handover ceremony. The Nordic Sustainability Awards recognizes companies who conduct their business guided by both the Sustainability Development Goals and Nordic values.

ONVERGE ICT Solutions Inc., the country’s only pure fiber broadband provider, has harvested several awards from various local and international institutions for its rampant growth in recent years amid its brisk expansion to reach unserved and underserved markets. This further accelerated last year to serve more customers who are in need of high-speed internet connection for their work from home, online classrooms, or entertainment needs amid community quarantines aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19. At the end of 2020, Converge has more than doubled its domestic fiber network compared to the previous year and strengthened its customer service teams, tripling customer service personnel and more than doubling its installation teams while adding over 400 service vehicles. For its continuous commitment to improve Filipinos’ connectivity, Converge earned recognition as the "Fastest Growing Fiber Internet Service Provider" in the 2020 International Finance Awards for the second year running. More recently, Converge was

recognized as a regional and national ‘Growth Champion’ by consumer data firm Statista, together with international publications Financial Times and Nikkei Asia, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The survey which covered 2016 to 2019 revenue growth reported Converge as the third fastest-growing company in the country. This landed Converge on the 135th spot in Statista’s annual ‘500 High Growth Companies’ list in the whole of Asia. The Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines also lauded Converge at the 2021 Nordic Sustainability Awards last March. Converge was named the chamber’s Growth Business Partner of the Year, owing to the company’s momentous revenue and employment growth. Converge reported earlier that it has more than doubled its fiber network in 2020, laying down more than 28,300 kilometers of fiber optic cables or an expansion of 107% from 26,600 km from 2019. Its domestic network expansion reached over 6.1 million homes, covering 25% of all households in the country. This puts the company on track to meeting its target of reaching 55% of all households in the country by 2025.

Converge has also doubled its subscriber base from 2019 and breached the 1-million mark by end2020, pushing its revenues to grow by 71% year-on-year. For 2021, Converge will forge ahead with its expansion plans, including establishing inter-island connectivity to include Visayas and Mindanao in its fiber network, and expanding its reach in the enterprise segment. To support its growing customer base, the fiber broadband provider launched several channels for customer support including the Converge Xperience App which had already been downloaded by a third of its customers. The company also extended customer assistance through the Click2Call service over the internet, aside from traditional landlines. With these initiatives, Converge was able to fast-track its applicationto-installation turnaround time. As of December 2020, Converge installed nearly 90% of new subscribers in Metro Manila within seven days and over 60% within one day of application. For more information, visit the Converge website at www.convergeict.com.

5 important steps in building an online business from home

AITING for the right time to start an online business from home? Now would be the perfect time, with everyone at home, logged onto their social media accounts every single day. With the power of the Internet comes great opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. To create a successful and profitable online business, here are the most important steps.

Choose a profitable product or service

ALL kinds of businesses start from one thing: an idea, hobby, or passion that turned into an opportunity. The first step to creating a business is knowing what to offer by researching and identifying the pros and cons of the product or service. See to it that the product or service has an existing audience, thereby proving its potential in the marketplace. An important reminder: do not jump on trends, fads, and bandwagons that are deemed fleeting.

Build the core strengths of an online business

WITH an online business, the non-negotiables are a website, an email list, and a good social media following. A clean and simple website should make the business’ credibility available for all to see online. An email list, on the other hand, comes in handy for marketing needs. Lastly, a strong social media presence is essential to further widen the brand’s reach thereby converting followers into customers. Identify the top platforms used by the target audience

and prioritize building a great following in those same platforms.

Keep the audience engaged

A strong social media presence is the result of a great following and engaging content. Keep in mind that an aesthetically-pleasing Instagram feed can have a lot of followers and likes, but the goal is to keep the followers coming, retain them, keep them entertained, and most importantly, entice and convert them to becoming customers. Focus on posting engaging content about the business that they will not only like, but also share and comment on.

Establish a wide network.

A vast network is crucial when it comes to starting a business. Start building a relationship with entrepreneurs, suppliers, and even couriers by joining groups, events, expos, and online caravans to know the ins and outs of the digital landscape. In these trying times, collaboration, not competition, is key to the survival of a business.

Get the right connection.

THE right connection matters – literally, in the case of online businesses. What good is an online business without a reliable and stable Internet connection? This is where PLDT Home Biz comes in. Get a strong Internet connection with affordable PLDT Home BizPlan, plus access to a wider network throughreadily available ecommerce solutions that come with each subscription and virtual trade expos that PLDT Home Biz provides in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). With many people starting their businesses online, the need to stand out and get the attention and loyalty of an audience seems difficult, to say the least.But with the right tools and a strong solid foundation, any startup online business has the potential, not only to survive, but more so, thrive. With PLDT Home Biz, anyone has the power to create a successful homebased online business. Find out more at www.pldthome.com/biz.

IN a moment when people have less control on the outcome of events, mobile gamers feel empowered by dominating a challenge that’s literally in the palm of their hands. In a study published on the US National Library of Medicine, researchers observed games minimize exhaustion caused by stresses in the real world by giving players an environment where they have more control of things. In fact, gamification is an increasingly used technique to ensure the effectiveness of wellness apps used to fight anxiety and depression.

Mobile games boost brain power

GRANTING you’ve chosen the right games, they actually help in keeping your brain engaged by improving spatial awareness and in boosting memory. In particular, playing games is a good exercise to make the human brain remember things better. A study by neurobiologists at the University of California- Irvine (UCI) found 3D video games boost the formation of memories.

Improves problem-solving skills

As life in the time of the pandemic becomes more complex, it would be good to get a fun problem-solving coach. With the richness of the challenges in games, problem-solving

skills are harnessed with the desire to win. Chilean health researchers concluded in a study that since most games are episodic, they teach human brains to not stop until the challenge is completed or the problem solved.

Makes people more social by bringing them together

MOST mobile games help users build a social community. They’re played together and simultaneously by gamers from different parts of the world which is an effective way to shake-off isolation loneliness. It would then be a bonus to have a faster system as you make connections with other gamers. vivo Y20s [G]’s HyperEngine Game Technology speeds up game load times and takes care of latency issues for those extended social play times. As most of the country continues to stay home, it should be a comforting realization that mobile games do not only ease boredom. It also gives players several health benefits, if playing games is properly managed in terms of time spent and frequency. Get the latest gaming smartphone with topnotch features, the vivo Y20s [G]. Learn more about this smartphone by visiting https://www.vivoglobal. ph/ or follow vivo Philippines on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Mexico Grants Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin EUA; PH Pending

EXICO’S health regulator Cofepris recently authorized the emergency use of India’s COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN. Mexico has registered over 2.2 million Covid-19 cases and 209,000 deaths, ranking 14th in the worldwide report. Mexico is a member of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S), a non-binding, informal cooperative arrangement between various regulatory authorities in the field of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) of medicinal products for human or veterinary use; it aims at harmonising inspection procedures worldwide by developing common standards in the field of GMP. Accordingly, Mexico is the first Latin American country to roll out its vaccine program,

and the second PIC/S country to grant approval for Covaxin. IP Biotech, Inc. (IPB) is the exclusive importer and distributor of Covaxin to the Philippines. It has appointed Ambitech Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (Ambitech) as its consolidator. “Mexico’s EUA approval of Covaxin is a stamp of approval by a PIC/S member country, further building global confidence behind Covaxin,”said Deppu Bhatia, Vice President of Ambitech. According to its phase 3 clinical trial interim results, Covaxin demonstrated 81% efficacy rate. The study included 28,500 participants in India aged 18-98. Trials are currently underway to determine if children as young as two years old can take the vaccine. Bharat Biotech recently announced that they will scale up production of Covaxin to 12 million doses a month starting July 2021, from the current 5 million. The Philippines has currently secured at least 8 million doses from Covaxin through IPB and Ambica, which is subject to increase pending further negotiations. “The entry of Covaxin into the Philippines can be a real game changer for the country’s efforts to combat COVID-19. The inactivated whole virion approach is effective against multiple strains, and the validation of use of Covaxin for a younger age group can expand the government’s vaccination scope.” said IP-Biotech Chairman Enrique Gonzalez. “Normalcy is protecting both young and old, and providing security for the entire family.” To date, eight countries have granted EUAs to Covaxin. These are India, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Iran, Mauritius, Guyana, and Zimbabwe.

Safeguard Releases Limited Edition Hand Soap to Support Frontliners as COVID-19 Cases Reach an All-Time High

OUGH is an understatement to describe how the past year has been with the immense impact it brought to the daily lives and health of the Filipinos. The new normal has been challenging, and it has put significant pressure on our healthcare system. But tough can also be used for our frontliners, the first line of defense against increased cases of COVID-19. They have been a symbol of strength, perseverance, and their dedication to do so makes them worthy of all the praises and gratitude. To support Filipinos and more especially the nation’s healthcare frontline workers, Safeguard Philippines partnered with Mercury Drug Corporation to release 20,000 bottles of an all-new limited-edition liquid hand soap an illustration of the modern-day medical frontliner. All sales profits from these bottles will be used to donate handwashing facilities in health centers in key cities at the center of the pandemic. This is a tribute of Safeguard to all medical frontliners, as one of the efforts under the #SAFEWash movement. Gian Yap, Brand Director of Safeguard Philippines, said, “Through the tireless efforts of our frontliners, Filipinos’ health has been safeguarded despite the current situation. Therefore, we dedicate this collaboration to them, the frontliners, who have served as the Safeguardians of the Philippines and continue to do so. With the proper facilities and resources, we aim to extend their efforts through proper handwashing.” “It is our honor to be a part of this collaboration as we express our gratitude to our frontliners who continue to keep us safeguarded through these challenging times.

Your tireless efforts will not go unnoticed and will be championed with our commitment to serve Filipinos.” Mercury Drug Corporation shared through a representative. Safeguard’s limited-edition liquid hand soap design is of a healthcare frontline worker with a mask. Through the design as well, they are tagged as the “Safeguardians of the Philippines.” As a sign of gratitude to our frontliners, the brand hopes to uplift, strengthen, and extend the efforts of frontliners through Safeguard’s power to eliminate 99.9% of germs, and arming Filipinos with proper handwashing education and facilities. Show your support to our frontliners and help provide access to handwashing facilities for Filipinos by purchasing the limited-edition bottles, available in Mercury Drugstore nationwide until supplies last.

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Editor: Jun Lomibao | mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

CANCELLATION STILL AN OPTION

OKYO—Two top officials of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Thursday said radical changes could be coming to the Tokyo Olympics. One went as far to suggest they still could be canceled, and the other that even if they proceed, it might be without any fans. Toshihiro Nikai, the secretary general of the ruling LDP, suggested the cancellation just a day after Tokyo reached the 100-days-to-go mark on Wednesday. He made his comments in a show recorded by Japan’s TBS TV. “If it seems impossible to go on with the games, they must be definitely canceled,” Nikai said. “If there is a surge in infections because of the Olympics, there will be no meaning to having the Olympics.” Asked if a cancellation was still an option, Nikai said: “Of course.” But he also added: “It is important for Japan to have a successful Olympics. It is a big opportunity. I want to make it a success. We will have many issues to resolve and prepare, and it is important to take care of them one by one.” Covid-19 cases have been surging across Japan. On Wednesday, Japan’s second-largest metropolitan area of Osaka recorded over 1,100 new cases, its highest total since January. Japan also recorded more than 4,000 new cases, also high-marks dating back to early in the year. Japan has attributed 9,500 death to Covid-19, good by world standards but poor by results in Asia. Taro Kono, the government minister in charge of Japan’s vaccine rollout, said even if the Olympics go on, there may be no fans of any kind in the venues. He said it’s likely that the Olympics will have to held in empty venues, particularly as cases surge across the country. That means only television cameras and still cameras will be around to record the action, joined by some reporters, judges and match officials. The delayed 2020 Olympics are to open in just over three months on July 23, the Paralympics open on August 24. Fans from abroad have already been banned. Now even Japanese spectators could be kept away as virus cases surge across the country. “I think the question is how to do the Olympics in a way that is possible in this situation,”Kono said Thursday on a television talk show. “That may mean there will probably be no spectators.” Kono did not suggest the Olympics would not go ahead, but he said they could be held under only “certain conditions.” “The way these Olympics will be held will be very different from past ones,” he said. Tokyo organizers have said they expect to announce a decision this month on the number of fans allowed into each venue. Organizers had expected to receive about $800 million from ticket sales, their thirdlargest source of income. Any shortfall will have to be made up by Japanese government entities, which are already footing most of the bills. The official cost for the Olympics is $15.4 billion, but several government audits have suggested it might be twice that much.

SASO SHARES LEAD IN HAWAII WITH 64

APOLEI, Hawaii—Fast finishes put the Philippines’s Yuka Saso and the US’s Brittany Altomare at the top of the Lotte Championship leaderboard on Wednesday morning with rounds of eight-under 64. No one caught them in ideal afternoon conditions at Kapolei Golf Club. Fourth-ranked Nelly Korda came closest, shooting a 65 that left her tied with two-time major champion So Yeon Ryu and Ally Ewing, both of whom played in the morning. Stacy Lewis was two shots back on a day when 47 players shot in the 60s. Jessica Korda, Nelly’s older sister, was part of a group at 67 that included the world’s top-ranked amateur, 17-year-old Rose Zhang. Lydia Ko also shot 67, coming off a record-tying final-round 62

to finish second in the year’s first major, the ANA Inspiration, two weeks ago. Sixth-ranked Brooke Henderson, who won this event in 2018 and 2019—last year’s tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic—shot 68, as did No. 5 Danielle Kang. Henderson hit every fairway and green in regulation, but needed 32 putts. Saso, 19, birdied five of her last six holes. She is playing on a sponsor’s exemption. The 2019 Girls Junior Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Championship winner turned pro that November after earning her card on the Japan LPGA Tour, where she is currently third on the money list. She called her first official round in Hawaii—“It’s like Philippines but colder than Philippines and windier than Philippines”—lucky.

Russia’s flag banned but national colors on Olympic jerseys

OSCOW—The Russian flag is barred from the Olympics in a doping dispute. You wouldn’t know it to look at the Russian uniforms. The International Olympic Committee told The Associated Press that Russian athletes in Tokyo will be allowed to wear a range of uniforms in national colors unveiled by models in a runway show in Moscow on Wednesday. That unveiling show included polo shirts and jackets with white shoulders above thick bands of blue and red—the colors of the Russian flag, in the same order. “You don’t really need to have a strong

imagination. In those uniforms that you saw, our national flag can be seen really really obviously,” Russian Olympic Committee president Stanislav Pozdnyakov said. The logo on the uniforms is that of the ROC, not the national coat of arms. That’s because of a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling from December which barred Russia’s name, flag, anthem and other national symbols in a package of sanctions over what it deemed Russia’s failure to turn over accurate data from the Moscow drug-testing laboratory. The team in Tokyo will be officially known not as “Russia,” but as “ROC,” for Russian Olympic Committee.

EW YORK—With a crisp white graphic look and roomy pockets, the uniforms to be worn by Team USA at the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics were unveiled Wednesday by official outfitter Ralph Lauren. The uniforms, along with Ralph Laurendesigned Olympic Village attire for the American athletes, had been ready to go when the Games were postponed last summer due to the pandemic. “It seems like we’re all go now,” David Lauren, the company’s chief branding and innovation officer, told The Associated Press ahead of the reveal. “They had been designed, produced and ready to roll.” The Games are now scheduled to open July 23 and end August 8 as organizers continue to figure out how to hold them with the pandemic still raging and just 100 days to go. In the meantime, Ralph Lauren is ready with opening and closing parade gear for the more than 600 Team USA athletes, those participating in the Paralympics and Olympic-themed items for sale to the public. Opening ceremony uniforms will be unveiled in July. Lauren, the son of the fashion giant’s founder, said sustainability was top of mind this Olympic go around. Ralph Lauren, which has been outfitting Team USA since 2008, worked with Dow on a cotton pre-treatment dyeing process that uses less water, chemicals and energy than more traditional methods. The process was used for a navy Polo shirt each athlete will receive. A leather alternative using plant-based

materials and agriculture biproducts free of synthetic plastics was used for a patch on the closing ceremony’s white stretch denim pant, which is made of US-grown cotton. And like the lightweight drawstring jacket, a striped red, white and blue belt to be worn by the athletes is derived partially from recycled plastic bottles. The patches are already a keepsake of the historic Olympic delay: They say “Team USA” with the year 2020 printed in red. The zip jackets in white include navy collars and hoods, and striped red, white and blue cuffs. An American flag patch is on one arm and “USA” is on the other, the latter also down one pant leg. The athletes will wear a classic white Polo shirt, white sneakers with a stripe design and navy masks also made of American cotton. The uniforms were made in the United States. The company’s Olympic retail collection will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday on Ralphlauren.com and in June at select Ralph Lauren retail stores, select US department stores and online at TeamUSAShop.com. All revenue supports Team USA. “We want our athletes to really be ambassadors for American style, culture and sportsmanship,” Lauren said recently via Zoom from Manhattan. “We also understood that the message for the Olympics was about sustainability, that this would be the most sustainable Olympics in history and a chance for the team to showcase ingenuity around new ways of thinking about our environment.” AP

VisMin Cup blemished just days into 1st season

“The ROC uniform designs for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are in line with the established and published implementation guidelines,” the IOC told the AP in an e-mailed statement. “The uniforms have been approved on this basis.” Russian athletes had similar limits on their uniforms and symbols at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, when the team was known as “Olympic Athlete from Russia.” The rules for those Olympics specified no more than two of the three colors from the Russian flag could be used together on uniforms, a restriction which no longer applies. For one new Russian Olympian, it all takes some getting used to. AP

Ralph Lauren unveils crisp white Team USA uniforms

US athletes (from left) Daryl Homer (fencing), Jordyn Barratt and Heimana Reynolds (skateboarding) pose with the new USA uniforms while a model walks the ramp to showcase Russian athletes’ games uniform in Moscow. AP

HE Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup marked its first week of action by expelling the Siquijor Mystics and suspending and fining ARQ Builders-Lapu Lapu City heroes on Friday. Banished from the league are players Joshua Alcober, Ryan Buenafe, Vincent Tangcay, Jan Penaflor, Gene Bellaza, Michael Calomot, Frederick Rodriguez, Jopet Quiro, Isagani Gooc, Miguel Castellano, Juan Aspiras, Peter Buenafe and Michael Sereno and head coach Joel Palapal and his staff. On the Lapu-Lapu City side, Rendell

“I made some good putts, had good up and downs, my driving was very consistent today,” Saso said. “I think, yeah, that made me lucky.” Altomare, who like Saso finished on the front nine, played it in 29 with birdies on Nos. 1-7, finishing the run with a chip-in. She needed just 24 putts to post her career-low LPGA round. The four-time All-American at Virginia has never won in seven years on tour. Hawaii-born Michelle Wie West, the 2014 champion, is not playing. She competed in the previous two LPGA events in her return after giving birth to a daughter last year. After seven years at nearby Ko Olina Golf Club, the tournament moved to Kapolei, which previously hosted the LPGA’s Hawaiian Open from 1996-2001 and has also hosted the PGA Tour Champions. AP

Senining, who made free throws first with his left hand and then his right, was suspended for the season and slapped a P15,000 fine. Hercules Tangkay, Reed Juntilla, Monbert Arong, Dawn Ochea and Ferdinand Lusdoc, along with head coach Francis Auquico, were suspended for the rest of the first round. The players were fined P15,000 each while Auquico was handed a P30,000 penalty. Auquico’s assistants Jerry Abuyabor, Alex Cainglet, John Carlo Nuyles, Hamilton Tundag and Roger Justin Potpot were also fined

P20,000 each. The league’s Chief Operations Officer Rocky Chan and other officials announced the decision live on social media, stressing the actions of both teams during Wednesday’s game in Alcantara, Cebu, were “disgraceful acts to the sport we love the most.” Ronald Mascariñas, president of title sponsor Chooks-to-Go, meanwhile, sternly warned league officials that the company will withdraw from the tournament if such act is repeated.

Friday, April 16, 2021 B7

YUKA SASO sizzles in Hawaii’s windy yet ideal conditions.

Tolentino

SEAG task force calls on LGUs to ‘adopt’ athletes

By Josef Ramos

HE country’s top two sports organizations will call on local government units (LGUs) which will be willing to “adopt” national sports associations (NSAs) whose athletes will be competing in the Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games later this year. The option was agreed upon by the SEA Games Task Force composed of officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) in a virtual meeting on Wednesday where they also decided on a July 1 start for a conventional training for the 626 athletes initially named to Team Philippines. “If there’s someone with the passion in sports, who will adopt an NSA, then we will make the offer,” POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said. “If none, we’ll still go for it and find other ways.” The “adopt an NSA” option was in anticipation of a possible short fall in the P200 million budget which the PSC earmarked for the games set from November 21 to December 2. The budget will be equally divided for the training and actual participation of the athletes who will be competing in all, but one (petanque) sport, in the Hanoi program.. “What if the P200 million falls short?” asked Tolentino, adding the Covid-19 pandemic couldn’t be factored out in setting a budget for the SEA

Games as well as the liquidity of LGUs which continue to struggle during the health crisis. Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez has adopted athletes from the fencing association which he heads, while Dumaguete City, known as the epicenter of archery in the country, took in the archers, Tolentino, president of the cycling NSA, said cyclists and skateboarders will be adopted by Tagaytay City. PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, the chef de mission to the SEA Games, said setting a July 1 start for training would allow LGUs elbow room in adopting NSAs. “We still have time to talk with the LGU officials,” he said. The task force also put less weight on vaccinating members of Team Philippines. “We cannot implement a no-vaccine, no-training policy. What if the vaccine only arrives in December?” Tolentino said. “So even if there’s a vaccine or none, training will push through [in July].” Joining Tolentino and Fernandez in the meeting were POC Secretary General Atty. Edwin Gastanes and Deputy Secretary General Karen Caballero, and PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr., Deputy Executive Directors Queenie Evangelista and Merlita Ibay and National Training Director Marc Velasco.

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B8 Friday, April 16, 2021

The all-new D-MAX 3.04x4 LS-E AT in exclusive Valencia Orange color. Isuzu Philippines

Completely redesigned interior with more tech features. Isuzu Philippines