BusinessMirror April 17, 2021

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Saturday, April 17, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 185

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Filipino patriotism floods Facebook over West Philippine Sea issue

IN this February 10, 2018, file photo, a protester, wearing a boat-shaped paper hat, holds a flag during a rally at the Chinese Consulate to protest China’s alleged continued militarization of the disputed islands in the South China Sea known as Spratlys in Manila. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

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By Estrella Torres

HE anger and frustration among Filipinos over China’s blatant military incursions in Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea have been flooding the pages of Facebook for more than a month.

The latest sentiment analysis of BluePrint.PH from 11 March to 11 April 2021 showed increased negative emotions of Filipinos over the issue of territorial disputes on West Philippine Sea. The Facebook post of media firm ABS-CBN on April 9, 2021: “TINGNAN: Namataan ang ilang daang fishing vessel sa Julian Felipe Reef sa West Philippine Sea [LOOK: Hundreds of fishing vessels were spotted at Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea],” had the highest engagement with 30,715 reactions, of which 55 percent are angry.

The post coincided with the “Araw ng Kagitingan” (Day of Valor) celebration on April 9.

Another ABS-CBN post on the same day: “Obligado ang United States na tumulong sa Pilipinas sakaling atakihin ang mga barko at aircraft ng bansa sa West Philippine Sea, ayon sa US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. Ito ang babala ni US State Department spokesman Ned Price kaugnay ng tila pagiging mas agresibo ng China sa pinag-aagawang teritoryo [The US is obliged to help the Philippines if any of its ships or aircraft are attacked in the West Philippine Sea, under the MDT. This was stated by US State Department spokesman Ned Price in connection with China’s aggressive moves in disputed territory],” earned the second highest engagement score of 14, 245, with 69 percent “likes.”

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.4790

BluePrint.PH sentiment analysis also showed strong frustrations over what was perceived as government inaction on China’s violations of the Philippines’s rights to its exclusive economic zone, based on comments in the top two posts.

The comment, “Nakakahiya.

Ibang bansa pa nagtatanggol sa atin kaysa sa mga lider ng Pilipinas [It’s a shame, that it takes other nations to defend our rights (over West Philippine Sea) instead of our leaders]” has the most number of “likes” at 727.

Another comment: “Now, the Commemoration of the Day of Valor, while Duterte flexes his strength for those who are weak, but for those as BIG and ferocious as China, he is a Kitten. Ironic!.

Lesson learned, Presidency should have the highest standards,” earned the second highest number of “likes” at 703.

Malacañang’s “no comment” reaction over Chinese vessels that chased the ABS-CBN crew earned the fourth highest engagement score with 46 percent “haha” and 36 percent “angry.”

BluePrint.PH, a research and campaigns firm using big data analytics, scanned the keyword “West Philippine Sea” within the Philippines, during a 31-day period, from 11 March to 11 April 2021—this

gathered an engagement score of 426,854 from the total 3,170 posts.

Eero Brillantes, Chief Executive Officer of BluePrint.PH, said Filipinos may not be vocal about foreign policy issues, but the blatant and routine military incursions of China in the West Philippine Sea continue to gain interest among social media users.

“Sentiment analysis of Filipinos regarding the West Philippine Sea issue should serve as guidance to foreign policy leaders to act relentlessly to put an end to China’s military interference in the disputed islands,” said Brillantes.

Filipinos also admired the courage of the ABS-CBN news team, led by reporter Chiara Zambrano, to join the maritime patrol in the West Philippine Sea in spite of the dangers.

TV Patrol’s post on March 30, “Nakasama ang ABS-CBN News sa isinagawang aerial maritime patrol sa West Philippine Sea, kung saan nakumpirma ang presensya ng pinaghihinalaang Chinese militia vessels [The ABS-CBN News crew joined a maritime patrol in the West Philippine Sea, where the presence of suspected Chinese militia vessels was confirmed]” ranked third with highest engagement, with 11,343 engagement

score, 45 likes, 17 percent sad and 34 percent angry.

The sentiment analysis also reflected strong interest of Filipinos over the West Philippine Sea issue, as they rely on mainstream media to get information.

ABS-CBN Television channel topped the 50 list of influencers

on the West Philippine Sea issue, with its 83 Facebook posts gaining 114,345 engagement score, or 31 percent of the total engagement score in a span of 31 days.

Inquirer.net is the second top influencer on West Philippine Sea issues with 95 posts, gaining Continued on A2

DOLE

n JAPAN 0.4458 n UK 66.8477 n HK 6.2417 n CHINA 7.4336 n SINGAPORE 36.3302 n AUSTRALIA 37.5615 n EU 58.0245 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.9274

Source: BSP (April 16, 2021)

NewsSaturday BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, April 17, 2021

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Are China’s Covid shots less effective? Experts size up Sinovac T

By Bloomberg News

HE lower protection rates of China’s Covid-19 vaccines have raised concerns about shots that are key to inoculation rollouts from Brazil to Indonesia, especially after their efficacy was questioned by one of the most senior Chinese health officials.

Bloomberg spoke to two experts about the vaccines, zeroing in on the Sinovac Biotech Ltd. shot, which has been the focus of a crisis in confidence after it posted efficacy levels of just above 50 percent in a final stage trial in Brazil—the minimum required by leading global drug regulators. Other Chinese immunizations have delivered rates between 66 percent to 79 percent, still far below the shots developed by Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and even Russia’s Sputnik vaccine that have logged protection rates of more than 90 percent.

More than 30 countries have rolled out the Sinovac shot, most of them in the developing world, but also Hong Kong. The vaccine is key to China’s own mammoth push to inoculate 560 million people—40 percent of its population—by the end of June.

The good news is the vaccines work extremely well in combating severe Covid infections, according to Fiona Russell from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne and Paul Griffin, a professor from the University of Queensland in Brisbane. We asked them key questions about the merits of the Sinovac shot. Their comments have been edited and condensed for brevity.

How effective is the Sinovac vaccine really?

Russell: The Sinovac study was to look at how the vaccine works against the entire range of clinical symptoms, from mild infections to severe ones, including death. The efficacy data of about 50 percent is for very mild disease, requiring no treatment. For

infections requiring some medical intervention, it’s about 84 percent and for moderate-to-severe Covid cases, it’s 100 percent.

That’s what you expect from Covid vaccines—higher efficacy against more severe infections and lower against milder ones. From what I can see, it looks like a very worthwhile vaccine. The problem with the data is it didn’t include many old people or many people with co-morbidities.

Griffin: My impression is the efficacy seems likely to be above the minimum threshold set by the World Health Organization but less efficacious than a number of other leading vaccine candidates.

While it may be less effective against symptomatic Covid (mild infections), the efficacy in severe cases is very high, which is an incredibly valuable property of any vaccine, including this one.

Why does it have varying efficacy rates in different studies?

Russell: This has caused a bit of confusion. The trials were done in Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey. Each of the studies have come with different results. In Brazil, you’ve got the P.1 variant circulating and so potentially the vaccine efficacy may be different due to that. I’m not familiar with what was circulating in Turkey or in Indonesia at the time of the study but that could obviously change the results.

Also, it’s very hard to directly compare results from different trials because they have to be interpreted in the context of the study design. The case definitions—the way a Covid-19 case is identified in

A NURSE fills a syringe with a dose of the Sinovac Biotech Ltd. Covid-19 vaccine at a Covid-19 vaccination center in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, April 3, 2021.

a clinical trial—they used were different, so were the endpoints of the studies.

Griffin: This shows how variables in clinical trials can impact the results. Different strains circulating in a nation are a big variable that can alter the efficacy readout. Virus strains are vitally important in determining vaccine efficacy.0.

What can be done to improve the vaccine?

Russell: The recommended schedule for two doses of the Sinovac shot in the trial was two weeks, though some people spread it longer than that, even one month apart. Theoretically, tweaking the schedule is definitely an option.

Mixing vaccines—starting with one type and then boosting it with

a different one—is another option but there’s a lot more we need to know about those variations.

Griffin: It’s very likely that the dosing interval is critically important and certainly sounds like it was a variable in Sinovac’s clinical trials as well. We need another clinical trial to ascertain whether adding another booster increases efficacy. In terms of heterologous boosting—using a mix of different vaccines—the research is underway. A lot of people are optimistic but until we have the data, it’s hard to know.

QILAI SHEN/BLOOMBERG

and the degree to which the vaccine prevents virus transmission.

But we don’t have a lot of data yet on transmission.

people from ending up in hospitals, Sinovac’s shot looks terrific as the efficacy data for preventing hospitalization and death is 100 percent.

Griffin: If we have a less effective vaccine, we are going to need to inoculate more people to achieve that. Its potential to reduce virus transmission is likely to be less too but again, without good data it’s hard to be sure. With very high coverage, even a moderately effective vaccine is perhaps better than a highly effective vaccine with poor coverage. So, it depends on the uptake among other factors.

Griffin: Yes. While it may mean that we don’t reduce the cases overall or achieve herd immunity, we will still be successful in reducing severe Covid infections and therefore, the burden on the health-care system. If the vaccine is approved by the relevant regulators, then I think we need to have faith that it’s safe and effective in that population.

If there are multiple vaccines available, then people could potentially opt for one that has demonstrated superiority in clinical trials. But if that’s not possible, then having this vaccine is better than not being vaccinated at all.

Is it possible to reach herd immunity with Sinovac?

Should people take the Sinovac vaccine?

Russell: That depends on a number of things—the circulating variant, the coverage required

Russell: I would have no hesitation, provided it secures regulatory authority approval. For protecting

WORDS AS WEAPONS Continued from A1

32,568 engagement score; followed by GMA News, 76 posts, gaining 27, 162 engagement score; and Rappler with 50 posts, and 18,000 engagement score. Senator Risa Hontiveros is among the top 20 influencers on the West Philippine Sea, as her four Facebook posts gathered 6,364 engagement score.

Arbitral ruling

IN 12 July 2016, the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China had violated the Philippines’s sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration, by constructing artificial islands and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.

The tribunal maintained that China’s claims of historic rights to resources in the South China Sea under the so-called Nine-Dash Line were incompatible with and extinguished by the exclusive economic zones provided for in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), which the Philippines had invoked in filing the case before the UN body.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines and three other Southeast Asian countries—Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam—and Taiwan.

Private business groups led by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce (PCCI), meanwhile, expressed support for Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and many groups in calling China to withdraw their vessels from Julian Felipe Reef.

“Our exclusive right over the Julian Felipe Reef carries with it the utilization of, and the obligation to protect, its economic benefits, such as its rich marine life and mineral deposits, for the well-

being of each and every Filipino,” the business groups said in a statement on 14 April 2021.

The Philippines on Wednesday filed three consecutive diplomatic protests within a week amid the continuing presence of Chinese military vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

The démarche came a few days after Philippine authorities celebrated the vessels’ alleged departure in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), only to find that the blue-hulled vessels had simply scattered among Philippineclaimed features.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) later clarified it actually sent two diplomatic protests on Wednesday to the Chinese Embassy in Manila against the Chinese vessels’ continuing presence in the West Philippine Sea. “One counts as the daily protest the DFA said it would do as long as there are ships at Julian Felipe Reef. The second protest is on the dispersal/displacement of Chinese ships to other parts of the Philippine maritime zone,” the DFA explained.

News

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www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Duterte: ‘Worst’ to come before vaccines arrive P

resident Duterte said it’s uncertain when the Philippines can get adequate Covid-19 vaccines, while warning more people will die and “the worst of times” is yet to come.

Duterte said his administration has done its best despite criticism and he could use emergency power, for example, to take over hotels if hospital room shortages worsen. But he said wealthy nations control the vaccine supply and other countries could hardly do anything but wait.

“When will we have that stocks sufficient to vaccinate the people? I really do not know. Nobody knows,” Duterte said in a televised meeting Thursday night with key Cabinet members. “I think before it gets better, we’ll have to go to the worst of times.”

“There’s no sufficient supply to inoculate the world. This will take a long time. I’m telling you

many more will die here.”

The Philippines has received more than 3 million doses of Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines, most of it donated by China and through the COVAX arrangement by the World Health Organization.

At least 1.2 million people have been given initial doses. The government aims to purchase at least 148 million doses to inoculate about 70 million adult Filipinos but the plan has faced supply problems and delays.

The vaccination delays have coincided with an alarming surge in coronavirus infections that the government has been scrambling to ease in the hard-hit capital and four outlying provinces.

The Philippines has long been a coronavirus hot spot in Southeast Asia with more than 904,000 infections and 15,594 deaths. AP

PHL to start inoculating workers as more Covid-19 vaccines arrive

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he Philippines will start vaccinating frontline workers in key industries, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, as the nation expects the delivery of more jabs against coronavirus in the coming weeks.

The coronavirus task force approved the vaccine deployment plan for priority group A4, which includes frontline workers in supermarkets, food and medicine manufacturers, banks, utilities and tourism, Roque said in a news statement issued on Friday. Also under this group are religious leaders, overseas Filipino workers, teachers, government workers, tax collectors, diplomats and media personnel, he said.

Previously, only health workers, people aged at least 60 years old, and those with comorbidities were inoculated. Vaccinating key industry workers is part of the government’s plan to safely reopen more sectors of the economy amid a new surge in cases.

The Philippines, which has the most number of active Covid-19 cases in Southeast Asia, targets to vaccinate up to 70 million Filipinos and seeks to buy as many as 170 million doses. It’s expecting the delivery of 1 million more Sinovac vaccines in April

and another 2 million in May. The Depar tment of Education (DepEd), meanwhile, thanked President Duterte and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases for the inclusion of basic education frontliners in the A4 priority category of the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan.

Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones earlier made an appeal to include the all teaching and non-teaching in both public and private schools in the vaccine rollout of the government.

“With the adjustment of vaccine prioritization [from B1 to A4] for basic education frontliners, we can speed up the rollout of vaccines among our teachers and non-teaching staff,” the DepEd chief added.

DepEd also reiterated its commitment to continuously protect the health and safety of teachers, learners and non-teaching personnel, and prioritize their welfare “at this critical time.”

As spelled out by the President, the DepEd reiterated that vaccination is a “key component” of any roadmap to the resumption of face-toface classes. Bloomberg News and Claudeth

Mocon-Ciriaco

PHL commits to 75 percent emissions cut by 2030

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resident Duterte has approved the country’s first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which sets a 75-percent greenhousegas (GHG) emission reduction and avoidance by 2030, as part of the Philippines’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The NDC represents the country’s goal of modernizing and pursuing low carbon and resilient development for the agriculture, waste, industry, transport and energy sectors over the 2020-2030 period.

This target is based on the country’s projected business-as-usual cumulative economy-wide emission of 3,340.3 metric tons (MT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) for the same period.

“The Philippines is submitting an ambitious NDC target of 75-percent reduction of GHG emissions by 2030 in the name of climate justice. The NDC will be our tool to upgrade our economy by adopting modern and low carbon technologies and approaches that would help mitigate the climate crisis and make our economy more resilient and our growth sustainable,”said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the chairman-designate to the Climate Change Commission (CCC), which facilitated the NDC formulation process.

Of the 75-percent target, 72.29 percent is “conditional” or contingent upon the support of climate finance, technologies and capacity development, which shall be provided by developed countries, as prescribed by the Paris Agreement.

The remaining 2.71 percent is “unconditional” or shall be implemented mainly through domestic resources.

Compared to the Philippines’s Intended NDC that was submitted in 2015, which conveyed a conditional 70-percent GHG reduction target, this first official NDC conveys a higher target and includes an unconditional commitment of climate action.

Dominguez expressed appreciation to the lead agencies—the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), of Agriculture (DA), of Transportation (DOTr) and of Energy (DOE); of Foreign Affairs (DFA); and the National Economic a n d D e ve l o p m e nt Au t h o r i t y ( N e d a ) — f o r working on the NDC despite the pandemic and the successive storms and typhoons that further delayed the process late last year.

Dominguez also thanked industr y representatives along with leaders of academe and civil-society organizations for their valuable inputs and support for the government’s vision of a transformational NDC. He, likewise, called on the international community to work together to strengthen global efforts for climate-change mitigation and adaptation during this critical decade.

“We expect that developed nations, which historically caused the global climate crisis, will deliver their commitments to the Paris Agreement with the right speed and scale to keep global average temperature from breaching the 1.5 degrees Celsius survival threshold. The critical time between now and 2030 gives us a window of opportunity for transformative climate action to ensure planetary well-being before it is too late,” Dominguez added.

Mayor says Pasay can ride through pandemic ‘storm,’ projects P7.1-B city revenue goal in ‘21

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he local government of Pasay has projected that city revenues may reach P7.1 billion this year following the implementation of various reforms to encourage more investments and keep businesses going amid the pandemic.

“For this year’s first quarter, we have a 99 percent collection efficiency rating,” Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano said in a television interview as she expressed confidence that the city will surpass last year’s tax collection of P6.8 billion.

As the travel hub of the country hosting a wide range of businesses, Rubiano admitted that their revenue collections were not as “robust as in the previous years” before the pandemic.

“Thus our financial standing has been greatly affected, but we are confident that we can ride through this [economic] storm” she noted.

The mayor, likewise, explained that they have undertaken some initiatives to help big, medium and even small firms to survive the pandemic.

Rubiano said that some of their initiatives include the no imposition of surcharges and interests as prescribed by the Bayanihan Act and extension of payments for business and real property taxes without surcharges and interest.

“We are continuously finding ways on how we can best help our traders and keep their businesses running despite the pandemic. In fact, Pasay is fast gaining reputation as business-friendly city,” she said.

The mayor added: “We want them to keep doing business as usual in this most challenging times. In fact, we’ve repeatedly extended the deadline for the payment of business and real property taxes to help them.”

The mayor also added that the city hall has also gone fully automated on almost all essential departments to make business transactions easier and faster for the transacting public. “ We’ ve a l s o u n d e r t a ke n i n i t i at i ve s a s we embarked in an automation of all other essential ser vices at the City Hall,” she said, adding that among these automated ser vices are online registration for business permit applications and for building permit, as well as for real proper ty assessment.

“We also accept online payments. Our digital initiatives have provided convenience in doing business in Pasay City Hall. It is very timely as well because of the pandemic,” she stressed.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Saturday, April 17, 2021

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Senators keen to have Palace recall EO cutting pork tariff

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By Butch Fernandez

ENATE President Vicente Sotto III on Friday held out hopes President Duterte would recall his Executive Order 128 reducing pork tariffs, saying that without such voluntary recall, lawmakers would have no choice but adopt a resolution revoking it when they resume sessions on May 17.

At the close of the second Committee of the Whole (COW) hearings on food security last week, Sotto had counted at least 19 senators endorsing a resolution asking Duterte to voluntarily recall EO 128. If that fails, then Congress would have to assert its power to set tariff rates when they get back to work.

Sotto indicated that the senators’ determination to roll back the order, dubbed as a threat to the P300-billion local hog sector, stemmed from two things: one, the glaring data gaps presented by government officials on the volumes of pork importations and on supply and demand of pork, at the ongoing COW hearings of the Senate; and two, the timing of the endorsement to Congress of the Palace proposal on the tariff cuts.

Some senators saw apparent bad faith in the Executive’s endorsing to them the recommendation for tariff reductions only on March 26—the day they were to start a scheduled recess till May 17—even though discussions on lowering tariff and increasing minimum access volume for imported pork was already being discussed way back in January.

“May pinanggagalingan kung tutuusin ang background nito; ito yung isa sa bini-bring up namin kahapon [There is a background to this lengthy discusssion in the Senate; that was what we were raising in yesterday’s hearing],” Sotto said.

He added, partly in Filipino: “This power to lower tariffs or raise the MAV is a power of Congress which we are allowed by law to delegate to the President. That happens when it is of utmost necessity and Congress is not in session. But in this case, this was being discussed in January. They were ready to make proposals in February, but it was like we were being dribbled in the responses of [Agriculture] Secretary Dar when we asked when they would be ready. And then they give it to us on March 26, they will send us

the letter of the President, asking us to do what they want us to do [reduce tariffs], on March 26. But on March 26, we adjourned, that was our last day. What does that mean?”

The Senate leader added senators could not be faulted for thinking there is more to it. “Isn’t that the logical thing that would come to mind for us?”

Sotto reminded everyone that what was sent to the Senate is a request to bring down the tariff and raise the minimum access volume on imported pork.

“Because it is Congress that has the power to do that. But the Constitution says that when Congress is not in session, the Executive can do it. It’s like a delegated power of the President; that the Executive does it because Congress is not in session.”

At the same time, the Senate President said senators were not ruling out the possibility the delayed Executive action on the tariff and MAV was intentional.

“That is our suspicion and we cannot intervene and ask why or what is the basis for that order? So now we called a hearing which coincidentally was already covered by a

resolution filed by Senator Lacson,” he said, referring to Lacson’s earlier resolution used as basis for the COW hearings on food security, as triggered by the supposed pork supply and price crisis, on account of the African swine fever (ASF).

Sotto repeated the question raised by some senators who doubted that the ASF was really the trigger behind the stampede to jack up imports, considering that ASF had been raging through the country since 2018.

Sotto added: “We are also keen to know where the ASF came from.”

Meanwhile, he scoffed at the theory that the ASF was introduced into the country as a result of the Filipinos’ penchant for bringing pasalubong, including supposedly frozen food. This is in contrast to suspicion that ASF came because some corrupt officials allowed inbridled importation of pork even from ASF-affected countries.

“Pasalubong? Pinapakain ba sa baboy ang pasalubong [Food gifts?

Do you feed food gifts to pigs? ” Sotto asked mockingly, to stress his point that the excuse given was unacceptable to senators.

SBMA dismantles illegal settlements in Free port

By Henry Empeño

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UBIC BAY FREEPORT—The Subic B ay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has started dismantling huts and other structures in illegal settlements built by some farmers and local tribesmen at the Tipo area here, as it vowed to protect government interest from encroachment in this economic growth area.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the agency carried out its demolition order last Tuesday, April 13, at a newly cleared forest area occupied by illegal settlers near the Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) tunnel.

Eisma also said the SBMA had served a “notice to vacate” on April 12 to farmers who have started a new settlement at Lot 2, another government property located at the foothills of Mt. Sta. Rita, also in Tipo.

Tipo, which is the location of the 8-kilometer SFEX and some industrial park projects, is a village within Hermosa, Bataan, and adjoins Dinalupihan town and Barangay New Cabalan in Olongapo City.

Eisma said that in late February, inspectors from the SBMA Ecology Center discovered the illegal clearing near SFEX, which consisted of some huts built on a 500-square-meter area that straddled the proposed rail alignment for the planned Subic-Clark Railway Project.

Ecology Center Manager Amethya Dela Llana said a check with the Kalayaan Ayta community revealed that the unauthorized clearing was made by a group of tribesmen from the Iram Resettlement area in Olongapo City, prompting her office to refer

Officers from the SBMA Legal Department show the metes and bounds of the Subic Freeport after serving a notice ordering farmers headed by FFCI Vice Chairman Wilson Villas (in green camisa de chino) to vacate an illegal settlement in the free port. the matter to Nestorio Pablo, the indigenous people’s representative to the Olongapo City council.

The notice sent to Pablo warned that the SBMA will demolish the huts and confiscate the felled bamboos, wood, and other building materials found in the area.

Eisma said that while the newly discovered illegal settlements were still uninhabited, the semi-concrete structures put up by settlers particularly at Lot 2, point to an intent for permanent occupancy.

She said the Subic agency gave the illegal settlers five days to remove their belongings at Lot 2 and to clear out of the area.

The SBMA notice was received by Wilson Villas,

Davao City mayor eyes tweaks to allow liquor consumption

By Manuel T. Cayon Mindanao Bureau Chief

D

AVAO CITY—Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Friday said the 24-hour ban on the sale and consumption of liquor and other alcoholic beverages stays within the general community quarantine (GCQ), or until April 30.

The mayor, however, said she is mulling over to tweak some regulations that would serve the interest of consumers, while sustaining the viability of business establishments, explaining that she is “thinking about striking a balance that would meet all the needs of stakeholders without sacrificing the basic public minimum health standards.”

Duterte-Carpio told the city government-ran Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) early this week how she could find ways at “how people can drink liquor without gathering, and at the same time allow our liquor businessmen to operate.”

“That’s what we have really been thinking about: To strike the right balance. It’s 100 percent certain that when liquor is within reach in sari-sari stores, after a day’s work and upon arriving at home, they would invite neighbors for a drink, that’s human nature. When people gather, Covid-19 would love it as it can jump from each of the participants of the drinking session,” she said.

The mayor mentioned a conversation with a friend who complained about Manila’s liquor

ban and questioning its connection with the coronavirus disease. She told her friend whom the mayor did not identify though that health authorities, even from here, have validated reports of confirmed Covid positive patients who contracted the virus during drinking sprees.

Under her Executive Orders 12 and 12-A, the liquor ban shall take effect until May 31.

Meanwhile, City Hall announced that the People’s Republic of China donated medical apparatuses to the city’s primary health-care services, would be distributed to all barangays.

The city government received on Thursday from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines B ax tel Aneriod Sphygmomanometers with stethoscopes, sets of first-aid kit and umbrellas.

Baxtel Aneriod Sphygmomanometers are used to measure blood pressure.

April Marie Dayap, head of the Davao City Investment and Promotion Center, said these items have been allocated to each of barangay health worker and barangay nutrition scholar in the city.

Barangay health centers would also receive two units of Primaplus compressor nebulizer, an apparatus to clear the airways of an asthma patient, one unit Baxtel Aneriod S p hyg m o m a n o m e te r w i t h s te t h o s co p e, a weighing scale with height measurement (platform type) and a first-aid kit set.

Duterte-Carpio said the City Health Office and barangays have a total of 3,234 health workers, hired by either the city or the barangay.

reportedly the vice chairman of the group Filipino Farmers Center Internazionale (FFCI), which already had a run-in with the SBMA over encroachment.

Eisma said the SBMA had earlier filed a case in court against some 30 families affiliated with FFCI

who have occupied Lot 12, an area at the boundary of the Subic Freeport and the Roosevelt National Park in Dinalupihan.

On Thursday, the SBMA chairman appealed anew to farmers and indigenous Ayta tribesmen to stop encroaching in government-administered land and clearing forests and building illegal settlements within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Eisma said the intrusion and introduction of unauthorized settlements violate the law, as well as an agreement between the Subic agency and the Ayta tribe on the use and disposition of tribal ancestral lands within the free port.

Your efforts in clearing land and building shacks will simply be wasted if you’re activities are illegal.

The authorities will simply dismantle what you build),” Eisma said in Filipino…“There has long been an agreement on the ancestral domain here in the Subic Freeport, and we hope you would honor it to avoid any problem,” she added.

Eisma also said the SBMA may be constrained to file more cases against illegal settlers in order to protect government interest over the properties.

BusinessMirror

A4 Saturday, April 17, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

1 DRAGON VISA CONSULTANCY INC. U-606 6/f Itc Bldg. 337 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Bel-air Makati City 1.

WU, HAOMIN Chinese

CHINESE IT CONSULTANT

24/7 BUSINESS PROCESSING INC. 14/f Capella Bldg. L-3&4 B2, Asean Drive Filinvest Alabang Muntinlupa City 2.

AGUSTIAN Indonesian

BAHASA SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

3.

LI, YUAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

4.

ZHOU, QIANQIAN Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

3D ANALYZER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES INC. 7-8/f Double Dragon Plaza 255 Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 5.

LUO, SHUTAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

8 STONE BUSINESS OUTSOURCING OPC 5-10/f Tower 1 Pitx Kennedy Road Tambo Parañaque City 5th-10th/f Tower 3, Pitx #1 Kennedy Road Tambo Parañaque City 6.

7.

BAI, XUEDONG Chinese WANG, JINJU Chinese

DUONG MANH CUONG Vietnamese

VIJAYAN, NILE Indian

PAN, HONG Chinese

BUSINESS CONSULTANT

39.

LI, LONG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CABLING INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNICIANS

40.

HE, BO Chinese

IT SPECIALIST

41.

LI, CHEN Chinese

IT SPECIALIST

42.

TANG, BO Chinese

IT SPECIALIST

43.

DU, LEI Manx

MANDARIN SPEAKING PROJECT MANAGER

44.

REN, RONG Chinese

MARKETING MANAGER

CHUNGDAHM (PHILS) INC. U-2&3 15f Wilcon It Hub 2251 Chino Roces Ave. Bangkal Makati City 45.

OH, JAEJUNG South Korean

AVANTICE CORPORATION 19/f Pbcom Tower Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City 10.

ZHANG, PEIWEN Chinese

MARKETING EXECUTIVE

11.

AGUSLI Indonesian

OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

12.

ALFRED CHRISTYADI Indonesian

OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

13.

HOANG THANH NAM Vietnamese

OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

14.

NGUYEN VAN THANH TRUNG Vietnamese

OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

15.

ZUBLIS, Indonesian

OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

16.

SUBANDI Indonesian

PAYMENT EXECUTIVE

17.

WISELY Indonesian

PAYMENT EXECUTIVE

18.

CHAP, JOHN Cambodian

RISK AND COMPLIANCE EXECUTIVE

CAO, SONGSONG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

47.

CHEN, DONGWEN Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

48.

FAN, YONGMING Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

49.

HU, ZHONGYAO Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

50.

JIANG, WEIWU Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

51.

LEE CHEE JIA Malaysian

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

52.

LYU, YUAN Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

ELEX INC. 2802 The Trade And Financial Tower 7th Avenue 32nd Street Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 53.

LE THI TUYET MAI Vietnamese

CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

54.

TRAN PHUONG LINH Vietnamese

CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

TRAN THI NHUNG Vietnamese

CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

DU VAN DOAN Vietnamese

FINANCE SPECIALIST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

57.

HOANG KIM THINH Vietnamese

FINANCE SPECIALIST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

58.

NGUYEN THI NGHIA Vietnamese

FINANCE SPECIALIST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

59.

PHAM QUOC DUNG Vietnamese

FINANCE SPECIALIST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

60.

DINH PHAM HUNG Vietnamese

SENIOR CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

61.

NGUYEN TRONG PHUONG Vietnamese

SENIOR CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

VI THU HOAI Vietnamese

TECHNICAL SPECIALIST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

55.

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

VICE PRESIDENT

DAXIFA CORPORATION Mpire Center 93 West Avenue Project 7 Bungad 1 Quezon City

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila

GLOBAL TRANSFORMATIONSENIOR MANAGER

POSITION

38.

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

VIETNAMESE SPEAKING QA/ QI ANALYST

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

CHINA COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES PHILIPPINES CORPORATION 12/f One/neo Bldg 26th St. Cor 3rd Ave., Bgc Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

46.

ARINSO INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES, INC. 4/f Bldg. 1 Eton Cyberpod Corinthian Ortigas Ave. Cor. E De Los Santos Ave. Ugong Norte 3 Quezon City 9.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

ALFANET GLOBAL SOLUTIONS, INC. Flr. No. 4th & 5th W Mall Bldg. Diosdado Macapagal Ave. St. Zone 10. Barangay 076, District 1 Pasay City 8.

NO.

56.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

NO.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

NO.

83.

GAO, HAITANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

127.

WU, KEXUE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

84.

HAO, YAOQUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

128.

WU, LINTAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

85.

HE, QIAOQIAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

129.

ZHOU, ZHAOBO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

86.

HE, JIEWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

87.

HUANG, HE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

88.

HUO, LIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

89.

LI, MINGMING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

90.

LI, YI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

91.

LIN, CHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

92.

LIU, ZHIMEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

93.

LIU, GUOWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

94.

LYU, RENJIE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

95.

MAI, WENLONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

96.

REN, GUANGTAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

97.

SUN, JINYUE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

98.

WANG, YUANCHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

99.

WEI, SAIYI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

100.

YAN, JIAJUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

101.

ZHANG, SI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

102.

ZHAO, YUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

103.

SIM CHUN HONG Malaysian

MALAYSIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

104.

NGUYEN THI HA THUONG Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

FRONTIER ORTIGAS HOTEL AND RESORT CORPORATION Marco Polo Hotel Ortigas Manila Meralco Ave. Cor. Sapphire Road Ortigas Ctr. San Antonio Pasig City 105.

HEALY, COLIN OWEN British

GENERAL MANAGER

FUJIAN ELECTRIC POWER ENGINEERING COMPANY 5 West Lawin Phil-am 1 Quezon City 106.

MENG, CHI Chinese

ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN

107.

ZHANG, YUHAO Chinese

ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN

GLOBAL B2B CONSULTANCY, INC. 50/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Avenue Bel-air Makati City 108.

MA, JIPENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE SPEAKING

GLOBAL PACIFIC KNOWLEDGE CONSULTANCY INC. Unit 905 9/f The Pearlbank Centre, 146 Valero St. Bel-air Makati City 109.

TSAI, INGER a.k.a. TSAI, PEI-JU Taiwanese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING

110.

LI, GAOYANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

111.

RAN, LINGXIA Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

112.

TAN, DONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

113.

WANG, SHIHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

19.

JAR SAI Myanmari

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST

62.

20.

NGUYEN THI NGOC PHUONG Vietnamese

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

FAREAST OUTSOURCE PROCESSING INC. 7th, 8th, 9th Flr. Nu Tower Moa Coral Way Brgy. 076 Pasay City

21.

LIANG, HAO Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

63.

22.

WANG, SONGRONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

23.

WEI, QUANSHENG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

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

24.

XU, JINGHUA Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

65.

SU SAY PHUNG Vietnamese

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST

25.

ZHAO, HAI Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

66.

BAO, QINGYANG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

26.

SHUAI, CHENHUI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

67.

CHEN, ZHIQIANG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor Silver City 4, Ortigas East Ugong Pasig City

27.

ZHAN, LIANZHU Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

68.

LIU, CHEN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

114.

69.

LU, SHAN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

70.

NIE, HUJIE Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

71.

ZHAO, YULONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

BIGCAT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INC. 18/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue Cor. Rufino Street Salcedo Vill. Bel-air Makati City 28.

CHRISTY DEISY MONINGKA Indonesian

BAHASA INDONESIAN LANGUAGE- MANAGER MARKETING

BILLION DRAGON OUTSOURCE PHILS., INC. One Townsquare Place Bpo Bldg. Alabang Zapote Rd. Almanza Uno Las Piñas City 29.

CHEN, JINDUI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

30.

DAI, HUAICHUN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

31.

LI, JINGTAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

32.

WANG, GAOPING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

33.

ZHANG, CHANGLEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

BLOOMBERRY RESORTS AND HOTELS INC. Solaire Resort And Casino 1 Asean Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City 34.

KUK, JI EUN South Korean

ASST. MANAGER, EVENTS & PROMOTION

C’EST LA VIE EVENT MANAGEMENT INC. 230 Narra Street Marikina Heights Marikina City 35.

LIN, YIPENG Chinese

CHINESE-BOOTH FABRICATION SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

36.

HUANG, RONGTONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SUPPORT TRAINOR-MANDARIN SPEAKING

CHEC CONSTRUCTION (PHILS.) CORP. Ninth Avenue Corner 9th Street Cor. 31st St. Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 37.

YANG, FAN Chinese

FINANCIAL SENIOR SUPERVISOR

64.

HU, RONGZHEN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

RONG, NING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

FLY ASIAN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Eighty One Newport Blvd. Newport City Va, Brgy. 183 Pasay City 72.

XIANG, MING Chinese

MARKETING CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING CLIENTS)

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. Malate Bayview Mansion 1781 M. Adriatico Street 076, Brgy. 699 Malate Manila 4th-11th Floor Aseana 3 Building Aseana Avenue Corner Diosdado Macapagal Tambo Parañaque City

CHEN, XIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

115.

GUAN, ZHONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

116.

HO LE MY NGOC Vietnamese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

117.

LIU, TAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

118.

YUAN, JIE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

119.

ZHANG, CHUNYANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

120.

ZHANG, DAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

121.

ZOU, TAOZHI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

73.

LI, WENJIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

74.

LIN, DAOQIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

75.

WANG, ZHENGTAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

76.

WANG, JINCHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

HCL TECHNOLOGIES PHILIPPINES, INC. Net Cube Center, 3rd Avenue Corner 30th Street E-square Zone Bonifacio Global City Taguig City

77.

YU, PING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

122.

78.

YU, CHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

79.

ZHANG, HANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

INTERCOMP LINK SOLUTIONS INC. 14th Floor, Filinvest Three Bldg. Northgate Cyberzone Filinvest Alabang Muntinlupa City

80.

CHEN, SIQI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

81.

CHEN, XUEDU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

82.

DAI, SHAOYANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

NGUYEN THI NGAN Vietnamese

ANALYST

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Floor Six West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 130.

JONI Indonesian

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST

131.

NGUYEN THI PHUONG Vietnamese

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST

132.

ADI KURNIADI Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

133.

CHRISTINA Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

134.

FRISKA Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

135.

HARYADI Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

136.

JENNY Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

137.

LINA Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

138.

NOVIA Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

139.

SANDI Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

140.

SISWANTO Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

141.

SUPRININGSIH Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

142.

SUSANTO Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

143.

WIDIYANTO Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

144.

YAN, XIALI Chinese

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

145.

YOHANES STEVEN Indonesian

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

146.

ZIN MAR WIN Myanmari

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

147.

QIAO, JIAJUN Chinese

I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN

148.

CHEN, WEIMING Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

149.

HUANG, ZAILIANG Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

150.

SU, MINGJIE Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

151.

TIAN, HE Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

152.

DAI, DAOSHENG Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

153.

FENG, GENWEN Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

154.

FENG, CHENGYU Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

155.

LAN, XIAOYI Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

156.

LEI, YUTIAN Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

157.

LI, YUFENG Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

158.

LIU, ZHUMING Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

159.

SHI, JUNZE Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

160.

WEN, SHENGYUAN Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

161.

YANG, SHENGMING Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

162.

YANG, HAILONG Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

163.

YAO, JIAHAO Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

164.

YE, YE Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

165.

ZHANG, JIANPING Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

166.

ZHANG, PEIXIN Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

167.

CHEN, JIANCHAO Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

168.

CHEN, JINWEI Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

169.

DENG, YINING Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

170.

FENG, ZHENLIN Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

171.

HUANG, RUN Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

172.

JIN, PO Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

173.

LIANG, SHAOPING Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

174.

LIU, YUANXIN Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

175.

MIAO, JINCAI Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

176.

SU, ZEMING Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

177.

WANG, SHUANGFU Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

178.

WANG, ZHIXIONG Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

179.

WANG, BINGDING Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

123.

CHEN, WUDAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

180.

WU, JINXIANG Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

124.

DENG, YAFENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

181.

XIE, ZHI Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

125.

HE, SITING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

182.

XU, QIUSHI Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

126.

LYU, KE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

183.

YE, HUIBIN Chinese

QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

The World

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

Saturday, April 17, 2021

A5

Taiwan’s push for better Japan ties harmed by Fukushima water

J

apan’s plan to release radioactive water into the Pacific has put Taiwan’s government in a bind, caught between standing up for its fishing industry and avoiding a dispute with its northern neighbor on the eve of a summit between its two key allies.

President Joe Biden meets Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga Friday, with the two nations discussing whether to issue a statement in support of Taiwan, the Nikkei repor ted last month. Coming only weeks after the two nations pointedly mentioned the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement, the explicit show of support from Japan would be the first since 1969 and represent something of a coup for President Tsai Ing-wen.

However, Japan’s decision this week to release more than a million cubic meters of radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean generated opposition in Taiwan and criticism of Tsai’s government for not doing more to stop it.

That backlash may strengthen support for Taiwan’s ban on Japanese seafood and farm produce from Fukushima and surrounding prefectures, making it harder for her to improve ties with Japan.

The chairman of Taiwan’s main opposition party, Johnny Chiang, accused Tsai of sacrificing the interests of Taiwan’s fishermen and lamented what he sees as the government’s unwillingness to more forcefully protest the Japanese move.

The opposition has long campaigned to maintain Taiwan’s import ban.

A majority of respondents voted in favor of keeping the import restrictions in a 2018 referendum initiated by a senior figure in the party.

Tsai’s government is also steeling itself for another food-related political showdown in August over a proposed referendum against her decision to ease import restrictions on US pork and beef.

Japan’s plan to release the radioactive water will complicate the atmosphere surrounding food from Fukushima, said Lai I-chung, president of the Taipei-based Prospect Foundation think tank, but it’s not top of Tsai’s agenda right now.

“The government here right now is trying to diffuse the possible political time bomb associated with the plebiscite on the American pork import issue,” he said. “So the issues regarding Japan’s Fukushima food imports won’t be able to be fully discussed until the conclusion of the referendum this August.”

Japan has made no secret of the fact that Taipei must first rescind the ban before it will consider talks about the possibility of Taiwan joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Par tnership, according to the Tsai administration’s chief trade negotiator, John Deng. That’s a key goal for Tsai’s final term in office, and Tokyo’s backing is essential to her aspirations of joining the Japan-led trading bloc.

Biden meets PM Suga in bid to boost China-facing alliances

W

ASHINGTON—President Joe Biden is welcoming Japan’s prime minister to the White House on Friday in his first face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader, a choice that reflects Biden’s emphasis on strengthening alliances to deal with a more assertive China and other global challenges.

Biden and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga also look to counter messaging from Chinese President Xi Jinping that America and democracies in general are on the decline, after the political turmoil and international withdrawal that marked Donald Trump’s presidency.

The Biden administration calls managing US policies toward the Indo-Pacific, where China under Xi is flexing growing economic and military power, the primary challenge for the United States. That helped guide Biden’s decision, announced this week, to pull US troops out of Afghanistan and free the administration to focus more on East Asia.

For Biden and Suga, “our approach to China and our shared coordination and cooperation on that front will be part of the discussion,” press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday. The two will discuss other regional security issues, including North Korea’s nuclear program.

Suga, a farmer’s son who rose to Japan’s highest political office after an early stint as a worker in a cardboard factory, succeeded boss Shinzo Abe last September, after long serving as his chief Cabinet secretary.

Suga expressed eagerness to meet with Biden early on despite global Covid-19 lockdowns. He looks to showcase security commitments with the United States, Japan’s only treaty ally.

Heading to Washington, Suga told reporters he aimed to build “a relationship of

trust” with Biden.

The months-old Biden administration, for its part, looks to Suga to keep going on alliancestrengthening moves by both countries.

The two governments have been working to strengthen technology supply chains independent of China during a shortage of semiconductors that’s worrying businesses around the world. Japan is expected to announce an investment in 5G cellular networks, boosting alternatives to China’s net work , as par t of that supply chain cooperation.

Both countries are expected in coming days to make deeper commitments to cutting climate-wrecking fossil fuel emissions, in line with Biden’s climate summit with 40 world leaders next week.

The Biden administration may also have tougher requests of Japan, including pressing Suga for a rare public statement of support from a Japanese leader for Taiwan. China, which claims the self-governed island of Taiwan as its territory, tested US and Taiwanese resolve weeks into the Biden administration by sending fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan.

Japan long has moved cautiously on steps that might worsen relations with China, though Suga has been more outspoken. His administration pushed its comfort zone in a statement stressing “peace and stability” on the Taiwan Strait. That came during a visit last month by Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, which was the Biden administration’s highest-level face-to-face meeting at the time.

World leaders worry about Taiwan as a trigger for conflict between China and the United States. AP

Tsai’s government, which views Taiwan as an already de facto sovereign nation, has made building out support from democratic allies in the region a crucial part of its efforts to counter rising pressure from Beijing. Japan, as a key trading partner, major economic and military power and a US ally, is a central part of that strategy.

The People’s Liberation Army has steadily ratcheted up the frequency and intensity of its flights close to Taiwan in the past few months to underscore its claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. On Monday, 25 Chinese military planes flew into the southwest section of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, the largest such incursion this year.

Chinese pressure isn’t limited to military intimidation. Beijing took Taipei by surprise in February by announcing a halt to imports of Taiwanese pineapples. China said the ban was triggered by the discovery of pests in shipments of the fruit, a claim Taiwan’s government rejects, saying the move was intended to hurt support for Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party.

China has a history of using trade to help it achieve its policy goals. It imposed curbs on a string of Australian exports including coal, wine, beef and lobster as relations deteriorated after Canberra barred Huawei Technologies Co. from its 5G network and called for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bloomberg News

China’s economic growth surged to 18.3 percent as activity revived

B

EIJING—China’s economic growth surged to 18.3 percent over a year ago in the first quarter of 2021 after factory and consumer activity returned largely to normal following the coronavirus pandemic.

The figures reported Friday were magnified by comparison with early 2020, when the world’s second-largest economy fell into its deepest contraction in decades. The government noted growth in activity compared with the final quarter of 2020, when a recovery already had begun, was a more modest 0.6 percent.

Manufacturing, auto sales and other consumer activity have revived to above pre-pandemic levels since the ruling Communist Party declared victory over the coronavirus last March and allowed factories and stores to reopen.

The economy “delivered a stable performance with a consolidated foundation and good momentum of growth,” the National Bureau of Statistics said in a report.

The outsize jump in the headline number was in line with expectations by forecasters due to the low basis for comparison in early 2020.

Some warn that despite China’s impressive recent performance, a recovery still is uncertain because global demand is weak as some governments re-impose anti-disease curbs that disrupt business and trade.

The economy shrank by 6.8 percent in the first quarter of last year as the ruling Communist Party took the then-unprecedented step of closing most factories, shops and offices to fight the outbreak that started in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019. It was China’s worst performance since at least the mid-1960s.

Growth recovered to 6.5 percent over a year earlier in the final quarter following the economy’s relatively early reopening while the United States, Europe and Japan struggled with renewed disease outbreaks. China eked out full-year growth of 2.3 percent, becoming the only major economy to expand in 2020. AP

Police report: 8 dead in shooting at FedEx facility in Indianapolis

I

NDIANAPOLIS—Eight people were shot and killed in a late-night shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, and the shooter killed himself, police said.

Several other people were injured Thursday night when gunfire erupted at the facility near the Indianapolis International Airport, police spokesman Genae Cook said.

At least four were hospitalized, including one person with critical injuries. Another two people were treated and released at the scene, Cook said.

The shooter wasn’t immediately identified, and investigators were in the process of conducting interviews and gathering information. Cook said it was too early to tell whether the shooter was an employee at the facility.

It was the latest in a recent string of mass shootings across the US. Last month, eight people were fatally shot at massage businesses across the Atlanta area, and 10 died in gunfire at a supermarket in Boulder,

Colorado.

It was at least the third mass shooting this year in Indianapolis alone. Five people, including a pregnant woman, were shot and killed in January, and a man was accused of killing three adults and a child before abducting his daughter during an argument at a home in March.

Police were called to reports of gunfire Thursday just after 11 p.m., and officers observed an active shooting scene, Cook said.

The gunman later killed himself.

“We’re still trying to ascertain the exact reason and cause for this incident,” Cook said.

FedEx released a statement , saying it is cooperating with authorities and working to get more information.

“We are aware of the tragic shooting at our FedEx Ground facility near the Indianapolis airport. Safety is our top priority, and our thoughts are with all those who are affected,” the statement said.

Family members gathered at a nearby

hotel to await word on loved ones. Some said employees aren’t allowed to have their phones with them while working shifts at the facility, making it difficult to contact them, WTHR-TV reported.

Live video from news outlets at the scene showed crime scene tape in the parking lot outside the facility.

A witness who said he works at the facility told WISH-TV that he saw a man with a gun after hearing several gunshots.

“I saw a man with a submachine gun of some sort, an automatic rifle, and he was firing in the open,” Jeremiah Miller said.

Another man told WTTV that his niece was sitting in the driver’s seat of her car when the gunfire erupted, and she was wounded.

“She got shot on her left arm,” said Parminder Singh. “She’s fine, she’s in the hospital now.”

He said his niece did not know the shooter. AP

A6 Saturday, April 17, 2021

ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror

PHL exporters told: Comply with Mexico’s food label rules

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HE Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) advises Philippine exporters and would-be exporters to Mexico to follow the new guidelines in product labeling on food products high in sugar, fat, salt, or calories, which took effect on April 1, 2021.

Under the new rules, manufacturers are prohibited to use chil-

dren’s characters, animations, cartoons, celebrities, athletes, pets, and

interactive elements, such as visual games or digital downloads in the packaging of said food products.

The move aims to discourage children from consuming unhealthy food choices, as Mexico, that declared diabetes as an epidemic, has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world.

“Apart from following the new guidelines, we advise exporters to offer tasty yet healthy breakfast and snack alternatives to the Mexican market,” said DTI Undersecretary for Trade Promotions Abdulgani Macatoman.

Mexico’s General Health Law on food labeling entered into force in

January 2020. Under the law, food and beverages should have labels if they exceed the following limits established by the Mexican Ministry of Health: • Added sugar: Less than 10 percent of the calories of the product • Saturated fat: Less than 10 percent of the calories of the product • Trans fat: Less than 1 percent of the calories of the product • Sodium: 1 mg per calorie Sugary drinks labels should also state that “Excessive consumption of sweetened or sweetened foods or drinks increases the risk of serious diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, cardiovascular diseases,

China exports up 30.6% in March amid soaring global demand

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EIJING—China’s exports rose 30.6 percent over a year ago in March as global consumer demand strengthened and traders watched for signs of what President Joe Biden might do about reviving tariff war talks with Beijing.

Exports rose to $241.1 billion, decelerating from the dramatic 60.6-percent rebound in the first two months of 2021, customs data showed Tuesday. Imports rose 38.1 percent over a year ago to $227.3 billion in a sign of reviving Chinese activity.

That is a “positive signal that global economic and trade activities are recovering and market confidence increasing,” a spokesman for the Customs bureau, Li Kuiwen, said at a news conference. Li warned, however, that “the world economic situation still is complicated and severe.”

China’s exporters have benefited from the relatively early reopening of its economy, while some other governments are reimposing anti-virus curbs that limit business and trade.

“We expect export momentum to remain robust in the rest of 2021,” Tommy Wu of Oxford Economics said in a report. “While global shipping delays pose a near-term challenge, the strong global economic recovery that we expect this year should support China’s export outlook.”

Exports to the United States jumped 53.6 percent in March to $38.7 billion despite tariff hikes still in place on Chinese goods in a trade war launched by former President

pines in 2020, with exports amounting to $545.6 million. Pineapples, fruit juices, and desiccated coconuts

among others, severely affecting the health or causing the death of people regardless of age or gender.”

Mexico is the Philippines’s 24th trading partner in 2020, with total trade between the two countries at $646 million. The country is also the 14th export market of the Philip-

Prime Certification and Inspection gets Saudi Arabia’s authorization as Philippine halal accreditation body

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

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AN aerial view of a container port on the Yangtze River in Nantong in eastern China’s Jiangsu province on April 8, 2021. China’s exports rose 30.6 percent over a year ago in March as global consumer demand strengthened and traders watched for signs of what President Joe Biden might do about reviving tariff war talks with Beijing. AP

Donald Trump over Beijing’s technology ambitions.

Imports of US goods, also still under Chinese retaliatory duties, soared 74.7 percent to $17.3 billion.

Biden, who took office in January, says he wants better relations with Beijing but has given no indication he

might roll back Trump’s tariff hikes, which set off history’s biggest global trade conflict.

The two sides have yet to say when their top trade envoys might meet again.

Lower-level US and Chinese officials hold monthly meetings by

phone on the status of the “Phase 1” agreement in January 2020.

Beijing promised to buy more American soybeans, natural gas and other exports while the two sides postponed more tariff hikes.

Most penalties on each other’s goods stayed in place.

are the top Philippine food exports to Mexico.

DTI-EMB recommends that Philippine exporters to coordinate with their buyers on the new guidelines.

For additional assistance, exporters can e-mail DTI-EMB at exports@dti. gov.ph.

RIME Certification and Inspection has been recognized by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) as the lone Philippine halal-certifying body authorized to give accreditation for food exports bound Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The recognition on the heels of the Saudi government’s directive last November 2020, stipulating that meat, poultry, and their derivative products can only be exported to the oil-rich country, provided that they are halal certified by a body accredited and approved by the SFDA, which regulates food, drug, and medical devices both imported and domestic for the conservative Islamic nation.

The new regulation comes as the international halal food industry posted a steady growth last year, with a total deal value of $6.3 billion, per the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2020/2021.

“Prime Certification and Inspection-Asia Pacific is proud to be the first and only halal certifying body in the Philippines recognized by the Saudi Food & Drug Authority,” said Dr. Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi, chief executive officer of Prime Group of Cos. (PGC).

“With the growing demand

brought about by the rapid increase of Muslim populations worldwide, we look forward to providing the first step for Filipino brands to penetrate this growing global market,” she added.

A leading quality and compliance solutions provider specializing in helping homegrown brands export halal products to Muslimmajority markets, Prime Certification and Inspection has certified 22 multinational companies and local brands.

The company is a subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates-based PGC, a leading 360-degree quality and compliance solutions provider in Asia, Middle East and North Africa. To date, it has issued millions of reports and certificates.

With over 600 staff members spread across its branches globally, the Group takes pride in its large pool of experienced, competent and highly qualified professionals in the field of testing, inspection, certification, training, research and study, trading, and facilities management.

Apart from Prime Certification and Inspection, PGC is comprised of various business entities that include Geoscience Testing Laboratory, Prime Innova Training Center, Prime Alpha, Prime Beta Trading and Prime EcoTek Facilities Management and Solutions.

Stalled at first jab: Covid-19 vaccine shortages hit poor, developing countries

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ONDON—As many as 60 countries, including some of the world’s poorest,mightbestalledatthefirst shots of their coronavirus vaccinations because nearly all deliveries through the global program intended tohelpthemare blocked until as late as June.

COVAX, the global initiative to pro-

vide vaccines to countries lacking the clout to negotiate for scarce supplies on their own, has in the past week shipped more than 25,000 doses to low-income countries only twice on any given day. Deliveries have all but halted since Monday.

During the past two weeks, accord-

ing to data compiled daily by Unicef, fewer than 2 million COVAX doses in total were cleared for shipment to 92 countries in the developing world—the same amount injected in Britain alone.

OnFriday,theheadoftheWorldHealth Organization slammed the “shocking imbalance” in global Covid-19 vaccination.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that while one in four people in rich countries had received a vaccine, only one in 500 people in poorer countries had gotten a dose.

The vaccine shortage stems mostly from India’s decision to stop exporting vaccines from its Serum Institute fac-

tory, which produces the overwhelming majority of the AstraZeneca doses that COVAX counted on to supply around a third of the global population at a time coronavirus is spiking worldwide.

COVAX will only ship vaccines cleared by WHO, and countries are increasingly impatient. Supplies are

dwindling in some of the first countries to receive COVAX shipments, and the expected delivery of second doses in the 12-week window currently recommended is now in doubt. In a statement, the vaccine alliance known as GAVI told The Associated Press that 60 countries are affected by the delays. AP

OurTime BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, April 17, 2021 A7

GenSan prepares to inoculate senior citizens

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By Richelyn Gubalani

ENERAL SANTOS CITY— The city government will start next week the inoculation of senior citizens and individuals with comorbidities or those at high risk to the coronavirus disease.

Dr. April Mae Maquilang, the immunization coordinator of the City Health Office (CHO), said on Thursday they are currently finalizing the list for the first batch of jab recipients coming from the city’s 26 barangays.

She said the rural health units (RHUs) and the barangays have already informed the eligible recipients, who will be vaccinated with the CoronaVac, the Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

The Department of Health (DOH)-Region 12 delivered to the CHO on Thursday an additional 1,408 doses of the CoronaVac. In an advisory, the agency said the inoculation of the first batch of eligible senior citizens and persons with comorbidities in the region will start on April 19.

Maquilang said they earlier received a master list of the city’s elderly population from the City Planning and Development Office and the

Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs.

“Those who are not included in the list may coordinate with the concerned RHU so we can accommodate them,” she told reporters.

Maquilang said the vaccination will follow the standard process set by the DOH, which includes the prescreening, counseling, and proper monitoring of the recipients for possible adverse effects.

On Wednesday, officials from the CHO, DOH-12, and the City Inter-

Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases visited the SM City Mall here after being considered as venue for the expanded vaccination.

Dr. Rochelle Oco, acting CHO head, said the mall will undergo another readiness assessment as a vaccination site for the next priority groups.

She said the implementation schedule will be announced by DOH-12 once the vaccines have been allocated to the local government units. PNA

Taguig seniors urge others to help fight Covid by getting vaccinated

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

close friends getting infected with Covid-19 is scarier, prompting him to join the city’s vaccination program.

He also lauded the medical personnel’s efficient handling of the vaccination activity.

The Pascual couple was able to register for a vaccination with the help of their son.

Last week, the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration allowed the use of Sinovac for senior citizens, provided that a stringent evaluation of a person’s health status and exposure risk was conducted.

The SM Aura vaccination site is the city’s seventh vaccination center.

Other vaccination facilities in Taguig City are located at the Western Bicutan National High School, Maharlika Elementary School in Barangay Maharlika, EM’s Signal Village Elementary School in Barangay Central Signal, Lakeshore Complex in Barangay Lower Bicutan, Vista Mall Parking Building in Barangay Calzada and RP Cruz Elementary School in Barangay New Lower Bicutan.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jennifer Lou Lorico-de Guzman, head medical coordinator of the immunization program of Taguig, said the newly activated vaccination sites will cater

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ANILA—Senior citizens in Taguig on Wednesday urged their fellow residents to be part of the battle against Covid-19 by getting vaccinated.

Suzanna Gomez Pascual, 61, who was inoculated with Sinovac, also lauded the city’s efforts to boost its vaccination drive.

“I would like to be a part of the solution [in this Covid-19 pandemic], so I take my vaccine now that I have the opportunity to do so,” she said in Filipino in an interview during the opening of the city’s vaccination site at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura at the Bonifacio Global City.

Pascual also lauded the efficient way she was vaccinated as all possible medical and safety protocols were carried out by the medical staffs that are very courteous.

“It is our obligation to protect each other. We really have to be brave enough to be vaccinated because it’s not only for us or for our family but also for the whole country,” she added.

Meanwhile, her husband Geraldo, 61, admitted that he had apprehensions about getting vaccinated against Covid-19.

However, he said the news of his

It may be so, I don’t know

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

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HERE is so much happening in our world right now, and everyone has an opinion about everything. Right now, there are those who say Covid-19 is a hoax. Others say vaccines are dangerous. An anti-parasitic drug is touted as the cure for the virus in spite of a contrary disclaimer coming from the company that makes it. It now seems to have come to this: everyone is entitled to his own facts.

Someone said that ignorance is the absence of knowledge and stupidity is ignoring the facts.

And more often than not, it is the stupid and ignorant who are most vocal in stating their dead certainty about things.

My advice is not so fast, amigo.

Don’t fall for any of it no matter how convincing. Be reasonably doubtful in all matters. Be uncertain about expressions or declarations of certainty by people, even from seemingly authoritative sources.

Truth to tell, nothing is certain. In the history of mankind, so many truths have been debunked. It was held for a very long time that the Earth was flat, until Galileo Galilei discovered a new truth. Charles Darwin’s evolution

theory put a question on the long believed story of creation as told in the Book of Genesis.

One of the most personally influential book I have read is the Agnostic Christian written by an English pastor and theologian named Dr. Leslie D. Weatherhead. This book, which I revisit from time to time, encourages us to be maturely critical about many doctrines and beliefs of Christianity that I as a Catholic received without question as unassailable truths. Has it made me lose my faith? Has it lessened my belief in Christ’s teachings? Am I now disenchanted with Christianity? On the contrary, thanks to the book, I am now a Christian with a more grown-up religious outlook. My blind acceptance of Christian beliefs as a young man has now been replaced by a more enlightened appreciation of those beliefs. As Dr. Weatherhead puts it: “Many professing agnostics are nearer belief in the true God than are many conventional church-goers.”

In the 1930s Arthur Koestler used to believe passionately in the communist cause. He said it was akin to a religious conversion.

For seven years, Communism was

A HEALTH worker administers a Sinovac jab to an elderly woman at the vaccination site in SM Aura, Taguig City, on April 14, 2021. Senior citizens are among the first to get Covid-19 vaccines based on the government’s vaccination priority listing. PNA/LLOYD CALIWAN

at the center of his life and work, and as expressed in his novel Darkness at Noon: “The party cannot be wrong. You and I can make mistakes—but not the party.” Koestler later wrote, he became aware of the gulf between Communist ideals and the reality they produced.

His questioning mind led him to disillusionment and caused him to break free from his rigid belief in communism and seek a better ideology. Koestler’s hard-won conclusion: “A harmful truth is better than a useful lie, no movement, party or person can claim the privilege of infallibility.”

Some time ago, I was just watching Innocence Project, a mind-opening documentary series that depicts how many court cases of convicted criminals were overturned due to faulty and manipulative use of forensic science. In case after case, it is dismaying to see how juries and judges accepted testimonies from so-called forensic scientists without question, thinking that because they were experts and science-dr iven professiona ls they could not go wrong. But the new forensic science of DNA testing has shown again and again that these so-called scientific experts were deadly wrong. In more than one instance, faulty assessments by a highly reputable forensic orthodontist led innocent men to be wrongly convicted and spend long years in prison.

While watching the series, I was thinking: how many are now languishing in jail because of persuasive use of faulty science by experts who misperceive or misdiagnose with utter conviction and confidence in their expertise.

My wife was diagnosed as diabetic and took her medicines re-

ligiously for 5 years, but recently after another glucose tolerance test, she has been declared nondiabetic because even without the medicines her blood tests show that her blood sugar is within normal range. Just to be sure, she monitors her post-prandial blood sugar level. Were the tests wrong? Was the doctor wrong in her diagnosis? Or is diabetes reversible after all?

Over the years I become more hesitant or wary to readily accept teachings etched in stone. “Maybe so, I don’t know” is something I have now adopted as an attitude or perspective toward authoritative knowledge and tenets, not just in religion, politics, and medicine but also in other areas of life.

When someone says something with conviction, take the agnostic perspective. Unfortunately the word agnostic has taken a bad rap. It is seen as a negative term synonymous to “heretic” or “atheist.” Probably because it is a label confused with an ancient religious movement of Gnosticism, which the early Church considered as heresy.

But the root word really simply means “I do not know” from ancient Greek. I want to reclaim it for its original unadulterated meaning of “I do not know.”

To have an agnostic mind is to acknowledge that no one has all the right answers, which is why it’s imperative that we all develop a healthy questioning attitude in the first place. This to me is a humble acceptance or recognition that our human minds are limited that we can misperceive, misjudge, or misunderstand. The reverse of the saying “to err is human” is also

true: “to be human is to err.”

A person who declares he is not wrong or is always right is a man who has enveloped himself in pride or arrogance. It is painful to be proven wrong and harder still to accept being wrong. Like the dentist in that Innocence Project documentary who still cannot admit that many men languish in jail due to probably wrong assessment of bite marks on bodies of victims. Some of which turned out they are not even bite marks.

In contrast, another forensic orthodentist swallowed his pride and withdrew his previous testimony, which caused a wrongly convicted man to be set free.

Thomas Henry Huxley who first coined the word in 1869 said that agnosticism is not a creed but rather a method of skeptical, evidencebased inquiry.

This agnostic or skeptical attitude can be a powerful source for change because it gives us the method and energy we need to brea k free from destr uctive or hampering habits and practices and customs, as well as from long accepted conventional but suffocating empty ideologies and beliefs in order to search for something more and deeply enriching.

In fact, an agnostic attitude serves as a life giving and liberating grace because it alerts us to the danger of accepting too uncritically what others tell us we need. At first it can spark disenchantment, like what happened to Arthur Koestler, but then this confession of disenchantment is the seed for a new beginning. It leads to hope because it no longer allows us to be controlled by answers and certainties, which many times make no sense to us,

to residents residing in Barangays Fort Bonifacio and Pinagsama.

She added that these facilities are capable of vaccinating 1,000 persons daily.

“We are thinking of innovations on having our vaccination hubs more comfortable, more convenient, our vaccination operations are already in the pipeline soon so that we can sustain our goal to protect our constituents,” Lorico-de Guzman said.

As of April 12, Taguig City has already vaccinated a total of 17,375 citizens—9,445 health workers, 3,503 senior citizens and 4,427 persons with comorbidities.

About 926 of the vaccinated health workers already received their second dose.

The city is also prepared to open the vaccination hubs even on weekends and holidays to boost inoculation and immunize residents as soon as possible since the virus still infects whenever and wherever.

Residents are highly encouraged to enroll in Taguig TRACE to secure their vaccine registration, as this is a part of the city government’s streamlined vaccination process.

They are also encouraged to visit I Love Taguig Facebook Page for more information on how to register to TRACE. PNA

as well as by practices that leave us feeling unfree and shackled.

Having spent years as a professional in creative endeavors, my favorite questions have always been “what if?” and “why not?”

These questions have triggered the creation of fresh ideas and led to new ways of seeing, thinking and living.

So don’t believe too easily or too fast. At least, keep an open mind.

We are all products of our cultures and we have built-in bias beliefs.

They are deeply rooted and so it will be hard to accept that they may be faulty.

But in a post-truth era, it’s urgent that we vaccinate ourselves with doses of agnosticism. We need to build a more questioning culture to become immune to things like harmful propaganda and brainwashing from people trying to control us.

And it should start with us.

Become okay with allowing our PIEDAD things kids to ask why we believe need to be done a certain way. Remember that we may not always be right, and if we never let anyone question us, we will never come to the truth.

The whole point is to teach as many people as possible to question what they’re told, so they can contribute to changing society for the better. This is what we need to achieve intellectual, social, religious, and political maturity as a people.

So in the cacophony of voices touting all kinds of opinions and beliefs, in a world now inundated by a tsunami of hoaxes, fake news, conspiracy theories, scams and wonder drugs, be a doubting Thomas and just take it all with an agnostic grain of salt: It may be so, I don’t know.

A8 Saturday, April 17, 2021

Education BusinessMirror

US-Philippine partnership reaches 3-M Filipino students

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HE United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Acting Administrator Gloria Steele recently congratulated participants of the 14th Philippine National Education Summit for achieving landmark nationalpolicy reforms that have improved education governance through a partnership.

During her keynote address, Steele noted that nearly 3 million early grade-school learners in the Philippines benefited from USAID’s Education Governance Effectiveness (EdGE) program with Synergeia Foundation Inc. With support from USAID, Synergeia organized the two-day summit, which saw the attendance of more than 700 local gov-

ernment chief executives, teachers, education administrators, parents, students and officials from the executive and legislative branches of the Philippine government.

More than 14,000 teachers and 18,000 local officials, education administrators and parent-teacher associations have received training under EdGE. Additional-

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

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USAID Acting Administrator Gloria Steele

ly, the partnership strengthened local school boards, village-level school-governing and regionaleducation councils which allocated resources and shared best practices, leading to improved education outcomes.

“Governors, mayors and other local champions understand the unique conditions of their communities, and are in the best position to lead in solving their own development challenges, given the right opportunity,” Steele said from the USAID Headquarters in

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CLARK Development Corp. Chairman Atty. Edgardo D. Pamintuan (third from left) and Converge ICT Solutions Inc. CEO Dennis Anthony H. Uy (third from right) led the distribution of e-learning tablets and large-format displays to Aeta students.

the students through this program. We started from 50, and now we have 80 students and counting.”

CDC’s CEO added, “The students are lucky to have OB Montessori as a partner, and I hope the parents will continue to guide

Washington, D.C. Steele served as USAID Philippines Mission Director from 2010 to 2015. She designed and launched this partnership in 2013. The Filipino-American returned to the American capital in 2015 to serve as the agency’s acting assistant administrator for Asia. She became USAID’s acting administrator in January 2021.

Aside from international development, USAID is the lead US government agency and humanitarian assistance.

their children to help uplift their life in the future. [May there be more kind-hearted companies] like Converge to help us with our CSR [(corporate social responsibility) program].”

For his part, Uy expressed elation over their partnership with

the state-owned firm: “It is a great honor to partner with CDC in this kind of CSR for indigenous peoples [IPs]. We see that these young people, our next generation, will be our future.”

Mary Grace Marquez, parent of one of the students of the “Pagsasarili” program thanked CDC and Converge for the help that they have provided.

Also present during the activity were CDC’s Vice President for Administration and Finance Mariza Mandocdoc, Assistant Vice President for External Affairs Rommel Narciso, OB Montessori-Angeles’ Manager Audrey Paras and Bamban, Tarlac Municipal Administrator Carlito Policarpio.

The Aeta Pagsasarili Family Care Center was created through the partnership of CDC and OB Montessori. It is a project under the CSR Program of the stateowned firm, and was launched in July 2019 to provide an earlychildhood and adult-learning program for IPs from nearby communities of the free port.

PLM undergraduate classes go Public-school students get asynchronous until month-end prepaid home WiFi modems

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LASSES at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) will continue to be on asynchronous mode of learning, as Metro Manila transitions to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

In an office order issued April 11, President Emmanuel Leyco of PLM said faculty members can only carry out classes in the undergraduate level through modules and recorded audio or video lectures until April 30, following the latest quarantine classification announced by the national government.

However, the Colleges of Law and Medicine are given the option to hold synchronous classes not exceeding 50 percent of the total number of meetings scheduled during the week. This is left to the discretion of faculty members.

Quizzes and examinations initially set during the MECQ period must be rescheduled at a later date.

Class assignments may be given to

students, but submission deadlines must be set at least one week later.

Leyco reiterated that faculty members should extend consideration to the current pandemic situation in the country, as well as personal circumstances of their individual students, in setting various requirements.

All faculty members should be available for consultation during class hours, or their designated consultation time.

Meanwhile, only up to 30 percent of the university’s administrative staff will be allowed to physically report to work. Offices will maintain a skeleton work force, with the rest of the employees working from home.

Strict health protocols will be followed, and shuttle services will be provided for their safe transport.

PLM community members are reminded to stay indoors as much as possible, and to practice minimum health standards if they are going out for essential tasks.

LGUs earn seal for good educational governance

Vice President Ma. Leonor G. Robredo (top row, from left) and Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, (second row, from left): Synergeia Foundation’s Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J. and Milwida Guevara, with Smart’s Darwin F. Flores

Converge, CDC give e-learning equipment to Aeta students LARK FREEPORT—Converge ICT Solutions Inc., in partnership with Clark Development Corp. (CDC), recently turned-over electronic learning materials to Aeta students under the CDC-OB Montessori Pagsasarili Family Care Program.

Converge’s CEO Dennis Anthony H. Uy and Chairman Jose P. De Jesus, CDC ’s Chairman Atty. Edgardo Pamintuan, President and CEO Manuel R. Gaerlan, Director Nestor Villaroman Jr. and Director Gen. Emmanuel Salamat led the distribution of 60 learning tablets and nine large-format displays to select Aeta students.

Said materials will be used by the students to efficiently continue their education via elearning modules amid the current pandemic.

In his speech, Gaerlan thanked Converge for its support and encouraged parents of the students to continue valuing their children’s education: “We have seen the improvement of

Editor: Mike Policarpio

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HILE many students are still struggling to adjust to online learning brought about by the pandemic, many need reliable connectivity to help them continue their education at home.

Through the WiFi2TEACH program with Ayala Foundation Inc., Globe At Home (GAH) continues to address the education sector’s needs—especially those of the country’s public-school students— by donating prepaid WiFi modems to beneficiaries nominated by the Department of Education. In support of the government’s distance learning program, the donation of GAH Prepaid WiFi modems will help public-school students stay in stride with the current educational set-up.

On top of this, GAH customers are also contributing to this endeavor. Every time a customer buys a GAH prepaid WiFi modem from either the Globe Online Shop or its official stores in Lazada and

Shopee, P100 will be donated to a fund used to purchase even more prepaid WiFi modems to support the Internet requirements of public-school students. Likewise, a P1 donation will be added to the fund for every HomeSURF and HomeWATCH promo availed of.

“Our mission is to help teachers and students thrive in this extraordinary time,” said Barbie Dapul, Globe vice president and GAH marketing head. “We are extremely grateful for the support our customers have given, and continue to give, to successfully carry out this project.”

Late in 2020 GAH also donated 2,000 modems to select publicschool teachers who need strong Internet connectivity to fulfill their duty of teaching students remotely.

These efforts of the Ayala-led telecommunications firm are in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal No. 4, which calls for quality education and education for all.

VEN before the pandemic, the private sector—led by major companies like PLDT Inc.—has always stepped up in helping the government uplift the state of the country’s education from the doldrums.

PLDT Inc. and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) recently provided more than P2.16 million worth of communication support to local government units (LGUs) that successfully implemented education programs.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Synergeia Foundation identified recipients for the 2020-2021 Seal of Good Education Governance. Now running on its fourth year, 27 cities and municipalities were recognized for ensuring continuous learning in their communities notwithstanding the pandemic.

Criteria used by the two organizations in selecting this year’s “Seal…” awardees include a high cohort-survival rate, ratio of current enrollment compared to the previous academic year, decrease in the number of frustrated and nonreaders, a reinvented local school board, and functional school-governing councils.

“PLDT and Smart understand that learning never stops, even during a pandemic,” Smart’s Vice President for Community Partnerships Darwin F. Flores said during the virtual ceremony. “We recognize the role of education in producing quality human capital, as our companies are heavily dependent on this.”

The awarding for this year’s Seal of Good Education Governance took place during the 14th Washington SyCip National Education Summit—a two-day online event that gathered educators, parents and local government officials to discuss education issues.

Guests included Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, USAID Acting Administrator Gloria Steele and Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who heads the Senate committee on basic education, arts, and culture.

“The culture-building ability of Synergeia transforms ordinary mayors into champions of education,” Gatchalian explained. “We need passion and commitment so that all education reforms will be properly implemented on the ground, to each classroom in this country.”

Recipients of the 2020-2021 Seal of Good Education Governance included first-time awardees Balanga City, Bataan; San Fernando City, La Union; General Santos City; San Manuel, Pangasinan; Roxas, Palawan; as well as Barotac Viejo and Dumangas in Iloilo.

Two-time winners were Padre Garcia, Batangas; Agoo, La Union; San Gabriel, La Union; Ivisan and Mambusao in Capiz; Alimodian, Iloilo; Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. Those who received the seal for the third time were Tuba, Benguet; Cabatuan and Concepcion, Iloilo; Villaverde, Nueva Vizcaya; and Navotas City, Metro Manila.

LGUs conferred with the seal on the fourth instance were Solano, Nueva Vizcaya; Bacnotan, La Union; Diffun, Quirino; Mina, Iloilo; Cagayan de Oro City; Datu Paglas and North Upi, Maguindanao; and Valenzuela City, Metro Manila.

PLDT and Smart will be providing each of the 27 “Seal…” winners with a P80,000 communication allowance that can be used for call, text and data services. Flores said, “The package is intended to help local government units [LGUs] coordinate more effectively and implement their education programs successfully.”

Robredo remarked: “If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that our lives are intertwined.

Each of us is a stakeholder contributing to this project of nationbuilding.”

She added, “The education of our children rests not only on the shoulders of the academe. It is a responsibility shared across entire communities, and together in the spirit of bayanihan is what will see us through.”

PLDT and Smart have been active since 2017 supporting USAID and Synergeia in recognizing LGUs that promote and sustain quality education for their citizens.

Japan readies Pinoy nurses, care workers for preparatory language-training sessions

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HE opening ceremony of the Preparatory JapaneseLanguage Training for the 13th batch of Filipino nursing and care-work candidates bound for Japan was held virtually early last month.

This initial six months of Japanese language training prior to the candidates’ departure for Japan was implemented via joint efforts of the governments of Japan and the Philippines. Due to the current pandemic, classes will be held online. For the duration of their halfyear of training, the candidates were provided with computer tablets and Internet-access funds, in addition to their daily allowance.

The 227 nurse and care-worker candidates are expected to leave for Japan this year and will undergo another six months of Japanese

language training there prior to their work term in hospitals and care facilities.

The learning session is being conducted under the Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and the Philippines. Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa represented the Embassy of Japan and shared inspirational words to the candidates.

Administrator Bernard P. Olalia of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration graced the ceremony and gave a message to all the attendees. Also in attendance were Director Jocelyn O. Hapal of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Suzuki Ben of the Japan Foundation-Manila, Philip B. Sanvictores of Nihongo Center Foundation Inc. and Ishikawa Tetsuya of PAD Foundation Inc.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, April 17, 2021 A9

BANGON CEBU: THE I LOVE CEBU TRAVEL FAIR Mactan International Airport, gateway to Cebu

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Magellan’s Cross in Cebu Paul Gotiong

Sinulog Festival of Cebu City

Story & Photos by Benjamin Layug

fter a yearlong hiatus, now is the time to make Cebu your first getaway destination. You can experience the many more firsts in the beautiful island of Cebu through the “I Love Cebu Travel Fair” that’s ongoing until April 21.

Inambakan Falls in Ginatilan

Some 40 hotels and resorts in Cebu City, Mactan Island and other Cebu towns, as well as 18 travel agencies and Foodparks by Raintree (the first food service company specializing in the development and operations of retail centers, themed food courts and unique institutional food service facilities), have signed up for this travel industry-wide virtual sale which will highlight exceptional deals, promos and packages. The virtual trading will treat free and independent travelers (FIT) to up to 50-percent discount on their products and services.

The event also highlights how these hotels, resorts and travel agencies have gone digital, embracing the online platform to sell their products and services.

The “I Love Cebu Travel Fair” was launched by inviting the media to a virtual meeting held last March 16. For reservations and bookings, visit http://traveloco.ph/ilovecebu.

The long and narrow island of Cebu, one of the most sought-after destinations in the Philippines, is a marvelous place of refuge and rest, as well as an exquisite place to experience many thrills. Here, mountains and seas converge, and tranquil coastal areas and a boom-

ing metropolis coexist in harmony.

Cebu is well known for its sandy beaches, diving sites, friendly locals, and of course, it’s amazing food.

Looking back on the period of the historical birth of Christianity that has sprawled all over the country and comparing it to today’s era of developments, time has proven again and again that Cebu is a locus of endless growth. Cebu City, hailed as the “Queen City of the South” and perhaps the oldest city in the Philippines, has proved itself to be aging gracefully. It is home to a number of historical sites (Fort San Pedro, Magellan’s Cross) and ancestral houses (Yap San Diego Ancestral House, Casa Gorordo Museum).

Across, on Mactan Island, is Lapu-Lapu City, the breezy and laid-back side of Metro Cebu and home to the beautifully structured Mactan International Airport, the second busiest airport in the country (direct flights to Cebu are available in some countries) and a gateway to the island, plus a strip of resorts, ranging from mid to highly acclaimed ones, but all offering their very own savoir-faire.

A little over an hour’s drive down south is the wonderful town

Canyoneering in Cebu

of Oslob, where you can get the exhilarating thrill of flying by paragliding or swimming with gentle but majestic giants called whale sharks, definitely an experience of a lifetime. Up north are the beautiful white-sand beaches of Camotes Island, Malapascua Island, and Bantayan Island, and many more.

The awe-inspiring diving spots of Moalboal and Mactan Island are also the pride of Cebu.

If it is heights that excite you, numerous mountains are favorite spots for trekking within Cebu, perfect for beginners and even for more experienced trekkers. The

Malapascua Island—a dive site Kimberly Mendero

Osmeña Peak in Dalaguete, Cebu’s highest peak, is only a three-hour drive from the city.

The hotels and resorts participating in the “I Love Cebu Travel Fair” are Alpa City Suites, Amethyst Boutique Hotel Cebu, Bai Hotel Cebu, Bayfront Hotel Cebu, BE Resort Mactan, Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort, Bluewater Sumilon, Cebu Grand Hotel, Cebu Hotel Plus, Cebu Parklane International Hotel, Citadines Cebu City, Citi Park Hotel, Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan, Diamond and Club Serena, Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu, Golden Prince Hotel, Hotel Elizabeth Cebu,

JPark Island Resort & Waterpark Mactan, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Mezzo Hotel, One Central Hotel & Suites, OYO 449 Sunrise 888 Oslob, OYO 455 Casa Bonita Inn Oslob, OYO 592 La Briana Guest House Sta Fe, OYO 638 Randy’s Bantayan, OYO 659 Myrna’s Pension Sta Fe, OYO 674 Seaforest Resort, Moalboal, Pacific Cebu Resort, Quest Hotel & Conference Center Cebu, Radisson Blu Cebu, Sarrosa Int’l Hotel, Savoy Hotel Mactan, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Solea Hotels and Resorts, Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino, and Waterfront Cebu City Hotel

and Casino.

The participating Cebu-based travel agencies are Destination Specialists Cebu Inc., Divaishnavi Int’l Inc., Experience More Travel Specialists Inc., First United Travel Inc., Funtastic Travel & Tours Inc., Global Link Travel and Tours, Golden JC Holiday Travel, Grand Hope Travel Inc., Green Earth Tours and Travel Inc., iTRAVEL iEXPLORE Tours & Services, PTN Travel Corp., Southwind Travel & Tours, Travel with Southwind Inc., Sun Travel & Tours Corp., Travelite Travel and Tours Co., and Wander Lanes Travel Co. Inc.

Hong Kong’s Tourism Commission launches City in Time tourism project

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he Tourism Commission of Hong Kong recently launched the City in Time tourism project, which integrates augmented reality (AR) and multimedia technologies to present perfect combinations of historical panoramas and real-life surroundings. Together with lively animations and special sound effects, the project lets locals and tourists travel through time and enjoy enriched visual and audio experiences with their smartphones.

To e x per ience 36 0 - deg ree historical panoramas featuring heritage photos or illustrations by young Hong Kong artists, locals and tourists can scan the AR markers installed at designated locations using their smartphones

with the “City in Time” mobile app.

The mobile app is also equipped with a selfie function that enables users to share their City in Time

experience with their friends on social-media platforms. They can also understand more about the history of Hong Kong by brows-

ing photos and information of the iconic spots with the mobile app.

“City in Time is a key project to promote cultural, creative and smart tourism, in which locals and tourists can enjoy a unique 360-degree AR experience easily with a dedicated mobile app along with redesigned visitor sign poles.

Despite the disruptions to travel as a result of the epidemic, we will continue to strengthen the appeal of Hong Kong’s attractions to prepare for the return of visitors by showcasing the city’s distinctive culture and history,” Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau said.

The first phase of the City in Time project has been rolled out in seven designated locations in

Central and six designated locations in Tsim Sha Tsui. The seven locations in Central are Edinburgh Place, Chater Road (near the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong), Des Voeux Road Central (near Chater Garden), Statue Square, Pedder Street (near World-Wide House), Hollywood Road (near PMQ) and Pottinger Street (near Tai Kwun), while the six locations in Tsim Sha Tsui are Kowloon Park Drive (near the YMCA of Hong Kong), Nathan Road (near the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers), Salisbury Garden, Salisbury Road (near the Hong Kong Cultural Centre), the Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower and the Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront Promenade.

The AR markers are installed on

redesigned visitor sign poles at these locations. Each sign pole has a different color combination to complement elements of local architecture and reflect the tastes of Hong Kong.

The mobile app is available for free download at the Apple App Store and Google Play. Locals and tourists can also embark on virtual journeys on the City in Time web site (cityintime.hk).

The Yeung Kin Man Chair Professor of Media Art at the City University of Hong Kong, Professor Jeffrey Shaw, and his team were commissioned by the Tourism Commission to develop and produce the City in Time project, which will be gradually rolled out in other locations.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, April 17, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Apac consumers urge digitalization of customer support services

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES A BIG number of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region believes that digitalization of customer service support (CSS) is the way of the future for businesses that will also bring long-term benefits brought by automation and implementation of a digital omnichannel hub.

In a survey conducted by global cloud communications platform Infobip, titled “A Year of Disruption: Managing Increasing Complexities in Customer Service,” half of the respondents agreed that digitalization will bring several advantages to the consumer.

On a scale of one to 10, the study said respondents

Japan’s Toshiba president steps down amid acquisition talks

BY YURI KAGEYAMA The Associated Press TOKYO—The president of Toshiba Corp. stepped down on Wednesday, a week after the Japanese technology and manufacturing giant said it was studying an acquisition proposal from a global fund where he previously worked.

Nobuaki Kurumatani tendered his resignation at a board meeting, and the board accepted, effective on Wednesday, Tokyo-based Toshiba said in a statement.

Kurumatani headed the Japan operations of CVC Capital Partners, which proposed the acquisition last week, before taking his post as chief executive of Toshiba in 2018.

Some questions had been raised, both within and outside Tokyo-based Toshiba, about Kurumatani leading the board discussions on the acquisition.

Kurumatani did not attend the online news conference, where two board members explained his resignation and fielded questions.

A company official read his statement that said the resignation was for personal reasons.

“Toshiba is a wonderful company and is Japan’s precious wealth. I love Toshiba deeply,” Kurumatani said in his message.

The CVC deal is estimated to be worth 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) and will turn Toshiba private. Toshiba had said it was giving it “careful consideration.” Osamu Nagayama, a board member, told reporters the proposal lacked details and could not yet be evaluated.

Trading in the company’s shares was suspended when the news hit last week. Shares of Toshiba, whose sprawling business includes making elevators and railways, shot up on the CVC news and have been trading at nearly 5,000 yen ($46). CVC is a European private equity firm, based in Luxembourg, which has committed nearly $162 billion in funds, managing more than 300 investors. It has declined to comment on the acquisition proposal or the president’s resignation. But speculation has been growing other funds may offer better prices.

Kurumatani will be replaced as chief executive and president by his predecessor, Satoshi Tsunakawa, who remained on the board, first as COO and currently chairman.

Tsunakawa oversaw some of the recent financial challenges at Toshiba. Before becoming CEO, in his previous stint from 2016, he had headed Toshiba’s medical systems business, now a group company of Japanese camera and equipment maker Canon.

Tsunakawa told reporters Toshiba was ready to embark on growth as “an infrastructure services company.” He promised to work in the interests of shareholders, employees and society overall, and continue to strengthen governance.

“We stand behind the principle of ‘Do the right thing,’” he said, delivering the motto in English.

Toshiba, founded in 1875, was long revered as one of Japan’s respected brands, developing the nation’s first radar and microwaves, electric rice cookers and laptop computers.

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REALME C25

rated an eight on average the importance and necessity for CSS to be digitalized. This is a key finding for the Philippines, with 35 percent of respondents agreeing on the need to digitalize CSS. “The convergence of business and information technology is an important investment that Filipino executives should make now. The changes they will decide on to improve their operations, particularly in digitalizing their tools to satisfy customer needs and demands, will enable them to reap tangible benefits in the long-term even beyond the pandemic,” Charist Montenegro, country manager of Infobip Philippines, said in a press statement.

According to Infobip, the respondents said the increase in and management of support channels

were among their two biggest challenges. With different strategies employed for different channels, customer service teams are encouraged to consider adopting an omnichannel approach or end up creating fragmented customer journeys.

With the rise of remote work, Montenegro pointed out that 2020 signaled the start of a major digital transformation journey for many businesses in the Asia-Pacific. As employees had to work from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the customer experience and processes had to be digitized.

The report, which surveyed 2,760 professionals across nine markets (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines), shows that while companies intend

to implement some changes permanently in the future, there are still some challenges to overcome.

Furthermore, 54 percent of respondents cited the increase in support inquiries as a top challenge faced in customer support last year.

Sixty percent of APAC respondents emphasized that employee training should be a top priority when companies are going to adopt a digital transformation program in their customer support system.

The study also showed the evolving preferences of respondents. Early on, they started using Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp Business and Viber. Lately, respondents are switching to online chat for businessto-customer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) communications.

TNC Predator wins Apac DOTA 2 title over another PHL team

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ILIPINO team TNC Predator took home the 2020/2021 Asia Pacific Predator League Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) 2 division title after edging out Neon Esports, 2-0, in the finals of the online tournament last weekend.

Another strong Filipino contender, ArkAngel Predator went into the last day of the tournament at second place and fell to sixth place.

The Asia-Pacific Predator League 2020/21 Grand Final finally pushed through after being postponed in 2020 due to the global Covid-19 crisis. Acer had scheduled the event at the Mall of Asia Arena with tickets already sold out.

The events were instead streamed online on Predator’s Facebook and Twitch pages. A total of $400,000 worth of prizes was up for grabs with teams from 17 countries around Asia and the Pacific fighting it out on DOTA 2 and PUBG to win cash, Predator products and the coveted Predator Shield.

Predator, the gaming division of Taiwanese computer giant Acer, started the esports league back in 2018 with Indonesia hosting the grand finals in Jakarta. The 2019 finals was held in Bangkok where TNC Predator walked away as that year’s DOTA 2 champion.

Last weekend, TNC Predator came from the lower bracket after losing to Neon Esports in the semifinals of the online tournament. TNC Predator had to get past Galaxy Racer and Reckoning Esports to stay alive before it defeated Boom Esports in the lower bracket finals to set up a rematch with Neon Esports in the championship round.

TNC Predator—composed of Timothy “Tims” Randrup, Kim “Gabbi” Villafuerte, Armel “Armel” Tabios, Marvin “Boomy” Rushton and Jun “Bok” Kanehara—took home the grand prize of $50,000.

“We adjusted better than they did,” said Tims Randrup said after the win.

Neon Esports bagged $25,000 and third-placer Boom Esports got $10,000.

Despite TNC Predator’s victory, Neon Esports’ Erin Jasper “Yopaj” Ferrer was named the league’s Most Valuable Player of the Dota 2 tournament.

After 12 rounds of battle, Indonesian team Eagle 365 Esports emerged victorious in the Predator League 2021 Asia Pacific PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds tournament. With three Winner Winner Chicken Dinners and 67 kills, the team won $37,500. Eagle 365 bested 15 other teams in the tournament. Cerberus ESports came in second and Team N1 finished in third place to win $15,000 and $7,500, respectively.

Eagle 365 got a total of 125 points after 12 rounds of play, way ahead of Cerberus, which got 104. Eagle 365 had the most number of rounds won with three. Team N1, also from Vietnam, came in third with 97 points.

Meanwhile, Korean team Damwon Gaming are the champions of the Predator League 2020/2021 PUBG for the Asia region, with a 20-point lead.

New Globe At Home Postpaid customers who avail of the latest Unli Fiber Up Plans can enjoy trial access to HBO GO for three months. This offer is also up for grabs for existing customers when they upgrade their current subscriptions to Plan 1699 and up. This exclusive promo is accessible through the Globe At Home app.

Meanwhile, Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi customers can subscribe to HomeWATCH199 through the Globe at Home app to get 4GB/day for non-stop streaming on HBO GO. Globe Postpaid and Prepaid Mobile customers, on the other hand, can subscribe to HBO GO for only P149 per month through the GlobeOne app. Globe Platinum partners can charge their subscription to their monthly consumable allowance.

Globe Prepaid customers can also get an extra 1GB for HBO GO with GoWATCH10 on top of their favorite Go promos via the GlobeOne app. ■

HBO GO TO AIR ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’

GLOBE’S content partner HBO GO will be the first in the Philippines to premiere DC’s Wonder Woman 1984 this month. The film that debuted globally last December follows the next chapter in Diana Price’s story as she saves the world once again, this time in vibrant and sleek 1980s fashion.

Wonder Woman 1984 is just one of the many films available on the platform.

Globe makes it so easy for its customers to subscribe to HBO GO and enjoy access to its extensive content library.

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TNC Predator wins Predator League again

Realme, TÜV Rheinland to set new quality standard STAYING true to its promise of offering high-quality smartphones with cutting-edge features and trendsetting design for the youth, the fastest-growing smartphone brand realme collaborates with the world-renowned authority in quality management TÜV Rheinland in creating a new quality standard for smartphones with the TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High-Reliability Certification.

The certification serves as the new quality standard for smartphones in major markets worldwide. realme is the first smartphone brand in the world to get certified with high reliability and quality by the leading technical services provider, with realme C25 and realme C21 obtaining the certification. This is a testament to the brand’s commitment to bringing more quality products with trendsetting designs powered by leap-forward technology for its main consumers—the youth.

realme believes all high-quality products start from excellent design. With this, the brand has to follow an established set of principles and criteria when designing and producing products for its consumers. It is why all of the brand’s smartphones are designed with quality in mind first and then incorporating trendsetting designs powered by leap-forward technology.

To bring the quality control procedures of its smartphones to the next level, realme collaborates with TÜV Rheinland to create standard procedures that will be used for quality control and testing across all realme smartphones. realme and TÜV Rheinland aim to improve the standards currently used in the industry and raise the quality of entry-level models to flagship standards. Both leading authorities also hope to improve the smartphone experience during its initial three-year life cycle.

The TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High-Reliability Certification process encompasses 23 major tests, including 10 daily use test scenarios, such as drop, wear, and tear; seven extreme environment test scenarios, including super extreme temperature, extreme humidity, voltage fluctuation, button life, static electricity, air pressure; and six component reliability test scenarios.

The C-Series is a powerful smartphone lineup from realme packed with well-rounded features, capable of handling the digital-heavy lifestyles of users. The realme C21 and realme C25 are the first two smartphones from realme that obtained the TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High-Reliability Certification. realme Philippines is excited to introduce its latest addition to the local C-Series lineup this April. More information will be available on the brand’s social-media accounts.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, April 17, 2021 A11

Your credit is good D

ESPITE the economic devastation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippine smartphone market ended the year strong shipping 6.5 million units in the last quarter of 2020, recording a 19-percent growth quarter-on-quarter and a 6 percent yearon-year. This was according to a recent report from International Data Corp.’s (IDC) Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. The report also noted a 5-percent growth compared to last year with an accumulated a total of 18.9 million units for 2020.

It was no surprise that smartphones continued to be the most-loaned item for the year. This was confirmed by Home Credit with nearly 900,000 smartphones last year purchased via the financing service. TVs and laptops ranked 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.

Among the top smartphone brands purchased via Home Credit include OPPO, Vivo, realme, Samsung, and Huawei, while ACER, Lenovo and ASUS were cited as the best-selling brands for laptops.

Customers availing loans for phones ranged from employees and students, to entrepreneurs needing new phones for their online businesses, or consumers simply wanting to upgrade to the latest model of their favorite brand through installments.

With many Filipinos continuing to work from home and students still attending their classes online, the demand for laptops, smartphones and other “new normal essentials” will continue to rise. This is according to consumer finance company Home Credit, noting that the trend might be seen not just in 2021 but in the foreseeable future.

“One of the most defining buzzwords in 2020— ‘new normal’—continues to be a relevant word,” said Sheila Paul, Home Credit Philippines chief marketing officer. “And as millions of employees and students continue to live, work and play from the [safety] of their homes, we believe that it is starting to shift from ‘new normal’ to simply our normal way of life from now on.”

“Filipinos’ love affair with smartphones and other gadgets is well-documented, and as these became even more affordable and feature-packed in recent years, the demand for these products—and in turn, Home Credit’s financing services—rapidly grew as well,” noted Paul, adding that the company’s My Home Credit app has especially grown in recent years with 1.3 million active users at present.

Paul explained that the rising demand for these devices has been evident even prior to the pandemic, with Home Credit—which has a nationwide partner store presence and rapidly growing base of mobile app users from its 7 million customers—listing these

gadgets in their top 5 most-loaned items on a regular basis.

“More than ever, we need online digital tools that allow us to do things like borrow and transfer money, pay bills, and make purchases in a safe and convenient way. And apps such as our My Home Credit App do exactly that, with more and more users embracing these platforms.”

Home Credit Philippines (HCPH) is a consumer finance provider that promotes the principles of financial inclusion and safe lending, providing world-class financing services to qualified customers, often first-time borrowers. Home Credit arrived in the Philippines back in 2013 with the ambitious goal of giving out loans to people who have never experienced them before. Within 7 years, HCPH has helped around 7 million customers buy the things they need through fast, convenient and affordable financing in thousands of stores around the country.

In 2019, HCPH was also granted the license to operate as a credit card issuer by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, making it the first non-bank institution in the country to issue credit cards.

BEST WORKPLACES IN THE PHILIPPINES

FOR people who’ve been part of the workforce most of their lives, we know that a high-paying job is just one of the reasons for working and staying in a company.

A great workplace draws extraordinary employees that love coming to work every day not just to earn a paycheck. It is one where employees trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with.

Great Place to Work (GPTW), the global authority on workplace culture and the people behind the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list since 1998, recently revealed the Philippines’ Best

Workplaces for 2021. What makes this year especially significant are the companies’ bold acts of leadership and heroic response to the Covid-19 crisis, in relation to how they protected and took care of their people, were taken into account.

For 2021, in recognition of the great disruption that leadership confronted due to Covid-19, organizations were asked to respond the question: “Tell us about the bold acts of leadership your organization has taken in response to the Covid-19 crisis to create a great workplace for all for your people, in your community or in the world.”

The response to the Culture Audit question accounted for 40 percent of the overall ranking and combined with each organization’s Trust Index Survey results, which accounted for 60 percent.

This included how trustworthy, caring and fair the company is in times of crises; employees’ physical, emotional and financial health; and the company’s broader community impact. Particular attention was paid to how employees’ experiences varied depending on their job role, gender, race/ethnicity, payroll status, and other characteristics to ensure that the company is creating a great workplace for all.

GPTW presented the Philippines’ Best Workplaces 2021 through a virtual event held last month, with this year’s theme aimed at honoring the heroism of Filipino workers and employers, as the whole country battles through the pandemic.

DHL Express Philippines emerged as this year’s top performer, with 98 percent of its employees saying it is a great workplace. The company specializes in express delivery of documents and parcels to over 220 countries and territories worldwide. Guided by the purpose of “connecting people, improving lives”, the pandemic did not stop DHL Express from connecting people and businesses securely and reliably,

putting them at the forefront of the global fight against Covid-19. The pandemic had a major impact on DHL’s operations, but they remained focused on employee safety as they continue to provide service for their customers. To minimize the risk of exposure, alternate schedules were implemented, while resources were used to provide temporary accommodations and shuttle services.

Synchrony Global Services Philippines, a subsidiary company that manages Synchrony Financial’s call center operations, is at second place with 95 percent of its employees saying it is a great workplace. The company already enforced precautionary measures to protect their employees prior to the implementation of the ECQ. They provided free accommodations for their employees who volunteered to be housed in nearby hotels. They were also provided with transportation services, free on-site meals, and work allowance.

Canva Philippines comes in third, with 94 percent of its employees saying it is a great workplace. Canva has over 40 million monthly active users across over 190 countries, working together on a mission to empower everyone to design. At the onset of the pandemic, the company prioritized staying connected with staff, provided them with a daily food stipend and transportation for employees. Canva also shared its software to support tens of thousands of teachers, students and non-profits.

The other winners are: fourth place—S&P Global; fifth place—American Express; sixth place—Atlassian; seventh place—Paypal; 8th place— Ericsson; ninth place—Ingram Micro; and 10th place—Western Union AROC. To learn more about Great Place to Work, this year’s Best Workplaces awardees or how to get certified, visit www.greatplacetowork.com.ph. ■

Telco eyes better customer experience, higher revenues via gaming GLOBE is banking on gaming and related content to enhance customer experience and maximize revenue stream.

Speaking during a panel discussion, titled “Revenue Opportunities in Video Gaming for Telco and Content Providers” at the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) OTT Summit 2021, Nikko Acosta, Globe Senior Vice President for Content Business and Product Management, said telcos and gaming providers need to work together to make sure the needs of the customer are addressed.

Globe (www.globe.com.ph) is currently exploring new business models with gaming partners on revenue sharing and for customer satisfaction. “We are always open for a new one. And that really depends on what the partner can bring to the discussion and into the ecosystem, as well as what Globe can bring accordingly as we see and mutualize our values together. So, it’s one team playing in this ecosystem to take care of the customers,” he said.

Acosta stressed the importance of learning from others who are experts in gaming. “I think that is an opportunity for anybody who is seriously into this landscape to be able to say, ‘I don’t know everything, but I want to delight my customers so I want to partner with the best globally in order for us to deliver the right product, right delivery channel, and the best experience that we can provide as one team,” he added.

Globe’s foray into the gaming field is one of the ways the company sees through its purpose of serving customers with

what delights them on a regular basis. Especially with the pandemic keeping people at home, games and the different forms of gaming content (whether individual or team play) emerge as a very important driver in many people’s lives regardless of their background.

“In terms of penetration on how to use data, I’d say we

have a double or triple digit growth for those who are using new games in one form or the other, whether a casual gamer or a specialist or a team player, or a mixture,” Acosta said.

Among the games available to Globe customers are “Arena of Valor,” “Mobile Legends,” “Clash of Clans,” “Clash Royale,” “Rules of Survival,” and “Free Fire.” These are usually

bundled with a Globe product or part of a promo.

Gaming is also viewed as a big driver of 5G given the very fast speed and low latency that the new technology offers, which means quicker time to download large files, seamless game graphics, and more immersive games. 5G’s higher throughputs will also be beneficial to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content.

Globe is already working on enabling gamers to play graphics-heavy games by marrying cloud technology and 5G. It is also the first Southeast Asian telco member of the Niantic Planet-Scale AR Alliance, with the goal of pushing the state of AR experiences on 5G. Niantic is the maker of the hit game Pokemon Go. “I think 5G is an excellent platform to be able to bring in more unique offers to our customers not only in terms of the content that they use but also the experience that 5G brings,” Acosta said.

Globe’s 5G network now covers 84 percent of Metro Manila and is already present in Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, CDO and Boracay. The company continuously expands the geographical reach of 5G as part of its aggressive network upgrade and rollout that includes the construction of 2,000 new cell towers, modernization of existing network infrastructure to 4G/LTE, deployment of 1 million fiber-tohome, and other data network builds to deliver fast Internet connectivity to Filipinos.

Sports

YUKA SASO is holding on to a two-shot lead at the Lotte Championship.

SCREEN GRAB LPGA.COM

BusinessMirror

A12

| Saturday, April 17, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Karatekas immerse in Turkish formula for Paris qualifier bid

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HE country’s aspirants in Olympic karate are hoping their immersion in Turkey would work wonders when they vie in the Tokyo qualifiers in June in Paris.

“All the best world champions are here,” Richard Lim, president of Karate Pilipinas, told BusinessMirror on Friday. “Their program is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, in the world.”

Six Filipinos, led by 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Jamie Lim, have intensified their preparation for the June 11 to 13 qualifiers in Paris with the help of the Turkish Karate Federation.

With Lim (women’s 68 kg) are 2019 SEA Games bronze winner Joanne Orbon (women’s 61 kg), Ivan Agustin (men’s -75 kg), Sharief Afif (men’s +75 kg), Jason Macaalay (men’s -67 kg) and Alwyn Batican (men’s -67 kg).

Filipino-Japanese Junna Tsukii (women’s -50 kg), also a 2019 SEA Games gold medalist, is training in Japan but will join the team in the Premier League tournament in Lisbon, Portugal, set on April 30 and May 1.

The national karatekas started training collectively at the Inspire Sports Institute bubble in Calamba last February along with boxers and taekwondo jins, but flew to Istanbul on March 15 for their Turkish training camp at the ballroom of the Clarion Hotel in Uskudar.

Lim said being embedded in a karate world power would help the Filipino athletes improve their skills and focus.

“We trained with some Turkish European champions and then the Mexican team joined us,” he said. “The Azerbaijan squad will be arriving later to join us.”

Turkey boasts of several world champions among them Serap Oczelik Arapoglu (-50 kg women’s kumite), Ugur Aktas (-84 kg men’s kumite), Eray Samdan (-60 kg men’s kumite), Erman Eltemur (-75 kg men’s kumite) and Burak

Uygur (-67 kg kumite).

“Our coach is also a Turkish,” said Lim, referring to Coach Okay Arpa. “Our victory will be their victory, too.”

Lim said Turkey, Iran, Japan, Spain, Italy and China are the top tier teams in world karate.

The Tokyo Olympics are a hundred days to away from July 23 to August 8.

Afif is the only Muslim in the Philippine karate team.

They will be leaving Istanbul on June 1 for Paris, and Lim expects at least two Filipino karate athletes to qualify for the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games set July 23 to August 8. All the athletes should make it inside the top 3 of each weight category in the French qualifying tourney to qualify for an Olympic spot.

Lim is also finding a way to get the athletes vaccinated with an anti-Covid-19 shot in Istanbul.

“We already asked the Philippine consulate here but they have no access to the vaccine because the government here is prioritizing the senior citizens and frontliners. So I asked my other Filipino coordinator here if we can get a vaccine. So by next week, we will know if we can get one or not,” said Lim. Josef Ramos

SASO HANGS TOUGH WITH ANOTHER 64 HIDILYN DIAZ does stretching exercises before lifting weights.

DIAZ CLOSES IN ON 4TH OLYMPIC STINT

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APOLEI, Hawaii—Yuka Saso shot her second consecutive eight-under 64 on Thursday to take a two-shot lead over surging Lydia Ko after two rounds of the Lotte Championship.

Saso, who’s playing on a sponsor’s exemption, made seven birdies in her first 10 holes to catch Ko, who shot 63 earlier Thursday at Kapolei Golf Club.

The 19-year-old from the Philippines then birdied the 16th and 17th holes to reach 16 under.

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By Josef Ramos

VERYTHING in Tashkent has been cooperating with Hidilyn Diaz, who, in a day’s time, will step up the Asian Weightlifting Championships ramp to formally claim her ticket to Tokyo for her fourth consecutive Olympic appearance.

“I am really excited for Sunday,” said Diaz, who arrived with her team on Monday in the Uzbekistan capital from her training camp in Malacca, Malaysia.

With the time zone in this landlocked western Asian country only three hours behind that of the Philippines and Malaysia, Diaz needed little time to adjust her body clock.

And the Uzbek food and weather suited Diaz and co.

“Tashkent is good. The food is good and the weather is not cold,” said Julius Irvin Naranjo, Diaz’s strength and conditioning coach. “We acclimated to the time difference now so it’s great.”

Diaz jumped into training at the Uzbekistan Sports Complex on Thursday along with teammates Kristel Macrohon (76 kg), Elreen Ann Ando (64 kg), Mary Flor Diaz (45 kg), Elien Rose Perez (49 kg), Margaret Colonia (59 kg), Vanessa Sarno (71 kg), John Febuar Ceniza (61 kg) and John Dexter Tabique (96 kg) and Head Coach Gary Hortelano. They arrived in Tashkent on Thursday.

Diaz, also accompanied by Chinese Coach Kaiwen Gao, said quarantine protocols aren’t as stringent as they are back home. But a wall separates the competitors as they train individually.

All Diaz needs to officially qualify for the Olympics is to participate in her category, the women’s 55 kgs class.

“But you know me, I always do my best in whatever competition,” she said.

“But the Olympics remains to be the ultimate competition. Please pray for us.”

Diaz is a shoo-in for Tokyo by virtue of her ranking—the Rio 2016 silver medalist is ranked fifth in her class behind China’s Jiang Huihua, Liao Qiuyun, Zhang Wanquiong and Li Yajun (4,099.0223).

But because only one athlete per country is allowed in a weight category to compete in Tokyo, Diaz got herself to No. 2.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) rules that the top 8 in each class qualify for Tokyo.

Also, the IWF obliges qualifiers to compete in at least six of its sanctioned tournaments to earn an Olympic slot. In Diaz’s case, the Tashkent competition is her sixth.

Diaz competes starting at 9 p.m. (Manila time) on Sunday.

The championships end on April 25.

Not bad a player in her sixth Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour event who’s uncomfortable with the Hawaii wind.

“I’m trying to get used to it,” Saso said. “The wind is still strong. Like I said yesterday, I don’t really like windy conditions. I’m happy I’m able to play good even if I don’t really like it.”

Saso, who turned pro in November 2019, plays primarily on the Japan LPGA Tour, where she has won twice, and is ranked 43rd in the world. Her best previous LPGA score

was 69, and her highest finish was 13th at the US Women’s Open last December.

Ko, the former No. 1 and two-time major champion, hasn’t won since 2018 but may be the hottest player on tour. She has played her last three rounds in 24 under.

Ko shot a final-round 62 last week at the year’s first major, the ANA Inspiration, to finish runner-up to Patty Tavatanakit.

“Coming into this week, obviously coming off the best round in a really long time, I kind of didn’t know what to expect,” Ko said. “Obviously you feel like your game is moving in the right direction, but you don’t want to kind of slack off.

Having a good round under my belt yesterday definitely helped. This is a golf course where especially when the wind is down it’s pretty gettable.”

Fourth-ranked Nelly Korda was five shots back along with So Yeon Ryu, Hyo Joo Kim and Luna Sobron Galmes, who plays primarily on the Ladies European Tour. Sobron Galmes had 10 birdies while shooting 64.

US Women’s Open champion A Lim Kim was 10 under after a 64, joined by Ally Ewing and Brianna Do, who shot a career-low 66.

Do’s caddie for the week is Tadd Fujikawa, the longtime Hawaii pro who made the cut at the PGA Tour’s Sony Open as a 16-year-old amateur in 2007.

Fujikawa is home to play next week’s MidPacific Open and practices regularly at Kapolei.

He’s known Do since they were 12 years old.

“Most of the time,” Fujikawa said with a smile, “she listens pretty darn well.”

Seventeen-year-old Rose Zhang (68), the world’s top-ranked amateur, was 9 under.

Brooke Henderson, the 2018 and 2019 Lotte champion, was eight shots back after her second straight 68. She has hit all 36 greens in regulation.

Amy Yang had a hole-in-one on the 12th hole, the third ace on tour this year.

Bianca Pagdanganan, the other Filipina in the tournament, improved with a 68 in the second round but failed to make the cut, no thanks to that 76 in the first round. AP

PSC tells NSAs, athletes to keep guard vs Covid-19

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HILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez reminded athletes and national sports association (NSA) officials to be vigilant about their health and safety as Covid-19 infections continue to surge.

“Never put your guard down when it comes to Covid-19,” Ramirez said on Friday.

At least 74 personnel and four athletes tested positive for the virus this week, prompting the PSC to lock down its facilities at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila and PhilSports Complex in Pasig City for 10 days.

“We sent all athletes home even before the imposition of the first lockdown last year,” said Ramirez, adding the PSC facilities remain as “We Heal As One Centers.”

The PSC, Ramirez said, has since assisted athletes, coaches and NSAs in getting their RT-

Ramirez

PCR tests when requested or required for their training or competition.

Ramirez askes all NSAs to be more cautious and to actively remind their athletes to follow basic protocols.

“In this case, it is better to be safe than sorry,” he said.

Some athletes are training in venues picked by their respective NSAs outside of PSC facilities.

Manuel Bitog, the PSC’s Assistance and Coordination Division Chief and head of the PSC Emergency Response Team, was designated to head the agency’s Risk Management Team.

PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr. has given instructions to implement stricter protocols and roll out a QR code-based monitoring system within the agency to aid interaction tracing.

NBA: Injury rate this season down slightly from normal

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HE National Basketball Association (NBA) said Thursday that the rate of players needing to miss games because of injuries is down from last season, and within the normal range for what the league has seen over the last five seasons.

League data shows the player injury rate this season is down about 6 percent, even though several marquee players—including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, James Harden and most recently Jamal Murray— have dealt with injuries in recent weeks.

Murray tore the ACL in his left knee this week. The standout Denver guard will be out for the rest of this season and quite possibly a significant portion of next season.

“Injuries are incredibly unfortunate,” said NBA Senior Vice President David Weiss, who helps oversee all the health and safety efforts for the league. “We hate to see them. They’ve always been a part of the game, and how we’re

seeing them this year is not that different from how we’ve seen them in recent seasons: lower than some, higher than others.”

Murray’s injury raised the question of how this year’s schedule—with teams playing 3.6 games per week, up 5 percent from last year—could have increased the risk factor for players. The NBA data doesn’t support the notion of blaming the schedule, which this year compressed 72 games into 146 days, as opposed to the usual 82 games into 177 days.

The schedule further tightened for many teams because of coronavirus-related issues and reschedulings.

“You can see the fatigue on our players,” Denver Coach Michael Malone said this week. “You can see it on their bodies, in their body language.”

The Nuggets were at the end of a five-gamesin-seven-days stretch when Murray got hurt.

Murray did not play in the first four games because of soreness in his right knee, not the one he injured late in Monday’s game at Golden State. That game was Murray’s first in eight days.

Murray suffered the fourth known ACL tear in the NBA this season, the others happening to Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie, Washington’s Thomas Bryant and Orlando’s Markelle Fultz.

Dinwiddie got hurt in the Nets’ third game of the season, Fultz in Orlando’s eighth and Bryant in the Wizards’ 10th.

The four ACL tears this season matches the average from the last 10 years, the NBA said, based on the data it keeps.

“Too many players getting hurt with this shortened season...need to not do this one again,” Josh Hart of the New Orleans Pelicans tweeted early Tuesday. Hart has been sidelined after surgery to repair a damaged thumb ligament. AP PLAYERS watch as Denver’s Jamal Murray remains on the floor after being injured during the second half of his team’s game against Golden State in San Francisco on Monday. AP