BusinessMirror August 28, 2021

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MOSQUES are seen on Lake Lanao, one of the 15 ancient lakes in the world and home of myths and legends of the Maranao tribe. Its calm waters belie the fact that for five months in 2017, it was witness to the longest urban battle in the country’s modern history, as Islamic militants and jihadist groups laid siege to Marawi City. ALEXEY KORNYLYEV | DREAMSTIME.COM

A new chapter in the military’s counterterrorism drive may yet begin to unfold with the Taliban’s ascent to power in Afghanistan

TIGHT WATCH IN THE SOUTH

T

By Rene Acosta

HE military is stepping up both its intelligence and combat operations against local and foreign-aligned terrorist groups in Mindanao in the aftermath of the Taliban’s assumption to power in Afghanistan following two decades of conflict with its Westernbacked government.

VINLUAN: “There will be armed groups that will attempt to raise arms and repeat the rampage in Marawi, but if we relentlessly pursue terrorists through deliberate operations and convergence, then we can contain these groups. So, the key is really to sustain our gains to defeat terrorist groups.”

The Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), which has operational jurisdiction over areas where Moro militants, terrorists and fundamentalists operate, is not ruling out the possibility that the Taliban’s success may encourage local outlawed groups to aspire for power and unleash their own forms of “adventurism.”

Kabul—where the government crumbled and its army melted in the onslaught of Taliban fighters

who immediately declared Afghanistan as an Islamic emirate— is almost 6,000 miles away from the Philippines, but the military certainly knows that beliefs and ideologies transcend boundaries.

“We are intensifying our intelligence operations to monitor the movements of armed groups here in Mindanao to preempt any terror ploy in our area of operation,” Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of WestMinCom, told the BusinessMirror.

“Our gallant soldiers are always on full alert for any security challenge. The military is always on guard against emerging threats in the area,” added the military commander, who had been credited with stopping the rampage of terrorists in Mindanao.

Ties that bind

WITH the current state and strength of the terrorist groups operating in Mindanao, described as much weakened and badly bruised due to the deaths of their key leaders and members, Vinluan believes that the terrorists can no longer carry out another strategic operation.

“Our deliberate offensives debilitated the terror groups, hence we don’t think that the remaining members of the said groups have

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 49.9030

the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Maute Group and Daulah Islamiyah, aside from the ASG.

Even the regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah had set foot in Mindanao.

The WestMinCom holds operational jurisdictions over where all these international terrorist groups have operated or have been present and where local terrorist groups operate in dwindling numbers—like the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, the Lanao provinces, Zamboanga Peninsula and in Central Mindanao.

Security gains

GIVEN the history of Western Mindanao in hosting international terrorist groups where their local counterparts have been partly lured by their funding, the last thing that the country wants to happen is to see local terrorists

IN this October 19, 2017, file photo, Philippine Navy commandos aboard a gunboat patrol Lake Lanao as smoke rises where Islamic militants are making a final stand amid a massive military offensive of Marawi City in southern Philippines. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

the capacity to replicate what was done by the Taliban in Afghanistan,” the military commander said.

Nonetheless, he and the rest of WestMinCom are not taking any chances.

The Taliban, a terrorist group, had harbored and accorded security and protection to the late al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and other key leaders of the international terrorist group in Afghanistan until bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces during the term of former President Barack Obama.

During its heyday as the world’s number-one terrorist group, the popularity of the alQaeda was embraced by Moro militants in Mindanao by taking up its cause and even welcoming its members into their midst while providing them security, sanctuary and protection.

Presence in Mindanao

AFGHANISTAN was where known

Moro militants have fought and were fully immersed into the cause of jihad before they returned to the country and became the original founders and leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which began in Basilan.

The presence of al-Qaeda in Mindanao was repeated in the case of the Islamic State (IS), whose members were welcomed by local terrorist groups who were later led into joining the siege of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur in 2017.

The IS did not only manage to recruit members among the local groups, but its leader in Southeast Asia even came from the ASG in the person of the late Isnilon Hapilon, the former ASG commander in Basilan.

The IS, while training local terrorists in bomb making and terror activities, and even indoctrinating some of them to become suicide bombers, had struck alliances with local terrorist groups like

Continued on A2

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

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LIU, ZHENG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin

Brief Job Description: Responding promptly to the inquiries to ensure customer satisfaction

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

See “dole ncr” on A5-A7

n JAPAN 0.4535 n UK 68.3821 n HK 6.4078 n CHINA 7.6993 n SINGAPORE 36.8533 n AUSTRALIA 36.0998 n EU 58.6710 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.3060

Source: BSP (August 27, 2021)

NewsSaturday BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, August 28, 2021

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The world economy’s supply chain problem keeps getting worse

By Cindy Wang & Enda Curran

A

man Chambers of Industry and Commerce expected widespread supply-chain problems to persist into next year.

Bloomberg News

SUPPLY chain crunch that was meant to be temporary now looks like it will last well into next year as the surging delta variant upends factory production in Asia and disrupts shipping, posing more shocks to the world economy.

Manufacturers reeling from shortages of key components and higher raw material and energy costs are being forced into bidding wars to get space on vessels, pushing freight rates to records and prompting some exporters to raise prices or simply cancel shipments altogether.

“We can’t get enough components, we can’t get containers, costs have been driven up tremendously,” said Christopher Tse, chief executive officer of Hong Kongbased Musical Electronics Ltd., which makes consumer products from Bluetooth speakers to Rubik’s Cubes.

Tse said the cost of magnets used in the puzzle toy has risen by about 50 percent since March, increasing the production cost by about 7 percent. “I don’t know if we can make money from Rubik’s Cubes because prices keep changing.”

China’s determination to stamp out Covid has meant even a small number of cases can cause major disruptions to trade. This month the government temporarily closed part of the world’s third-

busiest container port at Ningbo for two weeks after a single dockworker was found to have the delta variant. Earlier this year, wharves in Shenzhen were idled after the discovery of a handful of coronavirus cases.

“Port congestion and a shortage of container shipping capacity may last into the fourth quarter or even mid-2022,” said Hsieh Hueychuan, president of Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine Corp., the world’s seventh-biggest container liner, at an investor briefing on August 20. “If the pandemic cannot be effectively contained, port congestion may become a new normal.”

‘Fragile’ supply chain

THE cost of sending a container from Asia to Europe is about 10 times higher than in May 2020, while the cost from Shanghai to Los Angeles has grown more than sixfold, according to the Drewry World Container Index. The global supply chain has become so fragile that a single, small accident “could easily have its effects compounded,” HSBC Holdings Plc. said in a note.

‘No choice’

Higher freight rates and semiconductor prices could feed into inflation, said Chua Hak Bin, senior economist at Maybank Kim Eng Research Pte. in Singapore. In addition, producers including Taiwan’s Giant Manufacturing Co., the world’s biggest bicycle maker, say they will raise prices to reflect the increased costs.

In the US, forecasters have lowered growth projections for this year and lifted inflation expectations into 2022, according to Bloomberg’s latest monthly survey of economists. Compared to a year earlier, the personal consumption expenditures price index is now expected to rise 4 percent in the

third quarter and 4.1 percent in the fourth, double the Federal Reserve’s 2-percent goal.

Hong Kong-based coffeemachine maker Eric Chan doesn’t see the crunch easing for months as he juggles a supply line that involves hundreds of components to meet booming demand for kitchen appliances.

Beefing up stocks

“WE are storing up critical components for one year of usage because if we miss one component, we cannot manufacture the products,” said Chan, chief executive of Town Ray Holdings Ltd., which gets 90 percent of sales from household brand names in Europe.

The spread of the delta variant, especially in Southeast Asia, is making it difficult for many factories to operate at all. In Vietnam, the world’s second-largest producer of footwear and clothing, the government has ordered manufacturers to allow workers to sleep in their factories to try to keep exports moving.

Even mighty Toyota Motor Corp. is affected. The automaker warned this month it will suspend output at 14 plants across Japan and slash production by 40 percent due to supply disruptions, including chip shortages.

On the other side of the planet, companies in the UK are grappling

with record low levels of stock and retail selling prices are rising at the fastest pace since November 2017.

Germany’s recovery is also under threat. A key measure of business confidence in Europe’s largest economy, released on Wednesday by the Munich-based Ifo institute, fell by more than economists had predicted with the drop blamed in part on shortages for metals, plastic products and semiconductors, among other goods.

At the heart of the price pressures is the transportation bottleneck.

Big retailers tend to have longterm contracts with container lines, but Asian production relies on networks of tens of thousands of small and medium-sized producers who often arrange shipping through logistics firms and freight forwarders. They in turn have been struggling to secure space for clients as vessel owners sell to the highest bidders.

Some 60 percent to 70 percent of shipping deals on the AsiaAmerica route are done through spot or short-term deals, according to Michael Wang, an analyst at President Capital Management Corp. He said auction-style pricing may continue until Chinese New Year in February 2022.

Buyers agree. In Germany, more than half of the 3,000 firms polled by the Association of Ger-

“NOW container liners don’t sign long-term agreements, and most deals are done by spot prices,” said Jason Lo, CEO of Taiwanese gym equipment maker Johnson Health Tech Co. He said it was becoming impossible to estimate shipping costs and do financial planning, but “we have no choice.”

Colin Sung, general manager of Dongguan-based World-Beater International Logistics Co., said one client had more than 70 containers of goods sitting at a warehouse in Shenzhen because his American buyer didn’t want to pay the shipping cost. Sung said 60 percent to 70 percent of his clients have cut shipments due to rising costs.

For Asian factories outside China, the problem is even worse.

Many Chinese companies are willing to pay above-market rates to load their cargo, said a spokesman at HMM Co., South Korea’s biggest container line. So when the ships call at ports outside China, they’re already almost full.

Chinese companies that spent decades shifting production of lower-value components to cheaper labor markets in South and Southeast Asia now face the headache of trying to get those parts to factories where they can be assembled into finished products.

“We are talking about a lot of money just to move things around,” said Sunny Tan, executive vice president of Luen Thai International Group Ltd., which makes clothing and leather handbags for global brands.

As factories succumb to lockdowns, manufacturers are forced into a game of whac-a-mole, switching raw materials from one country to another. Some have resorted to air-freighting materials such as leather to factories to keep production lines rolling.

Meanwhile, Luen Thai’s Tan, who is also deputy chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, is trying to figure out how he’ll fill festive display windows in time for Christmas. “I wish when shoppers see our product they give it a kiss when they realize how difficult it was just to get it to the shelf.”

Tight watch in the South Continued from A1

being goaded by the Taliban’s success, if not seek funding from the group. The Taliban is already in full control of Afghanistan’s national coffers, but reports said it may find it hard to govern in the next few days as the West has frozen much of its assets.

Vinluan said that beyond developments in Afghanistan, they continue to bolster their offensive and “employ peaceful mechanisms to sustain the growing peace and possibly neutralize the remaining members of the different threat groups” in Mindanao.

“Through our nonlethal operations, we are able to win not only the trust of the people but the enemies’ as well. Such is evident in the mounting number of rebels that surrendered to the government forces, the terror ploys that we thwarted, and the enemy strongholds that we overran,” he explained.

“So to a greater extent, the security situation in the region has momentously improved; thus we are confident that we will be able to sustain the momentum,” Vinluan said.

In pursuit of peace and development, Vinluan said, WestMinCom’s intelligence operations as well as its combat and noncombat efforts have been intensified, even before the chaos in Afghanistan took its present course, and the tempo will be maintained in order to prevent local terrorists from creating havoc in

peaceful communities.

For one, the WestMinCom commander said that both the right hand and left hand approaches that they made in dealing with the ASG and other IS-linked groups have led to the “debilitation” of these groups.

“Kidnappings, ambuscades, bombings and other atrocities were reduced and, to a greater extent, eradicated through the security operations we continuously conduct,” he said.

“The current strength of the IS-linked groups has constantly dwindled with the all-out campaigns that we launched. There is also a surge in the number of capitulations of militants in the operational area,” Vinluan added.

The bloody rampage of the IS and its allies in Marawi City has degraded the terrorists’ manpower and capability to carry out hostile plans, while leaving them “worn out,” weakened by the neutralization of their leaders and fighters, Vinluan said.

The sustained security operations also prevented their re-emergence and constricted their strongholds.

“But we cannot deny the fact that the threat will continue to exist even with the neutralization of hard-core leaders. As long as there are hard-core rebels willing to risk their lives and limbs to sow terror and perpetrate violence against the innocent, the line of succession will always be followed to carry out the

operations of the armed groups,” Vinluan admitted.

“There will be armed groups that will attempt to raise arms and repeat the rampage in Marawi, but if we relentlessly pursue terrorists through deliberate operations and convergence, then we can contain these groups. So, the key is really to sustain our gains to defeat terrorist groups,” he said.

In Vinluan’s view, to end Mindanao’s security threats, the military must intensify its operations and “engage in peaceful mechanisms through the intercession of the people and the convergence of the different sectors,” which he said is the “holistic approach” and the effective way to defeat terrorism in Mindanao.

“With the significant breakthroughs that we have attained in the campaign against terrorism and violent extremism in the previous years, we have learned the best approaches that we should apply towards the attainment of lasting peace and development. We continuously implement peaceful mechanisms to address the grievances of the vulnerable groups of the society and prevent them from being indoctrinated with false ideologies of the radical groups. Together with our partners and stakeholders, we continue to engage in the communities to prevent them from embracing radicalization,” he said.

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

News BusinessMirror

DA chief okays 60,000-MT fish importation for wet market sale A

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

griculture Secretary William D. Dar has greenlighted the 60,000-metric ton (MT) importation of small pelagic fishes, such as galunggong, for wet market sale to augment the country’s domestic supply in anticipation of the closed fishing season.

Dar said he has approved the issuance of certificate of necessity to import (CNI) “to augment current local fish production, maintain sufficient supply, and make it affordable to consumers.”

Dar made the approval following the recommendation of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), in coordination with the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), and in consultation with the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC), and fishing industry stakeholders.

The approved volume by Dar was 5,000 MT smaller than the 65,000-MT supply deficit projected by the BFAR in the fourth quarter. The DA also disclosed that the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) recommended a maximum import volume of 200,000 MT for the fourth quarter and first quarter of next year.

“We are doing a balancing act, wherein our primordial concern is to enhance and sustain the development of our fisheries sector, and provide our fellow citizens affordable fish on their table,” he said in a news statement issued on Friday.

“Further, such policy decision eases the pressure on food inflation, thus benefiting mostly our poor countrymen whose purchasing power has been reduced due to the economic slowdown and the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.

The agriculture chief explained that the 60,000-MT importation would cover small pelagic fishes like roundscad or galunggong, mackerel and bonito, which will be sold in public wet markets, particularly in Metro Manila and fish-deficient areas in the country.

The importers will be required by the DA to sell the imported fish at a wholesale price of P88 per kilogram or lower “as a result of the cost unbundling for imported small pelagic fishes.”

The CNI would be valid from September 2 until the end of December. The import volume will be allocated among eligible importers through an auction system with the BFAR overseeing the processing of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPS-IC) for the winning auctioneers, which will be endorsed to Dar for approval.

Transfer of volume allocation will not be allowed, according to the DA. Based on the approved guidelines for this year’s small pelagic fishes importation, only importers

Sen. Imee bemoans NTF ‘inaction’ on private sector and LGU requests to procure vaccines

S

By Butch Fernandez

en. Imee Marcos has bemoaned the “inaction” of the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) on requests from private companies and local government units (LGUs) to procure antiCovid vaccines.

The senator stressed that if there were “errors” or uncomplied requirements, these should have been conveyed by vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. This after Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri initially disclosed that 300 private companies and 42 LGUs submitted their proposed multi-party or tripartite agreement to acquire 10 million vaccines, but the national government has yet to sign up, stalling the awaited vaccine delivery.

Marcos wondered why this has not been acted upon, even as she noted there was no reason for the delay as the Philippines can order the vaccine supply from other available sources that can facilitate delivery sooner.

She reminded that a vaccine czar was put in place last year precisely to fast-track acquisition of the medicine supply and ensure timely delivery for mass vaccination sooner, recalling that the vaccine supply from the United States was initially delayed due to “slow action” from the Department of Health.

According to the senator, what was worse was that the unexplained delay in signing the agreement triggered doubts that those involved may be favoring another brand of vaccine.

At the Senate hearing, Galvez, however, assured they were not sitting on the vaccine delivery documents and were just performing their duty to conduct due diligence.

of good standing and compliant to food safety guidelines can participate in the importation, the DA said.

“Prospective importers should have no SPS-IC covered by previous CNI that has been canceled. They should have imported at least 70 percent of the total volume issued during the last importation period,” it said.

“Importers should source-out supply from respectable source and not engaged in IUU [illegal, unreported and unregulated] fishing,” it added.

Furthermore, the DA said the imported fish must arrive in the country “within 20 days from receipt of SPS-IC” while the last ship-out date from exporting country must

be one month before the closed fishing season “to prevent hoarding.”

“From the Customs Clearing House, the importer should directly unload the imported frozen/chilled fish at its BFARregistered cold-storage facility and trade the imported products at the PFDA fish ports or PFDA-designated trading areas,” it said.

“Importers should allow BFAR inspectors, quarantine officers and law enforcers to inspect and monitor the imported fish stored in the BFARregistered storage facility, and provide data for the purpose of performance evaluation of said CNI,” it added.

Saturday, August 28, 2021

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Saturday, August 28, 2021

The World BusinessMirror

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

Deadly Kabul attack shakes Biden’s Afghan exit strategy

J

oe Biden’s bid to complete an already messy US withdrawal from Afghanistan was rocked after a pair of bombings in Kabul killed dozens of people and marked the most trying day yet of his presidency.

The sheer scale of the tragedy— which saw at least 13 US service members and at least 60 Afghans killed—renewed criticism from lawmakers and allies over the precipitous American withdrawal and the failure to forecast the Afghan government’s rapid fall at the hands of the Taliban.

T he attacks also undercut the President’s repeated arguments since taking office that he

would offer a steady hand on foreign policy. And the scenes of chaos unleashed by a pair of suicide bombers drowned out efforts to cast the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from Afghanistan as a humanitarian success story.

In a somber address to the nation on Thursday evening, Biden said he took responsibility for “all that’s happened of late” in Afghanistan but stood firm on his plans to withdraw

US President Joe Biden pauses while speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on August 26,. Biden vowed to continue evacuations from Afghanistan after explosions in Kabul killed 12 US service members, and said the US will retaliate against those responsible for the bombings. Bloomberg

American forces by August 31. Blaming an offshoot of Islamic State (IS) for the deadly attacks, he also said he would go after those responsible.

“To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this—we will

not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay,” Biden said.

It was a speech the President never wanted to give, but which he and his advisers long feared was inevitable.

The atrocity in Kabul—which saw at least 18 other American service members wounded and scores more Afghans seeking to flee their nation killed—quickly overshadowed US progress in getting people out. Since August 14, about 5,000 Americans and tens of thousands of Afghan allies have been evacuated.

Biden is now left trying to restore some balance to the high-wire act he’s been attempting since the Taliban swept into Kabul, forced into an impossible choice between maintaining evacuation efforts for Americans stranded in the country and the knowledge that every minute on the ground means increasing danger for US service members.

General Kenneth McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, said Thursday that terrorist attacks had been expected and that more were likely in the days ahead. But evacuation efforts continued, with buses of evacuees arriving at Kabul’s airport in the hours after the attacks.

“Here’s what you need to know: These ISIS terrorists will not win,” Biden said. “We will rescue the Americans, we will get our Afghan allies and our mission will go on.

America will not be intimidated.”

For a president who campaigned on his decades of foreign policy experience, and who said his message to the world after taking office was “America is back,” the scenes of chaos playing out in recent days have been devastating.

Administration officials had hoped that the quickly assembled airlift effort, combined with the winding down of America’s longest war, would push Afghanistan out of voters’ minds in the months and years ahead. Polls show the withdrawal was popular, but the images out of Kabul over the past 10 days have been shocking, even for the president’s allies.

‘In deep despair’

And they have given Biden’s political enemies a powerful cudgel.

Republicans looked to seize upon the moment to pin two decades of failures in Afghanistan on Biden, with Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee calling for his resignation. But concern was evident even among Democrats, with Senator Joe Manchin, the moderate West Virginia Democrat who has served as the linchpin of Biden’s domestic legislative agenda, saying in a statement that the US had found itself “in deep despair.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, called for Congress to pass legislation prohibiting the withdrawal of troops until every American was evacuated from Afghanistan. Of the approximately 1,000 Americans believed to be remaining in Afghanistan, US officials say they believe about two-thirds want to leave.

Biden was defiant in his remarks at the White House, maintaining that his drawdown was the correct course of action and saying former President Donald Trump— who brokered a withdrawal deal with the Taliban last year—had left him little choice.

Had he rejected the Trump administration’s agreement after taking office, Biden said his only real option would have been to “pour more troops” back into Afghanistan, something he’s opposed going back to his tenure as Barack Obama’s vice president.

“I have never been of the view that we should be sacrificing American lives to try to establish a democratic government in Afghanistan, a country that has never once in its entire history been a united country,” Biden said.

Thursday’s violence underscored the alarm Biden has sound-

ed in recent days. On Tuesday, the President detailed an “acute and growing risk ” as he addressed the nation from the White House.

That was echoed in talking points distributed by the White House to allies on Capitol Hill, and in a security alert issued by the US Embassy in Kabul on Wednesday telling Americans to avoid the area surrounding the airport and await specific instructions.

The realization of the President’s dire warnings were seen within the White House as validation of his desire to maintain the Aug. 31 deadline, despite demands from some quarters that the operation be extended.

Continued efforts to evacuate Americans are “certainly going to require more resources and, candidly, it’s going to require a lot of bravery on the part of those American troops who are going into get them,” Mark Kimmitt, a retired Army general who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle Eastern policy under President George W. Bush, said in an interview on Bloomberg TV. Biden, however, maintained that the US had a moral obligation to proceed.

“I think what America says matters,” the President said.

Polling slide

The difficulty of the situation in Kabul—and the unease and uncertainty it sparked—was apparent throughout the day, as White House aides hastily scrapped Biden’s plans to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Oval Office and to later hold a virtual meeting with governors on the resettlement of Afghan evacuees.

Bennett will now visit the White House on Friday.

Even before the loss of life, the chaotic scenes in Kabul were eroding Biden’s approval ratings.

The president for the first time slipped underwater in the RealClearPolitics average of public polling, with 49 percent of Americans disapproving of his job performance, compared to 47 percent who approved.

Before the attacks, Biden allies had remained hopeful that the situation was politically salvageable. Earlier in the week, the White House crowed over an evacuation effort that had outpaced expectations voiced by journalists and national security experts. Former Biden campaign aides and Obama administration officials accused journalists of overstating the circumstances in Kabul.

That hope dimmed on Thursday as the realities of the bloodshed set in, and Biden’s political opponents seized on the attacks. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the attack confirmed that “there are very real and disastrous consequences to the way this withdrawal has been conducted.”

‘Reckless failure’

And South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, widely believed to be preparing a bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, issued a statement blaming the White House for the episode.

“As we learn more details over the next 24 hours, one thing will be clear: these attacks are a result of the Biden administration’s reckless failure to secure the situation before withdrawing troops,” Noem said. “How we respond will come to define the Biden-Harris administration for a generation.”

Yet pressed repeatedly on whether he should be reconsidering the withdrawal, Biden said he had made the right decision.

“Ladies and gentleman, it was time to end a 20-year war,” he said.

Bloomberg News

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

24/7 BUSINESS PROCESSING INC. 14/f Capella Bldg. L-3&4 B2, Asean Drive Filinvest Alabang Muntinlupa City LIU, ZHENG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative 1.

Brief Job Description: Responding promptly to the inquiries to ensure customer satisfaction

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ALLIANTPRIME SERVICES INC. Unit No. Unit 2c Flr. No. 4f One Ecom Center Building, Ocean Drive St., Moa Complex Subd. District 1, Barangay 076 Pasay City

2.

DUAN, GUANG Mandarin Site Technical Officer Brief Job Description: Diagnosing equipment malfunctions and performing repairs

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f To 10/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D. Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street Tambo Parañaque City

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

FENG, TAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires HE, YUE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LIN, WEI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LIN, ZHENXING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LUO, YUANYUAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires WANG, YIXING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires WU, JINYANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires XUE, BINGBING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

YANG, HONGJUAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

YAO, XUDONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

18.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

19.

13.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

14.

Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries and promotions KIM, HYUNJI Customer Service Representative

15.

16.

Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries and promotions

KO, CHUNG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries and promotions

LIM, JIHYEON Customer Service Representative 17.

Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries and promotions

Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries and promotions

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

20.

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

Brief Job Description: Oversee day to day operation of HR Department

APISIRIMONGKHONKUN, PLOYCHOMPU HR Senior Executive 21.

Brief Job Description: Coordinate all stages of the hiring process

MEY, KOSANY Marketing Senior Executive 22.

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

Brief Job Description: Manage and organize data from market research and insights and render business support to ensure efficient operational processes.

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

AYUB TAMBUNAN Operations Executive 23.

Brief Job Description: Serves as a liaison between the customer and various departments & ensure that basic CS functions are performed.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language IVAN JULIAN WALEWANGKO Operations Executive

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 24.

Brief Job Description: Serves as liaison between the customer and various departments & ensures that basic CS functions are performed

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

KOMPEEVONG, RATTANUN Operations Executive 25.

Brief Job Description: Serves as a liaison between the customer and various departments & ensures that basic CS functions are performed

ERICSEN Payment Executive

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Assess financial risk while maintaining appropriate level of cash flow required to support business

MARYATI Payment Executive 27.

Brief Job Description: Assess financial risk while maintaining appropriate level of cash flow required to support business

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 EKIM NG Payment Supervisor 28.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

31.

Basic Qualification: Must be native Thai/Indonesian fluent in English and native language with atleast 2 years relevant experience in similar function Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 Basic Qualification: Marketing is a plus; Must be native Cambodian / Vietnamese / Chinese / Thai / Indonesian / Korean / Japanese / Taiwanese, fluent in English and respective native language; with at least 2 years experience in similar field

Basic Qualification: Must be native Thai / Indonesian / Vietnamese / Chinese / Korean / Japanese / Taiwanese, fluent in English and respective native language; with at least a year experience in similar field

Basic Qualification: Must be native Thai / Indonesian / Vietnamese / Chinese / Korean / Japanese / Taiwanese, fluent in English and respective native language; with at least a year experience in same field

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

HUANG, SIN-CHENG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Must be native Thai / Indonesian / Vietnamese / Chinese / Korean / Japanese / Taiwanese, fluent in English and respective native language; with at least a year experience in similar field Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language

Basic Qualification: Must be native Taiwanese / Singaporean, fluent in English & native language; with relevant experience in similar function

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

HUANG, DAORAO Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 33.

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

LIU, LIGUO Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 34.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

NGUYEN THI THUY DUNG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 35.

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

ZHONG, ZIYING Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 36.

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

CHENG, XIANGCHAO Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer 37.

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

Brief Job Description: Assist in Organizing workflow schedules and provide training to executes

MERRY Payment Supervisor 29.

Brief Job Description: Assist in organizing workflow, schedules and provide training to executives

ZENG, YONGXIANG Chinese Speaking Graphic Designer 38.

39.

Basic Qualification: Must be native Indonesian / Vietnamese Malaysian fluent in English and respective native language proficient in Microsoft applications

40.

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

CHIYODA PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Mezzanine, Ug, 5th, 6th, 15th-22nd Floor Sun Plaza Building 1507 Shaw Boulevard Corner Princeton St. 1555 Mandaluyong City

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

LI, XINMEI Chinese Speaking Program Designer 41.

Brief Job Description: ssist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

SUN, JIE Chinese Speaking Program Designer 42.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 Basic Qualification: Must be native Indonesian / Vietnamese / Malaysian fluent in English and respective language; with at least 3 years of experience same field

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

DOU, JINMING Chinese Speaking Program Designer

MARYATI Payment Executive Brief Job Description: Assess financial risk while maintaining appropriate level of cash flow required to support business

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

CHEN, WANG Chinese Speaking Program Designer

Basic Qualification: Must be native Indonesian / Vietnamese Cambodian fluent in English and respective native language proficient in Microsoft applications Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: w/ at least 20 to 30yrs.

Experience, proficient in English written and spoken language, has good communication skills with regard to project execution Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

CRONYX INC. No. 4th-10th Flr. Yinhope Bldg. Dela Rama Cor. Zoili Hilario St. Seascape Village, Ccp Complex Subd. Zone 10, Barangay 076, District 1 Pasay City

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

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

Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language

Brief Job Description: Establish, lead and manage an operations team which will work to the highest appropriate international standards

TANG PIK SUN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

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

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

30.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION IMAMURA, YASUO Deputy General Manager

32.

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

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

Brief Job Description: To assist customers regarding their queries and promotions

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

No.

Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language

Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above, fluent in Korean language

MENG, PEI-YAO a.k.a. ANNIE MENG HR Assistant Manager

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

YUN, YONGJIN Customer Service Representative

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

ASIAN TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, INC. 11/f Tower 2 Double Dragon, Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City HONG, SEOKWOO Customer Service Representative

PARK, CHANGKEUN Customer Service Representative

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

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

26.

ZUO, JIANTAO Chinese Customer Service

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Saturday, August 28, 2021 A5

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services ZHANG, YAJUN Chinese Speaking Program Designer

43.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customers information about product and services

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

DAXIFA CORPORATION Mpire Center 93 West Avenue Project 7 Bungad 1 Quezon City LIN, HANG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative 44.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer services & managing the needs of the customer through phone calls and emails.

Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate fluently in Mandarin Chinese with customers.

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

BusinessMirror

A6 Saturday, August 28, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION YANG, HUADAN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

45.

Brief Job Description: Delivering excellent customer services & managing the needs of the customer through phone calls and emails.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Ability to communicate fluently in Mandarin Chinese with customers.

No.

62.

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

EAST CATALYST TRADING CORPORATION 3/f Salcedo One Center 170 Salcedo St. San Lorenzo Makati City CUI, YI Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 46.

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

GAO, FENG Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 47.

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

HAN, JIAN Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 48.

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

LIU, YARU Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 49.

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

QIU, SHUAIHAO Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 50.

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

WEI, ZHIHAO Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 51.

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

WEN, LIUHUA Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 52.

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

XU, WEIHONG Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 53.

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

YIN, ZHIYANG Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 54.

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

ZENG, KEYOU Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 55.

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

ZHAO, QIANG Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 56.

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

ZHU, YUANBIN Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 57.

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

CAI, CHENGHUI Chinese Speaking Marketing Assistant 58.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers, Give customers information's about product and services

FAN, JIE Chinese Speaking Marketing Assistant 59.

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

TAN, DIANWANG Chinese Speaking Marketing Assistant 60.

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

TIAN, MUQING Chinese Speaking Marketing Assistant 61.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers, Give customers information about product and services

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers, Give customers information about product and services

XU, ZHONGHUA Chinese Speaking Marketing Assistant Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/ good in oral communication and written

63.

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers, Give customers information's about product and services

XU, HAITAO Chinese Speaking Marketing Assistant 64.

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers, Give customers information about product and services

YU, JUN Chinese Speaking Marketing Assistant Brief Job Description: Assist/Help customers, Give customers information about product and services

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

65.

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

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila

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

CHEN, FEI Marketing And Sales Agent 66.

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

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

LI, HUI Marketing And Sales Agent 68.

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

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

CHEN, XUAN Marketing And Sales Agent 67.

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

LIANG, YONGQIAN Marketing And Sales Agent 69.

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

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

WEI, JIEQIN Marketing And Sales Agent 70.

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

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

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

No.

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

76.

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/ Good in oral communication and written

77.

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

Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

72.

Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

78.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor Silver City 4, Ortigas East Ugong Pasig City CHEN, HAOTIAN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 79.

80.

Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

81.

82.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in English written and speaking, graduate of bachelor's degree, must be fluent in Korean Hangul Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; LI, YAJUN Can prepare product or Customer Service Representative service reports by collecting and analyzing customer Brief Job Description: information; Can contribute to A customer service representative supports customers by team effort by accomplishing providing helpful information, answering questions, and related results as needed; responding to complaints, They're the front line of support for Can manage large amounts of clients and customers and the help ensure that customers are incoming calls satisfied with products, services, and features.

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

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

YANG, JUN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 83.

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

YU, XINYU Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 84.

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

CAI, LINGLING Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking 85.

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all marketing activity and result

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting custome information and analyzing customer needs Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting custome information and analyzing customer needs Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting custome information and analyzing customer needs Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting custome information and analyzing customer needs Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting custome information and analyzing customer needs Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting custome information and analyzing customer needs Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Analyze the productivity of the marketing plans and projects, recommend optimization to senior management Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

HANMI MICRONICS INC. Unit 608 Global Telecom Plaza Pioneer Cor. Madison Barangay Barangka Ilaya Mandaluyong City YANG, SUNG WOONG General Manager 86.

Brief Job Description: Agrees to accept the assigned task to him/her, duly approved by the employer.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor's degree graduate; 3-4 years experience in Business Management fluent in English and Korean Language.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

HLN PHIL. TRADING, INC. U-209 2/f Skyland Plaza Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Cor. Tindalo St. San Antonio Makati City TAHILIANI, LAXMAN DAS Director 87.

Brief Job Description: Protecting the confidential information of the company and third party; Declare interest in proposed and existing transactions & arrangements with the company's benefit.

Basic Qualification: Excellent in verbal and written communication for local and foreign clients and highly experience in decision making with 20 years of experience in the same.

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

HSBC ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING (PHILIPPINES) INC. Filinvest One Building Alabang Zapote Road, Northgate Cyberzone Filinvest City, Alabang Muntinlupa City NAPHRI, SONIA KIRAN Assistant Vice President (AVP) - Derivative Clearing Services 88.

GATEWAYSOLUTIONS CORP. Unit 2306 Antel Global Corporate Center Julia Vargas Ave. Ortigas Center, San Antonio Pasig City

75.

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

PEI, YUQIANG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

Basic Qualification: Should be atleast 21 years Brief Job Description: old and with six months To contribute their operational, strategic or technical expertise experience. to projects. They collaborate with the clients to determine project proposal, develop project plans in line with business Salary Range: objectives and assign project task and resources assign for Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Korean clients.

Brief Job Description: Guide and manage human resources services, policies and programs.

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

MING, JIAO Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

FIRSTJVENTURES INC. Unit No. C3, Hk Sun Plaza Bldg. Macapagal Blvd. St. Barangay 076 Pasay City

74.

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

MA, CHAO Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

Basic Qualification: Should be atleast 21 years Brief Job Description: old and with six months Works with the companies to create and implement marketing experience. strategies, helps create and detailed marketing plan, identify the appropriate marketing mix to get the message out to Salary Range: target market.

Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

HWANG, BUMSOON HR Supervisor

Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer Brief Job Description: information; Can contribute to A customer service representative supports customers by team effort by accomplishing providing helpful information, answering questions, and related results as needed; responding to complaints, They're the front line of support for Can manage large amounts of clients and customers and the help ensure that customers are incoming calls satisfied with products, services, and features.

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

KIM, SUK JONG Project Consultant 73.

Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; TENG, YANG Can prepare product or Customer Service Representative service reports by collecting and analyzing customer Brief Job Description: information; Can contribute to A customer service representative supports customers by team effort by accomplishing providing helpful information, answering questions, and related results as needed; responding to complaints, They're the front line of support for Can manage large amounts of clients and customers and the help ensure that customers are incoming calls satisfied with products, services, and features.

YONG ZHI JIN Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer Brief Job Description: information; Can contribute to A customer service representative supports customers by team effort by accomplishing providing helpful information, answering questions, and related results as needed; responding to complaints, They're the front line of support for Can manage large amounts of clients and customers and the help ensure that customers are incoming calls satisfied with products, services, and features.

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

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION NIM CHI HIEU Customer Service Representative

KIM, HYUNWOO Marketing Consultant

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

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

EBENEZER MG CORPORATION Unit 28b2 28th Floor Fort Palm Spring Condominium 30th Street Corner 1st Ave., Bonifacio Global City Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

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

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

ZHANG, YAOWEN Marketing And Sales Agent 71.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION WANG, JINMEI Chinese Speaking Marketing Assistant

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: The primary responsibility of the Trade Processing role within Futures Operations is to ensure the capture and successful settlement of all futures and options trades for primary markets.

Basic Qualification: University (BA/BS) Level.

5-10 years relevant Futures Experience Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

INDUSTRIAL BANK OF KOREA MANILA BRANCH Unit 801-802 One World Place Fort Bonifacio Taguig City JEONG, HEE SEOK Country Head And General Manager 89.

Brief Job Description: Manage and oversee whole branch operations

Basic Qualification: Can speak, read, write Korean fluently Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION KANG, DOOHYUN Deputy General Manager

90.

Brief Job Description: Approver for front office transactions PARK, BYUNGJAE Manager

91.

Brief Job Description: Management coordinator

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Can speak, read, write Korean fluently

Basic Qualification: Can speak, read, write Korean fluently

92.

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

SUNARDI Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 93.

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

107.

108.

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

GEERTSEN, MATHIAS President & Head Of Operations 109.

94.

Brief Job Description: Modifying existing code with new features, efficiently handles task in an amount of time.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 XIE, MINGJUN Senior Mandarin Developer

95.

Basic Qualification: Have a solid JAVA foundation and engage to java for 1 year.

Can speak and read Mandarin.

Basic Qualification: Have a solid JAVA foundation and engage to java for 1 year.

Can speak and read Mandarin.

110.

111.

112.

113.

98.

Brief Job Description: Create and manage product in conjunction with marketing strategies to Korean customer service representative

Basic Qualification: At least college graduate speaks and write fluently (Korean & English)

GAO, DAPING Chinese Marketing Manager 99.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for managing the company's marketing initiatives, uses market research

HUYNH BOI TRINH Travel Consultant 100.

Brief Job Description: Research, explore 7 study different travel destination option, suggest suitable travel

Basic Qualification: with good oral and written communications skills with knowledge computer application Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With good oral and written communications skills with knowledge computer application Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

KWONG YUAN TRADING CORP. 16/f Tower 6789 Ayala Ave. Cor. H.v Dela Costa St. Bel-air Makati City CHEN, RUI Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist 101.

Brief Job Description: Contribute in the implementation of marketing strategies WEN, JUN Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist

102.

Brief Job Description: Contribute in the implementation of marketing strategies

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in Mandarin

115.

116.

Basic Qualification: Excellent communication skills.

Ability to meet company's production and quality Brief Job Description: standards. Ability to read and Provide cost estimates for body damage and internal repairs. comprehend instructions and Create and maintain a process to effectively manage warranty, information. customers paid, and internal repair orders.

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

117.

MARINA SQUARE PROPERTIES, INC. 5/f Ag New World Manila Bay Hotel 1588 1588 Mh Del Pilar Cor. P Gil. 076 Bgy. 699 Malate Manila YUNG, NGAR YAM PHYLLIS Administrative & Quality Management 104.

Brief Job Description: Determining, negotiating and agreeing on in-house quality procedures, standards and specifications.

118.

105.

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service

RITA MONICA Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff 106.

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese/Mandarin fluently

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

HUANG, ZUNJI Chinese Speaking Customer Relations Officer 119.

Brief Job Description: To handle the concerns of a customer and ensure good customer retention by providing excellent and professional services

DE CASTRO, JOANNA ALEXA SABENA ISV Partner Developing Manager 120.

Brief Job Description: Responsible to establishes the directions, major strategies and action plans to achieve the company's business goals as aligned with the overall AIA, Philam Group, BPO-Philam Life and BPI's vision and objectives.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese/Mandarin fluently Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: 5-10 yrs solid experience within relevant industries, has established connections in the Asian and European circuit, fluent in written and spoken English, Danish and another EU Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin

ZHU, HONGPEI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 126.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin

SLOCOMBE, MICHAEL ANTHONY Chief Operating Officer 127.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking , reading and writing in mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin

Brief Job Description: Oversees the company’s operations team spread throughout various project sites, and provides leadership, management and vision to ensure that the company delivers exceptional operational outcomes to meet agreed growth objectives.

FUKUI, KEN Consultant 128.

129.

CHEN, JIE Chinese Customer Service 121.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LIU, LI Chinese Customer Service

122.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LIU, YANHUI Chinese Customer Service

123.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN HOAI VUONG Chinese Customer Service

124.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

125.

XIE, FUBING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Brief Job Description: Technical lead with primary responsibility to manage and detect vulnerability in web applications by utilizing expertise in Acunetix (Invicti) product.

CHEN, LINYI Mandarin Travel Coordinator 130.

Basic Qualification: Expert in Enterprise Security Testing with Acunetix and Test Automation.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Brief Job Description: Book tickets, reserve accommodation and organize transport arrangement

Basic Qualification: Able to speak Mandarin Chinese Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

TRIVES TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION Tower 4 Bayport West Naia Garden Residence, Naia Road Tambo Parañaque City TEOH LAY CHI Malaysian Customer Support Representative 131.

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

HE, BIN Mandarin Customer Support Representative 132.

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

YANG, MENGQI Mandarin Customer Support Representative 133.

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

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

ZENG, QIAN Mandarin Customer Support Representative 134.

Basic Qualification: With good oral and written communication skills and proficient in Customer Relations.

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

ZHOU, ZIQIANG Mandarin Customer Support Representative 135.

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MALAY and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MALAY and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

WORLD MEDICAL RELIEF-PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BUSINESS AND COORDINATION CENTER FOUNDATION, INC. 14-d 14/f Ocean Tower Condo. Roxas Blvd. 077, Bgy. 701 Malate Manila LIU, YONG Executive Assistant 136.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Brief Job Description: Develop and sustain level of professionals among staff and client

PAN, ZHENHUI Executive Assistant Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

Basic Qualification: 1. Has more than 15-years work experience as head of electrical engineering works in a Japanese electrical company.

2. Can speak and write fluent Japanese language. 3. Can operate computer in Japanese language.

TIME TURNER TRAVELS CORPORATION Unit 25d 2/f Zeta Ii Bldg. 191 Salcedo St. San Lorenzo Makati City

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

Basic Qualification: Helps partners transform and grow their business in the cloud by developing comprehensive partner business plans for a portfolio of partners to identify short and long term strategic goals and tactical execution.

Brief Job Description: Review and provide guidance on the proper implementation of electrical project requirements of Japanese electronics and semi-conductor companies

SUBRAMANIAN, YOGESHWARAN Technical Lead

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin

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

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

TECH MAHINDRA LIMITED 5 Eastwood Cyberpark City Bagumbayan 3 Quezon City

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin

Basic Qualification: Must be appointed by the company.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

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

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

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

TAIKISHA PHILIPPINES INC. Suite 501-502 5/f Golden Rock Bldg 168 Salcedo St San Lorenzo Makati City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin

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

PRIME METRO BMD CORPORATION 16/f Three E-com Moa Complex, Bayshore Cor. Ocean Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

NEO INCORPORATED North Tower Centrum Bldg. Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City Baclaran Parañaque City

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

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese/Mandarin fluently

No.

MICROSOFT PHILIPPINES, INC. 8/f 6750 Bldg. 6750 Ayala Ave. San Lorenzo Makati City

MARKETROLE ASIA PACIFIC SERVICES, INC. 26/f, 27/f, 28/f The Enterprise Center Tower 1 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City LI, LONG Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese/Mandarin fluently

MF CONSULTANCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC. Unit 1001 10/f Antel 2000 Corporate Centre 121 Valero St. Bel-air Makati City

Basic Qualification: Ability to analyze data and create and review processes Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls ZHU, YIHUA Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

ZHANG, XIN Service And Parts Director 103.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls ZHAO, JIANLAN Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

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

LTE CONCRETE SOLUTIONS INC. Unit 304 & 305 Elements Bldg. #560 Quezon Ave. Tatalon 4 Quezon City

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls ZHANG, JUANJUAN Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in Mandarin

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls TANG, CHENG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

K.B.C. DREAM TRAVEL AND IMMIGRATION CONSULTANCY CORPORATION (K.B.C. TRAVEL AND IMMIGRATION CONSULTANCY) U-ug02 Cityland 8 Condo. 98 Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls TANG, ZONGRU Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

J-NA ALLOUT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS CORP. 3/f Lipams Bldg. #48 President Avenue Bf Homes Parañaque City KIM, HYEONHAK Korean Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls LI, LI Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

Basic Qualification: Have a solid JAVA foundation and engage to java for 1 year.

Can speak and read Mandarin.

Brief Job Description: Modifying existing code with new features, efficiently handles task in an amount of time.

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls LENG, BO Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

114.

97.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls JIAN, JIAKUN Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

Brief Job Description: Modifying existing code with new features, efficiently handles Salary Range: task in an amount of time.

Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 ZHOU, DIANYUN Senior Mandarin Developer

Brief Job Description: Formulation of business strategies, management of contracts & relations with stockholders, evaluate risk & lead quality assurance, mentor team members

CHENG, QI Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

Brief Job Description: Modifying existing code with new features, efficiently handles task in an amount of time.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 ZHANG, YONGJUN Senior Mandarin Developer

96.

Basic Qualification: Have a solid JAVA foundation and engage to java for 1 year.

Can speak and read Mandarin.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

MEGA-WEB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 6,7,8,9,10,11/f Met Live Bldg. Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

IT AMERICANO INC. 10/f Pacifica One Center Bldg. 2178 Chino Roces Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City WANG, XIAO Senior Mandarin Developer

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

MEDIA CONTENT MONITORING INC. 6/f Libran Bldg. 144 Legaspi Cor. V.a Rufino & Bolanos Sts. San Lorenzo Makati City

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

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service WANG, RUFEI Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION SUN, WEI Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

INFOVINE INC. 8th, 9th, 10th/f Aspire Corporate Plaza Bldg. Macapagal Blvd. St., Zone 10 Barangay 076, District 1 Pasay City LIM MOOI SIAH Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate

No.

Saturday, August 28, 2021 A7

137.

Brief Job Description: Develop and sustain level of professionals among staff and client

Basic Qualification: Ability to multi task and prioritize tasks Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Ability to multi task and prioritize tasks Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

QI, JIE Executive Assistant 138.

Brief Job Description: Develop and sustain level of professionals among staff and client

Basic Qualification: Ability to multi task and prioritize tasks Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

*Date Generated: Aug 27, 2021 Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE-NCR Regional Office located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

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

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

flights and these may differ from the rules applied to our own flights, and such rules are incorporated herein by reference and form a part of your contract for carriage to the extent they apply. Such rules may include, but are not limited to, check-in times, the carriage of unaccompanied minors, refusal of carriage, the carriage of animals and denied boarding compensation.

2.3.3 Complicated passenger services, such as unaccompanied minors, stretchers, medical cases, deportee cases, on codeshare marketing flights will not be accepted by us on our codeshare partners’ behalf. Passengers are required to make such arrangements with the operating carrier directly.

GENERAL CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE (PASSENGERS AND BAGGAGE) CONTENTS ARTICLE 1: WHAT PARTICULAR EXPRESSIONS MEAN IN THESE CONDITIONS ARTICLE 2: APPLICABILITY ARTICLE 3: TICKETS ARTICLE 4: FARES, TAXES, FEES AND CHARGES ARTICLE 5: RESERVATIONS ARTICLE 6: CHECK-IN AND BOARDING ARTICLE 7: REFUSAL OF AND LIMITATION ON CARRIAGE ARTICLE 8: BAGGAGE ARTICLE 9: SCHEDULES, DELAYS AND CANCELLATION OF FLIGHTS ARTICLE 10: REFUNDS ARTICLE 11: CONDUCT ABOARD AIRCRAFT ARTICLE 12: ARRANGEMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES ARTICLE 13: ADMINISTRATIVE FORMALITIES ARTICLE 14: SUCCESSIVE CARRIERS ARTICLE 15: LIABILITY FOR DAMAGE ARTICLE 16: TIME LIMITS FOR BAGGAGE CLAIMS, PROCESSING OF BAGGAGE CLAIMS AND TIME LIMITS FOR ALL ACTIONS ARTICLE 17: PASSENGERS WITH A DISABILITY ARTICLE 18: MODIFICATION AND WAIVER ARTICLE 19: INTERPRETATION

2.4 OVERRIDING LAW 2.4.1 These Conditions of Carriage are applicable unless they are inconsistent with the applicable Convention, Tariff, or applicable laws in which event such Convention, Tariff, or laws shall prevail.

2.4.2 Carriage hereunder is subject to the rules and limitations relating to liability established by the applicable Convention, unless such carriage is not 'international carriage' as defined by that Convention.

2.4.3 If any provision of these Conditions of Carriage is invalid under any applicable laws, the other provisions shall nevertheless remain valid under that law.

2.4.4 If these Conditions of Carriage are inconsistent with the Carrier’s Regulations, these Conditions of Carriage will apply.

ARTICLE 3: TICKETS

“CCAR” means the China Civil Aviation Regulation on the Administration of Passenger Services in Public Air Transport implemented on 1 September 2021.

3.1 GENERAL PROVISIONS 3.1.1 We will provide carriage only to the Passenger named on the Ticket, and you may be required to produce appropriate identification.

3.1.2 We sell some Tickets at discounted fares which may be partially or completely non-refundable. You should choose the fare which best suits your needs and consider taking out insurance to cover instances where you might have to cancel your Ticket.

3.1.3 If you have a Ticket, as described in Article 3.1.2 above, which is completely unused, and you are prevented from travelling due to Force Majeure, provided that you promptly advise us and furnish evidence of such Force Majeure, we will provide you with a credit of the non-refundable amount of the fare, for future travel on us, subject to deduction of a reasonable administration fee, except as provided under applicable laws or Convention.

3.1.4 Your Ticket is our property at all times if it was issued by us or our Authorised Agents. If your Ticket was issued by or on behalf of another airline, it is the property of the airline which issued it.

3.1.5 Except in the case of an Electronic Ticket, you shall not be entitled to be carried on a flight unless you present a valid Ticket containing the Flight Coupon for that flight and all other unused Flight Coupons and the Passenger Coupon. Furthermore, you shall not be entitled to be carried if the Ticket presented is mutilated or if it has been altered otherwise than by us or an Authorised Agent. In the case of an Electronic Ticket, you shall not be entitled to be carried on a flight unless the Electronic Ticket was issued in your name and you can demonstrate that you are the person named on it by providing appropriate identification.

3.1.6 In case of loss or mutilation of a Ticket or part of it or non-presentation of a Ticket containing the Passenger Coupon and all unused Flight Coupons, we will, upon your request and subject to the Carrier’s Regulations, replace such Ticket (or part of it) by issuing a new Ticket, if there is readily ascertainable and sufficient evidence at the time, that a Ticket valid for the flight(s) in question was duly issued. Any replacement is subject to you signing an agreement to reimburse us up to the value of the original Ticket for necessary and reasonable costs or losses incurred by us or another Carrier for misuses of the Ticket. We will not claim reimbursement from you for any such losses which result from our own negligence. The issuing Carrier may charge a reasonable administration fee for this service, unless the loss or mutilation was due to the negligence of the issuing Carrier, or its agents.

3.1.7 Except as required under applicable laws or Conventions, if the necessary evidence required under Article 3.1.6 is not available or the agreement to reimburse our costs and losses is not signed, you may be required to pay up to the full Ticket price for a replacement Ticket, subject to refund if and when the original issuing Carrier is satisfied that the lost or mutilated Ticket has not been used before the expiry of its validity. If, upon finding the original Ticket before the expiry of its validity, you surrender it to the Carrier issuing the new Ticket, the foregoing refund will be processed at that time.

3.1.8 Your Ticket is not transferable unless we are required to transfer your Ticket under any applicable laws. If someone other than the person entitled to be carried on a Ticket travels pursuant to that Ticket or is given a refund in connection therewith, we shall not be liable to the person so entitled if, in good faith we provide carriage, or make a refund.

If we are required to transfer your Ticket pursuant to any applicable laws, you must: (i) Prove to us or our Authorised Agent that you have satisfied the requirements of any applicable laws and are entitled to transfer your Ticket; (ii) Give us or our Authorised Agent reasonable notice of your intention to transfer your Ticket before your date of departure; (iii) Give us or our Authorised Agent the full name, address and contact number of the person to whom you want your Ticket to be transferred; (iv) Deliver your Ticket to us or our Authorised Agent; and (v) Pay the reasonable fees and charges incurred by us in transferring your Ticket.

“CHECKED BAGGAGE” means Baggage of which we take sole custody and for which we have issued a Baggage Check.

3.1.9 A Ticket is valuable and you should take appropriate measures to safeguard it and ensure it is not lost or stolen.

ARTICLE 1: WHAT PARTICULAR EXPRESSIONS MEAN IN THESE CONDITIONS As these Conditions of Carriage are read, please remember that: “WE”, “OUR”and “US” means Hong Kong Airlines Ltd. “YOU”, “YOUR” and “YOURSELF” mean any person, except members of the crew, carried or to be carried in an aircraft with our consent. (See also definition for “Passenger”) “AGREED STOPPING PLACES” means those places, except the place of departure and the place of final destination, set forth on the Ticket or shown in our timetables as scheduled stopping places on your route as contractually agreed stopping places.

“AIRLINE DESIGNATOR CODE” means two characters or three letters which identify particular air carriers.

“AUTHORISED AGENT”means a passenger sales agent who has been appointed by us to represent us in the sale of air transportation over our services and, when authorised, over the services of other air carriers.

“BAGGAGE” means your personal property accompanying you in connection with your trip. Unless otherwise specified, it includes both your Checked Baggage and Unchecked Baggage.

“BAGGAGE CHECK” means those portions of the Ticket which relate to the carriage of your Checked Baggage.

“BAGGAGE IDENTIFICATION TAG” means a document issued solely for identification of Checked Baggage.

“CARRIER” means an air carrier other than ourselves, whose airline designator code appears on your Ticket or on a Conjunction Ticket.

“CARRIER’S REGULATIONS” mean rules, other than these Conditions, published by us and in effect on the date of ticket issue, governing carriage of passengers and/or baggage and shall include any applicable tariffs in force.

“CHECK-IN DEADLINE” means the time limit specified by the airline by which you must have completed check-in formalities and received your boarding pass.

“CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE” means these conditions of carriage or another Carrier's conditions of carriage as the case may be.

“CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT”means those statements contained in or delivered with your Ticket or Itinerary/Receipt, identified as such and which incorporate by reference these Conditions of Carriage, and notice(s).

“CONNECTING FLIGHT” means a subsequent flight providing onward travel on the same ticket or on a Conjunction Ticket.

“CONJUNCTION TICKET” means a ticket issued to you in conjunction with another Ticket which together constitute a single contract of carriage.

“CONVENTION” means the Warsaw Convention and/or the Montreal Convention, as the case may be.

“COUPON” means both a paper Flight Coupon and an Electronic Coupon, each of which entitle the named Passenger to travel on the particular flight identified on it.

“DAMAGE” includes death, wounding or any other bodily injury to a Passenger, loss, partial loss or theft or other damage to Baggage, arising out of or in connection with carriage by air or other services incidental thereto performed by us.

“DAYS” means calendar days, including all seven days of the week; provided that, for the purpose of notification, the day upon which notice is dispatched shall not be counted; and provided further that for purposes of determining duration of validity the day upon which the Ticket is issued, or the flight commenced, shall not be counted.

“ELECTRONIC COUPON” means an electronic Flight Coupon or other value document held in our database.

“ELECTRONIC TICKET” means the Itinerary/Receipt issued by us or on our behalf, the Electronic Coupons and, if applicable, a boarding document.

“FLIGHT COUPON” means that portion of the Ticket that bears the notation “good for passage,” or in the case of an Electronic Ticket, the Electronic Coupon, and indicates the particular places between which you are entitled to be carried.

“FORCE MAJEURE” means unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond your or our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised.

“ITINERARY/RECEIPT” means a document or documents we issue as a Ticket to Passengers travelling on Electronic Tickets that contains the Passenger’s name, flight information and notices.

“MONTREAL CONVENTION” means the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, signed at Montreal, 28 May 1999.

“PASSENGER” means any person, except members of the crew, carried or to be carried in an aircraft pursuant to a Ticket. (See also definition of “you”, “your”and “yourself”) “PASSENGER COUPON” or “PASSENGER RECEIPT” means that portion of the Ticket issued by us or on our behalf, which is so marked and which ultimately is to be retained by you.

“REGULATIONS” means rules, other than these Conditions of Carriage and Tariffs, published by us and in effect on the date of the commencement of carriage, governing the carriage of Passengers and Baggage.

“SDR” means a Special Drawing Right as defined by the International Monetary Fund.

The currency values of the Special Drawing Right fluctuate and are re-calculated each banking day and are reported regularly in leading financial journals as well as the website of the International Monetary Fund (www.imf.org).

“STOPOVER” means a scheduled stop on your journey, at a point between the place of departure and the place of destination.

“TARIFF” means the published fares, charges and/or related conditions of carriage of an airline filed, which have been filed where required, with the appropriate authorities.

“TICKET” means either the document entitled “Passenger Ticket and Baggage Check” or the Itinerary/Receipt of the Electronic Ticket delivered to the Passenger, in each case issued by us or on our behalf and includes the Conditions of Contract, notices and coupons.

“UNCHECKED BAGGAGE” means any of your Baggage other than Checked Baggage including all items brought by you into the aircraft cabin.

“WARSAW CONVENTION” means whichever of the following instruments are applicable: •

• •

•

•

•

the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air, signed at Warsaw, 12 October 1929; the Warsaw Convention as amended at The Hague on 28 September 1955; the Warsaw Convention as amended by Additional Protocol No. 1 of Montreal (1975); the Warsaw Convention as amended at The Hague and by Additional Protocol No. 2 of Montreal (1975); the Warsaw Convention as amended at The Hague and by Additional Protocol No. 4 of Montreal (1975); the Guadalajara Supplementary Convention (1961).

“ZONE” means those origins/destinations as stated in Article 8.6 (Excess Baggage), as required by the CCAR. ARTICLE 2: APPLICABILITY 2.1 GENERAL 2.1.1 Except as provided in Articles 2.2 and 2.4, these Conditions of Carriage apply to all flights, or flight segments, operated by us under our Airline Designator Code and in any case where we have a legal liability to you in relation to your flight.

2.1.2 These Conditions also apply to gratuitous and reduced fare carriage except to the extent that we have provided otherwise in our Regulations or in the relevant contracts, passes or Tickets.

2.1.3 These Conditions are written in the English language and may be translated into other languages. In the event of inconsistency, the English version shall prevail.

2.2 CHARTER OPERATIONS If carriage is performed pursuant to a charter agreement, these Conditions of Carriage apply only to the extent they are incorporated, by reference or otherwise, on the Ticket or other agreement with the Passenger.

2.3 CODESHARES 2.3.1 On some services we may have arrangements with other carriers known as “Codeshares”.

This means that even if you have a reservation with us and hold a Ticket where our name or Airline Designator Code is indicated as the Carrier, another Carrier may operate the aircraft. If such arrangements apply, we will advise you of the name of the other Carrier operating the aircraft at the time you make a reservation. Where the identity of an operating Carrier is not known at the time of reservation, or where there is a change of operating carrier post- reservation, we will inform you of the operating Carrier's identity as soon as that information is established.

2.3.2 Each of our Codeshare partners has rules regarding the operation of its own

3.2 PERIOD OF VALIDITY 3.2.1 Your Ticket is valid for carriage for one year from the date of commencement of travel or if no portion of the Ticket is used, from the date of issue thereof, except as otherwise provided on the Ticket, these Conditions or Carrier’s Regulations.

3.2.2 If you are prevented from travelling within the period of validity of the Ticket because we: (i) cancel the flight on which you hold a reservation; or (ii) omit a scheduled stop, being your place of departure, place of destination or a

Stopover; or (iii) fail to operate a flight reasonably according to schedule; or (iv) cause you to miss a connection; or (v) substitute a different class of service; or (vi) are unable to provide previously confirmed space; (vii) the validity of your Ticket will be extended until the first flight on which space is

available in the class of service for which the fare has been paid.

3.2.3 When you are prevented from travelling within the period of validity of the Ticket because at the time you request reservations we are unable to provide space on the flight, the validity of such Ticket will be extended until our first flight on which space is available in the class of service for which the fare has been paid or you may be entitled to a refund.

3.2.4 When you are prevented from travelling within the period of validity of the Ticket by reason of illness after having commenced your journey, we may extend the period of validity of your Ticket until the date when you become fit to travel or until our first flight after such date, from the point where the journey is resumed on which space is available in the class of service for which the fare has been paid. Such illness must be attested to by an original valid medical certificate issued by a licensed medical practitioner. When the Flight Coupons remaining on the Ticket, or in the case of an Electronic Ticket, the Electronic Coupon, involve one or more Stopovers, the validity of such Ticket may be extended for not more than three months from the date shown on such certificate. In such circumstances, we will similarly extend the period of validity of Tickets of other members of your immediate family accompanying you.

3.2.5 In the event of death of a Passenger en-route, the Tickets of the persons accompanying the Passenger may be modified by waiving the minimum stay and extending the validity. In the event of a death in the immediate family of a Passenger who has commenced travel, the validity of the Passenger's Tickets and those of his or her immediate family who accompanied the Passenger may likewise be modified. Any such modification shall be made upon receipt of a valid death certificate and any such extension of validity shall not be for a period longer than forty-five (45) Days from the date of the death.

3.3 COUPON SEQUENCE AND USE 3.3.1 We will honour Flight Coupons only for the transportation in the sequence from the place of departure as shown on the Ticket. The Ticket may not be valid and we may not honour the Ticket if the Coupons are not used in the sequence provided on the Ticket and you commence your journey at any Stopover or agreed stopping place.

3.3.2 You must contact us in advance if you wish to change any aspect of your transportation.

The fare for your new transportation will be calculated and you will be given the option of accepting the new price or maintaining your original transportation as ticketed. Except as required under applicable laws or Convention, should you be required to change any aspect of your transportation due to Force Majeure, you must contact us as soon as practicable, and subject to the provision of satisfactory evidence to us of Force Majeure, we will use reasonable efforts to transport you to your next Stopover or final destination, without recalculation of the fare.

3.3.3 Except as required under applicable laws or Convention, if you change your transportation without our agreement, your unused Flight Coupons will not be valid for travel and will have no value and we will not carry you until we or our Authorised Agent have recalculated the revised fare for your actual transportation and you have paid the difference (if any) between the price you have paid and the total price applicable for your revised transportation. We will refund you the difference if the new price is lower.

3.3.4 Many fares are valid only on the dates and for the flights shown on the Ticket and may not be changed at all, or only upon payment of an additional fee.

3.3.5 Each Coupon contained in your Ticket will be accepted for carriage in the class of service on the date and flight for which space has been reserved. When a Coupon is originally issued without a reservation being specified, space may be later reserved subject to our Tariff and the availability of space on the flight requested.

3.3.6 Except as required under applicable laws or Convention, if you fail to cancel a booking before the check-in deadline for your flight and do not show up for the flight, we may decide to cancel your return or onward reservations.

3.4 CARRIER'S NAME AND ADDRESS Our name may be abbreviated on the Ticket. Our address shall be deemed to be the airport of departure shown opposite the first abbreviation of our name in the “Carrier”box on the Ticket, or in the case of an Electronic Ticket, as indicated for our first flight segment in the Itinerary/Receipt.

3.5 CONTACT US If you need to make any amendment to your Ticket or request for our assistance after purchasing our Ticket and/or before boarding, please refer to LINK to contact us.

ARTICLE 3A STOPOVERS 3A.1 Stopovers may be permitted at Agreed Stopping Places subject to applicable government requirements and our Regulations.

3A.2 Stopovers must be arranged with us in advance and specified on the ticket.

ARTICLE 4: FARES, TAXES, FEES AND CHARGES 4.1 FARES 4.1.1 Your fare covers transporting you from the airport at the place of departure to the airport at the place of destination, unless otherwise expressly stated. Fares do not include ground (road, rail) or maritime transport service between airports and between airports and town terminals. We are not liable for the acts or omissions of any operator of any ground transport services and we are not be liable therefore by reason of anything done by our employee or agent in assisting the Passenger to avail of such services. In cases where we provide ground transport services, these Conditions and Carrier’s Regulations shall be deemed applicable to such services and any additional charges payable for the use of such services in accordance with our Carrier’s Regulations shall not be refundable if such services are not used by the Passenger.

4.1.2 Your fare will be calculated in accordance with our Tariff in effect on the date of payment of your Ticket for travel on the specific dates and itinerary shown on it. Should you change your itinerary or dates of travel, this may change the fare to be paid.

4.2 APPLICABLE FARES 4.2.1 Applicable fares are those published by or on behalf of Carrier or, if not so published, constructed in accordance with Carrier's Regulations. Subject to government requirements and Carrier's Regulations, applicable fares are for the flight or flights in effect on the date of commencement of the carriage covered by the first Flight Coupon of the Ticket, or in the case of an Electronic Ticket, as indicated for the first flight segment in the itinerary/receipt. When the amount collected is not the applicable fares, the difference shall be refunded to or collected from the Passenger, as may be appropriate.

4.3 TAXES, FEES, CHARGES AND SURCHARGES 4.3.1 Applicable taxes, fees, charges and surcharges imposed by governments or other authorities, or by the operators of the airport, in respect of a Passenger or the use by a Passenger of any services or facilities (“Charges”) are payable by you. At the time you purchase your Ticket, you will be advised of the Charges. The Charges are constantly changing and may be imposed after the date of Ticket issuance. If there is an increase in the Charges or if any Charges are imposed after the date of Ticket issuance, you will, except as limited by applicable laws, be obliged to pay it. If any Charges which you have paid to us at the time of Ticket issuance are abolished or reduced, you will be entitled to claim a refund in accordance with applicable laws.

4.3.2 Some additional charges, surcharges or fees imposed by us or by another Carrier (“Carrier Surcharges”) shall also be payable by you. At the time you purchase your Ticket such Carrier Surcharges will normally be incurred and charged which may be refunded only in accordance with any applicable rules or policies that we may have published

subject to the payment of any administrative fee as we may determine as applicable to such refund. At the time your Ticket is re-issued for change of any sector or routing, these Carrier Surcharges are subject to change and we reserve the right, except as limited by applicable laws, to require you to pay new Carrier Surcharges (or increases to existing ones) at any time up until the flight to which the relevant Carrier Surcharges may apply has been fully performed.

4.4 CURRENCY Fares, taxes, fees, surcharges and charges are payable in the currency acceptable to us. When payment is made in a currency other than the currency in which the fare is published, such payment will be made at the rate of exchange established in accordance with the Carrier’s Regulations.

4.5 ROUTING Unless otherwise provided in Carrier's Regulations, fares apply only to routings published in connection therewith. If there is more than one routing at the same fare, the Passenger may specify the routing prior to issue of the Ticket. If no routing is specified, Carrier may determine the routing.

ARTICLE 5: RESERVATIONS 5.1 RESERVATION REQUIREMENTS 5.1.1 Reservations are not confirmed until recorded as accepted by Carrier or its Authorised Agent.

5.1.2 Certain fares have conditions which limit or exclude your right to change or cancel reservations.

5.2 TICKETING TIME LIMITS If you have not paid for the Ticket prior to the specified ticketing time limit as advised by us or our Authorised Agents, we may cancel your reservation without notification.

5.3 PERSONAL DATA 5.3.1 Please refer to Privacy Policy as published on our website which may be updated from time to time.

5.3.2 It is your responsibility to provide, either by yourself or through your travel agent, accurate contact information particularly email address and mobile phone number or any other valid and accessible mode of communication to us, in order for us to contact you, in particular the circumstances of delays, rerouting and cancellation of flights as mentioned below. We are not liable for any failed or missed communication with you in the circumstances of your incomplete, wrong or inaccurate contact information.

5.4 SEATING 5.4.1 Subject to restrictions on certain types of fare family, we do not guarantee to provide any particular seat in the aircraft but we will endeavour to honour advance seating requests. You agree to accept any seat that may be allotted on the flight in the class of service for which the Ticket has been issued. We have the right to assign or reassign seats at any time, even after boarding of the aircraft for operational, safety, security or other reasons.

5.4.2 In the case of a Passenger with a disability, we will provide seating accommodation in accordance with applicable laws.

5.5 OTHER SERVICES

Whilst we will try to ensure that relevant services are available for your flight, for operational reasons or restrictions on certain types of fare family, we do not make any guarantees about the provision or availability of in-flight entertainment equipment and advertised programmes; meals, advertised special meals or any other type of meals (including special dietary or religious meals); or the availability of advertised inflight services, except as provided by applicable laws or Convention or our Tarmac Delay Plan.

5.6 RECONFIRMATION OF RESERVATIONS Onward or return reservations may be subject to the requirement to reconfirm the reservation within specified time limits. We will advise you when we require reconfirmation, and how and where it should be done. If it is required and you fail to reconfirm, we may cancel your onward or return reservations.

5.7 CANCELLATION OF ONWARD RESERVATIONS If you wish to reschedule or cancel your flights, please contact the reservation/ ticketing office of Hong Kong Airlines or your travel agent(s) for arrangement. If you fail to advise us and do not show up for any flight, we may cancel or request cancellation of any onward or return reservations.

5.8 OVERBOOKING OF FLIGHTS In order to minimize the influence of no-shows and to enable seats to be used by passengers who otherwise would not be able to travel on their chosen flight, we, as well as most major airlines, may take overbooking on our services. By careful monitoring and control, we do our utmost to match the number of available seats to the number of passengers that we expect will show up on the flight. In addition, the occurrence of any Force Majeure events (e.g. act of god, war, adverse weather conditions, political or military acts, or any other events that are not within our control) may also lead to overbooking of flights and that the availability of seats cannot be guaranteed for such reasons. Whilst we make every effort to provide seats for which confirmed reservations have been made, no absolute guarantee of seat availability is denoted by the expression reservations, bookings, status and the timings attached to them. We operate compensation schemes, in accordance with the applicable laws and our compensation policy to passengers with confirmed reservations who are involuntarily denied carriage because of non-availability of seats.

For the arrangement of overbooking of those Ticket originates from or have stopover in Mainland China, the CCAR shall apply. Please refer to LINK for more details.

ARTICLE 6: CHECK-IN AND BOARDING 6.1 Check-in Deadlines are different at every airport. You should arrive at our checkin location well ahead of the Check-in Deadlines of the scheduled flight departure to permit completion of any government formalities and departure procedures. All checkin counters will close 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time. If you do not complete the check-in process of you and your Baggage by the check-in deadline, we may decide to cancel your reservation and not carry you. By completing the check-in process we mean that you have received your boarding pass for your flight.

6.2 The boarding gates will close 20 minutes before departure. If you fail to arrive in time at the boarding gate or appear improperly documented (please refer to Article 13.2 regarding travel documents) and are not ready to travel, we may cancel the space reserved for you and will not delay the flight.

6.3 We will not be liable to you for any loss or expense incurred due to your failure to comply with the provisions of this Article.

ARTICLE 7: REFUSAL OF AND LIMITATION ON CARRIAGE 7.1 RIGHT TO REFUSE CARRIAGE

We may refuse carriage of you or your Baggage if we have notified you in writing that we would not at any time after the date of such notice carry you on our flights due to any violations of the rules listed in this Section 7.1. We may also refuse carriage of you or your Baggage for reasons of safety or if you have failed to comply with crew instructions related to safety or security or, in the exercise of our reasonable discretion, we determine that: 7.1.1 such action is necessary in order to comply with any applicable laws, regulations, or orders of any state or country to be flown from, into or over; or 7.1.2 you refuse our requests for information about yourself including information required by government authorities; or 7.1.3 your mental or physical state, including your impairment from alcohol or drugs, presents a safety or health hazard or risk to yourself, to Passengers, to crew, or to property or may materially affect the comfort of other Passengers or crew (unless otherwise prohibited by applicable laws); or 7.1.4 you are, or we reasonably believe you to be, in unlawful possession of drugs; or 7.1.5 you have used threatening, abusive or insulting words or have behaved in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly way towards our ground staff or a member of the crew; or 7.1.6 you have deliberately interfered with a member of the crew carrying out their duties; or 7.1.7 you have committed a criminal offence during the check-in or boarding processes or on board the aircraft; or 7.1.8 you have refused to submit to a security check for yourself or your Baggage, or having submitted to such a check, you fail to provide satisfactory answers to security questions at check-in or at the boarding gate, or you fail a security profiling assessment/ analysis, or you tamper with or remove any security seals on your Baggage or security stickers on your boarding pass; or 7.1.9 you have not fully paid the applicable fare, taxes, fees, charges or surcharges in which event, we may suspend your Ticket until all outstanding amounts paid and cancel your Ticket if you fail to pay within a reasonable time; or 7.1.10 you do not appear to have valid travel documents; or 7.1.11 you seek to enter a country through which you are in transit; or 7.1.12 you destroy your travel documents during flight; or 7.1.13 you refuse to surrender your travel documents to the flight crew, against receipt, when so requested by us; or 7.1.14 you present a Ticket that has been altered by anyone other than us or our Authorised Agent or is invalid, or is spoiled, torn, damaged, mutilated or has been tampered with. (We have the right to retain such Ticket); or 7.1.15 you present a Ticket that has been acquired unlawfully; or 7.1.16 you present a Ticket that has been reported as being lost or stolen; or 7.1.17 you present a Ticket that is a counterfeit Ticket; or 7.1.18 you cannot prove that you are the person named on the Ticket; or 7.1.19 you have refused or failed to undergo a health screening or health examination requested by us or by a government or enforcement agency; or 7.1.20 you fail to comply with the requirements set forth in Article 3.3 above concerning coupon sequence and use, or you present a Ticket which has been issued or altered in any way, other than by us or our Authorised Agents; or 7.1.21 you have failed to arrive at the boarding gate in time; or 7.1.22 you have failed to present yourself for check-in in time; or 7.1.23 you fail to observe our instructions; or 7.1.24 you have committed one of the acts or omissions referred to above on or in connection with a previous flight and we believe you may repeat such behaviour; or 7.1.25 you try to travel while a refusal of carriage notice we have served on you is in force.

7.2 CONSEQUENCES OF REFUSAL TO CARRY OR REMOVAL OF PASSENGER If we have, in the exercise of our reasonable discretion, refused to carry you, or removed you en route for any of the reasons mentioned under Article 7.1, or for any other reason, then we may cancel the remaining unused portion of your Ticket. In such circumstances you will not be entitled to further carriage or to a refund either in respect of the sector that was the subject of the refusal of carriage or removal, or any subsequent sectors covered by the Ticket, and we shall have no liability whatsoever to you for any consequential losses arising out of our refusal to carry you or our decision to remove you from the aircraft.

7.3 LIMITATION OF CARRIAGE 7.3.1 Acceptance for carriage of unaccompanied children, incapacitated persons, pregnant women, persons with illness or other people requiring special assistance may require prior arrangement with us in accordance with the Carrier’s Regulations, please refer to LINK for more details. For Passengers with a disability, please also see Article 17.

7.3.2 We may provide special assistance under this Article 7.3 at a charge.

7.3.3 With reference to Article 2.3.3, arrangements for complicated passenger services on codeshare flights, such as unaccompanied minors, stretchers, medical cases, deportee cases must be made direct with the operating carrier.

7.4 ITEMS REMOVED FROM PASSENGERS BY AIRPORT SECURITY PERSONNEL 7.4.1 We will not be responsible for, nor have any liability in respect of, items removed from you or your Baggage by airport security personnel acting in accordance with international or government regulations, whether or not any such items are subsequently retained or destroyed by such airport security personnel, or are passed by such airport security personnel to us.

ARTICLE 8: BAGGAGE 8.1 ITEMS UNACCEPTABLE AS BAGGAGE 8.1.1 You must not include in your Baggage: 8.1.1.1 items which do not constitute ‘Baggage’as defined in Article 1 hereof; 8.1.1.2 items which are likely to endanger the aircraft or persons or property on board the aircraft, such as those specified in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations, and in the Carrier’s Regulations; 8.1.1.3 items the carriage of which is prohibited by the applicable laws, regulations, orders, directives or the like of any state to be flown from, or to; 8.1.1.4 items which are reasonably considered by us to be unsuitable for carriage because they are dangerous, unsafe or because of their weight, size, shape content or character, or for safety, security or operational reasons, or the comfort of other

Passengers, or because they are fragile or perishable.

8.1.2 If you are in possession of, or if your Baggage includes any firearms or munitions, you must seek our permission before you check in, and you must present them to us for inspection prior to commencement of carriage. We may, at our sole discretion, refuse to carry firearms and munition. If we accept such articles for carriage, we may charge a handling fee for their carriage and they will only be carried as Checked Baggage and remain in our custody until your arrival at the airport building at the place of destination. Carriage of firearms and munitions is subject to ICAO and IATA regulations and applicable government regulations.

8.1.3 Weapons such as antique firearms, swords, knives and similar items may be accepted as Checked Baggage, at our sole discretion, but will not be permitted in the cabin.

8.1.4 You must not include in your Checked Baggage any fragile, perishable or valuable items including but not limited to: keys, artwork, cameras, money, jewellery, precious metals, silverware, medicines, drugs, computers, diving computers, personal electronic devices, negotiable papers, share certificates, securities, business documents, passports and other identification documents or samples, commercial goods and odd-sized articles.

we shall have no further liability to you. Subject to applicable laws and to the extent it applies otherwise, if cancellations or delays are due to inclement weather, air traffic control delays or other events reasonably beyond our control, we shall be under no immediate obligation to comply with Articles 9.2.2.1 - 9.2.2.3 or to provide telephone calls, accommodation, refreshments, meals or transportation, although we shall make reasonable efforts to provide you with assistance.

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ARTICLE 9: SCHEDULES, DELAYS AND CANCELLATION OF FLIGHTS

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8.7 UNCHECKED BAGGAGE 8.7.1 Baggage which you carry on to the aircraft must fit under the seat in front of the Passenger or in an enclosed storage compartment in the cabin. Items we determine to be of excessive weight or size or we otherwise consider unsafe will not be permitted in the cabin and must be carried as Checked Baggage. We may specify maximum dimensions and/or weight for Baggage which you carry onto the aircraft.

8.7.2 Except as provided by applicable laws, objects not suitable for carriage in the cargo compartment (such as delicate musical instruments) and which do not meet the requirements in Article 8.7.1 above, will only be accepted for carriage in the cabin compartment if you have given us due notice in advance and permission has been granted by us. Except as provided by applicable laws, the carriage of such objects may be charged for separately.

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8.6 EXCESS BAGGAGE You shall pay a charge for the carriage of Baggage in excess of the Baggage allowance at the rate and in the manner provided in the Carrier’s Regulations. For the charge of excess baggage of the Ticket originates from or have stopover in Mainland China, the CCAR shall apply. For more details, please refer to LINK.

9.2 CANCELLATION, REROUTING, DELAYS, ETC. 9.2.1 We will take all necessary measures to avoid delay in carrying you and your Baggage. In the exercise of these measures and in order to prevent a flight cancellation, in exceptional circumstances, we may arrange for a flight to be operated on our behalf by an alternative carrier and/or aircraft.

9.2.2 Except as otherwise provided by the Convention or the applicable laws, if we cancel a flight, fail to operate a flight reasonably according to the schedule, fail to stop at your destination or Stopover destination, cease to operate a route or cause you to miss a Connecting Flight on which you hold a confirmed reservation, we shall, at your option, either: 9.2.2.1 carry you at the earliest opportunity on another of our scheduled services on which space is available without additional charges and; where necessary, extend the validity of your Ticket; or 9.2.2.2 within a reasonable period of time re-route you to the destination shown on your Ticket by our own services or those of another Carrier, or by other mutually agreed means and class of transportation without additional charge; or 9.2.2.3 make a refund in accordance with the provisions of Article 10.

9.2.3 Upon the occurrence of any of the events set out in Article 9.2.2, except as otherwise provided by the Convention or other applicable laws, the options outlined in Articles 9.2.2.1 - 9.2.2.3 are the sole and exclusive remedies available to you and

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8.4 CHECKED BAGGAGE 8.4.1 Upon delivery to us of your Baggage which you wish to check, we will take custody thereof and issue a Baggage Identification Tag, for each piece of your Checked Baggage.

8.4.2 If Baggage has no name, initial or other personal identification, the Passenger shall affix such identification to the Baggage prior to acceptance by us.

8.4.3 Checked Baggage will be carried on the same aircraft as you, unless, for safety, security, or operational reasons, we decide that this is impracticable, in which case we will carry the Checked Baggage on our next flight on which space is available.

8.4.4 If your Checked Baggage is carried on a subsequent flight, we will deliver it to you unless applicable laws require you to be present for customs clearance.

8.5 BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE 8.5.1 You may carry some Baggage as specified and subject to the conditions and limitations in the Carrier’s Regulations or restrictions on certain types of fare family.

Your Baggage allowance will depend on, amongst other things, our current Baggage regulations, your class of travel and the types of fare family. Certain types of fare family do not include any free check-in baggage allowance and you may purchase Baggage allowance with an additional fee; whilst others include an applicable free check-in Baggage allowance and such allowance may change from time to time without prior notice. Your Baggage allowance will be shown on your Ticket, or in the case of an E-Ticket, in your Itinerary/Receipt. For the Baggage regulations for each type of fare family of the Ticket originates from or have stopover in Mainland China, the CCAR shall apply. Please refer to LINK for more details.

8.5.2 Subject to these conditions, the Carrier’s Regulations and Baggage allowance for certain flights which may have lower maximum permitted weight, the maximum permitted weight for a single item of Checked Baggage is 32kgs/70lbs. We shall have no liability to you whatsoever for any loss, Damage or delay arising as a result of your failure to comply with the above weight limit and the need to repack or split overweight Baggage. For the Baggage regulations of the Ticket originates from or have stopover in Mainland China, the CCAR shall apply. Please refer to LINK for more details.

8.5.3 Where two or more Passengers, travelling as one party to a common destination or point of Stopover by the same flight, present themselves and their Baggage for travelling at the same time and place, they may be permitted to, subject to the Carrier’s Regulations, a total baggage allowance equal to the combination of their individual baggage allowances.

9.1 SCHEDULES 9.1.1 We undertake to use our best efforts to carry you and your Baggage with reasonable dispatch and to adhere to published schedules in effect on the date of travel. Times shown on the Ticket, timetables or elsewhere are not guaranteed and do not form part of your contract with us. The flight times shown in published timetables may change between the time of publication and the time you actually travel.

9.1.2 Before we accept your booking, we will notify you of the scheduled flight time in effect as of the time of booking, and it will be shown on your Ticket. It is possible we may need to change the scheduled flight time subsequent to issuance of your Ticket.

If, after you purchase your Ticket, we make a significant change to the scheduled flight time, which is not acceptable to you, and we are unable to book you on an alternate flight which is acceptable to you, you will be entitled to a refund in accordance with Article 10.

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8.3 RIGHT OF SEARCH 8.3.1 For reasons of safety and security, we may request you to permit a search (including the possibility of a scan such as x-ray scanning) to be made of your person or your Baggage. We may search or have searched the Passenger’s Baggage in your absence if you are not available for the purpose of determining whether you are in possession of or whether your Baggage contains any item described in Article 8.1.1 or any firearms, munitions or weapons which have not been presented to us in accordance with Article 8.1.2 or 8.1.3. If you are unwilling to comply with such requests we may refuse to carry you and your Baggage.

8.3.2 Except as required by applicable laws or Convention, we are not liable for any Damage caused to you or your Baggage due to the search except to the extent that such Damage is caused to you or your Baggage due to our negligence or wilful misconduct.

8.9 ANIMALS

We reserve the right at our absolute discretion, but subject to applicable laws, to refuse to carry animals. If we agree to carry your animal(s) they will be carried subject to the following conditions: 8.9.1 Save as provided under Article 8.9.5, animals must be transported as Checked Baggage (suitably containerised and carried within the cargo compartment of the aircraft) and will not be allowed in the passenger cabin.

For the dog and cat transportation as Checked Baggage of the Ticket originates from or have stopover in Mainland China, the CCAR shall apply. Please refer to LINK for more details.

8.9.2 You must ensure that animals and pets are properly crated (or carried in containers which comply with applicable legal requirements or relevant industry standards, including where applicable, the IATA Live Animals Regulations) and are accompanied by valid health and vaccination certificates, entry permits, and other documents required by countries of entry or transit, failing which such animals will not be accepted for carriage. Such carriage may be subject to additional conditions by us, which are available on request.

8.9.3 If accepted as Baggage, the animal, together with its container and food, shall not be included in your Baggage allowance but constitute excess Baggage, for which you shall pay the applicable rate.

8.9.4 Service dogs accompanying Passengers with disabilities can be carried as Checked Baggage or in the cabin free of charge in addition to the normal Baggage allowance subject to conditions specified by us, which are available upon request, or as required by applicable laws.

8.9.5 Acceptance for carriage of animals is subject to the condition that you assume full responsibility for such animal. Where carriage is not subject to the liability rules of the Convention, we are not responsible for injury to or loss, sickness or death of an animal which we have agreed to carry except to the extent that we have been negligent.

8.9.6 We will have no liability in respect of any such animal not having all the necessary exit, entry, health and other documents with respect to the animal’s entry into or passage through any country, state or territory and the person transporting the animal must reimburse us for any fines, costs, losses or liabilities reasonably imposed or incurred by us as a result.

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8.2 RIGHT TO REFUSE CARRIAGE 8.2.1 We may refuse carriage as Baggage of such items described in Article 8.1 as are prohibited from carriage as Baggage and we may refuse further carriage of any such items on discovery thereof.

8.2.2 For security, safety or operational reasons, we may refuse to carry as Baggage any item which does not belong to you and which you have pooled with your own Baggage. Except as provided by applicable laws and Convention, we do not accept liability for such Baggage and reserve the right to seek indemnity from you in respect of claims or losses incurred as a result of Damage caused to it.

8.2.3 Unless advance arrangements for its carriage have been made with us, we may carry any Baggage which exceeds the applicable Baggage allowance on a flight other than the one we carry you on, subject to your paying the charges specified in Article 8.6.

8.2.4 We may refuse to accept Baggage for carriage as Checked Baggage unless it is in our reasonable opinion properly and securely packed in suitable suitcases or other appropriate containers to ensure safe carriage with ordinary care in handling.

8.2.5 We will not refuse to carry wheelchairs or other disability-assistive devices of Passengers, provided that such carriage would not violate relevant safety, hazardous materials or safety requirements. You should inform us at the time of booking of your special assistance needs so we may have adequate time to make appropriate arrangements.

8.2.6 We and our agents shall not check through Baggage for other Carriers where we do not have an interline agreement with them. You should check whether we have an interline agreement with such other Carrier(s) in advance if you plan to (a) connect with flight(s) of other Carrier(s) after taking our flight(s); or (b) connect with our flight(s) after taking flight(s)t of other Carrier(s). If such other Carrier(s) do(es) not have an interline agreement with us, you should clear your Baggage and have it checked-in and re-tagged for the next flight. In such circumstances, we are not liable for any loss, damage or delay to your journey or Baggage.

8.8 COLLECTION AND DELIVERY OF CHECKED BAGGAGE 8.8.1 Save for the situation specified in Article 8.4.4 above, you shall collect your Checked Baggage as soon as it is made available at your destination or, if the Stopover is greater than 24 hours, at the Stopover. We may charge you a storage fee if your Checked Baggage is not collected within a reasonable time. We may dispose of your Checked Baggage without any liability to you if it is not claimed within three (3) months from the time it is made available.

8.8.2 Only the bearer of the Baggage Check and Baggage Identification Tag is entitled to delivery of Checked Baggage. We do not take any responsibility for ensuring that the bearer of the Baggage Check is entitled to delivery.

8.8.3 If a person claiming the Baggage is unable to produce the Baggage Check and identify the Baggage by means of a Baggage Identification Tag, we will deliver the Baggage to such person only on condition that he or she establishes to our satisfaction his or her right to the Baggage thereto, and if required by us, such person shall furnish adequate security to indemnify us for any loss, damage or expense which may be incurred by us as a result of such delivery.

8.8.4 Except as provided by applicable laws or Convention, acceptance of Baggage by the bearer of the Baggage Check without complaint at the time of delivery shall constitute sufficient evidence that the Baggage has been delivered in good condition and in accordance with the contract of carriage.

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Saturday, August 28, 2021

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Senators grill ex-DBM exec Lao over ₧42-B pandemic purchases

By Butch Fernandez

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ENATORS grilled former Budget Undersecretary Christopher Lao on Friday, and openly aired their disgust at the failure of his office, the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), to do even basic “due diligence” on the background of winning suppliers in multibillion personal protective equipment (PPE) purchases using Department of Health (DOH) funds in 2020.

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee that held its second hearing on the Commission on Audit’s (COA) 2020 report on DOH “deficiencies” in managing P62-billion pandemic funds, scolded Lao for violating the most basic in procurement ethics that “It should never be supply-driven,” noting Lao’s admission that he had talked to several suppliers at the time.

Such casual attitude, the senators noted, may account for the total failure of PS-DBM to do due diligence on the suppliers, most of whom were engaged in businesses totally unrelated to making health-related items like masks and face shield since they were into construction, sale of cell phones, or hydraulics equipment, not to mention having small capitalization and filing fraudulent information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The PS-DBM is at the center of the COA’s flagged issues on account

of the questionable wholesale transfer by DOH of P42 billion to it, and “outsourcing” the task of getting the vital PPE. In the first hearing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III justified the DOH’s failure to sign a memorandum of agreement with PS-DBM on the transfer of P42 billion of the total of COA-flagged pandemic funds.

On Friday, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon exposed several warning signs of potential anomaly, corruption or fraud in the procurement of several medical supplies by PS-DBM. “I am worried there are so many red flags in the procurement of several medical items. These warning signs indicate possible anomaly, corruption or fraud,” Drilon said at the continuation of the Blue Ribbon inquiry.

He cited as anomalous the choice of contractors of questionable qualifications with one contractor earning P284.9 million in 2020, from zero income in 2019, supposedly after bagging P8.68 billion worth of government contracts.

“Indeed, business is booming for these contractors. It appears that PS-DBM gave them the sure ticket to wealth. Nakakalungkot na habang marami ang naghihirap, mukhang marami rin ang nagpapayaman,” Drilon said in his statement.

Drilon said that contrary to the law’s clear requirement that negotiated procurement can only be entered into with

persons who have the technical, legal and financial capabilities, PS-DBM entered into contracts with corporations of questionable qualifications.

T he opposition senator questioned, for instance, why Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation bagged P8.68 billion worth of contracts. Incorporated only in September 2019, Pharmally has paid-up capital of only P625,000, obviously insufficient to assume the huge risk for the delivery of P8.68 billion worth of procurement.

A fter cor ner ing P8.68 -bil lion gover nment contracts, however, Pharmally’s income soared to P284.9 million in 2020 from zero declared income in 2019. Its assets also jumped to P284.9 million in 2020 from P599,000 in 2019.

“Is it all thanks to PS-DBM?” Drilon asked.

Who endorsed Pharmally?

Senators led by Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked DBM OIC Undersecretary Tina Rose Canda “who endorsed Pharmally, but Canda said she was never involved in PS-DBM’s work.”

Former DBM Secretary Wendel Avisado also said he did not know who endorsed Pharmally.

Drilon reiterated that goods procured from Pharmally are overpriced.

Official records show that it sold face masks at a whopping P27.72, when other suppliers sold the same to PS-DBM at P13.5, P16, and P17.50

for the same period. It sold test kits at P1,720 when it could be bought at P925. It sold PPEs at P1,910 each when its market cost was at P945, according to Drilon.

Drilon wondered aloud why electronic companies cornered almost P2 billion worth of face mask deals with PS-DBM. “The procurement of face shields is also shocking. The procurement of 1.32 million face shields went to a single company, Philippine Blue Cross Biotech Corporation,” Drilon noted.

A side from face shields, Blue Cross Biotech was able to bag a total of P432.17-million contracts from PS-DBM, he noted.

Sen. Imee Marcos said it’s not just Pharmally and Cosmic Technologies Inc., also listed by Drilon as a supplier of face masks despite its questionable credentials, which got awards from PS-DBM. According to Marcos, several others whose business is alien to manufacturing PPEs got supplies.

Upon gr il ling by Gordon and Drilon, Lao insisted they acted on the documents submitted to them by suppliers, such as documents given to SEC, the Department of Trade and Industry, and mayors’ offices.

“Our only concern then was it should arrive on time,” Lao told Hontiveros, because the pandemic was an emergency and it was hard to obtain supplies at that time because of a global supply crunch.

Duque says he’ll seek legal advice on SRA payment of HCWs not on Covid care duty

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eleaguered Health Secretary Franscico T. Duque III, facing an inquiry by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the 2020 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the budget utilization of the Department of Health (DOH), said on Friday he may have to seek “ legal advice” from the Department of Justice (DOJ) if the agency would be allowed to extend Special Risk Allowance (SR A) benefit to healthcare workers (HCW) not exposed to Covid-19 patients.

Duque said that he had signified to COA Chairman Michael G. Aguinaldo that he would seek the adv ice of Justice Secretar y Menardo

I. Guevarra, stressing that COA’s liberal inter pretation cannot act as a “substitute” for a legal basis.

“We agreed short of an amendment to the law, for the creation of a new law for a more liberal interpretation of the initial provision found in the Bayanihan Law 2,” Duque said, adding that a letter has already been drafted for Guevarra.

The DOJ chief legal advice, Duque said, will give them “level of confidence” that a “liberal interpretation” could serve as a justification.

Quick response funds

t he agenc y wou ld t ap it s qu ic k response f u nd s to be able to augment t he u npa id benef it s of t he rem a i n i ng HC Ws. This after opposition Senator Francis Pangilinan revealed that only 5 percent of the 488,000 health workers have received their SR A out of the P311 million downloaded by the DOH to its Centers for Health Development on August 25.

Pangilinan also asked Duque for a timeline on when would the DOH be able to pay the remaining 95 percent of HCWs. “Mga two months ‘yan. Mga two

Me anw hile , t he DOH sa id t h at

3 House panels approve substitute bill resetting BARMM polls to ’25

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

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hree committees of the House of Representatives approved substitute on Thursday a bill that would postpone to 2025 the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections, which was originally scheduled next year.

The approval was jointly done by the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms chaired by Negros Occidental Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer, Committee on Muslim Affairs chaired by Lanao del Sur Rep. Ansaruddin Adul Malik Adiong, and Special Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity chaired by Maguindanao Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu last Thursday.

The bill will now be transmitted to the plenary for another round of deliberations.

Under the law, the BARMM elections are supposed to take place at the same time as national elections in May 2022, but several bills in the Senate and the House of Representatives have called for postponing the regional polls to 2025.

Mangudadatu, head of the technical working group that consolidated House Bills 8116, 8117, 8161, 8222 and 8277, said lawmakers discussed amendments to the substitute bill last August 4.

He earlier said that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) “needs more time” due to the disruption brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Maguindanao Rep. Datu Roonie Sinsuat presented during the hearing the revised substitute bill and moved for its approval.

The bill provides that the BARMM elections, originally scheduled on the second Monday of May 2022, would be reset to the 2025 elections.

Mangudadatu clarified that the provision fixing the term of the BTA members until 2025 does not necessarily mean that whoever gets appointed would automatically enjoy their present term until the afternoon of June 30, 2025.

He explained that the next President would be the appointing authority and would have the discretion on the term of office of appointed BTA members.

PHL logs 17,447 addl Covid cases on Friday as total infections breach 1.9-million mark

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

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he Philippines broke its second highest Covid-19 cases recorded in a day since the start of the pandemic after logging 17,447 additional cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 1,916,461 on Friday.

There were also 6,771 recoveries and 113 deaths logged.

Of the total number of infections, 7.4 percent (142,531) are active, 90.8 percent (1,741,089) have recovered, and 1.71 percent (32,841) died.

There were 186 duplicates removed from the total case count. Of these, 186 are recoveries.

Moreover, 47 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

All laboratories were operational on August 25, 2021 but one lab was not able to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System.

Based on data in the last 14 days, the lone non-reporting lab contributes, on average, 0.1 percent of samples tested and 0.1 percent of positive individuals.

months, your Honor,” Duque replied.

Duque said that for the second batch, there are 17,670 HCWs who are set to receive their SR A ,while 80,048 are currently being validated by the DOH for the third batch before requesting budgetary allocation from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in an online media forum, said that the DOH may still extend the deadline for the submission of the list of HCWs who may apply for the payment of their SRA.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

A10 Saturday, August 28, 2021

ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror

Citem brings Philippine food sourcing to the digital frontier M

Export firm hails court decision on controversial search warrant

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FEX Philippines, the signature event for the food trade sector organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, (Citem), will present its very first online iteration, the IFEX Digital Expo, from September 23 to 25, 2021.

The event will continue its mandate of promoting Philippine food champions geared toward showcasing a wide array of diverse food products and ingredients that are uniquely Filipino.

Hosted on the Hopin online event platform, the IFEX Digital Expo will feature a main stage that will showcase a program on the latest developments and innovations in the food industry. Simultaneously, there will be breakout sessions on the platform where participants can explore segment-specific topics, discussions and other featured content.

The platform also has an automated matching feature where users can meet and build their network within the community. The expo feature on Hopin, on the other hand, is available for those who want to explore business support organizations, food brands, and export enablers.

“As we continue and grow our efforts to provide a comprehensive and unique trade show experience for all our stakeholders, we want to make sure that Citem delivers the best service at every touchpoint whether it be for on-site, hybrid, or fully digital events,” said Pauline Suaco-Juan, executive director of Citem.

Citem has been moving toward the digitalization of its initiatives to adapt to the dynamic needs of the global food community. Aside from the digital expo, the event will also mark the public launch of the new promotions web site, foodphilip-

pines.com and the new lead generation platform, ifexconnect.com.

Two new web sites for the food community

FOODPhilippines.com, a web site synonymous to the banner brand for all of Citem’s food events and initiatives for the Philippine food sector, will feature stories about Philippine ingredients, flavors, processes and techniques, recipes, heritage, culinary talents and regional specialties.

These stories will be strategically developed and promoted to build interest and start conversations about Philippine food products.

Meanwhile, IFEXConnect.com is the agency’s new promotion and lead generation platform for the country’s food export industry. It will house the digital storefronts of top

Philippine food manufacturers and suppliers and showcase their product offerings. The platform, available 24/7 year-round, will also allow buyers from all over the world to directly connect with local companies they wish to have business with.

“IFEXConnect.com is envisioned to be a sourcing platform that features digital storefronts of our food exporters and showcases their top-line products. Ready to serve the global market, IFEXConnect.com also has a business-matching facility to connect our exhibitors with international buyers much easier,” added Rowena Mendoza, OIC head of Citem’s Operations Group for the Food Sector.

Other features of the platform include a space for digital events that focus on industry insights, best practices, and new market demands,

exclusively for registered users.

To help exhibitors maximize the potential of IFEXConnect.com, Citem is also running content amelioration programs to assist MSME’s in the production of product photos and brand copies meant to optimize both the user experience and their searchability online. This program started with a pilot batch of 100 micro small and medium enterprises with top food stylist Chichi Tullao and food photographer Justin de Jesus helping in the production.

For all these efforts, Citem enlisted the expertise of premier storytellers in the food industry: Joey Ong, advertising veteran and Managing Director/Executive Creative Director of Dojo as Chief Storyteller, and Angelo Comsti, chef, food writer, and author of the best-selling cookbooks, From our Table to Yours and Also Filipino, as Editor in Chief of the two platforms.

“Citem, works hand in hand with these food luminaries along with ODV Creative who offered strategic support for content production and event management, and UM Philippines for web development. We are proud to have built a homegrown web site and we look forward to building a community that will let the world savor the best of Philippine food,” added Suaco-Juan.

Food companies and buyers are encouraged to register and be the first to experience the shift to digital. Application for the initial batch of exhibitors is until August 25, 2021.

Visit the links below to register.

Link to Exhibitor Registration: https://www.ifexconnect.com/preregistration/exhibitor Link to Buyer Registration: https://www.ifexconnect.com/preregistration/buyer

DTI calls on PHL exporters to participate in UK public consultation on GSP scheme

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HE Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) is encouraging Philippine exporters to participate in the public consultations on the United Kingdom’s (UK) new GSP Scheme to provide inputs and suggestions, particularly on the relaxation of the current origin requirements for their products.

Following the official departure of the UK from the European Union (EU), the UK aims to introduce a new, simpler, and more generous trade preferences scheme next year, which

will be called Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

To participate, exporters may access the UK’s online questionnaire through this link https://ditresearch.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/ SV_71Uup1kN0ZhD8tE on or before September 12, 2021.

Major policy changes that the UK is considering include: 1. Simplifying the Rules of Origin (ROO) requirements for least developed countries (LDCs); 2. Reducing tariffs for low-income and lower-middle-income countries;

3. Amending the approach to goods graduation, which suspends preferential rates on particular goods from certain countries based on their competitiveness; 4. Amending the conditions and reporting requirements that enable a low-income or lowermiddle-income country to benefit from more generous provisions through the Enhanced Framework; and 5. Simplifying the conditions that could lead to variation or suspension of preferences for any

beneficiary country.

The UK is the Philippines’s18th top export market with an average annual exports of $450 million. Top exports include tuna, desiccated coconut, abaca fiber, spectacle lenses, and semiconductors.

Copies of the GSP consultation questions and the UK’s Statement of Direction are also available through this link https://tinyurl. com/yzy2yn7w. Other inquiries on the UK market may be directed to the EMB through e-mail strategyplanning@dti.gov.ph.

ARKET Reach International Resources has welcomed the decision of the Metropolitan Trial Court of San Pedro to invalidate the search warrant served on its warehouse in Laguna last June.

Market Reach CEO Jiten (Jatin) Lalwani and officers Argel Jarasa, Bernard Bonina and Naresh Kumar said they hope that the ruling would pave the way to clearing the name of the company so that it could resume its operations amid the pandemic.

Market Reach, a leading export company engaged in logistics trading and consolidation, said it is looking forward to moving past the issue so it can pursue its bigger plans for the year.

Mr. Lalwani said: “ We are

pleased with the court decision mostly because we can now focus on our goal of becoming the number one promoter of Filipino products globally. We are excited to not just export local products but also to represent the Philippines in international trade shows and grow our country’s finest offerings abroad, similar to what we have been doing for the past years.”

“Market Reach has been in existence for more than a decade and is one of the pioneers in the export industry. We are proud to be in an enterprise that allows us to create jobs and to help the economy,” Mr. Lalwani said, adding that plans are also under way for Market Reach to expand into manufacturing and toll packing.

MODERN BANANA FARMS TO CATER TO EXPORT MARKET SEEN TO THRIVE IN NORTH COTABATO

RBOI-BARMM Chairman Ishak Mastura (left) and BTA Parliament Member Suharto Ambolodto show the memorandum of agreement they inked with local investors over the weekend for the establishment of a 5,000-hectare banana plantation in Kabacan, North Cotabato. The plantation will be set up in adjoining villages under the BARMM in Kabacan town. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOI-BARMM

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OTABATO CITY—Model banana farms are soon to sprout in about 5,000-hectare special geographic area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in North Cotabato province.

Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA)-BARMM Member of Parliament Suharto Ambolodto said Tuesday the project is aimed at alleviating the lives of farmers and to encourage more local businessmen to pour in capital.

“This activity is mainly to look upon the opportunities of local entrepreneurs to invest here since they would be investing for the future of our Bangsamoro people,” he said.

The SGA comprises the 63 villages in six towns of North Cotabato that opted to join the BARMM during the two-part plebiscite held in January and February 2019.

Ambolodto said the signing of the memorandum of agreement

(MOA) with local investors further bolstered the endeavor with the initial set up of a banana plantation in a combined 5,000 hectares of farmlands in villages under the SGA in Kabacan.

Regional Board of Investments (RBOI)-BARMM Chairman Ishak Mastura said his office would facilitate the farmers’ link to the investors and future exporters in terms of profit sharing and other concerns.

“We also need to link the farmers to local investors, not only in the government programs or services but also to private sectors that would give them direct assistance to startup investments immediately in our region,” he said.

In a separate statement, RBOI Board of Governor Mohammad Pasigan said their office has been reaching out to farmers and local investors to expose them to investment opportunities in the region. PNA

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Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, August 28, 2021 A11

House OKs early voting bill for senior citizens and PWDs

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

congressional-local polls.

Under the bill, the Comelec is mandated to schedule voting for senior citizens and PWDs in establishments accessible to them within seven days before the date of the elections.

The poll body is to conduct nationwide registration for the affected voters to qualify them for early voting.

Those who fail to register will vote on Election Day. The Comelec would also be tasked to launch an information campaign for early voting for qualified registered voters.

The poll body is mandated to is-

T

HE House of Representatives on Tuesday endorsed for Senate approval a bill allowing early voting for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs) in national and local elections, including a measure imposing stiffer penalties on nuisance candidates.

House Bill 9562, which was approved by 196 lawmakers on final reading, would give senior citizens and PWDs the opportunity to exercise their right of suffrage a week earlier than regular voters, beginning with the May 2022 combined presidential-

sue implementing rules and regulations within 90 days from the date the proposed law takes effect.

Funds for the implementation of the proposed early voting law would be initially charged against the Comelec budget and thereafter included in the annual appropriations bill.

Nuisance candidates

TO preserve the integrity of the electoral process and promote respect for it as an important facet of Philippine democracy, the lower chamber also approved with 191 votes House Bill 9557 on third and final reading.

The bill mandates the Commis-

sion on Elections, upon notice and hearing, and upon proof of malice or bad faith, to impose the penalty of a minimum of P100,000 on the person who filed such a certificate of candidacy to put the election process in mockery or disrepute or to cause confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered candidates or by other circumstances or acts which clearly demonstrate that the person has no bona fide intention to run for the office for which the certificate of candidacy was filed, and thus prevent a faithful determination of the true will of the electorate.

It also provides that any person named in the verified petition and found to have been in conspiracy with or to have induced the person to file such a certificate shall likewise be made to pay a fine of a minimum of P100,000.

The bill said the Comelec shall summon the nuisance candidate, the person or persons alleged to have caused the filing of the certificate of candidacy in question, and the members of the candidate’s party in a hearing specifically called to determine the existence of malice and bad faith in the filing of the certificate of candidacy in question.

For his part, House Committee on Senior Citizens Chairman Rodolfo Ordanes urged President Duterte to certify the bill as urgent for its smooth passage in the Senate.

“I know time is in short supply in the legislative calendar and the Comelec timetable, and the pandemic is an added constraint, but I pray HB 9562 becomes law soon enough, so the Comelec can make it happen for the May 2022 elections.

Perhaps Malacañang can deem it necessary to make HB 9562 a certified urgent bill. I can only hope and pray. I still believe in miracles,” he said.

Luzviminda Teston-Oropesa: Happy farmer breaks gender stereotypes

By Chit A. Tribiana

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T takes someone who has actually done it to say with confidence that women can successfully raise children, produce food by cultivating the land, and contribute significantly to community building. Luzviminda Teston-Oropesa is one such woman.

None of those tasks is easy, especially for a single mother like her who manages her farm in an environment that lies in the country’s typhoon belt. Minda Oropesa is from Catanduanes, which is along the country’s typhoon belt. Each time she felt like giving up upon seeing the damage caused by destructive storms, she kept reminding herself of the many reasons she should rise and start all over again. She has always valued the welfare of the farmworkers and those who stand to benefit from the fruits of their labor above her own.

OROPESA during the 2015 Awards for Outstanding Rural Women.

she envisioned vast potentials for her family-owned farm in Catanduanes. She had clear plans for her retirement, and as soon as the opportunity came in 2011, she went back to her idyllic town of Baras and started developing their more than 3 hectares of agricultural property.

In 2012 she organized the Happy Farmers Producers Integrated and Livelihood Association Inc. (HAFPILA)composedof37members/farmers, 30 of whom were women. The term “Happy Farmers” in their name has the same ring to it as that of The Happy Island, the tag used by Catanduanes for tourism promotion. The organic farm is listed as one of the Certified Learning Sites for Agriculture in the Bicol Region, a classification given to farms that adopt applicable agricultural technologies, using doable and

Geologist turned farmer

BEFORE she went into farming, Minda was a professional geologist and was working as the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) officer of a mining company in Leyte.

While managing soil rehabilitation activities in the mined areas,

HAFPILA’s health supplements on display at a local trade fair.

sustainable farming strategies, and are operating successfully.

She deserves the credit for introducing their members to the Diversified Integrated Farming System (DIFS), a concept that favors polyculture or growing different crops, over that of the traditional monoculture, where a single crop is planted over a wide area. Researches have shown that DIFS is more viable, uses natural resources more efficiently, offers better pest resistance, and produces more varied and nutritious produce. In the long term, it has better contribution

Keeping up the persistence of memory

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

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HERE was an article in Newsweek magazine sometime ago about an elderly man who was moving into his new apartment somewhere in Norway when he went out to eat and forgot to write his new address.

He has been looking for his apartment for a month and staying in a hotel.

“This is embarrassing” is all he could say,“ but I can’t remember the way back to my new home.”

This story may be an extreme case and we may not even believe it but let’s admit, we all have a tendency to forget things one way or another—some more than others. For many people, memory loss only becomes apparent once they hit the age of 40. Some even earlier. It becomes increasingly harder for them to recall dates and faces or even something as basic as what they had for dinner the night before.

A few years ago, a friend of mine in his late 60s was gushing about this wonderful product that had gingko biloba extract. He said it was good to keep one’s memory sharp. I got excited because lately my memory bulbs seemed to be flickering and needed some boosting. When I asked for the name of the product, he couldn’t remember no matter how hard he tried to recall. We looked at each other and burst out laughing at the irony.

Another friend who saw a very humorous FB post commented: “It was

funny, yes, but I’m so senile, I forgot to laugh.”

These are as we say LOL moments, but the loss of one’s memory is nothing to laugh about. Our memory is bound to be more and more unreliable as we grow older.

There are a number of reasons why aging affects our ability to retain and retrieve memories. As we age, we start to lose neurons a few at a time, which can affect the activity of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters and their receptors. The hippocampus, especially, is vulnerable to deterioration brought about by age. Additionally, there is a relative decreased blood flow to the brain and, hence, less efficiency in the processing of nutrients that enhance brain activity.

Still, majority of the brain’s functions is largely unaffected by normal aging, and while memory does decline with age, this does have some valid qualifications. First of all, not all of our memories fade. It may be true that some information becomes harder to recall, but many of our other memories remain just as easily accessible. We see no or very little decline in our procedural memory that allows us to remember our ability to accomplish habitual tasks or skill to play a certain sport.

And contrary to popular belief, as long as we undergo healthy aging, we will not experience a drastic loss of

memory. Memory decline happens so gradually we may not even be aware of it. Besides, much of what we think is forgetfulness may simply be a slowing down in our ability to acquire, store and retrieve information. Not a loss.

Apart from age, memory in older people can be affected by a number of conditions and lifestyle factors.

How we store information is determined by how alert we are at the time we receive it, how relevant or interesting the information is to us, how organized or detailed it is, and the physical and mental context in which we learn and later remember the information.

Our physical state can also affect our memory and other mental abilities, and these include lack of sleep, fatigue, anxiety and stress.

In the elderly, especially, persistent depression may actually cause a loss of neurons in brain areas responsible for memory, making them less able to concentrate and process information.

Illness is another factor, from something as minor as a cold or flu to something as major as diabetes or heart disease. Many older people take medications or a combination of drugs, and these can block or interfere with neurotransmitters essential for memory, as can excessive intake of alcohol and abuse of drugs.

Even if we experience memory loss as we age, keep in mind that the brain is quite capable of producing new brain cells at any age, and there are many things older people can do not only to maintain a healthy memory but acquire new

to economic stability and social equality as it allows farmers to participate directly in decision-making.

Everything organic

THE member-farmers do not use chemical fertilizers; instead, they produce carbonized rice hulls enriched with vermicompost tea and extracts from fish amino acids (FAA), fermented plant juice (FPJ), and oriental herbal nutrients (OHN). They also engage in vermiculture or the cultivation of earthworms for composting. The by-products, which are information to retain as well.

To compensate for memory loss, there are a few things we can do such as eating a well balanced diet and taking food supplements formulated to boost the brain. Regular exercise is said to get more oxygen, glucose and nutrients to the brain.

And most of all get enough sleep so we don’t wake up tired and unable to concentrate during the day.

Older people must continue trying to learn new things and exercising their brain. We need to make our mental abilities work as much as possible to lower the risk of mental decline in our old age. Get a new hobby, learn a foreign language, or just work a daily crossword or number puzzle like Sudoku—anything to keep the mind challenged and busy.

In addition, we need to develop and maintain relationships in our life. Whether we do it in person or virtually, social interaction is said to promote mental activity that helps our brain function. Simply talking and being with other people can help keep us sharp and alert.

It is but natural that we notice changes in memory as we grow older, but most of us don’t experience memory loss that interferes with our ability to live a normal life. Although older people often worry about getting “senile” when they cannot remember an old classmate’s name or where they put down their car key, most of them can improve memory with training and practice.

Aging and memory loss do not go exclusively hand-in-hand. If you believe that you have a hard time remembering some things just because you are getting old— don’t. This may be the very reason

made available commercially to the local community, have been proven in many studies to promote better plant growth and significantly increase the nutrient content of fruits and vegetables without degrading our natural resources.

These days, it is not uncommon to see young people, especially agriculture students from the Catanduanes State University and youth council members, getting immersed in farm activities—giving Minda a hopeful vision.

“Our farmers are already old, I hope that the children will continue their parents’ endeavors in tilling the land where they were born,” says this woman farmer who walked her talk when she chose to nurture her father’s bequeathed land.

At certain times, Minda’s farm would burst with colors from flowers and fruits of roselle, dragon fruit, and other seasonal crops, which are sold fresh or processed as jams. For additional income and sustained livelihood, HAFPILA ventured into the production of natural food supplements in 2014. Medicinal plants, including moringa, serpentina, turmeric, mangosteen, and gotu kola, grow abundantly on the island. These are solarthat’s keeping you from even trying to remember. To a large extent, keeping a healthy memory is all in your mind!

While we still have the ability and faculty to remember, let us mine our memories for golden nuggets although there are painful memories we would rather forget.

We can nurture our inner selves with memories. In fact, my wife and I spend our quiet moments reminiscing about the sweet moments we spent together in the past. She loves to tell me anecdotes from her childhood days, which are still so vivid in her mind.

Conjuring our memories can help sustain our inner selves especially during our low days during this long pandemic. As one writer says: “The soul thrives on remembering. Feed it memories and it comes alive.”

In an accelerated reality when we feel overwhelmed by technology and a sense that life is too complex, our memories can be a way to seek out simpler experiences that offer nostalgia and remind us of a more trustworthy time.

In my solitary moments, I call to mind the times when my brother Caloy used to visit me at my boardinghouse and treat me to snacks while I showed him some of my latest sophomoric poems. I remember also the night he took me to Los Indios Bravos in Ermita and arranged for me to recite a few of them at the club in the presence of his prominent writer-friends.

Of course, everyone was polite enough to applaud, but it was an unforgettable experience, seeing him feeling proud about his young trying-hard-to-be-a-poet brother.

Our senses can be good memory triggers that help exercise the mus-

dried or made into tea, essential oil, or processed and packed as food supplements in capsule form. Despite the “no approved therapeutic claims” caveat, the use of certain herbs for medicinal purposes is becoming more popular.

Many of them are undergoing scientific reviews for their possible health benefits, especially in light of the ongoing pandemic. For example, serpentina (Andrographis Paniculata) is believed to reduce the severity of lung inflammation and could be helpful during the early stages of Covid-19.

Happier, healthier lifestyle

FOR her laudable initiatives to promote organic farming in Catanduanes, Minda was awarded the top prize in the Search for Outstanding Rural Women of the Department of Agriculture in 2015. In her acceptance speech, she said, “It is an honor to be a woman. We play a big role in shaping our nation.” Onwards, she knows that this role comes with huge challenges.

Despite the abundant resources in her province, she realizes that it remains one of the disadvantaged areas in the country. Through HAFPILA, she hopes to achieve food security through the use of efficient, effective, and productive farming systems. cles of remembering. For example, listening to the song “In My Life” by the Beatles brings back images of a cafeteria where I was when I heard it first played on a jukebox. I can even smell the greasy food being served then. In the same way that the French writer Marcel Proust was able to compose a long novel through his recollection of the past triggered by his sensations, the taste of authentic pancit luglog transports me back to a small panciteria in old Cubao where my wife, then just a girlfriend, and I used to dine after watching a movie at Coronet or New Frontier theater. In my mind’s eye, I can even now still clearly see the faces of the waiters named Prime and Jowy who used to serve us.

Those treasured memories of days gone by are now so part of me they are no longer past. In the words of T.S. Eliot: “Time present and time past/Are both perhaps present in time future/And time future contained in time past.”

This is what I thought the painting of Salvador Dali entitled “The Persistence of Memory” was trying to say. In this work, Dali, depicts languid, melting clocks draped over an arid, desert landscape.

To me, it is a meditation on the unfixed nature of time and space, a blending of actual time and remembered time.

By constantly striving to sift through and strain the gold from the debris of our blended memories, we ward off creeping forgetfulness and even emotional anxiety and depression. Let us not forget to remember: the persistence of memory is like a “salva vida” what will keep minds afloat and our spirits up in the face of this persistent pest of a plague.

Education BusinessMirror

A12 Saturday, August 28, 2021

Benguet teacher honored with Thai princess’ education award

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AGUIO CITY— Inadequacy of resources is not a hindrance in helping improve the quality of education, especially in a far-flung community, as it can be solved through innovation and ingenuity.

This was proven true by a public-school teacher from a fourth-class municipality in Benguet who was recognized in the 2021 Princess Maha Chakri Awards (PMCA).

Marcelo Otinguey, head teacher of Governor Bado Dangwa Agro-Industrial School in Kapangan, Benguet, was one of the 11 awardees of the PMCA together with other recipients from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and East Timor.

Otinguey shared that his 25 years of teaching in Benguet’s far-flung public high schools has made him appreciate the value of linkages, where programs and projects improving the lives of the community’s people could be pursued.

Spread out in his quarter-of-a-century of teaching in far-flung schools, Otinguey’s programs included the “Kasanayang Pangkabuhayan” (livelihood training) project; “Wheels” project for immobile children; “Paternal Love” medical mission; “Loom Band Bracelet for a Cause;” “Cultural heritage education;” “Books for the Barrios” project; “Parayaw: Documentation of oral traditions and practices in Kapangan, Benguet;” “Rondalla musical instruments of St. Therese of the Child Jesus;” “Helps: Empower the lives of the poor” project; “Tsinelas, pagkain at karunungan tungkol sa kalikasan para sa kabataan [Slippers, food and knowledge on nature for the youth];” and the “Sama-sama, Tulung-tulong [Helping Together]” partnership project.

These efforts made the International Cooperation Bureau of the Department of Education (DepEd) submit Otinguey’s credentials to the Ministry of Education of Thailand for the fourth PMCA.

TEACHER Marcelo Otinguey (left) gets an elbow bump from Ambassador Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng PNA LIZA AGOOT

Lifelong contribution to learning

IN a message during his three-day visit to this city, Ambassador of Thailand to the Philippines Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng said his aim was to meet the educator in person—the only honoree from the Philippines.

Otinguey received the award on July 29 at the Royal Thai Embassy in Manila following the announcement of winners in May. The envoy was originally scheduled to meet with him at his school in Kapangan, but it was moved instead to the City of Pines because of inclement weather.

“The Princess Chakri Awards is Thailand’s recognition [honoring] Her Royal Highness’ wisdom and lifelong contribution to [local and international] education,” Ruangprateepsaeng shared.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, to whom the distinction was named after, is the second daughter of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and the younger sister of King Vajiralongkorn.

The Thai diplomat said the awarding was started by the Princes Maja Chakri Foundation in 2015 to commemorate the princess’ 60th birthday, as it searched for exceptional teachers in Southeast Asia whose achievements have resulted in a significant impact on students’ lives and a better education system.

The recognition administered by the foundation is in partnership with Thailand’s Ministry of Education.

Motivation to innovate

ASIDE from providing livelihood, Otinguey sees his profession as service to his fellowmen, and the reason he pursues whatever programs he deems would contribute to the

good of his folks in Benguet—his birthplace and hometown.

For h i m , h i s cont i nu i n g p ro g r a m s identif y w ith the needs of the school and the communit y, while f inding solutions and creating tie-ups w ith g roups, foundations, organizations and agencies in gover nment.

“With challenges in the profession, partnerships and linkages are very important, because there are others who can and will fill the gaps of insufficient resources,” the educator said. “I keep on continuing to be creative, [while at the same time being] productive.”

Otinguey revealed his cash award will go a long way for the many projects he will continue to pursue.

The teacher described his peers as creative, and will do more for their learners.

Many like him also face problems with different strategies and interventions. For his part, he documents his programs, and shows these to his counterparts so they can adopt what applies to them.

Encouragement to teachers

DIRECTOR Dr. Estella Cariño confirmed that DepEd-Cordillera Administrative Region will be adopting Otinguey’s programs, as they recognize teachers and DepEd personnel for their achievements, awards and other excellent performance.

Cariño and her colleagues are hoping that other teachers, not only those from the Cordilleras, will learn from the experience of Otinguey, who does a holistic approach in addressing the needs of the schools and the communities through linkages with those willing to help. Liza Agoot/PNA

LSGH, JRU play host to SMC’s ₧1-B vaccination program

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A Salle Green Hills (LSGH) has opened its campus to serve as an inoculation site for San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) P1-billion vaccination program for its employees and their families, business partners and stakeholders.

Supportive of the country’s efforts toward herd immunity, SMC recently provided initial doses of the Sinovac vaccine to more than 500 of its frontline personnel under the A4 Category for the pilot run of the project. It aims to be in full swing come August once shipments of AstraZeneca and Moderna jabs arrive.

A celebration of the Holy Mass at the Student Parkway formally launched the program, with Sen. Joel Villanueva, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. and Deputy Chief Implementer Vivencio Dizon, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr., Mandaluyong City Mayor Carmelita Abalos, President Ramon Ang of SMC and President Br. Edmundo “Dodo” Fernandez, FSC of LSGH in attendance.

“We are vaccinating, for free, [more than] 70,000 in our work force,” said Ang. “We are also looking to make the vaccines available to more Filipinos by extending access to those in our work force’s own networks.”

“LSGH has always had a tradition of helping out for the good of the country,” Br. Fernandez shared. “We...opened our campus last year at the height of the pandemic for frontliners of certain hospitals.”

“And so, our home will be yours for the next six months,” he said. “We are at your service, and we are here to ensure...things run smooth-

Editor: Mike Policarpio

Oceana’s Cousteau rallies youth groups vs marine degradation

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VEN at a very young age, Alexandra Cousteau—granddaughter of renowned undersea explorer and scuba-diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau—already knew the potential of the youth in bringing about change, as she rallied for their support to conserve the planet’s marine ecosystems.

In the recent Generational Conversations organized by Oceana and Kids for Kids, Cousteau shared how she developed the love for the oceans at a very young age. She was already busy gathering signatures for their protection at age 8.

“I went on an expedition with my parents for the first time when I was 4 months old and traveled with them. I could swim before I could walk,” Cousteau shared with the youth leaders who participated in the discussion. “My grandfather taught me to scuba-dive when I was 7, and that was a total revelation for me.”

She continued, “People often ask me: ‘What was the moment that made you want to work to save the oceans?’

And there really wasn’t one. It just has always been part of me.”

Youth’s new role

COUSTEAU said she cannot overemphasize the importance of the youth’s voices, but she also believes that there’s a role for everyone, and that the youth can’t do it all.

“We need seasoned experts [and scientists]. Everybody really has an important role to play. But the youth has a role that is new,” she explained.

“Because when I was a teenager nobody was listening to [us. Nobody. But now, there is] an official role for young people to play in changing the world.”

Sisters Bella and Tasha Tanjutco, founders of Kids for Kids, explained that the series of the Generational Conversations is the first of its kind meant to empower the youth, encourage them to “sit down with people from different walks of life, and see different perspectives on [ways] we can attack this climate crisis together.”

Thirteen-year-old Andi Mañosa shared during the online talk that the challenge is to change the mindset of the youth, and convince them that they too can help restore the abundance of life in the oceans.

“Most people my age have the mindset that, because we’re so young, we can’t do anything to help,” Mañosa said. “What I really hope is that [my peers] finally realize that age shouldn’t be the reason [they are] not helping in the long run.”

Oceana Vice President Gloria Estenzo Ramos remarked that her organization makes sure the youth are part of their engagements.

“Like what Alexandra said: Be the voice, and don’t hesitate to make a stand,” Ramos encouraged the attendees. “Your participation is [key to our work, which is to save the oceans].”

Plastics in the oceans

YOUTH leader-representatives shared

COUSTEAU

their experiences and insights with Cousteau on the ocean plastic pollution and the climate crisis. When asked by 23-year-old Youth Advocates for Climate Action Phils. representative Coleen Salamat about efforts that could still be done if the plastic waste has already reached the oceans, Cousteau sadly replied that so far, there seems to be no cure to the harm caused by plastics to marine biodiversity.

“I think a lot of people are thinking about [ways to retrieve the plastic already in the oceans…] And I haven’t come across any good answers. Once it’s there, it starts to degrade to microplastic, and sinks to the bottom,” explained Cousteau. “Recently I was talking with a team that [explored the bottom of the Marianas Trench, which is the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean, and they found] plastic there. So getting it out once it’s there is really hard.”

The Oceana senior advisor shared what she learned when she joined a documentary of the National Geographic a couple of years ago about plastic in the Mediterranean: “We were out on a sailboat sampling seawater to measure the amount of plastics in the water.

And they told me they sample every day for the past seven years, and there hasn’t been a single net [that came] back without microplastics. There’s no clear solution right now, and that’s what makes stopping the plastic from entering the ocean so important.”

Oceana recently sent notices to sue government officials of agencies who have neglected the implementation of Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The 20-year-old law mandates the National Solid Waste Management Commission and other concerned agencies to issue a list of non-environmentally acceptable products and packaging.

Many of the petitioners who plan to file the lawsuit are from the youth sector.

As an international advocacy organization, Oceana is dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans. Since 2014 it has been working closely with national and local government agencies, civil society, fisherfolk and other stakeholders to restore the abundance of Philippine fisheries and marine resources.

‘Isko’ commits Ospital ng Maynila bldg for PLM College of Medicine

B Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC

ly for you. All these efforts are our own little way of contributing to the [nation’s] healing.”

The 60-year-old Catholic educational institution ensures that standard health and safety protocols are observed during the inoculations.

Employees, together with the health-care partners, are advised to strictly follow the campus’ entry protocols, which include the mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields, submission of prefilled health questionnaire forms, and scanning. The institution aims to provide jabs for 1,000 individuals daily.

In May 2021 LSGH likewise opened its campus to serve as vaccination site for Barangay Wack-Wack Greenhills East residents and aid the Department of Health in increasing the

number of vaccination sites around Mandaluyong City. Another vaccination site, the Jose Rizal University (JRU) which is jointlymanaged by SMC and the city government, will also accept individuals under the A4 category.

The multinational publicly listed holding company has stated its intent to hire 300 medical professionals for this advocacy, and to assist local government units in their own vaccine distribution efforts.

Aside from LSGH and JRU, SMC is eyeing 15 other vaccination areas in the provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Albay, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Isabela, Bataan, Cebu, as well as the cities of Mandaue, Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro.

IGGER and better facilities await aspiring doctors at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila’s College of Medicine (CM), courtesy of the city government of Manila.

Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso revealed in his speech during the university’s 53rd Commencement Exercises on August 14 that the current building occupied by the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center along Roxas Boulevard will be freed up for the CM’s use once the new hospital is completed.

The local chief executive revealed that currently being erected is a new 10-storey and fully air-conditioned Ospital ng Maynila. His vision for the old hospital building is to be retrofitted for the CM, “then we can accommodate more engineers [and students, because we created more] space.”

The state-of-the-art facility is expected to be inaugurated in 2022.

President Emmanuel Leyco of PLM added that the edifice will become the PLM Allied Health Sciences Campus, which will also allot classrooms and labs for the College of Nursing, College of Physical Therapy, and possibly the College of Science.

MORENO, during the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila’s recent graduation ceremony PLM FACEBOOK PAGE

“This is a welcome development for PLM. We are immensely grateful to Mayor Isko Moreno, the City of Manila, and its people for their unwavering support to our beloved ‘Pamantasan,’” Leyco said. “Through this, we can further improve the quality of education and training…our [students of medicine] can receive.”

PLM students and alumni have been giving back to the City of Manila by serving as frontliners in hospitals and medical facilities, especially in this pandemic.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, August 28, 2021 A13

More than a wish fulfilled in Vatican

THE Swiss guard is responsible for the safety of the pope.

Panoramic view of Rome is breathtaking, as seen on top of St. Peter’s Dome.

Designed by Michelangelo, the St. Peter's Basilica’s ceiling depicts scenes from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament.

ST. Peter’s Square has 284 columns and 88 pilasters.

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Story & photos by Catherine Kaiser

n 2020, I had the chance to visit the Vatican City in Rome while we were on a three-week van camping holiday in South Italy. It was a dream that came true for me.

The Vatican is a city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy. The general headquarters of the Roman Catholic and the smallest country in the world. Visiting the Vatican can be a life-changing experience, at the same time overwhelming. The city offers plenty of things to do, see, or experience and that being said, you should plan and take time to explore the Vatican.

St. Peter’s Square

Also known as Piazza San Pietro, St. Peter’s Square is probably one of the most famous squares in the world. It housed up to 300,000 people and was exceptiona l ly designed by Bernini during the 17 century.

St. Peter's Basilica is one of the largest buildings in the world and is the largest of the papal basilicas.

Whether you’re short or have enough time, St. Peter’s Square is something that is not to be missed.

Besides, no queue to go through, be amused by the many impressive parts of the square. At the center of it stand two magnificent fountains that are sure to catch your attention.

St. Peter’s Square is usually open from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Depending on the event, such as masses and audiences, reserved areas are only accessible with tickets. Generally, a visit to St. Peter’s Square is free of charge.

Interestingly enough, once you have entered St. Peter’s Square, you're no longer in Rome. Technically, you're already in another

ST. Peter’s Basilica, the view from the other side.

state! The Vatican City has its telephone system, post office, beautiful gardens, astronomical observatory, radio station, banking system, and a pharmacy, as well as a contingent of Swiss Guards responsible for the personal safety of the Pope since 1506.

It’s the best time to visit St. Peter’s Basilica before 8:30 a.m. as the queue isn’t that long yet. Moreover, as a rule, St. Peter’s Basilica is not accessible on Wednesday mornings, when the Papal Audience takes place in St. Peter’s Square and Pope’s Masses.

site; you can feel an unexplainable, yet very special atmosphere in its confines, an experience of a lifetime. Moreover, a trip to Rome's Vatican City would not be complete without stepping into its mesmerizing hall and indulging in the world-class artworks.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Vatican museums

St. Peter's Dome

Delight in the hidden wonders of the Renaissance in the most unforgettable Vatican State experience. The St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest Catholic Church in the world. And luckily, all visitors are welcome. As you enter the church, you will recognize that its interior is vast and spectacular compared to other churches. I felt different upon stepping inside the beautifully designed floors and gazing at the great ceilings of the church.

All the composition, the outline, and everything about its interior is genuinely luxurious and mindblowing.

Before entering the St. Peter’s Basilica, there is a security check.

Dangerous items such as knives, scissors, and metal bottles are prohibited. However, you can transfer your water to a plastic one.

With more than six million visitors per year, the Vatican Museums are fifth in the world’s most visited attractions. The Vatican Museum does not only provide a look into the Christian or Vatican history; it also houses a collection of the world's most historical treasures and contains thousands of old artifacts of Roman, Greek, Christian eras and many more.

Typically, the queues to the ticket reception are also jam-packed with interested tourists. However, the ticket areas have been closed due to the pandemic; therefore, you can purchase your ticket online in advance. Children of six years and under are free of charge.

There are plenty of fascinating things to see in the Vatican museums, including the Sistine Chapel.

The Sistine Chapel is a consecrated

Designed by Michelangelo, the dome is one pursuit that is a must in your itinerary once visiting the Vatican. Admire the phenomenal views of Rome on top of St. Peter's Dome. Upon reaching the top level, there are two possible options. One, is taking half of the way via the elevator, which means the other half involves climbing your way to the top and will cost you €10 (P588).

Two, climbing the entire route on foot is quite a challenge and will cost you €8 (P470).

Be forewarned though that the climb to St. Peter’s Dome is very steep, and there’s no backing out as the staircase only fits an individual. The moment you begin the climb you can do nothing but complete it because there would always be people behind you. It is also important to remember that

THE author on the stairs, on the way to St. Peter’s Dome.

if you’re claustrophobic, you better avoid the climb at all costs. However, once you reached the top, you’ll be rewarded with a priceless view of the city of Rome. As a bonus, you’ll also get a glimpse of the Pope’s garden, too.

The best time to the Vatican is all-year round. But if you prefer a low season and not having the flocks of the crowd carrying out the same visit as you, plan your trip from November to February.

During August, the peak season, expect the number of tourists to be vast despite the pandemic. Nevertheless, the city is still worth the trip.

Before leaving the Vatican, don’t miss out the opportunity to send a postcard to a family member or to friend like I have done since the post office is nearby and accessible.

It may be a small gesture, but it’s something fun and a memorable way to mark your visit that affords you to share a bit of your experience with someone close to you. Lastly, visiting the Vatican is not only a travel wish list that I could finally tick off, but more importantly, a lifetime goal that I've happily accomplished.

CLARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CHOSEN AS FINALIST IN PRIX VERSAILLES WORLD SELECTION

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he new terminal building of Clark International Airport, unveiled to the public in July, is one of the top six finalists in the 2021 World Selection of the prestigious Prix Versailles Architecture and Design Awards under the Airport Category.

Finalists of the Prix are chosen for their innovative qualities, creativity and its design connection to the culture and heritage.

“This nomination is a recognition of the outstanding qualities of Clark International Airport—even with the fluidity of its state of art technology, this airport reflects a deep sense of place as it takes inspiration from the natural formations and surrounding landscape,” said Bi Yong Chungunco, chief executive officer of the Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD), the consortium in charge of the airport’s operations and maintenance.

The LIPAD official cited the role of Populous, lead interior de-

signer and retail planner for the new terminal which ensured that the Filipino culture and aesthetic reverberated through all aspects of interior design.

Populous architect, Ben Dawson, said “Passenger experience was at the heart of this design.

We believe the Philippines will be proud of Clark International Airport which draws on the energy of the local people and the environ-

ment as inspiration for the interior design and key feature installations throughout the terminal’s event spaces.”

Chungunco added that aside from its modern features, the airport is proudly inclusive because of thoughtful features such as a dedicated OFW lounge, walkthrough commercial spaces, gender-neutral toilets, and elevators and escalators in each boarding

gate—making the terminal accessible to all.

According to Chungunco, this distinction as a finalist is timely.

It comes at a time when the Filipinos, along with the rest of the world, are in great anticipation of better times and hopeful about the decline of the pandemic. “When travel is rela xed, which most probably be in phases, Clark International Airport will be there

to delight passengers and as a fitting testament to Philippine capacities,” she stated.

This four-level terminal is on an area of 110,000 square meters and has the capacity to accommodate 8 million passengers annually.

Alongside the Clark International Airport’s New Terminal Building, other airports around the world that have been selected to compete in the Prix Versailles

World Finale are Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt (Germany), Athens International Airport (Greece), South Wing Hazrat Sultan International Airport (Kazakhstan), New Plymouth Airport (New Zealand), LaGuardia Airport, Terminal B (New York). The winners in the category will be announced in the World Awards Ceremony at the Unesco Headquarters in Paris later this year.

A14 Saturday, August 28, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

BusinessMirror

Telco offers solutions for small businesses

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BUTTERBOY Bakehouse is a home-based business that is well-known for its delicious and affordable flaky croissants. @BUTTERBOYPH ON INSTAGRAM

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HIS pandemic has seen the rise of homebased entrepreneurs who have realized the Internet is where they can make a living since people aren’t going out.

From sellers of sourdough bread to those offering loungewear, these small enterprises rely heavily on the Internet for most aspects of their businesses.

To support the small-business ecosystem, PLDT Home Biz has introduced solutions, including valuefor-money plans called Asenso Fiber Plans starting at P1599. “The core goal of PLDT Home Biz is to build successful businesses, one entrepreneur at a time. With our Asenso Fiber Plans, we aim to help entrepreneurs establish a strong foundation to help them succeed,” said Patrick Tang, vice president and head of PLDT Home Biz, during the recent online launch of the Asenso Fiber Plans.

Asenso Fiber Plan 1599 has speeds of up to 35Mbps, while Plan 2099 has speeds of up to 60Mbps.

Business owners with existing PLDT Home and Home Biz subscription that would need more speeds for their business may also opt to upgrade starting with Asenso Fiber Plan 1999 with speeds of up to 55Mbps. Other plans are available.

PLDT Home Biz also offers micro-entrepreneurs e-commerce solutions in partnership with industry leaders PayMaya, UnionBank GlobalLinker, LBC Express through SoShop! By LBC, Grab Madiskarteng Boss Club, Sqanly, and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

In partnership with DTI, PLDT Home Biz gives home-based entrepreneurs direct access to the latest business trends, learning opportunities and events organized by the department.

“One of the major challenges of the pandemic is that a lot of our entrepreneurs have closed their physical stores. Together with DTI, PLDT Home Biz is focused on how we can help them to get back into the game by enabling them to shift their businesses to their homes and, in turn, contribute to economic recovery and growth,” said Tang.

PLDT Home Biz partnered with digital financial services provider PayMaya to enable subscribers to set up digital transactions for their businesses.

PayMaya allows users to enjoy the convenience of digital payments through QR codes, bank transfer, e-wallets, as well as credit and debit cards. Aside from the security and hassle-free cashless payment system, this also eliminates the need for subscribers to make frequent bank visits which allows them to do business safely from home.

“For many Filipinos, cashless is their default payment preference, and businesses need to be where their customers are,” said Raymund Villanueva, PayMaya head of business for QR ecosystems.

Small businesses can also boost their growth potential by creating their own online storefronts through the UnionBank GlobalLinker. This connects them to over 300,000 MSMEs through GlobalLinker’s network, where they may find other business owners who could be their potential supplier, partner or

customer.

“Aside from network expansion, our platform can enable more efficient business management. It comes with inventory management and data analysis tools, and offers access to various webinars which can help businesses gain more knowledge about the local landscape and potential customers,” said Jaypee Soliman, UnionBank GlobalLinker vice president for SME segment.

With trusted logistics partners such as Grab Madiskarteng Boss Club and LBC, PLDT Home Biz subscribers are assured of quality, safe and fast shipment of their goods.

“We want to empower every Filipino to become bosses of their own enterprises. Through Grab Madiskarteng Boss Club [MBC], we are providing a safe and reliable platform to help entrepreneurs better reach and serve their consumers, while helping them better unlock the unique benefits of digitalization— enabling them to resiliently grow and thrive amid our current market condition. Apart from providing meaningful support to our local entrepreneurs, our MBC program also enables them to create a positive impact on the lives of many Filipinos who rely on ondemand delivery platforms such as GrabExpress for their everyday needs and livelihoods,” said Jacq Lim, head of GrabExpress Philippines.

“From your courier needs to money remittance services, we got you covered with a roster of digital services to help your business thrive. Among them is the Rider Pickup option, which you can use to plan ahead and schedule the time that your products need to be picked up from your home,” said Juan Manuel Liwag, brand head for the Philippines for LBC Express.

In partnership with DTI, PLDT Home Biz has virtual trade expos and public forums that connect

entrepreneurs to business opportunities by building networks, learning from the business experts, finding new trends they can adopt, and linking them with potential clients and customers.

“Our strength as a nation has always been our ability to continually stand our ground and stand together through adversities. This same steadfast community spirit holds us fast in these uncertain days, with us and the private sector working together to help regain our economic losses due to the pandemic,” said Trade Assistant Secretary Demphna Du-Naga.

More information about PLDT Home Biz can be found at www.pldthome.com.

Here are some of the small businesses we support and we order from over and over: ■ MY THAI MAMA (@MYTHAIMAMA ON INSTAGRAM. A real Thai mama cooks the delicious Thai food (everything is good) while her daughter handles the operations of the business. The customer service is excellent.

■ WIZARD OF PAWS (@WIZOFPAWSPETSALON ON INSTAGRAM). This mobile pet grooming salon goes to your home and grooms your pets in a van. They only require a connection to power (they have a really long cord). Service is good and the cost is affordable at just a couple of hundreds on top of usual grooming costs.

■ RED KITCHEN (@REDKITCHENPH ON INSTAGRAM).

They have good Filipino breads, like monay and pan de sal, and tasty processed meats, like bacon and tocino.

Get the monay and bacon.

■ BUTTERBOY BAKEHOUSE (@BUTTERBOYPH ON INSTAGRAM). This small home-owned business makes delicious flaky croissants that are huge and affordable. The owner is also on Twitter (@hjoldr) so if you weren’t able to preorder your box of breads, you can see what they have on hand for the day. ■

www.businessmirror.com.ph

STABLE AND RELIABLE PARTNER OF ONLINE SELLERS

AT a time when practically anything can be ordered online and delivered right at one’s doorstep, a stable and reliable Internet connection becomes a necessity both for sellers and buyers.

This is what Shane Constantino-Flores realized when she explored the world of online selling while juggling her eight-hour day job and taking care of her family. Shane works as a product executive at a digital media company in Quezon City and is a top online seller of imported beauty products.

In the past, Shane had difficulties communicating with her online customers due to weak or nonexistent mobile signals at her hometown in Bustos, Bulacan. Thankfully, this is no longer the case today.

“Malaking tulong talaga itong mas mabilis na Internet na dala ng 4G lalo na ngayong full time akong work from home tapos may side hustle of online selling. With faster Internet, nama-maximize ko ’yung time ko for my family, my kids, my job and my online shop. It’s an achievement for me,” said Shane.

She added: “Dito sa area namin sa Bustos, puro bukid siya kung mapapansin, medyo ramdam natin dito ’yung weakness ng signal pero dahil sa mga ongoing construction nararamdaman naman namin na may improvement na kasi may mga areas na mayroon na talagang signal compared sa dati na talagang dead ’yung signal.”

Globe (www.globe.com.ph) helps online sellers like Shane reach the full potential of their business, be it on the side or a primary source of income, through continuous improvement and aggressive infrastructure development in Bulacan and other parts of the country to bring better and faster connections to Filipinos.

“Globe fully supports online sellers who go out of their way to earn extra for their family, so we make sure that their extra effort won’t go to waste.

We continue to provide them fast and reliable 4G LTE connections that will help them manage their business and respond to more customers promptly,” said Joel Agustin, Globe senior vice president for Program Delivery, Network Technical Group.

4G LTE refers to the mobile network technology that offers higher bandwidth or faster data speed, improved network responsiveness, lower latency, higher network capacity, backward compatibility, and future-proofing. 4G/LTE also gives enhanced security for its users.

To enjoy improved connectivity, customers who are still using the obsolete 3G SIM cards must shift to the 5G-ready 4G LTE SIMs now. According to Globe, customers will be able to retain their existing mobile numbers when they switch to the new technology. If quarantine protocols in their respective areas allow, customers can go to the nearest Globe Store to change their SIM cards for free.

Aside from changing their SIM cards to 5G-ready 4G LTE SIM cards, customers are also encouraged to update their mobile devices to 4G LTE-capable ones and their handset firmware to the latest available on the system for a better mobile data experience.

Interested customers can inquire at Globe Stores nationwide for affordable 5G- or 4G/LTE-capable mobile devices.

ONLINE seller Shane Constantino-Flores

Facebook’s ownership of Giphy hurts competition LONDON—Facebook’s ownership of Giphy will hurt competition for animated images, UK regulators said Thursday, meaning the social network could ultimately be forced to unwind the deal if the provisional findings are confirmed.

The Competition and Markets Authority said its investigation found the acquisition would hurt competition among social-media platforms because there’s only one other big provider of GIFs, Google’s Tenor. Giphy’s library of short looping videos, or GIFs, are a popular tool for Internet users sending messages or posting on social media.

The deal will also reduce digital advertising

competition by removing a potential rival from the market, the watchdog said. It started looking into the acquisition last year, shortly after Facebook announced its plan to acquire Giphy in a deal reportedly worth $400 million.

The acquisition also faces scrutiny from regulators in Australia and Austria, underlining concerns about how such acquisitions can affect competition in local markets. Facebook said it disagreed with the preliminary findings, which it didn’t believe to be supported by the evidence.

“As we have demonstrated, this merger is in the best interest of people and businesses in the UK—and

around the world—who use GIPHY and our services,” Facebook said. “We will continue to work with the CMA to address the misconception that the deal harms competition.”

Prior to the deal, Giphy had been considering expanding its paid advertising services to other countries including the UK. That would have added a new player to the market and encouraged more innovation from social-media sites and advertisers, the CMA said.

But Facebook terminated Giphy’s paid advertising partnerships after the deal, it said.

“Giphy’s takeover could see Facebook withdrawing

GIFs from competing platforms or requiring more user data in order to access them. It also removes a potential challenger to Facebook,” which dominates the UK’s £5.5 billion ($7.6 billion) display advertising market, inquiry chair Stuart McIntosh said. “None of this would be good news for customers.”

McIntosh said the watchdog would now seek feedback on the provisional findings before issuing its final report on October 6.

“Should we conclude that the merger is detrimental to the market and social-media users, we will take the necessary actions to make sure people are protected,” he said. AP

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, August 28, 2021 A15

/

How tablets got their groove backward I

THE new Huawei MatePad 2021, an incredible tool to have in facing the prevailing challenges in the new normal.

BY GERARD S. RAMOS Lifestyle & Entertainment Editor

T has been 17 months since Manila and pretty much everywhere else in the world went into lockdown as the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) spread mercilessly through communities, sparking a pandemic that has claimed millions of lives worldwide. Covid-19, which continues to inform everyday life, has prompted industries and institutions into new ways of thinking and working and studying, with paradigms old and new becoming adopted posthaste to mitigate the ravages of the pandemic.

It is in this new reality where the tablet— that wireless touch screen personal computer (PC) which had been all but declared dead as a platform when smartphone screens got bigger and bigger—has seemingly got its groove back. Or, more accurately, consumers “rediscovered” the inherent appeal of the tablet: instant on, easy to carry around the house in this work-from-home era, battery life that goes on for days on a single charge, an app library that makes it even more compelling in these days of Zoom meetings and virtual classrooms.

Among the best tablets now available in the market is the new Huawei MatePad 2021, which could be easily mistaken for the model released in early 2020—and you would be readily forgiven if you did.

After all, both tablets are nearly identical, from the brilliant 10.4 inch IPS screen with a 2000 x 1200 resolution and 225 PPI, to the more than serviceable 8MP front camera and 8MP rear camera, the 4GB RAM, plus the array of sensors that have been shoehorned into that compact body: ambient light detection, gyroscope, gravity acceleration, compass, hall sensor, fingerprint sensor.

That said, owners of the 2020 iteration of the Huawei MatePad could leave this new offering from the tech giant off their purchase list. However, parents looking for a device for their children to use for yet another year of virtual classrooms, or professionals on the lookout for a device suitably powerful for those endless Zoom meetings but less cumbersome to use than a full-fledged laptop, then the Huawei MatePad 2021 is just the ticket.

While this new tablet shares not a few things in common with its immediate predecessor, it does have claims to some new braggings rights, not the least of which is the new Huawei Kirin 820 processor (the earlier model had the 810 series), which the tech giant touts for the chip’s “advanced energy efficiency and calculation capacity with improved AI performance that intelligently allocates computing power,” meaning the user will enjoy a smooth performance throughout.

Even better, the Huawei MatePad 2021 also boasts of support for WiFi 6, the next generation standard in WiFi technology which “ensures faster speed to offer you smooth and stable connection.” No more “long buffering or frame freezing,” the company assures, with “up to 2400 Mbps transfer speeds” (if your Internet subscription pushes that many bytes) thus making the download of large files or watching HD videos online not akin to watching paint dry.

For parents mindful of the eye strain that continued tablet use might exact on their child, or if you like to spend your down time catching up on leisure reading, the Huawei MatePad 2021’s new eBook mode will certainly be most welcome.

The technology adjusts contrast, brightness and definition, providing the sort of reading experience typically found on e-book readers. Morever, the tablet’s display has won a TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification, which means the display “reduces harmful blue light, [and also] provides thoughtful reminders on your sitting posture and viewing distance to prevent discomfort even when you are burning the midnight oil.”

There is more to love about the Huawei MatePad

2021, not the least of which is its Midnight Blue colorway in a matte finish that resists unsightly fingerprints but is anything but dull, definitely an eyecatcher in the way a faultlessly tailored Henry Poole suit is. With dimensions at 245.2 mm x 154.96 mm x 7.45 mm, and weighing about 460 grams, the tablet is easy to slip into a tote and carry around the whole day in one hand without straining your wrist, and the slim profile belies its 7,520mAh battery— with 22.5 fast charging—that can power you through nearly a couple of days.

Many have crowed about the Huawei MatePad 2021’s excellent display—the blacks are black, the colors are vibrant, the rendered images are sharp— but the very big and very pleasant surprise is the audio muscles the tablet flexes. With its Harman Kardon-tuned quad-speaker setup, the output is loud and rich—coupled with that solid screen, the tablet makes a perfect tool for not only entertainment but those ubiquitous videoconferences.

The new Huawei MatePad 2021 runs on Android 10 with EMUI 10.1, and, yes, that means there is no Google Mobile Services installed (this on account of continuing US sanctions against China and

certain Chinese companies that include Huawei) and, consequently, none of all the Google goodness millions have come to love and depend on. However, there are ways with which one can install and enjoy those popular Google apps (Chrome, Gmail, Photos, Chat, Books)—the ways of installation varying in degrees of difficulty, but nothing that would lead you to give up a night of sleep.

Moreover, Huawei’s very own App Gallery continues to achieve a robustness that yields a good number of games and apps widely used by consumers, including Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, TikTok, Telegram, PayMaya, Viu, Microsoft Office and more. Also, the built-in Petal Search will scour other reputable app repositories to bring in more familiar app goodness, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, even Chrome, and of course Zoom.

The end is not yet in sight for the Covid-19 pandemic, and it behooves people to continue to find ways to be productive despite the constraints in this so-called new normal. And whether for virtual meetings or virtual classrooms, the Huawei MatePad 2021 is an incredible tool to have in facing the prevailing challenges. ■

The man from (When In) Manila and his Axies

THE founder of When In Manila, Vince Golangco is one of the top 100 players of the popular cryptobased game Axie Infinity. He also has about 20 Axie “scholars” and is looking to add more from the WIMPlays (When In Manila Plays) Facebook group.

Before the explosion of social media, names like Johnny Litton, Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Tim Yap dominated the society pages of newspapers and magazines as they talked about the latest events and trends in Manila.

That changed in the 2010s.

With the growth of the Internet and the rise of blogs and web sites, young Pinoys found a new source of information online via www.wheninmanila.com.

Created by Golangco on September 2009, When In Manila was originally a video blog before Vince decided to focus on written content, and the blogturned-web site soon became the online authority of the food you should eat, the sights you should see,

the places to visit, and the events you need to know about—When In Manila.

It has since become one of the most reliable online guides for Manila (and Philippines) with millions of views and an equally huge number of followers on its social media.

Vince credits their very active community to the amazing growth of When In Manila despite having only a small team. Beginning with restaurant and food reviews, the web site now covers almost every aspect of Filipino lifestyle and culture.

Surprisingly, the man who started it all was just in Manila on vacation recently to visit his relatives.

Born in the US, Vince admits he didn’t have the most comfortable childhood, and that their family were always moving.

“I had an uncle who offered me a place to stay and when I was there, I was working at Burger King, at the mall. He was the one who encouraged me to join the military. Looking back, it was a really good decision.

I got a lot of discipline and grew into a man from my time in the military,” he recalled.

He served in the US Navy and eventually graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and a minor in Business in 2008—right in the midst of the Great Recession in the US. “Most college students who put themselves through college incur hundreds of thousands in debt.

Fortunately, since I served in the military, they paid for my schooling. So, I graduated with no debt but since the economy was bad, I decided to just travel the

world and look for better opportunities.”

Being part Filipino, Vince recalled living in the Philippines when he was young. He decided to visit his relatives in Manila, and he said he fell in love with the country and decided to write about his experiences.

At that time, the local blogging scene was just starting out. Vince, on the other hand, had already been blogging even during college and had multiple WordPress sites where he would write about motivation, inspiration and other personal stuff.

“I guess it was about being at the right place at the right time, recognizing the opportunity and being willing to put in a lot of hard work,” he said.

THE GEEK KID INSIDE

THROUGHOUT his life, Vince has been a US military veteran, entrepreneur, restaurateur, surfer, writer, radio DJ, TV show host and a lot of other things, but the one thing that has been constant through it all is his being a geek. From superhero comics, cartoons, anime, toys, collectible cards and board games, Vince was into all the geek stuff, even putting up the Gaming Library and Boardgames café.

Vince is also a life-long gamer, but because they couldn’t buy a gaming console when he was young, Vince said he would visit friends just to play games.

“I was already in college when I was finally able to buy my own Playstation 2. The problem was I got too hooked on playing Madden NFL, and it was all I could do. My girlfriend then even threatened to breakup with me for playing too much.”

Vince says he loves action, open-world games and RPGs (role-playing-games), rattling off titles like Horizon Zero Dawn, The Batman Arkham series, Spiderman and, most recently Genshin Impact.

However, months into playing Genshin Impact, Vince said he realized he was just throwing away money on in game items, and that was when a friend introduced him to Axie infinity. (TO BE CONTINUED)

Sports BusinessMirror

A16 | S

aturday, August 28, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

UGÁS AMENABLE TO REMATCH

By Josef Ramos

W PRESENT FROM TOKYO OLYMPICS Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (right) presents

President Duterte a memorabilia from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics during the courtesy call of the country’s successful Olympians earlier this week in Malacañang. The memorabilia bears the signatures of gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam and bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial. Looking on is Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports.

READY FOR OCCUPANCY T OKYO Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and her fellow medalists could now move into the new homes President Duterte promised them from the National Housing Authority (NHA).

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez and NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr. jointly

announced on Friday that Diaz, silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio and bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial will be presented their rewards starting early next month.

The turnover ceremony of Diaz and Marcial’s new homes in their native Zamboanga City is scheduled on September 2, while those for Petecio in Davao del Sur and Paalam in Cagayan de Oro will be held at a later date.

Escalada said the brand-new

homes consist of 2 stories with two bedrooms on a 60-square-meter floor area and a total lot area of 80 square meters. The units are tiled, painted, and fully-furnished, complete with water and electricity connections.

The properties are located in communities with easy access to a wet-and-dry market, police outpost and other institutional services.

“This good fortune and success of the national athletes could inspire a child somewhere to take up sports and one day take his turn in bringing pride to the Philippines,” Ramirez said.

ORLD Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Yordenis Ugás welcomed a potential rematch with eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao in January, saying he would be better prepared for the fight.

Speaking to media in an online news conference on Friday, Ugás (27-4 win-loss record with 12 knockouts) said it would be an honor to fight the 42-year-old Pacquiao (67-8-2 win-loss-draw record with 39 knockouts) anew. “[Manny] Pacquiao is a warrior, he is a true legend, and it will be an honor if I will face him again,” the 35-year-old Ugás said through an interpreter.

The January fight, if it materializes, will be an entirely different fight, according to Ugás.

“I think the main differenxe is that if there will be a rematch, we will both have better preparations for the fight,” he said. “That is really an important aspect—to project and prepare for the fight.”

Pacquiao hinted of a rematch

with Ugás, most probably in January, in an article published by theathletic.com on Thursday.

MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons confirmed Pacquiao’s desire saying all the sitting Philippine senator needs is to ask Premier Boxing Champions big boss Al Haymon to call for the rematch.

In the same theathletic.com interview, Pacquiao admitted that he was fatigued although he stressed that “Ugás was the easiest opponent he ever faced in his entire professional boxing career” but cramps hounded him in the duel.

Pacquiao lost the 12-round title fight via unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last Sunday. He said he could return to the ring by January because if he runs for president in May’s general elections, the campaign will begin only in February.

Ugás spoke highly of Pacquiao in the same interview on Friday.

“If this was the last fight for

H

Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam clinched silvers for Philippine boxing’s first Olympic medal since Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco bagged the same medal in the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Petecio did it in women’s featherweight class, while Paalam in men’s flyweight. Eumir Felix Marcial made it a triple kill as the Filipino middleweight added a bronze to the national boxing team’s campaign, which enjoyed its finest performance yet in the Olympics.

The rest of the Philippine delegation also made their presence felt as skateboarder Margielyn Didal made the finals and finished seventh in women’s street, and so did gymnast Carlos Yulo in men’s vault and EJ Obiena in the medal round of men’s pole vault.

Reigning US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Juvic Pagunsan were also in the thick of the fight in golf, rower Cris Nievarez advanced to the quarterfinals of men’s single sculls, while boxer Irish Magno, weightlifter Elreen Ando, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa, swimmers Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rule, shooter Jayson Valdez, sprinter Kristina Knott and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe made good

accounts of themselves in their Olympic debuts.

Outside of the Tokyo Gams, other Filipino athletes also shone in the international stage.

Obiena, 25, topped the Taby Stavhoppsgala Street Pole Vault in Sweden, beating 2016 Rio de Janeiro gold medalist Thiago Braz of Brazil and Andrew Irwin of the USA for the gold.

The victory by the Filipino pole vaulter, who was ranked No. 6 in the world going to Tokyo, came just two days after he reset the Philippine record with a jump of 5.87 meters to clinch the silver in the Irena Szewinska Memorial Bydgoszcz event in Poland.

In tennis, Alex Eala’s meteoric rise continues after winning both the singles and doubles girls’ titles of the JA Trofeo Bonfiglio in Milan, Italy.

The Filipina teener and American partner Madison Sieg beat the pair of Croatian Lucija Ciric Bagaric and Sofia Costoulas of Belgium, 6-4.4-6, 13-11, in the doubles finals and add the trophy to her collection after earlier topping Czech Republic’s Nikola Bartunkova, 6-3,6-3, in the singles finals.

Following the twin feat, Eala rose to No. 2 in the International Tennis Federation girls junior players ranking.

Filipino para athletes grope for form N

OT wanting to disappoint his coach who was forced to stay home due to Covid-19, Jerrold Mangliwan scrambled to the finals of the T52 men’s 400-meter race on Friday by placing seventh in the heats of the Tokyo Paralympic Games athletics at the Japan National Stadium.

Wheelchair racer Mangliwan overcame a sluggish start to hit his stride at the halfway mark and wound up in fourth place in the first heat, clocking one minute and 3.41 seconds, topped by American

defending champion Martin Raymond in 57.70 seconds.

The time was enough for the pride of Tabuk (Kalinga) to book his spot in the finals at 8:16 p.m.

(7:16 p.m. in Manila) after finishing among the top 8 qualifiers in two heats in a field of 11 entries of the outing bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Mangliwan will be racing in lane No. 3 beside Raymond, of Filipino-Irish descent and a triple gold medalist in the 2016 Rio Paralympics, in lane No. 4, bidding to give the country its first medal in

the third day of action of the sports fest featuring the world’s finest para athletes.

The 2015 Singapore Asean Para Games double gold medalist had earlier dedicated his race to coach Joel Deriada, who was grounded in the Philippines after testing positive for the virus before the national team left for the Japanese capital.

“A slow start has been Jerrold’s weakness. He trailed at the start but managed to catch up midway through,” said Deriada from Manila after witnessing the race live via video streaming.

He continued to have faith in the athlete, who boasts a personal best

YORDENIS UGÁS says he’ll be more prepared in January. AP

PNVF fields 2 women, 1 men national teams to Asian club tourney

PSA picks Olympic gold medalist Diaz top Filipino achiever for July IDILYN DIAZ wanted nothing else but the gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a dream she long aspired for since her debut in Beijing in 2008.

The Zamboanguena weightlifter delivered just that, lifting her way to immortality by winning the Philippines’s first-ever gold medal in the quadrennial showpiece.

By hoisting an Olympic record of 127 kgs in the clean and jerk that led to another record of 224 kgs in total lift for the women’s 55-kg gold medal, Diaz ascended to the pantheon of Philippine sports greats as she ended the country’s close to a century craving for gold since David Nepomuceno competed in Paris in 1924.

The historic feat pulled off by the 30-year-old Diaz easily put her as the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s (PSA) top achiever for the month of July and in a strong contention for the prestigious Athlete of the Year award handed out by the country’s oldest media organization.

Diaz’s monumental accomplishment gave the other Filipino athletes in Tokyo a muchneeded inspiration to complete the country’s best ever finish in the Olympics.

Pacquiao, I was honored because I think that Manny picked up a really good fight—not just to beat him, but to hurt him and show his value,” Ugás said. “I’m not only happy that I won, but I’m happy with the quality of my performance.”

T

THE men’s national team (seated, from left) Rex Intal, Jack Kalingking, Manuel Sumanguid, Ricky Marcos, JP Bugaoan, Jessie Lopez and Jao Umandal; (standing, first row) Joeven dela Vega, Ish Polvorsa, assistant coach Jeff Malabanan, assistant coach Sherwin Meneses, coach Dante Alinsunurin, team manager Michael Verano, assistant coach Dong dela Cruz and strength and conditioning coach Nico Francisco; (standing, second row) Marck Espejo, Kim Malabunga, Bryan Bagunas, Kim Dayadante, John Vic de Guzman, Mark Alfafara, Ysay Marasigan, Josh Retamar, Francis Saura. Not in photo are Nico Almendras and Lloyd Josafat

THE women’s national team (seated, from left) Rhea Dimaculangan, Mhicaela Belen, Tin Tiamzon, Dawn Macandili, Aby Maraño, Jennifer Nierva, Bernadette Pepito, Iris Tolenada and Kamille Cal; (standing, from left) trainer Raffy Mosuela, physical therapist Grace Gomez, team manager Fe Moran, head coach Odjie Mamon and Brazilian consultant Jorge Edson Souza de Brito, strength and conditioning coach Paolo Rivero, trainer George Pascua and assistant coach Grace Antigua; and (standing, second row) Eya Laure, Faith Nisperos, Ria Meneses, Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron, Dell Palomata, Jaja Santiago, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Ivy Lacsina, MJ Phillips, Mylene Paat and Imee Hernandez. time of 1:02.17 set last May at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Nottwil, Switzerland.

“Actually, Mangliwan’s fastest time is 1:00.97 when he got the silver medal in the event in the Singapore Asean Para Games,” Deriada said. “But it was not recognized because the meet was not sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee.”

Swimmer Ernie Gawilan missed the finals of the SM7 men’s 200-meter individual medley after placing ninth overall in the heats with a personal best time of 2:50.49 at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre. The top 8 swimmers

advance to the finals in the afternoon.

Swimming coach Tony Ong noted that Gawilan’s clocking was faster than the 2:52 he set in winning the gold medal in the same event during the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“Ernie will be a reserve in the finals later this afternoon in the event a swimmer backs out,” he said.

Philippine Paralympic Committee President Mike Barredo, together with IPC President Andrew Parsons, awarded last Thursday the medals in the men’s -49-kilogram division of powerlifting at the Tokyo International Forum.

WO national teams will represent the country in the Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship, Thailand is hosting in Nakhon Ratchasima from October 1 to 7, Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) President Ramon “Tats” Suzara said on Friday.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) recently approved a 20-member national women’s team and according to Suzara, head coach Odjie Mamon and Brazilian consultant Jorge Edson Souza de Brito will pick four more players to form two teams of 12 players each.

“This will be an excellent exposure for our new young players who will be playing alongside the veterans,” said Suzara, adding that fielding teams to the club championships is one of the PNVF’s commitments to both the Asian Volleyball Confederation and International Volleyball Federation.

The women’s team will train for three weeks starting September 1 at University of the Assumption Gym in San Fernando and will fly for Thailand on September 27.

The national men’s team will also see action in the Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship set from October 8 to 15 also in Nakhon Ratchasima and will leave on October 4. Like the women, the men will also train for three weeks at the Pampanga university facility beginning September 1.

The national team training is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Rebisco and Taguig City and in cooperation with the city of San Fernando and Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda.

The women’s team is composed of Majoy Baron, Mhicaela Belen, Kamille Cal, Rhea Dimaculangan, Kianna Dy, Imee Hernandez, Ivy Lacsina, Eya Laure, Dawn Macandili, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Aby Maraño, Kalei Mau, Ria Meneses, Jennifer Nierva, Faith Nisperos, Mylene Paat, Dell Palomata, Bernadette Pepito, MJ Phillips, Jaja Santiago, Tin Tiamzon and Iris Tolenada.

The coaching staff is composed of assistant coach Grace Antigua, trainers Raffy Mosuela and George Pascua, strength and conditioning coach Paolo Rivero and physical therapist Grace Gomez.