BusinessMirror August 29, 2019

SM TOPS SMC, AYALA IN ‘FORBES’ LIST

By VG Cabuag @villygc

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M Investments Corp., the holding firm of the Sy family, bested several other family-owned Philippine conglomerates that made it to Forbes Magazine’s inaugural Best Over A Billion list.

The list spotlights 200 top-performing listed companies across the Asia-Pacific region with revenues of $1 billion or more.

SM had revenues of $7.99 billion, followed by San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. with $5.44 billion and JG Summit Holdings Inc. at $5.33 billion.

Other local firms that made it to

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the list were Ayala Corp. ($3.79 billion), the Ty-family led GT Capital Holdings Inc. ($3.79 billion), Lucio Co’s Cosco Capital ($3.2 billion), fastfood chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. ($3.06 billion) and property developer Megaworld Corp. ($1.02 billion).

China’s behemoths Alibaba and Tencent Holdings topped the list with sales of $56.16 billion and $47.49 billion, respectively.

Best 400 FORBES Asia said the new list complements the long-established Best Under A Billion list of the 200 bestperforming, small and mid-sized companies in the Asia-Pacific region

See “‘Forbes’ list,” A2

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

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Thursday, August 29, 2019 Vol. 14 No. 323

DBM to release more money for rice fund ₧4B A

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

The DBM said, however, that it will only disburse the amount once the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) certifies that there is excess

government money which can be allocated for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

@alyasjah

HE country’s trade chief has given assurances that the Philippines is shielded from any direct damage from the trade conflict between the United States and China, but admitted its protracted nature will take a toll on all economies.

Trade Secretar y R amon M. Lopez said the government is doing everything in its power to bring to the Philippines some of the investments flying out of China due to its trade conflict with the US. As proof, foreign direct investment net inf lows from Beijing increased last year to $198.7 million, from $28.8 million in 2017.

Chinese investments approved by the Board of Investments also expanded to P48.7 billion, from P576 billion, Lopez said in a text message to reporters.

“Chinese investments are being drawn into certain sectors, like agricultural business, energy, industrial parks, manufacturing, real estate, telecommunications, transport and storage.

For instance, some of the largest Chinese steel companies have expressed strong interest to establish the first integrated iron and steel facility in the country, an essential part of industrial development,” Lopez said late Tuesday.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n

“The US-China trade war has not adversely affected the Philippines, and has...provided more investment opportunities for the country...[But] if the US-China trade tension lingers on, the uncertainties and global slowdown can worsen.”—Lopez

“Most of the Chinese investment projects are to be located outside the National Capital Region, beneficial for developing the countryside and in promoting inclusive growth,” he added.

The trade chief said the Philippines is becoming the refuge of some relocating Chinese firms because of its young and dynamic population and skilled work force; robust economic growth; policy reforms, including the aggressive infrastructure development program; and market access.

The Philippines is benefitting from the preferential treatment with the US through the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which provides zero duty to over 5,000 products, representing nearly half of all American tariff lines. Around 70 percent to 80 percent of Philippine exports to the US are imposed zero duty.

Manila is also granted GSP Plus by the European Union, which accords tariff-free shipment to See “Lopez,” A2

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The desolation of PHL agriculture: Can Secretary Dar reverse its continuing stagnation?

During a Senate hearing, Budget Assistant Secretary Rolando U. Toledo settled the score over the controversial P5-billion fund

The remainder of a fund to bankroll initiatives to help farmers cope with the surge of cheap rice imports.

that the DBM released to the Department of Agriculture (DA) in December.

Toledo said the P5 billion, which was released through special allotment release orders (Saro), was a supplement to the DA’s national rice program.

Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

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NDICATORS of the collapse of Philippine agriculture are not difficult to find. Official statistics indicate growing agricultural trade deficits, declining GDP share and grinding rural poverty everywhere. Most worrisome, there are reports in various regions that there is an acute shortage of agricultural workers because majority of the millennials and those belonging to the younger generation Z have been avoiding farm work like a plague.

The Philippine farming population is aging and fading away.

Continued on A7

See “Rice fund,” A8

Inflation for the poorest slowest in 23 mos–PSA

Lopez: No direct damage from US-China trade row, but protraction to hurt all

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

2018 EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

@jearcalas

FTER months of uncertainty, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it will release the remaining P4 billion for a fund that will bankroll initiatives to help planters cope with the influx of cheap rice imports.

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with less than $1 billion in revenue.

The two lists now cover all of AsiaPacific’s listed companies, selecting the best 400 from the smallest to the biggest, using $1 billion in sales as a dividing line, it said.

From a universe of 3,200 listed companies in the Asia-Pacific region, the candidates for the Best Over A Billion list were evaluated based on more than a dozen metrics including their average five-year sales, operating income growth, return on capital and projected growth over the next one to two years.

Those having the highest composite score earned a place in the final list of 200.

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

T SENATOR Cynthia Villar, who chairs the Committee on Agriculture and Food, engages Leonardo Montemayor, board chairman of the Federation of Free Farmers, during Wednesday’s joint hearing with the Committees on Finance and Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship on the impact of the Rice Tariffication Act on farmers and the local rice industry. ROY DOMINGO

UHC may not be ready for PHL-wide rollout in ‘20

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

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HE Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday admitted that the new Universal Health Care (UHC) law may not be implemented nationwide next year.

During the 2020 national budget briefing of the DOH at the House of Representatives, Health Secretar y Francisco Duque III told lawmakers the schedule of the nationwide rollout of UHC law in 2020 is affected by budgetary constraints and their own readiness.

“We cannot do a national rollout [for the UHC law] because of budgetary constraints and because of the [agency’s] readiness,” he said.

We need to do capacity building in the different provinces, who, under the law, will be the convergence points of integration,” Duque added.

Earlier, the Department of Finance said the government needs P257 billion

for the first year of the implementation of UHC law in 2020. Under the 2020 national budget, the government has allocated P166.5 billion for the implementation of the UHC law.

For 2020, the DOH budget, meanwhile, amounts to P160.15 billion.

The budget is 5 percent less than the department’s 2019 appropriations. The decrease in the budget is due to a lower allocation for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) at P5.9 billion, which in 2019 has a budget level of P15.9 billion.

Another reason for the decrease is the complete transfer of the entire personnel services funds of the Human Resources for Health (HRH) Deployment Program to the Miscellaneous Personnel and Benefits Fund. In 2019, HRH has a PS budget level of P5.14 billion.

Low utilization

MEANWHILE, lawmakers questioned

the consistent low budget utilization of the health agency.

According to Duque, the two major cost items behind the low budget utilization are the HFEP and public health program commodities.

Duque said the implementation of the HFEP has been affected by issues on implementation readiness, which includes lot ownership issues, lack of DENR requirement, and peace and order situation.

He added there are also issues on mode of payment, late submission of billing by the external clients and incomplete document requirement for billing.

For public health program commodities, the secretary raised the procurement concerns, such as no local suppliers that can provide the required quantity for TB drugs for children, cancellation of procurement because of overlaps of commodities and global shortage in supply of rabies vaccines.

HE poorest Filipinos saw the slowest inflation they have experienced in nearly two years, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Based on the Consumer Price Index for bottom 30-percent income households, PSA said inflation experienced by the poorest reached 3.1 percent.

This is slower than the 4-percent inflation posted in June and 7.6 percent in July 2018. In fact, it is the slowest in 23 months or since August 2017 when inflation was at 3 percent.

“Relative to their annual rates in June 2019, inflation was slower in the indices of all the commodity groups during the month, except for the index of housing and repairs [H&R],” PSA said.

PSA data showed inflation was slower in all commodities, including the food index which only posted an increase of 2.7 percent in July 2019.

The weight of food in the basket of goods used for the computation of the inflation experienced by the poorest 30 percent, as previously explained by National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa, is 70 percent against 39 percent for all the households.

See “Inflation,” A2

US 52.3760 n JAPAN 0.4954 n UK 64.3753 n HK 6.6744 n CHINA 7.3125 n SINGAPORE 37.7050 n AUSTRALIA 35.3590 n EU 58.0902 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.9662

Source: BSP (28 August 2019 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Thursday, August 29, 2019

‘Amend Peza charter to make ecozones more competitive’

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By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

@alyasjah

HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority has asked lawmakers to amend the Peza charter to improve the operations of economic zones and update the menu of fiscal incentives for locators.

Peza Director General Charito B. Plaza said it is time to introduce changes, noting that many investment promotion agencies had their fair share of charter changes lately, and such reform is needed in the Peza since its enabling law is already 24 years old.

“Unlike [the] Peza law which is already 24 years old, other investment

Arbitral ruling. . .

Last week, Duterte warned foreign vessels passing through Philippine waters without clearance from the government. Chinese warships have passed through the Sibutu Strait in Tawi-Tawi last August and July but without giving prior notice to Philippine authorities.

Besides bringing up the arbitral ruling,

promotion agencies have recently had their respective charters amended,” Plaza said in a statement late Tuesday.

She said the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) charter was overhauled in April, providing the agency the sole and exclusive jurisdiction to grant incentives to locators until December 31, 2029.

Continued from A8

the President also vowed to prod China on the conclusion of the delayed Code of a Conduct in the West Philippine Sea, as well as the 60-40 joint oil exploration deal with China.

Besides meeting with President Xi on Thursday, Duterte will witness the signing of agreements on education, science and technology, economic and

‘Forbes’ list. . .

Inflation. . .

The goal is to find the region’s bestrun companies that are doing well on not just one metric but across many of them. The result is a list that represents the best of Asia-Pacific’s big companies, it said.

The list also highlights the connection between the companies and members of Forbes Asia’s rich lists.

“The Best Over A Billion list provides an incredible insight into which are Asia’s best-run big companies.

Nearly two thirds of the companies on this list are controlled by or connected to families or individuals who have appeared on Forbes Asia’s rich lists,” Forbes Asia Editor Justin Doebele said.

San Miguel Food and Beverage, for instance, counts Philippine billionaires Ramon S. Ang and Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. among its biggest shareholders and are CEO and chairman, respectively.

The company’s shares have surged over 20 percent this year, outperforming the local stock market benchmark.

PSA data showed that rice, corn and cereals posted contractions in July at 0.4 percent, 2.5 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.

Only fish and eggs posted price increases in July 201— fish to 2.8 percent from 2.5 percent; and eggs, 7.8 percent from 7.6 percent.

“Except for the indices of eggs and fish, the other food groups exhibited slower annual increments in July 2019,” PSA said.

Continued from A1

Continued from A1

NCR inflation IN the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila, the poorest saw inflation slow to 0.9 percent in July 2019 on the back of cheaper food and lower fuel, light and water (FLW) costs.

Food prices in Metro Manila slowed to 0.9 percent in July 2019 while FLW saw a contraction of 0.9 percent in prices during the period.

This was also complemented by slower annual gains in the indices of food, beverages and tobacco (FBT) at 0.9 percent; clothing, 0.8 percent; services, 2.2 percent; and miscel-

Even the decade-old charter of the Authority of the Freeport of Bataan was recently amended to strengthen its roles and functions, she added.

“It is about time the Peza charter be amended due to economic imperatives and to improve the operations of economic zones in the Philippines,” Plaza explained.

Under House Bills 3654, 3747 and 3897, the Peza will no longer be under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) but under the Office of the President. Amending the Peza charter will also institutionalize tax perks granted to economic zone firms, and will no longer be borrowed from executive orders, and internal revenue issuances.

The charter amendment will maintain the payment of tax on gross income earned (GIE) for locators, but it will be raised to 7 percent, from 5 percent at present.

This component will be crucial in legislative discussions on whether locators will be allowed to retain their incentives. Countering this measure is the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (Citira) bill, under which locators will be forced to surrender their tax perks, including the GIE, and pay corporate tax instead.

This is also the primary reason Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez opposes amending the Peza charter. He said doing so will clash with government’s goal to rationalize incentives under the Citira bill.

Lopez earlier told reporters the measures filed to amend the Peza charter will not prosper. He argued such move is not part of the government’s tax plan, and he did not approve of it as Peza Board chairman.

In response, Plaza said Lopez was informed all along about the plan to amend the charter of the Peza.

social development.

On Friday, August 30, he will meet with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang before departing Beijing and going to Guanzhou, Guangdong province, to watch Gilas Pilipinas’ game against Italy in the Fiba Basketball World Cup on August 31.

Prior to the game, he is expected to meet Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and discuss increasing trade and investment and deepening the friendship between Filipinos and the people

of Guangdong, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Wang will accompany the President in watching the game. Duterte leaves China on September 1.

The President’s trip to China is his fifth since assuming office and his first since the Recto Bank incident where 22 Filipino fishermen nearly drowned after their fishing boat had an “allision” with a Chinese vessel which abandoned them at sea as their boat sank.

laneous, 1.7 percent.

On the other hand, in terms of H&R, PSA said it recorded a higher growth of 1.4 percent during the month.

Outside NCR IN Areas Outside NCR (AONCR), inflation also slowed to 3.1 percent in July 2019 compared to 4.1 percent in June 2019 and 7.6 percent in July 2018.

“Slowdowns in the annual increments were observed in the indices of all the commodity groups, except for the index of H&R, which exhibited a higher annual uptick of 4.5 percent during the month,” PSA said.

Compared with their annual rates in the previous month, all the regions outside NCR posted slower increases in July 2019, the agency said.

This is except for the poor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), who experienced higher inflation at 3.2 percent during the month.

Among the regions in AONCR, the slowest annual rate of 0.6 percent during the period was seen in Northern Mindanao, while the highest was still observed in Mimaropa region at 8.1 percent.

Lopez. . .

Continued from A1

almost 6,300 products.

“Overall, the US-China trade war has not adversely affected the Philippines, and has in fact provided more investment opportunities for the country in which the government and the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] are actively promoting,” Lopez said.

“Nevertheless, if the US-China trade tension lingers on, the uncertainties and global slowdown can worsen and will affect all economies in the world,” he argued.

Lopez issued the statement after Fitch Solutions on Monday said Thailand, Vietnam and Bangladesh are winning the tug of war for manufacturing firms fleeing China to escape the tariffs imposed by the US on thousands of Chinese goods. The Philippines was not on the list.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Moody’s: Lower RRR credit-positive for PHL banking

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By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

HE reduction in the banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) is “credit-positive” for the local banking system, as it will push banks to release funds cost-effectively, the international credit watcher said.

In the 17th edition of its “Inside Asean” publication, Moody’s Investors Service said the recent move of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to bring down the banks’ deposit requirement ratio and its intent to bring it down further is good for the country’s lending stream.

“The lower reserve requirement is credit-positive for Philippine banks because the banks will be able to deploy funds more efficiently. In addition, the release of liquidity, estimated at more than P200 billion, will ease tight domestic liquidity conditions,” Moody’s said.

“Capital pressure will intensify as we expect loan growth to recover in tandem. However, banks will remain well-capitalized because of high regulatory capital requirements and their proven access to capital markets,” it added.

The RRR is one of BSP’s monetary tools. It is the portion of depositors’ balances that banks are asked to keep idle in the BSP’s vaults as reserves.

The Philippines still has one of the highest RRRs in the region. This means that a significant chunk of the bank’s funds are kept in the BSP’s coffers instead of being lent out to fuel economic growth.

Moody’s also said they expect banks to have higher net interest margins as a result of the reduction.

“We estimate the net interest margin to expand by five to 10 basis points for every 200 basis point cut in the RRR,” Moody’s said.

“The Central Bank is targeting a single-digit percentage RRR for the universal and commercial banks by 2023, implying a further increase in banks’ profitability if the progressive reduction is implemented as planned,” it added.

Amid calls from the market, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno earlier this year decided to cut the RRR by 200 basis points.

Navy: Rules of engagement on ships’ transit nearly done

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HE Philippine Navy is finalizing its rules of engagement covering vessels that pass through the country’s territorial waters, especially those that refuse to respond to military challenges and do not identify themselves.

The crafting of the procedures and rules of engagement was spurred by President Duterte’s order to the Department of Defense (DND) to deal in a “friendly” or “unfriendly manner” with other countries’—including China’s—alleged unauthorized transiting.

Since February this year, Chinese warships have passed through the Balabac Strait in Palawan and Sibutu Strait in Tawi-Tawi but refused to identify themselves when they were challenged by Philippine Navy ships. The Chinese warships also turned off their automatic identification system.

“Our concept is, once monitored by the LMS [littoral monitoring station] entering our territorial waters and if we have a ship available, then we will direct our ship to shadow or to accompany the ship, assuming that it has no clearance,” said Navy chief Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad, referring to the rules of engagement against any unauthorized transiting vessel.

“We will shadow it until it leaves our territorial waters. So we continuously challenge the ship. If it will not respond or will shut off its automatic identification system, then probably we can send aircraft to shadow it also and then take pictures of the ship,” he added.

Empedrad said that at the extreme, Navy ships can also cross the bow of the unauthorized vessel.

The Navy will not take provocative action other than forcing the intruding vessel to officially identify itself.

“We will not be doing that. Just manuevering to tell them that, continuously tell them that they are passing through our territorial waters and even more if their transit is not expeditious,” Empedrad said.

The Navy chief disclosed that a Chinese Navy vessel shadowed the BRP Conrado Yap when it sailed home from South Korea this month, with the Chinese warship only breaking away once the ship entered Philippine waters near Ilocos Norte. Rene Acosta

Apology. . .

Continued from A8

accident had to happen and I would like to express deep sympathy to the Filipino fishermen. The ship owner of the Chinese fishing boat involved, through our association, would like to expess his sincere apology to the Filipino fishermen.”

Code of Conduct

MEANWHILE, Panelo said the President is pushing for the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to prevent conflicts in the disputed waters.

He said Duterte wants to discuss with Chinese President Xi Jinping at their bilateral meeting set Wednesday in Beijing the crafting of the Code of Conduct and how they can expedite its conclusion.

“The President believes that the absence of the COC that is to be observed by affected countries has caused numerous conflicts in the subject waters that could have been prevented by a document that will regulate their actions. A good example of such conflict would be the maritime incident which transpired a few months ago in Recto Bank,” he said.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror Special Feature

Thursday, August 29, 2019 A3

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TheBroa

Business

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Medical marijuana: Hig I

By Samuel P. Medenilla & Jovee dela Cruz

GNORED for a long time, the elephant in the room was immediately noticed when it lit up a cigarette the odor of which smacks of marijuana: a plant that’s now a raw material for businesses in some states of the US. It’s now at the center of a tug-ofwar in a former American colony.

On one side are mothers like Girlie Cleofas who say her daughter Julia should have access to Cannabis sativa L. in its medicinal form— as it was in India as Ayurvedic medicine. On the other side is a 17-year-old law that defines marijuana as a dangerous drug.

Cleofas says her motivation in pushing for the medical marijuana law is rooted in a desire to allow access to people with debilitating illnesses: in short, people like her daughter.

Health worries

ON good days, Cleofas’s daughter Julia looks just like any 5-year old girl doted on by her mother.

She frequently looks at her mother. During the interview at the office of Isabela Rep. Antonio T. Albano, Julia hugged her mother almost every 20 minutes.

Until she started to violently shake and quiver involuntarily from her epileptic seizure—and then all hell breaks loose.

Cleofas told the BusinessMirror during the interview that today is one of the good days. She said even if she tries getting used to the sudden jolts breaking Julia’s peaceful moments, these still bring her worries. The peaceful moments, she added, are too few and far in between and often only last a few minutes.

“It’s like being close to an earthquake; that’s how it feels the way she would have her seizure,” Cleofas said.

However, even the mild ones offer her no comfort. She said she continues to endure her child’s ordeal with the feeling of guilt about not being able to help her enough.

“Oftentimes, I sleep lightly at night,” Cleofas said. “I always check if she’s still breathing.”

Effectivity diminished

THE 14th doctor who looked at Julia’s lab test results diagnosed the child as suffering from Dravet Syndrome.

The US Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center said Dravet Syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy that is part of a group of diseases known as SCN1A-related seizure disorders. GARD, a program of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, defines SCN1A-related seizure disorders as “a group of diseases that includes simple febrile seizures, generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus and Dravet syndrome.”

Cleofas stuck with the doctor who diagnosed Julia with Dravet syndrome because she did not prescribe strong medication.

Cleofas, a former overseas Filipino worker, said Julia was taking so many medicines but none seemed effective enough to stop her daughter’s seizure for a long time.

“It usually works at first, but the duration of effectivity starts to diminish and I am forced to increase its dosage,” Cleofas said.

“But this comes with its side effect on Julia, so I would stop giving it to her altogether and then ask for a new one [medication].”

Currently, she is now pinning her hopes on the use of medical marijuana to manage her daughter’s seizures.

“I have done some research and found some studies that marijuana can help Julia,” Cleofas said.

Her only problem, however, is marijuana remains a restricted drug in the Philippines.

A law speaks

SECTION 11 of the Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) of 2002 mandates “the penalty of life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million for those found in possession of dangerous drugs.” The law states these punitive measures apply to possession of 10 grams or more of marijuana resin (hashish) or marijuana resin oil or 500 grams or more of marijuana.

RA 9165 stuck to the definition of the law it amended, RA 6425 or the DDA of 1972, of marijuana. It states that “Indian hemp,” otherwise known as “Marijuana,” embraces every kind and class of the plant Cannabis sativa L. from which the resin has not been extracted, including Cannabis americana, hashish, bhang, guaza, churrus and ganjah, and embraces every kind, class and character of Indian hemp, whether dried or fresh, flowering or fruiting tops of the pistillate plant, and all its geographic varieties, whether as a reefer, resin, extract, tincture or in any form whatsoever.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said in its website harmful effects of marijuana on users include a decrease in communicative and motor skills, impairment of the memory and susceptibility to infection. The PDEA added use of marijuana may also cause premature births and temporary loss of fertility.

Legislative agenda

CLEOFAS is a member of the Philippine Cannabis Compassion Society (PCCS), which is now lobbying for the passage of new legislation expanding access of qualified patients for its use.

Lui Manansala, 66, a member of the PCCS executive committee, said Cleofas’s situation is also faced by each of their members. Manansala said like Cleofas, each of their members also has a loved one who could benefit from medical use of marijuana.

“We are not pushing for the legalization of marijuana since it is already allowed by the law,” he said.

“What we want is to be allowed to have affordable, safe and available medical cannabis.”

Manansala was referring to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Order 4, series of 1992, which already allows the use of marijuana provided a patient is able to get the necessary Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) for it.

PCCS member Cynthia Vargas, 60, said getting a CSP from the FDA is difficult since they need to find a doctor with the necessary authorization from PDEA. Vargas added the PCCS has members who tried but failed to get a CSP because of the requirements.

A report issued by FDA showed that from 2015 to November 2018, only 2,160 patients, most of them cancer patients, were given CSPs.

Taking stock

ACCORDING to a discussion paper by the FDA, the CSP for restricted use of unregistered drug and de-

vices product is “a special permit signed by the FDA Director granting a specialized institution and specialty society the privilege to avail of an unregistered drug and device product through a certain licensed establishment for certain kind/type of patients, specific volume and period.”

The order said the CSP is for a patient suffering either from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), cancer or lifethreatening conditions.

According to the FDA paper, specialty societies may apply for a CSP through their respective primary, secondary or tertiary institutions.

An FDA report said that among the top 18 drugs requested in 2013 and 2014, the Colistimethate Na 1 M Unit vial led the list with a total of 44,770 units. The Monthly Index of Medical Specialities indicates this drug is for lung infections.

The top 10 requesting hospi-

tals for these years, according to the FDA report, were led by Saint Luke’s Medical Center-Global City with a total 18 applications (six in 2013 and 12 in 2014).

Help for health

VARGAS said another deterrent to PCCS members is the price of medical marijuana. Without citing her source, she said a yearlong supply of medical marijuana is worth as much as $32,000.

Vargas said marijuana needs to be imported from countries like the United States since growing and processing it is still illegal in the Philippines.

“That’s why we want for the drug to be manufactured here in the country so it will be affordable and available for those who will need it,” Vargas said.

She remains hopeful medical marijuana will be an “alternative cure” for her 27-year-old son, who has autism and suffers from epilep-

tic seizures.

She believes medical marijuana could help her son, citing cases abroad of epileptic patients and their members getting well after using marijuana.

Vargas did admit, however, there is still no local study supporting her belief in the benefits of medical marijuana.

She also believes the “natural” medical marijuana is better than the “synthetic” drugs prescribed by doctors to treat her son’s epilepsy.

“These synthetic drugs already have numerous adverse side effects and yet are still being prescribed by doctors to my son.”

She blames the prescribed medicine as having damaged her son’s kidney.

Further study

THE chief of the Department of Health said the DOH cannot as yet conduct a further study on medical cannabis to determine the validity

“of its alleged benefits” until they are allowed to do so by a new law.

“We will wait for the legislation before we could conduct the said studies,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III told the BusinessMirror.

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Senior Vice President Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. said the study could be done by the Health Technology Assessment Committee (HTAC) created by the Universal Health Care Act. “The HTAC is responsible for determining the new benefits that may be provided by PhilHealth,” Del Rosario explained. “So this is where it [medical marijuana] can be considered.”

As to the limited issuance of CSP, Duque attributed it to the hesitation of many doctors to apply for it for their patients.

Ongoing study

FOR its part, the PDEA took the

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Editor: Dennis D. Estopace | Thursday, August 29, 2019

A5

gh hopes or slow burn? patient of the side effect of such treatment.

“It is the intention of this bill to have a harmonious partnership between the physician and a patient, where no one is above the other. Its objective is for the patient to have access to safe, affordable, available medicinal cannabis prescribed by a registered physician in cases where cannabis has been found to be effective in prevention, treatment and management of specified symptoms, illnesses and diseases,” he said.

Legalizing extraction

ACCORDING to Albano, the bill seeks to legalize “the extraction oil of medical cannabis and depending on what sickness you have, the medical cannabis that will come from abroad will link how much percentage you need.”

“The first thing that I want is not processing it here. What I want to do is get importation and the FDA will do the mixing depending on the prescription and quantity wise,” Albano said. “There will be no cultivation here.”

Also, he said the use of cannabis for medical purposes is provided for by both existing international and national law.

The bill seeks to legalize and regulate the use of medical cannabis to benefits patients suffering from debilitating diseases while authorizing public and private research entities to undertake research on the medical use of cannabis.

The measure also mandates the DOH to be the principal regulatory agency for medical cannabis, in coordination with the PDEA as the monitoring and regulatory body in the dispensation of medical cannabis.

“Also, the bill provides that there will only be five cannabis centers in the country—two in Metro Manila, one in Northern Luzon, one in the Visayas and one in Mindanao, but this will be subjected to expansion,” he added.

It also establishes in the DOH an advisory committee on medical use of cannabis which shall serve as the advisory body in the formulation and implementation of policies and regulations.

OLEGMALYSHEV | DREAMSTIME.COM

Licensing, operation

initiative to explore the supposed medical properties of marijuana.

PDEA Laboratory Service Director Derrick Arnold C. Carreon said they partnered with the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Research Center for the National and Applied Sciences to observe and measure the impact of marijuana.

The study, which has been ongoing in the last two months, is currently in the animal testing phase.

“The partnership was necessary because even if we have the equipment, we don’t have the experts to conduct the necessary clinical studies,” Carreon, who is also PDEA and Spokesman, told the BusinessMirror in an interview.

He noted their laboratory personnel, who are forensic experts, lack the skills to determine the possible efficacy of marijuana.

Carreon said they will present the outcome of the research if Congress will get their inputs for legislation related to marijuana.

“We are still guided by the position of the President. But this this does not bar us from conducting studies on it,” Carreon said.

“We don’t want to rely only on overseas studies on marijuana use for creating local policies about it, that is why we launched the study.”

In March, President Duterte said he opposed new legislation on marijuana.

Refiled bill

HOUSE Bill 279, also referred to as the “Medical Marijuana Bill,” is a refiling of the bill originally authored by Albano’s brother, former Isabela Rep. Rodito Albano III. The lower chamber had approved HB 279 on third and final reading during the 17th Congress.

However, the Senate failed to pass the bill due to opposition of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III. According to Albano, the recorded use of cannabis as medicine goes back to about 10,000 years

ago in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine.

“Recent studies show that cannabis has established effects on control of epileptic seizures, pain management in multiple sclerosis and arthritis, treatment of symptoms associated with HIV-AIDS and palliative care in end-stage cancer treatment,” he said.

“Potential medical effects based on clinical trials include prevention of cancer from spreading, management of anxiety, slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and control of muscle spasms and tremors,” he added.

“Cannabis use in children with epilepsy and seizure disorders has been shown to be effective without the deleterious side effects of antiepileptic medications,” he said.

In the Philippines, Albano said thousands of patients suffering from serious and debilitating diseases will benefit from legalizing the medical use of cannabis.

Annual death

CITING the 2012 Report of the International Agency for Research of Cancer (IARC), the lawmaker said there were 98,200 new, diagnosed cancer cases in a year in the country while 59,000 are dying of cancer annually.

“Cancer treatment in the country is prohibitive. Depending on the type of cancer, cost of treatment ranges from P36,000 to P180,000 for the standard six cycles of chemotherapy,” he said. “While PhilHealth helps cover some cases of cancer in Z case rate, patients who are not eligible still have out-ofpocket expenses for chemotherapy treatments.”

While many patients may still opt for conventional and orthodox treatment, the lawmaker said the intention of this bill is to invoke the right of the patient to choose the treatment and the duty of the physician to honor the patient’s decision as well as to inform the

THE bill provides the criteria for one to be a qualified medical cannabis physician, patient and caregiver. It also provides for the licensing and operation of a Medical Cannabis Compassionate Center and Medical Cannabis Research and Safety Compliance Center.

The bill, meanwhile, requires the Secretary of Health to submit to the President and to Congress an annual report that shall contain basic information on the use of cannabis.

The measure also provides penalties for the commission of prohibited acts from P500,000 to P10 million or penalty of life imprisonment.

Under the bill, it shall be prohibited for a qualified patient to possess or smoke cannabis, or use cannabis for purposes other than for treatment of a debilitating medical condition.

It also prohibits a qualified medical cannabis physician to certify and prescribe medical cannabis; prescribe medical cannabis for purposes other than for treatment of a debilitating condition.

No clash with anti-drugs war

MEANWHILE, Albano clarified that the measure does not run counter to Duterte’s ongoing war against illegal drugs.

“I am not disobeying my President’s order. I am actually asking him and appealing to him for the kinds and likes of these kids who [I think] need this, for [President Duterte] to again open his ears and compassionate heart that will hopefully [see this bill] pass,” he said.

He also expressed confidence

that Duterte and the Senate will support the measure given its safeguards for the access and use of medical cannabis.

“I’m sure when the President finds out we have enough strict guidelines in this bill to prevent its usage for recreational means, the President and even the Senate will pass this bill,” Albano stated.

Backers misled

HOWEVER, Buhay Party-list Rep. Jose L. Atienza Jr. said proponents are using false, misleading and unproven information to advertise medical marijuana to the public.

Atienza said medical marijuana is being falsely advertised in the country, in the same way that opioid pain relievers were being falsely advertised in America in the 1990s.

“False advertising created the opioid crisis that now kills more than 130 people every day in the US from overdoses,” Atienza said.

“Opioid pain relievers were initially trumpeted as ‘rarely addictive’ in patients and this [trumpeting] encouraged physicians there to prescribe the drug at greater rates.”

But it turns out that opioid pain relievers are in fact highly addictive, thus the fatal overdoses, the lawmaker added.

“Here in the Philippines, medical marijuana backers are also ignoring the fact that it has a very high rate of addiction and has not been proven effective for long-term use,” Atienza said.

He claims some lawmakers want to legalize medical marijuana because “they themselves are eager to go into the business of cultivating the illegal drug and running dispensaries.”

“There are politicians who want to profit from legalized medical marijuana,” Atienza said. “This is clearly all about money—lots of money.”

More work

ALBANO said that while he could invoke House Rule 48 to fast-track the passage of the bill, it would still have to undergo deliberations to hear anew the positions of stakeholders.

“I will also study one amendment that will provide that no lawmaker should be able to influence this business or cannot go into the business,” he added.

Still, Atienza warns that the legalization of medical marijuana “is bound to open a ‘Pandora’s box’ of drug abuse that will surely lead to a costly public health crisis and law-enforcement problem.”

The legalization of medical marijuana will open the floodgates to abuse and addiction and create an unwanted public health emergency in the country, according to the lawmaker.

“Marijuana is a poison,” Atienza said. “No amount of sugar-coating will make the illegal drug less toxic.”

For Mariano B. Gagui, a psychiatrist with three decades under his sleeves, the debate on medical marijuana is on a slippery slope.

Moreover, Gagui cautions against imposing another set of rules that may or may not dictate how a doctor of medicine like him would do his job.

“As it is, we’re already guided by the Hippocratic oath,” he told the BusinessMirror. “And there are so many regulations that followed that oath; adding another set of rules may tie our hands from what we’re set out to do: save lives.”

Gagui is also concerned that people’s trust in doctors is waning while “their trust on what’s on the Internet is growing.”

“Whether it’s medical marijuana or not, people should consult their physicians and not selfmedicate.”

A6 Thursday, August 29, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Nightmare scenario

I

N what looked like a confirmation that the global economy is heading in a direction that nobody wants it to go, The Washington Post listed in a recent article at least nine major economies that are on the verge of recession, driving fears of a global economic meltdown. The countries listed with recession worries are Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Singapore, South Korea and Russia.

However, there are other warning signs across the globe. The economies in Asia, most notably China, are getting weaker as a result of the US-China trade war and new flashpoints, such as Hong Kong. Most European Union economies are in brittle state, and if Britain crashes out of the EU with no exit deal, Europe could face deeper challenges.

President Trump’s trade war with China and his feud with other countries undoubtedly fed uncertainty in the decision-making of global investors. The prevailing low business confidence could wind up affecting consumer confidence. Uncertainty makes people less confident to spend. When spending stops, businesses suffer and the feared economic downturn may be coming sooner rather than later.

This is the kind of scenario that the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan wanted to avoid when they decided to introduce negative interest rates, a policy designed to counter economic stagnation. Investopedia said a negative interest rate policy is an unconventional tool employed by a central bank whereby nominal target interest rates are set with a negative value—below zero percent. It said: “In harsh economic times, people and businesses tend to hold on to their cash while they wait for the economy to improve. But this behavior can weaken the economy further, as a lack of spending causes further job losses, lowers profits, and reinforces people’s fears, giving them even more incentive to hoard.”

Under normal times, banks earn interest when they keep excess reserves at the central bank. But under a negative rate policy, the opposite is true: The central bank charges banks interest for sitting on that cash. In other words, negative interest rate means people are paid to borrow other people’s money.

Negative interest rates are absurd tools that central banks adopt to stimulate their respective economies through cheap money. The goal is to encourage commercial banks to lend money more freely, and prod businesses and individuals to invest and spend money rather than pay a fee to keep their money safe. As more advanced countries adopt negative interest rate policies, Asian countries may be adversely affected. Asian retail banks that rely on deposits for funds and loans for revenue, for example, may find profits evaporating.

The ADB Institute said: “Twenty years after the East Asian financial crisis, Asia is facing challenges as advanced economies implement unprecedented low and negative interest rate policies to jump-start moribund economies and avoid deflation. As the longer ends of yield curves in many advanced economies plunge into negative territory, fears are growing that these policies may create unintended side effects, including cash hoarding, housing bubbles and damage to banks’ balance sheets. It has long been argued that Asian financial markets are influenced more by the monetary policies of advanced economies than their own, so Asia may be affected disproportionally by volatile swings of currencies, international capital flows and debt levels.”

The bottom line is that the changes in the policies of the world’s largest central banks have rippled through smaller economies. These easy-money policies could fuel destabilizing bubbles in real estate and other asset markets. When that happens all over the world, it could lead to global recession. If the cycle continues, it could become a depression. Once deflation sets in, it can take decades for an economy to break out of its grip.

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Mining industry in limbo Val A. Villanueva

BUSINESSWISE

I

N February 2017, the government shut down the operations of 27 mining companies in various areas of the country because they were presumed to be nestling on “functional” watersheds.

The decision was based on an initial audit done in September 2016 which alleged that the mining operations were violating environmental and other government regulations. The government revealed then that some of the miners, most especially those in Surigao del Norte, had been causing siltation in coastal waters, which endangered marine biodiversity.

Heavily invested in the business, the industry assailed the decision and appealed its case before the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Together with the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC), the DENR conducted a thorough audit of the firms affected by the

closure. The interagency MICC is chaired by the DENR and the Department of Finance (DOF). Its other members are the Department of Justice, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines. From the first batch of miners audited, 24 were given the green light to operate after they were found to be in compliance with environmental and other government regulations. Only three did not make the grade. They were recommended for closure, but were nonetheless allowed to appeal the decision with the Office of the President.

DOF Undersecretary Bayani Agabin said in published reports that the miners were assessed

Low interest rates: Be very afraid

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based on the criteria and the benchmarks on social, technical, legal and environmental aspects of their operations. Agabin said: “The system was such that three is the highest score; two is minor reforms needed, [and] one is for major reforms. Zero is not acceptable,…the passing score is 1.5.”

For unknown reasons, the government to date has neither released the names nor has allowed the operations of the first batch of miners that passed the audit.

BusinessWise was able to obtain the full list and the companies’ respective scores from highly reliable government insiders.

The 24 miners that passed the audit were: Oceana Gold Philippines—2.92; Hinatuan Mining Corp.—2.74; CTP Construction and Mining Corp.—2.46; Emir Minerals Corp.—2.44; Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corp.—2.30; Marcventures Mining and Development Corp.—2.30; AAMPHIL Nat. Res. Exploration 2B—2.28; Adnama Mining Resources Inc.— 2.24; Citinickel Mines and Development—2.24; Berong Nickel Corp.—2.20; Strongbuilt Mining Dev. Corp.—2.16; Wellex Mining Corp. Mine 2—2.16; Carrascal Nickel Corp.—2.14; Eramen Minerals—1.90; Wellex Mining

W

OUTSIDE THE BOX

HILE the global team of “experts” is losing their collective minds over the China/USA “trade war,” there is a much more serious problem for the world’s economic growth. But looking at that problem would require actually understanding how money works and would not have the political implications (and fun) of “China Bad” and “Trump Bad.” I am thinking of buying two condominium units that will cost me about P12,000 per month each in amortization. But buying a condo with the intention of selling it at higher price requires believing that there will be greater demand in the future and that there will be a buyer available when you want to sell.

Granted, in the Philippines with the continuing acute and long-ter m housing shor t age, capital appreciation is more likely. However, expecting prices of houses and condos to always go up is a fool’s game.

My potential condo buying is attractive because I can rent those units for P14,000 per month and assuming only a 50-percent

occupancy rate per month. And, no, it is not for foreign POGO employees. The value of those units is based on my “lending” them to someone for payment. The same is true of money.

Domestically held cash does not generate any capital appreciation unless you convert it into a tangible asset. Held as “cash,” there is no capital appreciation.

But you can generate income from cash by lending it to some who will pay you interest. As the net value of my condo units is P2,000 per month, so, likewise, the net value of my cash is how much you will pay me to borrow that cash or the interest rate paid for borrowing.

The price of all goods can range from “too cheap” to “too expensive.”

The German government just sold a 30-year bond at zero interest rate. Investors will get back their original capital—without any interest—in 2050 and will receive absolutely nothing between now and then. The German economy shrank by 0.1 percent in the second quarter of 2019.

Imagine chicken was P2 per kilo.

Your “Two-piece Chicken Joy” might be “Ten-Piece Chicken Joy,” Jollibee would not sell it because they could not sell enough orders to be profitable. Who can eat 10 pieces of chicken? Alternatively, if the two pieces were P2,000, the effect would be the same.

If you examine the latest annual economic growth data, the strongest advanced economy is New Zealand at 100 on the list for highest growth. This has been a trend for the past 10 years. The Philippines comes in at 35th. So the Philippines works smarter and more efficiently than New Zealand? Perhaps not.

The latest average interest rate—ranging from negative 0.85 percent to positive 2.23 percent— of the 20 most advanced econo-

Corp. Mine 1—1.90; Libjo Mining Corp.—1.84; LNL Archipelago Minerals, Inc.—1.78; Benguet Cor p.—1.74; K rominco Inc.— 1.68; Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration and Development—1.68; Zamba les Diversif ied Meta ls Corp.—1.68; Benguet Corp Nickel Mines Inc.—1.64; Oriental Vision Mining Phil. Corp.—1.64; and Sinosteel Phil., NY, Mining Corp.—1.62.

The three miners that failed the audit were: Oriental Synergy Mining Corp.—1.10; Ore Asia Mining and Dev. Corp—0.96; and Claver Mineral Development Corp.—0.78.

Sought for an interview, a representative of one of the mining firms that passed the audit lamented that nothing has been done to l if t t heir respective suspension orders. “It’s been almost two years since we’ve been cleared,” he said, “but we remain inactive, all the while paying our creditors, employees and contractors. The hemorrhage is so severe that we don’t know any more what to do to stop the bleeding. The government should at least tell us what’s our next step is, whether we stay or not. We could not remain in limbo forever.”

See “Villanueva,” A7

mies is 0.61 percent. Ten have zero or negative interest rates. The latest average annual economic growth is 1.6 percent.

The German government just sold a 30-year bond at zero interest rate. Investors will get back their original capital—without any interest—in 2050 and will receive absolutely nothing between now and then. The German economy shrank by 0.1 percent in the second quarter of 2019.

When “money” is too cheap or too expensive, there is low investment to produce higher economic growth.

Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England since 2013, said in a recent speech: “Past instances of very low rates have tended to coincide with high risk events, such as wars, financial crises, and breaks in the monetary regime.” Global average interest rates are at a 5,000-year low.

The recent—and what looks to be continuing—inversion of interest rates when long-term rates are lower than short-term interest rate is a symptom of these low rates and money being less valuable and too cheap. If this continues for another month, the economic zombie apocalypse of the advanced economies is almost certain.

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, August 29, 2019

‘The legacy of nuclear testing is nothing but destruction’

Proper behavior all around

T

ESUS was constantly under observation by people who would like to test his authenticity. But he could also turn the table around and place the same people under scrutiny. Invited to eat the Sabbath meal at the home of a Pharisee and in the company of other Pharisees “observing Him carefully”, Jesus brought attention to all patterns of behavior proper to those who would be reclining at the table in the kingdom of God (Luke 14:1.7-14).

(Message of UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the International Day against Nuclear Tests, August 29, 2019)

HE International Day against Nuclear Tests marks the closing, in 1991, of the nuclear test site in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, the largest in the former Soviet Union. More than 450 tests took place there, with impacts still being felt decades later.

But this observance also has a broader message. It commemorates all victims of nuclear tests, anywhere they have been conducted.

Affected communities have yet to fully recover from the environmental, health and economic damage.

Honoring those victims requires bringing nuclear testing to a permanent end. Yet, an effective and legally binding prohibition remains one of the longest unfulfilled goals of nuclear disarmament. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a central pillar of international efforts, but despite being widely supported—with 184 signatories

Villanueva . . . continued from A6

Note that the shutdown of mining companies was not precipitated by a mine accident of life-and-death proportion, but a zealous campaign by environmental extremists that pressured the then newly inaugurated government of President Duterte.

Mining has been the most demonized industry in the Philippines. And yet, it cannot be denied that the world could not live without it. Its haters should be reminded that they would be practically naked, without nourishment and tools to survive should mining be halted completely. Almost everything we do to sustain life is aided by the things we mine and harness from under the Earth.

I’ve always supported responsible mining, which hypocritical environmental extremists claim does not exist. One only has to press a button on their computer keyboard to access information about how smoking cigarette and drinking alcohol kill more people than mining does, or that multitudes die of smoke and other pollutants they inhale than the rehabilitation of mine sites after they have been excavated for minerals.

Smoking and drinking could kill, but the companies that make them also sustain the livelihood of people dependent on the industry they represent. It’s just a matter of skillful governance on the part of state regulators to minimize the risks associated in consuming these products. In the same breath, mining provides livelihood to townsfolk where mining companies operate. Mining is the only industry that is highly regulated, and the only business mandated by law to uplift the lives of people within the scope of its operations.

Env ironment a l e x t rem ists should understand that modern mining methods employed by licensed mining companies greatly

and 168 ratifying States—it has not yet entered into force, more than 20 years after its adoption.

The legacy of nuclear testing is nothing but destruction. The CTBT is vital to ensuring there are no more victims; it is also essential to advancing nuclear disarmament.

On t he Inter n at ion a l Day against Nuclear Tests, I reiterate my call for all States that have not yet done so, to sign and ratify the Treaty, especially those whose ratification is needed for the Treaty’s entry into force. In a world of rising tensions and divisions, our collective security depends on it.

Mining has been the most demonized industry in the Philippines. And yet, it cannot be denied that the world could not live without it. Its haters should be reminded that they would be practically naked, without nourishment and tools to survive should mining be halted completely. Almost everything we do to sustain life is aided by the things we mine and harness from under the Earth. lessen the mining catastrophes of yesteryears. What they should rile about is the harmful practices used by illegal miners coddled by corrupt officials of the local government units—those irresponsible and illegal Chinese miners that buy their way to destroy the countryside.

Striking the right balance is what the government should skillfully aim for. It could allow responsible mining, while remaining vigilant to its possible abuses. Also, it has to be extra sensitive to the social impact of shutting down or restricting the operations of industries where thousands of people’s livelihood are at stake. At the moment, the mining industry only provides 0.85 percent, or P134.5 billion to the country’s total gross domestic product, even as it could do more by tapping the country’s mineral resources, which has an estimated value of around $1.4 trillion.

It was announced that the mining audit for the second batch will start this month and is expected to be completed next year. And then, there is still the tax audit that the industry has to go through (but that is an entirely different story). Does this mean that those mining firms deemed fit for business by the first audit have to wait for all these audits to be completed before they could finally operate? The question is: how much longer will these responsible miners have to wait before they can even gasp for breath?

For comments/suggestions e-mail me at mvala.v@gmail.com

Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

ALÁLAONG BAGÁ

J

The humble guests

IN the company of His critics, the guardians of the Sabbath verifying for themselves if he could be pressured to observe all the Sabbath rituals, Jesus instead brought to their attention some relevant observances as vital as the Sabbath law. The scrambling of those invited to the table of the prominent Pharisee for the coveted seats of honor led Jesus to share with them a parable, or more appropriately a symposion or a banquet discourse.

Do not presume to yourself that you should have a seat of honor when invited anywhere. Let it be given to you by the host. Otherwise, you may be courting embar-

rassment when having so positioned yourself self-importantly, the host should come to tell you to vacate the place which has been reserved for somebody else more important. This proper behavior actually is what we are told from of old: “Claim no honor in the King’s presence, nor occupy the place of great men; for it is better that you be told, ‘Come up closer’ than that you be humbled before the Prince” (Proverbs 25:6-7).

More than just a lesson in etiquette, Jesus is echoing here once more the eschatological truth we discussed last week. Concerning admission into the kingdom of God, do not presume to yourself

W

HAT a difference a weekend makes. Emmanuel Macron emerged as the big beneficiary from the G-7 summit, a junket that has come under increasing criticism as the shrinking group of leaders struggle to forge a consensus in the era of President Donald J. Trump. Last week, the US president’s tone on Twitter was aggressively antiEuropean Union—but by Monday he was full of praise.

Macron showed it was possible

to manage an unruly Trump by welcoming him into the tent rather than just giving him the cold shoulder, thus avoiding the dire predictions of a “G6+1”—or even a “G5+2”, given UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pro-US and pro-Brexit leanings.

Rather than act like a tired imitation of de Gaulle, Macron positioned himself as a multilateral mediator.

He chatted up the US to get a compromise of sorts to avoid a trade war over France’s digital-services tax, flew in Iran’s foreign minister as a highly symbolic nod to the nuclear impasse,

The good host

JESUS next turned His attention to the host who had invited them to dinner. This leading Pharisee had invited others like himself, persons whose social standing would reflect well on him and his family, and who would be expected to reciprocate the favor and likewise invite the host to their own homes. The repayment in this social give-and-take is thus assured. Jesus averred shockingly, better invite people who would not be able, nor expected, to recompense you. These are the poor and the disabled who could not pay back any act of generosity toward them; on the contrary, they might even bring shame and embarrassment to their host.

When the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind have become our preferred guests, then the

reign of God has come among us, in as much as God has a special love for the poor and the disabled (Luke 4:18). These whom the world rejects would be the special guests at the banquet of the kingdom.

Jesus challenged His host and everyone else to show a truly altruistic love for the outcast and the downtrodden. The only payment would be from God “in the resurrection of the righteous.”

This kind of charity (like that of our Gina Lopez) makes palpable to us the reality of God’s grace, His gift of love to us. We do not deserve it, nor can we buy it; we cannot earn it, nor can we repay it. And God wants us to be instruments and channels of such amazing grace in the world—that is when we learn to care for those who cannot pay us back.

Alálaong bagá, the behavior Jesus expects of us is proper to God’s children who have realized that it is entirely divine gift that we are invited to His banquet. It humbles us to understand how unworthy we are of this tremendous attention.

We can only accept in faith such undeserved love and try to share the same with others.

Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www. dwiz882.com.

The desolation of PHL agriculture: Can Secretary Dar reverse its continuing stagnation?

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS Continued from page 1

T

He agricultural sector is facing an existential sustainability issue. How will the newly appointed Agriculture Secretary William Dar handle this challenge? Will he end up like Secretary Manny Piñol, who waged a losing fight against the economic technocrats who pushed for the all-out liberalization of the rice sector without any clear transition program for the domestic palay producers?

The desolation of the agricultural sector started in the 1980s. The government, during the last years of the Marcos administration and the second half of the decade under President Corazon Aquino, surrendered to the IMF-World Bank’s “structural adjustment program” conditionality: deregulate the agricultural sector and phase out government credit and price support to the sector. Agriculture Secretary Arturo Tangco, architect of the Masagana 99, was bitter as the rice selfsufficiency program quickly wilted.

Under the SAP austerity, funding for rural infrastructures and irrigation systems also dried up, further weakening the productivity of the sector.

The 1980s was a disaster decade for the agricultural sector.

In the 1990s, the desolation of the agricultural sector continued under the SAP-driven agricultural deregulation program. This time, the deregulation program was reinforced by the decision of the government to be one of the founding

members of the World Trade Organization. As part of its commitment to the WTO, the government placed the whole sector under the tariff regime, meaning the private sector can come in and import any agricultural product.

However, the WTO allowed rice to be temporarily exempted from the coverage of the tariffication program. The rationale given: the Philippines needed some time to transform its rice sector to become globally competitive. In this regard, the Congress rushed the passage of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act to help modernize the fishery sector and the production of rice and other crops. And yet, AFMA turned out to be a disaster itself. Poorly funded and poorly implemented, AFMA failed to stop the downward collapse of agriculture.

Meanwhile, another poorly implemented agricultural program came into being—the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. The CARP’s enabling law was passed in

Emmanuel Macron clears a low bar at the G-7

By Lionel Laurent Bloomberg Opinion

to be God’s favorite. Because of pride and presumptuousness one can end up locked out of that narrow gate, which demands humility and self-divestment of airs incongruous in God’s banquet. In that banquet, those who have been exalting themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted. As we have earlier heard from Jesus, those who think of themselves as first will be last, and those who are considered last will be first.

A7

and played the climate-change card at the expense of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. (The latter’s crude swipe at the appearance of Macron’s wife is only likely to bolster the French president’s standing among voters.)

It is hard to distinguish whether the bar was cleared because of the great diplomatic gymnastics on show or because it was set too low. The latter probably nudges it. Macron made clear ahead of time that this year there would be no traditional communiqué, something he described as a bothersome technocratic invention

reminiscent of a bureaucratic deep state. Casting the G-7 as an informal talking shop for leaders makes it hard to be characterized as a failure.

The theater of the Iran visit wouldn’t have happened without at least a nod from Trump.

Still, Macron deserves credit for his recent string of diplomatic wins, especially at the European level: The G-7 meeting rounds off his victories on Brexit, where he has managed to limit the concessions the EU has offered, and in Brussels, where he was able to impose his choice of candi-

1988, and yet, three decades after, Dar is still in process of “completing” CARP’s implementation. Worse, majority of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries have remained poor, or just a little better than the landless rural poor. Incidentally, the latter (e.g., ambulant agricultural workers, camote miners, slashand-burn hillside farmers, coastal fisherfolks, etc.) are more numerous than the ARBs. And yet, there are no clear alternative programs for these landless rural poor.

One reason for the continuing poverty of the ARBs is the failure in transformation. Secretary Dar mentioned the importance of making farmers “agri-preneurs”. Yes, farming is business and should be managed in a professsional and business-like manner.

For this, the ARBs and small farmers should possess the skills and knowhow on how to prepare and implement a farm business plan. But who will help them acquire these skills and knowhow? The agricultural extension officers? These extension officers have been placed under the command of the LGUs, no thanks to the Local Autonomy law. It is also doubtful if these extension officers are trained to become trainers in this field.

Partnership with the big corporations? This is a controversial proposition. The “corporative” proposal during the time of President Joseph Estrada was severely criticized by farmer leaders, who believed that the proposal is a gift to the big corporations that want to access and manage the lands of the small farmers without being dragged into excruciating land cases under CARP. For example, there are numerous land and employment conflicts over the

contract growing arrangements that big banana exporters in Mindanao have concluded with the small farmers holding the certificates of land ownership awards or CLOAs over these lands.

To summarize, one does not need rocket science to determine the root causes of agricultural stagnation.

Foremost among these is the SAPdriven and WTO-reinforced agricultural deregulation program, aggravated by the mangled and neverending implementation of CARP and various modernization programs.

Also, most of the government programs for agriculture in the past have been criticized to be graftridden, e.g., distribution of fertilizer and farm inputs intended for small farmers ending in the hands of LGUs in the cemented cities of Metro Manila. One will not be surprised if the green light given to the big rice importers under the Rice Tariffication law will be used by the unscrupulous to under-declare imports and avoid paying the right amount of duties. Is this one explanation why rice prices have not gone down substantially, and yet, palay prices have been diving down at or below production cost, pushing palay farmers out of farming.

To complete the picture on the desolation of the agricultural sector, one must add here the environmental problems: continuing erosion of the resource base, deforestation, soil degradation and the weak fortification of the countryside against climatechange risks.

date to lead the European Commission. Twitter clearly isn’t his weapon of choice—his rainforest photo last week was debunked as years out of date by French media—but he is clearly adept at opportunistic power grabs when the right situation arises.

These admittedly modest wins show that Paris has grabbed the microphone from Berlin and London to speak in the name of the EU. The content of Macron’s European visions may not have changed much since he was elected, but his ability to project his leadership is being helped

by troubles elsewhere on the continent. Germany’s export engine is collapsing, Brexit is consuming British politics—but the Gilets Jaunes have largely been routed.

The main target for Macron’s global grandstanding will always be France itself, of course. His domestic approval ratings have yet to really recover from last year’s riots, standing at about 34 percent. Labor unions are threatening strikes as his reform agenda nears one of its biggest challenges: Overhauling the country’s pensions system. The next G-7 already looks very far away.

May kinabukasan ba ang ating agrikultura at magsasaka? Does agriculture have a future? More in the next issue.

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Thursday, August 29, 2019

Senate reviews Chinese boat owner’s apology implications

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By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM & Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

ALACAÑANG on Wednesday accepted the apology extended by the owner of the Chinese vessel to the Filipino fishermen whom its crew abandoned in the June 9 Recto Bank incident, but Senate leaders referred the issue to the chamber’s foreign relations panel for disposition.

“We accept the recent apology extended by the owner of the Chinese vessel to our fishermen affected by this incident,” said Presidential

Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo in a statement.

“We, likewise, welcome the

owner’s humility to take responsibility and acknowledgment that compensation must be provided to cover the actual loss,” he added.

At Wednesday’s plenary session, Senate President Vicente Sotto III referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for disposition a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) memorandum conveying “Chinese Apology on The Recto Bank Collision Incident” that had sparked a huge outcry after the Chinese vessel left 22 Filipinos at the mercy of the waters as their boat sank.

The referral was prompted by Sen. Francis Tolentino, who took the floor to read for the record a letter from the Chinese fishermen’s association issuing an apology.

Tolentino said this effectively cleared Filipino fishermen involved in the incident.

“The Chinese apology affirms who is at fault,” Tolentino said, indicating that they were “open to suit” for damages.

The DFA memorandum addressed to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. dated August 28 contained the Embassy’s translation of a portion of the letter which states that “an accidental collision between a Chinese and a Philippine fishing boat in the waters of Reed Bank, Nansha Island Group on the evening of June 9, caused damage to a Philippine fishing boat. It was fortunate that there were no casualties. I feel deep regret that this See “Apology,” A2

Duterte set to raise 2016 arbitral ruling with Xi

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

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@BNicolasBM

RESIDENT Duterte is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and directly raise the 2016 arbitral ruling, which handed Manila a victory in its bid to declare illegal Beijing’s “excessive” claims in the South China Sea. He has rejected advice from some

quarters not to raise the arbitral ruling.

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua earlier said China’s position on the territorial dispute will not change despite the intention of the President to raise the country’s arbitral victory, but Malacañang said on Wednesday it expects Beijing to have “open ears.”

“I think China will have open ears. After all, they kept on saying

that we are friends and friends can always talk on anything. Moreover, I think it is time that they really talk about it since if the concern is maritime security and peace in the region, then they really have to talk because that is the cause of some irritants between the two countries,as well as other countries who have claims,” Presidential Spokesman and Chief Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo said in an

interview with reporters in China.

Sought to explain “irritants”, Panelo cited the June 9 Recto Bank incident and the instances when Filipino fishermen were driven away; as well as the recent cases where Chinese warships pass through the country’s territorial waters without notifying Philippine authorities and turning off identification systems.

See “Arbitral ruling,” A2

Rice fund. . .

SOUTHWEST MONSOON AFFECTING WESTERN SECTION OF LUZON AND VISAYAS as of 4:00 pm - August 28, 2019

The DBM released the money to support farmers in anticipation of the passage of the proposed rice trade liberalization law.

Since the DA has already returned P1 billion of the said P5 billion, the DBM owes rice farmers P4 billion. The DBM disbursed P5 billion for the RCEF last month.

Toledo also clarified that the P5 billion released to the DA through the Saro could not be considered as part of the RCEF since Republic Act (RA) 11203, which mandated its creation, had not yet been passed when the money was given. The money, he said, was sourced from the national government’s extra unprogrammed funds.

“So [the DBM] still has to release another P4 billion [this year],” he said during the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food hearing on Wednesday.

“But the release of the P4 billion is subject to the excess revenue collection.

Because it is in the unprogrammed funds and that’s [what was prescribed] in the [2019 General Appropriations Act],” he added.

‘Immaterial’

Council may scrap NFA incentives for planters

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GR IC U LT U R E S e c ret a r y William D. Dar said the National Food Authority Council (NFAC) may remove the P3-per-kilogram incentive of the government for farmers who sell their unhusked rice to the staterun food agency.

Dar said reverting the National Food Authority’s (NFA) buying price for palay to P17.70 per kg, from the current P20.70 per kg, will allow the government to buy more rice from planters.

He said the incentives were approved by the NFAC to allow the food agency to compete with traders who bought local rice at higher prices. “[The grant of incentives] was done during the crisis in 2018, so I think we will have to revisit that formally in the NFA Council,” Dar told reporters on the sidelines of a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

The NFAC approved the buffer stocking incentive (BSI) of as much as P3 per kg last October to help the NFA beef up its buffer stock, which was almost wiped out last year.

Sen. Cynthia A. Villar said it is high time for the NFA to remove the BSI since the 2018 “artificial rice shortage” is over.

“The buying price was increased because the private sector hiked their prices,” Villar said at the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food hearing on Wednesday. “I think it is the right time to revert

Continued from A1

HOWEVER, senators were quick to point out that the DBM must not wait for excess revenues to allocate funds for the RCEF. Sen.Cynthia A. Villar said the national government must give farmers P10 billion regardless of the government’s revenue collection.

“What is in the law is P10 billion. It is immaterial if you have excess revenue.

You cannot reason out [the need for] excess revenue because we agreed that we will not pass the RCEF if [the allocation] is not P10 billion a year,” said Villar, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food.

“So you owe farmers P4 billion because you made the mistake of giving funds immediately to the DA. You should release that P4 billion without any condition,” she added. Toledo said the DBM still needs the BTr’s certification that the government has excess revenues before releasing the P4 billion, since the RCEF consists of unprogrammed funds under the 2019 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“It is in the provision of the 2019 GAA and we must follow it. We just wait for the certification of BTr and [we will] release that P4 billion,” he said.

For months now, the DA and the DBM have been debating on whether the P5 billion is part of the RCEF despite the failure of Congress to pass the proposed rice trade liberalization law before the end of 2018.

The DBM had argued that the P5

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billion was part of the RCEF but the DA said it was a supplementary fund for its national rice program.

Warning

THIS developed as Sen.Risa Hontiveros moved to fast-track the subsidies for rice farmers, warning against the negative effect of the entry of cheap imported commercial rice on local planters.

“Government should immediately release subsidies and assist rice farmers,” the senator said in Filipino after a joint hearing of the committees on agriculture and food, finance, trade, commerce and entrepreneurship.

She pressed for faster and additional subsidies for rice farmers to help them mitigate the negative effects of RA 11203.

The senator said that while the law was expected to increase the supply of cheap commercial rice during the lean months of July to September, it also posed risks to planters as it cuts the farm-gate price of unhusked rice.

Hontiveros cited computations indicating that around 42,000 farming households will fall into poverty if subsidies are not immediately given by the government.

The average loss of the poor and nonpoor rice farming households are P8,700 and P19,700 respectively, while the average gain is P5,300 and P3,900, respectively. In short, the savings from cheaper rice consumed by rice farmers could not offset the loss from the lower price of the palay they sell.

She also noted that the RCEF will have to be implemented for several years before it could improve the competitiveness of planters. In contrast, Hontiveros noted that the “income shock” is immediate, estimating that at a rate of P5,500 per hectare per planting capped at 2 hectares, decoupled payment will cost the government P10.6 billion annually.

The senator said government must not delay the grant of assistance to rice farmers as they could end up losing income, and be plunged deeper in debt and poverty due to the drop in farm-gate prices.

At the same time, she suggested the need for urgent reforms in the rice trade liberalization law. Hontiveros noted that under the law, tariff collections from rice imports must exceed P10 billion before direct financial assistance could be extended to farmers.

“For instance, it is expected that tax collection from rice imports this year will not be lower than P13.5 billion. I will urge [national government] to advance this money and not wait for 2020. We have

your buying price to P17.70 per kg since the problem last year is over.”

The NFA was able to purchase more palay from farmers after it raised its buying price to P20.70 per kg and became more competitive against traders.

Selling to LGUs

AT the hearing, Villar told the NFA to cut the price of rice it sells to local government units (LGUs) and other agencies to a range of P27 to P32 per kg, from the current P37 per kg.

Villar said LGUs and even private entities will buy more rice from the NFA and allow the food agency to roll over its funds.

“The LGUs [local government units] buy rice for their prisoners, for hospitals and disaster relief operations. And then [the NFA is] selling rice to them at a high price?” she said.

“Why doesn’t [the NFA] sell its stocks to LGUs? So remove that resolution that increased the selling price of rice sold to local governments,” she added.

During his first week in office, Dar said the NFAC will review the current price of the NFA for rice it sells to LGUs and private entities.

The NFAC hiked the food agency’s selling price by P10 to P37 per kg in May, in order to trim NFA losses as it incurred higher operating costs after implementing the BSI in October 2018.

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas the money as agencies have been underspending,” the senator said in Filipino.

She also prodded the National Food Authority (NFA) to buy the local farmers’ rice as part of their buffer stock at a relatively competitive price while they wait for the needed subsidies to be distrib-

uted.

Higher budget

MEANWHILE, President Duterte vowed to prioritize farmers during the last two years of his term.

Speaking during an event at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Quezon City, Duterte also called on agrarian reform beneficiaries to support the development of the farm sector.

“This year, the one with the highest budget allocation is education then the Department of Public Works and Highways. Maybe in my last two years, I will prioritize you, farmers,” he said in a speech during the 31st anniversary celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) Distribution.

Duterte also led the ceremonial distribution of CLOAs to agrarian reform beneficiaries.

While the President did not specify what particular budget item he was referring to, the proposed budget for the DA next year is P56.8 billion, making it the eighth department with the highest budget allocation.

The proposed DA budget for next year is 14.38 percent higher than this year’s budget of P49.67 billion, but it is a far cry from the P333 billion sought by the agency.

In March, then Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the President had instructed him to submit a budget proposal for 2020 that is “10 times bigger” than its present budget of almost P50 billion.

During the event, the President acknowledged DAR’s gains in the implementation of CARP in the past three decades, but stressed the need to achieve the ultimate goal of the program.

“As we highlight our accomplishments and milestones in implementing CARP, let us never lose sight of the primary aim of this program, which is to uphold the welfare of our landless farmers, promote social justice, and attain sound rural development through the equitable distribution of all agricultural lands across the country,” he said.

He also said the administration will continue to correct the historical injustice brought about by the misallocation of funds that resulted in social injustice and sluggish rural economy. With reports

by Butch Fernandez and Bernadette D. Nicolas

News BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Clearer definition: House panel okays amendment to PSA

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

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HE House Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved another priority measure being pushed by the Duterte administration with the approval of an amendment of the Public Service Act (PSA) of 1936 that seeks to provide a “clearer” definition of public utilities.

Members of the committee chaired by AAMBIS-OWA Rep. Sharon Garin invoked House Rule 10, Section 48, or the one-day hearing only rule, to fast-track the approval of the bill in the lower chamber.

While the committee invoked the House Rule 10, Section 48, Garin, however, said amendments and further deliberations will be entertained at the plenary, even as lawmakers warned that between economic benefits and the security of the public, the lower chamber should consider the latter as “primordial.”

The approved-consolidated bill provides for a clearer definition of public utility that covers three sectors: distribution of electricity system, transmission of electricity system and water pipeline distribution system, or sewerage pipeline system.

Currently, Garin said, the operation of public utility is subject to the 60-40 rule under the Constitution.

“However, the charter does not define [public utility]. Currently, our definition of public utility is the PSA and other jurisprudence issued by the Supreme Court. So now we’re putting definition of the public utility,” she said.

Albay Rep. Joey S. Salceda, senior vice chairman of the economic affairs committee and one of the authors of the bill, said consumers often experience high prices and poor quality of basic services in the Philippines because only a few local players, or oligarchs, effectively control the market.

The lawmaker said the key to fix this problem is to develop a clear statutory definition of a public utility by amending the PSA. The bill proposes to further amend the PSA to effect the necessary changes in the antiquated provisions of the law to increase its relevance to contemporary concerns, in the interest of providing the general public with more choices, better services, and lower prices.

It also prescribes a 12-percent cap on rate of return and prohibits income tax as operating expense for rate-determination purposes for public services, including public utilities, consistent with administrative and judicial pronouncements.

Further studies

A SSIS TA N T Major it y L eader Manuel Zubiri said further studies are needed before the passage of the bill amending the PSA. “I think we have to be very careful. Let’s study it as careful as possible, if we need to amend, let’s

amend it. But, of course, we can’t close the door, because everyone is going global. In the end, let’s decide.

Kasi maraming pera ’yung mga nasa labas kaysa sa atin. [We may not be able to match the financial capability of other investors]. We also need to protect our businessmen…That’s why we are here to create the laws that is deserving of our people and our country,” he said in an interview.

“At the end of the day, if it’s a win-win for both countries, both groups, the Filipino group and the foreign group, no problem. If we really need for example the services ng isang bansa, pero as long as, later on if they have someone big here in the country that wants to do business, as long as the laws are same for both countries, I’m okay with it. ’Di naman pwede sa negosyo na one sided.

[Doing a one-sided business may not work]. It has to be a two-way state. So if we keep our door opens for them, they have to keep their doors open for us,” Zubiri added.

Blind eye

WHILE it may be argued that the 1987 Constitution did not explicitly define, or enumerate, a list of public utilities, Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez said the lower chamber must not turn a blind eye to its possible dangerous and far-reaching repercussions.

Hernandez, in his manifestation during the hearing, said amending the PSA that could lead to the exclusion of common carriers is contrary to the intent of the Constitution in safeguarding and protecting public interest.

“The threat to national security cannot be overstressed. Imagine if our airspace, roads, and internal waters are filled with and controlled by foreign-owned common carriers and they can freely roam within our national territory and have access to every island and corner of our nation,” he said.

“We are easily provoked by and get angry at the mere sight of a foreign marine vessel plying our internal waters; and yet, we want to allow them to do this at a much larger scale?” he asked.

Also, Hernandez said opening the window for foreigners to effectively control the transportation industry will put the riding public at the mercy of foreign corporations and entities who may well serve foreign entities.

“And what if one day, these foreigners decide to cease operations and leave our country. Just imagine the chaos that would ensue,” Hernandez added.

According to the lawmaker, the importance of regulation by the state of transportation cannot be emphasized enough.

The deputy speaker said he is now studying his amendments to the bill, which he will introduce during the period of amendments at the plenary.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, August 29, 2019 A9

Confessed gunman in Sytin killing pleads guilty in court

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By Henry Empeño | Correspondent

Edgardo Luib, who was arraigned

LONGAPO CITY—The confessed gunman in the killing of businessman Dominic Sytin last year has pleaded guilty to murder and frustrated murder charges before the court, staying true to his allegation that the killing was masterminded by the victim’s brother.

at the sala of Judge Richard Paradeza of Regional Trial Court Branch 72 here on Wednesday, entered a guilty plea to charges of murdering Sytin and for the frustrated murder of Sytin’s bodyguard Efren Espartero.

Luib’s lawyer Zaldy Ambon said his client was bothered by his conscience and has decided to come clean and admit to the crime.

Sytin and Espartero were about to enter the Lighthouse Marina Resort Hotel in Subic’s busy central business district at about 7:30 p.m. on November 28, when a masked suspect fired at them at close range, shooting Sytin in the back and left part of the head.

The businessman died on the spot.

Espartero tried to fire back, but the assailant turned on him, too, hitting his right arm and right torso.

Last March, Luib was arrested for another case in Batangas and upon investigation, he admitted killing Sytin for a fee. He implicated Sytin’s younger brother Dennis as the chief architect of the killing.

Police investigators had since theorized the case stemmed from a business rivalry between the Sytin brothers.

Luib reiterated his allegations against Dennis in his sworn statement submitted to the court on Wednesday.

Judge Paradeza has set the resumption of the trial on September 11.

Keep ASF virus out NEA pushes P14.147-billion 2020 budget of Mindanao–Piñol

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

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HE National Electrification Administration (NEA) is proposing a 2020 budget of P14.147 billion, of which P1.5 billion will go to the government’s total electrification program that includes the Sitio Electrification Program (SEP).

NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong said P1.162 billion of the P1.5 billion is earmarked for SEP Phase 2. This amount, said the agency, will energize 775 sitios next year. Masongsong said about P1.5 million is needed to energize one sitio.

The NEA proposed to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) a budget of P6.146 billion to bankroll the government’s various electrification projects, including SEP and Barangay Line Enhancement Program. However, the DBM recommended P1.531 billion.

Masongsong reaffirmed NEA and the electric cooperatives’ (EC) commitment to help the government realize the 100-percent household electrification target by 2022.

For the first semester of the year, the NEA was able to energize 469 sitios.

“The noble mandate of attaining total electrification is never an easy task for the NEA and the ECs,” the administrator said, adding that agency needs approximately P22 billion to help the government realize its total electrification plans by 2022.

The proposed P14.147-billion Corporate Operating Budget of NEA for 2020 includes noncash item, which is the conversion of national government (NG) advances into sub-

By Manuel T. Cayon

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

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AVAO CITY—The porous borders of Mindanao are raising a huge concern among hog raisers as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised the number of countries stricken with African swine fever (ASF).

The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa) has sounded the alarm against the entry of processed pork products from other countries where ASF outbreaks have been reported.

The MinDA said the FDA has added Hong Kong, North Korea, Lao PDR and Germany on the list of countries where it has banned the importation and distribution of all processed pork meat products.

These countries were an addition from a previous list which included China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova and Belgium.

“It is important to put safeguards to protect Mindanao from the entry of meat imports from China and other countries with ASF,” said MinDA Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol during a meeting with veterinarians and hog raisers on Tuesday at his MinDA office.

The safeguards include control in the entry of frozen meats, manning of quarantine checkpoints and the recall of imported processed meats.

Local government units (LGU) must also be at the forefront of the strict prohibition of meat imports, Piñol added. They need to strengthen monitoring of shipment of animals and processed meat, adding the entry of undocumented animals and meat products may cause the spread of the ASF virus and other diseases.

Aside from the LGUs, he said, there must also be a consol id ated ef for t among sta keholders. “ There is the need for an island-wide orientation to safeguard Mindanao from entr y of processed pork meats from other countries,” the former agriculture secretar y said.

He also called for a Mindanao-wide orientation among hog raisers on September 9 in Davao City to discuss measures to prevent the entry of the swine virus to Mindanao.

The forum would be a partnership with the Department of Agriculture to be participated by LGUs, backyard hog raisers, commercial hog raisers, veterinarians and quarantine officers. The forum would also serve as a venue to evaluate the data of the industry, assess the challenges confronting the Mindanao swine industry and its opportunities, the MinDA said.

sidy amounting to P10.869 billion, of which, P1.746 billion will be financed by the NEA’s internally generated funds, P1.531 billion as subsidy from the NG and the P10.869 billion representing noncash subsidy for the conversion of NG advances.

The proposed budget will also allow the agency to meet its other targets for 2020, which include electrification of 38 LGU/NGOs resettlement sites and provision for the cost counterpart of the Government of the Philippines on Jica donation for ECs in the Bangsamoro region.

The NEA’s other operational targets also cover the connection of additional 460,000 consumers, reduction of system loss to 11 percent, collection efficiency of 96 percent, release of P245 million loans to the ECs, and continued realization of a net margin from the agency’s financial operation.

“The NEA and ECs will remain steadfast in their commitment, despite all odds, to make possible the total electrification target, providing, in effect, a platform for the government to draw rural people into the economic and social mainstream and vigorously pursue its goal of inclusive growth,” Masongsong said.

To date, the NEA through its partnership with 121 ECs nationwide has energized 13,184,523 households­—translating to 61 million Filipinos in the countryside. About 14,876 sitios, however, are still left without access to electricity. To complete the energization of these sitios by 2022, the state-run agency will need approximately P22 billion.

Comelec sets Sto. Tomas, Batangas, cityhood poll

By Samuel P. Medenilla

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@sam_medenilla

HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to conduct a plebiscite on the possible cityhood of Santo Tomas, Batangas, next week.

In a news statement, the poll body said the event will be held on September 7, 2019 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Comelec will also be enforcing a liquor ban on September 6 and 7 to ensure the orderly holding of the plebiscite.

During the plebiscite, qualified voters will be able chose whether they are in favor or against Republic Act 11086 of 2018 converting the municipality of Santo Tomas into a city.

A total of 98,583 registered voters are

expected to participate in the plebiscite.

“Voters will write the word ‘Yes’ or ‘Oo’ on the official ballot if they vote for the approval of the ratification of RA 11086, while they will write the word ‘No’ or ‘Hindi’ if they vote for its rejection,” the Comelec statement said.

The poll body assured illiterates, PWDs and senior citizens will be given assistance under Section 34 of Comelec Resolution 10564.

“An express lane will be provided for pregnant voters, persons with disabilities and senior citizens,” Comelec said.

As part of the preparation for the activity, Comelec has suspended voter registration from September 4 to 11, 2019, in Santo Tomas, and is set to resume the same on September 12.

Villar assures ‘no pork’ in DPWH’s ₧534.29 billion proposed allocation for 2020

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HE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has assured the public that agency’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2020 is “pork-free.”

During the 2020 budget briefing of the DPWH, Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar gave the assurance while replying to a query raised by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano if the DPWH budget proposal contains pork barrel allotments.

Villar said there is no pork barrel in their 2020 proposed budget as the executive department will not tolerate any pork barrel inclusion in the agency’s budget.

“Everything has gone through a vigorous process of vetting and, rest assured Mr. Speaker, that there is none,” said Villar, adding this is the reason on their shift to line item budgeting.

When asked if there is any senator or cong ressman who “parked” the DPWH’s budget, Villar said there is no such practice in their budget and guaranteed it will not occur.

Cayetano earlier said he will not tolerate the so-called parking funds in the proposed 2020 national budget.

In the last Congress, lawmakers reportedly parked at least P300

million in infrastructure projects in the 2019 national budget. Parking of budget is reportedly the new scheme by some lawmakers allegedly to earn commissions in the annual appropriations.

Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said the lower chamber is committed to pass a constitutionally compliant national budget for year 2020.

Likewise, Romualdez said line item budgeting system will be strictly observed to ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement of public funds.

Villar also said the agency has implemented already a software

“Everything has gone through a vigorous process of vetting and, rest assured Mr. Speaker, that there is none.”

—Villar

system for the whole DPWH to monitor projects through the system application called the Contract Management Procedures and Application System.

“One of the accomplishments of this system is that we blacklisted almost around 18 contractors.

This has been the highest [that] it has ever been implemented in the department. At the same time, we track all projects via geotagging.

In other words, the progress of every project will be confirmed by a satellite confirmatory photography,” said Villar.

O n Tu e s d a y, t h e H o u s e Committee on Appropr iations scr utinized t he 2020 budget proposa l of the DPW H in the a mou nt of P53 4. 29 bi l l ion which is 17 percent higher than its budget of P454.79 bil lion for this year.

During the hearing, Villar presented the DPWH strategic infra-

structure programs and policies to be supported by its 2020 budget, based on the agency’s National Expenditure Program (NEP).

For his part, Cayetano said the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration will continue to address the lack of infrastructure projects in the country.

In his budget message, President Duterte said a total of P972 billion will be allocated for the government’s infrastructure program for 2020, equivalent to 4.6 percent of GDP, and higher than the P816.2 billion in 2019.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

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B1

11 firms submit bids for ₧284-B T PNR Clark Phase 2’s 3 packages

ERC lets Meralco withdraw its PSAs

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By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

HE auction for the construction of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) Clark Phase 2 saw 11 foreign and local companies—teaming up in seven different groups—submitting offers for the three deals under the railway construction program.

Under the P283.8-billion program, the construction of the PNR Clark Phase 2 was divided into three packages, namely: Package 1, which covers the civil works for 17 kilometer of the railway including Calumpit and Apalit Stations; Package 2 for 16 km including San Fernando Station; and Package 3 for 12 km encompassing Angeles and Clark Stations.

The seven different groups are composed of different companies that teamed up for a package or two, and one solely bidding for two contracts.

The participating companies are: Acciona, Daelim, Dong Ah Construction, EEI, Hyundai Engineering and Construction, Italian-Thai Development Plc., Megawide Construction

Corp., PT Pembangunan Perumahan Tbk, PT Waskita Karya Tbk, PT Wijaya Karya Tbk and Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Corp. According to the bid parameters of the three-package program’s auction, aside from submitted competitive bids, participants may also offer discounts to the government for multiple projects under the same program.

Based on a live feed of the bidding, Sumitomo teamed up with Italian-Thai Development to bid for the first package. The joint venture submitted a bid of P30.42 billion for the package and offered no discount.

Italian-Thai Development decided to bid for the second and third package alone, offering to undertake

the said deals for P15.76 billion and P16.42 billion, respectively, with a 1.5-percent discount should it win both packages.

Acciona and Daelim partnered to bid for the second package with P30.96 billion, and took EEI as another member of their consortium for the third package, to which they submitted P27.85 billion as their bid.

Megawide Construction Corp., Hyundai and Dong Ah all teamed up to vie for the first and second packages, offering P18.06 billion and P14.67 billion, respectively. The team offered a discount of P430.57 million plus another $559,000 should it win the two contracts. Waskita Persero offered P17.20 billion for the third package, while it teamed up with Pembangunan Perumahan and Wijaya for the second package, submitting a bid of P28.03 billion. For both packages, the Indonesian companies offered no discounts to the government.

PNR General Manager Junn B. Magno said the bids will be evaluated for over a month.

“We are undergoing bid evaluation for each of their submitted documents and that will take five to six weeks,” he said in a text message.

Magno added that the turnout of bidders demonstrates the “interna-

tional infrastructure industry’s support to the “Build, Build, Build” Program of the Duterte administration.”

He said “this vibrant participation from international and local companies is proof that they trust this government and the processes we institute. This is indeed a vote of confidence that we are doing things the right way, and soon, our countrymen will reap the benefits through improved mobility and connectivity.”

PNR Clark Phase 2 is part of the loan extended by the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency to the Philippine government for the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway Project. The said segment of the NSCR will run from Malolos, Bulacan, to Clark, Pampanga, covering a 53-km stretch.

It will also feature an express service to the Clark International Airport.

PNR Clark Phase 2 will have a capacity of 340,000 passengers in its opening year in 2022.

Other contracts for NSCR will be auctioned off progressively from September to November. Package 4, which will see the construction of the Clark airport express service, will be auctioned off on October 14, while the rolling stock production deal will be offered starting September.

HE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has approved Manila Electric Co.’s (Meralco) applications to withdraw the Power Supply Agreements (PSAs) forged with power suppliers.

The ERC said it was necessary for Meralco to withdraw its PSA applications following the Supreme Court decision that required all PSAs forged after June 30, 2015, to undergo Competitive Selection Process. “In view of the SC decision cited by Meralco as the ground relied upon for withdrawal, the Commission hereby grants the withdrawal of ap-

plicant’s joint application,” said the ERC in separate orders all dated August 13. The orders were posted on ERC’s web site on Wednesday. Meralco withdrew its PSA with Global Luzon Energy Development Corp.

(GLEDC), Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. (RPE) and Atimonan One Energy Inc. (A1) “In light of the said SC decision on the ABP [Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas Inc.] petition, applicants are constrained to move for the withdrawal of the instant joint application,” said Meralco. Lenie Lectura

MACHINES FOR PROGRESS The Philippine Die & Mould Machineries and Equipment

Exhibition (PDMEX 2019), billed as the “Philippines’s Largest and Focus Machinery Show,” opened Wednesday at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Gracing the opening are (from left): Greg Oliveros of the PDMEX Steering Committee and vice president of the Philippine Die & Mould Association Inc.; Wu Bingshu, president of the Federation of Asian Die and Mould Association; Charito Plaza, director general of Philippine Economic Zone Authority; Hector Villanueva Jr., president of PDMA Inc.; Eries Cagatan, director for industry development of the Department of Trade and Industry; and Luis Antonio Fuster, PDMEX Steering Committee chairman. ROY DOMINGO

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Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, August 29, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

MICC review to cost government ₧20 million

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By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

HE six-month review of existing mining operations will cost the government P20 million and will be conducted by experts to be commissioned by the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in partnership with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP).

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu signed on August 16 the memorandum of agreement covering the review, but the MOA still up for signature by the DOF and DAP, according to DENR Undersecretary for Climate Change and Mining Concerns Analiza R. Teh. The conduct of the second batch of the review of existing mining operations was discussed at the 33rd meeting of the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) in December 2018.

The project entitled, “Conduct of an Objective, Fact-finding and Science-based Review of Performance of Existing Mining Operations-Phase

II” will cover 17 existing large-scale mining companies.

These are: Agata Mining Ventures Inc., Apex Mining Corp., Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., Cagdianao Mining Corp., Century Peak Corp., FCF Minerals Corp., Filminera Resources Corp., Greenstone Resources Corp., Pacific Nickel Philippines, Philex Mining Corp., Philsaga Mining Corp., Platinum Group Metals, Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp., SR Metals Incorp., Taganito Mining Corp., TechIron Resources Inc. and Tribal Mining Corp.

According to Teh, the review will assess the performance of

these mining companies on the technical, legal, social, environmental and economic aspects of mining operations, the same aspects covered by the first MICC Review. Under the agreement, the DENR and DOF will give P20 million to the DAP, which shall procure and engage the services of experts on the five aspects of mining review.

The social and environmental aspects of the mining audit was given more weight during the crackdown on erring mining companies launched by the late Regina Lopez during her short stint as DENR chief.

During her 10-month campaign,

Aboitiz Construction backs Austal’s bid to produce AFP patrol vessels

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

A

BOITIZ Construction Inc. has expanded its partnership with Austal Philippines Pty. Ltd. through a newly minted memorandum of agreement that aims to “bolster” the shipbuilder’s bid for a vessel production contract with the military.

The agreement will allow Aboitiz Constr uct ion to potent ia l ly sub -

contract for the cutting and fabrication of the steel hulls of the offshore patrol vessels, which could be produced at Austal ’s assembly bays in Cebu. T hese were prev iously built by Aboitiz Construction.

Austal had sought to enter into an agreement with the Armed Forces to build six OPVs that will be used for the Philippine military’s patrol initiatives. “[W]e can contribute our expertise to help modernize the naval fleet of the

Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP].

We believe that we can pursue the bid with Aboitiz Construction as our preferred local contractor for this endeavor,” Austal Philippines President Wayne Murray said on Wednesday.

For his part, Aboitiz Construction President Albert A. Ignacio Jr. said his group supports this expanded collaboration with Austal, noting that his group has “many years of experience in fabricating hulls and other steelwork

for clients in Japan, USA, and Canada.”

He added, “Our record of repeat international orders throughout these years will show the quality and competitiveness of our fabrication services.

We are equally optimistic about this partnership as we further demonstrate our growing capability as a trusted local contractor for international customers, further enhancing our brand promise to advance business and communities.”

Lopez recommended the closure or suspension of 28 large-scale mining operations; canceled 75 inactive mineral production sharing agreements for projects near or within watersheds; and ordered the ban on openpit mining method for gold, copper, silver and complex ores.

Lopez’s appointment to the DENR was rejected by the Commission on Appointments. Mining companies are appealing for reversals of Lopez’s mining policies, questioning their legal basis and insisting on compliance with the implementing rules and regulations under the existing mining law—the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

Trend Micro kicks off strategic initiatives in Manila to help address analysts’ gap

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YBER-SECURITY solutions provider Trend Micro recently launched its latest threat monitoring service hub and talent development initiatives in the Philippines to help address the talent gap in the country.

Based on research of (ISC)2, the current shortage in professionals with the right cybersecurity skills is estimated to reach up to 3 million globally, 2 million of which are in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines.

The study shows that while more businesses want to hire analysts, there is a scarcity among those who are equipped with the right skills August 28, 2019 required.

Research and advisory firm Gartner found

NAV ONE YEAR THREE YEAR FIVE YEAR Y-T-D that the three major concerns businesses cite

PER SHARE RETURN* RETURN as hindering their capability to keep up with STOCK FUNDS the rapidly changing landscape are the pace of ALFM GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 254.7 -3.33% -2.04% -0.06% 0.99% ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 1.5098 0.66% 2.02% 1.29% 4.79% development/change, misconceptions and deATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 3.9456 -4.83% -3.44% -1.3% 1.09% lays in digitalization strategies, and shortage CLIMBS SHARE CAPITAL EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND CORP. -A 0.9443 2.33% N.A. N.A. 4.81% FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND ON MSCI PHILS. IMI, INC. -A 0.8513 -1.54% N.A. N.A. 3.73% in skilled professionals.

FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN EQUITY FUND,INC. -A 5.3245 -2.21% -1.02% 0.13% 0.97% The latter may be attributed to gaps in FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,6 0.8551 -1.97% -5.15% N.A. 2.2% education and training in the informationMBG EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND, INC. -A 118.48 2.38% N.A. N.A. 1.99% technology (IT) industry. Additional training PAMI EQUITY INDEX FUND, INC. -A 51.1016 -0.44% -0.9% N.A. 3.82% PHILAM STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 534.22 0.3% -1.71% -0.25% 3.78% is needed to equip new graduates and work PHILEQUITY DIVIDEND YIELD FUND, INC. -A 1.2911 -0.65% -0.49% 1.05% 2.96% seekers to qualify for the jobs related to cyber PHILEQUITY FUND, INC. -A 37.9464 -0.51% 0.28% 1.08% 3.59% PHILEQUITY MSCI PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,3 1.0146 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. security and digitization.

PHILEQUITY PSE INDEX FUND INC. -A 5.1863 0.35% 0.02% 1.61% 4.59% With this in mind, Trend Micro opened its PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND CORP. -A 865.71 0.37% -0.27% 1.54% 4.5% SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 0.8953 1.2% -1.24% N.A. 4.1% state-of-the-art center for its Managed DetecSUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE EQUITY FUND, INC. -A 4.2386 0.03% -0.09% 1.11% 4.43% tion and Response (MDR) service in Manila, SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND, INC. -A 0.9951 -0.02% -0.31% N.A. 4.28% UNITED FUND, INC. -A 3.6575 0.15% 1.43% 2.22% 4.48% manned by some of its 1,000 local engineers.

EXCHANGE TRADED FUND Called “Trend Micro Managed XDR,” the FIRST METRO PHIL. EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC. -A,C,2 116.0699 0.8% 0.57% 2.59% 4.81% service employs extensive sets of data from ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC. -B $0.916 -9.97% 0.77% -2.46% -1.41% a greater pool of protection points that make SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD VOYAGER FUND, INC. -A $1.2649 -1.72% 6.46% N.A. 14.45% BALANCED FUNDS it more comprehensive, accurate, faster and PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES effective in finding obscure threats.

ATRAM DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND, INC. -A 1.6714 -1.69% -3% -2.36% 1.22% ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 2.2865 -0.64% -1.51% 0.11% 3.5% Armed with advanced security expertise FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND INC. -A 2.6267 0.31% -0.49% -1.38% 3.29% and skills in probing sophisticated threats, GREPALIFE BALANCED FUND CORPORATION -A 1.3375 -1.26% N.A. N.A. 2.55% NCM MUTUAL FUND OF THE PHILS., INC. -A 1.9462 3.63% 0.23% 1.05% 5.59% the team provides global services across four PAMI HORIZON FUND, INC. -A 3.7806 3.77% -0.84% 0.39% 7.12% strategic vectors—endpoint, network, e-mail, PHILAM FUND, INC. -A 16.9132 4.04% -0.82% 0.29% 6.32% SOLIDARITAS FUND, INC. -A 2.1376 1.33% 0.19% 1.5% 3.31% and server and cloud workloads.

SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 3.8608 2.64% -0.02% 0.9% 5.74% “Our MDR service provides organizations SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2028, INC. -A,D,4 1.0123 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2038, INC. -A,D,4 0.9971 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. a broader visibility over threats, while alleviSUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2048, INC. -A,D,4 0.9937 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. ating overburdened security teams through SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DYNAMIC FUND, INC. -A 0.9863 2.33% -0.05% 0.44% 7.01% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES better flexibility in deploying their solutions,” COCOLIFE DOLLAR FUND BUILDER, INC. -A $0.0385 9.07% 2.07% 2.44% 9.07% said Trend Micro Chief Information Officer PAMI ASIA BALANCED FUND, INC. -A $0.9674 -2.28% 1.12% -1.72% 5.88% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ADVANTAGE FUND, INC. -A $3.7154 1.72% 4.88% 2.47% 12.3% Max Cheng.

SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR WELLSPRING FUND, INC. -A $1.1135 4.22% 3.17% N.A. 10.25% “Beyond establishing our global security opBOND FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES erations center [SOC] here, we will continue to ALFM PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 353.72 3.86% 2.27% 2.33% 2.98% ATRAM CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC. -A,1 1.9123 2.83% -0.06% 0.04% 2.86% give back to the local community to empower COCOLIFE FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. -A

3.0757 5.38% 5.37% 5.28% 3.35% and enable Filipinos in cyber security, among EKKLESIA MUTUAL FUND INC. -A 2.2189 4.61% 1.49% 2.16% 4.21% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND,INC. -A 2.3474 5.8% 1.45% 1.73% 6.45% others,” he added.

GREPALIFE FIXED INCOME FUND CORP. -A P 1.6079 1.37% -1.37% 0.24% 2.78% T he c yber-secur it y vendor, likew ise, PHILAM BOND FUND, INC. -A 4.3228 9.41% 0.7% 2.02% 10.28% PHILEQUITY PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.7383 7.76% 1.4% 1.71% 6.29% launched its Certified Professional Programs SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC. -A 0.9543 5.83% -0.21% N.A. 7.08% (CPM) to develop more experts in meeting the SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.0294 9.17% 2.04% 2.67% 9.53% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY GS FUND, INC. -A 1.68 9.18% 1.57% 2.23% 9.1% talent or skills shortage for such expertise.

PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES “Trend Micro will equip IT professionals ALFM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $463.08 4.18% 1.73% 2.75% 3.27% ALFM EURO BOND FUND, INC. -A Є220.13 3.09% 1.31% 1.55% 3.51% from across the country with real-world exATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -B $1.1949 6.83% 2.01% 2.4% 6.15% perience in detecting and managing threats.

FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $0.0259 4.44% 1.05% N.A. 4.44% GREPALIFE DOLLAR BOND FUND CORP. -A $1.7172 0.57% -2.13% 0.48% 1.6% The goal is to empower more Filipino profesPAMI GLOBAL BOND FUND, INC -A $1.104 6.2% -0.32% -1.54% 6.53% sionals with the knowledge and skills to face PHILAM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $2.4155 10.88% 1.6% 3.5% 11.27% PHILEQUITY DOLLAR INCOME FUND INC. -A $0.060137 5.86% 1.84% 2.05% 5.5% evolving cyber-security issues and develop SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ABUNDANCE FUND, INC. -A $3.1806 9.36% 0.96% 3.05% 10.74% into global cyber guardians,” Cheng said.

MONEY MARKET FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES The CPM will focus on SOC Fundamentals, ALFM MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 124.51 4.13% 2.63% 2.07% 3% a five-day course to be offered at the Trend FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A,5 1.021 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. Micro Philippine headquarters in Pasig City.

PHILAM MANAGED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 1.2395 5.68% 2.38% 1.46% 4.87% It caters to security analysts, system adminSUN LIFE PROSPERITY MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 1.2521 3.93% 2.77% 2.15% 2.7% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES istrators, cyber threat investigators, threat SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR STARTER FUND, INC. -A $1.0315 2.23% N.A. N.A. 1.54% hunters, and security monitoring specialists

A - NAVPS AS OF THE PREVIOUS BANKING DAY. B - NAVPS AS OF TWO BANKING DAYS AGO. C - LISTED IN THE PSE. D - IN NET ASSET VALUE PER of various organizations.

UNIT (NAVPU).

1 - ADJUSTED DUE TO CASH DIVIDEND ISSUANCE LAST JANUARY 29, 2018. 2 - ADJUSTED DUE TO STOCK DIVIDEND ISSUANCE LAST JUNE 5, 2018. 3 Established in the Philippines in 1998, Trend LAUNCH DATE IS JANUARY 3, 2019.

4 - LAUNCH DATE IS JANUARY 28, 2019. 5 - LAUNCH DATE IS FEBRUARY 1, 2019. 6 - RENAMING WAS APPROVED BY THE SEC LAST OCTOBER 12, 2018 Micro has grown with over 1,000 local engineers (FORMERLY, ONE WEALTHY NATION FUND, INC.).

to date, representing 17 percent of the firm’s "While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. current total global work force of around 6,000 pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU." employees. Roderick L. Abad

MUTUAL FUNDS

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

The World BusinessMirror

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Trade war’s ‘second wave’ will be more painful, says Indonesia finance minister T

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Japan’s move to lower South Korea trade status takes effect

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HE global economy could be hit by a second wave of damage from the US-China trade war—and it will be much more severe than the first, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said.

The outlook for global growth already was cut amid the dispute between the world’s two biggest economies, but the escalation in hostilities since then has “created a point of no return,” Indrawati said in an interview Tuesday.

Damage from this second wave “is not quantifiable at this moment” but will be significant,

and could thrust the world into “a totally uncertain era.”

“No one now has the trust or belief about how international disputes must and should be settled,” Indrawati said. “I think this secondary damage is going to be much, much more long lasting beyond a certain political regime.”

SRI MULYANI INDRAWATI MUHAMMAD FADLI/BLOOMBERG

Since the International Monetary Fund cut its global growth forecast in July, tensions between the US and China have

ratcheted up and a deal appears more distant. Volatile markets, together with the brittle state of the world economy and new flashpoints such as Hong Kong, have fed fears of a global recession.

“This is something that needs to be addressed globally by all the leaders, regardless of their short-term interests,” Indrawati said. A coordinated policy response as seen during the global financial crisis a decade ago would help counter the current threat, she said, but right now “it seems like the world is heading in a direction that nobody wants.”

“The policy action is not coherent,” she added. “That’s creating very weak confidence among many economic players in the world in the ability of leaders or decision-makers to actually avert or avoid this recession.”

Bloomberg News

Macron pushes outreach to Russia, offers ‘balancing’ role

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ARIS—French President Emmanuel Macron says it’s time for Europe to reach out to Russia—to keep it in the Western fold, check its global ambitions and avoid being caught in the middle of a new Cold War. Macron didn’t say outright whether he wants to lift EU sanctions imposed over Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, the heart of East-West tensions for the past five years. But he said new sanctions “are not in our interest.”

In a sweeping diplomatic speech on Tuesday after hosting the G-7 summit, Macron sketched out a role for France as

a “balancing power”—between Russia and its rivals, between the US and Iran, between rich and poor countries.

“Pushing Russia from Europe is a profound strategic error,” Macron said. Europe’s “weaknesses and mistakes” have helped lead Russia to boost its alliance with China, and revive its influence in Syria, Libya and around Africa.

“It’s not in our interest to be weak and guilty, to forget all our disagreements and to embrace each other again,” he said, but insisted: “The European continent will never be stable, will never be in security, if we don’t pacify and clarify our relations with Russia.”

Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin met last week and vowed to give a new boost to peace talks with Ukraine. But the two disagreed on other issues, including Syria and the Russian crackdown on opposition protests.

Macron is trying to revive France’s global clout on multiple fronts, with mixed success.

After inviting the Iranian foreign minister as a surprise guest to the Group of Seven summit in France, Macron said Tuesday that his risky diplomatic maneuver helped create “the possible conditions of a useful meeting.”

Macron acknowledged that his efforts to bring Iran and the US

together are “fragile” but says he still sees a “possible path” to rapprochement after decades of conflict.

He expressed hope at the G-7 on Monday that US President Donald J. Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani could meet within weeks.

Trump said there was a “really good chance” that could happen—but Rouhani said Tuesday that the US president must first lift sanctions imposed on Tehran.

Brazil, meanwhile, rejected offers of international aid championed by Macron at the G-7 to fight Amazon wildfires. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accused France and other rich countries of treating the region like a “colony.” AP

Respiratory ailments increase in Brazil as Amazon fires rage

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ORTO VELHO, Brazil—Lingering smoke in the Amazon caused concern Tuesday among Brazilians who say that respiratory problems—particularly among children and the elderly—have increased as fires in the region rage.

“The kids are affected the most. They’re coughing a lot,” said Elane Diaz, a nurse in the Rondonia state capital of Porto Velho, as she waited for a doctor’s appointment at the city’s 9 of August hospital with her fiveyear-old-son Eduardo. “They have problems breathing. I’m concerned because it affects their health.”

The number of people treated for respiratory issues increased sharply in recent days at the local Cosme e Damio Children’s hospital.

“This period has been very tough. The dry weather and the smoke cause many problems on children, such as pneumonia, coughing and secretion,” Daniel Pires, a pediatrician and the hospital’s adjunct-director told the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper. “From August 1 to August 10, the median [number] of cases was about 120 to 130 children with respiratory problems. From August 11 to [August 20] it went up to 280 cases.”

Growing fears over the health impacts

are emerging as the number of fires in Brazil surges, with more than 77,000 documented by the country’s National Space Research Institute in the last year. About half of the fires occurred in the Amazon region, with most in the past month.

But as breathing-related ailments appear to be on the rise, attention to the issue has largely been overshadowed by growing acrimony between Brazil and European countries seeking to help fight Amazon fires and protect a region seen as vital to the health of the planet.

At a summit in France this week, G-7 nations pledged to help fight the flames and protect the rainforest by offering $20 million, in addition to a separate $12 million from Britain and $11 million from Canada.

But Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right climate skeptic who took office this year with a promise to boost development in Latin America’s biggest economy, questioned whether offers of international aid mask a plot to exploit the Amazon’s resources and weaken Brazilian growth. On Tuesday, he said that his French counterpart President Emmanuel Macron had called him a liar and would have to apologize before Brazil con-

siders accepting rainforest aid.

Macron has to retract those comments “and then we can speak,” Bolsonaro said.

In a video message, Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho offered an apology to France for what he called Bolsonaro’s “hysteria,” saying the Brazilian government had resorted to insults to dodge responsibility for the Amazon fires.

Meanwhile, within Brazil, a number of people said they supported Bolsonaro despite local and international criticism of his handling of the crisis, exposing a divide that has split the country.

Grace Quale, a hospital laboratory technician who attended a service at an evangelical church on Sunday, said that critics “want to overthrow our president,” and that she didn’t see a link between Bolsonaro’s environmental policies and the number of people getting treatment for respiratory problems.

Mona Lisa Pereira, an agronomist, also said criticism of Brazil’s government was skewed.

“Germany had already been helping through NGOs and they couldn’t prevent this,” Pereira said. “It seems like this is the fire of a lifetime. But it’s not. We have fires every year.”

Former Fed official says central bank should stop enabling Trump

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ASHINGTON —A former top Federal Reserve official suggested Tuesday that the Fed should avoid responding to the effects of President Donald J. Trump’s trade war with China and even consider how its actions might affect Trump’s reelection prospects—an argument that drew an unusual rejection from the Fed. William Dudley, former president of the Fed’s New York regional bank, argued in a Bloomberg Opinion piece that if the Fed were to accommodate the president—by further cutting interest rates, for example—it could lead him to escalate his trade war and elevate the risk of a recession.

“This manufactured disaster-in-themaking presents the Federal Reserve with a dilemma: Should it mitigate the damage by providing offsetting stimulus, or refuse to play along?” Dudley wrote.

His most dramatic suggestion was for

the politically independent Fed to consider Trump’s reelection prospects in formulating its policies.

“Trump’s reelection,” Dudley wrote, “arguably presents a threat to the US and global economy, to the Fed’s independence and its ability to achieve its employment and inflation objectives. If the goal of monetary policy is to achieve the best long-term economic outcome, then Fed officials should consider how their decisions will affect the political outcome in 2020.”

The Fed issued a response asserting that it is determined to remain apolitical.

“The Federal Reserve’s policy decisions are guided solely by its congressional mandate to maintain price stability and maximum employment,” said Spokesman Michelle Smith. “Political considerations play absolutely no role.”

In his opinion piece, Dudley argued that if

the ultimate goal is a healthy economy, then the Fed should consider deciding against further rate cuts if those cuts would be intended to counter damage from Trump’s trade war.

“What if the Fed’s accommodation encourages the president to escalate the trade war further, increasing the risk of a recession?”

Dudley asked. “The central bank’s efforts to cushion the blow might not be merely ineffectual. They might actually make things worse.”

Dudley acknowledged that his proposal defies the conventional belief that the Fed should take no positions on policy matters that are normally handled by the president and Congress, and should remain ready to cushion the economy from any damage from those policies.

But he said he believes that Chairman Jerome Powell, in a speech Friday to central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, might have hinted at a change in approach. AP

Others said in an open letter that the government’s discourse and measures are leading to a “collapse in federal environmental management and stimulate environmental crimes inside and outside the Amazon.”

More than 500 employees from the environmental regulator Ibama signed the letter and included a list of emergency measures they recommended, including more qualified management and employees, and a greater budget and increased autonomy.

The Amazon has experienced an increased rate of fires during drought periods in the last 20 years, but the phenomenon this year is “unusual” because drought has not yet hit, said Laura Schneider of Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Schneider, an associate professor in the geography department, said fire is commonly used by people to clear land for cultivation, and the actual area burned this year must be measured for an accurate comparison with damage in past years.

While many of the recorded fires this year were set in already deforested areas by people clearing land for cultivation or pasture, Brazil government figures show that they are much more widespread this year, suggesting the threat to the vast Amazon ecosystem is intensifying.

But for now, more immediate consequences of the raging flames were becoming clear. AP

O K Yo — J a p a n’s d o w n grading of South Korea’s trade status took effect on Wednesday, a decision that has already set off a series of reactions hurting bilateral relations.

Japanese manufacturers now must apply for approval for each technology-related contract for South Korean ex por t, rather than the simpler checks granted a preferential trade partner, which is still the status of the US and others.

Since Japan announced the decision about two months ago, South Korea decided to similarly downgrade Tokyo’s trade status, which will take effect next month.

Seoul has also canceled a deal to share military intelligence with Japan.

South Korea has accused Japan of weaponizing trade because of a separate dispute linked to Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

Japan denies retaliating and says wartime compensation issues were already settled.

“Relations between Japan and South Korea continue to be in an extremely serious situation because of South Korea’s repeated negative and irrational actions, including the most critical issue of laborers from the Korean Peninsula,” Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

Suga was referring to South Korea’s Supreme Court ruling last

IN this August 27, 2019 photo, Japan’s Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko speaks during a press conference in Tokyo.

Japan removed South Korea from a list of nations given preferential trade status, a decision when announced earlier has set off a series of actions from both sides that have hurt bilateral relations.

TAKUYA HATAYAMA/KYODO NEWS VIA AP

year that said the wartime compensation deal, signed in 1965, did not cover individual rights to seek reparations and ordered Japanese companies to compensate victims of forced labor.

Suga said Japan will continue to try to talk to South Korea.

The wrangling has dented what had been a thriving tourism and cultural exchange between the neighboring nations, including Japanese becoming fans of Korean pop music and movies. Some South Koreans are boycotting Japanese goods or joining street protests to denounce Japan.

Hiroshige Seko, minister of economy, trade and industry, said earlier this week that the trade status review was needed for proper checks on exports because of concerns about what could be used for military purposes.

Japan has never specified the security concerns further, or how they originated.

Seko also denounced South Korea’s scrapping the military intelligence agreement, called the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA, arguing the trade decision was not directly related to military cooperation.

T he i ntel l igence - sh a r i ng agreement remains in effect until November. Japan and South Korea have shared information about North Korea’s missile launches, the latest of which happened on Saturday. AP

B4 Thursday, August 29, 2019

Toyota Safety Sense make humans and machines work together for safer driving

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CCORDING to the World Health Organization Global Status Report, road accident statistics in the Philippines has constantly increased since 2016. A number of accidents have resulted in injuries or deaths, some of which could have been avoided if motorists are taking extra safety measures.

This is why various institutions, road safety advocates, and other groups have been actively campaigning to make our roads safer.

Automotive research and development have also made advances in building cars with builtin features that can help protect the drivers and passengers from harm.

For leading mobility company Toyota, safety features are just as essential to the car as any other advanced functional technologies. That is why it the company is set to actively rollout its proprietary Toyota Safety Sense (TSS).

Some of the features available under TSS are Pre-collision System (PCS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Departure Alert (LDA), and Automatic High Beam (AHB).

Pre-collision System (PCS) detects the possibility of a collision using various sensors and reacts accordingly, also taking into consideration the countermeasures taken by the driver. Upon detection of a possibility of collision, the driver will be warned with beeps and visual warnings. When the possibility of a collision is higher and the driver applies brakes, the brake assist system will apply additional pressure to the brakes as needed. When an even greater possibility of collision is detected and the driver did not apply brakes, automatic

brakes will be activated to prevent the collision.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). When driving at cruise control, the vehicle drives at constant preset speed and will adjust within the set cruise speed upon detection of another vehicle in front to maintain appropriate distance.

Lane Departure Alert (LDA) detects driving lanes and alerts driver when the vehicle departs from its designated lane. This feature operates at a vehicle speed of more than 50km/h, with a road width of more than approximately 3.0m.

Automatic High Beam (AHB). While the headlight’s high beam setting is in use, the system automatically switches to low beam upon detection of vehicles at a certain distance in front or incoming vehicles on the opposite lane.

The system will return to the high beam setting once the vehicle in front is at an appropriate distance or the incoming vehicle has passed.

These features fall under certain classes, with classes and feature variations available in selected new models and variants globally. With safety as Toyota Motor Philippines’ number one priority, select TSS features will soon be made available with the all-new Hiace Super Grandia Elite. More models will soon carry TSS’ active safety features that can give Filipino motorists and their families peace of mind, further supporting ever better lives through ever better cars.

For more Toyota updates, visit www.toyota. com.ph or check out Toyota’s official social media pages at ToyotaMotorPhilippines (Facebook and Instagram), and @ToyotaMotorPH (Twitter).

SM KICKS OFF ART FOR EVERYONE 2019. SM Supermalls recently launched this year’s Art For Everyone at the Mega Fashion Hall to connect local artists with different audiences and offer mallgoers a refreshing experience in the malls. Art For Everyone features more than 12,000 paintings, sculptures, and photographs by renowned and budding local artists in 18 participating SM malls nationwide.

Photo shows (left) Felicidad Sy, the wife of SM’s late founder Henry Sy Sr, and (right) Hans Sy, SM Prime chairman of the executive committee. For more information on the Art For Everyone Art Fair calendar, visit www.smsupermalls.com.

Celebrate Traditions with delectable mooncakes

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AKE part in the celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival with specialty mooncakes available at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. Mooncake’s round shape symbolizes fondness and togetherness between family members. While in the past, it was believed that by offering such would entail abundance and prosperity.

Available at Xin Tian Di with Chinese Executive Chef Peter Yeung at the helm, order a box of traditional or snow skin mooncakes featuring an assortment of flavors such as custard, 2019 NIYUGYOGAN FESTIVAL. Senator Cynthia Villar, Senate Chair Committee on Agriculture and Food, talks about the Importance and Role of Quezon Farmers during the "Araw ng Pamilyang Magsasaka," part of 2019 Niyugyogan Festival held recently at Quezon Convention Center Lucena City.

lotus and red bean. Showcasing four large or six small varieties, prices start at Php1,488 nett. Individual orders start at Php280 nett while small versions start at Php175 nett.

Place your orders until August 20, 2019 and get up to 25% discount. Offer is available until September 30, 2019.

Contact Xin Tian Di through (02) 633-7222 or email mnlcp. xintiandi@ihg.com. Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ crowneplazamanila galleria and follow us on Instagram: www. instagram.com/crowneplazamanilagalleria.

Save the Children Philippines ambassador Katarina Rodriguez graces #RunWithMe2019

97.9 Home Radio is “Best FM Radio Station” of the Year

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OUR favorite easy listening music station, 97.9 Home Radio is this year’s “Best Fm Radio Station” in Metro Manila! Awarded during the recent 27th KBP Golden Dove Awards, the station is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

It’s truly a well deserved recognition for the station’s balanced programming which includes not only News Updates, Traffic Reports, and Public Service Announcements, but also various programs that give the listeners different genres of music which make your easy listening experience evolve into a whole new level.

97.9 Home Radio’s daily programs are the following, from Monday toFriday: 7-9am

Morning Melodies - Acoustic & Revivals; 9-12nn Emotions in Motion - 80’s & 90’s Jazzy Love Songs; 12-1pm OPM HIGHLIGHTS - (Pilot Program) This promotes pure Opm Music for one full hour. The show features live performances of your favorite OPM artists and uprising individuals. Can be seen on FB Live!

Via 979Homeradioofficial and uploaded on our Youtube channel 979Homeradioofficial.( subscribe now!)

5-8pm Totally 80s! Your drive time will never be the same again. This is the only timeslot on 97.9 Home Radio that plays all fast tracks that you can enjoy while driving home from work or school.

Sunday All Day Classics features the best of the 70’s & 80’s Love Songs the whole day.

97.9 Home Radio has also diversified its programming style with tips and trivias that truly one can relate to. In 2018, it won the Best PSA Award (Public Service Announcement) during the 26TH KBP GOLDEN DOVE AWARDS for the segment “ Think Before You Post”. This is an advocacy program of the station that embarks the message on how one should behave on social media; how to respond on other people’s posts and not to offend individuals while exchanging point of views on certain issues tackled freely online. To stop Cyber bullying is the focus and main concern of “Think Before You Post” until it evolved its concern on how to combat the sharing of ”Fake News”.

More fresh segments coming out soon that listeners should not miss. 97.9 Home Radio is owned and operated by INSULAR BROADCASTING SYSTEM INC. Broadcasting live from the 5th floor Citystate Center 709 Shaw Blvd, Pasig City.

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AVE the Children Philippines is proud to be the beneficiary of Manila Marriott Hotel in today's #RunWithMe2019.

Run With Me is Resorts World Manila’s annual celebrity-led fun run for charity that brings people from all walks of life together in a race for charity.

The funds raised by Manila Marriott Hotel during the #RunWithMe2019 will support the programs of Save the

Children Philippines.

Katarina Rodriguez, Save the Children Philippines ambassador lead more than a thousand runners who believe every child deserves to celebrate birthdays and grow healthy, educated and safe from violence.

August 25 is a special day for the organization also as it marks the birthday of Save the Children’s founder Eglantyne Jebb, a remarkable woman who drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Children that

became the basis for the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

“Birthdays are special events for children, we should make sure every child, especially those in the deprived and marginalized situations have a healthy start in life,” said Rodriguez.

Save the Children Philippines is a lead child-rights organization in the Philippines in development and humanitarian work.

Sports

DEFENDING champion and No. 1 seed Naomi Osaka drops her first five games, wastes a match point in the second set, then finally puts together a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 victory. AP

BusinessMirror

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| Thursday, August 29, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

COCO IN HOT DEBUT COCO GAUFF: I’m still used to playing juniors, I forgot about the day off. AP

Tsitsipas to umpire: You’re all weirdos!

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EW YORK—Stefanos Tsitsipas accused a US Open chair umpire of having a bias against him during a tirade in which he told the official, “You’re all weirdos!”

Tsitsipas told Damien Dumusois that the cause of his bias was “because you’re French probably and you’re all weirdos!”

The argument came midway through the fourth set of Tsitsipas’s 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (7), 7-5 loss to Andrey Rublev on Tuesday, a day when he and fellow young star Dominic Thiem both lost in the first round for the second straight major tournament.

Tsitsipas, the No. 8 seed from Greece, appeared to be battling cramps and was slow to return to the court after losing his serve.

Dumusois told Tsitsipas it was time to play, but Tsitsipas was still reaching into his bag for a new headband and screamed at Dumusois that he still needed time to change. Dumusois responded that Tsitsipas would be penalized.

“I don’t care,” Tsitsipas replied. “Do whatever you want, because you’re the worst.”

“I don’t know what you have against me,” Tsitsipas continued. “Because you’re French probably and you’re all weirdos!

You’re all weirdos!”

Dumusois is indeed French.

Tsitsipas had been angry that Dumusois believed he was getting coaching during the match from his father, Apostolos, which is not allowed.

“The chair umpire was very incorrect in what he was telling me during the match,” Tsitsipas said afterward. “I don’t know what this chair umpire has in specific against my team, but he’s been complaining and telling me that my team talks all of the time when I’m out on the court playing. He’s very—I don’t know.

I believe he’s not right, because I never hear anything of what my team says from the outside.”

Tsitsipas added that he thought tennis needed more umpires who are fair to all players.

“I feel like some of them have

preferences when they are on the court,” he said.

Tsitsipas opened his Grand Slam season by beating Roger Federer en route to the Australian Open semifinals. He fell at Wimbledon to Thomas Fabbiano, who then sent Thiem to another quick exit by beating the No. 4 seed 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on a day when four top-10 seeds in the bottom half of the bracket were upset.

The two-time French Open runner-up said he was battling an illness leading into the tournament and said he was exhausted after two sets.

“I’m far away from 100 percent,” Thiem said. “Like this, it’s very tough to win.”

Tsitsipas was clear that his problems stemmed from the influence of Dumusois.

“Well, it’s not very pleasant when you have the umpire give you warnings and time violations and coaching violations during a match,” Tsitsipas said. “It can affect your thinking. It can affect your decision-making.” AP

By Howard Fendrich

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The Associated Press

EW YORK—Here’s how new all of this is to Coco Gauff: She didn’t quite realize she only has to play every other day at the US Open.

“I’m still used to playing juniors,” the American said with a chuckle, “so I forgot about the day off.”

She’s still just 15. She’s competing in just her second Grand Slam tournament. And yet, she’s definitely showing she can perform like someone much older and more experienced.

With her parents jumping out of their front-row seats over and over again, and a raucous partisan crowd backing her at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Gauff trailed by a set and a break, then again by a break in the third set, before coming up big down the stretch to get past Anastasia Potapova of Russia, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, in her debut at Flushing Meadows.

“Honestly, I mean, I really don’t remember the match too well,” Gauff said, “because everything is still a blur.”

Here is what is clear: She displayed the same sort of gumption she did while saving match points in a Centre Court comeback at Wimbledon during her captivating run to the fourth round there last month.

Gauff simply does not give in or give up.

As strong as her serve and other strokes are, she’s already showing an ability to make adjustments during a match and figure out ways to win, time and again. Gauff was ranked 313th when she got a wild-card invitation into qualifying at Wimbledon, then became the youngest player in history to make it through those preliminary rounds at that prestigious tournament.

After beating Venus Williams in the first round, then a 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist in the second, Gauff got to Week 2 before her surprising showing there ended with a loss to eventual champion Simona Halep.

It was enough to persuade the US Tennis Association to provide a wild card into its event, a special entry she needed because her ranking is 140th.

Four top-10 men’s seeds all tumbled out: No. 4 Dominic Thiem,

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No. 8 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 9 Karen Khachanov and No. 10 Roberto Bautista Agut. The biggest beneficiary could be three-time champion Rafael Nadal, the No. 2 seed, who found no such trouble, easily putting together a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory at night over John Millman.

The last match of the schedule didn’t begin until after 11 p.m. and ended after 1 a.m. Wednesday, with the volatile Nick Kyrgios delighting the crowd with some trick shots—one particularly outrageous on-the-run passing shot forehand ‘tweener landed in the net, alas, but a fullsprint, slide-into-the-doubles-alley forehand winner was celebrated with a dance—while beating Steve Johnson 6-3, 7-6 (1), 6-4.

In women’s action, 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens was stunned 6-3, 6-4 by Anna Kalinskaya, a 20-year-old Russian qualifier ranked 127th.

Stephens, an American seeded 11th, finished with 33 unforced errors, more than twice as many as Kalinskaya, who had been 0-5 at Slams and 0-4 against top-20 opponents.

“I was playing one good point, one bad point, one good point,” Stephens said. “The inconsistency doesn’t help me at all.”

Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion, and two-time finalist Viktoria Azarenka also lost at night.

Earlier, defending champion and No. 1 seed Naomi Osaka dropped her first five games against 84th-ranked Anna Blinkova, wasted a match point in the second set, then finally put together a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 victory.

A couple of years ago, when Gauff was 13, she got a chance to practice with Osaka.

“Her dad and my dad are actually quite cool,” Osaka said Tuesday. “She seems to be doing great.”

Gauff’s father and mother were kind of quiet in the early going at Armstrong, until their daughter waved to her guest box after falling behind 3-0 early.

“I was telling them to get hyped up more. I needed more positive energy. I was nervous. Just looking at them when they’re giving me a fist pump gives me a little reassurance,” Gauff explained. “I think they were nervous.

They wanted to stay more reserved, too. I was like, ‘No, I need you guys to come on, stand up.’”

They obliged, yelling and clapping after what seemed to be each point Coco won. Dad also pounded a fist on his chest repeatedly.

“I think I gave them a heart attack, especially my mom,” Gauff said. “And my dad, he looks a little bit tired over there, too.”

Gauff did not start well against the 72nd-ranked Potapova.

Not well at all.

Gauff, who is based in Florida, double-faulted three times in her first service game on a breezy evening with the temperature sliding down to about 70 degrees.

Maybe she was trying to be too fine, sending shots right near the lines. The high-risk, high-reward strategy more often yielded results in the former category than in the latter at the outset. Both players hit the ball violently while covering the court well, creating lengthy, entertaining points often introduced by serves at, or above, 100 mph.

They seemed like a couple of talented and experienced veterans with the benefit of years on tour, not a pair of teens each in the US Open’s main draw for the first time. Potapova is a past Wimbledon junior champion, and still only 18, so this was the youngest matchup in the first round at Flushing Meadows.

Soon enough it was 5-1, and then that set belonged to Potapova, with Gauff turning to her guest box and putting her palms up, as if to ask, “What can I do differently?”

Not much later, when Potapova broke to open the second set, Gauff’s shoulders slumped and she whacked her racket against her right leg.

And that’s when her turnaround began.

With spectators roaring their approval, Gauff broke right back and was on her way to dominating the second set.

There was some trouble still awaiting. Gauff went down 1-0 in the third set, then took four games in a row.

But at 4-1, Potapova took a medical timeout and a trainer massaged her right shoulder. She quickly pulled even at 4-all.

Gauff took command from there, breaking and then serving out the victory. This is still all so new to her. She doesn’t show it, though.

“I know we’re going to see each other a lot in the future. I hope we do see each other in the future,” Gauff said, “but hopefully in the finals, not in the first round.”

KYRGIOS CALLS ATP ‘CORRUPT’

EW YORK—Nick Kyrgios called the Association of Tennis Professionals(ATP) “corrupt” on Tuesday night for fining him more than $100,000 this month for his behavior during a match.

Asked if that recent punishment from the men’s tour—only the latest in a long series that also included a suspension—affected NICK KYRGIOS could be at it again. AP

him mentally coming into the US Open, he replied: “Not at all. ATP’s pretty corrupt, anyway, so I’m not fussed about it at all.”

Kyrgios insulted a chair umpire and left the court to smash two rackets during a second-round loss at the Western & Southern Open this month.

The next day, the ATP listed a breakdown of eight fines ranging from $3,000 to $20,000 each, for violations such

as unsportsmanlike conduct, verbal abuse and audible obscenity.

When a reporter asked a follow-up question about his use of the word “corrupt” following his straight-set victory over Steve Johnson that ended past 1 a.m. on Wednesday at Flushing Meadows, Kyrgios first referenced his fines totaling $113,000.

Then he added: “Why are we talking about something that happened three weeks ago, when I just chopped up someone [in the] first round of US Open?” AP

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

SWIMMERS, ARCHER SHARE SPOTLIGHT CEBU City’s Aldrener Igot Jr. is hitting the bullseye in archery.

ATENEO Captain Thirdy Ravena (third from left) and players present a Blue Eagle jersey to Firefly Marketing Director Erik Riola. Also in photo are (from left) FELCO Assistant Brand Manager Christine Reyes, Ateneo de Manila University’s Assistant to the President for University Athletics Fr. Nemesio Que, SJ, and University Athletics Director Emmanuel T. Fernandez.

Firefly lights up Blue Eagles campaign

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IREFLY LED has thrown its support to the Ateneo Blue Eagles’s title-retention campaign in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 men’s basketball tournament.

Firefly has chosen the Blue Eagles for being one of the most trusted teams in the UAAP—and with a proven track record of success.

The support also covers Ateneo’s women’s and juniors basketball teams.

The partnership was officially signed at the Blue Eagle Gym on Wednesday by Ateneo Assistant to the President for University Athletics Fr. Nemesio Que, SJ, and University Athletics Director Emmanuel

Fernandez, and Firefly Electric and Lighting Corp.

(FELCO) Marketing Director Erik Riola and Assistant Brand Manager Christine Reyes.

“This is yet a start, hopefully, for a longer partnership we are looking at in the future,” Fernandez said.

Riola, on the other hand, said the partnership with Ateneo will allow Firefly to reinforce the brand’s presence in the UAAP. “Firefly has been sponsoring premier basketball league for several years now. We consider basketball as one of our equities because it is very much aligned with our core target market,” Riola said.

Motolite grounds Air Force with power, spunk in PVL

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By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

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UERTO PRINCESA City—Four athletes from swimming and archery didn’t mind the cold and wet weather as they claimed five gold medals halfway through the Batang Pinoy National Championships on Wednesday.

Swimmers Mark Bryan Dula of Parañaque City, Aubrey Tom of Cainta (Rizal) and John Alexander Talosig of Cotabato Province hit gold mine in swimming after taking their fifth mints, while Aldrener Igot Jr. of Cebu City duplicated the feat when he ruled archery at the Speaker

Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex.

They all joined Karl Eldrew Yulo, who earlier struck five golds in men’s artistic gymnastics on Tuesday in the premier grassroots tournament organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and supported by Milo.

After dominating the 12-under 50-m backstroke, 50-m butterfly, 100-m butterfly and 200-m backstroke the previous days, the 12-year-old Dula clinched his fifth gold in 100-m backstroke in 1:01:11.

“I’m very happy. I wish to continue winning,” said Dula, who will compete in the Philippine National Open at the world-class New Clark City

Golfing ladies vie in Highlands Cup

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HE leading golfing ladies from the country’s top clubs gear up for another fun but competitive duel as they slug it out for top honors in various divisions in the 14th Highlands Ladies Cup to be held on October 5 at the Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club.

Guests and officials from the event’s chief backers will also grace the 18-hole event that

has become one of the most keenly awaited tournaments in the ladies golfing calendar for its prestige, participation and prizes.

Registration is ongoing. Fee is pegged at P3,500 for members and P4,500 for nonmembers, inclusive of green fee, cart, lunch, giveaways and raffle stub. For details, call Midlands Golf Services at 0917-886-5226

Aquatics Center late this month.

Similarly, the 12-year-old Tom topped the 50-m freestyle in 28.93 seconds after her mints in 12-under 50-m butterfly, 50-m backstroke, 100-m freestyle and 200-m individual medley.

Talosig, 15, was also unstoppable in the pool when he dominated 400-m freestyle in four minutes and 20.03 seconds to complete the exclusive club of quintuple medal-winners in swimming.

Igot, on his part, prevailed in 20 m, 30 m, 40 m, 50 m cub boys’ and Fita, and even has a chance to get more when the Olympic round, mixed and boys team events are disputed in the following days.

Zamboanga City, hometown of Olympic medalist Hidilyn Diaz, served as hotbed in weightlifting when it owned three gold medals courtesy of Mango Prince Tarro (boys’ 13-15, 37 kgs category), Albert Ian de los Santos (boys’ 1315, 43 kgs category) and Princess Locson (girls’ 13-15, 30 kgs category).

Santa Maria (Bulacan), Batad (Iloilo), Mina (Iloilo) Pasig City and Cebu Province also made similar victories in sepaktakraw, while top honors in arnis were evenly split to Lapu Lapu City, Iloilo City, Butuan City, Cebu Province and Pasig City.

As expected, defending champion Baguio City lorded it over in muay thai when it bagged 10 golds.

(members) and Analaine Blas at 0966-713-5199 (non-members).

To accommodate the expected big number of entries, the organizing Tagaytay Highlands Ladies Chapter(THLC), headed by tournament cochairs Dionne Cu and Connie Mamaril, said the event will have a shotgun start at 8 a.m. with around 200 players expected to see action.

Fabulous prizes will be up for grabs in the event to be played under the System 36 scoring format with competitions in the men’s

Classes A, B and C and in the seniors category also on tap aside from the centerpiece ladies division of the tournament staged to foster camaraderie and friendship among the country’s top golfing lady executives and corporate bigwigs, as well as their guests in the government and private sectors.

The tournament also serves as a fundraiser as part of its proceeds will go to the Sisters of Mary Boys & Girls Town Complex in Silang, Cavite, as part of THLC’s social commitment.

OTOLITE kept its hot run going coming off a shutout loss to powerhouse Creamline, grounding Air Force with its power and spunk to fashion out a 25-14, 25-18, 25-23 victory, its third straight in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan on Wednesday.

Although far from reaching peak form following an injury that hampered her and the team’s performance in the recent Reinforced Conference, Myla Pablo presided another charge with a 15-point outing that netted the Power Builders another straight-set triumph after dominating the Chef’s Classic Red Spikers and the BaliPure Water Defenders the last two weeks.

“The first and second sets were convincing but we started slow in the third,” said Motolite Coach Godfrey Okumu, whose wards produced 41 attack points, 14 more than their rivals.

“Because of the way we started, we noticed as we continued playing, we struggled. We seemed to be making effort in things that we supposed to do effortlessly.”

Tots Carlos also stepped up big and backed Pablo with 14 hits, including eight attack points, three aces and three kill blocks while adding eight excellent receptions to spike another superb all-around game.

Isa Molde also chipped in 10 markers and

Altas down Tamaraws

CARGO MOVERS BACK ON SUPERLIGA THRONE F 2 Logistics formally completed its return to glory when it dominated Cignal to capture the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino crown late Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

It has been a long journey for the Cargo Movers.

After ruling this mid-season conference in 2016, the Cargo Movers bowed to Petron in 2017 and 2018, prompting them to plot a surefire way to regain their lost glory in this prestigious women’s volleyball tournament that has Team Rebel Sports, SOGO, Eurotel, PCSO, Cocolife, UCPB Gen, Mueller, Senoh, Asics, Bizooku and One Sport as sponsors.

They decided to net the biggest fish in the free-agent market: Kalei Mau. With the prolific Filipino-American spiker at the attack zone, the Cargo Movers raced to an 11-game winning streak before a very familiar foe—Petron—denied them of a chance to sweep the conference. Their sorry setback was followed with another loss to PLDT Home Fibr to shut down the preliminaries with a 12-2 win-loss card.

But F2 Logistics remained defiant.

The Cargo Movers creamed Sta. Lucia in the quarterfinals before dominating Foton

in the semifinals setting the stage to a finals showdown with Cignal, which shocked Petron in the Final Four.

In Game One, Cignal played with fire on its eyes, towing the game to a deciding fifth set before succumbing with a 22-25, 24-26, 25-18, 25-17, 8-15 loss that gave them the confidence to compete against the former champion in Game Two. The Cargo Movers, however, refused to get intimidated.

Mau unleashed her fighting form while Aby Marano, Majoy Baron and Ara Galang were at their best as F2 Logistics crushed Cignal, 25-14, 25-16, 25-19, to clinch the title of this tourney that also has ESPN5 and Kapatid TV5 as broadcast partners.

De Jesus said it’s good to finally unload the monkey off their backs.

“I always tell my players that we’ve always been in the finals, but we fell short,” said de Jesus, who formally ended Petron’s championship dynasty.

“Now, we can call ourselves winners and it feels really good to finally reach our goal.”

De Jesus said Mau, who emerged as Most Valuable Player, provided the missing link in their attack.

IT has been a long journey for the Cargo Movers as they complete their return to glory in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference

made with 10 digs while Fil-Am setter Iris Tolenada tallied 17 excellent sets on top of six points for Motolite, whose streak has virtually erased the stigma of its three-set loss to unbeaten defending champion Creamline last August 14.

The Power Builders actually fell behind by six, 9-15, as they struggled on their reception in the third frame but worked their way back and wrested control at 23-21. The Jet Spikers mounted their own rally off a Javen Sabas’s spike and Angel Antipuesto’s kill block to force a tie but Carlos countered with a power hit and Molde came up with an off-the-block shot of her own to wrap up the 73-minute victory.

Dell Palomata scored 14 points, Antipuesto had nine markers and veteran Joy Cases added four hits for the Jet Spikers.

“We just talked as a team when we fell behind by six and did what our coaches had told us,” said Pablo while admitting she still needs more therapy to regain her old, devastating form.

But her game, and those of her teammates, proved enough to dispatch the Jet Spikers, who reeled to their fourth straight defeat in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa, Asics and KFC.

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NIVERSITY of Perpetual Help bucked Far Eastern University’s (FEU) solid blocking with gutsy plays at endgame as it hacked out a 26-24, 23-25, 25-21, 25-23 decision to wrest early control in Pool C of the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference at the Paco Arena in Manila last Tuesday.

Kennry Malinis scored 19 points, Hero Austria added 14 markers, and Louie Ramirez and Ronniel Rosales chipped in 11 points apiece to anchor the Altas’ 55-kill effort against the Tams’ 44 attack points.

But the Altas needed to toughen up in all but one of the four sets to prevail as the Tams kept the game close all throughout behind their superb net defense, coming away with a 17 kill blocks, including 12 from Peter Quiel and nine from Reco de Asis.

The victory was Perpetual’s second straight following its romp over Coast Guard last August 20, ahead of PLDT (1-0), which will be trying to match the former’s start against Army at resumption of action today.

Game time is at 5 p.m. with Adamson eyeing a third straight win in Pool A against IEM at 1 p.m. while Air Force goes for No. 2 against CEU in Pool B action of the four-division tournament of the league organized by Sports Vision featuring 24 teams.

In other results, EasyTrip marked its debut with a 25-22, 25-18, 25-18 romp over Centro Escolar University in Pool B while University of Santo Tomas bounced back from a five-set defeat to Arellano University with a 25-22, 22-25, 25-14, 25-23 victory over Mapua in Pool D. Red Christensen fired 13 hits while Herman Eugenio, Milover Parcon and Dave Pletado combined for 19 markers as they powered EasyTrip past CEU while UST drew 19 points from the league’s leading scorer Lorenz Señoron and 14 markers from Allan Redido in outlasting the Cardinals.

orts

sMirror

Thursday, August 29, 2019 C3

Former 800-meter world champion banned for doping

FABIO JAKOBSEN makes a dream Grand Tour debut in the Vuelta a España.

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ONACO—Former world champion runner Marina Arzamasova has been provisionally suspended for doping after testing positive for a drug in development that is popular with body builders.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said Tuesday it notified the 31-year-old Arzamasova of the allegation, one month before the world championships in Doha, Qatar.

Arzamasova, who is from Belarus, won the 800 meters at the 2015 worlds in Beijing, and was the 2014 European champion. She placed seventh at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The AIU said Arzamasova’s case involves LGD-4033, better known as Ligandrol. The drug has been in clinical trials to treat muscle wasting conditions. It is reportedly used in supplements by body builders to build muscle mass with fewer side effects than steroids.

In a separate case, the AIU said retesting a sample from the 2011 world championships led to shot putter Andriy Semenov being banned for two years by Ukrainian authorities.

Semenov tested positive for oral turinabol, an anabolic steroid, and is banned through July 21, 2021.

The 35-year-old Semenov competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics though he did not qualify for the final either time. AP

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ABIO JAKOBSEN has made a dream Grand Tour debut in the Vuelta a España as he edged Ireland’s Sam Bennett (BoraHansgrohe) in Stage 4 for his sixth victory of the season on Tuesday.

Just as Bennett had won in his National Champion’s jersey in Stage 3, the 22-year-old followed suit in Stage 4 for the Netherlands in one of the few opportunities for sprint victories in this year’s Vuelta.

The Dutchman said that his victory had

DUTCH BREAKTHROUGH

come after his team had corrected a series of mistakes in Stage 3’s finale.

“Yesterday [Monday] we messed it all up, and today it all worked out,” he said.

Jakobsen said he had no idea that he had won until he was over the line—so narrow was the margin of victory between himself and Bennett.

But when he did, taking his third triumph at the WorldTour level this season just four days short of his 23rd birthday, adding his first Grand Tour win to stage victories in the Tour of Turkey—also

ahead of Bennett—and the Tour of California.

“I’m just super happy it worked out, to get a victory in your country’s national colors is even more special,” Jakobsen said. “Winning in the Vuelta is something incredible for a 22-year-old. “ The Duchman pulled no punches about what had gone right on Tuesday compared to 24 hours earlier, saying “the biggest difference was we could use the team well.”

“As a sprinter, one of the characteristics you need to have is when you lose you immediately

have to start to think about the next opportunity,” he said. “We sat down, we looked at the TV images, it was obvious we were too far back and a little bit too nice to everyone in the final.”

In practical terms of what the team did, “Remi Cavagna made a great late attack, I could stay well-protected behind and I was with [Zdenek] Stybar there, he’s maybe the best in the world when it comes to putting me in a perfect position.”

“Yesterday it all got messed up and it all worked out today. So I’m happy for the team, as well as for me that it was me who won.”

Defining himself as a sprinter who’s “a little bit in between [Dylan] Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) and [André] Greipel (Arkea-Samsic)” Jakobsen said that unlike most fast men in sprints, who normally can tell if they’ve won even when the difference between winning and second is narrow, in Stage 4 he had no clear idea.

“I thought knew it, but my eyes were

INQUIRY ON COUSINS

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OS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Lakers and the National Basketball Association say they’re investigating a claim that center DeMarcus Cousins threatened violence against a former girlfriend.

TMZ released an audio recording Tuesday in which it says Cousins threatens to shoot Christy West, the mother of their sevenyear-old child.

The Lakers issued a statement saying they “take this claim seriously.” The team and the NBA both say they’re gathering information and looking into the allegations.

Cousins got married last weekend in Atlanta.

Cousins signed with the Lakers last month as a free agent, but the veteran center then tore a knee ligament during a workout earlier this month. He could miss the entire season with his new team after knee surgery. AP

almost closed when I crossed the line,” he explained.

“Before the line, I was first, then after line, I was not first any more, Bennett was ahead of me, but I was hoping to win.”

“At this moment Bennett is one of the best sprinters in the world, he’s been showing all year in every stage race he does and especially in the BinckBank Tour. But, of course, a win is a win. And you want to beat guys that are strong, too.” Cyclingnews

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By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

TLANTA—Ballots have been sent to Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour players, who will have the final word on who had the best season.

Of lesser interest is who gets voted rookie of the year.

In both cases, it could illustrate the differences between how the PGA Tour and its players view what matters.

Rory McIlroy was asked before the Tour Championship began if he could build a case for himself if he were to win the FedEx Cup, and he did a reasonable job answering. He would have three victories, same as Brooks Koepka. He would have top-10 finishes in 74 percent of his PGA Tour starts (14 of 19). Yes, Koepka won a major at the PGA Championship and was runner-up in two others (along with a tie for fourth). But is player of the year about certain weeks or the entire season?

And then he stopped himself.

“It’s like I’m sitting up here trying to make an argument for myself to win,” he said with a smile.

The conversation returned four days later when McIlroy sat next to the silver FedEx Cup trophy after overcoming a five-shot deficit at the start of the Tour Championship based on his seeding (No. 5), and a one-shot deficit to Koepka in the final round.

It was quite a statement. And he all but waved the white flag when it came to the vote.

“I know it’s going to sting because he most likely will win the player of the year,” McIlroy said. “But he didn’t win the FedEx Cup, so I know it’s going to sting him for a bit. But I just wanted to tell him he’s playing so good. He’s the No. 1 player in the world and he’s had a great season.”

It would be a shock if Koepka didn’t win.

Jack Nicklaus (twice), Tiger Woods (twice) and Jordan Spieth (2015) are the only other players to win a major and not finish out of the top 5 in the others. Koepka’s other two victories included a World Golf Championship, where he rallied from a one-shot deficit against McIlroy.

Koepka also won the money title, which the PGA Tour no longer awards, but it is no less relevant.

In the last 20 years, 15 players who won the money title were also voted player of the year. Of the five who didn’t win the money title, three had won two majors that year (Mark O’Meara in 1998, Padraig Harrington in 2008, Koepka in 2018). Another was Jim Furyk, who won three times and the FedEx Cup in 2010 and finished about $100,000 short of Matt Kuchar on the money list. The other was Woods, second to Vijay Singh on the money list with one more victory in nine fewer tournaments.

So it shouldn’t even be a discussion, right?

However, McIlroy wonThe Players Championship, which the PGATour considers a major without actually calling it one. It counts the same as a major in Hall of Fame criteria.Winning is worth a five-year exemption.That’s the way it should be. It has the deepest field on a worthy course that favors no particular style.

But it’s not a major, and a vote for Koepka might illustrate that.

McIlroy won the Tour Championship—and the FedEx Cup, which the PGA Tour promotes for 11 months—against the hottest 30 players on tour. That tops Koepka winning a World Golf Championship, always a strong field, but this one reduced to 63 players because it was a week after the British Open.

The body of work favors McIlroy.

His victory allowed him to win the Vardon Trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring average for the season (Koepka finished fourth). Also in McIlroy’s favor is the consistency of his great year. McIlroy only twice finished out of the top 20 in the 17 tournaments he finished (he missed two cuts). Koepka had 10 finishes out of the top 20 in the 20 events he finished (he only missed one cut).

It’s a strong case for McIlroy.

Except for the majors.

Along with winning the PGA Championship for the second straight year—Woods is the only other play to win back-to-back at the PGA in stroke play—Koepka finished one shot behind Woods at the Masters and chased Gary Woodland to the end at Pebble Beach before finishing second at the US Open.

He tied for fourth in the British Open, nine shots behind Shane Lowry.

McIlroy had only a pair of top 10s in the majors, and the biggest blow was missing the cut at the British Open at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland.

Majors matter. All four of them.

As for rookie of the year?

SO WHO WILL BE VOTED YEAR’S BEST?

Sports BusinessMirror

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| Thursday, August 29, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

BROOKS KOEPKA hits from off the first fairway during the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. AP

Big week for McIlroy, costly finish for Cantlay

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TLANTA—So much attention was paid to the upside at East Lake, with $15 million going to the winner of the FedEx Cup and seven-figure bonuses paid out to the top 8 players at the Tour Championship.

Overlooked was the most volatile week of the FedEx Cup playoffs, and it was costly to Patrick Cantlay.

Getting to East Lake meant a shot at the $15 million and a spot in the majors and World Golf Championships. But it was the wrong time for a bad week.

Cantlay, the Memorial winner with a pair of top 10s in the majors, began the PGA Tour’s postseason at No. 6. He tied for 12th at The Northern Trust and held his position. He was runner-up at the BMW Championship and moved to No. 2 in the FedEx Cup, starting the Tour Championship with a two-shot deficit.

Cantlay opened with a 70-71 and was six shots behind going into the weekend. But a 7573 weekend at East Lake sent him to a threeway tie for 21st. Second place in the FedEx Cup

is worth $5 million. With a tie for 21st, Cantlay received $478,000.

Dustin Johnson began the FedEx Cup at No. 7 and did not have a good postseason—a tie for 24th at Liberty National and a tie for 57th at Medinah sent him to No. 14 going into the Tour Championship. He then got the worst 72-hole score of his year—13-over 293. It was the worst score at East Lake. Because he started at three-under par with his No. 14 seed, he tied for 29th in the FedEx Cup with Lucas Glover.

Johnson’s bonus was $400,000.

Others who dropped significantly were Jon Rahm, who went from No. 6 to two-way tie for 12th, a difference of $1,217,500; and Matt Kuchar, who went from No. 7 to a three-way tie for 16th, a difference of $748,333.

Under the previous system, where the points were reset at East Lake, Cantlay’s bad week would have dropped him only to No. 5, a difference of $2.5 million.

The flip side was Paul Casey, who skipped the opening playoff event and was the No. 16 seed. He had the third-best score

RORY MCILROY celebrates with his caddy Harry Diamond with Brooks Koepka looking on. AP

at the Tour Championship and finished in alone in fifth to earn $2.5 million. The payout at No. 16 is $570,000.

While a bad week at the wrong time seems cruel, the Players Advisory Council signed off on this last spring.

Not to be ignored is the Wyndham Rewards for the regular season. Cantlay earned $850,000 for finishing sixth, and Johnson got a $700,000 bonus.

No one starved.

CHANGES AHEAD

EVEN before video surfaced of Bryson DeChambeau taking more than 2 minutes on an 8-foot putt, the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour enacted two changes that should improve the pace of play at opposite-field events, and on the weekend at other PGA Tour events.

The 36-hole cut will be the top 65 and ties, a change first disclosed in early May. It previously was top 70 and ties.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan also said the field size will shrink from 132 to 120 players at tournaments held the same week as majors or World Golf Championships. The first example will be the Bermuda Championship the first weekend in November, held opposite the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Also, the Genesis Open at Riviera becomes the Genesis Invitational, hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation. That means the field size shrinks from 144 to 120 players, equal to player-hosted events at Bay Hill (Arnold Palmer) and Memorial (Jack Nicklaus).

The next season starts September 12 at the Greenbrier, and the PGA Tour has its fullest fall schedule ever with 11 events. That many events was not enough for Monahan to consider widespread reduction in fields, which has been opposed over the years to make sure players have enough starts. AP

Generous God

D

EAR God, in Jesus You sow seeds of justice, love and truth in our being. In hope we pray: May Your word bear fruit in us, oh God. Teach us to cultivate silence so that we may act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly in Your truth. Show us how we may reach out to orphans, refugees and migrants. Call men and women to dedicate their lives to the Gospel. May God’s maternal love surround us and God’s sure tender care protect us, now and always. Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY, SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life BusinessMirror

REELING: MADNESS AND CIVILIZATION: ‘THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN’ D4

Thursday, August 29, 2019

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NEW WORLD MANILA BAY HOTEL KICKS OFF 15TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SPECIALS

VENEZUELAN Yeslie Aranda, 57, walks on Route 3 between Tolhuin and Ushuaia, Argentina on August 17. Aranda left his hometown of San Cristobal in the southeastern state of Táchira last year with a backpack, $30 in his pocket and an aluminum prosthesis that enabled him to negotiate the continent’s rugged roads. AP

Venezuelan man makes ‘one-leg�ed’ trek across South America

By ManuEL RuEda & Lujan aGuSti The Associated Press

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SHUAIA, Argentina—Venezuelan man who lost his left leg in a traffic accident has walked to the bottom tip of South America, hoping to inspire his daughter and his compatriots to pursue their dreams despite difficult times.

Yeslie Aranda left his Venezuelan hometown of San Cristobal in the southwestern state of Táchira last year with a backpack, $30 in his pocket and an aluminum prosthesis that enabled him to negotiate the continent’s rugged roads.

On Saturday, the 57-year-old braved freezing temperatures and marched into the picturesque town of Ushuaia, which is surrounded by snowcapped mountains and known as the world’s southernmost city.

“I am living my dream,” Aranda said, as he headed toward a sign that welcomes visitors to ‘the end of the world.’ “My message to people is to pursue their own dreams, and conquer them as well.”

Aranda, a former bus driver, is making his journey as thousands of his compatriots leave their crisiswracked country out of desperation. But Aranda said his own trip has a different raison d’être: To be a source of inspiration for others after an accident in which he almost lost his life.

On August 27, 2013, Aranda was driving a long distance bus in the Venezuelan state of Barinas, when a truck traveling in the opposite direction lost control and crashed into his vehicle. Aranda and his 23-year-old daughter, Paola, each lost a leg and were hospitalized for several weeks.

After recovering from the accident, which left him in a coma for 15 days, Aranda began to walk on crutches to religious shrines surrounding his hometown as a way to “thank God” for saving his life.

But he said he also embarked on the walks to motivate

his daughter, who hasn’t been able to get an adequate prosthetic and now uses a wheelchair.

“Paola lost her right leg, and her left leg was badly damaged,” Aranda said. “So by walking I just wanted to show her that we must keep moving forward despite the hardships we face in life.”

Aranda said people he met on the way to the local shrines smiled at seeing a “one-legged guy” and his daughter in a wheelchair making such journeys. And he thought that his doggedness might inspire others.

Last year, the former bus driver decided it was time to leave a legacy by traveling the whole length of the South American continent.

“I wanted to show people that they can achieve their goals despite their current conditions,” Aranda said. “There are many people out there who have forgotten to dream big, even if they have no disabilities.”

With his savings devastated by Venezuela’s hyperinflation, Aranda was only able to scrape together the equivalent of $30 for the journey. A prosthetics company gave him a new aluminum leg, and a shoemaker gave him sneakers decorated with the colors of Venezuela’s flag.

He hit the road last summer. Aranda has raised some money by selling bracelets but it has been largely thanks to the kindness of strangers that he was able to complete the 9,000-mile (roughly 1,500-kilometer) journey to Ushuaia. He plans to return to Venezuela the same way.

Along his route, Aranda was hosted by humble farmers, helped by monks and put up in a mansion by a wealthy Patagonian businessman who was astounded by his trip. He also hitched rides from friendly truck drivers who assisted him with some of the most difficult stretches, such as mountain passes high in the Andes. Aranda has also shared rides on the back of trucks with penniless Venezuelans who are leaving their country en masse in what has become one of the world’s largest migrations.

“Most of the people I have talked to want to return to Venezuela when things get better” Aranda said. “So I tell them to have strength. Everything is possible in life and one day our country will be free again.”

According to the United Nations, more than 4 million Venezuelans have left their country in the past five years to escape hyperfinlation, medicine shortages and wages that have dropped to $10 a month. Some South American countries have recently imposed visa requirements on Venezuelan citizens in an effort to slow down the large numbers of desperate migrants arriving in their territory.

And those new requirements almost stopped Aranda from completing his own journey.

The traveler originally planned to cross a stretch of Chile on his way south to Tierra del Fuego island, but was denied a visa several times on the grounds that he had no proof he would leave the country.

A truck driver who had given Aranda a ride heard about the situation and later bought him a plane ticket to Rio Grande, an Argentine city on the other side of Chile.

“Being a Venezuelan is not the most attractive thing right now. and some countries look down on us,” Aranda said. “But there are still many people out there who want to do good things for others.”

On his trip, Aranda was able to have fun as well: He saw sunsets over the Pacific Ocean, visited Inca ruins, petted a penguin and touched snow for the first time.

“Perhaps if I were a person with money, I would’ve made this trip anyway, paying for everything,” he said. “But I wouldn’t have experienced what I am living through now.”

Aranda describes his arrival in Ushuaia, as the “queen stage” of his journey and the “beginning” of his trip back home, where his wife and four children are awaiting his return.

“My goal was always to cross South America on one leg,” Aranda said. “I guess that now it’ll have to be all of South America minus Chile.” n

THE deluxe hotel located at the center of the Manila business district with easy access to business and shopping areas, New World Manila Bay Hotel is celebrating 15 years of genuine hospitality with 15 specials exclusively available for the whole month of September.

As a way to express its gratitude to its guests for consistently making New World Manila Bay Hotel as the No. 1 hotel in Manila on TripAdvisor, guests can enjoy exciting discounts and privileges on dining, room accommodations, wellness and fitness program.

The anniversary room deals include the Anniversary Exclusive room promo with 15-percent off on local residents rate with buffet breakfast for two and a special anniversary gift; the Suite Indulgence for a stay in an Executive Suite with buffet breakfast for two and access to the Residence Club for P15,000; and Book Now, Save Later for a 15-percent discount on best available rate when you book 15 days before your travel date. Other anniversary room deals include a special upgrade rate of P1,500 from Residence Club Superior Room to a Premier Bayview Suite, and other exclusive privileges and amenities for bookings of 10 rooms and more.

The anniversary room deals are available throughout September. More information about the hotel’s anniversary dining deals and wellness treats are available at www. newworldhotels.com.

PERFECT BEACH GETAWAY AWAITS

NOW there’s another perfect reason to pack your bags and go on an beach escapade with your best buddies. Rediscover the true beauty of the new Boracay or go on a fun island adventure in the picturesque shores of Coron, Palawan.

Take that well-deserved break and leave the stress of the city behind. Make your beach getaway dreams into reality and create unforgettable island memories with your best friends. Now you can trade up your hectic morning routine with a leisurely breakfast by the beach, or a rejuvenating hike up a mountain or a bike trail around the island, followed by an afternoon of snorkeling or kayaking.

There are many unique island activities that you can do in Boracay and Palawan from sunup to sundown. You can choose your kind of bonding moments with your buddies, whether a serene beach escape with your closest friends or a vibrant and active island adventure.

With the unique travel goals of friends in mind, Discovery Shores Boracay created the Beach Squad package for a group of four, with rates starting at P25,300 per night on lean season and P32,000 during peak; while Club Paradise Palawan crafted the Palawan Pals package, also for a group of four, with rates starting at P23,000 per night on lean season and P27,000 during peak. Enjoy exclusive perks such as roundtrip airport transfers, daily breakfast, drinks and pizza, plus a hearty boodle fight feast with three of your friends, all compliments of the resort.

Discovery Shores Boracay and Club Paradise Palawan are owned by The Discovery World Corp. and managed by the Discovery Hospitality Corp. More information is available at www.discoveryshoresboracay.com or www. clubparadisepalawan.com.

Enjoy the new Boracay with friends via Discovery Shores Boracay’s Beach Squad room offer.

D2

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Entertaining BusinessMirror

How to make a moist, chunky shrimp burger without the mush

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By aMERiCa’S tESt KitCHEn The Associated Press

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Lauren Collins, 33; Lea Michele, 33; Carla Gugino, 48; Rebecca de Mornay, 60.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: This is a year of positive change.

Don’t sit back and wait for things to come to you. Dig in and do your part; good things will transpire. You have the drive, skill and creative ability to turn your ideas into personal gain. Look for interesting people to collaborate with, but don’t rely on hearsay. Put your plans in writing.

Your lucky numbers are 9, 16, 21, 24, 35, 38, 49.

A

GOOD shrimp burger should be first and foremost about the shrimp. Unfortunately, many shrimp burgers are more reminiscent of fish-flavored rubber patties or over-seasoned bread balls than shrimp.

We set out to develop a recipe for our ideal shrimp burger: moist, chunky yet still cohesive, and with seasoning that complements the sweet shrimp flavor but doesn’t overpower it.

After early testing we decided we needed a combination of finely chopped shrimp to help bind the burgers, as well as some larger, bite-size chunks. We achieved this texture with help from the food processor. We wanted to use as little binder as possible, to avoid the soggy, mushy results we’d seen in other shrimp burgers that frequently used a combination of mayonnaise, egg and bread crumbs.

We kept the mayonnaise for the much-needed moisture and fat it added but left out the egg and decreased the bread crumbs.

Some minced scallion and parsley, lemon zest, and a touch of cayenne pepper rounded out the flavor of our burgers.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Share your thoughts and feelings with the people you love. Whether it’s a friend, your children or your lover, you can cover a lot of ground just by saying how much you care. Personal improvements will boost your morale. ★★★

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll learn a lot through observation and talking to experts. Participate in events that can benefit you professionally or that offer alternative lifestyles or self-help. Personal growth, travel and retreats will open your mind to positive change. ★★★

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Physical labor is encouraged. The satisfaction you will get out of hard work will be gratifying and will offer benefits and remuneration, as well. Getting together with your peers to relax and enjoy one another’s company will improve your work relationships. ★★★★

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Tuck your emotions away someplace safe. Don’t display your feelings before you get your initiatives in place. By being observant, you will recognize others’ weaknesses, giving you the upper hand. ★★

GRILLED SOUTHERN SHRIMP BURGERS Servings: 4 Start to �inish: 1 hour, 15 minutes

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Keep doing what you do best. Don’t give anyone the chance to intervene or to entice you to take on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. It’s important to finish what you start. Invest in yourself, not in helping someone else get ahead. ★★★★★

Chef’s note: Be sure to use raw, not cooked, shrimp here. Dry the shrimp thoroughly before processing, or the burgers will be mushy.

Handle the burgers gently when shaping and grilling; if overhandled while being shaped, the burgers will be dense and rubbery, and if handled roughly during cooking, they will break apart.

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 scallions, minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Pinch cayenne pepper 1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and patted dry Vegetable oil Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Transfer to small bowl. Do not clean

www.businessmirror.com.ph

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Size up situations and take action. It’s up to you to bring about change that will lead to personal profits. Your initiative will be impressive, attracting people willing to help you reach your goal. A business trip or meeting will pay off. ★★★

charcoal briquettes (4 1/2 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill.

Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about five minutes.

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.

Clean and oil cooking grate. Lightly brush tops of burgers with oil, lay them on grill, oiled side down, and lightly brush other side with oil. Cook burgers, without pressing on them, until lightly browned and cooked through, 10 to 14 minutes, flipping them halfway through grilling. Transfer burgers to platter, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for five minutes before serving. n

food processor. Combine mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper and cayenne in large bowl until uniform.

Pulse shrimp in now-empty food processor until some pieces are finely minced and others are coarsely chopped, about 7 pulses. Add shrimp to mayonnaise mixture and gently fold until just combined. Sprinkle bread crumbs over mixture and gently fold until incorporated.

Scrape shrimp mixture onto small baking sheet, divide into four equal portions, and loosely pack each into 1-inch-thick patty. Cover and refrigerate patties for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours.

For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely.

Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with

Say ‘Konnichiwa’ to all-new Tenya TEN Card JAPANESE culture is something Filipinos have always been drawn to, from their traditions to their modern fashion, not to forget their cuisine. Since 2014, Tenya (www.tenya.com.ph) has given Filipinos the chance to experience Japan’s No. 1 tempura tendon right on our shores.

With nine branches nationwide, the restaurant’s signature deep-fried battered seafood, meat and vegetables laid over a bed of steaming Japanese rice and drizzled with their special dontare sauce has given everyone a reason to indulge.

To bring more excitement to every meal, Tenya is introducing its TEN Card to reward loyal customers and their love for the tempura sets for only P299. With

the rewards card, you will get the following benefits anytime of the week: Buy one, take one, 15-percent discount, Earn Points, Birthday Voucher and Freee Chikuwa Cheese as your welcome gift.

Say, buy one classic tendon in any size with your choice of two appetizers, and get an additional classic tendon in the same size for free. If you’re looking to chow on some sushi, ramen or any other dish, you can still enjoy 15-percent off on your order. What’s more, for every P100 spent on your dine-in purchases, you can earn 1 Tenya point. The more points, the more rewards.

Yet another rewarding way to experience the best from Japan, yes?

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You’ll face emotional ups and downs if you let someone put unrealistic demands on you.

Don’t feel responsible for what others do. Make your position clear and do not fold under pressure. Personal pampering and improvements will ease stress. ★★★

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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Leave nothing to chance. Before you present and promote what you have to offer, pay close attention to detail. Your reputation depends on how prepared you are. Traveling and dealing with institutions will be complicated. ★★★

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Stick close to home and nurture your relationships with close friends, relatives and those you live with. You’ll learn a lot about others if you discuss and share feelings. A romantic gesture will lead to personal plans that will improve your life. ★★★★★

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Refuse to let emotions take over when dealing with friends, relatives or peers. Keep an open mind; be willing to listen and adapt to the changes necessary to help you reach your goals. ★★

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Money, health and legal matters should take top priority. Temptation to indulge in expensive pastimes should be avoided. Put an incentive in place to encourage you to stick to your budget and to do what’s right and best for you. ★★★★

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You can help others, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Someone will use emotional tactics to make you feel sorry for him or her. Look past the melodrama and take care of your needs first. ★★★ BIRTHDAY BABY: You are brave, resourceful and kind.

You are motivated and thorough.

‘tinder profile’ BY MATTHEW SEWELL The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Fellow 5 Glitzy rock subgenre 9 Gently splash against 14 Leia’s brother 15 Architectural overhang 16 No longer dozing 17 Elevator giant 18 Mars, to Greeks 19 Vintage photo tone 20 “Hoping to feel sparks with a fellow German literature fan; here’s me reading ___” 23 Slip up 24 Collective values 25 Become silver-haired 27 Patchy 30 Online gaming platform from Valve 31 Bookmark info 32 Luxury craft 35 Preliminary version 38 May honorees 40 Has the courage 42 Vivacity 43 Casino Royale (1967), but not Casino Royale (2006)

45 47 48 50 52 54 56 57

Arizona city west of 8-Down Auditing org.

Drug bust cops Established truths Prado Museum locale Everest stopping places Gambling parlor inits. “...barbershop fan; here’s me performing in my ___” 62 Lewis’s partner 64 Hence 65 Captain Kirk’s birth state 66 Gold-rush story author Bret 67 Tape measure divisions 68 Gets on in years 69 Didn’t assume 70 Fateful Roman day 71 Heavenly instrument DOWN 1 Sink nuisance 2 Rwandan people 3 Resembling, with “to” 4 Bedevil 5 Many a mechanic, informally 6 Slow, in music 7 States confidently

8 9 10 11 12 13 21 22 26 27 28 29 30 33 34 36 37 39 41 44 46 49 51 52

See 45-Across Caught with a rope Dazzle “...Nintendo fan; here’s me playing ___” Director Kurosawa Visibly upset Handmade goods web site Cpl.’s superior Outfit Totals Play accessory “...nutty candy fan; here’s me eating ___” Cherry part Scratching post users Charle-magne’s domain: Abbr.

Nonnegotiable, as a price Chuck Take to the skies Automated mass mailers Patted down Big showcase Twin Cities summer hrs.

Biblical prophet Chocolaty coffee drink

53 54 55 58 59 60 61 63

World book?

Had feelings (for) “Well, shucks!”

Mortgage option, for short Roman wrap Vaselike vessel Wood smoother USPS assignmentr

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

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FOODPANDA BRINGS GLOBAL SOUP KITCHEN TO ITS REGIONAL CITIES

AS Foodpanda celebrates its fifth anniversary in the Philippines, they want to extend their mission to bring good food to everyone, including to those who need it the most through their campaign, called Global Soup Kitchen.

Global Soup Kitchen aims to feed children from less fortunate communities and orphanages to bring smiles to these people through the warmth of food. In its fourth year, the Foodpanda (www.foodpanda.ph) team partnered with Elise Gaches Alabang, an orphanage for special children, to bring warm meals to 300 special children. This year, Foodpanda continues to extend its hand to even more children with two installments of the Global Soup Kitchen in two regional cities, Cavite and Cebu.

In the scorching heat last July 14 in Vermosa Sports Center in Imus, Cavite, Foodpanda along with Football for Humanity fed almost a hundred Muslim kids with food from its generous partners: Yellow Cab, Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s. Azkal player Stephan Shröck joined in the fun and helped put smiles on these kids’ faces by teaching them football, a sport that Filipinos love.

From the Southern part of Luzon down to the Queen City of the South, the Foodpanda team, together with Rise Above Foundation, went to Cebu last July 24 and fed more than 200 children from Sambag Dos with food from top partner restaurants, including Shawarma Shack, Koala Tea, and Sunburst Fried Chicken, to name a few. In this celebration of Foodpanda’s fifth anniversary in the Philippines and its fourth in Cebu, the team, including the riders, also prepared fun-filled games and learn-and-share sessions for the children.

As a food delivery service, Foodpanda will continue to make food more accessible, especially to the less fortunate, with annual installments of the Global Soup Kitchen. With each success it has, the company will continue to give back, and bring its mission of giving good food to everyone.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Homework… let’s play!: Part III MOMMY NO LIMITS

MAYE YAO CO SAY

mommynolimits@gmail.com

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AST week, I shared why I valued “relaxed learning” for my kids and how play has become their biggest learning enabler. I also shared some of my play-based activities with my kids on math. This week let me continue with more play-based learning activities for english, social studies and science.

Fun subject learning for my kids has always been sparked by curiosity for the subject itself. I would introduce a tiny bit of the subject in a playbased way and allow them to ask their why’s and how’s. When opportunities present themselves, I would relate to my kids the rationale of a subject’s importance to the real-life experiences around them.

I discovered that when my kids understood the why of the subject, there is more ease in learning information about that subject.

Below are ways on how I applied this principle and other play-based learning techniques to my kids in each subject: LANGUAGE THE rationale of language subjects for me, particularly english, is communication. Kids learn letters and words to build up their ability to effectively express themselves. So, when my kids learn about a spelling word or a reading comprehension story, it is not about just remembering, but being able to retell the story or

use words in relation to their own experiences.

Concretely, art has been my main resource in teaching language. I encourage my kids to draw their thoughts first. Words become labels to their art. Our study tables always have a mug of coloring materials.

So, when long vocabulary or spelling lists or poems to memorize come up, there is always the option to draw them out first. I always found that lifting a coloring material brought about a more relaxed learning environment for my kids.

When Meagan was learning to alphabetize in class, she would get confused. When she was in my office, I took out dry erase markers, asked her to write the alphabet on my glass table, then gave her business cards to alphabetize by company name.

In learning about literature, I discovered that a pretend play allows kids to put written stories into action. When we read, I do not mind them changing their accents to portray a character. I also enrolled Meagan in Repertory Philippines at one point.

SOCIAL STUDIES THIS is a subject that I found difficult in school since memorizing was not my strong point. It was only when I did my internship at Senator Richard Lugar’s office in Washington that I saw “social studies-atwork.” I understood the role of government more. I also had a chance to visit many historical museums and saw the relevance to the current landscape of what people fought for in the past.

I introduced the rationale of social studies to my kids as knowing our roots and how we got to today.

The best place to start is in one’s own family history.

Meagan watched my tribute video to my grandmother when she celebrated her 80th birthday over and over again because it was on the family iPad. She did the video for my dad’s 70th birthday celebration so she had the chance to learn about my dad’s journey to today. Travel is the best play-based learning activity for learning history. I make it a point that our travel

plans always include at least one museum or guided tour of the place. When my kids get interested in a historical figure or even a current events personality, we try our best to concretize this knowledge. Last year, when my kids were so into Alexander Hamilton, we brought them to watch the Broadway musical Hamilton, in New York City. We also arranged for a guided tour in Wall Street.

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FROM left: Playbased alphabetizing game with Meagan at my office where I asked her to arrange my business cards by company; with my kids at Vatican City, Rome, in 2013; my kids in German costumes as we learn about the country’s culture; science museums spark curiosity that translates to better interest in the subject, with Marcus at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

SCIENCE SCIENCE is a subject that I hope for my kids to spark discovery. It is a subject I like my kids to get their hands dirty, whether it be making their own slime or just doing their own concoctions. I emphasize to my kids that a love for science may allow them to discover something significant someday. It is funny how I found Meagan one day in my bathroom when she was six, opening all the hotel toiletries and doing her own “potion.” She later on created her own moisturizing body wash for her dad, which my husband actually used.

Marcus, on the other hand, loves discovering strategies through facts. He also likes dinosaurs artifacts. From the time he got into Marvel heroes, I would buy him Dorling Kindersley books to learn more about each hero. He recently bought another book on Pokemon to discover more the powers of each character. Today, he likes to research a lot on various facts. When we get a chance to visit science museums, I allow him to take the lead in the exhibits he wants to see first.

There are many resources available for playbased learning. What has helped my kids a lot is me knowing that kids learn best through play. Even if many of what I shared above might not seem to be as directly related to a particular school topic, I actually see my kids carrying through this play-based method in their own way. Consequently, this approach has also led to a more independent and self-motivating homework time for my kids. n

A shelter for vulnerable Muslim children

By Hadj Ayunan G. Gunting THE search for the Islamic Guidance Association Orphanage is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

There are several Muslim neighborhoods in Taguig, all of which are difficult to navigate since many streets don’t have signage. The only landmarks are the mosques and halal-certified food stores. Ask around and the Muslims will say they have never heard of such orphanage.

On a Sunday afternoon, we hop from one barangay to another until we reach Lower Bicutan, which is a maze of little streets, lined with adobe houses and sarisari stores. To get to the orphanage, we follow a guide on a motorcycle. He is a friend of the director, Ustadz Abobacar Talib.

Sans signage, the Islamic Guidance Association Orphanage is a three-story building with a façade of unpainted cement blocks. We climb the dark and narrow staircase to the third floor where 39 children are sitting quietly. The majority are girls, dressed in abayas (black cloaks) and hijabs (head scarves), while the boys are clad in tunics and slim pants.

The Islamic Guidance Association Orphanage is the largest establishment of its kind in the Philippines. As a home for orphaned and unprotected children, it provides care and guidance in a religiously sensitive manner. The children feel they belong to a family and have a sense of identity.

Talib, his brother-in-law Muadz Mauddin and Ustadz Manzur Al-Isahaq have dedicated themselves to this institution as volunteers. For them, caring for these children is a virtuous deed in Islam, following the example of Islamic founder, the Prophet Muhammad.

Talib has been a teacher all his life, starting in Maguindanao. He studied Arabic in Cotabato. In 2007,

an official of the then New Horizon Integrated School (now Asian Academic Integrated School Inc.) in Pasig requested him to join the faculty and teach Arabic and Islamic studies. Meanwhile, he was also under the payroll of the Department of Education’s Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) program, teaching Arabic in Madrasah (Muslim private schools that teach core values).

In 2008, a family friend was going to work as a domestic helper in Qatar. She requested Talib and his wife, Yusriya, to be the kafala, an Islamic tradition of guardianship, for her three children.

Consistent with the Shari’a law, the guardian should provide education in Islam and Arabic language. The experience gave the couple an idea of putting up a center for vulnerable children.

Talib started raising money to build the orphanage.

He sought help from Arabs who owned recruitment agencies. Because money was difficult, it took Talib four years to put up a decent building. When the orphanage began operations in 2012, there were 14 children. Today there are 39 residents. On weekends, the children of single mothers come for eight-hour classes in Islamic ethics and etiquette, Quran reading and Arabic language.

Although the children have found a friendly environment, their living conditions are substandard.

The children sleep in old foam mats. The girls are cramped on the second floor. The boys sleep on the third floor which also doubles as the classroom.

The kitchen is found wanting in proper utensils and equipment. The bathrooms lack buckets of water to flush the toilets during the daily water interruptions.

It is incongruous since Islam emphasizes physical cleanliness as a code of conduct.

A typical day starts before 4 am for their Fajr, the dawn prayer. Breakfast consists of egg, sardines, fish,

FROM left: Muadz Mauddin and Ustadz Abobacar Talib with the Muslim orphans

noodles or chicken, depending on Talib’s budget.

Fourteen of them are fetched by the bus to study at the Asian Academic Integrated School Inc. while the rest attend a public school. They bring biscuits for lunch and are given a modest allowance of P20 each.

In the evening they study the Quran for two hours.

The structured lifestyle has produced achievers.

Fifteen-year-old Amir Cubon, a Muslim convert, won the national competition for adhan (the call for prayer) in 2017. “He came here without any knowledge of Arabic or Islam,” recalls Mauddin. “The center molded him well.”

Shara Simlail, an 11-year-old Tausug, won the national competition for Quran reading in Cebu.

In both competitions, the contestants are judged for memorization of the Quran passages, perfect

pronunciation, vocal clarity and stage presence.

Al-isahaq coached the contestants for two hours daily. Mauddin notes that the children’s lives have changed in the orphanage as they learn obedience, discipline and taqwa (love for God).

“They lived in a world where they were helpless.

Here, their lives are guided according to Islamic beliefs,” he says.

Despite the small triumphs, the orphanage operations are far from its ideal. The finances are unstable. When the donations run out, Talib has to pay for the food expenses from his own meager salary.

Mauddin says the orphanage’s vision is to make the facilities homey, welcoming, hygienic and sustainable. “This is an unfinished project,” says Talib with a sigh.

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

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Madness and Civilization: ‘The Professor and the Madman’ REELING

TITO GENOVA VALIENTE

titovaliente@yahoo.com

“...madness fascinates because it is knowledge…

—MiCHEL FOuCauLt,

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Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason

NEVER believed that books and cinemas are comparable. I do not even subscribe to talking about how a film shortchanges a book when something written is turned into something visual, like a movie. But I will not deny the excitement when I am given (or lent) a book, the film version of which is available to me, as well.

This is the case of Simon Winchester’s book, The Professor and the Madman, and the film with the same title based on the same book.

Reading the book and watching the film allowed me to go into comparison even as my mind refused to engage in that exercise.

The story is singular. It is 1878 and the group of intellectuals formed to create first Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has approached a Scottish intellectual and philologist, James Murray, to serve as its editor. Murray does not have a formal education and is not even a holder of a doctorate.

He, however, knows many languages, and is interested in etymologies.

The OED is constructed using how words are defined and used. It also tracks the first time a particular word has made an appearance in books or documents. For this purpose, they engage contributors to send in their discoveries and knowledge about words. One individual makes an impression with the group with his prolific contribution to the work. His name is Dr. W. C. Minor. For some 20 years, Murray and Minor are caught in an intellectual bond even without meeting each other.

Dr. Minor does not travel to Oxford to show himself in all those years. Murray, thus, one day decides to visit Minor. This meeting happens in the Preface to the book, which has the subtitle “A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English

Dictionary.” Talk of being cinematic!

The book indeed is terrifically cinematic at many points especially when it prepares us for the meeting of Murray and Minor: “A very good afternoon to you, sir. I am Dr. James Murray of the London Philological Society, and the editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. It is indeed an honor and a pleasure to at long last make your acquaintance—for you must be, kind sir, my most assiduous helpmeet, Dr. W. C. Minor.”

The book continues: “There was a brief pause, a momentary air of mutual embarrassment...there were muffled footsteps in the hall. A distant clank of keys. And then the man behind the desk cleared his throat and spoke: ‘I regret, kind sir, that I am not. I am, in fact, the governor of the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum.”

Even as the reading speed carries one directly into the next sentence, it is the magic of literature that style can create a suspense. In my mind, I asked: Where is Dr. W. C. Minor?

Continuing, the governor as narrated in the book says: “Dr. Minor is most certainly here. But he is an inmate. He has been patient here for more than 20 years. He is a longest-staying resident.”

In the film, this gripping preface happens halfway through the two-hour narrative.

Murray and Minor do meet in the park of the asylum. Murray walks toward Minor and they talk. It takes awhile for Murray to notice that Dr. Minor, this great intellectual who has contributed to the making of the dictionary, is an inmate.

Framed and mostly caught in tight medium shots are Mel Gibson and Sean Penn as Murray and Minor, respectively. These are two of the most manic and intense actors—on- and off-screen—and it is a joy to behold them, gravitas for gravitas, facial tic for facial tic, passionate performances rarely seen in visual counterpoint and duet.

By his role, Mel Gibson arrests us for a formidable presence. He is more granite than grand as he sallies forth to convince the world that not only is his Murray the right person to complete an epic task like that offered by OED but that he has the ethics for it.

Gibson is older in this film and even made older by a beard. All the memories of the acti0n hero or of the sensual man of yore are gone. What appears onscreen is a spiritual actor, not in terms of religion but more in terms of intellect.

Sean Penn has, if you may, the more difficult part. Penn’s Minor is a troubled soul. He kills a man because he sees men out to kill him when he is about to sleep. He is demented by our assessment and, yet, when he declares that he is not insane, he

THE Professor and the Madman stars Mel Gibson (left) and Sean Penn, two of the most manic and intense actors—on- and off-screen—and it is a joy to behold them, gravitas for gravitas, facial tic for facial tic, passionate performances rarely seen in visual counterpoint and duet.

makes us think again. In the cell, he draws first dark shadows and, later, does an oil painting of a woman whose half of the face is shrouded in black. He calls it the “impossible.”

When Minor becomes an active part of OED, he becomes normal. He realizes that himself. No one bothers him when he reads. Even those evil shadows out to get him disappear.

Together, Gibson and Penn provide us with gritty and compelling performances that double in intensity when they are facing each other. In another world, the roles and acting skills of these two actors would have been discussed as competing.

That does not happen in this film. What we get is a lesson about how “the most broken” of men can still find redemption from the good action or correct understanding of his fellowmen.

The Professor and the Madman takes quite a circuitous

route to expound on those two most difficult emotions—forgiveness and love—but when it reaches its conclusion, the effect has convictions.

Released this year to limited theatrical screenings and as video on demand, the film has been called as “stuffy” in some reviews. For some reason, I like the energies of the actors—from Natalie Dormer as Eliza, the widowed wife of the man killed

by Minor, to Jennifer Ehle as Ada Murray, the wife of James Murray.

It is of particular interest to me to see how a film and a book can talk about dictionaries and madness in the same breath. Perhaps, Michel Foucault has been right all this time when he said “for the madness of men is a divine spectacle.”

The Professor and the Madman is directed by P.B. Shemran, with screenplay by Todd Komarnicki and P. B. Shemran. n

New adventures, songs await kids in Rep’s ‘The Quest for the Adarna’ THE story of the Ibong Adarna has captivated children across the Philippines for generations. Now, Repertory Philippines (Rep, www.repertoryphilippines. ph) is bringing the colorful tale to life for families everywhere with a new English version, called The Quest for the Adarna.

Produced through RTYA (Rep’s Theater for Young Audiences), the vibrant original musical will be running from September 14 to January 26, 2020, at Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1.

The play takes place in the peaceable and prosperous kingdom of Berbania, which is ruled by the beloved King Fernando and his equally loved wife, Queen Valeriana. They are blessed with

three sons, all mighty warriors. The eldest and heir to the throne is the pompous Prince Pedro; the second son is the dashing Prince Diego; and, the youngest, the kind-hearted Prince Juan.

Their idyllic life is shattered when King Fernando is struck by a mysterious sickness and can only be healed by the song of the mythical bird, Adarna. Anyone wanting to capture the bird must travel to its home on Mount Tabor, a journey that is difficult and fraught with danger.

After his first two brothers fail on their quest, Prince Juan bravely takes on the task to save his father. An enduring epic that remains one of our great cultural treasures, the Ibong Adarna story is reborn

as an entertaining play with original music. Suitable for children of all ages, The Quest for the Adarna is an original RTYA Production under creative director Joy Virata, assisted by codirectors Jamie Wilson and Naths Everett, with music by Rony Fortich, and book and lyrics by Luna Griño-Inocian.

The cast features both stage veterans and fresh faces. The titular Adarna will be played by Carla Guevara-Laforteza, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, Andrea Monique Alvarado, and Cara Barredo. Joining them are Arion Sanchez, Jim Andrew Ferrer, Ade Valenzona as Prince Pedro, Vinni Todd, Luis Marcelo, and Sean Nolasco as Prince Diego, and Leo John Guinid, Diego

Aranda, and Neo Rivera as Prince Juan.

The Quest for the Adarna is a must-see for its bright, colorful costumes, fun child-friendly music, and its new English translation of a Filipino classic.

The final play in Rep’s illustrious 2019 season, Adarna teaches kids unforgettable lessons about family, courage, forgiveness and love, all wrapped in an entertaining stage production.

With great ticket prices, families have every reason to bring their kids to see this magical musical. Orchestra center seats cost P800, orchestra side is priced at P600 while balcony seats go for P500.

Tickets are available via Ticketworld at 891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph.

LARA SPENCER APOLOGIZES FOR PRINCE GEORGE BALLET COMMENT

‘MUSIC FOR LIFE’ CONCERT WITH GARY V Enchanted Kingdom presents a very special, one-night only show, titled Music for Life, headlined by pop music icon Gary Valenciano.

This August 31, head over to the theme park’s Enchanting Events Place and watch Gary perform his best hits and many more, for the benefit of Real Life Foundations.

NEW YORK—Good Morning America host Lara Spencer has apologized for her “insensitive” comments about Prince George taking ballet lessons.

Spencer discussed the backlash against her comments on Monday, saying she has learned the “bravery it takes for a young boy to pursue a career in dance.”

She was heavily criticized last week when she heard Prince George loved ballet and she said “we’ll see how long that lasts.”

Spencer interviewed dancers Robbie Fairchild, Travis Wall and Fabrice Calmels on Monday. They all told their stories about the stigma they faced.

She says she hopes she has turned a negative “into a teachable moment.” AP

PRINCE GEORGE

LARA SPENCER

Envoys&Expats

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, August 29, 2019 E1

Cultural engagement on a deeper level

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F there’s a foreign country that has stamped its unique cultural spirit on the Philippines, then it has to be France.

It has done so, not just in recent decades, but actually since about a century ago, when the Alliance Française de Manille (AFM) first opened its doors in the country. As one of the prime purveyors of French culture and language in the country, the institution is turning 100 years old in 2020. Its global network continues a legacy of being “the first cultural NGO [nongovernment organization] worldwide.”

Locally, Filipinos are treated to a host of yearlong offerings of the European’s country’s cultural cavalcade: Think of Fête de la Musique, French film festivals (Fête du Cinéma), the grandiose gastronomy of Goût de France, and the regular Les Jeudis Culturels (Cultural Thursdays) at the AFM, where premiere musicians from France have taken center stage, to name just a few.

AFM Executive Director JeanPierre Dumont recently discussed with Envoys&Expats this facet of French-Philippine ties, which has definitely heightened his country’s the level of cultural engagement locally.

ENVOYS&EXPATS: You have a pretty interesting assignment in AFM, leading all these efforts by the government of France to promote its culture in every corner of the globe.

DUMONT: It is the work usually done in an Alliance Française any-

where in the world; that is, to be in-charge of both a language center and a culture center. I lead a team of 40 people, (and out of that, we have) about 20 teachers.

That’s the reality of Alliance Française: We’re everywhere, we’ve got branches in more than 100 countries. But, every (one of them), the Alliance is a local association. We are run by a board and here in the Philippines, our current President is former Philippine ambassador to France, Cristina Ortega.

We are a “nonprofit,” but on the other hand, teaching French is both our mission here to promote the language, and also generate revenue to be able to hold cultural activities for free. And we do quite a lot of them— at least once a week.

We’ve got big events during the year, one being Fête de la Musique.

We reach more than 40,000 spectators annually. The other one is in March, where we celebrate Frenchspeaking countries called La Nuit de la Francophonie, or “Francophonie Night.”

(The event takes its name from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, which is composed of 88 member-states and governments that share the French language and is engaged in cultural, scientific, economic and judicial cooperation.

Of great importance to the OIF are the promotion of cultural diversity and the protection of human rights,

values that are inherent in the French language and in the OIF as an organization.)

We also have regular activities like Cultural Thursdays, which we organize with the French Embassy.

We’ve got film clubs here every week, where you can come and see good French films.

I won’t go through the whole list, but just to show you, we’ve got to run a language center and propose relevant and interesting cultural activities, which I must say, are well attended.

There’s always something happening. We also organize an open house to promote our classes and make people discover AFM. We are here for the Filipinos—that’s our mission; not in the sense that we only promote French culture in the Philippines, but because of our status as a cultural association, our aim is also to cultivate a relationship with them. We do everything we can to draw the attention of Filipinos.

Our gallery mainly exhibits Filipino artists. We have collaborations with institutions, such as the Ayala Museum and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, where we both organize a master class. (We have also invited French musicians,) which was the case three months ago, when we had a pianist come over.

Overall, we promote French culture and language while we get together with Filipinos to have a common goal in the cultural field.

The AFM is open every Saturday, which is actually the busiest, where many activities and classes happen.

So in almost every country in the world, there is an arm of the “Alliance Française?”

Yes. Originally, it was in (Latin)

America where the first branches of the “Alliance Française” developed immensely in the 20th century: in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. They’re really strong in those countries.

In the last 20 years, there was a strong development in Asia. But for us (in Manila), we’ll be celebrating our 100th anniversary next year. We’ve been here for quite a long time!

In Australia, we’ve been there for more than 130 years. But America is really where Alliance is quite strong.

In the last years or so, there was the development of the “Alliance Française” in China. I was actually the one who reopened the first “Alliance Française” in Guangzhou in 1989 as the first appointed director there. And since then, I think we’ve opened in 15 cities.

How would you describe the manner Filipinos embrace French culture?

First thing I noticed in the Philippines is that there is a rich cultural scene. Compared to other countries in Southeast Asia, I would say (this country) has quite a strong acquaintance with (those abroad, particularly) with Europe. There is a tradition and history with Spain.

If we talk about visual arts, for example, which are well developed (here), there is an interest in what happens in Europe and in France.

(Ours) is also a country where visual arts are important; we also have a very long heritage. The connections are very good and very strong.

We have (what we call) Philippine Artist Residency Program.

Every two years, we make a call and send a Filipino artist to France for residency. The following year,

we’ll do the same in France and invite a French artist to stay in Manila for one month and produce an exhibition that will (be held at) the AFM. This is mostly for visual arts, but we would also like (to do it) within the framework of Fête de la Musique.

This is also another aspect about the Philippines: that I don’t think there is a country in Southeast Asia that has developed “Fête...” [the same, grand] way. “Fête...” is not necessarily about bringing French artists to the Philippines. If we can, we do. It is more like a concept which was formed by the French in the 1980s.

As I said, (music lovers in) the Philippines—they really went for it and made “Fête…” as their own event.

We’ve got a very strong hold in the organization: we are the creators, I would say, but it really became a Filipino event. There were famous Filipino artists who produced themselves.

It was really funny for me, because I did not know music would come out very well in the Philippines. I realized that during “Fête...,” some prominent artists came and sang. There are those who actually started their careers by participating in “Fête...” they like to remember those times where they started playing in the festival.

With “Fête...” 2019, for instance, we had five cities, with total spectators at 40,000. We had about 2,000 musicians. That’s the biggest one so far.

That said, there is indeed a very strong link. And yes, we would like to send a Filipino musician to France.

Aside from music, Filipinos are such movie aficionados, and French films seem to appeal to a lot of them.

Definitely. Many come to see a film every week at AFM. It’s not a big audience, because we can only seat about 30. On a grander scale of course, the embassy organizes the annual French film festival.

The thing about cinema is, it’s not only about culture, but also a business model. The French cinema of today is one of the few in the world that still exists as an industry and to a certain extent stands alongside big Hollywood productions. In many countries, that industry has kind of disappeared as a business in producing and exporting film.

That’s not just because French cinema is good and that’s why it survived; it’s because our government has taken measures that would help French creators make, produce and release their films.

There is a system to create a fund that would help people get theirs to make films. It’s like lending them money to them, which they will refund once they get spectators.

That’s the reason French cinema is still what it is today: an industry that still gets spectators in France.

To this extent, I think cinema in the Philippines is in the same process, but maybe not yet on the same scale. We work closely with Film Development Council of the Philippines Chairman Liza Diño. She’s very active in creating the network she needs, so that there are some ways for the Filipino cinema to find the means to produce the films. To exist as an industry that would allow Filipino directors to make good films, including those with cultural backgrounds, is important.

Continued on E2

Envoys& BusinessMirror

E2 Thursday, August 29, 2019

FILIPINOS IN THE FRENCH CAPITAL

Pinoy painters’ group holds 1st art expo in Paris

Filipino amulets exhibited at prestigious museum

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ARIS—Filipino painters Marie Expert, Dhon de la Paz, Francis Eric Dimarucut and an Amsterdam-based artist known as “Cris,” who came together to form the artistic group Kwadro Pintura, successfully opened their first contemporary-art exhibition in the City of Lights.

As an expression of the Philippine Embassy’s support, Ambassador of the Philippines to France Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro led the ceremonial ribbon cutting of the expo in April at the Arbilo Gallery in Paris’s 15th Arrondissement.

Apart from showcasing Filipino talent, the art display also highlighted Philippine culture as

the artists chose several Filipinoinspired subjects that reflected past experiences in their home country, or their views on current events.

“We are very happy to learn of the creation of Kwadro Pintura and to hear of the group’s plan in support of Filipino artists in France, [as well as] in Europe,

FILIPINO curator Floy Quintos (left) and Ambassador Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro at the entrance of the Anting-Anting exhibition in Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac PARIS PE

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AMBASSADOR Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro (left) and the Kwadro Pintura artists share their thoughts on a painting. PARIS PE

[while we] promote our country in this region,” Lazaro said.

“The artworks I have seen here are remarkable. I have no doubt that with the group’s efforts [sup-

porting each member], Filipino artistry and talent will be recognized on a much larger scale in the very near future,” the ambassador noted. DFA

Cultural engagement on a deeper level Continued from E1

That’s what we are witnessing in the Philippines: a strong desire [for filmmaking] to exist as an industry.

Things are moving in a good way.

Do you see something “French” in Filipino culture? Is there a common thread?

Through my encounters with the Filipino artists, I’d say yes, there is.

But, it’s not just about producing cultural work.

We cannot compare a French artist with a Filipino counterpart per se, because [our countries have] two different histories and sources of influence.

The French, for a long time, have always promoted culture and language, because we have the belief that through [them, one can] express a way of looking at things and one’s own identity.

From that, I can say that the French culture and Filipino culture is meant to express, which is true for every country.

We think that the French language accompanies values, ways of thinking and a vision of the world.

Which is not necessarily the French values because in the African continent, there are many French-speaking countries, but their culture is completely different. We may have things in common for historical reasons, but the culture is completely different. By using French language, for example, it is a way to express, show or reveal parts of the richness of our culture.

I think the same applies to the Philippines with the strong diversity because here, everybody speaks English, though they are immersed in the English language, Tagalog, and all the other dialects. That language creates a very particular and special point of view.

Speaking of languages, and out of curiosity: Have you, by any chance, learned to speak Tagalog, or just a few words, since you came here?

I arrived in September 2017, which has now been two years. But I’m sorry, I have not learned, yet. It’s funny because I should, actually, but I haven’t done it.

ALLIANCE Française de Manille Executive Director Jean-Pierre Dumont at the 25th anniversary of Fête de la Musique. EMBASSY OF FRANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES AND MICRONESIA

I’m impressed because when I hear Tagalog, I can pick up some Malay words, and some Spanish terms. The rest, however, I do not understand.

But we plan to open a class for it. Because one thing about AFM, it is for Filipinos. But, the French are also coming here, fortunately.

We like it, because AFM serves as a common ground for Filipinos and French to have a chance to make some encounters.

That is why we also want to open a Tagalog class, at least for French people who are here and would like to learn it. So, when we open the class, I should be the first one to enroll.

Tell us about your journey of being a part of the “Alliance Française” network.

I was the head of the cultural department in a conservatory-museum in Paris called Musée des Arts et Métiers. But, as far as the Alliance is concerned, I had the chance to be posted in Malaysia for what they call voluntary service overseas—something that you could do instead of pure military service.

When I came back to France, I wanted to become a civil servant: a teacher, to have the opportunity to travel again in the Alliance Française network. From then on, I’ve been posted in other countries, went back to France, and did postings again.

Having said that, I’ve been to Malaysia, Australia and China. That’s how I got appointed, because I really like the spirit of the Alliance. I like the job; I love what I do. I also love why we do what we do, I think there’s something very good about it.

As an expat, what is it about the Philippines that you have grown fond of?

I think it’s the people that I enjoy the most here. I spend a lot of time here at AFM because I really like my team. I loved the other places where I’ve worked, I’ve had very good memories with my previous colleagues in Malaysia and China, but I really like my team here. I really like to work with them. I think they are courageous, very good humored, and in a very positive mood all the time.

I like the openness of the people.

I find it quite easy to get involved in conversations with anybody. They always give that positive impression. Though life is not always easy, they’re happy people. As the French say, “There are no problems, only solutions.”

Our team members in the AFM restaurant, who also cook for the staff, they prepare Filipino dishes, so I have very simple, yet healthy Filipino food nearly every lunch time. I like adobo very much.

I love it when they cook eggs into eggplant: torta. I like the idea of lechon, because when you look at it, there is this promised idea of a feast.

I like to eat it, but not that often.

As for the places, I haven’t traveled much around the Philippines yet, but I like them all. I’ve been to Cebu and Bohol, for leisure. Cebu is basically like Manila: It’s a big city; but on the other hand, (I feel everything is within reach) by taking a boat, and all the good things about the Visayas.

So, that impressed me a lot.

Aside from culture, what aspects about France would you promote?

France is perceived to be a cultural country. We are often told as romantics—which is good for us—because it is quite a positive image.

However, we are not only that.

We are a very important tourist destination. We are also a country with an industry, with scientists, with an education system. We have quite an important number of Nobel Prize winners, and awardees in mathematics. So, it’s not only about love and romance.

We have a rich network of universities. Back home, we have the

French National Centre for Scientific Research, where most researchers from universities join that body. Our engineering and financial schools are also very good.

We, the French, are here not only to promote the romance, but we think we have strong potential, and we want to draw attention.

That’s why, by learning our language, you also open doors to studies in France. Our country welcomes foreign students every year and guarantees quite good conditions in terms of affordable school fees and accommodations. France is a really good country to study in.

Lastly, what is it about the subject of culture that appeals to you?

I think culture is one way to raise questions, to look at the world differently, to question our environment.

It’s a way to open your mind and to distance yourself from the normal way of thinking.

That’s what culture is about.

It develops another perception of the world and raises the important things. It covers all the fields because culture is everywhere. It is also a way to accept things like philosophy, which, for the common sense, are not acceptable with a typical frame of mind.

For example, the Belgian painter René Magritte paints a pipe and says, “This is not a pipe. It’s not a pipe, because if it were a pipe, I could take it and smoke it. It is just a representation of a pipe.” Never forget: What you look at might not be the real thing.

That says a lot about language.

In France, there is an issue about “feminine words,” but “feminine” and “masculine” are not really notions about being female and male.

The French poet Paul Eluard wrote: “the Earth is blue, like an orange...” The Earth is blue—that makes sense. But, an orange is not blue. It still makes sense, because he plays on the fact that both the orange and the earth are round.

Thats where philosophy can take you. It’s a way to take some distance, and look at things differently. We really need that today, when we are really taking things matter-of-factly.

That’s what I like. Chelsea Bay Bagotsay (Intern, De La Salle University)

ARIS—Six years after the historic exhibition of The Philippines: Archipelago of Exchanges was held, the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in Paris once again welcomed visitors to another Philippine exhibit, Anting-Anting: The Secret Soul of the Filipino in March.

The Philippines’s Ambassador to France Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro attended the inauguration and was given a personalized tour of the exhibition by the curator, Floy Quintos, who flew to Paris with visual artist Dino Dimar to bring to life the exhibition he conceptualized.

Filipinos based in Paris—many of them artists in various fields—were also present to lend their support.

The exhibition celebrates the Filipino tradition of the anting-anting—Tagalog for talisman, or amulet—which are believed to provide protection, power and other types of good fortune to the bearer. Apart from the historically and cul-

turally significant physical objects showcased, the exhibition featured photos and short videos that demonstrated the importance of the amulets to the Filipino people, as well as the rituals related to them.

Quintos is a known director and playwright in the Philippines. His most recent projects include the National Commission on Culture and the Arts’ TV program Dayaw on ANC, as well as Buhay na Buhay: The Eight Living Cultures of the Philippines on GMA News TV, among many others.

“I wish to offer my congratulations to Quintos on this amazing initiative to share with France and the international community an important facet of Filipino life and faith. I encourage our kababayans in France, especially those whose young family members may not have experienced living in the Philippines, to visit the exhibit as a way to appreciate their Filipino heritage [further].” Lazaro said.

PHL, France sign program of cooperation in sci-tech, innovation

SCIENCE Secretary Fortunato de la Peña (left) and Minister Frédérique Vidal sign the Program of Cooperation in Science, Technology, and Innovation at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. PARIS PE

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ARIS—Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña and French Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation Frédérique Vidal signed in May a Program of Cooperation (POC) in Science, Technology, and Innovation, which will update the implementation of the 1978 Philippines-France Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

Under the POC, the Philippines and France will cooperate on mutually beneficial scientific, technological and innovative activities on various areas, including nuclear applications in the health sector, biological sciences, researches on genomics and personalized medicine, agriculture technology, industry, energy, as well as other emerging technology, among others.

The POC details the commitments by the two sides to facilitate and encourage collaborative activities that will deepen the Philippine-French relations on science, technology and innovation.

Prior to the signing, De La Peña and Vidal exchanged views on further promoting and expanding the bilateral engagements between their countries. In particular, the secretary conveyed the plan to send more Filipino scholars and scientists to France to undertake postgraduate studies and research. Conversely, he also expressed his hope for more French scholars and scientists to visit the Philippines.

For his part, the French minister said that both countries could build on this collaboration for the long term.

The science secretary also raised closer bilat-

eral cooperation in health and agri-technology.

He also sought closer links with France in space development, as the Philippines is in the process of establishing its own space agency. Vidal said that she would ask the concerned French agencies to contact their Philippine counterparts.

During his three-day official visit, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) chief visited facilities, such as the Institut de la Vision, one of the most prominent eye diseases research centers in Europe; the Institut Imagine, a research and innovative health-care institution that gathers under one roof researchers, doctors and patients with the objective of treating genetic diseases; as well as Station F, the biggest start-up campus in France.

Included as well in De La Peña’s three-day itinerary were meetings with UniLaSalle President Philippe Choquet, where discussions focused on possible partnerships between the French learning institution and Philippine colleges, as well as universities, specifically in the field of agritechnology involving Filipino scholars in Paris.

The French National Institute of Health and Medical Research Vice Chief Executive Officer Claire Giry reaffirmed their commitment to continue discussions in holding a joint scientific seminar with the DOST. Science Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Christina L. Guevara and DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya joined de la Peña in France. DFA

&Expats

envoys.expats.bm@gmail.com | Thursday, August 29, 2019 E3

TRADE AND INVESTMENTS

TECO official: Amid US-China trade war, Taiwan-PHL relations remain robust

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By Roderick L. Abad

ROSPECTS surrounding the bilateral-trade relations between Taiwan and the Philippines remain bullish, despite the ongoing tension between the world’s two economic superpowers, according to Director Chang Wen Chong of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines.

The TECO official disclosed such at the recent launch of the “Wow! Taiwan” in Makati City, where 15 Taiwanese businesses showcased various kiosks and displayed the best of their food,

cosmetics, fashion, technology and modern household products.

Chang told reporters that business activities in Asian neighbors have slowed down a bit due to uncertainty from the continuous trade

war between the United States and China.

This transpired as US President Donald J. Trump warned on August 1 about imposing $300 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese goods beginning September 1.

Mainland China is a close trading partner of Taiwan. The Philippines, under the leadership of President Duterte, has strengthened its ties with the Asian superpower.

The latter’s trade conflict with the US has caused a ripple effect to the self-ruled island, and the Philippines as a previous colony and a long-time ally of the American government.

“But I think when the picture becomes clear, the momentum will resume again. So we are quite optimistic. We will continue to develop our economic relations, especially in trade investment area,” Chang said.

Promising prospects

CHANG noted that the entrepreneurs of the products displayed in the event wanted exposure to the local market, with hopes of widening their market, as well as finding prospective partnerships and opportunities to set up local shops.

He pointed out that Taiwanese businessmen are targeting the “middle to high-end market” in the country due to the increasing purchasing power of Filipinos, as well as their affinity with the Taiwanese.

“The Philippines has a very young and dynamic population open to innovative products,” Chang said.

“They are also interested in Taiwanese culture, as seen in the huge numbers of Filipino visitors flocking to Taiwan. In fact, the Philippines has the most number of arrivals from Southeast Asia [to our country] last year.

TECO’s executive further stated,

PHL, Germany to intensify trade ties

“Currently, the potential is high in the Filipino market, because the younger generation has more disposable income and are open to new and unique products.”

Taiwanese brands featured in the exhibition included XYZprinting Inc., Brinno Inc., HiMirror Mini, Master Mi, Carnation, Yumark, FECA, Kid2Youth, Washcan, Jye Li An, Bung Cheng, Shuter Enterprise Co. Ltd., H&J Food and Chung Hsiang Foods.

“We can see the enthusiasm is quite high. That’s why we hope we can work together to make sure it’s a very successful event,” Chang stressed.

Top trade partners

THE Philippines is Taiwan’s 14thlargest trading partner in the world.

According to TECO’s web site, Taiwan and the Philippines’s two-way trade has increased by $1.1 billion, which amounts to $11.97 billion in 2017,

compared to $10.87 billion in 2016.

Both countries maintain close cooperation not only in economics and trade, investment, technology, agriculture, fisheries, law enforcement and labor affairs, but also in tourism, education, culture and frequent people-topeople engagement.

Part of initiatives to strengthen the trade ties between the two allied nations, Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Commerce Development Research Institute brought to Manila the “Wow! Taiwan” expo to showcase best product innovations.

The event bridged Taiwan’s leading enterprises to Philippine companies and consumers, while at the same time opened new markets, as well as channels for the former’s breadwinning products through new Filipino distributors, agents and retailers.

Canada eyed as Negros producers’ possible market

CANADIAN Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines’s President Julian Payne discusses the Philippines’s export opportunities in Canada at a gathering with manufacturers in Negros Occidental. PNA BACOLOD

B TRADE Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo and German Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Bareiss BERLIN PE

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HE Philippines and Germany seek to intensify their bilateral-trade cooperation through the signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI) to establish the Joint Economic Commission (JEC).

Both delegations under the leadership of Philippine Trade Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo and German Parliamentary

State Secretary Thomas Bareiss signed the declaration on August 20 at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in Berlin, Germany.

“We are enthusiastic about the perspective of the PhilippineGerman trade relations [by] setting up a JEC, as it will strengthen more economic partnerships across

many sectors,” Germany-Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

President Tristan Arwen “Bobbit” Loveres said. “The signing of JDoI is a remarkable signal on the partnership, and we [look] forward to the JEC. ” The JDoI seeks to convene the JEC, which will be a platform to discuss various aspects of trade, invest-

ments and economic partnerships that will promote private-sector synergy and further enhance the overall bilateral economic relations between the two countries.

Germany is the biggest trading partner of the Philippines in the European Union and its 11th globaltrading partner, with a total trade volume of $7.4 billion in 2018.

Turkey ready to assist BARMM agri sector

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AVAO CITY—The government of Turkey vowed to extend its assistance to farmers, agriculturists and leaders of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

In a press statement, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), through Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, will forge an agreement with the government of Turkey through

its ambassador to the Philippines Artemiz Sumer to help the region’s agriculture sector.

Piñol said Sumer wants to start the Joint Exchange Program this September. He said Turkey’s envoy told him that the assistance would be the West Asian country’s “contribution” to the peace efforts of President Duterte in Mindanao.

According to the MinDA executive, governors, mayors, farmer

leaders and agriculturists will undergo a seven-day short course, which includes exposure to modern agricultural places in Turkey.

The MinDa official said the trainings and exposures include grains production, dairy farming, as well as cattle- and goat-raising, which are seen to boost the potentials of the Philippines and the global halal markets. Scholars from the five BARMM provinces will be

sent in five batches to Turkey.

Upon their return, they are expected to share and implement their acquired knowledge to boost the agriculture sector of the region.

Piñol said the Turkey International Cooperation Agency will conduct follow-through programs to ensure that inputs learned would be applied in their respective provinces they represent. Digna Banzon/PNA

ACOLOD CITY—Negrense producers engaged in exports are seeking access to the Canadian market, which patronizes and purchases goods from countries in Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines.

Mary Ann Colmenares, chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMED) Council of Negros Occidental, noted such after the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CanCham) in the Philippines’s President Julian Payne presented export opportunities in his country before local manufacturers in the capital city of Negros Occidental.

In his presentation, Payne also outlined the profiles of markets within Canada, including the distribution and socioeconomic profile of the population, as well as major urban centers and markets.

“You have to know the market in every part of Canada if you’re looking for a sizable portion of its population. Do not think of [our country] as a single market,” CanCham’s president added.

Between 2016 and 2018, the Philippines’s top exports to the North American country included coconut oil, fresh and dried bananas, preparations of fruits, preserved fish, coconuts, pineapples, avocados, mangoes, vegetable extracts, tobacco products, fruit and vegetable juices, as well as frozen fish.

“The presentation was very informative. We have not saturated the export market in Canada. We have yet to build access to it,” Colmenares said.

SMED’S official added that the presentation will help them gain access to Canada for products from Negros Occidental.

The market will be a good match for the capacities the Negrense small and medium firms have at present, she said.

Colmenares pointed out that the CanCham official presented a welldefined analysis of the products that Canadians patronize and buy specifically from the Philippines and the Asean in general.

Top imports from Canada are grape wines, bread and pastries, protein concentrates, coffee, chocolate, animal feed preparations, berries, waters, preparations of fruits, and mushrooms. Food manufacturers, as well as producers of gifts, decors and housewares producers, participated in the activity, organized by Negros Occidental’s SMED Council and the BacolodNegros Occidental Federation for Information and Communications Technology (BNEFIT).

The council is composed of private-sector members from BNEFIT, Association of Negros Producers, the Negros Occidental Council of Women, the Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Negros Occidental.

Officials from the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of the Interior and Local Government, as well as the Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist represented the government. Erwin Nicavera/PNA

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

E4 Thursday, August 29, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

EMBASSIES, EVENTS, ETC.

Duterte invited to visit Malawi in Africa as new ambassadors present credentials

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RESIDENT Duterte was invited

by Grenenger Kidney Msulira Banda, nonresident ambassador of the Republic of Malawi to the Philippines, to visit the East African republic.

The newly installed envoy extended the invitation when the Chief Executive welcomed new ambassadors from Switzerland, Germany, Malaysia, Georgia, Estonia and Malawi in a ceremony in Malacañang on August 20.

During the ambassadors’ presentation of credentials, Duterte expressed his hope that the Philippines would forge stronger bilateral relations with the said countries, a statement from Malacañang said.

In his remarks, the African envoy said, “I would like to also bring the message from my head of state [who] is personally inviting you to Malawi should you have any opportunities.

Either you go [there], or he comes to the Philippines.”

health care, culture and education, bilateral trade, as well as business and economic cooperation.

She also expressed hopes that Germany would be able to contribute to the ongoing transition process and stabilization of all of Mindanao.

Top Malaysian representative

The African country’s current head of state is Peter Mutharika.

Aside from Banda, two nonresident ambassadors also had an audience with the president and presented their diplomatic credentials. They are Nonresident Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of Georgia to the Philippines Irakli Asashvili, and the Republic of Estonia’s Ambassador to the Philippines Väino Reinart.

Euro envoys

MEANWHILE, Duterte met the ambassadors of the Swiss Confederation (Switzerland), the Federal Republic of Germany and Malaysia, who will be based in the Philippines.

During his presentation of credentials, Ambassador of Switzerland

PRESIDENT Duterte receives the credentials of Nonresident Ambassador of Malawi to the Philippines Grenenger Banda. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PNA

Alain Gaschen hailed Duterte for the administration’s achievements in the Bangsamoro peace process, as he reiterated his country’s support to the peace process in Mindanao.

Ga sc he n e mph a s i z e d t he

‘Constructive discourse key in addressing issues in PHL’ L

strengthening of Swiss-Philippine relations, particularly in the economic field, and vowed to work hard to further boost ties between the two countries.

Upon presenting her creden-

tials, Ambassador of Germany Anke Reiffenstuel described GermanPhilippine relations as “rich” since they cover a broad range of issues, including cooperation in environment and climate-related matters,

AS he presented his letter of credence, Ambassador of Malaysia’s Norman bin Muhamad conveyed the well wishes of His Majesty Yang di-Pertuan Agong, his Queen, and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

The new Malaysian envoy vowed to work with the Philippine government for the development of the two countries.

Aside from meeting the new ambassadors, the Philippine leader also met with Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh of Saudi Arabia who arrived in the country for a parliamentary visit.

Mohammad, who is accompanied by the members of his delegation, is the president-speaker of the Majlis Al Shura, or Consultative Council, of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. PNA

Israeli envoy to leaders: Use Quezon’s legacy as compass

IKE a revalida of a successful four-year assignment, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Philippines Franz Jessen outlined on Tuesday the numerous accomplishments, as well as the concerns and issues addressed in the country by the delegation.

In what was his final engagement with the members of the local and Philippine-based foreign journalists, Jessen’s “valedictory address” centered on numerous dimensions of the EU’s engagement around the archipelago. The following are some of the topics tackled by the diplomat: (Related story on the BusinessMirror, August 28, 2019: “EU envoy ends 4-year ‘exciting’ PHL stint”.)

AMBASSADOR Rafael Harpaz honors former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon.

Trade and labor

COMMENTING on the current trade war between the United States and China, the envoy observed that the Philippine economy is “still local-based,” and is, therefore, shielded and protected from the ensuing effects of the rift.

Transitioning to the matter of free trade and the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+), the ambassador commented that, while the Philippines gets many benefits from the latter, the concessions accorded by the EU “may disappear eventually.”

“I’m not sure when,” Jessen noted, “but it will come at some point.”

This, as the country enjoys excellent ratings from economic indicators, and may eventually no longer need to be covered by the GSP+.

Philippine exports of agricultural products, he noted, continue to lag with a “decrease of 20 percent, though other sectors are doing better than others.”

He recalled the EU’s signing of a free-trade agreement with Vietnam some four years ago, and then compared the situation in the country as “more complicated.”

“There [in Vietnam], they are more systematic in attracting manufacturing companies,” as Jessen cited the “strong attention by Hanoi on foreign investors. Agreements are respected in all levels.”

Highlighted thereafter was the country’s success in the business-process outsourcing sector, as the EU ambassador cited its competitive advantage through “low-cost, yet quality labor” that can ultimately bring benefits for European investors.

EMBASSY OF ISRAEL IN THE PHILIPPINES/PNA

AMBASSADOR Franz Jessen bids a fond farewell after an ‘exciting’ four years in the country. EUINTHEPHILIPPINES

The ‘datu’ diplomat

THE Danish diplomat, likewise, zeroed-in on the delegation’s efforts in Mindanao, where he was conferred with the title of “datu” or elder by a Manobo tribe: “We have established a robust development cooperation in the region, with lots of resources, as well as creation of many jobs.

Jessen then touched on the EU’s €100-million investment in Mindanao, which is earmarked to help the island-region boost its march toward a “modern economy,” while the delegation still works closely with government agencies such as the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the Department of Finance.

“Whatever we do, we make sure that we do it hand-in-hand with the government,” he remarked.

Human-rights efforts

SPEAKING of working with the government, Jessen said the dynamics of discourse with government officials concerning human rights have become different because of the current attention of the international community.

With regard to the EU’s stance on the subject, the envoy emphasized: “We are not going to change, just because this country has a different view [of the matter. Those of the] 28 memberstates are deeply anchored on a set of values.”

To address the challenges that go along in tackling the set of rights, the ambassador advised other countries comprising the European region to work constructively with the Philippine government.

Relevance of diplomats

ARE diplomats still effective in their roles? Or, in the midst of changing, “shifting plates” of world affairs, are they still relevant?

Jessen was asked to comment on the aforementioned to cap off the exchanges with the journalists at the gathering. He remarked that it’s quite a challenge for the current generation of ambassadors.

As a former university teacher in his native Denmark, he views the situation in the way a task is done: “Did they deliver? What are the facts? What are the realities surrounding them?”

He replied to his own set of queries: “Move away from the big words. Look at the outcome.

Which policies will yield a high level of growth?”

Then ultimately, the envoy sounded his scholarly suggestion: “Solve issues in a positive way.”

In tackling huge challenges affecting the local scene, as well as those in the Asean region, his piece of advice to the incoming EU ambassador is to “have a constructive relationship with the government.”

A

MBASSADOR of Israel to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz shared his deep appreciation of former President Manuel L. Quezon’s directive to open the country’s borders for victims of the Holocaust at the ceremonial celebration of the latter’s 141st birthday in Quezon City.

As a gesture of gratitude, Harpaz, along with his fellow Israelis, recalled the momentous event for the 10,000 Jews who were then escaping the Nazi regime in the 1930s.

“We will continue to tell the story of President Quezon. In fact, every Israeli delegation visiting the Philippines [stops] by the Philippine-Israel friendship monument here in Quezon Memorial Circle to honor and pay [their respects] to this leader,” the ambassador said in his speech.

Under the Nazi regime, Jews were forced to leave their own country, while those who remained were persecuted. At that time, the majority of the democratic countries closed their doors to Jews in fear of upsetting the Nazis.

“However, there was one leader

ISRAELIS remember the humble gesture of Quezon during the Holocaust. In the middle of the photo are (from left) Simon Malaca of the Jewish Community in the Philippines and Synagogue Director Lee Blumenthal. EMBASSY OF ISRAEL IN THE PHILIPPINES/PNA

who stood out. Quezon decided to open the doors of the Philippines and was willing to provide 10,000 visas for the fleeing Jewish refugees. Unfortunately, only 1,300 Jews made it to the Philippines as the doors of Europe were already shutting down [then],” Harpaz shared.

Quezon’s decision to save the Jews was just revealed in recent decades to Filipinos and the rest of the world.

The awareness of many Filipinos on Quezon’s legacy is now more pronounced with the efforts done by many organizations and individuals, including the Embassy of Israel in Manila, and with the help of academic materials, as well as historical films that brought the story to the people, especially to the younger generation.

In 1949, then-President Manuel A. Roxas made another significant decision for the Israelis, when the United Nations needed to vote on the creation of the State of Israel.

The Philippines was the only Asian country to vote in favor of Israel.

The two historic decisions tightened the long and lasting

friendship between Israel and the Philippines.

“I was honored to be the official escort of [Mr.] Duterte during his historic visit to Israel [in] September 2018. He is the first Filipino president in office to officially visit the State of Israel,” the Israeli envoy recalled.

During Duterte’s visit to Israel, a 90-year-old Jew stood up and shared his warm greetings in Tagalog—a testament of the special bond between the two nations.

Israel, as one of the strongest and most-developed countries in the world, has lent a hand to the Philippines several times. When Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) ravaged the Visayas in 2013, the Mediterranean country did not hesitate to give assistance, and was one of the first on the ground to conduct relief operations.

“History provides today’s leaders with role models. Quezon [represented] true leadership with integrity and moral conviction, which should be followed by leaders and by the young generation,” Harpaz concluded. Christine Cudis/PNA