By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario A S the Philippines struggles to address supply issues of key commodities, another major commodity—water—is also expected to present serious, urgent problems, according to an expert from the World Bank. I n the Washington-based lend er’s blog, World Bank Water Global Practice Global Director Saroj Ku mar Jha—citing estimates made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—said water demand will outstrip supply by 40 percent in less than a decade. G lobally, Jha said 2 billion people still lack safe drinking water and 3.6 billion people are still in need of safe sanitation.
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LOSING the country’s borders is one of the most immediate courses of action the government must take to prevent the latest Covid-19 variant, Omicron, from reaching Philippine shores, according to local economists. The new variant is a threat, especially with the holidays coming up and more foreigners being allowed to travel to the Philippines, De La Salle University economist Maria Ella Oplas toldTheBusinessMirror.holidaysusually bring in Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who are eager to spend Christmas with their loved ones, while foreigners living in temperate regions usually want to relax in tropical countries like the Philippines. This year’s influx of OFWs is expected to be heavier since many of them were unable to come home for the holidays in December 2020. “My recommendation is to protect the borders. Do not allow people with a history of travel to countries with positive cases to enter,” Oplas said. “We should be more restrictive. [We have to be] more protective in terms of our Oplasmeasures.”saidthat while this will be a setback to some industries, this is a fair measure considering that this could help prevent placing the country in another strict lockdown, which, she said, the economy can no longer afford. “It is better that we do protective preventive measures than get exposed again. We have a lot to lose,” Oplas said. “We should do it now so that we can open just before Christmas. If it gets contained, we can open it again.”Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development (ACERD) Associate Director Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes said closing the country’s borders would be effective but should still adhere to the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). What is needed, Peña-Reyes told this newspaper, is for travel restrictions to be put in place swiftly and for government to be proactive in imposingPreviousthem.instances when the country had the opportunity to impose travel restrictions did not prevent the spread of Covid-19. That was mainly because the decision was not made immediately, he said. “ Kung papatay patay [If we’re slow] and we get caught flat-footed, [that’s risky] We were too reactive instead of proactive before. We should learn from that,” PeñaReyes said. “It’s a delicate balancing act. We need to push testing and tracing to be properly informed of our decisions. Blanket/shotgun approaches could have dire consequences on the economy.” borders, cut Omicron exposure risk’
To note, IATF Resolution 150A had allowed fully vaccinated non-visa travelers from Green List areas to enter the country without the need for facility-based quarantine as long as they secure negative Reverse TranscriptionPolymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) test within 72 hours prior to their “Exceptdeparture. forcountries classified as ‘Red,’ the testing and quarantine protocols for all inbound international travelers in all ports of entry shall comply with the testing and quarantine protocols for ‘Yellow’ list countries,” Nograles said, citing the provision of IATF Resolution No.He151-A. noted Hong Kong, which has confirmed a case of the Omicron variant, will also fall under the Yellow list countries. The suspension of the rules for “Green List” countries will be in effect from November 28, 2021 to December 15, 2021.
D iokno insisted on Monday that public finances are “finite” and should be “allocated judiciously for programs and projects that would result in the greatest benefit for the greatest number of citizens and the overall welfare.” T he finance chief likewise reiter ated that the cash assistance related to the Covid-19 pandemic should be discontinued given that the Philip pine economy “has recovered.” With the normalization, it is more appropriate to continue the existing social protection programs — the DSWD welfare grants for poor families with children of school age, support for senior citizens, assis tance to displaced workers, etc.
See “Borrowings,” A2 Continued on A2 w P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages |n Monday, November 29, 2021 Vol. 17 No.52 NATL GOVT BORROWINGS FOR 10 MOS DIP TO P2.75T Omicron risk of quarantine
OVER 3-M FARMERS LISTED FOR P75-B COCO LEVY FUND
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By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
The PCA official noted that the completion of the initial list of coconut farmers registry would be just in time for the expected rollout of coconut levy-funded programs as President Duterte is expected to sign the industry development plan in early 2022.
The updating of the coconut farmers registry is mandated by Republic Act (RA) 11524 or the Coconut Industry Trust Fund Act. See “3-M farmers,” A2
PEOPLE walk past the mural of Gat Andres Bonifacio at Manila City Hall Underpass. The country will celebrate the 158th birth anniversary of Filipino revolutionary hero Gat Andres Bonifacio on Tuesday, November 30. ROY DOMINGO
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See “PCCI,” A2 See “Water,” A2
“On the other hand, if people would see names on the list and they think they are not coconut farmers or their details are incorrect, they can report it to the PCA for immediate action,” he added.
See “4Ps,” A2 Water lack worsening food insecurity–WB
I n the Philippines, the Nation al Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said 57 million Filipinos have to fetch water for their families from communal pipes or springs or wells up to 250 meters away. “ Water is a basic human right— but it is also a finite resource. Wa ter scarcity is a growing problem, with one in four people living in water-scarce areas,” Jha said. “The global water crisis undermines our ability to produce food, pro tect livelihoods, and build strong economies.”Jhasaid water security is far from being realized in many coun tries, with an estimated $150 bil lion needed each year to deliver universal safe water and sanitation globally.
The granite marker at the Bantayog Ng Mga Bayani of people who opposed martial law was in focus on Monday as the nation observed National Heroes Day. In other commemorative events, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led rites at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, while Vice President Sara Z. Duterte was in Davao City. BERNARD TESTA
T HE minority leader of the House of Representatives on Monday is pushing for higher cash grants to households listed under the government’s flagship Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Pro gram (4Ps) as he warned of wors ening food insecurity among poor families due to price shocks.
HONORING HEROES
“The list will be posted in public spaces where people can easily see them. This allows everyone to see who are listed in the registry and if farmer doesn’t see his name then he shall coordinate with the PCA immediately,” he explained at a recent dialogue with coconut farmers.
By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM
Rosales explained that about 500,000 coconut farmers and workers were added to the PCA’s 2018 list that had about 2.5 million coconut farmers and farm workers. The PCA’s next step is to conduct an exclusion-inclusion procedure by making the updated farmers’ registry public, providing everyone the opportunity to check the veracity of the list, Rosales added.
House Minority leader Marcelino Libanan, in a statement, said the Co vid-19 pandemic has left a big scar of growing poverty due to the de struction of jobs and income, and the fallout of rampant energy and food inflation from the Russia-Ukraine war threatens to further put many Filipino families in dire straits. “ We would urge the government to quickly expand the coverage of the 4Ps to include a greater number of beneficiaries, and to augment the cash aid that they are receiving,” LibananMarginalsaid. households with no cushion against economic shocks are falling back into survival, and are now extremely vulnerable to hunger,” added Libanan, of 4Ps partylist. L ibanan and fellow 4Ps partyl ist Rep. Jonathan Clement Abalos II earlier filed House Resolution 184, calling for an increase in the amount of cash grants to help ben eficiaries keep up with runaway inflation.Inthe proposed 2023 national budget, Libanan said the govern ment plans to spend P105.4 billion next year to pay for 4Ps cash grants, excluding the cost of personnel ser vices and spot checks, administra tive expenses, bank service fees, and other incidental overheads.
P100-B needed IN the Philippines, the Neda said, the country needs to invest P100 billion annually between 2020 and 2030 to meet the Sustain able Development Goals (SDGs). The total price tag to improve the country’s water and sani tation situation is P1.1 trillion by T2030.hescale of the needed in vestments, Jha said, cannot be addressed by just one institu tion alone. These efforts require greater collaboration between government, businesses, and civilThesociety.scaleof investment needed requires the involvement of the pri vate sector and innovative financ ing mechanisms to complement limited government resources, transforming efficiency and resil ience in water-dependent sectors such as agriculture, energy, and industry—and in urban water sup ply,” Jha said. I n the Philippines, one of the primary solutions is to create the Department of Water which aims to address the fragmented man agement of the country’s water re sources.There are at least 30 agencies re lated to the creation of policy and regulation for the water sector. This includes the Department of Envi ronment and Natural Resources (DENR), the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), and various local water districts, among others. US 56.0080 JAPAN 0.4104 n UK 66.3079 n HK 7.1379 n CHINA 8.1799 SINGAPORE 40.3254 n AUSTRALIA 39.0880 n EU 55.8792 n KOREA 0.0419 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.9116 Source BSP (August 26, 2022)
HE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Indus try (PCCI) is counting on the House of Representatives to pursue the enactment of busi ness-friendly measures crucial to recovery efforts, jobs creation and the long-term progress of the economy, including the amendment of the Magna Carta for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). I n a recent dialogue with House Speaker Ferdinand Mar tin Romualdez at the PCCI’s General Membership Meet ing, PCCI led by its President, George T. Barcelon and the Di rector of its Legislative Commit tee, Atty. Benedicta Du-Bala dad, presented the Chamber’s legislative agenda. To facilitate the agriculture sector and micro and small en terprises’ access to finance as a tool to support their growth— the PCCI is pushing for the amendment of the Magna Carta for MSMEs Act and the Philip pine Warehouse Receipts Act Amendment. TradeSecretary Alfredo E. Pascual said during the open forum at the 43rd National Conference of Employers, “we are now reviewing the Magna Carta for MSMEs.” Last month, Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr. told the BusinessMirror that the pre vious Magna Cartas for MSMEs were not properly implemented.
Bigger 4Ps grants sought amid rising food prices CHINA MOVES AGGRESSIVELY ON COVID AS COMMUNIST PARTY SUMMIT LOOMS THE WORLD ›› A6 PESO EXCHANGE RATES n
See “Social pension,” A2 PCCI PINS HOPES ON HOUSE FOR BILLS BOOSTING JOBS, MSMES w P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 18 pages |
NTERNATIONAL concerns over the possible spread of the more infectious Omicron Covid-19 variant prompted the government to reimpose mandatory facility-based quarantine for all arriving passengers in the country. Acting Presidential spokesperson Karlo B. Nograles announced on Sunday that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) suspended the implementation of its Resolution No. 150A (s.2021), effectively imposing stricter protocols for all inbound
Rosales said the PCA will not stop updating its list of coconut farmers and enjoined them to register in order to reap the benefits of the decades-long idled coconut levy fund. “We will not stop at 3.1 million. We hope that more individuals will register in our coconut farmers registry,” he said.
By Andrea E. San Juan T
FINANCE Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno sees it more prudent at this point to use public funds for the newly-approved law increasing the social pension of indigent senior citizens rather than on cash aid associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed that the government’s gross borrowings during the 10-month period fell by 5.99 percent from P2.92 trillion a year ago. With only two months left for this year, the latest figure is already equivalent to 89.6 percent of its P3.07-trillion borrowing program. Broken down, gross domestic borrowings from January to October settled at P2.23 trillion, down by 5.08 percent from P2.35 trillion in 2020. The bulk of the amount was sourced from Fixed Rate Treasury Bonds (P1.19 trillion), followed by short-term borrowings from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or BSP (P540 billion), Retail Treasury Bonds/Premyo Bonds (P463.3 billion), Retail Onshore Dollar Bonds (P80.84 billion). In the same period, there was also a net redemption of Treasury Bills amounting to P43.94 billion. Net debt redemption means there were more debts repaid compared to the amount borrowed during the period. Meanwhile, gross foreign borrowings in the same period also contracted by 9.7 percent to P518.7 billion from last year’s P574.4 billion. This was raised through global bonds (P146.17 billion), program loans (P139.98 billion), euro-denominated bonds (P121.97 billion), a project loan (P86.41 billion), and yen-denominated samurai bonds (P24.19 billion).
By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas M ORE than 3 million coconut farmers and workers are now registered with the government’s registry, which serves as the basis for the number of people to be covered by the utilization of the P75-billion coconut levy fund. Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Deputy Administrator Roel M. Rosales said about 3.11 million coconut farmers and farm workers have been registered with the government since it started updating its registry following the enactment of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund law.
See “Omicron,” A2 n Tuesday, August 30, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 326
‘HIKE SOCIAL PENSION, END PANDEMIC AYUDA’
By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM THE P2.75year-on-yearbyend-Octoberborrowingsgrossgovernment’snationalasofshrankalmost6percenttotrillion.
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario C
Study...
SQUID Game actor Kim Dong Won as a recent visitor in Boracay, confirming the island’s continued popularity with Koreans. PHOTO COURTESY OF JONY’S BEACH RESORT
Don’t squander lessons of past, honor PHL heroes–VP Sara
BORACAY
T he assistance to be extended by the DOTr is for fuel subsidy, while that from DA will be allocated for fi nancial and fuel subsidies for rice and corn farmers as well as fisherfolks.
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4Ps... from A1
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A S the country on Monday commemorated National Heroes’ Day, Vice Presi dent and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte called on Filipi nos to never “squander” the les sons of the past and instead use them to “awaken” all the greatest heroes inside the hearts of every Filipino, especially the youth. Our history as a nation is marked by the blood of our forebears who selflessly offered their lives for the liberation of the Philippines and the Filipino people,” Duterte’s National He roes’ Day message read. A s Filipinos honor the coun try’s national heroes, Duterte said they should not only look back with admiration “at their profound sense of patriotism but also look at the future of our country and its unrelenting longing for the same profound sense of patriotism from us.” S he added: “The blood of our National Heroes is the same blood of bravery, selflessness, and love of country and fel lowmen that continues to flow across the nation today—now permeating into the minds and hearts of many Filipinos who have committed to the cause of rebuilding the nation from the rubbles caused by disunity, hatred, misunderstanding, and acts of hostilities perpetuated by anti-people, anti-government, and local terror groups that hos taged the progress of the country for a long time.” S he urged the public to honor the national heroes with a prom ise that their sacrifices will serve as the light and inspiration and that the Filipinos will vow to pro tect the integrity of the country’s independence and the interest of the nation against those who “wish for us to fail, to fall, and to break as a nation.” “Patuloy nating mahalin ang Pilipinas [Let us continue to love the Philippines],” she said. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
However, at the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing on the proposed 2023 national budget at the House of Representatives on Friday, the DBM said that only P25.3 billion was allocated for the social pension to cover over 4.08 million indigent senior citizens. B udget Undersecretary Tina Canda earlier explained that they were not able to include in their pro posed national budget for next year the additional funding needed for the implementation of the new law, given that the bill seeking the in crease in social pension of indigent seniors lapsed into law after the completion of the budget. None theless, she assured the public that they will work with Congress to resolve the issue of the funding requirement for the new law.
O ver the weekend, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACTTeachers partylist Rep. France Cas tro expressed alarm over Diokno’s statement during the DBCC brief ing that giving out cash assistance related to the Covid-19 pandemic is “already a waste of public funds.” C astro pointed out that the economy has not yet fully recovered given the rising unemployment and rising commodity prices.
Continued from A1 Social pension... Continued from A1 Water... Continued from A1 T he ayudas associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, such as in Bayanihan I and II, should cease as normalization is achieved and as we learn to live with the virus,” Diokno told reporters in a message. For example, there are new de mands on public finances such as the recently approved law mandat ing higher assistance for indigent seniors. It’s better to use public resources for the indigent seniors, if funds are available, than for the ayudas meant for the general pub lic,” he added. Only half of funds in budget EARLIER this month, House Depu ty Speaker and Batangas Rep. Ralph G. Recto said the executive and the legislative branch should now work together on how to fund the law, which will cost P50 billion annu ally. The bill seeking the doubling of the monthly P500 pension to P1,000 for indigent senior citizens lapsed into law on July 30.
Double whammy
Boracay is back in business, arrivals hit 849K in 1st half
Meanwhile, PCCI said topping the list of its priorities are measures to strengthen the country’s fiscal sus tainability to continue and acceler ate economic and social development projects such as the Packages 3 (Prop erty Valuation and Assessment) and 4 (Passive Income and Financial Inter mediation Act) of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program. T he business group is also count ing on the House to pursue the enactment of the Capital Market Development Act, which aims to en sure the prosperity of the country and free the people from poverty. On the country’s natural resourc es, which aim at encouraging invest ments and providing livelihood in the rural areas, and reduce poverty, PCCI is hoping for the enactment of Successful Farmers Development Act (Amending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law), the TreeGrowing Act and the Amendment or Repeal of the (An Act for Salt Io dization Nationwide) ASIN Act. To broaden internet access and ensure quality, available and af fordable broadband connectivity, the business group is relying on the House of Representatives to pursue the enactment of Open Access in Data Transmission Act, Better Inter net Act, Rural Wired Development Act, Satellite-based Technologies Promotion Act, and the Philippine Spectrum Management Act. A s for legislative efforts to bring down shipping costs, the PCCI is hoping for the International Mari time Trade Act and the amendment of the Philippine Ports Authority Act to be enacted. In a statement on Friday, business groups including the PCCI said they are backing the House bill that aims to strip the Philippine Ports Author ity (PPA) of its mandate as a revenue generator and confine the govern ment regulatory body solely to its role as public port developer and operator. T he groups blamed the dual func tions of the agency as regulator and developer for the steady increase in cargo-handling rates that has erod ed the country’s competitiveness. Meanwhile, to ensure that Fili pino learners are getting the knowl edge and training needed to join the workforce in “5-10-20” years, PCCI is pushing for the enactment of the Philippine Qualification Act Amendment and the Apprentice ship Act/ Amendment to the Dual Training System Act. T he business group said House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romual dez committed to have five to 10 of the above-mentioned measures en acted within the next three years. He assured PCCI that the busi ness sector will be consulted in crafting laws related to trade and commerce, vowing to hear all rel evant stakeholders before passing any legislation,” said PCCI in a state ment on Monday. B arcelon, the PCCI chief, con veyed the business group’s readi ness to work with the government on reform measures that boost and strengthen the country’s economic, social, and health sectors.
Neda’s stance HOWEVER , the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said during the DBCC briefing that the current administration prefers to focus on creating job opportuni ties for Filipinos rather than just providing cash aid to lift millions from poverty. S ocioeconomic Planning Secre tary Arsenio M. Balisacan empha sized that while the government will provide social protection to hard-up Filipinos, this is not the focus of poverty reduction efforts.
THE Covid-19 pandemic was the second whammy that Boracay businesses experienced, after the economic downturn it suffered when the island was closed for six months in 2018, for government infrastructure and rehabilitation efforts. This had room rates diving as low as P2,500 per night in many 30-room hotels when the island was reopened in October 2018. R oom rates on the island have already slightly risen since the lowering of Covid Alert Levels in Metro Manila, and in many regions. Those same room rates on the island are now averaging P4,000-P5,000 a night, confirmed local stakeholders. Even taho vendor, Lando, is now selling the popular breakfast for P50 for a small cup (which costs just P20 in Metro Manila). But he has also adapted to the Covid situation, and accepts payments in GCash. T he Sunnyside Group, for its part, has just opened new branch es of its celebrated restaurants on the island, along with a new hotel, Seaworthy Boracay, and a new res taurant Percy Seafood. G roup founder Nowie Poten ciano said: “We decided to open our new hotel and restaurants despite the pandemic because we were hoping to take advantage of opportunities that opened up after the past two years. It has always been difficult to get spaces for lease on the island but during the pandemic, some became available.” He also confirmed, “Business has improved significantly since the alert levels have been dropped and this is probably because of the im proved mobility of travelers.”
BusinessMirror
By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror Island is back in business, with tourist arrivals reaching 849,047 in the first half of 2022.
E verywhere on the island, Ko rean restaurants have been pop ping up, while regular restaurants have also been providing Korean staples like bibimbap, kimchi, and japchae in their menus. Marita, a waitstaff at a popular Asian restaurant on the island said in Ilonggo, “The Korean dishes are popular not just with the Kore ans, but with us Filipinos. Maybe because we watch a lot of Korean telenovelas?”
“Since said deadline is already ap proaching, the DBM conducted focus group discussions this month with departments and agencies to check their readiness regarding the imple mentation of said JC starting 2023. However, all of them are requesting extension on the engagement of COS and JO for about two to three years in order for them to have ample time to absorb their existing qualified JOS and COS as necessary,” she said. S he added they will also meet with the Office of the Chairman of the COA regarding the proposal of the different departments and agencies.
T HERE is no new Commis sioner of the Bureau of Im migration (BI), Malacañang said on Monday. P ress Secretary Beatrix “Trix ie” Cruz-Angeles issued the statement amid the posting of online news reports, which claimed Abraham G. Espejo Jr., a former dean of the College of Law of New Era University, will soon head the BI. “ No appointment has yet been made to the position of Immigra tions Commissioner,” Angeles said. “We have confirmed with the Presidential Management Staff [PMS]—which conducts complete staff work on such appointments —that no document for the said position has been issued,” she added. Currently, BI is headed by its officer-in-charge Rogelio D. Gevero Jr. A ngeles issued the clarifica tion after news articles posted in the websites of Philstar.com and Manila Standard cited a “leaked” appointment letter, which sup posedly came from the Office of the President, claimed Espejo Jr. will be the new Immigration Commissioner. Theleakeddocument cited by both articles was dated July 22, 2022 and allegedly released by an unnamed source. Samuel P. Medenilla chief clarifies
“ We need bigger funding to put more families in the program, and to pay them higher cash grants,” Libanan said. A total of 4.021 million house hold-beneficiaries are now enrolled in the 4Ps, the government’s con ditional cash transfer program tar geted at chronic poor families with children aged 0-14 years old.
B udget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said during the brief ing the government has allocated P206.5 billion across agencies that provide ayuda to Filipinos next year. T he lion’s share of the budget is lodged at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at P165.4 billion for the implemen tation of various social assistance programs. This is followed by: the Department of Health (DOH) at P22.39 billion; the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), P15.2 billion; the Department of Transportation (DOTr), P2.5 bil lion; and, the Department of Ag riculture (DA), P1 billion.
No new BI
T he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas sees inflation peaking by September or October, after rising to 6.4 percent year-on-year in July, with prices of consumer goods and services con tinuing to reflect the burden of costly petroleum products and a weak peso.
Continued from A10 www.businessmirror.com.ph
D ata provided by the Depart ment of Tourism (DOT) Region 6 showed, of the total, 298,932 came from the National Capital Region; 173,116 were from Region 6 (Western Visayas); and 155,355 were from Region 4-A (Calabar zon). Close to 32,000 were visitors from abroad including overseas Filipinos.Forthe month of July alone, tourists from South Korea reached 8,525, accounting for the bulk of 183,096 foreign tourists for that month, as carriers from Incheon have been flying since June. DOTRegion 6 Director Christine Man sinares told the BusinessMirror, “We now have direct scheduled flights from Korea to Kalibo.” K orean carriers such as Air Seoul, T’Way, Air Busan, and Jin Air have been flying to Kalibo; T’Way in particular, had daily flights, while the rest have twice or thrice weekly flights. Local carries like Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have also been flying the lucrative route. Squid Game, island edition POPULAR actors Kwangil Seo and Kim Dong Won of Netflix’s global phenomenon Squid Game were even sighted on Boracay recently, proving the popularity of the island resort to Koreans. Ging Salme, manager of Jony’s Beach Resort along Station 1, con firmed that both actors stayed for five days and four nights at the re sort in the first week of August. They flew in via Caticlan from Manila. “ Usually, Koreans want big ho tels with swimming pools and most of them travel in a group. Some stay overnight then they just go hotel hopping,” she added. Jony’s market continues to be mostly Filipinos, “and [last] week end, our occupancy reached 90 percent, while on the average, it is 75-80 percent including weekdays.” P repandemic, in 2019, tourist arrivals in Boracay reached 2 mil lion, with Koreans ranking in sec ond place at 400,610, after China which topped foreign guests at 434,175.
Tuesday, August 30, 2022A2 News
In light of the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic on gov ernment operations, the Commis sion on Audit and the DBM through Joint Circular (JC) No. 2, series of 2020 allowed the extension until December 31, 2022 of the transi tory period on engaging the ser vices of their new contract of ser vice (COS) and job order workers through individual contract and renew the individual contracts of their existing COS and JO workers. To date, Pangandaman said there are around 150,000 COS and JO workers in different national government agencies.
yet, Palace
Neda said the creation of an apex body for water policy and a single body that will regulate the sector, similar to the setup of the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), would be ideal for the wa terTsector.hiswill not only create order in the management of a very im portant natural resource but also government savings that will be avoided through the removal of duplicate functions in government.
T he lawmaker also described the proposed 2023 national bud get as “anti-poor,” adding that the economic managers would rather discontinue the distribution of ayuda than collect more taxes from the rich and big corporations. R esearch group IBON Founda tion also slammed Diokno, saying the finance chief’s statement was meant “to justify the insensitive P49.1 billion or 8.7 percent cut in social protection in the Marcos Jr. administration’s proposed 2023 national government budget.” A ccording to IBON Founda tion, the social protection budget fell from P561.3 billion in 2022 to P512.3 billion in 2023, and noted that these are “far smaller than the P650.8 billion in 2020 at the height of lockdowns.” The group stressed that the economic managers’ “claim of full recovery is empty, citing the slowing economy and collapsed livelihoods of millions of ordinary Filipinos,” it added.
T he beneficiaries currently re ceive P500 per month for health and nutrition expenses, and P300 per month per child for 10 months for educational expenses, with a maximum of three children per household allowed. T he Philippine Statistics Au thority earlier reported that the country’s poverty incidence rose to 18.1 percent in 2021, which is equal to nearly 20 million poor Filipinos whose per capita income cannot sufficiently meet individual basic food and non-food needs. Meanwhile, some 12.2 percent of Filipinos, or an estimated 3.1 mil lion families, experienced hunger in the first quarter of 2022, according to a previous survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations.
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
The P2 billion in arrears to the IT provider of the Land Transportation Office must also be scrutinized,” Recto said.
THE National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Monday said the earthquake-damaged Banaoang Irrigation Project in Ilocos Sur would resume water delivery on Thursday, September 1. This, after NIA Administrator Benny D. Antiporda directed the NIA Region 1 to finish the ongoing repair works of the earthquake-damaged irrigation facilities of the Banaoang Pump Irrigation System (Banaoang PIS) in the Municipality of Bantay, Ilocos Sur within 45 days.NIA Region I Manager Engr. Gaudencio M. De Vera assured that the regional office is doing its best to fast track the efficient repair works of the project. To date, De Vera said Banaoang PIS is almost completed and is expected to resume its irrigation water delivery on September 1, 2022, only 30 days or one month since Antiporda inspected the earthquake damage in the province. “Once completed, a total of 2,200 farmers covering about 1,535 hectares of irrigable land in the municipalities of Bantay, San Ildefonso, Magsingal, San Vicente, and Sto. Domingo will benefit from the efficient irrigation service of the said project,” said De Vera. “They were given 45 days to finish the repair. Within 30 days, it was done already. That is how NIAns deal with emergency situations now,” added Antiporda. Upon the conduct of field investigation and site inspection after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Luzon island last July 27, 2022, NIA Region I incurred damages in the Main Canal (150 meters) of Banaoang Pump Irrigation System (Banaoang PIS) in the Municipality of Bantay, Ilocos Sur affecting irrigation service to about 2,000 hectares of agricultural land.
In a recent House Committee on Appropriations hearing on the 2023 national budget, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said in reality, there are “too many metrics” available to measure poverty because of the many ways a person can be considered poor. Balisacan said a household or a Filipino can be considered not poor in terms of income but may be considered education or health poor, given the “multidimensional” nature of poverty. Based on the multidimensional poverty index created by the government, apart from education and health, a person or household can also be poor in terms of access to water and sanitation as well as employment opportunities.
A LAWMAkER is pushing for the passage of a bill encouraging the grant of incentives to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs initiated by privateInfirms.view of the recent Covid-19 pandemic and rising inflation, which hamper the socioeconomic development of the country, Rep. Leody “Odie” Tarriela of the Lone District of Occidental Mindoro said it is now, more than ever, that the government should recognize the vital role of private sectors in contributing to the socioeconomic development of theHousecountry.Bill 3627 or the Corporate Social Responsibility of 2022 defines CSR as a concept wherein companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations. Inthe Philippines, the lawmaker said there are corporations that have organized programs for targeted communities. “Theseprograms can range from charitable, youth and sports development, cultural, educational, social welfare, environmental sustainability, health development, disaster relief and assistance and other social activities,” said Tarriela, the first Rotarian from Occidental Mindoro to be voted Governor of District 3810 that includes 120 Rotary Clubs from Manila, Pasay and Cavite. The bill encourages business establishments to create CSR programs by giving incentives to corporations for creation of excellent, unique, and world-class CSR services, projects, andFurthermore,programs. the bill also provides leeway for stock corporations to retain profits of more than 100 percent of their paid-in capital stock as provisions for expansions or CSR programs.“Asabusiness organization, corporations are focused on profits first. This can be altered a little with this proposed measure, as businesses may be inspired to also help in nation building. They will be encouraged to actively participate in fostering sustainable economic development and environmental protection for the country,” Tarriela said. “The private corporation’s initiatives through various programs, projects, and services which address the social issues of the community greatly contribute to the alleviation of poverty, and improvement of the lives of our fellow constituents,” he added. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) should allow more players in the pilot study for motorcycle taxis (MCTs) in the country, as this mode of transportation could “work well” for commuters while guiding legislators in creating policies on two-wheel public transportInmodes. anewsstatement, transport advocacy group The Passenger Forum said it has called on the transport department to “permit more players in the pilot study being conducted by the government on the viability and safety of motorcycle taxis in the country.”“While we are waiting for Congress to finally legalize MCTs, we are hoping that the DOTr will sanction more players in this transport mode. Having more options always works well for commuters and will further guide our legislators on how to formulate policies on MCTs,” TPF Convener Primo Morillo said. Currently there are two dominant motorcycle taxi companies in the country, namely: Angkas and JoyRide. A third company, MoveIt, was just recently acquired by super app Grab with the goal of competing with the two companies. But even with Grab’s acquisition, Morillo still viewed the industry as being lorded over by a “duopoly” between Angkas and JoyRide, which he said, “has been benefitting from the MCT study for the past three years.” “We need to expand the program to provide more space for competition that will lead to lower fares and better services. We hope that the government also makes sure that the companies that they will allow have the capability to compete with the two leading MCT providers. In the interest of commuters, we also ask them to ensure that their riders are trained well regarding road rules and safety,” Morillo added. Motorcycle taxis, he noted, can help solve the country’s transportation crisis, as it adds more capacity to fill in the gaps in the supply of public transport modes and units versus the huge demand brought about by the return to work orders and in-person education. Motorcycle taxis are yet to be considered a form of public transportation, as there has yet to be legislation for it. Lawmaker from the previous Congress have started the ball rolling to legalize MCTs, but was halted due to the pandemic. For now, the government has limited the operation of motorcycle taxis to three companies, which are required to provide the government necessary data to prove that they are a safe mode of transportation for the public.
How do we gauge PHL ‘poverty?’ It’s ‘multidimensional,’ says Neda chief
4. Ensure People Feel Free to Speak Up A strong ethics and compliance culture in your organization is essential to ensure people feel free to speak up if they see misconduct in the organization. No matter how many procedures you have in place, employees will not feel free to blow the whistle on misconduct in the organization if they are not confident they can do so anonymously and without fear of retaliation.
poverty, I would like to emphasize, the changes in poverty over time so that we can measure or we can gauge how effective we have been in addressing or reducing poverty,” Balisacan explained. This is the same reason, Balisacan said, why the income and subsistence poverty thresholds estimated in the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) poverty data cannot be used as basis for data such as minimum wage. Based on the PSA data, the poverty threshold is at P12,030 per month for a family of five and P8,379 per month to meet their basic food requirements.“Wehave a dashboard of various indicators or metrics of opportunities like the health, education, employment and others. That is what we are focusing on. So for example the poverty threshold that we use as measurement of changes of poverty over time, is not meant to act as a guide in setting minimum wages for example. That is not what it is set for,” Balisacan explained. Balisacan also stressed that these estimates begin with the food bundles recommended by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI). The institute recommends 2,000 calories of food intake daily. The FNRI based these food bundles on the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI) as well as the proportion of food bought and own-produced components obtained from the Food ConsumptionInSurvey.apresentation at the First Data Festival in 2018, PSA Poverty and Human Development Statistics Division Chief Statistical Specialist Bernadette B. Balamban said the national reference food bundle for breakfast includes scrambled egg, coffee with milk, and boiled rice/ rice-corn mix. For lunch, the menu included boiled/ginataang monggo with malunggay and dried dilis, banana, boiled rice/corn mix; dinner had fried fish/boiled pork, vegetable dish, boiled rice/rice-corn mix; and for snacks, bread or boiled rootTranslatedcrop. into the food bundle for the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila, breakfast includes scrambled egg, coffee with milk, and boiled rice; lunch had boiled monggo with malunggay and dried dilis, latundan, and boiled rice; dinner, fried tulingan, boiled kangkong, and boiled rice; and for snacks, pandesal.Interms of non-food items, Balamban said this included clothing and footwear; fuel, light and water; housing maintenance and other minor repairs; rental of occupied dwelling units; medical care; education; transportation and communication; non-durable furnishing; household operations and personal care and effects. The PSA earlier said the poor, based on Section 3 of Republic Act 8425 of 1997 or the Social Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act, is defined by Neda as those individuals and families whose income fall below the poverty threshold or those who cannot afford in a sustained manner to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other essential amenities of life.
Six essential tips to manage compliance risks V. Vitug
The tone at the top of your organization is crucial. Senior leadership should clearly communicate to middle managers, and the rest of the organization, the type of ethical conduct expected from each and every employee—themselves included. Beyond words, actual conduct matters; mere lip-service has never convinced anyone.
The National economic and Development Authority (Neda) defended poverty data estimates, saying the use of a single metric would not be enough to determine the state of a household or a Filipino’s welfare.
A4 BusinessMirror www.businessmirror.com.phA4 Economy Tuesday, August 30, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio
DOTr told: Allow more players in motorcycle taxi pilot study
5. Continuously Monitor and Update Your Compliance Efforts As your business is continuously changing, your compliance efforts should change in lock-step. It would be a mistake to think of managing compliance risks as a one-time exercise of writing policies and setting up processes. You will only know whether or not your policies and procedures are effective if you evaluate them on a regular basis. Always ask yourself how you can best measure your impact. One key benefit of compliance technology is that it can give you insight into large amounts of data at a glance via useful dashboards and automatically generated reports. Suitable software can be recommended.
By Henry J. Schumacher W E all know that managing compliance risks can seem like a daunting task. We are also aware that the regulators are putting more and more emphasis on compliance management. In order to manage compliance risks, it is crucial that you take a systematic approach to identifying, mitigating, and reviewing the compliance risks your business faces on an ongoing basis. Here are the six essential tips to take into account when evaluating your approach to compliance risk management.1.AlwaysStart With a Risk AssessmentYou can’t manage compliance risks if you don’t understand what your risks actually are. Without a thorough and scientifically justified risk assessment all the elements that make up your compliance program; your policies, due diligence, and tone at the top, will accomplish little if they do not address the right risks. It is key to assess the risks faced by your business first in order to prioritize and address them appropriately.
2. Understand the Latest EnforcementCompliancePolicies risks typically encompass a number of areas including data protection—both personal and sensitive data-, cyber security, fair competition and anti-corruption. As part of your risk assessment, you should ensure that you understand the requirements imposed by all applicable laws and regulations. However, beyond understanding the letter of the law, it is important that you stay up-to-date with the latest guidance and enforcement policies released by the enforcement agencies as prosecutors wield significant discretion when deciding whether or not to prosecute misconduct. Doing so could potentially be enormously beneficial if problems do arise, as you will have been able to tweak your compliance program to qualify for leniency.3.Don’t Forget to Build a Culture of
THE proposed national budget for 2023 is actually P5.856 trillion, or P588 billion bigger than the oft-quoted P5.268 trillion, a leader of the House of Representatives.Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto, in a news statement, said the P588 billion outlay represents the Unprogrammed Appropriations portion of the 2023 national budget. He said the fund lacks details, describing it as “588 billion shades of grey,” which the government must itemize and render “in black and“Thewhite.”spending amount being asked by the Palace is actually halfa-trillion pesos more,” Recto pointed out. “It is more than double the current year’s P251.7 billion unprogrammed fund,” he added. Topping the list of “unclear and undefined” purposes in the 2023 Unprogrammed Appropriations is the “Support to Foreign Assisted Projects” with a proposed P380.6 billion, he “Equallyadded. nebulous” is the P149.7 billion for “Support for Infrastructure Projects and Social Programs,” RectoThesaid.Batangas congressman said the Unprogrammed Fund is one of the biggest “lump sums” in the National Expenditure Plan or NEP, the draft three-volume national budget Malacañang had sent to Congress. “While it is part of the NEP, the unprogrammed fund is not included in the total amount. The result is every popular budget literature nowadays quotes a smaller budget level,” Recto said. He explained that while the Unprogrammed Appropriations can only be released if several “funding triggers” are met, the authority to spend it comes with the passage of the national budget. “Thus P5.856 trillion is the ceiling of the proposed 2023 budget,” said Recto, adding, “Once the latter becomes law, it confers standby authority to the Executive to spend it, provided conditions are met.” As in previous General Appropriations Acts, he said the proposed budget for 2023 states that the unprogrammed fund can only be spent if revenue targets are exceeded or once loans have been perfected. “But the problem is, there seems to be lax compliance on this. In 2020, for example, when revenue collections were down because of the pandemic, every centavo of the P122 billion in unprogrammed appropriations was released,” Recto said. Recto said there are, however, a few “good and beneficial” recipients in the 10-item Unprogrammed Appropriations, which he supports. “The P18.9 billion in public health emergency benefits for frontliners. ’Yung katiting na P14.6 million in LGU [local government unit] arrears, OK rin,” Recto said. “’Yung P5 billion in AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] modernization, in principle is good, but in the interest of transparency, must be itemized.
Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
“What is practiced is to look at the so-called norm or standard of absolute poverty and the purpose there is really to not to come up with a unique or singular measure of poverty but to have a measure that allows us to monitor the changes in
Bill programsperksgrantstoCSR
On a more practical level, you should ensure that you deliver training in a way that is easily accessible to employees and engages them in a way resulting in them actually retaining the message. Failing to do so might render training meaningless. It has to be understood that for instance data breaches happen in operations.
Ilocos irrigation project ready on Sept. 1–NIA
Recto questions ₧588-B unprogrammed funds in 2023 proposed national budget
Ethics and Compliance
6. Free Up Time and Resources Using AutomationItisevident that managing compliance risks is not an easy task; it requires managing lots of complicated processes, a myriad of stakeholders, as well as fostering a culture of ethics and compliance. The complexity of compliance management and understanding that the safe journey into data protection needs automation inspired me to create a cooperation with Straits Interactive, a company in Singapore that has developed the DPOinBox, Data Protection At Your Service, to equip professionals, managers and executives with the competencies to perform their jobs in data protection. The DPOinBox platform delivers data protection to build trust with customers and stakeholder. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact me. I am available at hjschumacher59@ gmail.com
DOJ spokesman, lawyer Jose Dominic Clavano, stressed that the PNP “is merely following protocol” when it denied several political personalities to visit her in jail last August 27 to celebrate her birth Clavanoanniversary. notedthat De Lima has been under the jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Muntinlupa since drug charges were filed against her in 2017, thus, any person who would like to visit her in jail should seek prior approval from the courts. “Since the matter is with the courts, there must be a court order to visit,” Clavano said.
D AVAO provincialprovinceCITY—Saranganihasdraftedaboardresolu tion to delineate Mount Busa as a local conservation area (LCA) and community consultations are being conducted in villages around Sarangani’s last ecologi calBoardfrontier.Member Irish Louie Arna do, chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy, said the resolution strengthens its protec tion and conservation measures from destructive human activi ties, such as small and large-scale mining, timber-poaching, wildlife hunting, illegal logging, “kaingin” or slash-and-burn farming, collec tion of wildlife species or byprod ucts, land conversion, and others. According to the Environmen tal Conservation and Protection Center (ECPC), Mount Busa is a vast mountain range that covers 107,275 hectares in the town of Kiamba, but also covers Maitum and Maasim in Sarangani, and those of Lake Sebu and Tboli in South Cotabato. It has a thick and mossy forests and the mountain is considered the western watershed in Mindanao.ECPCExecutive Director Cor nelio Ramirez, said the legislation was urgent to declare Mount Busa an LCA “because the flora and fauna resources in Mount Busa are vulnerable, irreplaceable, and are critically endangered species.” He emphasized that preserv ing Mount Busa “is protect ing the oneducationthealsoofficenongovernmenttribaleringsInvitedMaasimductedprovincialMountlateofcreateLCAinousefforts“addofpotentiallylikeippinelizard,billPhilippinecritically-endangeredEagle,rufoushornorkalaw,Mindanaoflyingdwarfreedsnake,Philtarsier,orchidspecies‘waling-waling,’andsomenewfrogspecies.”RamirezsaidthedeclarationMountBusaasanLCAshouldmoreteethtoourprotectionandenforcementofvarienvironmentallaws.”Theresolutionstatesthatwith90daysfromitsapproval,theManagementCouncilwouldatechnicalworkinggroupvariousstakeholderstoformuanLCAManagementPlanforBusa.PublichearingsforthedraftresolutionwereconinMaitum,Kiamba,andonAugust25and26.tothesecommunitygatharerepresentativesfromgroups,governmentandorganizations.TheprovincialinformationsaidthepublichearingsbecameanopportunityforECPC-SaranganitowidenitsandinformationreachprotectingMountBusa.
The Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) is mandated under the bill to “conduct a periodic review of the Teaching Supplies Allowance, tak ing into account the current prices of teaching supplies and materials, and, if warranted, recommend the necessary increase in the amount of the allowance.”
T HREE s uspects, including two women, were arrested while P20.6 million worth of ille gal drugs were seized by the police i n anti-illegal drugs operations in NegrosCitingOccidental.reportsfrom the Police Re gional Office 6, National Police chief G eneral Rodolfo Azurin Jr. identified the suspects as Angie Dumdumaya, 30, and Angielyn Dumdumaya, 25, both residents of Sitio Dapdap, Ba rangay Lantad, Silay City, and Mark V illarin, 36. The two women, who were ar rested during a buy-bust operation o n Monday, were listed as high-value individuals. Policemen seized from them were P30,000 buy-bust money and shabu weighing 2,010 grams with a street value of P13,668,000.
Funding for the grant of the allow ance shall be charged against the an nual budget of the DepEd under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), the bill Currently,added. the grant of the cash al lowance to augment the teaching ex penses of public school teachers, for merly known as the “chalk allowance,” is given based on the provisions indicated in the national budget.
DOJ defends PNP in barring guests from visiting De Lima sans court OK
By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM T he Department of Nation al Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Phil ippines (AFP) paid tribute to the country’s heroes and frontliners as the defense-military establish ment joined the country in com memorating National Heroes Day on AMonday.simplebut meaningful activ ity at the Libingan ng mga Bay ani led by no less than President and Commander in Chief Ferdi nand Marcos Jr. marked the ob servance of the national holiday. The DND joined the Filipinos in observing the National Heroes Day by honoring the country’s he roes who have put the “nation and our people above all else, includ ingItthemselves.”alsorecognized the services and contributions of “modern-day heroes” such as medical and disas ter personnel who have been at the frontlines in the fight against Covid-19 and disaster response operations.DNDOfficer in Charge Jose Faustino Jr. also recognized the sacrifices of overseas Filipino workers, who the government has long considered as modern-day heroes for keeping the economy afloat through their remittances. “One of our heroes, Emilio Aguinaldo, said we could not free ourselves unless we move forward united in a single desire. Thus, during these times, we must show courage and strength in the face of challenges and remain united as we move forward in attaining peace and progress for our moth erland,” Faustino said. A flag raising was held and a wreath was offered at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Lib ingan ng mga Bayani as tribute to Filipino heroes. The activities were joined by Faustino; House Speaker Ferdi nand Martin Romualdez; Taguig City Mayor Maria Laarni Cayeta no; AFP major service command ers; National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr.; the chief of the Philip pine Coast Guard; Filipino veter ans; members of the Diplomatic Corps and other guests.
By Manuel T. Cayon Mindanao@awimailboxBureauChief
T HE g overnment is eyeing to boost the local production of salt by reviving and mod ernizing the country’s salt-making industry. In a Facebook post, Press Secre tary Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has already crafted an initial plan to revive the said “long-ne glected” industry. “Our government will help in the modernization of the salt industry,” Angeles said. She noted that the DA’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is now coordinating with other agencies to conduct research and development programs to in crease the production of marginal and artisanal salt makers. Angeles said this would aug ment the implementation of BFARs’ P100-million Development of the Salt Industry Project (DSIP) for salt makers in Regions 1,6, and 9. “The national government is now working double time to beefup support for the salt industry to enhance the production of the local salt in the country,” Angeles said. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) earlier said the revival of the salt industry would help generate 100,000 new jobs. Currently, 93 percent of the coun try’s salt supply is imported due to poor quality control for the product. Angeles issued the statement on the government’s salt-related initiatives after the Department of Trade and Industry recently ap proved an increase in salt prices, which remained unchanged for roughly six year. Samuel P. Medenilla W ITH the gradual resumption of face-to-face classes, lawmak ers have proposed the grant of a tax-exempt P2,000 allowance per month within the school year for every public school teacher to cover expenses for teaching supplies and materials. Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte and Benguet Rep. Eric Yap filed House Bill 3543 to institutional ize the grant of this P2,000 “Teaching Supplies Allowance” which will cover public school teachers in the basic edu cation Lawmakerssector. said that while “teaching is a profession that serves as a founda tion of all other professions,” the salaries that educators receive, particularly public school teachers, are not commensurate with the sacrifices they make in helping shape the future of the country’s youth. “Teachers serve as the nation’s mod ern-day heroes—tirelessly providing at par education to the youth and honing them to become valuable members of the society,” they said in the explana tory note of the bill. Adding to the rigors of teaching, are expenses for supplies and materials that public school teachers frequently buy using their own money, the lawmakers pointed out. The proposed P2,000 cash allowance for the teachers takes into account the rising prices of commodities, including teaching aids and other related materi als, they said. The bill states that the allowance “shall be exempt from income tax.”
Under the 2020 GAA, the cash al lowance was P3,500 per school year. This was later increased to P5,000 per school year under the GAAs for fiscal year 2021 and 2022. Last August 22, most students in pub lic schools returned to full face-to-face classes. Almost half of the country’s schools will continue to implement five days of face-to-face classes while the rest have opted for blended learning until October this year.
Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
City drug operations
Under their measure, the cash allow ance covers the purchase of both “tan gible and intangible” teaching supplies and materials for the implementation or conduct of various learning delivery mo dalities (LDMs) “within the school year.”
Sarangani drafts reso to declare Mount Busa local conservation area establishment pays tribute to heroes, frontliners on National Heroes
Lawmakers push ₧2K teaching supply allowance for teachers
S ENATOR J inggoy Estrada, taking up the cudgels for ag ing military veterans bearing t he rising costs of medical and other pressing needs, prodded Congress on Monday to frontload passage of an awaited remedial law "proposing to increase by 350 percent to 488 per cent their disability pension." I n pressing for an upward adjust ment in their pension fund, Estrada w ondered, "Ano ang mararating ng pensyon na halagang P1,000 to P1,700?"Estrada, chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Rec onciliation, added: “ S a sobrang taas na ng mga gastusin sa ngayon, hindi na makabuluhan ang kakarampot nilang pensiyon na halos tatlong dekada na ang nakalipas nang huli itong nadag dagan. Ano mararating ng pensiyon na h alagang P1,100 hanggang P1,700 sa panahon ngayon? ” The senator, in a news statement, vowed to pursue the approval of pro posed Senate Bill No. 683, seeking t o rationalize the disability pen sion of military veterans and their benNotingeficiaries.current pension rates are "no longer realistic" and made negligible given the rising cost of daily expenses, Estrada affirmed “it is the intention of this measure to support our veterans by increas ing the disability pension to cover, a mong others, medical and hospi talization expenses, the economic a nd social ramifications of the Co vid-19 pandemic and the increase i n the prices of oil, food, and other consumer goods.” He pointed out that under the existing provisions of Republic Act 6948, also known as an Act Standard izing and Upgrading the Benefits for M ilitary Veterans and their Depen dents, "the pension rates for veterans w ho were disabled due to sickness, disease, wounds or injuries sustained in the line of duty are given a monthly disability pension that ranges from P1,000 to P1,700. Under SB 683, Estrada proposed to raise the current base rate of P1,000 given to eligible veterans be increased to P4,500 monthly, while other prescribed rates be rational ized to provide a disability pension a s much as P10,000 monthly, remind ing, “ M as magiging makabuluhan ang paggunita ng Araw ng mga Bayani kung binibigyan natin ng pagpapahalaga ang mga kabayanihan ng nabubuhay pang mga retiradong sundalo na nakipagla ban para sa kalayaan ng ating bansa.” B utch Fernandez
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday defended the decision of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to bar certain personalities from visiting detained former senator Leila de Lima without a court order.
P20.6-million shabu seized in
The suspects are now facing crimi nal charges of violating Sections 5 a nd 11 of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of “The2002.PNP is working double-time to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs in every region across the country, as we continue to intensify our anti-illegal drugs operations,” AzurinFollowingsaid. the arrest of the two women, policemen arrested Villarin during a follow-up operation in Silay City. The police operation yielded shabu with an estimated amount of at least P7 million. Rene Acosta
The DepEd has required all public and private schools to transition to full in-person classes by November 2. “Public school teachers will have to cope with even more expenses to carry out their responsibilities once full faceto-face classes are implemented. Our proposal will help ease these financial woes,” Duterte said.
By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573
Clavano explained that seeking prior approval from the courts was the advice given by Justice Secre tary Jesus Crispin Remulla to US Senator Edward Markey during their recent meeting. During their meeting, Markey and other US lawmakers requested to see De Lima, but were told to file a motion before the two Muntin lupa RTC courts hearing the drug cases against her. “Similar to US Senator Mar key, they were denied at first but were granted visitation rights the day after they filed the motion,” Clavano said. “The courts are efficient,” he added. But Clavano stressed that he could not speak on behalf of the PNP since it has its own protocols to follow.Among those not allowed to personally greet De Lima on her birthday were former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former Ombuds man Conchita Carpio Morales, Senator Risa Hontiveros, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, former Sen ate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, lawyer and Constitution framer Christian Monsod and his wife, Economics professor Solita Collas-Monsod.DeLimaisfacing conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade before the Muntinlupa courts. She is accused of benefiting financially from the illegal drug operations inside the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa dur ing her term as justice secretary under the administration of the late President Benigno “Noynoy” AquinoSeveralIII. political personali ties and groups here and abroad have appealed for the immediate release of De Lima from jail after several witnesses of the prosecu tion recanted their statements against her. Silay
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Jinggoy pushes 350% to 488% pension hike for military vets
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News BusinessMirror Tuesday, August 30, 2022 A5Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug
The moves come even as of ficials seem to be getting the national caseload under con trol, with 1,556 new infections reported for Sunday in the com munity. Despite the progress, the country remains focused on eliminating transmission of a virus that most of the world has now accepted as endemic.
Libya capital remains tense a day after clashes kill over 30
have affected 33 million Paki stanis, damaged nearly 1 million homes and killed at least 1,061 people.Pakistani authorities say this year’s devastation is worse than in 2010, when floods killed 1,700 people. Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, the country’s military chief, said Sunday that his country may take years to recover. He appealed to Pakistanis living abroad to gener ously donate to the flood victims. Floods and rains have caused devastation in Pakistan at a time when the country is facing one of the worst economic crises. Paki stan says it recently narrowly avoided a default, and later Mon day IMF’s executive board was expected to approve the release of the much-awaited $1.7 billion for this Islamic nation. Pakistan and the IMF originally signed the bailout accord in 2019. But the release of a $1.7 billion tranche has been on hold since earlier this year, when the IMF ex pressed concern about Pakistan’s compliance with the deal’s terms under former Prime Minister Im ran Khan’s government. Khan was also expected to launch a fundraising campaign Monday evening for flood vic tims.Last week, the United Nations in a statement said that it has allocated $3 million for UN aid agencies and their partners in Pakistan to respond to the floods and this money will be used for health, nutrition, food security, and water and sanitation services in flood-affected areas, focusing on the most Accordingvulnerable.toscientists and Sherry Rehman, a Pakistani senator and the country’s cli mate minister, Pakistan suffered heavier rains this year mainly because of climate change, which also caused fire in forests this year.However, critics say Pakistan’s government has hardly any in terest in building new dams and waterThereservoirs.unprecedented monsoon season has affected all four of the country’s provinces. Floods have destroyed more than 150 bridges and numerous roads have been washed away, making rescue op erations difficult. Authorities say they were using military planes, helicopters, trucks and boats to evacuate people from marooned people and deliver much-need aid to However,them.
Another 11 local cases were de tected for Sunday and two-dozen metro stations were closed. Meanwhile, Daqing city, an oil town in northeastern Heilongji ang province, announced a sevenday lockdown in some areas from late Sunday after finding 29 local infections. Chinese state media last week defended the country’s zero-tol erance approach, saying “lying flat” against the virus would be disastrous, deploying a dispar aging term for relaxed vigilance often used by Xi. The damage to economic growth stems from Co vid itself, not the government’s measures to contain it, the State Council-affiliated newspaper Eco nomic Daily said in a column on Thursday. TheUS suspended 26 flights by Chinese airlines scheduled for next month amid a dispute over Beijing’s Covid policies. The move came after China limited flights by US carriers including United Air lines Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. China suspends flights if they bring in too many infected passengers, a stark contrast to the US, which doesn’t require Covid tests and has dismantled almost all border restrictions. W ith assistance from Claire Che / Bloomberg AUTHORITIES ordered a citywide mass testing in Tianjin. China is holding fast to Covid Zero, even as more infectious variants require increasingly stringent restrictions that are upending growth and business activity.
BLOOMBERG
OIL climbed as traders weighed risks to the sup ply outlook against pledg es from leading central banks to raise interest rates further. West Texas Intermediate rose above $94 a barrel, reversing an early decline, after gaining 2.5 percent last week. In Libya, clashes between militias in the capital left at least 23 dead, sparking fears of further upheaval in the Opec na tion that may again put oil ship ments at risk just as Europe reels from an energy crisis. Iran, meanwhile, said exchang es with the US over a European Union proposal to revive a nuclear deal will drag on into next month, undercutting speculation that an agreement paving the way for in creased oil flows was imminent. Crude is on course for a third straight monthly drop on concern global growth will slow as central banks tighten policy aggressively, hurting consumption.
By Munir Ahmed The Associated Press I flashmonsoontatedCharsadda,andwhereverthreeheaviestonIslamabad.stanianThecalledtacklethatofManagementcountrypatchedbytents,dailycarryinglandingassistbeganand1,000thatdrivenstrandedtoandonaidSLAMABAD—InternationalwasreachingPakistanMonday,asthemilitaryvolunteersdesperatelytriedevacuatemanythousandsbywidespreadfloodingby“monstermonsoons”haveclaimedmorethanlivesthissummer.CargoplanesfromTurkeytheUnitedArabEmiratestheinternationalrushtotheimpoverishednation,onSundayinIslamabadtents,foodandothernecessities.Truckscarryingfood,andwaterarrangedPakistanwerealsobeingdistovariouspartsofthebytheNationalDisasterAuthorityfortensthousandsoffloodvictims.TheywereamongthenationspledgedtohelpPakistanthecrisisafterofficialsforinternationalhelp.UnitedNationswilllaunchinternationalappealforPakifloodvictimsonTuesdayinPrimeMinisterShabazSharifMondaysaidtherainsarethePakistanhasseenindecades.“Isawfloodwatereverywhere,Iwentinrecentdayseventoday,”Sharifsaidinoneofthedevastowns.Sofar,exceptionallyheavyrainsthattriggeredfloodsacrossthecountry
China moves aggressively on Covid as Communist Party summit looms
Oil up as supply concerns eclipse Fed’s rate stance
By Samy Magdy The Associated Press CAIRO—Militias patrolled nearly deserted streets in Libya’s capital on Sunday, a day after clashes killed over 30 peo ple, and ended Tripoli’s monthslong stretch of relative calm. The dead included at least 17 ci vilians, local authorities said. The fighting broke out early Saturday and pitted militias loyal to the Trip oli-based government against other armed groups allied with a rival ad ministration that has for months sought to be seated in the capital. Residents fear the fighting that capped a monthslong politi cal deadlock could explode into a wider war and a return to the peaks of Libya’s long-running conflict. Libya has plunged into chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dic tator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The oil-rich county has for years been split between rival admin istrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments. The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s refusal to step down. In response, the country’s east-based parliament appointed a rival prime minis ter, Fathy Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his gov ernment in Saturday’sTripoli.fighting centered in the densely populated city cen ter and involved heavy artillery. Hundreds were trapped and hos pitals, government and residential buildings were damaged. Burned vehicles were seen littered in the clashes area. The Health Ministry said at least 32 people were killed and 159 wounded in the clashes. Michele Servadei, UNICEF’s representative in Libya, said a 17-year-old adolescent was among the dead, and four others as young as a 5-year-old, were wounded in theAmongclashes.those killed was Mus tafa Baraka, a comedian known for his social media videos mock ing militias and corruption. He was shot reportedly while livestreaming on social media. It was not clear whether he was targeted.
By Yongchang Chin
FRONTIER constabularies load food to a helicopter for flood-affected people, in Swat valley, Pakistan on Sunday, August 28, 2022. International aid for flood victims has started arriving in Pakistan, as military helicopters, troops and rescuers evacuated marooned people and delivered food after a summer deluge killed over 1,000, authorities said Monday. AP/NAVEED ALI
Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province bordering Beijing, confined residents of four ma jor downtown districts to their homes for three days from Sunday afternoon, saying a mass testing exercise will be undertaken. The city of some 11 million also sus pended subway services and halted non-essential business operations in the locked-down districts. The province, home to many work ers who commute to the Chinese capital, reported 45 Covid cases forTheSunday. partial lockdown of Shiji azhuang follows the imposition of restrictions elsewhere in Hebei last week. Zhuozhou city border ing Beijing has been in lockdown since Tuesday, while Xianghe county issued a stay-at-home or der for its 384,000 residents from Friday after finding just one un confirmed case, going beyond the guidelines stipulated in China’s recently reviewed Covid playbook. Hebei’s response suggests a higher level of sensitivity around the capital, as Beijing prepares to host the party congress, a oncein-five-years meeting where Presi dent Xi Jinping is due to secure a precedent-breaking third term in office. Xi has made China’s Co vid Zero policy a key tenet of his rule, saying it’s avoided the mas sive death tolls of places like the US, despite the disruption caused. Concern about the restrictions in Shijiazhuang are growing on social media, where several users posted information saying the city will use patrol officers and drones to ensure people are abiding by the stay-at-home orders and detain those who aren’t. Port city Covid testing AN outbreak in Tianjin, some 30 minutes by high-speed train from Beijing, saw authorities order a citywide mass test, according to state television. The port hub had reported 31 local Covid cases for Sunday. The capital itself reported oneChinainfection. isholding fast to Covid Zero, even as more infectious vari ants require increasingly strin gent restrictions that are upend ing growth and business activity. Lockdowns and other curbs are hitting the world’s second-largest economy, with the slowdown deep ening in July. Profits at industrial firms in China fell in the first seven months of the year, data on Satur dayStill,showed. Xiand senior leaders ap pear wedded to the strategy, which involves locking down after even a few cases to stifle spread, frequent mass testing and mandatory isola tion of everyone infected and their close contacts. Border restrictions remain in place, as well, with quar antine still required on entry and strict parameters for airlines fly ing into the country. The technology hub of Shen zhen also locked down some streets in two districts, asking people to stay home and companies to remain shut, after a dozen in fections were found among people already in quarantine on Saturday.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has warned of the need for higher rates, while a top European Cen tral Bank official said that there was “little choice” but to press on even if the region’s economy tipped intoTorecession.counterthe weakness, Saudi Arabia raised the possibility last week that the Organization of Pe troleum Exporting Countries and its allies could cut output, draw ing support from fellow members. Separately, loadings from an ex port terminal for Kazakhstan crude have seen interruptions. “Despite hawkish central banks fueling higher interest rates and a soft economic outlook, oil contin ues to see upside as supply-side is sues keep sentiment bullish,” said James Whistler, managing direc tor at Vanir Global Markets Pte in Singapore. “There is momentum for an Opec production cut, with Congo and Libya supporting Saudi Arabia’s views, while Kazakhstan has ongoing supply issues.” Widely-watched market time spreads suggests growing concern over near-term tightness. Brent’s prompt spread—the difference between its front-month and sec ond-month contracts—was $1.71 a barrel in the bullish backward ation structure, compared with 67 cents a week ago. In a bullish note on commodi ties, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said that crude oil had scope to push higher, especially amid short ages of other energy raw materials including natural gas. “With oil the commodity of last resort in an era of severe energy shortages, we believe the pullback in the entire oil complex provides an attractive entry point for longonly investments,” analysts in cluding Sabine Schels wrote.
The Associated Press spoke to dozens of residents and witnesses. They recounted horrific scenes of people, including women and chil dren, trapped in their homes, gov ernment buildings and hospitals. They also spoke of at least three motionless bodies that remained for hours in the street before an am bulance was able to reach the area. They asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal from the militias. “We see death before our eyes and in the eyes of our children,” said a woman who was trapped along with many families in a residential apartment. “The world should protect those innocent children like they did at the time of Gadhafi.”Militias allied with Tripolibased Dbeibah were seen roaming the streets in the capital early Sun day. Their rivals were stationed at their positions in the outskirts of the city, according to local media. Much of the city has suffered nightly power outages. Several businesses were closed Sunday and he state-run National Oil Corp. ordered its employees to work re motelyResidentsSunday.were still weary of potential violence and most stayed in their homes Sunday. Many rushed to supermarkets when the clashes subsided late Saturday to stock up on food and other necessities. Others were seen inspecting their damaged business, homes and vehicles. “It could be triggered in a flash. They (the militias) are un controlled,” said a Tripoli school teacher who only gave a partial name, Abu Salim. “Our demand is very simple: a normal life.” Dbeibah’s government claimed the fighting began when a member of a rival militia fired at a patrol of another militia in Tripoli’s Zawiya Street. It said the shots came amid a mobilization of Bashagha-allied groups around the capital. The claim couldn’t be independently verified.Militia clashes are not uncom mon in Tripoli. Last month, at least 13 people were killed in mi litia fighting. In May, Bashagha attempted to install his govern ment in Tripoli, triggering clashes that ended with his withdrawal from the city.
many survivors complain they were still waiting for help or they received too little assistance from the government after being displaced because of floods. Some people say they got tents but not food. Pakistan char ities were also active in flood-hit areas, and the government says everyone should contribute to help flood victims. The government has deployed at least 6,500 soldiers to help civilian authorities in rescue and relief operations across the country.Sharif has said the govern ment would provide housing to all those who lost their homes.
HINA is enforcing lockdown restrictions in areas around Beijing more intensively, and will mass test the nearby port city of Tianjin, stepping up its quest to wipe out Covid-19 ahead of a key meeting of the Communist Party’s top leaders.
The World BusinessMirrorTuesday, August 30, 2022 Editor: Angel R. Calso • www.businessmirror.com.phA6 C
Bloomberg News
International aid reaches flood-ravaged Pakistan
By Vladimir Isachenkov The Associated Press MOSCOW—Russia said Monday it will launch sweeping war games drills in the country’s east that will in volve forces from China—a show of increasingly close military ties between Moscow and Beijing amid tensions with the West over the Kremlin’s action in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Minis try said that the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercise will be held Sept. 1-7 in various locations in Russia’s Far East and the Sea of Japan and involve more than 50,000 troops, over 5,000 weap ons units, including 140 aircraft and 60 warships.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi has for months sought ac cess to the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s biggest, which has been occupied by Russian forces and run by Ukrainian workers since the early days of the 6-month-old war. His announcement came as Ukraine accused Russia of new rocket and artillery strikes at or near the plant, intensifying fears that the fighting could cause a massive radia tion leak. The facility, which has six reactors, was already temporarily knocked offline under the barrage of shelling last week. “The day has come,” Grossi tweeted, adding that the Viennabased IAEA’s “Support and As sistance Mission.. is now on its way.” It is slated to arrive later this week. Grossi didn’t provide a more precise timeline or give further details beyond posting a picture of himself with 13 other experts. Ukraine has alleged that Rus sia is essentially holding the plant hostage, storing weapons there and launching attacks from around it, while Moscow accuses Ukraine of recklessly firing on the facility. Neither side’s claims can be independently verified.
85 Palestinians killed as Israel steps up raids in West Bank
THIS satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant occupied by Russian forces, in Ukraine on Sunday, August 28, 2022. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday, Augsut 29, 2022, that the UN nuclear watchdog’s long-awaited expert mission to the Zaporizhzhia power plant in Ukraine “is now on its way.”
Russia, in turn, has strongly backed China amid the tensions with the US that followed a re cent visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Speaking earlier this month, Russian Presi dent Vladimir Putin drew parallels between US support for Ukraine and Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, charg ing that both were part of alleged American efforts to foment global instability.Russiaand China have held a series of joint war games in re cent years, including naval drills and patrols by long-range bomb ers over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. Last year, Russian troops for the first time deployed to Chinese territory for jointEvenmaneuvers.thoughMoscow and Bei jing in the past rejected the possi bility of forging a military alliance, Putin has said that such a prospect can’t be ruled out. He also has noted that Russia has been shar ing highly sensitive military tech nologies with China that helped significantly bolster its defense capability.
By PAUL BYRNE The Associated Press K YIV—The UN nuclear watchdog on Monday injected a ray of hope in the standoff over the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant at the heart of fighting in Ukraine by announcing that its mission of top experts “is now on its way” to the facility even as renewed shelling in the area highlighted fears of a catastrophe.
AP/JOHN RAOUX Fuel leak interrupts NASA launch countdown of new moon rocket
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Sunday that Ukrainian forces had attacked the plant twice over the past day, and that shells fell near buildings storing reactor fuel and radioactive waste.
PLANET LABS PBC VIA AP
On Monday, Ukraine report ed shelling in Nikopol, the city across the Dnieper River from the nuclear power plant, and said one person was killed and five others were wounded. In Enerhodar, just a few kilometers from the plant, the city’s Ukrainian mayor, Dmy tro Orlov, blamed Russian shelling for injuries to at least 10 residents. “Apparently, (the Russians) have rehearsed their scenario ahead of the arrival of the IAEA mission,” Orlov said on Telegram. The UN agency tweeted that the mission would assess physical damage to the facility, “determine functionality of safety & security systems” and evaluate staff condi tions, among other things. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that it is “with out an exaggeration, this mission will be the hardest in the history of IAEA.”“Weexpect from the mission a clear statement of facts, of viola tion of all nuclear, of nuclear safety protocols. We know that Russia is putting not only Ukraine, but also the entire world at threat at the risk of nuclear accident,” Kuleba said in Ukraine’sStockholm.atomic energy agency has painted an ominous picture of the threat by issuing a map forecasting where radiation could spread from the Zaporizhzhia plant, which Russian forces have controlled since soon after the warAttacksbegan.were also reported over the weekend both in Russiancontrolled territory adjacent to the plant along the left bank of the Dnieper River and along the Ukraine-controlled right bank, including the cities of Nikopol and Marhanets, each about 10 kilome ters (six miles) from the facility.
IAEA to visit Ukraine nuclear plant amid renewed shelling
THE NASA moon rocket stands ready less than 24 hours before it is scheduled to launch on Pad 39B for the Artemis 1 mission to orbit the moon at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, August 28, 2022, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Russia to hold sweeping joint war games with China, others
BusinessMirror Tuesday, August 30, 2022 The World www.businessmirror.com.ph A7
By Marcia Dunn AP Aerospace Writer C APE
Israel stepped up the operations this past spring after a string of deadly attacks by Palestinians against Israelis killed 17 people, some carried out by militants from the West Bank. There have been no deadly attacks since May, but the relentless military operations haveThecontinued.Palestinian Health Ministry has reported 85 Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem since the start of theWithyear.four months to go this year, that already is the highest number since 2016, the tail-end of a previous wave of violence, when 91 Palestinians were killed, according to yearly data compiled by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. The ministry’s tally includes attackers and known militants, but also the veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, and a 58-yearold man who was shot in the head outside a bakery earlier this month. The Israeli military says both might have been hit by Palestinian gunfire but has not provided evidence to substantiate its claims. The dead include 17 teens under the age of 18, as well as six women, according to the ministry. Israel says that teenagers and women are often involved in violence, while critics accuse the army of using excessive force in manyIsraelcases.is also holding more than 600 Palestinians without charge or trial in what’s known as administrative detention—the highest in six years. Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general who now heads the Israel Defense and Security Forum, said the heightened pace of operations is the result of the recent wave of attacks and the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to crack down on militants in the areas it administers. The Palestinian Authority is mired in a crisis of legitimacy largely stemming from its cooperation with Israel on security matters. Palestinian officials say they will not help police the occupation, especially if there is no hope that doing so will lead to independence. Rights groups say that while some Israeli missions are aimed at combatting specific threats, others are intended as a show of force, or to protect the growing population of Jewish settlers. Ori Givati is the head of Breaking the Silence, an Israeli group opposed to the occupation that gathers testimonies of former Israeli soldiers. Some soldiers recall carrying out mock arrests, in which fully armed soldiers raid a home in the middle of the night—for trainingEvenpurposes.morecommon, Givati says, are socalled “stimulus and response” operations, which he said he took part in himself when he served in the West Bank. In those, Israeli troops roll through Palestinian areas, sometimes with lights and speakers on, hoping to lure stone-throwers or gunmen into the streets so they can arrest or confront them. “The way we occupy the Palestinians is by creating more and more friction, making our presence felt,” Givati said. “We invade their towns, their cities, their homes.” In a statement, the army denied the allegations, saying it acts “solely against threats and terrorist operatives who pose a security threat” in Israel and the West Bank. Israel says it investigates all cases in which Israeli troops are suspected of killing civilians, but rights groups say most of those investigations are quietly closed with soldiers rarely facing serious repercussions. There were two notable exceptions this year. The killing of Abu Akleh, a veteran on-air correspondent, prompted numerous independent investigations that concluded she was likely killed by Israeli fire. Israel denies targeting her and says it is still investigating. There was also the death in January of Omar Assad, a 78-year-old who died shortly after Israeli soldiers bound and blindfolded him and left him in the cold. In that case, senior officers were reprimanded and stripped of leadership roles. Both were American citizens, and the US raised both cases with Israel. Last week, Israel discharged four soldiers after they were caught on camera beating and kicking two detained Palestinians.Therewas no such uproar over Salah Sawafta, who was shot outside the bakery as he returned from dawn prayers in the West Bank town of Tubas earlier this month. Israeli troops, who had gone to arrest suspected militants, were engaged in a firefight with Palestinian gunmen. His family believes he was killed by an Israeli sniper in a building across the street. Zakreya Abu Dollah, the bakery owner who witnessed the shooting, said he saw Israeli soldiers fanned out on the street but no Palestinian gunmen or stone-throwers in the immediate area. The military says it is investigating and that Sawafta might have been hit by a stray bullet fired by Palestinian militants. Jehad Sawafta said his late brother, who made a living trading animal feed, had no connection to any political faction or militant group.Salah had a son and four daughters, one of whom was engaged to be married this past Friday. The father of the bride was killed a week before the wedding. “His second daughter was supposed to be married on Aug. 26, but then everything got turned upside down,” Jehad said. “Those girls adored their father because he provided a good and dignified life for them.”
Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press reporter Ami Bentov in Caesarea, Israel, contributed.
The maneuvers reflect increasing defense ties between Moscow and Beijing, which have grown stron ger since Russia sent its troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24. China has pointedly refused to criticize Rus sia’s action, blaming the US and NATO for provoking Moscow, and has blasted punishing sanctions imposed on Moscow.
“One projectile fell in the area of the sixth power unit, and the other five in front of the sixth unit pumping station, which provides cooling for this reactor,” Konash enkov said, adding that radiation levels were normal. It wasn’t pos sible to independently verify the accusations.TheIAEA reported Sunday that radiation levels were normal; two of the Zaporizhzhia plant’s six reactors were operating and that while no complete assessment had yet been made, recent fighting had damaged a water pipeline that has been repaired since. But in a war now in its seventh month, Monday’s solitary piece of good news could hardly break the overall gloom that darkens everything from front-line vil lages to global food supplies and the world economy. The highest number of casual ties—eight civilians killed and seven wounded—over the past 24 hours was reported in the eastern Donetsk region. The Russian forc es carried out strikes on the cities of Sloviansk and Kostyantynivka overnight and Ukrainian governor of the region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, urged the remaining residents to evacuateKharkiv,immediately.Ukraine’s secondlargest city, was hit with cluster munitions on Monday morning, regional governor Oleh Syniehu bovUkraine’sreported. presidential office also reported heavy fighting and multiple Ukrainian strikes in the southern Kherson region, most of which is occupied by the Rus sians. Ukrainian forces have re cently been carrying out strikes on ammunition depots and Rus sian military positions there.
The drills will be conducted at seven firing ranges in far eastern Russia and will engage troops from several ex-Soviet nations, China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua andTheSyria.ministry said that units of Russian Airborne troops, longrange bombers and military cargo planes will take part in the drills along with other forces. It noted as part of the maneu vers, the Russian and Chinese na vies in the Sea of Japan will “practice joint action to protect sea commu nications, areas of marine economic activity and support for ground troops in littoral areas.”
AP
CANAVERAL, Fla.— A fuel leak interrupted NASA’s launch countdown for its new moon rocket early Mon day, reappearing in the same place that saw seepage during a dress rehearsal back in the spring. Launch controllers halted the tanking operation, which already was running an hour late because of thunderstorms offshore. They slowly resumed the process to con firm that it was, indeed, a hydro gen fuel leak and not faulty sen sors, but alarms forced another temporary pause as precious min utes in the countdown ticked away. The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket is the most powerful ever built my NASA, out-muscling even the Saturn V that carried astronauts to the moon a half-century ago. This test flight, if successful, would put a crew capsule into lunar orbit for the first time in 50 years. No astronauts were inside the Orion capsule atop the rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Instead, three test dummies were strapped in for the lunar-orbiting mission, expected to last six weeks. Even with no one on board, thou sands of people jammed the coast to see the Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket soar. Vice President Kamala Harris flew into Orlando with her husband, but had yet to make the hourlong drive to Cape Canaveral for the planned liftoff. The next launch attempt wouldn’t be until Friday at the earliest.Hydrogen fuel leaks marred NASA’s countdown test back in April, prompting a slew of re pairs. The demo was repeated with more success in June, but that, too, experienced some leak age. Managers said they would not know for certain whether the fixes were good until attempting to load the rocket’s tanks with nearly 1 million gallons of supercold fuel on Monday. Launch director Charlie Black well-Thompson and her team also had to deal with a communication issue involving the Orion capsule. Engineers scrambled to under stand an 11-minute delay in the communication lines between Launch Control and Orion that cropped up late Sunday. Although the problem had cleared by Monday morning, NASA needed to know why it occurred before committing to launch.Thisfirst flight of NASA’s 21stcentury moon-exploration pro gram, named Artemis after Apollo’s mythological twin sister, is years overdue. Repeated delays have led to billions in budget overruns; this demo alone costs $4.1 billion. Assuming the test goes well, astronauts would climb aboard for the second flight and fly around the moon and back as soon as 2024. A two-person lunar landing could follow by the end of 2025. NASA is targeting the moon’s south pole. During Apollo, 12 astronauts landed on the moon from 1969 through 1972, with stays of no more than a few days. NASA is looking to establish a lunar base during Artemis, with astronauts rotating in and out for weeks at a time. The next step would be Mars, possibly in the late 2030s or early 2040s.
By Joseph Krauss & Jalal Bwaitel The Associated Press T UBAS, West Bank—At least 85 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year as Israeli forces have carried out nightly raids in cities, towns and villages, making it the deadliest in the occupied territory since 2016. The military says the vast majority were militants or stone-throwers who endangered the soldiers. The tally, from the Palestinian Health Ministry, includes Palestinians who carried out deadly attacks inside Israel. But it also includes several civilians, including a veteran journalist and a lawyer who apparently drove unwittingly into a battle zone, as well as local youths who took to the streets in response to the invasion of their neighborhoods.Thelengthand frequency of the raids has pulled into focus Israel’s tactics in the West Bank, where nearly 3 million Palestinians live under a decades-long occupation and Palestinians view the military’s presence as a humiliation and a threat. Israeli troops have regularly operated across the West Bank since Israel captured the territory in 1967. Israel says it is dismantling militant networks that threaten its citizens, and that it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians. Palestinians say the raids are aimed at maintaining Israel’s 55-year military rule over territories they want for a future state—a dream that appears as remote as ever, with no serious peace negotiations held in over a decade..
Currently, of the more than one dozen companies that have come to market in 2022, only two—BALAI and Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija (SPNEC)—are trading substantially above their IPO price and the list includes big names like CTS Global Equity Group, AllDay Marts, and Figaro Coffee Group.
Corn is the most dominant crop in the US, and Bloomberg said a lackluster harvest will have ripple effects across the global food supply chain, adding pressure on South America to produce bumper crops early next year. That’s especially the case if China, which is suffering its worst drought since the early 1960s, is forced to import more grains to feed its massive livestock herds and shore up domestic inventories.
I wrote recently that we have not clearly prioritized—regardless of what government officials may say—what industry and sectors we would like for foreign investors to put their money in. To do so would require that the government make firm, legislation-backed rules and commitments to ensure that the conditions agreed to today are still in force in future years.
editorial
A Bloomberg report said drought is shrinking crops from the US Farm Belt to China’s Yangtze River basin, ratcheting up fears of global hunger and weighing on the outlook for inflation. It said the latest warning flare comes out of the American Midwest, where some corn is so parched stalks are missing ears of grain and soybean pods are fewer and smaller than usual. The dismal report from the Pro Farmer Crop Tour has helped lift a gauge of grain prices back to the highest level since June.
Ambassador
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The world has been grappling with more than two years of global supply chain problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the fallout from the Russian war, and extreme weather brought about by climate change. Consumers around the world are suffering the consequences of skyrocketing prices. There’s a lot of uncertainty, and things are on track to get even worse.
The Marcos administration, to me, is on the right track when it encouraged the private sector to participate in infrastructure buildup and explored the privatization option on the existing rail systems in MetroWhileManila.official development assistance (ODA) loans provide low-interest funding for infrastructure projects, the public-private-partnership (PPP) arrangement will help ease the government’s financial burden from these massive projects. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno is chiming in with this new funding approach. He wants to update the implementing rules and regulations of the Build-Operate-Transfer Law to improve the investment climate and attract more private investors in PPPUnderprojects.therecently amended Public Service Act, foreign and local investors can also take part in managing public utilities and infrastructure projects, such as telecommunication, toll roads, shipping, airports, water and sanitation. Again, this scheme will free up public resources that are better invested in social services, such as education, health care and security. I am in full agreement with Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan when he said that with PPPs, the government can harness the private sector’s expertise, resources and capacities even as the country faces fiscal constraints. Among the industries that will benefit most from PPPs are energy, logistics, transportation, telecommunications and water infrastructure. There are many good examples of successful PPP models in the Philippines that include expressways in Luzon; power generation, transmission and distribution; and water services that have dramatically improved over the years. The transfer of management over these projects from the public to the private sector resulted in greater efficiencies and avoided additional financial burden on the Infrastructuregovernment.projects will contribute to the government’s goals of reducing unemployment rate to 5 percent, bringing down poverty rate to a single-digit level and achieving rapid economic growth that will allow us to become an upper-middle economy by 2023 and attain highincome status in two decades. The focus on infrastructure development will build a better future for the Filipino people.
The IPO market OuTSIDE THE BOX John Mangun
According to a new Harris Poll commissioned by Bayer, 90 percent of Americans are currently concerned with inflation and the increasing price of goods and services. The impact of the global food crisis is apparent across the country’s grocery stores. The Harris Poll survey revealed that 87 percent of Americans are particularly concerned about the rising cost of groceries. Sparse shelves are amplifying these worries, with 76 percent of respondents indicating they are seeing more empty shelves at grocery stores now than at the beginning of 2022. From the Associated Press: “Six months after Russia invaded Ukraine, the consequences are posing a devastating threat to the global economy. High food prices and shortages, worsened by the cutoff of fertilizer and grain shipments from Ukraine and Russia that are slowly resuming, could produce widespread hunger and unrest in the developing world. The UN Development Program said rising food and energy prices threw 71 million people worldwide into poverty in the first three months of the war. Countries in the Balkans and sub-Saharan Africa were hit hardest. Up to 181 million people in 41 countries could suffer a hunger crisis this year, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has Russia’sprojected.”warled the International Monetary Fund last month to downgrade its outlook for the global economy for the fourth time in under a year, the AP report said. The lending agency expects 3.2 percent growth this year, down from the 4.9 percent it forecast in July 2021 and well below a vigorous 6.1 percent last year. “The world may soon be teetering on the edge of a global recession, only two years after the last one,” said Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, the IMF’s chief economist. Like most developing countries, the Philippines is also facing skyrocketing food inflation. And the Marcos administration seems to have limited policy options in the near term because the country is the most food insecure Asean member due to our reliance on food importation. The good news is that President Marcos promised in his SONA to “work double time to address the gap in food supply and spike in prices.” For the long-term, the President said the production of various agricultural commodities will be improved through an enhanced value chain system from production to retail. He said the Department of Agriculture will extend financial assistance and provide farm inputs to food producers, which the government will procure in bulk. These will include fertilizer, pesticides, seeds, as well as fuel subsidy and other interventions. We know that in bad times, food-exporting countries may stop or limit shipments to have enough food for their citizens. We should have learned our lesson. Let’s give the President and Agriculture chief a chance to strengthen the country’s food security and address the issue of high food prices in the country.
“So far, some P76 billion in funds have already been raised as of July 2022. The biggest fund raising this year was the P40billion SRO of Union Bank of the Philippines [UBP] and the smallest was Balai ni Fruitas Inc.’s [BALAI] P288-million IPO. The bourse is expecting some P86 billion more in the pipeline this year.”
The IPO market is a fickle beast where a month or so can turn a “Zero” into a “Hero,” and occasionally conversely as in the case of ALLDY, which closed up 50 percent on listing day and now trades about 40 percent lower than its IPO price. Medilines Distributors (MEDIC) closed 30 percent lower than its listing price on Day One and has been drowning everThesince.likelihood of another MONDE this year all depends on
T. Anthony C. Cabangon Lourdes M. Fernandez Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Dennis D. Estopace Angel R. Calso Ruben M. Cruz Jr. Eduardo A. Davad Nonilon G. Reyes D. Edgard A. Cabangon Benjamin V. Ramos Aldwin Maralit Tolosa Rolando M. Manangan is published daily by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines. Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725. Fax line: 813-7025. (Advertising Sales) 893-2019; 817-1351, 817-2807. (Circulation) 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news.businessmirror@gmail.com www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com
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World-class infrastructure Angel
A ll advanced economies have attained progress on the back of world-class infrastructure. We can look at the examples of Japan, South Korea, hong Kong and Singapore that built impressive airports, seaports, roads, bridges, railways and subways leading to cities full of skyscrapers.
One of the most annoying words in the english language for me is “anything.” “What would you like for dinner?” “Anything.” “What movie would you like to watch?” “Anything.” “Would you prefer I beat you over the head with a stick or a bigger stick?” “Anything is fine.”
He underscored his commitment to infrastructure development as a key driver of economic growth with the official unveiling of BBM, or “Build, Better, More,” which is an expansion of the “Build, Build, Build” program initiated by former President Rodrigo Duterte. Beyond the name, the program aims to build on the firm foundation established by the Duterte administration, and keep the growth momentum in the words of President MarcosTakinghimself.itscue, the Department of Budget and Management proposed a P1.196-trillion allocation for infrastructure programs, or 5 percent of the gross domestic product, in the 2023 national budget. The government aims to sustain this ratio at 5 percent to 6 percent of GDP annually until 2028. It is a far cry from the average infrastructure spending equating to 2 percent to 3 percent of GDP in the past two decades. Our neighbors in Southeast Asia are investing heavily in infrastructure to recharge their economies and improve their competitiveness. Infrastructure is an important indicator in any global competitiveness rankings done by various organizations, such as the World Bank, World Economic Forum, Economist Intelligence Unit and Switzerland’s IMD Business School. The government’s plan to ramp up infrastructure spending, thus, deserves the people’s support. Investing more in concrete projects will create jobs, connect communities and generate economic opportunities for the people. New roads and bridges will reach more barangays and unlock the value of properties in those areas. These projects will also open new markets, facilitate the flow of people and goods and improve the quality of life among residents. Infrastructure projects, in addition, will revive tourism and promote new destinations that could not be reached before. They promote the image of the Philippines as a modern country governed by leaders who build structures for the public good. Among the shovel-ready infrastructure projects are the NorthSouth Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway Project and Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension Project. They include the Mindanao Railway Project, Panay Railway Project and the Cebu Railway System, apart from new airports, seaports, toll roads and bridges.
For comments, send e-mail to mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph or visit www.mannyvillar. com.ph
Tuesday, August 30, 2022 • Editor:
THE EnTrEprEnEurMannyB.Villar
The administration is very much aware of the critical role of infrastructure projects in shaping up a modern nation—they can also unleash the country’s full economic potential.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is pushing the right button when he made infrastructure projects among his priorities in building our future.
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R. Calso Opinion BusinessMirrorA8
Even a child is smart enough to know exactly what to ask from Lolo or Lola as a Christmas gift. “The Philippine Stock Exchange is hoping to help companies raise up to P200 billion in fresh capital this year.” “PSE President Ramon S. Monzon, however, said they may not be able to hit the P234 billion in funds raised from its platform last year when there were two blockbuster offerings—the IPO of Monde Nissin Corp. and the follow-on offering of Synergy Grid and Development Phils. Inc. [SGP].” Monde was a billion US dollar IPO, with a $5 billion market capitalization, designed primarily for foreign institutional funds. SGP is the holding firm of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. Both issues are trading above their IPO price but as Mr. Monzon sort of noted, these two are not your average PSE listed company.BusinessMirror:
Avoiding the pain of food inflation
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After the total chaos of the 1995 mining act, who really wants to trust the Philippine government for decades? More recently, we have the Philippine government paying P800 million for scrapping the “Laguna Lake Rehabilitation Project.” All the babble about it not controlling floods was only a poor justification argument for canceling a legally binding project to rehabilitate—note it is in the title of the project—Laguna de Bay to be able to use its waters for drinking, not for flood control.
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TAx LAw For BuSinESS Atty. Jomel n. Manaig
Taxpayer-claimants are guided by what is provided by revenue regulations and issuances. It is unreasonable to refuse their applications based on an undocumented requirement or a condition brought about by mere whim of a revenue official. In claiming the benefits of VAT zero-rating for suppliers of registered export enterprises, requiring suppliers to prove that the purchases made by the registered export enterprises are used directly and exclusively in the registered project (aside from the sworn affidavit) is not a reasonable requirement. Suppliers do not have access to the accounting, production, and financial records of the registered export enterprises. Forcing the former to produce information that is held only by the latter to enjoy VAT zero-rating incentive is an unreasonable requirement. In tax compliance, taxpayers are at times hit with sudden bouts of open cases for alleged unfiled tax returns or other reportorial requirements dating back to more than a decade. They are then asked to produce these documents under pain of stiff fines. It should be noted that taxpayers are only required to retain or preserve their records for 10 years reckoned from the filing of the related return or its deadline, whichever is later. The first five years would require taxpayers to retain the hard copies while only electronic the copies are required thereafter. Demanding taxpayers to produce documents far beyond the mandatory preservation period is therefore unreasonable. These are just some aspects of tax that the prudent exercise of the standard of reasonableness would do wonders. We do not need a separate Supreme Court case tackling these specific problems in particular before we can apply them. The standard of reasonableness should be universal in application.Reasonableness should not be in such short supply that we lose sight of what is clear before us. It should not be shunned so as to defeat what taxpayers are duly entitled to. It should not be disregarded so as to ask for more than what is due.
This kind of unreasonable requirement by the BIR is not limited to refund of taxes withheld. Other requirements of this nature exist in other aspects of tax. In applications for refund of taxes, requiring documents not provided for or enumerated under pertinent revenue regulations and issuances as a condition prior to receiving the application is an unreasonable requirement.
Shaping our digital future
L ast weekend, Pope Francis inducted 20 new cardinals mostly coming from small cities and developing countries. Pope Francis himself broke tradition when he was elected as the first Latin american Pope in 2013. this year’s batch of cardinals include priests from south Korea, singapore, East timor, Mongolia, Ghana, Paraguay, Nigeria, India and Columbia.
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
Opinion A9BusinessMirror
By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
TELLTALESMannyF.Dooc of younger cardinals may constitute a college of cardinals that is open to choose a non-European head of the Church. Cardinals who are under 80 years old are qualified to join the papal conclave, which will elect the nextOurPontiff. ownprelate, Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, belongs to this young and progressive group of cardinals appointed by Pope Francis. Born on June 21, 1957 in Manila, Cardinal Tagle is 65 years old. After earning his Master of Arts in Theology at the Loyola School, he completed his PhD in Sacred Theology at the Catholic University of America. Dr. Joseph Komonchak, his PhD adviser, regarded Tagle as one of the best students he ever had in his 40 years of teaching, and he boldly predicted that Tagle could be the best theologian in all of Asia. Tagle was ordained priest on February 27, 1982 and served as the Bishop of Imus, Cavite until 2011. In 2011 he succeeded Archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales as the 32nd Archbishop of Manila. Pope Benedict appointed him Cardinal on November 24, 2012. Now he is one of the frontrunners to be elected as our next Pope. Odds makers in the United Kingdom had given Cardinal Tagle 5/1 odds of being elected as Pope Francis’ successor as reported by the Newsweek Magazine. Cardinal Tagle represents the liberal faction of the Church and the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America whose Catholic population far outnumber the members of the faith from the western world. Based on the series of promotions given him by Pope Francis, he appears to enjoy great respect and confidence in the present Pope. In 2019, Cardinal Tagle left his post as the Archbishop of Manila and moved to the Vatican after he was named the President of Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious, a major function in the Holy See. Only this June 2022, he was given one of the most powerful offices in the Vatican as the head of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (now called the Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of Dicastery for Evangelization). He also holds the post as President of the Catholic Biblical Federation and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urbaniana University. Tagle also serves in various congregations and offices in the Roman Curia based in the Vatican, which carry wide influence in the Church. Before Pope Francis appointed him to the high offices in the Vatican, Tagle headed the Caritas Internationalis where he figured prominently in delivering social and relief services around the world. Cardinal Tagle is only one of the 11 Cardinal-Bishops in the Roman Catholic Church, the highest ranking clergy in the College of Cardinals. If Cardinal Tagle becomes a Pope, it will be hailed by the liberal and progressive faction of the Church. He is popularly referred to as the “Asian Francis” who is equally committed to social causes like climate change, migration, environment and human rights. He is strongly pro-poor and a defender of the LGBTQ and the divorced and remarried Catholics, but he is against abortion. His positions on various issues confronting the Church and our society are well known through his speeches and writings. His credentials as a theologian and academician are well established. His achievements as a pro-poor man of the cloth are documented. All his life is dedicated to the service of the Lord. And this is reflected in his personal Motto: “Dominus Est”—It is the Lord. (John 21:7 )
The author is a junior partner of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a memberfirm of WTS Global. The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at jomel.manaig@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 local 380.
It is right and proper to ask for what is due. However, asking for too much often leads to no good thing. But how do you know when something is too much? Where do you draw the line between what is acceptable and what is not?
Mangun.
The inexorable rise of Cardinal-Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle
In the case of Philippine Airlines v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue (GR 206079-80), the Supreme Court had the opportunity to apply the standard of reasonableness on a requirement being imposed by the BIR when it comes to refund of tax withheld. Under its franchise agreement, PAL is exempt from tax on interest income earned from bank deposits, among others, and that any excess payment over taxes due from PAL shall either be refunded or credited against its tax liability for the succeeding taxable year. The BIR, not keen on granting the refund, insisted that PAL failed to prove that the taxes withheld from its interest income were actually remitted. The Supreme Court, however, held that remittance need not be proven. PAL needs only to prove that taxes were withheld from its interest income. Aside from the evident lack of responsibility on the part of PAL for the actual remittance to the BIR of the tax withheld, the Supreme Court also faulted the BIR from failing to appreciate the unreasonable difficulty that it would have put PAL in claiming the statutory exemption granted to it. In requiring that it prove actual remittance, the BIR effectively put the burden on PAL to prove that both the government and the banks complied with their legal obligation. It would have been near impossible for the taxpayer to demand to see the records of the payor bank or the ledgers of the government. In other words, the BIR required something of PAL that the latter could not provide, not because of a lack of willingness to provide the information but by its near impossibility to do so. Indeed, this is an unreasonable requirement to unjustly defeat PAL’s statutorily granted tax exemption.
If Cardinal Tagle becomes a Pope, it will be hailed by the liberal and progressive faction of the Church. He is popularly referred to as the “Asian Francis” who is equally committed to social causes like climate change, migration, environment and human rights. Reasonableness should not be in such short supply that we lose sight of what is clear before us. It should not be shunned so as to defeat what taxpayers are duly entitled to. It should not be disregarded so as to ask for more than what is due.
A standard that we could use to determine what should be enough is “reasonableness.” Is asking for a particular thing considered as reasonable? If it is not reasonable, it should not be asked much less be required. This standard is applicable mainly to general aspects of life. But can we focus its application on a particular facet: say, tax? I say it is worth to have a considerable look at how reasonableness is applied in tax, whether it be in relation to assessments, refund, or compliance.
The standard reasonablenessof market conditions. Globe Telecom has P32-billion offering and Enrique K. Razon Jr.-led Prime Water Infrastructure Capital’s P28-billion IPO are waiting in the wings. But it is noticeable that the two most successful IPOs—SPNEC and BALAI—are “first-timers” from their industries. BALAI is basically a standalone bakery that is part of the of Fruitas Inc. distribution network. SPNEC joins other “renewables” companies on the PSE but is not part of a conglomerate like ACEN Corp., which is the listed energy platform of the AyalaWhatGroup.we need are “groundbreaking” companies to list their ownership. How about a genuine memorial park company or something different like Upson International Corporation, parent company of Octagon Computer et al, which applied for but delayed its July scheduled offering? In the meantime, and for the remainder of 2022, I see the “growth stocks” in gaming/tourism, lower priced consumer goods, and the several companies that have competition in the marketplace for consumer spending but no competition on the PSE for investor “spending.”
Bridging these divides and ensuring advances in technology can benefit everyone will be a key challenge as the region seeks to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable post-pandemic recovery. A new ESCAP report, Asia-Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2022: Shaping our digital future, identifies five key “digital divides”; fault lines that separate those who can readily take advantage of new technology from those more likely to be left behind. These divides are related to age, gender, education, disability and geography. Typically, those most comfortable with technological innovation are younger and better educated people who have grown up with the Internet as “digital natives.” Older persons may be more distrustful, or slower to acquire the necessary skills or suffer declines in aptitude. But at any age, poor communities— especially those in rural areas—are most at risk as they may be unable to afford electricity or digital connections or lack the relevant skills, even if the necessary infrastructure and connectivity are there.
Tuesday, August 30, 2022www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com
It seems that the common denominator of the newcomers to the College of Cardinals is their progressive views. For instance, American Bishop Robert McElroy, a noted liberal clergy, was selected over conservative American archbishops. McElroy does not support the position of conservative American priests to hold Catholic politicians like President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi incommunicado because they are supportive of abortion rights. The recent appointments reflect Pope Francis’ pastoral position on social issues such as his concern for the environment and openness to LGBTQ members of the faith. This was evident when he named an archbishop from the Amazon region to the conclave. His policy to make Catholicism an inclusive church was highlighted with the appointment of Archbishop Giorgio Marengo, the Roman Catholic Church’s administrator in Mongolia. Mongolia has only a handful of Catholics—1,300—but it shares a border with China, which has a bigger Catholic population. It was also noted that a number of new appointees come from Asia. Traditionally, Europe, which has powerful dioceses, is the main source of candidates for the Princes of the Church, but it has lost out this time to Asia, Africa and South America. Of the 20 new cardinals appointed on Saturday, August 27, six hail from Asia, the most number among all the continents. This is not surprising since Asia has become a powerhouse—politically, economically and militarily—although the Catholic Church is not the dominant religion in the region, except in the Philippines and East Timor. An Asian Pope may be a counterweight to the growing influence of China and the menacing threat of North Korea, which are disruptive to the geopolitical stability in this part of the world. The recent appointments of new cardinals once more demonstrated Pope Francis’ policy of tilting towards Asia. As some keen observers have commented, this has improved the chances of an Asian cardinal to get elected as the next Pope. Not too long ago, Pope Francis hinted that he might resign his papacy if his health worsens, although he clarified that this may not happen soon. In a more recent interview, Pope Francis lamented that he could no longer travel like he used to. It will be recalled that his immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, left his post due to health reasons and became the first Pope in almost 600 years to leave his position before hisWedeath. hada total of 266 Popes since time immemorial and 257 of them were Europeans. A total of 217 Popes were Italians. Jose Maria Bergolio or Pope Francis, an Argentinian, is the first ever Pope from South America. Pope Francis espouses egalitarian and inclusive policies and his penchant for forming a more global cast
. . Continued from A8
E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.
tHE asia-Pacific is the most digitally divided region of the world, and southeast asia is the most divided subregion. the Covid-19 pandemic detonated a “digital big bang” that spurred people, governments and businesses to become “digital by default”; a sea change that generated vast digital dividends. these benefits have not been distributed equally, however. New development gaps have emerged as digital transformation reinforces a vicious cycle of socioeconomic inequalities, within and across countries.
The most significant driver of digital transformation is business research and its development and adoption of frontier technologies. Another major component is e-government; the delivery of public information and services via the Internet or through other digital means. This has the potential for more efficient and inclusive operations, especially when linked to national digital ID systems. However, because e-government services often evolve in complex regulatory environments, providing appropriate levels of accessibility for older generations, the disabled, or those with limited education has become more challenging.
The first pathway focuses on the supply side and provides relevant policy practices for the development of cost-effective network infrastructure. The second addresses the demand side and recommends capacity-building programs and policies to promote uptake at scale, of new, more affordable and accessible digital products and services. The third involves improving systems and institutions that are related to collecting, aggregating and analysing data in a way that builds public trust and deepens policymakers’ understanding of the drivers of digital transformations.Finally,inaworld where digital data can flash around the globe in an instant, the report highlights the importance of regional and global cooperation. Only by working together can countries ensure that these technological breakthroughs will benefit everyone—their peoples, economies and societies, as well as for the natural environment, in our new “digital by default” normal.
It is clear that digital technologies are enabling the delivery of previously unimagined services while enhancing productivity and optimizing resource use that helped reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants. These technologies also helped track and contain pandemic spread. Social networks are fostering and diversifying communications among people of all ages sharing common interests, irrespective of location. This helps them stay in touch, broaden their experiences, continue education or deepen subject knowledge. This provided a veritable lifeline that has continued as we enter the post-pandemic era. At the same time, the risks have also proliferated. Social networks also created social “echo chambers” and generated torrents of misinformation and hate speech. New cryptocurrencies have opened the way to speculative financial bubbles, while cybercrime increased alarmingly as it assumed prolific variations. In addition, digital gadgets and the Internet are thought to contribute to more than 2 percent of the global carbon footprint. The manufacture of electronic hardware can also exhaust supplies of natural resources such as rareearth elements and precious metals like cobalt and lithium. Moreover, digital transformation has led to the creation of an immense amount of digital data, which become an essential resource to understand digital transformation. However, it raises concerns about the ethical and responsible use of data for privacy protection. A common understanding among countries on the operationalization of such principles has yet to Theevolve.Asia-Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2022 highlights the importance of digital connectivity infrastructure as “meta-infrastructure.” 5G and other high-speed networks can make all other infrastructure—such as transport and power grid distribution—much smarter, optimizing resource use for sustainable development. To contribute to these needs, the Report recommends three pathways for action, which are not mutually exclusive and are aligned with the ESCAP Action Plan of the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway initiative for 2022-2026.
See “Study,” A2
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
PBBM
House panel: SRA must revisit real mandate
MEMBERS of Akbayan Youth took to the streets on Monday, National Heroes Day to “affirm our stance to defend the West Philippine Sea.” They asked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to live up to his promise in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of refusing to yield even “an inch” of territory “and take a resolute stance on the matter in the upcoming UN General Assembly,” which he will attend.
By Lenie Lectura @llectura D IESEL and kerosene prices will go up by over P6 per liter start ingOTuesday.nMonday, oil companies said they will increase the price of diesel and kerosene by P6.10 per liter each. Gasoline prices will also go up by P1.40 per liter. T he oil price hike takes effect at 6 a.m. of Tuesday, August 30. L ast week, oil firms raised gasoline prices by P0.70 per liter, P2.60 for diesel and P2.80 for kerosene. These resulted in the yearto-date total adjustments to stand at a net increase of P18.15 per liter for gas oline, P31.70 per liter for diesel and P27.10 per liter forMkerosene.ovements in the world oil market affect local pump prices, oil firms said.
T HE chairman of the House Committee on Good Govern ment and Public Account ability on Sunday asked the new appointees to the Sugar Regulato ry Administration (SRA) Board to return their agency to its original mandate, that is, to protect sugar planters and to broaden its func tion by focusing on modernizing the industry. I n a statement, San Jose del Monte Rep. Florida Robes said that based on recent hearings of the Committee on Good Govern ment and Public Accountability and the Committee on Agriculture headed by Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga (1st District), sev eral panel members noticed that the SRA over the years veered toward sugar importation as the only measure to address the socalled supply problems—which, apparently, was not on its original mandate.Whatwe have learned so far as the recent sugar importations was the lack of consultation with sugar farmers and other stakeholders as well as the lack of transparency in dealing with the sugar importa tion ...Parang sila-sila lang ang naguusap [It seems they’re only talking to each other],” Robes said. Usec Leocadio Sebastian ap parently misread the mind of President Marcos and jumped the gun on the importation by circu lating SO4 and signed on behalf of the Agriculture Secretary. As for resigned SRA Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, he did not consult the board with regard to SO4 and merely circulated a Board Resolution without con sulting his technical staff,” she added.According to Robes, the joint committee will dig deeper into the controversy and probe links of some officials to lobby groups and unscrupulous traders, hoarding and sugar importation utilizing recycled permits. Shesaid her committee also wants to know the lack of foresight among SRA officials in dealing with sugar production.
A10 Tuesday, August 30, 2022
A HEAD of the state visits of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. next week, the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means on Sunday asked the President to push for a new oil, gas, navigation framework on the West Philippine Sea with Indonesia and Singapore.HouseCommittee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Sal ceda made the statement amid heightened tensions between world powers. Salceda called on the President to have the Philippines and other partners in Southeast Asia reiter ate their common commitment to a framework of mutual assistance on resource extraction and freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea and the broader South China Sea, as the President prepares for a state visit to Indonesia and Sin gapore next week. S alceda also made the request amid rising tension among world powers, the latest developments being a “freedom of navigation mission” by two US warships in the Taiwan Strait. “ These two will be his first state visits. So, they will set the tone,” Salceda said. “ In this age of rising tensions among the world’s top powers, com mon understanding among middle powers like us, the Indonesians, and the Singaporeans would be reassur ing,” he added. A ccording to Salceda, “there is a delicate balance in the South China Sea. Asean solidarity is what keeps China and any other inter ested power for that matter from undertaking any act of blatant and dramatic aggression in the disputed waters. If they do that, we will con geal into one coalition, and a call for outside help from us would be justified too easily.” That is why keeping this im pression of solidarity, by reiterating the Asean community’s common in terest in freedom of navigation and shared benefits of the South China Sea would keep China from doing anything rash or careless. This is a geopolitical context that is very prone to miscalculation. The US is trying to regain its status as the world’s preeminent power. China and Russia, and other emerging powers are seeking to challenge that,” he added. S alceda also reiterated that Asean minding its own business, including Asean waters in the South China Sea, “sends a signal that we are not interested in the games of Great Powers, but that we will help each other keep these seas open.”
“ It is sad to say that major agricul tural areas have also been converted into industrial, commercial and even residential, gated communities despite the fact that these lands sit on and near irrigation canals,” she added. Thejoint House panel investigat ing the botched sugar importation under SO4 will resume its probe on Thursday and will concentrate on other invited guests, including SRA technical staff, to shed light on whether there is really a need to import sugar in the meantime, and by howRobesmuch.said that aside from in vestigating alleged corrupt prac tices, the joint committee hearing will probably lead to the crafting of laws to strengthen the agricultural sector to help the Marcos admin istration come up with a policy to achieve food independence and eventually, food sovereignty.
S alceda said that declarations between Singapore and the Philip pines, and Indonesia and the Philip pines, could stipulate the following: T he countries are committed to preserving peace and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea; T he countries commit that mat ters of dispute between Indonesia and the Philippines, and Singapore and the Philippines will be resolved diplomatically;Militarybreaches of territorial integrity will be viewed as a threat to the security of all members of theTregion;heGreat Powers remain wel come to pursue mutually benefi cial and equitable relationships between individual Asean states and the region as a whole; and T he countries will move towards greater cooperation in maritime defense, especially in the interest of small fishermen and civilian transport.“President Marcos has received very high marks from the interna tional community about his sober positioning on our international policy. Indonesia and Singapore will be his first state visits. What he says and does with our old friends in the region will set the tone for his foreign policy for the rest of his term,” he said. That will have implications on everything from foreign invest ment in the Philippines, to our national security,” he added.
Study set on another roundof pay hikes for govt workers urged to
led to the reduction of purchasing power of the peso to only P0.87 centavos in June. This means, in order to buy goods worth P1, ev ery Filipino must shell out P0.13 centavos more or P1.13. S eparately, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno told finance reporters that the study to be conducted next year will focus “on the need and level of the next round of salary increases in 2024 onward.” Sought whether the government can sustain further salary hikes in the public sector given the tighter fiscal space and the Marcos admin istration’s plan to rightsize the bu reaucracy, Diokno said: “That will be part to study.” No displacement MEANWHILE , Pangandaman said at the same DBCC briefing that Ex ecutive Order (EO) No. 170 series of 2022 mandating the adoption of digital payments for government disbursements and collections will not result in displacement of gov ernment workers. P angandaman responded to Castro, who pointed out that the adoption of digital payments may be “another way of rightsizing” as automation may eventually lead to worker displacement. However, the budget chief as sured the lawmaker that this will not be the case. “ The Executive [branch] has not contemplated that, render ing people jobless,” she said in Filipino, adding: “The EO 170 po would like to just [ensure] the efficient transaction between government agencies in terms of disbursements and payments of payables,” she said. P angandaman also revealed that departments and agencies are appealing for another ex tension of the engagement of services of contractual and job order (JO) workers for about two to three years.
By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM
Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
PHOTO COURTESY OF WEST PHL SEA COALITION
T he Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said P49.5 million was allotted under the proposed P5.268 trillion national budget next year for the conduct of theTstudy.helast of the four tranches of salary increases mandated under the Salary Standardization Law 5 (SSL5) is set to be implemented in 2023. The government needed to spend a total of P130.45 billion to fund the four-year implementa tion of SSL5, which was signed by then President Rodrigo Duterte in January 2020. For the study of the next salary standardization, we provided the budget under GCG [Governance Commission for GovernmentOwned or Controlled Corporations] for next year… They will be the one to conduct the study for the next tranche of possible salary stan dardization increase,” said Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman during the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing on the proposed 2023 na tional budget last Friday. House Deputy Minority leader and ACT-Teachers Rep. France Cas tro asked Pangandaman regarding the extension of another round of salary increases, noting that the rapid increase in commodity prices
use Asean trip for new oil, gas framework in WPS DIESEL, KEROSENE UP BY P6.10/LITER TUESDAY; GAS PRICES UP P1.40
THE government will study whether there is a need to provide another round of salary increases for its workers from 2024 onwards.
“ I was told that in Tarlac and Pam panga, two major sugar producers in Luzon, small planters have already stopped planting sugarcane owing to the lack of government interven tion, and have resorted to planting other crops,” she added.
PROPeRT y developer sta. Lucia Land Inc. said mass housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc. has no right to oust the present homeowners of Vista Real Classica subdivision in Quezon City. In an emailed statement, st a. Lucia said the issue of possession and ownership of Vista Real Classica has yet to be resolved by the supreme Court. “ we condemn the actions of 8990 Housing Development Corp. for harassing and unjustly ousting the homeowners of Vista Real Classica despite the lack of legal basis over its ownership claims. Vista Real Classica homeowners are buyers in good faith and for value and they were not parties to the cases filed in court,” sta. Lucia said. “To oust them at this point in time is a grave violation of their rights and of due process. Moreover, the case is not yet final and executory insofar as sta. Lucia Realty is concerned because its petition in the supreme Court is still pending and yet to be resolved.” sta. Lucia was the developer of Vista Real Classica while Garsons Co. Inc. is the owner of the property. The two parties earlier entered into a development agreement for sta. Lucia to develop Garson’s property into a residential subdivision. After sta. Lucia had completed the development of the property into a residential subdivision, the camp of evangeline L. Puzon, who then assigned the said property to 8990 Housing Development, filed a complaint with the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City claiming ownership over the said property. The RTC ruled in favor of Puzon declaring her as owner and rightful possessor of the property. st a. Lucia Realty and Garsons separately filed an appeal with the Court of Appeals (CA), which modified the RTC decision. The CA ruled that Puzon is the rightful possessor of the“Thisproperty.isamere phyrric victory because the homeowners have their respective titles and were not impressed as party defendants,” sta. LuciaThesaid.CA ruling also denied the claim of ownership by the camp of Puzon as the she was not able to trace back its ownership from the mother title known as OCT 333. The CA, however, gave possession to 8990 Housing Development, to whom the camp of Puzon assigned the said property even as it never proved ownership, the realtor said. In a separate emailed statement, 8990 said that its actions of placing its own guards at the village “were not only within the bounds of law but were also coordinated with lawful “Currentauthorities.”residents within 8990’s property are free to access their homes and in fact maintain status quo at present. The positioning of 8990’s own security team is to ensure that 8990’s rights to possess are established and to make sure that respondents sta. Lucia et al. will not be able to sell the remaining portions of 8990’s property to their prospective buyers,” it said. “Not only had 8990 continuously informed sta. Lucia et al. of all Court Notices and Motions, 8990 had also previously sent communications to Vista Real Classica Homeowners Association Inc., but are yet to receive a response to date.” sta. Lucia said the CA ruling was only an award of possession and not right of “Possessionownership.isbut an attribute of the right of ownership. As such, there should be no reason to harass Vista Real residents, who bought their property in good faith,” the company said. sta. Lucia had filed a petition with the supreme Court questioning the decision of the CA granting possession to Puzon. The supreme Court later upheld the CA decision denying the claim of ownership by the camp of Puzon as substituted by 8990 Housing Development. VG Cabuag DITO Telecommunity Corp. said Monday said it has signed up 12 million subscribers, 17 months after it began commercial operations.Thenumber was Dito’s year-end target subscriber base but managed to hit it on August 26, less than a year and a half since the launch of its commercial operations in March 2021. It has so far put up more than 5,500 cellular towers and increased its coverage to over 600 cities and municipalities, effectively breaching its 70 percent population coverage target. “As we continuously ramp up our presence throughout the archipelago, we also are deploying with continuous testing of our 5G capability coupled with high impact and high value retail offerings based on consumer demand,” said Dito’s Chief Commercial Officer evelyn Jimenez. Lenie Lectura
The CA also cited eO 205 issued by former President Corazon Aquino on June 30, 1987 in which the maximum period of a Certificate of Authority that can be given to the CATV operator is 30 years.
By Lenie Lectura @llectura Globe Telecom Inc. is ramping up the deployment of 5G wireless technology nationwide with the installation of over 900 cellular sites in January to June.
By VG Cabuag @villygc M
Global superstar and godmother of Norwegian Prima, Katy Perry, joins Norwegian Cruise line (NCl) executives in Reykjavik, Iceland, to officially christen and name NCl s 18th vessel in its leading-edge Prima Class. (From left) President and CEo of Norwegian Cruise line Holdings ltd. Frank Del Rio, Global Popstar Katy Perry, President and CEo of Norwegian Cruise line Harry Sommer and Radio Host of Elvis Duran and The Morning Show, Elvis Duran. Contributed photo
Records shows that NTC had granted Newsnet a PA to operate an LMDs until October 1, 2021, which is the date of expiration of its legislative franchise , or for a total period of 24“Thusyears.the NTC committed reversible order in issuing the assailed order of termination of provisional authority of petitioner which is solely grounded on the expiration of the legislative franchise or Republic Act No. 8197 on October 1, 2021. sa id order unduly limited the period authority of petitioner to operate as a qualified CATV operator in contravention of the provisions of eO No. 205 which allows a maximum period of 30 years,” the CA said. “In its order respondent NTC did not cite the absence of financial or technical qualifications of petitioner or the latter’s violation of rules and regulations of the NTC as a valid grounds for termination of provisional to operate,” it added. The CA further said, “There being no dispute that petitioner is a CATV entity and not a PT e [public telecommunications entities], a congressional franchise or legislative franchise is not a pre-requisite or condition to a provisional authority to operate.” Newsnet said the CA decision benefits the entire cable TV and internet service providers’ (IsPs) industry nationwide as it affirms and bolsters current laws that eliminate the need for a congressional franchise to operate as a cable/pay TV operator and IsP Newsnet is an affiliate of NOw Telecom Company Inc. Lenie Lectura
News and e ntertainment Network Corp. Inc. (Newsnet) can now proceed to expand its pay television (TV) and multimedia services nationwide after the Court of Appeals (CA) reversed the orders issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) against the company. The CA has set aside NTC’s termination of Newsnet’s provisional authority (PA) as well as the cease and desist order (CDO) issued against the company last year.
The CA also found that Newsnet is qualified and entitled to an extension or renewal of its provisional authority to operate cable system in MetroTheManila.NTChad terminated Newsnet’s PA because its legislative franchise has expired on October 1, 2021. But the CA ruled that the this order is not in accord with executive Order (eO) No. 436 signed by former President Fidel Ramos on september 9, 1997. “sa id eO does not mention the requirement of condition of a legislative franchise prior to operation of CATV (cable TV) entities,” it said.
Globe builds more cell sites to ramp up 5G deployment
ALAyA N Insurance Co. Inc. on Monday said it has maintained its AM Best financial strength rating of B++ (Good) and the long-term issuer credit rating of “bbb+” (Good) for the year. The yu chengco-led insurance company also kept its stable credit ratings outlook despite the pandemic’s adverse imspact on the Philippine economy.“These ratings reflect Malayan’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management,” it said. The ratings emphasized Malayan’s financial solvency and underscored its claims-paying ability and capacity to meet debt obligations. Malayan Insurance President and CeO Paolo y Abaya said the recent credit ratings were a testament of its stability and reliability. “Aside from providing relevant insurance products, our organization remains robust and resilient so that we are always prepared to secure the lives and assets of our countrymen,” AbayaKnownsaid.as a global authority for rating insurance companies, AM Best also noted that the non-life insurer’s risk-adjusted capitalization bolstered its balance sheet strength, and forecast it to stay at the strongest level over the medium term as measured by Best’s capital adequacy ratio. The company’s overall underwriting performance was mainly driven by its automotive insurance line. w hile investment income remained the main contributor to its overall earnings.“Being the number one non-life insurer in the country, it is relevant for Malayan to leverage on its expertise and competence in the non-life insurance space. This affirmation from AM Best is instrumental for us to continue to thrive and lead the market through the lens of our extensive understanding of the business, amplified by the innovations we implement which will form part of our commitment to be the most trusted non-life insurer in the Philippines,” Abaya said.
industry firsts. we wanted to launch Norwegian Prima in a location just as special and unique as she is, and Reykjavik’s striking landscape is the perfect setting for such a milestone occasion. we thank the Reykjavik community for welcoming us with open arms.” At 965 feet (294 meters long) and more than 142,500 tons with a capacity for 3,100 guests at double occupancy, Norwegian Prima offers the highest staffing levels and space ratio of any contemporary or premium cruise ship. she also boasts the largest variety of suite categories available at sea as well as a redefined The Haven by Norwegian, NCL’s ultra-premium keycard-only access ship-within-a-ship concept.
IN possibly the latest sign that the multibillion-dollar cruise travel industry is recovering from the pandemic, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has unveiled the first of six mega vessels, the Norwegian Prima, in glittering christening rites in Iceland, graced by no less than designated godmother, the music icon Katy Perry. The first of six ships in the groundbreaking Prima Class, Norwegian Prima, debuted to more than 2,500 guests who enjoyed an immersive experience in the beautiful Icelandic capital. with her stunning design and unique offerings, Norwegian Prima is in a league of her own,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “As the industry’s most spacious new cruise ship es,’‘only-available-on-Prima-experienc-featuringsheiscontinuingNCL’slegacyof
Malayan Insurance keeps B++ rating Sta. Lucia: Ouster of village homeowners lacks legal basis
“The drive to build more and faster is fueled by our desire to deliver more improvements in our customer service experience that are consistent and reliable,” said Joel Agustin, Globe s e nior Vice President and head of network planning and engineering. This aggressive expansion is in line with the company’s commitment to the United Nations sustainable Development Goals (sDG), particularly UN sDG No. 9, which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is also accelerating its 5G roaming rollout to more countries in Asia, the Middle east, and europe. 5G technology is the next generation of wireless internet connectivity with fiber-fast speeds of up to 100 Mbps, up to 20 times faster than LTe It offers lower latency, higher bandwidth, and more reliable internet connections than 4G. For data-related upgrades and expansion, Globe has already spent P50.5 billion out of its P89-billion capital expenditure (Capex) allocation for 2022. Majority of the amount was used to further build its fiber assets, put up more cell sites, upgrade towers to 4G LT e , and roll out 5G technology and in-building solutions.Lastweek, Globe said it has installed 572 new cell towers and upgraded about 6,800 mobile sites to 4G LTe in the first half of the year. The company remains on track with its network rollout and targets. It aims to end 2022 with about 1,700 new cell sites, beating last year’s builds of 1,407. “Our network rollout momentum continues, and it is faster. we accomplished about 70 percent more than in the same period last year. we are very positive that we can set a new build record this 2022,” Agustin said. Last year, Globe aggressively expanded its fixed line and wireless networks, building 1,407 new cell sites, upgraded over 22,300 mobile sites, installed more than 2,000 5G radios, and installed 1.4 million fiber-to-the-home lines. The company reported in February that it netted P23.7 billion in profits last year, a 27-percent increase from P18.6 billion the year prior, thanks to the upside impact of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for enterprises Act as well as the gain from the P4.3 billion deemed sale of investment in subsidiary Mynt. Its core net income stood at P21.2 billion, which is 9-percent higher than the year prior, fueled by the 4-percent increase in net income to P151.5 billion, but this was partially offset by the effects of Typhoon Odette to its total operating expenses of P76.6 billion.
“Given these two CA decisions, together with the 26 GHz (gigahertz) frequency assignments, Newsnet with the NOw Group shall be able to expand nationwide and continue providing cutting-edge ‘fiber-in-theair’ wireless broadband/ internet and interactive cable TV and multimedia services as cited in the CA decision,” the company said in a statement over theLastweekend.month, the special eighth division of the CA ruled that the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s (ARTA) 2020 order to NTC to issue a certificate of public convenience (CPC) to Newsnet is final and executory. This meant that Newsnet could install, operate, and maintain a Local Multi-Point Distrbution system (LMDs) to deliver interactive pay TV and multimedia services in south Luzon, North Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the 25.35 GHz – 26.35 GHz frequency bandwith. Then on August 16, the special eleventh division of the CA reversed and set aside the NTC orders dated February 9, 2021 and August 12, 2021 that terminated the PA of Newsnet to operate until October 1, 2021, as well as the CDO against the operation of its system under the said PA. “The PA of (Newsnet) to operate and maintain 25.35 to 26.35 GHz spectrum LMDs to deliver interactive pay TV and multimedia services in Metro Manila is reinstated and shall continue to be effective unless sooner suspended, cancelled or revoked in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations,” the 19page decision penned by Associate Justice Myra V. Garcia-Fernandez and concurred by Associate Justices Tita Marilyn B. Payoyo-Villordon and emily R. Alino-Geluz stated.
BusinessMirrorEditor: Jennifer A. Ng Companies B1Tuesday, August 30, 2022
‘Newsnet may expand pay TV service’ NCL launches Norwegian Prima in FinlandDito signs up 12M users
The company said it built 933 sites as of end-June this year. During the same period, it logged around 2.7 million devices in its 5G network. Its 5G network outdoor coverage reached nearly 97 percent of the National Capital Region and 86 percent of key cities in Visayas and Mindanao.
By Andrea San Juan PHILIPPINE Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) Inc. Founder Jose Maria A. Concepcion III has urged financial institutions including microfinance organizations and rural banks to help the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in terms of funding. The important thing here is our partnership with the government “to really enhance the businesses of our MSMEs and an appeal to our bankers” to really help MSMEs in funding, Concepcion said during a televised interview last Concepcion,Monday.alsothe president and CEO of listed firm RFM Corp., also underscored the crucial role that banks and microfinance institutions play in the society as they are tasked to lend money to the micro, small and medium merchants. Without the necessary funding, he added, these merchants will continue to Concepcionstruggle.also noted that big businesses have been helping the MSMEs in terms of mentorship and market. He cited PCE’s initiatives under its advocacy “Go Negosyo,” and its three components—mentorship, money and market—that aims to bring it closer to all micro and small entrepreneurs nationwide.
TUAO, workingingBank)BankhaveworkingHowever,ficialtappedprises—continuedfocusstablecareablepalityincludingsentialaevolvedneighbors.inhernalynhealthsourceswasandterexpenses.toGinalyn’sployeeforbarelydifficulttoamothersimilarrunningJoaquinCagayan—Ginalynalwaysdreamtofherownretailstore,tothe‘sari-saristore’herusedtoownwhenshewaschild.Buthavingenoughresourcespursuethisdreamprovedtobeashermonthlysalarywasenoughtomakeendsmeettheneedsofherfamily.Workingasafull-timeem-atasugarmillingcompany,salarywasjustenoughcovertheirfamily’sdailylivingAndwhenherdaugh-contractedaseriousillnessneededmedicalcare,Ginalynforcedtolookforadditionalofincometoaffordthecarecosts.Whilekeepingherdayjob,Gi-startedbuyingsugarfromemployer,whichsherepackedsmalleramountsandsoldtoherThisretailinitiativesoonintoa‘rollingstore’aboardtricycle,whereinshesoldotheres-groceryitemsacrosstown,theneighboringmunici-ofPiat.Throughhardwork,Ginalynwastopayforherdaughter’shealthandeventually,wasfinanciallytoresignfromherdayjobandonherstore.Ginalyn’sbusiness—JP’sEnter-togrowandwasbyanoodlebrandasanof-distributorintheprovince.thisrequiredadditionalcapital,whichshedidnotatthattime.GinalynthenturnedtotheLandofthePhilippinesInc.(Land-forcreditassistanceamount-toP30milliontofinancethecapitalforJP’sEnterprises.
“Iyong mga mayors, mga governors, kung magpa -partner sila sa mga negosyante para at least on the ground—talagang sila ang humarap kasi rin dito sa mga MSMEs— ay tulungan din silang mag -organize at mas madali ang impact ng tulong ng private sector kung ang LGU mayor ay enterprising himself,” Concepcion said. [Those mayors, governors, if they partner with businessmen to at least on the ground—they are really the ones who deal with MSMEs as well—help them organize and the impact of private sector assistance will be easier if the LGU mayor is enterprising himself.]
Banking&Finance ‘Bangko sa Baryo’ bill seen to help inclusion
Complementary FOR Villafuerte, pursuing financial inclusion and digitalization are complementary in nature, as the BSP said in its DGTB 2020-2023 targets that these two goals are “mutually reinforcing” and “go hand-in-hand, each enabling the other.”
Leading supplier
A bank or transaction account is a basic indicator of financial inclusion and is the most basic tool for making digital transactions, according to theCo-authoredBSP. by Rep. Miguel Luis R. Villafuerte, Rep. Tsuyoshi Anthony G. Horibata and Bicol Saro Rep. Nicolas C. Enciso VIII, HB 273 seeks to authorize the BSP to accredit cash agents with good reputation and credit history to set up shops in retail outlets such as convenience stores, pharmacies and other highly accessible places, and serve as “last mile’ providers of financial services in faraway places with zero bank presence. “This proposed ‘Bangko sa Baryo Act’ endeavors to attain financial inclusion for the Filipino people and to establish robust financial consumer protection frameworks,” the HB 273 text read. “It shall increase citizen’s financial literacy and capability so they can understand different financial services. It is hoped that, soon, an average barrio folk will be able to make sound financial decisions and put his or her hard-earned money to beneficial use,” the bill added.
A month ago, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PhilExport) President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr. told the BusinessMirror that the government should give interest-free and no-collateral loans to MSMEs. Ortiz-Luis said the government needs to come up with “out-of-thebox” solutions to rally merchants into contributing to the economic recoveryOrtiz-Luispath.noted that in order for the MSMEs to generate jobs, it has to be spared from the traditional and cumbersome lending process that makes these merchants go through a series of steps and fees. He emphasized that the government should consider lending for MSMEs as an investment rather than an expense.
BusinessMirror Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Tuesday, August 30, 2022 B3www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com
THE e-commerce business is booming. Experts also predict 95 percent of purchases will be made online come 2040. Ecommerce sales are also expected to grow 15 percent each year, dominating the retail market. As the e-commerce industry grows, so does the competition. If you’re running an e-commerce business, you need to take the necessary steps to improve your digital marketing strategy. Let’s look at a few ways you can maximize your e-commerce business with a solid digital strategy. 1. Start with publishing great content. An effective way to ensure your ecommerce site becomes the go-to of your target customers is by providing high-quality content. Any content you post should be original and engaging. Most importantly, it should target the right audience. Write content that can deliver the most impact to your business. The messaging should be clear to your target customers instead of writing for a general audience. Provide your target audience with the information they need, and present it in a way that will leave a strong impression. If your website has original, highquality content, your e-commerce business is can have a stronger value position than your competitors. One of the pitfalls you have to be careful of is creating the same type of content over and over. Apply variety in your content marketing plan. Using other forms of content, such as photos, videos, and newsletters is a great way to engage your audience and share valuable information. Whenever you create content, think of how you want people to engage and remain on your site. 2. Stay social. Don’t underestimate the importance of social media. In 2018, Facebook had 2.27 billion active users every month–and that’s just one social network. But, it shows the marketing potential here, especially if you’re into ecommerce in theUsePhilippines.socialmedia to engage with existing customers, expand your reach, provide updates, and find influencers. Follow the standard 80:20 rule here. The idea behind this is you only need to use 20 percent of direct promotions for your social media marketing, while the remaining 80 percent focuses on providing genuine value to your target users. Social media is a great channel for storytelling. Address a problem that users are facing by discussing how your products can provide them with a potential solution. Through social media, you can also highlight what separates your business from the others. This is crucial in the competitive e-commerce landscape.
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
Digital strategiesmarketingthatwill boost your e-commerce business Malayan Insurance keeps AM Best Good credit rating
Group asks banks, small lenders to fund MSMEs LandBank ₧30-M loan helps Cagayan retailer’s growth
Cagayan, catering to the towns of Tuao, Piat, Sanchez-Mira and Santo Niño, as well as the municipalities of Kabugao and Conner in the province of Apayao. It was also able to generate employment for around 102 locals, a significant increase from the initial 2 workers Ginalyn hired for her previous rolling store. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the grocery store remained open to service customers, and was even tapped by local government units in the province as a supplier of relief Throughgoods.the lending program, LandBank aims to support and empower female entrepreneurs to pursue business ventures such as traditional trade, e-commerce business and food services activities, among others. The program can finance the working capital, construction or renovation of buildings and facilities related to business operations, and financing of purchase orders from the borrower’s clients. For cooperatives and partner financial institutions, rediscounting and on-lending activities may also be financed.
EO 170 TO pursue digital empowerment, Villafuerte recalled that then-President Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) 170—“Adoption of Digital Payments for Government Disbursements and Collections”—last May 12. The order directed all national government agencies, local government units, state universities and colleges and government-owned or -controlled corporations to tap digital platforms in disbursing and collecting official payments. To implement EO 170, government agencies led by the Department of Finance last week issued its draft implementing rules and regulations mandating all these covered government agencies to implement digital disbursements in six months’ time and online collections within one to three years, depending on each agency’s operational readiness and capability to do so. In his first State of the Nation Address and his budget message to legislators for his proposed P5.268trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2023, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has stressed that digital migration and financial inclusion remain government priorities on his Withwatch.digitalization a top priority of his Administration, the President said in his first budget message last August 22 to Congress that his 2023 GAA plan includes a P12.1-billion investment in Information and Communications Technology infrastructure and skills development “to accelerate our digital transformation.”
The businessman added that local government units (LGUs) should also step up in helping MSMEs because their leadership is crucial to the growth of small businesses.
There are between 12 and 24 million e-commerce stores selling products online. The chances of you selling the same products and competing for the same customer base are high. Social media marketing offers a way for you to stand out and show what makes your business better than the rest. These days, customers want to connect and form relationships with the brands they buy from. If you can form this relationship through social media, you will not only get their business, but also gain their loyalty. This means repeat sales and a stream of loyal customers serving as your brand advocates. 3. Leverage the power of email marketing. Email marketing is effective for reaching out to your customers, but keeping their interest long enough to read your email is the challenge. Personalize the message, so your email doesn’t look like it’s written just for the sake of having it sent. You want to promote your business, but make sure the reader gets value out of it. One way to do this is by offering discount codes or vouchers or Usepromotions.astrongcall to action. Be clear on what you want the recipient to do after receiving your email. The right call to action will make sure that users click through the email and land on your e-commerce store. 4. Paid ads can pay off. Pay-Per-Click marketing can be a great investment for e-commerce businesses, but only if you take the rightWhenapproach.launching paid ads, make sure the ad copy, the value proposition in the message, and the landing page are all aligned. Use compelling, high-converting messages in the copy. The landing page needs to provide the value the customers are looking for when they saw your ad. It should also be set up with the right keywords to ensure you’re targeting customers who have a high intent to purchase from you.
5. A holistic digital strategy for your e-commerce business. Developing a digital marketing plan can help you e-commerce business unlock new potential and remain a market leader. With the strategies above, you can jumpstart your digital growth and experience a surge of customers for business.
Two weeks ago, the Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines (FOBAP) urged government to provide loan financing to MSME exporters to enable them to comply with international trade regulations required by foreign buyers. This call came after executives of William E. Connor & Associates Ltd. (WE Connor) visited offices of five vendors who cited payment terms as a main challenge in business. Meanwhile, FOBAP President and Chairman Robert Young said he is banking on the passage of a bill ramping up lending to MSMEs affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. House Bill (HB) 1, or the proposed Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery or (Guide) Act, seeks to provide funds to the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to expand their loan programs for MSMEs.
THE LandBank said the loan helped Ginalyn expand her business into a full grocery store and become a leading supplier of grocery items in
Fitz Villafuerte is a registered financial planner of RFP Philippines. To learn more about personalfinancial planning, attend the 98th RFP program this October. To inquire, e-mail info@rfp.ph or text at 0917-6248110.
Term loans ELIGIBLE borrowers include registered micro, small and medium enterprises majority-owned by women or with majority of its top management, including the CEO, composed of women. They may borrow up to 80 percent of the actual project cost and 85 percent for rediscounting and on-lendingShort-termactivities.loansand term loans for permanent working capital are payable up to one year and five years, respectively, while term loans for fixed assets and construction of facilities are payable up to ten years. An interest rate of 5 percent per year shall apply, fixed for the first three years and subject to repricing thereafter.
FOUR Camarines Sur lawmakers made a stronger push for the prompt congressional approval of a measure they believe would enable roughly 10 million to 34 million unbanked Filipinos—many in faraway barrios without any banking presence—to finally open their own bank accounts. payments, particularly in the last two years under the Covid-19 pandemic, an estimated low of almost 10 million to a high of over 34 million Filipinos have no bank accounts yet, apparently because of our leave-muchto-be-desired digital infrastructure coupled with the dearth of banks, especially in remote barrios across the“Itcountry.”isimperative for us legislators to address this digital disconnect by passing HB 273 in the House and a counterpart bill in the Senate to establish soon enough a banking presence all over the country,” Villafuerte said. The lawmaker said doing so would government’s digital transformation and financial inclusion goals and the Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap (DPTR) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).The lawmaker added doing so would also assist the BSP achieve its National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) target of onboarding at least 70 percent of adult Filipinos to the formal financial system by 2023.
By VG Cabuag @villygc
MALAYAN Insurance Co. Inc. on Monday said it has maintained its AM Best financial strength rating of B++ (Good) and the long-term issuer credit rating of “bbb+” (Good) for the year. The Yuchengco-led insurance company also kept its stable credit ratings outlook despite the pandemic’s continuous impact on the Philippine economy. “These ratings reflect Malayan’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management,” the insurer said. The ratings emphasized Malayan’s financial solvency and underscored its claims-paying ability and capacity to meet debt obligations. Malayan Insurance President and CEO Paolo Y. Abaya said the recent credit ratings were a testament of its stability and reliability. “Aside from providing relevant insurance products, our organization remains robust and resilient so that we are always prepared to secure the lives and assets of our countrymen,” AbayaKnownsaid.as a global authority for rating insurance companies, AM Best also noted that the non-life insurer’s risk-adjusted capitalization bolstered its balance sheet strength, and forecasted it to stay at the strongest level over the medium term as measured by Best’s capital adequacy ratio. The company’s overall underwriting performance was mainly driven by its automotive insurance line while investment income remained the main contributor to its overall earnings.“Being the number one non-life insurer in the country, it is relevant for Malayan to leverage on its expertise and competence in the non-life insurance space,” Abaya said. “This affirmation from AM Best is instrumental for us to continue to thrive and lead the market through the lens of our extensive understanding of the business, amplified by the innovations we implement which will form part of our commitment to be the most trusted non-life insurer in the Philippines.”
National Unity Party (NUP) President Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte, one of the four authors of House Bill (HB) 273 or the “Bangko sa Baryo Act,” said last Sunday “the swift legislative approval of this measure would go a long way for the 19th Congress to achieve the “lofty, complementary goals of bridging the country’s digital divide and attaining financial inclusion for all AccordingFilipinos.”toVillafuerte, the glaring “disconnect” in the use of digital financial service in the country is “borne out by the reality that despite the dramatic increase in online or epErsOnaL finanCE fitz Gerard Villafuerte
HH LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Trust yourself, not what others say or do, to get things done differently. An opportunity will sprout if you pursue information, knowledge, skills and comfort in following a path that inspires passion and desire to make a difference. HHH SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Leave nothing to chance. Be original and open to suggestions, but when making a final decision, let your intuition lead the way and your heart push you in a direction that feels right. HHH SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Nothing is forever, but if ideas are thought out and applied with expertise, good things will transpire. Don’t be fooled by someone who challenges you or tries to change your schedule. HHHH CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change will help you excel. Time is on your side, and putting everything in its place is all you need to remember if you want to reach your destination. Keep your emotions under control and remain true to your beliefs. HH AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Refuse to let anyone slow you down. Don’t let the changes around you diminish your plans or the outcome you are trying to achieve. A steady pace forward will encourage talks that support long-term solutions. Romance is featured. HHHHH PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t get angry or believe everything you hear. Expect to be inundated with information that can lead you astray or cost you emotionally, physically or financially. Trust what’s obvious and can be verified, and go about your business. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are aggressive, energetic and generous. You are independent and unique. H: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. HH: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. HHH: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. HHHH: Aim high; start new projects. HHHHH: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.
HHHHH CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t stress over what’s happening around you when what’s important is to live up to your promises and finish what you start. Work alone if it will keep others from slowing you down.
Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia
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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Think outside the box, and you’ll devise a plan that will give you the momentum you need to succeed. Personal growth, self-improvement and essential relationships will help you achieve what’s important to you. Romance will enhance your love life. HHH TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t let what others do or say lead you astray. Work toward your goal without jeopardizing your health or reputation. A high-energy approach to work and a sound idea will help you complete things on time and to your satisfaction. HHH GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Anger will not solve problems, but setting high standards and doing your best will outmaneuver any competition you meet along the way. Use your expertise to help others, and you’ll gain respect and feel good about your accomplishments. Put your best foot forward.
HHHH VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Put your money into something that will help you advance or protect your long-term goal. Concentrate on work and gain stability. Refuse to let changes disrupt your plans or cause you to make a move you regret.
The Universal Crossword/Edited
The protest came a day after activists glued themselves to Nicolas Poussin’s 1651 painting Landscape During a Thunderstorm with Pyramus and Thisbe at the Staedel Museum in Frankfurt. Earlier this week, two activists glued their hands to the golden frame of Raphael’s Sistine Madonna Gemaeldegalerie museum in Dresden. In both cases, police were called to the museums to carefully detach the activists’ hands from the frames. The activists also blocked dozens of roads across Germany this year by gluing themselves to the asphalt.With their unusual forms of protest, Last Generation activists say they are trying to make it impossible for people and governments to ignore that the world has only a short time to prevent catastrophic levels of global warming. “Climate catastrophe is an unprecedented threat of incredible proportions: killer droughts, devastating heat, all-consuming forest fires. These will increase dramatically in the coming years. Not just here in Germany...but worldwide,” said Jakob Beyer, a 28-year-old activist who glued himself to the frame of Sistine Madonna, one of the most famous paintings of the Italian SimilarRenaissance.protestshave been carried out by activists in other European countries. In London, climate activists targeted a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper at the Royal Academy of Arts last month, gluing themselves to the painting’s frame and spray-painting “No New Oil” next to it. In Italy, protesters glued themselves to one of the Vatican Museums’ most important ancient sculptures this month. Activists earlier glued their hands to the glass window protecting Sandro Botticelli’s painting Spring in the Uffizi Galleries in Florence. In that case, they were detained and ordered to stay out of Florence for three years, Italian media said.
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Last CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Andy Roddick, 40; Lisa Ling, 49; Cameron Diaz, 50; Michael Chiklis, 59. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Concentrate on financial opportunities. An aggressive portfolio with a solid endgame will put your mind at ease. Don’t let missed opportunities bring you down; learn from the experience and push forward. A steady pace and a disciplined attitude regarding health, wealth and personal gain will bring the results you desire. Live up to your promises and show kindness toward others. Your numbers are 7, 18, 22, 29, 32, 36, 47.
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maybe 50 Jabs 53 Harvest 54 Soviet gymnast Korbut 55 Future SCOTUS member’s exam 57 Put in stitches 58 ___ & Perrins (sauce brand) 59 Write the wrong date, e.g. ‘one way and another’ BY
Solution to today’s puzzle: ❶ NAKAMIT na nga ba ang Kalayaan, Juanito Torres, oil on canvas, 58”x69.5” ❷ SANA Huwag Mangyari, Juanito Torres, oil on canvas, 56.5”x84” ‘We can be heroes’ ❶ ❷ German art group criticizes climate protesters for using art MEMBERS of the climate activist group 23,Germany,MuseumGemaeldegaleriebySframethemselvesGeneration)GenerationLetzte(LastgluedtotheofthepaintingistineMadonnaRaphaelattheinDresden,onAugust2022. AP
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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos www.businessmirror.com.ph
The Hero in Our Time opened over the weekend and will run until September 7. More information is available at 8247-1109 or galerie.raphael@gmail.com. n August
A CCLAIMED writer Jose Dalisay Jr. could not have articulated better the modern currency of heroism in the exhibition notes of visual artist Juanito Torres’ new solo“Inshow.this age of massive disinformation and orchestrated behavior, where historical truth can run a far second to customized perception, we may need the likes and the forthrightness of a Juanito Torres to remind us of where true heroism resides: in each of us, as ordinary citizens struggling to do the right thing in a society that demand our submission to power, howeverTorreswrongful.”letsouthis rallying cry in celebration of National Heroes’ Day. He presents in the show, titled The Hero in Our Time, prominent figures in Philippine history as well as the next generation of Filipinos who must follow in their footsteps. The show is on display at Galerie Raphael in UP Town Center. Renowned for his large-scale historical and surrealist artworks, the artist draws once again from his vast experience as a historian who has worked for different museums. He also takes cue from his aspirations for the country as its citizen. In Little Heroes (Back to School), Torres depicts students as modern heroes: fighting for education with classrooms as the battlefield and the pandemic as the enemy. In Little Heroes (Ituloy ang Laban), the artist expresses his hopes that the younger generation stands up as the next in line. Torres likewise illustrates the country’s celebrated heroes such as Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, though not in mere retellings of their heroic moments. Rather, in true Torres fashion, he captures the essence of these revered figures and presents them through the filter of his signature surrealism. Nakamit na nga ba ang Kalayaan, for instance, shows Rizal and Bonifacio striking their iconic poses. However, in the background reside symbols of persistent oppression, as if daring us, the audience, to ponder if we continue to honor their sacrifice. Are we protecting the freedom they paid their lives for us to have?He also gathers historical icons, old and new, in powerful frames, such as Mga Ideya ng Pagbabago (The Propaganda Movement) and Mga Bayani ng Rebolusyon. Torres likewise expresses his fears—the outcome when we fail to answer the call to exercise heroism today—in Sana Huwag Mangyari.
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“The works put in danger are part of world cultural heritage and deserve to be protected as well as our climate,” he Membersadded.ofthe group Uprising of the Last Generation glued themselves to the 1504 painting Rest on the Flight into Egypt by the Lucas Cranach the Elder at Berlin’s Gemaeldegalerie on Thursday, the dpa news agency reported.
B4 Art Tuesday,
By Kirsten Grieshaber The Associated Press BERLIN—A leading cultural organization in Germany on Thursday criticized climate activists for gluing themselves to the frames of famous paintings in museums to protest what they say is the German government’s failure to act against climate change. The German Cultural Council, an umbrella group for cultural organizations, accused the activists of endangering important artworks with their latest tactics and warned them not to pit art against the cause of curbing global warming. “As much as I can understand the despair of the climate activists, I say clearly that the act of gluing themselves to the frames of famous works of art is clearly wrong. The risk of damaging the artworks is very high,” said Olaf Zimmermann, the German Cultural Council’s managing director.
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ACROSS 1 They don’t appreciate being tipped 5 Mete out 10 Ill-fated queen Boleyn 14 Common face shape 15 “Bleeding Love” singer Lewis 16 Warty amphibian 17 Dignified beer 19 Tiny branch 20 Prime minister, e.g. 21 Smooth and charming 22 A comics menace behaved immorally 26 Cross-legged yoga pose 29 Like this puzzle 30 Where only two people have been 31 Hash browns’ basis 33 SFO screeners’ group 36 More nerdy 38 Snacks (on) 40 Federal ID 41 It sits on a saucer 43 “What the ___ is that?” 44 Paper fastener 46 Smarty-___ 47 The entire class gets the wrong answer 51 Dickinson who penned “’Hope’ is the thing with feathers” 52 Pull the strings of 56 King or queen, but not princess 57 *Bottoms of racing yachts 60 Friend, in Paris 61 Like a haunted house 62 Indian musical pattern 63 Small complaints 64 Alerts 65 Lovers’ quarrel DOWN 1 The “C” of BBC: Abbr. 2 Mind ___ matter 3 Rate of pay 4 Sure thing, informally 5 Name hidden in “focal length” 6 Commit to memory 7 Fireplace insert 8 Small bill 9 It’s found in pits 10 Adjust (to) 11 Every so often 12 Gullible 13 Defeated by a hair 18 Fudges the facts 21 ___ Says (kids game) 23 Addams family cousin 24 Former SeaWorld attraction 25 Frame job 26 Tripod’s trio 27 Poems of glorification 28 Deodorant brand that inspired a Nirvana hit 31 Cute Easter treats Spoken exams Religious faction Inquires European boot? Book group? Toon frame Squiggly Spanish marks Rebellious rock genre Pie nut that’s not sweet, salty, sour or bitter at a chalet, CATHERINE CETTA by David Steinberg
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HH LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Stick to the basics and keep life simple. Focus on what and who interests you, pitch in and do your part. A positive attitude will help you finish what you start and establish what you want to do moving forward.
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The Virtual Studio Tours is an interactive media classroom that showcased GMA’s cutting-edge technology, rich content, and quality journalism— making the company the first Philippine broadcast network to offer this kind of service to a global audience in the safety of their homes. GMA vice president and head of corporate affairs and communications Angel Javier Cruz said, “Broadcasting is not just a business that seeks the bottom line. We have the responsibility to deliver superior entertainment and unbiased, timely and accurate news. This is what we do in the GMA Network Virtual Studio Tours—growing a community of media-literate audiences and inspiring the next-generation of broadcast professionals.” Originally an on-foot program that offers a glimpse of the world behind the doors of the country’s top broadcast company, the GMA Tours has evolved from being a go-see through the studios, into a classroom away from school with the help of the network’s vast pool of broadcast experts.
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AP MEMBERS of the public enjoying the Virtual Studio Tours Sylvester Stallone’s wife files for divorce after 25 years Tony Hadley takes 40th anniversary tour to Manila
LONDON—A car driven by Princess Diana in the 1980s sold for £650,000 ($764,000) at auction Saturday, just days before the 25th anniversary of her death. Silverstone Auctions said there was “fierce bidding” for the black Ford Escort RS Turbo before the sale closed. The uK buyer, whose name was not disclosed, paid a 12.5 percent buyer’s premium on top of the selling price, according to the classic car auction house. Britain and Diana’s admirers worldwide are preparing to mark a quarter century since her death. She died in a high-speed car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Diana drove the Escort from 1985 to 1988. She was photographed with it outside boutique shops in Chelsea and restaurants in Kensington. She preferred to drive her own car, with a member of her security team in the passenger seat.The RS Turbo Series 1 was typically manufactured in white, but she got it in black to be more discreet. Ford also added features for her security, such as a second rear-view mirror for the protection officer. The car has just under 25,000 miles on it. Last year, another Ford Escort that Diana used sold at auction for £52,000 ($61,100).
AP
THE Ford Escort RS Turbo Series 1, which belonged to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is seen during a preview of an auction at Silverstone circuit, in Northamptonshire, England, on August 26, 2022.
BEACH, Florida—Sylvester Stallone’s wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone has filed for divorce after 25 years of marriage. The petition was filed last week in a court in Palm Beach County, Florida, where the couple owns a home. She is seeking exclusive use of their home in Florida—they own another in California—and has asked to have her name changed back to Jennifer Flavin. She also is asking for a greater share of their assets, alleging the actor deliberately squandered money that should be available to her. Stallone has yet to file his response to the divorce petition, and an e-mail to a representative seeking comment was not immediately returned. The couple’s three daughters are all adults, so there are no custody issues to Sylvesterresolve.Stallone, 76, star of the Rocky and Rambo franchises, married Jennifer Stallone, 54, a businesswoman and former model, in London in 1997. They had dated for several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s before breaking up and later reconciling. It was the third marriage for Sylvester Stallone, who was last married to his Rocky IV costar Brigitte Nielsen from 1985 to 1987. It was Jennifer Stallone’s first marriage. Lee Ju ng Jae debuts as f i l m maker
The Philippine Quill Awards is organized by the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines (IABC). This year’s theme “Move: Stronger Together” highlights the power of communications in shaping the future and encourages communicators to use their voice and platforms to navigate and move through the next normal bigger and better—setting the direction and inspiring people toward action and positive change.
Though Korean by birth, Grace grew up in Manila, speaks Filipino very fluently and this diverse background allowed her a unique perspective and vision of merging the technical excellence and creative expertise of both countries and share it with the region. “My company aims to be a bridge that connects both our countries through cinema, and we have started taking big steps to see an exchange of great talent from both countries through content and coproduction. We are working continuously to produce Korean and local content for regional audiences, with Manila as our hub.” A new film has started producttion last March, shot mostly on location in the Philippines, with both Korean and Philippine actors and production experts. “I will be making the big announcement soon, now that the project is already on its final stages of principal photography,” Lee enthused.
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GMA’s ‘Virtual Studio Tours’ wins Philippine Quill Award of Excellence
Editor: Gerard S. Ramos
A MuSICAL heartthrob of the 1980s, former Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley is celebrating four hit-making decades in the industry with a massive tour performing his most memorable tunes. Hadley brings the night of electrifying musical performance to the Newport World Resorts’ award-winning Newport Performing Arts Theater (www.newportworldresorts.com) on September 28 for his devoted Philippine fans. Hadley rose to prominence during the New Romantics era of the 1980s with his former band, performing iconic hits “True,” “Gold” and “Through the Barricades.” In the 1990s, Hadley pursued a solo career and found his new sound, Euro House music. Catch Tony Hadley revisit his biggest numbers and all-time hits live onstage at the Newport Performing Arts Theater on September 28 at 8 pm. Tickets are now available at all TicketWorld and SM Tickets outlets: P10,500 (Platinum) P9,500 (SVIP), P8,500 (VIP), P7,000 (Gold), P5,000 (Silver), and P2,500 (Bronze). For inquiries, contact Archli Enriquez at 0917-8239602, Kenneth Navoa at 0917-8079387, or Jefferson Federizo 0917-6589378, or call TicketWorld at 8891-9999 or SM Tickets at 8470-
AP Diana’s car auctioned as 25th anniversary of her death nears
THE GMA Network Virtual Studio Tours (www. gmanetwork.com) bagged an Award of Excellence under the Communication Training and Education Category at the 19th Philippine Quill Awards. An initiative of the network’s Corporate Affairs Division, Virtual Studio Tours gained recognition in the prestigious awards program in the field of business communication. It was also included in the five nominees for the top award under its category.
• Tuesday, August 30, 2022 B5 Show BusinessMirrorwww.businessmirror.com.ph
NOW considered a superstar in Korea, actor Lee Jung Jae quietly went behind the camera and is making a bigger splash with his directorial film debut, Hunt After the phenomenal success of Squid Game, the South Korean survival drama television series’ lead actor Lee was catapulted to worldwide fame, hailed by international critics, and even took home best actor trophies from the Screen Actors’ Guild, the Independent Spirit Awards and the Critics’ Choice Awards.Wanting to spread his artistic wings that grew from more than 30 years of acting, Lee decided to take on the challenge to become a filmmaker. Described as an espionage action film, Hunt had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes International Film Festival and it caused quite a stir among festival fans. Although originally offered a role in the film, Lee decided to make a detour and requested to be allowed to also sit in the director’s chair. “After reading the original material, I thought I could create a lot of common threads between two men who have devoted themselves to a greater cause and a bigger purpose. I tried to search for a writer and director that possessed a similar creative vision, but I could not find one, so I took on the task of developing the screenplay myself.” He added, “For many years, I have rewritten a considerable amount of material, and I focused on establishing convincing motivations for each of the characters. These motivations had to be pressing so that the characters would collide with one another with intensity, a kind of intensity that can spread all over the Acknowledgingscreen.” that there have been narratives in the past about the seemingly unending conflict between North and South Korea, Lee said the film strays from other films because it tells the story about one’s principles and the causes one fights so hard for. “I’d like to think that this film is more about the people who are working to right their ill-conceived ideologies rather than just tell a story about North and South Korea. I believe that it is always important to continuously ask ourselves if our beliefs and principles are rooted in honor and love. We caught recently a special screening of the film which also stars Jung Woo Sung, Jeon Hye Jin, Heo Sung Tae, Kim Song Joon and Jung Man Sik. The screening was organized by Glimmer Inc., a content production company owned by television and radio personality, host, DJ and newsanchor turned businesswoman Grace Lee, who sat down with us for a few minutes to share her thoughts about the film and her excitement with its opening in Philippine cinemas on August 31. “I am just so thrilled to be able to bring this much talked-about Korean film to the Philippines. Many Filipinos continue to be drawn to anything Korean, and cinema is one platform that is universal,” shared Lee.
LEE JUNG JAE (left) and Grace Lee
RESPONDING to the effects of an earthquake, the southwest monsoon and a fire incident, BDO Foundation partnered with local officials for the immediate distribution of food assistance and cleaning supplies in disaster-affected communities cleaning kits for 1,100 families in Banaue, Ifugao to help the community clean up dirt and debris scattered by the southwest monsoon.
To date, the story of good-natured Malta slowly overcoming her fears and finding happiness with Sieg has kept their fans teetering on their toes. The previous episode was especially thrilling as it showed Malta celebrating her birthday with Sieg and her friends. Despite an unexpected “intrusion” from Sieg’s ex, Charlotte, the night ended happily with Malta and Sieg sharing their very first kiss! Their “first kiss” naturally sent rabid Will it be ‘Happily Ever After’ in the Puregold YouTube Channel series “Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask?”
Security Bank recognized for managing remote workforce at 2022 Retail Banker International Asia TrailblazerAward
Philippine Army, Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection personnel provided security and logistical support. Officers of BDO and BDO Network Bank branches helped identify communities in need. The relief efforts in Abra and Ilocos Sur were the latest conducted by BDO Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank. The foundation also provided
FROM left to right - Bong Abela (Business Consultant), Ermelo Rañola (COO, e-DRIS Inc.), Joshua Wahiman (Subway Marketing Manager), Dr. Annabelle S. Alob (Public Schools District Supervisor - Bantayan II), Victor S. Ungod (School Head of Patao National Highschool) and Lorenzo Cañares. W SP Inc. scored two highly coveted Stevie® awards in the 2022 International Business Awards®, winning Gold for Riot Games, Inc. in the PR Campaign of the Year – Gaming & Virtual Reality category, and Bronze for the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) in the Brand & Experiences – Thougeht Leadership category. The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – are eligible to submit nominations. The 2022 IBAs received entries from organizations in 67 nations and territories. Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 300 executives worldwide who participated in the judging process in June and July.
Tuesday, August 30, 2022B6
“We are delighted that we are able to empower the community and this last mile school with this School in a Box device. As we want to highlight all the better for your meals from Subway, we also want to highlight or bring about a healthier approach and, in terms of their studies, would be better in their field before they go out into the real world,” he said.
S ECURITY Bank Corporation was awarded by UK-based finance journal Retail Banker International (RBI) at the 2022 RBI Asia Trailblazer Awards for having the Best Advance in Managing a Remote Workforce and Best CSR InitiativeContribution to the Local Community. The journal recognized Security Bank for its successful efforts to rapidly transition to a remote workforce setup due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It also feted the Bank and its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm, Security Bank Foundation Inc. (SBFI) for helping local communities adapt and recover from“We’reCovid-19.honored to be recognized by Retail Banker International for our efforts in ensuring the safety of our employees at the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns. This is testament to our passion for our people as we work towards becoming an employer of choice in the Philippines,” says Nerissa Berba, SVP and Human Capital Management Head. Adding value to the local community RBI also recognized both the Bank and SBFI for its CSR programs that have contributed to the growth of communities outside Metro Manila. In recent years, the Bank and SBF launched various programs that focus on improving the health and wellness of Filipinos, as well as building ties with the community it serves. The Bank has spearheaded various projects such as the funding of a new Chemo Prep Room at the Philippine General Hospital to reduce the waiting time of cancer patients receiving treatment. It also partnered with St. Luke’s Medical Center to fund plasma treatments for Covid-19 patients to help boost their body’s defense against the virus. SBFI leveraged on its existing partnership with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and donated three negative pressure ambulance units on top of the five regular ambulance units donated before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. SBFI also contributed to the augmentation of the country’s capacity for Covid-19 testing by establishing a bio-molecular laboratory in Mandaue, Cebu through PRC. More than 7,000 individuals have been served by the ambulances donated by SBFI while close to 100,000 tests have been conducted at the bio-molecular laboratory in Cebu. “SBFI strived to reach 700 classrooms constructed and in progress by end of 2021. While the Covid-19 pandemic may have challenged our ability to fully turnover the ongoing classrooms to hit the 700th mark, we hope to turn these over by end of 2022 to support our schools’ aspiration to finally resume face-to-face classes and provide better quality of education for students,” says SBFI Chairman Rafael Simpao, Jr. “As we work towards becoming the mostcustomer centric bank in the Philippines, we will continue to invest in our clients and in what they value the most. Alongside this, we will continue to nurture our people and the communities we serve. This RBI award and recognition re-affirms our commitment to be better and to provide Filipinos with BetterBanking service,” says Sanjiv Vohra, President & CEO of Security Bank. To know more about Security Bank and its products and services, you may visit www. securitybank.com or Security Bank’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SecurityBank.
Upgrading the education system with cloud technology IN line with the goal of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte to upgrade the educational system by leveraging on technology, one school in Bantayan Island, Cebu is a step closer to realizing this goal.
In partnership with e-DRIS Inc., Subway® Philippines delivered the School in a Box digital system to Patao National High School in Bantayan Island, Cebu. Patao is one of the far-flung barangays of Bantayan, Cebu. Identified as one of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) last mile schools, the school can be reached after four hours of land trip, an hour ferry trip and another hour trip from the main port of Bantayan. The School in a Box system is a micro-cloud system that can provide for the creation, selection, curation and distribution of tens of thousands of updated relevant content to thousands of users at a time. For teachers and students alike, it is also embedded with the Foundation Learning Management System to make the e-learning process a productive and quantifiable process. Moreover, these e-learning content and modules are made accessible to students and teachers online or with intermittent connection or no internet connectivity at all. This innovative platform is definitely a game changer for the last mile schools and those located in internet-challenged areas. e-DRIS emphasized that the program will allow access to educational modules, interactive lessons, simulated videos, reference materials comprising of a vast array of knowledge for Grade 1 to Grade 12 students through online
In Davao City, it distributed food packs to 300 families displaced by a fire incident. As a follow through to its relief operations, BDO Foundation implements long-term rehabilitation and rebuilding programs in disaster-affected provinces.
“Contentconnectivity.intheform of text and other resources can be centrally curated in the C3 Cloud Control portal by those responsible for curriculum and distributed to any authorized C3 MicroCloud,” explained Ermelo Ranola, COO of e-DRISDuringInc.the turnover ceremony, Patao National High School Principal Victor S. Ungod said the arrival of the system was very timely and that it would help fill in the gaps for students who are behind in their“Thelessons.School in the Box program can enhance the learnings of the students and in fact we or the students have benefitted from this because we are in the process of exploring the contents of this device. We are very thankful for this because we are the very first recipient of this program,” Ungod said. For his part, Subway® Philippines Marketing Manager Joshua Wahiman reaffirmed Subway’s promise of being the better choice for everyone, not just in serving fresh and healthy foods but also in amplifying the importance of education and how a healthier approach in learning can maximize the potential of students regardless of their location.
W ITH Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask” winding down its wildly popular series on the Puregold Channel, will the season finale deliver the much-awaited “happily ever after” ending?
WSP President Diana V. Lesaca commended her team’s resilient efforts in producing world-class quality work despite the limitations caused by Covid-19 restrictions.“I’mproud of the WSP team that went all out with their creativity and inspired storytelling to come up with these awardworthy campaigns for our clients at a time when everyone was pivoting operations to adjust to the pandemic situation,” Lesaca said. “We are grateful to have clients who trust our ideas to represent their brands.” WSP Inc. will be celebrating its third year in October as a communications consultancy firm specializing in public relations. The majority of its team members came from the former Weber Shandwick Philippines, giving the company a collective experience and expertise that they can leverage to strengthen WSP’s international relations and widening network. “Our company recognizes the vast opportunities in having partners who have specialized interests and expertise in global markets. With this flexibility, we can assure our growing clientele that we can meet their constantly evolving needs in markets where they are present,” Lesaca added. Agent Neon: Philippines, represent! Riot Games, Inc. recognizes the depth of impact and influence of gaming in the WSP Inc. wins Gold, Bronze Stevie® Awards in the 2022 International Business Awards® global stage of eSports. The VALORANT Agent Neon Project was launched to drive inclusivity that transcends race, culture, geography, socio-economic class, gender andAgentage. Neon is the first ever character of Filipino and Southeast Asian descent introduced in Riot Games’ tactical shooter game VALORANT. Through this character, the brand was able to connect with its potential, new, and existing players while introducing Filipino culture to the global VALORANT community. “We are immensely grateful for this Gold recognition from the IBA Stevie Awards as it is a validation that we are heading in the right direction with building culturally resonant and memorable moments for gamers across the region,” said Jem Loh, Head of Communications & Channels of Riot Games APAC. “Here at Riot Games, we strive to become the most player-focused game company in the world and we understand gaming's impact on the global community as it truly transcends age, gender, race, cultures. As a playable in-game agent, Neon is truly a love letter to our amazing Filipino players and also a kudos to our Asia Pacific communities in the name of inclusivity, diversity, and representation. This award inspires us to continue to honor and uphold the various amazing cultures in our region,” Loh added.
BDO Foundation mounts relief operations in earthquake-hit provinces of Abra, Ilocos Sur
I N line with its disaster response advocacy, BDO Foundation found ways to extend assistance to thousands of underserved Filipinos affected by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated parts of Northern Luzon. The foundation mounted relief operations in areas hit hardest by the tremors including the municipalities of Bangued, Dolores and Tayum in the province of Abra as well as Candon City and the towns of Caoayan and Santa in Ilocos Sur. It mobilized volunteers to visit evacuation sites and distribute relief packs containing food, rice and drinking water to 7,600 affected families in 26 barangays. The initiative was made possible by volunteers from partner parishes, barangay officials and representatives of local disaster risk reduction and social welfare agencies.
MALTA having a laugh with her best friends Edwin and Jessie.
followers on a frenzy! Grace Gonzaga gushed, “Grabe ang cute.....sobrang bagay sila joseph and herlene! Grabe congrats to the entire cast staff creator and to puregold channel.” Mendoza Kenny Lyn M. felt the kilig as well. “OMG! Grabeeh na kayo! Sobrang kilig na kilig na ako sainyo dalawa.” OFW shared a more affirming personal comment about Herlene. “Maganda ang chemistry nila. Magaling c Herlene mag portray ng papel nya at na entertain ang mga viewers, i wud suggest na sana if possible give her more exposure sa talent nya. Nka subaybay ako sa kanyang story, she is the real evidence of a courageous woman.” With only one more episode to go, fans are still curious about how their love will finally get its storybook ending. You need “closure”? Get it by watching the season finale of “Ang Babae sa Likod ng Face Mask” showing on the official YouTube Puregold Channel. For more updates, like @ puregold.shopping on Facebook, follow @ puregold_ph on Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to Puregold Channel on YouTube.
United front from leaders during the pandemic AS the country faced uncertainties at the height of the pandemic in 2020, the CEOs and executive heads of the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) agreed to go online for a virtual conversation with its stakeholders.Themessage: YGC is prepared for any eventuality with its ability to be of value and remain relevant for its stakeholders regardless of changing situations, circumstances and environment. It was the first time in the Philippines that CEOs and executive leaders of a conglomerate came together, albeit virtually, to stand united and provide a single reassuring voice amidst the collective fear brought by COVID-19. This was around the time when vaccines have yet to enter the Thecountry.virtual forum was also an opportunity for YGC to launch its corporate campaign, “YGC: the future-proof visionary”. “WSP helped us reach out to our stakeholders amidst uncertainties brought by the pandemic. Through this forum, we were able to communicate and build awareness on the conglomerate’s futureproofing efforts and best practices in a way that best resonated with our stakeholders. We’re happy that the Stevie Awards recognized this effort,” said Ces F. Natividad, Chief Marketing Officer of RCBC. RCBC is the flagship company under YGC. WSP guided all six executives to focus their messaging solely on pandemicrelated concerns and what their respective stakeholders needed to hear as assurances. The agency leveraged its relationship with mainstream and digital media to gather positive support for its corresponding story outputs.andoffline
The Associated Press Writers Krutika Pathi in New Delhi; Jesse Bedayn in Denver; Jennifer Peltz in New York; James Pollard in South Carolina; Zen Soo in Hong Kong; Margaret Stafford in Kansas City; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama; Amy Taxin in Orange County, California; Rebecca Santana in New Orleans; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; and Michael Goldberg in Jackson, Mississippi, contributed to this story.
‘Tape or chewing gum’: Twitter’s security lapses echo worldwide
“We are at the moment at the ground zero of the front line of extreme weather events, in an unrelenting cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking non-stop havoc throughout the country,” she said. The on-camera statement was retweeted by the country’s am bassador to the European Union. Flooding from the Swat River overnight affected northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where tens of thousands of peo ple—especially in the Charsadda and Nowshehra districts—have been evacuated from their homes to relief camps set up in govern ment buildings. Many have also taken shelter on roadsides, said Kamran Bangash, a spokesperson for the provincial government. Bangash said some 180,000 people have been evacuated from Charsadda and 150,000 from Now shehra district villages. Khaista Rehman, 55, no rela tion to the climate minister, took shelter with his wife and three children on the side of the Islam abad-Peshawar highway after his home in Charsadda was submerged overnight.“Thank God we are safe now on this road quite high from the flooded area,” he said. “Our crops are gone and our home is destroyed but I am grateful to Allah that we are alive and I will restart life with myThesons.”unprecedented monsoon season has affected all four of the country’s provinces. Nearly 300,000 homes have been de stroyed, numerous roads rendered impassable and electricity outages have been widespread, affecting millions of people. Pope Francis on Sunday said he wanted to assure his “closeness to the populations of Pakistan struck by flooding of disastrous propor tions.’’ Speaking during a pilgrim age to the Italian town of L’Aquila, which was hit by a deadly earth quake in 2009, Francis said he was praying “for the many victims, for the injured and the evacuated, and so that international solidarity will be prompt and generous.” Rehman told Turkish news out let TRT World that by the time the rains recede, “we could well have one fourth or one third of Pakistan under“Thiswater.”issomething that is a global crisis and of course we will need better planning and sustain able development on the ground.... We’ll need to have climate resilient crops as well as structures,” she said. In May, Rehman told BBC New shour that both the country’s north and south were witnessing extreme weather events because of rising temperatures. “So in north actually just now we are ... expe riencing what is known as glacial lake outburst floods which we have many of because Pakistan is home to the highest number of glaciers outside the polar region.” The government has deployed soldiers to help civilian authori ties in rescue and relief operations across the country. The Pakistani army also said in a statement it air lifted 22 tourists trapped in a val ley in the country’s north to safety.
AN FRANCISCO—From fire departments to governments, from school districts to corporations, from local utilities to grassroots organizers around the world, Twitter at its best is a tool to get a message out quickly, efficiently, directly. It’s also a constant risk-and-reward calculation.Arecent bombshell whistleblower report from Twitter’s former head of security alleges that the social media company has been negligently lax on cybersecurity and privacy protections for its users for years. While worrisome for anyone on Twitter, the revelations could be especially concerning for those who use it to reach constituencies, get news out about emergencies and for political dissidents and activists in the crosshairs of hackers or their own governments.
By Zarar Khan The Associated Press I SLAMABAD—Deaths from widespread flooding in Paki stan topped 1,000 since midJune, officials said Sunday, as the country’s climate minister called the deadly monsoon season “a se rious climate catastrophe.” Flash flooding from the heavy rains has washed away villages and crops as soldiers and rescue workers evacuated stranded resi dents to the safety of relief camps and provided food to thousands of displacedPakistan’sPakistanis.National Disaster Management Authority reported the death toll since the monsoon season began earlier than nor mal this year—in mid-June— reached 1,061 people after new fatalities were reported across different provinces. Sherry Rehman, a Pakistani sen ator and the country’s top climate official, said in a video posted on Twitter that Pakistan is experienc ing a “serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade.”
P
Weather whiplash: Summer lurches from drought to flood
Pakistan flooding deaths pass 1,000 in ‘climate catastrophe’
DISPLACED people float belongings salvaged from flood-hit homes through a flooded area, on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan on Sunday, August 28, 2022. Officials in Pakistan say deaths from widespread flooding have topped 1,000 since mid-June. Flash flooding from the heavy rains has washed away villages and crops as soldiers and rescue workers evacuated stranded residents to the safety of relief camps and provided food to thousands of displaced Pakistanis.
ARTS of northern Texas, mired in a drought labeled as extreme and exceptional, are flooding under torrential rain. In a drought.
ELÍAS
By Barbara Ortutay AP Technology Writer S
Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif visited flooding victims in city of Jafferabad in Baluchistan. He vowed the government would pro vide housing to all those who lost their homes.
Sound familiar? It should. The Dallas region is just the totemperaturenaryitsrecord-longChinaup,stillingotDeathstonesameinginchpouredthenconsideredcentlurchingentistshuman-causedweathercaledrought-suffering-but-floodedlatestloduringasummerofextremewhiplash,likelygoosedbyclimatechange,scisay.Partsoftheworldarefromdroughttodeluge.TheSt.Louisareaand88perofKentuckyearlyinJulywereabnormallydryandtheskiesopenedup,theraininbiblicalproportions,afterinch,anddeadlyflooddevastatedcommunities.ThethinghappenedinYellowinJune.Earlierthismonth,Valley,inaseveredrought,anearrecordamountofrainfalloneday,causingfloods,andisinanastydrought.China’sYangtzeRiverisdryingayearafterdeadlyflooding.isbakingunderwhatisaheatwave,alreadyintothirdmonth,withaprelimireportofanovernightlowonlydippingdown94.8degrees(34.9degrees Celsius) in the heavily populated city of Chongqing. And in west ern China flooding from a sudden downpour has killed more than a dozen people. In the Horn of Africa in the midst of a devastating but oft-ig nored famine and drought, nearby flash floods add to the humanitar ian disaster unfolding. Europe, which suffered through unprec edented flooding last year, has baked with record heat compound ed by a 500-year drought that is drying up rivers and threatening power supplies. “So we really have had a lot of whiplash,” said Kentucky’s inter im climatologist Megan Schar gorodski. “It is really difficult to emotionally go through all of these extremes and get through it and figure out how to be resil ient through the disaster after disaster that we see.” In just two weeks in late July and early August, the US had 10 downpours that are only sup posed to happen 1 percent of the time—sometimes called 1-in-100year storms—calculated Weather Prediction Center forecast branch chief Greg Carbin. That’s not counting the Dallas region, a like ly 1-in-1,000-year storm, where some places got more than 9 inches of rain in 24 hours. “These extremes of course are getting more extreme,” said Na tional Center for Atmospheric Research climate scientist Gerald Meehl, who wrote some of the first studies 18 years ago about extreme weather and climate change. “This is in line with what we Weatherexpected.”whiplash, “where all of a sudden it changes to the opposite’’ extreme, is becoming more noticeable because it’s so strange, said climate scientist Jennifer Francis of the Wood well Climate Research Center in Falmouth, Massachusetts. She is in the middle of a study of whiplash events. The scientists at World Weather Attribution, mostly volunteers who quickly examine extreme weather for a climate change fin gerprint, have a strict criteria of events to investigate: they have to be record-breaking, cause a significant number of deaths, or impact at least 1 million people. So far this year they’ve been swamped. There have been 41 events—eight floods, three storms, eight droughts, 18 heat waves and four cold waves— that have reached that thresh old point, said WWA official Julie Arrighi, associate director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center. In the United States, many of the big heavy summer rains are tra ditionally connected to hurricanes or tropical systems, like last year’s Hurricane Ida that smacked Loui siana and then plowed through the South until it flooded the New York, New Jersey region with record rainfall rates. But this July and August, the nation had been hit with “an over abundance of non-tropical related extreme rainfall,” the National Weather Service’s Carbin said. “That’sScientistsunusual.”suspect climate change is at work in two different ways. The biggest way is simple physics. As the atmosphere warms it holds more water, 4 percent more for every degree (7 percent more for every degree Celsius), scientists said. Think of the air as a giant sponge, said UCLA and Nature Conservancy climate scientist Daniel Swain. It soaks up more water from parched ground like a sponge “which is why we’re seeing worse droughts in some places,” he said. Then when a weather system travels further, juicy with that extra water, it has more to dump, causingAnotherdownpours.factoristhe stuck and wavier jet stream—the atmospheric river that moves weather systems around the world—said Woodwell’s Francis. Storm systems don’t move and just dump huge amounts of wa ter in some places. Other places, like China, are stuck with hot weather as cooler, wetter weather moves around“Whenthem.that jet stream pattern gets amplified, which is what we’re starting to see happen more often, then we notice more of these big whiplash events,” Francis said. When the ground is so hard from drought, water doesn’t seep in as much and runs off faster in flood, Francis and others said. This will only get worse as cli mate change worsens, so “it high lights the type of events that we need to adapt to, that we need to harden ourselves against,” said Princeton University climate sci entist Gabriel Vecchi. The United Nations’ Inter governmental Panel on Cli mate Change emphasized what it called compounding weather disasters as a future threat. “Frankly how fast and how badly it’s now playing out is a surprise to many of us,” said IPCC report co-author Maarten van Aalst, director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre in the Netherlands. “It’s scary how quickly it is appearing in front of our eyes.”
AP PHOTO/MOHAMMAD SAJJAD
By Seth Borenstein AP Science Writer
The Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Asim Tanveer in Mul tan, Pakistan, and Frances D’Emilio in Rome contributed.
• Editor: Angel R. Calso B7
The consequences of privacy and security lapses can range from inconvenience and embarrassment— such as when an Indiana State Police account was hacked and tweeted “poo-poo head” earlier this year—to much worse. In October 2021, a Saudi humanitarian aid worker was sentenced to 20 years in prison because of an anonymous, satirical Twitter account that the kingdom says he ran. It’s possible that the case is linked with the men accused of spying on behalf of the kingdom while working at Twitter. As an advocate for dissidents and others detained in Saudi Arabia, Bethany Al-Haidari has been concerned for years about Twitter’s user privacy safeguards. The new whistleblower allegations make her all the more worried. “Given what we know about how social media is used around the world, that is incredibly problematic,” said Al-Haidari, who works for The Freedom Initiative, a USbased human rights group. The possibility of hackers or governments exploiting the alleged cybersecurity lapses at Twitter to get users’ identities, private messages or other personal information “is quite disturbing to me,” she Chinese-Australiansaid. artist and activist Badiucao, who regularly publishes art that criticizes the Chinese Communist Party, expressed concern about the whistleblower’s allegations, noting that many users provide their phone numbers and e-mails to Twitter. “Once that personal information is leaked, it could be used to trace your identity,” he said. Badiucao said he regularly receives death threats and propaganda from what appears to be bot or spam accounts. But the artist plans to keep using Twitter, saying it’s probably the best option Chinese-speaking activists and artists have for a “shelter for free speech.” Twitter says the whistleblower claims present a “false narrative” about the company and its privacy and data security practices, and that the claims lack context. “Security and privacy have long been company-wide priorities at Twitter and will continue to be,” the company said in a statement.Despite the heightened concerns sparked by Zatko’s claims, none of the groups The Associated Press spoke to this week plan to stop using Twitter. Security experts say while the whistleblower’s claims are alarming, there’s no reason for individual users to delete their accounts. High-profile Twitter users and world governments may be at greater risk than average users, experts say. In 2020, for instance, Twitter suffered an embarrassing hack by a teenager who accessed the accounts of then-President Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Musk is currently embroiled in a battle with Twitter as he tries to back out of a $44 billion deal to buy the company. Yet another security incident raised alarms for Jennifer Grygiel, a Syracuse University communications professor who follows Twitter closely. In 2017, a Twitter customer support worker deactivated then-President Donald Trump’s account for a few minutes during their last day on the job. While the account was restored quickly, Grygiel said, the incident showed how vulnerable Twitter was when it comes to governments, heads of state and military branches that use the “Amplatform.Isurprised and shocked by the whistleblower’s allegations? I’m not,” said Trav Robertson, chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, which uses Twitter to communicate with about 18,700 followers. But he argues that it’s especially important for people not to assume that “the constant attacks on our e-mails, our databases, our Twitter accounts, our Facebooks” are the new normal. “When we become desensitized to it, we fail to be proactive,” he said. At the City of Denver’s fire department, public information officer JD Chism acknowledges concern over security issues. But the department has to weight that risk against the way Twitter has become integral to communicating emergencies to the public. The department’s Twitter feed hosts real-time updates on fires and consequent road closures and injuries, alongside retweets from other agencies warning of dangers such as flash floods. For now, the department will keep using Twitter as it always has, Chism said, “It’s good for taking care of people, and that’s what we are here for.”
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MEMBERS of the Balch Springs Fire Department bring a family of four by boat to higher ground after rescuing them from their home along Forest Glen Lane in Batch Springs, Texas on August 22, 2022. This summer the weather has not only been extreme, but it has whiplashed from one extreme to another. Dallas, St. Louis, Kentucky, Yellowstone, Death Valley all lurched from drought to flood. VALVERDE II/THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS VIA AP
Among Zatko’s most serious accusations is that Twitter violated the terms of a 2011 FTC settlement by falsely claiming that it had put stronger measures in place to protect the security and privacy of its users. Waghre said the allegations in the complaint about India—that Twitter knowingly allowed the Indian government to place its agents on the company payroll where they had “direct unsupervised access to the company’s systems and user data”—were particularly worrisome. He also pointed to an incident earlier this month where a former Twitter employee was found guilty of passing along sensitive user data to royal family members in Saudi Arabia in exchange for bribes.
“We tend to look at these companies as large, well-resourced entities who know what they’re doing—but you realize that a lot of their actions are ad hoc and reactive, driven by crises,” said Prateek Waghre, policy director at the Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights nonprofit in India. “Essentially, they’re often held together by cello tape or chewing gum.” Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, who served as Twitter’s security chief until he was fired early this year, filed the complaints last month with federal US authorities, alleging that the company misled regulators about its poor cybersecurity defenses and its negligence in attempting to root out fake accounts that spread disinformation.
Josef Ramos
Senatoropportunities–countlessAngara
talk with me, I always noticed her hunger to be more and strive for the best,” Mascariñas said. “And now she is getting to achieve one of her goals which is to play in a Division I school.”
Filipina set to play Division I volleyball in US
PHL GALS BOOK MODEST FINISH
GOLD FOR EJ IN GERMANY E
M CLEEN GOMERA and Judy Ann Padilla crushed their respective rivals to split the 16-under titles then matched runner-up finishes in the premier category to lead a mix of winners in the Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) national juniors tennis championships in Consolacion, Cebu over the weekend. T he top-seeded Gomera warded off No. 6 Ariel Cabaral, 6-4, 6-3, in the semis then the Bacolod, Lanao del Norte rising star stopped unranked Juvels Velos in his tracks, 6-2, 6-2, to add the Consolacion leg to his growing 16-under trophy collection in the Group 2 tournament wrapping up the fourleg Cebu swing of the country’s longest talent-search that included stops in Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Naga.Padilla, on the other hand, cruised to victory in her side of the battle, ripping Shara Paliwag, 6-0, 6-3, in the finals as the Ozamiz City bet made up for her three-set setback to absentee Kimi Brodeth in last week’s Naga leg of the circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop President and CEO Bobby Castro. F ierce action shifts to Mindanao starting Thursday with the men’s Open in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, featuring the country’s leading players and rising stars. For details, contact event organizer and Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464. John David Velez of Ormoc City and Lapu-Lapu City’s Tiffany Nocos kept their domination of the 18-under play, trouncing Gomera, 6-0, 6-0, and foiling Padilla, 6-4, 6-2, respectively, but the 16-under winners took the MVP honors with their two-medal feats at the Consolacion tennis clay courts. MCLEEN GOMERA in action in Consolacion.
in 2018 to sixth in 2022, it’s a great improvement,” Philippine National Volleyball Federation President Ramon “Tats” Suzara said. T he Philippines won two F ANS brace for fast, furious action as the Spikers’ Turf returns after a long hiatus with fancied Cignal testing the young Sta. Rosa side’s mettle and VNS-One Alicia and Ateneo-Fudgee Barr facing off in a pair of explosive matches kicking off the Open Conference Tuesday at the Paco Arena in Manila. The HD Spikers set out for their 2:30 p.m. clash with the Lions, eager to flaunt their form on a team led by former league Most Valuable Players Marck Espejo and Ysay Marasigan and backstopped by former collegiate standouts Chu Njigha (Ateneo), Louie Ramirez (Perpetual), and Edward Camposano (National University).
T HE Philippine hosting of the FIBA 2023 World Cup will allow the country to showcase itself as both a basketball loving nation and a destination for tourism, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Chairman Senator Sonny Angara said Monday. A year before the country opens its doors once again as a host country for the FIBA 2023 World Cup, Angara met with FIBA officials and discussed the growth of Philippines basketball and the opportunities presented by the event for the Philippines. FIBA top brass President Hamane Niang and Secretary General Andreas Zagklis met with Angara in preparation for the Philippines’ hosting duties, which it will share with Indonesia and Japan. A t otal of 80 national teams are vying for a spot in the 32-team World Cup through six ongoing qualifying windows. The World Cup group phase started on August 25, 2023, in the three host countries while the final phase will be in Manila. The World Cup championship will take place on September 10, 2023. We are excited to once again be host to the biggest international tournament for basketball. The last time we hosted this event was in 1978 so this is something that all Filipinos are looking forward to, both as a recognition of the Philippines as one of the biggest markets for the sport and the commitment of the government to open its doors once again to the world,” Angara said. “ It will be a huge opportunity for the whole country, not just in terms of basketball, but also for tourism and business,” he added. Gilas Pilipinas is already qualified for the 2023 FIBA World Cup based on its global ranking and as host to the Atournament.ngarasaidthe economic benefits brought about by the 2023 FIBA World Cup hosting duties will be on a much larger scale than what it was back in The1978.biggest stars who are brands in themselves and companies will be in the country in August 2023. The last one we hosted was in 1978, but as the FIBA guys mentioned—because of social media and the growth of basketball around the world, this will be much bigger,” Angara said. A s a sports enthusiast himself, Angara said he is looking forward to seeing Gilas battling it out with the best and before a worldwide audience. H e said there are many reasons to be optimistic about Gilas’ chances in the World Cup, including the commitment by FilipinoAmerican star Jordan Clarkson to be part of the team in August 2023 and the support of the Philippine Basketball Association for the preparations for the tournament. We still have a lot to do in terms of preparations for our hosting duties, but we give our full support to this endeavor, which will benefit our tourism sector and the economy as a whole,” Angara said.
“We at Chooks-to-Go are proud of Jillian and we hope that when she returns, she gives back to our country and be part of the national team,” Mascariñas said. Santos and the Flames began their season on Saturday, taking a 3-2 and 3-0 win over South Dakota State and NJIT in the NIU Tournament. resources that would be beneficial for their futures.” “ I also wanted to try to continue my college degree here. I was then able to speak with the coaching staff and was very fortunate to be given the chance to train and play for the university.”JillianSantos and her dad Jeffrey are staunch supporters of Chooksto-Go Pilipinas 3x3, even owning a
Cayetano: Clarkson in Taguig inspiration to youth
TOTS CARLOS digs deep in this piece of action. NONIE REYES O UTSIDE hitter Jillian Santos has transferred from Ateneo to will(UIC)UniversitytheofIllinoisatChicagoandplayfor
By Josef Ramos T
HE Philippines lost to Chinese-Taipei, 26-28, 21-25, 21-25, to finish sixth in the Asian Vol leyball Confederation Cup for Women that came to a close on Monday at the PhilSports Arena. A h istoric sixth place for a national team cored from club team Creamline whose players shed their commercial colors in favor of their commitment for flag and country. The three wins are a blessing,” Philippines Head Coach Sherwin country’ssixth-placeagainstplayedbecauseersforverytory.wins“Threeeses. Menishis-Wearethankfultheplay-whosacrificedthegamesareeveryday.”Withthreevictoriesthreedefeats,thefinishwasthehostbestinacontinental tioncompetisince Japan,shipAsianinperformancefifth-placeatheThirdChampioninFukuoka,in1983.Fromninthplace
UIC Flames play in the Missouri Valley Conference. S antos, 19, went to Ateneo last year after graduating from University of Santo Tomas High School. She was a “COVID-19” reserve for the Lady Eagles in Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines as she recovered from an injury. Santos and her brother Jericho, who is attending Ateneo High School, had to go to the US due to a family emergency. It was there where they wereIdiscovered.wenttothe US to attend to an urgent family matter that led to a decision to relocate to the US,” Jillian Santos said. “We saw that my brother had opportunities and
JORDAN CLARKSON with Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano. BERNARD TESTA THERE’S no stopping Ernest John “EJ” Obiena from aiming for pool matches against Iran and South Korea and edged Australia in Sunday’s first classification phase to handily surpassing the country’s ninth-place run in the 2018 edition in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. The team familiarity and chemis try is important in a tournament like this,” said Meneses after the one-hour and 40-minute witnessed by an appre ciative crowd at the Philippine Sports Commission facility. Thailand finished with a bronze medal for the third straight edition following a 25-19, 26-24, 25-18 victory over Southeast Asian rival Vietnam. Chatchu-on Moksri and Pimpichaya Kokram led the Thais with 16 and 14 points, respectively. T he nationals showed no signs of fatigue after Sunday’s thrilling 21-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12 victory over Australia, giving the Taiwanese everything to handle in the extended first Chinese-Taipeiset.took control of the next two sets with team captain Chang Li-Wen taking charge and succeeded in holding Philippines’theace spiker Tots Carlos scoreless in the third set. Ced Domingo had 12 points, while Michele Gumabao had two blocks for a nine-point outing. Jema Galanza had eight kills, Jeanette Panaga also had eight points, including three blocks, and Tots Carlos tallied seven points.
D uring the ceremonial exchange of jerseys, Mayor Lani swapped a #6 “City of Taguig” jersey with Clarkson’s #00 “Utah Jazz” jersey, prompting host and sports anchor Jinno Rufino to declare: “JC, I think you’re now a son of the City of Taguig.” C larkson also distributed shoes he brought for the children present at the event as well as shirts, basketballs and meals provided by Senator Cayetano. A sked how he felt being in Tenement which had been graced by many other National Basketball Association stars, Clarkson said he was proud to be back not just as a visitor but as someone who is also Filipino.This is kind of where it started at. We came here the first time I visited here, now I’m just continuing my visits. Every NBA player comes here. They’re not from here—I am,” he said.Clarkson also gave credit to his family, especially his grandmother who hails from Pampanga, for his success and for his commitment to represent the Philippines by joining the Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team. “ I know you’re all looking at the bigger picture but a lot of this is from my grandmother who passed away two or three years ago. I’m just trying to carry her name, make her proud… She’s been through a great amount of stuff to be the woman she was and to carry the family as she did, so that’s probably one of the biggest reasons why I still do this. I represent the flag and I represent the country to this day,” he said.
BusinessMirror
I’m excited that the Spikers’ Turf is back since this is the league where it all started for us,” said Espejo, whose vast talents had earned him a stint in the Japan V. League for Team FC Tokyo last season. “We’ll do our best to defend our crown but we know that the competition will be tough thisThconference.”eLionsofSta. Rosa City of coach Edward Lirio, meanwhile, hope to make the most of their young crew made up of players 18 and younger.
Ateneo-Fudgee Bar, meanwhile, launches its title drive with skipper Lance De Castro and rookie Matthew Salarzon all primed for their 5:30 p.m. encounter with the VNS hitters. A lso helping in the team’s transition is assistant coach and former Spikers’ Turf best setter Vince Mangulabnan.ButtheVNS-One Alicia is also all geared up for its campaign with top setter and national team standout Ish Polvorosa spearheading their charge along with Mapua standouts Alfredo Pagulong and Ben San Andres. The three other squads in the seventeam field are the National UniversitySta. Elena, Army and Navy. The top four teams after the single round elims will advance to the semifinals, guaranteeing a slam-bang action in all matches. The top two will clash for the crown in a best-of-three series while the last two will dispute the bronze medal. The semis are scheduled to start on September 24 with the finals slated on October 1. The HD Spikers turned back the Air Force Jet Spikers twice to claim the Reinforced and Open crowns in 2019 before the country’s first and only men’s volley league, which Sports Vision launched
Men’s volleyball takes center stage as Spikers’ Turf unwraps in Paco
team during the league’s competition in 2021, the Bocaue Homegrown t was during the events that Jillian Santos and Chooksto-Go President MascariñasRonaldwereabletoformamentorshiprelationship.“WhenJillianandherfatherwould
Hosting of FIBA 2023 World Cup offers
RNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA went for 5.95 meters and failed, but the world No. 3 cleared 5.81 meters that was enough for a gold medal finish in the True Athletes Clas sics 2022 at the Manforter Stadio in Leverkusen, Germany, on Sunday. It was the second gold medal in five days for Obiena in his European outdoor sortie as he continues to target 6.0 meters to join an elite club of high leapers that number only 24 from all over the world. “I’m really frustrated again with near-misses at 5.95 meters,” Obiena told BusinessMirror. “We have boiled it down to some small technical adapta tions, which at these heights make the difference between a miss or a make.” That 5.95 meters was 1 cm over the Asian men’s pole vault record he set in claiming bronze at the world champi onships in Eugene, Oregon, last July. The Netherland’s Rutgar Koppelaar and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall also cleared 5.81m but were relegated to the silver and bronze medals, respectively, after the countback. Obiena, 26, said he won’t stop targeting 6 meters. I know what to work on and I expect 5.95 [meters] to come soon, with 6 meters to follow,” the 26-year-old Tokyo Olympian said. “Like anything in life, this is all about continual improve ment. I am very happy to bring home the gold medal against a great field.” O biena won gold at the Jock grim Stabhochsprung Meeting in Jockgrim also Germany last August 24 and bronze at the Athletissima in Lausanne after that. He will be competing in the St. Wendel City Jump also in Germany on Wednesday before flying to Belgium for the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels on September 2, back to Germany for the ISTAF Berlin on September 4 and Golden Fly in Shaan, Liechtenstein, on September 11.
Gomera, Padilla log tennis honors
J ORDAN CLARKSON’S visit on Sunday at the Tenement Basketball Court in the City of Taguig for a basketball clinic was “such a big inspiration” especially to the youth who look up to him as a role model, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said.“Welcome, Jordan Clarkson, to our famed and historic Tenement Basketball Court in Taguig. This court has been recognized internationally but we are most proud of what it does for our youth here in the City of Taguig and Pateros,” Cayetano said in his message to Clarkson on his Facebook page. “You being here today is such a big inspiration, and I hope those present not only here sa Tenement but also those tuning in online will look at you and your achievements and DREAM BIG,” he added. Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano assured Clarkson of the prayers and cheers of the people of the city for his continued success. As the mayor of the city, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to JC—Jordan Clarkson— his family, and his team.… His presence here today will surely inspire young dreamers, young athletes to be the best that they can be. We enjoy and we love basketball here in the Philippines and so this day is a such historic day for the City of Taguig,” she said in her welcome remarks.
