BusinessMirror December 02, 2019

FIRST GOLD FOR PHL AT SEA GAMES

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Mangrobang

IRST gold. That has a nice ring to it, and the distinction for giving the Philippines its first gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games went to John Leerams Chicano, who, with Andrew Kim Remolino, scored a 1-2 finish at the triathlon held at Subic Bay Freeport on Sunday (December 1).

Chicano finished with a time of 1:53:26, closely followed by Remolino with 1:55:03, to win silver.

Their feat was matched a little later by the women’s triathlon powerhouse Kim Mangrobang and Kim Kilgroe, who also had a 1-2 finish.

Defending her SEA Games title, Mangrobang ended with a 2:02:00 time, trailed by Kilgroe at 2:05:02 to clinch the silver.

SEA Games stories on pages C1, C2, C3.

NONOY LACZA

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Chicano

NONOY LACZA

Monday, December 2, 2019 Vol. 15 No. 53

DA allots addl ₧1.5B for planters’ fertilizers ₧10B T HE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it allotted P1.5 billion from its national rice program budget to help Filipino rice farmers affected by the implementation of a law that removed the quantitative restriction on the staple.

The DA said the supplemental budget will be used for the fertilizer program that will be carried out simultaneously with the P10billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

The RCEF, which was created by Republic Act (RA) 11203, allots P5 billion for rice farm equipment, P3 billion for seed development, P1 billion for credit and another P1 billion for extension service.

Under the fertilizer program, the DA said in a statement that the government will implement the “buy 2 take 2” scheme which will allow planters to get two bags of urea for free if they purchase two bags.

Money allotted for the RCEF, under Republic Act (RA) 11203, for rice farm equipment (P5 billion), seed development (P3 billion), credit (P1 billion) and extension service (P1 billion)

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar announced the availability of the supplemental budget during a Farmers’ Forum held in San Fernando, Pampanga, on November 30.

“The Department has also created new credit programs for farmers and fishers to help them increase productivity and income,” said Dar.

See “DA,” A2

P25.00 nationwide | 5 sections 30 pages |

medal tally as of december 1, 2019 | 7:30 p.m. gold

silver

bronze

total

philippines

20

10

5

35

vietnam

5

12

7

24

malaysia

4

1

2

7

singapore

3

2

4

9

thailand

2

4

8

14

indonesia

1

2

5

8

brunei darussalam

1

2

1

4

cambodia

0

2

3

5

myanmar

0

1

4

5

laos

0

0

2

2

timor-leste

0

0

0

0

contingent

Natl security cluster, not solons, should lead audit at NGCP–Gatchalian

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EN. Sherwin Gatchalian, Energy committee chairman, has played down the value of having lawmakers “inspect” facilities of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, saying it’s the government’s national security cluster that should take the lead in doing an audit amid concerns China, through its state-owned corporation that invested in NGCP, can remotely control the country’s power supply.

“We are not engineers, we’re not scientists,” Gatchalian said Sunday in a radio interview, ahead of a planned Senate inquiry as suggested by several senators, including himself.

Gatchalian added it is the national security cluster, headed by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, who is qualified to

PESO exchange rates n

lead the audit because they have agencies with engineers and scientists under them, as well as “IT and cyber experts” who could assess the risks that an outside group can switch off at will the transmission operations of the NGCP. The national security cluster includes the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Gatchalian noted.

Gatchalian disclosed he spoke to Esperon just this weekend “and they’re getting the data now.”

At the same time, the senator belittled an offer of the NGCP for lawmakers to inspect their facilities, asking aloud, “What will we do there?” He said they’ll see the same things that the Transco people also saw—the offices, facilities and operational manuals they are not See “NGCP,” A2

https://www.facebook.com/2019seagamesph/

Palace lauds Pinoy medal winners

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He did not disappoint: Carlos Yulo of the Philippines shows his mettle at the still rings during the gymnastics event of the 30th SEA Games at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. As expected, he clinched the gold medal. More SEA Games stories and photos on pages C1, C2, C3. NONIE REYES

ALACAÑANG on Sunday lauded Filipino athletes who won gold medals for the country in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo expressed admiration for the hard work of the athletes.

“We have to congratulate our Filipino athletes for that. Talagang nakaka-inspire din. Tsaka maganda ang preparation nila [It was truly inspiring; and their preparation was good]. There’s no substitute for preparation in competition,” Panelo said in a radio interview.

On the first day of the SEA Games on Sunday, the Philippines already showed its excellence in different sports as it managed to lead the competition and bag several gold medals.

US 50.7980 n japan 0.4639 n UK 65.5802 n HK 6.4903 n CHINA 7.2209 n singapore 37.2037 n australia 34.3750 n EU 55.9286 n SAUDI arabia 13.5469

See “Palace,” A2

Source: BSP (29 November 2019 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Monday, December 2, 2019

HSW in Metro Manila get ₧1,500 additional daily pay

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By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

OUSEHOLD service workers (HSW) in Metro Manila will soon have the highest minimum-wage rate nationwide.

This after the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) finally approved on Thursday an increase of P1,500 over the monthly minimum-wage rate for its HSWs—currently at P3,500—following deliberations at a meeting.

“The board already decided on

the P1,500 increase on Thursday.

Hence, [the new monthly minimum wage of HSWs in NCR] will be P5,000,” RTWPB-NCR Chairman Sarah Buena S. Mirasol told BusinessMirror in a SMS. During the board deliberations, Mirasol said they were not able to discuss the minimum-wage petition from labor groups, which she

Baguio. . .

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“something made in Baguio” featured over 500 works by local artists at the ruins of the Diplomat Hotel, a former Dominican retreat house built in 1913, at the newly inaugurated Heritage Hill and Nature Park.

“Baguio City is dramatically living up to its title as the Philippines’s first Unesco Creative City as collective creativity literally soared to greater heights, turning the Dominican Heritage Hill Nature Park into a meaningful venue of this year’s celebration of the second anniversary of the prestigious recognition,” said DOT-CAR Officer in Charge Jovita Ganongan, in a news statement.

Among the featured works of art were those created by National Artists Benedicto Cabrera and Kidlat Tahimik. iBagiw was jointly organized by the Baguio City local government, DOT-CAR, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), and the Baguio Arts and Creative Council, with the goal of establishing the Philippines’s traditional summer capital as a major creative arts hub in the Southeast Asian region. “iBagiw Festival is borne of the artful creativeness and prideful sense of community here in Baguio City in which the sprawling heritage site is put to a most ideal use and the nobler purpose of supporting the arts, as well as boosting local tourism,” said Ganongan.

In selecting Baguio City among its Creative Cities in 2017, Unesco stated, “Baguio City’s artistic culture ranges from crafts and folk art expressions to woodcarving, silver craft, weaving and tattooing. Today, 56 local institutions are directly devoted to the sector, totaling a gross receipt of $1.11 million.

Although crafts and folk art represent an essential cornerstone of the city’s local trade and creative tourism economy, Baguio City works toward developing the sector’s sustainability through intergenerational transfer of knowledge and skills.”

Baguio City is the first in the country to be included in the coveted Unesco proclamation for its multicultural diversity, with Cebu City making the list this year.

The Unesco recognition in the Design Category affirms the numerous creative talent of Cebuanos in furniture design, fashion accessories, architecture and interior design, the lates of which is evident in the new terminal of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, which has been designed like a resort.

₧3,500 Current minimum-wage rate for household service workers in the National Capital Region

earlier said they would likely tackle after completing the new wage order for HSWs. Currently, Region 1 has the highest monthly minimum-wage rate for HSWs at P3,500 to P4,500 among the country’s 16 regions, based on the November data of the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC). Regions 10, 11, 12 have the lowest rates, which only range at P2,000

BM reporters. . .

For publishing the most number of articles about biotechnology, the BusinessMirror won first place in the institutional category.

The other winners in the Best Feature category are Louise Maureen Simeon of the Philippine Star (1st place) and SunStar Davao’s Ace June Rell Perez (2nd place). In the Best News Category, Perez won third place while Charissa LuciAtienza of the Manila Bulletin placed second.

DA. . .

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Under the Expanded Survival and Recovery Assistance Program for Rice Farmers (SURE Aid Propgram), farmers tilling 1 hectare or less farm land may avail of a P15,000 zero-interest rate loan. “Rice farmers just have to pay P1,850 per year for eight years, that is just a small amount,” Dar said.

He added that a new credit window has been opened for farmers tilling more than 1 hectare. “This one-time financial assistance worth P5,000 is another cash outright-no condition SURE Aid loan to help our

Survey. . .

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ready to do this in 2020,” Mapa said.

“Our timetable here is the second semester of 2020.”

Based on the RTL law, the CSS will be conducted by the NFA until the end of 2019. It will be jointly conducted by the NFA and PSA until it is fully turned over to the PSA in July next year.

Rule 29 of the implement-

SSS. . .

to P3,000.

Mirasol said the new wage order for HSWs in NCR is already in its final leg of approval at the NWPC. This was confirmed by Silvestre H. Bello III, Labor Secretary and NPWC chairman. He added that they already scheduled the review of the said wage order this week.

“It will be in the agenda of the NWB [National Wage Board] on December 4,” Bello told BusinessMirror in a separate SMS. The NWPC will check if the new wage order for HSWs complies with the law.

After being approved by the NWPC, the wage order will then be published before taking effect 15 days later.

The Philippine Star and the Manila Bulletin garnered 2nd prize and third prize, respectively, in the institutional category.

This year’s Awards Board of Judges is chaired by Ms. Georgina Carmelle Z. Siena, communications specialist and head of the information and conventions center of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management.

Other members of the board of judges are Rev. Fr. Emmanuel

Alparce, chairman of the Department of Agriculture’s Biotech Program Technical Committee for IEC, and Abraham Manalo, the current executive secretary of the Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines.

Now on its 13th year, the awards program is the realization of the dream of the late world press freedom hero and journalistfarmer Joe Burgos of recognizing members of the media for their contributions to improving public understanding of biotechnology in the country.

rice farmers.”

According to a policy brief prepared by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), rice farmers have lost at least P61.77 billion due to the decline in the farm-gate price of rice.

However, a separate study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), using a different method for computations, estimated the losses at only a little over P8.22 billion from April to September.

The PhilRice paper noted that the drop in farm-gate prices was hastened by the implementation of RA 11203, which made it easier for traders to purchase imports.

Government data indicated that some 2.99 million metric

tons of rice have arrived in the Philippines in October. The DA said it expects arrivals to go up as there are still a number of sanitary phytosanitary import clearances issued by the government that have not been used.

The United States Department of Agriculture had earlier projected that the Philippines’s rice imports this year will reach 3 MMT. The anticipated volume is bigger than the 2.5 MMT projected for China this year.

Planters have been urging the government to roll out safeguard measures that will cushion the impact of the surge in imports, which has pulled down the farmgate price of the staple in recent months. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

ing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA 10625, or the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013, orders respondents in surveys to provide “truthful and complete answers” to PSA and other statistical offices of the Philippine Statistical System (PSS).

It also provides that the PSA should not divulge “the name, address and telephone numbers; the business and products that they are engaged in; and the specific ranges of number of employees.”

Under Rule 30 of the IRR,

individuals who violate Rule 29 face one-year imprisonment and a fine of P100,000. Companies that will violate the IRR will be fined anywhere from P100,000 to P500,000.

Any person caught divulging confidential information from the PSA will be fined P5,000 to P10,000 and face jail time of three to 12 months. Further, failure to complete with survey clearance provision will also be fined P50,000 to P100,000, depending on the gravity of noncompliance.

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able to pay the fraction through Korea’s NPS, he/ she will still be entitled to the retirement pension, and vice versa, provided that the benefit due to the member will be paid by the respective systems based on actual contributions or period of coverage. This portability arrangement, which is the core provision of the SSA, will apply to OFWs who will opt to keep their contributions with the Korean NPS. Further, the agreement ensures that a covered person shall continue to receive his/her benefits regardless of the place of residence, either in the Philippines or Korea, or even outside the territories of both countries.

The signed agreement is in line with the provision of Republic Act 11199, or the Social Security Act of 2018, wherein the compulsory coverage of OFWs is mandated.

“The law mandates the DFA, the DOLE and

all its agencies involved in deploying OFWs for employment abroad, and the SSS to ensure compulsory coverage of OFWs through bilateral social security and labor agreements, and other measures for enforcement. In countries that already extend social security coverage to OFWs, like in the case of Korea, further agreements shall be negotiated to serve the best interest of OFWs,” Ignacio said.

“We trust that we can rely on our partner agencies in working toward meaningful social protection for our OFWs,” Ignacio added.

The agreement with Korea will be the 16th SSA that the Philippines has successfully negotiated since 1982. The previously established bilateral SSAs are with Austria (1982), the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (1989), Spain (1989), France (1994), Canada (1997), Quebec (1998), the Netherlands (2001), Switzerland (2004), Belgium (2005), Denmark (2015), Portugal (2017), Germany (2018), Japan (2018), Sweden (2019) and Luxembourg (for entry into force in January 2020).

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Dominguez explains record spending on PHL human capital

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HE Duterte administration’s record spending on human capital development is meant to gear up young Filipinos for the country’s “demographic sweet spot,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said.

In a forum, Dominguez challenged the country’s young achievers to use what they have learned in school to either solve real problems that Filipinos experience or bring their skills to the public service rather than just calling out errors, or wrongdoings they see, or read in social media to be able to claim how socially aware they have become.

“No matter how many likes or hearts your last post received, it cannot, on its own, raise the resources needed to sustain an effective program or help poor families access the credit they need to invest in health care or their children’s education,” Dominguez said.

“A young population is one of our country’s greatest assets. We need to be ready to reap the benefits of our demographic sweet spot, by cultivating a dynamic and well-trained work force to enable sustained economic expansion long into the foreseeable future,” he added.

Prioritizing countryside development and rural businesses to increase opportunities for those outside urban areas; providing more financial support for scientists and increasing funding for science and technology; and building more medical facilities with adequate equipment and properly compensated medical professionals in rural areas were among the top recommendations from the youth sector on how the government can better carry out its goal of inclusive growth.

“These recommendations, coming from the successor generation, will enlighten our policy-making,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez reminded young Filipinos that being “woke” must translate into action carried beyond the clicks or comments they make on social media.

“The ‘call-out’ culture should take a backseat to what is true activism—meaningful and proactive action that will improve the lives of the Filipino people,” Dominguez said.

Palace. . .

Continued from A1

The country was able to ace the competition in triathlon, dancesport, wushu, sepak takraw, among others. President Duterte earlier vowed to give incentives and the Order of Lapu-Lapu medals to the winning athletes.

Meanwhile, the Palace was also pleased with the SEA Games opening ceremony, calling it “worldclass” and “superb.”

“Well, it was an excellent opening ng sea Games. Napakaganda ng performances ng mga nagpalabas.

World-class kumbaga ang presentasyon. Natutuwa ang pangulo sa nakita niya kahapon [Well it was

NGCP. . .

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familiar with.

Gatchalian—later echoed by a resolution of Sen. Risa Hontiveros—had earlier said he was flagged about the risks that Beijing through its state-run firm, could remotely control the Philippine power situation. While there is no evidence that this can in fact be done, Gatchalian said it was worth checking out considering the serious implications on the Philippines. The country

Dominguez said the youth’s active voices in social media and their energetic participation on societal issues prove that they are heavily invested in pushing for genuine change.

“You, the young Filipinos, are the direct beneficiaries of the sustained growth we seek to achieve through the reforms we now undertake. The future belongs to you.

You have the greatest stake in our economy’s success. It will shape your career paths and the quality of your lives. Your voices must be heard,” he said.

However, he said, the youth’s participation should not stop in Sulong or social media as it is their responsibility as law-abiding citizens to make meaningful change happen in the real world.

“Real problems require real solutions—and we all know that not everyone will click on ‘like’ for every good idea that also manages to strike a balance among competing interests. Every solution will result in ‘winners and losers’ and the winners will like you, and the losers might dislike you. It takes courage and grit to fight for what you know is right, whether or not it is trending positively online,” he explained.

Dominguez cited various global reports that millennials are expected to make up about 50 percent of the worldwide work force and take senior positions across all sectors.

This situation, he said, presents both an opportunity and a challenge as a huge wave of young jobseekers requires the economy to grow fast to accommodate them in the work force.

He hopes that talented young Filipinos will join the government service as the country needs more of them to “bring in new perspectives and reinvent and refresh the governance of this country.”

According to Dominguez, he values working with young people as proven by the fact that the average age of the members of his team at the Department of Finance (DOF) is close to 25, comprising valedictorians and achievers from various universities who are “highly energetic, dynamic, dedicated and smart young individuals.” an excellent opening of the sea Games. The performances were very beautiful. The presentation is world-class. The President was very happy with what he saw yesterday],” he said.

The President was seen grooving to the music and waving to the Filipino delegation during the parade at the opening ceremony at the Philippine Arena on Sunday.

He was beside Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah during the ceremony.

The country’s hosting of SEA Games will last until December 11. This is the fourth time that the biennial event was held in the country. The last time that the Philippines hosted the event was in 2005. Bernadette D. Nicolas

has had a long-running maritime dispute with China despite the cozier relations between the Asian neighbors under the Duterte administration.

As for the Senate inquiry, he said it will have two trajectories—the national security angle and the operational angle, i.e., whether they are complying with the requirements of their franchise and the commitments they gave the government.

Gatchalian said they are targetting the “second and third week of December” for completing the inquiry. Butch Fernandez

The Nation BusinessMirror

A4 Monday, December 2, 2019 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Labor dept to complete list of foreigners working in PHL

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By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced it will be conducting a “special” labor inspection this month to complete its validated list of foreign nationals (FN) who are working in the country before the end of the year.

In an interview, Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) Director Dominique R. Tutay said the validation process will determine the number of FNs working in the country for tax and labor law enforcement purposes.

“Our special inspection for establishments hiring foreigners will be up to December 15,” Tutay told reporters in an interview last week.

She said the special inspection will cover all establishments, particularly Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and their service providers, with FNs. These establishments were issued Alien Employment Per-

mits. The AEP is a permit issued by DOLE regional offices for foreigners who will be employed in the country for more than six months.

Licensing impact

IN a separate interview with the BusinessMirror, Tutay said the validation process is necessary so they could check if the person, who applied for the AEP, is the one who is using it.

The labor official said they will also determine if the POGOs are compliant to general labor standards (GLS), occupational safety and health standards (OSHS) and tax laws.

Noncompliance to GLS or OSHS, Tutay said, can be a ground for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to revoke the license of a POGO or its service provider.

“Under existing rules of Pagcor, violations of specific laws constitute demerits. Once they get the necessary number of demerits, that is the only time Pagcor could revoke their license,” Tutay explained.

She said Pagcor currently has registered 61 POGOs and 226 POGO service providers.

Tutay said they already completed the validation process in all regions except for Metro Manila, which has the highest concentration of POGOs nationwide.

Suspended inspection

THE DOLE finally announced on Sunday the regular suspension of its labor inspection a few weeks before Christmas through Administrative Order 495, Series of 2019.

Tutay explained that the annual suspension would ensure its labor inspectors wouldn’t receive any gifts— solicited or voluntary given—from companies they will assess.

Aside from companies with AEP

holders, other companies, which are exempted from the labor inspection suspensions are those with OSHS investigation; technical safety inspection, such as inspection of boilers, pressure vessels, and mechanical and electrical installation, etc.; and inspection of any establishment or industry as directed by the labor secretary.

The regular workplace inspection will resume next month after Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III issues the 2020 General Authority to Labor Inspectors.

As of September, Bello said they already inspected 57,514 establishments covering 2.3 million workers.

Common GLS violations are nonmaintenance of employment records in the workplace; nonpayment of service incentive leave; noncoverage of workers to social welfare agencies; and nonremittance of social welfare contributions.

In the case of occupational safety and health, the common violations are the absence of OSH personnel in the workplace; non-conduct of workers’ OSH seminar; non-submission of the annual medical report; and, lack of health facilities.

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Lacson pushes bill creating Judicial Marshal Service

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MPHASIZING the need to ensure justice officers and personnel can do their jobs “without fear of retaliation,” Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson is pushing for the early passage of a law creating a Philippine Judicial Marshals Service (PJMS) to protect Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, particularly judges and prosecutors, trying criminal cases against notorious individuals.

In filing Senate Bill 1209, Lacson took the cue from “no less than Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta.” He recalled Peralta had stressed the need for judicial marshals to serve as the law enforcement arm of the Court, “similar to the Supreme Court of the United States Police and United States Marshal.”

The Senator clarified that SB 1209 “seeks to create a PJMS under the control and jurisdiction of the Supreme Court whose primary function is to protect, safeguard, watch over, provide security and ensure the safety of justices, judges, court officials and personnel, and the various halls of justice, courthouses and other court buildings and properties all over the country.”

As provided in bill, an initial P50-million funding from the National Treasury will be appropriated for the wages and other expenses of personnel, and for supplies and

Joint House session on e-cigarettes set on Dec. 2 R EP. Weslie T. Gatchalian, chairman of the House Committee on Trade and Industry, said the interest of businesses selling “vapes,” or Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), must also be protected following President Duterte’s recent directive to ban its use and importation in the country.

“As chaiman of trade and industry, we also have to protect the interest of the hundreds of legal ‘vape’ shops operating now [nationwide]. Of course, they have employees, whose livelihood, will be affected by the ban on the use and importation,” said Gatchalian, who is the representative of Valenzuela’s first district. “We are pro-regulation on the business side.

So we have to study on how to regulate this device.”

The lawmaker said his committee and the Committee on Health will conduct a joint hearing on Monday regarding the regulation of ENDS. “ENDS are separate from heat and tobacco [products that are] not coverred by the pronouncement of the President. That’s why through the hearing, we will clear all these things out,” Gatchalian said.

This joint initiative with the Committee on Health will also discuss whether the contents of vaping devices are good or bad for the health, he added. Representatives from the trade and health agencies, as well as foreign experts were invited to attend to shed light on the issue and how the country could craft a better policy, according to Gatchalian. Roderick Abad

Group: Govt can save ‘Nemo’ by conserving ecosystems

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‘TOUR DE TAKONG’ No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. These are men running with stilettos, at the start of Marikina City’s “Tour de Takong 2019,” on Saturday. People from all walks of life, from all genders, regardless of age—the oldest was a 63-year-old woman—run this race which promotes women empowerment. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIKINA LGU

MMDA, water stakeholders launch ‘Oplan Tubig Para sa Kinabukasan’

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Correspondent

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N a bid to promote responsible use of water, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), together with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS),National Water Resources Board (NWRB), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and water concessionaires Manila Water Co. and Maynilad launched “Oplan Tubig Para sa Kinabukasan.”

“We all need water to live and we can all do something to ensure that we continuously enjoy this precious resource even in our own little ways,’” said MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim. Oplan Tubig Para sa Kinabukasan seeks to encourage everyone to be informed of the current water situation; to be prepared at all times in cases of water shortage and to be involved in a greater cause of using water conscientiously.

According to Lim, water is very vital and every drop must not go to waste. He also said that water plays an important role, most especially during disaster.

“We use water in our everyday use and we use it more when natural disaster hits us. The demand for potable water increases in areas where calamities strike,” he said.

He cited a need for all to work together in this campaign given the current water situation.

“We need to reach as many Filipinos as we can and educate them on how we can help from the demand side,” he stressed.

Lim said the MMDA, as the lead agency, will actively push for the participation of the local governments in Metro Manila.

Each of the Metro Manila LGUs also have their own advocacy videos to show their constituents their commitment for responsible water usage.

Based on the last data from NWRB, Angat Dam, which is the primary source

of water in Metro Manila, is currently at 188.6 meters—23.4 meters lower than the expected 212 meters elevation by the end of the year.

According to NWRB Executive Director Dr. Sevillo David, more than 15 million people get water from Angat Dam, and this number continues to grow each year.

For his part, MWSS Administrator, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat encouraged people to be responsible in using water and to prepare especially for the dry season.

“We have limited water supply and it will take years for us to have new water sources,” he said.

With DILG’s participation in the campaign, Oplan Tubig Para sa Kinabukasan is hopeful to get its message across cities and municipalities.

“We hope that with this campaign, individuals and communities will be inspired and encouraged to use water responsibly and to abide by the water-related initiatives set by their respective LGUs,” said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

equipment needed.

Lacson recalled that in the last two decades, no less than 31 members of the judiciary were reported killed, including the five court officials slain during the Duterte administration.

In addition, the bill empowers the proposed PJMS to also mount investigations into reported irregularities, including allegations of graft and corruption “committed by justices, judges, court officials and personnel.”

Moreover, the proposed PJMS shall, likewise, assist in the execution and implementation of court orders.

As provided in SB 1209, the PJMS shall be headed by a Chief Marshal, who shall have the same rank of a Court of Appeals Associate Justice.

Assisting the Chief Marshal are three Deputy Marshals—one each for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Each Deputy Marshal shall have the same rank as a Regional Trial Court judge, it added.

The bill further provides that Chief Marshal and Deputy Marshals “must be lawyer and must have been at least a full Colonel in the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the Philippine National Police” adding that “they shall be appointed by the Supreme Court en banc and shall serve until age 65.” Butch Fernandez

OINING the call to save “Nemo,” a character in the animated movie Finding Nemo, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the government can actually save the species from extinction by protecting and conserving the coastal and marine ecosystems.

The animated film about Nemo, the young adventuristic clown fish who got lost, tells a story of the plight of coral species and the various threats to their existence, including harvesting to be sold as aquarium pets.

Expressing concern over the reports that the anemonefish species are about to vanish for good due to climate change, Pamalakaya said the “extinction of a particular fish species is undeniably an issue of concern for those directly involved in the fishing industry.”

“The looming permanent disappearance of clown fish is a manifestation that climate change has been taking its heavy toll to the marine and aquatic environment in general. It means that coral reefs that house numerous fish species are gradually vanishing, seas and oceans have been fast-warming hurting the marine life,” Pamalakaya National Chairman Fernando Hicap said in a statement.

Hicap, also a former Anakpawis Party-list solon, added that the clown fish, although not the usual fish-catch of small fisherfolk, are vital marine organisms as they serve as an ecosystems indicator.

Jerwin Baure, a member of scientist group Agham and Pamalakaya’s resident fisheries expert agrees, adding that a thriving clown fish in an area equates to prosperous coral reefs, seagrasses, and most of all, abundant fish catch.

“This species belongs to a wide array of marine symbioses where every marine organisms benefit from each other to survive,” Baure said.

Baure, a fisheries graduate from the University of the Philippines-Visayas, added that the protection of clown fish against the impacts of climate change is a preservation of the entire marine ecosystem.

Pamalakaya blames “projects for development aggression” as the “real culprit” of global warming as the conversion of coastal and marine areas into business and commercial purposes triggers the destruction of mangrove forests, coral reefs, seagrasses and other fish habitat.

“The most effective way to mitigate and, ultimately, quell the adverse impacts of climate change is to put an end to profit-driven government and corporate projects that systematically destroy the marine and aquatic environment. We demand justice for the sectors, including coastal people, who are at the frontline casualties of the environmental devastation brought about by climate change,” Hicap said. Jonathan L. Mayuga

Economy BusinessMirror

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Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Monday, December 2, 2019 A5

Bangsamoro govt OKs budget for next year

By Manuel T. Cayon

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@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

AVAO CITY—The Bangsamoro government has passed its first regional budget for fiscal year 2020, with education getting the lion’s share to ensure that no child in the region is left behind.

The Bangsamoro Transition Authority passed the proposed P6 5 - bi l l ion bud get for ne x t

year. BTA- Cabinet Bill 31, ent it led “A n Act appropr iat ing funds for the operation of the

Bangsamoro Government from Ja nu a r y 1 to D e ce mb e r 31, 2020, and other pur poses” was approved by the Bangsamoro Parliament.

Chief Minister Ahod Al Haj Murad Ebrahim signed the measure also on Friday, according to the Bureau of Public Information of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The Bangsamoro Expenditure Program (BEP) contains the priority plans, projects and programs of the Bangsamoro government, with education getting P19 billion, or 29 percent of the total budget.

Ebrahim said he was honored to be the first Bangsamoro Chief Minister to have read the document “which is a fruit of the more than five decades of struggle of the Bangsamoro.”

“Hindi ito para sa akin, hindi para sa mga ministers [This is not for me, not for the ministers]. This is for the Bangsamoro people,” he said.

In his Chief Minister’s Hour, Ebrahim said: “Behind these numbers are the blood, sweat and tears of our people. We must, by all means, give justice to the sacrifices of our people. We can do so by using our respective ministries’ and

offices’ budget without an iota of greed and corruption.”

“Remember that when we perform our actions with pure heart and sincere intentions, Allah has remarkable ways of making sure that everything will work out accordingly,” he added.

T he proposed bud get w a s a consolidation of the budget proposals of the Bangsamoro gover nment ’s ministr ies and offices submitted to the Ministry of Finance, and Budget and Management (MFBM).

The approved proposals were then crafted as the 2020 BEP. “We have crafted a Bangsam-

oro Expenditure Program consistent w it h ou r 12- point priority agenda and our goal for mora l gover n a nce,” s a id Ebrahim.

As the education sector will get the biggest chunk of the budget, he said the ministry of education will work to ensure that all Bangsamoro children will benefit from this.

The BARMM officially started as the new autonomous governing body among Filipino Muslims in Mindanao on March 29.

President Duterte led the inauguration of the Bangsamoro government.

A4 Monday, December 2, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso A6

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US posts first month in 70 years as net crude, petroleum exporter C

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PBOC ready with prudent policy for long global downturn, Yi says

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HE US solidified its status as an energy producer by posting the first full month as a net exporter of crude and petroleum products since government records began in 1949.

The nation exported 89,000 barrels a day more than it imported in September, according to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Friday. While the US has previously reported net exports on a weekly basis, today’s figures mark a key milestone that few would have predicted just a decade ago, before the onset of the shale boom.

President Donald J. Trump has touted American energy independence, saying that the nation is moving away from relying on foreign oil.

While the net exports show decreasing reliance on imports, the US still continues to buy heavy crude oil from other nations to meet the needs of its refineries. It also buys refined

products when they are available for a lower cost from foreign suppliers.

“The US return to being a net exporter serves to remind how the oil industry can deliver surprises­—in this case, the shale oil revolution —that upend global oil prices, production, and trade flows,” said Bob McNally, a former energy adviser to President George W. Bush and president of the consulting firm Rapidan Energy Group.

Soaring output from shale deposits led by the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico has been the main driver of the transition—but America’s status as a net exporter may be fragile. Many Texas wildcatters are predicting a rapid decline in production growth next year, while some Democratic contenders for the White House have called for a ban on

fracking—the controversial drilling technique that unleashed the boom.

“In the days of Jimmy Carter and even Ronald Reagan, we would have longed for this day,” said Jim Lucier, managing director of Washington, D.C.-based Capital Alpha Partners Llc. “Now we scarcely notice it at all.”

In its Short-Term Energy Outlook earlier this month, the EIA flagged the turnaround and forecast total net exports of crude and products of 750,000 barrels a day in 2020, compared with average net imports of 520,000 barrels a day this year.

Analysts at Rystad Energy said this week the US is only months away from achieving energy independence, citing surging oil and gas output, as well as the growth of renewables. Bloomberg News

HINA’S monetary policy should remain prudent with room for adjustment as a prolonged downturn in the global economy is likely, central bank Governor Yi Gang said.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) should be prepared for a “mid- and long-distance race” and stick to conventional policy as long as possible, Yi wrote in an article published on Sunday on the WeChat account of Qiushi, the Communist Party’s flagship magazine.

“The world’s economic downturn will likely stay for a long time,” he wrote. “We should stay focused and targeted, while not competitively lowering interest rates to zero or engaging in quantitative easing.”

Economic development “should not be simply judged by gross domestic product growth,” Yi said, adding that the mission of monetary policy is to keep prices stable and protect people’s money from inflation. He also repeated a pledge to keep the

yuan flexible and not engage in competitive depreciation.

Yi’s comments come ahead of a high level economic meeting expected this month where top leaders and senior officials will lay out growth targets for 2020. Economists anticipate the economy could slip to sub-6 percent growth, a situation Beijing may be comfortable with as long as employment and risk are in check.

China’s central bank has maintained a fairly neutral policy stance compared to its global peers, trimming interest rates for commercial lenders only moderately. The PBOC has voiced concerns on surging consumer inflation, which analysts expect to peak at 5 percent or 6 percent in early 2020.

In Sunday’s article, Yi extensively reviewed the history of global monetary policy since the Great Depression. He said overly loose policy can harm long-term development, because it delays necessary reforms and fuels bubbles. Bloomberg News

Merry Clickmas: Black Friday online sales hit record $7.4B Dutch company to light a million Nigerian homes with solar power

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EW YORK—This year’s Black Friday was the biggest-ever for online sales, as fewer people hit the stores and shoppers rang up $7.4 billion in transactions from their phones, computers and tablets.

That’s just behind the $7.9 billion haul of last year’s Cyber Monday, which holds the one-day record for online sales, according to Adobe Analytics. Adobe measures sales at 80 of the top 100 US online retailers.

Adobe expects online sales to jump to another record this Cyber Monday with an estimated total of $9.4 billion. Much of the shopping is happening on people’s phones, which accounted for 39 percent of all online sales on Friday and 61 percent of online traffic.

Shoppers have been looking for Frozen 2 toys in particular. Other top purchases included sports video games and Apple laptops.

All the online shopping may have helped thin the crowd at malls on Black Friday.

Traffic at stores fell 2.1 percent on Black Friday from a year ago, according to preliminary figures from RetailNext. It tracks in-store activity at tens of thousands of locations, including specialty apparel retailers, big-box stores and mall-based stores.

The drop in traffic helped lead to a 1.6 percent dip in sales.

Online and in-store shopping aren’t always completely separate, though. Many people buy things online, only to head to the store to pick them up. Such sales surged 43.2 percent on Black Friday from a year

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A MAN carries shopping bags across the street from a Macy’s store in San Francisco, on Friday, November 29, 2019. Black Friday once again kicked off the start of the holiday shopping season. AP PHOTO/JEFF CHIU

ago, according to Adobe.

This holiday shopping season may be the most harried in years because it’s the shortest since 2013.

Thanksgiving this year fell on the last Thursday in November—the latest

Riot police out in force for Hong Kong march

H

ONG KONG—Thousands of people are taking to the streets of Hong Kong under the watch of riot police to demand more democracy and an investigation into the use of force to suppress the six-monthlong anti-government demonstrations.

Both hardened protesters and parents with children were marching on Sunday near Hong Kong’s waterfront on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour.

Many held up a hand to indicate the five demands of the movement.

Police in riot gear were out in force for the third march of the day—and the one where violence seemed most likely.

The protesters want to keep up pressure on city leader Carrie Lam after pro-democracy candidates won a landslide victory in a district council election a week ago.

Lam has said she’ll accelerate dialogue but has not yielded any ground since the vote.

Hong Kong protesters carrying American flags and banners appealing to President Donald J. Trump are rallying in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.

The pro-democracy protesters were planning to march on Sunday to

the US Consulate to thank America for approving legislation last week that would sanction Hong Kong and Chinese officials for any human rights abuses in the city.

Some held banners reading “President Trump, please liberate Hong Kong” and “Let’s make Hong Kong great again.” One showed him standing atop a tank with his name emblazoned on the front and side.

A now withdrawn extradition bill set off protests in June against what many see as an erosion of rights and freedoms under China.

The protesters are demanding full democracy and an investigation into police use of force during the demonstrations.

Meanwhile, about 200 people are marching against police use of tear gas as Hong Kong readies for a day of protests.

The group carried yellow balloons as they headed Sunday morning from Edinburgh Square to the nearby government headquarters.

Two other marches are scheduled for later in the day. The city has had two weeks of relative calm, though police skirmished with some protesters near a subway station on Saturday night. AP

possible date it could be.

Much is riding on the success of the holiday season’s sales. The US economy is still growing steadily, but gains have slowed since its sizzling start to the year. Economists

say strong spending by households is helping to bolster growth and make up for weak confidence among businesses given all the uncertainties about the US-China trade war and other factors. AP

UMOS Global BV, a Dutch company specializing in off-grid solar power, plans to light up over a million Nigerian households by 2025 as it expands in Africa’s most populous country of more than 200 million where only 60 percent have access to electricity.

The Nigerian government announced last week that it awarded a share of a $75 million World Bankfunded grant to Lumos, to support its business in the west African nation, as part of efforts to back quick and simple solutions to the country’s energy deficit due to an absent or unreliable electricity grid.

“The market is enormous,” Lumos Chief Executive Officer Alistair Gordon said by phone of Nigeria’s fastgrowing population. “Having some assistance with that significant capex outlay and investment through these sorts of grants is a real help.”

Lumos, which has already fitted more than 100,000 solar-home systems around Nigeria, will receive a fee for each new installation from the Rural Electrification Agency, known as REA, Gordon said.

The Amsterdam-based company isn’t targeting only rural areas that are not served by the electricity grid but also towns and cities where power outages are frequent and households rely, at least partly, on generators. Lumos’ offering of solar panels and a battery enables families to spend a flat fee of around $15 per month rather than three

or four times as much on kerosene or diesel, according to Gordon. The company expects to sign up more than a million households by the middle of next decade, he said.

Monthly fee

LUMOS distributes its equipment and services in Nigeria through the stores of MTN Group Ltd, the biggest mobile telecommunications operator in the country, charging a $40 joining fee and a $12 installation charge.

Customers pay the monthly fee via their mobile phones or the system is shut off.

The Lumos unit runs appliances, such as lights, fans, mobile phones and televisions, or—in the case of small businesses—sewing machines and hair clippers, Gordon said.

The grant for stand-alone systems is part of $350 million raised

by Nigeria from the World Bank to increase electrification rates in rural areas. The largest portion of $150 million is dedicated to developing solar mini-grids.

“The REA knows that solar is the quickest way that everyone is going to get power as fast as they can,” Gordon said.

Nigeria is only able to send about a quarter of its total installed capacity to homes and businesses due to its dilapidated power network, much of it built in the 1980s. The government signed a deal with Siemens AG in July to rehabilitate and expand the country’s transmission grid. Bloomberg News

India’s economic growth slips to 4.5 percent, lowest in 6 years

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EW DELHI—India’s e conom ic g ro w t h slipped to 4.5 percent, its slowest pace in six years, in the July to September quarter, with the labor-intensive manufacturing sector contracting.

The Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation said on Friday that manufacturing output shrank by 1 percent compared to 6.9percent growth a year earlier.

It said consumer demand and private investment weakened and a global slowdown hit India’s exports.

The economy grew 5 percent in the April to June quarter.

Many economists believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetization of currency in 2016, and a hasty rollout of a goods and services tax inflicted blows to manufacturing, especially the auto sector.

According to the Auto Component Manufacturers Association of India, car deliveries in August dropped 41 percent from a year earlier while truck and bus sales fell 39 percent. AP

AN Indian laborer carries a sack of onions at a wholesale market on the outskirts of Jammu, India, on Friday, November 29, 2019. India’s economic growth has slipped to 4.5 percent, the slowest annual pace in six years, in the July to September quarter with labor-intensive manufacturing sector registering a negative growth. AP PHOTO/CHANNI ANAND

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Londoners fought back to curtail carnage in bridge knife attack

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ONDON —Even in times of shared, senseless tragedy, an uplifting moment sometimes emerges.

On Saturday, shocked and saddened Londoners dealing with the return of terrorism to their streets after a two-year hiatus found solace in the way bystanders fought to subdue the London Bridge attacker, keeping the death count lower than it would have been if they had fled.

Particularly striking were the weapons they used to confront the killer: a fire extinguisher and—incredibly enough— a 5-foot (1.5-meter) narwhal tusk apparently taken from the wall of Fishmongers’ Hall when the attack began.

Remarkable video from the scene on Friday shows one man spraying the fire extinguisher at the knife-wielding attacker and trying to hit him with the blunt instrument, while another uses the whale tusk to try to pin the man down.

Others ganged up on the man, wrestling him to the ground and stripping away his weapons. Additional footage shows another man—said by some media outlets to be a plainclothes policeman—calmly walking away from the scene with one of the attacker’s knives, making sure it could not be used to kill again. The attacker, later identified as 28-year-old convicted terrorist Usman Khan, was restrained until police arrived and—after he flashed what looked like a suicide vest—shot him dead. Two people were killed and three wounded in his attack.

The Londoners’ valor—and ingenuity—did not go unnoticed. They were praised to the skies not only by Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Boris Johnson but also—perhaps, more

impor tant—by ordinar y people on Twitter.

“We’ll never know how many lives are being saved in this moment. Heroes is an overused word, but entirely correct here,” wrote one man after viewing the video. “Unbelievable bravery, truly humbling,” a woman wrote. The brief video had been viewed more than 2 million times on Twitter by Saturday afternoon.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the bystanders who brought down the attacker could have followed advice and run away for their own safety but decided to run toward danger instead. “We saw Londoners, ordinary citizens, acting in an extraordinary way,” he said.

Some of those who challenged the attacker were former prisoners attending a conference on rehabilitation along with the assailant at Fishmongers’ Hall, where the attack apparently began. The group included a murderer who had reformed, British press reports said.

Steve Hurst, who was in a car driving by, got out to join the group trying to restrain the attacker. He told BBC he tried to kick Khan’s foot so he would drop the knife.

“We were trying to do as much as we could to dislodge the knife from his hand so he couldn’t harm anyone else,” he said.

The spontaneous decision of the civilians to fight back was part of a trend that seems to have gathered pace since the 9/11 attacks in 2001, when passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 challenged the hijackers, in effect crashing the plane in rural Pennsylvania before it could reach an intended strategic target in Washington. AP

Monday, December 2, 2019 A7

Iraqi PM submits resignation to parliament amid violence

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AGHDAD—Three anti-government protesters were shot dead and at least 58 others wounded in Baghdad and southern Iraq on Saturday, security and medical officials said, as Prime Minister Adel AbdulMahdi formally submitted his resignation to parliament.

Lawmakers were expected to either vote or accept outright AbdulMahdi’s resignation letter in a parliamentary session on Sunday, two members of parliament said.

The prime minister announced on Friday he would hand parliament his resignation amid mounting pressure from mass anti-government protests, a day after more than 40 demonstrators were killed by security forces in Baghdad and southern Iraq. The announcement also came after Iraq’s top Shiite cleric withdrew his support for the government in a weekly sermon.

The formal resignation came after an emergency Cabinet session ear-

lier in which ministers approved the document and the resignation of key staffers, including Abdul-Mahdi’s chief of staff.

In a prerecorded speech, AbdulMahdi addressed Iraqis, saying that following parliament’s recognition of his stepping down, the Cabinet would be demoted to caretaker status, unable to pass new laws and make key decisions. Existing laws do not provide clear procedures for members of parliament to recognize AbdulMahdi’s resignation, Iraqi officials and experts said. Cabinet bylaws allow the prime minister to tender his resignation to the president, but there is no specific law that dictates

the course of action should this be tasked to parliament.

“There is a black hole in the constitution, it says nothing about resignation,” said lawmaker Mohamed al-Daraji.

There are two main laws that could direct parliament’s course of action, he added: Either they vote Abdul-Mahdi out in a vote of no confidence, per Article 61 of the constitution, or resort to Article 81 reserved for times of crisis when there is a vacancy in the premiership, shifting those duties temporarily to the president.

“My understanding is this will be taken care of per Article 61,” he said.

A vote of no confidence would demote Abdul-Mahdi’s Cabinet into caretaker status for a period of 30 days, in which parliament’s largest political bloc would have to propose a new candidate.

This is where the real problem comes in, experts and officials said.

Abdul-Mahdi’s nomination as prime minister was the product of a provisional alliance between parliament’s two main blocs—Sairoon, led by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and Fatah, which includes leaders associated with the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Units headed by

Hadi al-Amiri.

In the May 2018 election, neither coalition won a commanding plurality that would have enabled it to name the premier alone. To avoid political crisis, Sairoon and Fatah forged a precarious union.

“Now we are back to the question of who is the largest bloc that can name the next prime minister,” said one official close to the State of Law party, led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. “If they don’t come to an agreement before the 30-day deadline, then we might have to go to the supreme court.”

Officials traded theories as to why Abdul-Mahdi chose to tender his resignation through parliament, with some speculating it was to buy more time or avoid the risk of a vacuum should the post remain empty.

Abdul-Mahdi had alluded to the challenges faced by political parties to find consensus candidates, saying in earlier statements he would step down once an alternative candidate was found.

In his speech, addressing these speculations, Abdul-Mahdi said he was acting on the advice of Iraq’s chief Supreme Court judge. AP

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A8 Monday, December 2, 2019 Republic of the Philippines

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SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna

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A10 Monday, December 2, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

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editorial

Can China shut down the Philippine grid?

R

etired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio last month cautioned against the dangers brought about by China’s ability to control the Philippines’s power source through the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP). He said: “I think it should be a cause for concern especially if the technicians who are manning or maintaining the grid, the power lines, are Chinese.

Because if the Chinese are the ones maintaining our national grid then it’s easy for them to shut it down. They can always inject malware in the software.”

Following Carpio’s declaration that the matter was something the government should look into, opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked the Senate to conduct an inquiry into the potential threat of China shutting off the country’s electricity supply. Hontiveros, the sponsor of the resolution calling for a Senate inquiry, alleged there are reports that Chinese engineers are operating the grid and that the Philippine government, which owns the facilities, no longer has access to them.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi’s pronouncement that he supports calls to investigate the NGCP deal also signaled a push back against China’s alleged control over the national grid. He said that while the Chinese firm has the “potential” to shut down the Philippine grid, “measures are in place” to prevent it from doing so. Why is NGCP’s 11-year-old partnership with a Chinese firm suddenly become an alarming national concern? How did NGCP become a Filipino-Chinese consortium?

The NGCP is crucial to the Philippines’s power supply because it is the country’s sole transmission service provider. This means it is in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid where electricity flows from generating plants to distribution utilities to businesses and households nationwide. China, through the State Grid Corp. of China, owns 40 percent of NGCP. But it is important to point out that SGCC as NGCP partner won the franchise to operate, maintain, and develop the country’s power grid in 2008 under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Duterte administration has nothing to do with the deal.

The NGCP denied allegations that China can remotely access and shut down the grid. It said Filipinos are in control of the country’s power transmission infrastructure, and the SGCC is limited to being a technical adviser. NGCP said that the system that controls the grid is being operated by “authorized Filipino technical experts” and cannot be accessed by remote users.

NGCP President and CEO Anthony Almeda clarified that the remote connection for the system “may only be granted to the Filipino CEO in an emergency situation and only after undergoing a secure and confidential approval process,” adding that “the grid’s data center is equipped with biometric controls so that only authorized NGCP personnel can enter. Its servers and workstations are also protected by firewalls and layers of authentication systems to block unauthorized access.”

Although NGCP Spokesman Cynthia Perez-Alabanza said that allegations that China can remotely access and shut down the grid are “baseless” and “purely speculative,” a number of senators are pushing for a Senate inquiry.

Hontiveros said: “We need to know for certain if our energy systems and infrastructure fully remain under Filipino control, and if we have implemented the technical safeguards needed to prevent foreign interference in, or sabotage of, our national electricity grid.”

While there’s a need to assess all concerns raised over China’s investment in NGCP, caution must be exercised against exaggerating the “dangers” posed by the 11-year-old Filipino-Chinese consortium managing the national grid.

Until our national security officials and an expert group composed of engineers, scientists, IT and cyber experts—the ones that Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian deems most qualified to do an audit—confirm the “risks” that the Chinese group can switch off NGCP’s transmission operations at will, let’s refrain from treating SGCC as a wicked partner of Filipino investors that formed the Filipino-Chinese consortium, which has been delivering power to 100 million Filipinos for 11 years.

COP25: It’s now or never Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

RISING SUN

T

he 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) is happening in Madrid starting today, December 2, until the 13th of this month. The Philippines is one of the 197 countries that ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). As such, we are participating in this meeting, a big one as it expects some 25,000 delegates from all over the world, including the young Swedish Greta Thunberg.

The year 2020 is crucial as it is the year for many nations to submit new climate action plans, which means that the discussions and decisions made in COP25 will have a huge impact on the world’s climate plans for the succeeding years. One

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ideas, efforts, and strategies to face the climate crisis together.

Everyone should be working to uphold the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, in which all parties agreed to give their best efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial temperatures, and to boost climate action financing. The next year will truly see all of us implementing the promised actions, strategies, and changes to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. It’s an ambitious goal but the biggest and most significant reason to work in this direction is the survival of the human race, which depends on what we do today.

The way I look at it, the Paris climate deal may be the world’s final chance to save itself. In the next year, we’ll see if the agreement will work, if the parties will do good on their promise, and if the actions are truly enough to save the Earth.

Benefits and incentives for our national athletes and coaches Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan

legally speaking

Since 2005

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

of the important points of discussion would be about money—how to fund climate action? Our own representatives need to pay close attention to this conversation. COP25 is an opportunity to ensure that all parties are aware of the deadline

and the urgency of it.

Another important aspect to this meeting is the honest admission that we, the whole world, are running out of time. According to the UN itself, not enough is being done to meet the world’s climate goals: 1) to reduce emissions by 45 percent by 2030; 2) to achieve climate neutrality (net zero carbon footprint) by 2050; and 3) to stabilize global temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. It is very important that the whole world steps up its efforts to control greenhouse-gas emissions, especially in the coming months, because this hit a record high in 2018.

All 25,000 delegates will be entering this meeting tasked with the responsibility of taking bold action and making ambitious decisions on behalf of the planet. The sense of urgency is important to be able to agree on ways to move forward. COP25 is likewise a great opportunity to share

O

N November 13, 2015, Republic Act 10699 known as the “National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act” was enacted into law, expanding the benefits received under RA 9064 (Approved on April 5, 2001). The declared policy of RA 10699 is to “promote excellence in sports by looking after the welfare of national athletes and coaches competing for the country and by providing benefits and incentives for national athletes and other athletes who win in international sports competitions and bring honor and recognition to the country” (Section 2).

Are our national athletes and coaches aware of these benefits and incentives—and more important, how many have actually been awarded these benefits and incentives?

The law defines “national athletes” as athletes including persons with disabilities who are Filipino citizens, members of the national training pool, recognized and accredited by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission, including athletes with disabilities (AWD) who are recognized and accredited by the National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines (NPC PHIL) and the PSC and who have represented the country in international sports competitions.

“National coaches” refer to coaches of national athletes, who are Filipino citizens, members of the national coaches training pool, recognized and accredited by the PSC and the POC, or the PSC and NPC PHIL in the case of AWD coaches who have represented the country as

official coaches to national athletes in international sports competitions (Section 3[d]).

Benefits and privileges for national athletes and national coaches are as follows: “a. The grant of 20-percent discount from all establishments relative to the utilization of transportation services, hotels and other lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation centers and purchase of medicine and sports equipment anywhere in the country for the actual and exclusive use or enjoyment of the national athlete and coach; b. Minimum of 2-percent discount on admission fees charged by theaters, cinema houses and concert halls, circuses, carnivals, and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement for the actual and exclusive use and enjoyment of the national athlete and coach; c. Free medical and dental consultations in government hospitals and similar establishments anywhere in the country;

For the SEA Games, the cash incentive for gold medalists is P300,000; silver medalists, P150,000; and bronze medalists, P60,000. The cash incentives for team events with less than five participants is the same as incentives for individual medal winners.

d. Coverage in the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. through the sponsored program of the PSC; e. A comprehensive social security program to be formulated by the Social Security System within 180 days from the approval of this Act; f. Priority in existing livelihood programs being undertaken by various government agencies subject to the guidelines and qualifications by the implementing body; g. Priority in national housing programs, affordable pabahay loans and other housing opportunities subject to the guidelines and qualifications set by the National Housing Authority (NHA) or the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF); and h. Use of living quarters and training centers set up and maintained by the PSC for the exclusive use of national athletes while preparing and training for international competitions (Section 4).”

Additionally, scholarship benefits, retirement benefits and death benefits are required to be given to national athletes and coaches as follows: Section 5. Scholarship Benefits for National Athletes—A national athlete who wins in a regular major international sports competition shall be

entitled to scholarship benefits in the form of full tuition fees from state colleges or universities for a college or university degree. The winning athlete shall, likewise, be given priority in the availment of state college or university scholarship grants.

Section 6. Retirement Benefits for National Athletes and Coaches—Any national athlete and coach who wins in an international competition or has coached such winning national athlete shall receive a lump sum amount equivalent to 25 percent of his/her total cash incentives computed from the start of his/her active sports career as a member of the national training pool or national coaches training pool up to the last day of retirement from active competition or training as certified by the PSC. Such lump sum amount shall be released 60 days from the filing of the retirement papers.

Section 7. Death Benefits—Upon the death of any national athlete and coach, the primary beneficiaries shall be entitled to a lump sum benefit of P30,000 to cover for the funeral services: Provided, That if the athlete and coach has no primary beneficiaries (legitimate spouse, legitimate or illegitimate children) the secondary beneficiaries (parents, or in their absence brother or sisters) shall be entitled to said benefits.

RA 10699, likewise, provides under Section 8 thereof for cash incentives to other athletes who are not officially or currently members of the national training pool but who have otherwise represented the country in international sports competitions who win gold, silver and bronze medals in international sports competitions. Cash incentives range from P150,000 to P10 million for gold medalists; P75,000 See “Kapunan,” A11

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What to watch as top polluter heads to global climate talks

A

On our way to bus modernization Thomas M. Orbos

STREET TALK

By Bloomberg News

ll eyes are on China as negotiators from nearly 200 nations head to Madrid for the next round of United Nations climate talks. Like most efforts to reach an international consensus, what Beijing wants matters because of its rising geopolitical clout and economic might.

But when it comes to one of the core causes of climate change—carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels—there’s no bigger player than China. Though it’s the biggest investor in renewable power, it’s the world’s top carbon polluter and energy consumer. Balancing how it powers its massive economy against what’s asked of it by the rest of the planet is far from settled.

As a developing economy, China backs one of the main pillars of the UN-organized efforts: that richer nations have more responsibility for past climate-changing emissions than poorer countries, and so they should do more to finance efforts to change course. It also supports a multinational approach to avoiding climate change, criticizing the US decision to pull out of the 2015 Paris Agreement and Europe’s recent consideration of a regional carbon tax.

Carbon market

There’s a specific and esoteric focus of the Madrid talks: How to implement Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which addresses developing cooperative approaches and mechanisms to cut emissions and support sustainable development. One way to do this would be a global carbon market, where nations can build up credits from reducing emissions and then trade them.

China supports a market mechanism because it’s flexible and offers opportunities to seek lowest-cost options, said Ma Aimin, an adviser to the Chinese government on climate-change policies. China could be a developer of credits if its costs are relatively lower or a buyer if costs are higher, he said.

China is already in the process of developing its own carbon market, which would be the world’s biggest.

How that links to any global effort will depend on the final rules agreed internationally, said Ma, who’s also deputy director general of the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation.

After a bureaucratic reshuffle last year saw China fall behind its own schedule to launch a national carbon market, the newly created Ministry of Ecology and Environment is back on track to launch trading for the power sector next year, Ma said.

Registration and trading systems are almost complete and mock trading has started with potential participants, he said. Other industries will be drawn into the market after 2020, Ma added.

Withering green investments?

Meanwhile, the world’s biggest renewable-energy investor is trying to pull off a major policy shift. After years of bankrolling solar and wind projects, which added more capacity than any other nation, China is now weaning the industry off subsidies and promoting projects that can compete against coal- and natural gas-fired plants.

The transition has been rocky.

The global solar industry is still reeling from China’s abrupt decision last year to cut subsidies and halt approvals of some new projects. Demand for solar panels and prices sank and haven’t quite recovered. The delay in releasing this year’s solar policy —a relaxed version of the 2018 approach—first sparked optimism of a demand boom in the top market, then predictions that it’s failing to happen, creating a lot of uncertainty for manufacturers worldwide.

The cooldown in China depressed global clean energy investment, according to data compiled by

BloombergNEF. Countries collectively spent almost $189 billion in the first nine months this year, barely over half the amount for all 2018. Worldwide investments reached a six-year low in the first half, with China’s decline especially pronounced, BNEF said. The slowdown in China also pummeled both panel prices and the shares of large developers globally.

Next year could see a rebound in investment, according to Wang Bohua, secretary-general of China Photovoltaic Industry Association, who said on Friday the nation is likely to announce its 2020 policies soon. This could help capacity additions recover next year to more than 40 gigawatts, he said, citing an industry forecast.

Rising emissions

AS climate warnings become more severe, global focus is shifting from creating more green power toward stopping emissions. That’s putting a harsher spotlight on China, despite its track record of renewables investments.

After contributing to a global slowdown earlier this decade, China’s emissions are on the rise again, the UN Environment Program said in a report in November, citing a 1.6-percent increase in 2018 to a record 13.7-billion tons of carbon dioxide.

And the outlook doesn’t seem promising. According to an analysis

by Global Energy Monitor, China has enough coal-fired power plants in the pipeline to match the entire capacity of the European Union, driving an overall expansion globally in power from coal, the most-polluting fossil fuel.

As part of its Paris Agreement pledge, China aims by 2030 for emissions to peak and for carbon output per unit of economic output to drop by as much as 65 percent from 2005 levels. Beijing has touted it already hit a 2020 target for a 45-percent cut in emissions intensity from 2005. But with its GDP growing by 390 percent since then, overall carbon emissions have risen by more than half.

New negotiator?

It’s expected that Zhao Yingmin, vice environmental minister, will lead China’s delegation to this round of climate talks. He’ll take over from Xie Zhenhua, who served as the top negotiator at UN climate meetings for more than a decade.

The change in negotiators follows a regulatory restructuring last year that saw responsibility for climate duties moved from National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to the new Ecology and Environment ministry. The ministry didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Zhao was appointed to his current position in March 2018, according to his official biography, which lists a series of government appointments since he started at the National Environmental Protection Agency in 1989.

“The positions and attitude won’t change dramatically because of a change in officials,” said Li Shuo, a policy adviser at Greenpeace China, who described Xie as “very authoritative and veteran official, who is highly respected internationally.”

Xie, who held the role as China’s special representative for climatechange affairs even after his 2015 retirement from the NDRC, said earlier in November that China has always sought a “multilateral system” on climate change negotiations and is willing to work with the US to help reign in global warming.

Monday, December 2, 2019 A11

W

hile everyone’s focus has been on jeepney modernization—understandable because of its importance and significance, another mode of transport is undergoing the same and needed transformation, but in a more subdued manner. I am talking about the buses.

Next to the jeepneys, the bus is a major mode of Filipino public transport, providing long-haul carriage even from Manila to points in Mindanao; and major city corridors, such as Edsa and Commonwealth Avenue. And just like the jeepneys, the Filipinos have their own love/ hate relationship with their buses.

We all have our good and bad stories to tell. A lot of the good stories are nostalgic trips down memory lane, maybe as a young child with your parents on the way to Cubao or that midnight bus stopover for the needed coffee and restroom break on your way to Baguio. The unpleasant side is almost always something current—the bus that suddenly swerved in your lane in Edsa, or that crazy speeding driver along Commonwealth Avenue where you are almost certain you can hear

passengers screaming out of fear.

In the hierarchy of mobility, buses are closely on a par with rails and come right after human powered mobility, such as walking and bicycle usage. Buses definitely are a notch higher than private vehicles, simply because they carry more passengers, yet occupying less road footprint.

One-hundred commuters, can easily be transported by a single bus, rather than 100 single occupant cars. This is one of the simple reasons why Edsa is congested.

In recent years, bus transport, as a people-carrier, had been more emphasized with the evolution of BRTs, or Bus Rapid Transit, combining the principle of rail with the use of buses as coaches. Popularized in Columbia, South America, BRTs now compete with rails as transport solutions in major cities globally.

BRTs, while less “sexy” than rails, are cheaper and faster to build; carry as many passengers, and can be modified without much cost.

There are five critical areas for bus reform—vehicle specifications, route rationalization, consolidation—especially in city operations, its operating protocol and terminal area operations. Vehicle specifications include migration to Euro 4 or higher engine types with the rest of the new specifications depending on usage. City buses are ideally longer, low entry/floor buses, with two doors providing easier passenger ingress/egress and carry more passengers. Provincial buses carry less passengers with in-steps accounting for the needed cargo space beneath. The fact that most of our current city buses are actually for provincial use contribute to the traffic as it carries less passengers and takes longer ingress/ egress time. With regards to route rationalization of the DOTr, bus routes will be updated and will pursue intermodal usage to sufficiently address passenger demand, safety and convenience. With this, accurate organized bus scheduling can then be applied. Consolidation of operations is also needed, defining the number of operators in a particular route to make operations more efficient. Edsa, for one, has currently more than 100 operators. Consolidating them to a single

operation or a consortium would make operations more viable and the quality of service better. Consortium would also eradicate the leasing model and provide ample benefit and salaries to the drivers, thus stopping the present competition for passengers and put the needed order among bus drivers.

And finally, its area of terminal operations, despite the objections of some, need to be organized and located in areas that cause less congestion. They definitely need to be taken out of major thoroughfares and centralized with intermodal transport access.

We have seen and have envied bus operations in other countries.

We need not feel bad. All these countries—Korea, Singapore, Japan, etc., went through this process of modernizing their buses. They had the same problems that we are now facing as well as the solutions we are now taking.

It won’t be long that bus transport in the Philippines will not just be a necessity but a pleasant riding experience, decongesting traffic and reducing carbon emissions in our cities.

Thomas “Tim” Orbos was former DOTr undersecretary for roads and general manager of the MMDA. He is currently undertaking further studies at the McCourt School of Public Policy of Georgetown University. He can be reached via e-mail at thomas_orbos@sloan.mit.edu

This time, Trump will be just one of the wild cards at Nato

By Marc Champion & Jonathan Stearns Bloomberg Opinion

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hat was conceived as a celebration for one of the world’s most important military alliances risks becoming a show of disunity—and this time it’s not because of anything President Donald J. Trump has said or done.

Meeting in London this week, leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have two other presidents to worry about: France’s Emmanuel Macron, who in recent weeks has openly questioned the collective defense clause at Nato’s heart, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has troubled alliance members with his decisions to send troops into Syria and buy a Russian antimissile system.

To make matters worse, Macron and Erdogan are now trading insults in public.

In fact, so much has changed since then-Prime Minister Theresa May offered to host the two-day commemoration of Nato’s 70th anniversary that her successor, Boris Johnson, could be forgiven for wishing she hadn’t.

“I will tell you again at Nato, first, check your own brain death,” Erdogan said, addressing Macron in a speech from Istanbul on Friday.

He was referring to an interview the French leader gave last month in which he not only criticized Turkey, but described the alliance as brain dead.

With three significant memberstates bringing conflicting agendas to the table at a gathering that takes place in the closing stretch of a charged UK election campaign, the event risks fanning concern about Nato’s future, rather than celebrating what alliance officials and leaders routinely call the most successful military grouping in history.

Officials from the US and Britain were at pains last week to highlight Nato’s successes, including a renewed sense of purpose since Ru ssi a’s 2014 ag g ression i n Ukraine. Defense spending is on

Kapunan. . .

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to P5 million for silver medalists; P30,000 to P2 million for bronze medalists. For the SEA Games, the cash incentive for gold medalists is P300,000; silver medalists, P150,000; and bronze medalists, P60,000. The cash incentives for team events with less than five

the rise and Nato is expanding into counterterrorism, cyber security and, now, even space.

And Nato does continue to attract.

North Macedonia, set to join next year, will bring the number of leaders at the table this week to 30, up from 15 when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.

Such accomplishments, however, are being drowned out by the increasingly public dispute over what Nato should focus on, and what it should stand for. In an apparent attempt to contain the debate, Germany has proposed forming an expert group to report on the future political shape of the alliance.

Macron drove Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel to make an uncharacteristically spirited defense of the alliance last week. “Even more than during the Cold War, maintaining Nato is today in our own best interest,” she told lawmakers in Berlin.

“Europe cannot currently defend itself alone.”

A senior US official said on Friday that Trump would prioritize enlisting Nato to push back against China’s growing influence. The official said Trump would also press allies to increase defense spending, and to exclude Chinese companies from the construction of 5G mobile networks—something many have been unwilling to do.

Instead of containing China, Macron wants Nato to prioritize the fight against terrorism. Thirteen French soldiers died in Mali last week and a lone terrorist on Friday killed two people in London.

A French official said Macron also plans to press for greater “operational” burden-sharing as a way of complementing Trump’s push for participants is the same as incentives for individual medal winners.

For teams with more than five participants, each team member shall receive 25 percent of the cash incentives for individual medal winners (Section 8[b]). Coaches who have trained and rendered service to athletes or teams at least six months prior to the international competition receive a cash incentive equivalent to 50 percent of the cash incentives

With three significant memberstates bringing conflicting agendas to the table at a gathering that takes place in the closing stretch of a charged UK election campaign, the event risks fanning concern about Nato’s future, rather than celebrating what alliance officials and leaders routinely call the most successful military grouping in history.

Europe to share more of the alliance’s financial burden.

Erdogan, meanwhile, is demanding acceptance of Turkish goals in northern Syria, including classifying as a terrorist threat the Kurdish militias that have fought Islamic State alongside other Nato allies. He also rubbed salt into another open wound in Turkey’s ties with Western allies, by unpacking and testing the Nato noncompatible S-400 air defense system he recently bought from Russia.

And that’s all before Trump makes his first tweet of the event.

“It will be a great tribute to how much all the Nato allies value the institution if we manage to get through this leaders meeting without President Trump, President Macron or President Erdogan doing something damaging to the alliance,” said Kori Schake, a former National Security Council official in the George W. Bush administration.

The shortened time frame for meeting—formal sessions will take only about four hours—may limit the potential for damage. Long-term Nato watchers also caution against exaggerating the dangers of intraalliance tensions, which aren’t new to an organization that includes countries with differing geographies and security priorities.

Macron’s questioning of the collective defense commitment at Nato’s heart is certainly dangerous, but in many ways he is simply reverting to France’s traditionally semidetached status. President Charles de Gaulle for gold, silver and bronze medalist.

In case of more than one coach, the incentives shall be divided equally (Section 9).

I know from personally interviewing one of our most bemedaled national athletes that not all these benefits and incentives have been received, until recently. National athletes and coaches may have received the recognition they then deserved, but as time passed and

pulled out of the organization’s military command structure in 1966, and France rejoined only in 2009.

“It’s not a fashionable view, I know,” said Sir Adam Thomson, the UK’s envoy to Nato from 2014 to 2016, but Nato “has been pursuing a new vision since the end of the Cold War and, to some extent, it’s already got a lot of the material.”

He cited three new roles since the Cold War: crisis management in places like Afghanistan, keeping a lid on potential disputes between members in eastern Europe and building partnerships with dozens of nonmember countries.

“It is quite distinctive that this alliance, which in the eyes of some is so wicked, finds so many partners to work with.”

As the site of Nato’s first headquarters, London was a natural choice for this week’s anniversary. It was also supposed to make a statement on the global stature of a new post-Brexit Britain.

Brexit, however, has since been delayed. Johnson also called a snap election that will happen just eight days after the leaders fly home. The presence of Trump, a toxic figure among British voters, is a potential political liability for the prime minister. Were Johnson to lose to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, that would give Nato yet another individual to worry about at its next summit, due in 2021.

Over his career the socialist firebrand has called Nato “a danger to world peace and a danger to world security,” among other things. He has more recently fallen into line with party policy, which is for the UK to stay in the alliance, but he would likely prove another awkward partner.

The last time Britain hosted Nato leaders, in 2014, he told an anti-Nato rally that the end of the Cold War “should have been the time for Nato to shut up shop, give up, go home and go away.” With assistance from Onur Ant, Geraldine Amiel and Justin Sink

their glories faded, the nation has forgotten them. Worse, some have joined the afterlife after living in abject poverty.

This SEA Games must be an eyeopener on how our national athletes and coaches are being rewarded and compensated.

Even if all these benefits were given, these would still be a paltry amount compared to the P50 million wasted on some kaldero!

A12 Monday, December 2, 2019

PSA set to conduct survey of commercial rice stocks

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By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

HE Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the law that created it will be put to the test once it takes over the collection of information on rice stocks, according to a senior research fellow of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (Pids).

Under the rice trade liberalization (RTL) law, the conduct of the Commercial Rice Stocks Survey (CSS) will be turned over by the National Food Authority (NFA) to

the PSA by July 2020.

Pids Senior Research Fellow Roehlano M. Briones told the BusinessMirror this will test the resolve of the PSA to apply

the provisions of the law, which allows the agency to initiate legal action against those who will not disclose correct information to the government.

“The question here is how are they [PIDS] going to secure the cooperation of the commercial [warehouses] because before, [the NFA is a] regulator. So of course they will respond, otherwise they won’t get a permit, or they will be closed,” said Briones.

“The PSA has the power of compulsion because of its charter. It can initiate legal action if you don’t want to disclose [information]. Although I have never heard it happen before,” he added.

Nonetheless, Briones said the PSA has procedures for these kinds of surveys. One of the surveys being conducted by the PSA is the Annual

Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI), which collects income and expense information from businesses.

However, the information regarding the specifics of these businesses, such as the names of the companies, cannot be disclosed and may not even be used in court.

National Statistician Dennis S. Mapa told the BusinessMirror over the weekend that the PSA is ready to conduct the CSS by July 2020.

Mapa said the PSA’s Sectoral Statistics and Statistical Methodology Units are already preparing the procedures for conducting the survey. “[Our team is] preparing a sampling design to capture the data for the commercial stock. The PSA is

SEA GAMES OPENING SCENES

One of the numbers that wowed the crowd at the official opening of the 2019 SEA Games at the Philippine Arena was the “Sarimanok” dance. BERNARD TESTA

See “Survey A2

SSS: Deal with S. Korea benefits 60K Filipinos

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HE state-run Social Security System (SSS) on Thursday said more than 60,000 Filipinos in South Korea will soon enjoy the benefits of social security coverage and protection both from their host and mother countries following the signing of the bilateral agreement between the two coun-

tries last November 25.

The Social Security Agreement (SSA) that will address social security coverage of Filipinos in South Korea and Koreans in the Philippines was among the five agreements signed during the sidelines of President Duterte’s recent visit to South Korea for the Asean-Re-

TYPHOON "TISOY" {KAMMURI} ESTIMATED AT 905 KM EAST OF VIRAC, CATANDUANES NORTHEAST MONSOON AFFECTING LUZON as of 4:00 am - December 1, 2019

public of Korea Commemorative Summit.

“After almost 15 years, we are very glad that we have finally secured an agreement with South Korea that will ensure the protection of social security rights for the benefit and welfare of the respective nationals of both countries,”

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora C. Ignacio said.

“The long wait is over, and we are now confident that we are nearing our goal to protect all Filipino workers inside and outside the Philippines from the hazards of the sudden loss of income due to unexpected contingencies,” Ignacio added.

Signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. and Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, the renegotiated SSA addressed the concerns of overseas Filipino workers in Korea. Their social security coverage will remain under Korea’s National Pension Service and there will be no transfer of contributions from the NPS to the SSS, among others.

The renegotiated agreement also provides an option for OFWs to refund their NPS contributions at the end of their overseas employment contract under the same conditions given to Korean nationals.

“We listened to the calls of our OFWs before, that’s why this is allowed even if it is believed that the other option of leaving behind their contributions under the National Pension Act of Korea for future benefit entitlement is more beneficial. We want our OFWs to understand that we are very much willing to listen to their concerns and if we could make ways to meet their demands, we’ll do it. In the end, it is really their welfare that we care much about,” Ignacio said.

OFWs who will opt for the lump-sum refund are encouraged to become active SSS members and pay their contributions on a voluntary basis to ensure their eligibility for SSS pension benefits in the future.

Similar to SSAs that the Philippines has with other countries, the provisions of the SSA with Korea are in line with the State’s policy to afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, as also enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating that every member of society has the right to social security.

Under the agreement, covered members and their beneficiaries may file their claims with the designated liaison agencies of the Philippines and South Korea which will accordingly extend assistance to facilitate the processing of claims.

For example, if an OFW did not meet the qualifying conditions of at least 120 months of contributions to qualify for a retirement pension under the SSS, but was See “SSS,” A2

The Philippine delegation, proudly waving the flag, enters the Philippine Arena late Saturday (November 30) to loud cheers from the crowd. BERNARD TESTA

BM reporters bag awards in biotech journalism

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HE BusinessMirror and two of its reporters were recognized during the recent Jose G. Burgos Jr. Awards for Biotechnology Journalism Awards.

The awarding ceremony was held last November 27, at the Agricultural Training Institute, Visayas Avenue, Quezon City.

Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas, the newspaper’s Agriculture/Commodities reporter, won first prize in the Best News Category for his story titled, “Delays in approving GMO permits scored,” published on November 5, 2018.

This is the second J. Burgos award received by Arcalas this year.

In January, he was given a special award for writing the most number of stories on biotechnology despite being new to the agriculture beat.

Stephanie Tumampos, BusinessMirror’s science correspondent, who is currently studying on scholarship in Europe, won third prize in the Best Feature Category for her article titled, “How a banana tissue culture is now helping the industry,” published on August 12, 2018.

See “BM reporters,” A2

BAGUIO KEEPS TOURISTS COMING FOR MORE; ARTS FESTIVAL MARKS 2ND YR

Colorful murals welcomed visitors to Baguio City recently during its 2019 iBagiw Festival. Contributed photo

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

@akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

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AGUIO City, which recently celebrated its 2019 iBagiw Festival, continues to be a popular tourism destination.

Data from the Department of Tourism-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOT-CAR) showed visitor arrivals in Baguio City growing by 15.8 percent to 1.76 million in 2018. Of this, some 1.72million were domestic tourists, and 35,234 were foreign tourists. The

city accounted for some 80.55 percent of CAR’s total arrivals in 2018. However, foreign visitor arrivals slipped by 27 percent from 48,261 in 2017.

This year’s iBagiw Festival showcased massive murals and an assortment of colorful art work as Baguio celebrated the second anniversary of its recognition as a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Creative Cities Network. iBagiw, which literally means “someone from Baguio” or See “Baguio,” A2

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Companies BusinessMirror

Monday, December 2, 2019

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RSA, govt officials tout Skyway’s new anti-congestion features Thai court fines Philip Morris $39.7M for under-declaring imports from Philippines

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San Miguel Corp. President and COO Ramon S. Ang (from fourth, from left), Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi lead the reopening of the third at-grade lane of the Skyway and inauguration of a new two-lane steel ramp connecting the Alabang viaduct to the elevated Skyway. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

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By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

INALLY, the kilometers-long congestion along the South Luzon Expressway (Slex) that had motorists angry and weary for two months is expected to ease up, as San Miguel Corp. on Sunday reopened the third at-grade lane of the Skyway System, while inaugurating a new steel ramp to serve as a zipper lane to or from Alabang.

Ramon S. Ang, the company’s president, led Sunday’s reopening of the outermost lane of the at-grade lane of the Skyway and the inauguration of the two-lane steel ramp connecting the Alabang viaduct and the elevated portion of the Skyway. The ramp may be opened for either north-

bound or southbound motorists depending on the traffic situation.

This now gives motorists a total of five lanes when traveling northbound, should it be opened for northbound traffic.

“I know that our motorists from the south—Muntinlupa, Las Piñas,

Cavite, Laguna, Batangas—have a hard time these past two months.

Again, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this project has caused. Starting today, motorists from Slex will have up to five lanes northbound during rush hours.

This is already a big improvement from just three lanes at the viaduct, before the start of construction,” Ang said.

With this development, Ang delivered on his promise to deliver this portion of the road by December 1.

This was possible through the use of new technologies in engineering, including the use of steel guideways and roads that are a trend in developed countries like Japan.

The materials used to build the ramp were “lent” by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The ramp is part of the diversified conglomerate’s P10-billion Skyway Extension Project, which aims to decongest the Muntinlupa-Parañaque segment of the Slex, where bottlenecks have become a perennial problem.

SEC approves another IPO F of ACE Hospital group

It consists of several elevated viaducts and ramps, an at-grade roadway and toll facilities. The project will allow for an additional capacity of 4,500 vehicles per hour northbound, and an additional 3,000 vehicles an hour southbound.

It is expected to be completed by December 2020.

Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said this development brings the government closer to its promise of decongesting main arteries in the country, such as Edsa, which some groups describe as a giant carpark.

“One of our promises is to decongest Edsa. We will be able to deliver on that promise,” he said.

Ang agreed, saying his group’s initiative to connect the Skyway System all the way to the Balintawak Toll Plaza of the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) will create a significant contribution to decongesting Edsa.

“By the end of March, I believe when we connect Skyway Buendia to Nlex Balintawak Toll Plaza, we can eradicate the traffic on Edsa in the next few years,” he said.

Fiat Chrysler commits to $9-billion US investment in UAW deal

By VG Cabuag @villygc

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HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the registration of Allied Care Experts (ACE) Medical Center-Legazpi Inc. for its P1-billion initial public offering (IPO).

The SEC’s commission en banc approved the application of ACE Legazpi to issue a total of 240,000 shares.

ACE Legazpi will offer 36,000 common shares in five tranches at an offer price ranging from P200,000 to P362,500 for every block of 10 shares, in cash or installment. The shares will be traded over the counter.

The company expects to raise some P996.6 million in net proceeds, which will be used for building construction at P244.24 million; medical equipment at P300 million; architects and engineers fee at P47 million; office equipment, furniture and fixtures at P50 million; debt servicing at P170 million; preoperating expenses at P55.5 million; and working capital at P129.79 million.

ACE Legazpi is constructing two four-story hospital buildings in Barangay Bogtong, Legazpi City. Proceeds from the IPO will fund the completion of Building A, which the company targets to operate by December next year.

ACE Medical Center-Legazpi is envisioned as the biggest private hospital in Legazpi City. It will be a 172bed, level two, PhilHealth-accredited hospital catering to patients from neighboring communities needing further treatment and management.

The intended market for the IPO are mostly medical specialists and individuals related to medical specialists. Subscribing to the offer shares is a prerequisite for physicians and medical specialists to practice at ACE Legazpi. The stockholders, however, must undergo a screening process and possess the minimum requirements as may be determined by the hospital.

The offer comes with benefits and privileges, such as discounts on medical and dental services, which the principal investor, his/her spouse, dependents and natural parents may avail themselves of in other medical facilities affiliated with the ACE Group of Hospitals.

iat Chrysler Automobiles NV clinched a new tentative labor contract with the United Auto Workers (VAW) by agreeing to double up on a major investment in US production announced earlier this year.

The Italian-American carmaker, which said in February it would spend $4.5 billion to boost output of Jeep sport-utility vehicles and Ram trucks, will invest another $4.5 billion over the course of the next four years, Cindy Estrada, a UAW vice president and head of the union’s Fiat Chrysler department, said in a statement. The company will add 7,900 jobs during that span, according to the union.

Fiat Chrysler made the spending and job commitments to the union in the midst of negotiating a merger with Peugeot maker PSA Group. The companies have won over the French state in part by assuring that they can generate synergies without closing any plants. Adding production capacity amid a global slowdown in vehicle sales could be a risky gambit for the combined carmaker.

In a statement, Fiat Chrysler confirmed it had reached a deal with the UAW and said further details will be provided later. The union said its national council will meet on December 4 to review the tentative agreement and decide whether hourly and salary members should start voting on ratification beginning December 6. Bloomberg News

ANGKOK —A court in Thailand on Friday found the local unit of tobacco giant Philip Morris guilty of evading taxes by under-declaring the value of cigarettes it imported from the Philippines. It ordered the company to pay a fine of 1.2 billion baht ($39.7 million).

The Criminal Court found Philip Morris Thailand as a company guilty, but acquitted seven employees for lack of evidence they were responsible. The company said it would appeal the ruling.

Thailand’s state prosecutor filed criminal charges in 2017 against the company, accusing it of evading more than 20 billion baht ($662 million) in taxes between 2003 and 2006.

The case triggered an international trade dispute, with the Philippines charging that Thailand’s import

tariffs were unfairly used to give an advantage to the state-controlled Thailand Tobacco Monopoly. Manila won a ruling from the World Trade Organization that Thai customs authorities were unfair and had not acted according to WTO rules.

Philip Morris consistently maintained that the charges against it were meritless, and that “both Thai and World Trade Organization authorities have confirmed that our declared import prices comply with Thai and international customs laws.”

The case began in 2006, when the Department of Special Investigation—Thailand’s FBI—began an investigation after Thailand’s Excise Department filed a complaint. The case was dropped by Thai prosecutors in 2011 but launched again in 2013. AP

AirAsia named World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline at WTA rites

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UDGET carrier AirAsia has been named the World ’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the seventh consecutive year at the World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final at the Oman capital Muscat last November 29.

In a statement, the carrier said AirAsia clinched the top spot in its category after receiving the most number of votes from travelers and industry professionals, well ahead of its competitors. In addition, the airline took home the top award for the World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew for the third year in a row. In recognition of the contribution of its cabin crew, the airline was represented by its Group Head of Cabin Crew, Suhaila Hassan, to receive both awards for AirAsia. Suhaila is a long-serving employee who has been with the company for over 20 years, starting off as a cabin crew to now leading nearly 6,000 cabin crew across the AirAsia Group.

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said, “We are thrilled to be recognized as world champions, yet again, by industry watchers and the most discerning of travelers.

These awards are a testament to our dedication to excellence in air travel. I want to thank our Allstars and cabin crew, who continue to live and breathe our value, which is to be “guest-obsessed.” This recognition comes as we renew our commitment to becoming more than an airline, with expanded travel offerings on airasia.com to better deliver value to our guests and meet their evergrowing expectations of us.”

Hassan said, “We were a small airline two decades ago, with only 30 cabin crew and just two planes operating Malaysian domestic routes.

Since then, we’ve grown to nearly 6,000 cabin crew from all over the world, hailing from countries, including Australia, Brazil, Zambia and the US. We now fly over 90 million guests each year. It’s truly incredible to see how far we’ve come. Despite the rapid growth, our Allstar colleagues have maintained the same passion for service that we had back in the early days, and we are truly humbled that our guests and peers have recognized us for our efforts.”

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PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

November 29, 2019

Net Foreign Stocks Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Buy (Sell) FINANCIALs

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BDO LEASING COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG MEDCO HLDG NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE VANTAGE

53.7 151.8 85.95 25.05 12.82 66.25 12.7 20.5 37.5 57.6 24.75 200.4 59.05 1.86 18.2 4.09 0.38 0.84 174.1 1805 1.05

54 152.1 86.3 25.1 12.84 67 13 21.8 37.7 58.25 24.8 205 59.55 1.99 18.56 4.25 0.405 0.85 176.3 1868 1.06

53.7 154.8 88.2 25.3 12.88 67.9 12.7 20.5 38.3 57.6 25 204 59.55 1.85 18.2 4.14 0.38 0.85 173 1879 1.06

53.7 154.8 88.4 25.3 12.92 67.9 12.7 22.15 38.35 57.6 25.05 205 59.55 1.85 18.2 4.3 0.38 0.85 176.2 1879 1.06

53.7 151.1 85.6 25 12.7 66.25 12.7 20.5 37.5 57.6 24.75 199.4 59 1.85 18.2 4.1 0.38 0.85 173 1805 1.06

53.7 151.8 85.95 25.1 12.82 66.25 12.7 22.15 37.5 57.6 24.75 205 59.55 1.85 18.2 4.25 0.38 0.85 176.2 1805 1.06

60 1081930 2641780 32900 553600 2132190 9100 1300 501100 500 59600 547740 1480 1000 10000 206000 50000 5000 1550 255 744000

3222 164323475 -55447593 228536549.5 -99298099 829105 17680 7079082 4441982 141696918.5 -42278478 115570 26815 18,892,950( 10,832,194.9996) 28800 1484185 -547015 111844032 -39742568 87485 1850 182000 849190 19000 11400 4250 272104 -83914 461015 788640 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 2.45 2.46 2.51 2.51 2.45 2.46 3497000 8625370 -614480 1.23 1.25 1.23 1.25 1.23 1.25 65000 80010 ALSONS CONS 34.05 34.45 34.05 34.55 34 34.45 1197100 40,919,575( 15,972,264.9996) ABOITIZ POWER 0.225 0.237 0.239 0.239 0.225 0.238 210000 47560 BASIC ENERGY 24 25 23.95 25 23.5 25 2292000 56831295 52718665 FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG 75.05 75.2 75.75 75.75 75.05 75.05 192480 14447501.5 -13169968.5 MERALCO 318 319 315 319.8 315 319 67140 21394758 2651440 MANILA WATER 18.68 18.8 18.7 19.38 18.5 18.7 1480400 27691040 -3541738 PETRON 4.51 4.54 4.57 4.6 4.5 4.54 473000 2147540 -191710 PHX PETROLEUM 10.88 11 11.08 11.08 11.08 11.08 10000 110800 33.1 33.15 33.15 33.2 32.8 33.1 806700 26670865 19608300 PILIPINAS SHELL 8.67 8.7 8.88 9 8.65 8.67 561500 4922973 986763.9997 SPC POWER 13.76 13.96 13.94 13.96 12.84 13.96 848900 11656696 -265222 AGRINURTURE 3.35 3.38 3.58 3.58 3.3 3.35 8702000 29631130 6810250 AXELUM 15.2 15.22 15.2 15.22 15 15.22 175500 2656472 2019670 CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE 5.25 5.4 5.3 5.45 5.25 5.25 8200 43170 -8425 DNL INDUS 8.76 8.77 8.8 8.8 8.73 8.77 333400 2920911 -1431321 EMPERADOR 7.19 7.2 7.23 7.23 7.18 7.2 301600 2170948 -334548 SMC FOODANDBEV 89 90 89 90 88.5 90 26780 2404260.5 108672.5 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.57 0.59 0.59 0.6 0.57 0.57 624000 363720 1.7 1.71 1.82 2.45 1.71 1.71 675655000 1409662200 4087350 FRUITAS HLDG 40.5 41 41 41 40 40.5 10800 433970 -116600 GINEBRA 192 195.6 195 196 192 192 779240 150808104 549196 JOLLIBEE 7.77 8.19 7.97 8.2 7.75 8.2 15200 119202 780 MACAY HLDG 12.5 12.68 12.5 12.7 12.12 12.5 125900 1573528 -40203.9997 MAXS GROUP 1.32 1.35 1.37 1.39 1.32 1.32 2741000 3690310 582990 PEPSI COLA SHAKEYS PIZZA 10.64 10.78 10.9 10.9 10.64 10.78 2083900 22445156 -2492212 ROXAS AND CO 1.95 1.96 1.99 2 1.92 1.95 2368000 4657560 9600 RFM CORP 5.44 5.46 5.47 5.47 5.45 5.46 5400 29456 0.115 0.118 0.121 0.121 0.115 0.115 7950000 932490 SWIFT FOODS 150.1 150.3 150 151.6 150 150.1 798680 119890072 -80892794 UNIV ROBINA 1.11 1.13 1.13 1.14 1.1 1.11 4134000 4624430 7909.9999 VITARICH 64.65 69 70 70 64.65 70 1110 72350 CONCRETE A 67.7 70 67.85 67.85 67.7 67.7 700 47453 CONCRETE B 2.28 2.29 2.31 2.34 2.25 2.28 1220000 2769020 -410050 CEMEX HLDG 5.33 5.48 5.34 5.34 5.33 5.33 12000 63990 DAVINCI CAPITAL EAGLE CEMENT 14.9 14.98 15.18 15.18 14.88 14.98 227000 3399660 -3202760 EEI CORP 10.3 10.32 10.4 10.4 10.3 10.3 464200 4781424 -2747044 HOLCIM 13.64 13.96 13.72 13.96 13.64 13.96 148700 2062562 -951202 MEGAWIDE 16.94 17.08 17.26 17.26 16.9 17.08 1029900 17607432 -1992188 PHINMA 9.11 10 9.9 10 9.9 10 42000 419610 -9910 1.01 1.04 1.02 1.04 1 1.04 542000 545530 200000 TKC METALS 0.94 0.95 0.98 0.98 0.93 0.94 1586000 1517620 91550 VULCAN INDL 2 2.06 2.02 2.08 1.99 2.06 842000 1699520 CROWN ASIA 4.65 4.75 4.78 4.78 4.65 4.75 95000 450140 LMG CHEMICALS 3.41 3.56 3.59 3.59 3.56 3.56 5000 17830 MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP 4.96 5.01 4.97 4.98 4.96 4.96 53000 263360 1.87 1.92 1.99 1.99 1.87 1.87 7490000 14358480 -272910 GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR 7.86 8 7.8 7.99 7.8 7.86 29200 228995 1511 IONICS 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.34 1.32 1.32 183000 242480 5.27 5.64 5.65 5.65 5.25 5.25 1100 5817 PANASONIC 0.99 1 1.01 1.01 0.94 0.99 134000 130920 SFA SEMICON 5.07 5.08 5.3 5.3 5.03 5.08 527000 2684346 -4306 CIRTEK HLDG HOLDING & FRIMS

ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES SEAFRONT RES TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.76 12.22 804 48.9 11.06 3.38 6.44 0.7 0.93 0.94 6.81 6.5 13.12 0.209 894.5 5.33 76.15 5.03 5.22 0.485 4.03 11.06 0.56 4.29 0.036 1.3 2.66 1.22 1060 158.2 0.78 2.21 214 0.223 0.211

0.77 12.46 806 48.95 11.1 3.39 6.75 0.73 0.94 1 6.86 6.53 13.38 0.224 895 5.4 76.9 5.2 5.81 0.5 4.07 11.3 0.57 4.3 0.037 1.38 3 1.26 1061 159.2 0.8 2.25 219 0.224 0.22

0.79 12.5 806 48.25 11.06 3.4 6.8 0.7 0.92 0.95 6.95 6.83 13 0.209 880 5.4 76.3 5.1 5.22 0.51 4.06 11.86 0.55 4.28 0.038 1.25 3 1.22 1090 160 0.8 2.25 215 0.223 0.212

0.79 12.5 807.5 49.5 11.18 3.4 6.8 0.74 0.94 0.97 7 6.83 13.38 0.209 895.5 5.4 77.9 5.4 5.22 0.51 4.07 11.86 0.57 4.35 0.039 1.4 3 1.26 1090 161 0.8 2.25 219 0.223 0.213

0.76 12.2 795.5 48.25 11.04 3.38 6.75 0.7 0.92 0.95 6.75 6.5 13 0.209 880 5.33 75.5 5.09 5.22 0.5 4.03 11.06 0.54 4.28 0.037 1.24 3 1.22 1056 157 0.78 2.25 213.4 0.223 0.211

0.76 12.48 806 48.95 11.06 3.39 6.75 0.73 0.94 0.97 6.81 6.5 13.38 0.209 894.5 5.4 76.9 5.2 5.22 0.5 4.04 11.06 0.56 4.3 0.037 1.39 3 1.26 1060 159.2 0.78 2.25 219 0.223 0.211

10014000 10200 261870 1883600 20421100 2506000 800 217000 1173000 455000 389900 31555100 1500 100000 81560 7061400 1193710 41200 700 20000 477000 3108100 402000 12528000 169600000 1114000 3000 58000 282645 28200 264000 9000 720 480000 450000

7681290 124764 210504385 92042310 226053712 8473670 5425 153310 1091920 433550 2655707 208607217 19976 20900 72948380 38131490 91514031 209989 3654 10100 1,927,470( 34575260 220840 53890480 6376000 1491100 9000 71310 299676575 4477015 206740 20250 155896 107040 95300

304070 -17416590 -25532215 -27636634 -368630 142500 -413038 -42821978 -2620 7958680 -164700 -22715390 1,725,169.9998) 18429762 2506980 263800 -109500 -191345130 -1104992 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.83 0.85 0.84 0.87 0.83 0.83 2517000 2105430 8400 8.86 9.8 8.86 8.86 8.86 8.86 2900 25694 ANCHOR LAND 45.4 45.5 44.7 45.5 44.7 45.5 7226900 326715450 164091135 AYALA LAND 1.55 1.6 1.52 1.62 1.52 1.6 240000 379150 ARANETA PROP 1.99 2.04 1.98 2.04 1.98 2.04 148000 299060 -12130 BELLE CORP A BROWN 0.71 0.72 0.73 0.74 0.7 0.71 1835000 1292940 0.18 0.19 0.189 0.195 0.18 0.18 28920000 5245190 2623100 CROWN EQUITIES CEBU HLDG 6.23 6.47 6.47 6.5 6.23 6.47 77200 497816 -20704 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.68 4.75 4.75 4.75 4.64 4.7 211000 993320 0.57 0.58 0.59 0.59 0.57 0.58 28449000 16611190 -57230 CENTURY PROP 0.41 0.42 0.415 0.415 0.41 0.41 1010000 414250 CYBER BAY 19.56 19.6 19.5 19.8 19.04 19.6 359300 6969790 -139192 DOUBLEDRAGON 10.16 10.34 10.24 10.34 10.18 10.34 30500 312212 DM WENCESLAO 0.44 0.45 0.44 0.44 0.44 0.44 410000 180400 EMPIRE EAST 0.121 0.125 0.121 0.121 0.121 0.121 20000 2420 EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND 1.53 1.54 1.56 1.57 1.53 1.54 6277000 9685160 -5491710 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.22 1.24 1.22 1.22 1.22 1.22 15000 18300 14.84 14.86 14.84 14.86 14.84 14.86 49700 737566 -4452 8990 HLDG PHIL INFRADEV 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.3 1.25 1.27 1531000 1945350 126500 MEGAWORLD 4.42 4.43 4.56 4.57 4.38 4.43 14306000 63338440 -28071620 0.217 0.218 0.225 0.225 0.217 0.217 16760000 3670120 44000 MRC ALLIED 2.01 2.02 2.01 2.02 2 2.01 189000 379860 PRIMEX CORP 26.15 26.2 25.9 26.3 25.85 26.2 1727700 45247200 -14771600 ROBINSONS LAND 0.33 0.34 0.34 0.34 0.33 0.33 310000 104300 PHIL REALTY 2.14 2.17 2.12 2.2 2.12 2.14 56000 119640 38600 ROCKWELL 3.17 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.18 3.2 9000 28680 -28680 SHANG PROP STA LUCIA LAND 2.4 2.46 2.42 2.49 2.39 2.44 785000 1899080 39 39.05 39 39.2 38.85 39 6758800 263,664,125( 44,674,479.9998) SM PRIME HLDG VISTAMALLS 5.14 5.49 5.46 5.5 5.12 5.5 68900 359216 -41040 SUNTRUST HOME 1.33 1.34 1.36 1.38 1.28 1.33 12283000 16359730 7.52 7.6 7.57 7.6 7.53 7.6 2416400 18310533 -10129046 VISTA LAND

SERVICES ABS CBN 17.26 17.44 17.2 17.46 17 17.44 53800 922566 5.2 5.23 5.2 5.23 5.17 5.2 60800 315393 GMA NETWORK 0.395 0.415 0.405 0.415 0.39 0.415 2380000 950950 MANILA BULLETIN 11.56 13.8 11.56 11.56 11.56 11.56 100 1156 MLA BRDCASTING 1938 1940 1900 1940 1900 1940 39520 76373645 24362970 GLOBE TELECOM PLDT 1075 1084 1088 1090 1075 1075 75745 81567980 -15305705 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.04 0.041 0.038 0.04 0.037 0.04 42900000 1663700 5.19 5.58 5.19 5.19 5.19 5.19 2200 11418 DFNN INC 1.71 1.72 1.85 1.85 1.72 1.72 42000 76410 IMPERIAL 0.102 0.106 0.103 0.103 0.103 0.103 300000 30900 ISLAND INFO 4.09 4.1 4.27 4.27 4.05 4.09 3422000 14032170 122570 ISM COMM 2.06 2.24 2.22 2.25 2.05 2.24 31000 68690 JACKSTONES 2.82 2.84 2.95 2.95 2.69 2.84 4265000 11911350 63350 NOW CORP 0.275 0.29 0.295 0.295 0.27 0.275 11910000 3387250 94049.9999 TRANSPACIFIC BR 2.7 2.75 2.76 2.76 2.7 2.75 206000 558740 -29880 PHILWEB 2GO GROUP 10.08 10.1 9.86 10.1 9.83 10.08 12400 123974 18 18.2 18.26 18.26 18 18 252100 4537852 4534200 ASIAN TERMINALS CHELSEA 5.75 5.85 5.99 5.99 5.75 5.85 274700 1597721 -77947 CEBU AIR 92.3 92.5 92.7 92.7 91.8 92.5 86970 8042989.5 4139768 INTL CONTAINER 123 123.6 121.2 124 121.1 123.6 588410 72591304 26576607 13.52 14 13.98 13.98 13.98 13.98 2300 32154 LBC EXPRESS 0.9 0.92 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 121000 108900 LORENZO SHIPPNG 17.92 18 18.04 18.3 17.72 18 601300 10803294 -7008704 MACROASIA 0.98 1 1.05 1.05 1.05 1.05 2000 2100 METROALLIANCE A 1.03 1.1 1.03 1.03 1.03 1.03 10000 10300 METROALLIANCE B 7.65 7.8 7.75 7.8 7.6 7.65 35900 276065 PAL HLDG HARBOR STAR 1.13 1.14 1.17 1.17 1.12 1.13 2434000 2765900 25160 ACESITE HOTEL 1.52 1.59 1.52 1.52 1.5 1.5 69000 104630 -19760 GRAND PLAZA 9.51 10.56 9.89 10.54 9.89 10.54 800 7977 0.61 0.62 0.62 0.62 0.59 0.61 2761000 1670860 WATERFRONT 7.9 8 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 800 6320 IPEOPLE 0.66 0.67 0.66 0.67 0.66 0.67 2237000 1482640 295680 STI HLDG 2.83 2.84 2.94 2.94 2.75 2.83 1488000 4203500 -237720 BERJAYA 11.12 11.14 11.46 11.46 11.1 11.14 580600 6475690 -3322632 BLOOMBERRY 2.5 2.58 2.52 2.52 2.5 2.5 24000 60300 -50300 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.75 2.8 2.81 2.82 2.75 2.75 366000 1017740 -341220 LEISURE AND RES MANILA JOCKEY 3.38 3.39 3.39 3.39 3.39 3.39 71000 240690 4.45 4.92 4.94 4.94 4.94 4.94 1000 4940 PH RESORTS GRP 0.62 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.62 0.62 1039000 645750 -82850 PREMIUM LEISURE ALLHOME 11.42 11.52 11.52 11.52 11.4 11.52 3450300 39712274 -656282 METRO RETAIL 2.25 2.29 2.25 2.29 2.23 2.29 162000 364470 39.95 40.15 40.5 40.5 40.1 40.15 98200 3948075 22485 PUREGOLD 74.6 79 76 79 74.5 79 107350 8466407 -5406186 ROBINSONS RTL 130.1 150 150 150 149.9 149.9 1210 181488 -159000 PHIL SEVEN CORP 2.62 2.64 2.65 2.65 2.57 2.64 2230000 5819260 3815560 SSI GROUP 18.5 18.56 18.1 18.58 18.02 18.5 2903100 53575140 29621816 WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.46 0.47 0.47 0.47 0.46 0.465 2850000 1314600 -4650 EASYCALL 8.74 8.9 9.15 9.15 8.68 8.74 68600 599875 13110 GOLDEN BRIA 410 422 419 422 410 410 3760 1565952 4.2 4.4 4.08 4.2 4.08 4.2 8000 33060 33060 IPM HLDG PRMIERE HORIZON 0.48 0.49 0.5 0.5 0.46 0.49 18890000 9150500 48970 SBS PHIL CORP 8.99 9 9.04 9.15 9 9 33000 297340

MINING & OIL ATOK 10.12 11.42 11.46 11.46 11.46 11.46 100 1146 1.05 1.07 1.06 1.07 1.06 1.07 1063000 1130180 37450 APEX MINING 0.0015 0.0017 0.0015 0.0015 0.0015 0.0015 2000000 3000 ABRA MINING 2.39 2.4 2.55 2.55 2.4 2.4 161000 398500 2550 ATLAS MINING 2.53 2.54 2.52 2.54 2.52 2.54 526000 1331840 CENTURY PEAK DIZON MINES 7.23 7.55 7.23 7.55 7.22 7.55 1200 8924 1.64 1.65 1.72 1.75 1.64 1.65 9119000 15155110 -7748440 FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE 0.206 0.207 0.212 0.212 0.199 0.206 750000 152300 0.098 0.099 0.099 0.101 0.099 0.099 500000 49800 LEPANTO A 0.098 0.102 0.104 0.104 0.102 0.102 400000 41200 -39160 LEPANTO B 0.97 0.98 1 1.02 0.95 0.97 1275000 1262980 407500 MARCVENTURES 1.02 1.06 1.05 1.06 1.03 1.03 33000 34360 NIHAO 3.09 3.1 3.21 3.24 3.02 3.09 14775000 46119610 -18450920 NICKEL ASIA 0.49 0.5 0.5 0.52 0.49 0.49 164000 80905 OMICO CORP 0.78 0.82 0.8 0.82 0.79 0.82 176000 140640 ORNTL PENINSULA PX MINING 3.28 3.29 3.28 3.3 3.28 3.3 104000 341280 21.75 21.8 21.85 21.95 21.75 21.8 571700 12462040 612580 SEMIRARA MINING AC ENEXOR 9.09 9.1 9.74 9.74 9.01 9.09 942100 8639884 -503733 ORNTL PETROL A 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 33000000 378000 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.01 0.011 36100000 396200 PHILODRILL 10.48 10.56 10.6 10.8 10.48 10.48 267500 2811038 2100 PXP ENERGY

PREFFERED

HOUSE PREF A 97.1 99 98 98 97.05 97.05 510 49970.5 503 509 509 509 509 509 920 468280 AC PREF B1 500 504 505 505 501 501 5400 2706140 -1929150 AC PREF B2R 100.1 101 101 101 100.1 100.1 1020 102120 DD PREF 460 499 499 499 499 499 50 24950 FPH PREF C GLO PREF P 500 506 500 500 500 500 4000 2000000 995 1000 995 1000 995 1000 3370 3353200 GTCAP PREF B 1.01 1.02 1.01 1.01 1 1.01 449000 450750 LR PREF 100.1 101 100.1 101 100.1 101 30 3021 MWIDE PREF 1024 1029 1026 1028 1024 1028 110 112700 PNX PREF 4 1030 1049 1028 1030 1028 1030 1050 1081400 PCOR PREF 3A 77.95 78 78.4 78.4 77.95 78 6260 488251.5 SMC PREF 2C 75.95 76 75.1 75.95 75.05 75.95 11000 830840 SMC PREF 2E 75.2 75.8 75.8 75.8 75.2 75.2 5060 380548 SMC PREF 2G 75.3 75.45 75.3 75.45 75.3 75.45 17520 1319985 SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I 75.15 75.45 75.2 75.5 75.15 75.15 19030 1432881.5 PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR

16.68

16.8

16.8

16.8

16.8

16.8

5900

99120

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1.33

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

ITALPINAS 4.23 10.88 KEPWEALTH 0.85 XURPAS

1.55

1.55

1.55

1.55

1000

1550

-

4.25 11 0.86

4.37 11.62 0.88

4.37 11.62 0.89

4.18 10.84 0.86

4.23 11 0.86

579000 1444000 5120000

2455500 16053672 4444120

471710 -16860 171900

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

116

-99120

1.45

116.5

116.7

116.9

116

116

12160

1415124

-

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PLDT starts 5G rollout in early 2020, plans to spend ‘substantial amount’ for use cases

D

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

IGITAL services provider PLDT Inc. will start rolling out its commercial 5G services in the earlier part of 2020, its chairman said on Saturday, and is planning to spend “a substantial amount” to develop it for different use cases.

Manuel V. Pangilinan, the company’s chairman, said his group has so far developed 5G products for use cases that require heavy data usage for both the consumer and enterprise segments.

“It will be commercially launched

early next year,” he said. “For consumer, individual use cases include video and e-games, and for enterprise, particularly the office, we have to supply the customer premises equipment for businesses.”

Pangilinan explained that 5G

take a substantial amount for PLDT’s capital expenditures (capex) for 2020. The company’s board is expected to approve the budget for next year on Tuesday.

“It won’t be a big, big part of the capex for next year. It will be a substantial amount, but not very substantial,” he said, adding that investments in 4G will still be higher than 5G. Saturday saw the telco titan forging a partnership with the Araneta Group to launch 5G technology in Araneta City, which will be transformed into the country’s first Smart 5G Lifestyle Hub. PLDT has been developing its 5G products for the past two years, partnering with different vendors to test out the best fit for its network and the demands of its Filipino consumers. So far, it has tied up with

different groups to create the Smart 5G Alliance.

5G is seen to enable machine-tomachine communication via mobile. Its use cases worldwide span in different industries, such as retail, transport, manufacturing, logistics and warehousing sectors, as well as intelligent solutions for customer support and smart homes, among others.

Pangilinan did not categorically disclose what type of 5G product his group will offer, be it wireless or fixed line. But wireless 5G seems to be beyond the immediate horizon, given that its build-out requires towers to be contiguous with a distance not father than 200 meters apart.

“We have gradually started our build-out for the 5G infrastructure,” Pangilinan said.

AirAsia named World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline at WTA rites Continued from B1

World Travel Awards Founder Graham E. Cooke said, “AirAsia continues to set the benchmark for low-cost aviation in Asia and beyond.

Its dedication to improving its services remains unrivaled and I am delighted that it has been

acknowledged by both the travel trade and the public having been voted ‘World’s Leading LowCost Airline 2019’ and ‘World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew 2019’.”

The 26th annual World Travel Awards is globally recognized as one of the most prestigious, comprehensive and coveted honors programs in

STOCK-MARKET OUTLOOK Last week

Share prices dropped for the third straight week as investors were spooked by the tensions in Hong Kong, while market movements were sluggish due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell 85.63 points to close November month at 7,738.96 points.

The main index was down almost all week long with the exception on Wednesday when it gained 129.09 points but lost most of it during the succeeding trading sessions.

Not even the listing of Fruitas Holdings Inc. on Friday helped improve market sentiments.

Shares of Fruitas opened at P1.82 per share, or higher than its initial public offering price of P1.68 per share, and even reached P2.34 during intraday trade, but lost most of it as the day progressed. It ended the day at P1.71 per share.

“It turned out to be a sour end for November as the market was still on a risk-off mode to wait on how US markets perform tonight on account of Trump’s recent support for Hong Kong, which could then lead to China’s ire once again and affect the trade deal,” Gabriel Jose F. Perez of Papa Securities Inc., said.

Volume of trade was high at an average value of P8.43 billion, as a result of Tuesday’s P20.42-billion value of trade due to the MSCI rebalancing. Foreign investors were net sellers at P8.09 billion.

Among the subindices, only the Property index managed to eke out gains of 10.38 points to close at 4,043.60 points, while all others were down.

The broader All Shares index shed 46.20 to 4,632.84, the Financials index fell 32.33 to 1,841.80, the Industrial index declined 130.33 to 9,781.29, the Holding Firms index was down 126.50 to 7,630.43, the Services index retreated 3.22 to 1,546.48, and the Mining and Oil index lost 121.36 to 8,054.07.

For the week, losers outnumbered gainers 153 to 63, and 31 shares were unchanged.

Top gainers were IPM Holdings Inc., Premiere Horizon Alliance Corp., First Abacus Financial Holdings Corp., Manila Mining Corp. B, Concrete Aggregates Corp. A and PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc. Top losers, on the other hand, were Omico Corp., ACE Enexor Inc., Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc., Suntrust Home Developers Inc., PTFC Redevelopment Corp. and Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp.

This week

Share prices may start gaining this week as part of the so-called Santa Claus rally with investors starting to take their positions.

“A relatively foggy December stands between now and 2020 with macro forces resting uneasy on US and China’s next moves, plus seasonally thin volumes as the Yuletide break mounts,” broker 2TradeAsia said.

It said local investors will keep in touch with November inflation figures which will be released in December, keeping in mind the earlier pronouncements that it may cut rates at the 11th hour on its upcoming policy meeting on December 12 depending on economic data.

“It is worth noting that November figures may come higher than last month’s 0.8 percent, as the base effect of last year’s peak of 6.7 percent in October 2018 fades,” it said.

Immediate support for the main index is seen at 7,600 points and resistance at 7,900 points.

Stock picks

Broker Regina Capital and Development Corp. advised to buy when its support price of P10.61 per share holds on the stock of Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI), which suffered a massive selldown last week.

“Despite the huge breakdown, AGI is still not oversold—even as it sustained a five-day losing streak since [two weeks ago],” it said.

“At this point, it looks like the stock is still packing some negative bias that may have it touching the said support intraday; but, all things considered, the P10.61 support looks like a reliable enough bottom with which AGI can hit before consolidating sideways near term,” it said.

AGI shares closed Friday at P11.06 per share.

Meanwhile, it gave a hold recommendation on the stock of DMCI Holdings Inc. after stock has been steadily maintaining its position in the oversold region during the past weeks.

“The stock looks like it is still on a rather unstable avenue, nevertheless, especially with the elevated selling signals displayed by indicators, coupled with the increased volumes,” it said, giving a weekly target on the stock at P6.72 per share.

Shares of DMCI closed last week at P6.50 apiece. VG Cabuag

the global tourism industry. Established in 1993, the awards, voted for by travel and tourism professionals and consumers worldwide, acknowledge and celebrate excellence across key sectors of travel, tourism and hospitality. The latest awards are an addition to the collection of accolades AirAsia has won over the years. Earlier this week, AirAsia

mutual funds

and AirAsia X Malaysia were announced as Best Low Cost Carriers Asia/Pacific in the AirlineRatings. com Airline Excellence Awards. In October, AirAsia took home “Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline” and “Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew” at the Asia and Oceania edition of the World Travel Awards in Phu Quoc, Vietnam. Recto L. Mercene

November 29, 2019

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 251.07 1.03% 1.53% -0.99% -0.45% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.4667 6.24% 2.81% -0.45% 1.8% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.7652 -2.21% -0.66% -2.96% -3.53% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.8967 0.59% n.a. n.a.

-0.48% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.8471 3.82% n.a. n.a.

3.22% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 5.2944 2.2% 2.72% -0.76% 0.4% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,6 0.8499 2.72% -1.18% n.a.

1.58% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 108.54 -4% n.a. n.a.

-6.56% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 51.032 4.73% 4.09% n.a.

3.67% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 531.62 4.34% 2.75% -0.5% 3.28% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.2872 3.6% 3.25% 0.53% 2.65% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 37.7991 4.23% 4.18% 0.36% 3.19% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.011 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 5.1911 5.83% 4.71% 1.4% 4.68% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 866.63 5.8% 4.62% 1.32% 4.61% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.8714 2.22% 2.36% n.a.

1.33% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 4.2035 3.92% 3.98% 0.43% 3.56% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.9952 5.42% 4.42% n.a.

4.29% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.6435 5.6% 5.96% 2.24% 4.08% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 116.2075 6.17% 5.36% 2.32% 4.93% ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $0.9933 4.06% 4.98% -0.29% 6.91% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.3517 14.77% 9.48% n.a.

22.3% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5729 -4.39% -1.86% -4.02% -4.74% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.2169 1.46% 0.19% -1.13% 0.35% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.6141 4.39% 2.81% -1.33% 2.79% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,5 0.2314 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Grepalife Balanced Fund Corporation -a 1.3306 2.41% n.a. n.a.

2.02% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.9539 6.7% 3.29% 0.9% 6.01% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.7701 7.42% 2.53% 0.06% 6.82% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 16.8698 6.81% 2.44% -0.02% 6.05% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.1278 3.7% 2.2% 0.83% 2.83% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.8427 5.5% 3.39% 0.34% 5.24% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d,2 1.0076 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d,2 0.9879 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d,2 0.9853 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.9727 5.09% 2.86% -0.61% 5.53% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03817 9.56% 2.93% 1.97% 8.13% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -a $1.0072 6.86% 4.43% 0.24% 10.23% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.8539 11.87% 7.39% 3.41% 16.48% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,7 $1.1179 9.27% 4.51% n.a.

11.23% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 356.49 4.05% 2.77% 2.25% 3.79% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9276 4.51% 0.91% -0.33% 3.68% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.1077 5.05% 5.22% 5.22% 4.42% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.21 3.9% 2.12% 1.75% 3.79% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.3441 6.29% 2.1% 1.37% 6.3% Grepalife Fixed Income Fund Corp. -a P 1.6079 2.78% 0.8% -0.3% 2.78% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.3316 11.07% 2.61% 1.38% 10.51% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.7644 7.92% 2.81% 1.34% 7.03% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 0.9546 7.31% 1.4% n.a.

7.11% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.0355 9.81% 4.39% 2.28% 9.75% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.6787 9.32% 3.76% 1.72% 9.01% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $466.86 4.45% 2.58% 2.76% 4.12% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.71 3.44% 1.58% 1.37% 3.31% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2036 7.2% 3.05% 2.56% 6.92% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0258 4.03% 1.33% 1.37% 4.03% Grepalife Dollar Bond Fund Corp. -a $1.7099 1.44% -0.26% 0.18% 1.17% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -a $1.0948 6.92% 1.3% -0.98% 5.65% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.3947 11.95% 3.29% 3% 10.31% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.06023 5.82% 2.23% 1.96% 5.67% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.171 10.64% 2.85% 2.63% 10.41% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 125.43 4.17% 2.79% 2.15% 3.76% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a,3 1.029 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a 1.2497 6.09% 2.57% 1.61% 5.74% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2613 3.8% 2.85% 2.29% 3.45% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0357 2.08% n.a. n.a.

1.95% Feeder Fund Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,4 $0.99 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Launch date is January 3, 2019. 2 - Launch date is January 28, 2019. 3 - Launch date is February 1, 2019. 4 - Launch date is August 1, 2019.

5 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 6 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.).

7 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019.

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa. com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Monday, December 2, 2019 B3

Microfinance to aid nations in disasters–ADB

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By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

icrofinance can help disaster-prone countries distribute assistance for affected households, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In a blog, ADB South Asia Department Senior Portfolio Management Specialist Mayumi Ozaki said microfinance can help fill in the gaps of post-disaster relief and rehabilitation assistance.

Ozaki said post-disaster assistance is crucial especially for governments with limited budgetary resources. In many cases, they rely on external assistance to help the

government augment its resources.

“Involving local microfinance institutions can be an effective tool to assist disaster-affected people’s recovery, especially for those in the low social and economic tier,” Ozaki said.

“Microfinance institutions are either formal financial institutions, such as banks and cooperatives or nongovernment organizations,

whose common objective is to provide financial services to the poor,” she added.

Asia and the Pacific’s annual loss from disasters is estimated at $675 billion, while its net official development assistance in all sectors in 2017 was approximately $21 billion, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia, and the Pacific’s Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2019.

Ozaki said external assistance normally fades away a few years after the disaster. However, the actual recovery takes much longer, especially for the poor.

In order to provide post-disaster assistance, Ozaki said these microfinance institutions must provide post-disaster assistance. They need to have an established client network, as well as skills and resources.

She added that donors should

engage microfinance institutions at the time of disasters and help them develop their capacity for disaster response during normal times.

“For the poor, recovering from disasters takes time and is difficult. In providing post-disaster assistance, it is important to provide medium to long-term continuous and community-based support to rebuild affected people’s livelihoods.

Microfinance is an increasingly important part of the mix of assistance that is needed,” Ozaki said.

T h e Ph i l i p pines is highly prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tropical cyclones

Lawyer denies lender flayed in media uses strong-arm tactics

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N online lending service provider has denied published reports that the company employs violent collection methods to compel borrowers to pay.

“Collection malpractices would not be tolerated in our company. Those who call and collect are third-party collection agencies that these online lenders employ,” Arnel Mateo, legal representative of Fast Cash Global Lending Inc., said.

“FastCash is trying it’s very best to slowly move our third-party collection agency to our own FastCash collection team. Rest assured that everything would be more proper than it was before. We apologize to those who have been offended by our third-party collection team. Thank you for making us better,” Mateo added.

Mateo, who is also president and CEO of ADM & Partners Data Privacy and Consulting Inc., said the company has realized that debt collection “is all about listening and empathizing.”

In October 2019, FastCash hired Mateo’s company to help ensure its compliance to privacy laws. FastCash is one of three online lending companies ordered by the National Privacy Commission to explain the strongarm tactics used against their borrowers.

“We are in the process of training our customer care representatives. We are teaching them to be more sensitive and to show compassion and empathy. FastCash is also in the process of ensuring that third-party collectors comply with the requirements of the Data Privacy Act by demanding them to implement appropriate security and privacy measures.”

“We believe that each of our client has a story to tell and they need those stories told.

So we will listen to them. In fact, trainings on proper handling of personal data are conducted since October this year to make sure that client information is processed lawfully,” he added.

Collection agencies are companies hired on a commission basis by banks to collect on past-due accounts. These collection agencies may also purchase bad loan debt outright from financial institutions and other lenders. These debt buyers own the debt and the right to collect the full amount of the outstanding debt.

Mateo said these collection agencies employ various methods in collecting unpaid loans. Some resort to harassment, threats, unwanted calls to the workplace and disclosing the existence of loans to friends, relatives

and, lately, through online social networks.

According to Mateo, “online lending is a form of business activity where lenders provide credits to needy business entities and individuals at lending rates specified by law.”

“It uses the Internet for financial intermediation. It is part of the borrowing and lending processes that propel economic activities of a given economy,” he added.

Recent news reports about the reported malpractices of these online lenders did not distinguish the legitimate from the illegitimate ones, Mateo said. They have been lumped together, triggering concerns about their operations and business reputations, he added.

Mateo defended online lending as a legitimate business activity.

“It enables borrowers to have access to available funds. It enables lenders to earn from their available funds,” he said. “As a form of financial intermediation, online lending enables lenders to meet borrowers.

It follows the essential rules of banking. The difference is that the Internet is the main venue for operations.”

For lenders and borrowers, the Internet has achieved the function of a virtual financial institution. Recto Mercene

Perspectives

The market speed operating model

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ULTIspeed information technology is not a new concept; but successfully scaling it outside the IT function remains elusive. While organizational agility, product velocity and customer stickiness are hot metrics, measures, such as cost effectiveness, service resiliency and enterprise risk remain powerful drivers.

For many chief information officers (CIOs), balancing the multiple sets of metrics has meant walking a line between investing in new ways of working and emerging technology while managing the legacy estate, work force and attempting to pay off technical debt. The results have often been incremental improvements but not the meaningful change that moves the needle for the organization.

A connected enterprise is rethinking this paradigm by recognizing the power of giving everyone the ability to leverage technology systems and expertise to deliver crosschannel experiences, provide employees with enabling tools, and synchronize with partners and the broader digital ecosystem.

For the CIO, this means playing a more influential role as the enterprise technology evangelist and modern architect, as well as the champion of breaking down the silos of central control as the builder of all things technology. This is a big shift in not just the culture of IT and the business but in the structural layers of how products and services are ideated, designed, developed and delivered.

To be clear, moving at market speed does not mean all technology services and capabilities should be managed as “products,” meaning they are governed by a product manager, continuously evaluated for investment and customer performance, and have agile full-stack teams driving continuous development and release against business Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).

For example, while the rush to the cloud makes sense for many use-cases, it may not necessarily be the best fit for applications that require high resiliency, low latency and handle millions of transactions per day in a regulated environment. Conversely, a set of

applications that are customer facing, generate rich data, must adapt to frequently changing requirements and deployed across multiple platforms should be bundled and run through a modern delivery method.

Each product and service moves at a different pace based on a variety of business metrics. “Fast” will not always be the right speed. The market speed operating model continuously evaluates those conditions and has the right methods, skills and architecture to adapt.

Key elements of a market speed organization

n Flexible Success in moving to a market speed operating model will require a range of delivery pathways and the right building blocks in place to select the best route to maximize value. Speed without flexibility can be a painful process.

A flexible operation dictates how smoothly work flows across the ever-changing terrain of demands. The market speed-model employs more flexible governance policies and a broader supplier ecosystem that enables IT and the business to exploit new market opportunities through as-a-service and consumption-based models.

For many organizations this will mean redesigning rigid controls that protect against a universe of bad things happening to an adaptive control-set that looks at the potential risk of what might happen to prevent a successful outcome and designing around those specific risks. n Scalable New delivery models will enable scalable capabilities. IT will need to broker capabilities from anywhere, anytime, through a mix of build, buy, borrow and save to support new and rapidly changing technologies.

Adding or scaling up services will simply be a case of expanding the automation footprint, without needing to recruit, train and deploy more people. A component-based architecture will enable delivery at scale through low-code product assembly from a library of distributed patterns.

For example, one insurance company transformed its monolithic, low resiliency underwriting, payment processing and reconciliations system by deconstructing the functions into containerized components that allowed them to scale both horizontally and vertically in response to changes in workloads and customer demand.

Not only did this reduce the risk of an enterprise-wide failure, it enabled the company to continually enhance portions of the value chain without disrupting the entire application. n Decidedly human Success in driving market speed comes through a people and culture-led approach—a decidedly human organization.

New ways of working, breaking down barriers and driving toward common goals all require empowered teams.

In this new collaborative environment, there is a need to build human-centric skills. Focusing on softer skills—encouraging empathy, creativity, design thinking and emotional intelligence—complemented by relevant technical expertise will lead to new ideas, innovation and competitive advantage.

As automation eliminates many repetitive IT tasks, the focus will shift to building the right blend of skills across the organization to enable the future work force to focus on more creative, challenging activities, to build engagement.

For example, AT&T is undertaking a significant re-skilling of 100,000 employees in order to thrive in the next decade as an organization that is capable of delivering “software-defined networking.”

The excerpt was taken from the “KPMG Market speed: IT operating models in the age of the connected enterprise.” © 2019 R.G. Manabat & Co., a Philippine partnership and a member-firm of the KPMG network of independent member-firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Printed in the Philippines For more information on KPMG in the Philippines, you may visit www.kpmg.com.ph.

and floods. The World Risk Report 2018 ranked the country third in the list of top 15 countries with the highest exposure to risks.

In 2013, Supertyphoon Yolanda (international codename: Haiyan) resulted in the loss of 6,300 lives and caused an estimated $12.9 billion in damages, or about 4.7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Based on the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, the country experienced 837 disasters which caused 0.5 percent to 3 percent of GDP in damages between 1905 and 2017.

Around 81,302 people were killed; 219,874 people were injured; and 6.276 million were left homeless. A total of 210.832 million people were affected by these disasters.

Green Monday BusinessMirror

B4 Monday, December 2, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

UN calls global climate outlook ‘bleak’

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he world has refused to slash its collective greenhouse-gas emissions, narrowing the planet’s pathway back to a safe climate.

Authors of an annual United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report published last week were uncharacteristically direct in their 2019 assessment of the gap between actual and desirable emissions levels.

“The summary findings are bleak,” they write. “Countries collectively failed to stop the growth in global GHG [greenhouse-gas] emissions, meaning that deeper and faster cuts are now required.”

How deep and how fast? Nations must halve their 2018 pollution levels by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Globa l em issions have r isen about 1.5 percent a year in the last decade, plateauing between 2014 and 2016.

The new report is part of a larger trend among high-profile scientific assessments published in the last 18 months, each featuring increasingly blunt language from a community not known for it.

Examples include three studies from the UN-backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

They addressed limiting global

heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius, how land is changing around the world and the effects of higher temperatures on iced areas and oceans.

This latest research—the 10th edition of the annual Emissions Gap report—is a hard-check on sentiment, said Leah Stokes, assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Current policies could lead to 60 billion metric tons of climate pollution in 2030. To have a shot at staying below 1.5 degrees, that figure needs to be 25 billion tons.

“That’s easy math,” she said.

“We’re double what we need to be.”

Of course, “bleak” doesn’t mean hopeless, the researchers said. Political and civic attention to climate change is increasing, led in many nations by younger citizens.

Renewable energy is the cheapest source of power in much of the world and new utility-scale systems can already compete with the marginal operating costs of existing coal plants.

Countries know what they need to do, even if they’re not yet doing it. In 2009, G-20 nations agreed

A steam of a furnace pollutes the sky in Duisburg, Germany, is shown in this May 27, 2013, photo. Inger Andersen, head of the UN Environment Program, says the world needs “quick wins to reduce emissions as much as possible in 2020.” AP/Frank Augstein

to phase out fossil-fuel subsidies, although none have actually set a deadline for doing so.

Despite scientists’ pleas to zero-out emissions by mid-century, only a few nations—and none in the G-20—have given the UN climate administration a timeline for achieving it.

T here’s still a path to climate safety, and most of it runs through those G-20 countries, since they make up almost 80 percent of emissions. As a group, the world ’s biggest economies are likely to meet 2020 climate pledges made in 2010—though with the notable exception of, among others, the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The new report breaks out specific recommendations for seven key emitters: the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Korea and South Africa.

China, said the UN, should ban all new coal-fired power p l a nt s — d e s p it e l a s t w e e k ’s news that the country is still on a coal-plant binge and make electricity carbon-free.

The US should regulate power plants, introduce carbon pricing and decarbonize its buildings and transportation systems, the UN says—but the realities of domestic politics in America make that unlikely.

Indeed, the report makes clear that the time for half-measures has passed.

“Incremental changes will not be enough, and there is a need for rapid and transformational action,” the authors write.

Climate-proofing the global economy “will require fundamental, structural changes” along with “investments in defensive and ad aptive inf rastr ucture” and a massive shift in “values, norms, consumer culture and world views.”

Those changes will require at least $1.6 trillion in energ y-sector investment annually through 2050, they estimate.

That’s $48 trillion.

Astonishingly, some nations are still increasing their plans for fossil-fuel production, making an already bad situation worse.

The UNEP last week issued its first Production Gap Report, a related initiative that looks at the scale of fossil-fuel resources nations can or expect to develop.

Overa l l, the world may produce 50 percent more coa l, oil and gas than is compatible with a 2 degree Celsius scenario, and 120 percent more than a 1.5 degree scenar io requires.

“The climate problem is mainly a fossil-fuel problem” rather than an emissions problem, said Peter Erickson, a senior scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute and contributor to the productiongap report. “In the long term, it may be better to talk about it that way.” Bloomberg News

UN: Ending outdoor defecation has transformational benefits WHO and Unicef report that in 2016, 21 percent of health-care facilities globally had no sanitation service, directly impacting more than 1.5 billion people, and over 620 million children worldwide lacked basic sanitation services at their school.

WHO estimates that every $1 invested in water and toilets returns an average of $4 in saved medical costs, averted deaths and increased productivity.

Hygiene promotion is also ranked as one of the most costeffective public health interventions. Conversely, a lack of sanitation holds back economic growth.

How is the UN contributing to ending open defecation?

A Dalit woman stands outside a dry toilet in an upper caste villager’s home in Mainpuri, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Shai Venkatraman/IPS

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NITED NATIONS—Ending the practice of defecating in the open, rather than in a toilet, will have “transformational benefits” for some of the world’s most vulnerable people, said the UN’s partner sanitation body, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).

On World Toilet Day, which is marked annually on November 19, WSSCC’s Acting Executive Director Sue Coates, has been speaking to UN News about how to end open defecation.

What is open defecation and where is it mostly practiced?

Open defecation is when people defecate in the open—for example, in fields, forests, bushes, lakes and rivers—rather than using a toilet.

Globally, the practice is decreasing steadily. However, its elimination by 2030, one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), requires a substantial acceleration in toilet use particularly in Central and Southern Asia, Eastern and Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

UN agencies report that of the 673 million people practicing open defecation, 91 percent live in rural areas. An increase i n p o pu l at ion i n cou nt r ie s ,

inc lud ing Niger ia, Ta nza nia, Madagascar and Niger, but also in some Oceania states, is leading to localized growth in open defecation.

Why is open defecation such a serious problem?

Open defecation is an affront to the dignity, health and well-being, especially of girls and women.

For example, hundreds of millions of girls and women around the world lack privacy when they are menstruating. Open defecation also risks exposing them to increased sexual exploitation and personal safety and is a risk to public health.

According to the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef ), 1 gram of feces can contain 10 million viruses, 1 million bacteria and 1,000 parasite cysts.

Poor sanitation and hygiene practices—for example, not handwashing with soap after defecation and before eating—contribute to over 800,000 deaths from diarrhea annually, according to the World Health Organization (WHO): that’s more people than who die from malaria.

Why has it been so difficult to stop it?

Open defecation has been practiced for centuries; it is an in-

grained cultural norm in some societies. Stopping it requires a sustained shift in the behavior of whole communities so that a new norm, toilet use by all, is created and accepted.

Ending open defecation requires an ongoing investment in the construction, maintenance and use of latrines, and other basic services.

How are people’s lives improved once they have a toilet to use?

On a day-to-day basis, the ability to use a toilet—at home and work, and in public places, such as schools, health centers and markets—is a basic human right.

Sanitation has transformational benefits supporting aspects of quality of life, equity and dignity for all people.

To what extent is sanitation a central part of overall development?

A lack of at least basic sanitation and hygiene services, including a lack of informed choice about menstrual health and hygiene, is a violation of the human rights to water and sanitation, as well as the rights to health, work, adequate standard of living, nondiscrimination, human dignity, protection, information, and participation.

Member-states and UN agencies are committed to ending open defecation and have urged the provision of financial resources, capacity-building and technology transfer to help developing countries, to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.

SDG 6, on clean water and sanitation, requires access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and an end to open defecation, with special attention paid to the needs of women and girls, and those in vulnerable situations.

Increasingly, gover nments and their UN agency partners have road maps to tackle the issue, and WSSCC has been providing grants for communitybased solutions for a decade.

However, the SDG target is not on track.

It’s estimated that the global annual cost for providing even basic sanitation services is $19.5 billion, but right now not enough funding is forthcoming.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals Report in 2019 warns that while progress is being made in many SDG areas, the collective global response is not enough, leaving the most vulnerable people and countries to suffer the most.

(This story was originally published by UN News.) IPS

Students pledge their toka, or share or stake, in protecting the waterways through proper sanitation at the World Toilet Day pledge wall in Rizal High School in Pasig City.

Manila Water leads in 2019 World Toilet Day celebration

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undreds of parents and students gathered at Rizal High School in Pasig City to call for proper sanitation for all that kicked off the celebration of World Toilet Day, a global advocacy day observed every November 19.

Organized by Manila Water Foundation (MWF) and in coordination with Manila Water Co., the government of Pasig City, United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and Department of Health (DOH), the World Toilet Day celebration rallied the participants to raise awareness on the environmental and health risks of open defecation and improper sanitation practices.

“As the corporate social arm of the Manila Water enterprise, Manila Water Foundation is advancing its core advocacy of WASH or Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene throughout the country,” said MWF Executive Director Reginald Andal.

“A major thrust of our advocacy is the promotion of sanitation for all where we focus our initiatives on eliminating open defecation especially in the marginalized communities who should have access to safely managed toilets,” Andal added.

“We want to raise an extensive awareness and move to sustainable action through the World Toilet Day given the adverse effects of improper sanitation to current and future generations, as well as the environment,” he said.

In his opening message, Manila Water President and CEO Jose Rene Almendras emphasized the importance of “World Toilet Day.” He said such a campaign and awareness program is needed to underscore why everyone should value their “toilets.”

Almendras added that millions of people in the world do not have access to decent sanitation facilities which are essential in the home and are imperative in promoting health and hygiene in the communities.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto expressed his appreciation for the initiative and urged his

fellow Pasigueños to support the sanitation initiatives that would be beneficial not only to the city, but to the rest of the country.

Highlights of the event included Manila Water’s Advocacy Team Toka Toka, the first used water movement in the Philippines that aims to educate, engage, and influence every Juan de la Cruz to do their toka, or share, to help protect our waterways through the four actionable items: sewer line connection, septage desludging, solid waste segregation, and sharing the advocacy.

Louise Maule, WASH section head of Unicef, gave a talk on open defecation and health on the theme of this year’s World Toilet Day, “Leaving No One Behind.”

The DOH also shared its programs on sanitation and its effects to people’s health.

Manila Water Foundation launched its WASH jingle, a song that encourages collaboration in achieving WASH. As UN Water puts it, World Toilet Day is about taking action to ensure that everyone has a safe toilet by 2030 in line with the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on sanitation and water.

Corporate partners brought joy to the participants of the event through their giveaways, including Gleam and Albatross of Philusa Corp. with hygiene kits and home care products; Orocan, with pails and dippers; Family Doc, with free consultation vouchers; and Healthy Family, with purified drinking water.

Manila Water Foundation started its onsite celebration in 2018 in Quezon City, and plans to spread the sanitation advocacy to more Filipinos.

Besides the World Toilet Day, Manila Water Foundation also celebrates World Oral Health Day and Global Handwashing Day as part of its hygiene campaign, Health in Our Hands.

Initiated by the World Toilet Organization in 2001, World Toilet Day was made an official UN day in 2013. UN Water leads a task force of international agencies to campaign around a common theme.

Biodiversity Monday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Monday, December 2, 2019

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

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ACB: Death of last Sumatran rhino in Malaysia a wake-up call Beef cattle eat grain-based rations at the Texana Feeders feedlot in Floresville, Texas, United States, on May 7, 2018. Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Beef industry battles to scrub polluter image as vegan burgers boom

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he American beef industry, wary of the vegan-burger craze that’s sweeping the nation, is trying to scrub its image as a greenhouse-gas-emitting machine.

With big retailers and investors pressing companies to improve their footprints, giants like Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc. are promising ambitious reductions in emissions, including in supply chains.

Chief sustainability officers are popping up all over meat C-suites, and social-media ads are touting beef’s misunderstood health benefits.

It’s an uphill battle. For more than a decade, studies have piled on exhorting people to eat less beef for environmental and health reasons.

By some measures, agriculture accounts for more global greenhouse-gas emissions than transport, thanks in part to livestock production.

Meanwhile, plant alternatives have captured the zeitgeist as more Americans dub themselves flexitarians—people who regularly substitute other foods for meat.

Companies like Beyond Meat Inc., which saw its shares more than triple since its blistering initial public offering, are riding the anti-meat wave, extolling the virtues of vegan products that are showing up on menus of nationwide chains, including TGI Fridays.

The rise of meat alternatives could start cutting into beef’s livelihood, if the recent decline of milk is any lesson.

In less than a decade, alternatives came out of nowhere to steal significant market share from conventional cow’s milk, a shift that contributed to the bankruptcy filing this month of behemoth Dean Foods Co. Today, milk alternatives account for 13 percent of the market.

Still, beef consumption is robust in North America, and meat-eating in general is gaining globally.

But the concerns come over how quickly vegan offerings are growing and the rise of the multi-trillion market for green and sustainable assets.

Deborah Perkins, global head of food and agribusiness at ING Wholesale Banking, says the industry will have to keep on working to improve its footprint.

“It’s not like at any point will the industry be able to say: ‘We are done,’” she said. “People are going to want to eat meat. We will see growth in the alternative-meat industry, but I don’t think it’s going to completely replace meat.”

Much of the environmental woes come down to how the animals process food. Cattle emit methane, a particularly potent greenhouse gas, as part of their normal digestive processes.

To put it simply, it’s cow farts, burps and manure that are a large culprit.

But the industry is pointing to new numbers that show how efficient American production is compared with the rest of the world.

A recent government study funded by the industry pinpointed US beef’s footprint at about

3 percent of man-made greenhouse gases, a paltry compared with the 14.5 percent global number that’s often cited.

“We should own that 3 percent and reduce it, because 3 percent is still important,” said Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, director of sustainability at JBS USA. Brazilian parent company JBS SA is the world’s biggest beef producer.

JBS’s US and Canada business units set a goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 from a 2015 baseline.

The industry is also working to highlight the environmental benefits to raising cattle. The US Great Plains, the heart of beef production and a major carbon sink, is preserved in part because of cattle grazing, said Nancy Labbe, who manages the World Wildlife Fund’s sustainable ranching initiative and also works with the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef.

Ruminants like cattle, because of their two stomachs, can digest feed inedible to humans, turning it into protein for human consumption.

At Cactus Feeders, a company that operates feedlots in the Texas panhandle and turns over about a million head of cattle a year, 40 percent of what animals eat are by-products from other industries. That includes glycerin, corn stalks, wheat straw, cotton burrs, distiller grains from ethanol production.

Technology can also help lower emissions.

US cattle have changed in recent decades through breeding and updates to feed formulas.

Ranchers are able to produce the same amount of beef as they did in 1975 with 36 percent fewer animals, according to Sara Place, senior director of sustainable beef production for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Ermias Kebreab, a professor of animal science at University of California-Davis, said that major reductions in emissions are achievable over the next five years given the promise of imminent feed additives that reduce the amount of methane cattle produce.

One big challenge for the companies is to get ranchers on board. The meat industry isn’t vertically integrated, meaning the meatpackers don’t own the production assets (farms and cows).

Helping in the adoption of regenerative farming practices, such as grazing management and cover cropping, can make a difference, said Heather Tansey, sustainability director at Cargill’s animal-nutrition unit.

The company has a goal of reducing emissions by 30 percent in its North America beef supply chain from a 2017 baseline.

Tyson is trying to get its beef suppliers on board with its sustainability track, too. It has pledged a 30-percent reduction across its entire business inclusive of supply chains by 2030.

The company licensed a voluntary program called Progressive Beef, which audits and certifies best practices, including sustainability measures like water usage and manure management, said Justin Ransom, senior director of sustainable food policy. Bloomberg News

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he Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) expressed sadness over the death of the last Sumatran rhinoceros in Malaysia, voicing its readiness to support intensified cooperation among Asean member-states on preventing the extinction of critically endangered species.

Sumatran rhinos ACB

“Seeing the extinction of species before our eyes is a tragedy of our time. The extinction of Sumatran rhino population in Malaysia is a loss that reverberates, not just in the Asean region but throughout the globe,” ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim said.

This development took place following the death of the last female in captivity named “Iman” on November 23.

In Indonesia, an estimated 80 rhino individuals remains captive and in the wild.

“While there are various species conservation programs being implemented to protect remaining populations of critically endangered species, there is a greater need for an increased strategic col-

laboration among Asean memberstates, particularly on sharing resources to ensure continued viable populations of species,” Lim said.

She added that extinctions can be prevented in many ways, among them is protecting their known habitat, through exchange of knowledge and expertise, well-maintained and equipped captive breeding centers and well-funded species-specific conservation programs.

Besides poaching and habitat loss, studies show that isolation is among the biggest threats to Sumatran rhino populations, as they have a very unique reproductive behavior.

Females of this species are known to develop complications in their reproductive systems if

they go too long without mating.

Along with captive breeding, the establishment of effectively managed protected areas is also a strategy for wildlife protection, the ACB executive director said.

“The Asean region is host to mega-diverse countries, and this brings with it the responsibility of addressing the challenges of wildlife depletion and extinctions. ACB, as the Asean regional intergovernmental organization, is committed to facilitate and support the Asean member-states in collaboration to prevent biodiversity loss in the region,” Lim said.

Iman’s passing happened on the eve of the 23rd meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific,

Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-23), where parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, including the Asean member-states, lay the groundwork and prepare for the ambitious and effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

This framework is aligned with the Aichi Biodiversity Target 12, which calls for the prevention of extinction of known threatened species and the improvement of their conservation status.

“We should not lose hope because there are certainly successful conservation programs in the Asean. Nevertheless, the death of Iman serves as our wake-up call,” Lim said.

Madam butterfly After the

storm, a butterfly lands on a citrus leaf at the Dorothy Compound in Plaridel Village, Santiago City, Isabela. Locally called balamban, the butterfly symbolizes the city’s annual festival. Ceasar M. Perante

MPIC launches Puerto Galera Marine Guardians

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hore It Up, the environmental flagship program of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and the municipality of Puerto Galera recently launched its Marine Protection, Inspection and Conservation Guardians Program as part of the partnership between the firm and town.

Nine fishermen and Bantay Dagat members, and the municipal government unit committed themselves in protecting, inspecting, and conserving both marine and coastal life under the Shore It Up program.

The newly inducted MPIC Guardians underwent two phases of training sessions in preparation for their environmental deputization, which included an open water scuba diving certification.

Based on the memorandum of

understanding with Puerto Galera, Metro Pacific has committed P1.5 million over three years to provide the local Bantay Dagat with the technical know-how through scuba-diving training, and furnish uniforms and equipment, such as global positioning system trackers, GoPro Hero 7s, twoway radios and search lights, to better protect the town’s aquatic resources.

One of the country’s top diving spots, the town is regarded by conservationists as the “center of marine biodiversity” with its remarkable aquatic life in the heart of the world’s “Coral Triangle” in Southeast Asia.

It was named in 1973 as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Man and Biosphere Reserve and inducted in 2005 into the Most Beautiful Bays of the World Club,

a 27-nation Unesco-sanctioned Parisbased nongovernment organization.

“The Marine Protection, Inspection and Conservation Guardians of Puerto Galera will pioneer the alliance of Marine Guardians patrolling the Verde Island Passage with other key areas like Marinduque, Tingloy in Mabini in Batangas,” said Metro Pacific Investments Foundation Inc. President Melody del Rosario, who presided over the launch.

She added that the 10-year-old Shore It Up program looks forward to more years in championing nature, anchored on a shared vision in the pursuit of environmental sustainability.

Puerto Galera Vice Mayor Marlon Lopez expressed gratitude to the conglomerate chaired by Manuel V. Pangilinan for partnering with the municipal government in this

environmental endeavor.

“We are grateful that they were given the opportunity to be responsible for protecting marine and coastal life, because that is what Puerto Galera can be proud of,” he added.

The firm also held the Health It Up community outreach with the Makati Medical Center Foundation as part of its expanding social responsibility program.

Dentists, optometrists, and doctors specializing in ENT, pediatrics, emergency and general medicine conducted 422 consultations and treatments, with vision screening and adult consultations.

In addition, One Meralco Foundation and Puerto Galera’s Emergency Response Team gave out 250 Laging Handa kits to children who live in calamity-prone barangays.

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SM & BDO’s Pamaskong Handog offers exclusive deals for overseas Filipino families

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VERSEAS Filipino workers have made so many sacrifices for their families. This is our way to help spread happiness during the most wonderful time of the year,' shared Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls Senior Vice

President for Marketing.

“Only SM & BDO have this kind of collaboration and exclusive offers for our kababayans. Every year, we look forward to organizing our Pamaskong Handog event and do our best to bring smile to their faces as they are far away from home during this time of the year.” said Genie Gloria, Senior Vice President and Head of BDO Remittance.

As a special holiday gift, exclusive deals and discounts await overseas Filipinos and their beneficiaries. They get P300 off on any regular-priced item with a minimum single receipt purchase of P3,000 at all branches of The SM Store (December 7 & 14) and up to 20% off on selected gift items from Kultura branches nationwide (December 7, 14 & 21). BDO Kabayan Savings account holders may also claim a Php100 discount coupon from December 7 to 21 at all SM Supermarket and SM Hypermarket branches

nationwide and use the coupon for a minimum purchase of Php1,000 until December 31, 2019.

Joining the Pamaskong Handog celebration at SM Seaside City Cebu are actors Piolo Pascual and Kim Chiu; love team Ronnie Alonte and Loisa Andalio; pop rock band Aegis; and “Tawag ng Tanghalan” finalist Jennie Gabriel. Piolo will also enterain the crowd at SM City Davao along with love team Edward Barber and Maymay Entrata; “Tawag ng Tanghalan” winner Elaine Duran, and OPM band Reo Brothers. Serenading the crowd in SM City Telabastagan are love team Xian Lim & Kim Chiu and OPM icon Ogie Alcasid.

To join Pamaskong Handog event, BDO Kabayan Savings account holders plus one (1) companion each, just need to present their ATM card or passbook.

For non-account holders, visit the BDO booth at the participating SM malls as early as 10AM. Overseas Filipinos may join the fun by watching the live streaming of the Pamaskong Handog events on BDO Kabayan Facebook page with a special viewing inside BDO Remit offices in Hongkong, Macau, Japan, France, Italy, For more details, visit the BDO Kabayan Facebook page.

Manila Marriott officially welcomes the festive season with Tree Lighting

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ARRIOTT Manila kicks off the festive season in a spectacle!

Last November 7, KC Montero opened the night with his witty antics, followed by Ballet Philippines’ performance of the Nutcracker. As the countdown begins, the kids from Save the Children along with their Ambassador Katarina Rodriguez, and Cluster General Manager for Marriott Manila, Sheraton Hotel Manila, and Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo, Bruce Winton, led the tree lighting ceremony and lit up the decorations. Santa came down the staircase and invited the guests to the Manila Ballroom which was transformed into a Pinoy Carnival complete with gaming booths from the popular Coin Toss, Pop the Balloon, Color Game, Ring Toss, and Shoot the Can. Apart from the tree lighting, Manila Marriott celebrated their Global Customer Appreciation Week along with valued partners, media, and clients. Cluster General Manager Bruce Winton proudly shared the charitable efforts of Marriott Worldwide Business Councils – Philippines along with their partnership with Save the Children Philippines, from Run to Give and the 1st Annual Golf Tournament.

For inquiries and updates about Manila Marriott, call (02) 8988-9999 or visit the hotel’s website www.manilamarriott.com, and social media accounts in FB, IG, and Twitter @ ManilaMarriott.

In the photo, Save the Children Ambassador

Katarina Rodriguez poses with the underprivileged kids from the community of Pasay after receiving their Christmas loot bags from Santa. The kids were invited by Save the Children Organization.

Families’ Guide to Inheritance Law of the Philippines

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HO inherits what and how much? What needs to be done to disinherit someone entitled to a share of the family’s wealth?

How do you know a will is valid? How much share can extended family relatives inherit when the giver doesn’t have children? To answer these and other questions about inheritance, the Center for Global Best Practices is launching a pioneering program entitled, Inheritance and Disinheritance Law of the Philippines to be held on December 5, 2019 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, Pasay City.

Visit www.cgbp.org for a complete list of best practices programs. You may also call landlines in Manila (+63 2) 8842-7148/ 59 or (+63 2) 8556-8968/ 69 and Cebu (+63 32) 512-3106 or 07.]

This one-day training will provide you and your family a comprehensive understanding of the general principles as well as solutions to specific cases and issues faced by grandparents, parents, children (legitimate, illegitimate, adopted), immediate family members, other relatives and stakeholders who will benefit from an inheritance. This special lecture will also include relevant and recent Philippine Supreme Court rulings on inheritance disputes within and among family members.

Execute the distribution of your wealth properly with the help and advice from the sought-after lecturer and recognized taxing authority, Atty. Nicasio C. Cabaneiro, the author of the book “From Living to Leaving: Basics of Financial, Estate and Tax Planning”.

He is the estate planning consultant of high net worth families and individuals for their legal matters and tax issues. He is an authority in the practice of taxation and commercial law with over 43 years of teaching experience and 25 years with the Bank of Philippine Islands.

Registration is open to the general public and is highly recommended for property and business owners, families, lawyers, accountants, estate planners, tax practitioners, consultants and anyone interested in this topic. CGBP is an accredited training provider of the Civil Service Commission.

Public officials and government employees attending this training can earn points and are exempted from the Php 2,000-limit set by COA based on the Department of Budget and Management circular 563 issued on April 22, 2016. Interested participants are encouraged to avail of the group discount for those registering 3 or more attendees. Seats are limited and pre-registration is required.

Visa launches Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Campaign in the Philippines

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HE Visa Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 contest started on 11 November and will end 15 February 2020. All Visa cardholders, including credit, debit and prepaid cardholders in the Philippines will be entitled to participate in the campaign by spending a minimum of 3,000 Philippine pesos on their Visa cards at seven participating SM supermalls.

Filipino Visa cardholders stand a chance to win one of four trips for two to Tokyo for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games. The trip includes flights and accommodation for four days three nights, and tickets to attend two events at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. In addition, Visa cardholders in the Philippines have a chance to win Visa original Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 goods whenever they make a purchase at an SM affiliate store].

Dan Wolbert, Visa Country Manager for the Philippines, said: “As a proud sponsor

of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, we are pleased to run this campaign for Visa cardholders. We are excited to offer Visa cardholders in the Philippines the chance to win one of four trips for two to Tokyo, with flights and accommodation, fully funded.

Moreover, they get to watch the skateboarding and basketball events at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we are glad to provide our cardholders with these amazing benefits and rewards when they spend at participating SM Supermalls and SM affiliates using their Visa cards. Such campaigns enable us to promote the use of cashless payments and grow our digital payments footprint in the country.”

SM Supermalls SVP of Marketing Joaquin San Agustin, and Visa Country Manager for the Philippines and Guam Dan Wolbert take part in a Japanese Gong ceremony to kick off the joint campaign.

John Chicano and Kim Mangrobang deliver the country’s first two gold medals in Subic, the dancesport bets scoop the mints in Angeles City and so did the arnis masters as hostilities kick off in all fronts on Monday.

GOLD RUSH IN TRIATHLON, DANCESPORT Sports BusinessMirror

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| Monday, December 2, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

John Chicano, seen here with silver medalist Andrew Remolino, and Kim Mangrobang (photo on A1), make sure the triathlon gold medals remain in the country. NONOY LACZA

By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

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UBIC— Excellence in a multiplediscipline sport was in full display on Sunday when John Chicano and Kim Mangrobang finished atop the men’s and women’s triathlon events on Sunday morning to earn not only the country’s first gold medals but, more important, the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Cheered on relentlessly by the hometown fans and utilizing their familiarity with the course to the hilt, local boy Chicano clocked one hour and 53.26 minutes to win the men’s swim-bike-run race.

Andrew Kim Remolino made sure of a 1-2 Philippine finish and secured the silver medal with a time of 1:55:03.

“I’m overjoyed. I still can’t believe I did it,” said the 28-year-old Chicano, who clinched silver in 2017 in Malaysia behind Nikko Huelgas, who now races in the relay.

Remolino, the youngster from Cebu, rose first from the waters off the Subic Boardwalk.

But Chicano outpaced the teenager in the bike and run legs to rule his first SEA Games in the grueling 51.5-km contest.

Indonesian Muhammad Ahlul Firman settled for bronze with 1:57:10, a time that only proved the Filipinos’ dominance of the sport that is now in the Games program for the third straight edition.

It was the cheers of the crowd, coupled with their months of training drawn by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines, that got them ahead.

“The Indonesian was really strong, he stayed with us all the way,” Chicano said.

The party did stop at the Boardwalk

Mark Jayson Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen top the Slow Foxtrot event, while Sean Mischa Aranar and Anna Manalo Nualla rule the Standard category. ROY DOMINGO

as defending champion Mangrobang and Kim Kilgroe booked a similar 1-2 performance in the women’s race.

Mangrobang clocked two hours and two minutes to win her second gold medal in the biennial event after finishing second in the 2015 edition in Singapore.

Kilgroe submitted 2:05:02 for the silver medal, while Octaria Nechtavani, also from Indonesia, claimed the bronze at 2:16.33.

DANCESPORT BETS BAG 8 GOLDS

OVER in Clark, the pairs of Ana Manalo Nualla and Sean Mischa Aranar, and Pearl Marie Cañeda and Wilbert Aunzo zoomed to instant fame when they claimed three gold medals each in dancesport which yielded a total of eight mints in total in the standard and latin disciplines at the Royce Hotel also on Sunday.

Nualla and Aranar, partners for six years, topped the Standard Tango, Viennese Waltz and the Five Dance to emerge the first Filipinos to bag three gold medals each after Day One of hostilities.

“Today, sobrang nakakapagod, pero worth it lahat.

Sobrang saya, nakaka-overwhelm ang crown,” the 27-year-old Nualla said.

Putting every detail of their routine to perfection for a year, the duo never disappointed the boisterous crowd with a show of grace and on-point precision under tremendous pressure.

It made sense that a year’s worth of training easily paid off when they swept the competition, giving the Filipino crowd at the hotel’s function hall a performance to remember.

“One year kaming nag-prepare para dito, pero kalahating araw lang tapos na. Nabawasan kami ng sobrang laking pasanin,” said Nualla, as she and her partner earned almost a million as each gold medal stands for an incentive of P300,000.

“Para ito sa bayan,” Aranar said.

The pair scored 30.150 points in Standard Tango, 30.100 in Viennese Waltz and a total of 151.350 in Five Dances.

In the afternoon session, Cañeda and Aunzo ruled the Samba, Cha Cha Cha and Rumba events of Latin dance disciplines.

Filipino bets Mary Joy Renigen and Mark Jayson Gayon, meanwhile, nabbed the gold medals in the Standard Waltz and Slow Foxtrots, and also the silver in Quickstep.

ARNIS CONTRIBUTES 4 GOLDS

THE Philippines struck hard in arnis on Sunday as all four men’s team members stamped their class in gold medal play at the Angeles University Foundation.

Dexler Bolambao jump-started the onslaught by beating Soc Paing of Myanmar in the bantamweight 55kg class before Niño Mark Talledo, Villardo Cunamay and Mike Bañares sustained the Filipinos’ fiery form in the full contact live stick competition.

Talledo took out Vietnam’s Van Kein Vu with relative ease in the men’s featherweight +55 kg-60 kg division.

In the lightweight +60 kg-65 kg category, Cunamay bested Mengly Yong of Cambodia.

Finally, Bañares capped the day’s dominance with a win over Vietnam’s Thai Viet Phu in the welter+65 kg.

On hand to witness the matches was Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Foundation Chairman and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, who is aiming to deliver 11 to 12 golds in the three-days competition.

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Monday, December 2, 2019

TAKRAW MI YULO ON TR

GILAS 3X3 SQUADS OFF TO IMPRESSIVE START

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he Gilas Pilipinas men and women’s squad put on a show Sunday in humbling two of their group opponents at the start of the first-ever 3x3 event of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games at the Filoil Flying V Centre in City of San Juan.

The quartet of Chris Newsome, CJ Perez, Jason Perkins and Moala Tautuaa humbled Indonesia, 21-17, with still 3:21 left in the game before giving Myanmar a neat lesson with some 3:25 seconds to spare for a 21-10 victory and remain unscathed in the men’s division that has eight nation competing.

Perkins and Perez, earlier, combined in the final two minutes against the Indons to shake off a shaky start.

Indonesia immediately went up with a

4-0 start to sized up the host country before Perkins and Perez combined with 9 and 8 points, respectively to turn the tide and the win.

Perez sealed the game with a layup in the victory that also had Tautuaa and Newsome chip with three and one point.

It was Perez turn to give the favor to Perkins in the second game with a lob pass that seal the win against Myanmar.

“I feel happy with the win. It is just our second game in the tournament and it gets our feet a little bit. We have a tough matches ahead and we just had to keep on with our focus. It is a great experience playing for flag, and such an honor and pride having those people watching cheers for us,” said Newsome.

Meanwhile, Janine Pontejos shut the light

Polo bets look ready, confident

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raw in the 0-2 goals division in polo competition will be held today at the Iñigo Zobel Polo Field with the Nationals looking ready and confident of figuring well in the four-nation tournament.

“The team is pretty excited although the field is very tough,” said team captain and

Thailand top guns vying in petanque

Rick Olivares bleachersbrew@gmail.com

Bleachers’ Brew

Party-list Rep. Mikee Romero.

Out to spoil PHL gold medal bid are Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Romero and company—Coco Garcia, Nicole Eusebio, Jam Eusebio and Santi Juban—have spent so much for this biennial meet, even going to Argentina—the mecca

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hailand’s petanque squad will send its big guns in a bid to retain the title when competition kicks off on Monday in the 30th Southeast Asian Games at Friendship Gate in Clark, Pampanga.

Aumpawan Suwannaphruk and Sarawut Sriboonpeng, 2017 mixed double gold medalists, are back to lead Thailand’s gold hunt, even as the Malaysian nationals are looking to dethrone the Thais, who grabbed two golds, four silvers and one bronze medal in the event two years ago.

Malaysia won two golds, a silver and three bronze medals in the last SEAG. Thailand and Malaysia are expected to crowd each other in the medal race for the event, but the Philippines will have the homecourt advantage as it seeks to make the podium.

out from the trey in leading the Gilas Women to a pulsating 15-13 victory over Malaysia for their second straight win in the women’s action.

Pontejos drilled a long range that pull out the Gilas Women from a close 9-7 count to 11-7 before the hulking Jack Daniel Animam and Clare Castro take charge to seal the victory.

The Philippines made a quick work of Myanmar earlier, with a 21-4 demolition and finish the job with still three minutes remaining.

Castro stoo tall with eight points for the Philippines as Pontejos had 6 points all on two-pointers. Afril Bernardino put up four points, while Jack Animam added three points.

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ORLD champion Carlos Edriel Yulo was true to form on Monday and won the men’s artistic gymnastics individual all-around as the Philippines clinched its first sepak takraw gold medal on Sunday in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

The 19-year-old Yulo accumulated 84.900 in all six routines to beat Vietnamese bets Dinh Phuong Thanh and Le Thanh Tung, who scored 82.350 and 81.700, respectively, at the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The country bagged the first gold in gymnastics with Philippine sports officials

of polo—to train under the supervision of revered polo coaches.

Like the 4-6 goals division, the 0-2 goals event also has a powerful cast with Prince Jefri and Prince Qawi spearheading the talented Brunei squad.

Both players are members of the royal family—led by Hassanal Bolkiah—Sultan of Brunei.

0-2 goals will be played at the class Miguel Romero Polo Field.

hoping for a sweep of the seven events in men’s artistic gymnastics through Yulo.

Yulo admitted there was pressure to perform in front of the home fans after winning the floor exercise in the 48th Artistic Gymnastics World Championship in Stuttgart.

“It’s very different. I’m pressure because I know I have a chance to win a medal. I prefer competing without a chance of a medal.

There, I can really give my best,” said Yulo in Filipino.

Yulo placed first in the floor exercise with a score of 14.650, and got the third spot in the pommel horse with a score of 13.600.

He finished second in the still rings with a score of 13.600, as well as the vault with a score of 13.600, and capped his performance

‘Tisoy’ postpones sailing, windsurfing

The members of the Philippine petanque squad in the men’s division are Julius Philip Bon, Mark Anthony Bon, Nelson de la Noche, Joshua Fuentes, Ambrocio Gotiñas and Angelo Joseph Sangalang, while bannering the women’s side are Leonita Banlat, Arnett Dionicio, Nelia Lara, Honelyn Leonardo, Alejandra Orola and Ma. Corazon Soberre.

A dream to win it for Iloilo five For Iloilo United Royals point guard Aaron Jeruta, life is a constant flux of challenges. After winning the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League title last year with San Juan, he is now with his hometown team trying to help them achieve the impossible—win in spite of the presence of top teams in the league.

The Royals were doing well when the team’s leading scorer, Samboy de Leon, Jeruta’s teammate at Centro Escolar University in Naascu and Café France in the D-League as well, was called up to the PBA. “I have been playing with Samboy since 2012 and we know each other’s style so it makes it easy for us,” said the Jaro, Iloilo native. Playing for former CEU Head Coach Edgar Macaraya, that talented Scorpions squad that featured the like of Alfred Batino, Joseph Sedurifa, Mon Abundo, and Rod Ebondo, they won a smattering of Naascu crowns and a D-League title. While playing in two editions of the Filoil Preseason Cup, they defeated some of the top NCAA and UAAP squads.

And Jeruta and de Leon were huge factors in that run.

“With him out of the team, we struggled at first because of the hole that he left behind. But as the games passed, our experienced coaches were able to come up with strategies to help fill that role and everyone stepped up big time.”

And step up big have the Royals who are on a five-game win streak; their longest of their maiden season. Their most recent triumph was a 90-63 shellacking of the Caloocan Supremos.

That has given Iloilo a 14-8 record in the current MPBL Lakan Cup with Aaron chipping in 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per outing.

Jeruta’s new team is different in terms of composition from his former squad, San Juan, that had a plethora of talented big men like Larry Rodriguez and Larry Muyang who were a handful for most teams.

These Royals are more guard and forward oriented with Ryan Arambulo, Jasper Parker, Al Francis Tamsi and Richard Escoto.

“San Juan was a different team,” conceded Aaron. “So is Iloilo so we have to adjust with what we have. We all know our roles and we work hard to bring that P10-million trophy back home. This is my shot to do something for my hometown.”

“We are doing our best to achieve that goal. To a man, we trust management and the coaches. Personally, I do hope we bring that championship to Iloilo.”

CARLOS YULO is off to a hot start in his chase for seven gold medals. NONIE REYES

Approaching storm, snafus cast pall on Games

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N approaching typhoon is threatening to complicate the hosting by the Philippines of the largest biennial games in Southeast Asia, already marred by logistical foul-ups that President Duterte vowed to investigate.

Duterte on Saturday welcomed the first few thousand athletes, coaches and sports officials from the region to the Southeast Asian Games in an opening ceremony featuring digital fireworks in a huge indoor arena in Bocaue town north of Manila. The VIPs included Brunei leader Hassanal Bolkiah, whose son is a player on the sultanate’s polo team.

A bus carrying Vietnamese athletes accidentally bumped the rear of another bus loaded with Laotian athletes on the way to the opening ceremony, causing minor injuries and shattering the glass windows of one of the buses, police said.

More than 8,000 athletes and officials were expected to fly in for the games, which started in 1959 in the Thai capital of Bangkok with just a dozen sports. In the Philippines, 56 sports will be featured in 529 events, the largest number in the 11-nation competition so far, which will be held in more than 40 venues, including in the traffic-choked capital of Manila.

About 27,000 police officers have been deployed to secure the 11-day games.

A typhoon was bearing down in the Pacific

Athletes and officials, among them PSC Chairman William Ramirez, POC President and Tagaytay Rep. Bambol Tolentino, Senators Francis Tolentino and Migz Zubiri and Rep. Mikee Romero march the opening ceremony on Saturday at the Philippine Arena. AP

and forecasters expect it to blow into the main island of Luzon in the north early next week. The main sporting venues in Clark and Subic, former US military bases turned into popular leisure and commercial hubs north and northwest of Manila,

are in or near Typhoon Kammuri’s path.

Kammuri was packing sustained winds of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph) as of late Friday but could still strengthen, forecasters said. The prospect of it

becoming a super typhoon was unlikely but cannot be ruled out, they said.

“The contingency plan involves delay of the competition, the cancellation of competition,” Ramon Suzara, executive director of the organizing committee, said at a news conference. Indoor competitions could proceed in bad weather if power is not cut, but the entry of spectators may be restricted, he said.

The threat posed by the typhoon comes after widely publicized complaints of athletes who flew in early for training and preliminary matches over long hours of waiting for shuttles at Manila’s airport, getting stuck in the chaotic traffic, food and hotel accommodation issues and unfinished facilities in the city.

An early soccer match between the men’s teams of Malaysia and Myanmar proceeded despite the absence of a functioning scoreboard at Manila’s Rizal Stadium, which opened in the 1930s but has undergone renovations, according to an Associated Press photographer who covered the game.

Thailand’s soccer team, which was pressed for time to train and could not afford to plod through Manila’s traffic jams to a stadium, practiced on the streets one night instead, its coach was cited in local news reports as saying.

Duterte and his close political ally, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who heads the organizing committee, separately apologized for the troubles.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former national police chief who supports Duterte’s anti-crime campaign,

questioned the transfer of a huge amount of government funds to the organizing committee, which is a private foundation, comparing it to a past corruption scandal where state funds were funneled to nongovernment groups before allegedly being pocketed by some lawmakers.

Suzara denied there was any irregularity, saying government auditors scrutinized how money was spent. He blamed the months-long delay in the passage of the national budget earlier this year for failure to complete the construction and renovation of some sports facilities on time.

Opposition Sen. Franklin Drilon questioned the propriety of spending about P50 million (nearly $1 million) for the construction of a tower with a cauldron that will be lit in flames during the games, saying the money for such extravagance could have been used to build classrooms for impoverished children.

“I ignore them because my stomach is titanium,” Suzara said in an interview, explaining how he has endured criticism to focus on preparations.

Cayetano said certain groups opposed to Duterte were trying to sabotage the Philippines’s hosting of the Games. He did not elaborate.

Duterte pledged to investigate the mess and Cayetano expressed readiness to face a Senate investigation after the Games.

“There was a lot of money poured into this activity and I suppose that with that kind of money, you can run things smoothly,” Duterte said. But he admonished critics: “Do not create a firestorm now because we are in the thick of preparation...I assure you I will investigate.”

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Monday, December 2, 2019

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MILESTONE FOR HOSTS; RACK IN GYMNASTICS with a first-place finish in the horizontal bar with a 13.750.

SEPAK TAKRAW BREAKTHROUGH

Sepak takraw joined the opening day gold medal spree for the Philippines, delivering one of its own in the hoop event courtesy of the women’s squad at the Subic Gym. Led by playing Coach Deseree Autor, the Filipinas banked on a close 670-660 win over Indonesia before crossing their fingers for Myanmar to struggle on their way to clinching their first ever gold in SEA Games hoop event history.

Myanmar outscored Laos, 640-420, but fell 30-points shy from the hosts’ total score to settle for the bronze medal in the

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indsurfing and sailing in the 30th Southeast Asian Games were postponed due to Typhoon Tisoy.

“It will be moved to a date when weather will be clear of typhoon,” SEA Games Subic Cluster Chairman Ramon Agregado said Sunday.

Typhoon Tisoy is expected to make landfall in the Bicol region by late Monday or early Tuesday, bringing maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center and 185 kph gusts.

Because of that, Pagasa warned of “frequent to continuous heavy rains” in Bicol, Metro Manila, Zambales, Pampanga, Calabarzon, Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon, Bataan, and Bulacan.

WONG, A CLASS ABOVE REST

30-minute sepak takraw hoop category.

Autor was joined by Josefina Maat, Sara Jean Kalalo, Jean Marie Sucalit, Mary Ann Lopez and Abigail Sinugbohan in the country’s good pace-setting win.

The Nationals are eyeing to grab at least three gold medals out of the six events for the overall sepak takraw championship coming off a fifthplace finish in 2017 Kuala Lumpur games.

Autor and the rest of her crew shoot for another gold medal starting today in the women’s regu event. The Philippines placed bronze in the said category last edition.

The men’s team went for the win to complete a twin-kill in hoop’s event at the start of the much-awaited sepak takraw competitions.

Agatha Wong proved a class over the rest, retaining the gold medal in the taolu taijiquan event of wushu at the World Trade Center in Manila.

Wong, who performed fifth in the order of play, was spectacular among all the nine entries, registering 9.67 to handily win the gold.

Lachkar Basma of Brunei won the silver with 9.55 points, while Tran Thi Minh Huyen of Vietnam scored had 9.53 for the bronze medal.

“There was no holiday for us [in our training] so we are very fatigued right now. My body is aching. I was relieved after I finished my first event. I

just did my best and I hope that’s enough for Team Philippines,” said Wong.

Wong also ruled the event in the 2017 Games in Kuala Lumpur and won a bronze in the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games in Jakarta.

She is set to competing in the women’s taijijian event on December 3.

Loh Choon How of Malaysia topped the taijiquan event with 9.68 points, with Zheng Yu Hosea Wong of Brunei bagging the silver with 9.59 points. Daniel Parantac of the Philippines settled for the bronze medal with 9.56 points.

With Ramon Rafael Bonilla and Reyniel Berlanga

Windsurfing and sailing events in the regional meet were scheduled at the Lighthouse Jetty Area and Subic Bay Yacht Club, respectively, from November 28 to December 9.

That original timeframe included practices, weighing and measuring of equipment, and competition proper.

Depending on the effects of Typhoon Tisoy, the two events may have to be postponed to December 5.

“We are anticipating December 5 as the start of the official competition,” said venue manager Julious Macam.

Dexter Bolambao wins the country’s first gold in arnis in the full contact live stick men’s bantamweight 55 kgs and below class. ROY DOMINGO

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“That was fast and very impressive. Two days!” Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez exclaimed. “The PSC appreciates Sen. Bong’s help, especially at these times when our full staff is preoccupied with tasks related to the SEA Games.”

The squash venue was not part of the construction projects related to the biennial meet, however.

“The PSC deemed to construct the squash venue along with the SEA Games venues so that we will finish the rehabilitation of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex within the year. That was our target,” Ramirez said. “Unfortunately, the unfinished venue was used for the press conference and was given negative reviews on social media.”

“It pains me to see the PSC, a government agency, being bashed for what is not even a mistake. It was doing its job well and that venue is not even meant for use of the SEA Games,” Go said.

“So, I asked friends to help finish the venue, as soon as possible and I am very greatful to them for making this happen,” Go added.

Rondina, Pons storm past Vietnam

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isi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons delivered the goods for the Philippines in the 30th Southeast Asian Games beach volleyball tournament on Sunday at the converted Subic Tennis Court.

Coming off a flat start, losing to Indonesia in the opening match, Rondina and Pons came charging back with a straight-set win over Vietnam, 21-8, 21-17, to start the day.

However, in the second match, Dzi Gervacio and Dij Rodriguez bowed to the Vietnamese, 21-14, 21-16, to force a decider.

With their game faces on, Rondina and Pons once again showed what they’ve got to turn back Tuong Vy Nguyen and Nguyen Lan Vu, 22-20, 21-15, in the golden match. The Philippines are now 1-1 in the single round robin preliminaries before it faces Malaysia on Monday.

Patrombon takes away Laotian foe

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Agatha Wong is a cut above the rest as Jones Llabres Inso in wushu. NONIE REYES

Singapore 60 City Duathlon International after running away with the gold and silver medals, respectively.

The Filipinos get their bid going a day after Kim Mangrobang and Johnny Rambo Chicano made a perfect 2-of2 in triathlon at the Subic Bay Boardwalk.

“We are performing very well in international races. That’s why in my opinion, we can get a gold medal,” said national Coach George Vilog.

eophyte Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go rushed to the aid of the Philippine Sports Commission and his team performed quite a miracle when it finished a sports venue in record time.

Hearing about the unfinished squash venue that was mistakenly used for a press conference area for the early football matches, Go sent a team of engineers and workers to the Rizal Memorial for a quick assessment of the venue.

Giving an order to finish the site, his workers transformed the Rizal Memorial Squash Hall in a mere two days, a feat that was not lost on the officials of the government’s funding agency for sports.

avanna Ly Nguyen of Vietnam beat fourth-seed Andrea Daravy Ka of Cambodia, 6-1, 7-5, last Sunday at the start of the women’s singles of the 30th Southeast Asian Games tennis tournament at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Nguyen’s victory was the lone upset of the day as seeded players in the women’s singles moved to the quarterfinals of the competition.

Top-seed Peangtarn Plipeuch of Thailand won over Thandar Aung of Myanmar, 6-1, 6-1; No. 2 Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia beat Marian Jade Capadocia of the Philippines, 6-2, 6-2; and No. 3 Aunchisa Chanta of Thailand beat Grace

DUATHLON BETS INSPIRED IN SEAG CAMPAIGN nspired by the twogold sweep in triathlon, Team Philippines hopes to extend its charge when duathlon gets under way in Subic on Monday in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Jarwyn Banatao and Joey de los Reyes will lead the men’s campaign, while Asian women’s elite champion Monica Torres and junior campaigner Chelsea Sabado comprise the distaff side.

The Torres-Sabado pair incidentally, ruled the recent

GO GIVES FULL SUPPORT FOR RIZAL SQUASH HALL N

Out to challenge the host for the golds are entries from Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand.

The men’s side will be the first to be flagged-off at 6 a.m. followed by the women’s at 8 a.m.

The run-bike-run event is returning to the SEA Games for the first time since the 2007 edition in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Participants take part in the 10km run followed by a 40-km bike, and final a 5-km run.

Annete Krusling of Cambodia, 6-3, 6-1.

In the men’s singles, No. 4 Kasidit Samrej of Thailand beat Ari Fahresi of Indonesia, 7-5, 6-2, while No. 5 Jeson Patrombon of the Philippines won over Sataporn Simmalavong of Laos, 6-1, 6-1.

Sixth-seed Chin Zao Quan Christian beat My Paing Min of Myanmar, 6-1, 6-1; and seventhranked Hao Yuan Ng of Singapore beat Kuang Zaw of Myanmar, 6-1, 6-2.

Singapore SEA Games gold medalist Treat Huey and Denise Dy won over Chenda Som and Kenny Bun of Cambodia, 6-1, 6-4, to advance in the quarterfinals where they will face top-seed Sutjiadi and Christopher Rungkat of Indonesia.

Podium finish for Surban, Flores, Rombaon in MTB N

iño Surban and EJ Flores finished 2-3 behind a veteran rider from Thailand and Avegail Rombaon settled for the bronze medal as top favorite Arianna Dormitorio bombed out in cycling’s crosscountry competitions at the Laurel Tatlong Bungo tracks in Batangas.

Thailand’s Kirati Sukprasert bested the two riders from the Philippines in a thrilling finish to claim the gold in men’s cross country Olympic.

Sukprasert, 35, showed his prowess in the final climb on the backend of the course as he willed his way past Surban and Flores to check in at one hour, 36 minutes and 15 seconds.

Surban, a two-time bronze medalist in the event, crossed the finish line eight seconds behind the Thai, who dedicated his triumph to

his family and team which gathered around him shortly after he was awarded the gold medal.

Flores, who led through four laps, grabbed the bronze with a time of 1:36:41 as he bucked cramps in the final lap to finish the 21.75 kilometer race.

Sukprasert found himself in between the two Filipinos heading into the final lap, before peeling away in the last 2 kilometers of the course.

“It was a really tough race because of the two riders from the Philippines, but I was really determined to win,” Sukprasert said through an interpreter. “This is already my fifth SEA Games, but it’s my first time to win the gold.”

Dinh Thi Nhu Quynh of Vietnam captured gold in the women’s category where Rombaon

made up for Dormitorio’s disappointing finish.

The 19-year-old Dinh clocked one hour, 36 minutes, and 43 seconds as Vietnam made it a 1-2 finish in the event after Ca Thi Thom captured the silver medal.

Ca clocked 1:44:19 to win the silver over Rombaon, who timed 1:48:54 for the bronze medal.

Dinh won the gold after Dormitorio crashed out of the competition after a spill heading into the final lap. Dormitorio was already a minute ahead when she suffered a crash.

“We tried to follow the best rider. We know that in this Games, the Filipino rider is very strong. In the first lap, we tried to follow and then we tried to attack. The course is a difficult one,” said Vietnam Coach Ngoc Vu Nguyen.

Dormitorio explained she was not able to finish the race after feeling dizziness during the spill, but promised to bounce back from the disappointment for the Philippine cycling fans.

“During the last part of the trail, I had a crash and then that caused me to be a little bit dizzy. Knowing that the other competitors are just at my back, I didn’t really take time to recover. I was really eager to win for the gold but I’d like to say my apologies for the whole country for not winning it for you guys,” said Dormitorio.

“Definitely, this is my first SEA Games. For the succeeding ones, there will be mountain bike events. I’ll definitely train harder and bring pride to the country,” said Dormitorio.

Unsmoking the SEA Games The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and Philip

Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. sign a Deed of Donation for Unsmoke parasols and trash bins that have been strategically installed in various places around the former American naval base.

Bringing its advocacy to the 30th Southeast Asian Games athletes and guests, Unsmoke carries a simple and clear message: If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you smoke, quit. If you don’t quit, change. Seen in photo are SBMA Board Director Bryan Patrick Gordon (from left), SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma “Amy” Eisma, PMFTC Communications Director Dave Gomez and PMFTC Executive Gracey Publico.

, WHEN IT’S HOT

WEAR SHORTS M South Africa’s Brandon Grace lines up a shot during play in the European Tour in Malelane, South Africa. AP

Sports BusinessMirror

ALELANE, South Africa— Golfers were allowed to wear shorts during a European Tour event for the first time on Thursday because of sweltering temperatures.

The decision to relax rules at the 2020 season-opening Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa was made after discussions between players, European Tour CEO Keith Pelley and tournament host Johann Rupert. It applies for this event only.

Temperatures are predicted to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 0F) over the next few days at the Leopard Creek Country Club, which borders the Kruger Park wildlife

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| Monday, December 2, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Hamilton: It’s the first compliment I’ve had from Ferrari in 13 years

Rooney kicks off player-coach stint at Derby County

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BU DHABI, United Arab Emirates—A laughing Lewis Hamilton did little to quash rumors of a potential move from Mercedes to Ferrari by acknowledging he was flattered by comments from the Italian team principal.

Mattia Binotto called the six-time world champion “an outstanding driver” on Friday and then added “knowing that he’s available in 2021 can make us only happy.”

Hamilton is one of several F1 drivers, including both current Ferrari drivers, whose contracts expire at the end of next year. This has only fueled speculation that there could be a significant shake-up ahead.

“I think it’s the first compliment I’ve had from Ferrari in 13 years.... Thank you. I’ll take it,” Hamilton said, laughing, when responding to Binotto’s open flattery. “It’s taken all these years for them to recognize me.

I’m grateful...It’s positive. I think it’s never a waste of time to ever be nice to someone.”

The 34-year-old British driver, who reportedly earns more than $50 million a year at Mercedes, was pressed further as to whether he would be interested in moving to the famed Italian team. “[Ferrari is] a team I’ve always appreciated. To earn the respect from

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ERBY, England—Former England captain Wayne Rooney was given a rousing reception before taking his place among Derby County’s coaching staff for the first time at the start of his 18-month stint as player-coach at the second-tier English club.

Rooney watched from the dugout as Derby drew with Queens Park Rangers 1-1 at Pride Park on Saturday.

England’s all-time leading scorer, who is not eligible to play until January, had his name chanted by Derby fans when he was introduced to supporters on the field before kickoff. He applauded in reply.

Rooney left Major League Soccer side DC United in October.

In Bucharest, after seeing Germany drawn at Euro 2020 with France and Portugal, Oliver Bierhoff was frustrated and fearful about his country’s prospects.

“Another nightmare,” the Germany team general manager said on Saturday. “It is the worst possibility we could catch.”

The memories are still raw of Germany’s humiliation at the 2018 World Cup where the title defense ended in the group stage.

Germany opens against World Cup holder France on June 16 before taking on European champion Portugal four days later.

“I didn’t want to pick these teams,” said Bierhoff, whose goal clinched the European Championship for Germany at Wembley in 1996. “France is the best team in the world.”

This time, at least, Germany will have home advantage, playing all Group F games in Munich as the 24-team European Championship is spread across the continent for the first time with 12 stadiums in 12 countries being used. Budapest is also being used for a game which will be completed by a playoff winner.

Only the top 2 teams in each of the six groups are certain to qualify for the round of 16 along with the four top-performing runners-up. The newly complicated nature of qualifying means four of the six groups won’t have their final teams confirmed until after the playoffs in March.

It might get even tougher for the Group F runner-up, which could meet England.

That is if Gareth Southgate’s side uses the home advantage of playing all three Group D games at Wembley to top the standings.

England opens with a June 14 reunion with Croatia, which won their 2018 World Cup seminal but lost to the Three Lions later in the year in the Nations League. England also faces the Czech Republic, the only team to beat Gareth Southgate’s side in Euro 2020 qualifying.

“Our analysts won’t have to do too much work; they’ll be delighted,” Southgate said. “They can put their feet up for Christmas. But yeah, these are teams that we’ve had really good performances and results against and lost to, so we know there’s no room for complacency. And, of course, we have to see who comes through the playoff.” AP

reserve in northern South Africa.

“We felt that in this situation it was a good move,” said the European Tour’s David Williams, the tournament director. “The temperatures will increase as the week goes on, which is uncomfortable and could be a health issue for the players.

“A lot of players were concerned about it. In these temperatures it can be pretty uncomfortable out there in trousers.”

In 2016, the European Tour allowed players to wear shorts for practice rounds and pro-ams but not tournament play. The US Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour brought in the same policy this year.

Four-time major winner Ernie Els said allowing shorts this week was “common sense” and hoped it wouldn’t be the last time in a tournament.

“It’s going to get up to 40 degrees here and it’s the right thing to do,” Els said. “It’s been talked about for so long on all of the tours around the world...I think this could be a gamechanger for golf which could end up enhancing the product.”

When the US PGA Tour announced in February it was allowing shorts for practice and pro-ams, it said it noted the opinions of leading players.

Asked for his view on allowing shorts, Tiger Woods said: “I would love it. We play in some of the hottest climates on the planet.”

Rory McIlroy said: “It makes the guys a lot more comfortable.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with professional golfers showing the lower half of their leg.”

Pablo Larrazábal, meanwhile, kept his three-shot lead at the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Saturday ahead of the final round of the European Tour’s 2020 season-opener.

Larrazábal’s two-under 70 in the third round put him 11 under par and kept him ahead of Wil Besseling (70). South African home favorite Branden Grace (71), the 2014 champion, slipped a shot further back to third on seven under.

Larrazábal made five birdies but also three bogeys on another tough day at Leopard Creek Country Club, where players have faced scorching temperatures pushing 40 degrees Celsius (104 o Fahrenheit) and gusting winds.

Those high temperatures convinced the tour to allow players to wear shorts in tournament play for the first time.

“I hung in there and we will see, it will be a fun Sunday afternoon,” said Larrazábal, who won the last of his four European Tour titles four years ago. “If I shoot in the 60s these guys are going to have to put some run on me tomorrow.”

Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel is making a solid return after an eight-month injury layoff because of a wrist problem.

A 70 put him four under and in a tie for sixth at the tournament he’s won a record four times.

Zander Lombard (69) and Marcus Armitage (71) are a shot ahead of Schwartzel’s group in fourth. AP

Charlotte PJ Washington (25) defends against the Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. AP

them is obviously very high up, is not a bad thing,” Hamilton said after taking a record-extending 88th career pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday. “Who knows what the driver market’s going to be doing over the next year? [But] if I’m really honest, I’m not really focused on that right at this second.”

Binotto also said “honestly it’s too early for any decision.”

Hamilton added that Ferrari already has “two great drivers” in four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel and the highly promising 22-year-old Charles Leclerc.

But Vettel, who joined in 2015, has so far failed to deliver Ferrari its first drivers’ title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 and the famed Prancing Horse team has not worn the constructors’ crown since 2006.

By contrast, Mercedes has won six straight doubles since team principal Toto Wolff and Hamilton joined the Silver Arrows together in 2013—an inspired move which has helped Hamilton add five F1 titles to his first with McLaren in 2008.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas, who has won four races and taken five pole positions this season, and the 22-year-old Verstappen are also yet to sign contracts beyond 2020. AP

LEWIS HAMILTON is flattered by praises from Ferrari. AP

GIANNIS’S DOUBLE-DOUBLE RUN ENDS M

ILWAUKEE—Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn’t keep his double-double streak going, though it’s hard even for the NBA’s MVP to put up big numbers in only 20 minutes.

Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, but his streak ended at 19 games when he grabbed nine rebounds in his shortest outing of the season, and the Milwaukee Bucks coasted to a 137-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.

Milwaukee (17-3) won its 11th straight and matched its highest point total of the season. The Bucks held a 17-point halftime lead and extended it to 101-75 entering the fourth quarter, allowing Antetokounmpo to sit out the final period.

His streak of double-doubles to open a season left him short of Bill Walton’s record of 34 with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1976-77. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 29 for the Los

Angeles Lakers in 1975-76.

“I should have left him in,” Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer said with a wry smile. “He’s doing amazing things and there’s more to come. We’re trying to have conversations with him about being healthy and fresh and how important that is. Pretty incredible if you’re being mentioned with the greats of our game.

“Pat Connaughton [team-high 10 rebounds] probably stole it. He steals all the rebounds.”

Antetokounmpo wasn’t worried about the end of his run.

“That is not how I am built,” Antetokounmpo said. “I am not built around stats. Obviously, I am just here to win.”

The Bucks put nine players in double figures and finished November with a franchise-best 15-1 record, losing only on

a buzzer-beating shot in Utah on November 8. The 41-point margin was the team’s largest of the season.

Milwaukee has the league’s second-best record, behind the Los Angeles Lakers (17-2).

Hornets veteran forward Marvin Williams said Antetokounmpo’s dominating play was no surprise.

“He’s so competitive, always wants to win,” Williams said. “I feel he always wants to play the right way. I’ve always been a fan of his.

“I don’t feel like he did anything different than he normally does. He plays with such aggression on both ends of the floor. He attacked the basket and made plays for himself. Then when it wasn’t there he kicked it out to his shooters.”

Robin Lopez, starting at center in place of brother Brook,

sparked the Bucks with three 3-pointers and 13 points in 16 first-half minutes and wound up playing 24 minutes. Robin was in the starting lineup with Brook sidelined by back soreness.

“It was so cool to see him start the game that well and it just gave us a huge boost,” Budenholzer said. “Brook is such a big part of what we do and to have Robin step in and make those, it was really important to us. And it feels like it’s been coming.”

Robin Lopez ended 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and improved to 11 of 32 from three-point range (34.3 percent), putting him ahead of his brother’s percentage (28.9 percent on 97 attempts) this season.

“Numbers speak for themselves, right,” Robin Lopez said of his newfound three-point prowess. “We got a lot of motion. We did a great job moving the ball, moving without the ball.” AP

God, You come to rule the Earth in justice

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EAR God, we praise You for Your boundless grandeur and pray: Make us mindful of Your goodness and love, oh God. Deepen Your Church’s understanding of truth and fidelity to the word we have received. Inspire those who are preparing for baptism and confirmation, and grant them holy perseverance. Help us to reach out to those who feel alienated from the Church or unable to worship with their faith. May the peace of Christ reign in our hearts and minds, now and always.

Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

THE Mitch Desunia Spring/Summer 2020 Collection highlighting inabel luxe.

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Mitch Desunia is ready for the mainstream

S

LOWLY but resolutely and steadily, designer Mitch Desunia quietly toiled on her craft, away from the social whirl of the fashion world.

From making paper dolls to honing sewing skills handed down by her seamstress mother to repurposing pre-loved clothes to setting up her own shop, Mitch has ran the gamut of struggles of a creative talent.

“It wasn’t easy. It was like a rough road that never ends. But through hard work and perseverance, I was able to establish a small dress shop in Las Piñas in 2009, three years after I left our town in Sorsogon.

Business was sometimes up and sometimes down. It was harder than I thought it would be,” Mitch shared.

“I experienced going to Divisoria soaking wet in the rain, I experienced being bashed and humiliated, I experienced not having enough money for dinner. I cried a lot that I almost gave up,” she recalled. “But there’s this voice in my mind that tells me, ‘You cannot go back to Sorsogon a loser! You have to stand up and finish what you started!”’

All Mitch could do was pray to God, call on all the saints and implore the universe for guidance. The response was overwhelming: “2016 was the breakthrough in my career. It was the year I first joined a show during London Fashion Week, at House of Ikons, a designer platform for creative people across the globe.”

With a renewed confidence in herself, Mitch enrolled at the University of the Arts London-Central Saint Martins to further enhance her design skills. She took up Fashion and Textile Forecasting.

“I didn’t realize at that time that this course was about to prepare me for something bigger: creating an RTW line. A year after, in the summer of 2017, I was able to launch Mode, an RTW high-street clothing brand for kids, men and women. This brand

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AND THEN SOME: A PROPER SUNNIES FACE REVIEW, FINALLY D4

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Mitch Desunia is ready for the mainstream CONTINUED FROM D1 is now available at select Finds Finds at Vista Malls nationwide. In the later part of 2017, I introduced Mode in the UK market,� Mitch, 40, revealed.

In 2018, she established IDO Manila, an RTW line of occasion dresses for women available at select Robinsons department stores nationwide.

This year, she launched Desunia Beauty Essentials, a health and beauty line, and the luxury label, Mitch Desunia London, which is about highend clothes, shoes, bags, scents and accessories for both men and women.

The Mitch Desunia label was also able to license Mode UK. After her international debut in London, Mitch participated in group shows in Milan and Paris over the years.

She also did a show at Cannes. In 2012, indie actress Mercedes Cabral wore a Mitch Desunia black gown during the awards night of the Venice Film Festival, where Thy Womb, her film with superstar Nora Aunor was screened.

But the need and necessity to show in her own country became too compelling for Mitch. So she conceptualized “Entwined,� her Spring/Summer 2020 Collection. It’s her brand’s formal introduction to the local market.

Entwined is about giving a special spotlight on inabel, which Mitch personally adores: “It’s a method of handweaving that produces a fabric that I can consider next to a Chanel tweed. I have this strong collaboration with the weavers in Ilocos Sur, and we’re working nonstop in improving inabel in many ways. I love working with them. To mark the luxury in style, I created Cars X Couture as the concept of my solo show, where luxury cars and luxury fashion

are presented on the catwalk.�

The driveway of Palazzo Verde in Las PiĂąas also served as the runway as posh vehicles and inabel weaves took center stage on November 22. “Fashion is for everyone. Fashion is not supposed to be selective, and fashion has to respect all sizes, shapes and colors. The Mitch Desunia brand is proud to say that we love all men and women. We embrace all sizes, shapes and colors,â€? she enthused.

Philanthropy was also the purpose of the event. As the current president of the Rotary Club of Makati Southeast, Mitch is implementing three signature projects: Operation Braveheart, giving free minimally invasive heart surgery for kids with an open hole in the heart (patent doctus arteriosus) and a hole in the heart arteries (atrial septal defect); Bahay at Yaman, where they provide livestock production to produce food for their adopted street children in Bulacan; and Project Inabel, for the indigenous weavers in Sabangan, Santiago, Ilocos Sur. What excites Mitch nowadays— and makes her anxious, as well—are the frenzied preparations for her show at the House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, arranged for her by Marie Fairbank, the doyenne of Fil-Brits in London. “On February 21, 2020, there will be another milestone for the brand. For the first time, we are going to have our first solo international show. I am still in awe at the moment. I didn’t really expect it’s going to happen but everything is in place,â€? a grateful Mitch said. “I will present at least 38 pieces for Autumn/ Winter 2020, which also includes children’s and teens’ wear. I am happy that right now, we are becoming a better version of our brand each day.â€? â–

H&M tests renting clothes to address environment concern BYÂ ANTON WILEN Bloomberg HENNES & Mauritz AB (H&M) is testing out a clothing rental service as the fashion industry faces mounting criticism for waste and pollution.

As of Friday, consumers can rent garments for 350 kronor ($37) a week in a refurbished flagship store on the Sergels Torg square in central Stockholm.

The Swedish retailer follows competitors Banana Republic and Urban Outfitters, which both launched similar services earlier this year to tap into a market that reached $1 billion in 2018. Web sites, such as Vinted and Hurr Collective, are expanding in Europe, offering consumers a way to sell or rent used clothes.

H&M’s rental model is limited to a collection of 50 garments offered to members of the company’s loyalty

program. H&M will assess the trial in three months before expanding any further. The shop, which is testing new concepts, will also feature clothing repair services, a coffee shop and a beauty bar. “We have a huge belief in rental, but we still want to test and learn quite a lot and do tweaks and changes,� Daniel Claesson, H&M’s head of business development, said in a presentation at the flagship.

Credit Suisse analyst Simon Irwin said he has doubts about the plan. “I’d be surprised if you can really make it work as a business model,� he said. “I can’t see that the kind of labor cost involved in a rental model at those price points really makes sense.�

The clothing industry has come under increasing scrutiny as it is responsible for as much as 10 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions and consumes more energy than

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Aaron Rodgers, 36; Britney Spears, 38; Monica Seles, 46; Rena Sofer, 51.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Look back at the changes you have made, and you’ll recognize similar situations unfolding this year. Use experience and intelligence to ensure that you don’t miss out on something you want. Keep your emotions tucked away in a safe place to avoid letting how you feel influence how you move forward. Make each move count. Your lucky numbers are 8, 13, 20, 29, 36, 42, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Align yourself with people trying to accomplish the same thing as you are. Ramp up your energy level, and push for the lifestyle changes you want to implement. An encouraging word will help bring you closer to someone you love. ★★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you’re going to make a change, do so silently. Someone will stand in your way if you are too vocal about your plans. Explore the outcome before asking others to enjoy what you have to offer. ★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Look at your objective, and consider the best way to reach your goal. Refuse to let your emotions take over, causing unnecessary mistakes. Stay focused on what is important to you. A manipulative situation will lead to unanticipated results. ★★★★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Weigh in regarding the importance of something you want to do versus how someone you care about will feel about your actions. It’s essential to have the support of loved ones before you take action.

Romance is in the stars. ★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): An unusual situation at home or work will make you rethink your next move. Don’t make a change that isn’t necessary, or it may end up costing you emotionally, as well as financially. ★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Mingle, ask questions and get involved in events that interest you. Learn all you can, and it will be easier to make positive changes that will encourage a better life. Personal improvements and romance should be your top priorities. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Getting a unique perspective on a situation you face will help you sort through the ups and downs of making a change. Reconnecting with someone from your past is best left alone. ★★★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Get out and discover what life has to offer. Engage in talks with someone who has more experience than you. Use your charm to get your way, but don’t make promises you cannot keep. ★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take a serious approach to money, legal and health matters. Look for the best way to move forward without jeopardizing your position, reputation or future.

Surround yourself with people who share your values, as well as your direction. ★★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You can resolve issues if you are willing to compromise.

A change you make will end up putting you in a better position. Your ability to listen, make adjustments and carry on will help you gain support. ★★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep your thoughts to yourself. Someone will use emotional manipulation to persuade you to make a personal change. When in doubt, sit tight and don’t jeopardize your financial security or your reputation. Impulsive decisions will be your downfall. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t mix money and emotions. If you want to make a deal, do so without strings attached. Someone will be impressed with your integrity and desire to do what’s right. A proposal offered will be worth considering. Update your appearance. ★★★

aviation and shipping combined, according to the United Nations. By 2040, H&M intends to reach the point

that its greenhouse-gas emissions go negative, meaning that it would offset more than it produces.

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are free-spirited, innovative and flexible.

You are ambitious and thoughtful.

‘bp’ BY STU OCKMAN

The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg ACROSS 1 Inseparable buds 5 Cabo’s peninsula 9 Opinion pieces 14 Gwen’s role in Damn Yankees 15 Sulfur has a strong one 16 Tennis star Sharapova 17 LSD 18 Suds evaluation?

20 In a magnificent way 22 Double ___ (moles) 23 “Get outta here!� PC key 24 Center of a storm 25 MBA holder, e.g.

26 Rainbow Falls’ Hawaiian town 28 Before, in an ode 29 Possessed 32 All the same 35 V-formation fliers 37 19th hole?

39 British John 40 Lead the way 41 Gibson ___ Paul guitar 42 Toothpaste form, often

43 44 46 47 50 53 55 57 58 59 60 61 62 63

British johns New Balance competitor Laila or Muhammad Vietnamese holiday Back from the office War fare?

Well-being of a rude person?

Pianist Hess “Pretty please?�

Rebel Alliance princess It can be ajar Very expensive Hammer end Hamburger parts, or this puzzle’s theme?

DOWN 1 World-weary 2 Tune out distractions 3 They take stands at meetings 4 “Smooth Operator� singer 5 Boston Bruins legend 6 “Rumour Has It� singer 7 Baby in a pouch 8 “Don’t touch my treasure!�

9 10 11 12 13 19 21 25 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 38 42 44 45 46 48

Last Greek letter Did some roadwork Brockovich played by Julia Roberts Nutritionist’s regimen “Old� sayings Not seen every day Put your trust in Say hi to, say Type of desk for visitors, briefly I Love Lucy neighbor Common toast Part of NAACP: Abbr.

Ownership record Cain’s victim Tall ___ (yarn) In the Black, or in the Red? Tackle something with vigor Cologne coin Dirty Harry’s surname ___ club (singing group) Metaphorical cup of tea Beatnik’s “Got it!�

Bandleader Shaw Energy company in a 2001 scandal

49 50 51 52 53 54 56

Ivan the Terrible and others Basic concepts Perfectly Sharpen, as skills Kandinsky colleague Site for film buffs Austrian peak

Solution to Friday’s puzzle:

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Show BusinessMirror

Monday, December 2, 2019

Tex Ordoñez makes rare appearance in ‘Lam-Ang’

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T was in 2003 when Tex Ordoñez rocked the musical theater circuit with her amazing performance and unique gift of vocals in the Philippine production of Dreamgirls, produced by Atlantis Entertainment and directed by Bobby Garcia.

Ordoñez wowed both the crowds and the hard-to-please critics when she breathed life into Lorrell Robinson, one of the three lead characters of this hit Broadway musical created by composer Henry Krieger and librettist Tom Eyen.

Every one who came to witness her brilliant performance in Dreamgirls were asking the same questions to the top honchos of Atlantis: “Who is she?” and “Where on Earth did you find this amazing lady?”

Offers started to pour in for this new discovery after Dreamgirls. Ordoñez became a sought-after guest for shows that featured great musical artists, and she even recorded the theme song of the movie Mano Po, a duet with Gary Valenciano.

But musical theater remained her real love because it was in theater where she first found her true passion. A former resident actor of Tanghalang Pilipino, Ordoñez was the toast of productions like Paglayang Minamahal, Luna and Carmen.

Her one-woman act in One Hundred Songs of Mary Fee gave her recognition. Her role as Valentina in Ballet Philippines’s production of Darna also sealed her A-list status as a live performance artist, and she sang the heartbreak song “Nasaan Ka,” composed by Jesse Lucas from the lyrics of Chris Millado, has become a modern day masterpiece.

In the middle of all these big and small victories, Ordoñez found love, the same love that broke her young vulnerable heart. Listening to the dictates of her head, she grabbed an offer to fly away and joined the opening cast of Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005. Her talent continued to earn accolades and she bagged the lead role in the musical Around the World in 80 Days, her first international production.

The love that made her a stronger woman also gave her the most precious gift she has ever received: her daughter Lian. And just like some of the world’s most beautiful love stories, Ordoñez rediscovered love with the same man, falling in love all over again.

She took a few steps back, shying away from the performance stage and saying no to the most wonderful offers because she decided to prioritize her family. But just like any seasoned pro, when the right time came and the lure of theater beckoned, she took small steps to go back to the place where she feels happiest as an artist—the stage.

In 2011, Ordoñez said yes to an invitation by Atlantis to be part of the cast of In The Heights, and as expected, she shone in her role as Daniela, the salon owner whose life is as colorful as the gossips that came out of that beauty parlor.

Last year, she had a memorable stint with Tanghalang Pilipino’s Baka Naman Hindi, the local adaptation of Georges Feydeau’s classic farce, A Flea in The Ear. And before this year ends, Ordoñez makes a rare appearance as Baglan in Lam-Ang, with Marco Viaña and Fritz Bitana sharing the director’s chair, and music by Jen Torres from the new book of Eljay Deldoc.

“I’m just happy I am able to balance my roles as a wife [to her doctor-husband], a mother and an artist. Many have been asking me if I regret the years that I chose to stay away from the limelight. I always tell them, ‘No, I don’t.’ Musical theater will always be there with materials old and new to showcase and share. I believe in timing. I believe in destiny. I believe that life gives us many chances—to bounce back, to recharge, to do what makes us happy. Everything in life is a decision. Love is a decision. And so is happiness.”

Lam-Ang: An Ethno-Epic Musical will have 13 shows from December 6 to 15 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. n

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PHOTOS: @SUNNIESFACE ON INSTAGRAM

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A proper Sunnies Face review, finally

I

HAVE never properly written about Sunnies Face without some sort of apology but I will do so now, without apologies or regrets.

I was invited to the launch of Fluffmatte, Sunnies Face’s first line of products, because I knew two of the lovely ladies who worked there.

Vani Vergara and Gaby Azarcon had previously worked for another makeup brand and were on the team that launched Sunnies Face.

A confession: I did not like the Fluffmatte at first. That’s because I tried Baked and Vacay first, and I think these colors don’t really suit me.

It was when I first used Major that I changed my mind. Major is an iconic red. It’s an in-your-face red that you can wear to the office or school.

Another color that I like from the Fluffmatte line is Mood, a mauve taupe that I like to apply with my fingers like a stain. If you wear Mood full on, it fades nicely and leaves a stain.

Then, there is Nudist, a warm almond nude that is almost gray but somehow works on me. I hardly ever wore nudes in the past, but Maine Mendoza’s @mainedcm lipstick for MAC Cosmetics changed that. Anyway, Nudist is beautiful worn alone or with Milkshake, a warm pink nude. I also like 143 (berry rose). Just in case you’re wondering, the best-selling Fluffmate shade is Girl Crush, a warm pink nude.

What I love about Fluffmatte is the range of colors. It’s texture and finish are very modern and when you wear them, even the brown ones from the Nude-ish collection, you don’t look like you’re in the 1990s. The packaging, both

the holiday iced crystal one from 2018 and the original cream-colored one, is hefty and doesn’t feel or look cheap.

If there are two things I don’t like about Sunnies Face Fluffmatte, these would be the texture (which is “siliconey”), and the fact that they are drying on me. They’re not drying to the point that my lips feel like they’ve been stretched, but they’re drying nevertheless. As for the texture, I now pat it down with a tissue or just apply with my pinky finger.

But if there are two products from Sunnies Face that I like and have purchased, despite the brand sending me press samples, it’s the Lifebrow Grooming Gel and Lip Dip. I use the Grooming Gel as my sole product when my brows are freshly groomed and I don’t need to draw them in. Aside from the lovely tiny wand that deposits just the right amount of product, the gel lasts forever. It can withstand sweat and rain. It’s so long-lasting, you need an oil remover to take it all off. I am not a fan of the brand’s thin brow pencil, but the brow gel is genius.

Lip Dip, which comes in 10 shades, is a mousse. I used to have a love-hate relationship with it because it wouldn’t cover the darkness of my lips until I realized that it’s for a blurred lip look, not full opacity. I like how the color of the Lip Dip is also the color of the tube, which makes it easy for women like me who have tons of lipstick to easily choose their lip shade every day. Lip Dip is supposed to be moisturizing but it’s not on me, although my friends insist it does.

So my favorite Lip Dip shades are Posh (rose mauve), Coco (toasted chestnut), Terracotta (ginger nude), So Good (brick rose) and Femmebot (mauve pink).

So would I buy Sunnies Face again? I will, most probably as gifts to family members and friends who live abroad because they always ask for it. I have bought makeup from companies who have done worse than the owners of Sunnies Face. I am not their apologist.

I am a consumer and makeup enthusiast who supports local. n

Winning the battle against acne Dermatologist-developed and scientifically proven, Proactiv+ is touted as a “3-Step Clear Skin System” with a new salicylic acid-based formulation.

Once it penetrates the skin, salicylic acid dissolves skin debris that clogs pores, acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps red inflamed pimples go away faster. Salicylic acid also loosens and breaks apart the outer layer of the skin, thereby encouraging exfoliation of the skin and unclogging of the pores.

Kendall Jenner, an American model and media personality, swears by Proactiv, the product that helped her overcome her acne problem. She adds that it was the American formula of Proactiv that helped her solve her acne issues. Consumers should check the formula that is available in your country, and the Proactiv formula in the Philippines contains salicylic acid (www. facebook.com/ProactivPhilippines).

Proactiv+ is a dermatologist-developed solution for all skin problems simplified into three steps to help control and balance oil skin, reduce visible pore size, and make skin smoother and brighter. The Proactiv+ system starts with a Skin Smoothing Exfoliator, while the second step involves the Pore Targeting Treatment, which stops the acne at the source.

For the holiday season, the Proactiv+ 3-Step Clear Skin Kit is on exclusive offer for a limited time at all Watsons and SM Department stores at a 20-percent discount.

BusinessMirror

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Monday, December 2, 2019 E1

Superstar firms are running away with the global economy

By Matej Bajgar, Sara Calligaris, Chiara Criscuolo, Luca Marcolin & Jonathan Timmis

I

In two new studies, we find signs of a weakening competitive environment for a large number of countries using two distinct measures: firm markups and industry concentration. These studies suggest that the trends first observed in the US are part of a broader phenomenon, likely caused by factors that are common to many developed economies.

One candidate is merger and acquisition activity, which has reached record highs in recent years. Our preliminary results indicate that some M&As, especially large ones, are correlated with increases in industry concentration measures.

Another candidate is the rise of “superstar” firms—a minority of firms that are more innovative, productive

and profitable than the others. This view is supported by the data: In line with other papers, we find that large firms in the concentrating industries display a faster, not slower, productivity growth compared with large firms in industries where concentration is stable or decreasing.

Superstar firms are often big investors in intangible assets—such as advertising, training, management R&D and data.

Indeed, we find that firms operating in industries with more intangible assets tend to have higher markups, once the role of other firm and industry features in shaping markups is taken into account.

Finally, digital technologies may be the elephant in room, though their influence

HBR.ORG

magine a dynamic economy. Businesses compete for customers under the constant threat of new competitors entering the market. If firms want to survive, they need to constantly innovate and upgrade the quality of their products while keeping their prices low.

Resources keep flowing to the firms that use them best. We seem to be drifting away from this ideal.

remains hard to pin down. They determine the become the superstars. But they also present challenges to researchers trying to measure them.

The jury is still out on the relative importance of M&As, intangibles and

digitization, together with other factors, such as anticompetitive regulations. For firms, however, the message is clear: This is a superstars’ economy, and the scope for being average is becoming increasingly narrow.

How marketers can overcome short-termism

By Christine Moorman & Lauren Kirby

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arketing is all about strategy—or is it? To find out, the August 2019 CMO Survey asked US marketing leaders: “How much time do you spend managing the present versus preparing for the future of marketing in your company?” Overall, 341 leaders responded by reporting they spend 68.5 percent of their time “managing the present” and only 31.5 percent of their time “preparing for the future.” This finding holds across company size, sector and industry. We’ve identified four drivers causing marketers to focus on the present at the expense of the future:

1

Pressure for short-term earnings:

Marketing’s role is often viewed as

a lever for driving short-term sales instead of long-term growth.

2Too few strategic roles:

Marketers are often assigned only tactical roles, such as managing social media or promotions.

3

Role ambiguity: Marketers may fo-

cus on immediate priorities to make quick wins and protect what they can control.

4Compensation structure:

Short-term success can lead to performance bonuses; long term strategic objectives can help build equity in the firm.

So, what should you do if your marketing organization is caught up in the chaotic whirlwind of the present?

Adopting a future focus

n Fund marketing for the long term: Building growth takes sustained investment. n Demonstrate the impact of marketing: The more marketers can demonstrate their impact, the more likely they are to receive additional resources to promote strategic planning. n Don’t compete on price—build value: A buoyant economy can create such a shift as customers worry less about debt and more about quality.

It’s human nature to focus on easy tasks that keep business humming, but over time this short-term mind-set delivers diminishing results. Marketing can lead into the future with the right support and right focus.

n Allocate time every week to think long term: Strategic planning should not be something that happens once a year. n Invest in marketing capabilities: Organizational-level knowledge and skills embedded in key processes are engines that drive success. n Drive decisions from data: Marketers report using marketing analytics to make decisions only 39.3 percent of the time. This is too low. n Focus on growth: Marketers should be encouraged by senior leadership to take calculated risks that align with corporate growth. n Deepen cross-functional ties: When marketing partners with R&D, digital, technology, operations and finance, its sights are set on critical firm-level outcomes.

Scott Edinger is the founder of Edinger Consulting Group.

Michael G. Jacobides is a professor of strategy at London Business School.

n Focus on creating an exceptional experience: The sales experience is a

© 2019 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. (Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate)

vital differentiator when customers evaluate their options.

n Focus on the sales process: If you want to create a process that will help your sellers sell, match it to how buyers buy. In each phase of the sales process, there are a few key actions that influence whether an opportunity will progress to the next stage.

Baramee Thaweesombat | Dreamstime.com

I

B

By Michael G. Jacobides

n Focus on coaching: Leaders can provide good models of what to do, followed by practice, clear feedback on specific skill improvements and follow-up to incorporate feedback into performance—not just once, but over and over again as a skill set is honed to proficiency and then mastered.

As a leader, you have the greatest influence on the stress levels of your team.

Pressure may create diamonds out of coal, but you are working with people.

3 ways to motivate your sales team—without stressing them out t ’s w idely accepted that if you are in sales, you will have a quota.

Achieve your quota, good job. Miss your quota, bad job. Miss your quota by a lot or miss it multiple times: no job. This creates stress for individual sellers and the sales organization as a whole.

While it is the sales team’s job to bring in business, simply cranking up the heat to get the numbers you want can backfire. Too much stress in any professional situation will mask talent and lead to poor decision-making.

Stress does help us get the job done, but only to a point. Too little stress, and you’re in the weak performance zone; too much anxiety and performance is impaired. In the middle, an optimal level of stress produces what we’d call peak performance. The technical term for that zone is eustress, which is exactly where leaders should set the pressure to create optimal results.

Leaders can maximize performance by engaging with sellers in these three areas:

The Delicate Balance of Making an Ecosystem Strategy Work usiness ecosystems are becoming all the rage.

To execute an ecosystem strategy, you must understand how to make an ecosystem work. This means not only offering a seamless value proposition but also doing the hard work of brokering attractive partnership arrangements and ensuring value capture. These two seemingly opposed yet interlinked forces form the yin and yang of ecosystem success.

All successful ecosystems have a strong yang—a value proposition that rests on seamlessly integrating various services for a customer. Consider Tencent, whose WeChat platform bridges the gap between Chinese mobile subscribers’ lives and their activities, from social media to payments. In Europe, Tencent built WeChatGo, which provides a prepaid SIM card that saves Chinese customers from costly roaming charges—but also offers an interface connecting Chinese tourists to local shops, museums and attractions. It offers them discounts in the app and delivers a seamless and intuitive experience.

Underpinning this simplicity for the customer lies a less visible but critically important challenge of careful strategic planning: the ecosystems’ yin. This refers to building the intricate, strategically calculated web of relationships that make an ecosystem work. When Tencent set up WeChatGo in Europe, it contracted with KPN, the Dutch telco operator, to obtain European SIMs with prepaid airtime that Tencent could send to Chinese tourists before they even stepped on a plane. Then, Tencent built an entire platform around KPN, hammering out deals with European retailers and attractions to make their offering truly valuable—both to Chinese tourists and those who wished to serve them.

Of course, companies can’t just build a system that benefits customers and aligns with partners. The orchestrator must also derive some value, sooner or later. Some ecosystems generate cash. Others rely on building future success by increasing customer stickiness, facilitating growth or heightening excitement for the customer. Ultimately, all ecosystems need to create some tangible value for the orchestrator.

As the world of ecosystems matures, we will see both impressive success stories and spectacular failures. Successful ecosystem strategy means shaping a yin that matches your yang.

Christine Moorman is a professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where Lauren Kirby is a second-year MBA student.

By Scott Edinger

Matej Bajgar, Sara Calligaris, Chiara Criscuolo and Luca Marcolin are economists at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Jonathan Timmis is an economist at the International Finance Corp.—World Bank Group.

Education BusinessMirror

E2 Monday, December 2, 2019

Mayor Isko, other LGUs partner with Benilde for ‘bayanihan’ project

M

ayor of Manila City Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano and the chairmen of the various local government units (LGUs) recently partnered with the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde as the academic institution renewed its Kapitbahayan partnership with 24 neighboring barangays and 18 nongovernment organizations through a three-year memorandum of agreement.

Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso

Sp e a rhe ade d b y B e n i lde’s Center for Social Action, the collaboration was sealed through a signing ceremony held at the college’s Augusto-Rosario Gonzalez Theater.

In his key note address, Domagoso emphasized the vital contribution of each party in addressing crucial concerns.

He encouraged the participating agencies to assist and support Benilde in its pursuit to retain the cleanliness and orderliness of the shared area.

He, likewise, sought the cooperation of both the private and public sectors as his team works toward the betterment of the city and reaches out to vulnerable groups, such as senior citizens and street children.

Through the reaffirmation of the Kapitbahayan partnership, which is akin to the concept of bayanihan, or volunteerism, the college continues to move forward with its common goals in maintaining a safe and responsive environment for all.

Benilde serves the marginalized sectors through skills-based capacity-building programs, and supports its development and educational activities by opening its spaces for seminars, workshop, meetings and sports events.

The institution also implements the Department of Education Alternative Learning System for the out-of-school youth, and sources potential scholars who can avail themselves of the institution’s several grants for college and certificate courses.

All of its initiatives are made possible through the local districts’ role in facilitating the active involvement of the families and their direct beneficiaries.

Benilde, which has been cooperating with its first partner neighbor ing barangay for 10 years, started Kapitbahayan program with the Alternative Learning System. The fruitful camaraderie through shared advocacies inspired the college to extend their reach to the cities of Manila and Pasay.

Pitogo HS hailed best team anew in robotics; CalNatSci, Malabon NHS form best alliance

Three-peat for Pitogo High School which secured the Best Team Award for the third time in the Tagisang Robotics Competition organized by DOST-SEI. Dr. Ruby Cristobal (left, front row), DOST-SEI division chief, joins the students.

P

itogo High School (HS) once again dominated the field with its do-it-all robot to secure the best win-drawloss record at the end of eliminations and be crowned as the Best Team in the recently concluded 2019 Tagisang Robotics: Design, Build and Play Competition held recently at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

At the same time, the duo of Malabon National High School (NHS) and Caloocan National Science and Technology High School (CalNatSci) emerged as the Best Alliance.

Pitogo HS, which won as Best Rookie Team and Best Team in 2013, and again as Best Team in 2014, showed no rust and proved among the 16 school teams that they are still the team-to-beat in the returning robotics competition.

However, they failed to advance to the final round where the fourth ranked alliance

of Malabon NHS and CalNatSci shocked the top 3 pairings to emerge as victors.

Pitogo HS “Thunderbots” is composed of students Luke Alexander Pons, Nathaniel Macato, Jamella Marisse Ragasa and Althea Maratas. As Best Team, they bagged P100,000 cash prize and a trophy.

Winners of the Best Alliance Award brought home P150,000. They are CalNatSci students Lance Chrysler de Jesus, Andrei Rouiz Pascual, Danna Mae Ermino and Louise Gwen Pascual; and Malabon NHS students John Adrian Cruz, Ana Jireh Mabulac, Lee Ann Domingo and Wendell Cabuello.

Pitogo HS Coach, Florante Ferrer, also won P30,000 while the winning alliance coaches, CalNatSci Coach Rex Mendel Capili and Malabon NHS Coach Franco Mendoza Jr., got P15,000 each.

The top 4 teams after eliminations,

The robot of Pitogo HS attempts a shot in one of its wins, making the school to be hailed as the Best Team in the 2019 Tagisang Robotics.

The duo of Malabon National High School and Caloocan National Science and Technology High School emerge as the Best Alliance after the best-to-two final round against the pair of Makati Science HS and Valenzuela School of Math and Science.

namely, Pitogo HS, Rizal HS, Makati HS, Malabon NHS, were rewarded with the chance to pick their alliance member from schools ranked five to 16.

During the draft, the teams chose Rizal NHS, Sen. Renato “Compañero” Cayetano Memorial Science and Technology HS, Valenzuela School of Math and Science, and CalNatSci, respectively.

The four alliances battled in the semifinals to gain the two slots in the bestto-two finals.

This year’s Tagisang Robotics, which returned after its last buzzer sounded in 2014, featured a new game inspired by basketball.

The Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) brought back the program to strengthen its promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, especially as the need for robotics skills are advantageous in many industries.

“We’re very glad with how this activity came back as the challenges are more complicated than in the previous years. We felt like it’s high time for us to bring back this competition given that we are facing many changes in our industries. We don’t want our students unprepared and unfit when they enter the work force,” DOSTSEI Director Dr. Josette T. Biyo remarked.

Biyo said the investments that DOSTSEI made for the kits, trainings and others will prove worthy when the students pick STEM courses in college and eventually careers in the same fields.

“We’re striving to develop a strong pool of STEM professionals because that’s our weapon toward development. We need highly trained people in our current industries and we need people to develop new industries, and we believe we’re doing the right step through this competition,” Biyo disclosed.

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Number of Filipinos studying in US increases for 3rd year

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or the third straight year, the number of Filipinos st udy i ng i n t he Un ited States increased, according to an annual survey of international exchange activity in the US. Based on Open Doors data released this November, 3,320 Filipino students enrolled in US universities this past year. This is a 2.9-percent increase from 3,225 in 2018.

“We are delighted to see continued strong growth in educational exchange between the United States and the Philippines, and hope it will continue.

Our countries share deep historical and cultural ties, and the Philippines is brimming with talent and opportunity. The US higher education system, with its unmatched quality and range of options, is a natural fit for Filipinos seeking an international education, and we are ready to welcome the next generation of Filipino leaders,” said US Embassy in the Philippines Cultural Affairs Counselor Matt Keener.

To learn more, prospective students can contact EducationUSA,

the US government’s official resource for students interested in pursuing higher education opportunities in the US. EducationUSA provides free adv ising ser v ices to prospective international students in more than 170 countries, and of fers student resources and tools to navigate the five steps to US study: researching schools, identifying financing, completing the application, obtaining a student visa and preparing for departure.

There are more than 4,500 accredited higher education institutions in the US and an EducationUSA adviser can help students define their priorities in order to narrow their options and plan their college careers. EducationUSA does not offer scholarships, but can assist students in identifying scholarship and financial assistance opportunities.

More information about EducationUSA is on Facebook at www. facebook.com/educationusa.philippines, on Instagram at @educationusa.philippines and on Twitter at @EducationUSA _PH.

Muntinlupa schoolkids elected for interim posts

By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik Contributor

T

he local government of Muntinlupa City enjoined 248 schoolchildren in the city for an immersion program that highlighted their participation in local governance in order to help develop the youth’s leadership potential.

Through the Youth Affairs and Sports Development Office (Yasdo), elementary and high-schoolstudent leaders had their firsthand experience working in public affairs and administration during the recent Boys and Girls Week (BGW) celebration, as part of this year’s National Children’s Month.

During the launch of BGW at the City Hall’s quadrangle, Mayor Jaime Fresnedi greeted them as they accepted leadership roles.

He l auded a nd c ha l lenged schoolchildren to inspire other Muntinlupeños to become responsible youth of the city.

As part of BGW, an election of Little Officials was held, where they were assigned in various local government posts, from congressman to councilors and other officials, during the three-day immersion program from November 25 to 28.

Elected for congressional posts were: Danielle Reign Cruz (Maria Ferrari School), Rona Joy To-

monong (Muntinlupa National High School-Main), Jhoehannah Lumaban (Bayanan Elementary School-Main) and Rohn Nathaniel Pacoma (Sucat Elementary School Zone 4).

Little mayors were Anika Quilay (F. de Mesa Elementary School), Xylia Haidee Banaag (Bayanan Elementary School-Unit 1), Aira Nes Carinan (Muntinlupa Institute of Technology) and Archie Lanopa (Muntinlupa National High School-Tunasan Annex).

The student leaders were divided into four clusters and participated in a half-day immersion, followed by a city tour in Muntinlupa’s historical sites and other state facilities. The four little representatives of the city’s four districts attended the House Committee on Metro Manila Development meeting at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City, with the company of Rep. Ruffy Biazon.

The city government of Muntinlupa prioritizes youth development programs and continues to beef up initiatives, such as scholarships, sports and art programs.

The elected little public servants will soon take part in other activities prepared by Yasdo to give them an opportunity to learn and observe transparency, leadership, public service and inspire others to become responsible citizens of Muntinlupa.

Grand slam national champion Santiago City National High School Principal Eloisa Dizon (inset) holds the plaques for the 2019 Most Sustainable Eco-Friendly School, Green Leadership Award National Champion and Nestle Water Leadership Award, with a check of P50,000 from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Dizon expressed gratitude to all stakeholders who extended support to the school’s pro-environment endeavor. Ceasar M. Perante

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Going beyond grammar in your PR writing

By Millie F. Dizon

Technology: Lenovo Unveils the New ThinkBook 14 and 15 for Modern Professionals, Celebrating Business with Style

Global innovation and technology leader Lenovo launches the ThinkBook 14 and ThinkBook 15 laptops in the Philippines specifically for today’s young and digitally inclined professionals who seek the perfect balance between highend specifications and premium aesthetics in work devices.

According to a recent study commissioned by Lenovo and conducted by Forrester Consulting on workplace transformation, today’s millennials and Gen Z workers largely consider the appearance and material of work laptops as features they value most.

Moreover, it was revealed that they desire devices that complement their personality

and offer smartphone-like experiences.

With the two age groups now making up nearly 60 percent of the new work force, Lenovo developed the ThinkBook to include in-demand features such as the collaboration tools required to remain agile, the durability to handle work on-the-go, enhanced connectivity, AI-based technology and enterprise-level support for greater peace of mind.

“The ThinkBook 14 and 15 combine standout performance and sophisticated design in one neat package. Designed for optimum productivity, these devices are built to keep up with the demands of the modern workplace. With Lenovo, we want you to work smarter—not harder,” said Michael Ngan, general manager, Lenovo Philippines.

The Think brand has been known for their go-to business devices and was traditionally designed for big enterprises.

With the new ThinkBook line, Lenovo is offering small and medium businesses, as well as entrepreneurs a professional level device that is both stylish and powerful.

Both the ThinkBook 14 and ThinkBook 15 offer full HD (1920

Gaudilab | Dreamstime.com

PR Matters

W

hile we have tackled the subject many times, we still get a lot of inquiries from readers on how they can improve their writing.

This highlights the importance of good writing skills in the modern workplace, where these not only improve communication, but can also have an effect on how you are perceived. Most of us send e-mails, compile reports, and write memos—and we need to be able to communicate in a manner that is easily comprehensible and well organized to be understood.

But when the job at hand involves writing—as in the case of PR and communications related professionals—then your literacy skills are clearly going to be important.

Poor writing skills, especially where communication with management is concerned—can be a red flag that the employee is not suited to more senior positions. Employees with excellent writing skills, on the other hand, are generally viewed as being a hot commodity.

Here’s how to stand out.

For this, we turn to an expert, Andrew Hindes, who writes on How to Stand Out: 7 Elements to Include to Improve Your PR Writing in prnewsonline.com.

Hindes is the president of the Los Angeles-based PR and marketing copywriting firm, The In-House Writer. He is also a sought- after PR writing coach and corporate trainer.

In his work as a PR instructor, Hindes strives “to help clients write effectively— just not correctly.” While we can all agree on the value of weeding out typos and adhering to stylistic conventions, in today’s crowded media environment, simply avoiding grammatical mistakes isn’t enough to make your PR content stand out.

Here, he shares with us seven essential elements of good PR writing “that will help make your press materials clearer, more concise, and more compelling to journalists and other readers.”

1Planning.

Like in all other things, planning is essential in working out PR materials.

“Before you start writing, know your objectives,” says Hindes, adding, “who your target audience is and what type of outlets you’ll be pitching.”

2

Storytelling. It has been said

3

Empathy.

that good stories happen to those who can tell them.

Hindes believes that, “honing your storytelling chops will make whatever you’re writing— whether it’s a corporate profile, a press release, or a Facebook update—more engaging.”

Sad to say, some PR practitioners simply like to plan campaigns related to their own limited experiences.

Or they simply apply a what can be considered a textbook formula that’s been done to

x 1080) resolution anti-glare IPS panels, with the screens bendable up to 180°, making it easy to collaborate and share. They come with narrow bezels, promising a screen-to-body ratio of 80 percent and up, leaving plenty of room for work which means less distractions for the user.

Both devices feature lightningquick processing thanks to their powerful 10th-generation Intel Core processors. According to Intel, these processors boast 2.5x faster AI performance, 3x faster connectivity due to Wi-fi 6 support, and has up to 2x the graphics performance compared to the 8th Gen Intel Core processors. The ThinkBook 14 has an Intel Core i5-10210U processor, while the ThinkBook 15 is equipped with an Intel Core i7-10510U processor.

The devices are further enhanced by their memory and storage, with both coming with 8GB DDR4 memory and 512GB M.2 solid-state drives, allowing for faster loading times. In terms of graphics, the ThinkBook 14 will have Integrated Intel UHD Graphics while the ThinkBook 15 is powered by an AMD Radeon 620 graphics card.

For premium style and

death. Instead, Hindes suggests to “put yourself in the readers’ shoes and focus on their interests and needs rather than yours or your clients.” That’s where the power of empathy comes in.

4Context.

As we all know, nothing exists in a vacuum, and it will be good to “help journalists—and their readers—understand the broader significance of your story, and how it fits into the larger context of your industry, your community or the world.”

5Flow.

“Good writing has a rhythm that carries the reader along a catchy melody,” says Hindes. “Pay attention to the way you transition between ideas, where you put your paragraph breaks and even the sounds of the individual words

appearance, the two devices come with a sleek mineral gray finish made of aluminum. Both laptops are also MIL-SPECtested, making them durable enough to withstand the rigors of everyday business use and other conditions, such as water spills and extreme high or low temperatures.

The ThinkBook 14 and 15 have several preloaded features designed to boost productivity.

With an integrated fingerprint reader on the Smart Power Button, users can log in or boot up instantly just like on a smartphone.

Furthermore, Skype calls can be made or dropped by clicking designated Business Hot Keys.

Both devices also come with an Intel Optane Memory Module, which allows for faster access to frequently used business apps and the Trusted Platform Module, which enables Windows 10 security features and encrypts user data.

Truly meant to support modern workers, both devices are covered

by Lenovo’s comprehensive support portfolio which includes services such as Think Service & Support that provides automatic access to business-grade expertise; Accidental Damage Protection (ADP) support that

and sentences.” As they say, go with the flow.

6Structure.

I remember that when we took tests and submitted papers in our English Literature class, our grade would depend on how we organized our thoughts. No flowery words could save a paper with badly constructed thoughts.

This is also true in today’s modern workplace, where “the way you organize a story— which ideas you present and in what order—can have a major impact on whether a reader hits the ‘delete’ halfway through the first paragraph or reads it all the way till the end.”

7

Accuracy. Have your facts

in check, whether this concerns names, titles, sizes of structures, and many more.

Many major news organizations

covers damages not usually part of standard warranties, such as minor spills, drops, or damages to the screen; and Onsite Next Business Day Support, a support service exclusive to Think devices wherein technical support and expertise will be provided within the next business day on premises.

Both devices will be available in December 2019. For more information, visit Lenovo PH’s web site at https://www. lenovo.com/ph/en or contact the company on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ lenovophilippines/.

Design: UNIQLO Launches New Limited-Edition Collection with Marimekko

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Uniqlo, the Japanese global apparel retailer, announced that it will be launching its second limitededition collection with the Finnish design house Marimekko on November 29. The first collection designed jointly by the two companies was a sensation when introduced in spring last year.

The 2019 Fall/Winter collection celebrates Finnish winter traditions and augments women’s offerings for the first time with

have fact checkers that validate the data submitted to them.

“The best writing in the world won’t matter if you get your facts wrong,” says Hindes.

This is so true in a world where fake news is a major concern.

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdombased International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie F. Dizon, the senior vice president for marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chairman.

We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.

items for girls and babies.

“We are very excited to introduce our second limited, edition collection designed in collaboration with Marimekko, following the success of our 2018 Spring/Summer collection,” said Yuki Katsuta, head of research and development of Uniqlo. “I am also pleased to see Marimekko prints and colors on such Uniqlo LifeWear as Cashmere, Ultra Light Down and HEATTECH for the very first time. What a beautiful way to stay warm in the coming winter months, while celebrating a touch of Finnish tradition.”

“Following the positive reception of our first limitededition collaboration collection with Uniqlo in spring 2018, we are thrilled to collaborate with Uniqlo again for Fall/Winter 2019. The new limited-edition collection features Marimekko’s bold prints and colours in winterly wardrobe essentials for all. We believe that, together with Uniqlo, we have been able to create something truly special for our customers and can’t wait to see this new line bring joy to people’s daily lives around the world,” says Tiina AlahuhtaKasko, President and CEO of Marimekko.

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“DO YOUR JOB WELL AND EXCEL” RAMONCITO ‘CHITO’ OSIAS STA. MARIA

S

By Leony R. Garcia

EEING the value of education, hard work and love for job and excellence, Ramoncito ‘Chito’ Osias Sta. Maria, has become what he wanted to be.

The general manager of the Fe Del Mundo Medical Center (FDMMC) has indeed diligently worked his way to success.

After a short stint as accounting staff, Sta. Maria, embarked on an exciting career as medical representative and rose from the ranks to become district manager, operations manager, marketing director, and vice president-general manager of the various divisions at Unilab,

one of the country’s leading pharmaceutical companies. He was vice president for Professional Relations at the time of his retirement in 2018.

It was a road well travelled, according to him. And if given the chance to relive his life, he said he will still choose to do the sales career path again.

“I wouldn’t trade it for another job. It has given me fulfillment and my family, a good life. It was very enriching and bankable in line of livelihood,” he said.

His secret to success? “Do your job well and excel in you field!”

And now he’s sharing how he did it: “I never stop learning.

In between work, I took time out

to study and go back to school to challenge and innovate myself.

In my life, I have always followed this dictum: Keep on learning and reinventing yourself.”

This double graduate of accountancy and business management from the University of the Philippines (1975) and the University of the East (1978) studied in places where his line of work took him. He had his Ateneo de Davao (MBA) in 1983 and various training Courses from the AIM on Management and Finance from 1999 to 2003. In between, he said, he also took up art classes “to balance my life.”

What made Sta. Maria value education that much? He said he

took inspiration from his middle working class parents. He learned the value of hard work from them.

“My father was a salesman who turned to the police force after his career in sales. My mother worked as a secretary in an advertising firm, got promoted as administrative officer and eventually became the general manager of a multinational trading company based in an export- processing zone,” he said.

“I witnessed first hand how well they raised us, three boys, despite the fact that we did not come from a well to do family. In fact, my mother didn’t stop working until age 71 because her bosses wouldn’t let her go,” he added.

From Unilab to FDMMC

STA. MARIA’S retirement from Unilab somewhat served as a signal for a bigger responsibility to come.

Only four months into his family’s vacation abroad, he said, he got a call from the management of Mount Grace Hospitals to head the famed Fe del Mundo Hospital as its general manager.

He said he did not give a second thought joining the medical center because Mount Grace is essentially Unilab being an affiliate company.

“So it’s like joining an extended family. I met with the new team July 31, immersed myself with Mount Grace for the whole of August. These are basically the people I worked with in the past. So in September 2018, I officially joined Fe del Mundo,” he narrated.

Currently under the management of Mount Grace Hospitals, Inc. , FDMMC was known as the Children’s Medical Center when it was established in 1957 with a 107-bed capacity and an array of services for pediatric patients.

Named after the Filipino pediatrician, Fe del Mundo, fondly called “The Mother of Philippine Pediatrics,” who passed away at age 99 in 2011. She is also acknowledged as humanitarian and award-winning inventor. She pioneered treatment for children with jaundice, creating a series of studies and inventions that led to jaundice-relieving devices and improved incubators.

Under Mount Grace management, the FDMMC

E4

upgraded its facilities from 2015 to 2017 to become a complete medical facility with equipment for all medical needs.

In recognition of its role in the community, the Quezon City government officially adopted November 27 as Fe Del Mundo Day, coinciding with the 108th birth anniversary of its founder.

“It is such a fitting recognition for our founder and the hospital itself. But more than the accolades we have been receiving, we are continuously improving and expanding our services to achieve our goal of giving our patients quality and affordable medical services,” said Sta Maria.

As the hospital GM, he is facing the challenges of the industry heads on.

“I used to be on the other side of the fence running after doctors to patronize the products that we sell. Now, as part of Fe Del Mundo, we set the rules and policies in order for the pharmas to come in and become partners of our healthcare system,” Sta. Maria noted.

“I may be on the other side now but basically its the same business—it’s healthcare,” he added.

Sta. Maria said he intends to make good business out of the operation of the hospital. And this is done through continuous upgrading of the hospital and its staff.

“We shall be in sync with the country’s healthcare system which we all wanted to improve and be at par with the rest of the world. As for FDMMC, we shall continue to carry the “Legacy of Caring” of our founder, Dr. Fe Del Mundo,” Sta. Maria concluded.