BusinessMirror December 09, 2019

S. KOREA, CHINA LIFT 10-MONTH ARRIVALS

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

T PHILIPPINE travel and tour operators attend to their buyers at the recent World Travel Market in London.

IMAGE COURTESY PDOT-LONDON

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@akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

HE Philippines continues to be a place for fun for many foreign tourists, attracting some 6.8 million of them from January to October this year.

Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed the 10-month visitor arrivals to be 15 percent higher than the 5.91 million recorded in the same period in 2018. Powering the increased arrivals this year were South Korea, China and Taiwan.

In January to October, arrivals from South Korea grew by 24.8 percent to some 1.61 million, and accounting for 23.67

percent of total arrivals. In second place was China, from which arrivals jumped by 41.5 percent to 1.5 million, and accounting for 22 percent of market share. Although only fifth in terms of market share, arrivals from Taiwan rose a significant 37.82 percent to 282,220.

Remaining stagnant were arrivals from the United States, which grew only by 2.54 percent to 872,335, putting them in third place with a market share of 12.64 percent.

Tourism Attaché for the US Southwestern States and Latin America Richmond Patrick L. Jimenez, who is based in Los Angeles, told the BusinessMirror the sluggish growth of arrivals from the US could still be due to the US Homeland Security advisory for Americans to avoid traveling

Monday, December 9, 2019 Vol. 15 No. 60

DTI: Trade row hurts 2019 goods exports 2 percent T

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

HE Philippines may end 2019 with a flat growth in merchandise goods exports, as trade tensions between the United States and China dampened demand for locally made products, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez told reporters in a recent interview that total exports growth could reach 2 to 4 percent by the end of the year. This estimate includes both merchandise goods

and services exports.

Outbound shipments of merchandise goods could post flat growth or expand by 1 percent while services exports could rise by a single digit.

“We’re not insulated [from the trade war]. [Affected is] maybe 25 percent of our exports. It’s not too big, but it still has some impact when it comes to the US-China trade war, because we are part of the

The government’s goods exports growth target for 2019

[global] supply chain,” said Lopez.

The DTI chief said the expansion of merchandise exports has been affected by the trade tensions and is affecting the country’s overall export performance.

Initially, he said the government had expected merchandise exports to grow by 2 to 4 percent this year. As trade relations between the US and China have not improved, Lopez said the figure could be lower.

See “Exports,” A2

to the Philippines via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The security advisory, issued on December 27, 2018, was only lifted on August 8.

He added, the DOT is now trying to penetrate the “mainstream markets” in the US (i.e., not balikbayan or FilipinoAmericans) to accelerate arrivals growth.

Also, the DOT has also embarked on a program specific to Latin America to attract MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) events.

In fourth spot was Japan with a 7.43-percent improvement in arrivals to 569,625. It was followed by Taiwan; then Australia at 226,167 (up 2.63 percent); Canada at 187,794 (up 5.42 percent); See “Arrivals,” A2

P25.00 nationwide | 5 sections 28 pages |

medal tally as of december 8, 2019 | 7:30 p.m. contingent

gold

silver

bronze

total

philippines

104

80

88

272

indonesia

65

61

76

202

VieTnaM

59

58

73

190

Thailand

55

70

71

196

singapore

41

32

48

121

Malaysia

40

37

50

127

MyanMar

3

16

37

56

CaMBodia

2

4

21

27

BrUnei

1

5

6

12

laos

0

5

17

22

TiMor-lesTe

0

0

1

1

Oil firms announce price cut

‘Govt must conduct food demand survey in 2020’

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

T

@jearcalas

HE government must conduct a rice consumption survey next year to determine if there are changes in Filipinos’ demand for the staple, according to a former administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA).

Former NFA Administrator Gregorio Tan Jr. said the conduct of the survey in 2020 is “most urgent” given the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 11203, or the rice trade liberalization law this year.

Tan also said the conduct of a food consumption survey every three years to find out changes in consumption patterns will also help the country’s policy-makers.

“The survey should be done every three years, if possible. It [should] cover everything, not only the important commodities, such

as rice, corn, sugar and some meat products. As population increases, per-capita [food] consumption could also grow,” he told the BusinessMirror in a recent interview.

“The other reason for conducting the survey next year is that [it] is already one year after the implementation of [RA 11203]. The [change in consumption patterns] would reflect the impact of price movements since the industry was liberalized,” he added.

The last food survey demand was undertaken by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in 20152016. The results of the survey were released in early 2017.

Tan said statistics on food demand, particularly for rice, is vital for policy-making today as the industry is now deregulated. The data will allow policy-makers to see how supply and demand plays out in a liberalized rice market.

See “Survey,” A2

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n

By Lenie Lectura

O

HELPING OUT Red Cross volunteers in Metro Manila join hands in spearheading the nationwide “Million Volunteer Run” at the Quirino Grandstand in

@llectura

IL companies announced a reduction in the prices of petroleum products, such as gasoline and kerosene, effective Tuesday morning.

Pilipinas Shell said it will cut gasoline prices by P0.40 per liter and the price of kerosene price also

by P0.40 per liter. It will not adjust diesel prices.

Petron Corp. will implement a smaller price rollback of P0.30 per liter each for gasoline and kerosene.

It will, however, bring down diesel prices by P0.10 per liter.

Both will implement their respective price adjustments at 6 a.m. of December 10.

“These reflect movements in

Manila to raise funds toward building the capacity of the 104 chapters and over 2 million volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross. BERNARD TESTA

US 50.8590 n JAPAN 0.4676 n UK 66.9304 n HK 6.4965 n CHINA 7.2198 n SINGAPORE 37.3771 n AUSTRALIA 34.7418 n EU 56.4687 n SAUDI 13.5631

See “Oil,” A2

Source: BSP (6 December 2019 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Monday, December 9, 2019

‘Pork supply enough to meet demand during the holidays’

T

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) said the country has ample pork supply this holiday season even as the government continues to implement quarantine measures to contain and control the spread of African swine fever (ASF) in Luzon.

The DA said pork supply is “stable” and that it is “more than enough” to fill demand this holiday season. It added that pork prices have started to normalize, which indicates that consumers have regained confidence in consuming pork.

To help hog raisers, the DA again appealed to Filipino consumers to buy local pork. Hog raisers incurred losses after the government confirmed the outbreaks of ASF in some areas in Luzon, which caused farm-gate prices to decline.

The local hog industry is losing an average of P1 billion every month since the ASF was confirmed in the country, according to the DA.

“I assure the public that there will [be] ham and barbeque this Christmas. Let’s patronize local products because these are safe for consumption,” said Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar. The retail prices of pork in Metro Manila wet markets as of November 6 rose by P4 to P5 per kilogram from the previous month’s average quotations, based on the daily price monitoring report of the DA. The average retail price of pork ham, or kasim, is at P193.57 per kg, while pork belly, or liempo, costs about P225.50 per kg, the same report showed.

The spread of ASF in Luzon may have slowed as fewer samples tested

52,850 The number of hogs culled by the government in Luzon to prevent the spread of African swine fever

positive for the dreaded hog disease in recent weeks, the country’s chief veterinarian said.

Bureau of Animal Industry OICDirector Ronnie D. Domingo said ASF-related reports received by his agency have been “dwindling” in the past month, indicating fewer outbreaks. Domingo said this development may be due to the strategies implemented by the DA and other concerned agencies to manage the crisis that struck Luzon farms starting July.

“There’s an indirect relationship between the samples and the ASF outbreaks. If there’s an outbreak in one area, then that area would submit samples. If there are more outbreaks, then more samples will be submitted,” he said.

Despite this, Domingo said the government will further intensify their control measures against ASF to prevent outbreaks. “[The number of ASF outbreaks is] going down and from what I see,

Exports. . .

Survey. . .

Goods exports contracted by an annualized rate of 1.8 percent in 2018. The tiff between two of the country’s largest trading partners started after the US announced in July 2018 that it will slap tariffs on hundreds of Chinese products.

In July, the Development Budget Coordination Committee announced that it scaled down its exports outlook for this year. The DBCC set goods exports growth target at 2 percent due to slower global economic expansion.

Also, the DBCC set services export growth assumptions at 9 percent from 2019 to 2022.

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in January to September, merchandise exports grew the fastest in June at 3.5 percent. Outbound shipments contracted by 2.6 percent in September.

In the nine-month period, the value of merchandise exports contracted by 0.1 percent. Exports amounted to $52.56 billion in 2018, lower than the $52.63 billion posted in 2017.

“When volumes go down, somehow [the Philippines] is affected. That is the reason for the drag [in shipments]. Even if our exports to the US and China [are growing], overall, other products are affected. This is why growth is tempered [as] some elements are affected by the trade war,” said Lopez.

Data from the PSA showed Japan was the top buyer of Philippine-made goods in September as its purchases reached $957.06 million, 19.1 percent higher than the $803.9 million recorded a year ago. It accounted for 16.2 percent of total exports in September.

Other top buyers of Philippine-made goods during the period were the US ($904.15 million), Hong Kong ($868.59 million), China ($780.24 million) and South Korea ($329.43 million).

Also, the former NFA chief said the use of the supply utilization accounts, or the disappearance method, to determine food demand is inaccurate since it involves the use of formula that may already be outdated.

In October, the Department of Agriculture (DA) created a technical working group (TWG) that would formulate a strategy to achieve the country’s food and nutrition security.

The DA issued Special Order (SO) 847 Series of 2019, dated October 1, that formed the TWG. Its task is to formulate the food production strategy (FPS) as part of the department’s outputs in its National Food Consumption Quantification Study (NFCQS).

Continued from A1

Poverty. . .

Continued from A12

For those in the bottom 30 percent of the population, Neda Undersecretary for Regional Development and Officer in Charge Adoracion M. Navarro earlier said the mean per-capita income increased by 31.87 percent.

Continued from A1

Women. . .

Continued from A12

this [official estimates of the informal sector] is a significant barrier, because policies and programs are blind to the magnitude of the problem,” the authors said.

Meanwhile, improving efforts to monitor and estimate the contribution of women to the economy must be undertaken, according to Valerie Mercer-Blackman, economic research and regional cooperation department senior economist at the Asian Development Bank.

Mercer-Blackman said that to date, the only country that has taken these efforts seriously is Bhutan through its Gross National Happiness index. She said the GNH index is better than GDP in terms of measuring welfare.

“By quantifying the amount and value of that work, this study can be an important tool

This growth, Navarro said, outpaced the 18-percent income expansion experienced by the top 20 percent of households.

Edillon also said the poor benefited from the construction boom as a driver of growth and poverty reduction as their skills were in demand among builders of roads and bridges.

“This is the first time we expe-

people are now aware and are now more careful. Also, our weather is getting dry, so these are favorable factors for disease control,” he said.

During the hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, Domingo said in his presentation that the number of ASFpositive samples declined to less than 20 on November 20, from a peak of over 180 positive samples on October 11.

“Our trend is unique to our country because in mainland Asia the trend is just upward. Since we are an archipelago, we have natural barriers for the spread of the virus unlike other Asian countries,” he said.

Based on Domingo’s presentation, seven provinces/cities nationwide are affected by ASF, including 50 municipalities and 461 barangays.

The Philippines has notified the World Organisation for Animal Health thrice regarding its ASF outbreaks. Manila said it has cumulatively culled 52,850 hogs to contain and control the spread of the virus.

He said the country’s hog culling rate is “way lower” compared to other countries struck by the fatal virus, such as China and Vietnam.

Domingo said the Philippines is culling 20,000 hogs monthly, while Vietnam is disposing of 616,000 pigs per month; South Korea, 145,000 hogs; and China, 97,000 hogs.

According to the DA, the NFCQS “aims to determine and analyze the major food consumption patterns of Filipinos, and the country’s production of major commodities to quantify the demand of a growing population.”

The NFCQS is being led by the DA in partnership with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO), PSA, Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute, National Nutrition Council and the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute.

Last year, the BusinessMirror published a Broader Look story that discussed the problems hounding the government in terms of getting a clear picture of the country’s rice consumption data or demand (See “Snapshot of riceconsumption data remains grainy as Pinoys grapple with supply, prices,” BusinessMirror, August 30, 2018). for policy makers’ efforts to advance economic development by finding ways to value and reward unpaid care work and ease the disproportionate burden borne by women,” said MercerBlackman.

The GNH uses time-use surveys to estimate how respondents spend their time and how they feel about it. However, Mercer-Blackman said it does still could not put a price on benefits from certain occupations.

She said while there is a belief that an occupation that receives higher pay, has a greater value for society, this is not true, especially where teachers are concerned.

“Some jobs, like teaching, cannot appropriate what externality or future benefit they create.

Market prices for services do not necessarily provide the correct value because there is no adjustment for quality, divisibility and the actual revealed value that people give to them,” Mercer-Blackman said . Cai U. Ordinario

rienced this kind of poverty reduction. We thought poverty reduction between 2012 and 2015 was already large but this one [is larger]. It’s really the push for construction actually. It generated a lot of jobs and then the increase in the income,” she said.

The 2018 poverty incidence among individuals, or the proportion of poor Filipinos whose per-capita income is not sufficient to meet their ba sic food a nd nonfood needs, was estimated at 16.6 percent.

This translates to 17.6 million Filipinos who lived below the poverty

threshold estimated at P10,727 per month, on average, for a family of five in 2018.

Among families, the proportion of poor families in 2018 was estimated at 12.1 percent, which is equivalent to around 3 million.

In terms of subsistence incidence among Filipinos, it was pegged at 5.2 percent in 2018.

The monthly food threshold for a family of five was estimated, on average, at P7,528.

T he subsistence incidence among families was recorded at 3.4 percent, or around 800,000 food poor families in 2018.

Subsistence incidence is the proportion of Filipinos whose income is not enough to meet even the basic food needs.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

‘Walkable’ PHL cities for sustainable devt T HE concept of “walkable” cities is among the features of a sustainable development program drawn up by government technocrats to make life better for Filipinos by 2040.

Walkable cities are those with well-designed sidewalks that would entice office workers to leave their cars at home, take public transport and walk to their offices, according to Diane Gail L. Maharjan, OIC and assistant secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority’s (Neda) sustainable consumption and production (SCP) program.

At the household level, turning off the faucet and the lights when not in use means saving P7 monthly and P12.50 monthly, respectively, Maharjan said.

Guesting at DWIZ’s Sulong Na Bayan hosted by veteran journalist Lolly Acosta, Maharjan said it

all boils down to “good manners and right conduct. GMRC should be returned in the school curriculum.”

She said this is especially relevant today when “we are having a water crisis. As the population increases, there will be more demand for water…so we have to think about conserving our natural resources for the next generation.”

Maharjan said a study showed that 52 percent or more than half of biodegradable or rotting waste comes from households. Only 27 percent from households are recyclable.

If households learn to compost waste, that means reusing waste for fertilizing plants instead of throwing them away for garbage trucks to collect.

Sulong Na Bayan airs daily Monday to Friday over station DWIZ of Aliw Broadcasting Corp. (ABC).

Pentagon chief wants to prioritize deployment of forces to Asia-Pacific

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HE Pentagon chief wants to prioritize the deployment of United States forces to the Asia-Pacific region from other areas, including Afghanistan, to confront a growing military competition with China.

“What I want to do is reallocate forces” to the Indo-Pacific Command, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum when asked about cutting troops in Afghanistan.

“That’s my priority theater,” Esper said. “I’m not just looking at Afghanistan” but “all these places where I can free up troops” to bring them home or “compete with the Chinese, to reassure our allies and to conduct exercises and training.”

The Defense department’s strategy has shifted to confronting China and Russia, as the primary challenges, supplanting the war on terrorism. China, with the world’s second-largest economy, is making major investments in military capabilities to challenge US postwar dominance, and is perceived as a growing threat among US military planners.

“Our war-fighting advantages over strategic competitors

Oil. . .

Continued from A1

the international oil market,” said Petron.

In a Bloomberg report last October, analysts said concerns over the United States-China trade tiff are weighing on the international oil market.

Aside from the US-China trade war, investors are also focused on supply increases in the US. The

Arrivals. . .

Continued from A1

and the United Kingdom at 168,954 (up 3.64 percent).

For his part, Gerard O. Panga, Tourism attaché for the UK and based in London, explained that Brexit continues to weigh on the UK citizens’ outbound travel plans, such that their arrivals growth in the Philippines are “modest.” In 2018, arrivals from the UK were recorded at 201,044, up 10 percent from the arrivals in 2017. This year, he said, his office projects a “3-percent to 5-percent increase” in arrivals from 2018, or 207,075 to 211,096.

The Philippines again participated

are being challenged,” Esper said at the forum in Simi Valley, California. “China and Russia, today’s revisionist powers, are modernizing their militaries, while seeking veto power over the economic and security decisions of other nations.”

Even as the US tries to make the pivot to Asia, it has added thousands of troops to the Middle East to protect oil shipping routes and defend Saudi Arabia against Iran. Oil giant Saudi Aramco’s processing plants at Abqaiq and Khurais were attacked on September 14, a strike that the US and Saudi Arabia blamed on Iran. Tehran has denied it was behind the attack.

When asked if that shift to Asia is hindered by the US presence in the Middle East, Esper said, “well sure, I mean I face that, my predecessors have faced that.”

The US needs to ensure it has “sufficient force on the ground, again, to reassure our allies, help defend them, defend the international order and deter Iranian bad behavior,” Esper said. “We have a strategy but you have to deal with the world you live in, not the world you want on paper.” Bloomberg News

Energy Information Administration said crude output at major shale plays across the US could rise 58,000 barrels a day to 8.97 million barrels a day.

Other oil firms are expected to announce their price adjustments on Monday. Oil firms adjust their prices every Tuesday.

Last week, oil firms jacked up the price of gasoline by P0.30 per liter, P0.65 per liter in diesel and P0.50 per liter increase in kerosene price. in last month’s World Travel Market in London, reputed to be one of the biggest trade and travel events in the world. “We continue to work on joint promotions with major partner agents in the UK. We also received interest/queries from new tour operators warning to open new programs to the Philippines for their British clients,” said Panga.

With the onset of the winter season, the DOT is expected to further push its promotions in the UK and other major cities in Europe.

Meanwhile, arrivals from Singapore dropped by 9.2 percent to 130,841 in the 10 months to October this year. In contrast, arrivals from India posted a 10.5-percent increase to 112,247.

The Nation BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Monday, December 9, 2019 A3

Go rules out extending martial law in Mindanao

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

S

EN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said on December 6, that the martial law in Mindanao might no longer be extended.

Go said he agrees with the decision of the military to recommend whether extending martial law in Mindanao is still necessary or not.

He said he wants what’s good for the majority: “Ako naman, kung ano pong para sa kabutihan ng karamihan.”

Go added that if the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] says martial law is no longer needed in Mindanao, he will support this.

“Kapag sinabi naman po ng military na hindi na po kailangan ng martial law ay suportado ko po ito.”

The martial law in Mindanao, which President Duterte declared in response to the Marawi siege, is set to expire on December 31, two years and seven months since it was declared and extended twice.

Go added that martial law may no longer be necessary if the proposed amendment to the Human Security Act of 2007 becomes a law.

Go, a member of the Senate Com-

mittee on National Defense, said he’s hoping the amendments would be approved by the Upper House.

The proposed amendments aim to strengthen the country’s antiterrorism law.

Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana earlier recommended to the President for the non-extension of martial law in Mindanao, citing findings of the AFP on the matter. The strength and capability of threat groups, including the Maute Group, have been substantially reduced and several hundreds of loose firearms have been surrendered, Lorenzana said.

Security authorities also noted a significant drop in crime rates in strategic areas and that the Abu Sayaff in Basilan and Sulu are being slowly defeated, he added.

Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año also backed Lorenzana’s recommendation, saying in a statement dated December 5, that “[T]he purpose of martial law has been attained based on the assessment of military and police forces as normalcy has returned to the entire region and the peace and order situation in the area has remarkably improved since the

Alternative learning system seen completing Pinoys basic education

T

ARGETING to complete the basic education of 24 million Filipinos, Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian pressed Congress to front-load passage of urgently needed remedial legislation to institutionalize the “alternative learning system” (ALS) devised by the Department of Education (DepEd).

In filing Senate Bill 740, Gatchalian pressed for the nationwide adoption of the DepEd’s parallel learning system to the existing formal education set up, stressing the need to reach out to millions of Filipinos aged 15 and above who have yet to complete their basic education.

The Gatchalian bill filed last July aims to “provide accessible training and education services in every barangay, including the farflung and conflict-torn areas to out-of-school children, youth and adults, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, children in conflict with the law, persons deprived of liberty, and other marginalized sectors of society.”

He explained that the ALS curriculum was “designed to help learners acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies” that learners under the

formal school system are expected to develop under the K to 12 Program.

The Senator’s bill, once enacted into law, will institutionalize the ALS under the DepEd’s parallel learning system to the existing formal education system.

In a statement, Gatchalian noted that while the number of ALS enrollees have increased over the years, an overwhelming number of potential learners have yet to be reached. He said that based on DepEd data, “there are 2,025,167 enrolled learners between 2016 to 2018 but only 1,329,667 learners were able to complete the program.”

“We have 24 million people who did not graduate from high school, so that’s 1 out of 4, and there are 1 out of 10 or 10 percent of our population that cannot read and write, so that’s 10 million. There’s an urgent need to put a lot of attention to ALS because it also captures literacy,” Gatchalian said. “That’s why I’m very bullish about this bill because we need to reach out to the 24 million and right now we’re only addressing 600,000 a year. That’s barely 1 percent of the total required enrollment,” he added.

Butch Fernandez

briefs

B.I. NABS UNDOCUMENTED INDIAN NATIONALS

THE Bureau of Immigration on Sunday announced the arrest of four Indian nationals in General Santos City, engaged in a “5-6” lending scheme in Mindanao, for being undocumented aliens. BI Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said the Indian nationals are undergoing deportation proceedings after they presented expired and invalid visas, and were found to be working as money lenders. The Indians are presently detained at the BI Immigration District Office in Davao City pending deportation proceedings. The BI initially arrested 10 Indian nationals during the operation but the six others were released after they have been found with valid visas. Joel R. San Juan

VOTERS FOR B.S.K. POLLS TO RESUME JAN FOLLOWING the recent official postponement of the 2020 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election, the Commission on Elections is set to resume voter registration next month. “It is initially set on January [2020] so we have couple more weeks to prepare for that,” Comelec Spokesman James B. Jimenez said. From August 1 to September 30, the Comelec was able to register 3,082,396 new voters, which was higher than the poll body’s target of 2,030,630. Last Tuesday, President Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11462, which reset the conduct of the May 11, 2020, BSKE to December 5, 2022. Samuel P. Medenilla

PROTECTION UNDER LAW FOR PWDs PUSHED

SEN. Leila M. de Lima has urged the government to exhaust all efforts in providing equal protection under the law for persons with disabilities (PWDs) to ensure a more dignified life for them that is free from abuse and discrimination.

De Lima, who chairs the Senate Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development Committee, reintroduced Senate Bill 188 to transform the National Council on Disability Affairs into a full-blown commission. “We envision the Commission to be the lead policy-making, planning, monitoring and coordinating body that will develop, formulate and implement programs for the prevention and rehabilitation of disabilities,” she said.

Marawi Siege of 2017.”

Nevertheless, Go believes that should there be intermittent armed clashes between some rebel groups and government troops, the state must ensure the welfare of civilians affected in these conflict areas.

He hopes to have “permanent evacuation centers [hindi lang po sa panahon ng disaster kundi sa pana-

hon ng digmaan]” not only during disasters but also during outbreaks of armed conflict. Go said that is what Duterte wants.

He added that the President prioritizes peace-related initiatives and is focused on instilling long-lasting peace and development, especially in Mindanao. Go said Duterte is scheduled to talk to Moro National Libera-

tion Front Founding Chairman Nur Misuari on December 13 in Davao.

He added that the President also created a Peace Coordinating Committee. Go said Duterte wants to talk to all groups. (“Lahat po ng grupo ay gusto niyang kausapin.”)

He also emphasized his trust in the military in ensuring the security in Mindanao saying, “alam na po ng

militar ang kanilang ginawa.” (The military knows what they’re doing in Mindanao.)

Go thanked his fellow Mindanaoans for the continued support and trust given to the Duterte administration and encouraged them to participate in nation building in order to bring long-lasting peace and development in Mindanao.

A4 Monday, December 9, 2019 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Govt to limit deployment of Filipino workers abroad

T

By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it may limit the deployment of Filipino workers to the energy and aerospace industries in other countries, as local firms may need their services.

DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) Director Dominique R. Tutay said the planned

de ploy ment rest r ic t ion s a re expected to cover workers in petrochemicals and computer

numerical control machinists in the aerospace industry.

Tutay said the DOLE is now conducting an inventory of the number of workers in both industries to determine if there is a need to implement the deployment restriction. “[The DOLE] will meet [with stakeholders] because we are checking if our supply [of manpower] is already enough or we would need to maintain more workers [locally],” Tutay told reporters in an ambush interview last week.

The DOLE official said this is in addition to the deployment restriction the agency is con-

‘Senate eyes early 2020 okay of PHL High School for Sports’

By Butch Fernandez

T

@butchfBM

HE Senate is looking to have fullblown deliberations on, and to quickly approve, a bill setting up a Philippine High School for Sports (PHSS) at the New Clark City (NCC), by early 2020, according to Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian.

“We are targeting January of next year, at least the rollout, the law is being discussed in the Senate, the House [of Representatives] is also in unison with this proposal. Hopefully, we get the bill approved by this year or early part of next year and we’ll roll out in 2020,” said Gatchalian.

The lawmaker, who is one of the key sponsors of Senate Bill 1086, or the PHSS Act, made the pronouncement in a recent television interview.

Besides Gatchalian, those who vowed full support for speedy passage of the bill setting up the PHSS are Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sens. Pia Cayetano and Christopher Go. “With the outstanding showing this SEA [Southeast Asian] Games, I think it’s logical to move forward with grassroots development of sports and [a] high school for sports will be a vehicle to develop our athletes from the grassroots and also from an early age,” said Gatchalian.

“If you want world-class athletes you have to let them experience world-class facilities. So it’s just fitting to put the high school in New Clark City, in Capas, Tarlac,” he added.

The NCC’s first phase—where the SEA Games participants enjoy world-class billeting at the Athletes’ Village is located— has been drawing praise since the Games began November 30. It also hosts the internationally certified Aquatics Center, and track and field arena.

The students of the proposed high school for sports will be scholars, and it “will be a regular high school but its important fea-

ture are the sports facilities,” the senator said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Asked how the school will be funded, Gatchalian revealed that the plan is to attract corporate sponsors, who he said will be the “main sponsors of the event.”

He adds that “we will also welcome international donors.... A lot of international donors want to develop the sporting event, the sporting culture, but definitely the academics will come from government [which] will fund the academics...[and] the stipend that will be given to the athletes.”

While the Philippine High School for the Arts in Mount Makiling in Los Baños, Laguna, has produced thousands of outstanding artists across several fields for nearly four decades and the Philippine Science High School leads dozens of locally funded science high schools, the Philippines has had no other specialized high school with focus on sports development.

‘Serendipitous’

ANOTHER major champion of the Senate bill for a PHSS, Sen. Pia Cayetano, said in a separate statement that the country’s hosting of the SEA Games was “serendipitous,” given the Filipino athletes’ remarkable performance, topping the medal tally consistently since Day 1.

“The people will see for themselves that we made an amazing decision to host it here. I’d like to believe that this is a legacy that we will leave behind,” said Cayetano, herself a former national volleyball player and sister of House Speaker Alan Cayetano, chairman of the Phisgoc in charge of the SEA Games.

The lawmaker authored and cosponsored SB1086, which seeks to establish a national academy for sports in the country that can train talented young athletes in their respective sports while still allowing them to pursue other educational tracks.

sidering for the construction industry, which is currently in need of additional workers due to the numerous projects undertaken by the private sector and the government.

Last March, the BusinessMirror reported that the deployment of construction workers abroad declined in 2016 and 2017 even without government intervention.

Tutay said the government is trying to address the shortage of local construction workers by coordinating with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and the Department of Trade and Industry in crafting

the 2030 construction road map.

“We are now in the action planning stage, and we have already identified priority programs for the construction sector,” said Tutay.

Earl ier t his year, t he BLE estimated the construction industry may need some 200,000 additional workers for various projects. However, the private sector estimated the demand at over a million.

The DOLE said skills shortage occurs when “ hard-to-fill jobs vacancies with few applicants experience deficiency in the supply of qualified applicants compared to the number

of available jobs.”

The agency said in June that it may also limit the deployment of nurses abroad to address the shortage here in the country. The DOLE made the pronouncement after the Philippine Nurses Association recommended the measure to address fill the required number of nurses to man local medical facilities.

In February the Department of Health pointed out that the lack of nurses, particularly in the public sector, will be one of the challenges in implementing the Universal Health Care System, which is being pushed by the Duterte administration.

PhilMech bats for mechanizing camote harvest to cut farmers’ losses

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

T

HE Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) pushed for the development of farm equipment that will help camote planters reduce their postharvest losses.

Citing its study published this year, PhilMech said it found that the postharvest losses of sweet potato range from 31.21 percent to nearly 33 percent due to “inefficiency of existing manual and labor-intensive harvesting methods.”

In its study, titled “Assessment of the Postharvest Handling Systems of Fresh Sweet Potato,” PhilMech said “the harvesting operation of sweet potato can be mechanized using an efficient mechanical root crop harvester that can eventually reduce labor requirement and losses on uncollected roots.”

“I would consider this study on the possible postharvest interventions needed for sweet potato as pivotal, as lessened postharvest losses for the crop will help improve the quality and quantity of camote available for the market,” said PhilMech Executive Director Baldwin G. Jallorina Jr. The study, conducted by the attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, surveyed 350 camote farmers in the provinces of Albay, Bataan, Tarlac and Northern Samar.

PhilMech said it is important to reduce camote farmers’ postharvest losses as it is the country’s third-most important food crop and it is also the seventh-most important food crop in the world.

The agency said the manual harvesting practice of camote farmers usually result in a “significant” amount of damaged crops, which fetch lower prices in the market. Farmers also incur postharvest losses in the shipping and transporting of camote from their farms to the market.

A WOMAN farmer in Southern Palawan shows a newly uprooted cassava. FILE PHOTO

“Camote today is mostly harvested manually, requiring 30 to 50 laborers per hectare per day. Harvesting usually requires two days,” it said. “Harvesting loss due to uncollected and mechanically damaged roots ranged from 15.96 percent to 17.94 percent of marketable harvest.”

To reduce postharvest losses of camote, the PhilMech said its study recommended the development of farm equipment for harvesting the crop.

“A tractor-drawn implement for harvesting camote was initially developed by the Philippine Root Crop of the Visayas State University in Leyte, which PhilMech has proposed to evaluate as to its status of commercialization,” it said.

“There are also imported but costly mechanical harvesters that could do a single pass to clear the vines and digging out the tubers. The

PhilMech study recommended the imported harvester be localized in its design, so it could be manufactured locally and its cost reduced,” it added.

PhilMech said an indigenous harvester, which was developed by camote farmers in Tarlac, that could be attached to a farm tractor made of two mouldboard plows could also be improved.

“Besides the high postharvest losses of camote, most of the vines and leaves of camote, known as camote tops, are destroyed during harvesting by farmers and left to rot or are burned. PHilMech said camote tops could be processed into feeds or feed supplement in the form of sillage for carabao or cattle,” it added.

PhilMech said its study showed that about 18 tons of fresh camote vines and leaves could be harvested from 1 hectare.

November rains improve water supply in Cebu PCA board thumbs down lifting of ban on export of mature coconuts

T

HE Philippine Coconut Authority’s (PCA) Governing Board has decided to retain the ban on the export of mature coconuts as prices have improved, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Agriculture Secretary William Dar disclosed the decision in a speech at the launching of the 2019 PAJ-SMC Binhi Awards of the Philippine Agricultural Journalists (PAJ) with partners San Miguel Corp., SL Agritech Corp., the DA, and other groups.

In the same event, Dar lauded the PAJ for promoting excellence in agricultural journalism and including in the awards special prizes for high school and college students by way of attracting the youth to agriculture which is part of his eight paradigm on “Ani at Kita: The New Thinking in Agriculture.”

“I was told by the PCA board that copra prices are increasing, from a low of P2 to P5 per kilogram, the farm-gate price now is at P19 to P20 per kilogram and mill gate is P25 to P26 per kg,” said Dar. He said the PCA has been ordered to step up efforts to help the coconut farmers, copra associations/cooperatives do “direct copra” marketing.

He said the PCA the board decided not to support the lifting of the ban on export of mature coconuts because the move is against the mediumto long-term directions of the agriculture department on enhancing more value-adding activities on the coconut.

Dar said the PCA board would not like the Philippine coco genetics to be copied in a bigger way by other countries.

“We will sustain the competitive variety of many cultivars today. Based on the consultations that many do not want to export mature coconuts” said Dar. “We will enhance developing the coconut industry, again not just with copra and coconut oil, but to aim for high-value-added products,” he added.

Dar said the PCA will go for a massive fertilization program starting next year adding that the program should be guided with good agricultural practices and balanced fertilization.

He said the PCA will do massive intercropping of coconuts and massive replanting to replace about 100 million coconut trees. PCA has upscaled into new technologies for tissue culture, including somatic embryogenesis, that targets to produce more than 100 plantlets, he said.

Under the existing planting and replanting program, only one seedling is produced compared to as many as 100 which can be produced through tissue culture.

“We will go for upscaling, go for massive replanting and intercropping, and go for more partnership with private sector,” Dar said.

He said the right fertilization of the coconuts will also be applied. “Where before farmers apply only salt, now 16 elements will be tapped to make the coco trees robust and productive,” he said.

C

EBU CITY—Metropolitan Cebu Water District’s (MCWD) announced that rains in November helped replenish its supply for Jaclupan Facility in Talisay, and the Buhisan Dam in Cebu City.

In a statement on Saturday, MCWD Acting General Manager Stephen Yee said the additional supply helped Jaclupan Facility and Buhisan Dam to improve water services in areas already experiencing water rationing.

Yee said Jaclupan Facility’s daily production slightly have improved from 23,000 to 25,000 cubic meters as of the first week of December.

He added that it was the first time the facility increased water production since August this year though it remains below the average of 33,000 cubic meter per day.

The official said if December’s rainfall volume will stay at the normal level, MCWD consumers from Talisay City to Cebu City will see an improvement in their water supply.

According to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) records, rainfall volume in July and in October in Central Visayas reached the average level while for the months of August, September and November, the volume was below average.

The weather bureau has recorded 63.4 millimeters of rain in November, below the 154.4-mm average.

“However, this time, rains replenished the Mananga Watershed, the river and its tributaries resulting in an improved supply for the Jaclupan Facility. MCWD’s Buhisan Dam was also fed with more water from the Buhisan Watershed and its tributaries,” Yee said.

Mananga’s water production has also increased from at least 2,800 in August to 3,500 cubic meter but still below the required average production of 7,000 cubic meters.

Yee said water demand in Metro Cebu is estimated at 500,000 cubic meter per day and MCWD produces only an average of 238,000 cubic meter per day.

“Factors like population growth, economic and business opportunities and in-migration contributed to this fast increase in the water demand over the years in MCWD’s service area, which includes the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, LapuLapu and Talisay, and the municipalities of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Cordova,” she added.

MCWD earlier said over extraction, nitrate contamination and saltwater intrusion contributed to the depletion and shut down of a number of water sources. PNA

The World BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

North Korea’s UN envoy says denuclearization off the table

D

ENUCLEARIZATION is off the negotiating table with the US, North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations said on Saturday in a strongly worded statement that also criticized EU member-nations for playing “the role of pet dog” to Washington.

Ambassador Kim Song said that the “sustained and substantial dialogue” sought by the US with Pyongyang was a trick done to suit its domestic political agenda, according the statement, which was first reported by Reuters.

“We do not need to have lengthy talks with the US now and denuclearization is already gone out of the negotiating table,” Kim said.

The envoy’s letter comes at a sensitive time in US-North Korea relations. Pyongyang may be preparing to conduct engine tests at a long-range rocket launch site to dial up pressure on President Donald J. Trump ahead of a yearend deadline it imposed to get a better deal from the US in nuclear disarmament talks.

The US has said it’s ready to engage in talks, but Saturday’s missive suggests Pyongyang is pulling away.

On Friday, the US indicated it was withholding its support from hosting a human-rights debate on North Korea next week, in what was seen as an effort to avoid antagonizing the North Koreans. US allies, including Germany, France, Belgium and the UK, have sought to hold such a meeting on December 10, but would need US backing to do so.

‘Serious provocation’

IN his statement, Song referenced the December 4 joint statement from six EU member-states regarding North Korea as “yet another serious provocation.” He also defended tests of Pyongy a ng ’s “superl a rge” mu lt iple rocket launcher in November as necessary for self-defense.

“These countries often take issue with our self-defensive measures,” Song wrote. “We have never ever recognized such ‘resolution’ aimed at obliterating our sovereignty and the right to existence.”

As tensions rise, the warm relationship between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un—who’ve met three times since 2018—has shown signs of strain.

‘Rocket Man’ returns

TRUMP has revived his “Rocket Man” nickname for Kim, as well as the threat of military force against North Korea. A North Korean official has again used the term “dotard,” or mentally weak old person, for the US president.

A return to North Korean ballistic missile and weapons testing, if it happened, would undermine what Trump considers one of his key foreign policy achievements.

Trump spoke by telephone on Friday with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, the White House said in a statement on Saturday.

The pair discussed issues related to the Korean peninsula and developments in North Korea.

Bloomberg News

China’s trade with US sinks in November amid tariff war B

EIJING—China’s trade with the United States sank again in November as negotiators worked on the first stage of a possible deal to end a tariff war.

Exports to the United States fell 23 percent from a year earlier to $35.6 billion, customs data showed Sunday.

Imports of American goods were off 2.8 percent at $11 billion, giving China a surplus with the United States of $24.6 billion.

Exports to some other countries including France rose, helping to offset the loss.

China’s global exports were off 1.1 percent from a year earlier at $221.7 billion despite weakening worldwide demand. Imports were up 0.3 percent at $183 billion, giving China a global surplus of $38.7 billion.

Hopes for a settlement to the fight over Beijing’s technology ambitions and trade surplus rose after President Donald J. Trump’s announcement of

a “Phase 1” agreement following talks in October. But there has been no sign of agreement on details nearly two months later.

The dispute has disrupted global trade in goods from soybeans to medical equipment, and threatens to depress economic growth.

Trump put off a tariff increase in October but penalties already imposed by both sides on billions of dollars of imports stayed in place. Another US increase is due on Sunday on $160 billion of Chinese goods. That would extend penalties to almost everything Americans buy from China.

Chinese spokespeople have expressed hope for a settlement “as soon as possible,” but Trump spooked financial markets last week by saying he might be willing to wait until after the US presidential election late next year.

Financial markets have repeat-

edly risen on optimism about the talks only to fall back when no progress is announced.

The Phase 1 agreement doesn’t cover contentious issues including US complaints that Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. Economists warn tensions could rise again next year and the bulk of tariff hikes are likely to stay in place for some time.

For the first 11 months of 2019, China’s total global exports were off 0.3 percent at $2.3 trillion despite the tariff war. Imports were down 4.5 percent at $1.8 trillion, adding to signs Chinese domestic demand is cooling.

China’s exporters have been hurt by the US tariff hikes but its overall economy has been unexpectedly resilient. Growth in the world’s second-largest economy slipped to 6 percent over a year earlier in the three months ending in September,

P

China, which lays out its lending plans to the world’s second-largest economy. Mnuchin told the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday that China should be removed from the World Bank’s loan program.

“The Treasury Department has negotiated significant reductions on China lending by the World Bank,” Mnuchin said.

Several lawmakers voiced concerns about what they described as unannounced World Bank plans to continue lending to China despite rapid growth in the country’s percapita income. Mnuchin said the Treasury Department on Wednesday had filed an objection to the World Bank’s latest plans.

J

APAN is looking to raise defense spending to a record ¥5.3 trillion ($49 billion) for the year starting April 1, partly to develop a next-generation fighter jet, the Nikkei reported, without saying where it obtained the information.

The amount compares with ¥5.26 trillion earmarked for de-

Mnuchin advised Trump to recommend former Treasury official and Trump campaign adviser David Malpass to take charge of the bank earlier this year.

The US is the largest contributor to the World Bank, which provides low-interest loans to low-income nations.

World Bank lending to China declined to $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2019 from $2.4 billion in fiscal 2017.

A statement from the bank late Friday night said that lending to China “has fallen sharply and will continue to reduce as part of our agreement with all our shareholders including the United States. We eliminate lending as countries get richer.” Bloomberg News

Devastating market fire kills at least 43 in Indian capital

POLICE officers cordon off the site of a fire in a narrow lane in New Delhi, India, on Sunday, December 8, 2019. A doctor at a government-run hospital says dozens have died in a major fire in central New Delhi. AP PHOTO/MANISH SWARUP

N

EW DELHI—Indian authorities investigated the cause of a devastating fire on Sunday that killed at least 43 people in a crowded grains market in central New Delhi while chaos unfolded outside a hospital where some of the victims were taken.

Firefighters fought the blaze from 100 meters (yards) away because it broke out in one of the area’s many alleyways, tangled in electrical wire and too narrow for vehicles to access, authorities at the scene said.

The fire started at a factory space near Sadar Bazaar, New Delhi’s largest wholesale market for household goods. Many of the victims were factory workers who were asleep when the blaze began, according to Yogesh, a police spokesman who uses one name. Police are investigating whether the factory was operating legally, he said.

Dr. Kishore Singh said rescuers brought victims to his government-run hospital and two others in the city. Another 16 people were being treated for burns or smoke

down from the previous quarter’s 6.2 percent but still among the world’s strongest.

Weaker Chinese demand has global repercussions, depressing demand for industrial raw materials and components from other Asian economies and oil, iron ore and other commodities from Brazil, Australia and other suppliers.

The Ministry of Finance announced on Friday that China was waiving punitive import duties on US soybeans and pork, keeping a promise announced in September.

A sticking point is Beijing’s insistence that Washington roll back its most recent penalties on Chinese goods as part of the Phase 1 deal. Beijing said last month the US side agreed, but Trump dismissed that.

A Chinese spokesman repeated on Thursday that Beijing expects such a move in a Phase 1 agreement. AP

Nikkei: Japan considers raising defense budget to record $49-B fense for this fiscal year and includes more than ¥10 billion for developing a military jet to replace Japan’s F-2 fighter in the future, the report said. The plan will be part of the government’s overall annual budget to be finalized by the end of the month.

An increase in defense expen-

diture would mark the eighth consecutive year of expansion. Japan’s medium-term defense program announced a year ago outlined spending of ¥27.5 trillion for the 20192023 period, up nearly ¥3 trillion

Trump scolds WB over low-interest loans to China Singapore says RESIDENT Donald J. Trump added to the criticism of the World Bank’s plan for lowinterest loans to China.

“Why is the World Bank loaning money to China?” Trump said in a Twitter post on Friday night. “Can this be possible? China has plenty of money, and if they don’t, they create it. Stop!”

His tweet came a day after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, at a congressional hearing, said that the administration opposes the plan by the bank, which has loaned more than $1 billion to China this year.

The World Bank is expected to soon release its latest Country Partnership Framework document for

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Monday, December 9, 2019 A5

inhalation and were in stable condition, Singh said.

More than two dozen police officers stood guard outside the Lok Nayak hospital, keeping a crowd of people from entering.

Relatives of the workers cried, consoled one another and jostled for information.

Many of the families gathered at the hospital said they came from the impoverished border state of Bihar in eastern India, including Mohammad Moti, who was searching for his 22-year-old nephew, Mohammad Chedi.

“I was told by someone my nephew is inside, but I haven’t seen him,” Moti said.

Fire Services Chief Atul Garg said the blaze was put out by 25 fire trucks and that the rescue operation was completed. About 60 people, including casualties, were taken out of the building, according to police Spokesman Arun Kumar Mittal.

The cause of the fire, which erupted around 5:30 a.m., was not immediately clear.

Distraught relatives also appeared at the site of the blaze.

The Press Trust of India news agency quoted Manoj, who uses one name, as saying that his 18-year-old brother Naveen was working in a handbag factory in the building. AP

fighter jet unit on Guam is sign of ‘trajectory’

S

INGAPORE’S agreement to establish a fighter jet training detachment on Guam “sets the trajectory” in which the city-state sees itself in partnership with the US, its defense chief said.

Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper signed the agreement, which followed the recent renewal of a pact that allows American forces use of Singapore bases, according to a statement on the Singapore Ministry of Defense’s web site.

Most leaders and people in Asia would say they want America’s presence to be continued, Ng said on Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. “They don’t want to choose between great power rivalry between the US and China, but they also both want to be involved, including other powers.”

Ng said US domestic politics, which he described as “not business as usual” and “hard not to notice,” are causing an adjustment in policy, without elaborating.

Bloomberg News

Mexico, US, Canada trade talks continue in Washington

W

ASHINGTON—Mexico’s top trade negotiator wrapped up an 11-hour meeting with his US counterpart on Friday night, saying they had not finalized a new trade agreement for Mexico, United States and Canada.

“We are working on all the issues. It is not easy, but we are working well,” Jesus Seade told reporters as he left the office of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

He said they might meet again on Saturday.

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland participated in the talks, as well as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in an indirect way, Seade said.

The United States, Mexico and Canada agreed last year to replace the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement with the new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. AP

from the previous five years. The country has been under pressure to step up military imports from the US amid President Donald J. Trump’s criticism over trade imbalances. Bloomberg News

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Name and Address of Company/Employer

Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

Position and Brief Description of Functions

Monday, December 9, 2019 A7 Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

Name and Address of Company/Employer

Position and Brief Description of Functions

82.

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

MS. LIYUN HE/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

121.

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

MR. RUIGANG CHENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

83.

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

MR. WENJIN CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

122.

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

MR. CHUNLI LIU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

84.

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

MR. KUN AI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

123.

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

MR. WEILIANG CAI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. QIANG WEI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

124.

85.

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

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

MR. QIANG ZHENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

125.

MR. RONGFU CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. YANG CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

86.

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

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

126.

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

MR. BANGYU ZHAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

87.

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

MR. JINFENG WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

127.

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

MS. LIHUA WU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

88.

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

MS. QIN YANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

128.

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

MR. CHUANLIN WEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

89.

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

MR. YONGJIAN FU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

129.

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

MS. YIMENG XU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

90.

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

MR. JIANBIN CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

130.

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

MR. XIANG XIONG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

91.

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

MR. SHILIN LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

131.

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

MR. GANGLONG LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

92.

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

MR. GUANHONG CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

132.

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

MR. HAIBING WENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

93.

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

MR. CHUNYAN LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

133.

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

MR. NIANJUN LU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

94.

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

MR. PENGGUANG SHI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

134.

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

MR. XIAODONG GUO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

95.

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

MR. ZHOUQING XIE/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

135.

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

MS. YANGJIE ZHANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

96.

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

MR. JINHAI LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

136.

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

MR. YIN ZHENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

97.

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

MR. JIANGFENG LENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

137.

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

MR. XINFEI KANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

98.

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

MR. LONGFEI ZHOU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

138.

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

MS. YANYAN ZHANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

99.

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

MR. RONGLIN ZHANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

139.

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

MR. YUBIN WU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

100.

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

MR. FENGYIN CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

140.

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. YONGQUAN YANG/ Chinese

101.

MR. CAIMING ZHANG/ Chinese

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

MR. ZAIXIN FENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

141.

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

MS. XIAOFENG LIN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. ZHONGLOU XU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

142.

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

MR. PEI YANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. YANFENG ZHANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

144.

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

MR. YIYUN ZHANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

145.

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

MR. HEAN QIN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

146.

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

MR. LIXING CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

147.

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

MR. BINXI CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

148.

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

MR. DIHAO ZOU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

102.

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

SMART WIN TECHNOLOGY, INC. 103.

4-12F Southwoods Tower 2, Biñan City, Laguna 104.

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

MR. JIANBIN ZHANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

105.

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

MR. XIEYAN XI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

106.

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

MR. BINGKUN WU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

107.

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

MR. ZILONG FU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

108.

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

MR. GUIQIANG CHA/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

109.

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

MR. CHANGSUN LEI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

110.

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

MR. QI JIA/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

111.

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

MR. ZHIKE LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

112.

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

MR. BINGHUI WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

149.

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

MR. YUNCAI QIU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

113.

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

MR. GUOBIN ZHU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

150.

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

MS. MAODAN HE/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

114.

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

MR. JIE ZHENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

151.

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

MR. YONGTANG LIU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

115.

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

MR. JIAMING FANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

152.

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

MS. XIACUI HU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

116.

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

MR. WEI CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

117.

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

MR. LILONG LUO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

118.

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

MR. XING ZHANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

119.

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

MR. DINGYAN CHI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

120.

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

MR. RUI WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at the DOLE Regional Office within 30 days from the date of publication.

Please inform the DOLE Regional Office if you have an information of any criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

HENRY JOHN S. JALBUENA Regional Director

To avail of free job referral, placement, and employment guidance services, visit the nearest Public Employment Service Offices (PESO) or log on at http://www.philjobnet.gov.ph AEP20191007285

BusinessMirror

A6 Monday, December 9, 2019 Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT Regional Office No. IV-A 4th Flr. Andenson Bldg. II, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City Telefax No.: (049) 545-7362 December 9, 2019

NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT PERMIT (AEP) Notice is hereby given that the following employers have filed with this Regional Office application/s for Alien Employment Permit/s.

Name and Address of Company/Employer

Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

Position and Brief Description of Functions

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

MR. HANGJUN LONG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. SHAOLONG LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. HAILONG ZHAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. JINGZE LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MS. FANGYUN LIAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. YANQI LIU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. HONGJI XIE/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

47.

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

MR. JIANQUN LIN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

48.

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

MR. CHENGBIN HU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. HUIHENG LIN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. JIAQI ZHANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MS. FUYI CEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. YAQIANG ZHAN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. YUYU CAI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. YAWEI CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

50.

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

MS. YANFANG CAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

6.

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

MS. YIQIANG SU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

51.

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

MR. GUIPING XU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MS. YING WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

52.

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

MR. YONGJIAN LAI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. SHA HUANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

53.

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

MR. KE HUANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

9.

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

MR. WENGE WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

54.

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

MR. SHENGDONG DONG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. JIA JU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

Chinese Customer Service Representative

11.

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

MR. JINDING WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. XIAOQIANG WANG/ Chinese

56.

MR. JUNYING CAI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. XINGXING HUANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

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

MR. ZONGZE LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

57.

13.

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

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

MS. YANYU AN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

14.

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

MR. RUNDONG FU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

58.

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

MR. DENGFENG DONG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. XU WU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. JIACHENG MA/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

MR. WENGEN WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

60.

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

MR. YONGQIANG HUANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

17.

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

MR. XIANHUI AI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

61.

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

MR. AIMEI LI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

18.

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

MR. YUEYUAN PAN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

62.

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

MR. HAISONG WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

19.

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

MR. MEI LIAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

63.

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. SHUSONG ZHAO/ Chinese

20.

MR. SHUANGLONG XU/ Chinese

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

64.

MR. YU YANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

21.

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

MR. ZHENGDONG WANG/ Chinese

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

Chinese Customer Service Representative

65.

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. DONGYU CHENG/ Chinese

22.

MR. CHENGLONG LIU/ Chinese

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

66.

MS. QIUYUAN LIU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

23.

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

MR. YONGYI HUANG/ Chinese

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

Chinese Customer Service Representative

67.

MS. XIA TIAN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. WENLEI ZHAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

24.

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

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

25.

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

MS. JILING SU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

68.

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

MR. XU WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

26.

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

MR. PENG LIU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

69.

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

MR. JINFEI LIAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

27.

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

MR. CHONGZHEN OUYANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

70.

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

MS. LI TIAN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

28.

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

MR. YUNQING WU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

71.

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

Chinese Customer Service Representative

29.

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

MS. LISHA WANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. ZUJIANG OUYANG/ Chinese

72.

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

MR. LIN QIU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

30.

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

MS. YUXIANG OU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

73.

Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

MR. CHANGJIANG SU/ Chinese

31.

MS. HOANG THI HANG/ Vietnamese

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

74.

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

MS. JIAHUI TANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

32.

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

MR. QINGYANG LIU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

75.

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

MR. SHAN LIAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

33.

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

MR. JINCHENG ZENG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

76.

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

MR. SHAOHUA QI/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

34.

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

MR. ZEBIN WU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

77.

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

MR. NING TIAN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

35.

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

MR. QIQIANG SU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

78.

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

MR. YIZHANG LIN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

36.

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

MR. SONGPO HUANG/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

79.

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

Chinese Customer Service Representative

37.

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

MR. SONGHU GAO/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. CAISHENG SHANGGUAN/ Chinese

38.

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

MR. ZEMIN LIN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

80.

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

MS. GUIZHU XU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

MR. XIANGZHI CHEN/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

81.

39.

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

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

MR. WEIGUO XU/ Chinese

Chinese Customer Service Representative

1.

2.

Green Monday BusinessMirror

A8 Monday, December 9, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

UN chief: Green economy ‘not to be feared, but…to be embraced’

M

ADRID—A green economy is “not one to be feared, but an opportunity to be embraced,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a keynote speech to delegates at the opening of the 25th Conference of Parties (COP25) UN Climate Conference in Madrid last week.

A BP oil refinery is at work in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on December 4. The UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 takes place in Madrid until December 13 under the presidency of the government of Chile. AP/MARTIN MEISSNER

Guter res out lined the work program for what will be a busy two-week event covering multiple aspects of the climate crisis, i nc lud i ng c apac it y- bu i ld i ng , deforestation, indigenous peoples, cities, finance, technology and gender.

“The tasks are many,” he said, “our time lines are tight, and every item is important.”

The conference must convey a firm determination to change course, demonstrate that the world is seriously committed to stopping the “war against nature,” and has the political will to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, he continued.

COP25 marks the beginning of a 12-month process to review the countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs), the commitments made under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, and ensure that they are ambitious enough to defeat the climate emergency.

Overcome divisions, put a price on carbon

ENCOURAGING signs of progress, noted Guterres, came out of the UN’s Climate Action Summit in September, which saw initiatives proposed by small island nations and least-developed countries, major cities and regional economies, as well as the private and financial sectors.

The stated intention of some 70 countries to submit enhanced NDCs in 2020—with 65 countries and major economies committing to work for net zero emissions by 2050—while governments and investors are backing away from fossil fuels, were also cited as positive signs.

The UN chief called for leaders to end division over climate change and reach consensus on carbon pricing, a crucial tool for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions. In doing so, he said, will “get markets up

and running, mobilize the private sector, and ensure that the rules are the same for everyone.”

Is this the generation that ‘fiddled while the planet burned?’

HOWEVER, failing to decide on a price for carbon will, warned Guterres, risk fragmenting the carbon markets, sending a negative message that can undermine efforts to solve the climate crisis.

Throughout his speech, the UN secretary-general was crystal clear about the urgent, existential level of the climate crisis. Failure to act, he said, will be the path of surrender: “Do we really want to be remembered as the generation that buried its head in the sand, that fiddled while the planet burned?”

T he signs of potential disaster are unmissable, he declared.

For example, the cur rent concentration of carbon diox ide (CO2) in the atmosphere is comparable to that seen bet ween 3 mil lion and 5 mil lion years ago, when the temperature was bet ween 2 degrees Celsius and 3°C war mer than now, and sea levels were 10 to 20 meters higher than today.

Other indicators include the fact that the last five years have been the hottest on record, and have seen extreme weather events and associated disasters, from hurricanes to drought to floods to wildfires.

Ice caps are melting at a rapid rate, sea levels are rising and oceans are acidifying, threatening all marine life.

Meanwhile, coal plants continue to be planned and built, and large, important parts of the global economy—from agriculture to transportation, from urban planning and construction to cement, steel and other carbon-intensive industries­— are still run in ways that are unsustainable.

“There is no time and no reason to delay,” Guterres concluded. “We have the tools, we have the science, we have the resources. Let us show we also have the political will that people demand from us. To do anything less will be a betrayal of our entire human family and all the generations to come.”

Time for politicians to lead, not follow

SPEAKING at a roundtable with heads of state and government at t e n d i n g C OP 2 5 , G ut e r r e s urged them to lead, and not follow, at a time when public opinion over the environment is evolving ver y quick ly, and cities, regions and the business community are taking action to tackle the climate crisis.

The secretary-general reminded them that at the recent G20 meeting of the world’s leading economies in Osaka, a group of asset management companies, representing some $34 trillion had asked political leaders to enhance climate action, end subsidies to fossil fuels and put a price on carbon.

The private sector, he added, is increasingly demonstrating a strong commitment to move forward, and complaining that it’s governments who are lagging behind: regulation is inadequate, fiscal systems are not favorable, subsidies are still going to fossil fuels and companies face obstacles to climate action.

With a head of steam building for action, it is for political leaders to “to be able to take profit of this movement and to lead, for us to be able to defeat climate change.”

Climate crisis affecting ‘those least responsible for it’

THE secretary-general also addressed a forum of “climate vulnerable” countries, where he pointed out the “great injustice” of climate change: its effects fall most on those least responsible for it.

He cited examples, including Moz a mbique a nd t he C a r ib bean, ravaged by stor ms that c au se de v a st at ion, i n ter m s of lives lost, communities uprooted and economies crippled, and drought in the Sahel and t he Hor n of A f r ic a .

Never theless, some of the most vulnerable nations are in the forefront of climate action, showing leadership at September’s Climate Action Summit: Guterres expressed his hope that their example will be followed by the world’s big emitters. UN News/IPS

Wood, the perfect material to replace single-use plastics

T

HEIR images have gone viral on social media: turtles with plastic straws stuck in their nostrils; whales beached and dying, with plastic waste filling their bellies with poison; and other marine life trapped by improperly disposed plastic that has reached our oceans.

These horrific scenes have spurred many people to action.

Today, there is growing support to ban single-use plastic products.

In its place, more people are choosing to use more sustainable materials. From reusable bags to replace plastic shopping bags to paper straws that are compostable and can be disposed of easily with little impact to our environment, people are making a responsible choice for the environment.

One of the most popular options for those who are looking for more environment-friendly materials is wood.

Wood is a versatile material that can be made into various products. From wooden spoon and forks that are perfect for you r ne x t pic n ic to wooden toothbrushes, there are various products now available that can replace plastic products that you have come to rely upon. “ Wood has been a tr usted

material since time immemorial,” Charlie Liu, chairman of the Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA) said. “Now, people are realizing that wood is not only reliable as a building material, but also sustainable and flexible enough to be used in various applications, including eating utensils and various forms of packaging.”

Wood is proven to be very sustainable. As it is naturally derived

from trees, it has little impact on our environment and it retains the carbon it has absorbed over its lifetime, as long as it is not burned or allowed to decompose.

Another good thing is that it is strong enough to be used again and again, making it a wise investment. Many kitchen utensils today are made of wood, such as wooden spoons and ladles that are used for cooking.

Not only are they “ food-safe,”

they also help prolong the life of nonstick pans as it does not scratch the coating.

In addition, micro-fibrillated cellulose, which can be derived from wood, is now being studied as a viable replacement to traditional sources of plastic, such as petroleum. Studies show that the material is resilient enough to be made into various types of packaging and safe enough to be used to pack food materials.

“Wood is a promising material, and it is the perfect solution to many of the problems that we have with plastic today, that’s why we’re advocating for the wider usage of wood products. These products have been proven time and time again to be reliable and sustainable,” Liu said.

PWPA is an organization that is dedicated to the wider usage of wood. They believe that through sustainable forest management, the demand of our country for sustainable wooden products can be met while ensuring that the environment is protected from further degradation.

This can be done through sustainable wood farming where trees that are harvested are replaced with more seedlings that can sequester more carbon from the air.

A CARNIVAL float depicts the school strikes “Friday for Future” the traditional carnival parade in Dusseldorf, Germany, on March 4. “Generation Greta” has become a vocal force in the debate over global warming. AP/MARTIN MEISSNER

‘Generation Greta:’ Angry youths put heat on climate talks

B

ER LIN—It’s safe to say t h at a ny one at t e nd i n g this year’s global climate conference in Madrid had better have a watertight excuse if they meet Greta Thunberg.

The Swedish teen has set a high standard for government officials, scientists and environmental campaigners attending the December 2 to 13 talks by deciding to sail back across the Atlantic, following a last-minute switch of venue from Chile.

Thunberg’s steadfast refusal to take the plane to Spain is a key plank of the message of the worldwide movement she has helped create, and of the earnestness with which its followers pursue their cause.

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of mostly young people are set to rally in cities around the world to demand that governments step up their efforts to curb climate change.

Thunberg is attending the Madrid conference to put world leaders on the spot—again—about what they are doing to protect her generation from the worst of global warming.

The 16-year-old has become an inspiration to peers, such as August Wietfeldt, a senior at Lusher Charter School in New Orleans, who says Thunberg has helped highlight the way previous generations have used up resources unsustainably.

“The short-term gain is just awful because then our generation, and ones after that, will need to bear the consequences,” he said.

Wietfeldt fears climate change could trigger massive economic and social problems akin to those seen in the 1930s, when severe drought caused mass migration away from America’s farming heartlands to the western states.

“If we don’t fight land loss, t hen t hat ’s going to happen again,” he said. “We really need to be taking action to prevent scenarios like that.”

Together with other members of the school’s SEA Club—Students for Environmental Action—Wietfeldt has been helping pick up trash at a park on the Mississippi River.

An ocean away, Jennifer Selfa shares that hands-on spirit in her school conservation group in Lagos, Nigeria.

“Some of the things I have been doing to reduce climate change are planting of trees,” the 15-yearold said.

Teacher Victoria Ebesunan said the students are helping battle ignorance about climate change, spreading the word in the local dialect—rather than English— about the need to protect the environment.

This growing awareness has become a big factor in the climate debate over the past year, said Andrew Steer, head of the

Washington-based environmental campaign group World Resources Institute.

“We’ve never had 7 million people, almost all young, marching before,” said Steer, referring to the “global climate strikes” that have marked moments of concerted worldwide protest over the past year—often organized largely over social media.

Thunberg alone has amassed more than 3 million Twitter followers since first launching her one-person protests in front of the Swedish parliament last year.

Steer sa id it ’s unc lear yet whether the movement, diffuse as it is, will continue to grow. But indications are that in the upcoming United States presidential election at least, climate change will play a prominent role.

“The issue is rising on the agenda, both in the United States and globally,” he said.

Simply, the candidates cannot ignore what’s going on.

In Louisiana, facing epic land loss that will only worsen if global warming raises sea levels further, confronting climate change is no mere student fad.

Last year, New Harmony High School opened with the goal of preparing students for careers in coastal protection and restoration.

“We want to help, so we can stay here longer than 50 years, because I want to raise my children here,” said sophomore Michael Bailey as he recently used a shovel to cut invasive vines away from a native tree.

“Making a little change—we might see what’s gonna happen.”

Earlier this year, signs of a “green wave” in politics emerged in elections for the European Parliament, where environmental parties were among the big vote winners.

Austria’s Green party is poised to enter government for the first time, while in neighboring Germany its sister party has been riding high in the polls for months.

Franziska Heinisch, a 20-yearold student and climate activist from the southwest German city of Heidelberg, said she’s hopeful that “Generation Greta,” as some have called it, is being heard by those in power.

“The pressure is simply growing,” said Heinisch, adding that Thunberg’s blunt talk—she famously confronted world leaders in New York with the words “How dare you?”—reflects some of the anger young people feels toward its elders.

For Johan Rockström, codirector of Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the youth movement has injected an element of morality into the climate debate, said Rockström. “[It’s created] a new narrative across generations in society to say, look, here: a healthy, clean, sustainable, safe future is what we want,” he said. AP

Biodiversity Monday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Monday, December 9, 2019

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

A9

Asean makes recommendations at UN body meeting

M

ONTREAL, Canada—Sharing common positions on key agendas on biodiversity, representatives of the Asean member-states participated and put forward recommendations for the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework at the 23rd meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-23) of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Singapore, speaking on behalf of the Asean, encouraged parties, governments and members of the private sector attending SBSTTA-23 to scale up investments on ecosystembased approaches, and to make use of opportunities for synergies between biodiversity and the climate finance mechanisms.

Wendy Yap Hwee Min, director of the International Biodiversity Division of Singapore’s National Parks Board, said best practices and experiences, including vulnerability to climate change, at the regional and subregional level will be taken into account in the process of developing the new biodiversity framework.

“Asean, for example, has considered how our protected areas and national parks, through the Asean Heritage Programme, can be part of our climate adaptation initiatives,” Singapore said.

The Asean member state also highlighted the Sixth Asean Heritage Parks Conference conducted in Pakse, Lao PDR, in October 2019, where a parallel session on ecosystem-based adaptation was held.

Singapore also noted the ongoing consultation on the crafting of the Asean Roadmap on Urban Green Infrastructure, which sets to incorporate ecosystem-based adaptation solutions in the urban setting.

“In addition, through the support of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity [ACB] and in cooperation with SwedBio, Asean has been facilitating meetings and discussions between the biodiversity national focal points and the climate-change focal points in the 10 Asean member-states to create a network of practitioners who will foster nature-based solutions in the Region,” Singapore said.

The Philippines supported this statement and endorsed the development of a global standard for nature-based solutions to create a common understanding of what constitutes a good nature-based solution.

Malaysia, on the other hand, suggested having preemptive measures within the targets and indicators in the biodiversity framework, apart from keeping the proposed targets specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based and the language simple for a wider audience.

“Malaysia reiterates that major transformative changes in every human activity are crucial and inevitable to minimize biodiversity loss to the maximum extent,” said Nor Azmi Bin Ahmad, principal assistant secretary of Malaysia’s Ministry of Water, Land, and Natural Resources’ Biodiversity and Forestry Management Division, reading Malaysia’s intervention.

Indonesia, meanwhile, proposed new potential targets or indicators to support the post-2020 targets, such as “the proportion of critical habitats in conservation areas and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures from baseline” and the “the number of sites and trends in representation of critical habitats that are managed and maintained from baseline.”

With its national statement read by Dr. Gono Semiadi, of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences or Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia, Indonesia underscored the role of the youth in supporting the post-2020 targets.

“We consider that the youth is the most vulnerable group to the effect of environmental harms as they are the generation that will live with the consequences of today’s actions or inactions,” Indonesia said.

Similarly, the Philippines pointed out that the post-2020 framework should be aligned with the goals and targets of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals.

It highlighted that its medium-term plan and long-term vision have integrated the global biodiversity targets into national development and sectoral planning frameworks.

With the implementation of the recently passed national law expanding the National Integrated Protected Areas System, the protected area coverage in the Philippines increased by 2 million hectares. “[This] represents our contribution toward meeting national and global targets on terrestrial protected areas,” Armida Andres, assistant director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau said, delivering the national statement of the Philippines.

Cambodia, led by Chan Somaly, deputy secretary general of the National Council for Sustainable Development of the Ministry of Environment, and Thailand, led by Dr. Benchamaporn Wattanatongchai of the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, issued their national statements in various agenda items in this meeting.

The meeting of SBSTTA here from November 25 to 29 aimed to lay the groundwork for negotiations to prepare the next year’s UN Biodiversity Conference in Kunming, China, and the development of the ambitious and effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Delegates from parties, regional organizations and private sector proposed themes for goals, and targets of post-2020 global biodiversity framework and reviewed new scientific and technical information on biodiversity and climate change.

“It was a productive five-day meeting where Asean as a group had expressed its regional positions on how to chart our directions beyond the 2020 global biodiversity targets,” said ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim.

A CROP scout prepares to enter a cornfield in Kentland, Indiana, US. DANIEL ACKER/BLOOMBERG

Making seeds to withstand climate change is getting harder

G

LOBAL hunger and malnutrition are on the rise, as are temperatures and water shortages. Humanity must adapt crops to the changing climate by breeding hardier plants, but political and commercial interests continue to stymie those efforts.

Sharing seeds is critical to the global food system. To develop new varieties of crops that can thrive in a warmer, wetter or drier world, researchers must screen a wide range of plant materials to find key traits, like drought- and pest-tolerance.

A broad mix of plants and animals is vital to maintaining a healthy ecosystem. For good crops, you need good soil. For good soil, you need a multitude of plants, wildlife and even pests.

Yet, agricultural biodiversity continues to decline. The culprits are urbanization, pollution, industrial farming practices and climate change.

More than 500 representatives gathered last week in Rome to resolve long-standing tensions over the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, a 2004 accord intended to protect the global food supply.

Six years of negotiations broke down over how to manage the treaty obligations of the genetic sequence inside seeds.

Giving government and private researchers access to more seeds allows them to breed plants better able to withstand everything from drought in the US West to the spread of coffee rust in South America. The fewer seeds they have access to, the more difficult the task.

Currently, fewer than 200 of 6,000 plant species cultivated for food by humanity contribute meaningfully to global food output, and a mere nine of those account for 66 percent of total crop production, according to a Febru-

ary United Nations report.

Almost one quarter of 4,000 wild food species—which can be even more nutrient-dense than their cultivated counterparts— are decreasing in abundance, according to the same report.

The market desire for high-performing plant varieties favored by big agriculture due to their highprofit potential further narrows the diversity in farmers’ fields.

The plant treaty includes a multilateral system by which signatories agree to share seeds that are both under their government’s control and in the public domain.

In doing so, research would be encouraged and varieties shared.

Commerc i a l pa r t ic ipa nts who patent resulting varieties agree to pay a portion of the profits into the Benefit Sharing Fund, which supports global seed conser vation efforts.

The accord, however, hasn’t f unct ioned as intended. T he number of seeds that signatories agreed to exchange were limited to just 64 food and forage (intended for animals) crops, omitting most vegetables along with highly profitable commodities, such as soybeans and cotton— giving major agribusinesses little incentive to participate.

As a result, industry money hasn’t flowed as expected into the benefit-sharing fund. Meanwhile, some nations, such as India and Ethiopia, have strict protections on their genetic materials, making it almost impossible to export them under any international agreement.

A geographic schism since the

treaty was signed has grown deeper over the rights to seeds’ genomics. Northern developed nations maintain that digital sequence information should not be subject to the benefit-sharing requirement, while some developing nations interpret the treaty as including the exchange of genetic information, as well as physical seeds.

“What it all comes down to is that everyone should have fair access to genetic resources and that poor countries can get access to the benefits that arise from using them,” Lise Lykke Steffensen, executive director of The Nordic Genetic Resource Center, an observer to the UN treaty, said in a statement.

“It is crucial that the international community agree on these matters. Not least since climate change and natural disasters today pose a substantial threat toward genetic resources worldwide.”

Negotiations to expand the number of crops available for exchange, and find a sustainable payment model, began in 2013. Consensus has slowly built toward a multipart solution. Notable change include: Users, such as agriculture companies would pay an upfront fee—likely a set percentage of profits—for access to an expanded catalog of seeds. The fee would go directly into the benefit fund.

The disagreement over genetic sequence information was tied to access. If such information ended up on a public database, anyone— even biotech or pharmaceutical companies—could use it without any obligation to pay into the fund, said Pierre du Plessis, a negotiator for Africa. Companies argue such information should remain freely available for research purposes.

That wasn’t the only hurdle.

Many companies are pushing for an option for occasional access to specific seeds without a full subscription, giving them the flexibility to take only what seeds they need without a long-term commitment. Opponents argue it undermines the entire basis of the treaty. “If you can access a few resources when you need them, it’s a disincentive to subscribe,” said du Plessis.

The fatal flaw of the original agreement was “an overestimation of value [of the seeds] and an underestimation of how willing countries would be to add seeds in the system,” said Paul Olson, head of Germplasm Intellectual Property and Plant Variety Protection for German seed company, KWS SAAT SE. Olson calls the 2.2 million distinct seed samples so far made available via the treaty a “mixed bag.” Only some are likely to have immediate value, he said.

To date, only one seed company, Nunhems Netherlands, which has commercialized 10 vegetable varieties using material from the seed exchange, has paid $153,835 into the benefit sharing fund. In total, the fund has raised $28 million, but mostly from voluntary government donations.

Despite its flaws, the treaty is nevertheless helping farmers. In total, 81 projects to assist seed adaptation in 67 developing countries have been supported by the fund.

L o s t v a r ie t ie s of n at i v e , drought-tolerant yams, millet and sorghum have been reintroduced in Malawi from international gene bank collections.

Egyptian farmers welcomed the return of rare citrus varieties, and community seed banks were established in vulnerable regions of Guatemala.

There are indirect benefits, as well. Partnerships have been formed, information and technology shared, researchers trained and farmers are now better able to adapt to climate change, according to a recent study coauthored by Michael Halewood, head of policies for crop and tree diversity management at Bioversity International.

The millions of dollars being debated for the benefit sharing fund are “peanuts compared to what gets thrown away if the system were to collapse,” he said.

As of now, developed countries don’t support continued formal negotiations, while developing nations warn that the future of the Plant Treaty is at stake if a revised deal isn’t eventually reached.

“I hope this is a separation, not a divorce,” said Halewood.

Bloomberg News

Cats to be put on leashes to protect wildlife? EU says No

B MUCH like humans, cats experience complex dreams while sleeping, involving long sequences of events that can be retained and recalled. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

RUSSELS—Put domestic cats on a leash to better protect threatened birds and the environment?

T he Eu ropea n Un ion s ay s t h at wou ld d e ny m a n k i nd ’s f u r r y f r iend it s u n a l ien able r ig ht to roa m.

The EU’s executive said last week that it is “a strong defender of free movement rights—including of cats” and “categorically” denied it would ever force cats to be kept indoors or on a leash, as one

scientific study suggests.

Tilburg University scientists wrote in Oxford’s Journal of Environmental Law that free-ranging domestic cats “ impact biodiversity through predation, disturbance, competition, disease and hybridization,” and added that the predatory impact is worse than often assumed.

They argued that EU laws and directives could effectively force owners to keep them indoors or on a leash outdoors. AP

A10 Monday, December 9, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Regulating the airwaves

W

ITH the advent of radio broadcasting in the 20th century, it became necessary for governments to regulate and restrict the use of the limited amount of frequency space on the airwaves. Unlike printing presses—and now the Internet—there is a physical limit to the number of radio and television stations in a particular area of operation with the existing technologies. That is simply a fact.

However, it is also a fact that governments in the past 100 years have used its power of regulation to control radio and television despite the “freedom of the press.” Many countries place the legal responsibility and authority for licensing in some sort or another of a regulatory agency. Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore are the only countries in Southeast Asia where the law clearly provides for licensing of broadcasters by the regulator, in our case the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

Nevertheless as broadcasting is considered under the broad definition of a “public utility,” the Philippine Constitution goes one step farther as it “prohibits the issuance of any franchise to operate a public utility except in accordance with certain conditions, including that this shall be ‘subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal’ by Congress” including for broadcasting.

There are some interesting aspects of the laws governing broadcasting.

For example, the NTC, created by Executive Order 546, is responsible for issuing licenses but has no power over content. Other agencies do that.

Also, in the Divinagracia’s Case, the Supreme Court decided that the NTC did not have the power to cancel licenses when Congress had issued franchises to operate broadcast stations.

We certainly do not like the idea of any president of any administration “interfering” in the granting of licenses or laws approving a broadcasting franchise. Nonetheless, in the Philippines as in some other nations, governments have the power to pick “winners and losers” for airwave space through legislation. Therefore, that decision is inherently political whether we like it, or not.

The Constitution specifically says: “The Congress shall regulate or prohibit monopolies in commercial mass media when the public interest so requires.” Conceivably, there could be only one company owning the only television and radio station in the Philippines unless a decision—a political decision—were made to stop that practice by Congress. Congress would decide if a total monopoly was or was not against the public interest.

Now comes the fox in the chicken coop. The concept of freedom of speech allows if not requires any individual or group to say whatever they desire while considering other laws against libel, defamation, sedition, and the like.

These all would be decided by the courts, not Congress. Theoretically, the courts would make a decision based on the letter and spirit of the written law and not simply on “we do not like or agree with what you are saying.”

A research paper by Toby Mendel from the Open Society founded and funded by George Soros written in 2000 was titled “Audiovisual Media Policy, Regulation and Independence in Southeast Asia.” He wrote, “The Philippines is somewhat anomalous, as the lack of an independent regulator does not appear to have resulted in serious political bias in the licensing process. There is no question, however, that in all the other countries in the region, control over regulation has led to a situation where most private broadcasters tend to support the government.”

Our legislators need to look deep in their own conscience when they vote for or against any broadcast franchise.

Reading prepares us for life Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

RISING SUN

I

N the past, young children enjoy story time with their parents, grandparents and teachers. Adults read to them at bedtime, fostering a love for books and the written word. This tradition has largely been replaced by gadgets and apps. Now there are apps and shows to occupy children during play time, to get them to fall asleep, to teach them things. While technology definitely has its upside, nothing can replace the human connection and the tactile experience of reading from a physical book.

Many young people today are not growing up to be book lovers or voracious readers. Yes, they have learned how to read and they do read still but, usually, these are texts on the screen. Who’s to say that this popular culture and habits of today’s youth

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promotion or passing everyone to minimize dropout rates, including students who don’t deserve to move up. The use of the English language has also been sidelined in some institutions, reducing some students’ comprehension skills in English.

We’ve heard some people suggest that, perhaps, it is time to bring back the national college entrance examinations. These comments and suggestions definitely need to be reviewed now, especially in light of the recent PISA results.

It’s important that we raise our youth to become skilled readers. Let’s bring back the culture of reading in our homes and classrooms. Let’s start them young because it helps build strong foundations for their future.

Regularly replace the electronic gadgets with an actual book, the voice over with an actual person telling a story. Let’s help the country raise smart readers, one child, one book, one home at a time.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence Atty. Lorna Patajo-Kapunan

Since 2005

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

is not one of the reasons why the Filipino student performed poorly in the international assessment done by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)?

Out of 79 countries that participated in the 2018 Programme for

International Student Assessment (PISA), the Filipino students landed at the very bottom in the reading category, and second to last in math and science. This was the first time that the Philippines joined the global assessment.

It is not only important to build a habit of reading, to love books and the written word, to be able to pass exams and get high grades in school.

Being a good reader and having good comprehension skills help a person form judgments and opinions. Reading also prepares a person for life, maybe not directly but in many significant ways. Reading helps a person strengthen and improve the self, and it helps one gain an “original” mind.

All of these things are very important in creating a well-rounded, creative, intelligent and skilled human being who has the capacity to face life and its challenges.

Some educators blame the education system and the practice of mass

LEGALLY SPEAKING

T

HE Philippines is the leading Asian country in closing the gender gap. The country has a comprehensive gender policy framework and is a signatory of key international policies, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw), the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The country also has comprehensive gender plans, such as the Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (1995-2025), which cover all gender dimensions from political, social and economic. In terms of legislation, the Philippines passed a comprehensive law on gender equality called the Magna Carta of Women (2009). Furthermore, the country has legislation dedicated to antidiscrimination, anti-harassment, anti-violence against women and children (VAWC), maternity and childcare, and reproductive health.

This year, the country joins more than 6,000 organizations from approximately 187 countries in celebrating the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls.

The campaign runs every year from November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to December 10, Human Rights Day. It was initiated in 1991 by the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute, held by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) at Rutgers University.

The 16 days celebration marks the following significant dates: n November 25—International Day for the Elimination of Violence

Against Women. n November 29—International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. n December 1—World AIDS Day. n December 5—International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development. n December 6—Anniversary of the Montreal massacre, which is observed as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. n December 10—International Human Rights Day and the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Every year, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign either introduces a new

This year, the country joins more than 6,000 organizations from approximately 187 countries in celebrating the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls.

theme, or continues an old one. The theme focuses on one particular area of gender inequality and works to bring attention to these issues and make changes that will have an impact (UN Women, www.unwomen.org): The first campaign theme in 1991 was “Violence Against Women Violates Human Rights,” and women from around the world came together with the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at the first International Women’s Leadership Institute. The theme was used again in 1992.

In 1993, the third campaign’s second theme was “Democracy in the Family, Democracy of Families, Democracy for Every Body.”

The 1994 theme brought back the first theme, but with a minor change: “Awareness, Accountability, Action: Violence Against Women Violates Human Rights.”

The 1995 theme, “Vienna, Cairo, Copenhagen, and Beijing: Bringing Women’s Human Rights Home,” focused on four major conferences, including the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (September, 1995), which was “the third major UN conference since the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna [1993],” and “...follows the International Conference on Population and

Development [Cairo, 1994], and the World Summit on Social Development [Copenhagen, 1995].”

As a follow-up to the 1995 themes and major conferences within recent years, the 1996 theme was “Bringing Women’s Human Rights Home: Realizing Our Visions.”

The 1997 campaign was “Demand Human Rights in the Home and the World,” which was working toward the 1998 Global Campaign for Women’s Human Rights.

The theme for the campaign in 1998 was “Building a Culture of Respect for Human Rights.”

The 1999 campaign theme was “Fulfilling the Promise of Freedom from Violence.”

In 2000, the theme was “Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Campaign,” in which participants would review the accomplishments of the last 10 years of the campaign and build upon those achievements.

The Center also asked participants to send in documentation of their work in order to initiate a project to document the efforts of the campaign.

The campaign theme in 2001 was “Racism and Sexism: No More Violence.”

The campaign theme in 2002 was “Creating a Culture that Says No to Violence Against Women.”

The 2003 campaign, “Violence Against Women Violates Human Rights: Maintaining the Momentum Ten Years After Vienna” (1993– 2003), was focused on reviewing changes that had occurred in the 10 years since the Vienna Declaration that was a result of the “World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna (1993)” and the UN General See “Kapunan,” A11

Opinion BusinessMirror

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A walkable Metro Manila ‘Hygge’ Christmas Thomas M. Orbos

Siegfred Bueno Mison, Esq.

STREET TALK

E

QUAL to the lack of an adequate and convenient public transport that we are trying to address with all the current programs being undertaken, are the vanishing spaces where people can walk or bike. These last mile, “walkable” corridors, in most cases had been taken over by encroaching establishments, illegal vendors and even legitimate road widening and utility pole placements. Except if you live in those exclusive villages and in the upscale business districts, people almost always walk and bike on the same road where you have the motorized transport to include the tricycles that lord it over in the inner city streets.

In the normal scheme of things, pedestrian and cyclists are at the top of the hierarchy of urban mobility.

A pedestrian-centered community would be more sustainable equating to lesser traffic congestion, and a safer and healthier environment.

We see this in many urban cities outside the Philippines, even those in the region, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul. But here in our country, pedestrians, as well as cyclists, are a neglected lot. Not only do we lack adequate walkable spaces; but let’s admit it, our automobile society simply do not give the same respect that pedestrians and cyclists enjoy in other countries.

Most road victims in Metro Manila, aside from motorcycle riders, are pedestrians and cyclists. Try crossing our roads, even on legit pedestrian lanes and you will see cars not just passing you by but some trying to beat you on the crossing.

One cannot, however, take pedestrian power lightly. In one pedestrian footbridge crossing the south expressway, the average foot traffic is more than 100,000. Even in congested Edsa, you may not realize it, but there are a lot of people walking from Makati to Ortigas. Why not?

Except for the pollution they need to bear with, they end up arriving faster than their motorized counterparts.

That is why it is heartwarming to know that efforts are under way to build walkable areas connected to the main motor/rail corridors, specifically Edsa. There is at present a $100-million loan package being worked out with the Asian Development Bank to provide ample walkable lanes in several pedestrian congested areas along Edsa. The socalled Edsa Greenways is envisioned to connect wide and elevated pedestrian walkways to existing rail lines on Taft Avenue, Cubao, Guadalupe and Balintawak. ADB commits to the completion of these projects by the end of 2020.

But our cities can do more. The move by the Department of Local

Kapunan. . .

continued from A10

Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (2003).

The 2004–2005 campaign was “For the Health of Women, for the Health of the World: No More Violence,” particularly focused on the “intersection of violence against women and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.”

The 2006 campaign, “Celebrate 16 Years of 16 Days: Advance Human Rights End Violence Against Women,” celebrated not only those who had contributed to the campaign, but those who had given their lives or suffered violence during their fight against gender inequality.

The 2007 campaign was “Demanding Implementation, Challenging Obstacles: End Violence Against Women.”

The 2008 campaign was “Human Rights for Women <--> Human Rights for All: UDHR60,” which celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The 2009 theme was “Commit, Act, Demand: We CAN End Violence Against Women!”

Governments and cities nationwide earlier this year was a good first step.

As directed by the President, roads were successfully cleared of illegal structures. The next logical step is protecting those walkways, make sure they stay cleared and make them more walkable or convenient for the pedestrians.

I remember one time when I was still with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, we traced a viable network of walkways that would connect its 17 local government units. These were mostly along riverbanks and government properties. Imagine biking or walking all the way from Quezon City to Parañaque, unhampered, without the danger posed by cars and trucks.

Last time I checked, this project can still be pursued because much of the unutilized space remains, with most of them converted to parking lots.

The private sector can also jumpstart the push to pedestrian mobility with private buildings, and other establishments simply allowing elevated walkway access to adjacent buildings. Our big mall owners and land developers who have even gotten one notch ahead by developing townships with adequate pedestrian spaces, can initiate their mall connectivity to intermodal transport zones by building elevated walkways without cost to the government. Besides this would guarantee foot traffic to their establishments.

Walkable cities are progressive and sustainable cities, with a happier and fulfilled citizenry. It is heartwarming to see pocket areas of successes in several of our cities. And with the sustained government push and private-sector initiative, a walkable and breathable Metro Manila can happen sooner than we realize.

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

The theme in 2010 marked the 20th year of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, and was titled “Structures of Violence: Defining the Intersections of Militarism and Violence Against Women.”

From 2011 to 2014, the theme of the campaign was “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women!”

In 2015 and 2016, the theme of the campaign was “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Make Education Safe for All!” In 2017, the theme of the campaign was “Leave No One Behind: End Violence against Women and Girls.”

In the year 2018, the theme of the campaign was “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work.”

The directed theme in 2019 that acknowledged the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence was “Ending Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work + Action to support ratification of #ILO190.”

It is hoped that respect for women (and this now has expanded to include the LGBTQ+ Community) becomes a reality—not only a 16day celebration of activism every year.

THE PATRIOT

H

APPY Holidays! I am sure this December will be packed with parties with lots of fun and festive celebrations. Gift giving will be a norm. Family and friends will be happily eating and drinking together. But what does it really take to have a happy holiday season?

In a 2010 Harvard survey, happiness supposedly comes from three acts of “doing good”—when you do good for others, when you do things you are good at and when you do good things for yourself. The Happiness Research Institute says that “happiness levels are complicated results of social relationships, sense of purpose, genetics, age, employment status, absolute and relative income, social comparisons, self-esteem, aspirations, health status, autonomy, consumption pattern, civil status and time use—to name a few.” For quite some time now, various reports have indicated that Danes (people in Denmark) are the happiest people in the world. This holiday season, Filipinos can take the cue from the Danes to have a hygge celebration this December.

The word hygge (pronounced as Hoo Gah) comes from a Danish word meaning to give courage, comfort, joy. During winter, Danes keep themselves comfortable and cozy by way of light (candlelight or open fires) and warmth (hot drinks, wool socks). But in essence, hygge is about indulging in the small good things in life, some of which can be found in a small circle of quality friends. In a report, titled “The Happy Danes,” published by the Happiness Research Institute, “whenever we become more satisfied with our social relationships, our happiness increases.” I am blessed to have BFF and FFL in the Philippines and genuine friends in the United States who, after oh so many years, I managed to reconnect with during my sabbatical.

Reunion for a cause Joel L. Tan-Torres

DEBIT CREDIT Part One

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T was heartwarming seeing a record number of about 300 alumni and guests troop to the University of the Philippines Promenade to attend the annual homecoming reunion on December 7, 2019. That day, the UP Virata School of Business (UP VSB, or formerly the UP College of Business Administration) community gathered to not only bond with their batchmates, but also to rekindle ties and pledge support to their alma mater. It was fortunate that all of these happened during my second month as the new dean of the VSB. This year’s homecoming had a fiesta motif under the tagline of the title of the popular folk song of “Liron Liron Sinta.” Liron was used instead of the original name of Leron since this is the acronym of my initiatives as dean of the college of “Looking in Reaching Out Now.” These initiatives are anchored in looking into and tapping the various resources and goodwill of the VSB to perpetuate its many successes in the past, and being

outward looking and reaching out to address many requirements of the various stakeholders of the school.

UP VSB should be able to service the academic and other demands of both its internal stakeholders and the external community.

Inside the UP Promenade Fair grounds, the guests were welcomed by a festive drum and bugle band and colorful banderitas hanging in poles.

They enjoyed so many sights, sounds

Monday, December 9, 2019 A11

One of these friends is Ric Orbe.

He migrated to New York during his teenage years, joined the US Marines and now lives in Houston for the past 30 years. I have not seen Ric since I finished elementary in 1978. When we got finally reconnected via Facebook, I had difficulty recalling any childhood experience with Ric. When he sent me a class photo, I finally remembered him, but not as Ric, but as Rusty. One of my closest friends in Claret School, Rustico “Rusty” Orbe practically served as my school bodyguard as he stood a head taller than me. Whenever I was harassed by others, Rusty will be there to ward these bullies away. As I was visiting relatives in Houston, I was given the chance to meet Rusty, now Ric. We spent one whole evening just talking about our mischievous ways (playing sipa/ burutan) and laughing at just about everything we did when we were in grade school. It felt good. We parted ways genuinely happy despite not being able to play golf.

Good relationships keep us happier. Rusty did a good thing for me by reestablishing our friendship.

We can make others happy too by finding them, even if it will take more than 10 years as in the case of Rusty finding me. Happiness can come by simply cherishing our most important relationships, especially those from the distant past. One

such relationship, perhaps for most of us, is what we have with our Creator. Due to the worldly challenges we face, we often lose sight of Him. We need to reestablish our connection with Him who’s always over us (God), around us (Jesus) and within us (Holy Spirit) no matter what we do in life. Those who have found God are simply happier than those who have not. In the Bible, Psalms 68:3 tells us, “But the righteous will be happy. They will rejoice when they see the face of God. They will shout because they are so happy!” I have yet to see a believer or a follower of Christ who is unhappy. We might have less than what others have but we can still find happiness in hygge, in the small blessings we receive from Him. Preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” Danes are not the richest people on Earth, but they are certainly one of the happiest due to how they value things in life that give them courage, comfort, and joy such as genuine relationships. Filipinos can be just as happy, especially when they share the little things in life this Holiday season—their relationship with family, friends and God. We can all have a hygge.

and amenities of the school reunion cum fiesta. There were various stalls selling food, drinks, fruits and even a boot providing for virtual reality games. Alumni scrambled to buy UP souvenir and VSB commemorative items. They also enjoyed a lot of freebies, including free haircut or trim in an instant pop up salon booth, product giveaways and door prizes.

The school recognized the Jubilarian classes consisting of Batch ’59, Batch ’64, Batch ’69, Batch ’74, my own Batch ’79, Batch ’84, Batch ’89, Batch ’94, Batch ’99, Batch ’09, Batch ’04 and Batch ’14, and gave special customized medallions of recognition to the member-alumni. We honored three Distinguished Alumni Awardees, namely Ericson Marquez, Reginald Yu and Wilson Chua.

I signed a memorandum of understanding with the heads of the VSB alumni associations; Manuel Villar, the chairman of the College of Business Administration Alumni Association; and Francisco Josef, the president of the MBA Alumni Society. The objective of the MOU is to ensure that the VSB’s relationship with its alumni, through the alumni associations, is a strong and positive partnership, benefiting both the alumni, the VSB and its various

stakeholders.

Three jubilarian batches donated to the VSB. These are Batch 1959 (LED Viosk Display valued at P200,000), Batch 1969, and Batch 1994 (P1,200,000). I personally extend again my appreciation to these batches for their generous support. I anticipate that the other batches will be sending their contributions soon.

During the homecoming, I launched four major initiatives, the 2020 Alumni and Corporate Networking Directory, a revitalized communication platforms, the LIRO Alumni and Supporters program, and the VSB Vantage Point Journal. These programs are intended to foster further the relationship and engagement of the school with its alumni.

For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.

To be continued

Joel L. Tan-Torres is the dean of the University of the Philippines Virata School of Business. He was the former commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue from 2009 to 2010, the chairman of the Professional Regulatory Board of Accountancy from 2014 to August 2018 and a partner of Reyes Tacandong & Co., CPA, from 2011 to October 2019 and the SyCip Gorres & Velayo. He is a certified public accountant who garnered No. 1 in the CPA Board Examination of May 1979.

Robots are very bad news for millennial workers

By Ferdinando Giugliano Bloomberg Opinion

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HE rise of populist politicians across the rich world has led to a profound rethinking of the way developed economies work. In particular, the impact of automation on the labor market, and the disappearance of routine manufacturing jobs, has been blamed for the electoral successes of leaders, such as US President Donald J. Trump and Italy’s Matteo Salvini.

Yet, there are profound differences in what determines the economic winners and losers on the two sides of the Atlantic. In the US, the main factor deciding whether a worker can prosper in the age of robots appears to be education. Conversely, in the European Union, it seems to be whether staff have strong protection in their employment contracts—as many older industrial workers do here.

It would be foolish for any government to dissuade companies from investing in machines that are more productive. Innovation is a powerful driver of economic growth. However, they do need to make sure the impact

of automation is spread evenly.

The American model of favoring the educated may be brutal, but at least it has a semblance of being meritocratic (if you ignore the skewing of colleges toward the rich). By contrast, the European tendency to protect staff with the best work contracts is unfair on the younger workers without those safeguards.

That’s hardly the best way to deal with the problem of intergenerational injustice that drives some younger voters toward populist politicians on the left and right.

A study by Konstantinos Pouliakas for the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training shows the extent to which automation is a challenge for Europe.

Using a survey of nearly 50,000 individuals, he found that 14 percent of adult workers may face a very high risk of automation. The occupations most in danger are routine jobs with little demand for transferable skills or social interaction.

As in the US, the middle-income part of the European labor market is being hollowed out. Maarten Goos, Alan Manning and Anna Salomons, three economists, looked at 16

European countries between 1993 and 2006. They found an increase in the employment share for highpaid professionals and managers, as well as low-paid services workers, and a decrease in the share of manufacturing and routine office workers. This change is explained by the so-called routinization hypothesis, which states simply that since computers can easily replace routine tasks, workers doing these jobs are most vulnerable.

Strangely, unlike in the US, there’s little sign that automation is further polarizing wages in Europe.

The economists Paolo Naticchioni, Giuseppe Ragusa and Riccardo Massari looked at salaries on the continent for the period 1995-2007 and found technology has only a weak effect on their distribution. Their other interesting finding is that education plays no role in determining wage inequality in the EU, which isn’t the case for Americans.

However, there are clear losers from automation in Europe, as highlighted in a study of Germany by Wolfgang Dauth, an economist at the University of Wuerzburg, and his colleagues. Dauth finds that

most of the burden falls on young workers just entering the manufacturing sectors. Europe’s labor market rigidity—expressed in employment protection for longer-serving staff—means companies have to give more stable and better-paid jobs to older incumbents, and thereby penalize new entrants. Younger workers have to switch plants or abandon manufacturing altogether, and face significant earning losses.

Should governments respond by dissuading innovation? Not at all.

The example of Italy shows that not having enough automation has a pernicious effect on the labor market. Gaetano Basso, a researcher at the Bank of Italy, found that since the mid-2000s, Italians haven’t suffered wage polarization, but rather an outright degradation of the jobs market. Only the share of low-wage manual occupations has increased markedly, while high-wage jobs have dropped along with middle-income employment. The lack of automation is one cause. Italy’s economy has been marred by stagnant productivity for three decades, so it’s unsurprising that wages and job quality haven’t improved.

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‘PHL needs other growth drivers to reduce poverty’

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By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said there is a need to “level up” economic growth and incomes to further cut poverty incidence, which dropped to 16.6 percent in 2018, from 23.3 percent in 2015.

Neda Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Rosemarie G. Edillon told the BusinessMirror on the sidelines of the pov-

erty briefing on Friday that the expansion of the local construction sector between 2015 and 2018 fueled the government’s

“The push for construction... generated a lot of jobs and increased incomes.”–Edillon

poverty reduction efforts.

Edillon said the construction sector would allow the Philippines to sustain its poverty reduction efforts at least until the end of the next administration.

“Obviously, there are only so many roads and bridges that we can build, so there really is a need to level up at some point. But for

up until the next administration, [construction] will do as a main growth driver. However, we need to improve the skills of the work force so they go into higher-paying jobs,” she said.

Edillon said the construction boom brought about by the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program raised the incomes of the poor.

This, she said, is the reason for the faster increase in the incomes of the bottom 30 percent of the population compared to the income of the upper 70 percent. This eventually led to the reduction in the poverty rate between 2015 and 2018.

See “Poverty,” A2

Lawmaker seeks legalization of ‘habal-habal’

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LEADER of the House of Representatives on Sunday called for the swift passage of a house bill that seeks to legalize motorcycle-for-hires, or habalhabal, as a mode of public transportation nationwide.

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte Jr. said he believes doing so “would ease Filipino commuters’ woes amid worsening traffic condi-

tions” in the country, particularly in the metropolis.

Villafuerte made the appeal after a second app-based motorcycle ride-hailing platform, Joyride, requested to join the six-month trial run to be public transport provider from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Under House Bill 4652, where Villafuerte is principal author, the

NORTHEAST MONSOON AFFECTING LUZON. as of 4:00 am - December 8, 2019

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) would require motorcycle service providers “to obtain insurance coverage for their drivers and their passengers, as well as insurance to cover third-party liabilities.”

Furthermore, the DOTr would be mandated “to prescribe the routes and require the establishment of terminals for these motorcycles,”

the lawmaker said. “[The] No. 1 priority in transporting people is the safety and welfare of the passengers and the driver. In welcoming a new age of public transportation, this bill seeks to set the groundwork to make motorcycles safe and secure for the riding public and the operators,” Villafuerte said. “[This] would start the framework for quality assurance among motorcycles for hire, give commuters an alternative for a mode of transportation and ensure a safe road for everyone,” he added.

HB 4652 seeks to amend Section 3 and 7 of Republic Act (RA) 4136 “to include motorcycle-forhire in the definition of terms and in the classification of vehicles that would be required for registration with the LTFRB,” he said.

The bill, if passed into law, would legitimize habal-habals as a mode of public transportation in the country, which are currently operating in Metro Manila, Cebu, General Santos and Cagayan de Oro, Villafuerte added.

Under HB 4652, for-hire motorcycles are declared as common carriers “for purposes of determining the liability and degree of diligence that must be observed in the course of transporting passengers or goods, and the presumption of negligence in breach of contract shall, likewise, apply to them.”

The LTFRB and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) are tasked to ensure the road-worthiness of motorcycles-for-hire before registration or renewal of registration, Villafuerte said.

The bill would also mandate the LTFRB “prescribe, approve and periodically review and adjust” reasonable fares, rates, and other related charges for the operation of motorcycles-for-hire.

“To further ensure safety, no modifications shall be made on motorcycles-for-hire, except the installation, based on safe engineering design specifications, of motorcycle luggage carrier, saddlebag, step board or foot peg and appropriate speed limiter and monitoring device,” the bill read.

The bill said the LTFRB may allow motorcycles-for-hire to choose and use online ride-hailing platforms or prearranged transportation platforms, accredited by the proper government agency under the applicable laws and rules and regulations. The bill said the caveat is “such online ride-hailing platforms or prearranged transportation platforms shall provide a fare estimator that enables users to estimate the cost of a trip, and issue an electronic receipt afterwards,” it added. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

Peralta, Bernabe head FLP boards of judges

PERALTA

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HIEF Justice Diosdado M. Peralta heads the Board of Judges of the Legal Scholarship Program of the Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity, while Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe chairs the Board of Judges of the FLP Dissertation Writing Contest.

The FLP Legal Scholarship Program selects 20 outstanding thirdand fourth-year law students from around the Philippines. In partnership with Tan Yan Kee Foundation (TYK), FLP awards each scholar P200,000 per school year.

The first batch of FLP scholars all passed last year’s bar exam with two of them landing in the top 10: Sean James Borja, first place and Katrina Monica Gaw, fifth place.

This year, 33 applied from whom the Board of Judges will select 10 third-year scholars. Of the 10 third-year scholars last year, nine retained their scholarships for their fourth-year class.

Thus, the Board of Judges will select one more to complete the 10 fourth-year law scholars.

The FLP Dissertation Writing Contest aims to augment existing literature on the Foundation’s core philosophy of liberty and prosperity under the Rule of Law. In partnership with Ayala Corp., it awards the first place winner P300,000,

PERLAS-BERNABE

second place—P200,000, three third places—P100,000 each, and 20 finalists, P20,000 each. The contest is open to all Filipino law students, including those taking masteral degrees. Deadline for submitting entries is April 30, 2020.

T his year’s first prize was awarded to Josiah David Quising of the Far Eastern University, second prize to Diana Lou Boado of the Lyceum of the Philippines University. The three third place winners were Charles de Belen of San Beda University, Beverly Lumbera of LUMSA University-Rome, and Clarissa Mae Sawali of FEU. The FLP was founded in 2011 to perpetuate the core judicial philosophy of retired Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban—that jurists and lawyers should safeguard liberty and nurture prosperity under the Rule of Law. The members of the FLP Board of Trustees are CJ Panganiban (Chairman), former Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus, retired Supreme Court Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, former BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., Evelyn Dumdum, Joel Emerson Gregorio, Prof. Elenita Panganiban and Maria Elena PS. Yaptangco.

For more information, please log on to www.libpros.com.

HOME CARE PREVENTS WOMEN FROM GETTING WORKER BENEFITS–PIDS

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HE burden of caring for the home prevents women from accessing social protection and other worker benefits, according to a study released by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (Pids).

In a study, titled “Towards Inclusive Social Protection Program Coverage in the Philippines: Examining Gender Disparities,” Pids Research Fellow Aubrey D. Tabuga and Research Analyst Carlos C. Cabaero said exclusion from social protection is common among those who are not in the formal labor force.

The exclusion from social protection especially affects women who, according to the Labor Force Survey released in March, accounted for nearly 40 percent of those not in the labor force. This means around 10.569 million women stay at home to attend to the needs of their respective family and household.

“So long as women are viewed as the persons responsible for looking after their family and household needs, the problem of low labor force participation rate will persist,” the authors said.

“Between formal work and family, many women would rather care for their family members. Social insurance schemes, therefore, must not be

10.569 million The number of women who stays at home to attend to the needs of their respective families and households

tied with having a formal work or registered business,” they added.

The authors said social protection must be available and affordable enough for workers in the informal sector. Women who are working in the informal sector are often underpaid and lack job security.

Apart from this, the authors said efforts must also be exerted in monitoring the magnitude of the informal sector in order to better craft policies that will respond to their needs.

In 2017, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the unorganized or informal sector accounted for more than a third of the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP) of P14.48 trillion last year.

Using current prices, Assistant National Statistician Vivian R. Ilarina pegged the contribution of the informal sector to the country’s economy in 2016 at P5.013 trillion.

“For a work force that is heavily reliant on the informal sector, See “Women,” A2

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PSALM brings down liabilities to ₧416B as of end-October ’19

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By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HE Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.

(PSALM) has trimmed down its financial liabilities by P33.2 billion this year, bringing its outstanding balance to P416 billion as of endOctober this year.

“PSALM has successfully reduced the outstanding financial obligation of the National Power Corp. [NPC] by P33.2 billion this year. At end 2018, the obligation was at P449.2 billion. As of end October 2019, the obligation is down to P416 billion,” said PSALM President Irene Joy Garcia.

PSALM is the entity created by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the law that restructured the power industry by privatizing the assets of NPC. The obligation transferred to PSALM was at a high of P1.24 trillion. This is on top of the P16-billion loans of electric cooperatives (ECs) with the National Electrification Administration that were assumed by PSALM. Funds in settling PSALM’s assumed financial obligations are

sourced from collections from its power generation, privatization proceeds and universal charge.

PSALM has successfully adopted new disposal modes and simplified the public bidding procedures to attract more bidder. It sold this year a total of 166 lots, raising revenues of P1,474,415,882.36.

It also entered into short-term lease agreements over certain assets that are not yet scheduled for privatization in order to raise revenues. This move resulted in total additional lease revenues of P18.8 million for 2019.

PSALM earlier reported that independent power producer administrators (Ippas) and ECs dominate the list of the top corporate entities with long overdue accounts with the agency, amounting to a combined P59.23 billion as of De-

cember 2018. A number of these accounts were transferred by the NPC to PSALM. Garcia said PSALM allowed flexible payment schemes to encourage entities and ECs with delinquent accounts to viably settle their outstanding obligations.

“Through restructuring agreement and special payment agreement schemes, PSALM puts less pressure on their creditors while allowing them to improve their operations,” said Garcia, adding that PSALM has collected P2,617,722,812.38 in noncurrent arrears from various entities.

It said that it achieved a collection efficiency of 93.71 percent, thereby collecting from PSALM’s customers a total of P9.28 billion from January to September this year.

“The uncollected accounts are those from Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative and Maguindanao Electric Cooperative, and we have been closely coordinating with the Department of Energy on how this matter may be resolved to lessen the financial exposure of PSALM,” said Garcia.

To add ress t he rema ining stranded contract costs (SCC) and stranded debts (SD), PSALM actively lobbied in the Senate and in the House of Representatives for the passage of the Murang Kuryente Act, or RA 11371, which was signed into law by President Duterte last

August 8.

This law allocates P208 billion from the Malampaya fund to cover shortfalls of PSALM and effectively pay for the stranded contract costs and stranded debts of NPC. This saves consumers from additional universal charge imposition of about P0.86 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

The state firm earlier secured regulatory approval for the UCSCC for 2014 amounting to 5.43 cents per kWh to be collected up to June 2020. Currently, PSALM’s UC for SD amounts to 4.28 cents per kWh to be collected up to the end of PSALM’s corporate life. Total UC for PSALM is thus at 9.71 cents per kWh. For 2019, UC-SD collections reached P2,507,404,716.41, while UC-SCC reached P2,547,897,377.16, or a total of P5,005,302,093.59.

After using aggressive collection strategies, PSALM said it was able to collect this year certain longstanding arrears amounting to P68.90 million from eight out of 11 ECs with unremitted UC. It is projected that with PSALM’s continuous privatization efforts, including the sale of real-estate assets, collection of universal charge and power generation proceeds, and financial obligations will further decrease substantially when the corporate life of PSALM ends in 2026.

Pasay City green-lights SM’s 360-hectare reclamation project P

ROPERT Y developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. said it secured the go-ahead from the Pasay City government for its 360-hectare reclamation project within the municipal waters, which will effectively expand the current SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex.

This new reclamation project in Pasay will be connected to the cur-

rent MOA complex, also a reclaimedland project of both parties, and turned into another business district featuring world-class mall, offices, residences, entertainment arena, five-star hotel and convention center, the company said.

As Pasay’s joint-venture partner, SM Prime will undertake to develop the actual raw land reclamation and

horizontal development works, the company said.

The company has finalized selection of consultants and contractors from a roster of reputable companies with proven global reclamation and dredging experience to ensure proper and responsible implementation of the project.

“We have complied with all the

requirements of national agencies, and secured all the required permits and clearances to enable SM Prime to commence with the reclamation project. We expect thousands of job opportunities to be generated in the process, and to also contribute significantly to both local and national development,” SM Prime President Jeffrey C. Lim said. VG Cabuag

Amb. Yujuico unanimously voted new PCCI president

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MBASSADOR Benedicto V. Yujuico has been elected as the new president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business organization.

He was unanimously elected by the incoming 20-member board of directors of the PCCI during the recent PCCI Annual Meeting held last December 6, 2019.

The newly elected directors are: Sergio OrtizLuis Jr., Ma. Alegria S. Limjoco, Menardo R. Jimenez, Alfredo M. Yao, Francis C. Chua, Edgardo G. Lacson, Roberto C. Amores, Jose P. Leviste, Apolinar E. Aure, Edgard J. Sia II, Dennis A. Uy, Michael Chen, Felino A. Palafox Jr., Jeffrey T. Ng, Delia B. Jimenez (NCR), Gregoria G. Simbulan (North Luzon), Clarine P. Tobias (South Luzon), Samuel N. Chioson (Visayas) and Maria Teresa R. Alegrio (Mindanao).

Yujuico, who will occupy the position for two years, said his presidency will focus on entrepreneurship and innovation. He believes that these are essential catalysts that will supercharge the Philippine economy in the coming years. He will also initiate projects to assist local government units to implement smart city technologies that will not only improve efficiency, but reduce corruption, as well.

The new PCCI president has served as a special envoy of the President, with the rank of Ambassador for Trade Relations for Eastern Europe, then North America and Latin America.

He was president of the Confederation of AsiaPacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) from 2010 to 2014, the fourth Filipino

YUJUICO

president in CACCI’s 50-year history. CACCI’s members are from the Apex business organizations of 28 countries.

He said: “It is an honor to serve the PCCI, the Philippines’s biggest business organization. I hope that my experience as president of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry will bring to PCCI the best practices of

the world chamber movement. It is also my dream that through PCCI’s support of young entrepreneurs, they will not need to go find opportunities in other countries to utilize their talents, skill sets and to fulfill their ambitions.”

He started school at the De La Salle College from elementary up to third-year college. However, he got his undergraduate degree in Business and Economics at the Saint Mary’s College of California.

In 1970, at the age of 23, he graduated from the Wharton Graduate School of Business with a MBA in Banking and Finance.

After Wharton, Yujuico started his business career in the San Francisco bay area. He invested in the construction and development of residential condominiums and office buildings in San Francisco, Daly City, San Mateo and Santa Clara. In the 1980s, he coinvested in start-up companies with 3M Ventures, the venture capital arm of the 3M Co. and New Enterprise Associates, (Dick Kramlich), one of the world’s largest venture capital firms.

This was the starting point of Yujuico’s fascination and interest in technology.

Yujuico is currently involved in the property business through various land banking activities, joint ventures and partnerships.

He has organized the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a dynamic ecosystem that provides workspace, funding, coaching, workshops and mentorship. He is also the chairman of Istana Social Development Foundation that promotes literacy among the underprivileged children by granting scholarships and constructing school buildings, particularly in isolated communities.

STI’s Tanco: Forget what happened with R and L and move on

By VG Cabuag @villygc

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USEBIO H. TANCO, chairman of STI Education Systems Holdings Inc., said reforms have to be implemented, such as more checks and balances, in order to prevent a similar incident, like the stock brokerage firm R and L Investments Inc. that ceased operations after an employee siphoned off millions of pesos from its accounts.

“I think we should forget about what happened, and we have to move on and see what reforms we have to do to prevent similar instances,” Tanco, also a director at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) and controls port operator Asian Terminals Inc., said.

Tanco, who has several securities lodged in R and L, said it could have been a much bigger amount if his accounts were also siphoned off.

“But no. It’s clean. We have SGV as our auditor. I have my own check and balance,” Tanco said.

An employee allegedly siphoned off stocks worth more than P700 million from R and L, resulting in its closure. The Capital Markets Integrity Corp. (CMIC) is investigating the reported theft that nearly wiped out the position of R and L Investments.

The CMIC acts as the independent audit, surveillance and compliance arm of the PSE in line with its mandate to reinforce the confidence of the investing public in capital market institutions.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier said it expects CMIC to conduct a thorough investigation, identify all parties involved and uncover the extent of the damage to the stock brokerage, its clients and the overall market.

The investigation should also provide clarity as to how such transactions could have slipped past multiple control measures. For one, the 2015 SEC Rules requires broker-dealers to conduct monthly security examination, count and verification to account for discrepancies.

The SEC said it expects the full rollout of the Name on Central Depository (NOCD) facility of the Philippine Depository and Trust Corp.

(PDTC) by the first quarter of 2020, in order to reinforce the controls and deter similar incidents from occurring in the future.

The NOCD facility allows for the recording of securities at PDTC in the name of individual investors. At present, most securities are recorded in “omnibus accounts” that aggregate the holdings of all investors.

The creation of sub-accounts under the NOCD arrangement will increase transparency in the trading of securities. It will also give investors a means to monitor movements in their accounts through SMS or email notifications. The SEC is also in discussions with PDTC for the creation of a mechanism that will allow them to provide monthly reports on a stock brokerage’s position directly to the board of directors.

Pascal Resources Energy eyes ₧220-M revenues in 2020

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OCIAL enterprise Pascal Resources Energy Inc. (PREI) said on Monday it aims to generate P220 million in revenues in 2020, indicating that the company is bullish on the local market’s accepting an innovative product for their kitchen requirements.

As a sign of market optimism, PREI CEO Nelson Par said the company invested an initial P500 million to create and distribute Gaz Lite, which remains the first, and only, government safety-certified and approved LPG canister in the country.

The Gaz Lite refillable LPG canister is the only product of its kind in the market, and in the world. This wholly Filipino innovation allows consumers to purchase Gaz Lite canisters for use with a starter kit, such as the Gaz Lite Eazy Kalan portable stove or BBQ Grill. Once consumed, Gaz Lite LPG canisters are returned to a PREI facility and safely refilled with LPG. In order to expand, Par said PREI aims to broaden its current distribution network, which is particularly strong in Visayas and Mindanao. The company currently has a facility in

Lubao, Pampanga, which will become fully operational by January 2020.

“We welcome those who want to invest and start with our product as long as they commit to the same vision. A regional distributor will initially invest at least P2.8 million on inventory and deposits targeting at least 500 dealers in their region,” Par said.

To reach out to a bigger number of consumers, Par said PREI plans to make Gaz Lite more easily available in supermarkets, hardware stores and small groceries, neighborhood sari-sari stores, complemented with sales of starter kits.

“Our plan is to significantly scale by making the product accessible nationwide through the appointment of distributor partners in various regions across the country. Our target is to achieve this by the second quarter of 2020 at the latest,” Par added.

Aside from its flagship product Gaz Lite, Eazy Kalan and BBQ Grill, PREI has other LPG products under development. “We would also like to expand to other parts of Asia, especially the countries where charcoal and wood is still a popular way to cook food,” Par said.

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PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

December 6, 2019

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

ASIA UNITED 54 54.1 BDO UNIBANK 156.5 157.4 BANK PH ISLANDS 89 89.3 CHINABANK 24.95 25 CITYSTATE BANK 6.16 7.95 EAST WEST BANK 12.86 12.92 METROBANK 67.95 68 PB BANK 12.7 13 PHIL NATL BANK 35.75 35.8 PSBANK 57.7 58.05 RCBC 24.25 24.3 SECURITY BANK 195.8 196 UNION BANK 58 58.2 BRIGHT KINDLE 0.95 1 BDO LEASING 1.85 1.91 COL FINANCIAL 18 18.46 FIRST ABACUS 0.53 0.59 FERRONOUX HLDG 4.04 4.05 MEDCO HLDG 0.375 0.39 NTL REINSURANCE 0.8 0.84 PHIL STOCK EXCH 173.6 174.7 SUN LIFE 1775 1849

F I N A 54 157.5 88.15 25.05 6.5 12.9 67.5 13 36.7 57.7 24.5 197.9 58.25 0.95 1.91 18 0.59 4.04 0.375 0.8 175 1760

N C I A 54 158.2 89.35 25.1 7.95 12.92 68 13 36.75 58.05 24.5 198.9 58.3 0.96 1.91 18.46 0.59 4.1 0.375 0.8 175 1771

L S 53.25 54 1430 77182.5 156.5 156.5 1580770 248896710 87.6 89 5655130 499614553.5 24.9 25 54800 1368720 6.5 7.95 300 2095 12.8 12.86 698400 8972930 67.15 67.95 1027080 69492277 13 13 4700 61100 35.8 35.8 1065600 38489275 57.7 58.05 800 46405 24.3 24.3 71300 1738865 195 195.8 1538920 301745399 57.8 58 167740 9729954.5 0.95 0.96 288000 276210 1.91 1.91 1000 1910 18 18.46 4200 76532 0.59 0.59 1000 590 4.04 4.05 23000 93170 0.37 0.37 290000 108200 0.8 0.8 118000 94400 173.5 173.6 240 41666 1760 1771 15 26455

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY ABOITIZ POWER BASIC ENERGY FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO MANILA WATER PETRON PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL SPC POWER AGRINURTURE AXELUM CNTRL AZUCARERA CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG GINEBRA JOLLIBEE MACAY HLDG MAXS GROUP PEPSI COLA SHAKEYS PIZZA ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP SWIFT FOODS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VICTORIAS CEMEX HLDG DAVINCI CAPITAL EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP HOLCIM MEGAWIDE PHINMA TKC METALS VULCAN INDL CHEMPHIL CROWN ASIA MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP CONCEPCION GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR IONICS PANASONIC SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG

HOLDING & FRIMS ASIA AMLGMATED 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 KEPPEL HLDG A LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

70777.5 -5504477 -30165107.5 -862170 -729782 17738332 -5686085 -1342865 -55814144 -6602577.5 -36000 59700 -16800 3480 -

2.4 34.6 0.226 24.3 73.55 319.4 16.26 4.2 3.93 11 33.15 7.9 13.6 3.01 20.5 15.34 5.04 8.48 7.18 87.2 0.57 1.42 39.05 202 7.86 12.04 1.34 10.32 2.08 5.38 0.116 136 1.12 2.48 2.17 5.1 14.62 10.3 13.56 16.7 9.5 1.01 0.91 164 2.06 3.23 4.97 27.25 2.06 7.67 1.33 5.21 0.91 4.96

2.41 34.9 0.237 24.75 73.6 326 16.3 4.23 4.08 11.28 33.6 7.94 13.68 3.03 21.4 15.36 5.33 8.5 7.19 88.7 0.58 1.43 40.85 204 8.14 12.12 1.35 10.36 2.09 5.43 0.117 137 1.13 2.6 2.18 5.19 15 10.32 13.88 16.88 9.6 1.04 0.93 164.1 2.07 3.55 5.17 28.9 2.08 7.7 1.4 5.5 0.95 5

2.44 34.5 0.237 23.8 73.55 320 16.9 4.25 4.1 10.98 33.5 8 13.5 3.03 18.58 15.4 5.39 8.61 7.17 89 0.58 1.42 41 205 8.14 12.06 1.36 10.4 2.06 5.4 0.115 140.3 1.1 2.6 2.14 5.19 14.62 10.3 13.56 16.86 9.6 1 0.94 167.2 2.06 3.41 4.99 26.75 2.08 7.9 1.3 5.5 0.97 5.08

2.44 34.95 0.237 24.75 73.85 326 16.9 4.25 4.1 11.28 33.75 8 13.72 3.08 24 15.4 5.39 8.61 7.19 89 0.6 1.48 41 205.2 8.14 12.12 1.36 10.5 2.17 5.44 0.117 143.6 1.12 2.6 2.19 5.19 15 10.32 13.88 16.86 9.6 1.05 0.94 167.3 2.06 3.55 5 29.35 2.09 7.95 1.4 5.5 0.97 5.08

2.4 34.15 0.226 23.7 73.55 318 16.22 4.2 4.1 10.74 33 7.83 13.5 2.97 18.58 15.3 5.33 8.47 7.15 86.95 0.57 1.42 39 200.8 8.14 12.06 1.3 10.26 2.01 5.4 0.115 136 1.1 2.6 2.11 5.19 14.62 10.3 13.56 16.7 9.5 1 0.91 164 2.06 3.36 4.97 26.65 2.05 7.57 1.3 5.5 0.91 4.9

2.41 34.6 0.237 24.75 73.55 326 16.3 4.2 4.1 11.28 33.15 7.9 13.72 3.03 21.4 15.34 5.33 8.48 7.19 88.7 0.57 1.43 40.85 202 8.14 12.1 1.35 10.36 2.08 5.43 0.117 136 1.12 2.6 2.17 5.19 14.62 10.3 13.88 16.7 9.6 1.05 0.93 164.1 2.06 3.55 4.97 28.9 2.08 7.7 1.4 5.5 0.95 5

2099000 349800 180000 1714500 33080 99740 1765100 1268000 15000 105000 558700 73500 1199300 2137000 369200 107500 4100 1312500 20411500 95380 507000 18229000 11400 330360 100 57600 4687000 16900 8821000 20500 200000 3160110 2220000 1000 350000 72000 97500 98100 102800 36200 60400 6000 576000 800 14000 8000 2043900 11600 2265000 45900 11000 200 358000 329000

5065940 12094460 41000 42205475 2433400 32154502 28,828,942( 5347900 61500 1182482 18588560 581871 16415428 6447960 7860430 1649054 21884 11143467 145966100 8362371.5 293380 26474890 456390 67035386 814 696600 6271710 176624 18562990 110767 23380 437815978 2471210 2600 755600 373680 1425524 1010434 1426484 605384 579830 6160 534440 132148 28840 27120 10218241 319710 4684820 354538 14400 1100 332020 1643400

-592600 -4391350 33147350 -682654.5 5691368 7,481,799.9999) -2143120 -86770 -14223912 42170 -208100 763950 -3329918 -145835788 -1584117.5 -44330 -43909.9997 -3147724 57370 -157964 -181000 -69120 -145916809 -8960 54230 -76024 -23690 -163812 -297384 10110 53152 -9999980 -165700 -83390 9724 18400 -39780

- 0.74 12 828 52.1 11.12 3.32 6.42 0.7 0.92 0.95 6.8 6.04 13 0.212 896 5.4 77.85 5.21 3.75 11.5 0.56 3.65 6.2 1.31 1.22 471 1070 159 0.77 210 0.214 0.203

- 0.75 12.1 829.5 52.8 11.16 3.33 6.89 0.71 0.93 0.96 6.9 6.05 13.2 0.228 900 5.41 78.9 5.49 3.84 11.52 0.57 3.66 6.48 1.35 1.23 500 1078 159.3 0.83 216.8 0.223 0.215

- 0.73 12.26 830 51.95 11.06 3.41 6.89 0.7 0.91 0.94 6.94 6.14 13.26 0.228 902 5.41 78.8 5.21 3.88 11.46 0.56 3.85 6.31 1.38 1.23 476.8 1080 160 0.83 210.2 0.214 0.218

- 0.76 12.3 830.5 52.8 11.24 3.41 6.89 0.72 0.93 0.95 7 6.27 13.28 0.228 902 5.41 78.9 5.22 3.88 11.58 0.56 3.96 6.54 1.38 1.24 536.5 1080 160 0.83 218.8 0.214 0.218

- 0.73 12 821.5 51.05 11.04 3.33 6.6 0.7 0.91 0.94 6.82 6.05 12.96 0.228 881 5.4 76.9 5.21 3.75 11.4 0.56 3.66 6.2 1.31 1.23 439 1064 158.6 0.83 210.2 0.214 0.216

- 0.75 12.12 828 52.8 11.12 3.33 6.6 0.71 0.92 0.95 6.9 6.05 13 0.228 900 5.41 78.9 5.21 3.75 11.5 0.56 3.66 6.2 1.37 1.23 500 1078 159 0.83 217.8 0.214 0.216

- 1723000 14000 392450 1801070 3764800 275000 600 376000 748000 429000 3394700 20122100 41900 10000 97710 4662100 1387810 2100 1128000 1839600 63000 53370000 80600 138000 88000 4460 136840 284020 3000 250 50000 60000

- 1279670 169094 324709050 94138199 42017848 924680 3989 266450 685850 405540 23458973 123507504 543642 2280 87832050 25221911 108298637.5 10947 4325270 21116710 35280 201520150 506601 184470 108260 2259856 146973475 45142960 2490 52820 10700 13020

14800 -32209020 -37795733.5 -475892 -239280 208040 -10187525 -40459823 -529288 25412745 -54050 -4933008.5 -2967670 1758584 -57369620 125000 -27447780 -9834680 -12720 -

PSALM to ask ADB to craft privatization scheme for CBK and Casecnan plants

T

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

HE Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) will ask the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to craft the best privatization scheme for the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan Hydroelectric Power Plant (CBKHPP) and Casecnan multipurpose hydropower plant.

“We’re going to start studying the two because as you know, the power plants, they have different structures. It’s important to structure it well. We are seeking the assistance of ADB to look at the technicalities of that. Hopefully, by next year, we will be able to decide on privatizing the structure in terms of chronology. We will target CBK first before

Casecnan,” said PSALM President Irene Joy Garcia.

The CBK hydro facility consists of the 22.6-MW Caliraya in Lumban, 20.8-MW Botocan in Majayjay and the 684.6-MW Kalayaan I and II in Kalayaan, Laguna.

J-Power and Sumitomo Corp. of Japan operate the CBK power plants.

The 140-MW Casecnan project

First Balfour marks 50 years

L

OPEZ-LED First Balfour, one of the country’s leading engineering and construction companies, celebrated its 50th anniversary last November 28 by hosting a dinner and special ceremony. The event gathered those who played instrumental roles in the company’s growth over the years, including valued clients, key business partners, top suppliers and government officials.

A subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings (FPH), First Balfour originally began in 1969 as a spinoff

of Manila Electric Co.’s former power plant and design unit, called the Philippine Engineering & Construction Corp. In 1976, Pecco changed its name to Engineering & Construction Corp. of Asia (Ecco-Asia) to signal the company’s expansion into the construction of power transmissions, oil refineries and industrial plants. First Balfour, as it is known today, emerged after a series of mergers and more name changes spanning almost a decade.

STOCK-MARKET OUTLOOK

PROPERTY

ARTHALAND CORP 0.83 0.84 0.82 0.84 0.81 0.83 845000 695170 - ANCHOR LAND 8.9 9.46 8.9 8.9 8.9 8.9 2000 17800 - AYALA LAND 45.45 45.5 45.4 45.7 45 45.5 5186200 235,685,275( 64,717,759.9999) ARANETA PROP 1.46 1.48 1.5 1.5 1.48 1.48 4000 5960 - BELLE CORP 1.97 1.98 1.97 1.98 1.97 1.98 266000 525770 -360130 A BROWN 0.72 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 2000 1500 - CITYLAND DEVT 0.84 0.86 0.84 0.86 0.84 0.84 23000 19340 - CEBU HLDG 6.22 6.47 6.15 6.47 6.15 6.47 8400 52532 -647 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.7 4.76 4.79 4.8 4.68 4.76 527000 2500260 94560 CENTURY PROP 0.54 0.56 0.55 0.56 0.54 0.56 3581000 1975280 1035530 DOUBLEDRAGON 18.9 19.28 19.1 19.6 18.9 18.9 158500 3037980 -1835110 DM WENCESLAO 10.3 10.32 10.3 10.36 10.3 10.32 77500 801876 - FILINVEST LAND 1.5 1.51 1.51 1.52 1.49 1.51 5689000 8562790 1205230 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.18 1.2 1.18 1.2 1.18 1.18 720000 851760 - 8990 HLDG 14.8 14.84 14.84 14.86 14.8 14.8 284100 4215248 -860162 PHIL INFRADEV 1.3 1.31 1.34 1.34 1.3 1.31 293000 385420 - MEGAWORLD 4.27 4.29 4.33 4.37 4.27 4.27 25236000 108838250 29237590 MRC ALLIED 0.196 0.197 0.203 0.203 0.196 0.197 12590000 2501040 11820 PHIL ESTATES 0.405 0.42 VL L 7.47 7.58 7.52 7.58 07/04/07 58 7,205,000 54,364,927 (21,349,596)

SERVICES ABS CBN 17 17.36 16.78 17.48 16.78 17.36 237000 4079722 GMA NETWORK 5.2 5.28 5.25 5.28 5.17 5.28 181100 943526 MANILA BULLETIN 0.405 0.415 0.395 0.42 0.39 0.405 280000 111450 GLOBE TELECOM 1934 1944 1934 1950 1934 1944 9400 18247140 1882330 PLDT 1052 1055 1051 1084 1045 1052 123065 130229715 5734190 ISLAND INFO 0.1 0.103 0.1 0.103 0.1 0.103 20000 2030 ISM COMM 4.19 4.2 4.07 4.25 4.07 4.2 5479000 22973480 1026570 JACKSTONES 2.2 2.27 2.27 2.27 2.27 2.27 2000 4540 NOW CORP 2.95 2.97 2.79 2.98 2.79 2.95 19090000 54942210 -171490 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.275 0.28 0.28 0.285 0.275 0.28 2310000 648550 176400 PHILWEB 2.66 2.7 2.72 2.72 2.65 2.7 327000 873080 -23980 2GO GROUP 9.72 9.8 9.9 9.9 9.8 9.8 4700 46435 ASIAN TERMINALS 18 18.26 18 18 18 18 2000 36000 36000 CHELSEA 5.56 5.57 5.55 5.75 5.55 5.56 379200 2124156 -78773 CEBU AIR 92 92.45 92.8 92.8 91.2 92 65620 6033929 1111492 INTL CONTAINER 120 120.2 118 120.9 117.1 120 797190 94762375 -50586988 LBC EXPRESS 13.52 13.88 13.9 13.9 13.9 13.9 5000 69500 MACROASIA 17 17.2 17.3 17.4 16.94 17.2 940600 16071290 -4717798 METROALLIANCE A 0.99 1 0.99 1 0.99 0.99 44000 43640 PAL HLDG 7.63 7.64 7.74 7.74 7.5 7.63 6400 48678 HARBOR STAR 1.21 1.22 1.29 1.33 1.2 1.22 2863000 3616990 67100 WATERFRONT 0.6 0.61 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 317000 190200 IPEOPLE 7.6 7.85 7.6 7.6 7.56 7.6 60800 462040 STI HLDG 0.65 0.66 0.67 0.67 0.65 0.66 1979000 1290300 -654820 BERJAYA 3.73 3.74 3.6 3.79 3.45 3.73 3787000 13824540 BLOOMBERRY 10.12 10.16 10.34 10.5 10.12 10.12 4219400 43256942 -22393652 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.5 2.58 2.48 2.5 2.46 2.5 142000 352880 -74400 LEISURE AND RES 2.71 2.75 2.7 2.73 2.7 2.71 140000 379000 56520 MANILA JOCKEY 3.37 3.4 3.38 3.38 3.37 3.37 104000 350540 PH RESORTS GRP 4.7 5 4.44 5 4.44 5 46000 224340 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.59 0.6 0.6 0.61 0.59 0.6 2003000 1201730 -1010320 ALLHOME 11.48 11.52 11.52 11.52 11.48 11.52 2571400 29616704 322460 METRO RETAIL 2.12 2.13 2.13 2.14 2.12 2.13 475000 1010760 PUREGOLD 38.85 38.9 39 39.1 38.5 38.9 1262200 49095590 -17645 ROBINSONS RTL 73.7 74.6 74.75 74.75 73.7 73.7 171900 12773339 -2242343 PHIL SEVEN CORP 135.8 145 135.1 145 135 145 340 46102 SSI GROUP 2.47 2.48 2.45 2.48 2.45 2.47 1672000 4115380 1633260 WILCON DEPOT 18.42 18.44 19 19 18.4 18.42 2533600 47571390 -2602848 APC GROUP 0.465 0.47 0.46 0.47 0.455 0.47 1470000 680500 -13800 EASYCALL 8.6 8.65 8.7 8.96 8.6 8.6 21200 183386 15516 GOLDEN BRIA 419 429.8 423 448 419 425 42570 18414786 IPM HLDG 5 5.4 4.8 5 4.8 4.9 37000 178850 154600 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.435 0.44 0.45 0.455 0.435 0.44 5670000 2522750 381250

MINING & OIL ATOK 10.02 11.06 11.08 11.08 11.08 11.08 100 1108 APEX MINING 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.05 1.03 1.04 289000 301010 -31010 ABRA MINING 0.0015 0.0016 0.0015 0.0015 0.0015 0.0015 15000000 22500 ATLAS MINING 2.4 2.55 2.38 2.38 2.38 2.38 60000 142800 CENTURY PEAK 2.58 2.59 2.57 2.58 2.57 2.58 442000 1138360 DIZON MINES 7.38 7.59 7.36 7.58 7.36 7.58 200 1494 FERRONICKEL 1.51 1.52 1.5 1.53 1.47 1.52 2593000 3908700 746600 GEOGRACE 0.201 0.21 0.21 0.21 0.202 0.21 70000 14620 LEPANTO A 0.096 0.099 0.096 0.096 0.096 0.096 290000 27840 LEPANTO B 0.103 0.106 0.103 0.106 0.103 0.106 60000 6230 MARCVENTURES 0.93 0.94 0.93 0.94 0.93 0.94 113000 105630 18600 NIHAO 1 1.04 1.04 1.04 1 1.04 15000 15170 NICKEL ASIA 2.98 3.03 2.98 3.04 2.92 2.98 3819000 11422590 905030 PX MINING 3.1 3.2 3.11 3.11 3.09 3.1 166000 514810 -74540 SEMIRARA MINING 19.8 20 20.8 21 19 20 4472200 89198037 -44187680 AC ENEXOR 8 8.04 7.7 8.21 7.69 8 254100 2036715 172076 ORNTL PETROL A 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.012 16100000 193100 ORNTL PETROL B 0.011 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.012 26700000 320900 PHILODRILL 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.01 0.01 29500000 310000 PXP ENERGY 9.2 9.25 9.2 9.6 9.2 9.25 580800 5379639 -633231

PREFFERED

ALCO PREF B 101.4 103.3 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 660 66990 AC PREF B2R 505 506 504 506 504 505 5000 2524960 -101000 SMC FB PREF 2 997 997.5 997.5 997.5 997.5 997.5 50 49875 9975 FGEN PREF G 108 112.9 108 108 108 108 14180 1531440 GTCAP PREF A 960 998 971 971 971 971 830 805930 GTCAP PREF B 950 1000 995 1000 995 1000 6000 5997100 LR PREF 1 1.03 1.03 1.03 1.03 1.03 1000 1030 MWIDE PREF 100.1 101 101 101 100.1 100.1 930 93224 PNX PREF 4 1025 1028 1028 1028 1026 1028 795 816820 PCOR PREF 2B 1026 1049 1026 1026 1026 1026 8050 8259300 PCOR PREF 3A 1025 1049 1030 1030 1030 1030 960 988800 PCOR PREF 3B 1055 1060 1055 1055 1055 1055 10 10550 SMC PREF 2C 78 78.05 78.05 78.05 78.05 78.05 7160 558838 SMC PREF 2E 75.95 76.1 75.95 75.95 75.95 75.95 8400 637980 SMC PREF 2F 76.8 77 77 77 77 77 50 3850 SMC PREF 2I 76 76.8 76 76 76 76 10200 775200 -

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR GMA HLDG PDR

15.9 5.03

16.24 5.17

15.9 5.03

16.3 5.04

15.8 5.03

15.9 5.04

348500 164000

5571242 826540

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1.34

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ITALPINAS 3.85 KEPWEALTH 10.48 XURPAS 0.87

1.44

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

3.87 10.6 0.88

3.99 11.02 0.86

3.99 11.2 0.88

3.87 10.32 0.86

3.87 10.6 0.87

255000 629100 867000

999380 6688962 756320

-

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

116.7

-664978 -816480

116.8

116.7

117.1

116.6

116.8

3230

377172

33832

www.businessmirror.com.ph

LAST WEEK

SHARE prices rose last week, snapping the market’s three straight weeks of decline, but investors’ sentiments are still down, while volumes are still low.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 62.78 points to close the week at 7,801.72 points.

The main index needed only one day of big gain and carry it out throughout the week.

It made a 1.8-percent gain on Monday but was down in the next three days of trading sessions. It made a slight increase on Friday to push it back to the 7,800-point level.

“Inflation for the month of November came in at 1.3 percent, ending the downtrend, which was to be expected. This had almost no effect on the market as investors ignored fundamentals and focused on the sentiment,” said Christopher Mangun, research head at AAA Securities Inc. Foreign investors were net buyers at P444.74 million, while average trading value for the week was at P5.4 billion.

Other subindices ended mixed, but the Mining and Oil index had the biggest fall by 536.56 points or 6 percent to close at 7,517.51 points. The broader All Shares gained 13.12 to 4,845.96, the Financials index rose 32.81 to 1,874.61, the Industrial index plunged 225.86 to 9,555.43, the Holding Firms index was up 120.39 to 7,750.82, the Property index climbed 56.28 to 4,099.88 and the Services index declined 47.13 to 1,499.35.

For the week, losers managed to outnumber gainers 134 to 81, and 32 shares were unchanged.

Top gainers were Berjaya Philippines Inc., Chemical Industries of the Philippines Inc., Synergy Grid and Development Philippines Inc., IPM Holdings Inc., Central Azucarera de Tarlac Inc. and Keppel Philippines Holdings Inc. B. Top losers, on the other hand, were Benguet Corp. A, Fruitas Holdings Inc., Pacifica Holdings Inc., Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Manila Water Co. Inc. and ACE Enexor Inc.

THIS WEEK

SHARE prices may continue its positive swing this week, but investors will still rely on events overseas, and wait for the result of the meeting of the policy-making Monetary Board and US Federal Reserve both happening this week.

“Positive sentiment could spill over to begin the week given the robust jobs report [in the US] that came out on Friday,” Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital and Development Corp., said.

He sees support of the main index at 7,760 points and resistance at 7,920 points.

2TradeAsia, meanwhile, expects volatile trading as the US Federal Reserve will meet early this week, which would also give investors something to chew on.

“Emotions are bound for a rough patch in the coming days as December 15 is the US implementation of deadline for Chinese imports,” the broker said.

It recommended investors to take their positions in a gradual manner.

STOCK PICKS

BROKER Regina Capital advised investors to trade the range on the stock of SM Investments Corp., despite falling by more than 1 percent, as it continued to trade within its upper range.

“At this level, the stock is testing its immediate support. SMIC’s indicators remain mostly bullish though momentum is already tapering. It is likely that the stock will secure its position within a wide range of P1,052 and P1,091 in the near term as the bullishness from the indicators continue to deplete,” it said.

SMIC’s shares closed on Friday at P1,078 apiece.

On the other hand, it gave a hold recommendation on the stock of Alliance Global Group Inc., the holding firm of businessman Andrew Tan. “AGI’s sideways consolidation has persisted, owing to the similarly lackluster momentum from the indicators. The lack of fuel from the indicators has added to AGI’s challenge of trading above its short-term moving averages. The stock’s consolidation will likely be sustained since the indicators lack in strength,” it said.

AGI shares closed last week at P11.12 apiece. VG Cabuag

was built following the signing of a build-operate-transfer contract between the National Irrigation Administration (MA) and California Energy Casecnan Water and Energy Co. Inc. in 1994.

CE Casecnan’s contract with the government will lapse on April 5, 2022, while that of J-Power will end on February 7, 2026. The Casecnan asset is 60 percent owned by PSALM and 40 percent by the NIA. Garcia said there are concerns raised over the ownership of Casecnan. “Under the current agreement, it’s really the NIA. However, there is a back-to-back agreement between NIA and NPC, [to] transfer to PSALM the 60 percent.

By virtue of Epira (the Electric Power Industry Reform Act), we step into the shoes of NPC and were supposed to get the 60 percent. That’s precisely why there is a need to study. We need to see how do we best structure the privatization. Obviously, we need to carve out that 60 percent, so how do you carve it out? How do

MUTUAL FUNDS

you divide the assets? Is it going to be an identification of what are the irrigation assets and what are the power assets? If you look at the agreements, there are really no implementing provisions on exactly how to sort of divide the 60-40, so that’s what we need to work on,” explained Garcia.

She added that PSALM has yet to determine the scope of ADB’s assistance, i.e., if the study on the said power assets includes the minimum bid price, among others.

“It’s like a consultancy assistance from ADB. What is the extent of their scope of coverage, if it includes everything we need for purposes of the privatization? We are fine-tuning...the scope of the coverage of the study of ADB, so that by next year they can start the study.

I’m not very certain how much time they need, but I’m thinking [it’s] six months before they come up with the study. Once there is a list of recommendations, we will plot that into the privatization... structure,” said the PSALM official.

December 6, 2019

NAV ONE YEAR THREE YEAR FIVE YEAR Y-T-D

PER SHARE RETURN* RETURN STOCK FUNDS ALFM GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 251.35 -2.11% 1.84% -1.16% -0.34% ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 1.4092 -0.24% 1.83% -2.57% -2.19% ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 3.7126 -6.75% -0.92% -3.3% -4.88% CLIMBS SHARE CAPITAL EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND CORP. -A 0.903 -0.32% N.A. N.A. 0.22% FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND ON MSCI PHILS. IMI, INC. -A 0.8512 0.32% N.A. N.A. 3.72% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN EQUITY FUND,INC. -A 5.3068 -1.06% 2.94% -0.9% 0.64% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,6 0.8521 0.02% -0.97% N.A. 1.84% MBG EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND, INC. -A 106.01 -8.38% N.A. N.A. -8.74% PAMI EQUITY INDEX FUND, INC. -A 51.1704 1.69% 4.34% N.A. 3.96% PHILAM STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 532.58 1.47% 2.94% -0.56% 3.47% PHILEQUITY DIVIDEND YIELD FUND, INC. -A 1.2875 0.39% 3.52% 0.53% 2.67% PHILEQUITY FUND, INC. -A 37.8856 1.34% 4.47% 0.38% 3.42% PHILEQUITY MSCI PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,1 1.0166 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. PHILEQUITY PSE INDEX FUND INC. -A 5.2096 2.74% 5.1% 1.38% 5.06% PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND CORP. -A 869.35 2.66% 4.99% 1.29% 4.94% SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 0.8603 -2% 2.02% N.A. 0.03% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE EQUITY FUND, INC. -A 4.2099 1.14% 4.21% 0.37% 3.72% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND, INC. -A 0.9981 2.29% 4.77% N.A. 4.59% UNITED FUND, INC. -A 3.6595 2.17% 6.32% 2.19% 4.53% EXCHANGE TRADED FUND FIRST METRO PHIL. EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC. -A,C 116.5559 3.02% 5.72% 2.28% 5.24% ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC. -B $0.9737 1.1% 4.26% -0.41% 4.8% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD VOYAGER FUND, INC. -A $1.3385 10.41% 9.52% N.A. 21.11% BALANCED FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ATRAM DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND, INC. -A 1.5617 -6.69% -1.89% -4.18% -5.42% ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 2.2013 -1.12% 0.05% -1.33% -0.36% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND INC. -A 2.6199 2.47% 3% -1.33% 3.02% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN F.O.C.C.U.S. DYNAMIC FUND, INC. -A,5 0.2288 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. GREPALIFE BALANCED FUND CORPORATION -A 1.3293 0.65% N.A. N.A. 1.92% NCM MUTUAL FUND OF THE PHILS., INC. -A 1.958 5.38% 3.56% 0.89% 6.23% PAMI HORIZON FUND, INC. -A 3.7773 5.69% 2.88% 0.05% 7.03% PHILAM FUND, INC. -A 16.9018 5.11% 2.66% -0.03% 6.25% SOLIDARITAS FUND, INC. -A 2.1264 1.83% 2.34% 0.66% 2.76% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 3.8512 3.66% 3.76% 0.31% 5.47% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2028, INC. -A,D,2 1.0108 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2038, INC. -A,D,2 0.9918 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2048, INC. -A,D,2 0.9891 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DYNAMIC FUND, INC. -A 0.9731 3.5% 3.08% -0.65% 5.58% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES COCOLIFE DOLLAR FUND BUILDER, INC. -A $0.03816 9.25% 3.03% 1.91% 8.1% PAMI ASIA BALANCED FUND, INC. -A $0.9909 2.78% 3.76% 0.14% 8.45% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ADVANTAGE FUND, INC. -A $3.831 8.81% 7.54% 3.41% 15.79% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR WELLSPRING FUND, INC. -A,7 $1.1151 7.65% 4.57% N.A. 10.96% BOND FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 356.69 4.1% 2.81% 2.26% 3.85% ATRAM CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC. -A 1.8984 2.43% 0.08% -0.63% 2.11% COCOLIFE FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 3.1094 4.99% 5.2% 5.2% 4.48% EKKLESIA MUTUAL FUND INC. -A 2.215 4.07% 2.56% 1.82% 4.03% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND,INC. -A 2.3484 6.45% 2.09% 1.42% 6.5% GREPALIFE FIXED INCOME FUND CORP. -A P 1.607 2.59% 1.45% -0.3% 2.72% PHILAM BOND FUND, INC. -A 4.3424 11.02% 2.94% 1.49% 10.78% PHILEQUITY PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.7699 7.9% 2.95% 1.41% 7.19% SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC. -A 0.9557 7.23% 1.56% N.A. 7.24% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.0472 10.07% 5% 2.37% 10.17% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY GS FUND, INC. -A 1.6853 9.47% 4.54% 1.84% 9.44% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $467.03 4.4% 2.65% 2.73% 4.15% ALFM EURO BOND FUND, INC. -A Є219.6 3.32% 1.64% 1.33% 3.26% ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -B $1.2051 7.22% 3.13% 2.57% 7.05% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $0.0258 3.61% 1.46% 1.29% 4.03% GREPALIFE DOLLAR BOND FUND CORP. -A $1.709 1.21% -0.14% 0.11% 1.11% PAMI GLOBAL BOND FUND, INC -A $1.0953 6.49% 1.35% -0.74% 5.69% PHILAM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $2.3948 11.31% 3.44% 2.91% 10.32% PHILEQUITY DOLLAR INCOME FUND INC. -A $0.0602648 5.81% 2.27% 1.95% 5.73% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ABUNDANCE FUND, INC. -A $3.1663 10.36% 2.91% 2.52% 10.24% MONEY MARKET FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 125.52 4.16% 2.8% 2.15% 3.84% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A,3 1.0295 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. PHILAM MANAGED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 1.2511 6.12% 2.8% 1.63% 5.85% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 1.262 3.79% 2.86% 2.3% 3.51% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR STARTER FUND, INC. -A $1.0361 2.09% N.A. N.A. 1.99% FEEDER FUND PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM GLOBAL MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND INC. -B,D,4 $0.98 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 9, 2019 B3

DOF confident Tokyo to continue support

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HE Department of Finance (DOF) is confident that Tokyo “will continue to enrich the cooperation programs with the Philippines with the conclusion of the 9th Meeting of the JapanPhilippines High Level Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation on December 5.

A statement by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said the meeting was attended by Izumi Hiroto, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, for Japan’s side and Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez and National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia for the Philippines side.

A statement by the DOF said these officials discussed the continuing partnership between Japan and the Philippines in implementing infrastructure flagship projects.

The DOF said the two countries also focused their discussions on Japan’s support for the Mindanao peace process.

The statement quoted Izumi said the meeting aims to further enrich the cooperation program between the Philippines and Japan,

and closely monitor the progress of projects for bilateral cooperation.

Both sides, likewise, discussed their sectoral cooperation on other areas, including disaster risk management, “which proves to be important in light of the increasingly frequent natural disasters,” the DOF statement said.

The town of Hakone, the venue of this year’s meeting, is recovering from the onslaught of Typhoon Hagibis that struck last October while the Philippines’s southern island of Mindanao recently suffered a series of devastating earthquakes.

The MoFA said the delegates gave status updates on the follow-through activities pertinent to the “Statement on Bilateral Cooperation for the Next Five Years” declared

upon President Duterte’s first visit to Japan in October 2017.

“Specifically, they discussed modalities of bilateral cooperation in order to resolve major challenges that the Philippine government addresses, including flagship infrastructure projects, such as Metro Manila’s railway development and bridge seismic reinforcement, projects toward the Mindanao peace process—which has broken a new stage with the commencement of disarmament activities—and assistance for regional development agenda, such as Subic Bay area development,” the MoFA said.

The DOF said Japan reaffirmed its readiness to enhance its assistance to the Philippines for the development of Mindanao, and provide additional technical aid to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority and, the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the most affected areas in Marawi City.

According to the DOF, both sides “agreed to work toward the signing of the exchange of notes and the loan agreement for a supplemental loan to finance the ongoing Davao City bypass construction project.”

The Japanese side expressed its intention to conduct pre-feasibility studies for four of the Philippines’s priority projects.

Both sides also confirmed to speed up the formulation of the Central Mindanao Highway Project (Cagayan de Oro-Malaybalay Section), as a candidate for Japanese official development assistance (ODA),

Makati bans entry of new Pogos to stem ‘criminality, prostitution’

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AKATI Mayor Mar-len Abigail “Abby” Binay-Campos has declared an indefinite moratorium on the issuance of new business licenses and permits to service providers of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) due to rising criminality and prostitution.

The mayor noted that almost all Pogo service providers located in Makati, are licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and duly registered with the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office.

This has led to the city earning more than P200 million per year in local business taxes from Pogo service providers.

“We will always welcome legitimate businesses in the city that strictly adhere to all laws and ordinances, particularly the payment of taxes,” the mayor was quoted in the statement as saying. “And we will always strive to provide these businesses and their employees with a safe environment conducive to business growth and personal activities.”

In a statement, the mayor said effective immediately, the city would cease to issue “Letters of No Objection” (Lono) and stop accepting new applications for business permits from Pogo service providers.

“We would no longer accept new applications for Pogo service providers and crackdown hard against illegal activities that are catering to Pogos and their employees within Makati,” Binay-Campos said.

Given its central location and availability of leasable office buildings with high speed Internet, Makati is home to as much as 300 Pogo service providers that employ thousands of workers, most of whom are Chinese nationals. These companies provide services like live e-casino video streaming, call center, marketing, and other technical support to Pogos.

The mayor cited “overheating” in the residential and commercial leasing market, as well as rising criminality and prostitution as major reasons for her decision not to add more of these companies to operate in the

country’s premier financial district.

The influx of thousands of foreign workers employed by Pogos increases the demand for housing and work stations, thus causing property rates in the city to spike. This puts the local property sector at risk of overheating, where its growth becomes unsustainable.

Makati recently experienced an increase in unlawful activities targeting Pogo employees, who are mostly Chinese. In the last two months, the Makati city government closed four illegal Pogo service providers, two establishments that were used as prostitution dens and one restaurant and catering company it accused as being unsanitary. Authorities also seized P2.5 billion worth of illegal drugs from an apartment rented by a Chinese national.

Binay-Campos also pointed out that with the high demand for residential units for Pogo employees, there was also an increase in illegal apartment rentals.

“These apartments are usually overcrowded with insufficient exits and faulty fire-alarm systems,” she said.

Perspectives Work force shaping is HR’s defining challenge

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IRST, what do we mean by “work force shaping?”

Work force shaping is taking a scenario-based approach to defining the required work force in five years’ to eight years’ time. Work force shaping is understanding how digital disruption and artificial intelligence (AI) will change the overall shape, size, composition and skills in the work force and how humans and machines will work together to drive business value and a high-performing work force.

The impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution—the term used to describe the convergence of AI, robotic process automation (RPA), machine learning (ML) and cognitive platforms—is forcing teams to shape their work forces to consist of all worker types, including permanent, gig, contingent and machine, and to use the 4Bs: buy, build, borrow and bot.

This Fourth Industrial Revolution has irreversibly altered the genetic makeup of the modern work force. Indeed, the Big Innovation Centre estimated that 65 percent of our jobs will not exist or will be done in totally new ways within 10 years.

Three in five HR (human resources) executives from our survey agree, as they did last year, that AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates. Yet, the “2019 Global CEO Outlook,” in contrast, confirmed again that chief executive officers continue to be more optimistic on the matter, with close to 70 percent expressing that AI will create more jobs than it eliminates. Regardless of what might happen, we must prepare for it, one way or another.

Over half (56 percent) of the respondents to our HR survey agree that preparing the work force for AI and related technologies will be the biggest challenge for their function. And while most (87 percent) are prioritizing efforts around how to identify the future work force composition (the 4Bs) HR leaders still seem uncertain about the best approach to do that. Some organizations have started replacing the debatable certainties of supply and demand forecasting of traditional work force planning with work force shaping to deal with the impacts of automation and AI.

Committing to work force shaping

THE importance of using work force shaping to break down and rethink traditional roles is largely understood by HR functions across the globe.

For example, Kristie Keast, chief people officer at steelmaker BlueScope, confirms that the transformation is in full swing within her business and that it is a normal outcome of constantly challenging the status quo to do things better.

“We are currently grappling with what the industrial revolution 4.0 means in terms of the displacement of the work force, and the work force planning we need to implement around this,” Keast said.

“While the automation of processes, such as crane machinery within BlueScope has given us the opportunity to bring down costs and improve productivity, we do need to take into account the potential for the displacement of work force or jobs.

“Work force shaping is central to this

aim, in order to accommodate new roles that might become apparent, and enabling employees to move seamlessly between vocations wherever possible,” Keast added.

To meet the future needs of their organizations, HR needs to actively challenge who—or what—carries out the majority of traditional tasks. Ninety percent of Pathfinding HR organizations cite that identifying the future work force composition is a strategic priority, and approximately 80 percent believe they are largely prepared to do so. However, over half of their counterparts report they are either not particularly, or not at all, prepared.

“Work force shaping is not a case of doing traditional work force planning harder and faster. In fact, work force planning still has a role to play in many organizations.

But from discussions with clients who are at the forefront of digital disruption, we find that work force shaping should generally come first. It frames the more operational decisions and creates the context for action. It is, many clients argue, a new discipline for HR,” elaborates Paul Lipinski, principal and head of human capital advisory at KPMG in the United States.

This excerpt was taken from the KPMG article “The Future of HR 2020: Which path are you taking?” © 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.

the DOF said.

They also committed to closely coordinate in finalizing the regional development master plan for Subic Bay, and its surrounding areas “at the soonest possible time.”

The Japanese side reiterated its intention to provide a loan under the Special Terms for Economic Partnership financing program for the Cebu-Mactan Bridge and Coastal Road Construction Project and discussed with its

Philippine counterparts the progress of the Dalton Pass East Alignment Alternative Road Project, particularly the commencement of this project’s feasibility study which is being financed through a grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Japan has welcomed the substantial progress made in the settlement of the concerns related to the value-added tax that were raised earlier with Philippine officials, the DOF said.

B4 Monday, December 09, 2019

A Beacon of Heritage and Hope

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IDUS and Clark Marriott Light Up Parul Kapampangan Widus Hotel and Casino and Clark Marriott Hotel ushered in the holiday season with its much-anticipated annual Giant Christmas Tree Lighting.

Titled “Parul Kapampangan,” the event featured a towering 45-foot tall Christmas Tree on the the Widus’ and Marriott’s epicenter, embellished with Kapampanganmade parul (Christmas lanterns).

The Christmas tree was draped with lanterns made of pearlescent capiz contrasted against the warm vibrant lights. More importantly, it pays homage to Pampanga’s role as the country’s

Christmas Capital.

Widus Group Director Neki Liwanag, together with Widus Hotel and Clark Marriott Hotel General Managers, Tarek Aouini and Goeran Soelter respectively, led the occasion.

In their welcome speech, both Aouini and Soelter expressed gratitude to corporate clients, guests, and associates for the partnership that yielded 2019’s profitable harvest.

“The Marriott Business Council in the Philippines was set up this year and one of the main focus was to raise funds for the less fortunate.” said Soelter, “The hotel and its associates contributed year

to date 2,401 hours and a total of Php 403,290.22 to support various CSR projects locally and within the country.”

For his part, Aouini thanked guests for their continued patronage and invited them to experience their signature holiday offerings.

“Our guests are pivotal in our success and we aim to make every Yuletide season even more special for them. With these, our dedicated team prepared the best value-for-money deals that perfectly suit the Filipino holiday traditions.

Gastronomic buffet selections, seasonal treats perfect for gifting, glamourthemed New Year’s Eve party and more await our guests,” he said.

A glimmering symbol of heritage and hope, the ceremony also marked the beginning of various community projects for the Widus Group.

“2019 has been very successful for the whole Widus Group and this event is our way of celebrating all our milestones as Widus Hotel and Casino and Clark Marriott join together in giving back especially to the victims of recent calamities,” Liwanag said.

The whimsical celebration also showcased special performances by the Tarlac Männerchor Ensemble and Sinukwan Kapampangan, filling the Christmas air with splendor and merriment.

For more information about Widus Hotel and Casino and Clark Marriott and their promos, visit www.widus. com and www.clarkmarriott.com

“Wilcon Loyalty Rewards Promo grand winner claims the 1 Million Loyalty points”

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N celebration of the 42nd anniversary of the country’s leading home improvement and construction supply retailer, Wilcon Depot gave valued customers a chance to win amazing prizes including fifteen (15) Hamden kitchen appliances, ten (10) smartphones, and the 1 Million loyalty rewards points.

On November 26, 2019, the grand winner John Donnie A. Ramos claimed the grand prize of 1 Million loyalty rewards points. “It was just another normal day for me in the office when I knew,” he stated. “A salesman called me and informed me that I’ve won. I was so surprised because I never expected to win since I’ve never won in any raffle before.”

John Donnie has been a Wilcon customer for many years and has been using the Wilcon Loyalty App ever since it was launched a few months ago. “It’s my go to store when looking for tiles, specifically pool tiles. The choices here are endless!” he claimed.

Winning the grand prize came at such a surprisingly great time as he is currently renovating his house. When he got an entry for the anniversary promotion, he had just bought bathroom products from the Filinvest, Muntinlupa City branch.

John Donnie also shared the things he will be getting from the 1 Million points, “I’ll use it mainly

for the finishing of my house like lighting, bathroom essentials, and kitchen appliances.” Fortunately, Wilcon is offering topnotch products that match with anything he is looking for! From tiles, sanitarywares, plumbing, furniture, home interior, building materials, hardware, electrical, appliances, and other DIY items, Wilcon is definitely a one-stop-shop for home improvement.

Congratulations John Donnie Ramos! Continue shopping at Wilcon Depot and be one of the lucky winners of upcoming promotions from Wilcon Depot.

For more information and promo updates about Wilcon, log on to www.wilcon.com.ph and follow their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram at @ wilcondepot.ph. You can also shop online with Wilcon by visiting www.shop.wilcon.com.ph.

SM Foundation ensures comfortable and quality health care services for Butuanons

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ITH the recent turnover of its 160th Wellness Center to Butuan Medical Center (BMC), SM Foundation, together with SM City Butuan, ensured that residents of Butuan and its neighboring provinces will now have access to comfortable medical facilities without compromising the quality of the services.

Pediatrician, Dra. Caridad Berdeos Plete, who has been with BMC for 13 years, said that she is looking forward to more comfortable consultations with her patients in the airconditioned rooms of the renovated wards with comfortable beds and ample moving spaces for the watchers.

Before the renovation, BMC patients’ illnesses sometimes get worsened due to the cramp and poor ventilation of the old ward.

OIC chief nurse, Paul Ritchie Pelos, who has been with the hospital since 2014 kid that the hotel-like ambiance of the renovated wards might encourage patients and watchers to overstay but he pressed that they will make sure to discharge the patients as soon as they are healed so others can use the upgraded medical facilities.

Moreover, noting that the children and elderly are the most vulnerable to virulent diseases, SM Foundation ensured that their new wards are

shielded from the main ward of BMC via thick doors.

Also part of the renovation are the comfort stations for children and the elderly where they can stay comfortably while waiting for their doctors.

SMFI Executive Director for Health and Wellness Programs Connie Angeles explained, “Children and senior citizens are the most susceptible to viruses and bacteria that cause more deadly ailments. They are also the ones that need better protection as their immune systems are not as strong as people in between these stages.”

Raising the standards for health centers Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada said, “This effort has raised the bar and upgraded the quality requirements for public buildings like health centers and hospitals.”

Lagnada also shared that he’s delighted that SM Foundation went ahead with the BMC upgrade even before the SM City Mall would open (expected by February 14, 2020). He added, “With this [renovation of BMC], the Butuanons are grateful. This clearly demonstrates your desire to spread social good to people.”

With the upgrade, the hospital can now qualify for certification as Level 3 tertiary health facility, said Dra. Plete.

Max’s Group marketing director recognized at the Holmes Report 2019 Asia-Pacific Innovator 25

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AX’S Group Inc. Corporate Communications Head and Max’s Restaurant & Max’s Corner Bakery Marketing Director Mark De Joya was recently recognized by The Holmes Report as part of its 2019 Asia-Pacific Innovator 25, making him one of the few Filipinos in the prestigious list that identifies 25 individuals who are creatively reshaping the world of marketing and communications. “Solving humanity’s problems profitably through brands is at the heart of marketing,” shares De Joya. “I am honored to be named one of The Holmes Report’s class of innovators, and equally deserving of this recognition are my colleagues Jim T. Fuentebella and Ariel P. Fermin who sharpened my point of view in building well-loved brands through integrating honesty, common sense, and soul in what we do.”

The Holmes Report is a leading resource of the global public relations industry.

For more information, visit https:// www.holmesreport.com/ranking-and-data/ innovator-25/innovator-25-2019/innovator25-asia-pacific-2019.

Indeed the most colorful, sparkling and shimmering spectacle that is surely an event to remember as lots of Christmas characters cheered our shoppers with the happiest holiday groove in SM City Lucena’s Grand Magical Christmas Parade held today November 29 at 2PM, 4PM and 6PM at the mall’s ground floor. Kids and kids-at-heart were delighted with the performances and the array of cuddlesome characters, giving high fives and bubble bursts. Kids shrieked and jumped in unison with confetti pops.

Catch them again in the next parade schedules at SM South 3, 4 and 5 malls: Dec 1 at SM City San Pablo; Dec 8 at SM City Batangas; Dec 14 at SM City Lucena; Dec 15 at SM City Legazpi and SM City Naga; Dec 21 at SM City Naga and SM Center Lemery; Dec 22 at SM City Legazpi and SM City Calamba; Dec 26 at SM City Batangas; Dec 28 at SM City Lipa.

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OIS KAYE GO hacked out a tough all-square result with Ashley Lau, preserving Bianca Pagdanganan’s victory over Natasha Oon in match play finals and securing the Philippines’s sweep of the gold medals in women’s golf in the 30th Southeast Asian Games at Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac on Sunday.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour-bound Pagdanganan, who clinched the individual gold via a three-stroke romp over Thai Kan Bunnabodee Friday, completed her unbeaten campaign in her last event as an amateur, posting a 3&2 triumph over Malaysia’s top player although she—and the entire team that included Abby Arevalo and the men’s squad—had to wait for Go to salvage a point in her tense-filled duel with Lau to clinch the team gold.

And the University of South Carolina mainstay delivered, matching Lau’s pars in the last three holes to force an all-square match and seal a 1.5-.5 victory for the hosts. Go pumped her fist after holing out then hugged Pagdanganan to celebrate the sweep last fashioned out

by Princess Superal, who won the individual gold and teamed up with Katrina Briones and Clare Legaspi to dominate the 2013 Games in Myanmar.

“We won as a team and everyone contributed,” said Pagdanganan, whose doublegold feat will surely boost her confidence when she slugs it out with the world’s best in the LPGA starting January.

“It was a great accomplishment for all of us.”

Truly, it was a big achievement for the Pinays who came into the event confident but wary of the level of the opposition, particularly the Thailand side

crown following a five-inning 8-0 victory over Indonesia in the final on Sunday. ROY DOMINGO

UNBEATABLE The Philippine Blu Girls celebrate after snatching their 10th straight women’s softball

Bianca Pagdanganan completed her unbeaten campaign in her last event as an amateur although she—and the entire team that included Abby Arevalo and the men’s squad—had to wait for Lois Kaye Go to salvage a point in her tense-filled duel with Ashley Lau to clinch the team gold. onday, December 9, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

C1 | M

BusinessMirror

Sports

Ariel Lee Lampakan beats Thailand’s Sakchai Chamchi—but carries his opponent on his shoulders as a gesture of sportsmanship—after the men’s 54 kg final of muay on Sunday in Subic.

NONOY LACZA

SPORTSMANSHIP

BIANCA PAGDANGANAN, Lois Kaye Go and Abby Arevalo rejoice after sweeping the women’s golf competitions. NONIE REYES

that prepared long and hard in a bid to sweep the four gold medals after winning three in the last SEAG in Kuala Lumpur.

But Pagdanganan foiled them in the individual competition, Go produced clutch shots in team play and Arevalo provided the big push in the final round (individual) to help net the host the top seeding in match play.

“It’s a very special win, especially with this group,” said Go, who annexed the lone bronze medal for Team Philippines, in Kuala Lumpur.

“It’s a nice feeling winning on home court,” said Arevalo.

Go, member of the Asian Games gold-medal team that included bronze medalist Pagdanganan and gold-medal winner Yuka Saso, actually cashed in on Lau’s bogeys and took two of the first four holes, but the Malaysian drew level on the seventh before the Cebuana ace won two of the next four holes while yielding one to go 1-up heading to No. 15, which she bogeyed, enabling Lau to stay in the match.

In stark contrast, Pagdanganan fell behind by two holes after Oon, who upended world No. 1 Atthaya Thitikul in their semis playoff to carry Malaysia past Thailand to the finals Saturday, birdied Nos. 4 and 5.

But the former Arizona Wildcats standout quickly recovered and took the next two holes to draw level then won Nos. 12 and 13 to go 2-up and birdied the par-five 16th to wrap up the match.

The men’s team of Luis Castro, Aidric Chan, Carl Corpus and Sean Ramos snatched the bronze medal by nipping Indonesia in a playoff on Castro’s victory over Jonathan Wijono on the second sudden death hole.

It was the country’s first medal in men’s play since Mhark Fernando, Jhonnel Ababa, Tonlits Asistio and Jude Eustaquio bagged the bronze in the 2009 Games in Vientiane, Lao PDR. Thailand ended up with one gold as it edged Singapore, 2-1, in the men’s side of the match play final.

THRILLER IN TARLAC

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Filipino sailors prevent Thailand sweep in Subic T HAILAND set sail for the 30th Southeast Asian Games and found gold off Subic Bay. The Thais were the biggest winners in sailing in the regional meet as they took home five of the seven gold medals awarded on Saturday.

But the Philippines prevented the Thais from getting another gold as the duo of Emerson Villena and Troy Tayong bested Thailand’s Navee Thamsoontorn and Nut Butmarasri, and Malaysia’s Mohamad Faizal Norizan and Ahmad Syukri Abdul Aziz to snatch the gold in the international 420 sailing.

Thailand swept the women’s side

with Chonakchon Wangsuk and Piyaporn Khemkaew ruling the international 420, Kamolwan Chanym topping the laser radial, and Noppassorn Khunboonjan winning the optimist events.

Wangsuk and Khemkaew had 14.0 points at the end of 10 rounds and came out on top of silver medalists Rhegielyn Boyano and Coleen Jem Ferrer of the Philippines who had 20.0 points, as well as Nor Nabila Natasha Mohd Nazri and Gabrielle Yong Poquita of Malaysia who had 25.0 points.

Kamolwan’s win was just as decisive as her 12.0 points after Round 8 were far better than silver medalist Victoria Chan of Singapore’s 14.0 and bronze medalist Nur Shazrin

Mohamad Latif of Malaysia’s 21.0.

Khunboonjan, meanwhile, scored 20.0 points when 10 rounds came to a close as compared to Radiance Koh of Singapore’s 25.0 points for the silver and May Myat Noe Khin of Myanmar’s 34.0 points for the bronze.

Things weren’t much different over at the men’s side as the Thais also won the international 420 and optimist events.

The pair of Jedtavee Yongyuennarn and Chakkaphat Wiriyakitti finished first with 16.0 points at the end of 10 rounds in the international 420.

The silver went to Malaysians Muhammad Fauzi Kaman Shah and Umar Al Farouk Mohd

Zahawi, while the bronze went to Filipinos Jericko Marbella and Brandhon Kyrielle Aquino.

In the men’s optimist, Panwa Boonnak was the undisputed gold medalist as his 12.0 points accumulated through 11 rounds were way better than those of silver medalist Kenan Tan of Singapore with 33.0 points, as well as bronze medalist Putera Adrine Mohn Puad of Malaysia with 35.0 points.

The last gold of the day went to Singapore’s as Ryan Lo scored 11.0 points in eight rounds in men’s laser. Thai Keerati Bualong had 17.0 points to seize silver as Malaysian Khairulnizam Mohd Affendy had 27.0 points a bronze.

Casugay wins hearts, admiration for heroic deed in surfing event

GOLD HARVES CONTIN

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THE Philippines’s Nilbie Blancada (left) and Roger Casugay (right) pose with fellow gold medalists in surfing (from left) Dhea Novitasari and Hairil Anwar of Indonesia. MAU VICTA

UY SETS NEW GAMES POLE VAULT RECORD

By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

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EW Clark City—Natalie Uy soared to a pole vault record and William Morrison set a new standard in men’s shot put to make up for Marestella Torres-Sunang’s shortcoming in her final Southeast (SEA) Games performance on Sunday at the Athletics Stadium.

Cheered on by the predominantly Filipino gallery of 8,000, Uy cleared 4.25 meters to tie her own national mark, while smashing the old SEAG record of 4.21 meters set by Thai Sukanya Chomcuendee in the 2013 edition held Myanmar.

Winding up a distant second was 2017 winner Chomchuendee (4.10), while compatriot Chontincha Khabut (4.00) settled for silver in Day two of track and field action at the 20,000-seat stadium.

The Dayton, Ohio native, whose father is a Filipino, emerged as the first Filipina pole vaulter in the Games history to bag a gold and capped a Filipino sweep of the event, also for the first time, at the Games after Ernest John Obiena easily clinched the mint in the men’s side the previous day.

Uy’s triumph softened the impact of the losses suffered earlier by Kristina Marie Knott, who topped the women’s 200-meter run last Saturday, in the century dash.

Vietnam’s Le Tu Chinh avenged her loss to Knott in the 200, nipping her Fil-Am rival at the tape in retaining her 100-meter title in 11.54 seconds to the latter’s 11.55. Singapore veteran Shanti Veronica Pereira (11.66) took the bronze.

The other local entry, Zion Corrales Nelson, finished last among the eight runners in 11.90 seconds.

“This [victory] is absolutely amazing and I’ve been enjoying the journey so far. The crowd was so nice and I was inspired by

them” said Uy, who now trains full-time at Kentucky League Athletics managed by Earl Bell, the bronze medalist in the pole vault at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

With the gold safely tucked under her belt after clearing 4.25 meters, the winsome athlete set the bar at 4.35 meters, but discontinued after two failed tries, then waved to the crowd in gratitude for their support.

She also hugged athletics Philip Ella Juico, who arrived just in time to witness Uy’s golden performance.

Mariano Masano pulled off a pleasant surprise, securing the silver in the men’s 1,500-meter run in 4:08.27 behind Vietnam’s Duong Van Thai, who ruled the event in 4:06.63.

Long jump queen TorresSunang, in her final SEA Games, missed the podium with her 6.16-meter effort.

NATHALIE UY clears 4.25 meters to tie her own national record while smashing the Games standard of 4.21 meters. ROY DOMINGO

EROES don’t always win medals—they win the hearts and admiration of a grateful nation.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez is one grateful man as he recognized Roger Casugay’s heroism, sportsmanship and sacrifice, traits that embody the Filipino Athlete’s true warrior spirit.

“I will include Roger in our awarding in Malacañang to meet the President. The PSC will give him a plaque of recognition for his heroic deed and a cash incentive to be approved by the PSC board, Ramirez said in a statement.

By now, Casugay’s ultimate sacrifice has been well documented by sportswriters, the media and netizens alike.

The country’s bet in the men’s longboard open event in surfing, Roger failed to win a medal of any color, although he had already built a sizable lead eight minutes into the competition.

He didn’t win a medal, because he chose the ultimate sacrifice in sports, of setting aside his quest for glory, and instead help others in times of life-threatening situations.

Roger’s ultimate sacrifice—he rescued surfing rival, Indonesian Arip Nurhidayat, who was in danger of being swallowed by the waves of Mona Lisa Point beach in La Union after his surfer’s leash broke—has become the biggest story in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, perhaps even bigger than the athletes’ rash of golds in the first six days of competition.

It was a great story which deserves to be retold, not only to inspire others, but to remind us all that in sports, winning isn’t everything—it’s about how you play the game.

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By Jun Lomibao

WENTY gold medals were won on Sunday—the biggest single-day gold production so far—and the Philippines went well on it way to its ultimate goal of emerging overall champion of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

From Metro Manila to Subic and Clark, to as far north as La Union and south in Tagaytay City, the host team was relentless in scooping one victory after another to hike its medal haul to 106 gold, 80 silver and 88 bronze medals.

Big numbers indeed for Team Philippines whose goal is to finish on top of the medal tally in as much the same way as it did in 2005, when the overall title was posted on local soil.

The honor roll for Sunday was varied. The list included Sarah

Dequinan (women’s heptathlon) and Natalie Uy (women’s pole vault) in athletics; Pauline Lopez (women’s 57 kgs), Samuel Morrison (men’s 80 kgs) and Dave Cea (men’s 74 kgs) in taekwondo; and Jaime de Lange (men’s downhill), Jericho Francisco (men’s park) and Christiana Means (women’s park) in skateboarding.

In muay, Philip Delarmino (men’s elite 57 kgs) and Ariel Lampacan (men’s elite 54 kgs) were victorious, and so were Susan Larsson (women’s wakeskate) and Jhondi Wallace (men’s wakeskate) in wakeboarding and Nielbie Blancada (women’s shortboard) and Roger Casugay (men’s longboard) in surfing.

Bien Zoleta-Mañalac and Bambi Zoleta (women’s doubles) in soft tennis, Melcah Jen Caballero (women’s single scull) in rowing and the men’s baseball and rugby squads, and the Blu Girls in softball refused to be counted out from the gold medal column.

And of course, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go in women’s gold team match

PAULINE LOPEZ delivers a mean kick to Aliza Chhoeung of Cambodia in bagging the women’s 57 kgs gold medal in taekwondo as Jhondi Wallace executes a winning performance in wake skate.

ROY DOMINGO

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Monday, December 9, 2019

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Kiamco, Centeno, Amit on course to more victories on billiards table WARREN KIAMCO is in the running in men’s 9-ball singles of billiards. NONIE REYES

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ARREN KIAMCO and the pair of Chezka Centeno and Rubilen Amit kept the Philippines’s gold-medal bids on high ground on Sunday in the billiards competition of the 30th Southeast Asian Games at the Manila Hotel Tent.

Kiamco bested Thailand’s Chotipong Amnuayporn, 9-7, to advance to the men’s 9-ball singles quarterfinals while Centeno and Amit survived Thailand’s Vutthiphan

ST NUES play, a victory that cemented Pagdanganan’s reputation as this side of the world’s best female golfer who will bring her act in 2020 to the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

With two more days left on the competition schedule and less than half of the gold medals that were staked in this biggest SEA Games ever left to be contested, the Philippines is in a position to repeat the “Miracle of 2005,” when the country, as host, emerged overall champion in term of gold medals won.

Indonesia, despite making is own stride, ran second on Sunday with 65 gold, 61 silver and 77 bronze medals, with Vietnam a close third with 61-58-75 (gold-silver-bronze), followed by Thailand (55-73-73) and Singapore (43-33-48).

Malaysia stood outside the magic five with 40-37-50. The rest of the SEA Games countries were way below the tally board—Myan mar was seventh with 3-16-37, Cambodia eighth with 2-4-21, Brunei Darussalam ninth with 1-5-6 and Lao PDR 10th with 0-5-17. Timor Leste has yet to win a medal.

SEA GAMES UNITES FILIPINOS

WHILE action continues in various fronts, Team Philippines Chef de Mission William ‘’Butch’’ Ramirez said the Games is proof that it could unite a country amid negativity and differences.

Ramirez said the sense of patriotism among the Filipinos was awakened by the SEA Games.

“Filipinos from all walks of life passionately cheered the nationals win or loss,” Ramirez said.

The win came a few hours before Centeno and Amit dispute the gold in the women’s 9-ball singles finals.

Also keeping his medal bid alive was Jefrey Roda, who nipped Vietnam’s Kieu Thien Khoi 4-3 for a spot in the quarterfinals of the men’s snooker singles.

Not so fortunate was Alvin Barbero, who yielded to Siththideth Sakbieng of Laos 0-4 in the men’s snooker singles round-of-16.

POTENTIAL PHL-THAILAND T BASKETBALL SHOWDOWN

“The cheering, of course, was heard round the archipelago, especially if a Filipino bet wins the coveted gold.“ “More than the medal haul, I am thankful for all the sacrifice and hard work that went behind pushing their chances for a shining moment of victory,” he said.

“However, I mean to train the light on the stories beyond these victories. The stories that teach us all lessons, as a sporting community, as a people and as a nation,’’ he added.

BLU GIRLS EXTEND REIGN

THE Blu Girls hit another one out of the ballpark, but the Blu Boys got stranded with a silver medal at The Villages in Clark.

The Blu Girls picked up their 10th SEA Games gold via a sweep to extend their unbeaten run in the biennial meet. They routed Indonesia, 8-0, in the final.

“Of all the softball titles by the Blu Girls, this is the easiest and the sweetest,” Team Manager Randy Dizer said. “It’s because we played in our home court, that’s the biggest thing.”

The Blu Girls were powered by Cheska Altomonte, Garie Blando, Mary Ann Antoleh Hao, Ezra Jalandoni, Lyka Basa and Kikay Palma, among others.

They won SEA Games golds in 1979, 1981, 1987, 1991, 1997, 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

But the Blu Boys suffered a shocking 6-1 loss to Singapore in the men’s final.

It marked the first time that the Philippines

lost the men’s crown since the 1997 edition when the country bowed to Indonesia.

BASEBALL TEAM DELIVERS

THE Philippines swept its way to the baseball crown, blasting Thailand, 15-2.

The Filipinos unleashed their full force against the hapless Thais, scoring on each of the first seven innings to win the gold medal in eight innings.

Team Manager Orlando Binarao credited the win to their vaunted offense.

“The boys played very inspired baseball today,” said Binarao after the victory at The Villages.

Indonesia routed Singapore, 10-4, to clinch bronze medal.

CRAY CAN’T MAKE HAY

RIO DE JANEIRO Olympian and one of the athletics team’s best medal hope, Eric Cray, was disqualified from the men’s 100 meters on Sunday at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium.

The 31-year-old Cray was called for two false starts in Heat 1 of the century dash in the morning session of the centerpiece athletics event.

To his dismay, Cray was left watching from the sidelines as Ruttanapon Sowan of Thailand topped the heat at 10.34 seconds.

The record holder of the 100 with 10:25 seconds he set in 2015 in Singapore, Cray could redeem himself in the 400-m hurdles, his pet event, on Tuesday.

RAMIREZ: THERE’S MORE THAN WINNING SEA GAMES OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP T HE MIRACLE of 2005 is within grasp but there’s more than scooping the gold medals for the Philippines in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

While action continues in various fronts, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman and Team Philippines Chef de Mission William ‘’Butch’’ Ramirez said the biennial Games also showed what unity can do to a country, being burdened by negativity and various differences.

Ramirez, also the chef de mission, when the Philippines took the overall title in 2005, said the sense of patriotism among the Filipinos was awakened by the SEA Games.

“Filipinos from all walks of life passionately cheered the nationals win or loss,” Ramirez said.

“The cheering, of course, was heard around the archipelago, especially if a Filipino bet wins the coveted gold.“ “More than the medal haul, I am thankful for all the sacrifice and hard work that went behind pushing their chances for a shining moment of

Kongkaket and Sasiwimon Wannaprathip, 7-6, for a spot in the women’s 9-ball doubles semis.

Kiamco lost a 7-5 lead but managed to pull it off in the end to join fellow Filipino Dennis Orcollo into the next phase.

Orcollo advanced on Saturday night with a 9-0 drubbing of Indonesia’s Sahroni.

Centeno and Amit stormed to a 6-3 but the Thais won the next three racks. But they delivered when it counted most.

victory,” he said.

“However, I mean to train the light on the stories beyond these victories. The stories that teach us all lessons, as a sporting community, as a people and as a nation,’’ he added.

The Philippines is the runaway leader in the medal tally with a total of 221 medals (as of Saturday), 89 of which are gold medals.

Indonesia with 50 golds and Vietnam with 45 golds are battling it out for second place.

Under Ramirez, the PSC continues to focus on the grassroots but the agency’s heartfelt support to the athletes has resulted to a robust delegation bursting with pride, talent and dedication as can be gleaned by the results. ‘‘Having the privilege of being both the PSC chairman and the chef de mission, I am witness to the many beautiful stories behind this event, and given a glimpse into the legacies that the SEAG will leave,” he said.

“The gains from this event does not end when the curtains comes down on the 30th SEAG

edition. On top of the victories, there are many long-term advantages—legacies—the SEAG gifted us with.”

He added that after the SEA Games, the country will have the wide pool of new athletes eyeing to become the next Watanabe, Didal, Obiena, Yulo, Diaz, and other world-class Filipino athletes.

He also praised the volunteers for their efforts.

“Sports instills values like discipline, dedication and respect for others—values needed for a healthier society—a mandate of the PSC,” he said.

“It awakened the bayanihan spirit and volunteerism among us. The very spirit shown by the heroism of Roger Casugay who gave up his chance for a golden finish to save an opponent at risk of losing his life to the very waves they play in. Truly a class act. A solid show of Filipino spirit.’’

Ramirez did not mention that in a true display of camaraderie, Filipino sports fans are also united in cheering that Timor-Leste will not go home empty-handed.

KRISTINA MARIE KNOTT finishes by second by the skin of her teeth to Vietnam’s Tu Chinh Le in the women’s 100 meters. ROY DOMINGO

HE Philippines and Thailand seek finals slots in men’s basketball while Vietnam and Indonesia clash in a door-die match in the women’s class on Monday in the 30th Southeast Asian Games at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Thais, who topped Group B of the eliminations with a three game sweep, take on Vietnam at 3:45 p.m. while the Philippines, represented by Gilas Pilipinas, takes on Indonesia in the nightcap of a triple bill at 8:15.

Clashing in the other match at 6 p.m. are Indonesia and Malaysia, with the winner barging into the championship round of the women’s division.

Gilas on Saturday cruised past Myanmar, 136-67, to set up a semis battle against the Indons, now handled by former Gilas Coach Rajko Toroman.

Indonesia dumped Cambodia, 100-71, to finish second in Group B and Toroman immediately looked forward to facing Gilas, the forerunner of which he founded. Toroman said the Gilas Pilipinas squad under Tim Cone is better than the squad that went winless at the Fiba World Cup in China.

“They have chemistry, they have quality, they have a new coach,”Toroman said. “I don’t think the team in the World Cup had chemistry. Maybe they had more individual quality...with [Andray] Blatche, but when Blatche is not there, well, this team has special chemistry.”

The Serbian coach, who coached the original Gilas Pilipinas team from 2009 to 2011, watched the Philippines in action against Myanmar.

Gilas Coach Tim Cone said he’s friends with Toroman on and off the court but come game time, they have to move on with their own responsibilities.

“We all know him, how great he’s been with the original Gilas team with Mark Barroca, Marcio Lassiter. So he was kind the founder of the Gilas program,” said Cone. “He coached in the PBA. We know how good he is, and we know how disciplined his teams are, usually very great shooting teams. But we have our own job to finish,” Cone said.

‘SIMPLICITY IS GENIUS’ R

By Steve Douglas The Associated Press

IYADH, Saudi Arabia—Anthony Joshua jumped up and down in the ring with his massive entourage, celebrating being around $70 million richer and having three world heavyweight belts back in his possession.

For the British boxing superstar, it was well worth this controversial trip to Saudi Arabia.

In the first heavyweight title fight to be held in the Middle East, Joshua toyed with an out-of-shape Andy Ruiz Jr. over 12 unspectacular rounds to win a unanimous points decision, reclaim the WBA, WBO and IBF belts, and avenge a stunning upset by his Mexican-American opponent six months ago.

Joshua got his game plan spot on, using his lighter frame to outmaneuver Ruiz, relying on his longer reach to stay clear of trouble and selecting his moments to go on the attack.

In the final seconds of a

bout fought in the early hours of Sunday in a relatively cool 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) for this part of the world, Joshua was almost running around the ring and Ruiz—exhausted and outfought—was planted in the middle, urging him to come closer.

“Sometimes, simplicity is genius. I was outclassing the champion,” Joshua said. “I am used to knocking people out, but last time I got hurt so I gave the man his credit. I said I would correct myself again.”

Two judges gave the fight to the Briton, 119-110, and the other awarded it to him 119-109.

Ruiz put on 15 pounds since the first fight to weigh in at 283 pounds (128 kilograms), making him the second heaviest boxer to fight for a world heavyweight title. He said he hadn’t prepared hard enough for the rematch and got “boxed around.”

“The partying got the best of me,” Ruiz said of his brief time as champion, during which he also went on talk shows, had an audience with the Mexican president and bought new cars for himself and his parents.

“I didn’t prepare how I should have. I gained too much

ANTHONY JOSHUA celebrates after beating Andy Ruiz Jr. to win their world heavyweight championship contest at the Diriyah Arena in Riyadh. AP

weight. I don’t want to give excuses, he won.... If we do a third fight, you best believe I’m going to get in shape. I’ll be in the best shape of my life.”

Whether Joshua agrees to that remains to be seen. There is no rematch clause this time round and Ruiz, short with quick hands, is an awkward opponent.

Joshua proved he had another side to his boxing skills other than a big punch. His career is back on track, for sure, but his reputation might be sullied for other reasons.

The fight was played out to a backdrop of concerns that Saudi Arabia was using this and other big sporting events to divert attention from its human-rights violations. They include the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Joshua has shrugged off concerns that he was being used in what some, like human-rights organization Amnesty International, called a “sportswashing” exercise, and he thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the fight afterward.

Women who attended the fight at the outdoor, purposebuilt, 15,000-capacity Diriyah Arena did not appear to be segregated, as they have been in sports stadiums in

Saudi Arabia since being allowed into them for the first time last year.

Indeed, it felt just like any other venue once the action got under way, with a pro-Joshua crowd chanting the usual repertoire of songs about their fighter and jeering Ruiz.

To make Joshua feel even more at home, there was a rare downpour of rain in the desert just before the fight and at times during the afternoon.

Ruiz knocked down Joshua four times on the way to a seventh-round win in New York in June that was regarded as one of the biggest upsets in the history of heavyweight boxing.

There was none of that drama in the rematch, with Ruiz rarely connecting cleanly with Joshua. When he did, it was with punches to the back of the head that earned him a ticking-off from the referee.

Ruiz finished the fight with blood across his face, having been caught with a right hook by Joshua in the first round.

There were straight lefts from Joshua in the fourth and ninth that rocked Ruiz back, and a right hook in the fifth that also hurt the deposed champion.

Sports BusinessMirror

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| Monday, December 9, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

WOZNIACKI F ALL SET TO RETIRE

ORMER No. 1 and 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki will retire from professional tennis after competing in Melbourne next year.

The 29-year-old from Denmark wrote in an Instagram post on Friday that she wants to start a family with her husband, former NBA player David Lee, and work to raise awareness about rheumatoid arthritis.

Wozniacki said her decision to stop playing “has nothing to do with my health.”

She announced in October 2018 that she has rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition that can cause pain and swelling in the wrist and other joints.

“I’ve always told myself, when the time comes, that there are things away from tennis that I want to do more, then it’s time to be done,” Wozniacki wrote. “In recent months, I’ve realized that there is a lot more in life that I’d like to accomplish off the court.”

She is currently ranked No. 37 after going 20-15 without a singles title in 2019.

Coached for much of her career by her father, Piotr, a former professional soccer player, Wozniacki used tremendous court coverage—she ran in the New York City Marathon—and uncanny ability to get back shot after shot from opponents in a counter-punching style to win 30 WTA titles, including the season-ending tour championships in 2017.

She also reached three Grand Slam finals.

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: It has nothing to do with my health. AP

At just 19, Wozniacki was the runner-up to Kim Clijsters at the 2009 US Open, then again was the runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2014 to her good friend Serena Williams.

Wozniacki claimed her first major championship in her third such final, and 43rd appearance in a Grand Slam tournament, at last year’s Australian Open. She beat Simona Halep in a three-set final to return to the top of the rankings after a six-year absence, a record.

As someone who had played so well, for so long, without ever quite claiming one of her sport’s most important trophies until then,

Wozniacki was thrilled to set aside all of the questions about whether she ever would win a major title.

She has earned more than $35 million in prize money—along with millions more in endorsements—and owns a win-loss record of 630-262. She spent 71 weeks at No. 1 in the WTA rankings and competed in three Olympics, carrying the flag for Denmark at the opening ceremony for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

“I’ve accomplished everything I could ever dream of on the court,” she wrote. The Australian Open begins on January 20. AP

Russia faces next wave of punishment in doping saga

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ENEVA—The never-ending Russia doping saga hits another dramatic peak Monday when its Tokyo Olympics status and prospects for hosting international sports events are on the line.

World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) leaders have been urged by expert advisers to take a hard line on Russian state tampering with a Moscow laboratory database that was meant to bring the scandal toward closure.

Instead, the latest round of broken promises risks tainting Russia in world sports for at least four more years.

The national flag and anthem faces being banned from major events, including the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo and 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. Some hosting rights could be stripped from Russia by sports governing bodies bound by Wada rules to respect Monday’s ruling.

Still, a decision due to be announced at

1.30 p.m. (12:30 GMT) in the Olympic city of Lausanne, Switzerland, will likely not be the end. Appeals and more legal action are expected ahead of the July 24 opening ceremony in Tokyo and beyond.

THE DOPING SCANDAL

RUSSIAN doping and the legal fallout have been a global news fixture for five years and counting.

Systematic state-backed cheating kicked into gear in 2011 and was not exposed until after it corrupted the 2014 Winter Games hosted by Russia in Sochi.

Mounting evidence of doping, extortion schemes and cover-ups was revealed since December 2014 by German television programs, World Anti-Doping Agency investigations and an Oscar-winning documentary about the whistle-blowing lab director who fled into US witness protection.

It provoked a slew of Court of Arbitration for Sport cases, hacking schemes to retaliate against western sports officials and athletes, and a US federal indictment of Russian military intelligence officers.

Russian athletes were stripped of Olympic medals, others were barred from competing at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games or 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games. In South Korea, the Russian flag, anthem and national Olympic body were banned.

Russia took a big step toward rehabilitation in September 2018 when Wada—defying pleas from many athletes and anti-doping officials—restored the working status of its anti-doping agency, Rusada.

CLOSURE OPTION

RUSSIA’S key challenge from Wada was handing over data and samples from the Moscow lab long sealed by state authorities.

Wada got the evidence in January which could have cleared some athletes of suspicion and helped sports bodies prosecute others for doping violations.

However, data was deleted and altered.

Fake evidence was planted—intended to clear a state witness and implicate whistleblowers—according to Wada investigators.

They sifted though 23 million megabytes comparing the database with their own version provided by a whistle blower in 2017.

Given a chance to cooperate, Russia committed more state-backed tampering. AP OLYMPIC Rings and a model of Misha the Bear Cub, the mascot of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games are seen in the yard of Russian Olympic Committee building in Moscow. AP

Compassionate God

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EAR God, Your love is ever before us. In trust we pray: Give us Your saving help, oh God. Strengthen us to admit our faults, our meanness to others and to repent of all that keeps us from living according to Your truth.

Uncover falsehood, and bring to justice those who contribute to the suffering of others through deceitful practices. Draw near to those who grieve the illness or death of a loved one.

May God make us firm in faith, faithful in love and unwavering in hope, through Jesus our brother, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life BusinessMirror

AND THEN SOME: PRACTICAL HOLIDAY BEAUTY AND WELLNESS GIFT IDEAS D4

Monday, December 9, 2019

Miss Universe 2019 most likely ❶ PHILIPPINES: Gazini Ganados in Cary Santiago

PHOTOS: MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION

❷ FRANCE:

Maëva Coucke in Ziad Nakad

❸ THAILAND:

Paweensuda Drouin in Prapakas Angsusingha

❹ BRAZIL: Julia Horta in Marcelo Quadros

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EING racially ambiguous is the new universal look. Just consider the frontrunners at the 68th Miss Universe pageant: Gazini Ganados, a Palestinian-Filipina, and Paweensuda Drouin, a Canadian-Chinese/ Thai. Awesome women with Indian heritage are in beautiful abundance: Priya Serao of Australia, Mehr Eliezer of Panama, Mohana Prabha of Singapore, and Vartika Singh of India, while Shweta Sekhon of Malaysia is of Punjabi descent.

There are exquisite mixes, a celebration of diversity at finals night (happening today in our time

Continued on D2

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BusinessMirror

Monday, December 9, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

z

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Felicity Huffman, 57; Donny Osmond, 62; Beau Bridges, 78; Dame Judi Dench, 85.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Take time to rethink some of your expenditures and decisions, and strategize how to make improvements that will bring you greater stability personally, emotionally and financially. Take an ambitious leap forward, and aim to eliminate debt and find peace of mind in living a simpler lifestyle with less clutter, temptation and wasted time. Make wise decisions and changes. Your lucky numbers are 6, 8, 19, 25, 31, 43, 48.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Listen, digest what you hear and say little until you feel confident moving forward. Taking time to observe and to consider the outcome of whatever move you decide on will help you avoid making a mistake. HHH

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Personal gain is doable. An update to the way you look will lead to compliments and positive suggestions. A chance to spend time with someone who makes you laugh and puts you at ease will enhance your emotional well-being. HHH

ALBANIA: Cindy Marina

IRELAND: Fionnghuala O’Reilly in Joey Galon

SIERRA LEONE: Marie Esther Bangura in Benj Leguiab IV

INDIA: Vartika Singh in Falguni Shane Peacock India

PUERTO RICO: Madison Anderson in Luis Antonio Moda

COLOMBIA: Gabriela Tafur

Miss Universe 2019 most likely Continued from D1 zone if you’re reading this in print) in Atlanta, Georgia: Fionnghuala O’Reilly of Ireland is Irish and African-American, Birta Abiba Þórhallsdóttir of Iceland reportedly has a Congolese parent, Miriam Rautert of Germany has a mother from Trinidad and Tobago, and a German father, Teresa Ruglio of Malta originally hailed from Venezuela, Frederika Alexis Cull of Indonesia has a British-born Australian father while her mother is Indonesian.

The Filipino flair, of course, comes in the eleganza extravaganza. Reigning queen Catriona Gray has already flaunted the creations of Cherry Veric at the prelims and Jearson Demavivas at the national costume show. She will wear Mak Tumang for her farewell walk. Filipino designers who did the evening gowns are Joel Escober for Japan, Benj Leguiab IV for Sierra Leone, Ryan Ablaza Uson for Guam and Rian Fernandez for Cambodia. Joey Galon designed the natcos of Ireland while Bea Bianca Mackey did a dress for New Zealand.

I hope one of the anchors, Fil-Am Miss Teen USA 1998 Vanessa Minnillo Lachey, will wear Filipino on finals night.

The Michael Cinco made couture creations for Argentina, Singapore, Spain and Uruguay, and Canada for the finals. His equally brilliant best friend, Cary Santiago, concocted the magnificent gown and astounding costume for Gazini. By the way, even if there’s freedom of expression and even if you have Sarah Burton aspirations but with a Zara budget, don’t come for Cary Santiago. Your opinion is cheap. n PHILIPPINES. Our very own “Inday” Gazini Ganados, despite the tremendous pressure of clinching a back-to-back title, is enjoying her stint as our beautiful flag-raiser. It’s been 50 years since Gloria Diaz won our first Miss Universe crown, and the Filipinos’ excitement over another triumph shows no signs of abating. Gazini, 23, was discovered in Cebu by Jonas Borces for local contests, honed by Rodgil Flores of Kagandahang Flores for national pageants, and polished

by Jonas Gaffud (“Miss J”) for this all-important global competition. All that training, plus the astonishing outfits created especially for her by the country’s best designer, Cary Santiago, made Gazini smolder on the runway at the preliminaries. n ALBANIA. Cindy Marina—I think a blonde winner can be good for the pageant. Jennifer Hawkins of Australia was the last blonde winner, in 2004. Cindy, 21, might be the bombshell that will make Europe love Miss Universe even more, like when they did when fellow blondes Angela Visser of Holland won in 1989, Yvonne Ryding of Sweden in 1984, all the way to the first queen, Armi Kuusela of Finland in 1952.

Cindy studies International Relations and Global Business at

the University of Southern California while also playing for the Albanian Women’s National Volleyball Team. She’s being trained by former Miss USAs and Miss Universe finalists Shandy Finnessey and Susie Castillo, a definite edge. n FRANCE. I cheered for Maëva Coucke when she competed at Miss France 2018, knowing that she hails from the same city that gave us Camille Cerf (Top 15 at Miss Universe 2014) and Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere. I wanted her to win Miss World 2018 (where our Katarina Rodriguez went unplaced, a travesty) but she finished at Top 12. Maëva, 25, has a degree in international trade, a member of the Association Les Bonnes Fées, which aids those that are helplessly ill and helps fight against breast cancer, her mother being a survivor of the disease. Doesn’t matter if she fell during the G Sonsie Swimwear portion; her striking Coco Rocha x Eva Green x Stefania Fernandez resemblance makes this chic Frenchwoman a winner. n BRAZIL. I stared long enough at the gorgeous face of Julia Horta, 25, until I realized that she resembles the Colombian-American actress Diane Guerrero, who played Crazy Jane in Doom Patrol and inmate Maritza Ramos in Orange is the New Black. And then I also realized that she has the same incandescent beauty as Maritza Sayalero, Miss Universe 1979 from Venezuela. Julia is a journalist, digital influencer and feminist, her natcos showed a football player calling for an end to violence against women. Julia was fourth runner-up at Miss Tourism International in 2017, won by our own Jannie Loudette Alipo-on. n THAILAND. My friend Tee and I sought her out after her heartbreaking loss at Miss Earth 2017 (won by our own Karen Ibasco) because we were drawn to her otherworldly beauty.

Paweensuda “Fahsai” Drouin, a Canadian-Chinese Thai, has become a darling of Filipinos since. Fahsai, 26, graduated with distinctions from the University of Calgary in Canada, where she studied Kinesiology as a premedical degree. Before the start of the pageant, she was the “girl to beat,” especially when Mouwad, the new crown maker, seemed to favor her. n COLOMBIA. Even if Miss Universe 2014 and fellow Colombian Paulina Vega weren’t a judge this year, Gabriela Tafur, 24, is on track to redeem her country after a shutout last year. She graduated law cum laude from Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota. She’s an advocate for gender equality and supports 80 social initiatives that contribute to the wellbeing of Colombian children. n IRELAND. Fionnghuala O’Reilly, the first biracial beauty to represent her country, has the most impressive resumé.

As per her bio, “she works remotely from Dublin as a director for Nasa’s International Space Apps Challenge, the world’s largest hackathon whose mission is to bring international

communities together to create innovation to help solve the world’s most challenging environmental and space-themed problems. She’s a datanaut who’s pursuing her dream of going into space, and that alone makes her the only who can be called Miss Universe, literally. n INDIA. Vartika Singh, 26, was best friends with our Parul Shah when they competed together at Miss Grand International in 2015, finishing second and third runners-up, respectively. She has an intense star quality akin to Bollywood goddess Deepika Padukone, though her evening gown styling was a head-scratcher. Still, this former technical adviser in quality assurance for the World Bank, Vogue India regular and budding actress, is the most stunning contender from India since Lara Dutta, Miss Universe 2000. n BANGLADESH. Shirin Akter Shila, 20, is her country’s first rep. With Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen of India as mentor, she just might make the cut. She’s a physics student at Dhaka University who also works as a fashion model. She’s a would-be philanthropist and an environmentalist. n PANAMA. Mehr Eliezer, 22, was born in India, spent part of her childhood in the Philippines, and is the first nationalized Panamanian to join and become Miss Universe Panama.

The articulate stunner is an advocate for gender equality, a strong ally of the LGBTQ+ community and an ambassador for Probidsida, a Panamanian organization that works to reduce the amount of HIV and AIDS cases in Panama. n PUERTO RICO. At 24, the dangerous blonde Madison Anderson has paid her pageant dues. She was fourth runnerup at Miss Florida Teen USA 2014, same placement at Top Model of the World 2015, and third runner-up at Miss Grand International 2016, where our Nicole Cordoves placed second.

She speaks to high-school students about anti-bullying and self-love. Madison also founded Metamorphosis, which helps recovered victims to become their better self so they can achieve a successful society reintegration. Her mentor is Miss Universe 2001 Denise Quiñones. n SIERRA LEONE. Marie Esther Bangura, 22, is a student partly working in her community for “Good Touch, Bad Touch,” a campaign that works to put an end to the sexual exploitation of the youth. Her goal is to start a couture fashion line and hosting her own TV show, a la Tyra Banks or Oprah, which she will call “Moments with Marie.” n MEXICO. Sofia Aragon, 25, is a dead-ringer for Miss Universe 2010 Ximena Navarette, and with a mentor in Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones, this writer has the makings of a winner. She is a mental-health advocate, having suffered from depression. “She became a speaker when she realized that by sharing her story, she can help people overcome the same struggles she experienced,” said her bio. n

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Know what you are up against before you get started. Handle money matters, health issues and contracts carefully but in a timely manner. Don’t leave something for tomorrow that needs to be done today. Don’t trust anyone else to look out for your interests. HHH

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): Put your energy to good use. Concentrate on what you want to accomplish. Stop worrying and start doing.

Don’t fight change; whatever you are dreading will turn out better than anticipated. HHHH

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Think matters through before you make a physical change.

If you are too quick to act, you will upset someone, and it will change the dynamics of your relationship. Slow down; take time to relax or do something you enjoy. HH

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look over your options, talk to someone you trust and prepare to make a change that will encourage better relationships with your peers, children or partner. A day trip, interview or presentation is favored.

Romance is on the rise. HHHHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Keep an open mind, as well as a tight budget when it comes to home improvements or joint money ventures.

Too much of anything will end up working against you.

Refuse to let anyone emotionally manipulate you or take you for granted. HHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Voice how you feel and what you want to happen. The truth will get you a lot further ahead when it comes to getting what you want. Share your vision, how you plan to achieve your goal and what your intentions are. HHH

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Refuse to be pushed in a direction that is costly or more likely to benefit someone else. Practicality will be in your best interest. Look at the big picture moving forward, and find a way to simplify your life. HHH

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Make changes at home that will please all those who reside there or visit. Putting in a little extra effort to add to your comfort and joy over the festive season will get you in the spirit. HHHHH

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t divulge a surprise you’ve been planning, even if someone causes you grief. Use intelligence, and you’ll discover an innovative way to keep the peace.

A change regarding how you earn your living will turn out better than anticipated. HH

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Get together with someone you have worked with in the past, and a new opportunity will come your way. Listen carefully, ask questions and gather facts.

Put in the time, and you’ll reap the rewards. HHHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are brave, enthusiastic and passionate.

You are industrious and secretive.

‘bright spots’ BY EVAN KALISH The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Up the ___ 5 Musical work 9 Result of disorderly conduct?

13 Lump for one on the “naughty list” 14 Tiny iPod discontinued in 2017 15 Buttinsky 16 Apply pressure, in a way 18 Consumed 19 Hugh of House 20 With plenty to go around 21 Ruckus 23 “The Coming” rapper 25 Helen of The Good Liar 27 ___ coat (attire for Bill Nye) 28 Spam-sending program, for short 29 Analogy words 30 Resting in bed for the day, say 33 2013 OneRepublic hit...and a task that, if applied to the asterisked answers, yields five 38 Sikh’s headwear 39 Canine’s intruder alert 41 Director Lee

4 ___ G. Biv (rainbow mnemonic) 4 45 Bagel type with seeds 47 Rep’s goal 51 Morning droplets 52 Important points 53 Sought prey 55 Go in 56 Country whose capital is San Jose 59 Reno 911! star Nash 60 Opposing 61 Strap held by an equestrian 62 Sunbathing souvenirs 63 Fluorescent 64 “Don’t leave me!”

DOWN 1 Congressional output 2 Right this minute 3 Suit the specific needs of 4 Disney queen with an Ice Palace 5 Out jogging 6 The Louvre’s city 7 Not fulfilled 8 Emergency broadcast at sea 9 Like many old apples

0 Place in a crypt 1 11 Two-speaker sound system 12 Most reasonable 15 “That’s generally correct, although...”

17 Center of a paper towel roll 20 Alums 21 French friend 22 Frisbee, e.g.

24 Straighten 26 Lopsided victory 30 North African nation 31 Political commentator Navarro 32 Most cats have four 34 Place for flowers or babies 35 Moderate gaits 36 Another term for a lane reduction 37 Not many 40 Not many 41 Climb up?

42 C.S. Lewis fantasy realm 43 Substance in many flours 45 Submitted 46 James who sang “At Last” 48 Corp. bigwigs

9 River of Geneva and Arles 4 50 Get-up-and-go 54 Goes astray 56 Is able to 57 Clandestine org.

58 “___ takers?”

Solution to Friday’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

MAX EIGENMANN

JUN LANA

JUDY ANN SANTOS

Monday, December 9, 2019

DERICK CABRIDO

The winning streak continues G

OOD news came one after the other in recent weeks.

Third-generation actor Max Eigenmann was declared Best Actress at the prestigious 2019 Asia Pacific Screen Awards. She is the daughter of model-beauty queen turned awardwinning actress Bing Pimentel and the late great actor

Mark Gil. She is the sister of two-time international best actor Sid Lucero.

Eigenmann, who bested nominees from Korea, Russia, Japan, Kazakhstan and China, won for her performance in Raymund Gutierrez’s Verdict. She accepted her award in Brisbane, Australia.

Judy Ann Santos bagged her first overseas Best Actress award at the 41st Cairo International Film Festival, where the Brillante Mendoza film Mindanao was in competition.

The film, which also was recognized with a special award for artistic contribution, is an official entry to the coming Metro Manila Film Festival this month.

With her big win in Egypt, Santos looms as the favorite to win the all-Filipino filmfest’s best actress plum. She will most likely compete with Iza Calzado (Culion), Carmina Villarroel (Sundo) and, if there won’t be any category for children, Xia Vigor (Miracle in Cell No. 7). Two esteemed filmmakers have also

THE Dantes family—Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera-Dantes, and children Zia and Ziggy Dantes—was awarded as Most Admired Family Endorser at the Comguild Academe’s Awards.

ATOM ARAULLO was hailed as Student Leader’s Choice for TV Personality at the Student Choice Awards for the Media by the Biliran Province State University.

GMA wins more awards from various institutions LEADING broadcast company GMA continues to be recognized by various award-giving bodies this year.

At the 13th Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards on November 15, GMA News brought honor to the network through “Drought in Numbers: Farmers Farming No More”—a story produced by GMA News reporter Tina Panganiban-Perez and the GMA News Special Assignments Team which won as Best Agriculture TV Story of the Year.

Earning another award was “A Very Long Summer” by Jessica Bartolome and Dona Magsino, which won the Best Agriculture Online Story plum.

The Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards is an annual event of Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc., which celebrates the work of agriculture journalists all over the country.

Meanwhile, during the celebration of the Ninth National Statistics Month on October 1, Brenda Barrientos-Vallarta of GMA News Research won for the network the Best Statistical Reporting in Online Media award for her story “Where the Votes Are: Taking a Look at the Vote-Rich Regions, Provinces, and Cities Ahead of Eleksyon 2019.”

With the theme “Data Innovation: Key to a Better Nation,” the Philippine Statistics Authority recognizes the significant role and contribution of the media in promoting and popularizing official statistics from the Philippine Statistical System through news and features. Various learning institutions in the country also gave recognitions to

GMA programs and personalities.

At the Comguild Academe’s Awards, Jennylyn Mercado was awarded as the Advertiser’s Friendly Host (Female Category).

Multi-awarded comedian and content creator Michael V., on the other hand, was hailed as Most Admired Comedian, and Heart Evangelista won as the Most Admired Social Media Influencer of the Year. Child actor and Eat Bulaga mainstay Sebastian “Baste” Granfon has been elevated to the Hall of Fame for the Most Admired Child Endorser.

Meanwhile, the Dantes family—Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera-Dantes, and children Zia and Ziggy— was awarded as Most Admired Family Endorser.

At the Student Choice Awards for the Media by Biliran Province State University on November 15, GMA News anchor Mike Enriquez was named as Media Persona of Excellence. Kara David won as the Best Documentary Program Host, while Atom Araullo was hailed as the Student Leader’s Choice for TV Personality.

Alden Richards, meanwhile, was named as Most Popular TV Personality of the Year.

Taking home the awards for Best Documentary Program and Best Travel Magazine Show were I-Witness and Biyahe ni Drew, respectively.

Capping off GMA’s recognitions was Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho’s win at the First Mass Media Choice Awards of the University of Batangas-College of Education, as Best Educational Magazine TV Show.

brought honors to the country. Jun Lana was declared Best Director at the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, where his new film Kalel, 15 had its world premiere.

The jury commentary read: “Working with a large cast of mostly young actors, he has made a film which feels deeply rooted in the everyday lives of its characters. His film pulls away from the stickingplaster from the wounds of the AIDS epidemic among young people in the Philippines, and exposes the terror and violence that this crisis imposes on them.

It’s a passionate and concerned film about lives we never see in the West.”

The win was a vindication for Lana and his team, which previously submitted it to the MMFF, but did not make the top 8 entries. Lana’s award came with a €5,000 cash prize.

Another piece of good news came by way of Derick Cabrido’s Best Director win at the 2019 Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival, held annually

in Vatican City. Cabrido won for his wonderful work in the Jodi Santamaria-starrer Clarita. He bested the other nominees from Peru and Italy.

The Southeast Asian Games is on its final stretch and the Philippines (being the host country) is pulling away from the rest of the participating nations in the medal tally board.

And when this piece comes out, we will also find out if the winning streak of the Philippines will continue at the widely followed Miss Universe beauty pageant. Who will outgoing queen Catriona Gray pass the crown to today in Atlanta, Georgia? The hot picks for this year include the candidates from Albania, Colombia, Brazil, Thailand, Mexico, South Africa, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh and Puerto Rico.

Will Philippine representative Gazini Ganados make it to the semifinals and get to compete in the swimsuit and evening gown competitions? Maybe.

Or will she pull off a back-to-back victory for the country? That’s a long shot. n

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D4

Style

Monday, December 9, 2019

SM Beauty at The SM Store in Makati has a special K-Beauty zone where you can find the hottest Korean skin care and makeup finds

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Practical holiday beauty and wellness gift ideas

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T’S that time of year when many articles and columns start with, “Christmas is just around the corner,” and it is true. If you aren’t panicking yet, perhaps, you should be. It’s time to start buying gifts for the office, your child’s school, your neighbors, your family and loved ones.

I love giving gifts that are practical. For instance, face masks from Korea are always a good idea. K-Beauty has taken the whole world by storm with its sheet masks and a skin-care tradition characterized by simplicity, efficacy and wellness. Korean beauty companies are well known for their use of innovative ingredients in their products like snail mucus, tomato, kale, coptis root, licorice root, and many others.

K-Beauty is very popular among teenagers and young adults. They would appreciate gifts like lip tints, blush, anti-blemish skin care, cleansers, toners, and many others.

SM Beauty at The SM Store has a wide range of the Korean beauty brands carefully curated at special K-Beauty zones nationwide. While there are already Korean brands in the Philippines, only SM Beauty has brought together multiple brands under one roof.

Visiting the flagship K-Beauty zone in SM Makati is like being in Myeong-dong, without having to leave the Philippines. Among the brands they carry are Cosrx; Dear, Klairs; Neogen; Mediheal; Leaders; Banila Co., AHC; Esfolio; The Saem; Dewytree; Face Republic; iWhite; Seoul White; Luxe Organix, Fresh; Bling Pop, Jayjun; SNP, BLK (Korean line), Yadah; Club Clio; Peripera; and the Vice Cosmetics (BT21 line).

So what would make great gifts? I love the BLK Cosmetics Mini Soft Matte Mousse, which

can be purchased individually or in a boxed set.

I like the shades Garnet but if you’re giving them as gifts to younger people, perhaps Pink Topaz and Moonstone would be better appreciated.

Those who are skin-care enthusiasts would most probably enjoy items from CosRx. The Low-pH Good Morning Cleanser+the Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask would make a great gift for any beauty-conscious person on your gift list.

Luxe Organix’s facial mists in HydroFirming, Skin Mattifying and Rosewater Glow would be good stocking stuffers at less than P250 each.

Another good gift idea is the BTS x Mediheal boxed sets of sheet masks. Speaking of great gifts, I wish I could purchase a Watsons Elite card for my mom, who buys her medications and other essentials at Watsons.

The said card isn’t actually for sale but available with an accumulated spending of P35,000 from January 1 to December 31 of the same year, excluding spend on items with government-mandated discounts. For the same spending threshold met on your second year, you get to retain your Elite status.

Watsons Elite card members get the most, including 5x points on all Watsons-branded products and 10x points on your birth month.

You know why I want to give my mom a Watsons Elite card for Christmas? There will be priority lanes at select Watsons stores so seniors, pregnant women and persons with disabilities don’t need to be on their feet during busy hours.

Watsons Elite members also enjoy free delivery and exclusive access to different Watsons experiences throughout the year and get to socialize with fellow Elite members who love to shop at Watsons. Over a hundred Watsons Elite members recently got two VIP seats each to enjoy Cats The Musical at the Theatre at Solaire.

If I really had the budget, I would get Kanken sling shoulder bags for those who don’t carry big bags but because it’s expensive, I would settle for buying one for myself as a Christmas gift.

Anyway, as much as I believe that Christmas is the season of giving, please don’t give people trash gifts. Give them presents that they can use or eat with a heartfelt message. n

25 years of Girbaud in PHL FOR its silver anniversary in the Philippines, innovative French clothing brand Marithé and François Girbaud (www.girbaud.com.ph) is celebrating with a new look and a new A-game.

Inspired by arts, music and fashion, the new sleek, young, and modern vibe of Girbaud will surely appeal not only to the nostalgia of its longtime fans but also to the hip and trendy street style of millennials and GenZ-ers, all the while retaining the denim-centric DNA of the brand. “Girbaud has been in the Philippines for 25 years now and we would like to celebrate this milestone by introducing a new look,” says Obee Ham, business development head for Retail Dynamics Inc., the group behind the Manila revival of Girbaud. “The brand has always been known to be innovative and we made sure that it will be carried over

TOM RODRIGUEZ and Shermaine de Ramos check out the new Girbaud look.

to this exciting new phase.”

Brand updates started rolling out this year in some of its stores in Metro Manila, including SM Megamall, SM City North Edsa and SM City Manila. By 2020, all Girbaud stores in the Philippines will

be refreshed with a cool and modern store design. It will also feature upto-date collection every season with very wearable pieces inspired by the streetwear trend that is all the hype now among the younger market.

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Monday, December 9, 2019

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Why investors react negatively to companies that put women on their boards

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By Isabelle Solal & Kaisa Snellman

In a recent study, we examined board composition and financial data on 1,644 public companies in the US between 1998 and 2011, controlling for numerous fir m-specific character istics.

We find that companies that appoint women to the board see a decline in their market value for two years following the appointment, after which we no longer see any effect. Investors seem to be penalizing, rather than rewarding, companies that strive to be more inclusive. Why might the stock market react negatively to increases in board diversity?

It is not because companies perform worse after they appoint female directors. We find that companies are no less profitable after appointing female directors to the board than they were before the appointment. Nor are they more profitable.

Another explanation is that investors react to what they perceive to be a change in firm preferences. Increases in board diversity may signal to investors that the firm is motivated by social goals, and cares less about maximizing shareholder value.

And to the extent investors care

about shareholder value, they will penalize those companies they suspect are putting other goals first.

To test this theory, we conducted an experiment with 193 alumni and current students of a top-tier international business school. We found no difference in the perceived competence of men and women. There was, however, a difference in the perceived goals of a company. People believed that a company that appointed a woman cared more about improving the social performance of the firm and less about maximizing shareholder value.

If investors are indeed interpreting female appointments as a sign that the company is less committed to maximizing returns to their shareholders, the effect of increases in board diversity should be larger for those companies that demonstrate commitment to social goals in other ways. This is, in fact, what we found.

Our research suggests that shifting the diversity discourse away from gender to other dimensions of expertise and experience might, in fact, help wom-

Tanita Chunsiripongpann | Dreamstime.com

espite persistent efforts to tackle underrepresentation of women on corporate boards, most boardrooms remain mostly male.

en and other underrepresented groups. With less emphasis on gender, female appointments

might one day no longer be perceived as checking off a social performance box, and signal

nothing about firm preferences other than its commitment to hiring the best people for the job.

Isabelle Solal is a postdoctoral research fellow at Insead. Kaisa Snellman is assistant professor at Insead.

Developing a Talent Create rules that are unique to your company Pipeline for Your Digital Transformation B

By Bill Taylor

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By Jeff Kavanaugh & Ravi Kumar S.

ompanies in every industr y are digitalizing their operations, and many are struggling to find the talent they need to do it. But not all. In a global survey of 1,000 business leaders, we set out to discover what companies that are good at staffing their digitalization projects do differently. We saw that they do a combination of four things.

They look for potential, not credentials

Given that the life cycle of any given technology skill (such as, fluency in a popular programming language) is only about two years, the clock on technical expertise quickly runs out.

A stronger candidate, therefore, may be someone curious, adaptable and quick to learn. A candidate who worked as a teenager, or joined the military to pay for college, may be more motivated, resilient, agile and a better team player than someone from a more privileged situation.

They value soft skills as much as technical ones

Information-technology development used to be about writing a spec and coding it, but today it’s more about finding problems and creating solutions. For

instance, with digitalization initiatives focused on improving how customers and employees interact with the company, so-called soft skills have become more important than technical ones.

They think about teams, not individuals

Companies will always need PhDs and MBAs to groom as future leaders. But the leaders in our survey are much more likely than poor performers to hire graduates with non-STEM degrees (76 percent to 39 percent), noncollege graduates with high aptitude scores (71 percent to 38 percent) and vocational or trade school graduates who can be valuable contributors to teams.

They incentivize employees to grow

Our leading companies are much more inclined than the laggards to reward higher skill levels with better compensation (67 percent to 41 percent), benefits (64 percent to 23 percent) and responsibility (78 percent to 58 percent).

But, to our surprise, they do not offer significantly more training opportunities.

Jeff Kavanaugh is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Business of the University of Texas at Dallas. Ravi Kumar S. is president and deputy chief operating officer of Infosys.

© 2019 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. (Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate)

en Horowitz, the highprofile venture capitalist behind some of Silicon Valley’s fastest-growing start-ups, is out with an intriguing book, What You Do Is Who You Are, which emphasizes the power of culture, rather than technology or money, as a driver of business success. One of his most intriguing insights is that powerful cultures are built around what he calls “shocking rules”—rituals and practices that are memorable, yet so “bizarre,” that people who hear about them wonder why they are necessary.

Horowitz’s argument is as simple as it is powerful. Truly great organizations work as distinctively as they hope to compete.

Detroit-based Quicken Loans, the hard-charging financial-services company, is now the largest originator of home mortgages in the country. Its culture is obsessed with a nonnegotiable rule: Every customer phone call or e-mail must be returned on the same day it is received even if it arrives minutes before an employee is about to leave.

Years back, I immersed myself in the colorful (and highly successful) world of Cranium, the Seattlebased maker of board games that reinvigorated a tired category of family entertainment. Everywhere I went—whether I was hanging out with products designers or the IT staff or the CFO—everyone would question whether a particular product, process or meeting was “Chief.”

What’s Chief? It stands for “clever, high-quality, innovative, friendly and fun,” and it was an ethos that was meant to infuse every aspect of how the company did business—from its games to its hiring process to its meetings to how the offices were designed.

Students at Texas A&M don’t abide by business versions of “shocking rules”—this is a campus, after all, not a company—but they have colorful rituals and traditions. Upperclassmen and alumni often pepper their conversations with the term “Whoop!”—which is how the school’s many different “yells” (fight songs and other expressions of spirit) often end.

But students are not allowed to say Whoop until they begin their junior year, and violations of the

rule are frowned upon.

“Aggie Culture” is not exactly my cup of tea, but most of Texas A&M’s nearly 70,000 students could not imagine life without it. And they have an expression, which they have been reciting for decades, to capture what makes their culture so distinct: “From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it.

From the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.”

That’s a neat way to capture the power of culture in organizations from all sorts of fields: To build something distinctive in the marketplace, you first have to build something distinctive in the workplace.

Bill Taylor is a cofounder of Fast Company.

Adapting your leadership strategy as your start-up grows

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By Ron Ashkenas

ivoting from an initial product design or business model has become a given in the start-up playbook. But even as start-up leaders shift their businesses to meet a newly discovered need, they often fail to apply the same logic to themselves—and there they get into trouble.

Each milestone achievement or shortfall in the business— revenue, head count, product introductions, new markets, numbers or types of customers,

and so on—must trigger a rapid reassessment of leadership. As you ask yourself how you might need to change your leadership approach alongside your business, keep these principles in mind:

Leadership jobs will change faster than leadership titles However, your job is defined today, your real responsibilities are probably going to change as the company grows or pivots, even though you won’t necessarily get a salary boost or a new business card. If someone

on the team isn’t willing to periodically work differently, they may need to take on a new role or leave the company.

Developing yourself is hard to do alone,

especially in an intense startup environment where everyone is emotionally and financially invested in the success of the firm and may not want to even consider the possibility that their skills no longer fit. Therefore, the team needs to either work together or get outside help to identify and make the necessary shifts.

Don’t put off painful decisions

While instituting this kind of change in yourself (and others!) can be painful at times, doing it regularly to mirror your company’s growth can also be an exhilarating opportunity for you and your team to learn, and develop themselves—while dramatically increasing your company’s chances of continuing to achieve new levels of success in the future.

Ron Ashkenas is a coauthor of the Harvard Business Review Leader’s Handbook.

Education BusinessMirror

E2 Monday, December 9, 2019

Manila mayor imparts good leadership, dares change among FEU students

By Roderick L. Abad @rodrick

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ANILA City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso challenged the students of Far Eastern University (FEU) to become an exemplary of good citizenship with the right mindset and attitude to spur change in the country’s capital.

“Every person, as part of the community, has responsibilities to uphold. One of them is to reflect on our outlook toward the government so we can understand better how to contribute to the improvement of the society,” he said during a forum, titled “A Talk with Our Mayor,” held recently at the FEU’s main campus in Sampaloc, Manila.

The event was aimed at beefing up the future generation’s awareness of current social issues and empower them to come up with positive solutions.

Domagoso asked for the students’ cooperation to help sustain the local government’s dramatic transition, following the clearing operations in Divisoria and Claro M. Recto Avenue areas of illegal vendors, and unnecessary structures and obstructions that

contributed to Manila’s perennial traffic problem.

The clearing activities were held a couple of days after he took his oath of office in June.

The local chief executive encouraged the FEU students to start disciplining themselves by going early to school to avoid heavy traffic, and to avoid coming late to classes.

He urged those whose father are jeepney drivers to ferry their passengers to the right destinations and not cut their trips short just to avoid heavy traffic.

“Why always put the blame to the government? We have faults, of course. But it’s your responsibility also to change your mindset and attitude because you are in control of your life. If you have that mindset, you start to believe

FAR Eastern University (FEU) Publications Manager Melany Caperal (from left), Chairman Aurelio R. Montinola III, Chairman Emeritus Lourdes R. Montinola, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs Atty. Gianna R. Montinola

in the government and that people like you is part of governance,” Domagoso said in mixed Filipino and English.

The mayor, likewise, appealed to his constituents, including the youth, to bring back their trust to the government. Instead of looking at the shortcomings, he said that they must appreciate the positive things their leaders have done, and spread or duplicate such to the benefit of their communities.

“We should start here at FEU. Let’s make this campus clean, respectful and in harmony with its neighbors. Attitude and mindset are the keys,” Domagoso said.

The city mayor also imparted his vision of leadership and social responsibility to the students of FEU. As a token of appreciation, the school presented to him the FEU Publications’ Walk Manila book, which features 100 historic locations and structures in the capital.

“The book [provides] maps of the heritage sites and walking tours in the City of Manila. We share this in gratitude and in support of the Mayor’s thrust to creating a better city for Manileños,” said FEU Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs Atty. Gianna R. Montinola.

Youth propose transformative actions at school biodiversity forum

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LANT a tree, reduce plastic use, and raise awareness among communities on the importance of biodiversity.

These are the transformative actions students aged 14 to 16 suggested at a recent school biodiversity forum at Liceo de Los Baños in Laguna.

The students suggested both individual and community actions.

With access to information and knowledge on biodiversity, the students also acknowledged their potential to raise awareness among communities on the importance of biodiversity in providing food, shelter, livelihood, among others, and the need to protect it.

Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) Public Relations Specialist Niña Calleja encouraged the youth to follow through with their proposed actions.

“You, the youth, have so many reasons to participate in actions toward protecting biodiversity. You have a bigger stake in this, with more years ahead of you in this time of climate change and biodiversity loss,” Calleja said.

The school had invited ACB to hold the biodiversity forum.

Calleja talked about the richness of biodiversity in the Southeast Asian region and the Philippines. Despite occupying just 3 percent of the Earth’s surface area, the region is home to 18 percent of all known plants and species.

SOME of the student participants and ACB guests at the biodiversity forum in Liceo de Los Baños, Laguna.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is one of the world’s 18 mega-diverse countries, containing two-thirds of the Earth’s biodiversity, and between 70 percent and 80 percent of the world’s plant and animal species.

Calleja also spoke about the threats to biodiversity like pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction. She emphasized the need for both individual and coordinated actions to protect biodiversity, and elaborated on how these are interconnected.

“Your individual actions have a regional and global impact that affects all of us,” Calleja said.

She added that coordinated regional actions are important as many environmental

50,000 students benefit from Linis Lusog program of P&G Philippines, Safeguard, Manila Water

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Contributor

issues go beyond nations’ boundaries, like plastic pollution in the ocean.

She shared about the work of ACB in coordinating and facilitating the actions of Asean member-states in halting biodiversity loss in the region.

Meanwhile, ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim lauded the students in their proposed actions for biodiversity, highlighting the role of the youth.

“With their boundless energy and enthusiasm, the youth have long been partners in biodiversity conservation,” she said. She cited as an example the youth who are engaged under the ACB’s Asean Youth Biodiversity Programme (AYBP) in a one-year biodiversity

leadership programme.

Other youth under the AYBP had internships at Asean Heritage Parks. AHPs are protected areas of high conservation importance. The AYBP is part of the European Union-financed project Biodiversity Conservation and Management of Protected Areas in Asean (BCAMP) being implemented by the ACB. Lim also emphasized the importance of reaching out to different sectors and audiences with ACB’s work. “We want to engage stakeholders across platforms, from high-level meetings at international stages to fora organized by schools and communities, like this school biodiversity forum,” she said.

Two days before the school forum, Lim spoke at the 23rd Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice in Montreal, Canada, during the side event “Catalysing Regional Cooperation for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.”

She talked about the rich biodiversity in the Asean region and the need for regional and subregional cooperation in protecting biodiversity and in developing the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, a new paradigm to safeguard nature and its contributions to human well-being.

Around 500 participants representing 118 countries attended the five-day Montreal conference.

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

W ENT Y handwashing f a c i l it i e s i n A nt i p ol o City were recently inaugurated through the health and hygiene program of P&G, Linis Lusog, in celebration of Global Handwashing Day. In partnership with the Manila Water Foundation (MWF), P&G and Safeguard has been able to provide handwashing stations at public schools in the cities of Taguig, Antipolo, Cebu, Davao and Zamboanga.

“As we celebrate Global Handwashing Day, P&G Philippines and Safeguard instill the importance of proper health and oral hygiene to children through our Linis Lusog program, where we promote regular handwashing to prevent the spread of germs, viruses and other communicable illnesses,” said P&G Philippines General Manager Rafael Fajardo.

Linis Lusog, P&G Philippines’s flagship program for health, hygiene and home, has helped 50 schools since its launch in 2015 and is committed to reach more educat iona l inst it ut ions a nd communities in the country.

Since the formation of P&G and MWF’s partnership in 2019, they have built handwashing facilities in 32 public schools nationwide and has helped over 50,000 schoolchildren, faculty and staff by demonstrating proper handwashing and toothbrushing steps.

In addition, hygiene kits with soaps, hand towels and toothbrushes were distributed to help students practice good hygiene habits at home.

Raising awareness for healthy hygiene habits

LEARNING how to properly wash one’s hands is a fundamental skill a child must learn. Practicing this habit of frequent handwashing throughout their daily activities—such as playtime, before and after meals, and after using

the toilet—is valuable to promote good health and favorable personal development.

Through the handwashing facilities built by MWF under the P&G Linis Lusog program, children are now even more encouraged to practice handwashing as an effective way to foster proper hygiene habits and, ultimately, live healthier lives.

Apart from the hygiene kits, schoolchildren who joined the prog ram were g iven easy-tounderstand handouts written in their local dialects for them to remember the basic steps for proper handwashing and oral care, better. They were also taught chants so that they can recall these tips and put them to use in their daily activities.

Global Handwashing Day

E V ERY yea r, P& G celebrates Globa l Ha ndw a sh i ng Day to promote the culture of proper hygiene through the practice of handwashing in order to prevent the spread of illnesses, such as diarrhea, cold, flu and other infections.

Global Handwashing Day is celebrated every October 15 by more than 200 million people in 100 countries. It aims to promote a global culture of clean hands through proper handwashing.

This year’s theme, “Clean Hands For All,” was a call to action for people from all walks of life to practice proper handwashing and have access to basic hand washing facilities with soap and water.

“Handwashing is just one of the many ways that we can promote and maintain proper health and hygiene habits in our lives. As we continue to educate children about proper handwashing, P&G strengthens its thrust to uplift the quality of life for Filipinos by encouraging them to foster healthier habits in school and at home,” Fajardo added.

SCHOOLCHILDREN of the Cantumog Elementary School in Cebu City raise their hands as they practice proper handwashing techniques as P&G and MWF inaugurated handwashing stations in three schools in Visayas.

2nd Asian course on agri-biotechnology convenes at Searca

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2019 BRIGADA ESKWELA HALL OF FAME AWARDEE Santiago City National High School Principal Eloisa Dizon (inset) holds the Hall of Fame Award for 2019 Brigada Eskwela for Secondary School category in Region 2. Brigada Eskwela is a campus cleaning activity done by parents, teachers and students prior to the opening of classes. Dizon received the award recently from the Department of Education at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. CEASAR M. PERANTE

ECOGNIZING the importance of integrating research, effective communication and science-based regulatory frameworks in harnessing the full potential of agri-biotechnology to fuel sustainable agricultural development, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) partnered with the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Malaysian Biotechnology Information Center and Monash University in organizing the Asian Short Course on Agri-biotechnology, Biosafety Regulation and Communication.

Now on its second year, the program aims to enable participants to have a better understanding of the entire value chain of living modified organisms (LMOs), as

well as national and international legal instruments regarding LMOs. It also aims to discuss effective communication of agri-biotechnology and biosafety regulation.

In his opening message, Searca Director and National Academician Glenn B. Gregorio, highlighted Searca’s important role in advancing science-based innovations to address poverty and food security.

“We stand behind products of agri-biotechnology that increase agricultural productivity to feed a growing population in the midst of dwindling natural resources and erratic changes in climate,” Gregorio said.

“Due attention must be given to our resource-poor farmers by providing them access to information, best practices and new technologies that gives them a fight-

ing chance to cope with the many challenges they face and to open up better opportunities for them and their families so that they can have better quality lives,” he adds.

According to Dr. Mahaletchumy Arujanan, ISAAA Global coordinator, “We organized this training program to bring our Asian stakeholders updated information and hands-on experience on agri-biotechnology, exercises on food/feed safety assessment, and tips on strategic communication, and risk management and communication.”

This year’s Asian Short Course on Agri-biotechnology gathers 25 participants from both public and private sectors of eight countries.

These are China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Marketing BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PR Matters

HOW CAN I PREPARE MYSELF TO FACE CHALLENGES? DREAMMASTERPHOTOGRAPHER | DREAMSTIME.COM

By Millie F. Dizon

Monday, December 9, 2019 E3

Part One

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EAR PR Matters, One of the reasons I like reading your column is that you and your colleagues give us many tips on how we can become better PRs and better persons.

Developing our skills is one, and broadening our knowledge about the industry is another.

Public relations work involves a lot of challenges, and we frequently find ourselves overwhelmed with the many things we have to do and the many day-to-day tests we have to face.

Apart from knowing more about our job, what are the other ways we can prepare ourselves for day-to-day challenges? Your thoughts on this would really be helpful.

Sincerely, Jocelyn G. Dear Jocelyn, We are happy to be able to share with you some bits of knowledge that can help you become better in your work, and better in the way you live.

That PR is challenging is an understatement, and every day brings about things that will surprise even the most seasoned practitioner.

When athletes prepare for a major race or competition, it is important that they not

TRAVEL: THE INTRAMUROS ADMINISTRATION PUSHES TO SUSTAIN URBAN REGENERATION THROUGH HERITAGE AND RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—The Department of Tourism (DOT) affirmed its support for the Intramuros Administration as it continues to advocate for greater convergence between sustainable

tourism, culture and heritage.

“Ensuring a sustainable tourism industry entails a holistic management plan that starts with a great vision, and the Intramuros Administration’s vision is inclusive for integrating its people’s welfare, both the residents and tourists, with economic development and cultural heritage preservation,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said.

Puyat stressed, “This is exactly what we want to foster in other cultural heritage sites across the country, to emphasize that tourism is serving a huge impact to the country’s economic progress and the development of people surrounding these sites.”

only hone their skills, but constantly watch what they eat, work out and keep in shape to win. Some athletes like Tiger Woods have also talked about how, along with the physical training, they also prepare themselves mentally when they compete. Yes, mental strength is just as important as physical strength.

In PR, it is essential not only to be physically, but mentally fit to face challenges. In an article, 10 Exercises That Will Help You Develop the Mental Strength You Need to Crush Your Goals in Inc.com, Amy Morin shows us how building a little mental muscle could have a big impact on your life.

“If you want to be able to tackle bigger challenges, and overcome more obstacles, you need more mental strength” she says.

Like physical muscles, your mental muscles require a good workout. Here, she shares with us 10 exercises that can help you start developing the mental strength you need.

negative 1Reframe thoughts.

The problem with negative thoughts is that they have a way of becoming sad realities. And while it’s true that everyone has bad days that lead to negative thoughts, Morin believes that it is by “searching for positive and realistic expectations that you The “2022 Onwards” vision is anchored on three pillars: 1) convergence of urban regeneration, 2) cultural heritage and 3) sustainable tourism, which will enable Intramuros to become a “sustainable creative urban heritage district.”

Intramuros Administration Head Atty. Guiller Asido said: “With the help of the national government, we are progressively accomplishing our programs for our Intramuros.

We’re done with some of our infrastructure projects, such as establishment of Museo de Intramuros, lighting and landscaping projects on Muralla Street, Burgos and Bonifacio Drives, reclaiming of public

can eliminate these damaging pessimistic thoughts and better equip yourself to manage the bad days.”

Her suggestion? Replace what she calls “catastrophic thoughts like this will never work” with something more realistic like “if I work hard, I’ll improve my chances of success.”

2Create goals.

“It’s fun to aim high and dream big,” says Morin. “But setting your sights too high will likely lead to disappointment.” The key is being realistic in setting our goals and expectations.

For example, “rather than set out to lose 100 pounds, focus on losing five first. When you crush that goal, you’ll be motivated to lose the next five pounds.”

In aiming for goals, it is essential to know yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses. Otherwise, you’ll be clutching at straws, shooting at the breeze.

“Every goal you achieve gives you confidence in your own ability to be successful, “says Morin. “This will also help you identify which goals are not challenging enough and which ones are unrealistically ambitious.

3Set yourself up for success.

Morin believes that we can modify our environment from spaces, and the rehabilitation of Fort Santiago, among other projects, as well.”

Five priority programs are slated to achieve this vision, namely: 1) preparation and implementation of the first Intramuros’s Conservation Management Plan (CMP), 2) pedestrianization of the streets, 3) Manila’s Tourism Circuit, 4) open spaces redevelopment, and 5) the “SIMPLE” program or the Strategy for the Effective Mainstreaming of People’s Living Entitlements which will address the long-standing concern on the problem of informal settlers.

The CMP aims to provide guidelines for the preservation

time to time to make life a little easier. And it doesn’t take much.

Little things like “putting your running sneakers next to your bed if you want to work out in the morning or removing junk food from your pantry if your goal is to want to eat healthier” will go a long way in keeping you from exhausting your own mental energy and setting you up for success.

one difficult 4Dothingat least a day.

“Improvement doesn’t come about by accident,” Morin says. “You need to challenge yourself on purpose.” This is so true.

Begin by analyzing your own boundaries as “everyone has a different idea of what is challenging.” And then, “have the courage to pick something outside these boundaries. And then take one small step every day.”

Some things we can do to break through our comfort zones? “Enroll in a class you don’t think you qualify for,” she says. “Speak up for yourself when it is uncomfortable.

Always push yourself to become a little better than you were yesterday.”

discomfort for a 5Tolerate greater purpose.

I have seen how many people are immobilized because “I am so swamped with work”—which, of course, is relative—or “it’s and improvement of Intramuros as an urban heritage site. This plan also includes a disaster resiliency component to ensure safety of all people within Intramuros.

Four programs are also under way to enhance the tourism value and experience of the people. The pedestrianization of major roads enables better protection and appreciation of major destinations. The pedestrianization will also support the redevelopment of open spaces that both aim to relive the essence of and reconnect to this historical place. Complementary to these programs, Intramuros will form part of the “Manila’s

too hard” mindsets. Someone I know has difficulty getting around the Metro even if her life depended on it because “have never been there before.” While technology has been made to make us more efficient, it can also make people slip into sluggishness and laziness the moment they experience discomfort. Tragic.

Morin says that the next time you feel you are lapsing into this, “remind yourself of the bigger picture. Finish that work even when you are tired.

Balance your budget when it gives you anxiety. Tolerating uncomfortable emotions can help you gain the confidence you need to crush your goals.

We will discuss the next five exercises in next week’s column.

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.

Tourism Circuit,” converging with the Rizal Park, the National Museums, Binondo and other sites within the city.

Lastly, the SIMPLE program will improve the quality of living of informal settler families residing in Intramuros. The program provides beneficiaries subsidized socialized housing units outside the District, amounting to P450,000/unit, which they can eventually own.

With these projects, the Intramuros Administration encourages inclusivity and community participation, thus contributing to the local economy while taking pride of Manila’s historical heritage that transcends the entire Philippines.

ExecutiveViews BusinessMirror

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Monday, December 9, 2019 | www.businessmirror.com.ph

DERRICK A. TAN

FINDING FULFILMENT IN BEING A CEO FOR OTHERS

By Edwin P. Sallan

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EGARDED as one of the trailblazers in his industry, Magna Prime Chemical Technologies Inc. chief executive officer Derrick A. Tan was responsible for many firsts in the field of construction chemicals.

With Magna Prime, he is on top of a company widely acknowledged as a leading distributor and manufacturer of construction chemicals and quality adhesives for the construction and automotive industries. Known for creating the pioneering tile adhesive product called SmartBond, Tan is quick to share the credit with chemists, chemical engineers, architects and civil engineers—the people who helped him through the whole product’s development phase.

“A CEO should be multi-skilled, a jack of all trades who needs to know a little about everything. I can’t be an expert in everything, but I want to be an expert in construction chemicals.

Then again, the main process of it all, I leave to the chemist, my chemical engineers—they are my researchers, they guide me in the nitty-gritty of things,” Tan pointed out.

The humility to accept everything, and everyone that comes with having a business, has been the hallmark to this unassuming businessman’s success. As with most success stories, there’s also a lot of hard work involved and for Tan, it all began at an early age with a simple dream—that of becoming a manufacturer.

This dream was not easy to realize as Tan had to work for companies like Nissan and Petron after graduating from De La Salle University. After saving enough capital, he started his first business venture—a small tire and battery retail company that he grow into a diversified business that included distributorship for car lubricants and later, pharmaceutical products.

The success of SmartBond inspired him to innovate more with more than just a little help from his employees, partners who generously shared their knowledge and customers who provided encouraging and helpful feedback.

“There was a lot of criticism, but we really have to listen. Whether it is about the quality or the ease of use of the product, you must do good in sightings before launching a product.

Otherwise, it would be costly,” Tan conceded.

There was a time when Tan thought that a successful businessman is someone who is rich, popular and powerful. In his experience, that is not always the case, far from it.

““It’s not something you can do with your strength, it is something ‘money cannot buy.’

Before, when I didn’t know the Lord yet, mabilis ka lagi, eh. Lahat gusto mo habulin, lahat gusto mo i-please. Always yes, always pwede.… pero wala akong freedom,” he recalls.

Now in the business of serving others, it is likewise important for Tan to find the

right people who are just as loyal and compassionate, not just to him but also to customers as a whole. Tan’s mission to be a better leader is very much reflected in how he cares for his employees. Through efforts big and small, he constantly shows and reminds his people that they belong to one family.

The one philosophy he shares with his employees is very simple: “Profit-selling is only a by-product of helping others.”

With this guiding concept, Tan’s focus is not to make Magna Prime a product-centric company, but a complete solutions provider and a place where relationships are most valued.

“I want to see the industry flourish in terms of knowing the technologies of construction chemicals and to be globally competitive in the construction industry. I hope I could be one of the contributors to advancing and sharing our experiences and knowledge in construction chemicals. It is not our focus to beat our competitors, but our goal is to focus on our customers,” Tan said.

By making it a point that he does not only provide for his customers, but for his people as well, Tan does not fail to give back with whatever means he can, to spread his wisdom and skills by passing it on with patience and generosity.

Stress is a big part of the work of any CEO and Tan is no exception. Thankfully, he turns to prayer whenever his impatience and hotheadedness tend to get the better of him. Armed with the discipline to correct his weaknesses, Tan knows how to channel his energy into doing better things and constantly reminds himself to align his actions with their company motto—better before best.

In addition to Magna Prime, Tan also recently founded Buildrite Academy, another pioneering concept in the industry. His vision for the program is “to see future Filipino professional builders that are equipped and knowledgeable, in basic and advanced construction chemicals, and in binding world class structures economically and within globally accepted standards.”

So how does a man like Derrick A. Tan balance his time with all the attention he devotes to his business and his people? The answer lies in simply organizing his priorities.

“Number one, si God ang center ko kaya malaking bagay siya to [keep] my balance.

Number two is my wife—my loving wife who takes care of our children, who takes care of me, who never fails to have breakfast with me, who never fails to look after my coffee—‘yun muna eh. Sila ang nasa inner circle ko,” he shared.

By establishing a clearer relationship with his faith, his wife, and his children, Tan says satisfaction, peace, contentment, hope, love will naturally follow and everything else will fall into place.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” – Proverbs 16:3.