BusinessMirror December 31, 2018 by BusinessMirror

‘ANTI-PROFITEERING TEAMS MUST STOP NEW TAX RATES’ USE ON OLD OIL STOCK’ By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

D A REFLECTION of an attendant is seen on the side mirror of a car at a gas station in Taguig City. The Department of Energy has advised oil companies they cannot apply the second-round fuel excise tax increases, which take effect in January, on their old inventory. BUSINESSMIRROR FILE PHOTO

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RAWING from the lessons learned in the first-year implementation of the law imposing higher fuel taxes, Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian has prodded authorities to activate a task force against premature price increases and profiteering ahead of the implementation of a new round of excise tax increases this January. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Energy (DOE) should be the ones primarily in

charge of activating such a task force, said Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate’s Energy committee. The senator suggested preemptive measures after President Duterte approved the imposition of an additional levy of P2.24 per liter on fuel products as provided for Republic Act 10936, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law. The TRAIN law was first implemented in January 2018, and the second-round excise tax imposition takes effect next month, after Duterte heeded the economic managers’ position that it would no longer cause

See “Anti-profiteering,” A8

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Monday, December 31, 2018 Vol. 14 No. 82

Customs bureau posts ₧585-B revenue in 2018

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

@alyasjah

EVENUE collected by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) this year expanded 27.8 percent to P585.542 billion on the back of improved performance from 14 of the agency’s collection districts.

The BOC over the weekend reported its revenue for the year amounted to P585.542 billion based on preliminary figures. This is 100.1 percent of the agency’s collection objective of P584.881 billion. The tax collection for the year represented a 27.8-percent improvement

from last year’s P458.183 billion. BOC data showed that 14 of the agency’s 17 collection districts achieved their annual collection targets. Port of Batangas topped all districts that improved collection with a sum of P142.122 billion in rev-

enue, above its target of P138.001 billion. Port of Limay came next after it accrued P40.714 billion versus a goal of P36.392 billion; Port of Cebu, with P28.904 billion against a goal of P26.407 billion; and Port of Davao with P25.966 billion, versus a goal of P19.481 billion.

₧458.183B The 2017 revenue record of the BOC, with the 2018 figure representing a 27.8-percent improvement Port of Subic posted P22.341 billion in revenue (goal of P21.17 billion); Port of Cagayan de Oro with P21.483 billion (goal of P17.016 billion); and Port of Iloilo with P4.032 billion (goal of P3.22 billion). On the other hand, Port of San Fernando mustered P3.532 billion, above its target of P3.215 billion; Port of Clark with P1.935 billion (goal of P1.557 billion); and Port of Tacloban with P1.105 billion (goal of P341 million). See “Customs,” A8

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

HE government will implement “more stringent” border security measures —including mandatory inspection of fishing boats from the West Philippine Sea where Philippine seafood is routinely bartered with meat from abroad—to avert the entry of African swine fever (ASF) in the country. The Department of Agriculture said the measures are meant to safeguard public health and protect the welfare of Filipino hog raisers. A g r icu lture Secretar y Emmanuel F. Piñol said he has instructed officials of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to intensify its actions against the

dreaded ASF virus, with the additional measures outlined in a memorandum order he issued on December 28. Under the order, the BAI will install human foot baths across all entry points of the country, inc lud ing t hose a r r iv ing v i a cruise ships, to ensure that the virus would not spread through humans, according to Piñol. See “ASF alert,” A8

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.7240

BUSINESS NEWS SOURCE OF THE YEAR

Deployment of OFW to Mideast to dip, but new markets beckon By Recto Mercene @rectomercene

HE deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the Middle East, the Philippines’s largest labor market, is expected to further decline in 2019 due to lower crude oil prices, which, in turn, reduce the income of oil-producing countries. However, the same industry experts who project this decline are trumpeting higher demand for Filipino workers in at least three other countries—Japan, New Zea l a nd a nd C h ina—a nd parts of Europe. In Saudi Arabia, oil revenue is predicted to stay flat with lower crude oil prices. The Kingdom is the OFWs’ main

destination,with Filipinos there now estimated at close to 2 million. In 2017, the deployment of OFWs went down by 9 percent after 10 years of continuous growth; and in 2018, another 8-10 percent decline is seen by recruitment consultant Emmanuel Geslani. Revenues from oil control the economies of Middle East countries, he said. The year 2018 started badly with Manila imposing a ban on household service workers (HSWs) for Kuwait after the discovery of OFW Joanna Demafelis’s remains in her Lebanese employer’s freezer by Kuwait authorities. An angry President Duterte imposed an immediate Continued on A2

9-M Filipinos sought jobs in 2018–PSA

“Please understand that the Philippines zealously guards its status as a hog diseasefree country and that status, if protected properly, could benefit our farmers and the country as well.”—Piñol

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ASF alert: DA orders WPS boats inspected

a bump in inflation, as it did in 2018. The DOE gave estimates of global oil prices staying low in 2019. However, there had been concern that profiteers may exploit the situation come January and prematurely jack up prices on old inventories, thus impacting inflation, which floored the government when prices skyrocketed in 2018. Just last week, the DOE reminded petroleum players they still had carryover inventories from 2018, and thus should not make it look like this is also covered by the additional excise tax for 2019.

SOUND TEST Framed by a display of horn pipes, a boy tests one in a makeshift stall in Santiago City, Isabela. As a tradition and to be safe,

VER 9 million Filipinos searched for a living in 2018, with some seeking better-quality work to make ends meet, according to the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The number of unemployed and underemployed this year reached 9.037 million Filipinos, which was 90,000 more than the 8.947 million recorded last year, preliminary data from the PSA’s annual Labor Force Survey (LFS) showed. The increase in numbers, however, was driven by more Filipinos wanting to have better-quality jobs than those who are unemployed, PSA data indicated. Underemployed Filipinos this year grew by 229,000 people to

children are advised to use horn pipes instead of firecrackers in welcoming the New Year. CEASAR M. PERANTE

n JAPAN 0.4751 n UK 66.7328 n HK 6.7344 n CHINA 7.6773 n SINGAPORE 38.4706 n AUSTRALIA 37.0702 n EU 60.3110 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.0545

See “Jobs,” A8

Source: BSP (28 December 2018 )

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A2 Monday, December 31, 2018

FFW seeks end to political dynasties as election nears

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Federation of Free Workers (FFW) has called for an end to political dynasties as 2019 elections draw near. The country’s oldest labor group also backed political reforms proposed by the Consultative Committee (Con-com) and urged candidates to adopt a legislative agenda that will end political dynasties. “We condemn the bastardization of our republican system of government by dynasties. Husband, wife, sister, daughter or son

of the same families running or holding elective offices as members of the House of Representatives [both spouses], senator, mayor, etc., respectively, is no longer a democracy but a government of political dynasties,” the labor group said in a statement. Moreover, the FFW said there is a need to end the “abhorable prac-

tice” by putting flesh and blood to the 1987 constitutional provision banning political dynasties, citing the political reform proposed by the Con-com in the federal charter it submitted to the Congress. “FFW supports the proposal [of the Con-com], as described by [former Con-com chairman and retired Chief Justice Reynato] Puno,” the statement said. Under the Con-com’s federal charter, “persons related within the second [or even to the extend of third] civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, as described above, are prohibited from running simultaneously for more than one national and one regional or local position,” includ-

Usman toll: 22 lives, farm damage Continued from A8

The NDRRMC spokesman said that of the 22 dead, 16 were from the Bicol region and five from Region 8. He said six more people were reported killed in Eastern Visayas but this has to be confirmed still, while three more were reported missing, still in the region. Posadas said the number of casualties may still rise. “That was just the report as of this morning, that will change by 6 p.m.,” Posadas said, referring to their official updated report for release on Sunday evening.

Aid for farmers

MEANWHILE, about P2.13 million worth of rice output in 684 hectares was damaged by Usman

in the provinces of Camarines Sur and Samar, according to the DA. The weather disturbance affected 195 farmers. As for corn, around 463 hectares of farms, with an estimated production of 11 metric tons valued at P604,107, were affected, the DA added. Some 197 corn farmers in Camarines Sur and Masbate were affected by Usman, it added. The DA prepositioned seed reserves for rice, corn and high-value crops in various regions. In Region 5, the DA prepositioned 1,735 bags of rice seeds, 2,303 bags of hybrid seeds, 2,000 bags of genetically modified organism (GMO) yellow corn seeds, 2,405 bags of open-pollinated variety (OPV) white corn seeds, 1,700 bags of white corns seeds and 556.02 ki-

lograms of OPV vegetable seeds. In Region 6 or Western Visayas, 1,410 bags of OPV white corn seeds, 533 bags of OPV yellow corn seeds, 1,125 bags of conventional hybrid seeds, and 2,769 bags of GMO hybrid corn seeds were prepositioned. Around 11,070 kilograms of hybrid rice seeds, 173,124 kilograms of OPV corn seeds and 100 metirc tons of inbred rice seeds were secured at the regional field office of DA in Region 7 (Central Visayas). The DA has also prepositioned 160,000 kilograms of inbred rice seeds, 16,542 kilograms of GMO hybrid white corn seeds, 79,740 kilograms of OPV white corn seeds and 2,917 kilograms of vegetable seeds in Region 13. Jasper Emmanuel

ing party-list representatives. The FFW also called on Congress to amend the Party-list System Act to also effect a ban on political dynasties. “[The] FFW is of the view that concentration of power to a few not only defaces equal access to power but also breeds corruption and maintains the long cycle of poverty in the country,” the statement read. “Our old political clan leaders cannot solve our problems with the ways and same thinking that they used when they created or aggravated these problems,” FFW President Jose Sonny G. Matula said. The FFW has 250 collective bargaining agreement in workplaces.

Catalino Montejo dies at 84

NGINEER Catalino Lasic Montejo of Socorro, Oriental Mindoro, and Bacoor, Cavite, passed away on Saturday (December 29, 2018) following a lingering illness. He was 84. He is survived by his sons Larry Mel and Francis Jess; daughtersin-law Welcy and Rose; brother Guillermo; sisters Lucila Minay and Sylvia Astrologo; and grandchildren. His body now lies in state at the Sanctuario Divino in Bacoor, Cavite. Public viewing is set on January 2, and cremation will be held on January 4. Relatives and friends request prayers for the eternal repose of his soul.

Y. Arcalas, PNA and Rene P. Acosta

Deployment of OFW to Mideast to dip, but new markets beckon Continued from A1

deployment ban on all OFWs on January 22, 2018. At the time, Kuwait received an average 60,000 newly hired HSWs, second only to

Saudi Arabia’s 170,000 new HSWs in 2017. The ban lasted for almost five months and impacted deployment

to Kuwait by almost 80 percent, resulting in fewer than 20,000 HSW deployed in 2018. In 2018 Saudi Arabia, several construction and manufacturing companies suffered disastrous financial losses due to the failure of the Kingdom to pay its obligations under contracts with several companies. As a result, more than 3,000 OFWs had to be retrenched or laid off while their recruitment companies and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) went on to repatriate them. “OW WA had to shell out P100 million to bring them home, leading to large financial losses for the recruitment companies,” Geslani said. “ Hu ge c o n struction projects worth billions of dollars are now being reassessed in the Kingdom and Saudization is being implemented at a faster pace with previous white-collar jobs for expatriates now being ta ken over by

Saudi nationals,” Geslani explained. Other Middle East countries like Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Iraq and Iran economies stayed flat due to the lower oil prices in the middle of the year, after the spike for several months in early 2018. Only Qatar managed to avoid decline in deployment due to steadier natural gas prices. The massive construction boom in Qatar continues as it prepares for the World Cup 2022 so that demand for construction workers is still high, Geslani said. HSW will be needed for the new hotels and restaurants being constructed for this soccer event, he added.

Other markets

MEANWHILE, there is a silver lining for the OFWs in Japan, China, New Zealand and parts of Europe, Geslani said. In April, Japan will open its door to OFWs with working visas good for five years in 14 sectors, including nursing, construction, agriculture, manufacturing and other minor fields. New Zealand continues to attract construction and farming workers; Australia is also in need of construction workers, while China has a rising demand for HSW and English teachers. In Europe, Germany needs nurses, while former Eastern bloc countries like Czechoslovakia , Poland and Hungary need hotel workers and staff. The Middle East is still the largest labor market for OFWs with over 70 percent of new hires going to those countries. However, emerging labor markets like Japan and China will attract more skilled workers in the next few years.

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Mindanao may reap dividends after BOL ratified–official

INDA NAO may soon reap dividends from the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) if it is ratified through a plebiscite, mused Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Deputy Executive Director and Head of Investments Promotion Romeo M. Montenegro. Mont e ne g ro b e l ie v e s t he Bangsamoro region and the rest of Mindanao may soon rake in more investments in infrastructure, connectivity and energy once the much-awaited BOL is ratified. According to him, this will be made possible because the law will pave the way for the region to tap and mobilize greater resources. To ensure lasting peace in Mindanao, President Duterte signed BOL for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). “For so long in the past, the autonomous region has been plagued by underinvestment. Hence, from the economic standpoint, one important aspect of BOL is the opportunity to tap and mobilize greater resources to ramp up investments in infrastructure, connectivity and energy,” Montenegro said in a e-mail sent to the BusinessMirror. “This will spur growth in erstwhile conflict areas turned productive zones. However, it goes without saying that the BOL should be able to bring in this time, political maturity across the entire autonomous region.” The MinDA official also noted that the Bangsamoro region had already proven its viability as an investment destination even ahead of BOL implementation as it was able to attract P20-billion investments from 2012 to 2018. The region was also able to demonstrate economic resiliency with the right mix of policy support and investment push as it recorded a strong rebound from -4 percent gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2015 to one with the fastest growth rates at 7.3 percent. “Mindanao has been posting higher GRDP than national average in nearly a decade and a strong economic performance by the BARMM would certainly give Mindanao further growth traction,” he said. “Interestingly, the prospects for investments are high in the resource-rich Bangsamoro region especially now in era of relative peace and stability, with a unique

and more empowered governance structure. This is essential to point out at poverty incidence is highest in the region at 50 percent,” he added. Moreover, MinDA is also looking forward to the region’s greater direct cross-border engagement under the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMPEaga) for subregional cooperation. On energy, Montenegro said specific policies related to development of more renewable energy resources, including potential natural gas, can also be pursued under the BOL with complementarity to existing relevant national laws and policies. He also said the Bangsamoro area has traditionally been serving as Mindanao’s major renewable energy source, particularly the 727-megawatt Agus Hydro Power Complex that draws water from Lake Lanao. “Focus this time, however, should be directed at improving significantly the status of electrification in the Bangsamoro region [especially the island provinces], which had the lowest electrification rate at 30 percent versus 90-percent national average,” he said. With BOL, there’s also a greater push for Islamic finance that seeks a more inclusive financial system attuned to the realities of Bangsamoro, he added. The Bangsamoro region accounts for a significant chunk of Mindanao’s agricultural output. Combined with a viable mix of policies and spatial development planning through a “corridor approach” under BOL could also further harness the region’s agricultural strengths, Montenegro explained. “Already, Mindanao accounts for 40 percent of the country’s food trade and produces over 30 percent of the country’s fishery and aquaculture products,” he added. Although some say that the BOL implementation is not a sure solution to end the decades-long conflict in Mindanao, Montenegro still remains optimistic that this is a step in the right direction. “There are many conflict lines affecting the region but the BOL implementation is seen to significantly address one that spanned through decades of protracted armed conflict, as dividends of peace usher in tangible economic gains and social empowerment,” he said. Bernadette D. Nicolas

On doctor’s advice, Duterte skips Rizal Day ceremonies

RESIDENT Duterte skipped the 122nd anniversary of the matrydom of national hero Jose Rizal in Davao on Sunday as he was “advised to rest” by his doctor. This was confirmed by former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence T. Go who said the President was very busy the past few days. The presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio represented Duterte during the event and delivered the President’s message. “Today, as we remember the sacrifice of Dr. Rizal and the other patriots of the Philippine Revolution, we look back into our past and learn from the life and legacy of our national hero,” Duterte said in his message read by the Davao city mayor. “It is my sincere hope that this year’s commemoration will inspire everyone to emulate Rizal’s patriotism in their own ways, by supporting the government’s development agenda and our campaign against corruption, criminality and illegal drugs.” Last November, the President was criticized for being a no-show in not one but five events attended by world leaders during the Association of Southeast

Asian Nations Summit in Singapore. Malacañang earlier said the President skipped the events because he was taking power naps. The Palace has also stood firm that the President is in a good health condition even though Duterte admitted previously that he went to a hospital to undergo further medical tests. Prior to the hospital visit, the President also said he underwent endoscopy and colonoscopy. Former Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. said there was a “growth” found during the endoscopy performed on the President. However, Malacañang has since said there was no need to issue a medical bulletin on the President’s health as there is nothing to worry about. According to the 1987 Constitution, the public shall be informed about the state of the President’s health in case of serious illness. The Cabinet members in charge of national security and foreign relations and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall not be denied access to the President during such illness, the Constitution provides. Bernadette D. Nicolas

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Monday, December 31, 2018 A3

DA allots ₧500M to boost livestock, poultry production By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) is allocating P500 million in credit portfolio next year for the construction of at least 50 village-level feed mills nationwide to boost and sustain livestock and poultry output in the country.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol told the BusinessMirror that farmer groups may avail themselves of a P10-million loan under the DA’s Agriculture and Fisheries Machinery and Equipment credit program. The loan portfolio would have 2-percent annual interest and eight years of repayment period,

Piñol added. “We could start with 50 units,” the secretary said in an interview. “It will be for aqua, poultry and hog feeds.” The construction of villagelevel feed mills nationwide would complement the DA’s program to develop sorghum production across the country for the livestock and poultry industries, he said.

“The village-level feed mills are expected to provide rural livestock and poultry growers access to affordable feeds using materials the farmers in the locality grow,” Piñol further stated. The agriculture chief said a Davao-based hog raisers group has already applied for the loan for the feed mill construction.

“With low-cost feeds, local hog and poultry raisers are expected to be competitive in accessing the market,” the secretary confirmed. Piñol noted that growth in the livestock and poultry sectors would continue to meet the increasing demand for meat products by Filipinos driven by higher purchasing power. The DA, through its Special

Area for Agricultural Development Program, is planning to develop 100,000 hectares of sorghum plantation in 2019. The earmarked area is projected to produce 2 million metric tons of sorghum grains and about 8 million metric tons of silage materials for cattle and small ruminants, according to Piñol.

Monday, December 31, 2018 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

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Trump hails ‘big progress’ in lengthy call with Xi

MERICAN President Donald J. Trump said on Saturday that he had spoken at length with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that “big progress” is being made toward a deal between the world’s largest economies. Trump, who is spending the weekend in Washington, said in a tweet that the agreement will be “very comprehensive” and will cover “all subjects, areas and points of dispute.” His comment comes as a US trade delegation prepares to travel to Beijing in early January for talks with Chinese officials. It is another sign that tensions may be cooling after months of brinkmanship and that the leaders are following through on commitments made at their dinner meeting in Buenos Aires on December 1. Xi said both he and Trump hope to push for “stable progress” in USChina relations, and that bilateral ties are now at a vital stage, according to a Xinhua News Agency report on the leaders’ phone call. The Chinese president added that he and Trump discussed various international and regional issues, that China supports further talks between the US and North Korea, and hopes for positive results, as Xinhua reported. It was unclear who initiated Saturday’s call. The White House, which typically does not release details of

Trump’s calls with foreign leaders beyond what the president reveals himself, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that a US government delegation will travel to Beijing in the week of January 7 for talks, according to two people familiar with the plans. Deputy US Trade Rep. Jeffrey Gerrish will lead the team, who also will include Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs David Malpass, according to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity. US Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer, whom Trump named to be in charge of the China talks, is not scheduled to join the delegation. US stocks, beaten down recently by concerns about an escalating tariff war, got a boost from news of the upcoming talks. The gathering will be the first face-to-face discussion between the two sides since Trump and Xi agreed to a 90-day truce during their Buenos Aires dinner. Treasur y Secretar y Steven

UK trade secretary: Brexit may not happen

US President Donald J. Trump walks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, in November 2017. The White House expects to announce upward of $250 billion in business deals in China this week, an administration official said—exactly the sort of US jobs-based diplomacy that Trump likes to deliver when traveling abroad. QILAI SHEN/BLOOMBERG

Mnuchin said on December 18 that the US and China have held discussions over the phone since then. According to Xinhua, Xi said on Saturday that officials from both countries have been working actively and hopes the teams can meet each other halfway. Negotiators on both sides have begun fleshing out a possible deal that includes ensuring greater access for foreign firms to China’s financial sector.

However, the Wall Street Journal reported late on Saturday, citing people familiar with “the state of negotiations,” that Trump may be overstating the closeness of the countries’ coming to an agreement. This week, Beijing announced a third round of tariff cuts, saying it would lower import taxes on more than 700 goods starting January 1 as part of its efforts to open up the economy and lower costs for domestic consumers. Meanwhile,

Trump has agreed to put on hold a scheduled increase in tariffs on some $200 billion in annual imports from China while the negotiations take place. He is pushing the Asian nation to reduce trade barriers and stop the alleged theft of intellectual property. Beijing so far has pledged to res u me buy i ng US so y beans and to at least temporarily lower retaliatory tariffs on US automobiles. Bloomberg News

HE chances of Great Britain leaving the European Union are split if Parliament rejects Prime Minister Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement, UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said in a Sunday Times newspaper interview. “If we were not to vote for that, I’m not sure I would give it much more than 50-50,” Fox said in the interview. The trade secretary told his colleagues that it was a “matter of honor” to back May and he’d rather accept an agreement that falls short of the ideal than risk Brexit’s failure, according to the report. Fox also said he would like to see more EU concessions on the socalled Irish backstop—a term in the deal meant to avoid the creation of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Separately, the Times of London reported that crashing out of the EU without a deal would trigger a cut in taxes and interest rates, as well as the return of quantitative easing, according to the newspaper’s annual survey of economists. All 52 economists polled, including four prominent “Brexiteers,” agreed that a disorderly Brexit would require intervention from the Treasury and the Bank of England that would leave the nation with a larger deficit. Almost half, or 42 percent, said there was at least a one-in-five chance Britain would leave without a deal. Bloomberg News

‘Jesus isn’t only for the Christians’

EIRUT—The Iranian cultural attaché stepped up to the microphone on a stage flanked by banners bearing the faces of Iran’s two foremost religious authorities: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini—founder of the Islamic Republic, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei— current supreme leader. To the left of Ayatollah Khomeini stood a twinkling Christmas tree, with a gold star gilding its tip. Angel ornaments and miniature Santa hats nestled among its branches. Fake snow dusted fake pine needles. “Today we’re celebrating the birth of Christ,” the cultural attaché, Mohamed Mehdi Shari’tamdar, announced into the microphone, “and also the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.” “Hallelujah!” boomed another speaker, as Elias Hachem recited a poem he had written for the event. “Jesus, the Savior, is born: The King of Peace, the Son of Mary. He frees the slaves. He heals. The angels protect him. The Bible and the Quran embrace.” “We’re celebrating a rebel,” proclaimed a third speaker, the new mufti of the Shiite Muslims of Lebanon. The rebel in question happened to be Jesus. The mufti, Ahmed Kabalan, went on to engage in some novel religious and political thinking: Christians and Muslims, he said, “are one family, against corruption, with social justice, against authority, against Israel, with the Lebanese army and with the resistance.” The proclamations from the stage were applause lines— perhaps against the odds, given that the audience at the Iranian-sponsored event last week consisted mostly of observant Shiites from the Hezbollahdominated southern suburbs of Beirut. Occasionally the crowd chanted praise for the Prophet Muhammad. When a pair of Iranian bands flown in for the occasion began playing Assyrian and Persian Christmas carols, the audience clapped along.

Religious coexistence

FROM its founding as an independent republic, Lebanon has walked a tightrope, not

always successfully, with its Muslim and Christian populations. They are just two of the country’s 18 officially recognized sects. It’s nearly 30 years after the end of a civil war that saw Beirut cloven into Muslim and Christian halves connected only by a gutted buffer zone. Lebanese from all different sects now commonly mingle every day at home, at work and in public. But few seasons frame the everyday give-and-take of religious coexistence quite like Christmastime in Lebanon. That Christmas is important in Lebanon, whose population is more than 40 percent Christian, is no surprise. But the holiday here also has a much more universal appeal—perhaps helped by the presents, the feasting and the twinkly lights. A colossal Christmas tree stands across a downtown street from Beirut’s even more colossal blue mosque. Half the women snapping selfies there wear hijabs. Children with veiled and unveiled mothers wait in line at the City Center mall to whisper wish lists to the mall’s Santa. In school, children of all sects exchange “Secret Santa” gifts in class. Even Hezbol lah, the Shiite politica l movement and militia that the United States has branded a terrorist organization, has helped ring in the season. In previous years it imported a Santa to Beirut’s southern suburbs to distribute gifts. On Saturday Hezbollah representatives were on-hand for the Iranian Christmas concert—an event that also featured handicrafts by Iranian artists. The organization however skipped Santa this year because of financial constraints. These demonstrations of Christmas spirit seem intended, analysts said, to demonstrate Hezbollah’s inclusivity as a major political and military force in Lebanese society, and to highlight its political alliances with Christian parties.

Christmas’s commercial appeal

BUT just as it has been for many secular Americans, the commercial appeal of Christmas has proved strong for many non-Christians here. “We’re Lebanese,” said Ruba Zay’our, a Muslim woman who had come to the City Center mall in southern Beirut with her family and that of her sister to take photos with the tree and introduce the children to Santa. “We want presents!” Zay’our had decorated a small Christmas tree at home, which, to her frustration, was losing a branch a day at the curious hands of her toddler son. Her eldest, in ninth grade, celebrated as he asked his Secret Santa at school for a PlayStation 4 game. Nada Suweidan, an accountant shopping at the mall, wasn’t certain how much of her son’s wish list Santa would fulfill this year. ButSuweidanwascertainofthereligiousproprietyofher

FAMILIES take photographs near a Christmas display at City Center Mall in Beirut, Lebanon, on December 22. Many Shiite Muslims celebrate Christmas, and the holiday season represents a time of religious coexistence there. NATALIE NACCACHE/THE NEW YORK TIMES

family’s Christmas celebration, which involved the whole family getting together and her brother dressing up as Santa for the children. After all, Jesus is considered a prophet in Islam. “Jesus isn’t only for the Christians,” she said. Much as the holiday lights f lashing around Beirut seemed to defy the exasperating reality of Lebanon’s electrical grid, which is so overwhelmed that daily blackouts are scheduled across the city. The Lebanese embrace of Christmas can be read as a temporary reprieve from the economic and political gloom.“We need a real Santa Claus to come and take all the Lebanese away,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, a young electrician who was taking a selfie with his new wife Taghrid in front of the mall’s Nativity scene. “Wherever he wants—anything’s better than here,” Taghrid, who works as a teacher, joked. The latter grew up celebrating Christmas at school and said her family always puts up a tree at home. In her home village every year, a local man dressed up as Santa. “Christmas is the only time you see [people gather] together with their family,” she said. “Everyone is celebrating,” Mohamed said. “You feel like everyone is alike.”

‘Respect other cultures’

CHRISTMAS is by no means a universal part of the

holiday calendar of observant Muslims, especially conservative ones—some of whom consider Christmas decorations and other rituals forbidden. In previous years Lebanese Muslims have occasionally received mass text messages or pamphlets urging them not to participate in Christmas. According to one television news report, some Christmas trees were burned down in 2015 in Tripoli, in the conservative Sunni-majority north. But such instances have never happened in the Shiite south, even during Lebanon’s civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 1990. “We follow Imam Ali, who told us to respect other cultures,” said Ahmad Tarjoman, 48, a Beirut-based Iranian state television correspondent. He attended the Christmas concert with his wife and daughter Tasnim, 5, who wore a pair of small reindeer antlers. The family has a small Christmas tree at home, and Tasnim’s parents have brought her to see Santa—often called Papa Noël in Lebanon—at one of the local malls every year. As a result, the girl’s investment in Christmas was somewhat less philosophical than her father’s. “She adores Santa,” Tarjoman said. “This year she wants a Barbie, even though she already has 50.” New York Times News Service

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Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Monday, December 31, 2018

‘No legal grounds to stop Cove Manila’s balloon drop’–DENR

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

MID online protest, Okada Manila’s New Year balloon-drop event may proceed as planned.

Environment Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units (LGUs) Benny D. Antiporda said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has no legal grounds to stop the record-breaking event. According to Okada, the dome of its entertainment space Cove Manila will be showered by 130,000 balloons at exactly 12 midnight of December 31 to welcome the New Year. In a telephone interview, Antiporda said the DENR’s hands are tied after finding no legal grounds to stop Okada Manila from pushing through with the event. Antiporda earlier issued a public pronouncement that the DENR will not allow the event to push through. “Our people were there in Okada to stop the event. First of all, we came up with a letter telling them to abide by the law; yet they are insisting that the balloons are biodegradable and that these balloons will be recycled,” he said. “They are in talks with a recycling company to use the balloons

in the production of eco-bricks.” Antiporda added executives of Okada Manila, the integrated resort and gaming complex owned by Japan’s Universal Entertainment Corp., also assured him that the balloons will not be inflated with helium. “There is no issue. There is no helium. No single balloon will get out of the establishment,” he said. However, Antiporda said all these conditions will be monitored by the DENR. “We will be physically present on the event to make sure that these balloons will be properly disposed of. It will proceed. We will be closely monitoring,” he said. “But with even a single violation, we will be filing an appropriate case against them.” In a Facebook post, Cove Manila assured the public that “the preservation and protection of the environment is something Cove Manila—and Okada Manila, for that matter—has always been committed to upholding, which is in fact, one of

the pillars of Okada Manila’s corporate social responsibility programs. “Cove Manila’s much-anticipated balloon drop is not a whimsical effort to just ‘play’ with thousands of balloons. It is an earnest effort not only to make a new world record for the country, but also to demonstrate that we can have a lot of fun but still remain responsible,” the statement said. Unnamed officials of Okada Manila said in a statement the balloon drop “has been planned with solid environmental management protocols in place to minimize, if not eliminate, any possible impact on the environment.” Various environmental groups scored organizers for coming up with such an event. Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE), for one, said Okada’s attempt to set a Guinness world record will generate at least 260 kilograms of rubber balloon garbage. “This vast amount of waste generated just for a single event will worsen pollution in Manila Bay, as all the garbage in the metropolitan area ends up in the sea,” KalikasanPNE National Coordinator Leon Dulce said. Dulce added Okada Manila’s promise it will “follow all necessary guidelines on the waste disposal”

T’was a ‘roller-coaster’ year for stock market

HARE prices closed lower during the last trading week for the year as many investors went into a holiday mood on low volume of trading. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell 13.69 points during the three-day trading week to close the year at 7,466.02 points. For the year, the main index was down 1,092.40 points, or 12 percent lower. “This year was a roller-coaster ride for the PSE,” Christopher Mangun, research head at Eagle Equities Inc. said. “The main index hit a new high earlier in the year, slightly closing above 9,000 and then by the end of the year closing -12 percent, which is its biggest yearly loss since the Asian financial crisis back in 2008 when the index lost almost half of its value.” “Overall, local investors really picked up the slack and supported the market which prevented it from a total meltdown,” Mangun added. “Santa Claus did not grace the PSE with his presence, but we are still confident that the market has bottomed out and is building momentum to reach new highs.

Last trading week FOREIGN investors were again net sellers at P1.29 billion, reaching a total net sell for the year at P60.87 billion. Average trading for the week was valued at P4.26 billion or lower than the annual average of P6.31 billion. Other subindices ended mixed. The broader All Shares index gained 16.27 points to close at 4,517.85 points, the Financials index rose 23.57 to 1,779.85, the Industrial index fell 59.18 to 10,951.36, the Holding Firms index declined 27.11 to 7,341.81, the Property index was up 7.16 to 3,627.98, the Services index was down 7.84 to 1,442.71 and the Mining and Oil index surged 256.95. Gainers edged losers 121 to 96 and 32 shares were unchanged. Top gainers were Philippine Racing Club Inc., Philippine Trust Co., Arthaland Corp., Berjaya Philippines Inc., Jolliville Holdings Corp.

PHILIPPINE Stock Exchange (PSE) Chairman Jose T. Pardo (fourth from right, holding a green horn) led PSE officials and officers of stockbrokerage firms during a special bell-ringing ceremony on the last trading day of 2018. Christopher Mangun, research head at Eagle Equities Inc., described the PSE’s performance for the year akin to a “roller-coaster ride.” PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PSE

and Philex Mining Corp. Top losers, on the other hand, were Keppel Philippine Holdings Inc., Ferronoux Holdings Inc., Petroenergy Resources Corp., Marcventures Holdings Inc., Keppel Philippines Properties Inc. and Starmalls Inc.

New week TRADING is expected to be light this week as most investors are expected to remain on a holiday mood. “It will be light value turnover wise because of the shortened trading week,” Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital and Development Corp., said. “We’ll probably take our cues from the US development, as well.” Limlingan said he sees resistance for the main index at 7,700 points and support at 7,400. It will be another three-day trading week as Monday and Tuesday are public holidays. There will be a regular trading day on January 2 even if government employees are not expected to report for work. Meanwhile, 2Tradeasia said volatile sessions may be seen during the initial week of the year as the second wave of excise taxes on fuel and petroleum products will be slapped from P2.50 per liter at the start of 2018 to P4.50 per liter come January 2019. “Volatility means having to work on a realistic trading range. Never hesitate once you have carefully plotted your price entry call, and be content with

modest returns,” the broker said.

Stock picks BROKER Regina Capital gave a “hold” recommendation on the stock of Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. as the Mexican firm delays capacity expansion. Cemex also face tighter competition since its peers have been increasing their capacity. “Next year, we estimate revenues to grow by high single digit on account of sustained public construction activities. Although its Davao cement plant no longer remains a problem, headwinds may persist as it hiked cement prices in the Visayas region, which may affect its market share in the area,” Regina Capital said. “Moreover, the new production line in Rizal will not start with operations until fourth quarter of 2020 hence, the continuous dependence on cement imports.” The broker gave a fair value on the stock at P1.85. Cemex shares closed last week at P1.90. For this year, only four blue-chip issues ended in the green: Jollibee Foods Corp. First Gen Corp., Manila Water Co. Inc. and Manila Electric Co. Most of the opportunities were in secondliners and speculative issues. These will be the stocks analysts said may see heavy trading this year. Jollibee shares closed last week at P291.80, FGEN at P19.96, Manila Water at P26.25 and Meralco at P380. VG Cabuag

is “highly irresponsible given the volume of scientific information on solid waste.” The year 2018 saw the Philippines infamously claim the global second spot in terms of contribution to ocean plastic pollution. A 2010 World Bank study, in fact, pinpoints higher income pollution sources as the biggest sources of urban solid waste, Dulce explained. He added there are many ways to celebrate New Year without using unsustainable and hazardous materials. “There are biodegradable materials such as flowers and other plantbased materials. These can be locally sourced and even contribute to the local economy,” he said. “There are other gimmicks for record-breaking that shouldn’t require disposable materials. What about 130,000 lights, gym ribbons or choir singers? Extra creativity—and sensitivity to our environmental situation—can go a long way.” Dulce’s view was seconded by Rodne R. Galicha, country director of Climate Reality Project-Philippines. “There are lots of alternative to balloon drop. But one of the best things they can do is to grow indigenous trees to offset their carbon

emission. For every entrance ticket, a number of trees will be planted in behalf of the attendees,” Galicha said. “This is also an opportunity to contemplate on the implementation of the Green Jobs Act and SEC’s [Securities and Exchange Commission] Sustainability Reporting.” For his part, Arnel A. Yaptinchay, director of the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines, said “130,000 balloons will produce 130,000 pieces of single-use solid waste, which is unacceptable these days because it disregards the problem the country is facing.” Yaptinchay added the Philippines “struggles to implement its waste management laws being the third plastic waste polluter in the world and undermines the movement to reduce consumption and packaging.” He further said “it is insensitive for a corporation, who even claims to be sustainable, to hold such a frivolous event that will just add to the problem.” “They are clearly clueless, uncaring for the environment, and are absolute ‘greenwashers,’” Yaptinchay said. “We need these corporations to change their mindsets so that they can contribute positively to a sustainable future of the planet.”

Furniture biz eye overseas market

OCAL furniture manufacturers look to infiltrate high-end overseas markets, particularly Middle East economies, next year to augment export revenues, all the while tapping the growing domestic market. In a statement, the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. said its member-furniture makers plan to improve export activities in 2019 by penetrating high-end markets abroad. They aim to capitalize on developments in Russia and Qatar, as well as the stable demands in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, according to Philexport Trustee Myrna C. Bituin. “We will be looking into the developments of Russia and Qatar. Very recently, we have a mission to Qatar. Of course, Dubai will always be a market for villas and we are having some projects in Saudi Arabia,” Bituin said. However, exporters have to work together to supply to these new and existing markets, she argued. Bituin also said the Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines is working with domestic producers that can meet the demand in the United States. The industry’s road map pinned the US as market where demand would grow in the next five years. This is why the strategy must be to explore new markets and turn them into niches, Bituin explained. “We are also hopeful on Russia,” the Philexport official said. “It is very surprising [that] I was also shipping to Latvia.” Elijah Felice E. Rosales

Monday, December 31, 2018 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

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editorial

Agenda 2019: Be prepared

IFE is a continuing series of events that fall in the category of just when you think you have it all figured out, something comes along and you realize that you didn’t after all. We often make excuses that we could not see the bad thing coming but that is not true. We have days of advance warning when the super typhoon is going to hit. Earthquakes on the other hand cannot be tracked on weather radar. But we know it is just a matter of time before the ground starts shaking. And of course, our human nature programs us to try to avoid thinking about future negative events. Nonetheless, we must have the discipline and maturity to plan ahead and prepare for whatever comes. Unfortunately, as in the words of professional fighter Mike Tyson, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Then again, sometimes also, you just get lucky. The 1997 Asian financial crisis was as predictable as day follows night if you knew what to look for. South Korea and Thailand were both betting their economic futures on taking out cheap loans denominated in US dollars and being able to repay loans because of a stable currency. It was obvious in early 1997 that neither country had the financial resources and foreign currency reserves to keep that plan going forever. Both the Korean won and the Thai baht collapsed in value against the dollar causing massive loan defaults in both nations. The Philippines saw the peso move from 26 to 36 to the US dollar as all Asian currencies devalued. While the PHL economy took a hit, it was nothing in comparison to Thailand and South Korea. We were not prepared for the Asian financial crisis in any way but maybe Lady Luck smiled on the country. Being an “Asian mouse” instead of an “Asian tiger,” no one was willing to loan large amounts of money. For the 2008 global debt crisis, the Philippines was prepared. The administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo put the government’s financial house in order and no longer run like a sari-sari (variety) store. Furthermore, Philippine banks has learned from 1997 when they were caught holding tens of billions of pesos worth of collateral from defaulting private loans. The total exposure of the local banks to the garbage lending that took down the global financial system was one bank that held a miniscule $300 million. However, the government was not prepared for the inflationary effects of the increase in excise tax on fuel in 2018. Global crude oil prices bottomed out in January 2016. After a pullback in June 2017, the price began a one-way trip higher, up 40 percent by the beginning of 2018. There was no justifiable reason to believe that the oil price would go down and our economic managers knew full well how high the fuel price component is for virtually all consumer goods. The fuel excise tax should have been programmed to the global oil price. That would have been “being prepared.” In 2019, the government must be ready for another spike in oil prices in the same way we prepare as best we can for the “big shake” in Metro Manila. The China-US “trade war” is more of a “trade argument” no matter the hysterics from some local pundits. Neither country can afford a real battle. However, the global economy is cooling and global debt is as bad as it was in 2008. This is not a time for complacency. This is a time for prudent caution and calculated planning. Since 2005

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How to be more productive in 2019 Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II

RISING SUN

Conclusion

N continuation of the topic that I started writing about last Monday, here are some more productivity hacks that actually came from professionals, entrepreneurs and managers. It’s a great time to take stock of our own work habits this time of year, and adopt new and promising ones for the new year. A lot of them believe that working out and taking good care of one’s health by eating well, for example, is one of the best things, if not the best thing, that a person can do to ensure success. Exercise is something that we need to pencil into our schedule. But even if it seems to take away time from our day, it actually leads to greater productivity because a person who feels good can get more done. Some professionals also use their

workout time to put in order their thoughts, strategize or make plans. Here’s the word on distractions. Stay offline when working, and try not to answer phones or messages while busy at work. Some professionals reserve a block of time to check e-mails and respond to them, to make phone calls and reply to text messages, etc. There is a scheduled time to visit web sites, do one’s online readings, and even to go on social media. But when it’s

Planning is also very important. There are successful professionals who sit down every week, usually during the weekend, for about an hour or a bit more to strategize actions for the upcoming week. They ask the question: What do I want to accomplish this week? A todo list is borne out of this exercise, but many of them have accepted, too, the fact that all the items on the to-do list will never ever be completely struck off. time to work, the successful executives focus on work and nothing else. Planning is also very important. There are successful professionals who sit down every week, usually during the weekend, for about an hour or a bit more to strategize actions for the upcoming week. They ask the question: What do I want to accomplish this week? A to-do list is borne out of this exercise, but many of them have accepted, too, the fact that all the items on the to-do list will never ever be completely struck off. This is where focus comes in: Concentrate on tasks that will provide

AI competition is like a new space race

By Leonid Bershidsky | Bloomberg Opinion

T’S been another year of relentless artificial-intelligence hype and incremental AI achievement. Machines still beat humans only in carefully constructed environments or at narrow tasks.

The good news is that, as the technology progresses, the race for leadership is still wide open, and even Europe, where politicians fret that the continent is lagging behind China and the US, is still quite competitive. According to the Artificial Intelligence Index 2018 annual report, whose steering committee includes leading AI scholars, such as Yoav Shoham of Stanford University and Erik Brynjolfsson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, AI has progressed on all the measures tracked. Some of the metrics, from the number of published papers and conference attendance, to mentions on corporate earnings calls and in parliamentary hearings, measure the hype. Others reflect improving performance. This year, AI has gotten more accurate and much faster at image detection. It’s also improved at parsing the grammatical structure of sentences, answering multiple-choice questions and translation. Whether this progress brings us closer to truly superhuman AI is a different matter. On the translation front, a measure called Bilingual Evaluation Understudy is used to determine accuracy. It compares machine-translated sentences to those rendered by human experts,

and this year almost half the machine translations between English and German news articles measured up to the human ones. This year, Microsoft announced with much fanfare that its AI did just as well as humans in translating news from Chinese into English. But the underlying paper reports much lower scores for the Chinese translations than for the separately published German ones, and accuracy scores from human evaluators of between 50 percent and 70 percent. Machine-translation algorithms still produce plenty of gibberish and are really mostly useful, in a limited way, to humans with some understanding of both languages and the context. Improved image recognition has worked wonders in some fields of medicine. For example, Google has developed a system for grading prostate cancer that does it more accurately than US pathologists, and a Stanford team has achieved similar success with skin cancer. Where lots of data exist and precision is valued, AI can help humans make better decisions, even though it still messes up regularly when trained on biased data sets or is intentionally tricked. Humans are less prone to misidentifying objects and are better able to correct for their biases.

Data-mining and question-answering skills can make AI appear almost human at times. This year, IBM presented the current iteration of its Project Debater, which tries to debate humans hewing to the rules of such competitions. The exercise looks impressive— the machine instantaneously gathers and orders information, packs it into grammatically correct sentences and inserts pre-written jokes almost in the correct places. But as an AI expert who was present discovered, it tended merely to repeat its points in response to arguments. While the idea of having a machine, with its superhuman ability to analyze data, take part in brainstorms is exciting, “We are most certainly not on the verge of seeing AI systems out-debating their human counterparts,” wrote the expert, Chris Reed of the University of Dundee in Scotland. “Today’s AI technology is as far from these scenarios as the Romans’ experiments with steam power were from the industrial revolution,” he concluded. As often happens with technological advancement, AI gets too much attention too early. But if in previous years some AI scholars grumbled that the hype might impede progress because people would become disappointed in the unfulfilled promise of a shiny toy, attention to AI has become too sustained and the financial and intellectual resources thrown at it too enormous for that to happen. Now, competing in AI is a matter of prestige for major nations. So far, the US, Europe and China all

the most impact, the ones that will move you closer to your goal. On a daily basis, they ask themselves this question: What is the one thing I could accomplish today that would make me feel fulfilled about my day? And then they give a good chunk of time for this particular task, say, two to three hours. One final thing that I’d like to add to this enumeration is this: It is important to do things other than work, and these must be scheduled to make sure that they are given the time they deserve. First of all, it clears the mind. Second, it allows one to look at things from new perspectives. And finally, it gives a fresh surge of energy. We all know what our options are: hobbies or interests, volunteering, spending time with family and friends, sports, spiritual pursuits, etc. The important thing is to enter a different world from work, and to enjoy new experiences that are removed from what we are used to. Having said all this, I wish all of you, my dear readers, a more productive, successful, flourishing 2019! Happy New Year!

have their strengths. Data in the Artificial Intelligence Index report show the US as the runaway leader in patents; along with China, it leads in the number of papers submitted to and accepted by major AI conferences. But it is in Europe where the greatest number of AI papers (28 percent of the total, compared with 25 percent for China and 17 percent for the US) are published. A report published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center this month says that the European Union is home to a quarter of the approximately 35,000 entities working in artificial intelligence today, compared with 28 percent for the US and 23 percent for China. According to McKinsey and Co., Europe also matches competitors when it comes to AI adoption in business, especially in process automation. This is likely to come as a surprise to European leaders, especially German and French ones, who often talk about falling behind. Earlier this month, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier supported the idea of a pan-European state-led corporation, along the lines of Airbus, to compete in AI. Europe doesn’t really need massive state interference to catch up, as it did in the 1960s and 1970s when Boeing dominated the aircraft industry. But the EU and governments in North America and China will be pouring more resources into AI in the coming years, and distinct development models are likely to crystallize in the key competing countries as regulation follows the money.

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Millennial voters are the face of Asia 2019

Is it really all in the mind?

By Andy Mukherjee | Bloomberg Opinion

N the first half of 2019, a billion Asians will elect the next leaders of the region’s two largest democracies. Half—400 million in India, and 79 million in Indonesia—are from the millennial generation, born roughly between 1982 and 2001. Many will cast ballots for the first time. Although the threat of sectarian hatred looms large over both the Indian and Indonesian elections, economics will still take center stage. The issue that will resonate most with younger voters is jobs. Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo will seek a second term on April 17, promising to “reindustrialize” the economy. The commodity boom that helped ameliorate high unemployment after the 1998 Asian crisis has faded. Without pushing into largescale manufacturing and adding more value to the country’s raw-materials exports, it’s hard to see how municipalities with 9-percent-plus joblessness in West Java can close the gap with the national average of around 5 percent. Jokowi, as the president is known, wants to keep spending on infrastructure, even though foreign direct investment is set for its first annual decline since he came to power in 2014. However, his opponent, former general Prabowo Subianto, is striking a more nationalistic pose by vowing to review Chinese Belt and Road Investments, including a signature high-speed rail project, if he comes to power. Prabowo’s solution for attracting more private investment is to slash taxes and government spending. Lack of jobs and widespread agrarian distress are also the main campaign issues for Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. He’s looking to unseat Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his disastrous currency ban and a botched goods and services tax—moves that have hurt small firms and their workers disproportionately. Since it’s politically suicidal to cut fuel subsidies in an election year, both Modi and Jokowi will hope global oil prices stay low. Indonesia’s cash handouts to the poor will double in 2019. But with revenue growing strongly, the budget deficit is still expected to come in below 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The same isn’t true for India, though. Encouraged by his party’s wins in recent state polls, Gandhi is putting pressure on Modi to waive farmers’ loans. Meanwhile, the prime minister is wooing the middle class by pruning the list of items taxed at 28 percent, the highest of the five GST rates. Even without the additional burden, the budget deficit in the fiscal year ending in March would struggle to meet the goal of 3.3 percent of GDP. Elections will be held by May. For both countries, the biggest “known unknown” of 2019 is the US Federal Reserve’s policy. If the Fed takes a pause only after three interest-rate increases in 2019, the Indian rupee and the Indonesian rupiah, Asia’s two worst-performing currencies this year, could remain under pressure.

For both countries, the biggest “known unknown” of 2019 is the US Federal Reserve’s policy. If the Fed takes a pause only after three interest-rate increases in 2019, the Indian rupee and the Indonesian rupiah, Asia’s two worstperforming currencies this year, could remain under pressure. In Indonesia, the risk is from the current account deficit, which at about 3.4 percent of GDP is already large. With prices of palm oil and natural rubber slumping, exports may be slow to revive. In India, an abrupt change of guard at the central bank could lead to more relaxed financial conditions—perhaps even interest-rate cuts—to stoke credit-fueled growth ahead of the elections. If the Fed sets the backdrop for the 2019 Asian polls, Facebook Inc. could determine their tone, even outcomes. The social-media platform has been under scrutiny ever since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, when it emerged that personal data of 87 million Facebook users were obtained by the consulting firm that had, among other things, helped get President Donald J. Trump elected. Analysts are dreading a repeat of the role social media played in securing a victory for far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. WhatsApp, the messaging service owned by Facebook, has 250 million users in India, which has seen murders and lynchings triggered by fake news. Indonesian Communications and Information Technology Minister Rudiantara told me last year of his frustration over social media firms’ slow and inadequate response to requests to take down offensive content. A third of his countrymen use Facebook. How a billion Asian voters navigate around misinformation, fake news and a hardening of majority sentiment against minorities (Indonesia’s ethnic Chinese and India’s Muslims) on their way to the polling booths will be worth watching. There will be a third important Asian election next year. Thailand’s military junta, in power since May 2014, has decided to hand over power in polls scheduled for February 24. Considering that elected leaders keep getting unseated by the courts or the army, a durable democracy in Thailand would be a huge positive for investors. At this juncture, though, that may be too much to expect from 2019.

Erica Mae B. Gabito

DEBIT CREDIT

UST recently, in the waning days of 2018, it was a normal day for me and, at least from what I see, for everyone around me. And I wish it was for everyone. But it is not for quite a number of people around us. I just read a letter on a social networking site, written by a college student, containing his last words for everyone he loves. It felt like a kick in the gut, reading things like that. It caused a sudden gush of questions inside my head and the biggest was, “Why?” To answer this is to know and learn about “mental health.” It has been a subject that is talked about in the past few months. It is also a topic where most of us are not well informed of. Maybe it is because there is a stigma around mental illness that makes it hard for people to talk about. But is it really important to be aware of this? According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of

the leading causes of ill-health and disability in the world. There are also statistics from the International Association for Suicide Prevention, indicating that around 3,000 people die every day by suicide. The estimated number of deaths will rise to over 1.5 million per year by 2020. What about the Philippines? Being known as one of the happiest countries, it is surprising that we actually have the highest number of depressed people in Southeast Asia. Although our suicide rates are the lowest among Asean countries, we should still take into account the incidences that remained unrecorded due to the stigma. The Philippine Statistics Authority also identified mental illness as the

high seas protected by international agreements. Experts believe at least 20 percent of the global harvest comes from this “illegal, unreported and unregulated” fishing, which brings in an estimated $15.5 billion to $36 billion a year. Failing fisheries will lead to shortages of food and large movements of population—fueling war, crime and terrorist recruiting. Unlawful fishing has increased tensions between nations from the South China Sea to the Bay of Bengal to the Patagonian coast and beyond. Many illegal-fishing operations are run by criminal organizations that enslave their crews and use the

third most-common disability, next to visual and hearing impairments. Records show that most cases involved the youth. Talking about the youth, the millennials are declared as the “most anxious generation.” Hugh Mackay, a social researcher, said that this is the consequence of having to keep up with the rate of change in our lives and fuelled by technological revolution that keeps us from making connections with other people. Some people think that mental illness is just an excuse or just a feeling of sadness, not understanding that it is a real illness that people struggle with every day of their lives. This makes talking about it even harder, feeling judged or hearing things like “just get over it,” which are not helping. This topic is important for businesses, as well. With the millennials as the majority of the work force, this reality affects the workplace. I just read an article on how depression affects the performance of the employees resulting in absenteeism or presenteeism. This creates a ripple effect—affecting employers, employees and the society. There is a study that estimates that about $1 trillion are lost annually due to productivity issues. This

Trump in 2019: Untamed or contained? By Ross Douthat New York Times

N this dark time of the year, usually a pretty slow period for politics, I like to write a column cataloging my errors of analysis and prognostication from the previous 365 days (or sometimes further back) of columnizing. This year, though, the pace of news makes that exercise feel a little selfindulgent, so I thought I’d just consider what has changed in the Trump presidency since last February, when I wrote a column describing our demagogic chief executive as “tamed.” Back then the Trump tamers were his fellow Republicans—the mix of senators and Cabinet officials who had steered his actual administration (not the Twitter version) into the channels of a seminormal GOP presidency. Back then you could make a list of the wilder Trump campaign promises (or threats) and note how few of them had actually been implemented or pursued. Back then you could look at Donald Trump’s economic agenda and his foreign policy and see something influenced more by Paul Ryan and James Mattis than by the president’s distinctive impulses. That was 10 months ago, and since then the Trump-administration world that I described has been deconstructed, piece by piece. The normalizing figures have departed or been unceremoniously dumped—whisk, H.R. McMaster and Gary Cohn; goodbye, Jeff Sessions; time’s up, John Kelly—and their provisional replacements have more of the island-of-misfit-toys feel that characterized Trump’s inner circle in the 2016 campaign. Meanwhile, all year there has been more and more overt Trumpishness in the administration’s policy moves—the trade warring, the end of the Iran deal, the performative cruelty and performative militarization at the border, the

made-for-reality-TV dealmaking with North Korea, the president’s strange fanboy encounter with Vladimir Putin. And both trends, the personnel and the political, have reached a crescendo this Christmas season, with the sudden pullout from Syria, the equally sudden departure of James Mattis, the president’s war with the Federal Reserve amid a tumbling stock market, and now a government shutdown over the Trumpiest sticking point of all—the fabled border wall. When NeverTrumpers envisioned the Trump presidency, it was basically the last couple weeks of headlines extended over four long years—Defense secretary quits while accusing Trump of being soft on Russia…Stock market tumbles as Trump denies plan to fire Fed Chair… Trump welcomes government shutdown over immigration...Trump pulls out of Syria after conversation with Turkish dictator.... So here we are, with Trump finally unbound, just as everyone who once opposed him had feared. Except that Trump unbound is also Trump hemmed in—no longer steered by the departing Mattis or guided by the unlamented Speaker Ryan, but opposed directly by a Democratic House armed with subpoena power and prepared for political war. And Trump unbound is also Trump alone, his electoral mystique gone with the midterms and Senate Republicans more inclined to distance themselves the further off the policy reservation he goes and not even Chris Christie willing to take the job of managing his White House. So the president is at once more dangerous and less so, more unconstrained and yet easier to balk, more liberated and more isolated—a strange state of affairs even by the strange standards of this administration. To save myself the embarrassment of future mea culpas, I won’t make predictions but just offer scenarios for how

Illegal fishing is a serious global security threat S China, Russia and the US ramp up their naval deployments, there’s no shortage of conflicts waiting to happen in the world’s oceans. Yet the most immediate cause for concern is something more mundane than great-power rivalries. Pay closer attention to fish. Seafood is the main source of protein for 3 billion people worldwide, and the industry employs more than 55 million workers. But with 90 percent of fish stocks now fully depleted or overfished and the world’s reefs dying, fleets are increasingly operating illegally in other countries’ exclusive waters and in areas of the

Monday, December 31, 2018 A7

ships for human trafficking; hostagetaking; piracy; and transporting drugs, weapons and so-called blood diamonds. Iranian fishing boats, for example, have been caught trying to smuggle arms to Houthi rebels in Yemen, and the Pakistani terrorists who carried out the bloody attack on Mumbai in 2008 entered India in a hijacked fishing boat. In short, illegal fishing needs to be taken seriously as a global security threat. Governments are doing too little to fight it—and some are actually encouraging it. The most notorious violator is China, the largest consumer

and exporter of seafood. Beijing offers subsidies to deep-water operators, and its coast guard accompanies fleets when they violate neighbors’ exclusive economic zones. Indonesia has blown up hundreds of Chinese boats in its waters, while nations across the globe accuse Chinese fishermen of raiding their local fisheries. But China certainly isn’t the only rule-breaker. The US has accused Central and South American countries of illegal fishing, and nongovernment groups have documented infractions by European countries including Italy and Spain. In the short term, the US should step up efforts by its Navy, Coast

makes mental health an important issue that employers should understand and support. Fortunately, Filipinos are now becoming more aware of mental health. Recently, Republic Act 11036, or the Philippine Mental Health Act, was signed. This will make people more aware of mental-health conditions. Those who require mental health-care treatment will now be able to exercise a full range of human rights and participate fully in society and at work, free from stigmatization and discrimination. I hope that it continues to be better for everyone for the coming new year of 2019. We should always look after each other and be supportive of everyone’s wellness, not just those who need it. Let us continue to inform and educate about mental health and start taking care of our health—not just physical, but also the health of our minds. This column accepts contributions from accountants, especially articles that are of interest to the accountancy profession, in particular, and to the business community, in general. These can be e-mailed to boa.secretariat.@gmail.com. Erica Mae Gabito is a CPA and is graduate of BS Accountancy from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

this combination might shape the next exciting year of Trump. The first possibility, and to my mind the least likely, is a return to (relative) normalcy. In this scenario Trump reacts to indicators he understands, the jittery stock market above all, by containing his impulses a little more, finding (somewhere) a new set of establishment hands to guide him, making the necessary deals with House Democrats, and hunkering down to survive what the Mueller investigation has to throw at him. D.C. politics becomes, by this presidency’s standards, strangely boring; there is a grind of subpoenas and scandals but Republicans stick with Trump; there is zero policy progress and a basic Democratic advantage but no dramatic change. The second possibility is one Elizabeth Drew, the chronicler of Watergate, sketched in a column on Thursday—a march to impeachment and perhaps Trump’s resignation, in which the president’s erratic behavior, the chaos it sows in markets and American alliances, and Republican self-interest end up in a mutually reinforcing dynamic, and after a devastating Mueller report, perhaps, key Senate Republicans finally deem the president “too great a burden to the party or too great a danger to the country” to continue in his office. I find this scenario less likely than does Drew, but more likely than the return to normalcy. However it coexists with a third possibility that might be termed the Trump Vindicated scenario (or, for true Trump haters, the LOL Nothing Matters scenario), in which Trump unbound turns out to be no more unpopular than the tamed-by-the-establishment version, his preferred policies prove less destabilizing than all the wise men fear, and we get a 2019 in which Trump flails around but his approval ratings actually go...up? This possibility is, I think, a somewhat underrated one, because some (not

all!) of Trump’s Trumpiest ideas are either more sensible or more popular than the establishment alternative. Paul Ryan’s agenda dragged down Trump’s approval ratings, not the other way around, and the Kim Jong Un summit was as popular as anything he’s done. Even in the chaotic controversies of the last few weeks there is at least a case for pulling out of Syria, perhaps a stronger one for pulling out of Afghanistan, certainly a case that the Fed’s interest rate policies are hurting both stocks and workers … and little evidence that swing voters will be furious with Trump for ending poorly understood military missions or picking fights with central bankers. But for Trump to be vindicated this way, by which I mean for him to retain a low-40s approval rating and avoid impeachment even as his administration is reduced (to swipe a joke from MSNBC’s Chris Hayes) to his family, Stephen Miller and Mick Mulvaney roaming the White House like the Torrances in the Overlook Hotel, he would need his erratic governing style to avoid meeting a crisis large enough to make White House incompetence matter on a catastrophic scale. And of course the man and the crisis might meet. So the final possibility worth considering as 2019 dawns is the same one that informed my opposition to Trump two years ago, which is that we should fear most from an unbound Trump isn’t bad policy or sleaze or norm violations. It’s that with Mattis gone and McMaster gone and Cohn gone and Kelly going and only Mulvaney and Jared and Steve “All is well!” Mnuchin at battle stations, the equivalent of 9/11 or the financial crisis will come along and things will get very, very dark before there’s even time to read the full text of the 25th Amendment. On that note, Happy New Year, America. And stay frosty out there, Mike Pence.

Guard, Nasa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to use their sophisticated sensors and satellites to track down fishing ships operating without required transponders. But the key to end the pillaging of the oceans is transparency. Governments and agencies already collect tons of data, but they share it poorly and keep much of it private. Global corporations, including Google, are helping nongovernment groups track and visualize data that’s posted on the Internet. The aim is to let customers see what has been legally caught and what hasn’t, so that market pressure can do its work.

Quicktake: Overfishing

THAT could amount to something, but it’s by no means enough. Governments should comply more fully with the many treaties on oceanic resources they’ve already signed. For instance, more than 50 countries have signed a pact to better manage their ports by denying entry to boats that can’t document their catches; enforcement at major ports has been pretty good, but illegal fisherman head to smaller ones that still lack monitoring. Data, closer cooperation and stronger enforcement will all be needed to crack this problem. If it remains unsolved, the harm will be far greater than you might think. Bloomberg Opinion

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Monday, December 31, 2018

Usman toll: 22 lives, farm damage in Bicol, Visayas

ROPICAL Depression Usman has claimed the lives of 22 people, according to the tally as of Sunday of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), but pending final validation by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), authorities confirmed only 16 deaths.

Claudio Yucot, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol region, said seven people died due to drowning in Masbate province. The victims were residents of Claveria, Mobo and Uson towns. In Sorsogon, four people died

Jobs. . .

Continued from A1

6.735 million from 6.506 million recorded in 2017, the data showed. About 53.2 percent of the underemployed Filipinos, or around 3.583 million, were visibly underemployed persons or those who were working less than 40 hours a week. The figure, however, was 1.65 percent lower than the 3.643 visibly underemployed Filipinos recorded last year, according to PSA data. However, the data showed that the number of invisibly underemployed Filipino workers—or those already working over 40 hours weekly but would like more work

after they were hit by landslides in Sorsogon City and Bulan town. In A lbay, three people, including a three-year-old boy, died when soaked rain soil and debris collapsed burying them alive in Barangay San Francisco, Legazpi City. —grew by 11.07 percent this year. The PSA estimated that in 2018, there were some 3.071 million invisibly underemployed Filipinos, compared to the 2.765 million recorded in 2017. “By sector, 45.5 percent of the underemployed persons worked in the services sector, while 34.6 percent were in the agriculture sector. Those in the industry sector accounted for 19.9 percent,” the PSA said. On the other hand, the unemployed declined by 5.69 percent to 2.302 million Filipinos from 2.441 million recorded last year, PSA data showed. The decline resulted in an annual unemployment rate of 5.3 percent this year compared to the 5.7 percent recorded in 2017. “Among the unemployed persons

₧2.73M Losses incurred by farmers in two Visayas regions due to damage brought by Usman over the weekend, according to the Department of Agriculture

In Camarines Sur, a father and son were buried alive when a landslide struck their house in Barangay Guibahoy in Lagonoy town.

Farm damage

THIS, as farmers in two Visayas regions incurred losses amounting to some P2.73 million due to damage brought by Usman over the weekend, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). In its initial damage assessment report, the DA said Usman in 2018, 75.2 percent belonged to age group 15 to 34 years old. Those in the age group 15 to 24 years composed 44.6 percent of the unemployed while those in the age group 25 to 34 years, 30.6 percent in 2018,” the PSA said. “There were more unemployed males [63.2 percent] than unemployed females [36.8 percent]. By educational attainment, 21.0 percent of the unemployed were college graduates, 15.9 percent were college undergraduates, and 29.0 percent have completed junior high school,” it added. Local economists earlier told the BusinessMirror that the country’s employment rate had risen on account of the increase in the number of Filipinos employed

damaged 1,147 hectares of rice and corn farms and affected 392 farmers in Regions 5 (Bicol) and 8 (Eastern Visayas). NDRRMC Spokesman Edgar Posadas said most of the deaths were recorded in Bicol region, especially in the provinces of Camarines Sur and Albay where landslides and severe flooding were reported. Posadas said the casualties, including those from a landslide in the town of Tiwi in Albay, were reported by the various provincial and municipal disaster offices, but which the Department of the Interior and Local Government still needs to officially validate. “[It’s for] confirmation as a matter of protocol,” Posadas explained, referring to the DILG which is in charge of the NDRRMC cluster on casualty validation. Continued on A2

in low-quality jobs. The country’s employment rate in 2018 increased to 94.7 percent, or about 41.2 million Filipinos, compared to the 94.3 percent recorded last year, according to the PSA. The country’s labor force participation rate in 2018 was estimated at 60.9 percent out of the 71.3 million Filipinos who were 15 years old and above, the PSA added. “This is equivalent to about 43.5 million economically active population comprising of either employed or unemployed persons,” it said. In 2017, labor force participation rate was at 61.2 percent of the 69.891 million population who were 15 years old and over, which translated to some 42.77 million Filipinos. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

ASF alert. . . Continued from A1

LOW PRESSURE AREA ESTIMATED AT 240 KM NORTHWEST OF ZAMBOANGA CITY, ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR NORTHEAST MONSOON AFFECTING NORTHERN AND CENTRAL LUZON TAIL-END OF A COLD FRONT AFFECTING SOUTHERN LUZON as of 4:00 am - December 30, 2018

The BAI in coordination with other concerned government agencies will also mandatorily inspect all vessels “in Philippine Ports with meat supplies. The inspection also covers Philippine fishing boats returning from the West Philippine Sea, due to the reported barter of seafood products with meat from abroad, according to Piñol. Piñol added that the government will also conduct a “rigid” inspection of checked-in and hand-carried luggage of all incoming passengers from ASFaffected countries at all airports and sea ports. The BAI will also confiscate and destroy within 24 hours all intercepted pork products coming from ASF-affected countries, according to Piñol. Piñol urged local hog sector stakeholders to volunteer as “Deputized Quarantine Officers” to increase manpower in implementing the additional biosecurity measures “to protect the industry which is the source of livelihood of millions of Filipino farmers.” “To implement these measures and to protect our hog industry, I urge everybody to be vigilant and step forward and participate in this movement,” he said in a recent post in his official Facebook page. Piñol also sought the understanding of returning Filipinos and tourists for the inconvenience posed by the additional security measures the government is undertaking in airports and seaports. “Please understand that the Philippines zealously guards its status as a hog disease-free country and that statusif protected properly, could benefit our farmers and the country as well,” he said. Pork products from Belgium, China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia and Ukraine are barred from entering the country due to reported ASF outbreaks in the respective countries, according to Piñol.

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VICTOR CONSUNJI, TOP SEMIRARA MINING EXECUTIVE, DIES AT 68

ICTOR A. CONSUNJI, president and COO of Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC), died on December 27. He was 68. “Under Mr. Consunji’s leadership, he was able to turn around the coal mining operations allowing the corporation to reach new heights paving the way for SMPC to become the only integrated power company in the country,” Semirara Mining said in its disclosure on Friday. At the time of his death, he was the vice chairman of the board, president and chief operating officer of Semirara Mining. He was, likewise, the president and COO of SEM-Calaca Power Corp. and Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. He was also a director of DMCI Holdings Inc. He is a graduate of AB in Political Science from Ateneo de Davao

and is one of the seven children of the late David M. Consunji, who founded DMCI Holdings in 1954. He was laid to rest on Sunday. He was also president and COO of Semirara Claystone Inc., Semirara Energy Utilities Inc., SEM-Balayan Power Generation Corp. and SEM-Cal Industrial Park Developers Inc.; chairman, president and CEO of Semirara Training Center Inc., DMCI Power Corp.; chairman and president of Sirawai Plywood and Lumber Corp. and SEM-Calaca Res Corp.; chairman of Divine Word School of Semirara Island Inc.; director at M&S Co. Inc., Dacon Corp., Sodaco Agricultural Corp., DMC Urban Property Developers Inc., Ecoland Properties Inc., DMCI Masbate Power Corp., St. Raphael Power Generation Corp. and Checklink Holdings Inc. VG Cabuag

Anti-profiteering. . . ‘Large-scale estafa’

ENERGY Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi on December 27 enjoined oil industry players to empty first their 2018 oil inventories before applying the second round of the excise tax for 2019. The DOE, in close coordination with the Department of Finance, the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, devised a mechanism to closely monitor existing oil inventories with the implementation of the second tranche of the TRAIN law on 1 January 2019. “We are ready to implement the second tranche of TRAIN, which imposes additional excise taxes to various commodities like petroleum products by New Year,” Cusi said in a statement. “The sale of old stocks, referring to the remaining balance of the inventory ending 31 December 2018, which was not covered by the second tranche of excise taxes, should not be collected from the consumers. Otherwise, it would be a violation of the law,” Cusi asserted. He added that “not only administrative penalties like closure of the establishment will be imposed, but also the criminal penalty of large-scale estafa.” “We are confident that everyone will cooperate so that we will all have a prosperous new year for 2019,” Cusi concluded.

Task force

ACCORDING to Gatchalian, the DTI and DOE should work together in monitoring possible incidents of profiteering as the secondtranche fuel tax hike takes effect, in order not to drive inflation. “Ngayon na naaprubahan na ni Pangulong Duterte ang implementation ng second tranche ng fuel excise tax sa susunod na taon, kailangan ng DOE at ng DTI na maging mas mapagmatiyag upang masiguro na walang hoarding at profiteering na magaganap sa bansa [Now that the President has approved the implementation of the second tranche, the DOE and DTI must be more vigilant to ensure there’s no hoarding or profiteering],” Gatchalian said. He cited the estimated rate impact on pump prices due to the second round of excise tax

Customs. . . Continued from A1

Meanwhile, Port of Zamboanga posted P421 million in revenue (goal of P283 million); Port of Legazpi with P407 million (goal of P289 million); Port of Aparri with P149 million (goal of P59 million); and Port of Surigao with P36 million (goal of P21 million). The Manila International Container Port, the district with the highest revenue objective, collected P165.075 billion, but fell short of its P180.656-billion target. Port of Manila also barely closed in on its goal of P88.103 billion at P86.191 billion, while Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport accrued P40.85 billion versus its objective of P46.171 billion. The BOC this year hit and surpassed its monthly revenue goals for eight

Continued from A1

hikes—around P2 to P3 per liter—while the estimated rate impact of the second tranche of the excise tax on coal is around P0.048 per kWh for 100-percent coal-contracted power distribution utilities. Gatchalian urged the DOE to scrutinize the inventories of petroleum crude oil and products. Citing DOE’s Department Circular 2003-01001, or the “Implementing Guidelines for the Minimum Inventory Requirements of Petroleum of Oil Companies and Bulk Suppliers,”Gatchalian said oil companies must maintain a minimum inventory equivalent to 15-day supply of petroleum products. However, Gatchalian noted that the DOE had difficulty monitoring the end inventory of bulk suppliers and oil companies and withdrawals from the depots of oil stock a month before the TRAIN law took effect in January 2018. “These are the times that we should be very vigilant. We don’t want unscrupulous oil retailers taking advantage of the latest fuel tax hike by selling their old inventory products at a much higher price, even if they purchased it at a lower price,” the lawmaker said. As for the DTI, it must closely monitor the prices of goods in the market as the second phase of the TRAIN law kicks in. He also expressed hope that the government’s economic manager will not make the same mistake of failing to take into account the indirect effects of the fuel tax hike. He recalled that in a Senate hearing on inflation, economic managers underestimated the impact of the TRAIN law. As a result, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported that the country’s inflation rate accelerated to 6.8 percent in the third quarter of 2018. This brought the country’s year-to-date inflation to 5.13 percent. Economic managers, summoned by lawmakers to explain their apparent underestimation of TRAIN’s inflationary impact, belatedly admitted they did not reckon with global oil prices shooting up just as the firstround excise tax hikes were being implemented, thus compounding the inflationary effects of the law.

straight months from February to September. In spite of better collection this year, newly installed Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero took none of the credit, and called on staff to improve their efforts next year. “This feat is attributed to the strong collection performance of the 17 collection districts and the continuing support and cooperation of the men and women of the Bureau of Customs and of our stakeholders. We still need to strengthen our collection efforts and do better to achieve our goal of a consistent and enhanced collection performance,” Guerrero said. He also emphasized the need to eliminate corruption in the BOC to cleanse the reputation of the agency. Nonetheless, Guerrero reiterated the improvement of the BOC’s revenue collection remains a top priority.

BusinessMirror

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Monday, December 31, 2018 B1

EXCEL FUNCTIONS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

How to help your employees stay productive around the holidays By Michael Hughes

OR the regular knowledge worker, Microsoft Excel, 30 years on, remains the go-to product for people looking to make sense of data. Cut through the more than 500 Excel functions and you’re left with 100 or so truly useful functions and features. We’ve selected 10 that are especially easy to learn.

E conduc ted a sur veyof 2,000 full-time employees in the United States to determine the holiday season’s effect on productivity. Our results reveal that it’s not just money that keeps employees motivated. Here’s what we found:

Paste special: Paste special enables you to pick which elements of the copied cell you bring over. Alt+E+S+V is the shortcut to just paste values—probably the most common use of paste special.

Managers don’t always make asking for time off easy.

OVER half of employees said they’re uncomfortable asking their manager for time off during the holidays. The top reason, they say, is that their manager expects them to be available during their time off.

Add multiple rows: Often, just highlighting the number of rows you want to add and using right click, insert, is quicker when adding in bulk as it will add the number of rows you’ve highlighted.

Remote work and office closures yield greater holiday productivity.

OVER half of employees surveyed said their companies allow them to work remotely. Among this group, there’s no ambiguity about the efficacy of working remotely; the overwhelming majority—91 percent—told us they’re just as productive or more productive when doing so. We have several recommendations, based on the survey data and our experience as work force consultants in a tight job market: n Close the office for additional days beyond federal holidays, when feasible: If it’s not possible for your business to close for additional days during the season, then it’s even more important to offer workers alternative ways of disconnecting and recharging, such as greater scheduling flexibility.

n Consider f lexible scheduling: D u r i ng t he holidays, 38 percent of employees want fewer in-office distractions so they don’t feel they have to put in overtime to get their work done. Others want to come in and leave early to have more holiday family time. For these workers, flexible scheduling options during the holidays can significantly drive productivity and morale. n Provide better training for managers: While managers can’t blindly let their entire team take the holidays off, they can do a better job of having open conversations with their employees. If you create the right environment by listening to employees’ needs and equipping your managers to make good decisions, you’ll ultimately help your employees and the business get through this busy time of year successfully. Michael Hughes is a managing director with West Monroe and a member of the executive team.

By Adam Lacey & Deborah Ashby

Flash fill: Flash fill automatically fills your data when it senses a pattern. If flash fill is turned on (file options, advanced) just start to type the next product number in the cell below and flash fill will recognize the pattern and fill down the remaining product numbers for you.

FOSTERING EMPLOYEE INNOVATION

AT A 150-YEAR-OLD COMPANY

Monika Lessl, Henning Trill & Julian Birkinshaw

AYER’S mission is “Science for a Better Life.” To achieve that goal, however, we must innovate not only in terms of science and R&D, but also in how we run our business. This means shifting the way we work so we’re able to match the pace of change happening in the wider world. Our solution—one transferable to other organizations pursuing innovation—has been to create an agile network of volunteer ambassadors and coaches throughout the company who have taken col-

lective responsibility for making innovation happen and steering our organizational culture in the right direction. More than 600 were selected. Inspired by John Kotter’s dual-operating-structure model, we asked all of these employees to maintain their “day jobs” within the established hierarchy, while also using 5

percent to 10percent of their time to work on fast-cycle, informal innovation projects, across silos. I n no v at io n a m b a s s a d o r s , meanwhile, oversee the coaches, ensure that the initiatives in their respective countries are aligned with the priorities of Bayer’s senior leaders, and serve as cheerleaders for collaborative innovation. Our experience in changing the way we work to hasten innovation has given us three key insights: n Innovation is a social activity, and connectivity is an asset. The image of the lone inventor is alluring, but almost always wrong.

n The dual-speed model needs a new mindset. The notion that people should spend 5 percent to 15 percent off their time working

on fast-cycle projects, while the rest of their work is conducted at a slower clock-speed, is attractive but requires a lot of adjustment. n Volunteers need to be refreshed and reinforced. Now that we’ve built the agile network and created a portfolio of activities to support them, we move on to the next, arguably harder, step of institutionalizing the new behaviors across the company. For this to happen, we need to actively replenish our agile network. Monika Lessl is vice president and head of corporate innovation and R&D at Bayer AG, where Henning Trill is head of corporate innovation. Julian Birkinshaw is deputy dean and professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the London Business School.

What companies can do to help employees address mental-health issues

By Barbara Harvey

EOPLE are increasingly waking up to the magnitude of the mental-health issue and its importance in the world of work. When employers create a culture that supports mental health, workers are more than twice as likely to say they love their job. They are also more likely to plan to stay with their employer for at least the next year. What can companies actually do to take on this challenge? Research points to three keys.

Signal “it matters.” There’s a lot

of concern about “opening up” at work. Many fear that doing so could limit their opportunities, get in the way of promotion and generally be seen as a sign of weakness. Senior leaders can ensure that employees at all levels are made aware of the services and support the company offers.

Raise awareness through training. It can be very hard, for both the speaker and the listener, to have a conversation about a mental-health problem and then to know what to do next. Training in all forms is es-

sential. Tools that the arsenal should contain include online training classes to help employees recognize signs of stress or mental ill health in themselves and in others, and webinars led by senior leaders.

Curate and improve online tools.

Most people are prepared to turn to online tools and applications for information and advice about mental health in which they can remain anonymous. Even companies with scarce resources to dedicate to these kinds of benefits can offer employees a curated list of the most

trusted publicly available sources and provide access to those sources where possible. Mental-health challenges touch us all in some way at some time in our lives. As employers we have the power to help—to make it easier for people to talk, to help them get the support they need in the way that works for them and to help them be their best selves at home and at work. Barbara Harvey is a managing director at Accenture Research and executive sponsor of Accenture’s mental-health program in the UK.

Index-match: Index and match used in combination help you extract the data you need from a large dataset efficiently and precisely by allowing you to look up a value anywhere in the lookup table regardless of its position. Sum: This is one of the first functions you’re likely to learn in Excel. But did you know you can select the cell at the end of a row or column and press Alt + to do this function in seconds? Ctrl Z/Ctrl Y: If you aren’t using Ctrl Z to undo mistakes in Excel, then you should be. What many people don’t know is that Ctrl Y performs the opposite task. Remove duplicates: Remove duplicates does exactly what you’d expect. It’s found on the data tab in the data tools section of the ribbon. Freeze panes: Identify the columns and rows of the area you want to freeze. Then select the cell immediately to the right of those columns and beneath those rows. Go to the view tab and freeze panes in the Window section. F4: There are two especially satisfying ways to use F4 in Excel. The first is when creating an absolute reference: F4 toggles you through the various options. The second is one that few people know about: F4 repeats your last action, where available. Ctrl + arrows: If you’ve found yourself scrolling through a data set to reach the bottom of it, stop right now and start using Ctrl + the arrow keys! Whether you want to help justify data-driven business decisions at a high level or simply get home to your family earlier, mastering the right Excel functions is a quick and easy way to maximize your productivity. Adam Lacey is managing director of Excel with Business. Deborah Ashby is the information technology training manager at Excel with Business and Filtered.com.

B2 Monday, December 31, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Education BusinessMirror

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Prudence Foundation’s project Cha-Ching highlighted in 1st S BSP Financial Education Expo

Mining firm donates books to Manicani, Samar library

RITISH life insurer Pru Life UK’s community investment arm, Prudence Foundation, was featured in the recent Financial Education Stakeholders Expo 2018 of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for its innovative financial literacy advocacy program, Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids. The expo, which gathered advocates of financial education from the public and private sectors, aims to provide a platform for the sharing of best practices and enhancement financial literacy among Filipinos, ultimately contributing to nation building. Topics discussed during the two-day event, held on November 27 and 28, included personal finance

management, financial education through performing arts and board games, and financial education as corporate social responsibility. Prudence Foundation Executive Director Marc Fancy presented Cha-Ching at the Innovations in Financial Education plenary session and discussed how the advocacy is carried across Asia through

a multiplatform approach. Launched in Hong Kong in 2011 by Prudential Corp. Asia, the regional headquarters of Pru Life UK, Cha-Ching is the first multicountry, multitouchpoint educational program that aims to help parents in Asia teach children basic money management skills of earn, save, spend and donate to children aged seven to 12. The program utilizes a variety of tools and platforms to maximize its reach, including a series of three-minute animated music videos, a web site with games and applications, online resources and at-home activities, as well as a school curriculum to help build children’s understanding of the key money management concepts. Fancy said, “From the outset of our Cha-Ching journey, the challenge was how to educate and reach over a million children. Clearly this could never be achieved by ourselves, so innovation and creativity played a key role in our strategy

early on. Creating a multiplatform approach enables us to engage children in multiple ways, with the cartoon episodes and curriculum as the foundation of the program.” The Philippines became the first country to integrate Cha-Ching in the grade school curriculum following the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education in April 2012 for the integration of the Cha-Ching in the grade 2 curriculum through DepEd’s Adopt-a-School program. Pru Life UK further fortified its commitment to financial literacy in 2017 through the collaboration of Prudence Foundation with Junior Achievement Philippines and JA Asia Pacific. From just two pioneer schools in 2012, the program now has 926 Cha-Ching partner schools, with more than 4,800 teachers trained, who have taught the money-smart values to more than 240,500 students.

SM Foundation holds Christmas party for scholars

M scholars gathered at Building C of the SM Corporate Office at the MOA Complex for a Carnival Christmas party sponsored by SM Foundation. The scholars enjoyed the company of fellow scholars as they played games and savored carnival food, such as popcorn, hotdog, ice cream, cotton candy and French fries from the different stalls. The stalls were decked with red, white and green decorations with white or red tents. Harley Sy, executive director of SMIC who is supporting personal scholars, attended the Christmas party with his wife SM Foundation Executive Director Debbie P. Sy. SMFI Executive Director Lin-

PWD kids get unli rides at Festival Mall Christmas treat

HRISTMAS came early to more than 50 children with special needs when Festival Mall in Alabang threw a fun celebration filled with dancing, games and gifts, at the Pixie Forest and X-Site, the mall’s popular amusement center. The children, aged five to13 years old, came from The Haven for Children-Alabang, Carmona Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO), Autism Society Philippines (ASP)-San Pedro, and Las Piñas PWD Federation, who were treated to party games and free unlimited rides. The event was the culmination of the mall’s two-part Disability Awareness and Sensitivity Training Program, held to educate mall staff and tenants on how to better relate with persons with disabilities and those with special needs. It featured, among others, talks by representatives of the deaf, Down syndrome, orthopedic, and autism communities. These sensitivity seminars were in 2016 for the mall’s staff, especially the frontliners, to learn how to properly assist PWDs. “This is definitely something we will continue annually in order to make sure all of us at the mall are conscious and aware, and that we can tell children and their parents that Festival Mall is a safe space for them,” said Gina Abenoja, marketing manager of Festival Mall. “We imparted to Festival Mall’s staff necessary practices, like how to welcome PWDs and how to handle challenging situations they might face. The mall is a great place for us parents to teach many skills to our kids, so we want these spaces to be welcoming,” said Janeth Peña of the ASP.

da Atayde and Eleanor Lansang, Scholarships program AVP were also in attendance. The Christmas party is one of the activities of SM Foundation for the scholars. SM Foundation supports 4,000 college scholars and 2,000 technical-vocational scholars in different parts of the country who are enrolled in partner schools. SM scholars enjoy a choice of specialization in accounting, information technology, engineering and education; full tuition, monthly allowance, part-time job opportunities during school breaks, job offers with the SM group upon graduation and fun-filled activities and enrichment programs.

UPS Philippines and Air21 bring storybooks closer to Filipino youth

PS Philippines and Air21 recently formalized their partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) for the program, “Sa Pagbasa, May Pag-asa [Hope in Reading],” a storybook donation campaign for public-school students. T he tr ipar tite par tnership affirms UPS and Air21’s roles as PBSP’s logistics partners for the storybook drive. Both firms transport storybooks from PBSP’s network of donors and distribute them to beneficiary elementary schools across the Philippines, including the recovering Marawi City. To date, UPS and Air21 have delivered over 10,000 storybooks nationwide. PBSP advocates for the provision of storybooks in public schools throughout the Philippines, as fic-

tion has been proven to improve children’s mental capacities, as well as their social and cultural awareness. “We at UPS value our communities and we consistently identify different ways in which we can support them in their areas of need. PBSP’s goal of promoting the love for reading is something that we all can identify with either as parents or individuals. As a kid, I didn’t have much of an appreciation for reading and it wasn’t until I was much older that I realized what I was missing and the value it had on opening new worlds, building relationships and pushing me to continue to learn,” shared Chris Buono, managing director of UPS Philippines. “This initiative is particularly close to my heart as my parents

were both educators in the public-school system, and I grew up watching them dedicate their lives to improving students’ learning abilities, which involved vast reading,” said Reuben Pangan, president of Air21. UPS and Air21 also jointly held a fun-filled children’s program at Santo Niño Elementary School, a public educational institution in Parañaque, Manila. This included a storytelling session by Buono and Br. Armin Luistro FSC, president of PBSP. Luistro said, “Through their support, UPS and Air21 have furthered our goal of bringing hope to 23 million public-school students and making reading more accessible. We’ve been able to reach even the most challenged areas in the Philippines.”

UPS Philippines Managing Director Chris Buono (first row, first from the left) and AIR21 President Reuben Pangan (first row, third from left) affirmed their partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) for the “Sa Pagbasa, May Pag-asa” Storybook Donation campaign, represented by coconvenors Vicky Garchitorena (first row, second from left), Mario Deriquito (first row, third from right) and Brother Armin Luistro (first row, second from right).

OME 500 different titles of books were transported to the island of Manicani in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, to fill up a new library—from Agatha Christie to Harper Lee; from Wimpy Kids to Robinson Crusoe; from volumes of young adult romance books to hard-reads like Jane Austen and Lewis Carroll. There are copies of Mark Twain, Anne Rice, Disney books, Grolier Illustrated and Encyclopedias, titles from Bob Ong, even entrepreneurial magazines, self-help best sellers and religious journals. Taking Personal Social Responsibility program to a higher level, the employees of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) pooled together personal time and resources to help build this special library. Patterned after CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), PSR programs enjoin employees to be personally part of an activity that entails giving back to the communities. Simply called “Ang Library sa

Manicani,” the project aims to encourage children in the island to read a lot. NAC made sure there are exciting books, some with very special and rare titles, as well as magazines, available in the new library to sustain the interest of everyone. NAC employees donated books for all ages and new books; classics, masterworks and contemporary; in Filipino and in English; pre-loved and newly bought—in participation to the company’s PSR program. There is only one high school and one elementary school in Manicani. There are almost 700 children including those too young to enter formal school. There is no public library in the island which is 45 minutes away by boat from the town of Guiuan in Eastern Samar. The library that NAC built is designed like a resort. Painted in bright inviting colors, surrounded by fiesta-fun flags and beach umbrellas so the children will be excited to visit and check out the books.

How online education appeals to everyone’s inner learner

ONVENIENCE is the battle cry of institutions that offer fullonline courses. After all, students can study anytime and anywhere and no longer need to brave the Metro traffic just to get to a physical classroom. With its unsupervised nature, there is a prevailing notion that taking a course online may not necessarily be for everyone. A M A Universit y Online Education (AMA OEd), a platform that offers university level-degree and short courses online is aware of this. But it counters that despite the unsupervised nature of online education, each course is crafted to address the needs of a wide variety of students. “A typical course or subject has a number of modules and for each, there are materials in various mediums to cater to different types of learners,” said Leohernard Quitaleg, head of Content Development for AMA OEd. Content for modules are developed to go beyond usual reading materials. “We have practical activities for kinesthetic learners who prefer a more hands-on type of method than just listening to lectures. There are also presentations and videos to suit every kind of learner, Quitaleg added. Courses offered on AMA Oed, for example, are designed with different types of learners in mind. Presentations are crafted short, but reflects key learning points. Different videos, especially for those taking creative courses, are available to help stimulate learning. Supplemental reading material is also given which suits voracious readers to help them understand subject matter better. “The idea is to really empower students to learn. Students can follow the modules that are designed to tackle information deeply. The other supplemental material also help expand topics and give students a different point of view on the matter,” said Angelica Bruzola-Harris, an online course content developer for AMA OEd. In lieu of a physical room, there is a virtual classroom which lets students join in on discussions with other students that’s facilitated by a mentor. “O n l i ne st ude nt s h ave

shared that it’s really just like being in class—they get to ask questions and also hear their peers. They see myself and their classmates through a screen,” said Josephine Casin, a Computer Science and Information Technology mentor at AMA OEd. Since virtual classes are done within a shorter time frame, efficiency is a must for both students and mentors. According to Casin, this helps improve greatly the communication skills of both students and mentors. “As a mentor, my communication skills improved as I need to share my points clearly to students in different parts of the world. Students also benefit from this method of teaching as they now understand the need to compose their thoughts well in order to communicate their questions better,” Casin added. Being unable to join virtual classes due to time zone or schedule differences is no longer a reason to miss a class. Students can easily catch up on virtual classes by viewing them on the online platform as sessions are recorded for viewing at any point during their enrollment. Students can also watch the classes on replay to clarify information on the topics discussed. Teacher-to-student ratio is also not an issue with online courses. Aside from virtual classrooms, mentors also receive inquiries through e-mail, which they can reply to at length. Students get the benefit of a more targeted response to their personal queries. “I actually reach more students since I started becoming an online mentor. Because I get inquiries through e-mail, I get to respond to each individual question and address their concerns specifically, unlike in physical classroom where they are addressed as a group,” Casin added. With the different tools at their disposal, students who take courses online are empowered to study in ways that appeal to their personal learning curve. It is precisely this kind of flexibility that makes online education a great option especially for those who experience barriers enrolling in a physical institution.

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Editor: Efleda P. Campos • Monday, December 31, 2018 B3

FAREWELL, 2018.

Goodbye to these words and phrases in 2019 O

PR Matters By Millie F. Dizon

UR last series on How Important is Writing in PR Today made a lot of practicing PRs—as well as students—go back to their roots with the realization that writing is the biggest weakness for communicators. It gave them pause when we cited a PR News survey indicating that 80 percent of senior-level communicators at agencies, corporations and no-profits identified writing as the top skill their team needs to improve. In the first column, we were given tips by Glenn Leibowitz who, in an article for inc-asean.com, suggested that one ask eight simple questions throughout the process of writing and editing. The second column tackled what we should avoid to make our writing more professional, taking a cue from Steve Goldstein who shared with us a list of “7 Business Writing Sins PR Pros Commit Regularly” in PR News. We concluded this series of columns on the importance of PR and writing, with an article on inc.com, where Allison Davis shares with us some tips on how to “Improve Your Writing in 9 Simple Steps.” “Just because writing is hard, that doesn’t mean you can’t use techniques to make writing a little easier,” she said. I received many inquiries on how to make good word choices. How do we expand our vocabulary? How can we select the right words for the right market? These are very expansive subjects, but with a New Year ahead, it’s a good time to take inventory of the words we use, and how some buzzwords and catch phrases have lost their meaning over time. Having worked in retail for many years, I am very much aware of the importance of trends—think what’s in and what’s out of fashion—and how important it is to incorporate these in our communications. This is especially true in this age of digital marketing when words lose their cool factor at a shorter time. Top communicators compiled their own lists of words we should try to stop using in 2019 for more effective communication. We are sharing these with you. In an ins.com column “6 Words and Phrases to Retire Before 2018 Comes to a Close,” John Brandon said that “word choice is everything in life— and in business.” As a journalist for our 17 years, “I’ve seen catchphrases and buzzwords come and go. A popular business magazine once used the word ‘cachet’ multiple times in every issue. It doesn’t exist anymore. Entrepreneurs are known for picking [and even coining] words and phrases as well—including social media and sharing economy—but they are now a little shopworn.” These are his picks of words and phrases to retire for 2018.

Lit.

“Let’s stop saying ‘lit,’ ok?” Brandon pleaded with us. “For one thing, the word used to mean ‘intoxicated’ before anyone commandeered it to mean excited or pumped up. The reason it’s worth retiring is because the word feels like an old sweater that has outworn its usefulness.” n

Perfect.

In an imperfect world, Brandon said that hearing this so often that “this sounds more like the needle on a vinyl album is stuck [in short, old and repetitive].” n

n Emotional intelligence. “When a phrase is that popular, we tend to ignore it and forget why this is important,” Brandon said. “I say, let’s come up with a better phrase to rekindle discussion. Or just stick with the word empathy.” This is so true at a time when people have short attention spans. n Bro. Why is this ready for retirement? Brandon felt this is just overused...and a way to sound “a little over-familiar.” n

Social media. Brandon considers

this a controversial pick because “this phrase never really did convey the full meaning of the concept.” He prefers the phrase digital marketing “because it sounds more official or even online marketing. The real issue is that this has become a derogatory term where trolls and bad actors hang out.”

Sharing economy.

While the sharing economy—think of Uber days—was a big deal once, “my question is, what does it even mean anymore? What qualifies exactly? Often new concepts deserve a new phrase, but once they have fully materialized then—well, it’s time to move on.” In another inc.com article, “6 Words and Phrases You Should Immediately Ban from Your Vocabulary,” Marcel Shwantes, the principal and founder of Leadership from the Core, cites a list of overused clichés that made a list of 40 to the most cringe-worthy phrases said in the work place, according to a survey by OnePoll of 2,000 American workers, as reported on Fox News. “Using too much of the worn-out business jargon, in fact, can actually damage your reputation,” Schwantes said. “According to a study by the University of Basel and New York University, the less concrete and more abstract your language, the lest trustworthy you appear.” For the sake of length, Schwantes highlighted four from the OnePoll survey list of 40 that many of us have heard plenty of times ad nauseam, and adds two more of his own entries. n

Thinking outside the box.

Ranked as No. 2 on the OnePoll Survey, “this useless business jargon is subconsciously spoken in general terms to express looking at solving problems differently. The problem? It can imply that very competent and capable people with less flair for creative problem solving are handicapped by limitations of the tiny box they think and work in, which is a false perception others may have of them.” n Let’s circle back. “The use of this cringe-worthy business jargon to imply checking back on something is merely lipstick on a pig and makes little sense if neither party actually follows up,” Shwantes said. The term checked in at No. 9 in the OnePoll survey list. n Low-hanging fruit. The issue Schwantes has with this phrase, which was ranked No. 14 on the survey and means literally picking an apple hanging close to the ground rather than the harder exercise of climbing a tree—“implies that you’re the easiest option and the path of least resistance instead of working diligently to find the best solution.” n Take it to the next level. This phrase, which means to make something better, ranked No. 15, because “in practice, it means nothing, mainly because nobody knows what the next level actually looks like that it can be interpreted in so many different contexts.” Schwantes observed that “it has become so generic that people are beginning to catch themselves before saying it out loud as not to appear

dumb or lazy. As a replacement, try delivering a clearer and more specific message about direction and making something better.” Schwantes added two more “dreadful alternatives to banish from your vocabulary forever.” n Buy-in. David Logan, professor of management and organization at the University of Southern California, said it best in Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage. “Asking for someone’s buy-in says I have an idea. But I didn’t involve you because

I didn’t value you enough to discuss it with you. I want you to embrace it as if you were in on it from the beginning, because that would make me feel really good.” n Empower. Eric J. McNutty, director of research at the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, said it best in a strategy+business article. “Empower carries that old school, fear-based baggage: I have the power and if I deem you worthy, I will bestow some upon you. It is condescending at best and disempowering at worst.”

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (Ipra), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie 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.

B4 Monday, December 31, 2018

HEALTHY FOOD FOR THE HOLIDAYS

OOKING for a delightful, yet healthy, food delivery, catering service or restaurant this holiday season? HealthyMealsPh Store is now open on April Street, Congressional Village, Quezon City. It’s a restaurant that could serve dine-in customers, and deliver and cater at the same time. And when we say healthy, we mean meals with specific calorie-count for weight loss, weight gain and for ketogenic diet. For as low as from P2,000 to P 2,400 per week— depending on the calories per week—you will enjoy the goodness and freshness of food delivered right in your

doorstep and can bring with you anywhere you want. For HealthyMealsPh owner and founder Rad Pelayo, eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be boring, bland and complicated. It’s about eating the right amount and calories without depriving yourselves to enjoy your food. “Food must make people feel great [and] have more energy for the day; to improve our health, be physically fit and even help [us] become happy and healthy all throughout the day.” For more details or inquiries, Like them on Facebook at www.fb.com/healthymealsphBRT.

INSPIRING FILIPINOS TO ‘GO FOR GREAT’

AMOUS fragrance and toiletries line for young men STR8; and iface Inc., an established distributor of some of the fastest-growing brands in the beauty and wellness industry, claims that the Philippines is the first market in the world to launch the New STR8 fragrance collection under Giannis Antetokounmpo signature. STR8 will be exclusively available at Watsons Retail Chain and The SM Stores. STR8 is a popular men’s fragrance line presenting high brand awareness and leading market shares in Central-Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. The brand urges young men to “Go for Great”—to get out there, and aim high and “go and get” what they really want in life without any fear or hesitation, in order to experience the great feeling of success. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the brand’s global ambassador, the world famous basketball player of the

National Basketball Association (NBA). Starting his journey as an amateur player within Greece, Giannis Antetokounmpo dared to go after his dream working his way up, marking continuous successes in the US and blossomed into an all-round basketball superstar of the NBA, breaking one record after another. His passion, commitment, hard work and integrity are the virtues that helped him grow into one of the best NBA players. STR8 and Giannis are a perfect match as they stand for the same values. STR8 belongs to Sarantis Group portfolio of own brands. The group is one of the leading fast-moving consumer-good company in Europe and has a very strong international presence, operating subsidiaries in 12 European countries through an extensive distribution network, and exporting to more than 40 countries worldwide.

EXCITING HOLIDAY DEALS AWAIT AT CENTURY PARK HOTEL Century Park Hotel (CPH), one of the finest hotels in Manila, is giving you more reasons to smile this holiday season with a sumptuous feast of Japanese cuisine at Century Tsukiji! A fantastic gastronomic deal awaits you at P995 net! Eat all you can and enjoy classic Japanese favorites, such as ebi tempura, salmon sashimi, tenderloin teppan, gyuniku teriyaki, matcha cake and more! The eat-all-you-can deal is valid on the following dates: December 24 (Christmas Eve), December 25 (Christmas Day), December 31 (New Year’s Eve) and January 1, 2019 (New Year’s Day) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. Welcome the New Year with a pool party at the hotel’s Palm Grove from 10 p.m. onward. For only P1,200 (adults) and P700 (kids), guests can enjoy the hotel’s temperaturecontrolled pool at their leisure while waiting for 2019 to ring in. What’s more, the tickets come with drinks, food and a live band. Truly a unique way of waiting for the clock to strike midnight! Going for a staycation? CPH has also prepared a New Year’s Day room package. Starting at P6,500 net, take advantage of a superior room, breakfast for two and New Year tickets for two. Deluxe rooms can be availed at P7,500 net while the junior superior rooms are available at P8,500 net with the same package inclusions. The New Year’s room package is exclusively available today, December 31.

BLOCKCHAIN UNVEILS AT MIND MUSEUM

ITH more and more digital banking apps coming and the advent of cashless transactions, such as Paypal, GCash and Paymaya, more and more Filipinos are ditching the traditional style of shopping and paying bills. Now there’s also cryptocurrency, the new currency that does not have any physical form but has a value that outshines most currencies. Cryptocurrency started off when Satoshi Nakamoto created a digital currency called bitcoin. This currency can be used like normal money. People can use it to buy clothes, shoes, even exchange stocks or basically almost anything, except every transaction is done digitally. It was considered a stroke of genius because it is completely decentralized and is protected by cryptography, meaning it is coded. It is decentralized in a way that it uses the peerto-peer network, a person or a peer can check the international ledger that keeps a list of all the transactions ever made and everyone from all countries keeps it updated of any new transaction. So, imagine this ledger is a block and there’s a continuous number of blocks

being added to it and you have a chain of blocks. This is called the blockchain, or the ledgers that everyone keeps. This way, no discrepancy happens and it does not have a centralized body to check what happens because everyone does. The whole cryptocurrency system works with wallets and keys. The wallet is where they digitally store their bitcoins. The key is not an actual key, but keys that are a series of codes. Each person has two keys—a private and a public key. When a transaction is made, a person signs it with his private key and sends it with his public key. The private key works like an announcement that it is really them that sent that message and the public key is the way other people can check it. There are people who take blockchain to another level, called miners. Bitcoin has a reward system that whoever puts a new block to the chain first will get a certain amount of bitcoins. In the Philippines the cryptocurrency haze has started to settle with more people joining in trading with their bitcoins. Recently the Philippines has allowed 10 cryptocurrency operators in the Philippines.

GLOBALLY RENOWNED FLOORING BRAND OPENS PHL FLAGSHIP STORE

FTER establishing its presence in Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Asia, Manila finally gets to appreciate the world-class Tajima flooring brand, as the country’s flagship store rolled out the red carpet on the fourth-floor level of the Shangri-La Edsa Plaza this December. Tajima owes its Manila presence to its local partnership with the Lucerne Group. President and chairman of Tajima Philippines Roy Chua shared the premise of the collaboration: “The Lucerne Group is a company that engages with many different brands. It has various demands in terms of floor design, and flooring is very much part of the whole outcome of the look of our stores. We used to struggle in terms of looking for the right flooring to meet the design needs of our principals. With that, we do occasional importation to fulfill the abovementioned. We came across Tajima as they offer a huge range of designs that really fit the needs of our different requirements.” Being “huge” is an understatement— what with the hundreds of options

displayed in their stores that provide but a fraction of the entire product range. Managing director Marny Chua explained that Tajima flooring addresses an existing trepidation in the use of vinyl among customers in the market, as common brands are prone to scratches and dents. “That is where Tajima comes in. Our products’ wear layer is double the ones they have here.” He also warned against using the common economic choice of ceramic tiles. “There are a lot of advantages in using vinyl, as installation is very easy: A 100- to 200- square-meter room can be finished overnight while ceramic tiles are messy, and there is more labor involved,” he added. In addressing customers’ concerns, Tajima subscribes by the tenets of harmony, innovation and technology, or HIT. Harmony is evident in their designs. For instance, they come in a spectrum of colors that fit any surrounding or environment. Tajima offers pink-colored faux marble, and pretty much any hue one can think of. It has wooden slates of

different sizes, as well as planks of every shade and texture of wood. The portfolio even has “distressed wood” variants, with skid marks already in place. Speaking of innovation, sales manager Gold Acosta says the company is the only producer of tiles that are homogenous, or made of one material through and through, with marble-like finish. Any scratch or dent will just reveal the same color under, thus, breaking the vinyl stereotype. Another innovation that event makers and set designers could find useful is the Lay Flat: vinyl tiles that could easily be placed on the floor without any adhesive, then easily be picked up and cleaned afterward. As for technology, Tajima carpets are flame-retardant. They also have antibacterial flooring for gyms and sports facilities called Umanity and Mediwel, which is ideal for clinics and hospitals. Tajima is set to be introduced to commercial and industrial suppliers nationwide with their target of taking flooring to a whole new level. Maxene Mamba

WINFORD MANILA, PAGCOR PLAY AS SANTA IN OUTREACH PROGRAM

INFORD Manila Resort and Casino (WMRC), in partnership with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), hosted the second Paskong Pasasalamat mula sa Pagcor at Winford Manila, an annual Christmas gift-giving and mealsharing activity for the less fortunate of neighboring barangays. The beneficiaries of the WMRCPagcor community-outreach initiative were identified and selected by their respective barangay captains, with whom both proponents have maintained a close and healthy relationship since the luxury casino hotel opened its doors to the public in 2017. Present at the activity were WMRC President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Evora, and Pagcor Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo. In 2017 it was Domingo who reached out to WMRC to give back to the local community that have been supportive of the casino hotel’s operations. “[The] Paskong Pasasalamat mula sa Pagcor at Winford Manila is our way of reciprocating the local community’s [support] since Day One,” Evora said. “Aside from maintaining and strengthening our relationship with them, Paskong Pasasalamat also serves

as an avenue for us to increase employee engagement and satisfaction through volunteerism and CSR participation.” In attendance were appoximately 500 less fortunate members of the community to receive their gifts and enjoy a yuletide meal courtesy of WMRC and Pagcor,

hoping to help spreads happiness and brightens the holiday season for them. Photo shows (from left) WMRC director of gaming operations and compliance Darwin Cusi; Pagcor branch manager Jethro Chancoco; Domingo; and Evora.

D.E.N.R. AWARDS GLOBE TELECOM FOR VOLUNTEERISM EFFORTS

HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has awarded Globe Telecom for its volunteerism efforts and “invaluable support for DENR’s [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] pursuit for sustainable development.” The Certificate of Recognition, signed by Environment Secretar y Roy Cimatu, was presented to Globe

by Environment Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and LGU Concerns Benny Antiporda in the recent celebration of National Volunteer Day with the theme “Volunterismo: Tugon sa Nagbabagong Panahon.” Globe is among 55 DENR partnerorganizations from the business sector, government, non-governmental organizations and the academe that were honored for their active participation in DENR volunteer projects and special events since 2012. “ This is our sma l l way of thankingyouforthe big contributions you have made to the success of the DENR’s programs and activ ities,” Antiporda told the agency’s partner organizations at the event, even as he enjoined more people and organizations to

help in protecting the environment. “The citizen’s support alone will dictate either the success or failure of DENR’s programs,” he added. Globe is an active supporter of DENR volunteerism programs and advocacy, such as coastal cleanup at the Las PiñasParañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area; mangrove tree planting in Calatagan, Batangas; watershed-ecosystem awareness at the Angat Dam, Norzagaray, Bulacan; and staging of history and nature bike parade, among others. Globe is one of the country’s few companies that nurture its people’s innate desire to help by providing every employee with a day of Volunteer Time-Off every year to pursue their chosen advocacy. It also encourages “volunteaming”, where employees are free to organize themselves in groups to pursue their advocacies. Antiporda (left) hands over a plaque of recognition to Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto (right) for the company’s support in DENR’s sustainability efforts. Together with them is Jaypee Gulay, program and partner relations manager, Globe Citizenship and Advocacy Marketing.

NBA RESULTS Milwaukee 129, Brooklyn 115 Houston 108, New Orleans 104 Washington 130, Charlotte 126 Atlanta 111, Cleveland 108 Boston 112, Memphis 103 Utah 129, New York 97 Denver 122, Phoenix 118 Golden State 115, Portland 105 San Antonio 122, LA Clippers 111

Sports BusinessMirror

| Monday, December 31, 2018 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

RICK OLIVARES bleachersbrew@gmail.com

BLEACHERS’ BREW

The 2018 Brewskies IT’S the end of the year and you know what that means (if you have been following my column in the BusinessMirror since 2006). Every end of the calendar year, we dish out our dubious achievements in the world of sports! Let’s get right on with it.

The John McEnroe Award for Congeniality

VENGEFUL VICTORY P

By Nick Daschel The Associated Press

ORTLAND, Oregon—A road game for the Golden State Warriors felt a little like home for Klay Thompson. Perhaps that helped him shoot his way out of a slump. Thompson, who grew up in Portland as the son of former Trail Blazer Mychal Thompson, scored 32 points on Saturday night to lead Golden State to a 115-105 victory. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant each had 25 points as Golden State evened the score after losing at home to Portland, 110-109, on Thursday. Thompson broke out by hitting 12 of 21 shots, going 4 of 5 from three-point range. At one point after making a three-pointer, Thompson began talking to his right hand. What did Thompson say? “I missed you. It’s good to see you again,” Thompson said. “It’s been a five-game absence or so where he hasn’t been in the game, so to finally see the ball go in at a high rate felt really good.” Golden State Coach Steve Kerr said there wasn’t anything different about Thompson’s game. He was merely due. “Shots just went in,” Kerr said. “I didn’t think the quality of his shot attempts looked that much better. I think the law of averages just took over.” If there’s a place outside Oakland where Thompson feels most comfortable, it’s Portland’s Moda Center, known as the Rose Garden during his childhood. “It’s like a second home here. I was very fortunate to come to a lot of Blazer games at the Rose Garden,” Thompson said. “To be back here playing for my family is surreal. It feels like I’m getting old. It feels like yesterday I was back in these hallways trying to snag autographs. It’s always a pleasure to come back here.” Damian Lillard hit six three-pointers and scored 40 points. It was the fifth time this season Lillard, who made the go-ahead three-pointer in the victory at Oracle Arena, has scored at least 40 points. Golden State avenged that loss with improved shooting and better defense. The Warriors shot 50 percent from the floor (40 of 80), and made 12 of 25 from threepoint range. Durant was 10 of 19 from the floor, while Kevin Looney was 5 of 6, and made his first three-pointer of the season. Kerr said it made a difference on defense to expand his rotation to 11 players on Saturday. “I didn’t like what I did the other night, playing eight guys,” Kerr said. “I thought everybody who stepped on the floor did a really good job for us.” Jusuf Nurkic finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Blazers. Leading 30-27 after one quarter, Golden State scored the first 10 points of the second, including seven consecutive by Curry. Golden State led by as many as 17 points during the first

half, settling for a 58-50 halftime lead. But the Warriors lost Andre Iguodala at halftime after he was ejected for hurling the ball deep into the end zone seats at the buzzer. Though Lillard scored 20 points during the third quarter, Golden State increased its lead to 93-83. The Warriors led by as many as 18 points in the fourth before holding off a late Portland rally. “We kept battling. I thought we made some good comebacks, but in the end, we let our guard down a few times. When you let your guard down, they take advantage of it,” Portland Coach Terry Stotts said. ROCKETS KEEP ROLLING JAMES HARDEN scored 41 points, becoming the first National Basketball Association (NBA) player since Oscar Robertson to record at least 35 points and five assists in seven consecutive games, to power the Houston Rockets to a 108-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. Harden had 26 points in the first half and reached 40 for the third straight game. He was 7 for 16 from threepoint range, made all 14 free throws and added six assists. Anthony Davis looked sluggish a night after scoring a season-high 48 points in a victory over Dallas, taking only five shots in the first half and finishing with 22 points. Julius Randle led the Pelicans with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Jamal Murray scored 46 points and made a career-high nine three-pointers to carry Western Conference-leading Denver over Phoenix, 122-118. Murray was 16 for 24 from the field with the secondmost points he’s scored in a game this season. He scored 31 a night earlier in a win over San Antonio. Nikola Jokic added 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for Denver, while Malik Beasley came off the bench to hit a career-high five three-pointers for his 15 points. Rookie Deandre Ayton scored a season-high 33 points and added 14 rebounds for the Suns. Ayton made 12-of-13 shots in the second quarter for 24 points, the highestscoring quarter by a Suns rookie and sixth-highest overall in franchise history. Trevor Ariza scored 24 points and was one of seven Washington players in double figures as the Wizards beat Charlott, 130-126, amid news five-time All-Star guard John Wall will have season-ending surgery. Thomas Bryant added 21 points and 10 rebounds and Ariza had nine assists and seven rebounds for Washington, which won for the third time in 12 games. The Wizards announced on Saturday that Wall would undergo surgery to address bone spurs in his left heel and miss at least six months. Kemba Walker scored 24 of his 47 points in the fourth quarter and nearly lifted Charlotte to a remarkable comeback when his three-pointer cut the lead to a point with 1.9 seconds to play.

GOES to...envelope please...Serena Williams. During Williams’s two-set loss (6-2, 6-4) to Japanese counterpart Naomi Osaka during the US Open, the American superstar constantly raged at umpire Carlos Ramos, who she called a “liar” and a “thief.” Williams was docked a game and had a point penalty for smashing a racquet and a code violation for coaching. Furthermore, she was fined by the US Tennis Association $17,000 for her “transgressions.” Tennis presenter Sue Barker pointed out, “The umpire was following the rules, but Serena had a point.” The controversy took away the spotlight from Osaka, who became the first Japanese tennis player to win a Grand Slam title. THE Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) and guard Jrue Holiday (11) try to steal the ball from the Rockets’ James Harden. AP

Pep Talk of the Year Award

THIS award goes to another tennis umpire! Tennis umpires remained in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons when veteran official Mohamed Lahyani went down from his chair to give an on-court pep talk to Nick Kyrgios also during the same US Open. Lahyani left his chair with Kyrgios trailing Frenchman by a set and a break. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) later said that Swede Lahyani left his chair to check on Kyrgios’ condition because he could not hear him properly and was concerned the player might need medical attention. But Lahyani was also heard telling Kyrgios, “I want to help you. This isn’t you. I know that.” Kyrgios turned the game around and won in four sets. “Lahyani was advised to adhere to proper protocols in all matches that he officiates,” pointed out US Open officials. Lahyani continued to officiate during the 2018 US Open.

The Stand By Me Award

GOES to Nike. The athletic apparel maker made controversial former National Football League quarterback Colin Kaepernick the face of its line, causing controversy and reigniting all sorts of controversies and debates stemming from the latter’s taking a knee during the US national anthem before games. Nike has made a career of standing by controversial figures from Lance Armstrong, Andre Agassi and Maria Sharapova. With their new campaign, consumers have burned Nike shoes and cut out the Swoosh logo from their socks as a sign of protest.

Mud on that Teflon Award

GOES to football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo who was embroiled in a rape case with an American model (that allegedly happened in 2009). Then he left his club of nine years, Real Madrid, for Italian giants, Juventus, after a tense relationship with club president Florentino Perez. It is all about money (getting paid more bucks than Barcelona rival Lionel Messi) and a comment by Perez that for Neymar to win the Ballon d’Or Award, he might have to move (from Barcelona to Real Madrid, but the Brazilian is now with Paris Saint Germain). Hmm. Like how many people earn all those millions in a year? And that still isn’t enough? Oh, well. I guess enough is never enough. Now, Ronaldo is acknowledged as a sports gentleman and right now, a lot of his corporate sponsors are closely monitoring the rape case which is ongoing (Ronaldo claims the sexual encounter was consensual). But it does throw some black on his carefully sculpted public figure.

The Win At All Costs Award

THE Warriors’ Klay Thompson drives to the basket against the Trail Blazers’ Evan Turner. AP

GOES to Australian cricketer Cameron Bancroft who was caught stuffing sandpaper down his pants (after he unsuccessfully tried to scuff the ball during a test in Cape Town, South Africa. Bancroft later lied by saying he used tape exacerbating the situation. Australia captain Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner, and Bancroft all sent home. Smith and Warner were both banned for a year by Cricket Australia while Bancroft was given a nine-month ban.

The Fight of the Year Award

GOES to the Philippines-Australia Brawl during a Fiba World Cup Qualifying Match at the Philippine Arena in July this year. That trumps the UFC Ronaldo Souza versus Chris Weidman and the Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje bout and the Canelo Alvarez versus Gennady Golovkin on September 2. That was a black eye not only for Fiba, but also for the Philippines that has been battling for respect in the international arena after a series of stirring achievements in the past several years. After the brawl with multiple suspensions and fines (not to mention wholesale changes in the coaching staff), the Philippines lost three of its next four qualifying matches. THE Fight of the Year Award goes to the Philippines-Australia brawl during a Fiba World Cup Qualifying Match at the Philippine Arena in July this year.

Monday, December 31, 2018

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My favorite products for 2018: Part 2

Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Gabby Douglas, 23; Joey McIntyre, 46; Bebe Neuwirth, 60; Anthony Hopkins, 81. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assess your current situation and consider what you can do to make your life run smoothly. Don’t feel pressured to act quickly; take your time and develop and execute plans that will stand the test of time. Practicality and common sense applied to innovative ideas will ensure you get the most out of whatever you do or pursue. Your lucky numbers are 9, 13, 20, 26, 27, 40, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Set goals and work diligently until you feel satisfied with your accomplishments. Don’t be vague or let anyone mislead you regarding money, health or emotional feelings. Use your intellect to solve problems and to get things done properly. «««

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t leave anything to chance. Size up situations and determine what will bring you the highest returns. Persistence will pay off personally and professionally. A unique way of letting someone you love know how much you care will win favors. «««

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Think big but live within your means. Have fun, but don’t go overboard. Indulgence will lead to discord and problems that will be difficult to reverse. Use your intelligence and common sense to avoid mishaps, and keep personal information to yourself. «««

AND THEN SOME DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

OME of my favorite products for 2018 weren’t really new. But for me, one thing stood out: I realized that I could wear nude lipstick. It just depended on the rest of my makeup. My skin tone is such that I need to pair a nude lip with a strong eye or blush that’s popping. So here’s the second part of my list, which includes the nude lipsticks that I loved. 1. MAC Cosmetics @mainedcm Matte Lipstick THIS beige lipstick is something that I didn’t expect I could wear because normally, nudes make me look washed out. By some miracle, it didn’t. I would get compliments whenever I wore this. Disclaimer: I wear this with Kat Von D lip liner in Lolita II to

“dim” my dark lip line. The truth is, I expected Maine Mendoza to come up with a brownish lipstick because she’s young and young people like brown matte lipstick. But Maine wanted something all her fans and supporters could wear and, let’s face it, not many people wear makeup and are intimidated by stronger colors. 2. MAC Cosmetics Lipstick in Velvet Teddy I CANNOT remember how many times I have owned Velvet Teddy to give it away later on because it really made me look dead. Thanks to Maine’s lipstick, I became braver in wearing nudes. You’d be surprised that I am more comfortable wearing reds than nudes. You can wear red lipstick with a bare face. A nude lipstick needs more effort. 3. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Natural Beauty I HAVE three other Tarte blushes but Natural Beauty, a rosy red, is my favorite. This blush claims to last for 12 hours and it really does stay on that long. I wish it were easier to buy Tarte here because right now, they don’t ship to the Philippines. 4. It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ I’VE been using this for about two years and I love

everything about it—from the finish to the SPF 50+. I have this in the original formula and the illuminating one and I love them both. This CC Cream is really for lazy days when you can’t be bothered with layering skin care + sun protection + foundation. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it’s expensive and previously not available here. I’m glad we can now get it via Sephora.ph. 5. MAC Cosmetics Multi-Dimension Skinfinish in Beaming Blush I CAN’T help but put a lot of MAC items in my list. I am a MAC Girl and I love their products because they really work for me. This highlighter doesn’t emphasize skin texture (meaning it doesn’t make my pores look enormous) and lasts relatively long. 6. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II NO other skin care works as effectively for me as this. It’s quite expensive at almost P6,000 but trust me, this is the best antiaging serum in the market right now. 7. Sunnies Face Fluffmate ASIDE from Nudist, I don’t really use Fluffmate as a lipstick but as a blush. I love Hot Sauce and Baked. Major is a pretty decent red lipstick at its price point.

Jennylyn’s secrets to standing out this holiday season

JENNYLYN MERCADO

THE holiday season may be winding down but there are still more than a few soirees to be enjoyed. Max Factor ambassador and multihyphenate Jennylyn Mercado is all about celebrating with family and friends. And whether it’s a grand family gathering or an intimate affair with friends, she makes sure that she imbibes the spirit of the season with a radiant holiday look. “My favorite memory and tradition of Christmas is singing carols with my mom,” she begins. And when it comes to the holiday parties, “I usually cook at home and invite everyone to eat and sing videoke with us. I also make sure that Jazz, my son, is happy and full from the Noche Buena that I prepare,” she smiles. When it comes to looking fresh and feeling confident for all the holiday celebrations, Jennylyn trusts only Max Factor. During family reunions and intimate gatherings with her inner circle, Jennylyn says she likes to keep a fresh face. “I just wear the Lash Crown mascara, the Creme Puff Powder and blush or bronzer, and the light pink shade from my Lipfinity Palette in Nudes,” she says. And when she wants to make her look a bit more festive, “I wear red lipstick—either the first or second shade in the Max Factor Lipfinity Palette in Reds, or even blend both.”

Gaining Jennylyn’s approval, the Lipfinity Lip Palette is the ultimate makeup must-have for those obsessed with lipsticks as it brings together all that you need to create the perfect pout. The multipurpose palette (which comes in three varieties) offers the expert tools and step-by-step guide to create masterful lip looks. As she makes her way to all the hottest parties, Jennylyn needs a foundation that can live up to her hectic holiday schedule while keeping her natural and youthful glow, and Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation delivers just that. The actress loves this lightweight foundation because it offers full and all-day coverage that doesn’t cake over time. Incredibly easy to apply, the Max Factor Lasting Performance offers a natural-looking skin finish that keeps the shine at bay! Along with the foundation, to create more depth, Jennylyn relies on the Miracle Contouring Palette. Available in eight versatile shades, you can find the perfect one that suits your skin tone. To further add drama to her sultry gaze, she defines her eyes using the Masterpiece High Precision Liquid Eyeliner and the Lash Crown Mascara. For Jennylyn, the holidays are all about having fun and celebrating every moment to the fullest. And this applies to her beauty looks as much as it does to her life.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Celebrate the end of the year with people you find stimulating. A romantic evening filled with promises and plans will give you something to look forward to. Adding a little glitz to your appearance will lead to compliments. «««««

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Check your motives before you say or do something you’ll regret. Start the year off on the right foot and doors will open. Giving in to temptation or making poor choices will lead to backtracking when you should be moving forward. ««

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Touch base with people you find inspiring and wish them well. Showing concern for others and interest in what they are doing will position you for a bountiful year filled with surprises. Listen and respond with respect and honesty. ««««

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Choose who you spend your time with carefully. Someone who is a poor influence or who can make you look bad should be avoided. Criticism may not be welcome, but it will be worth considering. Be careful while traveling. «««

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Whether you want to make changes to the way you live, what you do or how you look, putting a strategy in place will give you reason to celebrate. Share your plans with someone you love. Toast to new beginnings. «««

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your openness can be a deterrent when dealing with people who are critical or jealous. Be a good listener and a responsible friend or partner. You can have fun without boasting, being indulgent or taking unnecessary risks. «««

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Choose to resolve issues so you can be at your best next year. Put the past behind you and wipe your slate clean so you can make the most of what’s to come. Live, love and laugh. ««««

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Savor what’s important to you, and don’t lose sight of what you have and how fortunate you’ve been. Embrace change and head into the new year with optimism and the intent of doing and being your best. ««

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Tidy up loose ends, and you’ll feel more like celebrating. Don’t be tempted to be extravagant. Problems will arise if you don’t live by the rules. Stay focused and intent on doing what’s right. Celebrate by being romantic, not indulgent. ««««« BIRTHDAY BABY: You are original, persistent and intuitive. You are enthusiastic and flexible.

‘drop-down’ BY JIM PEREDO The Universal Crossword/Edited by Timothy E. Parker

ACROSS 1 San Francisco weather 4 Grows dim 9 Boxer’s arsenal 13 Big name in cornstarch 14 XOXO alternative 15 Folk music’s Guthrie 16 *Vessel in a Tom Clancy thriller 18 One with flaming pants, presumably 19 New lawn sign 20 “Cheers to 2019!” is one 21 Government-issued ID 22 *“Aww”-inspiring pairs 26 1963 Oscar winner Patricia 28 Inner circle member 29 Highlander’s family 31 Inferno 32 Zodiac lion 35 *It isn’t straight from the udder 39 “Ick!” 40 Common cough medicine flavor 41 Hertz competitor 42 ___-cross applesauce 43 Ready and willing partner 45 *French for “end of century”

9 Best Buy array 4 52 Kick out 53 Cry after messing up big-time 55 Forum garment 56 Restaurant feature for insiders, or what the starred answers’ first 3-5 letters comprise? 59 “Wonder Woman” foe 60 Bouillon brand 61 Are likely (to) 62 Homophone of 18-Across 63 Let in 64 Messy room, informally DOWN 1 Sets loose 2 Light verse poet 3 Sticky stuff 4 Like a restless night 5 Up in the air 6 Grant knighthood to 7 Night of anticipation 8 California’s Big ___ 9 It might not get you where you want to go 10 Font similar to Helvetica

1 Less than enthusiastic 1 12 Does a recycler’s job 13 Biblical vessels 17 ___-Cola 20 Prepared to play, as a violin 23 Solar or lunar event 24 Fidget spinners, e.g. 25 Move like The Blob 27 Resident of Tolkien’s Fangorn Forest 29 Its speed is measured in GHz 30 Gamer’s bane 31 Henchman Luca of The Godfather 32 Provide up-to-the-second commentary, nowadays 33 Manning of football 34 Rubber-stamps 36 Bird with a snowy variety 37 Literary Leon 38 Prefix for “adroit” 42 Record sleeve successor 43 London’s Royal ___ Hall 44 Bathrobe feature 45 Like a pre-birth position 46 Bar soapmaker 47 African nation or its eponymous

river 8 Wispy clouds 4 50 My Cousin ___ (Pesci film) 51 Nose ring alternative 54 First responders, for short 56 Jamaican music genre 57 Wind up or wind down 58 Alternative to org

Solution to Friday’s puzzle:

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Show BusinessMirror

Monday, December 31, 2018 C3

Alden leads GMA countdown to 2019

ALDEN RICHARDS

GMA welcomes 2019 with its musical-variety-themed New Year Countdown special at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Seaside Boulevard tonight, December 31. Watch some of the network’s biggest stars in a night full of music, happiness and festivity as they close 2018 with amazing treats and spectacular performances. The year-end bash will be hosted by Kris Bernal, Andrea Torres, Betong Sumaya, Joyce Pring, Arra San Agustin and Pambansang Bae Alden Richards. The countdown special begins on air at 10:30 pm with performances from Christian Bautista, Julie Anne San Jose, and Mark Bautista together with talented GMA stars Glaiza de Castro, Yasmien Kurdi, Katrina Halili, Rocco Nacino, Derrick Monasterio, Ken Chan, Sanya Lopez, Kyline Alcantara, Thea Tolentino, Jeric Gonzales and Jak Roberto. Amping up the nonstop entertainment are the network’s talented comedians Super Tekla and Donita Nose a.k.a. DonEkla. Among the featured performers are The Clash grand champion Golden Cañedo and finalists Jong Madaliday, Garrett Bolden and Josh Adornado. Joining them are Nar Cabico, boy band One Up, and The Clash graduates Kyryll Ugdiman, Anthony Rosaldo, Mika Gorospe, Esterlina Olmedo, Melbelline Caluag, Danielle Ozaraga, Muriel Lomadilla, Lyra Micolob, Psalms David, RJ Buena, JL Toreliza and Lowell Jumalon. On its 11th year of partnership with GMA, SM MOA is all set to light up the sky with a brilliant fireworks display that will no doubt delight the live audience. And to make sure that the event remains safe and secure, the network is cooperating with National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and Pasay City Police. For this year, GMA also joins forces with Solaire Resort and Casino for live updates as they also showcase a spectacular set of fireworks display.

The 2018 MMFF Awards Night: New winners, same old problems ‘Rainbow’s Sunset’, Gloria Romero emerge as big winners, but problems from previous MMFF iterations remain unresolved By Gerard Ramos

Lifestyle & Entertainment Editor

HERE was a new set of winners; there were the same old problems. The gay-themed film Rainbow’s Sunset emerged from the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Awards Night with the lion’s share of the honors, winning the Best Picture prize, along with the Best Actress plum for cinema legend Gloria Romero and Best Director for Joel Lamangan. It also collected the awards for Best Supporting Actress (Aiko Melendez) and Best Supporting Actor (Tony Mabesa), plus Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award and Special Jury Prizes for Eddie Garcia and Max Collins, among others. It may have a big night for the film—which tells “the story of Ramon (Eddie Garcia), his wife (Gloria Romero) and their family after he reveals his true sexuality and feelings for his dying cancer-stricken lover (Tony

Mabesa)”—but the winning movers and shakers in front and behind Rainbow’s Sunset turned their acceptance speech into a lamentation about the sorry state of the annual filmfest. Said Lamangan, “Sana naman, huwag lang komersyo ang kanilang isipin. Irespeto rin sana ng mga sinehan ang sining at industriya.” As in last year’s MMFF and other Decembers past, reports were rife that films underperforming at the box office, including Rainbow’s Sunset, were being unceremoniously yanked out of theaters after opening day on December 25 and replaced with the more resolutely commercial-driven fare. Gina Marissa Tagasa, the writer behind Regal Entertainment’s One Great Love, read a joint message from producers Mother Lily Monteverde and Roselle Monteverde which asked for “fair treatment” of all movies, particularly in the appropriation of cinemas to each filmfest entry. One Great Love, which stars Dennis Trillo, JC De Vera and Kim Chiu in an exploration of the vagaries of love, won the third Best Picture prize, along with Best Actor for Trillo and

Best Musical Score for Miguel Mendoza. The eight official entries in this year’s MMFF, which runs until January 7, 2019, are: Rainbow’s Sunset, One Great Love, Fantastica, Jack Em Popoy: The PulisCredibles, Mary, Marry Me, The Girl in the Orange Dress, Otlum and Aurora, which took home, among other awards, the 2nd Best Picture plum, plus Best Child Performer for Phoebe Villamor and Best Cinematography for Yam Laranas, who is also the film’s director. The awards night was held at The Theater at Solaire in Solaire Resort and Casino. Herewith are the winners of the MMFF 2018: Best Picture: Rainbow’s Sunset Second Best Picture: Aurora Third Best Picture: One Great Love Best Actress: Gloria Romero (Rainbow’s Sunset) Best Actor: Dennis Trillo (One Great Love) Best Supporting Actress: Aiko Melendez (Rainbow’s Sunset)

A SCENE from Rainbow’s Sunset, featuring stars Eddie Garcia and Gloria Romero.

Color Blast New Year’s Countdown at F1 Hotel Manila THE year-end celebration just got a little vibrant as F1 Hotel Manila (f1hotelmanila.com) closes 2018 with its own vividly colored countdown. Join the Color Blast New Year’s Countdown in partnership with Color Manila happening at F1 Hotel Manila’s Canary Lounge. Welcome 2019 with flying colors this December 31, from 10 pm

to 1 am, and enjoy a flashy celebration. On a night filled with unlimited spirits from our sponsors Stella Artois and Jack Daniels, The New Year’s Toast will be hosted by May Sparkling Wine. Experience an awesome way to close this year’s door as our DJ will provide groundbreaking music to end the year.

Indulge your holiday appetite as F All Day Dining kicks off the celebration with Festive Flavors. Prepared from a wide variety of this season’s well-appreciated cuisines, F1 Hotel presents a mouth-watering celebration of the holidays for your family and loved ones to enjoy on New Year’s Eve and January 1, 2019.

Best Supporting Actor: Tony Mabesa (Rainbow’s Sunset) FPJ Memorial Award: Jack Em Popoy: The PulisCredibles Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award: Rainbow’s Sunset Special Jury Prize: Eddie Garcia (Rainbow’s Sunset) Special Jury Prize: Max Collins (Rainbow’s Sunset) Best Director: Joel Lamangan (Rainbow’s Sunset) Male and Female Lucky Star of the Night: Jericho Rosales and Anne Curtis Best Child Performer: Phoebe Villamor (Aurora)

Best Cinematography: Aurora Best Visual Effects: Aurora Best Production Design: Rainbow’s Sunset Best Sound Design: Aurora Best Musical Score: One Great Love Best Original Theme Song: “Sa ‘yo Na” (Rainbow’s Sunset) Best Editing: Jack Em Popoy: The PulisCredibles Best Screenplay: Rainbow’s Sunset MMFF Student Best Short Film: Kasilyas (Bulacan State University) Best Float: Jack Em Popoy: The PulisCredibles

ETHERIDGE’S DAY Sports BusinessMirror

| Monday, December 31, 2018

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

DOUBLES CHAMPS Jakarta Asian Games bronze medalist Bianca Pagdanganan

(second from left) and former Junior World champion Jed Dy (second from right) hold their trophies as they pose with National Golf Association of the Philippines Secretary-General Bones Floro (left) and Director and Tournament Director Cochairman Caloy Coscolluela after winning the 2018 National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship at the Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in Quezon City over the weekend.

‘ENTERTAINMENT, NOT KNOCKOUT’

T CARDIFF City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge (left) clears the ball from Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy. AP

EICESTER, England— Victor Camarasa’s stunning stoppage-time strike earned Cardiff a vital 1-0 win at Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday after Neil Etheridge’s inspired display. The Cardiff goalkeeper saved James Maddison’s second-half penalty before Camarasa struck from 25 yards (meters). Philippines international Etheridge pulled off a string of fine saves to help earn the Bluebirds their first away win in the league this season. Etheridge denied Ricardo Pereira, Jamie Vardy and Maddison as Cardiff moved four points clear of the relegation zone. Leicester, which dropped to eighth, failed to earn a third successive win after impressive victories over Chelsea and Manchester City. Regular penalty-taker Jamie Vardy was substituted just six minutes before Maddison’s spot-kick miss, with the decision jeered by the home fans. Leicester wasted its golden chance with 16 minutes left

after Maddison was bundled over by a clumsy challenge from Sean Morrison. Maddison picked himself up to take the penalty but Etheridge guessed low to his right to save the spotkick. Leicester failed to find a breakthrough and was punished in added time. Bobby Reid teed up Camarasa in space and he brilliantly curled the ball into the top corner. Leicester won 1-0 at Cardiff on November 3 in its first game since Foxes owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died in a helicopter crash. In Rome, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as runaway leader Juventus escaped with a 2-1 win over Sampdoria in Serie A on Saturday with help from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Ronaldo’s second goal, a penalty, was awarded by the VAR for a questionable handball. Then Sampdoria had a stoppage-time goal chalked off by the VAR. Sampdoria thought it had become the first visiting Serie A

club to score more than one goal at the Allianz Stadium in more than a year when Riccardo Saponara’s shot went in off the underside of the crossbar, but replays showed the play was offside. “I like [the VAR] a lot because it reduces the number of mistakes,” Ronaldo said. “It’s not easy for the match officials to analyze everything that goes on. We just have to let them get on with their jobs.” Ronaldo had put Juventus ahead two minutes in with a bouncing shot and Fabio Quagliarella equalized with a penalty before the break to become the first player to score in nine consecutive Serie A matches since David Trezeguet accomplished the feat with Juventus in 2005. Ronaldo’s decisive penalty came in the 65th after the VAR decided that Alex Ferrari had used his arm, even though it appeared as if the defender kept his arm next to his body and didn’t move it toward the ball. AP

OKYO—Floyd Mayweather is promising entertainment when he fights Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in three rounds of exhibition boxing on New Year’s Eve, but not necessarily a knockout. “If it happens, it happens,” Mayweather said on Saturday when asked whether he was going to knock out Nasukawa. But the American was adamant that his opponent wasn’t going to knock him out or down on Monday. “Throughout my years at boxing, I never touched the canvas once,” Mayweather, 41, told reporters at a Tokyo hotel, brushing off the upcoming event as “just another day.” “I can do three rounds in my sleep,” he added. Neither kicking nor official results are part of the Rizin Fighting Federation match, but a knockout is possible under the special rules.

Mayweather had initially appeared to walk away from the fight, set for Saitama Super Arena, on the northern outskirts of Tokyo. The Mayweather-Nasukawa bout will culminate an evening of more than a dozen fights, which will be streamed by FITE for a fee, but not in the US Fuji TV is broadcasting the fights in Japan. “It’s all about entertainment, come December 31. I want to go out and have fun,” said Mayweather, appearing relaxed and gushing about how he liked Asia and his fans in the region. Mayweather hasn’t fought since beating Conor McGregor more than a year ago for his 50th win from 50 fights. Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the head of Rizin Fighting Federation, who traveled to the US to woo Mayweather back to the fight, has said it involves the largest payout for an exhibition fight but has not given specifics. AP

Escalante-Tomacruz captures doubles title

ENRY ESCALANTE and Jacky Tomacruz held sway and outlasted Lito Gallenito and Aldrin Geluz, 8-5, to capture the 40s crown in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Gov. Cherry Umali Legends men’s doubles tournament at the Nueva Ecija Tennis Association courts in Cabanatuan City over the weekend. On their way to the finals, the Escalante-Tomacruz tandem dominated Rizalino Cruz and James de Leon, and the second seeded Sid Beley and Lawrenz Escuadro via a pair of 8-0 routs then repulsed Gallenito and Geluz,

who also eased out top seed Nitoy Norte and Laude Ladignon, 8-3, in the semis. Escalante later teamed up with Mario Villasan as they shared top honors with Jacky and Jimmy Tomacruz in the 50s division of the event capping the season-long Palawan PPS-PEPP tennis circuit presented by Dunlop. Ed Gata and Danny Gardon, on the other hand, edged Beley and Hermi Mangundayao, 8-6, to snare the 60s diadem worth P5,000 and trophies for the winning duo.