BusinessMirror February 03, 2021

‘Strong manufacturing in Jan signals recovery’

By Bianca Cuaresma

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HE strong performance of the Philippine manufacturing sector in January this year may be an indicator of better recovery prospects for the economy in 2021, a local bank economist said.

In his latest commentary on the Philippine economy, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) economist Michael Ricafort said the Philippines’s recent Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is a “pleasant surprise” to the economy that could be an early indicator of sustained recovery after the holiday surge.

“[The January PMI is] a leading indicator that could suggest further pickup in business and economic activities as sustained even after the Christmas season in December 2020,”

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Ricafort said.

International think tank IHS Markit reported on Monday that the country’s PMI in January hit 52.5, rising from the 49.2 PMI in December.

A country’s PMI is meant to gauge the health of its manufacturing sector. It is calculated as a weighted average of five individual subcomponents. Readings below 50 show deterioration in the industry, while readings above the 50 threshold signal a growth in the manufacturing sector.

The Philippines’s January PMI is the strongest that the sector has seen in 25 months.

“Latest moves to further reopen the local economy, including easing of some restrictions on public transportation and continued improvement in some economic

RICAFORT: “For the coming months of 2021, increased infrastructure spending…would benefit contractors and manufacturing industries that are part of the supply chain and value chain.” data, locally and globally, from the worst levels at the height of the Covid-19 lockdowns/stay-at-home orders in April-May 2020 may have led to some improvement in the manufacturing activities, as partly

manifested by the pickup in both exports and imports in recent months,” Ricafort said.

Going forward, Ricafort said further measures to reopen the economy will lead to a sustained and faster recovery in manufacturing.

“For the coming months of 2021, increased infrastructure spending, as part of the priorities of the economic recovery program, would benefit contractors and manufacturing industries that are part of the supply chain and value chain,” Ricafort said.

The economist, however, warned that the sustained recovery in the manufacturing sector and its indication of overall recovery in the economy will only be justified if new Covid-19 cases ease or improve, especially with the expected rollout of vaccines in the latter part of 2021.

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Wednesday, February 3, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 115

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

PHL’S ’20 DEBT TO P9.8T

PROTESTERS from various sectors gather as early as 10:30 am on Tuesday (February 2, 2021) to hold a demonstration against the controversial anti-terror law. The Supreme Court—main hall seen still vacant before the hearing—opened oral arguments on the unprecedented 37 petitions challenging the law. Story on page A12. NONIE REYES/SC PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas

HE national government ended 2020 with a record-high outstanding debt of P9.795 trillion and a 14-year-high debt-to-GDP ratio of P54.5 percent as the government had to borrow more money to fund its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.0620

The outstanding level of the government debt last year ballooned by 26.7 percent from P7.73 trillion by end-2019, latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed.

However, this was below the government’s earlier projection of P10.16 trillion. It was also lower compared to P10.13 trillion recorded as of end-November last year, due to the net redemptions of domestic loans.

TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS SEEK TAX DEFERMENT

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo Special to the BusinessMirror

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OURISM stakeholders are appealing for a deferment of their business taxes as they seek to renew their business permits from local government units (LGUs) for 2021.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año dated January 18, 2021, Jose C. Clemente III, president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), said in the process of renewing their business permits, tourism stakeholders have received “assessment fees for business taxes” from their respec-

tive LGUs. Clemente said most of these stakeholders are unable to pay said business taxes due to the current state of the tourism industry.

“Most only earned income during the first quarter of 2020 with nothing else after that.

Some LGUs are also basing their Continued on A2

See “Debt,” A2

n JAPAN 0.4581 n UK 65.6767 n HK 6.1995 n CHINA 7.4305 n SINGAPORE 36.0663 n AUSTRALIA 36.6184 n EU 57.9676 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.8148

Source: BSP (February 2, 2021)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Pick Charter over terror law, petitioners urged SC Continued from A12

He explained that the Anti-Terrorism Council had recognized, in the ATA’s IRR, that one who exercises basic rights may still be liable for terrorism based on “requisite intent and purpose”

Unfortunately, Diokno said the ATA offers a “smorgasbord of acts, intents and purposes” which gives law enforcers the power to arrest any citizen based on their own impression and interpretation of the person’s intent.

“Any law enforcer can presume the intent of the person exercising its right,” Diokno told Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang during interpellation.

If ATA is not struck down, Diokno said calls, tweets, or social-media posts urging people to join a peaceful rally, to boycott certain companies, to hold a transport strike and even People Power could result in arrest and criminal prosecution under the ATA.

“No other law makes the exercise of constitutional rights a crime when actuated by a certain intent. No other law empowers the State to arrest its people for exercising rights guaranteed by the Constitution, based solely on a law enforcer’s subjective opinion of their state of mind,” Diokno told the magistrates.

Not a political department

LAWYER Alfredo Molo III, who argued against the ATA, was questioned by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen on whether there is an actual case and controversy and sufficient facts to warrant the Court’s action on the issue.

Leonen cited several unanimous decisions of the Court that prevent it from issuing advisory opinion apart from actual case and controversy.

“I think many of us have difficulty, al though we understand the positions of many of the petitioners, we understand the fears.

Personally, I truly understand the kind of fears that you are undergoing, having undergone those fears myself when I was a public interest lawyer. I understand that,” Justice Leonen said.

But, Leonen added, “with the hat now of a justice of this Court and with this judiciary, I think it is correct for us to assume that we should be careful not to become a political department… not to substitute our political wisdom to the political wisdom of, let us say, those that have crafted this law and those that have advised the President, including the National Security Adviser…give advice to the President and perhaps even to some key leaders of Congress.

“So, only in an actual case where it can be clear, there can be a clear and convincing demonstration that there is repugnancy with the specific text in the Constitution will there be an act of this Court?” Leonen asked.

Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe

noted the similarity in ATA’s definition of terrorism and that by experts from various international instruments, such as the UN Security Council Resolution 1566, the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.

“All of these instruments have resemblance of similarity with our definition of terrorism, and terrorism is generally characterized as acts intended to cause deaths and serious bodily injury and cause extensive damage to property,” Bernabe said.

Diokno, Cadiz and Molo argued on the issues under Clusters 1 and 2.

Cluster 1 is on the preliminary issues— whether petitioners have legal standing to sue and if Republic Act 11479 should be declared unconstitutional in its entirety if the Court finds the definition of terrorism as well as the powers of the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) are constitutionally infirm.

Cluster 2 is on whether facial challenge

is proper; and if the definition of “terrorism” in Section 4 is void for being vague and overbroad, in violation of constitutional rights such as free speech and expression.

It also asks if Section 5-14 defining and pe nalizing threats to commit terrorism and others are void for vagueness and overbroad and violate constitutional rights.

Cluster 3 raises questions on whether ATC’s powers are unconstitutional. Issues here were tackled by lawyer Evalyn Ursua.

Lawyer Neri Colmenares argued on the issues in Cluster 4—whether Section 16 violates the constitutional rights to due process and against unreasonable searches and seizures, privacy of communication and freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Cluster 5—the ATC’s power to detain without judicial warrant based on mere suspicion— was tackled by Rep. Edcel Lagman .

Cluster 6—whether RA 11479 violates the Indigenous People and Moro’s rights to selfdetermination and self-governance under the Constitution—was argued by lawyer Algamar Latiph.

The SC magistrates have yet to interpellate the lawyers on the issues raised in Clusters 2 to 6, as it decided to continue the oral arguments next Tuesday.

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Bid to lower tariffs on pork, rice imports divides solons

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By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

AWMAKERS are divided on the Executive Branch’s proposal to lower tariffs on pork and rice imports as a measure to stabilize domestic food prices.

During the joint hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food and House Committee on Trade and Industry, Deputy Speaker Weslie Gatchalian said the Department of Agriculture should focus on how the agency will help and strengthen the local industry instead of reducing tariffs.

“In reducing the tariffs and adjusting the MAV [minimum access volume], we are encouraging importation, we are encouraging local businessmen to just proceed to importation and I think this is wrong,” Gatchalian told Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

“The DA should look into longterm solutions on how to strengthen the local industry and support all the stakeholders amid this pandemic,” the lawmaker added.

In the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform Chair Cynthia A. Villar earlier told Dar that the senators are also in “unison” in opposing any moves to reduce tariffs on food items.

But for his part, Secretary Dar said these proposals are only short-term solutions to address the existing problem, saying the agency’s “long-term solutions [in-

clude] enhancing and nurturing local commodity industries and mix interventions [being implemented by the DA].”

Economist-lawmaker Stella Luz Quimbo of Marikina also said the solution to food inflation requires a mix of policy responses, including reducing tariffs.

She said high tariffs and weak enforcement are among the factors driving smuggling. “Due to the high tariff at 40 percent, importers prefer to just smuggle. With rampant smuggling, imported meat will be too cheap and our local producers will not be able to compete, and government loses out on tariff revenues,” she said.

If the government rationalizes tariff rates at lower levels, Quimbo said, “this is tantamount to hitting two birds with one stone.

“Prices will fall and at the same time, importers will legitimately pay the tax,” she added.

Quimbo also recommended earmarking tariff revenues for subsidies for hog raisers and livestock producers.

“These subsidies should be utilized to help local producers address recent supply shocks and be-

CHINA BOAT WAS CLEARED FOR SHELTER, DFA CLARIFIES Continued from A12

“On January 30, the Department of Foreign Affairs informed the PCG that the Chinese Embassy [was] requesting … diplomatic clearance for said vessel to take shelter in Catanduanes due to bad weather and sea condition,” the report said.

The Chinese Embassy on Monday issued a statement saying, “the fact is that the Chinese scientific survey ship is seeking humanitarian shelter in Philippine waters due to unfavorable weather and sea conditions in the Pacific where they are scheduled to conduct research mission.”

When the ship left on Monday, 6 a.m., a “PCG Islander plane was…dispatched to overfly while said vessel [was] exiting our waters,” the Coast Guard said in its report.

come more productive and competitive, especially against importers.

Developing our domestic production is needed for food security in the long term,” the lawmaker said.

Key issues

HOUSE Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman Mark Enverga said the DA should also first justify to Congress the basis of its proposed increase of MAV and lower tariffs.

“Would the cost of loss to the Acef [Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund] outweigh the benefits? How would it impact the local hog industry?

Does this ensure lower prices of pork for the entire year? At how much? These are important issues that must be addressed [by the DA],” said Enverga.

The DA filed two petitions last week before the TC for the reduction of most favored nation (MFN) rates of pork and rice imports.

The DA petitioned to lower the tariffs for in-quota pork imports from 30 percent to 5 percent for the first six months; and to raise it afterward to 10 percent for the succeeding six months.

The DA also petitioned to lower the out-quota tariff for pork to 15 percent for the first six months and increase it to 20 percent for the next six months. Out-quota pork imports are slapped with a 40-percent tariff.

In terms of rice, the in-quota tariff for rice imports or those within the minimum access volume is at 40 percent, while those outside the MAV (out-quota) are at 50 percent.

Price freeze

MEANWHILE, Dar told the committee that the 60-day price cap on pork and poultry products will start on February 8.

“The price ceiling will effectively be enforced by February 8, 2021, by all the institutions involved,” Dar said.

The DA said it is coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and local governments to effect the efficient implementation of the EO imposing mandated price ceiling on pork and chicken in the National Capital Region.

These include publication and announcement of EO 124 in all media platforms; printing of tarps to be displayed in all public supermarkets in Metro Manila.

On Monday, President Duterte signed Executive Order 124 imposing a price ceiling for pork and poultry products in Metro Manila.

Under the two-page issuance, the following pork products will have their prices capped at the following rates: kasim/pigue, P270 per kilo; and liempo, P300 per kilo.

It also imposed a price ceiling for dressed chicken, at P160 per kilo.

EO 124 will remain valid for 60 days upon its effectivity after its publication.

Duterte said he signed the new issuance to ensure said food items remain affordable as the country continues to reel from the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Economy or health? Senators weigh in on Duterte’s dilemma Continued from A12

Added Drilon, “Again, our ability to win the fight against the pandemic largely depends on the success of our vaccination program....

The sooner we are able to implement a successful Covid-19 vaccination drive, the faster our economic recovery would be.”

Red tape, corruption

HE prodded the Duterte government to “be more aggressive in addressing red tape and corruption in the country,” citing a decline in the latest Corruption Perception Index wherein the Philippines slipped down to

115th place while retaining its poor score of 34, with 100 points being the best.

Congress, meanwhile, should “give top priority” to measures that will aid the government in handling the pandemic, provide for fast economic recovery and institute fiscal discipline, asserted the senator.

Drilon said, “Congress should devote its limited calendar days on legislation that will directly benefit the economy and uplift the lives of the Filipino people. Because if Congress fails to address these urgent problems in the remaining months of the second regular session, then it will be harder to attend to these when election season kicks in.”

Tourism stakeholders seek tax deferment Continued from A1

assessment fees on 2019 income, which does not take into consideration the business conditions of 2020,” he added. Among the LGUs using the 2019 income as basis for this year’s assessment are the Manila City government, he said separately in a text message to the BusinessMirror.

TCP is requesting the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to “defer the payments of business taxes for 2021 in light of the pandemic and its adverse effects on the tourism industry,” as stakeholders don’t have the

funds to pay for the assessments.

Many LGUs, however, have indicated their inability to implement projects this year, precisely because of poor tax collections from businesses. The DILG has yet to act on the request of TCP as Año continues to be indisposed, according to government sources.

The request of the TCP was endorsed by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat to Año in a separate letter dated January 19, 2021. She noted, “It may be recalled that in one of the IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] meetings, it was discussed that the DILG would encourage LGUs to defer payment of local business taxes, in consideration of the dire financial straits of certain businesses.”

The TCP is the umbrella organization of tourism stakeholders in the country authorized under Republic Act 9593 (Tourism Act of 2009).

Biz permits renewal

SEPARATELY, the 612-member Philippine Travel Agencies Asso-

ciation (PTAA) requested Romulo Puyat for help in seeking an extension for the renewal of business permits. The deadline for renewal is January 20 of every year.

In its letter dated January 16, 2021, to the DOT chief, newly elected PTAA president Michelle Taylan said, “As they move forward to slowly restart their operations this year and be the frontliners as the country opens up its tourism industry further, government filings including business permits become an additional burden to them especially after they produced close to zero revenues last year because of the lockdown.”

International travel restrictions to control the spread of Covid-19 and its new variants continue to hammer the local tourism industry, which relies much of its revenues on foreign guest arrivals. This has led to a number of enterprises closing shop or halfoperating, with their employees still working from home. Hotels in Metro Manila have a lifeline as they are allowed to accept quarantine guests and reopen their dining outlets.

This was not enough, however, to keep the iconic Makati ShangriLa Manila to remain open. It was closed on February 1, 2021, “Owing to continued low business levels.”

(See, “Another Covid victim: Makati Shang closes doors in February,” in the BusinessMirror, January 20, 2021.)

Another hotel, the 125-room Legend Villas in Mandaluyong City, announced its closure on its Facebook page on Monday. “For 28 years, you have chosen us to be part of your vacations and meetings. For 28 years, we have served you the most delicious home-style Filipino dishes in the metro. For 28 years, we have become witness to countless milestones and life celebrations.

For 28 years, our guest rooms have been your home away from home.

All of those, we will forever keep,” the hotel’s management wrote on its social-media accounts.

The hotel was not on the list of quarantine hotels as of September 2020. Legend also closed its property in Puerto Princesa in November last year.

Citing poor tourism prospects, Marco Polo Davao also closed in June 2020.

Debt…

Continued from A1

The size of the national government’s debt to the country’s GDP in 2020 also jumped to 54.5 percent, its highest in 14 years since it recorded a debt-to-GDP ratio of 58.8 percent in 2006.

This, after the country recorded a historic low debt-to-GDP ratio of 39.6 percent at end-2019.

The actual debt-to-GDP ratio in 2020 was also slightly higher than the government’s projection of 53.5 percent and pre-pandemic target of 40.2 percent.

The Treasury attributed the significantly bigger debt-to-GDP level in 2020 to “higher financing requirement to address the pandemic alongside a 9.5-percent contraction in the economy for the year.”

Broken down, the country’s domestic debt grew by 30.6 percent to P6.69 trillion by 2020, coming from P5.128 trillion in 2019.

Because of the repayment of P540 billion in provisional advances from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the domestic debt as of December last year was trimmed down by 6.9 percent from end-November level of P7.19 trillion.

On the other hand, the Philippines’s external debt rose by 19.1 percent to P3.1 trillion as of endDecember last year from P2.6 trillion in the previous year. This was also up by 5.4 percent from P2.94 trillion in November 2020.

UnionBank Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion told the BusinessMirror this development is expected with every other country in the region increasing debt levels to combat the impact of a once-in-alifetime pandemic.

“PH is a little over the average for emerging economies [35-54 percent of GDP] of debt level, according to the IMF [International Monetary Fund].

In my opinion, this is still a comfortable level considering the country’s standing coming into 2020. Appropriate fiscal policy expansion is still a major factor for eventual full recovery of the PH economy,” Asuncion told the BusinessMirror via SMS.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation Chief Economist Michael Ricafort said the increase in the country’s outstanding debt largely reflects the government’s increased spending on Covid-19 programs that widened the country’s budget deficit partly due to lower tax revenue collections.

“The latest rise in the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio to 54.5 percent in 2020, from the record low of 39.6 percent, is still within/below the international acceptable threshold of 60 percent of GDP, thereby giving the government greater leeway to increase spending, budget deficits, and overall debt to pump-prime the economy,” Ricafort said in a message to the BusinessMirror.

He also said the country’s debtto-GDP ratio has been lower compared to many Asean/Asian countries in recent years and recently amid much bigger economic stimulus and wider budget deficits that entailed more debt to deal with the adverse economic effects of Covid-19.

“Despite the rise in the country’s debt levels, the country’s credit ratings were affirmed by Fitch, S&P and Moody’s; even upgraded by Japan Credit Rating Agency despite the Covid-19 pandemic/lockdowns that caused downgrades in some countries around the world,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Treasury also reported that the country’s total guaranteed obligations went down by 6.2 percent to P458.35 billion by end2020 from P488.75 billion in 2019.

Compared to end-November level of P442.825 billion, total guaranteed obligations in December posted a 3.5-percent increase attributed to the net availment of domestic guarantees and third currency adjustment adding to the peso value of external guarantees.

The Treasury said these more than offset the P0.29-billion effect of local currency appreciation and the P13.18-billion net repayment of external guarantees.

For this year, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said they expect the country’s debt to further rise to 57 percent of GDP as the country aims to borrow a total of P3.03 trillion, roughly the same amount it borrowed in 2020.

The Nation BusinessMirror

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Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, February 3, 2021 A3

House panel OKs economic Charter-change resolution

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

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HE House Committee on Constitutional Amendments marked Constitution day on Tuesday by adopting proposed amendments to the “restrictive” economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, but dropped the proposal allowing foreign land ownership.

Voting 64 affirmative, 3 negative and 3 abstentions, Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., the panel chairman, said the members of the committee adopted the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 2 authored

by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

The resolution seeks to amend certain economic provisions of the 33-year-old Charter particularly Articles XII (National Economy and Patrimony), XIV (Education, Science, Technology, Arts, Culture and Sports) and XVI (General Provisions).

It seeks to insert the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to several sections of the Constitution, which restrict foreign ownership of public utilities, educational institutions, media and advertising. The addition of this phrase will allow Congress to enact laws to free up the economy to foreign investors, or maintain the status quo.

Garbin said these proposed amendments will be limited to the

economic provisions in light of the damaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic to the economy.

“Today February 2 is the Philippine Constitution Day. It marks the 34th year of ratification of the 1987 Constitution. But our Constitution is far from being perfect. We need to open up protectionist provisions to attract foreign investments,” Garbin said.

Speaker Velasco said the country would need to relax its business regulations to make them “more friendly” to foreign investments.

If RBH No. 2 were to be passed in 2021, House Committee on Ways and Means Rep. Joey Salceda projected an increase in foreign direct investments (FDI) of P211.21 billion, a 0.55-percent increase in the country’s gross domestic product, and the potential generation of 422,470 jobs by 2022.

Over a period of 10 years, from 2021 to 2031, the lawmaker from Albay expects an annual average increase of P330.45 billion in FDI, 1.86-percent increase in GDP and 660,897 new jobs.

But Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate questioned the timing of Charter change amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zarate has expressed concern that the move to change the Charter is being pushed with a political agenda.

This will be a divisive issue especially 18 months before the elections and they are prioritizing this.

“This will be a divisive issue especially 18 months before the elections and they are prioritizing this,” he said.

Instead of changing the Constitution, Zarate said the government should address the country’s No. 1 problem—corruption and bureaucratic red tape.

Zarate also warned that the proposed Charter change would be very disadvantageous to consumers, national minorities and national patrimony, in general.

According to the lawmaker, areas to be potentially opened to full foreign participation and ownership are in the use of land and natural resources, use of marine wealth, control of public utilities, mass media and advertising, and educational institutions, among others.

Big comeback: BFAR opens fishing season for ‘galunggong’ in Palawan

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

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HE Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DABFAR) is expecting the supply and price of galunggong (round scad) to stabilize in Metro Manila’s wet markets with the lifting of the three-month “no fishing” season for the species.

The DA-BFAR opened the galunggong fishing season in northeastern Palawan on January 31, 2021, marking the sixth year since the conservation move was first implemented in 2015.

Palawan is a major supplier of galunggong in Metro Manila with an average of 95 percent of the catch being landed at the Navotas Fish Port.

“With the opening of the galunggong-rich northeastern Palawan, the supply of galunggong in the wet markets of Metro Manila is set to increase. As a result, DA-BFAR is expecting the price of galunggong and other fish commodities to stabilize in the capital region in the coming weeks,” the DA-BFAR said in a news statement issued on Tuesday.

Since 2015, the implementation

of closed fishing season in Palawan has continually yielded favorable results in the production of galunggong in the area.

Based on the report of the National Stock Assessment Program of Region 4B, the catch estimates of the species caught by purse seine has increased from 402.13 metric tons in 2016 to 653.66 MT in 2019, while those caught by ringnet bumped up from 170.97 MT to 285.32 MT during the same period.

DA-BFAR National Director Eduardo B. Gongona said that this consistent and gradual increase in the catch of galunggong in the area is a welcome development in the bureau’s sustainability goal in the country’s fishery resources.

“This simply reinforces our firm decision to continue the implementation of the annual closed fishing season in the country’s major fishing grounds, which includes the galunggong-rich Palawan and integrate it in our holistic measures to fisheries management as part of the ‘One DA’ approach, which is anchored on the ‘whole of government approach’ by President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration,” Gongona said.

According to DA-BFAR, fisheries management and conservation measures such as closed fishing seasons, including the one in Palawan, are among the advocacies of Agriculture Secretary William Dar for sustainability of the country’s fisheries resources. He also backed the strengthening of science-based policies and full implementation of fishery laws.

During the span of the threemonth closed fishing season, the DA-BFAR’s law-enforcement group stationed in Region 4B has continuously conducted monitoring and patrol operations in the area. According to their report, only two fishing vessels were caught violating the no fishing order.

A joint initiative of the government, the fisheries sector and other stakeholders through Joint Administrative Order 1, Series 2015, the closed fishing season was initiated to protect and replenish the population of the Decapterus species, or galunggong, during its peak spawning season and regulate the use of purse seine, ringnet and bagnet in catching the fish within the conservation area northeast of Palawan from November to January every year.

Govt assures purchase of ‘enough’ Covid jabs to inoculate 92-M Pinoys

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

& Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

T

HE government is now negotiating the purchase enough doses of Covid-19 vaccines to inoculate 92 million of the population, the Department of Finance (DOF) revealed.

During the public address of President Duterte late Monday evening, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez said the quantity is more than the needed doses to inoculate 70 million adults under the government’s Covid-19 vaccination plan.

This, he said, is in anticipation of the delays from some pharmaceutical companies in delivering their Covid-19

jabs due to high demand in the international market.

Some pharmaceutical companies have already announced delays in the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines in Europe and the US, Dominguez added.

“So to be safe, we are negotiating more than what we need of 70 million. We really expect delays. But the delay is not our fault because we have the money and we are ready. The delay is in the manufacturing,” the finance chief pointed out.

Dominguez, however, said another reason why the remaining 40 million will not be vaccinated is because they belong to the 1 to 18 year age bracket and may be “too young” to get the vaccine.

Chief implementer of the government’s national policy on Covid-19 Carlito G. Galvez said the government is expected to get the first shipment of 3 million Covid-19 vaccines from the American pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, UK’s AstraZeneca, and from the global common vaccine development collaboration by Covax.

Target beneficiaries

Pending supply agreement

THE Department of Health (DOH) earlier said the government needs to vaccinate at least 70 million of the country’s over 100 million population to attain “herd immunity” from Covid-19 infection.

BM

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate

THE vaccine czar said the arrival of the first batch of the vaccines will allow them to start the “mini rollout” of their inoculation drive using the Covax-sourced vaccine this month, which will prioritize health-care workers.

The process

MEANWHILE, the resolution will now be transmitted to the plenary for another round of deliberations.

RBH No. 2 seeks to amend the Constitution by exercising the powers of Congress as a constituent assembly, consistent with Article XVII, Section 1 of the Constitution, which states that any amendment to the Constitution may be proposed

by Congress upon a vote of threefourths of all its members.

According to the lower chamber, the House does not need to make any formal act in order to convene itself into a Constituent Assembly, saying “there is no need for a prior act convening Congress into a Constituent Assembly as Congress is already considered a constituent assembly.”

Also, it said the two bodies can tackle proposed amendments to the Constitution separately in the exercise of their constituent functions. The two chambers vote on these proposed amendments separately.

The chamber said since the procedure that governs deliberations involving amendments to the Constitution is the same as that for the enactment of bills, it follows that the requirements and limitations on bills also apply. This includes the limitation on the subject matter of a bill; subjects foreign and unrelated to the subject matter of RBH No. 2 may not be introduced at any stage of its deliberations.

In tackling proposals to amend the Constitution, the lower house said both Houses of Congress shall act in the same manner as when they enact legislation. RBH No. 2, like other House bills, will undergo first, second, and third readings.

It said the main difference between proposals to amend the Constitution and the passage of legislative measures is that the resolution proposing amendments to the Constitution must be approved by at least three-fourths of all House members before it is transmitted to the Senate for its concurrence.

The House said should the Senate propose amendments to the House

version of RBH No. 2, and both versions are substantially the same, the House may concur with the Senate amendments to the House version, or choose to adopt the Senate version of RBH No. 2.

If the House does not concur with proposed Senate amendments to RBH No. 2, or in cases wherein the Senate has introduced its own version of RBH No. 2, and the said measures have conflicting provisions, the differences may be settled by a bicameral conference committee composed of representatives from both chambers, the chamber added.

Once both Houses approve the resolution, Congress shall pass another resolution or bill setting the date of the plebiscite for the ratification of the proposed amendments. The date of the plebiscite shall not be earlier than 60 days nor later than 90 days after the approval of the said amendment or revision.

The proposed amendments to the Constitution can then be ratified in this plebiscite via a majority vote of the electorate.

Speaker Velasco earlier said Congress is eyeing to present to the public for ratification the amendments to the economic provisions of 1987 Constitution alongside the national elections in 2022.

A4 Wednesday, February 3, 2021 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

LTFRB franchise consolidation deadline for PUVs extended for another year anew

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HE government is giving land transport franchise holders another year to comply with the consolidation policy that it implemented as part of the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Martin Delgra III said those who cannot meet the new March 2021 deadline for consolida-

tion may still continue to ply their regular routes for a year.

“Those that cannot consolidate on or before March 31 should not be worried. Existing units will still be allowed to serve their routes because we cannot automatically cancel their franchise. But we have what we call a conversion of the franchise to a provisional authority, which will allow them to operate for a year,” he said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

This means, he explained, that franchise holders have another year to comply with the consolidation policy under the modernization program.

To recall, the board issued in December 2019 a timeline for the consolidation of franchises of land transport operators. The timeline specified June 2020 as the deadline for the consolidation. But due to the pandemic, the

government decided to extend it to December 2020.

But due to the status quo brought about by the pandemic, the regulatory body further extended the deadline to March 2021.

The modernization program calls for the consolidation of the fleet of transport franchise owners, operators, and drivers to form a business transport cooperative (TC) in different areas. This, according to the

program’s goals, will allow TCs to “broaden their financial capacity” in purchasing new units that pass the new standards.

TCs are also required to provide drivers with a fixed salary, social security, and health insurance, as they are now considered regular employees.

They are also entitled to a loan subsidy of P160,000 per unit vehicle purchased.

“Consolidation is a prerequisite for the modernization program,” Delgra said.

Delgra also reported that the number of modern transport units that operate nationwide has almost doubled since December 2019.

From 1,421 units of jeepneys, UV express, mini buses, and public buses, in December two years ago, the number of modern units now total to 2,836 units. Lorenz S. Marasigan

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

The World BusinessMirror

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

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Suu Kyi’s warning of military obstruction proves prescient

Myanmar’s military stand guard at a checkpoint manned with armored vehicles blocking a road leading to the parliament building on February 2, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Hundreds of members of Myanmar’s Parliament were confined inside their government housing in the country’s capital on Tuesday, a day after the military staged a coup and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. AP Photo

Myanmar lawmakers confined inside govt housing after coup

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ANGON, Myanmar—Hundreds of members of Myanmar’s Parliament remained confined inside their government housing in the country’s capital on Tuesday, a day after the military staged a coup and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. One of the lawmakers said he and 400-some parliament members were able to speak with one another inside the compound and communicate with their constituencies by phone, but were not allowed to leave the housing complex in Naypyitaw. He said police were inside the complex and soldiers were outside it.

The lawmaker said the politicians, comprised of members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party and various smaller parties, spent a sleepless night worried that they might be taken away but were otherwise OK. “We had to stay awake and be alert,” said the lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for his safety.

The takeover came the morning lawmakers from all of the country had gathered in the capital for the opening of the new parliamentary session and follows days of worry that a coup was coming. The military said the seizure was necessary because the government had not acted on the military’s claims of fraud in November’s elections—in which Suu Kyi’s ruling party won a majority of the parliamentary seats up for grabs—and because it allowed the election to go ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic.

An announcement read on military-owned Myawaddy TV on Monday said Commander-inChief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing would be in charge of the country for one year. Late Monday, the office of the commander-in-chief announced the names of new Cabinet ministers. The 11-member Cabinet is composed of military generals, former military generals and former advisers to a previous government headed by former general Thein Sein.

The coup is a dramatic backslide for Myanmar, which was emerging from decades of strict military rule and international isolation that began in 1962. It now presents a test for the international community, which had ostracized Myanmar while it was under military rule and then enthusiastically embraced Suu Kyi’s government as a sign the country was finally on the path to democracy. US President Joe Biden threatened new sanctions,

which the country had previously faced.

On Tuesday in Yangon, the country’s biggest city, the streets were quieter than usual but taxis and buses were still running and there were no outward signs of heavy security.

The English-language Myanmar Times headlined the state of emergency, while other state-owned newspapers showed front-page photographs of Monday’s National Defense and Security Council meeting, which the newly appointed Acting President Myint Swe and Min Aung Hlaing attended with other military officials.

The military has maintained that its actions are legally justified—citing a section of the constitution it drafted that allows it to take control in times of national emergency—though Suu Kyi’s party spokesman as well as many international observers have said it amounts to a coup.

The takeover marks a shocking fall from power for Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who had lived under house arrest for years as she tried to push her country toward democracy and then became its de facto leader after her party won elections in 2015.

Suu Kyi had been a fierce critic of the army during her years in detention. But after her shift from democracy icon to politician, she needed to work with the generals, who despite allowing elections had never fully given up power.

While the 75-year-old has remained popular at home, Suu Kyi’s deference to the generals—going so far as to defend their crackdown on Rohingya Muslims that the United States and others have labeled genocide —has left her reputation tarnished abroad.

The coup was met with international condemnation and many countries called for the release of the detained leaders.

Biden called the military’s actions “a direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy and the rule of law” and said Washington would not hesitate to restore sanctions.

“The United States will stand up for democracy wherever it is under attack,” he said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the developments a “serious blow to democratic reforms,” according to his spokesman. The Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the military’s actions—probably on Tuesday, according to Britain, which currently holds the council presidency. AP

Pope on Iraq trip: Worthwhile even if most watch him on TV

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OME—Pope Francis said Monday he is still planning to visit Iraq in March, even if most Iraqis have to watch him on television to avoid the coronavirus. The important thing, he said, is “they will see that the pope is there in their country.”

After St. John Paul II canceled a planned 2000 visit to Iraq, Francis said he has every intention of keeping his word to visit because he doesn’t want to disappoint the Iraqi people a second time. Only a serious new surge in infections would put the trip in question, he said.

“I am the pastor of people who are suffering,” Francis told Catholic News Service during an audience to mark the 100th anniversary of the news agency of the US bishops conference.

Francis is scheduled to visit Iraq March 5-8 in what would be the first-ever papal trip to the country. The Vatican has confirmed he intends to go, but hasn’t released the itinerary yet and has said the trip ultimately depends on the health situation on the ground.

Virus cases in Iraq have been steadily dropping since peaking in late summer and are averaging around 800 new cases a day. At least 13,000 people have died

among more than 618,000 confirmed cases across Iraq since February. The Vatican delegation will be vaccinated in time for the trip, but the main concern for organizers is to keep ordinary Iraqis safe, given crowds always form when the pope is out in public.

The trip is aimed primarily at encouraging the country’s beleaguered Christians, who faced decades of discrimination by Iraq’s Muslim majority before being targeted relentlessly by Islamic State group militants starting in 2014. Francis is due to visit Christian communities in the north that were leveled by fighting.

“The pope feels the need to go and give encouragement to these Christians, and invite them to continue giving their witness in an environment that is not at all easy,” the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, told French Catholic broadcaster KTO over the weekend.

Last week, Iraq’s top Catholic official, Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako, said Francis would also meet with the country’s top Shiite Muslim cleric, Ali al-Sistani, in a significant highlight of the trip. Francis is also due to preside over an interfaith meeting in Ur, the birthplace of Abraham. AP

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ANGON, Myanmar—Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who became Myanmar’s leader in 2016 following five decades of military rule, cautioned repeatedly that the country’s democratic reforms would only succeed if the powerful army accepted the changes.

Her warnings proved prescient.

The military detained Suu Kyi and other senior politicians on Monday and said it would rule under a oneyear state of emergency.

It was a sharp halt in the tentative steps toward democracy by the Southeast Asian nation in the past decade.

Suu Kyi has spent much of her life fighting military rule. She was born on June 19, 1945, in the city now called Yangon, to charismatic independence hero Gen. Aung San, who was assassinated when she was only 2.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar, then called Burma, attained independence six months after his death. Suu Kyi’s mother, Khin Kyi, served in the post-independence Parliament, became a government minister and later was ambassador to India in the 1960s.

Suu Kyi mainly lived abroad as a young adult. She earned a degree at Oxford University in philosophy, politics and economics, and then worked for the United Nations in New York and Bhutan. She married British academic Michael Aris and had two sons.

Her homeland, meanwhile, was under the control of a military leader, Ne Win, a former comrade of her father who had seized power in 1962.

Protests against the military gover n ment h ad been g rowing before Suu Kyi returned to

Myanmar in 1988 to nurse her dy ing mother. She was little k now n but soon became t he face of the swelling opposition.

Defying a brutal military crackdown that by some estimates killed thousands of people, she helped found the National League for Democracy.

Placed under house arrest in 1989, Suu Kyi was detained for 15 of the next 22 years, mostly at her dilapidated lakeside home in Yangon. Even when free, she did not dare leave the country to see her husband and sons in Britain for fear the military would prevent her return. Her husband died of cancer in 1999 without her being able to visit.

In awarding Suu Kyi the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her nonviolent struggle, Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairman Francis Sejersted likened her not only to her father but also to India’s Mohandas Gandhi.

Her reputation for grace under fire grew during her confinement. The Myanmar public called her “The Lady,” a sign of respect and knowingly indirect, to avoid attention from the ubiquitous secret police.

The military finally eased its grip on politics, allowing elections in 2010, and eventually for Suu Kyi to hold government office.

She resumed traveling, no longer fearing the generals would bar

In this January 27, file photo, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi watches the vaccination of health workers at a hospital in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Reports on February 1, say a military coup has taken place in Myanmar and Suu Kyi has been detained under house arrest. AP/Aung Shine Oo

her return. More than 20 years late, she delivered her Nobel lecture in Norway in June 2012.

Her party swept elections in 2015, but she couldn’t become president because of a provision added by the military to the 2008 constitution designed to bar her from the country’s highest office. Instead, she became de facto national leader with the title of state counsellor, a position created for her.

She had no direct control over the military, which retained significant power. The pace of reform slowed. Her government freed most, but not all, political prisoners, and new arrests of journalists and activists were made under unchanged, colonial-era laws.

Critics say she helped whitewash the bloody histor y of the generals she replaced and made scant headway in tackling the cou nt r y ’s d i re pover t y, dy s functional judicial system and crumbling infrastructure.

Supporters viewed her stance as pragmatic in a country where the military kept its dominance even after the country’s transition to a civilian government.

“I am concerned about how much support there is in the military for changes. In the end that’s the most important factor, how far

the military are prepared to cooperate with reform principles,” Suu Kyi said in an interview with The Associated Press in 2012.

But her image as a democracy icon was most damaged by her government’s handling of abuses committed by the military against the Muslim Rohingya minority, who were driven into squalid camps by waves of killings beginning in 2012.

In 2017, the military launched a counterinsurgency operation involving mass rape, murders and the torching of entire villages.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh, where they continue to live in crowded refugee camps, afraid to return to a country that denies them basic rights including citizenship.

Suu Kyi repeatedly defended the militar y, even at the International Court of Justice, and would not speak up for the Rohing ya, dismaying her global supporters.

Asked once in a BBC interview about her once-saintly reputation, Suu Kyi replied: “I am just a politician. I am not quite like Margaret Thatcher, no, but on the other hand, I am no Mother Teresa either. I have never said that I was.

Mahatma Gandhi, actually, was a very astute politician.” AP

US hits pandemic milestone with more vaccinated than Covid cases

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ore Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine than have tested positive for the virus, an early but hopeful milestone in the race to end the pandemic.

As of Monday afternoon, 26.5 million Americans had received one or both doses of the current vaccines, according to data compiled by the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. Since the first US patient tested positive outside of Seattle a year ago, 26.3 million people in the country have tested positive for the disease, and 443,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The US has been administering shots at a faster daily rate than any country in the world, giving about 1.34 million doses a day, according to data gathered by Bloomberg. While the rollout stumbled in its early days, in the six weeks since the first shots went into arms almost 7.8 percent of Americans have gotten one or more doses, and 1.8 percent are fully vaccinated.

“It’s worth noting that today, for the first time, the data said that more people were vaccinated than were reported as newly diagnosed cases,” said Paula Cannon, a professor of microbiology at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. “That’s worth celebrating.

I’m all for that win.”

Only a few other countries have crossed that milestone: Israel, the UK and the UAE beat the US to the more-vaccinations-than-cases line days or weeks ago.

After a holiday surge in American cases, officials at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are calling the top, though that’s likely because of behavioral changes, and still not widespread impact from the vaccine. New Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and emergency-department visits are starting to decline, said Jay Butler, the agency’s deputy director for infectious diseases.

A health-zzwcare worker administers a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine in New York on January 30. More Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine than have tested positive for the virus. Bloomberg “While these trends are encouraging, I want to stress that the numbers nationally are still high, and they’re as high as they’ve been at any point in the pandemic up to this point,” he said at a briefing Friday hosted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. “If this pandemic were a stock, we might be wanting to sell.”

It’s still possible for the virus to roar back, particularly if variants that are emerging in South Africa and elsewhere take hold. Studies suggest vaccines, particularly the newer shots from Johnson & Johnson and Novavax Inc., are less potent against that strain and at least one other.

The goal is to eventually reach herd immunity, when so many Americans have protection thanks to a vaccine or natural infection that the virus struggles to spread and eventually dies out. Public health officials, including Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, estimate 70 percent to 85 percent of the 330 million Americans must be exposed to the pathogen through virus or vaccine to reach that level.

Race for immunity

While past infection can create immunity, it’s not clear how long it lasts. And it comes at a cost—not just deaths but hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and some who report lingering illness and a baffling array of symptoms, including fatigue, depression and respiratory issues.

“There’s a price to pay in suffering and in cost for the health system,” said Alessandro Sette, a professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology.

“It’s protracted and severe.”

No deaths, meanwhile, have been conclusively linked to the receipt of a Covid-19 vaccine. The US Food and Drug Administration’s voluntary system for tracking adverse events includes reports of about 290 deaths following the administration of a vaccine against coronavirus as of Jan. 22.

Most were in elderly people with other health issues and none were determined to be tied to the immunizations.

Q u e s t i o n s p e r s i s t. I t ’s s t i l l n o t c l e a r exactly how many people have been vaccinated or infec ted, and it may never be.

Many more people have had the virus than tested positive, in par ticular those with mild or asymptomatic cases.

Reported vaccinations are also lower than the number actually given because people are more focused on injecting them into arms than recording the data into tracking systems, Cannon said. Two shots are required for full immunity, which only 5.82 million Americans have received.

It’s still early in the immunization effort, which has been beset by a lack of coordination, confusion over who should have access and a shortfall in supply that crimped the number of people who were able to get the shot in the first weeks of the rollout.

It’s also important to make sure the right people are getting immunized in order to get the most benefit, said Bill Moss, executive director of Johns Hopkins University’s International Vaccine Access Center.

“There are a lot of people who are getting vaccinated who aren’t in high risk categories,” he said. “If that’s the case, it’s going to take longer to see a reduction in serious disease and death.

Everyone needs a vaccine at some point, but I’m concerned about the inequities in how the system has rolled out.”

The emerging variants have created new urgency to increase the pace of vaccinations, said Daniela Weiskopf, a research assistant professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Each time the virus replicates, there’s a chance a variant could emerge.

“The faster we interrupt this, the more likely we’re not seeing more variants pop up,” she said.

Bloomberg News

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Wednesday, February 3, 2021 | www.businessmirror.com.ph

TOWARDS A PROGRESSIVE GOVERNANCE

BIG 3 KEEPS TRADITION ALIVE IN BIÑA

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By Leony R. Garcia & Photos by Bernard Testa

S one of the most progressive and forward-looking cities in the Calabarzon region, Biñan has been known not only for its industrial estates and export processing zones but also for its vibrant suburban communities that are often teeming with numerous activities.

But even as the rest of the region has struggled with dealing with the COVID-19 andemic, Biñan City has showed no signs of slowing down. If anything, guided by local officials who complement each other in putting the interests of the city and its people above everything else, Biñan has weathered the still ongoing storm with flying colors.

This February is a particularly busy month for the native Biñanenses as the city looks forward to a triple celebration this coming February 2 to 4.

With strict health protocols especially with regards to social distancing expected to be observed, Biñan will commemorate its important milestones in an aptly themed celebration dubbed as Paghilom at Pagbangon starting with the city’s 11th anniversary on February 2, its 76th anniversary of its World War II liberation from the Japanese Imperial Army on February 3 and its 274th Foundation Day or Araw ng Biñan on February 4.

“As in past celebrations, the highlight of the event should be the People’s Parade.

Because of the health pandemic, however, the celebration will be more austere and less grandiose as we will have to tone down the celebration with lesser participants,” noted Bryan Jayson ‘BJ’ Borja, the point person for Biñan City Culture, History, Arts and Tourism Office (BCHATO) who is in charge of the festivities.

The theme of this year’s celebration, Paghilom at Pagbangon is a nod to the healing and rebuilding of Biñan City and its denizens who are undergoing the course of the COVID-19 health threats.

Biñan’s hardworking triumvirate

SINCE her very first day in office back in 2016, Representative Marlyn “Len” B. Alonte-Naguiat has been working steadily with Mayor Atty.

Walfredo “Arman” R. Dimaguila Jr. and Vice Mayor Angelo “Gel” B. Alonte. As a result of their harmonious working relationship, Biñan’s top local officials have come to be known as The Big Three.

Rep. Naguiat was a mayor for three terms before becoming congresswoman. She said that under her watch, the local government has already strengthened its partnership with locators from the Laguna Technopark Association, Inc., (LTAI) and the Laguna International Industrial Park (LIIP) by giving them start-up incentives.

Her administration also worked hand-inhand with the Business Club in creating a business-friendly environment.

“By streamlining all business-related transactions and ensuring a transparent and business-friendly environment, we were able to encourage more and more companies, local and international, to invest in Biñan. This in turn had provided thousands of job and livelihood opportunities for our people,” she said.

As the city’s top lawmaker, Naguiat continues to champion education and remains a staunch advocate of equal opportunities for all making Alagang LEN, the flagship medical-educational-financial-livelihood-skills training program of her office, a household name in the city. This program facilitated a host of projects aimed at helping various sectors in the district most especially during the height of the pandemic.

A sister of Vice Mayor Gel Alonte, Naguiat is also a longtime ally and supporter of Mayor Dimaguila. “Mayor Arman and I go a long way back. We started together as councilors, and since then, we’ve always worked together on programs that we both felt would benefit Biñanenses. He was one of my strongest support systems as vice mayor during my term as the mayor. The work we do in local government can sometimes feel like a heavy load, but when you work with people who are as passionate as you are, and whose goals are the same as yours, then the work becomes bearable and you work even harder and more inspired,” the lady solon narrated.

Culture-based governance

BORROWING a famous quote from U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, Mayor Dimaguila, on the other hand, describes his relationship with Rep. Naguiat and Vice Mayor Alonte this way: “‘We cannot be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We stand together until the end.’ As the city’s Big Three, we complement each other. We see to it that all our plans and programs are aligned.”

“My vision has always been to prioritize peace and order, healthcare, education, heritage preservation and to involve people in governance decisions. Safety is something I take seriously. Our Command, Control and Communication Center (C3) operates 24/7. From barangay activities to crime watch, Biñan has eyes on the streets,” he said.

The city’s 45-year old chief executive officer has set his eyes on the basic services that give the people a sense of security—health programs with state-of-the-art-medical equipment, education and scholarships, uninterrupted water and electricity supply. “In pursuit of progress and heritage preservation, we are embodying the city’s tagline, ‘Buhay ang Nakaraan, Sumasalubong sa Magandang Bukas’ while in involving people in governance decisions, we have the tagline ‘Sa Lungsod ng Biñan, Mamamayan ay Maaasahan,’” he added.

Dimaguila’s culture-based governance believes that tracing the heritage—the historical and cultural roots—is important in planning for the future of his city. Learning from history itself, the city’s top heritage establishment, Alberto Mansion, was on its way to Bataan, in 2010 for restoration/replication in a resort there. Then Vice Mayor Dimaguila led heritage advocates including then 22-year-old student Borja, and concerned residents successfully mounted a sustained tri-media campaign to keep the Alberto Mansion in Biñan.

Today, much of the Alberto Mansion remains in Biñan and it was declared a heritage site on the strength of RA 10066, also known as the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

As mayor, Dimaguila directed his staff towards heritage conservation and awareness thereby creating the BCHATO with Borja at the helm. Since then, “we had envisioned Biñan as a city that is aware of its cultural, historical, and artistic heritage towards sustainable tourism,” said Borja.

BCHATO is an autonomous office employing some 80 personnel including researchers, arts and cultural workers, among others. It’s immediate accomplishment so far was the launch last year of the 200-page Pamana ng Buhay: The Living Heritage of Biñan, also during the Araw ng Biñan celebration.

Bigger things are coming according to Borja with the near completion of Pamana Book 2 and the completion of the city’s 10-year tourism masterplan by March 2021. Meanwhile, the unveiling of the town plaza development plan to revitalize the city’s heritage district is happening on February 4.

People come first

AS part of the Dimaguila administration, Vice Mayor Alonte considers the Big Three as a family working together for the welfare of many more families in the city. “Tulungan ang Big Three ever since. Naging tradisyon na yan sa Biñan and we intend to keep, and work on it that way for the betterment of our people.

Mayor Dimaguila is my idol and kuya in local governance. We think the same: Tao ng Biñan ang una sa isip and we want to bring all the best for the Biñanenses,” he said

As the city continues its progressive evolution, Vice Mayor Alonte admits learning the best governance practices of the past administrations, keeping some and upgrading them for the new generation.

As the city’s vice mayor, Alonte is persistent in pursuing and creating ordinances to empower its citizenry by giving them the best services. No. 1 on his list is to transform Ospital ng Biñan into a modern and advanced hospital

MAYOR Arman Dimaguila Jr. exchanges notes with field personnel during a project tour to check the progress of the ongoing construction of the multi-level parking building, meant to ease traffic in the bustling city.

BIÑAN City’s pride: The Alberto Mansion

ADORA Casbadillo, Binan City SWDO head

ALFRED Benedict Suarez, Biñan City YASDO head

OCTAVIO Almenanza Jr., Biñan City Budget Department head

in Laguna complete with the best doctors and consultants around. While waiting for this to materialize, he’s working on the transition of the city’s health clinics into Super Health Clinic status so people would be given proper care even without going to the hospital. “That way, the taxpayers get what they paid for,” he said.

He also intends to expand the city’s Iskolar ng Bayan project with programs and further training for the scholars. This way, ang galing ng galing Biñan could be highlighted wherever they may go, Vice Mayor Alonte said.

On the side, as someone who’s into wellness and sports, Vice Mayor Alonte heads sports events in the city, especially basketball clinics, to bring camaraderie among Biñanenses. But since this has to take a backseat with the ongoing pandemic, he is actively helping children and young people afflicted with cancer via his own Kalinga Anghel Foundation. When a young member of the family got afflicted by the Big C, the vice mayor has taken this advocacy to help others on his own or with the help of the closelyknit Alonte family.

Under the watch of its Big Three officials, Biñan has become one of the most admired cities not only in the Calabarzon but in all of the Philippines. Even as the world continues to live with the ongoing pandemic, Biñanenses can take comfort in the fact that their city’s top leaders have their interests and welfare in mind and in heart.

PROGRESSIVE, FORWARD-LOOKING BIÑAN

THE city’s economic success is largely due to its leaders working together regardless of political affiliations making it either the envy or model of governance by nearby towns and municipalities. Even before the pandemic struck, Biñan was already ahead of the game as far as development projects are concerned, most of which were planned as early as 2018.

Dimaguila’s forward-looking governance pushed him to go with his long-term development blue-print for Biñan City amid the pandemic. Early last year, the Biñan City government broke the ground for six infrastructure

MAYOR Dimaguila with Vice Mayor Alonte at the newly built Biñan public market which is considered the Divisoria of the South.

THE ongoing construction of PUP-Biñan City Annex building.

projects worth P280 million that it aimed to complete over the next 18 months. These projects included the improvement of the Ospital ng Biñan’s facilities which resulted in a full extension of its 200-bed capacity in a four-story building with modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The Big Three also launched the soon-to-rise new Polytechnic University of the PhilippinesBiñan (PUP-Biñan) campus building which is intended to house most of the city’s scholars. The city government inaugurated and blessed the Balay Silangan Drug Reformation Center on the side of the organic farm in Brgy. Dela Paz. The P10 million facility, sourced from the incentive the Biñan City government received from the Department of Interior and Local Government can accommodate at least 120 drug dependents for rehabilitation by the city.

Meanwhile, a total of P100 million was allocated by the local government for Biñan City Jail and Custodial Facility, its new detention facility with a one-hectare lot in Brgy. Dela Paz that could hold 300 inmates. A new Fire Station was also born last year near the Lambingan Bridge in Brgy. San Antonio. This new location allows for faster response to fire calls, the mayor said. Fire trucks will have an easier time navigating since they don’t have to contend with the narrow streets of Brgy. Poblacion where the old Fire Station is located.

Finally, Biñan’s first-ever Public Private Partnership Program amounting to P170 million materialized before the pandemic. The Elevated Parking, Commercial Center, and Hotel project is a 1,552-square-meter commercial complex located behind the historic Alberto Mansion. It’s a throwback to Spanish colonial days concept project in Brgy. Poblacion which is part of the heritage conservation vision of the city.

The city’s Big Three are not the only dedicated public servants that the city is blessed with. Councilor Libunero “Jedi” Alatiit, for one, is thankful and proud of his pet project, BinD360, the Biñan-wide reliable COVID-19 contact tracing app which the city got exclusively and for free. The app that makes data-tracing in the city a breeze, similar to highly progressive countries like Dubai and Singapore, could be repurposed

according to Alatiit. For now, it is also being used to survey Biñanenses who wish to have themselves inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines while users are assured to be protected by city ordinance and data privacy the councilor said.

Among the busiest during the height of the pandemic is the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) headed by Adora Casbadillo whose office was in charge of the validation of the masterlist for the SAP payout which included going out to the remotest areas and barangays of the province for this purpose.

She was thankful that various city offices assisted her department during those days and until now. “Great things happened during the pandemic. It was good that our mayor came from the impoverished family himself, so alam nya kung paano maging mahirap. There were requests from my office na hindi na kailangan ang formal request in writing. The next good thing is, everybody works fast. We used to receive requests for financial help and work on them within the week. But with the pandemic, we were able to process right away.

We collected requests and did payout on the same day!” she narrated.

Playing a lead role in Biñan's counter pandemic measures is the Budget department headed by Octavio Almenanza Jr. "The city’s social services got the biggest chunk for the expenses during the pandemic. “In reality, we didn’t have money for that urgent situation. So what we did is utilize our savings from 2019 and use it up for the first wave of the pandemic,” said Almenanza Jr. Moving on, the city has to generate funds for other coming expenses and for the future. Right now, he said, the city has existing road widening at the technopark for easier transport of products to nearby provinces and Metro Manila. “Palalakasin din natin ang SMEs with venues devoted for their products, hopefully tuluy-tuloy na ang development ng One Asia Business Center and Greenfields City,” he said. He added that the city is working on the fiber optic internet connectivity for the whole of Biñan to further business development in the provincial city. The budget department has also set its projection of P2.5-B tax collection for

OSPITAL ng Biñan Medical Director Melbril Alonte and Sheila Christine Cadang, RN, infront of the ongoing hospital construction.

2021. “We cannot project higher than that, at hindi rin sure na mako-collect because of the ongoing pandemic. Based on the collection last year, of the 2.9-B income tax earned, only 2.4-B were collected due to the pandemic,” he said.

For his part, City Community Affairs Office head Ronaldo Roscain, inspirational stories and sacrificial acts were born during the pandemic.

Aside from joining Mayor Dimaguila in border inspection at the height of community quarantine and spearheading free Point-to-Point Transport Service for health and emergency frontline workers, Roscain personally donated milk, diapers and biscuits to impoverished and hardly-affected families in Barangays Dela Paz, Casile, Malaban, Ganado, San Jose and Platero, among others. It is all started with an Fb message addressed to him by a mother of three young children who asked for milk for her baby. Since then, the personal advocacy grew so that Roscain was able to save money intended for the birthday celebrations of family members, including himself, for the purpose.

For Alfred Benedict Suarez, head of the city’s Youth Affairs and Sports Office (YASDO), all these services are actually geared towards the youth: “Para saan ba ang ginagawa natin sa pamamahalan? Hindi ba’t ang lahat ng ito ay para sa sector ng kabataan para sa magandang kinabukasan nila?” The only youth agency in the whole of Laguna with a department level status, YASDO played crucial role during the pandemic and beyond. Suarez said that even before the national government pushed for online learning, the city has already implemented its own with over 800 teachers of Biñan as volunteers. Suarez said, the teachers pooled their knowledge and creativity together for the normal education.

But the biggest challenge for Suarez’s office this 2021 would be the counting and profiling of the youth sector per barangay in the whole of Biñan for us to really determine the problems and the programs needed for the youth sector which comprised the 70% population of the city. A tie-up project of the University of the Philippines and the Provincial Youth Development Office of Laguna, YASDO will be busy

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Wednesday, February 3, 2021

A7

Biñan City’s Covid response, vaccine roadmap AN CITY T HE pandemic has caught every one surprised and unguarded. No one knew it could really be savage. The city government of Biñan, for its part, immediately planned head-on a few days after the news of the first strain of COVID-19 in the country was reported by the Department of Health (DOH).

Thus, despite Calabarzon having the second-highest rate of COVID cases in the Philippines, Biñan has a remarkable low rate of confirmed and active cases as well as deaths.

How did the city do it?

RONALDO Roscain, Biñan City CCAO head

REP. Marlyn “Len” B. Alonte-Naguiat presides at a briefing on the implementation of the TUPAD livelihood assistance project of the city for workers displaced by the pandemic.

MAYOR Dimaguila and Vice Mayor Alonte are seen with education and city officials at the new Biñan City Science and Technology High School.

for the whole of 2021 as it determines the exact number and profile of the youth sector and subsectors of the city.

THE measures employed by Biñan City’s Big Three together with the local officials are evident in this timeline:

March 11, 2020 — Mayor Dimaguila met with Vice Mayor Alonte, city council, department heads, and health officials to address possible COVID-19 infections in the city.

March 13, 2020 — The Biñan Laban sa COVID-19 radio program over the province of Laguna’s 87.9 City of Biñan radio station was launched to provide up-to-date information about the virus.

nMayor Dimaguila with Vice Mayor Alonte spearheaded the COVID-19 Simulation Drill in Brgys.

Canlalay and Langkiwa to educate residents about the virus and train its emergency personnel in handling possible COVID-19 infections in the community.

March 16, 2020 — City officials distributed face masks in the Biñan Public Market. The Biñan Gender and Development Office (GAD), headed by the mayor's wife Lourdes E. Dimaguila, engaged displaced workers in the mass production of washable face masks and personal protective equipment. nMayor Dimaguila signed Executive Order (E.O.) No. 11, S. 2020 directing government agencies, both national or local, that are based in the City of Biñan to monitor the prices of basic commodities in times of public emergencies and calamities. nIn consonance with E.O. No. 11, S. 2020, the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO), headed by Rene C. Manabat, and the City Agriculture Office, led by Antonio T. Aguilar, started the price monitoring of basic necessi-

ties and prime commodities in all supermarkets and stores around the city. nPNP personnel, headed by PTCOL. Danilo G. Mendoza, and Public Order and Safety Office officers, headed by Rommel Mitra Lim, with the City Marshals were deployed in all entranceexit points in compliance with the guidelines of ECQ.

March 17, 2020 — Mayor Dimaguila, together with the City Disaster Risk, Reduction and Management Office, headed by Maria R. Bonacua, led in the disinfection of schools and main thoroughfares in the city.

March 19,2020—To help local businesses, the Biñan City Council passed City Ordinance No. 4, S. 2020 on Tax Amnesty – Condonation of Interest, Penalties and Surcharges on Delinquent Real Property Tax Payers. nThe LGU announced the implementation of quarantine pass per household and window hours in buying basic necessities. nThe City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) launched the COVID-19 Bulletin and Biñan COVID-19 Public Dashboard where Biñanenses can easily track the COVID-19 situation per barangay.

March 23, 2020—Total lockdown in the whole city was declared following the announcement of its first COVID-19 positive case from Brgy. San Francisco.

March 24, 2020 —The City Community Affairs Office, headed

by Ronaldo E. Roscain, in partnership with private individuals and companies, launched the “FREE Point-to-Point Transport Service” for health and emergency frontline workers.

March 25, 2020 – Mayor Dimaguila ordered the fund release for financial assistance to Iskolar ng Biñan grantees and cash incentive to teaching and nonteaching personnel of DepEd-Biñan and TESDA-Biñan.

March 26, 2020 — Biñan continued its protective measures against COVID-19 with the installation of a decontamination booth at Biñan Public Market and city government buildings. The LGU also distributed locally made improvised face protection masks and aerosol boxes to hospitals in and out of the city.

April 1, 2020 – Rep. Naguiat led the packing of additional relief goods for Biñan residents while Vice Mayor Alonte distributed food packs to hospitals and checkpoints. nRep Naguiat also led the giving of jobs and livelihood to ECQaffected employees and workers via the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/displaced Workers (TUPAD) scheme under the Department of Labor and Employment where about 700 given emergency work from 10 to 16 days, mostly for clearing operations and infrastructure projects in the city. nYouth and Sports Development Office (YASDO) head Alfred Benedict E. Suarez launched “Online Learning Tutorials for Kids and Youth.” Biñan City Development Center (BCDO) also moved from physical to online classes in teaching students with intellectual disabilities. Likewise, BCHATO conducted free online cultural and arts workshops for the love of arts and culture.

April 2, 4, 6, 8 & 14, 2020 — Hundreds of healthcare workers and frontlines enjoyed the fiveday free pampering and relaxation session organized by BCHATO and City Information Office (CIO) headed by Mr. Roman E. Carencia, in coordination with CCAO and Gay Alliance for Len Alonte (GALA). Through E.O No. 16, S. 2020, medical frontliners were also provided with free transport service and temporary shelter at Q18 in Brgy. Canlalay.

April 17, 2020 — PUP-Biñan campus was converted into a dedicated quarantine facility. A temporary emergency quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients was also built in Ospital ng Biñan with the help of Gardenia Bakeries Inc. and United Architect of the Philippines-Metro. nBiñan City Centre for Dental Health and Serbisyong Arman launched the “FREE Online Dental Check-up” and “FREE Online Legal Consultation” through their respective official Facebook pages. n The City Agriculture Office promoted home gardening through the distribution of vegetable seedlings to Biñan residents.

April 24, 2020 — Biñan conducted “One Time, Big Time” Police

Operation for ECQ violators led

by PNP, CCAO, POSO and the City Marshal.

April 28, 2020 — Biñan LGU— in partnership with Iskolar ng Biñan (INB)—through the Mayor’s Office and CIO, spearheaded a month-long donation drive for medical healthcare workers. About 2,000 healthcare workers in different clinics and hospitals received a box with alcohol, hairnet, face shields, N95 masks, PPEs, surgical gloves, vitamins and washable face masks. The participating hospitals included: Batangas Medical Center, St. Cabrini Medical Center, Dr. JP Rizal Memorial District Hospital, Biñan Doctors Hospital, Perpetual Help Medical Center, Dr. Fabella Memorial Hospital, New Sinai MDI Hospital, Laguna Industrial Health Clinic, Philippine General Hospital, Balibago Polyclinic, Carmona Hospital and Medical Center, Westlake Medical Center, Evangelista Hospital and Family Care. nAside from the HAPI card, confirmed COVID-19 patients in Biñan, together with their families also received relief goods from the local government. Moreover, the Biñan LGU also opened its crematory for COVID-19 casualties from nearby towns and cities.

May 7, 2020 — Mayor Dimaguila extended assistance to BJMP and PNP-Custodial Facility inmates through the distribution of relief goods and provision of desktop computers that will be used for BJMP E-visit Program to its inmates.

May 15,2020 — With Biñan under Modified Community Quarantine (MECQ), several restrictions were amended including the liquor BAN via the E.O. NO. 28, S. 2020.

May 28, 2020 — Together with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Vince B. Dizon, Mayor Dimaguila spearheaded the launching of the Mega COVID-19 Quarantine Facility at the Alonte Sports Arena.

June 10, 2020 — Vice Mayor Alonte through the assistance of the City Education Office headed

by Dr. Edmil Recibe turned over 150 laptops and 200 units of 75inch Smart television sets to public school teachers at the Biñan El-

ementary School.

nCoun. Elmario Dimaranan authored City Ordinance No. 4-(2020) – An ordinance granting tax amnesty to delinquent real property taxpayers in the City of Biñan, Laguna through the Condonation of accrued interests imposed thereon. Payment of tax delinquencies is extended until December 29 as per Executive Order No. 41, S. 2020.

nMayor Dimaguila also instructed Fatima Noña Alon, head of DILG-Biñan, and Atty.

Edward Arriba to facilitate a meeting on the Implementation of Containment Strategy for Critical Zone Areas in selected barangays in the city.

July 29, 2020 – Mayor Dimaguila signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Social Housing Finance Corporation via Zoom Teleconference.

August 2020 — Biñan launched its COVID-19 contact tracing app called BinD360. The app works by assigning a personal QR code to every registrant, which can be scanned by other BinD360 users they interact with. The app can also be used to scan QR codes of business establishments they visit.

October 2020 – Classes in Biñan opened adopting the blended learning. With the launched of free Wi-Fi system in the city’s 24 barangays via a tie-up with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone company and Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., all Biñan City National High Schools and Senior High Schools also availed of the said connectivity.

Moving on and working on the challenge of the pandemic, the city government has set aside P150 million for vaccines.

With the authority given by the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Mayor Dimaguila has already initiated talks with Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, and Novovax (of India). Priority will be given to medical frontliners, the elderly/senior citizens, persons conducting and facilitating religious activities and ceremonies, other frontline workers such as teachers, social services workers, peace and order personnel, PNP, BFP, and government employees.

BIÑAN MEASURES UP

How one of Calabarzon’s most progressive cities has fared in terms of staying competitive, providing the best clime for business, and caring for its people

By Cai U. Ordinario

W

ITH one of the largest public markets in the whole region of Calabarzon, it is impossible to miss Biñan, Laguna.

The city is also one of the host cities of the Laguna Technopark, one of the country’s first privately-owned industrial parks.

The Regional Development Council (RDC) said that prior to its cityhood in 2010, Biñan was the richest municipality in the Philippines with an annual gross income of P677 million or US$14.383 million and net income of P250 million or US$5.308 million, as of 2007 by the Commission On Audit.

According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 283,396, making it the fourth largest in population in the province of Laguna, after Calamba City, San Pedro City, and Santa Rosa City.

“With its proximity to Metro Manila, Biñan is one of the most susceptible places for investments, industries, and other economic activities. The two world-class and premiere industrial parks of the Philippines are located in Biñan, The Laguna International Industrial Park (LIIP) and the Laguna Technopark Association, Inc., (LTAI). The City is now transforming into a more competitive, progressive, and one of the major growth areas in the CALABARZON Region,” the RDC said.

The economic activities in Biñan has helped the city reduce poverty among its residents. Based on the 2015 Small Area Estimates on Poverty released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Biñan saw poverty incidence go down to 5.2 percent in 2015 from 7.9 percent in 2012.

Efforts are underway to bring this down further. One of the ways the city is trying to do this is by attracting investors to locate in Biñan. One of the metrics used to gauge its efforts is the City Competitiveness rankings.

The Competitiveness rankings, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), ranks cities and municipalities based on an overall competitiveness score. The score is a sum of the scores on economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency. The higher the score of a city or municipality, the more competitive it is.

In this ranking, Biñan City is considered a component city. These cities are located within the boundaries of two or more provinces. These cities become component cities of the province where they used to be municipalities.

Based on the 2020 Competitiveness Rankings of Component Cities, Biñan ranked 11th overall with a score of 50.6753. This ranking is a major achievement of the city considering that when it started in 2015, Biñan

ranked 35th with an overall score of 38.2368.

The performance of the city continued improving with a ranking of 32nd in 2016; 7th in 2017; 6th in 2018; and 13th in 2019.

Performance in the 2020 Index

IN terms of economic dynamism, Biñan ranked 12th overall with a score of 10.0090.

The indicators where the city posted its highest rankings were in increase in employment and productivity where it ranked 6th overall.

Biñan’s performance in both indicators also showed improvement.

“(This is) usually associated with activities that create stable expansion of business and industries and higher employment. This is the concrete representation of productivity as it matches the output of the local economy with local resources,” the DTI explained.

For government efficiency, Biñan also ranked 12th overall with a score of 13.2057.

Under this pillar, the indicator on the Presence of Investment Promotion Unit was where the city gained an edge over other component cities. Biñan ranked first in this indicator with a score of 2.5.

Biñan also landed in the top 10 of component cities in terms of the Capacity of the city’s School Services which ranked 7th overall with a score of 0.9786; Capacity to Generate Local Resource, 9th with a score of 0.7531; and

Social Protection, 10th with a score of 1.2638.

“This refers to the quality and reliability of government services and government support for effective and sustainable productive expansion,” DTI explained.

In terms of infrastructure, Biñan city is also not far behind other component cities.

Based on the data, the city ranked 14th among component cities with a score of 9.0842.

The city also ranked in the top 10 in terms of the Availability of Basic Utilities.

Biñan ranked first with a score of 2.5 followed by LGU Investment, 5th overall with a score of 1.4034.

When measuring infrastructure, DTI said, it takes into consideration the facilities that enable the city to provide goods and services. These facilities should also help make productivity sustainable over a long period of time.

Meanwhile, in terms of resiliency, the city ranked 5th overall with a score of 18.3763.

This was mainly due to the good performance of Biñan in a number of indicators where it was included in the top 10.

Data showed the city ranked 1st in three indicators—Annual Disaster Drill, Early Warning System, and Local Risk Assessments. Apart from these two indicators, Biñan was also included in the top 10 in terms of Emergency Infrastructure; Sanitary System; and Budget

for Disaster Risk Reduction Plan (DRRP).

The city ranked 5th with a score of 0.992 in Emergency Infrastructure; 6th in Sanitary System with a score of 2.0772; and 7th in terms of its budget for DRRP which received a score of 0.9504.

“The role of local governments is critical in ensuring a competitive environment to make businesses sustain their profits, create jobs, and increase the productivity of its people. In order for localities to be able to do this, it must be resilient in its infrastructure, governance, social and environmental systems,” DTI said.

Vision for the future

EFFORTS to maintain and improve on Biñan’s competitiveness augurs well with the City’s vision—to be a modern city where people “enjoy peace and security, economic stability, social justice, a well-preserved education, responsive social services, modernized infrastructure facilities all anchored on good governance.”

Likewise, efforts to improve its industries continue especially since the creation of products and services are still home-based, rather than factory-based in the city. These efforts can be supported by the importance of Biñan as a commercial and trading hub.

The city is home to banking institutions and an ever-growing number of commercial

establishments and emerging shopping centers. This is on top of leisure and other commercial establishments that support the city's economic growth and development.

Biñan also aims to develop its local tourism industry in order to provide job opportunities to millions of residents, thereby increasing their incomes. Developing its tourism industry will also promote its rich cultural and historical heritage.

The city continues its efforts to encourage the construction of resorts and private pools, convention centers, hotels, eco-tourism facilities, historic or cultural heritage projects and other leisure and tourist attractions to increase its tourist arrivals.

Despite its level of development, the city still has quite a number of agri-based and agri-related businesses. These include those engaged in the production of high value crops and rice. The local farm sector also has a number of businesses engaged in post-harvest facilities, storage facilities, marketing, and packaging service facilities.

In order to help boost the local farm sector, Biñan is also providing assistance to the crop producers with the help of various agricultural resources. It is also providing assistance for research particularly in farm modernization and pest control for agriculture production.

BusinessMirror

A8 Wednesday, February 3, 2021

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JIANG, HAIMING Chinese

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WEI, WENXIAN Chinese

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XIONG, HANZHONG Chinese

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XU, ZHANGTAO Chinese

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ZHAO, WANGZHEN Chinese

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ZHOU, TAO Chinese

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ZHOU, YINGYING Chinese

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10.

HOANG THI PHUONG NHUNG Vietnamese

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ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D. Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street Tambo Parañaque City 11.

KELVIN CHIA YAK CHUN Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

12.

KHOR CHEE HOI Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

13.

LI, SHENGWAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

14.

LI, WANSHAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

15.

LIU, QIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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PENG, MING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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QIU, MIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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SONG, JILONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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XU, QIYONG Chinese

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ZHAO, YANTANG Chinese

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21.

CHEN, JUNNI Chinese

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23.

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NO.

39.

LIU, XIAOJUN Chinese

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WANG, BEIYING Chinese

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NO.

75.

CHEN, BINGCHENG Chinese

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116.

YANG, LEI Chinese

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76.

HE, YUFENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

WEI, CHANGAN Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

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HUANG, YOUGUI Chinese

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117.

YAO, LIQIN Chinese

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42.

WU, QI Chinese

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78.

LI, FUPENG Chinese

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118.

ZHANG, YU Chinese

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WU, YANGSIYAN Chinese

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79.

LIN, HUHUI Chinese

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44.

XU, CEN Chinese

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80.

NGUYEN VAN KY Vietnamese

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GUANGXI HYDRO ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION BUREAU (GHCB PHILIPPINES CORPORATION) #58 Road 1 Project 6 1 Quezon City

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MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

81.

PHAN THI GIANG Vietnamese

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46.

ZHANG, TAO Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

82.

RAO, JIANMING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

47.

ZHANG, MOU Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

83.

RAO, GUILIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

48.

ZHAO, ZHENGLONG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

84.

SU NHUC PHOONG Vietnamese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

49.

ZHEN, JUNYAN Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

85.

WANG, MENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

50.

ZHOU, JIWEI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

86.

WANG, QINGSONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

51.

ZHU, HONGWEI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

87.

XU, HONGBIN Chinese

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52.

ZUO, XUEMEI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

88.

XU, YIKANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

89.

YANG, XIAOFEN Chinese

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90.

YANG, JING Chinese

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91.

ZHANG, QIPING Chinese

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92.

YANG, LAICHU Chinese

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CASSID CORPORATION Unit 223 Cityland Pioneer Condominium 128 Pioneer St. Brgy.

Highway Hills Mandaluyong City 53.

CHO, JONGHWAN South Korean

DIRECTOR/TECHNICAL MANAGER

CHINA ROAD AND BRIDGE CORPORATION Unit 2605, 2607 & 2609 High St. South Corporate Plaza, Tower 1, 9th Avenue Corner 26th St. Bonfacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

55.

ZHU, ZHENGWEI Chinese

ENGINEERING MANAGER

56.

FENG, SHAOZI Chinese

EQUIPMENT TECHNICIAN

57.

ZHANG, DONGLE Chinese

FORM TRAVELER TECHNICIAN

58.

ZHANG, XINGCHUN Chinese

FORM TRAVELER TECHNICIAN

59.

XIE, JIE Chinese

INVENTORY OFFICER

60.

HAN, KELEI Chinese

LABORATORY TECHNICIAN

61.

MASON SUPERVISOR

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

WANG, ZHENGFU Chinese

62.

PURCHASING OFFICER

LIN, LU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

ZHU, XILIN Chinese

63.

SAFETY MANAGER

WANG, JINHUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

LI, HAIHUA Chinese

64.

WANG, XUEHUI Chinese

SITE SUPERVISOR

65.

LI, CAIREN Chinese

STEELMAN SUPERVISOR

66.

FENG, SHAOYONG Chinese

TECHNICIAN

67.

LIN, XIANGRONG Chinese

TECHNICIAN

LI, BIN Chinese

MANDARIN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

YU, YUE Chinese

MANDARIN FINANCE ASSISTANT

MAR YIN THAW Myanmari

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27.

BAO, LIBIN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

28.

HU, LUJUN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

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FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

COSTING MANAGER

BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. Eastfield Center Cbp1, Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 26.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ZHANG, YAN Chinese

ASK ASIA SOLUTIONS INC. 1608 16/f New World Manila Bay Hotel 1588 M. H Del Pilar Cor. Pedro Gil Sts. 076 Bgy. 699 Malate Manila 25.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

54.

APPTECHURE CORP. Units A&b 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. San Lorenzo Makati City 24.

NO.

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CLOVERSENSE TECHNOLOGY INC. 29/f Robinsons Summit Center 6783 Ayala Center Bel-air Makati City 68.

QU, SIYING Chinese

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COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PHILIPPINES, INC. 5th And 6th Floors, 8/10 Upper Mckinley Building Mckinley Hill Cyberpark Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 69.

TRAN THI XUAN AN Vietnamese

SENIOR PROCESS EXECUTIVE

CONCENTRIX DAKSH SERVICES PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Bldg. F Ayalaland Technohub Quezon City

29.

TANG, SHILUN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

30.

CUI, GENG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

31.

GAO, SHUAI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

32.

GENG, KEMENG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

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HUANG, CHENGMING Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

34.

HUANG, YUNLONG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

35.

LI, DONG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

36.

LI, HAIHUI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

73.

37.

LIU, YONG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

FAREAST OUTSOURCE PROCESSING INC. 7th, 8th, 9th Flr. Nu Tower Moa Coral Way Brgy. 076 Pasay City

38.

LIU, TIANXIANG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

70.

JEONG, YEON GYU South Korean

ADVISOR I, CUSTOMER SERVICE

DIAGEO ASIA PACIFIC SHARED SERVICES CENTRE LIMITED, INC. Lower Ground Floor, Unit A, Eight West Campus Le Grand Avenue, Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 71.

LI, GUODONG Chinese

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EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila 72.

INSAI, NONRAPUNCH Thai

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

EMAPTA VERSATILE SERVICES INC. 12th Floor, Ibm Plaza Building Eastwood City Cyberpark Bagumbayan Quezon City

74.

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CHEN, ZHENZHOU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

FIRST GREAT COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES INC. Lot 5 Sta. Agueda Cor. Queensway Pagcor Drive Sto. Niño Parañaque City 93.

LI, TIEZHU Chinese

IT TECHNICAL MANDARIN

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. 4th-11th Floor Aseana 3 Building Aseana Avenue Corner Diosdado Macapagal Tambo Parañaque City 94.

CAO, TONGTONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

95.

CHEN, WEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

96.

DAI, RUDONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

97.

GAO, LILI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

98.

LIN, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

99.

WANG, JUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

100.

ZENG, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

GLOBAL B2B CONSULTANCY, INC. 50/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Avenue Bel-air Makati City 101.

CHAO, CHIH-CHIEH Taiwanese

CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE SPEAKING

102.

SAMUEL MARBUN Indonesian

CUSTOMER SERVICE INDONESIAN SPEAKING

103.

NGUYEN TUAN ANH Vietnamese

CUSTOMER SERVICE VIETNAMESE SPEAKING

GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor Silver City 4, Ortigas East Ugong Pasig City

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

119.

LI, YIDAN Chinese

MANDARIN FIELD SERVICE COORDINATOR

120.

TANG, ZHOUQI Chinese

SR. HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR

INFIN8TY DRAGON MANAGEMENT INC. New Seaside Drive Extension Cbp Ii Tambo Parañaque City 121.

YAP FONG FAI Malaysian

DESIGN MANAGER

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Floor Six West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 122.

KANG, HYUNGWOOK South Korean

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST

123.

HE, DENGPAN Chinese

I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN

124.

ZHANG, SONGYAN Chinese

I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN

125.

QU, SHIWEI Chinese

INFORMATION SECURITY ANALYST

126.

CHEN, YILONG Chinese

QA (QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

127.

CHENG, HAORAN Chinese

QA (QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

128.

LIU, FANGCHENG Chinese

QA (QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

129.

QIAN, ZHILIN Chinese

QA (QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

130.

WANG, GUIHUA Chinese

QA (QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

131.

XU, LEI Chinese

QA (QUALITY ASSURANCE) SPECIALIST

ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. 7/f Aseana I Bldg. Bradco Avenue Aseana Business Park Tambo Parañaque City 132.

BAI, YI Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

133.

CAO, XINGXING Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

134.

CHANG, CHEN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

135.

CHEN, GUIWU Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

136.

CHEN, HUANBIN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

137.

CHEN, LIN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

138.

CHENG, HAIYING Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

139.

CHENG, JIAYI Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

140.

GAO, XIYAO Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

141.

GOU, JIAQING Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

142.

GUO, ZHENYUAN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

143.

HU, ZHENKANG Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

144.

HUANG, HUA Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

145.

HUANG, XUJUN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

104.

ZHANG, YANPO Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING

105.

DAVIS Indonesian

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

106.

GONG, JINTAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

146.

LI, BING Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

107.

LI, YANKUI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

147.

LI, GUANGJI Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

108.

LI, SHUPING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

148.

LI, JUN Chinese

CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

109.

LIN, ZHENGXIONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

110.

LU, TONG-YUN Taiwanese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

111.

LUAN, YUTIAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

112.

WU, SHENGPING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

113.

XIE, WENCHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

YAN, YANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

YANG, ZHENGFEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

114.

115.

ITELCO TECHNOLOGY INC. 37f Lkg Tower 6801 Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City 149.

SHIJIE, FENG Chinese

MW PLANNING ENGINEER AND TREASURER OFFICER

KONGANBUDDIES MARKETING INC. 48/f Lower Ground Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. Bel-air Makati City 150.

DENG, BO-WEN Taiwanese

MANDARIN MARKETING SUPERVISOR

151.

LI, ZENGTING Chinese

MANDARIN MARKETING SUPERVISOR

152.

SUN, LUQI Chinese

MANDARIN MARKETING SUPERVISOR

153.

WEI, DEYUAN Chinese

MANDARIN MARKETING SUPERVISOR

154.

YANG, JIAN Chinese

MANDARIN MARKETING SUPERVISOR

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

METROGLOBAL SERVICES, INC. Unit 2209-2210 Antel Global Corporate Center Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center San Antonio Pasig City 155.

RANA, BRIJENDRA SINGH Indian

RADIO NETWORK OPTIMIZATION CONSULTANT

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

NO.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

207.

YU, ZEHUAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

262.

LOUT LU Myanmari

MYANMARI CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

316.

YU, DANDAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

208.

ZHANG, WEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

263.

THEIN AUNG Myanmari

MYANMARI CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

317.

ZHANG, HENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

209.

ZHANG, YUNFEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

264.

CHU DUC VIET Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

318.

ZHANG, MIAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

210.

ZHAO, ZHIGANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

265.

DINH THI YEN Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

319.

ZHAO, DANDAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

211.

ZHOU, LEYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

266.

DO THI HAO Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

320.

ZHEN, DEHUA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

212.

ANG, JINLIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

267.

HOANG THI THU Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

321.

LIM YUON KIAT Malaysian

MALAYSIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE

213.

BAI, WENFANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

268.

LE THI THANH CO Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

322.

AUNG SHWE HEIN Myanmari

MYANMARI CUSTOMER SERVICE

YIN YIN OO Myanmari

MYANMARI CUSTOMER SERVICE

156.

BAI, GUOWEI Chinese

CHINESE CALL CENTER AGENT

157.

TANG, JIAZHEN Chinese

CHINESE CALL CENTER AGENT

158.

WANG, SHUANGSHUANG Chinese

CHINESE CALL CENTER AGENT

159.

ZHAO, FEI Chinese

CHINESE CALL CENTER AGENT

214.

CHEN, MOUCAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

269.

LE THI THAO MY Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

323.

160.

AYE AYE LWIN Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

215.

DU, PENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

270.

LUU DUC HIEP Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

OUTWIT, INC. 2/f Marvin Plaza 2153 Chino Roces Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City

161.

CHEN, YUXIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

216.

DU, JIPENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

271.

NGO THI THUY TRINH Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

324.

CHAN MUN SHUAN Malaysian

MALAYSIAN OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

162.

CHEN, CHUANGJIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

217.

FU, YAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

272.

NGUYEN VIET DUNG Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

325.

WANG, MENG Chinese

MANDARIN IT SUPPORT

163.

CHEN, JIANJUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

218.

GAO, ZILI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

273.

NONG VAN KHANH Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

326.

WEI, LIN Chinese

MANDARIN TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

164.

CHEN, JINNAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

219.

GU, JIAYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

274.

PHAM XUAN DUONG Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

327.

HUA THI VAN ANH Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

165.

CHEN, MINRUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

220.

HE, XIANJIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

275.

PHUNG THI THANH Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

328.

LY HUE Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

166.

CUI, HAIYANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

221.

HOU, XINYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

276.

TRINH DUC ANH Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

RCL REGIONAL OPERATING HEADQUARTERS 12/f U-1201p Five E-com Center Harbor Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City

167.

FAN, ZUSHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

222.

HUANG, JIAXIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

277.

VO XUAN TRUONG Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

329.

168.

FAN, XIKUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

223.

KONG, FANHUA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

169.

FANG, LIXIA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

224.

LI, ZONGTAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

170.

FANG, MIN Chinese

225.

LIU, HAIBO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

171.

FU, HONGXIAN Chinese

226.

LUO, YUPENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

172.

FU, FANGSHI Chinese

227.

LUO, WENYE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

173.

HERMANTO Indonesian

228.

LYU, HONGZHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

174.

HOANG DUC HAU Vietnamese

229.

MA, HONGLI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

175.

HU, XIAOFENG Chinese

230.

MA, YUNXING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

176.

HU, JINLIN Chinese

231.

MO, CHONGSHAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

177.

HUANG, YUANYUAN Chinese

232.

MU, LINLIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

178.

JENI Indonesian

233.

PAN, ZUCAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

179.

KUANG, WENJING Chinese

234.

QI, XIAOHANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

180.

LI, LONGBIN Chinese

235.

QIAN, YALIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

181.

LI, TAIAN Chinese

236.

QIN, XIAOFANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

182.

LI, ZIMING Chinese

237.

SHEN, BIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

183.

LI, LING Chinese

238.

SONG, QINGXIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

184.

LONG, NA Chinese

239.

SUN, SHAOKUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

185.

LU, YUANQIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

240.

TIAN, LONGLONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

186.

LUO, CHANGBIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

241.

TIAN, HONGWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

187.

MA, PENGPENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

242.

WANG, HUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

243.

WANG, ZEYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

188.

MUHENDI Indonesian

189.

SENG HKAWN Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

244.

WANG, ZIYU Chinese

190.

SU, ZHIBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

245.

WEI, YIFA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

191.

SU BEE CHUEN Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

246.

WEN, YANQI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

192.

TANG, JIASHUANG Chinese

247.

WU, LELE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

193.

TENG, DA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

248.

XIAO, NIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

194.

THAN WIN Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

249.

YANG, YE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

195.

WANG, YUKE Chinese

250.

YANG, ZHENYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

196.

WANG, ENHUI Chinese

251.

YANG, LING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

197.

WANG, XIANKUN Chinese

252.

YANG, YUHUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

198.

WU, HONGLIANG Chinese

253.

YANG, FENGPING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

199.

WU, CHUNMIN Chinese

254.

YANG, YANFENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

255.

YANG, KEQUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION Sky Garage Bldg. Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City 278.

DAI, LI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

279.

DU, MINSHUANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

280.

DU, QIANJUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

281.

FAN, BAOYIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

282.

HE, MIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

283.

HU, XIANGLU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

284.

HUANG, HONGRUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

285.

HUANG, YUHANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

286.

LI, SUICHUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

287.

LI, LI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

288.

LI, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

289.

LI, JUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

290.

LI, XIAOSHAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

291.

LIU, WEIQING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

292.

LIU, SHUAIGE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

293.

LIU, JIANGJIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

294.

PAN, WEIJIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

295.

QIAO, JINGKAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

296.

QIN, YUMIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

297.

QIN, QIANGUANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

MC ENROE, MICHAEL JAMES American

VP, MANAGING DIRECTOR

REED ELSEVIER SHARED SERVICES (PHILIPPINES) INC. 2nd Floor Building H Up-ayala Technohub, Commonwealth Avenue Diliman Quezon City 330.

LWIN, MARK RANDALL American

MANAGING DIRECTOR

SA RIVENDELL GLOBAL SUPPORT, INC. 9-11 Flr., The Biopolis Bldg. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 331.

FU KYIN WEINT Myanmari

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

332.

JIA, SHIRU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

333.

JIA, YONGZHENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

334.

JIANG, LINQIAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

335.

RIO PUTRA Indonesian

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

336.

SAI SAN AUNG Myanmari

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

337.

SANDAR PHYO Myanmari

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

338.

SUSANTI Indonesian

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

339.

TOO MAI Myanmari

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

340.

YAN MYO WIN Myanmari

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

341.

YAN YONE KYONE Myanmari

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

342.

YOU, YILIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

SIFANG AUTOMATION PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Unit W-2102c 21/f West Tower Philippine Stock Exchange Centre Exchange Road, Ortigas Center Pasig City 343.

YANG, DAKUI Chinese

PRESIDENT & CEO

SMARTMATIC PHILIPPINES, INC. Unit 2208 22nd Floor The Trade And Financial Tower 7th Ave. Cor. 32nd St., Bgc Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 344.

MACHADO MALAVE, ARQUIMEDES JOSE Venezuelan

FIELD SERVICES DEPLOYMENT MANAGER

345.

WHITE MARQUEZ, DIDIANA GABRIELA DEL CARMEN Venezuelan

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

298.

QUE, ZIXIONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

299.

RONG, YUANQUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

300.

SHI, WEIWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

301.

SONG, YUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

302.

SONG, XIAOLI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

303.

TANG, LONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

304.

TONG, DEYIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

305.

WANG, DONGXU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

306.

WANG, QINGBO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

307.

WANG, YONGFEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

308.

WANG, TINGTING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

309.

WANG, YAHUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

310.

WEI, TIANXIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

311.

WEI, XIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

312.

XI, LEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE-NCR Regional Office located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

Please inform DOLE-NCR if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

200.

WU, XIAOQING Chinese

201.

WU, XIAOTING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

256.

YING, LONGHUA Chinese

202.

XIANG, YINGHONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

257.

YU, BO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

203.

XU, YULONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

258.

YUAN, YUHONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

204.

YAN, YUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

259.

ZHANG, YUANPU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

313.

XIE, TENGDA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

205.

YIN, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

260.

ZHANG, RUIJUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

314.

YANG, QIUCHAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

206.

YU, LEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

261.

KONE CHEIN YEE Myanmari

MYANMARI CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

315.

YE, WENYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

A9

SUPERANTS INC. Unit 2802 The Trade And Financial Tower 7th Ave. Cor. 32nd St. Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 346.

HA VAN NAM Vietnamese

CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

347.

NGUYEN NU TRA MI Vietnamese

CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

348.

TRAN QUAN THANH Vietnamese

CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

349.

DO THI KIM XUAN Vietnamese

FINANCE SPECIALST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

350.

HY VAY PHUNG Vietnamese

FINANCE SPECIALST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

351.

LA THI NGOC OANH Vietnamese

FINANCE SPECIALST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

352.

TU KIEN LUAN Vietnamese

FINANCE SPECIALST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

353.

HAI NGOC THANH Vietnamese

TECHNICAL SPECIALIST (MANDARIN SPEAKING)

THE PENBROTHERS INTERNATIONAL INC. 6/f Opl Bldg. 100 C. Palanca Cor. Dela Rosa & Gil Sts. San Lorenzo Makati City 354.

GAN ING CHIN Malaysian

CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER *Date Generated: Feb 2, 2021

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

A10 Wednesday, February 3, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Protecting PHL’s food security

P

olicy-makers have focused on rice production for decades due to the fact that it is the staple food of Filipinos. Among all the food crops consumed in the Philippines, rice tops the list. The annual per capita rice consumption of Filipinos is pegged at around 100 kilograms per year, which is why large tracts of land are devoted to the staple.

The bias for rice is evident in the annual budget of the Department of Agriculture as a huge chunk of the money goes to the rice sector.

In recent years, the lion’s share of the budget for agriculture usually goes to the construction of new irrigation systems and rehabilitation of existing ones, as rice is a water-loving crop and many farmers in the country continue to rely on rainfall to irrigate their land. The country has more than 2 million rice farmers.

However, the inordinate focus on rice has effectively prevented other agricultural subsectors, which continue to play second fiddle to rice, from further increasing their GDP contribution. Other agricultural subsectors, such as livestock and poultry, had to make do with what little amount given to them to implement the necessary initiatives to boost their output. This oversight eventually led to the problems that are now hounding the local poultry and livestock subsectors and are posing a threat to the country’s food security.

Some quarters would argue that it was inevitable for the Philippines to be struck by transboundary animal diseases, given the fact that it is a net food importing country. However, investments in infrastructure and biosecurity systems would have mitigated the impact of transboundary animal diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF), on domestic meat supply. For one, strong border security should be the country’s first line of defense against these animal diseases.

ASF may have nearly crippled the hog industry of Asian countries, such as Vietnam and China, but it has spared countries with strong border protection, such as the United States and Australia. The US, for one, has never had a case of ASF given the strict animal health and import requirements enforced by the US Department of Agriculture.

Washington is resolute in implementing its stringent requirements, as the entry of ASF would devastate the hog sector, considered one of the top US export earners.

The US is also able to keep hog diseases at bay as it produces enough pork for the requirements of its industries and individual consumers.

It does not rely on other countries for its pork requirements, which practically insulates the US from the risk presented by shipments of chilled meat products, which could contain ASF. We urge policy-makers to heed the advice of senators to put in place long-term solutions that will prevent ASF and other animal diseases from again wreaking havoc on the country’s domestic meat supply (See, “3.6% pork output dip seen on ASF disruption,” in the BusinessMirror, January 14, 2021). We must now invest in much-needed surveillance systems and infrastructure, such as laboratories, and capacity building for personnel who will be put in charge of keeping animal diseases at bay. Investments must also be made in initiatives that will expand the domestic supply of hogs and chicken. We should have learned our lesson, and must never again allow the entry of transboundary animal diseases that can threaten the country’s food security.

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My.SSS Portal: Your gateway to SSS online transactions Aurora C. Ignacio

All About Social Security

H

ave you ever experienced shopping and finding yourself out of cash and the automated teller machines were all offline?

As most financial transactions are now conducted online, we no longer have to go back to the old ways of going out of our homes just to pay utility bills in the nearest bank branch. With a smartphone and an Internet connection, we can now shop, pay bills, or even transfer funds online, right in the comfort of our homes, especially now that we are in a pandemic situation.

Modern technology has brought a lot of changes in the past decades.

We are now living in a fast-paced world where people are always in a hurry and demand quick results to accomplish tasks in a safe and secure environment. Enhanced features of electronic mail, smartphones, one-stop shops, online banking, online shopping, mobile applications, among others, have emerged because of technological enhancements and diverse marketing strategies.

Similarly, SSS has also been steadfast in providing safe, fast, and convenient service transactions to our members and partner employers.

In 1997, SSS launched its web site (www.sss.gov.ph) to provide an information portal for its members and employers, which eventually gave birth to the current My.SSS Facility or My.SSS portal.

Continuous web upgrades made from 2011 to the present have transformed My.SSS into a one-stop shop facility that offers various online

services such as viewing of membership status; updating of contact information; requesting for membership records; setting of appointments; viewing of SSS contributions, loan records, and UMID application status; inquiring about various eligibilities; submitting applications for unemployment, retirement, and funeral benefits as well as maternity notifications and member loans including pension loan; generating Payment Reference Number (PRN) for contributions and loans; requesting simple corrections for member data; simulating computations of future retirement benefit; enrolling disbursement accounts with uploading of supporting documents; enrolling PESO Fund and Flexi fund (for OFWs) and Benefit Disbursement Module; and submitting customer satisfaction survey.

The SSS portal can also facilitate web registration and issuance of Social Security number as online users can also upload supporting documents.

Likewise, employers can electronically check and print their SSS records like information on employers, payment history, and reimbursements. They can also submit collection lists and employment reports; update contact information (R8); certify employee’s salary loan and retirement applications; submit employee’s maternity and sickness notifications; monitor the status of submitted sickness and maternity reimbursement claims; download R-3 and Loan Management System File Generators; file sickness benefit reimbursement; enroll disbursement accounts and upload supporting documents; and generate or edit PRN for contributions and loans.

If there is anything good that came out from this Covid-19 pandemic, it is the continuing initiative of SSS to provide the appropriate electronic services to its members and employer-partners through the My.SSS Facility. The number of web registrants and web site transactions increased dramatically.

As of December 2020, there are 10.35 million members registered in My.SSS, a 46.06-percent jump from only 7.01 million registrants recorded as of December 2019. Web registration remarkably increased by 140.77 percent from 1.356 million users in 2019 to 3.265 million users in 2020.

There were also 19.07 million web site transactions recorded in 2020, an 81.24-percent increase from only 10.52 million made in 2019, right before the pandemic hit us.

These figures gave us the green light to keep on enhancing the SSS online facility since the trend favors

online transactions above over-thecounter services. So far, we have accomplished shaping My.SSS with a one-stop shop atmosphere for our members to get all their SSS business done in one sitting at the comfort of their homes or offices.

While we are expanding the available services My.SSS offers, we are also constantly upgrading our other online service facilities and information channels such as the SSS Mobile App, Text-SSS, and various social-media accounts like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and recently, Viber, through additional functionalities and constant release of art cards and instructional videos containing updates on SSS programs and services.

It is always a challenge to keep improving and adapting to change, especially in today’s fast-moving information world. We appeal to our members and employers who still do not have a My.SSS account to visit our web site and register themselves so that they may also enjoy that unique experience.

Our current outlook and goal here in the digital age of public service may be best described by Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates who said: “The vision is that people should have the ultimate in convenience. Being able to get the things they care about on the appropriate device.” In this case, the ultimate convenience is already here through the My.SSS facility.

Have a productive week everyone!

Aurora C. Ignacio is SSS president and chief executive officer.

We welcome your questions and insights on the topics that we discuss. E-mail mediaaffairs@sss. gov.ph for topics that you might want us to discuss.

Male seafarers as victims of sexual harassment Dennis Gorecho

Pinoy Marino Rights

M

ale seafarers can be the subjects of sexual harassment while working on board the vessel, entitling them to moral damages.

Sexual harassment can happen to anyone and everyone.

The Supreme Court stressed in the case of Richard Toliongco vs. AngloEastern Crew Mgt. (GR 231748, July 8, 2020) that sexual harassment must be recognized as a risk faced by our seafarers and which should not be merely seen as a gender issue, rather, it is a power issue.

The seafarer was employed as messman.

The seafarer claimed that when he served dinner to the Chief Officer, the latter demanded that he

masturbate and perform oral sex on him. He resisted and left the room.

That same night, the chief officer called for him again, and he repeated the sexual advances. On the second attempt, the seafarer also resisted and managed to escape.

He filed a complaint the following day for physical abuse and sexual abuse under alcohol intake against the Chief Officer before the Captain.

The chief officer threatened to kill him upon learning of the complaint.

The seafarer was later repatriated to the Philippines.

Several months later, he filed a complaint for constructive dismissal, sexual harassment and maltreatment with prayer for the payment of disability benefits, damages and attorney’s fees, claiming that he is rendered permanently and totally disabled due to his post-traumatic stress disorder caused by his unfortunate experience onboard the vessel.

The court, however, denied the claim for disability benefits because the pieces of evidence submitted are not sufficient to convince the Court that he has been rendered permanently and totally disabled.

Nevertheless, the Court ruled that since a wrongful act was committed against the seafarer due to the sexual harassment he suffered at the hands of the chief officer, he is entitled to the income for the unexpired portion of the contract, moral damages of P100,000, exemplary damages, and attorney’s fees.

The Supreme Court underscored that victims of sexual abuse usually take time before reporting to the proper authorities, more so if they are male as society has made it hard for

male victims of sexual harassment to come out and report.

“Our society has often depicted women as being the weaker sex, and the only victims of sexual harassment. It is high time that this notion is corrected. To consider women as the weaker sex is discriminatory.

To think that only women can be victims of sexual harassment is discriminatory against men who have suffered the same plight; men who have been victimized by sexual predators,” the Court said.

Seafarers are exposed to various forms of discrimination, exploitation, sexual harassment, and violence, which may partly be attributed to the confined space on board vessels.

The isolated nature of the ship can increase opportunities for sexual harassment and violence, and can also amplify their negative consequences.

Sexual harassment may take the form of sexist remarks, sexual advances or sex-related behavior.

It is a reflection of the power relations between individuals involved where, in most instances, the See “Gorecho,” A11

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Green transition in power sector–now!

Emotional Intelligence: Why it matters in the time of pandemic Dr. Carl E. Balita

Entrepreneurs’ Footprints

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

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ending in Congress today is the proposed bill on the development and regulation of the Philippine midstream natural gas industry.

Strengthening the regulatory framework for the natural gas industry and other critical segments of the whole power sector is always a welcome move. In fact, a review of the regulatory framework should go hand in hand with a review of the 20-year-old Electric Power Industry Reform Act law, which has failed to deliver to the consuming public cheap or affordable electricity and efficient service for all. When Epira was enacted, neo-liberal economists proclaimed Epira as a “milestone” in power reform. Today, with Philippine electricity cost one of the highest in the world, majority look at Epira as a “millstone” hanging around the collective neck of the Filipino people.

But back to the natural gas issue. We would like to express our reservation to the “development” side of the proposed midstream natural gas industry. It appears that government energy planners and consultants are envisioning a bigger role for the midstream natural gas industry, with the proposal to incentivize the building of large terminals and distribution infrastructures. With the Malampaya power project nearing exhaustion (around 2024-2025) and with the alternative “mineable” seabed gas fields requiring expensive investments, the proposal to develop these terminals and distribution infrastructures can only mean one thing: increased importation of natural gas. This has serious implications on the country’s trade and economic position and commitment to the Paris Agreement of 2015 to reduce Philippine emission of GHG. As it is, the Philippine power sector is heavily dependent on imports —coal, oil and gas. They constitute almost 10 percent a year of the total Philippine imports. In numerous studies on climate change, these fuels are the biggest contributors to global warming because they are carbon emitters.

And yet, ironically, studies of the US-based Institute for Economics and Financial Analysis show that the Philippines is in a very good position to be energy resilient and self-sufficient within a few years, if it intensifies the further development of clean sources of energy— hydro, geothermal, solar and wind.

The Institute is even very definite: Philippine islands, especially those in the Visayas, can enjoy cheaper and more reliable electricity supply if the

Gorecho. . .

continued from A10

harasser is an officer occupying a higher rank than the seafarer.

The Court cited a separate opinion in Garcia v. Drilon, (712 Phil 44, 2013) which recognized the existence of violence against men and the underreporting of such incidents.

The Court said that “social and cultural expectations on masculinity and male dominance urge men to keep quiet about being a victim, adding to the unique experience of male victims of domestic abuse. This leads to latent depression among boys and men. In a sense, patriarchy while privileging men, also victimizes them.”

“There is now more space to believe that portraying only women as victims will not always promote gender equality before the law. It sometimes aggravates the gap by conceding that women have always been dominated by men. In doing so, it renders empowered women invis-

electric cooperatives source their power from the renewables instead of getting them from the expensive diesel-run power plants, which, incidentally and ironically, enjoy subsidies from the government.

Such a green shift will help the country fulfil its commitment to the global campaign against climate change. At the same time, the green shift will create more jobs and wealth at home.

Now back again to the issue of natural gas. Against the foregoing, the Climate Action Tracker in Berlin is puzzled. In their November 27, 2020 posting, analysts of the Tracker wrote on the Philippine situation as follows: “Recent plans to expand the role of gas in the system building terminals to import natural gas do not contribute to the country’s energy independence and would lock in largescale fossil fuel infrastructure. This would become a barrier to moving to zero emissions power generation.”

The argument that natural gas is cleaner compared to coal and oil is, of course, true. But it does not mean that natural gas is not an emitter.

It produces methane, which also contributes to the phenomenon of global warming. Yes, it is less dirty but nonetheless, it is also dirty.

The point is that we are at a critical conjuncture in history: on one hand, the world wants us to be part of the global solution to the lifethreatening phenomenon of global warming, and on the other, nature itself has bestowed on the Philippines renewable resources which can make the country resilient and selfsufficient energy-wise. Moreover, the technology of producing hydro, geothermal, solar and even wind is now fully accessible to the country at a cost lower compared to the use of imported and GHG-producing coal, oil and gas.

Hence, the challenge to the policymakers, both in the executive and legislative, is to give utmost attention and support to a green energy development program. Yes, regulate the operations of those involved in the midstream natural gas industry and other sub-sectors of the power sector. But no, do not incentivize the development of terminals and infrastructures that will encourage the country’s dependence on imported natural gas, oil and coal.

Build more and better jobs at home by going green energy. ible; or, in some cases, that men as human beings can also become victims,” the Court added.

The Court further stressed that “it may be said that violence in the context of intimate relationships should not be seen and encrusted as a gender issue, rather it is a power issue. Thus, when laws are not genderneutral, male victims of domestic violence may also suffer from double victimization first by their abusers and second by the judicial system.

Incidentally, focusing on women as the victims entrenches some level of heteronormativity. It is blind to the possibility that, whatever moral positions are taken by those who are dominant, in reality intimate relationships can also happen between men.”

At its core, sexual harassment is not an issue of gender but an issue of power.

Atty. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021 A11

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motion is not just about feelings. It is the sum of feelings plus the distinctive thoughts (what we are thinking as we feel the feeling), biological states (the physiologic activities that are triggered internally and automatically associated with the feelings), and the action tendencies (what one is bound to do which is derived and governed by the feeling). If emotion is just about feeling, we can neglect it! But by the fact that emotion affects thinking, physiologic functioning and acting, it becomes big deal! Emotions are human warning systems that tell us what is really going in and around us, like an internal gyroscope, as per Dr. Maurice Elias’ analogy. Without emotional control Napoleon Hill likened a person to a runaway horse.

The Epistles of James advises: “Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” Tao Te Ching harmonizes with this biblical verse in advising to “express yourself completely, then be quiet...open up to the Tao, then trust your natural responses; and everything fall into place.”

EQ, defined

The EQ proponent Daniel Goleman defines emotional intelligence as the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power of emotions as source of human energy, information, connection and influence.

Sense, in his definition, is not limited to the five perceptual faculties but includes the feelings that matter all the time. Understanding refers to a broader context beyond the logical evidences but may include hunch or gut-feel. EQ being a source of human energy, information, connection and influence is essentially important in our day-to-day grind and eventually our happiness and success amid the pandemic.

Another proponent Reuben Bar On defines EQ as an array of personal, emotional and social abilities that influence one’s ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures. The personal, emotional and social abilities certainly are rolled-in-one personality, which can propel a person up or down the climb through this

pandemic journey.

To simplify, EQ is the connection of the heart and mind that bridges the foundations of building relationships and empowering (enabling) self and others to ensure happiness and success. EQ dictates our ability to manage ourselves, and our relationships with other people, through good times and bad times like these present times.

Competencies of emotionally intelligent persons

There are 15 key abilities of emotionally intelligent persons clustered

by Bar On in five competency areas.

Under the area of Intrapersonal Capabilities, the key abilities of emotionally intelligent persons include the ability to be aware of one’s self, to understand one’s emotions, and to assert one’s feelings and idea. These lead to personal self-mastery.

The area of Interpersonal Capabilities includes the ability to be aware of and understand others’ feelings, to be concerned about people in general, and to establish emotionally close relationship. These clustered competencies strengthen social and people skills.

Adaptability is demonstrated by emotionally intelligent persons who are able to verify one’s feelings, to accurately size-up the immediate situation, to flexibly change one’s feelings and thoughts, and to solve problems.

These spell resilience, which makes one survive and thrive.

The EQ proponent Daniel Goleman defines emotional intelligence as the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power of emotions as source of human energy, information, connection and influence.

Stress management is another area of competencies that includes the ability to cope with stress and to control strong emotions. These competencies have bearing on one’s over-all health and wellness.

The area of Motivational and General Mood Factors include the ability to be optimistic, to enjoy one’s self and others, and to feel and express happiness. These incite faith, hope and love, which bring persistent optimism and consistent joy.

The five tasks toward emotional intelligence

Emotionally intelligent people are able to perceive, appraise, understand, express, access or generate and regulate emotions. There are five tasks that could make a person emotionally intelligent.

The first task is to align feelings and reasons. Once feelings and reasons are aligned, the person is able to connect the faculties of feelings and reasoning that prevent one from being a slave of another. The emotionally intelligent person becomes attuned to what the heart feels over what one thinks and harmonizes what one thinks with how one feels.

The second task is to integrate awareness and emotions. Integrating awareness and emotion enables us to feel the feelings and know it is there when it is there. It prevents the person from being controlled by some unconscious emotional force.

Awareness of one’s emotion enables its appropriate control.

The third task is to direct action with vision. With emotional intelligence, the person is able to act toward an envisioned future. It helps focus toward an end-in-mind so that the energies and efforts are directed toward that pre-determined ideal state of the future.

The fourth task is to enhance intrapersonal and interpersonal relationship. With emotional intelligence, the person’s relationship

with the self and with others can be enriched. There is security in establishing relationships with others derived from the self-security that one feels within.

And the last task is to resolve problems and conflicts. The resilient nature of the emotionally intelligent person is derived from the ability to resolve problems and conflicts through all available resources with optimism that there are solutions and resolutions through choices from the many options that life presents.

EQ and the pandemic

The pandemic is taking a toll beyond everybody’s coping abilities. Hence, it elicits a crisis response. It evokes overwhelming reactions that heighten the level of our anxiety, which may strain mental and emotional health. It imposes upon all of us an undue extraordinary burden, which if not managed well may defeat one’s ability to function towards maximal potential, or at the very least toward self-preservation or survival.

To develop EQ, we must reflect upon our feeling and thinking—to check on how they align to positively affect the many facets of our daily lives. We should put our biological nature in check—to ensure that our emotion is not endangering our physical wellness. We need to rein our decisions and action tendencies toward a positive growth and forward movement toward our envisioned future.

We also need to enrich our relationship with others—to strengthen our support system as social beings.

But the greatest strength comes from our relationship with the self.

Our selves remain as the greatest resource we have in being in-charge of our lives, creating footprints today through the journey of the past toward the opportunities of the future.

We need a daily dose of EQ. EQ, as my daughter Lyza puts it, makes us either head toward the light at the end of the tunnel, or head on as the light toward the end of the tunnel.

Last week was AQ, this week is EQ, watch out for SQ and DQ in the next Entrepreneurs’ Footprints.

For feedback, please send e-mail to drcarlbalita@ yahoo.com.

Scared to be swabbed? Take the saliva RT-PCR test challenge!

Susan V. Ople

Scribbles

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have been swabbed twice, once in a hospital, and the second time at home. Both were Covid-19 tests administered by nurses, using a giant Q-tip, thrust into one nostril at a time. A different cotton-tipped plastic spear was used to swab my throat. In both instances, the process was quick, intrusive, uncomfortable but bearable. My two swab tests were part of Makati Medical Center’s requirements for surgery at the hospital.

The swab test I received at home was done in front of our garden, with the blue sky looking down on my uptilted nose. I had worship songs in my ear courtesy of Spotify. Nurse Regina of Lablife South Manila asked that I inhale while she put the long Q-tip in. It was in and out and into the next nostril way before the second verse of Collin Raye’s “Here I am, Lord.” I find having my throat swab more difficult. It’s natural to gag each time.

The results took 24 hours to be processed. For the home service swab test, I paid P5,000 with transportation fee tacked on. Joining me in this fun garden activity were my daughter, Estelle, partner Fort, and household manager Linda as well as our driver, Loloy. Our reward came in the next day via e-mail, declaring our entire household as Covid-19 free.

Thankfully, the Philippine Red Cross now offers a less intrusive and more affordable way to test for Covid-19: the saliva RT-PCR test! It costs only P2,000 with re-

sults available on the same day. It is done in a booth where you and a tiny sterile vial where you put your spit in, become close and personal for a few minutes. Everything is private, except for a friendly medical technician offering assistance when needed. The tiny bottle that easily fits in your palm comes with a sturdy straw. When you have enough saliva, you spit it through the straw. In front of you, on top of the table, are containers with a pen to write with, tissue paper to wipe with, and a tray where the tiny bottles with barcodes are placed in neat rows. The minute you stand and move away, a staff with a disinfectant spray comes in to sterilize the place.

How much saliva do you need to shoot into that tiny bottle? Enough to reach the line that says 2 ml. At least that is the number to shoot for. I am proud to say that I not only reached that line but also slightly exceeded it. I had that much spit in me. My daughter had less but she still qualified. Have no fear though because

Starting this week, the Philippine Red Cross will be able to accommodate more clients for its Covid-19 saliva test through its other molecular laboratories in Metro Manila. Hopefully, these tests can find their way to the provinces soon at a much cheaper cost.

the medical technologist will confirm whether you have contributed enough for a test to be valid. Once he or she nods, then you take the bar code sticker given to you at the reception area and wrap it on one side of the bottle. That’s it! No physical contact took place, directions were clear, and the entire saliva RT-PCR test only took a few minutes in the privacy of your own curtained booth.

My family and I entered the Philippine Red Cross diagnostics testing area at the back of its building in Mandaluyong City around 9:30 a.m. We got our results, individually, by e-mail, at around 8:30 in the evening. All throughout the day, you can track where your specimen is through the PRC’s online platform.

The whole process was cut-anddried, quite efficient, and traumafree. Accuracy is not an issue in having this test. PRC biomolecural laboratories chief and former health secretary Paulyn Ubial said the new saliva-based testing yielded a 98.11 percent accuracy rate.

Thank you, PRC Chairman and Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon for pushing the Department of Health to approve the RT-PCR saliva test. As a cancer patient, I welcome this test as a godsend, because it removes the anxiety attached to having a nose

and throat swab done. A Twitter friend jested that photos of green mangoes be posted in the private saliva-testing booth. That certainly sounds like a fun idea, to induce “paglalaway” over an imaginary plate of hilaw na manga with bagoong.

If you are planning to take the RTPCR saliva test, make sure you ingest nothing by mouth 30 minutes prior.

Don’t gargle, drink, or even smoke or vape since this would reduce your saliva-gathering capabilities. I also suggest you fill up the e-form in advance with your PhilHealth number and government ID on hand, to speed up the process. You can access the form at: https://c19.redcross.org.ph/public-ecif. To schedule your saliva test, just look for book. redcross1158.com or simply Google Philippine Red Cross booking platform. Online payments are part of the deal. You can also walk-in until 3 p.m., though this may entail more waiting on your part.

Starting this week, the Philippine Red Cross will be able to accommodate more clients for its Covid-19 saliva test through its other molecular laboratories in Metro Manila. Hopefully, these tests can find their way to the provinces soon at a much cheaper cost. With more people getting tested, the challenge now shifts to state-of-the-art contact tracing. Why not outsource that to the Philippine Red Cross as well?

They certainly have the passion to innovate and get things done.

Susan V. Ople heads the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, a nonprofit organization that deals with labor and migration issues.

She also represents the OFW sector in the InterAgency Council Against Trafficking.

A12 Wednesday, February 3, 2021

PICK CHARTER OVER TERROR LAW, PETITIONERS URGE SC

By Joel R. San Juan

T

@jrsanjuan1573

HE Supreme Court was urged on Tuesday by various groups and individuals seeking to scrap the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution over the controversial law.

At oral arguments on the 37 petitions seeking to declare ATA unconstitutional, former Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz told the Court that Filipinos are facing “real and imminent danger” to both constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties and separation of powers.

He described the current controversy as “a colossal battle” between the 1987 Constitution and the ATA. “Presently, the Anti-Terror Law is running roughshod over the Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights,” Cadiz said.

“We thus come to plead with you to snatch our Constitution from the jaws of defeat and restore its primacy, against the Anti-Terror Law,” he added.

Cadiz argued that ATA would harm the exercise of civil rights more than provide security against terrorism, since it allows warrantless arrests and prolonged detention, unreasonable searches

and seizures, unwarranted intrusion into private communication and correspondence, curtailment of expression and assembly, denial of bail and the presumption of innocence and access to public information.

“These sanctioned intrusion on our civil liberties are strictly enjoined by the Constitution. To paraphrase People vs. Sapia, this battle waged against terror that tramples upon the rights of the people, is actually a war against the people,” Cadiz said.

Cadiz said the petitioners have the legal standing to initiate petitions and the issues raised by them were ripe for judicial review.

People power punishable

HUMAN-RIGHTS lawyer Jose Diokno told the Court the ATA is the only law in the country that includes the exercise of fundamental rights in its definition of the crime.

Diokno noted the definition of terrorism in Section 4 of the ATA: terrorism excludes advocacy, protest and similar exercise of civil and political right provided that these are not intended to cause death or serious physical harm, endanger a person’s life or create a serious risk to public safety.

Continued on A2

‘Efficient’ collection at ports brings BOC Jan take to ₧47B

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) collected P47.143 billion in January, exceeding its target for the first month of the year by 6.92 percent.

The BOC said preliminary report from its financial service unit shows the bureau breaching its P44.092-billion goal amid an economic recession.

The BOC attributed its “efficient” collection performance to its “intensified efforts” in all of ports along with the improvement

in the volume of importation “and the government’s effort in ensuring unhampered movement of goods while maintaining border security and enhanced trade facilitation.”

Eleven out of 17 collection districts managed to surpass respective January 2021 collection targets: the Ninoy Aquino Inter-

national Airport and the ports of Manila, Batangas, Legazpi, Iloilo, Tacloban, Cagayan De Oro, Zamboanga, Davao, Subic and Clark.

According to Finance Undersecretary and Chief Economist Gil S. Beltran, the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) approved in December a P616.7-billion target for the BOC this year.

This is significantly higher by 21.84 percent than the downgraded 2020 target set for the BOC at P506.15 billion.

The bureau’s total revenue collection last year reached P539.7 billion, above its annual revenue collection target by 6.6 percent or P33.5 billion. That is, if the BOC goal wasn’t downgraded by 30.76 percent from the original target of P731 billion.

The preliminary collection for January appears minute as the DBCC expects the country’s budget

Economy or health? Senators weigh in on Duterte’s dilemma

By Butch Fernandez

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@butchfBM

WO senators on Tuesday offered options for resolving the Duterte administration’s dilemma on saving the sinking economy and responding to Covid-related risks.

Noting that the Philippine economy is “definitely in bad shape,” Senator Panfilo Lacson lamented that “the situation is made even worse by the difficult choice between addressing healthrelated problems and the sinking economy.”

Lacson cited as “a classic example” the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) recommendation to President Duterte to allow children 10 years old and above to go out of their homes with their parents, as Neda studies show 50 percent of the economy is driven by family activities outside the home.

“It was a very sound Neda sug gestion that was initially given due course but recalled immediately, instead of first consider ing a midd le ground that would have accomplished both—like closely super vised or monitored family outings,” the senator noted.

Pointing out that “policy decisions play a vital role in striking a balance between long-term implications on the economy and the immediate effects on our people’s health concerns,” Lacson added, “the right decisions will chart our path towards a sustainable ‘new normal,’ and pull us out from [the] pits of social and economic distress, and shape a safer and more resilient society.”

‘Sinking’ economy

IN a separate statement, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon warned that the “sinking” Philippine economy is likely to “create more serious problems.”

He added that, “failure to address the Philippines’s sinking economy immediately could create more serious consequences, including increase in crimes, extreme poverty, hunger, joblessness.”

Prodding the government’s economic managers to lay down a comprehensive and realistic plan to address the weakening economy, the opposition lawmaker

suggested they can also “throw a lifeline to the poor and the most vulnerable sectors amid these trying times.”

The opposition senator admitted he shares President Duterte’s dim view of the economic situation. “I agree with the President that the Philippine economy is ‘sinking and sinking.’ It is a grim reality that we have to face. I am extremely alarmed by the continued decline of our economy and the rising inflation. Let us face it as a nation,” added Drilon.

President Duterte on Monday night, in his weekly address to the nation, admitted that the Philippines is “sinking deeper and deeper,” losing P2 billion a day due to Covid-19.

Drilon recalled that the Philippine economy suffered the worst economic contraction after World War II of 9.5 percent in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, noting that “inflation in the country continues to rise, which was further aggravated by the typhoons that hit the country in the last quarter of 2020.”

The senator added: “The question now is, what do our economic managers plan to do? The people would want to see a clear plan to address our worsening economic situation.”

Moreover, the Minor it y Leader asserted that “the primary concern should be to protect the poorest and the most vulnerable sectors of the economy.”

“We must throw a lifeline to the poor who are having difficulties to cope with the effects of the pandemic and inflation.

Unfortunately, the 2021 national budget provides too little for the poor,” the lawmaker pointed out.

Drilon stressed the need for the Duterte government to improve its pandemic response, citing findings of Australia-based think tank Lowy Institute that ranked t he Phi lippines 79t h out of 98 countries in terms of ability to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the same time, the senator suggested that “we must work on increasing the people’s confidence in the government’s Covid-19 vaccination program.”

Continued on A2

deficit this year to balloon to P1.78 trillion or 8.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The government has yet to release the country’s official budget deficit data for December 2020. Finance officials have earlier said the “emerging” figure is at P1.36 trillion or 7.5 percent of governmentprojected GDP. Despite slightly below government’s projected budget deficit for the year at P1.38 trillion or 7.6 percent of GDP, the “emerging” figure is more than double the budget deficit in 2019, which stood at only 3.4 percent of GDP or P660.2 billion.

As of end-November last year, the countr y’s budget gap has reached P1.069 trillion on the back of increased spending despite the drying up of revenue sources after the Duterte government imposed strict lockdown beginning March 17.

China boat was cleared for shelter, DFA clarifies

By Recto Mercene

A

@rectomercene

CHINESE research vessel that stayed a few days in Philippine waters had clearance from the Department of Foreign Affairs to seek shelter, owing to bad weather, but not to stay, the DFA clarified on Tuesday, after the ship had departed—but not before stirring up another socialmedia frenzy.

“A Chinese research vessel was given authority by the [DFA] to seek shelter in Philippine waters to evade bad weather but not to stay,” Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. said in a tweet, to stop social media from muddying the issue.

Locsin added that the request for shelter was made on Saturday, “before any report of intrusion why it was an emergency,” noting that the request did not mean the “permission to stay and be watched.”

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) based in Catanduanes reportedly deployed boats to board the said vessel, but was refused by the captain of the ship, Jia Geng, “due to health protocols.”

The DFA chief added: “PCG said it gave them a radio challenge/attempted to board; Chinese didn’t allow them. So they didn’t. We gave go-signal 31 Jan. Reconcile these stories, you get DFA’s Making Sense in a Pandemic Award.”

Locsin continued, “My MOAO clarifies: Thurs 28 Jan Beijing PE reported a phoned-in request to allow Chinese marine research vessel to take wind shelter in Cabugao Bay. Friday, Note Verbale from Chinese Embassy same request. They were in PH EEZ on Wed27Jan.’” The Jia Geng entered the country’s exclusive economic zone on January 25, Monday.

Two days later, Ryan Martinson of the US Naval War College posted on Twitter that the ship was “back operating in the Philippines exclusive economic zone. Current location about [242 kilometers] east of Samar.”

The documents showed that the Jia Geng was a “marine scientific research vessel of China,” the Coast Guard said in a report.

Continued on A2

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

B1

Travel restrictions, losses push PAL to cut work force

L

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

EGACY carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is cutting its work force by about a third, as the airline could no longer sustain the costs associated with its limited operations due to the pandemic, its president said on Tuesday.

Gilbert F. Sta. Maria, the company’s president, said the work force reduction program covers 2,300 employees, or about 30 percent of the airline’s total work force. This,

he said, includes voluntary separations and involuntary retrenchment.

Affected personnel will continue to be employed until mid-March.

“This has been an extremely dif-

ficult and painful decision. For our colleagues who are leaving, rest assured that we are committed to support you through this transition,” Sta. Maria said.

He noted that prior to the retrenchment, PAL chose to implement temporary furloughs and flexible working arrangements to hold off job cuts as long as possible and ensure that its employees continued to receive salaries and benefits, particularly medical benefits, during the height of the pandemic.

The retrenchment program, which was communicated to employees as early as October 2020, was carried out after a comprehensive system-wide review process.

Sta. Maria said this initiative “is

part of the company’s overall recovery initiatives amid the ongoing pandemic that has massively affected the global airline industry.”

PAL currently operates at less than 30 percent of its normal prepandemic capacity.

Sta. Maria noted that current operations will continue without disruptions and that the airline will “continue to gradually increase international and domestic flights as demand recovers.”

PAL Holdings Inc. recorded a comprehensive loss of P29.03 billion during the first three quarters of 2020, more than three times larger than its P7.86 billion loss the year prior, as the pandemic significantly reduced the demand for its passenger and ancillary services.

BOC starts collecting safeguard duties on cars

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

T

he Bureau of Customs (BOC) is now imposing provisional safeguard duties of P70,000 per unit of imported passenger cars and P110,000 per unit of imported light commercial vehicles.

This, after the Department of Trade and Industry said last month that there is a need to impose safeguard duty on imported automobiles to protect local assemblers from a surge in imports.

In Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) 6-2021 dated February 1 and signed by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero, the provisional duty will last for 200 days upon the issuance of the CMO. The provisional safeguard measure will be imposed while the case is under formal investigation by the Tariff Commission.

According to the memorandum, provisional safeguard duties in the form of cash bond amounting to P70,000 per unit would be imposed on any four-wheeled passenger cars designed to transport less than 10 persons and are not primarily to transport goods classified under Asean Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) Code 8703.

An additional tariff of P110,000 per unit of imported light vehicles would be imposed on light commercial vehicles whether four-wheeled drive or not which are designed to carry both passenger and cargo that are classified under AHTN Codes 8704.21.19 and 8704.21.29.

Those excluded from the coverage of the provisional duties are imported passenger cars and light commercial vehicles that are completely knocked-down, semi knocked-down, used, with electric motors, and those designed for a special purpose such as ambulances and hearses.

Also excluded are imported luxury passenger cars that have a Free On Board (FOB) value of $25,000 or higher and imported light commercial vehicles that have an FOB value of $28,000 or higher.

As directed by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, Customs said the provisional safeguard duty imposed and collected shall not form part of the landed cost that is used as basis for the value-added tax to be paid upon importation.

Moreover, the provisional safeguard duty shall also be deducted from the net importer’s selling price and suggested retail price, for purposes of computing excise tax.

SM, Red Cross open saliva test sites

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Correspondent

T

he Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has partnered with SM Supermalls to make saliva RT-PCR testing more accessible by opening on Tuesday drive-thru saliva RT-PCR collection sites in SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia.

“Kahit dumating na ang bakuna, importante parin ang pag-tetest para labanan ang Covid-19. Kaya gumagawa ang PRC ng paraan upang mapadali at mapabilis ang pag-tetest sa ating mga kababayan [Even if we have the vaccine already, testing is still important to fight Covid-19. That is why the PRC is making ways to make testing easy and accessible to our fellowmen]. We are heading towards nationwide saliva RT-PCR testing to help industries and schools open in this new normal,” PRC Chairman and CEO Senator Richard J. Gordon said during the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement between PRC and SM. The signing was attended by PRC Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla, SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan, Senior Vice President for Operations Bien C. Mateo, and other executives from PRC and SM. PRC will have its first two collection sites located in SM Megamall, Mega A bus bay at Edsa Mandaluyong, and at the 5 Ecom Open Parking in Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

The said locations will only serve as specimen collection sites for the saliva

RT-PCR test. The samples will then be forwarded to Red Cross laboratories for testing.

PRC will start to roll out the saliva RT-PCR testing nationwide as chapters that will serve as saliva sample collecting stations undergo training to ensure the safety of the collecting personnel and the quality of collected samples.

On Monday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency is still awaiting the study conducted by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) before other laboratories can use it.

“There is a standing order from Secretary [Francisco T.] Duque to Director Celia Carlos of RITM last week that they should be able to finish the study for the validation of saliva test as an alternative spicemen within two weeks. So, kung titingnan natin ang order na ‘yun[ If you are going to look at the order] next week hopefully lumabas na ang resulta [the result of the study will come out by next week] we can validate and be able to implement with other laboratories [in the country],” Vergeire said.

Gordon said the saliva test will give expand Filipinos’ access to cheaper, faster, and non-invasive tests for Covid-19.

The saliva test offered by Red Cross, just like the swab test, is also RT-PCRbased which is considered by the World Health Organization as the gold standard in testing for Covid-19. It has been approved by the Department of Health after going through thorough study and research by the University of Illinois and the University of the Philippines.

Local airlines to govt: Lift cap on passenger arrivals

By Recto L. Mercene @rectomercene

R

emove the 2,000 cap on arriving international passengers at the premier airport to boost the economy and revive the local tourism industry. This is the plea of the local airline sector after a year of suffering from low passenger volume.

Since the pandemic struck almost a year ago, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has mandated local air carriers to limit the number of arriving passengers to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This move has drastically slowed down the airline industry, which suffered the brunt of the pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) was host to 40 air carriers with an estimated 600 aircraft movement daily. It processes an estimated 35,000 passengers daily, rising to 50,000 daily during the long Christmas holidays at the three passenger terminals, according to the Media Affairs Department.

Local carriers claimed that the 2,000 daily cap on arriving passengers is not enough to sustain their operations, citing 3 reasons for the immediate lifting of the ban on arrivals. They said there are adequate protective measures, such as testing and quarantine protocols in place to mitigate risk; the government and private laboratories doing the Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction testing can handle more arriving passengers should the passenger limitation be lifted; and the procedures have been fine-tuned and that the government and the private sector now have a full grasp of the problem of passenger screening to determine

those with Covid-19.

“The advantage of increasing the number of arriving passengers surely will help the travel industry without compromising public safety and at the same time, it will boost the Philippine economy,” said some ranking officials of the airline sector who requested anonymity.

At present the Naia allows a maximum of 2,000 incoming passengers brought in by 36 airliners, including cargo and repatriation flights.

“The year 2020 was a tough year for the world, upending lives and businesses, spoiling economic plans and business opportunities,” the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the aviation sector worldwide was especially hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Michael Gill, executive director of the crossindustry Air Transport Action Group, said, “Our analysis shows that up to 4.8 million jobs in aviation may be lost by the beginning of 2021, a 43 percent reduction from pre-Covid levels.”

“When you expand those effects across all the jobs aviation would normally support, 46 million jobs are at risk. These include highly-skilled aviation roles, the wider tourism jobs impacted by the lack of air travel and employment throughout the supply chain in construction, catering supplies, professional services and all the other things required to run a global transport system.”

Around 58 percent of all tourists arrive at their destination by air and the stop in air traffic has created a massive negative effect on that industry as well. Over $630 billion in reduced GDP benefits from air travel-related tourism will be matched with 26.4 million jobs lost.

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Galaxy Racer buys majority stake in local eSports firm

G

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

alaxy Racer Holdings Ltd., an eSports organization based in the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday said it has acquired a majority stake in DreamFyre Group, a local company that was formed at the height of the pandemic last year.

“The vision of DreamFyre has always been to become a global eSports and gaming agency, to bring Filipino talent onto the global arena; and with this infusion of funds, support, network, and resources by Galaxy Racer, we’re sure to be able to bring that vision into reality in a much shorter

time frame. DreamFyre is incredibly pleased to join the Galaxy Racer family,” DreamFyre CEO Mitch Esguerra said in a statement.

Esguerra said the acquisition paves the way for DreamFyre to boost its local operations, and fast-track expansion into two other Southeast

Asian markets, targeted within the year. The deal will enable DreamFyre to better service local Filipino gaming content creators and professional players with more robust and global career development portfolios, the company said.

It will also allow local players to connect with the global advertiser base. “This takes the local eSports industry to a whole new level, as the joint operations of both companies now span across 22 countries,” the company said.

“DreamFyre’s portfolio will now continually grow as we boost local operations and expand to new game titles and markets, especially that we’re enabled by Galaxy Racer to create better offers to the Content Creators and Pro Players that have trusted us from the start,” Esguerra said.

“This acquisition in DreamFyre

further reinforces our plans for building a complete ecosystem around eSports, entertainment, lifestyle, and content. GXR DreamFyre will benefit from Galaxy Racer’s international experience and resources and we are committed to this acquisition to fund the growth and support the vision the founders have set for GXR DreamFyre,” Paul Roy, Galaxy Racer CEO, said.

DreamFyre was created only last year during the time of world crisis, when it has reached an exclusive network of more than 16 million in digital footprint, and is connected to 90 million in digital footprint, a feat never before seen in such a pace in the world of gaming and eSports talent management.

Galaxy Racer has a diverse international roster of 12 teams boasting of over 65 professionals from 22 countries.

Zuellig Pharma acquires ultra-cold freezers

H

ealth care provider Zuellig Pharma Corp. has purchased 10 ultra-low temperature freezers in anticipation of the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines that need to be stored in various temperature requirements.

Zuellig Pharma on Tuesday announced it has ordered 10 ultra-low temperature freezers to add to its capacity to store Covid-19 vaccines. Jannette Jakosalem, chief business officer at the firm, explained the procurement would allow Zuellig Pharma to handle the doses coming from different makers and with varying temperature needs.

“We have ordered 10 additional ultra-low freez-

ers, on top of the 14 already deployed through our network in anticipation of the storage and distribution demands of the Covid-19 vaccines in the Philippines,” Jakosalem said in a statement.

Zuellig Pharma CEO and Area Director Maikel Kuijpers vowed the firm will carry out its duty of storing the vaccines to the best of its abilities. He added Zuellig Pharma has undertaken deliveries of influenza shots and flu vaccination exercises as proof of its capacity to handle and distribute the Covid-19 doses. “Over our long history of supplying health care products during crises such as world wars, economic crises or natural disasters, we have learned best practices that we believe are applicable to the current Covid-19 pandemic, which I hope we can share,” Kuijpers said.

In the Philippines, Zuellig Pharma maintains a portfolio of being involved in the supply chain management of almost every major vaccine drives.

It boasts of cold rooms and walk-in freezers nationwide that it employs to store pharmaceutical products that need preservation. Elijah Felice Rosales

mutual funds

February 2, 2021

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 217 -9.52% -9.84% -1.77% -4.5% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.2673 -1.65% -8.5% 4.08% -3.48% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.9967 -11.19% -13.67% -3.05% -4.35% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7642 -8.86% -8.6% n.a. -4.94% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7024 -12.68% n.a. n.a. -5.29% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.7321 -6.54% -7.96% -0.86% -4.23% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.7061 -12.32% -10.92% -6.28% -7.07% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 95.43 -3.91% -7.38% n.a. -6.39% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 44.6736 -7.8% -8.04% -0.13% -4.64% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 467.02 -7.64% -7.94% -0.85% -4.49% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 1.0411 4.51% n.a. n.a.

-5.12% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.1227 -8.24% -7.47% -0.05% -3.89% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 33.2275 -7.57% -7.33% 0.56% -4.44% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8701 -9.96% n.a. n.a.

-4.7% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.5691 -7.44% -7.56% 0.55% -4.64% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 764.64 -7.22% -7.43% 0.49% -4.62% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6906 -12.05% -11.24% -3.37% -3.94% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.4732 -12.15% -9.37% -0.96% -4.16% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8751 -7.48% -7.74% 0.33% -4.64% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.1954 -7.8% -6.43% 1.24% -3.72% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 102.6121 -7.18% -7.22% 1.22% -4.6% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.2663 26.57% 2.18% 9.68% 5.27% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.6819 20.36% 7.93% n.a.

0.54% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.6355 7.02% -4.42% -0.51% -1.98% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.2275 6.3% -3.44% 1.36% -2.53% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.5553 0.03% -2.95% 0.01% -2.73% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1929 -12.75% n.a. n.a. -2.87% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.9339 0.49% -1.24% 1.9% -1.53% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.6927 0.38% -2.35% 1.11% -2.52% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 16.5198 0.33% -2.36% 1.05% -2.46% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.0394 -0.91% -3.42% 0.75% -2.61% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.4837 -6.32% -4.96% -0.14% -2.5% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9998 1.36% n.a. n.a. -2.23% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.9136 -4.23% n.a. n.a.

-3.75% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8954 -5.61% n.a. n.a. -4.04% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8617 -7.48% -5.79% -0.88% -2.93% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03894 0.7% 2.75% 1.91% -0.46% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.1872 15.76% 2.49% 7.21% 3.22% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.5296 14.47% 5.99% 8.78% 0.37% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.1999 7.28% 3.17% n.a.

-0.18% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 371.45 3.71% 3.23% 2.79% 0.1% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9037 -0.09% 0.3% 0.24% 0.18% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.218 3.01% 4.36% 4.74% 0.1% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2988 2.93% 2.83% 2.37% 0.12% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4512 3.99% 3.38% 2.15% -0.08% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.6531 6.43% 4.77% 3.02% 0.4% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3227 5.7% 4.47% 2.73% 0.11% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.9847 5.67% 4.48% 2.85% -0.41% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0388 7.37% 4.02% 2.5% -0.31% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.2039 4.23% 4.63% 3.46% -0.07% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7501 3.37% 3.88% 2.89% -0.28% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $484.51 2.98% 2.9% 2.79% 0.13% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.3 -0.45% 0.92% 1.24% 0.05% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2783 5.55% 4.29% 3.01% -0.16% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0264 1.93% 1.97% 1.59% -0.75% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0904 -1.5% 0.95% 0.56% -0.21% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.5285 3.8% 4.37% 3.26% -0.28% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0627358 3.44% 3.29% 2.44% 0.67% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.2077 -1.12% 2.48% 2.06% -0.49% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 129.98 3.04% 3.33% 2.58% 0.13% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0488 1.86% n.a. n.a.

0.07% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2982 2.4% 2.94% 2.61% 0.12% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0534 1.41% 1.77% n.a. 0.1% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.1306 n.a. n.a. n.a. 0.09% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.98 -1.01% n.a. n.a. 0%

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019.

4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019.

6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020.

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

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

February 2, 2021

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

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

43.2 104.5 83 24.1 9.94 46.5 10.86 20.75 26 54.1 17.5 133 74.8 0.93 3.8 0.58 3.46 1.51 0.4 0.67 153 2,100

44 105.3 83.1 24.5 9.95 46.65 11.36 22.45 26.1 55.5 17.7 133.1 74.85 0.94 3.89 0.6 3.55 1.54 0.42 0.69 153.9 2,188

43.5 104.7 83.2 24.2 9.9 46.9 11.46 20.4 26.4 55.5 17.3 129 74.9 0.94 3.85 0.61 3.41 1.45 0.38 0.66 153 2,100

44 105.3 83.4 24.45 9.97 47 11.46 22.9 26.4 55.5 17.78 133.5 75.25 0.94 3.94 0.61 3.69 1.98 0.425 0.7 154 2,100

43.5 103.1 82 23.9 9.81 46.15 11 20.4 25.9 54 17.3 129 74.85 0.94 3.75 0.61 3.28 1.45 0.38 0.66 152 2,100

44 105.3 83.1 24.1 9.95 46.65 11.1 20.75 26.1 55.5 17.5 133 74.85 0.94 3.89 0.61 3.5 1.54 0.4 0.7 153.8 2,100

500 2,947,640 2,420,980 122,300 415,900 3,245,600 1,500 600 440,100 2,970 3,500 1,040,190 51,960 1,000 187,000 8,000 139,000 11,678,000 530,000 144,000 910 100

21,800 307,988,400 201,360,812 2,949,315 4,132,046 151,111,610 16,636 12,845 11,453,725 163,011.50 61,158 138,073,830 3,896,859 940 725,200 4,880 487,100 20,225,640 208,850 96,490 139,570 210,000

-79,260,111 33,854,111 -220,420 -1,218,350 -70,061,240 -2,324,880 -12,496,321 -682,557 47,200 -73,100 -47,920 -31,250 29,010 -10,500

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 7.6 7.61 6.73 7.61 6.73 7.6 115,825,100 828,106,890 ALSONS CONS 1.29 1.3 1.28 1.3 1.26 1.29 1,788,000 2,277,420 25.9 25.95 25.5 25.95 25.2 25.95 1,187,200 30,498,245 ABOITIZ POWER BASIC ENERGY 1.1 1.11 1.13 1.22 1.04 1.1 305,911,000 350,922,580 FIRST GEN 29.6 29.7 30 30.2 29.7 29.7 2,488,000 74,412,990 75.6 76.5 75.6 76.05 75.5 75.6 9,980 754,519.50 FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO 282.6 284.8 275 284.8 275 284.8 222,010 62,657,752 15.1 15.2 14.9 15.4 14.8 15.1 637,800 9,727,604 MANILA WATER 3.53 3.54 3.53 3.55 3.5 3.54 993,000 3,510,580 PETRON PETROENERGY 3.66 3.84 3.66 3.84 3.65 3.84 53,000 194,120 11.84 11.94 12 12 11.72 11.84 33,300 392,970 PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL 20.4 20.45 20.05 20.4 20.05 20.4 419,200 8,515,735 SPC POWER 9.86 9.87 9.9 9.9 9.85 9.87 279,700 2,760,497 13.52 14.18 14.3 14.3 14.2 14.2 700 9,950 VIVANT AGRINURTURE 7.43 7.45 7.86 7.86 7.39 7.45 2,136,900 15,865,119 3.21 3.26 3.18 3.27 3.16 3.21 5,838,000 18,692,380 AXELUM 71 72 71 72 71 72 20 1,430 BOGO MEDELLIN CNTRL AZUCARERA 13.76 14.38 13.68 14.38 13.5 14.38 9,800 133,470 17.72 17.76 17.86 17.86 17.62 17.76 1,152,900 20,477,694 CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE 8.9 9.07 9.1 9.1 8.75 9.07 89,500 795,253 DNL INDUS 7 7.03 6.8 7.13 6.8 7 2,519,300 17,629,056 10 10.04 10 10.04 9.91 10.04 1,549,700 15,509,951 EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV 68 68.15 67.95 68.5 66.7 68 17,430 1,177,537.50 0.63 0.64 0.63 0.63 0.62 0.63 161,000 100,600 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.46 1.48 1.5 1.5 1.43 1.48 27,525,000 40,121,570 GINEBRA 58.3 58.35 58.1 59 58 58.35 145,990 8,542,334 179.7 179.8 178.9 183.4 178.8 179.8 1,329,210 240,007,684 JOLLIBEE 34 34.5 34.45 34.5 34.45 34.5 400 13,785 LIBERTY FLOUR MACAY HLDG 7.67 8.22 7.64 8.22 7.64 8.22 1,600 12,282 6.5 6.6 6.6 6.65 6.5 6.5 611,000 4,006,146 MAXS GROUP MG HLDG 0.355 0.36 0.33 0.365 0.315 0.355 37,690,000 13,071,700 SHAKEYS PIZZA 7.32 7.34 6.86 7.35 6.86 7.32 87,800 633,574 1.13 1.14 1.13 1.15 1.09 1.13 4,372,000 4,871,760 ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP 4.7 4.77 4.73 4.77 4.69 4.7 791,000 3,741,370 1.64 1.74 1.63 1.63 1.63 1.63 69,000 112,470 ROXAS HLDG SWIFT FOODS 0.132 0.136 0.138 0.139 0.132 0.136 970,000 131,530 UNIV ROBINA 142.1 144 140 144 140 144 597,740 85,378,007 0.9 0.91 0.9 0.92 0.89 0.9 3,338,000 3,028,020 VITARICH VICTORIAS 2.26 2.28 2.26 2.26 2.26 2.26 20,000 45,200 CONCRETE A 52.3 55.9 52.9 53 52.9 53 600 31,760 55.1 56.9 55.2 57.1 55.1 55.1 1,330 74,252.50 CONCRETE B CEMEX HLDG 1.36 1.37 1.37 1.38 1.35 1.36 3,375,000 4,596,000 5.96 5.99 6 6 5.9 5.99 206,300 1,225,833 DAVINCI CAPITAL EAGLE CEMENT 13.6 13.8 13.98 13.98 13.24 13.8 12,600 170,620 EEI CORP 7.23 7.3 7.2 7.3 7.14 7.3 749,900 5,397,267 6.3 6.32 6.15 6.3 6.11 6.3 2,211,600 13,567,297 HOLCIM MEGAWIDE 7.33 7.34 7.1 7.4 7.05 7.33 1,006,000 7,324,959 PHINMA 9.86 9.9 9.9 9.9 9.8 9.9 30,600 301,772 1.27 1.3 1.22 1.47 1.18 1.27 6,149,000 8,182,110 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 2.05 2.06 2.03 2.09 1.96 2.05 13,728,000 27,934,150 1.81 1.84 1.85 1.85 1.81 1.81 12,000 22,120 CROWN ASIA EUROMED 2.16 2.23 2.2 2.25 2.16 2.16 491,000 1,076,990 LMG CORP 4.6 4.95 4.56 4.56 4.56 4.56 1,000 4,560 4.52 4.56 4.56 4.56 4.56 4.56 4,000 18,240 MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP 5.29 5.33 5.4 5.4 5.17 5.29 592,700 3,095,908 CONCEPCION 20.05 20.2 20.95 20.95 20.05 20.05 12,800 258,025 2.77 2.8 2.8 2.88 2.54 2.8 23,045,000 63,368,340 GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR 13.02 13.04 13 13.36 12.9 13.02 3,938,500 51,318,460 IONICS 1.22 1.24 1.21 1.25 1.2 1.24 687,000 834,880 5.61 6.44 6 6.44 6 6.44 2,500 15,044 PANASONIC SFA SEMICON 1.5 1.51 1.49 1.55 1.48 1.5 1,648,000 2,473,420 7.18 7.19 7.28 7.29 7.14 7.19 4,664,700 33,545,427 CIRTEK HLDG

-12,896,146 -11,520 8,718,425 749,270.00 26,066,520 -449,864 -30,377,280 -1,712,318 -1,177,330 -1,808,435 197,400.00 -1,995,539 -29,070 -1,311,860 -266,400 -7,838,758 1,698,979 -216,574 553,450 5,318,818 -119,631,298 2,360,180 -1,833,850 -716 38,610 -359,480 -37,004,365 -28,630 30,020 4,690,855 -58,083 -854,841 896,000.00 0 17,876 -215,315 -2,294,840 1,922,292 202,500 -477,555

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 1.19 1.2 1.48 1.56 1.15 1.19 710,147,000 957,314,460 ASIABEST GROUP 8.22 8.49 8.54 8.54 8.11 8.2 39,500 325,055 783 786 772 797 770 783 237,740 186,790,025 AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY 42.4 42.5 41.5 43 41.5 42.5 922,600 39,230,345 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 10 10.02 9.9 10.08 9.9 10 8,291,500 82,906,878 3.13 3.14 2.77 3.13 2.77 3.13 8,802,000 26,720,260 AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR 6.72 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 17,000 117,300 0.83 0.85 0.78 0.87 0.78 0.84 7,941,000 6,574,640 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.82 0.83 0.84 0.85 0.82 0.83 3,026,000 2,531,730 ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B 0.84 0.85 0.86 0.86 0.84 0.85 81,000 68,450 5.1 5.19 5.1 5.19 5.02 5.19 1,344,600 6,854,906 COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG 5.36 5.37 5.2 5.41 5.19 5.36 4,907,200 26,198,095 FILINVEST DEV 8.6 9.09 8.58 8.6 8.58 8.6 1,700 14,618 3.03 3.28 3.27 3.28 3.27 3.28 3,000 9,820 FJ PRINCE A FORUM PACIFIC 0.226 0.243 0.243 0.243 0.226 0.226 20,000 4,690 532 535 540 554.5 532 532 417,590 225,632,750 GT CAPITAL 63.95 65 64.7 66.25 63.7 65 1,477,240 95,954,504.50 JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG 4.51 5.28 5.49 5.49 5.49 5.49 200 1,098 1.39 1.4 1.4 1.53 1.35 1.39 55,413,000 78,596,260 LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG 3.73 3.74 3.72 3.74 3.72 3.73 4,848,000 18,099,110 LT GROUP 13.38 13.4 13.44 13.76 13.3 13.4 1,702,800 22,937,224 0.51 0.54 0.5 0.54 0.5 0.54 58,000 30,040 MABUHAY HLDG MJC INVESTMENTS 1.81 1.99 1.75 2 1.75 1.99 24,000 43,770 4.15 4.16 4.1 4.17 4.1 4.15 9,831,000 40,702,790 METRO PAC INV 5 5.38 5.43 5.49 4.8 5.4 84,000 440,668 PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA 0.88 0.91 0.88 0.91 0.88 0.91 71,000 63,430 2.78 2.99 2.95 2.99 2.95 2.99 12,000 35,710 REPUBLIC GLASS SOLID GROUP 1.15 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.14 1.2 105,000 124,880 SYNERGY GRID 311 320 311 329 311 320 490 154,820 1,006 1,010 1,010 1,050 1,006 1,006 257,700 263,611,975 SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP 124.1 128 123 128 122.8 128 110,600 13,861,751 SOC RESOURCES 0.78 0.82 0.84 0.84 0.75 0.82 221,000 179,760 2.39 2.79 2.58 2.78 2.58 2.78 184,000 490,790 SEAFRONT RES TOP FRONTIER 138 140 138 140.2 138 140 12,060 1,682,543 0.225 0.235 0.222 0.225 0.222 0.225 100,000 22,350 WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG 0.219 0.224 0.224 0.224 0.219 0.219 480,000 106,320

9,717,230 44,660.00 -35,558,265 -4,287,920 -54,712,951 4,072,070 103,500 78,000 231,388.00 580,665 -69,604,255 -34,670,404.50 53,480 -13,819,550 -10,956,590 -6,345,680 9,720 19,673,855 -2,473,281 -640,070 13,140

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.69 0.7 0.69 0.7 0.67 0.7 800,000 554,180 ANCHOR LAND 7.4 8.38 7.51 7.51 7.4 7.4 3,300 24,741 39.3 39.4 39 39.55 38.95 39.3 6,652,000 261,665,545 AYALA LAND ARANETA PROP 1.29 1.34 1.35 1.35 1.34 1.34 22,000 29,600 AREIT RT 32.85 32.9 32.1 32.95 32.05 32.9 1,418,000 46,511,960 1.62 1.63 1.61 1.64 1.61 1.62 221,000 358,120 BELLE CORP A BROWN 0.92 0.93 0.89 0.92 0.88 0.92 2,665,000 2,413,160 0.79 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.79 0.79 26,000 20,760 CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES 0.147 0.148 0.146 0.152 0.146 0.148 2,300,000 340,750 CEBU HLDG 5.66 5.86 5.62 5.87 5.62 5.87 2,100 12,177 5.02 5.03 5.1 5.1 4.95 5.02 371,400 1,858,857 CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP 0.405 0.41 0.43 0.43 0.4 0.41 13,890,000 5,726,400 CYBER BAY 0.34 0.35 0.345 0.35 0.34 0.34 1,480,000 507,400 14.3 14.38 14.22 14.6 14.18 14.3 1,153,400 16,591,574 DOUBLEDRAGON DM WENCESLAO 6.95 6.96 7 7.09 6.94 6.96 136,200 952,718 0.28 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.28 0.28 5,240,000 1,504,800 EMPIRE EAST 0.086 0.088 0.085 0.088 0.085 0.088 790,000 67,690 EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND 1.13 1.14 1.12 1.15 1.12 1.14 14,133,000 16,105,580 0.88 0.89 0.85 0.89 0.85 0.88 435,000 381,950 GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG 7.5 7.88 7.3 7.88 7.3 7.88 88,100 654,241 PHIL INFRADEV 1.3 1.32 1.29 1.33 1.28 1.32 1,660,000 2,165,470 3 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 2,000 6,200 KEPPEL PROP CITY AND LAND 0.69 0.7 0.68 0.7 0.65 0.7 111,000 75,740 3.86 3.9 3.87 3.91 3.82 3.86 9,449,000 36,645,380 MEGAWORLD 0.5 0.51 0.5 0.54 0.5 0.51 150,390,000 77,499,700 MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES 0.4 0.42 0.43 0.43 0.42 0.42 300,000 126,300 1.29 1.32 1.26 1.32 1.25 1.32 307,000 387,550 PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND 19.58 19.98 19.3 19.98 19.2 19.98 1,995,200 38,943,646 PHIL REALTY 0.285 0.29 0.285 0.305 0.285 0.29 1,280,000 371,850 1.5 1.55 1.5 1.52 1.5 1.5 280,000 420,040 ROCKWELL SHANG PROP 2.58 2.67 2.52 2.58 2.5 2.58 227,000 569,960 STA LUCIA LAND 2.09 2.14 2.1 2.16 2.05 2.14 1,023,000 2,157,680 37 37.1 37.45 37.55 36.8 37 9,372,200 347,416,025 SM PRIME HLDG VISTAMALLS 4.05 4.07 3.93 4.05 3.92 4.05 48,000 189,820 1.78 1.79 1.74 1.82 1.72 1.79 2,581,000 4,560,420 SUNTRUST HOME 4.25 4.29 4.33 4.34 4.2 4.25 1,312,000 5,578,890 VISTA LAND

-70,000 -3,540,825 -6,840,810 8,800 61,524 -274,800 -4,305,906 86,500 1,037,310 -127,600 12,690 20,300 -18,002,970 1,528,900 -16,666,114 138,000 75,300 -622,050 -170,977,925 -99,180 -2,033,680

SERVICES ABS CBN 12.58 12.76 12.7 12.96 12.32 12.76 81,800 1,030,798 GMA NETWORK 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.05 6 6.01 382,900 2,305,553 0.46 0.475 0.45 0.48 0.45 0.46 620,000 288,000 MANILA BULLETIN GLOBE TELECOM 2,036 2,046 2,018 2,046 2,000 2,046 49,530 100,563,700 PLDT 1,420 1,424 1,406 1,425 1,401 1,424 277,545 394,443,790 0.2 0.201 0.228 0.233 0.2 0.2 3,444,850,000 745,448,640 APOLLO GLOBAL CONVERGE 16.28 16.32 16 16.5 16 16.32 7,079,200 115,505,490 4.95 5.02 4.96 5.1 4.95 4.95 1,108,000 5,559,220 DFNN INC 13.66 13.68 12.72 13.66 12.72 13.66 69,166,600 921,477,968 DITO CME HLDG IMPERIAL 1.78 1.89 1.75 1.89 1.74 1.89 30,000 54,740 0.161 0.162 0.138 0.206 0.138 0.161 659,300,000 122,607,700 ISLAND INFO JACKSTONES 2.01 2.09 2.14 2.14 2 2.01 47,000 95,090 NOW CORP 3.51 3.52 3.22 3.6 3.22 3.51 7,354,000 25,133,810 0.345 0.35 0.345 0.355 0.34 0.345 24,780,000 8,604,100 TRANSPACIFIC BR PHILWEB 2.6 2.62 2.6 2.67 2.58 2.6 637,000 1,674,360 8.47 8.48 8.48 8.7 8.35 8.47 55,500 474,214 2GO GROUP CHELSEA 4.65 4.66 4.28 4.67 4.25 4.65 3,916,000 17,740,280 CEBU AIR 47.1 47.15 46.85 47.5 46.7 47.15 109,100 5,135,270 119.5 120 121 122.2 119.5 119.5 1,902,830 228,966,357 INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS 15.62 16.2 16.18 16.2 15.58 16.2 14,200 228,084 LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.98 1.05 1.05 1.05 1.04 1.05 307,000 322,310 5.72 5.73 5.5 5.85 5.45 5.73 2,527,500 14,397,717 MACROASIA METROALLIANCE A 2.49 2.5 2.41 2.89 2.36 2.49 3,448,000 8,957,300 2.49 2.55 2.4 2.69 2.4 2.49 36,000 90,030 METROALLIANCE B PAL HLDG 6.48 6.5 6.35 6.5 6.35 6.5 15,400 99,226 HARBOR STAR 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.36 1.3 1.36 621,000 820,660 1.44 1.52 1.46 1.52 1.44 1.52 32,000 46,280 ACESITE HOTEL DISCOVERY WORLD 3.96 4.1 3.9 4.12 3.9 4.1 1,070,000 4,328,190 WATERFRONT 0.51 0.52 0.52 0.54 0.5 0.52 8,970,000 4,645,840 6.51 7.08 7.08 7.08 7.08 7.08 2,900 20,532 CENTRO ESCOLAR FAR EASTERN U 551 593 551 551 550 550 40 22,020 IPEOPLE 8.06 8.89 8.05 8.89 8.05 8.89 20,200 162,778 0.395 0.4 0.405 0.405 0.395 0.4 4,460,000 1,785,350 STI HLDG BERJAYA 4.11 4.49 4.05 4.1 4.05 4.1 113,000 462,800 7.96 8.1 7.99 8.1 7.85 8.1 2,463,400 19,704,220 BLOOMBERRY 2.01 2.12 2.19 2.19 2.15 2.15 5,000 10,790 PACIFIC ONLINE LEISURE AND RES 1.72 1.76 1.78 1.79 1.72 1.76 82,000 144,450 2.08 2.15 2.15 2.15 2.15 2.15 3,000 6,450 MANILA JOCKEY PH RESORTS GRP 2.59 2.6 2.58 2.69 2.56 2.6 5,645,000 14,732,170 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.45 0.46 0.445 0.465 0.445 0.45 5,260,000 2,389,050 6.5 6.79 6.5 6.79 6.5 6.79 20,000 132,900 PHIL RACING ALLHOME 8.5 8.51 8.45 8.7 8.45 8.7 89,400 765,429 1.45 1.46 1.4 1.46 1.4 1.45 1,268,000 1,802,230 METRO RETAIL 37.75 38.5 38.55 38.85 37.75 37.75 2,432,100 93,368,755 PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL 59.9 60 61.75 62 60 60 1,035,180 62,755,281.50 97.8 98 99 100 96.95 98 111,320 11,061,967 PHIL SEVEN CORP SSI GROUP 1.39 1.4 1.35 1.39 1.33 1.39 2,434,000 3,326,620 WILCON DEPOT 17.94 18 18 18 17.8 18 885,400 15,920,096 0.45 0.46 0.44 0.465 0.435 0.45 4,110,000 1,868,750 APC GROUP EASYCALL 6.8 6.83 6.82 6.83 6.8 6.83 102,000 695,552 434 449.6 440 450 437.2 449.6 180 79,904 GOLDEN BRIA IPM HLDG 4 5 5.25 5.25 5 5 600 3,025 PAXYS 2.25 2.47 2.46 2.46 2.46 2.46 1,000 2,460 2.33 2.34 2.5 2.64 2.21 2.34 216,874,000 532,420,260 PRMIERE HORIZON 4.75 5.03 4.68 5.07 4.67 5.04 7,000 34,250 SBS PHIL CORP

17,262,300 188,137,295 2,019,970 8,492,246 3,329,280 14,956,450 -85,900 486,990 862,400.00 -131,880 -165,100 198,510 -10,147,613 -817,726 67,580 231,900 -1,421,350 -7,167,548 -39,800 126,100 92,546 40,500 156,815.00 -26,051,982.50 -3,710,336.50 29,010 4,901,814 68,200 2,460 -8,310,000.00 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 6.99 7 6.23 7.5 6.23 7 2,717,900 19,177,803 614,876 1.63 1.65 1.7 1.72 1.64 1.64 7,035,000 11,788,410 -933,790 APEX MINING ABRA MINING 0.0055 0.0056 0.0056 0.0064 0.0052 0.0055 48,119,000,000 279,101,300 996,900 ATLAS MINING 5.98 6 6 6.04 5.98 6 827,200 4,965,178 3.1 3.15 3.15 3.18 3.1 3.18 202,000 628,930 BENGUET A BENGUET B 3.1 3.15 3.1 3.1 3 3.1 13,000 40,030 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.31 0.285 0.3 1,900,000 563,150 6,200 COAL ASIA HLDG 2.8 2.85 2.8 2.85 2.79 2.85 251,000 702,520 131,170 CENTURY PEAK DIZON MINES 9.37 9.38 8.9 9.5 8.9 9.37 211,200 1,917,495 -2,817 2.45 2.47 2.33 2.51 2.33 2.46 11,057,000 26,869,390 -2,366,230 FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE 0.37 0.38 0.385 0.395 0.375 0.375 2,650,000 1,006,150 LEPANTO A 0.155 0.156 0.154 0.163 0.152 0.156 32,110,000 5,055,010 0.158 0.16 0.156 0.165 0.156 0.16 1,770,000 283,850 32,000 LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 0.0099 0.01 337,300,000 3,371,870 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 26,000,000 266,100 MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES 1.35 1.36 1.35 1.41 1.34 1.36 2,031,000 2,799,200 -52,550.00 NIHAO 2.68 2.75 2.77 2.8 2.64 2.75 66,000 180,660 13,200 5.15 5.18 4.91 5.24 4.91 5.18 3,335,000 17,188,030 3,719,420 NICKEL ASIA OMICO CORP 0.4 0.41 0.39 0.41 0.39 0.41 330,000 131,350 ORNTL PENINSULA 1 1.01 0.99 1.06 0.96 1.01 5,347,000 5,403,540 4.5 4.55 4.52 4.6 4.48 4.5 845,000 3,809,410 216,420 PX MINING SEMIRARA MINING 12.44 12.54 12.5 12.58 12.34 12.44 935,300 11,678,946 -4,607,798 0.0065 0.0066 0.0068 0.0068 0.0064 0.0066 170,000,000 1,123,200 UNITED PARAGON ACE ENEXOR 14.24 14.42 13.48 14.48 13.48 14.42 262,900 3,705,370 -18,302 ORNTL PETROL A 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.012 710,500,000 8,678,100 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.013 54,100,000 654,900 9,600 ORNTL PETROL B 0.013 0.014 0.013 0.014 0.013 0.013 452,200,000 5,949,500 161,200 PHILODRILL PXP ENERGY 9.68 9.71 9.58 10.04 9.5 9.68 1,006,300 9,800,424 1,539,286

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 100 102.1 101 101 100 100 20 2,010 AC PREF B1 516 527.5 528 528 528 528 200 105,600 101.1 102.4 102 102 100.5 101.1 1,410 142,285 ALCO PREF B AC PREF B2R 513 522 513 513 513 513 2,180 1,118,340 CPG PREF A 102.5 104.4 104.2 104.4 104.2 104.4 2,010 209,804 490 550 490 490 490 490 50 24,500 FPH PREF C GLO PREF P 501 504 504 504 504 504 1,010 509,040 101.6 101.9 101.9 102 101.5 101.9 37,550 3,826,029 MWIDE PREF MWIDE PREF 2B 101.4 101.5 100.1 101.4 100.1 101.4 7,350 745,095 PNX PREF 3B 104.9 106.7 104.8 104.9 104.8 104.9 580 60,822 1,006 1,008 1,005 1,005 1,005 1,005 330 331,650 PNX PREF 4 PCOR PREF 3A 1,093 1,094 1,094 1,094 1,093 1,093 1,570 1,717,030 PCOR PREF 3B 1,110 1,134 1,139 1,139 1,139 1,139 60 68,340 79 79.4 79.4 79.4 79 79 19,960 1,576,844 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F 77.5 78.95 78.95 78.95 78.95 78.95 10,090 796,605.50 76.7 76.95 76.15 76.7 76 76.7 1,000 76,633 SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H 76.5 77.5 76.5 77.2 76.5 77.2 129,800 10,020,070 SMC PREF 2I 77.75 78 77.75 77.75 77.75 77.75 130 10,107.50 76.2 76.3 76.2 76.3 76.1 76.3 5,070 386,167 SMC PREF 2J SMC PREF 2K 76.1 76.25 76.1 76.25 76.1 76.25 61,620 4,693,603.50

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 12.2 12.52 12.6 12.6 12.52 12.52 42,000 525,968 -400,760 GMA HLDG PDR 6.01 6.05 5.9 6.05 5.9 6.05 725,400 4,383,316 -778,345

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 0.9 0.92 0.83 0.92 0.83 0.92 189,000 163,470 -

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 19.04 19.1 20.05 21 19 19.04 571,500 11,492,340 -1,004,431 ITALPINAS 3.02 3.03 3.05 3.07 3.01 3.02 2,852,000 8,634,180 350,450 5.96 6 5.9 6 5.85 5.96 28,100 165,093 KEPWEALTH MERRYMART 6.95 6.96 6.41 6.96 6.41 6.95 31,910,900 216,424,319 -247,446

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 103.6 104.7 104.9 105.5 103.6 103.6 39,230 4,091,107 87,112

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Wednesday, February 3, 2021 B3

‘Probe violators of debt moratorium order’

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By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

HE Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies asked monetary authorities to investigate financial intermediaries defying the debt moratorium order issued by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian reminded that the BSP, being the country’s regulator of the banking industry, is mandated to “ensure

that banks and credit card issuers strictly follow the laws and protect consumers’ interests.” Gatchalian, however, didn’t name these “erring”

financial intermediaries.

Still, the senator cited complaints have reached his office against non-compliance of some banks to the debt moratorium.

Hence, the senator prodded the BSP to investigate erring banks “and make sure that they comply with the provisions under the Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws.”

The senator said that the “BSP should exercise its supervisory and regulatory powers over these erring banks by enforcing the provisions of the Bayanihan laws.”

Reminding that “a kid-gloves treatment will do no good at this time,” the lawmaker laments that “everyone is having a hard time financially.” He emphasized this was why regulators “should do their share as dictated upon by the law.”

Sale of reissued T-bills raises ₧30B

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

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HE Bureau of the Treasury fully awarded P30 billion in reissued 10-year Treasury Bonds (T-bonds) as average rate inched up “within market expectations.”

With a remaining term of 9 years and five months, the tenor fetched an average rate of 3.066 percent, which was 34.2 basis points above the 2.724 percent average rate in the previous auction.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon expressed she was satisfied with the auction results, with total bids for the security amounting to P63 billion; twice the offer.

De Leon said the Bloomberg valuation for the security is higher at 2.968 percent “given inflation reading for January and expectation this year.”

“Good to see strong participation

in the long end at relatively low pick up in yields,” she added.

The government would release official inflation data for January on February 5. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas forecasts the country’s inflation rate for the month to settle within 3.3 to 4.1 percent, slightly higher than the 2-percent to 4-percent target range set by the government for the year.

In December 2020, the country’s inflation rate accelerated to 3.5 percent, coming from 3.3 percent in November 2020 and 2.5 percent in December 2019. Full-year inflation was pegged at 2.6 percent, within government targets.

De Leon said she expects to see higher rates in the near-term for longer tenors.

“Some upward adjustments in the long-end but front-end will remain with abundant liquidity and heavy bias on this segment.”

The Treasury’s decision to fully

award the reissued 10-year securities brought the total outstanding volume for the series to P90 billion.

For this month, the Treasury programmed to borrow P140 billion from the local debt market, the same amount it planned to raise in January.

The Treasury reported on Tuesday that the country’s debt in 2020 reached a new record-high of P9.795 trillion, up by 26.7 percent from P7.731 trillion as of end-2019 due to higher funding requirements to respond to the national and health crises.

Government spending for its Covid-19 response pushed the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio in 2020 to a 14-year-high of 54.5 percent.

This was also slightly higher than the Duterte government’s projection of 53.5 percent for 2020 and a target of 40.2 percent before it imposed an 80-day lockdown over key economic hubs.

Reverse colonialism and corporate takeovers

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TARTING from the 1400s, Western powers established colonies in Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas mostly for economic gain. The first of these global empires was that of Portugal, which outlasted all others and survived for almost 600 years until 1999 when it handed over Macao to China.

In a reversal of fortunes, some of those former subjects are gradually taking over the economies of their previous masters. England is filling up with people from its erstwhile colonies in the British Commonwealth, while France now has a large population of Muslim immigrants from its African territories.

Even in the corporate world, reverse colonialism is rising. Among the classic examples are Filipinoowned Emperador Distillers Inc., the buyer of iconic Spanish brandy maker Fundador; Filipino multinational Del Monte Pacific Ltd., which acquired its century-old American parent company Del Monte Foods; and, Indian conglomerate Tata Group’s flagship firm Tata Motors Ltd. that has purchased venerable English automobile brands Jaguar and Land Rover.

The latest to ride the reverse colonial acquisition wave is Manilabased HatchAsia Inc., with its recent takeover of Sydney-domiciled casino operator Silver Heritage Group Ltd. Listed in the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), Silver Heritage used to manage The Millionaire’s Club and the Tiger Palace Resort in Nepal as well as the Phoenix International Club in Vietnam.

HatchAsia is an affiliate of Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE)-listed DFNN Inc., the first company to receive a license from state-run regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to offer

Finex free enterprise Joseph Araneta Gamboa domestic online gaming services under Pagcor’s new Pigo or “Philippine inshore gaming operator” scheme.

Replacing Silver Heritage’s former CEO Mike Bolsover, Chairman Matthew Hunter and Director Darryl Kaplan in the new board were HatchAsia President Kirk Arambulo, DFNN Executive Director Ramon Garcia Jr. and International Container Terminal Services Inc. (Ictsi) CFO Rafael Jose Consing Jr. Ictsi is the Philippines’s global ports industry giant owned by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr., who is also the CEO of Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which operates Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila’s Entertainment City. Both ICTSI and Bloomberry are listed in the PSE. The completion of HatchAsia’s takeover came eight months after Silver Heritage entered voluntary administration following the emergence of Covid-19 and the forced closure of its Nepalese facilities. It was then subject to a takeover offer from HatchAsia that was seen to acquire 92 percent of Silver Heritage’s issued share capital by injecting funds worth AUD530,000 and issuing new shares for the equivalent value. This was subsequently confirmed through an ASX filing last month.

Now that the administrators of Silver Heritage have handed control to HatchAsia, the latter will

start infusing assets and recapitalize the company in preparation for the lifting of its voluntary trading suspension—paving the way for the first Filipino company to be publicly listed in the Australian stock market.

Another DFNN affiliate and investee firm, iWave Inc., has entered into an implementation agreement to list in the Singapore Stock Exchange also through the backdoor.

This is via a reverse takeover of SGX-listed China Sky Fiber Co. Ltd. Wholly-owned subsidiary iWave Advanced Research Group was recently granted an exclusive license to operate the Global Trade Exchange (GTX) in the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB).

GTX is a platform that enables the cross-border trading and exchange of digital assets between international investors.

Its authority includes the ability to perform capital market functions such as futures, commodities, and derivatives catering to foreign registered entities beginning in the second quarter of 2021. This would allow fasttracked residency processing and business registration under FAB’s tax-free environment.

Indeed, Filipino enterprises are on track to compete in the global stage despite the pandemic-induced economic crisis. Some of them will soon join the ranks of SM, Ayala, and JG Summit groups as Philippine companies that have met international standards and are widely recognized overseas.

Joseph Gamboa is the co-chairman of the Finex Annual Conferences for 2020-2021, chairman of the Finex Business Columns Subcommittee and director of Noble Asia Industrial Corp.

The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of these institutions and the BusinessMirror.

Gatchalian pressed for a deeper probe after taking note of reports about mounting consumer creditcard complaints.

These “high number of credit card-related complaints received” by the BSP also prompted the central bank to issue Circular Letter CL-2021-008 last January 14.

Signed by Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier, the circular said the BSP reminds all BSP-supervised financial institutions operating as credit card issuers “to strictly comply with the regulations governing credit card operations and consumer protection.”

The circular said these regulations are enshrined under the “Manual of Regulations on Credit Card Operations as amended by Circular 1098 dated September 24, 2020, and Financial Consumer

Protection as amended by Circular 1048 dated September 6.”

The circular also noted these institutions must follow the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Section 4 (aa) of Republic Act (RA) 11649 (The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act) and Section 4 (uu) of RA 11494 (The Bayanihan to Recover as One Act) governing the relief on credit cards.”

The Senator cited the latter provision that requires banks to implement a non-extendible mandatory one-time 60-day grace period to all loans of individuals and entities that are existing, current and outstanding falling due on or before December 31, 2020.

“We anticipated that some loans would accrue interests because the party concerned has defaulted and that’s precisely the reason why

we introduced these provisions in the laws, to protect consumers amid the global health pandemic,” Gatchalian said in a statement last Tuesday.

At the same time, Gatchalian appealed to lenders not to be too greedy to earn huge profits, discouraging them from taking advantage of or exploiting people in dire straits in the midst of pandemic, especially since laws dissuade them from doing so. [“Huwag naman po sana tayong maging ganid para lang lumaki ang kita o tubo sa mga pinautang. Hindi tama na manantala sa mga taong gipit na lalo na kung nakasaad na ito sa batas.”]

“Dapat pairalin natin ang bayanihan sa gitna ng pandemya,” the senator emphasized. [We must be in solidarity amid the pandemic.]

Entrepreneur BusinessMirror

B4 Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Group offers data-privacy training for MSMEs

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he National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP), the country’s first organization for data privacy and protection, will train Filipino micro, small and mediumsized enterprises (MSMEs) that are members of the BounceBack PH (BBPH) movement on data privacy and protection fundamentals to help them manage the privacy of their customers online and offline.

“The shift of businesses online has exponentially increased the reach of MSMEs, which brought a lot of opportunities, but at the same time, this increased the risk of their customer databases being breached by hackers,” Sam Jacoba, NADPOP founding president said.

“Most of these businesses have less than five full time employees so we are going to provide BBPH members with world-class training and certification programs that they can anchor on with their online business transformation journey.”

“We welcome this generous support to our MSME members from NADPOP as now more than ever, protecting the personal information of customers should be top of mind of all entrepreneurs going online,” Jason de la Rosa, founder of BBPH said.

“We also welcome the scholarships that NADPOP is going to provide to our members who will not be able to afford the training, especially during this time of the pandemic. We thank NADPOP for responding to the call of the Digital Bayanihan Initiative of BBPH, which aims to help our members be better than ever and shine through the pandemic.”

NADPOP and BBPH will work together to identify the 100 recipients of the data privacy and protection training and certification program, and will make the announcement in the coming weeks ahead. NADPOP and BBPH partner, Bluepoint Foundation will be providing the eLearning infrastructure for the program.

Each of the scholarships is worth at least P38,000 based on commercial rates.

“We will conduct four classes of 25 participants each after we’ve finished the selection process,” Jacoba said. “Primarily, the scholarships will be given to active members of BBPH and its communities, have an ongoing business, currently financiallychallenged, diligent with their business requirements, and will implement what they will learn from the course. After the participants have finished the course, they will have to take a certification exam, and if they pass, they will gain a Data Privacy Specialist certification valid for two years.”

“BBPH members who won’t be selected for the 100 scholarship grants can still avail of NADPOP’s Data Privacy training and certification program with a very competitive rate exclusive to active members of the community,” de la Rosa said.

“All participants of the program will then be part of a Community of Practice of data privacy and protection practitioners, whom they can consult with as they continue with their online business transformation journey,” he added.

Those who are interested to work with NADPOP and BBPH on this program can send e-mail

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Online footwear start-up stands on its feet in face of pandemic challenges

By Roderick L. Abad

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took back then,” she noted. “I’m just glad that there are still people buying our products even if the brand is still a new player in this industry.”

@rodrik_28

Contributor

OR the retail industry, the loss of brick and mortar shops due to mobility restriction or disruption in their operations during lockdown periods is e-commerce’s gain.

But this does not apply to everyone online.

Andy Riel Wong, one of the owners of an online start-up footwear brand for women, could attest to this. Andy Shop PH (www.andyshop. ph), the web-based marketplace she launched with business partner Rodrigo Escobar on March 11, 2020— two days prior to President Duterte’s announcement of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) implementation in Metro Manila and nearby areas—has continued its operations since then yet reeling from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Just like most of the businesses today, we are all affected by the Covid-19. The purchasing behavior of people drastically changed and it is understandable. Most people tend to prioritize the essential goods nowadays,” she told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview.

While she admits that their cyber shoe shop is having difficulties, particularly getting the attention of potential customers, they remain steadfast to make it survive amid the ensuing health crisis and stand on its feet.

“We should all learn how to adapt to situations no matter how bad it is. The right time to do business is always now. People can never be prepared 100 percent to do business.

From my experience, not all businesses go as planned. It is best to do it now and learn as you go along,” she said.

Humble beginnings

PUTTING up an entity she partly owns is not new to Wong, who earned a business management degree from the University of Asia and the Pacific.

She and Escobar, who happens to be her boyfriend, initially opened a small café restaurant in Antipolo City called the Sulok Cafe, which has been in operations for four years. In high hopes that they could start the year 2020 right, they then invested P200,000 for their venture into the online business. This initiative is close to her heart given her previous work experiences in various start-up e-commerce companies.

As a baby step to their foray, they chose to offer shoes online. Similar to the food and beverage sector with a very saturated market, they wanted to hold a piece of the pie of the footwear industry.

As a headstart, they looked for shoe manufacturers in Marikina

Business as usual

A model poses for a snapshot while wearing a pair of Andy Shop PH ladies shoes made by Marikina shoe craftsmen.

Andy Shop PH owner Andy Riel Wong.

City that would deliver the quality for their brand. They partnered with shoe manufacturers who are not up for profit, but willing to improve the lives of their artisans and treat them fairly with good salaries.

“When we purchase local, we support their families, their dreams and their legacy. We want to make sure that this will live for generations to come,” she said.

Working closely with them, the designs of their first batch of shoes resulted from their team effort. Because the business does not require a physical store, Wong’s apartment serves as their office and stockroom.

Footwear for everyday women

PROUDLY made locally, Andy Shop PH is a brand of shoes that stands for ordinary women dealing with their daily life’s challenges.

For Wong, their ideal clients defy the norm, find beauty in simple things, and unmindful of what others think of them. She added that their customers are not bounded by aspirations of the majority and see themselves for who they are and not whom they want to become.

“That’s how I would define them.

They’re not your usual fashionista seen and aspired by many women, these are the women you see regularly,” she said of their target markets like moms, working girls, and kolehiyalas.

“They’re normally in their early 20s to mid-30s. These women rely on their own to survive, those who work the hustle and move around the struggles of life rather than complain about it.”

Given their daily routines, Andy Shop PH has paved the way for them to start the day right with their comfortable feet—thanks to its detailed attention to the designs of its footwear.

A skilled shoemaker crafts a pair of lady’s shoe in his shop in Marikina shop.

“The shoes we put on reflect the same way we choose the clothes we put on our skin. But oftentimes, we neglect the value of it. To some, it is the last thing that we put on before we move forward with our day, but to many, it is an important choice that we need to make. Let’s start our day together… starting from the bottom.

Let’s start with your feet,” the businesswoman explained.

Surviving the crisis

STILL confronted by the unprecedented crisis, the start-up continues to fight the tough times, per the coowner.

With nearly 10 months in operation, Wong admitted that they continue to strive hard for the business to survive and thrive. She shared: “As for the ROI [return on investment], we haven’t achieved it yet given the current situation.”

Being a newbie, she conceded that their footwear still has a big shoe to fit in to be recognized as one of the leading local shoe brands. Without citing Andy Shop PH’s exact market share, she believes that it would probably be less than 5 percent of the overall women’s shoes category that is manufactured locally.

“We expected minimal movement with the sales due to the situation we had the business walk right in to. We also expected many people to

A snapshot of one of the best-selling lady’s shoes products at Andy Shop PH.

be unemployed—in fact, we closed down our restaurant business in Antipolo. Nevertheless, the hope was still there. That’s all we had, hope.

Hope that things will be better soon,” Wong said.

Given the current status of her business, the entrepreneur reiterated that they have no regrets with their decision to launch it last year amid the threat of Covid-19 pandemic by then. She recalled that she and her business partner were left with no other choice but to pursue this business or risk having nonmoving stocks.

“We didn’t know when the lockdown/pandemic would end, and if we waited for it, we might not be able to launch at all. It was a risk that we

CURRENTLY, Andy Shop PH itself is wholly manned by Wong and Escobar. Together, they handle the entire operations, marketing and sales. In charge of the production are their two shoe partner-manufacturers, who collectively employ over three dozen local craftsmen/women in Marikina City.

“My production capacity is only as good as my sales. When there are more sales, then the capacity increases. Given my partnership and relationship with my manufacturers, I am able to produce over 200 pairs per month—but that depends on my stock movement,” she bared.

Hands on with the business, Wong personally designs all the shoes up for grabs at Andy Shop PH. She gets inspirations from the different people she meets and looks at the type of shoes she and her friends wear.

Likewise, she consults with their manufacturers on how to do it as she wants to make sure that every pair they produce is comfortable and the material used will last long. To keep up with the latest trends, her reference would be the recent fashion shows abroad via online.

“There’s a story behind every shoe. Other brands play on the volume of their products and hope to sell it that way. The names of my shoes are made with a story that transcends human emotions to something that’s tangible—starting with their feet,” she narrated.

Though the brand is just starting, Wong is elated to see that celebrities and influencers wear their shoes already, namely, Andi Eigenmann, Kylie Verzosa, Camille Co, Janeena Chan, and Tricia Gosingtian. Even some online media outlets featured their products as well.

“So far, I can say that there is a huge chance for this business to thrive. It may not happen soon but there is a big opportunity as long as we keep ourselves focused,” the part owner said.

Apart from Andy Shop PH’s portal, their offerings are now available also on Shopee (www.shopee.ph).

Customers can enjoy discounts and expect more items in the pipeline.

“This year, we are expanding to other leather goods other than shoes like bags, wallets, belts, etc. Also, we plan to offer products that would appease to men. Eventually, we hope to make Andy Shop PH as a retail brand for everyone,” she stressed.

Setting a good example of a resilient entrepreneur determined to rise from the difficult times, Wong leaves this inspiring message for struggling business owners: “If you are someone who just lost a business due to the pandemic like me, take some rest then stand up again. A business that fulfills/completes your soul is worth fighting for.”

Batanes agripreneur rolls out sweet potato beer from the north

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UGUEGARAO CITY—Mass production of the Ivatan Beer, the first and only locally brewed beer in Batanes, has started in the country’s northernmost province.

According to Dr. Alfonso Simon, Batanes State College president, the technology used for producing the beer using sweet potato, or camote, was developed by the research and development department of the BSC and transferred to a local entrepreneur.

The BSC, through Simon, and trader Dennis Lim of Tawsen Agri-Ventures, signed the Technology Licensing Agreement (TLA) of the said beverage.

Simon, in an interview, emphasized

the significance of the Ivatan Beer to the people of Batanes.

“The fact that the Ivatan Beer is made from the locally-grown wakay or sweet potato, which is abundant in the province of Batanes, the product becomes even more interesting and appealing to the locals of Batanes,” he told the Philippine News Agency.

Lim, a former college instructor who had turned entrepreneur, said that Ivatan Beer’s commercialization will “immensely contribute to the flourishing Batanes’ tourism industry.”

T he Depa r t ment of Sc ience a nd Technology-Cagayan Valley, through Regional Director Sancho Mabborang,

has issued the Fairness Opinion Report on the licensing agreement’s terms and conditions.

In September 2020, Tawsen Agri-Ventures and BSC signed the term sheet of the licensor and the licensee to agree on the conditions to push through with the Ivatan Beer’s commercialization.

BSC received a P400,000 fund from the Department of Science and Technology to develop the beverage in 2018. The following year, the native beer made its public debut during the Science and Technology Caravan in Batanes.

In the same year, the product won third place in the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibit. PNA

Commercial production of the Ivatan Beer, the first and only locally brewed beer in Batanes, has begun in the province. The beverage is produced from sweet potato, which grows abundantly in the northernmost province of the country. Photo

courtesy of Dr. Alfonso Simon/Batanes State College

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Image BusinessMirror

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Wednesday, February 3, 2021

B5

Minimalism for maximum gains JOSHUA FIELDS MILLBURN (left) and Ryan Nicodemus, cofounders of TheMinimalists. com, are the focus of the absorbing Netflix documentary Minimalism.

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WAS looking for an extra adapter for my computer last week and I had to look through three boxes of wires and plugs and two cabinet drawers of knick-knacks before I finally found it.

The search took me almost an hour.

When I looked around, I realized there were so many things I had not used for the past year. I opened my clothes cabinet and realized I would only use about three pairs of shorts and four shirts at a time during the week whenever I work from home, and rotated four pairs of pants and five shirts for work. I realized I was holding on to so many clothes which I had not even used for the past year.

Weeks ago, a good friend recommended I watch The Minimalists on Netflix because he said it was a good documentary. I started watching it, but it took me some time to finish. I have always had this preconceived notion that being a minimalist means letting go of everything I had and just living with the essentials—food, shelter, and the bare minimum for clothing. Little did I know that it was more than just a fad, it was a way of life. And it does not mean letting go of everything.

Joshua Becker, author of Becoming Minimalist, says that “minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it.” In short, living intentionally.

Minimalism is knowing which ones are worth keeping in your life—be it the things we own, and even the people we associate with. It means living purposely by building an environment where you are free to focus on things that matter most to you.

At the heart of discontent, according to minimalism, is the want to have more. Why is wanting to have more making us unhappy? It makes us unhappy because it highlights our discontent with our current state. When we are unhappy with our current state, we focus more on the future which creates that discontent. And when it does not happen, it makes us feel slighted. It then accentuates our frustrations especially for unrealistic expectations.

Sometimes, getting more than we can handle could also make us restless and discontented because we tend to ask for more. This is what is known as the Diderot Effect. Denis Diderot, the renowned French chief editor of the “Encyclopédie” during the Enlightenment, was in a quandary because his daughter was getting married and he did not have enough money for her wedding. Catherine the Great of Russia heard of Diderot’s predicament and offered to buy his encyclopedia collection. Suddenly, he had more money than he needed and bought himself a scarlet robe. This robe became so out of place with his common things that he bought other things to go

with his new robe. In time, he bought more things just so everything goes well with his new robe. Does this sound familiar? What have you bought together with your new phone?

Minimalism seeks to counter the ubiquitous consumerism that has plagued modern society. It is so widespread but hardly noticeable because you are not even aware of its effect on you. Marketing professionals have mastered the art and science of persuading you to buy something which you do not actually need through the clever use of color and design. They would even go so far as employ psychological tricks to exacerbate your fear of missing out. This propaganda of needing more creates and highlights your wants more than your needs.

Does this mean we need to get rid of everything we own? Definitely not. Minimalism is about freeing up space so more important things can occupy them. It also does not mean being a miser but being intentional in adding value to what is significant in your life by carefully curating your possessions to only those things that add value to you every day.

Bottom line is the intentionality of what goes into your space. Look around where you are right now and ask yourself this question: Do you use all the things that are around you?

The concept of minimalism forces you to focus on what is important in your life and having them within easy reach. This means less distractions from

unimportant things resulting in less stress which in turn helps you to have peace of mind because you do not needlessly have to worry about other things.

Everything you need is accessible and right where you need them. You can then have time to devote to more important things because you quickly find what you need. Moreover, and equally significant, it would be easier to clean the entire house because you do not have any more dust collectors on your cupboards.

Everything has a purpose, and everything is in their proper place.

You also deliberately stave off the compulsion to buy whatever you see on television or on social media because you know what you really need because everything in your house serves its purpose. This in turn helps you save money and time. You get to save your money on things which you really need and deliberately avoid those which are just a fad. You are forced to examine not just if you really need the item, but the quality of the item itself. Eventually, you will discover you have spent copious sums of money and inordinate amounts of time for things which you will not use in a week. By focusing on what you really need, you get to save your money for things which really matter to you.

One other thing I like about minimalism is the effect on your community. Imagine people sorting everything they owned and giving away to others in their community the things which they do not need.

Make drinking water a habit with these five tips IT’S a universal truth that drinking eight glasses of water a day is good for our health. There are many benefits to it—from maintaining a clear mind, having glowing healthy skin, and even giving a much-needed boost to the immune system.

With everyone doing all their activities indoors, there’s an even greater need to stay hydrated and be refreshed at home. From the Refresh Mineral Water brand, which is now available in groceries, supermarkets, and convenience stores nationwide, here are some tips that one can follow to embrace drinking water as a healthy daily habit: n START THE DAY WITH A REFRESHING GLASS OF WATER. Sleeping for six to eight hours is a long period of time without any water consumption. So, it is no surprise that upon waking up, the body craves for a glass of water first thing in the morning.

Drinking water is a good way to rehydrate the body and get it ready for the day ahead as it can boost alertness and improve energy levels. It also cleanses out toxins that have accumulated overnight, giving the body a clean, fresh start. n KEEP A GLASS OF WATER WHILE WORKING OR STUDYING. Just like before when people would bring a water bottle or jug when leaving the home, it is also important to have a glass or tumbler nearby so one can readily take a sip whenever they are feeling parched. This simple routine is helpful in keeping on track one’s daily water requirement, and in cooling down in between attending meetings, doing assignments, and taking care of household chores. n TAKE A SIP BEFORE DIGGING IN TO EVERY MEAL. The best starter before every meal is a glass of water. This helps prepare the body for better digestion to enjoy food. Those who are trying to lose weight also find

this tip to be effective as drinking more liquids can give one a feeling of fullness and help control appetite.

It is also recommended to drink water after an hour of eating to give body time to absorb the nutrients. n FINISH A JUG OF WATER WHEN EXERCISING. Make working out a daily habit and establish a goal to empty out a full bottle of water before finishing the activity.

Take sips of water in between routines to avoid feeling light-headed as exercising can drain the body’s liquids and trigger the feeling of dehydration. Water also

gives enough energy to fuel the muscles for a longer work out and better performance. n HAVE A WATER TRACKER AND SET ALARMS FOR DRINKING. Never miss an hour or minute to refresh by setting up reminders for daily water intake.

Nowadays, it is very convenient as there are apps that can help track how much water has been consumed throughout the day. These apps also help set drinking goals that recommend the amount of water that is suited for one’s weight.

This would create a domino effect where people only get to have enough and others can benefit from things which just rot away in boxes, the basement, and even storage facilities. Also, this will lessen residual waste, which in turn would mean lessening pollution.

Minimalism is for everyone. It does not require special skills or a timeline. You set your own pace in getting rid of whatever does not add value to your everyday life, so you can start focusing on what really matters. You can start where you are seated at right now. Look around. What should you give away? n

Eating without hurting your health or the environment

By Teddy S. Manansala, RND, D/MENRM, Msc Sustainable diet refers to what one consumes that not only leads to good nutritional status and long-term good health, but also has low environmental impact.

Nutritional and lifestyle guidelines must include those from a variety of food sources that are nutrient-dense, help maintain energy balance and prevent noncommunicable diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer.

Making dietary changes is a good start to reduce environmental impact, plus cuts down on the carbon footprint.

Here are some health and environmentallyconscious choices: n PLANT-BASED DIET. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of dietary fiber and phytochemicals for good health effects. Other sources may include potatoes and root crops, rice and whole grains, cereals and nuts. And seeds!

These will make a significant difference in overall lower carbon footprint as they possess the lowest carbon emissions among food groups. n FRESH PRODUCE, SEMI-PROCESSED FOOD. Selections that require no further cooking, like salads, conserve food nutrients. They likewise reduce energy consumption. n ORGANICALLY GROWN INGREDIENTS.Purchase your needs in bulk or outsource locally from your nearby farm and market. These will tend to have lower carbon emissions and are free from chemical contaminants. n WHITE SOURCES. Seafood and poultry are recommended to be about 15 percent of your daily total calories requirement. Some plant-based alternatives for include tofu, lentils, beans, tempeh and Quorn. n ZERO-FOOD WASTE. Properly stored leftovers may be transformed to another dish. Plan meals ahead to prevent food wastage. n PERSONAL WATER CONTAINER. Monitor your hydration level. This likewise aids in water conservation. n Teddy S. Manansala is a registered nutritionistdietitian.

B6 Wednesday, February 3, 2021

33rd Gawad CCP now accepts competition entries

Kaspersky appoints new managing director for the Asia-Pacific region

CHRIS Connell, Kaspersky’s new APAC MD and existing Deputy VP for Global Sale

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ASPERSKY announces today the appointment of Chris Connell as Managing Director for the AsiaPacific (APAC) region. Chris will spearhead the global cybersecurity company’s APAC business expansion efforts in addition to continuing his role as the Deputy Vice President of Global Sales for the company.

Originally from the United Kingdom, he is set to be based in Kaspersky’s regional office in Singapore.

Chris joined Kaspersky as the GM for UK & Ireland in February 2019. In February 2020, alongside his role as Deputy VP of Sales Network, he was promoted to Director of European Operations, and took on the task of boosting the performance of the company’s European operations. Following this European reorganization Chris was responsible for

one of Kaspersky’s burgeoning regions – Northern and Eastern Europe.

Overall, Chris has more than 23 years of professional experience in sales and commercial leadership in various companies and across many sectors, including solution selling, consumer, B2B and channel sales. Prior to joining Kaspersky, Chris’s career was spent at companies such as Ingram Micro Europe and Australia, Tech Data and IBM. “I am excited to take up this new leadership role in a region where cybersecurity trends are dynamic but also diverse in terms of needs and development,” comments Connell.

“While we will continue to deliver tailor-made cybersecurity solutions for both businesses and consumers, it is equally important that we pivot away

from the traditional and reactive ‘seek-and-destroy’ approach to an all-encompassing concept of ‘cyberimmunity’ – building an ecosystem where everything connected is protected and secure by design.”

The expansion of Chris’ role at Kaspersky as the Managing Director for Asia-Pacific comes at a pivotal moment for the cybersecurity ecosystem in the region, where sector spending is projected to hit US$28.2 billion by 2022. Data breaches have become increasingly commonplace in the region, with incidents of patient records being stolen from group healthcare institutions, and privacy lapses suffered by tech giants such as online shopping and transportation companies, all occurring over the past year.

“True cybersecurity cannot be achieved in a silo, and the key to building a cybersecurity ecosystem that breaks free from the constraints of operating in different silos is one that is built on integrated and collaborative operations. I am confident that Chris’ wealth of expertise and thorough understanding of global cybersecurity trends will help to build a safer and more transparent environment for all in APAC,” adds Evgeniya Naumova, Vice President of the Global Sales Network at Kaspersky.

In his new post, Chris is expected to lend his expertise to shore up the cyber-resilience of APAC’s healthcare institutions. In addition, he will look to further develop and continue the growth in both commercial and enterprise cybersecurity, with a strong focus on threat intelligence for industry partners in the digital economy, as well as small and medium businesses (SMBs).

Pinoy-made Vietnam War game gets expansion, developer urges gamers to make a donation to APOPO

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OLLOWING the global success of Vietnam War RTS game The Nam: Vietnam Combat Operations, Pinoy game developer Tiger Yan has just released a freely-downloadable expansion pack called Wider War. “Wider War expands the coverage of the game from just Vietnam, to the neighboring countries affected by the war, such as Laos and Cambodia.

It also covers the wars Vietnam fought with China and Cambodia,” explains Yan. As well as introducing dozens of new units, the expansion includes seven new maps – covering Laos, Cambodia, North and South Vietnam.

Often portrayed as inept, corrupt and cowardly, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), actually fought well until their final defeat in 1975, even repelling a full-scale North Vietnamese invasion in 1972. Their courage was best exemplified by the Battle of Xuan Loc, where ARVN Brigadier General Le Minh Dao’s 18th Division stopped North Vietnam for two full weeks before finally being overwhelmed. The map allows players to command regular and elite ARVN forces – including Marines, rangers, paratroopers and even Dao himself. Xuan Loc’s fall opened the way to Saigon, heralding the end for the USbacked nation of South Vietnam.

The supposedly neutral country of Cambodia was long used by North Vietnam as a base of operations for operations in South Vietnam, who invaded Cambodia with the Americans in 1970. After Vietnam was unified in 1975, dissident Khmer Rouge forces started raiding and massacring Vietnamese villages across the border, igniting a war with Vietnam, who rightfully crushed the Khmer Rouge and freed the vast majority of Cambodians from the nightmarish Pol Pot regime – all within two weeks.

Players can now command the fanatical Khmer Rouge, including forcefully conscripted child soldiers, to ward off American attacks or Vietnamese invaders. “As the Khmer Rouge had similar weapons to Vietnam, it’s the only map in the game where Vietnamese can play

DETERMINED North Vietnamese forces push back equally-determined South Vietnamese troops in the ruined town of Xuan Loc, the last big battle of the Vietnam War. (VCO) against Vietnamese and still be relatively historically accurate,” adds Yan. America’s air war over North Vietnam can also be re-lived in a scenario called Rolling Thunder, where the full might of America’s warplanes went head-to-head against North Vietnam’s air defenses, reputedly the toughest in the world in the 60s and 70s. Hundreds of American aircraft were lost and the bombings merely strengthened the resolve of North Vietnamese civilians to keep fighting until war’s end.

Operations Wider War also showcases revamped maps and units, adding layers of detail to the original game, which was released publicly in September 2020. “For example, Saigon now features the US Embassy, National Radio Station, Tan Son Nhut Airbase and even a city jail which you can capture to get armed prisoners and a few flustered medical doctors,” says Yan. “The new Long Tan map allows you to train ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand) troops, who famously won the 1966 Battle of Long Tan against the Vietcong. There’s a lot

we did to make the maps and units better.”

The expansion pack is the culmination of an 18-year old project Yan began in 2003. “Vietnam Combat Operations uses the Command and Conquer Tiberian Sun engine to bring the Vietnam War to life. It’s a nonprofit educational game for people to experience and overcome the many challenges of jungle-based guerilla warfare, from not seeing your enemies to approaching and controlling potentially hostile towns and villages. Unlike most Vietnam War games which tend to glorify Americans, all sides are portrayed as heroes fighting for their own causes.”

The game has received good reviews and though it can be downloaded online for free, Yan urges gamers to make a donation to APOPO, a nonprofit organization working to clear deadly landmines in Cambodia. “In reality, the Vietnam War wrought great misery for the people of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. If this game can spur at least one good donation, then it would have been worth it,” concludes Yan.

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HE CCP Film, Broadcast and New Media Division is now open for submission of entries for the Ika-33 Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video. Deadline of submissions is on or before April 19, 2021, not later than 12am.

Open to all Filipino filmmakers (based in the Philippines and abroad), Gawad Alternatibo accepts entries that are strictly independent works and not produced for commercial screening. School-based works (i.e. theses) are eligible.

Interested participants must complete the following requirements: a) duly accomplished entry form; b) film format in AVI, MP4, or MKV only (film size must not exceed 1GB), with filename in the following format– FilmTitle_FilmDirector; c) additional film information such as synopsis (not more than 200 words), genre, running time, rating, full production credits in Word or PDF format; d) Two (2) photos from the film entry in jpeg format, and film entry poster (if available) in jpeg format.

All entries shall be submitted online through http://bit.ly/GawadAlternatibo33Form.

Fill out the online entry form and upload the film and additional requirements. For the full mechanics, go to http://bit.ly/ GawadAlternatibo33Mechanics.

Categories include Short Feature/

Narrative, Experimental, Documentary, and Animation.

Finalists will be screened at the 2021 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival in August.

Prizes for winning entries in the different categories: 1st PRIZE-P25,000; 2nd PRIZE - P15,000; 3rd PRIZE - P10,000; and Honorable mention - P5,000. There are also special citations for Best Regional Entry and Best Entry For/On/By Children.

For more information, call the CCP Film, Broadcast and New Media Division at 88321125 local 1705 or visit www.culturalcenter. gov.ph and www.gawadalternatibo.com.

A NOBLE APPOINTMENT. Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President and CEO Manuel R. Gaerlan (5th from right) receives his appointment as Ambassador for Government Relations of the Mabuhay Shrine International Club of the Freemasons of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. Giving his appointment as ambassador in the Shriners Club is Mabuhay Shrine Illustrious Potentate Dennis L. Cunanan (4th from left). Also in photo are (from L to R) Mabuhay Shriners Noble Joey Pangilinan, Noble Bobby Sarte, Noble Nicanor Targa, Noble Jose Roncesvalles, Noble Dando Feliciano, Noble Nicandro Montes, and Noble Eric Jimenez. Noble Gaerlan is also a regular member of Mabuhay Shrine Club.

ILO Philippines wins “Earth Camp” Photo Contest

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HE International Labor Organization (ILO)-Philippine was proclaimed as the winner of the “EARTH CAMP Photo Contest,” during a virtual Awarding Ceremony on 31 January 2021. The contest gathered photos around the world that capture scenes of International Cooperation.

ILO Philippines was recognized for its submission, which features the ILO-Japan Water and Sanitation Project, in South Upi, Maguindanao. The representative of ILO Japan accepted the award on behalf of ILO Philippines during the ceremony.

In a separate message, Mr Khalid Hassan, Director, ILO Country Office for the Philippines said the International Labor Organization Country Office for the Philippines is extremely grateful to the Government of Japan for the recognition.

The winning photo out of 42 entries was from the ILO-Japan Water and Sanitation Project in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, submitted by our ILO Tokyo Office.

The photo depicts a message of hope.

Communities now have their water system amid the COVID-19, poverty, climate change and conflict. It shows how decent work can contribute to fulfil basic human rights in fragile communities and build peace.

The project hired community members as contractors. It used a local-resource

THE prize-winning photo taken by ILO Philippines

based approach and provided skills training.

This recognition inspires us to do more and be better as we continue to promote decent work and provide access to safe water to more vulnerable people.

We look forward to a stronger relationship with Japan to implement sustainable solutions, build a better future of work and contribute to peace and development through decent work.

On 9 November 2020, ILO and the Government of Japan handed over a Level II Water System to the Timanan Central Elementary School (TCES) in South Upi. The initiative is part of the ILO-Japan Water and Sanitation Project in the Bangsamoro Region, which aims to develop water infrastructure that will benefit an estimated 11,814 households in the Bangsamoro region. (https://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/ itpr_ja/11_000001_00250.html) The Photo Contest is one of the activities of EARTH CAMP – a joint international cooperation campaign of the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the International Cooperation NGO Center (JANIC). It is an on-going campaign from 6 October 2020 to 31 March 2021.

ILO Philippines’ winning photo will be exhibited online, and will be published in the “White Paper on Development Cooperation.”

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Slow recovery for the property sector in 2021

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

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LTHOUGH the property sector is expected to rebound in 2021, the Lobien Realty Group (LRG) believes recovery will take a longer time even though the country has negotiated with the foreign suppliers for the supply of the vaccines.

BPOs leading the way As expected, the business-process outsourcing (BPOs) companies will be in the forefront of the recovery period as it will lead the demand drive for office space in Metro Manila representing approximately 41 percent. Meanwhile, gaming demand drive is around 16 percent, while other industries comprise about 43 percent of Metro Manila office space demand drive.

The BPO industry reported full-time

many of the POGOs and the prevailing economic situation in 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic are expected to increase office space vacancy rates and soften office demand in 2021.

The provincial office property market

Workspace perspective

equivalent (FTE) growth of 5.3 percent from 2016-2018 and projects 6-percent to 7-percent FTE growth for the period 2019-2022. In 2020, BPOs office take up was 143,000 sq m and total revenue was $26.2 billion. The IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) indicated in a survey the BPO industry has been growing to improve productivity since the beginning of the Covid-19 quarantine from 50 percent in April, 73 percent in May, 81 percent in June and 90 percent in July.

The online gaming/POGO industry has occupied a total of 1.03 million sq m of office space since 2016. Currently, POGOs share to total leasable office stock to date stands at 9 percent.

Coworking spaces

LRG said coworking spaces will be a regular fixture in the new environment as it is poised to be the setup in the new workplace. Further, the coworking model suits best start-up companies, freelancers, entrepreneurs and digital nomads, and remote teams drive demand for co-

working spaces. At present, there are 110 co-working spaces in Metro Manila. Total co-working spaces amount to 350,000 sq m representing 9,786 total workstations available. The Global Flexible Office Market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 percent from 2020 to 2027. The Asia-Pacific region is considered the fastest-growing region within the global flexible office market due to the rise of coworking centers and other styles of flexible office spaces.

Impact of Covid-19 on office rental rates The Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on the rental rates in the office space market. “LRG forecasts that there will be a 25-percent to 30-percent rental rates decline starting 2021. 2020 rental rates computations have not reflected the decrease due to the POGOs’ contractual agreements of about a year’s worth of security and advance deposits which protected the landlords’ rent income during the lockdowns and despite the numerous lease pre-terminations,” Lobien said.

Moreover, the lockdowns, the flight of

In his presentation, LRG Chief Operating Officer Jericho Linao said townships have become cool locations for offices. “Having residential, entertainment, civic, recreational, and office spaces located close to one another appeals to many companies looking for leasable office space,” he said.

At present, there are 80 township sites across the Philippines and 60 percent of them can be found outside Metro Manila.

Linao said there is an 18-percent vacancy rate of office spaces across all provincial business districts. In the 4th quarter of 2020, total supply of provincial office space totals 269,711.60 sq m while available supply is 219,184.69 sq m, which means only 19 percent of existing provincial office space is leased. Average rent is P 630/sq m for these office spaces.

The residential property market Around 24,000 sq m of residential units are expected to be launched to the market in 2021, while condominium take-up is expected to amount to 36,000 sq m according to Lobien. Based on the 2020 condominium pre-selling data on percentage of take up, 3 percent of condominiums priced below P3 million, 11percent of condos priced between P3 million and P7 million, 45 percent of condos priced between P7 million and P15 million, and 41 percent of condos priced above P15 million were taken up in 2020.

“It will be a slow but sure recovery year for real-estate companies, particularly for the office and residential property markets,” Lobien underscored.

Home

LG bridges the gap for health-care facilities in the new normal

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IFE’S about more than having the latest technology, rather, it’s about the experiences technology creates that impact our lives. LG Electronics Philippines delivers consumer electronics through top-of-the-line home entertainment, home appliances, and air solution products that prepare Filipinos for their greatest moments.

The silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic is that it showed us areas that drastically need improvement.

Because of the severity of the virus, and the threat of another pandemic looming, the need to create changes that impact the future started today. Some systems need to be overhauled, but with time and budget constraints, renovation is the next best thing. In its 2020 Global Health Care Outlook, Deloitte reports that “Many of the world’s health systems are struggling to maintain financial sustainability in an uncertain and changing environment.” Adaptation is the key.

One of the key areas that require careful consideration is the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system since hospitals operate 24/7. Simone Healthcare Development, a full-service real-estate investment company, found that as health-care facilities become more complex, the ability to offer flexible solutions for a large variety of patients is required. Modular construction which uses prefab-

Amid construction delays, pre-selling condos still in-demand

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LRG

“We have to be cautious. Recovery will take a long time. Office occupancy rates are almost 20 percent down when the pandemic struck. Moreover, the exit of some Philippine offshore gaming operators [POGOs] affected the office space market which also left a huge vacancy in the housing market,” said LRG Chief Executive Officer Sheila Lobien in a recent webinar.

“The speed and magnitude of the real-estate recovery will also depend on the national government’s ability to roll out the vaccines and rebuild the economy through the government’s monetary and fiscal policies as embodied in the Bayanihan to Heal as One Law,” Lobien added.

Meanwhile, Jones Lang Lasalle Philippines projected a “subdued real-estate market in early 2021 with recovery beginning middle to late in the year.” “We can expect market practices that were adopted under the pandemic such as focus on safety and well-being, technology adoption and digitalization, and flexible work arrangements to become part of the norm. Logistics, data centers, tech and security companies, as well as the REIT market are the potential growth areas for the real-estate industry,” said Janlo de los Reyes, head of Research and Consultancy, JLL Philippines.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021 B7

LG Dual Vane Cassette

ricated structures constructed remotely, is gaining popularity as one flexible option.

Another popular option is the adaptation of LG Electronics’ latest Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF), Multi V 5. A single unit provides a large capacity up to 26HP, so fewer outdoor units are required. This results in a savings of up to 23 percent in total installation space compared to a conventional comparative

model. Furthermore, Multi V 5 is highly customizable.

For instance, customers of existing Multi V units can add a Hydro Kit to enable precise temperature control.

A good example is Syrian Lebanese Hospital in Brazil.

The complex is actually using a combined solution of the LG Multi V, Hydro Kit and AHUs (Air Handling Unit) for operating rooms and imaging centers.

LG’s HVAC system can play a large role in providing

high-quality care for long-stay patients. For instance, LG dual Vane Cassette, an indoor ceiling cassette, provides six different airflows which allow optimal comfort for each space in a hospital. Indirect airflow mode, in specific, prevents air blowing directly on a person which helps patients to relax in a cool and pleasant environment.

Proper ventilation for fresh indoor air must be maintained to ensure infection control and patient safety. It can be achieved with LG Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV), which detects indoor CO2 levels and automatically adjusts fan speeds. It also provides extensive air filtration through a purification system to remove harmful bacteria from the air. LG Chiller combined with Air Handling Unit (AHU) is another solution to provide a clean air supply.

Taking the long-term perspective, changes in consideration when renovating. An efficient HVAC system will have a considerable effect on the layout and provide additional advantages. It can thereby help health-care facilities to improve its future viability and financial sustainability.

LG promises to bring “Innovation for a Better Life” nationwide from Luzon, to Visayas and Mindanao. For more details, log on to lg.com/ph. You can also visit LG’s Official Flagship Store in Lazada. Reni Salvador

By Roderick L. Abad

HE impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic on the housing sector, particularly when it comes to the construction pace of vertical projects, has been cushioned by the mid-income up to luxury segments in the first nine months of 2020 as they partook 89 percent of total launches and covered 85 percent of overall sales in the pre-selling market during the period in review, according to Colliers Philippines.

In its latest Philippine Property Outlook report, the company bared that both categories accounted for 68 percent of the total sales take up in the National Capital Region (NCR) for the past couple of years prior to their completions. Given this, they are expected to prop up the demand in the residential market this year.

Data from the company also showed that projects in these segments targeted for completion from 2021 to 2022 have already sold an estimated 86 percent of their inventory as of the third quarter of last year.

To leverage on pent up demand, developers are advised to keep on offering flexible payment terms and adopt property technology channels, including virtual reality tours and automated communication platforms for tenants and property management providers.

Amid the encouraging take-up on these housing sectors, Colliers adjusted its estimate that only 6,000 condominium units will be delivered in 2020, or 59 percent lower than its initial projection of 14,720 units, mainly due to delays in construction following the government-imposed lockdowns.

Nevertheless, 2021 will see an uptrend as it approximates 7,270 new units will be finished, up 21 percent year-on-year. About 76 percent of the new supply this year will come from the Bay Area, followed by Fort Bonifacio, Alabang, Ortigas Center and Makati.

Colliers sees a drop in vacancy rate in the secondary market from 15.3 percent in 2019 to 13.5 percent last year on the back of robust overseas Filipino workers remittances, lower mortgage rates, recovery of office leasing, and the potential increase in absorption from end-users and investors next year.

Starting in the second half of 2021, prices and rents are seen recovering due to improved office space take-up. Colliers expects price points and lease rates to expand by 1.7 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively, by the end of this year, opposite the -13 percent and -7.7 percent in 2020.

Attractive price segments and locations must be a priority of condo builders for preselling developments, the firm hinted. From January to September of last year, about 48 percent of mid-income projects that were sold then were located in Parañaque, Pasig, and the Alabang-Las Piñas area. The bulk of upscale to luxury projects that were purchased during the time, on the other hand, were in Parañaque, Bay Area, Ortigas Center and fringe, and the C-5 Pasig corridor.

The property consultancy firm, meanwhile, found out that horizontal developments outside of NCR enjoy a stable patronage, specifically in Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna and Batangas despite the health crisis. It said: “Investors are likely looking for homes offering larger living spaces, open areas, and outdoor space. In our view, developers should continue to highlight both their vertical and horizontal projects outside of the capital region to cash in on the demand.”

Developers ought to discover alternative sites for their house and lot and lot only projects, Colliers noted. It added that they have to look for old structures within the cities or nearby areas to redevelop into integrated communities since investors and end-users consider immediate access to essential goods and services when acquiring properties.

“Residential developers planning to capture the demand outside Metro Manila should implement strategic landbanking and follow the infrastructure projects lined up by the government and are due to be completed beyond 2022,” Colliers said in the report. “The developers should also be more proactive in touching base with overseas Filipino workers [OFW] that fuel the demand for residential units outside Metro Manila. These house and lot and lot only projects are primarily enduser demand driven and are likely to benefit from a sustained demand from OFWs.”

Sports BusinessMirror

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| Wednesday, February 3, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

SUNSPEED CYCLING TEAM

Members of the Sunspeed Cycling Team—(from left) Troylits Dancel, Ron Tristan Corpuz, Luis Cuadra, Harvie Flores, Jake Baguio and Sebastian De Leon—from Barangay Manuyo 2 in Las Pinas City share their greetings to BM Cycling, BusinessMirror’s cycling talk show that airs on Facebook Live and YouTube every Monday from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The show is giving away two more of three mountain bikes as it airs its Stage 9 (ninth episode) on Monday. NONOY LACZA

ATHLETES, COACHES WILL HAVE TO WAIT

By Josef Ramos

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EMBERS of the national team will have to wait in line behind frontliners—primarily healthcare workers—even if Covid-19 vaccines are already available in

the country.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of the National Task Force Against Covid-19, said that national athletes and coaches would have to wait for a decision from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) if they will be prioritized for inoculation.

“The numbers of athletes and coaches are small but we have to wait for the final say of the IATF,” Galvez told Tuesday’s Malacañang Press Briefing presided over by Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque.

The national team is currently pegged at

1,620—996 athletes, 262 coaches, 280 para athletes and 82 para coaches—a great majority of whom have yet to return to actual training with the 31st Southeast Asian Games Vietnam is hosting from November 21 to December 2 only 43 weeks away.

The national team members were stagnant for most of 2020 because of lockdowns that banned group or face-to-face training.

“We cannot compromise our health-care workers, that’s what the IATF is looking for,” Galvez added.

PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, chef de mission to the Vietnam SEA Games, heeded Galvez’s declaration.

“The top priorities are those athletes who already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics—who are training abroad,” Ramirez said. “Second are the 78 athletes aspiring to qualify for the Olympics like those who are inside Inspire Sports

Academy in Calamba.”

Ramirez said that the other athletes have to secure government’s approval if they intend to train abroad.

“Athletes who are going to international games outside of those two categories–aspiring and already qualified, should wait the approval of the Joint Administrative Order group and IATF, subject also to the availability of funds from NSDF [National Sports Development Fund] and PAGCOR [Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation],” Ramirez said.

Fernandez agreed health care workers should always be the top priority.

“Health care workers are very important not only for the people but also for the athletes, but our Olympians should also be prioritized as well since they are heading to Japan first,” Fernandez said.

Vince Dizon, the deputy chief implementer of the National Action Plan Against Covid-19,

PSC healing facilities almost empty

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Galvez

meanwhile, bared that he is coordinating with the PSC on the approval of application for bubble facilities by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and the Triathlon Association of the Philippines.

“Maybe in the next few days or next week, we will know the decision of the PSC and it will be endorsed to the IATF for approval—just like the successful Philippine Basketball Association bubble in Clark,” Dizon said.

Panlilio confirms Sotto’s inclusion in Gilas pool

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ILAS Pilipinas is fielding a competitive unit to the final window of the Fiba Asian Cup qualifiers especially with the arrival of young National Basketball Association prospect Kai Sotto.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) made the assurance on Tuesday which was about two weeks before the national team departs for Doha, Qatar, for the February 18 to 22 window the country was supposed to host in Clark but was canceled because of travel restrictions.

SBP President Al Panlilio said the 19-man Gilas pool currently in the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba

ROM close to a combined 3,000 patients last summer, Covid-19 victims recuperating in Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) sports facilities turned quarantine or healing centers are now almost empty, if not empty.

According to PSC consultant for security concerns Angel Dayag Sr., there are no more patients at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium (NAS) and Rizal Memorial Coliseum (RMC) at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila, as of Monday.

At the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, Dayag said only seven patients are recuperating from the virus.

“Take note, there was no recorded death in these PSC facilities,” Dayag said.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases commissioned the

CJ Perez now a beerman

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is being pushed hard in training by coach Jong Uichico and project director Tab Baldwin.

And nothing is expected to change once the 7-foot-3 Sotto finally gets to join the pool in a week or so.

“I think this team will be compete,” said Panlilio, who appeared in the webcast edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum for the first time on Tuesday. “We’re very happy with the way the team is developing. They’re playing hard and ready to go.”

Sotto, 18, is required to follow quarantine protocols upon arrival before he could join the team in practice. More Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Al Panlilio is confident of a competitive Gilas squad.

or less, he will have one week of practice with the Gilas pool before the Philippine delegation leaves three days before the tournament.

Sotto was expected to arrive from the US late afternoon or early evening on Tuesday, Panlilio told the forum presented

by San Miguel Corp., Go For Gold, Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Although the SBP chief considered Sotto, a member of the NBA G-League Ignite, a great addition to Gilas, he also cautioned everybody to temper expectations on the lanky Filipino big man.

“He’s improved a lot for sure, but he’s also just 18 years old. So we can’t also put too much pressure on him,” added Panlilio in the Smart-powered public sports program with Upstream Media as official webcast partner.

Gilas Pilipinas currently stands on top of Group A with a 3-0 (win-loss) record and only needs to win one of its remaining three matches in the third window to secure a berth in the Fiba Asia Cup tournament proper in August to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Filipinos will play fellow unbeaten South Korea (2-0) twice on February 18 and 22, and Indonesia (1-2) on February 20.

The SBP will have to submit the lineup to Fiba by February 8 and then leaves for Doha either on February 15 or 16 with a 20-man contingent composed of players, coaching staff, physical therapists and utility men.

J PEREZ’S transfer from Terrafima to San Miguel Beer was sealed on Tuesday—and so were the Beermen’s lips from the coaching staffing to the players.

The PBA trade committee approved of the controversial trade but modified the conditions. Besides giving away Russel Escoto, Matt Rosser-Ganuelas and Gelo Alolino and the Beermen’s first round pick (No. 8) in March’s Rookie Draft, they also have to surrender to the Dyip their first round pick in 2022.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial supported the trade committee’s decision to revise the original proposal that was intended to soften opposition from the other teams on the deal seen as extremely advantageous for the Beermen.

“I support the decision of the trade committee—that’s all I can say for now,” said Marcial, who since being appointed as commissioner, shielded his office from controversies by creating the trade committee composed of league technical consultant Joey Guanio, deputy commissioner Erik Castro, legal counsel Atty. Melvin Mendoza and technical officials Rosc Tiotico and Junior Bengua.

But after the trade transpired, the Beermen didn’t make themselves available for comments.

“Sir good day, we were asked not to grant interviews. Sorry and thanks,” was six-time Season Most Valuable Player (MVP) June Mar Fajardo’s reply to BusinessMirror when asked of his opinion on the Perez trade.

Moala Tautuaa also refused to say anything as

well as San Miguel Beer Head Coach Leo Austria, who didn’t answer BusinessMirror’s calls.

MAC BELO-BASER AMER TRADE MERALCO head coach Norman Black and Blackwater franchise perez team owner Dioceldo Sy confirmed to BusinessMirror on Tuesday that they entered into an agreement that would send Mac Belo to the Bolts in exchange for playmaker Baser Amer.

“It’s hard to compete in the PBA if you don’t have quality big men. We just want to strengthen our front court,” said Black as he stressed on the abundance of playmakers in his team, thus the decision to release Amer.

Sy said the 5-foot-11 Amer would definitely be a potential leader for the Elite.

“I have been looking for a good point guard and team leader. Take a look at Belo and Baser’s numbers and playing time and production, it’s higher,” he said.

Belo averaged 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11 games while Amer registered 9.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists also in 11 games in the Philippine Cup in Clark.

The trade, however, has yet to be approved by the trade committee. Josef Ramos

Air Force honors Huelgas

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HE Philippine Air Force bestowed two-time Southeast Asian Games triathlon gold medalist Nikko Huelgas a Military Merit Medal on Monday afternoon.

The 29-year-old Huelgas, a Chooksto-Go ambassador, was honored for his contribution to the relief efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. He went HUELGAS to numerous affected communities in Tarlac, Bulacan, Tingloy Island and Albay to distribute relief goods last year.

“We had some rough days in 2020 when we’d wake up early and arrive home late from our relief operations, bringing our goods to hard to reach areas and the poorest of the poor,” said Huelgas, now a sergeant from Flight Alpha.

The Perez trade Al Mendoza | alsol47@yahoo.com

THAT’S ALL WILLIE MARCIAL has a job that is the envy of all. As commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBS), Marcial has the stature of one oozing with glitz and glamor. He is a celebrity, an almost adorable star like a typical heartthrob of the silver screen.

And, for his safety, Marcial’s five-man committee has insulated him from possible fatal blows. It is a fire-proof cloak that virtually keeps him out of harm’s way. Meaning, he cannot be fired that easily because he doesn’t make major decisions that much.

A case in point is the league’s trade system, which is, at times more often than not, a contentious issue.

Did Chito Narvasa, in the pre-committee era, not lose his job as PBA commissioner just a while back as a result of that controversial trade of Christian Standhardinger, paving the way for

three PSC facilities as quarantine and healing centers at the start of strict safety and health protocols in March last year.

In April 2020, 1,493 patients were confined at the NAS, while the RMC accommodated 482 individuals and the PhilSports recorded 727.

Dayag said the NAS is temporarily closed for decontamination, repair and maintenance.

The RMC recently had five repatriated overseas Filipino workers last month but Dayag said they were already discharged.

“The RMC is on standby to accept patients if the Bagong Nayong Pilipino becomes full,” Dayag said.

The Bagong Nayong Pilipino in Tambo, Parañaque City, was also designated as a healing and quarantine center. Annie Abad

Marcial’s ascent to the top?

Marcial, obviously a good student, has henceforth made himself off-limits from trade deals. He created the committee now composed of former pro Joey Guanio, Mauro Bengua Jr., Ross Tioteco, Eric Castro and PBA legal counsel Melvin Mendoza (no relation po).

The committee is now evaluating Terrafirma’s move to ship its hottest property, CJ Perez, to San Miguel Beer in exchange for Gelo Alolino, Russel Escoto, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and SMB’s 2021 first round Draft pick.

“I have never gone against the decision of the trade committee,” Marcial has told the Inquirer’s Musong Castillo. “Starting Day 1 [of my commissionership], that committee has decided on all of the trades in the league.”

So there. Fire-proof as can be.

The medal is awarded for heroic achievement or meritorious service during or in support of military action against an enemy, in Huelgas’s case, the Covid-19.

“When the world wanted us to stay home and safe, we were out there to help the best way we could,” said Huelgas, who retired from the national team after the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games.

Since then, he went to train with the Air Force while also serving as chairman of the Philippine Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission.

Huelgas has been active in distributing goods, organizing drives and jumpstarting fund-raisers for communities affected by the pandemic.

For his part, Bobby Rosales, Terrafirma’s PBA governor, said that while it saddens them to let go of Perez, “we are doing this to find the missing pieces in our bid to further strengthen our team.” He also said he is pining on picking the best from this year’s talent-rich Draft pool.

“Because of the richness of this year’s pool, we saw a chance to get more talent,” said Rosales, adding that after grabbing first overall, it will take two tedious rounds before Terrafirma could pick again.

Fair enough.

As for SMB, swapping its four players with Perez netted the team a huge catch as the sophomore pro, the 2019 Rookie of the Year, is a great addition to a squad needing younger punchers to maintain its big-ticket reputation.

But will Marcial’s five-man committee see it fit to agree to the Perez trade?

If it hasn’t yet, I see no reason why it won’t.

THAT’S IT Our promising Alex Eala, 15, will compete in the juniors of the Australian Open that begins February 8. She needs more qualifying points to be eligible for women’s play. Keep punching, Alex!...Happy birthday to Calauag-born (Quezon) Ching Juvida-Fernandez (February 1) and San Francisco-based Boni F. Juvida (February 2). Cheers!