BusinessMirror February 10, 2021

MAV Plus: 400K MT pork imports planned

By Samuel P. Medenilla & Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

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HE government has raised its proposed volume of imported pork to 400,000 metric tons (MT) this year to address the expected local demand for the food item.

This is almost double the initial proposal of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to raise the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for pork to 164,000 MT. The current MAV is only at 54,000 MT. “The MAV Advisory Council endorsed 388,790 [MT] yesterday [February 8] to address the deficit [in pork supply]. This is what we call MAV Plus,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in an online press briefing on Tuesday.

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Based on the country’s current hog stock, he explained local farmers could only supply between 1.2 million MT and 1.3 million MT of pork, while demand for the said food item is at 1.6 million MT.

The proposal must then be ratified by Congress before it could be enforced.

Dar earlier said Duterte already approved in principle their proposal to increase the MAV.

Pending decision

Fully compliant

ASIDE from the higher in-quota for imported pork, Dar said some members of the MAV Advisory Council are also considering allowing not only traders but also hog raisers to import pork if the MAV Plus will be implemented.

Dar said the recommendations will be subjected to a referendum by the MAV Management Committee before it is submitted to President Duterte, who will issue the necessary document for implementation of the said measures.

THE government is considering temporarily raising the MAV to bring down the high prices of pork in the country, particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR), as a result of dwindling stocks from local hog farms that were hit hard by the African Swine Fever (ASF).

The DA recently implemented measures to bring more live hogs to NCR from areas in the country which are now affected by the ASF, to meet the region’s high demand for pork.

A 60-day price ceiling for pork

products being sold in markets in NCR also took effect on Monday through Executive Order (EO) 124 to ensure it will remain affordable to most consumers.

EO 124 imposed a price ceiling for kasim/pigue at P270 per kilo and liempo at P300 per kilo.

Based on their inspection conducted by the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), vendors and retailers are generally compliant with the price ceiling.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said they are coordinating with the DA to also come out with a price cap for imported pork.

“We expect to bring down the price [of imported pork] to that of the price ceiling [under EO 124],” Lopez said.

See “Pork,” A2

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Wednesday, February 10, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 122

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3-YEAR RETAIL BONDS T

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

Unctad rates poorly PHL capacity to tap resources

HE Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) raised an initial P221.218 billion in three-year retail treasury bonds (RTBs) as investors showed strong appetite for safe-haven assets.

This was an upsize from the initial P30-billion offer as the ratesetting auction for the government’s 25th RTB offering on Tuesday was oversubscribed by more than nine times, with total bids hitting P284.183 billion.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon attributed the strong investor demand for the debt papers to “oozing liquidity” as well as “flight to safe haven.”

The coupon rate for the IOU was set at 2.375 percent, lower by 200 basis points from 4.375 percent coupon rate of the previous

By Elijah Felice Rosales

3-year RTBs sold in February 2020.

Despite this, De Leon is confident that this “good rate” will encourage holders to swap.

In addition to the new RTBs, the BTr is also allowing holders of previously issued bonds to exchange and reinvest their bond holdings for the RTB-25.

Moreover, De Leon said she expects “more retail [volume] during the offer period,” which started on Tuesday, February 9, and will end on March 4, with settlement scheduled on March 9.

T

See “BTr,” A2

EVEN IN PANDEMIC, MIGRANT WORKERS SENT FUNDS HOME

By Cai U. Ordinario

T

HE gradual reopening of economies and the stimulus packages of host countries have helped Filipino migrants send remittances to their families during the pandemic, according to experts.

In an Asian Development Blog, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department Economists Aiko Kikkawa Takenaka and Kijin Kim, as well as consultant Raymond Gaspar, said the strict public health protocols helped boost inflows to remittance-receiving countries like the Philippines.

Executive Director Jeremaiah Opiniano of the Institute for Migration and Development Issues agreed, saying Filipinos who are permanent residents abroad and were entitled to receive stimulus packages from foreign governments sent remittances to help their families cope during the pandemic.

Continued on A2

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.0490

“ROMANCE can be far, but not apart” is the message the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) tries to convey amid the pandemic as it plays Cupid on Valentine’s Day via its “Express Pada-Love program” from February 8 to 14. PHLPost will accept orders of flowers, chocolates, stuffed toys and other gift items from February 8 to 11 for door-to-door Express delivery on Valentine’s Day. Today, February 10, PHLPost will launch its Valentine’s Day stamps at 3 pm in an event live on Facebook. Story on PHLPost on page A3, Nation. PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILPOST

HE Philippines has scored dismally in a United Nations index that measures the capacity of economies to take advantage of their resources to produce goods and services.

The Philippines was rated 122nd out of 193 economies in the Productive Capacities Index (PCI) published by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad).

The country was given a score of 29.81 in a scale of up to 100, as it struggled to compete in the areas of information and communications technology, transportation and structural reforms.

According to the Unctad, the PCI surveys “the productive resources, entrepreneurial capabilities and production linkages that together determine the capacity of a country to produce goods and services and enable it to grow and develop.”

In the index, the Philippines obtained its highest points in the categories of private sector, 81.01, and natural capital, 51.26. Private sector looks into the ease of crossborder trade and support to business on credit, contract enforcement and registration; while natural capacity assesses the availability of extractive and agricultural resources.

However, the Philippines flunked in the rest of the categories: institutions, 47.07; human capital, 43.99; energy, 27.86; structural change, 20.02; transport, 12.82; and ICTs, 10.35.

Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4567 n UK 66.0289 n HK 6.1981 n CHINA 7.4509 n SINGAPORE 36.0512 n AUSTRALIA 36.9977 n EU 57.8942 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.8093

Source: BSP (February 9, 2021)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Pork…

Continued from A1

Standardized measures

AMID hog supply shortage, chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority vowed implementation of standardized measures on all local government units in Metro Manila to ensure that price ceilings will be implemented across all markets in the metropolis.

“What is important is the coordination and concerted efforts of the national government and the local government units in Metro Manila to make sure that the price of pork and chicken is within the implemented price cap,” Abalos said as he joined Secretaries Dar and Lopez in the conduct of price monitoring at Mega Q Mart and Commonwealth Market in Quezon City and SM Hypermarket in Mandaluyong on Tuesday.

The MMDA chief is eyeing to persuade the 17 local chief executives of NCR to waive daily rental fees among market retailers in the metropolis who don’t sell meat products for the day because of the shortage—a proposal from Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte.

“What is important is the coordination and concerted efforts of the national government and the local government units in Metro Manila to make sure that the price of pork and chicken is within the implemented price cap,” Abalos said.

Abalos said that they are coordinating with the national government and monitoring daily feedback from traders, market masters and local government units to normalize the supply and retail prices “the soonest time possible.”

“We will sit down with the metro mayors to discuss measures on assisting hog retailers to cushion the impact of supply shortage,” Abalos said.

He also lauded the DA and DTI for their efforts to provide loan assistance to market vendors.

Lopez said that the DTI also plans to set a separate price cap on imported pork products and this will likely be lower than the current ceiling of fresh meat.

During Tuesday’s market visit, there was a scarcity of supply in fresh pork products in Mega Q Mart, while prices imposed in Commonwealth Market were within the price cap.

Meanwhile, the supermarket in Mandaluyong is selling pork below the price cap.

A matter of livelihood

MEANWHILE, the government was urged to present and implement a game plan to resolve the pork shortage and subsequent high prices in a comprehensive and holistic manner.

Senator Francis Pangilinan said Tuesday, the second day of the 60-day price ceiling on pork products, “We Filipinos love galunggong. The call to look for other protein sources is good. But the point is, pork supply in the markets is scarce. And this hasn’t been resolved. Why is pork scarce? Because of ASF and the typhoons. The ASF began in 2019; it should have been resolved.

Millions of pigs have been culled; billions in income lost.”

The ASF kills not just pigs—it wipes out “hog raisers, market vendors, suppliers of feeds, truck drivers who deliver the hogs,” said the former secretary on food security.

The hog-raising industry, according to a 2018 DA paper, is worth at least P190 billion a year. And next to rice, it is the second-largest contributor to the country’s agriculture.

Stop-gap measures like a price ceiling and calls to eat galunggong are not enough, Pangilinan said.

On Monday, hog raisers and market vendors refused to sell altogether because the price ceiling is too low for them to even break even.

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SC junks Aetas’ ATA suit; lawyers told to stop talking

By Joel R. San Juan

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HIEF Justice Diosdado Peralta on Tuesday warned parties in the 37 petitions questioning the constitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to stop discussing the merits of the cases in the media to avoid possible sanctions from the Court.

Peralta made the warning at the end of the second round of the oral argument on the ATA, saying the magistrates had seen some lawyers who are involved in the petitions discussing their positions and the merits of the cases in the media.

“We have seen lawyers being interviewed in television stations and even in social media discussing the merits of this case or these cases and also discussing their respective positions,” Peralta noted.

“Now, we would like to ask the lawyers to please refrain from being interviewed while these cases are pending resolution. You know the effect when one goes into the media and discusses his position, it might affect the outcome of these cases, so please refrain; we don’t like to use our coercive power in disciplining lawyers,” Peralta warned.

Peralta, however, refused to name the lawyers involved.

Peralta said the third round of the oral argument would be held next Tuesday (February 16).

He said the magistrates intend to finish the interpellation of the petitioners and hear the position of their former colleague, retired Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza, who has been designated “amicus curiae” or friend of the court for the oral arguments next week.

As such, Jardeleza is expected

to be asked to share his knowledge and expertise on the issues surrounding the controversial law.

After that, Peralta said the Court will hear the oral arguments of the respondents through the Solicitor General, to be followed by the interpellation of the Court.

Aetas’ petition junked

ALSO on Tuesday, the SC ruled to deny the bid of two Aeta natives seeking to intervene in the 37 petitions filed before the Court seeking to declare unconstitutional Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act. Chief Justice Peralta announced the magistrates’ unanimous decision after their en banc session and prior to the continuation of oral arguments.

Peralta disclosed the Court’s decision after Calida, in an oral manifestation, said the two Aetas have decided to withdraw their petition-intervention.

Calida said petitioners Japer Gurung of San Marcelino, Zambales, and Junor Ramos of Porac, Pampanga, have executed an affidavit through the assistance of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), claiming they were convinced to sign the petition after being offered P1,000.

Gurung and Ramos had been

represented by counsel from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) Central Luzon Chapter in filing their petition-in-intervention.

Calida claimed that the filing of the petition-in-intervention by the NUPL using the two Aetas was “a desperate attempt to establish actual justiciable controversy” that would force the Court to exercise jurisdiction over the case. Without any actual case, the government could call on the magistrates to dismiss all legal challenges to the ATA. Calida expressed belief that the withdrawal of the petition-inintervention will affect not only the continuance of the oral argument but the resolution of the pending petitions as well.

He said three video clips, copies of transcripts and affidavits authenticating the videos—to prove that the Aetas were pressured into signing the petition-in-intervention—were also submitted to the Court en banc.

However, Peralta cut short Calida’s oral manifestation to inform him that the Court has already denied the Aetas’ petitionin-intervention.

“The petition for intervention filed by the would-be intervenors is being unanimously denied by us this morning, so, is there still a need for you to read all of those documents because we have already denied the petition for intervention?” Peralta told Calida.

He directed the chief government counsel to put in writing his manifestation in order to give the other parties a chance to comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, NUPL president Neri Javier Colmenares told the Court that his camp was not aware of the Aetas’ decision to withdraw their petition-in-intervention.

Colmenares wondered aloud

how Calida’s camp managed to secure the affidavits of the Aetas. “It is really strange, why lawyers can force a detainee inside a PNP camp, that is really outrageous,” Colmenares said.

Last September 10, Gurung and Ramos were indicted by the Office of the Prosecutor of Zambales for reportedly violating Section 4 (a) of the ATA or Republic Act 11479 or for engaging “in acts intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person or endangers a person’s life.”

They were arrested on August 21, 2020, for allegedly killing a soldier in a gunfight between the military and Kilusang Larangang Gerilya Bataan Zambales, an alleged unit of the New People’s Army in San Marcelino, Zambales.

They were charged with murder, attempted murder, terrorism under Republic Act 11749 or the AntiTerrorism Act, as well as violations of RA 11188 (Special Protection of Children in Situations of Armed Conflict Act) and illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

The two Aetas, detained at the Olongapo City Jail, denied the allegations, saying they were just fleeing from the firefight when they were accosted.

In a statement, NUPL denied that “forcing” the two Aetas to sign the petition-in-intervention, even noted that they could not read or write so they just affixed their thumbmarks.

It added that the provisions of the ATA, the pending petitions before the SC and the final draft petition-in-intervention were discussed with Aetas patiently.

The NUPL-Central Luzon Chapter, which represents the Aetas in the pending criminal cases and in the petition-in-intervention, was also not priorly informed by PAO and NCIP of their “intercession.”

UNCTAD RATES POORLY PHL CAPACITY TO TAP RESOURCES Continued from A1 The PCI’s transport evaluates a country’s capability to take people and goods from one place to another. On the other hand, ICTs examines the accessibility and integration of communication systems, including fixed line and mobile phone users, Internet access and server security, within the population.

Asean peers

WHEN pitted against Southeast Asian

neighbors, the Philippines ranked seventh in the region to lead only Lao PDR at 138th, Cambodia at 142nd and Myanmar at 158th.

Singapore bested all Southeast Asian nations with a score of 44.46 to place 13th overall. Brunei Darussalam ranked second in the region from a far 58th, followed by Thailand 61st, Malaysia at 62nd, Vietnam at 99th and Indonesia at 121st.

Unctad Secretary General Mukhisa

Kutiyu argued that states need to capitalize on their competitive advantages to recover from the economic damages suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic.

He added that productive capacities can help countries avoid the trap of focusing too much on a few areas to boost their chances at economic growth and poverty reduction. He said the PCI should provide governments with the insight on where they can improve on in the fight against poverty

and campaign toward development.

“As countries fight the coronavirus crisis, their need to build economywide productive capacities for inclusive and sustainable growth is greater than ever,” Kituyi said.

Globally, the United States topped all of the 193 economies included in the PCI with a rating of 50.51. The Netherlands placed next with 48.22, trailed by Iceland’s 47.96, Luxembourg’s 47.62 and Germany’s 47.38.

Even in pandemic, migrant workers sent funds home Continued from A1

“Takenaka was correct that some countries (like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh I think) have prodded their compatriots abroad to send more through incentives. The Philippines need not do that because remittance sending has been a cultural trait and a familial responsibility,” Opiniano told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail.

“She was also correct that episodes of eased mobility transitions and re-opening of the economies in host countries allowed for some income earning by residents and foreigners. The stimulus packages of host countries may have also helped some migrant workers and foreign-

born permanent residents and naturalized citizens,” he added.

Takenaka, Kim and Gaspar added that even OFWs who received assistance from their host countries through extended social assistance programs were able to send funds to their families during the pandemic.

With this, the ADB experts said the majority or 84 percent of over 3,000 overseas Filipinos in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia planned to remit the same amount or more money during the holidays.

In the Philippines, Opiniano said January-to-November figures showed that Filipinos abroad sent $27.012 billion, or some 0.80 percent less year-on-year.

“The availability of social assistance to migrant workers allowed them to continue sending money home. This was especially true among migrants from many developed countries, which have supplemented existing unemployment insurance and expanded access social assistance programs,” Takenaka, Kim and Gaspar said.

However, Opiniano said the role of exchange rates in the value of remittances and the stability of these

inflows cannot be overlooked.

He said in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan, the exchange rate depreciated; both are remittance-receiving nations. In the Philippines, the opposite occurred during the period.

He said the Philippine peso appreciated to P48.06 to the dollar in December 2020 from P52.47 in January 2019.

“Sure, the Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Sri Lankan migrants may have sent more money in 2020. But it does not mean that their welfare while abroad is better off,” Opiniano said. “It also seemed that the savings of these migrants have been wired home. We wonder how much migrants have left.”

Help returnees

TAKENAKA, Kim and Gaspar said in order to cope, particularly during times when remittances could be disrupted, governments must prepare to help returned migrants and their households.

They need assistance, Takenaka, Kim and Gaspar said, because migrants who returned home because they were pre-terminated or their contracts ended often face difficulties securing new jobs over-

seas or at home.

The government should help them by providing job referrals, skills training or certification, and entrepreneurship training.

This, the writers said, will prevent their households from falling into poverty. Without jobs, OFWs and their families have less or no income to sustain their needs, especially that of vulnerable members of their family—older persons, persons with disabilities.

“The recent strong remittance figures should not be seen as a reason to return to business as usual.

Rather, they are an opportunity to strengthen the systems that help overseas workers and their families back home,” Takenaka, Kim and Gaspar said.

Apart from these, Opiniano said origin-country governments should prepare migrant health-related programs as well as economic and social reintegration measures for returning, deported and repatriated migrants.

Improving the ease of doing business in the Philippines, Opiniano said, is also one way to guide OFWs in their investments. This would also help those who chose to stay and become entrepreneurs.

Hog inventory down by 24.1% as of Jan 1, a 25-yr low Continued from A10

Chicken inventory up, broiler down IN a separate report published on Tuesday, the PSA said the country’s total chicken inventory as of January increased slightly to 179.78 million birds from last year’s 178.26 million birds.

PSA data showed that the -4.7 percent reduction in broiler inventory was mitigated by the 3.1-percent and 4.2-percent increase in the number of native chicken and layer, respectively.

Historical PSA data showed that the country’s total broiler inventory fell to 53.72 million birds, its lowest level in 11 years since the 52.213 million birds recorded in 2010. Broilers accounted for a third of the total chicken inventory.

PSA data showed that native chicken inventory at the start of the year grew to 83.14 million birds from 80.68 million birds, while layer rose to 42.93 million birds from 38.81 million birds.

The BusinessMirror first broke the story that the national government will expand its data gathering and monitoring on the country’s livestock and poultry supply.

National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa told this newspaper that the undertaking would require an additional budget of around P60 million.

Mapa said PSA and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are now in talks, with the latter keen on funding the data collection efforts.

“We are planning to expand our livestock and poultry surveys to monthly data collection from the current quarterly schedule to provide policy-makers with higher frequency data,” Mapa said.

BTr… Continued from A1

Stronger reception–Land Bank

FOR her part, LandBank President and Chief Executive Officer Cecilia C. Borromeo expressed optimism that there would be an “even stronger” investor reception for RTB-25 given that the last two RTB issuances had set record subscriptions to date.

Last year, the Treasury raised P310.8 billion from the sale of three-year RTBs in February and P516.3 billion in five-year RTBs issued in August.

“Aside from earning interest every quarter, investing in RTBs contributes to advancing the government’s Covid-19 response and economic recovery plan,” Borromeo said in a separate statement.

In July last year, the state-run bank raised a total of P35.53 billion in sales for RTB-24.

Bulk of the transactions was completed over the counter. Sales amounted to P25.27 billion and P10.25 billion during the public offer period and rate-setting auction, respectively.

The balance, P8.9-million worth of sales, was generated online through the bank’s Link.

BizPortal via the BTr’s online ordering facility.

Apart from over-the-counter placements and online transactions, investors could also purchase the retail bonds via the Overseas Filipino Bank, which is LandBank’s digital-only branchless bank subsidiary.

Through the digital bank’s mobile app, investors can make multiple placements for RTB-25 of up to P500,000 per transaction.

Covid response

RTBs are made available to small investors in minimum denominations of P5,000.

RTB-25 will mature in the year 2024.

Proceeds from the issuance of RTBs are expected to boost the government’s funds for its Covid-19 response and recovery efforts.

The national government has been issuing RTBs since 2001 as part of its efforts to support financial inclusion and literacy among Filipinos.

Generally considered low-risk investment instruments, RTBs allow investors to earn a fixed interest based on prevailing market rates that are paid quarterly during the term of the bond.

The joint lead issue managers for the 25th RTB offering are Development Bank of the Philippines and LandBank of the Philippines, while the joint issue managers are BDO Capital & Investment Corp., BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., First Metro Investment Corp., PNB Capital and Investment Corp., RCBC Capital Corp., SB Capital Investment Corp., and UnionBank of the Philippines.

With a report by Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

The Nation BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSA ASSURES NATL ID STEP 1 LISTING TO MEET 14.9M Q1 GOAL

By Cai U. Ordinario

After China order to fire at vessels in disputed seas, military deploys addl Navy ships to WPS

By Rene Acosta

@caiordinario

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HE National ID Step 1 registration remains on track to hit the 14.9-million target in the first quarter of the year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa told the BusinessMirror on Tuesday that as of February 7, around 4.6 million Filipinos were registered under Step 1.

This is in addition to the 10.6 million Filipinos registered between October and December 2020. Step 1 registration for the National ID started in October 2020.

“Our first quarter target for Step 1 is 14.9-million and we are right on track. For step 2 we are doing a gradual roll out, testing our system and making sure we have the proper health and safety protocols at the registration centers,” Mapa said, even as he revealed that PSA was able to register 15,873 Filipinos in Step 2.

For 2021, the PSA intends to register between 50 million and 70 million Filipinos in Step 2 of the National ID registration. Mapa said this is “doable” considering the number of Step 1 registrants completed last year and as of February this year.

He said if the Step 1 registration target for the first quarter of 14.9 million is achieved, this will bring the total Step 1 registration to 25.5 million by March 31, 2021.

Efforts to complete the registration of these Filipinos for Step 2 will be aided by the PSA’s plans to fully operate the National ID registration

by March this year.

“For step 2, the [registration will be done in the] 32 provinces from last year. But for Step 1 we are now in all provinces, including NCR [National Capital Region]. As soon as we complete the 10.6 million Step 1 covered last year, we will have Step 2 nationwide,” Mapa said.

In Luzon, registration centers in Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bataan, Zambales, and Batangas are now operating to cater to low-income individuals who completed Step 1 Registration in 2020.

Meanwhile, in the Visayas, registration centers are also available in the provinces of Cebu, Iloilo, Bohol, Leyte, Negros Occidental, and Negros Oriental.

However, once the PSA is able to complete the registration for the 10.6 million Filipinos registered under Step 1 last year, the Step 2 registrations will be done nationwide.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, February 10, 2021 A3

@reneacostaBM

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HE military will send additional naval assets to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following China’s authorization for its coast guard to fire at vessels even in maritime waters that it disputes.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, however, said the deployment of Navy ships in the territory that Beijing disputes is not intended to provoke any conflict but to protect Filipino fishermen.

“As part of our mandate to secure the people, we will increase our visibility [there] through the deployment of more naval assets,”

he said during the Laging Handa news briefing.

“But I just want to make clear that our Navy presence there is not [to] wage war against China, but to secure our own people,” the top military chief added.

China’s Coast Guard Law authorizes its ships to shoot at vessels or shoo away other vessels in Beijing’s “sovereign waters,” including the WPS, which China disputes against the Philippines.

The law also authorizes the Chinese Coast Guard to demolish structures in territories that it claims, and this include the WPS which was formerly considered a traditional fishing ground by Filipinos.

Echoing the stand of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who raised the possibility of a war borne out from a possible miscalculation, Sobejana branded the new Chinese law as “very alarming.”

“That is very alarming, I should say it’s a very irresponsible statement because our countrymen were not going to that area, the disputed area, to wage a war, but to earn a living,” Sobejana said.

Meanwhile, the chief of staff said he had already ordered the military provost marshal to investigate Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command commander Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade for a “tagging issue.”

The investigation was in com-

pliance to the order of Lorenzana for Sobejana to probe Parlade over his claim that journalist Tech Torres Tupaz was a “communist propagandist,” which was denied

by Tupaz.

Using a pleading filed with the Supreme Court, Tupaz wrote the claims of torture by two Aetas against the military, which Parlade denied, and later apologized for the red tagging.

“With that statement of our good secretary, I have ordered our chief of the provost marshal to communicate with the NTF-ELCAC [National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict], particularly the strategic communications commit-

tee and find out whether the statement in public of General Parlade has the blessing of the said committee,” Sobejana said.

While Parlade is an area commander of the military, he is also the concurrent spokesman of the NTF-ELCAC for which he claimed, he made the statement.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is under the NTF-ELCAC. Sobejana also said he wants to professionalize the soldiers wherein they would do their job by following the rule of law, respect human rights and “being in the profession of arms...should strictly adhere to the provisions of the International Humanitarian Law.”

House Speaker seeks unified natl Hundreds of whales, dolphins show up during contact tracing protocol vs Covid annual marine mammal count in Sarangani Bay

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

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O ensure a more effective health emergency data monitoring system in the country, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has called on the Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to establish a unified national contact tracing protocol.

In House Resolution 1536 filed last week, Velasco said the government should strengthen its contact tracing efforts using the most effective and safest system to further boost its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Velasco, the Philippines is only able to identify at least seven contacts per coronavirus-infected person when the ideal contact tracing ratio should be 1:37 for urban areas, and 1:30 for rural communities.

“Contact tracing is a public health strategy to dramatically decrease the impact of an epidemic or pandemic that has been used for years to combat communicable diseases such as the Ebola outbreak in 2014, and the severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] outbreak in 2003,” Velasco pointed out.

“Contact tracing is the process of finding out who has recently been in close contact with a person infected with a virus, such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, and reaching out to those people to let them know they may have been exposed and guide them on what to do next, which

may include self-isolation to prevent further spread of the virus,” he added.

With this, Velasco proposed unified national contact tracing protocol should include the designation of a government agency or body as the centralized repository of information to facilitate a faster health emergency response system.

The protocol, he said, should also include a secure, encrypted transmission of data, a unified data procedure for solution providers; compliance with Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 in the handling of data; and the provision of real-time data access to accredited contact tracing app providers.

In November last year, IATF Resolution 85 prescribed the use of StaySafe.

PH platform as the official Covid-19 management and monitoring app for government offices and local government units. However, some sectors, including tourism industry participants, prefer SafePass over StaySafe.PH. Velasco said the disparate apps and non-centralized data repository led to redundant products, cost duplication, and less effective solutions often due to limited data access.

He said the data systems should include automated reports to aid in monitoring progress and outcomes of case investigation and contact tracing.

“It is observed that there is poor interconnection and data sharing between solution providers and the central data base maintained by the Department of Health,” Velasco noted.

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

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HE Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS), a marine protected area in the Province of Sarangani, continues to host hundreds of marine mammals that frequent the area in search of food and place to nurse calves.

From February 2 to 5, 2021, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 12 and its partners reported that around 20 to 30 individuals of shortfinned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) were recorded during their activity.

Signed on March 5, 1996, Proclamation 756 established Sarangani Bay and a portion of the municipal waters of Maitum, Kiamba, and Maasim Sarangani province, as a protected seascape for the purpose of protecting and maintaining its coastal and marine resources.

The area, a productive fishing ground, with Sarangani being known as the country’s tuna capital, boasts of rich marine biodiversity.

The monitoring team was composed of personnel from DENR Region 12 Conservation and Development Division, Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) of SBPS, and Protection Center of Sarangani Province.

Risso’s Dolphins (8), Spinner dolphins (80-100), and Fraser’s Dolphins (150-200) were also sighted between the coastal waters of Malapatan and Glan in Sarangani Province.

Photographs of the marine mammals were posted on the DENR Soccsksargen Facebook page.

Of this year’s visitors, the pilot whales were the surprise addition, Joy C. Ologuin, SBPS Protected Area Superintendent (PASu) told the BusinessMirror in a telephone interview.

THE Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS) has reported the sightings of hundreds of

whales, dolphins during its annual marine mammal count early this month.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENR REGION 12

“They are new records in Sarangani Bay. They are seldom seen here,” she said.

The annual marine mammal monitoring is being conducted in the SBPS to help ensure the protection of the SBPS and the marine mammals that frequent its waters.

The DENR Region12, SBPS Protected Area Management Office and the Provincial Government of Sarangani are exploring the possibility of promoting whale watching as an added tourism attraction in the area.

Unlike in Oslob, Cebu, where tourism officials encourage feeding whale sharks, locally called butanding to make whale watching interesting to tourists, the DENR and the SBPSPAMO will not allow such practice.

“We will not promote feeding of whales that way here in Sarangani,” she said, adding that the practice somehow changes the behavior of

marine mammals.

To protect the SBPS, Ologuin said the coastal barangays in the municipalities that share the bounty of the Sarangani Bay conduct weekly coastal cleanups.

“Garbage from the upland is the biggest threat to the Sarangani Bay and the marine mammals,” she said in Filipino.

During the rainy season, Sarangani Bay is covered with floating trash that flows from the river. All the garbage in the upland, she said, end up in Sarangani Bay. “That’s why we are working closely with all coastal barangays to do the coastal cleanup. We will do it on a weekly basis,” she said.

Fortunately, she said the DENR was able to gain the support of the concerned local government units and coastal barangays to keep the Sarangani Bay clean and its waters pristine.

PHLPost launches Express Pada-Love on Valentine’s Day

‘R

HOUSE-TO-HOUSE REGISTRATION

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora talks to constituent Eusebio Bueta during the on ground and house-to-house Covid-19 vaccination information campaign and registration in Barangay Isabelita, Pinaglabanan, San Juan City. NONOY LACZA

OMANCE can be far, but not apart,” a message the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) will try to convey, amid the pandemic as it plays Cupid on Valentine’s Day via its “Express Pada-Love program” from February 8 to 14.

“The celebration of Valentine’s Day might be a little different this year, but there are a lot of ways to show love and affection to our dear ones,” PHLPost said in a news statement.

One way is to send flowers and letters of gratitude to someone special in our life.

Via its #ExpressPadaLove2021, not even Covid-19 can stop PHLPost from sending love

this Valentine season. PHLPost will accept orders of flowers, chocolates, stuffed toys and other gift items from February 8 to 11 for express delivery on Valentine’s Day. Following physical distancing and safety protocols, on February 8, PHLPost will accept orders through its Valentine’s Day booths selling flowers, novelty and food items at the lobby of the Manila Central and Quezon City Post Offices.

PHLPost will deliver the items via door to door through its Domestic Express Mail Service (DEMS) anywhere in Metro Manila. They can also call for orders, through telephone numbers (02) 8527-0135/ 0927245-0835/0906-8976930.

Payments can made via Electronic Postal Money Order (EPMO) or GCash at Mobile No. 0935-3674207.

On February 10, PHLPost will launch its Valentine’s Day stamps at 3:00 in the afternoon and this will be featured live on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/ PilipinasPhilately.

The cartoon style stamp illustrates two people in face mask romantically spending time together to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a distance.

On February 14, the postman will deliver Valentine’s Day orders of flowers, chocolates and novelty items. The program will be featured live on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/ PilipinasPhilately.

A4 Wednesday, February 10, 2021 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Solons to House panel: Probe ‘unreleased’ Bayanihan 2 funds

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

S

AYING economic recovery will require expeditious and concerted efforts from government, lawmakers urged the House Committee on Public Accounts to conduct an inquiry into the unreleased and unutilized appropriations under Republic Act (RA) 11494, or the the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act. Aut hored by 37 l aw m a kers, AAMBIS-OWA Rep. Sharon Garin said House Resolution 1558 seeks to probe the accountability, stressing that delays in releases forego the opportunity to rescue the economy and correlate with actual economic losses.

“The pandemic is now only a month shy from reaching its first year and the country is still reeling from the impact of an economic nosedive.

If we don’t act on this, the economic revival we all hope for will not materialize,” warned Garin, one of the key proponents of the measure.

Authors of the bill said the speedy implementation of Bayanihan 2 is also a fiscally prudent approach to economic recovery, saying its potential contributions to economic recovery could help allay the need for another round of deficit-increasing stimulus measures.

With slow government relief, the lawmakers said the country foregoes the opportunity to provide more secure employment to the 420,000 workers that the Department of Labor and Employment says lost their employment in 2020, and the 4.5 million other working Filipinos who are in danger of losing their jobs.

They said the release and implementation of assistance authorized under Bayanihan 2 remains

crucial and urgent as the effects of Covid-19 on employment, hunger, poverty and business persist. “[We need expeditious and concerted efforts], especially with the 2020 GDP decline of 9.5 percent, the country’s worst post-war economic performance,” the resolution read.

Bayanihan 2 authorized some P165.5 billion in emergency relief and spending, including P25.5-billion standby fund.

The resolution added that the latest Executive report on Bayanihan 2 issued last January 6, 2021 showed only 73.74 percent of the authorized appropriations have been released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), while the remaining unreleased items primarily composed of equity infusion to government financial institutions and excluding standby funds, are still pending for approval by the Office of the President.

But in December, the DBM, in several news reports, said the total funds released under the Bayanihan 2 already reached P107.96 billion.

Moreover, while the releases have been recorded by the DBM, the resolution added that the corresponding utilization rates of these releases have not been reported by the implementing agencies in a manner that will provide Congress the opportunity to appreciate how much of these releases have actually already benefited the public.

Authors of the measure also said Congress authorized equity infusion over other forms of direct aid on the assumption that the government will act with dispatch on making such infusion available urgently to businesses in need.

They said their constituents have also complained about the slow implementation of other forms of direct relief under Baya-

nihan 2, which is not reflective on the report because it discloses only the releases of funds by DBM and not the utilization rates.

In response to the delays in implementation and to allow the government the opportunity to fulfill its commitments with Bayanihan 2, the lawmakers said Congress enacted Republic Act 11519, which extends the availability of funds appropriated in Bayanihan 2 law until June 30, 2021.

Besides Garin, among authors of the resolution include Reps. Joey Sarte Salceda, Stella Luz Quimbo, Raneo Abu, Rosanna Vergara, Ferdinand Hernandez, Christopher De Venecia, Angelica Co, Jam Baronda, DV Savellano, Horacio Suansing, Edward Maceda, Estrellita Suansing, Claudine Bautista, Antonio Albano, Michael Gorriceta, Rufus Rodriguez, Conrad Estrella III and Francisco Benitez.

Senators press PMVIC public consultation as group backs roadworthiness initiative

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan & Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

T

HE largest group of Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Centers (PMVICs) ensured on Tuesday that their services will be “free from any form of corruption,” citing the automated processes that the group has employed.

Vehicle Inspection Center Operators Association of the Philippines (Vicoap) President Iñigo Larrazabal allayed fears of corruption, noting that his group is using data gathering procedures to check for statistical anomalies that may detect corrupt activities.

“We are constantly gathering data across the entire inspection process­— data which can reveal any statistical anomalies that would point to corruption. And because most parts of the process are automated, we know that they cannot be tampered with. In other cases, we can review the data in vulnerable areas to identify any patterns of abuse so we can then act accordingly,” he said.

No public consultation

IN the Senate, however, Sen. Grace Poe acknowledged “many complaints that no stakeholder consultation was conducted before the PMVIC policy was rolled out to the public.”

“Wika nga ng VACC, pag walang konsultasyon,maykorapsyon,” she said, pointing out that “the noted absence of usual procurement procedures in the selection of PMVICs. Safer roads mean no shortcuts. The public must be consulted and i formed every step of the way. Dapat ay kabahagi ang mga motorista sa paghulma ng ganito kalaking polisiya.”

She also clarified for the record that “I am not painting LTO [Land Transportation Office] as the bad guy here. There’s something praiseworthy in ensuring that only roadworthy vehicles ply our roads. What we are looking into here is the sudden rollout of a new vehicle registration system that is undisputedly burdensome to our motorists. A half-baked policy is a bad policy and this committee won’t stand for it.”

‘Executive check up’

VICOAP is a group composed of 80 PMVICs located in various parts of the country.

Larrazabal noted that his group is supportive of the government’s program of increasing the standards of roadworthiness of vehicles, emphasizing on safety of both drivers and passengers.

He likened the PMVIC vehicular tests to a thorough executive medical exam given a patient, where critical parts of his physiology are checked through x-ray, CT scan and blood work, among other medical equipment.

The PECT test, he said, would be like having a doctor checking the patient’s temperature—and then pronouncing

him totally fit and healthy.

“In the PMVIC test, we check everything. Because we are talking about the safety of lives,” Larrazabal said.

Currently, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has identified 138 sites for PMVICs across the country. Of that number, 115 sites have been awarded, but only 24 have started their operations.

Under a memorandum circular issued in November 2020, the DOTr and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) added 209 new locations for PMVICs. The government is currently accepting applications for the said locations.

Sen. Ralph Recto, however, has filed a resolution urging the DOTr and LTO to “suspend the operation PMVICs until a comprehensive public consultation is conducted.”

Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade noted that the PMVICs are there to reduce—if not totally eradicate—vehicular accidents that lead to loss of lives and property.

Data from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority showed that there was a total of 121,771 road crashes in Metro Manila in 2019 alone, with an average of 334 incidents per day.

Of this figure, 372 ended in deaths while 20,466 victims suffered from non-fatal injuries and 100,933 resulted to damage to property.

“We want to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives and property along our roads, dahil ang road crash, hindi namimili ng panahon—may pandemya man o wala.

Hindi ito namimili ng biktima—mayaman man o mahirap, we can all fall victims to this epidemic on wheels,” Tugade said.

This, he said, proves that PMVICs are crucial to addressing this issue.

“Ito na ang panahon upang magkaroon tayo ng mas maayos at dekalidad na sistema. We have to recover and thrive amid the pandemic, and in the face of this epidemic called road crash,” he said.

He also urged vehicle owners to comply with the policy.

Why privatize?

AT the same time, Poe pointed out that many taxpayers find it truly difficult to accept that DOTr and LTO opted to privatize the PMVIC allegedly due to shortage of funds’ reminding that “it had access to the Motor Vehicle Users’ Charge funds for decades before it was abolished.” She observed that “instead of investing in private sourcing, it prioritized plate-making.”

“Whichever way you look at it, such prioritization was misplaced,” she said, adding, “Buti sana kung maayos ding naipatupad ang pagbibigay ng plaka sa mga sasakyan. Ang ending: marami na ngang sasakyan ang walang plaka, wala pa tayong mga pasilidad na magamit upang mainspeksyon ng libre ang mga sasakyan. Saan napunta ang P22.2 billion na MVUC funds?” the senator asked.

STREET FOOD PARTY

Call-center agents enjoy eating kwek-kwek (day-old chick), one of the favorite street foods near their work site on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, on Regalado Avenue in Fairview, Quezon City. Street foods are mostly alternative snack or breakfast for those working at night. PNA/OLIVER MARQUEZ

Task Force Aguila boosts efforts vs illicit trade in Clark Freeport

C

LARK FREEPORT— The Clark Development Corporation (CDC)-Task Force Aguila (TFA) continuously strengthen their efforts against illicit trade as they seized and intercepted some P170 million worth of goods through their Intelligence Operations from October 2018 to January 2021.

This was gleaned in the report submitted by TFA Director Maj. Gen. Francisco M. Cruz (Ret.) to CDC President and CEO Manuel R. Gaerlan. In the same report, it was mentioned that the active operations of TFA from October 2018 to January 2021 consisted of 60 incidents of apprehensions, interceptions, and seizures which resulted in the generation of revenues for the Philippine government.

The generated revenue from fines and penalties by locators amounting to P4,248,646 went to CDC, while a total revenue of P106,921, 270 from forfeited goods was remitted to the National Treasury.

Aside from their active operations on criminal intelligence, CDC-TFA has also heightened their programs against illegal online gambling, illegal foreign nationals, and detection of illegal business operations.

Various initiatives on screening potential locators, screening of winning bidders and contractors

as well as protection for Clark consumers and improvement of network with intelligence community were accomplished by the CDC-TFA. Meanwhile, in his vision to further improve their operations, Cruz has laid out capability building training and seminars for TFA personnel.

These include seminars on Free Trade Zone Intelligence Operations, Elicitation, Interview, and Interrogation Techniques, and Freeport Zone Business Intelligence.

CDC-TFA is motivated by its adage “One Team, One Creed and One Goal” to elicit teamwork and camaraderie among employees.

Earlier, the CDC-TFA was cited by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for their continuous efforts and support in intensifying operations against smuggling in the country.

In a news statement, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero thanked the CDCTFA on the apprehension of a P50 million worth of smuggled items composed of assorted smartphones, and laptops during the height of the Covid 19-pandemic here.

The seizure of these items was ordered by the BOC-Clark and later on, the said items were donated to the Department of Education as learning tools for students.

ADB issues $57-M education bond to AsPac nations, including PHL

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

T

HE Asian Development Bank (ADB) has issued its first education bond to help finance distance learning and training needs for students and teachers in the Asia and the Pacific (AsPac) region.

The Manila-based multilateral development bank issued the $57 million worth 10-year bonds.

These were all purchased by Daiichi Life Insurance Company, Limited of Japan and arranged by Credit Agricole CIB. The proceeds of the bond issuance will help finance ADB’s plans of expanding its assistance to the education sector. ADB aims to double its education investment to $2 billion between 2021 and 2023.

“We are pleased to announce the issuance of ADB’s first education bond which will help support, among others, our assistance to those among our developing members, whose education systems have been severely disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said ADB Treasurer Pierre Van Peteghem.

Currently, ADB has ongoing investments of over $6 billion in education. The onset of the pandemic, however, increased demand for education financing from the bank’s developing member-countries (DMCs).

Through the proceeds, ADB hopes to expand access to opportunities for high-quality education, including through greater use of distance and online learning.

ADB added that this can be done through the wider use of digital technologies for scaling equitable learning, training, and teaching with partnerships for expanding access to affordable and reliable Internet connectivity.

In January, ADB published Covid-19 and Education in Asia and the Pacific, which calls for developing countries to identify critical policy reforms, such as revamping teacher professional development and concretize actions to improve the quality, relevance, and inclusion of education systems over the long term.

Group joins call to keep commercial fishing vessels out of municipal waters

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

T

HE Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Tuesday added to growing voice against House Bill (HB) 7853, which seeks to allow commercial fishing vessels to catch fish within the 15-kilometer municipal fishing ground.

The proposed measure will allow commercial fishing vessels to enter between 10.1 and 15 kilometers inside the 15-kilometer municipal waters. The zone is designated by the existing fisheries law as exclusive for municipal fisherfolks.

In a news statement, Pamalakaya said the bill is “very, very dangerous to the municipal fishery resources and disadvantageous to the municipal fishers.”

Commercial fishing vessels are those weighing 3.1 gross tons (GT) and above. Under the amended Fisheries Code of 1998, commercial fishing vessels are only allowed outside the 15-kilometer municipal waters.

“Commercial fishing vessels with advanced fishing technology and gear would outcompete small municipal fishers who engage in backward and jurassic methods of fishing. Big fishing vessels would wipe out and exhaust the resources in the municipal waters with all their might. That is why we highly oppose this measure

proposed by a legislator who appears to have no background on fisheries,” Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya national chairman said.

The group is supporting a House Bill 7524 filed by the Makabayan bloc, seeking “special protection to coastal fishing communities for sustainable small-scale fisheries in the country.”

“In stark contrast to HB 7853, HB 7524 seeks to protect coastal communities and municipal waters against all forms of profit-oriented and environmentally destructive projects, including entry of largescale commercial fishing fleets within the municipal fishing grounds.

We vow to support and uphold any bill that would be favorable to small fishers, and oppose any measure that is deemed disadvantageous to the already impoverished sector,” added Hicap.

The House Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources commenced its deliberations of the said House Bills on Tuesday.

On Friday, various stakeholders who took part in an online forum and news conference organized

by Oceana Philippines expressed stiff opposition to the plan to allow commercial fishing within municipal waters.

They said commercial fishing will further threaten the already vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystem and deplete fish stocks in the country’s already overfished municipal waters.

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

The World BusinessMirror

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

A5

Military moves into Yangon as protesters flood streets M

yanmar’s military moved soldiers and water canons into the streets of the country’s commercial capital, Yangon, as tens of thousands of protesters defied a ban on public gatherings just hours after the new regime imposed martial law.

Soldiers blocked all main roads in the neighborhood of Hledan, near Yangon University, forcing some protesters to retreat, with as many as 10 army vehicles full of soldiers heading into the area along with at least six water canons, according to demonstrators in the area and posts on social media.

It’s put the youth-led anti-coup movement on a potential collision course with a military that has a history of deadly crackdowns against dissent.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have swarmed streets across the Southeast Asian nation since the weekend, using social media to quickly mobilize supporters with three main demands—the release of civilian leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, recognition of the 2020 election results won by her party and a

withdrawal of the military from politics.

In his first remarks since the coup, military chief Min Aung Hlaing defended his actions by repeating claims of voter fraud in November’s election that have been disputed by the election commission, international observers and Suu Kyi’s party. He also reiterated that the army would hold an election after the yearlong state of emergency and respect the outcome.

“We request everyone to cooperate with us for the good of the country,” Min Aung Hlaing said. In separate remarks broadcast on militaryrun Myawady HD later Monday, he called the coup “unavoidable,” said the military would guarantee all existing investment projects and overhauled the constitutional court while vowing the country would “get back on track within a short period of time.”

‘Collision course’

The coup reversed a decade of democratic progress that showed Myanmar’s younger generation an alternative to the generals who

have run the country for most of its history since it achieved independence from Britain in 1948.

International pressure continued to grow, with the US reiterating its plan to renew sanctions and New Zealand suspending high-level political and military contact with Myanmar.

“It’s hard to see the militar y backing down,” said Sebastian Strangio, author of “In the Dragon’s Shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese Century.” “All this puts the two sides on a collision course.”

Myanmar’s biggest protests in more than a decade began with an online call for “civil disobedience” in Yangon and quickly spread to other cities, prompting the military regime to shut off the Internet and block platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Activists in the traditionally conservative country have held up expletive-laden placards taunting a military that has violently suppressed dissent during similar protests in 1988 and 2007.

Many of the protesters were too young or not around to remember those deadly

crackdowns: A United Nations report found 31 people were killed in 2007, while hundreds or possibly thousands were killed in 1988.

The demonstrators now on the streets say they aren’t scared of the military, and hope to convince soldiers to join their fight against the coup—even as authorities in Naypyidaw warned protesters they would be shot with real bullets if they breached police lines.

“We respect those who lost their lives for the fight against democracy in Myanmar—they are our heroes too, so we are not afraid of potential military crackdowns,” Aung Ko Min, a 20-yearold student at Dagon University in Yangon, said as he marched in the protests on Monday prior to the announcement of martial law. “We expect some police and soldiers to join our peaceful protests in the end.”

The protesters are the latest members of Asia’s so-called Milk Tea Alliance fighting for democracy in places like Hong Kong and Thailand. Still, it remains to be seen if they’ll have any more success in pressuring authoritarians to back down.

The peaceful protests in Myanmar have been similar to those in Thailand seeking to reform the monarchy, and many protesters in Yangon have adopted the three-finger salute made popular by their neighbors in Bangkok. Both of those movements have used social media in a similar way to demonstrators in Hong Kong, where protests turned more violent. In Hong Kong and Thailand, authorities haven’t yielded to demands and stacked legal charges on key protest leaders.

Since the 2007 protests, Myanmar has opened the economy, allowing foreign participation in industries such as energy exploration and banking while liberalizing the telecom sector to allow millions of people to access mobile phones and Internet for the first time. It also lifted tight censorship rules and accepted a landslide victory by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party in 2015 elections.

A confidential UK foreign office assessment seen by Bloomberg suggested army chief Min Aung Hlaing will seek to crush Suu Kyi’s pro-

democracy party and install himself as president.

Even so, Myanmar’s generals might exercise caution this time around given the protests are being widely broadcast on social media despite the Internet curbs, according to Hunter Marston, a Canberra-based political analyst.

“The absence of bloodshed—a hallmark of military reactions to past protests—would represent a noteworthy success,” said Marston, who added that the demonstrations may also prompt the military to negotiate a political settlement with Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi, who is being held along with other senior leaders of her NLD party and the civilianled government, has called on supporters to resist the generals. Citizens appeared determined to fulfill her wishes.

“We want to be the last generation that lived under the military rule in Myanmar,” said shopkeeper Zaw Phyo Wai, 45. “This is not the fight between the NLD and the military. This is the fight between democracy and dictatorship.”

Bloomberg News

BusinessMirror

A6 Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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ASSOCIATE Chinese MAKHAMADALIEV, 58.

ABDULLAJON ASSOCIATE Uzbekistani BYLT-AX SYSTEMS INC. U-303 3/f Vistamar Dive Center Bldg. 7805 Mayapis Cor. St. Paul Sts. San Antonio Makati City LUNDGREN, KLAS JOHAN TECHNICAL CONSULTANT FOR 59.

Swedish NEW PROJECTS C’EST LA VIE EVENT MANAGEMENT INC. 230 Narra Street Marikina Heights Marikina City CHINESE - BOOTH CAI, RONGZONG 60.

FABRICATION SPECIALIST Chinese CONSULTANT CHINESE - BOOTH LIN, YANTING FABRICATION SPECIALIST 61.

Chinese CONSULTANT KE, MUHAI CHINESE - FIELD SALES 62.

Chinese CONSULTANT WANG, JIEFENG CHINESE - KEY ACCOUNTS 63.

Chinese SPECIALIST CONSULTANT CUSTOMER SUPPORT CAI, JIANHUI 64.

TRAINOR - MANDARIN Chinese SPEAKING CUSTOMER SUPPORT ZHAO, YUWEN 65.

TRAINOR - MANDARIN Chinese SPEAKING CAPSLOCK INC. 7th & 8th Flr. Y Tower Bldg. Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal Brgy. 076 Pasay City WEN, SHANMEI CHINESE IT SUPPORT 66.

Chinese SPECIALIST CASPO INCORPORATED 43f, 45f, 49f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Avenue Corner V.a. Rufino Street Bel-air Makati City ENDY HERMANTO OPERATIONS TEAM LEAD 67.

Indonesian D.M. CONSUNJI, INC. Dmsi Plaza 2281 Pasong Tamo Ext., Magallanes Makati City WRIGHT, JUSTIN JAMES 68.

CONSULTANT British EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila XU, YONGHUI MARKETING AND SALES 69.

Chinese AGENT EMAPTA VERSATILE SERVICES INC. 12th Floor, Ibm Plaza Building Eastwood City Cyberpark Bagumbayan Quezon City BEN MABROUK, JAWHAR TERRITORY ACCOUNT 70.

Tunisian MANAGER FAREAST OUTSOURCE PROCESSING INC. 7th, 8th, 9th Flr. Nu Tower Moa Coral Way Brgy. 076 Pasay City GAO, SHOUSHUAI CUSTOMER SERVICE 71.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) HAN, WENTAO CUSTOMER SERVICE 72.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) HUANG, SHUNGEN CUSTOMER SERVICE 73.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) LI, ZHENGRONG CUSTOMER SERVICE 74.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) LIAO, GUANGLIN CUSTOMER SERVICE 75.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) LU THI HA CUSTOMER SERVICE 76.

Vietnamese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) ZHAN, ZHIFU CUSTOMER SERVICE 77.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) ZHANG, JIAHAO CUSTOMER SERVICE 78.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) ZHANG, FANG CUSTOMER SERVICE 79.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) ZHANG, GUIQING CUSTOMER SERVICE 80.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) 44.

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. 4th-11th Floor Aseana 3 Building Aseana Avenue Corner Diosdado Macapagal Tambo Parañaque City 81.

82.

83.

84.

85.

86.

87.

88.

89.

90.

91.

92.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

FEI, LIPING Chinese GUO, MINGJI Chinese JIANG, JUNLEI Chinese LI, YANG Chinese LI, SHIFEI Chinese QIU, ZIJIU Chinese REN, ZHENGUO Chinese SHEN, RUI Chinese TANG, LE Chinese WU, ZHENGYUAN Chinese XIANG, HAIJUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

YANG, SIYUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

YANG, HAILONG CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE Chinese REPRESENTATIVE ZHANG, YUANCAN CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 94.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE ZHOU, XIAOQIN CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 95.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE JANSEN DERMAWAN INDONESIAN CUSTOMER 96.

Indonesian SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SUSANTI INDONESIAN CUSTOMER 97.

Indonesian SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE GATEWAYSOLUTIONS CORP. 8/f Edsa Cor. Sultan Brgy. Highway Hills Mandaluyong City LYU, XINMIN CUSTOMER SERVICE 98.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE GOODYEAR REGIONAL BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. 23f Twenty-five Seven Mckinley Building 25th St., Cor 7th Ave. Bgc Taguig City NASCIMBEM VEIGA, 99.

MAINNE JUNIOR BUYER Brazilian HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES PHILS. INC. U-5302, 53/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave., Cor., V.a. Rufino St. Bel-air Makati City YANG, YI FINANCE MANAGER FOR 100.

Chinese HUAWEI TELECOM PROJECT PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR SUN, ZHILING 101.

PLDT TRANSPORT NETWORK Chinese TRANSFORMATION PROJECT YE, PENG SALES BUSINESS DIRECTOR 102.

Chinese FOR DITO WIRELESS PROJECT IBM BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. 8th Floor, 1800 Bldg. Eastwood City Libis Quezon City KARINA AISYAH 103.

HR DELIVERY PROCESS OWNER Indonesian IDNPLAY CORPORATION 8/f Burgundy Corporate Tower 252 Sen. Gil J.puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City LEE, NAHYEON KOREAN-SPEAKING 104.

South Korean CUSTOMER SERVICE SOPARAT, SUCHADA THAI-SPEAKING CUSTOMER 105.

Thai SERVICE INNOVANTAGE INC. 8/f Kalayaan Bldg. 164 Dela Rosa Cor. Salcedo Sts. San Lorenzo Makati City CHEN, SAMUEL CHRISTOPHER L. PROJECT MANAGER 106.

Chinese INQUICK SERVICES INC. Unit 606 6/f Itc Bldg. 337 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Bel-air Makati City MANDARIN SPEAKING KE, YISONG 107.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Chinese REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING WANG, JINGZHI 108.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Chinese REPRESENTATIVE INTEGRITY GLOBAL GROUP, INC. 2/f-3/f Ayala Malls Circuit A.p. Reyes Ave. Carmona Makati City CUSTOMER SERVICE WANG, XIN 109.

REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN Chinese SPEAKING) CUSTOMER SERVICE YE, NANPING 110.

REPRESENTATIVE (MANDARIN Chinese SPEAKING) INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Floor Six West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City HTET MYAT HTAY 111.

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST Myanmari YAN EAIN AUNG 112.

COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST Myanmari HERMAN COMPUTER TECHNICAL 113.

Indonesian SUPPORT SPECIALIST QIU, DAOCONG I.T TECHNICAL MANDARIN 114.

Chinese LI, KAI QA(QUALITY ASSURANCE) 115.

Chinese SPECIALIST KONGANBUDDIES MARKETING INC. 48/f Lower Ground Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. Bel-air Makati City DING, HUILI CUSTOMER SERVICE 116.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE NIU, BEN CUSTOMER SERVICE 117.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE ZHU, MIAO CUSTOMER SERVICE 118.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE TRAN NGOC MINH 119.

PAYMENT SPECIALIST Vietnamese ZENG, LING 120.

TELEMARKETING Chinese MARKETROLE ASIA PACIFIC SERVICES, INC. 26/f, 27/f, 28/f The Enterprise Center Tower 1 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City HE, ZHIHUI CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER 121.

Chinese SERVICE STAFF LI, XUHENG CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER 122.

Chinese SERVICE STAFF LI, YANGCHUN CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER 123.

Chinese SERVICE STAFF LINUS BIN LUDGERUS CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER 124.

Malaysian SERVICE STAFF LU, YANHUA CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER 125.

Chinese SERVICE STAFF SHAO, ANZAI CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER 126.

Chinese SERVICE STAFF 93.

127.

WANG, BIN Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

MEGA-WEB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 6,7,8,9,10,11/f Met Live Bldg. Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 128.

LEI NANDAR AUNG Myanmari

129.

CHEN, MING Chinese

130.

CHEN, KAITAI Chinese

131.

DONG, JIANMEI Chinese

132.

DU, QUHAO Chinese

133.

GUO, YUNHE Chinese

134.

HU, TIANSHUN Chinese

BURMESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

135.

HUANG, SHENG Chinese

136.

HUANG, YUANAN Chinese

137.

JI, DENGGANG Chinese

138.

LI, YAOYANG Chinese

139.

LIU, SHANLE Chinese

140.

LU, WEIMING Chinese

141.

LUO, ZHIPENG Chinese

142.

MAI, JIALE Chinese

143.

MO, OUTING Chinese

144.

TIAN, QI Chinese

145.

WANG, XIAO Chinese

146.

WANG, ZHANGQI Chinese

147.

WANG, YUMIN Chinese

148.

WU, LINGJUAN Chinese

149.

WU, YIXIAN Chinese

150.

YANG, LI Chinese

151.

YAO, WEN Chinese

152.

YU, HONG-JIE a.k.a. YU CHUNG-CHIEH Taiwanese

153.

ZHENG, HAOYE Chinese

154.

ZHOU, BO Chinese

155.

ZHU, ANTING Chinese

156.

ZHUO, YINGWEI Chinese

157.

CHAU TIEU BINH Vietnamese

158.

LUU THI HUYEN TRANG Vietnamese

POSITION MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER VIETNAMESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER VIETNAMESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

MIZUHO BANK, LTD. - MANILA BRANCH Units 1-8, 25/f Zuellig Bldg. Makati Ave. Cor Paseo De Roxas Urdaneta Makati City VICE PRESIDENT & MANAGER, SATO, WATARU 159.

JAPANESE CORPORATE Japanese BANKING 1 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City ZHAO, YANG 160.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE Chinese CHEN, CHUANG 161.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE Chinese DAI, LILI 162.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE Chinese GAN KOK SIANG 163.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE Malaysian GOH SAY SEONG 164.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE Malaysian HA QUOC DAT 165.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE Vietnamese KYAN MANT KYUE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 166.

Myanmari ZHAN, ZHIXIANG 167.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE Chinese ZHOU, BIAOXIN 168.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE Chinese CHEN, ZHEN CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 169.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE LI, HONGLIN CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 170.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE REN, CHUANG CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 171.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE SU, SHUCHONG CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 172.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE SUN, JIE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 173.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE WANG, WEILAN CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 174.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE ZHANG, WEI CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE 175.

Chinese REPRESENTATIVE SANDAR AUNG MYANMARI CUSTOMER 176.

Myanmari SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE NGO THI HANG VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER 177.

Vietnamese SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MPOTECH DIGITAL SYSTEM INC. 2/f 331 Bldg. Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Bel-air Makati City HARTINA INDONESIAN CUSTOMER 178.

Indonesian SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION Sky Garage Bldg. Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City 179.

180.

181.

182.

CHEN, ZHANLONG Chinese BAI, XUE Chinese CHEN, KUNFU Chinese CHEN, CANLIN Chinese

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

TheWorld

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

A7

UN: ‘Concerning news’ vaccines may not work against variants G ENE VA—The head of the World Health Organization said Monday the emergence of new Covid-19 variants has raised questions about whether or not existing vaccines will work, calling it “concerning news” that the vaccines developed so far may be less effective against the variant first detected in South Africa.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing that South Africa’s decision on Sunday to suspend its vaccination campaign using the AstraZeneca vaccine is “a reminder that we need to do everything we can to reduce circulation of the virus with proven public health measures.”

He said it was increasingly clear that vaccine manufacturers would need to tweak

their existing shots to address the ongoing genetic evolution of the coronavirus, saying booster shots would most likely be necessary, especially since new variants of the virus are now spreading globally and appear likely to become the predominant strains.

Tedros added that WHO expected to make a decision “in the next few days” on whether it would recommend an emergency use listing for the AstraZeneca vaccine. That designation would allow millions of doses to be shipped to poor countries as part of a UN-backed effort to distribute Covid-19 vaccines worldwide known as COVAX. Last week, Tedros said that more than three quarters of Covid-19 vaccines had been administered in just 10 countries and that

Democracy advocate Jimmy Lai leaves the Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal where the government is arguing against allowing him bail in Hong Kong on February 9. Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal denied bail Tuesday for prominent democracy advocate and newspaper founder Lai, upholding the government prosecution’s appeal. AP/Kin Cheung

Hong Kong denies bail for govt critic Jimmy Lai

H

ONG KONG—A Hong Kong court on Tuesday denied bail for government critic and newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai who is facing charges under a sweeping new national security law.

The ruling by the Court of Final Appeal comes amid heavy pressure from the Chinese government and state media to keep Lai in custody, arguing that Lai’s crimes against the state are particularly egregious and that he possesses the means to flee the semiautonomous southern Chinese city.

Lai was arrested in a December sweep against pro-democracy activists accused over their involvement in 2019 anti-government

protests. First refused bail, Lai was later released on appeal, leading to editorials attacking Hong Kong’s judiciary in the pages of the ruling Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily. He was returned to jail on New Year’s Eve ahead of a new hearing.

Lai, an outspoken advocate for democracy in Hong Kong, had been charged with fraud on December 3 for allegedly violating the lease terms for office space for his media company, Next Digital. He was later charged again on December. 12 under the national security law, on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security.

The law states that a defendant will not

immunization in nearly 130 countries had yet to start. Despite WHO’s aim of starting Covid-19 vaccination in poor countries at the same time as wealthy countries, COVAX hasn’t delivered any vaccine doses anywhere.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, said people shouldn’t conclude from S outh Africa’s decision that the AstraZeneca vaccine doesn’t work. She said all of the available evidence to date shows the vaccines developed so far reduce deaths, hospitalizations and severe disease.

Other Covid-19 vaccines developed by Novavax, Pfizer and BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson also appear to be less effective against the strain first identified in South Africa, although they may prevent severe disease. AP

get bail unless the judge is sure the suspected crime will not be committed again, a break with Hong Kong’s common law system inherited from Britain.

As at his previous hearings, Lai stepped from the prison van into an inflatable tunnel connecting with the court entrance, in an apparent attempt to minimize his exposure to the numerous journalists waiting outside.

The move keeps Lai in custody at least until the beginning of his trial scheduled for April and underscores his status as one of the most highprofile critics of China’s growing intolerance for political opposition in Hong Kong. Participation in anti-government protests has become a focus of law enforcement in the city and the basis on which several pro-democracy activists have been jailed in recent months, including student protest leaders Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow.

The national security law was imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing after the city’s local legislature was unable to overcome local opposition to its enactment. Backers say it has returned calm to the city’s streets while opponents consider it a betrayal of China’s pledge to maintain the city’s legal, civil and human rights for 50 years after its handover from British colonial rule in 1997.

The law effectively curbs most opposition political activity by giving authorities broad powers to prosecute critics on loosely defined charges of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers while subjecting private speech and social media postings to possible criminal punishment. Serious offenders could face up to life imprisonment.

Lai, 72, made his fortune in the retail clothing trade before branching out into media.

He stepped down as publisher of the Apple Daily newspaper but the publication remains a popular forum for opposition views in a media landscape dominated by Beijing-backed outlets. AP

EU countries expel Russian diplomats in Navalny dispute

B

ERLIN—Germany, Poland and Sweden on Monday each declared a Russian diplomat in their country “persona non grata,” retaliating in kind to last week’s decision

by Moscow to expel diplomats from the three European Union countries over the case of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Russia had accused diplomats from Sweden, Poland and Germany of attending a demonstration in support of Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most high-profile political foe. “ We h a v e i n f o r m e d t h e R u s s i a n Ambassador that a person from the Russian embassy is asked to leave Sweden,” Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde wrote on Twitter.

“This is a clear response to the unacceptable decision to expel a Swedish diplomat who was only preforming his duties.”

Germany’s foreign ministry said Russia’s decision to expel the European diplomats “was not justified in any way,” insisting that the German Embassy staffer had been acting within his rights under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to “inform himself about developments on site.”

The ministry added that the decision was taken in close coordination with Poland, Sweden and the EU’s diplomatic service. Poland’s foreign ministry tweeted that “in accordance with the principle of reciprocity”it considers “the diplomat working at the Consulate General in Poznan as a persona non grata.”

In a statement, EU lawmakers also appealed to “all EU Member States to show maximum solidarity with Germany, Poland and Sweden and take all appropriate steps to show the cohesiveness and strength of our Union.”

The parliamentarians called for “a new

strategy for the EU’s relations with Russia, centered around support for civil society, which promotes democratic values, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and human rights.”

The tit-for-tat expulsions come as EU officials ponder the future of the 27-nation bloc’s troubled relations with Moscow amid deep concern that their large eastern neighbor sees democracy as a threat and wants to distance itself further from the EU. Moscow’s decision Friday was as an extra slap in the face for the Europeans because it came as the bloc’s top diplomat—foreign policy chief Josep Borrell—was meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Borrell said he learned about the expulsions on social media.

“The messages sent by Russian authorities during this visit confirmed that Europe and Russia are drifting apart,” Borrell wrote in a blog on his return to Brussels. “It seems that Russia is progressively disconnecting itself from Europe and looking at democratic values as an existential threat.”

He said the trip left him “with deep concerns over the perspectives of development of Russian society and Russia’s geostrategic choices,” and the expulsions, which he requested be dropped, “indicate that the Russian authorities did not want to seize this opportunity to have a more constructive dialogue.”

Some EU lawmakers criticized Borrell for going, or for not insisting on visiting Navalny, who was arrested in January when he returned to Moscow after spending months in Germany recovering from a poisoning in Russia with what experts say was the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok. On Febraury 2, a Moscow court

ordered Navalny to prison for more than 2 1/2 years for violating the terms of his probation while in Germany.

Borrell tried to arrange a prison meeting through Lavrov but was told to take it up with the courts.

“If you are familiar with the court procedures in Russia, you will know that it would take much more time than the duration of the visit,” Borrell’s spokesman, Peter Stano, said Monday.

Ultimately, the trip was never uniquely about Navalny. Russia is a major trading partner and the EU depends on it for natural gas. It’s also a key player in talks on curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and has a central role in conflicts that impact on European interests, like those in Syria and Ukraine.

Borrell’s aim was to “deliver firm messages” on the broad state of EU-Russia ties as much as on the imprisonment of Navalny, Stano said. EU foreign ministers will debate the issue Feb. 22 in preparation for the bloc’s leaders to weigh Europe’s Russia strategy at a summit on March 25-26.

But the real challenge is overcoming the vast divisions between countries on how to approach Russia.

EU heavyweight Germany has strong economic interests there, notably the NordStream 2 undersea pipeline project, and German and other ambassadors are reluctant to rapidly wade into any sanctions battle over Navalny.

Despite calls for such punitive measures, particularly among some of Russia’s close but small EU neighbors like Lithuania, Borrell said Friday that no country has officially raised any proposals on who or what organizations to hit with sanctions. AP

A8 Wednesday, February 10, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Addressing our food security challenges

T

he Philippines is not the only country that is experiencing spikes in food prices, based on the latest report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. FAO data showed that global food prices rose an eighth consecutive month in January to their highest since July 2014. The monthly food price index averaged 113.3 points in January, 4.7 points (4.3 percent) higher than in December 2020 due to increases in the prices of sugar, cereals, vegetable oil, meat and dairy.

Unfortunately, all the countries that have seen surges in domestic food prices are also turning to the international market to beef up their food supply. Increased purchases from other countries, including China, are shrinking global supplies of various food items and driving up prices.

China, the world’s most populous country, is shopping for more food as it continues to grapple with African swine fever (ASF) and animal diseases that have decimated its domestic hog population.

The report released by the Rome-based FAO on February 4 points to worrying trends that the Philippines must pay attention to, particularly since the country is also keen on importing pork to help tame inflation, which accelerated to 4.2 percent in January (See, “Amid holiday, government pushing pork imports,” in the BusinessMirror, February 9, 2021). For one, FAO noted that China has stepped up its purchases of corn and soybeans to feed its pig herd. This could put pressure on prices of imported soybean meal, which the Philippines imports because its soybean production is practically nil.

What could compound the problem of high international food prices for the Philippines is the outbreak of avian influenza in a number of European countries, which limited their poultry shipments. China, the world’s top pork producer, is increasing its purchases of imported pork and beef as it continues to grapple with ASF in its hog farms. Also, the continuous increase in oil prices will cause transport costs to go up, and this will be passed on to consumers.

Policy-makers must keep these things in mind when weighing options to ease the shortage of certain food items. While importing is the fastest route to plug the shortage in meat products, it is just a short-term solution and is becoming less feasible by the day as the Philippines would also have to compete with other countries facing the same supply problem. Timing is key, especially if the government has already made up its mind to turn to the international market for pork and other food items.

Apart from addressing ASF, the government must also coordinate production efforts particularly in areas free from the dreaded hog disease and avian influenza. Increasing the production of more broilers would undoubtedly ease the pressure on pork supply, as poultry is also favored

by Filipinos (See, “Another inflation worry: Farm-gate broiler price rises,” in the Businessmirror, February 9, 2021). Expanding the output of aquaculture is another feasible option, as Filipino consumers would be given alternative protein sources. (See, “Food security task force forms sub task force on fish-based protein supply,” in the BusinessMirror, February 9, 2021).

The Philippines, like other countries, is experiencing high pork prices at the retail level because of supply problems. Runaway meat prices have a greater impact on low- and middle-income households since they spend a larger share of their income on food. We see a need to adopt a whole-of-nation approach to solve an emerging food security crisis.

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Aurora C. Ignacio

All About Social Security

L

ove is a very powerful word, which is universal in concept.

For many, it may either be a life-changing moment. Looking at the people around us, for a mother, it is her love for her child; for a husband, it is his love for his wife; for a soldier, it is his love for his country; and for priests and nuns, it is their love for God. Love may take on many forms, but whatever it may be, it gives people happiness and brings bright smiles on their faces.

For married individuals like me, celebrating Valentine’s Day is synonymous to reliving one’s marriage, which is a lifetime commitment.

This is the same for us at the Social Security System. Our lifetime commitment goes beyond time and administration. This is why SSS has been continuously serving Filipino workers over the last 63 years, fulfilling our mandate to provide social security protection in times of contingencies such as sickness, maternity, disability, unemployment, retirement, and death.

Over the years we have launched and implemented programs that benefit our members, the latest is the Real-Time Processing of Loan Payments (RTPL). Starting April 1, 2021, computer-generated payment reference numbers (PRNs) will be required for short-term loan payments from March 2021 and onwards. Transactions covered in this new program include loans for salary, calamity, emergency, as well as restructured loans.

A PRN is a system-generated number corresponding to an individ-

ual member’s loan billing statement (self-employed, voluntary, overseas Filipino worker) or employer that helps facilitate immediate and correct posting of payments to their loan accounts.

Since November 2020, we have been sending loan billing notices to our member-borrowers and employers. This statement or notice contains a corresponding PRN, which individual members and employers must present when paying at SSS branches with Automated Tellering System (ATS) or any RTPL-compliant collecting partner.

From the first to the sixth day of every month, the SSS generates loan billing statements and notices with PRNs that are then sent to individual members and employers via e-mail and registered mobile numbers.

In case individual members need to modify the amount to be paid in the said statement, they may do so by using their My.SSS online account or at any SSS branch.

Employers, on the other hand, can make changes only through the My.SSS account, where they must

also submit an electronic-Loan Collection List (e-LCL). They may download these lists from the SSS accounts for offline editing before submission.

When paying, individual members or employers can either print out a copy or capture a screenshot of the PRN Loans Statement of Account with the corresponding barcode, accessed through the “RTPL PRN” module of their My.SSS accounts that are found on the SSS web site (www.sss.gov.ph). They may also present the SMS of loans PRN received from the SSS. Aside from SSS branches with ATS, loan payments with PRN of individual members and employers are also accepted through RTPL-compliant partners, Security Bank, and Union Bank of the Philippines.

Employers may also course PRN loan payments through BancNet’s eGov facility with Asia United Bank (local), Bank of Commerce, China Bank Corp., CTBC Bank, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., MUFG Bank, Philippine Bank of Communications, Philippine National Bank (local), Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Robinsons Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and United Coconut Planters Bank.

Individual members may also repay their loans using PRNs with foreign branches of the Philippine National Bank.

Other SSS collecting partners are currently undergoing system enhancement and testing to become RTPL-compliant while those RTPLcompliant SSS collecting partners will only accept loan payments with PRN to avoid potential posting errors on PRN and non-PRN systems’ parallel use.

After payment, individual mem-

bers and employers will receive a notification through e-mail or SMS confirming their payment and posting.

For non-PRN loan payments— including those from employers via the Electronic Data Interchange Net facility—will be accepted only until March 31, 2021, through SSS collecting partners (bank or non-bank) that are not yet compliant with the RTPL system requirements and SSS branches with ATS. Educational Assistance Loans (EALs), however, are not yet included in the PRN billing system because members with EALs may still pay through any SSS branch with ATS or SSS collecting partner using the existing ML1 payment form until further notice.

The SSS launched the RTPL program in November 2019 as part of our compliance with President Duterte’s directive to digitize business processes. Since then, the SSS constantly develops the program to benefit its members and covered employers through short-term member loan process enhancements such as the online filing of salary and calamity loans, loan disbursements through Philippine Electronic Fund Transfer System and Operations Network (PESONet) participating banks, and the use of PRN for loan payments.

As we continue to upgrade our programs and services for our members and pensioners as well, it remains our responsibility to take care of them today and in the future.

Advance Happy Heart’s Day to all!

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.

Junked Chinese steel induction furnaces being reanimated in PHL

Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug

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Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

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anned in China in 2017 due to their harmful effects on the environment and inability to produce quality steel products, induction furnaces (IF) are now alarmingly sprouting like mushrooms in the Philippines.

It is appalling how local governments have become enthusiastic recipients of these junks being brought into the country by Chinese investors with the aid of local businessmen who are willing to take this banned equipment in China as an equity investment in partnerships.

Slowly, we are following the path of China before these IFs were banned there—the Philippines is producing more substandard steel bars that put the lives and properties

of Filipinos at risk while releasing more pollutants to the air.

A double whammy!

Is this a sign of lax rules on the part of concerned government agencies? I don’t think so. It is more likely that the original Chinese owners of these junks just managed to take advantage of us because—as what they probably surmised—underdeveloped countries like the Philippines and its Asean neighbors would be caught off guard and allow the en-

try of the antiquated IF technology to manufacture unsuitable or low quality products.

Because of this, the past four years have seen an exponential growth of IF capacity in the country. Now, we are staring at a consumer safety and environmental crisis.

The Philippine Iron and Steel Institute joined the Asean Iron and Steel Council in pleading to the China Iron and Steel Authority to police the export of IF equipment into the region. The response from the CISA was blunt—it is up to the Asean governments to protect their own backyards.

Insane! CISA makes me think of Sisa, the mother of Crispin and Basilio in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere who went insane when her two sons went missing. Our authorities should not take this as a mere challenge but virtually a slap on their faces. With what is happening now, it’s like saying they are inutile.

But knowing Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez and Environment

Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, we will certainly begin to feel the winds of change once they’ve been thoroughly apprised of what’s happening.

To Secretary Lopez, who is our chief guardian of consumer welfare, this is the telling fact: The inability of induction furnaces to remove impurities and refine molten steel makes it impossible to control the chemistry of the melt and therefore the failure to consistently achieve the mechanical or chemical properties (chemical composition, tensile yield and strength, elongation) required by the Philippine National Standard. Simply put, the output is substandard.

Even the former president of CISA and chairman of World Steel Association, Yu Yong, attests that these induction furnaces are producing substandard steel. This forced the hand of Premier Li Keqiang to shut down these IF mills. Yu stressed that steelmaking is a strict “smelting” process to ensure the quality of See “Arranza,” A9

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Opinion

PCC five years on

Digital intelligence: The future of learning

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Atty. Johannes Benjamin R. Bernabe

Dr. Carl E. Balita

Competition Matters

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he Philippine Competition Commission commemorated the fifth anniversary of its establishment on February 1 without much of a celebration. We have the pandemic to blame for that, even though the agency has continued to function and carry out its mandate during the past year’s lockdown. It is a bit of a shame because the PCC has been, in the five years of its existence, lauded in international circles for the quality of its rules and guidelines, and the soundness of its decisions particularly in the review of large mergers and acquisitions. Notably, as early as its third year, the PCC had been featured in the 2019 Global Trends Monitor published by PaRR, a competition news and analysis company, as the fifth-ranked competition agency in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of merger review, anti-trust enforcement and policy development.

Merger review evolved early on and remains a strength of the Commission.

For all the grumblings it initially provoked in the business sector, the system works effectively and efficiently, weeding out only the most problematic of transactions but otherwise promptly clearing others that have no anticipated anti-competitive effects. The most high-profile of those that have been subjected to conditions or withdrawn after review include Grab’s acquisition of Uber, Universal Robina’s planned purchase of Roxas Holding’s sugar operations in Batangas, and San Miguel Corp.’s proposed acquisition of Holcim’s cement facilities. It is arguably a testament to how well-grounded the Commission’s findings are in these cases that these were not appealed to the regular courts by the merging parties.

Nonetheless, the Commission faces significant challenges as it moves towards concluding its first decade. With only three commissioners on board (the other two members’ terms having expired in January), President Duterte must appoint two new commissioners competent in law and economics, and preferably, familiar with how business is done in the Philippines. These appointments must further ensure that the Commission avoids being politicized, with positions, or worse, rulings taken on the basis of political masters. These standards for appointment will go a long way in enhancing the Commission’s credibility with the business community and consumers.

The Commission also has to further ramp up its pursuit of cases against cartels and entities that abuse their market power. In the last two years, the agency’s Enforcement Office has issued a total of four statements of objections (“SO,” a PCC term for what is essentially a charge sheet) against entities for exclusive arrangements that foreclose competition. These SOs involved the specific market for the provision of Internet services in condominiums in a couple of cases, as well as insurance services in a particular housing market in another.

Apart from the obvious curtailment of anti-competitive behavior, the adjudication of these SOs have the additional externality of informing and educating businesses and citizens alike of the thinking of the Commission on, for instance, exclusivity arrangements in Internet service provision. A case in point is after the PCC’s settlement decision on Urban Deca and its affiliate Internet service provider, many property developers rectified their practices

Arranza. . .

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the output and not a simple “melting” like what the IF mills are doing.

Smelting involves heating, oxygen blowing, slagging, deoxidation, and other processes to remove impurities such as sulfur, phosphorous, and gas to achieve the desired temperature and chemistry. IF mills only melt scrap steel.

To Secretary Cimatu, the Chinese experience is something to ponder: Induction furnaces significantly contributed to the widespread pollution crisis during and after the Beijing Olympics that caused an international embarrassment and prompted the government to ban the technology. The DENR has previously cited and sanctioned IF mills for violating

and abolished their exclusive arrangements with ISPs. This has redounded to the benefit of presumably millions of Filipinos who henceforth will have a choice of faster, more stable and less expensive alternatives to their existing ISPs. This is critical as the country increasingly trends towards study- and work-from-home arrangements even beyond the current lockdown.

Indeed, if the Commission is to become more directly relevant for ordinary Filipinos, its Enforcement Office has to double up on its output of SOs, especially in other sectors where the perceived need for the agency’s intervention is most felt, e.g., in food and agricultural goods, hygiene and pharmaceutical products (more so during this continuing pandemic), and public services.

Another challenge the PCC must surmount in the near term is improving understanding of competition law and principles by households, small and medium-sized enterprises, and surprisingly, colleagues in government including Congress. It is fairly obvious that the first two groupings, representing consumers and businesses, should be sensitized more about the PCC and its activities. The Commission expects that complaints and information about potentially anti-competitive acts would come from these stakeholders who may experience and suffer from such practices by other businesses. If this expectation is to materialize, then they naturally have to be made more aware of competition principles.

In the case of Congress, however, an even more involved effort must be exerted to make sure that genuine “champions” or “friends of competition law” are nurtured. Proposed economic legislation should be screened and subjected to “competition impact assessment” (similar to what is done in South Korea, for example) to prevent laws that set aside competition principles for the sake of expediency. Otherwise, we ourselves in government run the risk of eroding the “culture of competition” we have been carefully building all these years.

A lawyer by profession, Commissioner Johannes Benjamin R. Bernabe served as adviser to the Congress in the drafting of, and deliberations on the Philippine Competition Act. Prior to his appointment at the Philippine Competition Commission, he served as the Philippines’s lead trade negotiator at the World Trade Organization and was a senior fellow at the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development—both in Geneva, Switzerland.

the terms of their ECC or having no ECC at all.

Reports said the IF mills have shifted production operations at night to avoid visible pollution and to make the testing done during daytime yield satisfactory results.

Making them pay fines for environmental violations is definitely not enough because of the risks that their products pose to Filipino consumers.

I can now imagine President Duterte ranting with so much passion against this once he learns what these IF mills are doing to our country.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard government revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.

Entrepreneurs’ Footprints

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veryone seems anxious about how learning is taking place in the new normal when the traditional face-to-face classes become trapped in the digital space. Prior to the forced migration to the new normal of learning, the 21st century learners were taught by the 20th century teachers in 19th century classrooms.

There are doubts if the learning outcomes set by the educational authorities are achievable through the abrupt, and unintentional, shift to digital learning. The greater doubt comes from the parents who learnt differently in the past. But the greatest doubt may come from the teachers who were trained to teach differently and who are learning not only how to learn the use of digital technology but also learning how to teach learners, who know technology better, using these digital technologies. Content and pedagogical competencies of teachers are not sufficient as technological competencies become equally important.

Given the chance, the current learning environment is teaching our learners the intelligence that they actually need more in the future—digital intelligence. Facilitated properly to explore the learning opportunities in the new normal, the Gen-Z learners today may actually learn better in the current digital set-up than in the traditional classroom setting, especially within the context of the 21st century competencies that the future world of work will require.

Pandemic-induced acceleration of digital transformation

AT the onset of the First Industrial Revolution in 1784, the focus of human worth was on the body as the primary skillset was the physical skills.

That was the early age of industrialization when steam and water were sources of power with the beginning mechanization that regarded humans as productive machines.

After less than a century, in 1870, the Second Industrial Revolution used electricity with humans participating in a more organized manner, like in assembly lines utilizing concepts of division of labor and management in a maturing industrialization concerned with mass production to meet the challenges of the growing world population. The focus of human worth shifted from the physical to the

mental (mind) with primary skillset centered on the cognitive skills. The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was then introduced in 1964.

The Third Industrial Revolution came in 1969 with the introduction of the computer and information technology in the modernizing age of electronics and automation. The primary human skillset shifted to the soft skills with focus on the emotions. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) was then introduced in 1964 while Adversity Quotient (AQ) and Spirituality Quotient (SQ) were introduced in 1997.

Before the onset of Covid-19, the world was bracing for and anticipating the great disruption brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe), which was feared to set the status quo on FIRe with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Big Data, Cyber-physical Systems, crypto-currency, and more disruptive technologies. This shifted the focus on the human spirit and values with human’s primary skillset as digital skills. Digital Intelligence (DQ) was introduced as early as 2006.

DQ: Intelligence for the future

The Unesco simply defined digital literacy as the ability to access, manage, understand, integrate, commu-

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 A9

The dominance of the purpose-driven millennials and socially relevant Gen-Z in the population and in the digital space will exert a positive traction towards more responsible and ethical use of digital technology, like in social media.

nicate, evaluate and create information safely and appropriately through digital technologies for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

The future jobs will require digital competencies as all businesses, regardless of industry, will digitally transform. Hence, only the digitally competent will survive and only the digitally intelligent will thrive.

In order to prepare for the future, a public-private-civic-academic coalition in association with the World Economic Forum formed the DQ Institute that aims to bring quality digital intelligence education to every child. The DQI defines DQ as a comprehensive set of technical, cognitive, meta-cognitive, and socioemotional competencies grounded in universal moral values that enable individuals to face the challenges of digital life and adapt to its demands.

Thus, individuals equipped with DQ become wise, competent, and futureready digital citizens who successfully use, control, and create technology to enhance humanity.

DQ has a framework with three levels, namely, digital citizenship, digital creativity and digital competitiveness. Digital Citizenship is the ability to use digital technology and media in safe, responsible and ethical ways. Digital Creativity is the ability to become part of the digital ecosystem, and to create new knowledge, technologies, and content to turn ideas into reality. And Digital Competitiveness is the ability to solve global challenges, to innovate, and to create new opportunities in the digital economy by driving entrepreneurship, jobs, growth and impact. The DQ framework has eight areas and 24 competencies all envisioned to enhance the future of humanity amid digital and technological advancements.

The future readiness of the persons with digital intelligence comes from their transformative competencies of taking responsibility, creating new value and reconciling

Ease in a skyway, hope in an airport Susan V. Ople

Scribbles

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hen my 92-year-old mother and namesake, Susana, visited me last Sunday, she and my elder brother, Felix, drove from Bulacan to Metro Manila via the scenic Skyway 3. My brother, the designated driver, gushed over how smooth and quick the trip was. We don’t often think of infrastructure development as projects of hope, because once built, it’s easy to just take these new roads, bridges, ports, and airports for granted. I think the excitement created with the formal opening of the 18.83-kilometer elevated tollway project of San Miguel Corp., from Buendia to Balintawak, led people to become more appreciative of big-ticket infrastructure development.

The quality of Skyway 3 in terms of planning and execution has given rise to hope and more support for the building of the New Manila International Airport in my home province of Bulacan. That Bulacan is a province where perennial floodwaters do run deep, especially in coastal towns such as my town of Hagonoy, is a given. We have long been waiting for the national government to invest billions to solve environmental challenges that come with oversilted rivers, lack of mangroves, and the need for more dikes and spillways to channel flood waters coming from mountains and overspilling dams.

Flood mitigation projects were done in a sporadic, incoherent fashion, never as part of a wholistic vision.

And so, we all adjusted to having boots to wear, even when walking from our house to the nearest voting precinct to cast our ballot during the

rainy political season.

Some people have criticized the tax exemptions legally given to San Miguel Corp. during the 10-year construction period in Bulacan. I say, let the risk-taker and primary direct investor in our province and region focus on building a worldclass airport and, in the process, create millions of jobs, while addressing environmental concerns, for these tax-exempt 10 years. The employees it will hire will pay taxes.

The long, dynamic supply chain that will have to be in place, to support the building of a new airport and modern aerocity in the rustic town of Bulakan, will breathe life into our pandemic-stricken economy. Where there is stillness, soon there will be the busyness and dynamism that come with building something huge.

What can be bigger than an international airport with all the modern

conveniences it provides?

Will the construction of a new airport drive Bulacan to go underwater? I have been hearing about the sea reclaiming my hometown since I was a little girl. I am now a year shy of 60. Our beloved Hagonoy continues to stand even as it serves as the natural catch-basin of floodwaters from Pampanga and elsewhere before pouring into Manila Bay. I trust that the developers and the provincial government, as well as our congressional leaders, won’t ever allow this historic province to sink and be gone forever.

The national government has been discussing and negotiating with San Miguel Corp. about this airport project for several years. The franchise law stresses the need for environmental compliance. Several departments and agencies have taken part in discussions on how to move this project forward.

I asked a friend of mine who lives in the town where the airport construction will take place, whether she is in favor of the airport project. Tess, a former overseas Filipino worker, was quick to say yes. Her family is excited about it, she said.

For her, it means more jobs will be created and businesses, too. They don’t need to consider going abroad since the airport construction will require lots of workers from their community. She also mentioned that San Miguel Corp. has been reaching out to the residents of Taliptip, Bulakan through community reselling programs and Tesda skills training activities.

In my hometown of Hagonoy, mangroves are being planted, courtesy of San Miguel Corp., on 10 hectares

tensions and dilemmas, as they anticipate, reflect and act in the future work and life.

The opportune time to develop DQ

The pandemic experience has accelerated humanity’s transformation to optimize the value of digital resources and technologies in the way we live. The use of digital technology may come as a necessity initially but shall become a prevailing lifestyle and a comfortable living style after more than a year of its consistent use.

The pandemic has included everyone in the digital ecosystem.

The control of the digital technology results as choices and alternatives are made widely available, and as mastery of its use is achieved through constant use in a highly digital world. Our natural curiosity, especially of our younger population, as well as the emerging needs and evolving wants across all demographics will surely incite the creativity and innovativeness of techno-preneurs to create more and improve better the existing digital technologies. The VUCA world offers more problems towards solutions, uncertainties towards opportunities, as well as challenges towards victories.

The dominance of the purposedriven millennials and socially relevant Gen-Z in the population and in the digital space will exert a positive traction towards more responsible and ethical use of digital technology, like in social media. They are wellinformed and well-grounded generations that are assertive enough to be stewards of their causes. They will reclaim the future that rightfully belongs to them. And they are becoming ambassadors of digital intelligence.

In the past, the learners trusted their teachers to guide them to become the best persons they can be.

Today, the teachers, parents and society need to trust the learners who are digital natives capable of bringing out the best in themselves towards the future that is totally different from yesterday and today. Onward to the future, the millennials and the Gen-Z’ers shall leave their footprints as well—digitally.

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

of coastal areas. The over-all target is to plant 190,000 mangroves over 76 hectares in Bulacan and Central Luzon, in areas identified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Alongside the massive mangroves planting program is the P1-billion plan to dredge and clean up the Tullahan-Tinajeros River system.

The country’s biggest conglomerate has tapped global firm Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. to undertake land development works for the airport project. “Our selection of a global giant in dredging shows how ready, willing, and committed we are to do everything necessary to make sure this airport project is developed properly and sustainably,” SMC President and COO Ramon S. Ang said in a media interview. Indeed, why would a highly respected conglomerate like San Miguel invest P738 billion to build an airport only to see airplanes wading in floodwaters?

After experiencing the wonder of Skyway 3, we now look forward to a world-class airport being built within our lifetime. The New Manila International Airport will have four runways for domestic and international flights, which should cater to up to 200 million passengers yearly.

That it happens to be built in the historic province of Bulacan is a major plus for those of us who live there and will continue to do so for the rest of our lives.

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.

A10 Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Hog inventory down by 24.1% as of Jan. 1, a 25-yr low

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

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@jearcalas

HE country’s total swine inventory as of January 1 plunged by 24.1 percent to 9.72 million heads, the lowest beginning stock in 25 years, as local raisers reel from the disruptions caused by African Swine Fever (ASF).

These were the latest figures

released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Tuesday that showed the extent of ASF devastation on the country’s hog sector.

PSA’s preliminar y estimate showed that hog inventory across farm types and age groups declined during the reference period.

PSA data showed that hogs in backyard farms, which account for 71 percent of total inventory, fell

by 13.3 percent to 6.909 million heads from last year’s 7.971 million heads.

Historical PSA data analyzed by the BusinessMirror showed that this is the lowest volume of hogs in backyard farms since 1994 when backyard farms inventory was at 6.766 million heads.

Commercial farms’ inventory of hogs declined by 41.8 percent to 2.806 million heads, the low-

est volume since the 2.717 million heads recorded in 2002, PSA data showed.

By age group

The total number of sows (female, 6 months old and above) in the country fell by a fourth to 1.428 million heads from the 1.761 million heads recorded at the start of 2020, PSA data showed.

PSA data showed that gilt (fe-

male, less than 6 months old) inventory at the start of the year declined by 6.4 percent to 517,311 heads from 552,967 heads while number of fatteners (5 months old and above) plunged by 26.7 percent to 2.547 million heads.

Nationwide grower (2 months to 5 months) inventory declined by 28.9 percent to 2.394 million heads from last year’s 3.367 million heads.

Inventory of other pigs, which includes piglets, weanlings and boars, declined by 23.1 percent to 2.826 million heads.

The reduction in hog inventory caused by ASF and ASF-related actions such as early cullings, reduction in loading and stoppage operations, have resulted in pork shortage, pushing retail prices to historic highs.

Continued on A2

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Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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Show-cause orders issued against ISPs over child porn

Globe, Smart cite efforts to beef up cybersecurity vs kids’ online abuse

HE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has issued show-cause orders (SCOs) against 47 internet service providers (ISPs) that are facing sanctions for their failure to comply with their obligations under Republic Act (RA) 9775.

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By Joel R. San Juan

Companies issued with SCOs include telco giants Philippine Long Distance Telephone Inc., Smart Communications Inc., Globe Telecom, Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc., Bayan Telecommunications, Innove Communications, Sky Cable Corp.

Inc., Converge ICT Solutions Inc. and Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Monday said the President has approved the imposition of sanctions against ISPs for their failure to install a program or software that will block access to or transmittal of any form of child pornography in the internet as mandated under RA 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.

Section 9 of RA 9775 also requires ISPs to notify authorities within 7 days from discovery that any form of child pornography is being committed using their servers or facilities; to preserve evidence for purpose of

@jrsanjuan1573

investigation and prosecution; and to furnish particulars of users involved in child porn.

However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said RA 9775 was passed 11 years ago, but ISPs continue to be remiss in their duties.

“Even with a court order to supply particulars of a user who has accessed child sexual exploitation material (under section 9) ISPs are unable to because they have not installed technology necessary,” DOJ Undersecretary Emmeline AglipayVillar said.

In a position paper submitted to the DOJ last year, the Philippine Chamber of Telecom Operators (PCTO) has expressed its commitment to help the government curb online child pornography and sexual abuse in the country.

PCTO is the umbrella organization of duly enfranchised telecommunication entities and ISPs, including telco giants PLDT Inc. and

Globe Telecom.

It said its members have been closely coordinating with the NTC and law enforcement agencies, such as the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), in blocking child pornographic sites.

PCTO member Globe Telecom has blocked a total of 2,521 sites that have been identified by the NTC and law enforcement agencies. The Ayala-owned telco said it invested in a software filtering system worth $2.7 million to support its “PlayItRight” campaign targeting illegal or pirated content and online child pornography.

Meanwhile, PCTO urged the DOJ to consider amending Section 9 of RA 9775 which it said contained conflicting provisions.

Section 9 requires ISPs to monitor the content passing through their servers and report to authorities any internet address which may contain any form of child pornography.

It also provides that “nothing in this section may be construed to require an ISP to engage in the monitoring of any user, subscriber or customer, of the content of any communication of such person.”

This, according to PCTO, in effect nullifies and prevents ISPs from performing the duties imposed under Section 9.

PCTO likewise pointed out that RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 imposes strict privacy responsibilities on entities that collect or process personal information of

customers, which contradicts the duties imposed on ISPs under RA 9775.

Aside from imposing obligations on the ISPs, Villar said the justice department would also want tourismoriented establishments to take an active role in the fight against child trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Villar said under the amended RA 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, it is the responsibility of tourism-oriented establishments including hotels, resorts, inns, motels and other similar facilities to inform the PNP and the NBI within 7 days from the time it obtained the facts and circumstances of a child trafficking, child pornography, or if there is an incident of a child being sexually exploited or being committed in their premises.

She said the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) would issue a model or uniform notice that can be downloaded from its website and can be used by the tourism-oriented establishments. The notice would be posted in conspicuous areas and would show the contact details of human trafficking hotlines, for both local and national areas.

These tourism-oriented establishments would also have to train their employees, who are likely to interact with victims of human trafficking, to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report it to the proper law enforcement agency.

The IACAT shall develop a training curriculum or program and make it available for download on its web site.

Ceza eyes fresh fintech investments

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

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he Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) is investing more than P400 million to put up 2 commercial centers in anticipation of new investors in financial technology (fintech).

In a statement on Tuesday, Ceza Administrator and CEO Raul L. Lambino said his agency is constructing a 3-storey building and another 3-storey corporate center that have a combined total of 12,000 square meters in office spaces for lease. Broken down, the building costs P300 million, while the center requires P126

SM ties up with group to collect plastic waste

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hopping mall operator SM Prime Holdings Inc. said it has partnered with nonprofit group Plastic Credit Exchange (PCEx) for an initiative that aims to promote proper plastic waste disposal.

The initiative will start at SM Megamall in Ortigas beginning February 10 and will soon be rolled out in stages across other shopping malls nationwide.

Mall shoppers, communities and offices within the area are encouraged to bring their empty, cleaned, and dried plastic waste every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The project promotes responsible plastic waste disposal by encouraging individuals to clean and dry all kinds of plastic waste they generate at home, including plastic bottles, food containers, plastic utensils, and sachets.

Acceptable types of plastics include soda bottles, furniture, grocery bags, and pouches, among others. “Our partnership with SM Supermalls and SM Cares will provide a more extensive opportunity for Filipinos to dispose of their plastic waste responsibly. The PCEx Team remains committed to furthering programs and channels to help save the environment. We all have the collective responsibility to do our part for the planet, and this plastic waste collection program is just one of the many initiatives lined up,” said Richard de Guzman, PCEx sustainable community development manager. VG Cabuag

million, according to the Ceza.

Lambino said the Ceza is eyeing to attract fresh investments in its cryptocurrency portfolio after developments in the international market point to an upsurge in digital trading.

“We have to believe in the power of innovative ideas,” Lambino said.

“Cryptocurrency is one such.”

He cited as a case the disclosure made by Elon Musk’s Tesla on Monday that it purchased $1.5 billion worth of cryptocurrency as part of initiatives to invest in alternative assets, such as digital currencies and gold bullion.

Musk announced his firm, which is engaged in the development of

electric cars, would soon receive Bitcoin as a form of payment. Lambino said the Ceza is in a position to exploit this development, as the Cagayan economic zone is envisioned to become the fintech hub of the Philippines. As of latest, there are 25 fintech operators doing business in the Cagayan economic zone, and these principal licensees are expected to begin their offshore activities soon.

Aside from the construction of new buildings for office space leasing, there are condominiums and commercial centers on the rise in the Ceza zone. Lambino said this includes the 4-hectare Consolidated

Luzon Business Solutions Inc., the 21-hectare Alpha Palauig Complex, as well as the 300-hectare Foremost Cagayan Leisure and Resorts Corp.

He added the agency would break ground for the development of the 15-hectare Global City once the Cagayan provincial government approves the comprehensive land use plan for the town of Sta. Ana. The Ceza is also concluding construction plans for the development of the 203-hectare Mapurao township to be put up with First Cagayan Leisure and Resorts Corp. The agency is also eyeing to finish the retrofitting of Port Irene to improve the docking sites and its warehouses.

PAL, AirAsia all set to transport vaccines

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ir Asia and flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) have expressed their readiness to distribute vaccines and help the country’s economy get back on its feet.

“PAL has expressed to the Philippine government its capability and readiness to transport vaccines to airports in the Philippines from various parts of the globe,” said the airline’s spokesperson Cielo Villaluna.

PAL joined the Simulation Exercise for Covid19 Vaccine Handling, along with the National Task Force on Vaccine Rollout on Tuesday. The simulation exercise covered the arrival in Manila of Philippine Airlines flight PR5655 from Riyadh at 10:10 a.m., the unloading of vaccines from the A330’s cargo compartment, the loading of the “shipment” into cold storage vans and its transport to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) warehouse facility.

There will also be a simulation exercise on the transport of vaccines to various hospitals.

The flight’s arrival at Bay 49 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 and the handling by the

PAL team and ground handlers of the vaccine “shipment” were witnessed by government officials led by National Task Force against Covid-19 chief Carlito G. Galvez Jr., Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III and Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade.

Meanwhile, Air Asia said it has committed to participate in the handling of Covid-19 vaccines. The arrival of at least 5.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines is expected in the first quarter, according to Galvez.

The Food and Drug Administration last month approved the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines. Other pharmaceutical companies are now in the process of applying for the EUA. AirAsia has applied for regulatory approval as a Dangerous Goods carrier. While waiting for the approval, the low cost carrier will also secure special authorization from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to proactively participate in the possible roll out of the vaccines to far-flung provinces.

To guarantee the safe and proper handling and transportation of the vaccines, AirAsia has embarked on a technical training and engineering intervention to support the vaccine cold chain. Its personnel were trained on the preparation—from ground to cargo handling of the vaccines and its cooling devices.

Such precision and coordination is important to ensure that the vaccines, which are perishable and considered a biological hazard, remain in sub-zero temperatures to preserve and prevent them from breaking down.

The company has also readied Teleport—AirAsia’s logistics venture and its newest door-to-door delivery system to help in the delivery of the vaccines. Teleport is now widely available in 12 key cities in the country including Bacolod, Cebu, General Santos, Iloilo, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said, “AirAsia is always ready to assist the government in this huge humanitarian undertaking.” Recto L. Mercene

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

HE two largest telcos on Tuesday said they are beefing up their cybersecurity networks to fight online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).

PLDT Inc. and subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. said it invested P2 billion to develop and run a cybersecurity network as a means to fight online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom Inc. invested in a content-filtering system, costing the company $2.7 million to support its advocacy program, targeting illegal/pirated content and online child pornography.

Angel Redoble, the chief information security officer of PLDT, noted the facility is used to predict, prevent, detect, and respond to all types of cyber threats including those related to OSAEC. “This is where we identify phishing and scamming activities. Now, this includes notifying our enterprise subscribers of attacks and high-risk activities inside their network,” Redoble said.

So far, the facility has blocked 3,020 domains that host illicit materials that feature children.

“We expanded our sources on these illegal sites so we can block as many domains as possible. We’ve been doing open-source threat intelligence gathering, purchasing available commercial threat intelligence and receiving information from our government through law enforcement agencies on which sites to block,” Smart AVP Francisco Ashley Acedillo said.

Globe filtering

Meanwhile, Globe’s filtering system was able to block a total of 2,521 sites that have been identified by law enforcement agencies, endorsed by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for blocking or identified through its own Security Operations Center intelligence.

“The filtering software can be viewed as an important first step but more needs to be done.

The digital ecosystem has evolved rapidly and ISPs cannot win this battle alone,” Anton Bonifacio, Globe Chief Information Security Officer, said.

He noted that fighting OSAEC should also be a done in close collaboration with the government.

“There is a need for the lawmakers and law enforcers to address certain realities especially on how the internet works in order for ISPs to effectively help in addressing this issue,” Bonifacio pointed out.

“As a company whose business is connecting many Filipinos to the internet, Globe sees paramount importance in keeping its customers, particularly children, safe online,” said Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications at Globe.

Through the UNICEF-led SaferKidsPH initiative, Globe said it supports the government in observing Safer Internet Day by raising awareness on pressing and emerging OSAEC cases.

PLDT’s Redoble, meanwhile, said the group is now developing new systems to target specific materials without restricting access to legitimate web sites.

“It’s a combination of technologies. We bring our customers to our child protection platform where we reference the content they’re trying to

access against our database. When they’re trying to open any offensive content, they’re brought to a landing page telling them that the material violates the country’s anti-child porn laws,” Redoble explained.

The PLDT Group is joining the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to strengthen the fight against OSAEC. “IWF will regularly update us on child abuse related materials being posted on legitimate websites.

Then we’ll integrate that into our platform. We’re looking to complete our application for membership with the IWF in March. Once we have done this, we will migrate all our customers on board our child protection platform,” Redoble said.

Sanctions

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Monday the President has approved the imposition of sanctions against ISPs in the country for their failure to comply with their obligations under Republic Act (RA) 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.

The justice department has seen the need for the ISPs to assume their obligations after the DOJOffice of Cybercrime reported a 264.63-percent increase in the number of reported online sexual exploitation of children during the 3-month quarantine period imposed by the government to contain the Covid-19 outbreak from March to May 2020.

On Tuesday, the NTC started issuing show-cause orders to telcos.

Safer Internet Day

The 18th edition of Safer Internet Day was celebrated on Tuesday (February 9) with actions taking place globally. The theme of this year’s celebration “Together for a better internet,” calls upon all stakeholders to join hands in making the internet a safer and better place for all, especially for children.

Globe cited its initiatives that not only aid in OSAEC reporting and education, but also advocate responsible online behavior and overall online wellness.

Its Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) launched in 2016, focuses on responsible digital citizenship, critical thinking, and prevention of online abuse, among others.

The DTP was recently integrated into the K-to-12 curriculum of the Department of Education (DepEd), educating public and private school teachers and students on proper online behavior. Globe’s cyber wellness program has been made accessible to at least 4,101 schools, 115,394 teachers, and 1.96 million students, and present in every region in the Philippines.

Globe also recently partnered with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) to promote digital responsibility and data privacy among the Filipino youth through “K abataang Digital.”

The program launched last December aims to provide age-appropriate support for children to help them understand the nature of privacy and the digital environment’s implications on their privacy rights.

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

February 9, 2021

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

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

43.7 112.4 86.55 24.2 7.9 10.18 49.6 11.28 26.5 54.25 17.5 130 73 1.01 4 0.56 3.75 1.55 0.43 811 0.68 151.3 2,150 1.05

44.8 112.5 86.65 24.55 8.41 10.2 49.7 11.3 26.55 55 17.9 131.2 73.45 1.05 4.01 0.6 3.79 1.58 0.435 850 0.71 152.5 2,178 1.07

45 110.5 86.1 24.1 7.5 10.26 49.8 11.26 26 54.5 17.3 130.2 72 1.09 4 0.6 3.91 1.6 0.43 850 0.71 153.8 2,150 1.05

45 113.5 87.5 24.75 8.41 10.26 50.2 11.3 26.7 55 17.72 133.5 73.65 1.09 4.09 0.6 3.91 1.68 0.45 850 0.71 153.8 2,150 1.05

43.55 110.5 86.1 24.1 7.5 10.18 49.6 11.26 26 54.15 17.3 130 71.05 1 3.99 0.56 3.61 1.53 0.43 850 0.71 151.2 2,150 1.05

43.55 112.5 86.65 24.5 8.41 10.18 49.6 11.3 26.5 55 17.42 130 73.45 1.08 4.01 0.56 3.75 1.58 0.435 850 0.71 152.5 2,150 1.05

700 5,025,540 2,990,990 107,600 6,000 323,600 7,189,700 34,000 335,700 3,990 8,200 1,664,460 62,780 30,000 174,000 17,000 78,000 459,000 970,000 80 110,000 8,280 615 201,000

31,050 565,205,011 259,069,881 2,647,315 49,550 3,303,028 358,620,595 384,116 8,899,250 217,705.50 144,482 218,452,186 4,527,217 31,660 699,240 9,880 293,080 726,810 425,500 68,000 78,100 1,259,099 1,322,250 211,050

197,633,764 161,993,286.50 98,600 -467,082 72,871,525 -1,074,505 114,436.50 -99,352 -53,817,715.00 5,089.50 16,050 -184,930 4,350 -511,219 1,322,250 158,550

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 7.8 7.81 7.91 8.13 7.7 7.81 114,784,200 912,549,592 ALSONS CONS 1.37 1.38 1.35 1.37 1.31 1.37 2,389,000 3,210,890 ABOITIZ POWER 26.45 26.5 26.45 26.85 26.45 26.45 1,694,600 44,932,235 BASIC ENERGY 1.06 1.07 1.04 1.11 1.01 1.06 174,764,000 184,944,120 FIRST GEN 29.85 29.9 30.05 30.1 29.9 29.9 884,200 26,488,615 75.65 75.8 75.65 76 75.4 75.8 54,370 4,105,566 FIRST PHIL HLDG 293.6 294 291 294.8 290.2 293.6 156,580 45,914,288 MERALCO 15.38 15.4 15.8 15.8 15.4 15.4 2,000,800 31,042,254 MANILA WATER 3.71 3.73 3.69 3.73 3.68 3.71 2,157,000 8,015,030 PETRON 3.81 3.96 3.98 3.98 3.98 3.98 19,000 75,620 PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM 12.22 12.8 11.92 12.8 11.92 12.8 227,600 2,906,406 PILIPINAS SHELL 21.9 21.95 21.85 22.2 21.5 21.9 1,065,200 23,350,775 SPC POWER 10.24 10.26 10.12 10.26 10.12 10.26 226,500 2,315,386 AGRINURTURE 7.11 7.16 7.1 7.19 7.1 7.16 797,300 5,673,111 AXELUM 3.54 3.57 3.45 3.59 3.45 3.57 10,889,000 38,313,220 13.9 14.92 14.1 14.1 13.82 13.82 5,900 82,582 CNTRL AZUCARERA 18.04 18.16 18 18.16 17.7 18.04 1,005,400 18,113,404 CENTURY FOOD 8.84 8.86 9 9.02 8.82 8.83 95,200 842,214 DEL MONTE 7.39 7.4 7.48 7.48 7.35 7.4 849,800 6,299,321 DNL INDUS 10.02 10.1 10.14 10.14 10 10.02 393,400 3,953,068 EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV 67.6 67.85 68.45 68.45 67.55 67.6 266,090 17,993,108 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.63 0.64 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 79,000 49,770 FRUITAS HLDG 1.57 1.58 1.58 1.63 1.54 1.58 29,552,000 47,151,180 GINEBRA 51.35 52 53.5 53.7 51 52 156,250 8,218,356 184.8 184.9 183 185.8 183 184.9 1,073,630 198,416,543 JOLLIBEE 33.85 34 33.9 34.5 33.9 34 1,800 61,435 LIBERTY FLOUR MAXS GROUP 6.78 6.8 6.7 6.9 6.7 6.78 197,200 1,333,451 0.415 0.42 0.41 0.435 0.385 0.415 60,610,000 24,916,900 MG HLDG 7.42 7.47 7.4 7.5 7.4 7.42 75,700 560,398 SHAKEYS PIZZA ROXAS AND CO 1.15 1.16 1.15 1.2 1.15 1.16 3,413,000 3,992,940 RFM CORP 4.62 4.65 4.62 4.62 4.62 4.62 10,000 46,200 ROXAS HLDG 1.64 1.71 1.64 1.64 1.64 1.64 7,000 11,480 SWIFT FOODS 0.155 0.158 0.155 0.163 0.15 0.158 61,740,000 9,632,530 UNIV ROBINA 144.2 145 146.8 147 144.2 144.2 360,310 52,404,555 0.92 0.93 0.96 0.96 0.92 0.92 5,783,000 5,373,810 VITARICH 2.23 2.3 2.22 2.22 2.22 2.22 2,000 4,440 VICTORIAS CONCRETE A 52.3 53 53 53 53 53 20 1,060 CEMEX HLDG 1.4 1.41 1.42 1.45 1.41 1.41 4,369,000 6,230,310 6.9 6.91 7 7.08 6.85 6.91 606,600 4,201,454 DAVINCI CAPITAL EAGLE CEMENT 13.28 13.3 13.4 13.4 13.22 13.3 70,300 935,080 EEI CORP 8.02 8.2 8.18 8.3 8.02 8.02 2,641,500 21,531,602 HOLCIM 6.5 6.55 6.59 6.6 6.4 6.5 746,300 4,862,131 MEGAWIDE 7.7 7.74 7.75 7.84 7.61 7.7 1,225,900 9,420,258 10.1 10.28 10.04 10.28 10 10.28 63,200 633,308 PHINMA TKC METALS 1.26 1.27 1.23 1.27 1.22 1.26 848,000 1,057,190 VULCAN INDL 2.84 2.85 2.66 3.08 2.6 2.84 60,609,000 172,015,230 160 175 151 160 151 160 420 67,110 CHEMPHIL CROWN ASIA 1.78 1.79 1.79 1.79 1.78 1.79 67,000 119,560 EUROMED 2.28 2.3 2.2 2.32 2.2 2.3 331,000 755,930 MABUHAY VINYL 4.6 4.65 4.66 4.66 4.6 4.6 5,000 23,120 PRYCE CORP 5.8 5.92 6 6 5.7 5.8 162,300 937,596 CONCEPCION 20.4 20.5 20.4 20.6 20.4 20.5 50,600 1,033,545 GREENERGY 3.02 3.04 2.95 3.04 2.88 3.04 19,913,000 59,321,640 12.84 12.98 12.62 13 12.62 12.84 1,228,200 15,759,816 INTEGRATED MICR 1.2 1.21 1.18 1.21 1.17 1.21 2,319,000 2,762,920 IONICS 5.98 6.05 6 6.05 6 6.05 30,100 180,605 PANASONIC SFA SEMICON 1.51 1.53 1.56 1.56 1.51 1.51 1,448,000 2,205,510 7.05 7.06 7.2 7.22 7.04 7.05 2,518,100 17,896,537 CIRTEK HLDG

20,802,388 61,640 8,663,235 -976,250 -7,620,670 -567,154.50 487,710 -7,553,458 77,930 1,171,960 -325,836 -298,676 -8,897,280 -1,382 746,344 176,400 -1,318,381 1,297,554 -5,094,611.50 -6,300 321,710 1,249,190 -57,064,382 -132,927 -1,467,650 -93,980 1,821,800 -1,640 -11,000 -12,583,763 -77,540 107,440 -2,058 128,229.00 1,072,739 515,986 4,256,490 -154,045 1,434,820 4,681,216 127,260 -25,660 633,668

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 1.26 1.27 1.23 1.28 1.2 1.26 44,023,000 54,812,770 ASIABEST GROUP 9.14 9.18 9.17 9.39 8.76 9.14 122,000 1,085,211 AYALA CORP 803 804 800 809 788 803 179,540 143,909,245 ABOITIZ EQUITY 43.15 43.5 44 44.45 43 43.15 1,180,600 51,506,345 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 10.78 10.8 10.52 10.98 10.52 10.78 14,993,400 161,580,320 3.11 3.12 3.17 3.17 3.07 3.12 2,951,000 9,222,930 AYALA LAND LOG 6.73 6.9 6.71 6.73 6.71 6.73 2,600 17,448 ANSCOR 0.87 0.88 0.86 0.9 0.85 0.88 3,971,000 3,457,490 ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A 0.87 0.88 0.87 0.94 0.86 0.87 28,683,000 26,072,890 ATN HLDG B 0.88 0.9 0.87 1.03 0.87 0.88 3,069,000 2,830,790 COSCO CAPITAL 5.28 5.29 5.22 5.35 5.22 5.28 790,400 4,173,677 DMCI HLDG 5.53 5.54 5.42 5.54 5.39 5.53 8,398,300 46,098,592 FILINVEST DEV 8.9 9.08 9.12 9.12 8.9 8.9 5,700 51,142 FORUM PACIFIC 0.227 0.242 0.226 0.226 0.226 0.226 40,000 9,040 GT CAPITAL 561 562 540.5 569 540.5 561 157,060 88,151,085 3.75 3.88 3.88 3.88 3.88 3.88 5,000 19,400 HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT 67.9 68.3 66.25 68.65 66.25 67.9 1,350,200 91,688,652.50 4.69 5.09 4.61 5.17 4.61 5.12 3,900 18,321 JOLLIVILLE HLDG KEPPEL HLDG A 5.26 5.68 5.68 5.68 5.26 5.26 900 4,944 LODESTAR 1.4 1.41 1.38 1.44 1.36 1.4 9,525,000 13,333,770 LOPEZ HLDG 3.73 3.75 3.72 3.74 3.72 3.73 8,957,000 33,401,720 LT GROUP 14.74 14.8 14.92 15.2 14.5 14.74 2,076,900 30,625,872 MABUHAY HLDG 0.52 0.53 0.53 0.53 0.51 0.53 419,000 217,800 MJC INVESTMENTS 1.8 2.02 1.79 2.02 1.79 2.02 2,000 3,810 4.3 4.31 4.36 4.36 4.29 4.3 9,263,000 39,996,490 METRO PAC INV 5.1 5.37 4.75 5.4 4.75 5.37 118,000 598,470 PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA 1.18 1.19 1.1 1.25 1.1 1.19 5,600,000 6,736,520 2.82 2.91 2.85 2.85 2.79 2.79 13,000 36,630 REPUBLIC GLASS SOLID GROUP 1.21 1.24 1.21 1.24 1.21 1.24 54,000 65,370 SYNERGY GRID 312 317 313 316 313 313 150 47,030 SM INVESTMENTS 1,048 1,056 1,020 1,059 1,019 1,056 403,225 423,473,375 SAN MIGUEL CORP 127 127.6 128.9 128.9 127 127 134,900 17,184,240 SOC RESOURCES 0.83 0.85 0.81 0.9 0.81 0.85 509,000 428,220 SEAFRONT RES 2.04 2.75 2.46 2.46 2.45 2.45 10,000 24,540 138.2 139 138.2 139 138.2 138.2 2,370 329,414 TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS 0.226 0.24 0.222 0.23 0.222 0.23 470,000 107,220 ZEUS HLDG 0.233 0.234 0.23 0.235 0.222 0.234 2,170,000 492,790

135,900 -55,080 48,431,550 11,765,310 16,949,588 2,886,720 3,355 97,960 755,429 -2,153,114 -7,272 -6,947,655 21,934,558.50 84,300.00 -29,590,100 -3,711,552 26,000 16,811,850 -41,970 185,543,150 477,301 -8,250 -24,540 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.68 0.69 0.68 0.7 0.68 0.69 769,000 523,280 ANCHOR LAND 7.53 8.39 7.36 7.4 7.36 7.39 1,200 8,851 AYALA LAND 40.3 40.45 40.7 40.7 40.2 40.3 4,467,200 180,610,100 ARANETA PROP 1.29 1.32 1.28 1.29 1.28 1.29 125,000 160,940 AREIT RT 32.75 32.85 32.9 33 32.6 32.75 725,700 23,816,735 1.61 1.62 1.62 1.62 1.61 1.61 230,000 371,740 BELLE CORP 0.95 0.96 1 1 0.95 0.96 3,072,000 2,933,200 A BROWN 0.78 0.8 0.77 0.78 0.77 0.78 11,000 8,480 CITYLAND DEVT 0.151 0.155 0.157 0.157 0.15 0.151 4,740,000 713,490 CROWN EQUITIES CEBU HLDG 5.76 5.87 5.89 5.89 5.66 5.87 38,300 221,921 CEB LANDMASTERS 5.11 5.13 5.15 5.16 5.12 5.13 437,200 2,246,905 CENTURY PROP 0.42 0.425 0.415 0.44 0.41 0.425 12,640,000 5,337,150 CYBER BAY 0.35 0.355 0.355 0.355 0.345 0.35 930,000 325,400 DOUBLEDRAGON 14.72 14.74 14.82 14.9 14.5 14.74 1,433,200 20,973,280 DM WENCESLAO 6.76 6.98 7 7 6.75 6.76 231,200 1,585,394 0.3 0.305 0.305 0.305 0.295 0.305 860,000 258,700 EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO 0.096 0.098 0.091 0.1 0.091 0.096 720,000 68,800 FILINVEST LAND 1.2 1.21 1.23 1.23 1.21 1.21 8,413,000 10,226,020 0.89 0.9 0.89 0.9 0.88 0.89 628,000 558,310 GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG 7.5 7.7 7.6 7.6 7.5 7.5 183,500 1,391,390 PHIL INFRADEV 1.42 1.43 1.47 1.47 1.4 1.42 6,356,000 9,101,060 KEPPEL PROP 3.05 3.32 3.05 3.05 3.05 3.05 1,000 3,050 CITY AND LAND 0.7 0.72 0.7 0.72 0.7 0.72 13,000 9,140 MEGAWORLD 3.88 3.91 3.98 4.01 3.88 3.88 19,532,000 76,918,710 0.51 0.52 0.48 0.53 0.48 0.52 152,100,000 77,491,450 MRC ALLIED 0.425 0.435 0.4 0.43 0.4 0.425 490,000 207,900 PHIL ESTATES PRIMEX CORP 1.39 1.41 1.48 1.48 1.36 1.39 4,078,000 5,726,880 19.08 19.12 19.22 19.52 19.08 19.08 5,174,200 99,085,914 ROBINSONS LAND 0.285 0.3 0.305 0.31 0.285 0.29 700,000 205,400 PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL 1.43 1.45 1.45 1.46 1.41 1.45 2,031,000 2,904,680 SHANG PROP 2.6 2.65 2.6 2.65 2.6 2.65 8,000 21,050 STA LUCIA LAND 2.22 2.33 2.34 2.39 2.18 2.33 1,829,000 4,138,100 SM PRIME HLDG 37.6 37.75 37.45 38 37.45 37.6 6,408,200 241,626,210 VISTAMALLS 4.06 4.07 4 4.08 3.98 4.07 50,000 201,780 1.79 1.8 1.8 1.83 1.72 1.79 1,780,000 3,152,210 SUNTRUST HOME 4.46 4.47 4.45 4.5 4.4 4.46 631,000 2,810,600 VISTA LAND

36,953,955 -77,400 5,147,490 -341,040 38,000 8,480 -622,609 -234,200 33,512 -45,968 999,480 4,990 -38,992,690 1,854,900 99,280 -48,423,682 604,330 18,400 109,000 28,424,445 -2,240 -780,500

SERVICES ABS CBN 12.5 12.6 12.68 12.68 12.3 12.5 362,700 4,494,212 GMA NETWORK 6.68 6.7 6.4 6.68 6.36 6.68 4,330,600 28,384,402 MANILA BULLETIN 0.475 0.48 0.495 0.495 0.48 0.48 710,000 342,100 GLOBE TELECOM 2,000 2,012 2,020 2,026 2,000 2,000 54,445 109,483,630 PLDT 1,367 1,368 1,360 1,395 1,360 1,368 199,790 275,734,895 0.25 0.255 0.213 0.25 0.204 0.25 3,931,070,000 908,186,430 APOLLO GLOBAL 18.7 18.72 18.12 19.32 18.1 18.72 12,411,500 231,900,784 CONVERGE 5.55 5.56 5.37 5.85 5.1 5.56 11,069,500 59,924,712 DFNN INC 15.88 15.9 16.64 17.3 15.84 15.88 169,782,700 2,816,388,776 DITO CME HLDG 1.95 2.05 2 2.05 1.99 2.05 129,000 257,950 IMPERIAL ISLAND INFO 0.207 0.208 0.203 0.218 0.197 0.208 105,460,000 21,777,100 JACKSTONES 1.99 2.03 2 2.09 1.98 2.03 79,000 158,840 NOW CORP 3.52 3.53 3.59 3.69 3.52 3.52 6,488,000 23,225,260 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.425 0.43 0.395 0.48 0.39 0.425 315,740,000 140,313,050 PHILWEB 2.63 2.65 2.68 2.75 2.63 2.63 526,000 1,399,180 8.3 8.35 8.39 8.4 8.27 8.3 105,400 876,604 2GO GROUP 14.7 15.4 14.7 14.7 14.7 14.7 700 10,290 ASIAN TERMINALS CHELSEA 4.66 4.68 4.88 4.99 4.65 4.66 5,122,000 24,690,750 49.05 49.1 48.6 49.45 48 49.05 190,300 9,283,695 CEBU AIR 125.8 125.9 125.6 127 124.5 125.9 1,211,890 152,426,066 INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS 16 16.6 16.56 16.56 16.56 16.56 17,700 293,112 LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.97 1.04 0.97 1.04 0.97 1.04 15,000 14,830 MACROASIA 6.03 6.04 5.75 6.15 5.75 6.03 4,213,200 25,375,507 METROALLIANCE A 3.26 3.27 3.01 3.38 2.91 3.27 5,941,000 18,653,820 3.25 3.34 3.14 3.34 3.14 3.34 118,000 381,510 METROALLIANCE B 6.49 6.5 6.65 6.7 6.49 6.49 48,100 313,748 PAL HLDG 1.43 1.44 1.41 1.44 1.37 1.43 1,335,000 1,874,200 HARBOR STAR 5.3 5.32 4.91 5.94 4.9 5.3 8,952,000 47,616,810 DISCOVERY WORLD 0.52 0.53 0.53 0.55 0.52 0.52 7,959,000 4,158,660 WATERFRONT CENTRO ESCOLAR 6.58 7.03 7.03 7.03 7.03 7.03 1,000 7,030 FAR EASTERN U 600 668 600 660 600 660 150 95,850 IPEOPLE 8.11 8.5 8.1 8.2 8.1 8.2 1,200 9,800 STI HLDG 0.4 0.405 0.4 0.44 0.395 0.405 16,880,000 7,028,650 BERJAYA 4.5 4.67 4.37 4.68 4.37 4.51 48,000 214,580 7.76 7.77 7.85 7.9 7.76 7.77 1,551,200 12,113,645 BLOOMBERRY 2.05 2.09 2.05 2.09 2.05 2.05 74,000 151,860 PACIFIC ONLINE LEISURE AND RES 1.75 1.79 1.81 1.81 1.71 1.79 283,000 490,480 2.1 2.19 2.18 2.19 2.18 2.19 2,000 4,370 MANILA JOCKEY PH RESORTS GRP 2.79 2.8 2.9 2.94 2.8 2.8 9,985,000 28,631,290 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.455 0.465 0.46 0.46 0.455 0.455 4,150,000 1,896,800 PHIL RACING 6.2 6.6 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6,100 39,650 ALLHOME 8.51 8.63 8.6 8.63 8.45 8.63 615,300 5,242,007 METRO RETAIL 1.41 1.42 1.45 1.46 1.41 1.41 2,287,000 3,260,770 39.15 39.2 38.8 39.2 38.6 39.2 1,591,500 62,013,145 PUREGOLD 56.95 57 57 58 56.85 57 1,778,140 101,618,685 ROBINSONS RTL 101.6 102.8 103 103 101 102.9 21,060 2,145,414 PHIL SEVEN CORP 1.41 1.42 1.45 1.45 1.4 1.42 3,422,000 4,895,480 SSI GROUP 17.98 18 17.98 18 17.7 18 1,243,200 22,306,950 WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.45 0.46 0.455 0.48 0.445 0.45 3,730,000 1,713,050 EASYCALL 6.87 7.2 6.92 7.44 6.87 6.87 118,000 839,145 GOLDEN MV 437.4 447 449 449 437.4 447 510 226,330 IPM HLDG 4.8 5 5 5 5 5 9,000 45,000 PAXYS 2.2 2.4 2.14 2.2 2.14 2.2 61,000 134,140 2.94 2.95 2.69 2.94 2.68 2.94 174,148,000 490,902,560 PRMIERE HORIZON 4.8 4.97 4.76 4.76 4.76 4.76 3,000 14,280 SBS PHIL CORP

6,541,870 25,515,070 -4,421,240 -85,338,580 18,401 7,662,698 79,950 1,561,250 -2,770,750 -39,940 16,624 -471,520 3,493,485 53,382,817 -6,969,040 6,680 665 75,690 37,650 232,960 -2,327,550 2,140,026 1,720 293,630 -168,350 -2,795,222 -605,840 -8,123,015 -50,421,065.50 1,659,091 -338,420 7,422,974 -127,920 2,751,360 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 7.2 7.25 7 7.2 6.81 7.2 1,284,100 9,192,206 106,360 APEX MINING 1.58 1.59 1.57 1.61 1.57 1.58 1,852,000 2,948,810 -618,610 ABRA MINING 0.0051 0.0052 0.0052 0.0054 0.0049 0.0051 22,437,000,000 115,993,300 2,842,900 ATLAS MINING 5.81 5.82 5.6 5.81 5.57 5.81 633,300 3,586,146 3.1 3.2 3.03 3.2 3.01 3.2 278,000 849,380 BENGUET A BENGUET B 2.99 3.02 3 3.02 3 3.02 40,000 120,200 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.29 0.305 0.29 0.305 0.29 0.29 1,840,000 549,700 CENTURY PEAK 2.72 2.81 2.72 2.81 2.71 2.81 22,000 59,990 DIZON MINES 8.61 8.88 8.96 8.96 8.62 8.88 14,200 123,624 FERRONICKEL 2.65 2.66 2.72 2.75 2.63 2.65 8,055,000 21,497,970 534,430 GEOGRACE 0.46 0.465 0.405 0.475 0.38 0.46 24,520,000 10,594,350 -389,500 LEPANTO A 0.156 0.157 0.159 0.159 0.154 0.156 9,700,000 1,509,760 LEPANTO B 0.157 0.159 0.159 0.159 0.155 0.159 690,000 108,260 MANILA MINING A 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.01 224,000,000 2,251,200 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 12,800,000 129,000 12,000 MANILA MINING B 1.44 1.46 1.5 1.5 1.43 1.44 2,014,000 2,936,090 -40,060 MARCVENTURES 2.66 2.72 2.74 2.74 2.66 2.72 16,000 43,260 NIHAO NICKEL ASIA 5.57 5.6 5.65 5.65 5.48 5.6 6,618,400 36,922,163 14,162,685 0.42 0.44 0.44 0.44 0.415 0.44 230,000 98,450 OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA 1.04 1.07 1.07 1.1 1.04 1.07 2,483,000 2,640,840 -30,450 PX MINING 4.32 4.35 4.39 4.41 4.3 4.32 679,000 2,959,900 96,140 SEMIRARA MINING 12.8 12.82 12.76 12.8 12.74 12.8 1,275,500 16,305,572 -5,626,390 UNITED PARAGON 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.0099 0.011 1,037,100,000 10,557,440 286,980 21.35 21.4 21.3 22 20.5 21.35 595,100 12,750,860 143,340 ACE ENEXOR 0.013 0.014 0.014 0.014 0.013 0.014 304,200,000 4,007,500 ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B 0.013 0.014 0.013 0.014 0.013 0.014 38,200,000 528,400 -28,000 0.014 0.015 0.014 0.015 0.013 0.015 448,400,000 6,336,000 762,000 PHILODRILL 9.01 9.18 9.16 9.5 9.01 9.01 1,727,600 15,746,021 361,207 PXP ENERGY

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A 101 102 100 100 100 100 60 6,000 AC PREF B1 516 - 516 516 516 516 5,850 3,018,600 ALCO PREF B 101.5 104.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 100 10,150 CPG PREF A 102.1 104.4 102.2 102.2 102 102 5,000 510,520 DD PREF 100.8 101 101 101 101 101 22,740 2,296,740 -2,296,740 108.2 111.1 108.2 111.2 108.2 111.2 80 8,866 FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P 501.5 503.5 504 504 504 504 10 5,040 MWIDE PREF 100.8 101 101 101 101 101 780 78,780 MWIDE PREF 2A 98.4 98.5 98.35 98.5 98.3 98.5 1,090 107,270 MWIDE PREF 2B 100.3 101.5 100.2 100.2 100.2 100.2 500 50,100 PNX PREF 3B 106.2 106.7 106.7 106.7 106.2 106.7 250 26,655 PNX PREF 4 1,016 1,019 1,010 1,016 1,010 1,016 2,580 2,612,580 -50,500 PCOR PREF 2B 1,016 1,049 1,016 1,049 1,016 1,049 15 15,405 PCOR PREF 3A 1,093 1,095 1,093 1,095 1,093 1,095 5,975 6,539,525 SFI PREF 1.58 1.97 1.52 1.58 1.52 1.58 29,000 44,960 79.5 80.45 79.5 80.75 79 79.5 56,380 4,457,007 -4,345,672 SMC PREF 2C 76 77 77 77 76 76 7,250 551,600 SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F 77.7 79.3 78 79.45 77.55 79.45 114,010 8,875,627 SMC PREF 2G 75.65 76.95 76.95 76.95 75.6 76.95 15,200 1,149,390 SMC PREF 2H 76.5 77.5 77.5 77.5 76.5 76.5 8,370 641,975 SMC PREF 2I 77.05 78.9 77 77 77 77 81,700 6,290,900 154,000 SMC PREF 2J 76.1 76.4 76.3 76.4 76.1 76.4 7,020 535,578 SMC PREF 2K 76.25 76.4 76.3 76.4 76.25 76.4 2,790 212,819

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 12.34 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.32 12.34 17,500 218,318 -45,818 GMA HLDG PDR 6.49 6.5 6.21 6.49 6.21 6.49 1,430,200 9,223,159 4,562,767

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 0.91 0.93 0.94 0.95 0.93 0.93 118,000 111,290 -

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 21.9 22 21.25 22.75 20.8 22 490,000 10,671,590 -96,190 ITALPINAS 3.03 3.04 3 3.05 2.99 3.03 2,391,000 7,213,540 15,030 KEPWEALTH 5.96 6.15 6 6.15 5.9 6.15 77,200 462,478 MAKATI FINANCE 3.06 3.43 3.04 3.04 3.04 3.04 7,000 21,280 MERRYMART 6.95 6.96 7.07 7.28 6.9 6.95 26,799,000 191,262,384 -1,766,887

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 106.5 107.8 106 107.8 106 106.5 18,090 1,937,513 106,664

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Alsons targeting to raise ₧2B via sale of commercial papers

A

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

lsons Consolidated Resources Inc. said it will sell commercial paper worth some P2 billion to settle its short-term obligations that will mature from this month to April and to partially fund its hydro project.

In its registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said its float of short-term debt is the first tranche of its P3-billion shelf registration program.

The debt comprises series O with a tenor of 182 days from issuance date and series P with a maturity of 364 days.

The six-month paper will be sold at a minimum of P5 million and

increments of P100,000, while the 1-year debt will be offered at a minimum of P500,000 and increments of P100,000.

Rates for the said papers will be based on benchmark rates plus a spread.

The company engaged Multinational Investment Bancorporation as sole issue manager, lead arranger and underwriter for the transaction.

Some P1.24 billion of the proceeds will be used to pay its various obligations, which will mature from February to April.

The rest, meanwhile, will fund the project of its unit Sindangan ZamboRiver Power Corp.

The company was incorporated on December 24, 1974 as Victoria

Gold Mining Corp. to engage in the business of exploration of oil, petroleum and other mineral products.

The corporate name was changed to Terra Grande Resources Inc. in March 1995 and to Alsons Consolidated Resources, Inc. in June 1995 to mark the entry of the Alcantara Group.

Its core businesses are mainly on energy and power, and property development. Its investment in the power business is through 4 holding firms--Conal Holdings Corp., Alsing Power Holdings Inc., Alsons Renewable Energy Corp. and Alsons Thermal Energy Corp. Its other units are Alsons Land Corp. and Kamanga Agro-Industrial Economic Development Corp.

Reward offered to locate eldest Yanson son

T

he Yanson Group on Tuesday said it has set aside a P1million reward for anyone who can provide information on the whereabouts of Roy V. Yanson, the eldest of the four Yanson siblings believed to be hiding overseas.

It said the reward was offered following the issuance of a certification by the Philippine National Police on January 25 that Roy and siblings Emily V. Yanson, Ma. Lourdes Celina Y. Lopez and Ricardo V. Yanson Jr., known as the Yanson 4, have outstanding warrants of arrest from Bacolod City courts.

The court issued a warrant of arrest after the group of the Yanson matriach filed criminal cases

against them for alleged carnapping and grave coercion, while additional case was filed against Emily for perjury and falsification of the corporation’s general information sheets (GIS).

It is the same GIS being used

by Yanson 4 to claim their majority ownership in Vallacar Transit Inc., the country’s largest bus company.

“The first person who can provide information as to the whereabouts of this person [Roy V. Yanson] directly leading to his arrest will be given a reward of P1 million or $20,000,” according to offer of reward.

On July 7, 2019, the 4 Yanson siblings held a meeting and un-

Igloo ties up with Philinsure to expand business in PHL

S

ingapore-based insurance technology (insurtech) provider Igloo announced on Tuesday its partnership with homegrown surety broker Philpacific Insurance Brokers Inc. (Philinsure).

“This pandemic brought about an urgent need for traditional industries to tap technology, and this is especially evident in the insurance sector in the Philippines,” said Raunak Mehta, chief commercial officer of Igloo.

Mehta said such initiative aims to support a very important sector in the Philippines, such as small business owners whose work have a very real and immediate impact on their communities.

“We want to be able to provide them with affordable and relevant protection to give them the confidence to focus on their business and their livelihood,” he noted.

Per the UNDP Philippines, micro, small, and medium enterprises account for 99.5 percent of registered businesses in the country, employing approximately 63 percent of the workforce population.

With a digital insurance penetration of less than 1 percent, the availability of insurance protection nationwide is largely offline which limits their reach, especially in these days of the pandemic.

This is a big potential for Igloo to provide highly customized and relevant digital solutions to the consumers in the most accessible, scalable, and affordable manner.

“We are excited to be working with Igloo as part of our effort to better drive our CSR [corporate social responsibility] advocacy to serve Filipino families, wherever they are in the Philippines or in the world,” cited Gordon Alan Joseph, chief executive officer of Philinsure.

Working with Igloo, he added,

will help them gain greater efficiencies in their post-pandemic digitization program. He said: “We look forward to working with Igloo to widen our CSR advocacy through its digital platform that is capable of providing a simple, effective means of protecting and therefore empowering the Filipino family.”

Leveraging on its technological capabilities, Igloo delivers operational efficiencies and lower costs for its insurance partners, and provides value-adding products to the customer base of its distribution partners. Its alliance with Philinsure seeks to strengthen its foothold in the Philippine market as it expands the variety of verticals it serves from on-demand customer platforms to banks, fintech, and logistics firms.

Igloo looks to evolve its product offering by investing in the development of new products to cater and fit the ever-changing market needs. Apart from these existing products, the firm aims to work with partners to launch new policies, such as home, business, internet security, pet insurance, and those focused on single diseases such as dengue and Covid-19.

Given this, it plans to hire more people for its Philippine office as it expects the number of policies sold via its platform in the country to grow four times this year.

The company is also looking for strategic investors for its upcoming funding round, which is expected to close by the first quarter of 2021.

Founded by Wei Zhu in June 2016, Igloo is a full-stack insurtech firm, employing big data, dynamic risk assessment, and expedited claims management, to provide partners with widened distribution networks and allows consumers access to customized insurance solutions. Roderick L. Abad

seated Leo Rey as the president of the country’s bus company. Roy Yanson took over the post.

Leo Rey, with the support of his mother, Olivia V. Yanson and sister Ginnette Y. Dumancas, however, refused to step down, which started a family feud between the two groups. Both groups have staged their own annual stockholders’ meeting, both of them claiming ownership of the company.

mutual funds

The Securities and Exchange Commission earlier warned the two factions to avoid dishing out misinformation to the public as this will have an adverse impact not only on the warring factions but also on the investors, the consumers, and the overall market.

The Yanson Group operates 4,800 bus units run by 18,000 employees, and has its main office in Bacolod City. VG Cabuag February 9, 2021

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 223.17 -8.21% -8.66% -1.42% -1.78% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.3132 4.33% -6.94% 4.54% 0.02% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.0792 -9.13% -12.62% -2.61% -1.72% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7794 -8.31% -7.9% n.a.

-3.05% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7129 -13.24% n.a. n.a.

-3.87% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.8479 -5.29% -6.86% -0.51% -1.89% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.7238 -11.41% -9.87% -5.82% -4.74% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 98.45 2.69% -5.66% n.a.

-3.42% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 46.0219 -6.39% -6.79% 0.2% -1.76% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 480.24 -6.34% -6.76% -0.53% -1.79% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 1.0743 6.87% n.a. n.a.

-2.1% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.1565 -6.88% -6.22% 0.41% -1% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 34.2636 -5.96% -6.09% 1.03% -1.46% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8978 -8.93% n.a. n.a.

-1.66% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.7082 -6.03% -6.29% 0.98% -1.73% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 787.78 -5.83% -6.16% 0.91% -1.73% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.7081 -10.11% -10.14% -3.11% -1.5% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.5618 -10.81% -8.32% -0.62% -1.71% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.9014 - 6.12% -6.48% 0.75% -1.78% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.2782 -6.76% -5.37% 1.53% -1.23% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 105.7237 -5.8% -5.95% 1.64% -1.7% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.3265 32.39% 6.38% 11.05% 10.28% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.7587 24.4% 11.26% n.a.

5.14% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.6602 8.2% -3.63% -0.3% -0.5% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.2625 7.29% -2.69% 1.59% -1% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.5934 0.89% -2.28% 0.24% -1.28% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1957 -11.33% n.a. n.a. -1.46% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.96 1.15% -0.54% 2.09% -0.2% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.7502 1% -1.43% 1.24% -1% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 16.7749 0.97% -1.49% 1.22% -0.95% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.0756 -0.5% -2.6% 0.98% -0.88% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.5418 -5.3% -4.23% 0.08% -0.88% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 1.0114 1.58% n.a. n.a.

-1.1% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.9351 -3.07% n.a. n.a.

-1.49% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.9182 -4.37% n.a. n.a.

-1.6% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8829 -5.75% -4.82% -0.49% -0.54% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03879 0.41% 3.11% 1.83% -0.84% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.2185 19.43% 4.92% 7.75% 5.94% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.6808 17.36% 8.37% 9.62% 3.72% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.2174 8.41% 4.42% n.a.

1.27% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 371.67 3.69% 3.29% 2.78% 0.16% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9043 -0.12% 0.41% 0.28% 0.21% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2185 2.77% 4.34% 4.73% 0.12% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2971 2.83% 2.92% 2.3% 0.05% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4497 3.84% 3.4% 2.13% -0.14% 0.07% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.638 5.83% 4.95% 2.93% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3233 5.63% 4.48% 2.74% 0.16% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.9852 5.54% 4.51% 2.75% -0.4% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0389 7.36% 4.41% 2.39% -0.3% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.2051 4.19% 4.7% 3.35% -0.03% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7496 3.28% 3.96% 2.72% -0.31% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $484.83 3.04% 3.04% 2.77% 0.2% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.45 -0.43% 0.98% 1.29% 0.12% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2687 4.68% 4.15% 2.84% -0.91% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0263 1.54% 1.98% 1.51% -1.13% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0904 -1.31% 1.14% 0.18% -0.21% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.5272 3.77% 4.8% 3.18% -0.33% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0625204 3.05% 3.23% 2.36% 0.32% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.2027 -1% 2.64% 1.95% -0.65% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 130.01 3% 3.33% 2.58% 0.15% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0491 2.3% n.a. n.a.

0.1% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2985 2.37% 2.94% 2.61% 0.15% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0537 1.41% 1.78% n.a.

0.12% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.1728 n.a. n.a. n.a. 3.82% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.99 0% n.a. n.a.

1.02%

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

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 B3

Holiday boost trims bad loans in Dec 2020

T

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@Tyronepiad

HE holiday boost may have provided some relief to the banking sector, which recorded a decline in bad loans by the end of 2020.

Latest data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) shows that gross nonperforming loans (NPL) ratio slowed down to 3.61 percent in December from 3.78 percent in the previous month.

It was in December when the banking sector saw the NPL ratio dip for the first time in 2020. The banking industry started the said year with a bad-loan ratio of 2.16 percent in its books. The figure continued to rise month after month and peaked in November last year.

Still, the December figure is high-

er than the 2.04 percent notched in 2019. However, it is still below the Central Bank’s forecast of 4.6 percent for the year.

In terms of amount, NPLs reached P391.67 billion as of end-December 2020, which is 74.77 percent more than P224.11 billion year-on-year.

This as total loan portfolio slipped by 1 percent to P10.86 trillion by the end of last year from P10.97 trillion in 2019. Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort attributed the lower NPL ratio in December to better busi-

ness and economic conditions amid the Christmas season. These allowed many borrowers to settle their debts before the year ended, he said.

“More business, sales, income and livelihood means greater ability by borrowers to pay their loans as they fall due, especially the fact that Christmas season sales comprise a large chuck of sales/income in a typical year for many businesses and/or industries, as well as for people and households in the formal and informal economy,” Ricafort told the BusinessMirror.

The improved business landscape, he added, was also supported by lower economic contraction in the fourth quarter.

Apart from the holiday boost, the RCBC economist pointed to other factors mitigating the rise of bad loans, including the 60-day debt moratorium imposed for liabilities falling due until December 2020 under the Republic Act 11494.

Fewer demand for loans during the period may have also contributed

to lower NPL ratio, he said.

“This could also reflect improvements in credit risk management systems, particularly on credit risk management, aligned with global best practices,” Ricafort added.

More bad loans

While the NPL ratio slipped in December 2020, it is not a signal that the figure will continue to go down in the coming months.

ING Bank Manila said it expects the NPL ratio to “tread higher” in the near term following the expiration of the debt moratorium.

“With incomes down, consumers and firms will likely face challenges in keeping payments up to date,” the bank said.

To recall, bad loans piled up last year because lockdown measures amid the pandemic aggravated unemployment rate and forced many businesses to shut down. These conditions made it difficult for borrowers to settle their debts on time.

This is why reopening the econo-

SC to PhilHealth execs: Return ₧16.2-M worth of ‘gifts’

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

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HE Supreme Court has affirmed the notices of disallowances issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) covering birthday gifts and other benefits granted by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Board of Directors to its personnel in 2007 to 2008 amounting to P204.07 million.

In a 17-page unanimous decision penned by Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, the Court en banc also held that approving and certifying officers of the efficiency gift—disallowed under the notice of disallowance dated November 20, 2009—are liable to return the fund amounting to P16.2 million.

The Court also directed the recipients of the efficiency gift to refund the amount they received, “otherwise unjust enrichment on the part of the payee will arise.”

“On the other hand, the payees or recipients of the efficiency gift must return the amount they received since it was erroneously given to and received by them,” the High Tribunal said.

While termed as “efficiency gifts’, the Court emphasized that there was no indication that the disallowed

amount was “genuinely” intended as compensation for services rendered by the recipients.

Other notices of disallowances issued by the COA that the Court approved include the following: birthday gift (P5.97 million); special event (P8.7 million); nominal gift (P29.5 million); education assistance (P49.28 million); project completion benefit (P4.98 million); payment of liability insurance premium for PhilHealth board of directors and officers (P638,000); corporate transition and achievement premium (P81.05 million); and, medical mission critical allowance (P7.91 million).

Except for the notice of disallowance on payment of liability insurance premium, the resident auditor issued all the notice of disallowances in question on the ground that their covered benefits were given to the officers and employees of Philhealth sans approval from the Office of the President. The latter is required under Memorandum Order 20 dated June 2001 and Administrative Order 103 dated August 31, 2004.

Meanwhile, the resident auditor issued the notice of disallowance because the payment of liability insurance premium for Philhealth directors and officers violated Section 73

of Republic Act 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act) and Government Procurement Policy Board Resolution 21-05.

On July 12, 2012, the COA-Corporate Government Sector denied the appeals filed by PhilHealth and affirmed all the NDs. In a decision issued on December 27, 2016, the COA Proper dismissed the petition for review filed

by PhilHealth for lack of merit and for late filing.

The COA Proper also declared that the officials of PhilHealth who authorized, approved or certified the grants could not be deemed in good faith since the law requires the prior approval of the Office of the President.

The SC agreed with the COA that PhilHealth should have observed the policies and guidelines issued by the Office of the President in granting any additional personnel benefits.

Despite its fiscal autonomy, the SC said the grant of benefits must be in accordance with applicable law or specifically authorized by an issuance by the Department of Budget Management.

“Considering that the ruling of the Court on the need for approval from the Office of the President has long been existing, the Court on the

need for approval from the Office of the President has long been existing, the Court cannot allow [PhilHealth] to feign ignorance to the pronouncement,” the ruling said.

“Given the foregoing, the Court is unconvinced that the officers of [PhilHealth] who approved the benefits in question acted in good faith when they approved and granted these benefits,” it added.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently launched a massive probe into alleged multi-billion corruption activities in PhilHealth.

Following its probe, the DOJTask Force PhilHealth recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against seven officials of the agency for violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for their alleged involvement in the multi-billion PhilHealth fund embezzlement.

The task force as also endorsed to the Office of the Ombudsman the recommendation of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission to file criminal and administrative charges against 25 other incumbent and former officials of Philhealth for their alleged involvement in fraudulent membership enrollment and fraudulent benefit claims done at Philhealth’s Regional Office 1.

S&P: ‘Negative’ economic Inflation could hit above risk trend for local banks 6%–Deutsche Bank exec

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HE economic risk trend for banks operating in the Philippines remains “negative,” an international credit watcher said, bucking the trend of a perceived more stable economic environment in Asia Pacific in 2021.

In its recent assessment on the region’s financial institutions entitled “Asia-Pacific Financial Institutions Monitor 1Q2021: The Climb Out Of Covid,” S&P Global Ratings retained the Philippines’ economic risk trend at “negative.”

Out of the 19 banking systems in Asia-Pacific, 5 jurisdictions were rated negative based on economic risk trend.

Alongside the Philippines were Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Thailand.

“The risk of credit losses soaring for Philippine banks is higher than we previously expected, given difficult economic conditions. Strict lockdown measures in major metropolitan areas, including Metro Manila, together with lingering household caution amid high Covid-infection rates and limited fiscal policy support, are suppressing consumer spending and resulting in widespread job losses,” S&P said in its report.

“In our opinion, weak economic activity and tough employment conditions will affect the asset quality, earnings, and capitalization of Philippine banks over the next two years,” it added.

The credit rating agency’s assessment on the Philippine banking system contrasts its overall view on Asia Pacific banks in general. In the same report, S&P

said credit losses elsewhere in Asia Pacific “will likely be lower than previously expected” and that their assumption of economic conditions “will gradually improve as vaccines for COVID-19 become widely distributed.”

Out of the four most recent negative rating actions of S&P before 2020 ended, two of them were on Philippine banks.

S&P earlier revised the outlooks for Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and Security Bank from “stable” to “negative” due to “rising economic risks.”

S&P also maintained its forecasts for the Philippine economy for 2021 through 2023. For this year, S&P sees an economic recovery of 9.6 percent, followed by a 7.6 percent growth in 2022 before settling to a 7.5 percent expansion in 2023.

“The recession is likely to impair the debt-servicing ability of consumers, small businesses, and leveraged companies. We believe large conglomerates are better placed to weather the storm on the back of their strong business positions and good access to liquidity,” S&P said.

“However, risks are rising and the performance of these conglomerates will depend on economic recovery as well as stabilization of credit conditions,” the credit watcher explained. “Although this is not our base case, stress in large companies could set off a sharper deterioration in banks’ asset quality than our base-case forecast due to significant concentration in the corporate book.”

Bianca Cuaresma

P

ork prices—which are expected to continue rising in the coming months—will push inflation above the government target band of 2.0 percent to 4.0 percent for most of this year, according to a research by a German financial services firm.

Deutsche Bank Chief Economist Michael Spencer said in a report that headline inflation will be above 6 percent for a few months because of elevated food price index, along with higher petroleum prices due to lower base last year.

The figure, however, is expected to be back below 4 percent by the end of 2021.

In January, consumer price growth surged to two-year high of 4.2 percent.

Inflation averaged at 2.6 percent last year. With African Swine Fever (ASF) still an issue to the supply chain, Spencer noted that pork prices will remain elevated. “[We] expect pork prices will continue to rise—less dramatically, to be sure—for another five or six months and then decline slowly through 2022,”Spencer said in a report released last Tuesday.

To recall, Deutsche Bank noted that ASF was first identified in the Philippines in July 2019. It has affected the meat supply, with pork belly retail price rising by more than 60 percent since May 2020 as a result, the research added.

“Since [February 2020], pork prices have been highly volatile but have not

yet fallen significantly,” Spencer said.

“Prices are about unchanged from a year ago – the impact of ASF on inflation lasted well over a year—but it’s unclear at this point whether falling pork prices might drive inflation sharply lower over the coming months.”

To mitigate rising pork prices, the government recently ordered a price freeze for 60 days and tripling of pork imports. The Agriculture department set the price ceiling of P270 on kasim and P300 on liempo. The prices of pork in the market reached as high as P400 per kilogram after the supply was dented by ASF. With higher pork prices fueling higher prices for chicken as well, the government also included the goods to the price-freeze order. But the Deutsche Bank report noted that the government order is not a long-term solution.

“The price freeze will provide temporary relief, possibly at the expense of reduced meat supply in the capital as pork and chicken shipments are diverted to regions where prices aren’t controlled, but price controls and higher imports will delay the investments needed to replenish the breeding stock,” Spencer explained.

“We therefore expect the food price index in the [consumer price index] to rise more than 7 percent year-on-year through September,” he added.

Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

my is needed to improve the financial capability of the borrowers, Ricafort told the BusinessMirror. He noted it would then help to enhance the banking sector’s asset quality.

“Going forward, further improvement in economic recovery prospects, especially with the scheduled start of Covid-19 vaccine rollouts in the country would help economic recovery prospects,” Ricafort told the BusinessMirror.

Resuming business activities will allow improvements in sales, production, and livelihood, among others, Ricafort added.

The RCBC economist told the BusinessMirror that the Financial Institution Strategic Transfer (Fist) bill will also provide some relief for the financial system.

The said bill allows financial institutions to get rid of their nonperforming assets—which include NPLs and real and other properties acquired in settlement of loans—by selling them to asset management firms or FIST companies. This can

help them attain better management of their debt levels during this pandemic.

Demand for borrowings

ING Bank Manila expects demand for loans to be low this year as the economy continues to grapple with the impact of the poor governance of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The bank expects loan growth to remain in the red in the near term and bounce possibly by end-2021 as the economic activity recovers.

Outstanding loans provided by the universal and commercial banks contracted by 0.7 percent in December 2020, the first in 14 years. Bank lending growth slowed down because financial institutions were risk averse amid the pandemic, BSP said.

ING Bank Manila said it doesn’t likely see bank lending to post a sustained double-digit pace of growth in the near term, given the state and pace of the economic recovery.

The Philippine economy contracted by 9.5 percent on average last year.

Create to ease the burden due to pandemic

A

S of this writing, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives (Create) bill is still waiting to be signed by President Duterte after it has already been approved by both houses of Congress.

When approved, among its important feature is the reduction of the corporate tax to 20 percent to 25 percent effective July 2020.

A legislator is already planning to seek a one-month extension of the deadline from April 15, 2021 to May 15, 2021, to give enough time to adjust the rates.

The Create bill also reduced the minimum corporate income tax rate to 1 percent instead of 2 percent for the period beginning July 1, 2020 until June 30, 2023. Furthermore, all dividends received by a domestic corporation shall be exempt from income tax. Adjustment of the threshold for VAT (value-added tax) exempt sale of residential real property for a residential lot to P2,500,000 and below and a house and lot and other residential dwelling to P4,200,000 and below is also one of the more important features that will greatly benefit most Filipinos.

If approved by the President, this can greatly help ease the burden of businesses because of the losses incurred during this pandemic. The Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) is one of the 32 local and foreign business organizations that have called on Congress to quickly act and deliberate on this.

They manifested that a further delay in the approval of the bill will bring about more job losses and business closures.

At the start of the year, businesses are already facing the burden of having to pay several taxes what with the city permits and business taxes becoming due by January 2021 and property taxes deadline looming at the start of the year. Still, the deadlines of certain cities were much earlier; meaning even due as early as December 31, 2020. Many did not anticipate that this pandemic will linger through 2021 and cash flow projections will have to be revised.

Although the vaccine can be possibly made available in the middle of the year, being back to “real normal” may not occur within the year. This means business recovery may not even be possible this year.

The Create bill can at least lessen the burden of the taxes to be paid this tax season with corporate taxes slashed from 30 percent to 20 percent to 25 percent depending on the amount of net taxable income and total assets of corporations. If this is the best way our country can afford to help businesses from bleeding and ultimately face an untimely “death,” this should be done in the soonest possible time.

Other countries, such as the United States of America, had dedicated

Finex free enterprise Wilma Inventor-Miranda at the early start of the pandemic more than $650 billion in business loans, which do not have to be repaid if firms maintain staffing levels and spend the majority on wages within two months. This is with the hope that if employees are retained, the economy will bounce back quickly.

More generous wage subsidies are being made with The Netherlands having the most generous plans, pledging to replace up to 90 percent of wage cost for those companies which can qualify. Another country with the most generous plan is France, covering up to 84 percent of the gross wage and even to a maximum of 100 percent if a worker makes minimum wage. (Source: bbc.com/new/business dated May 7, 2020) There are countries that provide cash transfers aside from wage subsidies. But in European countries, in contrast, many countries have avoided these cash transfers and are providing wage subsidies and other safety-net programs like the United Kingdom’s Universal Credit to provide support for the people’s needs.

These are rich countries and surely can afford all of the above subsidies. On the other hand, for a poor country like the Philippines, passing a Create bill will surely go a long way to helping businesses sustain their operations. There were cash transfers made by the government but its effect is just temporary and mostly exposed to corruption especially since this is distributed down to the barangay level which may be difficult to control.

If the Create bill will be approved by President Duterte, there is still the need for an information campaign and for the tax people to prepare the logistics needed to implement the new rates. There may be enough time. But if there is a need to extend the BIR deadline to one month, surely the taxpaying public will truly appreciate this.

This is a unique and challenging time in the history not only of our country but of the world and it calls for special solutions and flexibilities to make our economy and our country recover from the “ashes” of an economic downturn.

Wilma Miranda is the Chairman of FINEX Media Affairs Committee, Managing Partner of Inventor, Miranda & Associates, CPAs, Board of Directors Member of KPS Outsourcing Inc. and Treasurer of Negros Outsourcing Services Inc. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of these institutions and the BusinessMirror.

B4

Show BusinessMirror

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

PARTYING FOR A FEE

PEOPLE will probably be angrier when they learn that the recent trip of a group of influencers and socialites wasn’t just for fun but for profit. The controversial figure was paid by a group connected to the LGU to bring “beautiful people” to party and the amount paid was quite hefty. Here’s the thing with this controversial figure: this person is paid to party and he’s paid more if he brings some of his friends to party. His friends are paid, too, plus they get free accommodations, food and drinks. They also receive free clothes, makeup and stuff from other brands.

Some of them earn a living from partying just because they look better than most people. Now isn’t that an amazing thing?

EX’S BIG FAN

IT’S no secret the actor’s mom loves his former girlfriend so much and is her actual fan in that she watches all of the ex’s TV shows and movies. The actor and the girl have since parted ways and he has since dated a number of women, none of whom his mother liked half as much as he liked his ex. The actor’s new girlfriend is someone she reportedly really dislikes as much as she did the actor’s last ex. The mom has found every excuse in the book to avoid sitting down with the new girlfriend even for a leisurely meal.

Yes, they’ve met but only casually. The mom is even reportedly giving up the opportunity to see her son just to avoid the girlfriend.

HATED GIRL

SPEAKING of moms, the mother of a soon-to-wed celebrity allegedly has found out stuff about her soonto-be daughter-in-law from friends in the business and she’s not happy about it. She really doesn’t care what her future daughter-in-law did in the past but she’s more concerned as to why many people seem to hate the girl so much that they would go to such lengths to tell stories about her, whether these are true or not. As far as the mom knows, her son’s intended is a nice person. The mom knows her son is a handful and the girl is one of the few people in the world who have been really patient with him without being a pushover. So to the mom, it’s concerning that people would hate the girl so much that they’d spread stories so these would reach her.

INAPPROPRIATE GUY

THERE are rumors linking the older and married actor to a young starlet and both parties have denied it. According to sources, there is no illicit affair between the two. What is true is that the actor, while professing to be happily married, is actually known for being inappropriate with his younger coworkers.

He is touchy-feely, even without consent, and it has made many of his costars uncomfortable, including the starlet whose name is being linked to his. So don’t be surprised that someday, the actor will be exposed by his former costars who he touched and fondled without consent. Most of them are actually young enough to be his daughters.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Priyanka Chopra Jonas reveals private life details in memoir

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By Molly Sprayregen The Associated Press

riyanka Chopra Jonas’s memoir, Unfinished, is a moving story of her rise to fame—and of her life before anybody knew her name.

Chopra Jonas never intended to become the internationally renowned entertainer and public figure she is today. Before she was an actor, producer, and Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, she was the daughter of two doctors, dreaming of becoming an aeronautical engineer. Growing up in India, her life as we know it began accidentally, when her brother convinced a 17-year-old Chopra Jonas to enter the Miss India competition, hoping it would get her out of the house so he could have her bedroom.

Little did her family know, this effort would catapult Chopra Jonas to stardom and transform her into an international phenomenon. Unfinished is Chopra Jonas’ deeply open and honest account of her experience navigating life in the public eye, as well as the extreme hard work and dedication she put into her career.

But Unfinished is also about the pieces of her life the public doesn’t see. It is her story of growing up on two continents, spending time in both India and the United States.

It is the story of the love she shares with her family, and the way her parents embraced their daughter’s curveball career path and sacrificed so she could chase her dreams. It is the story of her own battles with self-confidence and doubt as she learned to stand up for what she knew she deserved.

It is the story of the racism and sexism she confronted throughout her life, and the depression she battled after the death of her father. It is also a love story, chronicling how she fell in love with her nowhusband Nick Jonas.

Chopra Jonas’ writing is open, engaging, and

stress hormone cortisol shrink and blood pressure decreases when people hang out with dogs.

Interestingly, the positive effects of pups on stress levels exceed that of even a close friend or family member: a dog will reduce your stress more than your spouse or best friend will. After all, dogs are naturally inclined to love you unconditionally and will never find fault with the way you slurp your soup.

Dogs may reduce stress because they provide social support. You may feel supported by your pooch, in part, because of the oxytocin feedback loop between humans and dogs.

Oxytocin, a hormone involved in promoting social bonds, is released in both dogs and humans when gazing into each other’s eyes. People report improved mood, increased happiness and greater energy levels around dogs. And, on the flip side, they enjoy reduced feelings of depression, loneliness and negativity when dogs are present.

CREATING CONNECTION GIVEN dogs’ skill at providing these supports and boosting mood, it may not surprise you to learn they work their magic not only one on one, but also in

By Eugenia Last

z

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Chloe Grace Moretz, 24; Karen Fukuhara, 29; Emma Roberts, 30; Elizabeth Banks, 47.

Happy Birthday: You’ll be able to take on whatever comes your way. Your discipline and diligence will draw attention that gives you a platform to bring about change. Stand tall, be a good listener and know when to say no. It’s time to be a leader and focus on what you want to accomplish. Turn 2021 into a stellar year while following your dreams. Your numbers are 5, 12, 21, 29, 34, 43, 47.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Express your ideas, accept criticism and make adjustments.

Progress is the intent, and using your mind, body and emotional drive to get you to your destination will seal the deal. Strive for perfection, and don’t look back. Romance is favored. HHHH

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Think twice before you upset someone you love. Choose your words carefully, and you’ll avoid ending up in a precarious position that might affect your reputation, status or situation. Take care of your responsibilities; say less and do more. HH

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can get ahead if you take the right measures. Check online job postings, set up an interview, send out your resume or discuss your ideas and plans with someone who can help you make your dreams come true.

Romance is encouraged. HHHHH

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Try something new and exciting or revisit a hobby or pastime you used to enjoy. Taking a unique approach to how you live and how you respond to others will encourage better relationships. HHH

e full of energy. She writes, it seems, to connect. The experience feels intimate, like Chopra Jonas is exchanging stories with a friend over coffee. Her stories are exceedingly personal, and despite being an international movie star, many of them even feel relatable.

Even those who are not already fans of Chopra Jonas will find reason to enjoy her story, one that chronicles a deep love of family and culture, and a passion for standing up for what you believe in. n

How Biden’s dogs could make the Oval Office a workplace with less stress and better decision-making Continued from B5

Today’s Horoscope

group settings. In the presence of a dog, people in groups have better social interactions, engage in more conversations and are more likely to form long-term friendships with one another.

The effects of dogs as social lubricants can go further: dogs even foster development of social support networks among their humans, leading to a sense of community, and more social interactions between people in their vicinity. These engagements offer opportunities for even more social support in high-stress environments. And perhaps most importantly, people are more likely to offer help when a dog is present.

Having Champ and Major in the White House may help President Biden and his staff navigate the stresses and tensions of the current political landscape. Beyond “indogurations,” tweets and cute photo-ops, Champ and Major will offer physical, psychological and social benefits in the Oval Office.

In short, pets (yes, cats too!) improve the quality of life in almost every context—including presidential ones.

Perhaps they can, even in a small way, play a role in uniting a divided country.

After all, personal politics aside, isn’t it comforting to know there will be paws pattering around the White House again? THE CONVERSATION

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’ll feel ill at ease around a partner, colleague or peer. Be prepared to offset anyone who tries to make you look bad. Take care of your responsibilities and maintain a positive attitude; you will outshine anyone who challenges you. HHH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Put your energy into educational pursuits, research and discovery. Ask questions, verify information and consider how best to turn something you love to do into a profitable pastime. Refuse to let a peer, friend or relative goad you into a debate. HHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Put your plan in motion. You’ve got what it takes to push your way to the top if you are mindful of others, optimistic in your pursuits and fastidious in the way you present your objective. HHHHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Hold off on making a change that you aren’t fully prepared to put in play. Rethink your strategy, and you’ll come up with a unique idea that will help offset a falling out with someone you value. HH

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do your own thing. You will reach your objective if you don’t let anyone interfere with your plans.

Positive changes to the way you handle money, approach work and take care of yourself will pay off.

HHHH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A unique twist to how you do things will give you a new lease on life. Move items around at home to free up space for a project you want to pursue. Don’t argue with someone who never agrees with you. HHH

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You can’t please everyone, but you can make a difference. Follow your instincts, make decisions based on facts and pursue your goals with gusto. Personal accomplishments will encourage those you love to follow suit. Romance is on the rise. HHH

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be careful what you share and who you trust. Focus on getting things done, not trying to convince others to help you. What you accomplish on your own will be gratifying and encourage you to achieve something else on your to-do list. HHH Birthday Baby: You are entertaining, persistent and unpredictable.

You are intense and trendy.

‘move the needle’ by martina waluk The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Rock bands’ boxes 5 Iron 10 Combustible heap 14 Sped 15 Yogurt-and-cucumber dip 16 Ratatouille rat 17 Where brownies bake 18 ___ tube (waterslide ride) 19 Trouble-free state 20 Girl/pooch duo in a 2002 film 23 Start of a self-help book title 24 Garlicky mayonnaise 27 Smack, as a skeeter 28 2000 film about a boy and his pooch 32 Labor Day’s mo.

34 Assistance 35 Corn units 36 Regal sphere 39 Accept, as a special delivery 42 NBA legend Ming 43 Saints’ home, briefly 45 Sister with a rosary 46 Knock sharply

48 Tightly united 51 Obama immigration policy, briefly 54 Wed secretly 55 Modern museum question 58 Fictional restaurateur played by Kate Winslet and Joan Crawford 62 Use a wooden spoon 64 Relation such as 20:21 65 Tilt 66 Window part 67 DC’s National Zoo has 163 of them 68 Give temporarily 69 Fruits used for chewy cookies 70 Parents of goslings 71 Greek god of war DOWN 1 It may surround a lagoon 2 Flicks 3 Like bench training?

4 Ladies of La Paz 5 Cursive alternative 6 Completely unpredictable 7 German for “one” 8 “Ignore that change,” in a proof

9 Wrapped Indian garment 10 Spot-on 11 “Sure, I guess” 12 B&B units 13 Hurricane center 21 Starts a poker pot 22 Game where someone is “it” 25 Former Italian currency 26 ___ facto 29 One-named Greek keyboardist 30 “What’s the ___?” (“So what?”)

31 Stinky cheese feature 33 Strawberry ice cream’s color 36 A single time 37 “Jelly” or “sausage” follower 38 Word that means “flourishing,” with or without its second letter 40 Caulking implement 41 Diameter halves 44 Is ambitious 47 Kneecap 49 Jellied fish in a British dish 50 Spruces up 52 Life’s work

3 Far from general knowledge 5 56 Presume, informally 57 Watches, like a bar 59 With 60-Down, RuPaul’s competition 60 See 59-Down 61 To be, to Camus 62 Tanning letters 63 ___ chi Solution to Wednesday’s puzzle:

Image BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Wednesday, February 10, 2021

B5

AMPLIFYING HEALTHIER, LONGER, BETTER LIVES IN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

AN American founded Hong Kong multinational insurance and finance corporation, AIA Group Limited announced recently the launch of its first-ever Regional Ambassador Program, an online community of some of the most influential health and well-being advocates in Asia who will come together to amplify the insurer’s purpose of helping people across the region to lead “Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.”

This innovative program will be led by AIA Global Ambassador David Beckham and feature AIA health and wellness ambassadors from the Philippines and other countries such as Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand, with plans to expand to other AIA markets as the platform develops. The program will take an always-on approach which is 100 percent-focused on the activities AIA is implementing to drive its purpose, making it one of the most current and comprehensive ambassador programs globally.

From the Philippines, AIA Philam Life ambassadors Anton del Rosario, Solenn Heussaff-Bolzico, Nico Bolzico, Wil Dasovich, and Raymond Gutierrez will be joining David Beckham and the other regional ambassadors across the region. The Regional Ambassador Program is the latest online initiative launched by AIA to engage its customers, agents and communities around the group’s purpose. It will give the brand’s ambassadors the opportunity to co-create and collaborate around new ideas and inspirational content that will help to promote healthier living, as well as celebrating cultural diversity and offering audiences access to different perspectives on health and wellness.

Said AIA Philam Life Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Ang: “As the pandemic continues to be a constant challenge to everyone, our ambassadors taking part in this initiative can inspire Filipinos to stay motivated and sustain their physical and mental well-being, helping them live ‘Healthier, Longer and Better Lives.’ We are delighted to be part of this program alongside the AIA Group and the other AIA markets and we look forward to seeing it grow in the coming months.”

AIA Global Ambassador David Beckham said: “I’m excited to be involved in the Regional Ambassador Program, and to share my personal health and wellness journey through the Covid-19 pandemic. By bringing together such diverse voices, we can deliver meaningful content that is relevant for audiences across Asia and help people to make the little changes that will have a big impact on their long-term wellbeing. I’m truly inspired by AIA’s commitment to helping its customers and communities live [healthier lives], and I’m delighted to have been asked to lead this initiative with my fellow ambassadors.”

The “Finding Hope & Ways to Cope Through the Pandemic” session with Beckham can be viewed at www. youtube.com/aiahealthyliving.

Everything in its proper place W

ORKING from home and going to the office alternately for the past weeks has made me realize the need to ensure I have the files I need when I work from home. Cloud storage has made it easier, but I need to be mindful of file size and my limited storage space. Not to mention confidential files which cannot be taken out of the office and the people I need to talk to. I had to organize my documents and schedule to keep in sync wherever I may be working.

Personal organization is maximizing your work and personal space to make room for the important things in your work and life. Whether it is decluttering, arranging your workspace in a certain manner, or the so-called organized chaos, you need to arrange your things so you can get things done efficiently. Minimalism offers an alternative way of maximizing your space but if it does not work for you, there are other ways of making space for the things you need to do your work, and have enough room for your creative pursuits. Take note also that personal organization does not mean just your workspace but also your desktop. Since most of your work is done on a computer, it will do you well to keep even your computer and desktop organized.

Having things in order helps reduce anxiety.

Whatever method you choose for organizing your space, it should work for your purpose. A wellorganized personal space, either at work or in your work-from-home setup, can help you do the

important tasks first and then move on to the less strenuous ones. It will also keep distractions at a minimum and help you focus on one task at a time.

In today’s attention span of eight seconds, it takes so little to divert you from what you need to do.

Getting organized will also help you do more in less time. Since you have everything in place, it becomes easier to do your work smoothly and efficiently. You now have more time for hobbies and other things. This increases your productivity and the added time helps you perform better because you can have more in-between times to catch your breath.

Putting everything where you need them is a lot harder than you think. It is not a one-off activity but more of a deliberate decision you do daily and something you instinctively maintain just like a habit.

And by doing it repeatedly for at least 21 days, it will become part of your daily routine.

To start being organized, identify what you need to do for the day or, if possible, for the entire week. This will dictate how you will create a workspace which will complement the effort involved in the tasks you need to accomplish. This will also help you plan out your work area, so you have everything you need at arm’s length.

As much as possible, arrange everything in your workspace so that you can work on the most important tasks first. If you can, designate an area where you can put everything you need to accomplish for the day and those requiring urgent responses, and then work your way into sorting out the things you can put off or do not need. If you use it daily, you need to put it out. If not, keep it in an accessible area.

One thing that helps me keep organized is adopting a clean desk policy. I used to be in an industry where I share workspace with other users, and the company had a policy of keeping your area free from anything which could prevent another user from using the workspace efficiently. And since the office was also paperless and everything was done digitally, it became easier for me to organize my desktop and workspace.

And speaking of technology, you need to take advantage of existing applications on your computer and mobile phones. Use an app for tracking tasks, or use an online calendar so you can sync your tasks with your mobile device. This helps you get updated on your upcoming meetings and the things to do even on the go.

In using the app or calendar, I suggest putting in all your tasks so that you can map out how you will apportion your time in a day. The bottomline here is keeping one calendar or tracker for what you need to do throughout the day. You can create a checklist for the things you need to do and put in breaks so you can give yourself a reward for every task done so you feel more invigorated to push on toward the next tasks.

Use a physical notebook or an online notebook for meetings and keeping track of projects. As much as possible, avoid using sticky notes for reminders as these can easily get lost or misplaced, whereas a notebook can be a handy reference for everything you have been working on. If needed, divide your notebook into work categories so you can easily find notes on past meetings, instructions and agreement.

Having a handy notebook with you can also help you jot down ideas that might come up anytime.

In all of these, you are not only managing your resources but your time as well. As Thomas Edison once said, “Time is really the only capital any human being has, and the one thing he can’t afford to waste.”

And to make the most of your time at work, schedule the important tasks first. But do not also forget to schedule your free time. Always block off time for you to take a short walk or a breather. And if by chance you see an extended free time, schedule it for a fun learning activity so you can maximize your time.

To sustain the level of organization needed for your work, you need to make a personal decision to maintain an organized workspace, and to deliberately arrange your things to serve your purpose. Whether you are working in the office or working from home, you can make the most of your workspace and your time by putting everything in their proper place. n

How Biden’s dogs could make the Oval Office a workplace with less stress and better decision-making

By Ellen Furlong Illinois Wesleyan University

TOP BRITISH BRAND TO LAUNCH FIRST STORE IN PHL

THE London-based brand recognized for its modern yet timeless style, COS has announced its launch in the Philippines in Spring 2021. To be located in Metro Manila, the space will reflect COS’ design sensibilities while incorporating values on sustainability.

“Opening in the Philippines is an exciting step for the COS brand. We have been hoping to enter the market for some time and I think our new Manila store is a great place to start. I’m excited to see how new customers will engage with our brand and collections,” said Christoffer Sellin, COS Asia Pacific managing director.

The new location will open with COS Spring/Summer 2021, a collection founded on refined wardrobe staples from tailored sets to lightweight knitwear and effortless blazers. The collection features sustainably-sourced materials such as organic cottons, jewellery crafted from recycled yoghurt pots, and zero-waste seamless knitwear sets, with each piece designed to take the wearer beyond the season.

ON Januart 24 the White House welcomed two new residents: Champ and Major, the newly minted first dogs of the United States. The first dogs are poised to offer special benefits to workers in the White House.

Since entering the political spotlight, Champ and Major have achieved celebrity status, making news when then-President-elect Joe Biden fractured his foot while playing with Major and stumping for Biden on the campaign trail.

The dogs even share a Twitter account, which features photos and doggie press releases. Major, the first shelter dog to live in the White House, has delighted so many people, the Delaware Humane Association, from which Major was adopted, held an “indoguration” ceremony for him.

Pets in the Oval Office have long fascinated many on both sides of the aisle. George H.W. Bush’s springer spaniel, Millie, “authored” a book on life in the White House that charmed many readers—and even outsold her presidential guardian’s autobiography.

More recently, Buddy Clinton, Barney and Miss Beazley Bush and Bo and Sunny Obama have captivated the American public while roaming the

halls of the White House.

As a dog enthusiast, I too take enormous delight in seeing presidents’ dogs run down the White House hallways, deplane from Air Force One or campaign with their guardians.

But as a psychologist studying dog cognition and behavior, I must add a crucial point: Dogs have much more to offer than feel-good stories and cute photo-ops. A growing area of research suggests that dogs can provide real benefits, not only to their daily companions, but also to those in their orbit.

PROMOTING WELL-BEING THESE benefits explain why many workplaces— from Amazon to Zygna—have begun welcoming dogs into their offices. Recent research suggests that dogs in the workplace can lead to increased worker engagement, lower employee turnover, greater work satisfaction and even enhanced employee cohesion and communication.

The Oval Office, the site of momentous decisions, enormous stress and complex social dynamics, may benefit from dogs even more than typical workplaces.

After all, stress can compromise decision-making and problem-solving abilities. Pets can alleviate stress, however, dampening these effects and leading to

improved performance on difficult tasks.

Not only do people report feeling less workplace stress around dogs, but their very bodies tend to support this claim. A growing area of research suggests human heart rates slow, levels of the

Continued on B4

First Dogs Champ and Major Biden

B6 Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Primed for Love at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel

Celebrate double happiness and fun at Novotel Manila Araneta

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HIS February, double the celebration and double the happiness at Novotel Manila Araneta City as Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day make us all excited to celebrate love with our special someone and welcome good fortune with high hopes.

Double the love and double the luck this 2021 with special offers from Food Exchange Manila, The 6th Pool Bar and Lounge, and the hotel’s dining delivery service, Take Me Out by Novotel Manila.

Welcome the Year of the Metal Ox and ensure year-round of good health, happiness and prosperity as our award-winning buffet restaurant Food Exchange Manila offers gastronomic feast featuring all-time Chinese favorites like dim sum, roasted specialties, noodles and desserts just to name a few.

Pair these with aromatic Jasmine tea for a satisfying buffet cap off.

Welcome the lunar new year of 2021 with a prosperous PHP 2,021 nett buffet deal. Avail of this lucky buffet on February 11 to 12 for only PHP 2,021 nett for two persons.

Love is in the air

FEAST on the day of the hearts as Food Exchange Manila treats lovers to a romantic buffet: Recipes from the Heart from February 13 to 14. Our award-winning buffet restaurant has been popular during the season of love through the years because of its delectable selections.

Go out on a lunch date and enjoy our scrumptious buffet from 12NN to 2:30PM for only PHP 1,288 or a sumptuous dinner date for only PHP 2,021 nett for 2 persons and pay only PHP 1,288 nett for every additional person. Dinner buffet will feature special Valentine’s buffet menu to spice up

the romantic vibes.

Wanting to go out on a date on a much more spacious area? Our open-air restaurant by the pool side is an ideal date venue. From February 10 to 14, from 5PM to 11PM, get drunk on love at the 6th Pool Bar with our all-you-can-drink moscato and sangria special offer for only PHP 799 nett per person. On February 14, a special Valentine’s bar menu will be featured together with live entertainment brought to you by our lady singer and pianist to serenade you and your lover as you exchange starry-eyed stares while basking under the sweet moonlight.

A basket of Love and a box of Good Fortune

BRING home Romantic Baskets from Take Me Out by Novotel Manila on February 14 and have a taste of hotel quality dishes, a pair of set meal that is

composed of focaccia bread, homemade herb butter and tomato compote, assorted cold cuts and salmon gravlax, prawn and chicken tandoor couscous, choice of entrée (250grams Wellington Australian beef, puff pastry, spinach, mushroom, mashed potatoes or 250grams roasted salmon fillet, creamy custard sauce, roasted eggplant, miso), and a dessert sampler of chili chocolate brownie and passion fruit cheesecake in a jar. We have included a bottle of red or white wine and a longstemmed rose to add a fanciful touch to your dream picnic date.

Spread good tidings to all with Novotel Manila’s Prosperity Box (P2500) with assortment of luscious flavors in a good luck box.

For inquiries and table reservations, call +632 8990 7999 and +63949 886 5591 or email H7090-FB1@accor.com.

Visit https://bit.ly/NMACDoubleHappiness.

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ALENTINE’S Day can be a daunting holiday when you want to impress and profess your love. But not to fret because Eastwood Richmonde Hotel’s Eastwood Café+Bar is here to help prep you for the perfect date with its top offers for a stress-free and happy celebration to remember. Whether you decide to dine out or stay in, Richmonde has two amazing options for premium meat-loving couples.

On February 13 & 14, Eastwood Café+Bar opens its al fresco area for a “Steak Out” dinner with a la minute grilling.

Get your fill of US beef belly kebabs (PhP 125/100g), Australian Wagyu striploin (PhP 750/200g), skewered smoked pork belly (PhP 335/200g), and salmon fillet (PhP 335) as you enjoy outdoor dining with a complimentary glass of wine. Due to limited seating with appropriate social distancing, dinner will be served in two batches—the first is from 5pm to 7:30pm, and the second is from 8pm to 10:30pm.

In the mood to show off your culinary skills with a special home-cooked meal for two? Pre-order Richmonde’s “SteaK-it!”

(DIY Steak Kit) and get an easy-to-prepare steak set which includes a 250g vacuumsealed butter aged Wagyu striploin, truffle mashed potato, French beans, shiitake mushrooms, sea salt, nori salt, chili salt, and rosemary salt. Cook everything like a master chef with the detailed instructions enclosed in the box. In addition to the steak dinner, the kit also includes luscious squares of Nama dark chocolate truffle for dessert and a huggable teddy bear

souvenir. The DIY steak kit priced at PhP 2,200 nett and is available from February 13 to 28 for curbside pickup or delivery with applicable fee.

For inquiries, orders, and table reservations, call +632 8570 7777 or +63 917 821 0333 (mobile & Viber).

Eastwood Richmonde Hotel is a member of the Megaworld Hotels group.

For more information, log on to www. eastwoodrichmondehotel.com.ph and follow Facebook.com/EastwoodRichmondeHotel and Instagram.com/Richmonde_ERH.

Goldilocks offers V-day perfect combination

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OVE is in the air, and even in our bellies too! as Goldilocks, the country's number one bakeshop, introduces their latest Valentines' season promo! Enjoy a romantic date with your loved one from February 10-28, 2021 by purchasing any 2 of the highlighted Full-Time Fillers ang get FREE drinks and FREE Blushing Hearts Cake Slices for only P499.

This delightful offering includes delicious options such as Lasagna ala Cubana with Garlic Bread, Baked Caldereta with Gravy and Chips and Fresh Lumpia with Golden Chicken.

Celebrate your love this Valentine's season with Goldilocks! Grab this and other products at Goldilocks FoodShops nationwide, and for more information, you may follow @GoldilocksPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or visit the official Goldilocks website at www.goldilocks.com.ph

Cleanfuel innovates, partners with Lyka app for trendy cashless payments

Mayani jazzes up Valentine’s Day gifting for online shoppers with BTS ARMY, Cara Mia, and Kumu

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S

OON, Lyka users can enjoy quality fuel for less as independent oil company Cleanfuel recently forged a partnership with the app to provide a safer way to fuel up in their stations.

Cleanfuel, known to provide quality fuel at reasonable prices along with topnotch gas station services, has inked a partnership with social media app Lyka, enabling the digital platform’s users to pay for Cleanfuel products and services in cashless fashion—a vital way to do business in these post-COVID-19 times.

Motorists with a Lyka account may soon use their GEMs (Gift card in Electronic Mode) to pay for their transactions at select Cleanfuel Stations, which will first rollout in Metro Manila at the end of the month.

Cleanfuel President Atty. Bong Suntay expressed his optimism over the newly forged partnership with the digital

platform app, saying that this is also a good opportunity to extend the fuel company’s reach to young, tech-savvy and socially interactive audience.

“We see how the e-commerce business continues to grow with 40 million new users in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, it grew over 50 percent in the past year as more customers relied over online delivery services. This simply shows how the e-commerce business is taking over the traditional marketplace,” Suntay said.

Lyka is a new social media platform that allows users to connect and share their interests with other users. The platform also allows people to receive different types of rewards—such as Lyka GEMs—when they interact by giving out ratings or being rated by others, sharing content, gaining a following, and

spending time on the app. These GEMs can be shared among friends, used in exchange for goods with other partner merchants, or collected to redeem gifts at the Lyka Shop.

“We are excited to be part of this partnership as we bridge the gap by innovating and adapting to the unique buying behavior of our new customers,” adds Suntay.

“In Cleanfuel, our ‘Quality fuel for Less’ goes beyond our corporate slogan. This is the reason why we are continuously innovating to keep up with the times, while tapping into the younger audience of Lyka,” Suntay concluded.

Some of the more popular users of the new Lyka app are Cleanfuel brand ambassador Dominic Roque and other local celebrities such as Ivana Alawi, Julia Barreto, and Liza Soberano, among others.

ITH Valentine’s Day just around the corner, how can you break the humdrum that comes with the usual, generic gifts? Can the Filipino kind of love be sentimental and socially impactful at the same time?

Mayani, the country’s leading farm-to-table platform, recently launched its purple-themed #AddToHeart campaign in a creative move to add a deeper story into the online shoppers’ digital carts.

By teaming up with BTS ARMY, the legions of fans of the ultra-popular Korean group BTS, prominent cake brand Cara Mia, and one of the world’s top live streaming apps Kumu, Mayani has activated on its e-commerce platform a Special Valentine’s Package – Cara Mia ube cake and farm fresh sunflowers – to provide a helpful lift to its community of Aeta ube farmers in Zambales and cutflower farmers in Batangas.

“The Filipino online shopper has become more discerning on how creative and meaningful their gifts can be for their loved ones,” said JT Solis, the CoFounder and Chief Executive Officer. “#AddToHeart is our collective way of evolving the usual into something special while embedding a message of hope into every single Valentine’s Package that we deliver.”

Mayani currently has over 6,000 smallholder farmers on its platform and powers the agri-supply chain of huge clients such as Shell, Healthy Options,

Ayala Foundation, UCC Group, Cara Mia, and Amici, among others. Its campaign is linked to the BTS ARMY’s upcoming global birthday tributes to J-Hope and Suga, members of BTS, where 25% of the campaign’s proceeds will be used to fund grassroots feeding programs.

“We have long been partnered with Mayani in all of our fundraising events, and they were all successful because of our aligned values. This is another step for our group to help more farmers and improve their livelihood,” said Lara Veloso, the Auditor of BTS ARMY Bayanihan.

According to One in an ARMY, the fan collective site of over 130 million volunteers across the globe, BTS ARMY mounted 366 projects and raised over 46 million pesos last 2020. The Philippines, one of the strongest epicenters of the fandom, is ranked first in terms of total project count.

Built to harness not just the mission convergence of its partners, Mayani’s #AddToHeart capitalizes on the Filipino’s innate romantic delight for flowers and ube cakes, and a continuing sense of sharing and positivity even for this year’s Valentine’s – something that is reinforced by the campaign’s live stream proponent, Kumu.

Orders will be available via www.mayani.ph up to the series of special live commerce sessions on Kumu on February 11 and 12.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 B7

Phl logistics industry still a young market, offers vast opportunities

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By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

LTHOUGH the Philippines’s logistics market is not yet mature as compared to its more progressive Asean neighbors like Singapore and Malaysia, the potential remains great as the market offers a lot of opportunities for investors.

In a recent webinar, Tom Over, director industrial and logistics, JLL Philippines said the country needs to scale up to be at par with the more mature markets such as Singapore. He said investors right now are looking for investments that will give higher yields around 12 percent.

“Big companies with huge landbanks can form a joint venture with a major foreign player to build institutional centers that can attract more investors in the country,” Over said.

Stuart Ross, JLL head of industrial and logistics for Southeast Asia said the country must continue develop its infrastructure to be able to attract investors in the local logistics industry. He added infrastructure is critical to bring efficiency in the supply. “Roads, ports, free trade agreements, tax incentives are extremely important for large companies that can bring a lot of suppliers for the

industry,” Ross pointed out.

Despite the pandemic that dealt heavy blows to the economies of Southeast Asia, Over said investors remain bullish as manifested by the clean shift of capital to Southeast Asian region in 2020 and will continue in 2021. “Logistics has been a core part of a diversified portfolio.

We see a lot in investors in commercial, residential, hotel and retail moving their capital to logistics,” he said.

“Ten years ago, average size of the deals value on logistics was only $19 million but it has increased to $33 million so far.

Obviously, there are rising of values and entry of capitals in the market,” he said.

Over stressed that it is not too late to enter the sector saying that the supply and demand dynamics right now is a big factor propelling the industry’s growth.

He said the market will continue to experience undersupply, and at the same time

The Philippines needs to continue developing its infrastructure to attract major players in the country’s logistics sector.

see more groups that will enter the logistics sector. Furthermore, Ross said companies from North America and Europe are also preparing to enter the Asean market for big opportunities. We will see more assets to be developed in time as the capital market will be busy talking to investors.

Since logistics and e-commerce are location-dependent, Over said a five-minute distance is the ideal setup otherwise it will

not work. With a shorter distance, there will be a reduction in the transportation cost that can make the price of a product competitive in the market. He said there are over 5,000 sq m of legacy logistics centers in Pasig and Parañaque that can be redeveloped for expansion.

“There is going to have an international demand for joint venture [JV] in this space.

They are looking to enter the Philippines

and build large institutional facilities to absorb the demand. There is definitely opportunity here,” he said.

In a related development, the Lobien Realty Group sees the local logistics market to achieve 8.8-percent growth rate from 2018 to 2024 worth P9.70 billion to P1-trillion market by 2023. The country is ranked 60th out of 168 countries in the Logistics Performance Index of the World Bank as 2018.

Moreover, LRG also pointed out the impressive performance of e-commerce in the Philippine economy. Revenues in the e-commerce market is expected to hit $3.540 million by the end of 2020. Revenue is projected to have an annual growth rate of 18.4 percent, expecting a projected market value $6.956 million by 2024.

Ross said the e-commerce growth will boost logistics in Southeast Asia as more people are using the digital platform for selling products and services. Others sectors that can boost logistics specifically cold storage chain are food and the pharmaceutical industries.

There will be strong push for a stronger supply chain in a post pandemic era as countries are going to stockpile products such as medicines and food, according to Ross.

Christophe Vicic, country head of JLL Philippines, pointed out the Philippines has one of the lowest vacancies in Southeast Asia with an average rate of 10 percent.

“It remains a good area for investment as supply is still a challenge in the region and demand is going up,” he said.

Real estate is one of the best investments for OFWs SMDC lists

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RIA Homes (www.bria.com.ph), is primed to bring quality and affordable house and lot packages and condominium units closer to ordinary Filipino families. This is the goal that drives every single employee in the company, for which the ultimate fulfillment is seeing a client happily moving into Bria’s homes.

Overseas Filipino workers are considered the country’s modern-day heroes for a reason. They travel to distant places to work incredibly difficult jobs just to be able to make life better for their loved ones. As they toil abroad, OFWs forego the joy of seeing their children grow and endure heart-rending loneliness most of the time.

It doesn’t end there. As OFWs send their dollar remittances to their families, they help keep the Philippine economy afloat. These hardworking Filipinos—ranging from medical frontliners to domestic workers— have consistently sent billions of pesos back home.

Based on a report, in just 11 months they are able to send back 30 billion dollars, spurring growth in their local economies in the process. It’s clear that OFWs have considerable spending power and many of them are now seeking wise and stable investments that can support them moving forward.

To this end, there are few better opportunities than those found in real estate. Due to the effects of

BRIA’S stylishly designed and solidly built houses and lots are worthy investments for any OFW.

the pandemic, property prices have been frozen for a significant period of time. This means that it is better to invest in real estate now, as it promises considerable return of investment down the road.

Bria’s stylishly designed and solidly built houses and lots are worthy investments for any OFW. For one, with

Bria Homes’ multiple locations nationwide, OFWs can choose to invest in a comfortable house close to their provincial hometown, a prospect that especially appeals to our kababayans who have been away for the longest time. Imagine OFWs coming home to roost once more and enjoy their retirement in familiar surroundings.

Finally, a Bria home can also serve as a permanent residence for OFWs’ families back in the Philippines.

OFWs can be assured of their loved ones’ security as the latter lead full lives in beautiful homes situated in the Bria project of their choice. Bria’s wholesome and thriving communities feature a wide array of recreational facilities such as multipurpose halls, covered basketball courts, open spaces, and children’s playgrounds.

Apart from all these benefits, investing in Bria Homes offers financially savvy OFW investors a steady stream of passive income. Purchasing ready-for-occupancy (RFO) units at Bria and then leasing these out while working abroad create a reliable, low-maintenance source of income with very little risk.

All in all, Red Rosales, president of Bria Homes, affirms that money invested in Bria is well spent. “We have built our reputation and earned the trust of many by always having the best interests of our homeowners at heart. We guarantee a substantial return of their investment as passive income or assure them of a safe haven for their family.”

Bria communities are also fully secured by perimeter fences, guarded “entrances and exits,” 24/7 CCTV coverage, and eco-friendly solar lights that keep the streets illuminated at night. Reni Salvador

Damosa Land begins Ameria Home construction

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HE pandemic has failed to derail Davao-based property developer Damosa Land Inc. (DLI) in implementing its projects as early this month, the company broke ground on the first set of homes in Ameria, the 8.9-hectare residential component of the township project Agriya in Panabo City.

For this project, DLI partnered with Connovate Philippines (connovate.ph), a provider of high-performance building technology from Denmark that ensures the creation of a higher home quality than those found in the market today.

Aside from the 14,000 psi panels, Connovate’s technology allows for a shorter construction duration with the use of precast panels that contain less cement, thus requiring less energy, making it environment-friendly.

“We are honored to be the first developer to introduce this eco-friendly Danish building technology in Mindanao as it stays true to our heritage in agriculture,” said DLI’s head Ricardo F. Lagdameo.

Connovate Philippines has also set up its factory at the Anflo Industrial Estate, a Philippine Economic Zone Authority-accredited economic zone located near the project. The industrial estate is another project of DLI. Lagdameo, grandson of company founder Don Antonio O. Floirendo, said that the project would serve as testament to the company’s core competency of tapping the latest technology in providing for the needs

of its customers.

“We are pleased to be able to begin home construction as we look forward to welcoming homeowners to Agriya by next year. It’s exciting for everyone involved as this project is a first of its kind in the region,” said Lagdameo, whose company is among the few companies that have been recognized by the industry.

The houses in Ameria will showcase California mission style architecture, and will feature bungalows and two-story house models, accentuated with amenities such as a village clubhouse, multipurpose hall, swimming pool, open parks, pocket gardens and playgrounds.

The company is set to introduce the model house before the end of the first quarter and eventually start the turnover of the units by the next semester.

But even before it could start the construction, Ameria already brought recognition to the company as it won as the Best Housing Development for Metro Davao in the PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards.

The main project, Agriya, was also recognized as the Best Residential Green Development and Best Township Development by the same award-giving body.

The 88-hectare Agriya, an agropolis with residential, commercial, institutional and agritourism components, is blending nature with modern life as it also highlights the main backbone of the entire

conglomerate which is agriculture. It also highlights sustainability and good agricultural practices.

DLI also brought home the Best Boutique Developer recognition for implementing Agriya as the project

sets to redefine property development in Mindanao by bringing to life its deep connection to agriculture in all of its projects, while at the same time paying homage to the rich culture of Mindanao.

projects in Lamudi

By Roderick L. Abad

R

EAL-ESTATE firm SM Development Corp. (SMDC) has listed its projects online wih property platform Lamudi to further expand the reach of its market and accommodate buyers’ demands in the new normal.

“During the pandemic, we’ve discovered the power of online selling. Our sales come both from our physical broker network and also through the Internet,” said Jose Mari Banzon, president of SMDC. According to Lamudi’s trend report last May 2020, there was a 31-percent increase in site visits from returning platform users from March to April of last year.

This indicates that those who were thinking about real estate before the enhanced community quarantine gave property purchase a more serious thought during the lockdown periods.

Apart from responding to the new norm in property search, the company aims to connect to overseas Filipino workers better.

Through this partnership, property seekers abroad can easily find SMDC projects on the platform and access all the information they need for investment decisions, from prices to amenities, locations and even neighborhood ratings.

The firm’s inclusion on Lamudi complements the online selling efforts of its broker network overseas.

Speaking with Lamudi Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Stern for the latest episode of Lamudi’s On the House: Small Talk with Big Bosses, Banzon shared that SMDC has allotted funding to agents overseas to create interactive web sites and a 360-degree view of showrooms.

“What we want is for the web site to sell the Philippines, sell real estate in the Philippines, and give the potential buyer the capability to do the transaction through the Internet,” he said.

As SMDC adopts innovations in digitalization, it is bullish on the seriousness of buyers today, as well as the strong appetite for properties located within the central business districts (CBDs).

Based on Lamudi’s latest trend report “Hotspots Unwrapped: 2020’s Most Popular Locations,” the results show that cities with CBDs remain popular among realestate seekers. Quezon City leads the list, followed by Makati, Pasig and Taguig.

SMDC’s newest condominium offerings are highly accessible to these cities, including Gem Residences in Pasig and Mint Residences in Makati.

Apart from these, other projects of the Sy family’s property are launched last year that are now listed on Lamudi include the Gold Residences in Parañaque, South 2 Residences in Las Piñas, and Smile Residences in Bacolod City.

Sports

RAZON PROVIDES TOKYO-BOUND ATHLETES VACCINES B

BusinessMirror

B8

| Wednesday, February 10, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

LOOK PA! Rose Anne Serafica, a

USINESS tycoon Enrique Razon guaranteed to provide the country’s Tokyo Olympic bound athletes and coaches with the Covid-19 vaccines.

Razon made the assurance in a meeting with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on Tuesday.

“We would like to thank Mr. Enrique Razon for providing our Olympics-bound athletes with vaccines,” Tolentino said. “Rest assured, our athletes would be protected from the virus as they escalate their training and preparation for Tokyo.

Four Filipinos have so far qualified for the Tokyo Games—world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo, pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Irish Magno.

Many more athletes are hoping to qualify particularly in boxing, karatedo, taekwondo and mountain bike and BMX cycling.

“I’m sure that with the generosity of Mr. Razon, especially in these difficult times, would further spur our athletes to focus on the Olympics without fear of getting infected,”

freelance account executive, poses with the brand-new BusinessMirror mountain bike which she won by being one of thousands of BM Cycling’s avid viewers.

Mother to seven-year-old Kristen Angeli, Serafica admits she doesn’t bike and BM Cycling, this paper’s cycling talk show that airs Mondays from 5 to 6:30 pm on Facebook Live and YouTube, caught her fancy as she browsed social media. The 34-year-old says she and her husband Ronaldo, who sells online anime figures, thought of buying a bike during the pandemic. Luckily, the Serafica couple won’t have to purchase one now. BM Cycling is giving away two more mountain bikes during the final three episodes of its inaugural season.

FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR PHL VOLLEYBALL R

By Josef Ramos

AMON “TATS” SUZARA is looking far into the future just two weeks after getting elected president of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Inc. (PNVFI) and only two days after the new national sports association was officially recognized by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

Suzara presented a 10-point plan of action during Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum but outstanding among them was his intention to revive the junior program.

“There is a need for the junior national

team because in the FIVB and Asian Volleyball Confederation, there are under-18 and under-23 tournaments,” he said. “We cannot focus only on the seniors because we need young players who could replace them in time.”

Suzara also stressed that formation of the national teams for future international competitions will no longer be in the hands of the coaching staff alone, but under a national team committee under the PNVFI. “This department will be in charge of this. The coach will no longer be the only one to choose the players,” Suzara told the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Go

For Gold, Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Suzara said the committee with its own chairman, secretary and five members will handle everything that concerns events like the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and other FIVB events.

In the past, the federation names a head coach, who is then given the free hand to call for tryouts and name the members of the men’s and women’s teams.

Suzara will sit as co-chairman of the committee.

Suzara also emphasized the need to hire foreign coaches, primarily Brazilians, to handle the national teams and transfer technology to

local coaches.

“I believe in the skills of the Brazilians, although I am also looking at coaches from Italy, Europe and North and South America,” he said.

Joining Suzara, a member of the FIVB

Razon

tolentino

Tolentino said.

Razon, chairman of International Container Terminal Services Inc. and casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp., was earlier reported to be bringing into the country 20 million doses of the mRNA-1273 vaccine developed by USbased Moderna.

The Moderna vaccine was reported to cost $26 each, or approximately P1,250.

Tolentino earlier aired his belief that the Tokyo Olympics are the Philippines’s best chance to win its first gold medal.

“The time is now,” said Tolentino, also the PhilCycling president. “I believe that we are in the best position to win that Olympic gold— not one, but more.”

The Philippines started participating in the Olympics in 1924 and managed only 10 medals—three silvers and seven bronzes.

Tolentino also aired his confidence that the Olympics would push through despite escalating Covid-19 cases in Japan.

“I am a positive person. The Olympics will happen, the International Olympic Committee, and the host country [Japan] will make it happen,” Tolentino said. “We only have one plan and that is to win a gold medal in the Olympics.

There’s no Plan B so let’s not even think that it won’t push through.”

The Tokyo organizers released what they called a playbook on protocols for the Games to all national Olympic committees.

marketing committee and head of the AVC marketing and development committee, in the weekly session were PNVFI vice president Arnel Hajan, board member Charo Soriano and national team mainstays Alyssa Valdez, Jaja Santiago and Abigail Maraño.

“We’re happy that there are plans to help the growth of Philippine volleyball. This is just the beginning,” said Valdez, still considered as the face of volleyball in the country.

“We see a bright future. When we become inclusive it’s easier to grow. We will reach out to farflung areas and extend the beauty of volleyball,” said Soriano, co-founder of the Beach Volleyball Republic.

Hajan, a former top official of the Philippine Volleyball Federation, said the new federation gives Philippine volleyball a bright future.

“There is no substitute to unity and genuine change,” Hajan said.

GRACING Tuesday’s online forum are (clockwise from left) federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, Jaja Santiago, Abigail Maraño, Charo Soriano, vice president Arnel Hajan and Alyssa Valdez.

QC apprehends over 600 motorists for obstruction, use of bike lanes

T

HE Quezon City government apprehended 618 motorists or drivers of automobiles who have overtaken or were ilegally parked in road lanes intended for bicycles in the first two months of the year.

According to the Bike Lane Apprehension Report submitted to the Office of Mayor Joy Belmonte, 524 violators were caught and fined from January 1 to 31, while 94 violators were apprehended from February 1 to 6.

“We want to emphasize that the bike lanes are exclusively for bicycle riders,”

Belmonte said. “The motorcycle riders or fourwheel drivers should not use the bike lanes.”

“Bike lanes are designed to put the safety of cyclists first. If you run over or obstruct their lane then that puts them in danger and defeats the very purpose of our bike lane,” she added.

Department of Public Order and Safety Chief Elmo San Diego said the rigorous apprehension is a joint enforcement effort of the DPOS-Green Transport Office (GTO) and the Task Force for Traffic and Transport Management (TFTTM).

Athletes require early vaccination Al Mendoza | alsol47@yahoo.com

THAT’S ALL IT is simple common sense that our athletes for both the Tokyo Olympics and the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games be given priority in the vaccination process. Those who disagree don’t know where they’re coming from.

Our athletes and their coaches as well are heroes, too, in their own right and, therefore, deserve some degree of preferential treatment. Their dedication to harvest honors for flag and country on the world stage ends all debate as to their true worth as Filipinos.

There is no argument, too, about our Covid-19 front liners and our elderlies being 1-2 in the vaccine queue. You do not do that and you are worse than Trump in his distorted belief that the last US presidential election was stolen from him.

Our frontliners are our first line of defense against this vicious virus plaguing mankind for more than a year now. There are no fighters more fearless than their kind.

And, of course, our dear seniors are our most beloved, the most compromised amid the pandemic. Giving them VIP treatment

should be the rule rather than the exception.

This is one of those times when we could show our deepest gratitude to all the good things they’ve done us when they were in the prime of their lives.

Now, back to our athletes.

Their quest for honors aren’t just for them but more so for their country.

We have but a handful of them already qualified for the Tokyo Games in July. Thus, making them among the first to be inoculated should be no big deal really. While it would do them good due to the proximity of the Olympiad—which is just practically six months away—the early inoculation would give them peace of mind: I am safe and ready for the Olympics. As of now, only gymnast Carlos Yulo, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, and boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Irish Magno have clinched Olympic slots. Almost sure of joining them in Tokyo is lifter Hidilyn Diaz, the silver winner in the 2016 Rio Olympics, who has been training in Malaysia for almost a year now.

But it is our delegation to the 31st Hanoi

“We have to make sure that the safety of all road users, including bicycle riders, are observed at all times,” San Diego said.

Both the DPOS and TFTTM implement the provisions of SP 2988 or the QC Safe Cycling and Active Transport Ordinance which was meant to prioritize traveling with the use of bicycles especially amid the pandemic, and SP 1444 or the QC Traffic Management Code.

SP 2988 imposes penalties for motorists using or obstructing cycling lanes in Quezon City. The fines are P1,000, P3,000 and P5,000 for the first, second and third offense, respectively Use of for hire pedicabs in said cycling lanes is also prohibited with a fine of P300 or a day of community service for first offense, and P300 or a day of community service and attendance to a half-day seminar on safe cycling for second and succeeding offenses.

SEA Games in Vietnam whose health safety is foremost in the mind of Ramon Fernandez, basketball’s El Presidente, who is the chef de mission in the biennial meet.

He wants them vaccinated as soon as the vaccines arrive, possibly third week of this month.

“We will request authorities to prioritize our athletes the same way they’ll do with our frontliners,” Fernandez told our BM sportswriter Josef Ramos.

Just right.

As of last count, our Vietnam-bound delegation has 996 athletes, 262 coaches, 280 paralympians and 82 para coaches.

Although we won the last SEA Games in Manila in 2019, our chances have been downgraded to, at best, third overall. Reason?

Many of the events where we scored massive victories at Clark Freeport had been mostly scrapped by Vietnam, which has the final say on which disciplines to be played. It is a concession traditionally given to the country hosting the Games.

It’s a queer set-up but that’s how things work among the 11 SEA nations. Each is given a ton of chances to savor victory—however bland it may taste. It is what it is.

THAT’S IT The Australian Open is on its third day today and everything is going on fine since Monday, with limited spectators allowed at the Rod Laver arena as Melbourne has practically put the Covid-19 under control.

Let’s pray it holds.