BusinessMirror February 15, 2022

PHL, Japan to discuss major infra projects ‘Close borders, cut Omicron exposure risk’

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

tHe world » B7

Hong Kong in ‘crisis’ as covid infections overwHelm Hospitals

HE Philippines and Japan @caiordinario are set to hold a high-level virtual meeting on WednesLOSING the country’s borders day to discuss the accomplishis one of the most immediate ments big-ticket infracourseson of the action the governstructure projects under Presiment must take to prevent the latdent Duterte’s Build, Build, Build est Covid-19 variant, Omicron, from program as well as updates on reaching Philippine shores, accord- the extended by Japan for ing tofinancing local economists. the country’s Covid-19 response T he new var iant is a threat, programs. e s p e c i a l l y w it h t he hol id ay s the meeting for the comingChairing up and more foreigners Philippine side is Finance Secrebeing a llowed to travel to the tary Carlos G. Dominguez while Philippines, De La Sa lle Univer- Mr. Mori Masafumi, Special Advisit y economist Mar iathe Ella Oplas sor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishitold BusinessMirror. da holidays of Japan, will lead the Japanese The usually bring in delegation in the meeting.

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) meeting of the Philippineswho areThe eager to spend Christmas

with their loved ones, while foreigners living in temperate regions usually want to relax in tropical countries like the Philippines. This year’s influx of OFWs is expected to be heavier since many of them were unable to come home for the holidays in December 2020.

“My recommendation is to protect the borders. Do not allow people with a history of travel to countries with positive cases to enter,” Oplas said.

“We should be more restrictive. [We have to be] more protective in terms Japan High-Level Joint Committee of our measures.” on Infrastructure Oplas said that while Development this will be and Economic Cooperation will a setback to some industries, this focus on the substantive accomis a fair measure considering that made byplacing the body thisplishments could help prevent the on the Japan-supported big-ticket country in another strict lockdown, FILE PHOTO

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By Cai U. Ordinario

which, she said, the economy can no longer afford.

“It is better that we do protective preventive measures than get exposed again. We have a lot to lose,” Oplas said. “We should do it now so that we can open just before Christmas. If it gets contained, we can open it again.”

Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development (ACERD) Associate Director Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes said closing the country’s borders would be effecprojects understill theadhere “Build,toBuild, tive but should the Build” program. standards set by the World Health These include the Metro MaOrganization (WHO). nila Subway Project (MMSP), What is needed, Peña-Reyes told North-South Commuter Railway this newspaper, is for travel restric(NSCR) project, rehabilitation tions to be put in place swiftly and

of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), Dalton Pass East Alignment Road, Central Mindanao for government to be proactive in Highway and the Parañaque Spillimposing them. way, amonginstances others. when the Previous Under the of then-Japan country had theterm opportunity to imPrime Minister Shinzo Japose travel restrictions didAbe, not prepan vowed to provide 1 trillion vent the spread of Covid-19. That was yen (about billion)was innot fimainly becauseUS$9 the decision nancing support to the Philipmade immediately, he said. pines over the next five years and “Kung papatay patay [If we’re to establish a Joint Committee slow] and we get caught flat-footon[that’s Infrastructure ed, risky] WeDevelopment were too reand Economic Cooperation to active instead of proactive before. coordinate this assistance.

This We should learn from that,” Peñacommitment completed in Reyes said. “It’s awas delicate balancing July 2021 under the administraact. We need to push testing and tion of to then-Prime Minister Yotracing be properly informed shihide Suga, who was the Chief of our decisions. Blanket/shotgun Cabinet Secretary during Prime approaches could have dire conseMinister Abe’s term. quences on the economy.”

See “Infra projects,” A2 See “Omicron,” A2

ANOTHER WARNS NATL GOVTBANK BORROWINGS PUBLIC VS. MONEY FOR 10 MOS DIP TO MULES P2.75T

Tuesday, February29, 15,2021 2022Vol.Vol.1717No.52 No. 130 Monday, November

Revenue from fuel marking Omicron risk spurs2revival hits ₧367.26B after years

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

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@BNicolasBM

HE national government’s gross borrowings as of end-October shrank by almost 6 percent year-on-year to P2.75 trillion.

of quarantine rules in PHL

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Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed that the government’s gross borrowings during the 10-month period fell by 5.99 percent from P2.92 trillion a year ago.

With only two months left for this year, the latest figure is already equivalent to 89.6 percent of its P3.07-trillion borrowing program.

Broken down, gross domestic borrowings from January to October settled at P2.23 trillion, down by 5.08 percent from P2.35 trillion in 2020.

PARENTS, “Spiderman” The with bulksome ofhelp thefrom amount wasand his gang of walk past the mural of Gat Andres Bonifacio at Manila City Hall Underpass. costumed workers, a watchful eyePEOPLE as a child sourcedhealth-care from Fixed Ratekeep Treasury The country gets vaccinated the coronavirus Cainta Elementary will celebrate the 158th birth anniversary of Filipino revolutionary Bonds (P1.19against trillion), followedatby hero Gat Andres Bonifacio on Tuesday, November 30. ROY DOMINGO School in Cainta, Rizal, on Monday, February The short-term borrowings from Bang-14, 2022. government vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 last ko Sentralstarted ng Pilipinas or BSP (P540 BERNARD TESTA Treasury Bonds/Preweek. billion), Retail myo Bonds (P463.3 billion), Retail Onshore Dollar Bonds (P80.84 bilBy Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM lion). In the same period, there was

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas dating its registry following the them. This allows everyone to see also a net redemption of Treasury @jearcalas enactment of the Coconut Farmwho are listed in the registry and if Bills amounting to P43.94 billion. ers and Industry Trust Fund law. farmer doesn’t see his name then he Net debt redemption means ORE than 3 million Rosales explained that about shall coordinate with the PCA imthere were more debts repaid comcoconut farmers and 500,000 coconut farmers and mediately,” he explained at a recent pared to the amount borrowed durBy Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo The quarantine period for workers are now regisworkers were added to the PCA’s dialogue with coconut farmers. ing the period. @akosistellaBM Covid-positive fully vaccinated tered with the government’s reg2018 list that had about 2.5 million “On the other hand, if people Meanwhile, gross foreign borSpecial to the BusinessMirror tourists cannames range from seven istry, which serves as the basis coconut farmers and farm workers. would see on the list to and rowings in the same period also 10 days, depending on whether for the number of people to be The PCA’s next step is to conthey think they are not coconut contracted by 9.7 percent to P518.7 OREIGN leisure tourists who they are asymptomatic covered by the utilization of the duct an exclusion-inclusion profarmers or their detailsor arewhat incorbillion from last year’s P574.4 billion. suddenly test positive for level of symptoms they exhibit.

P75-billion coconut levy fund. cedure by making the updated rect, they can report it to the PCA This was raised through global Covid-19 while on vacation Those who haveaction,” come in Philippine Coconut Authority farmers’ registry public, providfor immediate he close added. bonds (P146.17 billion), program here in the Philippines will have to contact with the Covid-positive (PCA) Deputy Administrator Roel ing everyone the opportunity to The PCA official noted that loans (P139.98 billion), euro-dequarantine in their hotel rooms tourist should quarantine for fivelist M. Rosales said about 3.11 million check the veracity of the list,unRothe completion of the initial nominated bonds (P121.97 billion), less their condition turns critical. days from their last exposure. coconut farmers and farm worksales added. of coconut farmers registry would a project loan (P86.41 billion), and In a text message to the in cases where the ers have been registered with the “The list will be posted in Busipublic beHowever, just in time for the expected yen-denominated samurai bonds nessMirror, Health Undersectourist exhibits severe symptoms government since it started upspaces where people can easily see rollout of coconut levy-funded (P24.19 billion). retary and spokesperson Ma. like labored breathing, Vergeire See “Borrowings,” A2 Rosario Vergeire said what will said, either the “LGU [local govbe followed are, “[The] same proernment unit] or the BoQ can do US 50.4600 JAPAN n UK 67.2329 n HK n CHINA 7.9013 n that SINGAPORE 36.8968 n AUSTRALIA The use of money mules—bank n “fruits” fromnthe cyber 0.4374 theft were tocols with6.4722 the general public.” [i.e. facilitate the guest’s exclients who allow criminals to use traced to legitimate bank account Foreign tourists will have to traction from the hotel or resort their accounts for moving funds holders. quarantine in the hotel, she said, to the hospital].” Under current from illegal sources—has become a The latest warning against mon“but concerned offices should be Department of Health (DOH) vital cog in the rash of cybercrimes, ey mules was issued on Monday by informed so they get monitored,” guidelines, those who show “sea steep rise that has sent regulaSecurity Bank, urging the public to stressing that “BoQ [Bureau of vere and critical symptoms shall tors setting off alarms in recent take extra precaution against getQuarantine] should have close cobe isolated for 21 days from the congressional hearings. In several ting involved in so-called “money ordination with the hotel regardonset of signs and symptoms.” hacking cases being handled by law muling schemes” in the country. ing this [Covid-positive] patient.”

See “Covid-positive,” A2 enforcers, for example, the illegal See “Money mules,” A2

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P25.00 P25.00 nationwide nationwide || 22 sections sections 20 20 pages pages ||

n n

HE gover nment ea r ned P367.26 billion from marking fuel with paid excise taxes since the program started more than two years ago.

Data submitted to the Department of Finance showed the Bureau of Customs raked in P337.442 billion in duties and taxes from September 2019 until February 10 this year.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected P29.81 billion from December 2019 to October 28, 2021.

Total volume marked so far reached P36.69 billion liters.

Petron Corp. had the biggest volume of marked fuel among oil companies that participated in the program, with P8.92 billion liters or 24.3 percent of the total.

Based on fuel type, diesel comprised the bulk of marked fuel at 22.26 billion liters or 61 percent.

This is followed by gasoline and kerosene at 14.23 billion liters and 193.1 million liters.

Per region, most of the marked fuel was in Luzon at 26.95 billion liters. Mindanao had 7.74 billion liters while Visayas had 2 billion liters.

Trailing Petron in the list of 27 participating companies are Pilipinas Shell with programs asPetroleum President Corp.

Duterte 6.64 billion liters; Unioil Petrois expected to sign the industry leum Philippines (3.79 billion development plan Inc. in early 2022.

OVER 3-M FARMERS LISTED FOR P75-B COCO LEVY FUND

MID a rash of cybercrimes that have pushed lawmakers to rush passage of a measure giving regulators better weapons against those preying on victims amid the pandemic-induced migration to digital transactions, another major bank has sounded the alarm against a perceived rise in “money-muling schemes.”

M

PESO EXCHANGE RATES

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.3290

COVID-POSITIVE TOURISTS MAY QUARANTINE IN HOTELS–DOH

F

Rosales said the PCA will not stop updating its list of coconut farmers and enjoined them to register in order to reap the benefits of the decades-long idled coconut levy fund. “We will not stop at 3.1 million. We hope that more individuals will register in our coconut farmers registry,” he said.

The updating of the coconut farmers registry is mandated by Republic Act (RA) 11524 or the Coconut Industry Trust Fund Act. See “3-M farmers,” A2

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

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NTER NATIONA L concerns over the possible spread of the more infectious Omicron Covid-19 variant prompted the government to reimpose mandatory facility-based quarantine for all arriving passengers in the country.

Acting Presidential spokesperson Karlo B. Nograles announced on Sunday that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) suspended the implemenliters); Oil Corp. (3.09 biltation Insular of its Resolution No. 150lion liters); and, Seaoil Philippines A (s.2021), effectively imposing Inc. (2.91protocols billion liters). stricter for all inbound The fuel-marking program was travelers. launched with the aim of halting To note, IATF Resolution 150illegal importation, manufacturA had allowed fully vaccinated ing and other fraudulent activities non-visa travelers from Green List relating to the use and sale peareas to enter the country of withtroleum products in the country. out the need for facility-based Fuel marking makes use of a quarantine as long as they secure unique chemical marker that can negative Reverse Transcriptionbe embedded at a molecular level in Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTpetroleum products—gasoline, diePCR) test within 72 hours prior sel kerosene—thereby enabling to and their departure. authorities to test, identify and dis“Except for countries classified tinguish petroleum products with as ‘Red,’ the testing and quarantine paid excise taxes.

Bernadette D. Nicolas protocols for all inbound international travelers in all ports of entry shall comply with the testing and quarantine protocols for ‘Yellow’ list countries,” Nograles said, citing the provision of IATF Resolution No. 151-A. He noted Hong Kong, which has confirmed a case of the Omicron variant, will also fall under the Yellow list countries.

The suspension of the rules for “Green List” countries will be in effect from November 28, 2021 to December 15, 2021.

FILE PHOTO

w w

Continued on A2

36.2807 n EU 56.5758 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.4531

n JAPAN 0.4451 n UK 69.6175 n HK 6.5807 n CHINA 8.0780 n SINGAPORE 38.1231 n AUSTRALIA 36.5924 n EU 58.2071 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.6819

Source: BSP (November 26, 2021)

Source: BSP (February 14, 2022)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Over 46K state workers get ECC benefits for Covid-19

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By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

VER 46,000 government workers who were infected with Covid-19 availed themselves of employees’ compensation (EC) benefits.

In a statement, the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) disclosed it released over P218 million to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to release the said claims for the state employees from 2020 to January 2022.

Aside from EC benefits, the Covid-19 positive workers also qualified for EC sickness benefits, medical expenses reimbursement from GSIS as well as cash assistance ranging from P10,000 to P15,000 from ECC. ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis said the additional benefits helped address the financial

burden of the infected workers.

“The pandemic has significantly affected everyone, though we see a slight decline in the number of cases recently. Many of those who got infected by the virus are workers who are now faced with financial burdens, on top of their health problems,” Banawis said.

“The ECC through its EC program is extending assistance to help defray the financial burden they are experiencing,” she added.

Banawis said other Covid-19 infected government employees could apply for their EC benefit via cashassistance.ecc.gov.ph.

Pinoys in Ukraine urged to evacuate–OFW leader

‘A

LL Filipinos in Ukraine who want to return to the country may now come home; the government will shoulder the cost.”

Shirley Santosildes, Filipino community leader based in Kyev, posted t h is message —w r it ten or ig ina l ly in Fi l ipino — on t he Facebook page of United Filipino Global Ukraine amid fears Russian will invade Ukraine.

In an interview with Business Mirror, Santosildes said they had a virtual meeting with officials from The Philippine Embassy in Poland Sunday afternoon. Based on the Embassy assessment, she said, Filipinos “should

leave Ukraine.”

There are around 380 Filipinos in Ukraine, mostly domestic helpers and teachers.

Based on standard contingency measures, the DFA, upon the recommendation of the concerned Philippine Embassy, can impose mandatory evacuation on Filipinos in conflict areas, under Alert Level 4. Under Alert 4, the government will shoulder the repatriation cost.

Business Mirror sought confirmation from the Department of Foreign Affairs and The Philippine Embassy in Warsaw, but got no comment as of presstime.

If this pushes through, the Philippines joins other governments which have already called their nationals to leave—the United States, Germany, Italy, Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Australia, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Santosildes said the Embassy has asked that the Filipinos enlist before the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Kyev. The honorary consulate would book their tickets from Kyev to Istanbul and then to Manila.

So far, only eight Filipinos have

volunteered to be repatriated, Santosildes said. Two of these Filipinos have also listed their children and Ukrainian husbands in the repatriation f light.

Santosildes, a Grade 4 teacher, will not heed the call for evacuation because her Romanian employer has promised to extract them out of the country if the threat becomes more imminent. Romania has a land border with Ukraine.

She said some OFWs who don’t want to return to Manila plan to migrate to a third country if the situation in Ukraine deteriorates.

Malou Talosig-Bartolome

Infra projects...

Continued from A1

Apart from the Japan-supported infrastructure projects, the two sides will also provide updates on the financing given by Japan for the Philippines’ fight against the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the Japan-funded program in support of the Mindanao peace process.

Japan has been actively supporting these peace-building programs through the framework of the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD).

Through various international organizations, Japan also provided the Philippines last month with a US$13-million emergency grant aid for the implementation of humanitarian assistance activities for the victims of Typhoon Odette that devastated thousands of communities in the Visayas and Northern Mindanao.

In July 8 last year, the Philippines received a shipment of over 1 million AstraZeneca doses donated by the Japanese government, which, since the start of the pandemic, has been in close cooperation with Philippine officials in helping contain the spread of Covid-19.

These Japan-backed projects to help curb the spread of the virus include the Covid-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan (CRESL), the Post-Disaster Standby Loan Phase 2 (PDSL 2), the joint clinical trial for the anti-f lu drug Avigan, procurement of medical equipment, and establishment of laboratory surveillance sites, and the development of a cold chain system in the Philippines.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Money mules...

The bank reminded local banking clients that money muling is a crime in the Philippines and is punishable under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) of 2001.

Money muling is classified as a type of money laundering activity, where people are lured to lend or sell their bank accounts to receive deposits or fund transfers from illegal sources. This makes the account holder a money mule, whether or not he or she is aware of the provenance of the monies.

Fraudsters offer commissions or entice unsuspecting account holders to sell their bank accounts.

Security Bank said these fraudsters usually carry out their recruiting activities through social media groups or by physically approaching people offering to buy their bank accounts for P1,000 to P5,000. “ This scheme allows ‘ dirty money,’ or money obtained from criminal activity, to be moved around. Whether willingly or unknowingly, when an account holder lets their account be used by another person, they are risking the possibility of being a money mule and an accomplice to crime,” the bank said.

“Even if you know the third party asking for access to your account, do not lend your information. The

Continued from A1

appeal of cash commissions from becoming a money mule is not worth being involved in criminal activity. Keep your bank account details to yourself much like any other personal and confidential information,” the bank added.

Just last month, EastWest bank issued a similar statement.

“Many people don’t know what they’re getting into when someone asks them if they can make random bank transfers using their account. Nobody ever thinks that there is actually a crime associated with simply transferring money,” Joey A. Regala, Chief Information Security Officer at EastWest earlier said.

EastWest said getting a small fee in exchange for a seemingly innocent fund transfer between two different accounts should already be a red flag. “Anyone can transfer money between two accounts easily nowadays, so having it go through a third party should already seem suspicious,” Regala said.

A series of money-muling transactions rocked several large banks in the ’90s, with the National Bureau of Investigation saying the funds moved around ranged from P40 million in one bank to over P100 million in another.

Covid-positive...

The Philippines reopened to fully vaccinated foreign leisure tourists from 157 visa-free countries and two Chinese territories (Macau and Hong Kong) on February 10. As of February 11, the DOT estimated some 1,000 foreign tourists had already entered the Philippines. (See, “Canadian tourists are first through the PHL’s doors,” in the BusinessMirror, February 10, 2022.)

Covid guidelines for hotels

AS per guidelines for accommodation establishments of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in its Administrative Order No. 2022001 dated January 31, 2022, “In case a guest is reported to be positive for Covid-19, management shall: (a) Immediately isolate the Covid-19-positive guest; and (b) Coordinate with the LESU (Local Epidemiology and Surveillance Units), BHERT (Barangay Hea lt h Emergenc y R es ponse Team) and/or the BoQ for contact tracing and isolation protocols in accordance with prevailing DOH and BoQ Guidelines.” This applies quarantine, multiple-use, and regular hotels.

A multi-use hotel is an accommodation establishment that is allowed to accept quarantining guests as well as business conferences and social gatherings at prevailing alert level status

Jabs...

Continued from A1

a l lowable capacities. A reg ular hotel accepts only leisure guests.

While the guidelines do not require regular hotels or resorts to designate quarantine or isolation rooms for Covid-positive guests, they do say, “Quarantine guests shall use the same room they are billeted in throughout the entire period of their stay, except when any repair or similar case requires a room transfer. Health and safety protocols shall be observed during the transfer of guests to another room.”

DOH quarantine rules

ACCORDING to the DOH’s current guidelines contained in its Department memorandum no. 2022-0013 and published on January 14, “All asymptomatic and fully vaccinated confirmed cases, shall isolate for at least 7 days from sample collection date.”

Those individuals suspected or probably have Covid-19, as well as confirmed cases who show mild symptoms “shall isolate for at least 7 days from onset of signs and symptoms.”

Those with moderate symptoms regardless of vaccination status “shall be isolated for at least 10 days from onset of signs and symptoms.” DOH quarantine guidelines can be found in https:// bit.ly/3JqlLmD

Continued from A12

“Given the government’s overly market-oriented approach to social de-

velopment, this could lead to a decline in public services where the UBI will be seen as the quick fix to development and universal social protection,” Ibon Foundation Executive Director Sonny Africa said.

“Budgets for the public health system, education system, and welfare services will likely suffer and be increasingly turned over to the ‘efficient’ private sector. The end result will be even more emaciated publicly-provided social services,” he added.

Currently, the national government is finalizing the social protection floor (SPF) and the Neda is doing the analysis of the impact of the implementation of such a measure.

Edillon said the thrust of the SPF will be within a “comprehensive framework of social protection (that is) encompassing preventive, promotive, protective and transformative.”

“Assignment of accountabilit y is impor tant. (T he) government’s role is significant in both policy and direct

provision. But actually, if we are able to implement effectively the preventive, promotive and transformative, the need for government-provided protective measures is reduced,” Edillon said.

Neda earlier explained that an SP Floor is a minimum set of SP programs, which includes several interventions such as cash transfers, social insurance, safety nets, and labor market interventions, among others.

Edillon told BusinessMirror that an SP floor guarantees access to essential health care and maternity care, among others for vulnerable persons. Institutionalizing a social protection floor will help address gaps in social protection nationwide, she added.

While the country had a legislated Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program and the pension systems through the Social Security Systems and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) are working, they are not enough, she said.

Per Edillon, the SP floor can be an effective way to respond to the needs of vulnerable persons in pandemics and natural calamities like typhoons.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

The Nation BusinessMirror

BBM to skip CNN PHL’s debate; rivals shun Quiboloy’s

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IVAL presidential aspirants Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo, Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao have separately sent word in advance they are not attending the February 15 televised debate organized by the TV network of controversial Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

This, as CNN Philippines announced that all the presidential aspirants except Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. are attending the CNN debates on February 27.

A statement by the Marcos camp blamed scheduling problems for his non-participation in the CNN debates.

However, Marcos has confirmed participation in today’s (February 15) debate sponsored by the network of Quiboloy, recently tagged on a “Wanted” poster by the US FBI for charges of human trafficking, among others.

Ironically, while Marcos is attending the Quiboloy network debate, most of his rivals are not.

Robredo’s spokesman lawyer Barry Gutierrez said the vice president would be in the Visayas for her campaign.

“Unfortunately, the VP already has a long standing commitment to meet with leaders and supporters in Panay Island on the date this event

was scheduled,” Gutierrez said.

“Leni Robredo has a proven track record of attending debates and interviews regardless of the personal histories or affiliations of its sponsors,” Gutierrez also said.

In his Twitter account Monday, Lacson confirmed he and Senate President Vicente Sotto III opted to send their regrets, noting that Quiboloy already endorsed his list of candidates in the upcoming presidential elections.

Lacson was referring to Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as among those endorsed by the pastor, who even prayed over them.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno sent word he had schedule problems and cannot attend the SMNI event.

In a separate statement, Pacquiao said that even if he wanted to attend all debates and public forum, he could not accept Quiboloy station’s invitation, as he faces “serious” charges in the US. “As much as I would like to participate in every debate and public forum related to my bid for the presidency, I am compelled to decline the invitation of SMNI, which is owned

by Apollo Quiboloy, who, according to the US government, has molested and abused children,” Pacquiao said.

Butch Fernandez, Rene Acosta and Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

CA sets aside P7.4-M damage suit vs Aga Muhlach, talent manager

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

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HE Court of Appeals (CA) has set aside the ruling issued by a Makati City regional trial court, which found popular movie actor and television host Ariel “Aga” Muhlach and his manager Ethel Ramos guilty of breach of contract and ordered them to jointly pay an advertising company the amount of P7.4 million in damages.

In a 28-page decision penned by Associate Justice Pablito Perez, the CA’s Third Division likewise extinguished the talent contract between the petitioner Muhlach and respondent Pacific Asian Advertising Specialist Inc. (PAASI).

The appellate court, likewise, ordered the dismissa l of the civil case filed by PAASI against Muhlach and Ramos.

It held that the obligations of the two parties under the contracts were not clearly laid out.

The CA explained that in the event that it cannot be conclusively determined which of the parties is more liable under a contract, it applies the solution provided in Article 1192 of the Civil Code.

The said provision states: “In case both parties have committed a breach of the obligation, the liability of the first infractor shall be equitably tempered by the court. If it cannot be determined which of the parties first violated the contract, the same shall be deemed extinguished, and each shall bear his own damages.”

“In hindsight, the parties’ contract could have been written with more precision in order for their intent to be beyond misunderstanding or disagreement. The result and success of a sales campaign to convince the public of the value, desirability, efficacy of a product or service is

equally a measure of luck and a wellstrategized campaign. It does not help where the underlying contract leaves much to guesswork and the obligations of the contracting parties not clearly set out,” the CA said.

“All things considered, leaving the parties where they are is the most equitable resolution of this dispute,” it added.

Court records showed that in 2009, PAASI engaged the services of AMC Entertainment to tap Muhlach as endorser of the treatment, products and services for weight loss and skin care of Marie France and Facial Care Center for Men. Both Muhlach and Ramos are members of the board of directors of AMC Entertainment.

PAASI explained to Muhlach’s camp that the core concept of the advertising campaign was for him to undergo the weight loss and facial care regimen offered by Marie France For Men and advertise its results.

To illustrate the changes in Muhlach after availing himself of Marie France For Men treatments, photographs of Muhlach’s physical appearance would be taken before and after undergoing the prescribed regimen and publicized.

After a year, the lawyers of AMC and PAASI began informal discussions of PAASI’s grievances about Muhlach’s performance of the Talent Contract.

On February 4, 2011, PAASI filed the civil case claiming that the talent contract was breached in bad faith when the actor underwent only 29 out of the 78 treatment sessions, was seen exercising in Gold’s Gym, and controlled his food intake and publicized it in public interviews.

In ruling in favor of Muhlach, the CA pointed out that the core of the contract is the transformation of the actor’s body into a successful specimen of the Marie France For Men program.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Tuesday, February 15, 2022 A3

Serial killer? PNP probes string of slayings of Customs workers

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

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ATIONAL Police chief General Dionardo Carlos has ordered crack police investigators to dig deeper into the string of violent attacks against certain personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the latest of which was the killing of another employee over the weekend.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Public Information Office chief Brig.

Gen. Roderick Augustus Balba said the order was issued by Carlos after a lone gunman shot and killed Customs employee Gil Manlapaz during an ambush in Manila on Saturday.

“It is unlikely that this is an isolated case since the first two incidents happened last December. Then, the next one was last January. Now, another BOC employee was shot dead,” Carlos said.

“I am instructing our investigators to get all the necessary pieces of evidence,” the PNP chief added.

Manlapaz, 47, an IT operator, was shot in front of his house in Sta. Ana, Manila, at around 7:33 p.m. by a gunman in a black jacket and white helmet who walked toward him and fired a gun.

The PNP got hold of the CCTV footage that shows how Manlapaz was “being stalked by the gunmen” just minutes before the shooting where the victim sustained gunshot wounds in the head.

“This will be helpful since we also have CCTV records of the previ-

ous crime incidents. Now, we want to find out if there are similarities on how these injustices were executed,” Carlos said.

The PNP chief said investigators are doing a case analysis to establish any possible leads in the series of attacks against Customs employees.

Last month, another employee was killed after he was ambushed aboard his vehicle in Binondo, Manila.

Two other employees were also wounded after they were shot in separate incidents in December last year.

Sara opens Davao City to ‘new normal’ era Ex-VP Binay to

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

D

AVAO CITY—Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio would now allow business establishments and night joints to resume serving liquors and to allow faceto-face gatherings organized by local ang national government offices.

In a video conference on Monday, Duterte-Carpio said she would issue shortly the executive order (EO) lifting previous EOs that restricted these activities.

She said her new EO would allow business establishments to serve beers, liquors and wines to their customers. These establishments include videoke bars, which have been the target of strict enforcement before because of the tendency of customers to transmit Covid-19 virus in a single establishment, as well as the usual complaints of neighboring residences of rowdy and noisy activities in the wee hours of the night.

“What people could not do is drinking in the parks, in the alleys, streets and sidewalks, which are not allowed even without the Covid-19 pandemic,” she added.

The same to be issued EO also includes lifting EO 69, which previ-

ously restricted all city government offices, national government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations to organize face-to-face gatherings.

This would be her first act after returning from her leave of absence that ended on February 12 to join her tandem, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in a campaign proclamation rally on February 8 as well as to mount her week-long road travel from here to northern Luzon.

“We are slowly opening up the city, and we encourage businesses to accept everyone, even if they are not vaccinated,” she said. “Because vaccination in Davao City was not mandated, we could not restrict the movement of people who are not vaccinated.”

“We encourage them however, to have themselves vaccinated,” she said, “ to avoid getting the severe and critical symptoms if they get infected.”

He said though, that to those who would be going to these establishments but they would not drink alcoholic drinks, “please keep your distance from people.”

“We encourage them to observe the minimum public health protocol, and that’s where the city government is very strict on.”

“Use face mask and physical dis-

tancing always. And everyone and every establishments should encourage everyone to frequently wash their hands,” she added.

Duterte-Carpio said she was confident that the more than 1 million residents who have themselves fully vaccinated may provide good protection from Covid-19 infection. The city has 1,248,068 fully vaccinated individuals of whom 181,757 got their booster shots. The city has a total population of 1.8 million.

“We can not wait for any announcement that Covid-19 has been eradicated because no one is sure yet if it would come, and so we have to live with Covid-19,” she said. “Our goal is to go back to almost normal, because we still have the minimum health protocol. We would wait for the national government on what to do with the Alert Level system.”

Meanwhile, she said the city government would support moves of public and private schools for as long as they comply with the guidelines enumerated by the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education.

“For our five schools which we have endorsed for face-to-face classes, I would surmise that with absence of negative report, I would expect that it has been ok so far,” she added.

Red Cross continues to serve hot meals to Covid-19-affected Malabon residents

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HE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) continues to send hope to those affected by the lingering Covid-19 pandemic. Last February 11, 2022, volunteers from PRC Malabon Chapter provided 200 hot meals to Covid-19 affected individuals at Barangay Panghulo.

“Ang aming layunin ay magbigay ng pag asa sa mga nangangailangan lalo na ngayong pandemya. Anuman ang mangyari, patuloy lang ang pagserbisyo ng Red Cross volunteers at staff upang mas marami pang matulungan na mga Pilipino sa iba’t ibang sulok ng Pilipinas,” said PRC Chairman and Senator Richard J. Gordon.

The PRC Malabon Chapter has now provided 600 meals since launching its Community Feeding program this month targeting seniors and children around Malabon.

Last February 2, 2022, the PRC served 150 beneficiaries in Katarungan St. Barangay Muzon while on February 3, 2022, PRC volunteers

PHILIPPINE Red Cross Malabon City chairperson Ms. Jeannie Sandoval leads the distribution of hot meals to residents of Barangay Panghulo, Malabon City.

provided meals to another 150 beneficiaries in N. Vicencio St. Barangay Niugan. Community feeding

was also conducted last February 8, 2022, at Barangay Hall Potrero serving 300 beneficiaries.

push for legislated perks for brgy. workers if elected

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

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ECOGNIZING their service during the Covid-19 pandemic, former Vice President and senatorial candidate Jejomar C. Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said he will push for all barangay workers to become salaried government employees with full benefits.

“Dapat lamang na matanggap nila ang mga benepisyo ng regular na empleyado ng pamahalaan [They deserve the benefits of the regular government employee],” Binay said as he lamented that barangay workers are not receiving any pension or benefit when they retire.

Binay said that he had been pushing for barangay workers to become salaried government workers since he was Makati mayor.

He said like government employees, barangay officials and workers like health workers, tanod or barangay watchmen, street sweepers, and others, should also get mandatory benefits, including membership in Pag-IBIG Fund, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

At present, barangay officials and workers only receive incentives or honorariums for their services.

Barangay chairpersons receive a minimum of P1,000, while Sangguniang Barangay members, the barangay treasurer, and the barangay secretary receive a minimum of P600. Barangay watchmen (tanods) and members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa receive honoraria authorized by law or barangay, municipal or city ordinance.

Barangay health workers, meanwhile, receive allowances and other benefits under a separate law.

MMDA launches Covid pediatric vaccination with showbiz, cagers’ kids as mainstays

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

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HE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has rolled out its vaccination drive for kids aged five to 11 years old catering to child stars and children of showbiz personalities and players of the Philippine Basketball Association during its launch on Monday.

However, MMDA Officer in

Charge and General Manager Attorney Romando Artes clarified that the pediatric vaccination program of the agency is open for all children and allows walk-in.

He also said that kids who are to be vaccinated should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

“There’s no need to pre-register but parents or guardians need to present proof that their kids are at least five years old and they also

need to accomplish consent form before their kids get vaccinated,” Artes said, adding that they are targeting 50 to 100 kids to be vaccinated at the MMDA facility daily.

Half of the MMDA vaccination facility was transformed into a playground-like area for kids to be relaxed and lessen their fear of vaccines.

Different toys, books, and board games are made available for the children to enjoy before getting in-

oculated. Loot bags with sweets were also given to kids after their jabs.

Artes said that the Resbakuna Kids aims to provide children protection against Covid-19.

“This is the first step for children to be able to go back to school,” he said.

Artes added that the MMDA’s own Resbakuna Kids program aims to accommodate more kids and help augment Metro Manila local govern-

ment units’ respective pediatric vaccination drives.

Meanwhile, the mobile vaccination drive for public transportation industry was launched on Monday at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Quezon City through a joint initiative of the MMDA, the Department of Transportation and its attached agencies.

Dubbed as “We Vax as One: Mobile Vaccination Drive,” the four-day vac-

cination activity at the LTO Chapel will last until February 17, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It aims to vaccinate 500 persons per day, whether for first and second shots, or booster doses.

“This activity is a result of a fruitful relationship between the MMDA and the DOTr [Department of Transportation] in line with the government’s efforts to expand its vaccination rollout to areas accessible to the public,” said Artes.

Economy BusinessMirror

A4 Tuesday, February 15, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

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PHL inks $500-M tie up with Qatar dairy firm

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By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

and processing leading to agri-industrial development,” Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said in a news statement.

In his presentation before prospective investors from the gulf country, Dar explained that the majority of the Philippines’ annual dairy requirement is imported.

“In 2020, the Philippine dairy industry was characterized by increasing local milk production and decreasing imports and exports of milk and dairy products. The local milk production reached 26.71 million liters, an increase of 9.5 percent from 24.38 million liters in 2019,” he said.

Baladna QPSC’s interests include livestock raising and production of dairy products such as milk,

@jearcalas

HE government will pursue a $500-million integrated dairy facility in partnership with Baladna Qatar Public Shareholding Company (QPSC), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Monday.

The DA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were able to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Baladna QPSC during a business engagement held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates recently.

“The DA, through the National Development Authority [NDA], fully support and welcome this new initiative as this will help jumpstart catalytic investments in the Philippine dairy industry to contribute to food security, local milk production

yogurt, cheese labneh, cream, dessert, juices and animal fertilizers, according to the DA. The DA added that Baladna QPSC is Qatar’s largest locally-owned food and dairy producer, accounting for over 95 percent of the country’s fresh dairy products. The DA explained that the company now owns more than 24,000 Holstein cows in its 2.6 million square-meter facility with 40 state-of-the-art barns. The company’s dairy production line has a daily capacity of up to 405 metric tons (MT) of fresh milk and juice products.

“Baladna has expressed its interest in setting up a large-scale and fully integrated dairy facility in the Philippines designed to be climateindependent using world-class man-

agement systems,” DA said.

DA added that the project will increase local milk production by 120 million liters from the current milk production of 26.71 million liters.

“This will be bringing the Philippines’ total milk production to 146.71 million liters, thus contributing to addressing the local demand of 2,927.04 million liters, of which bulk is imported,” Dar said.

“The investments will be able to generate 2,000 new jobs during the initial phase of its first full year of operations, providing significant opportunities for domestic employment,” Dar added.

DA said Baladna QPSC’s main consideration in investing in the Philippines is to “level the playing field and foster domestic dairy production.”

“Meanwhile, the support of DTI, through the Board of Investment [BOI], is through the facilitation of the availment of incentives under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises [CREATE] law, which may also be extended to manufacturers who will be sourcing locally their inputs,” DA said.

DA said it has already identified five possible locations for the Baladna QPSC project. The department added that it is already ready to welcome Baladna QPSC’s team for a site visit in the Philippines in the next few weeks.

“The DA will continuously provide the needed support to fast track the implementation of this project in coordination with DTI and other partner agencies,” Dar said.

MAP to govt: Ensure efficient implementation of ITX system T

HE government needs to ensure the efficient transfer for

commuters going to Metro Manila from the provinces under the Inte-

grated Bus Terminal Exchange (ITX) program, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) said.

In a news statement issued on Monday, the business group expressed its support for the ITX program, which seeks to improve the mass public transportation system and ease vehicular traffic in the metropolis.

But the program requires passengers coming from the provinces to transfer to a city bus at an ITX terminal as provincial buses are not allowed to have direct inbound trips to the National Capital Region.

“To commuters, going through an ITX terminal may disrupt the convenience of a ‘single ride mode’ at present. But DOTr [Department of Transportation] can accelerate the transition to the new orderly

NCECCO backs Win’s Senate re-election bid

ITX system by ensuring timely and adequate city buses at the ITX terminal,” MAP said.

“With that arrangement, commuters will benefit from efficient transfers, and once on the city bus, from the much-reduced vehicle volume, noise, and traffic congestion on Edsa,” it added.

M A P said that commuters would also benefit from “better air quality resulting from less vehicle exhaust.”

Meanwhile, MAP said that the ITX program is also beneficial for provincial buses as this will spare them from “getting stuck in urban traffic and enables faster turnaround trips back to provincial destinations.”

“The government can assist the provincial bus operators in extracting value from their idled city terminals, which are sitting on now

man development and well-being and shared prosperity and sustainability this year.

“We will put together an agenda of policy imperatives and push for their adoption for sustained recovery and continuing progress, whether through executive or legislative action. In addition, we will advocate for good governance and the rule of law in the operation of and policy implementation by relevant public offices,” MAP President Alfredo Pascual said earlier.

He stressed the need for an enabling business environment to attract more investments, raising the importance of addressing energy security, resolving foreign ownership restrictions and enhancing ease of doing business in the country, among others. Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

Young people can fight corruption

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HE 13.5 million-strong National Center of Electric Co-operatives Consumers Inc. (NCECCO) has endorsed Sen. Win Gatchalian’s re-election bid for being a strong advocate of providing reliable and quality services to electricity consumers.

“With strong conviction, this body firmly believes that Senator Win could further steer positive change and progress in the country with his platform of government and track records on passed and approved laws and bills which are all geared towards the empowerment and protection of the rights and interests of the Filipino citizenry in the next years to come,” NCECCO’s Resolution No. 6 read.

Gatchalian, the group said, is a longtime partner of the electric co-operatives in the country given his contributions in the passage of several key measures aimed at fostering a competitive, investorfriendly, and red tape-free environment in the energy sector, and in the Philippine economy in general.

“The upcoming national and local elections in May 2022 would be a great opportunity for NCECCO to select and support a candidate who displays understanding and compassion to the advocacies of NCECCO and who has a vision which prioritizes the welfare and interests of the Member Consumer Owners [MCOs], especially the marginalized and underprivileged folks in the rural areas,” they stressed.

The re-electionist senator, they added, is best known as a public servant at heart, whose successful career is significantly founded by honesty, integrity, and a relentless drive for public service and led the Senate Committee on Energy with one goal in mind—to protect and empower the Filipino consumers.

They said that they admire the lawmaker’s hard work and dedication in crafting measures that would promote robust competition, encourage investments, and make doing business in the Philippines easier.

valuable land,” it added.

Said terminal sites can be repurposed as other higher-yield commercial uses or sell them for higher prices.

Overall, MAP said that “this bus hub system adheres to best practices in public transportation found worldwide, and the system provides seamless passenger transfers that promote good order and efficiency.”

The business group also urged the transportation department to optimize the operations of primary modes of transportation, including the Manila Metro Rail Transit, Manila Light Rail Transit and the Philippine National Railway Commuter Line.

In its inaugural meeting last month, MAP pushed for more policy reforms for economic recovery, hu-

Commission and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

or for longer term campaigns.

2. Count supplies

DURING the lead-up to elections, candidates are in the spotlight and this is a good time to hold them accountable for their campaigning and election promises.

You can ask your local candidates to sign a pledge against corruption (for instance the Integrity Pledge of the Integrity Initiative) and agree to take specific steps to stop corruption. They can, for example, pledge not to buy or sell votes during the election, a very common form of corruption. And young voters should definitely not sell their votes!

SCHOOLS receive lots of supplies from government, like textbooks, lab equipment or other classroom necessities. It’s not rocket science to keep track of this. It just takes commitment and transparency. Ask to see how many Bunsen burners are supposed to be in the biology labs and if the numbers don’t add up­— ask what’s happened.

By Henry J. Schumacher

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usinessMirror reported last Wednesday that 37 million youth may spell the outcome of the May 9 elections.

This reminds me to be aware of the power to the youth to shape a fairer and more just world. Many young people are fighting corruption and are trying to make a big difference. This is certainly the time to encourage the youth to keep anticorruption in mind when acting as agents of change in the creation of a new political environment that will have anti-corruption and its adverse effects on society in mind.

For those who are interested in tackling corruption, but don’t know where to start, here are some ideas from Transparency International’s youth anti-corruption tool kit:

1. Follow the money

GOVERNMENTS have vast sums of public money to spend and this can pose a serious corruption risk.

By keeping tabs on government expenditure, you can help shed light on how Philippine taxes are being spent and expose any abuses. You can also join the Integrity Circles that have been set up with various local government units throughout the country, as a result of the Integrity for Jobs project, financially supported by the European

3. Tech solutions

IF you’re tech-savvy (all young people are), you can help communities document cases of corruption by developing reporting platforms on the web or through mobile apps. Social media, in particular, is an effective way to address corruption in real-time.

4. Comics and cartoons

COMICS are a powerful way of raising awareness about anti-corruption.

Through a combination of images and text, comics can also help spark debate—and they are easy to produce. All you need is a pen and paper.

Or use your smart phone or laptop.

5. Sports

WHAT’S your favorite sport? From running against corruption to scoring a goal for transparency, you can raise your community’s anticorruption awareness through any sport you want.

6. Youth groups

YOUTH groups share their disapproval of corruption that is found at local and national levels. Different groups have different goals, but they have one thing in common: a willingness to talk openly about their opposition to corruption and raise awareness about its adverse effects on society. These groups can be formed to take part in a one-off event, around a single issue—stopping bribery for grades in school, for example—

7. Election pledges

8. Crowd sourcing election monitoring

TWEET. Text. E-mail. From accessing your mobile phone to surfing the web on your computer, it’s never been easier or quicker to monitor elections in real-time. Through online crowdsourcing you can let the world know of voting irregularities in your area with just a few clicks.

Some of the information can even be plotted onto an interactive map online, allowing you also to see what others in your community are reporting.

I hope you find these suggestions useful! If you want specific details on how to make any of these ideas a reality, I will be glad to assist you with advice. If you have more suggestions that are not already on this list, I would love to hear from you!

Let me conclude with a note of caution. There is risk in exposing people involved in corruption. Work in a group rather than alone.

And remember: the youth deserve an end to corruption. Young people are not just our future.

They are key to creating a just, peaceful and prosperous world right now!

You can contact me at hjschumacher59@gmail.com

News BusinessMirror

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DOH logs addl 2,730 Covid cases; total infection now at 3,639,942

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HE Department of Health (DOH) on Monday logged 2,730 additional Covid-19 cases, bringing the total of infections in the country to 3,639,942.

There were also 7,456 recoveries and 164 deaths.

Of the 2,730 reported, 2,627 (96 percent) occurred within the recent 14 days (February 1-February 14, 2022).

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were National Capital Region (467 or 18 percent) Region 4A (330 or 13 percent) and Region 7 (283 or 11 percent).

Of the 164 deaths, 86 occurred in February 2022 (52 percent), 52 in January 2022 (32 percent), 6 in December 2021 (4 percent), 2 in November 2021 (1 percent), 6 in October 2021 (4 percent), 8 in September 2021 (5 percent), 2 in August 2021 (1 percent), and 2 in July 2021 (1 percent) due to late encoding of death information to COVIDKaya. This

issue is currently being coordinated with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Units to ensure information is up to date.

Of the total number of infections, 2.1 percent(76,609) are active, 96.4 percent (3,508,239) have recovered, and 1.51 percent (55,094) have died.

68 duplicates were removed from the total case count. Of these, 52 are recoveries.

Moreover, 121 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

All laboratories were operational on February 12, 2022 but two labs were not able to submit their data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System.

Based on data in the last 14 days, the two labs contribute, on average, 0.1 percent of samples tested and 0.1 percent of positive individuals.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

DAR nurtures financial growth of Albay farmers’ cooperative

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

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HE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) continues to provide various support services to farmers in remote villages in the country, including their cooperatives, to boost their capacity to do business in agriculture.

In Cabadbaran Grande, a distant highland barangay in Jovellar, Albay, farmers who have learned to fend for themselves by organizing a cooperative named Quipia Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association Cooperative (QARBAC) spearheaded

by Susan M. Requiero, was able to receive valuable help from DAR. Established in June 2011 with a membership of 32 farmers from the village, the cooperative’s members kept growing and were able to ask DAR for help through the Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) to finance their lending services for crop production and expand to other businesses.

A joint effort of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the state-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank), APCP is designed for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) whose organizations are not yet qualified for LandBank loans. By providing financial and capacity-building support, it aims to ensure sustainable crop production and raise the incomes of ARBs and their households.

By August 2016, DAR helped the cooperative establish its microfinance program to complement ongoing interventions and minimize the existing credit gaps.

The cooperative, with a starting capital of P100,000, offered production loans from P5,000 to P20,000 with revolving credit terms to its members at a lower interest rate of 3 percent per month.

With 139 regular borrowers, QARBAC’s microfinance program income

has now surpassed the P500,000 level. Their assets were only worth P12,540 then when they started.

The co-operative has grown dramatically in less than 10 years, reaching P967,195 as of December 2020.

According to Requiero, the remarkable growth in QARBAC’s assets and income can be attributed to the active member’s involvement of its members in its operations.

“Our officers have had a great relationship with the members for the last 10 years. We saw our partnership progress,” Requiero said.

“Gaining the members’ trust proved to be a challenge at the beginning because most of the cooperatives they knew did not prosper, but we persisted. Everyone had reservations, but we overcame them with our transparency. We fostered a trusting mindset among our members,” she said.

Today, QARBC has 121 farmermembers in their area and from the neighboring barangays of San Vicente, San Roque, Maogog, Villapaz, White Deer, and San Isidro.

The co-op has also expanded its business. It now runs a farm input dealership and rents out post-harvest equipment like hand tractors, threshers, mechanical transplanters, and reapers.

With earnings from their microfinance program, the co-op was able to fund their machinery shed, which cost P150,000, and contributed P80,000 as their counterpart for the construction of the pili nut and meat processing center.

DAR provided the said facility through a Village Level Farm Focused Enterprise Development (VLFED) project amounting to P570,000.

QARBAC also prioritizes continuous education by encouraging its members to take advantage of technical skills and capacitybuilding training offered by DAR to achieve self-reliance and market competitiveness.

IATF retains Alert Level 2 status for NCR until end of February

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

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ESPITE the downward trend on daily Covid-19 cases nationwide, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) decided to retain the Alert Level (AL) 2 classification of the National Capital Region (NCR) and most parts of the country until the end of the month.

However, the task force decided to place the following seven areas under AL 3 until February 28, 2022: Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Guimaras, Zamboanga City, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental, and South Cotabato.

In a news statement issued on Monday, Acting Presidential Spokesman Karlo B. Nograles said the IATF opted not to “deescalate” the AL in NCR for now as recommended by health experts.

Other areas in Luzon, which will be placed under Alert Level 2 are Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province, Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Batanes, City of Santiago, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Bulacan, Angeles City, Aurora, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Olongapo City, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Cavite,

Rizal, Batangas, Laguna, Lucena City, Quezon Province, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Puerto Princesa City, Romblon, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Naga City and Sorsogon.

In the Visayas, the the following areas will be placed under Alert Level 2: Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz, Negros Occidental, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Ormoc City, Tacloban City, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Biliran and Southern Leyte.

For Mindanao, the areas to be placed under Alert Level 2 are City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Butuan City, Dinagat Islands, Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and Lanao del Sur. Nograles said the new list of Alert Levels will take effect from February 16 to February 28, 2022.

M

Moreno told residents to use the money to rebuild their homes and for other necessities. “Sana makapagbigay kami ng konting pag-asa at tulong upang makabalik na kayo agad sa inyong lugar, na maramdaman ninyo na may kapwa Pilipino na nagmamalasakit po sa inyo,” he told fire victims, who cheered loudly when he announced his financial aid.

The 47-year-old presidential aspirant was accompanied by his vice presidential candidate Dr. Willie Ong and Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial bets Dr. Carl Balita, Samira Gutoc, and Jopet Sison. They were joined at

3 ‘important reasons’

CITING three “important reasons,” the Metro Manila Council (MMC) earlier recommended to the InterAgency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to extend the Covid-19 AL 2 in the NCR until the end of February.

“Metro mayors have considered three important reasons. In addition, only five out of 17 local government units [LGUs] in the NCR have a low-risk classification for Covid-19 transmission, while the rest have a moderate-risk classification,” said Atty. Romando Artes, Officerin-Charge and General Manager of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Artes said all mayors of Metro Manila unanimously approved the resolution on the retention of AL 2 in the capital region until February 28, citing Department of Health’s Covid-19 situationer in NCR as of February 12, 2022: the region accounts for 32 percent of the confirmed cases nationwide; the distribution of RT-PCR tests done and positivity rates by local government unit (LGU) shows a Regional Average Positivity Rate of 7.32 percent and; the risk classification of health systems capacity by LGU evidences that out of the 17 Metro Manila LGUs, only 5 have

low risk classification while the rest have a moderate risk classification based on growth rate and average daily attack rate.

Campaign period

ARTES also appealed to practice caution in public places since the campaign period for national candidates have officially started.

“We have seen a lot of candidates holding political activities such as motorcades and caravans. Hence, we do not want a Covid-19 ‘superspreader’ event,” Artes reiterated.

“There is an urgent need to further await an improvement in the risk classifications of the 12 Metro Manila LGUs which are presently under moderate classification; the economic gains and advancement in health care which were realized in the past weeks under Alert Level 2 must be preserved, maintained, and improved; and a less stringent alert level in the NCR may potentially result in ‘superspreader’ events in the region specially with the start of the May 2022 election campaign period,” cited in MMDA Resolution No. 22-04, Series of 2022.

The MMC, composed of the 17 Metro Manila mayors, is the governing and policy-making body of the MMDA. With Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

De Lima: Access to modern tech key improved education system

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MPROVING access to modern technology is the key to upgrading the Philippine education system, said detained Senator Leila de Lima.

In a news statement issued on Monday, the senator suggested that in order to help strengthen the education sector, the government needs to “improve teachers’ and students’ access to, and use of modern technology, including the Internet.”

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, de Lima reminded that proper use of technology could help support the learning of the growing number of

Filipino students.

At the same time, De Lima’s representative and Chief Legislative Officer, Atty. Abel Maglanque, talked about the senator’s program and plans to solve the issues faced by the education sector, during the online event organized by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Friday, February 11.

Several factors, he added, have already hinted at this worrisome trend in Philippine educational system, including a 2019 study revealing that Filipino students lagged behind other countries in the international assessment for Mathematics and Science for

Grade 4 students.

Moreover, the senator said “a key insight from the said study implied that those tested mostly came from public schools, likewise, noting that the crisis is further compounded by the fact that the Philippines doesn’t invest on topnotch learning.”

De Lima stressed the government should work on ensuring that every school will have internet access station with good connection to online resources materials approved by the Department of Education (DepEd).

The Senator stressed that improving the education sector in the

country also means making teachers’ salaries competitive, while pushing to increase the number of teachers and teaching assistants.

De Lima co-authored RA 11314 or An Act Institutionalizing the grant of Student Fare Discount Privileges on Public Transportation and For Other Purposes, as well as RA 10931 or Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education.

Last January, she filed Senate Bill No. 2497, seeking to promote, protect and uphold the rights of public teachers by instituting a Revised Magna Carta for Public Teachers that can respond better to their present needs. Butch Fernandez

PNR eyes to reopen San Pablo-Lucena railway segment before May

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

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HE government aims to resume the operations of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) San Pablo-Lucena route within the first half of 2022, a critical link that, according to the transport chief, will “unlock economic potentials and enhance mobility in Southern Luzon.”

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the resumption of the operations of the San PabloLucena line will facilitate faster movements of people and goods,

given that the said segment will operate bot h pa ssenger a nd freighter services.

“The soon-to-be-reopened San Pablo-Candelaria-Lucena route will testify to our goal of operating the Bicol Express. This route will be greatly beneficial for Laguna and Quezon in the immediate term,” he said.

When asked when the route will be reopened, PNR General Manager Junn B. Magno replied via text: “We’re targeting to resume the operations before May 2022, pending finishing works at the San Pablo Station.”

A 44-kilometer stretch, the PNR San Pablo-Lucena Route ceased com-

Mayor Isko visits fire victims in Cavite City

ANILA City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso on Sunday night promised to give close to P8 million in cash assistance to 790 families displaced by a massive fire that broke out in Cavite City’s four barangays over the weekend.

Visiting the fire victims who are temporary sheltered at the Ladislao Diwa Elementary School last night, Moreno announced that all the 790 families whose houses were razed to the ground will receive P10,000 in cash per household from his personal fund and donations from friends and supporters.

During the surprise visit,

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 A5

the site by incumbent Cavite Rep. Francis Blue Abaya (First District) and other local officials.

According to Moreno, he can relate to the fire victims’ situation as he also experienced to be homeless several times when he used to live in the slums of Tondo, Manila during his childhood before becoming a public servant for the last 23 years.

That was why, the local chief executive of Manila said, he had to visit the affected families at the temporary evacuation center to “give them a little relief.”

“Naranasan ko rin mawalan ng tirahan minsan sa buhay ko at

ito ay napakasakit at mahirap.

Kaya naman noong ako ang naging alkade sa Maynila, binigyan ko ng prayoridad ang mga pabahay para sa mga batang Maynila,” the Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer said.

Since he became the mayor of Manila more than two years ago, Moreno launched major housing projects that included the Tondominium 1 and 2 in Tondo district, the Binondominium which is targeted to be completed in the first quarter of 2022, and the ongoing construction of the San Lazaro and Pedro Gil residences.

muter operations in late 2013 after the collapse of an abutment.

Once reopened, the route will have two terminal stations and four flag

stops in between. Travel time between Lucena and San Pablo is expected to be at around an hour and 32 minutes.

A6

BusinessMirror

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

777 KORPHIL HOLDINGS CORP. Unit 2604, 26th Floor Ibp Tower, Julia Vargas Ave. Cor. Jade Drive, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

1.

JUNG, GWANGYOUNG Assistant Marketing Manager Brief Job Description: Facilitate coordination of all marketing activities.

CHOI, JUN HWAN Customer Service Specialist 2.

Brief Job Description: Perform customer support via phone, chat and email both in English and their national language.

JEONG, MOOJIN Customer Service Specialist

3.

Brief Job Description: Perform customer support via phone, chat and email both in English and their national language.

JUNG, MINGU Customer Service Specialist

4.

Brief Job Description: Perform customer support via phone, chat and email both in English and their national language.

JUNG, SANGHYUK Customer Service Specialist

5.

Brief Job Description: Perform customer support via phone, chat and email both in English and their national language.

KIM, CHANGSOO Customer Service Specialist

6.

Brief Job Description: Perform customer support via phone, chat and email both in English and their national language.

KIM, SOOHO Customer Service Specialist

7.

Brief Job Description: Perform customer support via phone, chat and email both in English and their national language.

SUNG, MOJUNE Customer Service Specialist

8.

Brief Job Description: Perform customer support via phone, chat and email both in English and their national language.

YOUN, YOUNGWOO Customer Service Specialist

9.

10.

11.

Brief Job Description: Perform customer support via phone, chat and email both in English and their national language.

LEE, YONGCHAN Marketing Manager Brief Job Description: Facilitate coordination of all marketing activities.

PARK, JISOO Senior Marketing Consultant Brief Job Description: Facilitate coordination of all marketing activities.

No.

HAO, HUILING Chinese Customer Service 15.

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently

16.

17.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

18.

19.

20.

12.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for full lifecycle of software engineering project (planning , execution monitoring risk management)

VELURU, DINESH SAI Software Development Specialist 13.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for lifecycle of software engineering of telecommunications BSS products

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

JAI PRAKASH Investment Manager 21.

Brief Job Description: Investment management of Berkeley’s equity investment in renewable energy projects in the Philippines.

NEFTIS, EKATERINA Administrative Services Manager 22.

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree knowledge in the BSS domain, (technology and Amdocs products -Ordering, CRM

Brief Job Description: Supervise clerical and administrative personnel, set goals and deadlines for their department, develop, manage and monito records, recommend changes to policies or procedures in order to improve operations such as changing what supplies are kept or how to improve record keeping.

LIU, XIAOHUI Mandarin Speaking Business Assistant 23.

Brief Job Description: Responsible in evaluating business processes of the company

SUN, KUAN Mandarin Speaking Business Assistant 24.

Brief Job Description: Responsible in evaluating business processes of the company

TRUBERT, MAXENCE JULIEN EDOUARD Partner - Asia Pacific Region GANAPATHY, VIJAYAN Software Engineering Line Manager 14.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for leading development teams and ensuring collaborations synergy

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f To 10/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D., Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

CSSCORP ICT SERVICES, INC. 3rd Flr. Bonifacio Technology Center, 31st. Corner 2nd Avenue Crescent Park Bonifacio City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

26.

CHANDHOK, ISHVINDER SINGH Senior Director Brief Job Description: Deliver sales and expansion with excellent result.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

DATACLICK INTERNATIONAL CORP. E. Rodriguez St., Roxas Blvd. St., Barangay 3, Pasay City HUANG, YONGSHENG Chinese Customer Service Officer 27.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: The Chinese Customer Service Officer is a first point of contact for the company’s Chinese clients.

The primary role of a Chinese Customer Service Officer within the team is to respond to a variety of Chinese clients requests and inquiries via the telephone or via live chat.

Basic Qualification: A Chinese and fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503, Nueva St., Barangay 289, Binondo, City Of Manila

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Demonstrated abilities in understanding the organization’s goals ang transforming them into broad and actionable plans. Excellent oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

YU, FEI Marketing And Sales Agent 28.

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas.

Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas and researches to help develop marketing strategies; Can help to detail, design and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor in science, master in business administration, chartered financial analyst level 2, financial risk manager level 2 & 10 years’ experience.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

FLASH EXPRESS SOFTWARE (PH) CO., LTD. INC. 11/f Cybersigma, Lawton Ave., Mckinley West, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig LIU, SHIBO Deputy Center Director 29.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor degree related business administrations, strong planning, critical thinking, problem solving and task and time management skills, excellent interpersonal leadership coaching Hebrew speaker, English speaker

LIU, CHI Network Administrator 30.

31.

Brief Job Description: Develops and administers training programs for employees, assesses

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Job-relevant degree/ 5-10 yrs. supervisory/ managerial experience in logistics or operations/ multilingual Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Training and development job-relevant degree/ 5-10 yrs. supervisory/ managerial experience in logistics or operations/ multilingual Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

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

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in English, Mandarin, and other multi-lingual language 32.

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in English, Mandarin, and other multi-lingual language Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Brief Job Description: Ensures the stable operation of the computer networks. This includes planning, developing, installing, configuring, maintaining, supporting and optimizing all network hardware, software, and communication links.

ZHAO, ZIYI Training Supervisor

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Brief Job Description: Planning, directing and managing the activities of management and technical personnel and for insuring consistency of goals, policies, technical and administrative procedure and management direction.

Basic Qualification: Job-relevant degree/ 5-10 yrs. supervisory/ managerial experience in logistics or operations/ multilingual

33.

LIANG, WEI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

WANG, PENG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CONSTANTIN SERVAL AND ASSOCIES (PHILIPPINES) INC. 2/f 8862, Sampaloc St., San Antonio, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree knowledge in the BSS domain, (technology and Amdocs products -Ordering, CRM

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CAFFREY TRADING CORP. 2703 & 2705 Finance Centre, 26th Street, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree knowledge in the BSS domain, (technology and Amdocs products -Ordering, CRM

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

No.

BEST RELIABLE RESOURCES CORP. Ub 111 Paseo De Roxas Bldg., Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

BERKELEY ENERGY PHILIPPINES BUSINESS SOLUTIONS CORPORATION 8f, Unit 8a, Inoza Tower, 40th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

AMDOCS PHILIPPINES INC. 23rd, 25th, And 26th Floors Eco Tower, 32nd St. Cor. 9th Ave. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

DHIMAN, YOGESH KUMAR Software Development Manager

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRINH DINH HUNG Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries PWINT PHOO MAY Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries PAN, HUITING Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN MANH HIEU Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LU, XINHAO Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Any nationality who can speak and write Korean fluently.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

25.

Brief Job Description: Set-up, manage and develop the Company’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) office in the Philippines dedicated to providing offshoring accounting and administrative work of a panel of overseas companies in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, or as required by any applicable law, regulation, or specification state

Basic Qualification: Highschool graduate in French or German curriculum; Can write and speak fluent French and German language; Required minimum experience of 6 years in accounting and tax engagements for Singapore and Hong Kong clients; Strong knowledge of Singapore Financial Reporting Standards (SFRS) and Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards (HKFRS); Strong knowledge of Singapore and Hong Kong regulatory frameworks.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

34.

35.

WEI, ZHANGHUA Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ZHU, QIBING Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

FUJITA CORPORATION-PHILIPPINE BRANCH OFFICE U-14a Chatham House, 118 Valero St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

YOSHIDA, KOHEI Business Development Manager 36.

Brief Job Description: Analyze markets in the given coverage area and look at key trends to identify new growth markets in the construction industry develop aggressive sales strategy and plan to achieve sales and business targets for new business as well as cross selling the range of services.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree civil / construction engineering or related / with 2 years’ experience working as a business development manager or similar role on a construction or trading industry in any of the ff. Industrial equipment mechanical equipment strong sales negotiation skills fluent Japanese speaker English speaker.

No.

BUI VAN TOAN Chinese Customer Service 48.

MAO, MING Call Center Agent Mandarin Speaking 37.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling inbound calls, e-mails and chat with the goal of ensuring resolution of customer issues effective communicator

CAI, AOQI Chinese Customer Service 49.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Cantonese & Mandarin speaking/know how to read & write Chinese

38.

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its chinese clients to generate more income for the company

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese Language

51.

VARMA, CHANDRA PRAKASH BRIJMOHAN Transactions Manager Ii 39.

Brief Job Description: Transaction processing roles are responsible for processing, clearing, servicing, researching and/ or settling transactions as well as reviewing and processing legal or custodial documents.

Basic Qualification: • Bachelor’s Degree with 8+ Years of Experience in a Bank/ Operations / Finance. 5+ years experience in leading a team • Experience in Project Management and has a Change mindset • Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills and able to communicate at all levels (internally/externally) • Local business knowledge in Core Cash and Trade products • Deep understanding of operational risks and controls

52.

BOERMA, DIRK Country Head 40.

Brief Job Description: lead strategic developments of multiple retail stores in the Philippines

Basic Qualification: Over 10 years of Executive Experience

53.

54.

41.

Brief Job Description: Provide support to the General Manager in pursuing business opportunities in transportation machinery SATO, TAKEHIRO Representative To MCNK JV Corporation

42.

Brief Job Description: Provide operational and technical support to the business development of MCNK JV Corporation

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

55.

56.

BRUCE, PAUL GEOFFREY Director, Engineering 43.

Brief Job Description: Prepare annual and revise (reforecast) all operating budgets in close coordination with other operating departments

57.

SHORINA, LILIYA Foreign Language Marketing Specialist 44.

Brief Job Description: Conducting Research and Marketing Strategies to develop areas of the Business

58.

ZHANG, YINLAI Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist 45.

Brief Job Description: Conducting Research and Marketing Strategies to develop areas of the Business

59.

ZOU, HAICHUN Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist 46.

Brief Job Description: Conducting Research and Marketing Strategies to develop areas of the Business

60.

61.

47.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries REN, LEI Chinese Customer Service

62.

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquiries RIO ANDRIO CHANDRA Chinese Customer Service

63.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires SAI LU Chinese Customer Service

64.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires WANG, XIAOQIANG Chinese Customer Service

65.

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquiries

WONG WAI KIT Chinese Customer Service 66.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

69.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

70.

71.

72.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

73.

WU, KAIKAI Chinese Customer Service 67.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

YANG, XINGCHUAN Chinese Customer Service 68.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HUANG, CAILI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

MO, LIJUAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

PEI, YE Chef Assistant

74.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Ensuring that food served are excellent quality and authentic taste are consistently achieved, modifying menus or create new ones that meet quality standards, estimating food requirements and food/labor costs, supervise kitchen staff’s activities, performing other duties assigned by the company.

CHEN, GUOWEN Head Chef

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Ensuring that food served are excellent quality and authentic taste are consistently achieved, modifying menus or create new ones that meet quality standards, estimating food requirements and food/labor costs, supervise kitchen staff’s activities, performing other duties assigned by the company.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

KONG, SHUAI Head Chef

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

75.

76.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

77.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

78.

79.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Ensuring that food served are excellent quality and authentic taste are consistently achieved, modifying menus or create new ones that meet quality standards, estimating food requirements and food/labor costs, supervise kitchen staff’s activities, performing other duties assigned by the company.

AN, FENGJUN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 80.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHEN, QIN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customer information about product and services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to assist the Head Chef in developing high quality authentic Chinese cuisine. Take over the kitchen team in the absence of the Head Chef; With experience at high-end Chinese Cuisine Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to produce excellent high quality authentic Chinese food and develop unique and cuisines appropriate menus; With experience at high-end Chinese Restaurants.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to produce excellent high quality authentic Chinese food and develop unique and cuisines appropriate menus; With experience at high-end Chinese Restaurants.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to produce excellent high quality authentic Chinese food and develop unique and cuisines appropriate menus; With experience at high-end Chinese Restaurants.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to produce excellent high quality authentic Chinese food and develop unique and cuisines appropriate menus; With experience at high-end Chinese Restaurants.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to produce excellent high quality authentic Chinese food and develop unique and cuisines appropriate menus; With experience at high-end Chinese Restaurants.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NEO INCORPORATED North Tower Centrum Bldg., Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Ensuring that food served are excellent quality and authentic taste are consistently achieved, modifying menus or create new ones that meet quality standards, estimating food requirements and food/labor costs, supervise kitchen staff’s activities, performing other duties assigned by the company.

ZHANG, JIBO Head Chef

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Ensuring that food served are excellent quality and authentic taste are consistently achieved, modifying menus or create new ones that meet quality standards, estimating food requirements and food/labor costs, supervise kitchen staff’s activities, performing other duties assigned by the company.

MA, XINSHE Head Chef

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Ensuring that food served are excellent quality and authentic taste are consistently achieved, modifying menus or create new ones that meet quality standards, estimating food requirements and food/labor costs, supervise kitchen staff’s activities, performing other duties assigned by the company.

LEI, YANGUO Head Chef

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

NATURAL9 CORPORATION Unit 8c-1, 8 Rockwell Building, Hidalgo Drive, Rockwell Center, Poblacion, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LIANG, HONGJIE Chinese Customer Specialist

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires ZHANG, YUANDONG Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write chinese language

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ZHANG, WEI Chinese Customer Service

81.

MINDSCAPE CREATIVES INC. Unit 19-o, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati LIU, CHIA-LIANG Mandarin Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires NGUYEN THI LIEN Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Proficient in Speaking, Reading and Writing in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires MARIANTO Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Proficient in SPeaking , Reading and Writing in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LIU, BINGCHAO Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Proficient in Speaking, Reading and Writing in Foreign Languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LI, XIN Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 MIGHTY-MERCHANT BUSINESS TRADING INCORPORATED Unit 2505- E The Finance Centre, 26th St., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LE THI NHUNG Chinese Customer Service

MELCO RESORTS LEISURE (PHP) CORPORATION City Of Dreams Manila, Aseana Ave. Cor. Roxas Blvd., Tambo, City Of Parañaque Basic Qualification: at least 8 - 10 yrs’ experience in a 5-star hotel or large commercial property, industry bldg., shopping center in a similar capacity, degree or advanced diploma in mechanical engineering

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires JULIA BONG Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Confidential Employee appointed by the head office in Japan Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquiries JOKO ARFANDI Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: Confidential Employee appointed by the head office in Japan

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires HOONG THE ANH Chinese Customer Service

MARUBENI CORPORATION 8/f L.v Locsin Bldg., Ayala Cor. Makati Aves., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati FUKUDA, TAKASHI Representative To Maxima Machineries, Incorporated

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquiries FANG, QIHUA Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 MAP ACTIVE PHILIPPINES INC. 6th Floor W Global Center, 30th Street Corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires CHEN, SHENGMING Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.- PHILIPPINE GLOBAL SERVICE CENTER 23/f Net Plaza, 31st St. E-square Zone, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHEN, LU Chinese Customer Service

JDB MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTANCY CORP. 107 T & D House, Magallanes St. 069, Barangay 655, Intramuros, City Of Manila LI, YONG Strategic And Facilitation Officer

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHEN, GUANQUAN Chinese Customer Service

50.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

A7

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower, C4 Rd. Edsa Ext., Barangay 76, Pasay City

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 GOLDENSKY INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC. Midas Hotel, 2702 Roxas Blvd., Barangay 76, Pasay City

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

HAN, XIAO Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 82.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6months customer service experience/Good in Oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

A8

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HE, DONGDONG Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

83.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

HSU, WEI-HSIANG Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 84.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customer information about product and services

HUANG, BAOAN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 85.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

HUANG, GUANFA Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 86.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers; give customers information about product and services

HUO, XINXIN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 87.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

JI, ZHENWEI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 88.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

JIA, SHIRU Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 89.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

LI, MING Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 90.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customer information about product and services

LI, ZHIJIN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 91.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customer information about product and services

LIU, BO Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 92.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

LIU, JIAN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 93.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

LIU, XIONG Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 94.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

LIU, YU Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 95.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

MA, LEI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 96.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

NIU, JIANWEI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 97.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

SHI, QIYUAN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 98.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customer information about product and services

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

No.

SONG, JINGYU Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 99.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written

100.

101.

102.

103.

104.

105.

106.

107.

108.

109.

110.

111.

112.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customer information about product and services

ZHU, JIANBO Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 113.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6months customer service experience/Good in Oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customer information about product and services

ZHOU, XIAOMING Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers; give customers information about product and services

ZHONG, ZHIMING Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

ZHONG, WEIJIN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

ZHANG, DONGSHENG Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers; give customers information about product and services

YU, TAO Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers; give customers information about product and services

YU, HAOLI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers; give customers information about product and services

YE, ZHI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6months customer service experience/Good in Oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

YAN, CHUANGCHUANG Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6months customer service experience/Good in Oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customer information about product and services

XIAO, WEI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

WEI, XIANWEI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers; give customers information about product and services

WANG, QING Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customer information about product and services

WANG, HSIN-YI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers, give customers information about product and services

WANG, DAN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give customer information about product and services

ZHU, TENGDA Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 114.

Brief Job Description: Assist/help customers; give customers information about product and services

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6months customer service experience/Good in Oral communication and written

No.

CHEN, ZEHANG Chinese Customer Service 115.

116.

117.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide, solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

PAN, MIN Chinese Customer Service 118.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide, solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

LIU, RENWEI Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide, solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

LIU, MIN Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

QIU, XIAOFEI Chinese Customer Service 119.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

SHENG, CHAOJIANG Chinese Customer Service 120.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

SONG, QI Chinese Customer Service 121.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

122.

123.

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written 124.

125.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide, solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

WANG, LE Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 126.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With atleast 6months customer service experience/Good in Oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide, solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

WANG, BICHENG Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6months customer service experience/Good in Oral communication and written

Basic Qualification: With atleast 6months customer service experience/Good in Oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

SUN, QIU Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

SUN, KAI Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

SU, HONGJI Chinese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

WANG, XUAN Chinese Customer Service 127.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th/f, Pearl Marina Building Pacific Drive, Don Galo, City Of Parañaque

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

WANG, YUECHENG Chinese Customer Service 128.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience is the similar filed, Speaks and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience is the similar filed, Speaks and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience is the similar filed, Speaks and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience is the similar filed, Speaks and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience is the similar filed, Speaks and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

XIONG, JIAN Chinese Customer Service 129.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

XIONG, YONGQIANG Chinese Customer Service 130.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

YAN, HENG Chinese Customer Service 131.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

YAN, SHICHAO Chinese Customer Service 132.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

YANG, GUOXIN Chinese Customer Service 133.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

YU, GUIHUI Chinese Customer Service 134.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

YUE, RONG Chinese Customer Service 135.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

ZHANG, CHENGLIANG Chinese Customer Service 136.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

ZHANG, HAOYU Chinese Customer Service 137.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

ZHANG, QI Chinese Customer Service 138.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

ZHAO, JINBAO Chinese Customer Service 139.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

No.

143.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

140.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

NGUYEN NGOC TAN Vietnamese Customer Service 141.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide, solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

NGUYEN VAN LANH Vietnamese Customer Service 142.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

PHAM XUAN HUNG Vietnamese Customer Service 145.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

VO HUY DANH Vietnamese Customer Service 146.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file documents.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

DAM QUOC HUY Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

147.

Brief Job Description: Manage large amounts of incoming calls. Generate sales leads. Identify and assess customers’ needs. Handle customer complaints. Follow communication procedures, guidelines and policies.

NGUYEN THI HAI YEN Customer Service Representative 148.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

150.

151.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Plan, oversee and document all aspect of the Design and build for the Construction of roads ad Bridge Project.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

JANG, HYEYONG Consultant 157.

Brief Job Description: Plan, oversee and document all aspect of the Design and build for the Construction of roads ad Bridge Project.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can Prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information; Can contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed; Can Manage large amounts of incoming calls

Basic Qualification: Must be a College graduate; Can Prepare product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information; Can contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed; Can Manage large amounts of incoming calls

HUANG, XIAONING Mandarin Speaking Technical Support Brief Job Description: Responsible for it system management

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in mandarin

JU, SUNGSIK Consultant 158.

Brief Job Description: Plan, oversee and document all aspect of the Design and build for the Construction of roads ad Bridge Project.

Brief Job Description: Managing Director for Chinese speaking, delegate responsibilities and supervising the affairs business operations.

KANG, SANG SIK Consultant 159.

Brief Job Description: Plan, oversee and document all aspect of the Design and build for the Construction of roads ad Bridge Project.

153.

PAN, YUANLONG Customer Service Representative

SON, KIWOOK Consultant 160.

Brief Job Description: Plan, oversee and document all aspect of the Design and build for the Construction of roads ad Bridge Project.

Brief Job Description: Customer relations service provider PAN, YUANWU Customer Service Representative

YUN, YANGGI Consultant 161.

Brief Job Description: Customer relations service provider

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

TIANYU TECHNOLOGY INC. 14/f Socialdesk Tower, H.v. Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati SUN, YACHEN Chinese IT Support Specialist 154.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing quality it supports of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

DAM TUAN THANH IT Support Specialist

155.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing quality it supports of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

Brief Job Description: Plan, oversee and document all aspect of the Design and build for the Construction of roads ad Bridge Project.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language

Basic Qualification: 5 Year Experience in infrastructure projects to construct roads and bridges. Extensive experience and superior construction abilities.

Technical skills using the latest equipment and construction method.

Must be able to speak Korean Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

UNIVERSAL LEAF PHILIPPINES, INC. U-2405, 24/f Discovery Centre, 25 Adb Ave., Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

FLOWERS JR, LEWIS CARPENTER Vice President For Agronomy 162.

Brief Job Description: Provides overall leadership to Agronomy, Crop Compliance, Sustainability

Basic Qualification: At least 15 years of experience in Tobacco Growing, Top Level Expertise in Tobacco Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

VICCI BUSINESS CONSULTANCY CORP. 10/f Liberty Plaza, 102 H.v. Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

CHEN, YONG Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation) 163.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in mandarin, both oral and written

Basic Qualification: 5 Year Experience in infrastructure projects to construct roads and bridges. Extensive experience and superior construction abilities.

Technical skills using the latest equipment and construction method.

Must be able to speak Korean Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: Excellent in written and oral communication skills.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in mandarin, both oral and written

Basic Qualification: 5 Year Experience in infrastructure projects to construct roads and bridges. Extensive experience and superior construction abilities.

Technical skills using the latest equipment and construction method.

Must be able to speak Korean Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: 5 Year Experience in infrastructure projects to construct roads and bridges. Extensive experience and superior construction abilities.

Technical skills using the latest equipment and construction method.

Must be able to speak Korean Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin

Basic Qualification: 5 Year Experience in infrastructure projects to construct roads and bridges. Extensive experience and superior construction abilities.

Technical skills using the latest equipment and construction method.

Must be able to speak Korean Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: 5 Year Experience in infrastructure projects to construct roads and bridges. Extensive experience and superior construction abilities.

Technical skills using the latest equipment and construction method.

Must be able to speak Korean Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

SKY DRAGON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES CORP. 2f-5f, Unit 710 Shaw Blvd., Global Link Center, Wack-wack Greenhills, City Of Mandaluyong

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

Brief Job Description: Responsible for inbound and outbound service calls

QIU, BO Managing Director For Chinese Speaking

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience is the similar filed, Speaks and write fluently (native language and English)

156.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

SHARED BEAUTY DISCOVERY INC. 3477 P Sanchez Street, 060, Barangay 602, Sampaloc, City Of Manila

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

Brief Job Description: Manage large amounts of incoming calls. Generate sales leads. Identify and assess customers’ needs. Handle customer complaints. Follow communication procedures, guidelines and policies.

WANG, HUIPENG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service 149.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

BAIK, SEUNGHYUN Consultant

SEAGULL-WORLD INC. Unit 2807 28/f Cityland, Pasong Tamo Tower, 2210 Chino Roces Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience is the similar filed, Speaks and write fluently (native language and English)

No.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1 year experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language & English)

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

OMNIWEALTH ENTERPRISE INC. 17th Flr. Citibank Square Bldg., No. 188 Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Eastwood City Cyberpark 3, Bagumbayan, Quezon City

152.

NGUYEN MY TRINH Vietnamese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide, solutions, process customer accounts and file documents

PHAM VAN THANH Vietnamese Customer Service 144.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

NGUYEN VAN TAI Vietnamese Customer Service

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats, related to inquiry from client, and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation

WAI CHEE SAM Customer Relation Representative (Mandarin Translation) 164.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails, and chats, related to inquiry from client, and/or customers through Mandarin to English translation

Basic Qualification: Fluency in Mandarin language and characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Fluency in Mandarin language and characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

*Date Generated: Feb 14, 2022 In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on January 22, 2022, the name of SHI, JIAJING under ONPOINT CORP., should have been read as SHI, JIAJIANG and not as published.

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

Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

TOSUNG CONST. PHP INC. Unit No. 701 Flr. No. 7/f Diplomat Condominium Bldg., Roxas Blvd. Cor. Russel St., Zone 10, Barangay 76, Pasay City

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

A9

A10 Tuesday, February 15, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

The ‘prime movers’ of the May elections

T

he voting age was generally set at 21 years old when democratic countries established the right to vote. In the 1970s, many countries reduced the voting age to 18. The debate is ongoing in a number of countries on proposals to reduce the voting age to below 18 years old. Brazil, Austria, Malta and Nicaragua are the first few countries that lowered the voting age to 16 years old.

“Old enough to fight, old enough to vote” was a slogan used by American proponents of lowering the voting age. The slogan traced its roots to World War II, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt lowered the military draft age to 18. Senator Ted Kennedy was the first to propose amending the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 years old. On June 22, 1970, President Richard Nixon signed an extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which lowered the voting age to 18 years old in all federal, state, and local elections.

In the Philippines, the 1973 Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years old. Any Filipino citizen who is at least 18 years of age, a resident of the Philippines for at least one year, and in the place where they intend to vote for at least six months immediately preceding the election can file an application for registration with the Commission on Elections.

Early this month, the Comelec reported that over 37 million of the 65.7 million registered voters in the 2022 national and local elections are aged 18 to 41 years old. “That would account for 56 percent of the voting population. This is a very interesting development, it’s good for the country and I think it is important to note that the youth are the prime movers of this coming elections,” said Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez. (Read, “37-M youth votes may spell outcome of May 9 elections–Comelec official,” in the BusinessMirror, February 8, 2022).

A netizen described young voters today as determined and brave for “they do not hesitate to take a stand. I believe that the Filipino youth can create a change in our country, a change that will make the Philippines a more progressive nation.” This strong belief in the power of the younger generation should serve as an inspiration for the youth to contribute for the betterment of the country.

A la Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth) is an award-winning poem that Jose Rizal wrote when he was 18 years old and studying at the University of Santo Tomas. In the poem, Rizal said the youth is the “fair hope of my fatherland!” He urged the youth to pursue freedom, and to free themselves from the burden of ignorance. “Raise the eager mind to higher station,” he said. Rizal believed that the mind of the youth has great capacity and potential to be genius. In other words, Rizal believed that the educated youth is the hope of the motherland (Inang Bayan).

There are over 37 million young voters going to the polls in May. There is reason for optimism because they are the motive force of the coming elections. Let’s hope that these young voters will properly equip themselves with the knowledge needed to accomplish their noble purpose of electing a leader that can transform the country for the better. Otherwise, if the level of knowledge about the candidates is lower than the doorstep, there is no hope.

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Reopening to the world Manny B. Villar

THE Entrepreneur

T

hings are looking up. Step by step, the Philippines is opening up to foreign travelers and inching closer to the normal.

The Philippines reopened its borders to fully vaccinated international travelers beginning February 10 in what could be a shot in the arm to the ailing tourism industry. Tourists from 157 countries with visa-free arrangements with the Philippines can now visit our major destinations, as long as they are fully vaccinated.

The move is a reflection of government’s growing confidence on the efficacy of anti-Covid-19 vaccines that are credited for preventing thousands, if not millions of deaths, from coronavirus infections around the world.

Essential travelers and overseas Filipino workers prior to the more liberal rules were allowed in the country as long as they agreed to undergo quarantine period in hotels. The new rule scraps the need for quarantine stay at hotels, if the travelers received two or more doses of authorized vaccines.

I hope the policy will revive the tourism sector, restore millions of jobs and ease the financial burden on thousands of hotel and resort operators across the country. This will also benefit the transport sector, including airlines, shipping companies, bus and taxi operators, as well as jeepney and tricycle drivers.

The freedom of mobility will bring more customers to business establishments, such as restaurants, souvenir shops, malls and grocery stores, as well as service-oriented enterprises such as travel agencies,

tour guides, salons, spas, and aesthetic facilities. In turn, more jobs will be generated and more income will circulate in the countryside.

Declining infections, hospitalization rate and morbidity from Covid-19 encouraged the government to lift the ban on international travel. Active cases fell below the 100,000 mark starting February 9, as the number of recoveries far exceeded new infections for several days. If the trend continues through March, we may see active cases fall below 10,000. Such manageable scenario may afford us a much greater freedom of mobility and economic activities.

A switch to Alert Level 1 from Alert Level 2 is now more likely in March as we transition from a pandemic to an endemic mindset. Hopefully, the laxer rules will allow more schools to conduct physical classes, aside from the 28 institutions participating in the “pilot phase” of the program. This becomes possible with the inoculation of minors aged 5 to 11 against Covid.

We need to seriously consider the opening of schools and reducing the

Dangerous times...Not John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

P

ick a topic and it is easy to find raging hysteria. What shall we start with first—the election, inflation, Ukraine?

Realize that whomever you choose to vote for is the best person to be the next president. Do not let anyone tell you differently.

Further, the fact that your favored candidate might not get a plurality of the vote is not important. That a citizen can freely support a candidate who loses an election is the heart and soul of participatory democracy and the freedom of thought.

Note, though, no one really cares who you are going to vote for.

When you post on SocMed that your presidential selection is Lian Matabungkay and everyone “Likes” with “Brilliant Choice,” do not take it personally. You have provided your

friends with “Confirmation Bias.”

They also want to see President Matabungkay in Malacañang, and you have confirmed that they made the right choice.

It works like this: Celebrity endorsements do not have the primary

adverse impact of the two-year pandemic on the mental and emotional state of our student population.

Hundreds of thousands of students finished their college education without setting foot on campus grounds in the past two years.

Hopefully, the inclusion of the pediatric population in the massive vaccination program of the government will eventually lead to the resumption of physical classes and restoration of jobs in the education sector.

The easing of restrictions on international travel, aside from boosting the domestic tourism industry, is also expected to attract foreign investments that were put on hold in the past two years. The approval of several reform measures, such as the amended Retail Trade Liberalization law and the amended Public Service Act, for one, may get the attention of major foreign companies looking at the most ideal sites in the Philippines for their operations.

The Philippines is now certainly an ideal location for foreign investments, given our rapidly growing domestic market, stable macroeconomic environment and competitive labor cost.

There are signs that we have indeed returned to pre-pandemic economic levels. Among these are merchandise exports and imports, which reached record $74.6 billion and $117.8 billion, respectively, last year.

The trade performance enabled the gross domestic product to expand by 5.6 percent in 2021, although this was not enough to offset the 9.6-percent contraction in 2020.

Another sign is the growing demand for electricity, which, unfortunately, may translate into supply shortage in the coming months. We have to manage both the supply and

Biden has been saying for weeks Putin is going to invade “tomorrow.” That hysteria has been joined by the UK’s Boris Johnson—who is on his way there now—and by France’s Emmanuel Macron. Note, Biden has the worst approval rating for a president this recently inaugurated since the snake in the Garden of Eden. Macron’s approval rating was 37 percent three weeks ago before ‘Freedom Convoy’ truckers prepared to blockade Paris. Johnson “can win next election” but his government is fragile. Do you notice a pattern? purpose of selling the product. The main reason is to confirm that you made the right choice. And if you did not like that shampoo, well, it’s your fault since fashion model Yewubdar Zendaya absolutely loves her hair.

Celebrity and “expert” endorsements

demand sides of the power sector to avert the energy deficit. The opening of more business establishments will certainly add to the growing power requirements of the country.

Employment also improved, per the latest report of the Philippine Statistics Authority. While the unemployment rate slightly increased to 6.6 percent in December from 6.5 percent in November, the size of the labor force actually increased during the period.

Around 800,000 more Filipinos, according to a separate report by the National Economic and Development Authority, were able to find work as mobility restrictions were relaxed in December, bringing the net employment creation to 3.7 million above the pre-pandemic levels.

I share Neda’s optimism that the vaccination program and the reopening of more sectors of the economy would generate more and better jobs for the Filipino people.

Another encouraging indicator is the moderating inflation rate, which settled at 3 percent in January 2022, or within the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent. This means that people’s income and purchasing power are not being eroded by commodity price fluctuations.

All these indicators point to an improving economy. We can sustain economic growth by continuing to practice minimum public health protocols to prevent another surge that may force us to close our borders again.

The light at the end of the tunnel is becoming more visible now. We just have to remain focused to overcome the few remaining hurdles.

For comments, send e-mail to mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph or visit www.mannyvillar.com.ph

for candidates are no different.

Scare and panic tactics are an integral part of politics. The idea is that even if you do not like my candidate, the opponent is a hundred times worse. Imagine what would happen if a candidate said something like “My opponent is a capable person who should have your vote if I was not running for office.” That would be the end of civilization as we know it.

Systemic on-going inflation is not an economic event. It is a process resulting from a loss of confidence in government. You have heard me say a hundred times that Philippine inflation trends with global crude oil prices. That is a fact. Sometimes Philippine inflation leads and sometimes it lags oil prices. But the correlation is obvious to all, unless you are a politician.

The US politicians—the Federal Reserve being a political group as well—call current inflation See “Mangun,” A11

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 A11

The 2022 OECD Transfer Election as guardrail of democracy Pricing Guidelines Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

Atty. Jomel N. Manaig

Tax Law for Business Part two

A

fter giving a glimpse on the guidelines on the Transactional Profit Split Method and on hard-to-value intangibles, the second part of this article would walk us through the guidelines involving financial transactions. Considering the significant and extensive reach of financial transactions between related parties, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) saw it fit to provide a set of guidance to enable consistency in the transfer pricing of financial transactions.

Generally, the guidance puts premium on the accurate delineation of transactions. To this end, consideration must be placed on key economically relevant characteristics such as the contractual terms, functional analysis, characteristics of financial instruments, economic circumstances, and business strategies.

In crafting the specific guidance on financial transactions, the 2022 OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines (TPG) laid down recommended approaches to certain financial transactions like treasury activities, financial guarantees, and captive insurance companies.

Treasury function or activity is part of the process of making the financing of the commercial business of the group as efficient as possible.

The treasury may perform several functions such as acting as a contact point to centralize external borrowing or even more complex functions.

Consequently, the treasury function will usually be a support service to the main value-creating operation.

Depending on the facts and circumstances of each case, such activities may be services in which case the pricing guidance on intra-group services applies.

When evaluating the transfer pricing issues related to treasury activities, the OECD maintains the need to accurately delineate the actual transactions and determine exactly what functions an entity is carrying on rather than to rely to any extent upon a general description such as “treasury activities.”

The 2022 OECD TPG laid down extensive discussions relating to transfer pricing considerations involving treasury transactions like intra-group loans, cash pooling, and hedging. Depending on the facts and circumstances, such treasury activities may be services in which case the pricing guidance on intra-group applies. At times, more complex functions may be attributed to distinct treasury functions, which would ultimately require a commensurate compensation.

Financial guarantee, on the other hand, requires the guarantor to meet specified financial obligations in the event of a failure to do so by the guaranteed party. Tackling financial guarantees in the transfer pricing context, it would first require a keen understanding as to the nature and extent of the obligations guaranteed and the consequences for all parties.

In determining the arm’s length price of guarantees, a number of pricing approaches may be explored, such as: (1) the Comparable Uncontrolled Price (CUP) Method; (2) the Yield Approach; (3) the Cost Approach; (4) the Valuation of Expected Loss Approach; and (5) the Capital Support Method. However, when the accurate delineation of the actual transaction

Mangun. . .

Continued from A10

“transitory.” That may be the most nonsense description I have ever heard about almost anything. “Transitory” means “not permanent.” I am glad to know that the highest inflation in 40 years is not going to last forever. Maybe the US will have

With the revisions in the 2022 OECD TPG, we move a step closer to ensure that the taxable profits are not artificially shifted out of a country’s jurisdiction and that the tax base reported in the country reflects the economic activity undertaken therein. It also gives taxpayers a clear guidance on the proper application of the arm’s length principle. indicates that the purported guarantee is not a guarantee, other pricing approaches should be considered.

Lastly, the provisions of the 2022 OECD TPG on financial transactions dealt with captive insurance, as well as reinsurance. The term captive insurance is intended to refer to an insurance undertaking or entity substantially all of whose insurance business is to provide insurance policies for risks of entities of the group to which it belongs.

As with other financial transactions, accurate delineation is key for captive insurance and reinsurance. It is necessary to identify the commercial or financial relations between the associated enterprises and the conditions and economically relevant circumstances attaching to those relations. In relation to the pricing of intra-group transactions involving captive insurance and reinsurance, the most appropriate method should be selected following existing guidelines. Various methods may be determined as the most appropriate, such as: (1) the CUP Method; (2) a combined approach that takes into account profitability of claims and return of capital; (3) an analysis of the group synergy benefit; and (4) an analysis on the profit from agency sales.

With the revisions in the 2022 OECD TPG, we move a step closer to ensure that the taxable profits are not artificially shifted out of a country’s jurisdiction and that the tax base reported in the country reflects the economic activity undertaken therein. It also gives taxpayers a clear guidance on the proper application of the arm’s length principle.

Hopefully, both Philippine taxpayers and the BIR would be able to bring the entirety of the 2022 OECD TPG to bear.

D

emocracy is the lynchpin of a society that values liberty, and the ultimate standard of legitimacy of any government that imposes authority upon its people. Unlike an authoritarian system of government where political power rests with the dictator or the oligarch, power and privilege belong to the sovereign people in a democracy. Etymologically, the term is derived from two Greek words, demos (meaning people) and kratos (rule). Roughly, it translates to “rule of the people,” or by extension “people power.”

Thus, we can say that the Edsa Revolt in 1986 was a blatant display of democratic action, which toppled an unwanted regime.

With the victory of the allied forces during the 2nd World War against the fascist and dictatorial regimes, the majority of the jurisdictions in the world have embraced the democratic system of government. Before the turn of the century, more than 60 percent, or about 120 independent countries have adopted democracy as a way of life. At the height of the Cold War, the geopolitical tension had polarized the world into two camps. This led to the formation of two major blocs—the Western Bloc led by the US and the Eastern Bloc championed by the USSR. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Iron Curtain collapsed and a number of communist countries in Eastern and Central Europe under the Soviet sphere of influence discarded their communist rule and joined the freedom-loving states. However, Russia is intent on keeping whatever is left of its once powerful Soviet Republic and prevent any further advance by NATO to its eastern border. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine is a continuation of this contest for hegemony in the region. In a nutshell, it’s a struggle between democracy and communism. But democracy is not only won or lost through armed conflict. When political conflicts are not managed properly through peaceful and demo-

cratic means, democracy is imperiled.

Our political institutions and electoral processes should be strong and resilient to withstand the pressures of sinister forces that are out to undermine our democratic system. The poll body, which administers the conduct of our elections, must be totally nonpartisan and independent. When the Comelec is perceived to be serving the interest of one party and is deemed to be partisan, people lose their trust in our elections. A corrupt Comelec abets election fraud and conducts dishonest elections. Vote-buying, cheating, ballot snatching and terrorism mar the elections and destroy the integrity of the votes. Candidates who don’t deserve to win get elected into public office and gain control of the reins of government. And once they are in power, they abuse their authority and destroy the fabric of democracy. There is a gradual weakening of the democratic institutions and people wake up wondering why they have lost their freedom. There may be no tanks in the streets, no military checkpoints in major entry points and political institutions continue to exist but an oppressive regime that stifles people’s rights reigns in the land. The gradual loss of freedom is almost imperceptible. No wonder that the number of democratic coun-

tries has declined. In some countries, the democratic space has contracted and the quality of democracy has suffered. Overtime, some countries slowly slide into authoritarianism.

Embryonic and newly born republics experiment on populist autocracy, which eventually backslide into despotic rule. Constitutional authoritarianism has become a vogue that the system has become a model for some developing countries. While a few have been successful, many have fallen to hard authoritarian forms of government characterized by repressive rule. A veneer of democracy remains but there is a deprivation of civil liberties. Elections are still held for show and they are not honest and fair, and the rules are stacked against the genuine opposition. The courts and the legislators still function but they are co-opted by the corrupt executive. Newspapers are still published and TV and radio continue to operate, but they are subject to strict censorship. In other words, democracy is a sham.

Democracy is fragile and unless nourished properly it is bound to die. Governments with less resilient institutions and a population bereft with deep-seated commitment to the ideals of democracy are more susceptible to democratic breakdown. The mere fact that we have a Constitution that sets out in printed words our liberty and freedom is not a guarantee for our democracy to survive. The mere fact that we have elected leaders who have sworn to protect our Constitution is not an assurance that our bill of rights will not be violated. Liberty does not need a Constitution or a document to safeguard it. For as the great jurist, Judge Learned Hand, had said more than a century ago: “Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it.

While it lies there, it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it.”

The sovereign people should value the liberty that we enjoy. Our forefathers fought and died to gain

every freedom that we now cherish. But it is for us to lose. One of the guardrails of democracy is the electoral process. Many take elections for granted and use them as an occasion to fleece money or favor from the candidates. They squander their chance to install into office deserving candidates who embody our democratic ideals. Despite the writings on the wall, they don’t reject aspirants for public office who have dictatorial tendencies and are prone to commit abuses once they assume office. Voters should be able to discern the true character of a candidate; they should identify and unmask demagogues who are a threat to our democracy. There are telltale signs of deceptive and unprincipled aspirants for elective office who are undeserving of our trust. We can go over their records of public service. Are they tainted with corruption and scandals? Have they abused their authority and committed violations of human rights? We should learn our lessons from the past.

History tells us that democracy dies at the hands of democratically elected leaders who become tyrannical in their rule. There are heads of state freely chosen by the people who eventually subvert the very system that installed them into power and betray the will of the people who brought them to office. Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of pre-war Germany after a series of electoral triumphs by his Nazi Party, and led his country to ruin. Filipinos have voted twice into Malacañang a president who became a tyrant and refused to vacate his office until People Power ousted him. Through elections, we can install a system of checks-andbalances, which prevents autocratic leaders from abusing their power.

More importantly, elections provide a fair opportunity for everyone to hold government power through a system of honest and clean elections. In a sense, elections are a laboratory of democracy. Let’s make it successful by electing only worthy candidates into office.

Universal basic income: To UBI or not to UBI

By Sonny Africa

T

he catastrophic collapse of family incomes from lockdowns worldwide when Covid-19 hit has spurred interest in universal basic income (UBI) programs. It seems especially urgent now as socioeconomic statistics come in. Officially reported poverty increased in the first semester of 2021, the recently released December 2021 labor force figures set up the Duterte administration to have the biggest increase in unemployment in the post-Marcos era, and socalled job creation is virtually all in poor quality informal work.

Pope Francis visibly pushed for UBI last year, some lawmakers have tossed the idea around, and the lone Leftist presidential candidate in the May 2022 elections is formally proposing it. Institutionalizing more comprehensive and actually universal social protection is certainly long overdue. Current measures are fragmented and, outside of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of conditional cash transfers (CCTs) for the poorest four million or so families, underfunded.

However, this starts with the current and next administration making the clear policy choice that one of the key development objectives is ensuring that every Filipino has a minimum decent standard of living. This should be on a daily basis and especially in situations of distress, crisis and vulnerability such as the current pandemic.

The author is a junior partner of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a memberfirm of WTS Global.

The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at jomel.manaig@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 local 380.

A universal social protection floor should include not just basic income security but also essential health care and

minimum education and nutrition for children. The best and most sustainable sources of financing for this are the redistributive measures of higher income taxes and a wealth tax on the rich. IBON has been advocating for a billionaire tax for years.

There is already a rudimentary delivery mechanism for cash transfers that can be improved further. For social services, the government will need to let go of its overly market-oriented framework.

Health care can’t be privatized and education shouldn’t be commercialized. Robust publicly-provided social services are still the best ways for affordability and accessibility over the long-run.

The crisis will worsen inequality especially with the government not taking any steps to mitigate this. The richest families and largest corporations will remain secure. MSMEs have closed permanently with adverse consequences on their owners and employees.

Many poor have been put out of work, face lower incomes from whatever oddjobs they have, spend more on health care and education, and depleted any

the highest inflation in 40 years until 2024—the next presidential election—but it will not last until your favorite deity comes in riding a golden duck. It’s only Transitory.

However, systemic inflation caused by a loss of confidence in government is horrific. Not trusting the government fuels inflation and other economic events, like the most recent crypto price surge.

You can argue who is entitled to own Ukraine just like Taiwan, Sabah, and Jammu/Kashmir. But Russia has it and Ukraine wants it, and Putin will not let that happen.

The only way Ukraine can take it is if Nato—read US—backs a Ukrainian invasion with Nato military bootson-the-ground. That will never happen. Even the Ukraine knows it. But what Ukraine was afraid of is that

Putin might move in and pre-empt a Ukrainian attack. He is not that stupid. Why would Vladimir bother since he has Europe trembling just by having Russian troops nearby on his own Russian territory?

Biden has been saying for weeks Putin is going to invade “tomorrow.” That hysteria has been joined by the UK’s Boris Johnson—who is on his way there now—and by

Need for universal social protection

savings they might have had. The high unemployment also certainly means huge downward pressure on wages.

Free, affordable services more vital

The objective of a universal basic income (UBI) to ensure that everyone has a minimum basic income is unassailable.

However, it’s probably inappropriate in the Philippine policy context and at its level of development.

For the UBI to be meaningful it will have to be large and such a large permanent cash transfer will likely have adverse policy consequences. The budget for this will easily run into the hundreds of billions of pesos.

Given the government’s overly market-oriented approach to social development, this could lead to a decline in public services where the UBI will be seen as the quick fix to development and universal social protection. Budgets for the public health system, education system, and welfare services will likely suffer and be increasingly turned over to the “efficient” private sector. The end result will be even more emaciated publicly-provided social services. This kind of dynamic is already seen in the health sector. The government’s approach to universal health care is PhilHealth—e.g., a health insurance scheme essentially giving patients funds to pay for health care. The pandemic has drawn attention to how this privatized approach has resulted in an increasingly underfunded public health system and in insufficient health care capacity.

Public hospitals are underfunded because PhilHealth supporting the health expenses of its beneficiaries is supposed

France’s Emmanuel Macron. Note, Biden has the worst approval rating for a president this recently inaugurated since the snake in the Garden of Eden. Macron’s approval rating was 37 percent three weeks ago before ‘Freedom Convoy’ truckers prepared to blockade Paris. Johnson “can win next election” but his government is fragile. Do you notice a pattern?

to incentivize private hospitals to provide this. This has already resulted in more private hospital beds than public hospital beds.

Profit-seeking private hospitals, however, frown on excess bed and health worker capacity because, by financial calculations, unused capacity is excess inventory that cuts into profits. Private hospitals are also more expensive because of their profit premium—private hospitals are 3-4 times more expensive than public hospitals.

From a long-term development policy perspective, it makes more sense to focus on ensuring universal basic social services (including building public sector capacity to provide this) and modernizing the economy to create jobs and decent incomes (with vibrant agriculture and strong Filipino industry). Without these, UBI will just be a populist quick fix improving official “poverty” figures but not really addressing structural constraints to national development.

Put another way, free or affordable social services, decent jobs and incomes, affordable transport and utilities, and comfortable homes are much better indicators of beating poverty than programmed UBI cash transfers.

At the micro level, a large UBI cash transfer may also inadvertently create a strong disincentive to work. This is less of a problem in a more advanced capitalist country of mostly formal work because minimum wage levels tend to be relatively uniform and high. In this context, a UBI recipient still has an incentive to work for the presumably greater earnings from getting a minimum wage or higher.

And against all this chaos, “Crude oil futures sharply higher amid Russia invasion fears.” Go watch the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” video on YouTube. Better use of your time than the hysteria.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

A12 Tuesday, February 15, 2022

MARINA STARTS GIVING ONLINE CERTIFICATES FOR SEAFARERS

T

HE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) will start the online issuance of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) certificates today, Tuesday.

Marina Administrator Robert A. Empedrad said this initiative is part of the agency’s digital transformation efforts, allowing for more efficient and convenient processes for Filipino seafarers.

Making the issuance of STCW certificates available online will spare seafarers from having to claim physically at the Marina their STCW certificates, Empedrad said.

Historically, seafarers getting their Certificates of Proficiency (COPs) and Certificates of Competency (COCs) had to physically request for these documents.

The COPs and COCs are also

equipped with QR codes that can be verified online via the Marina verification portal.

Through the Marina Integrated Seafarers Management Online (Mismo) System, seafarers may now request for COPs and COCs and pay for them online.

These certificates can be printed and do not need the affixation of a dry seal.

Aside from democratizing access to COPs and COCs, the Marina is also mulling over the reduction of the costs of “up to 50 percent...to mitigate the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the onslaught of recent calamities that devastated parts of the Visayas and Mindanao Regions.”

“This proposal will be submitted to the Marina Board for its consideration during its next meeting this February,” a Marina advisory read.

Lorenz Marasigan

Steady rise in jabs, low Covid case rates: What it will take to have AL1

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

A

STEADY increase in vaccination rates and the continuing decline in the number of new Covid-19 cases would make it possible for the country to de-escalate to Alert Level 1, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

In a virtual briefing over the weekend, Neda Undersecretary for Planning and Policy Rosemarie G. Edillon said the easing of mobility restriction down to Alert Level 1 and the recent opening of the tourism sector will help the economy recover this year.

The Neda assessment was made before the Metro Manila Council of mayors voted on Monday to recommend extension of Alert Level 2 for Metro Manila until the end of February.

In explaining what it would take to de-escalate the alert levels, Neda’s Edillon had said, in a mix of English and Filipino: “First of all, we hope the cases won’t rise again. Second, if the vaccinations continue to be ramped up, even if the cases rise the hospitals won’t be overwhelmed. So, if this is what will happen, I am sure our alert level will also be de-escalated.”

Edillon told BusinessMirror on Sunday that in order for the country to be placed under Alert Level 1, the current metrics require that the 2-week growth rate in new cases is negative. This means there is a declining trend in new cases.

Further, she said there must also be a low average daily attack rate (ADAR). This means daily cases per 100,000 population, for an average of seven days, should be no more than seven infections as well as low-risk hospital bed utilization or no more than 49 percent.

Edillon said the country’s vaccination rate should also be at least 70 percent and that all establishments must have the safety seal.

The Safety Seal system allows businesses to increase their operating capacity by 10 percentage points if they meet criteria such as having all their employees vaccinated, among others. “ The parameter of hospital bed utilization reflects infection levels from 1 to 2 weeks before; 2-week ADAR plus safety seal would imply the level of compliance to health protocols; (and) 2-week ADAR plus vaccination

‘Proper’ review of 3-yr-old rice trade lib law pushed

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

A

@jearcalas

COALITION of small-scale farmers urged the government on Monday to abolish or at least review “properly” the rice trade liberalization law (RTL) ahead of the review of the rice competitiveness enhancement fund (RCEF) this year.

Koalisyon Kontra Rice Tariffication Law (KKRTL) made the call on the third anniversary of Duterte’s signing of Republic Act 11203 or RTL law that deregulated the country’s rice industry.

The implementation of the RTL law started on March 5, 2019 and a provision of the law mandates that Congress conduct a review of its RCEF component three years after.

Under RA 11203, the percentage allocation under the P10-billion guaranteed RCEF shall be “reviewed” on the third year of the program “for possible revisions should intervention priorities change.”

The law also required the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Moder nization (COC A FM) to conduct a periodic review of the

use of the RCEF. “This automatic review is important because it would put the RTL law at the spotlight of national debate,” the coalition said.

“That is why, we, the Koalisyon Kontra RTL, are calling on government officials to ensure that the review would listen to the problems of rice farmers and would see that the law in itself is a huge problem to the industry,” the coalition added.

The coalition, composed of rice farmers nationwide, urged the government to release to the public the achievements and impact of the RTL law in the past three years.

“It is only right that the impact of the RTL law be made public, particularly its effect on the lives of rice farmers,” it said.

The coalition claimed that the RTL law only caused a reduction in rice farmers’ income for the past three years, citing the plunge in farm-gate prices to as low as P7 per kilogram in certain provinces of the country.

The coalition also criticized the government’s slow implementation of the RCEF, pointing out that the implementation was inefficient in delivering the farmers’ muchneeded interventions.

“In terms of mechanization, there has been slow distribution of machinery while some farmers in Visayas are complaining that the machinery they received is not appropriate for their farms,” it said.

“The rice seeds we received had lower yield while some even had pests,” it added.

The coalition called on political candidates running in the May national elections to focus on the alleged problems and issues brought about by the RTL law.

“Our challenge to them is to provide a clear stance on agricultural issues, particularly the RTL law. Whoever will be elected in office, for sure they will be welcomed with massive protests by farmers if the RTL law will not be abolished.”

would be predictive of hospital utilization 1 to 2 weeks forward,” Edillon told BusinessMirror.

Efforts to boost the economy include the recent opening of the country to foreigners. Edillon said while foreign tourists only account for 12 percent of the country’s GDP, this remains significant.

She said foreign tourists ensure that even on lean months, the country’s tourism-related businesses are up and running. This is crucial in their operations as domestic travelers only frequent tourist destinations during specific periods.

While it is important to encourage domestic tourists, having a diverse pool of visitors could ensure that the country’s tourism industry can operate all year round.

“Domestic tourists would travel during very specific periods (Holy Week, school break, Christmas break, other long weekends); and these dates are the same for most Filipinos (except the local holidays).

Having foreign tourists could bring in tourists during the ‘down-times’ of domestic tourism,” she told this newspaper.

Social protection

WITH the ill effects of the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 hampering livelihoods and incomes, Ibon Foundation Inc. believes efforts must be exerted to expand social protection in the country.

Ibon said a universal social protection floor should include not just basic income security but also essential health care and minimum education and nutrition for children.

This is a more holistic move rather than just adopting a Universal Basic Income (UBI), which Ibon said, may not be appropriate for the country at this time given its level of development.

For the UBI to be meaningful it will have to be large and such a large permanent cash transfer will likely have adverse policy consequences.

The budget for this will easily run into the hundreds of billions of pesos.

Ibon also said that from a longterm development policy perspective, ensuring universal basic social services including building public sector capacity to provide this and modernizing the economy to create jobs and decent incomes with vibrant agriculture and strong Filipino industry, would be more ideal for the country.

See “Jabs,” A2

ECOWASTE Coalition and the Malate Catholic Church convened on Monday at Rajah Sulayman Park to call out the 18th Congress for passing bills that they deemed “false solutions.” The Senate and House of Representatives have passed on third reading the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Bill amending Republic Act 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. The HoR has passed the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Bill on third reading, while the Senate version is still pending for second reading. NONIE REYES

Senators to tackle bid to ratify RCEP in May

S

ENATORS will tackle the pending move to ratify the Reg iona l Comprehensive Economic Partnersip (RCEP), as endorsed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), when they resume session in late May, according to the chairman of the Foreign Relations committee.

They target a final plenary vote to ratify or reject the Palaceendorsed accord, which dozens of farm-related organizations oppose, but which government economists and managers want ratified as soon as possible so that the Philippines will not be “left out” from the benefits of joining

the multilateral trade deal.

Opposers of RCEP stress, however, that the so-called “loss” from not joining is minimal compared to the huge adverse impacts on local economic sectors, noting how past multilateral accords failed to live up to the promised benefits for stakeholders.

RCEP has been billed as the biggest partnership of countries backing updated trading rules.

Sen. Aquilino Koko Pimentel III, chairman of the endorsing Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said they intend to conclude interpellations to pave the way for a final plenary vote as soon as lawmakers

resume sessions on May 23.

He, however, declined to predict if the proponents of the bill can muster the 16 votes needed to ratify the accord.

The RCEP relaxes trading rules among its member-countries Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, as well as the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) —the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

For the Philippines, President Duterte signed the RCEP treaty in September 2021 and, in ac-

cordance with the Constitution, submitted it to the Senate for ratification by two-thirds vote of the 24-member chamber, or 16 votes in favor.

It took effect last January 1 for all countries that have ratified it, even as the Philippine Senate failed to ratify the accord before Congress adjourned from February 5 to May 22.

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez earlier lamented the “lost” opportunity from early membership, but expressed hope that the Philippines can join the trade deal at least within the year.

Butch Fernandez

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

B1

Century Properties targeting to raise ₧3B from bond offer

P

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

roperty developer Century Properties Group Inc. (CPG) has started to offer its P3-billion debt papers to the public, proceeds of which will be used to fund its capital expenditures for its horizontal projects.

The company said it has set the rate for its five-year fixed rate bond at 5.7524 percent per year, or higher than the current secondary rate of 4.4332 percent.

The company is offering P2billion worth of bonds, with a P1billion oversubscription options.

The paper will be listed and traded

on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. on February 24.

“We are happy with the strong capital markets condition allowing us to price the issuance at the tighter end of the range of our indicative spread,” Ponciano S. Carreon Jr., CPG’s CFO, said.

This is the first tranche of CPG’s

P6-billion debt securities program under shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A total of P1 billion from the proceeds will fund capital expenditures for the horizontal affordable housing developments of Phirst Park Homes Inc. (PPHI), its joint venture with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp.

The balance of the bond proceeds will be earmarked for partial debt refinancing and other general corporate purposes.

“This marks the fourth capital markets transaction of CPG, and we expect this offering to be very well received by a broad range of investors. We are honored to be a reliable partner of the CPG group in achieving its growth ambitions,” Ryan Martin L. Tapia, president

of China Bank Capital Corp. said.

The bank is the sole issue manager, lead underwriter and sole bookrunner for the offer.

As of September, Phirst Park launched three new projects with total expected revenue of P2.9 billion. These are in General Trias, Cavite; Baliwag, Bulacan; and Tayabas, Quezon.

“We are greatly encouraged with the capital markets confidence in CPG and with the continued preference of first-home buyers for our PPHI projects,” CPG President and CEO Jose Marco R. Antonio said.

“For this year, we will be launching four new master planned communities to serve the strong demand for quality affordable homes.” The public offer period for CPG’s bond offering will end on February 18.

PLDT, Multisys unveil Multistore

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

T

he enterprise arm of PLDT Inc. has partnered with software solutions company Multisys Technologies Corp. to introduce Multistore, a turnkey ecommerce solution for micro, small and medium enterprises, as a bundle for enterprise-grade connectivity solutions.

Multistore is described as a platform “that allows businesses to create an online presence for their products and services in a short amount of time and at a much lower cost.”

The platform enables entrepreneurs of different business types to build an online store in minutes, providing essential features such as inventory management system, order, content and customer relationship management, and ready-to-use local payment and delivery services.

With the partnership, PLDT Enterprise can now offer Multistore as a bundle for its “Beyond Fiber’s Curated Digital Solutions.”

“The introduction of Multistore aims to let businesses take their business online if they have not done so yet, by introducing an easyto-use and affordable solution, and

not be constrained by transaction fees per sale and the hassle of setting up delivery and payment integration to complete their online selling ecosystem,” said Jojo Gendrano, FVP and Head of PLDT and Smart Enterprise.

He added that the platform can serve as another channel to expand the reach of growing businesses.

“We at MultiSys really look forward to this partnership with PLDT Enterprise as we embark on a new journey that will unfold a new world of business opportunities. Multistore and Beyond Fiber can help a lot of MSMEs to continue operating

Rolls-Royce to help power electric planes

A Rolls Royce Holdings Plc jet engine sits beneath the wing of an Airbus SE A380 passenger jet, operated by Emirates Airline, on static display on the first day of the 16th Dubai Air Show at Dubai World Central (DWC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on November 17, 2019. Photographer: Christopher Pike/Bloomberg

R

olls-Royce Holdings Plc, the enginemaker known for powering Airbus SE and Boeing Co. workhorse jets, expects a fully-electric small aircraft in three to five years, a top executive said.

The first commercial application of P-Volt, a battery electric system developed by Rolls-Royce, will have about 600 kilowatt hours of power, which will enable flying six to eight people as far as 80 nautical miles, Rob Watson, president of the company’s electrical division, said in an interview in Singapore on Monday.

That range will keep improving with better battery technology, and may eventually be able to fly as much as 400 kilometers (250 miles) in the 2030s, London-based Watson, who’s attending the biennial Singapore Airshow this week, said.

“We are confident in the technology. Now we need to scale it so it can have a meaningful economic influence,” said Watson, who was promoted to an executive role this year. “I think that’s where you see urban air mobility and regional air mobility, aircraft with 8-18 seats,

becoming a real possibility in the next three to five years.”

A slew of companies around the world, from startups to established aerospace giants, as well as some automobile manufacturers, are at different stages of developing aircraft that are powered by an alternative source of power, as pressure builds on the industry to cut back on emissions. The options being worked on include sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, hydrogen, fully electric, and hybrid-electric.

Rolls-Royce’s electric propulsion system can be used for both electric vertical takeoff and landing, or so-called eVTOLs or commuter aircraft. One of its customers, Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd., has already grabbed orders from American Airlines Group Inc., Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. and aircraft lessor Avolon Holdings Ltd., and says its VAX4, a zero-emission four-passenger aircraft, can fly as fast as 200 miles per hour over a range of more than 100 miles.

However, Watson doesn’t expect narrowbody aircraft, the most pop-

ular models for Airbus and Boeing, to turn fully electric.

“If you want to fly hundreds of people and thousands of miles, which is the single- aisle market, a battery is never going to do that because you’ll just be limited by the energy density of a battery and the weight of the battery,” Watson said.

“If you want to get to net-zero on those platforms, you will achieve that principally through SAF and then through hydrogen.”

Rolls-Royce is currently in talks with suppliers for battery cells as it approaches the crucial stage of certification, Watson said. While RollsRoyce will design and assemble the packs, it won’t manufacture battery cells, he said.

“We need to make supply selection decisions in the next year, year and a half,” Watson said. “We’re making decisions about our strategic suppliers this year.”

Shares in London-headquartered Rolls-Royce slumped as much as 5.4 percent in early trade Monday, bringing declines for the year to 6.4 percent. Bloomberg News

again and even improve the way they run their business to become better and more efficient,” said MultiSys CEO and Founder David Almirol.

Raslag aims to complete solar projects in 5 years

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

N

epomuceno-led Raslag Corp. intends to complete three solar power projects in the next five years to reach its goal of expanding its portfolio to 250megawatts (MW) by 2032.

“In view of the growing demand for renewable energy [RE] on the back of domestic economic expansion and a global trend towards sustainability, Raslag has lined up three solar projects that it targets to complete within 5 years which would boost its generation capacity by nearly 6-fold,” it said Monday.

The company is nearing the completion of its 18.011 MWp R ASLAG-3 solar power plant, which is set for commercial operations by May 2022. RASLAG-3 will nearly double the company’s generation capacity this year.

Raslag also commenced work for the development of the 35.2 MWp R A SL AG - 4 solar power plant and has acquired the site for the 60 MWp RASLAG-5 solar power plant.

Within the next 10 years, the company plans to further develop its project pipeline with the aim of scaling up its generation capacity by more than tenfold to 250 MWp, it added.

The renewable energy firm currently owns and operates the 10.046 MWp R ASLAG-1 solar power plant and 13.141 MWp RASLAG-2 solar power plant that are both in Mexico, Pampanga.

These plants are running under the Philippines’s Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme.

R A SL AG -1 was the second solar plant to be included in the first round of FIT for solar with a P9.68/kWh base tariff, while R ASLAG-2 was the first solar plant in the second round of FIT for solar with a P8.69/kWh base tariff. Both plants enjoy 20 years of guaranteed payment from the government with annual escalation in consideration of local inflation and foreign exchange. The plants also benefit from various privileges under the Renewable Energy Act, such as tax incentives and preferential dispatch of energy.

The Nepomuceno family became a pioneer in the renewables space when they founded Raslag in 2013, one of the first solar energy developers in the Philippines.

The company is the brainchild of Engr. Peter G. Nepomuceno, the patriarch of the Nepomuceno Group of Companies of Angeles City, and Engr. Conrado D. Pecjo, a seasoned energy industry executive.

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Regulators revoke license of Suhail Medical Center

By VG Cabuag

T

@villygc

he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has revoked the corporate registration of Suhail Medical Center Inc. for its unauthorized solicitation of investments from the public to own part of its supposed hospital in Calamba, Laguna.

The SEC said Suhail Medical Center has been soliciting some P1.06 million from prospective investors to co-own seats in its hospital. Investors also have the option to purchase half a seat worth P550,000.

In an order dated February 3, the SEC’s Enforcement and Investor Protection Department found that

the company headed by Jesser T. Cordova has been publicly offering and selling securities without the necessary secondary license from the agency.

The company promised investors returns in the form of quarterly revenues based on the hospital’s performance, free laboratories and

check-ups for the co-owners and their next of kin, as well as lifetime income. The hospital is not yet being built.

The SEC said Suhail Medical Center’s promised profits and returns would be derived from the investments of new member-investors, not its actual operations.

“Necessarily, this scheme is unsustainable as it must rely on a continuous inflow of new investors in order to make pay-outs to earlier investors, all the more made glaring considering that it has no actual operations yet to speak of,” the SEC said in its order.

The SEC has secured certification from the Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau of the Department of Health stating that there was no license issued to a certain Suhail Medical Center located in Calamba, Laguna, nor was there an application for such health facility.

Suhail Medical Center’s scheme involved securities, particularly an investment contract, in which a person invests his money in a common enterprise and is led to expect profits primarily from the efforts of others, the SEC said.

As a form of security, investment contracts must be registered with the SEC before they can be sold or offered within the Philippines, according to the Securities Regulation Code.

The company’s activities also constituted serious misrepresentation as to what it can do, to the great prejudice of or damage to the general public, a ground for the revocation of a corporation’s certificate of registration under Presidential Decree No. 902-A, according to the order.

The SEC already warned the public against investing in Suhail Medical Center as early as November 16, 2021 through an advisory.

Report: Globe dominates 4 categories

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

G

lobe Telecom Inc. on Monday said it dominated four categories in The Method Research’s Mobile Network Operators 2021 report on the Philippines.

In a statement, the Ayala-led telco said it led the industry in terms of network coverage, internet speed, digital marketing campaigns, and price competitiveness, citing data from The Method Research.

The Method Research surveyed 1,588 Filipinos across the Philippines and asked them about their preferred mobile network operator: Globe, Smart, Dito, TNT, TM, and Sun. According to the report, Globe was the top choice of Filipinos in terms of coverage, cornering a 33.63 percent positive response from respondents. Smart trailed with 32.93 percent, followed by TNT with 11.59 percent, Dito with 10.89 percent, TM with 8.94 percent, and Sun with 1.95 percent.

A total of 33.55 percent of respondents also said Globe had the better internet speed, while 29.79 percent voted for Smart. Dito came in at third with 21.16 percent votes, TNT with 9.26 percent, TM with 6.55 percent, and Sun with 1.64 percent.

The research also found that 27.46 percent of respondents also preferred Globe when it comes to pricing. Smart came in second with 19.27 percent, Dito with 17.13 percent, TM with 17 percent, TNT with 14.67 percent, and Sun with 4.41 percent.

Globe also emerged as the top brand for digital marketing campaigns with 38.29 percent, followed

by Smart’s 33.12 percent.

“The results of the new survey affirm that Globe prevails as a trusted brand among Filipinos. We are thankful to our customers for believing in us and staying with us. We will continue our efforts to deliver a #1stWorldNetwork and affordable products and services that meet the changing needs and demands of our customers,” Globe President Ernest L. Cu said.

Avion plant now fully operational–PMPC

mutual funds

February 14, 2022

NAV

One Year Three Year Five Year

per share Return*

Y-T-D Return

Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a

232.59

3.45%

-4.31%

-1.75%

-0.21%

ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a

1.5495

17.96%

-0.15%

2.13%

-6.89%

-7.98%

-4.52%

-0.67%

ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.2161

3.58%

Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7598 -3.23%

-6.84% n.a.

0.44%

First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7592

-4.31% n.a.

-1.52%

First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a

5.8%

-2.2%

0.05%

-0.34%

First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.7757

6.35%

-4.05%

-3.4%

MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a

92.82

-6.83%

-8.44% n.a.

-1.7%

PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a

47.614

2.64%

-2.92%

-0.24%

-1.07%

Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

499.53

3.25%

-2.72%

-0.62%

-0.23%

Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a

1.3669

17.42%

1.41%

2.2%

0.78%

Philequity Fund, Inc. -a

36.3033

5.33%

-2.01%

0.73%

-0.8%

0.9467

4.97%

-2.86% n.a.

0.56%

Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

5.1653

6.9%

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a

4.9127

3.51%

-2.22%

0.37%

-0.97%

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

820.07

3.27%

-2.25%

0.33%

-1.02%

Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

0.7473

4.72%

-6.12%

-2.58%

-0.7%

4.13%

-4.44%

-1.05%

-1.09%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.7344 Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.9343

2.81%

-2.58%

0.09%

United Fund, Inc. -a

3.66%

-2.45%

0.88%

-0.45%

3.4218

-0.97%

-1.08%

Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a

1.1801

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

9.99% n.a. n.a.

1.5%

1006.92 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Exchange Traded Fund (shares) First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c

110.4272

3.61%

-2.02%

0.81%

-0.94%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

$1.1243

-16.1%

4.23%

4.48%

-0.2%

Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.7491

-1.8%

12.75%

10.17%

-5.27%

Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a

1.6706

0.13%

-0.97%

-0.64%

-1.26%

ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a

2.2637

-0.12%

-0.49%

-0.17%

-0.78%

First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.683

3.05%

0.51%

1.35%

-0.3%

First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.209

6.36% n.a. n.a.

NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a

2.0072

2.05%

1.71%

1.81%

-0.47%

PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a

3.7508

-0.39%

1.16%

0.68%

-0.38%

Philam Fund, Inc. -a

16.79

-0.3%

0.77%

0.65%

-0.33%

Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a

2.1164

1.51%

-0.45%

0.47%

-0.24%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.6144 1.59%

-1.72%

-0.08%

-0.9%

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a

-0.47%

0.38%

-0.61%

0.9484

7.02%

0%

Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a

0.9742

-4.06%

-0.53% n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a

0.934

-0.74%

-1.75% n.a.

-1.58% -1.11%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a

0.9228

-0.18%

-2.12% n.a.

-1.19%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a

$0.03647

-6.03%

0.72%

0.65%

$1.076

-9.9%

3.36%

3.18%

0.83%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.5959 -2.88%

8.94%

7.4%

-4.29%

4.3%

3.53%

-3.59%

PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,2 $1.1556 -4.23%

-3.87%

Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

374.21

0.69%

2.71%

2.47%

ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.8873

-0.91%

0.48%

0.08%

-0.02% 0.14%

Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.2451

0.82%

2.79%

3.77%

0.03%

Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a

2.2371

-2.58%

1.4%

1.26%

-0.64%

First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4192 -1.18%

2.78%

1.8%

-0.28% -0.71%

Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a

4.3645

-5.81%

3.68%

1.31%

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a

1.3223

-0.08%

3.7%

2.87%

0.24%

Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9642

-0.5%

3.46%

2.62%

-0.04%

Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.0215

-1.66%

3.93%

1.86%

-0.65%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1847

-0.62%

4%

3.09%

-0.08%

Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a

-1.23%

3.16%

2.39%

-0.18%

1.7275

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares)

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T

he Avion gas power plant of First Gen Corp. unit, Prime Meridian Power Gen Corp.

(PMPC), can now run on both natural gas and liquid fuel.

The Lopez-led firm said Monday that PMPC was advised by the plant’s equipment manufacturer, GE, that the recommissioning and testing activities of Unit 1 of the 97MW Avion Power Plant on both natural gas and liquid fuel have now been completed.

“The unit is now commercially

available on both natural gas and liquid fuel,” said First Gen. It can be recalled that GE said in December last year that the damage of Avion unit 1’s (48.5MW) compressor was found during an inspection.

The 97MW Avion plant utilizes General Electric (GE) LM6000 PC dual fuel aero-derivative gas turbines.

The Avion power plant, which is located within the First Gen Clean Energy Complex in Batangas City, is one of the gas facilities that source fuel from the offshore Malampaya gas field.

ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$487.81

0.55%

2.66%

2.32%

-0.36%

ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a

Є218.22

-0.58%

0.61%

0.85%

-0.81%

$1.17

-7.66%

0.71%

1.11%

-2.82%

First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0255 -3.41%

0.66%

0.48%

-1.92%

PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b

-2.07%

-1.5%

-3.84%

ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b

$0.9835

-9.74%

$2.4001

-5.07%

2.65%

1.8%

-4.21%

$0.0616891

-1.43%

2.44%

1.71%

-0.97%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.0199 -5.96%

1.09%

0.56%

-5.52%

Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a

Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a

131.35

1.02%

2.6%

First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a

1.0592

0.97%

1.88% n.a.

2.53%

0.12%

Sun Life Prosperity Peso Starter Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.3179

1.49%

2.47%

2.52%

0.14%

0.17%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0613

0.72%

1.37% n.a.

0.07%

Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a

46.724 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a 1.3609

15.12% n.a. n.a.

-1.59%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a

$0.9424

-4.81% n.a. n.a.

-2.85%

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 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last July 8, 2021 (formerly, Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.).

2 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last November 25, 2021.

"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

‘Fraud risks due to use of credit cards rising’

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @Tyronepiad

T

HERE’S a specter haunting consumers in the Asia Pacific region: fraud risks. These risks are on the rise and most of them are due to credit cards as such are the most common payment method in the region, a report by a data and analytics firm said.

The recent “True Cost of FraudAsia Pacific” study by LexisNexis Risk Solutions Inc. revealed that the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online and mobile channel transactions that, compared to inperson transactions, are exposed to greater fraud risks.

“Credit cards represent the largest payment method and source of fraud losses across much of the region, but digital/mobile wallets and debit cards also factored in highly,” the report read.

The report also noted that identity verification is the topmost concern when it comes to potential fraud in online channels.

The challenges that make identity verification tricky include the rise of synthetic identities; greater shift to digital payment methods; more botnet attacks; inability to confirm origination location; and limited access to real-time risk assessment data and tools, among others, according to the report.

With fraud risks on the rise, the study pointed out the need for companies to implement multi-layered solutions to safeguard their consumers.

This digital fraud defense, it explained, must also come along with a single authentication decision platform that includes near real-time event data, third-party signals and cross-channel intelligence.

The report said bot attacks could

be lessened with the use of behavioral biometrics, such as keystroke dynamics and voice ID. A bot attack is the use of automated web requests to manipulate, defraud or disrupt a website, application, API (application programming interface) or endusers, according to a website owned

by Fastly Inc. “This fraud defense strategy analyzes the way a user interacts with a device and reliably differentiates between user profiles,” the report read.

“As fraud becomes more complex, various risks can occur at the same time with no single solution,” the LexisNexis study read. “Fraud tools need to authenticate both digital and physical criteria, as well as identity and transaction risk.”

The Alpharetta, Georgia, USAheadquartered firm’s January to June 2021 cybercrime report included the Philippines in the top 10 countries in the world where digital threats originate.

“The growth in attack volume from the Philippines was largely driven by a credit card testing attack targeting a payment gateway in March,” the data and analytics firm said.

LexisNexis’s report noted that human-initiated attacks across the globe declined by 9 percent to 236 million during the period. Most of these targeted mobile users at 54 percent, the remaining was for computer users.

Meanwhile, automated bot attacks surged by 41 percent to 1.2 billion. More than half of these were aimed at financial services.

“High velocity automated attacks that typically mass-test stolen identity credentials on a particular use case, originating from a machine or series of machines, have grown across financial services and media organizations,” the report read.

On Love and Financial Planning

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HE love month of February is the best time for showing affection to your partner and loved ones. At this time, most of us would probably have scheduled dinner dates at a fancy restaurant or would have sent flowers over to your loved one’s place of residence or work.

But what if you are financially challenged at the moment and unable to provide gifts? Does that mean your relationship is bound to break or is it a test for building a stronger union?

For this article, I will expound on ways that can help couples have a better financial future together.

The first important step in strengthening a couple’s financial future is to communicate with one another, even in the smallest of details.

This applies not just to emotional matters but also to financial ones. Allow me to give an example.

Let us say you lost your job and have recently found a new job as a food delivery rider in order to provide for your family. You are about to go to your first day of work but learned that the delivery box assigned to you is not yet available. What then do you do? You discuss with your partner about it and perhaps you both can find a way to make the job work. As one temporary solution, he/she can help you out as a carrier of the package. It may not be the most romantic of settings, delivering packages together in the blistering heat of day, but these types of act prove that you are working for your mutual future together.

The second thing one needs to do is to assess your financial situation as a couple/family. You do not need to shoulder the financial burden alone. If you involve each other in your financial affairs and work as a team, then achieving your family financial goals can be made easier, and your union can become stronger. If one of you knows how to cook, then perhaps your partner could be the marketing or server. Even if both of you have separate or distinct career paths, you can still plan things together to improve and enhance your prosperity.

For the third advice, it is: do not overspend or, rather, spend only what you can afford. If you really don’t have

Raymond Anthony Quisumbing

personal finance enough budget to buy an expensive bouquet or dine at an expensive restaurant, there are a lot of other inexpensive ways to show your devotion and love, as long as you are willing to put in time and effort. Set up a romantic dining table at your place, add candle lights, learn to cook soup and learn how to soften a more affordable steak cut. You don’t need to buy A5 Wagyu beef to have a soft and tender steak; there are cooking methods that make it possible. Before we move on to the fourth step, it is best to realize that cutting expenses can’t be a solution forever. Though being thrifty in itself is a virtue worth having, one must also focus on growth.

So, the fourth advice is to grow together in achieving your family goals.

Work harder to get that promotion; expand your talents and monetize them to have multiple sources of income; support each other so that both your careers and businesses thrive. With a stronger financial foundation, the better the chances you have of reaching your goals. In addition, the stronger your partnership and bond becomes, the more challenges you are able to surpass (and possibly bigger rewards to come).

“Ecclesiastes 4:9: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”

Should you wish to learn more about personal finance and how I could be of help to you, please follow, like and subscribe to my upcoming Youtube channel: OhMyFinancePh. Raymond Anthony Quisumbing is a Registered Financial Planner of RFP Philippines. Follow him on Twitter at OhMyFinancePH. To learn more about personal-financial planning, attend the 94th RFP program this March 2022. To inquire, e-mail info@ rfp.ph or text at 0917-6248110.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Tuesday, February 15, 2022

B3

Market jitters push up T-bill rates

R

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

ATES for all tenors of Treasury Bills (T-bills) rose on Monday on market jitters: tensions between the United States and Russia on Ukraine and speculation of a rate hike from the US Federal Reserve next month.

Despite this, the Bureau of the Treasury still fully awarded P15 billion in T-bills during auction, which was marked with bids reaching P41.2 billion, or nearly three-times oversubscribed.

The average rate for the 91-day T-bills spiked by 10 basis points to 0.81 percent from the previous auction’s 0.71 percent. Rates for the 182-day debt paper averaged 1.066 percent, up by 4.4 basis points from

1.022 percent. The 364-day T-bills posted an average rate of 1.475 percent, higher by 6.7 basis points from 1.408 percent.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon pointed to the heightened concerns on accusation by the US that Russia would invade the Ukraine as a factor for the hike in submitted bid rates.

Likewise, De Leon said another influencer was due to speculations on a 50-basis point rate hike from the US Federal Reserve in its March meeting. Investors are vociferously betting on the hike as US inflation rate in January soared by 7.5 percent year-on-year.

International media has been reporting on the saber-rattling in the Ukraine as Washington said some 100,000 Russian assets have

been deployed on the borders of the Eastern European/North Asian nations.

Nonetheless, De Leon still expressed optimism that even with these upside risks abroad, the Treasury would still be successful in raising funds through its 5-year Retail Treasury Bonds (RTBs) set to be offered starting February 15.

The Treasury will be offering at least P30 billion in RTBs until February 28. Eligible bondholders with FXTN 20-02 and FXTN 03-24 may also exchange these for the new RTBs. In November last year, the BTr raised P360 billion from its 5.5year RTBs. For this year, the national government programmed to borrow P2.47 trillion, down by nearly a fifth from P3.07 trillion last year.

Social Housing Finance Corp. released P2.2B in loans in 2021

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

T

HE Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC) announced it has released about P2.2 billion in housing loans last year.

Broken down, the SHFC said it provided roughly P1.6 billion in loan assistance in 2021 through a community mortgage program (CMP), which led to providing residential units to 8,883 families of informal settlers across the country. According to the SHFC, the 34-year-old CMP helps these families organized into associations purchase and develop a tract of land under the concept of community ownership.

The state-run lender added it also extended about P325.9 million in loans to 2,034 families under its “high-density housing” program, or HDHP. The program is a slum redevelopment strategy wherein informal-settler families (ISFs) in Metro Manila are accommodated in multi-story buildings.

The SHFC added that another P277.52 million in loans were also released under its special projects, benefitting 3,776 households. These included shelter initiatives for families rendered homeless after government troops sieged Marawi City and those affected by the improvement work in Intramuros and construction of the North-South Commuter Railway Extension project.

The SHFC, a government-owned and -controlled corporation and attached agency to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, said it had provided secured homes to more than 427,700

This photo courtesy of the Social Housing Finance Corp. shows the façade of a 4-story building in Quezon City that the SHFC it said is ready to accommodate some 92 families organized under the Samahang Magkakapitbahay na Nagkakaisa Homeowners Association Inc. The SHFC said the construction of the building took more than two years.

families through extending P26.6 billion in loans since 1989. It is mandated to cater to the formal and informal sectors in the low-income bracket and is in charge of developing and administering social housing program schemes.

“These numbers are significant as they are a testament to our unwavering commitment to serve more Filipinos amid these difficult times,” SHFC President and lawyer Arnolfo Ricardo B. Cabling said. “We look forward to 2022 with a great deal of optimism that we can continue to house the nation and empower

communities as we recover from the pandemic.”

Amid restrictions imposed to stem the Covid-19 infection, the SHFC said it started construction on some key projects last year.

These include the groundbreaking in February 2021 of a subdivision expected to house 960 families affected by Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro in 2011. The SHFC also said a groundbreaking ceremony was held in November last year in Antipolo City for the People’s Plan Community Teamwork Homeowners’ Association Inc., which is com-

posed of 1,158 families.

The SHFC said it also held ceremonial turnover rites for 282 housing units in Marangal Village Homeowners Association Inc. in Malabon and 92 units in Samahang Magkakapitbahay na Nagkakaisa Homeowners Association Inc. in Novaliches, Quezon City, in November last year. A similar rite was conducted a month later in Ciudad de Strike Homeowners’ Association Inc. (Phase 1), a housing project for 1,440 families previously living along danger zones in Bacoor, Cavite, the SHFC said.

LandBank posts double-digit rise in net income in ’21

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

G

overnment bank Land Bank of the Philippines reported a double-digit rise in its net income in 2021 on the back of lower cost of funds and provision for losses.

The bank said its net income hit P21.75 billion in 2021—a 27 percent expansion from P17.14 billion in 2020. Landbank’s total

assets also grew 9.5 percent yearon-year to P2.586 trillion from P2.362 trillion. The bank attributed this to higher deposits during the period, rising by 8.39 percent to P2.269 trillion.

“LandBank’s robust financial performance to close 2021 is a testament to resiliency and the capacity to thrive amid another challenging year,” LandBank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo said. “We will build on this momentum as we

continue to take on an expanded role and a more holistic approach in supporting key development sectors and the nation at large.”

Meanwhile, the bank’s capital increased to P207.68 billion in 2021, 23.39 percent higher from P168.31 billion in 2020. The staterun lender said this was driven by the P27.5-billion equity infusion from the National Government in February 2021 and increase in retained earnings from annual

net income.

In terms of financial ratios, the bank posted a return on equity of 11.57 percent. Return on assets improved to 0.88 percent from 0.78 percent in 2020, while net interest margin is 2.86 percent.

“LandBank’s strong financial base places the bank in a prime position to support the whole agriculture sector and other development industries,” the bank said in its statement.

GSIS ensures insurance payouts for damaged assets

I

N a statement issued on Valentine’s Day, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President and General Manager Rolando L. Macasaet assured government agencies whose properties were extensively damaged by Super Typhoon Odette that the GSIS will expedite the processing of insurance claims.

“I have instructed our Insurance Group to help clear the debris in insured properties of government agencies that sustained Odette-related damages, fast-track process-

ing of insurance claims and closely coordinate with other government institutions to assess the losses for the subsequent filing of claims,” Macasaet was quoted in the statement as saying. The statement read that “immediately after the onslaught of ‘Odette,’ the GSIS Insurance Group dispatched third-party adjusters and coordinated with government agencies such as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to assess the damages in their airports and properties.”

The GSIS said that as of December

21, a total of 16 airports in Antique, Kalibo, Roxas, Bacolod, Caticlan, Iloilo, Mactan, Bantayan, Dumaguete, Tagbilaran, Ubay, Siquijor, Panglao, Tacloban, Siargao and Surigao were reportedly damaged. Majority of these airports are covered under the comprehensive policy issued by GSIS worth P17.69 billion.

“We recognize the pressing need for GSIS’s quick response for the postdisaster recovery of our fellow state agencies,” Macasaet said through the statement. “The necessary assistance to our insured government

offices and airports are underway so that their properties can be restored at the soonest possible so they can continue serving our countrymen.”

Under Republic Act 656 (Property Insurance Law), the GSIS is mandated to insure government properties, assets and interests from calamities.

“This calamity has once again put a spotlight on the importance of insurance as a backup plan. This will help government agencies recover from their losses,” Macasaet was quoted in the statement as saying.

B4

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

Art

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Today’s Horoscope

❷

❶ MOLTING 2, Nina Garibay

By Eugenia Last

❷ ANG

MAGKAKAPATID, Pablo Zingapan

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Amber Riley, 36; Matt Groening, 68; Melissa Manchester, 71; Jane Seymour, 71.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Look at the possibilities; focus on the ones that make the most sense. How you make decisions and pursue offers will determine your success. Refuse to let others make decisions for you or copy what others are doing because you aren’t confident enough to pursue your goals. Trust and believe in yourself. Good things will come to pass. Your numbers are 6, 17, 21, 24, 28, 30, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Trust in your ability to get things done quickly and efficiently.

Working alone, presenting what you have to offer, and establishing yourself in a new and exciting set of circumstances look promising. A good impression will lead to an exceptional offer. HHH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Sit tight; if you try to implement a change, you will face opposition. Look for a unique way to use your skills without drawing attention to yourself or your plans.

You’ll do your best not to share your intentions until you have mastered your skills. HHH

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Own the spotlight and reap the rewards. Conduct business with confidence. There is nothing you cannot accomplish if you set your sights on your target and pursue your dreams with relentless courage. Ask, and you shall receive. Romance is favored. HHHH

❶

The value we place in vogue and memories A

N American men’s magazine posited earlier this month that today’s downtown scenesters—embraced in the fashion world for their avant-garde style characterized by slouchy blazers and fuzzed-up

sweaters—trace their roots to stand-up personalities of yesteryears. It just so happens that the inspiration, the look of a “’90s comedian,” are “about the two least stylish words imaginable.”

That a laughing stock today can be a hot commodity tomorrow is nothing new in the world of fashion. Conversely, a must-have piece this season is encouraged to be forgotten the next. All this to keep the consumers buying and the players earning.

Visual artist Nina Garibay takes a moment to reflect on this exploitative cycle. In her latest solo exhibition at Art Cube Gallery, titled Turn, Turn, Turn, Garibay advances the futility of keeping up with the vanities promoted by the fashion industry.

Garibay graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, with a degree in Visual Communication from the College of Fine

Arts. She is currently the program manager at the Punlaan, a program of the Linangan Artist Residency, located within the Alitaptap Artists Community in Amadeo, Cavite.

In her new solo, Garibay presents paintings created from her college-based aesthetic, piecing together images from fashion photoshoots that critique our dealings with the industry.

Her Molting series, for example, presents variations of the same woman’s silhouette superimposed with different elements, from a flowing dress to blooming flowers. Perhaps it alludes to how we associate clothes as extensions of ourselves and how fashion is a means toward self-realization. However, the fact remains that no matter what we have on, our true identity

Continued on B5

Filipino animator honors Luna’s Spoliarium for National Arts Month IN commemoration of the National Arts Month for 2022, a Filipino motion graphics artist has brought Juan Luna’s Spoliarium to life.

Mark Cañega, a De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde part-time professor, worked on this ambitious project since last year. “The painting has several elements. However, I wished to magnify the piece’s message,” he shared.

In the 58-second animation set to the song “Pasiya ng Langit” by lauded opera singer Conching Rosal, the despoiling scene comes alive as deceased gladiators are scavenged for weapons and belongings.

In a Facebook post, Cañega laments: “Spoliarium is one of the best-known paintings in the country. It brought historical triumph not just to Luna but also to the Philippines when it bested Spanish artists and

won a first-class medal in the Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts is 1884.”

“The painting also has a hidden message not many realize. The gladiators can be understood as our own country—the Philippines, a land with a rich and vibrant culture. But a twist of fate left the mighty nation weapon-less and no garment to protect its dignity.”

“The gladiators being dragged to a side depicts our country’s situation of being suppressed and oppressed. The audience was like indifferent Filipinos who had the strength to do something but wouldn’t. And the mourning crowd represents those who were in pain for the situation of the country but still had hope for a better future,” he ended.

To date, his Facebook post (bit.ly/3GOO8sW) has scored 5,200 reactions and 6,600 shares.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t be afraid to do things differently. Your uniqueness will shine through when it comes to professional advancement. Look for a financial opportunity you can handle all by yourself. Joint ventures will face difficulties.

Distance yourself from presumptuous individuals.

HHHH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take a moment and observe. What you discover will lead to better decisions regarding partnerships. Scrutinize an unexpected opportunity before you decide to take part. You are better off proceeding down a path you are familiar with. HHHHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A change is necessary. Hanging on to something that no longer brings you joy or limits your options is futile. Embrace what life has to offer and the changes required to get you where you want to go. HHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Sign up for something you find intriguing, and it will broaden your horizons and encourage you to take on something new and exciting. Do your research, and avoid making purchases that aren’t necessary. A partnership will need balance and equality. HHH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Stick close to home. Look for innovative ways to improve your surroundings and your relationships with those close to you. Listen, but don’t follow a friend or neighbor heading in a direction that puts your finances or health at risk. HHH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Trust and believe in yourself and your ability to get things done. Distance yourself from anyone who pressures you by using false claims. Engage in conversations with someone who shares your beliefs, feelings and dreams. Romance is in the stars. HHHHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take on and do only what you know you can handle. An emotional incident will lead to problems with a friend, relative or peer if empty promises and money are involved. Choose to act alone, and finish what you start.

HH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Follow your heart, use your skills benevolently and do the best job possible. Don’t let a change at home interfere with your ideas. Focus on progress and financial stability. Personal gain and romance look promising. HHHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Let your instincts lead the way. The actions you take will set the pace and help you reach your destination without interference. Take care of matters, and bring about the changes that will help you remain in charge. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are demonstrative, playful and ambitious.

You are astute and aggressive.

‘universal freestyle 6’ BY ADA NICOLLE The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Icon on a shopping site 5 Put into effect 10 Basil or parsley 14 Lyft alternative 15 Raves and raves about 17 This cluue has one 18 “Among Us,” e.g.

19 Gastropods in gardens 21 “I have an ___!”

22 Plant, as seeds 23 Friend, in Spanish 24 Bad mood 25 Tiny pieces 26 Novelty headwear designed to be eaten with dip 28 Peace symbol 29 Cherry pie ___ mode 30 What a student often puts on for picture day?

33 Pose that avoids touching somebody in a photo 34 Place free of judgment 35 Health resort

38 Producer of foam darts 39 Where to connect a motor home 41 It protects a diamond from rain 42 You, once 44 Form a coalition 45 Little troublemaker 46 Song such as “Shallow” 47 Classic Fender, briefly 48 “Catch ya later!”

51 Opera piece for one 53 In a way 54 Not just Zoom with 55 “___ girl!”

56 Small section of a map 57 “I’m good, thanks” DOWN 1 Shout at a film studio 2 Dreadful 3 Exact copy 4 Container in a sty 5 Teamwork inhibitors 6 Sister 7 People providing translations for the hard of hearing

8 The Good Place character Anagonye 9 Doctrine 10 Take all of, as bedsheets 11 Intentionally indirect 12 It often falls between couch cushions 13 Makes, as beer 16 Pirate’s domain 20 Waste time 23 De Armas of Blade Runner 2049 24 “Land ___!” (old-timey exclamation) 25 Italic alternative 27 Own 28 Get food at a restaurant 31 Lose your shadow, maybe?

32 ___ 1 (speed of sound) 33 Plucked instrument 34 Reptile in the Star of Life 35 Place where people go downhill fast?

36 Window sealants 37 Donkey Kong, e.g.

38 “Pick your price” 40 Freeway entrance

41 42 43 46 47 49 50 52

Chicken ___ masala Ethnic group in Rwanda Ibis relative Cinco de mayo, por ejemplo Privacy fence piece Kissing in front of others, e.g.

Had for lunch Mentions on Twitter

Solution to today’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Tuesday, February 15, 2022

B5

Amazing artists and cool collaborations GMA Regional TV, led by its first vice president and head Oliver Victor B. Amoroso (center), is expanding its reach in Southern Luzon by launching its 11th regional station, GMA Batangas, and introducing its latest flagship newscast, GMA Regional TV Balitang Southern Tagalog. Also in photo are (from left) GMA Batangas’ Andrew Bernardo, Ilonah Manalo, Darlene Leviste-Mangubat, Ace Medrano, Ivy Saunar-Gasang and Lorenzo Ilagan.

GMA SOLIDIFIES REACH, PRESENCE WITH 11TH REGIONAL STATION

THIS month, GMA Regional TV—the regional arm of broadcast giant GMA Network—is expanding its reach in Southern Luzon by launching its 11th regional station GMA Batangas and introducing its latest flagship newscast, GMA Regional TV Balitang Southern Tagalog.

GMA Batangas, which can be accessed by viewers via GMA TV 12 on free TV and GMA Affordabox, is the network’s fourth regional station in Luzon after GMA Dagupan, GMA Ilocos, and GMA Bicol. It also makes available the network’s local and national programs in Batangas, Quezon, Laguna, and the rest of Calabarzon.

To complement this new regional station, GMA Regional TV presents the latest addition to its roster of award-winning and top-rating local newscasts: GMA Regional TV Balitang Southern Tagalog. Airing weekdays at 5 pm, it is anchored

by Ivy Saunar-Gasang with Ace Medrano as local news coanchor. It is the seventh flagship newscast from GMA RTV following the successful launches of local newscasts in the various regions.

“We are proud to introduce GMA Network’s latest regional station GMA Batangas and GMA Regional TV’s newest flagship newscast, GMA Regional TV Balitang Southern Tagalog. With GMA Batangas, we further strengthen the reach of the country’s leading network to more viewers in Batangas, Quezon, and Laguna. GMA Regional TV Balitang Southern Tagalog, in turn, stays true to our motto ‘Local news matters.’ It brings viewers in Southern Luzon the latest news and information that are close to their hearts,” said GMA Regional TV and Synergy first vice president and head Oliver Victor Amoroso.

Amoroso also expressed his gratitude to the GMA Network management for supporting this latest milestone.

“We are grateful to GMA Network chairman and CEO Atty.

Felipe L. Gozon and GMA president and COO Gilberto R. Duavit Jr. for trusting GMA Regional TV through the years.

We are with them in their goal of giving back to our true bosses—our viewers,” he added.

All the latest news, events, and updates about GMA Regional TV are now available via GMA RTV’s official web site (www.gmaregionaltv.com).

THE VALUE WE PLACE IN VOGUE AND MEMORIES Continued from B4 remains our only identity.

Garibay also leads us to ponder on what’s next. The artificial demand prodded by the industry often leads to the overproduction of textiles and garments, which in turn overwhelms the environment with needless wastes.

In Light Trap, the artist depicts half of a model’s body in couture pose, bending unnaturally to achieve what we are trained to believe as impressive or desirable. The same can be said for the industry itself.

Alongside Garibay’s show in Art Cube Gallery is a solo exhibition by Pablo Zingapan, titled Shake, Rattle & Roll.

Zingapan studied Fine Arts at the Far Eastern University and University of Northern Philippines in vigan. He was a finalist in various national art competitions such as the GSIS Art Competition in 2010 and 2019, and the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Competition in 2012.

Heavily influenced by horror movies and stories, the artist presents works that center on eerie visuals and a sense of nostalgia in his new show. While nostalgia is almost exclusively associated with pleasant memories, Zingapan challenges the notion by evoking that feeling through frightening images.

The supernatural and the mythical are showcased through works that appear as time-worn photographs, featuring haunting subjects, and splattered with blood for good measure.

In Ang Pari, a decapitated priest manages to exchange gaze with the viewer. In Ang Magkakapatid, three children bare no mark of innocence, as one appears more sinister than the last. The youngest of the bunch has his face turning from the inside out, casting a menacing shadow with lurking eyes.

Nina Garibay’s Turn, Turn, Turn and Pablo Zingapan’s Shake, Rattle & Roll are currently on view at Art Cube Gallery in Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Extension, Makati City. n

T

WO beautiful and exceptionally talented ladies recently dropped their respective new songs, both collaborations. Nicole Laurel is a third generation singer-actress from a line of well respected performance artists, while Claudia Barretto comes from a family of actors.

Some might reckon that second-generation artist Claudia Barretto had it easy when she decided she’d give her showbiz dreams a shot. But like most newbies, she had to wait for all the elements of the universe to align first before she took her first vital baby step.

“I have to admit there are times when I wonder why I didn’t choose to pursue acting because it is something that I’m inclined to do naturally considering the environment that I was in, and the people I grew up with,” she told us during a recent conversation. Barretto is the sister of Julia Barretto, both of them daughters of now retired actress Marjorie Barretto, and a niece of Gretchen and Claudine Barretto.

“I listened to my inner voice and I was clear what direction I’d like to take. I have always been fascinated with music. Growing up, I was drawn to music creators, singers, musical artists, instrumentalists and bands. I have always looked up, with amazement, at the process of making melodies, writing lyrics, and singers and interpreters,” she added.

Only 22, Barretto combines her love for music with her studies at the Ateneo, majoring in Psychology. “With music, I tend to have some sort of a personal life, you know, because the artist is more in control. I feel like I have more space to move around in, to do what I do in the creative aspects involved and still retain my individuality, my private life and the world outside my art.”

Barretto has signed up with Viva Records, and released two singles with the music company, “Nothing to Do, and “Be It.” But it is her latest collaboration with rapper Because that excites her.

“Because is one of the most gifted artists that I’ve met in my young career. He writes, and raps with such

smoothness, and shifts from lightness to intensity with so much ease.”

“Everything” is the title of the collaboration between Barretto and Because, and it is taking the hip-hop world by storm. “I feel that I’d be able to reach a bigger audience by being a musical artist, and also carve a name for myself outside what people would expect because of the surname I have.”

SHE’S THE ONE Well-loved singer-actress Nicole Laurel continues to surprise us with every new project she takes on.

With Warner Music backing up her every music undertaking, Laurel has just released the splendid song, titled “The One,” a collaboration with a promising band named Basically Saturday Night.

“The one” redefines the classic soul in contemporary music, with an exceptional fusion of

Laurel’s sultry, smooth and straightforward signature vocals and the band’s frontman Migie Garcia’s sexy and smoky textured tone.

“There was not so much a warming-up phase because when I finally met with the group, the creative energies just flowed instantaneously. It was so natural, so free-flowing, our vocals complement, the horn section sounded amazing, and everything felt so right. It was short of magical, knowing we were all on the same music pages, creating something exquisite, working towards one beautiful goal,” enthused Laurel.

“The One” was released on all digital music platforms under Warner Music Philippines a few days ago. Nicole Laurel and Basically Saturday Night are excited for future collaborations and they look forward to finally launch the music video sometime this month. n

NICOLE LAUREL (left) and Claudia Barretto

Julia Garner plays fake German heiress in ‘Inventing Anna’

By Alicia Rancilio The Associated Press NEW YORK—Julia Garner admits to feeling “intimidated” when she met Anna Sorokin—who posed as a German heiress in New York society named Anna Delvey—and was later convicted of fraud.

Garner portrays Sorokin in the new Shonda Rhimes series for Netflix, Inventing Anna. What surprised Garner at that prison meeting? Sorokin was likable.

“I just really wanted to get her energy,” said Garner.

“What was coming across—that I didn’t expect—was how bubbly she was, how charming.”

Garner walked away with insight into just how Sorokin was able to pull off her schemes.

“When I got out of that visit, I was like, ‘Wow, that’s why she was so close in getting everything that she wanted. And that’s why those powerful people and just people in general just gravitated towards her.... It made you conflicted. It was very strange.”

Inventing Anna is based on a New York magazine article by Jessica Pressler, who is a producer on the project. In the series, six-time Emmy nominee Anna Chlumsky plays a reporter named Vivian who is chasing the story. What she ends up writing is Pressler’s article.

Laverne Cox, Alexis Floyd and Anthony Edwards portray people in her orbit. Arian Moayed plays Sorokin’s attorney. Katie Lowes is Rachel, who enjoyed the trappings of being friends with someone with a five-star lifestyle. Rachel was with Sorokin on a trip to Morocco when Sorokin’s credit cards stopped working. She blamed the bank. Rachel, a Vanity Fair employee, forked over her company card as a temporary hold but ended up getting charged $60,000. Later, Rachel wrote a story for Vanity Fair about the experience and published a book called My Friend Anna.” Lena Dunham is adapting the Vanity Fair article for HBO. Garner, a two-time Emmy winner for her work on Ozark, says this was the hardest she’s ever worked, and the trickiest part was mastering Sorokin’s hard-to-

JULIA GARNER as the notorious fake German heiress in New York society named Anna Delvey, who was later convicted of fraud.

place accent.

“It’s not like one of those things where it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a Southern accent. Oh, it’s a British accent. Oh, it’s just a German accent...oh, it’s just a Russian accent.’

It’s a hybrid of different accents,” said Garner. “I literally had to have an accent with different accents.”

Chlumsky says her scenes with Garner—her character visiting Anna in prison, where she’s trying to get her to open up, but Anna just wants to criticize her clothes, comment on her pregnant figure and ask for expensive underwear and fashion magazines— “felt like the very best days in acting class.”

“You just play off of each other and you are completely committed to the present moment. It felt like, ‘Oh, this is exactly how we trained.’”

Inventing Anna is Rhimes’s second project for Netflix and her fingerprints are noticeable. The music, look, writing and pacing will ring familiar for fans of Rhimes’s other shows. Lowes was a regular on Scandal, as well as Jeff Perry, who plays one of vivian’s coworkers. Lowes played Quinn and Perry was Cyrus.

Other cast members have also appeared on Rhimes’s shows.

“There are certain things that get put into the Shondaland sauce, no matter what the show,” said Lowes. “We’re talking about complex, complicated women in lead roles. We are not sure who’s the villain, who’s a hero. There is the vibe that you can’t digest it fast enough. You want to turn to the next page.”

One person in particular is not interested in the series. The real Sorokin penned an open letter first published by Insider.com, stating that she won’t be watching, saying “nothing...sounds appealing” about the show.

A year ago Sorokin was released from prison after serving about two years. She’s currently in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and awaiting a possible deportation to Germany.

Moayed thinks we’ll continue to hear about Anna, no matter what happens next.

“This is part one. I think we’re just beginning to understand who she is.”

B6 Tuesday, February 15, 2022

CSMC’s latest innovation in Cancer treatment upgrades radiation technology in the PH

24/7 COVID-safer home is possible with Panasonic nanoe X Generator Mark 2

PANASONIC Communication and Product Planning Manager Francis Serrato, President & Chairman of the Board Yasushi Kondo, and PACPH Vice President Tomohiro Yamada are joined by Mr. Gary Valenciano during the press conference.

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HIS is the ground-breaking declaration of Panasonic AirConditioning Philippines during its February 11 Air Conditioner Convention, as it unveiled to press and dealers the big news about nanoe X Generator Mark 2, a new level improved innovation of the nanoe™ technology.

Through a virtual conference attended by 200+ press and dealers, Panasonic revealed research results on nanoe – it has been proven to inhibit four types of novel coronavirus variants – Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta in a 45-liter test space (with size of 350mm×350mm×400mm), in as fast as 2 hours by over 99.7 percent.

This breakthrough news in health and wellness will in effect, provide hope for Filipinos to make their homes and business spaces safer and more sanitized for kids, elders, and working individuals.

From home to business: A safer environment indoors is a must for Filipinos.

Panasonic has verified the inhibitory effect of nanoe technology with benefits of hydroxyl radicals on four novel coronavirus variants, namely Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, in collaboration with the Japan Textile Products Quality and Technology Center (QTEC) *1.

In the same event, Panasonic announced news about the nanoe X Generator Mark 2 which produces 9.6 trillion hydroxyl radicals

per second – a level up in eliminating odors, inhibiting pollutants, and moisturizing skin and hair. That means, this new technology is two times stronger in performance versus the current nanoeTM X (4.8 trillion hydroxyl radicals per second). This also means that the nanoe X Generator Mark 2 may inhibit the novel coronavirus faster and stronger.

Panasonic revealed that nanoe X Generator Mark 2 is present in these products: Panasonic X-Premium Split-type Air Conditioner; Panasonic 4-Way Ceiling Cassette Air Conditioner: Panasonic CeilingMounted/Exposed Air Conditioner; and Panasonic Adaptive Ducted Air Conditioner (all 2022 models).

The X-Premium Inverter Split-type model comes with iAUTO-X feature, temperature and humidity control, builtin WiFi adaptor, perfect for residential or home use.

The new Inverter 4-Way Ceiling Cassette comes with wider flap to produce powerful and 360° airflow that could reach long distance of air throw. ​ Meanwhile, the new Inverter CeilingMounted model comes in a slim design of 235mm thickness, improved installation flexibility and airflow that could reach long distance of air throw.

Lastly, the Inverter Adaptive Ducted type model comes with a low noise level

for a common indoor ducted type. It has improved installation flexibility that can be mounted either vertically or horizontally, depending on the AC application and requirement of the users – a first in the Philippines.

Related to this, Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation shared that it has been exporting nanoe™ X-equipped Window-type Inverter Air Conditioners in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

It is also in Hong Kong (Shokukanken, Inc.) where an inhibition test featuring the Window-type Air Conditioner model showed that nanoe X has an inhibitory effect against adhered influenza virus (H1N1) over 99.9 percent in 2 hours.

A Better Life, A Better World, Always

FOR the past 20 years since 1997, Panasonic has been conducting research on this technology, and has verified its effectiveness in a variety of areas, including inhibiting pathogenic microorganism (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) and allergens, breaking down PM 2.5 components that have adverse effects on the human body 2.

It has also committed to pursue the potential of nanoe technology and verify its various effects to continuously contribute to society.

Alongside the research, Panasonic remains proactive in playing a key role in ensuring safer and healthier spaces of health and educational institutions by providing them with much-needed Panasonic air solutions such as Air Conditioners, Portable nanoe X Generators, and Air Purifiers all equipped with nanoe™ and nanoe X technology – aligned with its thrust of providing Filipinos with A Better Life, A Better World.

For more information, visit www. panasonic.com/ph/nanoe and www. panasonic.com/ph/air-solutions.

Security Bank gives back, donates fund toward disaster-recovery, education-related initiatives

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O continue its advocacy of community-building, Security Bank Corporation donated its 2021 holiday fund allocation to support disaster relief and home rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette.

The Bank partnered with nongovernment organization (NGO) International Care Ministries (ICM) to rebuild homes for families in Bohol.

Further, the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm Security Bank Foundation (SBFI) is working with the Department of Education to rebuild classrooms in various municipalities across Visayas and Mindanao.

Apart from partnering with NGOs, the Bank’s Kabankalan Branch in Negros Occidental also donated a portion of the Bank’s calamity fund financed by its employees will be utilized to provide financial assistance for employees of the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO) who were heavily affected by Typhoon Odette.

“It’s important for us at Security Bank to contribute and uplift the communities where we operate. We have partnered with relevant organizations to drive our mission of enriching lives, empowering businesses, and building communities.

We’re humbled to be able to assist our communities recover and rise up from the challenges they experience,” says Security Bank President and CEO, Sanjiv Vohra.

Further, in support of its educationrelated initiatives, Security Bank donated 1,400 GI sheets to rehabilitate 15 classrooms located in Western Visayas and Palawan. This will replace damaged roofs that were affected by recent typhoons.

Apart from classroom repairs, the

SBFI beneficiary schools receive GI sheets donated by Security Bank through SBFI. The donation was made possible by the bank’s 2021 donation initiatives.

Bank also donated mobile learning kits to 59 beneficiary schools in partnership with the Knowledge Channel Foundation and SBFI, and Makeroscopes to select schools in Bataan. Makeroscopes are single-lens keychain microscopes that are attached to a mobile phone’s front camera giving students the ability to experience using microscopes at home.

“In 2020, the Foundation partnered with the Knowledge Channel and the Ateneo de Manila University to produce videos through the program, called Ready, Set, Read! which aims to address the identified weakness of Filipino students in reading based on recent international

assessments. However, access to the videos was limited due to internet connectivity issues. The portable media libraries hope to answer that problem as students or their parents can now copy educational resources offline and enjoy interactive learning at home,” said Melissa Aquino, SBFI Trustee and Corporate Secretary.

The mobile learning kits, called “Gift of Knowledge” are pre-loaded with 1,500 educational videos that allows students and teachers to have access to critical learning resources for continued education.

To know more, visit www.securitybank.com/ or Security Bank’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SecurityBank

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ANCER continues to be a concern among Filipinos, even more so due to the current state of the pandemic, with the rise in COVID-19 cases brought about by the Omicron variant.

While certain booster vaccines offer stronger protection to cancer patients against the virus, this does not mean that cancer treatment should be less prioritized, as cancer patients are still considered a vulnerable population.

Cardinal Santos Medical Center’s (CSMC) Cancer Center aims to find a good balance between COVID-19 and cancer treatment. And with the recent acquisition of a brand-new Vital Beam Linear Accelerator (LINAC), treating cancer patients has become safer and more efficient, even in the midst of the pandemic.

CSMC’s Radiation Oncology Section dubs the LINAC Machine as the breadand-butter of the unit, as it allows treatment of conventional techniques of radiation treatment as well as the new advanced radiation therapy techniques namely: Stereotactic Radiation Therapy (SRT), Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) and Volumetric Arc Radiation Therapy (VmAT).

Thanks to all these new and advanced

techniques, higher radiation doses lethal to tumor are delivered while collateral damage to surrounding normal tissues near the tumor which in turn will limit toxicities to our patients.

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy offers a game changer as an additional armamentarium in battling small tumors, persistent tumors which are situated in areas of the body that are hard to access through surgery and are located in critical structures. With the state-of-the-art image guidance and accounting for movement of mobile organs, we are able to deliver high radiation doses with pin-point accuracy and precision.

For more information, visit http:// cardinalsantos.com.ph/. Like and follow them at www.facebook.com/CardinalSantos

NGCP EXTENDS 27.5M IN RELIEF ASSISTANCE TO ODETTE-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES. After the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in December 2021, NGCP immediately rolled out its relief efforts for severely affected communities. The company provided 27.5M-worth of assistance in the form of relief packs, hot meals, sacks of rice, bottles of water, shirts, blankets, as well as roofing materials to local government units in Visayas and Mindanao, for distribution to affected families.

Integrated approach to online safety will bring down online predators, groups say

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WO advocacy groups are calling for stronger measures to curb Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC). The effort should be integrated among various stakeholders – from the government, private sector, civil society, to the communities and families – as the world commemorates the annual Safer Internet Day. A webinar was held on February 8 hosted

by Globe in partnership with from UNICEF Philippines, Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), CitizenWatch, and Bantay Konsyumer, Kalsada, Kuryente (BK3).

“We can only be truly digitally ready if we can guarantee the safety of our online spaces especially for our children,” said Bantay BK3 convenor Professor Louie Montemar.

“The worsening online abuse and exploitation of children is an alarming development and must be addressed immediately, decisively, and adequately.”

Atty. Tim Abejo, co-convenor of CitizenWatch, a group seeking to protect the interest of Filipino consumers, says there are existing laws against OSAEC, but their implementation and execution should be strengthened by the government with the support of the private sector.

Government collaboration with the private sector, ISPs, social media platforms and online content providers should be strengthened, so that they are able to actively detect and prevent OSAEC instead of being cowed by fear of violating data privacy and cybersecurity laws.

All these, he said, should be accompanied by educational or awareness seminars for parents, children, communities, and educational institutions on OSAEC.

A deep, dark problem

GOVERNMENT revealed last year that transaction reports related to online sexual exploitation rose from 19,000 in 2019 to 47,937 in 2020 when mobility restrictions were imposed to halt the pandemic. The median age of those involved in these transactions is 11.

According to CitizenWatch, the Philippines is a center of child sex abuse materials

production in the world, with 80 percent of Filipino children vulnerable to OSAEC. Studies have shown OSAEC is usually a family-based crime, where the abuse has persisted for many years. The situation is worsened by economic difficulties brought about by the pandemic where workers have lost their jobs and other means of livelihood.

Other factors include free online connectivity, the widespread use of cellphones, the irresponsible use of technology, and insufficient computer literacy of children and their parents, as well as the myriad online payment facilities now available.

A web of laws

THERE are several existing laws that define and punish OSAEC acts. These laws are the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 (RA 9775); Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (RA 9208, as amended by RA 10364); Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175); Child Abuse Law or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act (RA 7610); and the Revised Penal Code.

“As is always the case, however, there is a gap in implementation that allows OSAEC activities to thrive with impunity, victimizing our children,” Abejo said.

Abejo further pointed out that “there are also laws that conflict with the implementation of the above legislation, and which make it difficult for the authorities to go after online predators. They are the Anti-Wiretapping Act, where evidence of OSAEC acts secured through wiretaps is admissible, the Data Privacy Act, which prevents ISPs or social media platforms from releasing the personal information of OSAEC violators, and the Cybercrime Prevention Act which deems unconstitutional the collection of traffic data.”

“We need to propose rules that would exempt OSAEC cases from the AntiWiretapping Act, or else these sinister minds would be able to continue their dark deeds unhampered, and even protected by the law.

We also need to require financial institutions and remittance centers to act on OSAECrelated transactions,” said Montemar.

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

The World BusinessMirror

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

B7

Hong Kong in ‘crisis’ as Covid infections overwhelm hospitals

H The Police arrest a person as they walk the line to remove all truckers and supporters after a court injunction gave police the power to enforce the law after protesters blocked the access leading from the Ambassador Bridge, linking Detroit and Windsor, as truckers and their supporters continue to protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions in Windsor, Ontario, on February 13. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP

US-Canada bridge reopens after police clear protesters

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INDSOR, Ontario—The busiest US-Canada border crossing reopened late Sunday after protests against Covid-19 restrictions closed it for almost a week, while Canadian officials held back from a crackdown on a larger protest in the capital, Ottawa.

Detroit International Bridge Co. said in a statement that “the Ambassador Bridge is now fully open allowing the free flow of commerce between the Canada and US economies once again.” Esther Jentzen, spokeswoman for the company, said in a later text to The Associated Press that the bridge reopened to traffic at 10 p.m.

The crossing normally carries 25 percent of all trade between the two countries, and the blockade on the Canadian side had disrupted business in both countries, with automakers forced to shut down several assembly plants.

Police in Windsor, Ontario, said earlier in the day that more than two dozen people had been peacefully arrested, seven vehicles towed and five seized as officers cleared the last demonstrators from near the bridge, which links the city—and numerous Canadian automotive plants—with Detroit.

The protest in Ottawa, meanwhile, has paralyzed downtown, infuriated residents who are fed up with police inaction and turned up pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who presided at a Cabinet meeting late Sunday.

The demonstrations have reverberated across Canada and beyond, with similar convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands. The US Department of Homeland Security warned that truck convoys may be in the works in the United States.

The Ambassador Bridge remained closed for most of the day despite the break up of the protest as a heavy snowstorm blanketed the area.

“Today, our national economic crisis at the Ambassador Bridge came to an end,” said Windsor’s Mayor Drew Dilkens before the bridge reopened. “Border crossings will reopen when it is safe to do so and I defer to police and border agencies to make that determination.”

US President Joe Biden’s administration on Sunday acknowledged the seemingly peaceful resolution to the demonstration, which it said had “widespread damaging impacts” on the “lives and livelihoods of people” on both sides of the border.

“We stand ready to support our Canadian partners wherever useful in order to ensure the restoration of the normal free flow of commerce can resume,” Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall said in a statement.

In Ottawa, Mayor Jim Watson said Sunday the city struck a deal with protesters who have jammed downtown streets for more than two weeks that will see them move out of residential areas in the next

24 hours.

Watson said he agreed to meet with demonstrators if they confined their protest to an area around Parliament Hill and moved their trucks and other vehicles out of residential neighborhoods by noon Monday.

The mayor shared a letter from one of the protest’s organizers, Tamara Lich, in which she said demonstrators “agree with your request” to focus activities at Parliament Hill.

But Lich later denied there was an agreement, saying in a tweet: “No deal has been made. End the mandates, end the passports. That is why we are here.”

Watson added in his letter to protesters that residents are “exhausted” and “on edge” due to the demonstrations and warns that some businesses are teetering on the brink of permanent closure because of the disruptions.

The ranks of protesters had swelled to what police said were 4,000 demonstrators by Saturday, and a counter-protest of frustrated Ottawa residents attempting to block the convoy of trucks from entering the downtown emerged Sunday.

Clayton Goodwin, a 45-year-old military veteran who was among the counter-protesters, said it was time for residents to stand up against the protesters.

“I’m horrified that other veterans would be down there co-opting my flag, co-opting my service,” said Goodwin, who is the CEO of the Veterans Accountability Commission, a nonprofit advocacy group. “It’s a grift. The city was free. We’re 92 percent vaccinated. We’re ready to support our businesses.”

Colleen Sinclair, another counter-protester, said the demonstrators have had enough time to have their discontent heard and need to move on—with police force, if it comes down to it.

“They’re occupiers. People are scared to go to work, too scared to leave their homes,” she said. “This is not how you get your voice heard.

This is domestic terrorism and we want you out of our city. Go home.”

The city has seen similar expansions of the protest on past weekends, and loud music played as people milled about downtown where anti-vaccine demonstrators have been encamped since late January, to the frustration of local residents.

“It just feels like I’m living in a different country, like I’m in the States,” said Shannon Thomas, a 32-year-old teacher. “It just makes me really sad to see all these people waving Canadian flags and acting like patriots when it’s really the most sad and embarrassing thing I’ve ever seen.”

Trudeau has so far rejected calls to use the military, but had said that “all options are on the table” to end the protests. Trudeau has called the protesters a “fringe” of Canadian society. Both federal and provincial politicians have said they can’t order police what to do. AP

ong Kong’s health officials warned that the city is facing a “crisis” as a ballooning number of virus cases overwhelms hospitals and throws the city’s Covid Zero strategy into disarray.

Authorities are set to announce a r ecord of more than 1,500 new cases Monday, local media reported, citing people they didn’t identify. It comes after 1,347 on Sunday. Cases have exceeded capacity at Hong Kong’s hospitals, health officials have said, adding they will now shift to prioritizing care for the elderly and children who get Covid.

The outbreak prompted Hong Kong officials to seek Beijing’s support over the weekend on several fronts including help with analyzing virus strains, building isolation facilities and the supply of test kits.

The city’s anti-virus measures have the “full support” of the central authorities, the government said.

While the scale of Hong Kong’s outbreak is small compared with global peers, the city’s onerous system of tracking and isolation had pushed the health-care system to the brink. No other location has been able to quash an outbreak of this size without imposing extensive and strict lockdowns, like those deployed in mainland China. Authorities have so far steered clear of imposing a citywide lockdown.

Deaths

The government reported at least three additional deaths over the weekend, including a four-year-old boy who tested

preliminar y positive. His case has been referred to the coroner. The other deaths were in elderly patients.

Health authorities have been especially concerned about the elderly, with 54 percent of the population aged 70 or above inoculated with an initial dose. Vaccinations for children aged between five and 11 have only recently started. The government said it will lower the minimum age for the Sinovac Biotech Ltd. vaccine to three, starting from Tuesday, and children between five and 11 can get the BioNTech SE shot from Wednesday.

The outbreak has seen a series of u-turns as the health-care system buckles.

Young people and those with mild symptoms in stable condition are now being told to isolate at home—a marked reversal of a policy that had seen mandatory hospital stays for any positive cases. Hospitals will also pare non-emergency and outpatient services.

“In the face of crisis, we must put our medical resources for serious cases, the elderly and the children,” Hospital Authority Chief Manager Larry Lee said at a briefing Sunday. “In order to ensure that they can be treated as soon as possible and to ensure that the health-care system will

Police and customs officers check on people in tents at Tamar Park on February 13. Bloomberg photo

not collapse, we will adopt urgent measures.”

The city’s isolation facilities are now full and authorities will shift to prioritizing care for the elderly and children who test positive. The South China Morning Post reported the location and design of a new makeshift hospital, modeled on the type that was used in Wuhan in 2020, will be decided soon.

Hong Kong is also bracing for another bout of fresh food shortages after the government warned that supplies of vegetables and chilled poultry will be affected “to a certain extent” after a border transport interchange was suspended because some vehicle drivers tested positive.

Hong Kong was just recovering from last week’s sudden shortfall of vegetables after mainland China temporarily shut border-crossing operations following a handful of positive tests among truck drivers.

The swift clampdown—typical of the rigid measures Beijing imposes to quash potential outbreaks— saw the city’s supermarket shelves stripped bare and prices surge as

US-Russia standoff over Ukraine seen heading into ‘decisive week’

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ensions over Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine are entering a potentially decisive week, with the US warning an invasion may be imminent and President Vladimir Putin accusing America of failing to meet his demands.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who on Friday cited the risk that Russia will attack or seek to ignite conflict within Ukraine this week, told CNN on Sunday there’s “a distinct possibility that there will be major military action very soon.”

The US and its European allies have been pressing Putin for weeks to pull back an estimated 130,000 troops massed near Ukraine, but a frenzy of diplomatic activity—including key leaders cycling through Moscow for talks with Putin—has failed to produce an off-ramp.

A phone call on Saturday between Putin and US President Joe Biden that went for just over an hour saw them reiterate their positions without any apparent progress. Russia has repeatedly denied it plans to invade its neighbor and Russian officials accuse the US of stoking “hysteria.”

Efforts to deescalate the situation are taking on even greater urgency after the latest US warnings. America had previously said it believed a potential conflict could come later in February, but Sullivan on Friday said the US now believes Putin could move before the Beijing Winter Olympics—hosted by his ally President Xi Jinping—end

on February 20. Sullivan cited US intelligence but did not set out specific evidence for the changed view.

Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday, telling him the US and other countries would act “swiftly and decisively” in the face of any aggression by Russia. Zelenskiy invited him to come to Kyiv. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due there on Monday to meet with Zelenskiy, before traveling onto Moscow on Tuesday.

But even as the US and Europe threaten what they say would be severe economic penalties for Moscow, there are differences about how heavily to respond, especially for countries like Germany that rely on imports of Russian gas. Cutting Russia off from the global payments system known as Swift is highly unlikely. And Biden has said he would not send US troops into Ukraine in the event of a conflict.

The US and its allies have also made clear they do not know Putin’s final intentions. While Ukraine says it “understands all the current risks and is ready for any developments,” it does not perceive the danger to be as significant as the US says. Zelenskiy said in a televised briefing on the weekend that panic was “the best friends for enemies.”

‘Unprecedented hysteria’

While Sullivan said that diplomacy was “still open and available,” there has been no in-person summit between Biden and Putin since they sat

down in Geneva in June 2021. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the weekend call took place in an atmosphere of “unprecedented hysteria by American officials about Russia’s allegedly imminent invasion of Ukraine.”

There was little in the way of fresh commentary from the Kremlin on Sunday. The Foreign Ministry accused the US of a “militaristic psychosis” as it criticized the decision by “a number of countries” to withdraw their observers in the OSCE team monitoring a shaky cease-fire in Ukraine’s separatist Donbas region. The ministry said that Washington might be planning to exploit the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s mission to stage a “potential provocation.”

The Russian president is also yet to send a formal response to US proposals on security in Europe, although a US official said a reply is expected soon. Those proposals were made after Moscow demanded guarantees including that Nato never allow Ukraine to join and that the military alliance pull back its presence in Eastern Europe. Putin told Biden on Saturday that the responses to his security demands did not address the Kremlin’s key concerns, Ushakov said.

It comes as tens of thousands of Russian troops hold joint exercises in Belarus, which shares a border with Ukraine. Those exercises are also set to finish on February 20, and Moscow has said its soldiers will then return to base. Bloomberg News

fresh-produce supply dropped as much as 70 percent.

The steadfast push for Covid Zero keeps it in line with Beijing’s strategy but makes the two locations global outliers. While countries from the US to Germany and Australia are unwinding curbs, Hong Kong has imposed its toughest measures since the start of the pandemic.

Gatherings of more than two people in public are banned and authorities have restricted multifamily gatherings in homes. Flight bans have been extended through March 4.

The city’s harsh containment measures have battered the economy and threatened its status as an international financial hub.

“I believe most government officials know it’s impossible to maintain Covid Zero, but they can’t help because they have to follow China’s policy,” said Danny Lau, honorary chairman of the Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association. “Hong Kong is becoming more and more like a ghost city.” Bloomberg News

New Zealand’s self-isolation rules changed as cases surge

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ew Zealand will move to a new phase in its response to Omicron as case numbers of the more infectious variant of Covid-19 begin to accelerate.

From midnight Tuesday, phase 2 will take effect, attempting to minimize disruption to supply chains as the virus becomes more widespread, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a news conference Monday in Wellington. This means cases and close contacts will self-isolate for less time, and a scheme will be introduced allowing critical workers to remain in their jobs. The nation today reported nearly 1,800 cases over the weekend, up from a daily average of about 300 over the preceding seven days.

Ardern said the New Zealand’s 94-percent vaccination rate and the penetration of booster shots— which sits at 60 percent of eligible people—means it has had a slower onset of Omicron than other nations. If the variant had spread at the same pace as in the Australian state of New South Wales, New Zealand would have about 17,000 cases by now rather than almost 5,000 after adjusting for the different populations, she said.

“We have slowed it down relative to other countries at this point in time,” Ardern said. “That’s not to say we will necessarily see a shallower peak. Only time and boosters will tell us that.” Bloomberg News

COOPER KUPP easily beats Eli Apple in the right corner of the end zone for the winning score as the Rams celebrate their victory. AP

COOPER KUPP’S TD WINS IT FOR RAMS I

Sports BusinessMirror

B8

| Tuesday, February 15, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Miller learns from mishap, resets focus on slalom race

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By Josef Ramos

ANQING, China—Asa Miller was up and about on Monday and took a break from training a day after failing to finish the men’s giant slalom at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Miller was DNF (Did Not Finish) in his first of two events in his second Winter Games and was so disappointed that he skipped an interview at the Mixed Zone and headed directly to the Olympic Village with his dad Kelly.

Natural snow fall inconvenienced the athletes at the Ice River course and caused poor visibility at the National Alpine Skiing Centre.

Miller wasn’t spared and skied only 15.9 seconds for that DNF. Lessons learned, the 21-year-old Miller said the morning after.

Saying that he lost his focus for waiting long enough to take his turn to start, Miller was aggressive from the get go as he went for five gates as fast as he can. He skied for only 15.9 seconds before crashing out.

“I just have to stick to my plan for the next race,” said the 21-yearold Miller, whose campaigns if fully supported by the Philippine Sports Commission headed by Chairman William Ramirez.

Miller, however, avoided blaming the weather—it snowed for the first time in weeks at the Ice River on Saturday and Sunday—in the first run that saw 32 of the 84 participants also getting DNFs in the results list.

“I’d kind of lost my focus when I got into the gate for so long waiting, and forgot what I want to think about, so I need to make sure to stick to my plan for slalom on Wednesday,” he said.

Miller was No. 63 in the start list.

Miller’s American coach Will Gregorak observed right after the race that Miller skied not to finish “but to run” and go for a strong result.

On Monday, he appeared in good mood as he watched the giant slalom medal ceremony where Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt received his first Olympic gold medal. Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec clinched silver and France’s Mathieu Faivre bagged bronze.

“I’m pretty bummed about that [DNF], but I went out skiing my hardest and I went fast,” Miller said.

“Ski racing is a hard sport. A lot of the best skiers struggled yesterday [Sunday], and a lot of people didn’t finish so I’m happy that I put my best out there and laid it on the line.”

Miller was 70th out of 110 participants in Pyeongchang 2018 He took a break from training on Monday and decided to watch the other competitions with his dad Kelly.

Wednesday will be redemption day for Miller in the slalom contest, his last event in the Games.

“I’m looking forward to the slalom and I know I will put my best out there again and hopefully things align and we get a nice result,” he said.

Miller thanked everyone who are supporting his campaign.

“Thank you guys so much for supporting me. I have been reading all the comments and the messages, they are all kind,” he said. “I know I didn’t get the good result yesterday and you guys still support me anyway so thank you so much.”

VALIEVA CLEARED TO COMPETE

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EIJING—Russian teenager Kamila Valieva has been cleared to compete in the women’s figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics despite failing a pre-Games drug test, setting her up for an attempt at a second gold medal in Beijing.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) released its ruling less than 12 hours after a hastily arranged hearing that lasted into early Monday morning that the 15-year-old Valieva, the favorite for the women’s individual gold, does not need to be provisionally suspended ahead of a full investigation.

The court gave her a favorable decision in part because she was a minor or “protected person” and was subject to different rules from an adult athlete.

“The panel considered that preventing the athlete to compete at the Olympic Games would

cause her irreparable harm in the circumstances,” CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb said.

Now, Valieva and her fellow Russian skaters can aim for the first podium sweep of women’s figure skating in Olympic history. The event starts with the short program Tuesday and concludes Thursday with the free skate.

Shortly after the decision, Valieva skated in her allotted practice time slot.

The CAS panel also cited

fundamental issues of fairness in its ruling, the fact she tested clean in Beijing and that there were “serious issues of untimely notification” of her positive test.

Valieva tested positive for the heart drug trimetazidine on December 25 at the Russian nationals but the result from a Swedish lab didn’t come to light until a week ago, after she helped the Russian Olympic Committee win the team gold.

Reasons for the six-week wait for a result from Sweden are unclear, though Russian officials have suggested it was partly because of a January surge in Omicron variant Covid-19 cases, which affected staffing at the lab.

Her case has caused havoc at the

EJ: I’m very far to where I want to be

E ASA MILLER takes a break with Eritrean buddy Shannon Ogbnai Abeda, who finishes 39th in the men’s giant slalom on Sunday.

RNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA’S gold medal at the Lodz Orlen Cup in Poland is no indication that the Tokyo Olympian is in good physical and mental shape.

“I would be lying if I say I’m back to where I should be,” Obiena told BusinessMirror from Paris where he’ll be competing at the Hauts-de-France tournament on Thursday. “I’m still very far to where I want to be.”

Obviously, the 26-year-old Obiena’s ordeal with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association has

been bothering his mental health— an issue that struck the world’s best athletes including champion gymnast Simone Biles, tennis star Naomi Osaka, swimming powerhouse Caeleb Dressel, among others.

“I’m just a human being, I tried but I’m still a human being,” said the Asian men’s pole vault record holder.

“Physically, I think I’m okay but not still where I should be although nothing to complain about.”

The gold medalist at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games said that he owes it the Filipino people on why

THE court gives Kamila Valieva a favorable decision in part because she is a minor or “protected person” and is subject to different rules from an adult athlete. AP Olympics since last Tuesday when the team event medal ceremony was pulled from the schedule.

The Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) immediately suspended her, then lifted the ban a day later, putting into limbo the awarding of the medals. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and others appealed and an expedited hearing was held Sunday night. Valieva testified via video conference. AP

he’s persistently trying to improve in his sport.

“I owe them—the Filipino people— a lot so I have to put my head into the game and do what I need to do,” Obiena said. “I need it mentally. So it may not be my NSA [national sports association], but I think the people who are supporting me right now.”

“So I will do my best for them,” he said, adding that “he put his problems ‘inside a box’ while in training and competition” with Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov to perform strongly.

After placing eighth in Beijer Stavhoppsgala in Sweden, Obiena bounced back last Saturday in Poland with a leap of 5.81 meters, beating

Olympic champ tells athletes from tropics to ‘dream big’

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ANQING, China—For athletes from tropical countries aspiring to make it big in the Winter Olympics, men’s giant slalom champion Marco Odermatt and his fellow medalists have this advice—dream big and work hard to achieve bigger goals.

“That’s a hard question to start, it’s probably not so easy if you don’t have snow around,” Odermatt, 24, said in the press conference at the Media Center of the National Alpine Skiing Centre after the event where he won first Olympic gold medal on Sunday afternoon.

“In the end, if you have a dream, you just have to work for it,” he said.

“I guess they have to try everything, and take what they get, and try their best in every situation.”

The Philippines’s Asa Miller was DNF (Did Not Finish) in the first run of the giant slalom, while Timor Leste’s Yohan Goutt Goncalves advanced but failed to complete the second run amid blistering snow and almost low light at the Ice River course.

Thai-Italian Nicola Zanon completed both runs and placed 38th overall. Last week, Malaysia’s

Super Bowl Kupp

Aruwin Salehhuddin ranked 38th among 82 participants in the women’s giant slalom.

Slovenian Žan Kranjec, 29, who finished 0.19 seconds behind Odermatt for the silver medal, said starting young could be a plus for skiers from countries without snow.

“From an early age, you need to start training and just be better everyday,” he said.

France’s Mathieu Faivre, the bronze medalist, said the important thing is “to believe that anything can happen, be progressive in training

EASTERN Washington University isn’t exactly known for its football program, but a product certainly delivered for the newly-minted 2022 National Football League (NFL) champions Los Angeles Rams.

You can now add 2022 Super Bowl MVP and Super Bowl champion to Eastern Washington University Eagles’ Cooper Kupp. The two accomplishments, aside from winning the Walter Payton award in his junior year will only add to his already impressive body of work.

To put things in perspective for this young man who is at the crescendo of greatness, allow me to cite ESPN.com, “An emotional

and love what they are doing.”

“For sure, you have to believe in yourself and to keep training, enjoying and skiing,” the 30-yearold three-time world champion said, adding he hopes to see more Millers in the 2026 Winter Games in MilanCortina, Italy.

All three believe that aspiring skiers from tropical countries need to be well supported by their respective countries.

“If I see how much we train and what big support we get, it’s probably not that easy,” Odermatt said. “But

Kupp deflected the spotlight after the win.”

“I just don’t have words,” Kupp said. “I’m just so thankful for everyone.”

“Kupp’s performance put the finishing touches on a stellar postseason in which he set a record for receptions (33) and tied for the second-most receiving yards (478) and receiving touchdowns (six) in a postseason in NFL history.

Kupp caught a touchdown in each of the Rams’ four postseason games, making him the second player in league history to catch a touchdown in four consecutive playoff games, along with former Arizona Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald.”

The comparisons with the likes of Randy

NGLEWOOD, California—In a venue built for champions, the Los Angeles Rams carried off the crown jewel: a Super Bowl trophy.

It took a precise 79-yard drive capped by Cooper Kupp’s one-yard touchdown reception with 1:25 remaining for a 23-20 victory Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals to give the Rams their first National Football League (NFL) title since the 1999 season—and their first representing Los Angeles since 1951.

“Those guys just did a great job,” coach Sean McVay said. “They took over that game.”

They did so in their home, the $5 billion SoFi Stadium, making the Rams the second consecutive host to win the championship after Tampa Bay became the first a year ago.

“As far as building this stadium,” said Rams owner Stan Kroenke, the man who moved them back from St. Louis in 2016, “I think it turned out all right.”

The winning series, during which game Most Valuable Player Kupp’s four-yard touchdown reception from Matthew Stafford was negated by offsetting penalties, ended soon after with the NFL Offensive Player of the Year easily beating Eli Apple in the right corner of the end zone for the winning score.

Kupp had four receptions for 39 yards, and a seven-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the Rams 30 on the championship drive. Cincinnati was penalized the second-fewest times (72) for the fewest yards (620) in the regular season but flags on three consecutive plays hurt badly—including interference on Kupp in the end zone.

“I don’t feel deserving of this,” Kupp said. “The guys standing here challenged me, they pushed me. I am just so grateful.”

Even with that brilliant, decisive march to the Lombardi Trophy, it was LA’s “fearsome fivesome” that made the difference. Led by Aaron Donald and Von Miller, they sacked Joe Burrow a Super Bowl record-tying seven times, shutting down Cincinnati’s offense after the Bengals took the lead and then added to it with a field goal during a 22-second spurt to start the second half.

Fittingly, Burrow was under pressure on fourth-and-1 and threw incomplete, setting off a football fiesta this city has not seen since the LA Raiders won the 1983 championship.

A tearful Donald said after the crowning achievement of a certain Hall of Fame career, “I wanted it so bad. I dreamed this.”

Added McVay, at 36 the youngest Super Bowl-winning head coach: “For the offense to be able to find a way, and then Aaron to be able to finish it off, it’s poetic, man.” AP OBIENA

Rio 2016 Olympics gold medalist Thiago Braz da Silva of Brazil and Piotr Lisek of Poland by 10 centimeters.

After Paris, Obiena and Petrov will leave for a competition in Lievin also in France and will return to Poland on February 22 for the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Torun.

He had surgery last month to repair a meniscal tear in his left knee.

Josef Ramos as soon as they have the opportunity with all the teams, the staff, the opportunity to train, as well in summer the whole year in snow, why not? Just take a lot of work.”

Kranjek said: “It’s different from the strong nations, they have or we have good support from the early ages. So if they have good support, I think it is possible to get better.”

“I think nothing is impossible and you have to start at a young age, very passionate and want to keep training and performing,” Faivre said. “They have chances? Maybe it’s going to be harder but yeah maybe someday it’s going to happen and that could be a really good thing for skiing and winter sports.” Josef Ramos

Moss, Calvin Johnson, and arguably, the greatest of them all, Jerry Rice have already began.

According to SI.com, “I just don’t feel deserving of this,” Kupp said after the game.

“God is just so good. I’m just so thankful for the guys I get to be around [with].”

The humility of this young man is off the charts, humility as a result of humble beginnings.

I love Jerry Rice and I’m a die-hard San Francisco 49ers fan but I’m going to go out on a limb and say this guy will break every receiving record of the Rams and most if not all of Jerry Rice’s league records after all is said and done.