BusinessMirror February 27, 2021

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Saturday, February 27, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 139

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‘AT THEIR MERCY’

PHL slides back to dependence on refined fuel imports after Petron refinery’s shutdown. Are price spikes on the horizon?

T

By Lenie Lectura

HE country is expected to register a sharp spike in oil imports following the loss of its oil refining industry, making the country an attractive market for oil traders.

Lone oil refiner Petron Corp. ceased its 180,000-barrel-perday (bpd) refinery operations in Bataan on February 10. The loss of Petron’s presence sparked an exchange between House Ways and Means committee chairman Joey Salceda and the Action for Economic Reforms (AER) on whether or not local refineries merit government support by way of tax relief in the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Bill. The measure, ratified by both chambers and awaiting the President’s signature, has a provision exempting local refineries from paying taxes and duties on local crude oil imports.

Salceda championed this relief, but the AER asserted that giving local refiners such tax breaks will not solve the problem, because the fiscal regime is not the issue— it is the government’s inventory requirements, placing local refiners at a disadvantage compared to those who just import the oil.

According to the Oil Industry Management Bureau (OIMB) of the Department of Energy (DOE), Petron’s refinery production consists of around 70 percent of its total supply and 30 percent accounts for the directly imported finished petroleum products.

“With the recent scheduled

DOE-OIMB Director Rino Abad: “With the recent scheduled maintenance shutdown, there will be an increase of around 70 percent in the direct importation of finished petroleum products to cover said unproduced supply.”

maintenance shutdown, there will be an increase of around 70 percent in the direct importation of finished petroleum products to cover said unproduced supply,” said DOE-OIMB Director Rino Abad in a recent interview.

Based on available DOE figures, the country’s total oil imports reached 16.05 million liters at endSeptember last year. Of which, 11.93 million liters is petroleum and 4.13 is crude oil.

The increase in oil imports could go on for a few months until Petron resumes its refinery business.

Petron informed the DOE that

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.6370

the shutdown would last for four months. During the shutdown, maintenance activities on key process units would be conducted.

‘No threat’

PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp., meanwhile, permanently ceased its 110,000-bpd refinery operations in Tabangao, Batangas, in August last year. The site has been converted into an import-receiving terminal.

However, closure of the refineries does not pose a threat to non-oil refiners because finished products are abundant almost all over the world. “The total import combined is less than half of 1 percent of available global supply of oil. It will hardly dent the available supply nor will this affect pricing,” said Eastern Petroleum Chairman Fernando Martinez in a text message.

Phoenix Petroleum Senior Vice President for External Affairs Business Development and Security Raymond Zorilla said that even if all oil companies import their requirements, “it won’t have any impact on us.”

In fact, Abad said there is excess supply in the international oil market. “Supply is not an issue. And with the absence of a refinery, the country becomes much more attractive in the eyes of oil traders.”

The DOE insists that there will be no supply disruption when importation is done properly.

“The first security layer calls for the strict compliance with the minimum inventory requirement (MIR),” said Abad.

MIR compliance

BASED on DOE Circular 200301-001 issued in 2003, petroleum

refiners are required to maintain product inventory “equivalent to 30 days’ supply consisting of crude oil and refined petroleum products.”

For the finished product importers, the MIR is good for 15 days of equivalent supply; while for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the inventory shall at least be seven days.

“Petron can still supply [oil] that will last for more than 30 days as of early February. This supply is already in their tanks. We were also informed that Shell’s inventory is also good for over 30 days.

Therefore, supply is not an issue because they will replenish this as they shift to importation,” explained Abad.

At the mercy of foreign suppliers

demand was experienced globally. “We have noticed that prices are increasing. Supply is not an issue. [What is being constantly weighed in the] international supply-demand balance [is the effect on] price. International suppliers are very keen to increase the price since [they are now trying to recoup what they lost],” explained the DOE official.

Local pump prices increased four times this month and rounds of oil-price hikes are expected in coming weeks.

‘Not a vital industry’

MEANWHILE, the AER is making a last-minute appeal to Duterte to do a line veto on CREATE in order to take out the sector the group insists is “not a vital industry.”

In a statement last week, it refuted the claim of Salceda that the crude oil refining industry makes up 5 percent to 6 percent of the country’s gross value added (GVA) in manufacturing.

In a statement published in the BusinessMirror on February 22 (“Salceda defends CREATE perks for local oil refineries”), Salceda had “noted that the crude oil refining industry contributes around 5 percent to 6 percent of the country’s total gross value added in the manufacturing sector.” The lawmaker was justifying the provisions inserted in the bicameral conference committee of the CREATE Bill, which exempted local refineries from paying taxes and duties on local crude oil imports.

Continued on A2

RESEARCH firm Fitch Solutions noted that the country’s economy would be tied to fluctuations in global energy prices as it becomes fully dependent on imports for its fuel needs.

It said that the country’s implied import dependence is expected to increase to 67 percent by 2025 from 48 percent over the past decade. “A downsized domestic refining output, next to rising need for imports, is expected to prove a drag on the trade balance over the coming years, creating pressures for the Philippines’s external financing position when domestic demand for energy is rising,” added Fitch.

Consumer group Laban Konsyumer Inc. (LKI) agreed. “It will make us dependent on foreign supply and prices. We will be put at the mercy of foreign oil suppliers,” said LKI president Vic Dimagiba.

Nonetheless, oil prices are expected to rise after a slump in

n JAPAN 0.4579 n UK 68.1745 n HK 6.2725 n CHINA 7.5340 n SINGAPORE 36.7016 n AUSTRALIA 38.2870 n EU 59.2350 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.9692

Source: BSP (February 26, 2021)

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NewsSaturday BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, February 27, 2021

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Cautious Asia nations finally fire starting gun on vaccines

A

By Bloomberg News

FTER sitting on the sidelines as the US and Europe plowed headlong into vaccinating against Covid-19, the part of the world that contained the coronavirus most successfully is finally starting to administer shots.

Hong Kong began its program in the Asian financial hub on Monday, with Chief Executive Carrie Lam getting inoculated with Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s product. Japan, Australia and New Zealand have started vaccinating priority groups with shots from Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and AstraZeneca Plc. Malaysia kicked off its drive on Wednesday, South Korea is due on Friday and Thailand is preparing for a few days later.

The region’s economic powerhouses and developing nations are jumping in one after another, after watching for months as desperate Western nations snatched up supply. With the coronavirus mostly contained throughout much of Asia, governments have had the luxury to wait and see how safely and effectively these rapidly developed vaccines can blunt disease in other countries, before injecting them into their own citizens.

Cautious

FOR Asians, waiting a month or two to find out how the vaccine rollouts work elsewhere doesn’t hurt much, said Dale Fisher, an infectious diseases professor at the National University of Singapore. “So rather than

say 20,000 in a trial, we now have 200 million vaccinated globally. I think this gives reluctant individuals a lot more confidence.”

The millions of shots already administered worldwide are yielding promising results, with few signs of serious side effects. The Pfizer vaccine was found to be 89.4 percent effective at preventing infections in Israel, a country which has immunized more than 80 percent of its population.

Getting on track

THAT’S encouraging news for parts of Asia that succeeded against the virus by shutting down borders and going into lockdown early, but whose residents are now anxious to shed restrictions. Places like Singapore and Australia are still wrestling with the difficulties of restoring business and leisure travel. China, which has successfully stamped out flareups with strict local measures, risks losing its competitive edge if its borders remain closed to the rest of the world.

Still, it won’t be clear sailing as Asian countries seek to inoculate their populations. Vaccine orders could be delayed amid a scarcity

HONG KONG Chief Executive Carrie Lam receives a dose of the Sinovac vaccine on February 22, 2021. BLOOMBERG

of supplies, as powerful governments in the US and Europe demand more stock from producers.

And questions remain over the safety and efficacy of some locally developed vaccines.

The Sinovac vaccine, for one, has shown an efficacy rate of just over 50 percent in trials involving high-risk health-care workers—

‘I

n the medium to long term, even if you are in a rich country like Australia, no one is actually gonna be able to travel freely until globally we have this infection under control. We should be global citizens here.’

—Peter Collignon, infectious diseases professor at the Australian National University Medical School in Canberra

far below the 95-percent success rate for the Pfizer and Moderna Inc. shots. One big test for the Chinese vaccines may emerge in Hong Kong, which is allowing citizens to choose between a handful of candidates, pitting the Sinovac shot against those from Western rivals.

“We purchased vaccines from different regions,” Chief Executive Lam told reporters Monday.

“I don’t think citizens should mind where the vaccine comes from because they are only used after going through very stringent vetting.”

Slots to receive the Sinovac shot in Hong Kong are fully booked for the next two weeks, before China’s Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. makes the Pfizer-BioNTech shot available in the financial center.

Missing targets

THOUGH boasting the world’s second-most doses administered, at 40 million, China has fallen short of its initial goal of vaccinating 50 million people by mid-February, as the majority of its 1.4 billion people feel no urgency in an almost Covid-free environment. India

too is falling short of targets amid skepticism over a locally developed vaccine that was approved for use before trials were completed.

A hesitant population is likely to be an issue for Japan as well, which is still determined to hold the delayed Olympics this summer in Tokyo. Inoculation for most of its more than 125 million people could be a key factor in the success of the games. Yet Japan has one of the lowest rates of vaccine confidence in the world, due to previous bad experiences with inoculation.

While Japan started giving jabs to health-care workers last week, it’s planning for a slow rollout—it won’t begin vaccinating its elderly population until mid-April.

The delayed starts and nascent reluctance across much of Asia is creating a gap in the speed at which countries across the world are racing toward herd immunity, an essential milestone for resuming normal life.

China, the world’s most populous country, may not reach herd immunity until sometime in 2022, according to local experts. On the other hand, herd immunity is basically a mission accomplished in Israel, while the United Arab

Emirates is crossing the 50-percent mark. In the US, President Joe Biden expects vaccines will be available to every American who wants one by the end of July.

To be sure, it’s early in the vaccination process, and Asian countries may quickly catch up with the West, especially those with smaller populations. South Korea and Australia have set timetables to inoculate everyone by the end of September and October, respectively, which would put them just a few months behind leading vaccinating nations like the US and UK. But experts warn that while Asia’s vaccination drives are a big step forward, there’s still a long way to go before a full return to normalcy.

“In the medium to long term, even if you are in a rich country like Australia, no one is actually gonna be able to travel freely until globally we have this infection under control,” said Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases professor at the Australian National University Medical School in Canberra, who has advised the country on virus mitigation. “We should be global citizens here.”

‘At their mercy’ Continued from A1

These tax breaks, the AER noted, were inserted in an attempt to prevent the permanent shutdown of the Petron refinery in Bataan, the last remaining oil refinery in the country, which has been suffering from weak refining margins.

As Salceda put it, the tax breaks will level the playing field for direct importers of finished petroleum products and local crude oil refiners. He claimed what is at stake from a permanent shutdown of Petron’s refinery is this: loss of 5 percent to 6 percent of GVA in manufacturing.

However, the AER stressed that GVA of oil refining in the manufacturing sector “is actually only 2.7 percent as of 2020 and has been on a steady decline for several years now.” Oil refining “only contributes around 0.6 percent to our gross domestic product,” the AER added.

The AER thinks “the tax

breaks inserted in CREATE will not keep the refinery open in the long run, as the shutdown of our oil refineries is not due to the tax regime, but due to our lack of economies of scale to be competitive in oil refining.”

It recalled Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III saying previously that Philippine refineries cannot “compete with larger endto-end refineries with petrochemical complexes.”

Indeed, the AER said, the Philippines “does not have the comparative advantage nor the economies of scale to be competitive in oil refining.” Petron’s maximum productivity, it noted, is at 180,000 bpd; in contrast to Singapore’s refineries producing 500,000 to 700,000 bpd; South Korea’s 700,000 to 800,000 bpd; and India’s 1.3 million bpd.

The real constraint to local oil refineries is not the tax regime, the AER said, but “the inventory requirement of the Department of Energy.” It elaborated thus: The

input value-added tax (VAT) of an oil refinery is lower than that of an importer of refined petroleum products. Meanwhile, oil refineries are more vulnerable to price squeezes because the DOE’s inventory requirement is 60 days’ worth of product, while an importer of refined petroleum needs to maintain an inventory of only 14 days. (In reality, the inventory for local oil refiners is around 40 to 45 days).

Furthermore, as oil is a commodity, it is subject to price volatility.”

The AER also disputed Salceda’s position that a permanent closure of Petron’s refinery could expose the country to a national security threat as it becomes dependent on imports.

Any day now, it is said, the President will sign CREATE, which economic managers have long sought for. Whether the tax perks issue for refiners becomes subject of a line veto is anybody’s guess.

Meantime, the oil traders are having a field day.

News

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

PHL inflation likely accelerated to 4.7% in Feb–BSP chief

By Bianca Cuaresma

A

FTER hitting a two year high in January, the Philippines’s inflation number is expected to have accelerated further in February on the back of higher prices of fuel and select food items.

In a message to reporters on Friday afternoon, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said he expects inflation to have hit 4.7 percent in February.

“Upward price pressure for the month emanated from the continued global crude oil prices and elevated fish prices,” Diokno said.

The 4.7-percent inflation forecast is higher than the 4.2-percent actual inflation print in January and above the BSP’s 2-percent to 4-percent target range for the year. It will also be the fastest inflation rate for the country since December 2018 when inflation hit 5.1 percent.

Diokno further said that the range of inflation for February is between 4.3 percent and 5.1 percent.

In their previous monetary-policy meeting in February, the BSP announced a revision in their inflation forecast for the year from 3.2 percent to 4 percent.

This prompted several analysts and economists to believe that the BSP will likely keep all its monetarypolicy levers on hold and unchanged for the entire 2021, a stark contrast to its aggressive stance last year when it cut monetary-policy rates by a total of 200 basis points to support the ailing economy.

Inflation could have accelerated further in February, Diokno said, if not for some local developments that partially offset the rise.

“The implementation of the temporary price caps on mean products for NCR, stable rice prices and lower power rates in Meralcoserviced areas contributed to the downward price pressures during the month,” he explained.

Despite the expected rise, Diokno still maintained his stance of being “ready to take action” when called for by the economy.

“Looking ahead, the BSP stands ready to take necessary policy actions to ensure the delivery of its primary mandate of price stability conducive to a balanced and sustainable economic growth,” Diokno said on Friday.

In the February monetarypolicy meeting, Diokno maintained confidence that inflation will remain manageable in the policy horizon.

“The Monetary Board is of the view that the manageable inflation outlook continues to allow the BSP to maintain an accommodative policy stance and thus complement crucial fiscal policy measures in supporting economic activity and market confidence,” Diokno earlier said.

The BSP is expected to meet next on March 25 for the second monetary-policy meeting of the year, where it is expected to keep rates on record lows in the face of the rising prices and continued economic recession.

Saturday, February 27, 2021

A3

NG’s ’20 budget gap hits record-high ₧1.37T

F

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

OR the first time since 1986, the national government’s budget deficit breached past the trillion peso mark in 2020 as the Philippine economy was battered by Covid-19induced lockdowns.

Latest Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) data showed the country’s budget deficit soaring to a new record high of P1.37 trillion, more than double the previous-high shortfall of P660.2 billion in 2019.

However, the fiscal gap last year was lower than the revised fullyear program of P1.82 trillion.

T he Treasur y said the w ider fiscal gap in 2020 resulted from ramped-up state spending to cushion the impact of the pandemic despite reduced ta x revenue collections.

As a percentage of GDP, the gover nment ’s f u l l-yea r 2020 budget deficit also reached an u nprecedented 7.63 percent, even eclipsing 5.02 percent in 2002, Finance Undersecretary

and Chief Economist Gil Beltran told the BusinessMirror.

“For the NG, yes. [It’s a recordhigh]. As percent of GDP 7.6 percent and in absolute terms. For the consolidated public sector, no. There were higher levels in the ’80s,” Beltran said in a message to the BusinessMirror.

While the 2020 deficit-to-GDP ratio was significantly higher compared to 3.38 percent in 2019, this was lower than the 9.63 percent revised program for last year.

This was also in line with the 7.6 percent of GDP deficit outlook of the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) back in December.

Me a nw h i le, t he cou nt r y ’s budget gap for the month of

LEDAC lists at least 14 priority bills for passage before election season

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

F

inance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the Duterte administration and the Legislative branch have already agreed to prioritize at least 14 priority that need to be passed before the onset of the election period next year.

Dominguez said the LegislativeExecutive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) held a meeting a “few days ago” where they discussed pending measures that need to be prioritized.

“We agreed on a menu of measures that have to be passed before the election period begins sometime in March of next year,” he said in a forum on Friday. “We have a list of about 14 measures and these are and about what I mentioned in my talk earlier, were the top priorities for the legislature,” he added, even as he assured that the administration is “going to work until the last minute of its mandate.”

When sought to clarify what are these 14 measures that LEDAC agreed upon, Dominguez declined to provide any further details.

“OP [Office of the President], Senate and House will formally announce [these priority measures] jointly,” Dominguez said in a separate message to finance reporters on Friday.

There are actually 11 LEDAC priority bills as of February 19, a list provided by DOF to the B usiness M irror showed.

Based on the list, the priority measures include the Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery Bill; Package 3 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program or the Valuation Reform Bill; Package 4 of the CTRP, or the Passive Income Tax and Financial Intermediary Tax Reform Bill; Amendments to the Public Service Act; Amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act; Amendments to the Foreign Investments Act; Rural Agricultural and Fisheries Development Financing System Act law; Medical Reserve Corps Act; Bill on Creation of a Disease Prevention

and Control Authority; Bill on tax treatment on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) and “E-Sabong”; and the bill on Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension of the Military and Uniformed Personnel.

The bill on tax treatment of POGOs and E-Sabong, as well as the bill on Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension of the Military and Uniformed Personnel were both identified as “new inclusion.” Except for these two bills, the nine other bills were tagged as top priority in the harmonized LEDAC-Common Legislative Agenda (LEDAC-CLA) for the 18th Congress, based on separate LEDAC documents dated February 17 and 18 also obtained by the B usiness M irror.

A copy of the February 18 PowerPoint presentation of Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and LEDAC Secretariat Karl Kendrick T. Chua during a LEDAC executive committee meeting showed that the top 9 priority bills are targeted to be passed in Congress by June this year.

The same presentation also showed that the bill on Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension of the Military and Uniformed Personnel was listed among the 13 “remaining bills” that are targeted to be passed in Congress by December this year.

As for the bill on POGO and E-Sabong, both were neither listed in the top 9 priority bills nor among the 13 remaining bills based on the February 17 and 18 documents.

The National Economic and Development Authority serves as the Secretariat of the LEDAC, which was created through RA 7640 approved by then-President Fidel V. Ramos on December 9, 1992.

The LEDAC serves as a consultative and advisory body to the President as the head of the national economic and planning agency for further consultations and advice on certain programs and policies essential to the realization of the goals of the national economy. It also serves as a venue to facilitate high-level policy discussions on vital issues and concerns affecting national development.

December reached P302.6 billion, up by 20.5 percent from the P251.1 billion incurred in the same month in 2019.

Deficit occurs when expenditures exceed revenues.

Full-year revenues last year slid by 8.97 percent to P2.86 trillion from P3.14 trillion in 2019, but this was 13.34 percent better than the P2.52-trillion revised program for the year.

On the other hand, total expenditures in 2020 grew by 11.31 percent to P4.23 trillion, owing to the implementation of various Covid-19 mitigation and recovery measures. However, BTr said this was still down by 2.49 percent compared to the P4.34 trillion revised full-year program as some of the economic relief measures under Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan II) are still ongoing.

For December alone, government revenues dropped by 1.95 percent to P238.5 billion last year compared to that of 2019.

State expenditures in the same month also stood at P541.1 billion last year, up by 9.46 percent or P46.7 billion from the equivalent period in the previous year.

Expected fiscal gap

UnionBank chief economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion told the BusinessMir ror he a l ready

ex pected the w ider fiscal gap last year since the government needed to respond somehow and still manage declining revenues because of reduced economic activ ity.

“It does reflect where the economy last year has gone. National government could have responded with more fiscal stimulus, but we are where we are,” Asuncion told the BusinessMirror.

W hi le he sa id more f isca l stimulus would result in a much big ger deficit for the government, he thinks this may have helped hasten the recover y of the ailing economy.

“But a larger fiscal stimulus targeted for the most vulnerable like MSMEs [micro, small and medium enterprises] may have set us up for a quicker recovery like our neighbors in the region. However, I have to qualify clearly that the successful rollout of vaccines may mean more than the fiscal stimulus at this point. However, we all know that among our neighbors, we have yet to start the rollout because we are missing vaccines,” he added.

For his part, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said the country’s budget deficit-toGDP and debt-to-GDP ratios “have been lower compared to some

countries in Asean/Asia amid limited government funds allowed under the law for any additional stimulus measures.”

To temper any further widening of the budget deficit, Ricafort said the government needs to continue with its “cautious approach on any additional measures” just like last year.

“Any further measures to reopen the economy would result [in] higher tax revenue collections amid increased economic/ business activities that could temper budget deficits, going forward, though offset by lower tax revenue collections with CREATE [Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises] and any additional Covid programs such as for Covid-19 vaccine purchases,” he said in a message to the BusinessMirror.

For this year, the government even expects a much wider budget deficit at P1.78 trillion or 8.9 percent of GDP. Beltran said this is because the 2021 budget included funds for vaccines and economic recovery.

“The deficit will peak this year.

Then, it drops starting next year to 7.3 percent in 2022,” he told the BusinessMirror.

The DBCC expects the government’s full-year budget gap to reach P1.64 trillion in 2022.

BusinessMirror

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111.

ZHAO, YU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

112.

ZHAO, JINLONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

113.

ZHAO, ZHUYIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

114.

ZHOU, LONGBO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

115.

ABIRA HO YIN PING Malaysian

MALAYSIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

116.

LUONG THI HIEN Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

117.

NGUYEN KIEU TRANG Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

18.

19.

20.

RAN, XIAOMING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

21.

RAO, PING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

22.

SHEN, TONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

SHI, SHENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

24.

TANG, XINCHENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

25.

WAN, ZHIGANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

26.

WANG, XIAOXIAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

27.

WANG, MIAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

28.

WANG, ZHANGHUA Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

29.

WANG, YANMING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

30.

WEI, XUEKE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

31.

XIA, JING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

32.

XIE, JUAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

33.

XU, QIAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

34.

ZENG, JUN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

35.

ZHANG, JINGLING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

36.

ZHONG, BING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

23.

37.

ZHU, PAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

AIG SHARED SERVICES - BUSINESS PROCESSING, INC. Aig Operations Center, North Bridgeway Avenue Northgate Cyberzone Alabang Muntinlupa City 38.

BEJLERI, ROBERT Albanian

VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS

ALTA RESOURCES (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION 34th Floor Wynsum Corporate Plaza, F. Ortigas Jr. Road San Antonio Pasig City 39.

NOUBISSI WENEGO, ASTRIDE Cameroonian

BILINGUAL CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE - FRENCH

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D. Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street Tambo Parañaque City 40.

THEAM KIAT TUNG Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

BAYVIEW TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 43/f Yuchengco Tower Rcbc Plaza Ayala Ave. Cor. Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Bel-air Makati City 41.

RUAN, BAOBO Chinese

CS ASSISTANT MANAGER (MULTI-LINGUAL)

42.

XUE, ZHENHUA Chinese

CS ASSISTANT MANAGER (MULTI-LINGUAL)

43.

WANG, SAI Chinese

CS SHIFT SUPERVISOR (MULTILINGUAL)

44.

FAN, CHANGLIANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SUPPORT (MULTILINGUAL)

45.

LU, LIANGYU Chinese

ELITE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE (MULTI-LINGUAL)

46.

SANGSOMPORN, WEERAWAN Thai

QUALITY ANALYST (MULTILINGUAL)

48.

KAUNG MYAT THU Myanmari

COMPUTER TECHNICAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

49.

JIANG, SHIGUANG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

50.

SU, GUISHENG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

51.

WU, WEIXIONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

52.

LAN, CHENGQUAN Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

53.

LIANG, LINNA Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

54.

PAN, DIANZHENG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

55.

XIONG, JIALU Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

56.

YU, YI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

57.

ZHANG, RUI Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

ZHAO, JIAOJIAO Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

58.

BILLION DRAGON OUTSOURCE PHILS., INC. One Townsquare Place Bpo Bldg. Alabang Zapote Rd. Almanza Uno Las Piñas City

C’EST LA VIE EVENT MANAGEMENT INC. 230 Narra Street Marikina Heights Marikina City 63.

CHEN, XIAOJIN Chinese

CHINESE-GENERAL TRADE MARKETING SPECIALIST CONSULTANT

COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PHILIPPINES, INC. 5th And 6th Floors, 8/10 Upper Mckinley Building Mckinley Hill Cyberpark Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 64.

65.

MORE, DHEERAJ Indian

LEAD MEDICAL REVIEWER

MISHRA, TARUN Indian

SR. ASSOCIATE - PROJECTS

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila 66.

LI, DONGXIAN Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

67.

PI, YIXIONG Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

68.

SHAN, XIAODONG Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

69.

WEN, GUOHUI Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

XU, MENGJIA Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

70.

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

FUXINGYING CAIYUN HENTONG, CORP. 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th Floor Eton Ewestpod Chino Roces Avenue Cor. Yakal & Malugay Streets San Antonio Makati City CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

71.

DIEP THI NGHIEP Vietnamese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

72.

GAN, GUOCHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

73.

HOU, SHUNQIANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

74.

JIANG, LI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

119.

75.

SHUAI, HAOPENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

76.

LE VAN VIET Vietnamese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPSENTATIVE (CSR)

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

FIRST GREAT COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES INC. Lot 5 Sta. Agueda Cor. Queensway Pagcor Drive Sto. Niño Parañaque City 77.

LIU, TING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

FLY ASIAN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Eighty One Newport Blvd. Newport City Va, Brgy. 183 Pasay City 78.

MAZID, MD MARUF IBNE Bangladeshi

MARKETING CONSULTANT (MANDARIN SPEAKING CLIENTS)

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. 4th-11th Floor Aseana 3 Building Aseana Avenue Corner Diosdado Macapagal Tambo Parañaque City 79.

CHEN, SHIDA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

80.

CHEN, TAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

81.

CHEN, LIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

82.

DIAO, FEILONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

83.

FAN, CHONGYANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

84.

85.

86.

87.

FAN, XIAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

GAN, BINGXI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

HE, JIAXIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

HOU, XUEJUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

118.

YAO, WENFENG Chinese

GAMEOPS INC. Unit 2501-2505 One Corporate Center J.vargas Avenue, Ortigas Center San Antonio Pasig City AYALA CHAFLOQUE, ADRIAN ALFREDO Peruvian

BILINGUAL GAME OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

120.

LUO, JUN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

121.

WU, HUAXIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING

GT MOBILITY VENTURES, INC. 43/f Gt Tower International 6813 Ayala Ave. Cor. H.v. Dela Costa St. Bel-air Makati City 122.

KASAHARA, KOJI Japanese

PROJECT MANAGER

HECTECHURE CORP. Units A&b 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. San Lorenzo Makati City 123.

QI, XUAN Chinese

MANDARIN GRAPHIC AND WEB SPECIALIST

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES PHILS. INC. U-5302, 53/f Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave., Cor., V.a. Rufino St. Bel-air Makati City 124.

GUO, PENG Chinese

PRODUCT MANAGER FOR GLOBE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MANAGEMENT (CEM) PROJECT

IDNPLAY CORPORATION 8/f Burgundy Corporate Tower 252 Sen. Gil J.puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City 125.

PHAN TRUONG DUY Vietnamese

VEITNAMESE-SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE

INTEGRITY GLOBAL GROUP, INC. 2/f-3/f Ayala Malls Circuit A.p. Reyes Ave. Carmona Makati City 126.

HUANG, DEJIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

INTERCOMP LINK SOLUTIONS INC. 14th Floor, Filinvest Three Bldg. Northgate Cyberzone Filinvest Alabang Muntinlupa City

SU, CHIAO-YIN Taiwanese

CHINESE TRANSLATOR ADMIN OFFICER

131.

HUANG, CHENGLONG Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

132.

LIU, YA Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

133.

WEI, JUNJIE Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

134.

YU, JUNQI Chinese

CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 135.

BUI THI MINH THU Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

136.

GAO, JIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

137.

GAO, CHANGQUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

138.

HUANG, SUWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

139.

LI, LIRONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

140.

LI, MENGQI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

141.

LIANG, WENFANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

142.

LIM KAI HOCK Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

143.

LIN, YONGGANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

144.

LIN, WEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

145.

LIU, YING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

146.

MO, DUNLONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

147.

NGUYEN TRONG DUC Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

148.

QIU, XINGFA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

149.

SEIN LYAN Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

150.

SHAUK PAIN HONE Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

151.

SHI, JIANLIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

152.

SUN, XIAOMIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

153.

SUN, MINGYI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

154.

SUN, GUOREN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

155.

SUN, JIADONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

156.

TAN, WENFEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

157.

TANG, YUANBO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

158.

VI VAN ANH Vietnamese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

159.

WANG, SHANGQIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

160.

WANG, YUE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

161.

WEN, WULU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

162.

WU, FEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

163.

XU, ZHIHUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

164.

XU, YIQIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

165.

XUE, QIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

166.

YANG, SEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

167.

YANG, JIANHUA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

168.

ZENG, ZELIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

169.

ZHANG, AIZENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

170.

ZHANG, TINGTING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

171.

ZHANG, YU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

172.

ZHENG, YINGCHUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

173.

ZHONG, HAIDONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

174.

ZHONG, MEIPING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

175.

ZHOU, LIDI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

176.

ZHU, YANXIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

TheWorld

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

Saturday, February 27, 2021

A5

US intel report: Saudi crown prince implicated in ’18 Khashoggi murder

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US intelligence report expected to be declassified as soon as Friday implicates Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in approving the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, according to a person familiar with the findings.

The report builds on classified intelligence from the CIA and other intelligence agencies after Khashoggi’s murder in October 2018 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report hasn’t yet been released. It wasn’t immediately clear how much detail the declassified version of the report will provide about Prince Mohammed’s role in the killing.

The decision to release the report, compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, reflects the Biden administration’s determination to recalibrate relations with Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, amid tensions over its human rights record.

In advance of the report’s publication, President Joe Biden held

a call Thursday with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman. Biden discussed regional security and the renewed US and United Nations effort to end the war in Yemen, and he “affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human rights and the rule of law,” the White House said in a news statement.

Prince Mohammed has denied any involvement in the killing, while saying he accepts symbolic responsibility for it as the country’s de facto ruler. Saudi officials have said the murder was carried out by rogue agents who have since been prosecuted.

State Department spokesman Ned Price declined to comment when asked about the report Thursday but suggested that the US was looking at other ways to hold the perpetrators of the killing responsible for their actions.

Among the options may be cutting back arms sales to Saudi Arabia and imposing sanctions.

“I expect that we will be in a position before long to speak to steps to promote accountability going forward for this horrific crime,” Price told reporters in

Washington. “Transparency, as it often is, is an element of accountability.

I wouldn’t expect the accountability to stop there, however.”

The decision to release the report, which was withheld by the Trump administration, reflects the difference in attitudes toward Saudi Arabia, and human rights issues, under Biden.

For me r P reside nt Don a ld Trump dismissed concerns about whether the crown prince approved the killing—“Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t,” he said— citing the economic rewards of selling arms to the Saudis. His secretary of state, Michael Pompeo, said the US had “no direct evidence” linking the prince to the murder and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner maintained a close working relationship with him.

The US intelligence report isn’t the only finding to implicate the Saudi monarchy. A UN investigator, Agnes Callamard has said Khashoggi was the victim of a “state killing” and has said there was little doubt it was ordered at the highest levels of the Saudi government. Bloomberg News

US bombs facilities in Syria used by Iran-backed militia

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ASHINGTON—The United States launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq earlier this month that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a US service member and other coalition troops.

The airstrike was the first military action under taken by the Biden administration, which in its first weeks has emphasized its intent to put more focus on the challenges posed by China, even as Mideast threats persist. Biden’s decision to attack in Syria did not appear to signal an intention to widen US military involvement in the region but rather to demonstrate a will to defend US troops in Iraq.

“I’m confident in the target that we went after, we know what we hit,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters flying with him from California to Washington. Speaking shortly after the airstrikes, he added, “We’re confident that that target was being used by the same Shia militants that conducted the strikes,” referring to a February 15 rocket attack in northern Iraq that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a US service member and other coalition personnel.

Austin said he recommended the action to Biden.

“We said a number of times that we will respond on our timeline,” Austin said. “We wanted to be sure of the connectivity and we wanted to be sure that we had the right targets.”

Earlier, Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said the US action was a “propor tionate m i l i t a r y re s p o n s e” t a ke n to g e t h e r w i t h diplomatic measures, including consultation with coalition partners.

“The operation sends an unambiguous message: President Biden will act to protect American and coalition personnel,” Kirby said.

“At the same time, we have acted in a deliberate manner that aims to deescalate the overall situation in eastern Syria and Iraq.”

Kirby said the US airstrikes “destroyed multiple facilities at a border control point used by a number of Iranian- backed militant groups,” including Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. The US has blamed Kataib Hezbollah for numerous attacks targeting US personnel and interests in Iraq in the past.

Fur ther details were not immediately available.

Biden administration officials condemned the February 15 rocket attack near the city of Irbil in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish-run region, but as recently as this week officials indicated they had not determined for certain who carried it out. Officials have noted that in the past, Iranian-backed Shiite militia groups have been responsible for numerous rocket attacks that targeted US personnel or facilities in Iraq.

Kirby had said Tuesday that Iraq is in charge of investigating the February 15 attack.

“Right now, we’re not able to give you a certain attribution as to who was behind these attacks, what groups, and I’m not going to get

into the tactical details of every bit of weaponry used here,” Kirby said.

“Let’s let the investigations complete and conclude, and then when we have more to say, we will.”

A little -known Shiite militant group calling itself Saraya Awliya al-Dam, Arabic for Guardians of Blood Brigade, claimed responsibility for the Feb. 15 attack. A week later, a rocket attack in Baghdad’s Green Zone appeared to target the US Embassy compound, but no one was hurt.

Iran this week said it has no links to the The frequency of attacks by Shiite militia groups against US targets in Iraq diminished late last year ahead of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, though now Iran is pressing America to return to Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal. The US under the previous Trump administration blamed Iran-backed groups for carrying out the attacks. Tensions soared after a Washington-directed drone strike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and powerful Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis last year.

Trump had said the death of a US contractor would be a red line and provoke US escalation in Iraq. The December 2019 killing of a US civilian contractor in a rocket attack in Kirkuk sparked a tit-for-tat fight on Iraqi soil that brought the country to the brink of a proxy war.

US forces have been significantly reduced in Iraq to 2,500 personnel and no longer partake in combat missions with Iraqi forces in ongoing operations against the Islamic State group. AP

Kremlin critic Navalny sent to prison outside Moscow

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OSCOW—Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been sent to a prison outside Moscow to serve his sentence, his lawyer said Thursday, a move that comes despite a demand by Europe’s top human rights court for his release.

Navalny law yer Vadim Kobzev didn’t immediately say what prison he was sent to.

Russian news reports have previously indicated that Navalny, who has been held in a maximumsecurity jail in Moscow, would likely be sent to a facility in western Russia.

Navalny, 44, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most vociferous foe, was arrested on January 17, upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a ner ve -agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusation and accused Navalny of cooperating with Western intelligence agencies—claims he has ridiculed.

Earlier this month, Navalny was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for violating the terms of his probation while convalescing in Germany.

The sentence stems from a 2014 embezzlement convic tion that Navalny has rejec ted as fabricated—and which the European Сourt of Human Rights has ruled to be unlawful.

Navalny’s arrest has fueled a wave of protests that drew tens of thousands to the streets across Russia. Authorities have detained about 11,000 people, many of whom were fined or given jail terms ranging from seven to 15 days.

Russian officials have dismissed demands from the United States and the European Union to free Navalny and stop the crackdown on his supporters.

Moscow also rejected the ECHR ruling that, citing risks to Navalny’s life in custody, ordered the Russian government to release him. The Russian government has rebuffed the court’s demand as unlawful and “inadmissible” meddling in Russia’s home affairs.

Earlier this week, EU foreign ministers agreed to impose new sanctions against Russian officials linked to Navalny’s jailing.

Since Navalny’s arrest, Russian officials and state news media have aggressively tried to discredit him, a change from the previous tactic of largely ignoring him.

Some of the criticism has emphasized antimigrant views expressed years ago as he was rising to prominence.

Amnesty International this week stripped Navalny of his designation as a “prisoner of

conscience” because of those views. “Navalny had, in the past, made comments which may have amounted to advocacy of hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, violence or hostility,” the organization said in a statement Thursday.

The statement denied the move was in response to external pressure, but news reports have suggested Amnesty International was targeted in a coordinated campaign to discredit him.

“These were not independently acting activists...these were people who would like to defame Alexei as the most prominent opponent of Mr. Putin,” Vladimir Ashurkov, e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r o f N a v a l n y ’s a n t i corruption organization, said in a conference call Thursday.

Amnesty International said rescinding the prisoner-of-conscience designation does not change its demand for Navalny to be freed.

“There should be no confusion: nothing Navalny has said in the past justifies his current detention, which is purely politically motivated.

Navalny has been arbitrarily detained for exercising his right to freedom of expression, and for this reason we continue to campaign for his immediate release,” it said. AP

A6 Saturday, February 27, 2021

ExportUnlimited BusinessMirror

Local food exporters join Gulfood 2021

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By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor

HIRTEEN export companies from the Philippines showcased locally produced products for food manufacturing and processing during the Gulfood Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire (Gulfood) 2021 held recently at the Sheikh Rashid Hall-R172 in the Dubai World Trade Center in the United Arab Emirates.

Well-loved Filipino products were exhibited in the FoodPhilippines pavilion, including coconut water

by Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures Inc.; canned tuna by Century Pacific Food Inc.; canned sardines by Mega Global Corp.; various branded goods by Philippine Grocers Food Exports Inc.; and special Filipino breads by MagicMelt Food Corp.

Premium Philippine export fruit products were also presented, such as the distinctly Pinoy pineapple juice and global favorite dried mangoes from Doxo Trading, Market Reach International Resources, and Profood International Corp.

Filipino staple food that came in various forms were, likewise, displayed like the premium rice courtesy

of SL Agritech Corp.; selections of black, pink, brown, and red rice from Federation of Peoples’ Sustainable Development Cooperative; and rice cake snacks by JNRM Corp.

Completing the Philippine delegation were Sandpiper Spices and Condiments Corp., featuring its Pioneering brand Mama Sita’s for its mixes and sauces accompanied by heirloom Filipino recipes as well as Super Q, with its quality wheatbased noodles such as bihon, pancit canton, and palabok.

Their presence in the five-day international event which unfolded from February 21 to 25, 2021 was made possible through a hybrid format, comprising both physical and digital components in line with the

PHL exporters seen benefiting from UK GSP

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HILIPPINE exports under the Generalized Scheme of Preference (GSP) will continue enter the United Kingdom (UK) tariff-free this year, through its own GSP. The UK GSP replicates the market access and benefits provided by the European Union GSP (EU GSP).

The Philippines is included in the UK GSP’s Enhanced Framework, the counterpart of EU GSP+.

UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office held a virtual briefing on February 11, 2021 to explain the new tariff scheme.

They shared that the Philippines had a 75-percent utilization rate of its benefits in 2019, with nuclear machinery and appliances as the top export products.

“The Philippines considers the United Kingdom as one of its major

trading partners. We appreciate the inclusion of our country in the UK GSP and we are looking forward to resuming trade under this system,” said Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Abdulgani Macatoman.

The UK left the EU on January 31 last year. As part of the transition, the two parties agreed on trade and travel rules that would apply on January 1, 2021. The Philippines is currently one of the beneficiaries of the EU GSP+, providing 0-percent tariff for more than 6,000 products, or two-thirds of its tariff lines. Zero-tariff products include bananas, tuna, pineapple, and footwear.

Under the Enhanced Framework, the Philippines still receives zero tariffs on two-thirds of its product lines.

The UK GSP also requires compliance

to the same 27 international conventions as the EU GSP+. To qualify for the UK GSP benefits, exporters need to fill out the GSP Form A and provide a Certificate of Origin.

The UK does not have an agreement with the EU to redistribute goods between their territories, postBrexit. Goods simply traveling in between these places should meet the non-manipulation or non-alteration rules set by both territories.

The UK was the Philippines’s 17th trading partner and 18th export market in 2020. Exports to the UK amounted to around $404 million in 2020, a 20-percent decrease from around $506 million in 2019. Top export products to the UK in 2020 were pulp from waste paper, tuna, semiconductors, and integrated circuits.

Meanwhile, the DTI-Export Mar-

keting Bureau (EMB) is promoting the following products and services for export to the UK: manufacturing components, apparel, processed and specialty food, and Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM).

“One of the strategies of the DTI-Trade Promotions Group [TPG] is to maximize our free trade and preferential trade agreements. We are ready to assist exporters for a seamless transition to the UK GSP+,” said Macatoman.

The DTI-EMB assists exporters in the documentation needed to qualify for the GSP+. Interested exporters can e-mail mid@dti.gov.ph. For more information about the UK GSP, visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/usethe-generalised-scheme-of-preferences-to-import-and-export-goods.

ongoing public health measures amid the pandemic.

According to Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem) Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan, the country’s institutional participation in Gulfood featured halal-certified products with QR codes that interested buyers could scan to navigate toward the exhibitors’ inboxes.

For Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary for the Trade Promotions Group (TPG) Abdulgani Macatoman, “It’s all systems go” for their continued efforts to promote the country’s best halal-certified food products, mainly in the Middle East and North American region.

“We’re looking forward to show-

casing our homegrown flavors, exemplifying the diversity that discerning taste buds all over the world know and love,” he said.

The Philippine participation in Gulfood 2021 was facilitated by Citem, in fulfillment of its mandate as the export-promotions arm of the DTI, in partnership with Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) Dubai, PTIC Jeddah, and the Export Marketing Bureau.

Building on the momentum created by the delegates to one of the world’s biggest fairs for food and hospitality, Citem and PTIC Dubai will facilitate an extensive business-tobusiness event between exhibitors and prospective buyers from March 14 to 16, 2021.

Taiwan’s January export orders jump 49% on surging semiconductor demand

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VERSEAS orders placed with Taiwanese exporters surged by the most in 11 years in January as global demand for semiconductors shows no sign of abating.

Export orders rose 49.3 percent to $52.7 billion in January, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said Wednesday. That was the biggest increase since January 2010 and compares to a median estimate of 45 percent in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

The increase marks a third straight month of strong, double-digit growth and the 11th monthly increase for export orders as manufacturers of everything from smartphones to autos scramble to secure a stable supply of semiconductors. The ministry expects orders to rise between 43 percent and 48.2 percent in February.

Officials from the US, Japan and Europe have sought the Taiwanese government’s help in recent weeks to resolve the chip shortage that’s hindering their automotive manufacturing. The world’s largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., plans to increase capital expenditure this year to as much as $28 billion to help address the shortage.

The government delivered a bullish economic outlook for 2021 on Saturday, forecasting exports would likely rise almost 10 percent throughout the year, fueled largely by demand for chips.

Officials also warned, however, that this may well put further upward pressure on the Taiwan dollar. The currency has appreciated 8.5 percent against the US dollar over the past 12 months. Bloomberg News

China eyes ban on rare earth technology exports to ‘hostile’ countries and companies–sources

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HINA may ban the export of rare-earths refining technology to countries or companies it deems as a threat on state security concerns, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The Chinese government is currently conducting a review of its rare-earths policy. Officials view the technology needed to refine and purify the raw materials as a more powerful weapon in protecting state interests than the actual minerals, and is looking at banning sales of the technology to some countries or companies, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public.

While China has no plans to restrict shipments of rare earths to the US, it is keeping the plan in its back pocket should a trade war break out again, the person said. The Asian na-

tion is also exploring a ban on rare earths as part of its sanctions on some individual companies, including Lockheed Martin Corp., which violated China’s core interest over arms sale to Taiwan, the person said.

China’s Ministry of Commerce didn’t immediately respond to a fax seeking comment.

Shares of MP Materials Corp., the lone US rare-earths producer, closed 6.4 percent higher on Friday after earlier touching a record $46.84 in New York. The US Defense Department in November awarded the company $9.6 million to fund processing and separation of light rare-earths at its Mountain Pass operations, a move that signals the nation’s aim to expand domestic production of the permanent magnets that make rareearths so coveted.

China controls most of the world’s mined output of rare earths, a broad group of 17 elements that are used in everything from smartphones to fighter jets, and has a stranglehold over processing. Its dominance would leave overseas industries with few avenues to immediately secure supply if curbs were to be put in place.

The minerals have previously been touted as a possible weapon in the US-China trade war, with Beijing readying a plan in 2019 to restrict shipments to hurt the American economy. The US imports about 80 percent of its rare-earth compounds and metals from the Asian nation, according to government data.

Those curbs were never adopted, though it spurred the US and Europe to seek out ways to cut their reliance on a single supplier. While rare earths

are relatively abundant, mine-able concentrations are less common than other ores and countries face hurdles including high costs and environmental concerns in setting up domestic industries.

Donald Trump last year signed an executive order aimed at expanding domestic output of rare-earth minerals, a year after the Department of Defense was ordered to spur the production of magnets. The US has also been awarding contracts and signing investment agreements aimed at establishing its own processing capabilities.

Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported that China is exploring whether it can hurt US defense contractors by limiting supplies of rare-earth minerals that are critical to the industry.

Bloomberg News

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www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, February 27, 2021 A7

New facility for elderly inaugurated in Valenzuela City

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By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor

S part of its 23rd Charter Day celebration, the local government unit (LGU) of Valenzuela City recently inaugurated an elderly facility housed in a new two-story multipurpose building inside the Disiplina Village Bignay (DVB).

The Livelihood and Senior Citizen’s Office is envisioned to create and produce more programs and services that will elevate the standard of living and income of families living in this in-city resettlement site.

The facility will support the conduct of existing livelihood initiatives of the DVB that allow the elderly to participate in the projects and programs aimed at sustaining their wellness and livelihood while strengthening the community’s social solidarity. “This will highlight

the interdependence between individuals in the community, which allows individuals to feel that they can enhance the lives of others,” Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian said.

“These projects will continue to help our constituents, who will move in to the Disiplina Village, to become a real community. We all know that in building a community, it’s not enough to just transfer them to live there, but it needs a complete facility,” Mayor Gatchalian added.

THE city government of Valenzuela together with barangay and Disiplina Village Bignay officials grace the inauguration of the new multipurpose building that will house the Livelihood and Senior Citizen’s Office in this in-city resettlement site.

Vice Mayor Lorie Natividad-Borja lauded the barangay and DVB officials for their efforts to lobby for the construction of the new multipurpose building.

She pointed out the importance of vaccination for senior citizens and encouraged them to register to VCVax—the city’s Covid-19 Vaccines Rollout Plan.

The inauguration was also attended by other local officials, including District 1 Councilor Rovin Feliciano, Liga ng mga Barangay President Jonjon Bartolome, SK Federation President Goyong Serano, and officers from Disiplina Village Homeowner’s Association, Senior Citizens Alliance, and Disiplina Village Sewers Club.

The LGU will keep its mandate to provide sustainable livelihood to uplift the lives of its constituency with new public infrastructure and facilities.

“We will continue to invest in these infrastructures until we complete all the needed facilities in our Disiplina Village,” the local chief executive said.

Never too late: Covid pandemic propels older shoppers online

By Anne D’Innocenzio

until now: how to buy groceries and more online.

Americans 65 and older rang up an average of nearly $187 per month online last year, up 60 percent from a year earlier, according to market research firm NPD Group’s Checkout Tracking. They still spend less than the average $238 per month by the total population, but they are the fastestgrowing group of online shoppers by age group.

The biggest online spenders were people ages 35 to 44 who spent an average of $306 per month online last year, up 40 percent from the previous year, according to NPD. Shopping is one of a slew of activities that older Americans now have to do over the Internet, like doctor’s appointments and socializing via digital video like FaceTime. Such behavior was forced by necessity— older people face the biggest risk of infection, so it’s more dangerous for them to go out.

The transition online hasn’t al-

AP Retail Writer

N

EW YORK—In November, Paula Mont did something new: The 86-year-old, who hasn’t left her New Jersey senior living community in nearly a year, went shopping—online.

Mont used an iPad, equipped with a stylus to help her shaky hands, to buy a toy grand piano for her greatgranddaughter. She picked it out from more than a dozen versions of the instrument on Amazon.

“It is like a wow feeling. I found it!” Mont said.

The Internet has become a crucial link to the outside world during the pandemic, one that millions of people still don’t have access to.

Among older adults, the lack of Internet has even impeded their ability to get vaccinated.

But the pandemic has also motivated many who have been isolated at home or unable to leave their senior communities to learn something they may have resisted

Optics is the word

By Nick Tayag

MY SIXTY-ZEN’S WORTH

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T was ludicrous. There they were, high government officials and the media all solemnly watching the boxes of vaccines being unloaded from a plane, then transferred to waiting freezers and then the procession of vehicles moved through the streets escorted by police cars with wailing sirens.

But the funny thing is, the boxes of vaccines were empty. There were no real vaccines. It was all for show. It was a drill. A dress rehearsal for the real thing. Then the government official officiously evaluated it as a success!

Day in and day out, our news programs are full of footages showing simulations of vaccination. Officials keep promising readiness.

What makes it painfully laughable was that while we were doing it, the people of Bangladesh and Laos and other less developed countries like ours were already being vaccinated.

Even our neighbors in the Asean were flying in boxes and boxes of vaccines.

In the Senate, we learn that there are no signed agreements yet with vaccine manufacturers.

Somebody commented laconically: optics. In our lingo: pakitang tao, pakitang gilas, ampao, porma. In Shakespearean language: So much ado about nothing.

I am reminded of the quip by John Adams, one of the American founding fathers, when he talked about catching horses: “I have often caught a horse by holding an empty hat, as if it was full of corn.” That’s what we are getting. Being fed with great theatrics that are in reality empty and hollow.

Speaking of hollow, TS Eliot warned us in one of his poems about the “hollow men…Shape without form, shade without colour.”

To confound it, we now have another eye-deceiving development called the Hologram, which sounds like “hollowgram.”

Through the new technology of holographics it’s now possible to re-

ways been easy, and children and senior living staff often have to help, an experience that can be both gratifying and difficult.

Barbara Moran, director of social programs for Atria Senior Living where Mont lives, says one of the biggest challenges residents face with their devices is that they are used to pushing, not tapping, as if they’re using a touch-tone telephone. She has to repeat tips often.

“I would lie if I didn’t say I was frustrated sometimes,” said Moran, who sits with Mont—masked and gloved—in the facility’s dining room for weekly shopping sessions.

Internet retailers and delivery services hope people over 65 keep up the online shopping habit. Freshly, which delivers prepared meals, is looking at adding smaller portions and low-sodium options aimed at seniors; grocery delivery service Instacart set up a phone support line; Target’s delivery service, Shipt, is scrapping its $99-a-year fee for some low-income seniors.

create a dead person and projecting him as alive again. This was reported sometime ago when event organizers employed a hologram of a long dead political leader delivering a very famous speech. You can now order a hologram of your dearly beloved departed and play it at any time you want to see him or her. Call it holographic resurrection.

The said technique can also be used for a living musical performer who can’t be physically present on stage.

In this age of CGI, virtual events and happenings, I am not surprised that this development has come. Event producers are now starting to do a lot more large-scale event holograms, not just for in-person experiences, but also for live-streaming for TV broadcasts, for press campaigns and the like.

Whether it’s simulations of preparedness or holograms, it’s all illusion and manipulation or distortion of perception. It’s not real, not true, not authentic. But as one cynic says, “who cares?”

Alas, we are in the Age of Optics, which embraces illusion and manipulation. It’s trompe-l’œil meaning “trick of the eye,” an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create an optical illusion of depth.

This is why my wife and I avoid films with awesome realistic imagery faked in post-production designed to deceive the eye. Truth to tell, I have turned to films that are made in the neorealist tradition, using real settings and non-actors.

Diane Shein, 73, from Bonita Springs, Florida, turned to Instacart and Amazon-owned Whole Foods for groceries because of the pandemic.

“I’m not sure how much it costs, but I don’t care,” Shein said. “It’s very easy and safe.”

Instaca r t President Ni l a m Ganenthiran predicted that online groceries will be a “new normal” for older people even when the pandemic ends.

Still, there are many barriers, from struggling to use new technology to high prices to access.

People 65 and older are less likely than younger people to have home Internet or a smartphone.

Nearly 22 million, or 42 percent of Americans 65 and older, lack broadband at home, according to a 2021 study from nonprofit Older Adults Technology Services. Lowincome and Black and Latino older adults are more likely to be left out, the study says.

“We are asking them to stay at home, and yet a lot of seniors are

Even in food, optics is used to hook the gullible. I remember in Japan they haveaterm“surimi,”whichreferstofood itemsdisplayedoutsiderestaurantsthat are so lifelike and real but were really molded and sculpted out of plastic.

Interesting to know that “optics” was originally a scientific term. “Optics” is the branch of physics that is dedicated to the behavior and properties of light. However, a different use of the word optics has been used in politics for many years, meaning “appearance” or “perception.” It has been adopted by people in public relations and marketing communications.

Remember the “perception is reality” buzz phrase in the 70s and 80s?

Optics is the new buzzword.

Put simply, in politics, optics is a shorthand for public perception; how the man in the street sees the strategies and actions of those in power. It is employed when a person or organization worries about the public perception of a decision or an act more than the substance of the decision or act itself. Optics operatives even go to the extent of faking visuals to give a positive spin on anything that will serve to enhance the image of a client.

When writers refer to “the optics of a situation” they are talking about the way a situation is perceived by the general public; how an event, course of action, and so on, would look to others.

In this age of Internet media and 24hour news coverage, visuals can make or break a given political campaign or

not connected,” said Lauren Cotter of the Community Tech Network, a San Francisco nonprofit that trains low-income residents on technology and provides free tablets and hot spots.

Those with devices and Internet may wrestle with how to use an app or fear giving out personal information because they worry about fraudsters. Online shopping scams cost Americans $245.9 million last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. And online grocery shopping, which includes tips and delivery charges, costs more than going to stores.

The pandemic has also exposed the shortcomings of the Internet, which often fails to accommodate people with disabilities or an aging population with visual and hearing issues.

Iris Berman, 93, lives in an assisted living center in San Francisco and used to buy her shoes online.

As her eyesight worsened, her son Ed Berman, who works in technology, would help her by sharing her

a big political event. Imagery, even if faked or contrived, is all that matters in our era of perpetual optics. Optics, reinforced by trolls, is what drives headlines, makes news, and wins elections and drives ratings in the polls.

Optics is the high art of stagecraft.

Donald Trump won election as the 45th president of the United States by studying American political stagecraft and learning what helped previous candidates succeed and doomed others to failure. He was just an odd ball in campaigns for many years. But when he glided down the Trump Tower escalator on June 16, 2015, and declared his candidacy, Trump took his place, permanently, as an actor in the greatest spectacle of presidential politics.

An operative who is creative and skilled at employing the tools of optics can actually help direct a celebrity’s daily story by creating scenes that most media people can’t resist turning into news packages and front page photos.

No wonder deception and dishonesty are running rampant practically everywhere you go. The gullible are bound to be disappointed. Sooner or later the politician or the celebrity idol who deceived them with optics turns out to be dishonest and inauthentic.

This is the deep trauma my friend Del went through when I broke to him all the sordid post-mortem revelations of the voracious sexual escapades of a popular religious guru whom he idolized and looked up to.

Today, it is being used extensively

screen virtually. He took over her shopping completely during the pandemic because her vision loss was so severe.

“None of these web sites works well when they’re enlarged,” he said.

Then there’s the simple fact that older people did not grow up with the Internet so things may not come as intuitively compared with those who have.

Ly n net te W h ite, 72, buy s clothes and household items from Amazon and Target online on her iPhone. But she finds other apps, including the Safeway grocery one, too hard to navigate.

When she tries to check out her shopping cart, she finds herself starting all over again. She says it’s frustrating that there are too many steps.

Still, she said she likes learning new skills and her grandchildren, who she sends Amazon gift cards as presents, approve.

“They’re very impressed that at my age I am excited about technology,” White said. AP

in brand image management. What we used to call visual identity is now called optics. Both basically mean the same thing.

To the public, though, the frequent deployment of optics may end up having the opposite effect. People are getting smarter and can smell something fake or contrived. This is why netizens got riled up by optics showing empty boxes being transported and delivered.

It was all for appearance’s sake. What people want are the real vaccines, not simulations and drills of inoculations.

By all means, stay away from the need to use the word “optics” in your business or in any endeavor for that matter. People can get away with deceptive business practices and shady dealings for a while. But eventually, customers won’t come back and employees will leave because they don’t want to be part of the untruths. In the long run, honesty is still the best policy.

In our private lives, we need to keep in mind what Shakespeare said: “To thine own self be true for as night is to day thou can’t be false to any man.”

So while we begin to embrace virtual reality in our daily life because of digital migration, I hope we don’t throw out the real and the authentic altogether. The movie Matrix warned us about a world made up of optics: hollow images, visuals without substance.

Let us resist the hidden secretive cabal of manipulators to overwhelm us with optics and then be left with nothing but “the hope only of empty men.”

Education BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, February 27, 2021

Editor: Mike Policarpio

Colleges, tech-voc institutes to offer labor education as elective course

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HE Senate on February 22 approved a bill on its third and final reading seeking to mandate all public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) to integrate labor education as part of an elective course.

Sen. Joel J. Villanueva—principal sponsor of Senate Bill 1513 or the Labor Education Act—said the measure was a consolidation of several bills filed by Senators Ramon M. Revilla Jr. and Manuel M. Lapid, which takes into consideration House Bill 4466.

A c cord i n g to V i l l a nue v a , around 700,000 students graduate from HEIs every year, but have little knowledge of their labor rights and access to legal aid or assistance, forcing them to compro-

mise and leaving them vulnerable to labor exploitations.

Villanueva, who chairs the Senate’s labor as well as higher and technical-vocational (techvoc) education committees, said equipping students with basic knowledge in labor laws would help protect them from violation of their rights, such as rights to security of tenure, minimum wages, premium pay in case of overtime, holiday work and nighttime work, among others.

VILLANUEVA SENATE.ORG.PH

“At present, regions that have the highest number of students enrolled in [HEIs are also those] where establishments record dis-

mal compliance to labor laws,” Villanueva lamented. “Unfortunately, there is no clear core subject in…higher, [tech-voc] education

sectors where labor education is comprehensively covered.”

He said the enactment of SB 1513 into law would ensure that every Filipino worker would be aware of his or her rights and labor issues, which range from unemployment and underemployment to problems concerning fair wages, job security, safe workplaces, social protection, and unfair labor practices.

Under the bill, HEIs and techvoc training institutes shall hold a labor empowerment and career guidance conference which graduating students need to attend.

Likewise, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment, shall develop appropriate modules of instructions and other relevant materials relating to labor education, and shall encourage all tech-voc schools nationwide to integrate

labor education in their curriculum.

The Commission on Higher Education and Tesda shall review the coverage and quality of labor education courses offered in HEIs, as well as those in tech-voc schools.

“This proposed measure seeks to integrate labor education in [tertiary learning, as well as in techvoc] education and training curriculum, so that before students join the labor force, they are equipped with basic understanding of laborers’ rights and privileges,” Revilla said in his co-sponsorship speech.

“This will empower [students to face] the challenges waiting for them as they become laborers themselves. The more knowledge they have of labor practices and relations, rights and privileges, history and empowerment, the better they will be equipped as contributors to productivity and drivers of the national economy in general.”

Fellowship program offered to young leaders STI Holdings brings data science

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By Roderick L. Abad

ILIPINO youth leaders are encouraged to join a pioneering learning program aimed at empowering them for civic participation and democratic governance.

Those interested can now apply for the Youth Leadership for Democracy’s (YouthLed) 2021-Leadership and Democracy (Lead) Fellowship. It offers a series of leadership and skills-development activities, real-world application training, as well as network-building engagements spread out from May 2021 to March 2023.

“We are looking for youth leaders from diverse backgrounds, particularly those who are active members of a private, public, [community or civil-society organization, or] educational institution,” said The Asia Foundation’s Youth-

Led Chief of Party Ching Jorge, “We need champions of civic engagement, democratic participation and activities for the benefit of the community. The program is completely free.”

“We offer equal opportunities regardless of one’s background, geographical origin, gender, belief system, and social status. We encourage differently abled persons, members of indigenous communities, and those identifying as LGBTQI+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and other orientations and identities] to apply,” she added.

The series of training sessions will be provided in collaboration with the Asian Institute of Management’s Future Bridging Leadership Program, Ateneo School of Governments’ Executive Education Courses, and Ayala Foundation Inc.’s Servant Leadership

Program.

Chosen candidates aged 18 to 30 years old will also undergo mentorship activities with the Makati Business Club and Philippine Business for Social Progress.

Beyond these, participants will gain access to grants and funding for their respective organizations, or will receive guidance in putting up their own agencies as youth leaders. Supporting them will be a network of mentors. They will be recognized as a member of the YouthLed network of young leaders in the country.

The five-year fellowship program is being organized by The Asia Foundation, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development or USAID, along with several organizations, institutions and experts.

YouthLed is designed to produce young leaders who are champions

of democratic values, participatory governance and civic engagement. Also, it seeks to support informed, engaged, and empowered YouthLed leaders in their ability to navigate, engage and maximize platforms for democratic governance via issue-based campaigns and development programs.

Applications are now being accepted until February 28. Documents for submission include completed Lead Fellowship application form, updated curriculum vitae, project proposal, budget proposal of proposed project, and two endorsement letters from an employer, teacher, school official or verifiable mentor.

Candidates will undergo two stages of application reviews, including blind and panel interviews. Results will be announced by the end of April on www.youthled.org.ph.

Reinforcing honor codes vs distance misconduct Using honor codes

By Jack Brazel Head of Business Partnerships Southeast Asia, Turnitin

A

T this time when distance learning has become the norm, academic integrity is a matter of great concern. With less student supervision in virtual classrooms, cases of academic misconduct are becoming more common.

To keep a check on distance misconduct, the Department of Education (DepEd) declared that public schools will not hold periodical examinations in this academic year. Instead, students’ progress will be assessed through summative exercises and tasks.

While academic dishonesty exists, using an honor code has proven to be effective in promoting ethical behavior. An honor code will help inspire students to prioritize personal integrity and also collaborate effectively with their peers. To support such, various education-technology solutions are evolving to identify and discourage academic impropriety.

Understanding academic dishonesty

DATA gathered through DepEd’s National Learner Enrollment and Survey Forms suggested that 8.8 million out of the 22.2 million parents (39.6 percent of total respondents) preferred

BRAZEL modular distance learning as an alternative to in-person classes for the current academic year.

In the current situation where educators have limited interaction with students, it is more difficult to discern if a student had intentionally violated academic integrity standards. Students’ intentions can be determined by asking them to explain the process for completing the work, and even using a short, targeted assessment to uncover a skills deficit. However, these approaches may prove timeconsuming and even inconclusive for educators inexperienced in such investigation tactics.

New technology tools in education are being developed to help teachers examine student work more objectively, so they can make informed decisions, address issues, and take necessary action.

HONOR codes help students understand the importance of integrity and authenticity throughout the writing process, and should be updated to reflect the current learning environment. They should support the work of educators and be reinforced through instruction. For instance, at the beginning of the school year, educators can have students sign an honor statement that is then regularly referenced throughout the year. It is also crucial to educate students about academic integrity principles and build trust through regular feedback and oneon-one virtual catch-up sessions.

Educators should empower students by promoting a safe, interactive and open environment encouraging them to communicate the learning challenges they are experiencing.

If potential plagiarism is suspected, educators must hold students accountable while encouraging them to learn and grow from their mistakes.

Educational tools, which support academic integrity by enabling feedback, assessing skill gaps and promoting fairness, empower teachers to be more productive and efficient.

These tools also help educators and teachers check the quality of student’s work and identify underlying learning challenges to work on with the student individually. Students can also use such tools to check their own

work before submitting it, thus reinforcing a culture of academic integrity.

Developing citizens of integrity

IT is crucial for educators to uphold academic integrity among their students to prevent dishonest habits or misconduct, which will allow students to develop critical-thinking skills essential to their academic performance and future careers.

Educating students on the consequences of academic dishonesty and the importance of academic integrity can significantly reduce plagiarism cases. When they graduate from university, students bring this core value with them into their professional work and social lives, helping them become better citizens eventually.

Amid changing times, students are devising newer forms of plagiarism and academic misconduct, making honor codes and policies even more vital to uphold. Educators should reinforce this principle through explicit instruction around academic integrity facilitated by technology to provide formative student-learning opportunities.

The Philippines has a significant number of students poised to join the work force in the future. Educators have an important role to play in instilling academic integrity not only to avoid misconduct, but help students grow as citizens with integrity.

to mainstream local education

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OUNG Filipinos will now have the opportunity to become part of the growing number of learners of data science, dubbed by experts as the “career of the future,” as STI Holdings recently announced its network of schools has begun to offer programs related to the much soughtafter field of study nationwide in School Year (SY) 2020-21.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the company said that STI’s Education Services Group (ESG)—the company’s biggest subsidiary— and its West Negros University (WNU) campus are now offering programs leading to a Bachelor of Science course in Retail Technology and Consumer Science, as well as a two-year Associate degree in Retail Technology.

Under the programs, students are expected to apply data science and business analytics to drive understanding of the changing market and consumer behavior, as well as to employ disruptive technologies. They will likewise be trained to utilize omnichannel retail-marketing strategies to satisfy changing consumer demands and varying purchasing habits.

Upon graduation, students of the said programs will be ready for the future of work with specialized skills in the areas of retail marketing, consumer psychology, information technology and data science. Graduates may become business-analytics professionals, big data analysts, consumer analysts, consumer scientists, data scientists, digital marketing and/or e-commerce specialists, as well as e-business data managers, among others.

Meanwhile, iACADEMY is currently offering programs leading to Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science, with majors in Data Science and Cloud Computing, respectively.

Under the Data Science program, students would be able to develop, analyze, and apply algorithmic principles in computer science. These would be done through a thorough training in computer science, statistics, data mining, and machine learning, enabling organizations to make data-driven decisions.

The cloud computing program, meanwhile, exposes students to

such technologies that would enable them to design, implement, manage, and maintain local and wide-area networks.

Through the program’s partnership with Amazon Web Services, students have the chance to gain globally recognized cloud-computing certification.

Upon graduation, students of the said programs may pursue jobs and careers as programmers, enterprise or network architects, data analysts, data scientists, program managers, and management information systems directors, among others.

The Commission on Higher Education has given STI’s ESG, WNU and iACADEMY their respective permits to offer these new programs.

“We are certainly proud to offer these courses at a time when technology has even become more relevant in people’s lives,” said STI Holdings President and CEO Monico V. Jacob. “Just recently, the Bangko Sentral came out with data that says e-wallet transactions have more than tripled due to the... pandemic, showing a significant increase in the use of technology.

This development just affirms STI Holdings’ decision to offer these new courses, which is a testament to our commitment to advance the use of data science for our country’s progress.”

“We have already seen before that more and more data sciencerelated jobs and careers will be created in the future. It’s actually happening now, and it will continue to unfold in the [years to come],” seconded STI Holdings Chairman Eusebio H. Tanco. “This is why we wanted our youth to become more prepared and equipped to take on this trend and get ahead in the game.”

Meanwhile, STI ESG recently partnered with Smart Communications and Globe Telecom to help provide its students with continued learning powered by technology amid the pandemic.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, February 27, 2021 A9

Intl bamboo organ festival goes online

Armando Salarza

Luc Ponet

Guy Bovet

Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng

Jennifer Pascual

By Carla Mortel-Baricaua

T

Photos courtesy of the Bamboo Organ Foundation

he much celebrated musical festival, featuring the worldrenowned bamboo organ in Saint Joseph Parish Church, will be switching gears this year and produce a series of concerts accessible online.

The 46th International Bamboo Organ Festival Online is scheduled to go on live streaming from March 5 to 7, every evening at 8 p.m., so that patrons from different parts of the world can watch regardless of their time zones.

“Since the restoration of the Bamboo Organ in 1975, we have been celebrating the gift this instrument has been to Las Piñas City, giving an identity to the city and to the country, protecting our national organ patrimony which is unique in Asia.

The present situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic did not change our conviction to continue this annual event, although held in another platform maximizing the use of technology and the ingenuity of social media,” says Leo Renier, executive director of the festival and president of the Bamboo Organ Foundation.

The international festival will feature Luc Ponet from Belgium, Guy Bovet from Switzerland, and Jennifer Pascual, a Filipina based in New York. During the performances, they will improvise on

Filipino tunes to be played on their own respective grand pipe organs.

Belgian organist Luc Ponet made an international reputation with successful performances in many illustrious organ festivals, such as in Paris, Warsaw, Tokyo, Mexico, Chicago, and Flanders.

He is a professor at several institutions, and titular organist of the monumental Le Picard organ at the Basilica of Tongeren, Belgium.

Since 1980, Guy Bovet has been a regular guest at the bamboo organ festival; this is his 9th visit.

He keeps a concert schedule of around 50 recitals per year. His discography of over 60 recordings features modern and historical instruments in Europe, the Americas, Japan, and the Philippines, featuring the Bamboo Organ.

Dr. Jennifer Pascual is the dDirector of Music at St. Patrick’s

Villancico Vocal Ensemble

Cathedral in New York City. She hosts a weekly radio show called “Sounds from the Spires” on The Catholic Channel on SIRIUS/XM radio. Pascual has performed in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Spain, Vatican City, in several cities in the United States, and has CDs available under the JAV label.

The online concert series will feature bamboo organ titular organist Armando Salarza on the keyboard while on camera, providing the audience a unique view of his performance. He will also introduce the pipe organ of the San Scholastica College of Music and at the Oirgan at San Ezekiel Moreno Oratory. In addition, each program will close with a rendition of a short motet by the Villancico Vocal Ensemble, directed by Bev-

erly Shangkuan-Cheng.

Professor Armando V. Salarza is an international concert organist and has been the titular organist of the bamboo organ in his hometown, Las Piñas, Philippines, for 28 years. Prof. Salarza is currently the artistic director of the International Bamboo Organ Festival. He is also a faculty member of the St. Scholastica’s College Conservatory of Music, and of the University of the Philippines College of Music where he is teaching pipe organ.

Dr. Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng is the president of the Philippine Choral Directors Association and a full-time faculty member of the University of the Philippines College of Music, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting. She is also the principal conductor of the Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club, resident conduc-

tor of the Philippines’s International Bamboo Organ Festival, and founding conductor of the Dawani Women’s Choir.

Currently under the musical directorship of Dr. Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng, the Villancico Vocal Ensemble continues to uphold its mandate to perform choral music in its highest standard and to make it accessible to its growing audience. Mainly composed of student conductors, professional musicians, and active members from various university and church choirs, the ensemble’s repertoire primarily centers on early music, particularly works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

The choir celebrates their 10th anniversary this year and is now considered as one of the resident choirs of the international bamboo organ festival.

Unlike the previous years, no tickets will be sold this year, leaving the live stream performances open to the public online for free.

However, the foundation is looking for donations from its audience.

“We hope to reach as many people as possible. We are entirely depending on our sponsors and donors for us to cover the expenses incurred for this production and continue on with this tradition.

As you may know, our performing artists are seriously affected by this pandemic and now face an uncertain future. Through your support, the future of these ‘musical frontliners’ will be sustained. At the same time, we are preserving one of the longest-running annual cultural events that had been going on for more than 45 years,” shares Renier.

The festival’s program details are available on https://www.facebook.com/ibof46online. Donations may be coursed through PayPal (bambooorganoffice@gmail.com), GCash (09662058807, Robert Lao–Treasurer), Give2Asia (www. give2asia.org/bambooorganfoundation), PAYMAYA ( 09615187783, Robert Lao), and BDO (Bamboo Organ Foundation, Inc., Acct. no.

005268009149).

Hong Kong Tourism Board launches ‘online + offline’ Chinese New Year promotions

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ith the traditional international Chinese New Year Night Parade canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hong Kong Tourism Board turns to innovative promotional programs on “online + offline” format held from February 8 to 26.

The three-week “Fortunes at Home” Chinese New Year (CNY) campaign promotional campaign featured a creative online market, CNY delicacies and specialties, along with plentiful contents, including games, lucky feng shui tips and festive e-cards, as well as special offers by the catering and the retail sectors.

“The Hong Kong Tourism Board launched ‘Holiday at Home’ as a local promotional platform in the middle of last year, with an aim to boost local consumption. With this promotional platform, we have moved some mega events online and

added offline elements for flexible promotions in response to development of the epidemic,” said Dane Cheng, Executive Director of the HKTB. “As far as this year’s CNY campaign is concerned, we will take the traditions online and infuse them with innovative elements, sending the public our festive blessings in a whole new fashion.”

HKTB also recently held a virtual tour for international media around the city so they can experience an authentic celebration of Chinese New Year right at the comfort of their homes.

The virtual tour started with a visit on the largest Man Mo Temple in Hong Kong, a tribute to the God of Literature (Man) and the God of War (Mo). On Chinese New Year, parents bring their children here to receive extra blessings for their academic goals. Next was the Wong Tai Sin Temple, where thousands of be-

MAN Mo Temple

WONG Tai Shin Temple

CNY Candy Box created through collaboration between Yiu Fung and Papery.

Feng shui master Thierry Chow shopping on Upper Lascar Row

lievers queue up outside the temple for the opportunity to make the first incense offering at midnight. It is their belief that wishgranting is on a first-come, firstserved basis on this holy ground.

Then the tour made a stop at the Che Kung Temple where visitors come to improve their luck by spinning the wheel of fortune for the year.

This was followed by a quick stop at Upper Lascar Row, where feng shui master Thierry Chow showed where to shop for chic decorations that can help enhance your fortune in the Year of the Ox. The area is also known for its row of antique stores, offering an eclectic collection of Chinese calligraphy, art and vintage furniture.

The tour also included a visit at the Flower Market where Hong Kong people pay a visit to buy auspicious plants as part of their Chinese New Year celebration.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, February 27, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Delta uses tech to empower people, care for customers

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor DELTA Air Lines continues to use technology to better connect with employees and customers amid the pandemic. Molly Battin, vice president (VP) for global brand marketing at Delta, talked about this initiative of their company at the ongoing virtual CES 2021.

“We are listening closely to customers and looking at ways we can pull new technology and innovation into everything we are doing to create a more seamless experience,” she said.

The American airliner is now working with CVS Health on a first-of-its-kind comprehensive Covid-19 employee testing program.

It has also a longtime partnership with IBM, through which new technology like quantum computing is now being explored to allow even better customer experiences throughout travel.

Battin shared Delta’s successes in using technology to empower its employees by reducing their transactional interactions with customers so they can deliver more meaningful and human interface instead. “When we think about technology at Delta,

it’s about putting the human touch first,” she said.

“We are looking at all the ways we can use technology to empower our people to have more personal connections.”

Battin also reiterated the airline’s approach to rise from the pandemic stronger than before by pulling the future forward as much as possible.

She cited, for instance, their way of accelerating the retirement of older, less fuel-efficient fleets and fast-tracking work to bring the future of in-flight entertainment to life.

As the new year ushered in, Delta remains focused

on delivering on other customer-centric investments, like faster Wi-Fi, personalized in-flight entertainment and other innovations it launched at CES last year.

Just last week, the airline firm finalized its partnership with high-speed Wi-Fi provider Viasat and took steps to debut a Delta-developed Wi-Fi access portal that will change how customers interact online from the air.

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Delta serves around 200 million people annually, taking customers across an industry-leading global network of up to 300 destinations in over 50 countries.

Huawei unveils flagship foldable smartphone for China market

BY JOE MCDONALD The Associated Press BEIJING—Struggling under US sanctions, Huawei unveiled a folding smartphone with an 8-inch (20-centimeter) wide screen Monday to show off its tech prowess but said it will be sold only in China.

The Mate X2 highlights the challenges for Huawei Technologies Ltd. after Washington cut off access to US processor chips and Google services.

Last year, Huawei fell from the top-selling global smartphone brand to sixth place.

Huawei says the Mate X2, its third folding phone, has crisper visuals and better sound for movies and games. It runs on Huawei’s most advanced processor chip, the Kirin 9000.

The phone offers “a truly immersive experience,” the president of Huawei’s consumer unit, Richard Yu, said at a launch event broadcast online.

Huawei, China’s first global tech brand, was battered by being put on an export blacklist by then-President Donald J. Trump in 2019 as a security risk, an accusation the company denies.

Huawei sold its budget-priced Honor smartphone brand in November to focus resources on higherend models.

The Mate X2 will start at 17,999 yuan ($2,785), according to Yu. Monday’s launch “says a lot about how it still wants to trumpet its advances in technology, even if commercially speaking, its shipments will be severely hampered,” said Bryan Ma of IDC in an e-mail.

Executives said earlier Huawei stockpiled chips and other components in preparation for a possible US cutoff. It isn’t clear how long those supplies might last.

Huawei designed the Kirin line that powers its most advanced smartphones but relies on outside manufacturers including Taiwan’s TSMC to make them. The Trump administration stepped up sanctions last year by blocking TSMC and other global producers from using US technology to make chips for Huawei, including those designed by the company.

Chinese officials accuse Washington of abusing national security complaints to suppress rising technology competitors. Huawei denies accusations it might facilitate Chinese spying.

CONTINUED ON A11

SON YE-JIN (right) and Hyun Bin (left) of Crash Landing On You.

Even Ben&Ben are ‘CLOY’ fans

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URING the online press conference hosted by Smart to talk about the new TVC featuring Korean power couple Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin, one of the members of the group Ben&Ben said, “Like many Filipinos, our quarantine journey started by watching CLOY.” Indeed, CLOY (short for the drama Crash Landing On You) took the Philippines on a Korean drama journey that kept us distracted during this nearly one-year quarantine.

Smart has made the couple its ambassadors for three campaigns so far—Hyun Bin for “Simple Smart Ako,” Son Ye-jin for Smart Signature and, finally, the February 14 campaign where we saw the real-life

couple together for the Smart 5G campaign.

“You can just imagine how we felt when fans of Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin flooded our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with requests, begging for a joint material featuring the pair. It may have taken a while but we felt it was worth the wait as the stars aligned for us to finally launch our new campaign last Valentine’s Day,” said Jane Basas, Smart SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business.

The TVC, which was released on Valentine’s Day, features the song “Inevitable” by Ben&Ben. “‘Inevitable’ is a song that tries to describe the nature of fate, and how all our actions somehow lead us to some better place that is destined for us. It’s also a song about being real with someone, and that no matter how scary that may seem at times, there is freedom in baring your truest nature with someone dear to you, even if that someone is yourself,” said lead singer Paolo Benjamin.

Here is what we do know, based on Basas’ statements during the press conference: the Smart contracts of Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin include a one-appearance clause. This means that once the pandemic is over, they would come to the Philippines to meet their fans. Basas also revealed that BinJin will have a second TVC for the telco. The TVC will be for

Smart Signature, the Philippine telecommunication company’s line of postpaid plans.

Meanwhile, Smart is having a 5G Experiential Zone in Molito, Alabang, until tomorrow.

The first in a series of caravans around the country, the Smart 5G Experiential Zone will offer special discounts, rebates and premium treats for those availing of a Smart Signature 5G Plan.

Customers may also get exclusive freebies and as much as P2,000 discount on a variety of Smart 5G-certified phones including Samsung, Apple, Oppo, Huawei and Vivo.

Smart subscribers can also head to the zone to upgrade their SIM for free and participate in exciting activities like a one-of-a-kind VR experience powered

by Smart 5G. Smart 5G allows subscribers to upload and download heavy files in seconds, stream highresolution videos seamlessly, play online games without noticeable lags, and benefit from apps and services on their smartphone.

Smart is continuing the nationwide roll-out of its 5G network, which includes strategic sites in Metro Manila, Boracay, Cavite, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Laguna, New Clark City in Pampanga and Rizal.

Smart’s 5G rollout complements the telco’s 4G/LTE and 3G network in the country. ■

Top conglomerate partners with modern HR technology platform to embrace digital workplace ONE of the Philippines’s largest and more diversified conglomerates, JG Summit Holdings Inc. (www.jgsummit. com.ph), announced its move to digitalize HR in partnership with new-age HR tech platform provider Darwinbox (www.darwinbox.com). In a bid to reaffirm the company’s commitment toward providing the best experience to its employees, JG Summit bared its plan to completely digitalize its HR processes to empower their employees and the organization to always be future-ready.

In the wake of the pandemic, it became clear that digital is a critical lever for every organization to lead and compete.

With HR transformation now on the front burner and HR itself turning into a major center for innovation, the company was on the lookout for the best tech partner to realize its vision. On exploring the market and closely evaluating

several global solutions, JG Summit chose Darwinbox for its new-age technology, supreme agility and expertise in solving for Asian enterprises.

“We believe that going digital is the way forward and we are happy to have partnered with new-age and innovative HR solutions provider Darwinbox, the human capital management [HCM] solutions provider of choice of Asian conglomerates and multinational corporations in the region for their digital transformation initiatives. Their mobile-first and futuristic platform will play a critical role in bringing the digital agility and experience we intend to offer our employees,” said Lance Y. Gokongwei, JG Summit president and CEO. Darwinbox is a new-age, hire-to-retire HCM solution that enables organizations to engage, empower and ultimately

unleash the highest potential of their people. Awarded as Asia’s most preferred HCM by Gartner, Darwinbox today serves more than 500-plus Asian enterprises and more than 1 million-plus employees using the platform. The company has recently been backed by the world’s largest cloud player Salesforce.

“We are thrilled to partner with one of the leading conglomerates in the Philippines and are excited about revolutionizing the HR experience for their employees,” said Jayant Paleti, co-founder, Darwinbox.

In the months to come, the Philippine conglomerate will digitalize the HR function of several of their business units using Darwinbox across several aspects of HR including Recruitment, Onboarding, Performance Management and Talent Management.

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, February 27, 2021 A11

The major has gone wireless

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ROM Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Slash, Alice Cooper, Oasis and Gorillaz, to Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey and many others, the world’s greatest bands and performers are able to share their excellent live music thanks to Jim Marshall OBE and his son Terry and their creation—the Marshall amplifiers.

Since the brand’s inception during the rebellious 1960s music scene, Marshall has grown vastly in size from the early days of its music store at Uxbridge Road, London, becoming a centerpiece of rock and roll music.

In 2010, Marshall branched out into the headphones market releasing the Marshall Major Headphones and Marshall Minor Earphones. Over the course of the decade, the market has been flooded with headphones of all sorts of colors, shapes and design, yet the Major series has done very little to change its iconic look. Now, with the growing popularity of True Wireless Stereo earbuds, is there still reason to consider the Marshall Major IV? Here is our Marshall Major IV Ups and Downs review: ■ LOOK AND DESIGN. I’ve always liked the classic style and rock star looks of the Marshall Major headphones. The company’s guitar-amp heritage shines through, with its textured black vinyl adorning the outside of the headband with the white Marshall script logo positioned on the outside of either earpad.

It’s also in black which means it can go with any of your OOTD, which means it gets an Up. The design features squared-off ear pads with visible metal wires that slide along the headpiece.

You can adjust the arms by sliding them up and down depending on the size of your head. These offer a firm fit against your ear, and the headband is very flexible and should fit even large heads without being obtrusive when stretched. The clips attaching the earpads to the headband also have a practical purpose

as they are collapsible, allowing you to fold the Major IV up and carry them in your jacket pocket easily.

I just wished they included a pouch for better storage protection so this gets a Down.

When you look at the cups on the Marshall Major IV, you’ll realize they aren’t even big enough to fit around a kid’s ear. So are they going to pinch and hurt a bit after a couple hours of use? Not really, because Marshall did make some adjustments making the pads thicker yet softer to ensure that the ear cups adjust to the ear and do not press uncomfortably after prolonged use. This is great since headphones have now become standard study/ work-from-home gear for most of us. Still, I would suggest visiting one of the showrooms of Digital Walker to try them out first and feel it for yourself. For comfort the Major IV gets an Up ,as well.

■ CONTROLS. If you are like me who struggle with tiny buttons, you’ll love the simple controls of the Major IV. It has a single multidirectional mini joystick (with a gold accent to make it visible) that handles all the controls—an easy Up. Press and hold the joystick to power the Major IV on or off, and do a single press to play or pause the audio. To adjust the volume, you just nudge the joystick up or down or nudge it left to right to skip forward or return to the start of the track. Double pressing it will activate your voice assistant of choice. It may sound complicated but it’s definitely a lot easier than fumbling around trying to press those tiny buttons.

■ SOUND QUALITY. I have to give the Major IV an Up for living up to its superb audio heritage. Inside those cups are high-quality 40mm drivers that excel at delivering great sound quality whatever type of audio or music you are listening to. It sounds even better when you’re listening to genres associated with the Marshall brand—punk, rock, indie and metal.

Treble is crisp and vocals are clear, and listening to those guitar riffs are pure joy. It made me want to do an air guitar solo—even though I have no idea how to do it. You might be left wanting for a little more bass though when you are listening to hip-hop and those bass-heavy dance music.

Another nice feature of the Major IV is the ability to share your audio using the included 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable. Just plug the cable into the Major IV, and connect it to any pair of headphones with a

YouTube pitches safety features for tweens to join its main site YOUTUBE unveiled new safety settings to let tweens and teens roam portions of its main web site with parental supervision, the company’s latest effort to lure younger viewers with appropriate content.

The world’s largest video site, owned by Alphabet Inc.’s Google, said in a blog post Wednesday that it will launch a test version of the new product in more than 80 countries.

Some parents have complained that YouTube’s Kids app is suitable for young children, but too childish for kids between the age of 8 and 13. The new effort targets this age group. It may also help YouTube keep younger viewers from departing for TikTok, a fast growing rival video service.

YouTube will offer three safety settings, depending on a child’s age and parents’ discretion. The first tier is called Explore and will feature videos suitable for ages nine and up. Explore More includes a broader swath of videos appropriate for ages 13 and up.

The final tier, called Most of YouTube, will include almost all videos on the platform except for age-restricted content.

“We will use a mix of user input, machine learning and human review to determine

which videos are included,” James Beser, YouTube’s director of product management for kids and family, wrote in the blog post.

“We know that our systems will make mistakes and will continue to evolve over time.”

YouTube has struggled for years to balance the popularity of its service among kids and the concerns of parents and regulators about targeted advertising, privacy, toxic content and child safety. In 2019, it paid a record $170 million fine and limited ads on kids’ videos to settle claims that the company violated children’s privacy laws.

The majority of YouTube’s 20 most popular channels cater to children, even though kids under the age of 13 aren’t supposed to use the service in the US. The company created a separate Kids app to provide a safer environment for children. While the app has grown more popular over the years, now with 35 million users, that still pales in comparison to regular YouTube, which is used by more than 2 billion people.

BLOOMBERG NEWS

3.5mm port and you can both listen to the same source. Its long enough so you don’t have to worry about getting too close, especially with physical distancing. It is a cool feature for couples who want to listen or watch the same video together. This sharing feature also gets an Up. ■ BATTERY. The Marshall Major IV has two other standout features: its long battery life and wireless charging capabilities.

The Marshall Major IV promises a truly impressive battery life of roughly 80 hours.

Throughout our three-week review, I only had to charge the Major IV twice—once via USB-C and the other time was just to try out wireless charging. It takes about three hours to fully charge the Major IV via wired charging, but a 15-minute charge will give it enough juice to deliver up to 15 hours of audio. Results though will vary depending on the volume levels— still, that battery capacity deserves an UP.

Last, the Major IV is the first in the series to support wireless charging and we have to give that an Up for extra convenience. This comes in handy if you own smartphones that also make use of a Qi charging pad. My only gripe about this is that it can be a bit difficult to balance the headphones, either to keep it upright or to make sure its charging properly.

Final word: The Marshall Major IV retains the vintage rock star look and the superb sound quality we’ve come to expect from the brand. The battery life lasts twice longer than its predecessor and wireless charging—once you get find the right positioning is an added convenience. The only things holding it back from being among the top picks is the lack of noise cancellation and a good app to go with it.

The Marshall Major IV is priced at P8,690, and available at Digital Walker, Beyond the Box and HomeOffice.ph. ■

GLOBE READIES VOLTE SERVICE FOR POSTPAID CUSTOMERS IN 1,538 TOWNS AND CITIES LEADING telco Globe is all set to make its VoLTE service accessible to postpaid customers in more towns and municipalities in the country.

Its aggressive network expansion and modernization efforts have resulted in making Voice over LTE or VoLTE service available soon to postpaid customers in 1,538 towns and cities all over the country.

Moreover, the company says its VoLTE coverage is now activated and optimized in 575 towns and cities in at least 25 provinces in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. VoLTE is ready for use in 153 towns and cities in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, Cebu, Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte. Based on its latest track, Globe has also made VoLTE ready in 422 areas in Aklan, Antique, Bataan, Batangas, Bukidnon, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Laguna, Misamis Oriental, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Siquijor, Tarlac and Zambales.

“While the new normal has been challenging, we saw this as an opportunity to create better solutions and technologies for our customers in need of support during this difficult time. We want to make their mobile experience better and an enhanced VoLTE service is one of them,” said Issa GuevarraCabreira, Globe chief commercial officer.

VoLTE is the standard high-speed wireless communication for mobile phones using 4G LTE instead of the traditional voice networks being used by 2G and 3G. VoLTE has many advantages over the old voice services of 2G and 3G networks. It has three times more voice capacity than 3G and up to six times more compared to 2G, allowing the network to accommodate more customers placing calls at the same time, enabling faster call set-up, providing clearer voice quality, and lower instances of dropped calls. VoLTE also allows users to simultaneously connect to the Internet

while on a call, providing an uninterrupted mobile browsing experience especially with online gaming and video streaming.

An added complement to VoLTE is Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi) or WiFi Calling, which helps address indoor mobile coverage problems such as voice calls affected by the distance between the mobile phone and the nearest network tower, building walls that block wireless signals, and poor signal inside a home or building.

Depending on the capacity and signal strength of their WiFi service and a VoWiFi-capable mobile phone, VoWiFi can resolve these concerns because customers can use their existing WiFi connection to make phone calls.

VoLTE and VoWiFi calls work like and charge as regular calls but customers who are registered to a Globe unli call promo can also have unli VoLTE and VoWiFi calls within the Globe network. Both services also work on any WiFi network.

Huawei unveils flagship foldable smartphone for China market CONTINUED FROM A10 Without Google music and other services preinstalled, Huawei’s smartphone sales, including Honor, fell 22 percent last year to 188.5 million, according to Canalys.

Huawei’s founder, Ren Zhengfei, said February 9 he didn’t expect new US President Joe Biden to lift Trump’s sanctions but expressed confidence the company can survive. Huawei, headquartered in Shenzhen in southern

China, also is the biggest global maker of switching equipment for phone networks.

Huawei’s smartphone unit depends increasingly on its home China market, which accounts for more than 70 percent of sales, up from 50 percent in 2019.

The loss of Google services had no impact in China, where they aren’t licensed and Huawei already used local alternatives.

China’s ruling Communist Party has spent billions of dollars trying to build its own chip industry. But domestic

producers lack the technology to manufacture chips for Huawei’s most advanced products.

“The bigger question is more about how long their current stockpile of components will last them,” said IDC’s Ma. Huawei has yet to report 2020 sales and profit, but Ren, the founder, said they were better than the previous year.

Huawei said revenue for the first nine months of 2020 rose 9.9 percent to 671.3 billion yuan ($100.4 billion).

Sports

Taduran defends belt vs Cuarto

BusinessMirror

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| Saturday, February 27, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

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ETROIT—Investigators who are looking into the rollover crash that injured golf legend Tiger Woods will rely heavily on data stored in the Genesis SUV he was driving to figure out what happened.

The 2021 GV80, made by the Hyundai luxury brand, is likely to have a newer version of event data recorders nicknamed “black boxes” after more sophisticated recorders in airplanes. They store a treasure trove of data for authorities to review.

There aren’t any US regulations requiring the boxes, but the government does require the recorders to store 15 data points including speed before impact and whether brake and gas pedals were pressed.

The regulations don’t cover new partially automated systems that can control speed, brake and steer cars on freeways, and they don’t address cameras and radar used in those systems. But some vehicles store some of the new systems’ data.

Woods suffered a serious leg injury when the SUV he was driving went off a Los Angeles County road and rolled over on a downhill stretch known for crashes. The county sheriff said Woods was not drunk and was driving alone in good weather when the SUV hit a raised median, went across oncoming lanes and rolled several times. The crash injured his right leg, requiring surgery.

It’s not clear how much of the crash Woods recalls, but

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? WOODS

Jazul named Mr. Quality Minutes

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ETERAN guard RJ Jazul and the thrilling Philippine Cup Game Five semifinals match between Barangay Ginebra and Meralco inside the Clark bubble will share the limelight in the virtual Philippine Basketball

Association (PBA) Press Corps Awards Night.

Jazul, the 34-year-old team captain of Phoenix Super LPG, will receive the Mr. Quality Minutes award for his immense contributions coming off the bench, while the Kings’ 83-80

the black box data should be able to fill in gaps.

WHAT IS AN EVENT DATA RECORDER?

IT’S a computer that stores data from a vehicle’s sensors that can be downloaded by police officers investigating a crash.

The boxes usually are below the center of the dashboard or beneath seats to be protected from damage.

IS THERE ONE IN MY CAR?

MOST likely yes. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says nearly all vehicles have them now.

Even during the 2005 model year, 64 percent of vehicles had the boxes. General Motors put the first recorder in a vehicle in 1994 that stored limited data, said Richard Ruth, who runs a Washington, DC-based consulting firm that does crash investigations and trains police officers in crash reconstruction.

WHAT DATA DOES IT STORE?

A FEDERAL regulation effective with the 2013 model year requires event data recorders to store 15 items, including victory over the Bolts in their do-or-die semifinal match will be named the Game of the Bubble by the men and women who regularly cover the PBA beat.

The two-in-one awards night that will also honor the 2019 awardees is set on March 7 at the TV5 Media Center and presented by Cignal TV.

speed up to five seconds before impact, whether and how much the gas pedal was pressed, whether the brakes were applied, whether the driver’s seat belt was fastened, whether the front air bags inflated and how long that took, and the change in forward speed. Newer versions of the boxes can store sideways force taken from gyroscopes, measuring how fast a vehicle rolled over or whether antilock brakes and stability control were operating.

WHAT DID THE SUV WOODS WAS DRIVING STORE?

A GENESIS spokesman wouldn’t say, but Ruth said other models made by Hyundai and affiliated automaker Kia record more than the required data. Some record steering angle before the crash, which would show how much the driver tried to avoid a crash, he said.

The Kia Forte compact car, for example, records how much pressure was on the brake pedal so investigators can see how hard a driver was braking.

Newer vehicles like the Genesis SUV are equipped with automatic emergency braking and other safety systems from which the box could also record data. AP

The 5-foot-11 Jazul averaged 11.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 17 games during the lone conference last season. He registered a career-high 33 points he spiked with nine threepointers in the Fuel Masters’ 110-101 win over five-time champion San Miguel Beer to clinch a berth in the quarterfinals.

The Kings, seeded No. 1, also made their

By Josef Ramos

NTERNATIONAL Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight titleholder Pedro General Taduran Jr. expects nothing but an aggressive challenge from Rene Mark Cuarto in their all-Filipino world championship showdown on Saturday at the Bula Gym in General Santos City.

“I know how determined he is to take my title away from me in his hometown, so I really prepared myself hard for this moment,” said Taduran, who tipped the scale at 104 lbs. during the formal weigh-in on Friday.

The fight will be staged in a bubble setup.

The 24-year-old Taduran (14-2-1 win-loss-draw record with 11 knockouts) arrived in General Santos City with his team 15 days ago to complete a 14-day quarantine at a local hotel. He found a way to train, spar and keep himself focused on his second title defense.

“I watched his previous bouts and I am fully ready now. If he wants to exchange punches, that will be good. If he runs, I will chase him and fight wisely,” Taduran said.

Taduran survived Mexico’s Daniel Valladares via technical draw in his opponent’s turf in his first title defense in February 2020.

Cuarto, on the other hand, unleashed a strong statement against Taduran, telling BusinessMirror that he will send Taduran home to Libon, Albay, without his belt.

“I’ve been in training for two months and I will do my very, very best to get the title from him,” said the 24-year-old Cuarto (18-2-2 win-loss-draw record with 11 knockouts). “Condition-wise, I am ready for this fight physically and mentally.”

Cuarto weighed in at 105 lbs.

presence felt following their hard-earned win over the fifth-seeded Bolts in a match marked

by Scottie Thompson’s clutch three-pointer at the buzzer that sent the team to best-of-seven finals.

Jazul and the Barangay Ginebra-Meralco game are part of the distinct bubble awards to be handed out in the event to be shown on PBA Rush on March 8.

Also on the honor roll are CJ Perez (Scoring Champion) and the All-Rookie Team (Aaron Black, Arvin Tolentino, Roosevelt Adams, Barkley Ebona and Renzo Subido).

Still to be named are the Outstanding Coach of the Bubble, Mr. Executive, President’s Award, Top Bubble D-Fender, All Bubble D-Fenders and a Special Citation.

The 2019 Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan Coach of the Year Leo Austria of San Miguel Beer and Danny Floro Executive of the Year PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas lead the honorees for the previous season that also include Presidential Awardee Vergel Meneses, Bulakan Mayor and one of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players, and Defensive Player of the Year Sean Anthony of NorthPort.

SCRIBES honor veteran guard RJ Jazul.

Bang-Jonah, DM-Jackie strike hard on Day One

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TA. LUCIA and Abanse Negrense crushed their respective opponents to jump-start their campaign in the 2021 GatoradePhilippine Superliga (PSL) Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup at the Subic Bay Freeport sand court.

Sta. Lucia B’s Bang Pineda and Jonah Sabete showed no sign of rust in their 21-10, 21-9 rout of Kennedy Solar Energy-PetroGazz’s Ariane Alarcon and Christina Canares in the opening match of the tournament that has Cherrylume, Ube Express and Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel as sponsors and Cocolife, Cocogen Insurance, Data Project and Genius Sports as technical partners.

A few hours later, the tandem of DM Demontano and Jackie Estoquia of Sta. Lucia B that made its presence felt with a 21-18, 21-13 victory over Jonah San Pedro and Javen Sabas of Toby’s Sports.

Also victorious were Abanse Negrense’s Alexa Polidario and Erjan Magdato, who crushed F2 Logistics’ Jennymar Senares and Kyla Gallego,

21-15, 21-12, to wrap up the morning session of the competition that was made possible through the support of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Central Luzon.

Their Abanse Negros B counterparts, Jennifer Cosas and Gelimae Villanueva, beat United Auctioneers Inc.’s Ella Viray and Theresa Ramas, 21-13, 21-12, in Pool B. More than winning their first assignment, Pineda and Sabete said they were happy to see action for the first time in 11 months.

“At this point, more than winning the game, we are very happy to play again in a tournament,” said Pineda, a noted floor defender during her stint with the Lady Realtors in volleyball. “Missing the game for so long made me more inspired and I’m sure all players are motivated to win in this very competitive tournament.”

“Finally, after almost a year, we were able to play again,” Sabete said. “We’re really excited and inspired as we continue to compete in the PSL.”

PHL duo ends doubles stint in Florida clay

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UBEN GONZALES and Francis Casey Alcantara closed out their partnership with a quarterfinal stint the second leg of the M25 International Tennis Federation (ITF) ASC BMW $25,000 World Tennis Tour in Naples, Florida, on Wednesday.

The duo absorbed a 6-7, 6-4, 7-10 setback from Connor Huertas del Pino and Alexander Merino of Peru but kept their heads up in their best finish on Naple’s clay.

“I think we played a high level match today but we just came up a little short,” Gonzales, 35, told BusinessMirror. “We are playing better as a team every match.”

Gonzales and Alcantara improved on their performance in the first leg where they didn’t get past their first match.

The Filipinos forced their opponents into a tight exchange and even moved a point shy of closing out the opening set. They broke their rivals to stay in the

match in second set, before engaging the Peruvians in a nip-and-tuck third set before yielding.

“We had four set points in the first but we just came up a little short,” said Gonzales, ranked 236th in the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour doubles rankings. “We played a really good second set, but in the super tiebreaker, our level wasn’t quite as good and they executed better than us.”

Gonzales and Alcantara are parting ways to return to their ATP Tour routines for the rest of the year.

“I’m going to start playing ATP Challenger tournaments with my usual partner,” said Gonzales, referring to South African Ruan Roelofse who he paired with earlier this year in the Columbus (Ohio) Challenger.

“I think Francis is going to play some UTR tournament in California. We hope to play together more later this year,” he added.