BusinessMirror January 03, 2019

DEPT. OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY

2018 BANTOG DATA MEDIA AWARDS CHAMPION

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Thursday, January 3, 2019 Vol. 14 No. 85

‘Marginal’ slowdowns cause PMI to dip in Dec

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By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

HE country’s manufacturing sector performance slowed down in the last month of the year, but indicators paint a rosy picture for the industry in the coming year.

Reports from IHS Markit on Wednesday showed the country’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell from 54.2 in November to 53.2 in December.

The PMI is a composite index aimed at gauging the health of the

country’s manufacturing sector. It is calculated as a weighted average of five individual subcomponents.

Readings above the 50 threshold signal a growth in the manufacturing sector, while readings below 50 show deterioration in the industry.

The country’s performance during the month places second in the overall ranking of PMIs in the region, with Vietnam leading the pack with a PMI of 53.8.

Following the Philippines is Myanmar’s PMI at 52.5, Indonesia’s

53.2 The country’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) in December, as reported by IHS Markit. The figure is down from 54.2 in November, and puts the Philippines second to Vietnam in the region, with a PMI of 53.8

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at 51.2 and Thailand’s at 50.3. Malaysia’s and Singapore’s manufacturing sector, meanwhile, were in the contraction territory during the month, with Malaysia’s PMI at 46.8 and Singapore hitting the bottom

HE campaign of the trade union movement to end the endo practice of hiring workers on a short-term basis has not yet succeeded in prodding a reluctant Congress to pass a law formally outlawing the controversial “labor-only contracting” system and abolishing all other forms of “contractualization.” Once the LOC is declared unlawful, penal sanctions may be imposed on those who organize LOC arrangements. Under the present Labor Code, the labor secretary is simply informed that he may “prohibit” LOC, defined as a situation where the so-called employer has no capital, no equipment and no control over the work process.

See “PMI,” A2

Continued on A7

Boracay closure cost: A high of ₧83B in biz, ₧28B in wages–PIDS

Inflation to fall below 6% in December, says ING

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HE acceleration of consumer prices likely ended 2018 in the 5 percent territory, a private economist said, as index heavyweights are seen to pull inflation during the month.

Recent analysis from ING Bank Manila showed inflation likely fell below 6 percent in December 2018 as the cost of food and energy-related items declined significantly during the month.

ING Bank Manila Senior Economist Nicholas Mapa said supply chains are already starting to normalize and global energy prices are plunging faster than the rate of increase seen earlier this year.

“The fourth-quarter harvest season and imports of grains have helped stabilize the supply [and price] for most food items with the latest government bulletin showing second week December rice inflation at 10.03 percent compared to November 2018’s 14.46 percent,” Mapa noted.

“Meanwhile, domestic pump prices have tracked the freefall seen in Dubai oil prices, with gasoline prices now below pre-2018 taxreform levels with diesel not far behind. The November-December plunge convinced transport fare

2017 EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

By Cai U. Ordinario

₧20.79B, ₧6.97B

HE closure of Boracay cost the Philippine economy and Filipino workers billions in revenue and income between May and October 2018, according to state-owned think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

This was the result of a study, titled “The Boracay Closure: Socioeconomic Consequences and Resilience Management,” authored

by PIDS President Celia M. Reyes; Senior Research Fellow Jose Ramon G. Albert; Research Fellow Francis Mark A. Quimba; and research assistants Ma. Kristina P. Ortiz and Ronina D. Asis.

The study estimated that the aggregate economic loss of the Boracay closure was between P20.8 billion and P83.15 billion, while in terms of income, the loss in compensation would range from P7 billion to P27.9 billion. “ Tourism sectors would be most affected, as well as agriculture and services, albeit slightly.

Overall, while the results may not be very significant at the national level, it will still have its direct and indirect effects to

The projected loss in total output and loss in compensation, respectively, from the low-end scenario of the PIDS study, which assumes a 5-percent reduction in tourist receipts due to the closure

T WELCOME 2019! The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. (PSE) welcomed 2019 with first trading day festivities—a champagne toast, coin and candy shower, and special bell-ringing ceremony. “There are many good things to look forward to in the next 12 months. We aim for products like shortselling and REITs to be launched very soon. We are also optimistic that market conditions will be more favorable for capital raising,” PSE Chairman Jose T. Pardo said at the program. On the first trading day of the year, the PSEi closed higher by 23.18 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,489.20. In photo are PSE COO Roel A. Refran; Treasurer Omelita J. Tiangco; Directors Amor C. Iliscupidez and Wilson L. Sy; President and CEO Ramon S. Monzon; Chairman Jose Pardo; Directors Eddie Gobling, Vivian Yuchengco and Alejandro T. Yu. NONOY LACZA

Solons seek update on missed TRAIN revenue

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

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HE House Committee on Oversight will ask officials of the Department of Finance (DOF) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to update Congress on the implementation of the second tranche of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.

Minority Leader Danilo Suarez of

See “Inflation,” A2

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.5630

Quezon, chairman of the oversight panel, said lawmakers also want an update from the DOF and BIR on revenue collection from TRAIN following their reported missed revenue.

“We can call them [when session resumes this month] because that’s a very serious issue if you miss the target, then we have to borrow more.

We don’t know whether it will affect our deficit ceiling,” Suarez said in a recent interview.

Earlier, Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate hit the DOF for their missed TRAIN revenue.

“The much ballyhooed TRAIN law is an utter failure and the revenues it was supposed to generate were far from true. The TRAIN law only gave us higher taxes and price shocks, but the supposed increased collections did not happen,” said Colmenares.

Continued on A8

@caiordinario

people living in the island and in the entire municipality of Malay,” the authors said.

“The study recommends the need to craft strategic and harmonized overall plan which lays out the various government efforts to safeguard the welfare of those who will be severely affected by the sudden closure of Boracay,” they added.

The authors said that in 2017, Boracay had over 2 million visitors and about half were foreigners.

This was a 16-percent growth from the 1.73 million tourists recorded in 2016.

Tourist receipts from Boracay also increased to P56.1 billion in 2017, from P4.9 billion in 2001.

This indicated an annual average growth rate of 16.5 percent.

See “Boracay,” A2

n JAPAN 0.4790 n UK 67.0704 n HK 6.7121 n CHINA 7.6478 n SINGAPORE 38.5529 n AUSTRALIA 37.0832 n EU 60.0690 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.0135

Source: BSP (2 January 2019 )

News

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A4 Thursday, January 3, 2019 A2

Be ‘more tolerant’ of Duterte’s remarks vs clergy, Palace tells Church leaders

By Samuel P. Medenilla

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@sam_medenilla

ALACAÑANG on Wednesday called on Catholic Church leaders to be “more tolerant” to President Duterte’s controversial remarks against the clergy.

In fact, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Presidential Spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said, the Church should even “welcome” the President’s remarks as an “opportunity” to its flock to strengthen their faith.

“The President puts to a test the

validity of the religious rituals bordering to fanaticism as against the practice of genuine spirituality as taught by the different personifications of one God,” Panelo said.

Duterte took another swipe against the Catholic Church over the weekend by reiterating incidents of

alleged sexual abuses committed by some of its members, and repeating his earlier claim that he was among those who were molested by priests in his younger days.

Panelo defended Duterte’s pronouncement against the Catholic Church, saying the Chief Executive was merely exercising his freedom of expression.

“The President endeavors to be creative, using means that may be unnerving to the conservatives unused to his ways of governance but effective in putting across message he wants to convey to the majority of the people who, surveys show, approves of his maverick methods,” Panelo said.

Panelo added that President Duterte is “unmindful” if his style

of criticizing the Catholic Church will make him unpopular.

The President’s relations with the Catholic Church strained after the latter criticized the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, which resulted in the killings of thousands of drug suspects.

Government officials pegged these fatalities to be over 5,000 in the last three years.

In recent months, Duterte issued more controversial remarks against the Catholic Church like calling God stupid and even urging Catholics to shun churches.

In response, Church officials now try to avoid directly criticizing Duterte and instead just statements rejecting the “unholy acts,” which, they say, the latter is doing.

DA chief lists projects to boost food production, cut poverty

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

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OLLOWING economic managers’ pronouncement of focusing on improving agriculture sector, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the government should invest more on postharvest facilities to cut production losses and boost the country’s food supply.

In a statement, Piñol listed five major projects that will improve food production and reduce poverty in the countryside. They include farm-tomarket roads (FMRs), solar-powered irrigation system, postharvest facilities for fisheries, logistic and transport facilities and easy access credit for farmers and fishermen.

“With government funding focused on these five major impact projects, agriculture will certainly grow by leaps and bounds. The positive effects and contributions to the economy will be felt toward the last years of the Duterte administration but these programs will certainly build the foundations of a sustainable and resilient agriculture and fisheries in the country,” he said.

According to Piñol, the Philippines has a backlog of about 13,000 kilometers of rural roads which could link food production areas to the market.

“FMRs are critical to greater food production and reduction on the prices of agricultural commodities,” he said.

With the piecemeal funding given to the Farm to Market Road Program, the secretary said it would take 12 years before all the food production areas would have

access roads to the market.

“The FMRs must be included as a vital component of the ‘Build, Build, Build Program of government,” he added.

Solar-powered

PIÑOL also urged the government to allot more funding for solar-powered irrigation systems.

He said the DA Bureau of Soil and Water Management and the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Engineering have perfected the SolarPowered Irrigation System.

“With a budget of P44 billion over the next three years, a total of 500,000 hectares could be irrigated which could increase rice production by 3 million metric tons, enough to cover the country’s shortfall,” he said.

“There could be no agriculture without water. The country needs to irrigate 80,000 hectares every year to be able to plant rice to feed the growing population. Unfortunately, government could only irrigate up to 40,000 hectares every year,” he said.

Of the 3.9 million hectares of rice farms in the country, only 1.2 million is served by irrigation facilities, leaving 2.7 million hectares dependent on rainfall.

“Small Irrigation System, instead of big dams, is the way to go because it is faster to construct, the cost is lower and it could cover small production areas that could not be served the big irrigation projects,” he said.

Fisheries

PIÑOL also called for investments on Fisheries Post-Harvest Facilities as data provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Boracay. . . continued from a1 The authors estimated that if there was

a reduction of 5 percent in tourist receipts due to the closure, the projected loss in total output would be P20.79 billion and the projected loss in compensation would be P6.97 billion.

If the decline in tourist receipts would be higher at 10 percent, the projected losses in total output would be P41.57 billion and the losses in compensation would reach P13.95 billion.

Under the last scenario, where there is a 20-percent reduction in tourism receipts, the projected losses in total output would be P83.15 billion, while the lost income would be P27.89 billion.

“The projected economic losses for the entire economy for the period May to October 2018 were computed using the multiplier effects of

tourism-related sectors,” the authors said.

The authors said that on an industry basis, the largest direct impact was in accommodation services for visitors which could have reached P10 billion, followed by entertainment, recreation services and shopping at P9.7 billion.

The losses of food and beverage serving services, the authors said, may have reached P9.3 billion; transport services, P8.8 billion; and miscellaneous activities, P0.8 billion.

In order to address the losses, the authors said the government must provide some form of assistance, especially to low-income workers. These include workers earning daily wages of around P50 or P150 per day.

Further, the authors recommended that there needs to be either a monthly cash assistance or a one-time lump-sum cash transfer to affected workers.

The results, the authors said, also point toward the creation of a registry of Boracay residents. This will make it easier to identify residents who will be affected by shocks.

The use of a Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) can be used to create the database. Malay, the authors said, is scheduled to implement its CBMS in 2018 but has yet to start data collection.

showed that the country loses 40 percent of its fish catch because of the lack of ice-making and cold storage facilities.

He said more investments by government for bigger cold storage facilities, especially in major fishing grounds like Infanta, Quezon, Samar, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, are needed.

Under the Duterte administration, he said the DA, through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), established the Agricultural and Fisheries Machinery and Equipment Loaning Program.

“This program did not happen easily because of opposition to the idea of lending money to farmers and fishermen without collateral at low interest,” he said.

Earlier, Piñol said a total of P400 million can be loaned out to boost the fisheries sector.

By the first quarter of 2019, he said at least 100 fishing communities all over the country will have Ice-Making Facilities, Cold Storage and Refrigerated trucks which the fishermen will acquire through the AFME loaning program at 2 percent per year.

Food boats

ANOTHER major project that needs government support is the “Food Boats” project, which seeks to facilitate the transport of agriculture and fisheries products in the country, Piñol said.

He said the government must invest in this area if it wants to bring more food to Metro Manila and big city markets, which could be sold at lower price.

In the 2019 budget, the secretary said the DA proposed, but did not

get, a P500-million budget to buy two medium-sized locally made cargo vessels.

“The proposal was made based on the very basic problem of high transport cost of food products from the islands to Metro Manila, thus pushing prices up. As of today, it is more expensive to ship bananas from Davao to Manila than shipping from Davao to Japan,” he said.

“The problem in this country is not the lack of food but the poor positioning of food as a result of expensive freight and handling,” he added.

Credit access

ALSO, Piñol said the lack of credit access by poor farmers and fishermen is the biggest issue in agricultural productivity.

That’s why, he said, the DA is pushing for easy access credit for food and agricultural production.

Despite the Agri-Agra Law, which compels banks to lend to the agriculture and fisheries sector, Piñol said credit access by farmers and fishermen has been very low.

The DA-ACPC has implemented easy access loaning programs now acknowledged by the Philippine Statistics Authority as major contributors to greater productivity and reduction of poverty.

With an initial loan fund of P1.4 billion, the ACPC has reported a repayment rate of 97 percent, while higher production figures have been reported.

With this, he said, the government, through the Department of Budget and Management, increased the credit fund to P3.4 billion for 2019.

Workers demand enactment pending EML and SOT bills

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LABOR group is urging President Duterte to expeditiously act on the passage of two prolabor legislation that remain pending despite getting wide support from lawmakers last year.

The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) said time is running out for the passage of the Expanded Maternity Leave bill (EML) and the Security of Tenure (SOT) bill, with the 17th Congress nearing its adjournment in July.

The EML, which was already approved by both houses of Congress in October 2018, was already submitted to the President for signing.

However, it was later returned to the bicameral committee the following month due to the alleged insertion of tax-exemption provisions, which were not approved by government economic managers.

“The submitted version of the [EML] bill contained tax exemptions.

But the DOF [Department of Finance] wants it to be taxed,” Matula said.

Following the said development, FFW Vice President Julius Cainglet said Malacañang kept its silence on any update on the status of the bill.

“There is no mention if it already reached his [Mr. Duterte’s] table or if it will be acted soon...it appears the Chief Executive is taking his time in deciding if he will sign it,” Cainglet remarked.

FFW is also calling on the administration to prioritize the passage of the SOT bill, which is still on second reading in the Senate even after Duterte certified it as one of his priority bills.

During their meeting with Senate President Vicente Sotto III last October, Cainglet said the senator gave a verbal commitment the Senate version of the bill will be completed by January 2019.

Cainglet said that, while no senator had formalized any opposition on the SOT, there are some who did not favor its passage into law. The labor leader did not disclose the names of the suspected anti-SOT lawmakers. Samuel P. Medenilla

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Lacson to PNP chief: Dismiss trigger-happy ‘scumbag’ cops

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

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EN. Panfilo M. Lacson Sr. on Wednesday urged the leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to dismiss at least seven policemen caught firing their guns during the holiday season celebrations.

Lacson, who went hard after rogue cops when he headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001, said these policemen are “scumbags” who showed no regard for life.

“What if someone got hit and died, or paralyzed? Damn these scumbags! They have no purpose in life, really. Give them the boot ASAP, chief,” the senator, apparently addressing PNP chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde, said in a post on his Twitter account on Tuesday evening.

Lacson also stressed the need for the PNP to sustain its internal cleansing efforts, pointing out that rogue cops “do not deserve to stay a minute longer in the police service.”

On New Year’s Day, Albayalde said seven police officers now face admin-

PMI. . . continued from a1

of the group at 46.

IHS Markit— the think tank that collects data for each country’s PMI —brushed off the declining subsectors during the month, saying the slowdowns were “marginal.”

“Filipino manufacturers expanded output further during December. Despite easing to a threemonth low, production growth remained above the 2018 average,” the report read.

“New export orders declined for the fourth month running in December, however the pace of contraction was marginal overall,” it added.

Input buying was also weaker, with input stocks accumulated at the weakest for three months. Reports of stretched supply chains also affected the overall PMI of the country, indicating port congestion as a factor behind shipment delays.

Commenting on the Philippine PMI data, IHS Markit economist David Owen expressed optimism for the country’s manufacturing sector in the coming months. “ T he fina l sur vey of 2018 confirmed a strong end to the

istrative cases for indiscriminate firing during the holidays.

The PNP said the seven are among the 23 “trigger-happy gun holders” who face raps for firing their guns between December 16, 2018, and early morning of January 1, 2019.

A lbayalde said the 23 gun holders were involved in 26 reported incidents of illegal discharge of firearms.

Other than the seven policemen, also arrested were two government officials, one soldier, 10 civilians, two security guards and one law-enforcement agent, the PNP said.

Lacson earlier deplored the abuses committed by some PNP personnel, amid an unprecedented salary hike for military and uniformed personnel, in compliance with Joint Resolution 1.

With such benefits, he said “there is every reason for right-thinking police officers to love and secure their profession, not to mention to be motivated enough to show a debt of gratitude to their Commander in Chief who made an almost impossible legislation to pass.” With PNA

year for Filipino manufacturers.

Despite dipping from November, output and new orders growth remained solid, while feeding a stronger increase to job numbers,” Owen said.

During the month, higher sales reportedly drove firms to expand their work force numbers. This caused employment in the manufacturing sector in December to rise to its strongest in four months.

“Also encouraging was a notable waning in input cost inflation to the weakest seen in over two years.

Likely helped by the fall in oil prices, firms also reported an easing of recent cost pressures such as the exchange rate and the TRAIN laws,” Owen said.

“This, in turn, saw firms raising factory gate prices modestly, offering a calmer and confident outlook for the sector in 2019,” he added.

On the price front, the manufacturing industry saw a decline in input cost inflation—hitting a 28-month low in December.

Economic managers earlier said inflation is expected to fall down further in 2019 as global oil costs decline.

Inflation. . . continued from a1 adjustments to be rolled back although the government has decided to proceed with the second tranche of its excise tax adjustment to fuel [both gasoline and diesel] of P2 for 2019,” he added.

The rapid rise in the prices of food—particularly rice—as well as petroleum pushed inflation to accelerate for most of 2018. This reached a peak of 6.7 percent in September and October this year before coming down to 6 percent in November.

“2018 inflation zoomed well past BSP’s inflation target as a confluence of bad weather, disrupted supply chains, currency depreciation and tax reform fomented cost-push inf lation,” Mapa said.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s (BSP) target range for inflation in 2018 is at 2 to 4 percent. This range was retained for 2019 and 2020.

“With these supply-side-oriented bottlenecks mitigated or removed, we can expect inflation pressures to dissipate quickly and the overall headline print to slide in 2019, barring any return of these supply issues,” the economist added.

Mapa further said that risks to this inflation outlook appear to be

tilted to the downside with the expected signing of the rice tariffication law and further fall of international oil prices.

Among the factors that can push inflation upward are possible extreme weather conditions, with El Niño forecast in the first half of 2019 and surprise oil supply cuts that can cause crude oil’s recent plunge to reverse.

To control inflation in 2018, the BSP let out a series of rate hikes to pull price growth downward. In its last monetary-policy meeting for 2018, the Central Bank decided to stop the rate hikes as they forecast inflation to hit 5.2 percent on average for this year before falling to 3.2 percent on average for 2019.

“Should inflation continue to trend lower and move within target as early as the second quarter of 2019, the BSP could move to unwind some of its aggressive hike cycle to help buttress forecasted slower GDP growth for the year,” Mapa said.

“Cuts to the BSP’s policy rate are expected to be carried out even with the Central Bank widely expected to slash reserve requirements [RRR] as early as the first quarter,” he added.

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Data regulation versus data freedom

By Henry J. Schumacher

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EW laws, led by the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protec tion Regulations (GDPR), are putting constraints on global groups that had grown used to setting their own rules.

Consequently, data-driven tech companies from Google and Facebook to Alibaba and Amazon are finally coming under regulatory scrutiny for their shortcomings, especially over data privacy.

But correcting the problems of today's digital economy will depend less on government regulators than on the harnessing of market forces. Already, market-inspired data privacy and cybersecurity services are becoming hot commercial commodities, not least in Asia.

This has given rise to a new “RegTech” sector—where companies and governments use artificial intelligence (AI) to manage regulatory processes—which could create opportunities for a wide range of businesses, large and small.

While all nations around the world face data-protection challenges, they are particularly acute in Southeast Asia because the region of 600 million people combines high growth in the digital economy with a fragmented regulatory landscape, spread across a dozen different countries. Moreover, Southeast Asia lacks the legal and technical infrastructure of developed states, such as the US and EU

members, or the single central authority of governments in countries, such as the Philippines, India and China. And, as of now, there are no local tech groups big enough to challenge the global leaders.

So, governments and companies must find innovative ways to handle data-protection challenges, including adopting AI-driven risk-management processes, without killing the data markets. Remember, data is wealth!

Southeast Asia is leapfrogging ahead with mobile-first technologies that are rapidly expanding e-commerce, social commerce and the sharing economy. This is producing exponential growth in data, as well as an explosion of fintech start-ups.

The big question facing Southeast Asia is: Can governments, businesses and nongovernment organizations (NGO) work together to create a regulatory environment that protects data but also creates an open and level playing field? In my view, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the National Privacy Commission (NPC) need to work together closely to achieve that.

There are plenty of cautionary tales from which to learn.

At one extreme is the open system of surveillance capitalism that has prevailed until recently, where data merchants such as Facebook harvest the information of billions of people—mostly out of sight from regulators. The other extreme: a Big Brother regime, such as in China, that uses increasingly intrusive practices to enforce digital autocracy.

Both scenarios must be avoided.

Absent the development of a unified viable regulatory framework, companies will be forced to further localize and nationalize their operations, effectively cutting themselves off from global data value chains.

Meanwhile, the data-protection landscape across Southeast Asia is fragmented.

Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), for example, imposes penalties of up to a million Singapore dollars and prison time for violations of an individual’s privacy. The PDPA applies to all electronic and nonelectronic communications regarding data collection, processing or disclosure and requires companies to obtain customers’ consent.

Companies must also inform customers regarding the personal data they possess.

Malaysia has a similar PDPAs, while Indonesia has drafted data privacy standards that are a virtual cut and paste of the European GDPR. Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines are in the process of either implementing or drafting variations of PDPAs. To the north, Aseans, largest trading partner, China, recently passed its Cy-

ber Security Law, which, among other things, requires foreign companies to store local customer data on servers located in China—which grants Beijing backdoor access to that data. To date, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam all have their own versions of data localization laws in place, with others looking at new regulations.

With all this complexity, the only answer for tech companies, especially smaller, local businesses, is technology.

At the 2018 Fintech Expo in Singapore —now the largest of its kind—the impact that data-protection laws are having on the banking sector became obvious. Most companies in attendance (especially startups) were promoting tools and services relating to data privacy and security.

Meanwhile, at a regional level, the recent signing of an e-commerce agreement by the Asean offers hope of regulatory integration, even if this is only a symbolic first step.

With Southeast Asia becoming a testing ground for high-tech solutions to privacy challenges, regulators must hold data capitalism accountable. Governments, businesses and other stakeholders must continue to work together to achieve a regulatory landscape that is fair and open, andgivessmallerlocalcompaniesachance to compete with global giants.

As said above, in the Philippines, a close cooperation between the PCC and the NPC, including the private sector, is desirable to protect the Philippines’s potential in Big Data.

Feedback is more than welcome; contact me at Schumacher@eitsc.com.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, January 3, 2019 A3

Study urges govt to tap creative pool to develop PHL e-trade

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

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HE government has to develop industry road maps and export strategies for digital products if it wants to exploit the multibillion-peso electronic commerce industry, according to a study.

In a discussion paper, titled “Issues on Digital Trade,” by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), the government was urged to focus on creating strategies that will take advantage of the country’s pool of creative talent.

This, the study claimed, could be a way for the Philippines to develop its e-commerce industry.

“Given the country’s pool of creative talent, in addition to the services where the Philippines has revealed comparative advantage, attention should be given to the promotion of digital products. An export strategy could be developed promoting the creative industries, such as copyright based industries (CBIs), specifically core CBIs whose outputs can be digitally delivered over the Internet,” the study read.

Road maps on press and literature; music; motion picture and video; radio and television; and photography will contribute to the country’s digital trade platform.

Core CBIs also include software and databases; visual and graphic art; advertising services; and copyright collective management societies.

The Philippines’s core CBIs in 2010 contributed 5.11 percent of total gross domestic product and 8.83 percent of employment, the study added. It also reported exports of core CBIs expanded 133 percent to $21 million in 2012, from $9 million in 2010.

“The PSA [Philippine Statistics Authority] should be regularly providing specific information and statistics on the creative economy, especially given the potentials of creative industries for enhancing employment and economic output,” the study read.

The study, likewise, stated that the government should seriously take investing heavily on creative industries if it wants to improve its digital trade. It said opportunities arise from funding core CBIs, “especially given likely risks to jobs from the full impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

The Philippines has a relatively slow transition to e-commerce, also known as digital trade, according to the study, largely due to the poor Internet infrastructure in the country.

In the 2015 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry, which covers the formal sector only, by the PSA, sales from e-commerce transactions reached P44.4 billion only.

“The proportion of online sales to total sales is one indicator of digital intensity. For the Philippines, e-commerce sales accounted for 0.3 percent of total income in 2015,” the study read.

A4

TheBroa

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Thursday, January 3, 2019

BI’s airport branch fights ‘bad

FILIPINOS coming from abroad use the new electronic gates installed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, a key reform that speeds up the process and leaves immigration officers more time to attend to crucial tasks. NONIE REYES

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By Recto Mercene

HE airport branch of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) today exudes an atmosphere of calm and orderliness so unlike a few years before, when it seemed an agency totally out of control.

Two years ago some BI officers, or IOs, on duty could choose their own schedules and the booth they will stay in. Sources within the bureau said this was tolerated so they could allow with impunity the departure from the country of some illegal Filipino migrants; for a hefty fee, of course. Likewise, some pundits believe this is how travelers with ill intentions or checkered backgrounds enter the country’s borders.

Human trafficking of Filipinos was made possible with the assistance of illegal recruiters who have struck an arrangement with some corrupt IOs, persons familiar with the matter said. A “coding” reveals the identities of workers who are willing to come up with the fee simply to find work abroad.

Other IOs were also after the so-called overtime pay, a substantial amount that is larger than their regular salaries, which are extracted from foreigners in exchange for the speedy processing of their permits.

For almost two years, too, the airport’s arrival area was in chaos as arriving passengers stand in line for hours before having their passport stamped by a single IO in a booth originally designed for four.

Inheritance

BRIEFED on the goings-on at the premier gateway, President

Duterte, with his usual no-nonsense approach to solving knotty problems, axed the overtime pay.

It was with the total concurrence of Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, who declared the overtime pay illegal.

Dismayed by the loss of such hefty sums, 32 IOs left their post, never to return. Some filed for early retirement. Their absence was not missed, albeit many simply tried to avoid prosecution for some misdeeds, according to sources within the bureau.

Immediately, IOs in various ports across the country were called in to fill the vacuum at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). The agency also went on a hiring spree for new immigration cadets to undergo training.

This is the bureau inherited

by Dennis Robles, Immigration Officer Supervising Office II, at the Naia. A veteran of many years, he was unscathed by the mischief going on around him, saying: “I have few needs. Invite me for a cup of coffee and that would be fine for me.”

The BusinessMirror found Robles bent forward on his desk, the glow of a computer screen reflected on his face. He was trying to manage in orderly fashion the schedule of each of nearly 300 agents on duty.

Matrix

ROBLES is one of the very few immigration officers who thought of finally bringing the bureau into the digital age.

He was preparing a matrix “that would allow my subordinates to go on leave, swap schedules with fellow officers but maintain airport operations humming efficiently.”

“We used to do this manually,” Robles said, tapping keys in between sips. That time, he said, schedules were arranged for each employee through pen and paper; the result has always been chaotic.

According to Robles, like anybody who works for a company or agency that operates 24/7, BI employees have to follow a three-shift timetable: sunriser, which is from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; mid-shift, from 3 to 11 p.m.; and graveyard, from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next day.

“But today, going to work is not as straightforward as one might think,” Robles said, adding that supervisors must also determine whether the IO would be assigned to the departure or arrival booth and to what shift he or she would belong.

Manual

ROBLES said the bureau is now focused on computerization because he knew from long experience that his fellow employees, aside from attending to their jobs, have social obligations to meet, as well. This includes presiding over birthday parties of their children, going to weddings or going on paternity or maternity leaves.

“Allowing them to attend to their social obligations makes them more efficient,” he said.

Thanks to computers, Robles said he could allow IOs to maintain the integrity of the airport bureau.

Likewise, subordinates obligingly process each passenger within the

required waiting time.

“The moment swapping schedules is recorded, it will override the source code that tells whether an IO is on duty or on a day off,” Robles explained. “But we will compel them to continue to work.”

Robles, who had devoted 28 years of his life as an immigration officer, said “nobody has thought of this before.”

“There must be a sound operational support for us to counter problems, such as absences. Now I can track their performance,” he added. “If I see a lazy immigrant officer, we will compel them to work.”

Improvements

ACCORDING to Robles, he applies

the carrot and the stick to goad IOs to perform well.

“The carrot is the reward; the stick the penalty. If they don’t want to work efficiently, that would be OK but then they’ll be graded, which would be the basis for their promotion.”

Prior to his adoption of the grading by performance, he said the only criterion then was on production.

“But now I want to have four benchmarks: production, knowledge of immigration laws and procedures, knowledge on memoranda on decorum, and attendance,” Robles said. “Of course, if one is frequently absent, that would spell poor performance,” he said, add-

ing: “otherwise, if grading is based only on production then we would not be able to address the long pestering problems of the bureau.”

These problems, he said, include the “wrong application of relevant immigration laws and procedures because they do not study and keep up with the current trends.”

“So we will compel them [IOs] to study. They must open their books so they will learn not to simply exclude any suspected person.”

Grouping

HE said this problem has allowed the world community an excuse to give the country a black eye.

“You know, immigration work

aderLook

sMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace | Thursday, January 3, 2019

A5

d influence’ of past practices

A PASSENGER goes through one of the e-gates installed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. From the usual 15 to 30 minutes, sometimes even as long as an hour waiting in line, Filipino migrant workers, balikbayan and tourists can now breeze through the e-gates. NONIE REYES

is like the work of a doctor. Because of the dynamic changes going on, doctors and IOs must always keep themselves up to date and keep on studying.”

On the other hand, to address congestion, which was the No. 1 complaint against the bureau, Robles said he prepared a “linear grouping,” a technical term that seamlessly arranges the queuing pattern at any of the four passenger terminals of the Naia.

He said if arriving passengers build up in any of the booths, the supervisor simply accesses a Queuing Progress Alert (QPA) on the Viber app.

“This is a coded text message that, with one click, alerts any immigration officer of the following situation: red, congested; yellow, building up; and, green, manageable.”

Robles said Naia 2 has two separate booth groupings, “which are far apart and, therefore, difficult to determine which booth is on red, yellow or green.”

“Once the IO sees that the yellow alert is up on any specific booths, they would know where to station themselves and spread out properly and thereby prevent the congestion that is expected to develop.”

Red alert

ACCORDING to Robles, a red alert would trigger the IOs to scramble and remedy the situation.

“The duty of the receiver who is in green status is to send his immigration officer to a particular area [that is] sending the yellow [message] or red message,” he added.

Robles said the scheme was put in place in December 2016.

“The QPA is reactive in nature because you react on the basis of the buildup,” explained Robles, now the second most senior BI official at the Naia. “Now, we have the

Linear Assessment Table, or LAT, which is the grouping of flights per hour in one linear form so the IO can identify the possible congestion way in advance.”

He said the most important aspect of the LAT is the pre-planning stage, which is prepared by the supervisor and would help them look into their duty schedules.

“The LAT would determine how many flights are coming and which booths the passengers would line up. It would also say how many passengers are disembarking and estimate how long each passenger would undergo before his travel document is processed.”

Allowable time

ROBLES explained one passenger lining up for 30 minutes to 45 minutes in a crowded arrival area is the world’s standard. One hour, he added, is still permissible, “depending on the number of arriving flights and the number of personnel on duty.”

He said each IO is allowed to process one passenger every 45 seconds. This is the time spent to look at the validity of the passport, the visa (if required), the pertinent information encoded for e-passports and whether the passenger corresponds to the photograph on the passport.

“At the Naia, our IO does it today in only 30 seconds,” Robles proudly claimed. “That’s the benefit of linear grouping; it’s a proactive move.”

Sometimes, Robles said, the IO would ask more questions, such as whether a passenger has a return ticket, the purpose of the travel and where he or she is staying.

“It would be highly suspicious if a passenger intends to stay in the country for three months with only $300 in [one’s] pocket.”

He added that suspects are subjected to closer scrutiny.

“Yes, this is done on ‘undesirables’ and we have plenty of them.

Sometimes the passenger would act in a very arrogant manner; others would submit an expired passport.”

Targeting

ASKED if “profiling” a specific passenger would speed up identification, the 50-something Robles confessed the law prohibits the agency from doing so.

“Do not judge the book by its cover,” he said, citing IOs’ rough guide on how to assess a newly arrived person. “Especially the Chinese, who might land here attired in unfashionable clothing.”

He said profiling is an internal matter to IOs “but not applied generally to Chinese passengers who might not be smart dressers but they are loaded.”

“But what I really want is for all the IOs to go back to our school program so that they could be graded accordingly.”

Robles said most often, many IOs get jaded on their jobs, become inefficient or forget to apply a particular ruling to a particular case, which could prompt a passenger resorting to hiring a lawyer.

“They must study the Bureau of Immigration book. We will compel them to read it again so that they are able to work at their best, on a daily basis,” he added. “There must be a goal set by the administration for them to work efficiently, and that would be the basis for how they are graded.”

Inputs

ROBLES explained that with the aid of the computer, the supervisors would be able to gauge the performance of each subordinate and find out the average number of passenger being processed per counter.

He said the performance of

each IO varies and relative to which booth they are assigned.

“For example, the middle counter is always full, so you can’t apply equal workload to those assigned on the sides, which have fewer passengers [in a queue].”

At the same time, he said one has to consider peak seasons, usually in December and during the Holy Week, when many Filipino migrant workers come home to spend time with their loved ones.

“The system will work on it. All we have to do is to record the processed passenger per counter and the system will average the processed passenger on a five-day basis, not on a monthly basis because, sometimes, we have to consider the peak seasons.”

Presently, Naia 1 has seven booths with each booth designed for four IOs, which translates to 28 IOs on duty for every shift.

He said IOs who find themselves assigned in the middle booth for a given shift “would find themselves in another booth the next day, because we rotate the assignment; each booth are numbered to be able to track the IO.”

“So, when I come in for duty, I wouldn’t know what shift I would be assigned and the poor illegal worker would not be able to find me; so the deal is off.”

Overt moves

BASED on what the computer has, Robles said, “we don’t tell the IO to which shift they belong, whether arrival or departure.”

He added the IO would only know upon reporting to the office.

“And then they’ll know where they should be. This is to avoid familiarization and to avoid ‘alam mo na,’” he said with a knowing wink.

Robles said this system would be tried first at Naia 1 terminal before it is applied to the rest of Naia 2 and Naia 3.

He explained that the previous “racket” is for an IO to tell their prospective illegal travelers which booth they are stationed so when they leave the country, they could pass through the customs section even without a valid travel document.

“This system will do away with the ‘coding’ arrangement agreed upon between the BI and some illegal recruiter who will instruct the passenger which booth to go to and who will be the IO who is in cahoots with the recruiter to process their passports.”

New system

ASIDE from ending the coding arrangement, Robles said he has to monitor the activities of some 10 intelligence agents (IA) at Naia 1.

These agents are going the rounds of the airport premises looking after passengers who were prevented from entering the country for various reasons.

“One of their duties is to monitor the exclusion area where transit passengers await for their next flight,” Robles said.

He would confront a particular IA and ask for the basis for monitoring a specific passenger or group of passengers.

The transit area is sometimes crowded with various passengers.

Some of them were denied entry, while many are simply transiting to another destination.

According to Robles, an IA would sometimes allow an excluded passenger to come into the country in exchange for sums of money, if they are not monitored properly.

“I would count the number of transit passengers and the number of excluded ones and, without somebody looking into this, a few one would be able to slip through.”

He said these data are now accessible through computerization.

Outtakes

SOME excluded passengers would take advantage of the confusion and hide among fellow regular passengers, according to Robles.

When the IA fails to notice them—some actually turn a blind eye, persons familiar with the practice said—then this particular passenger joins the crowd of arriving passengers.

“Sometimes I would be told the excluded passengers have already left but, actually, have boarded a domestic flight,” Robles said. “That means those passengers are still in the country and has not actually left, allowed by some IA agents to go to any local destination before coming back to Manila.”

He said the bureau is currently monitoring those who are engaged in the sale of human organs, especially kidneys. The BI is also keeping an eye on “forced labor,” or migrant workers who unwittingly signed up for lucrative paying jobs, which are actually not true.

“The BI is also on the lookout for traffickers engaged in prostitution,” he added, saying young women from the Philippines are lured into so-called fashion and modeling, only to end up as paid sex workers overseas.

“There are other sub-elements like trafficking fake identity passport, fake overseas employment certificates, or OECs, or sending minors abroad using bogus OECs.” According to Robles, accusing some of engaging in “human trafficking” is dicey, as some of them might resort to the court and sue the bureau for preventing them to exercise their constitutional right to travel.

“So, as far a human trafficking is concerned, we’re a bit lenient, like for someone who has pleaded to be allowed to leave because the family sold the carabao or some inherited property just for the guy or girl to earn a decent living abroad.”

A6 Thursday, January 3, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Helping MSMEs grow

P

HILIPPINE leaders have been saying for the longest time that micro, small and medium enterprises have a very important role to play in the development of the Philippine economy. In a “Go Negosyo” TV commercial, for example, President Duterte pushed for an equitable and inclusive economic growth by nurturing the country’s MSMEs.

When the President graced the launching in November of the Asean Business Advisory Council’s flagship project—the Asean Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network—he announced his commitment to help propel MSMEs in the Philippines and to increase the national budget allocation to further the development of this sector. Duterte said: “Next year I would like to make some changes to the budget. I would like to pour more money into the micro, small and medium entrepreneurs because we found out in our meetings that the basic unit of the economy has always been moved by the MSMEs.” The announcement acknowledges the fact that despite government policies that aim to provide an enabling environment for MSME development, the sector still faces various constraints that prevent it from realizing its full potential.

Many business opportunities for MSMEs have been wasted because of their inability to respond to these favorable circumstances. In December, for example, the government urged our MSMEs to take advantage of the huge under-tapped opportunities in the multitrillion-dollar global halal market.

The reality, however, is that most MSMEs need all the support they can get because getting certified as producers of halal products is already a big hurdle for most of them.

For Philippine MSMEs, financing is their biggest problem. Unlike their counterparts in other countries that can secure needed capital from their respective banks, our MSMEs are shamefully credit-starved. That’s because our commercial banks remain reluctant to lend to these enterprises despite the existence of a law mandating banks to set aside a portion of their loanable funds for small firms (See, “Micro, small firms still unable to tap loans from banks” in the BusinessMirror, December 27, 2018).

Republic Act (Republic Act) 9501, which was passed in 2008 to boost the access of small enterprises to bank loans, mandates commercial banks to allocate 8 percent of their total loan portfolio for small firms. The law was crafted because our micro, small and medium enterprises are regarded as crucial drivers of the Philippine economy, making up 99.6 percent of all registered businesses. They also generate 61.6 percent of the country’s employment.

The law, however, is more honored in the breach than in the observance.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that in the first half of 2018, local banks only earmarked 3.18 percent of their total loan portfolio for micro and small enterprises. This is the sixth consecutive year that local banks failed to meet the required lending for micro and small enterprises in the country.

Data also showed that loans allocated to MSMEs have been declining since RA 9501 was passed in 2008. In 2009, banks set aside 9.48 percent of their loanable funds for small firms. Two years after, this went down to 8.23 percent as of end-June 2011. Since 2012, banks have been unable to meet the mandatory lending requirement. That year, loanable funds allocated by banks for small firms plummeted to 6.87 percent.

BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. earlier said: “MSMEs are unable to reach their full potential because of difficulty of credit and financial access. As a staunch advocate of financial inclusion and of promoting broadbased growth, we at the BSP are very concerned about these numbers. We are committed to providing a regulatory environment to address financial access barriers such as cost, information asymmetry and lack of infrastructure, among others.”

It seems the BSP needs the help of Congress and Malacañang to do the job of helping small entrepreneurs and providing a fertile ground for our MSMEs to grow and compete in a bigger stage. The ball is still in the hands of our national leaders.

Since 2005

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

The PSE in 2019 John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

T

HE factors that moved local stocks in 2018 will continue through 2019. But that does not mean the trend will continue the same way with stock prices going down.

In the Bible book by Matthew it says, “You will always have poor people with you.” This is often interpreted as proving that poverty is part of a never-ending trend.

In fact, Jesus of Nazareth was calling attention to a verse from the Old Testament in the same sense that you might, “Well, you know the old saying...Sticks and stones...” and the listener fills in the rest. From Deuteronomy: “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellows who are poor and needy.”

Do that repeatedly and the trend may change. A hundred years ago, 90 percent of the global population

Cecilio T. Arillo

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in the next few months. The US and China are having a lovers’ quarrel.

Both Xi Jinping and Donald J. Trump will help each other save face and both will walk away with a “win.”

This will move markets higher.

The fact is that even with all the worry, the broad market only needs for prices go up 7.4 percent to move the index back to the 2018 high. In 2018 the Philippine Stock Exchange lost about P1.5 trillion in total market capitalization with about P53 billion in net foreign selling.

However, prices do not have to go back to the 2018 high to take the composite index to its high. For example, if Ayala Corp. (and the rest of the blue chip issues) goes back to where it traded in September at P1,000—not the January high of P1,050/P1,080—the index will be above 8,500.

Don’t worry, be happy. 2019 is going to be a good year. 2018 was a correction. Now we write a new uptrend.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stockmarket information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.

Where Lacson first planted the seeds of endearment

✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Publisher

lived in absolute poverty, meaning if you did not find food by sunset, it would be tree bark for dinner. About 10 percent of the world now lives in extreme poverty. Two centuries ago almost everyone lived in extreme poverty. Factors may stay the same but trends change.

I see that the inflation rate peaked in September and October and is now going down. Confirmation of that may have happened.

The Nikkei Philippines Manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) from data provided by IHS Markit just came in. This is not government data but from talking to 350 manufacturing companies

about real life in December. The top line conclusion was: “Business conditions at Filipino manufacturing firms improved further in December, but at a slower pace.” However, “purchasing activity grew and employment increased at the quickest rate in four months. On the price front, input cost inflation eased noticeably to a 28-month low.”

Read that last part again. “Cost inflation at 28-month low.” As a result: “Output price inflation was the weakest since July 2017.” Prices did go higher, but at the same rate when the overall government inflation rate was 2.4 percent in July 2017.

The inflation rate over the next months will affect the local stock market positively. However, cross your fingers that global oil prices do not go back up to $80 per barrel.

The US Federal Reserve will continue to raise interest rates but probably at a slower pace. If the Fed skips a rate increase at the end of January, the markets will move much higher.

Watch also for the Bangko Sentral to lower local interest rates if that Fed increase does not happen.

The US-China trade “war” is on hold and will probably be a non-issue

I

T was during his early law-enforcement career when studious Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson initially planted the seeds of endearment after he was assigned to the PC Metropolitan Command (Metrocom) Intelligence and Security Group (MISG) from 1971 to 1986; rose through the ranks, becoming lieutenant colonel and served at the PC-INP Anti-Carnapping Task Force as its commander from 1986 to1988.

He also served as Provincial Commander of Isabela from 1988 and 1989, Commander of the Cebu Metropolitan District Command (Metrodiscom) from 1989 to 1992; Laguna Provincial Director from February to July 1992. Later, he was appointed Chief of Task Force Habagat at the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission from 1992 to 1995; and from 1996 to April 1997 he was given the task of project officer of “Special Project Alpha” to root out organized crimes.

It was in these years too when the public began to notice Lacson’s economic managerial and tactical skills, as shown in his academic background, coherently employing men and resources under his command to suppress lawlessness, and thus earned a wholesome image for the Philippine National Police as the protector rather than as a predator. I intentionally

removed the details of his accomplishments, including the Kuratong Baleleng case and kidnap-for-ransom cases, because they will not fit in this column, but they are available in the archives of the PNP library and the libraries of various major tri-media organizations.

To a layman, Managerial Economics, my favorite subject when I was teaching postgraduate interdisciplinary studies, is a principle that largely touches on Microeconomics, one of the two branches in Economics that studies intricate small details in the behavior of individuals and firms regarding the allocation of scarce resources and the interactions among individuals. The other branch is Macroeconomics that looks from the aggregate of the performance and behavior of labor, money, employment and inflation in the local,

regional, national and international spheres. With knowledge of these two, you can draw up a strategic direction: where you want to go after studying the problem, how you want to solve it and what are the means required to succeed and sustain it.

For instance, in the vote-rich provinces of Cebu, Laguna and Isabela where he was assigned, Lacson was always a top scorer in senatorial elections because it was there where he set the examples of managerial and tactical skills in employing men and resources to clean the streets and highways of lawless elements and thus regained the confidence of the citizens then, unlike now where drug traffickers, hit men and robbers have again resurfaced, creating a big headache for the government.

One of the causes of the resurgence of criminality in the country is the presence of inept and mediocre officers who, instead of studying and learning their lessons, busied themselves in endless mongering and intriguing, and many of them are just waiting for the next odd revolvingdoor scenario to happen between the Defense Department and Malacañang, on one hand, and between the Department of the Interior and Local Governments and the Palace, on the other, where many retiring and retired officers are reemployed in key positions in the civilian government, based on favoritism rather than on merits, and thus stunted the careers of many dedicated public servants and in the process, perpetuated

discrimination and patronage, causing restiveness in the officer corps and the rank-and-file and affecting field operations to protect the people from lawlessness, the same problems that triggered restiveness among the dedicated lower-ranked and fieldgrade officers that contributed to the failures of the Ramos and the two Aquino administrations. Examples of these are the intractable humanrights violations, the series of coup attempts, robbery, murders and the infamous Mendiola, Luisita, Luneta and Mamasapano massacres.

You will recall that in the Senate, Lacson authored the following measures meant to suppress lawlessness: n Republic Act 9160, as amended

by RA 9194, otherwise known as the Anti-Money Laundering Act; n RA 9163, the National Service Training Program Act of 2001; n RA 9166, An Act Increasing the Base Pay of the Members of the AFP; n RA 9208, The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003; n RA 9416, Anti-Cheating Act of 2007; n RA 9485, Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007; n RA 9165, otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002; n RA 9189, otherwise known as the Absentee Voting Act; n RA 9287, otherwise known as the Anti-Jueteng and Illegal Numbers Game; and n RA 9406, An Act Reorganizing See “Arillo,” A7

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

People’s trust drives PCSO’s growth

The Savior’s debut Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

ALÁLAONG BAGÁ

Florante S. Solmerin

FACT IS MIGHT!

T

HE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) earns more than P60 billion annually because it enjoys the trust of millions of Filipinos. The huge amount it generates comes from the public—those who play Lotto and Sweepstakes, and the sales agents of Small Town Lottery who are working hard to make the STL grow and thrive.

Initially, the agency set a P55billion revenue target for 2018, a conservative estimate because the agency only earned about P53 billion in 2017.

In 2018, PCSO earned P56.9 billion from January to November, excluding the STL sales for November. STL contribution from January to October amounted to P21.9 billion.

Before PCSO General Manager Alexander “Mandirigma” Balutan assumed his post, STL revenues only reached P400 million. With Balutan’s guidance, STL now earns P2 billion every month. The public needs to know that jueteng lords, along with some corrupt PCSO officials, used to control STL, allowing only 18 agents to operate in Luzon where jueteng was rampant.

When Mandirigma became PCSO chief, he expanded STL operations in the provinces to stop jueteng, including certain areas in the Visayas and Mindanao where masiao and suertres were rampant.

Due to the serious campaign against illegal numbers game through the expanded STL, this numbers game was later called “jueteng killer,” which was the original intention when STL was created in 2006.

In fact, the agency now has 84 Authorized STL Agents and most of them are former jueteng, swertres and masiao lords who migrated to the legal numbers game.

This means the former jueteng lords are now paying taxes to the government, and they are contributing to the funds that support the government’s medical and charity programs through PCSO. “The public’s high trust in the PCSO is evident in the ever growing sales. We want to thank the Filipino people for their continued trust and support,” said Mandirigma.

The poor and indigent patients continue to benefit from PCSO revenues. From January to November 2018, based on the data from the Charity Assistance Department of the PCSO, a total of 481,712 patients were given assistance amounting to P8.1 billion, which translates to a16percent increase compared with the same period in 2017.

According to the Commission of Audit (COA), the PCSO has already “overutilized its fund” to help poor patients. The PCSO cannot release funds anymore to help indigent patients. Sadly, the result was that assistance dropped 56 percent despite the agency’s billions of earnings.

Unfortunately, there is no other way for the PCSO but to follow COA regulations. Otherwise, PCSO officials risk facing administrative charges.

Happy New Year, PCSO, and to all mandirigmas in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Bloomberg Opinion

I

NVESTORS like targets—even ambitious ones—as long as they’re grounded in reality.

South Korea’s flailing automakers, Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp., are targeting combined sales of 7.6 million vehicles in 2019, slightly more than their 2018 target, the companies said in regulatory filings. That’s bold considering the global auto market is forecast to shrink at least 1 percent this year and that the group looks likely to have missed its goals for last year. Hyundai Motor stock fell as much as 4.2 percent.

The group blamed factors such as protectionism and financial instability for its inability to feel the pulse of its various markets. In fact, Hyundai Motor has only itself to blame for much of its downward spiral, as we wrote in October when profit collapsed almost 70 percent.

In early December, the company unveiled a plan to invest almost $7 billion in fuel-cell cars and overhaul its manage-

Arillo . . .

continued from A6

the Public Attorney’s Office.

To further stifle criminality, Lacson filed Senate Bill (SB) 2993, designed to provide for a comprehensive law on firearms, light weapons and ammunitions, which was signed into law as RA 10591. He also authored a key amendment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act (RA 10349) enacted on December 11, 2012, which aimed to provide more funds to the military for its much-needed capability buildup. In addition, he filed a bill

More than just a story A GOSPEL in miniature, Saint Matthew’s infancy narratives contain stories about the birth and the early days of Jesus utilizing a reflective interpretation of events and persons by means of parallelism with earlier known biblical traditions and symbols. The narrative about the adoration of the infant Jesus by the wise men coming from the east contains such earlier motifs: Moses’s birth according to tradition was foretold, and it put fear into the pharaoh’s heart who consulted sages what to do; a star was supposed to have appeared at the birth of Abraham, and it filled the king with dread because it meant the Earth would be ruled by

Abraham and his descendants; the popular motif of the plot by a reigning king to get rid of a child feared destined to replace him.

More than just a story woven in the style of a peculiar literary genre (midrash), Matthew’s narration gives us the major Christological declaration that Jesus is the Messiah from David’s stock by directly identifying Bethlehem as Jesus’ birthplace, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 5:1 and 2 Samuel 5:2. As the ancestral hometown of David and the site of his anointing as king, Bethlehem is the proper setting for the debut of Jesus as the kingly Davidic Messiah, the new shepherd of God’s people Israel, receiving the royal homage (prosky-

nesis) from the magi of the east. As an aside, the evangelist pointedly observes that though the magi may have seen the star, they could not fully comprehend everything, for they still needed the Scriptures, but unlike the Jews who have the Scriptures yet would refuse to believe and adore the new-born king.

The Savior of the world

This catechetical narrative composed to facilitate understanding is in the service of the kerygma, the proclamation of the good news of salvation in Jesus the Christ. The magi from the east representing the entire gentile world stress the universal dimension of the message of salvation.

Their gifts of gold and frankincense, usually offered to God alone (Isaiah 60:1; Jeremiah 6:20), indicate the divinity and the royal lineage of Jesus; myrrh is ominous of his eventual passion (Matthew 15:23).

The part where Saint Matthew ends his narration is specific, noting that the magi were told to go back to their country by another route in order to escape Herod’s evil machinations. It is being suggested that there must be a change in one’s ways following the encounter with and adoration of the Savior. It is somehow a new beginning, a new life; one cannot just take again the same road.

ment. Investors liked that, and the stock popped. But, once again, the plan didn’t address Hyundai Motor’s more immediate and serious issues of dismal earnings and a severely flawed sales strategy.

Take China, where Hyundai Motor thinks new models will reverse its slide.

The company’s sales have been falling faster than the market: In the first three weeks of December, average daily volume dropped by 40 percent from a year earlier, compared with declines of 25 percent in November and 18 percent in October. As China’s auto market, and economy, undergoes a step-change, the recovery won’t be so easy.

The group said it would release more than 44 electrified models over the next six years and start operation of autonomous robotaxis in South Korea by 2021.

But here’s the thing: The tide in global auto markets has been shifting, and not overnight. More nimble carmakers have managed to focus on their markets and products while dealing with rising costs.

The likes of Hyundai Motor have thrown darts at all things futuristic instead.

Moreover, the DOLE has launched an intensified labor inspection campaign focused on the determination of whether companies are engaging the services of manpower agencies in a legitimate manner or not. Articles 106-109 and the new DO 174 allow “independent job contracting,” which is distinct or different from the “prohibited” LOC. Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III proudly announced that the inspection campaign has been a big success, for it has resulted in the “regularization” of over 400,000 workers. Part of the success of the campaign was the bold decision of the DOLE to name publicly a score of big employers found to be violating the DO 174 rules. Among the companies revealed to be violating the rules on LOC are the popular Jollibee, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and DOLE Philippines, Inc. According to DOLE, 65 percent of the “regularized” workers were the result of voluntary compliance by the companies. There are close to 4,000 firms inspected in 2018 by the DOLE’s regional officers.

Now the Employers Confederation

of the Philippines and the DOLE have made another dramatic announcement: Ecop’s member-companies are committed to extend regular status to all their employees, and the regularization process will initially cover 40 percent of these companies’ employees. According to the media report, Ecop Acting President Sergio Ortiz-Luis and Bello are now drafting a memorandum of understanding (MOU) reflecting the commitments of Ecop to the DOLE’s regularization campaign.

The above Ecop-DOLE MOU will likely elicit intense internal debates within Ecop and among Ecop’s member-companies. In fact, some Ecop affiliate companies named and found by the DOLE to be violating the rules on LOC are reported to be mulling over the filing of court cases questioning the DOLE’s findings on alleged LOC rule violations.

The debates, however, should not be framed only in legal terms. The regularization issue has a dignity issue, as amply articulated by the unions in various forums. Workers’ rights are workers’ rights. Why not recognize the right of workers to

that became a law to attend to the retirement problems of both police and military organizations.

To restructure the excise tax on tobacco products, he filed SB 2763 and 2764, which became RA 10351.

Apart from the foregoing, Lacson championed a milestone legislative measure to promote responsible parenthood and to protect the health of the mother and child by giving them access to reproductive health services, now known as RA 10354.

Not forgetting the town of Imus, Cavite, where he was born on June 1, 1948, he authored a bill that converted it into a city (RA 10161) and SB 2945, which reapportioned one of

his favorite provinces in Mindanao (Cotabato) into three legislative districts, that became RA 10177.

Demonstrating further his consistency in the fight against criminality, he also filed several resolutions that held many officials accountable, whether incumbent or former officials, for example: n Resolution 518: Directing the Blue Ribbon Committee to look into the alleged anomalous acquisition by the Philippine National Police of light operational helicopters in 2009. The resolution triggered an investigation that led to the filing of criminal charges against the officials and personalities linked to

the questionable purchase. Some of them were dismissed from the service. n Resolution 519: Directing the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to look into corruption by the previous board of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. Many of the officials linked to the irregularity—including former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo—have been charged before the graft court. n Resolution 537: Directing the Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate electoral sabotage in the 2004 and 2007 elections, leading to the filing of charges that led to the arrest and detention of former

officials, including Arroyo.

Early on, Lacson initiated the following investigations, in chronological order: 1. IMPSA investigation—2002; 2. J o s e P i d a l i n v e s t i g a tion—2003; 3. Jueteng investigation—2005; 4. Textbook Scam investigation—2006-2007; 5. Flight of Filipino nurses recruited by Sentosa Recruitment Agency—2007; 6. Alleged bribery in the failed impeachment bid against President Arroyo—2007; 7. Overpricing in the decorative lampposts used in the Asean summit

E-mail: fetad@yahoo.com

And as in this opening epiphany of our Savior, His coming was made known to people in distant lands by means of a star that guided them in their search, today God continues to invite all peoples to seek and find the Savior by means of the visibility of the Church, Jesus’ community of faith and love. The last command of Jesus to His followers (Matthew 28:18-20) is crystal clear: They are to make disciples of all nations.

Alálaong bagá, we do not celebrate Epiphany as a past event, but as the reality of salvation in the world today. The Church is the sign of salvation in Jesus Christ. This is a tremendous missionary task still going on in a world that, comparatively speaking especially in the east, as yet has only a handful of wise men recognizing Jesus as their Savior.

Ongoing epiphany demands a ministerial Church intimately involved in inculturation, implanting herself in all cultures in the same manner that Jesus Christ by His incarnation radically identified Himself with the particular social and cultural circumstances of the people among whom and for whom he lived.

Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

Ecop-DOLE MOU: Start of an industrial upgrading process? regularization when the work they are doing is indeed regular and necessary to the conduct of the business?

Example: retailing companies pretending that their sales work force are not their employees and the work of these employees are not regular and necessary to the business of retailing.

As to the argument that it is difficult to terminate the services of these employees once the demand for business goes down, the Labor Code is quite explicit on what are the remedies open to companies—the right of the employer to downsize, retrench or even introduce “laborsaving device” based on the imperative of business survival.

This brings us to the real issue of why labor contracting is a difficult nut to crack: the argument of employers and some liberal economists that tightening the rules on labor contracting reduces the capacity of business to compete in a globalized economic order. The tighter rules weaken “labor flexibility” or the ease to fire or hire workers. They go against the overall policy of economic deregulation, which also requires a deregulated labor market, meaning less or relaxed rules on wage fixing and labor hiring. Hence, some of the employers and economists are openly opposing the proposed law restricting labor contracting, arguing that such law goes against the global trend toward labor flexibility, especially in the era of the “gig economy.”

The trouble is that the policy of labor flexibility or labor cost-minimization argument has been part of the country’s labor-intensive exportoriented industrial policy since the 1970s. And yet, there are no proofs that such policy has done the country any good. The late labor law professor, Perfecto Fernandez, lamented that the cheap-labor policy under the EOI has reduced the system of collective bargaining into a system of collective begging. Unionism has

Hyundai’s ambition is detached from reality

By Anjani Trivedi

L

ONG before Christmas came to be established as the celebration of the birth of Jesus, Epiphany was already being celebrated in early Christianity as the high feast commemorating the appearance or manifestation (epiphania in Greek) of the Savior in the world. It means those seeking salvation can now find him (Matthew 2:1-12).

Thursday, January 3, 2019 A7

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS Continued from A1

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OWEVER, this has not deterred the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in waging a campaign against the LOC system. It issued in 2017 Department Order (DO) 174, which tightens the rules on the registration and operations of “manpower agencies”. These third-party agencies often pose as the employers of the workers even if they are not because they do not possess sufficient capital and equipment, and they do not have control over the work process.

been going down while LOC and other forms of labor contracting keep growing.

Is it not time to rethink the policy of labor flexibility? Recent economic and labor developments in China, which had lower wages compared to the Philippines in the 1980s-1990s, tell us that going beyond the labor cost-minimization framework is one way of advancing industrialization. A series of minimum-wage increases and increased investments on skills are blended by China with their program of purposively pushing industries to go up the technologyintensive and higher value-adding rungs of industrialization. This, in brief, is the explanation for the decline of labor-intensive industries such as garments in the coastal provinces of China.

What China is doing is nothing new. It is simply replicating what Singapore did. Once upon a time a shopping paradise for Filipinos looking for cheap goods, Singapore had a dramatic industrial transformation in the 1980s and 1990s when Lee Kuan Yew asked employers to go higher value-added by raising wages and to enroll their workers in technology-oriented skills development that is supported by the Skills Development Fund (established in 1979).

And yet, what China is doing and what Singapore continues to do are not exceptional in development economics. Germany and other western European countries pursued more or less the same development strategy after World War II. Now back to Ecop’s public support to the DOLE’s campaign for the regularization of all employees doing regular and necessary work. Has Ecop seen the light? That the way forward for the country is to go higher valueadded, and that the country cannot scale the higher rungs of the industrial ladder if it remains stuck in the old cheap-labor economic mentality? in Cebu City—2007; 8. Irregularities in the multibillion-peso Quedancor swine program—2008; 9. Plan by the Social Security System to channel workers’ pension funds into a government economic stimulus program—2009; and 10. Irregularities in the purchase of video equipment for the Senate’s Public Relations and Information Bureau—2009.

Retrospectively and prospectively, you can be sure the country and its people are safe with Ping Lacson.

To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio.arillo@ gmail.com.

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Thursday, January 3, 2019

With ’18 success in bonds, PHL tracks markets in ’19

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By Rea Cu

@ReaCuBM

HE Department of Finance has reiterated the strong confidence of the international business community in the Philippines under the Duterte administration, as reflected by the successful bond issuances in the offshore bond markets during 2018.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III pointed out that the tight spreads of these bond issuances also illustrate confidence in the way the Duterte administration has managed the country’s fiscal program.

The $2-billion, 10-year dollar bonds issued in January 2018 received a tight spread of 37.8 basis points over the United States Treasuries, while the 1.46-billionrenminbi, three-year panda bonds floated in March of the same year also fetched a spread of only 35 basis points over the benchmark.

The Philippines also returned to the yen-denominated samurai bond market after an eight-year hiatus, with a multitranche ¥154.2billion transaction, or $1.39 billion, which yielded a weighted average spread of 34.7 basis points above benchmark.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said that the government continues to watch global markets carefully in line with its bond issuances, looking to issue global bonds in 2019 as part of its financing exercise. “[Finance] Secretary Dominguez

“[Finance] Secretary Dominguez has already made mention that we are not in such a hurry to issue [bonds], so we are watching markets very carefully...what we are just doing is really to watch all these developments closely and again look for a more accommodating window for us to be able to issue our ROP.”—de Leon

has already made mention that we are not in such a hurr y to issue [bonds], so we are watching markets ver y carefully...what we are just doing is really to watch all these developments closely and again look for a more accommodating window for us to be able to issue our ROP,” de Leon said.

Menu of funding tools

SHE also earlier pointed out that the government has a menu of funding instruments that it can tap for financing, namely retail Treasury bonds, Marawi bonds, as well as studying the markets for euro-denominated bonds, among others.

The finance chief said that with global uncertainties persisting as a result of the Federal Reserve System’s decision to continue raising interest rates, he had instructed de Leon to move the timelines of future bond issuances ahead of schedule.

Dominguez pointed out that with the positive and overwhelming response to the Philippines’s panda and samurai bond issuances, the government is likely to return to these markets every 12 to 18 months from hereon to establish a regular presence.

“Because of all the announcements and all the uncertainties that are going to start hitting more, impacting the market more, [it’s] better to bring the issuance forward earlier,” Dominguez said.

He explained that participating in the panda and samurai bond markets, as well as exploring other debt securities markets in and outside of Asia, would help diversify the government’s borrowing portfolio as it rolls out more of its “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure projects.

“And we are going to explore doing something in England,” he added.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

SENATE LINES UP FINAL OK OF P3.7-T BUDGET, WORKER TENURE BILLS

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HE Senate leadership has lined up for plenary deliberation and early approval the proposed P3.7-trillion 2019 national budget on top of other priority bills when Congress resumes regular sessions at the end of the lawmakers’ four-week Christmas vacation on January 14.

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III confirmed on Wednesday that remedial legislation outlawing the so-called endo—the catch-all term used for work schemes that circumvent the usual route of regularizing workers after a probationary period —is also on the senators’ priority list of bills.

Congress had adjourned in December without passing a new budget for 2019 as the House of Representatives took time passing its version of the annual money measure before transmitting the budget bill to the Senate late last year.

The Senate, however, resisted calls to rush approval of the budget bill, subjecting it to further scrutiny following reports that the transmitted House version of the money measure included what some quarters deem to be pork-barrel funds for lawmakers.

This, apart from reports of “budget padding” alleged to have been done

by Department of Budget officials tucked in the annual appropriations of the Department of Public Works

and Highways.

Sotto gave assurances that the pending money measure would be front-loaded for final approval, to cut short the period during which the government will operate on “a reenacted budget” this year. There had been apprehension that, owing to Congress’ failure to enact the 2019 budget law within 2018, the period in which the country runs under a reenacted budget would actually be longer than the first quarter—or at last five months— owing to the May 2019 election period, which imposes restrictions on public works projects.

Meanwhile, Sotto confirmed that other measures in their priority list include pending reforms in the procurement law, the Local Government Code and the Omnibus Election Code. Sotto added that senators are also set to front-load deliberations on a bill adding more teeth to the anti-illegal gambling law.

“We need to speed up passage of these measures in the Senate and reconcile them with the House counterpart versions for final approval by both chambers as soon as possible, because we have little time left, as sessions are set to adjourn in midFebruary to give way to the upcoming May elections,” Sotto added.

Butch Fernandez

House to begin probe on ‘anomalous’ infra Solons seek update on missed deals in Bicol despite DBM chief’s absence TRAIN revenue

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OT WITHSTANDING the absence of Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, the House of Representatives will begin today (Thursday) its probe on certain questionable insertions in the na-

Continued from A1

tional budget, as well as “anomalous” transactions involving multibillionpeso worth of infrastructure projects.

Majority Leader Rolando G. Andaya Jr. said the lower chamber will proceed with its probe on the budget

NORTHEAST MONSOON AFFECTING LUZON AND VISAYAS as of 4:00 pm - January 2, 2019

controversies, including the alleged flood-control scam and other anomalous infrastructure projects, in the Bicol region.

“We will proceed with the probe despite his [Diokno’s] absence. It’s his

loss, not ours,” said Andaya. The investigation has been scheduled to start on Thursday at 10 a.m. in Naga City.

The House Committee on Rules has already issued subpoenas to the owner of the Department of Budget Management (DBM) supposed “favored” contractor CT Leoncio Construction and several Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in the Bicol region to shed light on the so-called flood-control scam.

The House secretary-general, Dante Roberto Maling, has sought the assistance of National Police chief Director Gen. Oscar D. Albayalde to locate and serve the subpoena to the individuals invited to the January 3 hearing.

Among those subpoenaed were Ms. Consolacion Leoncio, owner of CT Leoncio; and DPWH officials Engrs. Virgilio Eduarte, Danilo Verzola, Ignacio Odiaman, Wilfredo Flores, Larry Reyes, Merla Raveche, Jorge Gorimbao, Victor Azupardo, Gil Augustus Balmadrid and Noland Claro Guerrero; and Ms. Malou Lacuna, Mr. Renato de Vera and Dr. Elenita Tan. “We also expect Ms. Leoncio and the DPWH officials to bring with them copies of transaction documents involving the infrastructure projects in question,” Andaya said.

These projects include the P10-billion infrastructure projects allocated by the DBM to Sorsogon in 2018, most of which were allegedly cornered by CT Leoncio Construction, and eventually found their way to the construction firm allegedly owned by the in-laws of the DBM secretary.

Meanwhile, Andaya criticized Diokno for purportedly not honoring his mantra on “duty first before leisure.” Diokno reportedly went to the United States despite the congressional probe on alleged budget insertions.

“Secretary Diokno is in the United States, how can we invite him? What happened to his ‘ job first before leisure’ statement? His presence is very important to shed light on his questionable practices in the budget process. For the sake of transparency and accountability, he should explain and come clean,” Andaya said.

Diokno had already denied any irregularity on the issues raised against him concerning the budget process. Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

“Based on reports, the TRAIN law only netted P10.6 billion, which is way below target by 74.1 percent for the first eight months of the year [2018],” he added.

“Department of Finance [DOF] documents showed that the additional revenues collected by the Bureau of Customs [BOC] and the Bureau of Internal Revenue [BIR] from January to August were far from the target P41 billion supposed to come from the TRAIN law’s revenue,” said Colmenares.

Zarate, meanwhile, said that, “instead of supposedly posting a net revenue gain for the end of August of P500 million, the BIR posted a P17-billion loss. The BOC only earned P27.6 billion, a glaring variance from the P40.4 billion of its eight-month target.”

T he gover nment’s or ig ina l revenue collection target from the TRAIN of P89.9 billion for the first year of implementation was revised downward to P63.3 billion, after the Development Budget Coordination Committee deducted P26.6 billion from the forecast in light of the delays in the implementation of the electronic invoicing system, as well as the fuel-marking system.

‘Unconstitutional’

MEANWHILE, Colmenares and Zarate on Wednesday called on the Supreme Court to rule favorably on their petition to declare the TRAIN law unconstitutional as the law’s second tranche of additional taxes on oil and petroleum products hits consumers this month.

Colmenares and Zarate are among several petitioners asking the SC to declare the tax law unconstitutional, citing procedural lapses, its harsh impact on the public and violation of the Constitution’s provision on progressive taxation.

Instead of benefiting from the low prices of oil in the global market, Filipinos would be burdened with artificially high prices due to TRAIN’s second tranche of excise taxes on oil and petroleum products, Colmenares said. This would have a multiplier effect on

the prices of virtually all products and services, especially food and other utilities like electricity and water, he added.

Also, Zarate said that “the inflation spike and price shocks last year may just be the introduction because the additional taxes this year, especially on oil, will be higher.”

An excise tax of P2.50 a liter was imposed on diesel and bunker fuel starting last year due to the TRAIN Act. This went up to P4.50 in this year, and P6 in 2020. The excise tax on gasoline also increased to P7 in 2018, and to P9 this year and P10 in 2020.

Attrition

MOREOVER, Suarez said he will also question the DOF for not implementing the lateral attrition law. He added they will assess the performance of the BIR and BOC using Republic Act 9335 or the lateral attrition law to ensure that these bureaus are consistently meeting their target revenues and they implementing the law properly.

“This law provides penalties and rewards against officials of the BIR and BOC. Unfortunately, this law is dormant. Without the attrition law, the widening gap between government spending and revenue stands defenseless to the inefficient tax collection,” Suarez said.

The attrition law, enacted during the term of then-President and now Speaker Gloria MacapagalArroyo, seeks to improve the revenue-collection performance of the BIR and BOC by creating a rewards and incentives fund and a revenueperformance evaluation board.

The law said BIR and BOC officials and employees who fall short of their collection targets by at least 7.5 percent would be dismissed from service, while those who go beyond expectations would be given incentives.

It said if revenue collections exceed the target by 30 percent or below, the law guarantees that 15 percent of the excess will form part of a rewards fund.

Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 3, 2019

DICT: Govt’s ‘common towers’ policy rife with legal loopholes

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By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

HE draft policy for the deployment of common telco towers in the Philippines is illegal and anticompetitive as it limits the number of providers to two while infringing on the rights of congressional telco franchise holders.

This was the heart of the statement of Acting Information and Communications Secretary Eliseo M. Rio Jr., who explained that the draft, ridden with potential court cases, has been flagged by several government agencies and industry stakeholders.

Rio, who heads the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), said the draft essentially removes the right of telcos with congressional franchises to build their own infrastructure, as it will grant the exclusive capacity to do so to the tower companies the government will employ.

Presidential Adviser on Economic Affairs and ICT Ramon P. Jacinto, known for his stage name RJ during his singing career, leads the drafting of the common towers policy.

“A telco’s franchise has the weight of a law and only another law—not a department policy, a memorandum circular, nor an executive order— can amend a law. This crucial matter has never been addressed by RJ in defending his draft policy,” Rio said.

Rio added the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and industry stakeholders have flagged the draft policy for its anticompetitive nature, given that under the proposed rules, only two tower companies will be accredited by the

government to build 50,000 towers across the Philippines during the nascent stage of its implementation.

“He also argues that this would make the selected two tower companies’ business viable and that it will aid in securing cybersecurity issues. But why must government nurture the viability of selected tower companies when there are already a number of internationally viable tower companies operating worldwide, that have shown interest in becoming a tower provider in the Philippines and are not worried as to the number of competition they will face?” Rio said.

The ICT chief also questioned the statement of Jacinto that referenced telco towers as a source of cybersecurity threats.

“It is the telcos themselves that have to be monitored for such threats and the DICT is already seriously addressing this problem,” he said.

Sought for comment, Jacinto explained that telco’s franchises are still “subject to regulatory control,” hence, the giving of rights to tower companies to build infrastructure, instead of allowing telcos to build their own towers.

“The guidelines do not violate their franchise,” he said. “The franchise does not in itself give you unregulated operations.”

He noted that telcos can still

build if the tower companies cannot construct cell site in areas where they want to erect.

“There is a 30-day period, when after receiving a written request from the telco, the tower company must say yes or no within 30 days,” Jacinto explained. “So we are not taking away their right to build completely when the tower company cannot build. The government has every right to regulate tower sharing for the public good because the consumer is suffering.”

He also scored Rio for issuing a statement against him, saying that Rio should “refrain from commenting further on common-tower sharing as a courtesy to incoming Secretary Greg Honasan.”

“Clearly, the President gave me written authority to take charge of the guidelines and I have told Rio I will take this up with incoming Secretary Honasan upon his assumption of office,” Jacinto said.

Rio noted that his office is not delaying the development of common towers in the Philippines by questioning the draft. Instead, it is championing the said initiative.

“We will come out with a memorandum of understanding with any capable tower company that if they can get a contract or agreement with a telco to lease their towers, the DICT will fully support the tower company in terms of facilitating permits, right of way and other government support for infrastructures,” he explained.

This means that the tower provider must first demonstrate its viability by getting a business transaction with a telco before the government can support it.

“In effect, only common towers will get government’s full support, and towers to be built by telcos will only get support if they can show that a tower company will not construct a tower near the location they want their

B1

tower to be,” he explained.

As early as last December, the ICT department signed a memorandum of understanding with Isoc Infrastructure Inc. for the development of common towers across the Philippine archipelago.

So far, there are three more tower companies that have shown interest in the initiative, and Rio’s office is looking at replicating its agreement with Isoc to push for the development of more telco infra in the fastgrowing digital Philippines.

“Further, the government will propose to subsidize common towers that will be built in underserved or unserved areas,” he said.

Te lco towers — i n f ra st r ucture where radio transmitters are housed—in the Philippines remain inadequate.

Based on a study made by TowerXchange, an independent community for operators, tower companies, investors and suppliers interested in emerging-market telecom towers, the Philippines lags behind its neighbors in Asia when it comes to cell-site build.

The number of unique physical cell sites in the Philippines is one of the lowest in Asia, with a combined 16,300 cell sites. China has the highest number with 1.18 million cell sites, followed by India with 450,000 and Indonesia with 76,477. Vietnam has 55,000, Thailand 52,483, Pakistan 28,000, Bangladesh 27,000 and Malaysia 22,000 sites.

With 113 million mobile subscribers and only a combined total of 16,300 towers from PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. servicing them, the Philippines has the lowest tower density score in Asia, with a meagre 0.14 to Asia’s current giant China’s 1.43.

“The DICT recognizes that the country is in dire need of more towers the soonest to improve our ICT industry. Any delay would not be acceptable,” Rio said.

BIR issues memoranda on ONETT glitches

By Rea Cu

@ReaCuBM

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HE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) 56-2018 and Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 107-2018, instructing revenue officers (ROs) on what to do should there be a failure in the encoding of payment data in their system.

Under RMO 56-2018, the Chief, Collection Section of the Revenue District Office (RDO)/the Large Taxpayers Division (LTD)-Cebu/LTDDavao, or Chief, Large Taxpayers Audit Division are instructed to verify through batch control sheets (BCS) provided by authorized agent banks (AABs) the taxes paid by taxpayers through the One-Time Transactions (ONETT) platform or its fast lane, in case there is a failure in the posting of data in the BIR-ITS Collections and Bank Reconciliation System (CBR).

This amends section VI C.4 of RMO 21-2018, which allows the RO to accept a certificate of remittance signed by the cashier and countersigned by the manager with a bank seal from the AABs if there is a failure in payment data uploading.

RMO 56-2018, issued on December 28, 2018, points out that payment data must be uploaded in the bureau’s CBR within five days from the date of payment of the taxes.

“For taxpayers availing of the fast lane, the Chief, Collection Section shall ensure the verification of pay-

ment through the copies of Revenue Official Receipts [ROR] and deposit slip duly stamped ‘received’ by the Authorized Government Depository Bank [AGDB] with the corresponding details of payment as provided by the authorized Revenue Collection Officer [RCO],” the RMO said.

To support the amendment, the BIR also issued RMC 107-2018 which now instructs the RCO to provide the Chief, Collection Section with the photocopies of the electronic ROR and deposit slip with the corresponding details of payment which will be used as basis for the verification of the taxpayers payment.

In November 2018 the BIR issued RMO 49-2018 enabling authorized RCOs to accept payments done through the bureau’s ONETT or its fast-lane.

Based on RMO 49-2018, RCOs are allowed to accept payment of taxes made through ONETT during tax deadlines, including payment of capital gains tax, documentary stamp tax, donors tax and estate tax, among others.

“To cope with these changes, RCOs assigned in each RDO which are already authorized to accept tax payments during tax deadlines, shall in addition to such, be allowed to accept tax payments relative to ONETTs, provided, however, that for ONETT-related taxes above P20,000, the RCO shall only accept manager's or cashier’s check as payment,” the RMO said.

China tobacco colossus plans IPO for intl biz

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HINA National Tobacco Corp., a state monopoly that’s by far the biggest cigarette maker in the world, plans to list its international unit on the Hong Kong stock exchange even as pressure increases on the government to curb smoking.

The unit, China Tobacco International Inc., is primarily responsible for procuring overseas tobacco leaf from countries like Brazil and Canada for the cigarette giant, which churns out 4 of every 10 sticks made in the world. The parent company may clock more profit than either HSBC Holdings Plc. or Wal-mart Inc., according to a rare glimpse of financial data in 2012.

The international unit accounts for a tiny portion of China Tobacco’s overall business, which has a bigger market share than the next five global tobacco companies combined.

However, the listing represents a rare opening up of the state monopoly that’s facing growing domestic concerns over China’s high rates of cancer and smoking-related disease.

China is the largest tobacco-consuming and -manufacturing country in the world, and critics contend the government isn’t doing enough to prevent the spread of smoking because of the tax revenue it derives from the industry. Last year, lawmakers in China’s National People’s Congress called for higher taxes on

cigarettes to deter smoking among the young. The international business to be floated recorded revenue of HK$5.1 billion ($651 million) for the nine months ended in September, a 21-percent drop from the same period last year, according to pre-listing documents issued on Wednesday.

It had a gross profit margin of 5.8 percent, down from 6.5 percent a year earlier.

The unit derives revenue primarily from a fixed markup of 6 percent it applies to the overseas tobacco leaf supply when selling to domestic cigarette manufacturers.

It also has full control of cigarette exports—sold primarily in duty-free locations overseas to Chinese tourists—and domestic-grown tobacco leaf from provinces including Yunnan and Sichuan. In May it started a business exporting Chinese-made heat-not-burn tobacco devices, the document said.

In 2016 the industry contributed profit and tax of 1.1 trillion yuan ($160 billion), according to China Tobacco’s web site. The monopoly otherwise doesn’t publish financial data voluntarily. In 2012 a bank that it was buying a stake in released figures that showed the cigarette giant had sales of 770.4 billion yuan and net income of 117.7 billion yuan in 2010.

CICC and China Merchants Securities are joint sponsors of the proposed IPO. Bloomberg News

SoKor car makers make bold target sales for 2019

I

PAL’S SIXTH A321NEO Philippine Airlines’s sixth brand-new Airbus A321neo takes off from the Airbus complex in Finkenwerder, Germany, on December 31, 2018, arriving in Manila on New

Year’s Day. Members of the flight delivery crew included Ian Echavez (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines), John Cumigad (Caap), Dolly Gabriel (PAL Corp. Finance), Capt. Rene Atilano, First Officer Dan Lat, First Officer Justin Isaac, Capt. Barney Charles Ramos Guevarra (A321 deputy chief pilot), Rhodell Agustin (Lufthansa Technik Philippines or LTP), Mark Arpon (LTP) and Quin Catabui (aircraft engineering and team head). PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

NVESTORS like targets—even ambitious ones—as long as they’re grounded in reality.

South Korea’s flailing automakers, Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp., are targeting combined sales of 7.6 million vehicles in 2019, slightly more than their 2018 target, the companies said in regulatory filings.

That’s bold considering the global auto market is forecast to shrink at least 1 percent this year

and that the group looks likely to have missed its goals for last year. Hyundai Motor stock fell as much as 4.2 percent. The group blamed factors such as protectionism and financial instability for its inability to feel the pulse of its various markets. In fact, Hyundai Motor has only itself to blame for much of its downward spiral, as we wrote in October when profit collapsed almost 70 percent. Bloomberg News

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 3, 2019

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

January 2, 2019

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

ASIA UNITED 59.2 59.35 58.1 59.35 58.1 59.35 5010 296957 BDO UNIBANK 127 128 130.6 133 127 127 1122580 144321950 BANK PH ISLANDS 93.65 94 94 94.5 92.55 94 921050 86508922 CHINABANK 27.35 27.45 27.65 27.65 27 27.45 60200 1658260 EAST WEST BANK 11.9 11.96 11.88 12 11.84 11.96 161700 1930038 METROBANK 80.95 82 80.9 82 80.2 82 1449150 118006331 PB BANK 12.02 12.46 12.48 12.5 12.48 12.5 1700 21228 PHIL NATL BANK 42.55 42.75 42.75 42.9 42.5 42.75 119700 5108345 PSBANK 59.85 60 61.8 62 60 60 17520 1076311.5 PHILTRUST 113.1 124.7 109.1 109.1 108.6 108.6 200 21765 RCBC 28.5 28.55 28.6 28.6 28.5 28.5 134900 3847085 SECURITY BANK 154.6 155.9 156 159.7 154.6 154.6 378880 59277655 UNION BANK 63.6 63.95 63.95 63.95 63.55 63.6 1990 126673 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.46 1.48 1.5 1.5 1.43 1.48 215000 310040 BDO LEASING 2.12 2.17 2.18 2.18 2.11 2.11 16000 34180 COL FINANCIAL 15.8 16.2 16.22 16.22 15.8 16.22 9200 148352 FIRST ABACUS 0.65 0.71 0.68 0.68 0.68 0.68 102000 69360 FERRONOUX HLDG 4.55 4.6 4.41 4.63 4.37 4.6 345000 1547760 MEDCO HLDG 0.47 0.485 0.455 0.5 0.455 0.485 150000 72450 NTL REINSURANCE 0.87 0.9 0.91 0.91 0.87 0.87 512000 454620 PHIL STOCK EXCH 179 182 177.6 182 177.6 182 50 9012

INDUSTRIAL ALSONS CONS 1.24 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 1.28 14000 17920 ABOITIZ POWER 35 35.2 35.1 35.25 34.65 35 205700 7198955 BASIC ENERGY 0.247 0.255 0.25 0.255 0.246 0.255 1260000 314410 FIRST GEN 19.8 19.82 19.96 20 19.62 19.8 621600 12333900 FIRST PHIL HLDG 64.4 64.7 64.3 64.85 64.3 64.7 15270 988273 MERALCO 384.6 385 382 389 382 384.6 103240 39761044 MANILA WATER 26.65 27.7 28 28 26.65 26.65 303100 8325230 PETRON 7.68 7.69 7.71 7.77 7.67 7.69 1682700 12950388 PETROENERGY 3.65 3.68 3.55 3.74 3.52 3.65 540000 1975950 PHINMA ENERGY 1.15 1.16 1.16 1.17 1.14 1.15 6694000 7733030 PH RESORTS GRP 5.35 5.44 5.4 5.45 5.3 5.44 95500 513143 PHX PETROLEUM 10.64 10.9 10.6 10.74 10.6 10.74 300 3208 PILIPINAS SHELL 46.85 47 47.8 47.8 46.7 47 703800 33082745 SPC POWER 5.48 5.49 5.44 5.48 5.4 5.48 133300 728755 AGRINURTURE 16.86 17 17 17.06 16.8 17 408000 6931596 CENTURY FOOD 15 15.18 15.48 15.48 15 15 49700 745758 DEL MONTE 6.3 6.38 6.38 6.38 6.38 6.38 5100 32538 DNL INDUS 10.94 10.96 10.98 11 10.8 10.96 1315900 14331950 EMPERADOR 7.08 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.08 7.1 77300 548721 SMC FOODANDBEV 80.95 82 82 82 80.5 82 45990 3765254 ALLIANCE SELECT 1.1 1.11 1.07 1.12 1.05 1.11 14872000 16219200 GINEBRA 25.15 25.8 25.5 26 25.5 25.8 8400 215380 JOLLIBEE 292.8 293 292 295.8 291.8 293 181410 53280590 MAXS GROUP 10.26 10.34 10.3 10.4 10.26 10.26 31800 327028 MG HLDG 0.175 0.179 0.176 0.176 0.175 0.176 120000 21100 PEPSI COLA 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.38 1.33 1.34 1299000 1753840 SHAKEYS PIZZA 11.8 11.84 11.9 11.98 11.72 11.84 93600 1108668 ROXAS AND CO 1.9 1.95 2.04 2.04 1.89 1.9 181000 348580 RFM CORP 4.9 4.98 4.83 4.99 4.83 4.9 4733000 23194020 ROXAS HLDG 2.69 2.74 2.73 2.75 2.73 2.75 20000 54940 SWIFT FOODS 0.126 0.128 0.125 0.128 0.125 0.128 500000 63850 UNIV ROBINA 127.1 127.5 128.4 128.5 125.7 127.5 299610 37946221 VITARICH 1.92 1.93 2 2.03 1.91 1.92 17789000 35087540 VICTORIAS 2.33 2.39 2.33 2.33 2.33 2.33 3000 6990 CONCRETE A 59.4 64.6 59.1 59.4 59.1 59.4 290 17172 CEMEX HLDG 1.95 1.96 1.93 2.02 1.93 1.95 32563000 64579980 DAVINCI CAPITAL 6.42 6.55 6.5 6.89 6.37 6.42 130200 839114 EAGLE CEMENT 15.2 15.46 15.46 15.46 15.1 15.2 652800 9994160 EEI CORP 7.96 7.98 7.95 8 7.95 7.98 17900 143133 HOLCIM 5.78 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.77 5.8 64000 371041 MEGAWIDE 18.08 18.18 18.5 18.5 18.06 18.18 88900 1616038 TKC METALS 0.83 0.86 0.83 0.86 0.83 0.86 72000 60870 VULCAN INDL 1.54 1.55 1.59 1.59 1.52 1.54 6135000 9515300 CROWN ASIA 1.79 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.79 1.79 15000 26950 LMG CHEMICALS 4.29 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 4.3 11000 47300 PRYCE CORP 5.8 5.85 5.8 5.85 5.8 5.85 150400 872340 CONCEPCION 37.75 37.8 37.85 37.85 37.2 37.75 4102100 153829115 GREENERGY 2.02 2.03 1.99 2.03 1.97 2.03 4410000 8840940 INTEGRATED MICR 10.8 10.86 10.64 10.98 10.5 10.8 782400 8356966 IONICS 1.81 1.86 1.81 1.86 1.81 1.86 204000 376220 PANASONIC 5.73 5.83 5.83 5.83 5.83 5.83 9400 54802 SFA SEMICON 1.43 1.44 1.42 1.44 1.41 1.44 48000 68560 CIRTEK HLDG 30.7 31.8 30.9 31.8 30.65 31.8 136100 4253355

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 0.63 0.64 0.61 0.64 0.6 0.64 12143000 7613920 ASIABEST GROUP 26.2 26.25 26.05 26.5 25.7 26.2 51500 1343315 AYALA CORP 905.5 906 904 914 901 906 303350 274766700 ABOITIZ EQUITY 53.2 53.75 55 56 52.3 53.2 648730 34863909.5 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 11.86 11.9 11.92 12.02 11.8 11.9 2535100 30179494 ANSCOR 6.5 6.54 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 15500 100750 ATN HLDG A 1.43 1.44 1.43 1.44 1.42 1.44 8557000 12255490 ATN HLDG B 1.41 1.43 1.43 1.46 1.41 1.41 1442000 2068610 COSCO CAPITAL 6.7 6.77 6.71 6.9 6.7 6.7 1258900 8466757 DMCI HLDG 12.68 12.8 12.78 12.8 12.56 12.8 2259600 28794036 FILINVEST DEV 12.7 12.74 11.8 12.78 11.8 12.7 373400 4621458 FJ PRINCE A 5 5.3 5 5 5 5 600 3000 FORUM PACIFIC 0.203 0.219 0.202 0.202 0.202 0.202 10000 2020 GT CAPITAL 982 989.5 975 989.5 956 989.5 14250 13977485 JG SUMMIT 55.1 55.15 55.7 55.8 54.4 55.1 555600 30595544 JOLLIVILLE HLDG 5.6 5.9 5.6 6 5.6 5.9 6200 36919 LODESTAR 0.55 0.56 0.58 0.58 0.56 0.57 4000 2270 LOPEZ HLDG 4.02 4.07 4 4.08 4 4.07 202000 819880 LT GROUP 16.56 16.58 16.5 17.1 16.42 16.58 3984700 65964050 MABUHAY HLDG 0.57 0.59 0.57 0.59 0.57 0.59 568000 325500 METRO PAC INV 4.61 4.63 4.65 4.71 4.61 4.61 12937000 60212070 PACIFICA 0.037 0.038 0.037 0.037 0.037 0.037 2400000 88800 PRIME ORION 2.41 2.42 2.37 2.42 2.36 2.42 122000 291500 PRIME MEDIA 1.23 1.24 1.22 1.23 1.22 1.23 136000 167270 SOLID GROUP 1.3 1.33 1.34 1.34 1.33 1.33 19000 25280 SM INVESTMENTS 915.5 918.5 927.5 928 910 915.5 165080 151101190 SAN MIGUEL CORP 147.3 147.5 147.9 147.9 146 147.3 275510 40558795 SEAFRONT RES 2.3 2.59 2.25 2.25 2.25 2.25 22000 49500 TOP FRONTIER 245 249.8 250 250 245 249.8 130 32430 WELLEX INDUS 0.255 0.26 0.247 0.265 0.246 0.26 16190000 4142090 ZEUS HLDG 0.207 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 10000 2200

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.98 0.99 0.96 1.03 0.93 0.98 22677000 22549320 ANCHOR LAND 11.2 11.78 11.98 11.98 11 11.78 4200 47756 AYALA LAND 40.9 41.3 40.6 41.95 40.6 41.3 4850600 200160850 ARANETA PROP 1.7 1.72 1.75 1.75 1.7 1.72 24000 40940 BELLE CORP 2.34 2.36 2.34 2.4 2.32 2.35 1969000 4624990 A BROWN 0.78 0.8 0.78 0.81 0.78 0.8 853000 669510 CITYLAND DEVT 0.87 0.89 0.88 0.89 0.88 0.89 36000 31890 CROWN EQUITIES 0.236 0.242 0.242 0.242 0.234 0.242 610000 143660 CEBU HLDG 6 6.4 6.37 6.4 5.9 6.4 1400 8514 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.08 4.14 4.05 4.14 4.05 4.14 1651000 6822460 CENTURY PROP 0.42 0.425 0.435 0.435 0.425 0.425 670000 287700 CYBER BAY 0.375 0.395 0.365 0.39 0.365 0.39 270000 103150 DOUBLEDRAGON 17.88 17.9 18 18.2 17.74 17.88 433500 7782516 DM WENCESLAO 7.7 7.85 7.8 7.84 7.7 7.7 378700 2928790 FILINVEST LAND 1.42 1.43 1.42 1.43 1.42 1.42 720000 1022880 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.09 1.11 1214000 1350840 8990 HLDG 8.11 8.23 8.1 8.25 8.1 8.23 634300 5185357 PHIL INFRADEV 2.23 2.25 2.24 2.26 2.18 2.25 5282000 11728440 MEGAWORLD 4.72 4.8 4.77 4.8 4.72 4.8 3694000 17577910 MRC ALLIED 0.445 0.45 0.45 0.45 0.435 0.445 12710000 5605400 PHIL ESTATES 0.45 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.45 0.46 730000 330000 PRIMEX CORP 3.55 3.58 3.55 3.59 3.55 3.55 184000 653240 ROBINSONS LAND 21.1 21.15 20.55 21.15 20.55 21.1 831600 17472840 PHIL REALTY 0.415 0.42 0.43 0.43 0.42 0.42 850000 359000 ROCKWELL 2 2.01 2.01 2.01 2.01 2.01 8000 16080 STA LUCIA LAND 1.22 1.24 1.25 1.25 1.24 1.24 23000 28610 SM PRIME HLDG 36.6 37 35.85 37 35.85 37 7795100 285162400 STARMALLS 5.34 5.36 5.4 5.6 5.25 5.36 625900 3344813 SUNTRUST HOME 0.71 0.73 0.73 0.73 0.73 0.73 59000 43070 VISTA LAND 5.4 5.41 5.41 5.47 5.38 5.41 3507800 19014269

SERVICES ABS CBN 20 20.05 20 20.1 20 20.05 44300 888695 GMA NETWORK 5.48 5.49 5.45 5.49 5.41 5.49 57100 311275 MANILA BULLETIN 0.37 0.39 0.375 0.415 0.37 0.37 470000 179800 MLA BRDCASTING 16.34 18.98 16.36 16.36 16.32 16.32 1000 16346 GLOBE TELECOM 1890 1900 1920 1920 1890 1900 6610 12541800 PLDT 1128 1130 1169 1169 1128 1130 28825 32717665 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.039 0.04 0.041 0.041 0.04 0.04 4300000 176000 DFNN INC 7.2 7.48 7.5 7.74 7.3 7.49 12000 88745 IMPERIAL 1.91 2 1.95 2.05 1.95 2.04 23000 45430 ISLAND INFO 0.125 0.129 0.127 0.131 0.125 0.129 7220000 914360 ISM COMM 5.89 5.93 6 6.03 5.84 5.93 5399100 31999256 JACKSTONES 3.08 3.4 3.13 3.4 3.08 3.4 13000 41290 NOW CORP 3.62 3.63 3.5 3.72 3.46 3.62 6342000 22914560 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.445 0.45 0.44 0.445 0.43 0.445 16110000 7065950 PHILWEB 3.81 3.82 3.28 3.87 3.28 3.82 5577000 20059230 2GO GROUP 13.54 13.58 14.2 14.24 13.4 13.58 122800 1687608 ASIAN TERMINALS 14.02 14.68 14 14.68 14 14.68 505200 7074432 CEBU AIR 73.5 73.9 73.2 74 73 73.5 53020 3884612.5 CHELSEA 6.42 6.43 6.5 6.5 6.41 6.43 705600 4540467 INTL CONTAINER 99.25 99.5 99 99.95 98.95 99.5 651950 64741076 LBC EXPRESS 14.16 14.8 14.12 14.12 14.12 14.12 100 1412 LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.78 0.81 0.8 0.81 0.76 0.81 238000 185040 MACROASIA 16.88 16.98 17 17 16.64 16.88 155400 2613934 METROALLIANCE A 2 2.04 2.09 2.09 2 2.06 30000 61340 PAL HLDG 7.81 8.33 8.33 8.33 8.33 8.33 1100 9163 HARBOR STAR 2.98 3 2.97 3.01 2.95 3 530000 1580490 ACESITE HOTEL 1.35 1.39 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 21000 29400 WATERFRONT 0.76 0.77 0.7 0.78 0.69 0.77 19269000 14471290 STI HLDG 0.77 0.78 0.8 0.84 0.78 0.78 117674000 92404810 BERJAYA 3.43 3.44 4.49 4.49 3.36 3.43 23885000 91539410 BLOOMBERRY 9.64 9.65 9.5 9.84 9.5 9.64 2388600 23124546 PACIFIC ONLINE 9.83 10.18 10 10.38 10 10.18 3100 31398 LEISURE AND RES 3.2 3.25 3.25 3.33 3.2 3.2 1321000 4287420 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.79 0.8 0.82 0.82 0.8 0.8 4907000 3957500 PHIL RACING 7.11 9.47 9.47 9.47 9.47 9.47 200 1894 TRAVELLERS 5.27 5.3 5.32 5.32 5.26 5.27 15000 79004 METRO RETAIL 2.48 2.5 2.49 2.51 2.48 2.5 596000 1488400 PUREGOLD 42.95 43 43 43.2 42.95 43 3846300 165416805 ROBINSONS RTL 81.5 81.75 80.95 81.9 80.95 81.75 149250 12204542 PHIL SEVEN CORP 118 123.9 125 125 123 123 4920 606552 SSI GROUP 2.41 2.43 2.35 2.42 2.34 2.42 1467000 3494420 WILCON DEPOT 13.02 13.06 12.66 13.1 12.66 13.06 4417400 57164084 APC GROUP 0.41 0.42 0.405 0.405 0.405 0.405 60000 24300 EASYCALL 15 15.04 14.42 15.36 14.4 14.98 44100 658808 GOLDEN BRIA 313.4 324 325 325 325 325 20 6500 PAXYS 3.15 3.5 3.25 3.53 3.25 3.5 3000 10280 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.32 0.325 0.325 0.325 0.325 0.325 20000 6500 SBS PHIL CORP 7.47 7.76 7.47 7.47 7.47 7.47 100000 747000

MINING & OIL ATOK 14.46 15.44 15.44 15.44 15.44 15.44 4900 75656 APEX MINING 1.68 1.69 1.66 1.68 1.62 1.68 2626000 4318030 ABRA MINING 0.0019 0.002 0.002 0.0021 0.002 0.002 120000000 240800 ATLAS MINING 2.58 2.65 2.6 2.65 2.6 2.65 8000 20950 BENGUET A 1.21 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.45 3000 4350 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.295 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 50000 15000 CENTURY PEAK 2.17 2.19 2.08 2.2 2.08 2.17 6806000 14632740 DIZON MINES 7.19 7.2 7.21 7.21 7.2 7.2 1600 11525 FERRONICKEL 1.67 1.68 1.68 1.68 1.66 1.67 403000 673820 GEOGRACE 0.202 0.204 0.206 0.206 0.202 0.202 120000 24280 LEPANTO A 0.109 0.114 0.111 0.114 0.107 0.114 3290000 368690 MARCVENTURES 1.19 1.23 1.17 1.24 1.16 1.19 462000 553810 NICKEL ASIA 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.17 2.22 800000 1763760 ORNTL PENINSULA 0.93 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.92 0.93 238000 221680 PX MINING 3.32 3.33 3.16 3.4 3.15 3.32 5433000 17891790 SEMIRARA MINING 23.1 23.2 23.05 23.3 23.05 23.2 418900 9719705 UNITED PARAGON 0.0059 0.006 0.0058 0.0061 0.0058 0.0059 10000000 59700 ORNTL PETROL A 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.013 7700000 100100 PHILODRILL 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.012 59000000 716000 PHINMA PETRO 3.18 3.39 3.37 3.39 3.37 3.39 2000 6760 PXP ENERGY 15.6 15.66 15.2 15.7 15 15.6 946900 14634920

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GTCAP PREF B LR PREF PNX PREF 3A PCOR PREF 2A SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G

94.5 455 472 100.1 462.2 826 1 99 980 1.6 74.1 71.55 72 71.55 71.25

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR GMA HLDG PDR

18.12 5.26 1.9

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ITALPINAS 5.22 XURPAS 1.66

111.6

86300 -129833115 1850110.5 -15563932 97500 1780900 -1478917 3946254 585368 199865 1798307.5 22800 -157850 3219330 -14706420 4740 -79291500 -3333653 -2450 28600 -4950 1329745 -2094500 14100 4352700 30100 213608 -2150723 -527100 57720 689967 296050.0002 4284420 88500 11325030 80550 134899285 -534 -5276306 -9409885 -10638475 20190 -130458 -170310 -312400 79090 -24120 37800 156491.5 9713348 -295398 -3000 -3999930 32220 1001909 3250 32000 -531 4980 -24891025 -1486781.5 515370 396460 40102208 1544 217500 552860 -77280 258500 3214190 -2723295 -1574908

96 455.8 495 101.2 480 900 1 100 980 1.2 75.9 71.65 73 74.5 71.25

96 455.8 495 101.2 480 900 1 100 980 1.2 75.9 71.65 73 75 71.25

95 455 475 101.2 480 900 1 100 980 1.2 74 71.5 72.5 74.5 71.2

95 455 490 101.2 480 900 1 100 980 1.2 74 71.5 72.5 75 71.2

1200 120 7590 460 10 120 1000 20 160 5000 7230 2500 1210 20000 150

114100 54616 3610230 46552 4800 108000 1000 2000 156800 6000 535472 178915 87830 1493000 10685

5960 -1043000 -

18.26 5.35

18.6 5.35

18.6 5.35

18.02 5.35

18.26 5.35

213700 500

3909278 2675

-2961770 -

1.94

1.94

1.94

1.9

1.9

497000

951610

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5.23 1.67

4.9 1.72

5.29 1.78

4.9 1.63

5.22 1.67

2163000 14825000

11138370 25243110

-488650 27560

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

1280 -28570 -1645332 -468530 16612370 -1503185 -8552994 11040 -2773900 -4481065 13093 -96912 -31620 2447744 -29110 313533.5 -17860 3399930 -176832 -1000910 -683234 39200 -13965110 54940 -6648225 -1549960 6990 -17431410 5189724 -95147 -319000 -975408 537210 18000 -0 2444460 1078414 -1122930

95 456 490 104.7 480 900 1.02 100 1000 2.65 75.9 74.45 72.5 74.95 74.75

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

296376 -50044956 6529893.5 -46715 -276520 53747933.5 365460 424920 13175356 -25436.5 -21100 -0 -

112

111.5

112

111.5

112

7190

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-

Editor: Efleda P. Campos

MPT South aims to grow traffic in Cavitex by 6% in 2019

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

M

ETRO Pacific Tollways South Corp. aims to increase traffic on the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex) by as much as 6 percent this year, fueled by the opening of new lanes on both sides of the thoroughfare and planned developments for 2019.

Roberto V. Bontia, the company’s president, said his group expects traffic on the Cavitex to grow in the mid-single digits this year, albeit slower than the projected 7-percent increase for last year, as it campaigns to entice motorists to use the expressway despite high fuel prices.

“For 2018, we pegged the traffic growth at 7 percent. We’re set to open the Cavitex enhancements in 2019, so we target to grow traffic by around 5 percent to 6 percent,” he said. Roughly, 145,000 vehicles enter the Cavitex daily.

Cavitex has just completed the first phase of its expressway enhancement program.

Phase 1 involves the expansion of both north

and south-bound lanes by two, the opening of the southbound flyover and a left-turn facility along Pacific Drive.

The company is now implementing the second phase of the enhancement program.

It involves the widening of three bridges along the Cavitex, namely Wawa, Las Piñas and Parañaque. The whole program has a price tag of roughly P1 billion.

MPT South is a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., the largest tollways-holding company in the Philippines.

Aside from its local expressways, the infrastructure conglomerate also has interests in toll-road companies in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Top Taiwan investor in 2018 plans to deepen bet on tech sector

T

HE top-performing Taiwanese fund manager for the past year is pushing deeper into technology in 2019 as the island looks set to benefit from trade tensions.

Makers of chips, lenses and other components of smartphones are likely to offer high growth opportunities this year, Corrina Xiao of Allianz Global Investors Taiwan said in an interview. Her biggest investment as of the end of November was Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the exclusive maker of iPhone processors.

Tensions between President Donald J. Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping has hit confidence in Taiwan’s technology sector as its companies weigh the future of manufacturing bases on the mainland.

Xiao said the US pressure will work to level the playing field with China and open up opportunities for local businesses as they relocate.

“Taiwan companies are relatively small, and they are nimble and flexible and they can move their facilities back to Taiwan or to Southeast Asia very fast,” she said. “After the adjustments, Taiwan will be a market with good potential.”

Xiao’s is one of two Allianz Global Investors Taiwan funds that were the only ones to deliver a positive return for 2018 out of 44 Taiwan-domiciled asset pools surpassing NT$1 billion ($33 million), and that invest at least half their assets locally, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Xiao’s

fund gained more than 3 percent— the best of all 44—compared with a decline of about 9 percent for the benchmark Taiex index.

“I really like what Trump is doing.

What he is pushing for is fair and just, especially for Taiwan,” Xiao said in the December 21 interview at Bloomberg’s Taipei office. “Taiwanese companies have been hurt because their Chinese rivals have been receiving a lot of subsidies from the Chinese government. The playground has been very unfair in the context of free trade.” Xiao has NT$3.73 billion of assets under management, with NT$3.31 billion in the Allianz Global Investors Taiwan Fund and the rest in the Allianz Global Investors Taiwan Intelligence Trends Fund.

While she didn’t name the specific companies she is looking at, Xiao did say she wanted to increase her stake in Taiwan’s semiconductor sector by the end of June. According to Allianz Global Investors Taiwan’s web site, she had 8.76 percent of her fund in TSMC at the end of November, making the contract chipmaker her biggest investment.

Xiao’s next four largest holdings were Formosa Plastics Corp., Taiwan Cement Corp., Faraday Technology Corp. and Largan Precision Co. as of the end of November, according to Allianz data.

“I am optimistic about Taiwan’s semiconductor and tech stocks because human beings are constantly chasing faster speed and better

Cathay sells $16,000 premium seats for $675 in ticketing blunder

A

LL eyes are on Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. as it decides what to do with the tickets that it appeared to have sold in error at a fraction of their prices.

Asia’s biggest international carrier sold business-class tickets from Vietnam to Canada and the US at economy prices earlier this week, according to bloggers. Return fares in the premium cabin from Da Nang to New York started at $675 for travel in August, Gary Leff, a travel and loyalty-program blogger on View from the Wing, wrote on December 31.

Travel from Hanoi to Vancouver and back in a mix of business and first-class could cost less than $1,000, according to a post on One Mile at a Time.

While Cathay didn’t immediately say whether it would honor the bookings, the mistake adds to the embarrassments for the Hong Kong carrier that’s struggling to turn its fortunes around while competition intensifies from Chinese and budget airlines.

The pricing gaffe comes on the

heels of a sophisticated hack on Cathay’s computer systems last year that exposed private information of 9.4 million passengers in the world’s biggest airline data breach.

Cathay is aware of the pricing issue and will provide more details later, a spokesman for the carrier said by phone.

A business-class return ticket to New York from Vietnam’s Da Nang costs around $16,000 for travel in July and September, according Cathay’s web site on Wednesday. Ticket prices weren’t available for August on the web site.

Other airlines have made similar pricing errors. Singapore Airlines Ltd. in 2014 and Hong Kong Airlines Ltd. last year honored business-class tickets mistakenly sold at economy fares. Both carriers didn’t disclose how many people purchased the cheaper tickets.

Cathay had sold tickets to the US and other destinations from Vietnam in a promotional offer that ended December 31, according to its web site. Round-trip business tickets to Los Angeles were sold from $2,940. Bloomberg News

power efficiency, and these can only be achieved with advanced semiconductor process technology,” she said.

Xiao’s performance in 2018 was underpinned by a decision to quit stakes in Taiwanese parts suppliers for traditional carmakers at the end of the third quarter, as her team predicted they would be among the first hit by the trade war.

MUTUAL FUNDS

Other winning moves included a stake in Yageo Corp., a maker of resistors that rose 8.3 percent last year, as well as Walsin Technology Corp., a maker of ceramic electronic components that surged 47 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

But she kept investments in the electric car sector, a decision now she regrets. Bloomberg News

January 2, 2019

NAV ONE YEAR THREE YEAR FIVE YEAR Y-T-D

PER SHARE RETURN* RETURN STOCK FUNDS ALFM GROWTH FUND, INC * 252.23 -13.98% 0.83% 3% 0.06% ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.* 1.4411 -9.76% 7.14% 3.33% 1.04% ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.* 3.9037 -15.01% 2.24% 1.23% -0.05% CLIMBS SHARE CAPITAL EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND CORP.* 0.8904 -12.4% N.A. N.A. -0.04% FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND ON MSCI PHILS. IMI, INC. * ********* 0.8208 N.A. N.A. N.A. -0.23% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN EQUITY FUND,INC.* 5.2719 -12.32% -0.04% 2.12% 0.14% MBG EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND, INC. * ****** 116.63 N.A. N.A. N.A. -1.14% ONE WEALTHY NATION FUND, INC.* 0.8326 -16.06% -5.19% N.A. -0.3% PAMI EQUITY INDEX FUND, INC.* 49.2235 -12.72% 1.76% N.A. -0.22% PHILAM STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC.* 514.86 -12.52% 0.6% 2.31% -0.03% PHILEQUITY DIVIDEND YIELD FUND, INC.* 1.254 -10.7% 2.26% N.A. -0.19% PHILEQUITY FUND, INC.* 36.6323 -10.86% 2.74% 4.86% -0.16% PHILEQUITY PSE INDEX FUND INC.* 4.9588 -12.61% 2.46% 4.67% -0.23% PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND CORP.* 828.49 -12.4% 2.24% 4.81% -0.23% SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. * 0.8614 -10.95% 0.23% N.A. 0.05% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE EQUITY FUND, INC.* 4.0597 -11.37% 2.02% 3.17% -0.11% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND, INC.* 0.9544 -12.71% 2.28% N.A. -0.22% UNITED FUND, INC.* 3.5013 -9.15% 3.82% 4.06% 0.03% EXCHANGE TRADED FUND FIRST METRO PHIL. EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC.* *** 110.7537 -12.07% -0.84% 5.9% -0.21% ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC.** $0.9242 -16.25% 1.26% -0.67% -0.15% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD VOYAGER FUND, INC.* $1.1053 -12.64% N.A. N.A. 1.38% BALANCED FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ATRAM DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND, INC.* 1.6516 -11.38% -1.68% -1.06% -0.13% ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC.* 2.2094 -10.08% 1.17% 1% -0.01% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND INC.* 2.5439 -8.16% -1.85% -1.07% 0.06% GREPALIFE BALANCED FUND CORPORATION* **** 1.3043 -10.36% N.A. N.A. -0.14% NCM MUTUAL FUND OF THE PHILS., INC* 1.8428 -7.29% 1.01% 2.38% -0.1% PAMI HORIZON FUND, INC.* 3.5346 -9.79% -0.26% 1.63% -0.03% PHILAM FUND, INC.* 15.9103 -9.39% -0.16% 1.46% -0.02% SOLIDARITAS FUND, INC.* ******** 2.0723 -7.7% 1.23% 2.92% 0.04% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BALANCED FUND, INC.* 3.6517 -8.63% 0.58% 1.64% -0.07% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DYNAMIC FUND, INC.* 0.9218 -9.66% -0.15% N.A. 0.07% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES COCOLIFE DOLLAR FUND BUILDER, INC.* $0.03524 -2.19% -0.15% 1.68% 0.14% PAMI ASIA BALANCED FUND, INC.* $0.928 -12.08% 1.03% -1.35% 0.28% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ADVANTAGE FUND, INC.* $3.3089 -9.42% 2.06% 0.67% 0.39% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR WELLSPRING FUND, INC.* $1.0101 -9.18% N.A. N.A. 0.45% BOND FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM PESO BOND FUND, INC.* 343.38 1.87% 2.08% 1.82% 0% ATRAM CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC.* ******* 1.8589 -1.76% -0.96% -0.57% 0.11% COCOLIFE FIXED INCOME FUND, INC.*

2.9708 5.44% 5.53% 5.25% 0.02% EKKLESIA MUTUAL FUND INC.* 2.1305 1.27% 1.49% 1.34% 0.01% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND,INC.* 2.209 -0.32% 0.04% 0.04% 0% GREPALIFE FIXED INCOME FUND CORP.* P 1.5639 -2.83% -0.77% -0.83% 0% PHILAM BOND FUND, INC.* 3.92 -3.21% -0.55% -0.12% 0.01% PHILEQUITY PESO BOND FUND, INC.* 3.5171 0.35% 0.36% 0.44% 0.1% SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC. * 0.8925 -3.33% -0.89% N.A. 0% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BOND FUND, INC.* 2.7652 -0.41% 0.77% 0.7% 0.02% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY GS FUND, INC.*

1.5396 -0.63% 0.34% 0.27% 0.05% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. * $448.28 0.55% 2.31% 3.08% 0% ALFM EURO BOND FUND, INC. * Є212.65 -0.5% 1.04% 1.59% 0.02% ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.** $1.1254 -0.82% 0.94% 1.9% 0.01% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.* $0.0249 -0.4% 0.82% N.A. 0% GREPALIFE DOLLAR BOND FUND CORP.* $1.6903 -4.58% -0.4% 1.13% -0.01% MAA PRIVILEGE DOLLAR FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. MAA PRIVILEGE EURO FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. ЄN.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. PAMI GLOBAL BOND FUND, INC* $1.035 -3.64% -0.48% -2.29% 0.12% PHILAM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC.* $2.1708 -3.56% 0.95% 2.7% 0% PHILEQUITY DOLLAR INCOME FUND INC.* $0.0569814 -0.41% 0.88% 1.87% -0.02% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ABUNDANCE FUND, INC.* $2.8719 -4.67% 0.29% 1.7% 0.01% MONEY MARKET FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM MONEY MARKET FUND, INC.* 120.84 2.76% 1.87% 1.57% 0.02% PHILAM MANAGED INCOME FUND, INC.* 1.1813 2.06% 0.74% 0.5% -0.02% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY MONEY MARKET FUND, INC.* 1.2187 2.67% 2.27% 1.6% 0.01% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR STARTER FUND, INC.* ***** $1.0157 1.7% N.A. N.A. 0.01%

* - NAVPS AS OF THE PREVIOUS BANKING DAY ** - NAVPS AS OF TWO BANKING DAYS AGO *** - LISTED IN THE PSE.

**** - RE-CLASSIFIED INTO A BALANCED FUND STARTING JANUARY 1, 2017 (FORMERLY GREPALIFE BOND FUND CORP.).

***** - LAUNCH DATE IS NOVEMBER 6, 2017 ****** - LAUNCH DATE IS JANUARY 08, 2018 ******** - RENAMING OF THE FUND WAS APPROVED BY THE SEC LAST APRIL 13, 2018. ********* - BECAME A MEMBER SINCE APRIL 20, 2018. ******* - ADJUSTED DUE TO CASH DIVIDEND ISSUANCE LAST JANUARY 29, 2018

Agriculture/Commodities BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng • Thursday, January 3, 2019

B3

Farm damage from Usman hits ₧431.21M

L

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie & Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

OSSES incurred by farmers and fishermen due to the onslaught of Tropical Depression Usman have climbed to P431.21 million, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday.

According to a January 2 report of the DA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center, Usman affected 26,226 hectares of agricultural areas, 17,629 farmers and fishermen and damaged some 9,396 metric tons (MT) of crops.

The DA said the provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Sorsogon reported increases in losses incurred by their rice, corn, livestock and fisheries subsectors.

The report indicated that the rice sector sustained the biggest damage at P366 million. The DA said the tropical depression destroyed 6,525 MT of palay planted in 21,441 hectares.

The DA said 13,127 rice farmers in the provinces of Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes,

Masbate, Sorsogon and Samar were affected.

It added 2,779 corn farmers lost 286 MT of produce planted in 4,255 hectares in Albay, Camarines Sur and Masbate. Corn crops damaged were valued at P23 million.

Damage to high-value crops was estimated at P39.32 million with an estimated production loss of 2,585 MT in 529 hectares. The DA said 1,693 farmers in Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate and Sorsogon planting fruit trees, assorted vegetables and root crops reported production losses.

Insurance payment

AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said in a statement that he has directed the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) to fast-track the damage assessment so that

THREE people died in a landslide brought by Tropical Depression Usman in San Francisco, Legazpi City, in Albay. Usman also damaged crops valued at more than P400 million. CNN PHILIPPINES PHOTO

insurance payments could be released immediately.

Piñol added that the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) has also been directed to prepare Survival and Recovery Loan Funds.

The agriculture chief said the National Food Authority has been ordered to monitor the rice supply situation and ensure that there is enough NFA rice in the market to prevent price increases.

He said the DA will dispatch

recovery intervention teams on Thursday to provinces affected by the storm.

“The teams will be tasked to ensure that recovery interventions such as seeds and farm inputs are delivered immediately so the farmers could replant,” Piñol said.

“While the estimated damage to rice is very high, the farmers could still recover as most of the areas damaged have just been planted.

The fast delivery of interventions is

critical so that farmers could replant immediately,” he added.

‘So slow’

CITING the high death toll and damage to agriculture, militant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) chided the Duterte administration for its “slow” response to Usman.

KMP said farmers affected by the tropical depression will have to face new hardships this year, as

heavy rains and floods destroyed their crops, properties and farm infrastructure.

Almost 46,000 families or close to 200,000 individuals were affected by the tropical depression.

Citing official government reports, Usman caused 75 confirmed casualties while 16 persons remain missing after heavy rains, flooding and landslides battered Bicol, Samar and Southern Luzon provinces.

“Immediate aid to farmers affected by Usman is necessary,” said KMP Secretary-General Antonio Flores.

The group said key government agencies, particularly Malacañang, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) were not on top of the situation when Usman entered the Philippine area of responsibility.

“More than the usual monitoring and obligatory text alerts, Malacañang, DILG, NDRRMC, and key agencies obviously [slackened off] while Usman is battering several provinces. The high death rate is a proof of this negligence,” Flores said.

According to Flores, Malacañang, Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año and Defense Secretary and concurrent NDRRMC Chairman Delfin N. Lorenzana “slept on their jobs.”

Farm-to-market Planters aim to resume export of abaca to India in Q1 roads vital to PHL agriculture–Pernia T

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

T

HE President’s economic team considers farm-tomarket roads (FMRs) as game changers for the agriculture sector, despite not having any FMRs in the list of 75 flagship projects, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.

Pernia, who is also director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, told the BusinessMirror on Wednesday that FMRs have been included in the “Build, Build, Build” program.

He said the economic team considers FMRs as important components of the government’s infrastructure initiative, particularly in the development of the farm sector. “[FMRs are important game changers for the agriculture sector] besides irrigation, mechanization, better seeds, competent extension workers, etc.,” Pernia said.

The Neda chief said cost is the only reason for the noninclusion of FMRs in the list of flagship projects. To be considered a “flagship project,” Pernia said it should cost a minimum of P2.5 billion.

Pernia said earlier that the government’s infrastructure initiative does not revolve around the flagship projects.

He also said the country’s Public Investment Program (PIP) under the Duterte administration con-

tains over 4,000 projects that will be financed in the medium term.

Under Chapter 8 of the PIP 2017-2022, the government will spend P682.39 billion for projects that seek to expand economic opportunities in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

T hese projects include the P550-million community development project of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in conflict affected areas in Mindanao. It aims to construct and rehabilitate FMRs in three sites in Mindanao.

The construction and rehabilitation of FMRs, the PIP stated, will improve the transport of agricultural products and increase in job opportunity for local farmers.

“Roads to be constructed shall meet standard specification in Japanese Grant aid with consideration of national geographic and social condition,” the PIP read. The project is being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The list of projects includes the DA’s Rural Development Project for Multiple Industry Zone in the Philippines. The project, which will cost P119.19 million, will be funded by the Korean government.

The project aims to construct FMRs as well as a solar and mechanical dr yer; multipur pose covered court; small-scale water supply; promotion of the use of Korean greenhouse technology; and capacity building activities in the form of local and international training.

HE Philippines is targeting to resume the shipment of raw abaca fiber to India within the first quarter in its bid to maintain its reputation as the world’s top exporter of the natural fiber.

India banned abaca fiber imports from the Philippines over alleged sanitary and phytosanitary concerns and other “technical lapses.”

Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFida) Executive Director Kennedy T. Costales said, however, that the ban was imposed to protect India’s local jute industry against Philippine abaca. India, Costales said, is the world’s biggest producer of coir and jute fibers.

Nevertheless, Costales said the government is now undertaking the necessary measures to have the ban immediately lifted and ensure that international markets will remain open to local abaca products.

While India is not a major importer of Philippine abaca, Costales said a prolonged ban could hurt the country’s stature as the world’s top producer and exporter of the natural fiber, known the world over as Manila hemp.

He noted, however, that the government has not received any official communication from other trade partners of the Philippines, such as European countries and Japan, about the ban imposed by India.

“It’s about our reputation. We have to protect our reputation, that what we are shipping are all quality fibers,” Costales told the BusinessMirror.

“The ban is clearly trade protectionism or shielding a country’s domestic industries from foreign competition,” he added.

Costales said India banned Philippine abaca since September 11 due to one shipment, which

THIS file photo shows a farmer in Catanduanes hand-stripping abaca. The Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority said it is now working on the immediate lifting of the ban imposed by India on the iconic Philippine fiber.

contained first-class rope-grade abaca fiber, which allegedly lacked proper documentation and had Moko-moko disease.

However, Costales denied the allegations and argued that the shipment, which was about 22.5 metric tons, was properly documented. He also argued that Moko-moko could not be present on abaca fiber as it is already processed.

The disease, according to Costales, would only affect abaca plants which, if infected, would result in stunting and deterioration of stalks.

Costales added that all abaca exports are cleared by the PhilFida to ensure that these are compliant with the Philippine National Standards prior to shipment.

“If we will not act on this, it is

like we have already accepted that our exports have diseases and other problems. And that is not true,” he said. “That is why we have to fight all these allegations and we have to prove [to India] that they are wrong.”

Costales said concerned government agencies would convene this month to identify the measures to be undertaken to hasten India’s lifting the ban on Philippine abaca.

He added that they would talk with their Indian counterparts after they come up with possible solutions.

“Hopefully this is already done by the first quarter. This is our priority even if it is just a small market but the fact remains that we have to correct their allegations,” Costales said.

The country shipped 45 metric tons of raw abaca fiber to India

from January to October last year.

The figure is the same as the volume exported by the Philippines to India in 2017, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PSA data showed that the value of Philippine abaca shipped to India during the 10-month period reached $82,800, 2.91 percent over the $80,460 recorded a year ago.

Figures from the PSA also indicated that the Philippines exported about 5,184.25 MT of raw abaca fiber to India from 2006 to 2017.

From January to October last year, the Philippines’s raw abaca fiber exports ballooned to 199,905.87 MT, from 16,019.875 MT recorded during the same 10-month period in 2017, PSA data showed.

DA operates first of 5 solar-powered irrigation systems in Caraga D AVAO CITY—Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol turned over the first of five solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) in the Caraga region to farmers in Veruela town, Agusan del Sur, to enable them to plant rice twice a year.

The Caraga office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said the irrigation facility was set up in Barangay Sinobong in Veruela, which Barangay Chairman Angelo D. Jalucon of the Cautan Sinobong Farmers Association (CASFA) received from Piñol.

The association has 58 members.

The facility costs P6 million to install

and is equipped with a 25-horsepower pump that could irrigate up to 60 hectares.

It could cover more areas if additional pipes were added.

The solar-powered irrigation project aims to increase rice production by providing the water needed by farmers to irrigate their farms and enable them to plant and harvest at least twice a year.

“Compared to the big National Irrigation Administration irrigation systems that are costly and require millions of pesos for its construction, the SPIS is cheaper and can be built within three months,” Piñol said in

the recent turnover program.

Piñol said he hopes to introduce soon another technology called “fertigation” alongside the turnover of more solarpowered irrigation facilities. “As the name implies, fertigation is a process in which fertilizer is applied with the irrigation water. Through this technology, fertilization becomes more accurate and uniform for every rice area.”

The Caraga regional office of the DA said the solar-powered project “goes in tandem with the Easy Access Credit Loan Program called Production Loan Easy Ac-

cess [PLEA] that gives farmers the access to a loan of only 6-percent interest rate without collateral payable in two years for rice farmers.” The DA said the two flagship programs, the solar-powered irrigation and the PLEA program, would aid farmers in “finally graduating from the cycle of lending from loan sharks.”

In 2019 a budget of P3.4 billion has been allocated for easy access credit financing under the Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC).

During the turnover ceremony and open forum with farmers, Piñol said he

would allocate P5 million under the PLEA program as initial fund for the farmers in Veruela, Agusan del Sur. He said each farmer may avail himself/herself of the loan “provided that they undergo the orientation, financial literacy program and register under the Farmers Registration System.”

Piñol also directed DA-Caraga Regional Director Abel James I. Monteagudo to conduct a “rice derby” in the municipality of Veruela to determine the most suitable variety of rice for the locality.

The rice derby is a technology demonstration initiative of the DA where rice seed

companies would be given a 1-hectare area to showcase the yield capacity and performance of their product. The DA would ask the local government to identify a 5-hectare area for the said project, preferably those that benefit from the solar irrigation system.

Piñol also assured funding for a 1.5-kilometer farm-to-market road to link the Veruela farms to the barangay center.

He said the fund would be sourced from the 2020 budget. He said he instructed Monteagudo to establish a multiplier farm for native pigs and native chicken in the municipality. Manuel T. Cayon

B4 Thursday, January 3, 2019

GLOBE TELECOM HOLDS BORACAY WORKSHOP ON MARINE CONSERVATION, SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES

ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART 2018: FACING TACTICAL CHALLENGES AHEAD

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ORACAY may have opened again for international and local tourists to enjoy, but local leaders and authorities are still keeping an eye on businesses to ensure that all enterprises remain compliant to environmental policies; and that new measures to preserve this highly popular destination are strictly followed.

Thus, in support of the government’s efforts, Globe Telecom, together with Save Philippine Seas (SPS), facilitated a one-day marine-biodiversity workshop for some 30 business stakeholders, including hotel and owners of various establishments in the island.

Said Yoly Crisanto, Globe chief sustainability officer and senior vice president for corporate communications, “We work with the community to promote environment-friendly practices, so that collectively we can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

The event was graced by top marine experts, like Boracay Marine Biologist Haron Deo Vargas, who continues to

lead efforts in saving turtles found within the island’s waters.

Essential points of the workshop included sharing the current Philippine environmental situation and how business establishments can integrate sustainable best practices into their day-to-day operations.

The workshop also discussed simple but conscious efforts that go a long way in helping save one of the world’s most beautiful beaches from further damage. These include offering refillable containers for personal care products for guests to use in hotels and resorts; encouraging guests to bring reusable shopping bags and utensils; refraining from using sand, seashells, corals and sea stars as decorations; avoiding balloon or lantern releases; and avoiding the use of all single-use plastics like straws, to name a few.

This is the second time that a marine biodiversity workshop was initiated by Globe in Boracay. The first effort was held in July for teachers, student leaders and local government unit officials.

DEPED LEADS 2ND NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

T has been a glorious, sunny summer afternoon for an impressive 2018 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. As the first yacht to successfully clear Sydney Heads, Peter Harburg’s 100-foot Black Jack—for the second year running— gained an early psychological advantage over her rivals ahead of the more testing and sustained challenges, which lie in wait as the frontrunners head south down the New South Wales coast. A fleet of 85 yachts from nine countries commenced the 74th edition under a consistent 10- to 12-knot north-easterly breeze and within the amphitheatre that is Sydney Harbour, with spectators filling every vantage point onshore and on the water.

This year both the contest to arrive first in Hobart, Tasmania, and to claim overall victory on corrected time promise to be wide open. Rolex, celebrating 60 years of its relationship with the sport of yachting in 2018, has been the title sponsor of the race since 2002.

Of the five 100-foot yachts in competition, four have tasted line-honor success in one of their many previous guises. Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant’s Comanche, only the sixth yacht to pass the Heads following today’s start but soon leading the fleet, following the initial exchanges in open water, delivered a new race record last year. Following an extensive training program she is arguably in better shape this year. Victory in 2017 came at the expense of eighttime line honors winner Wild Oats XI, currently experiencing her longest run without success since first dominating the scene in 2005.

Subject to numerous modifications over recent months, the form of Seng Huang Lee’s Hong Kong entrant Scallywag was harder to gauge and, a little over three hours into the race, a bowsprit damage curtailed her ambitions. Christian

Beck’s InfoTrack completes the field of contenders.

Navigators on the frontrunners were forecasting a 48-hour finish time, which is some way off the race record of 1 day, 9 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds. Iain Murray, tactician /strategist on Wild Oats XI, was braced for a complex race. “It’s not going to be the windiest. It will be strategically challenging with boats going everywhere looking for their particular thing.” A relatively fast passage south in the first evening was forecast before the leaders face the prospect of overcoming challenging lighter patches on the second day.

“This will be an interesting race as there are two routes you can take.

The offshore one could suit boats, like Comanche and InfoTrack, and the inshore suits Wild Oats XI and us,” Black Jack skipper Mark Bradford explained. “Two or three boats could make a huge gain at the first transition.”

Over the past decade seven yachts measuring 52 feet and under have claimed

the Tattersall’s Cup and Rolex timepiece, rewards for the race’s most sought-after prize. Bruce Taylor, owner/skipper of the 40-foot Chutzpah, preparing for his 38th Rolex Sydney Hobart, predicted a vastly different contest to last year’s downwind sleigh ride south.

“The conditions are highly variable, which is the absolute antithesis to last year [that] was highly predictable. The forecast is changing by the minute. From our point of view, it will be a matter of negotiating the calms off [in] Tasmania.

It will be one of those races where it won’t be over until it’s over.”

Although no crew has retained the Tattersall’s Cup since 1965, Matt Allen, owner of last year’s winner, the Botin 52 Ichi Ban, is intent on challenging that statistic and has reason to be confident. “We know a lot more about our boat than this time last year and are more comfortable with our sail set up,” Allen explained. “We’re looking forward to the challenge of attempting to go back to back. ”

MERALCO POWER ACADEMY PROVIDES TRAINING FOR TAWI-TAWI LINEMEN

T T

O increase stakeholders’ awareness on the impact of climate change to children and the youth, the Department of Education (DepEd), through its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS), hosted the Second National Climate Change Conference (NCCC) last November 19 at the Atrium Hotel in Pasay City.

With the theme “Climate Action for Sustainable Development: Driving Change in Philippine Schools”, the NCCC aims to gather valuable insights and experiences from learners and teachers on how they lead their schools in becoming disaster resilient.

Resource speakers from the Institute of Climate and Sustainable Cities, Climate Reality Project PH and University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) shared their knowledge and expertise on the global and local climate situation, and the importance of involving schools in climate action.

High-school learners also showcased their innovations on climate-change adaptation through

an exhibit held in parallel with the presentation of 10 professional researches. Booths from partners, including Project SHINE, Detox Pilipinas Educational Resiliency and Ecobricks Philippines, demonstrated practical approaches on climate-change mitigation and adaptation, such as using solar lamps made of indigenous and recycled materials, repurposing plastic trash into usable furniture and building materials, and establishing an information network for early warning system.

DepEd-DRRMS Director Ronilda Co highlighted the importance of involving learners and schools in increasing awareness, and creating a bigger impact on climate-change adaptation and mitigation. “We aim to make this event bigger next year; showcase these student-led innovations to industries, and create a contest on solving related problems through innovative solutions.”

Carried out as part of the Climate Change Consciousness Week celebration, the Second NCCC was participated by around 400 learners, teachers, and partner non-governmental organizations and national government agencies.

PANGASINAN CAPITOL CENTENNIAL STAMP LAUNCHED

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HE Pangasinan Provincial Capitol, one of the eight architectural treasures of the Philippines by the Filipino Heritage Festival of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, is immortalized in the recent launch of the centennial commemorativ e stamp by the Philippine Postal Corp. (PhilPost) and the provincial government of Pangasinan.

In a tribute activity dubbed “Talintao”, held in Lingayen, the capitol was feted by the PhilPost as the seat of the provincial government, which stands as an icon of commitment to the preservation of Pangasinan’s built heritage.

It was also cited as reflecting the aspirations and ambitions of every Pangasinanense, which keeps the edifice strong and sturdy, more than its grandeur and beauty.

The neoclassical building was completed in December 1918 and was inaugurated on February 11, 1919, with the holding of a nineday provincial fair and exposition.

Its design was influenced by the masterplan of renowned American architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham and implemented by Arch. William Parson, under the supervision of Arch. Ralph Harrington Doane in the term of governor Daniel Maramba.

The building was partially damaged during the World War II, but was rebuilt in 1946 and restored to its prewar grandeur through the Philippine Rehabilitation Act passed by the United States Congress. It underwent a major facelift and rehabilitation works from August 2007 to December 2008 under former governor Amado Espino Jr. Last November the Sangguniang Panlalawigan declared the edifice as a cultural treasure of Pangasinan through the passage of Provincial Ordinance 27-2018, in recognition of its significance as an icon of the province. The ordinance declared the capitol as a heritage structure; and allocated funds for its preservation.

HE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) Power A c ademy recent ly concluded a 28-day basic training course for 21 lineman aspirants of TawiTawi Electric Cooperative Inc. (Tawelco).

T he training was held at the PowerBase, Meralco’s global lineman training center in Antipolo City, where trainees were billeted throughout the course. All first-time Manila visitors, the trainees experienced unique and globally competitive training under facilitators who themselves are products of Meralco’s rich experience, and trained under the same stringent and unique formula of development.

This was the first of a series of training courses to be conducted by the Meralco Power Academy, through the efforts of the World Bank, with the European Union financing under the Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (Asep).

The Asep aims to provide technical assistance to seven Bangsamoro electric cooperatives to strengthen their competencies, and enable them

to overcome multidimensional and massive challenges.

Tawelco officer in charge and

general manager Habibiya Sangoyo (center) with some of the linemantrainees on their graduation day.

NEW AGRI SCHOOL IN LAGUNA LAUNCHED

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HE International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) recently opened its new campus in a 52-hectare integrated farm land of James Yen Center of the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) in Silang, Cavite.

Under a recent memorandum of agreement, both institutions can collaborate with each other’s expertise in earth-friendly agriculture, sustainable tourism, community development and other common avenues of cooperation.

The campus, which has the United Nationals World Tourism Organization as a benefactor, has two classrooms, four executive meeting rooms, a learning resource center, a board room and can

host over 100 students.

Meanwhile, the IIRR is a United Statesbased 501 private voluntary organization with strong antipoverty programs in eight countries in Southeast Asia, Eastern and Southern Africa, and works in collaboration with more than 125 local development partners.

In photo at the opening (front row, from left) civic leader Sonia Roco, ISST president Dr. Mina Gabor, Tourism Promotions Board Chief Operating Officer Marie Venus Tan, IIRR executive director Philip Usi, (second row) IIRR board member Dr. John Batten, ISST business development head Mark Tinao, ISST Senior Vice President Joselito Bernardo and IIRR senior global adviser Dr. Julian Gonsalvez.

Sports BusinessMirror

| Thursday, January 3, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

FEDERER SAVORS WIN OVER SERENA

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By Tristan Lavalette The Associated Press

ERTH, Australia—Roger Federer won the bragging rights over fellow tennis great Serena Williams as they faced each other on court for the first time on Tuesday, with Federer spearheading Switzerland’s 4-2, 4-3 (3) victory over the United States in a mixed doubles decider at the Hopman Cup. “I was nervous returning [Williams’s serve]. People talk about her serve so much, and I see why it is such a wonderful serve because you just can’t read it,” Federer said.

“It was great fun. You see how determined and focused she is, and I love that about her.”

Federer and playing partner Belinda Bencic overcame Williams and Frances Tiafoe in the Fast4 format as Switzerland beat the US, 2-1, in front of a 14,000 capacity crowd.

Federer and Williams shared a goodnatured interview afterward and then engaged in a selfie.

“It was so fun. This is super cool that we get to do it at such a pinnacle point of our careers,” Williams said. “I was so excited, and literally it was the match of my career. Just playing someone so great, and someone you admire so much, and a match that actually means something.”

Federer and Williams, both 37, have won 43 Grand Slam singles titles between them.

Defending champion Switzerland will qualify for Saturday’s final if it beats Greece on Thursday in Group B. The United States, which lost to Greece on Monday, can’t now advance.

The much-hyped contest quickly lived up to its billing with Federer almost running down Williams’s smash into the open court. Williams and Federer served strongly and were unable to return any of each other’s serves in the first set.

Federer’s sublime touch at the net proved decisive as he moved closer to a record third Hopman Cup title.

Williams grabbed at her right shoulder on several occasions late in the second set but played down any injury concern.

“It was such a quick turnaround, I didn’t have enough time to reload the cannon. It’s totally normal,” she said.

Earlier, Federer beat Tiafoe, 6-4, 6-1, in the men’s singles before Williams’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Bencic.

Williams started fast in the women’s singles against Bencic— with an early break to storm to a 3-0 lead—before an error-strewn performance ensued as Bencic recovered to win the opener.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion fought back in a tight second set and captured the pivotal break in the 10th game. A flustered Bencic slammed her racket on the court as the match leveled and she never seriously threatened in the decider.

Federer was made to work during a tough first set before overwhelming the 20-year-old Tiafoe and taking control by winning seven straight games.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion needed just 57 minutes to claim his fourth straight victory over the rising American player.

Switzerland swept Britain in its opener when Federer had a masterclass win over British player Cameron Norrie in his opening match. Federer has lost just seven games in his first two matches of the round-robin tournament.

Federer’s appearances at the past two Hopman Cups laid the groundwork for successful Australian Open campaigns.

Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov, meanwhile, had straight-sets wins on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals at the Brisbane International, where they’ll meet in a rematch of the 2017 final.

Second-seeded Nishikori broke at love in the 11th game to seize momentum in a 7-5, 6-2 win over Denis Kudla in the second round, his season-opening match after getting a first-round bye in Brisbane.

“Tough match,” Nishikori said. He credited Kudla with serving well

and said he was struggling with his return game.

“After 5-5 I think he dropped a little bit his level and I started playing better, playing more aggressive and started getting more rhythm and my serve got better in the second,” Nishikori said. “So, yeah, I think it was good first match.

Sixth-seeded Dimitrov, who beat Nishikori for the first time here in the 2017 title match, had to withstand a late comeback

THE US’s Danielle Collins plays a shot during her match against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic at the Brisbane International on Tuesday. AP

RAFA: QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

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RISBANE, Australia—Rafael Nadal wants to make a little go a long way in 2019.

The No. 2-ranked Nadal, in Brisbane preparing to play his first competitive match since retiring from the US Open semifinals last September, found some positives out of an injury-interrupted season that he wants to apply to this year.

“I want to feel myself competitive every week that I am on court, and I want to keep fighting for the things that really make me feel alive, you know, for the things that motivate me,” Nadal told a news conference on Tuesday at the Brisbane International. “Be competitive all the

from local

favorite John Millman before winning 6-3, 6-4. He had three points for a 5-1 lead in the second set but was broken as Millman went on a roll before Dimitrov regained control.

Dimitrov said he was distracted for a while despite being up two breaks but “I was not worried to the extent that I was panicking.”

“I managed to keep my composure really good throughout the whole match, especially at 4-4,” he added.

He’s using the quarterfinal against Nishikori as a barometer for where his preparations stand for the Australian Open, which starts on January 14.

“It’s great. I mean it’s right off the blocks. It’s perfect to play a match like that to kind of see where your game is at, how your movement goes,” Dimitrov said. “Kei is the favorite. Right now he’s been playing unbelievable, great finish of the year, a lot of confidence right now, striking the ball, amazing, feels free.

“But, again, I like my chances. We’ve had quite a few battles against each other.

I’m just going to try to control things on my terms.”

Third-seeded Kyle Edmund had an upset 7-6 (6), 6-4 loss to Japanese qualifier Yasutaka Uchiyama in the second round.

Anett Kontaveit beat fourth-seeded Petra Kvitova, 7-5, 7-6 (1), to advance to the last eight, and Anastasija Sevastova set up a quarterfinal match against US Open champion Naomi Osaka when she beat Harriet Dart, 6-2, 6-0.

weeks that I am playing.”

That doesn’t mean he wants to play every week. It just means he’s going to be a lot more selective. Based on results in 2018—he entered nine tournaments, retired from two but still won five titles and had a 45-4 winloss record—the 32-year-old Spaniard has an outstanding success rate when he’s fit.

So regaining the No. 1 ranking is far less of a priority than adding to his 17 major titles.

“I prefer to be No. 1 than be No. 2, and I prefer to be No. 2 than No. 5. That’s obvious,” he said. “But my main goal is to stay healthy, stay happy and try to play as long as possible.”

Nadal is scheduled to play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round in Brisbane on Thursday. He said he plans to be “on court with a positive feeling,” but only if he’s feeling fit. The Australian Open starts on January 14.

“After the surgeries, I don’t want to step back. I want to move forward,” he said. “After all I suffered last year in terms of injuries, I don’t want to do mistakes in terms of playing without being 100 percent.”

A right-knee injury forced Nadal to retire from his US Open semifinal, and he had ankle surgery at the start of November. He also missed big chunks of previous seasons because of injuries, but doesn’t think his body is letting him down.

“I really believe that I keep having tennis to play in my career, and I really feel that my body is not going worse every year,” he said.

He said injuries “just sometimes happen.” But he is also clear that he does not want to suffer the way he did last season.

“That mentally kills you,” he said.

Consequently, he’ll keep his physical condition in mind more than he has before. And 2018 will be his benchmark.

“I won five events out of nine that I played,” he said.

“It was a great level of tennis every time that I was on court. So that’s great news. I enjoyed it a lot. I achieved things that were amazing for me. So, yeah, tough year in terms of injuries. [But] in terms of tennis level, enjoying every time I had the chance to be on court, it was a great year.” AP

Del Potro to miss Australian Open

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ROGER FEDERER’S sublime touch at the net proves decisive as he moved closer to a record third Hopman Cup title. AP

ELBOURNE, Australia—Fifth-ranked Juan Martin del Potro will miss the Australian Open as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

“I hope you have a great 2019. Recovery is going great and I will tell you later where I will be making my comeback,” the 30-year-old Argentine wrote on Twitter.

“Unfortunately it won’t happen in Australia...but I’m happy with my progress.”

The US Open finalist fractured his right kneecap after a fall at the Shanghai Masters last October.

The Australian Open begins on January 14.

Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, meanwhile, acknowledged she was rusty in her first match in 2019 as she beat lucky loser Laura Siegemund, 6-3, 6-2, on Wednesday in the first round of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

After waiting until the third day of the tournament to play her first-round match, Wozniacki was businesslike in the first set, breaking Siegemund in the fourth game and going on to clinch the set in 42 minutes.

She broke twice for a 3-0 lead in the second set before becoming frustrated with a swirling wind on the stadium court and with a tenacious opponent who

mixed her ground strokes effectively.

“I definitely felt a bit rusty out there, just with that little bit of wind,” Wozniacki said. “It wasn’t my prettiest match but I just tried to hang in there and tried to serve well and get a lot of balls back. Hopefully tomorrow is going to be better.”

Wozniacki is playing the Auckland tournament for the fifth time and reached the final last year, losing to Julia Goerges, before going on to win the Australian Open. She found a difficult opponent in Siegemund, who has a wide range of shots but tends only to unleash her best on big points.

Siegemund made it into the main draw as a lucky loser, going down in the final round of qualifying to Bianca Andreescu but winning a place in the main draw after the withdrawal of Margarita Gasparyan with a leg injury.

“She’s a tricky player,” Wozniacki said. “She comes to the net, she fights for the ball, she mixes the pace so it’s not easy for sure.”

Wozniacki will play Canadian qualifier Bianca Andreescu in the second round on Thursday.

Later Wednesday, third-seeded Hsieh Su-Wei beat Olympic champion Monica Puig, 6-1, 7-6 (3). Seventhseed Kirsten Flipkens was beaten 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 by Sara Sorribes-Tormo of Spain. AP

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CAREER-HIGH FOR LEONARD

PGA experiments with interviews during rounds

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ORONTO—Kawhi Leonard was so good on Tuesday night, Raptors Coach Nick Nurse just wanted to enjoy the show.

Leonard scored a career-high 45 points, Pascal Siakam had a career-best 28 points with 10 rebounds and Toronto beat the Utah Jazz, 122-116.

“That’s good, we all got to witness that live and in person,” Nurse said of Leonard’s outburst. “He was phenomenal. I’ve kind of been waiting for one of these nights where he makes them all.”

Norman Powell scored a season-high 14 points, and the Raptors won their

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APALUA, Hawaii—The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour might be taking another step toward connecting players with television viewers.

Several years ago, it asked players in contention on the weekend to allow for TV interviews before their rounds, usually as they were arriving or leaving the practice range.

Now they are looking for volunteers willing to do interviews on the course during their rounds.

It’s in the experimental stage at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the willingness to take part depends on the player.

Brooks Koepka, the reigning PGA Tour player of the year, nixed the idea last year in Shanghai but said he might be OK with it now.

“Don’t they do that on the Champions Tour?” he asked.

Justin Thomas? Not so much.

Thomas talks plenty during his round, usually to himself or with caddie Jimmy Johnson. The idea of stopping for a quick interview was not appealing to him.

“I’ve just been asked about it,” he said. “I said, ‘No.’ It’s not me. I do a lot of self-talking.

That’s mine and Jimmy’s time, whether we’re talking about whatever, or even the next shot.

For me, there’s no benefit. It’s only going to make me look worse.”

Such interviews are not likely to occur in the final round, and PGA Tour officials are sensitive to the timing of the interviews. A quick spot with Dustin Johnson after his 432yard drive came within 6 inches of the cup last year at Kapalua might be ideal. Right after a three-putt bogey from 10 feet might not be.

Marc Leishman has experience doing oncourse interviews when he plays in Australia, and he didn’t mind the concept.

“If they do end up having them, my advice would be to have someone who has played on tour to do it, to be a little sensitive of the questions and the timing of the interview,” Leishman said. “But anything where you can be more accessible to the viewers is a good thing. We want to bring more people to the game. It might be a way to give more insight to what we’re thinking at the time.”

Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, isn’t likely to be among the candidates. He said he has not been approached by the PGA Tour about his willingness to do short interviews in the middle of his round. But he made it clear where he stood.

“I’ve been approached in Europe because they’ve done it for a couple of years,” McIlroy said. “And I’ve said, ‘No,’ every single time.” AP

RORY MCILROY celebrates Europe’s victory at the 42nd Ryder Cup at the Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in France in September. AP

MCILROY OPENS NEW CHAPTER K

APALUA, Hawaii—With a blue sky above and the blue Pacific on the horizon, Rory McIlroy was walking off the putting green at Kapalua when he smiled and said to a trio of writers: “You don’t need to win a tournament to be here. I do.”

McIlroy is the most accomplished of the nine newcomers to the Sentry Tournament of Champions, not only because of his four major championships but the six previous times he was eligible for the winners-only start to the year and chose not to come.

Like most European players, McIlroy would finish the European Tour in late November in Dubai, and then start up the new season a few months later in Abu Dhabi. It didn’t make sense to interrupt a short winter’s nap with a trip to the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

It’s different now.

“My life is here,” he said. “I have an American wife. I live in America. Honestly, I enjoy it here more. The way of life is easier. The weather. The convenience. You go to Europe and get paid a nice amount of money to start the year. I’ve done that for a decade. I want to switch it up. I’ve done it for 11 years, so I may as well do something

EUROPE’S Justin Rose (center) and Henrik Stenson are interviewed after winning a foursome match on the second day of the 42nd Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in France in September. AP

THOMAS, FROOME TARGET TOUR

a little different.”

McIlroy turns 30 in May. In some respects, he is starting a second chapter in his career.

He is not abandoning the European Tour, even if he likely won’t play in Europe until July, and then not nearly as much as he once did.

But his priorities have changed.

The golf landscape has changed.

McIlroy doesn’t want to show up at the end of the West Coast Swing feeling as though he already is lagging behind in the FedEx Cup on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour. He is at Kapalua this week, and it would not be surprising to see him again within the next month, possibly at Torrey Pines.

Beyond the points—toward either the FedEx Cup or the world ranking—it’s the competition.

“I want to play against the best players in the world,” he said. “I get a buzz from that.

I’d much rather go down the stretch against Justin Thomas or Dustin Johnson. I’m not putting anyone down in Europe, but the depths of the field and everything is just that bit better over here. It’s what everyone is striving for. It’s why Francesco Molinari is here this week. It’s where it’s heading.”

McIlroy is honest to a fault. He is

comfortable enough to say what everyone knows, but few are willing to say, either out of loyalty or support or simply to avoid stirring the pot.

He is European, born and raised in Northern Ireland, groomed on a European Tour schedule that covers five continents.

That was then.

The PGA Tour long has been the strongest circuit in golf. The disparity between the two tours—brought on by television, sponsorship and prize money—is greater than ever. The US tour is a destination.

“The ultimate goal is here,” McIlroy said.

“The European Tour is a stepping stone. That’s the truth.”

The European Tour promotes eight “Rolex Series” events that offer $7-million purses, except for the $8-million prize at the final event in Dubai. The PGA Tour has 21 tournaments with at least $7 million in prize money, three regular events that top $9 million.

As for world ranking points, the PGA

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Tokyo organizers hope Paralympics would make Japan more accessible

RGANIZERS of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo hope the event can make Japan a more inclusive and accessible place, it has been claimed.

What kind of legacy the Games leave behind is always a big concern for the organizers, but Tokyo 2020 see it as a chance to bring “societal change.”

“In our view, the significance of hosting the Paralympic Games derives from the changes they bring to society,” Tokyo 2020 Director General Toshirō Mutō told Japanese news agency Kyodo News.

“Finding ways to analyse such changes will become important in our future communications.”

As part of preparations for Tokyo 2020, various new laws have been brought in to improve accessibility, including a “barrier-free” enforcement order for certain hotels.

Under the new rule, from September 2019 hotels that plan to either build or renovate 50 rooms or more must make at least 1 percent of them accessible for wheelchair users.

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ANCHESTER, England—Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome, the current and former Tour de France champions, are planning to compete in the 2019 edition of the race in what could be Team Sky’s final bid for cycling’s biggest prize.

Froome will not defend his Giro d’Italia title as he targets a record-tying fifth win in the Tour, while Thomas is bidding for backto-back victories.

Both British riders have said they want to deliver success on the road in order to help Team Sky secure new sponsorship, with its future uncertain following the decision of broadcaster Sky to end its investment in the sport after 2019.

The 33-year-old Froome said it was a difficult decision not to defend his Giro title after becoming the first British winner of the race last May. “I’m getting to the point in my career now where I’m starting to think about what kind of legacy I want to leave behind,” he said, “and if I am able to win the Tour de France for a fifth

Previously, only one room had to be accessible, regardless of the size of the hotel.

According to Kyodo News, the Japanese Government also intends to push hotels to conduct renovations, so they comply with the new rules.

One of the primary goals of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is said to be creating more inclusive societies across the world.

“The IPC strongly applauds the efforts of the Japanese government to revise the standard concerning the number of accessible hotel guest rooms,” IPC President Andrew Parsons said.

“It is a really positive step forward.

“Improving the accessibility of guest rooms in Japan’s hotels can be a real tangible legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.”

The IPC are clearly pleased with

accommodation improvements, but a potential major issue has been raised regarding transport in Tokyo, with officials fearing it will be different to move a larger number of wheelchair users around the city.

Around 1,800 wheelchair users are expected to attend the Games.

“The organization of the Paralympics in Tokyo has raised an important issue in this country that needs resolving,” IPC Chief Executive Xavier Gonzalez said.

“The Games are acting as a catalyst to change, and the full benefits will be felt post-Games, making Tokyo and Japan more inclusive for all.”

According to data released by the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry in Japan, the number of accessible train cars has increased over the past year. Insidethegames

ONE, TV Tokyo strike deal

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time and join that very elite group of bike riders—only four other people have ever done that—it would just be incredible.”

Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain are the other five-time winners. AP

Tour averaged 50.4 points for the winner of its regular events (excluding majors and World Golf Championships). Europe had only three events that offered more than 50 points to the winner. Two of the Rolex Series events, in Turkey and South Africa, had weaker fields last year against two PGA Tour stops in Las Vegas and the Mayakoba beach resort in Mexico.

“It’s so one-sided,” McIlroy said. “That’s the thing. Look, you can talk all you want about these bigger events in Europe, but you can go to America and play for more money and more ranking points.” AP

CHRIS FROOME (right) will not defend his Giro d’Italia title as he targets a record-tying fifth win in the Tour, while Geraint Thomas is bidding for back-to-back victories.

NE Championship (ONE) has recently forged an exclusive partnership in Japan with TV Tokyo, one of Japan’s largest national Free-To-Air television broadcasters.

The multiyear partnership will have TV Tokyo broadcast a full offering of ONE Championship content to its viewers weekly, including both live and non-live content.

“I am thrilled to announce that ONE Championship has entered into a partnership with TV Tokyo, one of the largest television broadcasters in the country,” Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, said.

“With Japan having a rich history of martial arts spanning many disciplines, such as judo, karate, kendo, sumo, aikido and more, ONE Championship is proud to be working with TV Tokyo to take martial

arts to new heights,” Sityodtong added.

Together with TV Tokyo, Sityodtong said ONE Championship will showcase the “highest caliber of martial arts to Japanese audiences, exemplifying the bushido spirit by celebrating the values of honor, respect and humility.”

TV Tokyo will serve as ONE Championship’s official broadcaster in Japan, and together with its group, will also promote ONE Championship content on their various digital platforms, including BS TV Tokyo, a nationwide broadcaster via satellite.

TV Tokyo began broadcasting in 1964 and is celebrating its 55th anniversary in 2019. It is known primarily for airing Japan’s top animated programs, but has also shown support for global sports, with programs covering the Olympics, baseball, football, table tennis, golf, judo and boxing, among others.

THE Raptors’ Serge Ibaka puts his arm around forward Kawhi Leonard (2) after he draws a foul from the Jazz during the first half of their game on Tuesday. AP

fourth straight at home despite playing without AllStar guard Kyle Lowry (sore back) and center Jonas Valanciunas (dislocated left thumb).

“The way he’s playing right now is really big for our team with a lot of guys out,” Powell said of Leonard.

Leonard shot 16 for 22 overall, missing all three attempts from three-point range, and went 13 for 17 at the free-throw line. He said he wasn’t aware of his scoring achievement until after the game.

“I try to stay in the moment and keep competing every possession and not worry about myself, just try to get a team win,” Leonard said.

It was the third 40-point game of Leonard’s career, including a 43-point effort against Memphis in Game Four of the first round in April 2017.

Leonard has scored 20 or more points in a careerbest 14 straight games.

Jae Crowder scored a career-high 30 points, Derrick Favors had 21 and Donovan Mitchell scored 19 as the Jazz dropped to 10-12 on the road and 18-20 overall.

“Jae was hot,” Jazz Coach Quin Snyder said. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t capitalize on the night that he had.”

Utah’s Rudy Gobert scored 16 points, and Ricky Rubio had 14.

Leonard made all seven of his field-goal attempts in the third quarter and added five foul shots. His 19 points were the second most in any quarter by a Raptors player this season.

“He scored in the post, he scored in isolations, he scored going to the rim over Rudy,” Snyder said.

“Eventually we started hitting him when he walked across half court. The biggest thing was we put him on the line.”

After making two three-pointers in the first half, the Raptors connected on their first three long-range shots of the third quarter, turning a twopoint halftime deficit into a 12-point edge midway through the quarter.

“Those nine quick points really changed the game,” Snyder said. “It gave them a big lift.”

Siakam went three for three from three-point range in the third and scored 13 points. Toronto outscored Utah, 44-32, to take a 95-85 lead into the fourth.

Rubio started after sitting out Saturday’s win over New York because of a sore left knee and sore lower back, while Crowder was back after missing the victory over the Knicks because of a sore left thumb. AP

NBA RESULTS Toronto 122, Utah 116 Milwaukee 121, Detroit 98 Denver 115, New York 108 Portland 113, Sacramento 108, OT Philadelphia 119, LA Clippers 113

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DIDAL READY FOR WORLDS M

ARGIELYN DIDAL opens what could be an arduous task of earning a berth in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as she vies in the Street League Skateboarding World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, set from January 11 to 13.

Didal, the 19-year-old Cebuana gold medalist

in the 18th Asian Games, is currently deep in preparation for the Rio worlds in San Francisco, USA, where she and her longtime coach, Dani Bautista, trains at the SoMa Skatepark.

She will compete in women’s street event, the same event that gave her the mint in the Asian Games in Palembang last August. Her hectic schedule forced her to celebrate Christmas and New Year away from her family.

But she is determined to make the country proud again as she tries to qualify for the sport’s debut in the Olympics.

“It’s okay. I have to do this because I want to be ready for the Olympics,” Didal said.

Eighty athletes will qualify for the Tokyo Games where skateboarding debuts as a medal

sport. Competitions will be in street and park for both men and women—with each country being allowed a maximum of three berths in each event.

The Rio event is one of the qualifying tournaments, besides the world championships and a host of other events.

Athletes must collect ranking points to qualify for Tokyo with the world rankings being assessed from January 1 this year to May 31, 2020.

Didal was a surprise package in the Indonesia Asian Games, where she won one of the Philippines’s four gold medals—the others coming from weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and golfers Yuka Saso (individual and team), Bianca Pagdanganan (team) and Lois Kaye Go (team).

Bautista said the US’s Mariah Duran and Brazil’s Leticia Bufoni are Didal’s toughest opponent in Rio. Duran is 22 and a force in the X Games, along with Bufoni, who is a natural in the sport having been born and raised in the skateboarding capital of the world—Brazil.

Didal’s success at the Asian Games earned her at least P5 million in bonuses from the government and the private sector and has since changed her life of being a street kid being chased by policemen as she skateboarded in forbidden places in Cebu.

Her budding career has been marked by her inclusion as one of Time magazine’s 25 influential teens of 2018. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

LE TOUR MOVED TO JUNE

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HE organizer of the Le Tour de Filipinas (LTdF) has sought for the rescheduling of the race’s 10th edition in its effort to actively join preparations for the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and to allow adequate time for the rehabilitation of calamity-stricken provinces in the Bicol region.

UBE Media Inc. President Donna Lina said the LTdF was originally scheduled for February 17 to 21—this time as a fivestage race from the previous four stages to level up in its first decade.

But because of the country’s hosting of the SEA Games from November 30 to December 11 also this year, Lina stressed the LTdF’s role in helping prepare the country’s top riders for the biennial multi-sport regional competitions that the country is hosting only for the fourth time after 1981, 1991 and 2005.

UBE Media has written the International Cycling Union or UCI, the world governing body for cycling, through the Asian Cycling Confederation and PhilCycling under President

MARGIELYN DIDAL opens a yearlong campaign for a coveted slot in next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Asiad gold winners Pagdanganan, Go in harness for Amateur Open

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NDONESIA Asian Games gold medal team members Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go hope to hurdle a pair of tough groupings and fuel their respective title drives in the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championships, which unfolds on Thursday at Riviera’s Langer course in Silang, Cavite.

Aidric Chan, Carl Corpus and Jed Dy, meanwhile, banner the hosts’ bid against a slew of foreign rivals in the men’s side in one of the strongest casts ever assembled in the country’s premier championship in years.

The locals are seeking to end the foreign domination of the event, which drew top players from Korea, Singapore, the US, Ireland, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Guam and Korea, which swept the titles last year through now pro Kim Joo-hyung and Hwang Min-Jeong.

Pagdanganan gears up for an early clash with Thai ace Atthaya Thitikul and Singapore’s Callista Chen at 7:50 a.m. on No. 10 just behind the group of Go, who is paired with The Country Club mainstay Mikha Fortuna and Inez Ng, also of Singapore.

Thitikul, the youngest player to win a pro tournament in the Ladies European Thailand Championship in 2017 at 14, is out to get back at Pagdanganan after missing out a podium finish in the Asiad, where she was one of the fancied bets following her victory in the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific crown in Singapore.

But the Koreans, led by last year’s ladies runner-

year’s PLDT National Amateur Golf Tour.

Keen competition is also seen in the men’s division of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) with Chan and Corpus leading the hosts’ charge along with Paolo Wong, Weiwei Gao, Josh Jorge, Peter Po, Ryan Monsalve, Kristoffer Arevalo, Miguel Ilas and Dy, who with Pagdanganan are coming off a big win in the National Doubles last weekend.

Also on tap is the Special Division for boys’ and girls’ 12 years old and below as part of NGAP’s continuing talent search. Leading the boys’ cast are Santino Pineda, Vince Tiamsic and Zack Villaroman, while Alethea Gaccion, Venice Tiamsic and Jody Castillo banner the girls’ roster that also drew a slew of Koreans.

Still, focus will be on the centerpiece Open division with 16 Koreans, led by Jang Ji-ho, Jang Sung-hun, Kim Min-jun, Ha Tae-won and Kim Jongook, out to crowd the local bets in men’s play along with Liam Cully and Leo Connolly from Ireland, Ricardo Terlajo from Guam, Japanese Atsushi Ueda, Kyosuke and Gen Nagai, Malaysians Ying Hock Hong and Marcus Chuen, and Dutch Frank Schneider.

Singapore is also fielding in six players in the event, including Andre Chong and Brandon Han, while Thailand will pin its hopes on Vanchai Luangnitikul and Nopparat Panichphol.

up Kim Heeji along with Kim Seo-yun and Lee Yeonseo, are also expected to come out strong on the hazard-laden course they call home, guaranteeing a fiery start in the 72-hole championship sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and serving as the kick-off leg of this

BEERMEN PREPARE IN EARNEST

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AN MIGUEL Beer will bear the favorite’s tag anew in the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup that kicks off the league’s 44th season on January 13 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

Winners of the past four all-Filipino titles, San Miguel Beer will parade a stacked lineup that includes Terrence Romeo, who was acquired in the off-season from TNT in a multiplayer trade.

And although Romeo is expected to add more offensive threat to the already vulnerable roster of the Beermen, the former national player has yet to show up in practice.

Head Coach Leo Austria already gathered his team for its first practice of the year on Wednesday at the Acropolis Gym in Mandaluyong City.

San Miguel Beer management, however, expects the scoring guard to show up on Thursday.

As planned, the Beermen went smooth in the practice session with four-time Most Valuable

Player June Mar Fajardo onboard.

He was joined by old reliables Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter and Arwind Santos.

San Miguel Beer anticipates Romeo—who was acquired in exchange for David Semerad, Brian Heruela and future draft picks—to deliver on the offensive end.

Austria welcomed the addition of the 26-year-old player with great enthusiasm.

“Every team needs a talent like Romeo. We are excited on what he can bring for the team,” Austria said.

Back in Beermen uniform is Ronald Tubid, who briefly plied his trade with Columbian Dyip. Rookie Paul Zamar, son of San Miguel Beer Assistant Coach Boycie, also joined the team in a deal with Blackwater.

Also absent in Wednesday’s practice was Christian Standhardinger, who was awarded an extended break following his rigorous year of pro league and the national team.

Ramon Rafael Bonilla

This year’s LTdF will start in Tagaytay City, main hub of all cycling disciplines—road, mountain bike and BMX—for the SEA Games—and will pass through Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon. Legazpi City will host the finish of the five-stage Category 2.2 UCI Asia Tour race.

June will be a busy month for Philippine cycling with the conduct of the PhilCycling National Championships for Road, MTB and BMX and a proposed UCI National Commissaires’ Course for the three disciplines.

The LTdF and national championships will principally cap trials for the selection of athletes for the SEA Games.

El Joshua Carino of Philippine NavyStandard Insurance is expected to defend his crown and will be racing alongside 2014 winner Mark John Lexer Galedo of continental team 7-Eleven Cliqq Roadbike Philippines.

Newly minted continental team Go For Gold and the National Under-23 Team of the PhilCycling are also seeing action.

Fans’ Day, exhibition games kick off Superliga calendar

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NOTHER year of intense volleyball action gets under way as the Philippine Superliga (PSL) formally rolls out its new season next month.

Based on its official calendar of events for 2019, the league opens the new year with a bang as it stages the traditional Fans’ Day and holds out-of-town activities, including exhibition matches and volleyball clinics from January 19 to 30.

The league then unwraps the Grand Prix on February 9, where the eight competing teams will be reinforced by two foreign players each.

The Superliga then takes a breather to give way for the country’s participation in the Asian

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BIANCA PAGDANGANAN (left) and Lois Kaye Go hope to bring their gold medal-winning act in the Asian Games to Riviera’s Langer course.

Rep. Abraham Tolentino and Chairman Bert Lina, to move the race to June 14 to 18.

“The Le Tour organization wanted to help harness our cyclists to their best possible condition in time for the SEA Games,” Lina said. “And because of the recent calamity that struck Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon and the rest of the Bicol region, it has become more imperative that we postpone the race.”

Albay, Camarines Sur and Sorsogon were declared under a state of calamity because of Tropical Depression Usman, which caused landslides and massive flooding in areas where the LTdF’s 10th editon would specifically pass through, particularly in the town of Sagnay which was badly hit.

“Inasmuch as we are ecstatic to celebrate 10 years of the Le Tour, we are one in prayers that our countrymen in the Bicol region recover fast and well from the calamity,” Lina said.

Last year the LTdF was moved from February to late May after Mayon Volcano’s eruption in January.

T initial glance, the partnership between Motolite and the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles may have seemed at bit surprising—but the two share an unwavering zeal for excellence.

Motolite has been the market leader in automotive, motorcycle and industrial batteries in the Philippines, Malaysia and Australia. Ateneo, meanwhile, has been one of the most dominant collegiate teams in the Philippines, having made the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Finals in six of the last seven years.

The Motolite-Ateneo Lady Eagles immediately made their mark on the Premier Volleyball League(PVL) Open Conference.

Motolite defeated almost every squad in the league en route to a 10-4 elimination round record and a spot in the semifinals.

In their semifinal matchup against BanKo, the only squad they had yet to beat, MotoliteAteneo showed what it truly took to achieve success.

Winning in volleyball requires two values that Motolite is all too familiar with: the Lady Eagles were pangmatagalan and maaasahan.

After dropping Game One of the semis in five, grueling sets, Motolite-Ateneo came back with a fury in Game Two force a winner-takeall showdown.

Game Three wound up becoming one of the best matches in PVL league history, mostly due to the tremendous will Motolite-Ateneo showed. The Lady Eagles roared back from a fourth-set deficit and dragged the match into a classic fifth set. When BanKo tried to retaliate, Motolite’s veterans in Maddie Madayag, Bea de Leon and Kat Tolentino delivered the big points in the final stretch.

Women’s Club Championship in China from April 20 to 28, followed by the Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2019 from May 23 to 26.

“This calendar of events reflects our commitment of coming up with high-level women’s volleyball action,” said PSL Chairman Philip Ella Juico, adding that the support of their broadcast partner, ESPN5, and the national federation, the Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc., remains solid as ever.

The All-Filipino Conference, which powerhouse Petron topped recently, will run from June 15 to August 24, followed by the Third Asian Women’s U23 Volleyball Championship in Vietnam from July 13 to 21.

Another international event, the 20th Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship, will take center stage from August 31 to September 8 in South Korea before the league unveils the Invitational Conference from October 5 to November 16.

The Invitational Conference promises to be another slam-bang affair as it features not just the eight teams but also the regional, collegiate and other club teams in the country.

The league will take another break from November 30 to December 10 to give way to the 30th Southeast Asian Games before staging another beach volleyball event in December to formally close out the season.

ATENEO-MOTOLITE MAKES WAVES IN 1ST V’BALL FORAY The trio’s heroics sent Motolite-Ateneo into the Finals.

“We wanted it and we just never lost trust in each other. We’ve been playing together for such a long time and we knew what we could do in those types of situations,” said de Leon of the classic finish.

The Motolite-Ateneo making it to the 2018 PVL Open championship series comes as no

surprise to Motolite top management.

“As we expected, the Motolite-Ateneo women’s volleyball team performed remarkably in this tournament.

“The team embodied the pangmatagalan and maaasahan values of the Motolite brand. They endured serious challenges from the more seasoned professional clubs in the league all throughout the tourney, and

established themselves as an elite squad,” said Ricky Chan, Motolite VP, on the team’s successful maiden stint.

While Motolite-Ateneo wound up with silver to end the tournament, the squad’s horizon beams gold. After acquiring two-time PVL Most Valuable Player Myla Pablo, Motolite is going to be a consistent force to be reckoned with in local volleyball.

THE Ateneo-Motolite Lady Eagles are one of the most dominant collegiate teams in the Philippines, having made the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Finals in six of the last seven years.

‘GETTING FIRED HURTS, BUT AT LEAST WE’RE PAID’ D

By Arnie Stapleton

The Associated Press

ENVER—Every year, while a dozen National Football League (NFL) head coaches are preparing their teams for the playoffs, nearly as many coaches are called into their general manager’s office and told they’re fired for not being one of those dozen coaches who are preparing their teams for the playoffs.

Eight coaches lost their jobs in 2018, including Mike McCarthy in Green Bay and Hue Jackson in Cleveland, long before the holidays rolled around.

A half-dozen more finished the season before getting their walking papers, including Todd Bowles of the Jets and Dirk Koetter of the Buccaneers on Sunday night.

On Monday, they were joined by Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, Vance Joseph in Denver, Adam Gase in Miami and Steve Wilks in Arizona.

Joseph drew an especially strong reaction in the Broncos’ solemn locker room, where players who had fought hard for him realized they had let down their beloved coach by not pulling out enough of those close games in a 6-10 season.

However, linebacker Brandon Marshall said out loud what was surely on plenty of players’ minds in Green Bay, Cleveland, New York, Tampa, Cincinnati, Miami and Phoenix, too.

Asked if the cold reality of the win-or-go-home NFL really hits home on the annual—in Denver it’s become biennial—day of reckoning for head coaches, Marshall said: “I know how everything goes. I’ve been fired before a bunch of times. One of the saddest days in the NFL is cut day for the 53-man roster. That kind of sets in more. But don’t coaches get their full salary regardless? So [shoot]. You know what I’m saying? If we’re getting fired, I wish we got our damn salaries.

“So, it sucks for him,” Marshall added. “But he’s a good coach. He’ll find work. But at least he gets the rest of his money.”

In Joseph’s case, that’s about $6 million, some of which will be offset by the salary he’ll earn with his next team.

NFL players have long complained theirs is the only major North American sports league where salaries aren’t fully guaranteed, and that’s why so many were pleased to see Kirk Cousins sign a three-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings last spring that will pay him $84 million regardless of what happens—like not making the playoffs this year.

In other intriguing takeaways from Week 17, Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Keith Butler apparently was preparing to face Tyler Eifert on Sunday even though the Bengals tight end had been on injured reserve for three months, and reports surfaced that the reason Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown sat out the team’s 16-13 victory had nothing to do with a knee injury as reported on game day.

Also, Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft, has a cloudy future in Florida after his standing with the team reached a new level of unrest.

“Hey, I am ahead of schedule!” Eifert replied on Twitter after the Steelers said they were preparing to face him. “Glad the @Steelers are still thinking about me tho.”

On the “Coordinator’s Corner” podcast on the Steelers’ web site, Butler was asked for his thoughts on Eifert, who broke his ankle in September.

“I think he’s very good,” Butler replied. “I think he’s up there. He can get deep on you. He does a good job of catching the ball downfield, all that stuff. So he’s going to be a problem for us to cover.”

To be fair, Butler might have meant in 2019.

While Butler had a harmless slip, a more serious situation might be brewing with Brown, whom the Steelers said was deactivated on Sunday because of a knee injury.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, citing people it did not name, reported that Brown missed or skipped several team meetings last week after a dispute with Ben Roethlisberger on Wednesday in which he angrily threw a football in the quarterback’s direction.

The Post-Gazette reported that Brown showed up at Heinz Field expecting to play despite missing the team’s Saturday walkthrough and meeting and that he left the stadium at halftime.

Sports BusinessMirror

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| Thursday, January 3, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (top) catches a pass over Los Angeles Rams safety John Johnson during the first half of their game recently in Los Angeles. AP

ARSENAL’S Granit Xhaka challenges Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (top) during their English Premier League match at Anfield in Liverpool, England, over the weekend. AP

CITY IN LIVERPOOL’S WAY

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ANCHESTER, England—When Manchester City and Liverpool last met in the Premier League, a fixture usually bulging with goals failed to live up to its billing as the most entertaining in English soccer.

A 0-0 draw at Anfield in October left a worldwide audience somewhat underwhelmed.

Expect a return to normal when the two meet again on Thursday with so much more riding on the result.

In the first meeting, it felt like the teams were sizing each other up. There was nothing between them in the standings—they were tied on points after seven games—and plenty of respect was shown on both sides.

Now it’s different as Liverpool leads second-placed Tottenham by six points and City by seven. Liverpool is not only unbeaten and on a nine-match winning run, but is blowing away the competition as evidenced by its two wins since Christmas: 4-0 over Newcastle and 5-1 over Arsenal.

City manager Pep Guardiola’s proclamation that if his side drops points it would leave the title race “finished” suggests the champions will go all out for a win at Etihad Stadium.

With its dynamic front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool is never more dangerous than on the counterattack.

So, a City side going for broke against a Liverpool team looking to hit on the break means something has to give.

“Our pride has been hurt over recent weeks, but we have everything to play for. It depends on us,” said City captain Vincent Kompany, a player never afraid to build up matches and tell it like it is.

“Every living soul that comes into the stadium has to be ready to fight.”

Guardiola has previously spoken of how Liverpool’s attackers “scare” him. And there’s a sense he struggles to set teams up against managerial counterpart Juergen Klopp. Klopp has won seven of his 15 meetings with Guardiola over the years, losing only once in seven while both have been in English soccer.

Dating back to before Klopp arrived in 2015, Liverpool has lost just one of its past 11 meetings with City, and that was a 5-0 defeat early last season after Mane was sent off in the first half.

Guardiola, not Klopp, has been the one tinkering with tactics heading into their matchups. In last year’s league game at Anfield, he played an extra midfielder in Ilkay Gundogan instead of a winger, Raheem Sterling, and it left the team lopsided. In October, he reined in his fullbacks and kept the central midfield compact and close to his wingers.

In a way, Guardiola went against his own unwavering belief in an attack-minded approach,

showing he had learned his lessons from three straight losses to Liverpool toward the end of last season—two of which came in the Champions League quarterfinals.

In the second leg, City needed to win, and Liverpool kept it tight before picking the hosts off with second-half goals by Salah and Firmino at the Etihad.

Those will likely be Klopp’s tactics again with Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson acknowledging City will “go full throttle into us.”

Guardiola knows the size of his team’s task, however, against an opponent on course to match Arsenal’s achievement in 2003-2004 of going unbeaten in the Premier League season.

Liverpool is seeking its first top-flight title since 1990, and its 19th overall.

“Maybe the best team in Europe or the world right now,” was how Guardiola described Liverpool after City’s 3-1 win at Southampton on Sunday, which came after a run of three losses in four games.

City is unlikely to be able to call on midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who missed the Southampton game because of a “muscular problem.” Crucially, midfield anchorman Fernandinho is fit and available.

Liverpool midfielder James Milner is in contention to return after a minor muscular injury. AP

Russia fails to beat deadline to turn over data to Wada

RUSSIA Anti-Doping Agency chief Yuri Ganus has appealed to President Vladimir Putin to help resolve the issue. AP

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HE deadline for Russia to turn over samples and other data from its Moscow anti-doping lab passed on Tuesday, leaving the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to decide whether to reinstate the ban it had lifted last September.

Wada’s decision to declare the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (Rusada) compliant came with the requirement that it turn over data and samples by December 31. But on December 21, Wada announced its team of scientists had left the lab empty-handed because Russian authorities said the equipment they used had to be certified under Russian law.

Wada’s compliance review committee will meet on January 14 and 15 to consider reinstating the ban, and the Wada executive committee will meet “as soon as practicable thereafter” to consider the recommendation, a Wada news release said on Tuesday.

“I am bitterly disappointed that data extraction from the former Moscow Laboratory has not been completed by the date agreed by Wada’s ExCo in September 2018,” Wada President Craig Reedie said.

Reedie and other Wada leaders have been under withering criticism since the decision in September.

After the deadline passed, US Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart said “no one is surprised this deadline was ignored, and it’s time for Wada to stop being played by the Russians and immediately declare them noncompliant for failing yet again to meet the deadline.”

The UK Anti-Doping athletes’ commission also released a statement Tuesday calling on Wada to reimpose the sanctions immediately.

After Wada was turned away, Russian Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov told local media the Wada team would return. But as the deadline approached and no progress was reported, Rusada chief Yuri Ganus appealed to President Vladimir Putin to help resolve the issue.

“We’re standing on the edge of the abyss, and I’m asking you to protect the present and the future of our clean sports, the current and future generations of athletes,” Ganus said in a letter addressed to Putin last week. AP

Love our country

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EAR Jesus, we resolve that in the New Year, we will be more sensitive to the feelings of others, our resolutions, shared ideas, the environment, and spiritual prosperity as we manifest love for our country. How do we show love for our country?

Are we proud of being good citizens? Are we conscious of our duties and responsibilities as law-abiding citizens? Do we pray for our country’s well-being, unity and development? Oh Jesus, help us demonstrate the value of love for our country and nurture this in others, as well. Amen.

PONDERINGS AT CHRISTMAS TIME, CHILDREN’S ROSARY FOUNDATION, LUISA LACSON, HFL

Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

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

Life

REELING: BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THERE WAS ‘AQUAMAN’ AND APOLOGIES D4

BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 3, 2019 D1

What you need to know before your first trip abroad Venice to charge all visitors to access historic center VENICE, Italy—The mayor of Venice says Italy’s new budget law will allow the lagoon city to charge all visitors for accessing the historic center, not just those spending the night.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro announced on Twitter late Sunday that the tax will be extended to include anyone arriving in the city to “allow us to manage the city better and to keep it clean,” and “allow Venetians to live with more decorum.” The city council will determine the tax amount and collection mode.

Some 25 million people visit Venice each year, with about one-fifth spending at least one night in the historic center. Overnight visitors are currently charged a small tax per night.

Brugnaro said the substantial cost of cleaning and maintaining security has so far been paid “only by Venetians.” AP

AirAsia connects Cebu to Macau

By Kristin Wong

New York Times News Service

flight without entering a visa number,” Fitzsimmons said. “But if you don’t have the required visa to enter a country, you’ll have to take the next flight home.”

RAVEL is unpredictable, and sometimes that’s a good thing. You spot a humpback whale during your boat tour, for example. Other times, those unpredictable travel moments are utterly aggravating, like when bad weather cancels your flight or the hotel you’ve booked can’t seem to find your reservation.

Obviously you want to minimize the frustrating experiences as much as you can. This is especially important if it’s your first time traveling outside the country and you might not know what to expect. From passports to jet lag, here are a few tips for a smooth first trip abroad.

Save cash with boutique hostels DESPITE their long-standing reputation of being grungy crash pads, some hostels are downright luxurious. In recent years, there’s been a trend toward boutique hostels: upscale options with cafes, fun community activities, and welldecorated rooms.

You’ll still have to share a space (and a bathroom) with fellow travelers, but you’ll save a wad of cash. Some of the most upscale hostels charge only $30 a night, depending on the destination. Start your search on sites like HostelGeeks. com and HostelWorld.com.

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Apply for a passport early PASSPORTS can take up to six weeks to process, and as a first-timer, you’ll have to book an appointment to apply for one in person at a passport acceptance facility, so make sure to apply early. If you need a passport sooner, you can have it expedited in two to three weeks, but it will cost you an extra. Before your appointment, make sure you have the required documents ready (proof of citizenship, a valid form of ID, photocopies of both, and and the necessary forms already accomplished). Make sure to include the application fee in your travel budget, too.

Not all facilities will take your passport photo on-site, so you might need to bring one with you.

Set a travel alert on your credit cards BEFORE using your credit or debit card abroad, call your bank or issuer and place a travel alert on your account (you may also be able to do this on their web site). This way, the credit-card company won’t mistake your foreign transactions for fraud and freeze your card.

While you’re at it, ask about your bank or credit-card company’s policy on foreign transaction fees, too. Many cards charge a fee for customers to use the card abroad (although the best credit cards don’t), usually as a small percentage of every purchase. Between all the restaurant stops and souvenir shopping, these fees can add up fast. If your card comes with this fee, consider applying for a card with no foreign transaction fees before your trip.

Staying awhile? You might need a visa YOU won’t need a visa in most countries unless you’re staying for more than 90 days, but there are a few countries with shorter requirements. Aruba and the Philippines require a visa for tourists staying longer than 30 days, for example.

Visa information for different countries is available from the pertinent government office or agency. Some demand a visa even for tourists to visit. “In some cases, it’s possible to book a

Be wary of bank fees MOST foreign countries have easily accessible ATMs that will accept credit and debit cards from your bank or issuer.

But before you leave for your trip, look up your bank’s fees and policies for withdrawing cash at international ATMs and see if they’re part of the Global ATM Alliance Network or Allpoint network. If so, and you use an in-network ATM, you can at least avoid usage fees, though you’ll probably

still be charged an international transaction fee.

Prepare for jet lag THE most effective way to beat jet lag, according to a study published in Sleep Medicine Clinics, is to set your circadian rhythm—the internal clock that tells you when to be sleepy and when to be alert—to your new time zone as fast as possible. “We recommend resetting the circadian clock at least partially toward the destination time zone before flying,” the study’s authors write.

This can be tricky if you live in San Francisco and you’re traveling to London, but the closer you can get to your destination time, the better. That might mean going to bed earlier or getting up early, depending on the time zone.

Have a transportation plan from the airport WHEN your flight lands in your destination city, you’ll probably be itching to get out of the airport. In addition to taxi service, most international airports are equipped with direct commuter trains or shuttles that will take you to the city center, and you’ll follow the baggage claim signs to the appropriate shuttle or train stop. At London’s Heathrow Airport, for example, you can take the Heathrow Express to get to Central London. And the Leonardo Express shuttle at Fiumicino airport will take you to Rome’s central train station, Termini.

Of course, most airports also have cheaper public transportation options that may be a little trickier to navigate. You can take the London Underground from Heathrow on the Piccadilly line, for example, but you’ll have to figure out which stops and transfers to make to get to your final destination. Google Maps is an excellent navigator, but research your route beforehand so you’re prepared upon arrival (especially if the airport lacks free Wi-Fi). You can find train prices, schedules and connecting shuttle information on the airport’s web site, or use a database like iFly or World Airport Guides, which list transit information for airports around the world.

BILLED as “the world’s best low-cost airline,” AirAsia has announced a new direct route to Macau from Cebu, further expanding the airline’s southern hub. The new Cebu-Macau route will commence on February 8 and will fly daily.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Capt. Dexter Comendador said, “We are pleased to introduce the Cebu-Macau route as part of our long-term expansion plan to further connect Cebu as an important hub for tourism and business.”

Inscribed by Unesco as the Historic Centre of Macau, this vibrant city which blends Portuguese culture and traditional Chinese traits includes 25 world historical heritage sites in a single city. Stroll amid the European-style neoclassical buildings and browse the boutiques along Senado Square. Then take a tour to the Ruins of St. Paul’s, Macau’s most famous landmark built in the 16th century originally as a college and cathedral.

To get the most spectacular bird’s-eye view of the city, head to Macau Tower, a 338-meter national monument that offers thrilling activities such as Tower Climb, Bungee Jump, Sky Jump, or Skywalk.

Also known as “The Vegas of Asia,” Macau is packed with entertainment centers, such as the lavish Venetian Macau and Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, a huge complex of a theme park ideal for the whole family. Moreover, no visit to Macau is complete without enjoying their famous egg tarts; Minchi, Macau’s national dish with minced beef, potatoes, onions, soy sauce, topped with black fungus and fried egg over rice; salt fish cakes; Macanese-style prawns and many more.

AirAsia currently operates several international flights from Cebu to Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Shenzhen and Incheon/Seoul, while domestic flights from Cebu to Manila, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Clark, Puerto Princesa and Boracay are also available.

Rediscover Palawan’s hidden gem A RELAXING tropical getaway in Coron in northern Palawan is Club Paradise Palawan (www. clubparadisepalawan.com). Now managed by the growing Discovery Leisure Company Inc. and owned by the Discovery World Corp. , this exclusive 19-hectare ecotourism destination is definitely a piece of paradise that should be part of every nature lover’s bucket list.

With 700 meters of pristine beach overlooking azure waters, combined with the same superb brand of service the Discovery hotels and resorts are known for, Club Paradise offers exciting activities for all types of guests—from the adventure seeker to the romantic, from a barkada or family to individuals who simply want to indulge in a relaxing, quiet getaway.

For accommodations, guests can choose from the many spacious and comfortable suites and villas. The Garden View provides a refreshing view of the rich island flora, and also connects to a Sunrise Villa. The

Garden Suite has its own private balcony. The Sunrise Villa and Sunset Villa have their own balcony, as well, plus a hammock where guests can chill.

Satisfy food cravings or simply hang loose around with your favorite drink at the Firefish Restaurant and Lounge that offers a menu of local and international à la carte meals, with some ingredients sourced sustainably from their Taranuman farm.

The Dugong bar, with its wide selection of wines, cocktails and spirits, is perfect for enjoying the island’s wondrous sunset. At Happy Hour, get to see amazing colony of fruit bats fly out at sunset, which is truly a sight to behold!

Soothe those tense muscles with a massage from Glow Spa, which uses only all natural and organic massage oils; relax at the Entertainment Room or reinvigorate the spirit at the yoga area. The Kids Tree House will keep children entertained for hours,

and at 4 pm daily, there’s a special program called “Discovery Scouts” where they can learn about the ocean, trees and other eco-friendly practices.

Club Paradise Palawan also offers guests an array of activities such as snorkeling at the house reef where they can meet schools of Jacks, Mantas, Green Sea Turtles and more. The adventurous types can go kayaking, paraw-sailing, hiking to Eagle’s Point (the highest part of the island), island hopping, rope relay, and intro or professional scuba diving.

Only an hour away from Busuanga Airport, Club Paradise is nestled in a Unesco biosphere reserve, which includes a turtle nesting site and protected marine sanctuary. As part of its EcoConserve advocacy to preserve and protect its environment, sustainable practices and initiatives are being implemented. These include proper garbage management, coastal cleanups and tree care.

CLUB Paradise Palawan

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Thursday, January 3, 2019

Entertaining BusinessMirror

When it comes to pot roast, keeping it simple is the best parsnips to the pot partway through braising ensured that the vegetables didn’t overcook and become mushy.

We added wine to the sauce after braising so that its flavor stayed bright; reducing it briefly on the stovetop ensured that our sauce didn’t taste boozy. Use a good-quality medium-bodied wine, such as a Cotes du Rhone or a pinot noir, for this dish.

Depending on the size of your Dutch oven, you may need to brown the roasts in two batches rather than one.

SIMPLE POT ROAST Servings: 6-8 Start to finish: 4 hours, 30 minutes to 5 hours

SIMPLE Pot Roast, the recipe for which appears in the book Cook it in Your Dutch Oven. AP

By America’s Test Kitchen The Associated Press

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HEN it comes to pot roast, keeping it simple is sometimes best.

We started with a chuck-eye roast, a well-marbled cut

that is great for braising. Splitting the roast in two allowed us to trim excess fat and cut down on cooking time.

A stovetop sear created a nicely caramelized exterior; transferring the covered Dutch oven to the oven promoted even cooking and prevented scorching over the long cooking time. Adding carrots, potatoes, and

1 (3 1/2-to-4 pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled into 2 pieces at natural seam and trimmed of large pieces of fat Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 celery rib, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup beef broth 1 cup water 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 11/2 inch pieces 1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces 1/3 cup dry red wine Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 0F. Tie roasts crosswise with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Pat dry with paper

z

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

towels and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roasts on all sides, eight to 10 minutes; transfer to plate.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, and celery to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about five minutes. Stir in garlic, sugar, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in chicken broth, beef broth, and water, scraping up any browned bits and bring to simmer.

Return roasts to pot along with any accumulated juices. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook for two hours, flipping roasts halfway through cooking.

Remove pot from oven. Nestle carrots into pot around roasts and sprinkle potatoes and parsnips over top. Return covered pot to oven and cook until vegetables and beef are tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat, one to 11/2 hours.

Remove pot from oven. Transfer roasts to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest while finishing sauce. Transfer vegetables to large bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover to keep warm.

Using wide, shallow spoon, skim excess fat from surface of braising liquid. Stir in wine, bring to 7/8 simmer over medium-high heat, and cook until sauce measures 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Discard twine, slice roasts against grain into 1/2 inch thick slices, and arrange on serving platter. Spoon some of sauce over meat and serve with vegetables, passing remaining sauce separately.

Italian chefs show how to make authentic Italian pizza

Cebu’s best seafood restaurant opens in Manila OPERATED and managed by Kuya J Group, Isla Sugbu Seafood City recently opened its first Manila branch at Venice Grand Canal in Taguig City. Named the best seafood restaurant in Cebu, Manila diners can now experience its unique offering of Paluto ­All-You-Can. It allows diners to choose from the restaurant’s wide array of fresh and live seafood, have it cooked to their liking, and repeat the whole process until they are satisfied. Best of all, as part of its opening, the regular Paluto All-You-Can price of P1,300 per head will be offered to customers at a promo rate of P848 for lunch on weekdays (Mondays to Thursdays, 11 am to 3 pm) and P888 for dinner (Mondays to Thursdays, 6 pm to 11 pm) and all day weekends (Fridays from 11 am to 3 pm, and 6 pm to 11 pm; and Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 am to 3 pm, 6 pm to 11 pm). The opening promo runs until February 28. Present during the opening were: (from left) Kuya J Group President Winglip Chang, iCorner General Manager Don Tirol and Gretz Rivera of Unido Holdings Inc.

HOW you cook your pizza is just as important as what goes on it. This sums up the message that was conveyed to participants who attended the recent Technolux Business Series (TBS) “Italian Feast” where noted Italian chefs demonstrated ways to make authentic Italian pizzas and breads.

Held at the sprawling Mall of Kitchens, TBS featured Chef Mansour Rashidi, Pizza Master’s vice president of Sales Svenska BakePartner AB; and Tiziano Casill, chef-pizzaiolo and professional trainer of Italmill.

Italmill S.p.A. is one of the biggest family-run businesses in the flour and semifinished baking product industry in Italy. Its products include pastry, bakery and pizza preferred by Michelin-starred restaurants, cafés and pizzerias because they guarantee the best Italian pizzas and artisan breads.

PizzaMaster Oven, meanwhile, is the largest electric deck oven ranges in the world with 80 different sizes and over 1,000 combinations.

TBS is held regularly by Technolux (www. technolux.net) in order to introduce world-class kitchen equipment and quality ingredients to foodpreneurs, chefs and businessmen engaged in the F&B industry. The series is also aimed at helping them discover what will work best for their businesses through product demos and engagements with guest speakers from different countries.

Delicious Italian pizzas made with thin, crispy and slightly chewy crusts topped with homemade tomato sauce and basic ingredients such as fresh basil, cheeses, vegetables and meats were served

www.businessmirror.com.ph

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Brooke Williams, 35; Katie McGrath, 36; Eli Manning, 37; Danica McKellar, 44.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: This will turn into an emotional year if you aren’t precise regarding your likes, dislikes and intentions. Don’t leave anything to chance or get into uncomfortable situations with people who are not known for being trustworthy or reliable. Pick your battles and stay focused on self-improvement, not trying to change others.

Aim for continuity and maintaining your reputation. Your lucky numbers are 8, 14, 20, 27, 34, 42, 47.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Discussions, meetings and setting up your plans for the future should be your priority. Verify any information provided before you make a decision or relay the choice you make to someone in a position of authority. Positive change is within reach. «««««

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take a position of leadership and offer to organize and help get things running smoothly. Your hands-on approach will result in getting the support you need to carry out your plans. A financial gain looks promising.

Celebrate with someone you love. «««

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Emotions will surface if someone is dishonest or manipulative. Use your intelligence, especially where joint ventures or money matters are concerned. A physical activity will help ease stress and clear your head. Don’t share personal information or passwords. «««

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Go to the source to receive instructions or information if you want to avoid making a mistake. It’s important to follow the rules and to keep records to avoid being blamed for something you didn’t do. Romance is highlighted. «««

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Learn as you go, share with your peers and discover what’s available to you. You’ll gather information and learn easily. What you discover will change your direction in a positive way. Networking is encouraged, and new friendships favored. «««««

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Check out what’s going on in your community or get together with colleagues or those who share your beliefs. This will offer insight into what’s going on in your personal life. Refuse to let anyone bait you into an emotional argument. ««

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t make travel plans or set business meetings unless you are positive you have everything in order and ready to go. Lastminute changes will leave you in a predicament if you act before you are fully prepared. «««««

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Trust and believe in what you know and what you have done in the past. Your experience will pay off when faced with changes that other people make.

Personal growth will change your beliefs and lead you on a new adventure. «««

i j

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Protect what you’ve worked so hard to keep secret. Begin a process that will add to your knowledge and keep you updated on the latest technology. A change in the way you think will impact your life. «««

TIZIANO CASILL (left), chef-pizzaiolo and professional trainer of Italmill, and Chef Mansour Rashidi, Pizza Master’s Vice President of Sales Svenska BakePartner AB

to foodpreneurs, chefs, businessmen and home cooks who attended the TBS. They were made with high-quality flour from Italmill and cooked in PizzaMaster Ovens.

Particularly for the TBS, Chef Tiziano introduced the Enerpizza, Italmill’s natural sourdough flour that lends extensibility, flavor, digestibility and crispiness even when the pizza is cold. Being the “Father of Schrochiarella,” Chef Tiziano also shared techniques on how to achieve the perfect Pizza Schrochiarella (patented for Italmill) using Italmill flour.

Chef Mansour, on the other hand, cited

PizzaMaster Oven’s features such as high performance, durability and space-saving functions.

“PizzaMaster makes more pizzas, artisan breads in less time, is cheaper than most pizza tunnel ovens, so restaurants, pizzerias, and coffee shops could sell and earn more,” he said. What makes this oven unique is its Scandinavian design and the “special clay hearthstone” (a modernized brick stone oven widget made of 80 percent clay and 20 percent crystal) with a crisping function that results to light and crispy pizza crust, fully roasted toppings that ooze with full color and flavor.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Live up to your promises and stick to honoring any resolutions you set. It’s always difficult when you start something new, but with a little patience and determination, positive results will turn into the masterpiece you envisioned. «««

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put your energy into your reputation, money matters and professional gains. Use your intelligence and connections to get things set up and ready for new beginnings. Think big, but instill common sense in whatever you choose to do. ««««

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Emotional matters will stand in your way. Clear up any misunderstandings or regrets you have before you try to move forward. A clean slate will ease stress and spark your imagination. Confusion and delays while traveling can be expected. «« BIRTHDAY BABY: You are energetic, intense and proactive. You are imaginative and forceful.

‘football matchups’ BY MARY LOU GUIZZO The Universal Crossword/Edited by Timothy E. Parker

ACROSS 1 Dads 6 ___ monster (certain lizard) 10 Vegas statistic 14 Actress Witherspoon 15 Muscat’s land 16 Circle 17 Seeing red 18 Sunrise direction 19 Geometric calculation 20 Norse seafarers’ rulers?

23 “Sure!”

24 -Caps or -Cat preceder 25 Feature of much political news 27 Movers’ invoices?

32 English assignment 35 Afternoon affairs 36 Airport watchdog org.

37 Oil-producing tree 38 Spiritual struggle, in Islam 40 Large containers 41 Texter’s “I think ...”

42 Best-selling author Hoag 43 Dorothy’s Em and others 44 Wranglers’ revolvers?

8 “You wish!”

4 49 Word in an alumna’s bio 50 Apple product that’s stood the test of time?

53 Ganging up on in basketball, and a clue to this puzzle’s theme 58 Each 60 Volkswagen subsidiary 61 Chicago descriptor 62 Mountain ___ (certain sodas) 63 Chowder mollusk 64 Misbehave 65 Madcap 66 Philosopher David 67 Brewery or bakery need DOWN 1 Outhouse 2 Eagle’s roost 3 Whitney and Rainier 4 Sparkling Italian wine 5 Classic toy with animal pictures 6 Proceeds well enough 7 Apple desktop 8 Pirate’s punishment 9 Start to matter?

0 Norway’s patron saint 1 11 Protruding shark part 12 Stag’s mate 13 “Me time” resort 21 Protein powder purveyor 22 Recedes, as the tide 26 Tilt 27 Baker’s Joy competitor 28 Moral standard 29 Irish actor Stephen 30 Feeling blue 31 Disrespectful talk 32 Huge in scope 33 Fiji neighbor 34 Loses momentum 38 Often-blue bird 39 GChats, e.g.

40 Struggle ___ (“vehicle” for tough times) 42 Cubes in miso soup 43 Eroded 45 Diagnostic tissue exam 46 Punctual 47 Author Harper 50 Nina’s fellow ship

1 Major Pakistani river 5 52 Cleopatra’s country 54 ___, Beethoven and Brahms 55 Leggings brand, casually 56 Dutch cheese 57 Cheese lovers 58 Wood shaper (var.)

59 Split ___ soup

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Parentlife BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 3, 2019

D3

Millennials put their stamp on parenting

By Bruce Feiler

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New York Times News Service

ILLUSTRATION

BY JOYCE HESSELBERTH FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

HEN Anne Halsall, 34, brought her first son home from the hospital in 2012, she eagerly followed the best advice about breastfeeding. Her son, however, kept losing weight—first a little, then a lot. “It was a dark time for me,” she said.

After getting conflicting advice from experts, Halsall, a Chicago native who was living in San Francisco with her fiancé, then did what many frustrated new mothers do these days. She turned to Google.

“That’s when I realized I was a second-class citizen in the eyes of the Internet,” she said. “I tried to download an app for breastfeeding, and they were all clearly made by men, and they were all horrible.”

So Halsall, an engineer, wrote her own, called Baby’s Day. “I was a frustrated mom who built an app for moms,” she said. “You can’t get more millennial than that!”

The much-maligned generation of millennials, those born between roughly 1980 and 2000, has been chided for being selfish, spoiled, uncommunicative, over-communicative and addicted to trophies, hookups and likes.

But while the rest of society has been busy hating on millennials, the older ones have been busy growing up, settling down and having children. More than 16 million millennial women are now mothers, according to Pew, a number that grows by more than 1 million every year.

Eighty-two percent of children born each year are born to millennial mothers. That’s 5 out of every 6 babies. And their parents—let’s call them “parennials”—are challenging all sorts of commonly held beliefs about the family.

Let’s examine their innovations one at a time.

#HASHTAGBABY

PARENNIALS spent their formative years steeped in personal technology. As a result they’re “high-information parents,” said Rebecca Parlakian, the program director for Zero to Three, an organization that has been studying new parents since 1977.

“The good news is that parents know more about child development than ever before,” she said. “Google is the new grandparent, the new neighbor, the new nanny.”

The bad news is that parents feel overwhelmed by the volume of information, confused about the “right way” to do things and harshly judged by friends and relatives.

Kate Flynn, 32, lives in New York’s Brooklyn borough with her 11-month-old daughter, Isla, and her college sweetheart, Michael.

Like many new parents, she felt unprepared for the responsibility.

“We feel like kids who aren’t old enough to have kids,” she said.

To compensate, she relies on technology, from chat rooms to child development apps like Wonder Weeks and WebMDBaby.

“I’ll be on the phone with my mom and say, ‘The app is telling me that she is starting her nine-month sleep progression,’” Flynn said. “I just found out that Wonder Weeks only goes to when the child is 1. I don’t know if that’s liberating or scary.”

SO LONG, MOM AND DAD; HELLO, CO-PARENTS

BRAD HARRINGTON, executive director of the Boston College Center for Work & Family, has found that a third of millennial families

follow traditional gender roles and are comfortable with their decision. Another third of them say spouses should share chores equally and feel they achieve this goal, while the final third strive for this equality but the female partner, in reality, does more.

“For 30 years we’ve been asking, ‘Can women have it all?'”

Harrington said.’“ Now we’re asking if men can have it all.”

Gabe Wells, 33, a loan officer, was born in Iowa and moved to Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Caitlin, who was his girlfriend at the time. When she became pregnant, the two went through a “rough patch,” he said, and went into counseling.

“The No. 1 thing I learned is that my language changed,” he said. “I don’t say ‘mother’ and ‘father’ anymore. I say ‘co-parent.’ It sounds odd to people in the Midwest, but it’s more reflective of what we’re trying to do.”

They realize 50-50 is “a pipe dream,” he said. “But If we can trade off going 60-40, that’s great.”

Co-parenting does come with downsides. Parlakian of Zero to Three said she’s begun to detect a new theme in her annual surveys of parents. She calls it “gate-keeping,” when the lessinvolved parent tries to step up but the primary parent slaps the partner down, saying “You did it the wrong way” or “Why did you put the baby in that?”

“Given the statement ‘I would like to be more involved with raising my child but my parenting partner interferes with my

involvement,’ nearly half the dads agree,” Parlakian said, “while only 16 percent of moms do.”

From her experience running Winnie, Halsall has concluded that “millennial dads are different than their elders, in that they see it as a positive masculine trait to be involved with their children,” she said.

CAN GRANNY PAY THE RENT?

NEW parents of all ages often face money woes, but with parennials these challenges can feel particularly acute because they reached childbearing age during the Great Recession, are saddled with college debt and are perhaps job-hopping or part of the gig economy.

As a result, many parennials rely on their own baby boomer parents for financial support. Ortiz has started a photography business on the side while her husband, who hopes to get into real estate, drives for Uber. To make ends meet, they get financial help with rent from her mother-in-law.

“Money has always been an issue, but we do our best and hope God will provide,” Ortiz said. “I don’t know if it’s a millennial thing, but we spend so much money eating out. We’d be better off if we didn’t.”

Jess Laird, 31, grew up in the East Village neighborhood of

Manhattan with parents who were “broke actors,” she said, so she’s used to money struggles. She was working full-time when she had her first child at 29, but wanted to spend more time with her daughter. Since then, she has worked at a start-up that went out of business and now freelances remotely. She is still paying off her undergraduate loans, and her husband, Morgan, is doing the same with his law school debt.

With so much financial pressure, they rely on her mother for child care.

“Other moms I talk to who are 35 or 40 seem to be more settled financially,” she said. “It feels weird when I say, ‘My mom is taking care of my kid.’ I even use the word ‘mother’ because it sounds more adult.”

Maybe it’s their uncertain economic status, their sense of experimentation, or simply the times they grew up in, but many parennials seem less rigid than their elders.

“I thought we were supposed to do things a certain way,” said Flynn of Brooklyn, who had multiple jobs and multiple apartments when she was in her 20s. “Have the career, the house, the green grass, and then the kid. But that didn’t happen. My life has a different plan.

“Having a kid when things are unstable like this,” she said, “feels like a start-up. We kind of know where we are going with this, but we don’t know how it’s going to turn out.”

Consumer groups allege Google misleads kids in FTC complaint SAN FRANCISCO—Nearly two dozen consumer, privacy and public health groups have urged US regulators to investigate whether children are being endangered by deceptive apps in Google’s app store for smartphones running on its Android software.

The 102-page complaint filed in mid-December with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges Google’s Play store is harming kids by allowing apps that break privacy laws, contain adult content or include manipulative advertising in a section of its Play Store designed for children.

The call for FTC action is being led by two groups, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for Digital Democracy, that have previously attacked Google’s approach to kids. In April, they asked the FTC to crack down on Google’s YouTube video site for alleged violations of children’s online privacy.

Twenty other groups, including Consumer Action, Public Citizen and the US Public Interest Research Group, have joined in the latest complaint.

Google issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to protecting children while they are

online—one of the reasons the company says it prohibits targeted advertising at children under 13.

“We take these issues very seriously and continue to work hard to remove any content that is inappropriately aimed at children from our platform,” Google said.

More than 2 billion devices worldwide are powered by Google software, with a significant number of those being used by minors. The

complaint focuses on alleged misconduct under US laws and regulations.

The attempt to pressure the FTC to open an investigation comes amid an intensifying backlash against Google, Facebook and other companies that make most of their money by using their free services to track people’s interests and whereabouts and then mining that information to sell ads targeted at them.

The angst has raised the specter of Congress drawing up tougher

regulations to curb the tech industry’s power and restrict its ability to compile digital dossiers about the people who have become increasingly dependent on its services.

Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island who has been critical of Google, issued a statement supporting the groups seeking an FTC investigation as did Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico.

“It is past time for the Federal Trade Commission to crack down to protect children’s privacy,” Udall said in a statement.

Although the FTC doesn’t typically comment on whether it will investigate issues raised in complaints, it has punished both Google and Apple for what it deemed to be child exploitation in the past.

In 2014 it reached a settlement requiring Google to refund $19 million for allowing apps distributed through its store to charge children for purchases made without parents’ consent. That came after a similar agreement required Apple to refund $32.5 million for in-app purchases made on iPhones, iPads and other devices without parents’ permission. AP

Deca Mall welcomes SM Hypermarket as anchor tenant TOP real-estate developer 8990 Holdings Inc. recently signed up SM Hypermarket as the lead anchor tenant of Deca Mall, a P452-million community shopping mall within Urban Deca Homes Manila, its 13-tower mixed-used community in Vitas, Tondo, Manila. Set to open in the second quarter of 2019, Deca Mall is envisioned to host up to 430 small and medium enterprise (SME) tenants. The two-story mall has a total gross area of 18,000 square meter and a gross leasable area of 14,000 sq m.

With the presence of SM Hypermarket, Deca Mall aims to address the lifestyle needs of Urban Deca Homes Manila residents and those in surrounding areas. 8990 Holdings Inc. is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. Present during the contract signing were: (from left) SM Hypermarket Senior Vice President Arnold Paul D. Daluz, 8990 Holdings President and Chief Executive Officer Willie J. Uy, SM Prime Director Herbert Sy and 8990 Holdings Chairman Mariano D. Martinez.

Catch last shows of ‘Disney On Ice‘ at MOA Arena AS Christmas comes to a close this January, Disney fans of all ages can still celebrate with Disney On Ice as Feld Entertainment and SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc. continue to bring on the magic of the holiday season through “Mickey’s Super Celebration” at the Mall of Asia Arena until January 6, with an additional show on January 4, 6 pm, due to popular demand.

Produced by Feld Entertainment, this year’s spectacular show commemorates 90 years of Mickey Mouse and honors Walt Disney’s legacy by bringing acclaimed stories to life on the ice, including its unforgettable “Disney Character,” a sing-along score of melodious masterpieces, stunning choreography, beautiful costumes and intricate sets.

Mickey Mouse is joined by Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy on a journey to discover his favorite memory of all time. Using Mickey’s “Mouse Pad,” show hosts encourage fans to be part of the action and help the gang venture through Disney stories, sharing memorable moments from treasured tales.

Along the way, families sail away with Moana as she displays courage to save her island on a high-seas adventure with the demigod, Maui. Families will continue the voyage to the wintery world of Arendelle as royal sisters Anna and Elsa discover true love is the most powerful magic of all, and then experience the mysterious magic of Fantasia as a Sorcerer’s Apprentice makes brooms come to life.

Join the fun this holiday season with the ultimate celebration of Mickey Mouse with Disney On Ice. Tickets start at P190 and is available at all SM Tickets Outlets nationwide, or online through www.smtickets.com.

Show

BusinessMirror

D4 Thursday, January 3, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Before Christmas, there was ‘Aquaman’ and apologies THE recent Star Cinema offering Three Words to Forever, starring Sharon Cuneta, Richard Gomez and Kathyrn Bernardo

REELING

TITO GENOVA VALIENTE titovaliente@yahoo.com

T

RAILERS can be seductive. They are, after all, still the best advertisement for any kind of film. The trailer for Aquaman was no exception. Even as the early reviews had described those scenes as a series of prospective screensavers, there was no question the underwater scenes were quite a feast for the eyes.

A few days before Christmas—a few days before my MTRCB Deputy card expired—I treated myself to Aquaman.

The story is about a hero whose life is taken from the bottomless wellspring of DC Comics. For those who are not into comics, Aquaman seems to spring from nothing. As a character though, Aquaman has appeared in earlier franchises. Think of 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the 2017 Justice League. In this film simply titled Aquaman, we learn more about the biography of this superhero.

Superheroes always have humanlike qualities or origin. In Aquaman, however, his being half-breed becomes crucial to his development as a real hero.

He has a human father, a lightkeeper, who rescues the Queen of Atlantis, Atlanna. They have a son, named Arthur. Like his namesake in the Arthurian literature, Arthur/Aquaman has to prove his worth as a king by pulling from a phantom king—the Trident.

But we are swimming fast in our storytelling.

Before Arthur becomes part of the deep sea kingdom, his mother has to leave him and return to Atlantis. There she is punished and, as the story goes, is offered as sacrifice to the monsters of the Trench. On Earth, er. . .land, Arthur grows up aware of his powers. The reason for this was the regular visit of a mentor, Vulko, from Atlantis. On land, also, Aquaman participates in rescue operations, in events that take place in the sea.

Not exactly a subplot, but a narrative that waylays the viewer is the constant reference to how humans have polluted the seas. It is, of course, a theme that is always—forever—important to how we live in this earth. But in a fantasy with fabulous seascapes deep under the seas, the discussion about flotsam and jetsam can ruin one’s prospect of an adventure.

Who would ever think it’s possible to go deep, deep underwater and marvel, and be able to breathe while discovering scenarios that no aquarium-builder can even dare to imagine for his business!

Be that as it may, the Atlanteans are rightfully angry. It doesn’t matter that Aquaman has helped a Russian submarine, as if a nod to the present resuscitation of the Cold War elements. You know, the thought that Russians are out to destroy the United States of America, but here is an American superhero saving them from death.

The story of Aquaman is structured in two universes: the one on land and then underwater. On land, the actions are dull and boring; underwater, the actions are awesome and spellbinding, unless the characters are acting as if they are on land, and that is when the actions become dull and dumb again.

In fact, it’s only when Aquaman fights the many creatures of the deep, including his brother, Orm, that the film generates enough waves of interest.

A love triangle is also necessary to beef up the story. Princess Mera of Atlantis links up with Aquaman/Arthur. There is a scene when, warning of the impending destruction of the land/Earth by the more (it seems) superior forces from the deepest parts of the ocean, Mera appears from the sea.

Arthur refuses her entreaties and leaves her standing alone on the pier in that red hair and silly green sea suit. Again, a case of actors not doing anything or for things not happening at all when the battlescenes are not happening.

Aquaman, the film, comes alive only when the Aquaman battles it out underwater. It seems another world, a monumental seascape, with corals and caves and depths that continue to grow deeper and deeper.

But these long, extended battles do call attention to the “design” deep down there. In the end, we end up designing the seas and the depths, with the film becoming self-consciously a work of hardworking production designers.

Even Nicole Kidman and Willem Defoe can’t save the seas with their roles. As Mera, Amber Heard is a beautiful face. Nothing in her can make us believe she could do those powerful things. As for Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa is a new face and the fans look like they want to give him a chance. Patrick Wilson, the dramatic actor, is a unique presence in this genre, and that is all we can say of his performance.

The exaggerations—not a thousand but hundreds of thousands always—and the underwater scenes one after another soon lose their magic and appeal.

The actors who play the heroes, and villains become just part of the design. Soon, our heart loses any interest in this new story about old heroes and many other referential characters. And yet this kind of film, directed by James Wan and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, thrives on references and cross-references.

If the box-office results are considered, it looks like we will have more adventures under the sea not only with Aquaman but with the other characters in the film.

If Aquaman appears to be a repetitively arduous film, another film demonstrates a different kind of

arduousness. The film is titled Three Words to Forever.

The film begins quite well: a series of scenes mediated by online viewing of three generations of kin engage us. The family looks happy and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, if the film starts with happiness and ends with happiness, there will be no problem at all. But the script has to come up with the most difficult conflict for these characters/ actors who, it seems, look like they have been briefed to be laidback, relax and enjoy the ride.

But, no, the film soon begins to grow dark even as the landscape persists in being bright and beautiful.

Perhaps, there will be a value in dissonance, we tell ourselves. As soon as the happiness of the arrival of a daughter from America eats up the entire screen, one problem after another arises like some monsters from the pink lagoons. The couples have respective problems with each other. The grandfather is stubborn; the grandmother has grown tired of the old man. The parents of the young girl have not talked to each other for a long time. Then the daughter who, it seems, is the only keeper of the bluebird of happiness turns out to be shameless, spoiled brat of a child.

There is only one good soul (as first impression happens) and that is the boyfriend, but he turns out to be a spineless creature, as well.

The proverbial signposts don’t tell where the story is going. I didn’t expect the narrative to go macabre and helpless. But it does. Finally, while the grandfather goes missing without everyone noticing it, the Papa and the Mama and the daughter face off in a very dirty confrontation. The camera is relentless and unforgiving as it trains its eye on the three characters given their respective moments of hysteria. The camera moves back and forth among the three characters who, by the function of a disturbing screenplay, trade invectives and begin

GMA stars bag top honors at the 2018 MMFF Awards Night

SEVERAL GMA stars won major accolades at the recently concluded 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival Awards held at The Theater at Solaire.

The legendary Gloria Romero brought home the Best Actress award for her notable performance in the LGBT-themed family drama Rainbow’s Sunset. At present, the iconic movie and television actress is the host of GMA’s award-winning and top-rating weekend children show Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko. Meanwhile, Dennis Trillo once again proved his stellar acting chops when he bagged the Best Actor award for his performance in One Great Love. The highly talented actor is currently receiving positive feedback and good reviews for his role in the prime-time series Cain at Abel.

Beautiful and sought-after GMA actress Max Collins, in turn, received the Special Jury Prize for her performance in Rainbow’s Sunset. She is presently one of the hosts of GMA News TV’s talk and lifestyle program Healthy Ever After together with husband Pancho Magno. Aside from this, Max is set to star in the upcoming drama series Stolen.

Multiawarded film and TV director Joel Lamangan went home with the Best Director plum for Rainbow’s Sunset, a touching film about an elderly man who comes out as gay to his grown children. The acclaimed director helmed GMA’s justconcluded dramedy series Pamilya Roces.

blaming each other for what happened to their life.

For a family with such deep animosities in their chest and in their heart, we wonder why they even decide to see each other and be with one another.

As a viewer, one feels there is a degrading kind of pentimento here. The writers changed their mind as they were painting the scenes. The confrontation, which could have been made a tad softer given how the film looks, is transformed into a dark, dark, ruthless, and revengeful attack against each other. If we just follow the logic or lack of logic in the tirades, the film should have ended in tragedy. But, as with traffic signs in this country, the rules are not followed in our storytelling, as well.

Toward the end, the young girl played by Kathryn Bernardo with such insufferable characterization, pleads with her fiancé. At that point, we wish the gentle boy, played with such “freshness” to borrow what the releases say, by Tommy Esguerra, would just leave and leave us with a cautionary tale about how lack of reason can make people unhappy. As for the other actors and their performances—and to be fair to them—they would start with compelling dialogues and movements but, later, for some obscure reason, bring them onto spaces where they either ham it up, or suspend their characterization because the storytellers want them to play it cool, lighten the conflict, or just fly out of frame.

I don’t know whether I should take the film seriously but when a production presents a film in cooperation with a cracker company, the work should be able to transcend product placement. What I do know is that, before Three Words to Forever condemned me to really curse any work that has the promise of eternity, there are ads out there in the Internet that can make one laugh, cry and think. Three Words to Forever has the biscuit in the beginning and it is there again in the ending. And we ask ourselves, is this fair to us?

THIRD SEASON OF HBO’S ‘TRUE DETECTIVE’ RETURNS

GLORIA ROMERO

DENNIS TRILLO

MAX COLLINS

STARRING Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and created by Emmy nominee Nic Pizzolatto, True Detective returns for its eight-episode third season with two episodes debuting back-to-back on January 14 at 10 am, with a same day encore at 10 pm, exclusively on HBO Go and HBO, followed by single episodes on subsequent Mondays at the same time.

1980: Will and Julie Purcell, the children of feuding parents Tom and Lucy Purcell, go missing a week after Halloween in West Finger, Arkansas.

2015: Retired detective Wayne Hays, who originally investigated the crime, is asked to look back on the twists of the unsolved case with a true-crime documentary producer.

Playing out in three separate time periods, the third season tells the story of a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks, and a mystery that deepens over decades. Mahershala Ali (Oscar winner for Moonlight) stars as state police detective Wayne Hays; with Stephen Dorff as Roland West, the detective who investigated the case with Hays; and Carmen Ejogo as school teacher and writer Amelia Reardon.

Filmed at locations throughout northwest Arkansas, the new season of True Detective was written by series creator Nic Pizzolatto, who also makes his directorial debut with two episodes. The other directors are Jeremy Saulnier and Daniel Sackheim.

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, January 3, 2019 E1

Minister preaches strategies of peace and order over disputed waters

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By Recto L. Mercene

@rectomercene

IKE the Philippines, Japan also has major maritime issues with China.

Yet, Japanese Deputy Chief of Mission Takehiro Kano is not about to go gung- ho against our neighbors to the west.

Kano carried a pacifist disposition during our interview—the embodiment of the ideal Roosevelt-ian approach to diplomacy, which advises to “speak softly, but carry a big stick.”

We can perfectly understand Minister Kano’s attitude toward tranquility, as, for instance, his country suffered defeat in World War II. So today, after Japan’s economic and military recovery, the deputy chief of mission admitted: “Japan continues to promote open and rules-based maritime order, even as tensions in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea [SCS/ WPS] continue to rise in the face of the United States’s exercise of the freedom of navigation operations (Fonop) in the contested waters.”

He refused to be baited when challenged to express emotions against the former “sleeping giant,” who is

now fully awake and seems to be strutting its economic and military might in the world stage.

Japan’s second highest official in the country openly reiterated his desire for general order in the region: “Every country should benefit from the order, in accordance with international law, and should enjoy freedom of navigation. That principle applies to every country like the US, China, Japan or [those in] Europe. They could do what they’re entitled to do.”

Kano’s statement about the Fonop came at a time when US B-52 bombers conducted transit operations in the strategic sea routes in September.

This was followed by a near collision in the same general area between the two navies’ warships, while the US ship was sailing under the provisions of the Fonop as it sailed close to the China-claimed Gaven Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands.

According to the US Navy, the Chinese destroyer moved within 41 meters of the USS Decatur, as the two

nearly collided.

Kano said Japan continues to enjoy its relations with the Philippines, as his country provides our Coast Guard with maritime patrol boats, particularly with five TC-model planes, 19 surveillance aircraft, 13 speedboats and 10 units of 40-meter long patrol boats.

“These have been already delivered, and the two big 90-meter-long patrol vessels that are in the design stage would be delivered in two years.” He added that these have already been committed.

Indo-Pacific strategy

THE minister is not a stranger to Philippine shores. An expert on maritime security, Kano said he had his briefing about our economic and security partnership while stationed in Tokyo 12 years ago. He was posted in the country only last summer.

Before that, he was in Europe and did not have much time to keep abreast of the developments here.

He noted, though, that between 2012 and 2014, “the situation has changed a lot,” referring to the break in diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China, as we brought the latter before the International Tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The country was then asking the jurors to limit China’s excessive territorial claim of the 3.5 million-sq-km SCS, as defined by its looping ninedash line, encompassing 90 percent of the expansive body of water.

Eventually, the Philippines won the case, and China’s claim based on historic grounds was deemed illegal.

“We’re monitoring the situation.

We support strengthening the rulesbased international system that should govern the maritime order.

That’s the longtime position we took and in that regard, as you know, Japan is now promoting the ‘fair and open’ Indo-Pacific strategy.”

The said strategy, first coined by an Indian military man, was promoted by Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Shinzo Abe, and lately has been adopted by President Donald J. Trump.

Originally a geographic concept that spans two regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, the new term has changed the new strategic mind map since China’s “reform and opening up” in the 1980s.

“Asia Pacific” has shaped the image of a community of interests linking the US and East Asia. The term “Indo-Pacific,” as used by Trump, means that India, the US and other major democracies, especially Japan

and Australia, will join in curbing China in the new framework of the growing “Cold War” influence.

Kano said Japan is now promoting the Indo-Pacific strategy “to strengthen the rules-based international order, including the maritime area, and enhance economic connectivity that benefits all the countries in the region.”

In that regard, he said his country is willing to support the capabilities of law enforcement of countries that share the same values. According to him, the Philippines is a model case, so to speak, thus Japan’s willingness to enhance our Coast Guard’s capability.

Kano claimed, “In the same vein, we’re also pleased to see our security cooperation and defense cooperation—including the transfer of airplanes and patrol boats.”

Asked whether Japan is bothered by China’s militarization of the seven features in the SCS/WPS, the minister said both Japan and the Philippines’s constitutions, including the United Nations Charter, “denounce war as a means of settling international disputes.”

However, Japan’s deputy chief of mission in the Philippines added that the said constitutions and charter “also prescribe that any nation should be able to defend themselves

individually or collectively in accordance with international laws.”

“That’s a matter of principle, with or without amending constitutions.

We should be able to support and strengthen international order, in collaboration with other countries— but it doesn’t mean we intend to exclude any other.”

Kano emphasized, “The international rules-based system and maritime order should prevail, and in that regard, Japan is now promoting the fair and open strategy.”

The minister, in the course of our interview, recalled the Fukuda Doctrine, which, although not official, “has becomes the foundation for Japan’s foreign policy.”

The Fukuda Doctrine, after the late PM Takeo Fukuda, is widely credited for inaugurating an era of positive and mutually beneficial engagement between Asean and Japan.

“The principle is still very fundamental and applicable. Japan would support and contribute to peace and stability by economic means, and not resorting to power.”

He went on to say, “We should also build not just for economic benefit, but ‘heart-to-heart’ relationship— a buzzword during one of Fukuda’s speeches.”

Continued on E2

Envoys& BusinessMirror

E2 Thursday, January 3, 2019

Japan, UN lead Bangsamoro forum

SCENES capturing the proceedings as well as the stakeholders of the forum, including Ambassador Koji Haneda of Japan (in white polo and glasses)

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HE Embassy of Japan and the United Nations representation in the Philippines cohosted the Bangsamoro Forum on December 11 at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) office in Makati City.

More than 100 participants joined the confab, including Ambassador Koji Haneda, Deputy Presidential Peace Adviser Nabil A. Tan, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panel Chairman Mohagher Iqbal, Commission on Elections Commissioner Al A. Parreño, as well as representatives of 15 countries and 19 international organizations.

The forum sought to deepen the international community’s understanding of the Mindanao Peace Process through a discussion of current progress, future plans and challenges. Jica President Shinichi Kitaoka conveyed his thoughts through a video message, while MILF Chairman Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, in a message read on his behalf, thanked Japan for its assistance.

In his opening remarks, Haneda pointed out that the Mindanao Peace Process is now at a critical juncture where all the stakeholders, who have been involved one way or another, should get together to compare notes on the current situation in considering support for the future.

He also emphasized that as a longtime partner, Japan wishes to continue to back the peace process in a comprehensive manner, fully taking into account the new circumstances after the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

During the forum, key players of the Mindanao Peace Process discussed the BOL plebiscite slated to take place early this year, the transition to the new Bangsamoro government and the normalization process.

The participants also engaged in active discussions.

PHL neighbors send messages of unity on Usman, bombings

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AIWAN, through its Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) in the Philippines, and Japan, via its embassy in the country, have conveyed their sympathies over the recent spate of unfortunate events that hit the country toward year-end 2018— more particularly, in the wake of Tropical Depression Usman, as well as the recent bombings in Cotabato City.

Teco said, “The government and people of the Republic of China [Taiwan] express their sincere care and condolences to the government of the Philippines [as well as] people in the affected areas.”

It also stated in a news release that it has made immediate contacts with relevant disaster-management agencies in the Philippines, as well as Taiwanese expatriates and businessmen to confirm that there were no Taiwanese affected.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs [Mofa] of the Republic of China [Taiwan] and Teco will keep contacts with relevant government agencies to monitor the damage and casualties caused by Usman.”

Further, Teco confirmed Taiwan’s help and is willing to work closely with the country by providing necessities and assistance needed by affected individuals.

The Mofa also conveyed goodwill in offering assistance to the Philippine government through Teco.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Ambassador Koji Haneda also offered “his sincerest condolences to the families of the victims from the recent heavy rainfall caused by Usman, as well as the bombing incident in Cotabato City on December 31,” while expressing sympathies to affected Filipinos.

The envoy confirmed Japan’s “solidarity with the government and the people of the Philippines” as the latter tackles natural disasters and campaigns against violent extremism.

Minister preaches strategies of peace and order over disputed waters Continued from E1

Under such, Japan rejected the role of a military power and resolved to contribute to the peace and prosperity of Southeast Asia through positive cooperation. It has committed itself to a relationship of mutual confidence, trust and heart-to-heart understanding within the region as it positioned itself as an equal partner of Asean and its member-countries.

Infra blitz

IN the four decades since, Japan has emerged to become among the staunchest supporters of Asean centrality, unity, regional stability, connectivity and overall development.

The Asian superpower was the regional bloc’s second-largest trade partner in 2015 (valued at $ 239.4 billion in two-way trade), and accounted for 14.5 percent of total foreign direct investment inflows into Asean that year, with $17.4 billion.

On the economic front, Kano said Japan is pleased to see many infrastructure projects going on in Metro Manila.

“Hopefully, we could start groundbreaking before the start of [2019],” he said of the underground rail that would start in Quezon City, go through the Bonifacio Global City, and ultimately to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The country’s first-ever underground transportation—the Metro Manila Subway—is an underground rapid-transit line to be built initially starting this year, and is expected to be finished by 2025. The project is earmarked to cost P227 billion ($4.5 billion as of 2017). It is expected be the most expensive transport project under the Duterte administration.

Japan has expressed willingness

to help cover the expenses of the subway, as it signed the first part of a ¥104.5-billion loan. Kano revealed his country is also working on the North-South Commuter Line connecting Malolos City in Bulacan to Tutuban in Manila, “and could go as far as Los Baños.”

Fully aware of the vehicular traffic in Metro Manila, the minister said, “Everybody knows the apparent need for public transportation [as a catalyst] for economic growth.

It is Japan’s interest to see the Philippines as a strong and prosperous nation, [as your country is] a very important partner for us.”

Relationships, exchanges

IT used to be that some decades back, Japan was the top source of tourists for the country, but had since been overtaken by Korea.

Kano said Filipinos visiting Japan number about 42,000; but in the last two years, it shot up more than twofold at 85,000.

“That was due to the visa relaxation we implemented. We modernized and reformed the visa policy more appropriately for the current situation.”

Today, South Korea leads the pack of foreign visitors to the Philippines, followed by China and the US, with Japan as fourth. There were half-amillion Japanese tourists who visited the country last year, as the minister said there are “lots of potential by addressing the economic bottleneck, increased tourism potential and heightened people-to-people exchanges.”

At the moment, the Japanese diplomat said the relationship between his country and the Asean is “good,” and they are considering how much more it can enhance that relationship.

KANO

The envoy revealed that his country sees ours as “one of the most promising young nations with which Japan could enjoy a mutual and beneficial, complimentary relationship.”

“For that reason, we have in our interest to invest in public transportation and other infrastructures, which you also need, like subway commuter lines and airports. That would also enhance more businesses, economic opportunities and people-to-people exchanges.”

Kano said that in the last 40 years, Japan saw a lot of developments in exchanges between Manila and Tokyo. Both our countries have faced different kinds of challenges in the 1970s at the start of the Vietnam War, as well as the trouble in the Korean Peninsula some years prior.

Although he joined Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) in 1999, the youthful minister said there was an overall sense of euphoria following the end of the Cold War. It had a positive impact in Southeast Asia, as well as many Asian countries that were former members of the Communist bloc.

The minister said these countries

started to study economic reforms and emulate the good examples of other Asean countries. At that time, he said he was in-charge of this region from Tokyo. Priority for Vietnamese relations with the US and Cambodia was to work for reconciliation, following the long conflict that ended when America left in 1975.

He said in 1997, the Asian financial crisis broke out “that had a huge impact in the region—economically and politically.” In its midst, “Japan was always with the Asean.”

Since the 1990s, after the crisis, Kano said he was on top of offshore development assistance, “and we launched various kinds of proposals, like the Miyazawa initiative that provided liquidity to some counties which had balance of payment that needed rescheduling.”

Constructive relationship with China

KANO’S analysis is that “today, we are also facing different kinds of challenges—particularly in the area of maritime security.”

“We saw the need of the Coast Guard to increase its capabilities.

Since then, we are ready to see the correct quantity and quality of our cooperation.”

He said Japan’s Self Defense Force is participating in the joint exercises of the Philippines and US under “Balikatan” and “Commandant,” which occurred in October.

This author queried Kano: “How do you view China’s lack of transparency in its military buildup?” The former then added that as a perspective, economically, it has overtaken the US and in terms of military might, 10 or 15 years from now.

“Always, we should be cautious in making longtime predictions,” he

warned. “If you recall, in the ‘bubble years’ of Japan in the 1980s and 1990s, there were lots of pundits that said we will overtake the US economically, and even militarily.

That was not the case.”

As a practical advice, Kano said there is a need to look at the situation in China. He volunteered that, while many look from the outside and see some strong parts of the Chinese economy or society, “they may also have some fragilities which we may not know of.”

“I’d rather be very cautious on what kind of course China might take in the future; but in terms of the respective relationships between Japan and China, or Philippines and China, or US and China, I think all of us would be in the same page: That is, we need to have a constructive relationship with China.”

In addressing the situation in the SCS/WPS, the Japanese minister advises: “Any country should modify or calibrate their national defense policy, taking into account the security situation.”

He said that since 2013, Japan has published its first-ever national security strategy under Abe. “I was in charge of those areas at the Mofa. The idea is that we have to adapt with the changing maritime security conditions.”

He justifies by saying that China has been a very important player in this region, “and we wish that it will [play a constructive role] in this region and in the international community.”

In Kano’s assessment, there are areas where we also benefit from the developments happening within the “Middle Kingdom.”

“Right now, China is the biggest trading partner of Japan, [while] we are still the biggest export destina-

tion for the Philippines,” he said.

“For the US too, China is a very important trading component, but that doesn’t mean we have no concerns about its trading behavior, particularly in terms of intellectualproperty rights, nontariff barriers and its lack of transparency.”

“We need to raise these concerns to our Chinese colleagues, and that will be in their interest to reform their economic structures and trading practices.”

Current strategy, COC

KANO disclosed that another domain is cyberspace: “Given the advancement of technology, a lot of cybersecurity issues are now reported, [but] difficult to address.”

He explained that Japan had those in mind in its latest strategy.

With that, their Ministry of Defense has a five-year defense guideline “as to the kinds of assets we need to have to equip our self-defense force.”

“It’s a mixture of assets and diplomatic policies. But overall, in the last two years in our current strategy, we have to do more with our traditional allies, which include the US, but also in partnership with other countries that share common values and interests.”

These countries could be those from Europe, Asia, and according to Abe, the ones comprising Asean— their natural, traditional partners like the Philippines.

In a final analysis, he said Japan, since August, had been monitoring the Code of Conduct (COC) situation.

He said Japan is interested that the COC should not hinder the Fonops exercise.

“We hope the COC should be able to contribute to the peace and stability in the region and not affect the legitimate rights of other countries.”

&Expats

envoys.expats.bm@gmail.com | Thursday, January 3, 2019 E3

EMBASSIES, EVENTS, ETC.

REHAB CENTER OPENED The P350-million, China-funded Dangerous Drug Abuse CHILDREN, ARMED CONFLICT SEMINAR The Embassy of Belgium recently gathered various stakeholders in the country to discuss the plight of kids around the world, including those in the Philippines, who are caught in the crossfire of wars. Ambassador Michel Goffin revealed that his country will sit at the Security Council of the United Nations starting January for a period of two years, and will chair the working group on children and armed conflict—a post previously held by Sweden. EMBASSY OF BELGIUM

Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DDATRC) in Alabel, Sarangani, was recently inaugurated and turned over to the Philippine government after its construction in less than a year.

The 150-bed facility occupies a 3-hectare land from the provincial government and is now operating to cater to Region 12 (Soccsksargen) residents. Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III and Chinese Consul General Li Lin (fourth and fifth from left, respectively) led the unveiling of the center’s marker, together with other major stakeholders from the Philippine and Chinese governments. SARANGGANI LGU

EU, stakeholders to light up 40,000 PHL households

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EVEN new contracts were recently signed among the European Union (EU), civil society organizations, cooperatives, regional and local authorities, corporate social-responsibility institutions, as well as universities for the implementation of projects that will help provide clean energy to 40,000 households in the Philippines.

These initiatives will contribute to the implementation of the Department of Energy’s objective to achieve 100-percent electrification in the country by 2020.

The EU’s contribution to these projects amounts to €21 million and is part of the broader Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (Asep) that aims to support the electrification of 100,000 households around the country.

Ambassador Franz Jessen highlighted that Asep, which will last until 2021, will increase the share of renewables in the energy mix, thereby expanding access to clean electricity

by remote populations while pursuing new energy efficiency strategies.

The seven projects will contribute to electrify remote places and provide income-generating activities to the beneficiary communities, like the improvement of the quality and the value of local crops or the contribution to community-based tourism.

The official launch of the seven projects is scheduled this month.

Those awarded were the following: (1) Strengthening Off-grid Lighting with Appropriate Renewable Energy Solutions or SOLARES, a €5-million grant coupled with livelihood activities to be provided to 5,000

households of poor areas of North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao.

(2) Improving the Lives of People in Off-Grid Communities in Mindanao through the Provision of Sustainable Energy, a €4.5-million grant. A total of 5,000 households are targeted in North and South Cotabato, as well as in Davao Oriental.

3,800 households will be provided with solar home systems, while 1,200 will gain access to energy through pico-hydropower.

(3) SolarBnB Microhotel and Island Livelihood Energizer Platform or SMILE, a €3.9-million grant.

This action brings 24-hour energy access to four poor, remote island communities by integrating proven components of successful electrification and livelihood projects into a comprehensive small-island electrification model while serving growing demand for ecotourism and adventure travel. Local stakeholders include island communities, the Siargao Electric Cooperative and Dinagat Electric Cooperative, the Dinagat and Siargao tourism councils, and the Municipality of Carmen.

(4) Renewable energy technology for seaweed or RETS, a €4.2-million grant. This aims to increase electricity access in Tawi-Tawi, particularly in seaweed-producing municipalities; improve the delivery of community

services, such as health and nutrition, education, sanitation through the availability of electricity services in off-grid and rural seaweedfarming communities; and increase the value added in seaweed farming relative to its income-generation potential.

(5) Renewable Energy Access for off-grid Communities and Households or REACH, a € 3.7-million grant. This aims to enhance social welfare, disaster-resilience and economic growth of vulnerable off-grid communities in the remote areas of Northern Samar through innovative, scalable, and sustainable renewable energy technologies and systems.

(6) Renewable Energy for Livelihood and Youth or RELY, a € 2.2-million grant. The action promotes the use of renewable energy to improve livelihoods and climate resilience in off-grid, poor and remote communities in the Philippines, specifically in Regions 7 and 4B. (7) Clean Energy Living Laboratories or CELLs: The development of centers of excellence on energy access, renewable energy and energy efficiency, which is a €3.8-million grant. A Center of Excellence, based in a university with regional networks in Davao and Cebu, will be the national reference for renewable energy and correspondent of the “Energy4ALL” initiative.

Intl ICT Awards 2019-PHL: All about ‘Inspiring Excellence’

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HE Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CanCham) announces the staging of the 13th annual International ICT Awards-Philippines on March 28 at the Marriott Hotel-Manila in Newport Complex, Pasay City.

The event will recognize outstanding companies in achieving excellence in information and communications technology services.

Major business organizations and high-profile business leaders in ICT, including Globe and PLDT as “Title Sponsors,” have supported the awards since it started in 2007.

CanCham President and CEO Julian Payne noted the increasing international competition for the provision of ICT services in a globalized economy: “Philippine-based companies must ensure that they are the best to maintain their competitive lead [worldwide]. The International ICT Awards directly addresses and supports this challenge.”

Last year’s edition of the awards recognized the excellence of around 100 companies. According to the organizers, there will be more diverse and challenging categories time, namely, the Best Start-Up Company of the Year, which replaces the Best

First-Time Nominated Company of the Year, as well as the Best Company of the Year for Creatives, which replaces the Best Company of the Year for Animation and Game Development.

Prior to the award’s gala night in 2019, three pre-events were scheduled: a media launch that formally signaled the start of the ICT Awards 2019, an appreciation reception on December 4, 2018 that recognized the ICT Awards 2018 winners, and a “Closing of Nominations” reception on February 12 to give recognition to the ICT Awards 2019 nominees.

The culmination of the International ICT Awards will be the gala night, as more than 500 VIP guests, prominent figures and business leaders in the ICT industry, as well as other businesses that use ICT are expected to attend.

The International ICT Awards 2019 have already started accepting

nominations, with the deadline of submission on January 31.

In 2019 awards will be given for outstanding performance and excellence, as follows: Premier Awards—Best Company of the Year, and Best Employer of the Year Category Awards—Best FilipinoOwned Company of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Best Start-Up Company of the Year, Best Contact Center and BPO Company of the Year, Best Global In-House Center Company of the Year, Best Company of the Year Outside NCR, Best Company of the Year for Information Technology and Software Development, Best Company of the Year for Creatives, Best Company of the Year Providing Finance and Accounting Services, and Best Company of the Year Providing Health Information Management Services Corporate Team Awards—Best C-Suite Team of the Year, and Best Front-line Team of the Year Special Award—Hall of Fame

Major changes introduced

FOLLOWING feedback from stakeholders regarding the International

ICT Awards-Philippines event on March 22, 2018, as well as consultations with the Title Sponsors, the following significant changes will be made for this year’s awards: (1) Endorsement by National ICT Confederation of the Philippines; (2) New Best Start-Up Company Category (incorporating Best First-Time Nominee); (3) New Best Company for Creatives Category (incorporating Best Company for Mobile App Development, and Best Company of the Year for Animation and Game Development); (4) Eligibility requirements for Best Company Outside NCR, Best Philippines-Owned Company, Best Start-Up Company and Best Creatives Company, related to minimum percent offshore revenues, are reduced from 50 percent to 25 percent; (5) Added a factor: “Facilities established outside NCR” under judging criteria for Support

by Company of Public Goods; and (6) Minimum of three nominations required in a category to be given an award.

For more details, visit www.ictawards.org.ph, call the ICT Awards Secretariatat(02)843-6471/6466/6457, or e-mail info@ictawards.org.ph.

CHANCERY NOW A LANDMARK Dr. Rene R. Escalante (left) and Ambassador of the

Philippines to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez unveiled the historical markers dedicating the Old Chancery of the Philippine Embassy on 1617 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., as a Philippine national historical landmark. It was there where Resident Commissioners Joaquin M. Elizalde and Carlos P. Romulo presided over the transition of the Philippines from being a Commonwealth into an independent republic in 1946. In World War II, the building served as the headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth government-inexile. PHILIPPINE EMBASSY-WASHINGTON, D.C.

PHL biz councils in UAE await Duterte’s action on expo pavilion

PBC-DUBAI Chairman Maria Celeste Carella (left) with guests

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PHILIPPINE Business Council (PBC) leader in the United Arab Emirates said that President Rodrigo Duterte has received the letter of appeal to the Philippine government to participate in the Expo 2020 in Dubai.

PBC-Dubai Chairman Maria Celeste Carella disclosed that the letter she signed with two other individuals was initiated to “increase foreign direct investments [FDIs] in the Philippines.”

Expo 2020 will be held in Dubai from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 with the theme: “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.” Carella said in their letter that the theme “aligns perfectly with the current government’s ‘Build, Build, Build program.’”

It stated that Expo 2020 presents an opportunity for attracting FDIs particularly in infrastructure and those which highlight Filipino ingenuity and potential.

The letter further said: “Expo 2020 is an opportunity for the country to showcase its local offerings in agri-aquaculture, manufacturing, tourism, medical services, the tech ecosystem and the arts.

Filipino artistry is well-known even in the UAE,

with topnotch fashion designers Michael Cinco, Furne One Amato, Yen AB of Yen Couture, and Ezra Santos holding fort and making waves globally.”

PBC–Abu Dhabi Chairman Deborah Gay Dayrit and Bayanihan Council–Abu Dhabi Chairman Engr. Elmer Casao were the other two signatories.

The three, together with a number of Filipino community leaders, met the delegation members from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who were in the UAE in November to attend a meeting of international participants to the world expo.

The DTI, through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem), is taking the lead in representing the Philippines.

“We really hope the president will be convinced of Citem’s position: that we should have a pavilion, and that he immediately provide the necessary budget for [its] construction and operation,” Carella added.

According to Expo 2020 organizers, major construction work will be completed in October 2019 and as such, there is still time for the Philippines to have its pavilion built before the said month.

PHL Embassy in Manama rolls out financial aid scheme

AMBASSADOR of the Philippines to Bahrain Alfonso A. Ver (standing, fourth from left) leads the distribution of Blue Cards to beneficiaries of the Financial Assistance Program for Filipinos approved for the Labor Market Regulatory Authority Flexi Visa. MANAMA PHILIPPINE EMBASSY

M

ANAMA—81 Filipinos, formerly declared “out-of-status,” benefitted from the Philippine Embassy in Manama’s Financial Assistance Program for Filipinos, and were issued Flexi Visas by Bahrain’s Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) at its Sitra Branch late in November.

That was the sixth batch of beneficiaries of the program, whose members received their Blue Cards and financial grant from the embassy for the payment of the application fees for their Flexi Visas. Such will allow the holder to have multiple employers, thus providing more opportunities for the holder.

The embassy also shouldered the payment of their registration fees and two months of the required monthly fees.

Ambassador Alfonso A. Ver continued to remind the workers that the partnership between

the Bahrain and Philippine governments provides a new opportunity for them to work legally in the Middle East country.

Ver also reminded them to take on the responsibility of maintaining their legal status by keeping their monthly payments up-to-date after the embassy paid for the first two months of their Flexi Visas.

Currently, a total of 402 Filipino workers have benefitted from the joint program of the LMRA and the Philippine Embassy.

The embassy and the LMRA are likewise working on the regularization of former domestic workers who are eligible to apply for the Flexi Visa.

At present, the LMRA is processing the applications of former household workers found to be eligible to apply, particularly those who have already complied with the required medical examination.