BusinessMirror January 05, 2022

JFC welcomes open-pit mining ban lifting

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

A

MID criticisms in the lifting of the ban on openpit mining method by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Joint Foreign Chambers issued a statement supporting the DENR’s decision.

“In response to a media inquiry, the President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines [CanCham], Julian Payne, confirmed the Joint Foreign Chambers [JFC] of the Philippines supported the statement by the Foundation for Economic Freedom [FEF] welcoming

the DENR decision to rescind the ban on open-pit mining,” the group said in a statement.

JFC is composed of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc.; Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (Phils.) Inc.; Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Phils. Inc.; European Chamber of Commerce of the Phils. Inc.; Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of the Phils.

Inc.; Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Phils. Inc.; and the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters Inc. “The DENR decision will enable the metallic mining industry to contribute substantially to the

longer-term growth of the Philippine economy and to benefit Filipinos, particularly those in remote mining areas where poverty and unemployment rates are high,” Payne noted.

He said the additional tax revenue generated by large mining for both national and local governments could help fund much-needed environmental protection and social welfare programs, among other government activities.

Payne further stressed that JFC members also welcomed the terms set by DENR for open-pit mining operations to ensure these will be environmentally and socially sustainable.

In this respect, he added that

“good practices in large-scale mining in countries such as Australia and Canada have demonstrated this is quite possible given appropriate regulatory and fiscal frameworks for mining.”

Groups protest

Environmental groups, including the anti-mining A lyansa Tigil Mina, have condemned the lifting of the open-pit mining ban saying it will only lead to environmental catastrophe.

The latest to issue statements condemining the move are the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc., the Pambansang Lakas ng See “JFC,” A2

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broader look atattoday’s today’s business AA Abroader broaderlook lookat today’sbusiness business Wednesday, January 5, 2022

PHL PESO SEEN TO TAKE A BEATING THROUGH ‘22

n

Vol. 17 No. 89

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages | 7 days a week

MANILA, TOKYO RENEW CURRENCY SWAP DEAL

T

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced on Tuesday that the Philippines has renewed its bilateral swap agreement with Japan.

In a statement, the BSP said the renewed Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) will be effective January 1, 2022.

The BSA is a two-way arrangement where both authorities can swap their local currencies in exchange for the US Dollar.

The arrangement also enables the Philippines to swap the Philippine Peso against the Japanese Yen. “The Bank of Japan, acting as agent for the

A LAND Transportation Office law enforcer reminds bus passengers on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, to follow health protocols in an information drive to curb the infection rate of Covid-19 following the steady surge in cases that began toward the end of 2021. NONOY LACZA

By Bianca Cuaresma

T

@BcuaresmaBM

HE local currency may continue to weaken against the US dollar through 2022, on the back of the expectations of a Fed hike and the looming threat of Omicron on the global economy.

See “Peso,” A2

Minister of Finance of Japan, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas signed the third Amendment and Restatement Agreement of the Third BSA,” the BSP said.

The size of the BSA remains unchanged, that is, up to $12 billion or its equivalent in Japanese Yen for the Philippines, and $500 million for Japan.

The BSP said the renewed BSA incorporates amendments to align the BSA with the recent amendments to the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM) Agreement.

See “Currency,” A2

DTI asks stores to limit paracetamol purchases

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

T

HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) may ask dr ugstores to limit each customer’s purchase of paracetamol following reports of a shortage of the over-the-counter medicine.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez

told reporters that the perceived shortage was only due to the timing of deliveries and that manufacturers are set to replenish drugstore stocks.

“There might be tight supply for some brands. But it is due to timing of deliveries to replenish the stocks in the branches of these drugstores,” Lopez said. “[We] will also ask the drugstores

to limit purchase quantity just to prevent panic buying.”

Lopez said that while popular paracetamol and analgesic brands such as Biogesic or Decolgen may be temporarily out of stock, there are other brands and generics available for the public to purchase.

He stressed that there is no shortage of paracetamol and analgesics. Manufacturers had a

delivery cutoff last December but deliveries have already resumed this week.

On Tuesday, Unilab Inc. issued a statement on the lack of supplies of their paracetamol and analgesic brands in some drugstores, and traced this to “extraordinary demand.”

PESO exchange rates n US 50.9890 n japan 0.4422 n UK 68.7077 n HK 6.5394 n CHINA 8.0234 n singapore 37.6748 n australia 36.6662 n EU 57.6074 n SAUDI arabia 13.5826

See “DTI,” A2

Source: BSP (4 January 2022)

A2

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

PHL logs 5,434 fresh infections as Covid stalks NCR, 2 regions

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

T

Correspondent

HE Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday logged 5,434 additional cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 2,861,119.

There were also 611 recoveries and 18 deaths.

Of the 5,434 reported cases on Tuesday, 5,395 (99 percent) occurred within the recent 14 days (December 22-January 4, 2022).

Currency. . .

Continued from A1

“Japan and the Philippines believe that the BSA, which aims to strengthen and complement other financial safety nets, will further

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were National Capital Region with 3,826 or 71 percent; Region 4A (864 or 16 percent), and Region 3 (333 or 6 percent).

Of the 18 deaths, 2 occurred

deepen financial cooperation between the two countries and contribute to regional and global financial stability,” the BSP said.

The Japan-Philippines BSA was first launched as a oneway BSA in August 2001 which then developed into a two-way,

in Januar y 2022 (11 percent), 8 in December 2021 (44 percent), 2 in November 2021 (11 percent), 3 in October 2021 (17 percent), 1 in August 2021 (6 percent), and 2 in July 2021 (11 percent).

Of the total number of cases, 1.0 percent (29,809) were active, 97.2 percent (2,779,706) have recovered, and 1.80 percent (51,604) have died.

All laboratories were operational on January 2, 2022 but 16 laboratories were not able to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System.

Based on data in the last 14 days, the 16 laboratories contribute, on average, 2.1 percent of samples tested and 1.8 percent of positive individuals.

second BSA under the CMIM in May 2006.

“The BSA is seen to help both countries by limiting foreign exchange risks in times of volatility and serving as a liquidity buffer for future economic crises,” the embassy of Japan said. Bianca Cuaresma

www.businessmirror.com.ph

DTI. . .

Peso. . .

Continued from A1

On Tuesday, data from the Bankers’ Association of the Philippines (BAP) showed that the peso hit P51.3 to a dollar, down from the P51 to a dollar on Monday.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) economist Michael Ricafort said the peso traded on weaker market sentiment on Tuesday due to the record daily global Covid-19 cases and the rising infections in recent days.

Unionbank economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion said he sees this weaker peso trend persisting towards the year.

“We think this will be the trend this 2022 mainly because of the hawkish US Fed and the market anticipating three rate hikes from the US Fed this year. The strong US dollar narrative is very much intact even with the threat of Omicron,” Asuncion said.

Among the major catalysts of the foreign exchange trade in the country, according to Ricafort, are a further reopening of the economy towards greater normalcy with the possible easing of Alert Level, and the accelerated vaccination and, eventually, herd immunity by early 2023.

Ricafort said election-related leads could also partly determine the direction of the exchange rate, though the winning Philippine president is given a honeymoon period of about 6 months to 1 year for any signals and clearer direction on policy priorities, reform measures, and governance that would matter on the economy and fiscal performance and debt management.

Overall, the RCBC economist is hopeful that the peso will regain footing later on.

Asked whether he sees a weaker peso as the overall trend for 2022, Ricafort said: “Hopefully not, since higher Covid-19 cases that resulted in higher NCR Alert Level to 3 tend to slow down economic recovery prospects and could also slow down importation activities.”

Trade gap fears

The Philippine peso’s decline beyond 51 per dollar, for the first time since April 2020, came amid speculation the nation’s trade deficit will widen as domestic demand improves.

The peso fell as much as 0.5 percent to 51.27, the weakest level since March 2020. The currency is the worst performer in emerging Asia over the past month with a loss of 1.7 percent against the dollar.

“Into 2022, we will watch the trade deficit which may widen further as domestic demand recovers, a negative to the peso,” said Irene Cheung, a senior strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Singapore. “The next barrier is 52.”

Strategists at Nomura Holdings Inc. and Barclays Plc forecast more losses for the peso in coming months due to the widening currentaccount deficit and a central bank that wants to keep monetar y policy accommodative in contrast to the hawkish Federal Reser ve.

A seasonal boost from remittances had catapulted the peso as a regional outperformer in the first three weeks of December but those flows have since dwindled.

The peso had attempted to breach the 51 barrier in late September before pulling back. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said at that time authorities can “provide dollar liquidity” if there’s excessive volatility in the market.

With a report by Bloomberg

Continued from A1

“This is to inform the public that some of our brands are temporarily out of stock in select drugstores due to extraordinary demand. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused,” Unilab said.

“We assure you that we are working with our partner drugstores and retailers to accelerate replenishment at the soonest possible time,” it added.

Meanwhile, Lopez encouraged the public to file complaints against profiteers who are selling drugs such as paracetamol at exorbitant prices.

The DTI Secretar y was asked about reports that some neighborhood stores are selling paracetamol brands at double the price. Many of these stores are buying in bulk from drugstores and selling the products locally at above the Suggested Retail Price (SRP).

“Consumers [should] file complaints ASAP and give details [of] those profiteers and we will charge them. Our advice to consumers [is to] buy from reputable drugstores not from sari-sari to ensure fair price according to SRP,” Lopez said.

New normal, new protocol

Lopez said that in light of the rise in Covid-19 cases, the DTI will recommend to the IATF Technical Working Group to include self antigen testing prior to attending gatherings.

He said this will create another layer of protection that will prevent transmission, especially since the Omicron variant is particularly transmissible.

Administering an antigen test can prevent people, especially asymptomatics, from leaving their home and prevent them from passing on the virus to other people.

“Since we allow greater mobility, we should adjust [the] protocol to encourage self testing especially if going to a gathering for prevention of transmission,” Lopez said. “This is better than no test at all for asymptomatics. [This is] another layer of protection.”

In line with this, Lopez said they will also encourage drugstores to sell self antigen tests for voluntary antigen testing.

This, however, will not replace RT-PCR testing and vaccination. Lopez said for those who are symptomatic, they should still undergo an RT-PCR testing.

JFC. . .

Continued from A1

Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) and Anakpawis Party-list.

PMPI said the lifting of the ban on copper, gold, silver, and complex ores open-pit mining is a blow against what it deemed a sorry state of the Philippine environment.

It says the lifting of the ban signals yet another flip-flopping of the DENR—giving high priority to opening up mining operations for income or revenues and on the other hand, public propaganda by President Duterte of ensuring the protection of the environment against mining industries with destructive practices.

For its part, Pamalakaya and Anakpawis said mining operations contribute very little to the economy, citing data of independent think tank Ibon Foundation.

The groups said that in 2020, the share of the mining industry to the gross domestic product was only 0.75 percent, while the government only collected P15.5 billion in taxes, levies and royalties from the said industry or equivalent to 0.07 percent of overall tax collections.

“The much-anticipated economic benefit from mining industry is a complete farce, as it only creates a very small number of jobs and a paltry amount of value to the Philippine economy. Our abundant forests, productive agricultural fields, and marine resources being plundered by mining companies are indeed a far greater expense than the measly amount of collected royalties and taxes from their destructive operations,” Fernando Hicap, former Anakpawis Party-list Representative, said in a statement.

Hicap, national chairman of Pamalakaya, also cited the “devastating impacts” of open-pit mining in nearby streams, rivers, and seas, affecting the livelihood of small fisherfolks. In Sta. Cruz, Zambales, the fisherfolk leader cited, as an example, the case of municipal waters turning red due to the nickel tailings from open-pit mining operations that started in 2006 until then-Environment Secretary Gina Lopez ordered their suspension in 2017.

“Nickel tailings have adversely affected the livelihood of small fisherfolk because of fish-catch depletion and environmental degradation. Traditional fish that used to thrive in the municipal waters have vanished. The contamination also resulted in the death of several reefs that used to be the breeding grounds and habitat of fish. We have been demanding accountability and just compensation from the big mining companies responsible for this environmental catastrophe but to no avail,” Hicap said.

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DOH assures paracetamol supply in Philippines

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MID a noted spike in the demand for paracetamol, the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday denied reports of shortage paracetamol and other drugs to treat flu-like symptoms.

“The DOH would like to assure the public that there is no ongoing shortage in the Philippines. Paracetamol has many generic alternatives in the market, which are available in many drugstores nationwide,” the DOH said, adding that they quickly consulted with major drugstore chains and local manufacturers and suppliers on the status of supply of said products after receiving reports on alleged shortage of supplies of paracetamol and other drugs widely used to treat flu-like symptoms.

The DOH added that they are constantly monitoring the status of supply of critical medicines for Covid-19, including supportive medicines for Covid-19 symptomatic treatment.

“Rest assured that we are working with all relevant government agencies such as the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] as well as the industry to secure the needed health products for the country’s response to Covid-19,” DOH said as it also appealed to the consumers to refrain from hoarding, panic-buying or unnecessary purchases of such medications when clinically warranted.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company Unilab issued an advisory, informing the public that some of their brands are “temporarily out of stock” in selected drugstores and retailers to accelerate replenishment at the soonest possible time.

On the other hand, Ms. Jannette Jakosalem, Vice President of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), and also Managing Director of Zuellig Pharma said that with the heightened vigilance against the Omicron variant, and a number of people getting sick due to various reasons, they are experiencing a “temporary” shortage of certain brands of paracetamol in some areas.

“Paracetamol is available in various dosage forms and strengths, combination products, and under several hundred brands. Alternative analgesics are also available. At the moment, we have enough supply of analgesics available in our inventory,” Jakosalem said.

“We urge the public to consult their doctors and pharmacists for appropriate alternatives if they are experiencing a temporary shortage of paracetamol in their localities.

We also call on them to buy only the needed number, and not overstock, because medicines have a limited shelf life or expiration date, and to consider other patients who may need them more,” she added.

Since the pandemic began, she said that PHAP members have been working tirelessly to make both “Covid and non-Covid medicines available to Filipinos during these challenging times.”

“We are also closely coordinating with the government on pharmaceutical security, and provided recommendations to ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicines in the country,” she said. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, January 5, 2022 A3

Solon bewails zero funding allocation for Covid testing in 2022 natl budget

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

A

S Covid-19 cases continue to rise, a House deputy minority leader on Tuesday revealed that the 2022 P5.024 trillion national budget has no fund allocated for free mass testing.

In a news statement, House Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna said this year’s national budget “is not designed to save lives of the Filipinos but to pander the security sector’s militarist whims and, at the same time, further enrich the makers of arms and war materiel.”

“There is no money for free mass testing of vulnerable persons like the essential workers and employees, but a lot of money for the purchase of missiles, helicopters and other weapons of war,” Zarate said.

“What a priority! Is this what our pandemic-hit country needs right now?” asked the deputy mi-

nority leader.

Earlier, lawmakers said the decision to ban unvaccinated individuals in Metro Manila from going outside their homes is a measure not enough to curb the latest Covid-19 surge, saying restrictions will only be effective if the country drastically increase its testing capacity.

According to Zarate, the budget of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), one of the primary Covid referral hospitals was even slashed by P694.175 million on its Capital Outlay.

“The Food and Drug Administration [FDA] the agency in charge of regulating and monitoring vaccines even got a P100 million budget cut.

While, the P45.368 billion budget for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots remained under Unprogrammed Appropriations meaning it still has no funds,” said Zarate.

On the other hand, Zarate said the Department of National Defense

(DND) budget even increased by P15,016,560,000 from the National Expenditure Program 2022 to the General Appropriations Act 2022, while the Philippine National Police budget increased by P28,073,000.

Also under the DND budget, he added Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization project increased by P2.05 billion compared to the 2021 national budget.

“While the country is still battling the renewed spiking of Covid-19 cases, it is a wonder, even a tragedy, why the administration is rushing to become the first foreign customer for the BrahMos cruise missile system jointly developed

by India and Russia. The government recently allocated P2.8 billion [$55.5 million] initial funding for the weapon system. The AFP is also set to buy more C-130s and attack helicopters,” he said.

“In the twilight of the Duterte administration, it is prioritizing and splurging billions of pesos to buy

‘Wrong guy resigned,’ ex-VP Binay says on ex-FDA chief’s resignation

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

F

OR former Vice President and senatorial aspirant Jejomar “Jojo” Binay it should be Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III who should have resigned from his post and not former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Eric Domingo.

“The wrong person resigned.

It should have been the Health Secretary for his mismanagement of the medical response to the pandemic,” Binay said.

Binay stressed that

Duque’s “failings have unduly compromised the safety of health workers and other frontliners, and eroded the chances of an early economic recovery.”

“If we want the economy to recover, the solution is to improve our medical response to the pandemic,” Binay said adding, “That will never happen under the present DOH leadership. We need a competent person leading the department.”

“So I will say it again. The wrong person resigned,” he reiterated.

On Monday, Domingo announced his resignation effective January 3. The DOH said that

Domingo would be replaced by Dr. Oscar Gutierrez, Deputy Director General of the FDA, as officer in charge (OIC).

Domingo told the BusinessMirror, “I believe I did my part to help during the pandemic.”

“The FDA is now stronger, more efficient and systems are in place.

It’s time for me to move on to other things,” Domingo said.

Domingo was appointed by President as new director general of the FDA on February 6, 2020.

He was appointed FDA OIC following the termination of Nela Charade Puno in May 2019.

SC cuts coverage, shortens duration of Bar exams in Jan

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

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HE Supreme Court announced that it would reduce the coverage and shorten the duration of the 2020/21 Bar Examination to two days—January 23 and January 25, 2022.

The Court made the announcement following its regular en banc session on Tuesday.

The new measure will be “pro hac vice,” which means it is only applicable for the 2020/2021 Bar examination.

“These changes pro hac vice seek to meet the demand for new lawyers amid the disasters plaguing the country. The Philippines has produced no new lawyer since the pandemic. But while the Bar examinations may no longer be postponed, it can be held in a way that is more humane. With these changes, the Court strikes that balance,” the SC said.

The SC also took into consideration the spike in the number of Covid-19

infections and the devastation caused by the onslaught of Typhoon “Odette” (international code name Rai) two weeks ago in some provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The Court also noted that Bar examinees for the coming exams have reviewed for longer than all the other batches under very difficult conditions.

Under the resolution, examinees will take four sets of examinations instead of the usual eight subjects.

The four sets are the following: (1) The Law Pertaining to the State and Its Relationship with Its Citizens (formerly Political Law, Labor Law, and Taxation Law); (2) Criminal Law; (3) The Law Pertaining to Private Personal and Commercial Relations (formerly Civil Law and Commercial Law); and (4) Procedure and Professional Ethics (formerly Remedial Law, Legal Ethics, and Practical Exercises).

Based on its Bar Bulletin No. 31, the Bar examination scheduled on January 23, 2022 will cover The Law Pertaining to the State and its Relationship with its Citizens (formerly

Political Law, Labor Law and Taxation Law) and Criminal Law. On January 25, the examination will cover The Law Pertaining to Private Personal and Commercial Relations (formerly Civil Law and Commercial Law) and the Procedure and Professional Ethics (formerly Remedial Law, Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises).

The SC strongly advised examinees to self-quarantine starting January 9, or at least two weeks before the Bar examinations.

Each examinee will undergo an antigen test at least 48 hours before the first examination.

“Those who will test positive both under an antigen test and an RT-PCR test will not be admitted to their testing sites,” the Bar Bulletin read.

More than 11,000 law graduates have applied to take the Bar exams early next year while the SC has designated at least 24 testing sites nationwide as part of its health and safety measures during the pandemic.

Guevarra: MMC reso against unvaxxed has no legal effect

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HE resolution issued by the Metro Manila Council (MMC) restricting the movements and activities of unvaccinated persons to mitigate the sudden rise in Covid-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) has no legal effect.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that, instead, local government units (LGU) comprising the MMDA should pass separate or-

‘weapons of mass destruction,’ yet, it is claiming that it has no money for free, systematic widespread testing,” he said.

Earlier, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas also asked the Department of Budget and Management to clarify if the final 2022 national budget has made allocations to the hiring of contact tracers, as the submitted expenditure plan has zero allocation for such.

But House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Albay Rep. Joey Salceda gave assurances that Congress is willing to allocate budget “to ensure that we can buy therapeutics, ventilators, and other medical needs should hospitalizations surge.”

“Congress is prepared to make the necessary adjustments, and luckily we will be in session soon,” he said.

He said Congress might also amend the 2021 national budget, whose validity has been extended until December 31, 2022 through Republic Act 11640.

dinances to implement such policy.

The justice chief said local legislative councils could exercise police power delegated unto them by the Local Government Code to implement such measure during this time of pandemic.

On the issue of whether such measures are oppressive and unreasonable and contrary to the Constitution, Guevarra said such issue would have to be left to the discretion of

the courts.

“Are these measures reasonably necessary and not unduly oppressive upon individuals? Are these repugnant to the Constitution? This is a matter for the courts to determine.

Unless judicially restrained, however, these public health measures may actually be executed and enforced,” Guevarra explained.

Earlier, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)

Chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said Metro Manila’s mayors have agreed to pass local ordinances that will restrict the movements and activities of unvaccinated people in NCR while the region is under Alert Level 3 or higher.

The ordinances are expected to bar unvaccinated people from going to malls, restaurants and other public areas and restrict them to their homes.

Joel R. San Juan

Free test for frontliners

RIZAL Rep. Fidel Nograles, meanwhile, asked the government to provide free Covid testing for workers at the frontlines of the country’s response to the pandemic.

“We are again bracing for a surge that according to experts will peak in February. It is just right for us to ensure that our modern-day heroes, our frontliners, do not have to worry about the expenses of being tested and even managing the disease in case they are infected,” he said.

Nograles also said that aside from health-care workers, frontliners must also include pharmacy attendants, quarantine hotel employees as among other workers that are heavily exposed to those who are already infected.

“Giving free testing to our frontliners greatly helps our country’s response to Covid-19 as they will be tested regularly and will not have to dismiss symptoms just to avoid expenses,” Nograles added.

No Senate lockdown, but panel hearings scrapped amid surging Covid-19 cases

By Butch Fernandez

S

@butchfBM

ENATE President Vicente Sotto III confirmed Tuesday senators are not keen on imposing a Senate lockdown amid the still surging number of cases of Covid-19 cases, but said scheduled committee hearings, usually open to the public, have been canceled.

The Senate leader, however, clarified that unlike their counterparts in the House of Representatives the senators will not lockdown the Senate premises, stressing that there is also “no report” of Covid infection in the Senate.

Still, the Senate President played it safe and decided to cancel the second public hearing of the Committee of the Whole that Sotto initiated to conduct an inquiry into the reported smuggling of vegetables from China.

Apart from the Committee of Whole hearing, the Senate Committee on Environment also canceled a scheduled hearing on the proposed legislation covering “protected areas” and the reclassification of agricultural land.

A4 Wednesday, January 5, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

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Creation of migrant workers dept may ease OFW ‘blood money’ claims–Arta

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

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HE Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) is confident that the recent creation of the Department of Migrant Workers could help in facilitating the release of “blood money” claims.

A r ta ex plained that blood money is the financial compensa-

Stricter biz curbs in Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite with AL 3

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

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TARTING today, Wednesday, stricter business restrictions will be implemented in Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal.

In a brief statement issued on Tuesday, Acting Presidential Spokesman Karlo B. Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) decided to raise the Alert Level in the three provinces from 2 to 3.

He said this was in response “to a sharp increase of Covid-19 cases in the particular localities.”

“This shall take effect from January 5, 2022, until January 15, 2022,” Nograles said.

Last Thursday, IATF raised the Alert Level in the National Capital Region (NCR) to Alert Level 3 in a bid to arrest the alarming surge in infections in the said region.

Based on the Monday data of the online Covid-19 tracker of the Department of Health (DOH), Metro Manila registered 13,076 new cases of infection in the last 14 days by date of onset of illness.

Cavite registered 1,151 new cases in the last 14 days by date of onset of illness, while Rizal registered 789 cases and Bulacan with 702 cases.

Under government protocols, intrazonal and interzonal travel in areas under Alert Level 3 will be allowed subject to reasonable restrictions to be imposed by local government units (LGU) based on age and comorbidities.

The following activities will be prohibited in Alert Level 3 areas: Face-to-face or in-person classes for basic education, except those previously approved by the IATF and/or the Office of the President; contact sports, except those conducted under a bubble-type setup as provided for under relevant guidelines adopted by the IATF, Games and Amusement Board, and Philippine Sports Commission, and approved by the local government unit (LGU) where such games shall be held; and funfairs/peryas and kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie rides.

Other activities, which will not be allowed in areas under Alert Level 3, are venues with live voice or wind-instrument performers and audiences such as in karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, and theaters; casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except as may be authorized by the IATF or the Office of the President; and gatherings in residences with individuals not belonging to the same household.

Activities not included in the aforementioned list such as venue for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions and cinema and movie houses will remain allowed but with restricted venue capacity depending on the vaccination status of the participants.

tion awarded to families of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who die outside of the country.

The agency is currently working with the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFAOUMWA) to streamline the processing of blood money claims.

“The establishment of the Department of Migrant Workers is a

significant boost to the morale of our OFWs, our modern-day heroes who have kept our economy afloat for decades through their remittances, as there will now be a department dedicated solely to their needs and concerns,” Arta said in a news statement.

Arta said the process of claiming blood money needs to be streamlined in order to help OFW

families. Currently, some claims of affected families date as far back as 2010.

In June last year, the authority received no less than 10 complaints on the delays in processing of blood money claims in Saudi Arabia.

Apart from the DFA-OUMWA, agencies such as the Department of Justice, Department of Labor

and Employment-Philippine Overseas Labor & Office, and Public Attorneys Office have been tapped to create an inter-agency task force for these claims.

The list of agencies also included the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.

Popcom chief pushes strong anti-poverty measures to reap demographic dividend

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HE Philippines is already entering the early stage of the demographic transition, and the next administration must put in place the needed policies that would allow households to support their families, according to the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM).

Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan A. Perez III told the BusinessMirror that these policies include wages that can support the needs of a growing population.

Perez also said the latest poverty data as well as other information such as the support ratio and living wages should guide the next administration in preventing families from being left behind and allow the country to reap the demographic dividend.

“We are definitely entering the

early stage of the demographic transition. This can only be sustained by policies focused on family development rather than policies that rely on business improvement trickling down to the working poor,” Perez told the BusinessMirror. “It is important to track how families are faring in socioeconomic planning by focusing on indicators like support ratio and living wages.”

Perez added that these policies should be implemented along with efforts to contain Covid-19 and help the most affected regions to recover.

He said the latest poverty data showed that families living in Central Luzon, one of the country’s primary sources of GDP growth, were among the most affected by the pandemic.

There was an addition of 190,900 or a growth of 46 percent in terms

of the number of families that become poor between 2018 and 2021.

However, regions that were less affected by Covid-19 saw “spectacular” improvement in poverty reduction. Perez cited Lanao del Sur as an example that was least affected by Covid-19 and saw a 57 percentage point reduction in poverty.

Perez said the latest data showed poverty incidence in Lanao was at 11 percent in 2021 from 68 percent in 2018. This led to the reduction of 500,000 people from poverty in the region.

“Prospects for the reduction of poverty in the next few years hinge on our actions in containing Covid-19 in the most affected regions,” Perez said.

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) earlier explained that the demographic transition has three phases. The

first is marked by an initial decline in infant mortality (death rate), with fertility rate remaining high.

The second phase happens when the share of working-age population becomes large relative to the young dependent ages and the older population or 65 years and above.

Neda said that with the number of productive working-age population at its highest, the economy’s growth would significantly increase. This is the third phase of the demographic transition.

It explained that with a bigger workforce that can generate higher income and a less dependent population, the government can allocate its resources for economic development and social services (education, health and nutrition). This is also often referred to as the demographiceconomic window of opportunity.

Cai U. Ordinario

Carl Balita presents solutions to resolve issues affecting HCWs amid contagion

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HE world may fall short of as much as 5.6 million nurses by 2030, based on the projections of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) State of World Nursing Report in 2020.

Filipino nurses, meanwhile, are the best for their countrymen and the choice of the world, as spelled out in the Philippine Nursing Roadmap. Likewise, Filipino nurses are the best for the Filipinos, but they are leaving in search for the proverbial greener pastures.

The WHO recommends that countries need to invest in massive acceleration of nursing education, create at least 6 million new nursing jobs by 2030 and strengthen nurse leadership.

These inputs were provided by Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial candidate, Dr. Carl Balita, the first registered nurse-midwife to run for Senate slot in history. He is also a licensed teacher and Doctor of Humanities and Doctor of Education, who is also at the forefront of advocacies for the advancement of nurses, health-care workers (HCW)

and health care in general. As a former faculty and dean of nursing, his review center has bridged the licensure of hundreds of thousands of Filipino nurses.

Dr. Balita quoted Health Assistant Secretary Kenneth Ronquillo, who bared that the Philippines is short of 92,000 physicians and 44,000 nurses because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We also lack 19,000 medical technologists, around 14,000 pharmacists, and around 17,000 radiologic technicians and radiologic technologists,” Dr. Balita said.

For the past 20 years, Dr. Balita said that the Professional Regulation Commission has registered 606,428 nurses and 55,783 physicians. “There was an average of 30,000 nurses registered a year for the past 20 years, and there is no reason for the country to have scarcity of nurses, if only we give our Filipino nurses reasons to stay in the country,” according to Dr. Balita.

Amid the threat of the Omicron variant surge, the full implementation of the Universal Health Care Law, and the availability of the lo-

cal resources due to the MandanasGarcia Ruling, the welfare of health professionals should be and may be addressed properly, “before it is too late,” he said.

The problems

“NURSES are not regarded well in the Philippines,” asserts Dr. Balita.

He cited that the Salary Grade 15, which was provided by RA 9173 in 2002, took almost two decades to benefit the nurses in government.

The nurses in private institutions, on the other hand, remain within the bracket of the minimum wage, even at present.

“The positive practice environment is not provided, not only to nurses, but to many health professionals as well,” Dr. Balita said, clarifying that positive practice environment does not only cover salary and benefits, but also includes career progression, professional recognition, management support structures, education and training, and occupational health and safety. The same is true for many health professionals in community and other health care

DENR: Manila Bay’s water quality better In terms of solid waste management, a total 50,618.94 cubic meters of garbage from shorelines, waterways, rivers, and beaches were collected and disposed from 19,088 cleanup activities including collection from trash traps and trash boats and declogging conducted from January to September 2021 by the DENR, involving 82,151 volunteers and Estero Rangers.

On the other hand, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has also collected and disposed of 17,946.1 cubic meters of solid waste.

The Task Force Water Hyacinth created in 2021 led the collection of a total of 76,224

sacks of water hyacinth in Manila Bay. DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu vowed to carry on rehabilitation efforts this year in compliance with the continuing mandamus of the Supreme Court.

To recall, the DENR led the launching of the Battle for Manila Bay on Januar y 27, 2019, two months before Covid-19 became widespread and compelled the Duterte administration to declare a national public health emergency.

“Amid the persistent Covid-19 pandemic, the DENR along with the Manila Bay Interagency Task Force persevered this year in its task to rehabilitate Manila

continued from a12

Bay. We have accomplished so much and we vow to sustain our gains for a cleaner Manila Bay in 2022,” Cimatu said in a statement.

“As the rehabilitation continues, I call on fellow Filipinos to be part of this huge and vital task to restore Manila Bay to its pristine condition through behavioral change. It’s high time that we totally alter our habits on waste disposal as well as our attitude on taking responsibility for one’s actions. Our cleanup efforts will be in vain if these will not be sustained by the public, and especially by the new administration this 2022,” said Cimatu. Jonathan L. Mayuga

settings. “The absence of these is the reason why, while nurses may want to be home to serve Filipinos, nurses are pushed away to grab the opportunities overseas,” said Dr. Balita.

“During the pandemic, the nurses were deployed as ‘casual, job orders’ under the Nurse Deployment Program, which gave the ‘carrot’ of high salary but lacks plantilla positions for job security and career progression,” he lamented.

While lauding the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build program that built health facilities and infrastructures, Dr. Balita noted that the human resource through permanent job positions need improvement to “complete the seriousness” of the government, national and local, in prioritizing health specially amid the pandemic.

There was also the imposition of the deployment ban after the cap of 6,500 deployments in 2021. As the ban is increased to 7,000 deployments in 2022, Dr, Balita still regards the number as a big threat to the lack of nurses in various hospitals, especially among private hospitals.

Briones lauds 2022 budget allocation for education

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ITH the approved 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the education sector, the Department of Education (DepEd) expressed confidence that it would be able to build on the progress of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BELCP) with the budget allocated to the agency.

The education sector also obtained the largest increase, which includes DepEd, State Universities and Colleges, and Commission on Higher Education with P788.5 billion, P36.8 billion higher, respectively, or a 4.9 percent increase compared to last year’s budget.

“The additional funding would also be helpful on our implementation of limited face-to-face classes in public schools,” Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said, once President Duterte “gives his go-signal.”

In the GAA, P631.77 billion was officially allocated to DepEd at the bicameral level—a 6.34 percent increase from the agency’s 2021 GAA at P594.11 billion. DepEd has initially proposed a total P1.37 trillion budget for 2022.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones has expressed his gratitude to President Duterte and Congress for the “neverending support” to raise the quality of education in the country.

“The increase in budget will certainly help our reforms and initiatives to transform education amidst the pandemic,” Briones said.

The DepEd-Office of the Secretary has an allocation of P591.18 billion while the remainder will be distributed to the DepEd’s six attached agencies, including the Early Childhood Care and Development Council (ECCD Council), National Book Development Board (NBDB), National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT), National Museum, Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA), and the newly-formed National Academy of Sports (NAS).

Some of DepEd’s major programs also saw increases, such as Learning Tools and Equipment (P2.72 billion), DepEd Computerization Program (P11.76 billion), Basic Education Facilities (P5.94 billion), Last Mile Schools Program (P1.51 billion) Madrasah Education Program (P356.83 million) and Indigenous Peoples Education (P144.3 million).

Sevilla noted that these increases would be vital in the agency’s initiatives this year, including expanding the limited face-to-face classes nationwide once the President gives his go-signal.

She also highlighted the special provision of increasing the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) threshold from P15,000 to P50,000, which will be a massive lift to the field offices amid the pandemic challenges. Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

Comelec may scrap ‘teaser’ debates for May elections

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HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing to scrap its “teaser” debates scheduled this month, for the national and local elections in May. At an online news briefing, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said they might decide to scrap the pre-election day debates since the number of presidential and vice presidential candidates are now at a “manageable” number.

“Right now we are cutting down the number of candidates who are running for President. So it might no longer be necessary to have a predebate,” Jimenez said.

He said they are now consider-

ing pushing through with the main debates, which were supposed to be held in February, March, and April after the start of the campaign period.

Jimenez said they would come out with their final decision before the end of the month.

Comelec is now wrapping the official list of candidates for the elections.

Based on the initial list of candidates of the poll body, there are currently 15 presidential aspirants and five vice presidential aspirants.

Jimenez said they are still eyeing to come out with the final list of candidates by Jan. 7, 2022. Samuel P. Medenilla

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

TheWorld BusinessMirror

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

A5

US sets global daily record of over 1 million infections

M

ore than 1 million people in the US were diagnosed with Covid-19 on Monday as a tsunami of Omicron swamps every aspect of daily American life.

The highly mutated variant drove US cases to a record, the most—by a large margin— that any country has ever reported. Monday’s number is almost double the previous record of about 590,000 set just four days ago in the US, which itself was a doubling from the prior week.

It is also more than twice the case count seen anywhere else at any time since the pandemic began more than two years ago. The highest number outside the US came during India’s Delta surge, when more than 414,000 people were diagnosed on May 7, 2021.

The stratospheric numbers being posted in the US come even as many Americans are relying on tests they take at home, with results that aren’t reported to official government authorities. That means the record is surely a significant under-estimate.

While surging cases haven’t yet translated into severe infections and skyrocketing deaths, their impact has been felt across the country as the newly infected isolate at home. The results are canceled flights, closed schools and offices, overwhelmed hospitals and strangled supply chains.

The data from Johns Hopkins University is complete as of midnight Eastern Time in Baltimore, and delays in reporting over the holidays may have played a role in the rising rates.

Revising rules

The surge is leading authorities to mull over a revision of some measures put in place to help guide the nation through the latest phase of the outbreak. While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened the isolation period to five days for asymptomatic people who test positive for Covid-19, the agency may add that they should get a negative test result before venturing out again, officials said.

The outbreak is also causing companies to halt their returnto-office steps, with the likes of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. adopting the more cautious stance of encouraging staff to resume working from home at the start of the New Year.

The silver lining is that deaths from Covid haven’t similarly soared. Early studies

show the Omicron variant spreads faster than earlier strains but causes milder symptoms.

The outlook for 2022 depends on whether the death toll follows cases and picks up in the weeks to come, or if evidence suggesting the Omicron wave will be less severe holds up as more realworld data emerges.

Capitol: ‘Explosive’ case growth

The US Capitol has registered “explosive” growth in infections, with more than 13 percent of tests coming back positive over a sevenday period, up from less than 1 percent, Brian P. Monahan, the chief physician for Congress, told lawmakers.

Most of the Capitol cases were of people who had been vaccinated, and none resulted in serious complications or hospitalizations. Most were caused by the Omicron variant.

NYC to require boosters

New York City might expand its vaccine mandates in April to require booster shots, Mayor Eric Adams said on Bloomberg TV. Public-sector employees in the city are required to be fully vaccinated. A private-sector mandate went into effect December 27, requiring employees to get a second dose within 45 days before they can enter their workplaces.

Adams said he has urged banks and other businesses to bring workers back to offices.

“You can’t run New York City from home,” he said.

Booster for young teens

US regulators granted emergency-use authorization to give Pfizer Inc.’s booster shot to people age 12 to 15. The Food and Drug Administration also reduced the recommended interval to five months between the second and third doses of the messenger RNA vaccine, which was developed with BioNTech SE. The agency said also that immune-compromised children age 5 to 11 could receive a third primaryseries shot at least 28 days after their initial two-dose immunization.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expert

panel is expected to meet as soon as this week on the issue.

Key developments:

Tokyo, Okinawa cases rise

Japan’s capital found 103 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the most in nearly three months according to data from the Tokyo government.

The number of serious cases remained at one.

But the seven-day average caseload figure rose to 75.7, nearly doubling from the previous week.

In the southern prefecture of Okinawa, 130 cases were reported Monday, the highest since late September, according to Fuji News Network. In the Japanese capital, a cluster of 11 cases was found at the Tokyo Daijingu shrine, the broadcaster also reported.

Delhi’s chief minister tests positive

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s chief minister, tested positive with mild symptoms as a wave of infections continues to strengthen across the country. India confirmed 1,892 Omicron cases Tuesday and 124 more deaths, taking the total tally of Covid-related fatalities to 482,017.

More than 9.9 million vaccines were administered in the last 24 hours, according to federal health ministry data. This included 4 million doses to teens aged between 15-18 years.

Xi’an residents chafe at lockdown

Almost two weeks of lockdown is starting to wear on the residents of Xi’an, the western city at the center of the longest outbreak of Covid-19 in China since the virus was first detected.

Shortages of food and medical care have worsened in the past 12 days since officials sealed off the city of 13 million people to stymie a flareup that has already led to more than 1,600 infections. More posts are starting to emerge on Chinese social media criticizing the government’s poor management and complaining that access to food is extremely limited.

The outbreak appears to have spread from Xi’an, which reported 95 new cases on Tuesday. The eastern province of Zhejiang and central province of Henan reported eight and five cases respectively, while another 21 asymptomatic infections were detected country-wide and counted separately.

HK sets vaccine mandate

Hong Kong Chief Executive

Why are so many vaccinated people getting Covid lately?

W

hy are so many vaccinated people getting Covid-19

lately?

A couple of factors are at play, starting with the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

Omicron is more likely to infect people, even if it doesn’t make them very sick, and its surge coincided with the holiday travel season in many places.

People might mistakenly think the Covid-19 vaccines

will completely block infection, but the shots are mainly designed to prevent severe illness, says Louis Mansky, a virus researcher at the University of Minnesota.

And the vaccines are still doing their job on that front, particularly for people who’ve gotten boosters.

Two doses of the PfizerBioNTech or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine still offer strong protection against serious illness from

omicron. While those initial doses aren’t very good at blocking Omicron infection, boosters—particularly with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines—rev up levels of the antibodies to help fend off infection.

Omicron appears to replicate much more efficiently than previous variants. And if infected people have high virus loads, there’s a greater likelihood they’ll pass it on to others, especially the unvaccinated. AP

Carrie Lam announced a vaccine requirement for restaurants and public leisure facilities will be imposed from February 24. That’s later than initially planned, with the government having delayed the start of the restrictions to after the Lunar New Year holidays, when families gather in homes and restaurants across the city.

Lam said the delay was needed so businesses can prepare, and to give the city time to roll out vaccines to the roughly 1 million

people who haven’t yet had a first dose. “We can’t possibly ask them to make all the required preparations within a very short time because they have to make big changes with their facilities,” she said of the catering sector.

Private workplaces and shopping malls are exempt from the mandate.

Goldman: China border curbs may stay China may keep its border

restrictions for the rest of the year as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics and a series of political events in 2022, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said.

Reports that vaccines made by domestic firm Sinovac Biotech Ltd. offer limited protection against the Omicron variant will likely reinforce China’s resolve to stick with its Covid Zero strategy, analysts led by Andrew Tilton wrote in a note Tuesday.

Bloomberg News

A6

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

3M SERVICE CENTER APAC, INC. 17th, 18th, 19th Floors, Bonifacio Stopover Corporate Center, 31st Street Cor., 2nd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, City Of Taguig

PHUBANRATTANAKUL, ANGSUMALEE Service Desk L1 Analyst (Thai) 1.

Brief Job Description: Answering incoming calls / chats/ web tickets and providing technical assistance following established procedures and guidelines.

LYANN BOO Operations Executive 2.

Brief Job Description: Serves as a liaison between the customer and various departments & ensures that basic CS functions are performed

11.

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

12.

Basic Qualification: Must be native Thai/ Indonesian/ Vietnamese/ Taiwanese/ Chinese/ Korean/ Japanese/ Malaysian fluent in English and respective native language; With at least a year experience in similar field Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

DAM TRI OAI Payment Executive 3.

Brief Job Description: Assess financial risk while maintaining appropriate level of cash flow required to support business operation

LEE SHYH CHYUAN Logistics Supervisor

Basic Qualification: Bachelor level university/ college degree is generally required. A 2-3 year technical or vocational degree in a specific field may be considered equivalent.

AVANTICE CORPORATION 19/f Pbcom Tower, Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Must be native Indonesian/ Vietnamese/ Cambodian fluent in English and respective native language; Proficient in Microsoft applications

4.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for financial operations of the Philippines local business in addition to the global shared services in Manila Operations

5.

Brief Job Description: Create media support to suggest usage of facilities and entertainment

Basic Qualification: Master’s degree in finance, minimum of 10yrs in financial management

YAO, WEI General Manager 13.

6.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for new member acquisition on casino floor and provided premium services to patrons within assigned locations

WANG, JIE Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 14.

7.

Brief Job Description: Provide and lead analytical job in actual business operation for the company and its worldwide clients

15.

8.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for Overall Brand Management and Corporate Identity.

Basic Qualification: Has extensive experience in software systems and business solutions; is proficient and able to communicate in Mandarin or any Chinese language

16.

17.

9.

Brief Job Description: Provides technical support in Portuguese

18.

19.

10.

Brief Job Description: Provides technical support in Dutch

20.

CHAN CHUN CONSTRUCTION PHILIPPINES CORPORATION L2b B8 Belvedere St., Doña Manuela Subd, Pamplona Tres, City Of Las Piñas

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

ZHANG, HENG Chinese Speaking Program Designer 21.

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

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

YANG, CHAOYIN Chinese Speaking Program Designer

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

ZHOU, NINGPO Chinese Speaking Program Designer 22.

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

TERINK, STEFAN JOHAN Multilingual Service Desk Operational Lead

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

TAN HENG FEI Chinese Speaking Program Designer

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

Basic Qualification: Proficient in written and verbal communication in English language and excellent knowledge of Dutch. Proficient computer and technical skills

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

MU, XINYOU Chinese Speaking Program Designer

Basic Qualification: Train, supervise and appraise operation tasks.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in written and verbal communication in English language and excellent knowledge of Portuguese. Proficient computer and technical skills

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

MA, DANCHAO Chinese Speaking Program Designer

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

CGI (PHILIPPINES) INC. 2/f One World Square, Mckinley Hill, Pinagsama, City Of Taguig

DA SILVA JUNIOR, LUIZ CARLOS Multilingual Service Desk Member

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

HUANG, CHAO-YANG Chinese Speaking Program Designer

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

CENOPHI CORPORATION 2/f Krisambet Bldg., 1015 Zobel Roxas St., Singalong, Barangay 695, Malate, City Of Manila GAO, WENXIN Operation Manager

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

CAI, CHENGFA Chinese Speaking Program Designer

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably graduate of business and marketing or related courses, has experience in sales and marketing

Basic Qualification: College graduate or above, ability to effectively communicate in English and mandarin, in both written and oral forms

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of working experience in trackwork construction; fluent in Mandarin

No.

24.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of working experience in trackwork construction; fluent in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION MARIA SANTI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate Brief Job Description: Prepare and maintain company documents and reports and coordinate for daily administrative reports

SUSANTI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 25.

Basic Qualification: College graduate with 5years working experience in related field.

Brief Job Description: Prepare and maintain company documents and reports and coordinate for daily administrative reports

THAM WAI LOON Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 26.

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

CRONYX INC. No. 4th-10th Flr. Yinhope Bldg., Dela Rama Cor. Zoili Hilario St., Seascape Village, Ccp Complex Subd. Zone 10, Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay City

CASPO INCORPORATED 43/f, 45/f, 49/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue Corner V.a. Rufino Street, Bel-air, City Of Makati

LOH JIT POH Operations Supervisor

Brief Job Description: Managing the daily working of the office, managing sll the heads and making sure the performance of the dept. is in order

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

CHINA GEZHOUBA GROUP CO., LTD. (PHILIPPINES BRANCH) 916 High Street South Corporate Plaza, Tower One 26th Street, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

BLOOMBERRY RESORTS AND HOTELS INC. Solaire Resort And Casino, 1 Asean Avenue, Entertainment City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque YAM CHUN SIONG Host, Premium Services - China / Sea

Brief Job Description: Supervise each welder on the project, monitor the progress of the operations, and ensure the safety of all workers.

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

BIRD OF PARADISE BOHOL RESORT INC. Unit 1206 12th Floor The Trade And Financial Tower, 32nd Street Corner 7th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

GAVRYLENKO, INNA In-house Model & Marketing Associate

Brief Job Description: Managing the loading of trucks, setting up delivery routes, and unloading of materials

SU, SHENG-WUN Welding Supervisor

BAYER PHILIPPINES, INC. 29th Floor Menarco Tower, 32nd St. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig MULDERS, MARCEL Chief Financial Officer And Treasurer

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written

23.

Brief Job Description: Evaluating and developing our marketing strategy and plan

27.

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written

LI, JIAYANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 28.

29.

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

TAN, QIANSONG Chinese Operator Officer 30.

Basic Qualification: Strong Analytical, Diagnostic and ProblemSolving Skills, Excellent in Mandarin verbal communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Strong Analytical, Diagnostic and ProblemSolving Skills, Excellent in Mandarin verbal communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Strong Analytical, Diagnostic and ProblemSolving Skills, Excellent in Mandarin verbal communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

Brief Job Description: Coordinate with Globe/ Smart /DITO for module business representation, installing marketing plan, send-in and send-out contract. Engage with marketing and business teams of telecom operators and keep the good relationship for smooth work

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin and English language. Bachelor’s degree in business administration. 3 years experience on the same field Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

HITACHI ELEVATOR PHILIPPINES CORPORATION (HEP) U-604 Penthouse Oppen Bldg., 349 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati MAKI, KIYOSHI Director, Vice President, Treasurer 31.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for overseeing management and operations of the whole company

Basic Qualification: 5 years’ experience as chief executive officer (CEO), stockholder of the company Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

HRDP GROUP CORPORATION 30/f Yuchengco Tower, Rcbc Plaza 6819 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati NASRUTDINOV, RENAT Senior Project Manager 32.

Brief Job Description: Full cycle of Development management of real estate residential projects

Basic Qualification: BSc/BA degree in Civil or Structural Engineering, extensive previous work experience Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

INFOVINE INC. 9/f Y Tower, Moa Complex, Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal, Brgy. 076, Pasay City

BENJAMIN CHONG JUN HAO Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 33.

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

LEI, LEI Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 34.

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

QIU, YUAN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 35.

Basic Qualification: Effective management skills and ability to multitask

DYNA BINARY HOLDINGS INC. 18/f Tower 2, The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave., Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

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

EMERALD WIRELESS TECH INC. 28th/f Arthaland Century Pacific Tower E-square Information Technology Park, 25th St. Cor 5th Ave., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

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

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

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

SHEN, JIAJUN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written

Brief Job Description: Enters customer and account data and keeping and maintaining information confidential

Basic Qualification: Strong Analytical, Diagnostic and ProblemSolving Skills, Excellent in Mandarin verbal communication Skills

DYNAMIC STUDIO TECHNOLOGY INC. 5th To 10th/f Platinum Tower Building, Aseana Ave. Cor. Fuentes Street, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque

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

DREAM CONST. BUILDERS INC. Unit 402 Diamond Tower, Lancris Residence, Japan Street, Don Bosco, City Of Parañaque LIU, DI Marketing Director-mandarin Speaking

ARBIN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written

Brief Job Description: Prepare and maintain company documents and reports and coordinate for daily administrative reports

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

WANG, JIAJIA Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 36.

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

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

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ZHOU, JIAJIAN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk

37.

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

ZHU, CAIYUN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 38.

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

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

No.

54.

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

39.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

ARJUNA Indonesian Customer Support Representative 40.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

JULI HARTANTO Indonesian Customer Support Representative 41.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

LELY DEVORA PANGESTU Indonesian Customer Support Representative 42.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

RANDY THEON Indonesian Customer Support Representative 43.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

ROSTIYANI Indonesian Customer Support Representative 44.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

VERONITA VICTORIA Indonesian Customer Support Representative 45.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding

CHONG HUI YEONG Malaysian Customer Support Representative 46.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

YIP BOON KIT Malaysian Customer Support Representative 47.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

CUI, JINCHENG Mandarin Customer Support Representative 48.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions and responding to complaints.

DENG, SHAOZHONG Mandarin Customer Support Representative 49.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

50.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

LIU, YANG Mandarin Customer Support Representative 51.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

ZU, WENPENG Mandarin Customer Support Representative 52.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

NGUYEN LE HUU PHUC Vietnamese Customer Support Representative 53.

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

55.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Indonesian and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

56.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Indonesian and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Indonesian and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in INDONESIAN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Indonesian and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

57.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls & customer service inquiries

Brief Job Description: Japanese food is more than just sushi, and being a Japanese chef is about more than knowing the ingredients. Traditional Japanese cuisine follows longstanding practices and methods for cutting, preparing and cooking foods that excite more than just your taste buds. The Japanese Executive Chef: Sushi Master must combine a thorough knowledge of Japanese cuisine with the ability to train and manage the kitchen staff, select the right ingredients, design a successful menu and present his dishes in interesting and appealing ways.

LE CARVENNEC, ISMAEL YANICK MICHEL Country Manager 58.

Brief Job Description: Operations and development of long-term and annual plans of the Representative Office

59.

GONZALES ARIAS, DENIS JAVIER Senior Collector Brief Job Description: Collection process, state of account reconciliation

60.

61.

62.

63.

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service TA THI KIEU TRANG Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service TANG HAI KIEU Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service WANG, YUANZHI Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service

64.

DAI, SHAOKUI Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

LIANG, DILONG Chinese Customer Service

65.

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

67.

68.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Mandarin/Fukien and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

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

WU, DANDAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

YANG, HAO Chinese Customer Service 69.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

70.

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming Calls and Customer Service Inquiries

YANG, YEYAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, speaks & write fluently (Korean & English)

FANG, XUEPING Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 73.

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

Basic Qualification: •Must be fluent in Nihongo (Japanese Language); Japanese National with cook license (highly preferred); With at least 20 years experience making Sushi in Japan (Master Sushi Chef)

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

FENG, CHAO Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 74.

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

FU, JIANPING Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 75.

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

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

GAO, SHIQIANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate Basic Qualification: Advance knowledge in finance and food industry operations, graduate of a reputable university, French proficiency (native) Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

76.

77.

Basic Qualification: Assist customers with issues and inquiries Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese/ Mandarin fluently

78.

79.

80.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 81.

82.

83.

84.

85.

86.

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

NIU, XIUYAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 87.

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

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

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

LU, LINSHENG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

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

LIU, YUNDONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

LIN LIN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

LI, CHUANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

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

JONY Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

HUANG, XIANHUI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

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

HUA, XU Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese/ Mandarin fluently

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

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

HOU, XIAOLING Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese/ Mandarin fluently

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese/ Mandarin fluently

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

HAN, SHIQI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

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

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

GAO, YIJUAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience.

72.

MARKETROLE ASIA PACIFIC SERVICES, INC. 26/f, 27/f, 28/f The Enterprise Center Tower 1, 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati MAULINDA Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff

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

CHEN, QINGCHENG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

MAERSK GLOBAL SERVICE CENTRES (PHILIPPINES) LTD. Levels 5-8 North Wing, Estancia Offices, Capitol Commons Meralco Ave., Oranbo, City Of Pasig

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

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

71.

LACTALIS PHILIPPINES - REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE INC. L17, 6750 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN/FUKIEN and at least college level with related BPO experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

MUN, UIHO Korean Customer Service Representative

SHIMIZU, MASARU Japanese Executive Chef: Sushi Master

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Indonesian and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls & customer service inquiries

Basic Qualification: College graduate, speaks & write fluently (Korean & English)

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION CAO, CHENGYONG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

JAPANESE RESTAURANT DAIMASU, OPC Unit A-1/2/3 G/f Allegro Center, 2258 Chino Roces Ext., Magallanes, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Indonesian and at least college level with related BPO experience.

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

HAN, SANGKU Korean Customer Service Representative

No.

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

J-NA ALLOUT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS CORP. 3/f Lipams Bldg., #48 President Avenue, Bf Homes, City Of Parañaque

66.

LIANG, HAITAO Mandarin Customer Support Representative

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION Ground, 2nd, 3rd And 4th Floor, Eight West Campus Mckinley West, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig APRILIA SUSANTI Indonesian Customer Support Representative

Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

A7

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION TRIEU VAN KHOAN Vietnamese Customer Support Representative

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

SHU, ZIYANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 88.

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

A8

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION WANG, HUI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

89.

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

WANG, PEIXUAN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 90.

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

WU, LIN Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 91.

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

WU, WEI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 92.

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

WU, WENQIANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 93.

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

XIE, ZHUANDI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 94.

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

YANG, LIMING Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 95.

Brief Job Description: Assist/Help Customers, Give Customers Information about Product and Services

ZHAO, CHAO Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 96.

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

ZHONG, RUI Chinese Speaking Admin Associate 97.

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

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

98.

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

YE, KAIYUN Chinese Customer Service 99.

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

ZHANG, LAICHAO Chinese Customer Service 100.

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

ZHANG, PENG Chinese Customer Service 101.

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

ZHANG, WENBIN Chinese Customer Service 102.

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

105.

Basic Qualification: With at least 6 months customer service experience/Good in oral communication and written

NGUYEN THI HOANG OANH Customer Service Representative 106.

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

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of incoming calls. Generate sales leads. Identify and assess customers’ needs.

Handle customer complaints. Follow communication procedures, guidelines and policies.

SAW KOK LEONG Assistant Finance Manager 107.

Brief Job Description: Help finance managers with administrative and financial tasks, including involving budget drafting, issuing purchased orders, and implementing and managing procurement processes

DEVARAJ PONNIAH Assistant Technical Manager 108.

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

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

109.

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

Brief Job Description: Can report various parts of the company such as the facilities executive, chief financial officer or chief operations officer, but usually has direct access to senior management.

SEHGAL, SULABH Senior Manager - Leadership Development 110.

Brief Job Description: To help develop leaders within Sitel - take care of our succession planning process, managing our track trainee pool, innovate and equip the leaders with skills and competencies to make them future ready.

111.

Brief Job Description: 1) Plans and initiates the company’s major strategies in line with its vision, goals and objectives 2) Oversees and makes final decision for the entire operation of the company and project-related activities 3) Monitors effective administration of contracts for the engineering, procurement and construction of projects 4) Sets major policies and directives and sees to it that targets are attained 5) Initiates strategies to expand and acquire new projects for the company; responsible for the Contract Negotiations and Agreements to the Consultant and Owner 6) Coordinates, communicates and establishes goodwill with foreign and local business partners, clients , principals, etc.

7) Monitors compliance by subordinates to job duties and assignments. Evaluates the performance of subordinates and initiates appropriate action

103.

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

ZHANG, YAXING Chinese Customer Service 104.

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

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

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

119.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; Suggesting information about other products and services HUYNH QUANG TOAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

120.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; Suggesting information about other products and services LE QUOC LOI Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

121.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; Suggesting information about other products and services NGUYEN VAN MANH TIEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

122.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; Suggesting information about other products and services

CHEN, CAILI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 112.

Brief Job Description: Planning, maintaining and coordinate the development of primary and secondary market research

FANG, YUXUAN Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 113.

Brief Job Description: Planning, maintaining and coordinate the development of primary and secondary market research

WANG, YING Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 114.

Brief Job Description: Planning, maintaining and coordinate the development of primary and secondary market research

115.

Brief Job Description: Developing, implementing sales strategies, client service, plan and analyzing sales data

YANG, SE YUL Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 116.

Brief Job Description: Developing, implementing sales strategies, client service, plan and analyzing sales data GIRDWICHAI, KETPAITOON Thai Customer Service Representative

117.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; Suggesting information about other products and services

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal & written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal & written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal & written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal & written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal & written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

SUTHERLAND GLOBAL SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. 12th Floor Philplans Corporate Center, Kalayaan Avenue & Triangle Drive, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Basic Qualification: Candidate should have a minimum 1 year solid experience in the same filed, should be fluent in Mandarin and able to understand ESL, good computer skills.

Basic Qualification: Earned a bachelor’s degree in any field; at least 6 years of work experience in the same industry with 2-3 years of management experience.

Basic Qualification: Candidate should have a minimum 1 year solid experience in the same filed, should be fluent in Mandarin and able to understand ESL, good computer skills.

PRAVIN VINOD Manager - Account Management 123.

Brief Job Description: Set the path to success by managing performance and service quality to guarantee customer satisfaction.

YEW KOK WEI Guest Experience Manager – VIP 124.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: Bachelor of Commerce and 10+ years work experience in IT and BPO industries.

Brief Job Description: Responsible in providing guest services as well as supervision, direction and leadership in front office in accordance with the objectives, performance and quality standards by Okada

ANG CHIN KEONG Host, Premium Marketing Business Development 125.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Brief Job Description: Responsible for developing mass patrons to premium patrons and ensuring a positive experience during their stay or visit to Okada manila

JUNG, HYEBIN Host, Premium Marketing Business Development 126.

Basic Qualification: 1) University Graduate 2) Preferably with minimum of 15 years experience under the same capacity 3) At least with N2 level in Nihhongo

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

TIGER RESORT, LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Okada Manila, New Seaside Drive, Entertainment City, Barangay Tambo, City Of Parañaque

Brief Job Description: Responsible for developing mass patrons to premium patrons and ensuring a positive experience during their stay or visit to Okada manila

Basic Qualification: Must have at least 5 years of experience in international 5-star hotel including 3 years in front desk; must be proficient in hotel property management system Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Must have lived, studied and worked in Malaysia for at least 10 years and is accustomed to its culture; must naturally speak and write Malaysian language Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Must have lived, studied and worked in Korea for at least 10 years and is accustomed to its culture; must naturally speak and write Korean language Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

VE PHARMA INC. Unit 20a The World Centre, Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

NEGI, BHUPENDRA SINGH Finance Manager 127.

SOCIALATEMYIND INC. Unit No. Unit 2c Flr. No. No. 4/f, One E-com Center Bldg., Lot No. 4/f Mall Of Asia Complex Ocean Drive St., District 1, Barangay 076, District 4, Pasay City

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

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

DINH DUONG THANH TU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

TATSUZAWA, HIROMICHI President/managing Director

HUANG, PENG-HAO Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate ZHANG, XUEJIAN Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Candidate should have a minimum 1 year solid experience in the same field, should be fluent in Mandarin and able to understand ESL, good computer skills.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; Suggesting information about other products and services

SMCC PHILIPPINES, INC. 6/f Peninsula Court Bldg., 8735 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

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

118.

SITEL PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Ortigas Home Depot, Julia Vargas Ave., Ugong, City Of Pasig

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

Brief Job Description: Coordinate and assist in planning and leading computer and or machine related activities in an organization

CHNG JING YAN Operation Executive

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

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION WONGCHUWECH, PHICHITRA Thai Customer Service Representative

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

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: With Atleast 6 Months Customer Service Experience/Good in Oral Communication and Written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

No.

RGB LTD. (PHILIPPINE BRANCH) 15/flr. R Magsaysay Ctr, Roxas Blvd., 076, Bgy. 699, Malate, City Of Manila

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

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

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

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

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ZHU, HEQIAN Chinese Customer Service

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

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

No.

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Brief Job Description: Controlling the complexity of accounting & financial operation, bank reconciliations checking of all entries, & price and deal, consignment monitoring recon of accounts & receivables physical verification of inventory forming accounting strategies.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree, well developed and excellent in cash management functions & reconciliation with more than 5 years’ experience can communicate in Hindi and other languages for affiliate company abroad.

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

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer questions about services or products / excellent Mandarin communication skills

VSL CIVIL WORKS PHILIPPINE BRANCH # 162, 2/f, Unit 201 D Paragon Plaza, Highway Hills, City Of Mandaluyong

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

128.

UDAE HUSEP Erection Methods Specialist

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer questions about services or products / excellent Mandarin communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer questions about services or products / excellent Mandarin communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer questions about services or products / excellent Mandarin communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficiency in handling customer questions about services or products / excellent Mandarin communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal & written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Coordinate and document the operation of launching gantries and refinign methods used

FERRY EFFENDI Technical Advisor 129.

Brief Job Description: Create, review and execute technical plans in accordance to the needs and requirements of the project

Basic Qualification: Experience with bridge construction projects, knowledgeable with the methods and kinematics of launching gantries Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Experience with bridge construction projects, experience with creation and execution of development plans and revisions as required.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 *Date Generated: Jan 4, 2022

In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on December 18, 2021, the position of JIN, ZELONG under HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES PHILS. INC., should have been read as HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER FOR ENTERPRISE BUSINESS GROUP and not as published.

In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on December 21, 2021, the position of CHEN, XIUXIU , TANG, SONG , and XIA, YIN under NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION, should have been read as CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE and not as published.

In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on November 9, 2021, the name of LUI, WEN-HUI under ACSTREAM MANAGEMENT INC., should have been read as LIU, WEN-HUI and not as published.

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

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

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Ontario shuts schools, indoor dining, gyms amid infections

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ORON TO —A l l sc hools in Canada’s most populous province will be shut down and move to online learning because of a record number of coronavirus infections fueled by the ultra-contagious Omicron variant, Ontario’s premier announced Monday.

Premier Doug Ford also announced the closure of indoor dining. Gyms and cinemas will also close and hospitals have also been told to pause all non-urgent surgeries.

Ontario is locking down again, unlike the US cities and states.

Like the US, Ontario is seeing record new infections. Ford pointed to projections showing the total number of patients in hospitals would exceed capacity within a few weeks as Omicron is expected to tear through the population.

“We’re bracing for impact,” Ford said, adding that they are expecting a “tsunami” of cases and noted just one percent of 100,000 new cases a day could overwhelm hospitals. Ontario has a population of more than 14.7 million.

“They had no choice,” said Dr. Andrew Morris, a professor of

infectious diseases at the University of Toronto and the medical director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at SinaiUniversity Health Network.

“It was going to be brutal one way or the other. Show me who isn’t facing these realities? Anywhere?” he said.

Morris said the US has much more hospital capacity than Canada. Dr. Chaim Bell, a hospital-based general internist at Sinai Health in Toronto, has noted Canada has one of the lowest number of hospital beds per capita in the industrialized world with hospitals often running at more than 100 percent capacity and leaving little extra room for extra capacity for surges.

“How does one add hospital capacity? You need to add physicians and nurses, etc. They don’t just appear,” Morris said.

The reopening of schools has been delayed until at least January 17. Just last week, the government announced schools would open on Wednesday.

Retail stores will be limited to 50 percent capacity in Ontario and indoor social gatherings will be capped at five people. AP

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was in stable condition. In the evening, the hospital said in a separate statement that Bolsonaro’s condition had improved, though there was still no definitive evaluation of whether he will require surgery.

Bolsonaro, 66, has experienced a series of medical issues and underwent several surgeries since he was stabbed in the abdomen on

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YDNEY—New virus cases in Australia surged to record levels on Tuesday, increasing the strain on hospitals and testing centers across the country.

In New South Wales, Australia’s most-populous state, 23,131 new cases were reported, an increase on the record of 22,577 cases on New Year’s Day. There were 1,344 people in hospitals, up 140 on the previous day and 78 more than the record previously set in late September. The new cases were detected from 83,376 tests, a positivity rate of 28 percent.

Victoria state reported 14,020 cases on Tuesday, eclipsing the record of 8,577 set on Monday.

There were 516 people in hospitals, including 108 in intensive care.

The new numbers mean Australia has passed the grim milestone of 500,000 Covid-19 cases.

New South Wales Chief Medical Officer Kerry Chant on Monday urged people not to seek hospital treatment unless absolutely necessary.

“It is important that we all play our part in not placing unnecessary burden on the health system,” she said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday rejected calls for the federal government to make rapid antigen tests free, in part to relieve

the campaign trail in 2018. At the time, the president was operated on by Dr. Antônio Luiz Macedo, whose team is overseeing his treatment in São Paulo.

Macedo was on vacation and expected to return to São Paulo, Bolsonaro wrote on Tw itter, along with a photo of himself laying on a hospital bed and giving thumbs up. He had

previously been on vacation in southern Brazil.

The president was admitted to hospital in July for another intestinal obstruction, following days in which he appeared to struggle with speaking at times and said he suffered from hiccups that could go uninterrupted for days. At the time, he didn’t require surgery to recover. AP

Hezbollah leader launches verbal attack against Saudi Arabia king

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E I RU T—T he le a d e r of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group verbally attacked the king of Saudi Arabia on Monday, saying Riyadh helped spread extremist Islamic ideology worldwide and is taking the thousands of Lebanese who work in the oil-rich Persian Gulf region “hostage.”

Ha ssa n Na sra l l a h ’s st ate ments during a speech in Beirut came in response to comments by King Salman, who called on the Lebanese in a speech last week “to end the terrorist Hezbollah’s control” of Lebanon.

The comments come as Lebanese authorities are trying to mend relations with Saudi Arabia that hit a new low in October when the kingdom recalled its ambassador from Beirut and banned all Lebanese imports. The Saudi move followed comments by a Lebanese Cabinet minister who said in a televised interview that the war in Yemen was futile and called it an aggression by the Saudi-led coalition.

Early last month, Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi, who made the comments before he took the job, resigned from his post but the move did

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah speaks via a video link during a ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the assassination of the head of Iran’s Quds force General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad, in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, Lebanon on Monday, January 3. AP/Bilal Hussein

not heal the tense relations.

The Yemen conflict began with the 2014 takeover of the capital Sanaa by the Houthi rebels, who control much of the country’s north. The Saudi-led coalition entered the war the following year, determined to restore the internationally recognized government and oust the rebels.

A9

Australia’s Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations hit new records

Brazil leader hospitalized with intestinal obstruction

IO DE JANEIRO—Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was taken to a São Paulo hospital for tests early Monday after experiencing abdominal discomfort, the government said in a statement.

The hospital where he was admitted, Vila Nova Star, said in a morning statement the president had an intestinal obstruction and

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

L eba non’s P r i me Mi n i ster Najib Mi k at i issued a st ate ment say ing Nasra l l a h ’s comment s do not re present t he gover nment nor t he “m ajor it y of L eba nese.” He ca l led on L eba nese pol it ic i a ns to spa re L ebanon f rom statements “t hat lead nowhere.”

“Your highness the king, the

terrorist is (the side) who exported Wahhabi-Daeshi ideology to the world and they are you,” Nasrallah said, referring to the Islamic State group by its Arabic acronym of Daesh. Nasrallah also blamed Saudi Arabia for sending Saudi suicide attackers to Syria and Iraq as well as for the war in Yemen. “ T he ter ror i st i s whoe ver takes hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of Lebanese as hostages and threatens the Lebanese state w ith ev icting them,” Nasrallah said during a rally marking the second anniversary of the US killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.

There have been concerns in Lebanon that the tension could affect tens of thousands of Lebanese who work in the gulf.

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari responded immediately after Nasrallah ’s speech with a tweet calling the Hezbollah leader’s comments “lies that cannot be hidden in darkness.”

Bukhari did not name Nasrallah but referred to him as Abu Raghal, a historic Arab personality that represents treason. AP

Medical staff collect Covid-19 swabs from people at a drive-through clinic in Sydney on December 25, 2021. New virus cases in Australia surged to record levels on January 4, 2022, increasing the strain on hospitals and testing centers across the country. AP/Rick Rycroft

pressure on PCR testing centers.

Australian Medical Association Vice President Chris Moy said large numbers of healthcare workers have been furloughed after contracting the virus, making

it difficult for remaining workers to provide adequate patient care.

“You have this double-whammy of lots of patients and also staff being furloughed at the same time,” Moy told ABC Radio. AP

Turkey’s inflation hits a 19-year high of 36%

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NK AR A, Turkey—Turkey’s yearly inflation climbed by the fastest pace in 19 years, jumping to 36.08 percent in December, official data showed on Monday.

The Turkish Statistical Institute said the consumer price index increased by 13.58 percent in December from the previous month, further eroding peoples’ purchasing power.

The yearly increase in food prices was 43.8 percent, the data showed.

The yearly inflation rate was the highest since September 2002. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party came to power two months later, in November 2002.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Erdogan promised a return to single-digit inflation.

“Whatever the reason, we regret that our citizens are faced with such a picture,” Erdogan said in reference to Monday’s inflation rate. “We are determined to break the neck of inflation and bring it back to single digits as soon as possible.”

Inflation has been rising in the country while the Turkish lira has been slumping to record lows after the country’s central bank—under pressure from Erdogan—cut a key interest rate by 5 percentage points in September.

The weakened lira has made imports, fuel and everyday items more expensive and has left many in the country of some 84 million struggling to buy food and other basic goods. Many have been purchasing foreign currencies and gold to protect their savings.

Last month, Erdogan announced measures to safeguard lira deposits against volatility after the Turkish currency hit an all-time low of 18.36 against the dollar. The lira rebounded following the announcement but has since lost some of those gains. The lira depreciated by around 44 percent against the dollar last year.

Erdogan insists on lowering borrowing costs to boost growth, even though economists argue that higher interest rates is the way to tame soaring prices.

Earlier on Monday, Erdogan announced that Turkey’s exports increased by 32.9 percent in 2021, to reach “a record ” $225.4 billion.

Addressing a group of exporters in a televised speech, Erdogan said the figure amounted to a 7.8 percent narrowing of Turkey’s trade deficit. Turkey would revise its export target for 2022 to $250 billion, he added.

Meanwhile, the independent Inflation Research Group, made up of academics and former government officials, put the yearly inflation rate at a much higher 83 percent.

It said consumer prices rose by 19.35 percent in December compared with November. AP

Your BlackBerry dies on January 4: End of an era for iconic handset

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lackBerry devices running the original operating system and services will no longer be supported after January 4, marking the end of an era for the storied device that catapulted work into the mobile era.

O nt a r io - ba sed Bl ac k B er r y Ltd ., t he compa ny for me rly known as Research In Motion

whose signature handset in the 1990s came to embody working on the move, said handsets running its in-house software “will no longer be expected to reliably function” after Tuesday, according to its end-of-life page.

The move, first announced in 2020, effectively kills off a line-up that remains popular to this day in

parts of the world for its reliability and security. BlackBerry devices and their physical keyboards were once the go-to mobile device both for professionals keeping up with e-mail and younger people messaging on its proprietar y platform. The company’s appeal waned as Apple Inc.’s iPhone and a slew of Android handsets with

larger displays, better graphics and wider app offerings took over the market during the past decade.

The Canadian company stopped making its own smartphones in 2016, shifting to a software-only business and licensing its brand and services to TCL Communication Technology Holdings Ltd., which

continued to release devices until its deal ran out in 2020. The TCL devices were powered by Alphabet Inc.’s Android OS and will be supported until August.

Yet nostalgia for the BlackBerry name made it one of the meme stocks of 2021, triggering a massive spike in its share price in January before a similarly steep decline.

“These devices will lack the ability to receive over the air provisioning updates and as such, this functionality will no longer be expected to reliably function, including for data, phone calls, SMS and 9-1-1 functionality,” the company wrote. “Applications will also have limited functionality.”

Bloomberg News

A10 Wednesday, January 5, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

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editorial

Let’s keep PHL free from bird flu

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he World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) announced on January 8, 2021 that the Philippines is already free of the last remaining A(H5N6) strain of the avian influenza. The OIE declaration came nearly four years after bird flu first struck poultry farms in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija. The H5 outbreaks happened nearly two decades after the contagious disease first unleashed its fury in Asia and caused poultry raisers in the region to incur millions of dollars in losses.

When the government confirmed that the poultry disease had indeed struck farms in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija in August 2017, consumers avoided eating chicken meat for fear of contracting bird flu. That was bad news for raisers who incurred huge losses. The farmgate price of broiler nosedived to P15 per kilogram, which was lower than the production cost of raisers. To prevent the spread of the disease, the government imposed a ban on the transport of chicken—a move that affected both broiler raisers and egg producers.

While the poultry disease was eventually contained and demand for chicken meat recovered, raisers struggled to regain their footing because of the uncertainty in the supply situation, according to the United Broiler Raisers Association (See, “PHL seen to suffer glut in chicken meat,” in the BusinessMirror, April 29, 2019).

The group lamented that the lack of a data system that would have guided the investment decisions of new entrants have led to the glut in chicken meat in the early part of 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic, which placed many areas in the country under lockdown, heightened the uncertainty for local broiler raisers.

The lockdown and mobility restrictions halted economic activity and resulted in the shutdown of a number of establishments, including restaurants. This dampened the demand for chicken meat, particularly among those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The spike in the prices of pork products last year caused by the spread of African swine fever (ASF) did not help poultry raisers even as consumers shifted to cheaper protein sources like chicken meat (See, “Broiler raisers brace for farm-gate price plunge,” in the BusinessMirror, December 27, 2021).

A new bird flu outbreak would bring the poultry subsector to its knees and could again make it difficult for the government to attain its targets for the entire agriculture sector. The bird flu outbreak in 2017 and the outbreak of ASF in 2019 have already slowed farm growth. The fatal hog disease alone was mainly responsible for the anemic performance of the Philippine agriculture sector in January to November last year (See, “January-September farm output sinks to 11-year low,” in the BusinessMirror, November 8, 2021).

The government should do everything possible to prevent another bird flu outbreak. Policy-makers should listen to local broiler raisers, who brought to their attention the alleged entry of Chinese poultry products into the Philippines (See, “Broiler raisers demand investigation of reported China poultry importation,” in the BusinessMirror, December 29, 2021). All the measures earlier put in place by concerned agencies to prevent another bird flu outbreak will mean nothing if infected meat products from other countries would enter the local supply chain. It is also possible that smuggling chicken products into the country can play a role in the spread of the highly contagious bird flu.

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The legacy of UP Law Dean Merlin Magallona Dennis Gorecho

Kuwentong Peyups

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he legal profession lost one of its Filipino luminaries in the field of international law, as former UP College of Law Dean Merlin Magallona passed away in his sleep on the evening of New Year’s Day, January 1, 2022. He was 87.

Although I was not one of his students, he had a major role in my legal studies at the UP Law when I entered as a freshman in 1992 until I took the bar exams in 1998.

He was the “co-pilot” serving as Associate Dean from 1991 to 1995 and later as the “head pilot” from 1995 to 1999 as the Dean. He was also Director of the UP Law Center’s Institute of International Legal Studies from 2000 to 2001.

Despite the fact that he was not my professor, I was able to understand the legal mind of Dean Magi, as we fondly called him, through his books, papers, and publications on international law.

There were many giants in the UP Law Faculty who mentored us, and Dean Magi is certainly one of the most loved among these “giants”.

He spent decades teaching international law to generations of UP Law students, who have since become renowned scholars and leading practitioners of international law themselves.

As students at the UP Law, the imposing words of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. welcomed us to Malcolm Hall: “The business of a law

school is not sufficiently described when you merely say that it is to teach law or make lawyers. It is to teach law in the grand manner, and to make great lawyers.”

With excitement and trepidation, Dean Magi was there to guide us as we pursued the dream of becoming (great) lawyers.

Traversing the path of legal education was hard to the exponential power, as we immersed ourselves in law books and cases, faced terror professors, pore through volumes and pages of SCRAs, lined up for photocopying at the law library, hurried through classes, reviewed and crammed through lessons, and survived recitations.

Encounters with law professors during the dreaded recitations involved answers that range from direct lifting from the SCRAs “in the original,” for those who studied, to inventions through guess work for those who didn’t.

Despite the torture, most of the memorable moments in law school were funny blunders during class recitations, as reminisced by some of his former students.

“He was, for the most part, the

MAGALLONA

most bewildering and at the same time entertaining professor we ever had…because his ideas were so different from what we were reading in the assigned cases,” according to Professor Theodore Te. Te added that “the forest is barer at the moment because a great tree has fallen. But the seeds he has sown have become fruitful and will soon produce many new trees to try and fill the void.”

Professor Antonio La Vina said Dean Magi’s “language was dense and not easy to understand” because of the ideas and the framework. “When we recited in his class, we really were not sure we understood what we were mouthing. And in his poker face, which was as calm as his voice, he did not give us a hint whether our answers were correct.”

“An intellectual giant and an

irrepressibly good person,” says bar topnotcher Joan de Venecia-Fabul who now teaches PIL like Dean Magi, adding that “I still have a long way to go before I can even begin to approximate his greatness.”

In the landmark case of Magallona v. the Executive Secretary (GR 187167, August 16, 2011), Dean Magi led the petitioners questioning the constitutionality of Republic Act (RA) 9522, or “An Act to Define the Baselines of the Territorial Sea of the Philippines.”

Petitioners said that RA 9522 “dismembers a large portion of the national territory” because it discards the pre-United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) III demarcation of Philippine territory under the Treaty of Paris and related treaties, successively encoded in the definition of national territory under the 1935, 1973 and 1987 Constitutions.

Petitioners argued that this constitutional definition trumps any treaty or statutory provision denying the Philippines sovereign control over waters, beyond the territorial sea recognized at the time of the Treaty of Paris, that Spain supposedly ceded to the United States.

However, the Supreme Court upheld by a unanimous decision the amendment to the country’s archipelagic baselines to conform to the UNCLOS. Dean Magi served as a resource See “Gorecho,” A11

Biden pushed to speak out more as US democracy concerns grow

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By Colleen Long And Zeke Miller | Associated Press

ASHINGTON—President Joe Biden has gotten the same troubling questions from worried world leaders, ones that he never thought he would hear.

“Is America going to be all right?” they ask. “What about democracy in America?”

While Biden has tried to offer America’s allies assurances, he has only occasionally emphasized the gravity of the threat to democracy from the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol and the repeated lie from the man he defeated, Donald Trump, that the 2020 election was stolen. And he’s not discussed the very real concerns about a growing collection of insurrection sympathizers installed in local election posts and changes by Republicans to election laws in several states.

Now, as the anniversary of that deadly day nears, the Democratic

president is being urged to reorder priorities and use the powers of his office to push voting rights legislation that its adherents say could be the only effective way to counter the rapidly emerging threats to the democratic process.

The tension in Biden’s approach reflects his balancing of the urgent needs of Americans to make progress on the highly visible issues of the coronavirus pandemic and the economy and the less visible, but equally vital, issue of preserving trust in elections and government.

The president plans to deliver a speech on Jan. 6 focused on sustaining democracy—voting rights won’t be part of the remarks but will be the

Now, as the anniversary of that deadly day nears, the Democratic president is being urged to reorder priorities and use the powers of his office to push voting rights legislation that its adherents say could be the only effective way to counter the rapidly emerging threats to the democratic process.

topic of another speech soon, White House aides said.

In his recent commencement address at South Carolina State University, Biden’s tone on the need for voting rights legislation took on added urgency.

“I’ve never seen anything like the unrelenting assault on the right to vote. Never,” Biden said, adding, “This new sinister combination of voter suppression and election subversion, it’s un-American, it’s undemocratic, and sadly, it is unprecedented

since Reconstruction.”

And the world is taking notice.

Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, also has said that the riot at the Capitol has altered the view many countries have of the United States.

“January 6 has had a material impact on the view of the United States from the rest of the world, I believe from allies and adversaries alike,” Sullivan said recently at the Council on Foreign Relations. “Allies look at it with concern and worry about the future of American democracy. Adversaries look at it, you know, more sort of rubbing their hands together and thinking, How do we take advantage of this in one way or another?”

In contrast, Republicans in numerous states are promoting efforts to influence future elections by installing sympathetic leaders in local election posts and backing for elective office some of those who participated in the insurrection.

See “Biden,” A11

Opinion BusinessMirror

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022 A11

First Cambodian-American PhilHealth-owned hospitals: ‘Ang solusyon ni Arranza’ The need for PhilHealth to estabmayor in US takes office lish its own hospitals has become

By Philip Marcelo | Associated Press

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OSTON—A refugee who survived the Khmer Rouge’s brutal rule has become the first Cambodian-American mayor in the United States.

Sokhary Chau, a city councilor in Lowell, Massachusetts, was unanimously picked by his council peers to assume the legislative body’s top post on Monday. He also became the city’s first Asian-American mayor.

“God bless America, right? I was a refugee, now I’m mayor of a major city in Massachusetts,” the 49-year-old, who works for the US Social Security Administration, said after being officially sworn in. “I don’t know if that could happen anywhere else in the world. I’m still trying to absorb it.”

Chau, in his inaugural remarks, reflected on his family’s perilous escape from Cambodia and the former industrial city of Lowell’s deep immigrant roots.

Located on the Merrimack River near the New Hampshire state line, Lowell was an early center of America’s textile industry, drawing waves of European and Latin American immigrants over generations.

Today, the city of more than 115,000 residents is nearly 25 percent Asian and home to the nation’s second-largest Cambodian community.

“As a proud Cambodian-American, I am standing on the shoulders of many immigrants who came before me to build this city,” Chau said Monday before a crowd that included his wife and two teenage sons.

Chau recounted how his father, a captain in the Cambodian army, was executed by the communist Khmer Rouge in 1975 during the country’s civil war. He said his mother, who died last year, managed to keep her seven children alive for four years, surviving “landmines, jungles, hunger, sickness and uncertainty” to deliver them safely to the US. Chau said America may not have “streets paved with gold” as his family imagined while living in refugee camps, but it’s a land where democracy is possible because of “systems of checks and balances” and principles like fairness, equality and transparency.

In an interview later, Chau said he was around 9 years old when his family initially settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with the help of the Catholic Church—an experience that prompted the family to convert to Christianity.

They made their way to Lowell’s growing Cambodian community in the mid-1980s, where some of his older siblings immediately set to work in local factories.

Chau, however, continued his studies and eventually earned a scholarship to Phillips Academy, an exclusive boarding school in nearby Andover. He went on to Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he studied economics and political science, also on a scholarship.

Before running for office, Chau

said he worked mostly in financial services, including running a mortgage lending company in Lowell with his wife before the housing market crashed in the early 2000s.

Chau’s election follows the ascendance of new Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, whose parents immigrated to the US from Taiwan. She was sworn in last November as Boston’s first woman and first person of color elected to the post.

Chau is also among the growing list of Cambodian American officeholders in Massachusetts: at least two other city councilors, a school committee member and two state lawmakers, all from Lowell, according to Vannak Theng, president of the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell.

But while Cambodian Americans served on local boards and state legislatures nationwide, none were elected mayor, according to the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, a Washington nonprofit that helps Asian Pacific Americans pursue public office and maintains a listing of current officeholders.

In fact, Long Beach, California, home to the nation’s largest Cambodian community, only elected its first Cambodian American city councilor in 2020, the organization noted.

Chau’s election also comes on the heels of a federal court lawsuit that argued Lowell’s election process violated the voting rights of minority residents, who comprise nearly 50 percent of its population.

A recent settlement in the case prompted the city to change its election process, starting with the 2021 elections. The result was the city’s most diverse class of officeholders, said Oren Sellstrom, litigation director at Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Boston group that brought the 2017 suit.

“Just four years ago, the city’s elected officials were all white and largely unresponsive to the needs of the city’s communities of color,” Sellstrom said. “This historic change in the city’s power structure would never have been possible under the old electoral system.”

To be sure, the mayoral office in Lowell is largely ceremonial.

The city, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Boston, is run by a city manager picked by the council.

The mayor is effectively the council president, leading its meetings and also serving as chair of the city’s school committee.

Still, Chau acknowledged his election’s significance to the wider Cambodian diaspora, calling on others to step up in their communities.

“We can no longer be just victims,” he said as he closed his inaugural remarks. “It is our time now to be leaders and to succeed.”

Gorecho. . .

Biden. . .

person for the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Basic Law and pushed for the Philippines’ territorial sovereignty on multiple occasions.

His works are reminders that the safest course for our nation is that which is most faithful to the Constitution.

Dean Magi made international law real and as a tool that allows smaller states to stand up to superpowers.

Dean Magi accomplished many things. He was master teacher and mentor, academic leader, renowned scholar, and passionate advocate.

White House officials insist Biden’s relative reticence should not be interpreted as complacency with the growing movement to rewrite history surrounding the Jan. 6 riot.

Rather, they say, the president believes the most effective way to combat Trump, election denialism and domestic extremism is to prove to the rest of the country—and to the world—that government can work.

“I know progress does not come fast enough. It never has,” Biden said last fall. “The process of governing is frustrating and sometimes dispiriting. But I also know what’s possible if we keep the pressure up, if we never give up, we keep the faith.”

In Biden’s view, many of Trump’s voters didn’t wholly embrace Trumpism. Instead, Trump exploited longstanding dissatisfaction with the na-

continued from A10

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

continued from A10

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

MAKE SENSE

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N official of the government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC) Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has pointed an accusing finger at some PhilHealth officials for allegedly manipulating operations to block probes over PhilHealth’s alleged P15 billion anomaly. When people were refused admission in private hospitals and some were dying during the onset of Covid-19 because of hospital shortage, I strongly suggested the need for PhilHealth to operate its own hospitals.

“May solusyon kay Arranza,” I coined this phrase in Pilipino to emphasize that establishing PhilHealth-owned hospitals in the country would be a win-win solution for the government, the health industry and the Filipino people, especially PhilHealth members who stand to benefit the most, given the following considerations.

The move to allow PhilHealth to have its own hospitals will not only help increase the country’s total capacity for much-needed hospital beds, but will also broaden acces-

sibility to health care by most Filipinos. This will also help lessen the country’s cost of hospitalization. As government-owned hospitals, PhilHealth hospitals will not be profitdriven health facilities. We only need to reformulate the agency’s mandate and appoint appoint a great manager to run its affairs. Given its available funds, PhilHealth can acquire state-of the art medical equipment and facilities. Thus, it can provide health-care services that would be at par with privately owned hospitals.

This will lessen the government’s

even more apparent, not only because of the threat of some accredited hospitals to pull out from its IRM program, but also due to the current and evolving threats of the new Covid variants.

dependence on private hospitals for its healthcare program, even as it will also help minimize corruption in the health-care industry. The alleged collusion between corrupt hospitals and PhilHealth officials in the latter’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) that allows the state health insurer to release funds to hospitals in times of “fortuitous events” like natural disasters, insurgencies, and wars has caused the reported loss of P15 billion in people’s money during the onset of Covid-19.

Establishing PhilHealth-owned hospitals will also give essence to the government’s Universal Healthcare Program. With Republic Act 11223 that automatically enrols all Filipino citizens in the National Health Insurance Program and prescribes complementary reforms in the health system, the PhilHealth-owned hospitals will be a big boost to the Universal

Healthcare Act. Moreover, establishing Philhealth-owned health-care facilities will give its members a governmentown hospital they can call their own, where they can get affordable and quality healthcare services.

The need for PhilHealth to establish its own hospitals has become even more apparent, not only because of the threat of some accredited hospitals to pull out from its IRM program, but also due to the current and evolving threats of the new Covid variants.

I, therefore, hope that all concerned government officials will realize that it’s not the time to argue on what to do to address the frailty of the government’s health-care program amid the pandemic, and to consider instead my suggestion.

All problems, after all, have a solution. And that is why in addressing the country’s healthcare issues amid the pandemic, as I say it in Pilipino, “May solusyon kay Arranza”.

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

What will Silicon Valley learn from Holmes’ conviction?

AN JOSE, California—The fraud conviction of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes could offer Silicon Valley’s culture of hubris and hype some valuable lessons.

Will anyone in the tech industry actually take this moment to heart?

Don’t count on it.

Holmes was found guilty on Monday of duping investors into believing that Theranos had developed a revolutionary medical device that could detect a multitude of diseases and conditions from a few drops of blood. She could face up to 20 years in prison for each charge, although legal experts say she is unlikely to receive the maximum sentence.

Federal prosecutors depicted Holmes as a charlatan obsessed with fame and fortune. In seven days on the witness stand, she cast herself as a visionary trailblazer in maledominated Silicon Valley who was emotionally and sexually abused by her former lover and business partner, Sunny Balwani.

The trial also laid bare the pitfalls of one of the go-to moves of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs—conveying a boundless optimism regardless of whether it’s warranted, known as “fake it ‘til you make it.” That ethos helped hatch groundbreaking companies such as Google, Netflix, Facebook, and Apple — the latter cofounded by one of Holmes’ heroes, Steve Jobs.

But few expect her conviction to lower the wattage on the brash promises and bold exaggerations that have become a routine part of the tech in-

dustry’s innovation hustle.

Holmes’ conviction “will send a message to CEOs that there are consequences in overstepping the bounds,” suggested Ellen Kreitzberg, a Santa Clara University law professor who attended the trial. On the other hand, she said, “investors are still going to want to make more money on a promising idea. They will always go in for the golden ring.”

Holmes remained seated and expressed no visible emotion as the verdicts were read. She bowed her head several times before the jury was polled by US District Judge Edward Davila. After the judge left the courtroom to meet with jurors individually, Holmes got up to hug her partner, Billy Evans, and her parents before leaving with her lawyers.

The bold dream Holmes pursued when she founded Theranos in 2003 at the age of 19 had become a nightmare by the time she was indicted on felony charges in 2018.

During that span, Holmes went from an unknown to a Silicon Valley sensation who had amassed a $4.5 billion fortune on paper to a vilified failure. Her downfall was dissected in documentaries, books, podcasts and will soon be rehashed in a Hulu TV series called “The Dropout” starring Amanda Seyfried in the lead role.

Holmes set out to create a less painful, more convenient and cheaper way to scan for hundreds of diseases and other health problems by taking just a few drops of blood with a finger prick instead of inserting a needle in a vein. She aimed to upend an industry dominated by giant testing companies such as Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp, starting with setting up “mini-labs” in Walgreens

Holmes’ conviction “will send a message to CEOs that there are consequences in overstepping the bounds,” suggested Ellen Kreitzberg, a Santa Clara University law professor who attended the trial. On the other hand, she said, “investors are still going to want to make more money on a promising idea. They will always go in for the golden ring.”

and Safeway stores across the US that would use a small Theranos device called the Edison to run faster, less intrusive blood tests.

The concept — and the way Holmes presented it—enthralled wealthy investors eager to buy an early stake in a game-changing company. It helped Theranos raise more than $900 million from savvy billionaires such as media mogul Rupert Murdoch and software magnate Larry Ellison, as well as well-to-do families such as the Waltons of Walmart and the DeVos clan behind Amway.

Holmes also wooed a well-connected board that included two former US secretaries of state, Henry Kissinger and the late George Shultz: two former secretaries of defense, Gen. James Mattis and William Perry; former Sen. Sam Nunn; and former Wells Fargo CEO Richard Kovacevich. She charmed former President Bill Clinton in an on-stage presentation and impressed then-Vice President Joe Biden, who effusively praised her during a 2015 tour of a Theranos lab.

What most people did not know at the time was that Theranos’ bloodtesting technology kept producing

sociated Press Business Writer Marcy Gordon contributed to this story from Washington.

tion’s political, economic and social systems to build his coalition.

So Biden tailored his first-year domestic agenda to combating what he believed to be the root causes of the unease—the shaky economy and the pandemic’s drag on it—essentially to prove that government can work effectively.

He has directed federal law enforcement to shore up security at national institutions and improve communication systems and procedures that were in part to blame for US Capitol Police being left overwhelmed for hours during the mob assault.

The Justice Department has undertaken the largest prosecution in its history, charging more than 700 defendants and still looking for more.

But it is voting rights that many Democrats and activists concerned about what may happen in 2022 and beyond are urging the president to make a key priority.

“The insurrection was part of a

larger movement to suppress elections and overthrow our democracy,” said Christina Baal-Owens, a longtime organizer and the executive director of Public Wise, a group that researches and publishes information on candidates running for office who support the election lies.

Baal-Owens said efforts to discredit election integrity not only galvanize Trump supporters, they also make other voters less likely to vote. “We know—we’ve done some research on trust in the system— if voters don’t trust elections, they may not vote. This is part of a larger movement of voter suppression and why it’s so necessary for Biden to speak out.”

The House has approved farreaching voting rights legislation, but Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia have been impediments, saying they oppose changing

Senate rules to get around a GOP filibuster of the bill.

That legislation would restore the Justice Department’s ability to review changes to election laws in states with a history of discrimination, a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act struck down by the US Supreme Court in 2013. According to the Brennan Center, 19 states have recently passed laws making it harder to vote.

Manchin and Sinema have helped draft separate voting rights legislation, but it lacks enough Republican support to overcome the filibuster.

“People are taking sides as opposed to looking at what the institutional threats are to maintaining our democracy,” said Democratic Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont, a candidate to replace Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, who announced his retirement.

Welch was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and the violence that day is etched

in his memory.

“The norms that have been the bedrock of our democracy, the free and peaceful transition of power and the renunciation of violence, they’ve been shattered,” he said.

After Biden’s speech in South Carolina, Senate Democrats renewed their push to pass voting rights legislation early in 2022. And the president said in an interview with ABC that he supported creating an exception to the Senate filibuster if that’s what it takes to pass voting rights legislation.

For Biden, who served four decades in the Senate, it was a remarkable concession and underscored the gravity of the threat. And, he acknowledged, he knows the world is watching to see how the nation responds—and wondering if the country’s democracy will survive.

“Did you ever think you’d be asked that question by another leader?”

Biden said.

By Michael Liedtke AP Technology Writer

S

misleading results. That forced patients to undergo regular blood draws instead of the promised finger sticks and led Theranos to secretly test those samples using conventional machines in a traditional laboratory setting. Evidence presented at the trial also showed that Holmes lied about purported deals that Theranos had reached with big drug companies such as Pfizer and the US military.

The deception backfired in 2015 after a series of explosive articles in The Wall Street Journal and a regulatory audit of Theranos uncovered potentially dangerous flaws in the company’s technology, leading to its eventual collapse.

During her testimony, Holmes occasionally expressed contrition for her handling of a variety of issues, but she often contended that she had forgotten the circumstance surrounding some of the key events spotlighted by the prosecution. She insisted she never stopped believing that Theranos was on the verge of refining its technology.

Instead, she heaped blame on Balwani, who she secretly lived with while he was Theranos’ chief operating officer from 2009 to 2016.

Holmes testified that Balwani let her down by failing to address the laboratory problems that he had promised to fix and, in the most dramatic testimony of the trial, alleged he had turned her into his pawn through a long-running pattern of abuse while exerting control over her diet, sleeping habits and friendships.

This all occurred, she said, after being raped by an unnamed assailant while she was still enrolled at Stanford. As-

A12 Wednesday, January 5, 2022

DENR: MANILA BAY’S WATER QUALITY BETTER

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HE Manila Bay Coordinating Office (MBCO) has revealed a marked improvement in water quality in Manila Bay, particularly the Baywalk area, which is a priority in the government’s rehabilitation effort.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) attributed this to the various interventions of concerned government agencies under the Manila Bay Task Force.

The geo-engineering interventions conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in the Baywalk area, such as the installation of HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipes for the Padre Faura, Remedios, and Abad Outfalls, and desilting, among others, are nearing completion.

In one of the three sampling stations of Dolomite Beach, the coliform level has significantly gone down to 1,700 mpn/100 mL as of December 22, 2021, from a geomean of 1.6 million last September 2020.

Other stations also recorded notable decreases in coliform levels.

According to the MBCO, there was a notable decrease in coliform levels in all its nine key stations being monitored in the area. It recorded an average of 21,100 most probable number per 100 milliliters (mpn/100mL) as of the third quarter of 2021 from 5.75 million mpn/100 mL in 2019.

On the other hand, four key stations in the Baseco beach area registered a decrease

in coliform level from an overall geomean of 145,000 mpn/100 mL in 2020 to 21,500 mpn/100 mL in September 2021.

The MBCO reported that in September 2021, the Baywalk Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), which treats wastewater from the Padre Faura, Remedios, and Estero de San Antonio de Abad outfalls, was receiving an influent of 8.8 million mpn/100mL and releasing an effluent of 9.4 mpn/100ml, passing the fecal coliform standard of 100 mpn/100mL for Class SB waters.

In the same month, the fecal coliform level in Obando, Talisay, and Pampanga rivers in Region 3—which are aiming for Class C water standard of 200 mpn/100 mL—only ranged in thousands. The Cañas River in Region 4A recorded 106,000 mpn/200 mL from 9.6 million mpn/200 mL last January 2021.

Meanwhile, the coliform level of nine bathing beach areas, which aim to achieve a Class SB level across the NCR, Region 3, and Region 4A, has decreased in thousands as of MBCO’s latest data.

Meanwhile, the Environmental Management Bureau in NCR, Regions 3 and 4A, and the Laguna Lake Development Authority issued Notices of Violation to 685 establishments, Cease and Desist Orders to five establishments, and Ex-Parte Orders to five establishments out of the 4,576 establishments inspected from January to September 2021 for violation of Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

Continued on A4

NBI told to check syndicates’ ops for quarantine truants

By Joel R. San Juan

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@jrsanjuan1573

USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the possibility that some groups or syndicates are receiving bribes in exchange for allowing travelers to skip quarantine protocols.

Guevarra said the NBI will look into arrival records at the airports of involved travelers and their activities while at the quarantine facilities.

“I have actually directed the NBI to conduct a thorough investigation of possible willful violations of mandatory quarantine regulations, starting from the arrival area in our international airports up to facility/ hotel-based and home-based quarantines,” Guevarra said.

Guevarra’s directive a call by Senator Bong Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, for the Department of Justice and the NBI to look at a possible syndicate receiving money from travelers who want to skip quarantine protocols.

The possibility that a syndicate is behind the modus came to the fore after Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat divulged to the public that a Filipina who returned from the United States skipped quarantine in a hotel, bragging about having “connections.”

The Filipina later joined her friends at a party in Poblacion, Makati City, but was later tested positive for the coronavirus.

Some of those who were with the girl later tested positive for the virus as well.

In a separate radio interview, Guevarra shared his suspicion that the incident involving the “Poblacion Girl” was not isolated and that the modus had been happening even prior to the girl’s case.

“I was talking with the NBI chief ear-

lier and we have a suspicion that this incident is not an isolated incident. It is possible that this had been happening even before but has yet to reach our attention,” Guevarra said.

Guevarra said the NBI will look into the possibility that a syndicate is operating at the airport to help travelers skip quarantine protocols.

An investigation will also be conducted to determine whether some accredited quarantine establishments are being relaxed in implementing quarantine protocols.

Guevarra warned that hotels found violating the quarantine regulations might face administrative sanctions as well as cancellation of their business permits, and eventually the closure of their businesses.

“They are under the supervision of government agencies. This is a public health issue so they cannot just disregard it. It is not only the person who would be affected, but there might be people who might get infected because of negligence and for disregarding the requirements of the law. This is a public health matter so we should be careful,” the DOJ chief reminded.

Guevarra also raised the possibility that these unscrupulous individuals wilfully violate health protocols because of the measly penalties awaiting them under Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act. Under the law, violators may be fined between P20,000 and P50,000 or be imprisoned for up to six months.

Poll preparations on track despite calls for resetting–Comelec

By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

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REPARATIONS for the 2022 National and Local Elections (NLE) remain on track despite the pandemic and petitions seeking to reset the polls, the Commission on Elections said on Tuesday.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez issued the statement when asked once again how the pending petition of the Coalition for Life and Democracy (CLD) to reset the 2022 polls to next year will affect their election preparations.

Another petition—which senatorial aspirants Lutgardo B. Barbo and Leila M. De Lima said could affect the Comelec’s readiness for the 2022 NLE—is the appeal of

the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino– Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) led by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi for the reopening of the Certificates of Candidacy (COC).

If approved, Barbo and De Lima noted it may cause significant delays in Comelec’s preparation for the next polls.

Jimenez, however, said both petitions currently have no impact on their 2022 NLE preparations.

“Remember, the Comelec is not a one-trick pony. It could do many things at the same time,” Jimenez said in a virtual press briefing last Tuesday.

“So they could file all the petitions they want as long as the Comelec doesn’t grant the request to delay the elections, then the election will push through,” he added.

Of the two pending petitions, Jimenez said, the one filed by the Cusi wing of PDP-Laban is set to be tackled by the Comelec en banc on Wednesday.

“After the En Banc [meeting] tomorrow, we should have some information as to whether or not... well what will happen to the motion to reopen the COC,” Jimenez said.

He said the petition filed by CLD is yet to be referred to the Comelec en banc for action.

Jimenez reiterated it will take a change in the Constitution and not just a new law to reset the date of the 2022 NLE. “The National and Local Elections are not a creature of some law.

It is enshrined in the Constitution itself,” Jimenez said.

SC suspends Gadon, seeks reply to call for disbarment

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HE Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a resolution placing senatorial aspirant, lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, under preventive suspension and ordered him to show cause within 10 days why he should not be disbarred in connection with his viral video uttering profanities against journalist Raissa Robles.

The order was issued following the regular en banc session of the magistrates, but a copy of the resolution has yet to be officially released to the public.

“Atty. Gadon’s preventive suspension from the practice of law is effective immediately and to last until lifted by the Court,” the SC said in a statement issued by its Public Information Office.

On December 15, 2021, a video of Gadon uttering profanities against Robles went viral on social media, where the former appeared exas-

perated by Robles raising the issue of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’s tax case.

Several quarters urged the Court and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to take action against Gadon, saying his actions are not only an insult to Robles, but to the entire legal profession as well.

The Court en banc also motu proprio treated the matter as a formal administrative complaint for disbarment.

The SC en banc noted that Gadon, in previous instances, publicly displayed similar behavior, for which he is currently facing disbarment complaints before the Court and the IBP. Prior to this, Gadon was meted out a three months’ suspension by the Court for violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility (CPR) for his “offensive” language toward a doctor. “The call of the

public did not fall on deaf ears, and the Court immediately took action,” the SC-PIO said.

Gadon was given a non-extendible period of 10 days to file his comment on his latest disbarment case.

The Court also directed the Office of the Bar Confidant to submit an updated list of the pending administrative cases against Gadon within 10 days from receipt of the Resolution.

Likewise, the IBP was directed to submit within 10 days a status report of the administrative cases against Gadon pending before the IBP. “Gadon was already warned that a repetition of the same or similar act shall be dealt with more severely. But despite such warning, Gadon has continued to display similarly abhorrent behavior, with the viral video against Robles,” the Court pointed out. Joel R. San Juan

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

B1

Meralco asks gencos to join CSP for power supply deal

A

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

day before the deadline for the submission of bid offers for the supply of 170 megawatts (MW) to the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the utility firm urged power generation companies (gencos) to join the competitive selection process (CSP).

Through the Third Party Bids and Awards Committee (TPBAC), Meralco said Tuesday that interested parties have until January 5 to submit Expressions of Interest for the contract covering the period February 26 to July 25.

A pre-bid conference is scheduled on January 12 while the bid submission deadline is on February 2.

Meralco thanked the Department of Energy last month for the timely approval of the TOR for this round

of CSP that allows the distributor to proceed with the emergency procurement for the supply it needs to meet the anticipated increase in demand in the coming months.

Meralco Head of Regulatory Management Office Jose Ronald V. Valles said this will “help Meralco ensure availability of reliable and cost-competitive supply, which is especially critical during the 2022 dry months and the upcoming National and Local Elections.”

The company is anticipating a peaking capacity deficit of 260MW, of which 90MW is secured through the Contract for the Supply of Electric Energy it inked earlier with the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., from September 2021 to July 25, 2022.

The reasons for the deficit include persistent Malampaya gas restrictions, the recently concluded maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya gas facility, and anticipated thinning electricity operating margins leading up to the May elections.

The need for Meralco to source additional peaking capacity through bilateral power supply contracts is also necessary to reduce the exposure of its customers to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.

In October, Meralco reported that its consolidated core net income in January to September 2021 grew by 15 percent to P18.1 billion from the previous year’s P15.7 billion driven by the combined effect of the 6-percent increase in energy distributed with the easing of quarantine restric-

tions, and increased contribution from its different business units and subsidiaries.

Reported net income improved by 47 percent year-on-year to P16.5 billion from P11.3 billion due to lower exceptional charges arising from the impairment recognized from the company’s investment in PacificLight Power Ltd. in 2020.

Consolidated total revenues in January to September 2021 were higher by 11 percent to P231.7 billion from the previous year’s P208.8 billion, mainly boosted by electricity revenues, which grew by 11 percent to P225.4 billion from P203 billion.

Meralco spent P18.5 billion on capital expenditures (capex) at endSeptember 2021. Of which, almost 60 percent went to networks capex.

About 90 percent of the networks capex was spent on new connections, asset renewals and load growth projects while the balance was used to support other projects including the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program and the Meralco Electrification Program.

AirAsia bullish on travel rebound

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

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UDGET carrier AirAsia Philippines aims to ride on its growth momentum in 2021 throughout 2022, painting a sanguine outlook for the company as it sees a “better normal” and a “strong pent-up demand for travel.”

The airline said it “gained a stronger footing versus its pre-pandemic domestic market share” in 2021, pushing it to become more optimistic for growth this year.

AirAsia said it “has grown its do-

mestic market share to 19 percent this year, climbing 3.5 notches up from its 15.5 percent share in 2019.”

The carrier also peaked at 95 percent load factor over the course of the recent holiday period, while ending December at 88 percent—both record figures over the past one and a half years.

“There is strong pent-up demand for travel and Filipinos are ready to get back in the air. And compared to the previous two years, all stakeholders—airlines, government units and customers—are now much more conscious of the key strategies

and measures needed to properly approach traveling amid the pandemic. The country is now better equipped to face any new variants and potential surges,” AirAsia said in a statement.

AirAsia has a bullish outlook despite the emergence of the new Covid-19 Omicron variant, noting that its “multi-layered safety protocols, the 100 percent vaccination of its crew, the presence of High Efficiency Particulate Air filters in its aircraft, and the shared culture of safety and vigilance spells optimum performance moving forward, amid the pandemic.”

“In 2022, AirAsia Philippines has three main priorities: Cash availability and cash management to support recovery strategies en route to profitability; sustainable cost management and rationalization to operate commercial flights e.g. fuel, repairs and maintenance, airport charges, ground services, staff and staff related costs, marketing and other operating costs; expansion of its domestic presence from 14 destinations in 2021 to 18 in 2022 and to grow regional routes,” the carrier said.

SMMCI to SMC takes coastal clean-up drive to Batangas spend ₧5B to develop communities

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ilangan Mindanao Mining Co. (SMMCI) Inc. will spend about P5 billion for community development, environmental protection, and enhancement program and for the final mine rehabilitation and decommissioning program over the course of the mine life of its Silangan Copper-Gold Project in Surigao del Norte.

SMMCI will draw experience from the wealth of experience of its parent firm, Philex Mining Corp. (Philex) in operating a copper-gold mine in the Philippines. Philex, one of the largest publicly-listed Philippine copper and gold producers, operates the Padcal mine in Benguet Province.

During its six decades of operation, Philex claimed to have spent billions of pesos over the decades to develop communities in Benguet, with the bulk of the money going to education, public infrastructure, and information, education, and communication.

Last year, Philex spent P107.5 million on its social and development management program.

The company also boasts of implementing a successful progressive mine rehabilitation program and ensures compliance of standard quality of water resources provided for by the regulators within its mining claim. Jonathan L. Mayuga

o n glome r ate S a n Miguel Corp. (SMC) on Tuesday said it has extended its coastal clean-up drive to Calatagan and Balayan in Batangas, as it prepares to start cleaning up the heavily-polluted MarilaoMeycauayan-Obando river system in Bulacan.

A total of 1,340 bags of garbage were initially collected from the coastal areas of the two towns in Batangas during the five-day cleanup effort supported by both the conglomerate and the government through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program of the Department of Labor and Employment.

“We recognize that to be able to help save our waterways from litter, we need to address the issue of pollution at its source. But these cleanups do make a big difference especially in shaping the way people interact with the environment.

Also, that one piece of trash we remove means one less litter that could end up in our waterways,” San Miguel President and CEO Ramon S. Ang said in a statement.

Apart from mobilizing volunteers, the company provided cleaning supplies, protective gear and food for the participants. It is also raising awareness among coastal communities about proper waste disposal.

San Miguel said it has committed to helping set up a materials recovery facility for five barangays in Calatagan to recover recyclable

materials and significantly reduce the amount of waste that end up in the waterways of the province.

Ang said the coastal clean-up activities in Batangas will be done on a weekly basis and “with greater urgency” as the Batangas waters are close to the Verde Island Passage, a strait between Luzon and Mindoro that is known for its rich marine biodiversity.

“Keeping plastic waste from our seas and oceans will also protect our source of food and the fishermen who depend on these for their livelihood. In partnership with local and government agencies, we need to continuously educate our coastal communities on the importance of proper waste disposal as well as recycling and upcycling of waste products,” he said.

San Miguel earlier donated patrol boats to the Calatagan community task force or Bantay Dagat that enlists fishers from coastal villages to help enforce coastal and fisheries laws, particularly against the use of illegal fishing methods and illegal equipment.

The company also made a larger donation of 19 motorized boats to be used by local fisherfolk groups for their livelihood.

The company also holds weekly clean-up activities in Isla Pulo in Navotas together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Isla Pulo is home to the Tanza Marine Tree Park, a 26-hectare mangrove strip of an island with a 3.5-kilometer shoreline, which also serves as a natural

barrier that protects nearby cities from storm surges and coastline erosion.

San Miguel’s weekly clean-up draws some 80 volunteers composed of employees, residents from Barangay Tanza 1 and personnel from the local government of Navotas, Philippine National Police personnel based in Navotas, the 51st Engineers Brigade of the Philippine Army and the DENR. The group has so far removed 3,913 sacks of garbage.

These initiatives complement the company’s ongoing rehabilitation programs for Tullahan River and Pasig River.

The company will also start cleanup and channel improvement project for the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando river system, a major component of its flood mitigation initiative for Bulacan and Taliptip while building the New Manila International Airport in Bulakan town.

For its P1 billion TullahanTinajeros River System rehabilitation project, the company has already removed 640,384 metric tons (MT) of silt and solid waste to date.

Meanwhile, it has already collected 165,700 MT of silt and solid waste from the Pasig River as part of its P2-billion Pasig R iver reh abi l it at ion projec t.

The company recently received a $1.5-million donation from Japanese shipping firm NYK Line for the purchase of additional dredging equipment. VG Cabuag

PSE cancels trading on technical glitch

A man pedals past the Philippine Stock Exchange in this BusinessMirror file photo. Nonie Reyes

By VG Cabuag @villygc

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rading at the Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. (PSE) was cancelled on Tuesday due to interconnection issues.

The opening of trade was initially delayed after 43 of the 125 trading participants were unable to connect to the PSE’s trading engine. A PSE circular was released at past 12 noon to announce the delay in market opening and trading. A circular announcing the cancellation of trading was subsequently issued at around 1:30 p.m.

According to PSE’s Revised Trading Rules, the exchange may halt trading if at least one-third of the trading participant-users cannot access the trading system.

In its second circular announcing the cancellation of trade for the day, the PSE said it needed to halt the trading due to “technical problems encountered in establishing connection between the NASDAQ trading engine and the Flextrade front-end system.”

“PSE continues to work and coordinate closely with represen-

tatives of NASDAQ and Flextrade to identify the underlying cause of the above-described production issue and come up with the appropriate solution. We are sorry about this unfortunate incident and we are exerting all efforts to resolve the problem,” PSE President and CEO Ramon S. Monzon said in the circular.

The benchmark PSE index was down 81.36 points to close at 7,041.21 points during the start of the trading for 2022 on Monday, but value of trade was muted at P4.26 billion.

“We can’t say how each individual will react assuming it is just a glitch. Any selling because of this is irrational and this would present a buying opportunity to the astute investor,” said Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital and Development Corp.

“The profitability of companies is mutually exclusive to the PSE trading platform. SM, JGS, and Ayala net income will not be affected by the glitch,” he said, referring to the listed companies SM Investments Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Ayala Corp.

CEB cancels flights to CDO, Boracay C ebu Pacific (CEB) announced on Tuesday the cancellation of several flights after the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases raised Metro Manila to Alert Level 3 status until January 15.

Given this development, the airline said it is currently reviewing its network and manpower levels.

As a preemptive measure, Cebu Pacific said it has decided to cancel these flights from January 4 to 10:

n 5J891/892 Manila—Boracay (Caticlan)—Manila n 5J895/896 Manila—Boracay (Caticlan)—Manila n 5J897/898 Manila—Boracay (Caticlan)—Manila n 5J909/910 Manila—Boracay (Caticlan)—Manila n 5J919/920 Manila—Boracay (Caticlan)—Manila n 5J379/380 Manila—Cagayan de Oro (CDO)—Manila n 5J381/382 Manila—Cagayan de Oro—Manila n 5J389/390 Manila—Cagayan de Oro—Manila n 5J391/392 Manila—Cagayan de Oro—Manila n 5J395/396 Manila—Cagayan de Oro—Manila n 5J551/552 Mani l a—

Cebu—Manila n 5J553/554 Manila—Cebu— Manila n 5J561/562 Manila—Cebu— Manila n 5J565/566 Manila—Cebu— Manila n 5J575/576 Manila—Cebu— Manila n 5J573/574 Manila—Cebu— Manila n 5J951/952 Manila—Davao— Manila n 5J975/976 Manila—Davao— Manila n 5J635/636 Manila—Puerto Princesa—Manila n 5J637/638 Manila—Puerto Princesa—Manila n 5J649/650 Manila—Tacloban—Manila n 5J657/658 Manila—Tacloban—Manila n 5J659/660 Manila—Tacloban—Manila The airline said affected passengers who have been transferred to other flights available on the same day have been informed via contact details provided in their booking.

CEB also said it has started its booster program to ensure the continued safety of its employees and passengers.

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

SMC power unit to switch on BESS facilities this year

T

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

he power arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) will be able to switch on an initial 690 megawatts (MW) of its battery energy storage systems (BESS) facilities in early 2022.

“A total of 690MW of our 1,000MW BESS facilities nationwide will be operational early 2022.

By year-end, we will have completed all 31 facilities for a total of 1,000MW in capacity,” SMC said in its social media post Tuesday.

The BESS, it added, will “help

balance power throughout the grid and pave the way for a clean energy future.”

Earlier, SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. (SMCGP) said it has earmarked $1 billion to build 31 BESS facilities with a capacity of 1,000MW.

These are all part of the power firm’s plans to boost its renewables portfolio and reduce its carbon footprint while helping address the country’s need for reliable and affordable power, it said.

Last year, SMC announced that SMCGP is nearing completion on a number of BESS facilities it is building in locations across the country. Between 2021 and 2022, the company said it is targeting to complete a total of 31 BESS facilities that will not only improve power reliability throughout the country, but will also make way for the integration of some 3,000MW of intermittent renewable power into the grid.

SMC has also announced that it is building solar plants equipped with BESS facilities at around 10

locations. A liquefied natural gas plant and some hydroelectric power plants, are also in the pipeline as part of its move towards cleaner and renewable technologies.

The direction for SMCGP is to add more renewables into its power portfolio utilizing technologies that will significantly cut its carbon footprint while continuously addressing the country’s need for reliable and affordable power.

“SMC has always maintained a diverse power portfolio utilizing renewables and traditional, but proven technologies. This is to ensure that as we transition to cleaner sources, we will not undermine our commitment to meet the growing demand for affordable and reliable energy,” SMC President Ramon S. Ang said.

EDC sends relief goods to ‘Odette’ victims

O

ver 26,000 families in Bohol who spent Christmas in evacuation centers due to typhoon Odette that smacked the Visayas and Mindanao regions two weeks ago are about to receive their own aguinaldo (gifts) from the Energy Development Corp. (EDC), the rest of the Lopez Group of Companies to which it is a part of, and its partners.

These presents are in the form of 11 container vans worth of much needed generator sets, solar lamps, assorted clothes, blankets, rice, canned goods, and clean water. EDC’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Relations, Atty.

Allan V. Barcena, turned over the donations to Bohol Governor Arthur Yap and his team.

“We mobilized a team a few days before Christmas to facilitate emergency purchases from different suppliers after receiving information that Bohol is still practically isolated and numerous families need food, clean water, and other supplies,” said Barcena.

Barcena closely coordinated with Giselle Quimpo, Yap’s chief of staff, on the details of the relief mission

and other logistical arrangements.

Yap reported that the food and water assistance will be distributed immediately while the generators will be given to water refilling stations. “Thank you, EDC, for this essential aid. We will not forget this,” said Yap. The governor further explained that they will bring these to Bohol Wisdom School for distribution.

“Our plan in the next few days is to distribute the generators from EDC to water refilling stations to help in their operations as electric power connections are still unstable. At least we can help the local communities,” explained Yap. Apart from this relief mission, EDC is also helping its own employees, partner communities, and power customers in Negros Island and in Ormoc City and Kananga, Leyte who were affected by the strong typhoon.

In these trying times, EDC and the rest of the Lopez Group strive to fulfill their mission to forge collaborative pathways for a decarbonized and regenerative future through their pampamilyang malasakit matched with the spirit of Bayanihan that Filipinos are known for.

mutual funds

January 4, 2022

NAV

One Year Three Year Five Year

per share Return*

Y-T-D Return

Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a

224.67

-1.12%

-4.54%

-1.36%

ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a

1.6341

24.44%

3.86%

4.49%

-3.61% -1.81%

ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.1154

-0.57%

-8.06%

-4.17%

-3.78%

Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7535 -6.34%

-6.11% n.a.

-0.4%

First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7599 2.45%

-3.46% n.a.

-1.43%

1.29%

-2.69%

0.38%

-3.42%

0.7546

-0.72%

-4.07%

-3.2%

First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a

5.0054

First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a

93.71

-7.57%

-7.47% n.a.

-0.76%

PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a

46.2079

-1.37%

-2.98%

0.35%

-3.99%

Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

482.61

-1.3%

-2.96%

-0.29%

-3.61%

Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d

1.1273

2.73% n.a. n.a.

-3.04%

Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a

1.3288

13.75%

1.12%

2.7%

-2.03%

Philequity Fund, Inc. -a

35.2857

1.48%

-2.08%

1.13%

-3.58%

-3.4% n.a.

-4.05%

Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.9033

-1.06%

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a

4.7634

-0.58%

-2.27%

0.95%

-3.98%

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

795.52

-0.76%

-2.28%

0.91%

-3.98%

Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

0.7252

0.86%

-6.31%

-2.19%

-3.64%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.6355

0.31%

-4.47%

-0.62%

-3.71%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.9066 -1.22%

-2.62%

0.64%

-4.01%

United Fund, Inc. -a

-2.48%

1.44%

-3.25%

-2.06%

1.39%

3.3255

0.19%

-3.66%

Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c

107.0381

-0.48%

-3.98%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

$1.1294

-4.94%

7.07%

6.18%

0.26%

Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.8449

10.56%

18.22%

12.31%

-0.08%

Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a

1.6733

0.27%

-0.09%

0.02%

-1.11%

ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a

2.232

-2.35%

-0.22%

0.15%

-2.17%

First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.6369

0.37%

0.56%

1.71%

-2.01%

First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.2055

3.47% n.a. n.a.

NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a

1.95%

1.9769

0.5%

2.14%

-1.97% -2.21%

PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a

3.6818

-2.81%

1.6%

1.06%

Philam Fund, Inc. -a

16.4799

-2.7%

1.11%

0.97%

-2.17%

Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a

2.0772

-0.81%

-0.43%

0.79%

-2.08%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.5609 -0.35%

-1.4%

0.43%

-2.36%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9721

-4.94% n.a. n.a.

-1.79%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.9147

-3.63% n.a. n.a.

-3.16%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.9024

-3.29% n.a. n.a.

-3.37%

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a

4.85%

-2.44%

0.9309

-0.3%

0.78%

-1.67%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a

$0.03791

-3.09%

2.39%

1.69%

PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b

$1.0694

-6.32%

4.93%

4.01%

0.22%

6.7%

12.92%

9.07%

-0.07%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,2 $1.1984 1.48%

7.11%

4.75%

-0.02%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.7988

-0.08%

Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

374.5

0.92%

2.92%

2.6%

0.05%

ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.8846

-0.83%

0.44%

0.15%

-0.01%

Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.2445

0.97%

2.94%

3.91%

0.02%

Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a

2.252

-1.92%

1.85%

1.68%

0.02%

First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4254 -1.14%

3.13%

1.94%

-0.02%

Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a

4.3963

-5.14%

5.23%

1.84%

0.02%

1.318

-0.24%

3.86%

2.81%

-0.08%

Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9608

-1.01%

4%

2.66%

-0.13%

Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.0283

-1.31%

4.79%

2.28%

0.01%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1837

-0.69%

4.75%

3.65%

-0.12%

Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a

-1.48%

3.89%

2.98%

-0.08%

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a

1.7292

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$489.65

1.19%

2.96%

2.52%

0.02%

ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a

Є220.05

0.4%

1.12%

0.96%

0.02%

ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2042

-5.96%

2.19%

1.88%

0.02%

First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.026 -2.26%

1.45%

1.03%

0%

-6.39%

-0.53%

-0.48%

-0.01%

PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b

$1.0227

Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$2.5085

-1.07%

4.78%

2.94%

0.11%

Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a

$0.0622712

-0.08%

3%

2.01%

-0.03%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1961 -0.87%

3.61%

1.83%

0%

Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a

2.56%

0.02%

First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0579 0.94% n.a. n.a.

131.21

1.08%

0.02%

Sun Life Prosperity Peso Starter Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.3159

0.02%

1.5%

2.76% 2.57%

2.53%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0606

0.78%

1.44% n.a.

0%

Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d 1.3926 $0.97

-1.02% n.a. n.a.

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

January 3, 2022

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

ASIA UNITED 43.5 44 45 45 43.5 43.5 1,600 71,225 BDO UNIBANK 120 121 121 122 119 120 1,378,440 166,012,701 BANK PH ISLANDS 91.05 91.5 92 92 91 91.05 856,210 78,217,480.5 CHINABANK 25 25.3 25.9 26 25 25 105,800 2,686,080 CITYSTATE BANK 6.76 8.5 6.72 8.49 6.72 8.49 600 4,563 EAST WEST BANK 9.42 9.44 9.38 9.5 9.38 9.46 109,900 1,039,691 METROBANK 53.9 54 54 54.8 52.9 54 6,665,790 358,985,818.5 (1 PB BANK 9 9.88 10 10 10 10 100 1,000 PHIL NATL BANK 20.3 20.4 20 20.45 19.9 20.3 164,700 3,321,016 PSBANK 56.5 57.5 57.5 57.5 56 56.5 1,540 86,760 PHILTRUST 104.1 114 114 114 114 114 90 10,260 RCBC 19.96 20.1 19.96 20 19.96 20 152,300 3,040,872 SECURITY BANK 115.1 115.2 117 117.1 114.5 115.2 619,700 71,364,039 UNION BANK 98.5 99 99.45 99.5 98.35 99 53,100 5,257,539 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.56 1.7 1.55 1.68 1.55 1.68 20,000 31,390 COL FINANCIAL 4.1 4.14 4.15 4.15 4.1 4.15 11,000 45,250 FIRST ABACUS 0.67 0.71 0.68 0.68 0.67 0.67 12,000 8,100 MEDCO HLDG 0.3 0.325 0.3 0.33 0.29 0.325 400,000 118,300 MANULIFE 900 946.5 946.5 946.5 920 920 20 18,665 NTL REINSURANCE 0.6 0.66 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 45,000 27,000 PHIL STOCK EXCH 214 215 208.4 211 208.4 211 80 16,814 SUN LIFE 2,522 2,698 2698 2,698 2,600 2,698 35 93,450 VANTAGE 0.82 0.89 0.82 0.82 0.82 0.82 7,000 5,740

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 10.5 10.6 10.9 10.9 10.5 10.5 15,082,200 161,123,070 ALSONS CONS 1.15 1.19 1.2 1.2 1.12 1.19 629,000 726,590 ABOITIZ POWER 30.5 30.7 29.7 30.7 29.7 30.7 1,562,300 47,133,685 BASIC ENERGY 0.61 0.62 0.61 0.63 0.61 0.62 8,468,000 5,186,880 FIRST GEN 27.7 27.8 27.65 27.9 27.65 27.7 43,100 1,197,995 FIRST PHIL HLDG 70 70.5 70.05 70.05 69.9 70 53,360 3,733,728 JOLLIVILLE HLDG 4.05 5.75 3.91 5.75 3.91 5.75 45,100 248,641 MERALCO 297.6 298.2 295.2 299 295.2 297.6 60,650 18,031,222(5, MANILA WATER 23.95 24 24.5 24.8 24 24 1,620,700 39,210,145 PETRON 3.16 3.17 3.17 3.18 3.16 3.17 289,000 916,150 PHX PETROLEUM 10.54 10.86 10.82 10.86 10.5 10.86 27,100 292,672 SYNERGY GRID 12.9 12.94 13 13.1 12.88 12.9 4,564,600 59,072,250 PILIPINAS SHELL 19.6 19.62 19.98 19.98 19.6 19.6 61,100 1,207,448 SPC POWER 13.9 13.92 13.84 13.96 13.84 13.92 44,900 625,826 SOLAR PH 1.3 1.31 1.27 1.34 1.26 1.3 156,710,000 206,249,520 AGRINURTURE 4.89 4.93 4.98 4.98 4.75 4.95 31,000 151,420 AXELUM 2.9 2.93 2.98 2.99 2.9 2.9 153,000 451,140 BOGO MEDELLIN 42.75 71.85 61 71.85 61 71.85 160 11,387.5 CNTRL AZUCARERA 13 13.2 13.5 13.5 13.2 13.2 11,600 154,032 CENTURY FOOD 28.5 28.8 28.8 28.8 27.8 28.5 907,600 25,860,800 DEL MONTE 15.16 15.18 15.3 15.3 15.14 15.18 157,200 2,390,432 DNL INDUS 8.88 8.97 8.96 9.16 8.81 8.88 1,162,300 10,415,394 EMPERADOR 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.25 20.3 1,326,100 27,156,995 SMC FOODANDBEV 70.5 70.55 71 71.35 70 70.55 37,310 2,632,381.5 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.59 0.62 0.62 0.62 0.59 0.59 59,000 34,840 FRUITAS HLDG 1.21 1.23 1.22 1.23 1.21 1.22 1,056,000 1,283,480 GINEBRA 109.2 110.5 111.5 111.5 109 110.5 30,080 3,310,602 JOLLIBEE 215 215.8 216 221.6 213.4 215 398,630 86,378,080 KEEPERS HLDG 1.3 1.31 1.3 1.32 1.29 1.31 12,763,000 16,635,960 MACAY HLDG 5.53 6.67 6.69 6.69 6.67 6.67 700 4,681 MAXS GROUP 6.46 6.47 6.48 6.5 6.4 6.46 74,500 481,613 MG HLDG 0.15 0.158 0.15 0.158 0.15 0.158 20,000 3,080 MONDE NISSIN 15.7 15.76 15.82 15.96 15.64 15.7 3,268,200 51,650,144 SHAKEYS PIZZA 10.12 10.14 10.28 10.28 10.1 10.12 188,000 1,899,732 ROXAS AND CO 0.63 0.65 0.65 0.67 0.63 0.65 2,125,000 1,364,850 ROXAS HLDG 1.03 1.23 1.05 1.05 1.05 1.05 54,000 56,700 SWIFT FOODS 0.101 0.102 0.102 0.102 0.101 0.102 3,240,000 329,980 UNIV ROBINA 128.8 129 129 129.7 128.8 129 254,480 32,841,713 VITARICH 0.71 0.73 0.72 0.74 0.71 0.71 710,000 510,220 VICTORIAS 2.4 2.54 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 10,000 24,000 CONCRETE A 42.65 47.8 46 46 46 46 300 13,800 CEMEX HLDG 1.04 1.05 1.05 1.06 1.03 1.05 3,305,000 3,456,250 EAGLE CEMENT 14.6 14.7 14.6 14.7 14.58 14.7 494,900 7,226,192 EEI CORP 6.39 6.45 6.5 6.75 6.37 6.39 109,700 704,771 HOLCIM 5.3 5.33 5.5 5.5 5.3 5.33 248,900 1,362,875 MEGAWIDE 5.08 5.09 5.18 5.18 5.05 5.08 374,000 1,899,746 PHINMA 20 20.1 20.15 20.15 20 20 3,600 72,305 VULCAN INDL 0.92 0.94 0.96 0.96 0.91 0.94 344,000 319,700 CHEMPHIL 130.6 195.5 130.6 130.6 130.6 130.6 30 3,918 CROWN ASIA 1.68 1.72 1.69 1.69 1.68 1.68 29,000 48,830 EUROMED 1.41 1.46 1.5 1.5 1.39 1.45 31,000 45,230 MABUHAY VINYL 4.01 4.3 4.28 4.3 4.28 4.3 10,000 42,880 PRYCE CORP 5.6 5.7 5.75 5.75 5.6 5.7 26,000 145,860 CONCEPCION 20.5 21.35 20.5 20.5 20.5 20.5 1,700 34,850 GREENERGY 2.23 2.27 2.26 2.28 2.2 2.27 4,880,000 10,995,590 INTEGRATED MICR 8.27 8.55 8.36 8.57 8.2 8.55 164,200 1,370,825 PANASONIC 5.8 5.98 5.92 5.98 5.7 5.98 12,800 75,065 SFA SEMICON 1.08 1.11 1.09 1.11 1.08 1.08 241,000 261,710 CIRTEK HLDG 3.68 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.63 3.68 717,000 2,631,640

HOLDING & FRIMS

ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A FJ PRINCE B GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP ZEUS HLDG

0.91 5.42 833 55.75 11.62 7.9 0.9 0.4 5.19 7.91 7.71 2.06 2.6 528 54.1 6.1 0.63 2.93 9.84 3.87 3 1.3 1.06 932 112.8 0.173

0.92 5.9 839.5 55.8 11.68 7.95 0.92 0.42 5.22 7.92 7.75 2.6 4.19 531 54.15 6.4 0.67 3 9.9 3.89 3.15 1.36 1.14 940 112.9 0.179

0.92 5.42 831 54.45 11.64 7.95 0.9 0.42 5.21 7.72 7.72 2.6 2.61 540 53 6.4 0.68 2.92 9.86 3.9 3 1.19 1.13 950 114 0.177

0.93 5.9 855 56.45 11.78 7.95 0.93 0.435 5.21 7.96 7.75 2.6 2.61 545 54.45 6.4 0.68 3 9.9 3.9 3.18 1.36 1.14 950.5 114 0.179

0.9 5.42 831 52.35 11.56 7.9 0.9 0.42 5.12 7.7 7.72 2.6 2.6 526 52.8 6.4 0.63 2.9 9.81 3.86 3 1.19 1.13 932 112.2 0.177

0.92 5.89 833 55.75 11.62 7.9 0.93 0.425 5.19 7.91 7.75 2.6 2.6 528 54.15 6.4 0.67 3 9.9 3.89 3 1.3 1.14 932 112.9 0.179

2,854,000 3,500 163,110 2,427,450 4,304,800 200 87,000 70,000 583,500 7,119,100 517,100 1,000 8,000 368,310 879,080 4,600 21,000 485,000 1,225,900 5,059,000 22,000 557,000 13,000 255,750 53,920 100,000

2,613,500 19,065 136,790,050 134,805,806.5 50,180,902 1,585 79,660 29,800 3,030,562 56,152,460 3,992,015 2,600 20,840 195,462,380 47,411,585 29,440 13,480 1,429,240 12,070,496 19,606,130 66,180 724,330 14,770 240,095,370 6,079,453 17,810

0.7%

ABS HLDG PDR 11.94 13.4 12 12 11.9 11.9 100,500 1,198,550 GMA HLDG PDR 13.12 13.3 13.14 13.14 13.1 13.1 41,600 545,538

WARRANTS

TECH WARRANT 0.81 0.83 0.81 0.85 0.81 0.83 959,000 0%

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

1 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last July 8, 2021 (formerly, Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.).

2 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last November 25, 2021.

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

(0) (50,941,150) (9,518,888) (252,660) - - 01,471,983.5) - (161,251) (61,600) - - (3,317,149) 401,251 - - - 15,000 - - - 13,490

-

(7,001,564) (310,750) (3,299,760) 536,920 669,970 (3,253,515) - 864,812.0002) (6,771,315) (63,400) - 11,086,810 326,562 (73,870) 319,350 (49,610) - - - 2,155,845 - 2,012,707 7,899,825 (2,141,979) - 40,230 (243,141) 17,364,628 (4,932,050) 4,014 (19,200) (1,580) 8,460,528 - 691,880 - - (11,979,279) - 24,000 - - 6,989,734 9,044 - (538,200) 2,000 - - 16,900 15,950 - - - (1,906,170) 4,180 - - 100 (54,290) - (10,836,425) 5,988,468.5 811,938 - - - 1,453,951 (4,446,895) 3,975,800 - - (23,239,365) (1,831,899) - - 8,700 (11,231) 601,240 - - - (41,861,260) (126,758) -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.63 0.64 0.64 0.64 0.64 0.64 12,000 7,680 - AYALA LAND 34.7 35 35.3 35.35 34.7 34.7 4,072,300 142,316,460(24 ,692,024.9996) AYALA LAND LOG 6.61 6.63 6.4 6.81 6.38 6.63 5,291,500 35,156,697 (1,702,032) ARANETA PROP 0.97 1.02 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 1,000 970 - AREIT RT 49.1 49.2 48.5 49.1 48.25 49.1 801,700 39,091,335 17,676,620 A BROWN 0.77 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.79 0.79 31,000 24,490 - CITYLAND DEVT 0.73 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.73 0.74 114,000 83,380 - CROWN EQUITIES 0.097 0.104 0.097 0.104 0.097 0.104 15,010,000 1,456,040 - CEB LANDMASTERS 2.87 2.88 2.85 2.94 2.8 2.87 432,000 1,239,070 (63,130) CENTURY PROP 0.395 0.4 0.4 0.405 0.395 0.395 9,660,000 3,864,200 (43,550) DOUBLEDRAGON 7.05 7.14 7.21 7.21 7.03 7.05 330,900 2,341,077 (112,015) DDMP RT 1.77 1.78 1.79 1.79 1.77 1.78 3,117,000 5,546,350 (94,340) DM WENCESLAO 6.7 6.76 6.75 6.78 6.7 6.76 163,300 1,101,641 - EMPIRE EAST 0.25 0.255 0.26 0.26 0.25 0.255 480,000 121,700 - EVER GOTESCO 0.33 0.335 0.32 0.335 0.315 0.335 10,490,000 3,451,050 (19,850) FILINVEST RT 7.39 7.4 7.35 7.4 7.35 7.4 5,062,700 37,444,589 28,028,079 FILINVEST LAND 1.09 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.09 1.1 559,000 611,180 2,180 GLOBAL ESTATE 0.95 0.96 0.97 0.97 0.95 0.96 1,160,000 1,116,540 - 8990 HLDG 11.2 11.4 11.58 11.58 11.12 11.4 256,400 2,929,136 506,890 PHIL INFRADEV 1.11 1.15 1.12 1.15 1.11 1.15 1,679,000 1,919,680 ( 919,999.9998) CITY AND LAND 0.86 0.89 0.86 0.9 0.86 0.9 226,000 197,560 - MEGAWORLD 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.2 3.1 3.16 14,736,000 46,598,990 (11,042,500) MRC ALLIED 0.25 0.255 0.255 0.255 0.25 0.25 2,430,000 614,050 - MREIT RT 19.32 19.46 19.36 19.5 19.06 19.32 1,224,100 23,729,400 485,272 PHIL ESTATES 0.5 0.51 0.51 0.51 0.495 0.51 2,523,000 1,272,970 - PRIMEX CORP 2.12 2.14 2.15 2.15 2 2.12 2,149,000 4,406,430 (547,700) RL COMM RT 7.8 7.83 7.46 7.85 7.46 7.8 3,298,000 25,515,735 5,597,363 ROBINSONS LAND 18.32 18.5 18.62 18.62 18.18 18.5 1,535,400 28,160,374 (8,410,870) ROCKWELL 1.47 1.5 1.48 1.5 1.47 1.47 64,000 94,410 - SHANG PROP 2.58 2.61 2.61 2.61 2.58 2.61 10,000 25,890 - STA LUCIA LAND 2.67 2.87 2.61 2.88 2.61 2.88 6,000 17,000 - SM PRIME HLDG 33.5 33.7 33.9 33.95 33.5 33.5 4,817,400 162,000,915 (53,270,005) SOC RESOURCES 0.61 0.65 0.61 0.61 0.6 0.61 405,000 244,200 (241,150) SUNTRUST HOME 1.08 1.1 1.09 1.1 1.08 1.1 54,000 58,930 - PTFC REDEV CORP 47 50 50.95 50.95 47 47 300 14,795 - VISTA LAND 3.42 3.45 3.47 3.47 3.4 3.42 616,000 2,115,480 (225,660)

SERVICES ABS CBN 12.38 12.5 12.5 12.6 12.38 12.5 522,000 6,526,956 - GMA NETWORK 13.72 13.74 13.86 13.86 13.7 13.74 882,200 12,166,808 - MANILA BULLETIN 0.43 0.435 0.445 0.45 0.41 0.44 230,000 98,800 - MLA BRDCASTING 9.51 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 1,000 10,500 - GLOBE TELECOM 3,278 3,286 3322 3,348 3,264 3,278 23,765 78,317,330 (40,301,450) PLDT 1,808 1,812 1803 1,812 1,800 1,812 79,885 144,357,610 (1,142,305) APOLLO GLOBAL 0.076 0.077 0.078 0.079 0.076 0.076 125,200,000 9,590,590 (70,200) CONVERGE 31.15 31.2 31.5 32 30.55 31.15 9,028,500 281,274,660 15,564,150 DFNN INC 2.36 2.41 2.36 2.44 2.36 2.41 139,000 331,850 (23,600) DITO CME HLDG 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.09 5.02 5.04 3,855,800 19,441,954 4,252,315 JACKSTONES 1.69 1.75 1.74 1.75 1.74 1.75 8,000 13,950 - NOW CORP 1.24 1.25 1.27 1.27 1.24 1.24 484,000 604,050 (29,210) TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.295 0.3 0.295 0.305 0.295 0.295 520,000 155,250 - ASIAN TERMINALS 13.96 14.1 14.1 14.1 13.96 13.96 5,000 70,444 - CHELSEA 1.62 1.65 1.66 1.67 1.62 1.66 101,000 166,430 (500) CEBU AIR 41.75 41.95 42.15 42.9 41.6 41.75 680,300 28,510,390 6,650,860 INTL CONTAINER 194.8 195 205 205 195 195 818,700 161,211,520 23,480,772 LBC EXPRESS 23 24.5 24.95 24.95 24.95 24.95 1,600 39,920 - MACROASIA 5.3 5.31 5.18 5.32 5.12 5.3 2,390,600 12,634,738 8,467,274 METROALLIANCE A 1.1 1.14 1.08 1.14 1.08 1.14 75,000 81,530 - HARBOR STAR 0.84 0.9 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 19,000 17,290 - ACESITE HOTEL 1.56 1.65 1.66 1.66 1.56 1.65 28,000 45,070 (4,780) DISCOVERY WORLD 1.73 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.73 1.73 17,000 30,080 - WATERFRONT 0.46 0.475 0.455 0.455 0.455 0.455 100,000 45,500 - CENTRO ESCOLAR 6.55 6.79 6.52 6.52 6.51 6.51 4,000 26,060 13,020 FAR EASTERN U 535 550 550 550 550 550 10 5,500 - STI HLDG 0.345 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.345 0.345 560,000 195,850 - BELLE CORP 1.33 1.34 1.33 1.36 1.33 1.33 123,000 164,790 - BLOOMBERRY 6.2 6.21 6.15 6.23 6.08 6.2 8,043,400 49,543,024 12,097,428 PACIFIC ONLINE 1.76 1.82 1.82 1.82 1.82 1.82 24,000 43,680 (21,840) LEISURE AND RES 1.43 1.47 1.45 1.47 1.44 1.47 304,000 438,380 406,440 MANILA JOCKEY 1.82 2.36 2.38 2.38 2.38 2.38 4,000 9,520 - PH RESORTS GRP 0.76 0.78 0.79 0.79 0.75 0.78 108,000 83,060 (790) PREMIUM LEISURE 0.425 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.425 0.425 1,100,000 469,050 - PHIL RACING 6.63 7.29 7.79 7.79 6.63 6.63 1,000 7,558 - PHILWEB 1.9 1.94 1.95 1.95 1.9 1.94 87,000 167,440 57,600 ALLDAY 0.6 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.58 0.6 33,655,000 20,111,700 26,340 BERJAYA 6.04 6.1 5.72 6.5 5.71 6.1 239,100 1,452,722 (132,000) ALLHOME 8.35 8.41 8.39 8.43 8.39 8.41 313,700 2,635,222 1,927,457 METRO RETAIL 1.42 1.43 1.42 1.44 1.42 1.42 409,000 582,080 - PUREGOLD 39 39.35 39.15 39.4 38.6 39.35 532,500 20,785,680 7,130,410 ROBINSONS RTL 62.55 62.75 64 64 62.1 62.75 353,730 22,219,889.5 (3,346,116) PHIL SEVEN CORP 87 90 88 88 86 88 14,520 1,269,579 (103,159) SSI GROUP 1.1 1.11 1.12 1.12 1.09 1.1 1,150,000 1,260,870 10,900 WILCON DEPOT 30.15 30.2 30.15 30.45 30.15 30.2 668,600 20,193,635 (6,400,040) APC GROUP 0.227 0.235 0.235 0.24 0.235 0.235 180,000 42,450 - IPM HLDG 7 7.05 7.05 7.05 7.05 7.05 2,100 14,805 - MEDILINES 1.23 1.24 1.26 1.26 1.23 1.24 2,585,000 3,218,210 (2,510) PRMIERE HORIZON 0.53 0.55 0.54 0.56 0.53 0.53 3,370,000 1,823,180 23,220

MINING & OIL ATOK 6.1 6.14 6.05 6.1 5.65 6.1 218,100 1,326,779 - APEX MINING 1.66 1.67 1.65 1.72 1.62 1.66 13,207,000 22,124,850 (80,690) ATLAS MINING 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.21 6.15 6.15 515,500 3,179,786 229,387 BENGUET A 5.05 5.34 5.34 5.34 5.05 5.34 800 4,102 - BENGUET B 4.9 5.06 4.6 5.06 4.6 5.06 600 2,806 - COAL ASIA HLDG 0.265 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.28 50,000 14,000 - CENTURY PEAK 2.94 2.95 2.9 2.95 2.75 2.95 1,168,000 3,319,140 3,295,940 DIZON MINES 4.26 5.51 5.51 5.51 5.51 5.51 100 551 - FERRONICKEL 2.12 2.14 2.17 2.2 2.11 2.14 5,117,000 11,013,870 (3,226,890) GEOGRACE 0.19 0.198 0.198 0.198 0.19 0.19 100,000 19,560 17,580 LEPANTO A 0.141 0.143 0.141 0.145 0.141 0.143 7,640,000 1,092,520 - LEPANTO B 0.134 0.143 0.143 0.143 0.143 0.143 1,100,000 157,300 - MANILA MINING A 0.0098 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.0098 0.01 41,300,000 413,500 - MARCVENTURES 1.19 1.21 1.17 1.23 1.14 1.21 1,531,000 1,843,300 - NIHAO 1.01 1.04 1.01 1.01 1.01 1.01 25,000 25,250 - NICKEL ASIA 5.28 5.29 5.25 5.31 5.25 5.29 969,900 5,131,240 (514,373) ORNTL PENINSULA 0.75 0.78 0.77 0.77 0.77 0.77 25,000 19,250 - PX MINING 5.32 5.38 5.41 5.41 5.26 5.38 1,134,600 6,043,615 (181,903) SEMIRARA MINING 22.6 22.9 22.2 23.3 22.1 22.6 3,272,300 74,731,680 (7,252,205) UNITED PARAGON 0.0069 0.0072 0 0.0072 0.0073 0.0072 0.0072 23,000,000 166,400 - ORNTL PETROL A 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.011 37,200,000 378,000 - ORNTL PETROL B 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.01 0.01 3,100,000 31,700 - PHILODRILL 0.0098 0.01 0 0.0099 0.011 0.0096 0.01 12,000,000 120,250 - PXP ENERGY 5.98 6 6.06 6.06 5.98 5.98 191,200 1,148,112 (30,498)

PREFFERED

HOUSE PREF B 99.9 100.9 100.9 100.9 100.9 100.9 5,070 511,563 - HOUSE PREF A 100 101 101 101 101 101 10 1,010 - ALCO PREF D 512 525 512.5 512.5 512.5 512.5 400 205,000 - BRN PREF A 102.2 104 104 104 104 104 110 11,440 - CEB PREF 42.25 43 42.2 43 42.2 43 4,800 202,945 (4,300) DD PREF 100.6 100.8 100.8 100.8 100.8 100.8 11,730 1,182,384 - EEI PREF A 102 102.5 102 102 102 102 3,000 306,000 - EEI PREF B 106.9 107 107 107 106.2 107 27,700 2,960,375 - FGEN PREF G 102.2 105.8 105 105.5 105 105.5 250 26,350 - GTCAP PREF A 1,000 1,029 1036 1,036 1,036 1,036 20 20,720 - JFC PREF A 1,000 1,010 1010 1,010 1,010 1,010 50 50,500 - MWIDE PREF 2B 100.5 101 100.5 100.6 100.4 100.6 8,250 829,330 - MWIDE PREF 4 100.1 100.7 100.2 100.5 100.1 100.5 3,910 391,843 - PNX PREF 3B 101.9 102 102 102 102 102 2,470 251,940 - PNX PREF 4 994 998 998 998 998 998 900 898,200 - PCOR PREF 3A 1,017 1,060 1050 1,060 1,050 1,060 2,100 2,216,000 - PCOR PREF 3B 1,098 1,100 1119 1,119 1,100 1,100 205 229,300 - SMC PREF 2F 79 79.5 79 79.5 79 79.2 91,430 7,223,485 2,385 SMC PREF 2H 76 76.5 76 76.5 76 76.5 16,500 1,254,050 - SMC PREF 2J 76.45 77 76.45 76.45 76.45 76.45 990 75,685.5 - SMC PREF 2K 75.85 76 75.85 75.9 75.85 75.85 27,700 2,101,088 - TECH PREF B2C 51 52.95 51 51 51 51 2,000 102,000 - PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS

25.09% n.a. n.a.

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a,d

www.businessmirror.com.ph

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

ALTUS PROP ITALPINAS MERRYMART

18.8 1.18 2.4

19.28 1.2 2.41

19.32 1.21 2.51

19.32 1.21 2.51

18.8 1.14 2.4

18.8 1.2 2.4

61,800 1,186,000 4,615,000

788,300

133,990

1,175,684 1,399,960 11,218,250

- - (290,880)

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

107

108.5

108.3

108.8

107

107

20,120

(1,192,550) 9,198

2,171,940

158,780

-

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Entrepreneur

DAR mentors farmers to be entrepreneurs

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

T

he Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said more and more farmers are learning to manage their business through the agency’s Farm Business School (FBS).

In a news statement, DAR reported on Monday that 85 farmers from three agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs) based in Ilocos Norte have graduated from the FBS to become certified farmer cum entrepreneurs.

The 85 farmers are members of Timpuyog ti Sta Maria-San Antonio Farmers Irrigators Association Inc., Namnama Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative, and Daquioag Bannuar Farmers Irrigators Association Inc. Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II Victor Ines said the FBS aims to develop agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to become agricultural entrepreneurs as a way to promote farming as one form of a business where ARBs could draw big earnings.

“We will help the graduates in

marketing their products. At present, we are trying to have an agreement with Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center so that the said hospital will regularly buy the products of our FBS graduates for their daily vegetable supply requirements,” he said.

The FBS trained them on various entrepreneurial skills and advanced farming practices so they can properly manage their products as they go out in the market.

“The participants gave clear visions and goals on what their farm should be and thought of ways to make those plans become a reality,” Ines said.

Mary Grace Tomas of Timpuyog ti Sta Maria - San Antonio IA Inc. said that in FBS, they were able to learn how to manage farm records, develop a good plan and learn how to become successful entrepreneurs.

DAR, in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, initiated the FBS, which also teaches farmers essential matters on bookkeeping, cash flows, market surveys, selling and costing, and proper packaging of their products.

SME interest in tech grows, but so do barriers–WEF

T

he Covid-19 pandemic has increased the interest of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in digital technology, but numerous barriers prevent them from adopting technology needed to overcome pandemicrelated challenges, according to a recent World Economic Forum (WEF) report.

A new survey conducted by WEF found that despite increased awareness of the importance of digital technology, many SMEs admitted to either suspending their digitalization plans or having no plans at all to implement them due to financial stress. Only 23 percent of SMEs said the pandemic accelerated their digitalization goals, indicating that significant barriers continue to hamper the adoption of digital technology, the paper said. The barriers include limited availability and access to financial resources, lack of a skilled work force, and infrastructure barriers to support digitalization.

“In general, SMEs’ interest in digital solutions is growing. Agility and flexibility in operations have emerged as top priorities above raising productivity and minimizing costs, which used to be the primary objective for most businesses.

In addition, technologies that enable remote work and collaboration topped the list of priorities for digital technology use cases,” the white paper added.

Challenges

The survey of 141 SMEs from six countries (Azerbaijan, Brazil, Colombia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, and Turkey) showed heightened demand among SMEs to integrate digital technology in business operations, particularly related to the industrial Internet of things (IIoT), cloud computing, big data and artificial intelligence.

Most SMEs expressed interest in deploying technology to optimize processes, ensure safety and security, facilitate quality management, and manage work force training and collaboration.

“SMEs represent more than 90 percent of all companies globally and are the primary drivers of social mobility, creating seven out of 10 jobs. Unfortunately, these companies are struggling to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution [Industry 4.0]. Larger businesses [with more than 500 employees] are six times more likely to use the IIoT than SMEs. This risks exacerbating economic inequality, stifling opportunities for social mobility and dragging down global industrial productivity,” the white paper released this month said.

Remote work is the most prominent change in the way of doing business due to the pandemic. WEF said that a combination of on location and remote working is likely to become a permanent feature the longer the crisis lasts. This increases the urgency for SMEs to embrace digital technology to adapt to the new reality, while attracting talent and remaining competitive.

But most SMEs are still at the low to moderate level of technological maturity, which prevents companies from fully benefiting from digital technologies, limits the potential return on investments of digitalization, and discourages widespread digitalization, the report

observed.

The most common challenge to digital transformation cited is financial constraints. Uncertainty in the business environment has led SMEs to focus more on short-term objectives and plans and on day-to-day operations and survival.

“The Covid-19 crisis has forced companies to divert funds to other areas such as health and safety, and employment protection,” the paper said.

Exacerbating this issue is a continued lack of access to financing for SMEs, as banks prefer to give loans to large enterprises due to the risk of default.

Another important barrier is the lack of skilled labor needed to support digital transformation.

Majority of respondents mentioned skill gaps in a wide range of areas, such as big data analytics, robotics technicians and information technology managers.

In addition, SMEs are facing tough competition from larger companies in attracting workers.

Infrastructure barriers noted include challenges relating to Internet access and speed and a lack of availability of adequate data centers, especially in rural and remote regions. Respondents also highlighted the lack of availability of digital solutions in the domestic market, exacerbated by the lower level of research and development and innovation compared to advanced economies.

Moreover, many SMEs are now focusing on local markets, which feature less intense competition compared to the global market. This reduces the incentives for SMEs to fully embrace innovation.

The survey also revealed SMEs’ dissatisfaction with the level of government support. When asked about the most attractive instruments of state support to increase digital adoption, respondents said they preferred tax incentives, grants and subsidies, employment support, and debt financing.

Further, an absence of industry standards increases both the actual and perceived costs of investing in digital technology and discourages SMEs from investing in digital technology.

Solutions

The report said there is plenty of potential for SMEs to use digital technology, and policy has an important role to play in promoting this uptake through a focus on providing financial support, improving labor skills and enhancing infrastructure.

For one, the government could provide financial support tools and measures to support the training and upskilling of workers.

Meanwhile, making high-speed broadband Internet available at a reasonable price and focusing on cybersecurity training and policies will also provide a conducive environment for greater technological adoption among businesses.

“Building an effective ecosystem for SMEs has the potential to accelerate their adoption of digital technology. This requires key stakeholders such as industry, government, NGOs and academia to cooperate in improving the technological development of companies,” the report said. PNA

BusinessMirror

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, January 5, 2022 B3

OBE’s Asian expansion seen to benefit more MSMEs in ’22

R

By Roderick L. Abad

@rodrik_28 | Contributor

EPLICATING its success in Europe and the United Kingdom, nonprofit global movement Open Banking Exchange (OBE) has launched its Asian arm to increase financial inclusion in the region through Open Finance and Open Banking.

The strategy of OBE to connect member companies with financial institutions as well as its provision of tools, platforms, and guidance that can help them respond to industry challenges will enable thousands of Asian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups to scale and expand their markets.

Its partner in Asia, Brankas, will help promote and advance financial accessibility and services across these markets.

According to OBE Asia Director and Brankas Chief Executive Officer Todd Schweitzer, expanding their footprint in Asia will bring an easier and yet more comprehensive understanding of what enables the more sustainable kind of Open Banking across countries.

“This is the first time that the OBE has brought together use cases, terminology, taxonomy, technical standards, lessons learned—good and bad—and put them in a single place,” he said in a recent webinar.

Apart from MSMEs, other stakeholders such as governments, financial institutions, and other organizations are empowered by OBE’s initiatives all over the region.

Schweitzer cited, for instance, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Bank of Thailand (BOT), or the Thai Bankers Association can readily assess “the balance of policies and frameworks that they can actually

learn from a single repository.”

Meanwhile, he singled out the Philippines as an example of a country setting up guidelines that encourage innovation in governance and the framework rollout of Open Finance regulations.

The BSP announced in June 2021 that it has set the rules for the Open Finance Framework, which makes it possible for a customer to allow the sharing of his financial data, resulting to the creation of innovative financial solutions for both clients and financial institutions.

The top executive, likewise, acknowledged the leadership of the Open Finance Oversight Committee, which was established by the BSP, and the National Privacy Commission in the future development of regulatory sandboxes for new technologies and solutions.

Progress and development

OBE has been facilitating discussion, partnership and learning, particularly on Open Banking and Open Finance, with its members in different continents such as Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

The constant development of technology can open this same opportunity to many Asian MSMEs, per OBE Managing Director John Broxis.

He noted, though, what institutions in the region must do to move forward, since many of them still

OPEN Banking Exchange Managing Director John Broxis (left) and OBE Asia Director and Brankas Chief Executive Officer Todd Schweitzer lead the OBE’s webinar, wherein they introduce OBE and Open Finance in Asia to stakeholders and members of the media in the region.

have differences in their respective definitions—and by implication, practices—of Open Banking.

“They have to be brought together … allowing them to have that conversation, and that is what we are trying to do here,” Broxis said. “It’s really about coming to us for good straightforward information of what’s going on in lang uage they can understand, in this case across Asia.”

He added that the ongoing collaboration is important because technology and industry are always changing and evolving.

“With different countries having different aims and reasons for doing Open Banking such as financial inclusion, competition, stimulating innovation, there will be different use cases, and different actors and roles.

Over time, during 2022, we will share these with you as members come in to discuss them,” he said.

Different approach

WHILE the goal of Open Finance is to bring more MSMEs into the formal financial system and help them have access to digital financial services, its development differ from one region to another.

“With Europe, it’s a very top-down approach, and it’s the regulators that decide competitiveness and who are

basically requiring banks to comply. However, in Southeast Asia, it’s primarily bottom-up, commercially led with regulators setting industry guidelines,” Schweitzer said.

As the CEO of Brankas, a leading Open Finance technology firm in Southeast Asia that provides financial services to various countries throughout Asia, he shared their diverse situations, challenges, and opportunities. Indonesia has a very ambitious and top-down approach towards payments regulations.

Thailand’s BOT, on the other hand, is working behind the scenes for an Open Banking Roadmap in 2022.

Meanwhile, Singapore sets a very good commercial model that has a lot of guidelines and efforts, while still remaining an early use case for Open Banking.

OBE will form its own road map for 2022, a distinct program customized for Asia and consisting of educational webinars, training programs, and country-by-country rollout.

It is aimed at “teching up” organizations and systems in the region, creating an environment conducive to the growth of Open Banking and Open Finance, just like what it has successfully did in Europe and the Americas.

‘Where there’s tea there’s hope:’ Chatime bites the bullet, rolls with the punches in face of Covid threat

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio Contributor

T

he Covid-19 pandemic has really dealt a heavy blow to a lot of businesses. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs don’t have a choice but to bite the bullet and roll with the punches so to speak.

As far as Chatime is concerned, it is still all systems go as it will be opening new stores in 2022. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 until November 2021, Chatime has already added 21 stores to its network from a starting point of 130 pre-pandemic. Moreover, it has rationalized and closed a few stores only, mainly those with big spaces and high rent in heavy office areas.

“We are still opening new stores despite the pandemic. Our strategy had always been to go light on the real estate in order to expand more efficiently. As a result, our overall profitability was manageable during this pandemic due to the lower rent and overhead that we have to pay,” Christopher Cua, finance and marketing director of Chatime told the BusinessMirror in a recent e-mail interview.

“However, we are not unaffected by the pandemic. We are still hoping for a speedy reopening of the economy and lowering of overall cases,” he added.

Cua said Chatime has launched some new products during the pandemic, most notably the Cream Cheese Choco Hazelnut made with Nutella, which has gained a wide popularity among its customers. He added they plan to keep launching new products, just like they did during pre-pandemic era, as it is part of our brand value to keep innovating new flavors.

Officials of Shell and Chatime recently signed a partnership agreement that will enable the tea beverage operator to open more branches in potential sites in Shell gas stations.

In the global market, Chatime has been recovering at different rates.

Obviously, with the Philippine economy being hit harder than most, the recovery here has been slower. But in other developed nations, many of their counterparts are already achieving pre-pandemic level sales.

Nevertheless, there is a silver lining in the local market as local mall operators have been very understanding with their situation and have been supporting big support such as rental concessions, which other countries did not necessarily get.

Aside from the shift to more delivery sales and digitalization of payments such as via GCash, Shell will also be a big part of how we pivot during this crisis. As mentioned above, the Shell stores would be mostly lower footprint stores to serve community areas, either via delivery or walk-in sales, as we expect higher

foot traffic in the Shell Mobility Sites due to the more diverse offerings compared to a traditional gas station. This allows our expansion to be less capital intensive, and at the same time to target lesser-served areas not being served by major shopping malls.

With the pandemic still around, Cua observed that Chatime noticed a major jump in delivery sales. Unlike during the pre-pandemic period where Chatime focused delivery to select hubs, Cua said, this time Chatime had to open up more sites to delivery, as distance to the customer now plays a big factor in deciding what brand to order. He added sales have also tended to shift away from office areas, one major growth driver before, and now into more community and residential areas.

Moreover, Chatime also focused on delivering better value. “Where-

as pre-pandemic, there was a trend for higher value and more premium drinks, nowadays we see a higher uptick for better value. This is a trend that also affects how we plan our seasonal and new drink launches,” Cua said. At present, Chatime has little over 150 stores. About half are company-owned.

As a global brand, Cua said the local office benefits from the expertise of their Taiwanese principal, as well as the diverse network of partners from different countries.

“This has allowed us to stay on top with industry best practices and drink innovation. Specifically with drink innovation, the market has seen an inflow of new brands with very niche flavors, such as brown sugar, cream cheese, etc. While we do participate in these new trends, we still pride ourselves in being strong with our core drinks, such as our signature Pearl Milk Tea,” he said.

Locally, Cua said developing strong relationships with key partners such as SM, Waltermart, and Shell helped in boosting the brand.

Meanwhile Chatime recently formed a master agreement with Shell to roll out and operate Chatime stores within the Shell network. The stores will be jointly owned and operated

by Shell and the site retailer/dealer, while Chatime acts as a franchisor.

The partnership with Shell will enable Chatime to have a potential location to the over 1,000 Shell stations.

“One of our preferred models within the Shell network is what is called the clip-in model, wherein we open a counter within the Shell Select store. This allows us to leverage on shared resources of the Select store such as seating and air-conditioning, while providing Shell as the operator with greater returns due to the lower footprint of the store,” Cua said.

B4

Banking&Finance

Wednesday, January 5, 2022 • Editor: Dennis D. Estopace

BusinessMirror

Acquiring Citibank unit seen to bode well for Unionbank

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By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

NION Bank of the Philippines’s acquisition of the consumer banking arm of Citi Philippines will bode well for the local lender’s short and long term prospects, an international research firm said.

CreditSights said the move is a “meaningful acquisition for a bank the size of Unionbank” and would not have been made possible if not for the strong corporate backing of the bank via the Aboitiz Group.

The think tank, which was ac-

quired by the Fitch Group, also said their internal calculations showed that Unionbank’s acquisition of Citi will take the bank’s common equity tier (CET) 1 ratio down to approximately 13.5 percent.

“While capital levels almost cer-

tainly will not fall below regulatory minimums as that would mean not getting the blessing of regulators, the acquisition looks set to leave the bank with a relatively thin capital buffer post-transaction, even with the large support from its shareholder group,” the think tank said.

On the other hand, Unionbank is set to get a significant leg-up in retail. The think tank approximates that the local bank will be bumped to the 9th-biggest bank in the country-post acquisition from its current 10th place.

In credit cards, however, Unionbank is expected to jump from its current 8th placing all the way to Citi’s current position of third or fourth.

“In the near term, the capital impact of the acquisition is significant

and likely to result in a relatively thin buffer, especially in the current uncertain operating environment. That said, UBP has been a consistently profitable banking franchise that has delivered above peer returns to its shareholders, and the recent strong backing that it has secured for this acquisition signals to us that more capital injections could be forthcoming if required in the near-term,” CreditSights said.

“Retail asset quality however, especially unsecured exposures, will continue to be volatile as emerging virus variants will continue to pose uncertainties in 2022,” it added.

Both parties expect completion of the transaction to be in the second half of 2022, subject to the timing of regulatory approvals.

SEC goes after another suspected investment scam

By Manuel T. Cayon

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

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AVAO CITY—The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) clamped down on another suspected get-rich-quick scheme by a local business firm that didn’t have the necessary government license to operate on investment securities.

In its order dated December 31 last year, the SEC revoked the Certificate of Registration and/or Incorporation of Massdrop Marketing and Franchising OPC (Massdrop Marketing) and MDM Ventures Corp. (MDM Ventures). Both firms are headed by an Edgar Joseph Tan, a Renato A. Sismundo Jr., an Eduardo B. Mallari Jr. and a Roel B. Duya.

The SEC’s Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) said it found Massdrop Marketing and MDM Ventures “to have violated Section 44 of the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines in reclamation to Presidential Decree 902A

for serious misrepresentation as to what the corporations can do to the great prejudice of or damage to the general public.”

It said Massdrop and MDM Ventures “enticed the public to invest online or through the Internet to become a member thereof with a minimum investment of P1,000 with a guaranteed monthly return of 20 percent for 90 days or for a total of 60-percent income in just three months.”

It said a member shall only need to invest, “wait, and earn without having to do anything.”

The SEC said both corporations have not registered any securities pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Regulation Code that would allow it to offer and sell securities to the public.

It said it issued an advisory against Massdrop Marketing on May 18 last year. But the regulator said the entity continued with its “investmenttaking activities unabated through its owner, agents, representatives,

enablers and influencers, this time through another entity, MDM Ventures, which was incorporated on June 2, 2021.”

The EIPD cited three cases why the investments offered by EJ Tan “through his affiliated entities constituted an investment contract.

First, there was an investment of money from the public. “Massdrop” and “MDM Ventures” actually received money from the public who were enticed to invest in their scheme. Second, there was a common enterprise in the sense that respondent “Massdrop” and “MDM Ventures” pooled the money invested by its investors in a profit-making venture. Third, there was clearly an expectation of profits on the part of its investors who were attracted to join the scheme as they relied on the promise that their money would earn a monthly return of 20 percent in a total of 30 days or a total of approximately 160 percent for a minimum investment of P1,000.

The EIPD also said there was ex-

Hope shines in the Year of the Tiger

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ASED on the latest poll of Social Weather Station (SWS), an overwhelming 93 percent of Filipinos expressed optimism about 2022. Conducted last December 12 to December 16, the SWS survey result was released just before the New Year.

Among the country’s major geographical areas, Metro Manila registered the highest hope at 95 percent. Balance Luzon and Mindanao followed at 93 percent, while the Visayas had a recorded rate of 90 percent.

2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger, which officially begins on February 1 in the Oriental lunar calendar.

Feng shui experts predict that it will be a year made for bold action, since the tiger is known for its power and ability to do everything on a grand scale whereas water is associated with being sensitive, creative, and open to change.

Tiger years have been times of change, and this can be gleaned from the last three—2010, 1998 and 1986 —which were also election years in the Philippines. Presidents Benigno Aquino III, Joseph Estrada and Corazon Aquino won during those years marked by tumultuous events that ushered in periods of transition.

Four months from now, Filipinos will elect a new President who shall lead the nation during the post-pandemic era. The May 9, 2022 presidential election is said to be a referendum on the country’s political system, specifically on whether democracy or authoritarianism is the preferred pathway for the biggest plurality of voters.

Democracy may not be a perfect system, but it is still the best form of government in which the citizens determine its policies through elected

Finex free enterprise Joseph Araneta Gamboa representatives, direct voting, or a combination of both.

Case in point is the third congressional district of Camarines Sur (CamSur) province where voters are urging the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) to provide them a legitimate representative in the last six months of the Duterte administration.

This came after the HRET reportedly wrapped up its recount of the actual ballots cast in the contested May 2019 legislative election between incumbent Representative Gabriel H. Bordado Jr. and the late former Governor Luis R. Villafuerte Sr., who passed away last year.

HRET insiders revealed that Villafuerte won his protest against Bordado by a margin of 776 votes during the manual recount of the physical ballots by the House panel last December 6 to December 15.

For his part, Bordado did not file a counter-protest nor seek a recount of other clustered precincts other than those listed by Villafuerte. Hence, there is nothing left for the HRET to do but to close the case and declare Villafuerte as the legitimate winner of the congressional race.

But since Villafuerte is no longer around to occupy the seat in the legislature, the House Speaker has an option to name a caretaker representative who will serve the remainder

of his term. There have been several precedents in the past involving contested congressional seats: Surigao del Sur and Pasig City, with the real winners serving only a few months or even a few minutes before their terms expired.

Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco must correct this electoral injustice by immediately naming the caretaker as soon as Congress resumes its session on January 17. The people of CamSur’s third district, which includes Naga City and the capital town of Pili, should be first and foremost in the minds of congressional leaders when they make a final decision on this protest case.

The importance of democracy should be viewed through the lens of the other alternatives such as dictatorship, monarchy and theocracy–which are comparatively worse in terms of achieving equality. Under those three systems of government, the constituents allow one person or a group of people to exclusively make decisions for an entire population.

In contrast, democracy allows all groups and individuals to participate in politics, regardless of race, socioeconomic class, and gender identity.

So much is at stake in the coming presidential election, which is seen as a make-or-break political exercise for the entire nation. The results will be crucial in determining where our economy is headed to in the next six years. Hopefully the electorate will vote for a servant leader who cares for the well-being of the citizenry and upholds the rule of law.

Joseph Gamboa is the chairman of the Finex Media Affairs Committee and director of Noble Asia Industrial Corp. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of these institutions and the BusinessMirror.

pectation of profits derived primarily from the efforts of “Massdrop” and “MDM Ventures” and/or its directors, officers, agents or representatives.

“The schemes being offered by Massdrop Marketing and MDM Ventures are clearly in the nature of a Ponzi scheme where the profits or payouts shall be taken from incoming investors or additional payins of existing members-investors, considering that it does not have any underlying legitimate business from where it could source its promised return on investments to its investors,” the EIPD added.

It warned Davao residents also to beware of the scam saying Massdrop Marketing and MDM Ventures also operate in the area. A post from its social media account indicated that the corporations have established offices in the following areas: Talisay, Cebu; Zambales; Laguna; Angono, Cainta and San Mateo, all in Rizal; General Trias, Cavite; Quezon City; and, Caloocan.

Yen slumps to 5-year low as Treasury yields spike

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HE yen dropped to its weakest level against the dollar in five years, as global growth optimism triggered a spike in US Treasury yields and undermined the appeal of haven assets.

The currency dropped as much as 0.4 percent to 115.82 per dollar on Tuesday, the weakest since January 2017. It follows a 10-percent slump last year, the biggest annual drop in seven years.

“The transition to a more normal global economy in 2022 will lead to a normalization of monetary policy by several central banks, including the Fed” and that will weigh on the yen, said David Forrester, senior FX strategist at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong. “We forecast dollar-yen to reach 118 by mid-2022.”

The yen was the worst-performing Group-of-10 currency last year as the Bank of Japan’s dovish policy increasingly diverged from peers, who have signaled normalization from pandemic stimulus. Funds from Morgan Stanley to JPMorgan Asset Management have advocated selling the currency as yield differentials widen.

Overnight-index swaps suggest the Federal Reserve will raise the benchmark rate three times this year amid the fastest inflation in four decades. The BOJ, however, is expected to leave the policy rate unchanged in 2022 with Governor Haruhiko Kuroda reiterating that the central bank will continue to take appropriate policy steps.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

EXCLUSIVE

‘2021 a year of growth for insurance industry’

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

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EPITE the hurdles related that the pandemic established on progress, the year 2021 remains a “year of growth,” according to Insurance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa.

Citing data from interim reports for the third quarter of last year, Funa said the industry’s total net income grew by 31.04 percent yearon-year while premium income rose by 28.71 percent. Investments also grew by 14.02 percent while assets increased by 12.5 percent.

The chief of the Insurance Commission (IC) said he considers it fortunate that the industry was able to start digitalization long before the pandemic ensued.

“This year’s numbers continue to show the industry’s resilience; and, in fact, the industry was able to bounce back and even able to grow notwithstanding the adverse economic effects of the pandemic last year,” Funa told the BusinessMirror.

The regulator’s move to extend various regulatory reliefs, e.g., the extension of deadlines for filing and submission of reportorial requirements and the 50-percent reduction on penalties for non-submission of these documents, may have contributed to the industry’s better numbers.

Other measures were relaxing the admittance of receivable accounts of non-life insurers and professional reinsurers as well as directing health maintenance organizations and health insurance providers to issue certificates of employment to their employees to exempt them from home quarantine requirements.

Backlog, adjustments

FOR Sun Life of Canada (Philippines) Inc. CEO and Country Head Benedict C. Sison, the life insurance industry has adjusted well with the altered operating environment nearly two years into the pandemic.

“We are making the most of working with a hybrid-office setup, online mode of communication across the organization, digital means of distributor recruitment, training and selling, and the expanded digitalization of client interaction,” said Sison, whose term as Philippine Life Insurance Association (PLIA) president ended last December 30.

“It helps that clients are now more open about online insurance-related transactions and increased trust in online dealings with agents, as well as in sharing personal information and documents electronically.”

Sison added that “in the general context, the challenges imposed by the pandemic have led to opportunities to create innovative new solutions and digital initiatives for our clients.”

However, the former PLIA president admitted that a slowdown in agent-licensing was initially a challenge for the industry since it has disrupted the in-person conduct of written qualifying exam.

“This [left] a void in the licensing of new agents whenever suspended and catch-up from the backlog takes time due to limitation in the number of allowable examinees in accordance with IATF heath protocols,” Sison told the BusinessMirror.

Eventually, this problem was addressed by the IC by launching its “online agent computerized examination,” or Online ACE, in March last year.

Advantage of tech

AS for the non-life insurance industry, Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association (Pira) Executive Director Michael F. Rellosa said the lockdown measures hobbled the pace of digitalization efforts as more clients adjust to online transactions.

Nonetheless, Rellosa said most companies have already digitalized their way of doing business, taking

advantage of online meetings, for example.

“They’ve also developed or started developing online facilities for premium payments and, to some extent, even claims settlement,” he explained.

Rellosa added the industry also had to deal with higher costs of doing business to attenuate employee health risks and coupled with requirements for a work-from-home setup.

Nonetheless, he said while the industry suffered a hit, the losses were generally lower. He noted this is especially so for the motor-insurance sector.

Still, Rellosa and Sison expressed concern over the Omicron variant of Covid-19 that could lead to a surge in cases and prompt another round of lockdown measures. (Editor’s note: This story was crafted before the Duterte government reverted the National Capital Region to Alert Level 3 beginning January 3.)

Digitalization push

THE executives said some insurers may be unable to meet the mandated P1.3-billion minimum net-worth requirement by December 2022 under Republic Act 10607 or the Insurance Code.

But Funa said the insurance industry has the entire year to address this matter.

“As regards compliance with the minimum-net worth [requirement], it may be too early to tell at this juncture considering that insurers have the entire 2022 to prepare for compliance,” he explained. “However, it may be noted that insurers have options for business combinations such as mergers, consolidations and acquisitions for them to be able to comply with the P1.3 billion minimum net worth requirements come end of 2022.”

Rellosa said they are hoping that the IC would be more responsive and quick to act on a number of petitions they filed with the regulator.

But Sison said the PLIA is looking forward to working with the IC to significantly lift the capacity of “Online ACE” and for the regulator to ramp up its efforts to digitalize its operations.

“As with the industry players, we trust that the Insurance Commission would continue to embrace the digitalization of its operating environment, not merely as a response to the pandemic but one as a strategic choice to become more operationally efficient and responsive to its regulated entities and the public it serves,” he added.

Sison said PLIA also hopes companies would be able to boost their capacity and overcome the challenges the new year would bring.

Sustainable, suitable

MOVING forward, Funa expressed optimism the insurance industry will remain on its growth path this year.

“The outlook is generally positive.

As the country’s economy is projected to grow in 2022, we anticipate that the insurance industry will likewise grow considering the industry performance trends this year,” the IC chief told the BusinessMirror last December. “Considering the pandemic experience, we believe that the industry has adapted and continue to adapt their business operating models in facing evolving financial, technological and even climate-related risk.”

Funa vowed to sustain, if not increase, the Commission’s efforts in fostering the industry’s growth through the issuance of regulatory measures. It also hopes to adapt and incorporate international developments; not only insurance technology and supervision technology.

It also aims to increase the country’s insurance penetration rate by raising public awareness of insurance protection.

Image BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Wednesday, January 5, 2022

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Celebrating the small wins

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HATEVER your goals were the past year, you would have come up with new ones by now. I am also sure that some items from the previous year have been carried over to your new list. But before you castigate yourself for not achieving those goals, why not celebrate the progress that you have accomplished now?

Some people are so obsessed with accomplishments that everything is either a win or a failure, when in fact life is a journey and not a destination.

If you look back at your own life, you will see that your monumental accomplishments were not due to one factor alone but to a series of small wins. Your accomplishments for the past year might have been hampered by the health crisis and dismal economic conditions but if you look close enough, they are worth celebrating. Small wins help us appreciate where we are today because, after all, progress is better than no progress at all. So, here are some reasons why you should celebrate small wins.

It gives you joy now. There are some goals that are just prodigious that you have to break them down into milestones. These milestones serve as guides, so you know that you are on the right path to your ultimate intention. And like what I said, small progress is still progress and any kind of improvement is worth acknowledging. Celebrating small wins helps you recognize your professional growth and reinforces the lessons you have learned along the way.

And when that happens, it will also help build momentum to help you keep going. Punctuating your journey toward your goal with milestones will help keep you motivated into pursuing it more. Just as a marathon runner needs occasional slowing down and drinking water, celebrating small wins helps keep you going toward your destination and highlights what you are really passionate about. These milestones further fuel your drive because it makes you realize how much you really want your goal.

Small wins will help you clarify your personal vision and recalibrate your path in the right direction. These milestones will teach you what works so you can adapt as needed and identify which ones need tweaking to continue your growth and progress. And celebrating them does not always mean throwing a party or announcing to everyone your accomplishment. Sometimes, small wins can also come in the

form of a roadblock.

Roadblocks often tell us that certain resources or work processes do not work, which helps us avoid using them in the future. Discovering these roadblocks early on should also be celebrated because it teaches others to manage their expectations and prepare well.

Roadblocks often also help you think creatively and unite the team toward looking for possible solutions.

Celebrating small wins also helps you become accountable for your own contribution to the team’s goals and acknowledges your effort into making it a reality. Sometimes, individual contributions get lost in the team’s accomplishments and members fade into the background. People managers can avoid this by celebrating team accomplishments with a team reward that everybody appreciates, while also acknowledging members who have significantly contributed to the team’s success.

Listing the number of milestones you have accomplished will give you the confidence to go further. A collection of small wins will show tangible results that other people will notice because small wins add up to big ones. In performance evaluations, you can cite these small wins as professional progress and your contribution to the team’s success and can be used to highlight what you have accomplished outside your scorecard. These added accomplishments can help you identify what you want to further develop in yourself, as well as point you toward team activities where you can contribute the most.

To help you remember these small wins, list them down and keep them readily accessible. When you feel down or need an added boost on a slow day, you can read your list so you can stay motivated to complete your goals. At the end of the year, you can use the list for your performance evaluation. For all you know, your manager might even see that what may be a small win for you is pivotal for the whole project and enables other members of your team to do their work well.

If you are managing people, one of the effective ways of motivating your team is to celebrate small wins. You do that by constantly catching your people doing good and commending team members who exert discretionary effort to reach the team’s goals. And when your team encounters issues and problems, set the example of how to approach them. Stop pointing fingers and get right to the root cause of the problem and find solutions. By being practical and solutions-oriented, you avoid putting people on the spot and foster an environment where people are forced to look for solutions rather than blame.

It then opens the communication lines between you and the team because the focus is on results and how to achieve the team’s goals.

As you look at your new year’s resolutions, there might be some that are from your previous list and that is okay. You did what you could given the past year’s conditions. At least now you know how much further you need to go to achieve them. And if there is anything the past years have taught us, it is that great things start from small beginnings.

PHOTO BY BEN WHITE ON UNSPLASH

Stress is contagious in relationships—here’s what you can do

By Rosie Shrout Purdue University

WITH the flurry of shopping, spending money and traveling to see family, stress can feel inevitable during the holidays.

You might already know stress can affect your own health, but what you may not realize is that your stress—and how you manage it—is catching. Your stress can spread around, particularly to your loved ones.

As a social-health psychologist, I have developed a model on how partners and their stress influence each other’s psychological and biological health. Through that and my other research, I’ve learned that the quality of intimate relationships is crucial to people’s health.

Here’s just a sample: Relationship stress can alter the immune, endocrine and cardiovascular systems. A study of newlyweds found levels of stress hormones were higher when couples were hostile during a conflict—that is, when they were critical, sarcastic, spoke with an unpleasant tone and used aggravating facial expressions, like eyerolls.

Likewise, in another study, people in hostile relationships had

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slower wound healing, higher inflammation, higher blood pressure and greater heart rate changes during conflict. Middle-aged and older men had higher blood pressure at times when their wives reported greater stress. And partners who felt they weren’t being cared-for or understood had poorer well-being and higher mortality rates 10 years later when compared with those who felt more caredfor and appreciated by their partners.

CONFLICT AND CORTISOL

CORTISOL is a hormone that plays a key role in the body’s stress response. Cortisol has a diurnal rhythm, so its levels are usually highest soon after waking and then gradually decline during the day.

But chronic stress can lead to unhealthy cortisol patterns, such as low cortisol levels upon waking or cortisol not tapering off much by the end of the day. These patterns are associated with an increase in disease development and mortality risks.

My colleagues and I found that conflict altered cortisol levels of couples on the day they had a dispute; people with stressed partners who used negative behaviors during the conflict had higher cortisol

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u Mallgoers at SM City Grand Central now have a new spiritual haven. Shown during the dedication and blessing of Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary Chapel are (from left) SM Prime Holdings Executive Committee Chairman Hans Sy Sr., Carol Sy, Bishop of the Kalookan Diocese Pablo Virgilio S. David, and SM Engineering Design and Development President Hans “Chico” Sy Jr.

v An air of solemnity is evident in the chapel’s modern, minimalist interiors.

levels even four hours after the conflict ended.

These findings suggest that arguing with a partner who is already stressed could have lasting biological health effects for ourselves.

MANAGING STRESS

HERE are three ways you can reduce the stress in your relationship, during and after the holidays.

First, talk to and validate each other. Tell your partner you understand their feelings. Talk about big and little things before they escalate. Sometimes partners hide problems to protect each other, but this can actually make things worse. Share your feelings, and when your partner shares in return, don’t interrupt. Remember, feeling cared-for and understood by a partner is good for your emotional well-being and promotes healthier cortisol patterns, so being there for each other and listening to each other can have good health effects for both you and your partner.

Next, show your love. Hug each other, hold hands and be kind. This too lowers cortisol and can make you feel happier.

One study found that a satisfying relationship can even help

improve vaccination response.

Then remind yourself that you’re part of a team. Brainstorm solutions, be each other’s cheerleaders and celebrate the wins together.

Couples who unite to tackle stress are healthier and more satisfied with their relationships. Some examples: Make dinner or run errands when your partner is stressed; relax and reminisce together; or try a new restaurant, dance or exercise class together.

That said, it’s also true that sometimes these steps aren’t enough.

Many couples will still need help managing stress and overcoming difficulties. Couples therapy helps partners learn to communicate and resolve conflicts effectively. It’s critical to be proactive and seek help from someone who is trained to deal with ongoing relationship difficulties.

So, tell your partner that you’re there for them, preferably while you’re hugging. Take each other’s stress seriously, and no more eyerolls. It’s not so much the stress itself; it’s the way that both of you manage the stress together. Working as an open and honest team is the key ingredient to a healthy and happy relationship, during holiday season and into the new year.

THE CONVERSATION

New chapel at SM City Grand Central AMID the hustle and bustle of the Caloocan City is a calm and serene haven where mallgoers can reflect, refresh and renew their spirits at the newly opened SM City Grand Central. At the Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary Chapel in the mall’s fifth level, they can pray and attend Mass, and other services.

Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David of the Diocese of Caloocan, who recently assumed the presidency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), led the Eucharistic Mass and Chapel Dedication. He also officiated at the chapel blessing together with members of the Sy Family led by SM Prime Holdings Executive Committee Chairman Hans Sy Sr., Carol Sy, and SM Engineering Design and Development President Hans “Chico” Sy Jr. Designed by Casas + Architects, the 1,025 square meter chapel has a contemporary yet warm look. An air of quiet solemnity is evident by the use of light neutral colors, travertine stone for altar floor and walls while the general area are in porcelain tiles with the same color tone. The altar is fully molded a in solid surface to establish its contemporary minimal look.

Inspired by traditional period churches, the main doors and pews are in narra with natural varnish. The ceiling design has sinuous arches completely lined with lights to showcase its form.

Sacred sculptures of the Crucifix, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, and St. Joseph are uniquely handcrafted by sculptor Ronald Castrillo, while the 14 Stations of the Cross in stained glass mosaic windows are designed by VitreArtus Liturgical Arts. The chapel also has a choir loft and a children’s room.

Mrs. Felicidad Sy chose to name the chapel after our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary as she is a Marian devotee. The new chapel was built to give thanks and glory to God, and to give back to the religious community.

The Chapel of Our Lady of The Most Holy Rosary located at the fifth level of SM City Grand Central can house an estimate of 1,000 patrons and daily mass at 12:15 pm, anticipated mass at 5 pm and, Sunday Mass at 12:15 am and 6 pm.

The administration and management of the chapel will be under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalookan under Reverend Father Paul Nicklaus C. Woo.

B6 Wednesday, January 5, 2022

SCG Philippines, Mariwasa donate P1M to Typhoon Odette victims

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ESPONDING to the plight of communities in the Visayas and Mindanao affected by super Typhoon Odette, SCG Philippines and Mariwasa Siam Ceramics, Inc. have stepped up to the call for urgent help with a cash donation of over P1M coursed through the GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) last December 27, 2021.

The turnover ceremony was held in Diliman, Quezon City, headed by SCG Philippines Asst. Country Director and

Mariwasa VP for Finance and Admin, Emilie Maramag. The donation was accepted by GMAKF's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Luz Annalee O. Escudero-Catibog.

According to PAGASA, “Odette,” internationally known as “Rai” was the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines last year with 378 casualties, per the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The NDRRMC also reported 742

injuries to Filipinos, with 60 missing individuals. The donation from SCG Philippines for the victims of super typhoon Odette is only one of the many initiatives that show the company’s social responsibility. Last year, SCG Philippines and Mariwasa donated positive and negative mobile isolation rooms to local and major hospitals to support our medical frontliners and help mitigate the spread of the virus in hospital facilities.

CHERY Auto PH sends over 30,000 bottled water to storm-stricken areas in Vis-Min

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OOSTING efforts to aid hundreds of families adversely affected by Typhoon Odette, CHERY Auto Philippines has sent over 30,000 bottles of drinking water to storm-stricken areas in Visayas and Mindanao as part of the brand’s commitment to serving the Filipinos.

After the devastation experienced by several regions in southern Philippines due to Typhoon Odette (international name, Rai), CHERY Auto PH swiftly takes its part in providing immediate relief assistance to affected families, and to help them cope while they are slowly rebuilding their lives.

“Amidst the crisis, we will not let our fellow Filipinos down, we are sending them essential goods. We are one with them in overcoming this disaster,” said CHERY Auto Philippines President, Erroll Dueñas.

As we continue to bear witness to the extent of the damage brought about by the typhoon, CHERY Auto PH will also be unrelenting in providing substantial support to our countrymen in this time of need.

Net25,The Philippine Arena held a grand year-end countdown

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AT TURNOVER rites, from left: Marvin Sion, Mariwasa AVP for Sales and Marketing; Evelyn Torio, Mariwasa Administrative Manager; Emilie Maramag, SCG Philippines Asst.

Country Director and Mariwasa VP for Finance and Admin; Luz Annalee O. Escudero- Catibog, GMAKF's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; Danilo Bagay, Mariwasa AVP for Manufacturing; and Radmar Gonzaga, Mariwasa Corporate HR Manager.

HE grand fireworks display at The Philippine Arena on New Year’s eve aptly signified the first flight of “Agila” for 2022.

Net25 has started its year-end countdown in 2020 but missed last year’s due to restrictions and health protocols. Rising from the sad memories of the pandemic, the proactive TV network decided to usher in 2022 with a bang.

Aside from the fun live performances of local showbiz entertainers, Net25 also announced the winners of the “Selfie with the Agila” promo for its loyal viewers.

While netizens watch the countdown, lucky viewers won a brand new car, IPhone 13 and Samsung S21 phone plus cash prizes: five winners of P100, 000; two winners of P50,000; five winners of P25,000; 25 winners of Php10,000; and 25 winners of Php5,000.

Callalilly frontman Kean Cipriano together with The Bandmates set the

celebration ablaze. It was followed by “Magandang Dilag” hitmaker JM Bales, actor-singer Ruru Madrid, rapper Rapido, acoustic singer Princess Velasco and South Border vocalist Jay Durias. There was also a duet of “With a Smile” with Maureen Schrijvers. The stage sizzled with dance performances from Tiktok Dance Craze popular celebrities Athena Madrid, Jon Lucas and Ms. Emma Tiglao.

The Quizon brothers headed by actors Eric, Epi, and Vandolph, together with wife Jenny, joined the celebration. Needless to say, Net 25 ushers the New Year with its newest gag show Quizon CT (Quizon Comedy Theater) every Sunday starting January 9, 2023 at 8pm.

The one-of-a-kind fireworks display lasted over 30 minutes to the delight of the performers themselves and people in the nearby places of the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

Former DPWH Build, Build, Build Committee Chairperson releases book on Duterte admin’s infra accomplishments

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ORMER Build, Build, Build committee chair Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo will be launching her first book, Night Owl, which details the Duterte Administration’s infrastructure accomplishments in the last five years.

Authored by Lamentillo, edited by Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Editor, Arnel Patawaran, and published by Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation, Night Owl narrates the nation’s journey to improved lives and abounding opportunities brought about by President Rodrigo Duterte’s massive infrastructure program.

FORMER BBB Committee Chair Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo

“This book is my tribute to all the brains behind the Philippines’ Golden Age of Infrastructure, and dedicated to all 6.5 million Filipino workers who have turned Build, Build, Build from vision to reality. This is their story, and also our story as a nation—the toils and challenges we had to overcome to be able to connect not only communities, but our islands, and Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao,” said Lamentillo.

The author explains that Night Owl is like a progress report on the Duterte Administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program, particularly: 29,264 kilometers

of roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 flood mitigation structures, 222 evacuation centers, 150,149 classrooms, 214 airport projects, and 451 seaport projects built over the past five years.

As former chair of the Build, Build, Build committee under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Lamentillo also narrates in the book how the DPWH, under the leadership of then Secretary Mark A. Villar, was able to find solutions to lingering problems on right-of-way, ghost projects, and unmet deadlines.

She shares snippets of her own experience—how she also wished, years ago, for the Philippines to have better roads, and how she witnessed first-hand the massive transformation in the country’s infrastructure network anchored on an infrastructure plan consistent with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

Night Owl reports how the accomplished projects have led to improved lives, mainly through better access to essential services and opportunities for livelihood, and enhanced traffic mobility, and how ongoing projects will benefit the people, our communities, and the economy.

“Years ago, I was only dreaming about the Philippines having a good infrastructure network. Today, I am proud to be able to see it come to life and to actually be part of it. I am more convinced that ‘Build, Build, Build’ should be institutionalized. Through Night Owl, I hope more Filipinos would also realize its importance.

This book is proof that we can be part of the trillion-dollar club if we sustain these programs and efforts,” said Lamentillo.

The book also features profiles of the heads of agency involved in the program and includes forewords from President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea, and Secretary Villar.

Vandolph Quizon graced the event with wife Jenny and brothers Epi and Eric.

Torre Lorenzo turns over two projects in Manila

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ORRE Lorenzo Development Corporation (TLDC) recently turned. over premium residential units in 3Torre Lorenzo on P. Ocampo Street (formerly Vito Cruz) corner Taft Avenue in Manila; and Torre Lorenzo Malate (TLM) on Malvar Street in Malate, Manila.

“We’re excited to turn over our premium residences in Malate and Taft on schedule and can’t wait for residents to come and experience the Torre Lorenzo difference,” said TLDC President and CEO Tomas Lorenzo.

“We have designed these towers with only the best amenities at par with what international residential condominiums offer with an intent to give Filipinos an option to elevate their lifestyles.”

Units are now move-in ready in the 37-storey building located in the Taft University area, which is walking distance away from daily essentials like groceries, banks, restaurants, and medical care facilities.

It is also a quick drive away from the business districts of Makati and Pasay.

3Torre Lorenzo units are designed with convenient, modern touches. Access to generous spaces for health, recreation and

relaxation are part of the design, from the Sky Deck and Sky Lounge to a 25-meter lap pool, fitness center, yoga studio, meeting rooms and social spaces where guests can entertain visitors.

Also ready for occupancy is the 45-storey Torre Lorenzo Malate. The development features three distinct “experiences” that offer elegant living and stunning views of Manila Bay: the signature premium residential condominium units at the Residences at TLM, and the stylish serviced residences at The Suites and lyf at TLM managed by international lodging operator The Ascott Limited.

“For those seeking to invest, our properties are suitable for flexible end-use,” says TLDC Chief Operations Officer Cathy Casares-Ko. “Whether for students looking for homes near their universities, or professionals in hybrid work arrangements, our units are strategically located and well-maintained by an in-house property management team to ensure that those who invest in our properties can be assured of value-appreciation.”

For more information, visit www. torrelorenzo.com.

TLDC Chief Executive Officer Tomas Lorenzo (3rd from left) leads the inauguration ceremony of 3Torre Lorenzo in Manila.

Taking part in the ceremonies to bless the newest premium residences in the TLDC portfolio are, from left: Ricardo Jacinto, Executive Committee Consultant; Lalaine Regino, Chief Strategy Officer; Cathy Casares-Ko, Chief Operations Officer; and Emmanuel Rapadas, Chief Finance Officer.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Wednesday, January 5, 2022 B7

Bulacan: The rising star in the North B

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

ulacan is expected to rise as a major growth area in northern Luzon with the completion of big-ticket infrastructure projects, such as the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) Connector, North-South Commuter Railway, and the Central Luzon Link Expressway, “These projects will be complemented by the completion of the New Manila International Airport [or Bulacan International Airport] and the expansion of Clark International Airport.

Aside from improving connectivity, these infrastructure projects should also raise land values outside the capital region,” property management company Colliers International research director Joey Roi Bondoc said in a recent market briefing.

PHirst Park Homes Baliwag is unveiled by performers during its recent launch.

A play area for children is just one of Amaia Scapes Bulacan’s family-friendly facilities, which include a swimming pool, a basketball court and a village pavilion.

Bondoc’s optimism in the region goes into a higher gear as a number of township developments in Northern-Central Luzon corridor are already under way, including Rockwell Land’s Nepo Center in Angeles, Pampanga and a Power Plant Mall; and Megaworld’s Northwin Global City in Marilao, Bulacan. “The government’s decentralization program and major public infrastructure projects should push property developers to launch more master-planned communities outside of Metro Manila,” Bondoc said.

Aligned with Amaia Land’s goal of upgrading the lives and lifestyles of Filipinos, the real-estate developer is expanding Amaia Scapes Bulacan to make more modern and affordable homes available to prospective homeowners in Bulacan.

well. “The positive take-up of our Pandi project further supports our belief in Bulacan’s potential,” Celis added.

PHirst Park Homes’ Vice President for Customer Management Group Loren Sales emphasized that the Baliwag project community has a location that is ideal for families that prefer quiet living and easy access to the city’s conveniences. “PHirst Park Homes Baliwag is a good place to live in if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of city living without being too far from Manila, especially now that the Skyway has been connected to the Nlex, making traveling to and from Bulacan easier and quicker,” Sales said.

Meanwhile, Ayala Land Inc.’s affordable housing unit Amaia Land is expanding its Amaia Scapes Bulacan project. Located along Sta. Maria-Pandi Road in Barangay Manggahan and Sta. Cruz, Bulacan, the 20.4-hectare development currently comprises four sectors but an ongoing expansion, set to last until 2023, will make more Amaia Scapes dwellings available to a vast market of aspiring homeowners who want to escape from the congested metropolis and settle down in healthier environs like Bulacan.

Home to 21 municipalities and three component cities, Bulacan has the fastest-growing economy in Central Luzon. Considered the

gateway of the North because it is the first province that greets travelers on the North Luzon Expressway or Nlex, Bulacan also stands to benefit from the government’s infrastructure projects. Imagine reduced travel time between the province and Metro Manila, on one hand, and outlying provinces like Pampanga, on the other.

Amaia Scapes Bulacan features tastefully designed houses and lot units that are perfect for starting Filipino families. The Single Home 80—a spaciously laid-out 3-bedroom unit with an average floor area of 80 sq ms and lot area of 100 sq ms, is one of the popular units.

Aside from the cozy and comfortable abodes, Amaia Scapes Bulacan also offers a safe and secure neighborhood; first-rate amenities such as a swimming pool, a basketball court, a village pavilion, and a play area; and a “walkable” green environment made lush by trees and pleasant landscaping.

Amaia believes these amenities will encourage residents and families to lead active and holistic lifestyles as they await the “new normal” and the resumption of a wholesome social life and prosperous economy.

In these challenging times, the expansion of Amaia Scapes Bulacan gives the Filipino working class an opportunity to acquire affordable homes at competitive prices.

tropical style.

The houses’ blueprint allows its residents to be still and to move with ease. One other hand, its minimalist design gives the home ample room to evolve as time passes, matching the life lived of its owner.

Community Creators Inc. is the owner and developer of premium residential projects Amiya Raya in San Mateo Rizal and Atlanta in Malolos Bulacan. It is founded and headed by CEO Chay Garcia.

In Hi ndu- Sa nsk r it, A m iya Raya means “a view that delights the senses,” a description that captures the essence of the de-

velopment.

“It’s not just about having a house in the highlands but also being able to have a beautiful life, and fulfilling your dreams and hitting your goals in life,” shares one of its residents.

Being a resident in this wellloved community makes you one with nature, one with yourself and your family, and one with a community.

Truly, living at the top of this beautiful place is anything but lonely.

Visit @A miyaR ayaOf f icia lPage on Facebook for more information on this highland development.

Bullish on Bulacan After the success of its Pandi development , PHirst Park Homes Inc. (PPHI) launched on December 10 its second development project in Baliwag, Bulacan.

In a recent virtual press briefing, PPHI President and CEO Ricky M. Celis expressed optimism as the Baliwag project received a warm reception from the attendees. The

event became more exciting as PPHI surprised the audience with its unique style in promoting Baliwag’s rich culture. Robi Domingo, together with Makata, explored the beauty of Baliwag through a colorful talastasan, photowalk, and food crawl.

PHirst Park Homes Baliwag is the 10th out of the 15 masterplanned communities that PPHI is targeting to complete by 2023.

With 1,500 units, the 15-hectare Baliwag development has a total sales value of P2.79 billion.

PPHI, a joint venture between Century Properties and Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Corp. offers horizontal affordable homes, with previously launched communities located in Tanza, Cavite; Lipa, Batangas; San Pablo, Laguna; Pandi, Bulacan; Calamba, Laguna; Nasugbu, Batangas; Magalang, Pampanga; General Trias, Cavite; and Tayabas, Quezon.

Like other PPHI projects, PHirst Park Homes Baliwag carries the

signature 4C as a commitment to the buyers—complete and wellprovisioned homes with a perimeter fence and gate, conceptive amenities including an outdoor cinema, connected living through Wi-fi zones, and shuttle services, and a convenient and simplified selling and buying experience.

In the Baliwag project, PPHI also included in the design of its activity nodes the rich influences of Bulacan’s arts and culture.

An art streetscape, a music park, play areas that resemble sculptures, and areas where residents can nurture their passion for

painting and photography are just some of the project’s amenity core. Rounding up the amenity list are the village clubhouse, swimming pool, water play area, kids’ playground, outdoor cinema, and basketball court.

“Baliwag is an easy choice for aspiring first-time home buyers because it is within a province that is highly industrialized and home to IT parks, commercial establishments, and schools while its living costs are relatively lower than in the city,” Celis explained.

PHirst Park Homes Pandi was well-received by the market as

Amiya Raya: Why it’s not lonely at the top

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he recent turn of events have given birth to a new lifestyle with its own set of needs and wants. Now that a home has become the backbone of a lifestyle, the elements of home living have been elevated and has transformed into something more encompassing and affecting. From being on the move and around people, people are now spending a lot more time at home and away from the social scene of the city that usually makes up their days. But really, life does not have to be lonely at home.

Not if you live in the middle of the mountains, sky, and green pastures of a community called Amiya Raya.

Accessible yet away. At the top of San Mateo, Rizal is an Asianthemed, residential enclave that boasts of a stunning 270-degree view of the city, Laguna de Bay, and the Rizal mountain ranges.

Imagine waking up to nature, with glorious sunrises and sunsets waiting outside your door and panoramic views to begin and end your day with stillness and inspiration.

Amiya Raya’s strategic location makes the city accessible to its dwellers and near important institutions in Quezon City including Ateneo de Manila Uni-

versity, UP Town Center, and San Mateo Medical Center. On the other hand, it is also tucked away in lush and spacious greeneries, giving its residents privacy and much-needed breathing space.

Inside t he communit y a re different recreational and functional amenities where you can immerse in fitness, relaxing, and celebrating. Club Vihara, Amiya Raya’s top-caliber clubhouse and sports facility, offers residents who are fitness buffs and sports enthusiasts access to indoor badminton courts, a multi-sports cour t (coming soon), a g y m, CrossFit areas, a boxing ring, and a wall climbing facility. Those

who opt for games with friends and family will surely enjoy hours in the game area with billiards, darts, and table games. Despite countrywide lockdowns and limitations in gatherings, intimate celebrations are still possible at the spacious club event halls that open up to wide balconies.

For sunny and chill days, residents can enjoy a dip in the club’s infinity pool while basking in city views and mountain landscapes.

Kids also have their own space in an elaborate playroom at the club.

Space reimagined. Staying at home has become an exciting adventure that enriches the senses.

Spending time with the people you

love in the privacy of your space in a place that delights is something the community’s dwellers love.

The newest homes at Amiya Raya allow its residents to live with nature, a welcome experience for the soul and the senses. Its designs are inspired by various Asian architectural concepts—modern, minimalist and Zen. Each home boasts of splitlevel structures that enhance the use of ground space and opens interesting visual perspectives around the living area. It incorporates classic, clean lines; a simple yet luxurious design; generous open living areas; efficient use of space; and a sense of natural

Sports BusinessMirror

B8

| Wednesday, January 5, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Osaka opens season with win in Melbourne

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ELBOURNE, Australia— Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka opened her 2022 season with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Alize Cornet on Tuesday in one of the so-called Summer Set of tournaments in Melbourne.

Osaka returned to Rod Laver Arena for the first time since winning the Australian title last February. It was her first tourlevel match since a third-round loss to Leylah Fernandez at the US Open in September.

Osaka was up a set and a break before Cornet went on a five-game roll to force the match into a third set. The former No. 1-ranked Osaka got just over 38 percent of her first serves into play, had eight double-faults and 57 unforced errors, but countered that with 51 winners. She faced only three break points in a match that lasted just over two hours.

“I feel like I made a lot of unforced errors today,” top-seeded Osaka said, “but I expected that because it is the first match and I was really nervous.”

Travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic mean there’s a crammed schedule of events Down Under before the Australian Open starts January 17.

There are three events being played this week in Melbourne as part of Tennis Australia’s “Summer Set” of tournaments—two Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournaments and one Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). In Adelaide there is a joint ATP and WTA tournament this week. The ATP Cup is being played in Sydney.

Jessica Pegula, the top seed in the other women’s Summer Set tournament in Melbourne, lost 7-6 (6), 6-3 to Irina-Camelia Begu in her first-round match.

Pegula, who reached the quarterfinals at last year’s Australian Open, led 5-3 and had set points before Begu rallied for victory.

In Adelaide, 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek opened her Adelaide International title defense with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Daria Saville, who was known as Daria Gavrilova before her recent marriage. AP

KEVIN PORTER JR. is 21 years old, playing for his second National Basketball Association team and has a checkered past. AP

NAOMI OSAKA returns to the Rod Laver Arena for the first time since winning the Australian title last February. AP

FIL-AM MILLER WINDING DOWN ON BEIJING PREPS F ILIPINO-AMERICAN Asa Miller surrendered to a track partly pelted with rocks in Wyoming as he started to wind down on his preparations for his second Winter Olympics campaign in Beijing in February.

Miller finished his first race in a rather slow 40.88 seconds but didn’t finish the second race of the men’s slalom at the Snow King Mountain Resort on Tuesday.

Times weren’t of much concern as the event was part of the final preparations for the February 4 to 20 Games, the second Olympics that Beijing is hosting after the Summer Games in 2008.

The 21-year-old Asa will race in the same event on Wednesday before competing in the men’s giant slalom on Thursday and Friday. He will then proceed to Idaho for the Sun Valley competition from January 10 to 13 before returning home to Portland to prepare for his departure to Beijing later this month.

“It’s both a western region elite tournaments and are FIS [International Skiing Federation]-sanctioned competitions, where he will be facing

PATAFA DROPS OBIENA FROM NATIONAL POOL

By Josef Ramos

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HE athletics association dropped Ernest John “EJ” Obiena from the national pool effective immediately on Tuesday and filed criminal charges of estafa against the Olympic pole vaulter currently ranked No. 6 in the world.

And all hell began to break loose.

Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) President Dr. Philip Ella Juico and Chairman Rep. Rufus Rodriguez announced in an online press conference that Obiena was dropped from the pool and at the same time would be facing charges of estafa and misappropriation of Patafa funds.

Also, the Patafa filed a complaint before the World Athletics—the sport’s world-governing body— against legendary pole vault coach Vitaly Petrov of Ukraine on his “violation of the Integrity Code of Conduct” and ordered for the “immediate termination of his engagement from the country’s athletics body.”

The charges didn’t stop there as the Patafa outlined six action items it would undertake against Obiena, Petrov, his American sports patron James Lafferty and the Asian record holder’s mom, Jeanette Obiena.

“The report has brought so much sadness and feelings of betrayal.

Now, he [Obiena] has to face the consequences,” Juico said in the press conference. “But we have to face the challenge because we should account for all the funds, government and private, given we have a responsibility over showing all moral [and] ethical considerations.”

The Philippine

P

Olympic Committee (POC) also on Tuesday stressed that it expected the Patafa’s actions on Obiena.

“The action of Mr. Juico in removing EJ Obiena from the national pool is an expected result of his exposé, a vengeful act that shuts down the chances of the Philippines from its Olympic dream,” Tolentino said.

“The POC has made an early evaluation of this and I’m sorry that we can’t make our cards public,” he said. “Suffice it to say that we are created for the Olympic dreams of our athletes and we will support our athletes in achieving their dreams.”

The criminal complaint for estafa was in relation to the 6,000 euros (P360,000) which the Patafa said Obiena didn’t pay Petrov for his services from May to August 2018.

The Patafa also declared Lafferty persona non grata, on top of what the association said was Obiena’s misappropriation of 61,026.80 euros (P3,661,608) as payment for Petrov which were not released as of August 2021.

Jeanette Obiena was also charged for her alleged misappropriation of P624,116.76, which the Patafa said she claimed under the pretext of reimbursement with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) on Petrov’s coaching fees from January to March 2019.

“The [Patafa] board has accepted all the recommendations of the administrative committee that includes removing the 26-yearold young man, who knew the consequences of what he was doing as he repeatedly produced those spurious documents,” Juico said.

Juico said the PSC and Commission on Audit would

JUICO

be provided with copies of the documents.

POC, SOLONS STAND BY OBIENA

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said the body would campaign behind Ernest John “EJ” Obiena in his overseas competitions.

“We in the POC will make sure EJ will be in Hanoi and Huangzhou and in all other major world competitions, we’ll fight for EJ,” said Tolentino, referring to the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in May and the 19th Asian Games in China in September.

“In the absence of an endorsement from a national federation, the organizer or host has a prerogative to allow embattled athletes to compete,” he sad. “The IOC [International Olympic Committee] allows refugee athletes to compete in major international competitions [including Olympics].”

“Of course, the NSA [national sports association] has the right to recommend or not, endorse or not, its athletes for international competitions, but there’s a provision in the IOC Charter allowing NOCs to

OBIENA

endorse athlete,” he added.

The PSC, Tolentino said, is also mandated to protect the welfare of national athletes.

“The ball is now with the PSC— will the PSC allow EJ to be stricken off from the national team? Will the government allow a world-class athlete to be out of the national team?” he said.

Tolentino said that Republic Act 6487, the law that created the PSC, mandates the agency in subparagraph (n) of Section 7 “to exercise such other acts as are incident to or are appropriate and necessary in connection with the creation of the Commission.”

“Will the PSC turn its back on this mandate? I don’t think so,” he said. “This is precisely why the PSC is created. To act as the final caretaker of athletes when an oppressive NSA is apparently shutting its doors to world-class athletes.

Tolentino added: “Will sports stakeholders—the public, especially—allow EJ to be out of the national team?”

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Senator Richard Gordon said “they have made the situation a goldfish bowl. [A] politically infected investigation. Quiet but resolute

top Canadian and American athletes,” Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation President Jim Palomar Apelar told BusinessMirror via overseas call on Tuesday. “We’ll be in Beijing a week before the opening ceremony.”

Miller, according to Apelar, is focusing on his strength and conditioning under the watchful eyes of his American coaches Will Gregorak and Kelly Miller.

“Injuries are bound to happen if one’s in bad condition, that’s why he’s focusing on his strength and conditioning,” Apelar said.

Miller is the country’s lone qualifier for the Beijing Games for having met the FIS threshold of 160 points along with 151 other athletes. He accumulated 96 points in slalom and 93 points in giant slalom.

Miller wound up 70th out of 110 participants in his Winter Olympics debut in 2018 in Pyeongchang, where he was joined by two-time Olympian, figure skater Michael Martinez.

“We are confident of his chances to improve in his time in Beijing,” Apelar said. Josef Ramos investigation must be conducted to get firm but fair conclusions.”

Gordon added: “Let the ax fall where it may or must. Assuming there are guilty or embarrassing scenarios resulting from them, all the parties must provide a disciplinary response, not necessarily a fatal one that kills or embarrasses any party, but shows we can act or enforce disciplinary measures upon all without burning the house down.”

“You don’t not burn the whole house to kill rats,” he stressed.

Deputy Speaker Eric Martinez (Second District, Valenzuela City) appealed to public not to judge and malign Obiena right away after his recent rift with Juico and the Patafa.

“We should not jump to conclusions right away without a hint of due process involved in resolving this issue,” Martinez said. “We do not treat a world-class Filipino athlete like that, he is the future of Philippine athletics.”

“The highly-respected Ukranian coach even mentioned that he did not initiate any complaint against Obiena and understands that the delay on the release of his coaching fees is not the pole-vaulter’s responsibility,” added Martinez, a former chairman of House Committee on Youth and Sports Development.

Manila Second District Rep. Rolando Valeriano, on the other hand, called for a congressional inquiry on the harassment of Obiena, who hails from Tondo.

“Where do these Patafa people get their boastfulness? Do they think of themselves as gods who will simply oust the world No. 6 pole vaulter and an Olympian like EJ Obiena?”

Valeriano said.

“Juico’s basis for this expulsion is that EJ allegedly misappropriated his coach’s salary. This, even though there is no evidence for it, as his coach even made a signed statement that he was fully paid,” he said. “It is clear here that Juico and other Patafa officials just want to show that they can do whatever they want. They don’t care if their actions will affect the welfare of Philippine sports.” With Butch Fernandez and Jovee Marie Dela Cruz

No sacred cow: Rockets suspend top scorer Porter for bad behavior

HILADELPHIA—The Houston Rockets suspended guard Kevin Porter Jr. and forward Christian Wood for Monday’s game against Philadelphia for conduct detrimental to the team.

Wood is Houston’s leading scorer

at 16.8 points. He and Porter both had meltdowns in a loss Saturday to Denver and neither player played in the second half.

Rockets coach Stephen Silas said Monday that Porter had a “spirited debate” and “lost his temper” at halftime, “to the point where I thought what would be best for the

Puentevella pitch

MONICO PUENTEVELLA, the former chairman of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), sounded biblical in bidding 2021 goodbye.

“Let him who has no sin cast the first stone,” Puentevella said in a year-end statement sent to media outlets.

It was his way of reacting to the POC’s earlier decision to declare Patafa (Philippine Athletics Track and Field

team and best for our culture as a group, and just making sure that everybody is one the same page, I thought it would be best for him to be suspended for today’s game.”

The Athletic and other media outlets reported, based on sources, that Porter and Wood were called out at halftime by assistant coach John Lucas.

Wood did not start the game and only played eight minutes before he was benched.

“We had a disagreement as far as him going back into the game in the second half, and I decided it would be best for the team,” to suspend him, Silas said. “It’s very much attached to accountability for everybody

Association) president Philip Ella Juico persona non grata, a Latin phrase meaning “an unwelcome person.”

Diplomacy-wise, the term refers to a foreign person whose entering or remaining in a certain country is prohibited by that country. The phrase received diplomatic meaning at the 1961 Vienna convention for diplomatic relations.

In declaring Juico persona non grata, the POC obviously didn’t approve of Juico’s handling of EJ Obiena when Juico publicly castigated the ace pole vaulter, now ranked No. 3 in the world, for late payment of the salaries of Obiena’s Ukrainian coach.

In his defense, Obiena said, “Late payment is never a crime.”

Did Puentevella mean that both Juico and Obiena sinned?

“If you are following the Juico/Obiena drama,” said Puentevella, “both sides claim they are right. Yet, possibly both could also be wrong.”

He went on to bat for harmony between Obiena and Juico in particular, and between Juico and the POC in general.

“Instead of looking for ways to settle the problem,

on our team. My job is to hold people accountable to their actions and not overreact at all, but react appropriately.”

Without Porter and Wood, the Rockets lost 133-113 to the 76ers. At 10-28, the Rockets have the worst record in the Western Conference. AP

we just succeeded to divide the whole POC again,” said Puentevella, himself a former POC president. “Please defer the decision and have the parties meet and make a better year-ender for all sports-loving Filipinos.”

But Juico appeared more combative than cooperative.

“Of course, we will fight it,” Juico told the Inquirer’s Musong R. Castillo. “We will contest it (persona non grata) all the way.”

It marked only the second time that the president of a national sports association was meted that dignitydiminishing edict.

Ironically, Puentevella was POC head when the POC declared Go Teng Kok, then athletics chief, persona non grata. And, yes, Juico succeeded the now-retired Go TK. As for Obiena, he looks fine. With POC president Bambol Tolentino backing him up, how can he go wrong?

THAT’S IT Through thick and thin, in good times and in bad times, whether we’re in touch face-to-face or not, Happy New Year! We should never lose hope because, after reciting our fervent prayers, hope will always be our last defense to truly make our offense work.