BusinessMirror January 09, 2020

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Thursday, January 9, 2020 Vol. 15 No. 91

Experts assess likely cost of Mideast conflict

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM & Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

IGHER oil prices, declining remittances and a multibillionpeso bill for bringing thousands of Filipino workers to safety—that might be the cost of the unfolding geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.

Economists on Wednesday said they see a decline in remittances from the regions, aside from the higher oil prices posing a risk to the country’s inflation rate.

This, even after Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said he does not expect remittances to be hit hard despite recent international developments

that began with a January 3 United States air strike on Baghdad airport, killing a top Iranian general.

On Wednesday, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said manda-

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It’s a VUCA world Rene E. Ofreneo

laborem exercens

₧20B V The estimate by President Duterte of what might be needed as a standby fund for the mass evacuation of OFWs in the Middle East, according to Speaker Cayetano

UCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. It was coined in the 1990s by a confused American military establishment after the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the former Eastern European Soviet bloc led by the USSR. Suddenly, the American security forces, dedicated to combating Communism during the Cold War era (1940s-1980s), had no identifiable enemy to slay.

tory repatriation has been imposed for overseas Filipinos in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised the alert level to 4, following Iran’s retaliation early on Wednesday, unleashing a barrage of missiles at

VUCA was immediately embraced by a number of management gurus and human resource managers. It became a handy tool in describing the dynamics of competing and working in a globalized and liberalized economic environment—constantly changing, uncertain, complex, contradictory, so many gray areas, and so on.

Continued on A8

Continued on A7

M3’s Nov rise mild despite RRR cut

Demand for Pinoys seen to ease pain from cuts in Mideast remittances

By Bianca Cuaresma

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@BcuaresmaBM

HE escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East will have a direct effect on the Philippines, particularly in the banking sector and the larger economy, but the big demand for Filipino workers elsewhere could ease that impact, a senior bank official said on Wednesday.

In a roundtable with the BusinessMirror, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Executive Vice President and Corporate Banking Head Juan Carlos Syquia said the Philippine banking sector will likely feel the effect of the Middle East tensions largely through expectations of remittance declines, though the impact won’t be felt right away.

“Definitely their jobs will be compromised. At the best, compromised; at the worst lost. In the banking aspect I think it will be affected especially as this escalates. We will watch those closely on the effect not only on the banking sector but on the economy,” Syquia said.

In the same forum with the BusinessMirror, Syquia acknowledged that the OFWs’ financial engagements with banks have expanded, from simple deposit accounts or remittance transactions to bigger investments and loans, especially in real property and cars.

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Duterte ordered the mandatory repatriation of Filipinos living and working in Iraq, as tensions between Iran and the US continued to grow during the day, dragging Iraq because it hosts US bases. It was also near Baghdad’s airport where a US air strike on January 3 killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. On Wednesday, Tehran retaliated with a missile barrage on two US facilities in Iraq.

US forces in Iraq rely on thousands of skilled overseas Filipino workers to run their bases, and Duterte had sought guarantees for their safety. The OFW have largely shunned calls to skip Iraq as a workplace, because of the handsome compensation offered by their Western employers.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data, remittances from Iran only amounted to $409,000 in the first 10 months of 2019.

Remittances from Iraq were posted at a meager $259,000, but Central Bank officials had earlier noted that some remittances from that zone are being sent through informal channels or are coursed through a different country source, given the sensitivity of the OFW’s work for the Americans.

Meanwhile, the entire Middle East remittances, however, yielded a sizable $5 billion—roughly a fifth of the total around the world—in January to October 2019.

See “Pinoys,” A2

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Bank of the Philippine Islands Executive Vice President and Corporate Banking Head Juan Carlos Syquia gestures as he discusses the possible impact on the Philippine banking sector and the economy of the tension in the Middle East. NONIE REYES

Retail price of rice fell to 3-year low in December

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

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@jearcalas

he average retail price of rice in the first week of December fell to a three-year low of P36.56 per kilogram, according to a report published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In its weekly price monitoring report, the PSA said the average

retail price of regular milled rice (RMR) as of the first week of December declined slightly to P36.56 per kg, from the previous week’s P36.66 per kg.

“On an annual basis, it also went down at a rate of 12.7 percent from its level of P41.88 per kg in the same week of the previous year,” the PSA said.

Historical PSA data showed that

the figure is the lowest average retail price of the staple in more than three years, or since the P36.56 per kg recorded in the third week of March 2016.

In the same report, the PSA disclosed that the average wholesa le pr ice of R MR dipped to P33.09 per kg, from last week ’s P33.17 per kg.

See “Rice,” A2

HE growth of cash circulating in the local economy grew faster in November, but remained at a single-digit pace despite the release of cash due to the recent reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cuts.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Wednesday that domestic liquidity—broadly measured as M3—expanded by 9.8 percent to about P12.4 trillion in November 2019, faster than the 8.5-percent growth in October.

At this level, the BSP vowed to “monitor domestic liquidity dynamics to ensure that overall monetary conditions remain in line with maintaining the BSP’s price and financial stability objectives.”

A growing cash supply is often beneficial for an expanding economy such as the Philippines, as it provides fuel to the productive sectors of the country.

However, an excessively slow growth in M3 could be detrimental to the country’s overall growth, especially if it is not enough to fuel the productive activities in the economy. An excessively high cash supply growth, meanwhile, could stoke inflationary pressures and pull prices upward for the economy.

US 50.8410 n japan 0.4689 n UK 66.7390 n HK 6.5363 n CHINA 7.3195 n singapore 37.6628 n australia 34.9176 n EU 56.7131 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.5540

See “M3’s,” A8

Source: BSP (8 January 2020)

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A2 Thursday, January 9, 2020

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Angat will no longer suffice by 2020–MWSS

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By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

ATER supply from Angat Dam, based on its maximum capacity plus other smaller sources, cannot meet the demand of Metro Manila between 2020 and 2025; thus, the need to build the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) has said.

The 60-year-old dam provides about 97 percent of raw water supply for Metro Manila and some nearby towns, with more than 12 million people. Its maximum supply capacity is 4,000 million liters per day.

Aside from the raw water supply from Angat Dam, the private water concessionaires—Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co.—source water from Laguna de Bay, and during an emergency are allowed by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to extract water from deep wells.

In a statement, the MWSS said

the construction of the Kaliwa Dam in Quezon province, a P12-billion project funded by China through Official Development Assistance (ODA), is being fast-tracked to prevent another water crisis in Metro Manila.

“The water demand analysis used for the planning of Kaliwa Dam showed that the water supply capacity from Angat reservoir and some other smaller sources will not be sufficient to satisfy the water demand of Metro Ma ni l a bet ween 2020 and 2025. Taking into account a supply buffer of 15 percent,

the Angat supply capacity will be insufficient before 2020. These numbers illustrate the need for a large water supply source. The events since March 2019 have only confirmed said projections,” said the statement released by the Policy, Planning and Public Relations Department of the MWSS. Respond ing to questions raised on the viability of the project, the MWSS said it has been properly evaluated: first by the Public-Private Partnership Center (PPPC) as a viable PPP project, and later hurdling the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) screening and evaluation. These happened in 2013 under the Built-Transfer modality as an integrated dam system or the Kaliwa Low Dam plus Laiban; second, in 2014 as the stand-alone Kaliwa Dam Project to be implemented either as a national government-funded project, or as an ODA loan, until it was included in the basket of ODA loans from China.

“The national government’s effort to see this project implemented is clear, with only one moving

vision—to increase the available drinking water to Metro Manila in the short term because of the projected supply deficit,” said the MWSS. Meanwhile, the agency reiterated that the proposal by a Japanese firm to develop a weir dam at Kaliwa River is not sustainable compared to the present design of the Kaliwa Dam Project.

The technical studies have shown that the weir dam is not a sustainable solution to the water shortage in Metro Manila, it said.

“Both local and international consultants have reviewed the technical and cost sustainability of a low dam or weir over a dam at Kaliwa River. The results have been the same. In times of low flows, it cannot provide the reliability for continuous supply and in times of high flows, the risk of flooding due to overtopping is imminent,” it says.

The MWSS added that given the area’s being prone to erosion, the economic life of the weir will likely be shortened and it will thus mean more expensive water for consumers, who will eventu-

D.O.J. to water firms: No reason to ’play hardball‘

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

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USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra told water concessionaires Manila Water Co. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. that there is no reason for them to reject the new contract that the government is drafting to replace the “onerous” provisions of their 1997 contracts that were extended to 2037.

Guevarra assured the two water firms the new contracts will not be lopsided in favor of the government, and will address the

Repatriation. . .

Continued from A8

Environment Secretary and Special Envoy to the Middle East Roy A. Cimatu said the repatriation of Filipinos, especially in Iraq must be done quickly while the Baghdad International Airport—where a January 3 air strike by US forces killed an Iranian general and sparked the crisis—remains open. This, as Iran, in an act of retaliation, fired missiles on two US facilities in Iraq early Wednesday, lending urgency to Philippine efforts to move out Filipinos, thousands of whom are known to work for American bases.

Should the airport in Baghdad be closed, traveling by land, possibly by bus arranged by the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad, will be risky, Cimatu said.

There are also plans by the Department of National Defense (DND) to evacuate Filipinos by sea, but he said this is only to move them to safer grounds where they will be transported to the nearest airport for flights to the Philippines. The nearest possible pick-up point using a seacraft is in the Persian Gulf, he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. reported that no Filipinos were killed or were hurt in the missile attack by Tehran, but Cimatu said it is best that Filipinos in Baghdad report to the Philippine Embassy and enlist themselves for repatriation. “Whether they have a passport or not, whether they have a visa or not, the DFA will be ready to issue travel documents,” he said.

“So far, US said no Filipinos found to have been hurt. But search and damage assessment not complete,” Locsin said on his Twitter account, citing information from the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. Reports quoting the Pentagon said “more than a dozen missiles” were launched from Iran hitting the Al Asad

needs of the consuming public.

“The government will come up with a draft agreement that has no legally objectionable provisions, is fair and equitable, more transparent, and advantageous to the consuming public,” Guevarra said, a day after President Duterte issued a “take-it-or-leave-it” notice to the water firms, warning them their refusal of the new contracts being drafted could spur him to either let the military take over their operations or allow new players.

“I see no good reason why the water concessionaires will play

and Erbil military bases in Iraq.

Cimatu is worried the US will strike anew after Iran’s retaliatory missile attack, eventually putting a lot of people at risk. By various estimates, there are anywhere from over 1,000 to 6,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Iraq. According to the official count from the Philippine Embassy in Iraq, there are around 1,190 documented and 450 undocumented Filipinos in Iraq.

He said the government will ensure the safety and security of Filipinos who will be moved out of Baghdad and other areas in Iraq, citing past experience. Cimatu, as newly retired Armed Forces chief of staff, was tapped in late 2002 by then-President Arroyo as special envoy to the Middle East, to coordinate interagency efforts to move OFWs to safety with the imminent US invasion of Iraq.

In the current mission, Cimatu said, “We made it clear [to Iran] that Filipinos are there to work for their families back home and are not part of the war.”

Despite the fact that the Philippines is a known US ally, the Filipinos who will be moved out of Iraq and Iran are civilians and noncombatants who “are there to work for a living,” Cimatu stressed.

The Philippine committee sent by Duterte to the Middle East also has one mission, which is to ensure the safe evacuation and repatriation of Filipinos in conflict areas in the Middle East, he said.

Also, he said the Philippine Embassies are already coordinating the exit of Filipinos in both Iraq and Iran, and other Mideast countries.

IOM help Cimatu hopes the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a nongovernment organization that helps in the migration of workers, will provide assistance, including the identification of a humanitarian or peace corridor where the safe passage of Filipinos is ensured.

hardball and induce the government to take extraordinary measures, like taking over their operations or nationalizing the water distribution service,” the DOJ chief said on Wednesday.

Guevarra pointed out that the new water supply contracts are not intended to ease out the two water utilities but would simply address the allegedly onerous provisions in the old agreements.

He expressed optimism that the new contracts would be acceptable to the two water concessionaires.

Among the provisions in the

He recalled how, in 2003, “we requested a humanitarian corridor. When the humanitarian corridor is identified, even when there is conflict there, Filipinos will be safe [in this humanitarian corridor],” citing his experience in moving Filipinos from Beirut to Syria. “We put the Philippine flag there,” he said.

According to Cimatu, the Philippine Embassies in Iraq and Iran“have contingency plans and eventual repatriation plans in place.”

No one-size-fits-all According to Cimatu, there is a Middle East plan for each country.

“Each country has a different degree or level of alert and also they have different data [on the] number of Filipino workers. There are also different scenarios,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cimatu said the Philippine government will continue the repatriation of Filipinos in Lebanon.

“There is an ongoing repatriation there even before this tension. This is now being undertaken by DOLE. This will continue but I gave them a warning that this country might again be involved,” he said.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, appealed to affected OFWs to heed the appeal for them to temporarily relocate to safer grounds.

Villanueva reminded them that Philippine Embassy officials based in the strife-torn region have already raised Alert Level 4.

The senator pleaded for affected OFWs to heed the warnings for the sake of their families.

Amid the growing tension in the Middle East, the DFA on Tuesday convened an Interagency Command Conference after President Duterte ordered government agencies to draw up emergency plans for Filipinos in the region.

Repatriation begins— Lorenzana Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana

old contracts that should be struck down for being onerous are the prohibition on the government’s interference in the rate-setting mechanism of the two water firms and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).

According to Guevarra, said it may take six months to finalize the water distribution deal with Manila Water and Maynilad.

Manila Water is a subsidiary of the Ayala Corp., while businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan’s Metro Pacific Investments Corp. owns a controlling stake in Maynilad.

said the repatriation of Filipinos from Iran and Iraq has begun even as the military mobilized troops and assets for deployment to the Middle East, both to protect Filipinos and help bring them home.

“It started, actually today,” said Lorenzana of the repatriation efforts amid reports that Iran has made good its vow of avenging the death of General Qassem Soleimani by firing missiles into two bases hosting American troops in Iraq.

“We have a ship that is going to be delivered by a French company for the Coast Guard. It so happened that the ship is steaming toward the Philippines.

The other day, it was in Malta, maybe tomorrow [today], it would already be in Jeddah, [Saudi Arabia],” the defense chief said on Wednesday.

“We will hold them there for a while so that we could use it in shuttling from Iran or Iraq to Qatar. It’s just like that until we assemble them there, and then from there, we can, maybe, charter a plane or charter ships to bring them home,” he added.

Lorenzana said the government will be very careful to ensure it is not seen as getting involved in the tension between the United States and Iran.

The military is preparing to send at least two battalions of soldiers along with two C-130s and C-295 planes to the Middle East to help ferry Filipinos back home.

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Felimon Santos said the two battalions will come from the Marines and the Army, and will be based in the safest and nearest staging areas like Saudi Arabia or Qatar.

“What we are waiting for is their go signal to proceed. We have to place our forces there in strategic places so that it would be near just in case [things] worsen,” he said.

“The two battalions will not be there to engage anybody in combat, but to facilitate or help assist in the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers, especially in Iraq. They are not going there

ally shoulder the investment cost of the weir.

Meanwhile, the MWSS allayed fears that the Kaliwa Dam will affect thousands of people living in communities along Kaliwa River.

Given the safety issues identified in an integrated Kaliwa plus Laiban Dam System (2013), the Kaliwa Dam project to be implemented now has been adjusted without the Laiban Dam being built, said MWSS. “The social and environmental impact of the stand-alone Kaliwa Dam Project is minimal. Even as there are risks which are usual to any construction project, mitigation measures and safeguards have been put in place,” it added.

The MWSS claimed that consultations with the indigenous

peoples of Quezon and Rizal in December 9 and 17, 2019, ended on a positive note, when the IPs and indigenous cultural communities of Rizal and Quezon provinces, respectively, adopted a resolution of consent (Resolusyon ng Pagpayag) to the project.

Such resolution, one of the several stages in the Free Prior and Informed Consent process, indicates the IPs can conduct their own independent and collective discussions and decision-making in an environment where they did not feel intimidated, and where they had sufficient time to discuss in their culturally appropriate way, matters affecting their rights, livelihoods, knowledge, traditions, governance systems, natural resources, the MWSS explained.

The water demand analysis used for the planning of Kaliwa Dam showed that the water supply capacity from Angat reservoir and some other smaller sources will not be sufficient to satisfy the water demand of Metro Manila between 2020 and 2025.”—MWSS

Rice. . .

Continued from A1

“Similarly, it plunged at an annual rate of 15.1 percent from is level of P38.99 per kg in the same week of the previous year,” it added.

The PSA said the average retail price of well-milled rice (WMR) declined to a new three-year low of P41.44 per kg, from last week’s P41.58 per kg. “Annually it also shrank at a rate of 9.2 percent from the same period of previous year’s level of P45.65 per kg.”

The average wholesale price of WMR, according to PSA, rose slightly to P37.23 per kg from last week’s P37.20 per kg. However, it fell by 11.7 percent from last year’s P42.17 per kg, the PSA said. to fight,” he said.

Lorenzana said the military is preparing the troops while Locsin coordinates with countries and prepares the documents and clearances for the deployment of Filipino soldiers and logistics like planes and vessels.

“Where will they land, where will they dock? Those refurbishments, refueling, supplies. All those would have to be arranged,” Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana said that while the repatriation would focus in Iran and Iraq, all Filipinos at risk in the Middle East, especially Libya, who want to go home will be repatriated.

“So our focus, our first targets are those in Iran, Iraq and Libya,” he said.

The defense secretary said they plan to send to the Mideast the two landing dock ships bought from Indonesia, BRP Tarlac and BRP Davao del Sur, each capable of carrying at least 500 people, as soon as Locsin is done with their docking clearances.

If military planes and ships are not enough to ferry Filipinos back home, Lorenzana said they will charter commercial planes and cruise ships as ordered by Duterte.

While Santos did not discount the possibility that soldiers deployed in the Middle East might be exposed to attacks, he said this is very minimal.

“There’s a risk, but very little because I think Iran will not, would not like to involve other countries just like what they did this morning, their target is a military base,” the chief of staff said. The soldiers are also ready, though, to rescue Filipinos who might be trapped, if the situation escalates, Santos added.

Coast Guard ready The Philippine Coast Guard said it is ready to repatriate OFWs in the Middle East.

In a statement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the BRP Gabriela Silang, the new offshore patrol vessel it ordered from France, is now docked at a port in Malta.

Government officials and experts have attributed the plunge in retail price of the staple to higher imports entering the country after it opened up its domestic market following the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the rice trade liberalization law.

RA 11203 converted the quantitative restriction on rice into tariffs and limited government’s intervention in the domestic market by stripping the National Food Authority (NFA) of its powers to import rice and sell it to consumers at a low price.

The law, which took effect in March 2019, also mandated the establishment of a P10-billion fund which will bankroll interventions to boost the competitiveness of local planters.

It was initially scheduled for arrival in Manila on February 10, but was ordered by the government to prepare for possible extraction of Filipinos in the Gulf area.

The vessel will sail to either Oman or Dubai “to ensure the safety and security of OFWs through ferry missions.”

“In case of conflict, OFWs will be brought to safer ports where they may be airlifted, as the need arises,”the Coast Guard said.

BRP Gabriela Silang, it noted, is considered to be the “largest and most advanced aluminum hull offshore patrol vessel in the world.” With reports

from Recto Mercene, Rene Acosta, Lorenz S. Marasigan, Butch Fernandez and PNA

Pinoys. . .

Continued from A1

Remittances in the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)-dense area have already declined 7.8 percent during that 10-month period.

Other labor markets While Syquia said they are closely monitoring developments on the geopolitical front, he said the anxiety is tempered by the fact that Filipino migrant workers are known to be well in demand in “other pockets” of the world. He also noted a similar unrest in Hong Kong in 2019, saying while remittances to the Philippines declined, it was only short-lived.

Remittances from Hong Kong hit its lowest point in July 2019 to $56.69 million, but started climbing back up in the succeeding months. Latest BSP data show Hong Kong remittances at $59.62 million in October.

“Like the government, our first concern is the Filipinos’ welfare.

We will help if needed,” the BPI senior economist said.

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Food programs to further ease inflation, DOF official assures

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

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HE Department of Finance (DOF) is expecting the seasonal food price increases to ease with the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) productivity programs.

The DOF issued the economic bulletin after the December 2019 inflation figure showed consumer prices rising by 2.5 percent, half the previous year’s 5.2-percent inflation.

“The Department of Agriculture has set up programs to modernize agriculture, build farm-to-market roads, develop value chains and enhance research and development,” DOF Undersecretary and Chief Economist Gil Beltran said in the economic bulletin.

For 2019, inflation averaged 2.5 percent, same as the year-on-year inflation in December and well within the monetary authority’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

The continued easing of rice prices also tempered the effects of the surge in fish and vegetable prices, moderating food inflation to 2.1 percent.

In the nonfood group, inflation also rose 2.4 percent boosted by seasonal upsurge in health (3.5 percent), restaurants (3.3 percent) and household furnishings (3.2 percent). This was dampened by lower electricity and fuel prices (0.8 percent).

Moreover, the general price level also accelerated by nearly 0.7 percent month-on-month in final month of 2019, mainly on the account of fish and vegetables.

On the back of holiday demand, fish prices also surged month-onmonth by 5 percent and vegetables by 3.7 percent.

Despite the country’s full-year inflation slowing to 2.5 percent in 2019 from 5.2 percent in 2018, the National Economic and Development Authority, as well as local economists earlier said inflation rate could quicken this year due to higher oil prices spurred by tensions between the United States and Iran.

Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development Director Alvin P. Ang earlier said inflation could average 4 percent this year. However, BPI Lead Economist Emilio S. Neri Jr. said there is even a possibility that inflation could be higher than 4 percent if geopolitical tensions persist.

Factory output may have improved in Dec on back of holiday, infrastructure spending

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By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

@alyasjah

HE production of new goods and the implementation of infrastructure projects likely improved the country’s factory output in December to make up for the poor showing in the past months, according to a private sector forecast.

In The Market Call report for December, the First Metro Investment Corp. and the University of Asia and Pacific said manufacturing output could pick up in the fourth quarter, driven by the

creation of new products, rollout of public infrastructure and the increased consumption during the holiday period.

The Philippine Statistics Authority on Tuesday reported fac-

tory output in November contracted 6.1 percent—the 12th consecutive month it declined tracing back to 2018.

“Despite the unremarkable factor y out put per for ma nce, we still think that manufacturing output may improve in [the fourth quarter] amidst rapid i n f r a s t r u c t u re i mp l e me nt a tion,” the report read. Stronger consumer demand during the Christmas season should, likewise, provide a further boost.

The report added the country’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) in November registered its slowest in five months at 51.4, from 52.1 in October, but this number managed to outdo the Southeast Asian average of 49.2.

Further, the Philippine perfor-

mance placed second in the region next to Myanmar’s PMI, which read 52.7 during the month. A reading above 50 suggests output expansion.

In spite of the slowdown caused by minimal foreign orders that translated into weak sales, the report bared business sentiments remain positive on the production of new goods.

“Lower foreign new orders and weak sales primarily caused the slowdown,” the report stated.

“Business expectations, however, appeared positive on the back of expected higher new products factory production.”

As such, the report concluded manufacturing output will rebound in the tail end of last year as proven by the Philippines

DTI chief seeks to institutionalize ‘BBB’ infra buildup program beyond Duterte admin’s term

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HE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will be crafting a proposed bill institutionalizing the “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program to secure funding for listed infrastructure projects even after the end of President Duterte’s term in 2022.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez on Wednesday said the government would propose a measure before Congress turning the Duterte administration’s infrastructure plan into a law. This way, he said, yearly funding for projects listed under it will be ensured, allowing for their uninterrupted implementation even after Duterte’s term.

“We should [craft a bill], but I haven’t seen one,” Lopez said in an interview with reporters. “In our last meeting, that was our proposal: to institutionalize [the infrastructure program]. We will have to craft a bill on that one.”

Lopez disclosed the plan is to incorporate in the measure a provision requiring the allocation of a certain portion of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the BBB infrastructure program. He said this would compel the next leaderships to complete all the public infrastructure planned and pursued by the Duterte administration.

To ensure the BBB institutionalization bill will be deliberated by legislators, the government is eyeing to include in its list of priority legislations, Lopez bared.

“It could be a percentage of the budget,

keeping to this level if we want to continuously build the infrastructure and catch up. After the Duterte administration, I don’t know if they will keep that kind of aggressive infrastructure program of 5 percent to 7 percent of GDP,” the trade chief said, referring to the government’s target pushing the infrastructure to GDP ratio to 7.4 percent by 2022.

“This year we will propose also for it to be part of the legislative agenda. At the end of the day, it will still be the GAA,” he added. “There will still be allocation, but at least there is that law that can hopefully guide it every year in terms of what should be the allocation.”

The Build, Build, Build program, headlined by 100 big-ticket projects, is President Duterte’s economic plan aimed at erasing the country’s infrastructure backlog. The government is spending roughly P8.4 trillion until 2022 for this program, accelerating in the process the ratio of infrastructure to gross domestic product (GDP) to 7.4 percent by the end of the Chief Executive’s term.

The institutionalization of this multitrillion-peso plan will be crucial in the construction industry’s goal of boosting its value to as much as P130 trillion by 2030, targeting to grow an average 8 percent annually over the next years.

The industry is also moving to enlarge its labor force by over 82 percent to 7.1 million workers, from 3.9 mil-

lion workers as of latest. As such, this should translate into production worth P21.3 trillion by 2030, from P2.3 trillion in 2018.

However, the industry has to overcome challenges in order to achieve its road map objectives, including high logistics and business transaction costs, slow adaption of digital and up to date technologies, emerging shortage of skilled labor, among others.

For one, 15 percent to 35 percent of the construction value chain goes to other costs of doing business, which include payment for red tape and anomalous transactions, according to Ronilo M. Balbieran, vice president of Research, Education and Institutional Development Foundation. This falls within the same range of money spent for raw materials that eat up the lion’s share of the value chain from 30 percent to 35 percent.

To this, Lopez vowed the government is upgrading the country’s procurement system, as well as shifting transactions to digital technology to reduce face-toface contact between state officials and bidding contractors.

“Part of our ease of doing business objectives is to minimize face-to-face contact,” Lopez said. “Hopefully, we can achieve open bidding in order to really remove occasions and opportunities for corruption. That’s the important thing. There has to be those systems.” Elijah Felice E. Rosales

Capitol cleanup, construction of IP houses kick-off New Year activities for country’s newest province

By Manuel T. Cayon

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

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Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, January 9, 2020 A3

AVAO CITY—Davao de Oro (DDO), the country’s newest province, started the year with a cleanup drive around the provincial capitol and the first pronouncement that the provincial government would construct additional houses for its indigenous peoples (IP).

On its first stretching up for the year, the province has declared January 3 as “Clean-up Day” after the Christmas holidays that left decorations to be torn down and garbage to be collected.

Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy issued Memorandum 1438-2019 on December 26, declaring January 3 to be a general cleanup activity. The memorandum came almost two weeks after a December 7 plebiscite unanimously ratified the change in name from Compostela Valley to Davao de Oro. “After a long holiday, the DDO Capitol Employees tore down Christmas and other decorations to give way to the new change of the year and the new name of the province as Davao de Oro,” the provincial government said.

Meanwhile, First District Rep. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora announced in a gov-

ernment convocation program last Monday that different tribal groups in the province would receive another batch of 500 houses this year.

This latest batch of proposed dwellings would be on top of the 300 houses approved for construction by the provincial government.

Zamora said the announcement came from the National Housing Authority (NHA), which broke the news to him, “even as the provincial project to construct the [first batch of] 300 houses was still being processed.”

The NHA construction would be done in the five tribal communities in the five towns of Davao de Oro province.

He said the NHA would also allocate an addition of P100 million to the provincial project.

The provincial project was also a joint project with the NHA contained in three memorandum of agreements, allocating 100 housing units each to the following tribes in various localities: Mandaya, Manobo, Dibabawon and Mangguwangan tribes in Barangay Awao, Monkayo; the Dibabawon and Mangguwangan tribes in Barangay Prosperidad, Montevista; and Mandaya and Mansaka tribes in Barangay Pagsabangan, New Bataan.

sustaining an above 50 PMI in October.

The 6.1-percent contraction in November’s factory output was influenced by decreases in the indices of eight major industry groups. The declines were highest in furniture and fixtures (-41.2 percent), basic metals (-29.5 percent), miscellaneous manufacturers (-22.1 percent), petroleum products (-21.8 percent), transport equipment (-16.7 percent), as well as in electrical machinery (-13 percent).

The Philippine manufacturing output has been declining for 12 consecutive months with deepest contractions were posted last April at 14 percent, last June at 10.5 percent and in December of 2018 at 10.1 percent.

Angara airs concern amid Australia’s raging bushfires

By Butch Fernandez

S

@butchfBM

EN. Juan Edgardo Angara aired concerns on Wednesday over the raging bushfires in Australia, seeing it as “a harsh reminder of the stark reality of climate change.”

“We offer our prayers for Australia as it copes with one of the worst bushfires in the country’s history,” Angara said, adding “our heart breaks as we witness the scope of the devastation.

In a news statement, the senator noted “the impact of the fires on the Australian wildlife, the images of which have been seen by the entire world, has left us all with mental and emotional scars that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. We laud the wildlife welfare organizations for their efforts to help the injured animals and join in the appeal for donations to support the work they are doing.”

Angara observed that “what is taking place in our regional ally is a harsh reminder of the stark reality of climate change and its effects on all of humanity.”

“Temperatures are rising in many parts of the world and this poses a threat on the environment as we have seen in the case of Australia,” the senator warned, stressing the need to “treat this phenomenon seriously and take the necessary steps to address the situation, no matter how big or small these may be. The survival of nations depends on this.”

Citing reports reaching his office, Angara noted over 2,000 homes have already been destroyed and lives have been lost due to the wildfires.

“We pray that the evacuees will be able to return to their normal lives soon,” Angara said, acknowledging that for over seven decades since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries, “Australia has always been there for the Philippines whenever calamities strike. Now at its time of need, the entire Philippine nation stands behind its ally Australia.”

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TheBroa

Business

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Amending antiquated acts anticipated

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz & Butch Fernandez

M

ANY Filipinos, especially women and the riding public, are living at the outskirts of civilization because of laws that have become their tethers to the Dark Ages.

Several lawmakers want to change that. For Deputy Majority Leader Bernadette Herrera-Dy of Bagong Henerasyon partylist, it starts this year.

According to Herrera-Dy, 2020 would be the year for Congress’s “war” on obsolete laws.

This year would be Congress’s “strongest push to reset some of our country’s oldest laws, including those on public utilities and transportation, which have caused much suffering among Filipinos.”

The main source of the suffering is the Revised Penal Code (RPC), a set of laws concerning crimes and offenses and their punishment that took effect on January 1, 1932.

According to lawmakers, several articles in the RPC contradict more recent laws and have been inimical against women.

Enacted nearly a century ago, the RPC contains antiquated provisions and deals with crimes that are now irrelevant to and fails to address current conditions. Also, penalties provided in the said law have also become obsolete, according to members of the Makabayan bloc in the Lower House.

These lawmakers have refiled in the 18th Congress their bill repealing Article 247 of the RPC that, they said, practically gives license to take life without due process of law and allowing the killer to go scot-free sans a slap on the hand.

Penal Code

UNDER Article 247 of the RPC, “any legally married person who having surprised his spouse in the act of committing sexual intercourse with another person, shall kill any of them or both of them in the act or immediately thereafter, or shall inflict upon them any serious physical injury, shall suffer the penalty of destierro.”

Being penalized as a destierro means one is prohibited from entering within a radius of at least 25 kilometers of a designated place.

“If he shall inflict upon them physical injuries of any other kind, he shall be exempt from punishment,” Article 247 continued.

“These rules shall be applicable, under the same circumstances, to parents with respect to their daughters under eighteen years of age, and their seducer, while the daughters are living with their parents.”

According to Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate, the law even vaguely provides that it applies not only during sexual intercourse but also immediately after sexual intercourse, which practically allows the killing of a spouse even if the killer is not sure that a sexual act has indeed been committed.

Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene D. Brosas said Article 247 must be immediately repealed as it violates Section 1 of the Constitution that prohibits the taking of life without due process of law.

Brosas said the immediate repeal of the article will protect and preserve life, protect children and promote women’s rights and gender equality.

Unequal treatment

LAWMAKERS are also pushing for the bill decriminalizing adultery and concubinage as provided in the RPC. Under the RPC, extra-marital affairs committed by married men and women are both considered criminal acts; however, they are not treated equally.

Article 333 of the RPC cites

that adultery “is committed by any married woman who shall have sexual intercourse with a man not her husband and by the man who has carnal knowledge of her knowing her to be married, even if the marriage be subsequently declared void.”

Article 334, on the other hand, provides that the husband can only be convicted of the crime of concubinage if he is found guilty of any of the following: keeping a mistress in conjugal dwelling; having sexual intercourse under scandalous circumstances with a woman who is not his wife; or, cohabiting with her in any other place.

The Makabayan bloc said the husband needs only to prove that his wife engaged in a sexual intercourse with a man not her husband, while the wife needs to show that her husband’s sexual intercourse with another woman was done “under scandalous circumstances.”

Under the third circumstance when concubinage is committed, it is not enough that the husband is keeping a paramour in another house and it must also be shown that the husband lives with the paramour in that house.

Blackmail

THE Makabayan bloc said that “the abolition of this stricter moral standard on fidelity on married women vis-a-vis their male counterparts, which standard was set in the 1930s when the RPC took effect, is long overdue.”

The Gabriela partylist said these provisions in the RPC discriminate against and results to more difficulty for women and considering further that women are amply protected under Republic Act 9262, which criminalizes violence again women and their children. RA 9262 is also known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) Act of 2004.

The women’s group added that, in practice, Articles 333 and 334 are often resorted to only as bargaining suits to get the other party in a nullity petition to cooperate or to give in support negotiations.

The group said they arrived at such conclusion based on consultations with and cases referred to Gabriela.

“They are blackmailed by their estranged husbands through Article 333,” Gabriela said. “In many cases, women who are faced by these threats are forced to forego legitimate custodial claims of their children while some are forced to give up their claims over conjugal properties; assets and the like.”

Quezon Rep. Aleta E. Suarez, in his HB 3989, said that given its continuing nature and the particular conditions required, concubinage is more difficult to prove while adultery is punished more severely than concubinage.

“The distinction is a clear discrimination against women.

This is being used by husbands to blackmail the wives for filing complaints, especially when both parties have [legal] grounds under Articles 333 and 334,” it added.

Leaves discretion

WHILE the 1987 Constitution provides the practice of freedom of speech and freedom of expression, in the Philippines one can still face imprisonment for offending religious feelings.

Article 133 of the RPC states that “the penalty of arresto mayor in its maximum period to prision correccional in its minimum period shall be imposed upon anyone who, in a place devoted to religious wor-

ship or during the celebration of any religious ceremony, shall perform acts notoriously offensive to the feelings of the faithful.”

Recently, Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman filed House Bill (HB) 5170 to repeal the “archaic” Article 133 in memory of Carlos Celdran, a fellow Reproductive Health (RH) advocate.

He said Article 133 is “utterly subjective and leaves to the undue discretion of the court to divine the inculpatory element of ‘wounded religious feelings.’”

“It is an amorphous offense and fails to set any objective standards on the gravamen of the crime,” Lagman added.

He said Article 133 is anathema to freedom of speech and expression, which is guaranteed under the Bill of Rights in the 1935, 1973 and the present 1987 Constitution.

“The Bill of Rights is a compendium of individual rights which are protected from transgressions principally by the State, not by private persons,” he said.

Improvident conviction

ACCORDING to Lagman, the repeal of Article 133 will foreclose similar prosecutions and travails of well-meaning critics that, he said, Celdran unjustifiably suffered and endured.

He underscored that Celdran died a freeman because the Supreme Court failed to resolve with finality Celdran’s pending motion for reconsideration of his improvident conviction of “wounding religious feelings.”

Lagman said it is now incumbent on Congress to accord justice and redress to Celdran by repealing Article 133 that, he said, is “an odious remnant of the Dark Ages” and “offensive to the freedom of expression.”

At the height of the arduous crusade for the enactment of the RH Bill, now Republic Act 10354, Celdran, dressed as national hero Jose Rizal, walked toward the main altar of the Manila Cathedral where an ecumenical service was being held on the joint distribution of bibles by Catholic and Protestant leaders.

That day, September 30, 2010, Celdran raised a placard bearing the word “Damaso” in reference to the villainous friar from Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere.

Celdran, who was charged with violating Article 133 on “offending religious feelings,” died of a heart attack in Madrid last October 8, 2019.

Clear distinction

ASIDE from the RPC, House Committee on Economic Affairs Chairperson Sharon S. Garin of AAMBIS-OWA said there is an outdated economic law that should be amended.

Garin said HB 78 aims to amend the antiquated Public Service Act (PSA) of 1936 by providing a clear distinction between public service and public utility.

Eliminating the ambiguity of the law will provide more economic opportunities to the Filipino people, according to Garin.

“We want foreign investments to supplement Filipino capital. Filipinos also need help to build big industries, big businesses, so we can improve the basic services for the Filipinos,” Garin explained, dispelling fears posed by the expected influx of foreign investors with the bill.

“Something can be done to improve our standing, and that is through the passage of the PSA. I do not believe that this will be a threat to our patrimony. I think this will improve the lives of all Filipinos,” she added.

Public utilities, as stated in Article 12, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution, must be solely operated by firms that are 60 percent owned by Filipinos.

“However, the charter does not define [public utility]. Currently, our definition of public utility is the PSA and other jurisprudence is-

sued by the Supreme Court,” Garin said. “So now we’re putting definition of the public utility.”

Services, utilities

HB 87 is currently under the period of sponsorship and debate.

The bill aims to amend the antiquated PSA by providing a clear distinction between public service and public utility. Under the bill, public utilities will only cover the following: distribution of electricity; transmission of electricity; water pipeline distribution system; and, sewerage pipeline system.

Herrera-Dy hopes there would be enough time in the first regular session of the 18th Congress to approve the amendments to the PSA, “which is the baseline law on public utilities and services.”

Asked if the Senate is moving to update the decades-old PSA, RPC, and other post-Second World War era laws, including the Transport and Traffic Code, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on January 7 that senators are still in the process of reviewing old laws, assessing the need to update or repeal them.

“We will still make an assessment soon,” the Senate leader told the BusinessMirror, even as he added that the PSA, which governs granting of franchises, “is now on second reading.”

Issues on TNVS

THE riding public’s interest is also on the table at both chambers.

Following the order of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) limiting the pool of motorcyclesfor-hire drivers per operator to just 10,000, Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo said Congress should now act on pending measures updating legal bases for regulating transport network companies (TNCs) and transportation network vehicles services (TNVS).

Salo said Congress should now act on the 1964 Land Transportation and Traffic Code and the 1949 Civil Code of the Philippines to address the issues on TNVS. “We continue to have these public transport service problems and monopoly issues because our LTFRB, MMDA and LTO regulations are rooted in the 1964 LTTC [Land Transportation and Traffic Code] and the 1949 Civil Code of the Philippines,” Salo said.

According to the lawmaker, he already filed HB 3569, or an “Act Allowing and Regulating the Use of Motorcycle as Public Utility Vehicles, Amending for this Purpose RA 4136 of the LTTC.”

HB 3569, or the proposed Motorcycles-for-Hire-Act, amends the 1964 LTTC by legalizing motorcycles-for-hire.

According to Salo, HB 3569 updates “our archaic transportation laws and will uphold the welfare of all parties in controversies like the current one involving Angkas.”

New technologies

WITH HB 3569, Salo said the parameters, guidelines and principles for regulating transport network services and their TNCs are laid down, including aspects involving consumer protection and modern technologies.

Moreover, Herrera said the transport sector is slow to keep up with the fast-changing times because the laws governing this sector are old and now largely useless.

“I will appeal to the House leadership to certify as urgent the bill the House transportation committee will consolidate to legalize and regulate motorcycle TNVS and TNC operations,” Herrera said.

“Given that at least 100,000 Filipinos will be directly affected and hundreds of thousands of commuters will be served by Angkas and other motorcycle TNVS-TNCs, I believe that is a great reason for Congress to approve the bill before the summer recess, so that President Duterte can sign it in March,” the House deputy majority leader noted.

aderLook

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Editor: Dennis D. Estopace | Thursday, January 9, 2020

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to unshackle Pinoys from legal tethers However, House Committee on Transportation Chairman Rep. Edgar Sarmiento said the LTFRB should consider public welfare first before making any decision regarding motorcycle taxis.

The lawmaker added that cutting the number of motorcycle taxis under Angkas will economically dislocate thousands of Angkas riders and would certainly deny commuters a well-tested alternative transport especially at a time when Metro Manila’s traffic is getting worse every day.

Transport sector

THE LTFRB earlier ordered to limit the number of motorcycle taxis operating in Metro Manila and other highly urbanized areas.

With this, Sarmiento said this decision will “economically dislocate” thousands of riders.

Sarmiento said the government should just maintain the status quo while allowing other players to come in.

The Department of Transportation and the LTFRB already announced the extension of the pilot implementation of motorcycle-ride hailing services in the country, which was scheduled to end last December 26. It also announced the inclusion of two new players: JoyRide and Move It. These two motorcycle taxis will join Angkas in the extended pilot implementation which will run from December 23 to March 23, 2020. Also, the LTFRB said a 30,000 cap will be allotted for the three providers during the period.

Meanwhile, Sarmiento said that his committee will try to fast track deliberations of at least 15 pending House bills that are related to the operation of motorcycle taxis when session resumes on January 20.

“There are 15 House bills that are pending right now. Under RA 4136 only four-wheeled vehicles are allowed. This two-wheeled vehicle was not allowed [that’s why an] Executive Order [was issued] six months ago to allow some testing on motorcycle taxis,” Sarmiento said.

ROBYN MACKENZIE | DREAMSTIME.COM

Efficiency, reduction

IN the Senate, among other bills lined up to replace the obsolete LTTC is Senate Bill (SB) 322 filed

by Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara. SB 322 is a remedial legislation “promoting sustainable and alternative modes of transportation and other mobility options to improve air quality, increase efficiency, reduce congestion and contribute to positive health impacts in our society.”

An earlier SB 319 titled “Sustainable Transportation Act of 2019,” filed by Sen. Grace Poe, was also referred to the Committee of Public Services for review, similarly titled as an “Act Promoting Sustainable and Alternative Modes of Transportation.”

The Senate's Public Services Committee, chaired by Poe, was one of many parties that tackled the issues on ride-hailing motorbike taxis before the six-month trial was set and yet, critics noted, a “secretive” technical working group of the LTFRB solely decided on the post-trial regime of capping the number of riders during the second trial—this time, for three months—regardless of public need and demand.

Over the holidays, Poe wrote the LTFRB and said: “We look forward to your submission of the results of the pilot program and the recommendation of the Technical Working Group,” which will form part of lawmakers’ deliberations on pending bills to amend the transportation code.

Poe also affirmed that the remedial legislation legalizing motorcycle taxis is “a priority measure of the committee and will be tackled when the Senate resumes” next month.

Minority Leader Frank Drilon, in a text message to the BusinessMirror, agreed when asked if the Senate should move to fast-track legislation amending the National Transportation and Traffic Code

‘T

his year would be Congress’s “strongest push to reset some of our country’s oldest laws, including those on public utilities and transportation, which have caused much suffering among Filipinos.”

— Deputy Majority Leader

Bernadette Herrera-Dy in order to allow motorcycles as for-hire vehicles, given the LTFRB statement that after the second three-month trial for ride-hailing apps like Angkas lapses on March 23, motorbike taxis will cease to exist, being illegal.

Resilience ensured

THE Senate is also poised to frontload consideration and early passage of a remedial legislation updating the 42-year-old National Building Code (NBC) soon as Congress reconvenes regular sessions on January 20.

Emphasizing the need to ensure “safer and more disasterresilient” communities, first-term Sen. Christopher Go filed SB 1252, to be known as the Philippine Building Act, which was crafted to ensure the effective regulation of planning, design, construction, occupancy and maintenance of all public and private buildings and structures.

Go’s SB 1252, embodying the Philippine Building Act of 2019, seeks to safeguard the public welfare and mitigate the impact of disasters by proposing to provide all buildings and structures a framework of minimum standards and requirements in line with mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and management efforts, as well as regulate and control their location, siting, planning, design, construction, and maintenance.

In filing the remedial legislation, the senator stressed the need for such measure, after noting that many elements are lacking or need to be updated in the current building code due to the changing times.

The NBC of the Philippines took effect on February 19, 1977.

“It has been several decades since it became law,” Go said in Filipino. “Since then, we have learned a lot about building safety through advancements in science, as well as our experiences of disaster relief, such as the earthquake in Mindanao.”

Ensuring safety

GO added “it’s now time to study how to update the NBC” noting that some safety standards on fire safety and sanitation were not mentioned in the current NBC, “leaving several loopholes and ‘inadequacies’ that should be addressed.”

The senator added that it is noteworthy that although the current NBC has safety standards, such as fire safety and sanitation, disaster resiliency is not specifically mentioned in the code.

“Disaster resiliency is very important in our country because, with the exception of around 20 typhoons entering our country every year, our geographic location makes us vulnerable to other disasters, such as earthquakes, landslides, storm surges, and more.”

Go stressed that in order to effectively plug the loopholes, Congress needs to amend the existing law to “ensure that all buildings and structures in the country are built according to the principle of ‘building back better.’”

He clarified that “building back better” requires that in the reconstruction of damaged structures, due consideration shall be given to the possibility of the disaster repeating itself.

Go added the Senate will also require integration of disaster resilience measures into the making of rules and regulations, and reference standards for planning, design and

reconstruction of new buildings and structures to be built.

Strong policy

PRECISELY in a move to ensure that the 40-year building code is suited up to respond to disasters given the series of deadly quakes in the last quarter of 2019, Sen. Panfilo Lacson filed a similar bill in late December, weeks after three deadly quakes rocked Mindanao.

The devastation and loss of life caused by recent calamities, such as the magnitude-6.9 earthquake that struck Davao del Sur last December 15, drove home the need to strengthen building safety standards in the Philippines, Lacson said. He stressed that point when he filed SB 1239 to help protect the public from the effects of natural and man-made disasters while giving the antiquated 1977 NBC a much-needed update.

“Experience tells us that there is an urgent need to strengthen the overall policy on how buildings and structures are built in the country. Not to mention the country’s geographical location along the boundary of major tectonic plates and at the center of the typhoon belt, coupled by its socially and economically vulnerable population, it becomes even more imperative to review our 4-decade-old NBC,” Lacson said in his bill.

Lacson’s bill is also pushing for a multi-sectoral effort, led by the Department of Public Works and Highways, to make buildings resilient to other calamities such as fires and cyclones as well.

SB 1239 aims to not just ensure the safety and welfare of the people but also “pave the way for responsible and sustainable nation building, establishing the Philippines as an exemplary model of world-class standards.”

Time to update

MEANWHILE, Misamis Oriental Rep. Juliette T. Uy said she is readying a bill outlining broad strokes and some details of how she wants the audit reforms done. Uy earlier called for a government auditing reform summit via House Resolution 194.

She said having a State Audit Code of the Philippines that is over 40 years old and “badly needs updating and upgrading is one of the key reasons government agencies’ hands are tied” when dealing with spending priorities.

“The State Audit Code we still have now is a presidential decree from way back 1978. In terms of technologies alone, much has changed since then, and so have many financial processes. It is time to update, upgrade, and make government auditing relevant and response to current and future realities of governance,” said Uy, who is a member of the House Committee on Revision of Laws.

The solon noted that the last major revision of the State Audit Code was through the Administrative Code of 1987, which is an executive order issued by then President Corazon Aquino when she possessed revolutionary lawmaking powers.

“1987 is 32 years ago. Again, many advances have taken place since then,” Uy said. “While many major laws have been amended and the accounting and auditing professions have been catching up with financial and economic changes worldwide, PD [Presidential Decree] 1445 and EO [Executive Order] 292 remain archaic.”

A6 Thursday, January 9, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Enough is enough

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he discovery of the mutilated body of Joanna Demafelis in a freezer in Kuwait, in February 2018, so outraged President Duterte, who called her death a “national shame” and ordered a ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait. The Kuwaiti government panicked, and sent high-level delegates to Manila to forge an agreement for the protection of Filipino household service workers in their employ.

The overseast Filipino workers protection agreement was important because, on top of the gruesome death of Demafelis, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) recorded a total of 196 deaths of Filipino workers in the Gulf country since 2016. This figure is on top of 6,000 cases of abuse, sexual harassment and rape filed with the Philippine Embassy in 2017. All these, however, were set aside when the government of Kuwait agreed to do its part to protect our OFWs. We resumed sending maids to the Gulf country believing that we had the firm word of the Kuwaiti government.

The recent case of Jeanelyn Padernal Villavende, who was allegedly beaten to death by her employer in Kuwait, shows how effective is our 2016 OFW protection agreement with Kuwait, and should convince Philippine authorities that the best way to protect our maids is to stop sending them there. Let’s continue sending our doctors, nurses, engineers, hotel and restaurant workers, factory workers and construction workers to Kuwait. But not our maids, who are the most vulnerable among our overseas workers.

There are enough documented stories showing how the household workers we send to the Middle East, particularly to Kuwait, are abused and treated as virtual slaves, working long hours without day off, and worse, raped and killed.

In 2018, a woman from Negros Occidental who worked as maid in Kuwait told her brother she usually sleeps late at night and can’t even eat her meal on time because of her numerous duties. She later suffered from acute ulcer and malnourishment, and passed away a few days after she returned home.

We commend Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III for acting fast this time, banning the deployment to Kuwait of newly hired domestic workers after the Villavende murder. It is well that the deployment ban and moratorium on the accreditation and processing of individual contracts and additional job orders for domestic workers in Kuwait will take effect immediately.

Certain quarters, however, are calling for more drastic action. Sonny Matula, president of the Federation of Free Workers, wants the Duterte administration to impose an indefinite ban on the deployment of household service workers to Kuwait. He said: “The DOLE and DFA need to address the slave-like situation of our domestic workers and renegotiate our bilateral agreements to ensure that they are protected by imposing limits on maximum working hours for maids, like other workers observing regular hours of work. We also call to strengthen agreements that Filipino maids will no longer be allowed to stay in their employers’ homes, which will ensure their protection.”

The Blas F. Ople Policy Center, meanwhile, has urged the Senate and House committees on labor and OFW affairs to conduct a joint hearing on the Villavende killing. Susan Ople, president of the policy center, said a joint and independent probe by Congress would help establish the facts concerning existing monitoring systems for overseas domestic workers. She added that it would also send a clear message to the government of Kuwait that the members of the Senate and House of Representatives strongly condemn the senseless killing of another OFW. The joint congressional probe, Ople said, could also establish whether Villavende was a victim of forced labor trafficking.

Apart from Kuwait, the Philippines sends hundreds of thousands of maids to other countries where they also face abuses, such as physical violence, wage exploitation and deprivation of food and rest. However, Kuwait seems to be on a league of its own as far as treating our maids as slaves is concerned. We earlier cited OWWA records: 196 deaths of Filipino workers in the Gulf country since 2016, on top of 6,000 cases of abuse, sexual harassment and rape filed with the Philippine Embassy in 2017.

Enough is enough. As long as we continue sending domestic workers to this country, the story of abuse and maltreatment will just go on and on. The best way to stop this is to stop sending our maids to Kuwait.

Since 2005

War profiteering John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

W

ar is hell unless you are a spectator. The first major battle of the American civil war took place on July 21, 1861, just north of the city of Manassas, Virginia, and about 25 miles from Washington, D.C. When the fighting ended, Union casualties were 460 killed, 1,124 wounded, and 1,312 missing or captured; Confederate casualties were 387 killed, 1,582 wounded and 13 missing.

In anticipation that the war would be brief, both politicians and ordinary citizens—mostly men—took the seven-hour carriage ride from Washington to observe the battle.

The newspapers, doing what they have always done well, focused a great deal of attention on the spectators and called it the “Picnic Battle.”

It is true that food was brought by the visitors. Contemporary accounts by those that were there described a crowd of men and a few enterprising saleswomen brought “pies and other

Lionel Laurent

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if a cure for cancer was announced.

Life is not fair.

Markets will sometimes react violently to news such as we have now. The standard rule applies; do not let prices go below support levels because you never know how low is low. Further, do not try to pick the bottom. When the bottom comes, you will be informed because, as usual, the price will start going up.

Buy issues that have been going up when they pull back but not if they have broken support. Let the price go back above support to go in.

This is important. More than being “hell,” war is unpredictable and as in a genuine armed battle, the tide can turn instantly. If this situation in Iraq continues and you cannot monitor the market frequently, get out and wait. “He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.”

Finally, pray for peace. It is good for the world and it is good for your own state of mind.

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

As Carlos Ghosn speaks out, France’s silence is deafening

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business Publisher

edibles” to sell to those watching the battle. Were those vendors “war profiteers?”

The comments on local social media about the situation in Iraq borders on hysteria as is normal in the age we live. While it is true that there are some 4,000 Filipinos in Iraq (mostly all “undocumented” or “irregular migrants”) and some 1,200 in Iran, the media statement that “The lives of millions of Filipinos are also put at risk” is way over the top. Of course there is an economic risk to all

Filipino workers in the Middle East.

However, perhaps the author of that sentence is too young to remember that there were 100,000 Filipinos working in Kuwait when Iraq invaded in 1990 and that the United Nations Compensation Commission approved claims by some 40,000 OFWs from the Philippines for financial losses during the Gulf War. Empathy, compassion, and charity are critically important human characteristics and I have the Philippine Red Cross on “speed-dial” for my PayPal account when tragedy strikes.

However, my hierarchy of priorities is my family, my community and the Philippines. All others are far behind and I will profit as much as possible from any situation if I am able and without any apology.

Therefore, if you are investing on the Philippine stock market, here are my thoughts.

As I said on social media, “Blood in the Street” creates more profit opportunities than rainbows. The current situation has created volatility in prices and increased action, which are both necessary to make money in the financial and asset markets. Note that the same thing would happen

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arlos Ghosn is getting ready to speak publicly for the first time since his extraordinary escape last month from house arrest in Japan to his childhood home of Lebanon, a journey which at one point apparently involved stuffing the world’s most famous auto executive into a large black box to avoid detection. The brazen operation has enraged the Japanese, who want Ghosn to stand trial on charges of financial misconduct.

Ghosn isn’t backing down, and has reportedly promised to use his press conference on Wednesday to name and shame the perpetrators of what he says is a conspiracy.

While Lebanon’s jet set hails Ghosn as a returning hero and Japan impotently calls for his return, there is a pretty obvious silence emanating from one country in particular: France. Ghosn’s birthplace was Brazil and his family heritage Lebanese, but France is where he earned his academic stripes, climbed the corporate ladder at tire-maker Cie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, restructured carmaker Renault SA and became the face of its alliance with Japan’s Nissan Motor Co. Ghosn wasn’t just a French citizen, but France’s man in Japan: His dramatic arrest in 2018 came just as he had been exploring a full-blown merger of both companies, a par-

ticularly French ambition.

Any prospect of score-settling on Ghosn’s part may put Paris in the spotlight, as well.You wouldn’t know any of this from France’s official reaction to the Ghosn saga, though.

Since his arrival in Lebanon, Parisian officials and politicians have dropped some carefully manicured platitudes, with nary a peep from President Emmanuel Macron (perhaps understandably focused on bigger geopolitical issues in the Middle East). “He has the right to consular support, like all French people,” Junior Economy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said last month. “When you are answerable to the law, you are not above the law,” Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said this week.

And Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian may as well have been washing his hands of the whole

thing when he said: “This is now a matter for Lebanon and Japan to sort out.”

Is this really the best France can do? You don’t have to be a fullblown believer of Ghosn’s conspiracy narrative to see how Paris might have put up a more full-throated defense of the Frenchman’s treatment at the hands of the Japanese justice system. Only a few hours after Ghosn’s initial arrest in 2018, his successor at Nissan, Hiroto Saikawa, was able to publicly rail unchallenged against “the concentration of power” in Ghosn’s hands and the need to cleanse “negative aspects” he had left behind—hardly a presumption of innocence.

Ghosn then spent over 100 days in jail before being released on bail— only to be rearrested a month later on new charges. The fact that prosecutors were able to build their case along the way, along with Japan’s near-perfect conviction rate, was hardly reassuring.

The list of allegations against Ghosn isn’t only restricted to Japan; but Japan is clearly the outlier in terms of how it metes out justice.

In the US, the Securities and Exchange Commission reached a financial settlement with Ghosn and Nissan over claims it had failed to disclose more than $140 million in pay to the ex-boss; Ghosn didn’t admit or deny wrongdoing. And in France, a series of investigations into the possible misuse of Renault’s money to host lavish parties and pay consulting fees are at a preliminary stage.

Political expediency seems to have won out. While Ghosn was behind bars and under house arrest, the French government’s priorities seemed to swing toward protecting the Renault-Nissan alliance and keeping the Japanese on-side.

The fact that President Emmanuel Macron was facing violent street protests at home last year also made it rather easy for politicians to distance themselves from a wealthy tycoon whose favorite party spot was Versailles.

French officials are “in a bind,” as my Bloomberg News colleagues wrote. As for “consular support,” the most high-profile French visitor Ghosn seems to have secured is former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had a pretty dismal relationship with the auto executive when he was in the Elysee Palace.

“The Elysee’s silence is deafening,” Ghosn’s wife Carole said in October.Ghosn’s press conference will probably be embarrassing for Japan and potentially damaging to anyone who may be exposed to reprisals, such as his former lieutenant Greg Kelly—still facing charges in Tokyo over his own alleged role in Ghosn’s alleged misconduct— and those accused of helping Ghosn escape. But it will also make uncomfortable viewing in France.

While Macron and his ministers are probably relieved that the world ’s most famous fugitive businessman is sitting 4,000 kilometers (2,486 miles) away from Paris, they’ll be hoping he stays put.

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Trump’s targeted Iran killing is Kim Jong Un’s biggest fear

Commissioned in the Holy Spirit Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

Alálaong Bagá

By Jon Herskovitz & Iain Marlow Bloomberg Opinion

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F Kim Jong Un needed another reminder about the risks of bargaining away North Korea’s nuclear weapons program to the US, President Donald J. Trump’s decision to kill one of Iran’s top commanders provides one.

The killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week reinforces the North Korean view that the US only takes such actions against states that lack a credible nuclear deterrent. More specifically, Trump’s choice of attack—a covert drone strike against a high-level target— feeds regime fears that any US offensive against Pyongyang would start at the top.

“The attack will only entrench the belief in Pyongyang that a nuclear deterrent, which Iran lacks, is essential for the physical survival of Kim Jong Un,” said Miha Hribernik, head of Asia risk analysis at Verisk Maplecroft. “Kim and other senior North Korean officials could, in theory, be targeted the same way in the future.”

The Soleimani killing came at a precarious time for Trump’s nuclear talks with North Korea, just two days after Kim announced that he was no longer bound by his pledge to halt major weapons tests and vowed “shocking” action against the US. While the strike may give Kim pause about how far he can push Trump in the coming months, it also reaffirms the dangers of meeting American disarmament demands.

T hose concer ns have long weighed on talks with North Korea, which has allowed only a brief report on China and Russia condemning the “US missile attack” against Iran to appear in its staterun media. The regime already had cautionary tales such as the death of Libya’s Moammar Qaddafi, whom the US helped topple less than a decade after he gave up his own nuclear weapons.

Just weeks before Trump’s first unprecedented meeting with Kim in June 2018, then-US National Security Adviser John Bolton proposed that North Korea adopt the “Libya model” of disarmament—a remark that the president disavowed.

Around the same time, Trump further complicated the Kim summit by withdrawing from the nuclear nonproliferation deal that his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, reached with Iran.

That decision raised questions about what sort of agreement the Trump administration could reach with North Korea, which, unlike Iran, has already demonstrated its possession of nuclear bombs and missiles capable of carrying them to the continental US. Last week, Kim told a gathering of ruling party leaders in Pyongyang that he would soon debut a “new strategic weapon” and ruled out denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula “until the US rolls back its hostile policy.”

The Soleimani killing makes the possibility of a US “decapitation strike” against North Korea seem less remote if the relationship between Trump and Kim further breaks down. The regime has accused the American side of plotting to kill Kim

as recently as 2017, a claim bolstered by subsequent revelations that the country’s hackers had stolen secret allied military plans to take out the Pyongyang leadership.

‘Warning sign’

Andrei Lankov, the Seoul-based director of the Korea Risk Group consulting firm, said Trump’s latest move will be viewed as a “warning sign” by those in North Korea who may have read his decisions to meet Kim and call off an earlier strike against Iran as weakness. “They will behave far more carefully with far more reserve than they would do otherwise,” Lankov said.

Although it was difficult to assess how the incident was being received within the secretive state, there was no obvious change in Kim’s behavior.

State media published a report on Tuesday showing Kim making what appeared to be a routine visit to a factory site, unlike his late father, Kim Jong Il, who withdrew from public view for weeks after the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The US ambassador to South Korea, Harry Harris, called on Seoul to send forces to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, saying in an interview with TV broadcaster KBS that it would be in the country’s interests because it imports “so much of” its energy from the Middle East.

US policy-makers have long lumped North Korea with Iran, such as when then-President George W. Bush listed the two countries alongside Iraq in his “axis of evil” speech in 2002. The National Defense Strategy published by the Trump administration in 2018 described North Korea and Iran as two “rogue regimes” whose actions were destabilizing their respective regions.

“North Korean state media often is implicitly sympathetic to Iran,” said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a specialist on North Korea at Seoul-based NK Pro. “It often cites the Iranian government’s position on foreign policy and weapons’ development issues, and criticizes the US’s policy of ‘pressure’ on countries such as Iran.”

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told visiting North Korean foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, in 2018 that the US “is recognized today as an unreliable and untrustworthy country.” Last week, North Korean media published new year’s greetings from Rouhani, repeating a long-held line that the two states are unjustly targeted by Washington.

Mintaro Oba, a former US diplomat specializing in Korean Peninsula issues, said such symbolic ties would make North Korea pay close attention to how the US-Iran conflict unfolds after the strike on Soleimani.

“What’s happening to Iran now must certainly make Pyongyang confident in the priority it has put on a credible nuclear deterrent,” Oba said.

Thursday, January 9, 2020 A7

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losing the Christmas season is the feast of the baptism of Jesus as the anointed servant of God (Matthew 3:13-17).

Jesus is divinely commissioned as the Spirit-filled Son of the heavenly Father making available to all the new covenant where each one is God’s child.

In fulfillment of righteousness Jesus deliberately seeks out John at the Jordan in order to be baptized. Matthew depicts Jesus directing events to carry out the divine plan to bring people to salvation. John’s recognition of Jesus’ superiority and that he, in fact, should be baptized by Jesus simply places the focus on the proper sequence for everyone in fulfilling what is righteous and according to the divine plan. The prescribed path for Jesus is to show continuity with the prophetic tradition in which John is the new Elijah, and no one born of women is greater than him (11:11). John is the voice preparing the way of the Lord (3:3).

And John himself now admits that his baptism of repentance is not an end in itself but an opening for the Spirit, of whom he stands himself in need, as he tells Jesus: “I need to be baptized by You” (3:14).

Jesus and John have complementary roles in the story of salvation.

Jesus comes after and goes beyond John, but does not bypass him. In the complete process of conversion, John’s baptism with water for repentance does not substitute for, but rather awaits fulfillment in, Jesus’ baptism with the Spirit and fire (3:11). John is the forerunner who represents the necessary preparation for, and clearing the path of, Jesus. In all righteousness, there must be both

It’s a VUCA world Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

Continued from A1

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oday, VUCA is back on the geo-military and geopolitical screen, no thanks to the impetuous and transactional Donald J. Trump. By recklessly eliminating Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, and Iraq’s leading militia leader, Abu Mahdi alMuhandis, Trump has managed to stoke the hostility toward America by Iran, Iraq and the Islamic community worldwide. Instead of dividing Iran, Trump’s action has strengthened Iranians’ unity against the “evil American empire.” Iraq, which George Bush tried to liberate from the dictator Saddam, has also asked American military forces to leave the country. There are global fears on the unpredictable outcomes of the escalating conflicts in the Middle East and their repercussions on the rest of the world.

The economic impact of the adventurous American action is incalculable. It is roiling the oil and stock markets of the world. Oil prices are rising and there are forecasts that petroleum is likely to return to $100 a barrel or so. The US-Iran war also adds more fuel to the rising xenophobic attitude among the populist politicians in the OECD countries.

With the unsettled US-China trade war and with the World Trade Organization in a limbo (given Trump’s anti-WTO unilateral attacks), some economists are openly predicting a global recession that is harsher and more difficult to tame compared to the 2008-2010 global financial crisis or the 1997-1998 Asian financial contagion.

The world clearly sits astride a precarious VUCA environment. How should the Philippines respond to this VUCA environment?

Immediately, what comes to our attention is the situation of Filipino workers in the Middle East.

Malacañang has organized a team to arrange for the orderly return of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Iran and Iraq.

Malacañang has also discussed the possibility of repatriating a larger number of OFWs coming from Kuwait and other Arab countries. The possibility that the whole Middle East, divided between the Iran-led Shia community and the Sunni community controlled by the pro-American Saudi Arabia, might get engulfed in an all-out war involving all countries in the region is real and looms darkly on the horizon. As it is, there is an ongoing proxy Shia-Sunni war in tiny Yemen pitting both Iran and Saudi Arabia as backers. A region-wide war will naturally include Israel, the favorite target of Iran-backed Hezbollah.

At any rate, the possibility of a larger war in the Middle East, temporary or prolonged, can lead to a mass return migration for OFWs

acknowledgment and renunciation of sin, and the life in the Spirit and identification with the Spirit-filled Son of God.

The beloved Son

The emphasis is not on John’s baptism, which is not described at all, but on the revelation (introduced by “behold”) after Jesus comes from the water. The heavens are opened for Jesus and He sees the Spirit of God “descending like a dove and coming upon Him”—Jesus becomes fully conscious of the divine source of His life, and it is giving itself to Him in love. This personal experience of Jesus echoes with the longing of the prophet Isaiah for God to come and be with His people: “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down” (Isaiah 64:1). With the heavens torn open and God once more available, the Holy Spirit, the immanent presence of the transcendent God, is seen by Jesus coming down upon Him. In the Hellenistic culture, a dove given by a lover symbolizes love.

The heavenly gift to Jesus is at once interpreted: “This is my Son, the Beloved”—Jesus is publicly proclaimed and acknowledged as the beloved of God. And resonating with the Noah story’s dove as the messenger of a

based in the region. This prospect has dire implications on the country.

In the past, the closure of a garments factory in South Korea or Taiwan involving Filipino workers had limited impact on the economy and the Philippine labor market because the OFWs involved usually numbered at the most a thousand or so.

But an OFW mass return migration from the Middle East would have a direct and immediate destabilizing impact on the Philippine economy.

The total number of OFWs in the whole Gulf Area is around 3 million.

They are also the biggest foreign exchange remitters (Note: the statistics on remittances tend to show lower Middle East remittances because OFW remittances are coursed through American banks operating in the region). As everyone knows, these remittances constitute the lifeblood of the economy, which keeps growing despite a stagnant industrial sector and a shrinking agricultural sector at home.

How prepared is the Philippines for the scenario of an OFW mass return migration? We still have to hear from our economic and labor officials, including those in Congress, on whether there is a viable and workable program on how millions, not thousands, of returning OFWs shall or can be absorbed by the domestic economy. No outline even.

And how prepared is the Philippines for the global recession that some economists are predicting to happen due to the uncertainties spawned by the US-Iran conflict, the unresolved US-China trade war and the protectionist sentiments among politicians in various parts of the world?

Will the call center-BPO sector serve as the country’s savior? But Neda itself admitted in 2017 that the sector was already in a growth “plateau.” American service “offshorers” have been reducing business deals related to the voice segment of the

new beginning for the Earth (Genesis 8), the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus as a dove is the messenger of a new covenant between God and humankind. The meaning of the Spirit in the world through and in Jesus is the statement of the new possibility that Jesus has come to fulfill: to lead all into the love of God. As Jesus anointed with the Spirit is the Beloved Son, humankind is being called into God’s family as children of God. Alálaong bagá, the Spirit-filled Jesus embodies the gospel of the new covenant with God. When we acknowledge our sins and let them be washed away with the waters of repentance, God’s gracious love awaits us, making us His daughters and sons in identification with Jesus, the Anointed with the Spirit, with whom God is well pleased. Jesus is the firstborn so-to-say (Romans 8:29), and His mission and ministry is to summon others to their ultimate identity as God’s beloved children, to awaken them to the mystery of God’s salvific love for His children.

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

CC/BPO sector because of the rise and application of do-it-yourself (DIY) and chat-bot technologies.

With America in recession, global offshoring of services and outsourcing of industrial production are likely to intensify.

Will China then become the country’s savior? This is doubtful. China, with its huge domestic debt problem and Hong Kong dilemma, is facing uncertain restructuring challenges and has difficulty meeting its ambitious goals under its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. As it is, China’s share in the Philippines’s borrowing program in support of the “Build, Build, Build” program is quite small compared to the contributions of Japan, World Bank and ADB. This despite the so-called China debt-trap policy reporting by Forbes Asia.

However, if there is one area where China can help, it is on the trade sector. The Philippines has chronic and widening trade deficit with China.

The latter is also the primary source of smuggled goods, including shabu.

A number of Philippine industries collapsed in the 1980s-2000s because of China’s trade juggernaut.

Efforts to balance or rebalance China-Philippine trade relations should be a welcome development.

Perhaps, the best thing that Malacañang and Congress can do under the global VUCA environment and the double threats of OFW mass return migration and global recession is to take a historic reassessment of the country’s national development strategies as reflected in the 20172022 Philippine Development Plan.

The VUCA environment can be a good opportunity for revisioning and taking a fresh look on what the Philippines can achieve amid a confusing global economic and political order.

A good starting point is an examination of how the domestic economy can be developed given the country’s large population of 110 million. More on this in the next issue.

Response by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines to the statement released by the Chinese Embassy spokesman

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he Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines solemnly refutes the statement released by the Chinese Embassy spokesman on the January 5, 2020, issue of the BusinessMirror in relation to an article entitled “The Chinese Agenda” published on December 28, 2019. The said statement wrongly claimed that Taiwan is not a sovereign country, and unilaterally propagandized the so-called one

country, two systems model which has been rejected by the people in Taiwan.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country. It has never been under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan has undergone a process of democratization, and its President and Legislature are directly elected by the people. It conducts its own foreign affairs independently;

issues its own currency, passports, and visas; and exercises absolute and exclusive jurisdiction over its own territory. Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to its people. The Taiwanese people can be represented only by their own democratically elected government. This is an indisputable, objective fact, as well as the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

The statement released by the Chinese Embassy spokesman

neglects the aforementioned facts.

According to a poll conducted by the Taiwan’s Cross-Straits Policy Association in 2019, more than 80 percent of Taiwanese reject unification with mainland China under the Chinese Communist Party’s proposed “one country, two systems” model already in place in Hong Kong and Macau.

President Tsai Ing-wen remains steadfast in her position that Taiwan utterly rejects the idea of one

country, two systems. During her National Day address on October 10, 2019, she did not hesitate to point out the worsening conditions in Hong Kong as she described it to be “on the verge of chaos” due to the failure of one country, two systems. She has urged her fellow citizens to disregard the proposed formula and to remain firm in the face of the growing challenges against Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Looking into the future, Taiwan will continue to uphold her values of freedom and democracy, work with like-minded countries to ensure that the peaceful and stable cross-strait status quo is not unilaterally altered, and will continue to actively engage with other nations in working toward prosperity and cooperation in the international stage.

Taiwan is definitely not a part of China!

A8 Thursday, January 9, 2020

Forced repatriation in Mideast as tensions rise

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By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga & Recto Mercene @rectomercene

HE Philippine government raised to Level 4 the alert level for Filipinos in Iraq on Wednesday, paving the way for their forced evacuation as geopolitical tensions rose in the Middle East.

Aside from Iraq, Iran and Lebanon are now on Alert Level 4.

“As a result of the government’s coordination meetings on the situation in the Middle East in the past few days, the Alert Level in the entire Iraq has been raised to Alert Level 4, calling for mandatory evacuation,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Menez told reporters on Wednesday, January 8.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said there are currently no alert levels in place in Israel and Saudi Arabia.

“So far, US said no Filipinos found to have been hurt. But search and damage assessment not complete.”—Locsin

At least 1,592 Filipinos in Iraq have been registered and ready for repatriation as the Philippine government races against time to “move out of harm’s way” all Filipinos in conflict areas.

See “Repatriation,” A2

HOME, IN A BOX OFW Jeanelyn Villavende’s remains arrived Wednesday, days after reports she had been beaten to death allegedly by her employers. The killing sparked a partial deployment ban to Kuwait. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Hans Leo J. Cacdac joined the maid’s family in claiming her casket. NONIE REYES

Bigger, better, cheaper landfills Experts assess likely cost of Mideast conflict

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NVIRONMENT Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has ordered a review, and revision, of existing policy to pave the way for the establishment and operation of better, and bigger, sanitary landfills that even resource-poor local government units (LGUs) can afford.

To make this happen, the DENR chief has tasked Environment Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Benny D. Antiporda to review and recommend changes to Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order 2001-34, or the Implementing Rules and Regulation of Republic Act 9003.

The use of sanitary landfills as the method of garbage disposal is allowed under Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste

Management Act of 2000, which LGUs are duty-bound to follow.

A sanitary landfill is a solidwaste management facility that utilizes an engineered method of waste disposal, primarily for municipal solid waste. An “engineered” method of landfilling means that garbage is handled at a disposal facility that is designed, constructed, and operated, in a way that protects public health and the environment.

However, most LGUs complain that building and maintaining a sanitary landfill can be costly and, somewhat, complicated.

In a statement, Cimatu said he wants to make the establishment and operation of a sanitary landfill simple, and cheaper, without sacrificing the main objective of proper garbage disposal, which includes preventing leachate from polluting

NORTHEAST MONSOON AFFECTING EXTREME NORTHERN LUZON as of 4:00 pm - January 8, 2020

waterways.

Cimatu lamented the fact that, two decades after RA 9003 was enacted, only about 10 percent of LGUs nationwide have sanitary landfills.

Cimatu had earlier said that effective solid-waste management may be expensive, but LGUs are not without options.

He said that adjacent municipalities or cities may pool their resources to establish a common sanitary landfill.

If money is a problem, LGUs may also access government loans, particularly the one being offered by the Development Bank of the Philippines under its green financing program, he added.

LGUs, he said, can come up with a scheme to pay back the loan, such as through collection of tipping fees. Jonathan L. Mayuga

Continued from A1

two Iraqi bases housing US forces.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday said President Duterte told him the government needs P20 billion as a standby fund to enable authorities to quickly marshal logistics and forces for the mass repatriation. There are more than 2 million Filipino workers in the Middle East, but those in the most urgent hot zones—Iran, Iraq and Lebanon—number a few thousands. In a worst-case scenario, the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in other Mideast countries where US forces are hosted, like Saudi Arabia, may be at risk if the conflict spreads.

Cayetano said lawmakers are still awaiting Malacañang’s formal communication to the House of Representatives, seeking the convening of a special session to set aside funds for an emergency evacuation. “[I told the President that there is] a P1-billion standby fund under DFA contingency fund. [But he said by] his conservative estimate, the government needs P20 billion as standby fund,” Cayetano said in an interview.

In his speech after signing the 2020 national budget on January 6, Duterte appealed to lawmakers to set aside funds for mass repatriation in case the conflict between the United States and Iran escalates into a full-scale war.

This, after a US air strike killed a top Iranian general last Friday in Baghdad, Iraq.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have indicated readiness to conduct special sessions—before their official resumption on January 20—to craft contingencies, including the passage of a supplemental budget to quickly fund a massive evacuation of OFWs in the Middle East.

On Wednesday, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) assured the public that the government has funds to move Filipinos out of danger zones.

Budget Assistant Secretary Rolando U. Toledo said the government can also tap at least P1.89 billion under the newly signed 2020 national budget.

“Of course, yes, we have the money, standby fund ready—the government is ready if there is a need, a call for the repatriation of our overseas Filipino workers,” Toledo said in the Weekly Economic Press Briefing in Malacañang.

Broken down, Toledo said a P1.29-billion allocation is lodged under the budget of DFA, P100

M3’s. . .

Continued from A1

In October 2019, the BSP announced a fresh cut to the banks’ RRR, marking the fourth RRR cut during the year.

Loans for production activities—which comprised 87.2 percent of banks’ aggregate loan portfolio, net of RRPs—expanded at a rate of 8.1 percent in November,

million under the budget of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and P500 million as a “free fund” under OWWA. “So even without the pronouncement of the President, we already have the budget for the repatriation,” Toledo said.

However, since the 2020 national budget was just signed on Monday, Toledo said the government can also use the remaining balance from the 2019 national budget for the repatriation.

“Yes, if there is still a balance for that in the 2019 budget then as continuing appropriations, we can still tap the 2019 budget…,” he told the BusinessMirror.

Should this not be enough, Toledo said there is also a contingency fund from the Office of the President.

However, this would still be subject to the approval of the President.

“We have a P13-billion allocation for that contingent fund, but there are also some earmarked or rather not earmarked, but some programs and projects or activities,” he said.

While the Department of Finance is also looking into other possible fund sources, he said they have yet to figure how much is needed for the mass repatriation.

Toledo explained there is still a need for Congress to have a special session to allocate funds for the mass repatriation, especially if the current funds would not be enough.

“I think the concern of the President is medyo malaki ang kailangan if kulang ’yung nasa GAA [General Appropriations Act], I think there is a need for Congress to have a session again to discuss the needed funds for the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers,” he added.

“War in the Middle East will affect the Philippine economy through various mechanisms: higher oil and, subsequently, transport fares, reduced remittances and repatriation of OFWs, weaker currency, lower exports through uncertainties in the global trading and shipping environment, and possibly tighter monetary policy in view of inflation risks of higher oil and transport prices,” he said.

Despite this, Chikiamco said he still cannot say whether these would significantly dent the country’s first-quarter GDP growth as the situation is still developing.

For De La Salle University economics Prof. Maria Ella Oplas, the possible spike in oil price could hurt economic growth, but this would still depend on how will the tension escalate.

“Expect oil prices to go up as [they are] doing now. Repatriation of Filipinos in Iraq would mean return of OFWs [some unprepared with no savings]. Hence, NFIA [Net Factor Income from Abroad] in GDP will go down because we have lesser income of Filipinos from abroad.

The worse is the unprepared return of OFWs will be an addition to our unemployment,” Oplas told the BusinessMirror.

Anything’s possible–Neri

Meanwhile, as part of the possible fallout from the mass repatriation made necessary by the conflict, economic consultant John Paolo Rivera said a decline in remittances can be felt if the government implements a deployment ban and pulls out the OFWs for security reasons.

“A decline in remittances have effects on exchange rate and household consumption,” Rivera said in a text message to the BusinessMirror.

From January to October 2019, remittances grew by 4.3 percent to $27.6 billion, higher than last year’s level of $26.5 billion.

Private-sector economist Calixto V. Chikiamco also sees reduced remittances as a possible effect of the escalating tension.

Former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri added the possible oil price increase could affect the country’s inflation rate, as well as the import costs.

Asked if he sees the Dubai crude oil price breaching the government’s assumption of $55 to $70 per barrel for 2020, Neri said: “Anything’s possible if conflict escalates.”

Although the US is the Philippines’s largest export destination as of October, Neri does not see a significant impact yet on the country’s export prospects.

“Maybe not much for the moment. War may even increase demand for electronic components,” he said. Rivera shared this opinion, saying it would still be “business, as usual.”

“In my opinion, not much because of our rate of reaction on such events—although precautionary measures are at place, we play it by ear. I think once tension escalates, significant changes can be felt but, as of now, I think it’s business, as usual. But it’s good that we are preparing for what is about to happen by establishing business with other trade partners,” he said.

higher than the reported growth in October at 7.5 percent.

The sustained increase in production loans was driven primarily by lending to the following sectors: real- estate activities (19.3 percent); financial and insurance activities (15.3 percent); construction (29.1 percent); and electricity, gas, steam and airconditioning supply (7.6 percent).

Bank lending to other sectors also increased during the month, except those to manufacturing

(-2.3 percent), mining and quarrying (-10.8 percent), professional, scientific and technical activities (-16.6 percent), and other community, social and personal activities (-35.7 percent). Meanwhile, loans from universal and commercial banks for household consumption grew by 26.6 percent in November from 26.7 percent in October, due to faster growth in motor vehicle loans during the month.

Bianca Cuaresma

Remittance declines

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Thursday, January 9, 2020 A9

A10 Thursday, January 9, 2020

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Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 9, 2020

B1

Filinvest, Cebu City finalize property deal

T

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

he Filinvest consortium and Cebu City government on Wednesday said it completed the sale of the 19.2-hectare property in South Road Properties (SRP) with the full payment and signing of the deed of absolute sale.

the P6.7-billion tab for the property last December 19, 2019 and, likewise, received a certificate of full payment from the City of Cebu on the same date. The Filinvest consortium won the public bidding held by the City last July 2015 for the purchase of the property.

The Filinvest consortium is made up of Filinvest Land Inc., Filinvest Alabang Inc., and Cyberzone Properties Inc., while the Sytengco-owned companies include Anesy Holding Corp., Betterfield Philippines Corp. and Igold Holdings Corp.

The City Council of Cebu also passed a resolution, Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution 15-16652019 (City Council Resolution) that

ratified the city’s acceptance of the purchase’s full payment and granted authority to City Mayor Edgardo Labella, to sign, execute and deliver the deed of absolute sale, and other documents necessary to implement the sale and turnover of the property.

“We welcome the new developments and opportunities that Filinvest consortium will bring to SRP and to the city. The purchase payment will help the city to finally retire the SRP loan and provide basic services to its constituents. Our city strives to maintain the business-friendly environment that has made us one of the top investment havens in the Philippines,” said Labella.

Filinvest is looking to build a

mixed-use development with residential, office, commercial and retail components. The type of development that will be introduced in the 19.2-hectare property will complement the existing array of residential and lifestyle real-estate options in the company’s existing 40-hectare joint venture with Cebu City which is called City di Mare, and the 10-hectare Il Corso commercial development along Pond F of the SRP. City di Mare is in a self-contained township with residential enclaves, workspaces and a waterfront retail strip. It also boasts of walkways, bike lanes and car-free zones that ensure pedestrian-friendly environs.

“We were the first investor in SRP,

the first to see its high growth potentials, and the first to believe in it. We are very happy with the fulfillment of this acquisition,” said L. Josephine Gotianun Yap, Filinvest Development Corp. president and CEO. “We now have a total developable land size of around 70 hectares which is the biggest share owned by any developer in the SRP. We are excited about what we can develop given the large size of land we have, and influence the trend and development directions in SRP to maximize its growth potentials,” Yap added.

Filinvest is one of the major investors in Cebu with residential, commercial, hospitality and BPO centers in the region.

The Filinvest consortium, composed of Filinvest companies and Sytengco-owned companies, signed a deed of absolute sale with the Cebu

City government for the acquisition of a 19.2-hectare parcel of land, referred to as Lot 1, in Cebu’s SRP. The consortium has paid in full

Forever 21 sued by mall owner

of Geri homes BPI tie-up with Westpac ‘Sales in Cavite may hit ₧1.4B’ above board–executive G

F

orever 21 Inc. can add a lawsuit to the hurdles it’s trying to overcome as it works to woo investors in time to finance its exit from bankruptcy.

An Alabama mall owner is suing Forever 21, saying it lost millions of dollars leasing space to the retailer based on misleading sales targets.

Forever 21 is accused of misrepresenting sales projections for a store it opened in Allied Development of Alabama’s Eastern Shore shopping mall, promising yearly revenue of at least $6 million but delivering only about $1.6 million its first year in business, according to court documents filed November 22.

Gross sales

In 2017, Allied Development struck a deal with Forever 21 that allowed the apparel retailer to peg its rent payment to its monthly gross sales.

The store would turn over 5 percent of its monthly sales, as well as a bonus of 1 percent of yearly sales in excess of $7 million, according to the agreement.

But the retailer used false information to back up projections it gave as part of the deal, according to the filing. Forever 21 based the projections on sales at its nearby store in Mobile, Alabama, which it said had generated $6 million in 2017, Allied Development said in the court filings.

That store generated only $2 million in gross sales during 2017, according to the court documents.

Floodgates

Forever 21 is asking the court to dismiss the complaint, according to court papers filed December 26. Allowing it to proceed “could potentially open the floodgates to holders of prepetition claims who are similarly unwilling to wait their turn through the claims reconciliation process.” The retailer also says the filing violates the automatic stay that halts certain actions by creditors when a company files for bankruptcy. Allied Development is seeking damages of at least $2.1 million to reflect the capital improvements it made to the space as part of its agreement with Forever 21, as well as at least $6 million in punitive damages.

Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy on September 29 with plans to cut at least 178 domestic outlets from its approximately 800 stores, after a disastrous expansion outside the US. A pretrial conference has been scheduled for January 27, in United States Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware. Bloomberg News

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

T

he Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has expressed confidence that it will not be sanctioned, as it did nothing wrong in their recent partnership with Westpac Banking Corp.’s remittance arm.

Toward the end of 2019, LitePay— Westpac Banking Corp.’s remittance arm—became embroiled in a money laundering scandal in Australia.

LitePay had tie-ups with local banks, including BPI. “BPI has complied with all AML [anti-money laundering] standard.

We are confident where we are [and], where we are is a place where we are not going to be faulted for shortcoming,” BPI Executive Vice President and Corporate Banking Head Juan Carlos L. Syquia said during a roundtable with the BusinessMirror reporters on Tuesday.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) earlier said it is still conducting an investigation into the matter and expressed openness to be in touch with Australian monetary officials.

“Our responsibility on the back end, or receiving end, is to make sure we have done due diligence of the final end—those which are BPI’s client. Here we did our part in this,” Syquia said.

“I am certain within the Philippine context banks have done their

Juan Carlos L. Syquia, BPI’s executive vice president and head of corporate banking answers question from the BusinessMirror editorial team during the roundtable forum held at the BusinessMirror’s office in Makati. NONIE REYES

part but I cannot speak for them,” he added.

Philippine banks’ involvement in global money-laundering schemes is not new in the industry.

It was in 2016 when a cross-border electronic heist made headlines, as hackers were able to steal $81 million of Bangladesh Bank’s funds, funds that were deposited in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The stolen money eventually found its way into the Philippines through accounts in the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

(RCBC), where much of it was withdrawn and disappeared into the country’s casino sector.

In mid-2016, following investigation and processing of the issue, the

BSP sanctioned RCBC with P1 billion in fines—the largest amount ever to be imposed as a fine for a banking institution in the Philippines.

The incident also prompted officials to include the gaming houses in the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s coverage and in 2018, President Duterte signed into law Republic Act 10927, effectively designating casinos as covered entities under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.

In addition to that, a report titled “The True Cost of Compliance 2019,” by global business and risk management research firm LexisNexis said the cost of AML compliance in the Philippines rose after the infamous heist.

lobal-Estate Resorts Inc. (Geri) has launched the first phase of its new residential village offering house and lots inside the 251-hectare Arden Botanical Estate at the boundary of Trece Martires City and Tanza, in Cavite.

The company said it expects some P1.4 billion in sales from the first phase project.

The 17-hectare Lindgren offers Scandinavian-inspired houses initially in 123 prime lots, with options of two-story duplex that it called Astrid, two-story single detached Brenna, and three-story single detached Colby homes.

Lot sizes range from 159 square meters to 252 sq m, with prices ranging from P10 million to P13 million.

“Lindgren is a community designed to nurture one’s overall well-being. With the richness of the surroundings, it is an ideal place to grow a family, bond with loved ones, be active, and eventually retire,” said Rowena Espiritu, head of sales and marketing, Megaworld GlobalEstate Inc. Amenities include a clubhouse, which include a multipurpose hall, fitness center, adult pool, kiddie pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, day-care center, children’s playground, multipurpose court, outdoor bar and cabana, convenience store and Collab Space.

“Our concept is to make everyone feel the community vibe. There will be several areas for personal relaxation and socialization where community members can work, play, and

grow together,” she said.

About 40 percent of the entire village will be allocated for green and open spaces, as well as other play amenities including a mini-botanical garden for the enjoyment of its future residents and homeowners.

Turnover of house and lots will start in 2025.

The 251-hectare Arden Botanical Estate is highlighted by a variety of gardens and natural parks around the development.

It will have its own Flower Farm, Flower Tunnel, and Children’s Garden, allowing residents and visitors to commune with nature.

The development will also be surrounded by natural rivers and organic gardens, as well as tree-lined roads and avenues, and lotus ponds.

Half of the entire township is allocated for residential developments, while the rest will be for commercial, institutional, recreational and open spaces.

Aside from the open and green spaces around the development, Arden Botanical Estate will include other sustainability features, such as the use of solar street lights, electric shuttles for transport, storm water recycling, permeable pavements for driveways and parking, and organic fertilizers and pesticides for gardens.

Arden Botanical Estate is a joint township development of Megaworld and Geri, in which both companies have committed to spend P18 billion to develop it in the next 15 years. VG Cabuag

Angkas: Surge rates to curb ‘market distortions’

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

A

ngkas is compliant with the new rules for the motorcycle taxi program of the government, but will seek for the reimposition of the so-called dynamic pricing—otherwise known as the surge—to avoid a “market distortion.”

George Royeca, who owns 60 percent of the company, said his group removed on Wednesday the surge multiplier from its fares to comply with the new rules set for the pilot run.

However, he said dynamic pricing is essential to keep the market afloat, given the huge gap between the supply and demand.

“It has to make business sense.

You can eliminate the surge if you eliminate the supply cap, or you can impose a cap, but you will need the surge to compensate. But if you

impose a cap and remove the surge, you create market distortions that are unsustainable in the long run,” Royeca said in a news briefing.

He said the point of the surge is to encourage drivers to ply the roads to “augment the existing mass transit system.”

The surge for two-wheel vehicles, he said, is also different from that of four-wheel ride-hailing providers, such as Grab.

“The difference is the base for us is low. The actual quantum is not that big to other forms of transportation,” he said.

Angkas used to charge a 1.5x surge rate, or about P50 for a normal P100 ride. Grab charges a 2x surge rate.

Dynamic pricing is a common practice for app-based transport modes across the globe. The price for a ride is determined by different criteria, such as traffic situation, time of booking, demand, and others.

Under the new rules for the mo-

torcycle taxi pilot program, platforms are not allowed to charge a surge rate.

Sans the surge rate, Royeca said, the gap between the market supply and demand will further widen.

Today, Angkas has about 27,000 bikers on its platform. However, only a maximum of 5,000 drivers hit the roads on a daily basis, as most of those in the platform are part-time riders.

With this, Royeca said his group will officially request the reimposition of the surge rate, and will formally present its position to the technical working group (TWG) for motorcycle taxis within the week.

“I believe the TWG is amendable to suggestions. This study can decide on which is more optimal to the passenger,” he said.

Angkas has petitioned against the new rules of the pilot program.

It has questioned certain provisions, mainly the supply cap of

10,000 drivers per company, as it already has 27,000 bikers before the new rules were set.

The company won a stay order against the said provision, but it will lapse on Thursday.

Due to its persistence, Angkas also received a warning from the TWG that it risks being blacklisted from the motorcycle taxi program and its commercialization, should lawmakers decide to legalize the service.

Among the issues raised by the TWG is Angkas’s ownership structure, some safety issues, such as riders not wearing helmets, and its operations outside the pilot program’s area.

Royeca also said his group is not foreign-owned as he personally owns 60 percent of the company. The balance is unequally divided among five other investors.

He also said the claim that Angkas drivers were not wearing helmets is incorrect.

Royeca said his group’s operations in the two provinces down south—General Santos and Cagayan de Oro—were covered by local government laws. These services, however, were discontinued in respect to the TWG. “Angkas has always exhausted all efforts to ensure that the path to regulation is met in the most efficient manner to ensure the safety of the commuting public,” he said.

Royeca added that Angkas will stay in the Philippines, even as it has met various opposition from different sectors of the government.

“I would like to reinforce on public record that we have always and will continue to work with government regulators and not against them.

But on the same breath, we ask for fairness, in consideration of all the hard work we have done to comply with government regulators since last year,” he said.

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 9, 2020

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

January 8, 2020

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

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK PHILTRUST RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE BDO LEASING COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH VANTAGE

53.2 151.8 85.35 24.75 11.96 64.6 12.02 34.25 57.35 118 22.3 185.9 58.25 0.9 2.05 18.02 3.8 845 0.78 175 1.05

53.5 152 85.4 24.8 12 64.8 12.5 34.5 58.4 129 22.9 186 58.4 0.92 2.07 18.4 3.95 860 0.8 176.6 1.08

53.1 153 86.5 25 11.88 64.5 12.5 34.85 57.5 130 22.4 186.1 58.4 0.9 1.94 18.48 3.81 850 0.78 175 1.05

53.1 153.7 86.5 25 11.96 64.95 12.5 34.85 58.4 130 22.45 189 58.4 0.92 2.05 18.48 3.95 850 0.81 175 1.05

53.05 151.5 84.15 24.75 11.82 64.1 12.5 34.2 57.5 112.7 22.25 186 58 0.9 1.94 18 3.8 845 0.78 175 1.05

53.1 152 85.4 24.75 11.96 64.6 12.5 34.25 58.4 112.7 22.25 186 58.25 0.9 2.05 18.4 3.95 845 0.81 175 1.05

8570 2494720 2088170 109400 126600 1950680 24700 215700 110 40 12100 416120 17660 27000 95000 4400 49000 200 190000 10990 14000

454692 379870650 178185706.5 2710295 1510604 125804499 308750 7427005 6334 4681 270520 77451618 1026296.5 24420 189850 79416 186560 169750 148260 1923250 14700

INDUSTRIAL

AC ENERGY ALSONS CONS ABOITIZ POWER BASIC ENERGY FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG MERALCO MANILA WATER PETRON PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL SPC POWER VIVANT AGRINURTURE AXELUM CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG GINEBRA JOLLIBEE MACAY HLDG MAXS GROUP PEPSI COLA SHAKEYS PIZZA ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SWIFT FOODS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VICTORIAS CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CEMEX HLDG DAVINCI CAPITAL EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP HOLCIM MEGAWIDE PHINMA TKC METALS VULCAN INDL CHEMPHIL CROWN ASIA EUROMED MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP CONCEPCION GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR IONICS SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG

HOLDING & FRIMS

ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG B LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

32403.5 -93218550 -11695368.5 311188 -19007951.5 -5502425 -29838204 -642758 -85000 -1919750 -

2.31 1.2 34.25 0.236 21.8 66.6 301.8 10.08 4.21 3.91 11.8 32.05 8.67 14.5 12.9 2.96 15.2 4.88 9.05 7.22 80.3 0.55 1.38 37.1 210.2 6.06 11.52 1.92 9.5 2.19 5.2 1.76 0.116 145 1.16 2.42 63 67 1.82 4.86 14.08 9.06 13.88 15.6 9.85 0.96 0.87 164 2.15 1.58 3.1 4.81 30.05 1.9 7.8 1.3 0.98 5.99

2.33 1.22 34.5 0.245 21.85 66.7 302.6 10.12 4.25 4.24 11.9 32.3 8.71 15.12 13 2.98 15.22 5.29 9.06 7.23 83 0.56 1.39 38.25 210.8 6.25 11.6 1.93 9.6 2.2 5.28 1.82 0.122 147 1.17 2.58 65 71.95 1.83 5.45 14.2 9.08 13.9 15.62 10 0.99 0.89 171.9 2.17 1.65 3.45 4.9 32.1 1.95 7.81 1.32 1.01 6

2.37 1.2 34.7 0.239 21.8 67.2 309 11 4.31 4 11.76 33.5 8.79 15.12 13.3 3.03 15.24 4.9 9.2 7.22 81.55 0.54 1.38 38.4 214.4 6.2 11.7 1.91 9.9 2.28 5.28 1.8 0.114 148 1.21 2.5 63.2 73.95 1.86 5 14.2 9.31 13.9 16.54 10.02 0.96 0.87 170 2.12 1.59 3.2 4.84 32.3 1.95 7.66 1.22 1 5.59

2.37 1.22 35.35 0.245 22.4 67.2 309 11 4.35 4.24 11.9 34 8.93 15.12 13.38 3.03 15.24 4.9 9.4 7.22 83 0.57 1.44 38.4 214.4 6.25 11.94 1.92 9.95 2.28 5.28 1.8 0.125 148 1.23 2.58 64.5 73.95 1.86 5 14.22 9.31 13.9 16.54 10.02 0.99 0.9 170 2.15 1.59 3.45 4.94 32.3 1.96 7.81 1.44 1.05 6.34

2.25 1.2 34 0.235 21.4 66.6 300.4 9.72 4.2 4 11.76 32.05 8.5 15.12 13 2.88 15.1 4.85 9.02 7.21 80 0.54 1.33 37 210.2 6.04 11.4 1.91 9.4 2.2 5.28 1.75 0.114 143 1.16 2.4 63.1 73.95 1.81 5 14.08 9.06 13.64 15.6 9.85 0.96 0.87 170 2.11 1.59 3 4.84 32.3 1.88 7.5 1.22 0.95 5.05

2.33 1.2 34.5 0.245 21.85 66.6 301.8 10.12 4.21 4.24 11.9 32.05 8.72 15.12 13 2.96 15.2 4.9 9.06 7.22 83 0.56 1.38 38.25 210.2 6.25 11.52 1.92 9.6 2.2 5.28 1.75 0.125 145 1.16 2.58 63.1 73.95 1.82 5 14.08 9.06 13.88 15.62 10 0.99 0.9 170 2.15 1.59 3.1 4.84 32.3 1.95 7.81 1.3 1.02 5.99

2696000 621000 749900 7760000 2284400 50260 174490 35424600 3076000 15000 6500 614700 272800 3800 307700 4105000 532200 10000 443800 349900 266340 1498000 25448000 9800 414790 13800 22900 1496000 473800 1700000 1500 100000 750000 490650 4933000 207000 660 10 7964000 200 365200 370200 1463100 526800 6600 4000 260000 100 51000 25000 50000 1325000 1100 3366000 372100 2272000 837000 10836200

6237300 745360 25788880 1888660 49865330 3361020.5 52816442 360379306 13,163,800( 60240 76896 20317725 2381436 57456 4109494 12145720 8087152 48800 4028030 2525151 22003472 831750 35215210 366205 88064150 85640 265334 2871410 4,579,362( 3785280 7920 177050 92140 71264947 5823060 501020 41734 739.5 14578440 1000 5165450 3367081 20303420 8306014 65960 3870 227490 17000 108700 39750 153590 6413140 35530 6488870 2848080 3041730 848780 63712779

42750 -111760 1676460 -25934200 -2111854.5 -12365220 -77595571 6,124,409.9997) -1949855 19312 -1512 4019660 -437640 2318176 1018230.9997 -2278456 -1584493 437270 3530 7404714 -12702 -72900 2,768,571.0001) -5808 -12532861 806850 434400 -2358610 -4753952 -3187434 -15020472 -7358524 -498560 -145270 1433162 -29880 10850 238741

0.87 10.04 790 50.7 11.02 2.93 6.22 0.67 0.92 6.59 7 13.1 0.205 833 79.5 5.19 0.485 3.84 11.66 0.56 3.55 4.05 1.22 2.73 1.22 190 1051 160.9 0.77 202.6 0.203 0.198

0.88 10.16 794.5 51.85 11.08 2.97 6.39 0.7 0.93 6.68 7.01 13.2 0.227 842 80.55 5.5 0.5 3.89 11.78 0.58 3.56 4.19 1.24 2.99 1.25 198.5 1057 161 0.8 204 0.217 0.208

0.85 10.24 780 52.4 11.02 3.01 6.39 0.69 0.91 6.6 6.97 13.1 0.205 860 80.1 5.5 0.52 3.92 12 0.56 3.63 4.24 1.24 2.99 1.23 187 1064 163 0.77 206.4 0.203 0.195

0.88 10.24 796 52.4 11.14 3.01 6.39 0.71 0.93 6.68 7.07 13.3 0.205 863.5 81.4 5.5 0.52 3.95 12 0.58 3.63 4.25 1.24 2.99 1.23 192 1064 163.8 0.77 206.4 0.203 0.196

0.84 10.06 775 50.55 11.02 2.92 6.39 0.67 0.91 6.58 6.5 13.1 0.205 835 78.4 5.5 0.5 3.85 11.5 0.56 3.5 4.04 1.22 2.99 1.22 185 1042 160.9 0.77 203.6 0.203 0.195

0.88 10.06 790 51.85 11.02 2.97 6.39 0.7 0.93 6.59 7 13.2 0.205 835 79.5 5.5 0.5 3.85 11.78 0.58 3.55 4.19 1.24 2.99 1.22 190 1055 161 0.77 204 0.203 0.196

16157000 8800 207540 674890 5712200 10821000 1200 111000 233000 134200 26369400 106800 110000 89710 1260590 100 4000 668000 677100 103000 20196000 68000 37000 6000 50000 540 183430 91600 3000 700 180000 300000

13922830 88634 163087130 34874381 63049460 31934730 7668 76320 214540 884037 182611314 1407760 22550 75471575 100467890 550 2030 2588230 7953224 57700 71841990 283070 45640 17940 61030 100980 193545155 14764961 2310 143134 36540 58510

-63790 41560435 -1328510 -14485454 -80260 -131416 -1054310 -43703795 -51770298.5 -634070 -1552190 -623400 4880 7480 35489460 -5600544 -20386 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.78 0.8 0.79 0.8 0.78 0.78 944000 737660 ANCHOR LAND 8.82 9.49 8.82 9 8.82 9 5700 51049 51049 44.05 44.2 43.2 44.35 42.6 44.05 8829300 388187500 -105832480 AYALA LAND 1.35 1.4 1.35 1.4 1.35 1.4 4000 5450 ARANETA PROP BELLE CORP 1.99 2 2 2 1.99 1.99 89000 177180 A BROWN 0.69 0.71 0.7 0.71 0.69 0.69 435000 302790 0.85 0.87 0.83 0.85 0.83 0.85 4000 3340 850 CITYLAND DEVT 0.182 0.183 0.182 0.182 0.182 0.182 60000 10920 CROWN EQUITIES CEBU HLDG 6.5 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.7 1100 7370 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.65 4.7 4.75 4.8 4.69 4.7 336000 1590670 -371860.0001 0.52 0.54 0.53 0.54 0.52 0.54 2290000 1203310 252280 CENTURY PROP 0.39 0.405 0.39 0.39 0.39 0.39 110000 42900 CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON 18.7 18.72 19 19.2 18.72 18.72 396600 7527104 -1259232 DM WENCESLAO 9.43 9.45 9.7 9.7 9.43 9.45 228300 2,161,869( 1,489,894.9999) 0.415 0.42 0.415 0.415 0.415 0.415 10000 4150 EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND 1.51 1.55 1.52 1.55 1.49 1.55 12954000 19761220 -10765280 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.14 1.17 1.15 1.2 1.14 1.14 787000 905740 8990 HLDG 14.7 14.76 14.76 14.76 14.7 14.7 508500 7490190 -224910 1.19 1.2 1.17 1.2 1.15 1.2 2266000 2683890 -598800 PHIL INFRADEV 0.74 0.77 0.74 0.77 0.74 0.77 5000 3730 2960 CITY AND LAND MEGAWORLD 4.22 4.29 4.13 4.29 4.1 4.29 29872000 125493910 35674950 MRC ALLIED 0.199 0.2 0.21 0.21 0.199 0.2 16380000 3299960 120100 0.4 0.425 0.405 0.425 0.4 0.4 740000 296750 -200500 PHIL ESTATES 2.2 2.21 2.18 2.24 2.12 2.2 1063000 2333900 PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND 28.1 28.2 28.4 28.45 27.7 28.1 970500 27161035 -2951875 ROCKWELL 2.06 2.12 2.13 2.13 2.05 2.08 67000 140030 SHANG PROP 3.2 3.23 3.23 3.23 3.23 3.23 3000 9690 9690 2.34 2.37 2.38 2.38 2.34 2.34 132000 310280 STA LUCIA LAND SM PRIME HLDG 41.4 41.45 41.6 41.85 41.45 41.45 8351000 347184675 -41999350 VISTAMALLS 5.7 5.87 5.92 5.92 5.6 5.87 51100 299058 SUNTRUST HOME 1.36 1.37 1.36 1.4 1.31 1.37 3333000 4531060 7.44 7.5 7.46 7.5 7.42 7.5 9426800 70636880 -20304746 VISTA LAND

SERVICES ABS CBN 19.3 19.42 19.2 20 18.96 19.3 1877900 36240230 GMA NETWORK 5.44 5.46 5.54 5.54 5.45 5.46 131900 723867 0.395 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.39 0.4 530000 210050 MANILA BULLETIN GLOBE TELECOM 2002 2020 2010 2024 2002 2020 30980 62460420 16370510 PLDT 1043 1045 1050 1056 1033 1045 147205 154093195 36472755 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.043 0.044 0.043 0.044 0.043 0.043 6500000 280200 0.101 0.102 0.101 0.102 0.101 0.102 350000 35500 ISLAND INFO ISM COMM 3.63 3.66 3.7 3.74 3.58 3.64 2190000 8037800 -384030 JACKSTONES 1.9 2.17 2 2 1.9 1.9 78000 148800 NOW CORP 2.43 2.45 2.5 2.51 2.42 2.45 1393000 3413580 -100 0.25 0.255 0.26 0.26 0.25 0.255 12110000 3079500 10200 TRANSPACIFIC BR 2.55 2.56 2.42 2.63 2.42 2.55 1608000 4091770 -450 PHILWEB 2GO GROUP 9.52 9.59 9.72 9.72 9.52 9.52 26500 253776 -143328 ASIAN TERMINALS 18.3 18.5 18.3 18.3 18.3 18.3 427900 7830570 3649020 5.25 5.3 5.31 5.31 5.15 5.3 1334800 6980455 58669.9999 CHELSEA 86.55 86.65 87 87 86.55 86.65 420370 36439638.5 -19047150.5 CEBU AIR INTL CONTAINER 131.8 132 130.1 132.1 128.1 131.8 1809940 237843571 43867319 LBC EXPRESS 12.3 13 12.3 12.3 12.3 12.3 100 1230 15.4 15.5 15.54 15.58 15.4 15.5 555500 8599764 -5041346 MACROASIA 7.6 7.65 7.75 7.75 7.65 7.65 1300 9973 PAL HLDG HARBOR STAR 1.19 1.2 1.24 1.24 1.19 1.19 2012000 2414540 88050 ACESITE HOTEL 1.34 1.4 1.35 1.35 1.33 1.34 223000 299140 0.59 0.6 0.59 0.61 0.59 0.59 131000 78140 -47740 WATERFRONT 0.6 0.61 0.59 0.61 0.59 0.6 1657000 984110 230100 STI HLDG BERJAYA 3.41 3.42 3.3 3.49 3.21 3.41 1315000 4435220 3340 BLOOMBERRY 10.3 10.58 10.58 10.58 10.26 10.58 4305800 44621890 -482762 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.45 2.46 2.5 2.5 2.46 2.46 75000 186000 -186000 2.47 2.51 2.46 2.51 2.38 2.47 267000 661100 -44310 LEISURE AND RES 3.31 3.32 3.31 3.31 3.31 3.31 93000 307830 MANILA JOCKEY PH RESORTS GRP 4.41 5.08 5.14 5.14 5.14 5.14 200 1028 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.58 0.59 0.58 0.59 0.57 0.58 1251000 728240 -220329.9997 11.5 11.56 11.5 11.58 11.48 11.56 1332500 15,378,070( 2,907,793.9997) ALLHOME 2.09 2.15 2.15 2.15 2.09 2.15 632000 1326010 METRO RETAIL PUREGOLD 39.6 39.75 39.9 39.9 39.5 39.75 580500 23074805 2291930 ROBINSONS RTL 78.3 78.5 78.3 79 77.5 78.5 266050 20874131.5 18277932.5 132.4 140 148 149.8 139 140 18700 2617831 -422734 PHIL SEVEN CORP 2.63 2.64 2.67 2.68 2.62 2.63 1137000 2996790 2080200 SSI GROUP WILCON DEPOT 18.1 18.14 18.2 18.26 17.98 18.1 623700 11272274 -660372 APC GROUP 0.4 0.415 0.41 0.42 0.41 0.41 340000 139750 8.65 8.66 8.8 8.8 8.65 8.65 37300 324828 EASYCALL GOLDEN BRIA 432 440 440 440 440 440 50 22000 IPM HLDG 6.9 7.02 7 7 6.9 6.9 10000 69712 61420 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.36 0.365 0.37 0.375 0.355 0.365 3670000 1325250 -36000 8.73 8.99 9.25 9.25 8.7 8.73 169500 1486588 SBS PHIL CORP

MINING & OIL ATOK 10.1 10.92 10.92 10.94 10.92 10.94 2100 22958 APEX MINING 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.18 1.11 1.13 2070000 2377960 10169.9999 0.0014 0.0015 0.0015 0.0015 0.0014 0.0014 84000000 119400 ABRA MINING ATLAS MINING 2.41 2.49 2.49 2.49 2.49 2.49 4000 9960 BENGUET B 1.01 1.2 1.19 1.2 1.1 1.2 39000 45540 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.27 0.275 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.27 20000 5400 3.03 3.04 3.07 3.18 3 3.04 3127000 9645480 -129640 CENTURY PEAK 1.63 1.65 1.67 1.67 1.61 1.65 3580000 5858850 -200750 FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE 0.198 0.202 0.201 0.202 0.198 0.198 140000 27820 LEPANTO A 0.103 0.105 0.106 0.109 0.103 0.103 8270000 881320 0.101 0.102 0.102 0.107 0.101 0.102 6210000 639290 -552230 LEPANTO B 0.0085 0.0088 0.0086 0.0086 0.0085 0.0085 7000000 60100 MANILA MINING A MANILA MINING B 0.0089 0.0096 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 1000000 9700 MARCVENTURES 0.85 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.81 0.9 300000 262600 0.99 1.02 1.02 1.02 0.99 1.02 3000 3030 NIHAO NICKEL ASIA 3.15 3.16 3.03 3.15 2.96 3.15 7214000 22000520 2170680 OMICO CORP 0.48 0.495 0.48 0.48 0.48 0.48 40000 19200 14400 ORNTL PENINSULA 0.7 0.71 0.72 0.72 0.67 0.72 664000 449840 13400 3.3 3.31 3.21 3.31 3.21 3.3 1720000 5625900 1157140 PX MINING 21.95 22 22.05 22.05 21.9 22 683900 15042130 1966610 SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON 0.0057 0.0061 0.0054 0.0062 0.0054 0.0061 8000000 46800 ACE ENEXOR 9.55 9.62 9.88 10.18 9.28 9.55 1431500 14079602 -1830 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.012 1300000 14600 ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.013 0.011 0.012 1220100000 13541300 -11700 PHILODRILL 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.01 0.011 17000000 185500 PXP ENERGY 8.92 9.01 9.3 9.3 8.82 9.01 577100 5187625 -1048369

PREFFERED

AC PREF B1 501 507 502 507 502 507 1020 512140 ALCO PREF B 100.2 103.1 103.1 103.1 100.1 100.1 17160 1718734 500 505 501 501 490 500 12800 6286260 50000 AC PREF B2R 100.4 100.8 100.1 100.8 100 100.4 11900 1190841 DD PREF FGEN PREF G 108.2 110.9 111.5 111.5 111.5 111.5 20 2230 GTCAP PREF A 931 989 930.5 930.5 930 930 1050 977005 970 995 995 995 995 995 250 248750 GTCAP PREF B MWIDE PREF 100.8 100.9 100.7 100.7 100.7 100.7 2500 251750 PNX PREF 3A 100 100.5 100 100.5 99.2 100.5 10730 1067315 PNX PREF 3B 107 108 108 108 108 108 160 17280 1026 1028 1028 1028 1026 1027 1905 1957540 PNX PREF 4 PCOR PREF 3A 1028 1049 1049 1049 1049 1049 20 20980 PCOR PREF 3B 1041 1060 1050 1055 1041 1055 2500 2629550 SMC PREF 2C 78 78.5 78 78 77 78 8390 653330 74.9 75 75 75 75 75 1360 102000 SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F 75.8 76.5 76.1 76.1 75.8 75.8 21090 1601518 SMC PREF 2G 75.1 75.95 75.95 75.95 75.15 75.15 25000 1878910 SMC PREF 2I 75 76 76 76 75 75 50010 3800750 PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR

17.98

18

18.02

18.2

17.9

18

2107300

37919464

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1.2

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

ITALPINAS 4 KEPWEALTH 9.9 XURPAS 0.8

1.26

1.21

1.21

1.2

1.2

75000

90300

-

4.06 10 0.81

3.93 10 0.82

4.08 10.2 0.82

3.85 9.69 0.79

4.06 10 0.8

485000 278300 3356000

1942710 2732845 2674520

-80000 -31000 -676800

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

116

6456568

116.2

117.3

117.3

116

116.2

3030

353080

72286

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Duty Free posts sales of over $226 million T

By Roderick L. Abad

Contributor

@rodrik_28

he country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian Games helped Duty Free Philippines Corp.

(DFPC) expand sales by an annualized rate of 4 percent in 2019.

Sales of Duty Free stores breached the $226-million mark last year, higher than the $217 million recorded in 2018.

DFPC Chief Operating Officer (COO) Vicente Pelagio A. Angala attributed it to the Philippines’ hosting of the Southeast Asian Games and the opening of Duty Free Luxe.

Angala said that the rising number of tourists visiting the newly-rehabilitated Boracay Island via Kalibo Airport has also been beneficial to Duty Free stores.

Filipino tourists, balikbayans or visiting Filipinos who live overseas, and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remained the top source market with a share of 85 percent.

Confectionery remains the key growth driver, with 31 percent share of the total sales, followed by liquor at 21 percent, fragrance and cosmetics at 18 percent, and fashion merchandise at 10 percent.

The state-owned retailer has achieved a number of significant milestones last year, including the

opening of “Go Lokal’s” Marahuyo in November. “In line with the directive of Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat and in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, we have augmented our product portfolio which now includes more local artisans,” said Angala.

DFPC was feted with “Highly Commended CSR Initiative of the Year” accolade at the 2019 Frontier Awards in Cannes, France for supporting the micro, small and medium enterprises.

“We have always recognized the vital role that we play in making the Philippines a globally recognized quality destination. To realize that vision, we have officially launched Duty Free Luxe. It is a downtown store that will put the Philippines as a top-of-mind shopping destination to boost the country’s shopping tourism,” he said.

The government owned and controlled corporation has expanded the

exclusive brands it carries, which now includes Gucci Beauty, Armani Beauty, Hogan, and MCM. Last year, it also renovated the Fiestamall and NAIA Terminal 1 Arrival stores.

“Before the end of 2019, we have unveiled the newly renovated Fiestamall. The elegant and more functional design will welcome customers particularly the remodeled food court, building facade, Customer Relations Registration lobby, and tourist lounge,” Angala added.

The firm is bullish that it sales will continue to grow this year with the opening of a Duty Free store at the Hilton Sun Valley Resort inside Clark Freeport Zone by the first quarter of this year.

As the country’s sole operator of the duty-and tax-free merchandising system, DFPC is considered a vital component of the DOT as it remits part of its revenues to the agency to help bankroll the development of the country’s tourism infrastructure, programs and projects.

Cruise ships to boost Subic tourism S

UBIC BAY FREEPORT— Subic’s cruise tourism program kicked into high gear on Tuesday, as MV Spectrum of the Seas, Asia’s biggest cruise ship today, docked here for the second time in just two weeks.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the ship’s return trip “presages greater opportunities” for Subic and neighboring areas, which expect greater financial windfall this year from more and bigger cruise ship arrivals.

“We are definitely shifting to higher gear this year” Eisma said, pointing out that the SBMA has already confirmed 38 cruise ship arrivals and two tentative bookings for 2020, as well as four confirmed arrivals and one tentative booking for 2021.

“As I have said before, this is great news for the SBMA and for the tourism stakeholders in Subic and neighboring areas. At the outset we have called for inclusivity in this undertaking, and I hope that things are really looking good for everyone now,” she added.

The MV Spectrum of the Seas is the first Quantum-Ultra-class cruise ship built for Royal Caribbean International, the world’s largest cruise line in terms of revenue and second

largest by passenger count.

With a maximum capacity of 4,905 passengers, the ship which is homeported in Shanghai, is touted to be the biggest and the most expensive cruise ship to sail in Asia.

The 348-meter, 170-ton behemoth was designed for the Asian market, with Royal Caribbean’s first private enclave for suite guests, new stateroom categories and innovative dining concepts on top of amenities like outdoor and indoor pools, body and mind spa, fitness centre, rock-climbing wall, sports court, Splash-away bay, and an outdoor movie screen.

In Subic, the colossal vessel is seen as a portent of good things to come, as the SBMA ushers in the third year of its highly successful cruise tourism program, which kicked off in February 2018.

Eisma said that the arrival of Royal Caribbean’s top cruise liner marks the start of the second phase in Subic’s cruise ship tourism program.

SBMA records indicate a total of 19 cruise ship visits in 2018 and 18 arrivals in 2019. Spectrum’s second visit will be closely followed by the arrival here on February 28 of its equally gigantic sister, the Quantum of the Seas, which is based in Singapore.Henry Empeño

Citic to sell 22% stake in McDonald’s China

C

hinese state-owned conglomerate Citic Ltd. is planning to significantly reduce its stake in McDonald’s China Co. more than two years after it bought into the fast-food chain, as rising costs pinch the franchise’s profit.

McDonald’s China said in a statement Wednesday that Citic is looking for buyers for a 22-percent stake, which will bring its share in the chain’s China operations down to 10 percent.

The bottom price for the stake is set at 2.17 billion yuan ($312 million) and the bidding process is ongoing, said a disclosure document filed by Citic to the Beijing Equity Exchange.

Separately, Citic Capital Holdings Ltd.— partly owned by Citic Ltd.—said it’s interested in buying the stake. It currently owns 20 percent in McDonald’s China.

“Citic Capital is confident with the future growth and prospects of the business and we’re actively participating in the bidding process,” said

a Hong Kong-based spokesman.

Citic Ltd. said in an emailed statement that the transaction was “purely a business decision.” Citic and its partners will continue to benefit from the development of McDonald’s China, it said.

Citic Ltd. said Chicago-based McDonald’s Corp. holds a 20% stake in the China business.

The stake sale comes as the fast-food chain saw revenue and profit growth stall amid fierce competition in China’s dining scene. Food chains have also been hit by rising costs due to the ongoing African Swine Fever epidemic, which has wiped out a quarter of the world’s pigs and caused animal protein prices in China to surge.

Citic’s disclosure document showed that revenue for the McDonald’s China master franchiser, called Fast Food Holdings Ltd., was 24.8 billion yuan in 2018. For the first 11 months of 2019, it was 24.4 billion yuan. Bloomberg News

mutual funds

January 8, 2020

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 252.34 -3.38% 0.13% -0.92% -0.28% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.3687 -8.51% 0.44% -3.49% -0.7% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.609 -11.35% -3.51% -3.9% -2.34% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.8932 -3.32% n.a. n.a.

-1.07% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.8499 -1.36% n.a. n.a.

-0.38% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 5.3301 -3.42% 1.54% -0.97% -0.28% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,6 0.8557 -1.29% -2.24% n.a.

-0.12% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 104.46 -12.03% n.a. n.a.

1.02% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 51.4279 0.26% 2.52% n.a.

-0.09% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 533.87 -0.15% 1.35% -0.48% -0.21% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,8 1.0244 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-0.19% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.2885 -1.05% 2.28% 0.38% -0.26% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 37.9263 -0.46% 3.15% 0.32% -0.33% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.0224 0.31% n.a. n.a.

0.06% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 5.239 1.27% 3.24% 1.5% -0.07% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 874.64 1.21% 3.06% 1.43% -0.05% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.8368 -6.13% -0.48% -2.42% -2.11% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 4.2017 -0.5% 2.33% 0.44% -0.66% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 1.0038 0.87% 2.92% n.a.

-0.06% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.6591 -0.07% 4.02% 2.25% -0.32% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 117.301 1.59% 3.87% 2.39% -0.04% ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.0267 10.53% 6.47% 0.97% 0.31% 9.72% n.a.

0.64% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.3799 22.7% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5562 -7.87% -3.28% -4.32% -0.68% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.1677 -4.23% -1.6% -1.68% -0.86% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.6294 0.07% 1.81% -1.24% -0.27% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,5 0.2295 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-0.35% Grepalife Balanced Fund Corporation -a N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.9632 4.5% 2.51% 0.94% 0.01% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.7895 7.02% 1.58% 0.09% -0.23% 1.49% 0.01% -0.28% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 16.9536 5.4% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.1324 0.8% 1.35% 0.85% -0.12% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.8582 2.97% 2.2% 0.43% -0.42% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d,2 1.0168 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-0.13% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d,2 0.9987 n.a. n.a. n.a.

0% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d,2 0.9956 n.a. n.a. n.a.

-0.01% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.9724 2.47% 1.53% -0.65% -0.64% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities $0.03829 8.13% 2.95% 1.99% 0.31% Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -a $1.0331 11.18% 5.27% 1.19% 0.05% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.917 16.9% 7.69% 4.6% 0.58% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,7 $1.1316 11.62% 4.57% n.a.

0.6% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 358.06 4.18% 2.75% 2.28% 0.06% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9028 2.28% 0.28% -0.69% 0.07% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.1183 4.79% 5.17% 5.19% 0.13% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2244 4.31% 2.06% 1.82% 0.03% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.3542 6.41% 2.14% 1.49% -0.2% Grepalife Fixed Income Fund Corp. -a P N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.3599 15.06% 2.17% 1.5% -0.28% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.784 6.96% 2.74% 1.54% 0.19% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 0.9616 7.41% 1.04% -0.06% -0.24% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.0679 10.58% 4.2% 2.46% -0.23% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.6924 9.55% 3.6% 1.82% -0.51% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $468.76 4.46% 2.7% 2.77% 0.16% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.83 3.39% 1.63% 1.29% 0.05% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2083 7.01% 3.15% 2.61% 0.17% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0259 4.02% 1.46% 1.45% 0.39% Grepalife Dollar Bond Fund Corp. -a N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -a $1.0981 5.68% 1.45% -0.65% 0.47% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.4085 10.26% 3.22% 2.86% 0.27% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0603847 5.9% 2.28% 1.97% 0.06% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1928 11.02% 2.74% 2.69% 0.67% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities 2.19% ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 125.9 4.08% 2.87% 0.1% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a,3 1.0299 n.a. n.a. n.a.

0% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a 1.2528 6.39% 2.97% 1.64% -0.28% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.2654 3.73% 2.9% 2.37% 0.1% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0376 2.1% n.a. n.a.

0.05% Feeder Fund Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,4 $0.99 n.a. n.a. n.a.

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 - Launch date is January 3, 2019. 2 - Launch date is January 28, 2019. 3 - Launch date is February 1, 2019. 4 - Launch date is November 15, 2019.

5 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 6 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.).

7 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019. 8 - Launch date is December 09, 2019.

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa. com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

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

The World

Iran strikes back at U.S. bases in Iraq with missile attacks

T

EHRAN, Iran—Iran struck back at the United States early Wednesday for killing a top Revolutionary Guard commander, firing a series of ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq that house American troops in a major escalation between the two longtime foes.

It was Iran’s most direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the US Embassy in Tehran, and Iranian state TV said it was in revenge for the US killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, whose death last week in an American drone strike near Baghdad prompted angry calls to avenge his slaying. A US and Iraqi officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties, though buildings were still being searched. The Iraqi government later confirmed there were no casualties among Iraqi forces.

A presenter on Iranian state television later claimed, without offering evidence, that the strikes killed “at least 80 terrorist US soldiers” and also damaged helicopters, drones and other equipment at the Ain al-Asad air base.

The strikes, which came as Iran buried Soleimani, raised fears that the two longtime foes were closer to war. But there were some indications that there would not be further retaliation on either side, at least in the short term.

“All is well!” President Donald J. Trump tweeted shortly after the missile attacks, adding, “So far, so good” regarding casualties. Moments earlier, Iran’s foreign minister tweeted that Tehran had taken “& concluded proportionate measures in self-defense,” adding that Tehran did “not seek escalation” but would defend itself against further aggression.

The killing of Soleimani—a national hero to many in Iran—and strikes by Tehran came as tensions have been rising steadily across the Mideast after Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. They also marked the first time in recent years that Washington and Tehran have attacked each other directly rather than through proxies in the region. It raised the chances of open conflict erupting between the two enemies, who have been at odds since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the subsequent US Embassy takeover and hostage crisis.

Adding to the chaos and overall jitters, a Ukrainian airplane with at least 170 people crashed after takeoff just outside Tehran on Wednesday morning, killing all on board, state TV reported. The plane had taken off from Imam Khomeini International Airport and mechanical issues were suspected, the report said.

Iran initially announced only one missile strike, but US officials confirmed both. US defense officials were at the White House, likely to discuss options with Trump, who launched the attack on Soleimani while facing an upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the US and its regional allies against retaliating over the missile attack on the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq’s western Anbar province. The Guard issued the warning via a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

“We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted,” the Guard said. It also threatened Israel.

After the strikes, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator posted a picture of the Islamic Republic’s flag on Twitter, appearing to mimic Trump who posted an American flag following the killing of Soleimani and others Friday.

Ain al-Asad air base was first used by American forces after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, and later saw American troops stationed there amid the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. It houses about 1,500 US and coalition forces. The US also acknowledged another missile attack targeting a base in Irbil in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region.

The Iranians fired a total of 15 missiles, two US officials said. Ten hit Ain al-Asad and one the base in Irbil. Four failed, said the officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly about a military operation.

Two Iraqi security officials said at least one of the missiles appeared to have struck a plane at the Ain al-Asad base, igniting a fire. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the attacks, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they had no permission to talk to journalists.

About 70 Norwegian troops also were on the air base but no injuries were reported, Brynjar Stordal, a spokesman for the Norwegian Armed Forces told The Associated Press.

Trump visited the sprawling Ain al-Asad air base, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Baghdad, in December 2018, making his first presidential visit to troops in the region. Vice President Mike Pence also has visited the base.

“As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend US personnel, partners and allies in the region,” said Jonathan Hoffman, an assistant to the US defense secretary.

Wednesday’s missile strikes happened a few hours after crowds in Iran mourned Soleimani at his funeral. It also came the US continued to reinforce its own positions in the region and warned of an unspecified threat to shipping from Iran in the Mideast waterways, crucial routes for global energy supplies. US Embassies and consulates from Asia to Africa and Europe issued security alerts for Americans. The FAA also warned of a “potential for miscalculation or misidentification” for civilian aircraft in the Persian Gulf amid in an emergency flight restriction.

A stampede broke out on Tuesday at Soleimani’s funeral, and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession, Iranian news reports said. Shortly after Wednesday’s missile attack, Soleimani’s shroud-wrapped remains were lowered into the ground as mourners wailed at the grave site.

Tuesday’s deadly stampede took place in Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman as his coffin was being borne through the city in southeastern Iran, said Pirhossein Koulivand, head of Iran’s emergency medical services.

There was no information about what set off the crush in the packed streets, and online videos showed only its aftermath: people lying apparently lifeless, their faces covered by clothing, emergency crews performing CPR on the fallen, and onlookers wailing and crying out to God. Hossein Salami, Soleimani’s successor as leader of the Revolutionary Guard, earlier addressed a crowd of supporters in Kernan and vowed to avenge Soleimani.

“We tell our enemies that we will retaliate but if they take another action we will set ablaze the places that they like and are passionate about,” Salami said.

Soleimani was laid to rest between the graves of Enayatollah Talebizadeh and Mohammad Hossein Yousef Elahi, two former Guard comrades killed in Iran’s 1980s war with Iraq. They died in Operation Dawn 8, in which Soleimani also took part. It was a 1986 amphibious assault that cut Iraq off from the Persian Gulf and led to the end of the war that killed 1 million.

The funeral processions in major cities over three days have been an unprecedented honor for Soleimani, seen by Iranians as a national hero for his work leading the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force.

The US blames him for killing US troops in Iraq and accused him of plotting new attacks just before he was killed. Soleimani also led forces supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad in that country’s civil war. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Assad in Syria on Tuesday amid the tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Soleimani’s slaying has also led Tehran to abandon the remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers while in Iraq, pro-Iranian factions in parliament have pushed to oust American troops from Iraqi soil.

The FAA warning issued barred US pilots and carriers from flying over areas of Iraqi, Iranian and some Persian Gulf airspace. The region is a major East-West travel hub and home to Emirates airline and Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel. It earlier issued warnings after Iran shot down a US military surveillance drone last year that saw airlines plan new routes to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

The US Maritime Administration warned ships across the Mideast, citing the rising threats.

Oil tankers were targeted in mine attacks last year that the US blamed on Iran. Tehran denied responsibility, although it did seize oil tankers around the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s crude oil travels.

The US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet said it would work with shippers in the region to minimize any possible threat. AP

BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 9, 2019

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Global leaders urge restraint after Iran retaliates against US

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orld leaders urged restraint and moved to recall their citizens after Iran fired missiles at US-Iraqi airbases in its first counterattack since the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani by American forces.

From Asia to the Americas, worries mounted about an armed conflict spinning out of control, as the tensions roiled global markets. The response showed just how little appetite there was among US allies for another outright war in the vital energy producing region.

Here are some of the reactions:

Australia

Austr ali an Prime Minister Scott Morrison directed the country’s chief of defense force to take whatever actions were necessary to protect military and diplomatic personnel. Australia provides mili-

tary training to the Iraqi army, with about 300 personnel in the country.

Canada

Gen. Jonathan Vance, Canada’s chief of the defense staff, said on Twitter that all deployed military forces were “safe and accounted for” following the missile attacks adding, “we remain vigilant.”

Japan

J apa n e s e P r i m e M i n i s t e r Shinzo Abe w il l cancel a tr ip to the Midd le East planned to star t from this weekend due to t he t ur moi l, Kyodo News

repor ted on Wednesd ay. Top government Spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the countr y was deeply concer ned about the increased tensions and Tokyo was seek ing a diplomatic solution.

India

Indi a n nationals were advised to avoid all nonessential travel to Iraq until further notice, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Twitter. India, which relies on crude oil from the Middle East to meet almost two-thirds of its needs, reported imports worth $8.35 billion from Iraq in the current fiscal year. The total number of Indians in Iraq is estimated to be between 15,000 and 17,000.

New Zealand

Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters said the government was concerned at the escalation in hostilities and urged restraint and diplomacy.

New Zealand has an estimated 45 military personnel at Camp Taji near Baghdad, where they have been training Iraqi troops. The deployment is scheduled to end in June.

Philippines

T h e Philippines has ordered thousands of its citizens to evacuate from Iraq as the conflict escalates. The Department of Foreign Affairs said it had raised its highest alert level in Iraq, which requires the evacuation of about 6,000 Philippine citizens. President Duterte had told the military to prepare equipment to help them get out.

South Korea

South Kor e a’s foreign ministry said it was in contact with Iranian authorities to ensure the safety of its citizens. President Moon Jae-in was closely monitoring the situation, a presidential spokesman said.

United Arab Emirates

United Ar ab Emir ates Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei called for restraint from both sides.

“We are hoping the wisdom of both sides will de-escalate the tension,” he said, adding that the oil market was well-supplied to weather the storm.

Bloomberg News

Russian lawmaker warns of risk of nuclear war

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EHRAN, Iran—A Russian lawmaker warns that a conflict between the US and Iran might lead to a nuclear war.

The comments by V ladimir Dzhabarov, lawmaker with Russia’s upper house of parliament, on Wednesday followed an Iranian missile strike at military bases in Iraq used by US forces. The strike was in retaliation for the US killing of Iran’s top military commander in Baghdad.

“Reciprocal strikes by the US

and Iran may lead to an all-out war in the region,” Dzhabarov said.

“If Washington sees that it can’t achieve its goals, there’s a danger of a nuclear war.”

The Russian lawmaker said the UN Security Council should get involved to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.

Iraq’s militar y says it had no troop casualties in the Iranian strike, and President Donald J. Trump tweeted that “A ll is well!” as casualty and damage

Oil markets in turmoil after Iran attacks reignite supply fears

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il prices jumped back above $70 a barrel after Iran attacked two US-Iraqi bases in its first response to the killing of its top general, before paring much of their advance as Tehran signaled the strike was over.

Futures in London initially surged more than 5 percent as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the missile strikes, which the Pentagon said were launched from Iran. Prices then pulled back after the country’s foreign minister said it had “concluded proportionate measures in self-defense” and US President Donald J. Trump tweeted that “all is well” following the attacks.

While oil flows from the Middle East continue to be unimpeded for now, the risk the conflict will disrupt global supplies is spooking the market. Most crude exports from the Persian Gulf, including shipments from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, go through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that Iran has repeatedly threatened to shut down if there’s a war.

The impact of the strike also spilled over into other assets, with gold surging to the highest level in six years, while US stock futures pared losses after slumping earlier.

Oil has had a dramatic start to the year, triggered by the US air strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week. Iran said on Tuesday it was assessing 13 possible ways to inflict a “historic nightmare” on America after the assassination of the military commander near Baghdad’s international airport.

“We’re at a point where supplies from the Middle East could be disrupted at any moment as tensions escalate further after Iran’s retaliation,” said Kwangrae Kim, a commodities analyst at Samsung Futures Inc. “Oil markets could see another jump, depending on how the US responds.

We should be bracing for a volatile ride.”

Brent crude rose as much as $3.48 to $71.75 a barrel before trading 1.2 percent higher at $69.11 on the ICE Futures Europe exchange as of 2:43 p.m. in Singapore. West Texas Intermediate

(WTI) climbed as much as $2.95, or 4.7 percent, to $65.65 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, later retreating to $63.29.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether there were fatalities or major damage from the Iranian attacks.

Futures tempered their initial reaction after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter that the country is not seeking “escalation or war.” Trump said in his Twitter post that battle damage assessments continued and that he would make a statement on Wednesday morning in the US. Opec is confident that Middle East leaders are doing everything possible to restore calm in the region, Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said after the attacks. Iraqi oil facilities remain secure, he said.

Investors are paying up to protect against higher prices after the strikes. Call options on WTI—which allow the holder to buy futures at a set price—are at the biggest premium to puts since September, when it spiked in the wake of attacks on Saudi Arabian oil sites. Implied volatility—a key measure of how expensive the options are—reached the highest since early December.

“If Iran seeks further targets for retaliation to the killing of Soleimani, but without crossing declared US red lines that would prompt a military response, energy infrastructure may be appealing,” said Jason Bordoff, a former Obama administration official who now works at Columbia University. An actual supply disruption would send prices soaring, depending on the magnitude and expected duration of the outage, he said.

While there’s nervousness around the safety of shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, there’s still a comfortable oil supply cushion. Opec is sitting on huge amounts of spare capacity after reducing supplies for most of the past three years and the US, the world’s largest crude producer, recently reported its second consecutive month as a net petroleum exporter. Big oil consumers, including the US and China, also hold millions of barrels in strategic reserves that can be deployed to offset any shortage. Bloomberg News

assessments are ongoing.

The Iraqi military says there are no casualties among its troops as a result of an Iranian missile strike at bases in Iraq used by US forces.

The military said in a statement carried by the state news agency Wednesday that the attack lasted half an hour, starting at 1:45 a.m. local time.

The statement said 22 missiles were fired. Seventeen missiles hit al-Asad air base, including two that did not explode in the Hitan

area west of the town of Hit. Five other missiles hit the northern region of Irbil.

The energy minister of the United Arab Emirates says he sees no immediate shortages in oil supplies, but that Opec will be called in if there is an issue.

“The situation is not currently a war situation,” Suhail Al Mazrouei told reporters Wednesday. “We are all hoping for de-escalation. I think wisdom will prevail despite the tension.” AP

B4 Thursday, January 9, 2020

PRC, ZIPLINE partner to bring nationalscale drone delivery of blood to PHL

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IPLINE, the world’s first and only national scale drone delivery service, and the Philippine Red Cross, the country’s premier humanitarian organization, announced their plans to begin making on-demand and emergency blood deliveries by drone across the country. The announcement was made during a signing ceremony at Red Cross Headquarters between Chairman and CEO Senator Richard Gordon, Musician, Activist, and Zipline Board Member Bono, and Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo.

Starting with blood from the Philippine Red Cross, and expanding to include over 150 critical and life-saving medical products, the revolutionary new service will use a network of autonomous drones to make on-demand emergency deliveries. The service, which is expected to launch in the summer of 2020, is capable of operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Zipline plans to establish three distribution centers and launch the first center in the Visayas region. Future distribution centers will potentially help the partnership expand service to eastern Visayas and Mindanao.

“Geography and Mother Nature can get in the way of our work in reaching the most vulnerable, making it difficult for them to get access to blood and vital medicines. We are excited to bring the newest technology in fulfilling our mission. And we’re honored to partner

TVS MOTOR SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES NEW SLEEK AND STYLISH RIDES . TVS Motor, one of the leading motorcycle manufacturers in Asia, unveils new street stunner units, Dazz Prime and XL100 Premium, in a recent workshop and launch in Batangas Racing Circuit. Guests were able to take the new units for test drives, giving them first-hand experience on the sleek and stylish rides. The Dazz Prime units boast of sleeker look with a new embossed-type emblem, sharks fin design, and color variations in stylish white and red, daring black and red, or attractive gray and red. While the XL100 Premium comes with a sync brake that allows the rider to stop faster when carrying heavy loads, and an ES with an i-Touch technology that gives it a noiseless starting and is available in army green, metallic black, and vulcan red colors. TVS Philippines is currently one of the largest manufacturers of two- and three-wheeled vehicles in Asia which entered the Philippine market in 2016. Aside from excellent customer service, the company also boasts of its innovative designs, easy-to-handle, and environment-friendly products.

'New Year Tax Updates and Remedies'

with Zipline to help make it possible,” Gordon said.

“Millions of people in the Philippines can’t access the vital medical products they need because of last-mile transportation challenges. Zipline’s instant drone delivery service was designed to help solve that problem," Zipline CEO Rinaudo said.

In addition to PRC, Zipline will be working to expand its partnerships in the Philippines to include both government and private health care facilities as well as the pharmaceutical industry to help expand universal health care access for millions of Filipinos.

The drones fly autonomously and can carry 1.8 kilos of cargo, flying up to 145

kilometers an hour, and have a round trip range of 160 kilometers in high winds and rain. Each Zipline distribution center can deliver to an area of more than 20,000 square miles serving populations of up to 12 million people. Deliveries are made from the sky, with the drone descending to a safe height above the ground and releasing a box of medicine by parachute to a designated spot at the health centers it serves.

Zipline’s autonomous drones have flown more than a million miles, made tens of thousands of on-demand medical deliveries, and helped to save thousands of lives in emergencies since launching in October 2016 to deliver blood to 21 hospitals in Rwanda.

Sunshine Place announces Arts & Crafts Workshop schedules for 2020

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TART the year learning a new skill or honing your talents at Sunshine Place as it announces its schedule for the first quarter of 2020 for Arts & Crafts!

Learn the art of porcelain painting

with Ms. Mee Lee Casey as she conducts classes from 10 am to 4 pm on January 21, 23 & 25 (Batch 1); January 28, 30, & February 1 (Batch 2); February 4, 6, & 7 (Batch 3); February 11 & 14 (Batch4); February 17, 21, & 25 (batch 5); March

16, 19 & 21 (Batch 6); and March 24, 26 & 30 (Batch 7). Porcelain painted plates are popular as home décor or gifts and can be used in serving cold food. Students learn the basics in porcelain painting from transferring the image on the plate, painting on it with porcelain paint to heating the image in a kiln until the desired result is achieved.

Visual artist and President of the Art Association of the Philippines, Mr. Fidel Sarmiento, will hold a workshop on Fundamentals of Drawing every Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm on February 8, 15, 22, 29, March 7 & 14. The six-session workshop will tackle lines, shapes, tonal values, drawing 3D shapes, still life drawing, landscape and portraiture.

For more information, please contact Tel. No. (632) 856-4144/8564162; M. (0917) 515-5656 or email: seniorhubjupiter@gmail.com.

Lions Clubs International D301-D2 goes to Magallanes, Cavite

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HE Lions Clubs International District 301-D2 Region 3 Zone 2 spearheaded by the Taguig Global Centennial Lions Club sponsored "And The Gift Goes On...

Medical-Dental Mission and Gift-giving Project" in Brgy. Urdaneta, Magallanes, Cavite on December 20 in partnership with AFP Malasakit in Humanity together with the Cavite Fort San Felipe LC, Marikina East LC, PLP Campus LC, Pasig Bayanihan LC, and Pasig Host LC. More than 400 residents of Magallanes benefited from the services provided free of charge such as doctor's consultation, tooth extraction, medicine, vitamins, eye check-up and reading glasses dispensing, diabetes screening, hair cutting, gift-giving, and feeding program.

This project was made possible under the leadership of District Governor Generoso del Rosario, Region 3 Chairperson Jocelyn Suello, Zone 2 Chairperson Eisen Carlos, and Club President Guia C. Buenavetura.

Past District Governor Bong de Lara of

District 301-D2, Past Zone Chairperson Alfred Bendo of District 301-A2, and Club President Bheng Benecio of Marikina East LC also made it to the site.

The group would like to thank District Governor Wennie Bico of District 301-A2, Region Chairperson Commodore Amado Sanglay of District 301-A2, Barangay Captain Mar Reduca, LTC Marie Luz Rodriguez of Malasakit in Humanity, 2Lt

Qumar Caingles PAF of 730th Combat Group, Ms. Jonalyn Antonio of Sogo Cares Doctors On Wheels, Lion Roselyn Dimaisip of TGCLC/ 2nd Infantry Division Press Corp, Saksi Ngayon, BusinessMirror, Usapin Bayan of SMNI Channel, and Lions On Air of Sonshine Radio/DZAR 1026Khz for all their invaluable support to the success of the project.

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PDATE yourself and your organization with the latest Supreme Court decisions, all recent BIR revenue regulations, memorandum orders and circulars relevant to business owners and taxpayers covering the period from January to December 2019!

The Center for Global Best Practices will be holding a one-day training entitled, “New Year Tax Updates and Remedies” on January 10, 2020, at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, Resorts World Complex, Pasay City, Philippines.

[Check www.cgbp.org for a complete list of Best Practices programs including How to Import Goods to the Philippines, New INCOTERMS 2020, Practical Taxation and Tax Compliance for Businesses, Best Practices in Financial and Operational Budgeting and more. You may also call landlines in Manila (+63 2) 8842-7148/ 59 or (+63 2) 8556-8968/ 69 and Cebu (+63 32) 512-3106 or 07.]

This once-a-year event will teach you and your organization all the best practices to maximize the benefits granted by law – ensuring compliance, minimizing and avoiding unnecessary tax exposures, assessments and penalties from the taxing authorities.

This program will also give you a refresher on TRAIN Law. Knowledge of this will help you find better ways to build your strategies on tax minimization or optimization of

savings. Whether you are expanding your business, improving your bottom line or strategizing your next move as an SME or a large corporation, you will greatly profit from attending this seminar.

Gain valuable insights, and pieces of advice from Atty. Nicasio C. Cabaneiro, CPA, who is an authority in the practice of taxation and commercial law with over 43 years of teaching experience and 25 years with Bank of Philippine Islands – capping his career as its Vice-President and Head of the Legal Services Division. He is a sought-after lecturer and consultant of various institutions across many industries, as well as high net worth individuals to help them with their tax and other legal matters. He finished his accounting degree (Magna Cum Laude) and his law degree (Cum Laude) at the San Beda College of Law. Registration is open to the general public.

CGBP is accredited by the Civil Service Commission. Attendees from the government can earn points for their career advancement and are exempted from the P2,000 limit when attending training conducted by the private sector based on DBM circular 563 dated April 22, 2016. Interested participants are encouraged to avail of the early payment and group discount for three or more attendees.

Seats are limited and pre-registration is required.

DLSMC SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR NURSES’ UK EMPLOYMENT. De Los Santos Medical Center (DLSMC) recently signed a memorandum of agreement with ASC Global Recruitment, Inc. to provide career opportunities to Filipino nurses who are looking for employment in the United Kingdom. Under this agreement, DLSMC shall be an accredited hospital partner of ASC, and shall provide the necessary training and bedside/clinical experience required by nurse candidates prior to their deployment to the UK. Registered Nurses for training shall be referred to DLSMC through recruitment firm Drake Personnel (Phils.), Inc. The partnership also allows Filipino nurses to legally and ethically migrate to the UK though a POEA-licensed landbased recruitment agency. Leading the MOA signing ceremony were DLSMC President and CEO Raul Pagdanganan and ASC President Cristina P. Castañeda (4th and 5th from left) together with (from left) ASC Recruitment Operations Manager Maja R. Penol, DLSMC Director for Nursing Services Angelo A. Bunagan, DLSMC Sr. AVP for Hospital Operations Col. Ofelia E. Hernando, ASC Finance and Admin Manager Charieaza Pineda, and ASC Operations Director Frederick Sampang.

WENDY’S PITX GRAND OPENING. On its 50th year, American burger chain, Wendy’s, opened its 53rd store in the Philippines, attended by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Sung Kim (2nd from right), Udenna Corp. Chairman and CEO, Dennis A. Uy (right), Udenna Corp. Director and Treasurer, Cherylyn Uy (middle) with daughter, Charlize Uy, Eight-8-Ate Holdings Inc. President and CEO, Joey Garcia (left), and Wendy’s PITX Franchisee, Lot Tan (2nd from left). Now managed by UDENNA’s Eight-8-Ate, more restaurants are expected to open in key cities and provinces as part of its strategic expansion plan.

Tamás Aján, the 80-year-old head of the weightlifting federation, is in deep trouble.

Tour Down Under to go ahead despite bushfires

WEIGHTLIFTING MESS DRAWS QUICK ACTION

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RGANIZERS of the Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Ocean Race are expected to push through, despite the ongoing bushfires in Australia.

Southeastern Australia has been heavily impacted by unprecedented bushfires, caused by record high temperatures and drought.

Fires have been ongoing since September, leading to the deaths of at least 25 people and the destruction of nearly 2,000 homes in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.

The Santos Tour Down Under kicks off later this month with men’s and women’s races in areas around Adelaide.

Organizers have confirmed the races are both still set to take place, but the situation is being monitored.

“Our thoughts are with those people and communities affected by the bushfires, and certainly with the CFS [South Australian Country Fire Service] and others who continue to work so hard to keep South Australian people and property protected,” a Santos Tour Down Under statement read. “We are in discussions with the Adelaide Hills Council, who are committed to seeing the Santos Tour Down Under running through the region.

“The Council and DPTI [Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure] are working hard to ensure the routes are safe, so both the men’s and women’s races can go ahead as planned.

“In talking with the Adelaide Hills Council, the most significant thing we as a race can do, at this time, is to promote that the Adelaide Hills are open for business, to promote the region, and encourage people to travel into and support the region.

“We are working closely with Council, emergency services and the local communities, and will continue to monitor the situation.

“As always, the safety and well-being of everyone involved with the Santos Tour Down Under is our priority.”

The Tour Down Under is the traditional curtain-raiser of the International Cycling Union (UCI) WorldTour season, with the men’s stage race scheduled from January 21 to 26. A four-stage women’s race will be held from January 16 to 20.

The one-day Cadel Evans Ocean Race on February 1 will open the UCI Women’s WorldTour season, along with being the second event of the men’s WorldTour.

The annual event is at Geelong in Victoria, with both races currently expected to take place as planned.

Fundraising events are expected at both the Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans Ocean Race, helping provide relief to those impacted by the bushfires.

Similar initiatives have been employed at the Association of Tennis Professionals Cup, where players and organizers pledged donations for aces during the tournament.

The competition has taken place ahead of the first grand slam of the season, the Australian Open.

Australian Open organizers have claimed they do not expect delays to the start of the event in Melbourne, due to begin with qualifying on January 14.

Fund-raising plans have been announced, including the staging of an “AO Rally for Relief” event with leading players. Insidethegames

Sports BusinessMirror

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| Thursday, January 9, 2020 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

Siripuch Gulnoi now denies having said that girls in Thailand as young as 13 take steroids, or that she, herself, had doped as a teenager.

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WO of the most senior figures in weightlifting in the United States and Russia are called for investigations into claims of corruption in the sport made by a German television documentary.

USA Weightlifting (USAW) also wanted retests carried out, before this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, on stored weightlifters’ samples held by both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from Rio 2016, and the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) from recent World Championships and other events.

The IOC admitted accusations made in Secret Doping-the Lord of the Lifters by the German state broadcaster ARD were “very serious and worrying.”

There were claims of doping cover-ups and financial mismanagement by the IWF, which it has strenuously denied, and revelations of children taking steroids in Thailand, where weightlifting is the most successful Olympic sport.

The Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (Tawa) rejected the allegations made against it in the documentary, and complained that an undercover journalist had posed as a weightlifting team manager.

Maxim Agapitov, president of the Russian Weightlifting Federation, said there should be “a truly independent, full-scale investigation” after ARD focused much of its investigation on Tamás Aján, president of the IWF, which is registered in Switzerland and has offices in Hungary.

While the IWF has denied allegations of financial malpractice—it was claimed that millions of dollars were placed in two Swiss bank accounts accessible only by Aján—the IOC said it had asked for files from the program makers “in order to properly address” the accusation.

“The critical thing is to really investigate the allegations and take relevant action against those found guilty, regardless of who they are,” Phil Andrews, chief executive of USAW, said.

Andrews revealed USAW was calling on the IWF “to explain the allegations regarding the management of finances of the federation,” and that he “would expect anyone who is found to have been involved in the incidents mentioned in the ARD documentary to be heavily sanctioned.”

Many of the revelations in the documentary concerned incidents from four to 12 years ago, and Andrews made the point that the IWF had “made significant strides forward in the rehabilitation of the sport” since 2017.

Weightlifting had been in danger of losing its Olympic status because of its doping problems, but after a series of reforms it was formally given the all clear for future Games by the IOC in May. Andrews highlighted improvements in an anti-dopingfocused Olympic qualifying system, a clampdown on athletes who failed to let testers know their whereabouts, a new partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA) and a commitment to education, but said “this documentary proves the work can never stop—as we haven’t stopped in the United States since changing our culture from the 1990s to today.”

Agapitov sent to Insidethegames a copy of a letter he wrote five weeks ago, asking Aján—the 80-year-old Hungarian who was general secretary of the IWF for 24 years before becoming president in 2000—to add items to the agenda of a meeting of the IWF Executive Board.

Russian weightlifting has had a bad record in doping historically, before Agapitov’s administration, and was banned from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

It can send only two athletes, compared to the maximum of eight, to Tokyo 2020 because of multiple offences several years ago.

Agapitov, a former world champion who has overseen significant changes in his own Federation since taking over in 2016, wanted separate audits, by independent bodies, of the IWF’s role in doping, IWF finances and taxes, and IWF governance.

He stipulated that Aján should be recused from all the investigating bodies because of conflict of interest.

Agapitov also queried the IWF’s anti-doping policies and proposed reforms, and asked the IWF to explain how its testing procedures had missed “more than 50 athletes exposed by 2008 and 2012 Olympic retests.”

He argued for more transparency, and posed questions about the role of the IWF Director General Attila Adamfi.

Agapitov claimed the role was less created in 2014 for Adamfi, Aján’s son-in-law.

“My proposals were completely rejected, without a real explanation,” Agapitov said.

Questions about anti-doping procedures, finance and nepotism were raised in the ARD documentary, a full report of which appeared on Insidethegames.

The program also suggested there had been questionable practices by officers of the Hungarian National Anti-Doping Agency (Hunado), which carried out 77 percent of 16,000 tests studied by ARD’s investigators.

Hunado strongly denied any malpractice, and said it

IOC Exec Board tackles IWF controversy

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THE Santos Tour Down Under kicks off later this month with men’s and women’s races in areas around Adelaide.

was responsible only for collecting samples, leaving results management to the IWF. “We strongly recommend the ITA [which, since four months ago, oversees IWF anti-doping procedures] engage with alternative testing agencies while any investigation is ongoing,” Andrews said.

As a further precaution, Andrews said USAW wanted the IOC and IWF to retest “all held samples, using the latest technology, for those most likely to appear in the 2020 Olympic Games.”

“The 2020 Olympic qualification system allows for it to be clear who is likely to go to the Olympic Games,” he added.

“The allegations raised by Thai lifter...show that it’s likely there are still tested athletes with samples on hand that may have cheated our sport.

“Similarly, we applaud the increased testing of athletes from the IWF. “Ahead of the Olympic Games, the IOC and the IWF must engage in an aggressive testing program equally across the world.”

Tawa, meanwhile, has rejected the documentary’s claims about doping in Thailand, where an undercover team recorded interviews with Siripuch Gulnoi, a bronze medalist at London 2012.

A Tawa statement said Gulnoi complained to police about being duped by a reporter who claimed to be a German team manager, and despite the interview being recorded and broadcast in the documentary, Gulnoi denied having said that girls as young as 13 take steroids, or that she, herself, had doped as a teenager.

Insidethegames

LLEGATIONS of corruption and doping in weightlifting will be among the main topics discussed when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board meets in Lausanne on Thursday.

The impact of escalating diplomatic tension between the United States and Iran on sport, and the protracted Russian doping scandal, are also likely to be discussed by the ruling body during the short meeting.

A documentary screened by German state broadcaster ARD on Sunday, which included claims of doping cover-ups and financial mismanagement by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), has dominated headlines this week.

The program—made by the team which was first to reveal systematic doping in Russian sport—was critical of Tamás Aján, the 80-year-old Hungarian who has been general secretary and president of the IWF since 1976.

Its alleged financial malpractice, doping cover-ups and sample manipulations, said the IWF allowed 12 Azerbaijan lifters to compete in 2013 when it knew they had tested positive, and secretly recorded a conversation with an Olympic medalist that produced damning evidence about doping in Thailand.

The IOC described the allegations as “very serious and worrying,” and confirmed it had established a Disciplinary Commission to “immediately follow up on the doping confession” by Siripuch Gulnoi, a bronze medalist for Thailand at London 2012.

In a statement, the IOC revealed its chief ethics and compliance officer Pâquerette Girard Zappelli would ask ARD for “all the documentation in its possession” as the

program “may contain new information.”

The IOC did not mention weightlifting’s place at the Olympic Games, which was only confirmed for Paris 2024 last year after its conditional status was lifted.

Sports Director Kit McConnell warned, however, that the IOC would continue to monitor the IWF’s implementation of a series of conditions outlined for weightlifting to remain on the program.

In response, the IWF denied the allegations and claimed the documentary “contains many insinuations, unfounded accusations and distorted information.”

The situation in Iran after Military General Qassem Soleimani was killed in an air strike in Baghdad ordered by US President Donald J. Trump could also feature on the agenda.

“The security of all participants at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 is taken care of by the relevant Swiss authorities and, for obvious reasons, we cannot speak about any details,” the IOC said in a statement.

Iran has been banned by the International Judo Federation (IJF) and could face a similar sanction from United World Wrestling for its refusal to allow its athletes to compete against Israelis—a direct violation of the Olympic Charter.

The suspension from the IJF threatens Iran’s participation in the sport at Tokyo 2020, and it is possible other organizations could follow suit if Iran does not relax its stance.

The topic could arise in the National Olympic Committees report.

The meeting precedes the IOC Session due to take place on Friday (January 10), and comes the day before the Lausanne 2020 Opening Ceremony. Insidethegames

Spo

Business

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DAVIS BRUISES BACK IN LAKERS’ VICTORY

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NOVAK DJOKOVIC in action in the Association of Tennis Professionals Cup. AP

Spain into ATP Cup quarters

OS ANGELES— The Los Angeles Lakers gathered around Anthony Davis while the six-time All-Star writhed in pain on the Staples Center floor.

Another breezy blowout win had just become much less fun for the Lakers and their superstar big man, although it’s too soon to say just how serious it will be for their championship dreams.

Davis left in the third quarter after bruising his lower back on a painful fall during the Lakers’ sixth straight victory, 117-87 over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.

Davis bruised his sacrum—the bottom part of his spine above the tailbone—when he attempted to block Julius Randle’s driving shot. He got knocked off balance and fell awkwardly to the

court, landing hard on his back with 2:45 left in the third.

The Lakers were anxious as they surrounded him under the basket.

“Fingers crossed, hope for the best, pray for the best,” Coach Frank Vogel said.

Davis pounded the court in pain and stayed down for roughly two minutes, but eventually rose with his teammates’ help and then slowly walked off unaided.

“We’re hoping he’ll be fine, and we believe he’ll be fine,” said LeBron James, who played through illness. “Tough night for us.”

X-rays were negative, but Davis didn’t return to the game and he was scheduled for additional testing overnight. His agent, Rich Paul, said his client felt extremely sore.

It seems quite likely Davis will miss at least a little playing time this month, given the Lakers’ lofty record and the long road to the playoffs still ahead. The Lakers have a two-game road trip starting Friday in Dallas.

“We hope he’s all right,” Kentavious CaldwellPope said. “We’re just hoping he’ll get better

soon. We need him.”

James scored 31 points and Caldwell-Pope added 15 after bouncing back from a flagrant foul to his head by Bobby Portis, but the Lakers (30-7) didn’t exactly celebrate becoming the second NBA team to win 30 games this season.

Davis, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, is the primary reason behind Los Angeles’ swift rise to the top of the Western Conference. He is averaging 27.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in his first season after the Lakers traded most of their young core to New Orleans for him.

“He’s one of our pillars,” Vogel said. “He’s our present. He’s our future. He’s one of the best players in the world, so obviously he means a lot.”

RJ Barrett scored 19 points for the Knicks, and Randle had 15 points and 10 rebounds against his former team. New York dropped to 0-3 on its four-game West Coast trip.

Los Angeles had little trouble holding off the Knicks in the second half despite Davis’s abrupt exit. The Lakers pushed their lead to 30 early in the fourth quarter with a run led by James, who scored 16 points in 16 minutes in the second half.

Carmelo Anthony, meanwhile, made the winning basket with four seconds remaining and Portland rallied to beat Toronto, 101-99.

Anthony scored 28 points, Damian Lillard had 20, and Hassan Whiteside added 14 points and 16 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who snapped a four-game losing streak in Toronto and won for the second time in 10 meetings with the Raptors.

Anfernee Simons scored 12 points and CJ McCollum had 10.

Kyle Lowry had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Serge Ibaka added 17 points and 11 rebounds as the injury-ravaged Raptors lost for just the second time in 16 games against opponents with losing records.

Oshae Brissett scored a career-high 12 points for Toronto. And Chris Boucher also had 12, including 10 straight Raptors points in the fourth. AP

Anthony Davis bruises his sacrum, the bottom part of his spine above the tailbone. AP

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ERTH, Australia—Spain advanced to the quarterfinals of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Cup even before Rafael Nadal stepped on to the court Wednesday at the Perth Arena.

Spain, which won the Davis Cup in Madrid with a finals victory over Canada, stayed in the hunt for its second international team victory in seven weeks when Roberto Bautista Agut beat Japan’s Go Soeda, 6-2, 6-4.

Japan needed to beat Spain, 3-0, in order for the Nadal-led team not to advance to the Final Eight in Sydney beginning Thursday.

Nadal was scheduled to play the next singles match against Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan.

In other early matches on the final day of group play, Serbia, which had already qualified for the quarterfinals, had a winning 2-0 lead over Chile in Group A. Dusan Lajovic beat Nicolas Jarry, 6-2, 7-6 (3), before Novak Djokovic defeated Cristian Garin, 6-3, 6-3.

The six group winners and two best second-place finishers advance to the finals in Sydney.

In the quarterfinal lineup for Thursday at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney, Australia plays Britain followed by Russia taking on the Group E winner, which will be decided later Wednesday in Sydney. Croatia, 2-0, faces Argentina in the late match.

On Friday, Serbia takes on the yet-to-be determined second runner-up—likely Canada or Belgium—while Spain plays the first runner-up in the other quarterfinal. AP

Sainz new leader after 3rd stage

Cavaliers’ Love regrets recent ‘childish’ outbursts in games

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LEVELAND—Kevin Love knows he should have better handled his recent frustrations.

He was childish.

“I wasn’t acting like a 31-year-old, I was acting like a 13-year-old,” Love said. “That was not me.”

The Cavaliers star forward spoke openly and in depth Tuesday for the first time since an outburst on the bench in Toronto last week and for showing up his teammates and coaches during a loss to Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Love threw his arms up in disgust several times on the floor, fired a hard pass in anger and had his back turned on defense as one of the Thunder’s players streaked past him for a basket.

Also, before that game, Love got into a verbal exchange with General Manager Koby Altman because he was angry at being fined for losing his cool against the Raptors on December 31.

Love said the situation was overblown in the media, and that he and Altman spoke before Sunday’s game against Minnesota and are on good terms.

“I went in there and talked to Koby about it in conversation,” Love said following the morning shootaround as the Cavs prepared to host Detroit.

“Came to the arena, Koby and I were great, gave him a [fist] pound right when I came in.

There was no altercation, there was no screaming match, you can ask him, that’s what it was.”

Cavaliers Coach John Beilein also spoke to Love and liked what he heard from his most veteran player.

“It’s a long season and you’re going to have those times where the frustrations come up really on both sides,” Beilein said. “You have to talk it out afterwards and I think he knows there’s timing for all that, and the timing has got to be better.”

Love has been the subject of trade rumors almost since the moment he arrived in Cleveland five years ago, and it’s likely the young and rebuilding Cavs will deal him before the February 6 deadline to add future assets.

Not long after LeBron James left as a free agency following the 2017 season, the Cavs signed Love to a four-year, $120 million contract. They wanted him to be the center piece of their rebuild but things haven’t gone exactly as planned as the team has made a coaching change and move several veteran players.

Love could be next. But he has no regrets about staying with Cleveland.

“No,” he said when asked if he wished he hadn’t signed the deal. “It’s there. Everybody wants to paint a narrative that I didn’t want to be

here and just signed it because it was there. No, I’ve always wanted to be here. I don’t know what the next few weeks are going to hold and this has been a frustrating situation and I know this is a team that’s rebuilding and wants to go young.

“I’ve accepted that. Let the chips fall where they may.”

Love has been open in the past about his struggles with anxiety and depression. He’s become a national advocate for mental wellness.

The stress of the past two seasons have taken a toll, but he said he’s learning to cope when faced with challenges.

“I think you have to see all sides of it, and I’ve had to take a step back the last number of years and do that, as well,” he said. “Seeing things in their entirety when things are bad, when things are kind of not at a place where you want them to be is super hard. I think that transcends the basketball court, professional sports, any walk of life. I think we can all be better.”

Love acknowledged his failings over the past weeks and vowed to learn from them. He’s had a hard time coping with the reality that he’s not going to win another NBA title with Cleveland, but that can’t affect the ways he acts toward teammates, coaches, fans and media members.

He’s a work in progress.

“I’ve been at ease,” he said. ”People ask

N

EOM, Saudi Arabia—Two-time winner Carlos Sainz became the third new leader of the Dakar Rally after winning the third stage ahead of defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah on Tuesday.

Sainz and Al-Attiyah vied for the lead throughout the 427-kilometer loop out from and back to Neom near Saudi Arabia’s northern border with Jordan.

Sainz prevailed after nearly four hours, beating AlAttiyah by 3 1/2 minutes on a course with a fast first half and mountainous second. Jakub Przygonski, who endured six hours of mechanical problems on the first stage, was third. Former Formula One driver

me, ‘Hey, are you OK?’ and ‘What’s going on?’ I’m like, I’m good. Listen...I showed my actions on a national level. That was childish of me, and just goes to show you, I’m an unfinished product, like anybody.

“That’s why I speak to you guys not Kevin Love the basketball player, as a human because it’s no B.S. I just want to be authentic. I know I can get a lot better, and that can’t go on here, especially when you have young guys that you are trying to help and I told that I would help.

“So, I got to be a better leader, but also a better person as somebody who has more often than not a majority of the time done the right thing, said the right thing, and shown that I can.” AP KEVIN LOVE: I wasn’t acting like a 31-year-old, I was acting like a 13-year-old. AP

Fernando Alonso was fifth.

Overnight leader Orlando Terranova was nearly 13 minutes behind Sainz on the stage and dropped to third overall, eight minutes back.

Sainz led Al-Attiyah by nearly five minutes overall.

The motorbike standings had to be modified because of GPS problems. Organizers used the times after 389 kilometers.

That reduced Ricky Brabec’s commanding victory from 10 minutes to six over Honda teammates Jose Ignacio Cornejo and Kevin Benavides.

The change also benefited defending champion Toby Price and Xavier de Soultrait. They were originally 35 and 48 minutes off the pace, but that was reduced to 8 1/2 and nearly 14, and they stayed in

the top eight.

Brabec took over the lead in the general standings, nearly five minutes ahead of Benavides. Matthias Walkner was third. Price was less than 12 minutes back.

Ross Branch, the winner of stage two, slammed his back wheel into a rock while taking a corner too wide after 88 kilometers and fell and hurt his shoulder.

He finished, though, unlike others who crashed and had to withdraw, including Guillaume Cholet, Adrien van Beveren, Olaf Harmsen and Martien Jimmink. De Soultrait also fell but finished with a tourniquet on his bleeding right arm.

The rally finishes on January 17. AP

Azinger’s career detours 20 yrs ago in Hawaii

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AUSTRIA’S Matthias Walkner rides his KTM motorbike during stage three of the Dakar Rally in Neom, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. AP

APALUA, Hawaii—Paul Azinger is a Professional Golfers Association (PGA) champion long known as someone who says what he thinks, usually with some degree of clarity, which makes him a good fit as a TV analyst. And that’s what he does now for NBC and at the US Open for Fox. He could have started much sooner if not for 20 years ago at the Sony Open.

Azinger and NBC host Dan Hicks are working their second straight week for Golf Channel’s telecast of the Hawaii swing. This week brings back strong memories for Azinger, who won the Sony Open in 2000 for his first victory since his recovery from lymphoma, and what turned out to be the last victory of his career.

His strongest recollection is breaking down in tears in the office of Greg Nichols, then the head pro at Waialae, because it was Azinger’s first PGA Tour event since the death of close friend Payne Stewart and two of Azinger’s managers who also were on the private jet that crashed.

“Tears were pouring out of my eyes,”Azinger said. “And I just said, ‘I walk out here and it’s like life goes on, like that tragedy never happened.’And Greg said, ‘I guarantee you they’re all thinking about it. But you just can’t hear them and you can’t see them.’And I just snapped out it.”

Equipped with a belly putter that soon became the rage—and got the attention of rules makers who eventually outlawed the stroke to use it—Azinger shot 63-65 and was on his way to a wire-to-wire victory.

It was relevant in other ways.

Azinger revealed last week that CBS Sports had talked to him about taking over in the booth from Ken Venturi, who was nearing retirement. Azinger was 39.

“And then I won,” Azinger said. “And it was after Payne died, and I didn’t know what to do. I still thought I had a little game left in me.

I wanted to win because I hadn’t won after I got sick and all that. And then when I won, I didn’t really see myself doing it [television] for a while.... It was the right thing at the time.”

That Sony Open landed Azinger a spot as a captain’s pick for

the Presidents Cup, and captain Curtis Strange picked him for the 2001 Ryder Cup, which was postponed a year because of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

But Azinger never won again. He had only one other runnerup—to Tiger Woods by seven shots at the Memorial in 2001—and eventually switched over to TV in 2005.

WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Leading golf authorities spent some seven years coming up with a modern set of rules. It took about that long to develop a handicap system everyone in the world can use.

The World Handicap System is new this year, and American golfers were able to start posting scores on Monday. Some handicaps were bound to change slightly because the system now takes the best eight scores from the most recent 20 rounds (down from 10 scores).

The idea was to consolidate various handicap calculations from around the world into a single index that applies in every country. AP

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Thursday, January 9, 2020

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Tessa Jazmines tessa4347@gmail.com

PART OF THE GAME

ONE action-packed January

SHOOTING WOES HOUND MERALCO

IT’S helter-skelter for the loose ball among the Gin Kings and Bolts in Game One of the Governors’ Cup Finals on Tuesday night.

By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

M

ERALCO needed to charge the shooting hands of its gunners to get back at Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup Finals the Gin Kings lead, 1-0.

Head Coach Norman Black lamented the Bolts’ firing blanks from three-point territory in the crucial moments of Game One which they lost, 87-91, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, on Tuesday night.

The Bolts were a cold 7-of-32 from beyond the arc.

“If you ask me what the problem was, we didn’t shoot the ball very well, particularly from the three-point land,” Black said after the game.

“Normally we do a very good job of shooting on high percentage, but today we did not. That hurt us,” he added.

Baser Amer and Bong Quinto were together 2-of-10 with their three-point shots, while Allen Maliksi missed all his four attempts from the same distance.

Import Allen Durham led the Bolts with 25 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists, while Chris Newsome, who hit 3-of-10 from 3s,

collected 24 points and eight rebounds.

Big man Raymond Almazan was a factor though with his 20 points and 13 rebounds, holding his own against the giants of Barangay Ginebra Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar.

Of the Meralco starters, rookie Quinto was jittery in his first Finals with only three points.

Amer tallied nine.

“Bong didn’t shoot very well. Baser was two of 10. Maliksi was zero of five. Those are pretty much my best shooters, percentagewise. So the fact they couldn’t make shots hurt us,” Black said.

Black also cited the subpar performance of his bench players.

“We just need to get a little more

production from the bench. I felt we didn’t get any production from the bench,” he said.

The Bolts only had six bench points— four from Anjo Caram and two from Maliksi.

The Bolts neet quick adjustments for Game Two, which will be played on Friday in Lucena City.

But Black has to patch other holes in his team. They led most of the way only to wilt under the tremendous Ginebra pressure— both from the players and the fans.

Up 61-51, Meralco looked headed to the win-win with Durham making simple assists to his open teammates for easy baskets.

But the Gin Kings fought back.

Brownlee led an assault that was highlighted by three crucial free throws

that cut the Bolts lead to 89-87.

Durham, a strong candidate for the Best Import award, took matters into his own hand and tried for a game-tying drive. But Aguilar met him at the basket with the 6-foot-9 highflying Gin King swatting the attempt with 11 seconds left.

Brownlee finished with 38 points and 16 rebounds, while Aguilar added 16, and LA Tenorio nine.

Ginebra Head Coach Tim Cone, despite the win, said the rest of the series will be played tight.

“It was a struggle for us, and frustrating in some stretch. I honestly feel this would be the kind of game we’ll play every game. It would be fight to the end,” Cone said.

MALIXI IN CONTROL IN STROKE PLAY K Big J in Better World Tondo

Former Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Playing Coach and Philippine Basketball Association legend Robert Jaworski Sr. joins Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Marketing Manager Ronald Molina and 30 employee-volunteers during the Ginebra Shoebox of Malasakit gift-giving activity at the Better World Community, in Tondo recently. Some 300 students and members of the food bank and learning facility opened by San Miguel Corp. receive boxes containing school supplies, and other gift items. In previous years, families in Tenement in Taguig City and Gawad Kalinga San Rose community in Pasig City received gifts and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel basketball jerseys.

Former Xavier hoops stars to play for Mighty Sports in Dubai meet

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ormer Xavier School stars are looking forward for a happy reunion as Mighty Sports tries its luck again in the Dubai International Basketball Championship slated later this month in the ultramodern city of the United Arab Emirates.

Then bannered by Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee and two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers, the country’s sports apparel and accessories ball club fell short in its bid to win the prestigious tournament last year after settling for third place.

But team owner Alex Wongchuking and Joseph Yeo, who both left indelible marks during their respective eras with the premier learning school, are convinced the team—sponsored by Go for Gold, Oriental Group, Creative Pacific of Bong Cuevas and Gatorade—could do better this time around.

“I think we’re more prepared this time than last year,” Wongchuking said. “Aside from former Xavier stars, we have a good mix of young and veteran players in the team.”

Yeo said the lessons they learned since their initial foray in the annual tournament will serve them in good stead in their search for a third major international title.

Mighty Sports created a buzz after winning

Taiwan’s Jones Cup via an eight-game sweep twice.

The other Xavier products on the team are Coaches Charles Tiu, TY Tang, Joaqui Manuel, Gab Banal and Jarrel Lim. “The chemistry we built playing for Mighty in the past will again play an important role in our campaign,” Yeo added.

OREAN Gwon-min Wook kept his mastery of Langer’s feared backside and closed out with a second two-under 34 to save a 73 as he stormed away by seven over new pursuers Aidric Chan and Weiwei Gao halfway through the National Stroke Play Championship at the Riviera Golf and Country Club in Silang, Cavite, on Wednesday.

But Lois Kaye Go failed to sustain an impressive 68 start Tuesday, and blew a huge five-stroke lead with a horrible front side 42 in overcast skies and windy conditions. She hardly recovered her rhythm and bearing at the back and hobbled with a 40 for an 82 that dropped her to joint third and enabled young Rianne Malixi to seize control with a 70 in women’s play.

The 17-year-old Gwon, who matched Go’s opening three-under card to take charge by two over Ryan Monsalve in the premier men’s division of the kickoff leg of this year’s PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour season, actually reeled back with a bogey-triple-bogey mishap from No. 7 but regrouped and birdied the first four holes at the back in stirring fashion to stay in firm control in a rain-hit day.

But he slowed down with two bogeys in the last five for that 39-34 and a 36-hole total of 141, seven shots ahead of Chan and Gao, who pooled identical 148s after 71 and 75, respectively, even as Monsalve never recovered from a bogey-bogey start and stumbled with a 79 to fall to solo fourth at 149.

“It was very hard today [Wednesday],” said Gwon, referring to his triple bogey on the par-three

No. 8 off an errant tee-shot into the deep roughs, where he needed two shots to get to the green before missing a short putt for double-bogey.

But he recovered big at the back, bucking tough pin placements to birdie the 10th and 11th inside four feet. He then chipped in for another birdie from 10 yards on the next before drilling a 15-footer for another birdie on No. 13.

Carl Corpus carded a 75 for 150, while Japanese Atsushi Ueda and Kyosuke Yoshida moved to joint sixth at 151 after 75 and 77, respectively, and Elee Bisera also shot a 75 for joint eighth at 153 with Sean Ramos, who wobbled with a 79.

Japanese Gen Nagai also failed to rebound and hobbled with a second six-over 77, virtually kissing his titleretention bid goodbye with a 154, 13 strokes behind Gwon heading to the last 36 holes of the tournament organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Other 154 scorers were Kim Tae Soo and Leandro Bagtas, who skied with identical 79s.

The 12-year-old Malixi, meanwhile, firmed up her bid for another championship after winning three last year as she likewise defied the odds to shoot a 70 and grab the lead at 143, two up on Abby Arevalo, who improved from a 73 with a 72 for a 145.

Malixi, who highlighted her prolific 2019 season by winning the Philippine Junior Amateur Open (stroke play) while playing in a lower age-

Rianne Malixi seizes control with a 70 in women’s play.

group division, gunned down five birdies against four bogeys, the last on the 18th, that foiled her bid to post a bigger lead over Arevalo, who hit a pitch-in eagle on the par-four 15th to anchor her comeback bid and fuel her drive for another title at Riviera after humbling the pros in the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour in 2017.

Rizal Memorial Coliseum busy in 2020 T

WITH its grandeur back, expect sports history to be churned out anew from the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

HE historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum (RMC), refurbished to its old grandeur for last month’s 30th Southeast Asian Games, will be a very busy venue in 2020.

“We are very optimistic. There are a lot of events lined up in our calendar and we are excited to host them here inside this historic coliseum,” Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez said.

The coliseum, venue to countless victories and defeats in Philippine sports history especially basketball, underwent a major renovation late last year to host the gymnastics and four of the 56-sport SEA Games program. The RMC is considered a monument inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC), the country’s primary multisport facility built in 1936.

The 6,100-seat arena was venue to classic basketball competitions—from the Asian Basketball Confederation tournaments, to the MICAA and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), National Collegiate

Athletic Association (NCAA) and even Philippine Basketball Association games. The PSC expects to host these tournaments in the venue that is now—for the first time—air-conditioned.

This January, the PSC will celebrate its 30th foundation anniversary and as another milestone unfolds in the agency’s history, the agency will hold a simple yet meaningful celebration at the coliseum.

“This is a milestone for the PSC. As we celebrate our 30th year, we want it to be inside the Rizal Memorial Coliseum which has seen many significant events in Philippine Sports,” Ramirez said. The PSC also intends to hold the Batang Pinoy and Philippine National Games, nationals event, this year both at the RMSC and the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City, where other PSC venues were renovated.

The PSC also seeks to hold the fourth enshrinement of members of the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame at the coliseum on November 27.

TWENTY-NINETEEN was a very good year for ONE Championship, the largest global sports media property in Asian history, now setting its sights to conquer the west, as well.

ONE: Century, the historic 100th live event staged by ONE at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan last October 13 pulled in a record-breaking 85 million viewers worldwide across all platforms.

Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and CEO of ONE Championship said “ONE: Century broke all viewership records and stands today as the most-watched martial arts event in history with over 85 million viewers worldwide.

China alone brought in over 10 million viewers on live terrestrial TV and digital platforms.

“Asia is the world’s largest media market in terms of eyeballs with over 3 billion viewers in the same three-hour time zone.

ONE Championship is broadcast on free-to-air TV and digital platforms every week in every major country in Asia. Even with the 85 million viewership number, we have barely scratched the surface of the full viewership potential in Asia.

“When we put together this mega event, our team knew that it had the potential to do big numbers across Asia.

I am full of gratitude and appreciation to the greatest fans in the world for your love and support. I would also like to thank our incredible ONE Championship athletes for their excellent performances. It was a night of explosive action, showcasing authentic world championship martial arts at the highest level in the world.”

ONE: Century was broadcast live in 145 countries worldwide and featured two full-scale World Championship cards with 28 World Champions competing in different pillars of martial arts, World Championship title bouts, World Grand Prix Championship Finals, and World Champion versus World Champion match-ups.

Less than a month later, on November 8, Manila was Ground Zero for another martial arts show. ONE: Masters of Fate in Manila was much less in terms of magnitude to ONE: Century, but the Fight Night delighted the local crowd just the same, with local heroes Joshua Pacio, Eduard Folayang, Geje Eustaquio and Robin Catalan defeating their respective opponents, with Pacio downing compatriot Rene Catalan in the main event.

That was the last event for ONE in the Philippines for 2019. But it promises more fights to remember in January 2020 starting with ONE: A New Tomorrow at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, on Friday, January 10, 2020. The main event features reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon of Thailand versus England’s Jonathan “The General” Haggerty in a very exciting and highly anticipated rematch for the World Title.

One Pinoy athlete will see action in Bangkok. That’s Ramon Gonzales, three-time Filipino National Champion in the full-contact discipline, one of the country’s best-ever karatekas who will battle Indonesian Elipitua Siregar.

MMA action returns to Manila on January 31, with ONE: Fire & Fury. Six Pinoys—five from Team Lakay and one from Catalan Fighting System—are in the fight card: Lakays Pacio, Folayang, Danny Kingad, Lito Adiwanh and Gina Iniong, and Catalan’s Jomary Torres.

ONE Strawweight World Champion Pacio puts his belt on the line against former champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil who wants to recapture what he thinks is his.

Pacio, 23, became champion after a unanimous victory over Japanese veteran Yoshitaka Naito in September 2018, lost the belt to Shoot World Champ Yosuke Naruta, then knocked out Saruta in their rematch to be golden once more. Pacio ended 2019 with a successful defense against compatriot Rene Catalan in Manila. And now he looks forward to a second successful defense against the streaking Silva.

Also in January, well-loved former One Lightweight World Champion Folayang faces Pakistan’s Ahmed “The Wolverine” Mujtaba. Folayang won his last bout via TKO in November, and wants to make another run at a world title.

The sensational Danny Kingad, who won six out of his last seven bouts until he faced Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix final starts his climb back to the top against China’s Xie Wei, known as The Hunter.

Newest Lakay sensation Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang faces Thailand’s Pongsiri “The Smiling Assasin” Mitsatit. Adiwang is coming off a three-victory roll including an impressive finishing of highly regarded Senzo Ikeda of Japan in the first round last October. Mitsatit meanwhile has eight knockout victories and promises to take the action to Adiwang on the 31st.

Lakay Lady, Iniong, returns after a long absence to take on India’s Asha “Knockout Queen” Roka. Iniong last fought in the cage last February but won a kickboxing gold in the recent 30th Southeast Asian Games in Manila.

Roka debuted in ONE last August.

Catalan Fighting System’s Torres, is also coming back, this time—she hopes—with positive results. “The Zamboanganian Fighter”, who lost to Jihin Radzuan last July, is raring to get back on track against challenger Jenny “Lady Go Go” Huang of Chinese Taipei. Fans are excited to see how Torres, a boxer and wrestler, will match up with judo black belter Juang.

Last on the mixed martial arts spectrum is a showdown between taekwondo black belt “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il of South Korea and Shooto Bantamweight World Champion Shoko Sato of Japan.

ONE: Fire & Fury also features Super Series Muay Thai contests. Australia’s Alma Juniku takes on Anne Line Hogstad of Norway. Former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Baby Shark” Petchdam Petchyindee Academy goes head-to-head with Japan’s Kohei “Momotaro” Kodera.

Finally, Thailand’s Rodlek PK. Saenchaimuaythaigym does battle with Chris Shaw of Scotland.

Sports

Manchester City fans celebrate after the end of the English League Cup semifinal first leg match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford. AP

BusinessMirror

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| Thursday, January 9, 2020 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

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CHANGING OF THE OLD GUARDS? S

By Arnie Stapleton The Associated Press

UDDENLY, the old guard looks rather old.

Tom Brady, who wants to keep playing next season at age 43, was overshadowed on wild-card weekend by a quarterback (QB) who threw for just 72 yards.

Drew Brees, who turns 41 this month, followed up what might have been his best season ever with a dud that featured his first multiple-turnover game of the season on a day he wasn’t even the best QB on his own team.

Now, Brady and Brees join fellow graybeards Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger as spectators to these playoffs, which feature the likes of greenhorns Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson and Jimmy Garoppolo.

The Patriots’ 20-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium marked New England’s earliest exit from the playoffs in a decade.

Only twice in Brady’s two decades in New England has his season ended earlier. In 2002, he missed the playoffs at 9-7, and in 2008 he blew out a knee in the opener and watched the Patriots miss out again despite going 11-5.

Without his usual weaponry on offense, Brady faded down the stretch. The defending Super Bowl champs looked unbeatable over the season’s first half, dominating opponents whom they outscored, 250-61, through eight games.

That all changed beginning with a 37-20 loss to Jackson and the Ravens on October 27 in Baltimore. From that point on, the Patriots won just four of nine games and were outscored, 184-183.

It was during one of those early season blowouts that Patriots Coach Bill Belichick exploited another loophole in the National Football League (NFL) rule book that came back to haunt him in the playoffs.

Belichick realized he could just eat up game clock with a series of delay-of-game or false-start penalties prior to a punt and, oddly, he exposed this loophole late in a 33-0 blowout of the Jets on October 21.

“It was just the way the rules are set up,” Belichick said after that game. “We were able to run quite a bit of time off the clock without really having to do anything.

It’s a loophole that’ll be closed and probably should be closed. But right now, it’s open.”

While Belichick was smirking on the sideline when he was the one doing it to the Jets, he was furious Saturday night and yelled at the officials when Titans Coach Mike Vrabel employed that same strategy—and at a much more opportune time.

Tennessee was ahead, 14-13, when Vrabel had the Titans run nearly two minutes off the clock before punting the ball to New England with four minutes left. The Patriots went three-and-out and didn’t get the ball back until 15 seconds remained, still down by one.

Brady forced a pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, sealing the loss in what could be Brady’s final game for New England if he decides to play elsewhere in 2020.

“We’ve talked about this,” Belichick said afterward. “It’s the same thing we’ve talked about before. It’s the same. Nothing’s changed.”

Except that he was the one who paid the price.

Brady finished with a 59.1 passer rating, throwing for 209 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. His counterpart, Ryan Tannehill, only completed eight of 15 passes for 72 yards, but one of those was for a touchdown and another was a 22-yarder to Derrick Henry, who also rushed for 182 yards.

In New Orleans on Sunday, Brees completed 26 of 33 passes for 208 yards, but he threw a costly interception that led to a Vikings touchdown and committed his first fumble of the season on one of his three sacks. The Saints had set an NFL mark with just eight turnovers in the regular season.

Brees was outplayed not only by Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins but also by his own teammate, do-everything backup Taysom Hill, who became the first player in the playoffs with 25 or more yards rushing, receiving and passing.

Hill’s 50 yards rushing on four carries led the Saints, who got just 21 yards rushing from Alvin Kamara. Hill also threw a 50-yard pass and had two receptions for

City humiliates United in derby victory in League Cup semifinal

25 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown.

(Wondering if Jerry Jones asked Mike McCarthy about the Packers cutting Hill in 2017 after the former Brigham Young star first flashed his skills in Green Bay that summer).

The Patriots and Saints were considered the most dangerous lower seeds in their respective conferences, but neither could get out of the wildcard round.

The Patriots saw their three-year run to the Super Bowl end— along with their eight consecutive appearances in the conference championship—and the Saints lost on the final play for the third consecutive year.

Two years ago, it was on the Minneapolis Miracle and last year it was in overtime to the Rams after the infamous non-call on a blatant pass interference, which led to a rules change in 2019.

This time, it was on a tight end Kyle Rudolph’s touchdown grab in overtime that gave Minnesota a 26-20 win moments after Cousins hit Adam Thielen for 43 yards to the Saints two-yard line.

Saints fans argued that Rudolph pushed off defensive back PJ Williams on the game-winning catch.

Many TV commentators and NFL rules analysts said offensive pass interference should have been called on the field or by the league office in New York. But Officiating Chief Al Riveron said that while there was contact by both players, “none of that contact rises to the level of a foul.”

ESPN Rules Analyst John Parry disagreed.

“Nineteen years in this league, I’ve got it as OPI,” Parry said. “I mean, I have a right arm that’s extended. There’s clear separation. And at the end there is a push, which creates the advantage based on the defender’s body going back into the field of play. So, the receiver can take advantage, and get up, and get the football. I have it as offensive pass interference.”

Wil Lutz kicked a 49-yarder at the end of regulation to tie it at 20, but the Saints blew a chance to take another shot or two at the end zone and avoid overtime altogether.

Brees lamented a false-start penalty that triggered a 10-second runoff shortly before Lutz’s game-tying kick.

If not for the penalty, the Saints would have had a second-and-10 from the Minnesota, 26, with 21 seconds left. Instead, the ball went back 5 yards and there were 11 seconds remaining.

Brees threw an incompletion and Lutz trotted out for the field goal.

“That was costly,” Brees said, noting that without the penalty, the Saints might have taken a couple of more shots at the end zone. The Saints also could have avoided the 10-second runoff by calling their last timeout, which they ended up not using.

Tom Brady (right) and Drew Brees exit early in changing of the quarterback guard. AP

ANCHESTER, England—Trailing 3-0 at home to their fierce local rivals in a cup semifinal, Manchester United’s players were jeered by their own supporters as they traipsed off at halftime.

It was—as United Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer attested afterward— the team’s worst 45 minutes of the season, the latest example of the gulf which has opened up between the blue and red halves of Manchester.

In the end, Manchester City came away from Old Trafford on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory, but with hint of frustration that the score wasn’t even bigger after a one-sided first leg of the English League Cup semifinals.

“Of course, Manchester United can come back,” City Manager Pep Guardiola said, looking ahead to the second leg at Etihad Stadium on January 29. “They have the shirt, which means history and pride.”

Guardiola will know, however, that this semifinal should be over.

City put on a first-half clinic, netting three goals from the 19th to the 38th minutes and looking like scoring every time the team went forward. Guardiola didn’t play a recognized striker, instead flooding his midfield in order to dominate possession and spring forward in attack.

United couldn’t cope.

“We didn’t deal with their system well enough,” Solskjaer said.

When the visitors went 3-0 up courtesy of an owngoal by Andreas Pereira, memories were revived of the 6-1 win served up on this ground

by Roberto Mancini’s City in 2011 that was one signal of the shifting of the balance of soccer power in Manchester. It was the first time since 1997 that United conceded three first-half goals in a match at Old Trafford.

However, United managed to avoid conceding any more goals, and a 70th-minute strike by Marcus Rashford gave Solskjaer’s team a glimmer of hope heading into the second leg. Both Solskjaer and Guardiola made reference post-match to United advancing from the Champions League round of 16 last season after losing, 2-0, to Paris SaintGermain (PSG) at home in the first leg.

“We’ve shown before we have been down from a home tie, and turned it around,” Solskjaer said. “PSG is the latest example and we have to believe that we can put on a performance.”

City has won the League Cup the last two seasons and is now unbeaten in 16 straight matches in the competition, dating back to a loss at United in the fourth round in October 2016.

Aston Villa takes on Leicester in the other semifinal on Wednesday.

Mindful of how United tore apart his City team on the counterattack in a Premier League game won by Solskjaer’s side at the Etihad last month, Guardiola chose not to field either of his two strikers—Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus were on the bench—and overloaded the midfield.

“We win and we’re a genius,” Guardiola said, “but if we don’t win, I know what will happen. We try to control the counterattacks because they’re a wonderful team.”

City’s midfielders picked their moments to charge forward, and did so with devastating effect.

Bernardo Silva was unchallenged as he advanced toward the edge of United’s penalty area and drove a fierce, curling shot into the top corner in the 17th minute, with goalkeeper David de Gea unable to get close. AP

God of salvation

D

EAR God, You show justice to those who are vulnerable and in need. In hope we pray: God, come to our aid.

Inspire efforts to deneuclearize, and prosper the work of peacemakers. Inspire servant leaders to serve with integrity, wisdom, and concern for the poor and generous rich who are sharing a lot of their resources to the needy. Deflate the escalation of violence betwen nations and within our cities. May God grant all our prayers, satisfy our heart’s desire, and fulfill every one of our plans, through Jesus, our promised peace. Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY, SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life BusinessMirror

REELING: THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS D4

Thursday, January 9, 2020

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FUKUOKA, JAPAN

So�t pink clouds and fields of gold I

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY GERARD RAMOS Lifestyle & Entertainment Editor

T is typically not top of mind as a vacation destination to anybody eyeing Japan for the first time. That honor of course belongs to Tokyo, one of the 47 prefectures of Japan which has been its capital since 1869. Tokyo has come to define for a lot of people what this island country is all about—an impossible but altogether brilliant and exciting mix of old and new, tradition and modernity, anchored but not shackled to the past as it explores and establishes new concepts in the way humanity goes about their everyday lives.

There is, however, more to Japan as a vacation destination than just Tokyo. Like Nagoya, Osaka and Hokkaido, Fukuoka now figures in the list of travelers with a yen to scratch their wanderlust—a positive development no doubt helped by the country’s largest airline, Cebu Pacific, now offering direct flights to these destinations—and Tokyo, of course— daily from Manila, apart from the direct flights it offers to Tokyo from Clark and Cebu using its fleet of Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft.

The capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, which stretches on the northern shore of the Japanese island of Kyushu, Fukuoka is touted to be Japan’s sixth largest city, surpassing in 2015 the population of Kobe. The modern city was formed on April 1, 1889, with the merger of the former cities of Hakata and Fukuoka—an occasion, according to Wikipedia, that did not go without any hiccups: “When Hakata and Fukuoka decided to merge, a meeting was held to decide the name for the new city. Hakata was initially chosen, but a group of samurai crashed the meeting and forced those present to choose Fukuoka as the name for the merged city. However, Hakata is still used to refer to the Hakata area of the city and, most famously, to refer to the city’s train station, Hakata Station, and dialect, Hakata-ben.”

It has been nearly a year since we visited Fukuoka for the first time (and hopefully not the last), not as part of any sponsored media tour but as a personal trip, one not determined by strictly regimented tours marked by vexing early wake-up calls and tight schedules that unfold in a

breathless rush until one collapses in one’s hotel bed, the events of the day reduced to a muddled mush in one’s head.

Instead, after a pleasantly uneventful, nearly four-hour trip on Cebu Pacific, we arrived at the Fukuoka Airport in the bracing late evening cold of an early spring, retrieved our single carry-on, flagged down one of those boxy black taxis with the driver all suited-up in black and wearing white gloves, and we were off to the Airbnb rental near the harbor of Hakata Bay which was to be our home for four days.

The rental had none of the bells and whistles of hotel accommodations, but there was a washer and dryer (we never got to use them), fast Wi-Fi, microwave, induction stove, a bath small enough to fit into a studio but deep enough for one to sit down and enjoy a hot bath all the way up to one’s shoulders, two single roll-up mattresses, and—best of all—the rental had a balcony that looked out to the wharf just across the street where small fishing boats were anchored.

The view was magical in the mornings that were bathed in a gentle sunlight as seagulls glided near the water in search for their breakfast, and soothing and hypnotic at night when light from the lampposts and the boats made the dark water glisten like black gold.

But of course, we’re not here to go on and on about our Airbnb rental, however filled with lovely and funny memories it may be, but to recall some of the spaces visited, the experiences indulged in, and the flavors, and other sensations savored and relished.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS EVERYWHERE “ONE can have the first glimpse of blooming sakura flowers in Kyushu, where the much-anticipated seasonal cycle starts,” reads a media release Cebu Pacific sent us four years ago, when it launched its Fukuoka route in December.

People typically choose a destination for what it offers in terms of historical sites, popular curiosities and shopping options. We chose Fukuoka because of the cherry blossom, or sakura, this legendary flower from which sprang a custom that dates back to centuries and continues to this day. It is a small flower of such delicate beauty—a milky white, with just the touch of the palest of pink near the stem (there are arresting pink varieties of course)—its blooming

signaling the stirrings of spring, of new life following the bitter cold of winter.

Cherry blossoms come into full bloom en masse to create dreamy “clouds” on Earth that are touchable but oh so delicate in their character, and almost otherworldly in their beauty. Whether popping up sporadically along nondescript streets and corners, or stretching the length of expansive historic parks, cherry blossoms make for a sublime sensory delight that will live on and on in memory.

MAIZURU PARK | FUKUOKA CASTLE RUINS A CUSTOM whose roots can be traced back to the Nara period (710 to 794), hanami, or flower viewing, is the centuries-old practice of drinking under a blooming sakura tree. When we were in Fukuoka, in the spring of 2019, there was no shortage of pockets in the city that had cherry blossoms in full bloom, but it was Maizuru Park where families and friends, young and old, had gathered for hanami. Amid the profusion of these soft pink clouds, there were two rows of food stalls offering all sorts of mouthwatering delights, from takoyaki to that savory pancake called okonomiyaki, to grilled squid and refreshing gelato, plus plenty more to whet appetites after gawking at one cherry blossom tree and yet another, the next one just as equally grandiose.

Then of course there are the ruins of Fukuoka Castle to explore in Maizuru Park. From 1603 to 1867, known as the Edo Period, Fukuoka Castle was built stone by stone to become the biggest in the prefecture until it was torn down during the Meiji Restoration, when Japan wanted to shed its feudal past. Today, little of what could only have been an impressive structure remains—some turrets and wall ruins, plus a few gates and guard towers.

TRADITIONAL JAPANESE SHOPPING TOUR ONE of the oldest cities in Japan, Hakata in the middle ages became the base for the many merchants that traded with China and Korea, and that merchant vibe remains.

Our tour began at the sprawling and busy Hakata Station to meet our guide, proceeding on foot to Rakusui-en Garden, a stirring Meiji-era pond garden that seemed so far removed from the urban buzz that lay just outside its walls. From

there, we continued on to the Minoshima shopping street— and, no, this is not where you will run into stores that can be found whether you are in Ginza in Tokyo, or High Street in London. Instead, Minoshima is akin to being brought back to Japan’s Showa period where you can shop for traditional snacks and curious gewgaws. The final stop in our tour was Yanagibashi Rengo Market, also known as “Hakata’s Kitchen.” According to the tourism brochure that was given to use by our guide, the market has been “the main source of meat, fish, vegetables, and other local produce for the restaurants and residents of Fukuoka for over 100 years.”

DAZAIFU TENMANGU SHRINE THE Tenmangu Shrine in Dazaifu was not in our itinerary but a serendipitous mix-up in the details of a kimono rental brought us to the shrine—yes, in our rentals, complete with the geta, with our dresser happily telling us it was perfectly appropriate to go to shrine via a quick train ride dressed looking like castoffs from a bad remake of The Last Samurai.

The cobbled narrow street leading to the shrine’s entrance was lined with stores on both sides, the merchandise ranging from keepsakes, such as gorgeous chopsticks that can be personalized, to more scrumptious fare like cone ice cream with the creamiest brain freeze ever known to man. More shops can be found within the shrine itself.

Even if you choose to silence your inner shopaholic, there is much to take delight in at the shrine, one of the hundreds throughout Japan “dedicated to the spirit of Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician of the Heian Period,” according to literature. The shrine in Dazaifu is, however, the most important, having been built on the site of his grave. Notwithstanding the crush of people at the time, the din was little more than just a steady low hum of human activity, and this allowed plenty of moments to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the thousands of sakura trees in full bloom, the still pond that glistened like glass, and the havens for learning about the life and times of Michizane. Entrance to the shrine is free.

CONTINUED ON D3

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Thursday, January 9, 2020

Entertaining BusinessMirror

For more streamlined chicken enchiladas, use a slow cooker CHICKEN Enchiladas, the recipe for which appears in the cookbook The Complete Slow Cooker. AP

z

By America’s Test Kitchen The Associated Press

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Servings: 4-6 Cooking time: 4 to 5 hours on low Slow cooker size: 4 to 7 quarts 1 onion, chopped fine 1/4 cup vegetable oil 3 tablespoons chili powder 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce 2 teaspoons sugar 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed Salt and pepper 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups) 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Nina Dobrev, 31; Kate Middleton, 38; Dave Matthews, 53; Jimmy Page, 76.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Concentrate on personal, medical, legal and financial issues.

Assess your state of health and fitness, and implement exercise into your daily routine. It will help ease stress, as well as give you an outlet for any anger you are feeling. HHHH

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Suppress urgent feelings to start an argument. Getting along will be half the battle and the easiest way to avoid a negative response. A good idea that includes everyone will help you bypass those who are tempted to oppose you. HH

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Get involved in something that requires physical strength. It will help lift any bad feelings you might have about a situation you face at work or with someone you have to deal with today. HHHH

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Opportunity knocks; don’t miss out because you are angry about something someone said.

The sweetest revenge is your own success. Follow through with your plans, and walk away from chaos and disputes. A physical activity will do you good. HHHHH

1/4 cup jarred jalapeños, chopped 1 tablespoon lime juice 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

to 450°F. Spread 3/4 cup sauce over bottom of 13-by9-inch baking dish. Brush both sides of tortillas with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Stack tortillas, wrap in damp dish towel, and place on plate; microwave until warm and pliable, about one minute.

Working with one warm tortilla at a time, spread 1/3 cup chicken filling across center of tortilla. Roll tortilla tightly around filling and place seam side down in baking dish; arrange enchiladas in 2 columns across width of dish.

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas to cover completely and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Monterey Jack.

Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil.

Bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for five minutes before serving. n

Microwave onion, 2 tablespoons oil, chili powder, garlic, coriander, and cumin in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about five minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in tomato sauce and sugar. Season chicken with pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, four to five hours on low.

Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using two forks.

Combine chicken, 3/4 cup sauce, 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack, cilantro, jalapeños, and lime juice in bowl.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven

Full spectrum of Japanese cuisine goodness OPTIONS for Japanese restaurants in Manila may be endless, but it’s only in Ogetsu Hime that you can taste the full spectrum of Japanese flavors at great rates. Named after the food goddess of Japan, the restaurant uses the most premium ingredients, like the freshest and most authentic seafood from the famous Tsukiji Market, to craft top quality dishes.

There are soft slices of fresh sashimi, which shiver tenderly upon contact.

There are richly marbled cuts of Matsusaka beef, oozing with savory juices. There are crisp servings of katsudon, with golden batter wrapped around tender, lip-smacking pork.

To try all these delicious items and more, the Oget and Enjoy All-You-Can offer is the best way to go. And as if that isn’t enough, Ogetsu Hime is upgrading their already hearty buffet. With this all-new, all-exquisite offer, just add P100 to try even more mouthwatering dishes.

For that reasonable amount, you can

Today’s Horoscope

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: You’ll face some personal and emotional changes this year. Don’t fret over what others do when you should be considering what you want and how to go about making your dreams come true. Handle legal and financial matters concerning others with clarity, precision and fairness. Put what isn’t working for you to rest, and move in a positive direction.

Your lucky numbers are 4, 18, 23, 31, 35, 42, 44.

HICKEN enchiladas offer a rich and complex combination of flavors and textures, but traditional cooking methods can be tedious.

We wanted a more streamlined recipe for chicken enchiladas—one that utilized our slow cooker to make the filling, and that enabled the enchiladas to be quickly assembled and finished in the oven.

First we created a simple but flavorful red chile sauce with onion, garlic, spices and tomato sauce, then braised chicken thighs directly in the sauce, which both enhanced the flavor of the sauce and ensured moist, flavorful meat for our enchilada filling.

Monterey Jack cheese complemented the rich filling nicely, while canned jalapeños and fresh cilantro rounded out the flavors and provided tang and brightness. When it came time for assembly, we brushed the tortillas with oil and microwaved them to make them pliable.

After experimenting with oven temperatures and times, we found that baking the assembled enchiladas covered for 15 minutes in a 450°F oven resulted in perfectly melted cheese, and the edges of the tortillas did not dry out in the process.

Serve with sour cream, diced avocado, sliced radishes, shredded romaine lettuce and lime wedges.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

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discover even more of Ogetsu Hime’s premium, authentic offerings.

What can the upgraded promo get you? An unlimited amount of over 100 Japanese specialties to maximize your dining experience. With Aburi Sushi, Aburi Roll, Atarashi, Sashimi, Katsu, Ramen, Tempura, Rice Boxes, and more premium items to choose from, you can sample all the flavors of Japan and eat until you’re happily full. It allows you to sample unlimited US Angus Tenderloin, premium sushi, and more for P988 for lunch or P1,088 for dinner from Monday to Friday, and P1,088 for lunch and dinner throughout the year.

You can make the most out of the awesome eat-all-you-can deal and feast on limitless sushi, from the best selection of sashimi and makimono to Ogetsu Hime’s signature specialty rolls like the Ogetsu Hime Roll, Goma Ebi Tempura Roll, the Kaisen Fried Roll, Tokubetsu California Roll and the Momo Teri Maki.

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Keep moving.

Whether it’s learning something new, traveling for business, or discussing plans with a friend, peer or lover. You can make headway if you are intent on taking action and getting things done instead of just talking about it. HHH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do something constructive. Take better care of your health, your home and your relationships with others. Focus on what’s important, and refuse to let a dispute stand between you and your success. HHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You will meet with opposition if you are too open regarding your intentions or plans. Consider what you have to accomplish in order to get others to see things your way. Preparation is in your best interest. HHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You can make a difference if you speak up. Using force isn’t going to do as much good as gathering your facts and making an intelligent case to back your thoughts and feelings. HH

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Honesty will be necessary if you don’t want to make matters worse. Consider the changes you will have to make in order to appease someone you love.

HHHH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Listen and observe how others react before you decide to get involved in a joint venture. Refuse to let emotions dictate how you make important decisions. If you feel the least bit uncertain, back up and rethink your options. HHH

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Personal changes should be considered. Taking the initial steps will make you feel good and encourage you to forge ahead. An emotional matter will spur you to strive for perfection and a better future.

Personal improvements will boost your morale. HHH OGETSU Hime Roll

Japan’s best sushi dishes can also be enjoyed straight from Ogetsu Hime’s selection. Otoro, or blue fin tuna belly, is a rare catch, and the most sought-after fixture of the sushi bar. Hotategai are sweet, supple scallops that glide lazily across the tongue. Hamachi is the much-

loved Japanese yellowtail, boasting a smooth, buttery texture.

To experience and savor all that Japanese goodness, head to Ogetsu Hime at SM Megamall or SM Aura Premier.

More information is available at bit. ly/35y9gkG.

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your input will be welcome if you volunteer your help.

Someone who is jealous of you or your accomplishments will try to lead you astray. Recognize who is in your corner and who isn’t before you share information. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are intuitive, smart and helpful.

You are quick and persistent.

‘buzzwords’ BY MARK MCCLAIN The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Title dog in a 2019 Disney remake 6 ___ mater 10 One may have a single palm tree 14 Crime syndicate 15 Forest moms 16 Goodie bag contents 17 Phrase implying there may be none 18 Ice hockey position named for a side of the rink 20 Structure for vines 22 From now on 23 Clumsy fellow 24 Stored inside, as a car 26 Variation on a classic brandy cocktail 31 Messed up 32 Have the courage 33 Bravo personality Zolciak-Biermann 36 Bridle attachment 37 Mazda two-seater 39 Bring on board 40 Jazz style 41 Sour ___ whiskey 42 Palindromic numbers?

43 Device seen on many car roofs 46 Lemon-lime sodas

9 Polygraph detection 4 50 One of 16 in a chess set 51 Creeps (around) 55 Relay finale 58 Lilac, for one 60 Negotiation goal 61 Wharton’s school, informally 62 Chilling 63 2019 award for Serena Williams 64 Green growth 65 Night, in Nicaragua DOWN 1 “Enough oversharing!”

2 Boat for rapids 3 “Bearing gifts we traverse ___” 4 “Dibs!”

5 Rocket’s cargo 6 Floating aimlessly 7 Lane in Superman comics 8 1/1000 of a gig 9 Word before “gray” or “blond” 10 “It’s the truth!”

11 Golf lesson topic 12 Tilting weapon 13 Incited, with “on” 19 Number of little pigs

1 ___ Cruces 2 24 Part of a flying cloud 25 Taj Mahal locale 26 “Publish” or “perish” 27 Cookie since 1912 28 Faucet flaw 29 Filmmaker Burns 30 It separates Washington and Montana 33 Potter’s appliance 34 Steel element 35 Arizona landform 37 Constructed 38 Egyptian goddess whose son is Horus 39 Weeding tool 41 San ___ (city near Palo Alto) 42 Big name in cowboy hats 43 In an elaborate way 44 Straightens 45 Swig from a flask 46 Digging tool 47 Tree farm trees 48 Summary 51 Change for a twenty 52 “This is awful!”

53 The Little Mermaid prince 54 “No ___ luck!”

56 Tach readout 57 DiCaprio, to fans 59 Busy flier, or a hint to the starred answers’ ends

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Parentlife BusinessMirror

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Thursday, January 9, 2020

D3

FROM left: Meagan’s calligraphy that says, “Time is the Gift of Beginnings;” me at the Cafe of Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 2018; writing my poetry and reminding myself to be truly present.

Happy ‘Unapologetic’ New Year Soft pink clouds and fields of gold Continued from D1 NANZOIN TEMPLE WITH THE RECLINING BUDDHA AN express train from the Hakata Station brings one to Nanzoin Temple in Sasaguri, a sleepy town in the Kasuya District, and home to a statue of the Reclining Buddha, touted to be the world’s biggest.

It takes a bit of an uphill climb to reach the bronze Reclining Buddha, known as Nehanzo, and, according to literature, built in 1995 to house the ashes of the Buddha and two of Buddha’s adherents. Measuring 41 meters in length, 11 meters in height, and weighing in at 300 tons, it is certainly a sight to behold—much bigger than the famous giant bronze statues of the Sitting Buddha in Kamakura and Nara, also in Japan.

After taking in the spectacle of the Reclining Buddha, there are more stirring views to take in. Just look out to the lovely town of Sasaguri that spreads below.

NOKONOSHIMA ISLAND FLOWER PARK ON our last day in Fukuoka, we took a bus and then a ferry to traverse Hakata Bay, and visit Nokonoshima Island, where visitors can camp, play volleyball, or take in the magnificent views of not only even more cherry blossoms but also the island’s colorful flowers, most prominently the yellow rapeseed blossoms that blanket the park turning it into a sprawling field of gold.

The flower park has restaurants, cafés, and other facilities to host birthday parties and picnics, and at the end of our tour we parked ourselves at a lovely café to enjoy a cup of strong coffee and a slice of sinfully delicious cake.

It has been nine months since we visited Fukuoka, but the sensations from the trip continue to linger and bring a fond wistful smile to our face. The destination underscored for us that there is wonder and delight to be found in places that may have yet to become destination du jour in tourism routes. Then again, of course any trip always becomes even more special in the company of a love so profound that you see the world with fresh eyes and a deep gladness in the heart. n n To avoid having to hunt down tickets for tours that your are interested in, leverage the Klook app on your smartphone. www.klook.com. n To get around via bus or train in Fukuoka in particular, or Japan in general, or anywhere for that matter, have Google Maps on your smartphone, and it is unlikely you will ever miss a stop or get lost. maps.google.com. n For accommodations beyond hotels and bed-andbreakfasts, check what is available on Airbnb. www. airbnb.com. n Forget about data roaming offers of your carrier.

They may be reasonable, but a better deal would be to sign up for pocket Wi-Fi access for five days as soon as you arrive at the airport. Klook also makes this easier. n The largest airline in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific flies nonstop to Tokyo (Narita) from Manila and Cebu. It also has direct flights from Manila to Osaka and Nagoya daily, and to Fukuoka thrice weekly. With its seat sales, discount tickets and promos, Cebu Pacific’s affordable or cheap flights to Japan make travel easy and convenient for everyone.

MOMMY NO LIMITS

MAYE YAO CO SAY

mommynolimits@gmail.com

A

WEEK before Christmas, I had dinner with two very unique individuals: Cristina Concepcion and Bing Tan. Cristina, a pioneer in the Philippine finance, accounting and human-resource outsourcing industry, had impressed in me the true meaning of putting substance in her craft. Bing, a force of his own as the mind behind many business software solutions, literally was my very first friend since we were in nursery in Saint Jude.

Bing and I were classmates every single year until he moved to another high school. I was his prom date. We took the same undergraduate course. We had our rituals like walking to Wendy’s in Nagtahan after exams. We had our misunderstandings. We were there for each other especially for the emotional roller-coaster rides. Hence, when he gives me a “reading,” I listen.

The day after our dinner, he revealed to me his thoughts on how driven I was but advised me to learn from Cristina how to be more “unapologetic.” This thought lingered with me throughout the entire holiday break.

I realized my “apology” started the day I was born.

I learned my mother had a miscarriage before me, and the baby was supposed to be a boy. So, when I turned out to be a girl, I was left in the nursery for almost a year. I was also different in many ways. From physical

I appreciate finally choosing the will for my joie de vivre. In the book Bonjour, Happiness! Secrets to Finding Your Joie de Vivre by Jamie Cat Callan, “joy of life” is about loving life, loving people, loving to be alive and trusting that nothing happens without a reason. It is about accepting what’s in your life in the moment and feeling contented inside. Below is my poem on my “unapology:” The price of untimely goodbyes... is the wholeness of one’s vision.

Is it a sacrifice? or is it a gift?

Live only the moment when the moment allows to live.

Joie de Vivre stays when Joie de Vivre is chosen to stay.

Let the feeling flutter So you remember...

Remember the date Remember who saved.

Today we know what we know And chose what we chose.

No regrets...only faith in tomorrow and faith in ourselves.

I hope for all of you that you may also start the year with thoughts on how to “unapologize.” Think about answering these questions: n What do you really want to feel? n What environment do you really want to be in? n What activities would let you achieve this feeling and where for yourself? n What is your time line? n What activities will you forego?

Some people have “everything” and choose to love nothing, while some people have lost so much or even their full capacity to physically live but manage to humor life. The dichotomy is worth pondering—that happiness is a choice and not a fatal destiny.

Happy New Year, everyone. n

Greta Thunberg’s parents went green to ‘save’ their daughter

By Natasha Livingstone The Associated Press LONDON—The parents of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg made changes in their lives to “save” their daughter, not the world.

The teenager’s father, Svante Thunberg, told the BBC in late December that his 16-year-old daughter experienced depression for three or four years before going on school environment strikes.

He described how the young climate activist “fell ill” and stopped eating and talking to others.

To help her recover, he and his wife—Swedish opera singer Malena Ernman—made significant changes in their lives to become more environmentally friendly.

Svante went vegan and Ernman stopped flying, which “changed her whole career,” he said.

“To be honest, she didn’t do it [to] save the climate. She did it to save her child because she saw how much it meant to her, and then, when she did

National Gifted Week marked with kite-flying event THE Philippine Center for Gifted Education (PCGE), in partnership with Promil Four and the Kite Association of the Philippines, launched the celebration of National Gifted Week in late 2019 with a kite-making and -flying event held at Burnham Green, Manila. During the event,

attributes to not being the typical honor student who stuck with their brood or read tons of books, and to being a third-born, I always felt lost in the face of my own family’s expectations.

My reaction in our family was always to remold, love more and be “totally” useful. But when I stepped out in school or other arenas, I felt the right to breathe.

I felt I could rightfully achieve. This was no one’s fault.

It was my choice.

The preceding paragraphs are informed by deep experiences and emotions, involving multiple personalities. It is not yet the time to share. What matters most today, as 2020 opens, is that I choose to relinquish this apology. I remember the words from a journal entry last September 2014 at The Lanson Place in Shanghai, titled “Fascinations Realizations....”

“God is very good to me. I need to see these sudden bursts of realities as transitions to better tomorrows.

You always think you are meant for something and then God brings you to a world so much bigger than what you think you can conquer...and the surprising thing is you actually conquer it.

“This is no different. You need to embrace this free time for something new and something for yourself.

You deserve to work for what is important to you in an environment that respects the person that you are.

“I choose to skip the drama of the ‘whys’ and the ‘how could yous’. The pain seems to be irrelevant.

You learn to say, ‘What the hell?’ and then say, ‘Hmmm...what’s the opportunity?’ It is no longer about personalities. It is and will always be about your choices. Even if it seems that you have been duped or taken advantage of, try hard to look at the situation and not judge the person who did it. Know that the situation brings a message and that the personality is insignificant.”

Today, I know my worth and I know where I stand. I stand not above or below any person or circumstance. I stand at my own chosen eye level... fully present, fully self-actualizing and fully loving.

children and their parents were treated to an afternoon of fun activities and entertainment.

Shown in the photo are (from left) Wyeth Nutrition Philippines General Manager Bert Demeyere, marketing director for premium milks Jo Lacida, Kara Escay, Dr. Leticia

Peñano-Ho, Wyeth Nutrition Group Product Manager for Premium Milks Mea Gabunada, Promil Four Marketing Specialist Cheska Cornelio, Promil Four Product Manager Jaycel Ortiaga, Promama Product Manager Trisha Cuña and Promil Four Product Manager Ian Alaba.

that, she saw how much she grew from that, how much energy she got from it,” Svante said.

The father added that initially

he did not support his daughter’s activism.

“We thought it was a bad idea, just the idea of your own daughter sort of putting herself at the very front line of such a huge question like climate change,” he said. “You wouldn’t want that as a parent.”

His comments came during a special edition of the BBC Radio 4 Today program guest-edited by the young climate campaigner.

The BBC was heavily criticized for flying their presenter to Sweden to interview the teenager and her father, saying they “did not have time for other means of transport.”

The program also included interviews with outgoing Bank of England chief Mark Carney, who said the financial sector is responding too slowly to the climate crisis, and environment filmmaker David Attenborough.

SWEDISH environmental activist Greta Thunberg attends a climate strike arranged in late December by the organization “Fridays For Future” outside the Swedish parliament Riksdagen in Stockholm. AP

D4

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Thursday, January 9, 2020

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JOAQUIN PHOENIX

‘Joker’ tops nominations for British Academy Film Awards

The way the world ends REELING

TITO GENOVA VALIENTE

titovaliente@yahoo.com

A

S the year was coming to an end, I found myself in two places the Manila-oriented Philippine film industry will never identify with the progress of cinema: Zamboanga and Iloilo. And yet, the two places are in my book among the many sites of regional films, the only exciting locations for the creation of movies that are not tired, trite and trifling. For fear of romanticizing the simplistic, let me say that not all regional films are excellent and gripping. But what I realized going around the film festivals and concourses—big and small—and conducting film education and film criticism workshops, there is only one factor that diminishes the, otherwise, organic trenchant characteristics of regional films, and that is when filmmakers try to imitate the bad habits of the works coming from the putative cultural center.

Iloilo proved to be an engaging exercise of confronting the problems of boundaries. As an outsider, I often asked: “What makes an Ilonggo film?

What is Negrense cinema? Is there a Hiligaynon narrative?” these are outsider’s paradigm.

Early on, in Bacolod, under its Sine Negrense, a mind-bending film about a woman who levitates grabbed practically all the awards in the competition.

It came from the otherwise unheralded city of Sagay?

City of what?

That is one grim problem: we do not know our archipelago.

The same film was brought over to the Cine Kasimanwa, a festival that celebrates citizenship and geographic camaraderie. It then competed with other films from the “region” that is not anymore the region that local government units recognize.

Cinema under Cine Kasimanwa has challenged geographies and limitations of places and languages. It is an interrogation that is only discussed academically in major educational institutions in Manila; it is a complex of questions settled, negotiated, contested— all acted upon—in the places of the periphery.

In Zamboanga, with a film festival that brandishes the notion and act of peace, films from Manila were admitted and exhibited together with those from Mindanao and other places. This decision has not made Zamboanga the center of cinema. This decision has prompted—and should prompt—us to rethink the evil of centers.

Centers totalize and remove the splendor inherent in varied cultures. It is from these cultures—that need

Manila/Tagalog cinema, long mistaken for national cinema, has made it cultural business and political propaganda to betray the regions, the non-Manila societies and communities. We have been deluded to believe the Philippines—with all its diversities and conflicts—can be made in the image and likeness of the metropolitan gaze. not be about folk dances and folk songs—that the many singular, arresting cinemas are formed.

Back in Manila, at the end of the year, the disenfranchising Metro Manila Film Festival reared its ugly and decomposing head again.

Months before the holding of the festival, a committee always dangles the prospect to filmmakers of who would be chosen for the feast. For some reason, the trick still works. A significant number of cineasts have not yet lost hope that maybe, just maybe, this year the films to be chosen would be “good” films.

We are not even searching for excellence, anymore.

In a country that rewards—and enjoys—mediocrity and an industry that has been correlating Christmas jubilation with films that can make people laugh, the Metro Manila Film Festival is a natural offspring.

Then the list is released. Then the pictures are screened. Then the people respond.

Not all reviews are bad. In fact, reviews are misleading.

Some reviews are built upon the sands of press releases (oh please, if you love bad films, allow me some bad figures of speech). Many proceed from a collection of log lines supplied by publicists producing a torrent of information about films that are poetry of loss and isolation, of performances that are remarkable in their silences.

Are we celebrating silences and pauses because as we commemorate the centenary of our cinema, we have come to a conclusion that we are writers of bad lines?

An actor, who has vanished from the scene for personal reasons, is used by a film that has earlier declared itself to be “serious cinema.” He is the Minute Boy and his appearance is declared magisterial. Some in hysteria professed that the brief appearance stole the scenes from the other “thespians.” Bad news for the leads, eh?

Oggs Cruz, my favorite critic outside my Manunuri colleagues, describes Mindanao a “betrayal.” The review, which appears on Rappler, takes issue with the title, one that “screams politics” and “promises

culture.” Cruz laments how the film is “nothing more than a stilted soap opera, one whose prolonged expositions of the banal aspects of life are but bids at elevating what essentially is a pity party.”

But why am I not surprised about this betrayal?

It is because Manila/Tagalog cinema, long mistaken for national cinema, has made it cultural business and political propaganda to betray the regions—the non-Manila societies and communities. We have been deluded to believe the Philippines—with all its diversities and conflicts—can be made in the image and likeness of the metropolitan gaze.

The omnipotence of Manila as the cultural center insofar as cinema is concerned should come to an end.

But the powers-that-be are not giving up.

The film grants and festivals are still in Manila.

And there is a new monster in town: film pitching. Be careful about the funds you wish for.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the issue was ODA, or Official Development Assistance. Development scholars discovered the fund came with long strings.

Film pitching is the new ODA. Experts from Manila descend upon regional festivals and in various moods of biting criticisms proceed to reduce the filmmaker that his or her idea sucks. A clique is formed, and a clan of filmmakers with similar templates is born.

As the year ends, two words gained currency: “genre” and “world class.”

A comedian with uncanny profundity exclaimed how comedy is not recognized as a genre. Of course, comedy is a difficult art and genre is often mispronounced (ask Señora Evelyn Caldera Soriano).

And the comedian does not even know comedy does not necessarily mean to have a f---ing laugh.

As for world class, who declares we are world class? Not the world, as far as I know.

As far as I know, for all the “world class-ness” of our cinema, we have never made it to the Oscars short list of choices for films in a non-English language.

As for me, there is a world out there in the regions where films are unique and lovely, and disturbing. ■

LONDON—The film Joker has topped the nominations for the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) announced on Tuesday.

The movie, about the origins of the comic-book villain, received 11 BAFTA nominations; including best film, best actor for Joaquin Phoenix and best director. Martin Scorsese’s gangster epic The Irishman and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in...Hollywood were close behind with 10 nominations, including best picture; and Sam Mendes’s war film 1917 also earned a best picture nomination two days after winning that award at the Golden Globes.

The Korean film Parasite also is on the best picture list. In addition to Phoenix, the best actor contenders include Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver, Taron Egerton and Jonathan Pryce.

The best actress will be chosen from Scarlett Johansson, Saoirse Ronan, Charlize Theron, Renee Zellweger and Margot Robbie.

The awards will be announced at a gala event hosted by Graham Norton on February 2. AP

DIRECTOR LEE EUNG-BOK TO RETURN WITH NEW NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES ‘SWEET HOME’

THE world’s leading streaming entertainment service, Netflix, announced that it will team up with director Lee Eung-bok (Mr. Sunshine, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Descendants of the Sun) to produce a new original series, Sweet Home, which will be available exclusively on Netflix.

Adapted from a popular Web toon of the same name, Sweet Home is a suspenseful series based on the unique premise of a world in which people turn into monsters that reflect their own individual desires. After losing his family, reclusive high-school student Cha Hyeon-su moves into a new apartment where he faces these bizarre and shocking circumstances.

Netflix has also confirmed casting for the show. Hyeon-su is played

by Song Kang, who gained recognition as a next-generation star for his performance as Sunoh in the Netflix original series Love Alarm.

Lee Jin-uk, whose explosive acting in the drama Voice proved his unique brilliance as a character actor, portrays the mysterious Pyeong Sanguk. Lee Si-young, who is known for her intense acting in No Mercy, plays the toughas-nails Seo Yi-gyeong, an original character created for the Netflix adaptation, which is expected to keep fans of the Web toon guessing.

Director Lee Eung-bok’s intense new series Sweet Home is produced by Studio Dragon, and written by Hong So-ri, Kim Hyung-min and Park So-jung.

GMA offers all-out entertainment with new weekly variety ‘All-Out Sundays’ FANS of GMA started the new year with a weekly musical variety spectacle, All-Out Sundays, which made its debut on January 5. The show gathered some of the network’s brightest stars to bring all-out entertainment for the whole family.

Also dubbed as #AOS, All-Out Sundays redefines Sunday afternoon viewing experience of Filipino households with its world-class musical performances, exciting games and live sitcoms every week that are sure to spread good vibes to viewers.

Bringing all-out exceptional performances to Sunday noontimes are Alden Richards, Julie Anne San Jose, Christian Bautista, Aicelle Santos, Mark Bautista, Rayver Cruz, Ken Chan, Rita

Daniela, Gabbi Garcia, Derrick Monasterio, Miguel Tanfelix, Kyline Alcantara, Migo Adecer, Mavy Legaspi, Cassy Legaspi and JD Domagoso.

Adding fun and excitement into the show are Golden Cañedo, Garrett Bolden, Jong Madaliday, The Clash Season 2 grand champion Jeremiah Tiangco and firstrunner up Thea Astley, and StarStruck 7 top winners Kim de Leon and Shayne Sava.

Spicing up the program with their amusing brand of comedy are versatile GMA stars Paolo Contis, Glaiza de Castro, Betong Sumaya, Kakai Bautista, Boobay, Super Tekla and Lexi Gonzales.

Sundays also get dreamier as All-Out Sundays puts the spotlight on its allmale dance group composed of Vince

Crisostomo, Karl Aquino, Radson Flores, Abdul Raman and de Leon.

The network’s new Sunday offering obviously piqued and excited viewers, with All-Out Sundays’ maiden outing, according to leading ratings provider AGB Nielsen, scoring a 6.1-percent audience share, while ASAP Natin ’To, its rival program on ABSCBN, drew 5.7 percent with its Sharon Cuneta birthday celebration special.

All-Out Sundays is under the helm of creative directors Caesar Cosme and Rommel Gacho, creative consultants Perry Lansigan and Paolo Valenciano, headwriter for musical Rommel Gacho, headwriter for sitcom Vince de Jesus, stage director Rem Zamora and TV director Miguel Tanchanco.

Envoys&Expats

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, January 9, 2020 E1

APPRECIATION, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ASPIRATIONS

Ambassador heralds new chapter in Philippines-China relations

N

By Recto L. Mercene

@rectomercene

EWLY appointed ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Philippines Huang Xilian made an assurance that all infrastructure collaborations between Manila and Beijing would see their completion.

At the local commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Macau’s return to China, which coincided with a Yuletide celebration for members of the local media, Huang declared: “My priority is to implement all projects agreed upon, with a purpose to synergize the ‘Belt and Road,’ as well as ‘Build, Build, Build’ [initiatives].”

The Chinese envoy said that, although both the Philippines and

China continue to deepen their partnerships for the aforementioned projects, he believes there would be more to come in the future.

As the two nations prepare to celebrate the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, China’s former representative to the Asean revealed that his side is working closely with Filipino counterparts on engagements covering trade and culture,

among many others.

Since arriving in early December 2019, the ambassador has had the opportunity to meet a number of senior government officials and Cabinet secretaries of the current administration. “I’ve discussed with them [the further implementation of the consensus reached] by our leaders, and the programs to be pursued next year.” (See related story, “New China

envoy moving to fast-track infra projects,” in the BusinessMirror, December 30, 2019)

Huang admits that he is still in the process of learning more about his country of assignment, but is confident that all the efforts of the Chinese Embassy would bring about tangible results in the near future.

“Our two heads of state [Presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Xi Jinping] have so far met eight times and reached a lot of consensus on pragmatic cooperation. What we need to do now is to implement [them] to make sure that all projects

agreed upon by the two leaders will be completed, so that they can bring tangible benefits to our peoples.”

Addressing the occasion’s guests of honor, who included Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin M. Andanar, as well as Presidential Spokesman and Chief Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo, Huang said three key words encapsulate the essence of celebrating the Philippines-China partnership: Appreciation, accomplishment and aspiration.

Excellent reportage

FIRST, the Chinese Embassy deemed it necessary to express its appreciation to the local press contingent for its excellent delivery of news and stories on the positive and progressive China-Philippines relations, as well as its close following of the developments concerning the Asian superpower.

“It is through you that our two peoples get to know each other bet-

ter, understand each other better, and bond with each other closer,” the Chinese diplomat explained.

Further, the ambassador shared his gratitude to members of the local media for their consistent support to the ties that bind the Philippines and China, as well as the endeavors of the latter’s embassy in Manila.

“History tells us that two nations who appreciate each other could always…live together in amity and progress. Such is the story of China and the Philippines,” the emissary expounded.

Being new in his post, Huang looks forward to establish an affinity with local media professionals and personalities, with an aim to forge friendships and strengthen future cooperation.

Increasing investments

THE Chinese career diplomat also ticked off an impressive list of accomplishments between the two na-

tions, saying that the Philippines is now the Asian giant’s top trading partner, a major source of imports, as well as the biggest market for exports. His country has become the second-largest tourist source and potentially, the largest foreign investment origin in the future.

“In the first 10 months [of last year], our bilateral-trade volume reached $49.8 billion, with a 7.2-percent year-on-year increase. In the first three quarters of 2019, more than 1.1 million tons of Philippine bananas were exported to China, bringing $493 million [worth] of income to the Filipino farmers,” Huang outlined.

China’s top envoy in the country disclosed that more than 40 major Chinese enterprises are currently investing in the Philippines, “directly or indirectly, generating 26,000 job opportunities for Filipinos.”

Continued on E2

Envoys& BusinessMirror

E2 Thursday, January 9, 2020

THE DFA IN 2019

Making headway on independent foreign policy, OFW protection T

HREE years into the Duterte administration, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has made “significant headway” into Manila’s pursuit of an independent foreign policy.

In a recent interview at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. told reporters “there’s no need to assure you, because you see.

Don’t listen to what we say; listen to what we’ve done, and what we’ve achieved. We have achieved that independent foreign policy.”

For 2020, Locsin said the DFA would remain consistent in adhering to its original vision of ensuring that Manila fosters relations with various partners for the national interest of Filipinos.

“While we can, we also cultivate new friendships, and keep alive old [ones],” the DFA chief averred.

2019 witnessed Manila’s increased engagements with its nontraditional partners, such as Russia, China, as well as its defense ally, the United States.

In October, President Duterte trumpeted progress in the ties between Manila and Moscow, manifested by the Philippines vowing to have a “robust and comprehensive partnership” with Russia.

In his trip to the said federal country, Duterte and Russian President Vladimir Putin came up with bilateral agreements on the peaceful uses of energy, scientific research, health, culture and foreign policy consultations.

With China, the Philippine president inked several agreements with counterpart Xi Jinping when he visited Beijing for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in April. These include the Production Capacity and Investment Cooperation, and about 19 other business agreements with an estimated investment value of

$12.165 billion.

On the other hand, Manila’s longstanding ally, the US, continues to assist the country in its scientific endeavors and the recovery efforts for war-torn Marawi City.

In July, the two signed a 10-year deal to boost scientific collaboration at the closing of the eighth Bilateral Strategic Dialogue between Washington and Manila.

In the same month, the US earmarked some P234 million in humanitarian assistance to the ongoing relief efforts in Marawi, bringing its total contribution to the city’s recovery to more than P3.4 billion, almost two years after the conflict erupted in 2017.

Trash, sovereignty issues

WHILE the country continued to cultivate a friendlier bond with its partners, it also exerted efforts in resolving issues with Canada and China.

In May, the waste problem with Canada was put to rest, with the return of the dozens of containers carrying garbage from the North American country after it was shipped to Philippine shores in 2013 and 2014.

This became one of the country’s biggest foreign-affairs headliners, following the return of the Balangiga bells in 2018.

On the South China Sea (SCS)/ West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute, Manila regularly conducts bilateral consultative mechanism (BCM) meetings with China. The latest was held last October, in Beijing, with the next slated in the first half of 2020.

The territorial row of both nations in the WPS remains unresolved, but

SoKor eyes eased up visa rules for Asean states

T

PRESIDENTIAL Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Chief of Presidential Protocol Robert Eric A Borje (left) with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola visit a recovering overseas Filipino worker in a Bahrain hospital on December 28, 2019. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

the DFA regards the BCM as a platform “that can play a significant role in the enhanced and stable development of bilateral relations and peace and stability in the SCS, through which both sides discuss, as well as consider ways and means to promote practical maritime cooperation [while properly managing and addressing differences.]”

With the momentum of the Philippine-China relations improving, Manila continues to engage and raise its concerns with Beijing on activities in the SCS. In April, Locsin reiterated that the Philippine position on the contested waters remains the same: “It is ours.”

In the vast SCS, Vietnam, and other member-states of the Asean have competing claims. Together with Beijing, which asserts a large portion of the waters with its invisible demarcation of the so-called Nine-Dash Line, the regional bloc— with the Philippines as country coordinator—has targeted to conclude the negotiation on a code of conduct within three years.

Toward the end of last year, the

talk of the town, on the other hand, was focused on the approved 2020 national budget of the US, which included a provision allowing its State Department to ban Filipino nationals involved in the “wrongful detention” of Sen. Leila M. de Lima, one of the administration’s staunchest critics, who is currently facing drug-trafficking charges.

Notwithstanding, the foreign affairs secretary described to reporters the relations between the Philippines and the US as follows: “[It’s] perfect...that’s the Legislative branch. [It’s the] same in Europe: Sometimes the legislative branch in the European Parliament says something against us.”

Securing welfare overseas

IN ensuring the welfare of Filipinos abroad, Locsin said the Philippines has encouraged host countries to adopt legislation favorable to the migrant workers—potential laws that could benefit thousands of overseas Filipino workers.

Although the DFA has continued to banner the benefits of such

laws, Locsin admitted the limitations in urging a sovereign state to change them.

“We will continue to pressure them, but more important than the law is [their treatment of] Filipinos.

If they’re treating [our compatriots] well, I’m going to really cultivate that relationship, because it’s not important for me to have words on paper,” the foreign affairs secretary said.

“If they treat our people well, then I would consider them friends of the Filipino people,” he further emphasized.

For distressed overseas Filipinos, Locsin said the government would continue to assist them with the DFA’s Assistance to Nationals Fund and Legal Assistance Fund.

“As long as [one is a Filipino, in distress and] wants to go home, we take them home—no questions asked. What is important to me is the swiftness; the speed with which we rescue our people, [and to] take them home when they want to go home.

And when we say they go home, we don’t look for reasons,” he said. Joyce

Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

HE South Korean government is planning to implement a relaxed visa measure for citizens of Asean member-countries, the statefunded Yonhap News Agency said in a report.

Yonhap reported on December 12 that four major policy measures, including “a new visa program with Southeast Asian countries” and the expansion of South Korea’s visa-free stay program to regional airports, have been discussed during a Korean government meeting on strategies to promote regional tourism.

Quoting a government release, Yonhap also noted Seoul’s plans to sign a treaty with Asean “to allow young people from the region to enjoy regional tours and language studies while staying in South Korea up to one year.”

Asean member-states include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The report also mentioned Seoul’s plan to launch new flight routes connecting South Korea’s regional airports to Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia “while allowing foreigners to stay up to 72 hours at South Korean regional airports without a visa starting in 2020.” When asked to confirm, South Korean officials in Manila said they are still awaiting information from Seoul.

“About the news item, we are still waiting for an official statement to come from [our] headquarters in Korea,” the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) said.

The KCC is under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, as well as the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

Ambassador heralds new chapter in PHL-China relations Continued from E1

From January to October 2019, fresh investments from China tallied $33.4 million, representing an annual growth of 45.7 percent.

He said that as of October 2019, more than 1.5 million Chinese tourists visited the Philippines—a 41-percent rise in numbers, and a close second to the statistics of South Korean visitors.

Among more than a dozen flagship infrastructure projects in the pipeline to be completed in the next few years are the Chico River Irrigation Pump, New Centennial Water Source (Kaliwa Dam) and the Philippine National Railways South Long Haul. These are being pushed forward at a steady pace, according to Huang, “and will contribute to the development of agriculture and transportation in the Philippines.”

China had also provided RMB2.75 billion, or around $398 million worth of grants, and close to $500 million of

soft loans to the Philippines to support “Build, Build, Build.” Another RMB3 billion, or some $421 million of grants, had already been allocated between 2019 and 2022.

“Altogether, 10 projects have been completed, [which have brought] tangible benefits to local people,” Huang disclosed.

With these immense achievements made possible by the two nations, “the aforementioned figures are just a very small fraction of the whole picture,” the new Chinese ambassador emphasized.

‘Comprehensive strategic cooperation’

HUANG segued into the third aspect, founded upon a couple of factors: “Increasing volume of trade and mutual visits demonstrate our interwoven development interests, characterized with peace and amity....

Both countries have achieved the progress of cooperation, while they address differences in a constructive

NUMBERS that matter: China’s new ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, revealed significant numbers which figure in the progressively improving links between Manila and Beijing.

manner, in pursuit of the true spirit of seeking a common ground while reserving differences.”

These elements characterize what he considers as aspiration, ushering the Golden Age of Philippine-Chinese comprehensive strategic cooperation thriving “under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Duterte.”

During next year’s 45th celebration of the establishment of China-Philippines diplomatic ties, the envoy revealed there would be celebratory activities being arranged. They cover political visits, economic cooperation, cultural events and think tank exchanges that are already on schedule.

The ambassador vowed to maximize this great opportunity, “as we expect to work closely with our Filipino friends, expand our peopleto-people exchanges, and enhance the mutual trust between our two countries.”

&Expats

envoys.expats.bm@gmail.com |Thursday, January 9, 2020 E3

ISRAEL IN PHL

Bringing the Holy Land closer to Filipinos

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SIMPLE photo of a kindergarten pupil dressed up as Miss Asia Pacific-Israel 2019 Noy Ben Artzi during a United Nations-themed school event recently piqued the interest of Ambassador Rafael Harpaz.

Along with the Israeli community in the Philippines and the kindergarten of the Jewish Synagogue in the city, Harpaz arranged for an outreach activity in Sta. Ana Elementary School in Manila, where five-year-old Angela Alforque is studying.

“I saw this article about Angela, and her dreams about Israel,” the envoy said in an interview.

An Israeli news site picked up the story of the young Alforque, after her mother Elfe tagged the embassy in

her Facebook post.

In an interview, the mom said she and their family have been fascinated with the “Holy Land” for a long time.

“It is her grandfather who really loves Israel. And we, as a Catholic family, also longed to go where Jesus Christ was, as written in the Bible.

Her [uncle] also likes to go there...

Basically, everyone [of us],” Elfe said.

In their school visit, embassy officials donated books and other learning materials to the kids. They

AMBASSADOR Rafael Harpaz said he knows many Filipinos dream of going to the “Holy Land,” as the Embassy of Israel organized an outreach event in Sta. Ana Elementary School in Manila. PNA/CHRISTINE CUDIS

also had a good time with the kindergarten pupils during their stay, as they shared the story behind the eight candles of Hanukkah.

“I know that every Filipino, being a Catholic country, has [in their bucket list the chance] to visit Israel...

So I had an idea: ‘Why not bring Is-

rael here?’” Harpaz said. “I told them: ‘One day, all of you will go to the Holy Land to visit. Walang visa, so I hope she [Angela] will fulfill her dreams.”

Forever grateful

IN 2019 alone, the Embassy of Israel provided a lot of “good news” to the

Philippines, aside from the “no visa” privilege for the Filipinos. A program that aims to bring a thousand Filipinos to the Middle Eastern country to work for its tourism industry is currently being studied.

Harpaz said the Philippines is the first country in the world that Israel has signed a government-togovernment hiring process, so private recruitment agencies are not necessary.

In September 2018, President Duterte visited Israel and signed a bilateral labor agreement. It effectively improved and regulated the recruitment process and the rights of overseas Filipino workers, while drastically reducing placement fees.

In an earlier report, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Nathaniel G. Imperial said the labor-cooperation agreement will “hopefully ensure that the exploitative placement fees that are being charged to [Filipino]

workers would be substantially reduced, if not eliminated.”

“We have long-standing cooperation and development assistance with the Philippines. There are 600 Filipinos traveling to Israel as part of their agriculture studies,” Harpaz added.

To date, there are also around 40,000 Filipinos living and working as caregivers in Israel.

“When Filipinos move there or visit there, they will feel at home.

In Tel Aviv, [they] can eat halo-halo, and even balut,” he said, adding that there are also Israelis who are fluent in speaking Tagalog.

Harpaz had previously shared that his country is forever grateful to former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon and the rest of the Filipinos who provided shelter to the fleeing Jews in the 1930s—an act which will “forever be etched in the hearts [of Israelis].” Christine Cudis/PNA

Israel mounts UST photo Filipino director visits Israel exhibit on Pope Francis A WARD-winning Director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo was in Israel as a guest of the country’s Ministry of Tourism.

Bernardo’s latest movie Kita Kita (2017) ended its theatrical run with worldwide gross earnings of P320 million ($6 million), making it the highest grossing Philippine independent film. For it, she was nominated as best director and best screenplay/ screenwriter in 2018. She won in both categories at the Star Awards for Movies.

The director was recognized by her peers in international forums for her other projects; most notably, in Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita.

She toured the Middle Eastern country with Director of Photography Roberto “Boy” Yñiguez, and visited its major sites to explore coproduction possibilities.

IN the Judean Desert

Historic sites

ISRAEL’S Deputy Chief of Mission Yulia Rachinsky-Spivakov (from left), with UST’s Vice Rector for Religious Affairs Rev. Fr. Pablo Tiong, OP, and Public Affairs Director-Associate Prof. Giovanna V. Fontanilla

T

HE University of Santo Tomas (UST) took part in the celebration of the 25th year of the diplomatic relations between the State of Israel and the Holy See by holding a photo exhibit of Pope Francis’s 2014 arrival in Israel.

The Embassy of Israel’s Deputy Chief of Mission Yulia RachinskySpivakov and its staff members joined UST’s Vice Rector for Religious Affairs Rev. Fr. Pablo Tiong, OP; Public Affairs Director-Associate Prof. Giovanna V. Fontanilla; faculty members and students in attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The exhibit was unveiled in the Philippines by Luis Antonio Cardinal G. Tagle during his historic visit to the Synagogue,” RachinskySpivakov said.

She quoted Israel’s late President Shimon Peres: “Pope Francis touched people’s hearts—regardless of their faith or nation. He emerged as a bridge builder of brotherhood and peace.”

“We are here to serve as a bridge between the State of Israel [and] the Philippines, as well as Judaism and Catholicism,” the deputy chief of mission further stated.

The embassy official also took the

WHILE in Israel, Bernardo visited different historic sites in the cities of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Caesarea, Haifa, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea region.

She toured the Caesarea National Park and the Old City in Jerusalem, as well as other important sites.

In Tel Aviv-Yafo, she enjoyed a tour of the old city and the beach promenade, followed by an exciting nightlife tour that showcases the vibrant culture of the city after dark.

In Haifa, Bernardo strolled through the city’s picturesque German Colony and toured the famed Bahai’i World Centre and Hanging Gardens.

No trip to Israel is complete without a visit to the famous Dead Sea region, where Bernardo toured the historic Masada National Park, followed by the unique and exciting floating experience in the dense salt water and mineral-rich environment.

IN Old Jaffa, Tel Aviv

Historic backdrop

THOMASIANS flock to the photo exhibit

opportunity to congratulate Tagle’s appointment in his new role in the Vatican as the new prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

For his part, Tiong shared, “The visit of Pope Francis will always be an important event: whether it’s through a photo exhibition, or the visit of his holiness, himself, to UST in January 2015. In the same way, the visit of our friends from the Embassy of Israel is always an experience of warm friendship.”

“The visits of the popes always

leave our countries in a greater state of hope and love. Both our countries and our peoples believe that Pope Francis is our inspiration, and guide, toward tolerance, understanding and praising faith,” he added.

According to the embassy, the visit of Pope Francis to Israel on May 25 and 26, 2014, marked an important milestone in the deepening relationship among the Catholic Church, Israel and the Jewish people.

The pontiff was the fourth to visit the Holy Land.

THE purpose of the visit was to show Bernardo the unique terrain and vibrant culture of Israel, set against a uniquely intriguing historic backdrop.

“Israel is a destination that has a lot to offer to travelers. We have seen a growing interest from the market, with over 30,000 visitors from the Philippines to Israel this year from January through November,” Ministry of Tourism Director Sammy Yahia commented on Bernardo’s visit.

“Film is a great way to showcase the destination to the Filipino audience. I am happy to see there is an interest from the Philippine film industry to showcase this beautiful

FLOATING in the Dead Sea

country. Bernardo is a well-respected director with a keen eye, and I am looking forward to collaborate with her,” Yahia confirmed Israel offers a plethora of things to do and see, which will cater to the discerning traveler. From the

historic city of Jerusalem to the beach locale of Tel Aviv; from the Dead Sea—the lowest point on Earth, to the marvelous underwater marine life of Red Sea in Eilat, the Holy Land is truly a dynamic destination.

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

E4 Thursday, January 9, 2020

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BIODIVERSITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Norway leads tree planting to fight climate change

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ANILA—Showing its commitment to battle climate change within the Asean member-states, particularly the Philippines, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway recently led a tree-planting ceremony at the La Mesa Watershed in Quezon City.

Ambassador of Norway to the Philippines Bjørn Jahnsen, together with the Scandinavian country’s Ambassador to the Asean Morten Høglund, attended the activity.

“By planting 500 seedlings this year, we are offsetting roughly 74 tons of carbon footprint—equivalent to the projected carbon footprint that the embassy is producing per annum,” Jahnsen said.

At the event, the embassy has

committed to plant 500 indigenous seedlings in La Mesa Nature Reserve covering 1 hectare of land in the watershed, in partnership with the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation.

‘CO2 sink’ THE La Mesa Watershed was chosen as the project site, as it serves as the “carbon-dioxide sink” of Metro

NORWEGIAN Ambassador to Asean Morten Høglund (from left), Ambassador of Norway to the Philippines Bjørn Jahnsen, Asean Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, Quezon City local government’s Environmental Protection and Waste Management Head Andrea Villaroman, and ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya-Bantay Kalikasan Program Director Jen Santos lead the tree-planting ceremony at the La Mesa Natural Reserve. The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila continues to look for possibilities to reduce carbon footprint in the Philippines, as tree planting is part of the said cause. ROYAL NORWEGIAN EMBASSY/PNA

Manila. It is also a major source of water for some 12 million residents of the Philippine capital.

“With land conversion and degradation rapidly gobbling up forests and other vital ecosystems, any

effort to conserve the last standing forests that we have deserves praise. I am glad that we are not alone in protecting and preserving the remaining biodiversity in the region,” Lim said.

“The Royal Norwegian Embassy’s commitment to support our fight against climate change, specifically [our] pledge to plant an estimate of 500 trees, could not have come at a better time. This supports the [region’s] latest undertaking: the Asean Green Initiative, which was introduced during the 15th Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in Siem Reap, Cambodia, [in October 2019]” the ACB executive director added.

The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila continues to look for possibilities to reduce carbon footprint in the Philippines, and the tree planting is part of the said cause.

Asean partner

SINCE 2015, Norway was invited

as a sectoral-dialogue partner of Asean, promoting cooperation in many areas, such as peace and reconciliation, energy, trade and private-sector development, as well as climate change and biodiversity.

For Høglund, the tree-planting activity is a way to reaffirm Norway’s commitments to strengthen cooperation in the conservation of biodiversity in the Asean region.

“We urge countries to act together to tackle the global challenge of climate change, and focus on the impact of these changing conditions in Asean and its international relations,” he added.

This year, Norway signed an agreement with the Asean to protect the environment and human well-being from plastic pollution. It also hosted the 2019 “Our Ocean” conference in Oslo, where $64 billion was pledged to protect the oceans. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

EU hikes support to Asean biodiversity conservation

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OS BAñOS, Laguna—The envoy of the European Union (EU) to the Asean expressed his support to the agenda of the regional bloc in protecting and preserving biodiversity, amid challenges, and threats of environmental degradation and climate change.

Ambassador Igor Driesmans and his official delegation visited the Asean Centre for Biodiversity at the University of the Philippine Los Baños campus, where they were briefed on the sustainable programs for Asean’s 49 heritage parks, as well as other programs and projects on biodiversity conservation and management of protected areas.

“For us, Southeast Asia is a very critical

region in terms of biodiversity, [as 18 percent of the world’s plant species are located in this part of the world, (covering) only 3 percent of the globe’s entire landmass]. The financial support that we have been giving over the years is absolutely well spent. This visit shows our continuing support,” Driesmans said in a media interview.

He explained the EU program’s objective is to support and build capacities among Asean member-states to manage well the bloc’s heritage parks, the number of which is still growing.

“We’re not doing this just because we love the birds, the bees and the beautiful species out there. We are very altruistic in protect-

ing biodiversity in the interest as a whole, because it has an impact not just in health or the economy, but also on climate change,” Driesmans pointed out.

‘Green’ economy

THE Asean envoy said the EU has a global strategy on biodiversity, which seeks to halt the degradation of the global ecosystem by 2020 and restore it to transition to a “green” economy.

“We back that strategy with substantial financial resources—as the first donor worldwide, by far—in trying to protect, preserve and sustainably manage biodiversity,” he assured.

According to Driesmans, the Asean region has some worrying trends, but at the same time some, carries bright spots that the EU wants to support and nurture. He pledged for

the bloc’s continuing support, and expressed hope that the project inspires more ideas to protect the environment.

The ambassador said programs on smart cities would be launched next year, which has a “very important environmental component.”

‘Toward transformative change’

MEANWHILE, Asean Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim expressed her appreciation to the EU as a partner in improving protected area management and in curbing biodiversity loss through the Biodiversity Conservation and Management of Protected Areas in Asean, or the BCAMP program.

“Now that we are faced with an unprecedented rate of species decline, we have further intensified our efforts toward transformative change… [It] entails a system-wide change in

THE European Union’s Ambassador to the Asean Igor Driesmans (second from left) vows for the regional bloc’s continuing financial support focused on the member-states’ biodiversity protection and preservation. Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim (second from right) of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity welcomed the visiting envoy. PNA/SAUL E. PA-A

attitude, values, goals and ways of living that would lead to the conservation, restoration, [as well as the] sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources,” Lim said.

The EU delegates also walked through the Mount Makiling Botanical Gardens— one of the features of the mountain’s forest reserve—considered as the 33rd Asean heritage park. Saul Pa-a/PNA

Las Casas’s trees stood for conservation

K

NOWN for its continuous efforts to promote creativity, artistry and environmental conservation, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar recently named Abucay town’s plastic-made Christmas tree as grand winner of its environment-friendly tree competition.

The grand reveal and official treelighting ceremony of the “Christmas Tree-Cycle Competition” was held early in December 2019 at the heritage hotel and destination’s Plaza Tobias in Bagac, Bataan. The inter-municipality Christmas tree-making competition carried Las Casas’s mission to have a “Greener Bataan” last Yuletide season.

In his opening speech, Marivent Resort Hotel Inc. President Paul Kerr said, “This initiative aims to celebrate Christmas by showing off their creative and competitive spirits, and in the long run unite the municipalities toward one goal.”

Kerr continued, “There’s much about community, as it is about the environment and trying to create a better and cleaner Bataan for everyone.”

Abucay’s winning entry, simply entitled “W hite Christmas,” featured a sphere to symbolize completeness, unity, equality and acceptance. According to Engr. Vince Norman Izon, team leader and Sangguniang Kabataan chairman of Abucay, the tree’s main concept features balls that virtually “lift each other until they reach the top.” It took his 20-member team two months of careful planning, plastic collection and mounting to complete their masterpiece.

Guests can view the six participating trees at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar for the whole month of January.

LAST Christmas, “recycled” trees lit up Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan