BusinessMirror January 13, 2022

FIRB directs BOI to finalize SIPP in January

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

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HE Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) directed the Board of Investments (BOI) to finalize this month the Strategic Investment Priorities Plan (SIPP).

During the meeting of the Cabinet-level interagency board last month, FIRB and Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III pointed out that the release and publication of SIPP is only the first step in attracting potential investors. The SIPP will determine the priority industries, projects, and activities that can be granted fiscal incentives by the government

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under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act.

“As I have said before, once the categories are identified, the next step is for each of the investment promotion agencies [IPAs] to identify the specific companies they want to invite, and then discuss with them what it would take for them to invest in the country,” Dominguez was quoted as saying during the meeting.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, who co-chairs the FIRB, agreed with Dominguez.

While the SIPP has yet to be finalized, the current SIPP being used is based on the 2020

Investment Priorities Plan of the BOI, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Given that a number of industry studies and parameters have already been considered in the drafting, Dominguez urged the BOI to finalize the SIPP for presentation to the FIRB Board this month.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda urged DTI last month to finally finish the SIPP mandated under the CREATE law, saying this creates uncertainty as industries are still unsure about the tax incentives that they will

receive in this country.

Salceda also warned that the DTI should finish SIPP before March 2022, which is the first anniversary of the measure.

Otherwise, the lawmaker said he will be forced to call oversight hearings.

Responding to Salceda’s remarks, Dominguez told finance reporters in a recent interview that they are working with DTI to come up with the SIPP plan.

“But you know, among our discussions, let us really focus on the industries that we want to bring in. Quite frankly, that See “FIRB,” A2

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Bankers’ group vows continuous operation of PHL financial market

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

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ESPITE the spike in infections from the Covid-19 omicron variant, the Philippines is poised to register the fastest growth in the Asean this year and the second highest growth in 2023, according to the World Bank.

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

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Based on the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects, the country’s projected economic growth rate of 5.9 percent this year is the fastest growth expected in the Asean, while the 5.7 percent expected next year will be second only to Vietnam’s 6.5 percent.

In December last year, the World Bank’s Philippine Economic Update titled Regaining Lost Ground, Revitalizing the Filipino Workforce stated that growth will be significantly lower than the prepandemic growth rate of over 6 percent. (Story here: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2021/12/07/wb-report-covidscarring-cuts-phl-growth/)

“Growth is projected to be 5.9 percent in the Philippines in 2022, supported by sustained public investment and recovering household consumption, and then moderate to 5.7 percent in 2023,” the World Bank said.

However, the World Bank warned that the pandemic-induced inequality would be long-lasting and will prevent intergenerational socioeconomic mobility.

The World Bank said emerging market and developing economies, See “growth,” A2

A BARANGAY public safety officer mans a vaccination checkpoint at Barangay 183 in Pasay City, which reported that all 201 of its barangays have cases of coronavirus infections. The Pasay Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit reported 322 active cases. NONIE REYES

PHL SEEN TO BREACH PRE-COVID FDI FLOWS IN 2022

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

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N economist-lawmaker is confident that the Philippines will breach its prepandemic foreign direct investments (FDI) inflows this 2022 as the country completes its three main investment liberalization reforms in the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and Foreign Investment Act amendments together with strong implementation of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises or CREATE Law. On Wednesday, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said CREATE Law continues to deliver on its promise of higher foreign direct investments, as data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi-

nas (BSP) showed FDI rising for the fifth straight month.

“This means that every month since CREATE IRR [implementing rules and regulations] was released, our FDI increased year-on-year. Data showed that FDI rose 98.9 percent year-on-year to $855 million in October from $430 million a year earlier,” he said.

Indeed, Salceda said with CREATE, even in a bad year, the Philippines is likely to match or exceed FDI levels in 2018 and 2019.

“I am also confident that we will see an even better year for FDI in 2022 as the country completes its three main investment liberalization reforms in the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and Foreign Investment Act amendments,” he added.

Earlier, the Department of Finance said the passage into law of the Foreign Investment Act, Public Service Act, and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act will lead to better wages in the country without raising the minimum wage.

“Medium to long term, the passage of the amendments to the FIA, Public Service Act, and the RTLA will help bring in more capital, generate more employment,” DOF Chief Economist Gil Beltran.

Moreover, Salceda said the BSP’s figure brings the country’s 10-month FDI to $8.1 billion, saying, “I am optimistic that we may breach, or be very close to the USD 10-billion mark, which will mean we have exceeded our prepandemic FDI inflows in 2018 and 2019, and bring us close to our 2017 FDI levels.”

“I also welcome growth in reinvested earnings, another main point of CREATE. Reinvested earnings reached $77 million, 7.1 percent higher than $72 million in October 2020.... Again, CREATE promised to end the uncertain in the country’s tax incentive regime,” he added.

According to Salceda, the lower chamber will continuously working with Department of Trade and Industry, Board of Investment, Department of Finance, and National Economic and Development Authority for the immediate release of the Strategic Investment Priorities Plan (SIPP), which is a key to exceed previous years’ FDI. “Moving ahead, I will be working with the DTI, BOI, DOF, and Neda to release the Strategic See “PHL,” A2

HE Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) said they are maintaining the daily schedule of the interbank USD/PHP spot trading and swap trading hours despite some banks’ decision to shorten their operating hours due to the surging Covid-19 cases in the country.

The daily schedule of the interbank USD/PHP spot trading and swap trading will remain open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, according to the BAP. “This step shall guarantee the continued operation of financial markets, therefore enabling market participants to continue meeting their liquidity needs as well as making appropriate hedges in their portfolios and balance sheets for risk management purposes,” the BAP’s statement read.

The group also seeks to assure “the public that its member-banks shall continue to provide financial services to their clients amid the current rise of Covid-19 cases in the country,” it added.

For retail services such as foreign exchange, the BAP urged the public to check with their respective banks’ websites and social media pages to stay updated regarding changes in the availability of these services.

“Our member-banks’ operational adjustments are implemented to ensure that your banking requirements are met throughout this pandemic. We will continue to provide updates on financial services to the public. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to continue practicing health protocols for their safety and protection,” the BAP said.

Over the weekend, both the BAP and the Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB) issued statements, ensuring their clients of continued services amid the surge of cases.

Several banks have already announced shorter operating hours amid the Covid-19 surge, especially for their branches in the National Capital Region (NCR). Some of these banks include BDO Unibank Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Metrobank, Landbank of the Philippines, Philippine National Bank, Security Bank and PSBank.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.1740 n JAPAN 0.4439 n UK 69.7860 n HK 6.5647 n CHINA 8.0295 n SINGAPORE 37.8982 n AUSTRALIA 36.8913 n EU 58.1746 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.6337 Source: BSP (January 12, 2022)

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Comelec junks petitions to reopen COC period, defer 2022 elections

By Samuel P. Medenilla

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sam_medenilla

HE Commission on Elections junked the petitions for the reopening of the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) and postponing of the 2022 polls to next year.

The poll body’s spokesperson James Jimenez said the Comelec en banc made the decision during its meeting last Wednesday.

He said members of the

Comelec en banc unanimously voted against the petition of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino– Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) led Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi

to reopen the COC filing period, which ended on October 8, 2021, for lacking merit.

The petition from PDP-Laban, Jimenez said, wrongfully asserted

that deadlines set by Comelec are “arbitrary.”

“The allegation does not take into consideration all of the other preparatory activities that are being conducted by the Comelec,” Jimenez said in an online press briefing on Wednesday.

The Cusi wing of PDP-Laban also sought to defer the printing of the ballots due to pending cases against some candidates. The proposal was also thumbed down by the Comelec en banc.

“The fact that there are pending disqualification cases has never

been a reason for suspending the start of printing ballots,” Jimenez said.

Last, Jimenez noted that Comelec en banc also unanimously rejected the appeal of the National Coalition for Life and Democracy (NCLD) to reschedule the 2022 polls to 2023.

NCLD cited the threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic as the main reason for deferring the next elections.

Jimenez earlier said such postponement of the elections will require changing the Constitution.

P1,000-bill counterfeiters face jail time, BSP warns

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HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) warns the public that printing images bearing the facsimile or likeness of Philippine banknotes may result in legal action.

This reminder comes after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), together with the BSP Payments and Currency Investigation Group (PCIG), arrested an individual suspected of selling money or cash envelopes using the image

and design of the P1,000 “new generation currency” banknote.

“The public may be allowed to reproduce images of Philippine banknotes if authorization or approval from the BSP has been secured for educational, historical, numismatic, newsworthy, or other relevant purposes that will maintain, promote, or enhance the integrity and dignity of the Philippine currency,” the BSP said in a statement issued last Wednesday.

Pursuant to BSP Circular 829 (series of 2014), the act of reproducing the image of any legal tender Philippine currency banknotes, or any part of one, whether in black and white, in color, or combination of colors, without

authority or approval from the BSP, is subject to imprisonment of five years to 10 years.

Just last month, posts circulated on social media showed alleged counterfeit 1,000-peso banknotes that end in the same serial number and all ending in -2507.

“The [BSP] advises the public to remain vigilant when receiving Philippine banknotes by carefully checking the security features to ensure authenticity,” the central bank has said in previous statements.

Under Republic Act 10951, counterfeiters of Philippine currency are subject to the penalty of imprisonment of at least 12 years and one day and a fine not exceeding P2 million.

Continued from A1

requires for them a lot of study for the BOI on what the future will most likely emerge,” Dominguez said.

The FIRB chairman also stressed the need to change the country’s export strategies to address the inequality in economic recovery among countries especially given that the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains and caused declines in world trade during its peak.

“Manufacturing particularly took major hit during the pandemic.

Services exports, such as the business process outsourcing sector, which relied not only on chips, but on the digital economy to deliver its services, remained resilient. We may have to reorient our exports strategies toward crisis-proof industries,” he said. “The SIPP, which is the list of industries eligible for incentives under CREATE Law, must then reflect this crisisproofing direction. I don’t know exactly which products have to be redirected, but essentially industry and government have to sit down and look at what the future is emerging.”

PHL…

Continued from A1

Bianca Cuaresma

Investment Priorities Plan [SIPP], which is the motherlode of CREATE incentives for industries. Right now, with the default IPP as the only reference for eligibility by industry, we are unable to grant the higher-tier incentives CREATE gives to high-tech or high-value investments. These are the kinds of industries that we need to invite,” he added.

SIPP is the list of sectors that are qualified for tax perks under the CREATE.

dipped by P39.7 billion or 0.3 percent from P11.97 trillion as of end-October, mainly due to the net redemption of domestic securities and favorable foreign exchange rates. (Story: https://businessmirror.com. p h / 2 0 21 / 1 2 / 2 9/n g - d e b tdips-to-p11-9-trillion-butstill-beyond-goal/)

Meanwhile, in terms of commodity prices, the World Bank said the increase was led by the high cost of energy and metals.

This was driven by the recovery of global demand and, more recently, the surge in weather-related supply disruptions.

The World Bank said commodity prices regularly undergo booms and slumps, with the average cycle lasting 6 years.

Over the past 50 years, booms were more pronounced than slumps with prices increasing 4 percent per month compared with an average decline of 1 percent during slumps.

“In historical comparison, the commodity price swings over 2020-21 have been exceptionally large. The collapse in energy prices in early 2020, and their subsequent recovery, were the steepest of any during global recessions since 1970,” the World Bank said.

In a statement, the World Bank said global growth is expected to decelerate markedly from 5.5 percent in 2021 to 4.1 percent in 2022 and 3.2 percent in 2023 as pent-up demand dissipates and as fiscal and monetary support is unwound across the world.

The rapid spread of the Omicron variant indicates that the pandemic will likely continue to disrupt economic activity in the near term. In addition, a notable

deceleration in major economies— including the United States and China—will weigh on external demand in emerging and developing economies.

At a time when governments in many developing economies lack the policy space to support activity if needed, new Covid-19 outbreaks, persistent supplychain bottlenecks and inflationary pressures, and elevated financial vulnerabilities in large swaths of the world could increase the risk of a hard landing.

“The world economy is simultaneously facing Covid-19, inflation, and policy uncertainty, with government spending and monetary policies in uncharted territory. Rising inequality and security challenges are particularly harmful for developing countries,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. “Putting more countries on a favorable growth path requires concerted international action and a comprehensive set of national policy responses.”

Growth in advanced economies is expected to decline from 5 percent in 2021 to 3.8 percent in 2022 and 2.3 percent in 2023—a pace that, while moderating, will be sufficient to restore output and investment to their pre-pandemic trend in these economies.

In emerging and developing economies, however, growth is expected to drop from 6.3 percent in 2021 to 4.6 percent in 2022 and 4.4 percent in 2023.

By 2023, all advanced economies will have achieved a full output recovery; yet output in emerging and developing economies will remain 4 percent below its prepandemic trend.

For many vulnerable economies, the setback is even larger: output of fragile and conflict-affected economies will be 7.5 percent below its pre-pandemic trend, and output of small island states will be 8.5 percent below.

Growth…

Continued from A1

which include the Philippines, may have seen a 0.3 point increase in its Gini coefficient. The World Bank estimates that as of 2018, the country’s gini coefficient is at 42.3.

The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality where zero represents perfect equality and 100 represents perfect inequality.

“That said, the magnitude of the increase induced by the pandemic is relatively small—comparable to an annual average decline in within-country income inequality in the preceding two decades in this EMDE [emerging market and developing economies] sample,” the World Bank said.

“The increase in withincountry inequality reflected severe job and income losses among low-skilled workers, lowincome households, informal workers, and women,” it added.

The inequality is also being affected by rising debt levels during the pandemic as well as the increase in commodity prices.

The World Bank said total debt levels increased by 30 percentage points of GDP to 263 percent of GDP in 2020. This represented the largest singleyear increase in debt levels since 1970.

The Washington-based lender said the increase in debt was mainly driven by external and domestic loans secured by EMDEs. The bank also said more than half of low-income countries are already in debt distress or at high risk of debt distress.

Data released by the Bureau of the Treasury on Wednesday showed that in December 2021, the current debt stock

FIRB…

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DOJ optimistic on RTC recall of drug rap vs billionaire’s son

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

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HE Department of Justice (DOJ) remains optimistic that the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of San Fernando, La Union would reconsider its decision dismissing the drug charges filed against Julian Ongpin.

“Prosecutors are always optimistic. However, we leave it to the sound discretion of the court,” Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento said.

The prosecutors have earlier filed a motion for reconsideration before the sala of La Union RTC Branch 27 Presiding Judge Romeo Agacita seeking the reversal of its decision issued last November.

Malcontento said the prosecution is expecting the trial court to decide on the motion for reconsideration within the month.

In its order, the trial court junked the possession of illegal drugs charges against Ongpin, widely known as the son of a billionaire, due to the “non-compliance” of authorities to the Chain of Custody Rule under Section 21 of the Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act. Judge Agacita said he is constrained to dismiss the case for lack of probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against Ongpin due to the failure of authorities to preserve the integrity of the evidence against the latter as mandated under Section 21 of RA 9165.

The trial court noted that the alleged dangerous drugs were not immediately marked at the time of seizure, which puts into serious doubts the value and integrity of the seized items as evidence.

It also observed that no witnesses were present during the markings and inventory of the seized items, including the accused or his counsel or representative.

The arresting officers also failed to cite justifiable grounds for the absence of the mandatory witnesses in the affidavits submitted to support the filing of the case.

Ongpin, son of businessman-billionaire and former trade secretary and businessman Roberto Ongpin was specifically charged with violation of Section 11 of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022 after two preliminary investigation hearings by the panel.

The case stemmed from the recovery of 12.6 grams of cocaine in the room that Ongpin shared with his girlfriend, 30-year-old Bree Jonson, at Flotsam and Jetsam Resort in La Union last September 18.

The cocaine was discovered after authorities responded to a report of an attempted suicide at the resort and found Jonson unconscious in a room.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, January 13, 2022 A3

DOTr issues ‘no vax, no ride’ policy, but CHR, Lacson, BBM urge caution

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

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HE Department on Transportation (DOTr) imposed on Wednesday a “no vaccination, no ride” policy for all public transportation, but at least two presidential aspirants—former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Partido Reporma standard bearer Sen. Panfilo Lacson—counseled caution against such action unless government takes every step necessary to make jabs available for all qualified.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade issued on Thursday the department order, which will be in effect while the NCR is still under the Covid-19 Alert Level 3 or higher.

“All concerned attached agencies and sectoral offices of DOTr are directed to ensure that operators of public transportation shall allow access or issue tickets only to ‘fully vaccinated persons’ as evidenced by a physical or digital copies of an LGU [local government unit]-issued vaccine card, or any IATF-prescribed

document, with a valid government issued ID with picture and address,” the DOTr department order read.

The order will take effect after publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation, and the submission of a copy with the Office of the National Administrative Register, UP Law Center.

Bring vaccines closer to the people–Marcos

IN a news statement released through Atty. Victor Rodriguez, Marcos said, “The order of the Department of Transportation [DOTr] to enforce a ‘no vaccination, no ride/ no entry’ in the National Capital Region is certainly founded on sufficient valuable data that are available in its possession.”

It added: As much as we sincerely adhere and agree to these enhanced restrictions on the movement of unvaccinated persons, we also earnestly urge the government to further expand and bring the national vaccination program against Covid-19 closer to the people, if possible, to their very doorsteps.

“Our people need to have jobs and to work for them to bring food on their table, send children to school and provide for other essential family needs but at the same time we recognize the government’s tough act of balancing the scales of health and economy,” the statement read.

Tugade’s directive is in line with President Duterte’s instruction to restrict the mobility of unvaccinated individuals in Metro Manila.

Duterte’s order came after the Metro Manila Council resolved to limit the movement of unvaccinated persons in the capital region due to the spike in Covid-19 cases recently.

According to the transport chief’s department order, a person is considered fully vaccinated against Covid-19 two weeks after receiving their second dose in a two-dose vaccination series, such as with the Pfizer or Moderna brand of vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine such as with Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

Persons with medical conditions that prevent their full Covid-19 vac-

Gordon warns SSS members vs online scammers

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

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OCIAL Security System (SSS) members and their employers must take extra precaution against scammers amid the recent rise in the number of fraudulent incidents, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to reelectionist Sen. Richard J. Gordon.

Gordon, who chairs the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, urged SSS members and their employers alike not to disclose sensitive information with others.

“We call on SSS members and employers not to divulge personal information such as their social security number, date of birth, and the like to people claiming [to be] SSS employees,” he said.

“These scoundrels will just use your personal data to stage a scam and steal your money. You wouldn’t want to reach a time when you lose all your money,” he added, speaking partly in Filipino.

Numerous incidents of fraud and theft from bank account shareholders were reported in December, many of which were lured from a fraudulent e-mail that looked legitimate in a process also known as “phishing.”

The SSS has also warned the public against joining social media groups that claim to aid on various online transactions for a nominal fee, despite these services being available for free.

Gordon, a lawyer by profession, discouraged people from patroniz-

ing such illegal activities, stressing that fixers are not responsible for any hitches that may arise in the performance of transactions.

“Considering there is a pandemic right now, we should be more patient in the processing of our papers. Going to fixers is never the answer because you are condoning illegal activities,” he pointed out.

“Bureaucratic red tape was reduced thanks to the Anti-Red Tape Act, and we call on the SSS to continue providing efficient service so that people will not resort to drastic measures such as fixers,” he added.

Gordon is a strong ally of the SSS, being the principal author of Republic Act (RA) 11199, or the Social Security Act of 2018.

The law reconfigured the SSS Charter last set in 1997, which provided a P2,000 across-the-board increase in the monthly pension with corresponding adjustment to the minimum monthly pension to existing members.

It also extended social security protection to overseas Filipino workers and their beneficiaries and provided unemployment benefits to eligible unemployed members.

He was also author and sponsor of RA 11548, which deferred legislated increases in contributions of the SSS under RA 11999 for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Credit card fraud during pandemic

MEANWHILE, Gordon also urged Congress leaders to expedite passage of a counterpart measure mandating SIM card registration

in the wake of reports that credit card fraud rose by 21 percent during the pandemic.

Gordon said the measure has become even more urgent during this pandemic where people are struggling to make both ends meet.

“We call on our colleagues in Congress to act on this measure as there has been a sharp rise in fraud caused

by SIM card swap schemes, committed by new-age criminals who are out to milk innocent customers,” he said.

“Ang digital infrastructure ay dapat na magsilbing landas patungo sa isang ligtas at mabilis na lipunan, maging mabisang uri ng hanapbuhay.

Ito ay dapat maging benepisyo sa mga masunuring mamamayan, at hindi sa mga kawatan,” he added.

The Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP), an organization of 18 major credit card firms, wrote to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and telecom firms Smart and Globe after SIM card swaprelated cases rose by 21 percent during the pandemic.

The CCAP relayed that criminals resorted primarily to the “virtual account take over” scam where hackers gain access to the credit card owner’s mobile number, allowing them to intercept the one-time password (OTP) needed to authorize online transactions.

It called on the NTC and the two major telecommunication players to immediately address the issue as the continued commission of crime affect customers’ trust with banks and the telecom companies themselves.

cination, as shown by a duly signed medical certificate with the name and contact details of their doctor, are exempted from the no vaccination, no ride policy.

Also exempted are individuals who will buy essential goods and services, such as but not limited to food, water, medicine, medical devices, public utilities, energy, work, and medical and dental necessities, as shown by a duly issued barangay health pass or other proof to justify travel.

Under the order, violations of the policy are considered violations of applicable general safety and health provisions under any concession or service agreements, authority or permits to operate public transportation, and other similar instruments.

Lacson: Are there enough vaccines?

FOR his part, Senator and Partido Reporma standard bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson asked: “Are there enough vaccine doses available even for the willing? If not, it’s unfair.”

He added in a news statement:

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Tawi on January 6 when its engine malfunctioned.

Cabaltera said the boat, which originated from Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, was dragged away by huge waves until it grounded in the area of Bukit, Lawa-Lawa, Sabah.

The Navy learned about the fate of the survivors from one of their relatives, prompting Marine Col. Nestor Narag Jr. to organize a rescue operation.

Narag, director of the Maritime Coordinating Center Tawi-Tawi of the Joint Task Force INDOMALPHI and the deputy commander of the

NTG-Tawi-Tawi, also coordinated with Malaysian authorities in Tawau, Malaysia.

Cabaltera said the Filipinos, seven whom are from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and eight crewmen of the motor launch, were formally turned over by Malaysian authorities to the Philippine government through Narag in the sea waters of Sabah aboard a Malaysian Coast Guard vessel.

The Filipinos were later transferred to a Philippine Navy vessel that was sent to fetch them. Rene Acosta

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‘Alarmed’

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is also alarmed by DOTr’s policy.

Atty. Jacqueline de Guia, CHR spokesperson, said the policy limits the rights of ordinary Filipinos, most of whom rely on public transport for going to work, buying essentials, and getting access to health care.

The CHR also urged the government to continue resolving issues of vaccine hesitancy and vaccine access, instead of imposing the draconian ban.

MMDA bares closure of portion of Roxas Boulevard for repairs

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

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HE southbound portion of Roxas Boulevard will be closed to vehicular traffic starting at 6 a.m. on January 15, to give way to the repair of the damaged box culvert of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in front of Libertad Pumping Station in Pasay City, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced on Wednesday.

“According to DPWH, because of the structural integrity of their project, the structure might weaken,” MMDA Chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said at an online news conference.

Abalos said the rehabilitation must be done immediately by the DPWH on the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard, fronting HK Sun Plaza in Pasay City going to the flyover of Edsa-Roxas Boulevard.

“The agency had laid down alternate routes for affected motorists.

Likewise, directional traffic signs will also be placed at strategic locations to better guide the public,” he added.

Engr. Neomie Recio, Director of MMDA’s Traffic Engineering Center, assured that the agency would deploy enforcers for traffic management in the area.

“Once closed, we will deploy additional traffic enforcers for the entire duration of the rehabilitation.

We will also implement a zipper lane or counter-flow scheme for light ve-

Malaysia turns over 15 Pinoys hit by mid-sea accident near Sabah

IFTEEN Filipinos stranded in Sabah for days after the engine of their vessel conked out in mid sea while sailing in Tawi-Tawi have been returned home.

The return to Tawi-Tawi of the Filipinos three days ago following the incident was facilitated by the Navy’s Naval Task Group Tawi-Tawi (NTG-Tawi-Tawi).

Lt. Chester Ross Cabaltera, acting spokesman of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao, said the motor launch Dayang Jubaira Express bearing the Filipinos was sailing for Turtle Island in Taganak, Tawi-

“Indiscriminately punishing even the willing but have no choice due to government shortcomings in providing for their protection should first be taken into consideration before taking a drastic action of possibly denying those people their means of livelihood to feed their families.”

“It is a different matter altogether if vaccines are available to all. By all means, we have the right to be insulated from a higher risk of infection.

At least both sides have an option,” Lacson said.

A medical frontliner from the Manila City government conducts a free swab test at the Quirino Grandstand as part of the local government’s bid to control the spread of Covid-19. ROY DOMINGO

hicles, but on a case-to-case basis,” Recio explained.

For his part, Mikunug Macud, District Engineer of DPWH South Manila District Engineering Office, said the closure and repair works would last for 60 calendar days.

Moreover, the MMDA chief asked for understanding from the public as the temporary closure of Roxas Boulevard southbound is necessary for safety.

“We are appealing for the public’s understanding as to the inconvenience the temporary road closure would cause. But this is necessary to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians,” Abalos stressed.

Currently, an average of 887 cargo trucks and 1,029 trailers traverse the Roxas Boulevard southbound direction in a single day.

Motorists may opt to take the following routes (light vehicles): • From Bonifacio Drive/Roxas Boulevard: take Roxas Blvd.-Buendia Avenue service road, turn right at Buendia Avenue Extension then left at Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard going to destination.

• From Bonifacio Drive/Roxas Boulevard: turn right at HK Sun Plaza access road then left at Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard to destination.

• From Bonifacio Drive/Roxas Boulevard: left at Pres. Quirino Avenue to destination.

For trucks/trailers and other vehicles from Bonifacio Drive going to Roxas Boulevard southbound:

A4 Thursday, January 13, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

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Villanueva pushes for release of GAA fund for Covid mass testing

By Butch Fernandez

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@butchfBM

HERE’S a P7.92-billion fund in the 2022 national budget for the government’s Covid-19 Laboratory Network, and it should be released right away to address the current surge in the demand for testing, Senator Joel Villanueva said.

It puts in question claims that there are no

funds available for testing in the 2022 budget, though Senate President Vicente Sotto III has already explained that the funds for Covid-19 lodged with the Department of Health (DOH) budget allow for the agency to deploy its tens of billions of pesos for the most urgent aspects of fighting Covid must be given priority at a certain time.

Villanueva said the P7.92-billion amount

for the laboratory network should be “downloaded without delay” to public health facilities so they can cope with the spike in testing requests amid the explosion of Omicron cases.

To be able to do this, public hospitals and clinics need to buy and stock up on testing kits and laboratory commodities, Villanueva explained.

The testing fund should be treated like

vaccines, he said. “That’s like a vaccine. I hope it is dispersed immediately. It should be wrapped with ‘Do not delay’ markings,” said Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee.

His proposal for early release followed a pitch by several quarters, including Senate President Vicente Sotto III, for the government to prioritize free mass testing, especially of economic frontliners, as the prohibitive cost of Covid testing is seen as a factor in the current surge of infections.

Villanueva warned that delaying the release of the P7.92-billion fund lodged with the DOH “would be a case of underspending that leads to undertesting, which then leads to undercounting of cases.”

But having the funds at their disposal would allow public health facilities to conduct the testing for free, according to Villanueva.

“PhilHealth should process these claims for reimbursement,” he said.

He said the special provisions governing the use of the P7.92-billion fund call for the “setting up of swab booths and other operations involving swab specimen collection and antigen rapid diagnostic testing.”

“This can be read as mandate for free swab

testing. Explicit po ang sinasabi ng General Appropriations Act: Let us set up pop-up testing centers,” Villanueva said, partly in Filipino.

Villanueva stressed the need for free testing “because for most workers, the public option is the only option.”

“If they go to the private entities, essential workers who are minimum wage earners must shell out the equivalent of one week’s salary just to have an RT-PCR swab,” Villanueva added, in Filipino.

Under a DOH circular that took effect September 6, price caps for RT-PCR tests were set at P3,360 for plate-based and P2,940 for GeneXpert in private laboratories.

In calling for the rapid disbursement of Covid-19 testing funds, Villanueva invoked GAA provisions on how it will be used.

“It is clear in the provision [in the budget law] that there must be a sub-allotment right away to DOH regional offices and other government laboratories,” Villanueva said.

In addition to the purchase of testing kits and laboratory commodities, consumables and reagents, the money could be used for the training of swabbers, quality control, recalibration of equipment, and facility maintenance, among others.

‘Serbisyong DAR-to-Door’ land title distribution reaches Nueva Vizcaya

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

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HE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAs) to 36 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) in Dupax del Norte town through the agency’s “Serbisyong DAR-to-Door.”

The Serbisyong DAR-to-Door is a program wherein CLOAs are distributed by DAR personnel right at the doorsteps of ARBs. Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) Engr. Rustico Turingan said the beneficiaries in Dupax del Norte are all members of an ARB organization, or ARBO, in the said town.

“It was a good start and blessing for the new year among ARBs because of the distribution of CLOAs,” Turingan said. The CLOA distribution was in compliance with the present administration’s mandate to bring government services closer to the people, he said.

“These titles should serve as hope and inspiration for you [farmers] to cultivate and enrich the lands awarded to you. We encourage you to join ARBOs in your area so that you can receive other support services from DAR,” Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer John Daryl Yacapin said.

The program aims to intensify the delivery of CLOAs to boost ARBs’ confidence knowing that they now legally own the land they till.

Duterte names Sunga-Acosta as MinDA chief, vice Piñol

By Manuel T. Cayon

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

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AVAO CITY—A former councilor here has been tapped to replace former Secretary Emmanuel Piñol of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), who cut short his term to run for a senatorial slot in this year’s elections.

President Duterte appointed on January 6 former Davao City First District Councilor Ma. Belen “Mabel” Sunga-Acosta as the new chairperson of MinDA for the next six years.

She is the second woman to hold the highest post of this government’s socioeconomic planning agency for the entire Mindanao with a Cabinet-level rank.

A MinDA statement said Acosta, as the new MinDA chairperson, would coordinate, harmonize, and integrate various socioeconomic development efforts for Mindanao with interregional, Mindanao-wide, and subregional impact.

Acosta would also serve as the Philippine signing minister in the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga). This is due to the mandate of MinDA as the permanent Philippine Coordinating Office for (BIMP-Eaga) under Republic Act 9996.

Prior to her appointment, Acosta was a city councilor in the years 2001-2010 and 2013–2022. She is Career Executive Service Eligible.

She was named Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Kabalikat Awardee in 2008. She chaired the Davao City Council’s Committee of Peace and Public Safety and the Committee of Education, Science and Technology, Arts and Culture. She served as chairman of the Board of Advisers of Bantay Bata 163.

The Philippine Councilors League named her one of The Outstanding Councilors of the Philippines (TOCP) for 2009 during the Philippine Councilors League 2010 End-Term National Assembly.

SUNGA-ACOSTA

The MinDA said Secretary Acosta “is also a prominent radio and TV anchor and a dedicated advocate of community sustainable development, good governance, and equitable access to education, children welfare, peace and security, active youth involvement through sports, women empowerment, and environmental protection among others.” She hosted the public affairs TV program in TV 4 Davao called “Gikan Sa Masa, Para sa Masa” with then Davao City Mayor and now Philippine President Duterte.

She also had a radio segment on DXAB 1296 dubbed as “Mabel At Your Service,” which aired from 2001-2009.

“She optimized the use of these media platforms for meaningful interactions in public service being a graduate of AB Communication Major in Broadcast Communication and a Master’s Degree in Development Management,” it added.

Acosta is an alumna of the International Visitor Leadership Program of the US State Department, which provided an avenue to discuss global and local issues and build cooperation and goodwill with other counterparts.

She also served as the national leader of the Philippine Delegation at 39th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) 2012, which was part of the cooperation between Japan and the Asean countries to foster diplomatic and cultural understanding.

News BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, January 13, 2022 A5

DOLE sets policy on workers’ quarantine pay

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

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HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to come out with a new policy that would encourage companies to provide paid quarantine or isolation leaves to their workers.

Theagencymadetheannouncement after labor groups expressed concern over the rising number of individuals, notably workers, who are now infected with Covid-19 and are mandated to undergo isolation or quarantine.

“The commitment of DOLE is [to issue] a new labor advisory to

clarify the rules in the payment of isolation and quarantine leaves,” Labor Undersecretary Benjo M. Benavidez said at a virtual news briefing on Wednesday.

He said the new advisory is expected to be released soon following draft presentation to employers and labor groups.

Among the salient provisions of the advisory, which are yet to be finalized, is the duration for the isolation or quarantine leaves.

Currently, workers are usually required to make use of their sick leaves or vacation leaves so they could continue to get paid, while undergo-

ing isolation or quarantine.

Full compliance

THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) welcomed the new development and said the new policy, if implemented, will ensure infected workers would strictly comply with quarantine protocols.

“A paid isolation and quarantine leave benefit will encourage employees to faithfully undergo isolation and quarantine at the first instance of the symptoms to protect themselves,” TUCP President Raymond C. Mendoza said in a news statement.

DOH logs 32,246 addl virus cases; infection rate climbs to 3,058,634

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HE Department of Health ( D O H ) o n We d n e s d a y logged 32,246 additional Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 3, 058,634.

There were also 5,063 recoveries 144 deaths.

Of the 32,246 reported cases, 31,793 (99 percent) may have occurred within the recent 14 days (December 30 to January 12, 2022).

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were National Capital Region with 17,902 or 56 percent, Region 4A (6,838 or 22 percent) and Region 3 (3,268 or 10 percent).

Of the 144 deaths, 20 occurred in January 2022 (14 percent), eight in

September 2021 (6 percent), 31 in August 2021 (22 percent), eight in July 2021 (6 percent), three in June 2021 (2 percent), 13 in May 2021 (9 percent), 38 in April 2021 (26 percent), 16 in March 2021 (11 percent), five in February 2021 (3 percent), and two in January 2021 (1 percent) due to late encoding of death information to COVIDKaya.

The DOH said that this issue is currently being coordinated with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Units to ensure information is up to date.

Of the total number of cases in the country, 6.8 percent (208,164) are active, and 91.5 percent (2,797,816) have recovered,

and 1.72 percent (52,654) died.

There were 85 duplicates were removed from the total case count.

Of these, 68 are recoveries and 1 is a death.

Moreover, 125 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

All laboratories were operational on January 10, 2022 but 11 labs were not able to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System.

Based on data in the last 14 days, the 11 labs contribute, on average, 3.3 percent of samples tested and 4.5 percent of positive individuals.

Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

DepEd chief says PHL History subjects still part of learners’ basic curriculum

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

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DUCATION Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones on Wednesday clarified that Philippine History subjects are still being taught in the K to 12 curriculum of basic education contrary to some commentaries circulating on social media.

At an online media briefing, Briones stressed that the current version of the Araling Panlipunan (AP) for K to 12 Curriculum was issued in May 2013, following the enactment of Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 of the last administration.

This was before the assumption to office of the present Secretary of Education in July 2016.

Briones said that the law was implemented in June and the head of DepEd at that time was Bro. Armin Luistro.

“Pero hindi ibig sabihin na gumawa ng isang krimen ang aking predecessor [But this does not mean that my predecessor committed a crime],” Briones said.

As a matter of fact, after the law was implemented, Briones said, DepEd has been actively promoting Philippine History subjects through “other forms” aside from formal lessons.

The DepEd chief also compared

the commentary written by a certain Atty. Wilfredo Garrido to a “very poorly-written undergraduate term paper, which will not pass master [master’s degree program] even in whatever course even if it is journalism or law.”

“Public Administration...patay ka kung di tama ang documentation mo [In Public Administration...you may likely flunk if your documentation is not correct],” Briones said citing that Garrido did not even write the date when the law was implemented.

The current AP curriculum covers various Philippine history topics across grade levels. These topics also serve as take-off points in all discussions relative to Asian Studies, World History, Economics, and Contemporary Issues in Junior High School and Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, and Philippine Politics and Governance in Senior High School.

Generally, the DepEd said, it is highly impossible to discuss the said subjects without even taking into consideration the Philippine historical context.

In addition, they added, textbooks cover Philippine History competencies found in the curriculum and other learning resources distributed to learners.

The DepEd added Philippine

History and identity are also analyzed and explored through the lens of Philippine Literature both in English and Filipino. Contemporary topics, and are also being discussed in the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) subject.

In 2019, through DepEd Order No. 21, Series 2019, the department integrated pre-existing policies and guidelines on K to 12 program while providing a reference point for ongoing and future review of any of the curriculum’s components.

“As one of the vanguards of the nation’s culture, the Department of Education [DepEd] will not allow our learners to be robbed of the opportunity to discover our rich heritage. We also call on our stakeholders to be responsible and vigilant against misinformation at this time,” DepEd said in a news statement.

DepEd also emphasized that the stories of inspiring Filipino people and monumental Philippine events will “continue to be ingrained in our books and during our classroom and blended learning discussions for years to come.”

The DepEd, however, said they would not take legal action against Garrido, stressing that they will rather spend their time and effort among other important matters concerning DepEd.

The labor leader said the new policy would consequently keep the economy “insulated from the destructive effects of the virus.”

“TUCP hope [the new policy]… will encourage employers and business owners to pay the duration of the isolation and quarantine period of their employees found positive for Covid-19,” Mendoza said.

No legal basis

IN a radio interview, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said they could not justify the new forms of leaves with the absence of any legal basis.

Comelec resets ballot printing to January 17

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HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has pushed back the printing of ballots for the May 2022 national and local elections to early next week due to the pending release of the final list candidates.

At an online news briefing on Wednesday, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the National Printing Office (NPO) is now scheduled to start printing the ballots on January 17, 2022 instead of January 15, 2022.

He said they expect the NPO will first start printing the ballots for overseas voters before proceeding with the ballots for local voters.

The delay in the printing comes as the release of the final list of candidates was reset from January 7, Friday to January 15, Saturday.

“It [final list of candidates] will be uploaded on the website, but it will not be immediately complete. It will be a rolling process since it will involve several hundreds [of candidates],” Jimenez said.

The said list was supposed to have been completed last month, but Comelec decided to defer its release due to the pending cases against some of the aspiring candidates.

Based on Comelec’s latest partial list of candidates, there are currently 10 presidential aspirants, nine vice presidential aspirants and 64 senatorial aspirants.

Comelec also registered around 180 party-list groups, which may be included in the final ballot including Mothers for Change (MOCHA Party-list). Among the nominees of the said group is former Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) official Margaux “Mocha” J. Uson.

In a related development, Jimenez said the list would likely exclude the Malasakit Movement party-list, which includes former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) spokesperson Celine Pialago as among its nominees.

He noted the said party-list would be removed from the final ballot since it failed to prove it was representing a marginalized under-represented sector.

However, Jimenez said the Malasakit Movement could appeal the decision of the Comelec before the Supreme Court.

Samuel P. Medenilla

YouTube, hotbed for hyperpartisan pitch. . .

It’s about how do we make the environment less conducive for manipulation and propaganda,” Gaw said.

More discerning

IN order to address this, the PMML recommended that voters or the general public be more conscious about their consumption of political information.

They should not only ask questions about political agenda that are being promoted, but also who is promoting it.

It is also important for consumers to watch news in order to get di-

rected to content that is outside of their “bubble” on YouTube. This will be greatly helped if news media will go beyond reporting election stories as ‘straight news’ and report on campaign strategies that undermine democratic processes.

In terms of civil society, the researchers recommended that they watch the videos posted by popular channels as these may be instructive on how to gather more interest for alternative candidates and views.

“Let’s not forget digital. There’s a

whole thing happening here in the digital world and just because it’s online doesn’t affect or influence our offline lives. The conversations that happen online, they get reported on by the media, they become part of our daily conversations,” Ben Bonquin, co-lead of PMML’s DPP siad.

“So it’s really important for us to take a look at the kinds of content that we consume and the kinds of conversations we make in terms of our digital spaces because they bleed into our everyday lives and eventually shape the

“We can only urge the employers that if it is possible for them to give their workers who have Covid [to be accorded with] additional leave benefits,” Bello said.

Benavidez said there a pending bill in Congress, which ex-

continued from a12

way we view the world,” he added.

The PMML also said YouTube, as a platform, must also investigate the online communities and determine if they are using trustworthy information sources as well as expand their definitions of political disinformation.

They also recommended that the government should oversee the stealth campaign strategies being used on YouTube and must require candidates to declare their paid campaigners online.

tends pay to workers in isolation and under quarantine.

“I think [the bill] was already passed in the Committee on Labor at the House of Representatives.

DOLE is supporting that [legislation],” Benavidez said.

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Thursday, January 13, 2022

The World BusinessMirror

New South Wales reports deadliest day of pandemic

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YDNEY— Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, made the reporting of rapid antigen test results mandatory Wednesday as it experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic with 21 deaths.

State Premier Dominic Perrottet said residents who failed to register a positive rapid antigen test would face a fine of up to 1,000 Australian dollars (US$721) starting next week.

Perrottet said the registration process was simple and would help health officials provide more support to people with underlying health conditions.

The 21 deaths reported in New South Wales on Wednesday topped the previous record of 18 set on Monday. The state saw 34,759 new Covid-19 cases and 2,242 hospital-

Traffic marshalls direct cars at a drive-through Covid-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on January 8, 2022. Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, made the reporting of rapid antigen test results mandatory Wednesday, January 12, as it experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic. AP Photo/Mark Baker

izations, including 175 patients in intensive care.

Victoria state, whose capital Melbourne is hosting the Australian Open starting next week, also reported 21 deaths Wednesday along with 40,127 new cases as the state government announced that 1,000 first-year health-care students and retired nurses would be recruited as vaccinators to meet

rising demand for booster shots.

Deputy Premier James Merlino said the state’s health-care system is strained, with around 6,600 workers off duty after testing positive or coming into close contact with a positive case.

New pandemic orders coming into force in Victoria on Wednesday make booster shots mandatory for critical workers in various

fields including health care, disability care, aged care, emergency services, correctional facilities, hotel quarantine and food distribution.

Workers in food and beverage manufacturing, distribution and packing will be allowed to continue working after coming into close contact with a positive Covid-19 case. AP

China’s Tianjin orders more testing on 14 million residents

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EIJING—The northern Chinese city of Tianjin ordered a second round of Covid-19 testing on all 14 million residents Wednesday following the discovery of 97 cases of the omicron variant during initial screenings that began Sunday.

Residents are to remain where they are until the results of all the nucleic acid tests are received, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Xinhua said authorities have carried out almost 12 million tests so far, with 7.8 million samples returned. Infections were first reported on Saturday in the city that is only about an hour from Beijing, which is to host the Winter Olympics from February 4.

The city’s Covid-19 prevention and control office said all

who have tested positive in the initial testing round were found to have the omicron variant, of which China has so far only reported a handful of cases. The source of the outbreak is still unknown and many who are spreading the strain may be doing so unwittingly because they show no symptoms.

Millions more are under lockdown in other Chinese cities under the strict “dynamic zero-case policy” that has allowed China to largely contain major outbreaks, although at considerable cost to the local economy.

Hong Kong has closed kindergartens and primary schools after infections were discovered among students, banned flights from the United States and seven other countries and held 2,500 passengers on

a cruise ship for coronavirus testing Wednesday as the city attempted to stem an emerging Omicron outbreak.

The semiautonomous Chinese city has tightened pandemic-related restrictions in recent days after discovering the Omicron variant had spread beyond people arriving from overseas.

In total, China announced 166 new cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours before Wednesday, including 33 in Tianjin and 118 in Henan province but just eight in the city of Xi’an, home to the famed Terracotta Warrior statues and major industries, where a lockdown was imposed December 23.

Authorities also released news of an inspection to Henan last week conducted

by Vice Premier Sun Chun-

lan, who called for steppedup measures to prevent the spread of both Delta and Omicron variants. Covid-19 has spread to three cities in the province, including Yuzhou, Anyang, and the provincial capital Zhengzhou, prompting travel bans and various levels of lockdown.

“It is necessary to do a good job in guaranteeing the living needs of the people in the closed and controlled communities, ensure the basic medical needs of the people during the epidemic period, and ensure that the people’s demands can be responded to and resolved in a timely manner,” Sun was quoted as saying.

Some Xi’an residents have complained at their inability to source food and other daily necessities. AP

US airlines say China forces them to cancel some flights

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S airlines say China has blocked more than a dozen recent and future flights from entering the country, which has been tightening already-strict Covid-19 travel restrictions.

China ordered the cancellations after some passengers tested positive for Covid-19 on flights that arrived in China in late December, according to industry officials.

American Airlines said Tuesday that six of its flights from Dallas-Fort Worth to Shanghai in late January and early February have been canceled. United Airlines said it was forced to cancel six flights from San Francisco to Shanghai later

this month. Delta Air Lines said it canceled one flight last week and another this Friday to Shanghai.

Airlines for America, which represents the largest US passenger and cargo carriers, said it was discussing the matter with US and Chinese government officials to find ways to minimize the impact on travelers.

The Biden administration had no immediate comment.

The blocking of flights is the latest development in a dispute between the two countries over international flights and rules designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

China has been ratcheting up travel restrictions after recent

outbreaks of Covid-19 as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics in early February. China limits capacity on inbound flights— currently to 75 percent—and requires passengers to be tested before departure and after arriving in the country.

If passengers test positive, the airline that carried them can be forced to cancel two to four flights, depending on the number of positive cases.

Last month, Delta said new requirements for cleaning planes between flights caused a plane bound for Shanghai to return to Seattle. The airline said the new rules extended the time planes would need to sit on the ground in Shanghai, and weren’t work-

able. The Chinese consulate in San Francisco lodged a protest over Delta’s decision.

In 2020, the Trump administration backed down from a threat to block four Chinese airlines after China agreed to let United and Delta resume limited operations that were shuttered earlier in the pandemic.

Last August, the US Transportation Department limited the number of passengers on four Chinese airlines’ f lights to the US after China imposed similar limits on United Airlines. The US said China was putting an unreasonable burden on US airlines for travelers who test positive after arriving in China. AP

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Three million Britons were off work sick in 1st week of 2022

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he rapid spread of the Omicron variant drove a sharp increase in the number of people missing work in the UK during the first week of January, according to an analysis of workplace attendance data carried out for Bloomberg News.

E mplo ye e a b s e nce s i n creased by 18 percent to an estimated 1.6 million between January 3 and 9 compared to the same period in 2021, according to GoodShape, which tracks work-related illness and wellbeing at UK employers. In total, GoodShape estimated that 3.1 million Britons were affected last week, despite the fact that a new year public holiday on January 3 meant some workers enjoyed a four-day week.

The snapshot of absences at the beginning of the year is one of the first indications of the impact the Omicron surge is having on the UK economy.

GoodShape combined its data with official population and wage statistics to extrapolate nationwide figures, estimating that last week’s wave of absences cost the UK 1.3 billion pounds ($1.8 billion).

The period covered by the data includes the days immediately after the Christmas and New Year holidays, when large numbers of Britons were either infected with Covid-19 or in self-isolation. At the peak of the Omicron wave, on Jan. 4, the UK reported 218,724 positive cases of Covid-19.

Absences among government employees, including local authority staff, were up 26% in the first week of January compared to a year earlier, the biggest rise across a host of sectors. At the same time an estimated 562,000 employees were off work in the UK’s

health and life sciences sector, GoodShape said, indicating the pressure facing medics and staff at hospitals facing rising Covid-19 admissions.

The current situation is “risking patient safety, quality of care and staff health and wellbeing,” said Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, an association that represents hospital trusts across the country.

“This level of pressure on our work force caused by rising staff absences as well as the lack of a national long-term plan and nearly 100,000 vacancies going into the pandemic is not sustainable,” Hopson said.

The UK is considering reducing coronavirus self-isolation periods as pressure grows on key services across the economy. Schools are among those struggling, with an estimated 8.8 percent of the total school workforce absent on January 6, the Department for Education said. At least 585 former teachers have signed up to return to classrooms, the department said in a statement.

GoodShape f ig ures a lso show that more than ha lf of people now missing work are absent because of medical infections, including testing positive for Covid-19, with just 12 percent absent work for nonmedical reasons—including self-isolation. A year ago those figures were almost equal, the company said.

Alun Baker, GoodShape’s chief executive officer, said there is now “little doubt Omicron’s impact on workplace health and well-being is growing.”

“Employers have a tough job, trying to ensure the wellbei ng of work i ng st a f f is protected whilst maintaining productivity,” Baker said.

Bloomberg News

Lithuania: Taiwan to set up $1-B credit fund amid China pressure

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ILNIUS, Lithuania— Taiwan will set up a $1 billion credit program aimed at funding projects by Lithuanian and Taiwanese compa nies a mid economic pressure from China over an office that the island opened in the European Union country, Lithuanian officials said Tuesday.

It fol lows Ta iw a n’s a nnouncement last week about creating a $200-million investment fund to help Lithuania amid a diplomatic row with Beijing. American and Lithuanian officials say China has blocked imports from the Baltic nation, a close US ally.

Lithuania broke with diplomatic custom by agreeing that a Taiwanese representative office in its capital of Vilnius—a de facto embassy—would bear the name Taiwan instead of Chinese Taipei, which other countries use to avoid offending Beijing. China considers Taiwan part of its territory with no right to diplomatic recognition.

Lithuania expects the new credit program to boost projects in tech industries, including computer chips, laser manufacturing and biotechnology sectors, that are facing pressure from China.

“It is very good news. I think Lithuania can be assessed as a potential investment site for the semiconductor industry,” Lithuanian Minister for Economy and Innovation Ausrine Armonaite told reporters after an online meeting with Min-

Minister Kung Ming-Hsin of the National Development Council of Taiwan addresses media during a press conference in Prague, Czech Republic on October 25, 2021. Taiwan will set up a $1-billion credit program aimed at funding projects by Lithuanian and Taiwanese companies amid economic pressure from China over an office that the island opened in the European Union country.

Lithuanian officials announced the move Tuesday. “It is very good news. I think Lithuania can be assessed as a potential investment site for the semiconductor industry,” Lithuanian Minister for Economy and Innovation Ausrine Armonaite told reporters after an online meeting with Minister Kung Ming-Hsin of the National Development Council of Taiwan. AP Photo/Petr David Josek

ister Kung Ming-Hsin of the National Development Council of Taiwan.

Beijing last week blasted Taiwan’s investment fund for Lithuania as “dollar diplomacy” and has accused the US of inciting the Baltic nation in efforts to contain China.

Lithuania, a country of 2.8 million people, is a member of the European Union and NATO. Before the diplomatic spat that erupted last year, China was Lithuania’s 13th-biggest trade partner, while Taiwan was 65th. AP

The World BusinessMirror

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Thursday, January 13, 2022

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China’s Omicron outbreak sending jitters through global supply chains

Hundreds of Afghan men gather to apply for the humanitarian aid in Qala-e-Naw, Afghanistan, on December 14, 2021. In a statement Tuesday, January 11, 2022, the White House announced $308 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, offering new aid to the country as it edges toward a humanitarian crisis since the Taliban takeover nearly five months earlier. AP Photo/Mstyslav Chernov

UN seeks $5 billion to aid millions of Afghans as the country struggles

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N I T ED NAT IONS —T he United Nations on Tuesday launched its biggest ever appeal—for over $5 billion to help 22 million Afghans whose country is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse as well as 5.7 million Afghan refugees in five neighboring countries.

The UN said the appeal will be followed by a pledging conference in mid-March. But a number of nations announced new funding, including an additional $308 million from the United States and $500,000 from Israel, and there were indications that more funds will be coming from other mainly Western nations.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths, who called the campaign “the largest ever appeal,” said statements during the two-hour hybrid launch event were “encouraging” because there is a high degree of consensus on the increasingly desperate needs of the Afghan people.

The Afghan appeal for 2021 was the best-funded, he said, and “we are confident that member states solidarity and generosity will come through in 2022.”

The issue of helping the Afghan people has been complicated by the Taliban takeover of the country in August as US and NATO forces were in the final stages of their chaotic withdrawal from the country after 20 years.

The Taliban initially promised tolerance and inclusiveness toward women and ethnic minorities but their actions so far, including renewed restrictions on women and the appointment of an all-male government, have been met with dismay by the international community—including many donors.

Afghanistan’s aid-reliant economy was thrown into deep turmoil following the Taliban takeover.

The Afghanistan central bank’s $9 billion in reserves, most of which is held in the United States, were frozen and the International Monetary Fund blocked about $450 million because of a “lack of clarity” about a new government.

T he Taliban leadership has banned all foreign currency transactions while urging the US to ease sanctions and release Afghanistan’s overseas assets so the government can pay teachers, doctors and other public sector employees.

The joint appeal seeks $4.4 billion for the UN and its humanitarian partners to help 22 million people in Afghanistan, about half the country’s population. It calls for $623 million for the 5.7 million Afghans who fled abroad to neighboring Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The funding, if achieved, would amount to the equivalent of about one-fourth of the country’s total economic output in 2020, of more than $20 billion, according to the World Bank.

Last month, Griffiths warned that Afghanistan’s economic collapse “is happening before our eyes” and urged the international community to take action to stop “the freefall” before it leads to more deaths.

He said donor nations need to

agree that in addition to emergency humanitarian aid they need to support basic services for the Afghan people including education, hospitals, electricity and paying civil servants—and they must inject liquidity into the economy which has seen the banking system “pretty well shut down.”

Afghanistan’s ambassador in Geneva, Nasir Ahmad Andisha, who represented the former government and is still recognized by the UN, told the meeting that “Afghanistan is unfortunately experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis of its contemporary history, and perhaps one of the worst in the world.”

“My country is facing simultaneously an economic downfall, food insecurity, banking and fiscal crisis, climate change and unemployment, [and] over and above all a reversal of fundamental rights and freedoms including sidelining half of its population,” said Andisha.

He has accused the Taliban of committing targeted killings, enforced disappearances and other rights abuses since August.

Andisha urged unimpeded humanitarian access to all areas of the country for UN agencies and their humanitarian partners.

The International Refugee Committee said its staff have seen a thirtyfold increase in the severest form of child malnutrition between November and December in western Herat and a twofold increase in southeastern Khost.

The organization, which has worked in Afghanistan since 1988 and now operates in nine provinces, said food prices have risen an estimated 10 percent to 20 percent compared with the past five years, and in December the cost of wheat, fuel and flour were almost 50 percent higher than in the last week of June.

While “a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe looms, the world is perplexed and looking for the right way to react,” Griffiths said.

“My message is urgent, don’t shut the door on the people of Afghanistan,” he said. “Help us scale up and stave off widespread hunger, disease, malnutrition and ultimately death by supporting the humanitarian plans we are launching today.”

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said that “the international community must do everything it can to prevent a catastrophe in Afghanistan, which would not only compound suffering but would drive further displacement both within the country and throughout the region.”

He said security and resources will spur the return of refugees and aid opens a space for dialogue with the Taliban on issues that matter to donors including the rights of women and minorities.

“The Afghan people cannot pay once more after 40 years for the political gaps and mistakes that have been committed in the past, and this is a very strong message from us,” he said in his final remarks to the appeal launch, adding that the UN will continue to pursue the rights of women to education and work and the rights of minorities. AP

A

n Omicron outbreak in China is sending jitters through supply chains as manufacturers and shippers brace for disruption inside the world’s biggest trading nation if it can’t contain the fast-spreading variant.

In 2020 and 2021, China’s “Covid-zero” strategy meant factories could stay open throughout the pandemic to produce everything from health equipment to laptops that global consumers hovered up at a record pace. But there’s been confirmed cases of local infection everyday since mid-October and it’s likely even tougher restrictions will be needed to curb Omicron’s spread, with knock-on consequences for ports and factories as more cities lock down.

So far China’s not facing the problems seen elsewhere like shortages of some foods in Australia or Japan, or an estimated 5 million workers staying home sick in the US last week. But with an end to “Covid-zero” unlikely as China prepares to host the Winter Olympics next month and a series of political events later in the year, policy makers have to decide how much to increase restrictions, and consider how that will hit an already slowing economy and

global trade.

“The reality is that China remains the center of global manufacturing,” said Thomas O’Connor, a supply chain expert at Gartner Inc. in Sydney. “If there was significant manufacturing or logistic shutdowns in China associated with Covid-related challenges, that would have a massive impact on the global economic environment.”

In recent weeks, sporadic outbreaks scattered across the country of both the Delta and Omicron variants have already triggered shutdowns to clothing factories and gas deliveries around one of China’s biggest seaports in Ningbo, disruptions at computer chip manufacturers in the locked-down city of Xi’an, and a second city-wide lockdown in a different province Tuesday.

There are other cities nearby facing some restrictions, and authorities in the southern technology and manufacturing hub

of Shenzhen tightened restrictions on vehicles entering the city Tuesday. That prompted concern about delays at nearby Yantian port, which is one of the biggest container ports in Asia and was partly closed for a month last year after an outbreak.

Trapped toys

One manufacturer caught up in the current delays is Sidney Yu, whose Hong Kong-based firm Prime Success Enterprises Ltd. makes educational and recreational products like children’s tents and pet baths.

Yu has five containers delayed due to the outbreak in Ningbo, where some of his production is based. He’s worried that if he doesn’t get his products shipped before the looming Chinese New Year holidays—when factories shut for weeks—he will miss the window to get his spring and summer range of goods to market in time.

“This is a critical time before Chinese New Year,” Yu said. “We have a lot of shipments going out as we try to catch the last few weeks before the holiday starts.”

The snarls in China comes as a global economy swamped in Omicron grapples with shortages of truck drivers, pilots, supermarket staff and other frontline workers, extending a supply crunch that dogged the world through much of 2021 and sent prices soaring.

Shipping container costs remain multiples of levels seen early in the crisis, raw material prices remain elevated, and disruptions are likely to last through this year, according to analysis by Oxford Economics.

Production across Southeast Asia was hammered last year as manufacturing nations like Vietnam and Malaysia enforced strict lockdowns, causing long delays in production of semiconductors, clothing and more. It also prompted some firms to bring production back to China, which was able to export record amounts of goods despite the occasional domestic outbreak, shipping congestion and problems at ports in the US and elsewhere.

However, a surge in Omicron across China and the rest of Asia could trigger “the mother of all supply chain stumbles” this year, according to Frederic Neumann, co-head of Asian economic research at HSBC Holdings Plc. Bank of America economists warned that Asia has yet to see a major wave of Omicron, meaning the worst of the impact has yet to come.

If China does succeed in containing the virus again it will ease global supply pressures, but for manufacturers like Yu, the near term isn’t offering any respite from the lingering problems.

“For the next six months I don’t see any big improvements,” Yu said. Bloomberg News

Russia and China block UN support for sanctions on Mali

U

NITED NATIONS—Russia and China blocked the UN Security Council on Tuesday from supporting new sanctions on Mali for its military leaders’ decision to delay next month’s elections until 2026, a blow to the restoration of democracy in the troubled West African nation.

Kenya’s UN ambassador, Martin Kimani, said after closed-door discussions on the proposed Frenchdrafted statement endorsing the sanctions imposed by the West African regional group ECOWAS he was “disappointed” that the council couldn’t agree on what he called a “relatively mild” press statement.

Kimani said the Security Council’s failure to support ECOWAS’ actions spurred its three African members—Kenya, Ghana and Gabon—to speak to reporters to fully back the regional bloc’s position, “including the imposition of sanctions on the military authorities in Mali to ensure an expedited transition to constitutional rule.”

Mali has struggled to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in Mali’s northern cities with the help of a French-led military operation, but they regrouped in the desert and began launching attacks on the Malian army and its allies. Insecurity has worsened

with attacks on civilians and UN peacekeepers.

In August 2020, Malian President Boubacar Ibrahim Keita was overthrown in a coup that included Col. Assimi Goita. Last June, Goita was sworn in as president of a transitional government after carrying out his second coup in nine months.

The junta initially had agreed to hold a new election in late February but the military leadership now says the presidential ballot will not take place until 2026 because of deepening insecurity across the country, giving Goita four more years in power.

ECOWAS leaders responded Sunday, calling Goita’s delayed timetable “totally unacceptable” and saying it “simply means that an illegitimate military transition government will take the Malian people hostage during the next five years.”

They imposed new sanctions, suspending most commerce and financial aid to Mali, closing land and air borders with other members of ECOWAS and activating the bloc’s standby force, saying it “will have to be ready for any eventuality.”

The United States, United Kingdom, France and other Security Council members joined the Africans in supporting ECOWAS’ actions.

Br it i sh de put y a mba ss ador

James Kariuki called Mali’s decision to delay elections “deeply disappointing,” saying “it brings into question the transitional authorities’ commitment to democracy and the rule of law, despite assurances given to members of this council during our visit to Bamako last October.”

US Ambassador Linda ThomasGreenfield accused Mali’s transitional government of a “blatant lack of political will...to make progress toward organizing elections” and said a five-year transition “extends the pain of the people.”

The three countries also strongly criticized the presence of the Russian private military company, the Wagner Group, in Mali.

French Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere reiterated his country’s condemnation of the deployment of mercenaries from the Wagner Group “who are known to threaten civilians, loot resources, violate international law and the sovereignty of states.” He expressed regret that Mali’s transitional authorities “are using already limited public funds to pay foreign mercenaries instead of supporting the national forces and public services for the benefit of the Malian people.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that the company has a “legitimate” right to be in

the West African nation because it was invited by the transitional government, and he has insisted that the Russian government is not involved.

Mali’s UN ambassador, Issa Konfourou, told the Security Council there are no mercenaries on Malian soil. He said Russian trainers are in Mali to advise and train its military on the use of military equipment acquired by the government from Russia.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said: “Hysteria around the Russian company is yet another manifestation of double standards, for it is clear that the market for such services is monopolized by Western countries.”

Konfourou said the government was “shocked” by ECOWAS’ economic and financial sanctions and “emphatically condemned these illegal and illegitimate” measures.

He said Goita asked ECOWAS “to reconsider its interpretation of the situation in Mali,” remains open to dialogue with the regional bloc, and “reiterated a willingness to spare no effort to ensure the prompt restoration of constitutional order in safe and secure Mali.”

Diplomats said Russia considered the proposed council statement unbalanced, and Nebenzia was sympathetic to the government. AP

NATO and Russia start high-level talks as Ukraine tensions simmer

B

RUSSELS—Senior NATO and Russian officials are meeting Wednesday to try to bridge seemingly irreconcilable differences over the future of Ukraine, amid deep skepticism that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s security proposals for easing tensions are genuine.

The meeting comes during a week of high-stakes diplomacy and a USled effort to prevent preparations for what Washington believes could be a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moscow denies it is planning an attack.

Still, its history of military action in Ukraine and Georgia worries NATO. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin will lead Moscow’s delegation at the NATO-Russia Council, the first time it’s convened in over two years. US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy

Sherman will also be at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

The meeting is due to run for about three hours. The NATORussia Council, their chief forum for talks, was set up two decades ago but full meetings paused when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014. It has met only sporadically since, the last time in July 2019.

With around 100,000 combatready Russian troops backed by tanks, artillery and heavy equipment massed just across Ukraine’s eastern border, Wednesday’s gathering has taken on great significance, yet it still seems destined to fail.

“These are completely unacceptable proposals,” Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet told public broadcaster ERR on the eve of the talks.

Estonia, like its Baltic neighbors

Latvia and Lithuania, relies on US security guarantees provided by its membership in NATO. The three Baltic nations were once ruled by the Soviet Union but are now part of the European Union and NATO. Putin says Russia’s demands are simple, but key parts of the proposals contained in the documents that Moscow has made public—a draft agreement with NATO countries and the offer of a treaty between Russia and the United States—won’t pass muster at the 30-country military organization.

NATO would have to agree to halt all membership plans, not just with Ukraine, and scale down its presence in countries like Estonia close to Russia’s borders. In exchange, Russia would pledge to limit its war games, as well as end aircraft buzzing incidents and other low-level hostilities.

Endorsing such an agreement

would require NATO to reject a key part of its founding treaty. Under Article 10 of the 1949 Washington Treaty, the organization can invite in any willing European country that can contribute to security in the North Atlantic area and fulfill the obligations of membership.

“It has become crystal clear that not a single ally inside the NATO alliance is willing to budge or negotiate anything as it relates to NATO’s open door policy,” Julianne Smith, the US ambassador to NATO, said Tuesday. “I cannot imagine any scenario where that is up for discussion.”

Maksim Samorukov, a fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank, says the lack of any real Russian concessions in Putin’s draft agreement probably means that “Russia is ready to tolerate a failure of these negotiations.” AP

A8

BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 13, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

8 STONE BUSINESS OUTSOURCING OPC 5-10/f Tower 1, Pitx Kennedy Road, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

LANG, ZENGSHUAI Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 1.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin speaking

LU, YANCHEN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 2.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin speaking

WEI, JINGANG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 3.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin speaking

YU, JINPENG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 4.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin speaking

ZHANG, HENG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 5.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin speaking

LI, HENG Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking 6.

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all Marketing activity and result

LI, WEIZHI Marketing Staff Mandarin Speaking 7.

Brief Job Description: Monitor, review and report on all Marketing activity and result

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

13.

KUIPERS, RENE RAINIER Project Coordinator 14.

15.

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

16.

8.

Brief Job Description: Hands-on involvement in all technical aspects of marketing.

17.

9.

Brief Job Description: Provides customer service in foreign language, taking phone calls, answering to customer inquiries through emails, and solving customer issues.

NGOY, VICTOR NGE Bilingual French Analyst 10.

Brief Job Description: Provides customer service in foreign language, taking phone calls, answering to customer inquiries through emails, and solving customer issues.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Analyze the productivity of the Marketing plans and projects, recommend to Senior Management

PENG, HAO Mandarin Software Quality Assurance Analyst

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

18.

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent writing, reading, listening and taking in French language.

Preferably with prior experience of at least 1 year in similar BPO outfit

11.

Brief Job Description: Assist head chef and training staff with regards to Chinese menu

Brief Job Description: you shall managing a team of mandarin staff including programmers, analysts and support specialists, evaluating the functionality of systems, consulting computer users to ascertain needs and to ensure that facilities meet user or project requirements, selecting and purchasing appropriate hardware and software, managing IT budgets, ensuring software licensing laws are followed, implementing and managing security or integrity and backup procedures, scheduling upgrades, providing user training, support, advice and feedback, testing and modifying systems to ensure that that they operate reliably managing secure network access for remote users, keeping up to date with new technology, designing maintenance procedures and putting them into operation training new staff.

Ensure software packages contain no errors by analyzing development data, regularly interpret data and analysis in Mandarin.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent writing, reading, listening and taking in French language.

Preferably with prior experience of at least 1 year in similar BPO outfit

19.

Basic Qualification: Expert in menu planning

Brief Job Description: The one responsible to “get the sale” using various customer sales methods.

12.

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin speaking.

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

XIE, LIXIA Field Sales Consultant 21.

Basic Qualification: Minimum professional education in construction management.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Superintendent experience in working with excavators and dry earth movement in international dredging, land reclamation and rock works projects.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Superintendent experience in working with excavators and dry earth movement in international dredging, land reclamation and rock works projects.

CONCENTRIX DAKSH SERVICES PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Bldg. F, Ayalaland, Technohub, Quezon City

AHLUWALIA, RAJAT VP Shared Services 22.

Brief Job Description: Provides leadership and direction through Managers, Sr. Managers, Directors and Sr. Directors

Basic Qualification: University Degree in related field and 12+ years of experience (with atleast 6+ years of progressive management experience) relevant experience preferred Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

DIGICHROM INC. Unit 2602 & 2603 26/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of

23.

24.

HOANG THI THU HUYEN Vietnamese Speaking Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Immediately escalating serious complaints or issues that you are not equipped to PHAM NGOC ANH Vietnamese Speaking Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Immediately escalating serious complaints or issues that you are not equipped to

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

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

DENG, LEI Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 25.

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

ZHANG, BAOXIN Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 26.

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

ZHANG, WENXIANG Chinese Speaking Business Development Associate 27.

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

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

ENERGY CHINA PHILIPPINES BRANCH OFFICE Unit 1718, High Street South Corporate Plaza Tower 1, Bonifacio Global, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig SHEN, JIAN Technical Manager 28.

Brief Job Description: Serve as the technical expert for detailed design and construction aspects of the project. Propose and oversee timelines for engineering proposals and submissions are met. Set up procedure and processes in monitoring and tracking of engineering related documentation throughout project lifestyle.

Basic Qualification: Ability to work in a highpressure, deadline-driven environment. Exceptional communication and reporting skills. Solid working knowledge in all required software and programming languages.

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

ETRANSS REMITTANCE INTERNATIONAL CORP. G/f Jx Tower Block 2 Lot 17 Fuentes Cor. San Pedro Street, Aseana, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

29.

Basic Qualification: Can research accounts and generate or follow through sales leads; Can value customers skills, needs and build productive long lasting relationships; Can meet personal and team sales targets.

Basic Qualification: Can research accounts and generate or follow through sales leads; Can value customers skills, needs and build productive long lasting relationships; Can meet personal and team sales targets.

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

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

Basic Qualification: you shall managing a team of mandarin staff including programmers, analysts and support specialists, evaluating the functionality of systems, consulting computer users to ascertain needs and to ensure that facilities meet user or project requirements, selecting and purchasing appropriate hardware and software, managing IT budgets, ensuring software licensing laws are followed, implementing and managing security or integrity and backup procedures, scheduling upgrades, providing user training, support, advice and feedback, testing and modifying systems to ensure that that they operate reliably managing secure network access for remote users, keeping up to date with new technology, designing maintenance procedures and putting them into operation training new staff. Ensure software packages contain no errors by analyzing development data, regularly interpret data and analysis in Mandarin.

Brief Job Description: The one responsible to “get the sale” using various customer sales methods.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

30.

CUI, HUYAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service in a remittance company

ZHANG, SHENGYE Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service in a remittance company

Basic Qualification: Vast knowledge and experience in customer service Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Vast knowledge and experience in customer service Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

FAREAST OUTSOURCE PROCESSING INC. 7th, 8th, 9th Flr. Nu Tower, Moa Coral Way, Barangay 76, Pasay City

AMUSETECH BUSINESS OUTSOURCING 6, 7, 8th Flr. (np), Moa Arena, J.w. Diokno Blvd., Barangay 76, Pasay City

JEONG, HYUKJIN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

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

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

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

Basic Qualification: Experience with discipline relevant software and models and stakeholder management.

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

CHEN, XIAOYAN Field Sales Consultant

No.

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

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

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

AMAZING HOUSE, INC. G/f Oceanaire Residences, Cbpi, Sunrise Drive, Barangay 76, Pasay City DAI, XIAOFENG Chinese Cuisine Specialist

Brief Job Description: Manages and supervises the execution of a part of the project according to the contract in a safe, timely, qualitatively optimal and cost-efficient manner.

Basic Qualification: Analyze the productivity of the Marketing plans and projects, recommend to Senior Management

Basic Qualification: Can speak, write, and type in Mandarin. Technical skills in software

Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

BZC IT SERVICES INC. 3f Salcedo One Center, 170 Salcedo St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

ALLSECTECH MANILA, INC. 3rd Floor, Market! Market! Mall, Bonifacio Global City, City Of Taguig

KITUNGA, JULIEN LING-OYEN Bilingual French Analyst

Brief Job Description: Manages and supervises the execution of a part of the project according to the contract in a safe, timely, qualitatively optimal and cost-efficient manner.

SMULDERS, MARCEL PAUL Spraying Superintendent

ADVANCE BEYOND INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING, INC. Unit 511 Campos Rueda Bldg., 101 Urban Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati YUAN, JINWEN Mandarin Marketing Automation Specialist

Brief Job Description: Manages, monitors and supervises the execution, according to the contract of a part of the dredging and reclamation project.

DE BOER, CEES Spraying Superintendent

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

Brief Job Description: Manages and supervises the safe and correct execution of marine and dredging works in the project.

HIJLKEMA, BOTE JOHANNES Spraying & Reclamation Works Manager

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

Brief Job Description: Build sustainable relationship of trust through open and interactive communication in Mandarin speaking.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

BOSKALIS PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 3701, 3801 The Orient Square, F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

TAN CHUN TIONG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

www.businessmirror.com.ph

LUO, DAWEN Field Sales Consultant 20.

Brief Job Description: The one responsible to “get the sale” using various customer sales methods.

Basic Qualification: Can research accounts and generate or follow through sales leads; Can value customers skills, needs and build productive long lasting relationships; Can meet personal and team sales targets.

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

31.

LAI, WEIXIU Customer Service Representative (CSR) Brief Job Description: Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: High School graduate in Chinese curriculum, can speak and write fluent Chinese Mandarin, can operate computer Mandarin characters Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

32.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

LIU, ZHIWEI Customer Service Representative (CSR) Brief Job Description: Customer Service Representative

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: High School graduate in Chinese curriculum, can speak and write fluent Chinese Mandarin, can operate computer Mandarin characters

No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HU, GANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

46.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 GMO GLOBALSIGN INC. Units 7&8, 23/f Zuellig Bldg., Makati Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, Urdaneta, City Of Makati GIRAUDO BARCELO, FERMIN Multilingual Technical Support Specialist (Spanish) 33.

Brief Job Description: Research, investigates and resolves customer technical issues.

Basic Qualification: Can speak and write fluent and business-level Spanish language.

34.

Brief Job Description: Assist in the monitoring and supervision of site work to ensure compliance of technical specifications, contractual and statutory obligations as well as safety regulations requirements including stipulated quality of equipment and workmanship

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree with at least 3-5 years of working experience in the related field; fluent in mandarin/ basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ING BUSINESS SHARED SERVICES B.V. BRANCH OFFICE 27th Floor World Plaza Building, 5th Avenue, E-square Zone Cresent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, City Of Taguig RAO, KALMADY SHRIKANTH SUDHEENDRA Customer Journey Expert 35.

Brief Job Description: Responsibility for training team member to get acquainted with the LoanIQ model to further develop API connections within the company.

Basic Qualification: Handle and understand the Lending core system (LoanIQ) daya model and monitor Customer journey of lending operations.

36.

Brief Job Description: Identify and assess customers needs to achieve satisfaction

48.

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

37.

Brief Job Description: Cooperate with the General Manager, and assist with anything from project planning to staff management.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin.

49.

WANG, NING Mandarin Customer Support Representative 38.

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

50.

WANG, YANG Mandarin Customer Support Representative 39.

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

WEI, TANGHAI Mandarin Customer Support Representative

40.

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

YU, WEIXUN Mandarin Customer Support Representative

41.

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

ZHANG, LINA Mandarin Customer Support Representative

42.

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

SHWE AUNG Myanmari Customer Support Representative

43.

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

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

CHEN, LITING Chinese Customer Officer 51.

52.

Brief Job Description: Working with clients to identify their unique investment goals

Brief Job Description: To respond to customers concerns on site and supply solutions to their concerns SUN, WEILONG Chinese Customer Service Representative

53.

Brief Job Description: To respond to customers concerns on site and supply solutions to their concerns WU, FUWEI Chinese Customer Service Representative

54.

Brief Job Description: To respond to customers concerns on site and supply solutions to their concerns

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

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

SINGH, UTPAL Philippine NSP-Partner Manager

55.

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

Brief Job Description: Drive a sustainable growth and mutual profitability for both Nike Philippines and its Partners through diligent monitoring and maintaining of sales (sellin and sell-through) growth as well as a healthy inventory; Develop, apply, and oversee the sales activities for the designated field team for the partner;

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

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

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

No.

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

59.

60.

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

61.

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

62.

OBA, JUN Japan Visa Processor 63.

56.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for interpret, monitor, analyze, formulate financial information

Basic Qualification: Degree in finance

MALIK, VISHAL Chief Finance Officer

Basic Qualification: Confident decision making abilities

Brief Job Description: Responsible for directing the fiscal functions of the company in accordance in generally accepted accounting principles, the SEC & other regulatory & advisory organizations

Basic Qualification: At least 20 years of High level professional experience in very senior roles directing & overseeing financial activities & driving financial strategies to optimize company financial.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

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

64.

KONG, JIAHUI Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff 45.

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese/ Mandarin fluently Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

HUANG, RENXIAO Project Director 58.

Brief Job Description: Creating long and short-term plans to the Company, including setting targets for milestones and adhering to deadlines; Delegating tasks on the project to employees best position to complete them

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Minimum of 3 years of working experience in the related field; fluent in mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Minimum of 3 years of working experience as a project support specialist; fluent in mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Minimum of 3 years of working experience as a project support specialist; fluent in mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Ability to evaluate business and financial indicators, high quality organizer and problem solver.

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible for customer status and monitoring updates

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

SOJITZ G AUTO PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Unit Gc15 Edsa Grand Residences, 75 Corregidor St. Edsa 1, Ramon Magsaysay, Quezon City SUGINO, KAZUKI Chief Administrative Officer And Chief Finance Officer 65.

Brief Job Description: As CAO / CFO, Overseas budgetary issues, analyzes company sales and performance report, devises new ways to improve company profits, and searches the consumer base and competitive markets

Basic Qualification: Managing finance and accounting divisions and for ensuring that the company’s financial reports are accurate and completed in a time manner Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

TELUS INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES, INC. Units 23/f, 31st/f - 37th/f Discovery Centre, Adb Avenue, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig MEKINDA, DOMINIQUE French Operations Csr 66.

Basic Qualification: Skilled in French language

Brief Job Description: Provides expedient and accurate customer service to French speaking clients and customers NDIELLE, SOONJA GODSWILL French Operations Csr

67.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Skilled in French language

Brief Job Description: Provides expedient and accurate customer service to French speaking clients and customers

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

VFS SERVICES PHILIPPINES PRIVATE, INC. M01 Mezz Ecoplaza Bldg., 2305 Chino Roces Ext., Magallanes, City Of Makati

68.

CHATTERJI, RAHUL General Manager - Operations Brief Job Description: Oversee the Operations in the Philippines

Basic Qualification: Diplomatic missions relationship with the various embassies.

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

VPC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED 11/f 100 West, Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Cor., Washington St., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati JIANG, YUNBO Bilingual Admin Support Specialist 69.

Brief Job Description: Handles administrative requests and queries from senior managers/Officers PAN, JINHUI Bilingual Technical Support Specialist

70.

Brief Job Description: Evaluates expansions or enhancements by studying work load capacity PORMSILA, RATCHADAPORN Thai-speaking Customer Service Officer

71.

Brief Job Description: Prepares product of service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information

Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, Reading and speaking in bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in Writing , Reading and Speaking in Bilingual Languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Foreign Language Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

WISHLAND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY INC. 28/f Techzone Condo Corp., 213 Buendia Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

72.

PHONG CHI DAU Vietnamese Language-customer Service Staff Brief Job Description: Deal with and help resolve customer complaints

Basic Qualification: Excellent in Vietnamese speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

XUSHENG TECHNOLOGY CORP. Flr. No. 1-5 Bldg., No. 0050 F.b. Harrison St. Cor. Williams And Roberts St. Zone 4, District 1, Barangay 13, Pasay City

PHILIPPINE INFRADEV HOLDINGS INC. Unit A&b 38/f Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati MARKETROLE ASIA PACIFIC SERVICES, INC. 26/f, 27/f, 28/f The Enterprise Center Tower 1, 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Brief Job Description: Responsible for implementing workflow procedures based on direction from the company’s.

LAI, JENG-REN Chinese Speaking Site Technician

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

PEPSI-COLA PRODUCTS PHILIPPINES, INC. 26th Flr., Filinvest Axis Tower Two Bldg., Northgate Cyberzone, Fcc, Alabang, City Of Muntinlupa

Basic Qualification: Minimum of 3 years of working experience in the related field; fluent in mandarin/basic English

SECURE SMARTER SERVICES INC. Unit A 9/ F Bpi-philam Life Bldg., 6811 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

PAK-NIPPON INTERNATIONAL CORP. 59 Cardiz St., Cor. Banawe St., Tatalon, Quezon City MUHAMMAD, JAN Finance Manager

Brief Job Description: Provides project management support to the project managers, including documentation management, construction management support and project management software support

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

RELI TOURS AND TRAVEL COMPANY Unit G-04 G/f Makati Executive Tower Iv, Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Cor. Medina St., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent skills and experience in Partner/ Account management, retail business development, data analysis, and problem solving. Candidates from FMCG (as Key Account Manager) or Apparel/ Fashion industry (as Brand/Retail Manager) are preferred; Excellent English proficiency is a must as English is mainly used in all internal communication.

Brief Job Description: Provides project management support to the project managers, including documentation management, construction management support and project management software support HUANG, WENYAN Project Support Specialist

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

Basic Qualification: Proficient in reading writing and speaking in mandarin

Brief Job Description: Coordinates construction automation system, including the cabling, cable ways, process tubing and instrument CHEN, HAIYUN Project Support Specialist

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

Brief Job Description: Coordinates construction automation system, including the cabling, cable ways, process tubing and instrument

ZHANG, GUHUI Electrical And Instrumentation Consultant

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HE, JIANLIANG Electrical And Instrumentation Consultant

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

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

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

NIKE PHILIPPINES, INC. 10th Floor Marajo Tower 312 26th Street, West Corner 4th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

57.

44.

Brief Job Description: Handling inbound and outbound service support calls CHEN, DANQING Chinese Customer Service Representative

JQ INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION INC. Unit 9 & 10, 2f Bttc Centre,, 288 Ortigas Ave., Greenhills, City Of San Juan

LI, ZHIJIONG Investment Consultant - Mandarin Speaking

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

A9

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NEW WEATHER FORCES GROUP INC. 26/f The Enterprise Center Tower 2, 6766 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

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

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

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

KENDY Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

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

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION Ground, 2nd, 3rd And 4th Floor, Eight West Campus Mckinley West, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

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

ZHOU, JIE Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

INSHARA GEN. MERCHANDISE CORPORATION-BR. 2824, Borneo St., San Isidro, City Of Makati LIN, LING-MEI a.k.a. JONI LIN Mandarin Assistant General Manager

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

WU, YANGYANG Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

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

INQUICK SERVICES INC. Unit 606 6/f Itc Bldg., 337 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati SU, ZESONG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

47.

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

HAMMERTIME CONSTRUCTION INC. Unit 203-s3 2nd Flr., Fbr Arcade Bldg., Loyola Heights, Quezon City LI, XUEFENG Mandarin Site Technical Officer

LUAN, YU Chinese Speaking Admin Associate

Thursday, January 13, 2022

LI, ZHENGXIANG Mandarin Speaking Technical Support 73.

Brief Job Description: Deals with hardware and application support queries and issues reported to the

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin speaking

Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor’s Degree; Preferably Assistant Manager/ Managers specialising in infrastructure or equivalent field

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

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

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

PHILIPPINES COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK CONSTRUCTION INC. Unit E-2004a East Tower, Psec Exchange Road Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 *Date Generated: Jan 12, 2022

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

A10 Thursday, January 13, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

‘Omicron to come down as fast as it went up’

W

hat do Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, California Representative Katie Hill, Rock Star Jon Bon Jovi, and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith have in common? They are all fully vaccinated, and all of them got breakthrough Covid infections. Warren said in a tweet: “I regularly test for Covid and while I tested negative earlier this week, today I tested positive with a breakthrough case. Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms and am grateful for the protection provided against serious illness that comes from being vaccinated and boosted.”

All over the world, the record number of people catching the Omicron variant has left health systems under severe strain. Studies suggest that Omicron is less likely to make people seriously ill than previous Covid variants, but Omicron is still highly contagious and can infect people even if they are fully vaccinated and boosted. A study published in the journal Nature said Omicron can evade the immune protection conferred by Covid vaccines and natural infection. The study also “highlights the need for new vaccines and treatments that anticipate how the SARS-CoV-2 virus may soon evolve.”

Earlier, the World Health Organization has warned that half of Europe will have caught the Omicron variant in February. The projection was based on the seven million new cases reported across Europe in the first week of 2022. WHO Europe Director Dr. Hans Kluge said that 26 European countries reported that more than one percent of their populations are being infected with Covid-19 each week, and the number of infections has more than doubled in a two-week period.

From the Associated Press: “Scientists are seeing signals that Covid-19’s alarming Omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the US, at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically.

The reason: The variant has proved so wildly contagious that it may already be running out of people to infect, just a month and a half after it was first detected in South Africa. “It’s going to come down as fast as it went up,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.”

In the Philippines, Omicron-driven infections are still on the rise. The country breached the 3-million mark on Tuesday after logging 28,007 additional infections, prompting the Department of Health to warn of further increase in infection count in the coming days. The DOH also reported 45.5-percent positivity rate out of 58,409 persons that were tested. (Read, “PHL breaches 3 million Covid cases mark; 28,007 additional infections logged,” in the BusinessMirror, January 11, 2022).

The good news is that Malacañang has said the National Capital Region is unlikely to be placed under Alert Level 4 anytime soon because its healthcare utilization rate is still below 70 percent. Acting Presidential Spokesman Karlo B. Nograles said while NCR has already met the threshold to be raised to Alert Level 4 in terms of two-week growth rate and Average Daily Attack Rate, it has not reached the critical health-care utilization rate. “The total bed utilization has yet to reach 71 percent and up, and that is the reason why we are in Alert Level 3,” Nograles said (Read, “NCR health-care utilization rate key to AL 4,” BusinessMirror, Janauary 11, 2022).

As the Omicron continues to wreak havoc nationwide, we need to continue following preventive measures. It pays to remember that many people can become infected without ever knowing it and pass the virus onward. A face mask can slow transmission between people who may be infectious but are without symptoms. Let’s hope infections have peaked and are now headed for a rapid drop. Still, we cannot afford to let our guard down.

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This is not the end John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

T

hese are dark times. We have the two forces of the pandemic and politics pulling us into the darkness.

It would almost be better in some ways to be able to limit any discussion to only the Philippines. At least we could try to point a finger of blame. Like a basketball game, we could choose to sit on our favorite team’s side of the arena and cheer for the “good” guys and boo the “bad” guys. Because all aspects of Covid have become politicized, “facts” are fluid and data proves whatever you want it to prove. Just like in politics.

Listen to this rhetoric from the leader of a First-World democracy.

“France President Emmanuel Macron vowed to make life miserable for those unvaccinated against the novel coronavirus.” “I really want to piss off the unvaccinated,” Macron told the French newspaper Le Parisien. “And so we are going to continue doing that, until the end. He said those who refused the Covid-19 vaccine are the minority, so it wouldn’t be affecting the France population at large.”

Macron is correct about the unvaccinated being a minority.

France has administered at least 128,345,607 doses of Covid vaccines

so far. Assuming every person needs two doses, that is enough to have vaccinated about 95.7 percent of the country’s population. So, basically, only about three million French are the “unvaccinated.”

Except, since January 1st, France has recorded 2.4 million new cases.

Somehow the numbers do not add up.

Either almost everyone who was not vaccinated is now infected or there is a substantial number of the vaxxed that now have the illness.

But confusion as to the effectiveness of government’s Covid mitigation policies has been going on for two years. The United Arab Emir-

Certainly, testing and vaccination must be a priority. However, we know that vaccination is not a magic bullet even though the severity of the disease and mortality rate is much lower for those who have been jabbed. But mass testing has its own failings.

Unless some expert can figure out a way to mass test 100 million Filipinos all at once, a person tested negative this morning could be infected by someone this afternoon. ates, Denmark, and Austria have the highest testing per capita in the world with vaccination rates of 92, 80, and 75 percent, respectively. Yet each has experienced a great percentage increase in cases in the past two weeks.

Certainly, testing and vaccination must be a priority. However, we know that vaccination is not a magic bullet even though the severity of the disease and mortality rate is much lower for those who have been jabbed.

But mass testing has its own failings.

Unless some expert can figure out a way to mass test 100 million Filipinos all at once, a person tested negative this morning could be infected by someone this afternoon.

Accuracy varies. PCR Covid

tests remain the gold standard for diagnosing infection. A 2021 study found mucus PCR tests correctly diagnosed in 97.2 percent of cases. The antibody tests correctly identified the presence of these antibodies in 91.6 percent of cases.

Potentially you could have as many “false” results as the total number of cases officially reported. For asymptomatic patients who test positive, a second test is almost mandatory. And what do you do with the “positive” cases?

There are many good ideas that are not feasible in the real world. The DOH announced a shift in response strategy: Contact tracing and testing only to detect cases are not a priority. Instead, the primary function of RT-PCR test is now to help determine the proper clinical management of high-risk patients.

Winston Churchill said this in 1942 as German forces were in full retreat in Africa and Russians stopped the Germans at Stalingrad. “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

It is unfortunate that there is not a vaccine for politics.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.

Omicron may be headed for a rapid drop in US and Britain

S

By Maria Cheng & Carla K. Johnson | The Associated Press

cientists are seeing signals that Covid-19’s alarming Omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the US, at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically.

The reason: The variant has proved so wildly contagious that it may already be running out of people to infect, just a month and a half after it was first detected in South Africa.

“It’s going to come down as fast as it went up,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

At the same time, experts warn that much is still uncertain about how the next phase of the pandemic might unfold. The plateauing or ebbing in the two countries is not happening everywhere at the same time or at the same pace. And weeks or months of misery still lie ahead for patients and overwhelmed hospitals even if the drop-off comes to pass.

“There are still a lot of people who will get infected as we descend the slope on the backside,” said Lauren Ancel Meyers, director of the University of Texas Covid-19 Modeling Consortium, which predicts that reported cases will peak within the week.

The University of Washington’s

own highly influential model projects that the number of daily reported cases in the US will crest at 1.2 million by January 19 and will then fall sharply “simply because everybody who could be infected will be infected,” according to Mokdad.

In fact, he said, by the university’s complex calculations, the true number of new daily infections in the US—an estimate that includes people who were never tested—has already peaked, hitting 6 million on January 6.

In Britain, meanwhile, new Covid-19 cases dropped to about 140,000 a day in the last week, after skyrocketing to more than 200,000 a day earlier this month, according to government data.

Kevin McConway, a retired professor of applied statistics at Britain’s Open University, said that while cases are still rising in places such as southwest England and the West Midlands, the outbreak may have peaked in London.

The figures have raised hopes

British authorities’ decision to adopt minimal restrictions against Omicron could enable the virus to rip through the population and run its course much faster than it might in Western European countries that have imposed tougher Covid-19 controls, such as France, Spain and Italy.

that the two countries are about to undergo something similar to what happened in South Africa, where in the span of about a month the wave crested at record highs and then fell significantly.

“We are seeing a definite fallingoff of cases in the UK, but I’d like to see them fall much further before we know if what happened in South Africa will happen here,” said Dr. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at Britain’s University of East Anglia.

Differences between Britain and South Africa, including Britain’s older population and the tendency of its people to spend more time indoors in the winter, could mean a bumpier outbreak for the country and other nations like it.

On the other hand, British authorities’ decision to adopt minimal restrictions against Omicron could enable the virus to rip through the

population and run its course much faster than it might in Western European countries that have imposed tougher Covid-19 controls, such as France, Spain and Italy.

Shabir Mahdi, dean of health sciences at South Africa’s University of Witwatersrand, said European countries that impose lockdowns won’t necessarily come through the Omicron wave with fewer infections; the cases may just be spread out over a longer period of time.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization said there have been 7 million new Covid-19 cases across Europe in the past week, calling it a “tidal wave sweeping across the region.” WHO cited modeling from Mokdad’s group that predicts half of Europe’s population will be infected with Omicron within about eight weeks. By that time, however, Hunter and others expect the world to be past the Omicron surge.

“There will probably be some ups and downs along the way, but I would hope that by Easter, we will be out of this,” Hunter said.

Still, the sheer numbers of people infected could prove overwhelming to fragile health systems, said Dr. Prabhat Jha of the Centre for Global Health Research at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

See “Omicron” A11

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, January 13, 2022 A11

Stay in, sit tight as Covid Climbing the industrial ladder: Can the BOI sweeps the country help the country reach the higher rungs?

By Juan Antonio A. Perez III, MD, MPH

D

R. Alfredo R. A. “Alran” Bengzon, who was then-President Corazon Aquino’s health secretary, knew he had inherited a corrupted and underfunded health system from the Marcos administration in 1986.

Alran would have to start by literally cleaning out the Aegean stables that was the Department of Health (DOH) as he found it. Regional directors were most affected, as he fired seven, retained three, and promoted one before he even started to pay attention to the people’s health.

The former secretary recognized health as a human right, but he had his priorities. He viewed the Filipino population as being divided among the “well;” “worried, but well;” and the “unwell.” His policies and programs were focused on keeping people well (preventive health programs on immunization, for one) and taking care of the unwell (the Generics Law was meant to make medicines more affordable, since medicinal cost constitutes 60 percent to 80 percent of the cost of health care).

As one of the first doctors with a Master of Business Administration degree, Alran set his priorities for the meager budget of the DOH by establishing a management structure that reduced his supervisory load from 40 to seven. His pragmatic position on the decentralization of health services under the Local Government Code would be his undoing when he ran for a Senate seat in 1992.

Today, with the coronavirus disease sweeping the country, it is important to get our priorities right and dig in with the basics of healthresource management as Secretary Alran did.

Taking care of the unwell

AT near 50 percent positivity with Covid-19, health managers at all levels can presume that everyone with flu-like symptoms has been infected with Covid-19 (most likely), or with influenza (less likely). Nine out of 10 patients do not need hospital care and need symptomatic relief.

It would also be senseless to have them all tested, since the National Capital Region-Plus (or NCR-Plus, with the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna) is now a Covid19-transmission hotspot (areas with high effective transmission), so why overload laboratories with tests that are costly, while the money could go to symptomatic treatment? Is it so we can know the numbers, which can only lead to the “worried well” being more worried?

Most regions in the country may well be in NCR-Plus’s current hotspot situation within the next month. The DOH no longer has direct supervision over local health systems, but it can set a treatment policy that any health provider can follow with any Covid patient that all health professionals and workers, including the barangay health workers (BHWs), need to pay attention to: One Influenza-Like Illness Station in every barangay—led by a midwife or nurse to assess everyone with symptoms, triage to the health center the moderate and severely ill, and isolate all “symptomatics” at home or in isolation facilities for 10 to 14 days, dependent on their vaccine status (longer if “unvaccinated;”

Omicron . .

continued from A10

“The next few weeks are going to be brutal because in absolute numbers, there are so many people being infected that it will spill over into ICUs,” Jha said.

Mokdad likewise warned in the US: “It’s going to be a tough two or three weeks. We have to make hard decisions to let certain essential workers continue working, knowing they could be infectious.”

Omicron could one day be seen as a turning point in the pandemic, said Meyers, at the University of Texas.

The message on minimumhealth protocols needs to be continuously promoted by all agencies and organizations, public and private. As people go about on their necessary tasks, the proper role for enforcers is to provide assistance—not enforce compliance. or, lock in all those who are unwell).

Those over 55 years of age can be prioritized for testing, as well as those with comorbidities.

BHWs conducting daily health visits—to check on symptoms of those in isolation, and report adverse events.

LGU health centers as Covid triage facilities, and overall health-care providers—health centers led by health officers to set up areas accepting referred patients from barangays to higher-level facilities for appropriate care, and a regular area for other types of health care.

Caring for the unwell

Triaging patients through the health system for necessary care means sending patients to hospitals only when they need it. The One Hospital System needs to decentralize to the provinces and cities with hospitals. Private hospitals should also respond to referrals from the decentralized system (as was intended under the Universal Health Care Law).

Mayors and governors need to support their local health systems so that hospitals do not get overwhelmed.

Covid-19 patients with the nowdominant Omicron variant who are critical do not all need the higher-end care that was seen with the Delta variant, so the lower-level hospitals can take on more of the load, leaving the most severe cases for the higherend hospitals.

Assure and vaccinate all

The message on minimum-health protocols needs to be continuously promoted by all agencies and organizations, public and private. As people go about on their necessary tasks, the proper role for enforcers is to provide assistance—not enforce compliance.

The vaccination program needs to be stepped up and continued, eventually as part of the regular service of health facilities. It cannot be sustained as a national program.

Going after the unvaccinated is a complete waste of health resources, and cannot be imposed on a health system that is already overburdened.

The messages need to be: “Stay in if you are unwell.”

“Sit tight with protocols in place if you are among the ‘worried well.’”

Undersecretary Juan Antonio “Doc Jeepy” Perez III is the executive director of the Commission on Population and Development, or POPCOM. For comments and reactions, e-mail juan.perez@popcom. gov.ph

Immunity gained from all the new infections, along with new drugs and continued vaccination, could render the coronavirus something with which we can more easily coexist.

“At the end of this wave, far more people will have been infected by some variant of Covid,” Meyers said.

“At some point, we’ll be able to draw a line—and Omicron may be that point—where we transition from what is a catastrophic global threat to something that’s a much more manageable disease.”

That’s one plausible future, she said, but there is also the possibility of a new variant—one that is far worse than Omicron—arising.

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS Part III of open letter to BOI This is a continuation of our open letter to Usec Ceferino Rodolfo, BOI Managing Head, and Director Corazon Dichosa.

T

he BOI-sponsored forum on “Leveraging Trade and Investment Policies to Implement a Modern Industrial Strategy” (December 9-10, 2021) shows the continuing commitment of BOI to the national goal of industrialization. The title of the forum is aligned with the goal stated in the Constitution, which says that a primordial task of the State is to “promote industrialization and full employment” (Section 1, Article XII).

But as amplified in the book of Norio Usui (Taking the Right Road to Inclusive Growth, ADB, 2012), the Philippine industrial and agricultural sectors failed to take off in the 1980s to 2000s. Those are lost decades for the country. Remember, in the 1960s, the World Bank ranked the Philippines second to Japan in Asia’s march towards industrialization. And then in the 1980s, we were left behind by the Asian tigers (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan); in the 1990s, by Malaysia and Thailand; and at the turn of the millennium, by China.

Now in the presentation given in the BOI forum by Dr. Annette Balaoing of the UP School of Economics, the growth of the industrial sector from 2000 to 2018 was described as weak.

The sector is uncompetitive and has limited domestic linkages. We agree.

Latest outcome? In 2021, even Vietnam, whose per capita GDP was a fraction of the Philippines in the 1970s, was reported to have overtaken us.

So why are we lagging behind all these countries? How can we succeed in climbing the higher rungs of the industrial ladder?

Dear Usec Rodolfo and Director Dichosa, there are many debates on

these topics. When the BOI decided to embrace “industrial policy” as an official policy in 2012, we thought these debates have been resolved.

Apparently not. Based on the issues raised in the BOI forum, we would like to raise the following: First, we cannot forge ahead if we do not recognize the weaknesses of the industrial strategy being promoted by Neda since the 1970s. The point is that the last five decades are decades of neo-liberalism, with our economic planners obsessed with the idea of opening up the economy to foreign trade and investment in a laissez faire or open sesame fashion. The general assumption was that investments and jobs would flourish automatically under a liberalized, deregulated and privatized economic environment.

To say that the roots of the country’s economic problem was protectionism, as practiced in the 1950s and 1960s, is false. It is a leap in logic. Remember the decades of the 1950s up to early1970s were decades of industrial transformation for the country. So why blame the importsubstituting policy of the 1950s1960s for the industrial stagnation that happened from the 1970s to

the present, which are decades of industrial export promotion under the trade-investment liberalization regime pursued by Neda?

Also, remember all the Asian countries which have overtaken the Philippines are all original practitioners of protectionist import substitution in the early decades of their industrial growth before they combined protectionist import substitution with the following policies: protectionist export promotion, aggressive acquisition of technology and rounded development of the economy. Just read the economic history of South Korea and China.

Second, strong and decisive State intervention in the promotion of industrialization is critical. On this point, we are in agreement with Dr. Balaoing. This is why we are wondering what has happened to the numerous industry mapping exercises, involving around 40 industries, instigated by the BOI in 2012?

Apparently, there is a continuing hesitancy on the part of the government to exercise its leadership in the active promotion and intervention in growing certain sectors. The triad policies crafted by the IMFWorld Bank in the 1970s-1980s— trade and investment liberalization, economic deregulation and privatization—are the dominant policies.

No to State-led intervention or active support for any major industry.

Is this not the reason why the government has given up on maintaining the National Steel Corporation (NSC) in Iligan? Under a professional all-Filipino management team, the NSC was doing well (profitably in the black) in the 1970s-1980s until it was privatized and sold to Malaysian and other foreign investors with no vision of supporting an industrialized Philippines. And then for two or so decades, the NSC was allowed to gather rust.

The hesitancy is also clearly reflected in the failure of the government to help promote the ancillary industries that can process

the copper cathodes produced by PASAR in Isabel, Leyte. PASAR has been in Isabel for half a century already. Still, it has limited or no linkages with the local copper-mining companies and with industries which can transform the copper cathodes into numerous intermediate and final/consumer products with higher values. Imagine the jobs that can be created should an integrated copper industry be developed in a depressed province like Leyte.

And not to be forgotten, we have the Hanjin shipyard case. Hanjin declared bankruptcy in 2019. It let go of over 20,000 workers in the 300-hectare Subic facility. It was seen as a big economic setback for the country.

However, the Philippine Navy, UP CIDS researchers and a number of Filipino boat builders saw the Hanjin case as an opportunity for the Philippines to build an honest-to-goodness shipbuilding industry catering not only to the needs of the Philippine Navy but also the requirements of the domestic market for efficient and modern RORO ships (not decrepit second-hand imports), cargo ships and small and medium boats for the 7,000 plus islands.

Even the BOI expressed interest in the possibility of the country having a shipbuilding industry of its own.

But what has happened? Nothing. Apparently, the dominant economic policy framework has remained fully in place: rely solely or mainly on foreign investments.

Of course, foreign investors, if goaded or nudged to go into investment areas where the Philippines lacks capital, know-how and market, can be good allies in development.

But is there a country in the world which has managed to develop industrially by relying solely on foreign investments?

More in the next issue.

Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo is a Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines.

For comments, please write to reneofreneo@ gmail.com.

Biden challenges Senate on voting: ‘Tired of being quiet!’

By Alexandra Jaffe, Colleen Long & Jeff Amy | The Associated Press

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TLANTA—Pounding his hand for emphasis, President Joe Biden challenged senators Tuesday to “stand against voter suppression” by changing Senate rules to pass voting rights legislation that Republicans are blocking from debate and votes.

Biden told a crowd in Atlanta gathered on the grounds of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University that he’d been having quiet conversations with senators for months over the two bills—a lack of progress that has brought him criticism from activists in his own party.

“I’m tired of being quiet!” he shouted to cheers from the crowd.

In his remarks, Biden invoked the civil rights battles of the 1960s.

He likened the wrongs of the past to modern-day efforts to subvert elections through the Capitol riot a year ago and a series of GOP-backed laws passed after former President Donald Trump lost in 2020 and then falsely claimed widespread voter fraud. Biden chastised Republicans for falling in line behind Trump’s election lies.

“Today, we call on Congress to get done what history will judge,” Biden said. “Pass the freedom to vote act.”

Biden’s speech was forceful, blunt and explicit, referring to new efforts to limit voting access as “Jim Crow 2.0.” For the first time, he directly advocated eliminating the Senate’s vote-blocking device called the filibuster in order to debate and vote on election and voting rights legislation.

Though his focus brings more national attention to the debate ahead, it’s not clear what impact his newfound fire will have.

Current rules require 60 votes to advance most legislation—a threshold that Senate Democrats can’t meet alone because they have just a

50-50 majority with Vice President Kamala Harris to break ties. Republicans unanimously oppose the voting rights measures.

There also aren’t enough Democratic votes to change the Senate rule. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin threw more cold water on the idea Tuesday, saying he believes any changes should be made with substantial Republican buy-in. And there aren’t any Republican senators willing to sign on.

“Not a single Republican has displayed the courage to stand up to a defeated president to protect Americans’ right to vote,” Biden said. “Not one. Not one.”

Congressional Democrats have written voting legislation that would usher in the biggest overhaul of US elections in a generation by striking down hurdles to voting enacted in the name of election security. The legislation also would reduce the influence of big money in politics and limit partisan influence over the drawing of congressional districts.

The package would create national election standards that would trump state-level GOP laws. It would also restore the ability of the Justice Department to police election laws in states with a history of discrimination.

Republicans say the changes are not aimed at fairness but at giving Democrats an advantage in elections.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky accused

Biden of invoking “the brutal racial hatred of Jim Crow Segregation to smear states’” new voting laws.

And it is coming from “a sitting president of the United States who pledged to lower the temperature and unite America,” McConnell said.

Even if Democrats clear the obstacles to passing the legislation, it could be too late to counter voting restrictions passed in 19 states following Trump’s 2020 loss and his lies—embraced by many in the GOP—that the election was stolen through voter fraud.

Voting rights advocates in Georgia and nationwide are increasingly anxious about what may happen in 2022 and beyond. They view the changes in many states as a subtler form of ballot restrictions like literacy tests and poll taxes once used to disenfranchise Black voters, a key Democratic constituency.

“This matters to all of us,” Biden insisted. “The goal of the former president and his allies is to disenfranchise anyone who votes against him, simple as that.”

The president spent decades in the Senate, and he spoke with regret of how much it’s changed for the worse, calling it “a shell of its former self.” He spoke of an era not long ago when an issue like voting rights would never have been so rancorously partisan.

He recalled working with segregationist lawmakers in the Senate to get legislation passed and for it then to be signed into law by Republican presidents. But now, the filibuster has been used frequently to block even the debating of some legislation.

“How do you want to be remembered?” he asked his former congressional colleagues.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck

Schumer, D-N.Y., has set next Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a deadline to either pass voting legislation or consider revising the rules. Biden told his audience, “The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation’s history.”

“Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch,” he declared. “I will defend the right to vote, our democracy, against all enemies foreign, yes and domestic. The question is where will the institution of the United States Senate stand?”

Biden also visited Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once held forth from the pulpit. He stood quietly as Martin Luther King III placed a wreath outside at the crypt of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King.

Some voting rights advocates boycotted Biden’s speech out of frustration over Washington’s inaction.

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, known for her untiring voting rights work, said she skipped the event because of a scheduling conflict, which she did not explain further.

King said in a statement that he was happy to host Biden, but that he also supported those who chose to skip the speech.

“We’ve seen what’s possible when President Biden uses the full weight of his office to deliver for bridges,” he said, referencing Biden’s successful push for a $1 trillion infrastructure spending deal. “And now we need to see him do the same for voting rights.” Amy reported from Atlanta.

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Brian Slodysko contributed to this report.

A12 Thursday, January 13, 2022

NPC summons Comelec, writer on ‘hacking’ report

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

T

& Samuel P. Medenilla

@Tyronepiad @sam_medenilla

HE National Privacy Commission (NPC) has ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to submit on January 21 the results of its probe on the alleged hacking incident potentially involving personal information just a few months before the national and local polls.

Privacy Commissioner John Henry D. Naga said in a statement on Wednesday that Comelec must address the data breach concerns revealed by a Manila Bulletin report to determine if personal data processed for the upcoming elections were compromised.

“Comelec is also directed to conduct a comprehensive investigation on the matter and submit to the NPC the results thereof no later than January 21, 2022,” he said.

The privacy watchdog said it also issued separate orders to the Comelec, Manila Bulletin and Art Samaniego Jr., who wrote the said article, for their appearance at a clarificatory meeting on January 25 on the alleged hacking incident.

Naga said the NPC received information from Samaniego on January 8 about the potential breach on Comelec servers. It was estimated that 60 gigabytes of data were downloaded illegally by a group of hackers.

“Rest assured that the NPC does not tolerate any act in violation of the Data Privacy Act including negligence in implementing organizational, physical, and technical security measures on personal data processing systems, whether in government or private institutions,” the privacy commissioner concluded.

Hacked info does not exist yet

In a statement earlier this week, Comelec Director James B. Jimenez said they were already looking into

the claims made by the newspaper report.

“The fact, however, is that such information still does not exist in Comelec systems simply because the configuration—which includes usernames and PINs—have not yet been completed,” Jimenez said.

“As for the rest of the allegations made, please note that the article offers scant substantiation for its assertions despite claiming that the authors had ‘verified that there was an ongoing hack,’” he added.

In a recent radio interview, Jimenez said that Comelec is also set to release a validation report on the said incident this week.

He said that the agency has also “hardened” its online system defenses following a hacking case in 2016. This led to data leak that compromised the personal information of an estimated 55 million registered voters.

Working with NBI

In a virtual briefing on Wednesday, Jimenez said that, as part of their effort to assure the public they are serious in addressing the purported data breach, Comelec is now coordinating with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the De-

partment of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to probe the alleged hacking.

“It is important that Comelec address it squarely, to show to everyone that our system is secured and make sure that our data is protected,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez said they are already preparing to appear before NPC once they come out with the final report on the said hacking before the end of the week.

“We are preparing for that. It will be on January 25,” Jimenez said.

The poll official said he is confident there were no such data breaches, especially after they implemented measures, when their web site was hacked in 2016.

He noted some supposedly downloaded data was spurious and used outdated information.

“As far as Comelec is concerned, we are confident there is no such hack. Nevertheless, we want to know where such a story came from. Anytime someone makes a claim like this, no matter how far fetched they turn out to be, it leaves a dent on our credibility,” Jimenez said.

“People are already taking advantage of the mere fact that that question is asked,” he added.

YOUTUBE, HOTBED FOR HYPERPARTISAN PITCH

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

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HE social-media platform YouTube has become a hotbed for hyper-partisanship and disinformation, based on the Digital Public Pulse (DPP) Phase 1 study released by the Philippine Media Monitoring Laboratory (PMML).

In a briefing on Wednesday, the PMML—an initiative based at the University of the Philippines (UP) Communication Research (CommRes) department—said while mainstream media remains prominent on YouTube, hyperpartisan content from specific communities led by politicians and other social-media influencers have gained ground.

The DPP Phase 1 report, the PMML said, showed YouTube channels talking about the elections have more than doubled to 1,407 in the second quarter from only 650 in the first quarter of 2021. The connections have also grown at least three times to 18,000 in the second quarter from only 6,000 in the first quarter.

“The platform is incentivizing and legitimizing hyperpartisanship through its algorithmic logics, the economic

Booster shots rolled out for tourism workers

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

@akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

F

ULLY-VACCINATED tourism workers will finally get their booster shots to help keep them safe and increase consumer confidence in their establishments and destinations.

In a news statement, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said booster shots for Covid-19 were being administered to tourism workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Boracay Island. Eventually, the project will also be rolled out to other tourism destinations like Baguio City and Davao.

“We are glad to see the growing willingness of our tourism workers to get vaccinated. We continue to encourage them to avail themselves of the free vaccine as this is a critical component for the industry to rebound and thrive in the new normal,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat. She added the spread of the Omicron variant has also made it imperative for the tourism work force to get their boosters done and give them added protection from infection.

As of January 7, 2022, most regions have already reached an average of 90 percent in vaccination rate among the eligible workers, according to the DOT. However, due to typhoon Odette, “vaccination/booster activities in Siargao, and booster activities in Panglao Island are still on hold this January, as the situation is focused on immediate care and response,” said DOT Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource Generation Christopher V. Morales in a Viber message to the BusinessMirror.

As of January 7, 2022, only 4,960 tourism workers, or 38 percent of the 13,150 target in Siargao have been vaccinated. Romulo Puyat said there was a problem earlier in getting the vaccines administered as the local government said they lacked the manpower to do so. “I asked Makati Med foundation for assistance, and they helped get the vaccination drive going,” she said.

For his part, Morales said they could not ascertain if the vaccines sent to Siargao had been preserved

despite the recent typhoon as there were still issues in communicating with the DOT-Caraga office.

La Union was also among the lowest in vaccination rates at 65 percent of 3,273 tourism workers targeted.

One of the province’s barangays in the popular surf town of San Juan has closed down for tourism activities due to the spread of Covid-19 in the area. (See, “More tourism venues reel from Covid surge,” in the BusinessMirror, January 10, 2022.)

Dive establishments most vaxxed

Meanwhile, the DOT said 50 percent or 12,693 out of Metro Manila’s 25,386 hotel workers have already received their Covid-19 booster shots.

The agency added the National Task Force Against Covid-19 has also committed to allocate 20,000 doses of booster shots to Boracay.

Romulo Puyat said most of the vaccinated tourism workers are from accommodation establishments temporarily operating as isolation or quarantine facilities, regular hotels, tourism enterprises, tourism support services, and community-based tourism organizations.

Of the 325,489 tourism workers targeted for vaccination, 282,780 have already been inoculated against Covid-19 as of yearend, 2021.

Among the high rates of vaccination were recorded in DOT-accredited dive establishments across the country.

Data received from 105 dive establishments and liveaboards dive establishments accredited by the agency, 1,342 or 96 percent of 1,401 employees had already been inoculated (first dose and fully vaccinated) against Covid-19 as of endNovember 2021.

The DOT chief said the vaccination of workers in the dive sector will raise the overall readiness of the country to welcome foreign visitors, as well as help in further strengthening its position as one of the leading dive destinations in the world.

“With our recent win as Asia’s leading dive destination at the 28th World Travel Awards (WTA) last October, we anticipate a good volume of foreign tourists returning to our dive spots soon,” said Romulo Puyat.

structure of YouTube content creation, and recent restrictions imposed in political advertising,” the PMML said in a report.

Further, the “orchestrated, paid political campaigns” have become indistinguishable from organic and community-led information in YouTube. This, the researchers said, could be used to manipulate perception in support for certain candidates and “undermine shared political realities.”

Fatima Gaw, co-lead of PMML’s DPP, said that while she continues to trust YouTube viewers to make their own decisions about certain political candidates and views, YouTube makes it easy for disinformation to spread.

Gaw said this can happen when a YouTube viewer watching content from a certain politician or influencer, would also then be directed to watch other content that would have similar themes or topics, including fake news or disinformation.

“We’re talking about disinformation and fighting it with fact checking but perhaps, and this is a provocative thought from my end, perhaps it’s not a fight between fact or lie.

Continued on A5

3K-passenger cap back for Naia’s daily intl arrivals

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

O

NLY 3,000 passengers a day can be accommodated at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila starting yesterday (January 12), the Civil Aeronautics Board said.

In an advisory dated January 7 and sent to government offices and Philippine diplomatic posts overseas, CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla said the cap for the number of international passengers arriving at Naia will be capped at a maximum of 3,000 per day effective January 12, 0001H Manila time.

“Airlines operating in Naia that will exceed the allowed capacity will be meted with appropriate penalty,” Arcilla said.

In its Facebook page, The Philippine Embassy in Greece has advised passengers traveling to the Philippines on or after January 12 to reconfirm their seats with their respective airlines to avoid being stranded or inconvenienced at the airport before departure or during transit.

CAB had allowed on November 1, 2021 an increase in the cap on inbound passengers from 3,000 to 4,000 following the gradual decrease in the number of Covid-19 cases and clamor from recruitment and manning agencies as many OFWs want to come home to reunite with their families this Christmas.

Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines said that they rerouted some of their flights bound for Manila to other airports such as Subic and Laoag.

“With the said passenger arrival cap in the Manila hub, we reroute our flights to alternative arrival gateways such as Subic, Laoag, among others if we project that arrivals in Manila will breach the allocation assigned to PAL,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna told BusinessMirror.

Airlines are given respective allocations and the 3,000 passenger cap is distributed to other airlines as well.

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Thursday, January 13, 2022

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‘Resilient’ auto sector posts 20% hike in sales last year

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By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@TyronePiad

ocal car dealers are bullish on the industry’s prospects this year, as vehicle sales rose by 20 percent in 2021 despite the challenges brought by the pandemic.

Total vehicle sales grew to 268,488 units last year from 223,793 units in 2020, according to a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (Campi) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) released on Wednesday.

This was a turnaround from its performance in 2020, when car sales

dropped by nearly 40 percent. However, the 2021 figure is still below the 369,941 units sold in 2019 or prior to the pandemic.

“Looking back at last year’s performance, the automotive industry has remained remarkably resilient with an overall growth of 20 percent compared with the same performance a year ago—that is no small

feat indeed,” Campi President Rommel Gutierrez said.

Sales of commercial vehicles (CV) comprised the bulk of the sales with 183,228 units sold in 2021, which is 18.9 percent higher than the 154,155 units recorded in 2020. Broken down, the vehicles sold last year were mostly light CVs. The passenger car (PC) segment, meanwhile, saw sales grow by 22.4 percent year-on-year to 85,260 units from 69,638 units.

In 2021, Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. dominated the industry, accounting for nearly half of the market share. Its sales rose by 29.6 percent to 129,667 units last year from 100,019 units in 2020.

Following the Japanese automaker are Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. and Ford Motor Com-

pany Phils. Inc which sold 37,548 units and 20,005 units, respectively.

For December alone, industry sales increased by nearly 1 percent to 27,846 from 27,596 units recorded a year ago.

Gutierrez said this is the highest monthly sales performance booked by the industry since March last year.

PC sales slid by 3.8 percent to 8,447 units while CV sales climbed by 3.1 percent to 19,399 units for the said month.

“The industry remains optimistic for a continued recovery this year from the Covid-19 pandemic downturn as progress on inoculation has provided hopes for a better outlook for the wider economy, but ‘business as usual’ is still unlikely as challenges remain at hand,” Gutierrez said.

PSE, SEC adopt safety measures

By VG Cabuag @villygc

T

he Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. (PSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have adopted safety measures, such as shortening the trading hours and limiting face-to-face transaction, amid the spike in Covid-19 cases.

The PSE will again shorten trading hours, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting January 14 until the end of the month. In December, the PSE reverted to the pre-pandemic trading hours—from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.—after authorities lowered the Covid-19 quarantine classification of Metro Manila and nearby provinces to Alert Level 2.

“We will await further updates from the IATF-DOH [Inter-Agency Task Force For The Management Of Emerging Infectious DiseasesDepartment of Health] on the status of Covid cases and quarantine situation in Metro Manila a few days before January 31, 2022 and make the appropriate announcement on PSE’s trading hours after said date,” the PSE said in its circular.

The SEC, meanwhile, issued a notice that all applications for company registration, submissions of reportorial requirements, and other transactions in its main office in Pasay City and former headquarters in Mandaluyong City will be processed through its online portals, email, courier, and other remote means.

The SEC said it will maintain a

skeleton workforce and implement other alternative work arrangements to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services despite the adjustments in its operations.

For the registration of domestic stock and non-stock corporations and for the recording of partnerships and licenses to do business for foreign corporations, applicants may use the Electronic Simplified Processing of Application for Registration of Company at http://esparc.sec.gov. ph/application.

Applicants may also use the Oneday Submission and E-registration of Companies under the eSPARC for the registration of domestic stock corporations, which may be one person corporations or corporations with two to 15 incorporators, board of

A

ngel’s Pizza, the flagship pizza delivery brand of the Figaro Coffee Group Inc., said it is looking to expand in other areas, such as Laguna, Bulacan and Pampanga, more than three years after opening its branch in Cavite.

“After the opening of our Imus, Cavite outlet last 2018, we were very encouraged by how customers enjoyed our products and despite long wait times for pizza at times, many were willing to wait,” Michael Barret, Figaro’s COO, said.

“We had not anticipated that kind of demand but we are heartwarmed by it and have invested more to increase the speed and operations of our branches and maintaining good quality. We then opened as well in Bacoor and General Trias, given the warm customer reception.”

With the continuous rollout of vaccinations, Figaro said it sees a strong rebound in the food and beverage industry this year for dine-in with delivery remaining strong due to the convenience and the return of traffic gridlocks. The company is also looking to expand its Angel’s Pizza brand outside Metro Manila. VG Cabuag

Contributed photo

recovery of the air travel industry.

Our pilots and cabin crew undergo regular antigen testing (Test Before Duty) before they are assigned to operate flights.

All CEB aircraft undergo extensive daily disinfection, which includes the misting of the cabin using a disinfectant approved for Airbus jets that is effective in eradicating viruses including the Novel Corona-

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T

he Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is planning to conduct another competitive auction soon should the Department of Energy (DOE) approve the terms of reference (TOR) for the supply of 180 megawatts (MW).

Meralco utility economics head Lawrence Fernandez said the proposed contract period for the additional 180MW of baseload capacity is February 26, 2022 to July 25, 2022, or for five months.

The additional capacity, he said, will help Meralco ensure availability of reliable and cost-competitive supply, which is especially critical during the 2022 dry months and the upcoming National and Local Elections.

“We’ve been preparing for this

CSP for additional supply. There is one ongoing bidding 170MW peaking capacity. Proposed another bidding, 180MW baseload, to meet the baseload requirements because of the reduction of supply in Malampaya gas. We are waiting for the DOE’s response for the TOR for this baseload capacity,” said Fernandez. Meralco has received interests from power firms to participate in the competitive auction for the supply of 170MW. “The TPBAC (Third-Party Bids and Awards Committee) received expressions of interest from three interested bidders. The aggregate offered capacity totaled 270MW,” said Fernandez.

The identities of the interested bidders were not divulged.

The power supply contract will cover the period February 26, 2022 to July 25, 2022.

PLDT widens global tie-up with Beam&Go

directors and stockholders.

Meanwhile, all submissions of annual financial statements and general information sheet must be done through the Electronic Filing and Submission Tool (eFAST) at https:// cifss-ost.sec.gov.ph/. eFAST also accepts submissions of Sworn Statement for Foundation/ Nonstock, Non-profit Organizations Forms, General Form for Financial Statements, Special Form for Financial Statements, Affidavit of Non-Operation, to be filed with the AFS/GIS, and Affidavit of NonHolding of Annual Meeting, to be filed with the GIS. Other reports, documents, and communications not covered by eFAST may be submitted through email at ictdsubmission@sec.gov.ph.

CEB speeds up booster shots for staff Angel’s Pizza C to expand in Luzon ebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines’s leading airline, steps up its efforts to protect passenters amid the Covid-19 surge through the roll out of booster vaccination for its employees.

The CEB/JG Covid Protect Booster Vaccination Program is open to all employees regardless of the source of the primary series, whether from the office or other external sources.

On January 11, CEB administered a total of 200 employees through the booster vaccination program of the Gokongwei Group’s COVID Protect. The program will run for several days with 200 employees to be boosted per day. CEB and its subsidiaries were among the first to be inoculated in the group.

Prior to this rollout, CEB has continuously encouraged its workforce to get protected at the earliest time possible. Therefore, it forged partnerships with the Pasay local government unit (LGU) and the Project Balik-Buhay of Cebu, alongside LGU vaccination programs where employees reside.

“We have been operating with 100 percent fully vaccinated active flying crew since October 2021. As we continue to prioritize the safety of our passengers and crew alike, we are very happy to intensify our efforts amidst this evolving situation.

Together, we will boost up for safer skies,” said Felix Lopez, Cebu Pacific Vice President for People.

CEB continues to intensify its safety drive despite the current challenges as it prepares for the eventual

Meralco eyes CSP for 180MW supply

virus. This process also ensures that all surfaces (such as passenger seats, overhead bins and cargo compartments) are covered and sanitized.

“Our fleet of Airbus jets are equipped with hospital-grade High Efficiency Particulate Arrestor (HEPA) filters that are capable of filtering microscopic bacteria and virus clusters, including the Covid-19 with 99.99 percent efficiency.”

Contributed photo

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LDT ’s international arm PLDT Global Corporation (PGC) continues to make the lives of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) better through its partnership with Beam&Go, an inclusive and digital marketplace.

The Beam&Go Marketplace is an alternative to remittance, where OFWs can purchase the basic needs such as groceries, medicines, and food of their families back home and manage their household budget efficiently.

“This is not the first time that PLDT Global and Beam&Go are working together to serve overseas Filipinos. That’s why this partnership is a great privilege for us because it serves as a testament to our commitment of bringing like-minded businesses closer to our kababayans. PLDT Global recognizes the contribution of migrant Filipinos to the national economy, that’s why we strive to lighten their load through digital services that support their and their families’ ever-changing lifestyle,” said Albert V. Villa-Real, President and CEO at PGC. Under this partnership, OFWs can access Beam&Go’s Supermarket Electronic Gift Certificates (eGCs) by using PGC’s digital distribution platform, Vortex, accessed through www.myvortex1. com. They can start by becoming a Vortex partner and gift these

eGCs to their families to use in supermarkets located in the Philippines.

“This partnership is an avenue for Beam&Go to expand its value to OFWs’ journey. That is one of the main reasons why we are very thrilled and grateful to be continuing this path with PLDT Global,” said Albert Christian Go, Chief Operations Officer at Beam&Go. “ Together, we can make a bigger impact to the lives of OFWs and their families and bring them a better future back home within their reach.”

Beam&Go’s wide variety of products and services and PLDT Global’s evolving tools will be the OFWs’ bridge into diversifying their source of income, budgeting their savings, and making financial plans with their families.

This initiative for overseas Filipinos falls under PLDT’s groupwide commitment to Awesome Customer Experience and Quality of Service, one of the pillars that comprise the company’s sustainability framework. Helping the Philippines attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, PLDT Global empowers OFWs and their families with mobile solutions to help them better manage their finances, bringing them closer to their dreams.

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Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Petron aims to raise funds via issuance of debt notes

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By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

etron Corp. is planning to issue senior dollar-denominated debt notes this year to prepay debts and to partly finance the construction of a power plant in Limay, Bataan.

It has yet to determine the issue size, price and date, but the company said these will be listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd. (SGX-ST).

“The Notes will be issued in registered form in the denomination of $200,000 each and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof,” it said in

a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

Proceeds will be “applied by the company for the repayment of indebtedness and for the partial financing of the power plant project.”

The country’s lone oil refiner is building new power plant facilities in Limay, Bataan refinery, which

Prioritize trust in AI rollout, says expert

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egulating artificial intelligence (AI) is the “wrong goalpost” and that the primary objective in its rollout must be safety and trust in the system, according to the data science and AI expert of a major Philippine bank.

Dr. David Hardoon, UnionBank Senior Adviser for Data & Artificial Intelligence, told participants at the EFMA Sustainability and Regulation Community Best Practice Forum there are safety nets to mitigate the risks associated with AI. “Data, and to an extent, the AI as a mechanism and tool which manifests possibilities out of data, is an onion,” Hardoon said.

“And what you find with this onion is that it’s not just about data. It’s not just about application. It’s not just about consumer engagement. It’s also about history. It’s also about our understanding of our own current behavior. It’s essentially opening up an immense view that potentially, previously, we were completely unaware of.”

To simplify in a way the use of AI, Hardoon said that AI may be broken down to at least three segments. He said the first is data, which may be historically good or bad as it shows the issues or errors that happened in the past or may happen moving forward.

Hardoon said the second is AI itself, the precise approach of extracting information from the available data. The operationalization is the last phase which reveals the information.

“When thinking about operationalizing AI governance, it is imperative to have a broad appreciation of the risk that comes from your available historical data—the potential disadvantages, or errors, or issues, or elements that may result in lack of trust that may come from that.”

He emphasized that trust within an organization remains the most important thing when operationalizing AI. Hardoon compared this to how individuals trust their closest friends and family members.

“Our trust in them isn’t that they always are correct or even always tell the truth, but it is in their ability to say ‘I’m sorry, I made a mistake. Allow me to correct myself.’ That is the exact same principle which we need to hold ourselves accountable for when we’re applying new technology, in making sure we’re putting in place safety nets.”

With the emergence of new technologies such as the Internet of Things and AI as well, Hardoon said it is still important to include people as part of the “peeling” process in their operation.

“Not that humans may be any better, but we trust humans so far a bit more right now, until we get to that stage of realizing it’s good. Or perhaps in certain areas, we must simply accept that AI should never play a role, because we want to have the ability of continuous intervention in terms of outcome.” Rizal Raoul Reyes

will replace some of its old generators, increase steam production, and expand power generation capacity from 140MW to 184MW. This is part of Petron’s planned capital expenditure (capex) projects to ensure reliability and efficiency of critical refinery process. Other projects include putting up more retail service stations, expand its retail network of its LPG, lubes and nonfuel segment, upgrade its logistics capacity, and expand its Malaysia operations with new service stations and facilities improvement in the Port Dickson refinery and terminals.

“If the company fails to complete its planned capital expenditure projects on time or within budget or at all, or to operate its facilities at their designated capacity, it may be unable to achieve the targeted growth in sales and profits, and its business,

results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected,” said Petron.

Moreover, the oil firm could not assure that its refinery will run at the expected capacity of achieve the expected production profile, or that there will be sufficient demand and logistical support for the company’s production.

“Any of the foregoing factors could adversely affect the company’s business, financial condition and results of operations,” Petron said.

Petron has tapped Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. (HSBC) as sole global coordinator.

Meanwhile, the joint lead managers and bookrunners are DBS Bank Ltd., HSBC, MUFG Securities Asia Ltd., SMBC Nikko Capital Markets Ltd., Standard Chartered Bank and UBS AG Singapore branch.

January 12, 2022

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year

per share Return*

Y-T-D Return

Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a

226.21

-2.61%

-2.37%

-2.95%

ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a

1.6103

19.73%

ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.1367

-1.97%

2.29%

3.38%

-3.24%

-8.86%

-5.11%

-3.12%

-7.34% n.a.

-0.42%

First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7511 -0.52% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a

Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7533 -7.77%

-5.23%

-5.11% n.a.

-2.57%

5.0246

-0.67%

-3.66%

-0.47%

-3.05%

First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.7589

-1.84%

-5.13%

MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a

93.87

-9.22%

PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a

46.4856

-2.96%

-4.01%

-0.84%

-3.41%

Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

485.93

-2.75%

-3.81%

-1.31%

-2.95%

1.1302

Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a

1.3508

12.86%

Philequity Fund, Inc. -a

-7.7% n.a.

1.03% n.a. n.a.

-0.59%

-2.8%

0.64%

1.97%

-0.41%

0.26%

-2.91%

35.5289

-0.32%

-2.97%

Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.9121

-2.58%

-4.45% n.a.

-3.11%

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a

4.7928

-2.19%

-3.32%

-0.23%

-3.39%

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

800.42

-2.37%

-3.33%

-0.27%

-3.39%

Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

0.7282

-0.82%

-7.12%

-3.25%

-3.24%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.654

-1.46%

-5.31%

-1.63%

-3.22%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.9122 -2.82%

-3.66%

-0.48%

-3.42%

United Fund, Inc. -a

-3.67%

0.25%

-3.11%

3.3305

-1.67%

ALFM

-3.8% -3.12%

Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c

107.707

-2.1%

-3.1%

0.21% -3.38%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities $1.1247

-13.39%

5.81%

5.32%

-0.16%

Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.7777

ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

3.56%

15.26%

11.06%

-3.72%

Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a

1.6683

-1.7%

-0.99%

-0.75%

-1.4%

ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a

2.2457

-3.33%

-0.68%

-0.41%

-1.57%

First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.6444

-0.77%

-0.21%

1.04%

-1.73%

First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.2093

3.92% n.a. n.a. 0.14%

NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a

1.9839

-0.21%

1.42%

1.55%

-1.63%

PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a

3.6976

-3.58%

1%

0.28%

-1.79%

Philam Fund, Inc. -a

16.5456

-3.53%

0.49%

0.26%

-1.78%

Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a

2.0834

-1.91%

-1.01%

0.2%

-1.79%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.5708 -1.49%

-2.05%

-0.37%

-2.09%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9725

-5.87% n.a. n.a.

-1.75%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.9198

-4.72% n.a. n.a.

-2.62%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.9075

-4.52% n.a. n.a.

-2.83%

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a

0.9349

3.12%

-0.89%

-0.01%

-2.02%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a

$0.03716

-4.28%

1.61%

0.96%

-2.06%

PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b

$1.0627

-11.6%

4.02%

3.39%

-0.41%

1.57%

10.88%

8.15%

-2.65%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,2 $1.1762 -1.38%

5.81%

4.12%

-1.87%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.6749

Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

374.34

0.9%

2.88%

2.57%

0.01%

ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.8855

-0.84%

0.57%

0.1%

0.04%

Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.2461

0.94%

2.94%

3.88%

0.06%

Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a

2.2516

-1.88%

1.79%

1.43%

0%

First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4269 -0.95%

3.1%

1.84%

0.04%

Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a

4.3953

-5%

4.9%

1.49%

-0.01%

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a

1.3211

0.07%

3.93%

2.87%

0.15%

Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9673

-0.38%

3.87%

2.64%

0.04%

Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.0292

-0.95%

4.69%

2%

0.1%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1857

-0.38%

4.56%

3.26%

-0.05%

Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a

-0.94%

3.71%

2.62%

0.03%

1.7311

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$489.07

1.17%

2.9%

2.45%

-0.1%

ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a

Є219.58

0.06%

1.11%

0.97%

-0.2%

ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.1952

-5.32%

1.87%

1.55%

-0.72%

First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0259 -1.52%

1.32%

0.87%

-0.38%

PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b

$1.0094

-7.15%

-0.93%

-0.95%

-1.31%

Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$2.4638

-2.11%

4.03%

2.33%

-1.67%

Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a

$0.0622589

0.01%

2.97%

1.96%

-0.05%

-2.4%

2.84%

1.15%

-2.08%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1298

Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a

2.56%

0.04%

First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0583 0.97% n.a. n.a.

131.24

1.05%

0.06%

Sun Life Prosperity Peso Starter Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.3163

0.05%

1.46%

2.74% 2.56%

2.53%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0607

0.75%

1.43% n.a.

0.01%

Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d 1.3595

17.14% n.a. n.a. -1.69%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a,d

$0.96

-3.03% n.a. n.a.

January 12, 2022

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 PHIL NATL BANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL IREMIT MEDCO HLDG MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH VANTAGE

300 13,320 2,290,080 288,832,872 1,493,410 141,960,456.50 30,000 768,990 216,400 2,056,090 5,718,050 327,888,988.50 66,300 1,337,550 22,600 451,548 1,165,890 131,006,435 276,240 27,606,423 65,000 103,390 21,000 85,490 3,000 2,550 40,000 11,650 100 92,000 367,000 241,170 20 4,240 3,000 2,430

-13,320 174,585,419 -2,370,489.50 -38,700 687,474 102,322,513 73,950.00 49,950 -4,050,482 351,789.50 -119,800 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 9 9.02 9.18 9.32 8.9 9 55,162,800 500,297,583 ALSONS CONS 1.06 1.1 1.05 1.11 1.05 1.06 66,000 70,960 ABOITIZ POWER 31 31.1 30 31.15 30 31.1 2,018,700 62,197,760 0.54 0.55 0.54 0.56 0.53 0.55 5,365,000 2,908,580 BASIC ENERGY 27.65 28.1 28.15 28.2 27.65 27.65 152,300 4,244,490 FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG 71.2 71.35 71.4 71.4 71.35 71.35 20,200 1,442,015.50 MERALCO 305 307 306.2 307 304.4 307 180,350 55,235,744 25 25.35 25 25.4 24.7 25.35 1,444,200 36,053,225 MANILA WATER 3.33 3.34 3.25 3.38 3.25 3.34 2,496,000 8,304,080 PETRON 3.92 4.24 4.05 4.25 4.05 4.25 8,000 33,400 PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM 10.58 10.76 10.54 10.78 10.54 10.78 6,600 70,786 SYNERGY GRID 13.08 13.1 12.92 13.2 12.92 13.1 3,437,400 44,872,618 19.12 19.14 19.46 19.46 19.06 19.12 237,700 4,549,316 PILIPINAS SHELL 13.82 13.86 13.86 13.86 13.82 13.84 74,400 1,029,572 SPC POWER SOLAR PH 1.42 1.43 1.32 1.42 1.3 1.42 227,963,000 310,757,500 AGRINURTURE 4.74 4.9 4.88 4.94 4.66 4.9 592,000 2,907,450 2.82 2.85 2.85 2.85 2.82 2.85 234,000 664,680 AXELUM CENTURY FOOD 27.25 27.45 27.4 27.6 27.05 27.45 2,265,500 61,933,850 15.02 15.2 14.98 15.02 14.9 15.02 26,200 392,740 DEL MONTE DNL INDUS 8.84 8.98 8.97 9 8.8 8.98 802,500 7,208,423 EMPERADOR 19.66 19.68 19.78 19.82 19.58 19.68 686,500 13,492,372 69.4 70 69 70 69 70 87,040 6,062,589.50 SMC FOODANDBEV 0.6 0.63 0.62 0.62 0.62 0.62 210,000 130,200 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.15 1.17 1.15 1.17 1.15 1.17 1,584,000 1,827,640 GINEBRA 117 118.9 112.5 118.9 110.1 118.9 159,240 18,503,948 221.2 223.2 221 224.4 220 223.2 493,280 109,995,204 JOLLIBEE 1.35 1.36 1.25 1.36 1.24 1.36 15,661,000 20,813,180 KEEPERS HLDG 6.4 6.5 6.4 6.4 6.38 6.4 79,600 509,400 MAXS GROUP MG HLDG 0.146 0.149 0.146 0.146 0.146 0.146 230,000 33,580 MONDE NISSIN 15.9 15.94 15.78 16.04 15.7 15.9 5,300,900 84,270,700 9.88 9.95 9.92 9.96 9.78 9.95 198,700 1,971,190 SHAKEYS PIZZA 0.65 0.66 0.63 0.65 0.63 0.65 844,000 547,620 ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP 4.63 4.65 4.65 4.65 4.61 4.65 135,000 627,710 ROXAS HLDG 1.03 1.1 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.04 1,000 1,040 0.101 0.105 0.108 0.108 0.101 0.101 40,000 4,110 SWIFT FOODS UNIV ROBINA 127 127.2 128 128.5 126.8 127.2 708,380 90,074,415 0.71 0.72 0.7 0.72 0.7 0.7 441,000 308,960 VITARICH VICTORIAS 2.41 2.54 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.5 10,000 24,500 CEMEX HLDG 1.03 1.04 1.03 1.04 1.03 1.04 462,000 476,630 14.8 14.82 14.78 14.88 14.74 14.8 70,400 1,042,994 EAGLE CEMENT 6.48 6.6 6.48 6.68 6.41 6.6 22,500 146,314 EEI CORP HOLCIM 5.54 5.56 5.52 5.57 5.52 5.52 56,200 310,751 MEGAWIDE 5.07 5.1 5.05 5.1 5.01 5.1 766,900 3,874,237 20 20.05 20 20 20 20 14,600 292,000 PHINMA TKC METALS 0.78 0.8 0.77 0.78 0.77 0.78 27,000 21,010 VULCAN INDL 0.86 0.87 0.86 0.88 0.85 0.87 1,511,000 1,309,700 CHEMPHIL 130.5 189.9 130.5 130.5 130.5 130.5 100 13,050 CROWN ASIA 1.7 1.73 1.72 1.73 1.72 1.73 44,000 75,920 1.36 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2,000 3,000 EUROMED PRYCE CORP 5.66 5.7 5.83 5.83 5.62 5.7 98,500 561,626 CONCEPCION 20.8 20.95 20.8 20.8 20.8 20.8 16,100 334,880 GREENERGY 2.19 2.21 2.22 2.25 2.15 2.21 1,987,000 4,418,540 9.51 9.53 9.45 9.65 9.44 9.51 1,419,300 13,516,444 INTEGRATED MICR 0.69 0.71 0.68 0.71 0.68 0.68 122,000 83,980 IONICS 5.93 6 6 6.02 5.9 6 5,700 34,152 PANASONIC SFA SEMICON 1.08 1.1 1.09 1.11 1.09 1.1 61,000 66,970 CIRTEK HLDG 3.68 3.7 3.6 3.76 3.57 3.7 1,448,000 5,277,070

-3,882,514 -7,447,670 270,000 -499,535 959,458.50 11,280,236 -2,473,235 -157,240 -18,975,056 -1,455,184 73,246 11,802,500 126,840 29,268,930 -97,600 -2,282,246 -4,327,596.00 389,000.00 -2,520,157 13,893,036 730,750 -13,066,116 -45,753 -287,950 -381,300 -37,070,860 21,000 12,000 4,120 916,984 -8,502 592,376 -17,000 -235,040 -236,950 3,396,812.00 20,580 653,240

ABACORE CAPITAL AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ATN HLDG A COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG A KEPPEL HLDG B LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP TOP FRONTIER

-87,000 42,925,360 5,906,179 1,941,936 -36,340 -549,006 -4,979,207 -29,817,475 22,897,534.50 -9,300 321,649 7,768,660 -59,525,015 -1,855,578 -

HOLDING & FRIMS

mutual funds

www.businessmirror.com.ph

43.85 126.7 94.6 25.5 9.5 57.55 20.2 19.96 111.8 99.9 1.59 4.06 0.82 0.285 915 0.62 211 0.81

0.87 844 59.5 11.94 7.8 0.405 5.16 8.14 7.48 551 3.6 58 6.2 6.2 0.62 3.1 9.89 3.9 2.85 1.15 2.91 941.5 111 123.1

44.4 126.8 94.95 25.55 9.54 57.7 20.3 19.98 112 100 1.62 4.08 0.84 0.315 946 0.66 212 0.87

0.89 860 59.6 11.96 7.9 0.41 5.17 8.15 7.5 552 3.71 58.2 6.3 7.5 0.65 3.15 9.9 3.92 3.13 1.19 3.01 950 111.1 126.9

44.4 124.8 94.9 25.5 9.38 55.8 20 19.98 112.4 100 1.61 4.11 0.85 0.285 920 0.6 212 0.81

0.88 849 58.5 11.76 7.71 0.405 5.13 7.99 7.5 539 3.6 58.7 6.2 6.2 0.64 3 9.92 3.95 3.13 1.23 3 952 111 126.9

44.4 126.8 95.6 25.8 9.55 57.7 20.4 19.98 113.5 100 1.61 4.11 0.85 0.31 920 0.7 212 0.81

0.89 862.5 59.5 11.94 7.9 0.42 5.19 8.16 7.5 555 3.6 58.9 6.2 6.2 0.65 3.16 9.92 3.98 3.13 1.23 3 952 111.4 126.9

44.4 124.5 94.05 25.5 9.38 55.8 20 19.98 112 99.6 1.59 4.05 0.85 0.285 920 0.6 212 0.81

0.86 835.5 58.05 11.76 7.71 0.405 5.11 7.98 7.46 536 3.6 57.5 6.2 6.2 0.62 3 9.81 3.9 3.13 1.14 3 934 110.5 126.9

44.4 126.8 94.95 25.55 9.54 57.7 20.4 19.98 112 99.9 1.59 4.08 0.85 0.31 920 0.66 212 0.81

0.89 860 59.5 11.94 7.9 0.41 5.17 8.14 7.5 552 3.6 58.2 6.2 6.2 0.65 3.1 9.89 3.9 3.13 1.19 3 950 111 126.9

1,588,000 183,030 1,075,930 982,600 10,000 370,000 676,500 9,216,400 55,700 263,520 4,000 1,010,760 20,000 500 250,000 41,000 937,900 10,098,000 1,000 15,000 2,000 254,360 110,850 298,000

1,386,420 156,484,460 63,825,634 11,715,592 78,020 152,000 3,496,209 74,710,612 417,271 144,755,770 14,400 58,880,780 124,000 3,100 156,820 128,300 9,276,834 39,651,290 3,130 17,570 6,000 239,775,425 12,314,954 37,816,200

PROPERTY

ARTHALAND CORP 0.61 0.64 0.64 0.64 0.64 0.64 6,000 3,840 AYALA LAND 35.3 35.6 34.5 35.6 34.45 35.6 8,549,500 299,349,420 AYALA LAND LOG 6.1 6.13 6.34 6.34 6.06 6.1 2,950,200 18,154,594 0.95 1.02 0.94 1.02 0.94 1.02 49,000 46,570 ARANETA PROP AREIT RT 49.95 50 50.2 50.25 49.85 50 1,016,780 50,817,224 A BROWN 0.78 0.8 0.77 0.79 0.77 0.79 161,000 126,410 CITYLAND DEVT 0.72 0.73 0.73 0.73 0.72 0.73 68,000 49,580 0.096 0.101 0.102 0.102 0.096 0.101 12,050,000 1,163,090 CROWN EQUITIES CEB LANDMASTERS 2.85 2.86 2.92 2.92 2.85 2.86 285,000 822,330 0.395 0.4 0.395 0.4 0.395 0.395 1,380,000 550,800 CENTURY PROP DOUBLEDRAGON 7.14 7.18 7.07 7.18 7.03 7.18 356,300 2,520,567 DDMP RT 1.79 1.8 1.79 1.79 1.78 1.79 2,710,000 4,841,030 6.75 6.78 6.7 6.78 6.7 6.78 26,500 179,310 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.245 0.255 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 230,000 57,500 EVER GOTESCO 0.31 0.32 0.315 0.32 0.31 0.315 8,210,000 2,578,350 FILINVEST RT 7.72 7.75 7.7 7.8 7.68 7.75 1,752,400 13,556,760 1.1 1.11 1.1 1.11 1.09 1.11 3,186,000 3,527,600 FILINVEST LAND 0.94 0.95 0.92 0.95 0.92 0.95 1,229,000 1,156,240 GLOBAL ESTATE 8990 HLDG 11.84 11.86 11.76 11.88 11.6 11.84 573,700 6,739,734 GOLDEN MV 525 540 526 540 526 540 250 134,620 PHIL INFRADEV 1.14 1.16 1.13 1.14 1.13 1.13 96,000 108,710 0.85 0.92 0.87 0.92 0.84 0.92 16,000 13,730 CITY AND LAND MEGAWORLD 3.14 3.15 3.1 3.14 3.07 3.14 9,008,000 28,084,590 MRC ALLIED 0.226 0.228 0.226 0.226 0.224 0.226 1,900,000 427,570 MREIT RT 20 20.15 19.5 20.15 19.46 20.15 3,569,300 70,025,689 0.35 0.36 0.35 0.36 0.34 0.35 920,000 322,000 OMICO CORP 0.485 0.5 0.495 0.5 0.49 0.5 2,059,000 1,014,050 PHIL ESTATES 2.14 2.15 2.08 2.15 2.07 2.15 2,083,000 4,387,820 PRIMEX CORP RL COMM RT 8.65 8.66 8.26 8.68 8.26 8.65 5,674,000 48,273,763 ROBINSONS LAND 18.54 18.7 18.3 18.7 18.26 18.7 2,290,000 42,667,994 0.201 0.209 0.201 0.201 0.2 0.2 130,000 26,050 PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL 1.5 1.52 1.46 1.52 1.46 1.52 66,000 98,570 STA LUCIA LAND 2.71 2.81 2.84 2.84 2.69 2.71 129,000 350,800 SM PRIME HLDG 34.75 34.85 34 35.05 33.8 34.85 6,348,400 220,588,580 3.68 3.69 3.6 3.68 3.6 3.68 12,000 43,360 VISTAMALLS 1.07 1.08 1.08 1.09 1.07 1.08 142,000 153,270 SUNTRUST HOME 3.49 3.5 3.45 3.5 3.44 3.49 344,000 1,200,310 VISTA LAND

SERVICES ABS CBN 13.5 13.56 12.9 13.5 12.9 13.5 276,700 3,641,918 GMA NETWORK 14.2 14.22 14 14.26 14 14.2 1,080,200 15,318,762 MANILA BULLETIN 0.41 0.43 0.415 0.415 0.415 0.415 380,000 157,700 3,360 3,396 3,300 3,396 3,300 3,396 26,645 89,393,910 GLOBE TELECOM 1,863 1,865 1,845 1,880 1,844 1,865 70,550 131,706,985 PLDT APOLLO GLOBAL 0.072 0.073 0.072 0.073 0.07 0.073 138,360,000 9,803,170 CONVERGE 31.05 31.2 30.7 31.3 30.7 31.05 2,671,800 83,211,785 2.39 2.47 2.33 2.5 2.33 2.47 339,000 828,270 DFNN INC DITO CME HLDG 5.37 5.38 4.98 5.45 4.96 5.37 37,307,000 196,924,670 1.26 1.28 1.18 1.28 1.17 1.28 2,482,000 3,075,170 NOW CORP TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.315 0.32 0.31 0.325 0.31 0.32 2,760,000 891,550 2GO GROUP 7.51 7.53 7.51 7.52 7.51 7.51 6,600 49,612 13.62 14 14 14 14 14 14,900 208,600 ASIAN TERMINALS CHELSEA 1.62 1.63 1.64 1.65 1.61 1.62 188,000 304,780 CEBU AIR 42.1 42.3 41.5 42.4 41.35 42.3 152,700 6,416,850 INTL CONTAINER 195.5 195.7 194 197.4 193.8 195.7 1,473,360 288,227,662 21.75 23.95 21.75 22.2 21.75 22.2 1,800 39,195 LBC EXPRESS LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.91 0.92 0.91 0.91 0.91 0.91 60,000 54,600 MACROASIA 5.21 5.24 5.31 5.31 5.19 5.25 781,900 4,092,681 METROALLIANCE A 1.11 1.19 1.1 1.19 1.1 1.19 5,000 5,590 HARBOR STAR 0.84 0.89 0.88 0.9 0.83 0.83 285,000 241,820 1.76 1.83 1.86 1.86 1.75 1.83 72,000 126,400 DISCOVERY WORLD GRAND PLAZA 11 14.38 13 14.36 10.4 14.36 1,200 14,736 WATERFRONT 0.46 0.465 0.47 0.47 0.46 0.465 150,000 69,850 IPEOPLE 6.99 7.54 7.54 7.54 7.54 7.54 900 6,786 1.32 1.35 1.32 1.32 1.32 1.32 147,000 194,040 BELLE CORP BLOOMBERRY 6.5 6.52 6.49 6.55 6.3 6.5 3,382,800 21,853,679 0.72 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.72 0.74 282,000 203,880 PH RESORTS GRP PREMIUM LEISURE 0.425 0.43 0.43 0.435 0.425 0.425 800,000 343,650 PHIL RACING 5.7 5.8 5.71 5.75 5.7 5.75 125,000 717,520 1.89 1.9 1.85 1.9 1.85 1.9 226,000 423,980 PHILWEB ALLDAY 0.57 0.59 0.58 0.59 0.57 0.57 38,060,000 21,948,710 BERJAYA 5.46 5.7 5.75 5.75 5.75 5.75 1,800 10,350 ALLHOME 8.81 8.88 8.92 8.93 8.81 8.88 959,600 8,523,657 1.4 1.42 1.4 1.42 1.4 1.4 862,000 1,207,200 METRO RETAIL 36.5 36.65 36.2 36.75 36.2 36.5 1,927,100 70,481,315 PUREGOLD 56.9 56.95 58.65 59 56.55 56.9 841,280 48,192,638 ROBINSONS RTL PHIL SEVEN CORP 87.6 90.45 86.2 86.5 86 86.5 8,250 709,619 SSI GROUP 1.07 1.09 1.08 1.09 1.07 1.07 965,000 1,037,710 28.45 28.5 28.8 28.8 28.3 28.45 2,397,900 68,260,430 WILCON DEPOT 4.22 5 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1,000 4,200 EASYCALL IPM HLDG 6.9 7 7 7 7 7 1,500 10,500 MEDILINES 1.15 1.16 1.1 1.18 1.1 1.15 10,135,000 11,678,800 0.49 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.49 0.5 2,171,000 1,077,215 PRMIERE HORIZON

MINING & OIL ATOK 6.37 6.58 6.69 6.69 6.59 6.59 350,500 2,333,325 APEX MINING 1.63 1.64 1.66 1.72 1.64 1.64 6,527,000 10,976,030 6.09 6.1 6.05 6.1 6.05 6.09 690,500 4,199,686 ATLAS MINING BENGUET A 5.15 5.3 5.2 5.2 5.15 5.15 6,500 33,525 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.27 0.285 0.28 0.29 0.28 0.29 840,000 241,100 CENTURY PEAK 2.7 2.77 2.78 2.8 2.78 2.8 40,000 111,260 4.6 5.19 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 6,000 28,200 DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL 2.13 2.14 2.12 2.16 2.1 2.14 8,579,000 18,181,330 0.134 0.135 0.132 0.137 0.132 0.134 3,840,000 515,770 LEPANTO A LEPANTO B 0.132 0.14 0.129 0.141 0.129 0.14 750,000 97,310 MANILA MINING A 0.0095 0.0099 0.0095 0.0097 0.0095 0.0095 24,000,000 228,700 0.0097 0.01 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 0.0097 4,000,000 38,800 MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES 1.35 1.37 1.31 1.4 1.31 1.35 3,903,000 5,294,140 NIHAO 1 1.03 1.05 1.05 1 1 12,000 12,250 NICKEL ASIA 5.4 5.41 5.2 5.45 5.2 5.41 19,193,300 103,481,639 0.79 0.8 0.78 0.81 0.78 0.79 560,000 443,260 ORNTL PENINSULA PX MINING 5.24 5.26 5.06 5.26 5.04 5.24 673,900 3,495,787 23.75 23.8 23.4 23.8 23.4 23.8 1,495,500 35,343,505 SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON 0.0069 0.0071 0.0072 0.0072 0.0067 0.0069 11,000,000 75,700 ACE ENEXOR 31 31.4 31.55 33.25 29.65 31.4 2,017,700 63,264,950 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 11,400,000 114,000 ORNTL PETROL A ORNTL PETROL B 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 400,000 4,000 PHILODRILL 0.0094 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 0.0094 0.0095 34,000,000 322,400 PXP ENERGY 5.9 5.98 5.8 5.98 5.8 5.98 108,300 634,013

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF B 99.9 101 101.5 101.5 101.5 101.5 50 5,075 BRN PREF A 102.8 104 102.8 102.8 102.8 102.8 20,100 2,066,280 CEB PREF 41.5 41.9 41 42 41 41.9 79,200 3,290,995 100.9 101.2 101.2 101.2 101.2 101.2 10 1,012 DD PREF 102 104 103 103 103 103 7,600 782,800 EEI PREF A EEI PREF B 106.8 107 107 107 107 107 50,000 5,350,000 JFC PREF A 1,000 1,010 1,010 1,010 1,000 1,000 110 110,100 1,005 1,024 1,009 1,009 1,009 1,009 5 5,045 JFC PREF B PNX PREF 3B 100.8 101 101 101 100.7 101 9,170 926,056 PNX PREF 4 995 998 998 998 995 998 2,030 2,021,100 PCOR PREF 3A 1,045 1,058 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,040 1,000 1,040,000 PCOR PREF 3B 1,095 1,130 1,095 1,095 1,085 1,095 1,960 2,137,100 1.4 1.7 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 2,000 2,800 SFI PREF SMC PREF 2F 79 79.6 79.65 79.65 79.65 79.65 320 25,488 SMC PREF 2H 76.05 76.5 76.1 76.5 76 76.5 8,100 615,700 SMC PREF 2J 76.45 77 76.5 76.5 76.45 76.45 550,550 42,089,572.50 75.85 76 75.8 76.45 75.8 75.85 600,620 45,527,008 SMC PREF 2K TECH PREF B2C 51 52 51 51 51 51 1,000 51,000 TECH PREF B2D 53.45 53.65 53.65 53.65 53.65 53.65 3,240 173,826

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS GMA HLDG PDR 13.54 14.1 13.2 14.2 13.2 14.1 210,300 2,959,332

WARRANTS TECH WARRANT 0.83 0.84 0.81 0.83 0.79 0.83 816,000 664,280

-1.03%

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last July 8, 2021 (formerly, Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.).

2 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last November 25, 2021.

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

53,025,850 -1,465,619 7,049,426.50 -43,250 -39,500 1,317,650 -90,590 -800,100 651,559 2,734,020 437,298 -8,137,950 644,126 -3,500 25,640 -1,072,920 10,831,462 24,203,564 52,057,020 3,680 -1,090 363,210 37,365,510 36,653,560 101,320 -9,476,120 0 37,993,170 -116,420 -60,900 -8,200 -487,325 -35,703,297 -421,595 9,400 1,463,166 8,600 57,710 8,175,588 -700,190 -5,608,265 7,364,724 -43,100 -262,580 -30,356,380 -8,350 -54,450 -171,000 111,260 1,401,630 17,600 -16,375,216 -326,672.00 -938,745 13,800 534,860 73,070 -1,844,970 1,012 -38,250 - 2,586,544

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH MERRYMART

19.02 1.19 2.81 2.33

FIRST METRO ETF

109.3

19.78 1.2 2.88 2.34

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

109.8

19.02 1.18 2.87 2.32

19.04 1.2 2.87 2.39

19.02 1.17 2.87 2.32

19.04 1.2 2.87 2.34

7,800 317,000 3,000 1,374,000

148,462 376,430 8,610 3,235,200

30,030 682,350

108.5 109.4 108.4 109.3 9,890 1,073,590 -283,185

Agriculture/Commodities BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng • Thursday, January 13, 2022 B3

Agri damage due to ‘Odette’ rises to ₧12.7B

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

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YPHOON Odette’s damage to the Philippine agriculture sector has climbed to nearly P13 billion, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday.

In its latest report, the DA said the typhoon affected 396,585 farmers and fishers and destroyed P12.7 billion worth of agricultural products.

The estimated damage from Odette rose due to the increase in the losses incurred by the fisheries sector as well as the losses reported by abaca farmers.

The DA said the typhoon damaged 267,809 metric tons (MT) of agricultural produce and struck 443,419 hectares of farms.

Agricultural losses were reported in the following regions: Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Socc-

AN aerial view of the destruction caused by Typhoon Odette in Barangay Punta Bilar, Surigao City. BusinessMirror FILE PHOTO

Chicken prices in Visayas up on tight supply–Ubra

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HE retail price of chicken meat in the Visayas rose to P180 per kilogram (kg), from P140 per kg prior to the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, due to tight broiler supply, an industry leader said.

United Broiler Raisers Association (Ubra) President Elias Jose Inciong said retail prices of chicken in the Visayas have been on an upward trend after the typhoon swept over the country.

Inciong said chicken meat in the Visayas now sells for P180 per kg to P190 per kilogram, higher by as much as P50 from the P140 per kg recorded prior to Odette.

The wholesale price of dressed chicken in Iloilo as of January 7, for instance, reached as much as P152 per kg, higher than the P119-P135 per kg price range recorded a week before Odette struck the region.

Citing reports from Visayas-based Ubra members, Inciong said the supply situation in the region will start improving by February, but the impact of the restocking may be felt in

the second quarter.

“What contributed to the increase in prices, aside from lower supply, is the lack of cold storage [facilities] since power in the region is not yet totally restored,” he told the BusinessMirror.

“Furthermore, supply lines have been cut. Broiler raisers in the Visayas are having a hard time getting feeds. And even the feed millers in the region are not yet fully operational due to power concerns.”

Inciong said broiler raisers in Luzon are keen on shipping chicken to Visayas to augment the region’s supply. However, logistical concerns, such as transportation woes and lack of cold storage facilities are making it difficult for them to ship chicken to the region.

Shipping chicken to the Visayas will help Luzon-based broiler raisers improve their income as they continue to grapple with a supply glut, Inciong said.

The average farm-gate price of broiler in Luzon has declined to as

low as P73 per kg in Central Luzon areas as demand softened. This was exacerbated by stricter mobility curbs as key areas in the region were placed anew under Alert Level 3 due to spike in Covid-19 cases, he said.

“Demand is really low today and inventories are not moving that much. Plus, there is still little to no demand from hotels, restaurants, and institutions,” Inciong said.

“There was demand for chicken before Christmas, but now it is gone due to the omicron variant. Historically, demand is soft at the start of the year but it is currently lower than usual.”

The average farm-gate price of regular sized broilers as of January 7 declined to P84.50 per kg from P97.5 per kg as of December 31, according to Ubra’s price monitoring report.

The Department of Agriculture’s price monitoring report indicated that the retail prices of whole chicken in Metro Manila as of January 12 ranged from P130 per kg to P180 per kg. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

sksargen, and Caraga.

“Affected commodities include rice, corn, high value crops, coconut, sugarcane, abaca, livestock, and fisheries. Damage has also been incurred in agricultural infrastructures, machineries and equipment,” the DA said. “These values are subject to validation.”

The DA’s latest damage report indicated that the fisheries sector incurred the biggest loss at P4 billion, or about 31 percent of total agricultural losses. The agency said 41,181 fishers were affected by Odette which damaged their fishery products, fishing boats and gear.

The damage to the rice sector remained at P2.6 billion, with an estimated production loss of 139,399 MT. Odette struck 114,777 hectares of rice farms, according to the DA. Losses incurred by the high value crops (HVC) sector rose to P1.6 billion. The typhoon affected 6,316 hectares of farms planted with vegetables, fruit trees, root crops, cacao,

coffee, banana and rubber.

The DA said the estimated value of coconut and sugarcane crops destroyed by the typhoon remained at P1.5 billion and P1.2 billion, respectively.

Figures from the agency indicate that the typhoon also hit 14,794 hectares of farms planted with abaca and destroyed some P310.3 million worth of crops.

Meanwhile, the livestock and poultry sector lost some P535.4 million as the typhoon struck 1.637 million heads of chicken, swine, cattle, carabao, goat, duck, sheep, horse, turkey, quail, and guinea fowl.

As for the corn sector, the DA said farmers incurred losses amounting to P644.1 million as Odette damaged 33,945 MT of crops planted in 16,132 hectares.

The typhoon, which flattened houses in the Visayas, also destroyed irrigation and agri-facilities valued at P479.3 million and farm machinery and equipment worth P13.1 million.

‘Farmers, fishers are our saviors’

D

EPUTY Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda expressed her strong commitment to champion the farmers and fishers, as the country moves towards becoming self-sufficient and food secure, during the AGRI2022 Online Forum.

Highlighting the successes in the province of Antique, which saw significant increases in palay production (27.4 percent) and yield (3.8 percent) in 2021, Legarda emphasized, “With the exceptional support of the government: from providing seeds, tools, equipment and market access, self-sufficiency in agriculture can be achieved.” The province of Antique boasts as one of the very few provinces to achieve a “rice self-sufficient” status.

“I note that we are the only country in the Asean region that is a net importer of food. This is unacceptable, as our country is rich in resources and we have more than 10 million hardworking small farmers, forest settlers, and fisherfolk.”

Legarda said the need for the sector to benefit from scientific research and innovation, especially for climateresilient technologies. “During Typhoon Odette, Del Carmen in Siargao was miraculously spared from storm surges because it is home to 4,871 hectares of mangroves.” Legarda added: “We need to work with and alongside natural processes. Nature-based solutions, such as planting mangrove greenbelts, have been very effective in preventing further loss and damage.

Our farming and fishing communities could benefit from policies and plans that build with nature.”

Aside from coastal greenbelts, Legarda drew attention to the community production of seeds, which are locally adapted to the soil and climate, or the use of integrated solutions such as integrated duck-rice farming. When asked about water scarcity, Legarda noted that: “if we had healthier soils, we can prevent erosion or run-off. For example, if our farmers used the straw from their palay and applied it to their

rice fields, the straw is converted to organic matter. They would be close to achieving one percent organic matter, which translates to about 50,000 gallons of water retained.”

She added: “We need to rethink our food system. We urgently need to move from environmentally exploitative farming to regenerative practices. Presently, our policies are focused on large scale farming and production for export. Considering that we have about 10 million small farmers, forest settlers, or fisherfolk, it is in small holder agriculture where change is needed to increase the food supply. If the government provides adequate support and intervention, small producers will have additional income generating opportunities while encouraging local food supply.”

Shehasco-authoredandfiledHouse Bill 8385 or the Integrated Urban Agriculture Act, which seeks to promote and institutionalize urban agriculture as a sustainable land use system. She is also the co-author of the Rural Farm Schools Act under Republic Act 10618.

Global food prices dip in Brazil’s extreme weather is flooding mines, drying up crops December–FAO report W

W

ORLD food prices fell slightly in December as international prices for vegetable oils and sugar fell significantly from lofty levels, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 133.7 points in December, a 0.9- percent decline from November but still up 23.1 percent from December 2020. The index tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities. Only the dairy sub-index posted a monthly rise in December.

For 2021 as a whole, averaging across the entire year, the FAO Food Price Index averaged 125.7 points, as much as 28.1 percent above the previous year.

“While normally high prices are expected to give way to increased production, the high cost of inputs, ongoing global pandemic and ever more uncertain climatic conditions leave little room for optimism about a return to more stable market conditions even in 2022, ” said FAO Senior Economist Abdolreza Abbassian.

The FAO Cereal Price Index decreased 0.6 percent from November, as falling wheat export quotations amid improved supplies following southern hemisphere harvests more than offset firmer maize prices underpinned by strong demand and concerns over persistent dryness in Brazil. For the full year, however, the FAO Cereal Price Index reached its highest annual level since 2012

and averaged 27.2 percent higher than in 2020, with maize up 44.1 percent, wheat up 31.3 percent, but rice down by 4.0 percent.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index declined 3.3 percent in December, with weaker quotations for palm oil and sunflower oil reflecting subdued global import demand that may be linked to concerns over the impact of rising Covid-19 cases. For 2021 as a whole, the FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index reached an all-time high, increasing 65.8 percent from 2020.

The FAO Sugar Price Index decreased by 3.1 percent from November, reaching a five-month low, reflecting concerns over the possible impact of the Omicron COVID-19 variant on global demand as well as a weaker Brazilian Real and lower ethanol prices. For 2021 as a whole, the FAO Sugar Price Index rose 29.8 percent from the previous year to its highest level since 2016.

TheFAOMeatPriceIndexwasbroadly stable in December but over 2021 as a whole, the FAO Meat Price Index was 12.7 percent higher than in 2020.

The FAO Dairy Price Index was the only sub-index to increase in December, rising 1.8 percent from the previous month, as international quotations for butter and milk powders increased amid lower milk production in Western Europe and Oceania.

Cheese prices declined marginally, reflecting a preference for Western Europe dairy producers. In 2021, the FAO Dairy Price Index averaged 16.9 percent higher than in 2020.

EATHER extremes in commodity powerhouse Brazil are reverberating through global markets, pushing up prices for everything from soybeans to metals.

Dryness and heat in the nation’s south have caused crop losses, clipping what was supposed to be record oilseed production in the world’s largest grower. Meanwhile, the northern half of the country has the opposite problem: too much water. Heavy rains have led Vale SA, the world’s secondlargest iron ore producer, to halt some mine production in Minas Gerais.

The measure added fuel to iron ore’s price rally. Futures in Singapore advanced as much as 2.8 percent on Tuesday, bringing its gain since midNovember to 50 percent. In agricultural markets, soybean futures have increased 13 percent since early December, when adverse weather began to hurt Brazilian crops. State-owned agriculture agency Conab slashed its outlook for this year’s soy harvest due to drought, saying more cuts are possible in the coming months.

A tighter supply of the oilseed used to make everything from cooking oil to animal feed may add fuel to global food inflation.

Northern Brazil is “too wet” and the south is “too dry,” said Don Keeney, a meteorologist with commercial forecaster Maxar. That’s a typical pattern caused by the La Nina phenomenon, strengthened by other factors such as the Atlantic warming, according to Carine Gama, a meteorologist at Sao Paulo-based Climatempo.

The adverse weather is disrupting the iron ore industry in Minas Gerais state. In addition to Vale, Gerdau SA

A MAN cleans a street after a flood in Mina Gerais state, Brazil, on January 11. PHOTOGRAPHER: DOUGLAS MAGNO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/BLOOMBERG NEWS

and Usiminas suspended mining operations. On Saturday, a Brazilian mining dike owned by France’s Vallourec SA overflowed near the city of Belo Horizonte, which saw 15 inches of precipitation in the first 10 days of January, exceeding the average for the whole month.

More than 100 million tons of annualized iron ore supply could be at risk at this stage in Brazil, BTG Pactual analysts estimate. That represents roughly 7 percent of seaborne supply and about 30 percent of Brazilian supply.

“Clearly the stakes are high and we could see impacts on short-term iron ore movements,” BTG analysts Leonardo Correa and Caio Greiner wrote in a note to clients, adding economic impacts can be muted if normality is restored quickly.

The extreme weather may also lead to losses in other crops. Coffee farms in south Minas Gerais are vulnerable due to possible erosion, while corn fields in Brazil’s south have faced prolonged dryness and soybean crops in some parts of the

nation’s north have seen an increase in disease amid wet weather. Still, those damages can be avoided if conditions improve soon.

There are indications weather patterns may shift next week bringing relief, Keeney said. A high pressure system that has dried out southern Brazil and Argentina is shifting toward Paraguay, which will allow rain into the region. It will also lessen, though not stop, the rainfall that has been flooding northern Brazil, he said. Bloomberg News

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

B4

Thursday, January 13, 2022

ENVOY ON A MISSION Ambassador Michèle Boccoz traveled 7 hours by helicopter on January 1

to accompany the delivery of emergency items for French and Filipino nationals in Siargao in the wake of Typhoon Odette (international name Rai), with support from the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The supplies, which included medicines, bandages, solar batteries and solar lamps, were turned over to Surigao del Norte Governor Francisco Matugas and to the French community in Siargao. FACEBOOK: @FRENCHEMBASSYPH

TAIWANESE DONATION The local Taiwanese community extended its helping hand anew to the survivors of Typhoon Odette

through the Taiwanese Compatriot Association in the Philippines with a handover of a P2-million official donation to the Manila Economic and Cultural Office. Representative Peiyung Hsu (second from left) witnessed the ceremony at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office on December 29, 2021. The humanitarian aid also included $500,000 from the Taiwanese government, P2.7 million and P2 million from Taiwan Association Inc.-Philippines and the Love From Koten Foundation, respectively, as well as the delivery of 10 metric tons of relief goods for Cebu. TECO IN THE PHILIPPINES

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MEETING OF DIPLOMATS Ambassador of Saudi Arabia

Hisham Sultan Abdullah Alqahtani (right) called on Ambassador of Pakistan Dr. Imtiaz A. Kazi on January 5 to discuss bilateral relations, the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, and matters surrounding the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The two envoys sent a joint note along with the OIC resolution on Afghanistan the week prior. FACEBOOK: @PAKINPHILIPPINES

SUPPORTING STRONGER SUPPLY CHAIN, INNOVATION During the recent IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE Ambassador of Hungary Dr. Titanilla Tóth (right) signs the official

donation document with Caritas Manila Executive Director Fr. Anton Pascual for the arrival of HUF20 million (about P3 million) worth of emergency assistance to alleviate the devastation and suffering caused by “Odette.” TWITTER: @HUAMBTITANILLA

RAISING AWARENESS Ambassador Peter Kell of New Zealand (third from right) was in

Indatuan, Northern Kabuntalan, Maguindanao on January 2 with women of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to help promote the prevention of gender-based violence, together with the United Nations Population Fund-Philippines, United Youth of the Philippines-Women and the Ministry of Social Services and Development-BARMM. TWITTER: @PETERKELLNZ

Qatar seeks deeper political, economic relations with PHL

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ATAR is seeking to strengthen its political and economic ties with the Philippine government, according to Ambassador Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Malki.

country. More than 200 Philippine companies are also operating in the Qatari market engaged in different activities.

“Based on the spirit of principles of justice and equality, the State of Qatar has always valued the roles played by Filipino workers and their contributions to the development of Qatar,” Al-Malki said. “Despite the pandemic, the state…has been keen [on ensuring] public safety and health for all.”

He also echoed Doha’s continued support for the Philippine government’s pandemic response. Last month it donated about 50,000 doses of vaccines valued at P22.47 million.

The diplomat added that Qatar Airways was the only airline that remained in operation during the lockdown, helping the Philippines in mass repatriation efforts.

Trade ties

AMBASSADOR Al-Malki QATAR EMBASSY/PNA

“2021…marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of the Philippines,” Al-Malki said in his message during the 143rd Qatar National Day. “[My country] gives great importance to its bilateral relations with the Philippines, and seeks to deepen its strategic partnership in the field of politics and economy.”

The ambassador noted that Qatar was the first country to carry out reforms in labor policies in the Middle East—including the historic abolition of the “kafala” system—much to the benefit of thousands of Filipinos working in the state.

He said these latest initiatives have simplified the procedures for the transfer of workers between employers, and have set a minimum wage to protect migrant laborers—

including overseas Filipino workers.

“It is a roadmap described by many countries as a ‘giant step,’ echoing the state’s commitment to giving migrant workers more freedom and protection, providing employers with more options,” he said.

“These reforms offered an example for other countries in the regions to emulate. They have been praised by many countries in the world and international organizations.”

Improved OFW conditions

THE kafala, or sponsorship system— a practice in most Gulf Cooperation Council states—legally binds a foreign worker’s immigration status to the employer or sponsor for their contract term, often leading to modern slavery conditions.

At least 242,000 Filipinos are living and working in the Gulf

IN other areas of cooperation, AlMalki is hoping to revive trade exchanges between the two nations through the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which will link Qatari businessmen and their Filipino counterparts.

“The State of Qatar is constantly exerting intensive efforts to enhance the bilateral relations between the two countries, especially under the administration of His Excellency President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, where opportunities are still favorable to advance trade and investment among other areas—including energy, health, education and culture, and concluded agreements, as well as activation of joint memoranda of understanding for bilateral cooperation,” he confirmed.

The envoy noted that four decades of diplomatic relations are a testament to the “solid friendship” that the two nations have formed over the years.

“This also manifests great optimism for the future and firm determination to move forward together to an important milestone in the relations between [our] countries,” he said. Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA

Philippine Economic Zone Authority’s “Global Biz with PEZA Featuring Japan” webinar, Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa of Japan said: “The Philippines is a key partner in sharing common understanding of respect for democratic values and universal human rights. The Japanese government intends to support the development of a stronger supply chain and the creation of innovation around the Philippines, while utilizing various support measures. In light of this global trend, I hope that investments in the Philippines will continue to move forward in the private sector as well.” JAPAN INFORMATION AND CULTURE CENTER/EMBASSY OF JAPAN

Rotary clubs of Colombo, Makati Circle set up affiliation, education agreements

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N line with initiatives encouraging and supporting collaborative engagements between Sri Lanka and the Philippines through fellowship of business professionals and community leaders, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Manila organized an introductory virtual meeting between the officers of the Rotary Club of Colombo Reconnections (RCCR) and Rotary Club of Makati Circle of Friends (RCMCoF).

The meeting stemmed from the initial interaction between Ambassador Shobini Gunasekera and Professor Nelia Cruz Sarcol, president of the RCMCoF, on the Rotary Club’s interest to engage with their counterparts in Sri Lanka through a sister-club agreement and a collaborative project in education to assist deserving Sri Lankans through a scholarship program.

In her welcome remarks, Gunasekera expressed her appreciation to both clubs for their commitment to link-up and create a lasting change in communities, as she addressed social issues through leadership and expertise. The envoy also noted that

AMBASSADOR Gunasekera and attendees of the Rotary clubs’ meeting (inset).

a project in the field of information and communications-technology education was a timely initiative to step into the new normal with confidence.

Dr. Rohantha Athukorala, past president of the RCCR, coordinated on behalf of Sri Lanka the discussions with Rotarians: Pubudu De Soyza, who is the district governor of Sri Lanka and Maldives 2022/23; Sushena Ranatunga, who is district governor of Sri Lanka and Maldives 2023/24; and Rakitha Jayatunge, who

is RCCR’s president. They welcomed the proposed sister-club agreement and collaborative project on education.

Recognizing the vast benefits that the project will provide to Sri Lankan youth, they committed their full support on the venture.

Both parties agreed to exchange more detailed information and discuss further. A visit to Sri Lanka by the officers of the RCMCoF will also be scheduled within the first quarter of 2022.

Local innovations triumph in 2021 PHL Water Challenge

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HE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently joined representatives from the Philippine government, the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines, and the private sector to announce the five winners of the inaugural Philippine Water Challenge (PhlWC)—a platform to generate solutions, support improvements, and expand innovations in the country’s water and sanitation sector.

Camarines Sur’s Libmanan Water District won the grand prize for its Low-Cost Digitization and Automation Solution in the Management of Water Distribution System. It uses an electronic device to record both water volume and water pressure. Coded and assembled locally, the solution will enable water utilities to understand their operations in real-time, with automated collection and transmission of data to their central system.

Libmanan Water District competed against 34 other entries and was selected by a judging committee composed of representatives from the water and sanitation sector. It

received the grand prize of P250,000.

The four other winning solutions were: (1) Upgrading access to affordable clean water and a holistic approach to improving the lives of disadvantaged urban communities (Tubig at Pag-Asa/EV Water and Life); (2) A customizable and reusable zeolite water filter for low-resource settings (ADAM Tech); (3) A portable combined water purification and sterilization machine (Ozone Dynamic Ventures); and (4) A technology that converts wastewater to fertilizer (De La Salle University-Araneta). Each winner received a cash grant of at least P100,000, mentoring sessions, and networking support.

“Our collective effort to realize the PhlWC demonstrates how powerful partnership is in mobilizing citizen support for solving today’s water-security challenges,” said USAID Philippines Environment Chief John Edgar.

“Our partnership started a culture and consciousness for innovation and, more importantly, established a network of innovators and solutionseekers.”

Assistant Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Roderick Planta hopes these innovations can be expanded to reach more communities in a sustainable manner: “Let us pitch innovative ideas and solutions to ‘angel’ investors, and match them with startups.

I call on the continued support of our private-sector partners and other groups for incubation and commercial development.”

The PhlWC is organized by USAID, the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, Manila Water Co. Inc., and Maynilad Water Services Inc. It is also sponsored by the Coca-Cola Foundation, the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines, Smart Communications, IdeaSpace, and QBO Innovation Hub—five key players in the water and innovation sectors.

PhlWC will run annually and launch its second competition in July 2022.

USAID harnesses the power of stakeholder-led innovations to provide safe water and sanitation services to the underserved and most vulnerable, while sustainably managing water resources.

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Parentlife BusinessMirror

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Thursday, January 13, 2022

The Christmas Start to ‘SEL’: Part III

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HIS is the last part of my series on “SEL” or socio-emotional learning, where I feature three very interesting people that may serve as a guide for us parents: Valerie Cheng, a children’s book author based in Singapore; Amabel Japitana, educator and co-founder of Kind Little Hands; and Lia Cua, a bright teenager who opened her online bookstore this pandemic.

Continuing from Kind Little Human’s co-founder Amabel Japitana’s views on “SEL” by age group, she says, “Children go through a continuum of social and emotional development, and they build on their skills as they progress from infancy to toddlerhood, and on to the school stage.... The common theme across the board for different age groups is that children develop socioemotional skills in the context of positive relationships.

When we as grown-ups provide children with supportive, strong relationships so that they feel safe, comfortable and well, they are more open to learning and more likely to flourish socially and emotionally.”

What activities or tools do you advise in developing SEL? “Play is the natural way children learn and develop. In terms of socio-emotional development, when children are engaged in play, they are practicing problem-solving, taking risks, managing a range of emotions, interacting with others, learning to communicate in appropriate ways, taking turns, and so much more. At play, young children learn about themselves—who they are, what they like and dislike, what their capabilities are. They build their sense of independence and confidence. When they play with others, they learn how to exchange ideas, express emotions in appropriate ways, empathize and engage in perspective-taking.

What are the practical tips on developing healthy socio-emotional development for kids zero-eight years old? Tips for moms and dads: “When children come to you with their big emotions, take a deep breath and accept these emotions. For many of us, the first reaction we may have when children come to us with their emotions may be to dismiss or distract. This does not teach children to experience, understand and manage their emotions. A better approach is to simply acknowledge their feelings and allow them to come and go. When we acknowledge and validate children’s feelings, children learn that feelings are normal and can be expressed. This is a great first step to learning emotional intelligence. Model healthy coping strategies, self-regulation, positive social skills.”

Keeping healthy and happy

PHOTO BY JERRY WANG ON UNSPLASH

Tips for toddlers to preschoolers: “You can learn the words to talk about how you are feeling. Whenever you have big feelings, you can name them, and this might help you feel better. Here’s a note for grown-ups: research shows that the act of naming an emotion can help calm the emotional circuitry in the brain.” According to her, reading or seeing pictures about feelings is great way to learn the words for feelings and what to do with them.

Tips for gradeschoolers and above: “Think of different things you can do to keep calm or feel better and write them down. These could be getting a drink of water, taking deep breaths, going for a walk or listening to your favorite song. Whenever you are experiencing a difficult moment, you can try to problem-solve for yourself and ask, ‘What can I do to feel better?’ You can then choose one of the strategies you listed that you know works for you. You begin to manage your emotions independently.”

Last but not the least, I would like to end my discussion on this topic with a “kidspiration” on how healthy socio-emotional learning at home can lead and empower kids to be the best that they can be even during this pandemic. Let me introduce you to Lia Cua. According to Lia, “Ever since I was little, I loved

reading and books. My parents instilled a love of reading in me and encouraged me to read as much as I could. Over the years, some of my interests may have changed, as have some of the kinds of books I read, but I still enjoy getting lost in a good story.”

The name of her bookstore is The Great Inspiration (@thegreatinspirationph on Instagram). She created this online bookstore because she wanted to start earning money on her own. She learned from her parents that when going into business, it is important to focus on something you are passionate about. This thought allowed her to positively translate her passion for books and reading into a business.

I loved her thoughts when I asked her for advice on how to build confidence. She said, “I think that reading, especially reading fiction, is important because it allows you to dream. A good story can cheer you up on a bad day, or inspire you to reach a goal in life, or just remind you that things will always get better.”

My personal hope is after reading these thoughts on “SEL,” we as parents can understand better its importance in 21st-century learning, as well as feel more empowered that we can be our kids primary “SEL” teachers at home. Happy “SEL” New Year and Happy “SEL” Learning Journeys to your families this 2022.

Far-flung Bangsamoro schools receive books from The SM Store’s Donate A Book Program

Gacap Primary School students receiving books via The SM Store’s Donate A Book Program.

THE annual Donate a Book drive of The SM Store pooled around 150,000 books in 2021, bringing the joy of learning to 130 schools and communities across the country and indeed going a long way—as far as the last-mile communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) province of Lanao del Norte.

The reading and learning materials donated via SM City Cagayan de Oro were gifted to the school children from three of the farthest communities in BARMM: Pindolonan Elementary School in Tugaya, Gacap Primary School in Kapai, and Udalo Elementary School in Piagapo.

In partnership with the Department of Education’s Division of Lanao Del Sur-1 and Arkat Lawanen, the turnover ceremonies with storytelling sessions were led by Supervisor Sahaya M. Sarangani and OIC-SDS Dr. Sahanee M. Sumagayan, PhD. The SM Store’s Donate A Book program started in 2015 and has collected almost 1 million reading and learnings materials for the benefit of public schools, youth organizations, and communities around the country.

THE ongoing pandemic has made us aware more than ever that health is indeed wealth and, equally important, a great source of happiness.

Popular leisure destination SM City North Edsa offers a wide range of available medical and health-care services including medical checkups, eye care services, hearing and audiometry tests, dental treatments, chiropractic adjustment, pain management, mobility and cosmetic and medical dermatological services.

Families no longer need to go to the hospital for regular check-ups: The Medical City Clinic offers a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures targeted to address a broad array of disease. Healthway Multi-Specialty Center (www.healthway.com.ph), meanwhile, offers a comprehensive range of products and services including specialist consultation, diagnostic procedures, specialized procedures and outpatient surgery.

MyHealth Clinic (www.myhealth.ph) believes that everyone should be able to take care of their health and wellness, while Kaiser Medical Center provides a wide array of diagnostic and medical care services ranging from immediate quality medical care instilling health literacy and healing, to consultation for individuals.

Those who need to see the world more clearly, PerfectSight Eye Center offers general as well as subspecialty care including ophthalmologic diagnostic procedures and consultations and surgery.

Do you want to hear the good news? Ear Diagnostics Clinic (facebook.com/EarDiagnosticsMetroManila) will help you hear the good news as it delivers excellent service by providing precise, timely and comprehensive audiologic services at reasonable prices. They also offer a variety of hearing aid models available as well as risk-free hearing aid trial.

Managing pain through physical therapy is key to improving quality of life, as it can affect our ability to think, our mood, and prevent us from enjoying the things we typically enjoy.

Rehabwise Pain and Mobility Clinic is an ambulatory out-patient physical medicine and musculoskeletal clinic that specializes in physical therapy and acupuncture.

Chiropractic care, on the other hand, improves your mental health, neurological health, muscle strength, flexibility, and range of motion. Posture Perfect Chiropractic (facebook. com/PosturePerfectPH) offers chiropractic care to numerous ailments, from alleviating neck and back pain to lowering blood pressure; while Mabuhay Chiropractic Clinics encourages everyone to have their spine checked to relieve or eliminate pain, and improve mobility.

There more hubs of comprehensive health and wellness services that families and individuals can check out at SM City North Edsa.

Three reasons why you should schedule an annual physical exam in January THERE is a good reason why resolutions are made just before January. Each New Year signifies a chance to reboot, to start fresh on a clean slate, with 365 days to make things right, and really start living a “healthy normal” especially these days when the pandemic seems far from being over.

So, it’s no surprise that getting fit and eating right remain the top resolutions people make each and every New Year. If there is anything the pandemic has taught us, it’s the value of life and how a healthy body can protect us from diseases like the deadly coronavirus.

Before jumping on the exercise bandwagon or replacing the contents of your fridge with healthier choices, consider taking an annual physical exam or executive checkup.

“The annual physical exam gives you an idea of where you are and how you are doing health-wise,” says Minerva M. Laconico, MD, of Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed, www.makatimed.net.ph).

“According to a 2017 study by the Department of

Health, more than 12 million Filipinos are hypertensive. Yet half of them—roughly 1 in 4 people— are unaware of it. Same with diabetes: 1 in 14 Filipinos live with diabetes but many do not know they are diabetic until they experience the symptoms of this ‘silent killer.’”

“Knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other vital information could spell the difference between a healthy person and one who may suddenly suffer a heart attack or stroke. It is highly recommended that all of us, regardless of age, undergo an annual physical exam.”

Not convinced? Here are three reasons why you should schedule your annual physical exam in January: n To have a baseline of your health. Annual physical exam packages vary, depending on what your doctor recommends. n To develop good health habits. “Knowing the results of your annual physical motivates you to continue with your healthy practices,” Dr. Laconico

points out. “It may also be a wake-up call to finally do something about your health, like cutting back on sweets or salty food and signing up for a virtual Zumba class or committing to walk every day.” n To establish a relationship with your health practitioner. “Your doctor will not only know the details of your medical history, he or she would have followed your progress through months and years, and will be able to recommend treatments suited to your needs,” says Dr. Laconico. “You in turn would have developed a level of trust with your primary physician, making you comfortable enough to speak honestly and from the heart about your health concerns.”

The MakatiMed’s HealthHub outpatient services includes the annual physical exam, which involves screenings for hypertension, diabetes, and identifying risk factors for cardiovascular conditions, and gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Specialized packages to screen for colon, breast and cervical cancer, as well as osteoporosis are also available.

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B6 Thursday, January 13, 2022

Airfunding provides free medical e-consultation

Drive for better beginnings with Toyota’s latest deals this January

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HIS 2022, we are welcoming the new year filled with unending possibilities and opportunities.

With an open road ahead of us, it’s only fitting to start journeys with something that could get everyone a long way – whether it’s the first step towards a new life, new family, new business. Toyota Motor Philippines, together with its wide roster of dealerships, offers an array of offers and exclusive perks that customers will surely enjoy.

Begin new ways of discovery by driving home the Toyota Wigo for only PHP6,023 per month for the 1.0 E MT variant (via Pay Light option at 50% down payment, 60 months to pay). The lovable hatchback definitely calls anyone to go places – in style, convenience, and value. With a fuel-efficient engine that delivers practical performance under a compact hood, the Wigo is great start.

Begin to level up your lifestyle with the Toyota Vios. For only PHP7,272 per month for the for 1.3 XE CVT variant via the Pay Light option. Elevate driving experience with an upgraded look, convenience, and performance.

Plus, participating variants come with a 5-year warranty with all provisions and conditions stated in the warranty booklet applied. Enjoy up to PHP80,000 in savings for outright cash transactions for participating variants.

Begin exciting new stories with

TOYOTA offers low all-in packages, cash savings, plus free PMS, insurance, and more this new year. the Toyota Innova, which you can get for PHP12,586 per month for the 2.8 J Diesel MT variant under the Pay Light option. Or go for Pay Low All-In Package at 15% down payment, 60 months to pay, that comes with Free Insurance on the first year, Free 3-year LTO registration and more, for only PHP192,750 for the 2.8 E Diesel MT variant. Get up to PHP45,000 in cash discount.

Begin to brave the uncharted with Toyota Fortuner. Bring it home for a Pay Light option of PHP17,090 per month for the 4x2 G MT, or get it in a low all-in package at PHP244,950 for the 4x2 G MT variant. There is no better time than today to venture the road with sleek, precision, and power that’s especially designed to get through rough roads and beyond while enjoying unparalleled comfort.

Begin to bloom and to boom with your business with the reliable Toyota Hiace.

For a light payment of PHP21,913 per

month for the GL Grandia MT variant.

Style, function, and solidness meet in one magnificent vehicle that promises to be a real partner that delivers.

TMP also offers Free Periodic Maintenance Service of up to 20,000 kilometers for participating variants of Vios, Corolla Altis, Rush, Innova, Fortuner, Hilux, and Hiace.

Plus, customers are entitled to Free 1 Year Insurance for participating models and variants which includes 24/7 personal accident insurance, passenger auto personal accident insurance, 3-year compulsory third party liability insurance, and more.

Also, customers looking to trade in their old vehicle for a Toyota can get up to a PHP40,000 rebate which can be used to purchase accessories or availed with other existing offers.

Discover more vehicles and check all other deals by visiting https://toyota.com. ph/promos/BetterBeginnings.

Converge launches own game: Conrad’s Happy City

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IRFUNDING, a global crowdfunding platform is set to give thousands of unlimited medical e-consultations to Filipinos this New year. As part of its commitment to help Filipinos especially this time of the pandemic, the said crowdfunding company is set to give free digital vouchers from one of the Philippines trusted e-consult providers, KonsultaMD that can be used at any time for the whole month starting its activation. Recipients will have access to a huge range and list of doctors for the whole month with no cost to them.

The free medical e-consultation initiative is another first from any crowdfunding platform in the world that facilitates undergoing medical consultations via an online platform.

The initiative’s purpose is to provide medical

advice to those who either cannot afford it or do not have access to it. It also aims to reduce the pressure on hospitals and clinics in these times of pandemics. Through this program, the elderly and the most vulnerable groups who can’t go to hospitals and clinics will be able to receive high-quality, professional, and timely e-medical consultations through this platform.

CEO and Founder of Kiheitai Inc, Ryosuke Abe said, “Airfunding has deeply cared for Filipinos since we started in 2018 over 7,000 projects were created, and to show our appreciation this new year, we are giving them a gift of health that they can use almost instantly. We do hope that our relationship with Filipinos will continue for years on” For more information, visit its event page at https://bit.ly/3GTAWU2

Violations of RA 11032 are administrative offenses – CSC

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IOLATIONS of Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery (EODB EGSD) Act of 2018 are considered administrative offenses.

In Resolution No. 2000222, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) amended the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RACCS) to be consistent with the provisions of R.A. No. 11032.

Under said provisions, violations include the refusal to accept an application or request with complete requirements being submitted by an applicant or requesting party without due cause, the imposition of additional requirements or additional costs that are not in the Citizen’s Charter, and failure to give the applicant or requesting party a written notice on the disapproval of an application or request.

The failure to render government services within the prescribed processing time on any application or request without due cause, failure to attend to applicants or requesting parties who are within the premises of the office or agency concerned prior to the end of official working hours and during lunch break, and failure or refusal to issue official receipts are also considered violations.

These acts are punishable by suspension from the service for six (6) months for the first offense, and dismissal from the service on the second offense.

Meanwhile, the act of fixing and/or collusion with fixers in consideration of economic and/or other gain or advantage shall be punishable with dismissal from the service on the first offense.

Said resolution was published on 10 December 2021 and took effect fifteen (15) days after.

Simplifying services

R.A. No. 11032 was enacted on 28 May 2018 amending Republic Act No. 9485 or the Anti Red Tape Act of 2007, to provide a program for the adoption of simplified requirements and procedures that will reduce red tape and expedite business and non-business-related transactions in government.

Streamlining systems and procedures is part of modernizing the government and adopting to the new normal, which requires the use of technology to better serve clients.

As the central human resource management institution of the Philippine government, the CSC continues to enjoin government agencies to reach for higher HR maturity levels as a means to improve their services even during times of crisis.

Alibaba unveils forecast of top leading tech trends

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N July 2021, Converge ICT Solutions proved that they are more than just an internet service provider by launching a new add-on service, called the VISION Xperience Box in partnership with Pacific Kabelnet, which allowed its subscribers to enjoy multi-genre TV programs and shows in the comfort of their homes.

In December 2021, Converge stayed committed to letting Filipinos experience better through the newest feature of the VISION Xperience Box: a family game called “Conrad's Happy City”. With the intention of setting industry-driving meaningful initiatives for its subscribers, Converge ICT is the first ISP to introduce an online branded game.

With more people and families staying at home, casual games have become a critical entertainment experience. From the usual games in their personal computers to downloading different apps on their mobile, casual and competitive games have paved its way into the daily routine of Gen Zs, millennials, and even late adopters, like parents, to the gaming era.

Brought to life by mgames, Mineski Global’s social gaming platform with over 200 exclusive casual games, Converge elevates its VISION Xperience Box by introducing its own game, Conrad’s Happy City. In the game, Converge's

Mascot Conrad has a mission to keep the city happy, one internet connection at a time! As Conrad jumps over communities, each sad gray house turns into a vibrant and happy home powered by Converge FiberX internet connectivity— saving households from bad internet experience.

Through the Vision Xperience Box and Converge FiberX, families can bond more with each other without investing on expensive game consoles as Converge can bring the real experience of playing video games on the big screen. Enabled by WiFi or bluetooth, the box does not require connectivity to any cable wires and can easily be connected to a mouse, gamepad, keypad, and other devices. As the new year comes, families can maximize their bonding sessions and enjoy turbocharged internet speeds, making their gaming session seamless.

Aside from the newly added feature, Vision customers can enjoy rewards and incentives as they play the game. Players with the best scores in the leaderboard may enjoy Converge limited edition merchandise.

How to avail the vision xperience box?

CONVERGE customers can enjoy playing this game and watching their favorite shows and movies for as low as P99/month for 65 channels and P299/

month for 82 channels. This easy-toset-up service comes with reliable security features and enhanced artificial intelligence that provides quick, oneclick access to channels, Google apps, online games, and OTT apps like HBO Go, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Spotify.

Meanwhile, Converge subscribers with an existing Vision Xperience Box do not need to purchase another box to play the game - an automatic gaming feature software upgrade will be notified on your screen.

“Just like the game’s mission, Converge remains committed to resolving our fellow Filipinos’ problem of bad online experience— one household at a time. Whether through our pure endto-end fiber backbone or our value added services, we will continue to delight customers at every touchpoint possible,” added Converge Chief Operations Officer, Jesus Romero.

Converge continues to delight its customers with upgraded products and services, letting them feel that the company is more than ready to connect with its subscribers.

Vision is a product of Pacific Kabelnet offered by Converge to its subscribers in NCR as a value added service that offers all in one entertainment experience. To learn more, visit www.convergeict.com/ vision.

LIBABA DAMO Academy (“DAMO”), the global research initiative by Alibaba Group, provides its forecast of the leading trends that would shape the tech industry in the year ahead.

By analyzing millions of public papers and patent filings over the past three years and conducting interviews with nearly 100 scientists, DAMO provides the top 10 technology trends for the next two to five years that we are expected to witness accelerated breakthroughs.

“Digital technology plays an important role in powering a green and sustainable future, whether it is applied in industries such as green data centers and energy-efficient manufacturing, or in day-to-day activities like paperless offices. With technology, we will create a better future,”said Jeff Zhang, Head of Alibaba DAMO Academy.

Cloud-Network-Device Convergence

IN this new system, clouds, networks, and devices have a more clearly defined division of labor. Cloud-network-device convergence is the catalyst that will drive the emergence of new applications to fulfill more demanding tasks, such as high-precision industrial simulation, real-time industrial quality inspection, and mixed reality.

AI for Science

TODAY, the advancement of AI is making new scientific paradigms possible. Machine learning can process massive amounts of multidimensional and multimodal data and solve complex scientific problems, allowing scientific exploration to flourish in areas previously thought impossible. AI will not only accelerate the speed of scientific research, but also help discover new scientific laws. In the next 3 years, we expect that AI will be broadly applied in the research process of applied science and be used as a production tool in some basic sciences.

Silicon Photonic Chips

UNLIKE electronic chips, silicon photonic chips use photons instead of electrons to transmit

data. Photons do not directly interact with each other and can travel longer distances, and therefore silicon photonic chips can provide higher computing density and energy efficiency. In the next 3 years, we can expect to see the widespread use of silicon photonic chips in high-speed data transmission in large-scale data centers.

AI for Renewable Energy

THE rapid development of technology in renewable energy such as wind and solar power in recent years has made renewables a tempting energy source to add to the power grid. However, issues such as difficulty in grid integration, low energy utilization rate, and storage of excess energy are major roadblocks along the way. Due to the unpredictable natures of renewable energy power generation, integrating renewable energy sources into the power grid presents challenges that affect the safety and reliability of the grid. The application of AI in the industry is pivotal in improving the efficiency and automation of electric power systems, maximizing resource usage and stability. This will be conducive to achieving carbon neutrality. In the next 3 years, AI is expected to pave the way for integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid and contribute to the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of the power grid.

High-precision Medicine

THE convergence of AI and precision medicine is expected to boost the integration of expertise and new auxiliary diagnostic technologies and serve as a highprecision compass for clinical medicine.

With this compass, doctors can diagnose diseases and make medical decisions as quickly and accurately as possible. These advances will allow us to quantify, compute, predict, and prevent severe diseases. In the next 3 years, we expect to see people-centric precision medicine become a major trend that will span multiple fields of healthcare, including disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz

Health&Fitness BusinessMirror

DOH to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

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iver cancer, which claims the lives of close to 800,000 persons every year globally, is one of the public health problems worldwide.

More than half of those who succumbed to liver cancer are caused by infection with either the Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. It can develop a chronic or lifelong infection and over time, chronic hepatitis B can cause serious liver damage, and even liver cancer.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) which causes hepatitis C invades liver cells, causing inflammation, swelling, dysfunction, and eventual organ damage. A person can transmit HCV to someone else through blood-toblood contact.

Chronic hepatitis C infection and can lead to serious health problems like liver cancer or cirrhosis.

Awareness

The month of January of each year has been

declared “Liver Cancer and Viral Hepatitis Awareness and Prevention Month” by Republic Act 10526.

The Philippines ranks 23rd of the Top 25 countries with the highest rates of liver cancer in 2018 according to the Continuous Update Project Panel of World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer.

However, in the Philippines and other underdeveloped countries, the incidence of liver cancer is high.

Many Filipinos suffer from cirrhosis of the liver, a major risk factor for liver cancer.

Cirrhosis of the liver precedes 80 percent of all liver cancers; thus, any condition that predisposes to cirrhosis indirectly causes liver cancer.

The usual cause of liver cirrhosis among Filipinos is chronic Hepatitis B, a major public health problem in the country.

Chronic Hepatitis B afflicts between 10 and 12 percent of all Filipinos.

Other less significant causes of cirrhosis are Hepatitis C infection and alcoholism.

Liver cancer

According to data from the Global Cancer Observatory (GCO) published in its online database, GLOBOCAN 2020, liver cancer is the 4th most prevalent type of cancer in the Philippines with 10,594 new cases or 6.9 percent.

In a webinar recently, Dr. Clarito Cairo, Department of Health-Medical Officer IV

and Program Manager of the National Integrated Cancer Control Program, Cancer Control Division, Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, said that three people die of hepatitis B and C every minute, worldwide.

Early detection, Dr. Cairo said, is very vital.

“We should eliminate viral hepatitis at the earliest stage so that we can lessen the chances of developing liver cancer. We do not want to increase the mortality rates from cancer and cirrhosis. What we want to achieve is early diagnosis so that we will be able to do our part in decreasing the cases of Hepatitis B and C infections,” Dr. Cairo said during a webinar citing some of the 10 core indicators of the Framework for Viral Hepatitis Elimination.

Dr. Cairo also shared the “Call to Elimination: Viral hepatitis elimination as a public health threat by 2030.”

This would be possible through safe blood and blood products; needle and syringe exchange for people who inject drugs; three doses of the HBV vaccination; universal precaution; harm reduction (oral substitution) for people who inject drugs; prevention of mother to child transmission; safer sex (use condoms) and HBV treatment and HCV cure.

Dr. Cairo also shared that the DOH’s next steps include dissemination of the first-ever local clinical practice guidelines for liver cancer; development of the Strategic Action Plan for Liver Cancer Control Program and the inclusion of liver cancer control interventions in the Cancer Control Assistance Program.

Testing is key to curbing current Covid-19 surge

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he Manila HealthTek Inc. (MTek), maker of affordable locally-made RTPCR tests, stresses that testing is still the key to curbing the current surge.

Manila Healthtek Inc. or MTek, the country’s first and only biotech company in diagnostics and which has acquired its ISO certification, continues to push forward its efforts to enable the country to overcome yet another spike of Covid-19 through persistent testing.

In the onset of the pandemic in the Philippines in 2020, MTek made headlines as they successfully invented the GenAmplify Covid-19 Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Detection Kit. The invention of the low-cost test kit was led by Dr. Raul V. Destura, CEO of Manila HealthTek Inc. (MTek), along with a team of scientists.

Essential

Testing has proven to be essential in the fight against the Covid-19 virus and its many variants. With the Omicron variant’s cur-

rent vicious spread in the Philippines, continuous testing must be done to keep this variant at bay.

Testing also carries with it the significant benefit of early identification of emerging variants through genome sequencing.

“Creating this effective RT-PCR Detection Kit was a great achievement for us, but we are aware that it does not end there. Our mission is to get these kits to the Filipino people so we are determined to ensure that these kits are accessible in its price-point and the means of getting tested. Testing is massively helpful especially with dealing with new variants such as the Omicron,” says Destura.

From its initial testing site at their laboratory located at 09 Brgy. Sta. Elena, Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue, Marikina, MTek has since then opened another remote testing site at Palacio de Manila parking lot located at Barangay 699, MH Del Pilar Street in Ermita, Manila.

Home testing

They also offer home testing at a minimum

of three persons per booking. Testing outside Metro Manila will also be accepted for a minimal charge. Discounts are given to senior citizens and PWDs with valid IDs. On-site RT-PCR testing costs P2,650.

For those availing of the home service RTPCR testing within Metro Manila, the cost is P2,950.

Aside from the RT-PCR tests, MTek also does antigen testing through their Park & Swab initiative for only P900. It also has its Manila Healthtek Mobile Swab Van that can go directly to office locations. These antigen tests are quick and easy and can yield results in only 15 to 30 minutes.

For more infor mation, v isit manilahealthtek.com. MTek also welcomes inquiries.

E-mail talk2us@manila-healthtek.com or call 09178057331.

To book a home service appointment, the numbers are 09171625531 or 09171425325.

For on-site swabbing, reservations are done by calling 09171453521, 09171543522, or 09171465324. For those who want to follow-up their results, the number to call is 09177041396.

Asian Hospital to hold 5th Clinical Innovation Summit

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sian Hos pit a l a nd Medical Center will be holding its 5th Clinical Innovation Summit on January 27, 2022, Thursday, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm via Zoom and Facebook Live.

With the theme “Securing the Future of Hospitals Today,” Asian Hospital has lined up a distinguished panel of speakers who will participate in four plenary sessions.

With Dr. Carlos Vicente Gabriel, Asian Hospital’s Associate Director for Medical Affairs, as the moderator and host, the summit kicks off with the welcome remarks from Andres Licaros Jr., Asian Hospital’s President and CEO. Plenary Session I will tackle “The Future of Healthcare in a Post-Pandemic World” and to speak about it is Dr. Harish Pillai, Group CEO of Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc. Reacting to his presentation is Dr. Samuel Arsenio Grozman, Chairman of Asian Hospital’s Department of Orthopedics.

A nd rew Pea rce, Senior Digital Health Strategist, Analytics—Asia Pacific of

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society will talk about “Improved Health System Performance through Investment in Digital Maturity and Transformation Activities” for Plenary Session II. Sharon Hernandez, Asian Hospital’s Chief

Strategy Officer, will present her reaction.

Plenary Session III will see Hennesy Lou Miranda, Asian Hospital’s Director for Customer Experience and Engagement talk about “Humbled by Change, Grateful for Tomorrow: Serving YOU a Deeper

Brand Pur pose.” Reacting to Miranda’s presentation is Dr. Jesus Randy Canal, former Director for Innovation, Sales and Marketing of Asian Hospital.

The last plenary session will have Dr. Nina Gloriani, Chairman of the Vaccine Expert Panel of the Department of Science and TechnologyPhilippine Council for Health Research and Development talk about “The Future of Pandemics and the Roles of Hospitals.” To give his reaction to this is Jose Paulo Flor, Asian Hospital’s Manager of the Infection Prevention and Control Unit.

Rounding off the summit is Dr. Jose Acuin, Asian Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, who will give the synthesis and closing remarks.

For inquiries about the summit, contact Anjelica Padua at 632 8771 900 loc. 8163 or e-mail aspadua@asianhospital.com.

You may also follow the social-medial pages of Asian Hospital (AsianHospitalPH) for more updates.

Thursday, January 13, 2022 B7

Greater awareness, education needed on thyroid gland diseases

By Rory Visco Contributor

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ot too many people are aware that there is a condition called goiter, commonly known as the enlargement of the thyroid gland, a small, butterfly-shaped organ located in front of the neck, with a smaller part located in the middle, then two wing-shaped portions around the side of the throat.

Unfortunately, it can have no symptoms. But for those who suffer from goiter, symptoms can be felt like tightness in the throat, cough and hoarseness. To some, they experience difficulty in swallowing, and for many people, those who suffer from goiter are seen to have a big lump or inflammation on their throats.

In a mapping of the prevalence of goiters in the country, 3.7 percent were seen to have been affected in 1987 and 6.7 percent in 1993.

Back then, there was no follow-up survey about the incidence of goiter in the Philippines, nor any survey that is national in scope that would study the occurrence of abnormal thyroid dysfunction.

Thyroid diseases

But this was until the Philippine Thyroid Diseases Study or PhilTiDeS 1 came about. The study, which was published in the Journal of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Federation of Endocrine Societies, sought to discover the prevalence of both goiters and thyroid disorders in the country.

The PhilTiDeS is the first national survey of its kind and covered all 17 regions and 80 provinces in the country, and was a substudy of the 2008 National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHeS).

Among its objectives was to determine the prevalence of various categories of abnormal thyroid dysfunction among Filipino adults 20 years and older and non-pregnant adult population, and to describe how widespread thyroid enlargement is in the country in relation to thyroid dysfunction status.

From the total 4,897 people that underwent thyroid function tests, 8.53 percent or 417 had thyroid function abnormalities, with subclinical hyperthyroidism as the most common in 5.33 percent.

True hyperthyroidism came in with 0.61 percent, true hypothyroidism as 0.41 percent, and subclinical hypothyroidism with 2.18 percent.

Around 91.47 percent, or majority of the population (4,480) had normal thyroid function tests, the study revealed.

The study also revealed that out of the 7,227 volunteers, 674 or 8.9 percent had goiters. From this number, 379 or 56 percent has diffuse enlargement, while all the others or 44 percent had nodular goiter.

Medical condition

According to the study, thyroid function disorders, whether hyperthyroidism

or hypothyroidism are certain medical conditions that can have a huge impact on public health, and may also pose decreased lifespan for people regardless of age. It saw that the lack of dietary iodine can cause thyroid disorders, excess amounts of it, including genetic profile, and even geographical and dietary factors, can be causes of thyroid disorders.

Thyroid disorders, according to the study, may also cause weight gain and blood pressure issues, particularly among the older set with cardiovascular effects.

In whatever form, thyroid disorders can be detected using biochemical tests and not just simple clinical examinations to ensure timely detection.

Small aberrations in thyroid function have been associated with weight gain and blood pressure problems. The elderly is most susceptible to the cardiovascular consequences of this disease, even in the subclinical or mild form, which cannot be detected by clinical examination and can only be determined by biochemical tests.

This underlies the importance of timely detection of thyroid disorders.

No follow up

Just like the earlier surveys, there has been no other follow up yet to the PhilTiDes, which was done in 2012. It has been almost 10 years already, and goiter issues have taken a backseat when it comes to general public awareness. Perhaps, it is not seen as any of the other high-profile ailments and thus is not given any significant attention.

This is why Goiter Awareness Week continues to be held in the country in order to generate significant awareness among people about goiter and other thyroid gland disorders. Generally held every 4th week of January, January 24 to 30 for this year, the event is celebrated via Presidential Proclamation No. 1188, released on December 11, 2016 that helped establish Goiter Awareness Week (GAW).

This year’s GAW’s theme is “Leeg ay Tutukan, Goiter ay Lunasan” and just like any other year in observance of GAW, various government offices, particularly the Department of Health and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, are joining hands to make GAW truly memorable and create that big push for goiter education and awareness.

They are joined by private corporate partners like Merck, a science and technology company, who will join in the GAW celebration in the country with the holding of lay education activities, such as in Merck’s Facebook page called “Unmasking Your Thyroid” (https://www.facebook. com/thyroidph). There will be various posts throughout the week related to goiter and other issues, plus a live webinar featuring endocrinologist Dr. Ivan Cudal and nuclear medicine expert Dr. Teofilo San Luis happening on January 29, 2022, plus other series of medical webinars for primary care practitioners during GAW.

Strengthen your immune system with Santé Immunity Booster Pack

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ith the growing number of Covid-19 cases, it is important that you keep your immune system healthy. This can be achieved through eating a well-balanced meal and keeping yourself active, it also pays to take other supplements that have all the nutrients you need.

This time, Santé, a premier natural, and organic health and wellness product and services provider, helps make it easier for your body to get the daily essential supplements you need with its Immunity Booster Pack.

Each Immunity Booster Pack contains 10 Santé Barley MaxNZ 500mg capsules, two 3g sachets of Santé Barley MaxNZ powder, and 10 Calcium-Cee 605.3mg capsules that can help you boost your immune system.

“Amid the pandemic, it’s vital to keep our immune system strong, especially with the growing threat of the new variant. Through Santé Immunity Booster Pack, we hope to provide everyone the daily essential supplements they need to achieve better health this new normal,” said Joey Marcelo, chief executive officer of Santé.

Barley MaxNZ is barley grass gathered at a young age and turned into powder and capsule forms. It contains pure organic barley grass certified by New Zealand’s leading organic produce and products agency, BioGro. Rich in vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, protein, carotenoids, dietary fibers, chlorophyll, and many more, it has all the requirements a human body needs for a healthy diet and boosts a person’s immune system.

It also aids in providing a good number of antioxidants and assists in digestive health. Meanwhile, the Barley MaxNZ capsule form comes in vegetable capsules, which are easy to digest and convenient to carry.

Calcium-Cee, on the other hand, is composed of calcium ascorbate, an ascorbic acid’s calcium salt. It is ascorbic acid neutralized by calcium, which removes its sourness and is gentle on the stomach. With pH levels ranging from 7.2 to 7.4, it’s safe for daily consumption, even if you have an empty stomach.

Since it has Vitamin C, Calcium-Cee aids in strengthening the immune system to help the body fight sicknesses, assists in preventing infection, and promotes faster wound healing. And with its antioxidant properties, it helps to mitigate the risks of developing chronic health issues like cancer.

Meanwhile, its calcium element aids to boost the circulatory system. It also assists in fighting osteoporosis as it helps to fortify bones in the body. In addition, aside from its various health benefits, it supports preventing kidney stones and colon cancer.

So, if you want to strengthen your immune system this new normal, grab Santé’s exclusive promo, the Santé Immunity Booster Pack, at Watsons stores nationwide to provide you with all the essential supplements that your body needs every day.

To learn more about the Santé Immunity Booster Pack, visit Santé Barley Max’s official Facebook and Instagram page: @barleymaxofficial.

NOVAK’S VISA SAGA GOES ON

Sports BusinessMirror

NOVAK DJOKOVIC takes a drink during a practice session at the Rod Laver Arena ahead of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Tuesday. AP

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| Thursday, January 13, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. stresses his concern for sports.

BBM wants sports, athletes free from politics

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TRESSING that full government and private sector support is key to the success of our athletes in international competitions, presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has urged local sports officials and stakeholders to free the sector from politics and other issues that could drag and affect the athletes’ training.

“Athletes should be focused on their task and that is to train and develop their skills,” Marcos said. “They need to rest and recover well from training and competition, eat the right kind of food.”

Marcos furthered: “The only way to win championships and the only way to win tournaments is to do those things…and to be very professional about [their craft].”

The former senator vowed to fully support the country’s sports programs once he and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, are elected to the government’s top

two positions in May. Marcos also commended the current crop of Filipino athletes, stressing that it’s about time to give them the country’s undivided backing and commitment.

“It’s time to give our athletes anew the compassion and support they need—for competing for flag and country,” he said. “To our Filipino athletes, me and Inday Sara are behind you all the way.”

Marcos was reacting to the recent controversy rocking Philippine sports after the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) recommended to remove Olympic pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena from the national team.

Obiena, currently the third best pole vaulter in the world, was accused

by Patafa of misappropriating funds, even as he has refuted the allegations by presenting necessary documents and having his coach Vitaly Petrov

testified on his behalf.

The athlete, however, found an ally with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) which declared Patafa president Philip Ella Juico persona non grata, for allegedly harassing Obiena instead of supporting him.

Obviously disappointed with the way local sports is being managed by its officials, Marcos who is running under the banner of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas said it’s about time to free Filipino athletes from politics.

“If we want to move forward, we need to fix the system. There are times when sports is tainted by politics,” Marcos said.

The standard bearer of the PFP said that the government’s backing has a significant influence in an athlete’s success, emphasizing that they should be allowed to focus on their training and that they should be shown the country’s full support.

PGA Tour 2022 to be shown live locally T

By Rick Olivares

HE Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour announced that its live events for 2022 will be televised locally on Premier Sports 2, as well as the TapGo streaming application Fans will be able to watch their favorite players, enjoy the best live action from all the biggest events on the PGA Tour and follow countless storylines from more than 30 tournaments.

“The PGA Tour continues to look for opportunities to further grow its international audience around the world,” Thierry Pascal, Senior Vice President, International Media at the PGA Tour, said. “Partnerships with the best and most innovative broadcast partners are key in this regard, so we are particularly looking forward to live PGA Tour action coming to the Philippines with Premier Sports 2 and TapGo.” “We are very excited to bring the Filipino golf fan regular live action of the best players and so many of the

greatest tournaments in the world that the PGA Tour offer,” Gonzalo “Bogie” De Guia, Chief Technology Officer of TAPDMV, said. “Our 2022 lineup for Premier Sports 2 and TapGo will feature the very best coverage from the PGA Tour starting this weekend.”

The highlights looking ahead to the PGA Tour schedule in 2022 include: n Several of the exciting changes in this year’s calendar, n The Farmers Insurance Open concluding with a Saturday finish, n The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Waste Management Phoenix Open switching spots in the calendar, n The Genesis Scottish Open— for the first time—being cosanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour with players from both tours earning FedExCup points and DP World Tour Ranking points at the tournament, n The World Golf Championships (WGC) will feature the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March and the WGC-HSBC

The name game “HOW vain, without the merit, is the name,” says the poet Homer, who must’ve realized the power names have because of the image, identity and responsibility they imbue on their owners.

Many of us were born with names that we’re stuck with from womb to tomb. Others change their names, or even just their nicknames, when they move to a different place,

Champions in October, n The FedEx St. Jude Championship will be the first of three FedExCup Playoffs events this summer, while the Mexico Open becomes a regular full-field fixture on the PGA TOUR schedule, and n The PGA Tour will make its first visit to the American State of Delaware with the BMW Championship played at Wilmington Country Club’s South Course.

The Presidents Cup will be played at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. which means the Wells Fargo Championship will be contested at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Maryland.

All these will be played right up to the seasonending FedExCup Playoffs in August.

Premier Sports 2 will be available with more than 100 local cable providers, led by Cignal TV and SkyCable. For more information about the channel, log on to www.tapdmv.com.

feel their original name no longer suits them, or they want to put on a new identity, project a new persona.

There is truly something sacred about names—so much so that the shedding of an old name for a new one represents the acceptance of a new identity and a whole new experience. It represents the death of one’s former self and the creation of a new person. Though unseen, there is a psychological and metaphysical shift in the new person.

From that time on, a new path, so to speak, is forged.

In the world of sports, names of sports heroes and heroines are worshipped just as much as their true selves.

We interact directly with names and respond to their stimulus in our brains, as if their mere mention brings to life the person those names describe. Close your eyes and gauge your emotional response when you hear the names Manny Pacquiao, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Novak Djokovic, just for starters. There is a lot of magic there, huh.

But there are many sportsmen too who divorced their old names and applied for new ones—to make their tags catchier, to relate better with fans, or for religious and political reasons. For sure, they were serious enough to go through the legal process—filling out all the forms,

Marcos told a television interview recently that there are officials who politicize sports to the detriment of the athletes.

In his official Facebook account, he also recalled how Project: Gintong Alay was implemented successfully, resulting in local athletes reaping honors in international meets.

The Gintong Alay was a national sports program of the Philippine government launched under the administration of Marcos’s father, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who was also the forerunner of the Philippine Sports Commission.

“It’s a known fact that my father was a sportsman and a fan, that’s why he pushed for the creation of various programs that supported the needs of our athletes, and one of them is this Project: Gintong Alay,” he said on his Facebook account.

WHEN will Kazuyoshi Miura ever stop playing?

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ELBOURNE, Australia—Novak Djokovic knew he’d tested positive for Covid-19 when he attended a newspaper interview and photo shoot at his tennis center in Serbia last month, saying Wednesday he made an “error of judgment” and should have immediately gone into isolation.

Djokovic made the admission when he moved to clarify “ongoing misinformation” about his movements after he tested positive last month. He also blamed “human error” by his support team for a mistake on the travel document he used a week ago to enter Australia, where his visa was revoked and then reinstated in a Covid-19 vaccination saga that has overshadowed the days leading up to the Australian Open.

A statement was posted on Djokovic’s social-media accounts while the men’s tennis No. 1 was in Rod Laver Arena holding a practice session, his third on the tournament’s main court since being released from immigration detention.

The nine-time and defending Australian Open champion is in limbo before the year’s first tennis major starts next Monday, a week after he won a legal battle allowing him to stay in the country.

But he still faces the prospect of deportation because he’s not vaccinated for Covid-19, a decision entirely at the discretion of Australia’s immigration minister if deemed to be in the public interest for health and safety reasons. Deportation could result in sanctions ranging up to a threeyear ban from entering Australia, a daunting prospect for a player who has won almost half of his record-

equaling 20 Grand Slam singles titles here.

Court documents detailing Djokovic’s positive test sparked speculation over the star player’s attendance at events in his native Serbia last month. Further questions also were raised about errors on his immigration form that could potentially result in the cancellation of his visa.

On the form, Djokovic said he had not traveled in the 14 days before his flight to Australia, despite being seen in Spain and Serbia in that two-week period.

Djokovic described recent commentary as “hurtful” and said he wanted to address it in the interest of “alleviating broader concern in the community about my presence in Australia.”

The 34-year-old Serb said he’d taken rapid tests that were negative and he was asymptomatic before he received his positive result from an approved PRC test he undertook out of an “abundance of caution” after attending a basketball game in Belgrade on December 14.

He received the result late December 17, he said, and scrapped all his commitments except the longstanding interview with L’Equipe.

“I felt obligated to go ahead... but did ensure I socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was being taken,” Djokovic said. “While I went home after the interview to isolate for the required period, on reflection, this was an error of judgment.”

He addressed the travel declaration by saying it was submitted by his support team and “my agent sincerely apologizes for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box.” AP

ASA MAKES PHL PROUD–BAMBOL

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By Josef Ramos

HE Philippines only has one representative to the Beijing Winter Olympics that opens on February 4 but that’s no reason for apathy, according to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

“Only four Southeast Asian Games countries have representatives to Beijing—us, Thailand, Timor Leste and Malaysia,” Tolentino told Wednesday’s online Pandesal Forum. “I’m sure the whole country will be excited because our bet will be fighting it out against the world’s best in Beijing.

Filipino-American Asa Miller is the country’s lone representative to Beijing. The 21-year-old will compete in slalom and giant slalom of men’s alpine skiing.

Thailand has four athletes, Malaysia two and Timor Leste has one, Tolentino said.

Despite sending only one athlete, Team Philippines needs to send a bare essential delegation composed of Chef de Mission Bones Floro, Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation (PSSF) President Jim Palomar Apelar, Covid-19 liaison officer Nikki Cheng, athlete and administration officer Dave

Carter, athlete welfare officer Jobert Yu and Miller’s coach Will Gregorak.

Tolentino, a congressman from Cavite’s Eighth District and head of PhilCycling, said he expects host China to hold the best Winter Games ever.

“When I saw their New Year’s post, I said ‘wow,’ China will be very prepared for this Games,” he said.

Tolentino said that the POC requested for a P3 million participation budget from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

“We’re still waiting for the response from the PSC about our request. In case it’s turned down, the POC will find a way to fund the delegation,” he said.

“That’s our commitment.”

Tolentino said that the POC gave the PSSF a temporary recognition as a regular member for the association to be able to draw financial assistance from the PSC. Floro, meanwhile, said that the delegation should be in Beijing by January 30. Temperature in the Chinese capital, he said, as in the -11 degrees Celsius.

Miller, according to Apelar, will leave his home in Portland on January 28 and is expected in Beijng also on January 30 because of air travel complications wrought by the pandemic.

Miura, 54, joins another pro club

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OKYO—Former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura has been signed up by another professional soccer club at the age of 54.

Miura’s enduring career will head into its 37th season after he joined Suzuka Point Getters, a team in the fourth tier of Japanese soccer.

Miura, nicknamed “King complying with laws and waiting it out just like everybody else. Anywhere from a day to six months or longer, says the primer on NameChangeLaw.com.

So why don’t we meet a few athletes who went the Full Monty to acquire new names to match their new personas?

“The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, was born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky in January 1942. He became Muslim due to a deep friendship with Malcolm X and changed his name in 1967.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar was formerly known as Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., or plain Lew Alcindor. A Muslim even in college, Lew legally changed his name in 1975 while still a Milwaukee Buck. Whether as Alcindor or Abdul-Jabbar, Buck or Laker, Kareem continued to shine in hoops and won six MVP awards in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Ronald Williams Artest, Jr. changed his name to Metta World Peace after that infamous fan and players riot during the championship game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons in 2004. “Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together around the world,” he told LA media in 2011. But now, the hooper formerly known as Artest changed his name again in 2020. He is now Metta Sandiford-Artest, a name that combines his wife, Maya

Kazu,” said he was “grateful for the opportunity to play here and will strive to contribute” on the field. He will turn 55 next month.

It will be a 15th different club for Miura, who represented Japan’s national team 89 times and scored 55 goals. He played for Santos in Brazil and Genoa in Italy, and was most recently at J-League club Yokohama FC. AP

Ford’s last name with his original last name. How will he be called next?

Some athletes change names to make them more stellar, more fan-worthy. Marvin Nathaniel Hagler—the undisputed world middleweight champion from 1980 to 1987 who made 12 successful title defenses, all by knockout, except one—decided he’d jazz up his name by adding “Marvelous” in there. That’s what he was called all the time anyway, but some network announcers often did not refer to him that way. In 1982 he legally changed his name to Marvelous Marvin Hagler. And those announcers had no choice.

Another boxer, Sugar Ray Robinson, was originally known as Walker Smith Jr. But boxing club owner George Gainford described his boxing style as “sweet as sugar” and the nickname stuck. Just ain’t sure if that was legal.

The newest athlete to go for a legal name change is Enes Kanter, now a Boston Celtic called Enes Kanter Freedom.

Freedom, a staunch fighter for human rights whose Turkish passport was revoked in 2017, became a full-pledged US citizen with a brand-new name in 2022. “Freedom is essential for ALL,” he says on his Twitter feed.

Now that’s a name, indeed!