BusinessMirror January 29, 2022

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By Cai U. Ordinario

OMMUNITIES on Facebook are just going to grow larger as more Filipinos become more convinced of who to support in the coming polls, according to the University of the Philippines-based Philippine Media Monitoring Laboratory (PMML).

However, given this, more transparency is needed in terms of spending on Facebook, according to UP Communication Research Department researchers Marie Fatima I. Gaw and Jon Benedik A. Bunquin.

The researchers warned recently that underground campaign funding that could have poured into Facebook must be uncovered to determine which content or users are paid by certain candidates.

Gaw said there are times when paid or manufactured efforts lead to an increase in organic content. But determining this would require further study.

“When you launch paid or under-the-radar campaigns, it’s possible that people may think of it as political popularity and they will be encouraged to actually voice out their own political preference as well,” Gaw said.

Apart from underground funding, the researchers recommended that closer examination also be done on government Facebook pages and accounts to determine if these are being used for political campaigns.

Incumbents’ unfair advantage

BUNQUIN said there is evidence that publicly funded pages and certain agencies are talking about the efforts of certain candidates who are incumbents. This leads them to have an “unfair advantage” over their opponents because of the reach of these pages.

Nonetheless, the extent of these instances has to be further

examined. Bunquin said the observed evidence of this in the current study is still inconclusive and would have to be validated by further analysis.

“We still have to see how these government units or agencies are being utilized in the context of political campaigning. What we’re only seeing here is that they appear to be in the same cluster together, and the content that they’re sharing is also being shared by audiences of specific candidates. But if they’re the actual players who are doing the campaigning, [we cannot say],” Bunquin said.

As for the perceived surge in presence of certain candidates, Gaw had this to say: “I think the sudden surge is quite questionable or something to investigate further. Because you see the Marcos clusters, it [was] very small 3 percent of the network in Q1 [first quarter] and all of a sudden it just catapulted to number one, merging with the Duterte and Go cluster,” Gaw said. Marcos, frontrunner in all surveys, has zero Facebook ads, according to a recent report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). He has also consistently denied having troll farms who help with his considerable social-media presence.

On Thursday, lawyer Larry Gadon, citing an “insider” in Facebook Philippines, said the Robredo camp met recently with FB executives in an alleged effort “to remove or suspend the FB accounts of BBM

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.3930

supporters with big following.” A key aide of the vice president disputed this, telling BusinessMirror in Filipino, “there is no truth to that.

Nothing of that sort happened.”

Gaw acknowledged the need for further investigation of all candidates ramping up socialmedia presence. “What we would recommend as a further investigation would be to investigate the patterns of posting, the patterns of behavior of Marcos-related or -supported channels because that might reveal that they are in fact coordinated, that they are in fact paid for. But until then, we can’t say, but there are those signs already,” she explained.

Findings

NETWORKS of Facebook pages, public profiles and groups sharing election-related content grew in size from 37,936 from May to July 2021 (Q1) to 58,654 from August to October 2021 (Q2).

In Q1 of the study, DPP researchers noted the emergence of 10 clusters, three of which were of similar sizes: Moreno-Ong aligned accounts and FB news & political pages (17 percent), government and local media and FB accounts aligned with Bong Go, Sara Duterte & Rodrigo Duterte (16 percent), and news media and Robredo & 1SAMBAYAN-aligned accounts (14 percent).

Four other groups were smaller clusters but occupy a distinct space in the network: Pacquiao-aligned accounts and FB boxing pages (5.5 percent), government agencies, LGUs and NGOs engaged in election activities (4 percent), Lacson-aligned accounts, political bloggers and FB selling pages (4 percent), Marcos-aligned accounts (4 percent).

In Q2, the researchers found only six clusters which greatly varied in size: news media and FB accounts aligned with Marcos, Sara Duterte, Bong Go & Rodrigo Duterte (21 percent), accounts aligned with Moreno, Lacson and Rodrigo Duterte (20 percent),

OLIVIER LE QUEINEC | DREAMSTIME.COM

Facebook spending in pre-polls focus

Pacquiao-aligned accounts and FB boxing and gaming pages (17 percent), and news media and Robredo & 1SAMBAYAN-aligned accounts (12 percent).

The other two clusters were comparatively smaller: government agencies, LGUs and NGOs engaged in election activities (5 percent), and VisMin media accounts and groups and fan groups (1 percent) The DPP’s study on electionrelated Facebook activity was reported on January 25 by the PMM Lab, a consortium of researchers in the fields of communication, political science and data science. Its findings are based on shared posts from 96,590 public accounts, profiles and groups that mentioned election-related keywords from May to October 2021.

Collaborating with the PMM Lab are Jalton Garces Taguibao from the Department of Political Science at the UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, and Geoffrey Solano from the Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences in UP Manila. Rappler partnered with the PMM Lab for the Facebook component of the DPP. “Rappler was not involved in the conceptualization and implementation of the project. It just provided us with the tool to scrape Facebook, which our team did independently of Rappler,” DPP core

team member Fernando dlC Paragas told the BusinessMirror.

The DPP identifies the dominant personalities, organizations, topics and issues in the run-up to the elections. Through the use of network maps, DPP depicts the interconnections among various accounts and pages in social media.

In so doing, it surfaces potential coordinated messaging and

posting, and the role of influencers during the 2022 presidential elections.

Apart from Gaw, Bunquin and Paragas, the DPP core team includes Julienne Thesa Y. BaldoCubelo; Ma. Rosel S. San Pascual; and colleagues at the Department of Communication Research at the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.

n JAPAN 0.4456 n UK 68.8101 n HK 6.5976 n CHINA 8.0693 n SINGAPORE 37.9957 n AUSTRALIA 36.1344 n EU 57.2878 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.6982

Source: BSP (January 28, 2022)

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World remembers Holocaust as antisemitism rises in pandemic

By Samuel Petrequin

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The Associated Press

RUSSELS—Holocaust survivors and politicians warned about the resurgence of antisemitism and Holocaust denial as the world remembered Nazi atrocities and commemorated the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp on Thursday. the net,” she said. “It is a problem of our society—all of society.”

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in November 2005 establishing the annual commemoration, and chose January 27—the day that AuschwitzBirkenau was liberated by Soviet troops in 1945.

Due to the pandemic, many International Holocaust Remembrance Day events were being held online this year again. A small ceremony, however, was to take place at the site of the former Auschwitz death camp, where World War II Nazi German forces killed 1.1 million people in occupied Poland.

The memorial site was closed earlier in the pandemic but reopened in June.

In all, about 6 million European Jews and millions of other people were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Holocaust. Some 1.5 million were children.

PEOPLE are seen arriving at the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi German death camp, where more than 1.1 million were murdered, in Oswiecim, Poland, on January 27, 2020. A new Polish foundation has been created to distribute grants globally to groups that come up with novel ways to fight indifference to hatred and discrimination. The Auschwitz Pledge Foundation was announced on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 on the eve of the 77th anniversary of the liberation, by Soviet forces in 1945, of the World War II Nazi death camp in German-occupied Poland. AP

“Our country bears a special responsibility—the genocide against the European Jews is a German crime,” Bas told a special parliamentary session in Berlin attended by the country’s leaders.

‘

This sickness must be healed as quickly as possible.’ – Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher

AP/MARKUS SCHREIBER

“I have lived in New York for 75 years, but I still remember well the terrible time of horror and hatred,” survivor Inge Auerbacher, 87, told the German parliament.

“Unfortunately, this cancer has reawakened and hatred of Jews is commonplace again in many countries in the world, including Germany.”

Commemorations took place amid a rise of antisemitism that gained traction during lockdowns as the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated hatred online.

“This sickness must be healed as quickly as possible,” Auerbacher said.

German parliament speaker Baerbel Bas noted that the coronavirus pandemic has acted “like an accelerant” to already burgeoning antisemitism.

“Antisemitism is here—it isn’t just on the extreme fringe, not just among the eternally incorrigible and a few anti-Semitic trolls on

“But at the same time it is a past that is everyone’s business—not just Germans, not just Jews.”

Israel’s parliamentary speaker, Mickey Levy, broke down in tears at Germany’s Bundestag while reciting the Jewish mourner’s prayer from a prayer book that belonged to a German Jewish boy who celebrated his bar mitzvah on the eve of Kristallnacht.

Levy said that Israel and Germany experienced “an exceptional journey on the way to reconciliation and establishing relations and brave friendship between us.”

Auerbacher recalled being nearly hit by a stone thrown by Nazi thugs during the anti-Jewish pogrom of November 1938. In August 1942, she and other Jews were transported to the Theresienstadt camp-ghetto.

“I was 7 years old and the youngest of about 1,100 people, of whom my parents, I and a very few others survived,” she said.

Gathered at the European Parliament, EU lawmakers listened to 100-year-old Holocaust survivor Margot Friedlander’s ordeal. She was arrested in 1944 while on the run and brought to Theresienstadt, in what is now the Czech Republic. A year before, her mother and brother were deported to Auschwitz, where they were both killed.

Friedlander and her husband immigrated to the US in 1946 and she returned to Berlin in 2010. She has since been traveling around Germany to tell the story of her life

and promote remembrance.

“We must be vigilant and not look the other way as we did then,” she said. “Hatred, racism and antisemitism must not be the last word in history.”

Charles Michel, the head of the EU Council bringing together leaders of the 27 EU member countries, insisted on the importance of commemorating the Shoah as the number of survivors diminishes every year.

“With each passing year, the Shoah inches towards becoming a historical event,” Michel said.

“More and more distant, more and more abstract. Especially in the eyes of the younger generations of Europeans. This is why, paradoxically, the more the years go by, the more important the commemoration becomes. The more essential.”

To tackle Holocaust denial, Unesco and the World Jewish Congress launched a partnership Thursday with the online platform TikTok popular with youngsters.

They say it will allow users to be oriented toward verified information when searching for terms related to the Shoah.

According to the UN, 17 percent of content related to the Holocaust on TikTok either denied or distorted the Holocaust.

“All online platforms must take responsibility for the spread of hate speech by promoting reliable sources of information,” said Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

In Italy, members of the Jew-

ish community and lawmakers gathered in Rome’s Ghetto to lay a wreath on the site where more than 1,000 people were rounded up and deported to Auschwitz on October 16, 1943. Among the participants in the commemoration was the Italian senator-for-life, Liliana Segre, a 91-year-old survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp who has made educating younger generations about the Holocaust her life’s work.

Lello Dell’Ariccia, a member of Rome’s Jewish community, said January 27 is a symbol of the Holocaust “as the symbol of the liberation, but fundamentally it is symbolic for all those who died in the concentration camps. And the ‘Memory Day’ is the day that has to commemorate, remember and make us think about what happened.”

In Albania, Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka honored the millions of victims but also took pride at his country’s role in sheltering Jews, “earning a place among the Righteous Among Nations.”

Albania boasts that during World War II it was the only country where no Jews were killed or handed over to the Nazis and their numbers increased from 600 before the war to more than 2,000 by its end. Albanians protected Jewish residents, and helped other Jews who fled from Germany, Austria and other countries by either smuggling them abroad or hiding them.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

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PSE kicks off 2022 financial literacy calendar with online investment expo

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he Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. (PSE), together with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and various partner stakeholders, will hold a two-day online investment expo for free on January 29 and 30, 2022.

The event will showcase a wide range of personal finance and investment-related topics for potential, new and existing investors that can help them achieve their money goals and build their investing strategies for the year.

“Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen more retail investors participate in the stock market. With restricted movement in most areas of the country, people are looking for avenues where they can channel their disposable income. We hope that they consider investing in the stock market as one of the best ways to maximize their hard earned money. This investment expo aims to help attendees make sound decisions related to their money and investments,” PSE President and CEO Ramon S. Monzon said.

The invited speakers for Day 1 of the conference include GCash Vice President and Head of Wealth Management Jong Layug who will discuss “The Shifting Business Landscape”; Philequity Management Inc. Vice President Miguel Agarao who will delve on “2021 in Review and 2022 Outlook”; and Unicapital Inc. First Vice President Pamela Louise Q. Victoriano who will talk about “Investing in IPOs.” Mr. Agarao and Ms. Victoriano will join PSE President and CEO Monzon in a panel discussion that will be moderated by ABS-CBN News Channel business news correspondent Michelle Krystle Ong. Empower and Transform, OPC President and CEO Salve Duplito will moderate the topic, “Improving Your Relationship with Money” with key panelists, YouTube content creator Nicole Alba, Money Health Check founder and Tiktok content creator Antonette Aquino and The Global Filipino Investors founder Floi Wycoco, joining the discussion.

COL Financial Group Inc. Chief Investment Relations and Corporate Strategist April Lee Tan will talk about “Applying Smart Investing Strategies for the New Year” while BDO Securities Inc. team composed of Stephanie Anne Dela Cruz, Karina Lee Lozada and John Paul Palma will discuss “The Starter Pack: Getting Started with BDO Securities.”

Topics for Day 2 include “Digital and Crypto Assets” to be moderated by PSE COO Roel A. Refran with key panelists Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Technology Risk and

Innovation Supervision Department Director Melchor T. Plabasan, SEC Markets and Securities Regulation Department Director Vicente Graciano P. Felizmenio Jr., Union Bank of the Philippines Chief Technology and Operations Officer, and Chief Transformation Officer Henry R. Aguda, and Coins.ph Chief Executive Officer Nauman N. Mustafa, leading the discussion. Other topics lined up on January 30 are: “Generating Consistent Returns for Your Stock Investments” by 8VI Holdings Limited Master Alex Ng, “DiversiFly: Starting a Budget-Friendly, Multi-Asset Portfolio on the Fly”

by First Metro Securities Brokerage Corporation AVP and Head of Business Development and Market Education Andro Leo I. Beltran, “Crossroads: Navigating Change for Investors in 2022” by Abacus Securities Corporation Vice President for Research Raymond Neil Franco, and “Key Sector Trends to Expect in 2022” by BPI Securities Corporation Research Head Angelo Torres.

SEC Chairman Emilio B. Aquino will deliver the keynote message on opening day while Mr. Monzon will give the welcome remarks.

The expo will be hosted by Ms. Danie Laurel, news anchor-producer of BusinessWorld Live on One News.

The PSE also prepared raffle prizes for lucky expo participants.

Mechanics on how to qualify for the raffle will be shared during the event.

The PSE Investment Expo 2022 Event Presenters are Securities and Exchange Commission, Abacus Securities Corporation (MyTrade), BPI Securities Corporation, COL Financial Group Inc., First Metro Securities Brokerage Corporation, GCash (Mynt—Globe Fintech Innovations Inc.), Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Philequity Management Inc. and 8VI Holdings Limited. Platinum sponsors are Ayala Corporation, BDO Securities, DDMP REIT Inc., DoubleDragon Corporation, First Gen Corporation, MerryMart Consumer Corp. and Unicapital Securities Inc. Gold sponsors are AAA Southeast Equities Inc., AREIT Inc., Ayala Land Inc., First Metro Asset Management Inc., Globe Telecom Inc., Robinson’s Retail Holdings Inc. and Union Bank of the Philippines.

ABS-CBN News Channel, BusinessWorld, CNN Philippines and Philippine Daily Inquirer are the media partners of the PSE Investment Expo 2022.

Investors who are interested to join the two-day online conference may register for free at expo. pse.com.ph.

Lacson to critics: ‘I value my work’

By Butch Fernandez

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en. Panfilo Lacson, gearing to run for president in the upcoming national elections, debunked criticisms he “lacked groundwork” to aspire for the top Palace post.

“What lack of groundwork?” asked Lacson, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief before his election to the Senate, asserting, “I value my work.”

In a news statement issued on Friday, Lacson reminded critics that “risking one’s life fighting criminals both in the streets and in high office for the last 50 years, all without making a big fuss of it” all because he values his work.

Af f i r m i n g h i s d e t e r m i n a t i o n a s the Partido Reporma standard-bearer vying for the highest office in the land, Lacson debunked insinuations he may not have what it takes, reminding he was personally “at the forefront of government efforts to neutralize criminal elements.”

“I risked my life countless times, kicking doors while leading my men to save people I didn’t even know,” Lacson said, adding “I fought notorious armed robbers to make people sleep soundly at night.”

I n h i s Tw i t t e r a c c o u n t , L a c s o n reminded that “I saved P300 billion of public funds from being misused and abused by reminding his men to ensure

complete groundwork before greenlighting their missions.”

As a law enforcer operating in the field for 30 years, Lacson recalled fighting various criminal gangs, rescuing kidnapfor-ransom victims and neutralizing kidnappers but declined offers of rewards from the victims’ grateful relatives.

M o r e o v e r, L a c s o n s a i d h e a l s o neutralized armed robber y gangs in fulfilling his law enforcement duties, even as he “refused offers of bribes and hush money from illegal gambling operators and from those transacting business with the Philippine National Police,” recalling that he disciplined the PNP when he ser ved as its chief from 1999 to 2001 by using “a combination of stern discipline and leadership by example.”

In his 18 years as senator, Lacson reminded that he “blew the whistle on corrupt transactions,” and called for the abolition of the corruption-prone porkbarrel system, even as he also made sure his Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations, also known as “pork barrel,” were returned to the National Treasury.

Lacson likewise recalled that his scrutiny of the yearly budget measure prevented at least P300 billion in public funds from being misused and abused. “I did my work, even if I made enemies in high places.

That shows how I value my work,” the senator added.

Saturday, January 29, 2022

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With Covid curbs, BIR narrowly misses ₧2.081-T target for 2021

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

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HE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) narrowly missed its P2.081-trillion full-year target for 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Citing preliminary data, the Department of Finance said the BIR—the government’s biggest tax collection agency—was able to collect P2.07 trillion, falling short by 0.31 percent of the target for the whole year.

However, this is higher than last year’s collection at P1.951 trillion by around 6 percent.

To recall, the country had to

reimpose last year stricter mobility restrictions in several areas, including Metro Manila, in order to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The government was hoping to raise more revenues for 2021 to cover the expected higher budget deficit.

In its December meeting, the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coord inat ion Committee (DBCC) projected the national government’s budget deficit for 2021 to balloon to P1.606 trillion, higher by over 17 percent from the P1.371 trillion shortfall in the previous year.

Meanwhile, the budget defi-

cit for 2022 is projected to reach P1.65 trillion.

For this year, the BIR is tasked to collect P2.435 trillion, higher by nearly 17 percent from its fullyear goal in 2021.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC)— the second biggest tax collection agency—is assigned to collect P671.659 billion this year, up by 8.9 percent from its 2021 target.

The BOC earlier expressed confidence that it would be able to sur pass its collection goal this year.

In 2021, the BOC collected P645.77 billion, exceeding its fullyear goal for 2021 by 4.7 percent.

Schools prepare for expanded in-person classes beginning Feb

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atholic schools nationwide are now preparing for the expected expansion of face-to-face (F-to-F) classes beginning in February.

I n a n i nter v ie w w it h t he Church-run Radio Veritas, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) said its members are now making adjustments in their facilities to comply with government requirements to implement limited F-to-F classes.

“Our schools have been preparing for limited face-to-face because we know that [in-person classes] are going to be part of the hybrid

system that we have to live with for the next few years until Covid-19 is clear,” CEAP Executive Director Jose Allan I. Arellano said.

His comment was in anticipation of the earlier announcement of President Duterte that he will approve the proposal of the Department of Education (DepEd) to allow more schools to implement limited F-to-F classes by the first week of February.

Arellano lauded the development, which he said would translate to improved learning among students.

He noted students, who are

currently taking their studies at home either through online or modular classes, tend to learn slower compared if they will be in a classroom setting.

“The students do not have the complete grasp of what they’re supposed to learn with just online or with modular—with the use of modules without the direct guidance of teachers. Without such guidance, they are probably learning only 40 percent [of their lessons],” Arellano said.

CEAP has over 1,500 member schools nationwide.

Samuel P. Medenilla

PHL inks $369-M missile deal with India’s BrahMos

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he Phi lippines sig ned a contract with India’s BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. for an P18.9 billion ($369 million) shore-based anti-ship missile system, boosting defense ties between the two nations locked in separate territorial disputes with China.

T he dea l involves t he acqu isit ion of “t he world ’s fastest s up e r son ic c r u i s e m i s s i les,” Ph i l ippine Defense Secret a r y D e l f i n L ore n z a n a s a id i n a news st atement. It w i l l help deter at tempts to u nder m ine Ph i l ippi ne sovere ig n r ig ht s, espec i a l ly in t he Sout h C h ina

Sea, he sa id.

The Southeast Asian nation has been mov ing to moder ni ze its militar y as it contends w ith C h ina’s presence in d isputed waters. L ast mont h, it bought t wo wa rsh ips f rom Sout h Ko rea’s Hy u nd a i Heav y I ndu s t r ies Co. Ltd. Bloomberg News

UniTeam vows to do more for PWDs’ cause, welfare

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RESIDENTIAL aspirant and former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has vowed to push for the empowerment of persons with disabilities (PWD) by providing equal opportunity to them both in law and reality “as they are an important partner in nation building.”

“I believe we haven’t done enough for them. We have more than 1 million brothers and sisters who are PWDs and they and their families needed support.

We want them to feel that they enjoy the same privileges and opportunities,” Marcos said.

“We have laws and policies that are structured to protect and promote them but I feel we could do more. As they say, those who have less in life must have more in law,” he stressed.

Marcos said it’s not only by allowing the PWDs to have access to all infrastructure projects and financial plans that they are empowered, but by actually allowing them to join the labor force proportionate to their skills and knowledge.

“We see them doing massages in the malls and other places, busking in the streets and doing other odd jobs, but they can do more than that,” the presidential frontrunner pointed out.

“By protecting and empowering them, we are also protecting and empowering their children, their parents, and their loved ones. Despite the laws that are already in place, we see the need to help

them in terms of health care, education, transpor tation, and other special concerns,” Marcos explained.

“Furthermore, we have to compel government facilities to strictly adhere to the requirement of accessibility for PWDs and elderly specifically in train stations, airports, and seaports,” he stated. “We also have to ensure that they have functioning elevators and escalators at all times.”

Marcos emphasized that the P52.44million budget of the National Council for Disability Affairs is not enough to cover the task of developing programs and the delivery of necessary services to the PWDs. “If I’m given the mandate, I will ask the local government units and business sector to help and do their share to help our PWDs by giving jobs and other means of livelihood. Some entrepreneurs are already practicing inclusivity in their work force by hiring them, we still need more of these, let us lend a helping hand and make them feel that they are part of our dream na sama-samang bumangon para sa kinabukasan,” Marcos said.

He said, RA 10070, or the Magna C a r t a f o r D i s a b l e d Pe r s o n s, w h i c h establishes an institutional mechanism to ensure the implementation of programs and ser vices for PWDs, must be fully implemented at the LGU level and will be strengthened through the assistance of the private sector.

A 2019 study showed that 40 percent

of the LGUs do not have the Persons with Disability Affairs Office and that awareness of RA 10070 is low.

“We take cognizance of this situation and we will fix it as soon as we start implementing the changes in our health-care system. It will have to be a multi-pronged approach because the problems that we have are interrelated,” Marcos said.

DOH logs addl 18,638 cases, 68 Covid-19 deaths on Friday

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

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he Department of Health (DOH) on Friday logged 18,638 additional Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections to 3,511,491.

There were also 13,106 recoveries and 68 deaths.

Of the 18,638 reported cases on Friday, 18,281 (98 percent) occurred within the recent 14 days (January 15 to January 28, 2022).

The top regions with cases in the recent two weeks were Region 4A (2,379 or 13 percent), National Capital Region (2,211 or 12 percent), and Region 6 (1,969 or 11 percent).

Of the 68 deaths, 59 occurred in January 2022 (87 percent), 4 in September 2021 (6 percent), 1 in August 2021 (1 percent), 2 in May 2021 (3 percent), 1 in April 2021 (1 percent), and 1 in March 2021 (1 percent) due to late encoding of death information to COVIDKaya. This issue, the DOH said, is currently being coordinated with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Units to ensure information is up to date.

Of the total number of cases, 6.6 percent (231,658) are active, 91.9 percent (3,226,032) have recovered, and 1.53 percent (53,801) died.

There were 594 duplicates were removed from the total case count. Of these, 242 are recoveries and 3 are deaths.

Moreover, 22 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

All laboratories were operational on January 26, 2022 but four labs were not able to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System.

Based on data in the last 14 days, the four labs contribute, on average, 0.8 percent of samples tested and 0.9 percent of positive individuals.

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Philippines reopens to vaccinated tourists from visa-free countries

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

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Special to the BusinessMirror

ULLY VACCINATED foreign tourists from visa-free countries will be allowed to enter the Philippines starting February 10.

In a news briefing on Friday, Secretar y to the Cabinet K arlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (I ATF) made this decision on the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) assurance that “100 percent of tourism workers are now vaccinated.”

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) web site, the list of visa-free countries includes top tourism markets of the Philippines, including Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. There are about 160 countries on the visafree status list, which is available on https://bit.ly/33VUNUQ. The IATF also removed the color-classification of countries based on their Covid cases and now classifies foreign nationals

based on their vaccination status. “No unvaccinated foreign nationals will be allowed to enter the country,” stressed Nograles in Filipino.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat told the BusinessMir ror, her agenc y wou ld be threshing out the details with partner agencies like the DFA as well as with the private sector regarding the country’s reopening to foreign travelers. “For unvaccinated Filipinos [i.e., balikbayans], they will still have to quarantine in a hotel for five days. But for unvaccinated children of vaccinated Filipinos, we hope they will be allowed to enter the country without quarantining,” she said.

Negative RT-PCR required

Vaccinated leisure travelers from visa-free countries will only have to present a negative RT-PCR test result taken 48 hours prior to their departure to the Philippines.

There are 14,474 rooms available for leisure travelers in the National Capital Region alone, of which 1,462 rooms are in staycation hotels; 5,469 in regular hotels; and 7,543 in multiple-use, nonquarantine hotels. “We expect all the quarantine hotels to shift to accepting leisure travelers,” said Romulo Puyat.

The move to reopen to tourists was applauded by local tourism stakeholders. In a news statement, Tourism Congress of the Philippines President Jose C. Clemente III said: “We are pleased with the announcement of the IATF allowing fully-vaccinated foreign nationals into the Philippines starting February 10. Our borders have been closed for almost two years now and the situation for a majority of the tourism stakeholders have become untenable already.

This development gives us hope to finally restart our industry. “ That said, we continue to remind our stakeholders, local government units [LGUs], and other relevant agencies to continue enforcing health and safety protocols,” he stressed.

In a separate news statement, Romulo Puyat said, “We at the DOT are very thankful to our partners in the IATF for approving our proposal to allow the entry of foreign leisure travelers. The Department sees this as a welcome development that will contribute significantly to job restoration,

primarily in tourism-dependent communities, and in the reopening of businesses that have earlier shut down during the pandemic.”

(See, “Reopen PHL to vaccinated international travelers—DOT,” in the BusinessMirror, January 27, 2022.)

Carry proof of vaccination

“With years of coordination between national agencies, industry stakeholders, and the various LGUs to prepare our destinations for tourism in the new normal, we are confident that we will be able to keep pace with our Asean neighbors who have already made similar strides to reopen to foreign tourists,” she added.

Based on the IATF guidelines, leisure travelers from visa-free countries will be allowed to enter the country, provided that their passports are valid for at least six months at the time of arrival, and they possess outbound tickets to their country of origin or next country of destination.

They must also carry proof of vaccination against Covid-19, such as vaccination certificates issued by the World Health Organization, VaxCertPH of the DOH (available at https://vaxcert. doh.gov.ph), and a national/state digital certificate of a foreign government which has accepted VaxCertPH under a reciprocal arrangement unless otherwise permitted by the IATF.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Kazakhstan OFWs told: Stay safe, shun protest gatherings

By Samuel P. Medenilla

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verseas Filipino workers (OFW) Kazakhstan have been advised by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to coordinate with their employers or authorities if they feel they are already in danger amid the prevailing social unrest in the Central Asian nation.

POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia issued the advisory this week after a nationwide State of Emergency took effect in Kazakhstan earlier this month.

“The Philippine Embassy in Moscow may be reached through their hotline: +7(906)738-2538 for any concerns or emergencies,” Olalia said in Advisory No. 6, 2022.

Citing the report of the Philippine Embassy in Moscow, Olalia said Kazakhstan

is currently embroiled with violent protests and riots, particularly in Almaty and the Mangystau regions after its government lifted the price cap for LPG. To ensure the safety of OFWs in Kazakhstan, Olalia urged them to avoid joining any protest gathering in the streets.

“The Embassy advised the Filipino community in Kazakhstan to remain calm and vigilant and to maintain their neutrality and avoid participating in any gatherings or meetings that are concerned with the political situation of the said countries,” Olalia said.

There are an estimated 800 to 1,000 OFWs, who are staying in Kazakhstan.

Officials of the Philippine embassy earlier urged OFWs in Kazakhstan to prepare for possible evacuation in case the security situation there will worsen.

Sen. Villanueva tests positive for Covid-19

By Butch Fernandez

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e n . J o e l Vi l l a n u e va co n f i r m e d Friday he, too, was also afflicted with Covid-19 as he was found positive based on test result and is now in isolation to protect family members from getting the virus.

Th e s e n ato r re p o r te d i n a b r i e f statement sent by e -mail to Senate reporters the test result confirmed the finding Thursday night.

“Nagpositive po tayo sa Covid-19 sa resulta ng RT-PCR test nitong Huwebes ng gabi, pagkatapos kong makaramdam ng lagnat at pananakit ng ulo noong Miyerkules,” he said.

Villanueva added he already opted for self-isolation and advised all those he met earlier about the findings to also take the test just to be sure.

“ I n a b i s u h a n ko n a p o a n g l a h a t ng ak ing naka salamuha no ong mga nagdaang araw tungkol sa aking kalagayan, at kasalukuyan po tayong naka-isolate.”

The senator, however, held out hopes that with God’s help, he can surmount the challenge having been vaccinated earlier and would be back to work soon as he gets a clean bill of health.

“Dahil bakunado at boosted po tayo, at sa tulong ng panalangin sa Diyos, malaki po ang tiwala ko na malalampasan natin itong balakid na magpatuloy ang trabaho natin sa Senado,” said Villanueva.

At the same time, Villanueva assured he is “one with the workers who daily take their chance amid the pandemic to earn a living,” adding “they are my inspiration to continue supporting them being employees of the Senate.”

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

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Biden admin faces growing GOP dislike on China bill

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iden administration officials are attempting to stem growing Republican opposition to high-priority legislation aimed at bolstering US competitiveness with China and aiding domestic semiconductor production.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who has been leading the administration’s work on the bill, is calling GOP lawmakers and lobbying them to vote for it—or at the very least not publicly oppose it, according to a person familiar with the effort. The administration also has enlisted business groups to help.

The measure is a priority for President Joe Biden, but progress had been stalled since the Senate passed its own version of the legislation with bipartisan support last June. House Democrats this week unveiled their latest iteration in an attempt to get negotiations started on a measure that can pass Congress in the coming weeks.

But House Republicans, including those who sit on committees that have jurisdiction over many of the provisions, came out forcefully against the measure.

They criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her caucus for proposing a hy per-partisan bill and shutting them out of the negotiating process.

They say that too much of the measure is devoted to climate change and not enough to stronger export controls that they consider necessary to prevent American technology from falling into the hands of the Chinese government.

Representative Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican and cosponsor of the CHIPS Act to aid the semiconductor industry—a key component of the broader China compet it iveness pac kage—called on Pelosi and other

House Democrats to work with Republicans on a revised version.

“I appreciate the outreach from Secretary Raimondo because the CHIPS Act is important,” McCaul said in a statement. But he added that he is “still a very loud NO” on the House legislation as it stands.

“I can’t imagine she will change any House Republican opposition,” he also said.

Other House Republicans are privately holding strong against the measure and predict it won’t get any GOP votes in that chamber.

Raimondo’s message to wary Republicans is that while they may not like every part of the bill, it’s important to pass it and get to negotiations with the Senate, where they can make changes.

“One thing I can predict to you is that the bill which the president ultimately signs will not look exactly like the bill proposed last night,” Raimondo said Wednesday in an interview on Bloomberg Television. “So let’s get together. The bones are bipartisan. Let’s get to a conference.

This is a good starting point.”

Portions of the House bill have broad support among the business community.

The House bill, “which includes many components of the overwhelmingly bipartisan” Senate one, “is a major step forward,” National Association of Manufacturers President and Chief Executive Officer Jay Timmons said in a statement.

“Lawmakers can feel confident that supporting this bill means supporting the future of manufacturing in America.”

Raimondo is scheduled to attend the National Governors’ Association in Washington this weekend and is expected to make the case for the bill with governors there. Bloomberg News

Fewest bankruptcies since 1966 fuel fears of Japan ‘zombie’ firms

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apan last year had the fewest bankruptcies in a half century.

That’s how well the government’s response to the pandemic has worked in keeping businesses afloat and people employed.

But economists warn there may be a darker side. Zero-interest loans and subsidies may have also helped prop up firms that were already non-performing before the crisis and probably should have been left to go under.

While policy makers everywhere have trouble providing just the right amount of aid during a crisis, Japan has a long history of easy credit that’s been blamed for keeping “zombie” firms alive. It’s worsened labor shortages and created unhealthy competition that’s put downward pressure on prices even in normal times.

“Even before the pandemic, we had the problem that a low-yield environment was creating more zombie firms,” said economist Shotaro Kugo at Daiwa Institute of Research. “They bring down the potential growth rate and can even sap the impact of monetary easing.”

Japan is hardly the only country that has kept firms going. A study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in the mid-2010s showed zombies— defined as businesses with persistent difficulties paying interest on debt—were a cause of slowing productivity and sluggish growth across the developed world.

In Japan, though, the scale of recent aid has been extraordinary.

Since the height of the pandemic, the Bank of Japan has lent $830 billion to help firms, an amount that would cover all the debts of the country’s bankruptcies since June 2002, according to a comparison of the BOJ’s balance sheet and data from Tokyo Shoko Research, which tallies Japan’s business failures.

“It’s worrying that policy makers continue to intervene,” said Kenichi Ueda, an economics professor at the University of Tokyo who argues the government should

have left banks to decide which businesses to support, rather than offering blanket aid. “It’s a waste.”

It’s also a big reason that Japan has weathered the pandemic better than most other major economies, with unemployment never going above 3.1 percent and the fewest bankruptcies since 1966, a period when Japanese growth was roaring, figures from research firm Teikoku Databank show.

The International Monetary Fund on Friday said recent decisions by the BOJ to focus its crisis-aid on smaller businesses should help “prevent the rise of new zombie firms.”

What Bloomberg Economics Says...

“Kishida aims to reduce income inequality, so I don’t expect he will decide to kill the zombies during his administration, even if it’s probably necessary to avoid shrinking the economy in the long-run.”

—Yuki Masujima, economist For Pr ime Minister Fumio Kishida, however, deciding when to pull back aid will be all the harder because he came to power promising a kinder, gentler brand of capitalism.

He won’t want to do anything that could be perceived as taking away support for the vulnerable, especially not w ith elections coming this summer and the economy still shaky.

Analysts have been expecting growth to finally take firm hold this year, but a recent surge in virus cases could set progress bac k yet aga in. Qu asi- emer gencies were declared for Tokyo and most other major business centers last week.

Given that reality, Japan is absolutely not at a stage where support can be withdrawn, says Daiwa’s Kugo. But policy makers still run the risk of turning off the aid spigot too late, he says, adding that public support for continued help makes it politically hard to stop it. Bloomberg News

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Saturday, January 29, 2022

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Visa, Mastercard see spending soar despite Omicron headwind

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n the eyes of Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc., consumers are learning to live with the pandemic.

Both networks said Thursday that spending on their cards surged to a record in the final three months of last year, even as the highly contagious Omicron variant disrupted travel and sparked fresh rounds of lockdowns. Spending on Visa’s network soared 20 percent to $2.97 trillion in its fiscal first quarter, while Mastercard’s purchase volume jumped 27 percent to $1.66 trillion.

Before Omicron started to bite, the two payment giants were benefiting as economies around the world slowly reopened and consumers got back to traveling and dining out. While both firms in recent weeks saw a slight dip in growth in spending on their cards,

executives said the impact would probably be short-lived.

“People are now learning to live their lives with the virus and we just don’t see the same impact as you might have seen early in the pandemic,” Visa Chief Financial Officer Vasant Prabhu said in an interview. “The impact of Omicron has been relatively mild and fairly quick to pass.”

After two months during which coronavirus cases skyrocketed, they have begun to fall across the nation, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Globally, governments have begun to lift lockdown restrictions and reopen borders, spurring consumers to spend more.

Shares of San Francisco-based Visa jumped 2.5 percent in late trading in New York, after closing the day up 0.1 percent. Mastercard advanced 1.7 percent to $350.53 at the close.

While cross-border volume on Mastercard’s network soared 53 percent in the final three months of the year, trouncing the 49 percent average of analyst estimates, the firm warned that such growth in the first three weeks of this year slowed to 47 percent. Such spending is typically more lucrative for both networks, making it a closely watched metric by investors.

“We expect this to be shortlived because as the virus subsides, people get out and travel again,” Mastercard Chief Financial Officer Sachin Mehra said in an interview. “People have demonstrated over the course of 2021 that when they have the ability to travel, they really have gone ahead and

done that.”

Mastercard, based in Purchase, New York, now believes net revenue for the first quarter will climb by a percentage in the “ high teens,” while operating expenses will jump by a percentage in the “ low teens,” the company said in a statement Thursday. Analysts were predicting revenue would rise 22 percent and expected a 15 percent jump in expenses.

At Visa, the company is now expecting revenue to climb by a percentage “at the high of the high teens” range, an improvement from earlier guidance, while operating expenses could jump by a percentage in the “high end of mid-teens” range.

The year “is off to an excellent start,” Prabhu told analysts on a conference call. “We expect our growth this year will be well above the pre-Covid rate as cross-border recovers.” Bloomberg News

Hong Kong’s economic gains face swift reversal on Omicron threat

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ong Kong’s economic performance in the fourth quarter may provide little consolation as the city struggles to bring the Omicron wave under control, putting pressure on the government to dole out more stimulus for hard-hit sectors like retail.

Government data Friday likely will show gross domestic product expanded 5 percent last quarter from a year earlier, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 12 economists. Fullyear growth is seen at 6.6 percent, the first annual expansion after two straight years of contraction.

Heading into this year, a raft of virus measures have worsened the outlook for an economy that had been poised to return to pre-pandemic levels of activity.

Recent moves include a ban on dining in restaurants—now extended until February 17—travel restrictions and the culling of thousands of pets. A delayed reopening with China was a key driver behind economist downgrades for the city’s growth outlook, given its reliance on tourists from the mainland.

“Much of the improvement is likely to reverse this quarter amid tightened social distancing restrictions,” said Sheana Yue, an economist at Capital Economics. In the fourth quarter, a stable virus situation and consumption vouchers probably helped drive a pickup in household spending, which accounts for around two-thirds of the city’s demand, she said.

Finance Secretary Paul Chan has warned the economy will take a hit from Omicron, but will still grow this year. He said the upcoming budget on February 23 would balance between offering support for those affected by the pandemic and boosting the economy. Entrepreneurs and politicians have called for a fresh round of consumption vouchers.

Samuel Tse, an economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd. in Hong Kong, said stronger stimulus is expected in the budget as a fifth round of relief measures, announced this month, was only 1.1 percent of total stimulus since 20Foreign business leaders, including the American Chamber of Commerce, have expressed increasing frustration with travel

Asian stocks advance after Wall Street sinks for 3rd day

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EIJING—Asian stock markets rose Friday as traders looked ahead to data on US employment costs that might influence Federal Reserve decisions on planned interest rate hikes.

Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul gained. Hong Kong declined.

Wa l l St reet fel l for a t h ird day T hursday after the US government reported the economy g rew by 5.7 percent l ast yea r, its strongest annua l rate since 198 4.

Investors looked ahead to US data on employment costs for indications of when and by how much the Fed might raise interest rates to cool surging inflation. Investors expect at least four rate hikes this year after Fed officials said stimulus that is boosting stock prices would be wound down sooner than previously planned.

The Employment Cost Index is expected to show the price of labor rose by about 1.2 percent over the previous quarter in the final three months of 2021.

“Another strong wage gain could amplify market expecta-

tions” of an unusually large rate hike of 0.5 percentage points as early as March, Anderson Alves of ActivTrades said in a report.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose less than 0.1 percent to 3,396.07 while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong sank 0.8 percent to 23,606.45.

T he Ni k k e i 2 25 i n Tok yo surged 2.1 percent to 26,731.91, recovering most of its losses from the previous day’s 2.5 percent slide.

The Kospi in Seoul rose 1.4 percent to 2,650.23 while Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 advanced 2.3 percent to 6,993.80.

India’s Sensex opened up 1.1 percent at 57,883.16. New Zealand declined 1.6 percent while Southeast Asian markets rose.

On Wa l l St reet, t he benc hma rk S& P 50 0 inde x fel l 0. 5 percent to 4, 326. 51 a f ter of f icia l data showed the US econo my g rew 5.7 percent l ast yea r, its st rongest rate since 198 4’s 7.2 percent ju mp.

The index is within 10 points of entering a correction, meaning a drop of 10 percent from its January 3 all-time high. AP

rules, warning of the damage to Hong Kong’s status as an international financial hub. The city’s leader, Carrie Lam, on Thursday announced an easing in quarantine rules for inbound travelers, while extending a flight ban for several countries.

“The 2022 outlook is clouded by the Omicron outbreak,” Tse said.

“In our best case, the retail sector can at most grow by 10 percent this year.” If the reopening of the border with China is postponed to the end of the third quarter, there will be further downward pressure, he said.

Investors also are bracing for a potential interest-rate hike in Hong Kong later this quarter. T he US Federa l Reser ve has signaled rate increases in March, and monetar y policy in Hong Kong—which pegs its currency to the dollar—normally

moves in lockstep with the US. The central bank said Thursday it would continue to monitor market developments and maintain monetary and financial stability.

Given all the uncertainties, it may be too early to have a good gauge of the city’s economic path for the year. William Deng, an economist at UBS Group AG, is maintaining his growth forecast of 4.1 percent for the year, though with downside risks. He argues that the city is more able to manage future virus outbreaks, and local consumer spending is expected to recover.

“We are still in the early part of the year, and the scale of the impact of the current outbreak is not easy to be quantified just yet,” Deng said in an interview. “The room for different parameters to move is still quite substantial.”

Bloomberg News

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Biden says Russian invasion in Feb ‘distinct possibility’

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OSCOW—The White House says President Joe Biden warned Ukraine’s president Thursday that there is a “distinct possibility” Russia could take military action against Ukraine in February.

The Kremlin likewise sounded a grim note, saying it saw “little ground for optimism” in resolving the crisis after the US this week again rejected Russia’s main demands.

Russian officials said dialogue was still possible to end the crisis, but Biden again offered a stark warning amid growing concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin will give the go-ahead for a further invasion of Ukrainian territory in the not-so-distant future.

The White House said Biden’s comments to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a phone call, amplified concerns that administration officials have been making for some time.

“President Biden said that there is a distinct possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said. “He has said this publicly and we have been warning about this for months.”

Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed concern that a buildup of about 100,000 Russian troops near U kraine signaled that Moscow planned to invade its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Russia denies having any such designs—and has laid out a series of demands it says will improve security in Europe.

But as expected, the US and the Western alliance firmly rejected any concessions on Moscow’s main points Wednesday, refusing to permanently ban Ukraine from joining NATO and saying allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are nonnegotiable.

The US did outline areas in which some of Russia’s concerns might be addressed, possibly offering a path to de-escalation. But, as it has done repeatedly for the past several weeks, Washington also warned Moscow of devastating sanctions if it invades Ukraine.

In addition to penalties targeting Russian people and key economic sectors, several senior US officials said Thursday with certainty that Germany would not allow a newly constructed gas pipeline to begin operations in the

event of an incursion.

All eyes are now on Putin, who will decide how Russia will respond amid fears that Europe could again be plunged into war.

In the meantime, Biden spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy on Thursday to reiterate American and allied support, including recent deliveries of US military aid.

Biden warned Zelenskyy that the US believed there was a high degree of likelihood that Russia could invade when the ground freezes and Russian forces could attack Ukrainian territory from north of Kyiv, according to two people familiar with the conversation who were not authorized to comment publicly.

Militar y experts have said Russia may be waiting for optimal ground conditions to move heavy equipment into Kyiv as part of any invasion. Eight years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in late February.

Zelenskyy tweeted that he and Biden also discussed the possibility of additional financial support for Ukraine.

The White House said Biden told Zelenskyy he was “exploring additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraine’s economy” as it comes under pressure as a result of Russia’s military buildup.

Meanwhile, the United States announced that the UN Security Council will hold an open meeting Monday on what US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russia’s “threatening behavior.”

She said the deployment of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s border and other destabilizing acts pose “a clear threat to international peace and security and the UN Charter.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier that the response from the US—and a similar one from NATO—left “little ground for optimism.” But he added that “there always are prospects for continuing a dia-

logue, it’s in the interests of both us and the Americans.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was circumspect when asked whether the Biden administration saw a sliver of hope in that the Russians said they would keep communications open even as they said that they lacked optimism.

“We don’t know if the Russians are playing games on diplomacy.

We hope not,” Psaki said.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the US response contained some elements that could lead to “the start of a serious talk on secondary issues,” but emphasized that “the document contains no positive response on the main issue.” Those are Moscow’s demands that NATO not expand and that the alliance refrain from deploying weapons that might threaten Russia.

Lavrov said top officials will submit proposals to Putin. Peskov said the Russian reaction would come soon.

The evasive official comments reflect the fact that it is Putin who will single-handedly determine Russia’s next moves. He has warned of unspecified “militarytechnical measures” if the West refuses to heed the demands.

Peskov added that Putin and Biden will decide whether they need to have another conversation following two calls last month.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv had seen the US response before it was delivered to Russia and had no objections. He tweeted it was “important that the US remains in close contact with Ukraine before and after all contacts with Russia.”

On a visit to Denmark, Kuleba emphasized his country’s need to strengthen its defenses.

“This crisis is a moment of truth, and this is why we speak about weapons,” he said. “This is why we speak about economic sanctions. This is why we speak about the consolidated position of all of us, so that President Putin sees that there are no weak links in our defensive chain.”

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a parliamentary debate on Ukraine that her government is closely coordinating its policy with allies, considering a range of options that could include the new Nord Stream 2 Russian gas pipeline to Germany.

While the diplomacy sputters on, so too do maneuvers that have escalated tensions. Russia has launched a series of military drills involving motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, dozens of warships in the Black Sea and the Arctic, and Russian

fighter jets and paratroopers in Belarus.

NATO said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the US ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe.

As war fears mounted, thousands of Ukrainians expressed their resolve to stand up to the Russian pressure under the hashtag #UkrainiansWillResist on Twitter and Facebook.

“No one will force Ukrainians to accept the Kremlin ultimatum,” wrote Andrii Levus, who initiated the campaign.

Ukraine’s Interior Ministry has organized training on acting in emergency situations, with an emphasis on dealing with explosives.

Beyond concerns about a possible Russian offensive in Ukraine, there also has been speculation that Moscow’s response could include military deployments to the Western Hemisphere.

While a senior Russian diplomat recently refused to rule out such deployments to Cuba and Venezuela, a top Putin associate expressed skepticism Thursday at that prospect.

“Cuba and Venezuela are aiming to come out of isolation and restore normal relations with the US to a certain extent, so there can’t be any talk about setting up a base there as happened during the Soviet times,” Dmitry Medvedev, a deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, told Russian media.

While he charged that the West is using Ukraine as a way to contain Russia, he somberly acknowledged that a Russia-NATO conflict “would be the most dramatic and simply catastrophic scenario, and I hope it will never happen.”

While concerns about a possible Russian attack linger, a separatist conflict simmers in Ukraine.

Following the 2014 ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and backed an insurgency in the country’s eastern industrial heartland.

Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled.

Since the conflict began, Russia has been accused of sending troops and weapons to the separatists, something it has denied.

On Thursday, Peskov wouldn’t comment on a proposal from the Kremlin’s main political party, United Russia, which suggested that Moscow respond to the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine by sending arms to the rebels. He added that Putin is aware of the proposal but had no immediate reaction. AP

A man holds a portrait of Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba who has taken the reins of the country in Ouagadougou on January 25. People took to the streets in Burkina Faso to rally in support of the new military junta that ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore and seized control of the country. AP

Burkina Faso’s junta leader promises security and order

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UAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso —Burk ina Faso’s new military leader said he was going to bring security and order back to the conflict-ridden nation and unite the country, but warned that betrayal wouldn’t be tolerated by the new regime.

Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, leader of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration, spoke Thursday evening in his first public address to the nation since seizing power from President Roch Marc Christian Kabore earlier this week.

“I warn all those who will be guided only by their selfish interests that I will be uncompromising with the acts of betrayal of the aspirations of our people,” he said in an address aired on Burkina Faso’s state broadcaster.

Speaking from the presidential palace, Damiba said the country was facing an unprecedented crisis and the junta’s priority would be to restore security by renewing the will to fight among its soldiers and by listening to people to form a path forward.

“In its history, our country has rarely been confronted with adversity. But more than six years now our people have been living under the yoke of an enemy that succeeded,” said Damiba.

“The task before us is immense.

Fortunately, it is not only mine, it is all of ours. It will require great individual and collective efforts and certainly sacrifices on our part.”

Mut i nou s sold ie r s ou ste d democratically elected President Kabore on Monday after months of growing frustration at his government’s inability to stem jihadist violence that has spread across the country, killing thousands including security forces. Kabore has not been heard from since he was detained by the military and resigned, though the junta has said he is in a safe place.

Since taking over, the junta has

spent the last few days trying to shore up support from religious and community leaders, security forces and unions. On Thursday it met with the labor union in the presidential palace and explained its motives for the coup, saying it would correct the previous regime’s flaws, said Moussa Diallo, the secretary general for the union who was at the meeting.

While Damiba said he had no problem with the unions, he also issued a veiled threat, ordering citizens not to speak out against the regime, said Diallo.

The international community has condemned the coup, despite widespread local support.

The US State Department in a statement expressed deep concern about the dissolution of the government, suspension of the constitution and the detention of government leaders.

United Nat ions Secretar yGenera l A ntonio Guter res called on coup leaders to lay down their arms. He reiterated the UN’s “ full commitment to the preser vation of the constitutional order” in Burkina Faso and support for the people in their efforts “to find solutions to the multifaceted challenges facing the country,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The West African regional economic bloc, known as ECOWAS, has also condemned the coup and will be holding a summit Friday to discuss the mutiny.

Da m iba on T hu rsd ay a l so called on the international community not to turn its back on Burkina Faso.

“In these particularly difficult times for our country, Burkina Faso needs its partners more than ever. This is why I call on the international community to support our country so that it can emerge from this crisis as quickly as possible and resume its march towards development,” he said. AP

India boosts naval patrols to catch China in crowded global seas

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ndia is carrying out more warship patrols than ever before as concerns grow about the country’s ability to remain dominant in the Indian Ocean as China’s naval power quickly increases.

The waters off India haven’t seen this many naval vessels together since World War II as both China and Western allies deploy more warships in the area, according to senior Indian naval officials familiar with the matter. They estimated about 125 foreign naval vessels were in the Indian Ocean at any given time, roughly three times the number deployed in the wake

of the September 11 terrorist attacks when the US invaded Afghanistan.

W hi le Ind ian of f icia ls are confident they can manage the threat for now, a lack of funding threatens the country’s ability to keep pace with China and other nations. Most Indian submarines critical to controlling the oceans are about two decades old, and plans to increase the warship fleet to 200—including a third aircraft carrier—keep getting delayed.

India now has about 130 warships, roughly a third of China’s naval fleet comprising 350 ships and submarines—the largest in the

world. Despite that, last year the navy saw the biggest gap among India’s three military services between requested and actual funds, prompting a parliamentary panel to ask the government to stop making further reductions.

The navy’s budget will be in focus on February 1, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government presents its annual spending plan in parliament. In the last five years, the shortfall between what the Indian Navy requested and what it got ranged from 5 percent to 41 percent, the panel of lawmakers said in a 2020 report to the government. In the latest re-

port submitted last month, they said the navy’s allocation was “less than half the amount” it wanted.

Defense Ministry spokesman Bharat Bhushan Babu and Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

“Over time as the region gets more mi litar ized, tension in the area is bound to increase,” said Anit Mukherjee, associate professor at the S. R ajaratnam School of International Studies who wrote a book on India’s militar y. “ The solution for India is to develop the nav y if it wants to address its growing

diplomatic and strategic needs.”

Chinese warships have been present in the Indian Ocean since 2008, and India is constantly watching three to eight of them that are continuously on patrol, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar told reporters in December. “I want to assure you the Indian Navy is confident of defending India’s maritime interests,” he said.

India has permanently deployed warships at five choke points in t he Ind ia n Ocea n, stretching from the Gulf of Aden in the west to the Malacca Strait in the east. The waters carry some

of 40 percent of the world ’s oil from fossil-fuel producers in the Middle East to some of Asia’s biggest economies.

Last year the Indian Navy carried out an all-time high of 50 joint exercises with friendly navies, including one with Japanese warships around the Malacca Strait, said a senior naval official.

Still, India has been cautious to avoid antagonizing Beijing as the two countries battle along their contested Himalayan borders. Modi’s government has turned down requests from friendly navies to jointly patrol the South China Sea, another naval official said. Bloomberg News

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House panel approves bills seeking to expand senior citizens’ benefits

By Filane Mikee Cervantes

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A N IL A— A Hou se of Representatives panel on Thursday approved several bills seeking to promote the welfare of senior citizens in the country.

The House Special Committee on Senior Citizens, chaired by Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes, passed House Bill 8424, mandating all local government units to set aside at least 1 percent of their total budget for programs, projects, and activities exclusive for senior citizens.

In his opening remarks, Ordanes said there are about 12 million senior citizens, or 11 percent of the country’s close to 110 million population.

“While they comprise a significant part of the population and a rapidly growing dominant demography in the country, still a lot of our senior citizens languish from access to projects, programs and activities that are indispensable to their welfare due to non-appropriation

of funds,” he said.

Ordanes said the measure aims to bridge the gap in needed funding for critical projects, programs, and activities for senior citizens.

For the government to better care for and attend to the special needs of the elderly, the panel also approved the national bills: HBs 3397, 5448, 6129, 6244, 6376, 6534, 9229 and 9862, which would establish nursing homes or complexes in every province, city or municipality.

Lastly, the panel approved HB 9773, granting all pensioners equal rights, privileges and benefits as granted under RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

The bill seeks to grant the annual Christmas cash gift and the right to get an increase in pension, which are denied to pensioners under RA 7699 or the Portability Law. Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas said the bill aims to correct the discrimination and the diminution of the pensioners’ benefits, especially since even RA 7699 expressly prohibits the latter. PNA

Tacurong LGU honors another centenarian

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, January 29, 2022

Kidapawan starts ‘Vax to the Max’ drive for senior citizens and PWDs

By John Andrew Tabugoc

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IDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato—The city government here on Wednesday launched the “Vax to the Max House-toHouse” campaign to further bolster the Covid-19 vaccination rollout in the villages.

Mayor Joseph Evangelista said the drive particularly focuses on persons with disabilities and senior citizens facing difficulties in going to vaccination hubs.

“We target PWDs and old residents with comorbidities especially those incapable of going to Covid-19 vaccination centers,” he said.

Health personnel from the local Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) will lead teams together with health workers and peacekeepers in going around the city’s 40 villages.

The program aligns with a vaccination campaign “Bakunahan sa Barangay” implemented earlier that conducted inoculation in city villages with low vaccination turnout.

“I commend each village official in giving a nod and support to these undertakings,” the mayor said.

Evangelista noted that the city currently has a total of 104,036 fully

A TEAM of health personnel inoculates a senior citizen in his house as the “Vax to the Max House-to-House” campaign started on January 26, 2022, in Kidapawan City. The new program specifically targets persons with disability and senior citizens in the city’s 40 villages. PHOTO COURTESY OF KIDAPAWAN CIO

vaccinated residents or 94.18 percent of the 110,000 target population.

“I am certain that we can meet our target before the month ends,”

he said.

As of Tuesday, the city has 150 active Covid-19 cases and 26 new recoveries.

The Associated Press

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By Edwin Fernandez

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ACURONG CITY— Another centenarian here has received awards and incentives from the local government in recognition of his contribution to the development of the city.

On Monday, the LGU gave Mr. Bernardo Bating Francisco, a World War II veteran, a check worth P100,000, making him the second centenarian to receive such cash aid from the city government this year.

Francisco, born on August 20, 1921, lived his early years serving his country after he joined the Philippine guerilla movement in Luzon at the age of 20 to fight against the Japanese Imperial Army when World War II broke out.

He was also a member of the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).

In 1946, he was enlisted into the Philippine Army until 1949 where he was honorably discharged.

He was married to Natividad Rael in 1950 and was blessed with five children, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Looking for greener pasture, Francisco brought his family as migrants to Mindanao in 1951 and settled in Tacurong where he spent his time as an active community member.

Francisco was also part of

the Tacurong police force, a two-time barangay councilor and board member of the Tacurong Communal Irrigation Association (TCIA).

Tacurong Mayor Lino Montilla personally gave him the P100,000 check and explained to the centenarian how he served as an inspiration to all Tacurongnons for he has achieved what others can only dream about.

When asked about his secret in reaching 100 years of age, Francisco said he lived away from vices and a bad lifestyle.

“No cigars, no liquor, only food full of vegetables and faithfulness to my wife,” he said in the vernacular.

The P100,000 cash is the LGU’s counterpart in addition to the same amount given by the national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) via the Centenarians Act of 2016.

Bernardo is the 12th centenarian recognized by the city since the enactment of RA 10868 in 2016 and the 3rd to receive the LGU’s P100,000 counterpart since its inception in 2020.

On January 15, Mayor Montilla also handed over a check worth P100,000 to Mrs. Gloria Montiague Canzana, Tacurong City’s first centenarian of 2022. PNA

The mayor said 97 percent of all active cases in the city are mild and asymptomatic due to the high vaccination rate. PNA

77 years after Auschwitz, Jews honor those who rescued them

By Kirsten Grieshaber

TACURONG City Mayor Lino Montilla (standing) tells centenarian Bernardo Francisco that he is an inspiration to the people of Tacurong because of his achievements and contributions to the city.

The mayor visited Francisco in his home on Monday (January 24, 2022) to give him the P100,000 cash incentive from the LGU. PHOTO COURTESY OF TACURONG LGU

A7

URACH,Germany—Andrzej Sitkowski was 15 years old when his mother told him that she had been asked by a neighbor to hide a little Jewish girl from the Nazis at their home.

“It was a short conversation, and then, yes, we decided to take in Hadassah and she was brought over to our house in 1943,” Sitkowski says, looking back at those difficult years during World War II when he lived with his widowed mother Helena and younger sister Magda on the outskirts of the Polish capital of Warsaw under German occupation.

“Of course, we were afraid, but fear was our daily dish during those years anyway,” Sitkowski told The Associated Press at his home in the Bavarian village of Durach where he settled 10 years ago with his German wife.

Almost eight decades after Hadassah Kosak’s rescue, the 93-year-old Polish man is still regularly in touch with Kosak, now 84, who after the war immigrated via Israel to the United States where she became a professor of history in New York.

For their efforts to help save the lives of Kosak, her sister Marion and their mother Bronislawa, who later also came to stay with the Sitkowskis, Andrzej and his mother were given Israel’s highest honor in 1995. They were named “Righteous Among the Nations”—a title bestowed on non-Jews who took great risks to save Jews during the Holocaust by Yad Vashem, the country’s official Holocaust remembrance organization.

This year, as the world commemorates the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp on January 27, 1945, Yad Vashem and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany have teamed up to highlight the stories of “Righteous Rescuers” like the Sitkowskis who risked everything, even their own lives, to save Jews from getting slain by the Nazis and their henchmen.

As part of a social-media campaign called #Don’tBeABystander, the Claims Conference and Yad

THE 93-year-old Polish citizen Andrzej Sitkowski, who was named “Righteous Among the Nations”

by Yad Vashem in 1995 talks to The Associated Press during an interview in Durach on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Sitkowski was 15 years old when his mother told him that she had been asked by a neighbor to hide a little Jewish girl from the Nazis at their home. This year, as the world commemorates the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp on January 27, 1945, Vashem and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany have teamed up to highlight the stories of “Righteous Rescuers” the people who risked everything, even their own lives, to save Jews from getting murdered by the Nazis and their henchmen. AP PHOTO/ALEXANDRA BEIER

Vashem are releasing several videos and launching a web site about people who saved Jews during the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews were murdered across Europe.

“One of the amazing thing about the rescuers is that not only did they rescue the specific person who was hidden, but all of their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren—an entire family tree,” said Greg Schneider, the executive vice president of the Claims Conference.

“It says in the Jewish tradition that if you save one person it is as if you save the whole world,” Schneider told the AP. Over the past 60 years Yad Vashem has recognized about 28,000 individuals from some 50 countries as “Righteous Rescuers.” The organization still receives hundreds of applications each year to honor others, mostly posthumously. Of all the rescuers still alive today, most helped their

parents as children or teenagers.

“We believe about 200 of them are still alive and most of them are living in Europe,” said Dani Dayan, the chairman of Yad Vashem. “As antisemitism is growing again on all five continents, we need to stress again the moral stature of these persons and their actions.”

In Poland, home to Europe’s largest Jewish community before the Holocaust, the Nazi occupiers punished those who helped Jews by executing not only the helpers, but also their entire families.

Still, when you ask Sitkowski about why he and his mother decided to help Jews despite the huge personal risks, he shrugs and says it simply was their duty as human beings.

“When my mother told me about the request from the neighbor there were no long deliberations. The approval was somehow obvious,” Sitkowski remembers, tucking in his

red scarf.

“It was just an impulsive decision of a Mensch,” he adds, using the German word for human being that in Yiddish also refers to a particularly good person.

Sitting in his living room overlooking the snowy foothills of the Alps, he smiles when he thinks of Hadassah.

“She was a beautiful little girl, very smart, with sort of darkish hair and black eyes—I grew very fond of her.”

Even today, there’s still a strong bond between them. In the past, they would visit each other and nowadays they talk on the phone and exchange letters.

In their conversations, their memories often wander back to those months of hiding when the Sitkowskis shared their meager food rations with Hadassah, when Andrzej taught five-year-old Hadassah how to read and write, and when they made their neighbors and acquaintances believe a fabricated story in which Hadassah was not a Jew, but a Christian-Polish girl whose mother had been taken to Germany as a forced laborer.

In reality, Hadassah’s mother was hiding as a maid with another family and her sister Marion was hiding at a Catholic convent. But when those hiding places were no longer safe, the two joined Hadassah at the Sitkowskis.

In September 1944, however, the Nazis first burned down the Sitkowski home and many other houses on their street and then later expelled all people who had lived there. So they needed to escape again and eventually the Sitkowskis and Kosaks had to split up and survived the last months of the war in different places across Poland until the Soviet Army liberated Poland in January 1945.

While Hadassah Kosak first moved to Israel and later to the United States, her mother and sister ended up in Britain, where Marion married Ralph Miliband and where their two sons Ed and David, two well-known politicians with the British Labour Party, were born.

The decision of Andrzej and his mother to offer a shelter “was a true act of humanity,” Hadassah Kosak told the AP. “Thanks to their bravery, and at a great risk to themselves, we survived the Nazi horrors.”

Education BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, January 29, 2022

2.14M+ benefit from TESDA’s online courses since ‘Covid’ onset

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ORE than 2.14 million Filipinos have registered in the online programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) since the start of the pandemic. remain very consistent in promoting the TOP, [as] we know…it can really help—especially displaced workers and repatriated OFWs [overseas Filipino workers].”

The 115 courses under TOP have so far attracted 1,090,530 Filipinos, with 961,151 completing them. The total includes 72,476 OFWs and their dependents.

Excluding the TOP, 1,209,659 individuals also enrolled in the regular training programs as of December 31, 2021, and have produced 1,129,309 graduates.

Intake introduces Impact Scholarship

France invites Filipinos to apply for its 2022 govt scholarships

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HE Embassy of France to the Philippines and Campus France Philippines are now receiving applications for two French government scholarship programs for Academic Year 2022-2023: The PhilFrance Scholarship is awarded to highly-qualified candidates who have demonstrated strong academic and leadership qualities in their scholarly and professional activities, and intend to pursue a Master’s degree at French higher education institutions, both public or private, in all academic disciplines.

Awardees will be granted the status of boursier du gouvernement français (French government scholar), and will be accorded the following benefits: a tuition subsidy, one round-trip ticket from Manila to France, exemption from visa-application fees, monthly living allowance covering the duration of their studies, health-care package, and priority access to publicstudent accommodations.

Jointly administered by the French Embassy and by the Department of Science and Technology’s Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), the PhilFrance-DOST Scholarship Program aims to encourage

Top education trends in SE Asia for 2022

By Jack Brazel Head of Business Partnerships - Turnitin Southeast Asia

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In an interview, TESDA Director General-Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña promoted the enrollment to the TESDA Online Program (TOP) that can be completed at home and at the students’ own pace. By enlisting, he said new skills would be acquired that will lead to the creation of new livelihoods or securing jobs. “ We cont i nue to u rge ou r kababayans [countrymen] to enroll in the TOP,” he told the Philippine News Agency. “Since the start of the pandemic and until now, we

NTAKE PHILIPPINES recently announced the launch of its Impact Scholarship, aimed at students offering outstanding abilities to bring about beneficial change and positively impact the future development of their home country.

The scholarship is open for students applying for a one-year postgraduate Master’s degree in the United Kingdom starting this September. Intake will award a full-funded grant to select outstanding learners.

The scholarship will cover up to P1.6 million for tuition fees and will award accommodation plus monthly-living allowance in the UK (up to P1.1 million in London, and P1 million outside of the British capital).

Other fees will also be covered, such as economy class tickets to the UK, return ticket to the home country, visa fees, health surcharges, tuberculosis testing fees, and allowance for travel.

As part of the Intake Impact initiative, the scholarship allows Intake to both reach out to, and contribute back into, their local communities under its Sustainability and Education undertaking. Intake wants to identify successful candidates that will have a maximum positive impact on their home communities. It is likewise looking for individuals with the passion, ideals and potential to make a positive global change.

Applicants must be Filipino citizens, and should submit all t heir universit y appl ications through Intake before submitting their scholarship application. They must also hold a minimum grade-point average or GPA equivalent to a “first class” from a prestigious university.

Other requirements to consider: They must have an unconditional offer for 2022 to be eligible for the award, and must be willing to actively participate in the Intake Scholarship Alumni group and its associated activities.

Deadline for submission of applications is on April 15, 2022.

Successful candidates will be announced by June 30, 2022. For full details of the said scholarship, visit and apply through https://intake.education/ph/intake-scholarship.

Editor: Mike Policarpio

SCHOLARS of the Dressmaking National Certificate II course receive their starter tool kits. TESDA/PNA

A total of 634,799 learners were assessed, and 583,987 were certified in regular training programs as of 2021.

“We are glad that more and more people are seeing the relevance of TESDA online courses during this challenging period,” Lapeña remarked.

Filipino professionals working in academic, research or government institutions to pursue a Master’s or Doctorate degree at French public universities, as well as strengthen scientific cooperation and exchanges between France and the Philippines.

The PhilFrance-DOST Scholarship Program prioritizes the following fields of study: agriculture, bioengineering, bioinformatics (medical), biological sciences, climate change, forestry, health and medical research, material sciences, medical chemistry, natural resources and environment, nuclear application on health, nuclear medicine, veterinary sciences, and virology.

Awardees of the PhilFranceDOST Scholarship will also be granted the status of boursier du gouvernement français, and will be entitled to the benefits mentioned above, plus an exemption from public university-registration fees, relocation allowance, and coverage of pretravel expenses.

Those selected for the PhilFrance-DOST Scholarships must return to the Philippines as soon as they finish their graduate degrees to render return ser vice, or a same period twice the length of time they spent in France for

Free TOP courses are open for enrollment: from as short as eight hours, to as long as 40 hours.

Some shor t on l i ne cou rs es inc lude Entrepreneurship, Electrical and Electronics, as well as Information and Comm u n i c a t i o n s Te c h n o l o g y .

Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA

their degree.

Details and guidelines on eligibility, benefits, requirements, the application calendar and the evaluation guidelines for both scholarship programs are available at www.philfrance-scholarships. com. The site also contains useful details for applicants to learn more about French higher education institutions and graduate programs. Interested candidates must submit their applications through the web site no later than April 4, 2022 at 12 p.m.

Since 2016 the PhilFrance Scholarship Program has funded the studies of more than 65 Filipinos who were able to pursue graduate degrees in the French language and literature, business, public policy and international development, engineering, math, marine biology, applied chemistry, environmental and ecological sciences, physics, computer science, and public health in several of France’s most prestigious higher education institutions such as AixMarseille Université, École des hautes études en santé publique, École Polytechnique, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse, Sciences Po, and Université ParisSaclay, among others.

EARNING institutions in Southeast Asia (SEA) needed to pivot to virtual classroom settings and leverage on remote learning tools to accommodate learners and ensure education is delivered everywhere, despite the health crisis. They used technology to navigate abrupt changes and implemented strategies to minimize learning loss amid unprecedented school shutdowns.

With governments rolling out recovery plans and ramping up vaccination, economies across the globe are beginning to reopen.

However, education systems in SEA will approach face-to-face learning more cautiously as new Covid-19 variants are discovered. Thus, institutions will continue to explore online learning models and incorporate new technologies which will assist educators and learners in maintaining continuity and building capacity to help them thrive in an ever-changing environment.

As learning institutions respond to the evolving needs of both students and educators while navigating uncertainties posed by the health crisis, here are top trends that will shape the region’s education systems in 2022: n Pivot to hybrid learning: As businesses implement remote working arrangements, academic institutions will leverage on the concept and embrace the remote learning setting. The pandemic has transformed the education system and taught institutions to be more flexible by considering various teaching models—provided learning objectives are still met. In 2022 education institutions will be offering options to students to be on-campus or choose some level of hybrid learning. Moreover, this pivot to hybrid strategy will not only attract and retain students, but also pave the way for the rise of microcredential courses, which will urge workers to seek reskilling and upskilling. n Reliance on technology in line with adoption of hybrid learning:

Throughout the pandemic, technology has served as an enabler, as well as played a crucial role in student engagement and learning efficiency. To increase capacity and address challenges of hybrid learning, it’s crucial for education institutions to invest in technology. Accessibility of resources will be a key focus, and schools will utilize new tools to enhance communication and collaboration. This will trigger initiatives to improve information-technology (IT) infrastructure in learning-management systems, Internet connectivity, and learning resources. Also, schools will look to revitalize their learning design strategy to ensure their online courses and digital pedagogies are purposely-fit.

n Increased attention on equitable access to resources and technology to empower students: Lessons and assessments originally designed for in-person classes were modified in haste to fit remote learning settings. Moreover, in less developed parts of the region, unreliable IT infrastructure and inequitable access to technology have hampered the implementation of remote learning during the pandemic. Faced w ith limited resources and increased pressure to meet learning objectives, it has led some students to feel overwhelmed a nd even resor t to ac adem ic misconduct such as plagiarism or contract cheating. Mov ing forward, learning institutions and governments in the region will introduce changes to education systems to improve equal access to technology and resources, to ensure no student is left behind.

n Personalization of education for improved learner experience:

With the use of educational technology supporting the switch to hybrid learning, there is a chance to personalize and create a learner-focused experience. To achieve this, schools and universities must harness software-learning analytics to identify patterns of student performance. Real-time data tracking of knowledge mastery or gaps during both high- and lowstakes online assessment allows for timely, meaningful feedback and helps guide instruction methods. Equipped with such up-to-date insights, educators can reduce the risk of students falling behind. Indeed, extracting the value of this data is key to building more personalized learning plans in Southeast Asia that better meet the needs of individual learners.

n Assessments will evolve to support the changing landscape: They

have not changed significantly for years; however, the pandemic has forced learning institutions to rethink their approach. On the agenda is the design of more authentic, robust assessments and learning activities that can fully engage students in both the online space and hybrid modes. As assessments move away from merely assigning grades, their design and interpretation will also integrate methods to identify how and when learning occurs, as well as assist educators in providing effective feedback to students and improve lesson designs, instructional approaches, plus curriculum.

The profound changes due to the pandemic have triggered a rethinking of the traditional methodologies employed to educate students within the system. With increased focus on enhancing the learner experience and the advent of digital technologies to improve learning modalities, we will see more opportunities to innovate, enabling education systems to respond to the needs of the modern world.

British Council opens 2nd round of scholarships for Women in STEM

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ILIPINO women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics are invited to apply for the Round 2 of the British Council scholarships for Women in STEM. Those from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam can obtain support to pursue a Master’s degree or Early Academic Fellowship from a university in the United Kingdom.

Twent y-nine scholarships from six UK universities are available via Brunel University, Teesside University, Liverpool John Moores University, Edinburgh Napier University, University of Glasgow and University of York. The scholar-

ships include funding for 21 Master’s degrees and eight PhDs or fellowships.

Courses offered include those in the fields of climate change, healthcare management, automation and water engineering, among others.

Scholars will have access to financial support—including tuition fees, stipends, travel costs, visas, health-coverage fees and special support for mothers.

“To meet the challenges of the 21st century, we need more women and girls studying and working in STEM fields,” said Leighton Ernsberger, Education and English director of the British Council. “But often, social and economic opportunities limit women from advanc-

ing their professional ambitions.”

Ernsberger added: “The UK has a world-renowned higher education sector that is truly international.

T hese scholarships w ill enable talented women to take up a lifechanging opportunity to develop careers in their chosen STEM fields, and then harness the experience to make a greater impact for good when they return home.”

Last year 15 scholars from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam traveled to the UK to start their Master’s degrees in STEM subjects as part of the first Scholarships for Women in STEM cohort.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or Unesco, said fewer than

30 percent of researchers worldwide are women, and only the same number of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. As a typical STEM worker earns two-thirds more than nonSTEM workers, giving women equal chances to pursue STEM careers helps narrow the gender pay gap and would be key in attaining the UN’s Sustainable Development Goa l 5: Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

In the Philippines, marketing and public relations firm Evident reports that “ just 2 in seven engineering students are female, only 41 percent of students taking infor mation-technolog yrelated courses are women, and

women make up only 43 percent of STEM enrolments—mostly in non-engineering or non-information technology fields, according to statistics from the Commission on Higher Education.” The country ranks 10th in the world in terms of the gender gap, and first in the whole of Asia, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

Applications should be made directly to the participating universities, and should meet specific requirements. For more information, visit the chosen university’s web site and www.br itishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/in-uk / scholarship-women-stem. This opportunity is open until the end of March 2022.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Saturday, January 29, 2022 A9

Beyond Gazing Mayon Volcano,

Nearby Adventures await F Story &photos by Bernard L. Supetran

or the longest time, Mayon Volcano has been among the country’s most iconic attractions of Albay province and the Bicol region which has graced countless tourism posters and brochures. It is best viewed at the postcard-pretty Cagsawa Ruins Church in Daraga town which was partly buried by a destructive eruption in 1812.

Sumlang Lake is one of the newest tourist destinations in Albay. Jed Gatchitorena

In Albay Gulf, visitors can take a dive or try sailing. Roy Espiritu

Decades later, the perfect-coned peak continues to be a must-see, but the sprouting of tourism around its road base has made visits more exciting with the bevy of activities which will make you linger a little bit longer and explore the environs.

The current toast of the town is Sumlang Lake in Camalig town, which is arguably the best spot to gaze at the majestic mountain. An idle swamp ignored by the locals a few back, it has metamorphosed into a venue abuzz with special events and visitors wolfing down on spicy Bicol dishes at the Socorro’s Lakeside Restaurant.

A brainchild of village chief Jun Napa, who is also an exporter of abaca-based natural carpets, its centerpiece is a lake where guests navigate on board kayaks or pedal boats, or cruise on a balsa ride while dining, with the towering Mayon in the background.

It also has a souvenir shop of local produce, an abaca weaving hut, and sprawling premises ideal for pet lovers to walk their

dogs. The property recently added a swimming pool and rooms for overnight stays, and has set up camping spots for those who wish to sleep under the stars.

Outside Sumlang, Camalig’s newly opened bypass road is slowly becoming a food street of sorts with native eateries and pop-up dining areas which emerge in the late afternoon.

Legazpi City, Albay’s bustling provincial capital and gateway, continues to reinvent itself with new attractions every now and then. According to Mayor Noel Rosal, the city government recently redeveloped open spaces as part of its urban renewal to provide alternative recreational areas so people can avoid crowding in enclosed buildings.

Among these is Sawangan Park along the scenic Legazpi Boulevard along the Albay Gulf, which has facilities where senior citizens can laze, limber, exercise and breathe fresh air from the sea. Named after the

DOÑA Pepita Eco Park and Golf Club offers great views of the world famous Mayon Volcano.

AT MIRISBIRIS Forest Trail guests can enjoy snorkeling and hiking.

city’s ancient name, the new public plaza is part of the boulevard, a hub of physical activities and is touted to be the longest bayside road outside Metro Manila.

Rosal added that the city has also rehabilitated Kalayaan (formerly Imelda) Park and installed a pump track for bikers and skateboarders. Its centerpiece is the metal sculpture of the late renowned sculptor Eduardo Castrillo, which has become a head-turner because of the wellmanicured landscape.

Sports lovers can engage in sailing and diving at Albay Gulf, hit the greens at the scenic 18-hole Doña Pepita Eco Park and Golf Club, or bike at the newly opened fourlane Tamaoyan Road in the city’s interiors.

Not to be missed is the homegrown adventure of all-terrain vehicles where you can have the rugged slopes of the volcano as your playground. There are several providers of ATV rentals from various jump-off points, each having a distinct and adren-

Proxy Hotel has an outdoor pool and restaurant. The Oriental

aline-pumping trail.

If you wish to hang out a little longer, you can hit the sack at Proxy Hotel, a trendy rebranding of The Oriental Albay which recently underwent an image makeover.

Barely a year old when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, it is a remake of a posh hotel in the 1990s and is a smaller version of its more popular hilltop sister property, The Oriental Legazpi.

The new hip iteration of an old icon hopes to capture the millennial and the Gen X generations with its retro lobby, upbeat ambiance and artsy common areas, compared to the stiff and white-washed look in its previous life.

Patrons can still enjoy the good old regional cuisine, as well as all-time Filipino and international favorites at its restaurant and poolside grill.

For a refreshing interlude and communion with nature, Mirisbiris Garden and Nature Center in Sto. Domingo town is the

place to be. Situated 10 minutes away from the población, it is a unique mix of facilities for children’s literacy, livelihood, and environmental education, among other things, rolled into one.

A social enterprise of its owners, Chris and Glenda Newhall, the property has a 1-hectare hillside main center with 4 family-style rooms, a quaint restaurant, an organic garden, and a romantic gazebo which has been a mute witness to countless wedding proposals.

Across it is a 9-hectare Singapore-style forest which has an engineered footpath, viewdeck and hanging bridge extending to the shores of Albay Gulf, concluding with a snorkeling activity if weather permits.

The one-hour trek transports guests to a lush greenery which has about 1,000 plant species, a good number of them endemic.

Indeed, a visit to the legendary Mayon nowadays has become beyond ogling, and beyond words.

Millennial Resorts bags the country’s first EDGE Certification for resort hospitality

EDGE-CERTIFIED Millennial Resorts feature the Cocoons and Club Laiya.

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illennial Resorts achieved the very first EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) Certification for a resort hospitality project in the country, with its Crusoe Cabins at CaSoBe in Calatagan, Batangas.

The EDGE Certification was awarded by Philippine Green Building Initiative Inc. (PGBI) which recognized Crusoe Cabins for its eco-efficient design that result in reduction of 34 percent in energy, 57 percent in water and 65 percent in embodied energy in materials compared to local base case.

“We are truly proud of this recognition of Millennial Resorts as the first recipient of the highly covetedEDGE Certification for a resort project in the Philippines. We share this honor with our relentless team who make it possible for

us to put into action Landco’s long-term commitment to social, economic and environmental sustainability in premium property developments for more than 30 years across the country,” said Erickson Y. Manzano, president and CEO of both Landco Pacific Corp. and Millennial Resorts Corp. (MRC).

“Being eco-conscious is ingrained in both Landco and MRC’s DNAs. We do it, first and foremost, because it is the right thing to do. Millennial Resorts’ EDGE Certification complements our over-all sustainability program at our latest Leisure Tourism Estates in Batangas—15-hectare CaSoBe and 24-hectare Club Laiya, both of which are LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] registered and incorporate water recycling, permeable pedestrian tree-lined walkways, and

Millennial Resorts operate Aquaria Waterpark at CaSoBe.

scenic bike lanes around the beachside properties to further reduce our carbon footprints,” he added.

“Millennial Resorts team is grateful for this certification which shows our responsibility to the environment as we preserve the resort lifestyle and the uniqueness of the beach destination of Batangas. This inspires us to continue to find new ways to minimize our impact on the environment and respect the local community,” stated Patrick C. Gregorio, senior consultant for Hospitality, Landco and MRC. The EDGE Certification demonstrates the leadership and advocacy of Landco and its sister hospitality group, Millennial Resorts in green building design with the use of EDGE software. “ Met ro Pac i f ic Invest ment s Cor p

Crusoe Cabins at Casobe is a seaside resort in Calatagan.

[MPIC] has always championed the integration of sustainability into our business strategy and value creation. We are proud that under the MVP Group, Landco and Millennial Resorts attained the EDGE certification to create a lasting positive impact to the environment and community.

This achievement is a concrete example of our holistic and all-inclusive approach to sustainability,” remarked Chaye CabalRevilla, Chief Finance, Sustainability and Risk Officer, MPIC. EDGE, an innovation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is an international green building standard, rating system and certification available in 160 countries. EDGE brings about solutions to reduce the use of energy, water and embodied energy in materials.

Millennial Resorts undertake sustain-

ability initiatives in line with MPIC’s commitment to help achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; and strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Millennial Resorts feature unique resort accommodations: Crusoe Cabins at CaSoBe and Costa Azalea and Cocoons at CaSoBe and Club Laiya; and leisure facilities: Laiya Beach Club at Club Laiya and Aquaria Water Park with a 3-story giant slide at CaSoBe and Costa Azalea. Its soon to be launched exciting new facilities are: Captain Barbozza restaurant and bar, Canopy and The Isle—venues for events, and Colony, a beachside co-working space. Costa Azalea is located in Samal Island, Davao.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Leading Chinese vacuum cleaner brand now in PHL

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HERE are many accounts pertaining to the history of vacuum cleaners. One says it was invented by Daniel Hess in 1860 as a carpet sweeper. In 1868, Ives W. McGaffey is said to have invented a crank-operated vacuum cleaner. But the invention of the powered vacuum cleaner as we know it, the device that uses a suction to remove dirt from floors and other surfaces, is attributed to Hubert Cecil Booth. American inventor David Kenney also created a similar contraption at around the same time.

In many parts of the world, a vacuum cleaner is still called a Hoover regardless of the brand. In fact, some countries use “Hoovering” as a verb in place of vacuuming because at one point, Hoover dominated the vacuum cleaner industry.

Cordless vacuum cleaners were invented sometime in the 1970s and they have really helped homemakers and homeowners. Many homes, particularly expansive ones, have two vacuum cleaners. One is the big variety for heavy duty cleaning while the other is a cordless or handheld one.

Many smaller homes just use handheld ones because they’re easier to store. Cordless vacuum cleaners are perfect for those who don’t have the time to clean daily. They also reach nooks and crannies and areas under furniture that only long brooms can get to.

Roidmi, the leader of the cordless vacuum cleaner industry in China, is finally in the Philippines. The brand is part of the Xiaomi ecosystem and it has over 400 technical patents and 10 design awards including iF, Red Dot and Good Design awards. Sold in over 80 countries, RoIdmi offers quality hi-tech consumer products perfect for different home needs.

I first heard of Roidmi from a friend who has the P1 Nano Pro, which weighs only 0.5kg. Despite its size, the P1 Nano Pro has been recognized for being one of the best handheld vacuum cleaners for cleaning in tight spaces. The P1 Nano Pro has a battery life with a runtime of up to 24 minutes and an on-board wide-angle LED light.

The Roidmi X30 VX has a 2-in-1 vacuum and wipes cleaning function. The wipe function serves two purposes—dry mopping and wet wiping of

floors. It has a 120,000 rpm digital brushless motor with a suction power of 150W while the mops rotate at 200 rpm with a wiping speed of 10m2/min.

The Roidmi X30 VX is powered by high-capacity power lithium batteries and can run for 80 minutes on eco mode, 35 minutes on standard mode and 10 minutes on boost mode. The vacuum also comes with a one-button press self-cleaning station for a hands-free mop cleaning and drying experience.

The Roidmi X30 Pro synchronizes vacuuming, mopping and sterilizing with the ZiWei Sterilization System. It has an NEX-V roller brush perfect for vacuuming floors and carpets and a magnetic water tank module that can be attached when mopping.

The handheld vacuum, which has a runtime of 70 minutes, also has a LED light that illuminates when you’re cleaning dark areas and corners for full visibility.

Meanwhile, the Roidmi X20 is an aestheticallypleasing 2-in-1 function vacuum cleaner that can simultaneously vacuum and mop. It has a 120,000 rpm digital brushless motor and a runtime of 65 minutes.

The Roidmi S2 is a lightweight model with the

main unit weighing only 1.5kg with a 270 0 handle design for easier and comfortable use. The S2 incorporates a 110,000-rpm digital brushless motor and a 130W-strong suction power.

The ROIDMI Z1 Air integrates a 100,000-rpm digital brushless motor which provides 110W suction power. At 1.55kg, it is lightweight so it is convenient for single-hand use. The Z1 Air has a runtime of 60 minutes on a single charge.

All the Roidmi models mentioned above, except for the P1 Nano Pro, have a multi-layer air filtration system that traps the previously vacuumed dust and prevents it from being released back into the air. It also comes with a wall-mount dock which can be used for charging and storage purposes.

The Roidmi X30 VX, X30 Pro, X20 and S2 cordless vacuum cleaners have LED display screens and all support the Roidmi smart app connection to the mobile phone via Bluetooth. This app connection enables users to check the main unit power, cleaning time, dust full and filter replacement reminders.

Roidmi vacuum cleaners are available at the brand’s official stores on LazMall and Shopee Mall.

Gonzalez, 3 UK-based Filipino chefs tap cyberspace to promote local cuisine

By Rizal Raoul Reyes

Web site of Filipino chefs Gene Gonzalez, Rex de Guzman, Budjie Montoya and Mark Corbyn in the Rassa program.

A PROMINENT Filipino chef and three Filipino chefs based in the United Kingdom have been tapped by a British hospitality tech startup to promote local cuisine to the global community.

Gene Gonzalez, owner of the iconic restaurant Cafe Ysabel, told Businessmirror in an online interview that he will be joined by UK-based Rex de Guzman, Budjie Montoya and Mark Corbyn to offer courses on Filipino cuisine which are not popular in the world. The videographer of the team is Philippine-based Chef Francis Roman.

“Rassa has a very strong research user base. When they contacted me, they had already made a search for a Philippinebased chef to work with their Filipino chefs based abroad. I grabbed it thinking I had nothing to lose. It was during the lockdown and I wasn’t in my Cafe Ysabel kitchen anyway and the school was closed,” Gonzalez explained.

Gonzalez said the program has a flexible learning platform which will offer short courses and a long premium course which are not even offered in the Philippines. Being the first head of a culinary school that made Filipino cuisine as a part of the curricula, the De La Salle University alumnus said there is so much potential as he was asked by Rassa to be open to more content creation.

Gonzalez said Rassa is a global culinary platform promoting countries with cuisines not quite known to the world. Earlier, the platform launched their Israeli and Irish modules. The Philippines will be the third country to be featured. Gonzalez commended the Rassa team for being very patient, open and nurturing to the concepts in the Filipinos’ content creation. “Rassa will not only provide online lessons but will also on specified days have the chefs virtually associate with the enrollees,” Gonzalez explained.

Gonzalez commended his counterparts in the United Kingdom for their creativity and their dedication in preserving their family

culinary traditions. “I did submit a module of recipes but the most exciting part was the documentaries we did explaining the intricacies of Philippine cooking and eating,” Gonzalez pointed out The chef said his socio-anthropological, behavioral and cultural documentation and explanations side by side with historical experience impressed and surprised the Rassa staff, spurring him later to produce more content in linking the recipes to the experiences of the Filipinos.

Gozalez said doing the documentaries were both learning and relearning experiences for him as he went to the ricefields to harvest rice, crossed the nipa swamp to look at how sap and nectar were tapped, harvested banana parts with a bolo while explaining the significance of the banana, sawsawan and kamayan (eating with the hands), among others.

“Hopefully, we will be able to make a deeper mark as a country rich in culinary culture,” Gonzalez said.

Sony’s new FX6 firmware update boasts real-time tracking, breathing compensation SONY (www.sony-asia.com) recently announced a new firmware update (Version 2.00) for full-frame Cinema Line camera, FX6, that includes AI-based real-time tracking—a long-awaited auto focus feature that enables extreme precision when tracking subjects.

Real-time tracking uses color, pattern (brightness) and distance (depth) data to process spatial information in real time and AI detects and keeps track of the subject’s eye and face for tenaciously high accuracy.

Based on customer feedback, Sony incorporated

new technologies into the firmware update to allow users to deliver standout creative content.

The firmware update includes focus breathing compensation for a consistent angle of viewing when focusing, as well as a new technology— bokeh control mode—that takes advantage of variable ND filter. This mode automatically adjusts the ND filter and gain when the iris is operated, making it easy to adjust the amount of bokeh while suppressing exposure changes. The FX6 also allows 16-bit RAW output to an external recorder via

HDMI, allowing the flexible use of advanced postproduction—ideal for movie makers. RAW output from HDMI also eliminates the need for conversion from SDI to HDMI, enabling shooting with a more compact shooting system.

The FX6 is part of Sony’s Cinema Line, a series of products that bring the company’s expertise in imaging technology to a broad range of filmmakers and content creators. The firmware update will be available at the end of January 2022 to download.

More information can be found at bit.ly/3rT1Fui.

Facebook parent Meta creates powerful AI supercomputer MENLO PARK, California—Facebook’s parent company Meta on Monday said it has created what it believes is among the fastest artificial intelligence supercomputers running today.

The social-media giant said it hopes the machine will help lay the groundwork for its building of the metaverse, a virtual reality construct intended to supplant the Internet as we know it today.

Facebook said it believes the computer will be the fastest in the world once it is fully built around the middle of the year.

Supercomputers are extremely fast and powerful machines built to do complex calculations not possible with a regular home computer. Meta did not disclose where the computer is located or how much it is costing to build.

The computer, which is already up and running but is still being built, is called AI Research SuperCluster.

Meta says it will help its AI researchers build “new and better” artificial intelligence models that can learn from “trillions” of examples and work across hundreds of different languages simultaneously and analyze text, images and video together.

The way Meta is defining the power of its computer is different from how conventional and more technically powerful supercomputers are measured because it relies on the performance of graphics-processing chips, which are useful for running “deep learning” algorithms that can understand what’s in an image, analyze text and translate between languages, said Tuomas Sandholm, a computer science professor and co-director of the AI center at Carnegie Mellon University.

“We hope RSC will help us build entirely new AI systems that can, for example, power real-time voice translations to large groups of people, each speaking a different language, so they can seamlessly collaborate on a research project or play an AR game together,” Meta said in a blog post.

The company said its supercomputer will incorporate “real-world examples” from its own systems into training its AI. It says its previous efforts used only open-source and other publicly available data sets.

“They are going to, for the first time, put their customer data on their AI research computer,” Sandholm said. “That would be a really big change to give AI researchers and algorithms access to all that data.” AP

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Saturday, January 29, 2022 A11

11 TRICKS FOR YOUR XIAOMI 11T

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ITH a 108MP pro-grade camera that allows you to create Cinemagic, a 120Hz AMOLED screen for both creation and consumption, and hyperfast charging, the Xiaomi 11T is one of the best bang-forthe-buck smartphones you can buy.

I’ve gotten a bunch of e-mails when I reviewed the 11T last month so to answer some of your questions, here are 11 tips and tricks you should know to make the best out of your Xiaomi 11T and 11T Pro. 1. Always on display—Put that gorgeous 6.7 AMOLED display to good use even when the screen is off. Go to settings and select Always on Display (AoD) and lock screen. It is off by default so you need to toggle it on. You can now create your theme, customize signature text, choose from analog or digital clocks or opt for some kaleidoscope effects. There are also several preinstalled images if you don’t want to upload your photo. You can choose to turn AoD for 10 seconds, always on or at a scheduled time.

For those who want a fresh lock screen wallpaper every time, go back to the previous screen and scroll down to activate Wallpaper Carousel (yes, there are cute cats and dogs), or you could add photos from your gallery.

2. Good vibrations—Xiaomi devices have vastly improved haptic motors that are currently among the best in the market. Turn it on to feel the phone’s responsiveness as MIUI uses it for gentle nudges throughout the UI and the experience is extremely good. Go to settings > Sound and vibration and scroll down to toggle it on and adjust the feedback level.

3. Battery hack—To know exactly how much battery you have, go to settings > Notification & Control Center > Status Bar and select Battery Indicator percentage. While you are on the same screen you can also choose to show the speed of your Internet connection as well as an option to hide the Notch. If you need to save battery, there is an ultra battery saver option that could extend your battery up to 3x. It will also suggest options on how to add more minutes such as turning on Dark Mode, lowering the screen refresh rate, restricting 5G connectivity, etc.

4. Camera tricks—The Xiaomi 11T has a really good set of cameras that is made even more fun with several new cinematic modes. Besides the VLOG mode and Short video for your stories, there’s also a new Movie Effects mode. Effects include Magic Zoom, Slow Shutter, Time Freeze, Night Time Lapse, and the “Inception-esque” parallel world. There are short video samples to give you an idea of what the effect would look like.

Another fun mode to use is Clone, and this allows you to take several photos or videos of yourself in one frame. The Freeze-Frame effect is my favorite.

Long press the shutter button to create up to 15-second videos for your social media accounts.

You can quickly launch the camera by doublepressing the volume down when the screen is off.

5. Back tap shortcuts—One of the most useful features I’ve discovered on the Xiaomi 11T Pro is the Back Tap. Go to Settings > Additional Settings > Gesture Shortcuts >Back Tap. This lets you assign a shortcut when you Double Tap or Triple Tap the

back of your phone. You can use this to quickly take a screenshot, open the control center, calculator or launch the camera or Google Assistant, switch to silent mode, etc.

The taps don’t end there as you could also assign a double-tap gesture on the fingerprint sensor/ power button.

6. SHARE AWAY: You don’t have to download an app and get spammed to send files and photos to other devices as you can either use Mi Share to transfer files to other Xiaomi smartphones or Nearby Share when sending to other Android devices. Just swipe down on the control center and long press to access the options.

7. App Lock/Dual App—If you have friends or kids that constantly borrow your phone, you might want to turn on App Lock to protect your privacy. Just tap on the Security Icon and scroll down to find App Lock. You will then be asked to set a pattern password so don’t forget it. Some of the apps you can lock include Gallery, Messenger, Viber, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Chrome. You can also lock File Manager and Contacts to prevent others from snooping.

There is also another option that allows you to hide certain apps as well.

Dual App, on the other hand, installs another Instagram/Facebook app on your phone, which is quite useful if you manage a couple of social media accounts.

8. Split screen—If you want to view two apps at the same time, just open “recents” and long press on the app you want to use to access a popup menu. Choose the icon with two rectangles to enter the split-screen screen. Next is to choose the other app you want to open and use the black bar to adjust the size.

9. Secret code—On the dialer press *#*#6484#*#* to access the secret menu. The CIT menu offers detailed control of the display, speakers, microphones, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, SIM cards, SD cards, battery charging, LED lights, etc. This is used for simple, clear and fast testing of every part of your smartphone. Because the test focuses on each component separately, you can easily identify and solve the problem of your phone.

10. Make MI faster—The fastest and easiest way is to tap on Boost Speed and the Cleaner app so you could clear the cache files, obsolete files, and some unnecessary files. The Deep Clean option, meanwhile, will allow you to find and delete duplicate photos videos and files. You should also remove the preinstalled apps on your phone if you are not using them. It’s also a good idea to restart your smartphone at least once a day.

11. Keep your MI updated—Tap on Settings > About Phone and tap the MIUI version to check if you have the latest software. It will notify you if there’s a new update you need to download but make sure that your phone is either plugged in or at least 70 percent

New models in Huawei P series coming

charged. The phone will restart and make sure you do not close the app or use the phone while updating.

Bonus tip: What to do if your Xiaomi 11T (or any phone) falls in the water? How can you save it from water damage?

The Xiaomi 11T may have dust and splash protection but it’s not waterproof. So it might not be a good idea to bring it to the pool or the beach.

But if your phone gets submerged and switches off, DO NOT try to switch it on right away to check if it is still working. This is the most common mistake people do as it can cause an internal short circuit and permanently damage your phone. If your phone is still on, turn it off first and wipe it dry using a cloth. Do not blow air into the charging or audio ports or use a hairdryer, instead use a vacuum cleaner so it could suck out any water droplets and stop them from entering any further.

Once you are sure that water is removed, place the phone inside a bag of rice grains for at least rtwo days. Make sure to store the plastic bag in a cool dry place to avoid moisture buildup. Take your phone out after two days, check first if there is any moisture left before turning it on. If it still doesn’t turn on, it’s time to bring it to the service center. n If you have questions or tips for your devices, e-mail thetechnivore@gmail.com.

Spotify removes Neil Young’s music after ultimatum over Joe Rogan SPOTIFY Technology SA is removing Neil Young’s music from its streaming service after the singer raised concerns this week that the platform’s most popular podcaster, Joe Rogan, is spreading vaccine misinformation, according to a person familiar with the company’s decision.

“I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” Young wrote in a letter to his record company and management team earlier this week. “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”

Young removed the letter from his web site but continued to negotiate with his label, Warner Music Group’s Warner Records, and Spotify, according

to the Wall Street Journal, which reported earlier Wednesday on the streaming service’s decision.

The “Joe Rogan Experience” is Spotify’s most popular podcast. Spotify struck a deal with Rogan in 2020 worth more than $100 million, bringing the lucrative show exclusively to its service.

Young isn’t the only one to raise concerns about Rogan’s podcast.

Earlier this month, 270 scientists and medical professionals issued an open letter to Spotify, urging the streaming giant to establish a misinformation policy after an episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience” promoted what they said were “baseless conspiracy theories” about the

pandemic. They wrote that letter in response to a December 31 program featuring Robert Malone, a doctor who has called himself the “inventor” of mRNA vaccines.

Malone was banned from Twitter for circulating anti-vaccine misinformation. You Tube also deleted a recording of the Rogan podcast shortly after it was uploaded to the web site by a third party.

Since the start of the pandemic, Spotify has removed 20,000 podcast episodes containing Covid misinformation. The streaming service has deleted more than 40 episodes of Rogan’s podcast—which has an estimated 11 million listeners. Young has about six million monthly listeners on Spotify.

IN the pursuit of providing only the best technological aesthetics and smart photography, tech giant Huawei pushed itself to produce the smartphone P Series. It started with the P9 Series where all the multi-lense camera phone era began. This was followed by the Huawei P10, P20, P30 and P40 series, which pushed boundaries, driving innovation in smartphone photography with intelligent algorithms, larger and more sophisticated sensors, and better zoom capabilities.

In this lineage, the Huawei P50 Pro was conceived.

The Huawei P50 Pro is the perfect blend of form and function. It has been exquisitely designed, sporting an effortlessly elegant look which is the main characteristic of the P series. Its iconic Dual-Matrix Camera Design sees an incredible array of high-end lenses working together in perfect harmony. This is further enhanced by the ground-breaking Huawei XD Fusion Pro image engine and Huawei XD Optics technologies, as the Huawei P50 Pro captures the essence of true photography and artistry.

Adding on to the P Series family is the most premium folding smartphone, the Huawei P50 Pocket.

It is likewise defined by the DNA of innovative camera technology with a touch of trend-setting aesthetic design. The P50 Pocket is yet another smartphone where one can enjoy highly innovative camera technology without compromising style.

The Huawei P50 Pocket continues a legacy of aesthetic excellence with a uniquely eye-catching design, which sees the intricate etchings on its outer casing beautifully intertwine light and shadow. In an age where there is a desire for smaller, more portable but still powerful devices, the Huawei P50 Pocket achieves the delicate balance between portability and function—all by fusing innovation with artistry.

The Huawei P50 Pro boasts fast-charge capability with the 66W Huawei SuperChange. It takes 38 minutes of high-speed charging to juice up its high capacity 4300mAh battery. The P50 Pocket also has a fast-charging capability with 44W SuperCharge.

The platform’s AppGallery contains all the apps you need for your daily use and places data privacy at top priority. With the Huawei P50 Pro and P50 Pocket, controlling multiple devices at once is as easy as controlling just one single device because of the Super Device. Super Device lets users easily control or set up multi-device collaboration with other devices, such as the Huawei Vision, FreeBuds, MatePad, and MateBook.

The Huawei P50 Pro and P50 Pocket will be availble through Huawei standalone stores and the company’s e-commerce platforms in early February.

The Huawei P50 Pro and Huawei P50 Pocket

Sports BusinessMirror

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ELBOURNE, Australia—Rafael Nadal is now within one victory of a record 21st Grand

Slam singles title.

The 35-year-old Spaniard advanced to the Australian Open final for a sixth time with a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win Friday over Matteo Berrettini.

He arrived in Australia not knowing how long he’d last after months off the tour recovering from injuries and then a bout of Covid-19.

He won a title at a tune-up tournament and now has won six matches at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.

One more and he’ll break record of 20 majors he shared with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He’ll also become just the fourth man in history to win all four of the Grand Slam titles at least twice.

In the championship match on Sunday, he will play

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EW YORK—LeBron James will return to Cleveland as an All-Star Game captain, with another former Cavaliers No. 1 pick joining him as this season’s surprise selection.

Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins was voted to his first All-Star Game, with Memphis guard Ja Morant also set for his debut.

MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry joined those three Thursday as the other players voted as starters from the Western Conference.

The starters from the East were Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid in the frontcourt, along with Atlanta’s Trae Young and Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan.

James and Durant, as the leading vote-getters in each conference, will be the captains who draft players for the rosters for the February 20 game in Cleveland.

James, who began his NBA career with the Cavaliers in 2003 and led them to the 2016 championship during his second stint there, was chosen as an All-Star for the 18th straight time. He has been a captain every year since the league went away from the East vs. West format, leading his team to a 4-0 record. AP

the winner of the later semifinal between US Open champion Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Nadal’s win over Berrettini, under a closed roof at Rod Laver Arena because of heavy local rain, was his 500th on hard courts at tour level. He’s only won the title at the Australian Open only once, in 2009.

Adding a second was his only focus after yet another semifinal win.

“For me, it’s all about the Australian Open more than anything else,” he said in his on-court TV interview. “I have been a little unlucky [here] in my career with some injuries. I played some amazing finals with good chances.”

“I feel very lucky that I won once.

I never thought about another chance in 2022,” he said.

Nadal broke the seventh-seeded Berrettini’s opening service games in the first two sets and, after dropping the third, rallied to finish off in just under three hours. That in itself was a relief after his long fiveset win over Denis Shapovalov two days earlier in the quarterfinals.

Nadal was the only member of the so-called Big Three who had a chance to break the deadlock in Australia this time.

Federer missed the tournament to continue his recovery from knee surgery.

Djokovic, who has won nine of his Grand Slam titles in Australia, was deported on the eve of the tournament for failing to meet the country’s strict Covid-19 vaccination criteria.

HISTORY ON THE LINE FOR ASH BARTY

AFTER losing to Ash Barty in the semifinals, Madison Keys decided to give her fellow American Danielle Collins a scouting report ahead of the Australian Open title match.

It won’t be easy reading for

LEBRON JAMES is chosen as an AllStar for the 18th straight time. AP

James, Morant, Wiggins named All-Star starters

| Saturday, January 29, 2022 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

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By Josef Ramos

ARITA, Japan—Alpine skier Asa Miller is bound for a sound improvement when he competes in his second consecutive Winter Olympics as a more experienced 21-year-old in Beijing.

As a wet-behind-the-ears 17-yearold in the Pyeongchang Games four years ago, Miller has matured with his skis following a rich four-year campaign that netted him another stint at snow sports’ biggest stage.

“I wish him all the luck that he will improve on his performance from the last Winter Olympics,” Philippine

Collins, who will try to prevent topranked Barty from becoming the first Australian woman in 44 years to win the Australian Open singles championship.

Barty goes into Saturday’s final on a 10-match winning streak and having lost just 21 games in six matches without dropping a set. She has also won 81 of her past 82 service games.

Keys, who lost 6-1, 6-3 to Barty in the semis, isn’t surprised by those statistics.

“You have a game plan in your head, but she’s just executing everything so well,” Keys said. “She’s serving incredibly well, so you don’t get any free points on that.

“Her slice is coming in so much lower and deeper than it was in the past, so it’s hard to do anything on that. Then you try to play to her forehand and she can open you up there. I think the rest of us are watching it thinking, ‘wow, this is incredible,’ but when you watch her, she seems completely in control of all of it.”

Collins has only beaten Barty once in four matches, a year ago at an Australian Open tune-up tournament in Adelaide. She secured a spot in her first Grand Slam final with a 6-4, 6-1 win over 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek.

The 28-yearold Collins had endometriosis and last April underwent

emergency surgery, affecting most of the rest of her season. She’s now just one win away from achieving her childhood dream of becoming a Grand Slam champion. Her previous best performance at a major was a semifinal loss in Australia in 2019.

Collins said the depth of the women’s game the past few years has

left Manila via Japan Airlines for the Chinese capital on Friday morning.

Miller, his father Kelly and Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation President Jim Palomar Apelar will be arriving in Beijing on Sunday from the US on board Japan Airlines. Covid-19 Liaison Officer Nikki Cheng of Philippine Skating Union will also fly to Beijing on Sunday from Manila.

Will Gregorak, the American coach of Miller, will be arriving in China from the US after the opening ceremony.

Team Philippines will stay at the Yanqing Olympic Village.

nowhere near Melbourne Park is in the hearts and minds of players, fans and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the organization that runs the women’s professional tour.

“We’ve seen members of the tennis community being supportive of Peng Shuai—Naomi Osaka, namely, and lots of others, including Serena Williams,” Mok, an Australian of Chinese heritage, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday as he unpacked boxes of the shirts.

“It’s a good opportunity to go to the largest tennis event in a while and force [attention].”

Peng, the former No. 1-ranked doubles player who won titles at Wimbledon and the French Open, dropped out of public view in November after accusing a former high-ranking Chi-

nese government official, vice premier Zhang Gaoli, of sexual assault.

Concerns about censorship of Peng and her subsequent disappearance from public view led the WTA to suspend all of its tournaments in China, including the season-ending championships. The head of the tour repeatedly has called for China to investigate the 35-yearold Peng’s accusations and to allow the WTA to communicate directly with her.

“We are all behind her. Everybody wants to have some news and see that she is really fine,” said Tatjana Maria, a 34-year-old from Germany who competed in singles and doubles at Melbourne Park. “That’s what’s most important—that she is doing fine and she is well.... It’s the WTA that has to put pressure [on] China to try to get some news.” AP

Michael Martinez, also participated.

Richer in experience and with skills he polished incessantly the last four years, Miller also qualified for men’s slalom in Beijing after making the threshold of 160 International Skiing Federation qualifying points.

“The whole Philippines is excited because we’re one of only a few countries in the Southeast Asian region that will compete in the Winter Olympics,” said Tolentino, who thanked the Philippine Sports Commission for its all-out support to the Philippine delegation.

Chef de Mission Bones Floro and Athlete’s Welfare Officer Joebert Yu

‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ T-shirts grab attention

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ELBOURNE, Australia— Even as he was being ejected from the Australian Open for wearing a white T-shirt with a “Where is Peng Shuai?” slogan in black letters, Max Mok saw an opportunity to amplify the message of concern for the Grand Slam doubles champion and Olympian from China whose well-being has come into question.

Mok’s plan: He’ll help hand out 1,000 of the shirts Saturday to spectators attending the women’s final between No. 1-ranked Ash Barty of Australia and Danielle Collins of the US. Yes, this is the biggest tennis match of 2022 so far, yet someone

given her optimism that she could upset Barty, the Wimbledon and 2019 French Open champion, in the final.

“There’s been so many women in the last couple of years who won Slams that were not expected to win Slams, and that gives hope to all the players,” the 30th-ranked Collins said. “Whether you’re outside the top 50 or the top 100, or if you’re in the top 10, everyone has a chance of making deep runs. I’ve used that mentality and just tried to do the best I can, and tried to believe in how I’m playing.”

Barty agreed with Collins on the the wide-open chances in majors, going back most recently to Emma Raducanu’s surprise win as a qualifier at last year’s US Open.

“I think the way that the WTA [Women’s Tennis Association] or the women’s tour has changed over the last three, four, five years has been incredible,” Barty said. “The depth has expanded dramatically, and I think that has forced everyone to raise their level. You have seen even recently with different winners and different tournaments, anyone in the draw is able to win the event.” AP

RAFAEL NADAL and Ash Barty advance to the Australian Open finals. AP

MILLER BOUND FOR BETTER STINT IN BEIJING OLYMPICS Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Friday. “But his qualification for Beijing is already an absolute honor for a tropical country like ours.”

“We are very fortunate to have a qualified athlete,” Tolentino added.

The Beijing Games are set from February 4 to 20 with the FilipinoAmerican Miller vying in men’s slalom and giant slalom at the Xiaohaituo Alpine Skiing field in Yanqing District starting on February 16.

Miller finished in 70th spot among 110 competitors in his giant slalom debut in Pyeongchang 2018 where another Filipino, figure skater

DREW PAVLOU ties a yellow ribbon to his wrist as he wears one of the 1,000 shirts that they will be handing out to patrons ahead of Saturday’s women’s singles final at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday. AP

T

HE Premier Volleyball League (PVL) moved back the Open Conference launch to March 16 to give the nine teams more time to prepare.

Originally slated to kick off its second pro season on February 16, the organizing Sports Vision has decided to move the opening a month later to give the teams at least one-and-a-half months of training to reach competitive level coming off a long break.

“We asked the member teams to give us their inputs and their concerns. After putting all it all together, we decided that the best thing to do for us at this point in time is to move the opening to mid-March,” Sports Vision and PVL President Ricky Palou said.

“But we have to shorten our conference to make way for the training of the national team,” Palou added.

Thus, from a previous threemonth schedule, the first of the three conferences lined up this year will now be a four-week tournament ending on April 9.

With a short window, the format of the tournament will have a pool play setup—a first for the league.

The reset also concurs with the Philippine National Volleyball Federation’s schedule to bring the national team to a camp in Brazil as part of its buildup for the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games slated May 12 to 23.

Under the new format, the nine member teams—including defending Open Conference champion Chery Tiggo, runner-up Creamline, third placer Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, Philippine Army, PLDT Home Fibr, BaliPure, Cignal, and PNVF Champions League champion F2 Logistics— will be divided into two pools with one side having five teams.

The top 4 teams in each pool will advance to the knockout quarterfinals with no team from the pool of four being eliminated. The teams first and second-ranked teams in each pool will have twice-to-beat advantages.

In case of a tie in the number of victories, the tiebreaker will be the points gained after each match—three points for a three- or four-set win; two points for the winner and one point for the loser of a five-setter; and zero points for either a three-set, four-set, or forfeit defeat.

If the points still end up in a tie, the set quotient, the point quotient, heads-up matchup for the whole preliminary round, then the set quotient and the point quotient among the teams involved, in that order, will follow as tiebreakers.

The PVL, meanwhile, is looking at three venues to host the tournament.

A full bubble set up at either the Aquamarine Sports Complex in Lipa City or Tagaytay Royale in Alfonso, Cavite, is being considered in case the league is required to hold such for health and safety measures.

However, if the situation clears up in Manila, the Open Conference will be held in the metropolis under a closed-circuit setup.

“We are also looking at the possibility of holding it here in Metro Manila depending on the situation,” said Palou. “By mid-February, we will know what our alert level will be.”

Teams are already seeking clearance from their respective local government units for permission to train. The Games and Amusements Board and the Inter-Agency Task Force must also approve each team’s health and safety protocols to begin training.

RAFA CLOSES IN ON NO. 21

PATAFA ‘MOVES ON,’ BUT PURSUES ISSUES VS. OBIENA HE Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) on Friday released a statement that it has “moved on” two days after its president was declared persona non grata by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

“The Patafa [therefore] chooses to move on. There’s so much work to be done and attention that needs to be given to our more than 50 athletes, coaches and other stakeholders,” the national sports association said in a statement signed by its chairman, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, and president, Dr. Philip Ella Juico.

“All of them need to be given the same proportionate opportunities provided to an exclusive circle. Our athletes continue to train for the forthcoming Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi and the Asian Games in China,” the statement added.

Thirty-six of the 54 regular members of POC ratified the Executive Board’s recommendation that Juico be a persona non grata for “harassing” Ernest John “EJ” Obiena by making “malicious public accusations” against world-class pole vaulter.

“With respect to Mr. Ernest John Obiena, he has chosen to remove himself from the jurisdiction of Patafa.

He decided to align, work with and avail himself of total support purportedly guaranteed by his patrons, agents and political backers,” the statement said. “They are expected to support his training, maintenance, medical needs and compliance with requirements of Tournament organizers.”

The Patafa added: “Even as Patafa consider this Obiena case closed, with the COA [Commission on Audit] doing a special audit, the Patafa is constrained by law and policies to pursue legal options as identified by the committee which investigated the allegations against him. This responsibility falls on our shoulders.”

“We wish Mr. Obiena Godspeed and success in his endeavors,” the Patafa statement ended.

A12

PVL Open pushes through in March with ‘pool’ format

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

ALL OUT MULTI-MEDIA SOLUTIONS CORP. Unit 2302-a West Tower, Pse Centre, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

1.

LEE, MYOUNGJU Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage Korean customer queries/complaints.

KANG, WAN SOO It Consultant

2.

Brief Job Description: Providing strategic advise on using technology to achieve goals.

SIM, SUNHONG Technical Support Specialist

3.

Brief Job Description: Maintenance and monitoring of computer hardware computer systems and applications

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing Korean and English

4.

Brief Job Description: Oversee Core Life Insurance Digital Applications with a mix of IT, web technologies

15.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing Korean and English 16.

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

Brief Job Description: the quality analyst is responsible for developing and supporting the planning, design, and execution of large complex on-, and offshore dredging & land development project

VAN HET HOOFT, THIJS Spraying Superintendent 17.

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

5.

6.

LEE SIEW LING E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide chat support to clients.

OU, XINXUAN E-commerce Consultant (Chinese Speaking) Brief Job Description: Provide chat support to clients.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications / can multi-task and keen to details / able to speak Chinese and English fluently.

MADRIGAL MARIN, PABLO JOSE Finance Reporting Senior Analyst

18.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications / can multi-task and keen to details / able to speak Chinese and English fluently.

Brief Job Description: The Finance Reporting Senior Analyst is responsible for the generation, tracking and submission of financial reports in coordination with the Finance Team.

The overall objective of this role is to accurately prepare and report business/financial transactions, reports and statements in accordance with local regulatory guidelines.

7.

Brief Job Description: Communicate effectively via live video call with our customer base - third party seller who want to sell on amazon in its various marketplace

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRINH DUC ANH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRINH HONG DAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHEN, LIN Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires TRAN QUOC VU Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

14.

Brief Job Description: Strategizes to improve financial processes and systems

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

Basic Qualification: 1.5+ years of related experience gained from a multinational bank or related industry 2.Project Management experience preferred 3. Highly proficient in Microsoft Office with an emphasis on MS Excel 4.

Working knowledge of related industry practices and standards

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

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

BARRANTES SALAS, CARLOS EDUARDO Finance Reporting Senior Manager 19.

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

Brief Job Description: The Financial Reporting Group Manager will oversee the Regulatory Reporting Process. The individual will play a significant role ensuring controls are in place to enhance the quality of outcome of those reports.

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

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

COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS PHILIPPINES, INC. 2nd, 3rd, And 4th Floors, Science Hub Tower 4 Bldg., Mckinley Hill Cyberpark, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

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

KANDHASAMY, SARAVANAN Associate - Projects 20.

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

Brief Job Description: Strong knowledge in Solar Modernization in Azure Cloud applications (D365, Azure service bus); Strong knowledge in Healthcare payer system; Strong knowledge in Accessibility Testing using NVDA Healthcare Business Domain Knowledge in Humana Enrolment, Producer demographic,

HUANG, JU-CHUN Advisor I, Sales 21.

Basic Qualification: Master’s degree in the related field; relevant number of experience in managing cash in transit business.

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

Brief Job Description: Provide professional responses to user comments and questions on social media and other channels according to agreed service levels

LIENG KY PHOI Vietnamese Speaking Customer Service Representative 22.

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION JEONG, HYEONGYO Cost Control Assistant Manager

24.

Brief Job Description: Direct and coordinate the maintenance, repair, operation of distribution lines and appurtenances; coordinate the activities of the systems with the development of long term expansion and reconstruction programs.

LEI, YE Chinese Speaking Program Designer 25.

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

ONG WU CHUN Chinese Speaking Program Designer 26.

Brief Job Description: immediately escalating serious complaints or issues that you are not equipped to deal with

NONG NGOC MAI Vietnamese Speaking Customer Service Representative

27.

23.

Brief Job Description: immediately escalating serious complaints or issues that you are not equipped to deal with

28.

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

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

LI, BOWEN 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

LIU, ZHEPENG 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

29.

WANG, GUANGLIANG 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

30.

ZHANG, LIUYUN 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

FIBERHOME PHILS., INC. U-19d 19/f Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati XU, ZHAOYUAN Account Manager 31.

Brief Job Description: responsible for managing and growing key customers of fiberhome in the philippines CAI, XIAOYA Administrative Manager

32.

Brief Job Description: staff supervision, fcilitating communication and to develop procedures ZHANG, PU Marketing Manager

33.

Brief Job Description: responsible for managing and growing key customers of fiberhome in the philippines KE, PENG Project Manager

34.

Brief Job Description: responsible for managing technical issues on materials, equipment being used SU, XUHAO Project Manager

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 35.

Brief Job Description: responsible for managing technical issues on materials being used on projects WEN, KUN Project Manager

36.

Brief Job Description: responsible for managing technical issues on materials, equipment being used

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 YOU, DAOWEI Project Manager 37.

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

DL MANILA BRANCH 12th Flr. Menarco Tower, 32nd St., Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

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

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak, read and write Mandarin language

Basic Qualification: proficient in speaking, reading and writing in vietnamese

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience in the related field.

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

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

Basic Qualification: proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Vietnamese

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

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

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: With extensive experience in Financial Management of a multinational cosmetics company.

Basic Qualification: Healthcare payer & payee system producer BOB (Book of Business) management and producer in payment systems, claims & producer demographic

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

AVON COSMETICS, INC. 22/f Pacific Star Bldg., Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave. Cor. Makati Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

EROL, MEHMET Head Of Finance, Philippines And Apac

Basic Qualification: superintendent experience in working with excavators and dry earth movement in international dredging, land reclamation and rock works projects

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

MALVERDE MUÑOZ, MARCO ANTONIO General Manager

13.

Basic Qualification: university or higher professional education in civil construction; strong understanding of quality management system; must have work experience of at least 10 years on international dredging, land reclamation or construction projects

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

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

ARMORED TRANSPORT PLUS, INCORPORATED #251 Unit 401, Edsa, Wack-wack Greenhills, City Of Mandaluyong

Brief Job Description: Oversees all operations and business activities to ensure that they produce the desired results and are consistent with the overall strategy and mission; communicates, on behalf of the company, with shareholders, government entities, and the public leading the development of the company’s short and long-term strategies; creates and implements the company’s vision and mission; maintains awareness of the competitive market landscape, expansion opportunities, industry and development.

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

Basic Qualification: 1. 8+ years of Financial and US Regulatory Reporting, US GAAP and experience working in large Financial Services or Banking Multinationals; 2. Understanding of current accounting principles, policies and financial institution regulatory reporting, e.g., FRY-9C, Call Report, etc; 3. Exceptional analytical skills, combined with an ability to deliver analyses in a concise and logical manner; 4. Strong understanding of process, risk assessment, Statistical sampling methodologies and process reviews. 5.

Experience in working with a variety of financial platforms, good technical expertise; ability to manage a project in a complex and dynamic environment.

6. Strong knowledge of banking products and services, especially loans, deposits, investment securities and derivatives

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f To 10/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D., Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street, Tambo, City Of Parañaque NGUYEN VAN THANH Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: superintendent experience of at least 10 years

No.

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

AMAZON OPERATION SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. B21 Three E-com Moa Complex, Harbour Drive Cor. Bay Shore, Brgy. 076, Pasay City LE THI TUYET MAI Seller Support Associate

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

CITIBANK N.A. 16th Floor, Citi Plaza, 34th St. Bgc, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

ALTERA KARNA BUSINESS CORP. Unit No. Unit A & O Flr., No.5/f Eighty One Bldg. Newport Bldg. St., Barangay 183, Pasay City

A13

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

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

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

Basic Qualification: IT, web technologies, agile with with insurance capabilities for 10+ years

Brief Job Description: managers and supervises the execution of a part of the project according to the contract in a safe, timely, qualitatively optiman and cost efficient manner extensive

BAYHAN, DILEK Quality Analyst

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing Korean and English

ALLIANZ PNB LIFE INSURANCE INC (ALLIANZ) 9/f Pnb Makati Bldg., 6754 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati THANGADURAI, SAMUEL KENNET RAJKUMAR Head Of Digital Transformation

EELTINK, FRANK Marine Superintendent

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

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Brief Job Description: responsible for managing technical issues on materials being used on projects ZHANG, ZHIJIE Project Manager

38.

Brief Job Description: responsible for managing technical issues on materials being used on projects

Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and english language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and english language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in Mandarin and English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and english language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A14 Saturday, January 29, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION FAN, PING Technical Manager

39.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

Brief Job Description: assist product manager in some technical sales presentation

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

Basic Qualification: fluent in mandarin and English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

54.

GRAND PREMIUM CREST HOLDING INC. 16/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati NGUYEN THU TRANG Chinese Speaking Customer Financial Officer 40.

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

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

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

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

PI, YONGJIANG Project Control Manager For Carrier Network Wireless Program 41.

Brief Job Description: 1. Act as the plan control project manager of the wireless program. 2. Manage the revenue plan of the wireless program management requirements.

Basic Qualification: 1. With at least 3 years’ experience as Product Manager responsible for the delivery of carrier’s fixed network projects. 2.

Has deep understanding of Huawei’s project management and project delivery processes to guide local teams in operations compliance. 3. With Master’s Degree in Control Science and Engineering. 4.

Highly proficient in Chinese and English language.

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

ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. 9/f 100 West Building, Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati LIN, YUAN Chinese It Support Specialist 42.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing quality it supports of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

WANG, DUO Chinese It Support Specialist

43.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing quality it support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

CHONG XIN YENG It Support Specialist

44.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing quality it supports of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

EDI CANDRA It Support Specialist

45.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing quality it support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

HOANG THI HA PHUONG It Support Specialist

46.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing quality it support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

SUSANA It Support Specialist

47.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for providing quality it support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Chinese writing and speaking language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, mandarin, and Fukien language

48.

Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Korean through blogs, micro blogs, and forums LEE, KYOUNGMO Korean Customer Service Representative

49.

Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Korean through blogs, micro blogs, and forums

50.

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

WANG, LIHUA Information Security Analyst (Chinese Speaking) 55.

51.

Brief Job Description: Provide daily support to users of various computer systems including answering questions, analyzing problems, and quickly forming solutions to return systems to proper operation.

52.

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

NGUYEN LONG NHAT Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 53.

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

Brief Job Description: Installing and use of software for data encryption to protect sensitive information

RIVERA RUDON, MARLON GEOVANNY Equipment And EMR Manager

56.

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese language and knowledgeable in information technology system Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Tasked with Managing Maersk empty containers in Indonesia-Philippines, the candidate will be responsible for the management of Maersk inland depot facilities, container supplies and vendor relationship on a focus on improvements in efficiency in customer experience and cost of operations; will be base in Manila office, responsible for the delivery of container demands, working within the agreed parameters and customer requirements

Basic Qualification: Knowledge of Global logistic Industry; understand commercial and market drivers; commercially engaged and understanding the needs of the customer Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

57.

58.

ANTONI Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

BAO, ZHENGDI Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

DARSUDI Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and service customer inquiries

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, mandarin, and Fukien language

DUONG VAN LANH Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

FU, LI Chinese Customer Service

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

Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, mandarin, and Fukien language

59.

60.

61.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, mandarin, and Fukien language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Can speak and read Cantonese, mandarin, and Fukien language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

62.

63.

64.

65.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, speaks and write fluently (Korean & English)

66.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 67.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Chinese mandarin, English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Chinese Mandarin language is an advantage

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Chinese mandarin, English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Chinese Mandarin language is an advantage

68.

69.

70.

71.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

77.

78.

79.

80.

81.

82.

73.

74.

75.

76.

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquiries GU, LEI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquiries GUO, FENGRUI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HAN, YONGXIN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires HE, ZHAOHUA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

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

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

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

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

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

HOANG MINH HAI Chinese Customer Service

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

HONG, XIANWANG Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

HU, KAIKAI Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

LI, CHANGFENG Chinese Customer Service

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

88.

89.

90.

91.

92.

93.

94.

95.

96.

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

97.

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

LOC VAN THON Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

LUU VAN HIEU Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

LUU VAN TRANG Chinese Customer Service

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

LY VAN QUANG Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

87.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

86.

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LIAO, YUANHAO Chinese Customer Service

85.

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate

Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquiries

84.

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

HERAWATI Chinese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

83.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate

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

No.

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

72.

NGUYEN DAC LAM Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

MAERSK FILIPINAS, INC. 9/f One E-com Ctr. Bldg., Harbor Dr., Sm Bay City St., Barangay 76, Pasay City

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

WANG, CHIEH-MIN Chinese Technical Support Representative

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage

DANDY SURYA MAKELA Chinese Customer Service

JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 31/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Avenue, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

LIU, YU-DE Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

LOGICDOSE INC. 36f Robinsons Summit Center, 6783 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

J-NA ALLOUT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS CORP. 3/f Lipams Bldg., #48 President Avenue, B. F. Homes, City Of Parañaque KIM, JINHO Korean Customer Service Representative

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

NGUYEN VAN DUY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

www.businessmirror.com.ph

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

98.

99.

100.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION METTA VIRYANI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN DINH SON Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN VAN LOI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NONG VAN NGHIEP Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NOVI KARTIKAS PRATIWI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries RIKKY WIJAYA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SU VAY FU Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SURYA YANTI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SUSANTY Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TANG, XIAOFENG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN HAU DUONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN HOANG LUAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRAN VAN GIAP Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TRI SAPUTRA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries VIVI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries VONG KIET Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries VU HOANG OANH Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries WILSON Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries WU, CHAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires WU, JIE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries WU, WENJIE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires XIE, JUNJUN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquiries

YIN, ZHONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

YUDI SUSANTO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: able to speak, read and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

101.

102.

103.

104.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION YUE, FUPING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries ZHANG, YI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries ZHAO, LONG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries ZHONG, GENGGENG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language

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

105.

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

WONG CHU FEI Chinese Speaking Business Analyst 106.

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

YANG, ZHITAO Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 107.

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

ZHAO, SHEN Chinese Speaking Data Entry Clerk 108.

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

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

109.

110.

Brief Job Description: customer support and data base services

JEONG, YOUJIN Korean Customer Service Brief Job Description: customer support and data base services

118.

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

119.

120.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

121.

122.

111.

Brief Job Description: Preparing proposals, requesting quotes and negotiating purchase terms and conditions within the company, evaluating products and suppliers according to key business criteria

123.

124.

112.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for managing technical issues on materials, equipment being used.

125.

126.

XIE, DONGSHENG Mandarin Team Leader 113.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for Business Consultancy practice.

Accountable for the successfully delivery of complex project implantation. In which the team leader also act as Project Manager.

127.

114.

Brief Job Description: Manage the recruitment and selection process, develop, and monitor overall HR strategies & procedures KIM, EUNA Operation Manager

115.

Brief Job Description: Makes important policy, planning, & strategy decisions.

Manage the whole operation of the company

128.

116.

Brief Job Description: Customer support and database services

117.

Brief Job Description: Overseeing and developing marketing campaigns

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services PHAN XUAN CUONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

130.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services TRAN THO CONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

131.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services TRAN VAN TU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

132.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services TRIEU SINH VAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: With excellent verbal communication skills specifically in Korean and English language

133.

Basic Qualification: With excellent verbal communication skills specifically in Korean and English language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

134.

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

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

SRIVASTAVA, SHUBHAM Senior Sourcing Account Manager Brief Job Description: Developing and managing the organization’s Digital Sourcing Delivery Center

136.

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

No.

Brief Job Description: Generate profit for the bank by developing business opportunities with new and existing customers and fostering good and long term relationships with customers

137.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 138.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and written skills)

139.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and written skills)

140.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

141.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

142.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and written skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

143.

144.

145.

146.

147.

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

148.

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

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

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

TRAN THI HUE Vietnamese Customer Support Representative Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

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

TRAN THI MEN Vietnamese Customer Support Representative Brief Job Description: Supports customers by providing helpful information, answering questions, and responding to complaints.

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

Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

LIN, YOUHUANG Chinese It Specialist

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

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

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

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

FANG, WEI Project Manager

JIANG, LING Project Manager Brief Job Description: Responsible for making overall project planning

149.

WANG, QI Project Manager Brief Job Description: Responsible for making overall project planning

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

Basic Qualification: Has at least 8 years of banking experience.

Proficient in Japanese language.

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

YANG, XINYUAN Mandarin Customer Support Representative

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

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

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

LIU, WEIJIAN Mandarin Customer Support Representative

Brief Job Description: Responsible for making overall project planning

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

Basic Qualification: With extensive experience in technical sourcing in the international market.

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

Basic Qualification: Proficient in Speaking , Reading and writing in english and their respective native language for the position applied for fluent in Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in English and their respective native language for the position applied for, Fluent in Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

XIDIAN ENERGY CONSTRUCTION CORP. Unit 1207 The Trade And Financial Tower, 32nd St. Cor. 7th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

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

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

QUACH CHANH DIU Vietnamese Technical Support Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

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

LI, JUNLONG Mandarin Customer Support Representative

PHAN NAM QUAN Vietnamese Technical Support Representative

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

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

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

CHEN, KUO-CHENG Chinese It Specialist

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

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

LI, JIAMING Mandarin Customer Support Representative

WANFANG TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT, INC. 6-9/f Double Dragon Plaza, Edsa Cor. Macapagal Ave., Barangay 76, Pasay City

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (verbal and written skills)

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

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

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

VERTEX DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 1439 Adriatico Cor. Sta. Monica St., 072, Barangay 669, Ermita, City Of Manila

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and written skills)

SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION - MANILA BRANCH 21/f Tower One & Exchange Plaza, Ayala Ave., Cor. Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati IZUMOTO, SOMA Vice President

Basic Qualification: Exemplary work ethic in high pressure environment

Basic Qualification: 18-55 yrs. old with good oral and written communication skills; with knowledge in computer applications.

STEFANINI PHILIPPINES, INC. 3f, 5f, 6f Imet Bpo Tower Metro Bldg., Metrobank Ave. Roxas Blvd., Barangay 76, Pasay City

135.

Basic Qualification: Has knowledge in computer applications

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services VU VAN THUONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

SHANZHEN HAIWEI FOOD CORP. (SHFC) 2/f & 3/f, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat, Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati ZHANG, YUNFEI Chinese Marketing Executive

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services PHAN THI TRANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

SA RIVENDELL GLOBAL SUPPORT, INC. 2741, P. Zamora St., Barangay 97, Pasay City LIU, ZHIQIANG Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services PHAN NGUYEN THANH NHAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

S-W TRADING CORP. Unit 101, #393 Mindanao Ave. 6, Talipapa, Quezon City KIM, HYUNAH Human Resource Manager

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

PHAM HUY NANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate. Fluent In Cantonese, Taiwanese And Mandarin Language, Excellent Communication Skills. At least 1 Year Experience as Team Leader.

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

NGUYEN THI THUY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

129.

REVON MOTION BUSINESS CONSULTANCY INC. G/f Pmj Bldg., Evangelista Cor. Cuangco Sts., Pinagkaisahan, City Of Makati

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

NGUYEN THI MINH TAM Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in mandarin and English language both verbal and written.

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

NGUYEN HUYEN TRANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

PHILIPPINES QIAN JIA SERVICES INCORPORATED 10/f Fort Legend Tower, 3rd Ave. Cor. 31st St., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig CHEN, ZHENGJI Project Manager

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

NGUYEN HUU TAM Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Bachelor degree in Marketing Management, Mandarin Speaking

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

NGUYEN DOAN DAT Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

PH GLOBAL JET EXPRESS INC. 11th Floor, The Marajo Tower, 26th Street Cor. 4th Avenue Bgc, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig XIAO, SHANSHAN Mandarin Purchasing Specialist

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

LE VAN DU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: knowledgeable in computer application with good oral and written communication skills

Brief Job Description: Support the development and implementation of HR initiatives and systems.

LANG THI HUYEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Brief Job Description: With high Chinese and English Speaking Skills; Must handle customer complain in a satisfactory manner.

NGUYEN THI VIET HA Hr Officer

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

SOMI UNLIMITED SOLUTIONS, INC. 10/f Tower 2 Double Dragon Plaza Bldg., Edsa Corner Macapagal Ave. St. Zone 10, District 1, Barangay 76, Pasay City

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

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION Sky Garage Bldg., Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque ZHOU, HONG Chinese Customer Service

ZHANG, YOUZHI Chinese Customer Service

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

A15

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

SHIBUYA SOLUTIONS INC. Unit 903-c Vicente Madrigal Bldg., 6793 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

NEO INCORPORATED North Tower Centrum Bldg., Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Baclaran, City Of Parañaque LIM YONG PING Chinese Speaking Business Analyst

No.

Saturday, January 29, 2022

150.

XIAO, JINGYUAN Project Manager Brief Job Description: Responsible for making overall project planning

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin & English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin & English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin & English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin & English language both verbal and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 *Date Generated: Jan 28, 2022

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

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

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

TRIVES TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION Tower 4 Bayport West, Naia Garden Residence, Naia Road, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR