BusinessMirror July 06, 2022

BSP, experts: Inflation to stay ‘elevated’ ahead

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

T

HE continued rise in global commodity prices and more pronounced secondround effects on domestic goods and services will trigger more price increases of local commodities ahead, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Tuesday, after inflation shot up above 6 percent in June.

Following the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announcement of a 6.1 percent inflation rate in June, BSP said inflation is projected to “remain elevated” over the coming months.

“The balance of risks to the inflation outlook is likewise skewed

to the upside for 2022 and 2023, with pressures emanating from the potential impact of higher global non-oil prices, the continued shortage in domestic fish supply, and pending petitions for transport fare hikes due to elevated oil prices,” the BSP statement said.

Economists at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) echoed the sentiment, saying inflation has probably not peaked yet in June and may continue to go up until October assuming oil prices will stay at current levels.

“The contribution of food to inflation will likely expand further in the coming months given the shortage of certain items in the international market amid the

conflict in Ukraine and the trade restrictions being put in place by exporting countries like India and Indonesia,” BPI said.

“The contribution of transport to inflation will also likely expand in the coming months because of the recently approved fare hike for jeepneys. With road transport services accounting for 4.29 percent of the consumer basket, we expect a 0.2-percent increase in the upcoming inflation prints as a result of the 2 Peso hike in jeepney fares,” the bank added.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort also said new taxes, which are being proposed for the government’s fiscal consolidation plan, could likely fuel higher

inflation in the coming months.

“The proposed higher taxes or new taxes for the coming months could potentially lead to some pick up in prices and overall inflation, as an unintended consequence, as part of the efforts to narrow the country’s budget deficit,” Ricafort said.

The acceleration of inflation in June is also set to trigger a more aggressive tightening path from the BSP, according to ING Bank economist Nicholas Mapa.

“July inflation will likely push above 6 percent again and we believe this will be enough to convince BSP to whip out a more forceful 50 basis point rate adjustment See “BSP,” A2

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OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS ROTARYROTARY CLUB OFCLUB MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS

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Wednesday, July 6, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 271

JUNE INFLATION AT 6.1% AS FOOD PRICES SURGE n

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 26 pages | 7 days a week

By Cai U. Ordinario

Marcos eyes food import cuts to deal with inflation

@caiordinario

F

ILIPINOS must brace for higher inflation and expect the further decline of their purchasing power, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and local economists.

On Tuesday, PSA data showed inflation averaged 6.1 percent in June, the highest since October 2018 when inflation averaged 6.9 percent. Year-to-date inflation averaged 4.4 percent as of June.

National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said given the steep increase in commodit y prices, high inflation would likely continue in the coming months.

“We think we have not reached the peak. Based on information on the ground from our data collectors, we collect data weekly, prices of products continue to increase,” Mapa told reporters in a briefing.

In a separate briefing, the President was asked to comment on the inflation rate and he dismissed the question and he disagreed with the 6.1 percent inflation rate saying inflation in the country was not that high.

“I think I will have to disagree with that number. We are not that high,” Marcos said in a televised briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

Asked for a statement regarding the President’s comment, Mapa simply told BusinessMirror that, “The Philippine Statistics Authority stands by its report.”

Purchasing power

The rapid increase in commodity prices led to the reduction of the

By Samuel P. Medenilla

P BOATS are seen at a fishport in Barangay Ubihan, Meycauayan City, Bulacan, on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. The barangay will be the passageway for employees to the New Manila International Airport, also known as Bulacan International Airport, which is currently under construction in the coastal areas of Bulakan, Bulacan. Press Secretary Trixie CruzAngeles explained that the construction of the airport will push through because this is not affected by the President’s veto of the enrolled bill setting up the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone. NONOY LACZA

3-YEAR, P1.5-T STIMULUS PROGRAM FILED IN HOUSE

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

A

GROUP of lawmakers has filed the proposed P1.5trillion National Economic Stimulus and Recovery Act of 2022, a three-year economic stimulus program for the Marcos administration.

Bicolano legislators led by Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villa-

fuerte said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) may implement this stimulus program in the first half of his term to create millions of sustainable jobs and accelerate the Philippines’s recovery from the unparalleled global crisis spawned by the lingering Covid-19 pandemic and the RussiaUkraine conflict.

Villafuerte said he and three

other legislators from CamSur have filed House Bill (HB) 271 or the National Economic Stimulus and Recovery Act of 2022, in support of Marcos’s “comprehensive all-inclusive plan for economic transformation”—as stated in his inaugural speech last June 30—and his commitment to continue the massive infrastructure program started by former President Duterte.

The bill’s authors said this economic stimulus plan is similar to pandemic recovery packages rolled out by other countries like the United States (US), memberstates of the European Union (EU), South Korea and Thailand.

The other authors of HB 271 are CamSur Representatives Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata and

RESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. plans to address rising inflation by reducing the country’s reliance on imported food staples.

In a press conference after his first Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Marcos said he intends to solve the country’s food supply concerns by boosting local production of rice and corn.

“We would prefer to import as little as possible. So we should increase our own production of rice and corn,” Marcos said.

He noted the country needs to increase its production of corn, which is being used as a feed substitute for imported wheat.

“This season, the corn growers were able to come together and provide sufficient feed for the broiler production. But we still have to increase production of corn to ensure that supply because there’s also—there’s corn for food and there’s corn for feed,” Marcos said.

Short-term response

Marcos said he wants to provide government intervention to farmers before the last planting season this year as a “short-term”

See “BBM,” A2

See “Inflation,” A2

PESO exchange rates

@sam_medenilla

See “Import,” A2

n US 55.0900 n japan 0.4058 n UK 66.6864 n HK 7.0219 n CHINA 8.2238 n singapore 39.4769 n australia 37.8138 n EU 57.4203 n SAUDI arabia 14.6801

Source: BSP (5 July 2022)

A2

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

91% of HUCs, ICCs report sustained rise in Covid cases

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

T

Correspondent

HE Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday a sustained case uptrend is observed in most regions with majority or 91 percent of provinces, Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs), and Independent Component Cities (ICCs) having shown case increases over the recent weeks.

In a report to the media, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the National Capital Region (NCR), and five other regions now have positivity rates of greater than 5 percent.

Despite this, the DOH said, healthcare utilization rates remain low and case increases have not translated into increases in severe and critical Covid-19 admissions in all regions.

“Most areas show sharp increase in cases, with NCR showing the steepest increase, now

exceeding 500 cases per day; while Mindanao showed a slight uptick mid-June 2022 but currently shows signs of plateauing with more than 50 cases per day,” Vergeire’s report read.

It added that national and all regions continue to show increases in cases but remain at low-risk case classification with average daily attack rates at low risk.

Healthcare utilization rates, on the other hand, are also at low risk in all regions; severe and critical admissions remain to be less

Covid cases

The DOH logged a total of 3,709,386 Covid-19 cases as of July 4 after recording 7,719 additional cases from June 28 to July 4.

Regions that account most for new cases are: 1. NCR 2. Region 4A 3. Region 6 4. Region 3 5. Region 7

3,757 1,491 644 545 367

than 1 percent of total hospital admissions.

There were a total 638,690 recoveries after 4,710 patients recovered from the disease.

Tha DOH also recorded 85 more deaths. A total of 60,602 have succumbed to Covid in the country.

The DOH said the national weekly positivity rate increased to 6.8 percent while the weekly positivity rate in NCR is 9.3 percent.

NCR, CAR, Regions 3, 4A, 4B, and 6 with positivity rates is greater than or equal to 5 percent.

The national case trend, the DOH added, shows a continuous increase, now averaging more than

1,000 cases/day in the recent week.

NCR cases showed continued increase in the recent weeks, currently higher by 57 percent from the previous week.

“Vaccination and boosters remain to be our safeguards to protect our population, especially those vulnerable, from severe disease as well as masking, distancing, and improving ventilation to minimize transmission,” the report added.

BBM. . .

Continued from A1

Miguel Luis Villafuerte, and Bicol Saro partylist Rep. Nicolas Enciso VIII. Villafuerte said they have taken their cue from incoming Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who said earlier the priority legislation of the 19th Congress will be a Bayan Bangon Muli (BBM) bill patterned after the Bayanihan to Heal as One (Bayanihan 1) and Bayanihan to Recover as One (Bayanihan 2) laws that were passed swiftly in 2020 in response to the pandemic.

With Romua ldez as House major it y leader in the past Congress, Villafuerte was principal author in the bigger chamber of the Bayanihan 1 and Bayanihan 2 laws in 2020 that enabled the then-Duterte administration to access and spend massive public funds on saving Filipinos from the deadly coronavirus and on providing cash aid and other financial assistance to low-income families, displaced workers, distressed entrepreneurs and other sectors severely hurt by the global economic standstill caused by Covid-19.

Villafuerte said this proposed P1.5-trillion stimulus package will let Marcos sustain the unmatched high spending on infrastructure development initiated by his predecessor, “but this time, such investments will be focused on building and improving facilities for HEAL IT, which stands for Health, Education, Agriculture, Livelihood, Information Technology [IT] and Tourism.”

Under HB 271, the government infrastructure spending shall be primarily geared towards maximizing the direct and indirect creation and sustaining of jobs, particularly in the countryside.

HB 271 seeks the creation of a Special Fund—to be known as National Economic Stimulus and Recovery Fund (Recovery Fund)—that shall be disbursed primarily for the implementation of infrastructure projects across the six priority areas under HEAL IT. This Recovery Fund’s budget for approved projects shall be automatically released to the implementing unit to facilitate the startup and completion of projects and remove existing regulations and issuances that impede these.

Of the proposed P1.5-trillion appropriation for the three-year Recovery Fund, P500 billion shall be released on the first year of the measure’s approval, another P500 billion on the second year, and P500 billion more on the third and final year.

After three years, Congress shall enact new legislation extending or modifying the same or terminating the Fund. In the latter case, the unobligated balance shall be made available for the general budgetary requirements of the year succeeding its termination.

HB 271 proposes the establishment of an Executive Cluster Committee to formulate the guidelines in the Recovery Fund’s use, and that will have the Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs as chairperson, the Secretaries of Public Works and of Finance as co-vice chairpersons, and the director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) as secretariat head.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Inflation. . .

Continued from A1

purchasing power of the peso to only P0.87 centavos. This means, in order to buy goods worth P1, every Filipino must shell out P0.13 centavos more or P1.13.

Mapa said based on their estimates, the level of the purchasing power of the peso was at P0.89 in March 2022. This means, there was a P0.02-centavo decline in the value of the currency in terms of purchasing goods and services.

For the poorest Filipinos, their purchasing power is even lower. BusinessMirror estimated that for the Bottom 30 percent or the poorest 30 percent of the population, the value of the currency is at P0.72 centavos as of June 2022 from P0.74 centavos in March 2022.

“The decline of roughly two centavos per peso matters a lot, especially to the low-income households. My sense is that the inflation is dependent on the supply constraints which in turn are affected by the unexpected war in Ukraine,” Ateneo Eagle Watch Senior Fellow Leonardo A. Lanzona Jr. told BusinessMirror.

Food factor

The inflation of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased to 6 percent in June 2022 from 4.9 percent in May 2022, and this accounted for as much as 58.3 percent of the increase in inflation for the month.

The main reason for the increase in prices are meat and others, primarily chicken, which posted an inflation of 8.1 percent in June 2022 from 5.4 percent in May 2022.

This was followed by rice, costlier by 2 percent in June 2022 from 1.5 percent in May 2022 followed by fruits and nuts at 1.1 percent in June from a negative inflation of 2.4 percent.

The increase in inflation hurts the poor more. Mapa said food alone has a weight of 34.8 percent in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all households and as much as 55 percent for the bottom 30 percent.

This means, on average, all households spend a third of their budget on food while the poor spend more than half of their budget on what they eat.

Transportation

Meanwhile, another major cause of inflation was transportation which posted a 17.1-percent increase in prices, the highest since 2008.

Oil prices surged to $140 a barrel in June 2008 from $90 a barrel in January 2008. Prices peaked at $147 a barrel in July 2008 and declined to $40 per barrel in December 2008. (Full story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/06/27/oil-price-shock-redux-200-a-barrel-possible/).

Gasoline prices rose 53.9 percent, followed by other passenger transport by road at 2.7 percent and diesel, 92.5 percent.

It was the same for the bottom 30 percent as food and non-alcoholic beverages increased 5 percent and accounted for 74.9 percent of the increase in inflation for the poorest households.

Transportation also posted a 6.8-percent increase in inflation and accounted for 11 percent of the rise in inflation for the poorest Filipinos.

“A major chunk of the increase is due to both. You can literally see it in the figures and also, food and transport comprise a very substantial share of the typical consumer basket of goods. The consumer price index is calculated by PSA using high weights for food and energy goods that are higher relative to other goods because these have a substantial share in our consumption basket,” University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE) Director for Research Renato E. Reside Jr. told B usiness M irror.

See “Inflation,” A5

BSP. . .

Continued from A1

at their August policy meeting. We expect BSP’s policy rate to end the year at 3.5 percent or higher,” Mapa said.

BPI economists also said a more aggressive adjustment to the current path may be helpful for the economy.

“Hiking the policy rate by 50 basis points now rather than later may help in mitigating the risk of bigger hikes in the future that could cause more volatility in the markets,” the bank said.

In its statement, the BSP said it is “prepared to undertake necessary policy actions to bring inflation back to a target-consistent path over the medium term and deliver on its primary mandate of price stability.”

“The upward adjustment in monetary policy rates in May and June should help temper inflation expectations. At the same time, the BSP reiterates its support for the carefully coordinated efforts of other government agencies in implementing non-monetary interventions to mitigate the impact of persistent supply-side factors on inflation,” the BSP said.

Import. . .

Continued from A1

solution to the country’s food supply concerns.

“They will harvest towards the end of the year, they will mill soon after that. So we may be able to catch up with our food supply problem by then,” Marcos said.

But when it comes to pork, Marcos said the country has no choice but to continue importing it since local hog farmers are still reeling from the effects of the African Swine Fever (ASF).

He said it was also the same case for poultry due to the issues with feed supplies.

“On the broiler side, the chicken production, broiler production, we will also still have to import because we have problems with feeds,” Marcos said.

Imported inflation

On Tuesday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported the inflation rate accelerated to 6.1 percent in June compared to 5.4 percent in May. PSA noted the spike in food and nonalcoholic beverage was one of the main contributors to the high inflation rate.

Marcos said the country’s inflation rate may actually be lower than what was stated by PSA. “I think I will have to disagree with that number. We are not that high,” Marcos said.

He blamed the country’s high inflation rate on external factors.

“Much of our inflation is actually imported inflation. It is imported because it is the inflation on the products that have suffered inflation that we import,” Marcos said.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

The Nation BusinessMirror

EU invites PBBM to visit Brussels

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome @maloutalosig

I

N an attempt to reset strained relations between the European Union (EU) and the Philippines during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, the European Council has extended its hand to newly installed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, inviting him to visit Brussels and attend the Asean-EU Commemorative Summit in December.

The European Council is the political and policy direction-making body of the EU, composed of heads of governments or states, the European Council president and the European Commission president.

European Council President Charles Michel sent his regrets for missing Marcos’s inaugural but wrote in a letter, “I would, however, like to extend an invitation to you to come to Brussels at a mutually convenient time. We have much to discuss, from our bilateral relations, EU-Asean ties, and wider foreign policy issues, to our support for the rules-based international order.”

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron attended the inauguration of President Marcos last June 30, representing Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU. He handed the letter of President Michel and reiterated the invitation during their meeting after the inaugural.

It is not known yet if Marcos Jr. has accepted the invitation.

This is the second invitation of another superpower for Marcos Jr. to visit their capital. US President Joe Biden had also extended the invitation to the 64-year-old Marcos Jr. to

visit Washington, D.C., Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez said.

Véron stressed the longstanding “common interest and values” shared by the EU and the Philippines. He hopes that the EU-PH Partnership and Cooperation Agreement will be “effective[ly] implemented.”

The implementation of the agreement, signed in 2018, has stalled over disputes between Brussels and Manila on alleged human rights violations the EU has raised in relation to Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.

Duterte, in turn, had scoffed at the EU repeatedly in his speeches and even threatened to expel the European diplomats for interfering into the domestic affairs of the country.

The European Council President also expressed hope that President Marcos Jr. would participate in the upcoming Asean-EU Commemorative Summit in Brussels in December this year.

This year marks the 45 years of partnership between the EU and Asean, two years after both regional blocs have elevated their relationship into a “strategic partnership.”

In 2021, the EU also recognized the centrality of Asean in the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

The EU has 27 members: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Aside from the Philippines, the 9 members of Asean are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, July 6, 2022 A3

DOJ to probe complicity of 22 cops in deaths of high-profile NBP inmates amid pandemic

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

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HE Department of Justice (DOJ) assured on Tuesday that it will hold accountable all those who will be found involved in the “suspicious deaths” of several high-profile inmates inside the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa.

Law yer Jose Dominic C lavano, who has been assigned by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to answer queries from the media, disclosed that a meeting was held between the DOJ chief and newly appointed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Officer in Charge Medardo de Lemos and one of the issues discussed was the filing of murder complaints before the justice department by the NBI against 22 members of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) in connection with the questionable deaths of these high-profile inmates at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic from May to July of 2020.

Among the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who died during the said period were Jaybee Sebastian, Francis Go, Shuli Zhang, Hung Kin Sing alias Jimmy Ang, Eugene Ho Chua, Benjamin Marcelo, Sherwin Sanchez, Amin Imam Boratong, and Willy Yang.

Aside from Sebastian, who was convicted for kidnap-for-ransom and carjacking and Sanchez who

was convicted for murder, the seven other PDLs were convicted for drug trafficking.

Clavano has asked the public to give the justice department sufficient time to review and gather more details about the case.

“We are looking deeper into the matter. There are facts we need to validate from the NBI to hold all those involved accountable,” Clavano said.

“A meeting was held between the SOJ [Secretary of Justice] and the NBI director yesterday [Monday].

The issue was discussed and SOJ wanted to validate the facts already presented but would like to inquire more into the incident,” he added.

Clavano said there was “no decision yet” on the part of Remulla on whether there is a need to put on hold the DOJ’s proceedings on the case filed by the NCRPO against the 22 policemen pending the review of the facts of the case.

The 22 NCRPO policemen who are subjects of the complaint were reportedly assigned to the NBP at the time of the death of the nine PDLs.

Comfortable isolation room or death chamber?

THE NBI, meanwhile, said in a news statement the circumstances surrounding the death of Sebastian showed that he died of natural causes.

The NBI-Death Investigation Division (DID) conducted an investigation into the mysterious deaths of the eight inmates by virtue of

Department Order No. 179 series of 2020, issued by then Secretary of Justice Menardo Guevarra, directing to probe the deaths of Sebastian, and eight other high-profile PDLs, who allegedly died of Covid-19 or its complications while isolated inside Building 4 (Site Harry) facility of the NBP, the control of which was under the members of the NCRPO security and medical teams.

During its investigation, the NBIDID gathered from the statements of witnesses and the records of the NBP that the said high-profile inmates “gradually disappeared” from Building 4 after they had revealed that they were to be transferred to the “comfortable” isolation room.

“Immediately after the segregation and transfer to the “comfortable” isolation room, victims died,” the NBI said.

The death of the high-profile inmates, according to the NBI, was inconsistent with the claims of the NCRPO personnel that they administered nursing intervention and were all on alert when the PDLs were on “emergency situation.”

It also noted the significant amount of time elapsed before the victims were brought to the nearest hospital.

“All the deceased PDLs were declared dead on arrival, the cause of death either by cardiac or pulmonary arrest. However, a close examination of the medical profile of the deceased high-profile PDLs generally revealed

that days before they died, they exhibited neither chronic symptom of Covid-19, including difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, nor were they observed to be weak or particularly ill. Witnesses had seen them to be well, normal, or lively,” the NBI said.

“Subjects took advantage of the fact that victims were confined at Building 4, Site Harry, an NCRPOmanaged isolation area, due to Covid-19 infection. They availed of the situation that in case of Covid-19 cases, cadavers should immediately be cremated. Cremation, for this case, was the final act to consummate and effectively cover-up the scheme to kill the victims…,” it added.

In light of this, the NBI-DID has filed before the DOJ eight counts of murder as defined and penalized under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code, against Police Major (PMaj) Lymel John Pasquin, Police Staff Sergeant (PSSg) Christian Mercarsos, Police Corporal (PCpl) Laurence Antiporta, PCpl Jhunben Alegado, PCpl. Jayson Añonuevo, PCpl. Rosanie Bernales, PCpl. Michael Boco, PCpl. Rolex Borgonia, PCpl. Jophy Buot, PCpl. Gilwen Garcia, PCpl. Edmar Gerra, PCpl. Archie Grapa, PCpl. Vernardo Into, PCpl. Ener Restauro, PCpl. Banedy Solante, PCpl. Jernie Mata Tiongzon, Jan Anthon Uy, Patrolman Roland Butch Duran, Patrolman James Aninapon, Patrolman Rey Fernandez and Dr. Beverly de Guzman.

House bill pushes digital shift among govt offices Senate sets probe into Occidental

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

F

OR more efficient and transparent services, a bill mandating government agencies to shift to digital or Internet platforms has been filed in the House of Representatives.

Representatives Martin G. Romualdez of Leyte, Ferdinand Alexander Marcos of Ilocos Norte, and Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre, both of party-list group Tingog, are the authors of the proposed E-Governance Act of 2022, embodied in House Bill 3.

“The shift to digital platforms has been [a] long time coming. The Covid-19 pandemic only expedited the need for its execution. The policies in the ‘new normal’ must be responsive to the needs of the populace and allow them to truly feel a sense of normalcy, rather than burden them with inevitable but avoidable restrictions,” stated the bill’s explanatory note.

It said digitalization of services “is evidently the most efficient solution to the gap in the delivery of government services.”

“It is high time to enact a law that would require all government agencies to transition to digital platforms,” it said.

The proposed E-Governance Act seeks to establish integrated, interconnected, and interoperable information, resource sharing and

communications network, which shall include internal records, management information system, information database, and digital portals spanning the entirety of the national and local government for the delivery of public services.

“The proposal will promote the use of the Internet, intranet, and emerging technologies within and across government agencies and be able to provide citizen-centric government information and services.

It likewise pushes for the digitization of paper-based and other traditional modes of workflows for a more efficient and transparent public service,” according to the explanatory note.

It seeks to encourage government cooperation with the private sector in providing resources, assets, and services, and transforms agency operations by utilizing best practices from public and private sector organizations, both local and international.

It would provide easier access to government information and services in a manner consistent with laws regarding protection of personal privacy, national security, records retention, access for persons with disability, and other relevant laws, they said.

It would cover all government offices and agencies, including local government units and government corporations.

It defines e-governance as the “use of information and commu-

nications technology [ICT] by the government and the public to enhance the access to and delivery of government services to bring about efficient, responsive, ethical, accountable, and transparent government service.”

The proposed law holds each head of agency, local government unit or state corporation responsible for its implementation.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) would be the principal implementer of the proposed E-Governance Act through a project management office (PMO) that would be organized within one year from the effectivity of the proposed law.

The bill mandates the DICT to harmonize and coordinate all ICT plans and initiatives “to ensure knowledge, information and resource-sharing, database-building, and agency networking linkages among government agencies, consistent with e-government objectives in particular and national objectives in general.”

It tasks the department with setting up “an integrated, interconnected and interoperable internal government network known as the ‘Integrated Government Network’ [IGN], which shall act as the primary means for the sharing and communication of resources, information, and data through and on digital and electronic platforms across all of the government.”

An internal e-mail network, to be known as “GovMail,” would be established to facilitate communication among agencies. Paper-based communications would be shifted to digital.

The bill directs the government to establish and maintain a database of information on all Filipinos, whether residing here or abroad, and foreigners entering the country through legal channels.

The database would include names, addresses, national identification numbers, dates and places of birth, citizenship, civil status, biometrics, and similar information.

State agencies would have access to such data “for legitimate and valid purposes, subject to the Data Privacy Act [Republic Act No. 10173].”

The proposed law also calls for the maintenance of a listing, to be known as the Philippine Public Service Directory, of all government officials throughout the country, including their names, titles, phone numbers, facsimile numbers, names and locations of offices, and e-mail addresses. The directory would be made accessible to the public.

There would also be a service portal to allow the public to transact business with agencies and for state offices to render service online.

The bill sets timelines for responsible personnel to act or decide on requests or applications.

Another portal would be set up for online payments.

Mindoro’s power supply anomaly

By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

S

ENATE probers are poised to mount an in inquiry into Occidental Mindoro’s recent power supply anomaly, even as the province’s vital electric supply was already restored following a three-day blackout starting last June 25.

Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian said he was prompted to press for a Senate investigation in order to address the problem of power interruptions plaguing the province for several years now.

The lawmaker lamented that “without steady power supply, there are no business transactions and no income for the people to bring home.”

Reporting that “the locals are complaining to me” the senator stressed, “It is time we get to the bottom of the recurring power problem in the province.”

Acting to promptly address the issues, Gatchalian affirmed he is set to file a resolution to have the Senate direct the appropriate committee to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation, “highlighting the need for a supply reliability and power quality and to protect consumers from losses attributed to power outages.”

The senator reported he even had

his personal experience of power interruption when he visited the province earlier during the last campaign period.

Reports reaching his office indicated that Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corp. (OMCPC) stopped supplying electricity to Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative Inc. (OMECO) last June 25 after its power supply agreement to the electric cooperative has already expired.

However, the senator’s office was told, “Power supply resumed last Monday.”

At the same time, he noted that the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has provisionally approved a power supply agreement (PSA) between OMECO and OMCPC to augment the power supply issue and end the lingering rotational outages. OMECO is the electric cooperative servicing the franchise area of Occidental Mindoro with a total of 240,887 household connections.

The senator voiced lingering concerns that unless a lasting solution is found, the province will be left behind, saying: “Kung hindi mabibigyan ng solusyon ang problemang ito, mapag-iiwanan ang probinsya ng Occidental Mindoro. Malaking bagay ang pagkakaroon ng tuloy-tuloy na suplay ng kuryente, may pandemya man o wala.”

Atienza urges PBBM to order pre-shipment inspection of all incoming container vans

F

OR M ER Hou s e D e put y Speaker Lito Atienza on Tuesday urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., who is also the secretary of the Department of Agriculture, to ensure container vans are not used for smuggling agricultural products by strictly implementing the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) provision strongly encouraging pre-shipment inspection of all incoming container vans from their ports of origin.

Atienza, in a statement, asked Marcos to do what presidents before

him had failed to do—solving the smuggling of agricultural products.

“As the head of the Department of Agriculture, we strongly urge the new administration to immediately and effectively address this long-festering problem of corruption which allows the continued entry of imported agricultural products that is hurting our economy and our local farmers,” he said.

According to Atienza, the CMTA or R.A. 10863 has a provision that encourages pre-shipment inspection of all incoming container vans from their ports of origin.

The law was passed in 2016 during the time of the late former President Benigno Aquino III. “They did not implement it then, and the administration of President Duterte did not use it either. Of the average 10,000 container vans entering the country each day, only a measly 300 gets inspected. This same inadequacy of the Customs bureau in inspecting each and every one of the 10,000 vans that comes in has allowed the entry of shabu in many cases, with two of the biggest being discovered by authorities. And yet the vans

continue to come in uninspected,” Atienza said.

Atienza, a former mayor of Manila and Environment Secretary, has consistently called on the government to implement Section 440 of RA 10863—which Atienza had introduced—as a way of addressing the entry of illegal substances such as drugs and agricultural products.

Atienza subsequently filed House Bill 2591 to amend the said section, making all cargo in container vans undergo mandatory inspection before leaving their ports of origin.

“It is about time that the Presi-

dent, in this case President Bongbong Marcos, does something against smuggling and takes advantage of this particular law.

This is a piece of unsolicited advice from me, Mr. President, reminding you that you have a law that you can use to squarely address this huge problem of smuggling of agricultural products and illegal substances,” he said.

“The implementation of the mandatory inspection and clearance of all container vans before leaving their ports of origin would remove all personal and discretionary as-

sessment done by Customs personnel at their points of entry in the Philippines because that is where corruption enters the picture. With the enforcement of mandatory preshipment inspection, all incoming containers of smuggled agricultural products would not be able to enter the country. Since the President has taken a keener interest in this growing problem of agricultural smuggling, we are confident that he will be different from the past two presidents who did not take advantage of this law,” Atienza said.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

Economy BusinessMirror

A4 Wednesday, July 6, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

ARTA seeks addl budget, broad powers to implement mandate

By Andrea San Juan

T

HE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is requesting for a P40million increase in its 2022 budget to fully support its various programs, projects, and initiatives.

In its accomplishment report released on Tuesday, ARTA said that its P289,359,000 budget for 2022 is barely enough to fund its entire operation.

“But with additional funding, ARTA will be able to launch more programs, projects, and other initiatives to speed up the government’s effort to improve the country’s business climate and deliver the necessary services to Filipinos in the most effective and efficient way,” the report read.

Apart from the plea to increase their budget, the anti-red tape watchdog also appealed to lawmak-

ers to expand the agency’s roles and functions so it can perform its functions better.

ARTA pointed out in the report that it has initiated its reorganization to increase its organizational capacity to at least thrice its current 208 approved plantilla positions.

“The agency will submit a proposal to the Office of the President, through the Department of Budget and Management [DBM], to increase its manpower to at least 700 personnel,” ARTA said in its report.

Earlier, ARTA Director General Jeremiah B. Belgica wrote to former President Rodrigo Duterte to ask for emergency anti-red tape powers and amendments to Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

In the memorandum, the ARTA chief said one of the agency’s main

challenges is that its streamlining efforts are only recommendatory and not mandatory for government agencies.

Further, among the additional powers that the anti red-tape watchdog seeks are subpoena and contempt powers and preventive suspension powers to enforce the ease of doing business law “more strongly” among government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and other government instrumentalities.

ARTA also proposes that government agencies should be mandated to adopt and implement the authority’s findings and recommendations on streamlining and reengineering.

They should also allot a certain percentage of their approved budget for an Ease of Doing Business or AntiRed Tape Plan and Program.

“Each government agency must also have resident streamlining and

reengineering officers who would serve as business process auditors or officers whose singular focus is to continually review, propose, implement, and report on the business processes and systems of the agency,” ARTA added.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, ARTA published on their Facebook page a certification they received from the Commission on Audit (COA), rendering an unmodified opinion on the fairness of ARTA’s presentation of financial statements as of December 31, 2021. The certification was issued on June 22,2022.

An unmodified opinion, COA said, is rendered when the commission concludes that the financial statements are free from material misstatements and are prepared in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards.

IPOPHL boosts presence in vibrant Calabarzon region with new IPSO

T

HE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (IPOPHL) has established its 15th Intellectual Property (IP) Satellite Office (IPSO) in Calabarzon in a bid to increase IP protection activities in the most populous region of the country.

IPOPHL emphasized in a news statement that Calabarzon, particularly the provinces of Cavite and Laguna, are driven by high-tech manufacturing industries. In fact, as of 2020, there are a total of 139,363 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region, making the area a prime spot for potential users of the IP system.

“IPSOs are at the forefront of bringing our primary services within the reach of regions in the country. The objective of our newly opened IPSO Calabarzon is to raise the use and awareness of the IP system among innovators, creators and businesses in the region,” said IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba.

The region also houses diverse research and development (R&D) sources, with five state universities and colleges and five Innovation and Technology Support Offices (ITSOs), making it a potential hotbed for developing IP innovations, IPOPHL said.

“We also want to promote IP awareness and understanding to our Higher Education Institutions

[HEIs],” added Barba.

As an industrial hub for manufacturing, agriculture and tourism, IPSO Calamba also aims to raise awareness on the adverse effects of counterfeiting and piracy. It is also seen to fast track partnerships with local policy makers in order to promote collaborations in establishing local IP initiatives.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Calabarzon is the fastest growing region in 2021 with a 7.6 percent growth in 2021. This growth, IPOPHL said, led to Calabarzon accounting for 14.7 percent of total gross domestic product (GDP), the second largest share among regions.

As the first activity of the new IPSO in the locality, the IP Field Operations Unit (IPFOU) will conduct a capacitybuilding program for the DTI Calamba staff on July 6.

The one-day training aims to “empower our DTI IP advocates to foster a collaborative relationship with the stakeholders,” said Barba.

The IPOPHL chief said in a news statement on Tuesday that while they expand their reach to more key strategic areas, making their services available to those in need of IP rights aid, they also want to receive insights about the experiences of local advocates. In turn, Barba said, “we want to raise their knowledge on how to better serve the IP needs of their communities.” Andrea San Juan

New DAR chief vows to treat ARBs, employees as ‘family’

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

F

ORMER Deputy Speaker and Pangasinan Rep. Conrado M. Estrella III has officially assumed the top post at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and vowed to look after the welfare of small farmers and DAR employees who he said will now be his new “constituents.”

Former DAR Acting Secretary Bernie F Cruz and OIC-Secretary David Erro jointly handed over the agency’s leadership to Estrella III after a celebratory mass held at the DAR Central Office gymnasium in Quezon City on Monday, July 4.

As President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s alter ego in DAR, Estrella vowed to look after the welfare of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) as well as the agency’s employees.

“I always treat agrarian reform as my second home, and as such, I would like to tell everyone that we will be one family. If before I have looked into the welfare of my constituents in Pangasinan, now I will also attend to my constituents here at the department,” Estrella assured DAR employees.

He also told employees that he un-

derstand their plight, especially now, with the effects brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and continuing increase in fuel prices.

Estrella said that he would look into various medical and scholarship programs to help the employees through these trying times.

“In terms of implementing the agrarian reform, we will fulfill the real mandate of the program, which is to provide social justice, to free the farmers from the bondage of land. His Excellency President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. has given his commitment to support the department and the program to further improve the lives of the less privileged farmers,” Estrella said.

Estrella’s assumption to the DAR’s top post will signal the start of a new administration, Erro said.

“The new secretary will have to cover and distribute a total of 212,000 hectares of agricultural lands and look into a total of 400,000 hectares of problematic lands,” Erro said.

The DAR receives a yearly budgetary allocation of only P700 million to help the ARBs of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, Erro disclosed.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

DA declares Camarines Sur, Davao del Sur free of bird flu

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

T

HE Philippines has declared two of its provinces free from avian influenza after government authorities successfully eradicated the fatal disease in their respective poultry populations.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 30 that declared the provinces of Camarines Sur and Davao del Sur free from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1.

The DA explained that the two provinces have been free from AI for more than 40 days since the complete stamping out of the susceptible poultry population and disinfection of infected premises.

The DA added that the recent AI tests conducted in the affected farms yielded negative results.

“More than forty [40] days have elapsed since the end of the clean up and disinfection operations; and surveillance has been carried out in accordance with the [World Organisation for Animal Health] [WOAH] Terrestrial Code and the [AI Protection Program] with both provinces yielded negative AI test results,” MC 30 read.

The DA explained that Camarines and Davao del Sur have been free from bird flu until their first confirmed cases were made last March 2022 after grazing ducks tested positive for the virus.

“Upon detection of the disease, the Local Government Units, in coordination with DA Regional Field Office and the Bureau of Animal Industry, conducted disease investigation, immediate depopulation, cleaning and disinfection, movement restrictions and surveillance in the affected premises,” the document read.

“Results of subsequent disease monitoring in the 1-km and 7-km surveillance zones of the abovementioned provinces yielded negative test results for influenza type A virus,” it added.

The DA added that the last H5N1

HPAI laboratory detection in Camarines Sur and Davao del Sur were undertaken on March 12 and April 1, respectively.

The DA noted that under the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code of 2021, AI-free status could be regained by a zone after a minimum period of 28 days after a stamping-out policy has been completed and proper disinfection and surveillance were made.

The BusinessMirror earlier reported that the government culled nearly 300,000 birds, mostly chicken layers, to prevent the spread of HPAI in the country. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph /2022/07/04/ govt-culls-layers-to-preventspread-of-bird-flu/).

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said that as of June 24 a total of 286,934 birds were culled by the government, of which, 66.38 percent or about 190,468 were chicken layers.

BAI data showed that the government also culled 47,667 ducks, 27,574 quails, 750 native chickens and 575 other birds. The attached agency of the Department of Agriculture said a certain farm owner conducted a pre-emptive culling of 19,900 broiler breeders.

The agency said the government has indemnified affected poultry farmers who received a total of P24.831 million. Based on its latest tally, BAI said bird flu cases in the country were confirmed in 95 barangays in 53 municipalities across 14 provinces in eight regions nationwide.

The BAI said 133,160 birds died due to the disease, bringing the total death count (mortalities and culled) to 420,094 birds.

As of June 24 there were 10 ongoing bird flu cases out of the 142 confirmed cases nationwide. The government has resolved 132 bird flu cases since the resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in February. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/02/22/phl-reports-newavian-flu-outbreaks-in-centralluzon-farms/).

Israel govt dangles ‘ayuda’ for families of Pinoy TNTs

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome @maloutalosig

I

SRAEL is dangling a carrot this time to undocumented Filipinos who have families with children in Israel to come out and volunteer for repatriation. They will be provided a grant worth $5,000 (P270,000).

Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs estimates that there are around 27,000 Filipino undocumented workers in the Jewish state.

Israel’s Population and Migration Agency launched last Friday the voluntary exit operation specifically for Filipino citizens in Israel who are residing illegally, Israel media reported.

The operation will continue until the end of November 2022.

A few years ago, Israel had tried to expel families of undocumented Filipinos in Israel, mostly mothers with children. However, human rights activists opposed it and ultimately forced Israel to end its massive operation to deport thousands of illegal Filipino migrants.

This time, the Israel Population and Immigration Agency is offering a cash incentive worth $5,000, which will be spread for a year.

The agency has also teamed up with the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv.

The Embassy posted an advisory last Sunday, announcing the “repatriation and reintegration benefits” for Filipino citizens who are “illegally residing or overstaying in Israel.” However, the advisory didn’t cite the benefit amount that

will be offered.

Undocumented Filipinos who will volunteer to be repatriated to the Philippines can apply either at the Embassy or at the PIBA’s (Population, Immigration and Border Authority) Voluntary Repatriation Department.

Upon receipt of the voluntary repatriation request from the Filipino undocumented worker, PIBA will purchase a flight ticket back to the Philippines.

The Embassy, in turn, will also provide orientation to undocumented Filipinos on the assistance and reintegration programs that they can avail of upon return to the Philippines such as airport assistance, halfway house accommodation, livelihood development assistance, psycho-social counseling, financial literacy, values formation and referral of children to local schools.

“While the Philippine Embassy encourages all Filipino workers to abide by the terms of their employment contract and the immigration laws of Israel, the Embassy is also working with the Population, Immigration and Border Authority of Israel towards the humane and orderly repatriation of undocumented Filipinos who wish to return to the Philippines,” the Embassy explained.

It added “regardless of immigration status,” the Embassy will still offer Filipinos the consular services such as passport renewal, travel document, civil registry documents and assistance to nationals.

Undocumented Filipinos in Israel may “freely and safely avail” of these services, it assured.

News BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Resumption of in-person classes eyed in November

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

S

TA RTING November, a l l students are expected to return to in-person classes.

T his was based on the recommendation of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte during the first Cabinet meeting of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday.

The President also disclosed that Duterte wants to bring back all students to the classrooms by November. “[On] September, we will start a phased face-to-face schooling. And that face-to-face will end in early November as already 100 percent —100 percent attendance from the children,” Marcos Jr. said in a news conference.

In preparation for the plan,

Marcos Jr. said they would be discussing the vaccination policy for students.

Currently, students could attend limited face-to-face classes even without getting a Covid-19 jab.

He noted they are encouraging younger people to avail of booster shots amid incidents of Covid-18 Omicron variant cases across the country.

“That’s the general policy, we will reinstitute again the vaccination drive so that we cannot at least feel safer when the children go back to school,” the President said.

Aside from the vaccination, he also wants to ensure students will be given free access to public transportation, particularly on the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT 2).

“Students will ride for free on LRT 2, which is going to the university belt [area in Manila],” Marcos said.

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 A5

NPA landmine wounds seven soldiers in Northern Samar

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

S

USPECTED New People’s Army rebels detonated an anti-personnel mine against government troops on Tuesday in Northern Samar, wounding seven soldiers, two of them in critically, military commander said.

Army 8th Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Edgardo de Leon said elements of the 20th Infantry Battalion, who came from a community service mission, were negotiating a trail when the blast occurred.

“Our troops conducted community service, immersion in Mapanas, Northern Samar when they were hit with an anti-personnel mine,”

the commander said of the attack, which occurred at around 6:15 a.m. in Barangay Magsaysay, Mapanas.

As a result, seven soldiers, who are all enlisted personnel, were wounded and were evacuated to a hospital in Northern Samar. Two of them were reported to be in critical condition.

“Hopefully, they can get through it,” de Leon said of the wounded troops, who were hit by shrapnel in the different parts of their bodies.

The soldiers were not able to open fire at the rebels, who fled after the attack and were being hunted by government forces, he said.

The attack on soldiers transpired as the military reported that the rebels have been weakened, notably in Northern Samar and were already on

the verge of being decimated as a result of sustained government offensives.

De Leon claimed the mine was planted along a trail that was also being used by civilians, adding it was detonated while the soldiers were passing by.

The regional military commander denounced the use of landmines by the rebels.

On Friday, a day after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was sworn in after winning a landslide victory in the May 9 elections, government troops assaulted eight communist rebels, killing one, in a brief gun battle in Negros Oriental province, the Army said.

Marcos Jr. must deal with decades-long communist and Muslim

insurgencies, along with longstanding territorial disputes with China and other claimants in the South China Sea. During the campaign, he said he would pursue peace talks with communist insurgents and expressed support for a government task force established under his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, to fight the insurgency by bringing infrastructure, housing and livelihood projects to the poverty-stricken countryside.

The task force has drawn criticism for linking several left-wing activists and government critics to the communist insurgency, in what Duterte’s opponents said was baseless “red-tagging” aimed at muzzling legitimate dissent. With AP

ASF-infected hog slips past inspection, city Remulla designates de Lemos as NBI officer in charge until July 31 vet shuts abbatoir, public market stockyard D

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

D

AVAO CITY—The City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO) has closed its main abattoir and a swine stockyard in Bankerohan Public Market here after a slaughtered pig was found positive for the African swine fever (ASF) in a postmortem inspection.

A stockyard for live hogs in Bankerohan, the city’s oldest and biggest public market, was also ordered closed temporarily after a specimen was also found positive for ASF. The slaughtered pig did not show any ASF inspection before it was sent to the abattoir on June 20 as the CVO said it was difficult to detect the virus in live animals. The pig was also traced to Banga, South Cotabato, which has no known case yet of ASF. Dr. Maria Corazon Sepulveda of the CVO said that the ASF-positive slaughtered animal was “immediately properly disposed of.”

After the confirmed post-mortem inspection yielded positive ASF, the CVO temporarily shuttered the Maa

Slaughterhouse from June 22 to June 26 for thorough disinfection.

The Malagos Slaughterhouse was then temporarily opened to cater to clients from Maa. Stoc k yards and sl aughter houses in the city were ordered to sanitize and disinfect their areas.

“There is continuous cleaning and disinfection. Actually, we gave them disinfectant so they can clean their area. And then there’s continuous surveillance and monitoring,” she said.

Due to the highly contagious nature of the disease, Sepulveda said that their office is currently conducting daily antemortem and postmortem inspections of hogs and hog carcasses all over the city.

Public markets and stockyards were also under strict surveillance. The city’s slaughterhouses, cold storage and processing plants were closely monitored.

Stockyards in Bangkerohan were currently closed also and placed under tight monitoring after one stockyard specimen from the area tested positive for ASF. Sepulveda said this prompted the office to cull all hogs in the establishment and

to temporarily close all stockyards in the city.

“We need to conduct continuous monitoring in public markets and stockyards although the stockyards in Bangkerohan Public Market are currently empty because we had to shut them down,” she added.

The stringent measures would aim to prevent the resurgence of ASF in the city.

The CVO has also tightened border inspection of hogs coming into the city. Sepulveda said farmers with commercial hogs coming from areas classified as red zones, or areas with declared ASF outbreaks and green zones, or areas that have not been flagged yet, must acquire an animal inspection certificate and an ASF-free certificate from the Veterinary Quarantine Services Department of the Department of Agriculture.

Non-commercial hogs or backyard hogs from outside of the city are not allowed to enter.

The CVO assured Dabawenyo’s that the reported ASF infection at the Maa Slaughterhouse was an isolated case that was immediately addressed.

Under 60% of tourism road infra projects completed continued from a18 “Based on the guidelines presented during the TRIP Regional Consultation for this year, the DOT and DPWH will prioritize all ongoing TRIP projects and the development of circuits and thematic products,” said report.

Under the second Bayanihan Act, P1 billion was allocated for tourism roads as part of the measures of tourism recovery. “As of September 1, 2021, 24 out of the 28 targeted projects nationwide were already completed, 1 ongoing, and 3 were terminated,” the report added.

Boracay drainage completion at yearend?

Meanwhile, also sitting on the

DPWH’s plate is the completion of the drainage project in Boracay Island. Although initially a project of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), a government firm under the DOT, about 15 percent to the remaining work was transferred to the DPWH due to right-of-way issues. Again, no timeline has been provided by the DPWH when this will be completed although a government source said Tuesday, “Hopefully it will be done by the end of the year.”

Such drainage project has been the bane of existence of Boracay residents and business owners;

whenever there are torrential rains, as what happens during the monsoon season, portions of the island’s main roads and alleys are flooded. The rehabilitation of the island, which led to its six-month closure in 2018, was supposed to have addressed that problem, but to this day, flooding continues. The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, which oversaw the rehab, already turned over the island’s management back to the local government as its term ended on June 30. (See, “ROW issues derail completion of Boracay drainage project,” in the BusinessMirror, May 9, 2022.) Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

Urban area population grows by 7.2M in 5 yrs continued from a18 These were Region 4A-Calabarzon at 70.5 percent; Region 11Davao, 66.8 percent; Region 3-Central Luzon, 66.3 percent; and Region 12-Soccsksargen, 55.5 percent.

Meanwhile, the five regions with the lowest level of urbanization were Region 8-Eastern Visayas at 14.7 percent; Region 2-Cagayan Valley, 19.5 percent; Region 5-Bicol, 23.8 percent; Region 1-Ilocos, 25.5 percent; and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM, 27.6 percent.

In terms of provinces, 11 out of 81 provinces registered a level of urbanization higher than the national

level in 2020 of 54 percent.

R izal topped the list with 94.6-percent urbanization rate, followed by Bulacan at 85.7 percent; Laguna, 79.3 percent; Cavite, 76.9 percent; and Pampanga, 75 percent.

The data also showed that among the 17 highly urbanized cities (HUCs) outside the NCR, around 16 had a level of urbanization of at least 60 percent.

The City of Angeles and City of Mandaue had the highest level of urbanization with 100 percent each, followed by the Cities of Olongapo and General Santos with urbanization levels of 98.5 percent and 98.4 percent, respectivity.

“With an urbanization level of 56 percent, the City of Tacloban was the only HUC outside the NCR that posted an urbanization level lower than 60 percent,” PSA added.

In terms of population, PSA said the City of Davao posted the biggest urban population among the HUCs outside the NCR, with 1.63 million urban residents or a level of urbanization of 91.8 percent.

It was followed by the City of Cebu with 908,195 urban population and 94.2 percent level of urbanization, and the City of Zamboanga with 869,929 urban population and 89 percent level of urbanization.

EPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) Secretar y Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla has appointed Assistant Director Medardo de Lemos as officer-incharge (OIC) of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) until July 31.

De Lemos’ appointment as NBI’s OIC was made by virtue of Depart-

ment Order No. 298 issued by Remulla last Friday, July 1.

“The OIC shall perform and discharge the duties and responsibilities of the office until 31 July 2022 or until a replacement has been appointed or designated, whichever comes first.”

Remulla said the order immediately took effect and would remain in

force until there are further orders.

The DOJ chief issued the order in line with the June 30 Memorandum Circular no. 1 issued by the Office of the President to declare vacant certain positions in the departments, offices, agencies and bureaus in the Executive department to ensure the continuous and effective delivery of service. Joel R. San Juan

Inflation. . . continued from a2 Future inflation

RESIDE said inflation in the coming months would likely be stoked by factors that reduce supply in critical goods or stimulate demand for foods and services. This will also further affect the purchasing power of the peso.

“A recession in advanced economies will not feed further inflation—it will reduce it. A major part of inflation in the USA right now is caused by their strong economy,” Reside, however, said.

For his part, Lanzona said supply constraints brought by the war in Eastern Europe will affect inflation and are among the external factors that could lead to higher commodity prices.

However, Lanzona said, certain internal factors also affect the increase in commodity prices. One example, he said, is the increase in minimum wages.

In May, the Regional Tripartite Wage Board raised the minimum wage by P33 per day. However, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said it would not be inflationary. (Full story: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2022/05/16/%e2%82%a733daily-wage-hike-wontstoke-inflation-neda-chief/).

Besides higher wages, recent election spending was also inflationary.

This means any significant increase in government spending such as subsidies, have the potential to increase inflation nationwide.

Lanzona said if the government does not implement “an effective stimulus program” to “raise productivity at a rate greater than demand, aggregate prices will just increase.”

“These internal factors could have been avoided through proper development programs. The continued government delay will only aggravate the situation. Given these external and internal factors, inflation will

continue to rise,” Lanzona said.

Addressing inflation

SOCIOECONOMIC Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said efforts to mitigate the impact of high food and fuel costs include the passage of bills such as the Livestock Development and Competitiveness (LDC) Bill which proposes to modernize the livestock, poultry, and corn sectors in the country.

Balisacan said among the major provisions of the LDC Bill is the updating of the corn industry roadmap, along with the establishment of “competitiveness enhancement funds” for the livestock value chain.

“The government must immediately address logistical constraints to complement the government’s Plant, Plant, Plant 2 program. As the country’s inflation rate continues to increase, we must continue fasttracking our policies to make sure that Filipinos can still travel to work and bring sufficient and healthy food to their tables,” Balisacan added.

To mitigate the impact of higher fuel prices among low-income households, the Department of Social Welfare and Development started releasing the first tranche of the Targeted Cash Transfer program on July 4, 2022.

To ease the burden of high oil prices on qualified tricycle drivers, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said over 600,000 qualified tricycle drivers are set to receive fuel cash subsidies under the Pantawid Pasada Program for Tricycle Drivers.

Moreover, the Libreng Sakay Program for all passengers of the Edsa Bus Carousel has been extended until December 2022. The Department of Transportation will also implement Libreng Sakay for Students Program LRT 2 and the PNR in the first quarter of the school year 2022-2023 or from August 22, 2022 to November

4, 2022, considering the resumption of face-to-face classes.

“To further conserve energy and ensure everyone’s safety amidst the rising number of Covid-19 cases, we must also consider the need to promote alternative work arrangements where these have been proven effective and productivity-enhancing, as well as to encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation,” Balisacan said.

“In the long term, alternative modes of transportation may alleviate transport fare pressures and reduce the reliance on global fuel. It will also promote greener and more sustainable transportation moving forward,” he added.

Inflation nationwide

MEANWHILE, inflation in NCR increased to 5.6 percent in June 2022, from 4.7 percent in the previous month. In June 2021, the inflation rate was registered at 2.6 percent.

The uptrend of inflation in NCR for the month of June 2022 was mainly attributed to the higher annual increase in the food and non-alcoholic beverages index at 6.1 percent in June 2022, from 4.6 percent in the previous month. This was followed by the Transport index which grew by 17.2 percent annually.

Following the trend of the Philippines and NCR, inflation in Areas Outside NCR (AONCR) rose to 6.3 percent in June 2022. In the previous month, inflation was registered at 5.5 percent and in June 2021, 4 percent.

The upward trend of inflation in AONCR in June 2022 was brought about by the higher inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages at 5.9 percent, from 4.9 percent in the previous month. In addition, the transport index also contributed with 17.1 percent annual growth, from 14.7 percent in the previous month.

Rice imports expand nearly 30% in H1 to 1.887 MMT continued from a18 Since the start of the rice trade liberalization (RTL) law or Republic Act 11203 in early 2019, the country’s annual rice imports have been above 2 MMT. Last year, total rice imports were at 2.771 MMT. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) had projected that the Philippines could retain its status as the world’s second largest buyer of rice for the fourth consecutive year in 2023, when total import volume is projected to reach 3 MMT.

The USDA said the Philippines’s rice imports this year and next year would hit 3 MMT. (Related story: https://businessmirror. com.ph/2022/05/16/phl-to-import-more-rice-as-output-tostay-flat/)

Continuous dialogue

IN a statement, the Philippine Rice Stakeholders’ Movement (PRISM) urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the concurrent Agriculture Sec-

retary, to continue the DA’s monthly dialogue with rice industry stakeholders in ensuring the welfare of various players in the value chain.

While the global economy is facing “a potential food crisis due to shortage and unabated price increase, we find it absolutely necessary for both the government and the industry stakeholders to work together and come up with a common solution by synchronizing its efforts to this problem,” the group said.

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Wednesday, July 6, 2022

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Wednesday, July 6, 2022

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A6 A8

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Wednesday, July 6, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

3D ANALYZER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES INC. 7-8/f Double Dragon Plaza, 255 Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd., Barangay 76, Pasay City LI, QIANJI Customer Service Representative - Mandarin Speaking 1.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services; maintains customer records by updating account information in mandarin format.

TAN CHUI YEE Customer Service Representative - Mandarin Speaking

2.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services; maintains customer records by updating account information in mandarin format.

TAN WAI CHOONG Customer Service Representative - Mandarin Speaking

3.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services; maintains customer records by updating account information in mandarin format.

TRAN PHAT PHU Customer Service Representative - Mandarin Speaking

4.

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering products and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services; maintains customer records by updating account information in mandarin format.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in spoken & written mandarin and other dialect spoken in other parts of china.

NGO VAN NGOC Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 13.

5.

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns.

KEVIN RIADY Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

6.

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns.

RICKY MAHESA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

7.

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns.

ZULHAM Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

8.

Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of calls, handle customer concerns.

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

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in spoken & written mandarin and other dialect spoken in other parts of china.

NGO VAN QUANG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 14.

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in spoken & written mandarin and other dialect spoken in other parts of china.

15.

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in spoken & written mandarin and other dialect spoken in other parts of china.

16.

17.

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language.

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

NGUYEN MINH QUY Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 18.

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language.

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

NGUYEN MINH HANG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

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

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

NGUYEN HOANG KY Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in reading, writing and speaking in foreign language.

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

NGU NGOC LIEN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

7 PRIME TECH, INC. 10/f Ewestpod, Eton Westend Square, Yakal St. Cor. Don Chino Roces Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati HADISURYA GUNARKO Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

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

NGUYEN QUANG MANH Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 19.

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

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

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

CAO HOAI VAN PHAT Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 9.

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

HOANG ANH QUAN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 10.

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

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

NGUYEN THANH THANH Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 20.

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

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

NGUYEN VAN TUC Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 21.

11.

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

NGO HUYNH NGUYEN BI Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 12.

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

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

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

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

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

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

NGUYEN VIET LONG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 22.

MUEANGSAEN, PRATTHANA Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

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

NONG THI NGOC MAI Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 23.

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

PHAM THAI BINH Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 24.

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

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Knows how to recommend potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

No.

TO TUAN TIEP Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 25.

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

26.

27.

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

28.

29.

30.

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

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

VU NHAT THANH Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 31.

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

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

TRIEU SINH VAN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

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

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

TRAN THU VY Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

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

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

TRAN THI LIN TRANG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

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

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

TRAN QUANG NHAT Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

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

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

TRAN NAM ANH Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

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

VU VAN MANH Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 32.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VUONG HUU DANG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 33.

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

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

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

ABOITIZ POWER CORPORATION 21st Nac Tower, 32nd St., Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

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

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

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

34.

KOMORI, NAOKI Business Development Director Brief Job Description: Provide inputs for AP’s re growth strategy.

Basic Qualification: With at least 5 years of experience in renewable power business development.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

ACCENTURE, INC. 7f, Robinsons Cybergate Tower 1, Pioneer St, City Of Mandaluyong

BusinessMirror

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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

LOMINE USAGE LOMINE, THIERRY DENIS ANDRE App/cloud Support Analyst

35.

Brief Job Description: Communicate with the client functional design incharge about the detail of requirement definition and function design; explain development status and issue with team leads of the client; understand the clients’ original develop/runtime architecture and develop standards (including deliverable flow, template, description level); perform knowledge transfer about business requirement/functional design written in required language to team lead and members.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science or other relevant fields; must be able to communicate effectively, verbally and written, in both English and required language; experienced in any of the following: o java (java ee, java se, spring, nodejs) o javascript o sap o .net o cobol o angular; knowledgeable in back-end programming language/framework; willing to work on holidays, weekends, shifting schedules and extended working hours.

No.

41.

Brief Job Description: Manage quality and cost of services being delivered across a program. Analyze current state and define system requirements for solutions.

Ensure programs or projects meet operational, contractual & economic commitments.

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

IMMANENI, SRIHARNATH Cap Business Advisory Senior Manager

36.

Brief Job Description: Spearhead the pre-sales process by helping build solutions & responding to the client needs (rfps) on time. Establish relationship with the client stakeholders to drive sales and value for both client and Accenture actively identify potential up-selling opportunities for the existing clients.

Meet quarterly sales target for process mining team. Actively collaborate with product partner to understand the new in market. Be a pioneer in brining all product capabilities to the team from our product partners. Collaborate continuously with the implementation team and pre-sales team to understand the client’s pain point and improve the product accordingly. Define the product roadmap, business requirements, measures of success, and features for products and services.

Create “thought ware” and “point of views” to sell new product capabilities to our clients educational/ work experience: bachelor’s in engineering/ computer science/ math / statistics, accounting or related discipline from a reputed institute or an mba from a reputed b school institute. Minimum of 15 years of total work.

Basic Qualification: Experience and 10 years of work experience post mba required. Minimum 8 years of relevant experience as business consultant in business process management.

Experience in managing saas based product/ solutions for large clients. Experience in leading processes like banking, insurance, sales ops or f&a domain will be preferred. Technofunctional experience of driving large complex transformational analytical projects.

Should be experienced in performing data analytics & recommending meaningful insights.

Experienced in managing large teams, multistakeholder environments and complex it/digital projects and engagements with a preferred global exposure.

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

PRADHAN, DEEPA HR Service Delivery Associate Manager

37.

Brief Job Description: Act as escalation point for the team as well as customers for all issues. Responsible to be the overarching manager for terminations teams however, to interact with the other leads to identify opportunities for improvements/ streamline processes/issues.

Basic Qualification: Responsible to manage the cross training and development of the team in terms of the workforce master data maintenance processes and activities to act as a backup for that team during peak periods and when team members are off solid background in HR with sap HR tool experience.

Strong stakeholder leadership and operations management. Good written and verbal communication. Good work ethics.

42.

Brief Job Description: Communicates effectively via live video call with our customer base – third party sellers who want

38.

Brief Job Description: Perform accounts payable activities including vendor creation and maintenance, invoice processing, and pcard management. Confirm pricing and terms with suppliers prior to payment.

Maintain travel and expense system configuration and audit rules. Create and approve requisitions, and record receipt of goods and services.

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

MEHRA, SANIL Service Delivery Ops Lead Senior Manager

39.

Brief Job Description: Assign all work assignments, commit the team to the work, manage the quality of the work and drive the people management activities, automation, innovations, and digitization within the team. Build strong client business relationships. Ensure execution of delivery work across one or more clients or portfolios, leading service delivery strategy across all locations where the services are provided Support sales opportunities and ensure the feasibility of the proposed solutions and delivery of the solution by leveraging Accenture’s full capabilities Support the achievement of contract controllable income (CCI) targets, as well as the achievement of cost-toserve targets; deliver efficiencies through standard processes and synergies.

Basic Qualification: 8-10+ years of delivery/ people management experience, Bachelor’s degree. Build, Manage & Scale large operations. Ability to convert opportunities into solutions Lead governance meetings with senior management & client partners.

Ability to work in a fastpaced deadline driven environment. Design and Implement frameworks for controlled operations.

Proactive with a strong work ethic and eagerness to ‘go the extra mile’ for self and with team.

Proficient in MS Office Suite, Google Docs, and the internet Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

GUERRERO RAMIREZ, OSCAR ARMANDO SW/App/Cloud Tech Support SR Analyst

40.

Brief Job Description: Perform initial triage for it issued raised by customers. Log, track and update incidents; attempt first time fix resolution for known issues; identify target resolver group & route tickets; do remote trouble shooting; install/uninstall applications for incidents raised by customers.

Basic Qualification: Graduate of any 4yr course, preferably it or engineering related. Strong working knowledge of the service desk function. Good knowledge level on multiple it technologies.

Excellent communications skills both written and verbal. Willing and able to work effectively in a diverse and multi-cultural environment. Willing and able to work on a shifting schedule.

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

Basic Qualification: To sell on amazon in its various marketplaces’, fluency in Thai language

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

LAURIE, GRAHAM Mechanic Specialist 52.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for compiling (complex) mechanical equipment in the workshop and ensuring proper operations of (complex) mechanical equipment / installations of equipment.

SINGHAL, PANKAJ Technologies Line Manager 43.

Brief Job Description: End 2 End responsibility and accountability of infra/IT projects/activities for region/cluster

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree graduate with experience in software development/ infrastructure management

POELSMA, SIJBOUT THEODORUS Mechanic Specialist 53.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for compiling (complex) mechanical equipment in the workshop and ensuring proper operations of (complex) mechanical equipment / installations of equipment.

DIJKSMAN, RICHARD Operations Superintendent 54.

44.

Brief Job Description: Improve efficiency and increase profits while managing overall operations of a company

55.

45.

Brief Job Description: Handles the concerns of the people who buy their company’s products or services.

46.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients.

WEN, HONGZHI Mandarin Customer Service 47.

Brief Job Description: Offer full range of customer service to employer and clients.

56.

48.

Brief Job Description: Analyzes data gathered and develop solution, highly organized and able to multitask

ZHANG, WENXUAN Operation Assistant 49.

Brief Job Description: Work closely with Operation Manager, site inspection monitor of construction progress

57.

50.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for liaising between the sales team and the client, ensuring customers are satisfied and understanding the goals of the clients.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the safe and correct execution of the sand fill plan. To lead a team of personnel (operators and pipe filters) on a wet sand fill.

Basic Qualification: Has excellent problem-solving and communication skills in Mandarin, with related BPO experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

MOHAMED ABDULLA, JAHAMGEER Sand Fill Master 58.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the safe and correct execution of the sand fill plan. To lead a team of personnel (operators and pipe filters) on a wet sand fill.

DU, JUN Project Manager

59.

Brief Job Description: Manages all aspects of complex engineering procurement construction (epc)/service projects, including risk to cost, schedule, quality; responsible for the day to day successful execution of contracted engineering procurement, and construction scope in the areas of performance, financial metrics, planning, schedule, quality, contractual compliance, safety, and client satisfaction; provides for the successful staffing of the project.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Excellent Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, Excellent Communication Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: At least 1 year experience in the job position mentioned, college graduate, fluent in English and mandarin languages

51.

Brief Job Description: Gives data management support on a large complex on- and offshore dredging & land development project.

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

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Benchmarking vessels performance Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Must have extensive work experience of at least 3 years in a sand fill position with an international Dredging and Land reclamation company or international construction projects.

Basic Qualification: Must have extensive work experience of at least 3 years in a sand fill position with an international Dredging and Land reclamation company or international construction projects.

Basic Qualification: Four year bachelor of science degree minimum with extensive experience (20+years including 5 years international experience) on medium to large size power projects in construction management role; master’s degree in engineering or construction management will be an advantage; all applicants must be able to complete preemployment onboarding requirements (if selected) which may include any/ all of the following: criminal/civil background check, drug screen, and motor vehicle records search, in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations.

CAPSLOCK INC. 7th & 8th Flr. Y Tower Bldg., Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal Ave., Barangay 76, Pasay City JANSEN KHOLIN It Support Specialist 60.

Brief Job Description: Shall answer incoming phone calls from Chinese clients and troubleshoot customer technical problems with computer software and hardware.

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language (writing and speaking) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHROMELAB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 25/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

PANG KONG WAH Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Executive 61.

Brief Job Description: Interprets data, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient in writing and speaking at least two of the following languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Bahasa, Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese/ 1 year experience of working in a similar role Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

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

ZIMINA, MIKELINA KHILBERTOVNA Discipline Specialist

Basic Qualification: Benchmarking vessels performance

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

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

Basic Qualification: Experience as discipline specialist of at least 3 years in dredging and land development industry. Experience with discipline relevant software and models.

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

BVI (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION 6/f Lta Bldg., 118 Perea Street, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

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

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

Basic Qualification: Benchmarking vessels performance

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

Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in Mandarin language.

Basic Qualification: At least college level and able to speak, read write and type fluently in Mandarin language.

Basic Qualification: Minimum 3 years experience working in an international dredging and land development industry. Minimum of 4 years experience in a technical environment, working with excavators, bulldozers and dump trucks and various heavy equipment.

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

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

BLUESKY INVESTMENTS HOLDING INC. Suite 2802 Discovery Center, 25 Adb Avenue, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

LIM MING LEE Sales Account Executive

Brief Job Description: Acts as the company’s representative to support management and operations

GANGADHARAN, SENTHIL Sand Fill Master

BIGCON CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Unit 3b, 2nd Floor, Rayco Tower, Doña Soledad Ave., Don Bosco, City Of Parañaque

ZHANG, YANA Management Support Analyst

Brief Job Description: Acts as the company’s representative to support management and operations GOUDSWAARD, DIRK Operations Superintendent

BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. Eastfield Center, Cbp1, Macapagal Blvd., Barangay 76, Pasay City

LE, RENDUN Mandarin Customer Relations Officer

Brief Job Description: Acts as the company’s representative to support management and operations GORBANS, GENADIJS Operations Superintendent

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate, Speaks and Write Fluently (English and Korean)

Basic Qualification: Minimum 3 years experience working in an international dredging and land development industry. Minimum of 4 years experience in a technical environment, working with excavators, bulldozers and dump trucks and various heavy equipment.

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

ASCENT DEVELOPMENT CONSTRUCTION INC. 5th Floor Strata 100 Bldg., F. Ortigas Jr. Ave. Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig MOON, KIHO General Manager/ CEO

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

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

AMDOCS PHILIPPINES INC. 23rd, 25th, And 26th Floors Eco Tower, 32nd St. Cor. 9th Ave. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

TANG, LIPING Mandarin Customer Service

LEE, GOWOON Procure To Pay Operations Senior Analyst

Basic Qualification: Ability to contribute to a high-performing, motivated workgroup by applying interpersonal and collaboration skills to achieve project goals and realize value. Ability to contribute to the creation of an environment that motivates individuals to work collaboratively as a team. Coaching skills; ability to work creatively and analytically in a problemsolving environment; excellent oral and written communication skills excellent time management skills; good project management skills; good leadership skills; good performance management skills including feedback techniques; flexibility

No.

AMAZON OPERATION SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. B21 Three E-com Moa Complex, Harbour Drive Cor. Bay Shore, Brgy. 076, Pasay City

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

Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least a bachelor’s/ college degree in any field. Required language(s): Korean, English. Must be able to communicate effectively, verbal and written, in both Korean and English. Ability to use pc applications such as MS word, MS excel and MS PowerPoint.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

CHUTHAMAT, INJAENG Seller Onboarding Associate

A9

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

SOLORZANO GARCIA, LUIS RAUL Technology Delivery Lead Assoc Manager

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

CHIA YIH FARN Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Officer 62.

Brief Job Description: Interprets data, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient in writing and speaking at least two of the following languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Bahasa, Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese/ 1 year experience of working in a similar role Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A10 A6 Wednesday, July 6, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

KHOO LEE SOON Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Officer 63.

Brief Job Description: Interprets data, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient in writing and speaking at least two of the following languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Bahasa, Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese/ 1 year experience of working in a similar role

No.

74.

LOH HUCK MIN Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Officer 64.

Brief Job Description: Interprets data, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

75.

WEE HOCK LIN Bi-lingual Speaking Data Analyst Officer 65.

Brief Job Description: Interprets data, analyzes results using statistical techniques and provides ongoing reports

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 CONCENTRIX CVG PHILIPPINES, INC. 25/f Ayala North Exchange, Tower 2, 6796, Ayala Ave. Cor. Salcedo & Amorsolo Streets, City Of Makati BITI MBENG, BRUNO ROLAND Advisor I, Technical Support 66.

Brief Job Description: “Solve problems that are generally unstructured and require extensive use of conceptual thinking skills.

Ensure service delivered to our customers meets contractual Key Performance Indicator (‘KPIs’).”

DOS REIS LIMA, EDUARDO Advisor I, Technical Support

67.

Brief Job Description: “Solve problems that are generally unstructured and require extensive use of conceptual thinking skills.

Ensure service delivered to our customers meets contractual Key Performance Indicator (‘KPIs’).”

Basic Qualification: Fluent and/or native speaker in English and French

76.

68.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for leading a team of professionals as well as working cross functionally within enabling functions and shared services to formulate a detailed project plan by work stream and sub function, enabling execution of the plan consistent with traditional expectations of a Transformation Management Office (TMO) role, and tracking progress to ultimately deliver an on-time

69.

Brief Job Description: Develop and drive the vision and deliver a multiyear strategy for centre of analytics for GOS APAC and its service lines to maintain an industry leading differentiated capability.

77.

70.

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

78.

Brief Job Description: Prepare airline and custom documentations

Basic Qualification: BSC or BA degree in economic or a quantitative subject preferred Accountancy and/or RICS accredited preferred. 5-10 years’ experience in a financial, analytics and/or realestate role essential

79.

72.

Brief Job Description: Manages port terminal operations and implementation of process and improvement

80.

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

73.

Brief Job Description: Customer Service Representative (CSR)

Brief Job Description: The project manager will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals.

ANDREYAN AJI PRABOWO Customer Service Representative 81.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

ELDORADO SIMBOLON Customer Service Representative 82.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

I KADE ADI MUSTIKA Customer Service Representative 83.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 I KETUT ARIASA Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: Have skills in documentations

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 I NENGAH MUDITA Customer Service Representative 85.

Basic Qualification: Executive level presentation skills w/ at least 15 years’ experience in port terminal Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

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

Basic Qualification: Must have a strong passion, hospitality and customer oriented mindset

88.

89.

90.

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

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

MURNIATI Customer Service Representative 86.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

NI KADEK RIRIN Customer Service Representative 87.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

GAMMA INTERACTIVE INC. 21/f Alphaland Makati Place, 7232 Ayala Ave. Cor. Malugay St., Bel-air, City Of Makati HUANG, JU-CHUN Business Development Chinese Speaking 91.

Brief Job Description: Assist in collaborating with management on sales goals, planning and forecasting.

JULI MEI SANTINA Business Development Indonesian Speaking

92.

Brief Job Description: Assist in collaborating with management on sales goals planning and forecasting, maintaining short and long term business development.

MAKRUNG, KITTIPHOP Customer Service Thai Speaking

93.

Brief Job Description: Employee shall perform the duties such as reports on a daily operations call center activities.

PATTARANIT, SUNISA Customer Service Thai Speaking

94.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven experience as project manager, excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

SYAHRIAL SIREGAR Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven experience as project manager, excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.

Brief Job Description: Supports Customers by Providing Helpful Information, Answering Queries and Responding to Complaints

NYOMAN AGUS ADNYANA SURYAWAN Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as project manager, excellent communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION NI PUTU MEI ANGGRENI Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Employee shall perform the duties such as reports on a daily operations call center activities.

SOISAT, KUNLAPAT Customer Service Thai Speaking

95.

Brief Job Description: Employee shall perform the duties such as reports on a daily operations call center activities.

TRONGWATTANAWUT, SITTIPOL Customer Service Thai Speaking

96.

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. Ri Rance Ii Bldg., Block 2 Lot 3 Aseana City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

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

DAI, KONGJIE Customer Service Representative (CSR)

Brief Job Description: The project manager will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals.

ZHOU, LICHUN Project Manager

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

DP WORLD HOLDINGS PHILIPPINES INC. Ati Head Office Bldg. A Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, 068, Barangay 652, Port Area, City Of Manila

SANCHEZ-GIL, RODRIGO LEOPOLDO Vice President

Brief Job Description: The project manager will be a strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goals.

LIU, SHUANG Project Manager

84.

71.

Brief Job Description: Must be capable of carrying out business along with their subordinate with a will

DONG, XIAOYANG Marketing Manager

DEXIN INTERNATIONAL IMPORT AND EXPORT CORP. Lot 3 E&e Cmpd., F. Santiago St., Parada, City Of Valenzuela

ZHANG, BAOZHU Chinese Cargo Office Agent

Brief Job Description: Customer Service Representative (CSR)

Basic Qualification: High School Graduate in Chinese Curriculum , Can Speak and Write Fluent Chinese Mandarin , Can Operate Computer Mandarin Characters

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

DEXIN 999, INC. Red Hotel No. 345, Edsa Cor. Don Carlos Revilla St., Barangay 147, Pasay City ZHAO, JIANJUN Mandarin Customer Support Representative

ZENG, CHUIDE Customer Service Representative (CSR)

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD PHILIPPINES INC. 11th Floor Ecotower, 32nd Street Corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

FERRE, ROMAIN JULIEN Associate Director, Head Of Centre Of Analytics, APAC

Brief Job Description: Customer Service Representative (CSR)

HIRATA, AYANO Area Manager

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

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Healthcare or Related Field, Master’s Degree Preferred; 7-10 Years of Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management, or Related

WANG, GANGLEI Customer Service Representative (CSR)

Basic Qualification: High School Graduate in Chinese Curriculum , Can Speak and Write Fluent Chinese Mandarin , Can Operate Computer Mandarin Characters

FAST RETAILING PHILIPPINES, INC. Sm Corporate Offices Bldg. A, J. W. Diokno Blvd., Barangay 76, Pasay City

CONIFER GLOBAL BUSINESS CENTER INC. 8th Floor Citi Plaza Building, 34th St. Cor. Lane D Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig SINGH, VIKRANT Vice President - RCM BPO Services Leader

Basic Qualification: High School Graduate in Chinese Curriculum , Can Speak and Write Fluent Chinese Mandarin , Can Operate Computer Mandarin Characters

No.

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

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent and/or native speaker in English and French

Brief Job Description: Customer Service Representative (CSR)

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient in writing and speaking at least two of the following languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Bahasa, Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese/ 1 year experience of working in a similar role

MA, FAHANG Customer Service Representative (CSR)

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent and proficient in writing and speaking at least two of the following languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Bahasa, Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese/ 1 year experience of working in a similar role

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Employee shall perform the duties such as reports on a daily operations call center activities.

LUU THANH TUNG Customer Service Vietnamese Speaking

Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above with business development experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above with business development experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above with customer service experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above with customer service experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above with customer service experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above with customer service experience.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above with customer service experience.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

97.

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

98.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

GENX SPORTS & MEDIA PRODUCTION CORP. 11/f Aseana I Bldg., Bradco Ave. Aseana City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

TRAN THI NHAT UYEN Marketing Executive Vietnamese Speaking Brief Job Description: Manages the execution of different marketing strategies for a company and developing efficient and intuitive marketing strategies.

SHEN, TONG Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 99.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

HOANG THI NGOC TUYET Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 100.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

LIN, YINJIE Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 101.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

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

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

NONG THI HANG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 102.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 21 years old and above with marketing executive experience.

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

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills.

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

GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING, OPC Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor, Silver City 4, Ortigas East, Ugong, City Of Pasig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate Level, Preferably with Customer Service or Sales Experience, Fluent in Mandarin and Basic English

Brief Job Description: Employee shall perform the duties such as reports on a daily operations call center activities.

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

TRAN CAM ANH Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 103.

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

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

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

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

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

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

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

GRAND EVEREST HOLDING INC. 16/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati BENNY SALIM Chinese Speaking Customer Financial Officer 104.

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

GRAND PREMIUM CREST HOLDING INC. 16/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati NGUYEN VAN TAO Chinese Speaking Business Financial Officer 105.

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

THONG NHUC LIEN Chinese Speaking Business Financial Officer 106.

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

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

107.

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

HUANG, ZOUMIN Chinese Speaking Program Designer 108.

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

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

ING BUSINESS SHARED SERVICES B.V. BRANCH OFFICE 27th Floor World Plaza Building, 5th Avenue, E-square Zone Cresent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, City Of Taguig

KUMAR, VARUN AYODHYA Head Of It Development 109.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for leading the company’s software development group and performing maintenance services for the various entities of ING

Basic Qualification: Proficient in infrastructure and IT operations, software delivery, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and DevOps, testing, project and program management

120.

EIKI, ATSUSHI Vice President 110.

Brief Job Description: Perform duties and responsibilities such powers as prescribed by the board of directors or President

Basic Qualification: Graduate of Bachelor of Business Ad. 5 years experience

HARTLEY, PETER ROSS Regional Manager 121.

HERMANTO Indonesian Customer Support Representative 111.

Brief Job Description: Able to speak and write in Indonesian and at least college level with related BPO experience.

JACELYN Indonesian Customer Support Representative 112.

Brief Job Description: Able to speak and write in Indonesian and at least college level with related BPO experience.

HA VAN TIEN Vietnamese Customer Support Representative 113.

Brief Job Description: Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and at least college level with related BPO experience.

LE XUAN THANH Vietnamese Customer Support Representative 114.

Brief Job Description: Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and at least college level with related BPO experience.

NGUYEN BA NGOC Vietnamese Customer Support Representative 115.

Brief Job Description: Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and at least college level with related BPO experience.

NGUYEN QUANG THINH Vietnamese Customer Support Representative 116.

Brief Job Description: Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and at least college level with related BPO experience.

NGUYEN TRONG PHUOC Vietnamese Customer Support Representative 117.

Brief Job Description: Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and at least college level with related BPO experience.

Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

122.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

123.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

Brief Job Description: Provide Daily Technical Support Services for Information Technology Establishment Receive Customer to Provide Step-by-Step Guidelines for the Resolution of a Technical Issue

JHA, PURNENDU Fund Servicing Manager Iii

124.

Brief Job Description: Fund Servicing is responsible for providing operational service related to fund accounting and administration, benefit payment services, compliance reporting services, investment analytics and consulting, financial and valuation reporting, investment operations outsourcing services, transfer agency services, or trust and fiduciary services.

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

Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

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

Basic Qualification: At least 3 years of experience delegating task to a team

Basic Qualification: Atleast 19 years old Ability to speak Write and Communication of the Company Database by STring Access Control Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Atleast 19 years old Ability to speak Write and Communication of the Company Database by STring Access Control

130.

ANANDA AULIA NATASYA Indonesian Customer Service Representative 131.

125.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the sales and marketing operations of the company

132.

133.

134.

135.

136.

137.

138.

139.

140.

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance; 3 + Years of Progressive Accounting Experience; Proficient in Speaking, Reading & Writing

141.

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

142.

LBS DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE CORP. Unit 1 7th Floor Three/neo Building 3rd Avenue Corner 30th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig YAGUCHI, TSUBASA Process And Business Development Manager 126.

Brief Job Description: Ensures The Implementation Of Company Rules And Policies In The Areas Of Human Resources, Procurement, It Security

KOYAMA, MIDORI Customer Service Representative 127.

Brief Job Description: Consult with customer and find the products or services that helps the customer to realize their potential

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

MITSUBA PHILIPPINES TECHNICAL CENTER CORPORATION 14/f One Ayala Corporate Center 2, Edsa Cor. Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati YAMADA, KOJI President 128.

Brief Job Description: To oversee the complete operations of the company in accordance with the direction established in the strategic plan.

Basic Qualification: Provides strategic leadership for the company Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

143.

PARK, GYEONGAE General Manager 129.

Brief Job Description: General Manager responsibilities include formulating overall strategy, managing people and establishing policies

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

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

ADAM JONATHAN Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

AGUS SALIM Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

ANGEL JUNEVO Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

ANGELA Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

FIORENCE YOHAN Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

HON FRENTO Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

PAULINA CANTIKA Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

SHELLA CHAIDINATA Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

STEVEN YACOBUS Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

WILLIAM ANGGRIAWAN Indonesian Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Must be fluent in Indonesian/Bahasa/Malaysian/ Vietnamese/Thailand and English Language.

Basic Qualification: Graduate 4 Years Bachelor Degree With Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Graduate 4 Years Bachelor Degree With Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Must be 4 years bachelor degree in any course.

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

Brief Job Description: Developing and executing the company’s business strategies/ Developing and maintaining appropriate policies and procedures/Directing and controlling the resources of the company

Basic Qualification: 5-10 yrs. experience in managerial, supervisory and other related position/ postgraduate degree administration, management, finance or similar/ a good knowledge base of the country or region / good people-management skills / with industryrelated expertise/ experience living abroad is advantageous Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

OAMPI INC. 8/f 6780 Ayala Ave., Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati MARIÑO GUTIERREZ, ADRIAN OSVALDO Spanish Content Moderation Analyst 144.

Brief Job Description: To organized by its community of users provide service support in variety of areas

Basic Qualification: Question and answer flat form using English and Spanish Language.

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

PACIFIC SEA BPO SERVICES, INC. 16/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

HUYNH DAC LUAN Data Analyst Officer 145.

MJP-INTERNATIONAL TECH INC. 7r Fort Palm Spring, 30th St. 1st Ave., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig Basic Qualification: Outstanding Interpersonal and Leadership Skills; Multitasker and Critical Thinker With Strong Analytical Skills; Excellent Organizational and Time Management Skills

Brief Job Description: Provide product/services, information, answer questions and resolve emerging problems

BASORA TORRES, RICARD Managing Director

MAJOREL PHILIPPINES CORP. 5th Floor E-commerce Plaza Bldg., 1 Garden Rd., Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City Basic Qualification: Minimum of 1 Year Customer Support or Service Experience.

Excellence Language Skills (Native/ Near Native) Both Written and Verbal Language They Support

Basic Qualification: Outstanding Interpersonal and Leadership Skills; Multitasker and Critical Thinker With Strong Analytical Skills; Excellent Organizational and Time Management Skills

NAPA GAPA BEVERAGES CORP. 30f 88 Corporate Center, Sedeno Cor. Valero Sts., Bel-air, City Of Makati

Basic Qualification: `Experience Pertaining To Investments And M&A Transactions, Knowledge Of Creating Company Rules/Policies/ Governance Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Provide product/services, information, answer questions and resolve emerging problems MOSES LUMENTA Indonesian Customer Service Representative

KDDI PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Units A, B, C, & D, 25/f Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

MORI, CHIEKO Account Manager

Brief Job Description: General Manager responsibilities include formulating overall strategy, managing people and establishing policies

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

MPOTECH DIGITAL SYSTEM INC. 2/f 331 Bldg., Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

Basic Qualification: • CA/ MBA (Finance)/CFA • at least 15 years experience in Securities market and working knowledge of Derivatives on Over-the-Counter (OTC) products. • Sound knowledge of Derivative and Securities markets and processing environments with control • Knowledge of client valuation process and all security types and their accounting treatment.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

PARK, SANGTAE General Manager

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

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

No.

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

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.- PHILIPPINE GLOBAL SERVICE CENTER 25f Jpmorgan Chase & Co Tower, 9th Avenue Cor. 38th St., Uptown Bonifacio, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

Brief Job Description: Provide Daily Technical Support Services for Information Technology Establishment Receive Customer to Provide Step-by-Step Guidelines for the Resolution of a Technical Issue HUANG, SHIH-TING Chinese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

Brief Job Description: Supporting the strategic goals aligned to the board.

HSU, WANG I-SHENG Chinese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

Basic Qualification: College level with a minimum of 6 months IT experience and able to speak and write in Mandarin.

JIU ZHOU TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. 31/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Avenue, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

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

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION 3rd Floor, E Six West Campus Le Grand Avenue, Mckinley West,, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Brief Job Description: Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and at least college level with related BPO experience.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

JCC ASIA BACK OFFICE INC. 29/f Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above INTERNATIONAL ELEVATOR & EQUIPMENT, INC. Km. 23, West Service Road, Cupang, City Of Muntinlupa

Brief Job Description: Able to speak and write in Vietnamese and at least college level with related BPO experience.

TRAN VAN CHIEN Vietnamese Customer Support Specialist

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

TRAN NGOC HUY Vietnamese Customer Support Representative 119.

INFOVINE INC. 9/f Y Tower, Moa Complex, Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal, Barangay 76, Pasay City HOANG QUYNH ANH Chinese Speaking Program Designer

118.

A11

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION PHAM MANH TUAN Vietnamese Customer Support Representative

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Brief Job Description: Multilingual customer support, specifically for other Asian language

Basic Qualification: Must be 21 years old and above; Graduate of any Vocational or Bachelor’s Degree Course; At least 1 year experience as Data Analyst or Customer Service; With good oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

LE KHANH PHUNG Data Analyst Officer 146.

Brief Job Description: Multilingual customer support, specifically for other Asian language

Basic Qualification: Must be 21 years old and above; Graduate of any Vocational or Bachelor’s Degree Course; At least 1 year experience as Data Analyst or Customer Service; With good oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A12 A6 Wednesday, July 6, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

NGUYEN NGOC DA UYEN Data Analyst Officer 147.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

Brief Job Description: Multilingual customer support, specifically for other Asian language

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Must be 21 years old and above; Graduate of any Vocational or Bachelor’s Degree Course; At least 1 year experience as Data Analyst or Customer Service; With good oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

PHIL-TOWER CONSORTIUM INC. Unit S-08 Eco Tower Bldg., 32nd St. Cor. 9th Ave., Bgc, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig KOK CHAN HONG Finance And Treasury Director 148.

Brief Job Description: Oversight of the finance, compile and promptly monitor monthly financial indicators

No.

LIN, SHAN-NI Chinese Customer Service Representative 161.

162.

SUDALAI MUTHU PANDIAN, VIGNESH RAJA It Specialist 149.

Brief Job Description: Provides assistance for Service Now system administrations incidents and requests.

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 RUNNINGMAN CORPORATION 8/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati NANG LAO KHAY Burmese-language Customer Support Staff 150.

Brief Job Description: Serves as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering customer complaints and work assignments SILVIA PRATAMA Indonesian-language Customer Support Staff

151.

Brief Job Description: Serves as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering customer complaints and work assignments

Basic Qualification: A native speaker of the Burmese language (spoken and written)

163.

ZHANG, XIAOTONG Mandarin Speaking It/customer Support 152.

Brief Job Description: Serve as primary contact for problem resolution and information gathering including maintenance repair and development of mandarin based software.

164.

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

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

165.

153.

Brief Job Description: Has solid understanding about f&b operations; well versed with hotel policies and procedures.

Basic Qualification: With experience as director of food & beverage in an international hotel.

LIN, CHUNG HSIEN Executive Host, Premium Marketing Business Development 166.

TRUONG THI LINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative 154.

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Vietnamese (Verbal and Written Skills) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

155.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients / customers through mandarin to English translation.

DAI, SHUILAN Mandarin System And Support Specialist

156.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients / customers through mandarin to English translation

167.

157.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for addressing the various concerns of queries of customers; ensure customer satisfaction in all transaction and communicate with company’s internal & external stakeholders.

168.

158.

Brief Job Description: Provides expedient and accurate customer service to Korean Speaking clients and customers

159.

Brief Job Description: Is accountable for the delivery of the wpb operations Philippines targets; meet or exceed plans; reduce operational risk by raising awareness/ sharing best practice, within the team; is accountable to our business partners for the services provided; meet or exceed plans, deliver excellent customer service; establish goals for the country teams and manage their performance; ensure staff have objectives, regular 1:1s, and training plans/development plans that are active and being monitored

169.

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

Basic Qualification: - At least 19y/old - Ability to speak write and communicate in Vietnamese

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: - At least 19y/old - Ability to speak write and communicate in Vietnamese Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Must have lived, studied and worked in Canada for at least ten years and is accustomed to its culture; and must naturally speak and write French and English language.

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

Brief Job Description: Define a region-specific marketing plan that supports the regional sales strategy

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin

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

WANG, SHENGYU Chinese Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Report on a daily basis operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operations duties.

LUU DAO NHI Customer Relation Representative (mandarin Translation) 171.

Brief Job Description: Handle service support calls, emails and chats related to inquiry from clients and/or customers through mandarin to English translation.

Basic Qualification: Highly proficient in oral and written Vietnamese and English knowledge of Vietnamese labor laws.

VISSIONARIES INC. 16/f Tower 6789, 6789 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

172.

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

Basic Qualification: Relevant educational qualification in accordance with local requirements; relevant experience in operations or in a directly related business/ function in addition to successful experience in leading a team; relevant experience of successfully developing and managing relationships with third party suppliers; previous experience in operations management including strong operational control capabilities and a proven track record in delivery;

SU, KAIHUA Recruitment Marketing Specialist (Chinese Speaking)

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

Brief Job Description: Assigned to the company for planning and implementing recruitment marketing strategy

WANG, ZUFU Recruitment Marketing Specialist (Chinese Speaking) 173.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking in both English & Bahasa/ Thai/Chinese/Vietnamese/ Malay.

Brief Job Description: Assigned to the company for planning and implementing recruitment marketing strategy

Basic Qualification: Through extensive and fluency in mandarin language and characters.

180.

181.

HUANG, HE Mandarin Technical Support

182.

174.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for the smooth running of computer system and ensuring users get maximum benefits from them

183.

LI, ZHENFENG Chinese Language - Marketing Staff 175.

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered.

LIANG, YIDA Chinese Language - Marketing Staff Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered

XU, HONGWEI Chinese Language - Marketing Staff 177.

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered

184.

185.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered.

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

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered

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

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered.

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

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered.

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

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered.

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

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered.

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

HOANG PHUC HAU Vietnamese Language-marketing Staff 186.

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered.

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

ZAPPORT SERVICES, INC. 36/f Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati ELISABETH MONICA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 187.

Basic Qualification: Indonesian Speaking and Written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

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

SEN LIE Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 188.

Basic Qualification: Indonesian Speaking and Written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

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

SHADAM DARMAWAN Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 189.

Basic Qualification: Indonesian Speaking and Written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

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

JUPRI RAMADHAN Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 190.

Basic Qualification: Indonesian Speaking and Written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

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

MAHIS KHAN Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

Basic Qualification: Indonesian Speaking and Written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

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

MUHAMMAD IMAM AL MAHDI Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 192.

Basic Qualification: Indonesian Speaking and Written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

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

THALHA KHALIFATULLAH Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 193.

Basic Qualification: Indonesian Speaking and Written

Brief Job Description: Indonesian written reports on a daily operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties

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

ZXY ECOMMERCE PLATFORM & CONSULTANCY INC. 1960, A Mabini St., 077, Barangay 701, Malate, City Of Manila LIAO, CHENGHUA Rider Supervisor 194.

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

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

TRAN THI HANH Vietnamese Language - Marketing Staff

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

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Chinese

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered

TRAN MINH CHUONG Vietnamese Language - Marketing Staff

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese language and with extensive experience in recruitment marketing

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

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

PHAN VAN CHUNG Vietnamese Language - Marketing Staff

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese language and with extensive experience in recruitment marketing

Basic Qualification: Can Speak Mandarin

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

PHAN THI THANH Vietnamese Language - Marketing Staff

191.

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

Brief Job Description: Providing details to clients relative to services being offered.

NGUYEN VAN THUAN Vietnamese Language - Marketing Staff

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

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

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

NGUYEN NGHI KY Vietnamese Language - Marketing Staff

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

WIKITECH SERVICES INC. 10/f Alphaland Corporate Tower, 7232 Ayala Avenue Ext. Corner Malayag St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

176.

Basic Qualification: - At least 19y/old - Ability to speak write and communicate in Vietnamese

179.

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

HUYNH KIEN THANH Vietnamese Language - Marketing Staff

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

VICCI BUSINESS CONSULTANCY CORP 11/f Tower 1, The Enterprise Center, Ayala Ave. Cor, Paseo De Roxas St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

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

178.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: - At least 19y/old - Ability to speak write and communicate in Vietnamese

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION DANG HAI LOI Vietnamese Language - Marketing Staff

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

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

TIAN XIA TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL, INC. Bldg. B Filinvest Cyberzone 6, Bay City, Barangay 76, Pasay City

160.

Basic Qualification: - At least 19y/old - Ability to speak write and communicate in Vietnamese

170.

Basic Qualification: Thorough, extensive & proficiency in mandarin language and characters.

No.

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

TRI7 SOLUTIONS, INC. Unit 9-a 9/f Marvin Plaza Bldg., 2153 Don Chino Roces Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

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

LI, PEI-QI a.k.a. WU, PEI-YING Chinese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: - At least 19y/old - Ability to speak write and communicate in Vietnamese

Basic Qualification: Thorough, extensive & proficiency in mandarin language and characters.

THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION LIMITED - PHILIPPINE BRANCH 3058 Hsbc Center, 5th Ave. West, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

HOSSAIN, MD ARIF Head Of Wealth And Personal Banking Operations

Brief Job Description: Define a region-specific marketing plan that supports the regional sales strategy ZHANG, JING-MING Bilingual Field Marketing Officer

TELUS INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES, INC. Units 23/f, 31st/f - 37th/f Discovery Centre, Adb Avenue, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig KIM, CHANLAN Korean Operations CSR II

Brief Job Description: Define a region-specific marketing plan that supports the regional sales strategy TAN YONG XIANG Bilingual Field Marketing Officer

TELEPHILIPPINES INCORPORATED Edsa Central It Center 2, United Street Corner Edsa, Greenfield District, City Of Mandaluyong LE THI HUONG Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Maintain and enhance relationship with premium players, monitoring sales performance and handle guests’ claim and issues.

NGUYEN TUNG ANH Bilingual Field Marketing Officer

TECHMAVE SERVICES INC. 11/f Liberty Plaza Bldg., 102 H.v. Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati NGUYEN THI THUY TIEN Mandarin Speaking Customer Relation Representative

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

TOTAL CREST BUSINESS SUPPORT, INC. 26/f & 27/f Alphaland Corporate Tower, Ayala Ave. Extn. Cor. Malugay St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

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

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

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

SHANG GLOBAL CITY PROPERTIES, INC. 3rd Ave., Cor. 30th St., Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig HILBERTS, THIJS ARDO Director Of Food & Beverage

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

HUANG, PEI-CHU Chinese Marketing Specialist

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

SEQUOIA SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS INC. 37f Lkg Tower, 6801 Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

CHEN, WAN-TING Chinese Marketing Specialist

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: A native speaker of the Indonesian language (spoken and written)

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

LU, CHIA-SHAN Chinese Customer Service Representative

QIAGEN BUSINESS SERVICES (MANILA), INC. Units A & D 12th Floor, Cyber Sigma, Mckinley West, Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig Basic Qualification: Graduate of any Computer related course, 2+ years of experience in development, configuration and advance system administration, conversational language proficiency in English.

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

LO, PEI-JUI Chinese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: College Graduate, Fluent in English, Preferably 6 Mos1 Year Customer Service Experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Brief Job Description: Rider Supervisor will be in-charge of leading a team responsible for the efficient delivery and merchandising of company products while meeting company distribution objectives.

Basic Qualification: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; Ability to lead, coach and develop a team; Conflict resolution and team management Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 *Date Generated: Jul 5, 2022

In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on 7/2/2022, the name of VIRGIE ELIZABETH MANGARE under the company BAYVIEW TECHNOLOGIES, INC., should have been read as VIRGIE ELIZABETH BEATRIKS PEGGY MANGARE and not as published.

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

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

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

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

The World BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 A13

Asia shares rise on optimism about easing Covid restrictions

By Yuri Kageyama

T

AP Business Writer

OKYO—Asian shares advanced Monday across the board as buying set in after the lull of a US national holiday.

Analysts said the optimism may be driven by expectations the US may decide to cut Chinese tariffs, a welcome move that would also help tame inflation.

China’s Commerce Ministry said

Tuesday that Vice Premier Liu He spoke with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about coordinating economic policy between the two biggest economies and maintaining the stability of supply chains.

In a statement, it also said the Chinese side “expressed its concern over issues such as the removal of additional tariffs and sanctions imposed by the United States on China and fair treatment of Chinese companies.”

The two sides agreed to continue their discussions, it said.

Investors also have been encouraged by the lifting of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic across the region, including in Japan, which had been booming with tourists from abroad ahead of the pandemic.

“The quiet economic calendar yesterday brings sentiments to focus on the single relief headline of a potential US tariff-easing decision, which

could run the risks of a sharp paring back in speculative bullish bets in the event of any inaction,” in taming inflation,” Yeap Jun Rong, a market strategist at IG in Singapore, said in a commentary.

But risks remain because of inflation and slowing economic activity in some countries. A resurgence in Covid-19 infections in Europe, the US and parts of Asia is also looming, bringing the threat of a reversion to pandemic precautions.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added nearly 1.0 percent in morning trading to 26,404.90. Australia’s S&P/ ASX 200 rose 0.3 percent to 6,632.00.

South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.8 percent to 2,342.24. Hong Kong’s Hang

Seng gained 0.8 percent to 21,997.04, while the Shanghai Composite inched up 0.1 percent to 3,409.95.

Market players are also closely watching for an interest rate decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia. It is expected to raise its key rate by 50 basis points. Minutes of the latest policy meeting of the Federal Reserve are also due out on Wednesday and could bring hints on future policy.

Global investors have been worried about surging inflation and the possibility that higher interest rates could bring on a recession in some economies. US trading was closed Monday for Independence Day. The futures for the Dow industrials and the S&P 500 were both up 0.4

percent early Tuesday.

Shares ended last week with a rally, with the S&P 500 surging 1.1 percent.

The Dow gained 1 percent and the Nasdaq rose 0.9 percent. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies gained 1.2 percent.

In the first half of this year, the S&P 500 had its worst performance since the first six months in 1970. It’s now down 20.2 percent from the peak it set at the beginning of this year.

The risk of a recession is simmering as the US Federal Reserve aggressively hikes interest rates. The Fed is raising rates to purposefully slow economic growth to help cool inflation, but could potentially go too far and bring on a recession. AP

TheWorld BusinessMirror

A14 Wednesday, July 6, 2022

6 dead, 30 hurt in shooting at Chicago July 4th parade

By Michael Tarm, Kathleen Foody & Roger Schneider

H

The Associated Press

IGHLAND PARK, Ill.—A gunman on a rooftop opened fire on an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago on Monday, killing at least six people, wounding at least 30 and sending hundreds of marchers, parents with strollers and children on bicycles fleeing in terror, police said.

Authorities said a man named as a person of interest in the shooting was taken into police custody Monday evening after an hours long manhunt in and around Highland Park, an affluent community of about 30,000 on Chicago’s north shore.

The July 4 shooting was just the latest to shatter the rituals of American life. Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become killing grounds in recent months.

This time, the bloodshed came as the nation tried to find cause to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together.

“It definitely hits a lot harder when it’s not only your hometown but it’s also right in front of you,” resident Ron Tuazon said as he and a friend returned to the parade route Monday evening to retrieve chairs, blankets and a child ’s bike that he and his family abandoned when the shooting began.

“It’s commonplace now,” Tuazon said of what he called yet another American atrocity. “We don’t blink anymore. Until laws change, it’s going to be more of the same.”

The shooting occurred at a spot on the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points early in the day for the annual celebration. Dozens of fired bullets sent hundreds of parade-goers—some visibly bloodied—fleeing. They left a trail of abandoned items that showed everyday life suddenly, violently disrupted: A half-eaten bag of potato chips; a box of chocolate cookies spilled onto the grass; a child’s Chicago Cubs cap.

“There’s no safe place,” said Highland Park resident Barbara Harte, 73, who had stayed away from the parade fearing a mass shooting, but later ventured from her home.

Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said a police officer pulled over Robert E. Crimo III about five miles north of the shooting scene, several hours after police released the man’s photo and an image of his silver Honda Fit, and warned the public that he was likely armed and dangerous. Authorities initially said he was 22, but an FBI bulletin and Crimo’s social media said he was 21.

Police declined to immediately identify Crimo as a suspect but said identifying him as a person of interest, sharing his name and other information publicly was a serious step.

Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said at a news conference

“several of the deceased victims” died at the scene and one was taken to a hospital and died there.

Police have not released details about the victims or wounded.

Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said the five people killed at the parade were adults, but didn’t have information on the sixth victim who was taken to a hospital and died there. One of those killed was a Mexican national, Roberto Velasco, Mexico’s director for North American affairs, said on Twitter Monday.

He said two other Mexicans were wounded.

NorthShore University Health Center received 26 patients after the attack. All but one had gunshot wounds, said Dr. Brigham Temple, med ic a l d i re c tor of emergency preparedness. Their ages ranged from 8 to 85, and Temple estimated that four or five patients were children.

Temple said 19 of them were treated and discharged. Others were transferred to other hospitals, while two patients, in stable condition, remained at the Highland Park hospital.

“It is devastating that a celebration of America was ripped apart by our uniquely American plague,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a news conference.

“I’m furious because it does not have to be this way...while we celebrate the Fourth of July just once a year, mass shootings have become a weekly—yes, weekly— American tradition.”

The shooter opened fire around 10:15 a.m., when the parade was about three-quarters through, authorities said.

Highland Park Police Commander Chris O’Neill, the incident commander on scene, said the gunman apparently used a “highpowered rifle” to fire from a spot atop a commercial building where he was “very difficult to see.” He said the rifle was recovered at the scene. Police also found a ladder attached to the building.

“Very random, very intentional and a very sad day,” Covelli said.

President Joe Biden on Monday said he and first lady Jill Biden were “shocked by the senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community on this Independence Day.” Biden signed the widest-ranging gun violence bill passed by Congress in decades, a compromise that showed at once both progress on a long-intractable issue and the deep-seated partisan divide that persists.

As a word of an arrest spread, residents who had hunkered in homes began venturing outside, some walking toward where the

People are escorted away from the scene of a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Ill., on Monday, July 4, 2022. John Starks/Daily Herald via AP

shooting occurred. Several people stood and stared at the scene, with abandoned picnic blankets, hundreds of lawn chairs and backpacks still where they were when the shooting began.

Police believe there was only one shooter but warned that he should still be considered armed and dangerous. Several nearby cities canceled events including parades and fireworks, some of them noting that the Highland Park shooter was still at large.

The Chicago White Sox also announced on Twitter that a planned post-game fireworks show is canceled due to the shooting.

More than 100 law enforcement officers were called to the parade scene or dispatched to find the suspected shooter.

More than a dozen police officers on Monday surrounded a home listed as an address for Crimo in Highland Park. Some officers held rifles as they fixed their eyes on the home. Police blockaded roads leading to the home in a tree-lined neighborhood near a golf course, allowing only select law enforcement cars through a tight outer perimeter.

Crimo, who goes by the name Bobby, was an aspiring rapper with the stage name Awake the Rapper, posting on social media dozens videos and songs, some ominous and violent.

In one animated video since taken down by YouTube, Crimo raps about armies “walking in darkness” as a drawing appears of a man pointing a rifle, a body on the ground and another figure with hands up in the distance. A later frame shows a close-up of a chest with blood pouring out and another of police cars arriving as the shooter holds his hands up.

In another video, in which Crimo appears in a classroom wearing a black bicycle helmet, he says he is “like a sleepwalker…I know what I have to do,” then adds, “Everything has led up to this. Nothing can stop me, even myself.”

Crimo’s father, Bob, a longtime deli owner, ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Highland Park in 2019, calling himself “a person for the people.”

Highland Park is a close-knit community of about 30,000 people located on the shores of Lake Michigan just north of Chicago, with mansions and sprawling lakeside estates that have long drawn the rich and sometimes famous, including NBA legend Michael Jordan, who lived in the city for years when he played for the Chicago Bulls. John Hughes filmed parts of several movies in the city, including “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Six-

teen Candles” and “Weird Science.”

Ominous signs of a joyous event suddenly turned to horror filled both sides of Central Avenue where the shooting occurred.

Dozens of baby strollers—some bearing American f lags, abandoned children’s bikes and a helmet bedecked with images of Cinderella were left behind.

Blankets, lawn chairs, coffees and water bottles were knocked over as people fled.

Gina Troiani and her son were lined up with his daycare class ready to walk onto the parade route when she heard a loud sound that she believed was fireworks— until she heard people yell about a shooter. In a video that Troiani shot on her phone, some of the kids are visibly startled at the loud noise, and they scramble to the side of the road as a siren wails nearby.

“We just start running in the opposite direction,” she told The Associated Press.

Her 5-year-old son was riding his bike decorated with red and blue curled ribbons. He and other children in the group held small American flags. The city said on its website that the festivities were to include a children’s bike and pet parade.

Troiani said she pushed her son’s bike, running through the neighborhood to get back to their car.

“It was just sor t of chaos,” she sa id. “ T here were people t hat got separated f rom t heir f a m i l ie s , lo ok i n g for t he m .

Others just dropped their wagons, g rabbed t hei r k id s a nd star ted r unning.”

Debbie Glickman, a Highland Park resident, said she was on a parade float with coworkers and the group was preparing to turn onto the main route when she saw people running from the area.

“People started saying: ‘There’s a shooter, t here’s a shooter, there’s a shooter,’” Glickman told the AP. “So we just ran. We just ran. It’s like mass chaos down there.”

She didn’t hear any noises or see anyone who appeared to be injured.

“I’m so freaked out,” she said.

“It’s just so sad.”

Foody contributed from Chicago.

Associated Press writers Mike Balsamo in New York, David Koenig in Dallas, Jeff Martin in Woodstock, Georgia, Fabiola Sánchez in Monterrey, Mexico, Jim Mustian in New Orleans, Bernard Condon in New York, and Martha Irvine and Mike Householder in Highland Park contributed reporting.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Putin declares victory in eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk

By Francesca Ebel The Associated Press

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OKROVSK, Ukraine—Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared victory in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk, one day after Ukrainian forces withdrew from their last remaining bulwark of resistance in the province.

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin in a televised meeting Monday that Russian forces had taken control of Luhansk, which together with the neighboring Donetsk province makes up Ukraine’s industrial heartland of Donbas.

Shoigu told Putin that “the operation” was completed on Sunday after Russian troops overran the city of Lysychansk, the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in Luhansk.

Putin, in turn, said that the military units “that took part in active hostilities and achieved success, victory” in Luhansk, “should rest, increase their combat capabilities.”

Putin’s declaration came as Russian forces tried to press their offensive deeper into eastern Ukraine after the Ukrainian military confirmed that its forces had withdrawn from Lysychansk on Sunday.

Luhansk governor Serhii Haidai said on Monday that Ukrainian forces had retreated from the city to avoid being surrounded.

“There was a risk of Lysychansk encirclement,” Haidai told the Associated Press, adding that Ukrainian troops could have held on for a few more weeks but would have potentially paid too high a price. “ We m a n a g e d t o d o c e n t r a l i z e d withdrawal and evacuate all injured,” Haidai said. “We took back all the equipment, so from this point withdrawal was organized well.”

The Ukrainian General Staff said Russian forces were now focusing their efforts on pushing toward the line of Siversk, Fedorivka and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, about half of which is controlled by Russia. The Russian army has also intensified its shelling of the key Ukrainian strongholds of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, deeper in Donetsk.

On Sunday, six people, including a 9-year-old girl, were killed in the Russian shelling of Sloviansk and another 19 people were wounded, according to local authorities. Kramatorsk also came under fire on Sunday.

An intelligence briefing Monday from the British Defense Ministry supported the Ukrainian military’s assessment, noting that Russian forces will “now almost certainly” switch to capturing Donetsk. The briefing said the conflict in Donbas has been “grinding and attritional,” and is unlikely to change in the coming weeks.

While the Russian army has a massive

advantage in firepower, military analysts say that it doesn’t have any significant superiority in the number of troops. That means Moscow lacks resources for quick land gains and can only advance slowly, relying on heavy artillery and rocket barrages to soften Ukrainian defenses.

Putin has made capturing the entire Donbas a key goal in his war in Ukraine, now in its fifth month. Moscow-backed separatists in Donbas have battled Ukrainian forces since 2014 when they declared independence from Kyiv after the Russian annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea. Russia formally recognized the self-proclaimed republics days before its February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Since failing to take Kyiv and other areas in Ukraine’s northeast early in the war, Russia has focused on Donbas, unleashing fierce shelling and engaging in house-to-house combat that devastated cities in the region.

Russia’s invasion has also devastated Ukraine’s agricultural sector, disrupting supply chains of seed and fertilizer needed

by Ukrainian farmers and blocking the export of grain, a key source of revenue for the country.

U k r a i n i a n P r e s i d e n t Vo l o d y m y r Zelenskyy, in his nightly video address, called for immediate economic aid to help the country rebuild even as fighting continues.

“The restoration of Ukraine is not only about what needs to be done later after our victory, but also about what needs to be done right now. And we must do this together with our partners, with the entire democratic world,” he said.

“A significant part of the economy has been destroyed by hostilities and Russian strikes. Thousands of enterprises do not work. And this means a high need for jobs, to provide social benefits, despite the decrease in tax revenues,” Zelenskyy said.

In its Monday intelligence report, Britain’s defense ministry pointed to the Russian blockade of the key Ukrainian port of Odesa, which has severely restricted grain exports. They predicted that Ukraine’s agricultural exports would reach only 35 percentof the 2021 total this year as a result.

As Moscow pushed its offensive across Ukraine’s east, areas in western Russia came under attack Sunday in a revival of sporadic apparent Ukrainian strikes across the border. The governor of the Belgorod region in Western Russia said fragments of an intercepted Ukrainian missile killed four people Sunday. In the Russian city of Kursk, two Ukrainian drones were shot down, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The Associated Press journalists Inna Varenytsia, Maria Grazia Murru and Oleksandr Stashevskyi contributed to this report from Kyiv.

Sydney floods impact 50,000 around Australia’s largest city

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YDNEY—Hundreds of homes have been inundated in and around Australia’s largest city in a flood emergency that was impacting 50,000 people, officials said Tuesday.

Emergency response teams made 100 rescues overnight of people trapped in cars on flooded roads or in inundated homes in the Sydney area, State Emergency Service manager Ashley Sullivan said.

Days of torrential rain have caused dams to overflow and waterways to break their banks, bringing a fourth flood emergency in 16 months to parts of the city of 5 million people.

The New South Wales state government declared a disaster across 23 local government areas overnight, activating federal government financial assistance for flood victims.

Evacuation orders and warnings to prepare to abandon homes impacted 50,000 people, up from 32,000 on Monday, New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

“This event is far from over. Please don’t be complacent, wherever you are.

Please careful when you’re driving on our roads. There is still substantial risk for flash flooding across our state,” Perrottet said.

Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke credited the skill and commitment of rescue crews for preventing any death or serious injury by the fourth day of the flooding emergency.

Parts of southern Sydney had been lashed by more than 20 centimeters (nearly 8 inches) of rain in 24 hours, more than 17 percent of the city’s annual average, Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jonathan How said.

Severe weather warnings of heavy rain remained in place across Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Tuesday. The warnings also extended north of Sydney along the coast and into the Hunter Valley.

The worst flooding was along the Hawkesbury-Nepean rivers system along Sydney’s northern and western fringes.

“The good news is that by tomorrow afternoon, it is looking to be mostly dry but, of course, we are reminding people that these floodwaters will remain very high well after the rain has stopped,” How said.

“There was plenty of rain fall overnight and that is actually seeing some rivers peak for a second time. So you’ve got to take many days, if not a week, to start to see these floodwaters start to recede,” How added.

The wild weather and mountainous seas along the New South Wales coast thwarted plans to tow a stricken cargo ship with 21 crewmembers to the safety of open sea.

The ship lost power after leaving port in Wollongong, south of Sydney, on Monday morning and risked being grounded by 8-meter (26-foot) swells and winds blowing at 30 knots (34 mph) against cliffs.

An attempt to tow the ship with tugboats into open ocean ended when a towline snapped in an 11-meter (36-foot) swell late Monday, Port Authority chief executive Philip Holliday said.

The ship was maintaining its position on Tuesday farther from the coast than it had been on Monday with two anchors and the help of two tugboats. The new plan was to tow the ship to Sydney when weather and sea conditions calmed as early as Wednesday, Holliday said.

The original plan had been for the ship’s crew to repair their engine at sea. AP

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Australian central bank boosts rate for third month in a row

By Rod Mcguirk

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The Associated Press

A NBER R A , Australia— Australia’s central bank on Tuesday lifted its benchmark interest rate for a third time in consecutive months, changing the cash rate to 1.35 percent from 0.85 percent.

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s half a percentage point rise was the same size as its June increase.

When the bank lifted the rate by a quarter percentage point at its monthly board meeting in May, it was the first rate hike in more than 11 years.

Increases at the June and July board meetings were widely expected. Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe said in May it was “not unreasonable” to expect the cash rate to climb to 2.5 percent.

Lowe said on Tuesday that inflation in Australia was high, although not as high as it is in many other countries.

“Global factors account for much of the increase in inflation in Australia, but domestic factors are also playing a role,” Lowe said in a statement.

“Strong demand, a tight labor market and capacity constraints in some sectors are contributing to the upward pressure on prices,” he said, adding that recent floods were also affecting some prices.

The Reserve Bank adjusts interest rates to keep inflation within a 2 percent-3 percent target band.

The latest official inflation data was for the March quarter when the annual rate rose to 5.1 percent.

It was the highest annual rate since 2001, when a newly introduced 10 percent federal consumption tax created a temporary spike.

March quarter inflation was sharply higher than the annual 3.5 percent rate reported three months earlier. The rise was driven by a surge in fuel and housing costs and damage to crops from floods last year.

Flooding in Sydney and its surrounds since Saturday has further damaged crops in the region and will likely increase prices of some fruits and vegetables.

Lowe forecast last month that inflation would peak at 7 percent late this year.

Before the bank’s announcement, Treasurer Jim Chalmers anticipated the rate hike and acknowledged that it would cause financial pain for many.

“Just because these interest rate rises are expected doesn’t mean that they sting any less. For a lot of families and a lot of homeowners, they will have to find, in already stretched household budgets, even more to service the mortgage,” Chalmers said Tuesday.

“A lot of people are doing it incredibly tough already with the skyrocketing costs of essentials, like groceries and petrol and electricity, and this will make life even harder for a lot of Australians,” Chalmers added. AP

Nato poised to sign accession protocols for Sweden, Finland

By Raf Casert

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The Associated Press

RUSSELS—The 30 Nato allies started a ceremony to sign off on the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland on Tuesday, sending the membership bids of the two nations to the alliance capitals for legislative approvals.

The move further increases Russia’s strategic isolation in the wake of its invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February and military struggles there since.

“This is truly a historic moment for Finland, for Sweden and for Nato,” said alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The 30 ambassadors and permanent representatives are formally approving the decisions of last week’s Nato summit when the alliance made the historic decision to invite Russia’s neighbor Finland and Scandinavian partner Sweden to join the military club.

Despite the agreement in the alliance, parliamentary approval in member state Turkey could still

pose problems for their final inclusion as members.

Last week, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Ankara could still block the process if the two countries fail to fully meet Turkey’s demand to extradite terror suspects with links to outlawed Kurdish groups or the network of an exiled cleric accused of a failed 2016 coup in Turkey.

He said Turkey’s Parliament could refuse to ratify the deal. It is a potent threat since Nato accession must be formally approved by all 30 member states, which gives each a blocking right.

Stoltenberg said he expected no change of heart. “There were security concerns that needed to

Canada says China bars envoys from Canadian tycoon’s trial

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EIJING—Chinese authorities refused to allow Canadian diplomats to attend the trial of a Chinese-born Canadian tycoon who disappeared from Hong Kong five years ago, Canada’s government said Tuesday.

X iao Jianhua was last seen at a Hong Kong hotel in Januar y 2017 and is believed to have been taken to the mainland by Chinese authorities. The government has never confirmed whet her he wa s det a ined or

what charges he might face.

T he Canad ian gover nment said earlier X iao was due to stand trial Monday but gave no indication whether a trial took place or where. It gave no details of possible charges.

“Canada made several requests to attend the trial proceedings.

Our attendance was denied by Chinese authorities,” a Canadian government statement said.

Xiao, the founder of Tomorrow Group, vanished amid a

f lurry of prosecutions of Chinese businesspeople accused of misconduct.

T hat f ueled fea rs t he r u li ng Com mu n ist Pa r t y m ight be abduct i ng people outside t he ma in l a nd. Hong Kong at t hat t ime proh ibited C h inese pol ice f rom operat ing in t he for mer Br it ish colony, wh ic h has a sepa rate lega l system.

Since then, Beijing has tightened control over Hong Kong, prompting complaints it is vio-

lating the autonomy promised when the territor y returned to China in 1997. The ruling party imposed a national security law in 2020 and has imprisoned prodemocracy activists.

Hong Kong police investigated Xiao’s disappearance and said the subject crossed the border onto the mainland. But an advertisement in the Ming Pao newspaper in Xiao’s name the same week denied he was taken against his will. AP

1972 ‘Napalm Girl’ escorts Ukraine refugees to Canada

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ARSAW, Poland—Phan Th Kim Phuc, the girl in the famous 1972 Vietnam napalm attack photo, on Monday escorted 236 refugees from Russia’s war in Ukraine on a flight from Warsaw to Canada.

Phuc’s iconic Associated Press photo in which she runs with her napalm-scalded body exposed, was etched on the private nongovernmental organization plane that is flying the refugees to the city of Regina, the capital of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

Phuc, 59, a Canadian citizen, said she wants her story and work for refugees to be a message of peace. With her husband, Bui Huy Toan, she traveled from Toronto to board the humanitarian flight.

The refugees, mostly women and children from across Ukraine, are among

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 A15

Ukrainian refugees board a plane before flying to Canada, from Frederic Chopin Airport in Warsaw, Poland, on Monday, July 4, 2022. Phan Thị Kim Phuc, the girl in the famous 1972 Vietnam napalm attack photo, on Monday escorted 236 refugees from the war in Ukraine on a flight from Warsaw to Canada. Phuc’s iconic Associated Press photo in which she runs with her napalm-scalded body exposed, was etched on the private NGO plane that is flying the refugees to the city of Regina. AP/Michal Dyjuk

thousands of Ukrainians that Canada has provided humanitarian visas in the wake of Russia’s invasion of their country. Millions of Ukrainians have fled since Russia attacked on February 24.

Almost 5.5 million have registered with humanitarian organizations in Europe, according to the UN. Canada is among many Western countries offering Ukrainian refugees safe haven.

The founder of the NGO Solidaire, Argentine philanthropist and pilot Enrique Pineyro, piloted the Boeing 787. Oscar Camps from the Spanish organization Open Arms was also aboard.

AP photographer Nick Ut took the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of Kim and other children fleeing a napalm attack in South Vietnam in June 1972. AP

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference at the end of a Nato summit in Madrid, Spain, on Thursday, June 30, 2022. North Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state met for the final day of a Nato summit in Madrid on Thursday. AP/Bernat Armangue

be addressed. And we did what we always do at Nato. We found common ground.”

Every alliance nation has different legislative challenges and procedures to deal with, and it could take several more months for the two to become official members.

“I look forward to a swift ratification process,” said Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has given the process added urgency. It will ensconce the two nations in the Western military alliance and give Nato more clout,

especially in the face of Moscow’s military threat.

“We will be even stronger and our people will be even safer as we face the biggest security crisis in decades,” said Stoltenberg.

Tuesday’s expected signing-off does bring both nations deeper into Nato’s fold already. As close partners, they already attended some meetings that involved issues that immediately affected them. As official invitees, they can attend all meetings of the ambassadors even if they do not yet have any voting rights.

Jihadi attacks kill 22 people in Burkina Faso, officials say

By Arsene Kabore Kabore & Sam Mednick The Associated Press

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UAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso—Attacks by jihadis killed at least 22 people in northwestern Burkina Faso and also injured others, the government said Monday.

The “cowardly and barbaric” attack occurred late Sunday in the commune of Bourasso in Kossi province, Babo Pierre Pierre Bassinga, governor of Boucle du Mouhoun region, said in a statement.

The West African nation has been overrun by jihadi violence linked to alQaida and the Islamist State group in recent years. Violence has killed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million people from their homes.

Mutinous soldiers ousted Burkina Faso’s democratically elected president in January promising to secure the country, but since then violence has increased and spread.

More than 530 violent incidents occurred between February and May, which was more than double the level during the same period of 2021, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

At least 135 people were killed in 12 jihadi attacks during the first two weeks of June, according to an internal security report for aid workers seen

by The Associated Press.

In an attempt to stem the violence, last month the junta announced the creation of two military zones in the hard-hit East and Sahel regions, forcing civilians to leave their homes within two weeks and prompting concerns it would worsen the crisis of displaced people.

Analysts say the Boucle du Mouhoun region where the attacks took place Sunday has become a hub for militants as violence once focused on the east and north regions has expanded west.

“The latest attack in northwestern Burkina Faso is another link to the chain of uncontainable terror that’s plagued the Sahel for the past two years,” said Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory, which provides intelligence analysis. “It should urge the de facto government to act and seek international security support to stem the violence,” he said.

Mednick reported from Madrid, Spain.

Ukraine’s shadow: Deadly crises like Somalia starved of needed aid

By Cara Anna & Omar Faruk The Associated Press

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OGADISHU, Somalia—More than two-dozen children have died of hunger in the past two months in a single hospital in Somalia.

Dr. Yahye Abdi Garun has watched their emaciated parents stumble in from rural areas gripped by the driest drought in decades. And yet no humanitarian aid arrives.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, a donor who was preparing to give a half-million dollars to a Somali aid

group told its executive director Hussein Kulmiye it was redirecting the money to help Ukrainians instead.

And now, as Somalis fleeing the drought fill more than 500 camps in the city of Baidoa, aid workers make “horrific” choices to help one camp and ignore 10 others, Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary General Jan Egeland said, telling The Associated Press he is “angry and ashamed.” His group’s Ukraine appeal was fully funded within 48 hours, but its Somalia appeal is perhaps a quarter funded as thousands of people die.

The war in Ukraine has abruptly drawn millions of dollars away from other crises. Somalia, facing a food shortage largely driven by the war, might be the most vulnerable. Its aid funding is less than half of last year’s level while overwhelmingly Western donors have sent more than $1.7 billion to respond to the war in Europe. Yemen, Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Congo and the Palestinian territories are similarly affected.

The $2.2 billion appeal for Ukraine is almost 80 percent funded, according to United Nations data, an “exceptional” level for any crisis at the midway point of the

year, said Angus Urquhart, humanitarian and crisis lead for the Development Initiatives consultancy. The smaller appeal for Somalia is just 30 percent funded.

This year’s global shift in money and attention is perhaps most urgently felt in the Horn of Africa, including Ethiopia and Kenya, where some areas could be declared in famine within weeks. The United States Agency for International Development says regional authorities haven’t seen anything on this scale in well over 100 years.

Millions of livestock, families’ source of wealth and nutrition, have died.

People are next.

To the shock of some exhausted Somalis who walk for days through parched landscapes to places like Mogadishu in search of aid, there is often little or none.

Hawa Osman Bilal sat outside her makeshift tent holding the clothes of her daughter Ifrah, who like many vulnerable Somalis died after the difficult journey to seek help.

“She was skinny and emaciated, and she died in front of me,” Bilal said. The girl was buried nearby, one in a growing number of tiny graves.

The crowded camp’s caretaker, Fadumo Abdulkadir Warsame, told the AP that about

100 families had arrived in the past week alone, swelling the population to 1,700 families. There is no food to give them.

“The only thing we can afford for them is bread and black tea,” he said. “There is no aid from the donors yet.”

At a nearby storeroom run by the local organization Peace and Development Action, supported by the UN World Food Program, the stock has shriveled. “The world has turned its back on Somalia to focus on Ukraine,” manager Shafici Ali Ahmed said.

Anna reported from Nairobi, Kenya and Kyiv, Ukraine.

A16 Wednesday, July 6, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

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editorial

Cutting PHL’s reliance on imported fertilizer

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he Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture released a report, which indicated that global fertilizer prices may remain elevated throughout 2022. The USDA report, which was released on June 30, noted that fertilizer accounts for more than a third of the operating costs of an American farmer’s operating costs for corn and wheat. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, it said, will continue to compound shortage concerns.

As the conflict in Eastern Europe drags on, the impact of surging fertilizer prices could likely take a heavier toll on agricultural production in 2023, both in the United States and in other countries. High input costs are likely to affect the planting decisions of farmers. In the Philippines, sugar planters earlier warned that sans assistance from government to help them cope with the spike in fertilizer prices, they would have to rethink their planting strategy.

The Philippines relies on other countries for most of its fertilizer needs. This makes the country vulnerable to restrictions imposed by exporters and geopolitical developments such as Russia’s attack on Ukraine. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, local fertilizer prices rose faster, exacerbating the problems of farmers who also have to grapple with high oil prices.

Data from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority showed that as of June 24, the price of many fertilizer grades more than doubled. The average price of urea (prilled) last year settled at P1,234.49 per bag; urea (granular), P1,219.48; ammosul, P704.38; complete, P1,145.41; ammophos, P1,068.24; MOP, P1,229.25; and DAP, P1,731.57. This year the average price of urea (prilled) hit P2,839.59; urea (granular), P2,763.02; ammosul, P1,399.01; complete, P2,354.92; ammophos, P2,206.94; MOP, P2,343.63; and DAP, P3,331.10.

Until the conflict in Eastern Europe ends, local planters would continue to see higher fertilizer prices. And this would make it more difficult for many smallholders, especially rice farmers, who have to take out onerous loans to bankroll their planting activities. What compounds the problem for the Philippines, a net food importer, is that its traditional sources of agricultural imports are also faced with the same dilemma.

Expanding the fertilizer subsidy program is clearly one of the feasible measures that the government can implement immediately to provide planters with the means to cope with higher input costs (See, “Allot P15B for fertilizer aid to hike rice output,” in the BusinessMirror, June 29,2022). Increasing the budget for the program will allow the state to cover more farmers who need to produce more staples like rice and corn, so the Philippines will not have to rely on other countries for its food requirements.

As a long-term strategy, the new administration should consider adopting the Balanced Fertilization Strategy, which calls for the application of a combination of inorganic and organic fertilizers and other means like green manuring. Under BFS, farmers are encouraged to use farm wastes, such as chicken manure and leguminous crops as a possible substitute for chemical fertilizers. The goal of BFS is to reduce farmers’ dependence on imported fertilizer and cut their production cost.

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Beyond literacy: Future-proofing lifelong learning Dr. Carl E. Balita

Entrepreneurs’ Footprints

W

E have known the 3Rs as basis for the literacy of the olden times. With shorter and less complex curriculum and instructions, the older educational systems focused on the essentials of reading, writing and arithmetic. Then, when distractions are less, parents are able to inculcate and ensure the knowledge, skills, attitude and values of children, whose world was limited to what the small neighborhood community could offer and what limited media reach could communicate. Science may be young but sufficient to explain the basics of fundamental life and living.

Society, with its relatively limited concerns, was able to prescribe (and enforce) basic norms of behavior. It was easier to submit to these sociocultural standards, especially when even personal philosophies were limited to basic traditional perspectives through the conventional metrics of right and wrong.

Traditional literacy is defined as “the quality of being literate; knowledge of letters; condition in respect to

education, ability to read and write.”

It is the building block for all other literacies; without it, they would be impossible to master. Moreover, foundational or traditional literacy is about print on a page, or decoding and making sense of words, images and other content that a reader can string together and then begin to comprehend. They are the words and pictures students read and pore over that are contained in textbooks, in

novels, on standardized tests, and even in comic books.

Literacy has evolved to cover the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society. The world that has become more complex has been ironically reduced as a small global village.

The 21st Century Learning

The 21st century requires literacy beyond the academically learned and traditionally measured literacy.

It covers three areas of knowledge, namely, foundational, humanistic and meta knowledge.

Foundational Knowledge “to know” includes core content knowledge in the particular discipline, digital and ICT Literacy, and crossdisciplinary knowledge. The future world of work in the 21st century will regard these as the basic requisite to employment and career growth.

Humanitic Knowledge “to value” pertains to life and job skills, ethical and emotional awareness, and cultural competence. These become the differentiators of what is basic and could hold the key to career development.

The Meta Knowledge to act covers creativity and innovation, problem solving and critical thinking and communication and collaboration. These are expected to be the real deal in becoming successful in life and career, success, happiness, joy and prosperity which definition also transformed among individuals in a highly diverse world.

There are more specific competencies that are expected to change the rules of the workplace, life, and living in the future. Multi-cultural Literacy is all about understanding ethnic groups that comprise the population and focuses on complex issues of identity, diversity, and citizenship. There is even Social Literacy, which is the development of social skills, knowledge and positive values in human beings to act positively and responsibly in sophisticated complex social settings. The sociological, See “Balita,” A17

Moscow will have to choose either butter or guns

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By Josep Borrell

re the sanctions against Russia useful? Yes, they are already hitting Vladimir Putin and his accomplices hard and their effects on the Russian economy will increase over time.

Since Russia deliberately violated international law by invading Ukraine, the EU has adopted six packages of sanctions against Moscow. Our measures now target nearly 1,200 individuals and 98 entities in Russia, as well as a significant number of sectors of the Russian economy. These sanctions were adopted in coordination with the G-7 members. Their effectiveness is enhanced by the fact that over 40 other countries (including traditionally neutral countries) have adopted them or taken similar measures.

By the end of 2022, we will have reduced our Russian oil imports by 90 percent and we are rapidly reducing our gas imports. These decisions are gradually freeing us from a dependence that has long inhibited our political choices in the face of Vladimir Putin’s aggressiveness. He probably believed that Europe would not dare to engage in sanctions because of its energy dependence. This is not the most insignificant of the Russian regime’s many miscalculations during this conflict. Of course, weaning ourselves off Russian energy so rapidly also creates serious difficulties for many EU countries and for several economic sectors. But this is the price we have to pay for defending our democracies and international

law, and we are taking the necessary steps to deal with these problems in full solidarity.

Some may ask, do these sanctions really have an impact on the Russian economy? The simple answer is yes.

Although Russia exports a lot of raw materials, it also has no choice but to import many high value-added products that it does not manufacture.

For all advanced technologies, it is 45 percent dependent on Europe and 21 percent on the United States, compared with only 11 percent on China.

In the military field, which is crucial in the context of the war in Ukraine, the sanctions limit Russia’s capacity to produce precision missiles such as the Iskander or the KH 101. Almost all foreign car manufacturers have also decided to withdraw from Russia and the few cars produced by Russian manufacturers will be sold without airbags or automatic transmission.

The oil industry is suffering not only from the departure of foreign operators but also from the difficulty of accessing advanced technologies such as horizontal drilling. The ability of Russian industry to bring new wells on stream is likely to be limited. Finally, in order to maintain air traffic, Russia will have to withdraw a majority of its aircraft

from circulation in order to recover the spare parts needed to allow the others to fly. Added to this, there is also the loss of access to financial markets, being disconnected from major global research networks and a massive brain drain.

As for the alternative offered by China for the Russian economy, in reality it remains limited, especially for high-tech products. To date, the Chinese government, which is very dependent on its exports to developed countries, has not assisted Russia in circumventing Western sanctions. Chinese exports to Russia have fallen in line with those of Western countries.

Will these significant and growing impacts lead Vladimir Putin to modify his strategic calculations?

Probably not in the immediate future: his actions are not guided primarily by economic logic. However, by forcing him to choose either butter or guns, the sanctions lock him in a vice that is gradually tightening.

Regarding the impact of these sanctions on third countries, particularly African countries, which depend on Russian and Ukrainian wheat and fertilizers, where responsibility lies in terms of the food crisis is clear. Our sanctions do not in any shape or form target Russian wheat or fertilizer exports, while Ukraine is prevented from exporting its wheat by the Black Sea blockade and destruction caused by Russian aggression. If such issues linked to our sanctions were to arise, we are ready to put in place the appropriate

mechanisms to address these. I have informed my African counterparts of this and asked them not to be fooled by the Russian authorities’ untruths regarding our sanctions.

The real answer to the difficulties on the world energy and food markets is an end to the war. This cannot be achieved by accepting the Russian diktat; it can only be achieved by Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine. Respect for the territorial integrity of states and the non-use of force are not Western or European principles. They are the basis of all international law. Russia is blithely trampling on them. To accept such a violation would open the door to the law of the jungle on a global scale.

Contrary to what we thought rather naively just a few years ago, economic interdependence does not automatically imply a pacification of international relations. This is why the transition to a Europe as a power, which I have been calling for since the beginning of my mandate, is imperative. Faced with the invasion of Ukraine, we have begun to move from intention to action by showing that, when provoked, Europe can respond. Since we do not want to go to war with Russia, economic sanctions are now at the core of this response.

They are already beginning to have an effect and will do so even more in the coming months.

Mr. Josep Borrell is High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission.

Opinion BusinessMirror

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China’s Liu discusses tariffs with Yellen as US looks to ease

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enior US and Chinese officials discussed US economic sanctions and tariffs Tuesday amid reports the Biden administration is close to rolling back some of the trade levies imposed by former President Donald Trump.

The lifting of tariffs and sanctions and the fair treatment of Chinese enterprises are areas of concern to China, Vice Premier Liu He told US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a video call Tuesday morning Beijing time, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce. The two officials last spoke in October.

According to China, the two sides discussed economic policy and stabilizing global supply chains, agreeing that it’s significant for the US and China to strengthen communication and coordination in those areas for the benefit of both countries and the rest of the world. The talks were pragmatic and constructive, according to the statement.

The US called the talks “candid and substantive” but the official readout of the meeting didn’t mention tariffs or sanctions. However, it did say that Yellen “frankly raised issues of concern including the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine on the global economy and unfair, non-market” economic practices

by China.

The offshore yuan strengthened as much as 0.2 percent after China’s statement, before paring gains to trade little changed as of 12:23 p.m. local time. The benchmark CSI 300 Index of stocks fell 0.4 percent by the mid-day break, underperforming major gauges in Asia.

The call came after reports that President Joe Biden may announce a rollback of some US tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods as soon as this week.

As inflation increases in the US, expectations are rising that the administration will ease some of the taxes to help lower the costs of everyday merchandise.

Senior members of the administration though seem divided about the need to lift tariffs.

Yellen said last month that the administration wanted to reconfigure the tariffs, which “really weren’t designed to serve our strategic interests.” That’s a contrast with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who has called the levies “leverage” against China and questioned how much effect removing them would have on inflation.

Since taking office in January 2021, the Biden administration hasn’t held any substantive economic talks with China and hasn’t secured any further trade concessions. Instead, economic policy in Asia has focused on starting a new trade agreement with allies in the region, which is still in its early stages.

Inflation impact

Analysts say scrapping the tariffs would have only a marginal effect on US inflation and China’s trade, with a possible recession in the world’s largest economy a bigger threat to China’s outlook.

“The tariffs’ negative impact on Chinese exports has been limited and

Balita. . .

continued from A16

anthropological and cultural landscapes are expected to change with the more globalized but harmonized communities within communities.

In the age of fake news, Media Literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in all traditional and social forms, and everything that may still come in the future. Digital Literacy is the ability to effectively use digital devices for purposes of communication, expression, collaboration and advocacy in a knowledge-based society.

Financial Literacy is the ability

Since taking office in January 2021, the Biden administration hasn’t held any substantive economic talks with China and hasn’t secured any further trade concessions. Instead, economic policy in Asia has focused on starting a new trade agreement with allies in the region, which is still in its early stages. so a reduction in them won’t have too big an impact either,” said Larry Hu, head of China economic analysis at Macquarie Group Ltd. “The impact on US inflation would be limited too —prices in the US didn’t surge, for example, in 2019 when tariffs were in place.”

“The more concerning thing for exports in the short term is a potential US recession,” he said. “With or without the tariffs, China’s export growth will slow down anyway.”

Barclays Plc estimated that if there was a complete rollback of tariffs, the maximum direct effect on US inflation is a one-time reduction of 0.3 percentage point.

Record trade

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 A17

Will the drums of war beat in the Pacific too?

LITO GAGNI

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HE statement of Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in a presser during a summit of the alliance in Madrid has apparently validated the assertions of Russian leader Vladimir Putin about the group’s intention. This is what, after all, started the special military operation that Russia made in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg’s statement that Nato has been preparing to face off Russia since 2014 now raises the possibility of an expansion of the war that is now just concentrated in Ukraine.

“We actually prepared for this possibility,” Stoltenberg said during that press conference, an indication that the alliance did not suddenly wake up on February 24 and realized that Russia is dangerous.

Nato has long ago prepared for this eventuality, it is apparent now.

And, with the deployment of more troops within the alliance, the prospect of an extended and expanded war is on the horizon, especially with the upcoming entry of Finland and Sweden, countries that the alliance invited to be members thereof. And now the prospects are dire with the beating of the drums of war.

It is noteworthy to take into account here the statement of Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding the possible entry of Finland and Sweden. He said that the two countries “should know that they did not face any threats before but, if military contingents and infrastructure are deployed in their territory now, we will have to take mirror-like actions and create the same threats for them that are created for us.”

It would seem that the primary object of Nato is to squarely blame Russia for its supposed expansionism when the truth of the matter is that it is the alliance that has been expanding its presence even near the very heart of Russia, a key takeaway in the Ukraine crisis that has now engulfed the world.

For Nato, Russia is an aggressor,

For US military veteran Scott Ritter, the prospects of the war even extending to the Pacific are not far off. In analyzing the Madrid summit of Nato, Ritter said that Nato radically redefined its mission and intoned a new mantra that, in summary, says “keep the Russians down, the Americans in, and the Chinese out.”

and that is what the West is harping on. And yet what do we have here?

In 1999, Nato accepted Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland into its ranks. In 2004, it took in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Estonia. And then in 2017 Montenegro, and two years ago, North Macedonia. And now there is the looming entry of Finland and Sweden.

Thus, one cannot but assume that Nato has been the aggressor all along, not Russia as the former tries to extend its influence far and wide.

For US military veteran Scott Ritter, the prospects of the war even extending to the Pacific are not far off. In analyzing the Madrid summit of Nato, Ritter said that Nato radically redefined its mission and intoned a new mantra that, in summary, says “keep the Russians down, the Americans in, and the Chinese out.” It is an aggressive—even hostile—stance

based on maintaining Western, that is, American, supremacy, according to Ritter, a former US Marine Corps intelligence officer who served in General Schwarzkopf’s staff during the Gulf War. Ritter added that “this mission is to be accomplished through the promulgation and defense of a socalled “rules-based international order” that exists only in the minds of its creators, who in this case are the United States and its allies in Europe. The newly adopted mission also represents a radical break with previous practice, which has always attempted to define Nato on the four pillars of its transatlantic raison d’être, now intending to extend the Alliance’s sphere of influence into the Pacific region.”

Stoltenberg’s assertion that Nato has been preparing for the eventuality that is Ukraine brings to mind the statement attributed to the first Secretary General of Nato, Lord Ismay, that the alliance’s job was to “keep the Russians out, the Germans down, and the Americans in.” For Ritter, Nato served as a bulwark against physical Soviet expansion from the beachhead it established in Eastern Europe at the end of World War II. Ritter made a chilling remark about this. For him, “the guard dog has apparently been retrained as a fighting dog.” Now let us await Mr. Stoltenberg’s reaction.

Uneasy US tries to fete a July 4 marred by parade shooting

By Bobby Caina Calvan & Kathleen Foody

The tariffs haven’t achieved the intended goal of slowing down Chinese exports and rebalancing the trade relationship with the US. While China’s economy has been undermined by Covid-related shutdowns this year, exports to the US in the first five months of 2022 still grew 15.1 percent from a year earlier, after jumping almost 28 percent in 2021 and 8 percent in 2020.

Imports rose 4 percent so far this year, according to official data, putting the bilateral trade balance on track for another record year.

China has repeatedly criticized both US sanctions on its firms such as Huawei Technologies Co. and tariffs on its goods. US sanctions are “unilateral and protectionist bullying in the name of maintaining the global order,” Shu Jueting, a spokeswoman for Ministry of Commerce, said in Beijing last week.

In June, Shu said China believed lifting all tariffs on Chinese goods would benefit its economy, as well as the US and the world. “Given soaring inflation, the earlier the tariffs on Chinese goods are removed, the earlier consumers and enterprises can benefit,” she said.

Tensions between the world’s two biggest economies have continued to simmer since former President Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese exports from 2018, with most of the levies coming after an investigation concluded China stole intellectual property from American companies and forced them to transfer technology.

China retaliated with its own taxes on US goods, and although a deal was signed in January 2020, China never met the agreed upon purchase requirements. Bloomberg opinion

shooting that left at least six people dead at an Independence Day parade in a Chicago suburb rattled Monday’s celebrations across the US and further rocked a country already awash in turmoil over high court rulings on abortion and guns as well as hearings on the January 6 insurrection.

The latest mass shooting came as the nation tried to find cause to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together. It was supposed to be a day for taking off work, flocking to parades, devouring hot dogs and burgers at backyard barbecues and gathering under a canopy of stars and exploding fireworks.

“On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we are instead mourning the tragic loss of life and struggling with the terror that was brought upon us,” Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said.

The Highland Park parade began around 10 a.m. but was suddenly halted 10 minutes later after shots were fired. Hundreds of parade-goers—some visibly bloodied—fled the area, leaving behind chairs, baby strollers and blankets. Authorities brought a person of interest into custody Monday evening.

As the Highland Park community mourned, fireworks began thundering in neighboring towns and across the country. Pyrotechnics bloomed shortly after nightfall in Boston and New York City, where a kaleidoscope of color exploded over the Hudson River and illuminated skyscrapers.

President Joe Biden, in remarks

to make informed judgments and make effective decisions regarding the use and management of money.

Ecological Literacy is about the understanding of the principles of ecosystems toward sustainability. The global awareness and an emerging purpose-driven younger generation shows bias for what are more responsible enterprises and brands.

Creative Literacy is the ability to make original ideas that have value, and the ability to see the world in new ways. In a modern society characterized by being volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (referred to as VUCA), change remains to be the only thing constant.

Some references classify 21st Cen-

tury Skills into three, namely, foundational, competencies and character qualities. Foundational Literacies refer to how persons are able to apply core skills to everyday tasks. It includes literacy, numeracy, scientific literacy, ICT Literacy, Financial Literacy and Cultural and Civic Literacy.

Competencies refer to the person’s ability to approach complex challenges, which covers critical thinking and problem solving, creativity, communication and collaboration.

Character qualities enumerate the person’s approach to changing environment. Character includes curiosity, initiative, persistence and grit, adaptability, leadership and socialcultural awareness.

The Associated Press

A

Monday celebrating 246 years of America’s independence, sought to reassure a nation both exhausted and unsettled by recent events.

“In recent days, there’s been reason to think this country is moving backwards, that freedom is being reduced, that rights we assumed were protected are no longer,” Biden said in remarks to military families and administration officials enjoying a picnic on the South Lawn of the White House. “I know it can be exhausting and unsettling, but tonight I want you to know we’re going to get through all of this.”

Biden said many people see a divided country, but “I believe we are more united than we are divided.”

He tweeted earlier in the day about the shooting, calling it “senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community this Independence Day.” “I will not give up fighting the epidemic of gun violence,” the president tweeted.

These are precarious times: An economic recession lurks, and the Highland Park shooting will weigh on a national psyche already raw from mass shootings like those seen recently at a Texas elementary school and a New York supermarket.

Sharp social and political divisions have also been laid bare by recent Supreme Court decisions overturning the constitutional right to abortion and striking down a New York law limiting who may carry a gun in public.

Nevertheless, many had reason to gather and celebrate for the first time in three years amid easing coronavirus precautions.

Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest returned to its traditional location in Brooklyn’s Coney Island neighborhood

The Unesco Pillars of Education

There is hope in education. With it in the frontline to future-proofing humanity, it should be able to transform from the 19th century classrooms that are managed by 20th century teachers. The futureproofing of humanity is anchored on perspectives of how education should transform as a potent agent of change itself.

The Unesco has identified the 4 learnings essential for the 21st century, namely, learning to know, learning to do, learning to be and learning to live together. It expanded to cover the learning to transform or learning to change.

The pandemic has challenged

Biden said many people see a divided country, but “I believe we are more united than we are divided.” He tweeted earlier in the day about the shooting, calling it “senseless gun violence that has yet again brought grief to an American community this Independence Day.” “I will not give up fighting the epidemic of gun violence,” the president tweeted.

after two years elsewhere thanks to the pandemic.

“It’s beautiful to be back here,” Joey “Jaws” Chestnut told ESPN after winning the men’s competition by downing 63 hot dogs and buns—even as he momentarily put a protester who rushed the stage in a chokehold. Miki Sudo chomped 40 franks to win the women’s event.

Colorful displays were scheduled to light up the night sky from coast to coast. However, others, particularly in drought-stricken and wildfire-prone regions of the West, would forgo them.

Fireworks were the suspected cause behind a fire in Centerville, Utah, that led to the evacuation of dozens of homes and the cancellation of some of its Independence Day events, officials said.

It was a different matter in Phoenix, which is again going without fireworks—not because of the pandemic or fire concerns but supplychain issues.

In emotional ceremonies across the country, some swore oaths of citizenship, qualifying them to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.

During a ceremony for naturalall lifelong learners to learn new requirement of the 21st century living, and that is, learning to learn.

The outcomes-based education has shifted the focus from the teacher to the learner. It has transformed the role of teachers to be facilitators of learning, a guide by the side, from being the content provider like a sage on the stage. Assessment of quality education shifted from the input to the process, or steps undertaken by the learner in partnership with the teacher in a competenciesoriented learning environment.

From the traditional paper and pencil tests, the traditional assessments emerged as performance,

ized citizens held at Mount Vernon, the Virginia home of George Washington, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told 52 people originally from 42 different countries that they were essential to building a strong labor force.

“Immigrants strengthen our workforce, and, in the process, help drive the resiliency and vitality of our economy,” Yellen said in remarks prepared for the Monday event.

For many, July 4 was also a chance to set aside political differences and to celebrate unity, reflecting on the revolution that gave rise to history’s longest-living democracy.

“There’s always something to divide or unite us,” says Eli Merritt, a political historian at Vanderbilt University whose upcoming book traces the fraught founding of the United States.

But he sees the January 6 hearings probing last year’s storming of the US Capitol as a reason for hope, an opportunity to rally behind democratic institutions. Even though not all Americans or their elected representatives agree with the committee’s work, Merritt is heartened by the fact that it’s at least somewhat bipartisan.

“Moral courage as a locus for Americans to place hope, the willingness to stand up for what is right and true in spite of negative consequences to oneself,” he said.

“That is an essential glue of constitutional democracy.” Calvan reported from New York, and Foody from Chicago. Associated Press reporters Michael Tarm and Roger Schneider in Highland Park, Illinois; Darlene Superville and Fatima Hussein in Washington; Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Montana; and Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this story.

(which learners demonstrate and which teacher measures with the intentional to improve), product (which the learner is able to create), and portfolio (which is a collection of artifacts, that the learner is able to collect to prove learning).

Certainly, humanity’s greatest capacity is to collectively cope with forces of change, while at the same time proactively catalyzing the change as a formidable spirit to improve upon what it is given at the moment. There is hope so long as the best parts of humanity are there—its creativity, empathy, and stewardship and the emerging new and collective moral consciousness based on shared sense of destiny.

A18 Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Rice imports expand nearly 30% in H1 to 1.887 MMT

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By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HE Philippines’s rice imports in the first half expanded by nearly 30 percent on an annual basis to 1.887 million metric tons (MMT), driven by the country’s demand for cheaper supply.

Latest Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) data showed that rice imports from January to June rose by 433,000 MT from 1.454 MMT recorded in the same period of last year.

Rice industry sources said the landed cost of imported rice remains cheaper than the locallyproduced staple, making it more profitable for entities to import rice.

“It’s always about the price.

If the landed cost of imported rice plus tariff is cheaper compared to local rice, they will want to import more,” an industr y source, who requested anonymity, said.

Stable prices

ANOTHER industry source noted that rice prices in key Philippine suppliers, particularly Vietnam, have remained relatively stable in the past months and even lower compared to last year’s quotations.

Latest Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) global price monitoring report showed that Vietnam rice prices range from $396.5 per metric ton (5 percent broken) to $416.8 per metric ton (25 percent broken).

This translates to a rice price of P21.8 per kilogram to about P22.92 per kilogram at current exchange rates.

FAO data showed that the average price of Vietnam rice (5 percent

broken) from January to May stood at $401.2 per metric ton, 19.55 percent lower than last year’s average quotation of $498.7 per metric ton.

Rice industry players have been also stockpiling rice this year amid expectations of tight domestic supply and lower local output due to a spike in production inputs, such as fertilizer. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/04/25/dimoutlook-fuels-phl-rice-importssurge/).

Vietnam, Myanmar

BPI data showed that Vietnam remained the country’s top rice supplier at 1.517 MMT, followed by Myanmar at 153,969.28 MT. BPI data also showed that rice imports from Pakistan, which has been benefiting from lower tariff rates, continued to grow, reaching 111,550.675 MT in end-June. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/05/28/ palace-eo-extends-lower-tariffs-on-pork-and-rice-until-december/) Rice imports from Thailand reached 95,173.125 MT, while imports from China and India reached 3,591.5 MT and 5,168.385 MT, re-

spectively.

The BPI also issued 453 sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPS-ICs) for rice in June, which has a corresponding total applied import volume of 644,244 MT. The BPI, the agency mandated to oversee rice imports, only issued SPS-ICs in June, based on the agency’s data.

Agriculture officials have openly said the country would have to resort to importation to boost domestic rice supply, especially if local production continues to fall amid skyrocketing fertilizer and fuel prices.

Lower output

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has estimated that the production cost of rice has increased by P3.13 per kilogram, with total rice output projected to fall by 800,000 MT this year.

Agriculture officials noted that the country has sufficient rice stocks during the lean months of July to September. However, agriculture officials cautioned that rice imports may have to breach the 2-MMT mark to ensure sufficient full-year stocks amid various global economic challenges.

PHL-CHINA MILITARY COOPERATION MULLED

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

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RESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is eyeing to forge a more diverse range of cooperation—including on military aspects—with China during his term.

In his press conference after his first Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Marcos said he wants to expand the country’s area of communication with Beijing, which is usually focused on the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), even though both Philippine and Chinese officials have repeatedly said the maritime row is “not the sum of our relations.”

He made the remarks hours before he was to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who arrived in the country on Tuesday evening.

In revealing his intent to pursue wider cooperation with Beijing, Marcos said, “Let’s have cultural exchanges, educational exchanges, even military, if that will be useful.”

He added, “Of course, the G2G (government to government) [partnership] has always

been there, the private sector joint ventures have also been there. But I think that the more we do with that, the more it will help resolve the issues,” he added.

He hoped the measure will help “normalize” the country’s relation with China.

Among the issues expected to be discussed in the meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be the WPS. Last month, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) filed a diplomatic protest against China’s alleged illegal fishing in the Ayungin Shoal located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan.

Marcos stressed that such disputes will be resolved not only with an expanded Philippine-China bilateral relations, but also through the involvement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

“Of course to find ways to work to resolve the conflicts that we have. And one of the ways that I have consistently suggested is that we have our relationship not only on [a] one-on-one dimension, the West Philippine Sea,” Marcos said.

Continued on A5

Urban area population grows by 7.2M in 5 yrs

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

I

N just half a decade, 7.2 million Filipinos were added to the population of those living in urban areas due to the increase of populations in barangays outside the National Capital Region (NCR), according to the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom).

On Tuesday, the PSA said some 58.93 million or 54 percent of the total 109.03 million population of the Philippines live in urban barangays. This was 7.2 million more than the 51.73 million urban residents nationwide in 2015.

This means an average of 1.44 million Filipinos yearly became part of the country’s growing urban population. This, Popcom Executive Director and Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan Antonio A. Perez III, can be due to the 3,525 barangays which could result in highly populated barangays outside NCR. “One can conclude that urbanization in the Philippines is being driven by increasing populations in urban barangays outside NCR and concentrated in 3,525 barangays which could result in highly populated barangays outside NCR. Popcom will make a study on the areas outside NCR that are rapidly urbanizing,” Perez told BusinessMirror on Tuesday.

While there are 488 out of 3,525 barangays that are already experiencing urbanization, Perez said, the population in these barangays increased by 6.46 million.

“This means that the barangays grew at an average of 1,832 persons in the last five years,” Perez said. “(Another) conclusion that can be made based on the growing rural population is that more people are opting to stay in rural areas.”

The PSA said the level of urbanization or the proportion of the total population living in barangays classified as urban was recorded at 54 percent in 2020. This is 2.8 percentage points higher than the

51.2 percent level of urbanization in 2015.

However, PSA data showed that between 2015 and 2020, the rate of urbanization was computed at 2.4 percent.

This is lower by 2.2 percentage points compared to the 4.6 percent tempo of urbanization posted between 2010 and 2015.

“The tempo of urbanization is an indicator to express the speed at which an area is moving toward an urban classification. In this report, it is calculated by taking the difference between the growth rate of the urban population and the growth rate of the rural population,” PSA explained.

PSA said the urban population of the Philippines increased 2.8 percent annually from 2015 to 2020.

This is lower than the 4.1 percent annual average posted between 2010 and 2015.

Moreover, the rural population improved by 0.4 percent annually between 2015 to 2020 from a 0.5-percent annual decline between the period 2010 to 2015.

According to Perez, the findings of the 2018 National Migration Survey conducted by PSA and the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) predicted what is unfolding today. NCR was shown to be losing migrants to other regions, particularly Eastern Visayas.

Citing data from the PSA-UPPI survey, he added that migration was then dominated by rural-rural migration at 48 percent rather than rural to urban at 46 percent.

“Also contributing to the slower tempo of urbanization is the slowing population growth in NCR from 1.63 percent (2010-2015) to 0.97 percent (2015-2020). Rural population growth which was -0.5 became positive at 0.4. Category 3 urban barangays also declined by 5 percent,” Perez also said.

Besides the NCR, which is classified as entirely urban, four other regions posted a level of urbanization higher than the national level 54 percent, PSA said.

Continued on A5

Under 60% of tourism road infra projects completed

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ESS than 60 percent of road projects under a six-year Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) has been completed as of last year.

Informed sources shared with the BusinessMirror that from 2016 to 2021, “a total of P120.7 billion was allocated for the reconstruction and upgrading of approximately 4,268 kilometers of roads leading to tourism destinations. As of May 2021, 2,436.40 km of these tourism roads have been completed.”

The TRIP program, implemented since the Aquino administration, is a convergence program between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

There were no updates as of endDecember 2021 due to the reportorial delays from DPWH’s end, according to sources.

Tourism Secretary-designate Christina Garcia Frasco has said she will be “working closely” with DPWH and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) regarding infrastructure projects to improve access to tourist destinations. (See, “Frasco to go on ‘listening tour’ of the PHL,” in the BusinessMirror, July 5, 2022.) While the DOT also has a convergence program with the DOTr to identify airport and seaport projects needed in tourism destinations, the tourism agency does not monitor these projects, according to separate sources.

604 projects for 2022

ACCORDING to the DOT, some P124 billion has been allocated for TRIP projects from 2016 to 2021.

This year, the budget amounts to P17.09 billion, just 2 percent higher from the P16.76 billion. This fiscal year’s funds will cover 604 projects, based on the National Expenditure Program targets.

The highest budget for tourism road projects was under the Aquino administration, which reached P22.6 billion in 2016.

Continued on A5

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 B1

Meralco awaits ERC order on implementing SC ruling

By Lenie Lectura @llectura & Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

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he Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said Tuesday it would ask the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for guidance after the Supreme Court (SC) voided the agency’s March 2014 order that imposed regulated prices.

Meralco head of regulatory affairs Jose Ronald Valles said in a text message that the utility firm will wait for the ERC to issue any directive on how power rates will be affected by the SC order.

“The SC also voided the order of ERC to impose regulated prices during the same period pending result of its investigation over allegations of market power abuse.

We will seek clarification with ERC on how and when it will implement this decision in light of the continuing increase in fuel prices today which may be an additional burden on our consumers.

We are hoping that any upward adjustment in the generation cost as a result of the SC decision can be implemented at some future time to allow ERC to finish its investigation,” Valles said when sought for comment.

The ERC order regulated the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices for the supply months of November and December 2013 in a bid to protect public interest by not allowing excessive and unreasonable power prices as a result of the Malampaya gas facility shutdown.

It added that the March 3, 2014 order was primarily intended to address the abnormal spike and unreasonable prices of electricity imposed by power generation companies (gencos) during the said period.

However, the SC noted that the ERC order was issued even if it was still in the process of completing its findings on the possible abuse of market power that could have affected the prices of electricity in the market.

The SC was referring to the

ERC’s probe on alleged collusion among gencos to manipulate WESM prices.

The Court noted that the ERC also did not notify the affected parties about its investigation, in violation of their right to due process.

The ERC refused to comment until it has received the SC order. “For the record, we have not received a copy of the decision. Upon receipt, we will study the SC ruling and come up with appropriate way forward,” ERC Commissioner Rexie Digal replied via Viber.

The same SC order affirmed the ERC’s December 2013 letter-approval to the request of Meralco for a staggered collection of automatic rate adjustments arising from generation costs for November 2013.

The SC said the ERC merely follows existing guidelines on the imposition of the generation rate in approving Meralco’s request.

In a letter dated December 5, 2013, Meralco informed the ERC that the total cost of generation to be passed on to its nearly 5 million captive customers amounted to P22.64 billion, equivalent to a generation charge for the December 2013 billing of P9.1070 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This is an increase of P3.44 per kwh from the P5.67 per kwh that was billed in the previous month.

“The SC decision allows Meralco

to collect the price increase in November 2013 on staggered basis as proposed by Meralco and approved by ERC for the protection of consumers. That would be a big win for consumers especially if that would be implemented today when fuel prices are skyrocketing,” said Valles.

‘Ill-timed’

Petitioners slammed the SC’s decision which upheld the order of the ERC approving Meralco’s request for a staggered collection of automatic rate adjustments from generation costs.

In a statement, former Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate who is one of the petitioners in the case, said the SC decision allowing the increase in power rate “could not have come at a worse time.”

“With the prices of basic commodities still skyrocketing due to continued big time oil price hikes and the weakening of the peso, this is another unwanted burden on our people. Financial burden like this once Meralco imposes this new power rate hike on top of the already high electricity rate, may already break the Filipino consumers’ back,” Zarate said.

Former Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon, also one of the petitioners, said the Court’s decision should pave the way for the ERC to once and for all determine the existence of collusion and price-fixing among power generators.

Continued on B2

NGCP places Luzon grid on yellow alert

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he National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has once again placed the Luzon grid on yellow alert as power reserves fell after a number of power plants conked out.

The yellow alert notice took effect from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

The grid’s available capacity stood at 11,847 megawatts (MW) while operating requirement was at 11,177MW, leaving a net operating margin of only 236MW. A yellow alert is issued when the excess power is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s regulating and contingency requirement, pegged at the time at about 495 MW and 647 MW, respectively.

The NGCP said four power plants, with a combined capacity of 1,274 megawatts, were on forced outage. These are GN Power Dinginin Ltd. Co. (GNPD) Unit 1 (668MW), GNPower Mariveles Energy Center Ltd. Co. (GMEC) Unit 2 (316MW), SEM Calaca Power Cor p. (Ca laca) Unit 2 (240MW), and South Luzon Power Generation Corp. (SLPGC) 3 and 4 (50MW).

Moreover, the Masinloc power station unit 1 was reported “derated” by 165MW. In all, some 1,439MW of capacity was shaved off from the grid.

From January to April, the Luzon grid had three yellow alerts.

In comparison, there were four days of yellow alerts and three days of red alerts in 2021.

The same grid was placed on yellow and red alerts last June 18, yellow alert last June 20, 21, and 22.

T he Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) reiterated calls for flexible and distributed power generation in the country. ICSC energy transition advisor Alberto Dalusung III said the frequent yellow alerts show the underlying problem of recurring centralized generator shutdowns in the grid.

“The high power generating costs, interruptions, and the grid alert levels raised during this time highlights the vulnerability of our grid to large centralized generators. Any problem with these centralized generators can push the entire power system into a costly and vulnerable state because of the significant share of each individual centralized plant in the system,” Dalusung said.

“Our current situation emphasizes the urgent need for an energy transition based on flexible, distributed energy sources.

While we acknowledge that this energy transition will not be an overnight process, we need to pick up the pace by keeping flexibility and decentralization in perspective for our country’s system planning and policy-making.”

Lenie Lectura

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Pepsi-Cola PHL ‘cautiously optimistic’ on prospects

By VG Cabuag

B

@villygc

ottler Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI) said it is cautiously optimistic about its growth prospects for the year despite its strong performance in the first quarter.

The exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country said it was able to sustain the momentum it made in 2021 during the early part of the year, which it said was a “fast start for both carbonated soft drinks and noncarbonated beverages.”

The company, however, said it “sees the huge challenge of increasing commodity prices for the year.”

“Our first quarter volume surpassed the total sales of 2021 and

2019 pre-pandemic level. Our leading brands Mountain Dew and Sting hit a remarkable growth versus previous year,” Frederick D. Ong, the company’s president and CEO, said.

“Overall, we delivered good 2021 results, thanks to the entire PCPPI team for their hard work, dedication, and openness to welcome new ways,” Ong said, adding that the company improved its market share and distribution efforts.

The company said its focus on improving the efficiency in its returnable glass bottles and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) lines increased its productivity savings last year and exceeded its targets.

Ong said it is investing further to expand its carbonated softdrinks PET lines.

Its newest Southern Tagalog Regional Office softdrinks PET line is currently at 92 percent performance, the company said.

This line became operational in February 2021 in response to the growing PET market. The company is also working on the next facility that will be capable of producing more PET to serve this growing segment of the market, it said.

The company said it launched a project meant to optimize its network and operational routes, after completing the design and implementation of its organizational transformation meant for the company to weather the changing environment.

The company also ramped up its digital agenda to improve working practices and quality. They also launched a more robust time and attendance recording and rolled out an information security plan to maintain the integrity of its information and system.

“We look forward to reaping the benefits of our transformation journey this 2022. In collaboration with Lotte and PepsiCo, we will further work towards achieving our mid- and long-term profitable growth and ultimately realizing our vision to be the leading beverage company in the country,” Ong said.

“Our 2021 performance is a testament to how we courageously rose from the impact of the pandemic. Covid-19 challenged the business and abruptly challenged the market landscape. Yet, we did not stand down. We were quick to respond, adapt, and think ahead to guard the sustainability and profitability of the business.”

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

July 5, 2022

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

ASIA UNITED 44 44.95 44.8 44.95 44.25 44.8 6,200 277,095 118 118.7 115.5 118.7 115.5 118.7 1,630,450 191,583,746 BDO UNIBANK BANK COMMERCE 8.01 8.29 8.29 8.3 8 8.01 67,000 538,279 BANK PH ISLANDS 88.35 89 86 89 86 89 864,210 76,243,074.5 26.9 27 26.85 27 26.85 27 226,700 6,117,465 CHINABANK 6.95 7 6.87 7 6.87 7 94,700 660,810 EAST WEST BANK METROBANK 49.1 49.15 48.55 49.2 48.45 49.1 863,000 42,293,450 PB BANK 7.01 7.2 7.01 7.19 7 7.19 25,000 176,960 18 18.02 17.92 18.2 17.92 18 87,300 1,571,294 PHIL NATL BANK 19.6 19.88 19.88 19.88 19.88 19.88 500 9,940 RCBC SECURITY BANK 88 88.5 87.6 89 87.6 88 95,750 8,445,235.5 UNION BANK 82.2 82.65 83.05 84.25 82.2 82.65 170,760 14,206,523.5 1.82 1.87 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.87 649,000 1,181,080 BRIGHT KINDLE 3.41 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3,000 10,500 COL FINANCIAL PHIL STOCK EXCH 184.9 187.9 184.9 187.9 184.9 187.9 1,620 300,598 SUN LIFE 2,378 2,500 2378 2,378 2,378 2,378 165 392,370

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 8.35 8.4 8.07 8.4 8.05 8.4 21,682,400 178,745,821 ALSONS CONS 0.93 0.95 0.9 0.95 0.9 0.95 17,000 15,700 ABOITIZ POWER 29.4 29.45 29.25 29.6 29.25 29.45 1,061,000 31,284,445 2.01 2.02 1.95 2.03 1.91 2.02 16,126,000 31,824,880 RASLAG 0.39 0.4 0.385 0.4 0.385 0.4 1,190,000 469,350 BASIC ENERGY FIRST GEN 17.22 17.24 17.2 17.28 17.12 17.2 106,300 1,829,116 FIRST PHIL HLDG 60.2 61 60.2 60.2 60.2 60.2 2,370 142,674 4.01 5.44 4 4 4 4 1,000 4,000 JOLLIVILLE HLDG 353.6 359 351 359 351 359 83,910 30,027,046 MERALCO MANILA WATER 16.78 16.8 16.6 16.78 16.6 16.78 96,200 1,608,372 PETRON 3.06 3.07 3.06 3.06 3.04 3.06 419,000 1,276,730 4.69 4.85 4.65 4.68 4.65 4.68 22,000 102,360 PETROENERGY 9.41 9.99 9.51 9.99 9.5 9.99 12,200 118,517 PHX PETROLEUM SYNERGY GRID 12.08 12.1 12.08 12.18 12.06 12.1 435,800 5,274,678 PILIPINAS SHELL 18 18.1 18 18.1 17.8 18 33,200 597,588 9.05 9.08 9.02 9.1 9.02 9.09 57,200 518,061 SPC POWER 1.75 1.76 1.71 1.77 1.71 1.76 41,496,000 72,306,820 SOLAR PH AGRINURTURE 5.27 5.3 5.3 5.33 5.25 5.3 1,625,200 8,589,561 2.12 2.19 2.24 2.24 2.04 2.19 4,398,000 9,310,220 AXELUM 22.55 22.6 21.65 22.8 21.65 22.6 862,500 19,431,090 CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE 14.44 14.5 14.44 14.5 14.4 14.5 52,900 762,812 6.74 6.75 6.7 6.78 6.7 6.75 2,038,000 13,754,632 DNL INDUS 18.06 18.1 18.54 18.7 18.06 18.1 2,616,600 47,708,632 18 EMPERADOR 45.65 45.8 46 46.5 45.15 45.8 101,500 4,640,665 SMC FOODANDBEV FIGARO COFFEE 0.58 0.59 0.55 0.59 0.55 0.58 6,594,000 3,769,330 FRUITAS HLDG 1.09 1.1 1.09 1.09 1.07 1.09 1,662,000 1,805,740 99 100 100 100 99 99 1,520 151,002 GINEBRA 200.8 201.8 203 203 200.2 200.8 184,470 37,088,018 JOLLIBEE KEEPERS HLDG 1.11 1.12 1.11 1.13 1.11 1.11 445,000 495,420 17.12 21.95 22.3 22.3 21.9 21.95 4,200 92,225 LIBERTY FLOUR 4.47 4.49 4.49 4.49 4.49 4.49 90,000 404,100 MAXS GROUP 0.113 0.119 0.112 0.119 0.112 0.119 280,000 31,680 MG HLDG MONDE NISSIN 13.88 13.9 13.22 13.9 13.22 13.9 9,637,600 133,009,506 SHAKEYS PIZZA 7.08 7.15 7.05 7.1 7.05 7.08 35,300 249,709 0.52 0.53 0.52 0.53 0.52 0.53 202,000 106,660 ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP 3.94 3.95 3.95 3.95 3.95 3.95 46,000 181,700 ROXAS HLDG 1.23 1.35 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 6,000 7,800 0.088 0.095 0.089 0.089 0.088 0.088 220,000 19,410 SWIFT FOODS 114 114.4 110 115.1 109.7 114 1,965,620 224,121,140 UNIV ROBINA VITARICH 0.6 0.62 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 48,000 28,800 2.5 2.74 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 33,000 82,500 VICTORIAS 40.1 44.5 40.1 40.1 40.1 40.1 3,000 120,300 CONCRETE A 0.6 0.61 0.6 0.62 0.58 0.61 3,755,000 2,237,000 CEMEX HLDG EEI CORP 3.45 3.54 3.32 3.59 3.31 3.54 176,000 615,360 5.1 5.25 5.1 5.1 5.1 5.1 5,400 27,540 HOLCIM 5.09 5.1 4.49 5.1 4.49 5.1 1,784,000 8,706,020 ( MEGAWIDE 18.92 19.2 19.2 19.2 18.92 19.2 3,900 74,040 PHINMA TKC METALS 0.69 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.74 1,000 740 0.78 0.79 0.78 0.8 0.78 0.79 1,124,000 897,980 VULCAN INDL 1.68 1.75 1.74 1.75 1.74 1.75 27,000 47,110 CROWN ASIA 1 1.04 1.05 1.05 1.05 1.05 10,000 10,500 EUROMED MABUHAY VINYL 5.4 5.59 5.59 5.59 5.59 5.59 1,700 9,503 17.18 19.08 19.08 19.08 19.08 19.08 300 5,724 CONCEPCION 1.58 1.59 1.6 1.61 1.59 1.59 12,337,000 19,705,910 GREENERGY INTEGRATED MICR 6.15 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.15 6.3 11,000 68,640 0.58 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.56 0.56 66,000 38,910 IONICS 5.68 5.89 5.88 5.89 5.88 5.89 3,600 21,185 PANASONIC 1.12 1.16 1.16 1.16 1.11 1.16 185,000 209,720 SFA SEMICON CIRTEK HLDG 2.89 2.9 2.6 2.91 2.6 2.9 1,770,000 4,993,600

HOLDING & FRIMS

Meralco awaits ERC order on implementing SC ruling Continued from B1 “This is a win for power generators in the context of limited supply now,” Ridon said.

“The onus is now on the ERC to enact penalty provisions on generators that undertake unplanned or forced outages, which correspondingly spiked prices in the electricity spot market.”

In a decision made public last July 1, the SC held that the ERC’s decision to allow the staggered recovery of the adjustment charges while denying the request of Meralco for carrying costs was intended “to protect the interest of the consumers.”

The power firm attributed the increase in the generation cost to the supposed maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya facility that supplies natural gas to three major power plants—Ilijan, San Lorenzo and Sta Rita—which supply an aggregate capacity of 2700 MW electricity to its franchise area.

It also said that the shutdown of Malampaya coincided with the scheduled maintenance of two other plants, Pagbilao 2 and Sual 1, which also collectively contribute over 950 MW to its requirements.

Mera lco sa id because of t he events, it was forced to buy expensive power from WESM. Greenpeace campaigner Khevin Yu, meanwhile, said the SC decision further exposes the consequences of the dependence of Meralco and other energy firms on fossil fuels.

“Meralco earned a net income of P24.6 billion last year. There is no excuse for them to put higher generation costs on consumers’ tabs.

Further, Greenpeace’s 2021 Decarbonizing Meralco report found that 97 percent of Meralco’s energy mix consists of fossil fuels, which we know are not only inflexible energy sources, but are also contributing significantly to the worsening climate crisis,” he said.

“Our continued dependence on fossil fuels means we are subject to price volatilities we cannot control, and to finite fuel sources—such as the Malampaya gas field—which will betray us when supplies run out. At this point, RE [renewable energy] is undoubtedly the cleaner, more reliable, and more cost-efficient way to generate power in the Philippines.

Only in shifting to RE can Meralco truly show Filipinos that they have our best interests in mind.”

mutual funds

July 5, 2022

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 199.29 -11.4% -9.51% -6.09% -14.5% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.3116 -8.55% -7.67% -4.05% -21.19% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.7303 -11.99% -13.19% -8.68% -15.67% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.6932 -11.33% -10.26% n.a.

-8.37% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.6463 -15.47% -10.04% n.a.

-16.16% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.5033 -9.03% -6.74% -4.12% -13.11% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.6663 -8.24% -9.3% -7.01% -14.94% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 75.73 -25.11% -14.89% n.a.

-19.8% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 40.8423 -11.36% -8.43% -4.7% -15.14% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 427.67 -11.59% -8.19% -4.7% -14.58% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.2177 5.09% -3.32% -1.29% -10.22% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 31.2161 -8.99% -7.59% -3.7% -14.7% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8054 -9.83% -8.94% n.a.

-14.45% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.2291 -9.94% -7.81% -4.05% -14.75% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 704.54 -10.91% -7.88% -4.12% -14.96% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6277 -12.9% -12.76% -6.96% -16.6% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.1753 -11.17% -10.36% -5.44% -15.9% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.802 -11.19% -8.16% -4.37% -15.09% United Fund, Inc. -a 2.964 -9.73% -7.82% -3.33% -13.77% Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a 0.9986 -8.5% n.a. n.a.

-14.11% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 857.7 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Exchange Traded Fund (shares) First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 94.974 -10.53% -7.67% -3.74% -14.8% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $0.9325 -26.43% -2.59% -1.15% -17.22% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.4475 -19.95% 3.06% 4.57% -21.6% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.5282 -9.62% -4.54% -2.94% -9.68% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.0639 -8.74% -4.19% -2.65% -9.54% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.4684 -6.1% -2.8% -1.28% -8.27% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.1907 -3.25% n.a. n.a.

-8.76% -8.26% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.8502 -6.21% -1.84% -0.54% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.3772 -9.21% -3.68% -1.96% -10.3% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 15.1279 -9.25% -3.87% -2.03% -10.2% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 1.9331 -7.04% -3.72% -2.04% -8.88% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.2371 -8.75% -6.24% -3.03% -11.24% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8415 -5.85% -5.81% -2.63% -11.81% Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a 0.8895 -10.4% -4.74% n.a.

-10.13% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a 0.8028 -12.51% -7.95% n.a.

-15% -15.39% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a 0.7902 -12.78% -8.34% n.a.

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03306 -13.21% -4.21% -1.56% -12.86% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $0.9212 -18.72% -2.73% -1.07% -13.67% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $3.9418 -17.13% 1.18% 2.91% -17.92% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,2 $1.0152 -15.4% -1.95% 0.15% -15.3% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 373.2 0.19% 2.13% 2.26% -0.29% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.8899 -1.99% -0.18% 0.02% 0.28% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2291 -0.03% 1.92% 3.27% -0.46% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.1683 -4.21% -0.33% 0.64% -3.7% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.3979 -1.81% 1.15% 1.61% -1.16% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.1872 -6.65% -0.05% 0.56% -4.74% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a 1.3198 -0.17% 2.76% 2.79% 0.05% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.8859 -2.38% 1.81% 2.18% -2.01% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0073 -2.93% 2.38% 1.64% -2.03% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1269 -2.78% 1.75% 2.5% -1.9% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.6927 -3.29% 0.89% 1.81% -2.19% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $481.29 -1.01% 1.59% 1.8% -1.69% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є210.63 -4.32% -1.16% -0.07% -4.26% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.0728 -9.98% -3.27% -0.91% -10.89% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0243 -6.9% -1.85% -0.49% -6.54% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $0.8968 -14.4% -6.29% -3.51% -12.32% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.2059 -12.01% -2.2% -0.11% -11.96% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0607379 -3.57% 0.78% 1.21% -2.5% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $2.7486 -13.46% -3.91% -1.67% -14% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (shares) ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 132.19 1.43% 2.26% 2.54% 0.76% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0639 1.03% 1.57% n.a.

0.59% Sun Life Prosperity Peso Starter Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.3261 1.59% 2.12% 2.48% 0.8% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (shares) Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.064 0.6% 1.14% n.a.

0.32% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a 43.6768 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a 1.1956 -7.18% n.a. n.a.

-13.54% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities (units) ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a $0.8158 -18.42% n.a. n.a.

-15.9%

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. 1 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last July 8, 2021 (formerly, Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.).

2 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last November 25, 2021.

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

ABACORE CAPITAL 1.5 1.51 1.47 1.51 1.46 1.5 9,339,000 13,899,060 620 623 610 632.5 610 620 187,020 116,503,245 AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY 48.45 49 48 49 47.75 49 614,400 29,850,920 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 9.65 9.68 9.26 9.72 9.25 9.65 2,817,000 26,896,989 0.71 0.8 0.79 0.8 0.79 0.8 23,000 18,280 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.405 0.41 0.41 0.415 0.41 0.41 520,000 213,450 ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B 0.42 0.455 0.42 0.45 0.42 0.45 200,000 86,400 4.35 4.43 4.4 4.42 4.32 4.39 249,000 1,091,410 COSCO CAPITAL 8.92 8.93 8.68 8.97 8.68 8.92 7,389,400 65,811,069 DMCI HLDG 6.95 7.07 6.95 6.95 6.95 6.95 6,800 47,260 FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL 477.6 478 480 487.6 477.4 478 140,020 66,985,970 JG SUMMIT 50.6 51.25 48 51.4 48 51.25 1,426,800 72,179,475 7.51 9.72 9.72 9.72 9.72 9.72 300 2,916 KEPPEL HLDG A 2.98 3.09 2.97 2.97 2.97 2.97 1,000 2,970 LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP 8.45 8.48 8.38 8.49 8.34 8.48 1,001,400 8,452,129 METRO PAC INV 3.55 3.57 3.44 3.59 3.44 3.57 7,025,000 24,750,610 2.16 2.27 2.18 2.27 2.14 2.27 8,000 17,450 PACIFICA HLDG 2.75 2.76 2.85 2.85 2.68 2.75 2,277,000 6,272,840 PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS 2.9 3.19 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 38,000 110,200 0.89 0.9 0.92 0.92 0.89 0.89 216,000 195,840 SOLID GROUP 792 795 801 801 783 792 171,190 135,562,375 SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP 105.1 106 106 107 105.1 106 10,170 1,082,149 TOP FRONTIER 107 116 115 116 105 116 4,060 470,700 0.26 0.29 0.26 0.26 0.26 0.26 670,000 174,200 WELLEX INDUS 0.16 0.17 0.165 0.168 0.158 0.16 2,800,000 444,300 ZEUS HLDG

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.54 0.57 0.56 0.57 0.54 0.57 22,000 12,310 ANCHOR LAND 5.7 6 6 6 5.9 5.9 2,100 12,400 26.4 26.45 26 26.7 26 26.4 15,665,900 413,938,820 AYALA LAND 3.33 3.34 3.34 3.34 3.29 3.33 204,000 673,870 AYALA LAND LOG 13 14.52 13 13 13 13 1,800 23,400 ALTUS PROP ARANETA PROP 1.64 1.65 1.62 1.7 1.58 1.64 1,645,000 2,707,830 AREIT RT 37.5 37.6 36.8 37.8 36.8 37.6 203,900 7,617,420 0.68 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 35,000 24,150 CITYLAND DEVT 0.087 0.09 0.085 0.09 0.085 0.09 2,140,000 187,780 CROWN EQUITIES CEB LANDMASTERS 2.47 2.48 2.51 2.52 2.48 2.48 131,000 325,930 0.37 0.38 0.37 0.375 0.37 0.37 1,380,000 517,200 CENTURY PROP 2.43 2.44 2.46 2.48 2.43 2.44 3,277,000 7,980,440 CITICORE RT 8.16 8.28 8.3 8.31 8.15 8.16 86,600 715,660 DOUBLEDRAGON DDMP RT 1.49 1.5 1.49 1.5 1.47 1.5 732,000 1,086,160 DM WENCESLAO 6.85 6.88 6.83 6.85 6.83 6.85 11,500 78,765 0.25 0.26 0.25 0.26 0.25 0.26 10,650,000 2,682,050 EVER GOTESCO 6.79 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.78 6.8 1,572,100 10,681,157 FILINVEST RT FILINVEST LAND 0.86 0.87 0.85 0.88 0.85 0.87 2,643,000 2,297,970 10.04 10.28 10.3 10.3 10.26 10.28 30,100 309,230 8990 HLDG 659.5 669.5 660 670 660 670 80 52,900 GOLDEN MV PHIL INFRADEV 0.95 1 0.92 0.95 0.92 0.95 137,000 129,040 3.6 3.74 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3,000 11,250 KEPPEL PROP 0.71 0.73 0.71 0.73 0.71 0.73 62,000 44,060 CITY AND LAND 2.14 2.15 2.06 2.15 2.06 2.14 18,280,000 38,962,240 MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED 0.183 0.185 0.184 0.184 0.182 0.184 2,110,000 386,150 15.28 15.5 15.84 15.84 15.28 15.3 1,355,300 20,884,958 MREIT RT 0.38 0.385 0.38 0.385 0.375 0.38 700,000 265,400 PHIL ESTATES 2.02 2.03 2.05 2.11 1.99 2.02 1,637,000 3,387,350 ( PRIMEX CORP RL COMM RT 6.46 6.49 6.45 6.5 6.43 6.49 473,200 3,057,568 ROBINSONS LAND 17 17.28 16.82 17.28 16.82 17.28 166,700 2,845,736 0.23 0.236 0.23 0.237 0.23 0.237 250,000 58,520 PHIL REALTY 1.21 1.23 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 4,000 4,800 ROCKWELL SHANG PROP 2.47 2.55 2.55 2.55 2.55 2.55 41,000 104,550 STA LUCIA LAND 2.91 3.06 3.07 3.07 3.02 3.06 55,000 167,710 36.8 37.5 36.05 37.5 36.05 37.5 4,766,300 177,110,855 SM PRIME HLDG VISTAMALLS 3.21 3.48 3.21 3.21 3.21 3.21 3,000 9,630 0.97 1 0.99 1 0.95 1 137,000 131,310 SUNTRUST RESORT 2 2.01 2 2 1.95 2 1,392,000 2,755,830 VISTA LAND 1.75 1.76 1.77 1.77 1.75 1.76 282,000 495,600 VISTAREIT RT

17,800 46,214,425 (10,790) 8,051,826 (2,700) (506,290) (1,147,025) 10,832 (1,035,190.5) 8,536,325.5 (3,640) (7,000) 57,970 356,700 21,209,731 2,830 2,093,235 239,150 (123,858) 4,000 3,395,488 453,238 9,120 (173,658) 3,621 103,140 (1,299,896) (8,450,510) 7,181,230 (3,059,389) ,090,946.0004 (3,022,975) 1,700 (24,750) 1,216,260 (381,650) 60,446,460 (247,594) (165,900) 8,415,926 (1,577,480) 498,260.0002) (3,747,320) 29,729.9998 406,020 6,664,260 (17,227,095) 7,276,150 8,678,764 800 (208,450) (2,628,565) (31,344,716) 38,321,480 1,018,926 (3,864,050) (107,300) (10,813,150) 89,338 -

(211,841,705) (194,670) (16,800) 984,205 (14,650) (26,055.0002) 114,830 (630,000) (709,025) (2,013,760) 1,866,100 (18,227,032) 735,980.0003) 659,803 (323,734) 66,300 7,788,630 (483,040) 47,450

SERVICES ABS CBN 9.45 9.5 9.8 9.85 9.37 9.5 75,100 719,292 GMA NETWORK 11.08 11.18 11.2 11.24 11.06 11.1 584,800 6,512,816 0.335 0.37 0.375 0.375 0.345 0.345 60,000 21,000 MANILA BULLETIN 2,226 2,240 2200 2,238 2,200 2,226 30,430 67,770,350 4,302,890 GLOBE TELECOM 1,769 1,775 1729 1,775 1,711 1,775 47,745 84,215,145 24,737,780 PLDT APOLLO GLOBAL 0.037 0.038 0.039 0.039 0.037 0.038 110,300,000 4,144,100 408,500 CONVERGE 20.9 21 22.05 22.4 20.9 20.9 12,626,300 269,365,825 (65,853,600) 3.27 3.33 3.22 3.38 3.22 3.33 581,000 1,904,690 331,970 DFNN INC 4.4 4.41 4.22 4.42 4.2 4.41 9,238,000 40,168,250 (1,659,920) DITO CME HLDG JACKSTONES 1.5 1.59 1.51 1.51 1.51 1.51 5,000 7,550 1.22 1.23 1.17 1.23 1.16 1.22 2,441,000 2,942,950 (545,900) NOW CORP 0.29 0.3 0.31 0.31 0.29 0.29 5,590,000 1,665,050 (300,000) TRANSPACIFIC BR 6.85 7 7 7 6.85 6.85 800 5,570 2GO GROUP ASIAN TERMINALS 13.52 13.88 13.86 13.9 13.86 13.9 1,400 19,428 (6,930) CHELSEA 1.3 1.35 1.34 1.35 1.3 1.3 14,000 18,610 41.6 41.65 41.5 41.9 41.5 41.65 43,300 1,804,390 (33,420) CEBU AIR 186 186.5 185 187.8 185 186 665,270 124,180,182 (26,870,152) INTL CONTAINER LBC EXPRESS 19.96 21.95 19.94 19.94 19.94 19.94 200 3,988 0.56 0.69 0.53 0.53 0.53 0.53 1,000 530 LORENZO SHIPPNG 4.35 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.21 4.4 297,000 1,293,970 8,700 MACROASIA PAL HLDG 5.6 5.65 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.6 14,200 80,255 22,960 HARBOR STAR 0.93 0.95 0.84 0.93 0.84 0.93 413,000 356,620 1.37 1.47 1.37 1.37 1.37 1.37 7,000 9,590 ACESITE HOTEL 0.083 0.085 0.085 0.085 0.082 0.083 8,130,000 679,130 (2,520) BOULEVARD HLDG WATERFRONT 0.42 0.45 0.42 0.42 0.42 0.42 10,000 4,200 530.5 588.5 588.5 588.5 588.5 588.5 30 17,655 FAR EASTERN U 7 7.21 7 7 7 7 200 1,400 IPEOPLE 0.335 0.345 0.34 0.345 0.34 0.345 170,000 58,500 STI HLDG BELLE CORP 1.19 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.19 1.19 163,000 194,970 (120,000) BLOOMBERRY 5.95 5.96 5.98 5.98 5.9 5.96 1,017,700 6,043,360 1,270,110 1.3 1.42 1.42 1.42 1.27 1.42 305,000 410,250 PACIFIC ONLINE 1.38 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.37 1.4 325,000 449,030 LEISURE AND RES PH RESORTS GRP 0.78 0.79 0.79 0.83 0.79 0.79 1,404,000 1,113,970 (833,850) PREMIUM LEISURE 0.395 0.4 0.395 0.4 0.395 0.4 3,780,000 1,511,750 4.4 4.45 4.3 4.55 4.13 4.45 7,171,000 31,182,510 (1,010,370) PHILWEB ALLDAY 0.315 0.325 0.305 0.32 0.3 0.32 20,190,000 6,321,400 67,650 ALLHOME 4.5 4.58 4.56 4.58 4.46 4.58 346,000 1,568,830 (193,710) 1.45 1.47 1.48 1.48 1.43 1.47 86,000 125,590 5,770 METRO RETAIL 30.3 30.5 30.95 30.95 30.1 30.3 2,485,100 75,723,695 (43,529,500) PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL 51.15 51.2 50.15 51.35 50.15 51.15 1,635,700 83,689,229.5 33,000,769.5 PHIL SEVEN CORP 55 57 55 55 53 55 1,384,220 76,131,900 (0) 1.3 1.31 1.29 1.33 1.29 1.31 1,605,000 2,099,020 527,440 SSI GROUP 22.55 22.65 22.95 23 22.5 22.55 1,856,200 42,161,905 (13,960,450) WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.19 0.198 0.198 0.198 0.19 0.19 80,000 15,440 0.57 0.58 0.58 0.58 0.57 0.58 177,000 101,800 (28,499.9999) MEDILINES 0.425 0.435 0.415 0.435 0.415 0.435 1,960,000 839,150 72,300 PRMIERE HORIZON

MINING & OIL ATOK 6.82 6.9 6.81 6.9 6.81 6.82 23,200 158,058 APEX MINING 1.43 1.44 1.43 1.44 1.43 1.43 973,000 1,392,320 (210,210) ATLAS MINING 4.66 4.77 4.7 4.75 4.63 4.64 331,000 1,557,380 (464,060) 5.6 5.8 5.6 5.8 5.6 5.8 3,800 21,300 BENGUET A 5.6 5.7 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.9 5,000 29,500 29,500 BENGUET B COAL ASIA HLDG 0.209 0.234 0.208 0.208 0.208 0.208 10,000 2,080 2.65 2.73 2.7 2.73 2.65 2.65 79,000 210,450 157,400 CENTURY PEAK 2.36 2.39 2.38 2.43 2.36 2.36 989,000 2,363,040 599,990 FERRONICKEL 0.172 0.184 0.172 0.172 0.172 0.172 20,000 3,440 GEOGRACE LEPANTO A 0.135 0.138 0.134 0.138 0.134 0.138 4,580,000 617,520 0.0096 0.0097 0 0.0096 0.0096 0.0096 0.0096 4,000,000 38,400 MANILA MINING A 0.0093 0.0099 0 0.0093 0.0093 0.0093 0.0093 3,000,000 27,900 (27,900) MANILA MINING B 1.32 1.34 1.33 1.37 1.31 1.34 2,894,000 3,891,080 (340) MARCVENTURES NIHAO 0.91 0.94 0.93 0.94 0.91 0.91 148,000 135,860 14,100 NICKEL ASIA 6.15 6.19 6.22 6.38 6.15 6.15 2,712,700 16,849,439 (3,068,724) 0.69 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.74 84,000 62,160 ORNTL PENINSULA 3.29 3.3 3.34 3.34 3.29 3.29 615,000 2,031,780 (1,332,150) PX MINING SEMIRARA MINING 37.05 37.1 36.55 37.65 36.5 37.1 9,373,100 349,347,455 15 ,049,594.9996 10.94 10.96 10.28 11 10.28 10.94 236,700 2,560,682 ACE ENEXOR 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 7,800,000 85,800 ORNTL PETROL A PHILODRILL 0.0087 0.0089 0 0.0088 0.0088 0.0087 0.0087 8,000,000 70,200 5.16 5.36 5.42 5.42 5.04 5.36 308,600 1,584,980 PXP ENERGY

PREFFERED

HOUSE PREF B 97.75 99.5 97.5 97.5 97.5 97.5 500 48,750 HOUSE PREF A 98.4 100.9 100 100 100 100 14,850 1,485,000 501 501.5 501.5 501.5 501 501 5,370 2,692,930 AC PREF B1 101 104.9 100.8 100.8 100.8 100.8 100 10,080 ALCO PREF C 500 505 505 505 505 505 40 20,200 ALCO PREF D AC PREF B2R 500 501.5 501 501 500 500 170 85,020 41.3 41.95 42 42 41.05 41.15 8,400 348,275 CEB PREF 99.8 101.8 100 102 99.8 101.9 5,260 525,533 21,399 CPG PREF A 96.1 99 100 100 100 100 10 1,000 DD PREF EEI PREF B 105 107 105 107 105 107 5,050 530,350 411,600 MWIDE PREF 2A 93.25 98.95 97.95 99 97.95 99 10,910 1,079,405 98 100.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 360 36,180 (36,180) MWIDE PREF 2B 72.1 99 98.8 98.8 98.8 98.8 100 9,880 MWIDE PREF 4 PNX PREF 4 973 974 978 978 970 974 1,150 1,119,740 1,062 1,070 1065 1,065 1,062 1,062 1,050 1,118,100 PCOR PREF 3B 76.25 76.45 76.45 76.45 76.2 76.45 19,650 1,499,462.5 SMC PREF 2F 76 78.4 76 76 76 76 700 53,200 SMC PREF 2I SMC PREF 2J 74 74.5 74.75 74.75 74 74 13,860 1,025,655 73 74 73 74 73 74 2,300 169,700 SMC PREF 2K PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS

ABS HLDG PDR 9.06 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.26 9.26 35,000 324,100

(92,600)

TECH WARRANT 0.51 0.53 0.51 0.54 0.51 0.53 641,000

337,720

(46,480)

5,387,760 2,549,100 128,030 64,400 1,603,300 52,100

7,000 27,460 -

WARRANTS SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

BALAI FRUITAS CTS GLOBAL HAUS TALK ITALPINAS MERRYMART XURPAS

0.69 0.94 0.96 0.76 1.29 0.28

0.7 0.95 0.99 0.78 1.3 0.29

0.68 0.93 1.01 0.79 1.22 0.29

0.7 0.96 1.01 0.79 1.3 0.29

0.67 0.93 0.96 0.76 1.22 0.28

0.7 0.95 0.99 0.76 1.3 0.29

7,843,000 2,699,000 132,000 84,000 1,257,000 180,000

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

96.15

96.5

95.8

96.5

95.5

96.5

16,360

1,571,197

(117,326.5)

-

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Entrepreneur

Gao: Start-ups to face ‘hard times’ after market plunge

I

nvestors should brace for a historic drop in the stock market to start filtering through to start-ups over the next few quarters, said Sapphire Ventures partner Cathy Gao. “We are going to be in for some hard times ahead—I don’t know if it’s going to be one quarter, two quarters, three quarters or more,” Gao said in an interview Friday with Bloomberg Television.

“My message to everyone is this is an opportunity to look inwards, get your house in shape and be ready for the future.”

The S&P 500 posted its worst first half in 52 years, driven by high inflation and growing recession fears. Privatemarket firms were spared the pain of the rout, but that’s about to change starting with “very late-stage companies,” Gao said, citing the fintech business Klarna Bank AB and Instacart Inc., a grocerydelivery startup, as examples.

After that, the affected businesses will range from second-funding-round startups to ones preparing for an initial public offering, she said. Those are the types of companies that Gao specializes in.

Sapphire, whose investments have included Fitbit and 23andMe, has more than $10 billion under management.

“My stage is a little bit frozen right now because, on one hand, a lot of companies raised a lot of money in 202— they might have 30 months of runway,” Gao said. “On the other hand, investors don’t know where the valuation is going to settle quite just yet.”

There’s an opportunity for companies to reassess “what they are actually worth and prepare themselves for future rounds they may have to raise,” she said.

BusinessMirror

Multi-sectoral strategies pushed to boost MSME growth, recovery

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By Roderick L. Abad

@rodrik_28 | Contributor

NDUSTRY leaders have laid down their proposals for smaller businesses to face the barriers hindering their recovery and stability despite the economy’s recent reopening.

Their ideas centered on how the public and private sectors can engage the community and its people to solve the challenges and support the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which comprise 99.5 percent of the national economy and generate jobs to 62.4 percent or 5.5 million Filipinos.

“When communities are able to provide for and support their own needs, they promote an overall more robust national economy,” Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. Vice President for Corporate Relations Serge Bernal told reporters during their recent webinar dubbed “The Future of Livelihood: Multi-Sectoral Approach that Empowers Local Economies to Power Progress.”

“We aim to continuously create a positive and rippling change towards the future, starting with various initiatives that target the needs of the communities in the areas where we operate. We continue to encourage other institutions and enterprises to engage their immediate commu-

nities so that we welcome progress together,” he added.

Among the problems confronting the MSMEs is their difficulty in adapting to a tough and fast-paced environment. One way to solve this is to integrate them into the greater local economic ecosystem so they can have more access to relevant markets, products, services, and resources to scale their businesses.

The government, through the Department of Science and Technology-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI), makes this possible.

“From the conception of ideas to the protection of IPs (Intellectual Property); from the development of a prototype, to pilot production; and eventually, to commercialization and marketing, we have the necessary programs for our stakeholders to literally put their innovation in the market,” DOST-TAPI Director Atty.

Marion Decena said, while citing their offering to commercialize the innovative technologies of MSMEs

Turmeric biz helps Antique entrep send kids to school

AN entrepreneur from Antique finds promising the processing of turmeric and turgin teas as she was able to send her five children to school with the help of the business. Miguelina Villasor of Barangay La Union, San Remigio said she considers herself fortunate to receive various training from different government agencies that can help boost her business. PNA

photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay

By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay Philippine News Agency

S

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, July 6, 2022 B3

AN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique—An entrepreneur from the province of Antique has sent all her five children to college with the help of her turmeric business.

Miguelina Villasor, 54, from Barangay La Union in San Remigio, is one of the 20 exhibitors in the recently concluded exhibit at the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) building here.

In an interview, Villasor said she considers it fortunate to have learned how to process turmeric in 2013 as before, they only relied on the income she got from selling vegetables and fruits at the public market of the nearby town of Sibalom.

Her husband worked as farm helper and performed other menial jobs to help feed their family.

“We mainly relied on the schooling of our children from selling turmeric tea or turgin (combination of turmeric and ginger) tea in the market,” she said.

However, a social worker from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assigned with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) visited them and saw that turmeric was just being thrown away.

The worker introduced to them the many health benefits of the product so Villasor took interest in it.

With the help of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the DSWD, she underwent training on turmeric processing, and on packaging and labeling with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

“I started to process 20 packs of 100

grams each turmeric per week, but now, I am able to process 100 packs or more per week,” she said.

Villasor said from a weekly income of only P2,000, she is now earning P35,000 to P50,000 in one week.

She learned to diversify, such as infusing turmeric and ginger, as there are customers who prefer this variant.

“My eldest is now a graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and employed with the DSWD KALAHICIDSS (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa KahirapanComprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services) while my second to the eldest is a graduate also of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and is working at the San Remigio local government unit,” she said.

Her three other children who are all in college will also be graduating soon.

“I really consider the assistance provided by the different government agencies to my business as valuable that I am sharing it to other women in our community interested in processing turmeric or turgin tea,” she said.

Each pack of 300 grams turmeric tea is sold for P160, turgin for P175, and pure ginger tea for P300.

There are distributors who get the products from Villasor and sell them in Metro Manila and Iloilo City.

Villasor said being a graduate of the Department of Trade and Industry Kapatid Mentor Me program, she joins every event by the Department of Trade and Industry, including the showcase of local products in partnership with PENRO, so she could get the chance of displaying and selling her products. PNA

SPEAKERS and panel reactors are shown in split screens during the webinar dubbed “The Future of Livelihood: Multi-Sectoral Approach that Empowers Local Economies to Power Progress.”

which is payable within three years sans interest.

Another obstacle faced by small businesses is the lack of and inaccessibility to financial products and services that needs urgent action, according to UnionBank First Vice President and SME and Microentrepreneurs Head Jaypee Soliman. He explained, “It’s being able to provide financing to the people who really need it the most with whatever available data they have. That’s a big problem, especially in the countryside.”

For Department of Trade and Industry-Philippine Trade Training Center (DTI-PTTC) Executive Director Nelly Nita Dillera, local entrepreneurs can also gain from the different capacity-building programs of national line agencies meant to make them competitive.

“There’s a need for upskilling and reskilling our workforce. ‘Agham na ramdam ng bayan,’” she pointed out.

“We’re really networking and go-

ing to the regions just for us to get what the needs and gaps are, so we can respond to them (MSMEs) with programs that are really relevant.”

These initiatives include trainings to qualify MSMEs for certifications, such as Food Connect; programs to help shape and scale businesses like Asean SME Academy, Push Start, and ASCEND; and even projects aimed at protecting entrepreneurs from disasters and other uncertainties through PAYONG that is available in digital channel.

Upgrading the technical skills of budding entrepreneurs equips them to meet the customers’ changing needs and come up with innovative products and services that can elevate their competitive edge. “[This is] from starting up to scaling up,” CBO Cofounder Katrina Chan said. Even if the country lacks the unicorns or start-up companies with a value of over $1 billion, she emphasized, “We do have ‘Qalabaws’

that are diligently getting the job done. The pandemic has shown us how quickly start-ups can adapt. We believe supporting start-ups is the key to recovery and creating an innovative and competitive country. It’s a great way to create jobs for people.”

Institutions can further support MSMEs in securing vital capital to bolster growth and expansion. Also, collaborative platforms like Shell’s Future Festival where leaders, advocates, and stakeholders have the avenues to welcome partnerships to fulfill the discussed ideas are also important.

“We are here to establish that trust. What we did in the beginning was create bridges and give access points,” Rags2Riches President and Founding Partner Reese FernandezRuiz said of that collaborative process intended to help SMEs. “A bridge (will) help them see what it’s like. We also have to see the perspective of who we are serving and who we are collaborating with.”

Public-private partnerships complemented by community support, according to Bernal, help energize a new generation of entrepreneurs who can build a long-lasting and brighter future for the nation.

“With the support from our government, the best practices from established enterprises, help from the private sector, and the vigor from Filipino communities will be important factors that help differentiate the economy we have now to the future we aspire to build,” he stressed.

E-commerce exec outlines how global brands can scale biz across SEA region

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EEMED the fourth largest economic bloc by 2030, there’s no stopping Asean from being in the radar of global trade.

With gross domestic product (GDP) in the region growing at 5.4 percent on the average in recent years, the Asean is on track to follow in the footsteps of the United States, China and the European Nation.

Thanks largely to the unification and integration of its member-states—Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—Asean is populated by a growing educated and young workforce, as well as an emerging middle class.

Alongside its flourishing economy and promising demographic profile, the booming online trade amid the pandemic has made it become one of the most attractive markets that companies worldwide—big or small—want to penetrate into.

Despite this, businesses beyond Southeast Asia (SEA) find it hard to enter the region given a complex process that requires a deep understanding of e-commerce fundamentals and customer experience.

Now, a local ally claims it can equip them, provide guidance on diverse legal and cultural nuances of each country, and offer fulfillment services on their behalf in their bid to set foot and gain ground in the Philippines.

“Going into the SEA market, you will never make it without a partner,” said Alexander Friedhoff, chief executive officer (CEO) and cofounder of etaily.

The top executive, who is immersed in the Asean digital platforms and legal frameworks, talked about the needs of brands who want to make it to the re-

gional marketplace in two recent webinars organized by the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines.

“Players who want to enter into SEA need strong local partners for import licenses, ecommerce expertise in customer service, influencer management —all these nitty-gritty things which are happening in the back end which are completely underestimated when it comes to observing the overall e-commerce outlook,” he noted.

ers in their campaigns.

Coming from different historical, cultural, traditional, spiritual and political backgrounds, they must meet the specific needs of each client in such a diverse market. Knowing the patrons’ journey, the competitors, and what both are looking for can also make a difference in their business strategy, especially in the digital space. “It’s always about the customer. Making the customer happy to allow them to buy, fulfill, return, and get information about the products they want to have,” Friedhoff pointed out.

The ‘right’ one

No way but tech up

IT takes no one for any business who likes to expand overseas to succeed. Being new to a certain market requires finding a right ally to collaborate with so as to go beyond simply establishing a presence there but also a foothold to stay in the long run.

With this in mind, a partner on ground in any part of the Asean can guide international brands entering into the local industry’s inner workings, which are held by channels like Lazada, according to Friedhoff. It can also help them become acquainted and in sync with the various markets’ complex warehousing, delivery, and customer infrastructures, he added. However, a local ally can assist them to scale in the region by way of a skillful implementation of e-commerce, data analytics, and core technologies, he noted.

Know your customer well

THE people who use a product or service need to be identified and well thought of by an entity for it to effectively cater to them.

Because of this, it’s important for brands to constantly update their granular, deep-dive understanding of their Asean custom-

WITH 60 percent of the SEA population under 35 years old, innovation is the name of the game in this tech-savvy market.

Embracing technology will enable foreign businesses to adopt and respond to a changing Asean landscape. Hence, using socialmedia data on market behaviors, efficient logistics and inventory that can be accessed real time, and a multi-regional warehouse system and supply chain system for distribution is very crucial.

An omnichannel experience that is faultless can also link the brands’ offline channel with its online portal, allowing this market to see offerings even in the comfort of their native countries and guaranteeing them safe and secured delivery of these products right at their doorstep.

E-commerce enabler

TAKING into account that Asean is a diversified market teeming with vast opportunities for growth, it’s essential for businesses to tie up with a provider of end-to-end fulfillment solutions for their customers.

This is where an e-commerce enabler steps into the picture.

This e-commerce-enabling startup based in the Philippines has established a strong presence in five other strategic business locations across SEA, thus bringing international brands closer to their target clients in the region.

The data-driven social media abilities in its platforms provide them massive user bases for their marketing campaigns. They can, likewise, depend on the company’s extensive safekeeping capacity as it developed numerous regional storage facilities.

With its reliable infrastructures built in just two years since the inception of its operations here, etaily’s suite of services including e-commerce strategy, data and analytics, and multiwarehousing has made it a strong partner for European brands such as Nivea, Alpecin, and Sebamed, among others.

While it gives foreign entities the building, management, and scaling solutions needed to thrive in the Asean corridor, another advantage of working with this firm is that they will be free to focus on their core business and offer more rewarding preferred products and services to their new SEA markets.

“Online is, was, and will always be relevant and the pandemic was its semi-accelerator,” Friedhoff said, while citing their proven foundation remains as the brands’ strength—“the fundamental methods which have also made e-commerce important and thriving.” For global business players to expand to the Asean market, it calls for a combined offline methods and digital technology approach toward a rewarding customer journey.

“In the end, we are here for one thing: to build great customer experiences, and we are happy to do this with you,” he stressed.

Roderick L. Abad

B4

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 • Editor: Dennis D. Estopace

www.news.businessmirror@gmail.com

Marcos needs more powers vs inflation–Salceda

A

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

@joveemarie

LBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda is asking the next leadership of the House of Representatives to grant President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. a significant number of special powers to curtail price increases.

Salceda issued his statement after June’s year-on-year inflation rate was recorded at 6.1 percent—the highest since November 2018, “with very few indications of going down in the coming months.”

The lawmaker explained that while the drivers of inflation “are largely external” and, “therefore, mostly out of our local control,” the Marcos administration can adopt policies that can prevent the situation from getting any worse.”

Salceda said food and non-alcoholic beverages were the main drivers for June’s inflation print, which significantly accelerated from 5.1 percent in May. The commodities posted a 6-percent increase in June from the 4.9 percent in the previous month.

Citing data from government statisticians, Salceda said the transport index grew significantly, at 17.1

percent annually, from 14.6 percent in May. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels also grew by 6.6 percent.

Thus, the three main concerns remain food—and, therefore, agriculture; transport and energy, according to the lawmaker.

More power

ACCORDING to Salceda, he has already submitted to the incoming Speaker, Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, a proposal for a “Bayan Bangon Muli” (country rise again) package that integrates a significant number of special powers to curtail price increases.

He said it’s “short of price controls, which would of course be more harmful than do any good for supply stability.”

Salceda proposed to include in the package powers: against anti-

BTr sells ₧35B in T-bonds amid push for high rates

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

F

OR the second straight government securities auction this month under the Marcos Jr. administration, the Bureau of the Treasury fully awarded the debt papers and gave in to investors’ demand for higher yields.

With its decision, the auction committee on Tuesday raised P35 billion from its sale of reissued 7 year-Treasury Bonds (T-bonds).

The T-bonds, which have a remaining life of 3 years and 7 months, fetched an average rate of 5.908 percent. This is higher by 33.5 basis points than the Bloomberg Valuation (BVAL) Service Reference Rate for the tenor at 5.573 percent. Likewise, this is also up by 16.6 basis points than the BVAL rate for the security itself which stood at 5.742 percent.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon said investors are now expecting the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to unleash a more aggressive rate hike after the Philippine Statistics Authority reported last Tuesday that inflation hit a 3-year-high in June at 6.1 percent.

The inflation rate in June was the highest since November 2018’s 6.1 percent. This was also higher than the 5.4 percent recorded in May this year and the 3.7 percent recorded in June last year.

“The average rate at 5.9 is about 20bps [basis points] higher than secondary level,” De Leon told reporters. “Markets priced in expectations of BSP turning hawkish with June print of 6.1 percent higher than

consensus.”

The National Treasurer said the Treasury “will have to calibrate” if yields zoom past the benchmark secondary market rates “If cash remains ample and rate exceed tolerance level; then we will reject [bids],” De Leon said adding the auction is “always a careful balancing act.”

To tame inflation, the BSP earlier raised the interest rate on its overnight reverse repurchase facility by 25bps to 2.5 percent. Accordingly, the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were raised to 2 percent and 3 percent, respectively. New BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla earlier signaled a 25-bps hike in the next policy meeting of the Monetary Board in August.

Last May, the government’s economic managers raised their projection for the country’s inflation to 3.7 percent to 4.7 percent, way above the original 2 percent to 4 percent target band. For this month, the government will still try to borrow P200 billion from the local debt market in July, the first month of the incoming Marcos administration, despite investors’ relentless demand for high rates. Broken down, the Treasury will be auctioning off next month P140 billion in T-bonds and another P60 billion in T-bills to investors to raise the amount.

As of end-May, the national government’s outstanding debt dipped to P12.5 trillion from a record-high of P12.76 trillion as of end-April due to its repayment of a P300 billion short-term, zero-interest loan from BSP.

hoarding; to incentivize production; to provide loans and guarantees to suppliers of essential goods; against price-gouging; (motu proprio) to investigate market abuse; transport emergency; and, to mobilize uniformed personnel to expedite programs and projects.

Under his proposal, the Rise Again bill will have a validity of 18 months.

Salceda said that within that period, “the President can invoke certain powers, the duration of which he can decide, as long as it falls within those 18 months.”

The lawmaker said that under anti-hoarding powers, no person shall accumulate in excess of the reasonable demands of business, personal, or home consumption, or for the purpose of resale at prices in excess of prevailing market prices, goods or services that have been designated by the President as scarce materials.

‘Not a price cap’

SALCEDA said that under powers to incentivize production, the President may provide appropriate incentives to develop, maintain, modernize, restore and expand the productive capacities of domestic sources for critical components, critical technology items, materials and industrial resources essential for price and supply stabilization.

Powers to provide loans and guarantees to suppliers of essential goods must also be included, said

the lawmaker.

According to Salceda, it shall be unlawful under the anti-price gouging powers to sell essential goods at “unconscionably excessive” prices.

“This is not a price cap,” he added.

“So it will still allow suppliers the incentive to supply but will not allow taking undue advantage of constrained supply conditions.”

Salceda also included motu proprio powers of the Department of Energy (DOE), the Philippine Competition Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry to investigate for possible market abuse in the energy and essential goods sectors.

The lawmaker said the transport emergency powers will empower the President to make use of private roads, expedite public projects, conduct alternative working arrangements and temporarily control facilities around ports and airports to address supply bottlenecks.

Supporting MSMEs

THE proposed Country, Rise Again bill also includes a power to mobilize uniformed personnel to expedite programs and projects.

“This will allow the President to use units of the military and the uniformed services, such as AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] engineers, members of the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Philippine Coast Guard and others to expedite the completion of infrastructure projects, or to

@butchfBM

S

ENATOR Aquilino Martin DL. Pimentel III prodded Congress to frontload passage of an enabling law providing for automatic suspension of the excise tax and value added tax on petroleum products when global prices spike.

Pimentel re-filed the bill aiming to press for timely passage of the enabling bill into law that will immediately allow suspending impositions of excise tax and value added tax.

The Pimentel bill provides relief

from added tax impositions on petroleum products when oil prices soar in the world market.

As proposed, the Senator’s remedial legislation aims to amend the National Internal Revenue Code and freeze collection of excise tax and value added tax on prices of petroleum products when fuel prices go higher than $80 per barrel based on Mean of Platts Singapore, or MOPS, which is used as basis by the Philippines.

Based on the provisions of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law, government imposes a P10-excise tax per liter of

First do-no-harm

ACCORDING to Salceda, “while the causes of inflation remain largely external, the government must ensure a first-do-no-harm policy.”

He explained the policy means

interventions must remain marketoriented and government efforts must be focused on increasing constrained supply rather than manipulating prices.

“On the price side, high prices per se may not necessarily be unjust,” the lawmaker said. “So we have to have price abuse-prevention mechanisms, instead of brute-force price ceilings.”

Meanwhile, Salceda said he remains “very skeptical” that any rate hike by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board will have significant transmission in prices.

“If anything, hikes are more likely, at this point, to cut growth. After all, we did not splurge on our stimulus,” he explained. “And liquidity growth, at around 7 percent, is still below real economy output growth of around 8.3 percent last quarter.”

Salceda proposed instead a policy of directing lending towards supplyenhancing or supply-expanding sectors, such as agriculture, transport and energy.

“Coordinated efforts between the fiscal authorities and the BSP, as well as the sectoral departments such as DA, DOE and DOTr [Department of Transportation], will be crucial in this regard.”

The lawmaker said he will be working with officials of these department on this.

“As well, once Congress finalizes its officers and committee mandates are made known,” Salceda added.

Psalm’s financial obligations hit ₧342.6B at end-June

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T

HE financial obligations of the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.

(Psalm) at end-June this year stood at P342.6 billion (around $6.185 billion at current exchange rates).

In a statement issued late Tuesday, the state firm said the amount was at P538 billion (about $9.71 billion) before former President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in June 2016.

PSALM’s financial obligation was re-

duced by P195.4 billion by the end of the Duterte administration.

Psalm President Irene Joy Besido-Garcia said all their payables that matured during the Duterte administration have been settled. It was also able to pay interest and borrowing costs amounting to P108.6 billion during the same period.

As of June 30 this year, Psalm’s debts reached P264.4 billion as against P306.8 billion in June 2016.

Lease obligations from independent power producers (IPPs) were slashed from P231.2 billion in June 2016

to only P78.2 billion as of June 30 this year.

Last year, Psalm’s revenues from its service and business income, shares, donations, grants and gains amounted to P79.5 billion, 27-percent higher from the P62.4 billion revenues it recorded at the end of 2020.

Psalm also achieved 94-percent collection efficiency for its power sales. Garcia said Psalm encountered “challenges in collecting from Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative and Maguindanao Electric Cooperative.”

For its operating expenses, Psalm recorded a 2-percent increase from P70.1 billion in 2020 to P71.2 billion in 2021. Overhead expenses, accounted for less than five percent of Psalm’s total income as it was able to implement substantial cost-cutting measures while increasing revenues through successful privatization activities and aggressive collections of receivables.

Psalm is the entity created by Republic Act 9136, which restructured the power industry by privatizing the assets of the National Power Corp.

Wage hike for domestic Casuela named PNB OIC workers felt this month as Veloso heads to GSIS

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

D

omestic workers in Calabarzon and Soccsksargen will finally be getting their much awaited minimum wage hike this month.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) confirmed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) have respectively issued wage orders (WO) raising the monthly pay rate for domestic workers in their jurisdictions.

RTWPB-Region 4A published WO RB-IVA-DW-03, which granted an additional P1,000 to P1,500 to domestic workers.

Once the order takes effect on 16 July, 2022, domestic workers living in the region’s cities and first class municipalities will

get a minimum monthly pay of P5,000, while those who live in other class municipalities will get a minimum monthly pay of P4,000. The NWPC also reported the RTWPB-Region 12 issued WO RB-XII-DW-03 increasing the monthly pay of domestic workers by P500 starting on 16 July 2022.

“This would bring the new monthly minimum wage to P4,500 in cities and first class municipalities and P4,000 in other municipalities,” NWPC said.

With the issuance of the two new WOs, all of the16 RTWPBs have already increased the minimum wage rates of domestic workers.

Based on latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are 1.4 million domestic workers nationwide.

Congress urged to suspend fuel tax if global prices rise

By Butch Fernandez

ease transport bottlenecks,” he said.

“What comes to mind is road repairs near and around ports, which can cause traffic, higher logistics costs and supply delays.”

Salceda said he also proposed integrating agriculture and food security in government training programs, expanding the farmer assistance programs and mechanisms of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to manage food surpluses, “so we do not throw food away when we produce more of it and instead save them for future use.”

Meanwhile, the lawmaker also proposed means to expand supply through assistance to micro-scale, small-scale and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs).

“We hope to make it easier for MSMEs supplying critical goods to register and set-up shop, by reducing documentary and administrative requirements, most irritatingly including now-useless requirements such as the cedula.”

Salceda said the President may also require a minimum petroleum inventory and have petroleum companies explain significant price changes during the effectivity of the proposal.

gasoline and P6-per liter fuel, apart from the 12-percent value added tax for diesel.

In endorsing the proposal, Pimentel conceded the Philippines has no control over the prices of petroleum products that it imports, but the government can reduce the public burden by temporarily halting the taxes, thus bringing down the resulting local market prices.

This intervention is urgently needed now that petroleum product prices are spiking, driving up the prices of prime commodities, according to Pimentel.

It will be recalled that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and former President Duterte thumbed down suspending taxes on petroleum, saying that the solution favors the rich more, while depriving the government of badly-needed revenues.

Under the rules of Congress, it is required that such proposals involving taxes should first be passed by the House of Representatives, before it is approved by the Senate. Once approved by both chambers, the money measures will then be sent to Malacañang for signing into law by the President.

P

HILIPPINE National Bank (PNB) has announced that Jose Arnulfo A. Veloso is stepping down from his post as Bank President effective noon of July 5, 2022. This announcement comes on the heels of his appointment as President and General Manager of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) by Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. The Lucio Tan-led Bank also disclosed that it has appointed PNB Director Florido P. Casuela as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of PNB as the bank searches for a new chief executive. He will assume office effective July 5.

“PNB is poised to start a new chapter in our history and it is a very opportune time as the Philippines is also starting a new journey as a nation under a new administration,” PNB Chairman Federico C. Pascual was quoted in a statement as saying. “Over the recent years, PNB has been preparing itself for long-term, sustainable growth, and this includes getting ready to do our part in nation-building.”

Casuela joined PNB in 2006 as Director.

He is currently the chairman of PNB Securities Inc. and Casuela Equity Ventures Inc. He is also a Director of the following: PNB International Investments Corp; PNB RCI Holdings Co. Ltd.; and, Surigao Micro Credit Corp. He is also a senior consultant of the Bank of Makati Inc. Prior to PNB, Casuela served as president of the Land Bank of the Philippines and Maybank Philippines Inc. He is a Certified Public Accountant. He obtained both his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, (major in Accounting) and Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines.

“As we start this new chapter, we thank Veloso for his invaluable contributions to PNB,” Pascual said. “His strategy-focused leadership paved the way for PNB to achieve significant milestones and allowed the bank to carry its mission through the pandemic.”

Veloso assumed the PNB presidency on November 15, 2018. Prior to PNB, he held the

distinction of being the first Filipino CEO for HSBC Philippines. Veloso’s extensive banking and capital markets experience spans over 30 years. Apart from being the bank’s CEO, he also held several directorships within the Lucio Tan Group.

As PNB president and CEO, Veloso’s main challenge was leading the bank through the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuring continued service to customers. At the height of the pandemic, the bank beefed up its online banking services by introducing online account opening, offering mobile banking transactions, and enhancing its digital banking app.

PNB said its proactive stance and continued banking service during the pandemic earned it several awards.

Likewise, it was under Veloso’s leadership when the bank solidified its sustainability vision and roadmap, focusing on sustainable financing and profitability. Two years after the pandemic broke out, PNB posted 57 percent year-on-year growth in its net income for the first quarter of 2022—a good indicator that the profit-making potential of PNB’s businesses continues to improve as the overall economy improves.

PNB, the country’s fifth-largest bank in terms of assets, has consolidated resources at P1.1 trillion as of end-March 2022. The bank also maintained its position as the Philippine bank with the largest global footprint, serving the financial needs of Filipinos abroad.

Pascual said that the smooth transition of leadership shows PNB’s commitment to continuously transform itself as a responsive and dependable financial partner of the Filipino.

“The PNB Board of Directors is confident that Casuela has the depth of experience and ability to sustain PNB’s momentum and bring it to new levels of growth. We shall continue to create more value for our customers, shareholders, employees, and business partners.

PNB will continue to be a reliable partner of the national government in rebuilding our nation.”

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Image BusinessMirror

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Wednesday, July 6, 2022

An online life coaching decreases burnout, increases self-compassion and cures impostor syndrome

By Tyra Fainstad & Adrienne Mann University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

PHOTO BY REDD ON UNSPLASH

Work like it is your own O

NE lesson my mother always taught us was to work on something as if it was our own. Be it doing the dishes or cleaning our room, she would expect us to do it the best way we know how because in the end, it will always be to our benefit. I carried that lesson when I left our province for college and even when I started working. When I became a manager, one of the first lessons my senior manager taught me was to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. When I asked her more about it, I realized it was similar to the lesson my mother taught me.

An entrepreneurial mindset is one where you work as if it is your own. This means you do everything you can to keep your organization going, and to consistently add value to your product or services so that your customers keep coming back for more. It is a mindset where you develop the necessary skills and attitude so you can do your best for your work and for the organization. Developing this mindset will allow you to see your work as a continuous process improvement, where the goal is optimizing your strengths and identifying opportunities so you can work smarter. Developing the entrepreneurial mindset in your team will help them become accountable for their own work, help them find opportunities for learning, and be discerning in their decision-making and critical thinking. When people in your organization develop an entrepreneurial mindset, they become more attuned to the needs of the organization and they would take the initiative to develop action plans to address them.

To develop an entrepreneurial mindset, you and your team need to keep an ear to the ground for new developments. Just like business owners who are always on the lookout for new ways of doing things, you and your team need to do the same. Keep yourself updated especially on new technologies so that you can study how they can be used by your organization.

But be vigilant that you do not apply them just for the sake of doing it. You should always look at how new ways of doing things can reduce cost while increasing productivity and engagement. You need to look at these improvements as ways not just of increasing

productivity and value for your customers, but also as a way of improving the work life environment of your team.

Just like entrepreneurs, you need to be decisive and know when to take risks. One of the things you can do to empower your team is to give them enough decision-making capability so they can decide for themselves. But just like any decision, it needs to be backed up by current events and logical reasoning. Any good entrepreneur would tell you that they always keep their eyes on the horizon for new developments so they can plan ahead and take advantage of opportunities. Or they offer new products and services to disrupt the market. At any rate, an entrepreneurial mindset entails looking ahead and making the most of events.

The mindset also entails benchmarking with other organizations in the same industry. Part of your environment scanning should be an understanding of industry standards and your differentiator from other organizations in the same industry. If you do not stand out, your customers will go to your nearest competitor. When you and your team have an entrepreneurial mindset, you will continuously look for opportunities to get ahead of your competitors.

Sometimes, you can learn from other industries, especially those with similar processes, products, or services. You can attend seminars or even get in touch with your network to have a walkthrough of their organizations. You might find something useful in their organization that can add value to your products or services. You also need to expose your team to other

industries so they can widen their perspective and develop their creative thinking skills.

One of the most important ideals of an entrepreneurial mindset is taking accountability for your actions. When something goes wrong, some people resort to blaming people or circumstances for outcomes. If you want to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, you and your team need to take accountability for your actions because that is what a business owner would do. Part of that is taking risks and sometimes failing and making mistakes.

A business owner would accept responsibility, but they would also use that as an opportunity to learn and move ahead because they also know what their ultimate goal really is. If you want your team to be resilient and flexible, you need to set the example by taking accountability for your decisions and actions.

And, lastly, someone with an entrepreneurial mindset has clear goals and objectives, and has the dogged tenacity to pursue them. Your team cannot follow someone who does not know what they want.

As a team leader, you need to know what you need to accomplish so you can show your team how to get there. If your purpose and intent are clear, it will be easier for your team to also have clear goals and objectives.

The idea of working as if I owned the organization seemed right the first time I heard it because it echoes the lesson I learned from my mother. But at the back of my mind, if that is the mindset they want us to adopt, it should revert back to us in terms of benefits we can enjoy. We should also be treated like owners and enjoy incentives like better compensation or even profit-sharing. If an organization wants to reap all the benefits of an entrepreneurial mindset, they should also be willing to treat their employees as co-owners.

But the truth is, if you want your team to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and obtain all its benefits, you must also be willing to accord them the concomitant benefits equal to their contribution to the organization. These could include higher pay, better training opportunities, or engagement activities.

Otherwise, expect only the bare minimum from your team. n

Looks can be deceiving: The struggles of body dysmorphic disorder BEAUTY is in the eye of the beholder, as the old saying goes. But when the beholder has Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), a mental health condition characterized by obsessive thoughts of one’s perceived flaws in his physical appearance, he can be worse than his worst critic.

Celebrities are vulnerable to BDD, as they are constantly under public scrutiny. Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer Billie Eilish wears loose-fitting clothing over her shapely figure because “I hated my body. I was always worried about my appearance,” she said. “I could not look in the mirror at all.”

As a child, the late King of Pop Michael Jackson was called ugly by his father. This, along with other unresolved issues, may have contributed to his going overboard with unnecessary cosmetic surgery, a major giveaway of BDD. Granted, we all have insecurities about the way we look. Who has not wished for a taller nose, fuller lips, six-pack abs, or toned body?

“The difference between your insecurities and someone with BDD is that he or she cannot stop thinking about their supposed physical flaw— whether real or imagined—to the point that it affects daily living,” says Ryan Edward Rabago, MD, a psychiatrist from the Section of Psychiatry at top health institution Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed, www.makatimed.net.ph).

“People with BDD avoid social gatherings and

interacting with others. They are also anxious, ashamed, depressed, and may even harbor thoughts of self-harm or suicide.”

MakatiMed, through its Section of Neuropsychiatry, enumerates three things we should know about this debilitating disorder. n BDD STARTS EARLY. “According to experts, one in every 100 persons suffers from BDD,” says Rabago.

“Moreover, BDD is usually triggered during the teen years when adolescents are adjusting to changes in their body and are still sensitive to comments about their looks. Bullying and teasing someone about being fat, dark, or less attractive than their siblings or friends can leave a vulnerable teen feeling inadequate and ashamed.”

Having unusually high levels of brain chemicals as well as a family history of BDD are other risk factors for the body-image disorder. Both men and women are likely to suffer from the condition. n BDD HAS MANY RED FLAGS. Besides the antisocial behavior, “obsessing over a specific body part or physical feature is a classic symptom of BDD,” he explains.

“This means a person could keep checking himself in a mirror, covering the perceived flaw with a mask, makeup, or scarf, exercising obsessively, and seeking reassurance from others yet not believing them when they say he/she is okay.”

In more extreme cases, a person could engage in

self-harm (cutting, picking at skin), cosmetic surgery that leaves him dissatisfied with the results, or, worse, suicidal thoughts.

“A proper diagnosis of BDD also involves ruling out other mental health disorders,” Rabago points out. “The symptoms of BDD are present in other conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety, eating disorders, and depression.” n BDD IS TREATABLE. A combination of prescription drugs (specifically, an antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and talk therapy with an experienced mental health professional has yielded promising results.

“In talk therapy (or cognitive behavior therapy), a psychotherapist helps correct a patient’s thinking about his perceived imperfections by leading him to embrace positive thoughts,” according to Rabago.

“Group therapy, wherein the patient’s family is involved, allows parents and siblings to better understand what BDD is and what they can do for the patient to surmount the disorder.”

Treatment for BDD is a long-term process that requires the patience and commitment of both patient and mental health professional. Says Rabago, “The goal is to gradually get a person to return to his normal, everyday activities at home, school, work, and in social settings. If he can learn to accept his appearance and be at peace with it, perceived flaws and all, even better.”

AN online group coaching program that normalizes vulnerability and emotional processing can help fix burnout in female physicians. Our study found that the doctors who participated in this program went from highly to only mildly burned out, while their peers who were not in the program became even more burned out.

Physician burnout happens when doctors lose satisfaction and a sense of efficacy at work and become exhausted instead of fulfilled.

We wanted to address the experiences that negatively affect medical training and begin healing the culture. So we created an online life coaching program: Better Together Physician Coaching, or simply Better Together, as we call it.

Better Together involves twice-weekly live group coaching calls facilitated by either one of us, who are both certified life coaches and physicians. The program also includes unlimited anonymous written coaching on the web site’s forum, as well as weekly worksheets and webinars. The content centers around topics that matter to female doctors such as career decisions, receiving critical feedback and dealing with perfectionism. It also focuses on impostor syndrome—the feeling of doubt about one’s skills despite ample evidence to the contrary—and practicing self-compassion.

In late 2020, 101 female resident doctors at the University of Colorado volunteered to participate in Better Together and were randomized to either receive the coaching program, or not to, from January to June 2021. Using a scale called the Maslach Burnout Inventory, we measured participants’ emotional exhaustion. We also measured depersonalization—meaning the extent to which they had an unfeeling or impersonal response to their work—and their sense of professional accomplishment.

Our study also assessed the participants’ levels of impostor syndrome, self-compassion and “moral injury,” which is the accumulation of negative effects by continued exposure to morally distressing situations.

Participants in the coaching program reported significantly lower levels of emotional exhaustion—the primary facet of burnout. They also reported significantly less impostor syndrome and increased levels of self-compassion.

The magnitudes of improvement were higher than most other interventions aimed at improving well-being among residents.

WHY IT MATTERS

A 2018 Harvard report called physician burnout a “public health crisis” that urgently demands action. And a systematic review of research found that up to 80 percent of physicians experience burnout.

It impacts a majority of medical trainees and doctors and disproportionately affects women and those who are underrepresented in medicine. Physician burnout begins early in training and is associated with more errors, higher patient mortality rates, depression, suicidal thoughts and high job turnover.

What many medical educators refer to as the hidden curriculum of medical training has historically promoted a culture where doctors place all other needs above their own, a belief that reinforces perfectionism, isolation and overwork.

Institutions often try to improve physician well-being with offerings like free yoga, more time off or extra snacks instead of addressing the hidden curriculum and resultant toxic culture that drives burnout. At best, these offerings have little sustainable impact on physician well-being. At worst, doctors see them as attempts to placate or gaslight.

This is the culture that Better Together aims to change.

THE CONVERSATION

B5

B6 Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Sun Life Grepa, GRMHC offer affordable insurance

DigiCon 2022 set to highlight the startup economy on October 10-14

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HE Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) has finally unveiled this year’s theme for the biggest and most anticipated Digital conference in the country.

DigiCon Valley 2022 will tackle the landscape of digital marketing transformation with brands, advertising professionals, and business leaders to celebrate innovation, problem solving, and the entrepreneurial spirit of Philippine firms. Happening from October 10-14 at 9AM to 1PM PST, official delegates will be able to learn from four all-new tracks that tackle the different stages of innovation: Launchpad, Hypergrowth, Breakthrough, and Enterprise.

This year’s theme is an allude at the Gobi-Core Philippine Fund Ecosystem Report of 2021 which perceived that the growing startup scene in the country is ripe for it to finally become a key player in the technology sphere, in relation to ASEAN counterparts.

The future for development and expansion is projected with optimism as logistics, e-commerce, and fintech sectors continue to rise locally, especially in a post-pandemic economy. It is expected that Philippine firms will raise more investments in the next three years versus the past five years combined.

Leading 100 speakers across the 65 sessions of the 5-day event, keynote Speakers include world-renowned marketing expert and academic, Mark Ritson; one of the most influential female entrepreneurs in the world and founder of the Huffington Post, Ariana Huffington; and the co-founder of Character Ventures and the inventor

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UN Life Grepa Financial, Inc. (Sun Life Grepa), one of the major insurers in the country, and Global Reliance Management and Holdings Corporation (GRMHC) recently inked a strategic partnership agreement to offer personal accident insurance through Tambunting Pawnshop’s more than 400 branches nationwide.

With this strategic partnership, Tambunting clients can avail of the shortterm personal accident insurance for only Php20.00. It provides up to P25,000 coverage to help lessen the financial burden of the beneficiaries in case of accidental death of the insured.

“It is a privilege to partner with a reliable institution like GRMHC which has been in the industry and trusted by Filipino families for over a century. We are happy to offer affordable personal accident insurance that can help provide an extra financial cushion for more Filipinos nationwide,” Sun Life Grepa Vice President and Head of Affinity Marketing Joen N. Songco said.

AT PARTNERSHIP AND PRODUCT LAUNCH, FROM LEFT: Affinity Marketing Operations Supervisor Mark Angelo M. Bautista, Sun Life Grepa Vice President Joen N. Songco , Tambunting Pawnshop GM Helen Lucero, and GRMHC Business Development Department Coordinator Fatima Vergara.

“We thank Sun Life Grepa for extending its service and product to us through the personal accident insurance. Through this tie-up, we hope to continue providing our members something relevant, valuable and affordable addressing needs that cover beyond lending,” Tambunting Pawnshop General Manager Helen Lucero said.

DOT Region IV-A unveils Calabarzon Centers for Fun

A of the Design Sprint, Jake Knapp. More internationally-acclaimed speakers and guests are set to be announced soon.

After two years of virtual connections, DigiCon Valley 2022 is finally bringing back face-to-face networking through the DigiCon After-hours. Held between 6-9 PM on select evenings across the city, major sponsors will host physical gatherings which promise to provide cocktails, entertainment, and speed

networking, allowing delegates to reconnect with others in the industry.

This event will be powered by ViVYD.

TICKETS are now available for purchase with the early bird discount at 40% off in limited supply. For more information and updates on DigiCon Valley 2022, visit www.digicon.com.ph and follow their social pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

S part of its continuing effort in the reboot of tourism in Calabarzon, the Department of Tourism Region IV-A is developing “Centers for Fun” tourism circuits in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. The initiative, which is part of the DOT’s national Tourism Recovery and Response Plan (TRRP), incorporates faith, food and farm tourism sites for provincial and inter-provincial clusters.

According to DOT Calabarzon acting regional director Marites Castro, the program will streamline development efforts in coordination with local government units, tour operators and tourism stakeholders to ensure observance of Covid-19 public minimum health and safety protocols.

She said the regional office and tour operators recently made a simulation tour of the proposed destinations in Cavite, which included farm-themed establishments such as Sonya’s Garden and Queen’s Strawberry

Farm in Alfonso; EMV Flower Farm and Bounty Harvest Farm in Indang; Yoki’s Farm and Paradizoo in Mendez; and Asiong’s Caviteno Restaurant and Shambala in Silang.

The group also visited the historic parish churches of Alfonso, Indang and Silang, as well as the Cavite State University and Far Eastern University which are tapping into countryside-themed educational tours for students and tourists.

The DOT Calabarzon also has the farmto-table experience, the Green Corridor Initiatives in the five provinces, as well as scuba diving, a world-class special interest activity focused in the Balayan Bay area in Batangas.

Castro noted that the DOT Calabarzon is highlighting the region’s rich culinary traditions in line with the thrust of new DOT Secretary Christina Frasco on food tourism and the development of alternative destinations across the archipelago.

CCP pays tribute to the 2022 National Artists

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TRIBUTE was given to eight exemplary personalities who were proclaimed National Artists, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater on June 29.

Declared 2022 National Artists were Agnes Locsin (Dance), the late Salvacion Lim-Higgins (Fashion Design), the late Marilou Diaz-Abaya (Film and Broadcast Arts), Ricardo ‘Ricky’ Lee (Film and Broadcast Arts), Nora Cabaltera Villamayor aka Nora Aunor (Film), Gemino Abad (Literature), Fides Cuyugan-Asensio (Music), and Antonio Mabesa (Theater).

Locsin is a choreographer, director, and teacher. She is dubbed as one of the “most progressive contemporary choreographers in the Philippines,” for she distinctively utilizes Filipino beliefs, rituals, and ethnic traditions in her choreographies, concepts, and direction, which she was able to beautifully merge with her knowledge in Western dance techniques and called it “neo-ethnic.”

Known to the fashion world as “Slim’s”, Lim-Higgins is credited for innovating and transforming the look of terno into a world-class silhouette by combining the elements of Philippine costume with European couture details and construction.

She introduced draping into traditional costumes and developed “convertible ternos.” Filipiniana took a more nuanced look through the eye-catching costumes she created for the Bayanihan Dance Company.

Diaz-Abaya was a film and television director and screenwriter who began her career in the 1980s and was part of the generation that defined what is today remembered as the “Second Golden Age of Philippine Cinema.” Her notable works include Brutal (1980), Moral (1982), Karnal (1983), Jose Rizal (1998), and Muro-Ami (1999).

Lee is a screenwriter for film and television, journalist, playwright, and a multi-awarded fictionist who published several novels, plays, essays, and short story collections along his screenplays and screenwriting manuals. He has demonstrated his mastery of writing historical films, literary and true-to-life adaptations, political, courtroom, and dramas, the stories of “outsiders” and marginalized figures such as laborers, prostitutes, rebels, migrant workers, and gay people, and his consistent elevation of all manner of genre fare, from horror to tearjerkers to comedies.

Nora Aunor, has been in different fields for more than four decades—film, television, music, and stage. She came to be known as the girl with the “golden voice” with the unique tone of her voice and eventually becoming the country's Superstar. Her extensive filmography with 170 films is not only matched but exceeded by the number of awards and citations she has received from local and international organizations.

Abad is a writer, critic, scholar, literary historian, and anthologist with numerous books and literary awards including ten poetry volumes, nine volumes of literary criticism, two volumes on his own poetics, two short story collections, a five-volume historical anthology of Philippine poetry in English, and a six-volume anthology of Philippine short stories in English, from 1956 to 2009.

Cuyugan-Asensio's time is dedicated to opera and musical theater, which enriched the Philippine artistic scene. Her exceptional achievements in many years of exemplary service to the field such as performing, teaching, producing, and directing opera and theater productions, contributed to a Renaissance of classical musical theater in the country.

Mabesa, known as the Lion of the Theater, was a director, actor, and teacher who greatly contributed to the growth and diversity of Philippine theater. His theater teaching, formalism as aesthetics, and methods of production have made an impact on his students.

The Order of National Artists was established by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1001 and is jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and conferred by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.

DOT Calabarzon acting regional director Marites Castro with tour operators and Cavite provincial tourism officers at Yoki’s Farm in Mendez at the simulation tour of the Cavite Centers for Fun circuit.

PSC announces Zumbarangay Pilipinas 2 winners

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HE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) revealed the winners of the Zumbarangay Pilipinas: Solo-OnCam Challenge 2022 in a gala awards night held at the Subic Travelers Hotel.

It was in April 2022 when PSC invited girls and women of all ages to participate in the Zumbarangay Pilipinas.

Women in Sports Commissioner Celia H. Kiram remarks that in behalf of the agency, they are proud to have a wider reach on girls and women participating in the exercise challenge. “We want a healthy lifestyle fueled by physical fitness and sports for everyone. We at PSC are happy that through Zumbarangay Pilipinas, we encourage everyone that dancing can be a simple start for Filipinas to be comfortable about their bodies and get into a healthier and more active lifestyle,” Kiram enthused.

The winners for the 2nd season of the Zumbarangay Pilipinas Dance challenge are Olive Pabayo (Women Open Category), Jericho Paulo Buendia (LGBT Category), Francheska Alvarez (Girls Open Category for 13-17 years old), and Daniella Jaye Agbuya (Girls Open Category for 5-12 years old).

Top performers also include Shamanta Esgana and Princess Marianne Molina for the Women Open Category; Fritzy Blancaflor and Richard Romulo for the

LGBT category; Joanna Aceron and Shanlei Toledo for Girls Open Category for 13-17 years old; and Chanel Lu Castro and Kendra Enriquez for Girls Open Category for 5-12 years old.

The Zumbarangay Pilipinas panel of judges evaluated all entries and selected the top picks for each category based on forms and style, vigor and energy, and creativity and originality. The judges include Stephanie Sabalo, a celebrity and international multi-medalist dance sport athlete, who won two golds and one silver in the 19th South East Games. Meanwhile, Teresita ‘Tisha’ Abundo is a former member of the national volleyball team, the youngest Filipina to join the national pool at the age of 17. While Coach Allena ‘Lenlen’ Ruis is a certified AFAA group Exercise instructor who started her career in the Fitness Industry in the late 80s. She was also known as a world class sport aerobics athlete in the 90s and served as the head coach of the aerobic gymnastics Philippine team, and led several aerobic gymnasts to win medals in the SEA Games 2003, SEA Games 2005 and other international competitions.

For more information, visit its official Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/riseupshapeup and YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/riseupshapeup.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 B7

The joys of living by the sea D

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

ouglas Adams, an English author, screenwriter, essayist, humorist, satirist and dramatist, has an idyllic description of living near the beach.

“A beach is not just real estate. It’s a state of mind,” according to Adams.

Architect Romolo Valentino Nati, the president and CEO of Italpinas Design Corp.

(IDC), also cherishes spending moments on the beach. As a lover of la dolce vita, he was initially mesmerized by the natural beauty of the country, specifically its beaches when he arrived in the country in 2009. Right off the bat, he wanted to buy his own beach house. “That was always one of my goals when I came here,” Nati said in an e-mail interview with the BusinessMirror.

After searching for the ideal location Nati decided to build his dream beach house in Anvaya Cove located in the province of Bataan. “My house, fondly called Casa Al Mare [House by the Sea], is a lovely place for me to relax, with my family during weekends and holidays,” Nati said.

He agreed that Bataan is a lovely location and can be accessible through superb expressways. “Moreover, I like Bataan as there are lots of beautiful mountains, pristine beaches and verdant rice fields and Subic Bay. All

those things together make the location unique,” Nati enthused.

The 574.8-sq-m Casa Al Mare was designed in harmony with the surroundings.

As an advocate of green architecture and sustainable development, Nati used natural materials, increased the natural ventilation, put shading which highlighted the green features of Casa Al Mare.

With a gross area of 400 sq m, Casa Al Mare has three floors with an attic and a terrace. The interiors are designed in a tropical minimalist, elegant and functional style. Overall, the house is a combination of Asian and Italian architecture featuring passive green strategies which have been manifested in all his projects.

“You will notice the Italianinspired tiles, sustainable African wood for the pool deck, and Bali stones in a blue-green color for the pool tiles are distinctly connected with each other,” Nati said.

A highlight for Nati was when Casa Al Mare was recently awarded by the 2022 Asia Pacific Property Awards as the “Architecture Single

Casa Al Mare gives importance to sustainability complemented by impressive striking architecture approaches.

Freia is a three-step, mid-rise structure that features spacious two-bedroom and three-bedroom units.

Residence for the Philippines.” Personally, the milestone is significant for Nati because it recognizes his efforts in the design and construction of Casa Al Mare.

“For me, it is a g reat achievement and it makes

ON TOP OF THE WORLD AT SM CITY CLARK’S SKY LINE

Luxury seaside living Affluent Filipinos, meanwhile, will have the chance to experience luxury,

provide natural ventilation and daylighting.

It offers exclusivity to its homeowners amenities such as function room, outdoor adult and kiddie pool, a lounge deck, and lush pocket gardens.

The strategic location likewise brings the residents a stone throw away to natural topographies which benefits the lovers of outdoors.

To sweeten the pot, Freia homeowners are granted membership to the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club as well as to the most extensive landand sea-based recreational facilities in Nasugbu, Batangas.

Accessibility is another factor that will make Freia attractive to potential buyers. Going there will take you only an hour and a half drive from Metro Manila via the Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) and Ternate-Nasugbu Road with the Nasugbu town proper being just half an hour away.

Finally, the Hamilo Coast’s Property and Estate Management team are ready to provide residents their professional and expert services in maintenance and security.

Cebu Landmasters completes P115-M socialized condo for Cebu City

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ike a city that keeps on growing, SM City Clark in Pampanga never fails to fascinate us with its new and amazing attractions. Starting out as a 101,840-square-meter mall when it opened in 2006, it now sprawls at 308,909 square meters. It has likewise evolved into a complex, which now includes BPO Towers, a Tech Hub, a Park Inn by Radisson Hotel, National University, and SMX Convention Center.

The latest addition is the Sky Line, an elevated Bridgeway which brings a brand-new stateof-the-art experience 4 meters above the ground.

Inspired by New York ’s iconic High Line, it is similarly designed as a “living system” that highlights landscape architecture, urban design, and ecology; as well as art, fitness, and fun for family and friends.

Located along the north edge of the SM City Clark mall, the Sky Line connects and integrates the widest possible variety of buildings with lush landscapes and attractions. But, beyond acting as a connector, the SM Clark Sky Line is envisioned to be a destination by itself—an ideal location to relax, get some exercise, take a selfie, and enjoy nature.

The Sky Line’s lush landscape includes hundred-year-old acacia trees that were preserved and incorporated into the design. It also showcases a diverse range of plant species—Picarra, Dwarf Pandakaki, Palmera, Spiderlily, White Kamuning, and Yellow Iris.

The park’s myriad of features and activities in multiple zones—retail, restaurants, art, fitness—feature separate offerings, each with his own char-

me proud of my work. It is also a reaffirmation of my vision that when you pursue it with passion the result exceeds the expectations.”

calming vistas of placid sea, verdant living seaside living in Freia, the sprawling seaside estate of Costa Del Hamilo Inc., a duly recognized company under SM Prime.

Located at Pico De Loro Cove in Hamilo Coast, Freia offers two-bedroom units with floor areas of 67 to 154 square meters, and three-bedroom units with floor areas of 221 to 392 square meters.

Costa Del Hamilo hired globallyacclaimed Broadway Ma lyan and award-winning GF & Partners to develop the architectural concept that integrated the contemporary framework and sustainable design of Freia. Meanwhile, it tapped worldclass designers Budji+Royal for the modern tropical design aesthetics and Crearis for the green aspects of the project.

As expected, Freia offers a sustainable green lifestyle with the presence of solar panels, and an efficient waste management system. Further, there are large panel windows in each unit to maximize the stunning views of its natural surroundings that also

eading developer in VisMin Cebu Landmasters, Inc. (CLI) donates two medium-rise condo buildings valued altogether at P215 million for informal settlers in Cebu City and in Mandaue City as part of the listed company’s commitment to provide quality and sustainable in-city vertical socialized housing.

After completing in only 12 months, CLI recently turned over Walk-Up Sugbo 1 to the Cebu City government and broke ground on Tower 4 of the Mandaue City government’s Tipolo Residences.

Walk-Up Sugbo 1

The Sky Line, the country’s first elevated Bridgeway, is artistically designed to link the mall, the new BPO Towers, the Tech Hub, SMX Convention Center, Park Inn by Radisson Hotel, and National University, allowing tenants, mall customers, and BPO employees easy access to every building within the SM City Clark Complex.

acter and landscape, as well as programmed activities carefully planned to delight, interest, educate, and entertain.

Attractions include a Paw Park for our furry friends, a Fitness Area with an outdoor gym, a Tree Park where one can dine amidst tree houses, art installations and more.

Here are some fun facts on why the SM City Clark Sky Line is a great place to Meet, Eat, and Play. n The Sky Line Bridgeway is 9,018 square meters n At 4-meters high above the ground, it has that top of the world feeling n The Bridgeway’s 800- meter loop is equivalent to 1050 steps n 1,050 steps can burn 3040 calories n The jogging/walking trail includes start and finish markings and begins and ends just across the outdoor gym Walking

around the Sky Line’s 800-meter loop takes about 10 minutes for a speed of 3mph. n There are colorful selfie stops along the Sky Line like a pool filled with balloons and animal-shaped floaters n The Sky Line bridge may be reached through the second level mall expansion area, the second level podium parking, the second level SMX entrance, and the ground floor stairs n The area is handicap friendly with 23 parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities out of the 802 available. There are also PWD ramps, two PWD comfort rooms, and three elevators to help them get around. n The Sky Line is also ecofriendly with a waste segregation system and a NO SMOKING policy as part of the Park rules. Face masks are still mandatory in keeping with government policies.

Located on a 1,350-sq-m property in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel, the P115 million medium-rise building called “WalkUp Sugbo 1” with 100 units was completed in less than one year and will be home to over 100 beneficiary families.

A hundred families living in danger areas, with more than 60 percent coming from Lorega, will be resettled to the units on the ground floor to the fifth floor of Walk Up Sugbo 1. Each unit has a floor area of 25 sq m or more than the 18 sq m required for socialized housing units.

All units are properly ventilated with sun baffles mounted on units with balconies.

“To us, this is the most meaningful project. We are now starting a project that will become a model. It will become a standard.

We hope this will be emulated not just by us but also by other developers,” said CLI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jose Soberano III. Soberano also explained that CLI always gives more regardless of the market it serves. “We don’t only build homes, we build sustainable communities. And, we want to give decent homes to the marginalized because they deserve nothing less,” he highlighted.

Walk-Up Sugbo 1 is a joint collaboration between Cebu Landmasters Inc., the Cebu City Government and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), and is designed to provide quality transition housing for informal settlers living in danger zones.

It is also the tallest socialized housing development in VisMin, and also one of the most generously-appointed socialized

Cebu Landmasters recently turned over the P115-million medium-rise building Walk-Up Sugbo 1 to the Cebu City government. Located on a 1,350-sq-m property in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel the project has 100 units for informal settlers residing in the area. housing buildings in the country. The building features a ground floor chapel, retail spaces for rent, parking area and a Livelihood Training and Multi-Purpose Hall donated by Cebu Landmasters Foundation. It also has PWD-friendly ramps leading to the fifth floor for the elderly and differently-abled residents. Solar panels will provide electricity for common areas like hallways, stairways and around the property.

Cebu Landmasters’ property management arm CLIPM will also lend its expertise to train Cebu City’s property management to efficiently manage Walk-Up Sugbo 1, which was constructed in just one year.

The building will also be provided with a sewage treatment plant to ensure proper solid waste management.

Tipolo Residences

Cebu Landmasters will also begin construction of the 90-unit tower 4 of the Tipolo Residences, a mid-rise socialized housing building in Mandaue City. This is intended for the victims of the 2019 fire in Tipolo who are temporarily residing inside the Cebu International Convention Center and for informal settlers living dangerously along the city’s rivers and creeks. Each unit in Tipolo Residences Building 4 will have a gross floor area of 24.79 sq m. It is expected to be completed in 18 months.

CLI applies active and passive green design features to both projects. All units are situated to receive a sufficient amount of daylight, reducing energy use. In addition, the ground floor units and common area spaces are lifted to allow cross ventilation. A large self-watering green wall is also integrated to provide cooling.

Both medium-rise housing projects in Cebu City and Mandaue City are CLI’s socialized housing compliance in partnership with DHSUD to make available affordable and decent housing and basic services to underprivileged and homeless settlers.

DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario said “this modality is the first done by the private sector” and he encouraged other developers to follow suit. “I hope this similar project can be undertaken not only in Cebu City but also nationwide and in most urban cities that need the active participation of developers,” del Rosario underscored.

The CLI and Cebu Landmasters Foundation teams work closely with the local governments of Cebu City and Mandaue City in the social preparation process and give recommendations on the rental rate, tenure, house rules, guidelines, and property management.

CLI has more than 100 projects in different stages of development for high-end, mid, and economic markets in 15 key cities in Visayas and Mindanao.

Sports

Del Rosario, Gin Kings square off with hapless Dyip

BusinessMirror

B

ARANGAY Ginebra San Miguel plays struggling Terrafirma on Wednesday without head coach Tim Cone—who’s in Las Vegas attending the Miami Heat’s campaign in the National Basketball Association’s Summer Camp.

Taking Cone’s place is assistant Richard del Rosario, who’s proven his worth by steering the Gin Kings past Converge, 105-89, for their third straight victory and a 5-1 win-loss record that kept them at solo second in the standings.

Terrafirma may be an easy opponent for Ginebra as the Dyip have yet to win in six games. But Del Rosario isn’t resting his guards and takes into high consideration the trust team management has bestowed on him in Cone’s absence.

“Management won’t simply allow coach Tim [Cone] to take a leave if they do not trust me,” Del Rosario said. “I just want to pay back that trust.”

The Gin Kings will shoot for one of the two twice-to-beat bonuses in the quarterfinals when they face the Dyip in the 6 p.m. game of the Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Meralco, meanwhile, seeks to bounce back from a 89-90 setback to Blackwater when it squares off with another skidding team, Rain or Shine, in the first game at 3 p.m.

The Bolts are holding a 3-3 record while the Elasto Painters won their first game and lost five straight since then. Josef Ramos

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IMBLEDON, England—Nick Kyrgios stepped into a nearly full Centre Court to polite applause at precisely 1:30 p.m. on Monday, exited about three and a half hours later to a louder ovation and, somehow, the 100-yearold stadium survived the experience.

In the warmup period, Kyrgios flicked a ball between his legs and closed with an underarm serve, hardly standard procedure. During the 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2 victory at Wimbledon over unseeded American Brandon Nakashima that followed, putting Kyrgios in a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time in seven and a half years, he tried those sorts of trick shots a few times. Afterward, he ditched his rule-conforming but backward, brim-bent white cap and white shoes in favor of red versions.

“Because,” he explained when pressed about the sartorial choices, “I do what I want.”

Yet, somehow, those seated in the

B8

| Wednesday, July 6, 2022

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

NICK KYRGIOS displays a much quieter, much calmer demeanor than the guy who earns fines of $10,000 for spitting in the direction of a heckling spectator and $4,000 for an audible obscenity during his tempestuous win against No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. AP

SUDDENLY, NICK’S CALM AND QUIET

Royal Box never turned their backs in protest. And, somehow, the grasscourt tournament that dates to the 1880s did not grind to a halt.

Maybe that’s simply because, in addition to smacking 35 aces and “ripping the ball from the baseline”—to use Nakashima’s words—despite a shoulder that hurt so much he took painkilling pills and received repeated treatment from a trainer, Kyrgios displayed a much quieter, much calmer demeanor than the guy who earned fines of $10,000 for spitting in the direction of a heckling spectator at the end of his first-round match and $4,000 for an audible obscenity during his tempestuous win against No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round.

“I was able to just say, ‘Wow, look how far I’ve come,’ to myself. I was bouncing the ball before I served; I really just smiled to myself,” said Kyrgios, owner of a tour-high 11 victories on grass this season. “I was like, ‘We’re here, we’re competing at Wimbledon, putting in a good performance mentally. It was

rewarding.”

The unseeded Kyrgios, now 6-0 in five-setters at the All England Club, next faces unseeded Cristian Garin, a 26-year-old from Chile who saved a pair of match points and authored the fortnight’s first comeback from two sets down to defeat No. 19 seed Alex de Minaur, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (10-6), after more than four and a half hours.

The other quarterfinal on their half of the draw will be 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal against No. 11 Taylor Fritz. Nadal got past No. 21 seed Botic van de Zandschulp, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (6), while Fritz, a 24-year-old American, earned his major quarterfinal debut with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 victory over qualifier Jason Kubler.

“Doesn’t even seem real,” said Fritz, who hasn’t dropped a set in the tournament.

Kubler, who also is Australian, offered his take on Kyrgios.

“Every time I see him, he’s smiling. Every time I’m around him,

it seems like I’m laughing,” Kubler said. “So it’s kind of weird when I read or see the comments about him, knowing him the way I do. He’s just one of those people if you were to hang around him or spend any sort of quality time with him, you’d fall in love with him.”

The women’s quarterfinals established Monday are 2019 champion Simona Halep vs. No. 20 Amanda Anisimova, and No. 17 Elena Rybakina vs. unseeded Ajla Tomljanovic.

The combined nine seeds who will participate in the women’s or men’s quarterfinals is the lowest total at Wimbledon since 2000.

“I didn’t really think I could do it,” said Tomljanovic, who lost to eventual champion Ash Barty in last year’s quarterfinals. “After some tough moments this year, I thought: Am I ever going to get a chance again?

I can’t believe a year later, I’m in the same position.”

For Kyrgios, never one to follow a conventional path, it’s been a much longer road. AP

Que, Gialon, Ababa tied on top; 3 ladies also share 1st round lead

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N his Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) return, Angelo Que didn’t disappoint, so did Zanieboy Gialon and Jhonnel Ababa as the troika forged ahead in a crowded leaderboard with identical 67s for a one-stroke lead over Tony Lascuña at the start of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Eagle Ridge at Aoki Invitational in General Trias, Cavite, on Tuesday.

It was as crowded on top in the women’s contest also on Tuesday as Harmie Constantino and Chihiro Ikeda holed out with birdies on opposite nines to save one-under 71s and forced a three-way tie for the lead with Sarah Ababa after 18 holes.

Michael Bibat cleared the par-four No. 5 off the mound and banged in a 10-foot putt for eagle and went on to fire a 69 for joint fifth with Anthony Fernando, Lloyd Go and Gerald Rosales, while Reymon Jaraula, Mars Pucay and Orlan Sumcad matched 70s under the lift, clean and place setup in this P2 million championship serving as the fourth leg of this year’s

circuit put up by ICTSI. Ira Alido, Eric Gallardo, Frankie Miñoza, Juvic Pagunsan, Sean Ramos, Guido Van der Valk and Dino Villanueva carded identical 71s while Jerson Balasabas, Rico Depilo, Marvin Dumandan and Rupert Zaragosa matched par 72s to all but set the stage for a spirited chase in the next three days.

Sotto shunning Gilas stint bad “WHAT the team needs is another big. That’s a problem that we have to continue looking at,” said Gilas Coach

CONSTANTINO, IKEDA CATCH ABABA ON TOP AS fancied Chanelle Avaricio floundered with a wobbly backside start, Harmie Constantino bounced back from back-to-back bogeys from No. 14 with two birdies in the last three holes for a 35-36 while Ikeda, playing in a separate flight, birdied the ninth on her way

OBIENA BRINGS HIGH-LEAPING ACT TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

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By Josef Ramos

SIAN record holder Ernest John “EJ” Obiena will again be the country’s lone representative when he competes in his second World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

But this time around, Obiena will be armed with that 5.93-meter Asian record he set in Innsbruck, Austria, during the Golden Roof Challenge in September 12, 2021.

The 26-year-old two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist will also be flying to Eugene in earnest on Thursday to acclimatize for the July 22 to 24 championships where the world’s top 32 pole vaulters are seeing action.

“Italy and the US are two different time zones and I really need to settle

ERNEST JOHN “EJ” OBIENA is competing in his second world championships.

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HE Philippines tries to build on its stunning 1-0 win over fancied Australia last Monday night against lightlyregarded Singapore as Group A play resumes on Wednesday in the 12th Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship at the Rizal Memorial Stadium and two other venues.

Hoping to draw a much bigger hometown crowd, the Filipinas eye

home to turn in her own version of a 35-36 round marked by an eagle on the par-five No. 16.

Ababa, who snapped a string of mediocre finishes on the Ladies PGT after scoring a breakthrough at Sherwood Hills in 2016 with a joint runner-up effort with Chihiro Ikeda at Splendido Taal last month, appeared headed to wresting solo control with a three-birdie, one-bogey card after 15 holes from the back.

But the shotmaker from a clan of top golfers in the south missed the eighth green and failed to return a six-footer for par, leading to a 36-35 and enabling Constantino and Ikeda to make it a three-way fight in the early going of the 54-hole championship which doubled its prize fund to P1.5 million.

AGELESS Robert Pactolerin uses his typical body english on the green as co-leader Sarah Jane Ababa and Mikha Fortuna line up their putts.

PHOTOS BY BERNARD TESTA

Chot Reyes after Gilas’s decent 79-63 win over India last weekend for an ego-booster shot following New Zealand’s 106-60 bamboozling of the national quintet.

Towering Ange Kouame’s injured knee remained in question, creating a huge hole in the middle as Gilas goes to battle in the Fiba Asia Cup beginning July 12.

The event will be a severe test for Gilas’s preparation for the Fiba World Cup set next year in Manila.

Gilas will face New Zealand anew in the Fiba Asia Cup in Jakarta, another battle for basketball supremacy in Asia that will also pit our boys against Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and, yes, India again in the eliminations.

“You can’t have Geo Chiu as the only center for Gilas,” said Reyes, also the Gilas project director. “Of course, Troy Rosario was supposed to be with us, but he’s injured as well.”

What also hurt Gilas’s hunt for a legitimate center was Kai Sotto’s decision to back out of an earlier commitment to join the national team.

“He has decided to do some other thing and forego the Asia Cup,” Reyes wryly said of Sotto, who was rudely bypassed in

the just-ended National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft.

While it was a bit of a letdown that Sotto got undrafted and was effectively blunted in his dream to barge into the world’s premiere basketball league, it was the pundits’ position that the Filipino hopeful is not yet ripe for NBA action.

While he may have the height—7-foot-3 is not to be readily sneezed at—Sotto, at 20 years of age, is still too wet behind the ears. His present skills are way off a phenom thing. He needs to bulk up; his frame is too fragile for a league known for body-banging and boundless agility.

Sotto skipping the Asia Cup was pure perfidy of one’s desire to gain more experience, to arrest the possible onset of putrid fundamentals as a result of misadventures—such as the Adelaide excursion, which gave him scant success due to his longer time staying on the bench than on the floor.

Chot Reyes was being polite in saying that Sotto was to do “some other thing” in justifying his no-show for Gilas.

What “some other thing” Sotto would busy himself with only he knows.

It’s a shame, indeed, that Sotto, this early in his career,

my things,” said Obiena, who made the worlds standard of 5.80 meters several times in World Athletics-sanctioned tournaments mostly in Europe. “I will do whatever it takes to win there.”

Officials of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association expressed high hopes for Obiena, who debuted in the worlds with a 5.60-meter leap that was good for 15th place in Doha, Qatar, in 2019.

Younger and inexperienced then, he didn’t advance to the final.

“I’m sure EJ will make it to the top 10 and be a contender for a podium finish,” PATAFA president Terry Capistrano said.

PATAFA Secretary-General Noel Silva, meanwhile, said that the federation’s other top athletes— SEA Games gold winners Eric Cray and Kayla Anise Richardson, both sprinters, and shotputter William Morrison—didn’t make the quota for the worlds.

PATAFA Coach Jeffrey Chua will accompany Obiena in Eugene.

“I’m really focusing on the World Championships. I really need to show up and do something because we never know if there’ll be another World Championships for me,” Obiena said. “I’m maximizing everything now although I’m not yet 100 percent okay.”

Obiena, however, won’t have his Coach Vitaly Petrov by his side most of the time in Eugene. The legendary Ukrainian mentor will be focused on his athletes from the Brazilian national team.

“He will still help me in training—whatever he could do for me—but I’m not expecting him to be with me during the actual competition,” Obiena said.

Obiena has 13 gold medals— including his 5.93-meter Asian record achieved in Innsbruck, Austria during the Golden Roof Challenge on September 12, 2021 and his successful defense of Southeast Asian Games gold in Hanoi, Vietnam—since 2021.

Filipinas eye victory No. 2 vs Singapore their second straight win against the Singaporeans at the fabled Rizal Memorial pitch at 7 p.m. to fortify their share of top spot in the group of the tournament organized by the Philippine Football Federation.

Still reeling from the reversal at the hands of the hosts two days ago, the Aussies try to regain lost ground when they face co-leader Thailand, which routed Indonesia 4-0 last Monday, in a pivotal clash between the two squads at 4 p.m. at the Rizal Memorial Football Field.

Over at the Biñan Stadium in Laguna, Malaysia guns for its first victory at the expense of Indonesia at 7 p.m. after settling for a scoreless draw with Singapore.

Ranked at an all-time high of No. 53 in the FIFA women’s world rankings, the charges of Aussie Coach Alen Stajcic are facing a Singaporean side 79 rungs lower than them at No. 132, and which they have beaten 3-0 and 4-0, respectively, in the last two editions of the competition.

But don’t expect the Filipinas to cut their rivals any slack in their drive to surpass their previous best of fourth-place in the AFF Women’s Championship in Chonburi, Thailand three years ago as part of their continuing build-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.

“Obviously it (the win against Australia) was an amazing result against a team that has been ranked in the top 10 for the last 10 years. The performance of our players was first class,” noted Stajcic at the post-match press conference.

would shun flag and country just like that.

But Reyes is keen on tapping 6-foot-9 Poy Erram and 6-foot-7 Kelly Williams, his two extremely reliable “bigs” at TNT team that he also coaches in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), for Asia Cup duty in Jakarta.

And isn’t 6-foot-10 June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer available, too? At the rate he’s playing, the 6-foot-10, six-time PBA Most Valuable Player will prove to be a key Gilas cog.

The situation isn’t that bleak after all.

THAT’S IT Mothers are rejoicing after Germany’s Tatjana Maria defeated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 5-7, 7-5, 7-5, to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon. Maria did it 15 years after her 2007 debut in the season’s third of four majors—and after having two children as well. “It makes me so proud to be a mum—that’s the best thing in the world,” said the 103rdranked Maria, 34, who fired nine aces. “I know my family is the most important for me and my two daughters (aged 9 and 1).” Viva Maria!