BusinessMirror July 09, 2021

FSCC to aid fight vs systemic risks–BSP

By Bianca Cuaresma

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@BcuaresmaBM

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said the institutionalization of the Financial Stability Coordination Council (FSCC), through the recent signing of the executive order, is a “much-needed” support for the agencies that fight systemic risks in the country.

I n a st ate me nt on T hu rs day, Diokno welcomed President Duterte’s signing of the Executive Order (EO) 144, effectively institutionalizing the FSCC. The FSCC has been operating on a voluntary basis since 2011.

“While the FSCC has been working quietly over the past decade, the EO gives the Council a formal legal standing. This is a muchneeded support for the continuing efforts to collectively address systemic risks,” Diokno said.

The FSCC consists of the BSP, the Department of Finance, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Insurance Commission, and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Diokno said the EO signing is also timely, with the global health crisis likely leaving scars on lives and livelihoods. Because of this disruption, the governor said the key tenet of financial stability is

being tested and systemic risk management has gained importance.

“Underly ing systemic r isk s may cover issues that were not in the initial contemplation when the respective charters of FSCC members were formalized. The EO gives us both coverage and depth in managing systemic risks, which is at the heart of financial stability,” Diokno said.

The powers the EO grants to the Council include issuing regulations, collaborating with third parties to collect data, streamlining initiatives on financial stability, as well as the authority to coordinate with financial stability authorities

in other jurisdictions.

The EO also strengthens FSCC’s capacity to provide appropriate analysis that is the basis of any intervention.

“Managing systemic risks remains a continuing initiative, to make sure that the financial system is strong enough so that the public benefits from finance,” Diokno said.

He also pointed out that, “Stability is much more than the absence of instability. It is about resilience to unexpected future shocks, and should these shocks materialize, for the system to be best able to recover in the shortest possible time.”

(2017, 2018, 2019)

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Friday, July 9, 2021 Vol. 16 No. 268

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 26 pages |

PHL’S MANUFACTURING n

OUTPUT UP 265% IN MAY POPULATION COUNT WON’T HINDER GOAL OF REPLACEMENT RATE

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The MV Palawan Pearl lists about a hundred meters from the Baseco Compound shoreline after colliding with Cyprusregistered dredging BKM 104 Thursday dawn. The Coast Guard is racing to contain a possible oil spill on Manila Bay. Story on Second Front Page, A14 PHOTO COURTESY OF PCG

By Cai U. Ordinario

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@caiordinario

HE country’s manufacturing output outpaced its record performance last month due to faster growth in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

See “PHL,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 49.7860

DOF to WB: Recall ‘outdated report’ on PHL education

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HE Department of Finance (DOF) wants the World Bank to take down its “outdated” and “erroneous” report on the state of the Philippine education sector apart from issuing a public apology.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III told World Bank Group President David Malpass that publishing the multilateral lender’s report—showing the poor condition of the education sector

ESPITE a higherthan-expected population in 2020, the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) believes the country can still achieve a replacement rate by 2025.

Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan Antonio Perez III told the BusinessMirror on Thursday that Popcom initially projected a population of 108.7 million in 2020.

However, on Wednesday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that as of May 2020, there were 109.035 million Filipinos.

This was 8.05 million more than the 100.98 million recorded in 2015.

“Overall, I believe that with the decline in population growth rate continuing, we are on track to have a stable population by 2025 when we expect to achieve replacement fertility,” Perez told this newspaper.

The PSA said the rate of the countr y’s population growth slowed to 1.63 percent in the 2015 to 2020 period compared to the 1.72 percent recorded in the 2010 to 2015 period.

Howe ver, Pere z s a id , monitoring the 2021 birth rate will be crucial in achiev-

ing replacement rate by 2025. Bringing down the total fertility rate is necessary for reaping the demographic dividend.

Ideally, Perez said, there should only be 1.5 million to 1.6 million births by the end of 2021. This is the best-case scenario for the Philippines.

Perez said the worst case would be for the country to register 1.8 million to 1.9 million births at the end of 2021.

“We are closely monitoring the birth rate this year which will be crucial,” Perez told the BusinessMirror.

Perez said the projection of the Popcom for 2020 was only “a couple of hundred thousand” less than the actual number.

He said the higher population figure for 2020 relative to their expectation may have been due to the later-than-usual conduct of the census due to the pandemic.

It may be noted that the PSA had to wait until mobility restrictions were eased before allowing enumerators to continue their data collection for the decade census or the Census of Population for 2020.

See “population,” A2

See “DOF,” A2

n japan 0.4500 n UK 68.7196 n HK 6.4093 n CHINA 7.6935 n singapore 36.9360 n australia 37.2499 n EU 58.7226 n SAUDI arabia 13.2745

Source: BSP (July 8, 2021)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, July 9, 2021

Population...

Continued from A1

“ T his census was a lso conducted a bit later than the regular census, so that may have been a factor. In the second to the last census, 2015, we had a count that was at least half a million lower than expected,” he explained.

PSA said Region A4 or Calabarzon had the biggest population in 2020 w ith 16.195 million, followed by the National Capital Region (NCR) with 13.48 million and Region 3 or Central Luzon with a population of 12.42 million.

The region that saw the highest increase was also Calabarzon, which recorded a 1.78-million increase in its population in 2020 from 14.41 million posted in 2015.

In terms of growth rate, PSA said the fastest-growing region was the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BA R MM) with an annual population growth rate (PGR) of 3.26 percent from 2015 to 2020.

However, Region 8 or Eastern Visayas posted the lowest PGR of 0.50 percent.

Cai U. Ordinario

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Labor bristles as anti-ENDO bill delisted from priority legislation

By Samuel P. Medenilla

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@sam_medenilla

ALACAÑANG on Thursday said the legislation regulating contractual employment is no longer part of the priority legislation of President Duterte.

Newly appointed Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Jacinto Paras said Duterte is no longer prioritizing the bill due to the apparent lack of interest from labor stakeholders.

“All the sectors have not been voicing out their opinions on this, even the Department of Labor. So, it is no longer a priority,” Paras said in an online press briefing on Thursday.

Paras said the President decided to veto the Secur it y of

Tenure (SOT) bill in 2019, which reg u l ated cont ract u a l i z at ion, because of the unresolved “conf lict between the labor and the management” on its provisions.

There was hope then among labor groups that the measure, also known as “anti-ENDO [for end of contract] bill,” could be refiled with some tweaks and enacted eventually.

“Maybe in due time, I think, that’s still an important proposed legislation,” Paras said.

Cur rent ly, Paras reiterated t he ad m inist rat ion’s pr ior it y leg isl at ion as: t he creat ion of t he Depa r t ment for O verseas Fi l i p i no s ( D OF I L), t he l aw on t he possible e x tension of t he Ba ngsa moro Autonomous Reg ion in Musl im Mind a nao (BA R MM) t ra nsit ion per iod, pension sc heme in t he pub l ic sector, t he P ubl ic Ser v ice Act a nd t he Foreig n Investment Act.

Treacherous ploy

L abor g r o u p s e x p r e s s e d t heir out rage over Duter te’s reneg ing on his campaig n prom i se to re g u l at ion con t ract u a l i zat ion.

In the last remaining months of the current administration, labor coalition Nagkaisa said Duterte should focus on his labor-related commitment rather than pushing to be elected as vice president in the polls next year.

On Tuesday, Duterte said he is seriously considering running as v ice president ne x t

DOF...

Continued from A1

and dismal performance of Filipino students—more than two years since the assessments were made, “does not ref lect current realities.” It also “has the effect of misleading the public and causing undue reputational risk to the Philippine education sector.”

Dominguez noted the World Bank’s “lack of professionalism” when it failed to follow the standard procedure of consulting Department of Education (DepEd) officials about its findings before publishing its report.

“The failure of Bank officials to follow the protocol of consulting with the DepEd prior to publication further illustrates the lack of professionalism which we come to expect from the World Bank and its staff. Such a Report should be taken out from the Bank’s web site so as not to further mislead the public. We also believe that a public apology to the DepEd and the national government [NG] is in order,” Dominguez said in a letter.

The DOF released the statement after Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones demanded a public apology from the Bank for releasing its report based on old data, which “insulted and shamed” the country.

Moreover, Dominguez said the “outdated” findings in the report, titled “Improving Student Learning Outcomes and Well-Being in the Philippines: What Are International Assessments Telling Us? [Vol.2]: Synthesis Report Presentation” have already been addressed by the DepEd and the Philippines’s development partners, ironically including the Washington-based multilateral lender, through various amelioration programs since 2019.

T he DOF said the World Bank “erroneously reported ” that more than 80 percent of children do not know what they should know, poor performance is deeply rooted in students’ limited proficiency in the languages in which schooling takes place; and there is an unacceptably poor school climate, with high levels of bullying.

year in order to continue his campaign against illegal drugs and corruption.

“Labor groups are incensed at the announcement of President Rodrigo Duterte that he is running for the second highest position of the land right after his dismal performance as President characterized by grave abuse of workers’ and human rights; and very poor pandemic response,” Nagkaisa said in a statement.

Partidong Manggagawa Chairman and Nagkaisa spokesman Renato Magtubo said Duterte’s vice presidential bid is a “treacherous ploy” for him to avoid accountability for the reported extrajudicial killings during his term.

Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) Secretar y-General Josua Mata agreed with Magtubo on Duterte’s supposed fear of losing power.

“He knows he’s facing possible jail time for all the atrocities he committed,” Mata said.

Moreover, Dominguez said the government is currently considering two financing proposals from the World Bank to enhance the capacity of Filipino teachers and advance the DepEd’s Alternative Learning System.

“Thus, publishing the Report at present is quite curious as it does not reflect current realities and may be wrongfully used to tarnish the image of the DepEd and the entire national government,” Dominguez said.

He added that “as a valued partner, the Bank should serve and protect the development interests of the Philippines and other WB members.” He also expected it “to observe responsible reporting and adhere to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct” in the future.

“The Bank has delivered numerous development programs and projects to reform the education sector since the 1980s, and has remained steadfast in pursuing initiatives to improve the quality of education in the country,” he said.

Based on the National Economic and Development Authority’s Official Development Assistance Portfolio Review, the World Bank is the country’s third-largest source of loans.

In 2019, it accounted for 20 percent or 4.31 billion of loans and grants secured by the country as of 2019. This covered a total of 25 loans/grants.

It also approved a total $3.06 billion worth of loans and grants in 2020 and $1.48 billion in 2021—mostly meant for the government’s Covid-19 Emergency Response.

World Bank’s interest rates for loans obtained by the Philippines are contingent on maturity and the currency commitment.

Some loans have a variable spread which are charged with a base interest rate, usually the Libor rate, plus 0.46 percent to 0.96 percent.

Loans with a fixed spread are charged with a base interest rate, usually the Libor rate, plus 0.70 percent to 1.5 percent.

World Bank loans have a maximum final maturity of 30 years while the maximum average repayment maturity is pegged at 18 years. Bernadette D. Nicolas, Cai U. Ordinario

PHL...

Continued from A1

Based on the resu lts of the Monthly Integrated Sur vey of Selected Industr ies (MISSI), PSA said the Volume of Production Index ( VoPI) surged 265 percent in May 2021.

T his is faster than the 155.6 -percent grow th the VoPI reg istered in the prev ious month. In May 2020, the VoPI contracted 73.2 percent. “ T he ex pansion in VoPI for the manufactur ing sector in May 2021 was obser ved in 18 out of the 22 industr y div isions. T he fastest grow th was reg istered in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products at 1,366.1 percent,” PSA noted.

Besides coke and refined petroleum products, the other top gainers were the manufactur ing out put in wood, bamboo, cane, rattan ar ticles and related products which posted a 301-percent grow th; fabr icated meta l products except machiner y and equipment, 275.6 percent; leather and related products, including foot wear, 155.9 percent; basic meta ls, 138.3 percent; and transpor t equipment, 130.2 percent.

Ha lf of the top 6 gainers saw faster grow th in May relative to their per formance in Apr il. However, PSA data showed that the other ha lf posted slower grow th.

T he gainers that posted slower grow th in May compared to Apr il were fabr icated meta l products except machiner y and equipment, w ith grow th of 602.7 percent; basic meta ls, 734.2 percent; and transpor t equipment, 334 percent.

Meanwhile, the PSA said the average capacit y utilization rate for the manufactur ing sector increased in May. Based on responding establishments, the average capacit y utilization rate for the manufactur ing sector in May 2021 rose to 66.1 percent, from 64 percent in Apr il 2021.

T his was largely due to 18 of the 22 industr y div isions hav ing at least 50 -percent average capacit y utilization rate.

This was led by the manufacture of furniture, the average capacity utilization of which reached 83 percent; manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products, 79.6 percent; and manufacture of machiner y and equipment except electrical, 74.2 percent.

T he PSA noted that the propor tion of establishments that operated at f u l l capacit y was 20.8 percent of the tota l number of responding establishments.

Meanwhile, data showed that 33.9 percent of outfits operated at 70 to 89 percent capacit y, while 45.3 percent operated below 70 percent capacit y.

T he MISSI is now ter med the Production Index and Net Sa les Index. It is a repor t that monitors the production, net sa les, inventor ies, and capacit y utilization of selected manufactur ing establishments to prov ide f lash indicators on the per formance of the manufacturing sector.

Economy BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

House panel mediates dispute over ‘pricey’ mall parking rates

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

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R I V ER S and operators of public-utility vehicles (PUVs) have sought the help of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development to look into the alleged unwarranted increase in fees imposed by the new parking operator of transport terminals in Metro Manila.

House Committee on Metro Manila Development Chairman Rep. Manuel Luis Lopez said his committee received a letter-complaint from various transport groups headed by Pasang Masda on the alleged unwarranted increased fees imposed by Park Solutions Inc., (PSI) the new operator of SM Parking terminals.

“According to these transport groups, they are being charged exorbitant fees by PSI by way of imposition of monthly accreditation fees,

daily entry and exit fees, as well as QR code fees, among others,” said Lopez following a committee hearing last Wednesday.

He said the transport groups claimed the new charging scheme is much higher than the charges imposed by the old SM parking terminal operator and that the increase in fees has caused them to incur so much losses.

During the hearing, Atty. Omar Mayo, counsel for Pasang Masda said PSI is charging a P1,000 monthly accreditation fee per vehicle aside from P30 to P50 daily dispatch fee and P150 one-time fee for a RFID sticker.

But Lopez said PSI, upon the order of the House panel, submitted a position paper dated June 30, 2021 refuting the claims.

“PSI, in a gist, claimed that the new charges being imposed are reasonable and only necessary to properly maintain and improve

the managed SM public transport terminals,” he said.

Lopez said is that the main issue is the dispute between the transport groups and the PSI, and that if left unresolved, would eventually end up affecting the riding public as they ultimately would be the ones to be inconvenienced and bear the burden of the said disputes.

He said the goal of the committee is to find a solution to resolve the dispute whether through an appropriate resolution, measure or proposed law, if necessary, in order to harmonize the interest of all stakeholders especially those of the commuters and the riding public.

After hearing the statements from both the transport groups and the PSI, the panel and opposing parties reached a compromise, which is to maintain the status quo until July 28, 2021 when the committee would meet for the second round of talks.

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, July 9, 2021 A3

Vaccinated Pinoys boost restaurant dine-in traffic

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

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HE vaccinated population has helped in increasing the dine-in traffic in restaurants amid the pandemic, an official from a public-private task force said on Thursday.

Task Force T3 (Test, Trace and Treat) Communications Lead Margot Torres shared at a Laging Handa briefing that vaccinated Filipinos are availing of the discounts offered to them by over 200 restaurants under the Smart Bakuna Benefits initiatives.

“Nakita namin, based on the survey ng aming participating brands, ’yung 90 percent nakita nilang tumaas ’yung dine-in traffic nila [We saw, based on our survey of participating brands, that 90 percent of them registered higher dine-in traffic],” said Torres, who is also McDonald’s Philippines managing director.

The benefits program was launched by the Task Force T3, Smart Communications and Restaurant Owners of the Philippines (RestoPH). It aims to offer incentives so the public will be encouraged to get their Covid-19 jabs.

“Di lang nakatulong sa negosyo, we were able also to thank ’yung mga bakunado na ginawa nila ’yung kanilang civic duty [It did not only help the businesses, but we were able to show our gratitude to the vaccinated population for doing their civic duty],” she added.

Torres said the task force is looking into the best practices implemented by the other countries to lessen vaccine hesitancy, noting that she is looking forward to the Philippines achieving herd immunity.

She stressed the need to continuously educating the public about the importance of getting vaccinated to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Previously, RestoPH President Eric Teng asked the government for another 20 percent indoor dine-in allowance for the vaccinated population. The goal of said initiative, he said, is to allow vaccinated senior citizens to go to restaurants.

Teng said that the food and beverage industry has been finding it challenging to operate for over a year now because of the restricted business capacity. He shared that the sector’s transactions declined by 60 percent while the number of outlets slid by 6 percent last year because of the lockdown protocols imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Based on the latest advisory, indoor dine-in services in Metro Manila, Bulacan and Rizal are allowed at 40-percent capacity while the limit in Laguna and Cavite is at 20 percent.

For outdoor dine-in services, 50-percent capacity is allowed in the entire National Capital Region Plus bubble.

Senate sets scrutiny of ‘exorbitant’ business renewal fees imposed by LGUs

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ENATE probers, acting on concerns aired by restive traders, are poised to review local government units’ (LGUs) imposition of higher business renewal fees based on earnings before the onset of the Covid contagion.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel

III, chairman of the Committee on Trade, confirmed that they are acting on reports the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) was besieged by complaints against the LGUs untimely increase of business renewal fees being imposed on restaurants and small businesses.

Pimentel aired concerns, saying he, too, found it alarming and they should not let it pass, raising the possibility that LGUs may be going beyond the law.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan shared Pimentel’s concern, stressing that small businesses should not be given

a hard time and instead be assisted to “get back on their feet and stay standing where they are.”

Pimentel and Pangilinan affirmed their positions after Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez conveyed traders complaint that some LGUs are charging business renewal fees

based on earnings of companies in 2019 or before the Covid pandemic.

The traders, they noted, bemoaned the “injustice” as the basis for business renewal fees should be their earnings the previous year, which means based on 2019.

Pimentel found it alarming and

should not be allowed as LGUs may be stepping beyond the law.

His position was shared by Pangilinan, who stressed that LGUs should instead be assisting affected small businesses helping them “get back on their feet and stay standing where they are.” Butch Fernandez

A4 Friday, July 9, 2021 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

The Nation BusinessMirror

From red to pink: DA declares five Batangas towns, 1 city ASF-free, allows hog restocking

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

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OG raisers in five municipalities and a city in Batangas province can now start restocking their farms and trade with more areas in the country after the Department of Agriculture (DA) officially declared the areas free from African swine fever (ASF) on Thursday.

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar proclaimed that the city of Lipa and the municipalities of San

Jose, Malvar, Rosario, Taysan and Nasugbu in Batangas had regained their “freedom status” from the dreaded ASF. Dar made the official declaration during a ceremony at the International Training Center on Pig Husbandry (ITCPH) in Marawouy, Lipa City, Batangas.

Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Executive Director Reildrin G. Morales said the freedom status of the six Batangas localities are in accordance with the DA’s current rules on ASF control, prevention, recovery

and repopulation. With Dar’s declaration, Morales said the six localities are now officially recovered from red zones (infected zones) to pink zones (buffer zones).

“With the [ASF-free] declaration, [the ASF zoning status of the six localities are now changed] from red to pink. They can now trade within pink zones and to yellow zones. [They will have] more trade,” Dar told reporters in an interview.

“Second, they can now start repopulating. That is the other important thing of this declaration,” Dar added.

Morales added that Dar’s declaration was guided by necessary scientific procedures such as complete surveillance and monitoring, as well as “sentineling” program of the DA. “All these exercises established scientifically the absence of the [ASF] virus in these one city and five municipalities,” Morales said during the event.

Batangas recorded its first ASF case in the municipality of Laurel last February 2020. Batangas served as the pilot area for the biosecurity measure program called “Bantay ASF

sa Barangay” or BABay ASF. Batangas is a vital pork-producing province as it serves as the No. 1 supplier of pork to Metro Manila, according to the DA. With the freedom status of the six localities, only 12 areas in Batangas remain classified as ASF-infected zones.

Batangas’s pork output reached a record-high of 189,169.38 metric tons in 2019, before ASF hit the province. Pork output in the province last year declined by almost 15 percent to 161,189.85 MT, based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.

Taal Volcano remains Sultan Kudarat farmers get hauling ‘unpredictable’ as bursts, trucks, farm machinery from DAR quakes recorded anew

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

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HE situation in Taal Volcano remains fluid as the restive volcano may suddenly erupt similar to what happened in January 2020, state volcanologists said on Thursday.

“Right now, based on our parameters, there’s no sign that Taal may erupt like what happened last year,” Rudy Lacson, Senior Science Research Specialist at Phivolcs told the BusinessMirror.

Speaking in Filipino, Lacson added that the short-lived phreatomagmatic bursts on Wednesday were signs of magmatic unrest, similar to the explosion that prompted Phivolcs to place Taal Volcano under Alert Level 3 last July 1.

“Alert Level 3 means there’s magmatic unrest. So what happened is short-lived phreatomagmatic explosion occurred. There’s a possibility, if the activity underneath escalates, of a bigger explosion,” he said.

According to Lacson, Phivolcs “is not discounting the possibility that a similar explosion compared to January 2020 may happen, that’s why we have already recommended the evacuation of several barangays in Agoncillo and Laurel,” he said.

If sudden pressure buildup cracked the surface, Lacson said, the interaction of water flowing in and the magma could lead to a volcanic eruption similar to what happened last year.

All the parameters, from seismic activity underground to degassing, swelling, ground deformation are all being monitored by Phivolcs, he added.

“Under Alert Level 3, explosions may happen,” Lacson said. “But we are not expecting strong volcanic eruptions. Unless pressure buildup happened fast, like what happened last year, the pressure buildup was fast, enough to cause such eruption.”

Paolo Reniva, Senior Science Research Specialist based in Barangay Buko, Talisay, Batangas said another short-lived phreatomagmatic burst happened Thursday morning.

“At exactly 6:47 a.m., another mild explosion occurred. But after that, we have not monitored any other alarming activity in Taal,” he told the BusinessMirror in a telephone interview.

On Wednesday, Phivolcs reported that the Taal Volcano Network recorded a series of five short-lived phreatomagmatic bursts in the morning and one occurring at exactly 9:41 p.m. that produced short-jetted plumes rising up to 700 meters above the Main Crater Lake.

Phivolcs also recorded 60 volcanic earthquakes, including five explosion-type earthquakes, 24 lowfrequency volcanic earthquakes and 21 volcanic tremor events having durations of two to four minutes.

High levels of volcanic sulfur dioxide or SO2 gas emissions and steam-rich plumes that rose 1,500 meters was generated from the Taal Main Crater, Phivolcs Taal Volcano Bulletin issued at 8 a.m. on Thursday reported.

In the past 24 hours, Phivolcs said the SO2 emission averaged 11,397 tonnes/day.

“This is relatively high. It only means that the magma is already in the surface so anytime, if the soil cracks open and water flows in, it may lead to volcanic eruption. But right now, the pressure build up is not enough for a big explosion similar to January 2020,” Lacson said.

According to Phivolcs, based on ground deformation parameters from electronic tilt, continuous GPS and InSAR monitoring, Taal Volcano Island has begun deflating in April 2020, while the Taal Region continues to undergo very slow extension since 2020.

At Alert Level 3, magma extruding from the Main Crater could drive explosive eruption, Phivolcs said.

Phivolcs reminded the public that the entire Taal Volcano Island is a Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), and entry into the island as well as into the high-risk barangays of Agoncillo and Laurel must be prohibited due to the hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should strong eruptions occur.

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HE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) on Thursday announced the turnover of hauling trucks and farm machinery to six agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) in the Province of Sultan Kudarat.

The P8.5 million worth of hauling trucks and farm machinery is expected to boost farm production of the DAR-assisted ARBOs, DAR Sultan Kudarat Agrarian Reform Program Officer Mary Jane A. Aguilar said in a news statement.

The hauling trucks and farm machinery were provided as part of the Italian Assistance to the Agrarian Reform Community Development Support Program (IARCDSP) under the microfinance componentagri-enterprise development of the Italian Project. Aguilar said the five hauling trucks were turned over each to the Pangulan-Isulan Irrigators

Services Association Inc. of Laguilayan agrarian reform community (ARC); SAMAKANA Multi-purpose Cooperative of Bual ARC; Sitio Lagon Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative of President Quirino; STK ARC, Pambansang Mananalon Magbabaul at Magsasaka ng Pilipinas Inc.(P4MP), of Tacurong ARC; and New Calinog Women’s Association of LUV Lebak ARC; while the Kalamansig Para sa Kalikasan, Kaunlaran at Kalayaan received two units of Rice Reapers.

“Maintain the usability of these farm machinery and hauling trucks, as it will greatly help in the transport of crops and will significantly reduce hauling fees of your products delivered to market,” Aguilar said.

Shirly Lloyd P. Gonzales, president of Pangulan-ISA who received the hauling truck, expressed his gratitude to DAR and the Italian government for providing them

with implements for a better quality of life for their organization, as well as their families.

“Our association has been dreaming of this project for so long. And now that it came true, with this hauling truck provided to us for free, our association will surely grow and develop successfully and we are hoping that it will alleviate us from poverty. On behalf of our association, we humbly thank DAR and the Italian government for all the support given to us,” said Gonzales.

The Italian Project is a foreignassisted project, funded under the loan agreement executed with the Government of Italy. It aims to address poverty, as well as to elevate the income and livelihood of its beneficiaries, particularly in agrarian reform communities in Mindanao.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

DOH-Calabarzon launches 1st ‘teleICU’ system unit in Lucena City for Covid-19 patient care

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

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HE Department of Health (DOH)-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) on Thursday turned over to the Quezon Medical Center in Lucena City the first teleICU system to ease the monitoring of a critical Covid patient in an intensive care unit (ICU), and protect health-care workers (HCWs) from possible infection.

“It is a cardiovascular monitoring device that will record the patient’s temperature, respiration rate, ECG trace, heart rate and movement in real time,” said former Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo, one of the guests of honor during the ceremony, adding that the “lifesignal” patch should be placed on a patient’s chest for five days.

Janairo stated that he initiated the project to protect HCWs in ICUs because they are constantly at high risk of contracting the virus due to their proximity and exposure while treating critically ill Covid patients.

“We can lessen these risks and still provide optimal care while minimizing the risk of acquiring the virus infection and ensuring their health and safety,” he said. “And through teleICU, we can manage patients remotely through an intensive care team that will monitor Covid patients in ICUs and provide updates on their health status to intensive care physicians remotely in order for them to deliver timely and effective critical care services.”

The data gathered by the lifesignal patch will be sent wirelessly and displayed in real time on a monitor. If symptoms develop, the device and its data platform will alert health-care providers to take necessary action.

The lifesignal patch is disposable and can be self-applied and most and

reduces cross-contamination risk and time spent attaching individual devices to a patient.

A total of 600 lifesignal patches were procured by the DOH regional office that will be used for critically ill Covid patients admitted at the Quezon Medical Center in Lucena City.

OIC-Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco stated the teleICU project can help protect health-care providers and also mitigate the rising Covid infection in Quezon, particularly in Lucena City which was recently placed under a strict modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

“We will be deploying four more teleICU systems that will be placed at the San Juan Hospital in Batangas, Laguna Medical Center and San Pablo City General Hospital in Laguna and at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital in Cavite,” she said.

“Our health workers are the lifeblood of our health-care system. We need to keep our health workers safe to ensure an effective health-care system keeping patients safe, relieving their suffering and saving their lives,” she emphasized.

TeleICU, also known as eICU, is the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients by a remote intensive care physician or intensivist and critical care nurses with the use of telecommunication such as videoconferencing, providing realtime audio and visual services to ICU centers regardless of their locations.

Janairo undescored that the current Covid pandemic is an opportunity for innovations and it is important to focus on improved health outcomes and reduce health-care cost.

“There will be many lessons that can be learned during this pandemic that will provide innovations and that will help shape the future of

medicine. Telemedicine, and particularly teleICU, are among them which will play a significant role in creating a new model of health care for the future,” Janairo said.

Daily scorecard

A TOTAL of 5,484 additional Covid-19 cases were logged by the DOH on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 1,455,585.

The DOH also recorded 3,925 recoveries and 191 deaths.

Of the total number of cases, 3.4 percent (49,036) are active cases, 94.9 percent (1,380,899) have recovered, 1.76 percent (25,650) have died.

Nine duplicates were removed from the total case count. Of these, 6 are recoveries.

Moreover, 152 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

All laboratories were operational on July 6, 2021 and all labs were able to submit their data to the Covid-19 Document Repository System.

PRC Moderna vaccines

THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has officially started administering Moderna vaccines against Covid-19 after receiving its first procured batch of 800 out of the total 200,000 doses on July 3.

“The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is very happy that we could assist in Covid-19 vaccination. Every shot is important as every injection takes us a step further from the threats of a contagion,” said PRC Chairman and CEO Sen. Richard J. Gordon.

During the organization’s Bakuna Bus launch last week, Gordon clarified that the Moderna jabs will be given “at cost,” but the PRC is “not” making a profit out of it.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

US weapons beef up AFP arsenal in fight vs terrorists

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

T

HE United States has delivered new weapons to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as part of Washington’s commitment to continue to assist the military in its equipage and ongoing modernization program.

A statement issued by the US Embassy on Thursday said that officials of the Joint United States Military Assistance Group -Philippines (JUSMAG-P) handed over P48.5 million ($1 million) worth of new weapons and munitions to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Clark Freeport.

The weapons included 14 M2A1 .50 caliber heavy machine guns, seven M240B machine guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The delivery was made possible through a US grant assistance. “The delivery is intended to enhance the AFP’s counterterrorism capabilities and readiness,” the US Embassy said.

“As the United States and Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations today, we welcome this key equipment transfer, which will support the continued readiness of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” it also quoted JUSMAG-P chief and senior defense official to the Philippines Col. Stephen Ma. “The Philippines is the largest recipient of US military assistance in the Indo-Pacific. Since 2015, the United States has provided more than P48.6 billion [$1 billion] in security assistance to the Philippines,” the statement read.

Several weeks ago, the US also gave weapons to the AFP and months back, it also provided ordnance and bunker-busting missiles.

On Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III offered assistance to the military, which is in the middle of investigating the crash of a C-130 in Sulu that killed 49 military personnel and wounded 47 others.

During his phone conversation with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Austin also offered the US help in identifying the remains of soldiers, which were charred as a result of the weekend crash.

Bishop David elected as new CBCP president

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

C

ALOOC AN Bishop Pablo Virgilio David is now set to become the new president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Last Thursday, members of CBCP elected their incumbent vice president to replace their outgoing president Davao Archbishop Romulo G. Valles during their two-day online plenary assembly.

David, 62, became an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Fernando in 2006, before he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Caloocan in 2016.

The prelate is known for criticizing President Duterte’s deadly illegal drugs war that may have placed him at the receiving end of death threats. David is also one of the objects of Duterte’s tirades against the Catholic Church.

Aside from David, CBCP also picked Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara to be its new vice president.

The 58-year-old Vergara is a member of the CBCP Permanent Council, which acts on behalf of CBCP, when it is not in plenary session.

David, Vergara and other newly elected officials of CBCP will start their two-year terms on December 1, 2021.

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Friday, July 9, 2021 A5

40K more: DOLE girds for return of fresh batch of OFWs

T

By Samuel P. Medenilla

col implemented by the government for inbound passengers, which extended their quarantine in government facilities from two to three days to 10 days.

Bello said the continuous repatriation of thousands of OFWs per week amid the pandemic continue to put considerable strain on OWWA’s funding.

Currently, he said, around 605,000 OFWs were repatriated by the government since the onset of the pandemic last year.

“We are expecting 30,000 to 40,000 OFWs will be going home,” Bello said.

Bello welcomed the recent initiative of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to shorten the quarantine of fully vaccinated inbound travelers, including OFWs, to just seven days.

He noted this would help extend the life of OWWA’s funding to help returning OFWs a bit longer.

@sam_medenilla

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is now bracing for the return of 30,000 to 40,000 more overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the coming months, even as the agency sought additional funds for quarantine costs from the Palace.

In an online news briefing on Wednesday, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III disclosed they are appealing for the allocation of a P4billion fund, which is actually the balance of their initial P9.8-billion fund request from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

“I have no doubt that the President

will really grant our request for additional budget,” Bello said.

Last May, DBM announced the release of P5.2 billion to help the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to pay for the quarantine accommodations and other expenses of returning OFWs. This was in response to the proto-

FILE photo shows teams from the Departments of Labor and Employment and Foreign Affairs on the forefront of repatriation of returning overseas Filipino workers displaced by the pandemic. BUSINESSMIRROR FILE PHOTO

VIP: Salceda says Duterte has ordered DBM to allot funds for creation of virology institute

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

P

RESIDENT Duterte has ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to earmark funds for the creation of the Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) in the Executive’s budget proposal for 2022, a lawmaker said on Thursday.

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, principal author of the VIP’s charter in the lower chamber, said that the President’s prioritization of the VIP will help ensure the passage of the bill chartering the institute.

“The measure will help not only create a vaccine for Covid-19, but also for the other virus-related threats we face, such as the African swine fever. With climate change and the destruction of natural habitats, we will really face more zoonotic viruses, or those viruses that climb from animals to human hosts,” Salceda said.

On Wednesday, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said the President instructed the DBM to ensure that the country has capabilities to create solutions for Covid-19.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has already endorsed the passage of the bill.

The VIP’s campus in New Clark City is part of the priority programs under the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration.

“I am elated to hear that President Duterte gave explicit instructions to Secretary Avisado that the Virology Institute be prioritized. This has been a pet bill of mine, and we worked very closely with the Department of Science and Technology to craft a well-

formulated charter for the institute,” Salceda said.

On May 21, the lawmaker said the House Committee on Appropriations already approved the substitute bill.

“It should be clear to all of us: preparation yields the best outcomes. The same goes for pandemics. It’s difficult to do because the rewards are not immediate. But the consequences to the unprepared can be catastrophic,” Salceda said.

Under the measure, VIP will become the premier research and development institute in the field of virology, encompassing all areas in viruses and viral diseases in humans, plants, and animals.

“It shall act as a venue for scientists, both here and abroad, to work collaboratively to study viruses of agricultural, industrial, clinical, and environmental importance,” Salceda added.

“We need this institute critically.

Agriculture needs it, especially since our plant exports are susceptible to viral infections. Our public health system needs it, above all. This is a matter of literally vital importance, and I thank President Duterte for sharing our vision on this matter,” Salceda said.

He explained that the VIP will become the research and development unit while the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine would serve as the medical laboratory.

“VIP will be dedicated exclusively to the broadest and deepest possible exploration of everything we need to know about viruses that can affect the country, and more importantly, how we can prepare for them, as well as what opportunities lie in the research,” he said.

Going to Boracay? Get a Covid test first continued from a14 Hopefully this will be faster, universal, and it will be easier for Boracay [to validate vaccination cards].”

At the same news conference, National Task Force for Covid-19 (NTF) Deputy Chief Implementer Vivencio Dizon warned the traveling public against faking vaccine cards. “Tampering a vaccination card, which is an official public document, is a criminal act. If you get caught...you will be imprisoned and fined.”

An initial 3,000 tourism workers on Boracay, most of whom have been identified by the Malay municipal government, are being vaccinated in partnership with the Boracay Foundation Inc., Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Boracay, and the Compliance Association of Boracay.

Of initial beneficiaries, 2,178 work in accommodation establishments, 308 in restaurants, 140 in tourist transport, while 374 are tourism frontliners, which

include tour guides, boatmen, e-trike drivers, airport and seaport frontliners, and aqua/water sports providers.

“I am extremely grateful to our NTF Chief Implementer and Vaccine Czar, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., our Testing Czar and Deputy Chief Implementer, Secretary Vince Dizon, and the rest of the NTF team, for making this possible. As promised

by Sec. Vince, a continuous supply of the vaccine will come, until we will be able to finally vaccinate the whole Boracay and our dream of the travel bubble will finally be realized,” said Romulo Puyat in her speech before the commencement of the vaccination program.

“Understandably, among the top priorities for tourists traveling during this period are their health and safety. One of the ways we can ensure this is by getting our frontliners vaccinated as soon as possible, to give an extra layer of protection between them and our tourists,” she underscored.

Makati taps tech to ensure tamper-proof vaccine cards

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

T

HE Makati City government has harnessed cutting-edge technology that would help ensure a tamper-proof verification of vaccination cards in preparation for the full-blast rollout of the city’s vaccination program.

Makati Mayor Abigail Binay said the Covid-19 vaccination card has unique security features that make it ideal for use as a vaccine passport by fully-vaccinated residents and employees in traveling to places outside Metro Manila.

“The Makati Covid-19 vaccination card has a QR code that establishments and medical facilities can scan to see a person’s vaccination status and for contact tracing purposes,” Binay said on Thursday.

The mayor added that the security features embedded in the city-issued vaccination cards make them highly reliable as a vaccine passport.

“For good measure, we added a holographic sticker with a unique code that cannot be replicated or forged. It only becomes visible under blue light,” she explained.

Game changer

BINAY said the city government had recognized

Licensure tests should stay, says Villanueva continued from a14 “We think there is a lot of room for improvement for the PRC, and to address the problems, we need to evaluate suggestions. If our professional regulatory laws need amending, we’re ready to buckle down to work,” Villanueva said.

Villanueva reacted to the statement of Labor Secretary Bello, who later clarified that he only called to study the proposal.

“We fully agree with the sentiment of Secretary Bello that urgent reforms are needed to make licensure exams more accessible to takers. But we cannot totally remove the certifying process because it will be unfair to our people, and is a betrayal of their trust, as they expect their government to test the knowledge of these professionals if they are indeed qualified to practice,” Villanueva said.

However, he warned, “The repercussions of this proposal, if adopted, will also harm the OFW brand, as many of them were able to land jobs abroad because of a good reputation of having been properly certified.”

Nonetheless, licensure examination is but one wheel in the big cog of Philippine Qualifications Framework, explained Villanueva, the principal author of the PQF law or Republic Act 10968. The framework sets multiple criteria that measures quality assurance principles and standards of the Filipino professional, technician and craftsman.

early on the potential of the card as a game changer through the easing travel restrictions and promoting freedom of movement of fully vaccinated individuals.

“We knew from the start that Covid-19 vaccination cards would become an essential part of our daily lives,” Binay said.

She added: “We wanted to do it right the first time, so we came up with a card that is both functional and reliable.”

“I can assure you that you need not worry when a Makatizen, that is a resident or an employee of a Makati-based company or establishment, bearing our vaccination card visits your place,” she said.

A6

Friday, July 9, 2021

The World BusinessMirror

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

Global Covid-19 deaths surpass 4 million amid rush to vaccinate T

Japan to declare virus emergency in Tokyo lasting through Olympics

T

he global death toll from Covid-19 eclipsed 4 million on Wednesday as the crisis increasingly becomes a race between the vaccine and the highly contagious Delta variant.

The tally of lives lost over the past year and a half, as compiled from official sources by Johns Hopk ins Universit y, is about equal to the number of people killed in battle in all of the world’s wars since 1982, according to estimates from the Peace Research Institute Oslo.

The toll is three times the number of people killed in traffic accidents around the globe every year.

It is about equal to the population of Los Angeles or the nation of Georgia. It is equivalent to more than half of Hong Kong or close to 50 percent of New York City.

Even then, it is widely believed to be an undercount because of overlooked cases or deliberate concealment.

With the advent of the vaccine, deaths per day have plummeted to around 7,900, after topping out at over 18,000 a day in January.

But in recent weeks, the mutant Delta version of the virus first identified in India has set off alarms around the world, spreading rapidly even in vaccination success stories like the US, Britain and Israel.

Britain, in fact, recorded a one-day total this week of more t h a n 30,0 0 0 ne w i n fec t ion s for the first time since Januar y, even as the gover nment prepares to lift all remaining lockdown restrictions in England later this month.

Other countries have reimposed preventive measures, and authorities are rushing to step up the campaign to dispense shots.

At the same time, the disaster has exposed the gap between the haves and the have-nots, with vaccination drives barely getting started in Africa and other desperately poor corners

In this June 18, 2021 file photo, cemetery workers carry the coffin that contains the remains of 89-year-old Irodina Pinto Ribeiro, who died from Covid-19 related complications, at the Inhauma cemetery in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The global death toll from Covid-19 has eclipsed 4 million as the crisis increasingly becomes a race between the vaccine and the highly contagious Delta variant. AP/Bruna Prado

of the world because of extreme shortages of shots.

T he US and other wealthy countries have agreed to share at least 1 bil lion doses w ith struggling countries.

The US has the world ’s highest reported death toll, at over 600,000, or nearly 1 in 7 deaths, followed by Brazil at more than 520,000, though the real numbers are believed to be much higher in Brazil, where President Jair Bolsonaro’s far-right gover n ment h a s long dow n-

played the virus.

The variants, uneven access to vaccines and the relaxation of precautions in wealthier countries are “a toxic combination that is very dangerous,” warned Ann Lindstrand, a top immunization official at the World Health Organization.

Instead of treating the crisis as a “me-and-myself-and-my-country” problem, she said, “we need to get serious that this is a worldwide problem that needs worldwide solutions.” AP

Thailand to weigh partial lockdown after 10-fold surge in Covid cases

T

hailand’s top Covid panel is set to consider a partial lockdown of the nation’s worst virus-hit regions, including the capital Bangkok, to quell the deadliest wave of infections.

The national task force will meet on Friday to decide on Health Ministry’s proposals for stay-athome orders and a ban on travel

between provinces, Permanent Secretary of Public Health Kiattiphum Wongrajit told reporters on Thursday. While essential businesses and services such as food markets and hospitals may be allowed to operate, people will be barred from traveling for nonessential activities, he said.

The push for tighter contain-

ment measures follows a 10-fold surge in infections since early April that threatened to derail Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha’s pledge to fully reopen the country in about 100 days. Health experts had called for strict containment measures, saying the more contagious Delta variant would cause a spike in infections and deaths amid a low rate of vaccinations.

Thailand, the first country outside China to report a Covid infection, has struggled to stem the pandemic after its initial success to combat the virus last year, when it imposed a hard lockdown. But that crippled its all-important tourism industry and plunged the economy into its worst performance in more than two decades. Prayuth wants to avoid further damage to jobs and industries, and is now pushing for an early reopening.

With the more contagious Delta variant, first detected in India, now sweeping through the region, there’s growing pressure on leaders like Prayuth and Indonesian President Joko Widodo to impose tighter measures. Any further dithering may lead to the crisis worsening in Thailand, according to Anan Jongkaewwattana, an expert in molecular virology and director of the research unit at the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

“A strict lockdown is the only way out,” Bangkok-based Anan said before the health ministry proposed tighter curbs. “It might hurt the economy now, but things will be better in the long run once we can contain the spread.”

Prayuth set a 120-day deadline last month to fully open Thailand to vaccinated foreign visitors, which he said was a calculated risk to reduce “the enormous suffering of people who have lost their ability to earn an income.” He wants the tourism industry, which contributed about 20 percent to gross domestic product pre-pandemic, to hum again.

That has meant allowing many businesses to operate normally in Bangkok and nearby provinces

even though they are the hotspots of the current Covid wave.

Although Prayuth has ordered restrictions for restaurants and construction work, the outbreak has raged on with daily cases averaging more than 5,000 in the past week. On Thursday, the nation added 7,058 new cases and 75 deaths, a new daily record.

A lockdown of Bangkok and other hotspots will be considered if the health officials recommend it, the national Covid task force said Wednesday.

“If this situation continues, the Thai outbreak will be worse than Indonesia’s on a per-capita basis, with as many as 20,000 cases per day in the next few months,” Anan said. “Infections aren’t just limited to construction camps and crowded communities—it’s more widespread than that so current restrictions aren’t enough.”

A slow vaccination drive, that relies mostly on shots from AstraZeneca Plc and China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd., has hampered efforts to contain the virus spread. Thailand has administered about 11.3 million shots, enough to cover about 8 percent of its population, ranking the country behind more than 120 other nations in vaccination rate.

The worsening outbreak has also hurt investor confidence with the nation’s equities and currency both bearing the brunt. The baht is trading at a 14-month low against the dollar, while the SET index of stocks tumbled more than 4 percent from a 19-month high reached in mid-June as foreign investors turned net sellers of $1.48 billion of stocks in the second quarter.

Koraphat Vorachet, a strategist at Bangkok-based Capital Nomura Securities Pcl, is advising clients to be selective in their investments given uncertainties stemming from the pandemic.

The Phuket model of reopening needs to be watched closely as a major Covid outbreak in that resort island would lead to a suspension of activities and delay any recovery, he said.

Bloomberg News

OK YO—Japan is set to place Tokyo under a state of emergency that would last through the Olympics, fearing an ongoing Covid-19 surge will multiply during the Games.

At a meeting with experts Thursday morning, government officials proposed a plan to issue a state of emergency in Tokyo from next Monday to Aug. 22. The Summer Olympics, already delayed a year by the pandemic, begin July 23 and close Aug. 8.

The Games already will take place without foreign spectators, but the planned six-week state of emergency likely ends chances of a local audience. A decision about fans is expected later Thursday when local organizers meet with the International Olympic Committee and other representatives.

Tokyo is currently under lessstringent measures that focus on shortened hours for bars and restaurants but have proven less effective at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is to formally announce the emergency plans later Thursday, hours after IOC President Thomas Bach was to land in Tokyo. Bach must self-isolate for three days in the IOC’s five-star hotel in the Japanese capital before heading to Hiroshima, where heavy rain is threatening flooding.

The upcoming emergency will be the fourth for Tokyo since the pandemic began and is a last-minute change of plan made late Wednesday after a meeting with experts who warned strongly against the government’s soft approach.

A main focus of the emergency is a request for bars, restaurants and karaoke parlors serving alcohol to close. A ban on serving alcohol is a key step to tone down Olympic-related festivities and keep people from drinking and partying. Tokyo residents are

expected to face stay-home requests and watch the Games on TV from home.

“How to stop people enjoying the Olympics from going out for drinks is a main issue,” Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said.

Tokyo reported 920 new cases on Wednesday, up from 714 last week and its highest since 1,010 on May 13. The figure is in line with experts’ earlier estimate that daily cases in Tokyo could hit 1,000 before the Games and could spike into thousands in August.

Kazuhiro Tateta, a Toho University infectious diseases expert, noted an earlier state of emergency in the spring came too late to prevent hospitals in Osaka from overf lowing with patients and said another delay should not be allowed.

Ryuji Wakita, director-general of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, noted that twothirds of Japan’s cases are from the Tokyo region and “our concern is the spread of the infections to neighboring areas.”

Experts also noted cases among younger, unvaccinated people are rising as Japan’s inoculation drive loses steam due to supply uncertainty.

Just 15 percent of Japanese are fully vaccinated, low compared to 47.4 percent in the United States and almost 50 percent in Britain.

Nationwide, Japan has had about 810,000 infections and nearly 14,900 deaths.

“The infections are in their expansion phase and everyone in this country must firmly understand the seriousness of it,” Dr. Shigeru Omi, a top government medical adviser, told reporters.

He urged authorities to quickly take tough measures ahead of the Olympics with summer vacations approaching. “The period from July to September is the most critical time for Japan’s Covid-19 measures,” Omi said. AP

Malaysia falls into political limbo as key ally pulls support for PM

K

UAL A LUMPUR, Malaysi a—Ma l aysi a plu nged into a new political crisis Thursday after the largest party in the ruling alliance announced it will withdraw support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and urged him to make way for a new leader.

The announcement could potentially trigger the collapse of Muhyiddin’s unelected government and fresh elections, although they are unlikely during a raging coronavirus pandemic. Muhyiddin and his allies did not comment immediately.

Mu hy idd i n took power i n March 2020 after initiating the downfall of the reformist government that won the 2018 elections.

His Bersatu party joined with the United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, which was ousted in the 2018 polls, and others to form a new government but the alliance is unstable with a razorthin majority in Parliament.

UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said early Thursday that Muhyiddin’s government has failed to rein in the coronavirus pandemic. He said its inconsistent policies and half-baked lockdown measures have deepened economic hardships.

Zahid urged Muhyiddin to resign and make way for a temporary leader to take over until the pandemic eases and a general election can be held safely.

“This is important to allow a government that is truly stable and has the mandate of the majority of the people to be formed,” he said after a meeting of UMNO’s top decision-making body.

UMNO’s decision came just hours after Muhyiddin named Defense Minister Ismail Sabri, who is from UMNO, as his deputy in a

bid to persuade the party to stay on. Tensions have been brewing for months in the ruling alliance, with UMNO unhappy at playing second fiddle to Bersatu.

Muhyiddin’s office also said Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein would take over Ismail’s post as one of four senior ministers. Both Ismail and Hishammuddin will retain their security and diplomatic portfolios respectively.

Analysts said Muhyiddin has split UMNO by appointing secondtier leaders to his Cabinet and reinforced it with the new appointments. Local media reported that Ismail led opposition to Zahid’s plan to exit the ruling alliance at the UMNO meeting but hasn’t made any public comments.

UMNO has 38 lawmakers but only 15 are members of the party’s top decision-making body, so it’s uncertain if all of them, especially those in the Cabinet, will toe the party line.

“There has been 17 months of political deals and things have now come to a head. There is open war in UMNO and we have a weak government trying still to stay in power,” said Bridget Welsh from Malaysia’s University of Nottingham and an expert in Southeast Asian politics.

No coalition has a clear majority in Parliament. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim may try to seek support but Zahid has said UMNO will not endorse his candidacy for prime minister.

UMNO earlier this year said the party will not work with Muhyiddin’s alliance in the next general election. Its attempt to seek early elections has been stymied by a worsening coronavirus crisis, with the country plunged in a second national lockdown since June 1. AP

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41.

Mr. JIN WANG Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month

NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT PERMIT (AEP)

Notice is hereby given that the following employers have filed with this Regional Office application/s for Alien Employment Permit/s.

Name and Address of Employer: ROHM ELECTRONICS PHILIPPINES, INC. PTC-SEZ, Brgy. Maduya, Carmona, Cavite Name and Citizenship of Position and Job Description Foreign National

1.

Mr. SEIJI KISHIKAMI Japanese

Technical Adviser Improve the LSI Department.

Salary Range

Php50,000.00 – Php100,000.00/ monthly

Name and Address of Employer: D AND S INDUSTRIES (PHILIPPINES) CORPORATION Sahud Ulan , Tanza, Cavite Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

1.

Mr. YIBO FENG Chinese

Position and Job Description

Production Manager Lead the Manufacturing team to reach KPls target under the condition of acceptable cost and qualified performance

Salary Range

Php400,000.00 – Php500,000.00/ annum

Name and Address of Employer: RELIANCE PRODUCERS COOPERATIVE (RPC) GMBP, Maduya, Carmona, Cavite Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

1.

Position and Job Description

Merchandising Manager Plan, control, organize and direct the Merchandising Ms. SHUK HAN CHIANG Department to ensure that correct raw materials are Chinese purchased and delivered on time to meet production schedule and shipment date.

Salary Range

USD5,000.00 – USD10,000.00/ annum

Name and Address of Employer: CANON BUSINESS MACHINES (PHILIPPINES), INC. FPIP, Tanauan City, Batangas Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

1.

Mr. TOMOKI TANAKA Japanese

Position and Job Description

Assembly Department Assistant Manager Oversee production process.

Salary Range

USD500.00 – USD1,000.00/ month

Name and Address of Employer: ROHM MECHATECH PHILIPPINES, INCORPORATED PTC-SEZ, Carmona, Cavite

1.

Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

Position and Job Description

Mr. SHOTA MUTO Japanese

Administration Division Manager Manage administration division system and services.

Salary Range Php900,000.00Php1,000,000.00/ annum

Name and Address of Employer: BRICKHARTZ TECHNOLOGY INC. Lot 4044 Molino Blvd. Niog III, Bacoor, Cavite Name and Citizenship of Foreign National

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Mr. CHANGBIN XUE Chinese

Ms. HEYING LEI Chinese

Mr. HUAN XIE Chinese

Mr. JUNWEI LIU Chinese

Ms. JIALI WU Chinese

Mr. JIAXIANG YU Chinese

Ms. JINGYUE TANG Chinese

Position and Job Description

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Salary Range Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month

8.

Mr. JINGYI WANG Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month

9.

Mr. JUNCHAO GU Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month

10.

Mr. LONGZHAN WU Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month

11.

Mr. MINGYANG ZHANG Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month

12.

Mr. PENG LYU Chinese

Mandarin Customer Service Manage incoming calls and customer inquiries.

Php20,000.00Php50,000.00/ month

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 the DOLE Regional Office within 30 days from the date of publication.

Please inform the DOLE Regional Office if you have an information of any criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

To avail of free job referral, placement, and employment guidance services, visit the nearest Public Employment Service Offices (PESO) or log on at http://www.philjobnet.gov.ph

A8

Friday, July 9, 2021

TheWorld BusinessMirror

China locks down border town as Myanmar battles virus surge

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EIJING—Chinese authorities locked down a city bordering Myanmar on Wednesday, shutting most businesses and requiring residents to stay at home as a fresh outbreak of Covid-19 expanded.

Two more cases were confirmed by the end of Wednesday, bringing the total to 23 in Ruili city over the past four days, health authorities in southwestern Yunnan province said.

The lockdown shut down all businesses and public institutions except hospitals, pharmacies and essential shops such as grocery stores, according to a notice posted online. It affects the urban part of Ruili, which like most Chinese cities includes surrounding rural areas in its jurisdiction.

Myanmar is battling a large outbreak with limited resources to contain it. The Southeast Asian nation reported 3,602 new cases in the last 24 hours, state media said Wednesday, its highest daily total since the pandemic began.

Ruili lies across a river from

the city of Muse in Myanmar’s Shan state. Chinese anti-virus measures have dealt a blow to the active cross-border trade between the two countries, China’s stateowned Global Times newspaper reported earlier this week.

Authorities had already banned unnecessary travel in and out of Ruili on Monday, after the first cases were reported.

All the cases have been reported in a Ruili community on the border called Jiegao, which has been designated a high-risk area. They include both Chinese and Myanmar nationals. The latest cases were discovered during mass testing, and authorities said they would step up border controls.

Elsewhere in China, 52 people who had arrived on a flight from Afghanistan five days ago tested

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a medical worker collects a swab sample for nucleic acid test in Ruili City of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on July 5. Authorities in the Chinese city bordering Myanmar locked down the city Wednesday, July 7, shutting most businesses and requiring residents to stay at home, as a fresh outbreak of Covid-19 expanded.

Wang Guansen/Xinhua via AP

positive for the virus, the Hubei provincial health commission said. Thirty have been classified as confirmed cases, while the other 22 did not show any Covid-19 symptoms. China does not include asymptomatic cases in its official tally.

China has regularly imported cases from travelers, but usually in smaller numbers. The July 2 Xiamen Air flight flew from Kabul to Wuhan, the city hit hard by the virus after it was first de-

tected there in late 2019. Virtually all people arriving in China must quarantine for two weeks in a designated hotel.

Ruili launched a campaign to vaccinate the entire city in April following an outbreak in March.

China has relied on a tough lockdown strategy and mass testing to tamp down outbreaks, even as it has stepped up the pace of vaccinations. Central health officials have said they want to vaccinate 80 percent of the population. AP

Haiti’s future uncertain after brazen slaying of president

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ORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti— An already struggling and chaotic Haiti stumbled into an uncertain future Thursday, reeling from the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse followed by a reported gunbattle in which authorities said police killed four suspects in the murder, detained two others and freed three officers being held hostage.

Officials pledged to find all those responsible for the predawn raid on Moïse’s house early Wednesday that left the president shot to death and his wife, Martine Moïse, critically wounded. She was flown to Miami for treatment.

“The pursuit of the mercenaries continues,” Léon Charles, director of Haiti’s National Police, said Wednesday night in announcing the arrests of suspects. “Their fate is fixed: They will fall in the fighting or will be arrested.”

Officials did not provide any details on the suspects, including their ages, names or nationalities, nor did they address a motive or what led police to the suspects.

They said only that the attack condemned by Haiti’s main opposition parties and the international community was carried out by “a highly trained and heavily armed group” whose members spoke Spanish or English.

Prime Minister Claude Joseph

assumed leadership of Haiti with help of police and the military and decreed a two-week state of siege following Moïse’s killing, which stunned a nation grappling with some of the Western Hemisphere’s highest poverty, violence and political instability.

Inflation and gang violence are spiraling upward as food and fuel becomes scarcer, while 60% of Haitian workers earn less than $2 a day. The increasingly dire situation comes as Haiti is still trying to recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 following a history of dictatorship and political upheaval.

Those in Haiti and family and friends living abroad wondered what is next.

“There is this void now, and they are scared about what will happen to their loved ones,” said Marlene Bastien, executive director of Family Action Network Movement, a group that helps people in Miami’s Little Haiti community.

She said it was important for the administration of US President Joe Biden to take a much more active role in supporting attempts at national dialogue in Haiti with the aim of holding free, fair and credible elections.

Bastien said she also wants to see participation of the extensive Haitian diaspora: “No more

band-aids. The Haitian people have been crying and suffering for too long.”

Haiti had grown increasingly unstable under Moïse, who had been ruling by decree for more than a year and faced violent protests as critics accused him of trying to amass more power while the opposition demanded he step down.

According to Haiti’s constitution, Moïse should be replaced by the president of Haiti’s Supreme Court, but the chief justice died in recent days from Covid-19, leaving open the question of who might rightfully succeed to the office.

Joseph, meanwhile, was supposed to be replaced by Ariel Henry, who had been named prime minister by Moïse a day before the assassination.

Henr y told The Associated Press in a brief interview that he is the prime minister, calling it an exceptional and confusing situation.

In another interview with Radio Zenith, he said there was no fight between him and Joseph: “I only disagree with the fact that people have taken hasty decisions... when the moment demands a little more serenity and maturity.”

Moïse had faced large protests in recent months that turned v iolent as opposition leaders and their supporters rejected his plans to hold a constitutional

referendum with proposals that would strengthen the presidency.

Hours after the assassination, public transportation and street vendors remained largely scarce, an unusual sight for the normally bustling streets of Port-au-Prince.

Gunfire rang out intermittently across the city, a grim reminder of the growing power of gangs that displaced more than 14,700 people last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory.

Robert Fatton, a Haitian politics expert at the University of Virginia, said gangs were a force to contend with and it isn’t certain Haiti’s security forces can enforce a state of siege.

“It’s a really explosive situation,” he said, adding that foreign intervention with a UN-type military presence is a possibility.

“Whether Claude Joseph manages to stay in power is a huge question.

It will be very difficult to do so if he doesn’t create a government of national unity.”

Joseph told The Associated Press that he supports an international investigation into the assassination and believes elections scheduled for later this year should be held as he promised to work with Moïse’s allies and opponents alike.

“Everything is under control,” he said. AP

UK government urged to hold China ‘to account’ over Uyghurs

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ONDON—The British government should back a political boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing to pressure the Chinese government over the “genocide” of Uyghurs and other ethnic groups in the northwest province of Xinjiang, an influential group of lawmakers said Thursday.

The cross-party Foreign Affairs Committee, which is led by Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, said in a report that the “atrocities” being committed in Xinjiang “represent an international crisis of profound urgency, making it unconscionable for any civilized government to look the other way.”

China, which rejects the accusations of abuses in Xinjiang, has denied the United Nations

unfettered access to the region to investigate the claims.

Tugendhat said the Conservative government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson “should recognize” the decision of British lawmakers in April to declare Beijing’s policies against the Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim and ethnic Turkic minorities in northwest China as genocide and crimes against humanity, and to hold the Chinese government “to account.”

“As the Communist Party celebrates its one hundredth anniversary, it’s worth remembering that China has been a great civilization for more than five thousand years,” he said. “These crimes against the Uyghur people stand out as a black moment in a golden history.”

China has faced growing inter-

national criticism and sanctions for its alleged mass detention of more than one million people and its forced sterilization program.

The US, for example, has stepped up its response under the new Biden administration, including travel bans, financial sanctions and commercial restrictions on Chinese imports. Unlike the British government, the US government has declared China’s policies against the Uyghurs as genocide.

Among its many recommendations, the committee of British lawmakers said the government “should not attend” the Games, which are due to take place in February 2022, and “should urge others not to do so.”

Proponents of a boycott of the Games say that will send a clear message to Beijing about its treat-

ment of the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities and deny the Chinese government a gold-plated public relations opportunity.

Specifically around the Games, the committee said the government “shou ld abst a i n” f rom sending officials to ceremonies or functions, discourage British businesses from any involvement and tourists from travelling. It said the government should also “discourage athletes from supporting or accepting the Chinese government’s propaganda efforts while in-country.”

It said the government should also suggest to the British Olympic Association to not participate in the opening or closing ceremonies, beyond one representative carrying the British flag. AP

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Fiery explosion erupts on ship at major global port in Dubai

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UBAI, United Arab Emirates—A fiery explosion erupted on a container ship anchored in Dubai at one of the world’s largest ports late Wednesday, authorities said, sending tremors across the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, and it was unclear what triggered the blast.

The blaze sent up giant orange f lames from a vessel at the Jebel A li Port, the busiest in the Middle East. Jebel A li sits on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula and is also the busiest port of call for American warships outside the US. The combustion unleashed a shock wave through the city of Dubai, causing walls and windows to shake in neighborhoods as far as 25 kilometers (15 miles) away from the port. Residents filmed from their high-rises as a fiery ball illuminated the night sky. The blast was powerful enough to be seen from space by satellite.

Some 2 1/2 hours after the blast, Dubai’s civil defense teams said they had brought the fire under control and started the “cooling process.”

Authorities posted footage on social media of firefighters dousing giant shipping containers. The glow of the blaze remained visible in the background as civil defense crews worked to contain the fire.

The extent of damage to the sprawling port and surrounding cargo was not immediately clear. Footage shared on social media of the aftermath showed charred containers, ashes and littered debris.

The sheer force and visibility of the explosion suggested the presence of a combustible substance. Dubai authorities told the Saudi-owned A l-Arabiya T V that the crew had evacuated in time and that the fire appeared to have started in one of the containers holding f lammable material, without elaborating.

Seeking to downplay the explosion, Mona al-Marri, director general of the Dubai Media Office,

told Al-Arabiya the incident “could happen anywhere in the world” and that authorities were investigating the cause.

The Jebel Ali Port at the northern end of Dubai is the largest man-made deep-water harbor in the world and serves cargo from the Indian subcontinent, Africa and Asia. The port is not only a critical global cargo hub, but also a lifeline for Dubai and surrounding emirates, serving as the point of entry for essential imports.

Dubai authorities did not identify the stricken ship beyond saying it was a small vessel with a capacity of 130 containers.

Ship tracker MarineTraffic showed a fleet of small support vessels surrounding a docked container ship called the Ocean Trader flagged in Comoros. Footage from the scene rebroadcast by the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency showed firefighters hosing down a vessel bearing paint and logo that corresponds to the Ocean Trader, operated by the Dubai-based Inzu Ship Charter.

The Ocean Trader docked at Jebel Ali Port at midday Wednesday. Ship tracking data showed the vessel had been sailing up and down the coast of the UAE since April. The United Nations ship database identified the vessel’s owners as Sash Shipping Corporation. Sash and Inzu Ship Charter did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Operated by the Dubai-based DP World, Jebel A li Port boasts a handling capacity of over 22 million containers and sprawling terminals that can berth some of t he world ’s l a rge st ships. Port officials said they were “taking all necessar y measures to ensure that the normal movement of vessels continues without any disruption.”

State-ow ned DP World describes Jebel A li Port as a “gateway hub ” and a “vital link in the global trade network ” that connects eastern and western markets. The company did not immediately respond to request for comment on the blast. AP

South Africa’s ex-leader turns himself in to serve prison term

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KANDLA, South Africa— For mer Sout h A f r ica n president Jacob Zu ma turned himself over to police early Thursday to begin serving a 15-month prison term.

Just minutes before the midnight deadline for police to arrest him, Zuma left his Nkandla home in a convoy of vehicles. Zuma handed himself over to authorities to obey the country’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, that he should serve a prison term for contempt.

“President Zuma has decided to comply with the incarceration order. He is on his way to hand himself into a Correctional Services Facility in KZN (KwaZulu-Natal province),” said a tweet posted by the Zuma Foundation.

Soon after South Africa’s police confirmed that Zuma was in their custody.

Zuma’s imprisonment comes after a week of rising tensions over his sentence.

Zuma, 79, was ordered to prison for contempt because he defied a court order for him to testify before a judicial commission investigating widespread allegations of corruption during his time as the country’s president, from 2009 to 2018.

The Constitutional Court ordered that if Zuma did not voluntarily hand himself over to the police then the police should arrest the country’s former president by the end of the day Wednesday.

In a last-minute plea to avoid going to prison, Zuma’s lawyers had written to the acting chief justice requesting that his arrest be suspended until Friday, when a regional court is to rule on his application to postpone the arrest.

Zu m a’s l aw yers a sked t he ac t i ng c h ief ju st ice to issue

d irect ives stopping t he pol ice f rom a r rest ing h im, c l a im ing t here wou ld be a “prejud ice to h is l ife.”

Zuma had also launched two court proceedings to avoid arrest after his sentence last week.

He applied to the Constitutional Court to rescind his sentence and that application will be heard on July 12.

On Tuesday, his lawyers were in the Pietermaritzburg High Court seeking to stop the minister of police from arresting him until the Constitutional Court rules on his application. The regional court will rule on that application on Friday.

Political tensions have risen in KwaZulu-Natal province as a result of Zuma’s conviction, sentence and pending arrest. Hundreds of his supporters gathered at his home over the weekend and vowed to prevent his arrest, but they left on Sunday.

The judicial inquiry into corruption during his term as president has heard damning testimony from former Cabinet ministers and top executives of state-owned corporations that Zuma allowed his associates, members of the Gupta family, to influence his Cabinet appointments and lucrative contracts. Zuma refused to comply with a court order to appear before the commission, which brought the Constitutional Court to convict him of contempt and sentence him to prison.

In a separate matter, Zuma is standing trial on charges of corruption related to a 1999 arms deal, where he allegedly received bribes from French arms manufacturer Thales. His financial adviser has already been convicted and imprisoned in that case. AP

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Friday, July 9, 2021

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A12 Friday, July 9, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Covid chaos

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S the world moves to try and get back to normal, things are far from normal. The usual background noise of global chaos that we are used to is now turned up to “11” on the 1-10 volume meter. Things are still a mess, perhaps getting worse, with no light at the end of the tunnel.

“Haitian President Jovenel Moïse assassinated in his home.” It would be easy to write this off as a continuation of the political and social disaster that has been “Haiti” since dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier—and subsequently his son “Baby Doc”—was removed in 1986.

The country has been faced with a series of “bad” elections, “bad” leaders, “bad” coups, and constant political instability.

The nation has been spared the worst of Covid with less than 20,000 cases and some 400 deaths. But Haiti is one of the poorest nations on Earth. However, with the world still in pandemic mode, there is no burning desire to assist Haiti with much more than words.

File under “Just When You Think You Are Safe.” When your life is disrupted, it helps to try and get back to some sort of a normal routine. Artists have conducted online concerts. Families have done everything from “movie nights” to “beach outings,” all at home of course, to try and duplicate the real experience.

Mexico decided that its “Miss Mexico 2021” pageant should carry on. All the contestants were Covid tested negative. “Prior to the pageant the contestants travelled to a school in the scenic but impoverished Copper Canyon run by nuns for indigenous Tarahumara children, where they delivered school supplies and posed for selfies with the students.”

However, by the time they all returned to the pageant, at least 15 of the 32 contestants in the Miss Mexico 2021 pageant tested positive for coronavirus. Perhaps taking a cue from governments around the world, “Even though many [of the contestants] were coughing, had body aches and even a temperature, they asked them not to complain,” a source from the pageant told the newspaper Reforma.

According to some estimates, Japan will have spent as much as $25 billion to $35 billion to host the games, crushing the original $7.5 billion budget. The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 23, and they still have not figured out how it is going to run.

Japan is set to declare a state of emergency for Tokyo that will run through its hosting of the Olympics. Two workers in the Olympics village tested positive just two weeks before the opening ceremony.

A member of Uganda’s Olympic squad became the first to test positive for Covid-19 on arrival in Japan. Foreign spectators have been banned from the Olympics and a decision is expected “soon” on whether to allow domestic spectators. Restrictions on business and other activities in the capital and neighboring Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba—population more than 30 million—were supposed to end this week. Now the restrictions will extend until the end of the games.

It is fine to complain what government should and should not be doing. But the truth is, there are no easy—or even difficult—answers to the “Covid Solution” question. There are no definite ways to resolve the pandemic.

Want more depressing news? “While humans continue to grapple with Covid-19, a new epidemic seems to have hit multiple bird species in North America. Across the United States, people have been finding dead birds. The birds appear to have been hit by a wave of mysterious illnesses since April.”

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A learners’ crisis Sonny M. Angara

Better Days

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ecently, news articles came out about a very disconcerting World Bank assessment on Philippine education. Specifically, the report underscored that one in every four Grade 5 students does not have the reading and mathematics skills for Grade 2 or 3, and four in every five 15-year-old students do not understand basic mathematical concepts such as fractions and decimals that should be known by fifth graders.

In fact, in their analysis, the World Bank was citing data from previously conducted multi-country assessments, namely the 2018 round of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2019, and the first Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) in 2019.

In each assessment, our country ranked poorly. According to PISA 2018, we ranked last for reading and second to the last in science and mathematics among the 79 countries studied. Then TIMSS 2019 showed that we were last for science and mathematics in their assessment of fourth-graders. Meanwhile, for the SEA-PLM, we were in the bottom half among the six Asean members covered for reading, mathematics and writing literacy.

Clearly, as many education reform advocates have long claimed, we are going through a very serious learn-

ers’ crisis. This isn’t to say, however, that the Department of Education (DepEd), and to a certain extent the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) are not doing something in response to such alarming results.

In fact, shortly after the PISA 2018 results were released in December 2019, the DepEd launched its Sulong Edukalidad initiative, focused on improving the quality of Philippine education and innovating in areas wherever possible throughout the system. Under this campaign, the DepEd aims to pursue aggressive reforms in the following—reviewing and updating the K to 12 curriculum; improving the learning environment; upskilling and reskilling our teachers; and engaging and collaborating with stakeholders to pursue improvements and fill in gaps.

An Education Futures Unit had also been established within the

DepEd to evaluate and integrate trends and advancements in teaching, which may be useful for improving the quality of education being taught in our schools.

But even before the publishing of the PISA 2018 results, steps had already been taken by the DepEd, particularly towards ensuring the competencies and capacities of our teachers—who are perhaps the most important factor in raising the quality of education that our learners receive.

For instance, in 2017, the DepEd adopted the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) in a bid to establish a framework for teachers to continuously gain proficiency in their profession. Then in 2019, it embarked on transforming and revitalizing the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) to streamline professional development and improve in-service training programs by making them more programmatic and accountable.

For its part, the Senate had also started moves in response to this deeply concerning learners’ crisis.

In December 2019, also in response to the 2018 PISA results, we filed Senate Joint Resolution 10 calling for the creation of a bicameral Congressional Oversight Committee on Education (EDCOM) with Minority Leader Frank Drilon, Basic Education Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian, Higher and Technical Education Committee Chair Joel Villanueva, and Sen. Grace Poe. This EDCOM will undertake a national review, assessment, and evaluation of the performance of

all governmental bodies created to take care of basic education, higher education, and manpower development. The EDCOM’s review shall cover formal, non-formal, informal and alternative learning systems, including continuing systems of learning at all levels. After this review, a report will be produced on the committee’s findings to include shortand long-term policy and program recommendations.

In fact, this isn’t the first time Congress had endeavored to create an entity that would conduct such a huge and immensely critical task.

My late father, Senate President Edgardo J. Angara, served as the overall Chairman of the first EDCOM, which released its report in 1991 after 11-months of study and consultations across the country.

This EDCOM’s report proved to be seminal as it became the basis for the trifocalization of our education system, leading to the current setup in place involving the DepEd, CHED and Tesda.

Recently, Senator Gatchalian conducted the first public hearing on this resolution, marking a decisive step towards the convening of the new EDCOM. Hopefully, in the coming months, the plan will be clarified on how Congress will go about responding to this great crisis that we as a country are facing.

Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 17 years. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara

Assassination threatens more chaos for Haiti

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ORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse seemed to have thrown an already turbulent nation into chaos on Wednesday, with a muddled line of succession.

Here is a look at the situation:

Who was the assassinated president?

Jovenel Moïse was a 48-year-old businessman and political neophyte when he was sworn in as president of Haiti on February 7, 2017. The former banana producer inherited a nation in turmoil — one that had gone a year without an elected leader in place. He leaves it in chaos as well.

Taking office, he pledged to strengthen institutions, fight corruption and bring more investment and jobs to the hemisphere’s poorest nation. “We can change Haiti if we work together,” Moïse said on the grounds of what used to be the national palace—one of many buildings obliterated by a January 2010 earthquake that killed thousands of Haitians.

But togetherness never arrived, and his administration was plagued by massive protests from the start.

Even his initial election in 2015 was annulled, forcing a re-do that he also

won. Critics accused him of growing increasingly authoritarian. He had been ruling by decree for more than a year after dissolving a majority of Parliament in January 2020 amid a delay in legislative elections.

In February, Moïse told the U.N. Security Council that powerful oligarchs had made seven attempts to overthrow him. He also announced that month that about 20 people had been arrested in an assassination plot. But an appeals court later rejected the claim and released the accused plotters, who included a judge and a police inspector general.

What do we know about the assassination?

Details so far are slim. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said highly trained gunmen, some speaking Spanish or English, killed the president at his home. The first lady also was shot and wounded. He said

police and the armed forces were controlling security. A resident who lives near the president’s home compared the sound of the shooting to an earthquake.

Bocchit Edmond, the Haitian ambassador to the US, described the attackers as “well trained professional commandos” and “foreign mercenaries” who were masquerading as US Drug Enforcement Administration agents. He did not comment on possible suspects or motives and said Haiti has asked the US government for assistance in the investigation.

Hours after the killing, authorities announced that police had killed four suspects and arrested two others. Officials, however, gave no details on their identities or possible motive.

What is the situation in Haiti?

The country has struggled with political instability—along with dire poverty and crime—since the end of the brutal dictatorships of Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier from 1957 to 1986.

Criminal gangs this year have driven thousands of people from

their homes, protesters demanding Moïse’s ouster in 2019 shut down much of the economy and the country has yet to begin vaccinating its 11 million people against the new coronavirus, which is surging.

Bruno Maes, Haiti’s representative for the U.N.’s children agency, last month compared the gang situation to guerrilla warfare, “with thousands of children and women caught in the crossfire.” Pierre Espérance, executive director of the Haitian National Human Rights Defense Network, said gangs control about 60% of the country’s territory.

Police and the military, too, have been troubled, often targeted by gangs. Masked officers who said they belonged to a disgruntled faction stormed several police stations in March to free comrades who’d been accused of participating in a coup attempt. The army was re-inaugurated only in 2017. It had been disbanded in 1995 after the fall of a dictatorship.

Political strife has deepened since Feb. 7, when opposition leaders claim Moïse’s legal term had expired — five years after he would have taken See “Haiti,” A13

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

The current state and outlook of global and Philippine tourism Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes, Ph.D.

EAGLE WATCH

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ourism, broadly defined, refers to travel for business or leisure. It is beneficial to an economy because it generates jobs and has income multiplier effects. In light of this pandemic, perhaps, it would be good to review the current state and outlook of global and Philippine tourism.

So, where is tourism now? Global data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) web site reveal declines in both income and jobs from 2019 to 2020. In 2019, global tourism generated about $9.170 trillion in income (10.4 percent of global income); however, in 2020, it generated just $4.671 trillion (5.5 percent of global income)—a 49.1-percent decline from the previous year. This contraction was much deeper than the 3.7-percent decline in global income.

In 2019, global tourism jobs numbered at 334 million, but this figure decreased by 18.6 percent to 272 million in 2020. From 2014 to 2019, on average, tourism accounted for 1 out of 4 net new jobs created. In 2020, however, the 272 million jobs registered by tourism accounted for just 1 out of 11 jobs globally.

For the Philippines, data from the WTTC web site reveal the same trends. In 2019, Philippine tourism generated about P4.468 trillion in income (22.5 percent of national income); however, in 2020, it generated just P2.619 trillion (14.6 percent of national income)—a 41.4-percent decline from the previous year. This contraction was much deeper than the 9.5-percent decline in national income.

Regarding employment, in 2019, Philippine tourism jobs numbered at about 9.571 million (22.8 percent of total employment). This figure decreased by 21.1 percent to 7.551 million (19.2 percent of total employment) in 2020.

The dampening effect of travel restrictions was also evident in tourist spending statistics. In 2019, total tourist spending in the Philippines was at P3.798 trillion, with P0.600 trillion (15.8 percent of total tourist spending and 10.7 percent of total exports) coming from international tourists and P3.198 trillion (84.2 percent of total tourist spending) coming from domestic tourists. In 2020, total tourist spending declined by 42.4 percent to P2.189 trillion, with P0.127 trillion (5.8 percent of total tourist spending and 2.8 percent of total exports) coming from international tourists and P2.062 trillion (94.2 percent of total tourist spending) coming from domestic tourists.

Nevertheless, more recent quarterly data from Cebu Pacific suggest a tentative recovery, as the number of passengers increased slowly from 61 in Q2-2020 (when strict lockdowns were first imposed) to 604 in Q2-2021. Prior to the lockdowns, in Q1-2020, the number of passengers was 4,391. The same pattern can also be seen in the number of flights, which slowly increased from 597 in Q2-2020 to 5,313 in Q2-2021.

In Q1-2020, the number of flights was 29,695.

In a survey covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, as of May 2021, for domestic flights, the Philippines was still at 24 percent capacity—way behind

Haiti. . .

continued from A12

office if the initial vote had been allowed. Moïse argued it ends in February 2022 since he wasn’t sworn in until 2017.

The government has been without a formal prime minister since

In the Philippines, as reported by Colliers Market Intelligence, the tourism industry will not likely return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024. The successful vaccine rollout should bolster travel confidence among foreign and domestic tourists and aid in the recovery of the tourism sector.

Indonesia (64 percent) and Vietnam (114 percent). For international flights, though, the Philippines ranked first in restored capacity (17 percent) and second in passenger seats (298,000).

So, where is tourism likely to go?

According to the WTTC, global tourism will likely exhibit four broad trends. One, there will be demand evolution, as traveler preferences and behaviors shift toward the familiar, predictable, and trusted. Domestic and regional vacations and the outdoors will reign in the short term, with tourism businesses and destinations already adapting.

Two, health and hygiene will become paramount in this new era.

Personal experiences, advice from experts, and concerns for physical distancing will guide consumer behavior.

Three, amid stay-at-home orders, digital adoption and consumption will be on the rise, with consumers now expecting contactless technologies, including biometrics, as basic prerequisites for a safe and seamless travel experience.

Four, the world will be reinvigorated to tackle social, environmental, and institutional sustainability. In particular, heightened public awareness of the environment, wildlife markets, and poaching will boost advocacy for wildlife protection and ocean preservation.

Here in the Philippines, as reported by Colliers Market Intelligence, the tourism industry will not likely return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024. The successful vaccine rollout should bolster travel confidence among foreign and domestic tourists and aid in the recovery of the tourism sector.

The same view is given by McKinsey & Company, which says that countries that have restored confidence—or are close to doing so— have seen economic activity return, or begin to return, to pre-crisis levels. McKinsey & Company also notes that uncertainty due to Covid-19 and related health risks has made many individuals, households, and businesses alter their behavior, even without formal restrictions from government.

Indeed, it all boils down to confidence, and this should not surprise anyone.

Dr. Ser Percival K. Peña-Reyes is the Associate Director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development.

April, when Joseph Jouthe resigned amid a spike in killings and kidnappings. His replacement has not yet been approved by the parliament.

With Moïse ruling by decree, the government has scheduled new elections for September and a possible runoff in November. Associated Press writer Ben Fox in Washington contributed to this report

Friday, July 9, 2021 A13

Shaming education Tito Genova Valiente

annotations

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his week, a report rocked this island-republic again.

The other report did not so much shock us as surprised us that it is the same problem that has plagued the populace for a hundred years, beginning from the 1900s when the Americans introduced modern pedagogy. Attributed to the World Bank, the documents indicated how poor we are in so many aspects of educating our children.

The report was culled and collated from tests the Philippines took part in several global initiatives: the Program for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which the Philippines joined for the first time in 2018; the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2019, the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) in 2019. The country joined PISA for the first time then; the Philippines rejoined TIMSS after a long break of some 16 years; and it was our first cycle for the SEA-PLM in 2019. This was clear in the report.

Under Pisa, the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students were assessed in the domain of reading, mathematics, and science. The students from Grade 4 to 8 were the subject of TIMSS, which looked into proficiency in mathematics and science. Reading and writing as well as literacy in mathematics was done in SEA-PLM with Grade 5 students as target.

The results were dismal. Reading and skills in mathematics were low, among many other inefficiencies.

In tests such as those mentioned, there are minimum levels of proficiency marked as indicators. The Philippine student sample showed more than 80 percent falling below these levels. Compared to other students in other countries, the Philippines was down there, miserably last or clustered with poor achievers.

Old issue this may be, but still compelling is the observation how the English language and our students’ lack of proficiency in it contributed significantly to the below-

standard performance in mathematics and science.

Following the World Bank report, the language of instruction was responsible for the underachievement of education in the country.

Summarized, the report cogently stated thus: our children do not know what they should know in school.

As if those factors articulated are not sad enough, the reports mentioned other factors contributing to the problems encountered by the students in the country. These are bullying and the health conditions that plague them.

The tragic factor, however, that is not mentioned in the report is the fact of the persistence and perpetuity of those conditions underscored.

Give and take some shifts in statistics, the report is “old”. The contents of the reports are no more divulged than disclosed and assured. We know them. They have been with us.

The good educator is not expected to celebrate upon receiving the summary of the collated reports.

The good educator should proceed from there. By this time, however, the educators of this country know already about the response of the top educator herself, the Secretary of Education. She has demanded an apology from World Bank for shaming the nation by disclosing a report without informing the Department first. There is also the issue that the data are old.

The impact of the report on the Department of Education, as perceived by its Secretary, was so great the Office had to issue an official rejoinder. In this letter, the following

paragraphs appear: “The use of 2019 old PISA data was admitted by the Senior Economist of the World Bank in a note to an Undersecretary of Education, thus: “Please know that the full report contents are derived from published PISA scores and I hope this can be useful in your response to those asking questions, these are not new findings but data that have been previously published when PISA was published.”

“The World Bank admits to one error: the release of old data based on 2019 PISA scores to the public without informing DepEd. Thus, DepEd and the Philippine government were subjected to public censure and criticism. Even if done inadvertently, the World Bank has inflicted harm on DepEd and the government.”

The second and more important error which the World Bank inflicted on DepEd was its omission of the initiatives which are being undertaken even before the PISA results came out, and are being refined further based on analysis of the results of PISA and the other international assessments.

Take note, the letter is all about technicalities and protocols. Nowhere is there a denial of the results reflected in the World Bank report, whether they are from a 2019 docu-

ment or an older one, whether they are from the previous administrations or from the turn of the century.

There is nothing from this memorandum demonstrating grief over a collateral finding from the report about the “growth mindset” present among our students. From this mindset proceeds the terror cogently captured by the report how a significant number of students (from the sample), do not believe they can become more intelligent.

Somewhere in the report, the term, “silent pandemic” is used to define health and nutrition problems, which are contributory to a student’s ineffectual performance in schools. There is another silent pandemic though that spreads from this report and all reports on education in the country, and this is the silent pandemic of poverty, both of the society and in the minds of those who are tasked with educating our youth.

As for the perception that the report has shamed the nation, shall we turn that sense of entitlement into guilt in all of us—politicians, leaders and educators—because we have shamed and failed the education of the people?

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

The 50th State and the aborted 51st State of the US Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES First of two parts

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ast July 4, we observed the 75th Philippine-American Friendship Day. That day would not have been a red-letter date in our calendar had we chosen to remain a US colony, and eventually became a state of the US like Hawaii. Hawaii was annexed by the US in 1898 and it became a US territory. It was accepted as the 50th state of the US only on August 21, 1959, 13 years after our American colonizers granted us autonomy. It took a little over 60 years from the time Hawaii became a US territory until it was declared a state.

The Philippines spent 48 years as an American colony before we gained our independence from the US. The two islands of the Pacific were both colonized by the same foreign power under its policy of “benevolent assimilation”, underwent two World Wars under the foreign rule, served their military forces and trained and educated in the art of government at about the same time. But we ended up differently—Hawaii is a state of the US while the Philippines is a sovereign and independent country. How come?

Hawaii consisted of a group of islands separately ruled by native kings who descended from their Polynesian ancestors. It became a united kingdom under King Kamehameha 1 and was called the Kingdom of Hawaii. Captain James Cook was the first European to set foot on the islands and named them “Sandwich Islands” after the Earl of Sandwich. In the 1830s, England

and France forcibly entered into treaties with Hawaii, giving them economic and trade privileges. Its strategic location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes Hawaii an ideal outpost for maritime and naval activities. Even then, it is rich in sugar, pineapple, coconut and coffee. Fruits, vegetables and flowers are abundantly grown. The US affirmed its interest in the kingdom and expressed strong opposition against any design by any foreign country to annex or control the islands. In 1849, the US and Hawaii entered into a treaty of friendship establishing official relations between the two countries. This was followed up by a trade agreement, which further cemented their relationship.

On July 4, 1894, four years before our First Philippine Republic was born, the monarchy was removed and the Republic of Hawaii was established with Sanford Dole, a wealthy sugar planter, installed as its first

The annexation of both the Philippines and Hawaii was a significant political issue at the end of the 19th century, and was a major question during the presidential election of 1900.

Republican President William McKinley’s policy of “benevolent assimilation” carried the day.

and only president. The Committee of Public Safety led by Dole overthrew the monarchy to have it annexed by the US, but President Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, was opposed to imperialism. A brief struggle to restore the monarchy followed but this was thwarted. The Republic of Hawaii only lasted for four years due to a strong nationalistic movement among the natives when the SpanishAmerican War erupted. However, President William McKinley, a Republican who succeeded Cleveland, repulsed their move for independence by annexing Hawaii as a US territory on August 12, 1898. The US action was also triggered by the threat of a possible Japanese control of the islands whose nationals had heavily populated the place.

The Hawaiians took a different route from us. Instead of clamoring for self-rule, the desire for statehood was predominant among the natives. However, the movement for statehood was stalled because of the anti-American sentiment and the growing nationalism of the natives, which was spurred by the outbreak of the Spanish-American War and the successful Cuban experience. When the demand for independence died down, a number of petitions for statehood were made since the turn of the

century, but the US was unconvinced since there were still active signs of disenchantment existing across the territory. Finally, a referendum was conducted in 1959 in which more than 93% approved the proposition that Hawaii should be admitted as a state. The US also recognized the valuable contributions and loyalty of the Hawaiians to the war efforts whose able-bodied population served the US military forces although a big number of them were of Japanese ancestry. The Americans welcomed this move and openly adopted Hawaii to be its 50th State.

The annexation of both the Philippines and Hawaii was a significant political issue at the end of the 19th century, and was a major question during the presidential election of 1900. Republican President William McKinley’s policy of “benevolent assimilation” carried the day. The overwhelming sentiment in the US was for the country to join the great powers by acquiring overseas colonies. Not even the magnificent oratory of William Jennings Bryan who ran against McKinley could repel the forces of expansionism. And so it was. The US embraced Manifest Destiny and expanded its dominion to spread democracy and capitalism in the Pacific and the Far East. The American brand of imperialism was definitely an improvement over the Spanish rule in the Philippines. Obviously, the American rule was also better than the reign of the native monarchy in Hawaii. The political leaders of the two colonies pursued different paths and both succeeded in their struggles. At present, the two states are both respected members of the international community with a shared history but different destiny.

A14 Friday, July 9, 2021

PCG races to contain oil spill after Mla Bay ship collision

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By Rene Acosta

@reneacostaBM

PHILIPPINE cargo vessel sank following a collision at dawn Thursday with a Cyprusregistered dredging vessel commissioned to undertake dredging and other landdevelopment projects for a new international airport project.

The cargo vessel MV Palawan Pearl sank after it collided with dredger BKM 104 at about 2:10 a.m. at the anchorage area of South Harbor in Manila, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

No one was reported injured in the incident, the PCG said, and has already deployed BRP Panglao to

closely monitor and provide assistance to Palawan Pearl, which remained half submerged about 100 meters from the Baseco Beach shoreline.

Measures have also been taken in order to prevent and contain a possible oil spill from the cargo vessel.

“The PCG District National

Capital Region-Central Luzon is now preparing for the laying of four segments of oil spill boom as a mitigating contingency measure regarding said maritime incident,” PCG spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo said.

R e xc he l Fabr iga s of Pa l awan Pearl told the PCG that the cargo vessel has at least 3,000 liters of diesel in its storage tank and was also carrying 60 liters of engine oil and five liters of bilge oil.

Balilo said that based on initial investigation, the BKM 104, a foreign utility vessel, has been contracted to undertake dredging and land-development activities for the ongoing construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulakan, Bulacan.

He said that the cargo vessel was running at seven knots when the BKM, which was on her right side and running at 10 knots, hit it on its quarter port.

In Palawan, meanwhile, the PCG ship BRP Cabra intercepted a motor banca loaded with 125 sacks of ammonium nitrate and suspected smuggled cigarettes in the waters off Malampaya gas plant.

Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound used in making explosives and had been widely used by terrorists around the world i n c a r r y i ng out bomb attacks.

Balilo said BRP Cabra was patrolling Malampaya’s waters last week when it sighted M/B Escario Express steaming toward the Malampaya gas platform.

“When the PCG approached the boat, it was found to be suspicious as it started to speed up and immediately fled the area,” he said.

“After the hot pursuit that lasted for more than 25 minutes, said motor banca was intercepted by the PCG-BFAR [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources] joint law enforcement operatives,” he added.

The Coast Guard’s K9 unit joined the boarding inspection and found sacks of ammonium nitrate and boxes of smuggled cigarettes on board.

Balilo said the boat, manned by five people, failed to present documents on the transport of their cargo.

GOING TO BORACAY? GET A COVID TEST FIRST

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

@akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

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REAKING away from national government policy, the province of Aklan will continue to require those traveling to Boracay Island to submit a negative Covid-19 test result prior to entry.

In a news conference after the ceremonial vaccination of the island’s tourism workers on Wednesday, Governor Florencio Miraflores said, “We met with provincial IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] and we decided in the meantime, all arrivals should still present RT-PCR test results, until such time we have a system of validating vaccine cards.”

He explained that most vaccination cards issued by various vaccination sites are “generic,” and don’t have contact numbers of people with whom they can validate the status of the person’s vaccination. “In the case of RT-PCR test results, we are able to validate them within hours [of submission] with the laboratories,” he said.

The IATF on July 2 decided to lift the test-before-travel re-

DA giving out ₧45-M freezers to markets

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

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@jearcalas

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing to start the distribution of the P45 million worth of chest freezers and chillers to Metro Manila wet markets this month as it finalizes procurement rules, a high-ranking official said.

Agriculture Undersecretary William C. Medrano told the BusinessMirror that the P45-million budget for the program has been released to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), which is already finalizing the procurement rules.

Medrano said BAI is now “preparing documentary requirements” for the procurement of the freezers and chillers.

Medrano added that the DABAI targets to conduct bidding procedures as soon as “specifications” on the freezers and chillers have been “firmed up” in consultation with end-users.

Based on their consultations, Medrano explained that market vendors want chillers that could be placed on tables, which their earlier identified chiller model could not do.

“Within the month, once BAI’s procurement is successful,” he said via SMS when asked when is the target month for the distribution of the chillers.

The price per unit of the soon to be procured freezers and chillers may vary from the earlier pronounced P18,000 per unit cost by the DA, depending on the model, Medrano noted.

In April, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar announced that the DA is allocating P45 million to purchase 2,500 freezers and chillers with a capacity of

150 kilograms each that would be granted to meat retailers through Metro Manila local government units (LGUs) and market vendors’ associations.

The program seeks to allow wet markets in Metro Manila to sell imported frozen pork, expanding the availability of cheaper pork products in the domestic market. Imported frozen pork may only be sold in wet markets that have proper refrigeration systems or equipment to handle imported meat products, based on existing food safety rules.

The grant of freezers and chillers to wet markets serves as a complementary program to the anticipated surge in imported pork in the country after the government slashed pork tariffs and hike minimum access volume (MAV).

The Philippines imported a record nearly 135,000 metric tons (MT) of pork bellies and cuts in the first half—more than quadruple from a year earlier—as the country rushed to boost domestic supply and temper rising prices, government data showed.

The 367-percent increase in the imports of pork bellies and cuts drove overall pork imports to expand by 176 percent to 277,850.59 MT from 100,745.261 MT in the first half of 2020, BAI data showed.

BAI data also showed pork imports from January to June already being 8.5 percent higher than the total pork imported by the country in 2020 of 256,017.458 MT. Industry sources told the BusinessMirror that total pork imports this year may breach the record volume in 2018 of 392,154.307 MT given the current growth rate of imports across all cuts.

quirement for fully vaccinated individuals moving from one quarantine zone to a different quarantine zone. They only need to present their vaccination cards to local authorities. According to published reports, however, a number of local governors bucked the new policy, saying they were not consulted beforehand. On Wednesday night, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque said the IATF would review the policy.

For one, they raised concerns on the possibility of unscrupulous people presenting fake vaccination cards. Also, tourism leaders also cited medical experts who believe even vaccinated people can be Covid carriers and infect those who are unvaccinated. (See, “DOT chief: LGUs have final OK on tourists sans Covid testing,” in the BusinessMirror, July 5, 2021.)

DICT app in development

For her part, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said the Department of Information and Communications Technology is working on a system “using crypto-code,” where an individuals’ vaccination information will be uploaded into a national database.”

Continued on A5

Licensure tests should stay, says Villanueva

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HE country’s professional licensure system should remain, despite the struggles of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to hold these certification tests the past year due to the pandemic, because such assessments boost the credibility of Filipino professionals here and around the world, Senator Joel Villanueva said.

“Despite our disappointment with how the PRC has been failing our graduates with the way they’ve postponed and pushed back scheduled board exams since last year, it is very clear to us that the professional certification exams such as the various boards exam must remain,” Villanueva, chairman of the Senate labor committee, said on Thursday, in reaction to a proposal floated by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to do away with licensure examination requirements for health workers.

Villanueva explained, “Our professionals won’t be able to practice their professions if they are not board-certified.”

The licensure test, stressed Villanueva, “is the final ‘quality control’ check before we allow graduates to practice a profession which depends on the lives of the people— like physicians—or safety of buildings, like engineers. If tech-voc graduates, like mechanics who fix cars, require Tesda certification, how much more for doctors who will repair hearts?”

Villanueva said he filed Senate Resolution No. 661 to help PRC identify alternative ways of conducting board exams amid the pandemic and the new normal, and not to abolish the commission. The lawmaker pointed out that under the PRC Modernization law of 2000, the commission was mandated to shift to full computerization of all licensure examinations by 2003.

“Computerization will also help disasterproof our professional licensure system, as typhoons and floods often wreak havoc on testing schedules and sites,” he said.

Villanueva said the failed implementation of computerized board exams is now haunting the Graduating Class of 2020, after the pandemic forced the government to implement restrictions on movement, thus affecting the conduct of licensure exams.

Continued on A5

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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

BOXER TECHNOLOGY CORP. 35/f Unit 1,2 And 4 Eco Tower Bldg. 32nd St. Cor. 9th Ave. Fort Bonifacio Taguig City CUI, PEIPEI Translator/interpreter 1.

Brief Job Description: Reads through or listens to material in one language etc., and converts it into a second language, making sure to preserve the original meaning

Basic Qualification: Can read and speak fluently Mandarin and English language.

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

COCOPIG DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY INC. Unit F 20/f Marajo Tower 26th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

CHU KOK SHUNG Customer Service Representative 2.

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

HUANG, WENHONG Customer Service Representative 3.

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

LIN, SITING Customer Service Representative 4.

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

ZHANG, PEIZHAO Customer Service Representative 5.

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

ZHAO, MENG Customer Service Representative 6.

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

ONG CHOON MING Customer Support Representative 7.

8.

9.

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

CUI, JIANBING Freight Coordinator Brief Job Description: Processes orders and oversees cycle of order fulfilment.

CUI, YAWEN Freight Coordinator Brief Job Description: Processes orders and oversees cycle of order fulfilment.

13.

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

14.

15.

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

16.

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

17.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION LIANG, MIAOCHANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LIU, CHEN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

SHI, JIEYING Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

SU, LIJUN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

WU, YULIN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

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

18.

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

19.

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN and with at least 6 months experience in logistics industry.

20.

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

YANG, XIAOYAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

ZHANG, TIANPENG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English

No.

27.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

28.

29.

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

30.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English

LI, YANJUN Mandarin Customer Support Representative

31.

32.

33.

34.

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

21.

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

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

35.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 36.

ZHAN, GUANGFU Mandarin Customer Support Representative 22.

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

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

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

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

37.

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

10.

ZHANG, WEIQIANG Freight Coordinator Brief Job Description: Processes orders and oversees cycle of order fulfilment.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN and with at least 6 months experience in logistics industry.

11.

Brief Job Description: *Studying company profile and operations to understand its marketing needs. * Implementing a marketing strategy according to objectives and budget.

23.

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

Basic Qualification: *Preferably 6 months experience with the above position. *Can multi-task and keen to details. *Any nationality who can speak and write Chinese fluently.

24.

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

12.

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

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

LI, YUPENG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. 4th-11th Floor Aseana 3 Building Aseana Avenue Corner Diosdado Macapagal Tambo Parañaque City

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English

LEI, ZHIHAO Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

25.

DANG QUOC HUY Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries.

Basic Qualification: College Graduate, speaks and write fluently in English and Mandarin.

26.

LU, XIAOHUA Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

38.

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

MEGA-WEB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 6,7,8,9,10,11/f Met Live Bldg. Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

FLY ASIAN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Eighty One Newport Blvd. Newport City Va, Brgy. 183 Pasay City

CHANG, YU-HSUAN Marketing Consultant (Mandarin Speaking Clients)

TAN TENG YANG a.k.a. CHEN TENGYANG Singaporean Customer Service Representative

39.

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

40.

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

41.

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

MINDSCAPE CREATIVES INC. Unit 19-o, Burgundy Corporate Tower 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City

Brief Job Description: Conducting research and marketing strategies to develop areas of the business

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION LI, KAI Mandarin Marketing Specialist

INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Floor Six West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in MANDARIN and with at least 6 months experience in logistics industry.

YANG, CHAO Customer Service Representative

Friday, July 9, 2021 A15

42.

AN, YANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

BAI, CHEN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

BUI HUE MY Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

CEN, PENG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

CHE BICH NGAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

CHEN, XIAOHUI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

CHEN, XINJIANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

CHEN, JIAKUN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

CHEN, XI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

CHEN, LIN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

CHEN, LICHANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

CHUNG BICH NGAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

DONG, SHILEI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

FAN, DONGHUA Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

HAN, QIANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A16 Friday, July 9, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

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NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HONG SEC HY Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

HONG THIET LONG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

HU, LIANGHUI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

HUANG, JING Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

HUANG, YUPENG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

HUANG, RUITING Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

JIANG, HUAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

JING, TAO Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LANG THI HA Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LENH A MUI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LI, DONGLIAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

LI, LIN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

LI, CHENGGANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LI, YULEI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LI, WEILIANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

LIU, LANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

LIU, YUSHA Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

LIU, SIMING Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LIU, YUE Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English

No.

62.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

63.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

64.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English

65.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English

66.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English

67.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin and basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LOC GIA PHOI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

LOOI JUINN KIT Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LY KIM ANH Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LY NGOC THANH Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

MAN, QIANGQIANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

Brief Job Description: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin and basic English

MYANMAR MOE Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

PAN, ZHIWEN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

PHUNG THUY ANH Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

QIU, CAILING Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

SHEN, LIN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

TRAN DINH THANH Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

76.

WAN, WENQIANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

WANG, ZHONGQIANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English

77.

WANG, YONGJIN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English

78.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English

No.

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Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English

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Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

82.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English

83.

79.

WANG, KEKE Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

WANG, YUFEI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION WANG, YANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

WEI, SHICHONG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

WONG JIA YONG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

WU, ZONGYAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English

84.

XIONG, YALAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English

85.

YANG, WANSHAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin and basic English

86.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/ Basic English

87.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English

88.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English

89.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin / basic English

90.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English

91.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English

92.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 93.

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

LIU, SHUAI Customer Service Representative

MAO, SHAOANG Customer Service Representative

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

94.

Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College Graduate/Level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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96.

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YANG, WEIPING Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

YANG, CHENGLONG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

YE, WEIJUN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

YE, JINCHENG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

YEO POH TECK Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

YONE CHIN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

YONG, XIANGYU Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

YU, ZHICHAO Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ZHANG, ZILI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ZHANG, XIAOTAO Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

ZHANG, ZHUAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer Service

ZHAO, XINGYI Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

ZHOU, SIHUA Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin and basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin and basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and Fluent in Mandarin/Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate/level and fluent in Mandarin/basic English Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

99.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION ZHU, KANGFANG Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer service

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate / Level and Fluent in Mandarin / Basic English

No.

116.

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

KEREN Indonesian Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION Sky Garage Bldg. Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City

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CHEN, XIAOXIA Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

HUANG, DANBEI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

HUANG, XIBAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and date base services

HUANG, GUOLIANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

KANG, LIFENG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LAN, NING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LI, XIAONIAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LIN, MINGKEN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LIU, WEIWEI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LUO, CHUN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

SHI, DELIN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

SU, CHUNXING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

TAO, XIAOMEI Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

WANG, BAIYANG Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

YANG, TAO Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills.

117.

115.

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills.

118.

WIN CAN Indonesian Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

119.

JEE YAO BOON Malaysian Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

120.

DIN HIEN PHUC Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

121.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

122.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

123.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

124.

GIP KIM PHU Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

HOANG THI THU Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LE THI HOA Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LOC NGUYEN QUYNH ANH Vietnamese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

NGUYEN THI HUYEN Vietnamese Customer Service

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

125.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

126.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills.

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

127.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills.

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

128.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills.

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

129.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

130.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 131.

ANGGELINA Indonesian Customer Service

MIJIKO Indonesian Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NGUYEN THI PHUONG ANH Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

NONG TRONG HIEU Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

SU A BE Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

TONG LY DANH Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

TRINH THI HIEN Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

TRUONG NHOC LIN Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

OAMPI INC. 8/f 6780 Ayala Ave. Ayala Ave. San Lorenzo Makati City

Friday, July 9, 2021 A17

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION IVANOV, DENIS Russian Customer Service Representative

132.

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

Brief Job Description: To respond and resolve customer service and technical support concerns via chat and email.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: To maintain clients’ internal and external knowledge bases. Perform other task as required.

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

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

PRANCING DESEN TECHNOLOGY SERVICES INC. Unit 1620 Burgundy Transpacific Place Taft Ave. 079, Bgy. 727 Malate Manila

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

133.

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

PROCTER & GAMBLE PHILIPPINES BUSINESS SERVICES, INC. 11th Flr. Seven Neo Bldg. 5th Ave. Crescent Parkwest, Bgc Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

ZHANG, QIUYU Mandarin Technical Support

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

CHONG, ANGELICA Finance Manager 134.

LEE, CHI-HUA Business Lending Development Officer 135.

136.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

137.

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

138.

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Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

141.

LIU, JING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

LU, JUNJUN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

DIP MY NA Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer support and data base services

Brief Job Description: Establishing the company policy & overall business objectives. Preparation, submission, monitoring & reporting corporate plans to the SEI Board.

LUND, HENRIK MOLBECH Sales Director And Regional Account Manager 142.

Brief Job Description: Overall responsible for DI FA strategy in corporation with Siemens HQ Germany and Singapore Manager for the FA sales team.

ALI, MOUSSA MAHAMAT French Operations CSR

143.

Brief Job Description: Provides expedient and accurate customer service to French speaking clients and customers. Addresses French customer concerns, queries, issues, complaints and/or places sales orders and product information requests. Prepares reports by accessing account database, analyzing the information contained and providing useful accurate and appropriate data

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate, fluent in English, preferably 6mos to 1year lending development experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, fluent in Mandarin and English, preferably 6mos to 1year customer service Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, fluent in Mandarin and English, preferably 6mos to 1year customer service Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in computer applications Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: At least 12 years’ experience in Finance and Sales. Post graduate degree I Accounting/Finance. Int’l Siemens experience for at least 8 years.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above Basic Qualification: Minimum 5 years’ experience in managing complex projects/ customers successfully.

Knowledge & contacts to relevant Siemens Global organization is preferred.

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

TELUS INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES, INC. Units 23/f, 31st/f - 37th/f Discovery Centre Adb Avenue, Ortigas Center San Antonio Pasig City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

Brief Job Description: Answering inquiries, resolving problems. fulfilling requests and maintaining data base

BERTOLOTTI, FELICE MICHAEL Chief Financial Officer (CFO) And Treasurer

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

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

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

SIEMENS ENERGY, INC. 15/f Nex Tower 6786 Ayala Ave. San Lorenzo Makati City

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

Basic Qualification: Wide and variety of knowledge and experience in overall financial management of multinational companies

SA RIVENDELL GLOBAL SUPPORT, INC. 2741 P. Zamora St. Brgy. 097 Pasay City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

Brief Job Description: Answering inquiries, resolving problems. fulfilling requests and maintaining data base

WEN, ZHONGJIE Chinese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

Brief Job Description: Develop business proposals, analyze current and past expenses, develop creative strategies

CUI, WENPENG Chinese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

Brief Job Description: Management of forecast processes and proofing of the financial statements as part of the forecasting and reporting, front office team.

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

RIGHT CHOICE FINANCE CORP. 5e-1 Electra House Bldg. 115-117 Esteban Street San Lorenzo Makati City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in computer applications with good oral and written communication skills

Brief Job Description: Trouble shoot hardware/ software / technical support service

Basic Qualification: Skills in computer , networking and hardware

Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least a Vocational Diploma in any field, Must be fluent in both written and verbal French and English language, At least 1 year of working experience as a BPO Professional, preferably with experience supporting a Bilingual Queue Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

VERTEX DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 1439 Adriatico Cor. Sta. Monica St. 072 Bgy. 669 Ermita Manila

144.

BAI, HE Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

BusinessMirror

A18 Friday, July 9, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

145.

146.

147.

148.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

CAI, ZHIYI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

CHEN, RONGHUA Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

CHEN, SHUIZHEN Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

CHEN, YI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operation of electronic gaming devices

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

No.

160.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

161.

162.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate; Preferably with experience in maintaining gaming devices and fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

163.

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

149.

150.

151.

152.

153.

154.

155.

156.

157.

158.

159.

CHEN, XIAOQIANG Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

CHENG, SHUAI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

FANG, HUIYING Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

HE, JIANGWEI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

HUANG, ZHOU Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

HUO, TIANLIANG Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

JIANG, GUANXING Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

LEI, XIONGJIE Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

LI, JINDI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

LIAO, LINMIN Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

LIN, HAIQIANG Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

164.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

165.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

166.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

167.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

168.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

169.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

170.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

171.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

172.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

173.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

LIN, ZEFENG Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operation of electronic gaming devices

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College Graduate; Preferably with experience in maintaining gaming devices and fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

No.

175.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ZHANG, WEIJIAN Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

174.

LIN, ZHIJIANG Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

LIU, QINGHUA Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

MI, GUANGYIN Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

MO, BAOQIANG Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

PENG, LEI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

QIU, YUWEI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

SU, LIANHAI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

SUN, CHUYUN Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

SUN, BO Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

WANG, RONGBIN Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

XIE, WENGUI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

YANG, XIAOSHUANG Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

YE, QUANSHENG Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

ZENG, LINGZHI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

176.

ZHANG, WEIYI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

177.

ZHANG, DEYOU Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

178.

ZHAO, JI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

179.

ZHAO, WEIWEI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

180.

ZHOU, LIQIN Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operation of electronic gaming devices

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College Graduate; Preferably with experience in maintaining gaming devices and fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

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

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

Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

181.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking

182.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

183.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

184.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

CHUONG CAM LIN IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

HO QUACH KIM THUAN IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

YANTO LIM IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

ZHAO, TAO IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

VPC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED 11/f 100 West, Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Cor. Washington St. Pio Del Pilar Makati City

LU, JIAXIN Bilingual Finance Support Specialist 185.

Brief Job Description: Process and prepare financial and business forms for the purpose of checking account balances, facilitating purchases.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking foreign language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ZTT PHILIPPINES CORP. 24 Flr. Bgc Corporate Center 11 Ave. Cor. 30 St. Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

LIN, XI Technical Marketing Manager 186.

Brief Job Description: To evangelize our products to both technical and nontechnical clients by expressing the technical capabilities of the product as values to our target clients.

Basic Qualification: Natural leadership skills and the ability to work with all teams in the company Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: 300 Vacancy/College Graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices fluent in mandarin and English Speaking

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-NCR Regional Office located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

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

Please inform DOLE-NCR if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in Mandarin and English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

*Date Generated: Jul 8, 2021

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

Companies BusinessMirror

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Industrial REIT will support future expansion–Jollibee

F

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

ast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) on Thursday said it is consolidating its land properties in exchange for shares in Central Hub Industrial Centers Inc., a unit of property developer DoubleDragon Properties Corp., in a P3.97-billion deal.

Jollibee’s board approved the plan to carve out certain parcels of its land properties worth about P2 billion and invest some P1.9 billion in cash in Central Hub Industrial, which it hopes to eventually transform into a real estate investment trust company (REIT). JFC is targeting to list its REIT on the Philippine Stock Exchange next year.

The company will acquire common shares of Central Hub, and infuse its 16.4 hectares of industrial properties currently utilized as its commissaries.

Jollibee Chairman Tony Tan Caktiong said the overall plan is to reduce assets tied to real estate properties by converting some of these into securities in REIT and by selling others directly to third parties.

“We will use the proceeds from the eventual IPO [initial public offering] of Central Hub to finance real estate investments for our new stores and commissaries which we will convert again into more investments and shares in the REIT,” Tan said in a statement.

“Basically, the REIT will help continuously finance our future expansion while the REIT will keep growing in the years ahead allowing more public investors to buy more REIT shares. This is a more cost-effective way of financing versus owning or pure leasing of properties due to the cash dividends JFC will receive from the REIT which will include the benefits and incentives provided by law to the REIT.” The Central Hub will have its own

property and fund managers, the company said.

“This will allow JFC to focus on growing its core business in food service, restaurant operations and food processing. We will continue to focus on our core business. We are also very pleased to be a contributor to the growth of the economy, the real estate industry and the capital markets through our investments in the REIT,” Tan said.

The additional commissary assets to be infused will increase the total industrial land portfolio of Central Hub to 39.8 hectares.

Tan Caktiong is also the co-chairman of DoubleDragon.

“We are excited to work together with Jollibee in developing Central Hub into the largest landlord of industrial warehouses in the country.

We see Central Hub to become a major recurring income contributor to Double Dragon,” DoubleDragon Chairman Edgar “Injap” Sia II. Central Hub is a portfolio of industrial warehouse complexes suited for use as a warehouse, commissary, cold storage facility and logistics distribution center.

Jollibee’s board has approved the cash subscription by the company to some 1.56 billion common shares of Central Hub. As part of its investment plan, Jollibee intends to make an asset infusion into Central Hub

in exchange for additional common shares of the company. The assets for infusion shall be valued based on the appraisal report of an independent appraisal company engaged

by Jollibee.

Meanwhile, the Jollibee Group has started rolling out its vaccination program, which provides its employees with free Covid-19 vaccines. The vaccination of employees is being held at Xavier School in San Juan. This is the first batch of vaccinees under its employee inoculation program which covers teams from Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, Greenwich, Burger King, Red Ribbon, Panda Express, PHO24, commissaries, distribution centers, support functions, and the Jollibee Group Foundation.

In line with government guidelines, the Jollibee Group has prioritized employees belonging to the A2 and A3 categories, as well as its economic frontliners such as store crew and commissary team members who belong to the A4 priority group in regions that have been identified as the focus areas of the national vaccination program.

Aside from its employees, the company also extended the free vaccines to its franchisees and partner employers, as well as to its employees’ dependents and household members.

ALI unit now part of RE suppliers’ list

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

T

he Department of Energy (DOE) has approved the application of a new renewable energy (RE) firm for its inclusion in the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP).

DirectPower Services Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), is now included in the list.

“Right now, we have 13 RE sup-

pliers given operating permits. There are still applicants, but I cannot mention how many. When it comes to the targets, we do not have a specific target of suppliers because this is a voluntary mechanism,” Jordan Ballaran, a senior science research specialist at the DOE, said during the 2021 Energy Investments Information, Education, and Communication Forum on Thursday.

The other RE firms in the GEOP list are Citicore Energy Solutions Inc.,

Aboitiz Energy Solutions Inc., Prism Energy Inc., Adventenergy Inc., Bacman Geothermal Inc., First Gen Energy Solutions Inc., SN Aboitiz Power-Magat Inc., SN Aboitiz Power-Res Inc., AC Energy Philippines Inc., Shell Energy Philippines Inc., Sparc-Solar Powered Agri-Rural Communities Corp., and Green Core Geothermal Inc. The GEOP is a voluntary policy mechanism that allows users consuming at least 100 kilowatts of power to source their supply from

qualified retail energy suppliers that generate electricity from renewables.

Ballaran noted that GEOP allows for the pooling of RE supplies for a community, but noted that the agency has to issue more policies for this exercise.

“There is a provision on the pooling, but the pooling is still not yet clear, maybe the DOE can provide additional capacity support for this.

But, right now, there’s no maximum capacity to sell under GEOP,” he said.

Cebu Pacific FPH starts Covid-19 vaccine rollout for employees delivers over L 2.5M doses

C

ebu Pacific (CEB) on Thursday said it has transported more than 2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses across 20 key domestic provinces since March 2021.

The provinces that received vaccines were Bacolod, Bohol, Butuan, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Legazpi, Masbate, Puerto Princesa, Roxas, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, Virac, Zamboanga, with Caticlan and Kalibo as the newest.

On July 3, CEB airlifted 3,000 Sinovac doses to Caticlan for the first time, via 5J 891, while on July 7, more than 52,000 Gamaleya Sputnik V doses were flown to Kalibo via DG 6317.

Over the week, CEB carried a total of 588,330 doses from Manila, bringing the total number of vaccine doses transported across the Philippines to 2,576,420.

“We are grateful to continue contributing to our nation’s fight against Covid-19 through the safe transportation of these much-needed vaccines across the archipelago. We will keep doing what we can to support the government in its inoculation efforts,” Alex Reyes, Chief Strategy Officer at Cebu Pacific, said in a statement. Recto L. Mercene

opez-led First Philippine Holdings Corp. (FPH) started the rollout this week of its Covid-19 vaccines for employees and dependents as part of the conglomerate’s program to help assure the health of its workforce and support government’s overall aim to achieve herd immunity against the dreaded virus.

FPH has tapped Reliance United and AC Health as third-party vaccine administration providers to handle the vaccination in its headquarters and in offices and sites of its subsidiaries.

FPH earlier procured the Covid-19 vaccines through multiparty agreements it reached with vaccine manufacturers AstraZeneca and Moderna, in partnership with the Philippine government.

The vaccine acquisitions form part of FPH’s detailed program not only to protect the health of its workforce and their families but also to ensure continued operations, especially of critical subsidiaries.

“Covid-19 vaccines acquired

by FPH will go to its employees and dependents, including those of subsidiaries, such as First Gen Corp., First Philippine Industrial Park, First Philec, First Balfour and Therma Prime,” said Ricky Carandang, FPH vice president and head of corporate communications group.

“The target vaccine recipients

A health worker administers a Covid-19 vaccine on July 6 to a First Gen employee inside the First Gen Clean Energy Complex in Batangas City. First Gen is a subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings Corp. Contributed Photo

also include our extended workforce, like those who are constructing the liquefied natural gas terminal of First Gen in Batangas City, various projects of First Balfour, and those providing support work such as security, messengerial, and maintenance services,” Carandang added.

Aside from acquiring the vaccines, FPH and its subsidiaries implemented different facets of work modifications to adapt to the “new normal” that stemmed from the pandemic.

The work arrangements include setting up shelter-in-place facilities for FPH’s own frontliners or critical personnel; accommodation for workers involved

in construction activities for the various site projects; technologybased contact tracing solutions to encourage physical distancing; and safe transportation mode for workers.

After the onset of Covid-19, FPH also adopted work-fromhome arrangements and provided employees tools and allowances that have enabled them to communicate, and conduct Zoom or online meetings from the safety of their homes.

These measures come on top of various projects that the Lopez Group has implemented to help the government, as well as communities, cope with the pandemic.

Friday, July 9, 2021

B1

D&L participates in QC vax drive C

hemical manufacturer D&L Industries Inc. on Thursday said it participated in a vaccination campaign initiated by Quezon City Mayor Maria Josefina G. Belmonte to hasten the inoculation of more citizens.

Under the partnership, the Quezon City government supplied the vaccines and provided supervision at the venue provided by Ever Gotesco, while D&L contributed the medical team.

The partnership has conducted three weekend vaccination drives so far. D&L and the local government are targeting to organize more vaccination schedules in the coming weeks, as additional vaccines become available.

“We find the partnership highly innovative and responsive to the needs of our people during this pandemic. We’d like to extend our deep appreciation to Mayor Joy and the Quezon City government for giving us the opportunity to be of service to the public. We’d also like to thank Ever Gotesco for providing the venue and staff support. By working together, we can have more people vaccinated at the soonest possible time,” D&L President and CEO Alvin Lao said.

D&L’s office is in Libis in Quezon City.

A limited number of economic frontliners from D&L and Ever Gotesco were accommodated during the morning sessions of the drive while the afternoon sessions were entirely devoted to priority groups from the communities in Quezon City.

“We put serious efforts on educating our employees about the benefits of getting vaccinated. As a result, an overwhelming majority of them are now inclined to take the vaccine. With an increasing number of our employees being vaccinated, we hope to develop herd immunity, at least within the company, over the next couple of months, subject to vaccine availability.

We see this as taking an active role in helping end the pandemic,” Lao said.

Jabs from DMCI

Consunji family-led DMCI Group on Thursday said more than 4,100 of its employees and workers have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in partnership with various local government units (LGU), ICTSI Foundation and Reliance United.

Fully vaccinated employees now total 540, the company said.

Most of the vaccines were administered through the LGUs while over 230 employees were inoculated through the DMCI group employee vaccination program.

Of the 30,000 doses of Moderna vaccines ordered by the DMCI, 420 arrived in late June. Around 7,600 doses will arrive in the third quarter while the rest will become available in the fourth quarter.

“Our goal is to reach herd immunity as soon as possible so we encouraged and assisted our workforce in enlisting with their

LGUs. It does not matter what brand they get as long as they are protected from the virus,” DMCI Holdings Inc. Chairman and President Isidro A. Consunji said.

Approximately 12,100 employees and workers from the different DMCI Holdings subsidiaries have registered with the LGUs and are awaiting vaccination schedules.

Once its second and third tranches of Moderna vaccines arrive, the conglomerate intends to vaccinate its employees and workers in Batangas, Bulacan, Masbate, Palawan, and Semirara Island.

Cold-chain facilities

With the arrival of new vaccine shipments, Zuellig Pharma Corp. said on Thursday that it has adequate cold chain facilities to house the Covid-19 doses.

The healthcare services provider welcomed the delivery of Moderna doses to the Philippines, which will be stored in its pharma-grade cold-chain facility in Parañaque City. These will be delivered using eZCooler solution, a passive packaging system, to ensure the “integrity of temperature-sensitive vaccines during the last mile of transportation.”

“Today marks an important day in the Philippines’s battle against Covid-19.

Through the concerted efforts with the National Government and the ICTSI Foundation, the arrival of the newly procured Covid-19 Vaccine Moderna allows access for both private and public sectors,” Zuellig Philippines Chief Executive Officer Maikel Kuijpers said in a statement.

Zuellig noted that Moderna vials should be stored in a freezer between -25 degrees Celsius and -15 degrees Celsius.

The pharmaceutical firm earlier reported that its cold-storage facilities can accommodate temperate requirements between -80°C to +25 °C. Jannette Jakosalem, Chief Business Officer of Zuellig Philippines, said their -15 to -25 °C walk-in freezers can accommodate 12 million doses.

“We also have 20 ultra-cold freezers with -80 to -70 °C temperature range that have the capacity to store up to 4.7 million doses, ensuring shelf life for the procured vaccines is maximized,” she said.

In February, Zuellig announced its purchase of additional 10 ultra-low temperature freezers in anticipation of the Covid-19 vaccine shipments’ arrival.

Through its commercialization division—ZP Therapeutics—Moderna named Zuellig as the emergency use authorization holder for Covid-19 vaccine in the Philippines.

The said vaccine has also been approved for emergency use in the United States, Canada, Israel, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Singapore, Qatar, Taiwan, Thailand, Brunei, Paraguay, Japan and South Korea. VG Cabuag, Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, July 9, 2021

Cavitex C5 link construction will finish on time–DPWH

T

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

@lorenzmarasigan

he Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has expressed confidence that the C5 Link Segment of the ManilaCavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex) will be completed in 2022.

After inspecting the progress of the Cavitex C5 Link Segments 2 and 3A2, Villar said he is looking forward to the completion of the project as it will help decongest EDSA, Sales Road, and other ma-

jor thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

“With the progress we have seen on-site today, we are optimistic that the Cavitex C5 Link Segment will be completed as planned,” he said.

Segment 2 is a 1.9-kilometer,

two-by-three lane portion that will connect Cavitex R1 to Sucat, bypassing Sucat Road and Quirino Avenue.

Segment 3A2, on the other hand, isa 1.6-kilometer, two-by-three lane road that will connect Merville to RSG Subdivision in Pasay.

Cavitex C5 Link is a joint venture project of Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).

Currently, its operational segment 3A1, which runs from Merville to Taguig, caters an average of 12,000 motorists daily. Upon completion of the whole 7.7-kilometer section, it is expected to cater to around 50,000 motorists from Taguig, Makati, Las Pinas, and Pasay.

“Together with CIC, we con-

tinue to double our efforts, all the while looking after the safety of the workers to ensure we complete Segment 3A2 by the first quarter of 2022 and Segment 2 by the third quarter, also of next year,” Villar said.

CIC and the PRA broke ground for the project in July 2020.

A.M. Oreta & Company Inc. and China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. were tapped for the construction of Segment 2 and Segment 3A-2.

CIC is a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., the holding company for various tollways, including the North Luzon Expressway, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, and the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, among others.

DOE: Contestable consumers under RCOA up 227%

T

he Department of Energy (DOE) noted a “significant increase” in the number of contestable consumers eligible to choose their own suppliers under the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA).

During the 2021 Energy Investments Information, Education, and Communication Forum on Thursday, Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor E. Delola said the number of contestable customers has increased by 227 percent since it was first implemented in 2013.

“From only 892 in 2013, now as of May 2021, we have a total of 2,920 electricity end-users that have been issued with certificate of contestability by the ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission] or an increase of 227 percent,” he said.

Meanwhile, suppliers increased from 31 to 72 in the same period.

“While participation in RCOA remains voluntary to the contestable customers, as of May 2021, the participation to RCOA has been encouraging as out of the 2,920 electricity end-users certified by the

ERC as contestable, 1,791 or more than 60 percent are already being served by suppliers as evidenced by the registration,” he said.

RCOA is currently being implemented under its third phase wherein end-users with an average monthly peak demand of at least 500 kilowatts (kW) for the preceding 12 months are allowed to select their power suppliers.

“To further the implementation of RCOA, we shall be pursuing retail aggregation in consultation with the ERC and the market operator, pri-

marily on ensuring efficient aggregation arrangements,” Delola said.

Next year, the ERC plans to introduce Phase 4 of the RCOA, which further lowers the threshold to 100kW to 499kW. By 2023, Phase 5 of the RCOA will cut the threshold to 10kW. The expansion of the RCOA is expected to generate a more competitive market, providing more affordable energy to consumers.

The energy department also plans to introduce RCOA in Mindanao. Lorenz S. Marasigan

mutual funds

July 8, 2021 NAV

One Year Three Year Five Year

per share

Return*

Y-T-D Return

Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a

222.83

ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a

1.4288

8.73%

-3.55%

-3.69%

-1.93%

34%

-0.23%

1.61%

8.82%

10.55%

-7.87%

-5.94%

-1.9%

Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7761 9.91%

-3.67% n.a.

-3.46%

First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.7584 11.04%

-2.39% n.a.

2.27%

First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a

-1.39%

-1.97%

-0.74%

-4.74%

-6.27%

ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.0736

4.9048

11.74%

First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.7224

3.79%

MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a

103.05

27.32%

-1.12% n.a.

PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a

45.6796

10.45%

-1.55%

-2.56%

-2.49%

479.25

8.91%

-1.73%

-2.96%

-1.99%

20.77% n.a. n.a.

-0.76%

Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 1.089 Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a

1.1573

11.49%

-1.52%

-1.96%

-0.93%

Philequity Fund, Inc. -a

34.2056

11.81%

-1.13%

-1.43%

-1.62%

9.51% n.a. n.a.

-2.51%

Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.8901

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a

4.6812

11.13%

-0.93%

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

784.06

11.18%

-0.82%

-1.9%

-2.19%

Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

0.7141

11.11%

-5.13%

-4.96%

-0.67%

9.31%

-3.44%

-3.3%

-2.19%

-1.2%

-2.05%

-2.44%

-1.85%

-1.05%

-1.74%

-0.61%

-1.32%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.5443

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8953 10.56% United Fund, Inc. -a

3.2613

10.56%

-1.79%

-4.92%

1.09%

-2.3%

Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c

105.2569

11.18%

-2.14%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

$1.2479

20.24%

7.14%

8.34%

3.74%

Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.8136

27.06%

12.68%

12.99%

8.42%

Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a

1.6898

7.36%

1.1%

-1.57%

1.27%

ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a

2.2457

7.98%

0.31%

-0.8%

-1.74%

1.18%

-0.42%

-0.58%

First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.6118

6.6%

First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1959

4.15% n.a. n.a.

NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a

1.9602

5.25%

2.53%

0.42%

-0.19%

PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a

3.6998

4.53%

1.77%

-0.8%

-2.33%

Philam Fund, Inc. -a

16.584

5.29%

1.88%

-0.77%

-2.08%

Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a

2.0672

6.12%

0.51%

-0.47%

-1.28%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.5285 5.98%

-0.45%

-1.76%

-1.25%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9901

3.24% n.a. n.a.

-3.18%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.9112

4.99% n.a. n.a.

-4%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.899

6.47% n.a. n.a.

-3.65%

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a

7.84%

0.8881

-0.8%

-1.95%

0.05%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a

$0.03835

-0.42%

3.31%

1.32%

-1.97%

PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b

$1.1242

10.56%

3.99%

4.7%

-2.26%

9.62%

8.96%

5.65%

5.59%

4.95%

1.63%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.768

20.4%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.2217 10.41%

-1.36%

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

July 8, 2021

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

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FIRST ABACUS FERRONOUX HLDG FILIPINO FUND IREMIT MEDCO HLDG NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH VANTAGE

47.2 114 86.9 25.5 10.08 48.6 22.55 55.7 21.85 118.7 76.8 1.53 4.33 0.59 3.03 7.45 1.3 0.39 0.7 227.6 0.96

47.8 114.2 87 25.65 10.1 48.9 22.65 56 22 119 77.1 1.55 4.35 0.6 3.15 8.61 1.34 0.395 0.72 227.8 1

46.9 114.5 88.5 25.7 10.24 48.7 22.9 56.05 21.8 119.2 77 1.52 4.35 0.6 3.05 7.45 1.3 0.395 0.7 230 0.96

48 114.7 89 25.7 10.46 49 22.9 56.05 22.6 120.6 77.15 1.52 4.35 0.6 3.05 7.45 1.34 0.395 0.7 230 0.96

46.9 113.7 87 25.4 10.08 48.35 22.5 55.7 21.75 118.6 76.8 1.49 4.33 0.59 3.03 7.45 1.3 0.39 0.7 220 0.96

47.5 114.2 87 25.5 10.08 48.9 22.55 55.7 21.85 119 76.8 1.52 4.35 0.59 3.03 7.45 1.3 0.39 0.7 227.8 0.96

5,600 1,235,520 931,510 75,500 674,500 1,473,200 368,900 2,130 347,800 1,257,360 15,380 95,000 27,000 85,000 17,000 100 72,000 420,000 21,000 10,300 8,000

265,205 140,983,072 81,423,307 1,927,615 6,840,282 71,763,615 8,353,180 118,715.50 7,666,765 149,707,925 1,184,164.50 143,120 117,430 50,650 51,610 745 93,880 164,400 14,700 2,287,034 7,680

-10,038,560 -16,409,940.50 -249,190 -3,246,038 -13,240,920 3,050 -520,345 12,635,375 867,848 1,300 -10,800 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 8.61 8.62 8.67 8.75 8.55 8.61 25,652,100 221,057,420 1.3 1.31 1.3 1.32 1.3 1.31 518,000 674,650 ALSONS CONS ABOITIZ POWER 25.1 25.15 24.75 25.15 24.75 25.1 1,382,800 34,607,685 BASIC ENERGY 0.74 0.75 0.76 0.76 0.73 0.74 51,941,000 38,690,900 29.35 29.4 29.95 30 29.1 29.4 1,972,100 57,851,895 FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG 77.9 78 77.8 78.2 77.5 78 446,680 34,800,157 MERALCO 280.4 281 285 285 280 281 197,500 55,575,684 18.16 18.18 18.12 18.7 18.12 18.18 885,200 16,123,220 MANILA WATER PETRON 3.63 3.64 3.56 3.68 3.55 3.64 3,324,000 12,083,590 PETROENERGY 4.02 4.12 4.04 4.04 4.04 4.04 5,000 20,200 12.88 13 13 13 13 13 300 3,900 PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL 20.8 20.85 20.7 20.9 20.55 20.85 252,900 5,260,465 SPC POWER 12.9 12.92 12.8 12.9 12.8 12.9 127,500 1,642,214 17.02 18.18 17.5 17.5 17.5 17.5 1,000 17,500 VIVANT AGRINURTURE 6.16 6.18 6.24 6.26 6.14 6.18 2,425,100 14,986,535 AXELUM 2.91 2.93 2.9 2.93 2.89 2.91 259,000 753,040 14.12 14.7 14.9 14.9 14.08 14.12 2,300 32,738 CNTRL AZUCARERA CENTURY FOOD 22.9 23.6 22.8 23.6 22.8 23.6 1,249,600 29,036,575 DEL MONTE 15.16 15.18 15.04 15.2 14.9 15.16 423,300 6,374,584 8.46 8.5 8.35 8.5 8.35 8.5 3,421,700 28,926,617 DNL INDUS EMPERADOR 12.1 12.12 12.1 12.5 12.1 12.1 2,215,100 26,968,494 SMC FOODANDBEV 83 85 83 85 81.75 85 272,890 22,901,182 0.63 0.65 0.62 0.66 0.62 0.63 84,000 54,060 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.37 1.38 1.37 1.39 1.37 1.37 4,825,000 6,641,680 GINEBRA 98 98.3 98 98.5 97.4 98.45 7,070 693,908.50 210.2 211 212 212.4 210.2 210.2 187,480 39,506,060 JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR 29.65 31.5 29.55 29.55 29.55 29.55 100 2,955 6.9 6.99 7 7.08 6.9 6.9 163,100 1,131,314 MAXS GROUP 0.285 0.29 0.285 0.29 0.28 0.29 2,150,000 609,250 MG HLDG MONDE NISSIN 16.7 16.72 16.2 16.7 16.2 16.7 10,136,300 167,557,576 SHAKEYS PIZZA 8.1 8.13 8.05 8.2 8.05 8.1 137,900 1,117,902 1.02 1.03 1.02 1.03 1.02 1.02 4,660,000 4,778,500 ROXAS AND CO RFM CORP 4.68 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 544,000 2,556,800 SWIFT FOODS 0.145 0.146 0.143 0.146 0.142 0.145 7,890,000 1,140,100 142 142.5 143.7 144 140.5 142.5 719,340 102,031,977 UNIV ROBINA VITARICH 0.83 0.84 0.86 0.87 0.83 0.83 5,456,000 4,594,180 VICTORIAS 2.31 2.44 2.52 2.52 2.28 2.31 90,000 206,480 1.36 1.37 1.35 1.38 1.34 1.37 8,057,000 10,919,190 CEMEX HLDG EAGLE CEMENT 15.7 15.74 15.76 15.76 15.7 15.7 266,200 4,180,774 EEI CORP 8.2 8.22 8.16 8.25 8.1 8.2 280,200 2,284,653 7.35 7.36 7.15 7.37 7.05 7.36 1,401,500 10,184,566 HOLCIM MEGAWIDE 6.89 6.9 7.1 7.1 6.87 6.9 1,145,400 7,954,069 PHINMA 14.8 14.88 15.34 15.34 14.6 14.88 72,800 1,082,366 1.04 1.05 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.04 224,000 232,960 TKC METALS CROWN ASIA 1.73 1.75 1.73 1.76 1.72 1.76 531,000 921,170 EUROMED 1.95 2 1.95 2 1.95 2 37,000 72,450 5.42 5.45 5.4 5.42 5.4 5.42 57,600 311,341 PRYCE CORP CONCEPCION 21.5 21.85 21.9 21.9 21.6 21.85 21,600 467,030 GREENERGY 3.98 4 4.22 4.25 3.95 4 21,224,000 86,759,600 10 10.06 10.36 10.48 9.91 10 1,987,200 20,045,590 INTEGRATED MICR IONICS 1.09 1.11 1.11 1.11 1.1 1.11 532,000 585,910 5.79 5.8 5.81 5.81 5.8 5.8 2,800 16,241 PANASONIC 1.38 1.4 1.42 1.42 1.36 1.39 947,000 1,310,130 SFA SEMICON 5.46 5.48 5.53 5.55 5.43 5.46 5,298,800 28,990,722 CIRTEK HLDG

25,671,098 26,000 -6,544,995 2,701,510 -35,227,000 89,099 -15,594,260 6,667,318 -46,900 -2,724,210 875,138 381,790 -6,499,190 1,791,126 -15,201,574 3,057,732 -2,710,167.50 8,280 -210,824.50 -1,595,210 44,174 2,694,632 162,900 -329,000 -49,290 -3,361,016 29,150 -840,550 36,206 4,972,119 255,272 1,492 609,870 108,841 -35,030.00 6,574,320 -2,985,989 27,400 1,106,528

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 1.03 1.04 1.06 1.08 1.04 1.04 12,341,000 12,944,830 7.08 7.3 7.2 7.35 7.06 7.3 8,500 61,845 ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP 802 804 798 811.5 798 802 84,840 68,099,515 ABOITIZ EQUITY 42.2 42.3 41.85 42.2 41.85 42.2 256,000 10,778,740 10.26 10.38 10.34 10.4 10.16 10.38 2,230,400 22,924,740 ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG 4.2 4.21 4.15 4.2 4.1 4.2 5,214,000 21,788,580 ANSCOR 6.99 7 7 7 7 7 1,300 9,100 1.02 1.03 1.06 1.09 1.02 1.02 8,787,000 9,186,040 ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A 0.7 0.71 0.7 0.71 0.7 0.7 630,000 443,140 0.71 0.72 0.72 0.72 0.71 0.72 134,000 95,980 ATN HLDG B 5.28 5.29 5.33 5.33 5.25 5.28 844,900 4,470,197 COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG 6.59 6.6 6.43 6.63 6.43 6.6 8,782,400 57,798,304 FILINVEST DEV 8.11 8.2 8.19 8.2 8.11 8.2 8,400 68,652 2.92 3 2.91 3.05 2.91 3.05 13,000 38,700 FJ PRINCE A FORUM PACIFIC 0.295 0.305 0.31 0.31 0.295 0.305 40,000 12,050 GT CAPITAL 599 599.5 607 608.5 592.5 599.5 261,790 157,274,185 4.08 4.1 4.08 4.09 4.08 4.08 14,000 57,150 HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT 61.7 62.2 62.45 62.45 61.7 61.7 374,080 23,121,799.50 JOLLIVILLE HLDG 5.7 5.75 5.65 5.7 5.65 5.7 2,600 14,790 5.44 5.45 5.44 5.44 5.44 5.44 500 2,720 KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR 0.86 0.87 0.87 0.88 0.84 0.86 2,323,000 1,980,290 LOPEZ HLDG 3.38 3.43 3.37 3.43 3.37 3.38 1,099,000 3,759,210 12.6 12.68 12.8 12.88 12.52 12.68 4,714,300 59,692,564 LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG 0.53 0.56 0.57 0.58 0.56 0.56 32,000 18,240 3.85 3.9 3.88 3.95 3.85 3.85 26,218,000 101,737,040 METRO PAC INV 3.57 3.64 3.56 3.65 3.56 3.65 4,000 14,510 PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA 2.98 3 2.97 3.02 2.93 2.98 1,330,000 3,960,190 2.87 2.89 2.87 2.87 2.87 2.87 8,000 22,960 REPUBLIC GLASS 1.27 1.29 1.29 1.29 1.29 1.29 40,000 51,600 SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS 1,010 1,011 1,012 1,015 984 1,010 157,660 158,730,482.50 SAN MIGUEL CORP 116.1 117.3 117.8 117.8 116 117.3 97,950 11,450,411 0.75 0.77 0.76 0.76 0.76 0.76 44,000 33,440 SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER 138 140 140 140 140 140 3,930 550,200 WELLEX INDUS 0.285 0.3 0.29 0.3 0.29 0.3 460,000 135,400 0.233 0.24 0.234 0.24 0.231 0.233 1,770,000 413,530 ZEUS HLDG

2,058,200 1,935,840 4,105,905 -1,402,834 -334,260 1,090 -1,851,149.00 -5,974,261 -39,312 5,900 -37,468,265 57,150 -8,509,263.50 -77,500 -851,390 -35,516,266 10,046,890 40,763,382.50 -5,307,167 -492,800 11,650

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.67 0.69 0.65 0.69 0.65 0.67 1,143,000 763,280 7.47 7.96 7.47 7.47 7.47 7.47 800 5,976 ANCHOR LAND AYALA LAND 36.1 36.25 36.35 36.65 36.1 36.1 10,335,600 374,807,620 ARANETA PROP 1.18 1.24 1.17 1.24 1.17 1.24 22,000 26,230 36.4 36.5 36.5 36.75 36.4 36.4 837,700 30,604,600 AREIT RT BELLE CORP 1.45 1.46 1.43 1.45 1.42 1.45 565,000 814,230 A BROWN 0.92 0.93 0.95 0.95 0.93 0.93 501,000 466,740 1.05 1.07 1.07 1.08 1.04 1.07 1,655,000 1,742,770 CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES 0.135 0.136 0.135 0.136 0.131 0.136 37,200,000 4,885,180 6.38 6.98 6.25 6.36 6.25 6.36 5,800 36,272 CEBU HLDG 3.71 3.75 3.74 3.75 3.7 3.71 894,000 3,327,660 CEB LANDMASTERS CENTURY PROP 0.51 0.53 0.54 0.54 0.51 0.53 21,821,000 11,378,790 DOUBLEDRAGON 12.1 12.16 12.4 12.6 12.1 12.1 3,007,300 37,069,478 2 2.01 2 2.04 2 2.01 12,248,000 24,689,730 DDMP RT DM WENCESLAO 7.11 7.12 7.19 7.19 7.1 7.12 84,000 599,680 0.295 0.3 0.295 0.3 0.295 0.3 960,000 285,800 EMPIRE EAST 0.49 0.495 0.5 0.52 0.49 0.495 50,945,000 25,620,715 EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND 1.14 1.15 1.13 1.15 1.12 1.15 16,393,000 18,591,020 GLOBAL ESTATE 0.9 0.91 0.9 0.91 0.9 0.91 56,000 50,430 7.18 7.33 7.3 7.33 7.3 7.33 8,600 62,985 8990 HLDG PHIL INFRADEV 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.39 1.37 1.37 1,483,000 2,039,090 1.71 1.72 1.8 1.8 1.71 1.71 2,277,000 3,983,940 CITY AND LAND 3.23 3.24 3.21 3.25 3.21 3.24 24,433,000 78,972,550 MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED 0.385 0.39 0.4 0.4 0.38 0.385 44,040,000 17,150,400 PHIL ESTATES 0.69 0.7 0.69 0.71 0.68 0.7 15,021,000 10,413,610 3.06 3.07 3.1 3.14 3.01 3.07 808,000 2,477,840 PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND 17.98 18 18.2 18.2 18 18 1,719,800 31,057,310 PHIL REALTY 0.41 0.415 0.405 0.415 0.395 0.41 5,170,000 2,100,550 1.59 1.6 1.61 1.61 1.58 1.59 301,000 480,080 ROCKWELL SHANG PROP 2.65 2.7 2.65 2.7 2.65 2.7 5,000 13,350 3 3.05 3.08 3.08 3 3 706,000 2,135,350 STA LUCIA LAND 36.6 36.9 36.8 37 36.6 36.6 2,013,900 74,043,195 SM PRIME HLDG VISTAMALLS 3.86 3.95 3.82 3.95 3.82 3.95 19,000 73,920 1.68 1.69 1.61 1.68 1.61 1.68 964,000 1,602,340 SUNTRUST HOME 3.81 3.82 3.87 3.87 3.81 3.82 1,275,000 4,885,040 VISTA LAND

SERVICES ABS CBN 12.44 12.46 12.46 12.5 12.4 12.44 206,800 2,572,866 13.7 13.72 13.82 13.88 13.54 13.7 3,836,400 52,336,124 GMA NETWORK MANILA BULLETIN 0.42 0.43 0.43 0.43 0.4 0.43 2,590,000 1,057,600 1,954 1,970 1,932 1,970 1,932 1,970 55,080 108,072,445 GLOBE TELECOM 1,305 1,307 1,305 1,321 1,299 1,307 92,010 120,084,920 PLDT APOLLO GLOBAL 0.173 0.174 0.177 0.178 0.174 0.174 170,630,000 29,956,680 CONVERGE 22.6 22.65 22.45 22.7 22.4 22.6 4,148,300 93,571,355 4.72 4.8 4.71 4.93 4.69 4.8 3,504,000 16,795,140 DFNN INC DITO CME HLDG 8.94 8.95 8.9 9.18 8.9 8.94 9,992,000 90,575,169 IMPERIAL 1.65 1.72 1.65 1.65 1.65 1.65 8,000 13,200 2.23 2.29 2.3 2.3 2.22 2.22 31,000 69,370 JACKSTONES NOW CORP 2.46 2.49 2.58 2.58 2.45 2.49 1,994,000 4,994,140 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.51 0.52 0.5 0.52 0.495 0.51 26,431,000 13,459,970 2.57 2.59 2.5 2.68 2.5 2.57 3,807,000 9,815,770 PHILWEB 2GO GROUP 8.39 8.5 8.49 8.5 8.39 8.39 12,100 101,753 ASIAN TERMINALS 14.64 14.88 14.9 14.9 14.8 14.88 5,400 80,316 3.06 3.07 3.07 3.09 3.06 3.06 257,000 789,280 CHELSEA CEBU AIR 51.9 52 52 52.3 51.6 52 306,290 15,904,388.50 INTL CONTAINER 164 164.5 163.9 164.9 163.9 164.5 385,190 63,325,199 17.24 17.98 17.98 17.98 17.98 17.98 200 3,596 LBC EXPRESS MACROASIA 5.36 5.38 5.51 5.51 5.32 5.38 1,126,600 6,063,298 METROALLIANCE A 2.18 2.19 2.21 2.29 2.13 2.19 622,000 1,359,330 2.17 2.47 2.17 2.17 2.17 2.17 70,000 151,900 METROALLIANCE B HARBOR STAR 1.26 1.27 1.24 1.27 1.24 1.26 116,000 145,740 1.91 1.92 1.91 1.96 1.91 1.92 75,000 144,000 ACESITE HOTEL 0.14 0.141 0.141 0.146 0.139 0.14 244,100,000 34,697,290 BOULEVARD HLDG DISCOVERY WORLD 3.02 3.13 3.08 3.13 3.02 3.13 37,000 112,850 WATERFRONT 0.57 0.58 0.58 0.58 0.56 0.57 1,170,000 666,960 6.5 6.7 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 85,100 553,150 CENTRO ESCOLAR IPEOPLE 7.2 7.4 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 7,200 51,840 0.385 0.39 0.39 0.395 0.385 0.39 1,120,000 437,400 STI HLDG 5.27 5.44 5.39 5.44 5.39 5.44 4,900 26,516 BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY 6.9 6.91 6.64 6.95 6.58 6.91 20,693,600 140,617,004 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.06 2.1 2.1 2.11 2.04 2.1 295,000 617,270 1.64 1.66 1.58 1.66 1.58 1.66 1,304,000 2,130,690 LEISURE AND RES PH RESORTS GRP 1.92 1.94 1.92 1.94 1.89 1.94 3,792,000 7,297,110 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.445 0.45 0.435 0.465 0.425 0.45 17,320,000 7,797,300 5.9 5.95 5.95 5.95 5.95 5.95 1,100 6,545 PHIL RACING ALLHOME 8.44 8.45 8.49 8.69 8.45 8.45 972,000 8,297,333 METRO RETAIL 1.4 1.41 1.41 1.41 1.4 1.4 949,000 1,329,890 40.6 40.85 40.9 41 40.5 40.6 1,739,200 70,626,285 PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL 55.1 55.2 56 56 55 55.2 446,050 24,646,403.50 PHIL SEVEN CORP 95.4 95.45 95.45 95.45 95.45 95.45 7,050 672,922.50 1.32 1.33 1.28 1.32 1.27 1.32 10,669,000 13,826,140 SSI GROUP WILCON DEPOT 20.5 20.55 20.7 20.7 20 20.55 2,201,500 45,084,600 APC GROUP 0.39 0.395 0.39 0.4 0.39 0.39 660,000 259,200 6.1 6.13 6.1 6.13 6.1 6.1 24,800 151,430 EASYCALL GOLDEN MV 430.2 446 430.2 446 430.2 446 1,510 673,302 5.75 5.8 5.41 5.8 5.41 5.8 10,000 57,961 IPM HLDG 1.64 1.65 1.63 1.67 1.62 1.64 10,317,000 17,005,630 PRMIERE HORIZON SBS PHIL CORP 4.4 4.45 4.23 4.4 4.22 4.4 12,000 50,920

376,330 -142,929,855 -2,761,510.00 -97,290 -1,035,340 -115,590 59,890 -17,128,944 6,674,610.00 29,500 -1,087,830 -1,263,980.00 56,700 -10,378,600 187,150 -10,500 912,470 10,778,168 15,900 6,784,035.00 -896,400 -1,304,350 42,613,745 -5,315,865 580,500 3,420,480 3,200 -2,367,401 -99,920.00 -98,110 71,380 -8,463 -154,000 -160,637.50 -2,067,075 308,898 -1,188,010.00 -21,910 7,980.00 -438,750 -238,150 -22,534,256 -140,610.00 -177,780 -107,600 -387,643 -425,900 -20,220,200 -9,050,093 -416,162 -3,007,450 -34,539,205 -19,750 -325,140 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 8.4 8.45 8.45 8.5 8.24 8.4 199,300 1,664,375 -6,760.00 APEX MINING 1.64 1.65 1.63 1.64 1.6 1.64 1,687,000 2,745,060 1,769,060 ATLAS MINING 6.39 6.4 6.4 6.43 6.39 6.39 508,800 3,257,076 -223,362 ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 372.5 1.65% 3.21% 2.43% 0.39% 5.78 5.8 5.78 5.83 5.69 5.78 218,900 1,259,494 BENGUET A BENGUET B 5.46 5.61 5.62 5.62 5.5 5.61 75,000 420,203 ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9224 -1.07% 1.13% 0.14% 1.16% 0.305 0.315 0.325 0.33 0.295 0.315 1,560,000 494,250 COAL ASIA HLDG Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2306 1.17% 3.76% 4.31% 0.49% 2.86 2.89 2.89 2.89 2.89 2.89 10,000 28,900 28,900 CENTURY PEAK DIZON MINES 6.41 6.57 6.65 6.65 6.45 6.59 5,100 32,929 Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.264 -1.58% 2.25% 1.23% -1.39% 2.48 2.49 2.51 2.52 2.47 2.48 739,000 1,835,490 -131,920 FERRONICKEL 0.33 0.335 0.33 0.34 0.33 0.33 4,860,000 1,620,300 GEOGRACE First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4421 -0.47% 3.3% 1.68% -0.45% LEPANTO A 0.157 0.158 0.158 0.159 0.156 0.157 15,520,000 2,443,450 Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.4797 -3.22% 4.37% 1.17% -3.34% 0.16 0.164 0.167 0.167 0.16 0.16 2,800,000 448,880 LEPANTO B 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 30,500,000 335,600 MINING A MANILA Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3196 1.57% 4.12% 2.72% -0.12% MANILA MINING B 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 3,300,000 39,400 1.2 1.22 1.2 1.23 1.18 1.22 553,000 660,580 MARCVENTURES Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.981 0.21% 4.5% 2.01% -0.5% 1.48 1.49 1.51 1.51 1.48 1.48 485,000 722,070 NIHAO Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0356 0.61% 4.73% 1.54% -0.61% NICKEL ASIA 5.58 5.59 5.46 5.6 5.45 5.59 3,953,900 21,991,854 2,696,731 OMICO CORP 0.41 0.42 0.415 0.415 0.415 0.415 10,000 4,150 Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.2174 1.27% 5.53% 2.24% 0.36% 1 1.01 0.99 1.02 0.99 1.02 57,000 56,920 ORNTL PENINSULA Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7503 0.26% 4.79% 1.54% -0.27% PX MINING 6.5 6.51 6.68 6.68 6.49 6.5 1,833,100 11,949,827 -295,472 SEMIRARA MINING 16.76 16.78 16.28 16.96 16.14 16.78 3,006,400 50,487,358 -4,651,344 Primarily invested in foreign currency securities 0.0094 0.0095 0.0096 0.0096 0.0093 0.0094 45,000,000 423,000 47,000 UNITED PARAGON ACE ENEXOR 17.86 17.96 18.4 18.4 17.8 17.96 145,100 2,613,028 219,842 ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $486.37 2.52% 3.2% 2.14% 0.52% ORNTL PETROL A 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.013 107,100,000 1,346,700 ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є220.16 2.13% 1.14% 1.02% 0.45% 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 16,500,000 201,100 -120,000 ORNTL PETROL B PHILODRILL 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 19,200,000 225,500 ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.1977 -2.12% 2.53% 1.27% -6.46% 7.82 7.83 7.87 8 7.82 7.82 241,400 1,898,636 33,014 PXP ENERGY

First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0261 0.38% 1.85% 0.86% -1.88% PREFFERED PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0565 -1.38% 0.73% -0.92% -3.31% HOUSE PREF B 101 101.7 101.5 101.7 101 101.7 510 51,567 100.8 101 101.1 101.1 101 101 30,930 3,124,960 HOUSE PREF A Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.5212 3.03% 5.59% 1.9% -0.57% AC PREF B2R 523 530 523 523 523 523 500 261,500 Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0630336 3.94% 3.58% 2.19% 1.15% 50.6 50.65 51 51.05 50.6 50.65 122,100 6,201,695 -1,517,496 CEB PREF 505 516 505 505 505 505 20 10,100 GLO PREF P Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1988 0.53% 3.59% 0.73% -0.77% GTCAP PREF A 996 1,015 1,016 1,016 1,016 1,016 10 10,160 1,017 1,030 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 10 10,200 GTCAP PREF B Money Market Funds 101 101.2 101.2 101.2 101.2 101.2 1,170 118,404 MWIDE PREF Primarily invested in Peso securities MWIDE PREF 2A 100.1 108 100.1 109.9 100.1 109.9 60 6,104 100.7 101.5 100.7 101.5 100.7 101.5 760 76,540 MWIDE PREF 2B ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 130.35 1.65% 3.05% 2.53% 0.42% 1,004 1,006 1,003 1,006 1,003 1,004 380 382,095 PNX PREF 4 First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0533 1.08% n.a. n.a.

0.5% PCOR PREF 2B 1,020 1,030 1,020 1,030 1,010 1,030 45 46,100 1,166 1,167 1,167 1,167 1,166 1,166 2,020 2,356,840 -163,380 PCOR PREF 3B 2.84% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.3057 1.68% 2.56% 0.7% 78.9 78.95 79 79 78.95 78.95 14,060 1,110,662 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E 76.95 77.8 76.95 76.95 76.95 76.95 7,420 570,969 Primarily invested in foreign currency securities 78.85 79.45 79.45 79.45 78.85 78.85 2,340 184,515 SMC PREF 2F Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0578 1.19% 1.66% n.a.

0.51% 78 78.2 78 78 78 78 39,000 3,042,000 SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I 78.1 79.5 79.5 79.5 79.5 79.5 150 11,925 11,130 Feeder Funds SMC PREF 2J 76 77 77 77 77 77 100 7,700 75.95 76.1 76 76.5 75.95 75.95 10,660 810,190 - SMC PREF 2K Primarily invested in Peso securities

Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.3042 30.45% n.a. n.a.

15.46% PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS GMA HLDG PDR 12.64 12.7 12.96 12.96 12.6 12.64 211,800 2,705,664 -1,933,994 Primarily invested in foreign currency securities

WARRANTS ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $1 7.53% n.a. n.a.

2.04% LR WARRANT 1.89 1.9 1.82 1.9 1.82 1.89 778,000 1,457,880 -

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 17.04 17.48 17.56 17.56 17.02 17.48 185,700 3,182,404 -572,716 1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019.

2.4 2.43 2.52 2.52 2.4 2.43 578,000 1,392,410 ITALPINAS 4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019.

KEPWEALTH 5.04 5.24 5.28 5.28 5.04 5.04 24,500 125,348 41,328 6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020.

MERRYMART 4.03 4.04 4.04 4.08 4.02 4.03 4,209,000 17,038,850 -415,920

"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 EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

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." FIRST METRO ETF 104.9 105 106.8 106.8 104.8 104.9 25,140 2,642,763 -1,258,070 Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Banking&Finance BusinessMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Friday, July 9, 2021

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PCSO Q1 revenue falls short of ₧11.59B target

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) fell short of its P11.59 billion revenue target for the first quarter of this year.

The PCSO generated only P11.24 billion from January to March this year, down by 3 percent from its collection goal.

The PCSO said its revenue activities were affected because of the suspension of games following the re-imposition of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in

the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus area. Aside from this, the PCSO said it suffered a decline in sales as people lost their jobs as the economy nearly tanked.

“Two factors were identified that impacted the revenue of PCSO,” the gambling regulator said in its first quarter accomplishment report.

Govt shift to digital streams increasing

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

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HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Thursday that the government is increasingly shifting to digital streams in terms of its dayto-day transactions and services due largely to restrictions brought about by the pandemic.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said transactions using EGov Pay, an e-payment facility for taxes, permits, fees and other government obligations, rose yearon-year by over 5,000 percent in volume and almost 2,000 percent in value at end-May 2021.

“Aside from curbing revenue leaks, fostering better audit trail and enhancing transparency, the wider usage of EGov Pay is seen to promote efficiency in the country’s revenue generation efforts under the New Economy,” Diokno said.

EGov Pay transactions also increased by an average of 98 percent in volume and 126 percent in value from the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021.

Payment of fees related to securing clearances and taxes drive most of the utilization of this facility.

Also, from only two government institutions when the facility was launched in 2019, EGov Pay now has 387 government billers. According to the BSP, this translates to 90 percent of total government billers scheduled to be captured in the said digital platform for the year 2021.

Diokno said more government transactions are expected to be facilitated through EGov Pay transactions as the BSP continues to closely work with the payments industry, led by the Philippine Payments Management, Inc. to onboard government institutions and PESONet participating financial institutions.

“The sustained growth in EGov Pay transactions provides strong support to BSP initiatives to digitize person to government payments and to digitize at least half of retail payment transactions by 2023,” Diokno said.

“The EGov Pay is a testament to the government’s commitment to better serve its citizens by building an inclusive, safe and efficient digital payments ecosystem supportive of the diverse needs and capabilities of individuals and businesses, towards our vision of a cash lite economy,” he further said.

First, on March 22, 2021, the NCR Plus area was reverted back to ECQ and adhering to the IATF (InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) directives for ECQ areas affect the revenue as Lotto and other digit games as well as STL (Small Town Lottery) for those affected areas were suspended.

Second, the effect of pandemic has brought unemployment, hence, the decreased in sales, the PCSO report said. Nonetheless, PCSO’s revenues for the first quarter of this year still grew by 21 percent from P9.27 billion in the same period in 2020.

Broken down, PCSO earned the most from its lotto and digit games in the first quarter of the year, amount-

O

Association World Octavio Peralta communications are two critical pillars (and the most impactful because they are the easiest to scale with a small staff). Your online community can also be the hub for your other engagement activities.

Personalization: This is about building your “engagement ladder.”

Your members are not at the same level.

You probably have recent subscribers and have some who are growing and getting more familiar with you, a step up from the newcomers. You may also have supporters who like you and generally support you. Then there is the top level – probably one of the smallest categories—or “raving fans” who love you. As your members realize the value through increased engagement, this creates “higher love.”

The three steps to create engagement that lead to higher love are: Build your (digital) destination.

When members gather in your online community, you have the structure you need to start leading them up the engagement ladder. Your online community becomes their best resource – connect with peers to problem-solve, learn, and share resources. The more their activities in the community, the greater the value they’ll receive, and

PCSO Assistant General Manager Arnel Casas told the BusinessMirror the agency is aiming to collect this year a total of P35 billion in revenues, a 24.5-percent cut from its original target of P46.36 billion. That target was set before the declaration of ECQ that led to the suspension of lotto and STL operations in several areas nationwide.

“Since we resumed our operations, our sales have not yet reached the same level as before so we recalibrated our sales projection for this year to 35B,” Casas told the BusinessMirror.

In the first quarter of this year, PCSO provided P529.04 million as health and medical-related assistance to individuals, local gov-

ernment units and government facilities.

As part of its mandate under the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, PCSO also contributed P185.38 million since it is required to remit 50 percent of the 40 percent UHC fund pool. Aside from this, it also contributed a total of P88.542 million to the Dangerous Drugs Board and Commission and Higher Education.

The PCSO also released P63.447 million as lotto shares to local government units (LGUs) and P3.683 million as STL shares to Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and four LGUs. It also paid a total of P2.7 billion in taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Downside risk to mobile banking growth cited by Fitch

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NTERNATIONAL think tank Fitch Solutions Inc. said mobile banking in the Philippines has gained momentum recently and is expected to benefit the country, but underdeveloped digital infrastructure puts a downside risk to its growth.

In an analysis published on Thursday, the research arm of Fitch Group said the Philippines’s regulatory and demographic environments are broadly favorable of financial technology (fintech) adoption, with the country’s large, scattered population providing a sizable market on which to leverage mobile banking.

The group lauded the govern-

ment’s recent advancements to push for mobile banking in the country, particularly the efforts of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

“At Fitch Solutions, we believe the fintech market in the Philippines is weighted slightly to the upside. Mobile operators are often key enablers of fintech solutions, and banking services offered by Globe and PLDT have quickly capitalised on the country’s large unbanked population and the shift in customer behaviour accelerated by the pandemic—benefiting from first-mover advantage,” Fitch Solutions said.

The expansion of the fintech market is expected to largely benefit the country’s high unbanked population, according to Fitch Solutions.

“The lack of banked population in the Philippines does present downside risk, but as the adoption of digital financial services has grown significantly in recent years, we believe the outlook is promising,” the think tank said. While fintech has gained momentum, Fitch Solutions said there are still pitfalls to look after in the industry.

“We caution that the fintech market in the Philippines is still fairly immature, particularly when compared to its neighbors, most of which record

higher proportions of mobile banking customers and already have more developed fintech infrastructure. As a result, we believe the opportunity for Filipino mobile banking operations to expand outwards to neighboring countries is fairly limited,” the think tank said.

“Also adding downside risk is the relatively undeveloped digital infrastructure nationwide. Fixed broadband is extremely limited across the archipelago and users often experience noticeable latency. As such, drivers of digital payments uptake like ecommerce use is restricted and often a frustrating experience,” it added.

Bianca Cuaresma

Singson’s tobacco tax remarks blasted by think tank

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conomic think tank Action for Economic Reforms (AER) slammed Ilocos Sur Mayor Chavit Singson for criticizing the recent tobacco-tax increases.

In a radio interview, Singson claimed that Senator Manny Pacquiao should not have pushed for higher tobacco taxes, as high tax rates would “kill the tobacco industry.” “Anything na sobra, masama. Dapat marunong siya magbalanse,” Singson was said to have stated over the program. [Anything extreme is bad. He must know how to balance.]

“We agree with Singson that too much of anything is bad. There are too many Filipino lives lost yearly due to

Creating ‘higher love’ in member engagement

F the three aspects in association membership management—recruitment, engagement, and retention—I find engagement as the most challenging. This is made more imperative now due to the pandemic, as members long for connection and care.

Member engagement is an activity that connects your members to your association. Engagement can be made through many channels and touch points. There are tools and technologies available today to maximize impact and create efficiencies of scale.

This was the premise of our recent webinar, “Bring Me Higher Love: Creating Customer and Member Loyalty Through Engagement,” that featured Robert Barnes, CAE, Country Manager, Asia-Pacific at Higher Logic Australia, as speaker. Here are my key takeaways from Robert’s presentation: Many-to-Many: This is about scalability. Many-to-many or one-tomany is a way to draw in members by having them engage with each other.

Automated email campaigns allow you to connect multiple messages and audiences with targeting and cadences you define, while an online community is the perfect partnership of human interaction and advanced technology.

Omni-channel: This means hybrid. An engagement strategy should combine multiple programs to make it truly robust. Online community engagement and personalized email

ing to P5.756 billion, up by 15 percent from last year’s P4.99 billion.

Taking the next spot after lotto and digit games is STL wherein PCSO earned P5.12 billion, a 35-percent jump from P3.8 billion last year.

Meanwhile, PCSO generated P250 million in revenues from its National Instant Sweepstakes Program.

This was an 18-percent climb from P212.37 million the same quarter last year.

As for Keno, the agency reported a 43-percent year-on-year drop in revenues for the first quarter to P122.73 million from P216.24 million.

To address its “inadequate” revenue generation for the first quarter, PCSO vowed to explore other betting platforms.

the greater the value your association will get in return or “return on engagement” (ROE).

Keep them coming back. Behind a great engagement strategy is a great content strategy. This means more than just the content items themselves, but also involves segmenting and personalizing who gets what.

So your online community content should focus on the users’ interests and trying to get them to participate again in another area. This is also where community personalization comes in handy.

Take them on a personalized journey. Encourage your members to get more and more involved, both in the community and with your association as a whole. When they enter the community for the first time, use segmenting to show them exactly the right content for their product, level, etc. A special segmentation tool can take information from your member database and translate it into the community member’s view.

The column contributor, Octavio “Bobby” Peralta, is Founder & CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives and concurrently, President of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizations. The purpose of PCAAE—the “association of associations”—is to advance the association management profession and to make associations well-governed and sustainable. PCAAE enjoys the support of the Tourism Promotions Board, the Philippine International Convention Center and the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific. E-mail: obp@adfiap.org

smoking—this is why we need to raise tobacco taxes,” AER economist Arjay Mercado said.

Annually, about 100,000 Filipinos die of tobacco-related diseases, and the economic cost of smoking is estimated to be P210 billion (Dans and Fajutrao, 2015). The economic impact of lost productivity, early death, and disability caused by smoking also impedes our national development. Thus, Mercado claimed that tobacco should be taxed at a high rate to drive up cigarette prices and prevent new smokers, especially the young and the poor, from starting the addictive habit.

Smoking prevalence among adults in the Philippines dropped from 25 per-

cent in 2013 to 19.9 percent in 2019, showing the effectiveness of the series of disruptive tax rate increases.

Mercado addressed Singson’s claim of high tobacco taxes “killing the tobacco industry” by citing the Tobacco Tax Law of 2019, which mandates that 5 percent of incremental revenues from tobacco tax are allocated towards programs empowering the livelihood of tobacco farmers and workers. “If Singson is concerned over the livelihood of tobacco industry workers, it is the local governments of tobacco-growing provinces, like Ilocos Sur, which Singson governs, that are responsible for properly allocating these funds so that farmers are fully supported and

can reap the benefits of higher taxes,” Mercado said.

Aside from providing support to tobacco farmers, tobacco tax revenues are also allocated towards funding for universal health care and other health expenditures, which proved to be crucial during this pandemic, according to Mercado. The 2019 Sin Tax Law Annual Report shows that 55 percent of the DOH budget came from sin tax revenues alone.

“As the funding gap for universal health care remains and we expect at least 1,000,000 new smokers by 2022 due to increasing incomes, tobacco taxes need to be raised even further,” Mercado said.

More finance topics in K-12 syllabus

By Claudeth S. Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

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O improve the financial literacy and capacity of its learners, teachers and personnel, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced last Thursday it has expanded and intensified the integration of financial education in the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, through the Bureau of Curriculum Development (BCD), which will also enable them to acquire financial health and financial inclusion.

DepEd’s move stemmed after a recent studies showing that Filipinos struggle to understand basic financial concepts, with a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey showing that 41 percent of Filipinos can only answer one of three financial literacy questions correctly and a meager eight percent can answer three.

Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones stressed that financial education is “vital” in developing a “financially literate citizenry, empowering them to make wise financial decisions, take advantage of economic opportunities, and achieve financial health.”

“Financial literate citizens can contribute more productively to inclusive growth and be more effective agents of nation building,” Briones said.

DepEd issued its Financial Education Policy under DepEd Order

022, series of 2021 which aims to help learners and teaching and nonteaching personnel to make sound financial decisions by making Financial Education an essential part of school lessons and activities for learners and provision of capability building opportunities for teaching and non-teaching personnel.

According to BCD Director Jocelyn D.R. Andaya, the financial concepts and core messages shall be integrated without changing the existing learning competencies in the learning areas of K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum. There shall be no changes in the content standards of each learning area during the integration process.

Andaya also encouraged educators to be “reflective, flexible, creative, and innovative” in the delivery of lessons by using drills, exercises, activities, examples of real-life financial experiences and concepts, valuing the process of making financial decisions, contextualized financial situations, and environment, and other performance output.

Under the said policy, the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), the Teacher Education Council (TEC)-Secretariat for teachers-in-training, and the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development (BHROD) will give appropriate capacity and competency building activities to teachers, leaders, teachers-in-training, and non-teaching personnel.

The trainings will address both professional development and personal training needs of DepEd personnel and equip them with knowledge on financial education concepts, core messages as well as helping them to hone their own financial management skills, which is anchored on the objective of DepEd in producing financially literate and debt free teaching and non-teaching force.

Meanwhile, learners will be taught key financial concepts and skills on earning, saving, spending, budgeting, donating, investing, planning, consumer protection and entrepreneurship. They will also learn and understand the value of money and resources, how they are acquired, how to plan and manage assets, and how to save and share.

Learners will also be taught how to open a savings account and help manage their resources prudently, which helps them apply these concepts in real life—which is one of the policy’s key objectives.

Serving as a guide for both public and private school heads and teachers, the policy covers all learners from public and private elementary, junior and senior high schools, learning centers for Special Education and Alternative Learning Systems, and Indigenous Learning Systems and Madrasah Education Program while the laboratory schools of State Colleges and Universities and local colleges and universities are encouraged to adopt this policy.

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Why vacations feel like they’re over before they even start PHOTO BY JULI KOSOLAPOVA ON UNSPLASH

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By Selin Malkoc The Ohio State University

OR many people, summer vacation can’t come soon enough—especially for those who canceled their summer plans last year due to the pandemic.

But when a vacation approaches, do you ever get the feeling that it’s almost over before it starts?

If so, you’re not alone.

In some recent studies Gabriela Tonietto, Sam Maglio, Eric VanEpps and I conducted, we found that about half of the people we surveyed indicated that their upcoming weekend trip felt like it would end as soon as it started.

This feeling can have a ripple effect. It can change the way trips are planned—you might, for example, be less likely to schedule extra activities. At the same time, you might be more likely to splurge on an expensive dinner because you want to make the best of the little time you think you have.

Where does this tendency come from? And can it be avoided?

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

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CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kiely Williams, 35; Fred Savage, 45; Jack White, 46; Tom Hanks, 65.

Happy Birthday: Communication will be your passage to new beginnings. Expand your mind; travel mentally, emotionally and physically while searching for personal enlightenment and the truth. Consider what makes you happy, and find a way to satisfy your needs.

Set high standards, and make the adjustments that will bring you peace of mind. Take control, ease stress and live life your way. Your numbers are 5, 17, 24, 26, 31, 37, 45.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t poke someone who is upset. Go about your business, and get involved in activities that help you dodge trouble. A kind gesture or word will help ease any tension that mounts throughout the day. Choose love over discord. HH

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take care of your responsibilities before someone complains. Be aware of other people’s feelings, and take a moment to comfort someone who needs help or reassurance. An opportunity will come your way through a colleague or an old friend. HHHH

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Choose your words carefully. Someone will misinterpret you if you aren’t clear. Let your actions verify your comments. You won’t please everyone, but you will avoid a costly error. Don’t lose sight of your long-term goal. HHH

NOT ALL EVENTS ARE CREATED EQUAL WHEN people look forward to something, they usually want it to happen as soon as possible and last as long as possible.

We first explored the effect of this attitude in the context of Thanksgiving.

We chose Thanksgiving because almost everyone in the US celebrates it, but not everyone looks forward to it. Some people love the annual family get-together.

Others—whether it’s the stress of cooking, the tedium of cleaning or the anxiety of dealing with family drama—dread it.

So on the Monday before Thanksgiving in 2019, we surveyed 510 people online and asked them to tell us whether they were looking forward to the holiday.

Then we asked them how far away it seemed, and how long they felt it would last. We had them move a 100-point slider—zero meaning very short and 100 meaning very long—to a location that reflected their feelings.

As we suspected, the more participants looked forward to their Thanksgiving festivities, the farther away it seemed and shorter it felt. Ironically, longing for something seems to shrink its duration in the mind’s eye.

As a result, people tend to reflexively assume that fun events—like vacations—will go by really quickly.

Meanwhile, pining for something can make the time leading up to the event seem to drag.

The combination of its beginning pushed farther away in their minds—with its end pulled closer— resulted in our participants’ anticipating that something they looked forward would feel as if it had almost no duration at all.

In another study, we asked participants to imagine going on a weekend trip that they either expected to be fun or terrible. We then asked them how far away the start and end of this trip felt like using a similar zero to 100 scale. Forty-six percent of participants evaluated the positive weekend as feeling like it had no duration at all: They marked the beginning and the end of the vacation virtually at the same location when using the slider scale.

WINDING THE MIND’S CLOCK MOST people believe the idiom “time flies when you’re having fun,” and research has, indeed, shown that when time seems to pass by quickly, people assume the task must have been engaging and enjoyable. We reasoned that people might be overapplying their assumption about the relationship between time and fun when judging the duration of events yet to happen.

THINKING IN HOURS AND DAYS OUR goal was to show how these two judgments of an event—the fact that it simultaneously seems farther away and is assumed to last for less time—can nearly eliminate the event’s duration in the mind’s eye.

We reasoned that if we didn’t explicitly highlight these two separate pieces—and instead directly asked them about the duration of the event—a smaller portion of people would indicate virtually no duration

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Emotions will surface, leaving it up to you to make intelligent decisions. Get the lowdown before you make a move, and you’ll avoid making a mistake based on invalid information. Change begins with you. Evaluate, reflect and take care of business. HHH

for something they looked forward to.

We tested this theory in another study, in which we told participants that they would watch two fiveminute-long videos back-to-back. We described the second video as either humorous or boring, and then asked them how long they thought each video would feel like it lasted.

We found that the participants predicted that the funny video would still feel shorter and was farther away than the boring one. But we also found that participants believed it would last a bit longer than the responses we received in the earlier studies.

This finding gives us a way to overcome this biased perception: focus on the actual duration. Because in this study, participants directly reported how long the funny video would last—and not the perceived distance of its beginning and its end—they were far less likely to assume it would be over just as it started.

While it sounds trivial and obvious, we often rely on our subjective feelings—not objective measures of time—when deciding how long a period of time will feel and how to best use it.

So when looking forward to much-anticipated events like vacations, it’s important to remind yourself just how many days it will last.

You’ll get more out of the experience—and, hopefully, put yourself in a better position to take advantage of the time you do have. THE CONVERSATION

Seven tips to improve concentration while working from home IN the shift to work from home with no direct supervision, distractions can be a challenge that results in low productivity. This could come in the form of never-ending social media scrolling and other various temptations which affect efficiency and performance.

With the belief that concentration may still be achieved amid distractions, the Benilde Well-Being Center of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde shared key reminders from Mind Tools, a network that guides professionals to become confident communicators, improve their leadership skills and become better managers.

Here are seven tips to improve concentration: n NUTRITION. Start your day with a well-rounded

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breakfast. Keep healthy snacks at your table such as crackers and fresh fruits. Drink water and stay hydrated. n ENVIRONMENT. A welcoming setup in your personal work environment makes you feel productive. Make certain you are relaxed in your chair and desk. Remember: when you are uncomfortable, you’ll have more excuses to get up and walk away. n MINDSET. It is common to have constant distractions whenever or wherever you work. Note down your worries and set time to deal with it. n PRIORITIES. Maximize your concentration. Take 10 to 15 minutes to create a to-do list. Schedule your activities around energy levels. Accomplish the hardest tasks when

you’re most alert. n BOUNDARIES. It is important to let others know that you need to focus. Put up a Do Not Disturb sign in your workspace if possible. Otherwise, use a headset with ambient noise, sounds of ocean waves or rain. n SHORT BREAKS. Our minds can struggle to focus intensely for eight hours a day. Divide your work into onehour segments with five- to 10-minute breaks in between. Get up and move around. A regular exercise such as walking also increases your focus during the day. n REWARDS. Promise yourself a reward as it can be a great motivator. For instance, you may get a cup of coffee after working intensively for 45 minutes.

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Pay attention and give praise to show appreciation. A kind gesture will ease tension and encourage others to share information with you. You are better off not making a change unnecessarily. HHH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ll have difficulty choosing between what you want and what you are supposed to do. Talk to someone you have helped in the past, and you’ll receive the help you need so you can do something that brings you joy. HHHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Listen to grievances, and be patient with others. The less fuss, the more you’ll achieve. Channel your energy into something that offers incentives and helps you gain the experience required to pursue something that excites you. New beginnings look promising. HH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A financial saving is possible if you make environmental upgrades to your home or you cut your overhead by eliminating something you no longer use or need. HHHHH

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do something physical, and you’ll feel good about yourself. A healthy lifestyle will help you dump bad habits and attract people striving to do their best.

Love is favored, and romance will bring you closer to someone special. HHH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Make positive changes at home, and it will bring you closer to the people you care about most. A meaningful relationship will reach new levels if you discuss your intentions and put your plans in motion. HHH

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep your distance from those known to take unnecessary health risks. Protect yourself and loved ones from precarious situations. Put in place a plan that offers a good time with safety precautions.

Romance is encouraged. HHH

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll gain insight into what others want. Do what you can to accommodate, but make sure you get what you want in return. Share your feelings, and find out where you stand. HHHHH Birthday Baby: You are dedicated, passionate and curious.

You are determined and opportunistic.

‘meet in the middle’ by carly schuna The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Young doggos 5 Skillful 9 Exposes 14 Cute in a nerdy way 16 “The early bird gets the worm,” e.g.

17 Adele’s “21” or Beyonce’s “4” 18 (Bam!) 19 Show with sketches, for short 20 Word of consent 21 Chick that puffs up in the microwave 23 Words of commitment 25 It’s different from gender 26 Hatcher of Desperate Housewives 30 They never blow parallel to something 32 At sea 34 Half a board at ORD 35 Acadia SUV maker 36 Fill with bubbles 37 Pullup muscle, briefly 38 Sharing in multiple Facebook groups, say 40 Ronan Farrow’s mom 41 Like some ties or earrings 43 State south of Mich.

44 Lass

5 Be determined by 4 47 Skull’s companion 48 Epic account 49 Largest number in hopscotch 50 Civil rights activist ___ B. Wells 51 Turn’s companion 53 Jacuzzi nozzle 55 Up to, informally 58 Baseball legend Hank 61 Fruity cocktail 64 “Sure, however...”

65 This puzzle, or either answer in each pair of starred entries?

66 Egypt’s capital 67 Publicize heavily 68 Small bills DOWN 1 Go by 2 Chewy Japanese noodle 3 Transferring small grains between flower varieties 4 Sellout sign: Abbr.

5 Broad valley 6 Abates 7 Illness with a seasonal vaccine 8 What no one is happy to lose?

9 Sunbathe too long 10 Useful gadget for an international trip 11 Cardi B’s genre 12 Sense of self 13 Work on a hem, perhaps 15 Flattens on the mat 22 Get bigger 24 Deg. you get after training with drills?

25 2D slice 27 Aggressive interrogation 28 Go to bed 29 Lofty goals 30 Grape juice brand 31 Roma’s country 32 Nighttime hrs.

33 Part of a journey 35 Erupt into applause, informally 38 The Raven writer 39 Traveler’s stop 42 FedEx Cup’s links org.

44 Deity 46 Passover 47 Nibbles 52 Aware of 53 Music genre that’s big in Tokyo 54 “What ___ is there?”

6 About, on a memo 5 57 Pot tops 58 Youngest-ever congresswoman’s initials 59 Alias letters 60 One of 58-Across’ record 2,297: Abbr.

62 Snoop 63 Number of words in this clue?

Solution to Tuesday’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

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Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Friday, July 9, 2021

CONTROVERSIAL

THE actress’s transfer to another network was controversial and has generated a lot of hate. It’s been alleged that she left a project hanging and her former network has already spent a lot of money on it. The actress defended her decision, saying that she told her former bosses about the transfer even before it happened. Who can really blame the actress for transferring? She was reportedly offered hundreds of millions in her new contract. She is also a breadwinner and while she isn’t poor, nobody knows if her house and other properties are already fully paid for. For all we know, they’re all mortgaged. But people from the network she left are complaining because the crew and staff of the project she allegedly left behind are now left jobless, at least temporarily.

SHE GHOSTED HIM Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is now streaming on Netflix.

Beauty in death, violence in love

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ction in Rurouni Kenshin: The Final blazes and seethes. In this world, space has seemingly forgotten its primacy over human movement and gravity. This is a film—or the film—whose makers knew already which button to push and we have nothing else to do but to react when swords cut across faces, and time is suspended for us to feel skill and grace—or even the sacred and the poetic—in moments that are about destruction and pain.

Kenshin is a ronin, a term that has entered the vocabulary of all samurai otaku (fan or obsessed fanatic). A ronin is a samurai without a master; this is the romance of history. No one talks about the disappearance or abolition of the “han” or domains— those large pieces of land that supply the wealth to a castle town; this is the politics of Kenshin.

Kenshin, of course, has a double claim to exoticism because he is called a “rurounin,” a name that is coined by the writer, Watsuki Nobuhiro. Combining “ruru” with “ronin,” he comes up with a wanderer.

But this is just one of the many ways of looking at Kenshin. We can dwell on his name, which means “a change of heart.” Wouldn’t that be more appropriate for this tale about the sea change taking place in 1879, or the years before that? We cannot stop there as Kenshin is also dubbed the “Battosai,” which refers to one who draws swords. Hidden is the label before that, Hitokiri, or the manslayer, the one who cuts (kiri) a man.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final opens with the bloodiest

battle between those defending the shogun, the Bakumatsu, and those fighting to bring back to power the emperor. This is the battle where the Tokugawa shogunate encounters the pro-Imperial forces, with the latter emerging victorious.

There is chaos in the air during these years. The shogun resigns and hands over the power to the Emperor who is 14 years old (some say, 15 or 16) during this period, and not exactly healthy. Later, the shogun rescinds the resignation but it is too late.

Thus, in that most dramatic and heady opening, Kenshin throws his sword down as he accepts with resignation the arrival of a new era. As he is about to walk away, another warrior, Saito Hajime, sees him and declares how he will continue to fight. Kenshin vanishes. When we see him next, he is Himura Kenshin, an ordinary man, a wanderer.

The next scene re-introduces Saito Hajime, the samurai who saw Kenshin give up his sword. Hajime is already part of the police force.

Hajime is at the train station because he is looking for Yukishiro Enishi. Fresh from Shanghai and working with the mafia from that place, Enishi is also looking for someone—Himura Kenshin.

Enishi shows his fighting form. Awesome. But he allows himself to be arrested by the police officer, Hajime. This is a new world. There are treaties now between Japan and China, in this case, between Japan and Shanghai. Enishi is released.

Bombings take place. Edo is in chaos. Kenshin is forced to come out and fight even if he carries a “sakabato”, a reverse-blade sword. Remember, when Kenshin leaves his sword half-buried in the ground, he swears not to kill again. The sword he carries is meant to neutralize the enemy, not to kill him.

I stop telling the story at this point for fear that I may inadvertently release spoilers.

Allow me to share my awe in the fight scenes of this Kenshin. We are in the moment of these fighters who float and flit with the angst and grandeur of the majestic stereotypes created out of manga and anime plus all those wonderful “chambara” (swordsfight) from Mizoguchi to Kurosawa Akira and, do not forget,

the master of gore, Hideo Gosha.

Consider, too, the many facets of Kenshin and why we are lost in his charm. Kenshin remains part of the “shonen” tradition, those everlastingly young male heroes. Slightly older perhaps, Kenshin, as played by Takeru Satoh, fulfils the requisites of the beautiful male. With that alluring red hair, Kenshin is no more the samurai with the shaved head. Recall: In Gohatto by the irrepressible and legendary Oshima Nagisa (In the Realm of Passion; In the Realm of the Senses), the unshaved locks of a young warrior awaken the daddy in the heart of many of the tested brave samurai.

In Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, Kenshin meets up with an enemy, Enishi. In the pure loveliness of Mackenyu, Enishi is both an enemy and a lover. There is a complexity: Enishi seems obsessed with his sister.

But allow me not to continue with the narrative and instead focus on the pacing of the film.

Notice how the breathtaking action scenes suddenly cease as the screen fills up with quiet moments. It is as if we are thrust into the Japanese aesthetic of “Jo-ha-kyu.” This philosophical principle is about effacement, modulation and movement. It can be expressed in the form of a “beginning,” a “break,” and a “rapid” action. This is about building up and quickly terminating.

Be stunned with the leaps, which escalate into hacking, which ends with Kenshin, his head tilted, his weight on one foot, and the other splayed. Gaze at how the “hakama,” the skirt-like part worn over the kimono, is arrayed with bravado. This dress aesthetic is reserved for Kenshin. Mackenyu/Enishi may have the mie (extreme close-ups) but he is devoid of any link to a cultured past. Think Zen. Think Noh. Think Kabuki.

But where is the change that Kenshin embraces at the start? It is there—spoiler alert—when he extends his hand to the girl he now loves. This samurai can love. In the perfect world of men, the perfect man has allowed the entry of a woman.

Rurouni Kenshin:The Final premiered on April 23, 2021 in Japanese theaters. It was released on Netflix on June 18, 2021. n

SO it’s true that this beautiful girl, who has showbiz aspirations, ghosted her longtime boyfriend just like that upon the advice of people who said the BF would just be dead weight in her new journey. What happened though was that no one showed any interest in the beautiful girl. To showbiz insiders, her personality seemed boring and not worthy of interest. Everybody is so surprised at the beautiful girl’s ruthlessness because they all saw her as a simple lass from the province. Well, she may be a simple lass from the province but she has big ambitions.

SEEKING CLOUT

THE female star has been bashed by detractors online for being an attention-seeker as she kept posting videos of her and her boyfriend. But this girl is smart. What she did was to start posting about her son (not her BF’s) to get more likes and even influencer gigs. The son’s dad can’t do anything because even when he and the actress were together, she kind of wore the pants in the relationship, so to speak. Also, while her BF is kind enough to defend the boy’s dad from bashers, the actress just lets the public believe that her son’s father is a deadbeat.

NEW LOVE INTEREST

THE actor has been to hell and back because of his previous relationship but according to the grapevine, he has a love life and his love interest is reportedly a single mom who also has a scandalous past involving an older celebrity and her younger husband. The new love interest is also an actress who’s had a steady career all these years, thanks to her face which makes her the perfect villain. In real life though, she is a nice person and a loving mother. She is also sensible and doesn’t have any vices and this leads people to wonder. The actor is known for having a lot of vices, including drinking heavily and even allegedly indulging in recreational drugs. Will this relationship last? Let’s wait and see.

Bea Alonzo moves into a new home Award-winning actress Bea Alonzo has embarked on a new chapter in her career as she inked a contract with GMA Network on July 1.

Bea was welcomed in full force by GMA executives via Zoom, video messages and their presence at the Garden Ballroom of Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.

GMA president and COO Gilberto R. Duavit Jr., executive vice president and CFO Felipe S. Yalong, GMA Films Inc. president and programming consultant to the chairman and CEO Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, senior vice president for GMA entertainment group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, senior vice president for corporate strategic planning and business development, concurrent chief risk officer, and head of program support Regie C. Bautista, first vice president for program management Jose Mari R. Abacan, first vice president and head of international operations Joseph T. Francia, first vice president and head of Regional TV and Synergy Oliver B. Amoroso, and first vice president for drama productions Redgie A. Magno were among the network’s top executes who welcomed Bea warmly.

Bea’s manager Shirley Kuan was also present via Zoom for the occasion. The actress thanked GMA for the warm welcome, and also expressed her hopes to continue catering to the Filipino audience’s desire for entertainment, especially in trying times like this.

“Thank you for putting in the hard work to be able to create this beautiful event for me as a welcome.

Thank you for making me feel special today. As you all know, this is one of the biggest decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life. And if there is anything that I have learned during the pandemic, it is that life is short and that we only live once. And we have to seize every moment, we have to seize opportunities, and we have to be able to embrace change. Ngayon pa lang, nagpapasalamat na po ako sa aking GMA bosses for opening new doors for me. I am beyond excited that today I can finally say I am officially a Kapuso. To new beginnings.”

GMA Network chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon expressed his delight in welcoming the actress: “Welcome to GMA, Bea. We are pleased that you are now a Kapuso and because you are undoubtedly one of the best actresses of your generation, I am sure that there will be plenty of opportunities for you here in GMA. Your many fans will be thrilled to see the projects that we have lined-up for you.”

Duavit, meanwhile, assured Bea and her fans that there are exciting times ahead for her career under GMA, “We are all very pleased, very happy, that you are now a Kapuso. At tulad ng nabanggit mo kanina na ito ay isang mahalagang desisyon sa buhay mo, kaming lahat ay nagpapasalamat sa’yo sa tiwalang ibinigay mo sa amin.

Makakaasa ka, Bea, na kaming lahat dito sa GMA at ang mga tagahanga mo ay nagkakaisa at sinisiguro namin na itong mga darating na taon na magiging magkasama tayo ay magiging fulfilling at magiging masaya para sa ’yo.”

Yalong conveyed his excitement for Bea’s upcoming projects, “I’m sure your fans are excited for your new programs in GMA. There’s a lot in store for you here and we hope that you are also excited to be part of our family. Welcome, Kapuso!”

Gozon-Valdes, on the other hand, is thrilled to see Bea in her upcoming projects with the network, “Bea is one of the best actresses of her generation. We already know what she can offer in drama, romance, even in comedy. So we’re very excited for her new and upcoming projects with GMA. I’m sure her fans are very happy and very excited, as well. Welcome to GMA, Bea.” Rasonable, in turn, revealed that everyone in the network is equally ecstatic to have Bea on board, “Everyone in this room, including myself, feels so great to call you a Kapuso. We are so excited to meet with you, discuss your projects with you, and do a lot of great work together. So we hope you will enjoy the ride here in GMA.” Bea is set to headline the Philippine adaptation of the hit Korean film A Moment to Remember with Alden Richards. Aside from this, she will star in an upcoming prime-time series on GMA.

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B6 Friday, July 9, 2021

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Consult doctors on TV: KonsultaMD, Huawei take telemedicine to Pinoy homes

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ILIPINOS nationwide may now talk to a doctor via their TV sets right from the comfort of their homes. Healthtech company KonsultaMD and global ICT and smart devices company Huawei Philippines bring medical consultations right into the home, for added security from the pandemic.

A free two-month KonsultaMD subscription will be included in every purchase of Huawei Vision S TV -- the first “future TV'' in the Philippines. This complementary health service gives customers 24/7 unlimited access to licensed doctors via voice or video call

with no appointment needed.

For a more immersive and realistic meeting with a KonsultaMD doctor, customers may enjoy Huawei Vision S TV’s crystal clear resolution with 13-megapixel magnetic camera. They can switch effortlessly from watching free TV or streaming their favorite shows to accessing the KonsultaMD app. Soon, the KonsultaMD app will be present in all existing and new Huawei devices.

“Telehealth is relevant now more than ever. We are glad to partner with Huawei to give customers various ways to access this service, without having to

leave their homes. Due to COVID-19, everyone needs to be extra careful of our health to avoid contracting or spreading the virus. KonsultaMD provides them the protection and peace of mind they need,” said KonsultaMD Chief Operating Officer Cholo Tagaysay.

KonsultaMD offers consultations on general medicine, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, psychology and psychiatry, dermatology, ophthalmology, dentistry, and surgery. It also provides digital management of health records, e-prescriptions, e-laboratory requests, e-referrals, and mental health support.

For those who want to continue their subscription, plans are available for as low as P60 a month at the KonsultaMD app, the KonsultaMD website (https://www.konsulta.md/), or by calling (02) 7798-8000.

For more info about Huawei Vision S TV, visit the Huawei Philippines Website (https://consumer.huawei. com/ph/visions/s/).

KonsultaMD is a portfolio company of 917Ventures, the country’s largest corporate venture builder and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe.

Mall and building owners support ‘Safe Spaces,’ target 80% herd immunity in workplaces

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N a meeting with the country's major mall and building owners, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo Founder Joey Concepcion garnered support for his proposal to champion and to finally establish “safe spaces” as a means to create herd immunity in areas where the private sector has control like office buildings, factories, mall, etc. This so-called ‘safe spaces' means achieving around 80% fully vaccinated people in buildings and workplaces to bring back its operational capacity from the current 50% to close to full capacity.

Various suggestions were brought forward in the said meeting which includes President and CEO of Filinvest Land Inc. Josephine Yap, Chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Hans Sy, Chairman of Ayala Property Management Corp. Bobby Dy, CEO of Alliance Global Inc. Kevin Tan, President and CEO of Robinsons Land Corp.

Frederick Go, and Senior Vice President For Mixed-Use, HRB/Niche and Retail of Filinvest Land Inc. Joey Santos.

“We would like to propose to the government to allow us to implement safe spaces with an increased workforce capacity as soon as we reach 80% vaccination or herd immunity in our respective buildings. Creating safe spaces will allow us to stop transmission, the spread of new variants, and even indirectly provide immunity to the unvaccinated. We want to send a clear message that workspaces are ‘safe spaces.’ We are also currently working on a roadmap that will set the milestones for our economic recovery, that’s why we are discussing ideas such as safe spaces, among other ideas, as we

would integrate this into our roadmap which will give the picture of how our economy could move as we achieve population protection then herd immunity,” Concepcion said.

Concepcion firmly believes that this will eventually help kickstart the economy, as the entire country is currently highly expectant of fully recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic amid streamlined vaccination rollouts.

As Concepcion mentioned, safe spaces provide an additional layer of safety for everyone and allows private establishments to optimize their operation. “We are still under the consultation stage and safe spaces is just one of the ideas being floated around as we expect to achieve population protection by September/ October in NCR Plus. We are looking at safe spaces as a private sector initiative that could be adopted at the discretion of the owners of the establishments— buildings, malls, factories, etc.”

Expecting greater transportation needs as establishments start to adopt safe spaces, Bobby Dy suggested that the current limitation on our country’s public transportation may be eased, following the influx of people that safe spaces may bring once already in effect. He added that the demand for mobility that safe spaces may bring must be efficiently met by also allowing increased capacity on the country’s public transportation.

Mall owners are currently proactively allowing their establishments to be used as vaccine centers, partnering with various LGUs and advocacy groups like Go Negosyo. Echoing mall owners that are part of this initiative,

Hans Sy mentioned “this is our part in trying to help our country with the pandemic and the current need for more vaccination facilities.” SM amongst other malls are also active in convincing and encouraging their workers to get vaccinated—with 90% of SM employees already vaccinated.

Following government guidelines and advice, mall and building owners affirmed that they constantly take into account all the suggestions coming from the medical experts in any step they take during the current pandemic.

In opening certain entertainment areas like movie theaters, Frederick Go says that it could be considered later on, maybe until we reach herd immunity.

Questions on what certain milestones should be achieved for certain age groups of minors to be allowed to go outside and enter malls were also put on the table. Inconclusive at the moment, what is certain right now is that Vaccine Czar Sec. Carlito Galvez is reserving Pfizer doses should the country start inoculating the minors.

“Considering always that the Delta variant is a threat, we must take the vaccine as this is the only way we can defeat Delta. We need to secure our victory against Delta because it is only through this that we can attain population protection by September/ October in NCR plus, then herd immunity before the year ends. We need to reach certain milestones so we can operationalize our roadmap which would start our economic revival, save our MSMEs, and enable us to have a Merry Christmas this year and start a great new year in 2022,” Concepcion advocated.

I

N these uncertain times, Filipinos have to be prepared for any eventuality and for any emergency. Unexpected expenses, the reduction of employment opportunities and security, coupled with keeping one’s family safe and in the peak of health are reasons why Villarica Pawnshop, one of the country’s leading pawnshops wishes to remind every Filipino that every peso counts.

Since 1954, the company has been providing Filipinos in need of instant cash, offering higher appraisal rates in their more than 600 branches nationwide versus other pawnshops.

Villarica Pawnshop continues to offer the highest appraisal rates for pawned items at no service charge. This means that Filipinos get the full appraised value for the items and the cash when people need it most, no hassle, no hidden charges.

Mr. Lester Villarica in previous statements have said that in support of the Filipino people in these difficult times, Villarica Pawnshop aside from not collecting service charge from its clients, has gone further by providing the most liberal terms

and conditions such as the highest appraisal on all their loans with lower interest rates than the rates charged by majority of pawnshops in any given area of competition.

A financial expert in www.upfinance. com Shiela May Gasatan in a statement said, “Overall, pawnshops are very helpful as they have become one of the financial refuges of many Filipinos, even before the pandemic.”

She further said, “One of the fastest ways of getting quick cash during hard times is to pawn your valuables. And of course, this became one of the top options of the Filipinos as a financial lifeguard amidst the pandemic.”

This statement was never truer than in 2020 at the height of the lockdown and the pandemic, where the purpose of the pawnshop industry has transformed in the eyes of the Filipino public. Pawnshops have become quick access locations for cash especially in underserved areas by banks and financial institutions.

To learn more about Villarica Pawnshop and how Villarica can help you during this time of the pandemic, visit www.villaricapawnshop. ph for more information.

‘The Little Big Art Show’ takes on history, love, and freedom

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INTANA.PH, an online art gallery based in the Philippines, will be launching “The Little Big Art Show” group exhibition this July 12. The show will exhibit astonishing creations from the minds and hands of a select group of artists, diving deep into the heart of obsession, history, solitude, freedom, rebellion, love, and loss amid a precarious era.

This online group exhibition includes the works of Pardo de Leon, Jonathan Ching, Julie Lluch, Kiko Escora, Ernest Concepcion, Iggy Rodriguez, Lena Cobangbang, Paolo Icasas, Ehrran Montoya, Tin Garcia, Jucar Raquepo, Krista Nogueras, Denver Garza, Arvin Flores, IshaNaguiat, Tom Bucag, and Mai Saporsantos. While staying true to their oeuvre, each work embraces the cult of genius, whether they’re extracting from formalist structures or breaking away from conventional themes.

Angela Gaddi, Vintana’s co-founder, said that Vintana was built on the back of a cultural awakening to a massive cache of Filipino talent that has thus far been kept hidden and inaccessible to a wider audience.

Filipino artists have been making their mark in the international arts scene, with their works gracing galleries, museums, and private collections all over the world. This recognition compels Vintana to support local artists and provide them with an alternative and easy-to-

use venue to feature their work.

“We recognize the gift of homegrown talent. At Vintana, we believe that the world deserves to see what Filipino artists are truly capable of,” Gaddi added.

For more information, contact 0917-5970421 or email angela@vintana.ph. Visit www. vintana.ph and see the virtual exhibit, and take a look at their featured artworks and artists, past exhibits, and other expositions on Philippine contemporary art.

MVP Group activates its PLDT Sta. Ana vaccination site

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LDT Sta. Ana Warehouse vaccination site is the second launch three days after the ceremonial launch at the Meralco Compound in Pasig. This is part of the pilot NCR+ locations that will administer vaccines to over 60,000 employees from companies under the leadership of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan. The MVP Group #WeGotYourVac program also offers vaccines to employees' dependents and household members.

Present at the first day of vaccinations at PLDT Sta Ana were: (1st row, L-R) Manila Health Department Director Dr. Arnold "Poks" Pangan, PLDT and Smart President and CEO

Alfredo S. Panlilio; (2nd row, L-R) PLDT and Smart FVP and Group Head of Corporate Communications Cathy Yap-Yang, PLDT Chief Financial Officer and MVP VTF Finance Head Annabelle Chua, PLDT Chief Procurement Officer and MVP VTF Procurement Head Os L. Dela Paz, PLDT Chief People Officer and MVP VTF Co-Chairperson Gina P. Ordonez; (3rd row, L-R) Metro Pacific Hospitals Chief Operating Officer and MVP VTF CoChairperson Dr. Jeffrey Staples, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital President Paul Camangian, and Deputy to Chairman MVP for the Vaccine Task Force Ricky P. Vargas.

Sports BusinessMirror

Editor: Jun Lomibao | mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

No ‘Mommy ‘D’ to root for Manny in Las Vegas fight

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IONESIA PACQUIAO, popularly known as Mommy Dionesia or Mommy D, won’t be at ringside to root for her son Manny Pacquiao in his title fight with unified champion Errol Spence Jr. on August 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I think she’s not going to travel to the US because of the long hours of travel and we cannot afford her to get tired that much,” her other son, Overseas Filipino Workers Partylist Rep. Bobby told BusinessMirror on Thursday.

“We are not going to take the risk because of her age, especially at this time of pandemic.”

Mommy D, now 72, was a common fixture in almost all of Pacquiao’s fights, profusely praying and cheering for the now sitting Philippine senator.

Pacquiao, who many say could be in his last professional fight, is pitted against the unbeaten International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council welterweight champion (27-0 with 21 knockouts) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Bobby Pacquiao, a retired pro boxer with 31-15-1 winloss-draw record with 16 knockouts, will be flying to the US along with another Pacquiao sibling, Sarangani Rep. Rogelio Pacquiao, later this month.

Their father Rosalio, 64, will also watch Pacquiao fight on TV. Pacquiao (62-7-2 record with 39 knockouts) arrived in Los Angeles on Monday and immediately started training at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym. Reigning World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Johnriel Casimero and Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo will be joining Pacquiao in training, according to international matchmaker Sean Gibbons.

By Josef Ramos

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HE Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games has been officially postponed, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said on Thursday.

“The SEA Games Federation [unitedly] decided not to hold the SEA Games this year because of the spike of Covid-19 situation in the region,” Tolentino told a virtual news conference where he also announced the appointment of judoka Kiyomi Watanabe and pole vaulter EJ Obiena as the country’s flagbearers in the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony on July 23.

“For now, there’s no decision yet on the new date of the Games next year,” added Tolentino, also the PhilCycling president.

The SEA Games were scheduled for November 21 to December 2 with the capital Hanoi the main hub.

The Philippines is the reigning SEA Games champion

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H

ARMIE CONSTANTINO outdueled Princess Superal in a clash of aces, ramming in an eagle on No. 15 to spike a fourunder 68 and seize a one-stroke lead

DIONESIA PACQUIAO would have to cheer and pray for her son inside the comfort of her home.

Eala doing well on grass

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Dechos ‘3’ lifts Pagadian past Roxas

TOLENTINO

WATANABE

for having dominated the biennial competitions on home ground with 149 gold, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals for a total of 387 medals.

“With the postponement, we thus become the longest reigning overall champion,” Tolentino said, laughing. “But kidding aside, we can train our athletes for a longer period of time.”

This marks the first time in memory that the SEA Games

playoff to win the US Women’s Open, becoming the first ever Filipino golfer in history to become a major winner.

At 19, the double-gold medalists in the 2018 Asian Games, tied South Korean Park Inbee as the youngest champion of the tournament.

Saso’s historic feat put her in a strong position for the Athlete of the Year honor and other recognition handed out by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) at year’s end.

Everything snowballed after Saso’s triumph.

Rising 16-year-old netter Alex Eala won the French Open girls’ doubles title with Russian partner Oksana Selekhmeteva as they beat eighth seeds Russian Maria Bondarenko and Hungarian Amarissa Kiaratoh in straight sets, 6-0, 7-5 at Roland Garros in Paris.

It was the second Grand Slam doubles title for the Filipina schol-

were postponed, no thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vietnam already announced to the SEA Games Federation last month but eight of the 11 member countries recommended that the Games be staged as scheduled. The hosts asked for more time to ponder twice and on Thursday, finally made a decision which was unanimously accepted by the members.

Philippine Sports

Commission (PSC) Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, the country’s chef de mission to the SEA Games, said that P50 million of the P200 million budget allotted for the Hanoi campaign has already been released by the Department of Budget and Management for the bubble training of athletes, equipment and uniforms.

The Philippines intended to compete in 39 of the 40 sports on the Hanoi program.

Obiena and Watanabe, meanwhile, were chosen to bear the country’s colors in the Olympics opening ceremony on July 23 at the National Stadium because of their availability.

“Our 19 qualified athletes are deserving flag bearers,” Tolentino said. “We based our selection on their flight schedule and availability—who’s already

ar of the Rafael Nadal Academy, after bagging the Australian girls crown in 2020.

Pole vaulter and Olympicbound EJ Obiena also had his share of the limelight by winning a number of gold medals, including a record-breaking performance in the Jump and Fly International Athletics in Mossingen, Germany where he established a new national record of 5.85 meters. He has since surpassed the mark by soaring to 5.87 meters that netted him a silver in the World Athletics Continental Tour in Poland.

In the same month, more Filipinos also clinched berths in the Tokyo Olympics including golfers Juvic Pagunsan, Bianca Pagdanganan, and Saso, along with skateboarder Margielyn Didal, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, shooter Jayson Valdez, sprinter Kristina Knott, weightlifter Elreen Ando, swimmers Remedy Rule and Luke Gebbie, as well as para-athlete jin Allain Ganapin for the Tokyo Paralympics. In all, a total of 19 athletes will represent the

country in the Olympiad that gets going on July 23.

Gilas Pilipinas and the Philippine Azkals also made good account of their respective international campaigns.

The men’s basketball team coached by Tab Baldwin formally clinched a berth in the FIBA Asia Cup following a three-game sweep of its schedule in the final window of the qualifier in Clark, Pampanga, including back-toback victories over regional rival South Korea. The Filipinos later gave world no. 5 Serbia a big scare and no. 19 Dominican Republic a run for its money despite losing to both teams in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade.

The Azkals meanwhile, fell short of reaching the 2022 Fifa World Cup, but managed to earn a berth in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup qualifiers.

In e-sports, Execration made short work of Blacklist International, 4-1, to win the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup 2021 in an all-Filipino grand finals.

OBIENA

Constantino moves closer to 2nd LPGT crown with 68

Josef Ramos

LEX EALA and Indonesian partner Priska Madelyn Nugroho moved to the second round of the Wimbledon girls’ doubles tournament with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory over Japanese Erika Matsuda and American Valencia Xu at the All England Club in London on Wednesday evening (Manila time).

With their track record of success playing together and having won the 2020 Australian Open girls’ doubles title, Eala and Nugroho—who are seeded third in the tournament—played like a well-oiled machine as they blanked their opponents and wrapped the first set in only five minutes.

The second set was a virtual repeat of the first as the 16-yearold Eala, the No. 3 ranked

HANOI SEAG POSTPONED

PHL SPORTS THRIVE IN 2021 UST halfway through 2021 and yet Philippine sports are already teeming with top achievers.

The month of June alone saw a number of Filipino athletes proudly waving the country’s colors on the international stage with a pair of teenage ladies showing the way.

Golfer Yuka Saso displayed steely nerves in beating Nasa Hataoka in a three-hole

Friday, July 9, 2021 B7

juniors in International Tennis Federation standings and a Globe ambassador, and the 18-yearold Nugroho, ranked No. 21 on the same list, continued their dominant showing and blanked their rivals once again to win the match in just 32 minutes.

The Eala-Nugroho pair will next face the winner of the match between Swiss Chelsea Fontenel and American Ashlyn Krueger and Frenchwoman Oceane Babel of France and Belarussan Evialina Laskevich.

Eala will not have much time to celebrate as she is also set to battle Ane Mintegi Del Olmo in the second round of the girls’ singles tournament. She opened her campaign with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Solana Sierra of Argentina.

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ON LLOYD DECHOS sank the go-ahead triple to lift Pagadian over Petra Cement-Roxas in overtime, 82-80, in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Mindanao Leg at the Provincial Gymnasium in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, on Thursday.

Down by a point in the final

over Superal and Chihiro Ikeda after 36 holes of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Sherwood Ladies Challenge at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Trece Martires, Cavite, on Thursday.

Constantino, who matched Superal’s fiery start of three birdies in the first nine holes, missed gaining a two-shot cushion heading to the final round as she holed out with a missed green bogey for a 33-35 round and a 142 aggregate, enabling Superal and erstwhile leader Ikeda to stay within a stroke at 143s after a 69 and 73, respectively.

Chanelle Avaricio likewise kept her breakthrough bid in the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour going, rallying from a two-bogey card with back-to-back birdies from No. 15 to save a second straight 72 for a 144 although Gretchen Villacencio, who also matched par 72 in the first round, reeled back with a 75 for a 147.

Daniella Uy, a former Junior World champion and veteran of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) of Taiwan Tour, also missed closing in on the fancied bets with a double-bogey on No. 16 as she ended up with a 73 for solo sixth at 150, eight

strokes off the pace.

But the chase for the top P112,000 purse in the first of four tournaments organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. (PGTI) in Cavite in the next five weeks couldn’t get any tighter with Constantino, Superal and Ikeda completing a top-tier threesome and Avaricio and Villacencio ready to pounce from second-to-last flight.

“I started off well and kind of played steady from there,” said Constantino, who hit a superb 6-iron second shot from 165 yards on No. 15 then drilled in a 20-foot eagle putt to go 1-up over Ikeda and 2-shots clear of Superal.

That also put the former University of Georgia standout closer to a second straight crown after launching her pro career with a two-stroke victory over Superal at Eagle Ridge last March before the PGTI suspended the tour due to the surge of coronavirus in NCR Plus.

As Ikeda slipped with a two-over card after 10 holes, the highly-rated pair took the lead with a pair of 33s before Constantino pounced on her arch rival’s bogey on No. 12 to take command although Superal tied her again with a

HARMIE CONSTANTINO starts off well and plays steadily the rest of the round.

minute, homegrown Dechos drained a three-pointer from the right corner to put the Explorers in the lead for good.

Pagadian though had four chances to extend its lead, but Keanu Caballero and Jeric Serrano missed their free-throws, setting up one last chance for Roxas.

In the last play of the match,

veteran Chito Jaime caught the ball in the corner and launched a three but it rimmed out to give the Explorers the victory.

Tied at 68 with 3.5 seconds left in the game, Vanguard JK Casiño threw a triple from the right-wing but missed.

“Dechos can shoot if he gets my green light. And I always

remind my point guards to spot our open shooters all the time,” Pagadian head coach Harold Sta. Cruz said.

Caballero and John Edros Quimado led Pagadian with 12 points apiece in the game plagued by a 12-minute ower shortage at the 1:57 mark of the second quarter.

birdie on the 14th.

Despite slipping to joint second, Superal liked her chances for snapping a pair of runner-up finishes after ruling one of the two Riviera bubble tournaments in LPGT’s first restart after an eight-month hiatus late last year.

She vowed to dish out her best in a final round tipped to go down to the last shot and putt.

“I’ll stay with my routine, whatever happens,” said Superal.

“I’ll do my best and take care of my shots.”

in Tokyo.”

Obiena will arrive in Tokyo on July 23, while his competition starts on July 31. Watanabe, on the other hand, is based in Japan and her competition in judo’s women’s -63 kgs begins on July 27.

World champion gymnast Carlos Yulo begged off because his competition starts on July 24.

President Dave Carter, boxing Coach Nolito Velasco, skateboarding coach Daniel Velasco, Philippine Swimming Inc. President Lani Velasco and Gymnastics Association of the Philippines head Cynthia Carrion-Norton will join the march of athletes.

Joining Tolentino in making the announcement were Araneta, POC Secretary-General Atty.

Edwin Gastanes and his deputy Karen Caballero.

Spotlight on cycling road trials in Clark

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HE road to Thailand and Hanoi starts at the Clark Freeport Zone tomorrow (Saturday July 10) with the PhilCycling National Trials for Road where the country’s elite riders jostle for slots on the national team to two important regional competitions set later this year.

The women’s 17.1-km individual time trial (ITT) will usher in the two-day trials—one of the major criteria for selecting national team members—at 8:30 a.m., followed immediately by the men’s 24.6-km ITT. The men’s and women’s criterium will follow at midday at the Clark Parade Grounds.

Bases Conversion and Development Authority President and CEO Secretary Vince Dizon and Clark Development Corp.

President and CEO PBGen. Manuel Gaerlan (Ret.) along with PhilCycling and Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino in the ceremonial flag off. Joining them is BCDA Senior Vice President (Corporate Services Group) Arrey Perez.

“Clark will not only be the epicenter of cycling, but of the entire Philippine sports this weekend as we conduct the trials amid strict health and safety protocols,” Tolentino said. “And with these trials, we hope to show everyone that sports is capable of coming back.”

The road races on an outand-back course—98.40 kms for women and 147.60 kms for men—of the trials presented by Standard Insurance, Smart, MVP Sports Foundation, BCDA and CDC are scheduled on Sunday (July 11).

A total of 111 cyclists—98 men and 13 women—are entered in the trials that are also supported by Go for Gold, Chooks-to-Go, GAC Motor, Gatorade, Versa, 7-Eleven, Le Tour de Filipinas, UBE Express Inc., Powerade, Wilkins, CocaCola, Shimano, Bike-X and MadCrank.

The Philippines will be sending riders to the Asian Road Cycling Championships set from August 16 to 23 in Rayong, Thailand.

The races will be staged under a bubble environment as prescribed by the Central Luzon Regional Task Force, Office of Civil Defense, Department of Health, Philippine National Police, Province of Pampanga and the Department of Tourism.

Motoring BusinessMirror

Henry Ford Awards Best Motoring Section 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011 Hall of Fame

Editor: Tet Andolong

B8 Friday, July 9, 2021

All-new 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa launched 1,165 mm with 1,480 mm wheelbase and 125 mm ground clearance. The seat height is 800 mm, and the curb weight is 264 kilograms.

Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (SIRS.)

The all-new Suzuki Hayabusa in Glass Sparkle Black/Candy Burnt Gold color. Suzuki Philippines Story by Randy S. Peregrino

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FTER its successful launch in the global market early this year, the much-awaited newest generation of the Suzuki Hayabusa has finally arrived in the Philippines. Hailed as the Ultimate Sport Bike, it earned its status as the fastest production motorcycle for two decades.

This motorcycle aims to raise the bar in more terrific refinement, dignity and riding pleasure on its third generation.

With more than 115,000 units sold, Hayabusa’s design inspiration came from the peregrine falcon, the fastest member of the animal kingdom. The very first introduction of Hayabusa in 1999 shocked the motorcycle world by delivering a whole new level of speed, power, and overall performance. Then its second facelift in 2008 retained all the hallmark features of the original Hayabusa. With the introduction of new features, including a bold new body design is a bigger engine displacement.

Further enhancement of performance in 2013 includes the front brakes and introduced an Anti-locking Brake System (ABS). These new fea-

tures helped sell another 74,100 units over the life of the second generation, bringing total sales of the Hayabusa to more than 189,100 units. Now the 3rd generation Hayabusa leverages the latest technological innovations to provide greater control and comfort and ultimately assist riders in gaining confidence as they enjoy outings on the “Ultimate Sport Bike.”

Creating a new legend in the Philippines, the new Hayabusa proudly carries on the legacy as the ultimate sportbike, delivering even smoother torque and more power through the low to mid-range. The electric ignition and fuel-injected 1,340 cm3 engine is a fourstroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, in-line four (81.0 mm x 65.0 mm bore/stroke) with a compression ratio of 12.5:1. The transmission is a six-speed constant mesh. It delivers an even faster and more controllable on the whole. Fuel capacity is at 20 liters.

Matching its features is an elegant styling that showcases the marriage of both power and poise. The vertically stacked multi-LED headlight creates a sharp new look with its oversized, bold styling and eye-pleasing presence. Posi-

tion lights with integrated turn signal neatly flank the outer edges of the sizeable SRAD air intakes are a first on a Suzuki motorcycle. Meanwhile, the LED rear combination lights create a sharp accent running horizontally across the bottom of the tail section. The ergonomic handlebar switch design features operating ease and efficiency.

As for Electric Equipment Features, an instrument cluster has a modern new look and enhanced functionality.

It includes introducing a new TFT LCD panel between the large analog tachometer and speedometer that features an Active Data display offering a real-time view of the bike’s running status.

The front has an inverted telescopic, coil spring, and oil damped in terms of suspension setup. The rear, meantime, has link type, coil spring, as well as, oil damped. The front brake is a Brembo Stylema, 4-piston, twin disc, and ABS-equipped. As for its rear, it is a Nissin, single-piston, single disc, and ABS-equipped. This new sportbike is rolling on 120/70ZR17M/C (58W) front tubeless and 190/50ZR17M/C (73W), rear tubeless tires. Overall dimensions are 2,180 mm x 735 mm x

An advanced new collection of intelligent electronic controls lets riders choose how the bike will respond and perform in various situations. It also provides several additional comforts and convenience features that bring greater pleasure to riding and pride to ownership.

These advanced features are Drive Mode Selector Alpha (SDMS-α), featuring a selection of three-factory preset and three user-definable modes, Motion Track Traction Control System (10 modes + OFF), Power Mode Selector (three modes), Bi-directional Quick Shift System (two modes + OFF), and Anti-lift Control System (10 modes + OFF). Other functions include Engine Brake Control System (three modes + OFF), Motion Track Traction Control System (10 modes + OFF), Power Mode Selector (three modes), Bi-directional Quick Shift System (two modes + OFF), Anti-lift Control System (10 modes + OFF), and Engine Brake Control System (three modes + OFF).

This new sportbike also has an Active Speed Limiter, Launch Control System (three modes), Emergency Stop Signal, Suzuki Easy Start System, Low RPM Assist, Cruise Control System, Combined Brake System, Motion Track Brake System, Slope Dependent Control System, and Hill Hold Control System.

The all-new 2022 Suzuki Hayabusa is now available for reservation at any Suzuki Big Bikes Center nationwide.

It retails at P1.088 million. Available colors are Glass Sparkle Black/Candy Burnt Gold, Metallic Mat Sword Silver/ Candy Daring Red, and Pearl Brilliant White/Metallic Mat Stellar Blue).

Peugeot continues its commitment to the environment

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Travel with Care

EUGEOT Philippines reiterates its commitment to the environment with the planting of 300 more trees via the Protectors of the Environment (POE) Program. Launched late last year, the Protectors of the Environment Program is a salute to the global initiative of the French carmaker, which has been spearheading the drive for automotive companies to reduce their collective carbon footprint. For every new vehicle sold, Peugeot Philippines will be planting three trees in a protected area near Angat Dam in Norzagaray. Each new Peugeot car owner will get to name their children as owners of these trees—making the effort holistic, responsible and forward looking.

Last September, Peugeot Philippines, together with its partners in the project the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Briquettor Philippines, planted its first 210 trees in commemoration of Peugeot’s 210th anniversary. “In celebration of our 210th anniversary as a company, we planted our

RECENTLY, I managed to take a short trip to Cebu. It was a first step towards resuming mobility beyond the NCR Plus bubble. Of course, this was only possible due to a measured relaxation of travel restrictions by the IATF in line with its goal to reopen the Philippine economy.

Preparing for the trip was fairly straightforward. The most difficult part was trying to piece together what the requirements were. There is no “one-site-tells-all” place to go to. I had to check the LGU site, the DOH site, the airlines, the hotels and even the airport website. The thing is, the information is all there but it does not quite fully connect with each other. Being able to have that central go-to info station will make a huge difference in assuring compliance with the protocols. At the same time, it makes it easier for people to reopen their minds to taking to the roads, skies or seas again.

We booked a flight and checked their travel requirements. Apparently, if the final destination is Cebu City, a PCR swab test is needed prior to departure. If—as in our case, Mactan—the final destination is elsewhere in the Province of Cebu, a PCR swab test is not needed. The airline requires a medical certificate, though, attesting to your fitness to travel. Both NAIA and Mactan-Cebu International Airport also require that you download the Traze Contact Tracing app to access the airport premises. I also had to have proof of a confirmed hotel reservation. And, the hotel requested for online check-in (to minimize contact time at the front desk upon arrival) as well as the completion of a Health Declaration form.

Seems like a lot but, actually, not. It probably is what the new normal of travelling will be like and should just

be a matter of getting used to.

Of course, basic health protocols were all in place at the airport.

Passengers wore masks and face shields (that you were requested to keep on during the f light). Distancing was also very much observed. On board, generous spraying of alcohol was practiced, too. Cabin crew were in full PPE gear. Disembarking was done in turns of limited rows to keep distancing. On arrival at Cebu, there were no special protocols. We picked-up our bags and headed out to where our transport was waiting to take us to the hotel. My biggest takeaway was that people were very willing to comply with all guidelines and protocols as long as they were made aware of them.

It would greatly help if the Department of Tourism could take the lead in consolidating information to assure a seamless travel experience. For example, the hotels cannot confirm the requirements at the airports. The airlines have different requirements. The transport providers also have limited information.

‘Cebu lechon made the trip more worthwhile’

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INCE S. Socco, the much-admired writer-in-residence here, rides/writes again. The long-serving Toyota Motor Philippines hotshot expounds on his first foray on leaving the house amid the pandemic, adventurous as he has always been. Here:

first 210 trees late last year. It was our way of kicking off our environment program. This year, despite all the difficulties presented by the pandemic, we made sure to follow through on that commitment by continuing to plant more trees.

We did promise during the project launch that for as long as people are purchasing Peugeot vehicles, we will be planting trees. Our customers expect us to deliver products worthy of their trust. We, in turn, commit to living up to that trust by going the extra mile and helping them, as individuals, reduce their carbon footprint as members of the growing Peugeot family,” said Dong Magsajo, Peugeot Philippines Business Development Director and POE Project Head.

T he Protectors of the Env ironment program is one of many confidence building initiatives of Peugeot Philippines. For more information about Peugeot’s services and initiatives, customers may visit www.peugeot.ph or facebook.com/ PeugeotPhilippines.

People are too willing to comply with regulations but may end up confused in the process.

And so my trip to Cebu went pretty smoothly. It was a painless escapade that, most importantly, I was able to enjoy with peace of mind. Needless to say, my abundant fill of the famed Cebu lechon made the trip all the more worthwhile. I managed to drop by Rico’s, House of Lechon and Zubuchon. There were a few others we wanted to visit but either they were all out of lechon or the hours did not quite work out. Though some of the chains are already in Manila, there is something about the original that makes the experience all the more mouth-watering.

Travel with care. It is more fun.

PEE STOP Happy birthday today (09 July) to content writer-filmmaker Malaya M. Sadiwa, the mother of MayaSoh and Ikap and the kindly wife of Ricky. Writer/book author Sol Juvida, Coach Dayong, Mayo, Dada, Migel, Shang and yours truly wish you many more birthdays to come. Cheers!