BusinessMirror March 16, 2022

Ukraine war ‘ripple effects’ imperil PHL

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

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HE Philippine economy is not fully insulated from the geopolitical fallout caused

by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine despite its relatively weak linkages with the two feuding countries, a private economist said on Tuesday.

In a research note, ING Bank senior economist Nicholas Mapa said government officials should take into account certain “ripple effects” from the disruptions arising from the war.

“Government officials have moved swiftly to downplay the economic impact of the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe. They assert that

“Taken altogether, despite the suggestion that the Philippines is fairly insulated from the global fallout, we know that the ripple effect of the ongoing conflict reaches far wider and dives much deeper than authorities would want us to expect.”–ING Bank senior economist Nicholas Mapa the Philippines remains ‘well-insulated’ from the firefight, pointing to the ‘solid fundamentals’ of the

country and the limited exposure on the trade front,” Mapa said.

“Taken altogether, despite the suggestion that the Philippines is fairly insulated from the global fallout, we know that the ripple effect of the ongoing conflict reaches far wider and dives much deeper than authorities would want us to expect,” he added.

Mapa talked particularly about certain imports in the country, and the second-round effects to inflation from rising oil prices.

The economist said that, while imports from the conflict area are noticeably smaller compared to the sum total of the inbound shipments, the relative importance of these shipments to the needs of

the country can not be ignored.

“For example, the Philippines imports all of its wheat from abroad. The major supplier of wheat to the Philippines is the US. However taken together, imported wheat from Ukraine and Russia accounts for 20 percent of the total of this imported staple. Meanwhile, the Philippines also imports 95 percent of its fertilizer, which reminds us that even if Russian fertilizers are dwarfed by other imports such as fuel and capital goods, the Philippines will still face much expensive prices for these two important commodities regardless of their origin,” Mapa said.

See “War,” A2

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Wednesday, March 16, 2022 Vol. 17 No. 159

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HOUSE PANEL PUSHES EXCISE TAX CUT IN CRISIS n

CAN TARGETED AID KEEP PINOYS FROM POVERTY?

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

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ILL the targeted subsidies to be extended to certain sectors be enough to prevent more Filipinos from falling into poverty? The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) hopes so.

In a virtual AskNeda briefing on Tuesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said these subsidies include the P6,500 to be extended to drivers to help them cope with high oil prices.

Last month, the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) said the government

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) trucks offering free rides to workers are seen on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday (March 15, 2022) morning, hours after a big gas price hike was rolled out by oil companies, forcing some public utility drivers to stay away from the road and reducing commuting options . NONOY LACZA

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

W

@joveemarie

ITH their power of taxation and despite reservations from the government’s economic team, the Fuel Crisis Ad Hoc Committee has strongly recommended to the leadership of the House of Representatives approval of House Bill 10488 reducing excise tax on fuel products.

See “Excise tax,” A2

intends to release P2.5-billion fuel subsidy for public utility vehicles while the Department of Agriculture (DA) has a P500million assistance to farmers and fisherfolk.

“The most important support we can give to the people is a targeted subsidy that will cushion the impact on their family’s needs and [prevent] them [from falling] into poverty. So we will calibrate our subsidies and response to address this temporary concern,” Chua said.

Chua said the recent first semester 2021 poverty numbers showed an increase, but this was See “Poverty,” A2

‘Nixing excise tax, VAT spells ₧138.8-B loss’

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

T

@BNicolasBM

HE Philippine government stands to lose P138.8 billion in revenues in a year if it will heed calls by some groups to suspend both the excise tax and value-added tax (VAT) on fuel products amid soaring oil prices, the Department of Finance said.

Finance Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Paola Alvarez said the department is also neither in favor of lowering the excise taxes on fuel products nor the

proposed automatic suspension of fuel excise taxes once the Dubai crude oil price reaches a certain threshold.

As of Monday, the Dubai crude oil price has hit $120.34 per barrel, according to the Department of Energy. Oil prices have been increasing amid Russia-Ukraine war.

“If we suspend all excise taxes overall, including VAT on all kinds of fuel, we lose P138.8 billion in one year or 0.6 percent of GDP,” Alvarez said, partly in Filipino, on Laging Handa Public Briefing.

She asserted that the two pending bills on the proposed suspension of excise taxes will result in a revenue loss for the government.

The finance official said they project a P69.3-billion revenue loss if the government implements an automatic suspension of excise taxes on fuel based on Senate Bill No. 2445.

Meanwhile, the government will suffer a P48.7 billion in revenue loss if a six-month fuel excise tax suspension under House Bill No. 10488 is implemented, Alvarez added.

In terms of implementing an automatic suspension of fuel excise tax, Alvarez said they estimate that P1.5 trillion in revenues will be lost until 2032, adding that this move outweighs the costs of giving a temporary fuel subsidy to those affected by the rising oil prices.

“If we make the suspension of excise taxes automatic, in the long run that will have a big impact on us because our economic growth and government spending are hinged on how much we collect in

PESO exchange rates n US 52.4230 n japan 0.4436 n UK 68.1971 n HK 6.6956 n CHINA 8.2355 n singapore 38.3770 n australia 37.6817 n EU 57.3822 n SAUDI arabia 13.9739

See “VAT,” A2

Source: BSP (15 March 2022)

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

A2

BusinessMirror

Russia-Ukraine war to cause climate change setbacks–DENR

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

T

HE raging conflict between Russia and Ukraine would likely affect ongoing climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts on a global scale, an official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.

Wars cause death and destruction, including the environment and natural resources. For countries engaging in wars, environmental quality is also severely affected.

For Albert Magalang, chief of the Climate Change Service of the DENR and concurrent Philippine negotiator in UN Climate talks, the Russia-Ukraine war has its own pros and cons.

He said the direct impact of the ongoing hostilities in the region will have a ripple effect—affecting

VAT. . .

Continued from A1

terms of revenue,” she said, partly in Filipino.

She also argued that higher-income households will be the ones to benefit from the automatic suspension of fuel excise tax since they consume 48.8 percent of the overall supply and pay more fuel excise taxes.

national securities, economies, and climate actions.

In a telephone interview with the BusinessMirror, Magalang said as the price of fuel goes up, economic activities are forced to slow down.

This may eventually lead to businesses to incur losses that will affect employment and livelihood.

On Monday, the price of pump gasoline went up by an unprecedented scale. The price of diesel went up by at least P13 per liter, and gasoline by at least P8 per liter. Prices of agricultural products have started to go up due to the impact of the oil price increase in the past few weeks already.

For the Philippines, the RussiaUkraine war will subsequently cause the price of basic commodities to go up, making life more difficult for the average income earners.

While the oil price hikes and the

economic slowdown will be beneficial for the climate as economic slowdowns will naturally reduce greenhouse gas emissions and benefit air quality as around 80 percent of air pollution in Metro Manila comes from motor vehicles that regularly hit the roads, the flow of financial resources for climate action may also slow down, or worse, stop.

The Philippines is still reeling from the impact of the global pandemic.

He said like the global pandemic’s positive impact on the economy, however, contribution to the global climate action will also slow down.

He noted that one way or the other, with Russia and Ukraine prioritizing war, their contribution to global climate action would expectedly be relegated to the backburner.

Other countries, he said, may also look at “saving” resources in preparation

for the effect of the Russia-Ukraine war, possibly rethinking their commitments to achieve their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.

“This means countries may eventually stop focusing on the global climate action,” he said.

“All climate actions, environmental protection, and resource management—is all about sustainable development. But sustainable development cannot be achieved if there’s inaction,” he said.

Worse, Magalang said climate finance may suffer setbacks, affecting developing nations like the Philippines that are entitled to such support as guaranteed by the Climate Change Convention, as well.

“If budgets are channeled to war finance, definitely, this will affect sustainability efforts,” he said.

“So in times like this, if you make suspension automatic in the future, you’ll have nothing left to give as subsidy to the poor. So basically, it’s the wealthier people you’re giving a subsidy to, because they are the ones who get relief when you remove the excise tax,” she added.

Nonetheless, Alvarez said economic managers and President Duterte are coordinating on the next step the administration should take to further cushion

the impact of soaring oil prices.

The Department of Budget and Management released last week a total of P3 billion in fuel subsidies and discounts to the transport and agriculture sectors.

Economic managers have earlier pitched to President Duterte the doubling of fuel subsidy for the transport sector to P5 billion from the original P2.5 billion; and the increase of fuel discounts for the agriculture sector to P1.1 billion from P500 million.

War. . .

Continued from A1

“Crude oil prices are 65 percent, more expensive vs the same period in 2021, wheat is 75 percent more expensive. With energy costs and prices of staples on the uptrend, we are seeing how countries are making a mad dash to secure stable supplies with surging wheat prices driving a 20 percent increase in the cost of rough rice on the global markets,” he added.

Earlier this week, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said that in terms of trade, direct links of the country with Russia and Ukraine are “negligible.” Diokno said exports to Russia amounted to $120 million—about 0.2 percent of the country’s total exports.

Exports to Ukraine, meanwhile, were even lower at $5 million.

“Other economic linkages, through investments, remittances, and tourism were also limited,” the governor said.

Diokno, meanwhile, acknowledged that oil prices could push local inflation to as high as 4.7 percent should the global price of oil hit $140 per barrel.

Mapa said this might be a ver y conservative assumption as well.

“By the BSP’s forecast runs, it looks as if inflation will breach target if oil prices remain above $100 a barrel. To date, crude oil has stayed elevated for 2 weeks and counting. BSP’s worst case has inflation at 4.7 percent, a full breach of the target and conspicuously low, suggesting that this expectation has yet to factor in the impact of second round effects on the inflation path,” Mapa said.

The economist said that although private transport costs contribute roughly only 3 percent of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket, the higher prices for energy products is likely to ripple through to the rest of the consumer basket.

“Already we have noted petitions for both wage and transport fare hikes alongside the clamor for the repeal of the excise tax on fuel. These are the socalled second-round effects, signs that price pressures are more than just one off episodes and whose impact will not likely be transitory,” Mapa said.

“Second-round effects beget additional price pressures as measures such as wage and fare hikes put more money on the hands of the consumer, which will fan even more price increases as Filipinos push up the price of already scarce items,” he added.

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Excise tax. . .

Continued from A1

In a letter to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, the special committee said passage of the HB 10488, reducing excise tax on fuel products, with the amendments to automatically suspend TRAIN Law excise tax rates when crude oil price breaches $80 and revert the same once it goes down to $65; and the bill amending the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act could swiftly address the country’s problems with rising prices of petroleum products.

The letter, signed by the chairmen of four House Committees—on Economic Affairs, Rep. Sharon Garin; Ways and Means, Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda; Energy, Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo; and Transportation, Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento—was sent to Velasco last March 10 pending actions from the Executive Department.

The bill reducing the excise tax on fuel products is pending on second reading while the amendments to the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act were approved at the committee level. See related story on A4, Economy.

The House leaders also noted that the government must mitigate the ill effects of high fuel prices immediately.

“Our country is facing a serious energy crisis as oil prices have steadily increased for the past 10 weeks. The year-to-date price adjustments for gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and LPG stand at net increments of P20.25 per liter, P20.55 per liter, P17.58 per liter, and P12.05 per kilogram, respectively.

As global oil prices continue to soar, the prices might even peak at P78.33 per liter for gasoline, P68.97 per liter for diesel, P71.21 per liter for kerosene, and P107.08 per kilogram for LPG. The public, especially the most vulnerable members of our society, looks upon us to provide immediate aid to prevent further price triggers to our basic commodities,” the special committee said.

Executive actions

While these pieces of legislation are being processed, the Ad Hoc Committee recommended that the Palace order the immediate release of P2.5 billion to the Department of Transportation to provide cash grants to bona fide Public Utility Vehicle drivers and P500 million to the Department of Agriculture for the fuel discount to farmers and fisherfolk.

It asked the Department of Budget and Management to draw P4.5 billion from the Contingency Fund of the President and P3 billion from the PAGCOR SocioCivic Projects Fund to supplement the existing fuel subsidies to the transport and agriculture sectors.

The lawmakers also requested the Bureau of Treasury to certify the excess collection from VAT, estimated to be at

Poverty. . .

Continued from A1

only a “slight” uptick. He added poverty data in the second half of the year could see an increase on account of the lockdowns imposed due to Covid-19.

The country’s poverty incidence increased to 23.7 percent in the first semester of 2021 from the 21.1 percent recorded in the first semester of 2018.

This translates to 26.14 million Filipinos who lived below the poverty threshold—estimated at P12,082, on the average, for a family of five per month in the first semester of 2021.

“We are expecting the full-year data to also show a slight increase because of the effect of the Covid-19 and the quarantine.

However, we are pleased to see that the emerging data shows that this slight increase is slight,” Chua said.

Economists

Meanwhile, if the oil price crisis persists, even more Filipinos could join the ranks of the poor as high fuel costs could lead to a spike in food expenses, according to local economists.

The initial poverty estimates made

by House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda showed 1.3 million Filipinos could become poor because of high oil prices.

(Story here: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/03/10/ oil-crisis-sent-1-3-millionmore-people-into-povertysalceda-estimates/) H o w e v e r, A t e n e o E a g l e Watch Senior Fellow Leonardo A. Lanzona Jr. said it is still difficult to make projections at

P75.2 billion, to finance the Unprogrammed Funds of P5 billion in fuel subsidy, and provide subsidies to the sectors hardest hit by the fuel crisis.

They asked the Palace to instruct the Department of Energy to seriously study the costs and benefits of building a strategic petroleum reserve.

They also called for the tripartite Wage Boards to increase the minimum wage and appeal to the private sector to contribute to the cause of mitigating the crisis.

The lawmakers also urged the Palace to direct the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and local government units (in the case of tricycles) to increase the fares to a reasonable rate to offset the increase in fuel prices taking into account the studies done by economic managers.

Not enough

Deputy Minority Leader Stella Luz Quimbo backed the proposal urging the government to tap excess VAT collections resulting from the increase in crude oil prices to fund social services.

“The P2.5-billion subsidies are [equivalent to] P6,500 per PUJ driver [but are] good only to absorb the diesel price increases for 13 days of operations [assuming 25 liters per day],” said Quimbo.

“In addition, the proposed amount of subsidies cannot cover tricycle and habal habal drivers. Historically, the distribution of aid is not seamless. Both of these considered, it is still appropriate to suspend the excise taxes for immediate and sufficient relief to affected sectors.

Suspending taxes will provide relief at the point of purchase of gasoline products. In the case of subsidies, the relief will come only when such are distributed,” she added.

In an effort to mitigate the effect of runaway fuel prices on operators and drivers of public utility vehicles, San Jose del Monte City Rep. Florida P. Robes urged the leadership of the DOTr and LTFRB to immediately release the earmarked P5 billion worth of subsidies.

In House Resolution 2515, Robes said the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the past weeks has raised the prices of crude oil to more than $110 per barrel in the world market which has led to an exponential increase of local prices of petroleum products.

As of press time, the price of crude oil has ballooned to more than $120 per barrel prompting another round of price increase this Tuesday (March 15) in the local market. Diesel has gone up to more than P13 per liter while gasoline is higher with an additional P7 per liter increase.

The 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA) provides for at least 5 billion in automatic fuel subsidy whenever world oil prices breaches $80 per barrel.

She said the huge increase in petroleum products will further burden long-suffering public utility drivers still reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

this time, as the current spike in oil prices could still worsen.

“Yes, the situation can get worse. If you ask me what my forecast is, I will say I don’t know but neither does anyone else,” Lanzona told B usiness M irror on Thursday.

De La Salle University economist Maria Ella Oplas sees a possibility that the number of Filipinos who could become poor with the oil price crisis, could be understated.

She said the “transmission mechanism” works in a way that when oil prices increase, inflation will spike. This, in turn, will result in low consumption, particularly of households.

Consumption in the Philippine context, Oplas said, accounts for 70 percent of GDP. Should this decline, it is possible for the country to see its growth slow even further.

A 2008 study of Asian Development Bank (ADB) economist Hyun Son said that a 10-percent increase in prices of food could lead to 2.3 million poor Filipinos while the same increase in non-food prices could lead to an addition of 1.7 million to poverty.

Son also said that a 10-percent increase in rice and fuel prices will result in an additional 0.66 million and 0.16 million poor people in the Philippines, respectively.

What is important at this time, Lanzona said, is for the government to provide cash transfers to the negatively affected. The government must also transition to other forms of energy to drive the economy.

“Apart from providing cash transfers to the poor, it is crucial for the government to make transition into other forms of energy and other modes of transportation easier.

Instead of regulating oil prices, the better option is to reduce our dependence on oil products,” Lanzona said.

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The Nation BusinessMirror

Group warns vs ‘fishy’ midnight nuclear deals by Duterte admin

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

G

REENPEACE Philippines on Monday warned that the outgoing administration may be “railroading” more nuclear deals during its final months that may potentially leave Filipinos locked into onerous agreements.

The group issued the warning after the government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States immediately after the issuance of Executive Order 164.

“The Duterte administration, which has long been peddling nuclear power, now appears to be in a frenzy to close as many nuclear deals as possible before their term ends,”

Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Khevin Yu said in a news statement.

“Something very fishy is going on—and [the] Filipino people will end up paying for the consequences for all these questionable decisions,” he added.

Greenpeace noted that President Duterteinitiallyrejectednuclearpower in 2016, but made a turnaround shortly after. The group said the Department of Energy under Secretary Alfonso Cusi became one of the biggest promoters of theuseofnuclearenergyinthecountry, signing deals with Russia, Korea, and, recently, the US. Greenpeace maintains that nuclear power is the most expensive, most dangerous, and dirtiest form of electricity.

Comelec chief Pangarungan vows transparency in conduct of polls

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

A

MID criticisms from election watchdogs on the supposed lack of transparency in its preparations for the 2022 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is now eyeing to make the coverage of its activities more accessible to accredited observers.

Comelec Chairman Saidamen Balt Pangarungan vowed to “open to the public” their preparations for the 2022 polls as much as they could within the bounds of the law.

“When we assumed office we vowed for the sanctity of the ballots as our guiding principle. On my part as chair of the Comelec, I made it very clear that my policy is complete transparency,” Pangarungan said in a news conference on Monday.

As proof of such commitment, Pangarungan instructed the conduct of walkthrough of the vote counting machines (VCMs) and consolidation and canvassing system (CCS) production and deployment process in Comelec’s warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

A similar activity was also held at the National Printing Office on Tuesday.

Comelec also released the schedule of its preparation for the 2022 elections, including its deployment

of ballot boxes, which started last February 1 and will last until the end of the month.

Other pertinent schedules released by the poll body are the dates for the deployment of CCS laptops from April 2 to April 19, 2022 and shipping of election ballots from April 20 to May 5, 2022.

To further augment the information drive of Comelec in its preparations, Comelec Commissioner George M. Garcia said they will be conducting a weekly briefing to all political parties, party-lists, media, stakeholders, citizens arm on updates in their 2022 poll preparations.

In an inter-office memorandum addressed to Comelec officials, Garcia requested for all the pertinent provisions, which “curtail, prevent, and limit” the participation for 2022 elections be repealed.

He noted the measure aims to combat disinformation, misinformation, and doubts on Comelec’s activities.

To note, the National Citizens’ MovementforFreeElectionhitComelec last week for its apparent lack of transparency in its 2022 poll preparations.

The election watchdog noted the minimum health standards restrictions implemented by the poll body limited the observers of Comelec’s activities.

DND chief on retired general’s call for revolutionary govt: Ignore him

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

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EFENSE Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday to disregard the call for a revolutionary government made by a retired senior Army commander.

Retired Lt. Gen. and former spokesman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Antonio Parlade Jr., issued his call for a revolutionary government at the People Power Monument at Edsa in Quezon City, a flash report filed by the Quezon City Police District, said.

About 100 individuals at the monument accompanied the retired commander of the AFP’s Southern Luzon Command based in Quezon Province, the report added.

A video of Parlade showed him talking about corruption in the government, especially at the

Commission on Elections (Comelec), which he accused of milking millions up to billions of pesos from election candidates.

Parlade was among the presidential hopefuls whom the Comelec had stricken off from its list of candidates and declared as ineligible to seek the country’s highest office in the upcoming elections.

Sought for comment by military reporters on Parlade’s call, Lorenzana said he had ordered the military to disregard him.

“Action taken: Directed the AFP to ignore him, not listen to him,” the defense said in a brief reply.

The military, through its spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala, said the AFP is “firm in its resolve to be loyal to the Constitution and to the duly constituted authorities.”

“The 145,000-strong soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines of the AFP stand solid behind the chain-of-command,” Zagala said in a news statement.

D

bills. What should be done to bring down the price of electricity?”

In comments made mostly in Filipino, the former senator explained, “Our mission for our country is to have adequate, reliable and affordable electricity for all.”

Marcos said his administration will focus on production, transmission, and distribution of electricity nationwide and will add more energy resources to ensure sufficient power supply.

Included in his plan is to put up

The military spokesman said that while the military respects the “people’s freedom of expression,” they “do not and will not support extra legal means outside the Constitution,” which the soldiers have sworn to protect, including the sanctity of the electoral processes.

“We continuously remind our troops to adhere to the rule of law and always obey the chain-of-command, whoever is seated as the Commander in Chief,” Zagala said.

Spare the PNP

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) also issued a notice in the form of a statement, disclaiming “any official sanction to politically-oriented messages and themes posted by retired PNP members and some other non-PNP individuals misrepresenting the organization.”

“These messages posted in social media do not reflect the political views and opinion of the police organization, or any policy that

openly expresses political support to any politician,” PNP Public Affairs Office chief Brig. Gen. Roderick Augustus Balba said.

“Let me reiterate that the PNP has nothing to do with these. The PNP is not in the business of making any political statement or meddling in campaign-related activities of certain candidates or political parties,” he added.

“The PNP maintains a non-partisan stance and will never endorse any political party or candidate vying for any elective position,” Balba assured.

The PNP spokesman also called on retired police officers to refrain from dragging the organization into their partisan political activities.

“With all due courtesies to our retired PNP officers, we respect your political views and opinion as private individuals. But by all means, please spare the PNP from partisan political activity,” he stressed.

FIRB urged to recall BPO DENR allows recovery of fallen work-from-home deadline trees in typhoon-affected areas

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

A

RECIPE for disaster.

This was how labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) described the decision of the Fisca l Incent ives Rev iew Boa rd (FIRB) to reject the appeal for a longer window for business-process outsourcing (BPO) firms to transition from work-from-home operations to traditional officebased work.

Bryan Nadua of PM, who is also a BPO worker, noted such abrupt transition could compromise the health and safety of employees.

“BPO workers should be returned to work safely,” Nadua said in a news statement issued on Monday.

Jodelle Villanueva, a former Customer Service Representative before becoming an HR Manager in a BPO firm, echoed Nadua’s statement. He noted on-site BPO work

has a high chance of spreading Covid-19 infections.

“Even before the pandemic, if one BPO employee gets a cough or cold, in a day or two, someone else will show similar symptoms due to infection. Headsets too are sometimes shared among employees, and are another way by which Covid-19 might be easily transmitted in a 100 percent fully operational scenario,” Villanueva said.

To minimize such risk, Nadua and Villanueva urged the government to allow BPOs to maintain 50 percent to 70 percent of their employees in worksites, while the rest work at home.

The FIRB issued a resolution, which allowed the said BPO firms to have 90 percent of their personnel working at home until March 31, 2022.

PM hit the resolution, which it said, was done, without any stakeholder consultation.

BBM sees lower power rates with RE, large-scale battery storage EVELOPING more plants, harnessing geothermal, wind, and other renewable sources of energy, and replicating San Miguel Corp.’s foray into largescale battery storage are among the key options on former Senator and presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s to slash electricity rates in the country.

In his regular vlog, the standard bearer of Partido Federal noted that “A big part of every Filipino’s salary goes to paying electricity

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, March 16, 2022 A3

additional geothermal and hydroelectric power plants and installation of more solar and wind power farms.

“We will have renewables like solar and wind power as what we did in Ilocos. There are many places in the country where wind power can be harnessed. It’s just a matter of studying and using some imagination to make this possible,” he said.

Meanwhile, the government, he said, should also focus on pushing for the utilization of “Large Scale Battery Storage,” which would be

helpful in the preservation of energy and electricity.

“We can also focus attention on what is called large scale battery storage. We had early problems with solar and wind power in terms of intermittent production, meaning, it’s not always that the wind blows or the sun shines,” he explained.

“But now, technology via large scale battery storage” addresses that problem, he added. “Power collected but not yet used can be stored, ready for utilization when needed,” Marcos continued.

T

O boost the rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by recent typhoons, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) field offices can now issue wood recovery permits (WRPs) for uprooted trees.

DENR Acting Secretary Jim Sampulna signed a memorandum dated March 2, 2022, authorizing the issuance of WRPs primarily to “provide an additional wood requirement for the rehabilitation program of the local and national government units, such as for housing materials.”

The order, in effect, partially lifted the ban on the issuance of WRPs put in place in 2003 by former DENR Secretary Elisea Gozun.

Sampulna’s order, however, is only for the partial lifting of WRP suspension, which includes fire-damaged trees, covering both naturally-growing trees and planted trees in forestlands, alienable and disposable lands, and privately-owned lands.

Sampulna stressed that the order is only for typhoon uprooted and firedamaged trees and does not cover areas within protected areas.

“The issuance of WRP for the retrieval and disposition of abandoned logs, drifted logs, sunken logs, tree stumps, tops, and branches are still suspended until further notice and upon comprehensive review and assessment to be conducted on the matter,” Sampulna said in the order.

Sampulna said that no collection of forest charges will be imposed and that DENR officials will only issue a WRP within three months after the occurrence of a typhoon or fire.

Areas ravaged by Typhoon Odette in December 2021 are given three

months to retrieve and dispose of typhoon-damaged trees from the issuance of the memorandum.

Under the order, only qualified applicants can apply for WRPs under two categories: tenure instrument holders, local government units (LGU), and national government agencies for forestlands; and land/ lot owner and LGU for alienable and disposable lands and private lands.

The order also specified the coverage of authority and validity period of the WRP issued.

For timber volume with 15 cubic meters (cu.m.) and below, the DENR Community Environment and Natural Officer (CENRO) or the implementing Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) will be the approving authority, while the regional executive directors cover timber volume above 16 cu.m. to more than 1,000 cu.m.

The periods of validity according to the volume of wood covered by the WRP issued are as follows: 50 cu. m., 50 days; 51 to 70 cu.m., 60 days; 71 to 100 cu.m., 90 days; 101 to 200 cu.m., 120 days; 201 to 300 cu.m., 150 days; 301 to 500 cu.m., six months; 501 to 650 cu. m., seven months; 651 to 750 cu. m., eight months; 751 to 850 cu.m., nine months; 851 to 950 cu.m., 10 months; 951 to 1,000 cu.m., 11 months; and more than 1,000 cu. m., one year.

“The concerned CENRO/implementing PENRO upon learning of the existence of retrievable wood materials [uprooted and typhoon/ fire-damaged trees] shall conduct 100 percent inventory of these wood materials,” Sampulna said.

Jonathan L. Mayuga

RE, ample potable water supply to be part of BARMM’s socialized housing plan

By Manuel T. Cayon

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

D

AVAOCITY—TheBangsamoro government is finding a strategy for wider adaption of renewable energy (RE) and make it part of all socialized housing projects in the region.

That is, if the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Bill No. 178 would eventually be enacted into a regional law. BTA is the interim Parliament, or lawmaking body, of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Pa rl i a ment Member A m i r Mawallil, who authored the bill, said it was the region’s efforts to comply with Republic Act No.

9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which declares it a policy of the state to increase the use of RE by institutionalizing the development of national and local capabilities in the use of RE systems, and promoting its efficient and cost-effective commercial application by providing fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.

BTA Bill No. 178, also called the Renewable Energy for Socialized Housing in the BARMM Act of 2022, would install solar energy systems in these units to provide secure, clean, and environment-friendly power services in urban and rural areas, “especially in settlements for the disadvantaged, the homeless, survivors of conflicts and atrocities, former combatants, and Internally

Displaced Persons [IDPs].”

The measure would obtain solar access easements from neighboring landowners “to ensure that structures or vegetation on lots adjacent to the socialized housing development do not unreasonably obstruct access to the solar energy collection devices that will be installed in all existing and future regional housing projects.”

The Kapayapaan sa Pamayanan (Kapyanan) program of the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) earmarked P2,497,187,468.80 capital outlay to improve access to basic needs, livelihood, and predominantly to provide housing for the Bangsamoro.

The Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD) has also allocated P671,650,000.00

as capital outlay for its Housing and Human Settlements Development Program. The program seeks to establish affordable housing projects in all five provinces of BARMM and the Special Geographic Area.

The Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG) has earmarked P65,000,000.00 to provide housing units for former combatants under its Public Order and Safety Services.

“These programs speak of the scale of construction in the upcoming months to provide socialized housing in the region—and of the scale of opportunity for promoting and developing the use of renewable energy in the implementation of these programs,” Mawallil said.

The proposed measure is sup-

ported and co-authored by members of parliament Engr. Baintan Ampatuan, Atty. Laisa Alamia, Atty.

Rasol Mitmug Jr., Atty. Suharto Ambolodto, Engr. Don Mustapha Loong, Rasul Ismael, Abraham Burahan, Sittie Shahara Mastura, and Atty Paisalin Tago.

Mawallil, meanwhile, filed BTA Bill No. 176, also known as “An Act promoting clean water in the Bangsamoro, including safe drinking water, through effective water quality management, appropriating funds therefor, and for other purposes.”

He filed the bill on Tuesday along with fellow lawmaker, Baintan Ampatuan, to ensure that BARMM residents would now be less exposed to unclean potable water sources to “protect human health, prevent

drinking water health hazards, and protect, preserve, and revive the quality of fresh, brackish, and marine waters in the region.”

T he bi l l wou ld create t he Bangsamoro Water Resources Board (BWRB), which will be composed of the Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy as chairperson; and the Minister of Health as vice chairman; with members as follows: Minister of Public Works, Minister of Interior and Local Government, Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform, Ministry of Science and Technology, Minister of Finance, Budget and Management, and BWRB Secretariat Director-General.

A4 Wednesday, March 16, 2022 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Economy BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

House panel okays bill amending oil deregulation law

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

T

O secure the country’s oil supply and prevent firms from unjustly adjusting their pump prices, the House Committee on Energy on Tuesday approved a substitute bill amending the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998.

Pampanga Rep. and House Committee on Energy Chairman Juan Miguel Macapagal Arroyo said through this proposal, the government now has the power to reexamine the books of oil companies to see if they are taking advantage of the fuel crisis to unjustly rake in profits.

“We are preparing this [proposal] in case there is a special session,” said Arroyo, as he called on President Duterte to call for a special session.

The bill will be transmitted to the plenary for another round of deliberations. Congress is on its threemonth election campaign break. But the 1987 Constitution bestows the

power upon the President to call a special session at any time.

House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, one of the authors of the bill, lauded the Committee on Energy for amending the Oil Deregulation Law by raising the country’s oil stock requirement and hard writing the unbundling of oil prices.

“This is an initial step at the right direction so that we may at least see the true price of oil and not be hidden by the oil companies. [We] will now make the oil industry transparent and with a bigger stock,” he said.

“However, we maintain our position that for a meaningful and long-term solution, it is high time now to repeal the oil deregulation law as it dismally failed to lower or even control the prices of petroleum products after 24 years. It instead became a big burden to our people and a source of more profits to oil companies,” Zarate added.

For her part, Deputy Minority Leader Stella Luz Quimbo said the

prices of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel have increased by 17.8 percent, 26.8 percent, and 35.6 percent, respectively, since February 21, 2022.

“This is how big the price increases are in less than one month. A PUJ [public utility jeepney] that uses 25 liters per day and runs 24 days a month will have to pay an additional P11,880 per month,” she said.

“Since most, if not all, products and services use gasoline products for production and distribution, we expect inflation to increase substantially. And while the primary cause of this fuel price crisis is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Congress can do little to change that, Congress has the opportunity to alleviate the economic hardship of the Filipinos,” Quimbo added.

According to Quimbo, unbundling the retail price of domestic petroleum product does not run counter to the principle of deregulation, “and is, in fact, a tool to ensure its effectivity. Thus, the DOE must be mandated and capacitated to monitor the unbundled retail prices.”

“This is to prevent firms from unjustly adjusting their pump prices based on weekly changes in MOPS [Mean of Platts Singapore] even though their current inventories were bought at lower price levels,” she said.

Under the bill, any person or entity may import or purchase any quantity of crude oil and petroleum products from a foreign or domestic source, lease or own and operate refineries and other downstream oil facilities and market such crude oil and petroleum products either in a generic name or his or its own trade name, or use the same for his or its own requirement. Provided, that any person or entity who shall engage in any such activity shall give

prior notice thereof to the DOE for monitoring purposes.

For purposes of security of supply, the bill said, all refiners, importers and bulk distributors shall maintain a minimum inventory requirement (MIR) on a per company, per depot and per product basis.

The MIR shall include the following: finished petroleum products, which include diesel, gasoline, kerosene, household LPG, auto-LPG, fuel oil and aviation fuel.

The measure said MIR shall be measured in number of available days’ supply. All refiners, importers and bulk distributors are required to maintain 30 available days’ supply. Crude oil inventory of refiners shall form part of the MIR subject to design conversion rate to finished petroleum products of the refinery. The MIR compliance report shall be submitted to the DOE on a weekly basis.

To ensure transparency, the measure said, the volume of sales and required inventory requirements are deemed not covered by trade secret confidentiality and therefore, be made part of any report to DOE that it may require.

The bill also mandates all downstream oil industry (DOI) participants to submit to the DOE their indicative retail prices, saying price display boards, online platforms or any prescribed applicable media notification shall be displayed in conspicuous places at all times in every gasoline station to provide information to the public.

The bill said full deregulation of the industry shall start five months following the effectivity of this proposal act.

It provided, however, that when the public interest so requires, the President may accelerate the start

of full deregulation upon the recommendation of the DOE and Department of Finance (DOF) when the prices of crude oil and petroleum products in the world market are declining and the value of the peso in relation to the US dollar is stable, taking into account relevant trends and prospects.

The bill said all DOI participants are required to submit annually a Downstream Oil Industry Development Plan as component of the Philippine Energy Plan, which shall include business plans, management model in the conduct of business, and other informational requirement of the DOE. It also mandates the DOE to monitor and publish daily international crude oil prices, as well as follow the movements of domestic oil prices. It shall likewise monitor the quality of petroleum products and stop the operation of businesses involved in the sale of petroleum products with the national standards of quality that are aligned with the international standards/protocols of quality.

The bill also created a task force to immediately act any report from any person of an unreasonable rise in the prices of petroleum products. Anti-competitive acts may be reported to the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) for appropriate action.

The bill said an administrative fine ranging from P50,000 to P300,000 with suspension or revocation of the DOE acknowledgement or its equivalent registration shall penalize non-compliance to the obligations of the DOI participants.

The DOI participant shall likewise suffer the penalty of three months to one year imprisonment if found guilty of overpricing.

PHL files updated biotechnology rules covering beneficial GMOs

T

HE Philippines has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its updated rules and regulations on biotechnology, which is expected to streamline the approval process of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are beneficial to the public.

The revised rules were hailed by the United States Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila (USDA-FAS) as it would help “foster agricultural innovation” that would help the country achieve zero hunger.

The Philippines made the notification of the revised Joint Department Circular (JDC) 01, Series of 2021 to the WTO last March 10. The document will take effect 15 days after its publication last March 8.

The revised JDC, which superseded the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) JDC No. 1, Series of 2016, was approved last February 15.

“The reforms are expected to shorten the timeline for approvals significantly and greatly reduce compliance costs for commercializing genetically engineered crops,” the USDA-FASinManilasaidinitsGlobal Agricultural Information Network (Gain) report. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

News BusinessMirror

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Bello lauds ‘Covid care bonus’ for Pinoy HCWs in Germany

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

F

ILIPINO nurses are expected to among the beneficiaries from the 1-billion Euro “Covid care bonus” approved by the German government for its health-care workers (HCWs), according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Citing a report from Labor Attaché for Berlin Delmer Cruz, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said the bonus aims to recognize the contribution of frontline workers in Germany’s Covid-19 response.

He lauded the German government for the said initiative, which

will provide its beneficiaries an incentive ranging from 60 to 550 Euros or P3,400 or P31,000.

“The initiative of Germany to reward the frontline workers including our very own for their service during the pandemic is really commendable,” Bello said in a news statement issued on Tuesday.

“This will inspire all the more our health-care workers in providing the brand of service that the Filipinos are known for even in the midst of crisis.”

The perks will also cover nursing staff who work in geriatric care for at least three months between November 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022, and are still employed by June 30, 2022.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 A5

3rd Pinay assaulted in New York in one week T

HE outrage never ends.

A 67-year-old Fil-American woman was left seriously injured as she was attacked outside her apartment in New York City, the third such random act of violence in one week that victimized elderly Filipinos.

The Philippine Consulate General in New York on Monday called on authorities “to do more to protect the vulnerable” as it expressed outrage over a violent anti-Asian hate attack that left a 67-year-old Filipino woman seriously injured.

The latest incident took place on Friday evening and came a few days after the Consulate reminded members of the Filipino Community to be vigilant and to take precautions following two shoving incidents in

Queens that left two elderly Filipino women injured.

According to the Consulate, the victim was entering her apartment building in Yonkers, New York, when the suspect who punched and stomped her more than 125 times attacked her from behind. The victim, who sustained fractures and lacerations to the head and face as well as bleeding in the brain, is recovering in a hospital.

“We are outraged by this unspeakable act committed against another elderly member of the Filipino Community,” Consul General Elmer G. Cato said on social media. “This is the third incident in less than a week where elderly kababayan have become victims of random violence.”

“We call on authorities to do more to protect the vulnerable. We remind

our kababayans to be extra vigilant and to take the necessary precautions, especially in public,” Consul General Cato added.

He said the suspect, who had 14 previous arrests and multiple convictions, was immediately arrested and charged him with attempted murder as a hate crime, as he was shouting anti-Asian slurs while he was beating up the victim. He said the Consulate is in touch with authorities in Yonkers and is also trying to reach the family of the victim.

In a news statement issued over the weekend, the Consulate expressed concern over the latest incidents that followed similar assaults against other members of the AsianAmerican Community since the start of the year.

It said that the recent spate of attacks against Filipinos and other Asian-Americans—whether triggered by racial bias or mental illness —is a serious concern that must be immediately addressed.

On Thursday (March 10), a Filipina in her late 50s, who walks with a cane and suffers from poor eyesight, was injured after she was shoved down the stairs by an unidentified man at the 179th Street Station of the F Train in the neighborhood of Jamaica in Queens.

On the same day, a Filipina in her mid-60s was pushed by an unidentified man at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train platform, also in Jamaica, causing her to land on her face and breaking her eyeglasses in the process.

She sustained multiple injuries.

A6

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

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

SUI, XIN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 1.

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

TENG, LIFANG Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 2.

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

TRAN VAN HAO Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 3.

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

BUI THI LINH Mandarin Customer Service Representative 4.

Brief Job Description: Interact with customer to provide information, support and problem resolution to inquiries and order status BUI THI TAM Mandarin Customer Service Representative

5.

Brief Job Description: Interact with customer to provide information, support and problem resolution to inquiries and order status NGO THI DUYEN Mandarin Customer Service Representative

6.

Brief Job Description: Interact with customer to provide information, support and problem resolution to inquiries and order status NGUYEN THI THUY Mandarin Customer Service Representative

7.

Brief Job Description: Interact with customer to provide information, support and problem resolution to inquiries and order status VU MINH KHIEU Mandarin Customer Service Representative

8.

Brief Job Description: Interact with customer to provide information, support and problem resolution to inquiries and order status

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

12.

PRABAKARAN THAMBOSAMY Grab Operator 13.

9.

Brief Job Description: Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers.

DING, HUIPING Roller Machine Specialist 10.

Brief Job Description: Set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.

14.

RUITER, SIMON PETRUS Marine Superintendent 15.

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

PARRA BRIONES, MARTIN Survey Specialist 16.

Brief Job Description: Self-reliant technical professional and is expected to initiate, carry out, and report on all survey works for projects

UKI WIJI BASUKI Survey Specialist 17.

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

Basic Qualification: College graduate; at least 1-2 years of working experience in the related field; fluent in mandarin/ basic English.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate; at least 1-2 years of working experience in the related field; fluent in mandarin/ basic English

18.

19.

23.

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

Basic Qualification: At least 3 years of relevant experience Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Brief Job Description: Advices and supports the (project) organization on the selection, implementation and maintenance of systems methods and resources

Basic Qualification: Extensive superintendent experience of at least 10 years

24.

SUN, WEI-CHI HR Operations Analyst (Mandarin Speaking) 25.

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

26.

TAN, YONG Chinese IT Support Specialist 20.

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

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

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language (writing and speaking)

22.

Brief Job Description: Develop and implement programs and curriculum in line with international baccalaureate or CIS requirements.

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

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree field from a four-year college or university with a minimum of ten years of relevant experience preferred Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999

Basic Qualification: At least 5 years experience in HR administration.

Knowledge & training in any HRIS applications & Taiwan/China Labor Code Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Researches and Develops Various Marketing Strategies for products and Services and Implements Marketing Plans and Works to meet Sales Quotas

Basic Qualification: Can Contribute Information, Ideas and Research to help develop marketing strategies , Cam Help to detail, Design and Implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered

ENSHORED INC. Units A&b, 16th/f Jmt Bldg., Adb Avenue, Ortigas Center, San Antonio, City Of Pasig

HWANG, SANG WON Chief Operating Officer

27.

Brief Job Description: Designs and employs business operation strategies. Oversees training, work quality, workforce and operations. Collaborate with CEO and other executives to set and drive company vision, operational strategy and hiring needs.

Write reports to CEO in all important matters.

Prepares accurate organizational performance reports on the quarterly and annual basis. Helps reinforce company culture. Secure functionality of the business. Participate in expansion activities.

Basic Qualification: Track record in optimizing business strategies.

Advance studies.

Experience in BPO Managements and Client Services Management Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

FLY ASIAN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Eighty One Bldg. Newport Blvd., Newport City Vab St., Barangay 183, Pasay City

JHOU, CHING-YUAN Marketing Consultant (Mandarin Speaking Clients) 28.

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

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.

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

G&G COMMUNITY SOLUTION INC. 3/f Suite 301 #47 Aguirre Avenue Cor., Tirona Street, B. F. Homes, City Of Parañaque

PARK, MINJOON Korean Marketing Consultant 29.

Brief Job Description: Develop and implement a marketing strategy according to objectives and budget.

Basic Qualification: Excellent oral and written communications in Korean language.

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

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

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

GLOBAL HEALTHCARE RESOURCE PHILIPPINES INC. 9th Flr., Aeon Prime Bldg., Northgate, Alabang, City Of Muntinlupa

PUNIA, SUNIL KUMAR Senior Operations Manager 30.

CHINESE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MANILA, INC. Upper Mckinley Road, Mckinley Hill, Pinagsama, City Of Taguig

SAINI, MADHUMITA Subject Leader And Service Learning Coordinator

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

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

Basic Qualification: Must have experience of at least 7 years in a systems design position Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Brief Job Description: Processes all incoming calls and emails into activities, redirecting to other HR Operations team where appropriate

YAO, QINGJIA Marketing And Sales Agent

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: At least 3-10 years extensive relevant work experience in dredging and land development environment

Basic Qualification: Skilled in multi-tasking: including the ability to be flexible and adapt to changes quickly

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503, Nueva St., Barangay 289, Binondo, City Of Manila

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: At least 3-10 years extensive relevant work experience in dredging and land development environment

Brief Job Description: Analyze (and sometimes create) software requirements, modification requests, and problem reports

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

DIAGEO ASIA PACIFIC SHARED SERVICES CENTRE LIMITED, INC. 10th Floor, Commerce & Industry Plaza Bldg., Mckinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: At least 3-10 years extensive relevant work experience in dredging and land development environment

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

CHANDRASEKARAN, KIRUTHIKA Associate Leader, Software Engineering

CAPSLOCK INC. 7th & 8th Flr. Y Tower Bldg., Coral Way Drive Cor. Macapagal Ave., Barangay 76, Pasay City

YENKARLA BALA KRISHNA, RAJA NARESH App Automation Eng Assoc Manager

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

Brief Job Description: Self-reliant technical professional and is expected to initiate, carry out, and report on all survey works for projects

BLAKEY, SEAN System Analyst

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

Basic Qualification: Can manage mediumsmall sized teams and/ or work efforts (if in an individual contributor role) at a client or within Accenture. Can work with minimal guidance when determining methods and procedures on new assignments. Skillful in solving moderately complex problems.

Brief Job Description: Self-reliant technical professional, expected to initiate, carry out and report on all survey works for projects.

VELDHUIZEN, RIK Survey Specialist

21.

11.

Brief Job Description: Must fluently speak and write any of Bahasa Indonesian, Malaysian, and Vietnamese language

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

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

Basic Qualification: Grab operator

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION RAZON, KULSIRI Advisor I, Sales Thai

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

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

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

Brief Job Description: Creative thinkers, they apply innovative ideas to drive the automation of delivery analytics at the client level. They are able to use data to extract information that clients didn’t even know they had. They evolve more predictive and intelligent delivery approaches based on automation and analytics. With inquisitive minds and solid analytical expertise, they provide deep expertise to project teams in this area. Requires analysis and solving of moderately complex problems.

Typically creates new solutions, leveraging and, where needed, adapting existing methods and procedures. Requires understanding of the strategic direction set by senior management as it relates to team goals. Primary upward interaction is with direct supervisor or team leads. Generally interacts with peers and/or management levels at a client and/or within Accenture.

Brief Job Description: To assist the mechanic maintenance works and repairs

IMSANRAPANG, RUNGTAWAN Thai Language-supervisor Fund Management

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

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree holder in any field is preferred; fluent in both mandarin and ENGLISH language; knowledgeable in MS office tools; BPO experience is an advantage; willing to be assigned in BGC.

No.

BIGCAT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, INC. 18/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue Cor. Rufino Street, Salcedo Vill., Bel-air, City Of Makati

A-LINK STEEL MANUFACTURING CORP. Unit 1403-1404 14/f Bdo Equitable Bank Tower, 8751 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati

JI, PENG Mechanics Supervisor

Brief Job Description: Responsible in executing operational processes within the service level agreement; create and review operational processes to identify potential gaps, risk, and opportunities for improvement; increase customer satisfaction. Coordinate with other functional support to resolve quality issues, deliver ad-hoc report and projects.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

BAUER FOUNDATIONS PHILIPPINES, INC. Unit A To K 12/f Cyberone Bldg., 11 Eastwood Ave., Eastwood City Cyberpark, Bagumbayan, Quezon City

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION NAKAYAMA, MICHIE Transaction Processing Analyst

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Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in teaching or relevant field, well-organized with excellent leadership abilities.

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

Brief Job Description: Lead the operations, negotiate with clients and resolve conflicts

BAI, SHENGYU Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 31.

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

Basic Qualification: BS Management or other related course with 3+ years of experience in a BPO as Operations Manager Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

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

BusinessMirror

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ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

SUH, SUNGCHAN Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 32.

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

ZHANG, YU Customer Service Representative Mandarin Speaking 33.

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

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

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

34.

Brief Job Description: Book tickets, reserve accommodation, organize travel rental transportation.

45.

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its Chinese clients to generate more income for the company WELLSON SUSANTO Strategic And Facilitation Officer

46.

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its Chinese clients to generate more income for the company WILLIAM CHARLES Strategic And Facilitation Officer

47.

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

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its Chinese clients to generate more income for the company

48.

RAMIRO CAIROLS, ANGEL Senior Vice President, Commercial Brief Job Description: Head of LazMall

HOPEX ENVIRONMENT GROUP INC. 38, Pilli Ave., Forbes Park, City Of Makati

FARIAS ARGUELLO, ILUSION Impact Director 35.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for managing impact teams across all areas. Build systems to monitor and evaluate impact of all programs.

Basic Qualification: Must have at least 5-10 years work experience in impact and fundraising in the nonprofit industry Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

ZHANG, XINQIAN Small Cell Project Manager For Carrier Network New Full Turn Key (FTK) Project 36.

Brief Job Description: 1. Responsible for the management of wireless and access networks. 2. To understand wireless network high level and low level designs. 3.

Resolve emergency network faults and restore network communication.

LIANG, XIAOTAO Engineering And Technical Adviser 49.

CHIN, HONGSHIK Finance Manager 37.

Brief Job Description: Managed Financial Planning & Analysis, Budget and Cash management; Handle Accounting System Headquarters to be directly reporting in Korea.

Basic Qualification: Native Korean; Ability to develop and implement financial planning, analysis and strategies, SAP & ERP. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

38.

Brief Job Description: The IT Support Specialist (CITSS) is an integral member of the company infrastructure, Application Support, and of the IT Division and is responsible for providing quality IT support of enterprise systems throughout the Chinese clientele.

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

50.

51.

39.

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its Chinese clients to generate more income for the company CHRISTINE EVIN Strategic And Facilitation Officer

APRIL MAY Chinese Customer Service 52.

40.

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its Chinese clients to generate more income for the company ERICKSON Strategic And Facilitation Officer

53.

41.

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its Chinese clients to generate more income for the company FARIATI Strategic And Facilitation Officer

54.

42.

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its Chinese clients to generate more income for the company JACKSEN WIJAYA SURYA Strategic And Facilitation Officer

43.

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its Chinese clients to generate more income for the company LAU SAY QUAN Strategic And Facilitation Officer

44.

Brief Job Description: Your primary function is to help the company and its Chinese clients to generate more income for the company

56.

57.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DUONG THI KIM LOAN Chinese Customer Service 58.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

DUONG VAN THONG Chinese Customer Service 59.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

FU SHIN Chinese Customer Service 60.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries DINH THI QUYNH LAN Chinese Customer Service

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

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries DANG THI GIANG Chinese Customer Service

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

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHU VAN HOANG Chinese Customer Service

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

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries CHAN MYAE NAUNG NAUNG Chinese Customer Service

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

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries BUI SY HA Chinese Customer Service

55.

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Committed to improving customer experience and operational efficiency

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

GAN JUN CHONG Chinese Customer Service 61.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

No.

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language

62.

63.

64.

65.

66.

67.

68.

69.

70.

71.

72.

73.

74.

75.

76.

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LUO, FUWEI Chinese Customer Service

77.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries MIN HTUT PAING Chinese Customer Service

78.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires MIN MYAT SOE Chinese Customer Service

79.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires MYO AUNG Chinese Customer Service

80.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires LISA Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LI, FUSHENG Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LER CHIN KEONG Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LE VAN HUNG Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LE THI THAM Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LE HOAI NAM Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LAL MATHAR Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries KYI PYAR CHO Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries KYEIN TONE Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries KYAW SOE MOE Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries KYAW KYAW MIN Chinese Customer Service

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

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HTET NAY LIN Chinese Customer Service

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

Basic Qualification: College Graduate; Preferably 3 years experience and Engineering Position.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HOANG THI TUYET Chinese Customer Service

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

Basic Qualification: Head of LazMall responsible for the planning and execution to grow the overall of LazMall team.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HO VAN HOI Chinese Customer Service

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

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HEIN THANT Chinese Customer Service

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

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

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

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language

Brief Job Description: Committed to improving customer experience and operational efficiency

ZHANG, YUQING Mandarin Operations Specialist

JDB MANAGEMENT AND CONSULTANCY CORP. 107 T & D House, Magallanes St. 069, Barangay 655, Intramuros, City Of Manila AFRIJANTO Strategic And Facilitation Officer

Brief Job Description: Helps in designing of the new production line, supervise in maintenance of equipment used.

UANG, YUNG-CHEN Mandarin Operations Specialist

ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. 7/f Aseana I Bldg., Bradco Avenue Aseana Business Park, Tambo, City Of Parañaque DANG QUOC TAN IT Support Specialist

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in Chinese language

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

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 HYUNDAI MOTOR PHILIPPINES, INC. Unit 908 The Financial Centre, 26th St. Cor. 9th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

METALEXPERTS INC. 6/f Cyberzone Bldg., #11 Eastwood Cyberpark City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES PHILS. INC. U-5302, 53/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave., Cor., V.a. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati Basic Qualification: 1. With at least 3 years work experience as Project Manager for a telecommunication company. 2. Expertise in troubleshooting wireless network cutover, upgrade, and offline faults; wireless network cutover, upgrade, and troubleshooting. 3. Must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, mathematics or other related courses. 4. Highly proficient in Chinese and English language.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

LAZADA E-SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. 23rd/f Net Park 5th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Basic Qualification: Able to speak Mandarin Chinese and English.

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION LIN, YUEN-JUNG a.k.a. LIN, WAN-JUNG Strategic And Facilitation Officer

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

GREAT ESCAPE TRAVEL CONSULTANCY CORPORATION Unit No. 2c Flr. No. 4, One E-com Bldg. Ocean Drive Moa Complex St. Zone 10 District 1, Barangay 76, Pasay City WANG, WEIJIE Mandarin Travel Consultant

No.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

NAING MANAR Chinese Customer Service 81.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

NAN SHWE ZIN OO Chinese Customer Service 82.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

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

A7

BusinessMirror

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

A8

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION NGUYEN DANG TUAN Chinese Customer Service

83.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN THI ANH TUYET Chinese Customer Service

84.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries NGUYEN THU PHUONG Chinese Customer Service

85.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires NGUYEN VAN TRUONG Chinese Customer Service

86.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries PHAN THI DIEM KIEU Chinese Customer Service

87.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries PUAH YAW YANG Chinese Customer Service

88.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries PYAE PHYO AUNG Chinese Customer Service

89.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SAI LONE THIT Chinese Customer Service

90.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SAI OHM KHAN Chinese Customer Service

91.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SAI SI THU Chinese Customer Service

92.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SEAH BENG HONG Chinese Customer Service

93.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SEE JAT RO Chinese Customer Service

94.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SHI, PAN Chinese Customer Service

95.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries STEPHEN PANG YING KWONG Chinese Customer Service

96.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SU SU NYEIN Chinese Customer Service

97.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries SUN, MAOTANG Chinese Customer Service

98.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries TAUK HTEIN Chinese Customer Service

99.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries THAE PHYU PHYU Chinese Customer Service

100.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language

No.

TRAN DINH TAM Chinese Customer Service 104.

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

105.

106.

107.

108.

109.

101.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries THIDA MYINT Chinese Customer Service

102.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries THU RAIN AUNG Chinese Customer Service

103.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

YANG, MINGMING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer Support and Data Base Services

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

LOH KOK KHEONG Malaysian Customer Service 110.

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

111.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

TING YEONG MAN Malaysian Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer Support and Data Base Services

HTAUK YU KU Myanmari Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 112.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

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

HWAN HEI PAN Myanmari Customer Service 113.

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

114.

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

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

KAY CHO THEIN Myanmari Customer Service Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

KYAW MYINT Myanmari Customer Service 115.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

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

DAU VAN NAM Vietnamese Customer Service 116.

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

117.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

DO VAN THIET Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer Support and Data Base Services

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, Read, and Write Chinese language HO VAN LAM Vietnamese Customer Service

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 118.

THEIN TIN Chinese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

119.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

LE NHAT QUOC Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer Support and Data Base Services

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

LE XUAN NHIEN Vietnamese Customer Service 120.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

No.

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

121.

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

NGUYEN DUY TUNG Vietnamese Customer Service

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

122.

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and inquiries, handling complaints, provide solutions, process customer accounts and file the documents.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in Computer Applications with Good Oral and Written Communication skills

NGUYEN VIET HUNG Vietnamese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Customer Support and Data Base Services

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

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

123.

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

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in Computer Applications with Good Oral and Written Communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in Computer Applications with Good Oral and Written Communication skills

124.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

125.

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

126.

Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Knowledge in Computer Applications with Good Oral and Written Communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English) Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Experience in a similar role Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

Basic Qualification: College Grdauate , Fluent in Mandarin and English Preferably 6 Mos to 1 Year customer service

Brief Job Description: Answering Inquiries , Resolving Problems , Fulfilling Requests and Maintaining data base

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

Brief Job Description: Will lead the management and give a thorough assessment on the different airport specialty systems by establishing system preferences for the airport passenger terminal building based on operational benefit and cost effectiveness

Basic Qualification: Engineer by profession(either Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics). Minimum pf 20 years of work experience preferably in airport design and construction.

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

SODEXO ON-SITE SERVICES PHILIPPINES, INC. 11/f Ba Lepanto Bldg., 8747 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati HE, JUN Admin Consultant 2 127.

Basic Qualification: Fluent in both Mandarin and English; kind, patient and careful; willing to help employees in good attitude

Brief Job Description: Oversee the overall process of accommodation allowance, including qualification application notification and approval, monthly accommodation check and data validation, onetime relocation expense reimbursement and transfer compensation application

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

TRI7 SOLUTIONS, INC. Unit 9-a 9/f Marvin Plaza Bldg., 2153 Don Chino Roces Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

AYU FARADILLA MUSTIKA ADJI Bahasa Language Customer Service Representative 128.

Brief Job Description: Report on a daily basis operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities & various background operations duties

SHEN YIN DE Team Leader (Chinese Speaking) 129.

Brief Job Description: Report on a daily basis operation of call center activities performing customer oriented telephone activities & various background operations duties

Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking in both English/ Bahasa/Thai/Chinese/ Vietnamese/Malay Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking in both English/ Bahasa/Thai/Chinese/ Vietnamese/Malay 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, City Of Makati AFRIDHO SYAHPUTRA Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 130.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in Computer Applications with Good Oral and Written Communication skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Manage the profitability and growth of the organization.

GAN KOK FU Sr. MEP Engineer (Specializing In Airport Specialty Systems)

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

HORA, RAHUL Ceo, Axa Philippines And Chief Distribution Officer, Asia

SAN MIGUEL AEROCITY INC. (MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT) 40 San Miguel Corporation, Head Office Complex San Miguel, Wack-wack Greenhills, City Of Mandaluyong

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

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

CHEN, LIANGSHU Chinese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

Brief Job Description: Customer Support and Data Base Services

RIGHT CHOICE FINANCE CORP. 5e-1 Electra House Bldg., 115-117 Esteban Street, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate, preferably 1yr experience in the similar field, speak and write fluently (native language and English)

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in Computer Applications with Good Oral and Written Communication skills

TRAN THI THAO Vietnamese Customer Service

PHILIPPINE AXA LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION 33/f, 34/f & 35/f Gt Tower Int’l, 6813 Ayala Ave. Cor. H.v. Dela Costa St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION Sky Garage Bldg., Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Tambo, City Of Parañaque 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th/f, Pearl Marina Building Pacific Drive, Don Galo, City Of Parañaque

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries ZI TAR @ YAW SAT Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries YEE MON OO Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries YA MIN OO Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries VO PHAN CUONG Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Manage Large Amount of Calls, Handle Customers Concern ALVIN QADRI Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer

131.

Brief Job Description: Manage Large Amount of Calls, Handle Customers Concern

YENTI Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer 132.

Brief Job Description: Manage Large Amount of Calls, Handle Customers Concern

Basic Qualification: Foreign Language Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Foreign Language Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Foreign Language Speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

*Date Generated: Mar 15, 2022 Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication.

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

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

The World BusinessMirror

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

A9

South Korea reports record deaths amid Omicron surge

Firefighters extinguish an apartment house after a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city on Monday, March 14, 2022. AP/Pavel Dorogoy

Russia pounds away at Ukraine as negotiators plan more talks

L

VIV, Ukraine—A narrow diplomatic path stayed open as Ukraine and Russia planned another round of talks and Moscow’s forces pounded away at cities across the country, including the capital, in a bombardment that deepened the humanitarian crisis.

Shortly before dawn on Tuesday, large explosions thundered across Kyiv while Russia pressed its advance on multiple fronts.

Elsewhere, a convoy of 160 civilian cars left the encircled port city of Mariupol along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported, in a rare glimmer of hope a week and a half into the lethal siege that has pulverized homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine.

The latest negotiations, held via video conference, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended Monday without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took “a technical pause” and planned to meet again Tuesday.

The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days.

Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss “peace, cease-fire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees.”

Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting.

In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that while the Biden administration supports Ukraine’s participation in the talks with Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have to show signs of deescalating in order to demonstrate good faith.

Overall, nearly all of the Russian military offensives remained stalled after making little progress over the weekend, according to a senior US defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon’s assessment. Russian troops were still about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the center of Kyiv, the official said.

The official said that Russian forces have launched more than 900 missiles but that Ukraine’s airspace is still contested, with Russia not achieving total air superiority.

Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed when the Russians struck an airplane factory in Kyiv, sparking a large fire. The Antonov factory is Ukraine’s largest aircraft plant and produces many of the world’s biggest cargo planes.

Russian artillery fire also hit a nine-story apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi district of the city, killing two more people, authorities said.

And a Russian airstrike near a Ukrainian checkpoint caused extensive damage to a downtown Kyiv neighborhood, killing one person, Ukraine’s emergency agency said.

Kateryna Lot said she was in her apartment as her child did homework when they heard a loud explosion and ran to take shelter.

“The child became hysterical. Our windows and the balcony were shattered. Part of the floor fell down,” she said. “It was very, very scary.”

In an area outside Kyiv, Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall was injured while reporting and was hospitalized, the network said.

In Russia, the live main evening news program on state television was briefly interrupted by a woman who walked into the studio holding a poster against the war. The OVD-Info website that monitors political arrests said she was a Channel 1 employee who was taken into police custody.

A town councilor for Brovary, east of Kyiv, was killed in fighting there, officials said. Shells also fell on the Kyiv suburbs of Irpin, Bucha and Hostomel, which have seen some of the worst fighting in Russia’s stalled attempt to take the capital, local authorities said.

Airstrikes were reported across the country, including the southern city of Mykolaiv, and the northern city of Chernihiv, where heat was knocked out to most of the town. Explosions also reverberated overnight around the Russian-occupied Black Sea port of Kherson.

Nine people were killed in a rocket attack on a TV tower in the western village of Antopol, according to the region’s governor.

In the eastern city of Kharkiv, firefighters doused the smoldering remains of a four-story residential building. It was unclear whether there were casualties.

In Mariupol, where the war has produced some of the greatest suffering, the city council didn’t say how many people were in the convoy of cars headed westward for the city of Zaporizhzhia. But it said a ceasefire along the route appeared to be holding.

Previous attempts to evacuate civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the southern city of 430,000 were thwarted by fighting.

Ukraine’s military said it repelled an attempt Monday to take control of Mariupol by Russian forces, which were forced to retreat. Satellite images from Maxar Technologies showed fires burning across the city, with many high-rise apartment buildings heavily damaged or destroyed.

The Kremlin-backed leader of the Russian region of Chechnya said on a messaging app that Chechen fighters were spearheading the offensive on Mariupol.

Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the war has become “nothing short of a nightmare” for those living in besieged cities, and he pleaded for safe corridors for civilians to leave and humanitarian aid to be brought in.

“The situation cannot, cannot continue like this,” he said. “History is watching what is happening in Mariupol and other cities.” AP

S

EOUL, South Korea—South Korea had its deadliest day yet of the pandemic on Tuesday, with 293 deaths reported in the latest 24 hours, as the country grapples with a record surge in coronavirus infections driven by the fast-moving Omicron variant.

The 1,196 virus patients in serious or critical conditions were also a new high. Health officials said the country’s medical response remains stable following efforts to expand resources, with more than 30 percent of intensive care units designated for Covid-19 treatment still available. But the

strain on the hospital system is expected to increase in coming weeks, considering the time lags between infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

“We anticipate the number of [serious or critical cases] to grow to around 2,000. We are preparing our medical response

for that,” senior Health Ministry official Park Hyang said during a briefing.

South Korea has reported a daily average of around 337,000 new cases in the past seven days, including 362,283 on Tuesday, representing more than 80-fold increase from levels seen in midJanuary, when Omicron emerged as the dominant strain. The country’s caseload is now over 7.2 million, with 6.4 million added since February.

Park sa id because of high vaccination rates, the countr y has so far weathered the Omicron surge with lower levels of fatalities than what was seen in the United States and Europe, which was hit by the variant earlier. More than 62 percent of South Koreans have received booster shots.

The country so far has 17.6 Covid-19 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to 285.5 deaths in the US and 237.5 in Britain, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

T he O m ic ron v a r i a nt h a s forced South Korea to abandon a stringent Covid-19 response based on mass laboratory tests, aggressive contact tracing and quarantines to focus limited medical resources on priority groups, including people 60 and older and those with preexisting medical conditions. The country will also begin a vaccine rollout for children between the ages of 5 and 11 later this month.

More than 1.6 million virus carriers with mild or moderate symptoms have been asked to isolate at home to save hospital space, the KDCA said. AP

Military attacks in eastern Myanmar worst in decades

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ANGKOK—While Russia’s war in Ukraine dominates global attention, Myanmar’s military is targeting civilians in air and ground attacks on a scale unmatched in the country since World War II, according to a longtime relief worker who spent almost three months in a combat zone in the Southeast Asian nation.

David Eubank, director of the Free Burma Rangers, a humanitarian relief organization, told The Associated Press that the military’s jets and helicopters stage frequent attacks in the areas of eastern Myanmar where he and his volunteers operate, bringing medical and food aid to civilians caught in conflict.

Ground forces are also firing artillery—indiscriminately, he said— causing thousands to flee their homes.

Video shot by his group’s members includes rare images of repeated air strikes by Myanmar military aircraft in Kayah State—also known as Karenni State—causing a number of civilian deaths.

An analyst for New York-based Human Rights Watch said the air attacks constitute “war crimes.”

Myanmar’s military seized power last year, overthrowing the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. After security forces cracked down violently on large, peaceful street demonstrations opposing the takeover, thousands of ordinary people formed militia units, dubbed People’s Defense Forces, to fight back.

Many are loosely allied with wellestablished ethnic minority armed groups—such as the Karenni, the Karen and the Kachin—that have been fighting the central government for more than half a century, seeking greater autonomy in the frontier regions.

Despite overwhelming superiority in numbers and weaponry, the military has failed to crush this grassroots resistance movement. The army has now stepped up attacks, taking advantage of the dry, summer conditions.

Eubank described the fighting he had seen as probably the worst in Myanmar since World War II, when the country was a British colony still known as Burma and largely occupied by the Japanese.

There has been serious but sporadic fighting in Kachin State in northern Myanmar for a few years, he said, “but what I saw in Karenni I had not seen in Burma before.”

“Air strikes, not like one or two a day like they do in Karen State, but like two MiGs coming one after the other, these Yak fighters, it was one after the other,” said Eubank. “Hind helicopter gunships, these Russian planes, and then just brought hundreds of rounds of 120mm mortar. Just boom, boom, boom, boom.”

Russia is a top arms supplier to Myanmar’s military, keeping up supplies even as many other nations have maintained an embargo since the army’s takeover to promote peace and

a return to democratic rule.

Eubank knows whereof he speaks.

He was a US Army Special Forces and Ranger officer before he and some ethnic minority leaders from Myanmar

founded the faith-based Free Burma Rangers in 1997. Two of its members have been killed in Kayah state since late February: one in an air strike, the other in a mortar barrage. AP

A10 Wednesday, March 16, 2022 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Protectionism threatens global food security

T

he Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has warned that the world is facing a potential food crisis due to the war in Ukraine. In an article published in The Guardian, Maximo Torero, the chief economist at the FAO, noted that food prices were already high before Russia attacked Ukraine due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The disruption caused by the war would further devastate the global food system, he said.

As the war in Ukraine poses a threat to the supply of key staple crops like wheat, FAO said countries could close their markets to safeguard the food needs of their population. The rice price crisis in 2007-2008, for example, was caused by the restrictions introduced by key rice-exporting countries like India and Vietnam. This resulted in a dramatic surge in rice prices in the Philippines, where consumers in some urban areas lined up for cheaper rice sold by the National Food Authority.

As tensions escalate in Eastern Europe, some countries have started introducing restrictions to stem rising domestic food prices. Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer and exporter of palm oil, announced last week that it has required companies to sell 30 percent of their planned exports of crude palm oil and olein at home, up from the current 20 percent. This new restriction is expected to stay in place for at least six months, according to Reuters.

A few days after Indonesia introduced the restrictions, Ukraine banned the exports of fertilizers. Kyiv has also introduced licenses for wheat, corn and sunflower oil. The ban on fertilizer exports, Kyiv said, is aimed at “maintaining balance in the domestic market” and to ensure that farmers in Ukraine would be able to sow as many crops as possible despite the Russian invasion.

On March 13, Argentina—the top global exporter of soybean meal and oil—announced that it has halted the registration of export sales of soy oil and meal. The move stops sales and exports of the 2021-2022 crop, according to a Reuters report. While buyers could source the commodities from other suppliers like the United States and Brazil, the move has caused prices of soybean meal and oil to rise.

These restrictions would certainly hurt the Philippines, which does not grow crops, such as wheat and soybeans, and imports all of its fertilizer requirements. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade broadly prohibits export bans and restrictions, but it allows member-countries of the World Trade Organization to apply them temporarily to prevent or relieve critical shortages of foodstuffs or other essential products. The WTO noted that export prohibitions and restrictions may lower domestic prices for some goods in the short run and increase domestic availability, but the strategy is not costless.

The situation in Ukraine is understandable given the considerable challenges to transporting goods due to the movement of Russian troops and the need to ensure the availability of food for its citizens.

Other countries, however, must heed the appeal of the G-7 Agriculture ministers who called on all producers to keep their food and agricultural markets open and to guard against any unjustified restrictive measures on their exports. They warned that any further increase in food price levels and volatility in international markets could threaten food security and nutrition at a global scale, especially among the most vulnerable living in environments of low food security.

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‘I wish this war would end’: Ukrainian refugees reach 2.8 million

P

By Rafal Niedzielski & Justin Spike | The Associated Press

RZEMYSL, Poland—As Russia’s war in Ukraine becomes a grim new reality for millions of Ukrainians, the tens of thousands who make the increasingly treacherous journey toward safety each day in the European Union are left with no sense of when, or if, they’ll ever return home.

More than 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion, according to the UN refugee agency, the vast majority seeking refuge in Poland, which has taken in more than 1.7 million refugees in the last 19 days.

In the Polish border town of Przemysl, some of those fleeing, mostly women and children, are exhausted and express a simple wish that the war and violence would stop.

“All day crying from the pain of having to part with loved ones, with my husband, my parents,” said Alexandra Beltuygova, 33, who fled from Dnipro, a city between the embattled metropolises of Kyiv and Mariupol.

“I understand that we may not see them. I wish this war would end,” she said.

At a refugee center in Suceava in northern Romania, 28-year-old Lesia Ostrovska watched over her 1-year-old son as her daughter, who is 8, played nearby with other children displaced by the war.

“I left my husband, my father, my mother, my grandparents,” said Ostrovska, who is from Chernivtsi in western Ukraine. “It’s hard with kids, in the bus, here in this situation…We hope that the war is finished soon

and we can go back home.”

As the fighting, now in its third week, continues to exact a grievous human toll in Ukraine with Russian troops bombarding many of the country’s most populous cities, the number of those crossing into the EU has begun to slowly wane in recent days.

In Hungar y, where around 255,000 refugees have entered so far, only 9,000 people crossed the border with Ukraine on Sunday, compared to more than twice that on March 1, according to police.

In Slovakia, where more than 200,000 people have fled, fewer than 9,000 crossed the border on Sunday, down from more than 12,000 four days earlier. In Poland, about 82,000 refugees were admitted, down from an earlier daily peak of around 129,000. Also Sunday, 14,475 Ukrainians entered Romania, down 13 percent compared to the previous day, border police said.

Gabriela Leu, spokesperson for UNHCR in Romania, said it was difficult to determine what is causing the slowdown in the exodus from Ukraine, but said “I can see the possibility of this being something temporary.”

“The situation is very fragile and very fluid … it’s maybe more difficult for people to move, but it’s just speculation,” Leu said. “But the bottom line is that the numbers continue to grow.”

Even as the pace of those leaving Ukraine has slowed, people fleeing the violence continued to arrive in large numbers in countries on Ukraine’s western border.

In Przemysl, some recounted seeing military attacks on civilians, something that Russia continues to deny.

“I saw destroyed houses and fighting. I saw a lot of tanks when I was driving from Kyiv. I know that a house near us was completely destroyed this morning,” said Inessa Armashova, 40, a resident of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. “Many people fled. But many cannot leave, sick children or sick elderly people.”

The continued push by Russian forces toward Kyiv comes a day after Russia escalated its offensive by launching airstrikes close to the Polish border, raising fears in the West that the fight was edging closer to the EU and Nato.

Those strikes, which involved waves of deadly Russian missiles hitting a military training base Sunday less than 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Ukraine’s border with Nato member Poland, killed at least 35 people. It appeared to be the westernmost target struck during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Residents of the Polish village of Wielkie Oczy, just 2 kilometers (over

a mile) from the border, were jolted awake in the middle of the night by the sounds of the blasts.

“My son went out to the balcony.

And the neighbors were already awoken and the dogs in the whole village started to bark,” said Franciek Sawicki, 77, who heard the missile attack. “We could see the glow above the forest. It was very noisy and I could hear a loud explosion. And at that moment I knew it was an attack near the border.”

The proximity of the attack to Poland dashed the sense of safety in western Ukraine, which until now had mostly remained free of Russian attacks, and raised the possibility that the Nato alliance could be drawn into the fight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a “black day,” and again urged Nato leaders to establish a no-fly zone over the country, a plea that the West has said could escalate the war into a nuclear confrontation with Russia.

But Anjela, 55, a Ukrainian refugee from Poltava who wouldn’t give her last name, said after arriving in Poland that only a Nato intervention could end the violence in Ukraine.

“I don’t know when I will see my husband. I don’t know when my children will return home,” she said. “I beg you, it depends only on you!

Close the sky, everything else we will do ourselves.” Justin Spike reported from Budapest, Hungary. Stephen McGrath in Suceava, Romania, Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, and Karel Janicek in Prague, contributed to this report.

War in Ukraine disrupts key supply chains–and lives By matt o’brien | The Associated Press

I

T can be hard to measure the ways that Russia’s war in Ukraine has disrupted the global supply of parts and raw materials needed to complete a variety of products—from cars to computer chips.

But cutting off one of those supply links brought a “depressing feeling” to Andrey Bibik, head of the Interpipe steel plant in Dnipro, Ukraine.

He spent the first hours of the war winding down his bustling 24-hour operation and sending almost everyone home.

“It’s empty and lonely. You don’t hear a sound. You see everything is frozen,” he said.

Getting Interpipe’s steel transmission pipes to Texas oil companies and its railway wheels to European high-speed train operators has been put on hold. Hundreds of the plant’s roughly 10,000 employees have joined the fight against Russia. Others have fled; a remaining skeleton crew runs its canteens and makes spikey metal obstacles to block Russian tanks and convoys. Its bomb shelters house dozens of local families at night.

“It was a hard choice to stop production. We had plenty of orders, a lot of customers awaiting our material. But if you have to choose between safety, and possible profits, I think the answer is obvious,” said Bibik, who’s worked at the company for nearly two decades. “The most important thing we have is life and we really need to take care of the people we love.”

Similar production halts have spread across other industries in Ukraine, motivated not just by safety concerns but also because the war and mass exodus of refugees have closed off roads and railways to commercial freight traffic. Some of Interpipe’s finished products bound for overseas export are now stalled at the Black Sea port of Odesa.

Ukraine accounts for only about 0.3 percent of the world’s exports, while Russia’s share is about 1.9 percent, ac-

cording to a report by the Dutch bank ING. Still, some industries doing business with these nations are starting to feel the war’s impact.

For Russia, a key producer of energy, steel and raw metals such as nickel, copper, platinum and palladium— many of which are important to the auto industry—the supply concerns are tied to punishing Western economic sanctions and Russia’s moves to retaliate against them. For Ukraine, the war itself is cutting off supplies.

“We want to give priority to the refugees, people trying to move out of the war zone, and humanitarian and military convoys,” said Interpipe’s Houston-based chairman and former CEO Fadi Hraibi.

The disruption of another Ukrainian industry—the making of wiring harnesses used in cars—is already hurting European automakers.

Ukraine has more than 30 automotive plants, most of them centered near the western border with Poland and other European neighbors, according to a government agency that promotes foreign investment.

German parts supplier Leoni said

production has been interrupted at its two western Ukraine plants in Styri and Kolomyja and that it’s looking for temporary alternatives.

“We are aware that this situation is currently affecting not only Leoni, but the entire industry,” said spokesperson Gregor le Claire.

Ukraine is also among the world’s largest suppliers of neon, a gas used in lasers that help etch integrated circuits onto computer chips. That worries auto industry executives, who fear that tight neon supplies could worsen a global chip shortage that has already forced production cuts and made vehicles scarce worldwide.

Interpipe has five factories in Ukraine, all located in the industrial hub of Dnipro and its surrounding oblast, or region, which holds a strategic position on the Dnieper River southeast of the capital, Kyiv.

Until Russian airstrikes began targeting Dnipro on Friday, the country’s fourth-largest city had been mostly quiet—except for occasional air raid sirens—in the two weeks since Russia invaded the country.

But executives at Interpipe made a See “War,” A11

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

UN says women pay highest price in conflict, now in Ukraine

U

By Edith M. Lederer | The Associated Press

NITED NATIONS—Women and girls pay the highest price in all crises and conflicts from Myanmar and Afghanistan to the Sahel and Haiti, and “the horrifying war in Ukraine now joins that list,” the head of the UN women’s agency said Monday.

Undersecretary-General Sima Bahous told the opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women’s annual meeting that with every passing day the war is damaging the lives, hopes and futures of Ukrainian women and girls.

And, she added, the fact that it is between “two wheat and oil producing nations threatens food security and access to essential services the world over” and “this, too, will impact women and girls the hardest.”

Bahous didn’t mention men who are being killed and wounded in the Ukraine fighting, though she said: “I pray that they (women)—and all those who are experiencing conflict—will soon know peace.”

The priority theme of this year’s two-week meeting is empowering women in dealing with climate change. It is the first in-person session of the Commission on the Status of Women in three years after the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As with all crises,” Bahous said, “climate change also exacts its highest price from women and girls.”

Bahous, who is executive director of UN Women, said this is especially true for those already left behind, female-headed households, rural women, young girls who miss school because they must walk farther to fetch water in times of drought, women who cannot access land, older women and women without access to finance.

Secretar y- General A ntonio Guterres said the world is still maledominated, “the results of millennia of patriarchy that excludes women and prevents their voices from being heard.”

The climate crisis, pollution, desertification and biodiversity loss coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of the Ukraine war and other conflicts affect everyone— but “women and girls face the greatest threats and the deepest harm,” he said.

“Women suffer most when local natural resources including food and water come under threat, and have fewer ways to adapt,” the UN chief said. “The nutrition, incomes and livelihoods of women farmers are disproportionately affected by environmental crises and extreme weather like droughts and floods.”’

Guterres said there is increasing evidence linking child marriage and exploitation with the climate crisis.

And when climate disasters strike, now with increasing frequency, “research shows that women and children are up to 14 times more likely than men to die,” he said.

Gladys Acosta Vargas, chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, said the war in Ukraine has affected civilians, including large numbers of refugee women and children who were compelled to leave their loved ones at home. She urged an end to hostili-

War. . .

continued from A10

quick decision on February 24 to shut down all of its facilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion before dawn and by lunchtime, plant operations were wound down, Bibik said. That evening, he watched the last five workers get shuttled off to the suburb where they live. All of Interpipe’s workers are still being paid, Bibik and Hraibi said.

Interpipe’s customers in the energy and rail industries typically order their pipes, wheels and other products months in advance, but

Guterres said there is increasing evidence linking child marriage and exploitation with the climate crisis. And when climate disasters strike, now with increasing frequency, "research shows that women and children are up to 14 times more likely than men to die," he said. ties and peace efforts that ensure the equal participation of women.

The committee monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which has been ratified by 189 countries. The 45-member Commission on the Status of Women is the UN organ promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women, and is one of the governing bodies of UN Women.

Vargas said the pandemic “has regrettably drawn the world’s attention away from the climate crisis and from gender-based violence against women and girls.”

“However, it has not stopped hurricanes, floods and forest fires from posing existential threats to women and girls in many parts of the world,” she said.

Vargas said the degradation and destruction of natural resources exacerbates gender-based violence, citing as an example women and girls who need to travel greater distances to fetch water and face greater risks of sexual violence. She said the committee is also alarmed at increasing attacks, threats, harassment and killings of Indigenous women defending their environmental, land and territorial rights.

General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid urged the session to challenge discrimination and gender stereotyping.

“Young female climate activists have helped to spur a global environmental movement,” he said.

“Women leaders have spearheaded the (2015) Paris climate agreement.

And women in developing countries are transforming their communities by adopting sustainable practices.”

He called for progressive tax regimes and “gender responsive budgeting that enhance women’s economic rights and access to public services while redressing discrimination and inequality.”

Shahid also urged greater representation for women in decisionmaking in climate action and elsewhere, noting that in the 76-year history of the United Nations only four women have served one-year terms as president of the General Assembly—and there has never been a female secretary-general.

“I personally would lead from the front calling for the next secretarygeneral to be a woman,” he said. “Join me in this clarion call.”

Hraibi said the disruptions will cause shortages and lead some to look for alternatives. For some wheel customers, such a Saudi Arabian railway operator, Interpipe is the sole supplier, he said. Two of the company’s chief steel industry rivals, OMK and Evraz, are in Russia and he hopes customers will avoid them.

“I don’t know if our business will survive,” he said. “We do all that’s necessary to support the people, to keep our employees, to be able to restart in a month or two or three, whenever things get back to—at least closer to—normal. But in reality, nobody can predict what’s going to happen.” AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher contributed to this story from Detroit.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 A11

Hidden costs of unconscious bias and how we can tackle them

By Jim Falteisek

D

espite increased corporate focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, the state of female leadership today is still found wanting, with female to male leadership in the Asia Pacific region in 2021 remaining slightly under 28 percent.

Perhaps it’s time for us to dig deeper and tackle a hidden yet difficult barrier to address—unconscious biases.

It’s human nature for us to gravitate towards people like us. But sometimes, this instinct, known as affinity bias, can be harmful. For example, when male decision makers find themselves relating more to male candidates who come from a similar background, and thus pick them over an equally qualified female candidate. An Asia Pacific study by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), reported that when asked if male managers were less likely to select women than men, and if male managers were less likely to promote women than men, more women agreed than men, with a 29 percent difference for each question.

How we define leadership also matters. For far too long, we’ve conflated leadership with men, and women with empathy. The same CCL report found that while both women and men agreed that ambition was critical for leadership, women were “unsure of how ambitious to be or appear.” According to the study researchers, this could be due to how women associated ambition with egotism, selfishness, self-aggrandizement, or the manipulative use of others for own ends, unlike men, who associated it with positive attributes.

On the flipside, men are also pressured by conventional gender roles.

Not usually seen as caregivers by society, fathers may not be provided adequate paternal leave, face external pressure against or feel hesitant about taking childcare leave.

In the Philippines, a new bill passed in 2019 stated that mothers can transfer seven days of their maternity leave to fathers, enabling fathers to a total of two weeks paid leave. However, research shows that

traditional gender norms entrenched in society, coupled with religious views, may hinder uptake of paternity leave.

This has many implications— men cannot enjoy fatherhood, and their female partners have to compensate by taking up more caregiving responsibilities.

Besides facing biases externally, women may internalize these feelings of inadequacy, leading to selfdoubt and limiting beliefs. They may be discouraged from pursuing their professional goals, and even cause them to downshift in their careers.

Some 11 percent of women surveyed in the region said they would reject challenging leadership opportunities, compared to 2 percent of male respondents who would do the same.

The study also found that women were more likely to have self-limiting thoughts and deal with issues such as perfectionism, self-criticism and imposter syndrome.

These behaviors are so heavily ingrained and often go undetected, that we may not recognize that we are perpetuating these biases. The question then becomes: how can we identify and effectively tackle something so innate?

First, companies should provide unconscious bias training at all levels of the organization.

To ensure these trainings are truly effective, encourage employees to reflect and recognize their own biases, and set goals to correct these beliefs.

Continued training sessions, instead of one-off sessions also go a long way in strengthening inclusive culture.

Second, buck conventional trends and redefine what leadership means. I highly recommend Growth Mindset training, which encourages employees to continue growing and improving their skills.

We started the training with our leadership team, and then a multi-

month campaign to help our employees cultivate new learning habits in this area.

Third, provide initiatives that support women leadership. 3M’s Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF) develops leaders at all levels to accelerate the inclusion and advancement of women globally. We now have over 5,000 employees across 65 chapters globally, including all countries within Asia where 3M operates.

Fourth, help your male employees better understand the true gaps in achieving gender equity, and how they can be better advocates for diversity, equity and inclusivity.

At 3M, we focus on REAL Allyship, which stands for Reflect, Empathize, Act and Learn. We encourage our employees to reflect on their experiences, perspectives, and innate assumptions, how these assumptions affect others, and how they came about.

Empathy is also key to advancing equity. Thus, we encourage male employees to learn and understand the challenges for women in the workplace, through listening, reading, and participating in dialogues with women. From these learnings, employees can then take action to build a culture of belonging, advocate for those who are marginalized, and continue their path of learning.

Companies must also acknowledge that allyship comes in various forms and allows us to advocate in ways that feel most authentic for each individual. At 3M, we started our male allyship program, Men as Advocates, where everyone is invited to challenge gender stereotypes and work towards gender-neutral mindsets and behaviors. It is crucial for men to better understand the need to be advocates in order to make a positive step forward in equity.

Finally, redesign talent acquisition processes to better engage candidates from underrepresented groups. In the Philippines, the 3M Global Service Center prioritizes providing opportunities to Filipino talent, regardless of their gender.

The 3M GSC—Philippines was certified by Great Place to Work® where 93 percent say that 3M GSC PH is a great place to work.

3M also further empowers youth in STEM by sponsoring various initiatives to encourage more women and young girls to join the science field.

In 2021, 3M launched its first-ever case competition, The 3M Inspire Challenge, across six Asia Pacific countries, including the Philippines.

University teams were encouraged to showcase their most brilliant ideas in Technology, Sustainability and Innovation where they also enjoyed mentorships with 3M science outreach volunteers. To cultivate a diverse and inclusive generation of leaders, thinkers and creators, all teams were required to have at least one male and female student. The challenge enjoyed a resounding success, with over 120 teams participating.

Funded by an educational grant from 3Mgives, 3M’s global social investment arm, 3M Philippines partnered with Mano Amiga Philippines’s STEM Femme Club to develop a virtual STEM Warriors camp for children aged 7-9 and girls aged 11-17. The virtual and at-home program brings “the world of STEM to one’s doorstep” through at-home STEM kits and instructional videos.

Through these activities, the initiative aims to strengthen core skills, create an early interest, and foster a lifelong love for STEM learning among kids all over the Philippines.

With close to 600 members nationwide, the club hopes to encourage more girls to study and pursue careers in STEM. Gender inequity is a complex and layered challenge. Diversity goals or women leadership initiatives alone are often not enough to close the gaps. Only when we peel back the layers of gender stereotypes and tackle unconscious biases that hold women back can we kickstart real change from the inside out.

The author is the senior vice president of 3M Asia Corporate Affairs

Seoul’s next leader faces limited choices over North Korea

By Kim Tong-Hyung & Hyung-Jin Kim | The Associated Press

S

EOUL, South Korea—After winning a bitterly contested presidential election, South Korean conservative Yoon Suk Yeol will enter office facing a quickly growing North Korean nuclear threat—and with few easy choices ahead to deal with it.

A former prosecutor with no foreign policy experience who kickstarted his political career nine months ago, Yoon will face a turbulent moment in global affairs and the decades-old standoff with the North, over which many experts see Seoul as having lost leverage under the policies of outgoing President Moon Jae-in.

It appears Yoon will be tested quickly, possibly even before he starts his presidency in May. North Korea often attempts to rattle new administrations in Washington or Seoul with major weapons demonstrations and has been signaling a resumption of long-range missile testing this year.

Yoon, who narrowly beat out a liberal ruling party rival in last week’s election, has rejected pursuing “talks for talks’ sake” and vowed to be sterner with Pyongyang, as the North’s accelerating weapons tests in 2022 show a renewed strategy of brinkmanship to pressure Washington and Seoul into giving it badly needed relief from economic sanctions.

But despite Yoon’s desire to do something different from the dovish government of Moon, there’s no “silver bullet” policy his administration could adopt for dealing with North Korea, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University.

Improved “inter-Korean relations” will largely depend on the willingness of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to engage with diplomacy and negotiate sanctions relief

for denuclearization steps, he said.

“Such willingness is unlikely to materialize until coronavirus risks decrease and domestic economic pressures increase,” he explained.

North Korea has conducted nine rounds of missile launches in 2022 alone, with signs of more to come.

State media said Friday that Kim Jong Un instructed officials to expand a satellite launch facility to fire a variety of rockets. His comments followed a pair of missile firings in recent weeks that the US and South Korean militaries linked with the development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile system that could be tested at full range soon.

South Korea’s military has also detected signs that the North is possibly restoring previously detonated tunnels at a nuclear testing ground that was last active in 2017.

North Korea’s stubborn efforts to cement itself as a nuclear power and win economic benefits from a position of strength may present daunting challenges for Yoon. Amid a deepening freeze in nuclear negotiations with Washington and pandemic border closures, North Korea has clearly stated it has no intentions to include Seoul in discussions about its nuclear weapons program, which Kim sees as his strongest guarantee of survival.

Although Yoon plans to restore South Korea’s leverage by bolstering its alliance with the US, North Korea seems further down the priority list for Washington, which is preoccupied with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and an intensifying rivalry

with China.

Yoon, surrounded by foreign policy advisers who have served under Seoul’s previous conservative governments, has called for maintaining sanctions and pressure until the North takes meaningful steps to wind down its weapons program.

He has vowed the resumption of major US-South Korean military exercises, which were suspended or significantly downsized in recent years to make room for diplomacy with North Korea.

He also wants an additional deployment of an advanced US antimissile system, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, to better protect the capital Seoul from North Korean missile threats, a move that would infuriate both Pyongyang and Beijing. He plans to further bolster South Korea’s defense by pursuing pre-emptive strike capabilities to deter North Korean attacks.

However, the Biden administration may not be able to support all of Yoon’s demands and could seek a more assertive role from South Korea in the alliance that goes beyond responding to North Korea.

Washington may call for Yoon’s government to take a stronger stance toward China, South Korea’s biggest trading partner, or possibly to participate in a newly launched security partnership between the United States, Australia and Britain, according to Park Won Gon, a professor of North Korea studies at Ewha.

In the face of looming foreign policy dilemmas with China, North Korea and the US, Yoon will also have to navigate domestic political challenges as Parliament will still be controlled by the country’s liberal party.

“South Korea has reached a point where it has to make a choice one way or another and be willing to pay the price for that choice,” Park

said. “South Korea just can’t afford to put everything on the line and strengthen its alliance with Washington unconditionally to confront Beijing.”

North Korea will be much less hesitant in its attempts to “tame” Yoon’s upcoming government with a long-range rocket test, said analyst Kim Yeol Soo at South Korea’s Korea Institute for Military Affairs.

After taking office, Yoon will likely respond to serious North Korean provocations by staging joint military exercises with the US, which the North condemn as invasion rehearsals. That would make a swift resumption of diplomacy unlikely.

“If they fire a rocket, there will be no talks for at least six months,” said Kim. Moon, a son of North Korean war refugees, was credited for calming war fears triggered by North Korean nuclear and ICBM tests in 2017. He used the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics as an opening to set up summits with Kim and then lobbied hard for Kim’s first meeting with then-US President Donald Trump in June that year.

The diplomacy derailed after the second Kim-Trump meeting in 2019, when the Americans rejected North Korea’s demand for a major release of US-led sanctions against the North in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities.

Kim has since vowed to strengthen his nuclear forces in the face of “gangster-like” US pressure and rapidly expanded his arsenal of nuclear-capable short-range missiles threatening South Korea. The North also severed all cooperation with the South while expressing anger over Seoul’s inability to wrest concessions from Washington on its behalf. The North blew up an empty inter-Korean liaison office in 2020 to demonstrate its displeasure.

A12 Wednesday, March 16, 2022

SENATE FORMS TWG FOR PHL RISE DEVT AUTHORITY

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

S

ENATORS on Tuesday moved to create a technical working group (TWG) tasked to craft an enabling law creating the Philippine Rise Development Authority that will oversee research and exploration at the country’s remote territory, formerly called Benham Rise.

Senator Imee Marcos, presiding over a committee hearing, affirmed the need to form a TWG to help resolve overlapping jurisdiction of government agencies granting permission to Filipinos and foreigners seeking to explore Philippine Rise.

At the Senate hearing, the commitee noted several agencies asserted similar claims that they have the authority to issue permits or authorization for scientific research of the Philippine Rise, including the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); the Maritime and Ocean Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and even the National Security Council.

Neda: Domestic economy strong vs oil crisis impact on 4 fronts

T MARCOS

Ma rcos obser ved t h at even the Department of Energy asserted it has the authority as it is the agency that grants permit, not just for scientific research, but also actual exploration.

Moreover, she noted that the Department of Budget and Management also supports a more extensive exploration as well as a thorough study in creating the Philippine Rise Development Authority that requires looking for DBM funding, amid expectations it holds big mineral deposits in the area.

By Cai U. Ordinario

@caiordinario

HE economy still has a few aces up its sleeve that will enable it to weather the impact of the European crisis, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

In a virtual AskNeda briefing on Tuesday, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said the crisis will hit the economy on four fronts: commodities, financial markets, trade, and business confidence.

However, Chua said the full strength of the domestic economy has yet to be unleashed as parts of the country remain under Alert

Level 2 and many offices and schools have yet to open. Currently, the country is still P40 billion short of its normal economic performance per week.

“We believe we have a very strong domestic economy that can w ithstand that. We a lso believe that the current global tension is temporary in nature.

It will affect some people and

some sectors and we are ready to support the affected sectors,” Chua said.

“We also have to think about our strategies and calibrate our policies so that we achieve the highest gain for the people, not only certain groups or certain sectors. So I think we are still very much on track to our projected growth targets for this year,” he added.

Chua said shifting the entire country to Alert Level 1 will add another P16 billion to the country’s GDP per week while opening classes will add another P12 billion to the economy per week.

The country’s chief economist said only 1,000 schools have since started face-to-face learning, which is only a fraction of the 60,000 schools in the country.

He added that recommendations include placing the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila, the economy’s juggernaut, to Alert Level Zero could further boost economic growth.

Chua said the President’s economic team is closely monitoring developments in Eastern Europe, where the crisis has been blamed for skyrocketing commodity prices,

most notably oil prices, which the country imports.

“A big part of our economic growth potential this year will come from the domestic side because we still have a lot of potential and we haven’t reached and gone back to a more normal way of living,” Chua said.

On Monday, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno told reporters via a Viber message that the rising oil prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could kick local inflation upwards 4 percent this year.

Diokno said they are “carefully monitoring” the pass-through of international prices to domestic inflation to calibrate appropriate actions going forward.

The governor said their sensitivity analysis has shown potentially elevated inflation rates for the year, with new forecasts on the table: If average world price of oil is $95 per barrel, local inflation would hit 4 percent; if it is $120 per barrel, it will be 4.4 percent.

However, if the global price of oil hits $140 per barrel, local inflation will hit 4.7 percent. The government’s target range of inflation is at 2 to 4 percent.

Companies

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

B1

Aboitiz unit sets ₧28-B capex

A

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

boitiz Power Corp. is setting aside P28 billion in capital expenditures (capex) for this year to finish its power projects and build new plants.

The amount is higher than the P23-billion capex allotted in 2021.

In its preliminary information statement for the 2022 annual stockholders’ meeting set next month, AboitizPower, together with partners, said over 50 percent of this year’s capex is for expansion and upgrade.

These include the remaining investment for GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co.’s (GNPD) construction, a general overhaul of GMEC (GNPower Marivels Center Ltd. Co.), and the construction of solar and hydro plants, as well as the battery energy storage system

(BESS) project.

The balance is allocated for the maintenance of business, primarily to ensure the availability of sufficient baseload during the 2022 election period.

AboitizPower is optimizing its existing baseload facilities to meet critical market needs as demand for baseload is seen to increase. Since the government has banned new coal power projects, the power firm is currently conducting studies for viable alternatives, such as gas.

“In the event of a critical shortage, AboitizPower’s third unit options

located in existing baseload facilities may respond if called upon. The Company is also shifting its focus to gas for baseload growth. It has early feasibility studies, and within the next 10 years, expects to construct one gas plant with a capacity of 1,000 MW, unless a cleaner technology proves to be the more economical option,” it said.

AboitizPower has over 1,000 MW of projects under construction which are expected to start commercial operations this year. These are the GNDP, PV Sinag Power Cayanga project and the TMI Maco Hybrid Battery Energy Storage System project.

GNPD Unit 1 officially started commercial operations last January 26. Unit 2, which has started commissioning, is set for initial synchronization in the second quarter of 2022.

The PV Sinag Power Cayanga project is for the construction of a 94 megawatts peak (MWp) solar power plant located in barangay Cayanga, municipality of Bugallon, Pangasinan. The EPC contract was awarded to

JGC Philippines last December 2021.

The project is expected to commercially operate by the fourth quarter this year.

The Maco BESS Project is in Maco, Compostela Valley. It has a storage capacity of 49MW and is intended to be used for ancillary services. Development activities are ongoing to integrate the BESS with TMI’s Maco oil barge. The project already nears completion at around 90 percent with the BESS barge moored in the TMI facility right next to the power barge. It may be commercially available in May. On top of the projects under construction, its PV Sinag Power Laoag project is expected to be issued a notice to proceed this year. The 160MWp of renewable energy (RE) will operate commercially by the third quarter of next year.

Moreover, it has an additional capacity of 721 MW of RE projects under priority development which are expected to operate commercially by 2024 and 2025.

IMI shutters Shenzhen plant due to Covid surge

A

yala-led Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI) said it was forced to shut its Shenzhen facilities in southeastern part of China due to the recent surge in Covid-19 cases.

The Chinese government implemented a lockdown in the area starting Monday through March 20.

“IMI’s Shenzhen facilities, which contribute approximately 10

percent of IMI’s total revenues, will comply with all state directives,” the company said.

“Local management teams are coordinating with government agencies to safeguard the health

and welfare of all its IMI employees. Close coordination with affected customers and government units concerned is ongoing to help mitigate its negative impact on the business.” VG Cabuag

PAL’s 81st anniversary is a day of rebirth—Tan

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

L

egacy carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has undergone what it calls a “rebirth,” bannered by digital transformation, network expansion, stronger partnerships, and the transformation of its lifestyle brand.

After emerging from its successful restructuring program with fresh capital and lower debt, PAL marks its 81st anniversary as “a day of rebirth,” according to PAL Chairman Lucio C. Tan. “Our 81st birthday marks a day of rebirth for PAL. We will make good use of our new life by delivering a stronger, more reliable, and dynamic airline that our customers will love and appreciate. You have my assurance that we will stay true to our mission of serving the Filipino people through a network that keeps the Philippines connected to the global economy,” he said.

As the global economy reopens with lower Covid-19 restrictions, PAL is ramping up its initiatives to grow the business back.

With the reopening of international borders in progress along with the easing of local travel restrictions, the flag carrier announced: a revamped mobile-first website; a multi-channel customer contact center; increased self-serve options for rebooking and account management; an improved PAL

Gift Card; and an enhanced Hiraya Flight Pass.

It is also strengthening its network, which covers 39 international and 27 domestic destinations. PAL has since resumed its operations and increased frequencies for flights to the United States, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, China and local destinations, among many others.

The carrier plans to “expand partnerships with other airlines” to build on alliances and interline agreements to “allow PAL customers to reach over 1,000 destinations.”

The legacy airline boosted its cargo strategy, building a dedicated mobile application and website with online payments options for cargo services. It has also partnered with last-mile cargo delivery services to further expand its services.

“Innovation and a youthful spirit will motivate us in our efforts to grow back the air travel market. Above all, safety will be at the core of everything we do, from the airworthiness of our planes to the professionalism of our crew and all support teams,” Stanley K. Ng, PAL president and COO, said.

Aside from these initiatives, the carrier is planning to transform the PAL’s Mabuhay Miles frequent flyer club into a bigger lifestyle program which will allow members to earn miles on a wider variety of non-flying activities.

B2

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Companies BusinessMirror

PERC to use part of SRO proceeds for RE projects

P

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

etroEnergy Resources Corp. (PERC), a member of the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC), said Tuesday it would reallocate the remaining proceeds of its 2018 stock rights offer (SRO) to partly finance some of its renewable energy (RE) projects.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange, PERC said the board approved the reallocation of the use of proceeds from its SRO for the funding of various prospective RE projects in the pipeline.

The amount to be reallocated is P167,669,788.00. This will go to the 20megawatt peak (MWp) Tarlac Solar Power Project Phase 2 (TSPP-2), 14MW Phase 2 of the Nabas Wind Power Project (NWPP-2), and the 10-20MWp Puerto Princesa Solar Power Project (PPSPP).

Of the reallocated amount, P37,542,464 will go to the 20MWp TSPP-2; P65,063,662 to the 14MW NWPP-2; and P65,063,662 to the PPSPP. “The reallocation will allow flexibility in funding multiple projects in the pipeline, including the NWPP-2 and PPSPP,” it said.

PERC is engaged in petroleum exploration and production in Gabon, West Africa and RE development in the Philippines. PERC’s RE holding unit, PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC), operates 5 power stations in the country through three operating companies—the 32MW Maibarara geothermal project by Maibarara Geothermal Inc., the 70MW Tarlac solar project by PetroSolar Corp., and the 36 MW Nabas-1 wind project by PetroWind Energy Inc. PERC raised some P758.3 million from its SRO in January 2018.

It offered 157.98 million shares to stockholders at a ratio of one share for every 2.6 shares owned at a price of P4.80 per rights share.

The company is targeting to put up a total of 300MW to 400MW of RE capacity in the next few years.

‘New govt must develop human capital to sustain development’

T

he Philippines’s next leader should work with the private sector in championing the interests of human capital, business leaders agreed during a virtual forum conducted by the country’s leading think tank.

“Our country’s next leaders should actively encourage collaboration between the government and the private sector, which has proven itself a trusted and capable partner for development, even during these hard times,” said Professor Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit, president of Stratbase ADR Institute which organized the virtual forum on Tuesday, March 8.

Ernest Bower IV, President and CEO of Bower Group Asia, said more ambition is needed from the next administration.

“It is time to ask, not ‘are we doing ok?’ but ‘what can we do if we work together as government, the private sector and this country’s talented, hard-working people?”, he said in his opening remarks.

The forum featured the launch of the Stratbase ADRi special paper entitled Issues for the Next Administration’s Development Agenda on Human Capital and Labor Markets authored by Dr. Vicente Paqueo, a non-resident fellow of Stratbase ADR Institute and a Distinguished Voting Fellow of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

The paper is premised on the fact that high and sustained productivity growth is essential to modern economic growth and development and challenges the next administration to meet people’s demands for jobs that pay for them to live comfortably and provide workers employment/income security.

“The Philippines has been lagging behind its regional and aspirational

peers in growing labor productivity, indicating substantial room for improvement. Compensation per worker tends to rise proportionately per capita or per worker, a measure of worker productivity. Over-judicious use of labor tools can be damaging to employment prospects of disadvantaged groups like the young, less educated, inexperienced and in general those with lower human capital,” Paqueo said.

“Rapid labor productivity growth should be included in the next administration’s agenda,” he added.

“This strategic objective can be accomplished in the long run through better education and training.”

According to Paqueo, just 3 percent of training outputs in the Philippines are produced by enterprisebased training compared to about 15 percent or more among aspirational peers.

“But workers want access to affordable, good quality life-long learning centers to provide the competencies necessary to qualify for better alternative jobs,” Paqueo said.

“Workers in the Philippines typically do not have access to affordable, lifelong learning centers. For the modernization of the labor code to happen, the new administration must take measures to ensure that workers will get a fair share of the benefits of labor productivity.”

Paqueo believes that a win-win solution—a social contract—between employers and workers is possible, with the facilitation of the government.

“Such contracts should include a package of actionable measures that will raise the productivity and competencies of workers through education and training, facilitate business innovations, and undertake completion of public infrastructures.”

Paqueo goes as far as proposing to modernize the “outdated” Labor Code of the Philippines.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

March 15, 2022

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 PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE VANTAGE

43,100 442,089,825 171,306,866.50 6,002,150 3,443,583 268,816,762 7,360 6,457,412 8,379 6,684,325 141,154,050 5,818,140 409,050 11,970 833,524 13,500 356,520

125,256,211 -14,545,881.50 1,975,730 432,031 -31,562,772.50 -124,146 -569 6,509,175 -10,581,298 -665,782.50 113,922 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 8.08 8.1 7.82 8.15 7.43 8.1 25,512,200 199,386,358 0.98 1.04 1 1.06 0.96 1.05 302,000 297,180 ALSONS CONS 32.85 33 33.35 33.35 32 33 2,975,900 97,465,990 ABOITIZ POWER 0.445 0.45 0.42 0.455 0.35 0.445 22,030,000 8,978,900 BASIC ENERGY 24.65 25 25 25.1 23 24.65 1,070,500 25,995,660 FIRST GEN 69.5 69.95 70 70 69.5 69.5 16,850 1,175,840 FIRST PHIL HLDG 356.2 360 356 360.6 354.6 360 339,350 121,525,072 MERALCO MANILA WATER 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.4 17.3 18.3 1,125,100 20,071,502 PETRON 3.35 3.37 3.4 3.4 3.21 3.35 2,769,000 9,119,510 PETROENERGY 4.47 4.6 4.52 4.52 4.46 4.47 214,000 962,950 10.22 10.68 10.24 10.68 10.22 10.68 43,900 459,152 PHX PETROLEUM 11.78 11.96 12 12 11 11.96 2,569,600 29,824,172 SYNERGY GRID PILIPINAS SHELL 17.5 17.62 18.06 18.06 17 17.62 2,583,200 44,838,186 SPC POWER 14.1 14.2 14.02 14.1 13.8 14.1 242,900 3,383,548 1.51 1.52 1.68 1.68 1.46 1.52 264,240,000 405,119,740 SOLAR PH 5.15 5.28 5.7 5.7 4.5 5.28 1,680,200 8,684,309 AGRINURTURE 2.47 2.57 2.45 2.59 2.45 2.57 121,000 310,730 AXELUM 12.5 12.54 12.54 12.54 12.5 12.5 3,200 40,044 CNTRL AZUCARERA 21.1 21.5 20.15 21.5 19.8 21.5 1,573,500 31,714,368 CENTURY FOOD 13.52 13.7 14 14.02 13.5 13.52 180,100 2,453,614 DEL MONTE 6.96 7 7.1 7.14 6.95 6.96 6,957,400 48,705,881 DNL INDUS EMPERADOR 13.26 13.3 13.24 13.28 12.2 13.26 4,493,400 58,627,534 SMC FOODANDBEV 63.1 64.45 64.45 64.45 62.5 64.45 40,880 2,618,267 FIGARO COFFEE 0.52 0.53 0.55 0.55 0.49 0.52 13,914,000 7,233,300 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.58 0.63 0.58 0.63 0.58 0.63 30,000 18,010 1.11 1.12 1.12 1.14 1.11 1.11 2,936,000 3,271,940 FRUITAS HLDG 106.5 106.7 106.2 107 106.1 106.7 25,040 2,672,061 GINEBRA JOLLIBEE 225 228 218.4 229.4 211 228 1,247,300 277,615,164 1.14 1.16 1.19 1.19 1.11 1.14 5,535,000 6,348,710 KEEPERS HLDG 5.64 6.6 5.64 5.64 5.64 5.64 100 564 MACAY HLDG 6 6.01 6 6.02 6 6 85,000 510,082 MAXS GROUP 0.137 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.138 0.14 560,000 78,340 MG HLDG 15.1 15.5 14.3 15.5 13.8 15.5 12,965,800 192,647,788 MONDE NISSIN 7.96 8 8.5 8.5 7.96 7.97 330,800 2,640,743 SHAKEYS PIZZA ROXAS AND CO 0.59 0.61 0.61 0.65 0.58 0.61 1,856,000 1,127,390 RFM CORP 4.21 4.57 4.2 4.59 4 4.59 61,000 249,380 1.21 1.3 1.36 1.42 1.3 1.3 21,000 27,890 ROXAS HLDG 0.101 0.102 0.101 0.102 0.101 0.102 2,130,000 215,240 SWIFT FOODS 105 106 102.5 109 100.3 105 2,919,090 305,866,629 UNIV ROBINA VITARICH 0.59 0.6 0.62 0.62 0.55 0.6 959,000 551,150 45.05 48 45.2 45.2 45.2 45.2 100 4,520 CONCRETE A 0.92 0.93 0.92 0.93 0.85 0.93 3,177,000 2,862,030 CEMEX HLDG 12.58 12.9 12.9 12.9 12.56 12.7 59,100 744,528 EAGLE CEMENT 5.6 5.61 5.6 5.6 5.4 5.6 120,900 667,020 EEI CORP 5.32 5.4 5.3 5.4 5.3 5.4 51,200 272,840 HOLCIM 4.9 4.98 4.84 5 4.79 4.98 250,000 1,209,880 MEGAWIDE 18 18.92 18.92 19 18.92 18.92 30,000 568,424 PHINMA 0.78 0.88 0.82 0.82 0.76 0.77 206,000 161,380 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 0.98 0.99 1.01 1.01 0.92 0.98 4,965,000 4,713,930 CROWN ASIA 1.76 1.83 1.87 1.87 1.76 1.76 301,000 535,260 EUROMED 1.14 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.19 1.2 88,000 104,830 5.31 5.45 5.68 5.68 5.4 5.45 138,000 751,489 PRYCE CORP 1.68 1.69 1.7 1.76 1.61 1.69 8,233,000 14,020,980 GREENERGY 7.82 7.85 8.3 8.3 7.52 7.82 633,000 4,967,918 INTEGRATED MICR IONICS 0.65 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 0.69 10,000 6,900 6.08 6.19 6 6.18 6 6.08 700 4,298 PANASONIC 1.05 1.08 1.1 1.1 1.04 1.05 503,000 531,100 SFA SEMICON 3.06 3.07 3.14 3.14 2.8 3.06 1,962,000 5,769,210 CIRTEK HLDG

18,900,828 -9,819,250 -23,750 -2,515,570 -335,368 27,428,640 2,977,706 -3,250 1,658,238 -1,959,562 517,196 2,127,870 242,650 -221,740 1,250 6,491,697 136,000 -33,837,451 -17,390,824 -977,799.50 -128,980 -1,110,402 -67,870,842 380,650 111,566,286 -1,886,503 -60,000 58,290,660 59,200 -16,050.00 24,130 9,960 18,350 -11,743 85,020

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

43.1 129 94.75 26 8.45 52.4 9.2 18.76 55.1 20.2 104 91.6 1.8 3.55 210 2,650 0.71

0.82 785 58.75 11.84 8.2 0.86 0.55 0.56 4.82 8.19 6.72 0.226 500 57.9 0.53 2.93 8.9 0.325 3.6 2.49 1.23 0.93 880 105.7 118 0.29 0.165

44 129.7 96 26.15 8.46 53 9.5 18.8 55.9 21 104.1 91.8 2.05 3.99 211.8 2,748 0.84

0.84 789 59.9 12.02 8.5 0.88 0.56 0.6 4.87 8.2 7.1 0.24 509 58.75 0.55 2.96 9.1 0.38 3.63 2.97 1.25 0.94 911 107 119.8 0.295 0.172

43.1 126 92 25.5 8.42 52.15 9.2 19 56 21.8 105.7 95 1.82 3.99 212 2,700 0.74

0.85 759 59.9 12.1 8.98 0.87 0.63 0.62 5 8.45 6.72 0.24 506 55 0.53 2.93 8.93 0.325 3.59 2.99 1.26 0.94 875 102.2 118 0.29 0.166

43.1 129.7 96 26.45 8.5 53.25 9.2 19 56 21.8 106.9 95 2.05 3.99 212 2,700 0.74

0.85 789 59.9 12.1 8.98 0.88 0.63 0.62 5 8.45 7.1 0.24 515 58.75 0.57 2.93 9.1 0.325 3.6 2.99 1.3 0.94 911 107 118 0.29 0.166

43.1 123 91.05 24.1 8.42 50.55 9.2 18.74 55.1 20.6 102.5 91 1.79 3.99 200.6 2,700 0.7

0.8 750.5 56.35 11.4 8 0.85 0.51 0.52 4.77 7.65 6.71 0.225 470 53.6 0.51 2.93 8.55 0.325 3.52 2.99 1.25 0.94 851.5 99 118 0.29 0.165

43.1 129.7 96 26 8.45 53 9.2 18.76 55.1 21 104.1 91.6 2.05 3.99 211.8 2,700 0.7

0.84 789 59.9 12.02 8.2 0.88 0.56 0.6 4.82 8.19 7.1 0.225 500 58.75 0.57 2.93 9.1 0.325 3.6 2.99 1.25 0.94 911 107 118 0.29 0.166

1,000 3,462,970 1,821,230 233,100 408,100 5,167,990 800 343,300 150 319,400 1,356,850 62,900 225,000 3,000 4,070 5 500,000

5,518,000 517,830 1,293,510 3,277,600 27,300 751,000 25,385,000 1,673,000 761,600 17,412,200 7,600 2,550,000 643,630 2,008,010 277,000 264,000 6,876,400 20,000 23,215,000 1,000 104,000 49,000 504,280 234,050 510,400 290,000 630,000

4,528,160 402,416,030 75,968,400.50 38,675,568 223,946 640,270 14,217,650 976,260 3,695,896 140,572,276 51,511 610,910 317,355,609 114,358,326 141,610 773,520 60,979,562 6,500 82,640,370 2,990 130,870 46,060 442,685,670 24,421,778.50 60,227,200 84,100 104,370

PROPERTY

ARTHALAND CORP 0.53 0.58 0.56 0.56 0.56 0.56 3,000 1,680 35.2 35.4 34.55 35.4 34.05 35.4 16,740,600 580,656,280 AYALA LAND 4.31 4.34 4.22 4.35 3.8 4.31 2,463,000 10,094,840 AYALA LAND LOG 0.99 1.02 0.99 1 0.99 1 120,000 119,020 ARANETA PROP 45.6 45.9 44.35 46 44.35 45.6 1,280,700 58,088,495 AREIT RT 0.84 0.85 0.84 0.85 0.83 0.84 656,000 551,910 A BROWN 0.68 0.7 0.65 0.7 0.65 0.7 7,000 4,650 CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES 0.089 0.09 0.095 0.095 0.088 0.09 6,550,000 583,080 CEB LANDMASTERS 2.95 2.98 2.79 3 2.71 2.98 7,154,000 20,666,170 CENTURY PROP 0.37 0.38 0.39 0.39 0.37 0.38 5,210,000 1,936,700 2.58 2.6 2.61 2.62 2.56 2.58 22,121,000 57,203,420 CITICORE RT DOUBLEDRAGON 8.92 8.99 8.66 9.18 8.4 8.99 972,100 8,583,058 DDMP RT 1.61 1.62 1.63 1.64 1.52 1.61 4,474,000 7,084,860 DM WENCESLAO 6.86 6.87 6.7 6.88 6.7 6.86 30,300 207,158 0.241 0.245 0.245 0.245 0.24 0.245 220,000 53,310 EMPIRE EAST 0.255 0.26 0.255 0.27 0.25 0.255 4,220,000 1,086,000 EVER GOTESCO 7.07 7.08 7.07 7.1 7 7.07 3,935,400 27,687,272 FILINVEST RT 1 1.01 1.05 1.05 1.01 1.01 10,873,000 11,096,660 FILINVEST LAND 0.83 0.9 0.88 0.9 0.83 0.9 1,467,000 1,255,350 GLOBAL ESTATE 13.12 13.7 13.94 13.96 13.02 13.12 602,600 7,961,034 8990 HLDG 625 650 650 650 650 650 100 65,000 GOLDEN MV PHIL INFRADEV 0.91 0.93 0.95 0.95 0.88 0.93 536,000 495,710 CITY AND LAND 0.8 0.82 0.8 0.81 0.8 0.81 110,000 88,400 MEGAWORLD 3.01 3.02 3 3.03 2.9 3.01 16,807,000 50,035,800 MRC ALLIED 0.265 0.27 0.25 0.265 0.245 0.265 17,420,000 4,457,930 MREIT RT 18.7 18.8 18.8 18.84 18.02 18.8 2,100,900 38,713,498 PHIL ESTATES 0.4 0.405 0.395 0.405 0.395 0.405 1,890,000 754,000 PRIMEX CORP 2.31 2.34 2.34 2.36 2.27 2.34 1,512,000 3,537,050 7.08 7.22 7.15 7.33 7.01 7.08 13,417,400 95,774,813 RL COMM RT 19.1 19.2 18.72 19.1 18.2 19.1 2,691,100 50,640,060 ROBINSONS LAND 0.215 0.232 0.215 0.233 0.215 0.233 1,790,000 398,860 PHIL REALTY 1.34 1.49 1.35 1.35 1.33 1.33 230,000 308,380 ROCKWELL 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.6 22,000 55,280 SHANG PROP 2.55 2.65 2.64 2.65 2.56 2.65 27,000 70,860 STA LUCIA LAND SM PRIME HLDG 37.85 39 37.45 39 36.55 39 13,971,600 526,594,795 VISTAMALLS 2.9 3.25 3.32 3.32 2.5 3.25 201,000 572,800 0.92 1.02 0.89 1.02 0.89 1.02 427,000 385,310 SUNTRUST HOME 2.71 2.72 2.83 2.83 2.7 2.72 3,046,000 8,323,770 VISTA LAND

SERVICES ABS CBN 12.16 12.5 12.5 12.78 12.02 12.5 103,100 1,281,162 14.94 14.96 14.78 14.94 14.1 14.94 3,080,700 44,664,882 GMA NETWORK 0.4 0.415 0.415 0.415 0.415 0.415 30,000 12,450 MANILA BULLETIN 2,240 2,270 2,354 2,398 2,162 2,240 156,370 352,816,080 GLOBE TELECOM 1,690 1,740 1,711 1,740 1,585 1,740 280,875 467,732,465 PLDT 0.041 0.042 0.046 0.046 0.039 0.041 2,211,900,000 91,433,800 APOLLO GLOBAL 22 22.1 22.8 23.05 21.5 22 14,162,700 312,579,735 CONVERGE DFNN INC 2.3 2.32 2.25 2.39 2.2 2.32 119,000 275,340 DITO CME HLDG 5.05 5.09 5.06 5.1 4.82 5.05 14,695,500 72,873,789 IMPERIAL 1.08 1.32 1.33 1.33 1.33 1.33 7,000 9,310 1.06 1.1 1.12 1.12 1.04 1.1 1,304,000 1,408,590 NOW CORP TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.31 0.315 0.305 0.32 0.3 0.31 6,100,000 1,870,750 2GO GROUP 7.01 7.2 7.29 7.3 7.2 7.2 39,900 290,580 ASIAN TERMINALS 13.6 14 14.1 14.1 14.1 14.1 100 1,410 1.47 1.48 1.54 1.54 1.42 1.48 298,000 437,540 CHELSEA 41.6 42 41.3 42 40.05 41.6 257,900 10,555,775 CEBU AIR 218.8 220 212 220 202 220 2,328,550 490,962,088 INTL CONTAINER 22.15 23.95 22.15 22.15 22.15 22.15 2,200 48,730 LBC EXPRESS 5.18 5.2 5.1 5.23 4.8 5.2 1,649,100 8,244,051 MACROASIA 0.95 1.01 0.95 1.01 0.95 1.01 54,000 51,420 METROALLIANCE A 0.96 1 1 1 1 1 81,000 81,000 METROALLIANCE B HARBOR STAR 0.68 0.7 0.71 0.71 0.68 0.68 703,000 485,640 1.51 1.65 1.43 1.65 1.43 1.65 232,000 348,080 ACESITE HOTEL 1.48 1.53 1.49 1.53 1.48 1.48 35,000 51,970 DISCOVERY WORLD WATERFRONT 0.43 0.46 0.425 0.46 0.425 0.43 140,000 61,400 FAR EASTERN U 530 530.5 530 530 530 530 1,550 821,500 0.335 0.35 0.335 0.35 0.33 0.35 1,020,000 340,300 STI HLDG BELLE CORP 1.25 1.29 1.26 1.26 1.2 1.25 173,000 215,970 6.51 6.6 6.51 6.69 6.13 6.6 8,084,600 52,737,884 BLOOMBERRY 1.71 1.78 1.71 1.76 1.71 1.76 34,000 58,990 PACIFIC ONLINE 1.22 1.25 1.22 1.25 1.21 1.25 373,000 456,140 LEISURE AND RES 1.81 2.23 1.82 1.82 1.82 1.82 30,000 54,600 MANILA JOCKEY 1 1.19 1.03 1.03 1 1 22,000 22,600 MJC INVESTMENTS 0.91 0.93 0.95 1 0.83 0.93 3,063,000 2,747,910 PH RESORTS GRP PREMIUM LEISURE 0.425 0.43 0.42 0.425 0.415 0.425 6,240,000 2,614,650 PHILWEB 1.96 2 2.03 2.03 1.9 2 633,000 1,266,590 0.42 0.425 0.435 0.435 0.405 0.425 33,380,000 13,806,750 ALLDAY BERJAYA 5.63 5.79 5.63 5.63 5.63 5.63 11,900 66,997 7.84 7.9 8.41 8.42 7.5 7.84 2,009,200 16,667,743 ALLHOME METRO RETAIL 1.41 1.42 1.39 1.41 1.38 1.41 4,142,000 5,804,100 31.8 31.85 32.05 32.15 31.5 31.8 2,327,000 73,841,615 PUREGOLD 54.85 55 54.95 56.4 54 55 532,430 29,214,978.50 ROBINSONS RTL 62.2 63 65 65 63 63 13,640 862,440 PHIL SEVEN CORP 1.02 1.03 1.05 1.05 1 1.02 2,063,000 2,084,960 SSI GROUP 26.55 27 26 27 24.9 27 2,248,500 58,300,335 WILCON DEPOT 0.223 0.24 0.25 0.25 0.222 0.24 510,000 120,360 APC GROUP 6.6 7 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 1,000 6,500 IPM HLDG 0.84 0.87 0.88 0.88 0.8 0.87 1,958,000 1,664,440 MEDILINES PRMIERE HORIZON 0.51 0.52 0.54 0.54 0.48 0.52 17,946,000 9,025,260

MINING & OIL ATOK 5.63 5.98 6.29 6.29 5.6 5.98 65,500 383,265 1.55 1.56 1.59 1.63 1.45 1.56 8,195,000 12,549,000 APEX MINING 6.61 6.7 6.65 6.72 6.4 6.7 1,333,200 8,790,488 ATLAS MINING 5.98 6 5.97 6.08 5.97 6 3,600 21,526 BENGUET A 5.6 6.09 5.46 6.08 5.46 6.08 10,300 61,322 BENGUET B 0.255 0.26 0.255 0.255 0.239 0.255 1,270,000 317,090 COAL ASIA HLDG CENTURY PEAK 2.8 2.81 2.7 2.81 2.6 2.81 396,000 1,096,940 DIZON MINES 4.79 5.49 5 5.49 5 5.49 3,600 18,149 FERRONICKEL 2.79 2.8 2.85 2.87 2.46 2.79 21,100,000 56,516,710 GEOGRACE 0.177 0.185 0.188 0.188 0.171 0.185 660,000 119,520 LEPANTO A 0.152 0.155 0.155 0.155 0.151 0.155 10,750,000 1,632,270 0.157 0.158 0.157 0.157 0.156 0.157 3,520,000 550,360 LEPANTO B 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 155,700,000 1,557,000 MANILA MINING A 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 42,600,000 426,000 MANILA MINING B 1.63 1.64 1.69 1.7 1.48 1.63 8,588,000 13,828,700 MARCVENTURES 0.95 0.99 1.04 1.04 0.95 0.99 1,166,000 1,124,950 NIHAO 7.45 7.47 7.97 7.97 7.15 7.45 34,408,800 253,572,687 NICKEL ASIA 1.02 1.05 1.06 1.06 1 1.04 1,902,000 1,952,500 ORNTL PENINSULA 5.27 5.28 5.27 5.32 5.05 5.27 2,993,900 15,512,191 PX MINING 28 28.25 28.8 28.9 26.1 28 8,815,000 242,634,675 SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON 0.0064 0.0066 0.0066 0.0066 0.0064 0.0066 36,000,000 235,100 21 21.6 21.55 22.25 20 21 413,600 8,581,465 ACE ENEXOR ORNTL PETROL A 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.011 22,600,000 264,000 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.012 5,700,000 68,400 ORNTL PETROL B 0.0088 0.0094 0.0092 0.0092 0.0088 0.0088 162,000,000 1,440,100 PHILODRILL PXP ENERGY 5.29 5.35 5.51 5.52 5 5.35 1,047,900 5,486,496

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF B 99.5 100.5 99.5 99.5 99.5 99.5 500 49,750 512.5 518 512.5 518 512.5 518 300 154,850 ALCO PREF D 504 509 510 510 508 508 200 101,800 AC PREF B2R 104.5 105 104.5 104.5 104.5 104.5 1,100 114,950 BRN PREF A 41.5 42.5 43 43 41.1 41.1 12,900 533,920 CEB PREF 100.8 103 102.2 103 100.6 103 64,050 6,532,463 CPG PREF A 100.3 101 100.4 100.4 100.3 100.3 6,130 614,865 DD PREF EEI PREF A 104 106.7 104 104 104 104 1,000 104,000 107.1 109.5 109.5 110 109.5 109.5 67,700 7,418,330 EEI PREF B 993 1,015 1,010 1,010 1,010 1,010 80 80,800 GTCAP PREF A 1,020 1,039 1,040 1,040 1,039 1,039 60 62,345 GTCAP PREF B 990 1,040 990 990 990 990 20 19,800 JFC PREF A 1,000 1,008 1,005 1,005 1,000 1,000 2,075 2,075,025 JFC PREF B 98 101 98.25 98.25 98.25 98.25 20,000 1,965,000 MWIDE PREF 2A 101 101.9 101 101 101 101 7,500 757,500 MWIDE PREF 2B 99.4 100 100 100 100 100 12,520 1,252,000 MWIDE PREF 4 102.1 103.1 103.1 103.1 102.6 103.1 7,330 754,980 PNX PREF 3B 965 980 973 980 970 980 1,390 1,349,800 PNX PREF 4 1,048 1,075 1,050 1,050 1,048 1,048 4,095 4,298,200 PCOR PREF 3A 1,080 1,082 1,080 1,082 1,080 1,082 3,535 3,821,070 PCOR PREF 3B 77 77.9 77 77.9 76.8 77.9 63,000 4,845,724 SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2I 77 78.1 78.1 78.1 76.35 77 38,570 2,988,406.50 76.5 76.9 76.4 76.5 76.3 76.3 106,190 8,110,786 SMC PREF 2J 76 76.5 76 76.25 76 76 46,770 3,561,220 SMC PREF 2K 50.35 52.85 51.5 51.5 51.5 51.5 1,000 51,500 TECH PREF B2C 52.25 54.45 52.5 54.9 52.2 54.9 31,150 1,628,993 TECH PREF B2D

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS GMA HLDG PDR 14.1 14.18 14.1 14.1 13.7 14.1 178,900 2,504,506

WARRANTS TECH WARRANT 0.57 0.6 0.64 0.64 0.5 0.59 2,359,000 1,323,480

1,587,170 -49,484,985 1,830,360 -4,328,094 6,000 -1,828,981 -13,360,156.00 -40,719,035 3,259,149 -40,017,041 -18,493,470 -35,164,735 -6,704,844 -25,960 -100,950,435 2,405,000 11,704,970 1,850 52,800 12,857,340.00 -5,879,850 -44,363.00 660,540 -76,500 -4,752,044 -1,894,170 84,000 -47,864 -25,350 52,000 -11,324,780 -23,850 -8,824,542 -32,000 -1,402,000 6,791,219 5,055,396 8,040 48,324,005.00 -5,119,230 -138,039,490 -57,957,195 1,355,300 -132,069,035 78,260 -22,574,078 22,200 -31,000 33,485 2,880 -1,180,605 12,120,378 609,392 3,000 1,530 29,750 13,600 3,780 -20,882,858 31,840 149,400 52,950 -411,059 -34,905,625.00 -11,244,993 -710,940 -24,600 -15,503,805 39,850 389,595 683,940 2,066,134 1,094,340 5,000 7,556,020 22,260 -156,890 9,900 -52,843,957 -22,280 614,978 -60,158,275 286,670 17,800 208,870

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

ALTUS PROP HAUS TALK ITALPINAS MERRYMART XURPAS

16.4 0.85 0.9 1.83 0.315

16.5 0.88 0.92 1.85 0.32

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF

107

110

16.5 0.88 0.92 1.8 0.34

16.5 0.89 0.92 1.86 0.34

16.24 0.82 0.89 1.69 0.3

16.5 0.84 0.9 1.84 0.315

30,500 1,337,000 348,000 4,745,000 2,070,000

497,508 1,146,550 313,040 8,382,450 638,450

2,820 5,400 -3,300 -1,940 8,900 14,160 -53,550

105 107 102 107 41,010 4,254,697 475,732

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Entrepreneur

Franchising reopens as govt loosens Covid curbs

A

S the country’s economy reopens with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, affiliated food and beauty companies have opened franchising opportunities for enterprising Filipinos to leverage on the rising demand in these market segments.

Yenmarc Food Cart Inc. and V My Beauty Deer Placenta (VMBeauty), both owned by Vivenne Gutierrez-Nicdao, presented their business structures and plans that highlight the wide range of packages for their target franchisees.

During their Meet & Greet With the Media event in Quezon City on Saturday, March 12, the firm introduced its roster of brands that aims to deliver 360 costefficient and valuable business ventures to its partners.

It offers to interested franchisees foodcart brands, such as Urbanitea, Samgyup On The Go, Yummie Pizza, Macho Litson Manok, Kuya Bao, Herbee’s Chicken Wings, and Meat Corner.

“We can’t be more proud of all the business achievements of our company.

For one, since we started the Urbanitea— ‘Your Lifestyle Milktea’ as we call it—it has exponentially increased the revenue of our company and this can only mean that more and more partners put their trust in our business because we are really hands-on in growing their business with us,” said Nicdao, who is the chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yenmarc Food Cart.

She is confident that these food brands will hit the market considering that there’s a high demand for food deliveries while there’s a lift of the dining restrictions for food and drinks businesses in the country at present.

As a franchisor, the company provides its franchisees with an operating system, brand, and marketing support.

Meanwhile, its sister company, VMBeauty is catering profitable business opportunities to enterprising individuals through a direct selling model.

Roderick L. Abad

BusinessMirror

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Wednesday, March 16, 2022 B3

Raw Bites PH brings nutritious, healthy snacks, drinks for Pinoys

By Roderick L. Abad

T

@rodrik_28

Contributor

HE notion that eating healthy is only for the few and the moneyed is now a thing of the past.

With accessibility and affordability of healthy food options, anyone can now avail of them over-the-counter or at a click of a button.

Among the purveyors of such trend is Raw Bites PH, a digital store dedicated to offering nourishing, wholesome meals, and beverages.

Co-owners Gail Go and Jane Dee established this online shop in 2017, mainly due to their limited supply, plus the widespread perception on them being extremely expensive.

“We try to offer healthy products and make them accessible to Filipinos,” recalled Go. “Before Raw Bites entered the industry, there were just a few shops in different malls and it felt like an exclusive club for the rich.”

Little did they know, they will become a go-to provider of healthy food items for those who would want to enjoy every bit of good nourishment.

Unique approach

UNLIKE the traditional way of selling on the web, the co-owners initially modeled Raw Bites PH as a snack subscription box business. Their strategy worked by sending imported and healthy snacks monthly to their subscribers.

But it took them a couple of years before they were able to assess what really tickled the peoples’ palate.

With the launch of the store’s portal, along with its marketplaces, more people get to access their offerings of more than 90 brands and 1,000

ethically-sourced products.

Despite a glut of many healthy food alternatives in the market at present, non-dairy beverages such as oat drink, almond drink, and barista oat are the best-selling products of Raw Bites PH. Such kinds of offering, Go said that they live up to their commitment to “really offer healthy products only.”

Breaking new ground

TRUE to their thrust of enabling Filipinos eat healthy, the business partners always make sure that the items they sell online or deliver to major grocery chains remain fresh, accessible, and delectable all the time—thanks largely to their cloud logistics platform partner Locad.

When the Covid-19 pandemic started to hit the country and the rest of the world in 2020, more people got more concerned about their health.

Because of the national government’s imposition of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and other areas in the country with rising infection rates during the time, e-commerce eventually has grown exponentially.

This holds true to industry players like Raw Bites PH, whose orders grew sevenfold. Such development, however, became problematic for Go and Dee because they were not able to keep up with the sudden surge of orders, which left them with a messy warehouse and an inventory

RAW Bites PH co-owners Gail Go (right) and Jane Dee (left)

fast end-to-end fulfillment services has streamlined Raw Bites PH’s operations. These suites of solution not Raw Bites PH’s sample product line called the Rude Health Collection only have helped organize and handle efficiently the store’s healthy food products but also contributed to the increase in its revenue.

“I never imagined it to be like that because at first, I only felt that we could just make P100,000 per month—which is fine.

HEALTHY food products line of Raw Bites PH Now, it is like a million and we have never reached that milestone before,” Go that needed to be updated manually. said of their monthly sales across To help them fix these challenges, their multiple marketplaces. they decided to tap Locad’s expertise in warehousing and logistics. Since then, it has been helping them fulMore nutritious pantry staples fill the increasing demands for their ONLINE shoppers today consider products. highly of sustainability when it Locad’s immediate dashboard and comes to purchasing, revealed the

Locad’s research on key e-commerce trends for 2022. The report indicates that 92 percent of customers in Southeast Asia are willing to pay more for brands with sustainable products.

Raw Bites PH is ready to leverage on this trend, with its commitment to sustainability. In so doing, the owners plan to work with wholesome food companies or those who follow ethical sourcing of safe, nutritious, and sustainable food supplies.

Since many of these practices are not yet prevalent in the Philippines, Go said that they do not ask their potential partners to follow the same standards. “But if you are wholesome, if you intend to do good with your products, then we will work with you,” she explained.

Given Locad’s big role for them to achieve growth in their business, she bared that they will continue to work with the cloud logistics platform and e-commerce integrator.

One of the main reasons for their continued collaboration, according to her, is that it made them realize they needed to set up strict rules before delivering products.

“Locad has enabled Raw Bites PH to follow business best practices, just like how they ensure that we indicate a best-before date on all our products,” Go shared, while citing transparency as the second reason.

“It is the tech behind Locad that enables and connects us to different warehouses.”

Moving forward, the owners of the wholesome e-grocery intend to grow their online presence even more. They are looking at the moment for the next big brand that they can introduce to the country and bring more accessible healthy meal and drink alternatives to the doorsteps of every Filipino.

The best of Filipino self-reliance and resiliency in face of a lingering Covid-19 pandemic

By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

T

HE battle cry—“Buy local and Patronize local”—has been enunciated in the past in certain tight economic situations, and resurfaced anew, this time in the early period of the Covid-19 rampage as nations closed their borders, restricting travel and movement of people.

As a consequence, shops and factories shut down as people lost customers and as customers become penniless. Shops and factories shed off a number of workers, and eventually ceased operations. It’s like a vicious cycle like the virus—still widely unknown then and undeciphered— which scared people enough to keep them home.

Into their homes for months and years, the slogan “Buy Local,” soon emerged as a future tense, of what to do when a hopeful population yearned for the day when shops and factories would reopen soon.

And when the economy stayed afloat despite lockdowns and cyclical imposition, or easing, of movement restriction, the slogan soon assumed life of its own and was adapted by Filipino netizens, all to help everyone trying to eke out a meager living, and to resuscitate a sputtering local economy gasping for air.

The MSMEs

AS what they did during at least two episodes of global economic meltdown in 1994 and in 2008, the small local entrepreneurs, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), fared best in keeping the national economy afloat when corporations and factories, and especially foreign companies, opted to take a lull.

The Davao regional office of the

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), for example, reported that while export and investment development program was ideal year on year, “the Covid-19 pandemic and the imposition of community quarantine protocols posed challenges in the implementation of the agency’s [DTI] regular programs, activities and projects.” This resulted in limited face-to-face interactions and even rendered some of the projects and programs “unfit and impractical” in the Davao Region.

“Nevertheless, resiliency, creativity and flexibility in providing and facilitating virtual and physical interventions still led to the generation of P806.14 million in domestic sales [in the region],” it said. Of this amount, MSMEs accounted for 76.53 percent, or P616.9 million.

Interesting to note, too, that the next bigger contribution to the domestically-generated sales was chipped in by the Pasalubong Centers, at P139.09 million, which are maintained by local governments seeking to promote their own products that are created by small entrepreneurs.

The DTI said the initial effort to renew trade and commerce was done virtuallyaswhat has been recommended and adapted to avoid the spread of the virus. This method, apparently because virtual sessions were still untested, soon flopped at the beginning, the DTI said. It was saved however, when institutional buyers that were still around joined the virtual trade fairs, increasing the sales.

Of these attempts to rejuvenate domestic trade, the DTI counted 31 trade fairs done last year, of which the provincial level accounted for 12; at least 10 were held nationally, seven regionally and only two internationally. The latter was due to the

Homegrown entrepreneurs across the country throw their support behind the government’s “Buy Local, Patronize Local” drive amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo shows Ms. Agnes Asuncion proudly showcasing their products at the Partuat ni Kailokuan Trade Fair in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte last year at the Robinsons Mall San Nicolas activity area. PNA photo by Leilanie G. Adriano

intermittent easing of restrictions as Covid-19 showed a fluctuating trend, mostly going down, but only pushed up sharply in the latter part of the year by the Omicron variant.

Strategies

IT’S not simply the MSMEs that helped prepare the comeback of trade and commerce in the region. On the part of the DTI, which tracked the progress of entrepreneurs and other livelihood initiatives during the second year of the pandemic, it said it also applied the industry cluster program for mostly agricultural products, sent experts to mentor local entrepreneurs and tendered the Shared Service Facilities (SSF).

It also attended to consumer inquiries and complaints as well as widened the reach of its education and advocacy program to ensure that those stuck in their homes for months will start taking bold steps to entrepreneurship.

Industry clusters have been applied here before to smoothen and streamline the programs and proj-

ects fit to each cluster. These are mostly applied to agricultural crops for which the Davao Region and the rest of Mindanao are known for.

There are clusters for cacao, mostly grown in Davao City and some parts of the Davao Region, coffee, coconut, rubber, palm oil, banana, fruits and nuts, bamboo, mango and aquaculture. The non-agriculture clusters are in information and communication technology, wearables and homestyle and tourism.

Last year, these clusters turned in a more than 100 percent performance from targets: exports worth $1,136.11 million (or $1.136 billion), a 346 percent accomplishment from a target of $328.254 million; number of MSMEs assisted at 3,406, a 117 percent effort from a target of assisting 2,906; and number of trainings conducted, at 340, a 113 percent accomplishment from a target of 301 trainings.

The other bottom line accomplishments were nothing to sneeze at: the clusters generated 13,602 jobs during the pandemic, nearly hitting the target of 14,659. The clusters

also trained 5,202 beneficiaries, an accomplishment of 95 percent from target of 5,490.

More MSMEs were created too, during this time, with 361 new enterprises. The target was to create 411.

Domestic sales reached P403.486 million, also nearly hitting the target of P460.65 million.

Investment, as expected, was low at 20 percent performance at best efforts, getting only P160.574 million worth. The target was to hit P804.5 million worth of investment. The amount of loans facilitated to farmers and co-operatives was as low as P11.943 million, indicating the general sentiment of hesitancy to apply for loans. This amount represented only 11 percent of P170.21 million that was readied for takeout.

Prototypes

THE entrepreneurs’ creativity was not wanting during the pandemic, so the DTI found out. In the region, some 577 were developed, of which 390 were developed through the platform One Town-One Product Next Gen product development activities.

Another 167 prototypes were developed through other economic platforms and 20 of these products were developed at the DigiHub-FabLab Davao, established by the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), the DTI Region 11 and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST Region 11) at the USEP campus at Barrio Obrero in Davao City.

The DigiHub aims to provide the tools, training and resources for creativity and innovation in the academe, MSMEs, inventor groups, hobbyists and design professionals, its Internet web site said.

Product and investment promotion were not abandoned though, despite the obvious absence of cor-

porate operations, including foreign.

Virtual trade fairs continued and product exposition in the national level.

Industry clustering, product promotion and invitations to become engaged in entrepreneurship were done through the program called Negosyo Serbisyo sa Barangay Caravans, of which many of the 131 visits were in identified disadvantaged villages.

These caravans made stopovers to orient and instruct residents on topics and skills like Livelihood Seeding Program and Business Registration Assistance and Consultation.

Mentoring was equally helpful, with the DTI’s family-like atmosphere of Kapatid Mentor ME (literally Mentor Me Brother) guiding aspiring and starting businesses on the rudiments of business, such as making a business plan, improving it and other basic business operation.

Business newbies and those aspiring to graduate into the next business level would also be helped with their need for equipment and machinery.

Although limited, the DTI has its own SSFs that businesses may apply for their own use.

The DTI said the SSF program is a major component of MSME development to improve their competitiveness by providing them with machinery, equipment, tools systems, skills and knowledge under a shared system. As of December last year, DTI assisted 1,511 MSMEs with 3,684 beneficiaries of the facilities shared with them and generating 3,592 jobs in the process.

Customer care, however, remained a pivotal concern in business; and the DTI said its offices and allied services in the local governments had attended to 384 consumer complaints. These were either endorsed to appropriate agencies, were subjected to mediation and arbitration.

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Banking&Finance

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 • Editor: Dennis D. Estopace

BusinessMirror

Tepid bids mark T-bonds auction as investors brace for Fed move

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Bureau of the Treasury on Tuesday partially awarded P13.035 billion out of the P35 billion in reissued 5-year Treasury bonds (T-bonds) on offer as the market remained cautious of the expected interest rate hike from the US Federal Reserve this week.

Rates for the reissued T-bonds with a remaining term of four years and 23 days capped at an average of 4.669 percent, higher than the secondary benchmark rates.

This is only the second time this month that the Treasury sold some government securities after four consecutive auction days ended up in full rejection of bids as investors sought higher yields.

“Rates continue to rise as market remains defensive and watchful for FOMC [Federal Open Market Committee] decision on rate hike; lingering concerns on higher inflation continues,” National Treasurer Rosalia

Govt grants tax perks to Uy’s shipping firm

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HE Cabinet-level Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) approved tax incentives for Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Inc. (Tasli), a company owned by Dennis Uy’s Chelsea Logistics Corp.

In a statement last Tuesday, the Department of Finance (DOF) reported that the tax incentives approved by the FIRB chaired by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III were for Tasli’s proposed P1.5-billion Cebu-based shipping vessel, specializing in roll-on rolloff (RoRo) passenger and cargo operations.

The DOF said the incentives include four years of income tax holiday, five years of enhanced deductions and 11 years of duty exemption on importations.

“Sailing the Cebu-Cagayan de Oro route on a reduced travel time and still comparable rate, the new shipping vessel sets itself apart in the market as a convenient, costfriendly and competitive interisland vessel in the country,” the DOF said.

Dominguez said the approval of the tax incentive approval for Tasli “aligns with the national government’s aim to modernize transportation and to increase competition in the shipping industry in the Philippines.”

For his part, Trade Secretary and FIRB co-chairman Ramon M. Lopez also supported the approval as the project “will continue generating revenues for the government even after the incentive period which is a substantial economic benefit the FIRB considers in granting tax incentive applications.”

Lopez noted that the entry of a new player will contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of the region’s water transport with focus on passenger safety, welfare and comfort since the shipping lines serving the Cebu-CDO-Cebu route are limited.

Benefits, costs

TRADE Undersecretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo was quoted in the statement as saying that the potential benefits from the project are estimated to outweigh the cost of granting incentives, which are primarily driven by additional revenues from the activity and substantial domestic spending on direct materials.

With increased access to sea transportation, the project is expected to stimulate a higher flow of goods and services between the cities of Cebu and Cagayan de Oro, Rodolfo was quoted as saying.

Apart from an increase in productivity and efficiency of the transport of goods and services, the new shipping vessel also seeks to stimulate industry linkages and agricultural trade between Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao.

Since the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 11534 (Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises, or Create, law) last year, the FIRB approved applications for tax incentives of five big-ticket projects.

These projects involve manufacturing activities and the construction of mass housing units with a combined investment capital of P119.5 billion.

The Create law has expanded the FIRB’s powers and functions to include approval of tax incentives to registered business enterprises. The FIRB is tasked to review and approve fiscal incentives for projects with a total investment capital of more than P1 billion. The granting of tax incentives to projects amounting to P1 billion and below are delegated to investment promotion agencies.

BOI’s SIPP

MEANWHILE, the DOF also said on Tuesday that the FIRB backed the proposed Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) of the BOI. In its meeting last February 21, the FIRB expressed support for the

proposed SIPP which will serve as the primary basis for determining which projects or activities are eligible for fiscal incentives.

“The issuance of the SIPP will support the government’s Covid-19 recovery strategy as it will allow investors to qualify for longer tax incentives for more sophisticated activities,” Dominguez said. “This will allow us to attract even better quality investments.” As mandated under RA 11534, the priority projects and activities in the SIPP will be categorized into three tiers.

Under BOI’s proposed SIPP, Tier 1 will include all activities under the 2020 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP), guided by the “revitalizing businesses, investments, livelihoods and domestic demand,” or Rebuild, framework of the Department of Trade and Industry. Tier 2 incentives may be granted to activities supportive of establishing a competitive and resilient economy, which specifically fill gaps in the value chain and are import-competing.

Activities qualified for incentives under Tier 3 include those that support an accelerated transformation of the economy, which specifically promote innovation and are critical to structural transformation. The BOI is set to further refine certain definitions in the SIPP before endorsing it to the Office of the President.

Dominguez said the President’s approval of the SIPP “will put an end to the policy uncertainties among foreign investors” who have been waiting for the SIPP’s release following the enactment of the Create law.

Under RA 11534, corporate income tax rate is reduced to 20 percent from 30 percent for domestic corporations with net taxable income of P5 million and below and have total assets of P100 million and below effective July 1, 2020. All other local firms and resident foreign companies are imposed a 25-percent income tax.

Bernadette D. Nicolas

LandBank loans for Covid-hit firms at ₧31B

By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

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HE LandBank of the Philippines announced on March 15 that its loans for pandemic-hit firms reached P31 billion as of endJanuary this year.

In a statement, the state-run lender said its “Interim Rehabilitation Support to Cushion Unfavorablyaffected Enterprises by Covid-19,” or I-Rescue,” lending program has supported a total of 687 borrowers, composed of 462 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), 115 cooperatives, 105 large enterprises, and five (5) microfinance institutions (MFIs) as of early 2022.

LandBank launched I-Rescue in April 2020 at the height of quarantine restrictions to provide credit and loan restructuring assistance to businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, under more flexible

terms and conditions.

“LandBank recognizes the crucial role of local businesses to ramp-up the country’s ongoing economic recovery,” LandBank President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo was quoted in a statement as saying. “We will continue to provide timely and accessible credit assistance to serve their financial requirements amid the pandemic and beyond.”

Under the program, eligible borrowers may loan up to 85 percent of their emergency or permanent working capital requirements, with an interest rate of 5 percent per annum for three years, subject to annual re-pricing thereafter, and payable up to 10 years with a maximum of a 2-year grace period on the principal repayment.

LandBank also said the program offers a sub-credit facility for MSMEs and cooperatives, as well as self-employed individuals duly registered

with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), classified to be critically affected by the pandemic.

LandBank’s lending program is available until December 31, 2022.

Last month, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported a sustained rise in the country’s lending activities, with growth nearing pre-pandemic levels in January this year.

Bank lending grew by 8.5 percent in January this year, marking the sixth consecutive month of bank lending acceleration in the country.

Bank lending first collapsed into the contraction territory in December 2020 by 0.7 percent as the restrictions brought about by the pandemic affected the local banking industry.

The contraction persisted amid the sustained all-time low monetary policy rate in place.

V. De Leon told reporters after the auction. The auction attracted total tenders of P35.3 billion, a tad higher than the P35 on billion offer.

The US Fed is expected to raise interest rates in its meeting this week that may tame inflation in the world’s largest economy and which soared to a fresh 40-year high of 7.9 percent year-on-year in February.

The reissued T-bonds fetched an average rate that was up by 25.2 basis points from the secondary benchmark rate of 4.417 percent for the four-year tenor based on the Bloomberg Valuation Service (BVAL).

Meanwhile, it also posted a 27-ba-

sis-point uptick from 4.399 percent BVAL rate for the security (FXTN05-77). For this month, the Treasury aims to borrow a total of P250 billion from the local debt market, slightly higher than the P200 billion programmed in February.

The government is also set to borrow this year a total of P2.2 trillion, of which around 75 percent is expected to come from domestic sources.

As of end-January this year, the government’s outstanding debt has already hit a new record-high of P12.03 trillion as the country needed to borrow more to cover a yawning budget deficit.

HSBC issues credit line for ACEN’s wind farm

By Lenie Lectura

@llectura

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HE Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd.-Philippine Branch (HSBC Philippines) has issued its first sustainable commercial Letter of Credit (LC) to support the completion of AC Energy Corp.’s (ACEN) 160-megawatt (MW) Pagudpud Wind Farm.

Melina C. Concha, head of HSBC Philippines’s Wholesale Banking, said the company has always been on the lookout to support sustainability-related projects as part of the bank’s sustainability agenda.

“We are delighted to hold hands with the Pagudpud Wind project team in delivering this green project into completion,” Concha said.

According to a statement from the lender, the trade facilities will provide LC capabilities to the wind project “at a critical moment” as they progress towards completing the Pagudpud Wind Farm development.

L oc ated i n Pa g udpud , I locos Norte, the project is set to be the biggest wind farm in the Philippines to date. The P11.4-billion facility will be the third wind development of ACEN in Ilocos Norte. The project’s target completion is slated for the fourth quarter of this year, in time for full year operations in 2023, when supply is expected to be tight in the Luzon energy market.

Once operational, the 32-turbine wind power project will contribute to the government’s goal to reach a more sustainable energy mix, with at least 50 percent renewable sources by 2040.

It is also set to support inclusive and sustainable growth in Ilocos Norte by encouraging further investment and

creating skilled job opportunities for local community.

The wind farm is projected to generate 504-gigawatt hours of renewable energy per year and avoid 344,604 metric tons of C02 emissions annually. It is also expected to create about 380 jobs within the community.

“HSBC’s trade facilities will help ensure unhampered progress in the completion of the Pagudpud Wind project providing timely access to credit to secure the plant’s primary components.

HSBC is widely known in the market for its innovative products and sustainable financing solutions,” Jean Tricia Ramos, head of HSBC Philippines Global Trade and Receivables Finance, said. “We are very pleased to be playing a part in the growth of the Philippines’ emerging renewable energy sector.”

ACEN is the listed energy platform of the Ayala group. The company has over 3,000 MW of attributable capacity in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Australia. The company’s renewable share of capacity is about 80 percent, among the highest in the region.

ACEN’s aspiration is to be the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia, with a goal of reaching 5,000 MW of renewables capacity by 2025. ACEN announced in October last year its commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“We greatly value and appreciate HSBC’s support in making this project a reality,” ACEN Chief Development Officer Jose Maria P. Zabaleta said. “As one of the country’s largest wind farms upon completion, it will go a long way to meet the corporate and net zero goals of all the stakeholders and the country’s energy security targets.”

SB Finance to set aside 25% of capex for IT dev

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B Finance Inc., the lending joint venture arm of Security Bank, will increase its allocation for digitization this year to 10 percent of capital expenditure (capex).

During Tuesday’s launch of its online lending platform, SB Finance President and CEO Abigail Marie D. Casanova replied to BusinessMirror’s question that the lender plans to allot “some more for this year but probably another 10 percent of capex as we are totally serious in investing in technology; it is one of our strategic moves.”

SB Finance last year announced it is allotting some 15 percent of the P3 billion in capital infusion from its principals to invest in its digitalization efforts marked initially by more online loan products.

Chief Financial Officer Joy V. Supan said they have used up 80 percent of that amount, about P450 million, and will use the remaining funds for the “continuous improvement in systems.”

A product of that investment, the zukì mobile app, was launched on Tuesday. SB Finance executives said “zuki” is a “fully digital lending platform allowing Filipinos to apply for various loan products via a mobile application.”

Financial literacy

THE executives added the platform is

also a bid to improve customers’ financial literacy and help them shift from the traditional financial services to a digital consumer experience.

“The ability to provide financial literacy through our services to those who need it the most has always been at the core of our mission,” Mikal Rallonza, Head of Sales and Distribution for Unsecured Loans, said during the online launch. “Advancements in technology and how we utilize these tools will define our legacy as a company.”

SB Finance said for its app, it employs top-of-the-line eKYC [electronic know-your-customer] capability, location detection, liveness checks, and facial recognition functionalities to protect customers from identity fraud.

SB Finance said “zukì” is also powered by a scalable cloud-based solution running on one of the top cloud platform providers globally.

“Customers’ security is our top priority and we have made sure that zukì has the highest level of security embedded in each module. We also actively educate our customers to play their part in protecting themselves as security is not just about systems but rather a continuing cooperation between SB Finance and customers,” Ryan Bautista, head of Compliance at SB Finance, said. Bianca Cuaresma

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Defer 20% tax on pay for teachers in poll duty

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

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HE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) were asked to defer imposition of “higher withholding tax on teachers’ pay” for serving overtime poll duties in the upcoming May 9 national and local elections.

Opposition Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros prodded the BIR and Comelec to reconsider implementation of the higher tax plan. Hontiveros noted that surprised affected teachers were “blindsided” by the BIR’s move and the Comelec’s consent to raise the withholding tax on poll work pay from 5 percent in 2019 to 20 percent this year.

In a statement issued last Tuesday, the Senator recalled successfully defending the Comelec budget during Congress deliberations that allowed the increase in teachers’ honoraria’ including “instituting measures to Covid-proof the election.”

“I ask that the BIR and the Comelec defer the collection of the 20-percent tax on teachers,” she appealed.

“Gaya ng karamihan ng ating mga kababayan, nagsisimula pa lang ang ating mga gurong bumangon mula sa dagok ng pandemya,” Hontiveros added. “Kaya napaka-wrong timing talaga at sobrang lupit ng tax increase na ito.”

[Like most of our countrymen, our teachers are just beginning to recover from the scourge of the pandemic. So this tax increase comes at a wrong time and is very cruel.]

Hontiveros noted that under Comelec Resolution 10727, the pay rates of teachers who will serve in the upcoming May 9 polls include: P7,000 for the chairman of the electoral board in each voting precinct; P6,000 for each board member; P5,000 for the supervising education official; and, P3,000 for each support staff.

Conveying concerns for the affected teachers, the senator asked concerned officials in the Executive to grant the teachers’ plea.

In citing Comelec Resolution 10727, Hontiveros reminded that if 20 percent is deducted from the teachers’ pay for poll duties, instead of making it tax-exempt, “what will be left to them?”

“Kapag nabawasan ng 20 percent ang matatanggap ng teachers, ano na ang matitira sa kanila? Sa katunayan, dapat ngang i-exempt sa tax ang election service compensation,” Hontiveros said. [If teachers receive a reduction of 20 percent, what will be left for them? In fact, election service compensation should be tax-exempt.]

“The next best thing we can do is to keep it at 5 percent; it’s the least we can do for them,” the senator added.

“The 20 percent withholding tax is just too much.”

Instead, Hontiveros prodded the BIR and the Comelec to “immediately respond to the teachers’ concerns” by organizing a dialogue with the group.

She stressed that “they really should not insist on implementing this tax increase now.”

Earlier, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines pressed the BIR and the Comelec to exhaust all measures to exempt from taxes the Board of Election Inspectors’ (BEIs) paltry honoraria and allowances.

The group said the 20-percent tax imposition on teacher-poll workers’ compensation will result in smaller net pay for the 2022 national elections, compared to the 2019 mid-term polls.

“Based on Comelec’s guidelines, BEI chairpersons will get P7,000 in honorarium and P2,000 in travel allowance. Subjecting that to 20-percent tax will mean a net pay of a meager P 7,200. This is P1,350 lower than their 2019 net compensation of P8,550 after 5-percent tax was deducted from the P6,000 honorarium, P1,000 travel allowance, and P2,000 training allowance” lamented ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio, speaking partly in Filipino. “The small increase in compensation of BEIs is being taken back with the huge and unreasonable 20 percent tax. Where is the justice there?”

Image BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Wednesday, March 16, 2022

B5

A better way of doing things Filipino youth leader to receive overseas presidential award LORD Leomer Pomperada, World Youth Alliance (WYA) president, was honored by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas as one of the recipients of the 2021 Presidential Awards for the Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (PAFIOO).

The PAFIOO is a biennial search for overseas-based individuals and organizations who have “dedicated their work in the service of Filipinos in the Philippines or abroad; selflessly supported relief, rehabilitation, and development programs in the home country; or excelled in their field of work or profession.”

The 2021 PAFIOO received a total of 117 nominations from 31 countries endorsed by 39 Philippine Foreign Service Posts across Asia, North and South America, Europe and Australia.

Pomperada will receive the Pamana ng Pilipino Award for “exemplifying the talent and industry of the Filipino” and bringing honor and recognition to the country “through excellence and distinction in the pursuit of work or profession.”

Currently based in New York, the 30-year-old leader is serving his seventh year as the president of WYA, a global youth movement with over a million members in more than 200 nations and territories. It aims to promote the dignity of the person and build solidarity among the youth from developed and developing countries.

Prior to his presidency, he was the Regional Director of WYA Asia Pacific (WYAAP), wherein he worked toward strengthening a network of young global changemakers who inspire the future generation of leaders.

He likewise worked with the Center for Excellence in Governance-Institute for Solidarity in Asia, and served as Philippine Youth Ambassador to Japan and Southeast Asia under a diplomatic and cultural exchange program sponsored by the Cabinet Office of Japan.

In 2015, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Youth Leaders Association recognized him with the Gawad Aseano Award.

The Iloilo-born achiever graduated as Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), wherein he served as Deaf advocate and volunteer sign language interpreter.

The college bestowed him with the Community Service Award. He was likewise recognized by DLSCSB as the Most Outstanding Student Leader and Most Outstanding Campus Journalist at the Gawad Signal Tala Awards.

He recently published You’re Never Too Young To Lead, a collection of personal anecdotes on the makings of a global youth leader.

Pomperada completed an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School.

He is currently pursuing a Masters in International Affairs and Diplomacy, a joint program of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (Switzerland) and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain).

O

NE of the most overlooked potential in an organization are the lessons learned by their departments in using common tools and processes within the organization.

To capitalize on this, most organizations share best practices to improve the performance of one unit of the organization by learning from the processes and experiences of other departments. When organizations document best practices and make them readily available to all, it increases employees’ overall productivity and efficiency.

An example would be managing an event. You cannot always rely on one department to manage all the events of the organization. But it would be to everyone’s advantage if that department would share their best practices so others can learn how to manage an event. They can create templates and checklists to ensure an event goes as planned, even if they are not there.

To share best practices, there are several things you need to consider in managing organizational knowledge. Human resources, in partnership with the Information Technology group, can create a plan to strategically harness the best practices from different departments from the organization into a knowledge base. They need to efficiently curate the database using a knowledge management tool so that anyone from the organization can easily access their needed information. Employees should also be able to contribute meaningfully to the knowledge base by posting what worked well for them.

However, not all people will share their best practices if they are stacked rank against their colleagues. They would hoard information because their best practices give them an added advantage which they would lose if they shared them. This is the same case as when a department in an organization is the process owner, so they would keep their best practices a secret lest they be replaced by better employees. To maximize how best practices can be best used by the organization, you must address these concerns.

Sharing best practices can be contained in the organization’s intranet. Whether you are using hashtags, sections, or a dedicated area for people to post, it needs to be accessible to everyone in the organization. You can also invest in knowledgesharing tools so new information is curated efficiently and retrieved easily. If you do not have these tools, you can opt to use social media where you can create closed group accounts for your employees to share information or their own work hacks.

One of the clear benefits of sharing best practices is the availability of information on a given process

or tool. Common questions can help the learning and development group identify learning gaps and craft learning solutions to address those concerns.

A question-and-answer format can help in collating information and making them all available under one category.

Having a knowledge base also enhances creativity and provides multiple perspectives on an issue. It then increases collaboration from different departments and reduces the silo mentality which is common in most organizations. Making a process or tool available to the scrutiny of the entire organization makes it easier for subject matter experts from different fields to contribute their wisdom and experience. Gaining different perspectives from best practices will also help organizations make sound decisions. Management can then implement the best solution while keeping an eye on identified risks.

This leads us to a significant benefit of shared best practices, which is the development of a learning culture. When departments share best practices, you allow people to use organizational knowledge to address current and emerging issues which can then be used by new and tenured employees alike. You can encourage this by providing incentives for employees who contribute significantly to the knowledge base and whose best practices are adopted by other departments. You spark innovation when you encourage and incentivize people who significantly impact the bottom line.

An offshoot of a learning culture is a supportive corporate community that readily adapts to new and emerging issues. By encouraging people to look for better ways of doing things and encouraging them

to share it, you create an environment where people look out for one another. You encourage the creation of communities of practice where people naturally gravitate toward those with similar work so they can sharpen each other’s tools and work together when one needs the other.

And when new employees join your organization, they have ready and accessible information to get their work faster and easier. A well-maintained knowledge base helps new members avoid common pitfalls in their line of work. At the same time, it provides them the knowledge of what has worked, and provides insight into what they can contribute to improve the processes using their own experiences.

From there, your knowledge base can only get better.

And when employees leave, the information they have contributed is retained in the knowledge base. Instead of the team suffering from brain drain, institutional knowledge is kept intact so future members have access to them instead of learning everything from scratch or repeating the same mistakes. You will not always have your employees with you, but with good foresight and planning you can safeguard organizational information for new members.

Sharing best practices contained in a knowledge base maximizes your employee’s tools and processes, and increases their productivity and engagement. It also future-proofs your organization by providing a venue where teams can discuss how they can do their work better, smarter and faster. By making it available to everyone, you are, in a way, saying that everyone has their own expertise, but the best solution is the one that benefits everyone. n

How confident are women in Asia nowadays?

AS the world observed International Women’s Day, Watsons released results from a regional “Women’s Confidence Survey in Asia.”

According to Malina Ngai, CEO of A.S. Watson (Asia & Europe), “Watsons has had a deep connection with women for over 180 years. We believe that the best version of you and your real beauty should radiate from within. Confidence is an important part of inner beauty, and is what makes you feel good and positively impacts your mental well-being.

“That’s why Watsons has recently appointed WISE—Watson Insight on Shopper’s Experience—to conduct a survey about women’s confidence in Asia to find out what kind of support women need to feel more confident and help them become a better version of themselves.”

The “Women’s Confidence Survey in Asia” was conducted with over 3,100 women aged 20-29 across six markets including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

The respondents were asked to rate their confidence levels, and what are the things that can help to boost their confidence.

The findings show that almost half of all women in Asia are not confident about themselves at work and in life. Women’s confidence levels are lowest in Hong Kong, closely followed by Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Mainland China. The survey further reveals that staying healthy inside out, as well as gaining recognition from coworkers are key to helping women gain confidence.

EquitablE, SupportivE and FamilyFriEndly WorkplacE iS kEy NOTABLY for the Philippines, 70 percent are satisfied with their career progression and almost all believe that it’s possible for women to excel in their career.

Here, women believe they will be more confident if they are staying healthy (70 percent), doing a purposeful job (65 percent), and doing something good for the environment (56 percent).

Ngai continues, “The findings show that an equitable, supportive and family-friendly workplace is exactly what women need nowadays, and we are keen to lead by example. With operations in 11 markets in Asia, women make up 77 percent of our 63,000 workforce. Therefore, it is Watsons’ ongoing commitment to create a culture that makes everyone feel welcomed, valued, appreciated and encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, and each of them is

given equal career development opportunity.

“As a family-friendly company, we encourage more companies to join us in formulating policies to support and empower women, especially helping those working mothers to strike a balance between work and family.”

What iS bEautiFul? innEr bEauty bEcomES incrEaSingly important IN another recent survey Watsons commissioned, titled “What is Beautiful,” more than 11,000 women aged under 45 in 12 markets across Asia and Europe were interviewed about how they value things

around them and how they define beauty after going through a pandemic. On average, 75 percent of women agree that inner beauty has become more important than ever, especially in the Philippines (96 percent), followed by Malaysia (91 percent), Thailand (86 percent), Hong Kong (83 percent) and Taiwan (82 percent).

When being asked about the definition of “beautiful,” taking care of your health inside out tops the list, with feeling confident and feeling happy in the second and third. What’s the most beautiful thing in life? The survey reveals that almost half the respondents feel that the most beautiful thing in life is doing good to the people around them, communities and even the planet we live in.

“These findings are consistent with those in our ‘Women’s Confidence Survey in Asia’ that reveals staying healthy inside out is important to boost confidence which is important for both physical and mental wellness,” Ngai adds.

With this insight, Watsons Philippines offers up to 30-percent off on women’s essentials like vitamins, supplements and personal care products for the whole month of March to help ensure Filipinas feel beautiful and healthy inside and out, thus boosting their confidence In the Philippines, Watsons also partnered with SM Supermalls for a special event, titled “Women Now & the Future,” a summit on Women Empowerment for a Sustainable Tomorrow at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall. The conversation revolved around mentoring womenprenuers and empowering the next generation of women. Another program that is being planned later this year in partnership with Operations Smile is the launch of “Women in Medicine” program, which aims to empower women in the field of medical science.

PHOTO BY ANNIE SPRATT ON UNSPLASH

B6 Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Globe Business connects MSMEs to the right business essentials

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N today’s hyperconnected world, businesses, no matter what size, need to be easily accessible 24/7 so they can efficiently meet their growing needs. Whether they’re working onsite at their offices, or out on the road, it pays for entrepreneurs to stay just as connected as their digital-savvy consumers, so they don’t miss out on important opportunities, and continually build their business with ease.

In 2022, Globe Business builds on its promise to be the trusted partner of every micro, small and mediumscale enterprise (MSME) by providing them strong support towards building better connectivity.

With the launch of Globe Business “Negosyo Essentials”—mobile and broadband postpaid plans—businesses can take advantage of special deals that can help strengthen their day-to-day operations with better connectivity.

Until March 31, businesses can get GCash rebates with every successful Mobile Postpaid Plan application: P500 for as low as Plan 999 and P1,000 for plans starting at Plan 1999. To safeguard their health, subscribers also get a free 12-month subscription to Konsulta MD. “Globe Business’ mobile postpaid plans are designed to empower Filipino business owners with hassle-free connectivity. These plans’ unlimited call offers to all mobile and landline networks and sizable data allocation for continuous connection will allow businesses to reach their customers and run operations smoothly and with cost-efficiency,” explains Angeline Po, Product Marketing Head of Globe Business MSME Group.

“Globe’s postpaid broadband plans, on the other hand, are ideal for running operations that rely

heavily on the internet, since these plans’ unlimited data allocation and equal upload and download speeds will ensure that your business will be able to support large media and file uploads and downloads, as well as video-intensive conferencing requirements,” Po adds.

For those in need of a plug-and-play budget-friendly broadband connection, Globe Business is offering special discounts for both regular and LTEAdvanced Prepaid Internet Kits. Until March 31, those who sign up for the regular kit will only have to pay the onetime payment fee of P599 (saving them as much as P700), and P1,299 for the

LTE-Advanced kit (previously P2,299).

Upon modem activation, customers subscribed to these kits will receive free 30GB data for 30 days through the Globe myBusiness app, which, says Po, “will give MSMEs the convenience that’s necessary to run their operations as smoothly as possible.”

“Now is the perfect time for businesses to equip themselves with all the right connectivity tools so they are ready to face the future–and Globe Business is the perfect partner to get them there,” Po says.

To learn more, visit https://glbe.co/ negosyoessentials.

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ESPITE all the vagaries of the ongoing pandemic, a bright side that emerged has been the spotlight on Filipino kitchen creativity and family playfulness.

How can we forget the dalgona coffee craze in early 2020? Or the emergence of DIY samgyeopsal using local ingredients like liempo cuts and local lettuce during the most recent Noche Buenas? Lockdown made Filipinos satisfy their cravings for specific food in creative ways.

But it wasn’t just foreign foods that Filipinos recreated, but reinterpretations of classic Filipino snacks as well. Yema, puto, turon, bibingka, leche flan, and taho, these were just some classic favorites that found a unique twist and dunk using the iconic sandwich cookies we’ve come to love in the form of Oreos.

The above spins were discovered by Mondelez executives during a social media campaign held last year where they invited Filipinos to post the recipes they made using the cream-centered snacks.

Despite the recipe of the classic cream Oreo being the same all over the world, seeing only slight changes since being trademarked in March of 1912, Filipinos were able to take a globally-consumed sandwich cookie and make it an ingredient unto itself.

Presently, Mondelez, its current producer notes that Filipino consumers in particular have always seen Oreos as a comfort snack, bringing with it associations of bonding between parents and children, often accompanied by milk.

From simple snacking, however, the trend as mentioned earlier has also come to include more active bonding moments.

In a world where families have seemingly

been disconnected by screen culture and where the need for adult playtime has been recognized as ever valid, this comes as a welcome development.

Criselle Villafuerte, Mondelez senior marketing manager for biscuits, takes particular note of this phenomenon, sharing that it’s about “making sure we’re fully present, finding new ways to enjoy the activity of snacking.”

In recent months, Mondelez has shifted towards a philosophy of “mindful snacking,” encouraging people to truly savor the food they’re having, being fully present at each bite to experience all flavors a snack has to offer.

Since Mondelez opened a Philippine branch in the mid-1960s, Oreo has become one of its staple offerings, and now, with the cookie’s 110th anniversary, snackers have yet more to look forward to for the rest of 2022: a big Oreo festival, new flavors, and new packages for Filipinos of all lifestyles.

COMELEC, UP Law Center hold training program for military officers in preparation for 2022 elections

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SMHCC to Open SMX Convention Center Clark

M Hotels and Conventions Corp.

(SMHCC) is set to open another iconic convention property, SMX Convention Center Clark this coming May 2022. The expansion of SMHCC’s brand portfolio in Central Luzon follows the openings of Park Inn by Radisson Clark Extension last June 2021 and SMX Convention Center Olongapo in November 2020.

“These developments in Northern Luzon underline SMHCC’s confidence in this bustling economic hub. According to the Philippine Board of Investments, Central Luzon was the most invested region in 2020, amounting to over Php1

On its 110th anniversary, Oreo cookies see a unique spin in Filipino households

trillion worth of approved investments.

Clark continues to be at the forefront of all these, with Clark Development Corporation’s (CDC) business recovery efforts,” said Ms. Peggy E. Angeles, SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. Executive Vice President.

SMX Convention Center Clark will be SMHCC’s second stand-alone convention center after SMX Manila and another welcome addition to its existing seven convention centers and trade halls. SMX Convention Center Clark can hold multi-scale events with a gross leasable space of more than 4,000 sq. m., boasting of two (2) level

event venues and a mezzanine floor for offices. Strategically built adjacent to Park Inn by Radisson Clark, within the thriving SM City Clark Complex, it will cater to events of all magnitudes and sizes with its three (3) trade halls, three (3) function rooms, and 14 smaller meeting rooms.

Located within a 16-minute drive from the airport via Manuel Roxas highway and approximately a 20-minute drive via Gil Puyat Clark East Perimeter Road, SMX Convention Center Clark has an unmatched location and is poised to become one of Central Luzon’s premier MICE venues of choice.

N March 11, 2022, the UP Law Center, through its Training and Convention Division, conducted a live training seminar catered to various military officers of the AFP Reserve Command. This event is in anticipation of the upcoming 2022 National and Local Elections on 9 May 2022.

Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentabella of the Department of Energy, Vice-Chairperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Command Multi-Sector Government Council, stressed the importance of the program by stating that its purpose is to provide a guide to the military on how to monitor and produce a believable and proper election season for the Filipino people.

The event was also graced by Brigadier General Peter C. Suchianco, Chief of the Judge Advocate General Service Reserve, who stated that “these are the initiatives that we look forward to and need to push because, while we all know that ignorance of the law excuses no one from compliance therewith, it is a fact that a lot of people really don’t know the law.” Thus, he added, “it is our duty to inform our uniformed personnel so that we can act properly.”

Brigadier General Suchianco further provided that the upcoming elections are not just the responsibility of the COMELEC, the people in government, nor the Armed Forces, but is a responsibility of the whole nation. According to him, “the future of the country is charted by the leaders that we put in place, so it is our responsibility and our duty to perform our respective roles in the coming elections as provided by law.”

UP Law Dean Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II introduced the speakers for the event.

The session featured relevant discussions on Constitutional and Electoral Laws as well as the Omnibus Election Code, which all pertain to the legal aspects governing these important events. This program likewise educated the attendees on matters relating to security, such as the proper use of firearms and the guidelines that must be followed in the operation of checkpoints.

Atty. Marwil Llasos, a holder of a degree in Master of Arts in Public Safety Administration from the National Police College and an expert in homeland security, public safety, and strategic studies, discussed the power of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to deputize the AFP along with the mandate of the latter as granted by law. He likewise shed light on the legal bases governing these elections, such as the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, Administrative Code, Omnibus Election Code, and the AFP Modernization Act. Meanwhile, COMELEC representatives, Atty. Director John Rex C. Laudiangco, head of the Gun Ban Committee and Security Force, and Atty. Jayvee Villagracia, Election Officer IV of COMELEC in the San Juan City Office, jointly articulated the Do’s and Don’ts during the election period, canvassing, and proclamation day.

This training program serves as a vital tool in enlightening numerous law enforcers about the legality or illegality of acts that may take place in the days leading up to, and even the actual date of, the 2022 National and Local Elections.

Prosperna, Omnirio tie up to accelerate PH digitization

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ROSPERNA recently announced a strategic partnership with Omnirio to enable Philippine retailers to accelerate digitization.

“The Philippine retail environment is undergoing massive disruption due to the rapid change of consumer behavior, ” describes Dennis Velasco, Prosperna’s CEO. He adds that partnering with Omnirio will enable joint Prosperna and Omnirio customers to be able to automate their inventory operations so they don’t go out of stock and miss out on any sales opportunities.

Today, Omnirio helps drive over USD $ 10 Billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) through their platform by working with some of the largest brands in the world that operate in the Philippines like Jockey, Giordano, Marks and Spencer, Lacoste and New Era. Prosperna is also making it extremely easy and very affordable for Philippine micro small and medium sized businesses to accept online orders from their own online store,

Facebook, Viber and WhatsApp, offer digital payments and automatically book shipping.

Merchants of any size can set up their own online store in minutes directly from their mobile phone or from a browser without any coding experience. And now with Omnirio, customers can deliver their products faster and cheaper with better inventory visibility across multiple locations.

Today, over 3,000+ merchants use Prosperna to sell on the internet, inside social media and across marketplaces like Lazada and Shopee. Many Philippine manufacturers and retailers like Prime Agri Supply, The Printerie and Mondial Direct have grown their business online using Prosperna as their eCommerce platform of choice.

“99% of the companies in the Philippines are MSMEs so with the launch of our partnership with Omnirio, we aim to help Philippine retailers simplify their eCommerce and make inventory management easier,” said Velasco.

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Wednesday, March 16, 2022 B7

Carousell Phils bullish on property sector in 2022

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By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

nline buy-and-sell platform Carousell Philippines is bullish in 2022 as e-commerce and classified ads are expected to continue to grow beyond the pandemic.

“The pandemic has provided customers with access to a significant variety of products from the convenience and safety of their homes. We see this shift as an opportunity and inspiration not only to make Carousell even better but most importantly, to serve Filipino customers better,” said Carousell Philippines’ new General Manager Djon Nacario, who discussed the upcoming plans, innovations, business prospects, and directions of Carousell for the year in a recent online press briefing.

Carousell Philippines ended 2021 with a bang by bagging a $100-million investment from STIC Investments, a leading Korean private equity that invests across Asia, and the acquisition of Ox Street, one of the leading endto-end marketplaces for authenticated sneakers and streetwear in Southeast Asia, is all set to create innovations to strengthen Carousell Philippines’s proposition for 2022.

ber of Filipinos by setting community pantries funded by items sold on the Carousell app to aid those left most vulnerable by the crisis.

Nacario said sellers spearheaded a donation drive on the aftermath of Typhoon Odette by selling secondhand items and donating the proceeds to families and communities that were heavily affected by the typhoon.

Listing views and monthly active users have also increased in 2021 as more users turn to Carousell to buy medical supplies and secondhand clothing while some users have also started selling on Carousell to supplement their income.

Nacario said Carousell commended the initiatives of the users to help the people affected by the typhoon. “ Carousell supports these humble initiatives by our users to extend help to the most vulnerable and to ensure that people can continue on with their lives amid the pandemic,” Nacario said.

The pandemic scenario

A most receptive Recommerce market

During the pandemic, Carousell extended a helping hand to a num-

According to the Recommerce Index 2021 report, the Philippines

is the most receptive Southeast Asian market for recommerce, or the practice of buying and selling brand new and previously owned items. Morevover, Carousell Recommerce Index became a reliable guide for consumers on how they can make secondhand the first choice to encourage more people to pursue a sustainable lifestyle. The report also covers findings from four Carousell Group brands, namely, Carousell, Cho Tot, Mudah.my, and OneKyat, across eight markets—Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam, involving over 3,000 buyers and sellers.

Benefiting from the boom Tagaytay Highlands is one of the beneficiaries of the property boom in the country last year as the high-end market bought properties outside Metro Manila for bigger space and cleaner environment. Property management consulting company Santos Knight Frank pointed out in their recent outlook that well-heeled families opted to acquire property assets in the suburbs as their second home to experience a safer and healthier environment.

“Now a much-touted recreational haven, Tagaytay Highlands is where serenity and adventure attain a perfect balance,” Lennie

Mendoza, senior vice president of Highlands Prime Inc., developer of Tagaytay Highlands and a subsidiary of SM Prime Holdings said in an earlier interview. “Imagine outdoor enthusiasts going trekking, hiking, and swimming. Or dads bonding with their youngsters at the fishing pier, getting on the mountain estate’s bike trails, or even go-karting,” Mendoza added.

Mendoza said the affluent Filipino families are given the option to select from lots of sizeable cuts to signature log cabins that evoke Colorado’s mountain havens, as well as luxurious condominium units with their own world-class amenities. Individuals who value

their privacy, security, and exclusive lifestyles need not look elsewhere for their premium domiciles.

With nature’s bount y surrounding the project, Mendoza said Tagaytay Highlands is regarded by career-driven homeowners as conducive to productivity. With precious lessons culled from a pandemic, property seekers who wish to work from home may do so as they step into a new and better normal.

Attesting to Tagaytay Highlands’ commitment to safet y and security for all its members, residents, and their guests is its recently awarded “Safety Seal” of the City Government of Tagaytay.

Mendoza a lso assured t he high competency of Tagaytay Highlands’ club and property management teams to ensure that all facilities and personnel will continue to adhere to strict sanitation procedures and safety protocols including disinfection, hand sanitation, wearing of face masks, and social distancing.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has likewise named Highlands Prime Inc. as one of Calabarzon’s 2021 Outstanding Developers for Open Market Projects.

ALDC all set to break grounds Iloilo as Philippines’ next Innovation Hub: for pioneering housing project Master-planned developments, your most strategic investment just yet

By Roderick L. Abad

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EAL-estate company Aquira Land Development Cor p.

(ALDC) is positive that the groundbreaking for its pilot residential project on a 16-hectare property in Barangay Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal, will push through next month once all the documentary requirements are completed.

The commencement rite for the construction of the company’s first foray in the affordable housing market was originally set in February of this year, but it has been put on hold due to delays in the issuance of the development permit and Environmental Compliance Certificate or ECC. “If all the permits and licenses are accomplished, we will have the ground breaking by April 18, 2022,” ALDC President Roderick Armigos told the BusinessMirror in an email interview.

This socialized housing, which is yet to be named, will have three phases, with 800 to 900 units for the first phase; 500 units, second phase; and 500 units, third phase.

The company, he revealed, is investing around P500 million up to P750 million for the initial phase of this horizontal project.

“There’s a very huge void in terms of demand for low-cost housing [estimated at 6,796,910 units as of 2022], [that’s why] we chose Tanay, Rizal because it’s less developed than elsewhere,” he said of their decision to enter the real-estate industry.

“Our main difference from other developers will be better specifications, better locations and better choices of units,” he added.

ALDC’s pioneering project has already buyers from the association of professors and teachers in Antipolo and Marikina, as well as army personnel from nearby Camp Capinpin.

Targeted for completion in the next two to three years, the entire

development is projected to generate a total sales value of P2.5 billion.

Armigos is already a self-made entrepreneur in the wellness and beauty industry when he put up ALDC. His long established firm, Vida Nutriscience, is known for brands such as Snow Caps, soaps, Snow Crystal White Tomato, MySLim, and Acne Care, among others.

He shared that he became aware of the need for more low cost dwelling while he was studying how to give back to his loyal employees.

“I was thinking of providing low cost housing assistance as an incentive for employees who stay with the company for 10 years, but also for every employee to have better access to housing loans. It was while I was studying the feasibility that I learned of the housing backlog,” he said.

The top executive also cited how the Covid-19 crisis firmed his resolved to become a low-cost housing developer: “Because of the pandemic, the home has become much more important, it is now also a classroom, a warehouse for small businesses, and it’s also an office for those working from home,” he said.

Just recently, the company tied up with the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC), which will cover all its projects.

Per their partnership, the latter, through its Housing Loan Receivables Purchase Program, will buy future receivables from individuals or groups that purchase homes from the developer.

T hereafter, these customers will pay NHMFC for their homes monthly, at low interest rates, over long periods of time.

This will allow ALDC to remain liquid and to continue to build as well as start more projects, and NHMFC to fulfill its thrust of providing affordable financing for housing for low-income Filipinos.

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aster planning, by definition, is the conscientious effort of developing or improving a property with the goal of ensuring a unified vision for its space. It’s coming up with a sustainable plan to calibrate the best utilization for the area while considering the needs of stakeholders who will be impacted by it.

If done right, a master-planned development, or better yet, a master-planned city, could do wonders for the people living in it. A stellar testament is Iloilo, a city poised to be a “premier innovation hub” by 2030, on the back of the efforts of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Global Shapers Iloilo, and other local stakeholders and business groups. In recent years, Iloilo has made headways in becoming an exceptionally-integrated innovation hub, with several factors contributing to this growth—wellconnected infrastructure, a fine risk-reduction management program, and the arrival of several big companies, seen to push the city towards being “the next economic epicenter” in the Philippines.

Jaro, in particular, the largest district in Iloilo, has taken an active role in redefining its economic landscape with big-ticket projects that are expected to generate jobs and tourism opportunities. Initiatives like these not only prime up the region’s economy but also create an ideal environment for real-estate investment. Investing in Iloilo now would mean maximum returns are undoubtedly in your cards.

dences’ Wifi-ready and intricately designed hotel-like lobby, getting home every day is bliss.

A multi-faceted investment

ment Corporation (SMDC), which has redefined the urban-dwelling landscape. Strategically located in the district of Jaro, Iloilo, Glade Residences gives you both front seats to Iloilo’s transformation and the opportunity to thrive at the crossroads of growth.

It’s master planned in such a way that it gives you easy access to the best of Iloilo, along with a coveted, low-carbon footprint lifestyle. The development is strategically placed near top-tier schools to help your children excel, various commercial hubs that give you plenty of shopping and dining options, decades-old places of worship you can find refuge in, and medical facilities that ensure your health stays in its prime. Even more, it promises a home-beside-amall lifestyle for you, with a future SM Mall right next to it.

With the development seamlessly integrating itself in the up-and-up Iloilo City, Glade Residences is bound to take the Ilonggo way of life to the next level.

A win-win situation

The perfect gated garden community for everyone

One of the first movers in this progressive area is SM Develop-

A recent Santos Knight Frank study said that proximity to green

spaces, good air quality, and good views are among the residential proper t y considerations that have grown important for today’s homebuyers. With sustainability at the core of each and every development, SMDC exemplifies a true trailblazer with spaces that addresses these needs.

Like all of SMDC’s roster of vertical garden communities, Glade Residences upholds a high level of well-being for all its residents with purposefully developed spaces for leisure, growth, and wellness.

Gardens and greeneries abound the development, granting you the sought-after privilege of living among nature. With its walkable design, well-connected sidewalks and linear parks, bike paths, and open spaces, you are granted a safe haven to thrive.

Built with driven individuals and young families in mind, Glade Residences opens up new levels of productivity for you too, with a community hub conducive for your home-based work or business. It’s what makes Glade Residences perfect for Iloilo — home of promising small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs.

Most of all, with Glade Resi-

Choosing Glade Residences as your new home not only means investing in your finances, but also in your physical and mental health.

It’s an investment for your health, because of the wide range of amenities that promote an active, well-balanced lifestyle.

Several swimming pools, playgrounds, an outdoor gym, and a basketball court are at your disposal, ready to keep you going any day. Every unit was carefully structured too, to allow natural light and ventilation to illuminate living spaces, and to improve your well-being.

It’s an investment for your peace of mind, as well, w ith SMDC’s professional property management services providing upkeep and 24/7 security. You get to worry less about your property’s integrity and safety and devote more time and energy to the things that matter.

On top of that, Glade Residences sets you up for financial security and, in turn, a promising future.

Should you choose to rent out your unit for some passive income, SMDC Prime Key Leasing is there to shoulder the stresses of leasing management for you.

Ilonggos no longer have to look far and wide for a place to stage the kind of life that they aspire for.

Glade Residences is here to give you the chance to make the most out of your life, and the most out of your dreams as well.

For more information about SMDC’s Glade Residences, visit www.smdc.com/properties/gladeresidences/.

Sports BusinessMirror

B8

Cargo Movers eye strong start vs Troopers

| Wednesday, March 16, 2022

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mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

POC, PSC HEADS PRAISE ATHLETES T

HE country’s top sports officials paid tribute to outstanding Filipino athletes led

by Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz who made 2021 a glorious and golden year in Philippine sports.

Co-architects of the nation’s most successful campaign in the Olympics on Tokyo last year, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino felt humbled by the awards bestowned on them by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) during its first face-to-face San Miguel Corp.-PSA Awards Night on Monday at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

“Together we were a part of Philippine sports history. I share this award with all of you,” said Ramirez after receiving the PSA’s Leadership in Excellence Award as he shared the stage with PSC Commissioners Ramon Fernandez, Celia Kiram, Charles Maxey and Engineer Arnold Agustin.

“For I cannot claim this one [award] alone.

This award is not mine,” Ramirez said. “One of the reasons that this night is extra special is that we are all celebrating the greatest sports achievement of the Filipino people, our first Olympic gold in Hidilyn Diaz, coupled with the biggest Olympic medal haul.”

Ramirez referred to the silver medals of boxers Nesty Petecio and Carlo Paalam and the bronze of Eumir Felix Marcial that capped the country’s epic drive in Tokyo.

HIDILYN DIAZ wears a golden gown as she is hailed 2021 Athlete of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association headed by its president, Rey Virgilio Lachica (right) on Monday night in a hotel in Manila.

Joining Diaz, whose success in Tokyo breaks the Philippines’ gold medal quest that lasted close to a century, are (from left) Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez, Diaz’s fiancé and coach Julius Naranjo, weightlifting association head Monico Puentevella and Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.

“I am blessed to be given a chance to witness this milestone as one of the elders of these excellent Filipino athletes. I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Ramirez of the fruitful and

bountiful legacy he is leaving behind as the head of the government sports agency.

“Let’s sustain the Philippine sports momentum—for our country and for our youth!” he stressed. “Let’s work together

for the better and successful Philippine sports.”

Tolentino, the PSA’s Executive of the Year, was on the very same page as his PSC counterpart.

“This is not for me. This is for the 19 Tokyo Olympians,” Tolentino said. “This is for them, led by our gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz, this is not for me.”

“This is for the athletes, coaches and offocials,” he added. “We have only just began, there’s a long way to go, we will move on.”

The star of the evening—and all of Philippine sports for that matter—was radiant in her golden gown.

“I remember before, I dreamt of someday attending the PSA Awards. I remember Ate Marestella Torres (long jumper and former PSA Athlete of the Year). Little did I know… nothing’s impossible, right?” she said.

“Nothing’s impossible and we Filipinos can do it, we can win that gold again in the Olympics,” she said. “If I was able to do it, other Filipino athletes can.”

“They once told me I was so ambitious, why shouldn’t I? It’s free to dream, and it feels great to dream,” she said, holding back tears. “So if all of us keep on dreaming, we can get there.”

“But challenges are there to make us tough.

It’s alright to fall once or several times, the important thing is for us to rise from that fall.”

“Fight, my fellow Filipino athletes! Fight, my country the Philippines!”

Well said.

Patrombon takes on qualifier in busy Olivarez Cup sked

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OP seed Jeson Patrombon faces qualifier Jarell Edangga on Wednesday while No. 2 Jed Olivarez slugs it out with Joel Atienza in two of the 16 matches kicking off a busy opening day of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Olivarez Cup Open Tennis Championship at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat.

Hostilities fire off a 9 a.m. with the winners heading back to the court at 1 p.m. for the second round action of the event marking the return of pro tennis after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Edangga hurdled four matches in the two-day qualifier to clinch the fourth and last berth in the main 32-man draw, capping his run with an 8-3 victory over Marc Jarata yesterday. But he will be hard-pressed to dish out his very best against the many-time national team mainstay Patrombon, who reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open Juniors in 2011.

The other eliminations survivors were Aljon Talatayod, who trounced Diego Dayrit, 8-4; John Tomacruz, who blasted Keno Enriquez, 8-2; and

T

HE men’s volleyball team flew to Qatar and the beach volleyball squad left for Brisbane on Tuesday night to train for two weeks in world-class environments in the top-notch volleyball countries as part of their preparation for the 31st Southeast Asian Games in May. And to send off the teams, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and national team partron Rebisco arranged a fitting send off for the squads—16 men in volleyball and six men and as many women in beach volleyball—in a well-attended virtual press conference on Tuesday morning.

“This foreign training is of paramount importance, because it gives us a lot of exposure,” PNVF President Ramon "Tats" Suzara told the media event attended by several players and their coaches. “Foreign training helps our national teams improve.”

Noric Ng, Business Unit Head of Rebisco, told the same press conference that he belives that the teams will do well not only in the SEA Games in Vietnam in May, but also in the Asian Games in

the podium.

Oranza jumped from No. 6 to the general classification lead with an accumulated time of 18:46:04 after 756.40 kms of racing in this year’s Ronda.

“I didn’t expect I would take the red jersey, but I’m glad I did,” Oranza said.

Morales stayed at No. 2 only 42 seconds behind Oranza, while Carcueva dropped to third place and trailed the Navyman by almost three minutes.

Melvin Corpuz fell to No. 4 almost five minutes off the leader, followed by PNSI’s Jeremy Lizardo who completed the top five.

It wasn’t Stage 5 4 winner and reigning champion George Oconer’s day on Tuesday after he finished at 88th place and dropped to 42nd in the general classification 36 minutes behind Oranza.

The Navymen dominated the race and found themselves leading Excellent Noodles in the team classification by more than eight minutes over Excellent Noodles and 18 minutes over Go For Gold.

The 10 other teams are way off as they trailed the Navymen by 41 minutes or more entering the tour’s homestretch.

Wednesday is rest day for the race which resumes with the 180.4-km Tarlac to Baler Stage 7 on Thursday.

S

T

AGAYTAY City—Only 12 kilometers short but with 10 hairpin turns on energy-sapping gradients, Sungay Road once again reared its ferocious reputation on Tuesday when Ronald Oranza became the third man to wear the red jersey in six stages of the 11th LBC Ronda Pilipinas.

Oranza came out huffing and cramping after the relatively short Stage 3, but with Sungay staring down the now 90-cyclist field from their start 148.30 kms away in Lucena City, the climbs

indeed will determine who emerges champion and P1 million richer in the 10-stage race.

“I prayed to all the saints when I felt cramps in my legs un the last five [kms],” said the 2018 champion Oranza. “Good thing was nobody was following me.”

The 29-year-old from Villasis in Pangasinan clocked three hours, 40 minutes and 45 seconds to find his name atop the general classification, the third rider after Excellent Noodles’ Jan Paul Morales (Stages 1 to 4) and Go For Gold’s Jonel Carcueva to wear the red jersey.

Oranza said he and his Philippine NavyStandard Insurance (PNSI) teammates familiarity with the route helped him a lot in the stage.

“We trained here most of the time, and we stay in Naic [Cavite] which is near the national team quarters that’s why I am very familiar with this place,” said Oranza as an emotional PNSI coach Reinhard Gorantes helped his rider recover at the team vehicle.

Another Navyman, El Joshua Cariño, crossed almost two minutes after Oranza, with Morales making sure he stays in the hunt by completing

UNITEAM BATS FOR BIKE LANES

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RESIDENTIAL frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Inday Sara Duterte will ensure the integration of protected bike lanes with the government's future road plans after they win in the May 9 elections.

The move comes as the UniTeam bets affirm their commitment to providing alternative modes of transportation for Filipinos, whether for work or leisure.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the need to develop active transport as a practical and healthy alternative to existing modes,” the UniTeam said. “By including the provision of bike lanes in the planning

and design of our roads, we ensure that our people have options to move around."

According to polling firm Social Weather Stations (SWS), its May 2021 survey showed that 1 out of 5 Filipino households owns bicycles— outnumbering car owners by a ratio of 4:1. The survey also revealed that there are 4.9 million bicycle owners in the country as of May 2021.

The SWS also noted that bicycle ownership increased from 8% in November 2020 to 20% in May 2021, mainly driven by the absence of public transport during lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UniTeam also said that the strong

clamor for completing the Metro Manila Bike Lane Network indicates the people's desire for increased mobility.

"We are for the completion of the Manila Bike Lane Network, and we are also eyeing to roll-out a similar plan for other urban centers in the country. We need to encourage bicycle use as it's practical and good exercise activity," the UniTeam added.

Marcos and Inday Sara also vowed to complete the planned upgrade of the bike lanes from Class 1 to Class 2 to ensure that it has separators to provide added safety for cyclists and motorists.

Reymart Sabas, who repulsed Emmanuel Fuellas, 8-4.

Third seed Johnny Arcilla tests wildcard Axi Gonzaga, No. 4 Vicente Anasta clashes with Rusell Arcilla Jr., fifth-ranked Josshua Kinaadman tangles with Rollie Anasta, No. 6 Mark Alcoseba trades shot with qualifier Tomacruz, seventh seed Norman

Enriquez battles Sabas and No. 8 Noel Damian Jr. collides with Talatayod.

The organizing PPS-PEPP said strict protocols will be enforced to guarantee the safety of all players and personnel involved in the staging of the country’s longest-running circuit, which also features

competitions in various age-group divisions.

Also on tap is the men’s doubles, headed by the Anasta-Patrombon, and Arcilla-Kyle Dandan tandems, and the Legends 30s, 40s and 50s divisions with Dunlop, Rep, Eric Olivarez and the Olivarez Sports Center backing the event.

Hangzhou in September.

"The desire to help our national volleyball program so our athletes can be competitive in international competitions is a sacred duty,” Ng said. “We do it for national pride.”

Ng reiterated Rebisco’s commitment to supporting the PNVF’s national team program.

“Rebisco has been and will always be firmly committed to the sport and to the improvement of all our teams,” he said. “We love the sport with a passion.”

Ng added: “That is why we support it at all levels—from training coaches and referees in the grassroots, to giving young people a chance to get better at the game in high school competitions, to supporting collegiate teams and participating in the professional league.”

Prizes galore staked for aces in Southwoods

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BRAND new car and a cruise package will be up for grabs for hole-in-one feats as the Southwoods Invitational fires off today (Wednesday) with 200 teams from a full-packed roster of 400 clashing for top honors at the Legends and Masters courses in Carmona, Cavite.

Mitsubishi Motors/Alpine Motors is putting up a 2022 Mirage G4 GLS CVT A/T Sedan as prize for an ace on Nos. 16 of Legends and No. 5 of Masters while Royal Caribbean/Baron Travel is staking a four-night Southeast Asian cruise for two, inclusive of two economy class tickets (Manila-Singapore-Manila) for a hole-in-one on Legends’ No. 7 and Masters’ No. 3.

Sojitz Fuso Phils. Corp., meanwhile, is offering P100,000 for an ace on No. 3 of Legends and Masters. If no player scores a hole-in-one, all three prizes will be raffled off.

Other hole-in-one sponsors are The Turf Company (Club Car Tempo 2-seater electric on No. 13 of Masters), Kart Plaza Manufacturing Corp. (Yamaha Golf Cart on Legends No. 3 and Masters No. 17), Gran Sportivo (Gran Sportivo Golf Cart on No. 12 of Legends) and Auto Nation Group, Inc. (Mercedes-Benz A-Class on No. 13 of Masters).

Obiena-Juico rift goes on

RONALD ORANZA conquers the dreaded Sungay Road in Stage 6.

By Josef Ramos

boosting the Army roster sans Jove Gonzaga, who has focused on beach volley for the coming SEA Games with another former Army ace Nene Bautista.

“F2 is a strong team but we really worked hard and prepared for this conference,” said veteran Army hitter Honey Royse Tubino. “Our new players have adjusted pretty well to our system and for sure, we’ll give them a good fight.”

Fans have longed for top-notch volley action since Chery Tiggo upended Creamline in a thriller of a decider in Ilocos Norte last October and F2 Logistics came out of a two-year hiatus to upend Chery Tiggo, also in three, in PNVF Finals in Lipa City last November.

But they are in for a more exciting serving this time with nine teams ready and eager to chase the crown in a virtual ‘sprint’ setup, the tournament set in just over four weeks to make way for the training of the national team gearing up for the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi in May. Creamline opens its campaign against PLDT tomorrow (Thursday) at 6 p.m. following the 3 p.m. clash between Petro Gazz and BaliPure.

The ninth team is Choco Mucho, which faces Army at 3 p.m. before the 6 p.m. rematch between F2 Logistics and Chery Tiggo on Friday.

Under the pool play, Chery Tiggo, F2 Logistics, Choco Mucho, Cignal and Army compose Group A while Group B is made up of Creamline, Petro Gazz, PLDT and BaliPure.

Play will be a single round elims with the top four in Group A and all four teams in Group B advancing to the knockout quarterfinals where the Nos. 1 and 2 teams will gain twice-to-beat edges.

Volleyball teams train in Qatar, Brisbane

NAVY’S ORANZA IN RED THIS TIME

TNT, NLEX target quick entry to semis ISTER teams TNT Tropang Giga and NLEX try to finish off separate foes in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The No. 3 Tropang Giga, armed with a twice-to-beat edge, battle the sixth seed and defending champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings at 6 p.m. after the No. 2 Road Warriors, also needing one win to reach the semifinals, clash with the No. 7 Alaska Aces at 3 p.m.

Coach Chot Reyes said the Tropang Giga are in for a tough showdown withj the crowd-favorite Gin Kings.

“Our focus right now is preparing for Ginebra. It will take our best to compete with them,” said Reyes, who will be relying on super rookie Mikey Williams, who averaged 21.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 11 games in the elimination round.

“We’re very excited for the upcoming game, playing against a very good team,”Williams said. “We will be ready for tomorrow.”

TNT ended the elimination with a 7-4 record while Ginebra finished with a 6-5 card.

Grand slam coach Tim Cone, the winningest coach with 23 PBA titles, is unfazed with TNT’s advantage in the playoff.

“We know we have an uphill battle, but the guys feel they are playing better of late and their confidence is high,” Cone said. “We’ll be ready.”

Import Justine Brownlee averaged 28.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists in the eliminations and he’s expected to double his effort in the playoffs.

Import Cameron Clark will debut for NLEX against Alaska. He replaced KJ McDaniels, who returned to the United States because of a personal reason.

“We just have to play our best game even though we have a twice-to-beat edge,” NLEX combo guard Kevin said. “This game is very important for them since it will be Alaska’s last in the league.”

The other quarterfinals on Friday pit twice-to-beat holder and No. 4 Meralco against No. 5 San Miguel Beer at 3 p.m. and top seed Magnolia againast No. 8 Phoenix Super LPG at 6 p.m. Josef Ramos

OLLEYBALL fans brace for a four-week treat of power and class from the country’s leading players and rising stars as the Premier Volleyball League unveils its second pro season on Wednesday at the Paco Arena Events and Sports Center in Manila.

F2 Logistics makes its keenly awaited debut in the country’s premier league, ready and eager to display its brand of game that netted the Cargo Movers various championships, the last in the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League which they swept, capping their romp with a victory over the reigning champion Chery Tiggo.

They kick off their campaign against a veteran Black Mamba Army side at 3 p.m. with the Crossovers launching their own bid for a second straight championship against the Cignal HD side at 6 p.m.

Both matches will be aired live on One Sports and One Sports Plus and socmed platforms Cignal Play, Gigaplay, KUMU and pvl.ph.

“We’re excited in our first PVL stint,” said F2 Logistics top middle blocker Aby Maraño, who actually had played for Army in the 2014 Reinforced Conference.

“This is very special since this is my first time to compete here after so many years. But what makes it extra special is that I am with F2,” added the former La Salle star. “For the longest time, we played in a different league. But at least, all the teams are now in one league and we get to compete against players with varying talent and skills.”

Against the Lady Troopers, Maraño and the Cargo Movers are wary of their rivals’ experience with Aiko Urdas, Mich Morente, Necole Ebuen and Ivy Perez

Al Mendoza alsol47@yahoo.com

THAT’S ALL

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M I tired writing about EJ Obiena? Philip Ella Juico?

Of course, not.

Until and after their feud is ended, I’ll go on digging. This is a story as compelling as the RussiaUkraine war, as gripping as the troll tussles in the run-up to the May 9 presidential elections.

No one’s giving in.

Obiena has been intensely fighting back. Just right. He’s being pilloried by, funny, but his own supposed No. 1 supporter, Philip Ella Juico. Honor, integrity and justice at stake.

Juico has been that obsessed with seeing Obiena hang on the cross. It just isn’t right. Juico’s main job, if I may remind him for the umpteenth time, is to uplift his athlete’s spirit. Not bring him down crashing to Earth. Only fools do such a dastardly act.

What’s Juico’s beef with Obiena again?

Obiena allegedly mishandled salaries intended for Vitaly Petrov, Obiena’s Ukrainian coach.

But how can that be, when Petrov himself has submitted an affidavit to Juico stating that Obiena had given him (Petrov) his salaries in full?

Obiena, athlete and paymaster at the same time (an outright travesty), admits paying Petrov late.

Obiena explains: “Is late payment a crime?”

Of course, not. That’s an oversight as forgivable as forgetting to say you are welcome when someone says thank you to you.

Senator Bong Go, who chairs the Senate committee on sports, has issued a new statement urging both parties to resolve the dispute “with finality for the sake of Philippine sports.”

His call came more than one month after Go had

called a Senate hearing on the matter on February 7.

I’m hopeful Juico and Obiena will soon reconcile.

But as it rages on, it pains me to see Obiena miss the World Indoors in Serbia this month after Juico denied him permission to participate.

That’s clearly a case of Juico not separating the issue from the personal.

Almost from Day One since the rift came to the fore, Juico had taken things on a personal level.

Almost as shocking as Putin ordering Russia to invade Ukraine, Juico abandoned his sworn duty as president of track and field and virtually took on the ugly role as Obiena’s personal enemy.

Almost knocked out from this hullaballoo is Philippine sports.

Why, because here is a sports association president who would just so easily kick around his No. 1 athlete like a rag doll—Obiena being both the reigning SEA Games and Asian Games pole vault champion and the sport’s world No. 5.

It is so easy to produce a sports official (include the pseudo ones), but it is definitely the hardest to manufacture a world-class athlete like Obiena.

Juico doesn’t seem to realize that all this time?

The saddest part to all this charade if left unresolved soonest is, it would make Philippine sports the biggest loser in the end.

THAT’S IT Congratulations to the 30-plus Filipino sporting stars of 2021, led by 2020 Tokyo Olympic weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz. You have all made the country proud. Kudos also to the Philippine Sportswriters Association, the country’s oldest news organization founded in 1949, for continuing to honor our heroic athletes on their international feats. Cheers!