BusinessMirror March 19, 2021

Experts split on lowering debt-GDP ratio

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

recommended debt threshold.

“I don’t want to be pessimistic, but, looking at this historical evidence, it might take us about 10-11 years before we can return to a pre-pandemic ratio,” Asuncion said in a message.

Debt-to-GDP ratio is used to gauge a country’s ability to repay its debts.

I

T may take as long as another decade for the Philippines to bring down its debt-to-GDP ratio to prepandemic levels, according to some economists, but others are optimistic, given the country’s strong financial position to repay its debts.

Economists told the BusinessMirror that from the global financial crisis (GFC), the country also took this long before finally achieving its record-low debt-toGDP ratio of 39.6 percent in 2019.

Union Bank of the Philippines Chief Economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion recalled that during the GFC more than a decade ago, the country’s debt as a share of GDP was about 50 percent, almost the

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Strong financial position

ASUNCION: “I don’t want to be pessimistic, but, looking at this historical evidence, it might take us about 10-11 years before we can return to a pre-pandemic ratio.”

OPLAS: “I am leaning on the optimistic side, but of course the debt will not yet stop.

Election time is coming and I see politicians exploiting the situation, so tataas pa ’yan.”

same level the country is in right now due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Philippines ended 2020 with a 14-year-high debt-to-GDP ratio of 54.5 percent, posting out-

standing debt of P9.795 trillion. The government even expects this to rise to 57.8 percent this year and 58.5 percent next year, though still lower than the 60 percent internationally

HOWEVER, Asuncion believes the government is in a strong financial position to repay its debts, adding that there is still a possibility that the country may be able to bring back the pre-pandemic level faster than he expected.

“It may be faster and it may depend on how the next adminSee “GDP,” A2

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PALACE GETS DRAFT OF NAT’L EMERGENCY DECLARATION ON ASF

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

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HE Department of Agriculture (DA) has submitted to President Duterte its draft proclamation declaring a state of national emergency to prevent the further spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the country.

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar submitted the draft to Duterte on March 17, based on a copy of the memorandum released to the media on Thursday.

In his memorandum, Dar explained that the ASF, a severe and fatal pig disease, has already spread to 12 regions, 40 provinces, 466 cities and municipalities and 2,425 barangays nationwide to date.

“Over 3 million heads of pig have been lost due to the disease, causing a contraction in pork supply and an unprecedented increase in the price of basic agricultural commodities,” Dar said.

Dar said the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform had passed a resolution urging the DA to recommend to the chief executive the declaration of a state of emergency due to ASF. DAR: “Over 3 million heads of pig have been

“In view of the above, lost due to the disease, causing a contraction we respectfully attach a draft in pork supply and an unprecedented

PEOPLE wearing face masks and face shields to protect themselves against the coronavirus wait outside a grocery store in Cainta, Rizal, as retailers, in compliance with health protocols, implement social distancing by limiting the number of customers in their stores at any one time. The surge in new, active Covid-19 cases has prompted tighter protocols amid fears the much-needed economic recovery may falter. BERNARD TESTA

B

By Bianca Cuaresma

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno announced on Thursday that the Central Bank has reviewed and revised upward its balance of payments (BoP) projection on the back of optimism for prospects in 2021.

Continued on A2

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.6580

increase in the price of basic agricultural commodities.” BERNARD TESTA

See “ASF,” A2

RSA: No quick recovery from ‘worst crisis’ ever

By Lenie Lectura

T

HE slack in power and fuel demand has persisted in the first two months of the year as the country continues to suffer from the worst crisis ever, businessman Ramon S. Ang said on Thursday.

“I don’t think 2021 will be a good year. Business is becoming challenging because demand is shrinking. Oversupply ngayon tapos mababa ang demand [There’s an oversupply now while demand is low]. This is the worst crisis in the history of the Philippines in the last 100 or 200 years,” said the San

Miguel Corp. president and CEO.

Ang was referring to the country’s electricity demand.

SMC Global Power Holdings Cop., the power unit of SMC, suffered losses in the first two months of the year. “Lugi kami. Ang liit ng consumption, tapos nasira pa ang Sual [We lost there. Consumption

was so low; and then our Sual plant was damaged],” he said.

The second unit of the Sual power plant, which is being maintained by Team Energy, will not be operational until May 8. Sual Unit2 is capable of producing 647 megawatts.

See “RSA,” A2

n JAPAN 0.4470 n UK 67.8974 n HK 6.2658 n CHINA 7.4799 n SINGAPORE 36.3092 n AUSTRALIA 37.9338 n EU 58.2971 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.9755

Source: BSP (March 18, 2021)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, March 19, 2021

ASF… Continued from A1

proclamation entitled: Declaring a State of National Emergency to Prevent the Further Spread of African Swine Fever by Implementing Biosecurity Measures to Jumpstart the Rehabilitation of the Swine Industry and Appropriating Funds thereof, for his Excellency’s consideration and approval,” Dar’s memorandum read.

Dar said the declaration of a state of national emergency “would mandate and capacitate concerned government agencies, including the local government units to work together to prevent and control the further spread of ASF.” Senators earlier said the declaration of a state of emergency would allow the realignment or release of additional public funds to address the problems caused by ASF, such as dwindling pig herd.

“We are urging the DA to [ask the OP] to declare a state of emergency against African Swine Fever, so we can allocate more funds to solve the problem,” Sen. Cynthia A. Villar said last week.

The senators also moved for the inclusion—upon the declaration of a state of emergency—of an indemnification fund for both the backyard and commercial hog raisers affected by ASF. “The public emergency declaration will now address the miniscule funds allocated [by the DA for solving ASF problems]. The tariffs collected from the imports could also be added to the fund under the public emergency,” Sen. Francis N. Pangilinan earlier said.

The DA has disclosed that it would need at least P34.333 billion to bankroll its three-year ASF recovery program that seeks to bring back and even exceed the country’s pre-ASF pork production level.

The DA said for 2021 it would need a total budget of P9.161 billion, P13.561 billion for 2022 and P11.611 billion for 2023.

The funds will finance four DA programs: calibrated repopulation and intensified production; establishment of swine breeder multiplier farms; provision of insurance premium; and biosecurity and surveillance programs.

For 2021, the DA said it only has P2.372 billion of available funds, thus, it will request an additional P6.789 billion to fully finance its interventions.

Based on its presentation, the DA said it aims to produce 440,563 breeders in the next three years, or more than enough to compensate for the estimated 332,928 breeders lost as of January 1.

The DA added that by 2023 about 10.5 million finishers would be already produced, equivalent to 738,805 metric tons (MT) of pork.

Also by 2023, about 90 percent or 2,100 of ASF-affected barangays will be released from quarantine through the use of the sentinel approach, according to the DA. The DA has pegged the pork production shortfall this year at 388,790 MT as the country lost at least 3.08 million pigs as of January 1, based on latest PSA data.

The DA said its interventions would result in the additional pork output of 84,000 MT for 2021, 238,192 MT by 2022 and 474,012 MT by 2023.

Furthermore, the DA said the interventions would lead to further pork output for the years 2024 and 2025 with additional production volume of 809,172 MT and 1.144 MMT, respectively.

“Based on our projections it will take a minimum of three years to fully recover if all safeguards and investments and budgets are properly and timely implemented,” Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock William Medrano said.

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BSP, DA make 4 ‘interim’ changes to agri-agra law A

By Bianca Cuaresma

S legislation to amend the law mandating loans for agriculture still hangs, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has decided to make “interim” amendments to the current implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Agri-Agra credit law to boost lending to the sector.

In a press briefing on Thursday, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the Central Bank, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture, has implemented four new provisions to the agriagra law’s IRR. First, they expanded the eligible modes of compliance with the 10-percent agrarian reform credit requirement to include loans to members of agrarian reform households, and financing of activities that benefit agrarian reform beneficiaries, their households and their communities.

Second, the BSP and DA removed the accreditation requirement for debt securities to be considered agri-agra eligible.

Third, investments in shares

of stock of companies that are primarily engaged in eligible agricultural activities are now allowed as an eligible mode of alternative compliance.

The fourth new provision is to promote special lending arrangements that consider the holistic requirements of agricultural borrowers such as agricultural value chain financing.

“Fundamentally, the amendments broaden the access of the agrarian reform sector to bank financing, streamline banks’ process of investing in agri-agra eligible securities, and promote innovative financing solutions within the ambit of the law,” Diokno said.

“The amended IRR is a timely and positive development since it

DIOKNO: “The amended IRR is a timely and positive development since it will enhance the agriagra sector’s capacity to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and other natural calamities through enhanced private-sector financing.”

will enhance the agri-agra sector’s capacity to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and other natural calamities through enhanced private-sector financing,” he added.

In end-2020, the local banking system’s total loans to the agricultural sector hit P642.4 billion. This translates to a 9-percent compliance ratio, falling short of the law’s requirement of 15 percent.

For the agrarian reform credit, the banking system lent out P71.2 billion during the year, representing a 1-percent compliance ratio.

The law’s requirement is 10 percent.

Diokno said the amendments to the IRR are provisional and reiterated their support to the legislation of the amendments to the actual law.

“The amendments to the IRR of the Agri-Agra law [are] only an interim measure. For this year, the BSP, DA, DAR, Agricultural Credit Policy Council and other relevant agencies will continue to push for the enactment of comprehensive amendments to the Agri-Agra Law,” the BSP said.

DUTERTE STILL STUDYING PORK MAV-TARIFF PROPOSALS

By Samuel P. Medenilla

P

RESIDENT Duterte is still considering adjusting the minimum access volume (MAV) and tariff for pork despite concerns raised by lawmakers it could be abused by some groups and kill the local hog industry.

In an online press briefing on Thursday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte is still waiting for the recommendations of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and

other concerned agencies to address the shortage of pork supply in the country.

“The President has yet to decide [on the proposals],” Roque said.

However, he noted the President would still want to get information on the exposé in the Senate earlier this week, adding a new dimension to the crisis spawned by the ravages of African Swine Fever (ASF) on the hog industry, reducing pork supply and causing price spikes. This

had led the DA to recommend the twin moves of raising MAV while reducing tariffs.

Senator Panfilo Lacson had claimed on Monday some people are expected to earn P5 to P7 in kickback per kilogram of imported pork.

He made the allegation before the Senate adopted a resolution urging the President to junk the twin proposal of DA to cut tariffs on imported pork, while increasing MAV for imports.

“The President, I verified

this, would like to know more about this latest controversy,” Roque said.

To also ensure sufficient supply of pork, the DA proposed the declaration of a state of national emergency to stop the spread of ASF through the implementation of biosecurity measures and appropriation of funds.

On Thursday, the Office of the Executive Secretary confirmed it received the copy of the draft proclamation of DA to be considered by the President.

CENTRAL BANK RAISES 2021 BoP PROJECTION Continued from A1

Diokno said they now expect the country’s BoP to hit a surplus of $6.2 billion by the end of this year, doubling the earlier projection of $3.3 billion. This represents 1.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

For next year, the BSP said the BoP is expected to taper off to a surplus of $3.8 billion.

The country’s BoP is the summary of the Philippines’s transactions with the rest of the world. It is usually considered an important economic indicator in an economy as it shows the level of earnings or expenses of the Philippines with its transactions with the world.

A surplus means the country

RSA… Continued from A1

Fuel demand is still “very low,” said Ang. “For fuel business to improve, people should be allowed to travel, but [it seems that is not possible] up to

made more dollar earnings than its expenses during the period.

Cash remittance projections are retained at a growth rate of 4 percent. The projection for foreign direct investments (FDI) was also slightly raised to $7.8 billion from the earlier projection of $7.5 billion. Foreign portfolio investments (FPI), or hot money, are now expected to hit a net inflow of $5.7 billion from the earlier projection of $3.5 billion.

IN a separate report published on Thursday, Fitch Solutions, the research arm of the Fitch Group, said the Philippines’s external position will remain strong in 2021, but warned of long-term challenges.

Fitch Solutions expects the Philippines’s current account to remain in surplus this year on the back of a low base, coupled with the government-led investment drive.

“The rebound is largely contingent on the economy being able to reopen and infrastructure spending to go as planned by the 2021 budget,” Fitch Solutions said.

While prospects are positive for this year, the international think tank warned of potential challenges for the country’s external position in the long run.

“Over the longer term, we do see challenges for the Philippines’s external position, which will likely drag the current account into a widening deficit. As we have noted previously, the Philippines

has struggled to attract foreign direct investment, a long-term and more stable form of external funding. While reforms to address the country’s relatively high corporate income tax rate and restrictive foreign ownership rules are in the works, the delays in implementing them mean the country is failing to benefit from the relocation of low value add manufacturing out of China to South-East Asia, weakening the outlook for its manufacturing base,” Fitch Solutions said.

“Our Operational Risk team ranks the Philippines below its major regional peers in regards to the operating environment, particularly from a logistical perspective,” it added.

next year. So, if there’s no travel, demand will remain low,” he added, partly in Filipino

Among others, SMC holds interest in both power and oil sectors.

The spike in Covid-19 cases has again placed economic recovery on hold. To make it worse, many have expressed frustration over the perceived slow pace of Covid-19 vaccinations in the country.

Ang said if this scenario con-

tinues in the months ahead, then the country may not recover till 2023. “Baka mahirapan pa mag recover ang Pilipinas next year, so 2023 pa siguro [It may be hard for the Philippines to recover next year, so more likely it will be 2023],” he said.

But as a group, Ang said SMC has a solid balance sheet. “Very strong ang SMC group so walang magiging problema kahit magtagal

pa itong problema. Ang problema ay ang taong-bayan. Kapag sila ang naapektuhan, lahat maapektuhan katulad ng demand at service.

[The SMC group is very strong, so there shouldn’t be a problem even if this problem lasts. But the problem is the people. When they are affected, everything else is affected, like demand and service].

Then everybody will be affected by this crisis,” he said.

Strong external position, risks

GDP… Continued from A1

istration will maneuver the next coming years,” he added.

He said the government can reduce its debt-to-GDP ratio faster by imposing additional taxes and implementing better budget processes which were done in the previous administrations.

While the proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill will result in collection shortfalls for the government with the reduction in corporate income tax rate, he said this will help the economy in the long run as it will make the country more attractive as an investment destination.

He also hopes the government’s debt consolidation plan “can quicken the way” to prepandemic debt-to-GDP ratio.

For John Gokongwei School of Management Dean Luis F. Dumlao, the Philippines will likely take nine years to do so.

“It took us nine years [2011 to 2019] to lower our debt-to-GDP ratio to 39.6 percent. It will likely take the same nine years before we get our pre-pandemic rates,” he said.

To do this, Dumlao said the country’s GDP growth must be faster than the growth of its debt.

“Just as we did before, we grow the debt but we grow GDP at a faster rate. In that sense, we lower the debt-to-GDP ratio not by paying debt but by outgrowing the debt,” he said.

However, Dumlao said a debt consolidation plan will not really reduce debt.

“There is no magic in shuffling money. Consolidating might simplify the administration and accounting of debt. But it does not affect the total amount of debt to be paid,” he said.

Optimistic view

MEANWHILE, De La Salle University economist Maria Ella Oplas took a more optimistic view, saying she expects to see the country hitting once again its prepandemic debt-to-GDP level in three to five years.

“I am leaning on the optimistic side, but of course the debt will not yet stop. Election time is coming and I see politicians exploiting the situation, so tataas pa ’yan [that will still rise],” Oplas told the BusinessMirror.

Like Asuncion, Oplas believes economic growth that may result from the efficient implementation of CREATE will help the government reduce its debt-to-GDP level.

Aside from CREATE, Oplas hopes the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program will bring in the much-needed investments.

DOF: No fixed timeline

FINANCE Undersecretary and Chief Economist Gil S. Beltran believes it is hard to say when the government can return to prepandemic debt-to-GDP level. “[It] depends on fiscal policy and how the virus situation will unfold,” Beltran told the BusinessMirror.

Nonetheless, he expressed confidence that the government would still be able to pay its loans, including the $1.2 billion extended by multilateral lenders for the country’s vaccination program and other pandemic response measures.

“Even during the worst of times [1980-1975], we continued to pay our obligations. Now that we are much better off with BOP [balance of payments] in surplus and GIR (gross international reserves) amounting to over $100 billion, the more that we can afford to pay.

We’ll make sure that NG [national government] debt does not exceed 60 percent, the level at which debt remains sustainable,” he said.

Finance Undersecretary Mark Dennis Y.C. Joven, who also heads the department’s International Finance Group, said they are ensuring that the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio will be in the “middle of the pack” in the Asean region.

“We are also working towards concessional interest and longest tenor possible. We have to consider vaccination as a top priority to open the economy,” Joven said.

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Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, March 19, 2021 A3

TUCP bucks proposal for creation of new pension system

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

T

@joveemarie

HE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is urging Congress to strengthen the current laws on retirement rather than creating a new private pension system, which, the labor group, said, may cost minimum-wage earners between P140 and P420 of their monthly salary.

Following the hearing on the proposed Capital Market Development Act or House Bill 8939 last Wednesday, TUCP Vice President Luis Corral said strengthening the Social Security System (SSS) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) laws are better than creating another monthly contribution pension system amid the increasing unemployment rate due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The simulations given DU-BALADAD: “Based on a study, these by the DOLE for mandatory monthly contributions by people [millennials and Generation minimum-wage earners of Z] jump from one employer to the from anywhere from P100 other 12 times during their lifetime of 40 years of working. The average of to P450 will be a draconian imposition at this time. This changing their employers is actually 12 times. If we follow the current law amount will be over and above now nobody can get a retirement pay.” the already large compulsory contributions the worker makes to the SSS, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth,” he said.

“Since we already have SSS and GSIS, why not just amend the charters of these existing institutions by creating a special investment fund window in both, which allows members of the respective funds who have savings to voluntarily invest these savings in the capital markets through the intermediation of fund managers. The charters of both should be tweaked to provide portability of such investment funds between the SSS and GSIS as the worker goes through the revolving door of transferring from one employment to another through his entire employment life,” he said.

Corral asked to Congress and economic managers to consider existing variables such as massive unemployment, millions of workers on “no work, no pay” arrangements, reduced working hours, jobsharing, low wages and the spiraling inflation rate as key factors in the consideration of the bill.

“We will all grow old, and will need social protection and social assistance, so as part of the process of designing or reforming any pension system, all sectors must be properly consulted,” Corral said.

House Bill 8938, which is now pending at the committee level, cites the portability aspect of the pension fund savings of the employees. The bill aims to reform the pension fund system in order to boost the capital market in the country.

Under the bill, a portable employee pension and retirement income (EPRI) account is created at the start of the employment of the worker.

The bill said both the employee and the employer should be obliged to mandatorily contribute to the EPRI Account. The amount of such contribution, which shall be fair, equitable, affordable, adequate and sustainable, shall be determined by regulatory authorities in an implementing rules and regulations.

Citing Department of Labor and Employment’s simulation, Labor Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez said if a private minimum- wage employee contributes 3 percent of his or her monthly salary, the deduction would reach P420 or P16 per day.

He added if a private minimum-wage employee contributes 1 percent of his or her monthly salary, the contribution would be at P140 or P5 a day. “When it comes to affordability kayang kaya ito ng isang minimum-wage earner. We are still trying to run simulation with different salary levels,” Benavidez said.

Despite this proposal, Benavidez said retiring employees from the private sector are still entitled both SSS and those provided for under the Labor Code of the Philippines through RA 7641 or Retirement Pay Law of 1993 as the proposal only meant to supplement their pensions. “[With this bill] we are [addressing] the defect of the existing pension provision of the Labor Code brought about by RA 7641 by providing portability and pre-funding [provisions],” he added.

For his part, Dr. Renato Reside of UP School of Economics said the feasible rate for minimum-wage earners is P300 monthly.

“With this bill, we are looking at feasible rate of P300 for minimum-wage earners and P100 for low-income earners,” he said.

For his part, Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said the group is supporting the intention of the bill.

“The proposal looks okay with me, I have not seen so far any thing that we’re against with. In principle, we really support it. There’s really a need to rationalize the pension plan, this is one good way to do it,” he said.

Earlier, Ortiz-Luis told the BusinessMirror that the portability aspect of pension fund savings seems ideal “in principle,” saying he supports “anything that will make availment of the pension easier.” Ortiz-Luis said pension fund savings are usually wasted when employees decide to move to another company, saying it would be beneficial if the workers would be able to keep an account where they can continuously pour in their savings.

House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries Chairman Junie Cua said he filed his HB 8938 to provide retirement and pension system that is fully funded, portable, more actuarially fair and stable that will enhance the current pension, at the same time, promoting and

YOUNG GENERATIONS

encouraging national savings and prudential investments on the part of employees.

“It has its own problems. Foremost of which, is the structure of the law and its implementing regulations.

Republic Act [RA] 7641 does not require pensions to be prefunded, hence, pensions are paid out of pocket rather than built-up over the duration of employment, thus, no pool of investible assets is created,” he said.

“The pension benefits do not vest until they are 60 years old and on the last day of their employment. Because pension

benefits only vest at their final place of employment, pensions are not portable, and the employee is at risk in the event of the employer’s bankruptcy. In addition, many are working in the informal sector which makes it difficult to enforce pension requirements under the current law,” Cua added.

Young generations

MEANWHILE, Capital Market Development Council (CMDC) co-chairman Benedicta Du-Baladad said millennials and Generation Z are expected to benefit from this proposal.

“Based on a study, these people [millennials and Generation Z]…jump from one employer to the other 12 times during their lifetime of 40 years of working. The average of changing their employers is actually 12 times. If we follow the current law now nobody can get a retirement pay,” she said.

“Currently it is given when you are only about to retire and stay with your employer for about last five years and you are at least 60 years old. There is also no requirement for funding so it is a pay as you go and there are so many risks with that,” Du-Baladad said.

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125.

LIU, JIWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

78.

LIN, XUEQIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

126.

LIU, BODA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

LI, DONGJIN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

79.

LIU, TIANYU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

127.

MO, DAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

41.

LI, BOWEN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

80.

LIU, GUIXIANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

128.

PAN, MINGXING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

42.

LI, HAO Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

81.

LIU, SHUAI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

129.

SHANG, TINGQI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

43.

LI, FEILONG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

82.

LIU, WEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

130.

SHI, NANNAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

44.

LIN, QIZHI Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

83.

MENG, TINGTING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

131.

SHU, YUWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

45.

LYU, HENGXING Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

84.

QIAN, YIJUN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

132.

SU, RONGGUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

46.

QIN, LAIYANG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

85.

REN, ANRAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

133.

TANG, YULING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

47.

SUN, ZHENWEN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

86.

SONG, FEIFEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

134.

TAO, MENGHAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

48.

WANG, XIAOFEI Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

87.

SUN, YING Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

135.

WANG, YIGUANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

49.

WEI, YUANYUAN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

88.

SUN, PENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

136.

WU, RONGHUA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

50.

WU, GUOFENG Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

89.

SUN, ZHICHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

137.

XU, TAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

51.

XIAO, JUAN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

90.

TAN, KUN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

138.

YANG, MING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

52.

ZHENG, MANXIN Chinese

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

91.

WANG, SHIJIE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

139.

YANG, WEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

53.

DONG, YINSHENG Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

92.

WANG, HONGWEI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

140.

YANG, YUEAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

54.

SONG, YIZHAO Chinese

MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST

93.

WANG, RUI Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

141.

YU, RUISHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

94.

XIONG, SIPENG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

142.

YUE, YING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

95.

XU, MINGYU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

143.

ZHANG, YUXUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

96.

YAN, HONGCHAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

144.

ZHENG, BIYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

97.

YAN, XIAOXIA Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

145.

ZHU, WENPING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

98.

YANG, CHUNYE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

146.

CAO THI THUY Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

99.

YANG, YUNQIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

147.

DUONG DINH DAT Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

100.

YANG, BO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

148.

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

101.

YAO, HE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

HUYNH THI NGOC HUYEN Vietnamese

149.

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

102.

YOU, KUNLING Chinese

KIEU THI THANH Vietnamese

150.

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

103.

YU, MINGLI Chinese

NGUYEN DINH QUY Vietnamese

104.

ZHANG, QIANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

151.

NGUYEN NGOC MINH THIEN Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

105.

ZHANG, JUNQIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

152.

SU LY SAU Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

106.

ZHANG, MIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

FUXINGYING CAIYUN HENTONG, CORP. 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th Floor Eton Ewestpod Chino Roces Avenue Cor. Yakal & Malugay Streets San Antonio Makati City

107.

ZHANG, YAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

153.

DUAN, JIANBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

108.

ZHAO, ZILONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

154.

GUAN, YONGQIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

155.

LIN, SHUAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

BOSCH SERVICE SOLUTIONS, INC. 23rd Floor, W Fifth Avenue Building 32nd Street Corner 5th Avenue Bonifacio Global City Taguig City 55.

PANPINIJ, JARIYA Thai

ASSOCIATE

BOWENHILLS TECH INC. 19/f Lepanto Bldg. 8747 Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City 56.

ANDES CONSULTING ADVISORY INC. 22/f Robinsons Summit Center 6783 Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City 15.

NO.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

TRAN PHOI SON Vietnamese

VIETNAMESE SPEAKING COMPLIANCE SUPERVISOR

BRICOLAGE PHILIPPINES INC. 3a Flr. Xeland Bldg. Guerilla St. Cor. G. Fernando Ave. Sto. Nino Marikina City 57.

ABDUL MUHAYMIN BIN WANASAN Malaysian

HEAD OF RETAIL OPERATIONS

BRIGHTLEISURE MANAGEMENT INC. 10/f Newport Entertainment & C Newport City Manlunas Brgy. 183 Pasay City 58.

HU, XIA Chinese

HOTEL SALES & MARKETING ASSISTANT MANAGER

59.

LIANG, SUWEI Chinese

HOTEL SALES & MARKETING ASSISTANT MANAGER

C’EST LA VIE EVENT MANAGEMENT INC. 230 Narra Street Marikina Heights Marikina City 60.

ZHU, QIUQING Chinese

CHINESE - FIELD SALES CONSULTANT

CIELO TALENT INC. 26/f Tower 2, Rcbc Plaza 6819 Ayala Ave. Bel-air Makati City 61.

CROSS, IAN British

APAC SENIOR OPERATIONS MANAGER

62.

SALEH, TOUSIF Indian

SENIOR IT NETWORK ENGINEER

DYNA BINARY HOLDINGS INC. 18/f Tower 2 The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave., Cor. Paseo De Roxas San Lorenzo Makati City 63.

CHEN, YI-CHEN Taiwanese

CHINESE SPEAKING FINANCIAL ANALYST

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila 64.

65.

66.

CHEN, MIANJIE Chinese SU, HAIQIANG Chinese WU, MINGKAI Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT MARKETING AND SALES AGENT MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

67.

YAN, QIAN Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

68.

ZHANG, TENGPENG Chinese

MARKETING AND SALES AGENT

FAREAST OUTSOURCE PROCESSING INC. 7th, 8th, 9th Flr. Nu Tower Moa Coral Way Brgy. 076 Pasay City

FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. 4th-11th Floor Aseana 3 Building Aseana Avenue Corner Diosdado Macapagal Tambo Parañaque City 109.

CAO, SHUANGJIE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

156.

LYU, LIANGLIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

110.

CHEN, JUNYU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

157.

MA, JIBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

111.

CHEN, YIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

158.

WANG, BIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

112.

CHENG, FEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

159.

XU, WEIJIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

113.

GAN, YONGCHUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

160.

ZHANG, WEIDONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

114.

GAO, XIAOMEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

GY CONSULTANCY GROUP INC. Unit 1005 Richmonde Plaza San Miguel Ave. Cor. Lourdes St. Ortigas Center, San Antonio Pasig City

115.

GAO, LINLIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

161.

116.

GUO, YANBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

117.

HU, QIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

118.

JIANG, BO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

119.

JIANG, HAILONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

HSBC ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING (PHILIPPINES) INC. Filinvest One Building Alabang Zapote Road, Northgate Cyberzone Filinvest City, Alabang Muntinlupa City

120.

LI, DONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

163.

121.

LI, JINHUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

INDUSTRIAL BANK OF KOREA MANILA BRANCH Unit 801-802 One World Place Fort Bonifacio Taguig City

IIDA, YOSHIFUMI Japanese

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER/ BOARD OF DIRECTOR/ PRIMARY SHAREHOLDER

HAMMERTIME CONSTRUCTION INC. Unit 203-s3 2nd Flr. Fbr Arcade Bldg. #317 Katipunan Ave. Loyola Heights 3 Quezon City

69.

AN, FEIHU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

70.

CHEN, LIXIA Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

71.

CUI, YONGCE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

72.

DUAN, HONGYU Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

73.

GAO, SHUANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

74.

GAO, YAN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

122.

LIN, JIAWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

164.

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

75.

HE, JIAOJIAO Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

123.

LIN, YAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

INQUICK SERVICES INC. Unit 606 6/f Itc Bldg. 337 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Bel-air Makati City

MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE

76.

LEI, YOUJIE Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)

124.

LIU, XIYUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

165.

162.

WANG, RUI Chinese

RANJAN, RAJIV Indian

HAM, RUHOO South Korean

LEE, MING-CHIEN Taiwanese

PROJECT CONSULTANT

HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES

RISK MANAGEMENT AND H.O. COORDINATOR

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.

166.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY LIU, FANG Chinese

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

JINDINGYUAN BUSINESS SUPPORT, INC. 3-9/f Filinvest Cyberzone Bldg. A, Bay City Brgy. 076 Pasay City 167.

168.

LIAO, YAMIN Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

LU, WUQIANG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

KONGANBUDDIES MARKETING INC. 48/f Lower Ground Pbcom Tower 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. Bel-air Makati City 169.

LIN, JINLONG Chinese

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

170.

ANTONY Indonesian

INDONESIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

171.

DANIS Indonesian

INDONESIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

172.

FRENDY Indonesian

INDONESIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

173.

LIE FANG Indonesian

INDONESIAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

174.

ENG YEE SHIN Malaysian

MANDARIN SPEAKING FINANCE ASSOCIATE

MEGA-WEB TECHNOLOGIES INC. 6,7,8,9,10,11/f Met Live Bldg. Edsa Cor. Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 175.

176.

177.

178.

SUN, HAO Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

WU, XIWEI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS SERVICE PROVIDER

TAN, XINWEI Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATONS SERVICE PROVIDER

XU, QIANG Chinese

MANDARIN SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATONS SERVICE PROVIDER

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 179.

BAI, MADEJI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

180.

JIN, WU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

181.

LI, MENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

182.

LI, JIANGKUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

183.

XIE, YANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

AO, DONGDONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

185.

CAI, KEYUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

186.

CHANG, SHIBO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

187.

CHEE POH SIENG Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

188.

CHEN, SIYUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

189.

CHEN, CHANGCHUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

190.

CHEN, LU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

191.

CHEN, KE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

192.

CHEN, CONGCONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

193.

CHEN, QIFEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

194.

CHENG, CUNWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

195.

CHIT THAE SU KYI Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

196.

DENG, YONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

197.

DENG, YUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

198.

DENG, BO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

199.

DONG, CHENGRONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

200.

DONG, XUELIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

201.

DONG, SHAOXIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

202.

DOU, SHENGMING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

203.

DU, LINLIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

FAN, CHUANFU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

205.

FENG, BEIHE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

206.

GAN, JIANJIA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

207.

GAO, CHENGHUA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

208.

GAO, ANFU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

209.

GUO, ZHEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

210.

HE, WEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

211.

HE, YAJUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

HLAING ZAW OO Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

HU, BAILING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

214.

HU, HAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

215.

HUANG, HONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

184.

204.

212.

213.

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

Friday, March 19, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION

216.

HUANG, FUWEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

273.

THIHA AUNG Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

217.

HUANG, ZHONGLIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

274.

TIAN, ZHENHAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

218.

JIANG, HONGRAN Chinese

275.

TIAN, PENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

219.

JIANG, YUCHUN Chinese

276.

TUN TUN OO Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

220.

JIANG, JIAYI Chinese

277.

TWAN SHAIN CHIN Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

221.

JIANG, GUANGXUAN Chinese

278.

WANG, TAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

222.

JIAO, DINGDING Chinese

279.

WANG, TIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

223.

JIAO, JIANQING Chinese

280.

WANG, HAIYANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

224.

LAC THANH Vietnamese

281.

WEI, TIANTIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

225.

LAI, MIAO Chinese

282.

WIN NAY KYAW Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

226.

LAI, GUOHUA Chinese

283.

WU, YIJIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

227.

LI, XUEPENG Chinese

284.

XIANG, LELE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

228.

LI, JING Chinese

285.

XIANG, JIEQIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

229.

LI, LIANLIAN Chinese

286.

XIE, FEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

230.

LI, PAN Chinese

287.

XU, JINGXIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

231.

LI, XUE Chinese

288.

XU, YUFA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

232.

LI, ZONGFU Chinese

289.

XU, DONGQIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

233.

LI, CHUNYU Chinese

290.

XU, HONGCHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

234.

LI, TIANCI Chinese

291.

YANG, WEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

235.

LIANG, TIANLONG Chinese

292.

YANG, QING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

236.

LIAO, WENTING Chinese

293.

YANG, YONGYOU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

237.

LIAO, SHULI Chinese

294.

YANG, CHUNNUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

238.

LIN, FUGUI Chinese

295.

YANG, KUNYE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

239.

LING, XING Chinese

296.

YANG, FAJIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

240.

LIU, RENWEI Chinese

297.

YANG, JIYI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

241.

LIU, YANAN Chinese

298.

YANG, NING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

242.

LIU, MUTING Chinese

299.

YANG, YANLING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

243.

LU, QIUMOU Chinese

300.

YANG, SHUAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

244.

LU, ZHIGUANG Chinese

301.

YE HTET NAUNG Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

245.

LUO, WANXIN Chinese

302.

YEE YEE Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

246.

LY THI DUNG Vietnamese

303.

YIN, YUPING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

247.

MA, SIMING Chinese

304.

YIN, CHUANKANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

248.

MA, LU Chinese

305.

YING, ZHAOTANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

249.

MA, DIANHONG Chinese

306.

YU, PEIPEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

250.

MO, YING Chinese

307.

YU, BOJIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

251.

MU MU AYE Myanmari

308.

YUAN, KAILI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

252.

MYINT OO Myanmari

309.

ZENG, YAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

253.

MYO KYAW SOE Myanmari

310.

ZENG, XIANDONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

254.

NGUYEN THI HANG Vietnamese

311.

ZHANG, SHIYI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

255.

NYEIN CHAN KYAW Myanmari

312.

ZHANG, JING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

256.

PAN, YANAN Chinese

313.

ZHANG, CHENGHAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

257.

PAN, RENWEN Chinese

314.

ZHANG, BIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

258.

PANG, KUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

315.

ZHAO, JIAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

259.

PENG, HAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

316.

ZHAO, XIAOSHAN Chinese

260.

QIN, GUOSHUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

261.

QIU, YAYONG Chinese

317.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

ZHENG, MENGXIAO Chinese

318.

ZHENG, FUCHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

ZHONG, QIMEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

320.

ZHOU, PEILING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

321.

ZHU, JUNHAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

322.

ZHU, WEIBO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

323.

ZHU, TONGXUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

324.

ZIN MYO TUN Myanmari

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

325.

YANG, XIAOMING Chinese

326.

327.

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

262.

QIU, YUKUN Chinese

263.

QU, JINGHANG Chinese

264.

RAN, LONGYANG Chinese

265.

SHAN, YICUN Chinese

266.

SHAO, WEIQUAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

267.

SU, WEIQIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

268.

SUN, CHUNGUANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

269.

TANG, BO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

270.

TANG, BIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

271.

TAO CHEE YUAN Malaysian

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

272.

TENG, FANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

319.

NO.

FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY

POSITION

NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION Sky Garage Bldg. Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City 328.

CAI, PENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

329.

CHEN, QI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

330.

DENG, XIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

331.

DONG, YINGCHUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

332.

FANG, YUNJIE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

333.

FANG, ANDONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

334.

FU, ENPENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

335.

FU, JINMING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

336.

GAO, XIANGDI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

337.

GUO, JIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

338.

HE, XIAOBO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

339.

HE, YONGFEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

340.

HONG, XIAOLONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

341.

HUANG, ZHAOBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

342.

HUANG, BINBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

343.

HUANG, MEIQIONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

344.

JI, ZHIZHE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

345.

JI, WEISHUANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

346.

LI, GANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

347.

LI, XUEJIAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

348.

LI, XIAOBING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

349.

LI, XIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

350.

LIAO, XISEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

351.

LIU, XING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

352.

LIU, MAO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

353.

LUO, SHUAI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

354.

LUO, SUXI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

355.

OUYANG, CHUNSHAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

356.

PAN, TAIQU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

357.

PANG, CHONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

358.

PENG, LINGJIE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

359.

PENG, LIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

360.

QI, GUANGHUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

361.

QIN, LONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

362.

RONG, SIYA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

363.

SHANG, PINGAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

364.

SHANG, WENBIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

365.

SONG, YONGQIANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

366.

SONG, YAWEI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

367.

SUN, XIAORAN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

368.

TANG, XIANJIE Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

369.

TANG, RUI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

370.

WANG, YINGXU Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

371.

WANG, JI Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

372.

WANG, BAOPING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

373.

WANG, JIEFANG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

374.

WEI, CHENG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

375.

WU, CONGMIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

376.

WU, RONGCONG Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

377.

WU, JIANMIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

378.

WU, YUANGUO Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

379.

WU, ZHANPING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

380.

XIA, JIANING Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

WEI, KUN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

381.

XIANG, MINGFA Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

ZHANG, RONGJIN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST

382.

XIANG, SEN Chinese

CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE

A5

News

A4 Friday, March 19, 2021 A6

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Fish unloading at Navotas port to rise further in March with lifting of closed fishing season

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

T

HE Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) said fish unloading at the Navotas Fish Port Complex (NFPC) this month continues to rise and may even surpass the previous month’s volume due to increased supply following the lifting of closed fishing season.

In a news statement issued on Thursday, PFDA said it has recorded a total of 9,506.81 metric tons (MT) of unloaded aquaculture, marine and frozen fish products at the NFPC for the period of March 1 to 15.

The volume of fish unloaded per sector for the first two weeks of March was as follows: aquaculture (1,480.88 MT), marine (5,743.44 MT), and frozen fish products (2,282.49 MT), according to the PFDA, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“Based on previous reports from the past months, PFDA-NFPC has maintained its increasing fish supply this March. By the end of the month, PFDA-NFPC is looking forward to surpassing its own record of 12,404.4 MT in January and the 15,384.9 MT in February,” it said.

“Despite the dangers posed by the current pandemic, PFDANFPC is expected to maintain its positive record until the end of the month, and subsequent months thereafter,” it added.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PFDA

PFDA said galunggong remained as the top unloaded fish at the NFPC followed by bangus, tilapia, tulingan and tamban.

“It is noted that the continuous increase in the supply and unloading in PFDA-NFPC is connected to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources [BFAR]’s lifting of the three-month closed fishing season in the major fishing grounds of Northeastern Palawan and in the Visayan Sea last February,” the PFDA said.

In a separate statement, PFDA said total fish unloading across seven regional fish ports as of March 14 grew by 3 percent from the previous week.

PFDA data showed that fish unloading at the NFPC during the March 8 to 14 period reached 5,090.66 MT, 27.22 percent higher than the 4,001.42 MT recorded in

the previous week.

PFDA data also showed fish unloading in Lucena fish ports and Iloilo fish ports expanded by 34.18 percent and 2.83 percent, respectively, on a weekly basis.

Fish unloaded during the reference period at the Lucena fish port reached 369.5 MT while those unloaded at the Iloilo fish port reached 415.49 MT. “In relation to this significant increase in supply, PFDA’s DA ON THE GO [IOTG] project continues to deliver fresh, frozen and budgetfriendly fish supply to its consumers within Metro Manila, and selected areas in Luzon,” PFDA said.

“As of March 15, the IOTG project has already sold a total of 99,647.20 kilograms of affordable fish and fishery products and has served more than 350,000 families,” PFDA added.

DHSUD ‘resolute’ to help Filipinos’ dream to own house–del Rosario

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HE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has reaffirmed its commitment to complete the country’s 20-year housing and urban development strategic plan and road map to close the housing gap.

In a news statement issued on Wednesday, DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario said the national housing strategic plan would ensure that no substandard housing project would be built.

DHSUD said it is also working toward eliminating illegal transactions on the issuance of licenses and permits.

“DHSUD remains adamant on fulfilling the dreams of 81 percent of Filipinos who wish to have a house of their own,” del Rosario said. He added that shelter is a right of every Filipino family.

At the local level, local government units (LGUs) are land banking; calling for balanced housing implementation; and engaging all housing stakeholders to address the housing backlog.

LGUs, speaking at Habitat for Humanity’s second Bahaynihan on Wednesday, said these efforts have also been implemented due to the disruption caused by the pandemic on the housing sector.

Quezon City Mayor Ma. Josefina “Joy” G. Belmonte said while the pandemic prevented the City from undertaking housing construction last year, Quezon City was busy land banking. However, she did not share how many hectares were secured by the LGU through these arrangements.

This was done through various in-city land acquisition strategies such as donation, expropriation, land swapping, forfeited lands obtained through public auction, usufruct, long-term lease, purchase with donation, and various government to government agreements.

Belmonte also said the LGU launched inhouse financing for residents who would like to procure their own housing units. This, however, only covered Quezon City residents who were already living in the city as of 2015.

She added that the city also introduced rental housing to shelter the underprivileged and homeless in Quezon City. The rental for these units is only P800 per month and the rent is set to increase every three years.

A census conducted by Quezon City showed that 213,978 informal settler families (ISF) currently live in 163,144 houses in September 2019.

Nearly half of these families, or 46.9 percent, are living in private properties.

Around 24 percent, or 51,433, are living on government land; 22.8 percent or 48,767 are living on sidewalks or road lots; and 6.3 percent, or 13,435, are living along waterways.

The target of the city is to provide security of land tenure to 10,000 ISFs living in danger areas by June 2022. These housing units will be provided through direct sale covering 5,000 units and the community mortgage program.

Around 1,500 of these ISFs will be providing housing through off-city resettlement areas; 500 in in-city housing projects; and 46 through transition housing. Cai U. Ordinario

DOH-Calabarzon launches free face mask distribution project

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Correspondent

T

HE regional office of the Department of Health in Calabarzon on Thursday distributed a total of 15,500 disposable face masks in a bid to stem local Covid-19 transmission, especially in areas where infections were observed to be on the rise.

DOH Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo said that the face masks were given to residents of barangays in Antipolo City and other areas through their respective barangay chairmen. Some 200 washable face masks were also distributed during Thursday’s activity.

Among the barangays with the highest number of recorded Covid-19 cases are Mayamot, San Roque, San Isidro, Dela Paz in Antipolo; Rizaliana, Bagong Bayan and Pulo in

Mauban, Quezon; Gulang-Gulang, Ibabang Dupay, Isabang, Ibabang Iyam and Cota in Lucena City, Quezon; San Isidro, Sto. Domingo, San Andres, San Juan, San Roque. Sto. Niño, Sta. Rosa in Cainta, Rizal.

Janairo said that face masks were given in compliance with the directive of President Duterte to provide free masks to the public targeting the underprivileged.

He said that the DOH-Calabarzon immediately purchased and distributed more than 300 boxes of face masks in all the five provinces.

Each box contains 50 pieces of face masks were received by the barangay chairmen of various communities.

Janairo said that the observation of the President on the wearing of face mask is “very common,” and the reason is mainly financial.

“Karamihan sa mga kababayan na-

tin hindi maka-afford bumili ng [majority of our countrymen cannot afford to buy] adequate supply ng [of] mask. Mas pipiliin pa nilang ibili ito ng pagkain dahil kapos sa pera. [They would rather buy food than masks],” Janairo noted.

The distribution of the face masks, Janairo said, seeks to encourage residents to comply with one of the essential requirements to beat the virus.

“We can expect cases to lessen if this simple practice is followed religiously. And we count on the support of the local government units in implementing this,” he added.

As of March 17, 2021, a total number of 83,673 Covid-19 cases were recorded, 5,939 are active cases with 75,338 recoveries and 2,396 deaths. Calabarzon is the second region in the country with most number of Covid-19 cases.

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Drilon: P13-B contingent fund should be used for .5-M OFWs’ repatriation

S

By Butch Fernandez

@butchfBM

ENATE Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, citing the urgency to rescue distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFW) affected by the Covid pandemic abroad, pressed the Duterte administration to tap a P13-billion contingent fund intended for the creation of new departments.

Drilon deplored that the government was inclined to give funding priority to bloat the bureaucracy with new departments, even as the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) was “crying out for help to bring home Filipino workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

At a hearing by the Senate labor committee chaired by Sen. Joel Villanueva on Thursday, Drilon supported OWWA chief Hans Cacdac’s firm position that the agency has no plans to tap into its trust fund, as this was built up primarily by migrant workers’ money for safekeeping.

Cacdac acknowledged the “big help” that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has so far given OWWA the past year as it worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in repatriating more than 300,000 OFWs, both those distressed and those simply terminated as employers closed down in the Covid-induced lockdowns.

However, Cacdac said, they are pressing DBM to release more funds as the agency is expected to deal with more repatriations this year—an estimated half a million workers more.

The senator stressed that “as a matter of policy, the national government, through the General Appropriations Act, should answer [for] the repatriation program, because this is a small favor that we can do for all the contributions of our OFWs. We should provide in the budget funds for the repatriation of OFWs,” he added.

He likened the budgetary support for OWWA to the regular multimillion Assistance to Nationals (ATN) fund tucked into the DFA’s annual budget.

Drilon stressed that the OWWA funds should never be “touched for this purpose,” calling it “a slippery slope” that will render the OFWs’ contributions vulnerable to po-

litical and fiscal misuse: “where will we use the fund next?”

He deplored the basis for the administration’s hesitancy to tap the multibillion-peso contingent fund for the urgently needed OFW repatriation program, even as the contingent fund was “intended as a source of fund in case existing agency funds are not sufficient.”

That the hesitance was also traced to plans to fund the creation of new departments such as the proposed Department of Overseas Filipinos was denounced by Drilon, saying: “ That is not a very sound policy. We would prioritize first the creation of new departments and their funding rather than allocate the fund necessary to bring home our kababayans,” Drilon said, airing his lament at a Senate hearing on the creation of the Department of Overseas Filipinos.

Moreover, Drilon recalled that the OWWA had already requested the budget department for a budgetary augmentation of P9.8 billion to cover the repatriation of around 500,000 more OFWs, which included quarantine expenses, transport, and lodging expenses. He recalled Cacdac saying their budget would only last up to April or May this year.

Instead of using the trust fund of OWWA, the Duterte administration should authorize the use of the contingent fund to repatriate around 500,000 returning OFWs, adding that it “will leave around 500,000 OFWs stranded in various parts of the world if we do not provide funding for their repatriation.”

Drilon quoted Sen. Nancy Binay’s lament: “may P13 bilyon para sa DOFIL, pero walang budget sa repatriation. That is indeed unacceptable and morally wrong.” He prodded Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles to recommend sourcing out the much-needed P9.8 billion from the contingent fund, recalling that Nograles responded that he still has to “discuss this with the pertinent departments.”

SEA growth falls short of forecast; PHL, Malaysia economies shrink–Unctad continued from a16

“The country’s success in containing the virus’ spread helped to ensure a quick bounce back in activity, while the export sector continued to perform well despite the shortfall in global demand,” it added.

This year, Unctad pegged the growth forecast of the Southeast Asian economy at 5.1 percent.

“This is largely due to the greater than anticipated contraction in 2020, which should engender a steeper recovery in 2021,” the report said.

Unctad said private consumption and exports in the region are expected to rebound this year, which can help the economy to recover as well.

A recent report by Moody’s Analytics

noted that the Philippine economy is likely to be the last among 14 countries in Asia Pacific to return to pre-pandemic level.

The think tank said the Philippine economy is seen fully recover from the pandemic by the third quarter of 2022. Thailand and Malaysia will also return to pre-pandemic levels next year but earlier or during the first quarter and second quarter, respectively.

China, Vietnam, Taiwan, New Zealand and India have already surpassed their 2019 fourth quarter performance last year, Moody’s said. This year, Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan, meanwhile, are expected to get back to their end-2019 levels. Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

Rising Covid cases prompt DOJ lockdown continued from a16

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals also suspended operations today (Friday) and March 21 to disinfect its buildings and offices.

CA Presiding Justice Remedios SalazarFernando approved the proposal of Associate Justice Ramon Garcia, who chairs the CA’s Covid-19 Response Committee, to suspend work for three days after recording 18 active cases.

“Moreover, considering the substantial number of Covid-19 infections in the station [18 as of today, March 16, 2021], it is

likewise recommended to conduct a more thorough disinfection, cleaning and sanitation of the different buildings and offices of the Court in order to prevent or minimize the spread of the virus,” said Garcia.

The CA-Manila will also implement a reduced work force equivalent to 50 percent pursuant to Supreme Court Administrative Circular 45-2020 dated August 18, 2020, and the CA’s Guidelines on Return to Work and Resumption of Normal Operations (as amended) for two weeks. Joel R. San Juan

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The World BusinessMirror

Friday, March 19, 2021 A13

Protesters in Myanmar fight back amid violent crackdown Y

ANGON, Myanmar—Protesters in Myanmar fired slingshots and threw Molotov cocktails toward lines of security forces after apparently coming under fire Wednesday in a rare incidence of anti-coup demonstrators fighting back against a relentlessly violent crackdown.

The growing resistance comes after one organization said that more than 200 people have been killed since the February 1 takeover.

At least two people were shot dead during protests Wednesday in Kalay in northwestern Myanmar, according to press and social media posts that included photos of the victims.

Smoke and fires were seen in Kalay and Yangon Wednesday night, reportedly from the authorities burning down barricades protesters had set up during the day.

Protests against the coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi have shown remarkable staying power and largely remained peaceful, despite curbs on Internet access, the imposition of martial law in some places, and an extraordinarily violent response by police.

Demonstrators have come up with innovative ways to carry on in the face of the violence, including lining up placards as stand-ins for themselves or coconuts painted with the words “Spring Revolution.”

But on Wednesday, after security forces apparently shot at them in the country’s largest city of Yangon, demonstrators initially fled—but then crept back to hunker down behind sandbag barricades. Some hurled firebombs, while others took aim with slingshots—though the forces were too far away to be hit.

Pope Francis appealed for an end to the bloodshed on Wednesday.

In an apparent reference to widely broadcast images of a nun in Myanmar, kneeling in the street in front of armed security forces begging them not to shoot protesters, Francis said: “I, too, kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say: may violence cease.”

Protesters last week in response to increased police violence began taking a more aggressive approach to self-defense—burning tires at barricades and pushing back when they could against attacks.

A statement issued Sunday by the Committee Representing Pyihtaungsu Hluttaw—an organization of the elected members of Parliament whom the military barred from taking their seats but who have set themselves up as an alternative

government to the junta—announced that the general public has the legal right to self-defense against the security forces.

The committee was earlier called a treasonous organization by the junta, which declared it illegal.

State television MRTV announced Tuesday evening that the committee’s appointee as a special envoy to the UN has been charged with high treason, which carries a death sentence.

Dr. Sasa, who uses a single name, is in hiding but has frequently been in contact with journalists, diplomats and others through videoconferencing.

The coup reversed years of slow progress toward democracy in Myanmar, which languished for five decades under strict military rule that led to international isolation and sanctions.

The independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which keeps a tally of deaths related to the crackdown, said that as of Tuesday 202 people had been killed, and 2,181 arrested or charged.

“Ju nt a forces t a rget protesters but a l so ord i n a r y people u si ng sn iper r if les rega rd less of t he t i me or pl ace,” accord i ng to a ssoc i at ion.

“Some injured people were arrested and died without access to medical treatment, some individuals have died due to being tortured during interrogation, some others who were shot dead in a crackdown were dragged away without mercy and their dead bodies are not being returned to their families by junta forces,” the association said, repeating widespread and credible allegations.

The junta has denied any abusive actions, but concedes protesters have been shot when taking part in what it has described as rioting. Its death toll is much lower than others.

The head of The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, created by the UN Human Rights Council to collect evidence of the most serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in the country, urged recipients of illegal orders to make contact when its safe.

Nicholas Koumjian said those most responsible for these crimes “are usually those in high leadership positions,” not the perpetrators. To prove responsibility, he explained, requires evidence of reports, orders and how policies were set.

“This is normally not evidence that can be provided by the victims, but rather

Troubled U.S.-China ties face new test in Alaska meeting

W

ASHINGTON—The United States and China will face a new test in their increasingly troubled relations when top officials from both countries meet in Alaska.

Ties between the world’s two largest economies have been torn for years and the Biden administration has yet to signal it’s ready or willing to back down on the hardline stances taken under President Donald Trump. Nor has China signaled it’s prepared to ease the pressure it has brought to bear. Thus, the stage is set for a contentious first face-to-face meeting Thursday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet China’s top two diplomats, State Councilor Wang Yi and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi in Anchorage, Alaska.

Difficult discussions are anticipated over trade, human rights in Tibet, Hong Kong, China’s western Xinjiang region, Taiwan, Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea, and the coronavirus pandemic.

No agreements are expected.

“This really is a one-off meeting,” said a senior administration official. “This is not the resumption of a particular dialogue mechanism or the beginning of a dialogue process.” The official briefed reporters ahead of the meeting on the condition of anonymity.

Blinken will attend the meeting having just come from Japan and South Korea, where he and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were promoting the Biden administration’s commitment to its treaty allies in Asia.

Just a day before the meeting, Blinken announced new sanctions on officials over China’s crackdown on pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong. In response, the Chinese stepped up their rhetoric opposing US interference in domestic affairs.

China, not unexpectedly, slammed the US criticism of the move to give a pro-Beijing committee power to appoint more of Hong Kong’s lawmakers, which reduces the proportion of those directly elected and ensures that only those determined to be truly loyal to Beijing are allowed to run for office—effectively shutting opposition figures out of the political process.

The imposition of sanctions “fully exposes the US side’s sinister intention to inter fere in China’s internal affairs, disrupt Hong Kong and obstruct China’s stability and development,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters at a daily briefing on Wednesday.

The White House set low expectations for Blinken and Sullivan’s meeting, which officials say will be an initial opportunity to address intense disagreements.

The senior administration official described the talks as a chance for the two sides for “taking stock” in the relationship. The official said the two sides would not deliver a joint statement following the meeting and no major announcements are expected to come out of the talks.

China’s ambassador to the US also downplayed expectations for the Alaska meeting in comments to Chinese media on Wednesday, while holding out hopes it would pave the way for better communication.

“Naturally, we don’t expect one round of dialogue will resolve all the issues between China and the US and we don’t hold overly high hopes,” Cui Tiankai said in a transcript of his comments posted on the embassy’s website.

“My wish is that this can be a start and that the two sides can begin a dialogue process that is candid, constructive and realistic,” Cui said. “If we can achieve that, I think this exchange will be successful.”

Blinken, in Japan before heading to South Korea and Alaska, said the US “will push back if necessary when China uses coercion or aggression to get its way.”

“The relationship with China is a very complex one,” he said. “It has adversarial aspects; it has competitive aspects; it has cooperative aspects. But the common denominator in dealing with each of those is to make sure we’re approaching China from a position of strength, and that strength starts with our alliance, with our solidarity, because it’s really a unique asset that we have and China doesn’t.”

The Chinese are not backing down.

On Wednesday at the United Nations, they blasted the US human rights record, citing what they called US failures against Covid-19 that cost “hundreds of thousands of lives,” as well as racial discrimination, police brutality and an “evil past of genocide.” Jiang Duan, a counselor at the Chinese mission in Geneva, voiced the criticism at the end of an examination of the US rights record at the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The administration has held a series of talks with Pacific allies, including Biden’s virtual summit with the leaders of the Quad—Australia, India, Japan and the United States—before engaging in the high-level talks with China. AP

requires that those who received or were aware of illegal orders or policies reveal the truth,” Koumjian said. When safe, messages should be sent to mountain741@ protonmail.com In addition to the v iolence, the junta also initially detained hundreds of senior politicians and has kept Suu Ky i, who was

t he countr y’s de facto leader before the takeover, in custody and charged her w ith severa l crimes that her supporters say are politically motivated.

Regional media outlets and s o c i a l me d i a p o s t s re p or t e d new peaceful protest marches Wednesday in cities and tow ns i n c l u d i n g Ta u n g o o , T h a y e t ,

My ing yan, and Madaya, all in central Myanmar; Tamu, in the northwest near the border w ith India, and Pyay, on the Irrawaddy R iver northwest of Yangon.

The government ordered mobile Internet data service shut on Sunday. Wi-Fi access, which is much less extensive, has been left on. But some users reported

Wednesday that it has slowed to a crawl, making it difficult to upload photos and video.

Several neighborhoods in Yangon have been under martial law since Monday, putting them under complete control by the military, which has also made it difficult for protesters to organize and communicate. AP

A14 Friday, March 19, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

‘Economics’ is not your friend

W

e have been conditioned by the government and the press to wait with breathless anticipation every bit of news and data under the broad banner of “economics.” Then after the information makes the front page, dozens of experts and pundits rise up to explain what it all means.

John Kenneth Galbraith, a 20th-century economic icon, said: “Economics is extremely useful as a form of employment for economists.”

That is too harsh, in our opinion, but there is some truth to it. A European think-tank forecast that overseas remittances to the Philippines would fall by 5.5 percent in January 2021. The actual result was 1.7 percent from January 2020.

Being right or wrong usually doesn’t matter if you’re an economist.

It is almost like being a movie critic. When the 1997 Star Wars film A New Hope opened, New York Magazine film critic John Simon wrote: “O dull new world. It is all as exciting as last year’s weather reports.” Simon continued to write until he died at 94 in 2019. The European economic group will continue to forecast. But Simon offered opinion and economics is advertised as a science.

When Moses brought the tablets down from Mt. Sinai, he probably figured it was a straightforward proposition, especially when it came to the “Thou shall not….” commandments. Someone probably raised his hand and asked, “Will it be OK to kill Hitler?” “Can I steal bread to feed my starving children?” “My wife is an OFW in Saudi; can I have a girlfriend?”

However, the economic data is supposed to be taken without question, especially if it can be used for politics. The rule is that in every country where there are free elections, the current administration cannot take credit for any “positive” economic result and is completely responsible for all the negatives.

We are told to believe that the science of economics gives us set and universal parameters to measure what is happening in an economy. The truth of “2+2 = 4” is universal and translates into all languages. However, “inflation” and “economic growth” are not characterized by a standard definition from place to place, or even over time.

The US Consumer Price Index was determined by comparing the price of a fixed basket of goods and services spanning two different periods.

The US Congress adopted the view that the CPI should reflect changes in the cost to maintain a constant standard of living. Consequently, the CPI has evolved into a cost-of-living index (COLI).

The CPI then “evolved” to reflect changes “in the quality of goods and substitution.” “Substitution, the change in purchases by consumers in response to price changes, changes the relative weighing of the goods in the basket.”

“Critics view the methodological changes and the switch to a COLI as a purposeful manipulation that allows the US government to report a lower CPI.” The same thing happens with economic or gross domestic product growth. GDP can be calculated using three different methods or a combination of all. The “Expenditure Method” adds Personal/Government Consumption plus Investment plus Net Exports. “Income Method” totals Wages plus Rental Rate on Capital plus Corporate Profits. Finally, economists can use the “Production Method,” which is Final Value of All Goods and Services Produced plus the Intermediate Costs.

“Economics makes homeopath and untested alternative healers look empirical and scientific,” says Nassim Nicholas Taleb. That may be too harsh also. But neither is what we are told in economics the “divine truth.”

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ast February, in anticipation of International Women’s Day on March 8 and National Women’s Month here in the Philippines, Grant Thornton International released its 2021 Women in Business report.

The Philippines topped the said study for the second consecutive year with up to 48 percent of Filipinas surveyed holding senior management positions. Such result is significantly higher than the figure found for the entire globe, where women held 31 percent of senior management positions.

The report underscores yet again how in broad terms the Philippines is a global leader when it comes to gender equality and the status of women in society. In fact, ever since the World Economic Forum (WEF) started releasing its annual Global Gender Gap Index in 2006, the Philippines has consistently ranked high in terms of women’s economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. In the index’s latest version (2020), we

ranked 16th out of 153 countries, making us the top across Asia in closing the gender gap.

This isn’t to say, however, that we’ve eradicated all forms of societal prejudice against women in the Philippines and achieved true gender equality. On the contrary, many issues still cleave along gender lines, with women more often than not facing distinct disadvantages or increased vulnerabilities.

And the pandemic has all but exacerbated these issues. For instance, a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey commissioned by the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) found that 1 out of 4 respondents cited violence in various forms (whether physical, sexual, or emotional) as among the most pressing concerns of women amid the pandemic.

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If anything, the pandemic has emphasized how inequalities along gendered lines come with real human costs that affect both men and women. It has underscored that the work of uplifting women, even in a global exemplar like the Philippines, is far from over.

This was surpassed by only one other issue—early teenage pregnancy, which 2 out of 3 respondents in the survey said was the most important problem women are burdened with today. While agencies such as POPCOM have long called for action on this matter, advocates point out how the pandemic has exacerbated the issue because the community quarantines have made it difficult for young women to access reproductive health information and services, such as family planning consultations. The United Nations Population Fund even estimated that unintended pregnancies may have reached 2.56 million in 2020 because of this limited access.

There is also the fear that many girls and young women are falling behind with their studies. A November 2020 survey by Plan International found that 70 percent of 1,203 female-respondents said that their education was the part of their lives

most affected by the pandemic, with nearly 50 percent worrying if they will return to school at all.

However, it appears education is not the only area where women have been put at an even greater disadvantage because of the pandemic.

Women are also being hit in terms of their employment, given that they take up a higher percentage of positions in the services sector, which accounts for up to 64 percent of all the jobs lost in Metro Manila last 2020.

Throughout the past year, the dips in women’s labor force participation rate—the proportion of working-age females who are working or actively looking for work—have been consistently bigger than that of men.

Simply put, even more women have left the labor force now, as compared to men.

Some attribute this to the urgent demands of childcare amid the pandemic. And where traditional gender norms often relegate this to be the sole responsibility of mothers, it’s possible that more women are dropping out of the work force for this reason. This is one reason many have called the global economic downturn as a “shecession.”

A June 2020 survey by Oxfam International found that over 50 percent of women-respondents from urban poor and marginalized See “Angara,” A15

CA called upon to safeguard welfare of consumers anew

Lourdes M. Fernandez

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Our work is far from over

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

MAKE SENSE

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ending before the Court of Appeals (CA) is another case that highlights the role of the judiciary in safeguarding the welfare of Filipino consumers and workers.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the chief guardian of consumer welfare, has brought to the appellate court the injunction granted by two trial courts against the imposition of mandatory standards on flat glass.

For background purposes, when the only manufacturer of flat glass in the country was still owned by the Japanese, the government instituted mandatory standards for this critical commodity, covering both locally made and imported flat glass products.

The goal of having product standards is simple—to protect the con-

sumers from substandard flat glass products to avoid death or injury, especially as we prepare for the socalled Big One. We all know how the government and private sector have been campaigning for the “Duck, Cover, and Hold” earthquake drills.

But if the construction materials we use are substandard—particularly the cement, steel, and glass—the bigger concern is this: “Would the building hold?”

This is how critical the case pending before the appellate court is to Filipino consumers.

The DTI opted to implement the mandatory standards again after

With the case now in the hands of our magistrates, it is our sincere hope that the CA will be guided by what is righteous, correct, and beneficial to the greater number of Filipinos.

Asahi Glass was bought by Filipino firm Pioneer Glass. I remember that as its chairman, I led the efforts of the Federation of Philippine Industries in convincing the DTI to reinstitute the standards.

We were wondering why the issue cropped up. When the glass manufacturing plant was still owned by the Japanese, the importers did not bother to question the mandatory standards. Now, when Asahi Glass was bought by a Filipino businessman who was also a former flat glass trader to save the jobs of workers and the local industry, the other importers suddenly went to court to question the mandatory quality standards.

The conditions are the same as before—the mandatory standards apply to both locally produced and imported flat glass. There is no unfair

competition or cartel or monopoly because everybody can still import and compete freely in the market, the only requirement being the product should adhere to the mandatory quality standards for the protection of the consumers.

When the two trial courts granted the petition for injunction filed by importers against the DTI’s implementation of the mandatory standards for flat glass, the courts did not get the side of the consumers.

Would it not have been better if the two courts heard the consumers first before deciding? To my mind, the ultimate beneficiaries of product standards are the consumers, not the local manufacturers or the importers. Hence, I personally believe that the consumers are the indispensable party to the case. Product standards are there to protect the consumers from substandard products, be they locally made or imported.

With the case now in the hands of our magistrates, it is our sincere hope that the CA will be guided by what is righteous, correct, and beneficial to the greater number of Filipinos.

Opinion BusinessMirror

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The future over our head Restoring vision Harald Eustachius A. Tomintz

Tito Genova Valiente

EAGLE WATCH

annotations

hen it comes to the future, people tend to look forward.

In some cases, however, it may be good to look upward!

Regardless of what we might like to think, the Earth ultimately only has finite resources, which is a reason why economics studies scarcity. Yet in the expanse that is beyond us, there continues to be an area where potential growth could be explored. In this sense, we talk about outer space. With the recent landing of the Mars rover called Perseverance, perhaps it is high time to think a bit more about what the universe may offer!

othing political or ideological here, by vision, I mean that which refers to the eyes. My two eyes.

Three years ago, on the 12th and 14th of March—a Saturday and a Monday—I finally braved cataract operation on my two eyes, and an added procedure for astigmatism on the right eye.

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The Philippines does, in fact, have policies regarding the use of outer space. The Philippine Space Act, and the creation of the Philippine Space Agency through it, highlights a commitment of the country toward this end, even if public knowledge is often limited to the occasional news feature about the Filipino-made MAYA-1, DIWATA-1, and DIWATA-2 cube satellites. Space initiatives in this country actually have a billionpeso-heavy government budget on that front as well.

The Philippines, like many other countries, is represented at the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in Vienna, Austria. A digital copy of the most recent technical presentation of the Philippines to this UN office is publicly available online at the time of this writing. It highlights some of the key initiatives the nation pursues through the Advanced Science and Technology Institute of the Department of Science and Technology.

Space technologies have a variety of useful applications that can help in development and foster economic growth. For example, satellites can and are being used to monitor agriculture, to look into rehabilitation efforts, and to assess the effects of typhoons and landslides. These applications show us that there are concrete and desirable benefits to be gained from the wonders of such scientific innovations.

That said, progress in these technological advancements, while impressive in the context of the Philippine sphere, still has room for improvement, especially when looked at in a global sense. It is truly still a feat that Filipino graduate students were able to develop MAYA-1, proving the capabilities of brilliant young minds. At the same time, however, other nations also have similar programs where students can be trained to build and develop cube satellites.

In the 1950s the global superpowers began looking to outer space during the so-called Space Race, but in the 2020s we can now see how, over a few decades, these technologies passed into the capabilities of developing countries like the Philippines.

This may sound futuristic, but it is amusing to imagine that there may someday come a time where building and launching satellites become as mundane as a grade school science project!

In the present though, we could also be doing more to tap other applications of these technologies. If anything, the global pandemic also highlighted the importance of space

Angara. . .

continued from A14

communities in the Philippines reported that unpaid care and domestic work increased during Covid-19.

Interestingly, the survey also found that Filipino men are increasingly taking on childcare, with 65 percent of respondents feeling that their unpaid care and domestic work had increased during the pandemic—likely due to restrictions on movement and employment.

Of course, this isn’t to say that men aren’t suffering at all due to the pandemic. But clearly there are gendered dimensions to the ongo-

Where there is a lack, there is also potential opportunity for the brave entrepreneur of the so-called final frontier. It will come with its own challenges, but what was once science fiction may indeed become a reality. It might be a good time to think about investing in more than just a cloud, so to speak, and think even bigger. Or in this case, higher! technologies often taken for granted, and companies and individuals alike depend on them. The Internet is a prime example: our ability to connect with people around the world in the time of Covid-19 uses space technologies, even as much of the technology and infrastructure that run it remain mostly on the ground.

While there may be a danger in the Tragedy of the Commons, these commons being usage of outer space, it is undeniable that billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are looking upward as well as forward in their earthly investments. Outer space is generally considered a public good, and one has to also consider the role of the private sector in developing these technologies, in the same way we now think of the need for efficient or alternative energy sources in the economy.

Indeed, the Philippines is still a long way away from grander outer space projects—a Pinoy landing on the moon on a Filipino-made rocket would be a pipe dream— and will likely continue to rely on other countries, such as Japan, for technical help on these matters in the foreseeable future.

However, developing further capabilities in these initiatives to become internationally competitive is something that could theoretically be assisted and done through enthusiastic investments, and by encouraging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines in schools for a new generation of Filipino space scientists.

Where there is a lack, there is also potential opportunity for the brave entrepreneur of the so-called final frontier. It will come with its own challenges, but what was once science fiction may indeed become a reality. It might be a good time to think about investing in more than just a cloud, so to speak, and think even bigger. Or in this case, higher!

Harald Eustachius A. Tomintz teaches at the Department of Economics of the Ateneo De Manila University in the Philippines.

ing crisis that any response or economic recovery package will need to consider.

If anything, the pandemic has emphasized how inequalities along gendered lines come with real human costs that affect both men and women. It has underscored that the work of uplifting women, even in a global exemplar like the Philippines, is far from over.

Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 16 years—nine years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and seven as Senator. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

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

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Some three months before March of 2018, my vision, which was blurry already, went blurred quickly. It was as if my eyes were waiting for the right time to go dark. Also there was an incident in a mall where, crossing from the parking lot, I was pulled to safety by a niece away from a rushing vehicle. I did not see the car at all.

There was no prodding anymore; I scheduled a visit to the eye doctor.

He was the one who operated on my mother many years back.

After a series of tests, which included one where my eyes were measured (you have big eyes, the good doctor said), I finally agreed to have the “procedure.” From Manila, I went back to Naga to inform, upon the advice of the eye specialist, my two other doctors—an endocrinologist and a cardiologist.

The clearance was given.

There was an important instruction also from Naga, and that was for me to stop taking the antiplatelet medicine, the one that causes blood thinning.

Back in Manila, the doctor finalized the procedure on Saturday, skip Sunday, and commence again on Monday. It was an insurance thing: the company did not allow doing two eyes on a single day.

When Saturday came, I requested a friend to be there with me in the hospital. We went together to the clinic of the doctor.

He was not there but the secretary had an instruction for me to proceed to an Operating Room with a particular number. The label “operating room” jolted me. This was

for real? You know, the part where you were rendered unconscious and a huge light loomed above you, and doctors and assistants were playing it cool but otherwise, deep inside, filled with controlled tension.

My memories were referencing cinema!

Finally, I was ushered to a room where an attendant requested me to change into an Operating Room gown. He pointed to a cabinet where I could place my clothes and shoes.

There was a lumpy soft slipper I was asked to wear. From that cubicle of a space, I opened the door and was in a

bigger room with about five nurses all working on files and chatting. They all greeted me. One nurse who was rushing out whispered, Sir, everything would be fine. It was a stage whisper overheard by the others.

Two apologized for the loud music and the chatter.

A male nurse took my blood pressure and informed me he will be my nurse for that day. My angel for that day, my referencing shifted from the movie to spiritual reading. Then the doctor came and, being more familiar with me, grinned as he mentioned my elevated blood pressure. Mr. Valiente, you follow Ma’am, indicating an older lady with full make-up. Would they wash off the eyeliners and other layers from that face when the procedure was done?

The 200/180 BP came down and I was quickly in a very cold Operating Room. Freezing was more like it. A soft blanket was placed on me.

Sir, we know you are feeling cold.

Do not worry we will have more blanket. Another sheet was draped around my body, and a thicker one.

I felt warm.

A local anesthesia was given. The area around my eyes grew numb. You

would remain conscious, my doctor assured me, but you will not feel any pain. There would be a sensation but that would be alright.

I could hear my doctor introducing himself and then naming me as the person in bed. Nice screenplay.

He called out the name of another doctor, two nurses and another person. The doctor, I assumed, explained what would happen that afternoon.

By this time, I could feel a pressure on both sides of my head. There was a contraption that held my head in place, I would learn later. But, I kept moving away—from the light, according to the doctor. Was that an extraterrestrial being summoning me behind the light?

Then the sound of what felt like a drill came. Irrigate please, a voice commanded. Water? Something being flushed or taken off my eye? The 45 minutes felt like hours. We are okay? Are you fine, sir? Do not move yet. Slowly open your eyes. If you do not see anything, do not worry.

You will see a very bright light— that is the light above your head.

That was comforting: I was not in any heaven. After what seemed like an eternity—five or 10 minutes— I opened my eyes. There was the light, so bright it nearly qualified for the imagined bright light that we were supposed to see in the afterlife. The light faded soon because I could see the lamp from which it was being produced. I slowly rose, attended by the male nurse.

Seated now, I turned to my left and saw the most ethereal, layered blue sky speckled with a brush of gray and more white, silvery clouds from the huge window of the room.

That afternoon, post-operation, I spent hours looking out of the window of a hotel, feasting on the sky. From four in the afternoon and sunset, I surveyed the clouds and the roofs of the buildings, their dimension so clear I have forgotten already about this feature of vision.

I looked down on the crown of trees and marveled at the tiny birds coming to roost. I had a vision, even with one eye yet, and it had nothing to do with notions of a nation or the arts or life.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

Filipino lives matter, too Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

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lack lives matter, and so are the lives of Asian-Americans. Recently, there has been a spate of violence and criminality committed against African-Americans in the US. Recent reports show that hate crimes targeting Asians living in the United States have spiked by at least 150 percent in most populous American cities during the first year of the pandemic. For instance, it was highest in New York City, which has a burgeoning Asian population. The premier US city posted a 9-fold increase in anti-Asian hate crime in 2020 compared to the previous year. This was followed by double to triple percentage increase in other major metropolises like Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia and Cleveland where there are sizable AsianAmerican communities. During the same period, there is an overall hate crime decline against other ethnic races like Jews and Latinos but the attacks against Asians have grown.

Many Asian advocacy groups track Asian hate crimes and document such incidents. One leading organization, Stop AAPI Hate, has recorded close to 3,000 reports of racial attacks and racial discrimination since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 until December 2020.

Of these, nearly 10 percent involved physical assaults. US media like CNN have covered and reported several violent incidents where Asian-Americans were at the receiving end of brutal assaults. One such incident showed an elderly 91-yearold Asian was forcibly pushed to the ground. Another 36-year-old Asian was stabbed in NYC’s Chinatown in another hate crime attack. Our very own compatriot, Noel Quintana, was attacked while taking a subway train in Manhattan, New

Friday, March 19, 2021 A15

York. The 61-year-old FilipinoAmerican was on his way to work when a man slashed his face as they alighted from the train. His assailant had been kicking his backpack during their train ride and when he asked him to stop it, the man attacked him and escaped. Another Filipina complained that she was assaulted without any provocation in San Diego, California. Only a couple of days ago, eight women were killed in a massage parlor shooting in Atlanta, Georgia. At least four of the victims were believed to be Asian-Americans. These incidents are definitely alarming and the US authorities should address it before it gets out of hand. Our government has requested the US government to secure the safety of the Filipinos and other Asian-Americans and to

Our doctors and nurses all over the world have been honored and countless of them have sacrificed their lives in rendering services to humanity. Just like the African-Americans, FilipinoAmerican lives matter. They are called frontliners but the fact is they are the last line of defense against the coronavirus. protect them against racial violence.

Asians who look like Chinese are most vulnerable to hate attacks.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an alarming increase in physical violence targeting Asian-Americans. This has been attributed to former President Donald J. Trump’s rhetoric against the Chinese for causing the lethal coronavirus. Trump even labeled the disease as the Chinese virus and this has inflamed the smoldering ember of anti-Asian sentiment in the US. Filipino-Americans constitute the 3rd largest Asian-Americans in the US. The Filipino population in the US is estimated to be 4.1 million. Asian-Americans of Chinese and Indian descents are the two biggest groups accounting for 24 percent and 20 percent of the estimated 21.65 Asian-Americans.

Filipinos make up 18 percent of this group. Filipino migration to the US was driven by long-standing historical ties between the two countries owing largely to the fact that the Philippines was a former colony of the US. Filipinos pursued their American dream by working in the health sector, service industry, IT, hotel and tourism, armed forces, education, and many other services

and businesses. Our medical health workers are the frontliners in the battle against the coronavirus. Their valuable services to the health-care systems of various countries like the US, UK and others are universally recognized. Our doctors and nurses all over the world have been honored and countless of them have sacrificed their lives in rendering services to humanity. Just like the AfricanAmericans, Filipino-American lives matter. They are called frontliners but the fact is they are the last line of defense against the coronavirus.

Many of them have lost their lives saving the lives of strangers in a foreign soil they now call home. Their absolute commitment to their noble calling as nurses or doctors is inspiring. No less than Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City has hailed the Filipino community during the celebration of the Filipino-American History Month last October 2020.

He greeted the Filipinos by saying: “Today, we celebrate the start of Filipino American History Month. And we’re proud to be the home of more than 80,000 Filipino New Yorkers who make this city a richer, stronger place. And this year, we recognize the incredible work and sacrifice of all of you who served on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic.” He stressed that more than a quarter of immigrant nurses in the US are Filipinos. “So, it’s no exaggeration to say we literally would have not survived the Covid-19 pandemic without all of you, our brothers and sisters…

Thank you for protecting us.”

The ugly Americans who violently assault Filipinos should hearken to Mayor de Blasio’s voice to realize that Filipino-American lives greatly matter.

A16 Friday, March 19, 2021

Rising Covid cases prompt DOJ lockdown

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UE to rising Covid-19 cases, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced another lockdown of its main office along Padre Faura in Manila starting today (Friday) until March 23.

Justice Secretar y Menardo Guevarra noted the DOJ recently recorded 17 active Covid-19 cases among its employees.

The number is significantly high, considering that for the entire 2020, the DOJ recorded only a total of 18 cases while the 17 new cases were recorded within the first quarter of 2021.

“I’m constrained to order another suspension of on-site work at the DOJ. We have seven new cases today, bringing the total active cases to 17,” Guevarra said.

“We’ll lock down again starting tomorrow [March19] till Tuesday [March 23]. Everyone will work from home, except a skeletal staff who will receive documents and attend to other frontline services,” he added.

Since the start of the pandemic, the DOJ has recorded a total of 35 cases.

On March 12, Guevarra ordered the suspension of on-site work until March 16 to give way to disinfection and sanitation activities of offices at the DOJ proper.

Continued on A12

Peza approves ₧13-B investments in March

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By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @Tyronepiad

HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) approved this month P13.19 billion worth of investments, which are seen to generate 2,447 job opportunities. The regulator of economic zone locators, in a statement on Thursday, said that the total investments comprised 33 projects, 29 of which will be located in Luzon. The rest will be placed in Visayas and Mindanao.

Among the 30 projects of registered business enterprises, 12 are for export, 11 for information technology, five for facilities, one for logistics and one for utilities, Peza enumerated.

The other three projects, meanwhile, are for ecozone development projects.

The projects approved by the authority covers the applications it received in February and March.

“We thank our locator companies for continuously trusting Peza and for believing the potentials that the Philippines have despite the onslaught of this current pan-

demic crisis,” Peza Director General Charito Plaza said. “Peza indeed continues to implement its brand of excellence, one-stop-shop and continued operations albeit observing strict health and safety protocols for the safety of all.”

Plaza said the approval of new projects and investments is “the agency’s positive action to continuously support the Philippine economy in our endeavor to maintain our competitiveness for investments despite the impact of Covid-19.”

Peza saw a decline in investment approvals as the lockdown mea-

sures amid the pandemic discouraged expansion plans among locators last year. The total investments approved by the agency in 2020 reached P95 billion, or 19 percent lower than the P117.54 billion it registered in 2019. Projected employment from these investments is 72,703.

This year, Peza is hoping to book P100 billion worth of investment pledges.

“We at Peza are doing our best to become part of the solution during these trying times. We will continue to turn the threats into opportunities and help the Philippines achieve its goal of becoming an investment haven in Asia and around the globe,” Plaza said.

In a statement earlier this week, Plaza expressed support for passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill, which was recently approved by the bicameral conference of the Senate and House of Representatives.

CREATE eyes to cut the corporate income tax (CIT) immediately to 25 percent from 30 percent upon effectivity. The CIT will then be reduced further by 1 percentage point every year from 2023 to 2027 until it reaches 20 percent.

S.E.A. GROWTH FALLS SHORT OF FORECAST; PHL, MALAYSIA ECONOMIES SHRINK–UNCTAD

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HE Southeast Asian region failed to meet economic growth forecast in the past year as the Philippines and Malaysia booked deep contractions, according to a study by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad).

A recent report by Unctad showed the bloc saw its economy suffer a 3.9-percent decline last year, a reversal of 4.4-percent growth in 2019, as the coronavirus pandemic slowed down business activities. “ The growth rate of the Southeast Asian region as a whole was similarly below our mid-2020 expectations, as other large economies in the region [namely Malaysia and the Philippines] also underperformed vis-à-vis our expectations,” the report noted.

Last year, the economies of the Philippines and Malaysia shrank by 9.5 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively.

Unctad said both countries had a hard time containing the spread of the coronavirus as evidenced by elevated cases, hampering business activities

because of lockdown protocols.

“The economic fallout of these restrictions has been predictably severe, with substantial output contractions in both countries,” the report noted.

The Philippines closed 2020 with over 474,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 25,024 of which are active. Death toll and recoveries reached 9,244 and 439,796, respectively, last year.

After registering some decline in new cases, the country saw a fresh surge of infection since the beginning of 2021. Total Covid-19 cases have reached over 635,000 already; and around 61,700 of these are active. The death toll has increased to approximately 12,800 while recoveries reached more than 561,000.

On March 15, the government enforced curfew between 10 pm and 5 am in the capital region as a response to the rising Covid-19 cases. This will be lifted on March 30.

In 2020, Vietnam was the only country in the region that was a “significant positive surprise,” the Unctad report noted, as it exceeded the growth forecast.

Continued on A12

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NCR firms told to comply with health rules

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By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@TyronePiad

he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said over 100 firms in Metro Manila that violated health protocols amid the ongoing pandemic were directed to implement corrective actions.

The surveillance and monitoring division of DTI Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) inspect-

ed 779 firms in Metro Manila in January to March 12. It issued 121 requests for corrective actions.

The Trade department said the usual violations among the surveyed establishments were lack of contract tracing or health declaration forms and thermal scanner upon entry. In addition, the personnel in these firms were not wearing their face shields properly.

Majority or 79 of the firms found in violation have already complied with the DTI order while 6 are still waiting for corrective actions. Thirty-six cases were endorsed to the local government units for further investigation.

“Our inspection and monitoring efforts are done every week to regularly check if business estab-

lishments here in NCR [National Capital Region] strictly follow the health protocols prescribed in our guidelines,” Trade Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo said.

DTI-FTEB Director Ronnel O. Abrenica suggested that firms put additional safety measures, including designation of safety officers and creation of a sanitizing schedule. It would also be helpful to post informative materials regarding the health protocol reminders, he said.

“We want to assure consumers that we are doing these surveillance activities to further boost customer confidence in conduct-

ing business transactions while u nder st r ict hea lt h protocol measures, to strike a balance between public health and regaining economic momentum,” Abrenica said.

DTI’s inspection is in compliance with the government-mandated minimum health protocols following the Inter-Agency Task Force directive.

According to the agency’s latest impact assessment survey, the number of businesses that have stopped operations during this pandemic has gone down to 4.6 percent. The survey was conducted from January 28 to February 10.

Trade Secretar y R amon M. Lopez, in an earlier statement, said the figure peaked last year at 34.2 percent. It went down to 10 percent in October and further declined to 5 percent by November last year.

The declining number means that more businesses are reopening again, he added.

“Given the important role of MSMEs [micro, small and medium enterprises] helping to rebuild our economy, DTI’s efforts are directed towards their swift recovery by enhancing their resilience to recover and rebuild,” Lopez said.

Moody’s keeps PLDT credit ratings Converge to reach

By VG Cabuag @villygc

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redit rating firm Moody’s Investors Service has maintained its investment grade rating for telecom giant PLDT Inc. as well as its stable outlook for the company.

In a statement, the ratings firm said PLDT had a rating of Baa2, or a medium investment grade, with some speculative elements and moderate credit risk.

“The affirmation of PLDT’s rating reflects its leading market position and healthy margins, which, coupled with the management’s financial discipline, will keep the company’s leverage at around 2.6 times to 2.8 times over the next 12 to 18 months,”

‘PHL Internet speeds faster in February’

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he Philippines recorded better Internet speeds in February than the month prior, at least according to data from Ookla, but its average speeds for both broadband and mobile are still far from the global rankings.

In Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index the Philippines ranked 83rd from 86th in terms of mobile Internet speed, while it ranked 92nd from 100th in rankings for fixed line broadband.

Ookla’s index involves 139 countries for mobile Internet and 176 nations for fixed broadband.

In its latest speed test report, the Philippine mobile download speed averaged at 26.24 Mbps, lower than the global average or 46.94 Mbps and six times worse than the United Arab Emirates, which clocked an impressive average speed of 177.16 Mbps.

Fixed broadband download speeds in the Philippines, meanwhile, averages at 38.46 Mbps or about three times lower than that of the global average of 97.52 Mbps and almost five times lower than Singapore, which had an average broadband speed of 238.59 Mbps.

This is the 7th consecutive month that the Philippines posted improvements in Ookla’s index, which is based on “at least 300 unique user results for mobile or fixed broadband.”

Globe Telecom Inc. President Ernest L. Cu said this development is fueled by the continued investment of telcos in new technologies and for the expansion of their networks.

“Our persistence in boosting our network through rigorous builds are being felt by our customers, through service and internet improvements.

The rise in rankings on both mobile and fixed download speeds goes to show that the country is making significant headway towards meeting first world network standards,” he said. Lorenz S. Marasigan

Annalisa Di Chiara, Moody’s senior vice president and lead analyst for PLDT, said. “However, a commitment to shareholder returns and high capex levels will continue to strain the company’s free cash flow over the next one to two years.”

PLDT’s capital expenditures will remain elevated and said it will spend between P88 billion to P92 billion in 2021. This represents around 46 percent of Moody’s projected revenues, as the company continues to invest in expanding mobile capacity and coverage, fiberization of its network and the last mile rollout of home broadband services.

“As a result, Moody’s expects PLDT’s free cash flow will remain negative over the next 12 to 18 months, and the company will use

debt to fund both capex and dividends, keeping its leverage in the 2.6 times to 2.8 times range. Still, this leverage level is appropriate for its Baa2 rating, given its defendable and leading market position as well as strong margins,” Moody’s said.

PLDT’s liquidity is good, the ratings firm said. As of end-2020, PLDT reported cash and cash equivalents of P40.2 billion, which, combined with projected cash flow from operations of P75 billion to P80 billion over the next 12 months, and available committed credit facilities, will be sufficient to cover current debt maturities, estimated capital spending and dividends over the same period.

Moody’s said it expects the company to remain proactive and prudent in managing its balance sheet

and any upcoming maturities, particularly given its excellent access to the local bank and international bond markets. PLDT has a 49-percent share of mobile subscribers and over 50 percent share of market revenues at the end of 2020.

“While its competitive environment will intensify given the presence of another large player Globe Telecom Inc. and the entrance of a third mobile operator Dito Telecommunity, Moody’s does not expect a significant disruption to PLDT’s operations from Dito’s entrance over the next 12-18 months,” it said.

“This is because it will still take some time for Dito to build a comprehensive mobile coverage, expand its network and acquire a meaningful subscriber base.”

ACEN raises ₧11.88B via share sale

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

A

C Energy Corp. (ACEN) has successfully raised P11.88 billion through a private placement of 4 billion shares.

“This is to announce the completion of the subscription of Arran Investment Pte. Ltd. to four billion primary shares of ACEN, AC Energy and Infrastructure Corp.’s (ACEIC) subsidiary, via a private placement.

ACEIC is Ayala’s wholly owned subsidiary,” ACEN said Thursday.

The shares were priced at P2.97 apiece. The value per share was determined by Arran, an affiliate of Singapore firm GIC Pte. Ltd., after conducting a due diligence exercise on ACEN’s existing business and potential.

“For purposes of the private placement, ACEN and Arran signed a Subscription Agreement for the issuance of the primary shares to Arran. In addition, ACEN, Arran, and ACEIC also signed today, a Shareholders’ Agreement pursuant to their Investment Agreement dated December 30, 2020,” it added.

The private placement will enable ACEN to raise additional capital to fund its various developmental and operating projects, as well as potential acquisitions. The entry of Arran as an institutional investor will also strengthen ACEN’s investor base.

Of the total investment amount, ACEN will use up to P10 billion to fund some of its renewable energy developments in the pipeline, including its Arayat solar project in Pampanga, and the Bayog wind project in Ilocos

Norte, as well as possible expansions of existing plants and acquisition of other operating plants.

This funding is estimated to be used in the first half of 2021 at the earliest.

ACEN will also use part of the proceeds for the repayment of debt drawn earlier to fund development funding requirements, as well as fund working capital requirements, and for general corporate purposes of approximately up to P500 million.

The private placement is the first tranche of GIC’s investment to achieve a 17.5-percent ownership stake in ACEN, taking into consideration GIC’s dilution from the recently announced follow-on offering to be conducted by ACEN, and the planned infusion of ACEIC’s international assets into ACEN.

Mondelez strengthens commitment towards zero waste to nature

I

n response to the problem of improper waste management, which leads to plastic ending up in oceans and landfills, the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS) and its member companies have committed to build and execute a strategy to manage plastic wastes. This will help ensure that by 2030, none of the members’ plastic packaging waste will end up in nature.

Launched in January 2020, PARMS members, along with her affiliates and partners, formally signed a “Zero Waste to Nature Ambisyon 2030 (ZWTN 2030)” commitment.

Years before the declaration, individual corporate members have been taking concrete action on addressing this problem including shifts to recyclable packaging and engaging in post-consumer waste recovery projects in partnership with local governments, NGOs, and community members. Most of the members have set targets that by 2025 or 2030, all their packaging will be recyclable, including snacks maker Mondelez Philippines.

VisMin in H2–exec

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

C

onverge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc. aims to launch its commercial services in various cities and municipalities in the Visayas and Mindanao by the second half of the year.

This, according to Converge COO Jesus Romero, as Converge is set to complete its national fiber backbone network as the submarine cables to link the islands in the Visayas and Mindanao are ready for installation this month.

“Converge’s expansion to the Visayas and Mindanao regions has been progressing as planned. By targeting to substantially complete our backbone by the first half of 2021, we hope to commercially launch by the second half of the year so that we can reach more provinces in need of world-class fixed broadband services,” Romero said.

He said the expansion involves the deployment of 1,800 kilometers of submarine sea cables, connecting over 20 landing stations throughout the country.

According to Romero, the cable stations have already been “substantially completed and they are now awaiting the vessel that will execute the submarine cable-laying operations.”

“We started Converge nine years ago with a dream to bring the world’s best broadband technology to majority of our people, and that is fiber optics. Our mission is to reach and connect underserved and unserved areas all over the country. Now we are one step closer to fulfilling this mission as we connect the VisMin ar-

eas through our fiber backbone,” said Dennis Anthony Uy, Converge CEO and Co-Founder.

The expansion aims to cover provinces including Davao, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, starting with Bacolod City and Cagayan de Oro. As of end-2020, Converge has completed and activated approximately 55,000 fiber route kilometers, reaching 316 cities and municipalities.

“Only about 10 percent of the market has been covered by highspeed broadband fiber internet.

The completion of the company’s national backbone will steadily increase residential subscribers and enterprise segments,” said Uy. Converge is spending P20 billion in capital expenditures this year to further expand its fiber network.

With this capital spend, Converge hopes to increase its subscriber base from 1.04 million subscribers last year to as much as 1.7 million subscribers this year.

Converge reported record profits in 2020, when it booked a net income of P3.39 billion, a 78-percent surge from P1.94 billion the year prior, as its revenues grew by 71 percent to P15.65 billion from P9.14 billion.

The stellar performance of Converge is attributable to the huge jump that its residential subscriber base recorded—from 530,000 subscribers at end-2019 to 1.04 million subscribers at end-2020.

Converge’s consumer business contributed the largest to its revenues at P12.62 million, while its enterprise business contributed P3.02 billion.

The company is on track to achieve its target of reaching approximately 55 percent of total households in the country by 2025.

Construction of largest water treatment facility in PHL starts

D

Contributed Photo

Mondelez Philippines is the maker of Filipino’s favorite snacks products like Eden Cheese, Cheez Whiz and Toblerone. In line with the abovementioned goal to make 100 percent of its packaging recycle-ready, the company has recently pledged that by 2025, it will reduce its global use of virgin plastic for rigid packaging by 25 percent or reduce virgin plastic use in overall plastic packaging by 5 percent in 2025. This goes hand in hand with targeting to have 5 percent recycled content by weight across plastic packaging globally by the same period.

“More recently, we have launched our global Sustainable Futures platform,” shares Atty. Joseph Fabul,

Country Manager for Corporate and Government Affairs of Mondelez Philippines. “Through this we aim to incubate, finance, and build partnerships in the impact investment space through co-funded climate projects and a new social venture fund. We aim to partner with like-minded investors, increase our impact on the world and support self-sustaining projects. Locally we have started exploring this platform through our project with The Plastic Flamingo to collect and recycle 40,000 kilograms of plastic into lumber to turn into shelters.” The PARMS ZWTN 2030 Pledge is one of the ways the Company is tracking its performance versus its commitments.

.M. Consunji Inc., the construction arm of listed firm DMCI Holdings Inc., on Thursday said it has started the construction of the P10.5-billion CaloocanMalabon-Navotas Water Reclamation Facility project of Maynilad Water Services Inc. The said facility, which is designed to treat 205 million liters per day of wastewater, will be the biggest of its kind in the country once commissioned in the third quarter of 2024. Around 1.2 million households in South Caloocan, Malabon and Navatos will benefit from the project.

“This is an enormous undertaking because it involves expanding the capacity of a 40-year old facility by over 600 percent,” DMCI President and CEO Jorge A. Consunji said.

The facility is one of Maynilad’s large-scale, complex and multiyear capex projects. It involves the rehabilitation and expansion of the com-

pany’s 26 MLD Dagat-Dagatan Sewage Treatment Plant, which was built in the 1980s.

DMCI expects to employ up to 1,000 direct and indirect workers when the project hits its peak around first quarter of 2023. “This facility also represents two milestones for DMCI. Aside from being our largest wastewater project, to date, it is our first partnership with JFE Engineering Corp. of Japan,” Consunji said.

JFE is the engineering arm of the JFE Holdings, one of the largest corporations in the world according to the 2020 Fortune Global 500.

DMCI is known for building landmarks and pioneering structures. Since completing the first skyscraper in the Philippines in the 1950s, it has built over 1,000 projects of varying scale and complexity.

This year, DMCI is set to turn over Ikea Manila, the largest branch in the world. VG Cabuag

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, March 19, 2021

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

March 18, 2021

Net Foreign Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Stocks Buy (Sell) FINANCIALs

BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK CITYSTATE BANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG FILIPINO FUND IREMIT MEDCO HLDG MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE

106 85.95 23.35 7.51 9.82 47.45 9.7 23.2 54.55 17.1 123 69 1.73 3.98 3.14 7.5 1.45 0.4 950 0.76 145.1 2,300

106.4 86 23.65 8.37 9.87 47.6 10.3 23.3 56 17.8 125 69.6 1.75 4 3.25 8.67 1.47 0.42 980 0.77 147 2,500

104.4 83.8 23.6 7.45 9.8 46.2 9.41 23.5 55.8 17.02 120.5 67.2 2 3.99 3.12 7.49 1.49 0.42 950 0.75 144 2,300

106.9 86.25 23.7 8.37 9.9 47.85 10.28 23.85 56 17.12 125 69.6 2.03 4 3.3 7.49 1.49 0.42 950 0.77 147 2,500

104.4 83.75 23.3 7.45 9.6 46.2 9.41 23.05 55.8 17 120 67.2 1.73 3.98 3.05 7.49 1.4 0.42 950 0.75 143 2,300

106 85.95 23.4 8.37 9.82 47.6 9.9 23.3 56 17.1 125 69 1.73 4 3.25 7.49 1.45 0.42 950 0.76 147 2,500

2,538,200 4,125,490 36,600 4,100 156,400 3,739,600 27,200 482,600 530 109,600 384,680 175,100 7,566,000 45,000 19,000 100 37,000 20,000 270 156,000 34,890 45

269,108,593 353,962,682 863,610 31,005 1,537,482 176,100,885 259,481 11,221,775 29,654 1,865,824 47,487,015 11,871,776 13,998,780 179,560 60,640 749 53,270 8,400 256,500 117,500 5,074,239 111,500

-3,839,973 90,742,387.50 -674,835 -1,031,433 60,599,435 -5,629,190 -856,700 -17,552,062 -7,371,518 -749 47,500 770 1,767,913 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 6.98 7 6.9 7.05 6.88 6.98 21,352,700 149,243,177 ALSONS CONS 1.26 1.28 1.26 1.28 1.24 1.28 132,000 166,390 ABOITIZ POWER 24.55 24.75 25.2 25.2 24.55 24.55 3,060,700 76,166,580 BASIC ENERGY 0.78 0.79 0.83 0.85 0.78 0.78 110,244,000 88,216,470 FIRST GEN 30.85 30.9 31 31 30.6 30.85 368,900 11,380,100 FIRST PHIL HLDG 71.2 72 71 71.2 71 71.2 57,990 4,125,693 MERALCO 273.2 273.6 268 274 268 273.6 77,900 21,284,464 MANILA WATER 14.48 14.5 14.8 14.8 14.4 14.5 663,100 9,679,490 PETRON 3.16 3.17 3.12 3.17 3.1 3.16 567,000 1,787,380 PETROENERGY 3.57 3.87 3.57 3.57 3.57 3.57 11,000 39,270 PHX PETROLEUM 11.42 11.8 11.8 11.8 11.8 11.8 2,100 24,780 PILIPINAS SHELL 20.6 20.75 20.45 20.85 20.45 20.75 341,600 7,082,200 SPC POWER 10.4 10.5 10.38 10.5 10.36 10.5 246,800 2,579,242 VIVANT 15 16.18 15 17 15 16.18 103,100 1,577,416 AGRINURTURE 7.04 7.1 7 7.18 7 7.1 1,613,700 11,491,878 3.12 3.14 3.13 3.19 3.12 3.14 643,000 2,018,580 AXELUM CNTRL AZUCARERA 12.82 13.38 12.84 12.84 12.7 12.8 4,900 62,644 17.5 17.54 17.24 17.5 17.22 17.5 766,200 13,333,418 CENTURY FOOD 8.82 8.87 9 9 8.7 8.82 465,600 4,108,130 DEL MONTE DNL INDUS 7.32 7.35 7.36 7.4 7.32 7.32 326,600 2,404,801 10.22 10.24 10.28 10.28 10.08 10.24 236,000 2,405,282 EMPERADOR 62 62.6 60 63.45 60 62 33,000 2,037,055.50 SMC FOODANDBEV 0.6 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 0.61 669,000 408,090 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.37 1.38 1.4 1.4 1.35 1.37 11,604,000 15,874,100 50.2 50.5 51 51 50.5 50.5 16,960 859,545 GINEBRA JOLLIBEE 185.6 185.8 186 186.4 184.9 185.6 563,230 104,601,764 29.05 31.6 30 30 30 30 2,900 87,000 LIBERTY FLOUR MACAY HLDG 6.82 7.94 7.96 7.96 7.94 7.94 600 4,770 MAXS GROUP 5.96 5.97 5.79 6.14 5.75 5.97 117,200 697,983 MG HLDG 0.315 0.325 0.3 0.33 0.3 0.315 8,750,000 2,771,950 SHAKEYS PIZZA 6.88 6.9 6.9 6.91 6.86 6.9 309,900 2,137,617 ROXAS AND CO 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.05 1.03 1.03 940,000 977,760 RFM CORP 4.68 4.79 4.79 4.79 4.79 4.79 1,000 4,790 ROXAS HLDG 1.44 1.48 1.44 1.48 1.43 1.48 18,000 26,140 SWIFT FOODS 0.143 0.144 0.138 0.145 0.138 0.143 34,580,000 4,891,390 UNIV ROBINA 126.4 126.5 126.3 128 125.2 126.5 887,320 112,515,811 VITARICH 0.8 0.81 0.8 0.82 0.8 0.8 1,065,000 857,320 VICTORIAS 2.19 2.2 2.19 2.19 2.19 2.19 30,000 65,700 CONCRETE A 51.2 52.5 51.2 51.2 51.2 51.2 90 4,608 CONCRETE B 55.45 58 58 58 57.95 58 550 31,894 CEMEX HLDG 1.16 1.17 1.16 1.19 1.13 1.17 2,682,000 3,141,610 DAVINCI CAPITAL 3.08 3.09 3.1 3.14 3.07 3.08 6,476,000 20,096,090 EAGLE CEMENT 11 11.22 10.6 11.28 10.6 11.22 12,800 137,836 7.6 7.8 7.9 7.9 7.5 7.62 37,100 281,721 EEI CORP 5.48 5.55 5.55 5.57 5.3 5.55 161,900 886,384 HOLCIM 6.25 6.28 6.2 6.4 6.2 6.25 708,600 4,465,189 MEGAWIDE 11.86 12.16 12.18 12.2 11.86 12.16 81,200 976,806 PHINMA 1.13 1.16 1.15 1.15 1.12 1.13 273,000 310,360 TKC METALS VULCAN INDL 2.25 2.26 2.06 2.33 2.06 2.25 17,879,000 39,895,210 2.11 2.13 2.08 2.14 2.03 2.13 2,567,000 5,401,200 CROWN ASIA EUROMED 2 2.03 2.1 2.1 1.95 2 108,000 214,750 4.4 4.44 4.4 4.46 4.31 4.44 45,000 198,050 MABUHAY VINYL PRYCE CORP 5.29 5.3 5.35 5.4 5.3 5.3 75,500 404,295 CONCEPCION 20.55 21.45 20.45 21.45 20.45 21.45 1,900 40,255 GREENERGY 3.98 4 3.99 4.09 3.91 4 14,989,000 59,901,290 10.6 10.66 10.2 10.7 10.12 10.6 422,500 4,439,552 INTEGRATED MICR 1.14 1.15 1.14 1.14 1.12 1.14 159,000 181,020 IONICS 5.57 5.89 5.56 5.61 5.56 5.61 3,100 17,291 PANASONIC SFA SEMICON 1.32 1.33 1.33 1.35 1.3 1.33 786,000 1,035,480 CIRTEK HLDG 5.87 5.9 5.9 6 5.85 5.87 975,100 5,775,010

20,739,836 -24,208,345 96,720 4,959,560 -32,716 291,522 -2,555,336 62,200 -136,890 -20,880 -916,500 -122,530 11,520 -723,694 1,318,702 -1,250,858 -288,098.50 133,190 40,336,013 -42,685 39,200 -1,919,186 -35,310 -471,220 -50,596,841 65,700 -725,590 -1,237,040 -72,216 -162,867 -182,562 -1,893,272 -13,420 859,840 3,920 499,900 -249,872.00 1,140 156,200 -482,338

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 1.07 1.08 1.16 1.22 1.07 1.08 111,803,000 126,855,140 ASIABEST GROUP 6.81 7.09 7.1 7.1 7 7.09 2,100 14,729 AYALA CORP 755 770 757 773.5 755 755 169,770 129,947,995 ABOITIZ EQUITY 37.25 37.3 36.5 37.3 36.45 37.25 2,013,800 74,845,920 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 10.62 10.68 10.18 10.68 10.16 10.68 1,514,900 15,972,864 AYALA LAND LOG 2.92 2.95 3 3.02 2.92 2.92 545,000 1,632,520 ANSCOR 6.46 6.48 6.61 6.61 6.48 6.48 7,200 46,720 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.71 0.72 0.7 0.72 0.7 0.71 658,000 465,530 ATN HLDG A 0.82 0.83 0.83 0.85 0.81 0.83 1,796,000 1,470,510 ATN HLDG B 0.82 0.83 0.83 0.87 0.83 0.83 45,000 37,990 COSCO CAPITAL 5.24 5.25 5.2 5.29 5.2 5.25 267,100 1,401,753 DMCI HLDG 5.2 5.22 5.19 5.22 5.15 5.2 2,642,500 13,731,336 FILINVEST DEV 8.22 8.5 8.5 8.7 8.2 8.7 12,000 98,950 GT CAPITAL 525 531 522.5 533 522 531 72,220 38,145,620 HOUSE OF INV 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 44,000 154,000 60.85 61.15 60.3 61.25 60.05 60.85 1,491,500 90,788,093.50 JG SUMMIT 1.17 1.18 1.2 1.22 1.16 1.18 3,352,000 3,997,710 LODESTAR 3.51 3.67 3.35 3.51 3.3 3.51 232,000 796,760 LOPEZ HLDG 13.48 13.5 13.06 13.48 13.06 13.48 1,035,900 13,799,888 LT GROUP 0.48 0.51 0.48 0.485 0.48 0.485 160,000 77,350 MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV 3.93 3.94 3.88 3.97 3.86 3.93 14,231,000 55,720,650 3.5 3.78 3.35 3.92 3.35 3.8 41,000 150,580 PACIFICA HLDG 3.23 3.24 3.7 3.92 3.13 3.23 78,804,000 272,433,730 PRIME MEDIA 2.4 2.49 2.5 2.5 2.49 2.49 2,000 4,990 REPUBLIC GLASS SOLID GROUP 1.25 1.29 1.25 1.29 1.25 1.29 52,000 66,440 SYNERGY GRID 353 360 349.8 360 349.8 360 1,700 600,880 SM INVESTMENTS 987 999 1,006 1,017 987 987 269,000 268,324,920 120.4 120.7 117.6 120.9 117.5 120.7 50,690 6,067,750 SAN MIGUEL CORP 0.71 0.73 0.71 0.74 0.7 0.71 134,000 95,100 SOC RESOURCES TOP FRONTIER 135.9 143 135.6 143 135.6 143 507,220 70,527,852 WELLEX INDUS 0.238 0.249 0.236 0.236 0.236 0.236 320,000 75,520 ZEUS HLDG 0.2 0.21 0.21 0.215 0.21 0.21 1,700,000 359,150

461,180.00 41,689,045 -7,900,830 -3,213,768 59,500 -3,265 73,500 -1,059,488 -6,850,665 -11,530 5,924,865 -70,000 -47,349,691 -29,500 -178,840 -5,281,614 -15,937,880 7,700 -383,750 -114,120,660 -242,445 -167,068 -

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.61 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.61 0.63 1,114,000 681,990 AYALA LAND 36 36.4 35.65 36.75 35.35 36 8,668,200 313,756,845 AREIT RT 33.05 33.2 32.85 33.5 32.8 33.05 1,325,200 43,774,730 BELLE CORP 1.43 1.46 1.46 1.47 1.43 1.43 991,000 1,435,020 A BROWN 0.88 0.89 0.89 0.9 0.87 0.88 340,000 299,840 CITYLAND DEVT 0.82 0.84 0.79 0.86 0.79 0.82 1,777,000 1,445,630 CROWN EQUITIES 0.135 0.136 0.136 0.136 0.135 0.136 320,000 43,510 CEB LANDMASTERS 5.47 5.53 5.58 5.58 5.45 5.53 487,200 2,678,665 CENTURY PROP 0.39 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.395 0.4 820,000 327,000 CYBER BAY 0.33 0.34 0.33 0.34 0.33 0.33 360,000 120,300 DOUBLEDRAGON 13.78 13.8 13.4 14 13.32 13.8 1,925,400 26,423,276 DM WENCESLAO 7.1 7.15 6.88 7.5 6.88 7.15 135,400 953,587 EMPIRE EAST 0.285 0.29 0.28 0.29 0.28 0.29 250,000 72,200 EVER GOTESCO 0.089 0.09 0.088 0.09 0.087 0.09 1,030,000 92,420 FILINVEST LAND 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.18 1.16 1.17 5,241,000 6,131,440 0.87 0.88 0.82 0.87 0.8 0.87 103,000 87,790 GLOBAL ESTATE 7.02 7.15 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.2 200 1,440 8990 HLDG PHIL INFRADEV 1.42 1.43 1.41 1.44 1.4 1.43 806,000 1,143,770 1.27 1.29 1.1 1.58 1.1 1.29 50,159,000 67,558,200 CITY AND LAND 3.46 3.5 3.48 3.51 3.42 3.5 15,617,000 54,382,430 MEGAWORLD 0.395 0.4 0.385 0.42 0.38 0.395 80,940,000 32,659,050 MRC ALLIED 0.485 0.49 0.435 0.49 0.405 0.485 29,110,000 13,313,650 PHIL ESTATES 1.57 1.58 1.53 1.6 1.47 1.58 1,433,000 2,248,440 PRIMEX CORP 18.24 18.26 18.48 18.52 18.1 18.26 2,304,700 42,221,592 ROBINSONS LAND 0.275 0.28 0.255 0.28 0.25 0.28 2,080,000 561,300 PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL 1.44 1.46 1.45 1.45 1.42 1.45 760,000 1,100,580 2.68 2.71 2.68 2.71 2.68 2.71 32,000 86,360 SHANG PROP 2.4 2.41 2.28 2.4 2.28 2.4 3,267,000 7,601,260 STA LUCIA LAND 35.65 36.3 35.1 36.4 35.1 36.3 4,412,900 158,813,720 SM PRIME HLDG VISTAMALLS 3.72 3.87 3.88 3.88 3.87 3.87 4,000 15,510 SUNTRUST HOME 1.57 1.59 1.48 1.67 1.48 1.59 551,000 867,080 VISTA LAND 3.98 3.99 3.98 3.99 3.94 3.98 566,000 2,247,860

-56,378,200 -32,652,630 -508,110 -40,090 -27,045 -40,000 -16,500 -654,260 818,350 870 -25,550 -1,071,190 -38,849,240 1,165,550 101,700 1,101,820 -11,429,284 -333,050 86,360 -250,800 -11,228,240 -30,390 599,600

SERVICES ABS CBN 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.4 11.06 11.3 70,100 782,912 GMA NETWORK 7.01 7.05 6.99 7.07 6.92 7.05 303,500 2,128,249 MANILA BULLETIN 0.44 0.46 0.45 0.46 0.435 0.46 100,000 44,350 MLA BRDCASTING 10.2 11 10.8 11.2 10.8 11 2,000 21,980 GLOBE TELECOM 1,940 1,957 1,978 1,978 1,940 1,940 21,950 42,830,710 PLDT 1,290 1,318 1,310 1,320 1,276 1,290 161,895 211,167,385 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.191 0.192 0.195 0.197 0.185 0.192 376,130,000 72,180,360 CONVERGE 17.78 17.8 17.42 17.78 17.3 17.78 3,245,500 57,123,606 DFNN INC 3.9 3.93 3.85 3.94 3.83 3.93 141,000 546,480 DITO CME HLDG 10.5 10.52 11 11.24 10.44 10.52 49,209,500 534,809,394 IMPERIAL 1.57 1.61 1.57 1.62 1.56 1.61 122,000 191,840 JACKSTONES 1.96 2.07 1.97 2.1 1.95 1.96 71,000 143,440 NOW CORP 2.7 2.73 2.68 2.8 2.65 2.7 1,292,000 3,505,280 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.47 0.475 0.47 0.485 0.46 0.47 21,600,000 10,168,500 PHILWEB 2.62 2.65 2.67 2.7 2.62 2.62 216,000 570,260 9.6 9.65 10.1 10.5 9.49 9.65 460,300 4,602,779 2GO GROUP 3.56 3.6 3.56 3.62 3.51 3.56 1,107,000 3,957,140 CHELSEA 45.35 45.4 43.9 45.8 43.9 45.4 500,700 22,668,695 CEBU AIR 126.5 126.9 127.8 127.8 125.2 126.5 1,063,550 134,964,940 INTL CONTAINER 16.54 17 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 1,300 21,710 LBC EXPRESS LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.99 1.07 0.99 1.08 0.99 1.07 31,000 32,390 MACROASIA 4.9 4.95 4.92 5 4.86 4.9 945,000 4,654,170 2.44 2.48 2.37 2.6 2.37 2.44 420,000 1,027,300 METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B 2.38 2.85 2.32 2.92 2.31 2.65 8,000 20,070 PAL HLDG 6.1 6.14 6.13 6.15 6 6.15 9,300 56,551 HARBOR STAR 1.2 1.22 1.16 1.24 1.14 1.22 733,000 870,040 0.092 0.093 0.089 0.094 0.086 0.092 688,110,000 62,363,240 BOULEVARD HLDG 4.98 4.99 4.95 5.15 4.95 4.98 283,800 1,415,316 DISCOVERY WORLD 0.5 0.51 0.49 0.51 0.49 0.51 3,222,000 1,590,595 WATERFRONT FAR EASTERN U 580 590 580 580 580 580 290 168,200 STI HLDG 0.37 0.375 0.37 0.375 0.37 0.37 1,010,000 374,050 BERJAYA 4.5 4.58 4.57 4.57 4.57 4.57 2,000 9,140 BLOOMBERRY 6.93 6.99 6.89 7.3 6.89 6.99 14,519,600 102,034,683 PACIFIC ONLINE 1.98 2.07 2.07 2.07 2.07 2.07 1,000 2,070 LEISURE AND RES 1.69 1.7 1.71 1.75 1.67 1.7 117,000 202,100 MANILA JOCKEY 2.05 2.1 2.05 2.09 2.05 2.05 520,000 1,086,180 PH RESORTS GRP 2.16 2.17 2.1 2.17 2.06 2.16 2,128,000 4,547,440 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.4 0.405 0.395 0.405 0.39 0.4 520,000 207,550 PHIL RACING 6 6.5 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.2 176,700 1,095,540 ALLHOME 7.93 7.95 7.99 8 7.94 7.95 373,800 2,971,535 METRO RETAIL 1.28 1.3 1.26 1.31 1.25 1.3 538,000 688,630 PUREGOLD 36.15 36.2 35 36.7 34.95 36.2 6,462,500 234,038,760 ROBINSONS RTL 53.6 54 52.9 54 52.9 54 1,479,450 79,102,260.50 93 93.5 93 94.65 93 93.5 380 35,531.50 PHIL SEVEN CORP 1.21 1.22 1.24 1.24 1.2 1.21 1,147,000 1,391,820 SSI GROUP 17.5 17.8 17.5 17.8 17 17.8 484,600 8,509,990 WILCON DEPOT 0.385 0.39 0.4 0.4 0.39 0.39 660,000 258,950 APC GROUP EASYCALL 7 7.15 7.21 7.21 7.18 7.18 11,200 80,683 GOLDEN MV 431 450 450 450 450 450 170 76,500 5.05 5.09 5 5.09 5 5.09 7,000 35,180 IPM HLDG PAXYS 2.24 2.37 2.24 2.24 2.24 2.24 3,000 6,720 PRMIERE HORIZON 2.26 2.27 2.19 2.28 2.17 2.26 31,637,000 71,043,060 4.2 4.72 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1,000 4,200 SBS PHIL CORP

-11,206,330 -48,167,665 83,250 9,899,466 244,760 -27,988,644 -8,330 -11,590 -157,850 22,223 42,750 8,680,445 -20,710,270 171,960 -93,480 2,091,020 4,990 -185,000 85,772,543 -15,060 20,000 -1,095,540 -556,506 -99,470 15,289,135 -7,158,917.50 -27,115 201,480 3,550,680 -4,500 1,651,750.00 -

MINING & OIL ATOK 8.32 8.4 9.4 10.3 8.32 8.4 3,833,700 35,305,502 -501,144 APEX MINING 1.46 1.47 1.42 1.47 1.42 1.46 635,000 920,990 74,260 ATLAS MINING 6.31 6.32 6.32 6.33 6.3 6.31 344,100 2,172,029 53,740 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.29 0.3 0.29 0.29 0.29 0.29 10,000 2,900 CENTURY PEAK 2.75 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.8 20,000 55,000 55,000 DIZON MINES 9.2 10 10 10 10 10 500 5,000 FERRONICKEL 2.45 2.46 2.4 2.48 2.4 2.45 1,924,000 4,707,960 -868,950 GEOGRACE 0.375 0.38 0.365 0.385 0.365 0.38 1,170,000 442,950 LEPANTO A 0.134 0.135 0.133 0.136 0.133 0.135 29,040,000 3,869,160 LEPANTO B 0.134 0.139 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.14 10,000 1,400 MANILA MINING A 0.0098 0.0099 0.0097 0.0099 0.0097 0.0099 32,000,000 312,500 MANILA MINING B 0.0096 0.0099 0.0095 0.0096 0.0095 0.0096 15,000,000 143,000 MARCVENTURES 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.3 1.22 1.23 946,000 1,180,530 640 NIHAO 2 2.05 2.21 2.21 2.05 2.05 112,000 232,700 5.42 5.43 5.29 5.48 5.2 5.43 7,926,000 42,494,976 9,234,295 NICKEL ASIA 0.395 0.44 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 120,000 48,000 OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA 0.86 0.87 0.84 0.89 0.84 0.87 578,000 504,900 PX MINING 4.7 4.75 4.8 4.8 4.65 4.71 271,000 1,280,030 -42,930 11.94 11.98 11.96 12 11.9 11.94 1,047,700 12,530,764 -3,491,424 SEMIRARA MINING 0.0083 0.0085 0.0083 0.0084 0.0082 0.0083 25,000,000 208,300 UNITED PARAGON ACE ENEXOR 23.3 23.5 23 23.95 22.9 23.5 213,200 4,952,545 -103,130 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 115,000,000 1,268,200 ORNTL PETROL A PHILODRILL 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.012 0.011 0.011 126,700,000 1,427,000 -7,700 8.62 8.79 8.7 8.85 8.59 8.62 358,300 3,097,443 95,945 PXP ENERGY

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF B 100.1 101 101 101 101 101 570 57,570 ALCO PREF B 101.2 102 102 102 102 102 100 10,200 CPG PREF A 102 103 102 102 102 102 1,120 114,240 DD PREF 101.7 102.1 101.6 102.1 101.6 102.1 8,260 840,374 FGEN PREF G 106.3 108.9 106.3 106.3 106.3 106.3 19,040 2,023,952 GLO PREF P 504.5 505 504.5 504.5 504.5 504.5 12,000 6,054,000 GTCAP PREF A 1,004 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020 5 5,100 GTCAP PREF B 1,040 1,045 1,038 1,040 1,038 1,040 48,550 50,490,000 37,835,200 MWIDE PREF 100 100.1 100 100 99.85 100 31,900 3,188,065 PNX PREF 3B 105 107 107 107 107 107 80 8,560 PNX PREF 4 1,005 1,008 1,005 1,005 1,005 1,005 50 50,250 PCOR PREF 2B 1,011 1,012 1,012 1,012 1,012 1,012 305 308,660 PCOR PREF 3A 1,101 1,115 1,100 1,115 1,100 1,115 115 128,075 SMC PREF 2C 79 79.45 79.45 79.45 79 79 1,030 81,563.50 SMC PREF 2E 76.05 77.8 75.8 76.05 75.8 76.05 12,810 971,798 -304,000 78 78.9 77.5 78 77.5 78 236,200 18,306,300 SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H 76.8 78.5 77 77 76.8 76.8 743,310 57,234,208 SMC PREF 2I 78.95 79 78.95 78.95 78.95 78.95 1,110 87,634.50 SMC PREF 2J 76.25 76.6 76.6 76.6 76.6 76.6 10 766 SMC PREF 2K 76.2 76.7 76.25 76.25 76.25 76.25 1,500 114,375 -

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 10.52 11.4 10.52 10.54 10.52 10.52 33,300 350,322 -297,722 GMA HLDG PDR 6.71 6.92 6.71 6.92 6.71 6.92 68,500 473,476 -

WARRANTS LR WARRANT 2.17 2.18 2.06 2.44 2.05 2.18 39,458,000 89,423,790 57,580.00

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 20.3 20.4 20.3 20.75 20.05 20.4 96,200 1,968,810 4,050 ITALPINAS 2.54 2.58 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.54 1,332,000 3,419,820 2,259,340 KEPWEALTH 5.27 5.48 5.27 5.28 5.27 5.27 23,600 124,500 MAKATI FINANCE 2.53 2.67 2.53 2.54 2.53 2.54 6,000 15,200 MERRYMART 5.03 5.04 4.94 5.17 4.94 5.03 14,328,000 72,381,960 1,956,480

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

FIRST METRO ETF 99.95 101.4 99.9 101.8 99.55 99.95 30,240 3,038,669 -622,549

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Gas business pulls down First Gen earnings in 2020

By Lenie Lectura

F

@llectura

irst Gen Corp. of the Lopez Group posted P13.7 billion in net earnings last year, down 7 percent from the previous year’s P15.4 billion.

This was brought about by a 7-percent decrease in the earnings of its gas business for the year to P9.3 billion (US$187 million) from P10.4 billion in 2019.

The performance of its gas platform was affected by the unplanned outage of the 420 MW San Gabriel power plant. Also, the 100 MW Avion natural gas-fired power plant was affected by low spot market prices, although slightly offset by fresh earnings from the start of its ancil-

lary service contract in June 2020.

From a recurring attributable net income to parent of P10.1 billion in 2019, the gas platform generated P9.2 billion for 2020.

The Energy Development Corp.

(EDC) posted a lower recurring attributable net income to parent of P4.5 billion for the year, while it generated P5.1 billion in 2019, still due to lower power demand.

The hydro platform’s attributable earnings contribution fell by

90 percent, mainly due to lower prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), though mildly offset by higher ancillary service sales.

First Gen’s recurring net income attributable to equity holders stood at P12.6 billion last year, 11 percent lower than the 2019 due mainly to lower electricity sales across all platforms.

First Gen’s consolidated revenues from the sale of electricity declined to P91.2 billion last year, compared to P111.8 billion in 2019.

“All of the company’s platforms were affected by the decline in demand brought by the pandemic that resulted in lower power prices,” it said.

The natural gas portfolio accounted for 59 percent of First Gen’s total consolidated revenues. EDC’s geothermal, wind, and solar revenues

accounted for 38 percent of First Gen’s total consolidated revenues in 2020. The hydro plants accounted for 2 percent of First Gen’s total consolidated revenues.

The company is still optimistic that this year will turn out better than 2020.

“While we are grateful that First Gen was marginally affected by the decline in power demand resulting from the pandemic, we are still looking forward to a better 2021.

Not only do we expect the country to climb its way up to recovery, but we are also preparing for this by, among other things, commencing the construction of the country’s first LNG terminal next month which puts the Company in a good position for expanding its gas portfolio especially after the recent DOE coal moratorium,” First Gen President and COO Francis Giles B. Puno said.

Abacore to acquire Libertad Logistics

By VG Cabuag @villygc

T

he board of Abacore Capital Holdings Inc. has approved the acquisition of Libertad Logistics Integrated Zone Builders Development Corp., which Abacore will purchase at a discounted price.

The said deal will be made via merger or consolidation under a tax-free exchange, which followed the National Internal Revenue Code, according to Abacore.

Libertad currently owns prime properties contiguous to the Port of Batangas. The property is valued at at least P6.5 billion or at a price of P23,600 per square meter as appraised by an independent appraiser as of March 16.

“The property is located in an area where land development is of mixed use, specifically, residential, industrial, commercial and institutional,” the company said in its disclosure, quoting the report.

Shares of Abacore were halted for trading for an hour on Thursday.

Abacore is buying Libertad and the land that it owns at P20,000 per square meter, the company said in its disclosure.

“Abacore likewise authorized management to negotiate, enter and finalize joint venture agreements and partnerships with qualified developers, and operators for the operations of a logistics center, food terminal, grains silo, blast freezing facility, warehouses and other facilities allied to the Batangas Port project where the Libertad property is located,” it said.

Abacore, which started as a mining company and is now a holding firm, owns a controlling interest in companies engaged in financial services, real estate, gold mining and coal mining.

The company has a 4.89-percent stake in Pacific Online Systems Corp., a company that holds an exclusive right to lease online lottery equipment for the lotto operations of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in Visayas and Mindanao.

It also owns a 100-percent con-

Citicore unit taps Chinese firm for hydropower project

R

io Norte Hydropower Corp.

(RNHC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Citicore Power Inc., has tapped Chinese firm Xian Electric Engineering Co. Ltd. as its EPC (Engineering, Construction and Procurement) contractor for its 19.7-megawatt (MW) run-of-river hydropower project in Isabela.

The signing of the EPC contract last week marked the start of the full construction of the Ilaguen 3A hydropower project, which is targeted to be on stream by October 2024.

“Moving forward, Citicore and Xian Electric will expand and deepen cooperation, enhance organization and management of the project to ensure steady progress.

I hope this power plant project will be a benchmark of high-quality standard and a success wherein both parties will be proud of their combined achievement, that will be recognized by all of the stakeholders of both companies,” said Citicore Chairman Edgar Saavedra.

The hydropower project will help Citicore achieve its target to produce 1,000MW capacity from renewable energy sources in the next five years.

The run-of-river power generation is considered one of the most environment-friendly energy meth-

ods available as it harnesses the natural flow of water to generate electricity.

“We felt honored to be granted the EPC contract. We are optimistic that we will deliver this project with very high standard and carry out the construction as planned to help Citicore and the Philippines’ drive to energy reliability and security,” said Xian Electric Deputy General Manager Liu Zhaohua.

Located in Barangay San Miguel, Echague, Isabela, the hydropower plant project is a welcome development in the community as it expected to bring down the cost of the electricity as well as generate a host of beneficial programs.

This hydropower project is expected to supply 85 million kilowatts of energy per year to the cities of Cauayan and Santiago including the municipalities of Alicia, Angadanan, Cabatuan, Cordon, Echague, Jones, Luna, Ramon, Reina Mercedes, San Agustin, San Guillermo, San Isidro and San Mateo.

Moreover, the company has already undertaken the development of the eco-tourism and farm-tomarket road and several community programs in the area prior to construction. Lenie Lectura

trolling interest in Philippine Regional Investment Development Corp., which is mostly engaged in arranging project financing for a variety of real estate, logistics and infrastructure projects.

The company’s real estate activities are lodged mainly under its in-

mutual funds

direct subsidiary, Omnicor Industrial Estate and Realty Center Inc., a wholly-owned real estate subsidiary of Pride.

As for its mining business, it holds 102 gold mining claims in San Francisco and Rosario, Agusan Del Sur and Barobo, Surigao Del Sur. March 18, 2021

NAV One Year Three Year Five Year Y-T-D per share Return* Return Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a 210.7 18.35% -8.83% -3.56% -7.27% ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 1.2295 35.83% -8.68% 0.9% -6.36% ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 2.8903 20.21% -13.07% -5.66% -7.75% Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.7387 18% -8.79% n.a.

-8.11% First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.6579 4.41% n.a. n.a. -11.29% First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a 4.6022 20.38% -6.71% -2.53% -6.86% First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a,4 0.6673 11.98% -10.54% -7.5% -12.17% MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a 96.43 32.46% -6.47% n.a.

-5.41% PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a 43.2214 23.1% -7.12% -2.26% -7.74% Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 453.2 19.15% -7.01% -2.76% -7.32% Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d,5 1.0203 26.49% n.a. n.a.

-7.02% Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a 1.0945 19.17% -6.57% -1.8% -6.31% Philequity Fund, Inc. -a 32.3704 20.31% -6.57% -1.29% -6.9% Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8402 19.33% n.a. n.a.

-7.97% Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a 4.4245 23.54% -6.57% -1.53% -7.65% Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a 740.11 23.93% -6.47% -1.66% -7.68% Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a 0.6698 19.08% -10.45% -5.19% -6.83% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.352 18.08% -8.51% -3.05% -7.5% Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.8463 23.49% -6.79% -1.78% -7.78% United Fund, Inc. -a 3.1018 20.19% -5.82% -0.53% -6.54% Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c 99.3114 23.94% -6.28% -0.98% -7.66% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b $1.2786 60.43% 3.8% 9.38% 6.29% Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.7193 9.42% n.a.

2.78% 51.52% Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a 1.6325 16.28% -2.97% -1.2% -2.16% ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 2.1622 16.67% -3.17% -0.44% -5.39% First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.4974 12.54% -2.36% -1.27% -4.93% First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a,1 0.1878 5.56% n.a. n.a. -5.44% NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a 1.8994 9.48% -0.55% 0.76% -3.29% PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a 3.5656 13.33% -1.89% -0.43% -5.87% Philam Fund, Inc. -a 16.0045 13.06% -1.82% -0.41% -5.5% -2.73% Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a 2.0027 11.73% -0.34% -4.36% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.3948 11.28% -4.26% -1.48% -4.99% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.9494 13.33% n.a. n.a.

-7.16% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.8698 17.95% n.a. n.a.

-8.36% Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.8551 18.9% n.a. n.a.

-8.36% Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.8366 14.71% -5.22% -2.25% -5.76% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a $0.03781 1.26% 2.35% 1.24% -3.35% PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b $1.1392 26.2% 1.48% 5.46% -0.96% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.6019 35.85% 7.11% 8.63% 1.97% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a,3 $1.1945 17.4% 3.5% n.a.

-0.63% Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a 369.82 2.58% 3.11% 2.6% -0.34% ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.9051 -0.52% 0.63% 0.18% 0.25% Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a 3.2165 2.3% 4.15% 4.57% 0.06% Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a 2.2356 0.08% 2.04% 1.64% -2.63% First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.42 2.83% 3.04% 1.72% -1.35% 1.98% Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a 4.4331 1.78% 3.75% -4.35% Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a,6 1.3142 4.78% 4.2% 2.58% -0.53% Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9452 4.46% 4.19% 2.71% -1.4% Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a 1.0163 6.12% 3.84% 1.68% -2.47% Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1592 2.71% 4.51% 3% -1.46% Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7225 1.69% 3.77% 2.21% -1.85% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $481.29 2.32% 2.85% 2.44% -0.53% ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a Є219.38 0.73% 1.03% 1.22% 0.09% ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.1846 5.25% 1.95% 1.38% -7.48% First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0258 3.61% 1.33% 0.96% -3.01% PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b $1.0499 -0.62% 0.06% -0.59% -3.92% Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $2.4534 4.32% 3.96% 2.18% -3.24% Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a $0.0624235 4.06% 3.19% 2.2% 0.17% Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.1023 1.13% 1.81% 0.99% -3.76% Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 129.84 2.48% 3.23% 2.52% 0.02% First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0494 1.6% n.a. n.a.

0.12% Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.3001 2.14% 2.92% 2.59% 0.27% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.0548 1.5% 1.77% n.a.

0.23% Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d,7 1.2076 n.a. n.a. n.a. 6.91% Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -b,d,2 $0.99 10% n.a. n.a.

1.02%

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU).

1 - Launch date is September 28, 2019. 2 - Launch date is November 15, 2019. 3 - Adjusted due to stock dividend issuance last October 9, 2019.

4 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last October 12, 2018 (formerly, One Wealthy Nation Fund, Inc.). 5 - Launch date is December 09, 2019.

6 - Re-classified into a Bond Fund starting February 21, 2020 (Formerly a Money Market Fund). 7 - Launch date is July 6, 2020.

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

Banking &Finance BusinessMirror

Friday, March 19, 2021 B3

www.businessmirror.com.ph

First-time online buyers stimulate PHL e-commerce

T

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@Tyronepiad

HE accelerated digital shift has been a boon for the e-commerce sector as more Filipinos buy goods online for the first time via cashless payments, according to a study by financial service company Visa.

Dan Wolbert, Visa country manager for the Philippines and Guam, said in an online briefing last Thursday Filipino consumers have been adapting to the “new normal” by maximizing e-commerce platforms during lockdown measures. This is a conclusion based on Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes study.

“More Filipinos are using e-commerce for the first time to make purchases,” he said, noting that one of two respondents or 52 percent are shopping online through applications and websites for the first time. Meanwhile, 43 percent purchased via social media channels for the first time.

Nearly nine out of 10 consumers claimed they increased their online shopping activities through websites and apps while seven out of 10 Filipinos do their online shopping via social media channels.

More than 50 percent of Filipinos are buying at large online marketplaces, according to Visa’s poll. Majority or 61 percent of the respondents are purchasing goods from home-based businesses.

The study revealed as well that 34 percent of the Filipinos will still buy their necessities and other goods through e-commerce platforms even after the pandemic. “[We] see adoption of new consumer behaviors including more Filipinos using digital commerce platforms and helping to accelerate the usage of digital payments in the country,” Wolbert said.

The Visa official explained that increase in e-commerce purchases has resulted to surge in home delivery as well, as claimed by 67 percent of the respondents. Nearly nine out of 10 Filipinos are using home delivery services, the study added.

With more Filipinos buying items online, Wolbert observed that cash usage has decreased in the country. Over 50 percent of the respondents said they carry less cash in their wallets.

Cash usage also went down to five out of 10 from 7 out of 10 consumers prior to the pan-

demic. Wolbert said this is a trend seen across the Southeast Asian region.

Among the reasons for the decline in cash usage is that 73 percent of the respondents said they were using contactless payments instead via mobile wallets. Half of the respondents also said that there has been wider acceptance of cashless payments.

Three-fourths of the Filipinos surveyed believe that digital payments can help in containing the spread of Covid-19. Respondents also cited convenience, lower risk of theft and ability to track financial records as reasons behind supporting cashless payments.

“They [contactless payments] are increasingly adopted by the consumers, especially during the pandemic as they are more cautious of physical hygiene,” Wolbert said. “Contactless payments allow consumers to hold their cards in their hands, tap against the payment terminal without any physical interaction at the point of sale, which is making this a preferred payment option during the pandemic.”

Filipinos agreed that they can completely transact via contactless payment terminals for bills payment (81 percent), grocery shopping (71 percent) and overseas travel (68 percent).

With this, 66 percent said they have increased the use of contactless payments because of the lockdown measures amid the pandemic while 88 percent expressed interest to try this payment method.

The study was conducted in August and September last year through an online questionnaire. Respondents came from Manila, Cebu, Cavite, Quezon, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Davao del Sur, Pampanga, Negros Occidental, Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Baguio and Davao, among others.

Earlier this year, the Department of Trade and Industry said it aims to boost the contribution of the e-commerce industry to P1.2 trillion by 2022, which is equivalent to 5.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Grassroots and grasstops

I

as in the case of ASAE. T was the first time Mary Kate and Nate that my organization, presented several tools to the Philippine Council advance public policy adof Associations and Assovocacy and among them are ciation Executives (PCAAE), “grassroots and grasstops” the “association of associaAssociation World campaigns. tions,” has delved into the According to Call Hub, subject of public policy adOctavio Peralta an international telephony vocacy. It is not that we’re provider, grassroots advocacy involves getting not interested in the topic; it is just that we do ordinary citizens (or members, in the case of not have a body of knowledge on it yet. associations) to start powerful conversations So when an opportunity came to invite the around the issues they care about with their public policy advocacy officers of the Amerielected officials. By combining and channelcan Society of Association Executives (ASAE), ling many voices around a single issue, there is we enthusiastically organized right away a a better chance of getting leaders to sit up and webinar entitled, “Advancing Public Policy listen. These efforts often come in the form of Advocacy: The ASAE Experience.” Mary Kate rallies, patch-through calls and e-mails.

Cunningham, CAE, senior vice president for Grasstops advocacy involves enlisting the public policy, and Nate Fisher, manager of the help of individuals with personal connections public policy and political action committee of with the decision makers your association is tarASAE, shared their expertise and experience geting, e.g., political donors, current and former on the subject. leaders of the decision makers’ political party, Public policy advocacy by associations in the or other influential people. Grasstops advocates United States is commonplace and well-known. reach out to the targeted decision makers in a Many associations, in fact, are based in Washnumber of ways: in-person meetings, e-mails/ ington, DC, USA and surrounding areas so they letters and patch-through calls. can be close to legislators and policymakers.

Combining grassroots and grasstops advoPublic policy advocacy covers a wide range of cacy make sense when approaching an issue on activities that can influence decision-makers, as many fronts as possible. And while both ade.g., litigation, lobbying, and public education. vocacy campaign quality and quantity certainly It also includes capacity and relationship buildhave their advantages, the greatest impact can ing, networking and leadership development. be achieved when grassroots and grasstops adAssociations play an important role in the vocacy strategies are combined. development of public policy to promote an Postcript: The US government has recently informed, healthy and strong democratic soenacted the $1.9-trillion American Rescue Plan ciety. Whether they concern at-risk children, Act of 2021, a grand stimulus package to further individuals and families experiencing homelessprovide support to individuals, families, nonness or small businesses struggling during the profits and businesses to help mitigate COVIDpandemic, there are only few institutions closer 19’s devastating impact. ASAE participated on to the real problems of people and society than behalf of its members in the advocacy campaign associations. They can also be an essential bridge for this landmark legislation. between their members and policymakers such

B4

Friday, March 19, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

Relationships BusinessMirror

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Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

z

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: AJ Lee, 34; Bruce Willis, 66; Glenn Close, 74; Ursula Andress, 85.

Happy Birthday: Gather information. Sign up for courses that encourage personal growth, better health or mastering a skill that leads to a vocation that’s in demand. Think outside the box, and your hard work and innovative approach to survival will pay off. Let emotions and frustrations fuel your desire to be successful instead of turning you into a victim. Your numbers are 3, 13, 18, 20, 29, 26, 42.

a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Getting all worked up won’t solve anything. Take a deep breath, and consider what you can do to make a difference. Positive action is required if you want to move forward mentally, financially and emotionally. Offer peace and love, not discord. HHHH

b

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your best bet is to carry on with your responsibilities, regardless of what others decide to do. Today is about what you accomplish, not convincing others to do things your way. Tidy up business and focus on love, romance and personal improvements. HHH Sagana cookies

Sharon CattleyA Romero-Faude

Swiss-Pinay’s social enterprise lifts up coconut farmers

I

New way of meeting in person WITH work from home easing up and health protocols in place, it’s a good time to start small business meetings face-to-face at The Meeting Pods at SM Aura Premier.

A new coworking space in SM Aura Premier, The Meeting Pods provides customers a comfortable place to freely work in, or to have quick meetings and enjoy some coffee or food while working. The Meeting Pods allow anyone to stay, take a break, or conduct meetings for free.

This hub also has plugs to charge your mobile phones or laptops.

Customers can also enjoy three hours of free WiFi. Just scan your QR codes found on the tables.

The place has a safe layout following health protocols, plus reminders on the tables to clean as you go and throw the waste on the bins provided at the corners of the hub.

Visit The Meeting Pods located at the third level of SM Aura Premier.

’VE been an ardent user of coconut products for the longest time.

For one, coconut sugar is a great low-glycemic alternative to cane sugar—my father’s family has a history of diabetes, so cane sugar is a definite no-no. Coconut milk also makes a delightful addition to any curry dish or traditional Filipino food like kuhol (apple snails), kinilaw (ceviche in vinegar), and my favorite merienda snack: ginataang bilo-bilo (glutinous rice balls in coconut milk).

So when a friend said she was starting a local business selling coconut spread, I was curious. If there’s any upside at all in this Covid-19 pandemic, it’s that people are now keeping close attention to their diets, while many others are becoming entrepreneurial.

Manufactured in Manila from the extracted oil of coconuts harvested from the bountiful Southern Luzon countryside, Sagana Salted Coconut Spread makes a great addition to one’s healthy-foods pantry. I’ve used it as a substitute oneto-one, in place of butter in a few dishes like cookies and as palaman for pandesal, and use it when pan-frying steaks and other meaty dishes.

I had a quick e-mail interview recently with Sagana founder, Swiss-Filipina Sharon Cattleya Romero-Faude, who has worked in various jobs, such as business administration, education, communications and finance in Manila, Bangkok and Geneva. Sagana, however, is her first “social business venture with my sisters. Winning the 2014 Social Impact Start of Impact Hub Zurich opened the doors for me with the mentorship, knowledge and Swiss-European Union business community network I gained access to.”

She was brought up in the family business, which was mainly crafting gold jewelry and indigenous handicrafts for export.

“Looking back, it was an excellent foundation and exposure to resilience, social entrepreneurship and love for challenging work with high risks.”

COCO-RICH BUT CASH-POOR IN Geneva, where she now lives, Romero-Fraude said she founded Sagana in 2014, seeing the huge potential first of coconut sugar. She is now the sole distributor of the product in Switzerland.

Yet the Philippines, while being the second-largest coconut producing country in the world after Indonesia, has over 15 million coconut farmers who earn below $2 (P100) a day. “They suffer from chronic poverty; they are a dying breed. We are convinced that the strength and wealth of the Philippines lies in our agricultural sector, rural farming communities, and tapping our abundant and sustainable

natural resources.”

Sagana created a new product, the salted coconut spread, after Romero-Fraude noted that the global dairy-alternative market was projected to grow by 9.8 percent, compounded annually, to $25.12 billion by 2026 from $12.08 billion in 2018.

“There are problems to solve, gaps in the global market to fill, and business opportunities to take.”

As a female migrant setting up a social enterprise in Switzerland, Romero-Fraude said, “It took a lot of personal motivation, hard work and perserverance to overcome challenges in every phase of development.... We went through many hurdles to create a premium Swiss brand, Swiss-EUcompliant packaging, exporting and importing the products, understanding Europe’s multiculturalism, and doing business so we can access sophisticated, mature markets such as Switzerland.”

Why it’s healthy WHAT distinguishes Sagana Coconut Spread from other plant-based spreads is that it does not contain a blend of vegetable oils, and is non-hydrogenated, with zero trans fat.

Hydrogenated vegetable oil undergoes processing to enhance its taste, texture and shelf life, and it is this process that forms trans fats, which are bad for the health.

It is made from pure coconut oil, touted as a superfood, and high in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a unique type of fat that metabolizes faster into energy or turns into ketones, aiding in weight loss.

MCTs also boost healthy cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol, which promote digestion and improved metabolic health, and lowers risk of heart disease. This healthier alternative is further fortified with 35 percent Lauric Acid, which improves the immune system with its antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Aside from the healthy lifestyle consumers choose when we start using vegan butter, we also help support the poor coconut farmers and coconut-oil extractors.

Sagana’s sales target for the salted coconut spread is $100,000 in the first year. Romero-Fraude promises “more exciting products in the pipeline for the Philippines and the global market. Originally meant for export to Europe, we are very pleased that the Philippines is ready for such products now. 2021 is very promising, and together with our trusted business partners, we are eager to bring our vegan butter to the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast and East Asia in the next six to 18 months.”

Sagana Salted Coconut Spread (www.saganacoconut spread.com.ph) is available at select grocers and specialty food shops in Metro Manila. n

c

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Stretch your imagination, but don’t let gullibility be your downfall. Look for opportunities to show off what you have to offer without giving someone the chance to take over or steal your ideas. Protect and proceed, and progress will unfold. HHH

d

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Complete your responsibilities, and move on to pastimes that encourage you to relax and enjoy the people you love most. Refuse to let anyone back you into a corner or push you into an emotional argument. Invest in personal goals and physical appearance. HHH

e

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Associate with people who have as much to offer as you do.

Strive for equality at work, and don’t feel you have to pick up and follow someone you don’t agree with or like. Look for opportunities you can pursue alone. HHHH

f

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If you don’t like a situation you encounter, step away. Your happiness is up to you, so make a point to surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you. Invest time and money in yourself. HH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Learn all you can; follow a path that’s in your best interest. Use your skills to improve your lifestyle and your relationships with others. Home improvements should make your life better, not more stressful. HHHHH

h

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Think matters through and make changes that will help you put an end to uncertainty. It’s time to focus on what’s possible and look for creative ways to build a life that offers you peace of mind. Personal growth is favored. HHH

i

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Look at every angle. Don’t promise anything you cannot deliver. Refuse to let emotional manipulation dictate what you can do. Stick to a plan that works for you, regardless of what others want you to do. Choose moderation over excess. HHH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Stand up for your beliefs. Offer insight, hope and help to people who are open to turning over a new leaf. Walk away from emotionally draining situations, and bring about the changes that will encourage relationships with positive people. HHH

k

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Listen and learn. Don’t take part in conversations that will promote more harm than good. Positive suggestions and follow-up will make a statement about the kind of person you are and what you are willing to do. HHHHH

l

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Keep your mind on what’s important. Be responsible, and finish what you start. Keep your cool, and refuse to get into an argument. Putting your energy where it counts will bring you the highest return. HH Birthday Baby: You are forceful, impulsive and persuasive.

You are smart and persistent.

‘not so musical’ by alex rosen The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Fizzy drink 4 Like a stereotypical teen’s room 9 French pancake 14 Tribute in verse 15 Eschew a big wedding 16 Bed cover 17 Do a floor chore 18 Shakespearean sleepwalker (see letters 4 to 7 in this answer) 20 Make ready, for short 22 Like a bank account, vis-a-vis the stock market 23 Empire that treasured alpacas 24 Disoriented 26 Cozy place to stay 27 Elite English boarding school 28 Doubter 31 “How r u?” and others 33 Satisfied person (5 to 8) 36 ___ XING 39 Top-flight crew 40 Sixth col. on a cal., perhaps 41 Christmas plant 43 Kitten’s cry

4 “See? That proves it!” (6 to 9) 4 47 Cost of admission 48 Morose-looking 49 Bassoon relative 52 “Honest” prez 55 Spend time with People, say 56 Unable to decide 57 Apple’s apple and Red Lobster’s red lobster 59 Word before “blue” or “bean” 62 30 Rock costar (3 to 6) 65 Thumb in a fairy tale 66 Participate in, as a drawing 67 Singer Haggard 68 “...and the list goes on”: Abbr.

69 49-Across inserts 70 In its ___ (as a replacement) 71 Location of many schools?

DOWN 1 Splendor 2 Skunk’s defense 3 Love-starved cartoon skunk 4 Blanc who voiced 3-Down 5 Stretchy 6 Fizzy drink

7 Genre for Bond movies 8 Neighbor of Saudi Arabia 9 Public health agcy.

10 Red gems 11 Happening 12 Chain that sells dog food 13 Hawke of Hollywood 19 Golfer Palmer, to fans 21 Momma’s partner, maybe 25 Thwart 28 Phony 29 Duchess Middleton 30 Place to drink a flat white 32 Dr. Jekyll’s alter ego 34 ___ Robinson (The Graduate role) 35 Chasms 36 Meetings arranged by parents 37 “Do it or ___!”

38 Like blue hair 42 Singer Billy or Frank 45 Dominion 46 Wine in an Italian chicken dish 47 Engaged in swordplay 49 Playful river mammal 50 Carried, as by wind

1 Take the podium 5 53 Explosion sounds 54 Everglades bird 58 Fairy-tale villain 60 Yea or nay 61 Popular sing-along song that’s butchered in the starred answers?

63 Mos. and mos.

64 Marge’s neighbor Solution to Tuesday’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

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MAJOR WORK

THERE are rumors that an actress and her husband, who’s not in showbusiness, are no longer together. The marriage was already on the rocks prepandemic but they were able to work things out after they had no choice but be stuck with each other in quarantine. But now that people can travel again, it’s obvious that the wife couldn’t wait to get away from her husband. She even unfollowed him on social media for a few days but followed him again. Let’s hope it was just a lover’s quarrel and nothing serious. This girl deserves happiness after everything she has been through.

THE TRUTH

PEOPLE have always assumed that the actress and her actor ex BF broke up because she cheated on him with another actor. What reportedly happened is the actress learned that her then boyfriend and another actor had a brief interlude. The actor reportedly gave the actress’ ex a flashy car, which was what alerted her that something fishy was up. The actress reportedly confronted her then BF about her suspicions and while he did not admit anything, his “no comment” was, to her, very suspicious. What hurt her more was that the other actor was someone she considered a friend. He was even her leading man when she was very young.

GOOD RIDDANCE?

SO the starlet is being blamed for the break-up of another starlet and her BF, who comes from a popular showbiz and political clan. Starlet 1 has denied that she is involved with the guy in any way but no one will believe her because, for some reason, people see her as a flirt. What is reportedly true is that the actor had long wanted to split with his starlet, although it’s not clear for what reason. What’s clear is that she is well rid of him. He’s been heard telling people that the only reason he stayed with her was because of her popularity online and being with her helped his career.

FROM left: Shaira Diaz, Ruru Madrid and Arra San Agustin

Runaway bride gets haunted by her past on ‘I Can See You: On My Way to You’

FOLLOWING the highly successful airing of the anthology series’ first season last year, GMA answers the clamor of viewers and netizens as I Can See You returns for a second season with new and exciting stories headlined by the network’s brightest stars.

This March 22, witness how a woman’s journey to new beginnings teaches her how love works in mysterious ways in the new season’s opening salvo, I Can See You: On My Way to You. Set to bring romance and mystery are lead stars Ruru Madrid and Shaira Diaz.

Ruru, who breathes life into the character of Jerrick, reveals feeling challenged by his role in the series: “This is the first time na gumawa ako ng ganitong klaseng role and it was very hard kasi sobrang iksi lang ng time namin dito. Kailangan ko agad ma-build ’yung character ko and ’yung chemistry namin ni Shai and ng iba pang cast. But I am very excited na mapanood ng viewers ito. To be honest, kinilig din ako doon sa ‘kawa’ scene naming dalawa [ni Shaira].”

Shaira, who portrays the role of Raki, shares: “Ang gusto kong mapanood dito ng mga tao is ’yung journey ni Raki after niyang maging runaway bride, kung ano talaga ’yung naging rason ng pagtakbo niya. ’Yung character kasi ni Raki, marami siyang imagination so gusto kong dalhin ’yung audience sa ganoon. ’Yung story ni Raki itself, nakatulong siya sa akin so sana ma-feel din ng viewers ’yung naramdaman ng character ko.” On My Way to You also features the special participation of Richard Yap as George, Jerrick’s dad who loves to gamble but never gambled his heart again after losing his wife.

Joining the cast of this episode are Gil Cuerva, Malou de Guzman, Ashley Rivera and Arra San Agustin.

How do you escape from the ghost of your past if the thing that you ran away from comes back to you—only this time, with a mysterious person and in a different scenario?

This original series, created by the GMA Entertainment Group headed by SVP for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, and I Can See You: On My Way to You is under the helm of director Mark Reyes V. It airs weeknights beginning March 22, right after First Yaya on GMA.

• Friday, March 19, 2021

B5

Changing amid changes: News from the Tokyo International Film Festival

A very popular actor, who is doing a big project very soon, is having something major done on his face right now. So if you don’t see him in his shows and on social media, you know that he is still recuperating. We see nothing wrong with having cosmetic surgery, by the way. It’s just strange that he announced it to so many people and then asked them to keep quiet about it. At least 20 people were informed about the actor’s plans. For sure, some of those people talked about it. We’d love to know though, what did he have done. We’re guessing it’s his nose or maybe his jawline.

ON THE ROCKS

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

T

HERE is hope in our film industry. A communication from the organizers of the Tokyo International Film Festival arrived with much positivity. Used to the grim updates about the pandemic, the news from Tokyo was a pleasant surprise for its update about one of the most well-organized film concourses in Asia and the world. It was talking about changes.

With the caveat (“despite the continued challenges and uncertainties brought about by Covid-19”), the message said the Tokyo International Film Festival plans to go ahead with a hybrid edition of the 34th edition. To be held from October 30 through November 8, the news said preparations have begun for the gathering. For those who were fortunate enough last year, the TIFF responded to the threat of the pandemic with an online presentation and, where possible, a physical attendance.

According to the TIFF, the festival is aiming for a further leap forward in 2021, and has decided to take a number of innovative steps for the 34th edition.

There is the first major change, which is about location. The 34th TIFF will move its main venue to the Hibiya-Ginza area from Roppongi, which was the site of the main venue since 2004. The Hibiya-Ginza area is known for its long and renowned tradition as a cinema center; presently, it has abundant theaters and related facilities, such as hotels and restaurants.

In addition, the main venue of Tokyo Filmex is also

located in Hibiya. Tokyo Filmex is considered to have strengthened its ties with the TIFF from last year, and will be held concurrently this year as well. The new proximity of the two festivals will enable enhanced convenience for audiences to watch films at both.

Furthermore, the Asia Lounge Conversation Series copresented by the Japan Foundation Asia Center, which was launched last year as a place for filmmakers from around the world to gather and interact, is planned to be held in Hibiya again this year with the cooperation of the director Hirokazu Koreeda. The filmmaker is known for films, like Nobody Knows (2004) and After the Storm (2016). He has won the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for Shoplifters, among many other awards.

People are looking forward to the impact of this shift in venue, where it can be expected that the concurrent screenings at the TIFF and Tokyo Filmex, as well as the interaction of filmmakers at the Asia Lounge, will work together “organically” and with much viability.

For those interested, last year’s Asia Lounge sessions are available on TIFF’s YouTube channel.

The second change is in the reorganizing of the overall structure of sections as well as the approach to the competition. Once the re-evaluation is completed, the TIFF will make the appropriate announcement.

In a related development, changes are also happening in the leadership, with Shozo Ichiyama having been appointed TIFF programing director.

Yoshi Yatabe, who has overseen programming since 2004, will leave his role at the end of March.

Ichiyama was a programmer at the TIFF in the early days before he left to found Tokyo Filmex. He is also internationally known as a film producer, with an extensive overseas network. Under the present development, Ichiyama will resign from his position as programming director at Tokyo Filmex to devote himself to TIFF. A comment from Ichiyama underscores how “last year’s TIFF proved that a meaningful film festival

could be held under the various restrictions of Covid-19.”

The third change could be the most radical because it has to do with the TIFF committing itself to gender equality. As a background, it must be noted that in the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Collectif 50/50 launched a gender parity charter aimed at promoting gender equality and transparency in film festival selection committee members, film directors, cast and crew.

Last March 8, International Women’s Day, the TIFF signed the 5050x2020 pledge. The pledge has been signed by 156 film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin and Venice, but the TIFF becomes the first Asian film festival to sign the Gender Parity Pledge.

Given that this gender issue is taking place in Japanese society makes the change just a bit short of a social revolution. Perhaps, the gender parity may be difficult to have an immediate impact in the realm of social behavior, but cinema can provide at least a beginning for a new way of seeing the relations between women and men, between women and women, and women with the world. The free form of arts that fills the spirit of filmmaking is an impetuous if not compelling way to attempt to see the world evolve for the better and healthier, more vital interaction among the arts and artists of any gender.

On the level of leadership, the TIFF announced that Takeo Hisamatsu, who has been the festival director since the 30th TIFF (2017), will leave his role at the end of March and TIFF Chairman Hiroyasu Ando will continue in a leadership role.

A lovely footnote to these promises of change in the Tokyo International Film Festival is the fact that Kabuki-za Theater, the principal Tokyo Theater for kabuki, is located in the Hibiya-Ginza area. In my experience with the festival, it was always a delight when certain classic samurai films were traced as to its origin by having the original Kabuki play on which the cinema was based performed live at Kabuki-za for guests. This total presentation of art is, I believe, very Japanese. n

Cue the screams

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HE most popular young stars today—Seth Fedelin, Kyle Echarri, Francine Diaz and Andrea Brillantes, collectively known as The Gold Squad—are back on television. This time they occupy a prime-time slot in the new series that promises to give hope to viewers and comfort troubled hearts, Huwag Kang Mangamba.

It is similar to the previous blockbuster teleseryes of ABS-CBN, namely, May Bukas Pa, 100 Days to Heaven and Starla. Like those shows, the series aims to show how God’s miraculous love is found in the simplest of things and to remind people that they are never alone in going through life’s trials.

In Huwag Kang Mangamba, Andrea plays Mira, a blind orphan whose faith and trust in God gives her a positive outlook in life. Despite her situation, Mira travels to the town of Hermoso to search for her mother. Joy (Francine), on the other hand, is a rebellious daughter who has completely lost faith in God due to her personal pains and longing for her family’s love.

The two cross paths when Joy accidentally runs over Mira after running away from her family. Both

of them escape death and are immediately brought back to life by a miracle caused by God in order for them to fulfill His mission of rebuilding the church in Hermoso.

As Mira and Joy try to settle their differences and work together, they will also have to restore the people’s faith in God since they refuse to believe in Him after experiencing endless hardships in their town. At the same time, Joy’s aunt Deborah (Eula Valdes), who is a prominent faith healer with a cult following, will add to the delusions and false hopes in Hermoso by claiming that she is the one who miraculously healed Joy. Will Mira and Joy be able to settle their differences in order to fulfill God’s mission? How will they make people believe in God when one of them refuses to believe in miracles?

Besides The Gold Squad, the cast also includes Sylvia Sanchez, Nonie Buencamino, Mylene Dizon, RK Bagatsing, Dominic Ochoa, Diether Ocampo, Enchong Dee, Angeline Quinto (who also sang the theme song penned by Fr. Manoling Francisco), Matet de Leon, Soliman Cruz, Mercedes Cabral, Paolo Gumabao, and Alyanna Angeles.

Huwag Kang Mangamba was created by Rondel Lindayag and Danica Domingo, under the direction of Emmanuel Q. Palo, Jerry Lopez Sineneng, and Darnel Villaflor.

Viewers will be able to catch the pilot episode on March 20 on the iWantTFC app and web site, and on March 22 at 8:40 pm after FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano on TV5 and the A2Z channel on free TV and via digital TV boxes like ABS-CBN TVplus. Digital TV box users can scan and look for A2Z channel in Metro Manila and in some parts of Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Bataan,

Batangas, Bulacan and Pampanga.

Viewers can also catch the show weekdays on cable and satellite TV via the Kapamilya Channel, the Kapamilya Online Live on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, and on The Filipino Channel on cable and IPTV.

QCinema now accepts submissions for 2021 short film competition THE search is on for QCinema International Film Festival’s new batch of entries for its short film competition. Each chosen film will receive a production grant worth P350,000 with ownership of film rights.

QCinema, which has been recently voted as the best local film festival in the country by local film reviewers, and is regarded as one of the leading international film festivals in Southeast Asia, is now in its ninth year.

This year’s production grants have been increased to help local filmmakers abide by the increased safety protocols due to the pandemic. Filmmakers, at every stage of the production, must follow existing shooting guidelines like working hours, testing, and lock-in safety procedures. The

selected narrative concepts must be feasible to shoot under these conditions, with few locations and scaled-down number of talents and crew members.

To join, filmmakers should submit a completed #QCShorts online application form (www.qcinema.ph/ grants/2021/qcshorts) together with a short synopsis, treatment, full script in proper screenplay format, director’s statement, line item budget, and timeline. The line item budget must reflect the safety protocols. Also, the director’s profile with sample works and proposed cast and crew must be submitted. Logline is optional, but preferred. This grant is open to Filipino citizens, 18 years old and above. Proposed entries must be in the form of narrative fiction. Animated

entries will be accepted. The total running time of completed film output with opening and closing credits must not exceed 20 minutes.

Original literary sources, music materials, and film footages must have proper clearance from respective copyright owners before they can be used in any part of the movie.

The film must have its Philippine premiere in #QCinema2021. The rights for the final product belong to the filmmaker. Nonetheless, the Quezon City Film Development Commission, as the executive producer, reserves the right to screen it for the whole duration of #QCinema2021 and in other selected events after the festival screenings.

Kyle Echarri

B6 Friday, March 19, 2021

Novartis executive elected chair of PHL-Swiss Business Council

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OVARTIS Healthcare Philippines, Inc. Corporate Affairs Head, Ms. Christine Fajardo, has been elected Chairperson of the PhilippineSwiss Business Council (PSBC).

“I am privileged to serve as Chairperson of the PSBC for 2021. I have deep respect for what the officers and members of the Board of Directors have done in the past years. As such, I intend to follow through on their achievements,” said Ms. Fajardo.

Established in 2003 as a result of a cooperation agreement between the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Swiss Southeast Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC), the PSBC serves as a channel for initiating and facilitating business-related and networking activities to further the growth of trade and investment between the Philippines and Switzerland. It currently has 65 members of Swiss equity companies operating in the Philippines as well as Philippine companies who have business relations or are keen to pursue business with Switzerland.

According to Ms. Fajardo, the PSBC intends to reframe its purpose in order to better serve the needs of its members and community. “The council will provide a platform on which businesses operating in the country can tap markets in Switzerland. We will foster trade,

economic, and technical cooperation as well as tourism between the Philippines and Switzerland. In this new reality, the PSBC is committed to reconnecting with partners, and re-energizing our members to contribute in rebuilding our economy.”

“PSBC has been a reliable partner of the Swiss Embassy in the promotion of trade and investments with the Philippines, and with the election of Christine Fajardo, I am looking forward to a number of joint events and advocacy this year. I am also pleased to see more women executives active in the board, and with a renewed vision to re-energize the council, I think it will be a great year of meaningful collaborations. I look forward to working with Chris as the newly elected chair of PSBC. ,” said H.E. Alain Gaschen. Swiss Ambassador to the Philippines.

“We are very pleased with the election of Ms. Fajardo as the Novartis representative to a respected business organization such as the PSBC. Novartis is committed to being a responsible corporate citizen and to engage with a wide range of stakeholders who have a shared goal of contributing to the country’s socioeconomic development,” said Mr. Jugo Tsumura, President and Managing Director, Novartis Healthcare Philippines, Inc. Ms. Fajardo said that one of the

PSBC’s key priorities is supporting the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states composed of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Philippines and EFTA signed the FTA in Bern, Switzerland, on 28 April 2016. The EFTA-Philippines FTA entered into force on 1 June 2018 for the Philippines, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland and on 1 January 2020 for Iceland. The EFTA-Philippines FTA has been fully implemented since 24 October 2018.

“Through this FTA, the Philippines and EFTA member states can import and export goods without any tariff barriers or other non-tariff barriers to trade.

Essentially, it enables lower prices for consumers, increased exports, benefits from economies of scale and a greater choice of goods,” Ms. Fajardo explained.

As a broad-based agreement, the FTA covers trade in goods, trade in services, investment, competition, the protection of intellectual property rights, government procurement, and trade and sustainable development. In the area of trade in goods, EFTA abolishes all customs duties on industrial products as of the entry into force of the Agreement, whereas the Philippines will gradually lower or abolish its duties on the vast majority of such products.

Okada Manila Corporate Marketing and Communications win 2 inaugural awards at 18th IABC Philippine Quill lead; Regel Ymalay creative lead; Jeanne Barata, digital lead; and Donna Patricia Manio, PR & ESG and Quill Awards project lead.

The Philippine Quill is the country’s most prestigious awards program in the field of business communication. It honors exemplary communication research, programs, skills, and creative work. Each entry is evaluated using IABC’s highest global standard that measures and determines the finest, the sharpest and the brightest in the business communication industry among professionals.

Okada Manila’s inaugural Quill Awards come after the integrated resort’s recent verification from digital health leader Sharecare and Forbes Travel Guide’s second five star rating for Manila’s grand icon.

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SIA’S largest Forbes five-star ultra-luxury integrated resort’s Office for Corporate Marketing and Communications (CMC) won two honors at the International Business Communications Association’s (IABC) 18th Philippine Quill Awards. Among over 800 entries from various industries in the public and private sectors, two of Okada Manila’s communications campaigns were selected by the IABC’s esteemed panel of judges.

This year’s IABC Quill Awards is themed “ARISE: Communications that uplift.” Both winning entries from Okada Manila CMC are for Division 1, Communication Management, which covers projects, programs, and campaigns that are guided by a communication strategy. The winning entries are for Category 8, Customer Relations, COVID Communications: 3T (True Clean. True. Safe. True Heart.) Campaign and Category 14, Corporate Social Responsibility, COVID Communications: Play Your Part.

Okada Manila’s 3T (True clean. True safe. True heart.) Campaign communicates how Manila’s iconic integrated resort keeps its premises safe

for its guests and team members during the pandemic. Gleaned from the brand’s core values of “omotenashi” (true service) and “magokoro” (true heart), 3T aims to educate and inform guests and team members about all the measures Okada Manila is painstakingly taking to keep the resort virus-free while maintaining its five-star brand of service.

The integrated resort’s first communications campaign for CSR, “Play Your Part,” also highlights the brand’s core values through helping and empowering others during these trying times. With stories focused on providing aid for those in the forefront of battling COVID-19 (healthcare sector) and indigent communities, it also is a call to action for everyone to play their part. From carrying out and communicating CSR activities to sharing Okada Manila team members’ stories of volunteerism, “Play Your Part” underscores the importance of being a driving force for doing good.

The Okada Manila Philippine Quill CMC core team members are Joe Bert Lazarte, 3T concept lead; Diana Francis Vallada; Play Your Part concept

About Okada Manila:

TOUTED as Manila’s grand icon, the 44-hectare Okada Manila is known for its top tier facilities and services. Quickly gaining its popularity as a premier destination for hospitality and entertainment, the integrated resort has 993 exceptional accommodations ranging from 55-sqm deluxe rooms to 1,400-sqm villas complimented by extraordinary amenities such as the Retail Boulevard with its more than 50 shops, the one-of-a-kind Cove Manila nightclub and indoor beach club, The Gardens by Manila Bay, more than 21 dining options, a 3,000-sqm spa, and the world’s largest multi-color dancing and musical fountain.

It sets the new gold standard for fivestar luxury with its many distinct innovations that combine advanced technology, top-class amenities, environment-friendly architectural planning, and world class entertainment options, all delivered with the kind of exemplary service that personifies the unique blend of Japanese hospitality and Filipino warmth.

Summer plans made perfect with Pico Sands Hotel’s Break Free Package

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HE sandy shores of Pico de Loro Cove awaits! The stress of organizing the perfect summer getaway is no more with Pico Sands Hotel’s Break Free package, a fully planned two-night, threeday experience for a minimum of two or four in a group.

The Break Free package includes accommodations in Pico Sands Hotel, access to select sports and recreational activities, and a complete vacation itinerary personalized for your visit by a dedicated Events Specialist. With each activity meticulously planned, get the chance to explore the wide expanse of Pico de Loro Cove and immerse yourself in verdant nature on your much-deserved beach holiday.

In addition, you will also have fullcourse meals throughout your stay, starting with breakfast at the garden, private dining at the beach, a picnic at Santelmo Cove, and dinner under the stars. With a butler on standby, each meal highlights specific international and local cuisines, each menu personalized to provide you with a uniquely delightful dining experience.

On top of these, the package includes a

front row view of the stunning sunset on a cruise with cocktails.

Unwind amidst the captivating views of the surrounding nature, and undertake new adventures by booking this special package now! The offer is valid until June 30, 2021.

For inquiries and reservations, call +63 917 809 1289.

Sun Life Grepa receives One-Arrow from ACGS Golden awarding ceremony

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UN Life Grepa Financial, Inc. (Sun Life Grepa) was recently recognized in the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS) Awards organized by the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Sun Life Grepa was conferred with a One-Arrow Recognition during the ACGS Golden Arrow Awarding Ceremony held on February 19, 2021. The Golden Arrow Recognition is given to publicly-listed and insurance companies that earned a score of 80 points or higher which exemplifies sound corporate governance and responsible management practices.

“This award shows how we truly take corporate governance seriously. It shows

our commitment in helping build an environment of trust, transparency and accountability to our stakeholders which are all necessary for fostering financial stability and business integrity,” said Richard S. Lim, President of Sun Life Grepa. “This is yet another milestone for Sun Life Grepa as it continues to help Filipino achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. The increased pressure of the pandemic will not hinder us to effectively carry the business.”

Created by the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum, ACGS is an instrument for assessing and ranking publicly-listed and insurance companies in six participating ASEAN countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam in their commitment to sound corporate governance. Its rigorous methodology, benchmarked against international best practices, provides foreign investors with comparable information from which to base their investment decisionmaking process. The ACGS was launched in 2011 as one of the initiatives for the ASEAN economic integration.

Sun Life Grepa had previously received an ACGS award in 2018.

Rep. Villar: Urban gardening flourishes, ensures food security in Las Piñas City

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EPUTY Speaker and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar today said urban gardening is a viable means to promote a sustainable livelihood and an essential source of healthy food for the city's dwellers.

"We continue to empower our citizens through urban farming as we are actively promoting this as an alternative and additional source of livelihood especially for those affected by the pandemic. Not only do they have extra income but they also help ensure food security as they have an immediate solution to possible food shortages due to crisis," Villar said.

The lady lawmaker recently spoke about the importance of urban farming in an online forum during the celebration of the International Women's Day. She said she salutes Filipino women for leading their way toward becoming agrichampions and helping promote food security.

According to Villar, produce from urban

gardens make their way to local communities.

Urban gardening projects were established in Las Piñas in 2013 as part of the annual food festival showcasing the works of barangays, homeowners associations and schools in terms of farming and planting skills, landscaping, and design. The project has also evolved into income generation and source of fresh, safe, affordable and nutritious food.

During the pandemic, Villar distributed seeds and organic fertilizers to help Las Piñas residents establish their own backyard farms.

As one of the authors of House Bill No. 8385 or the proposed Integrated Urban Agriculture Act, Villar is advocating for urban farming to help families produce their own food.

Under the proposal, idle or abandoned lands, buildings and open spaces will be converted into urban gardens. It has been approved on third and final reading by the House in February 2021.

Sports BusinessMirror

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph / Editor: Jun Lomibao

TRAINING EDUCATION, DO MIX

Navarro airs confidence in Gilas cadet program

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ORMER Ateneo Blue Eagle William Navarro expressed confidence the all-cadet national team could do well in the third window of International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Asia Cup Qualifiers the country is hosting in June most likely at the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Pampanga.

“We can do it, we can beat them because we have a system in Gilas,” the 6-foot-4 Navarro told BusinessMirror on Thursday.

The Philippines will be playing powerhouse South Korean and Indonesia in the qualifier.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) opted to utilize the cadet team—and no longer a Philippine Basketball Association selection— for the Asia Cup qualifier and even the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia, from June 29 to July 4.

“We also want to show what we got as young guns, as individuals and as a team,” Navarro said. “We just have to learn the system by practicing hard.”

NorthPort picked Navarro at No. 2 at the Special Gilas Draft last Sunday. Also selected were Jordan Heading at No. 1 (Terrafirma), Tzaddy Rangel (NLEX) at No. 3 and Jaydee Tungcab (TNT Tropang Giga) at No. 4.

“My focus for at the moment is Gilas,” Navarro said.

All Gilas draftees would have to serve the national colors first before being released to their respective PBA teams.

Navarro is now at the Inspire Sports Academy bubble in Calamba, Laguna, along with Heading, Rangel, Tungcab, Justine Baltazar, Carl Tamayo, RJ Abarientos, naturalized player Ange Kouame, Dave Ildefonso, Dwight Ramos and Troy Malilin, Josh Lazaro, Jason Credo, Chris Koon, Lebron Lopez, Kyle Ong, Geo Chui, Sj Belangel and Gian Mamuyac.

They are under the watchful eyes of SBP training director Tab Baldwin, Jong Uichico, Caloy Garcia, Alton Lister, Boyet Fernandez, Sandy Arespachochaga, Gabby Severino and Sandro Soriano.

They re-entered the bubble only last Monday.

Josef Ramos

H HIDILYN DIAZ is deep into answering questions during an examination from her professors at College of Saint Benilde on Thursday.

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HE Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League (PBA D-League) will have to remain in the back seat until the pandemic smoke clears, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said.

And with the spike of Covid-19 cases in the past few days that prompted stricter health and safety measures, it looked like it would take longer to see the return of the PBA’s farm league.

“The D-League’s in a grey area, we still don’t have any plans yet [for resumption],” Marcial told BusinessMirror on Thursday.

The D-League is composed of 12 teams, 11 of which are amateur collegiate squads. The Joint Administrative Order group composed of the Department of Health, Games and Amusements Board and Philippine Sports Commission only allow professional sports to return to action in bubble environments.

“Collegiate teams are not yet allowed

Tokyo Olympics hit by another scandal over sexist comment

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OKYO—Tokyo Olympics creative director Hiroshi Sasaki is resigning after making demeaning comments about a well-known female celebrity.

It is yet another setback for the postponed Games and another involving comments about women. The Olympics are to open in just over four months, dogged by the pandemic, record costs, and numerous scandals.

In February, the president of the organizing committee Yoshiro Mori was forced to resign after making sexist comments, saying women talk too much in meetings.

Two years ago, the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee Tsunekazu Takeda

was also forced to step down in a bribery scandal connected to vote-buying involving International Olympic Committee members.

Sasaki was in charge of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympics, which are to begin on July 23. Last year he told planning staff members that well-known entertainer Naomi Watanabe could perform in the ceremony as an “Olympig.”

Watanabe is a heavy-set woman and very famous in Japan, and “Olympig” was a play on the word “Olympic.”

Sasaki released a statement early on Thursday saying he was stepping down. He said he had also called Seiko Hashimoto, the president of the organizing committee, and

Naomi Watanabe, a Japanese well-known entertainer, attends an event to promote the lottery application for tickets for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Tokyo in May 2019. AP

tendered his resignation.

“For Ms. Naomi Watanabe, my idea and comments are a big insult. And it is unforgivable,” Sasaki said. “I offer my deepest regrets and apologize from the depth of my heart to her, and those who may have been offended by this.”

“It is truly regrettable, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart,” he added.

Hashimoto, who replaced Mori, was scheduled to speak later on Thursday.

Sasaki formerly worked for the giant Japanese advertising company Dentsu Inc., which has been a key supporter of these Olympics. It is the official marketing partner and has helped to raise a record of $3.5 billion in local sponsorship, almost three times as much as any previous Olympics.

The torch relay for the Olympics kicks off next week from northeastern Japan and will be a severe test with 10,000 runners crisscrossing Japan for four months, heading to the opening ceremony and trying to avoid spreading Covid-19.

Organizers and the IOC insist the Olympics will go forward during the pandemic with 11,000 Olympic and 4,400 Paralympic athletes entering Japan. Official costs for Tokyo are $15.4 billion but several government audits show the real cost might be twice that much.

A University of Oxford study says Tokyo is the most expensive Olympics on record. AP

Woods recovers from car crash at Florida home

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IGER WOODS is back at home in Florida to resume his recovery from career-threatening leg injuries he suffered when his SUV ran off a road and down a hill in the Los Angeles suburbs last month.

“Happy to report that I am back home and continuing my recovery,” Woods said in a tweet posted Tuesday night. “I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received over the past few weeks.”

Woods was injured February 23, two days after the Genesis Invitational at Riviera. He was on his way to a television shoot for GolfTV a little after 7 a.m. when his SUV crashed into a median, rolled over and ended up on its side near a steep road known for wrecks, authorities aid. He had to be pulled out through the windshield.

He had a lengthy surgery that day at HarborUCLA Medical Center for shattered tibia and fibula bones of his lower right leg in multiple locations.

Those were stabilized with a rod in his tibia.

Additional injuries to the bones in his foot and ankle required screws and pins.

He was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for follow-up procedures.

Woods thanked the medical staff at both hospitals for taking care of him.

By Josef Ramos

IDILYN DIAZ begged off from being interviewed on Thursday afternoon, a rarity between the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics weightlifting silver medalist and the BusinessMirror.

It was OK. After all, Diaz—still embedded in Jasin in Malacca, Malaysia, training for the Tokyo Olympics—was deep into a battery of online examinations from her professors at the College of Saint Benilde in Manila.

“I’m very sorry, but I have my examinations now,” Diaz politely replied to BusinessMirror’s message. “Perhaps later today or tomorrow.”

Diaz, a gold medalist in both the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games and Philippines 2019 Southeast Asian Games, has two more

PBA Developmental League takes back seat–Marcial

By Miguel La Torre

Friday, March 19, 2021 B7

“I will be recovering at home and working on getting stronger every day,” Woods said in the statement.

A dozen or so players at the Workday Championship in Florida wore black trousers and red shirts—the Sunday colors of Woods for his record-tying 82 victories on the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour—in the final round.

Woods has stayed in touch through text messages, sending them to Bryson DeChambeau ahead of his Bay Hill victory and to Justin Thomas, one of his closest friends in golf, ahead of his victory in The Players Championship on Sunday.

Rory McIlroy suggested in an interview with Jimmy Fallon that Woods might be headed home to Florida.

“He’s doing better,” McIlroy said. “I think all the guys have reached out to him.

Hopefully if things go well over the next week or so, he might be able to get home and start recovery at home, which would be great for him. See his kids, see his family.

“But yeah, he’s doing better. And I think all of us are wishing him a speedy recovery at this point.”

McIlroy and Thomas are among those who live near Woods in Jupiter, Florida. AP

TIGER WOODS tweets that he’s “happy to report that I am back home and continuing my recovery.” AP

to play and their mother schools will probably not allow them to play as well,” Marcial said.

The D-League opened its Aspirants’ Cup in March last year but like the PBA, which kicked off with only one game in the Philippine Cup, the league was abruptly shut down because of the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine.

“Most of our teams are in the UAAP

years before securing a degree in Business Management at Saint Benilde, which offered the pride of Zamboanga City a scholarship as one of her rewards after Rio. According to the 30-year-old Diaz’s strength and conditioning Coach Julius Irvin Naranjo, Diaz’s examinations on Labor Law covered Termination, Discipline and Dismissal of Workers.

Diaz’s work ethic first as an athlete and a student are enviable, to think that after three consecutive Olympics and the millions of cash incentives she has banked for her victories on the international stage, she still treasures a college degree.

“She’s studious and focused on her studies as she is about her sport,” Naranjo said.

Diaz and her team will be flying to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for the the Asian Weightlifting

Championships, her sixth and last International Weightlifting Federation Olympic qualifying competition that would formally seal her ticket to Tokyo.

All Diaz has to do is to show up in Tashkent, walk to the competition platform and merely participate in the April 15 to 25 event. No need to catch a particular weight, not even the podium.

“We’ll fly to Tashkent perhaps on April 10 to acclimatize and we would be coming back here [Malaysia] on April 23, right after Hidilyn completes her event,” Naranjo said.

Diaz, Naranjo and Chinese coach Kaiwan Gao have been training in Malacca for the past 13 months now. They haven’t returned to the Philippines since.

Except Sundays which are absolute rest days, Diaz attends online classes everyday on top of eight to nine training sessions a week and once-a-week physiotherapy.

If everything goes as scheduled in Tashkent, Diaz will be the country’s Olympics qualifier after boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Irish Magno, pole vaulter EJ Obiena and world champion gymnast Carlos Yulo.

“Hidilyn’s doing well, injury free, but we are doing training very safely,” said Naranjo, a former weightlifter who represented Guam in international competitions from 2014 to 2018. “We are adjusting to the circumstances and implement new things for her body to continuously progress.”

The Tokyo Olympics are set from July 23 to August 8.

[University Athletic Association of the Philippines] and NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association],” Marcial said. “If the two collegiate leagues get the green light, we’ll see what we can do.”

The NCAA and UAAP announced their intentions to return to action this year but both leagues have yet to get the approval of the JAO and the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

“If all goes well, the PBA will go back to regular operations and will be rebooting

to a brand new season starting with the Aspirants’ Cup and followed by the Foundation Cup,” he said.

Cignal HD-Ateneo topped the Aspirants’ Cup and BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare ruled the Foundation Cup in the 2019 season.

The other D-League teams are AMA, Centro Escolar University, Diliman College, De La Salle, Far Eastern University, Enderun, Letran, Mapua, San Sebastian, Technological Institute of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas and Marinerong Pilipino.

Motoring BusinessMirror

Henry Ford Awards Best Motoring Section 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011 Hall of Fame

Editor: Tet Andolong

B8 Friday, March 19, 2021

Bisita Iglesia no surrender; Okamoto ‘flesh & blood’

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IDESWIPED back-to-back from 2020 by this cruel Covid-19 pandemic is our yearly vow to do the Bisita Iglesia, the journey to several churches located mostly outside of the big city for the veneration of the 14 Stations of the Cross.

It is a Catholic tradition commemorating the passion, death and resurrection of our beloved Jesus Christ that the KABIG (Kapaluhan Bisita Iglesia Group) has observed 12 straight years and was abruptly cut short last year, physically, that is. But my fellow faithful—Prosecutor Joven and Elvie Florido, Dante and Ching Fernandez, New York-based Tito and Baby Laurel, Calauag Mayor Louie Visorde and writer Sol F. Juvida—have clung on to this revered ritual, albeit virtually, the last two years. A good deed dedicated to the Great Redeemer must never surrender to anything—not even to the deadliest variant of the coronavirus.

Holy Week treat

NOW speaking of Holy Week, Toyota has taken the lead once more in aiding motorists in their trip to their hometowns for a renewal of faith.

From Toyota’s Nadinne B. Capistrano: Toyota’s 75 dealers and service centers nationwide will provide free 20-point vehicle safety inspection from March 15 to April 10.

It even goes with a free Caltex Saveplus Card for fuel savings. Also a free emergency repair assistance is available from April 1 to 4 at: n North Luzon Toyota—Baguio, La Union, Plaridel, Bulacan, Subic, Tarlac. n South Luzon—Albay, Calapan, Camarines Sur, Dasmarinas, Lipa Batangas, San Pablo, Santa Rosa. n Visayas—Lapu-Lapu Cebu, Mabolo. n Mindanao—Davao City, Iligan City.

The best part is all vehicles qualify, regardless of makes and models. The repair assistance offers free labor and a 10-percent discount on parts and chemicals.

For more details, visit: https://toyota.com.ph/news/ motoristassistance.

New Vios launch

THE following is the speech of Atsuhiro Okamoto, the Toyota president, during the recent launch of the new Vios GR-S: “Good afternoon, it’s nice to see you all here face-to-face again.

“Believe it or not, this is my first physical product launch as TMP President.

“I’m glad to share this FIRST with you.

“I would also like to greet those who are joining us online.

“As much as we want to have all of you here, we would have to do it one safe step at time.

“Please bear with us and we hope we could be with you all soon.

“Toyota’s history in motorsports dates back more than 60 years.

“The most extreme conditions of the race track serve as the flesh and blood for building tomorrow’s ever-better cars.

“With Akio Toyoda as the master driver, Gazoo Racing is born.

“Gazoo, embodies the GR passion to push the limits.

From your garage to the race track, we can push the limits of the cars we make, and push our own limits to bring back the thrill of driving.

“While the whole world bears witness to the recent successes of Toyota Gazoo Racing in WRC, Dakar Rally and Le Mans, the Filipino racing community and future race car drivers can also be excited about our local motorsports activities this year, both online and on track.

“Yes, your heard it right!

“With all the proper safety protocols, we hope to resume physical races this year!

“That should add to the much-needed adrenaline for our drivers and motorsports fans!

“Of course, this will be supported by a growing online racing community through the second season of the GR Supra GT Cup. “But aside from these motorsports activities, we are happy to announce the introduction of the GR series.

“Because what better way to experience the thrill of driving than actually driving the car itself!

“Not just in the race track, not just for race car drivers, but in every day roads, by regular people like you and me.

“The first in the GR line of products was the Supra, which made its grand entrance back in 2019.

“While it surely raised heartbeats, for most, driving and owning a Supra remains a dream.

“Today, we are quite excited to launch the Vios GR-S, the country’s most trusted model, injected with GR spirit.

“There are over 340,000 Vios owners out there who use these reliable, tried and tested vehicles in their daily lives.

“Our goal with the Vios GR-S is to transform your reliable everyday car, to a Vios that gives a more pleasurable drive, whether on track or on the road....the Vios GR-S will bring next level THRILL in your EVERYDAY drive.

“Thank you and good afternoon.”

PEE STOP Colene Jalalon says Honda customers have until

March 31 to avail of “the buy one, take one” promo of the City (2013-2020) and BR-V (2017-2021) tires, plus huge discounts on maintenance parts, lubricants, cabin and fuel filters etc. Visit www.hondaphil.com .

The go-getting all-new City

W

Story & photos

by Randy S. Peregrino

HEN Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) brought in the highlyanticipated latest generation City, it also represents the brand’s 2030 vision of leading the advancement of mobility and enabling people worldwide to improve their daily lives. The all-new City is undeniably reformed inside and out with the myriad of tech features.

Launched late last year, HCPI finally hosted a media drive event for us to take the first dibs of this reformed subcompact sedan. The event’s objective is to highlight the all-new City’s comfort, power, fuel efficiency, and advanced technologies through a scenic drive from the bustling streets of Metro Manila to the picturesque winding roads of Tanay, Rizal, and Antipolo City.

‘Ambitious Sedan’ grand concept

Assigned to the 1.5V CVT variant, finally seeing the vehicle in the metal made it clear what the new concept design was all about.

As an ‘Ambitious Sedan,’ the latest generation grew 111mm longer and 54mm wider, but 10mm lower than its predecessor. That new pronounced front chrome grille design united with keen-looking headlights put the all-new City at par with its bigger sedan siblings in terms of donning Honda’s modern design signature.

Even the rear end received a fresh set of extended and slim taillights matching the new bumper design. The f lanks, meantime, now have sharp horizontal character lines inspired by the Katana Blade in Motion.

The lower height complements the unique design of multi-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels.

Boarding inside was a breath of fresh air. Everything was new, particularly the layout. Interestingly, Honda made several alterations to improve seating positions and, more importantly, the vantage point. Noticeable was the seemingly elevated front seat, which provided a more upright posture.

There’s a new eight-inch Advanced Touchscreen Display Audio with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto & WebLink (1.5). Moreover, we like the 1.5 V CVT variant’s posh and sophisticated Ivory accent matching the new Platinum White color of the unit we tested.

Fun to drive

We kicked off the drive from Bonifacio Global City via the busy C-5 and E. Rodriguez avenue roads. There, we realized the advantages of the alterations made to achieve a better vantage point.

With better driving views, maneuvering through traffic while surpassing other vehicles became easier. Those blindsides from the previous generation were finally rectified. It goes to show how Honda pays attention to details when it comes to achieving better drivability of their vehicles.

The all-new City 1.5V CVT variant donning the newest Platinum White color

Fresh interior with better ergonomics and vantage point Motivation comes from a new 1.5-liter four-cylinder DOHC iVTEC engine producing 119hp and 145 N-m of maximum torque mated to Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). While upgrading from SOHC to DOHC gave very little increase in power, it was the better torque registration from the lower rpm range that we felt significantly. Despite the larger frame, the vehicle was still quick to reach cruising speeds.

Reaching the open roads of Antipolo allowed us to push the throttle a little bit to test higher speeds. As expected, acceleration was better. But when we finally encountered the winding roads of Tanay, this was when the allnew City’s excellent driving dynamics emerged. The responsive steering, along with the vehicle’s impressive handling, allowed the entire convoy to tackle every bend, even the difficult ones, effortlessly. All we did was brake timely and turned correctly while the vehicle effortlessly enters and exits every curve.

Another plus factor was how the vehicle handled the ascents and descents. While 1.5V CVT lacks the Tiptronic transmission function, it does have the Sport

Mode. During climbs, shifting to the Sport Mode enabled the engine to remain within the optimum torque range proving better acceleration. It was also a delight to hear the new motor’s different grunt at higher rpm while quickly tackling the ascents. More so, every time we hit the brakes, the transmission also shifts to higher rpm gear to do engine braking. It became an advantage during our way down, necessitating more engine braking. By the time we reached Pinto Art Museum in Antipolo City, we were still relaxed and wanted more of the fun drive we experienced.

Peace of mind

Safety-wise, there are standard front driver/passenger and side airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Agile Handling Assist (AHA), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Hill Start Assist (HSA), and Power Door Locks with Speed-Sensing Auto-Lock. Moreover, the 1.5 V CVT variant has a multi-view rear camera with dynamic guidelines and, of course, Honda’s G-force Control (G-CON) Collision Safety Body.

Alabang Sucat Skyway Extension (Northbound) to open 2nd quarter of 2021 (From left) DPWH PPP Director Alex Bote, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, DPWH Usec Cathy Cabral and DPWH BBB Committee Chairperson Anna Mae Lamentillo inspect the 3.9 km Alabang Sucat Skyway Extension, which will open on the second quarter of this year. The project is expected to reduce travel time by 50 percent.

Chevrolet ‘Shop. Click Drive.’ goes live T

HE Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), the exclusive importer and distributor of Chevrolet automobiles and parts in the Philippines, launches Shop. Click. Drive., a new online shopping platform that provides customers with a convenient way of buying a new Chevrolet vehicle, anytime, at the safety and comfort of their homes or while out on-the-move.

Shop. Click. Drive., a global program

by General Motors, the parent company of Chevrolet, was adapted locally by TCCCI to cater to the demands and needs of the modern Filipino shopper. By visiting www. shopclickdrive.com.ph, Chevy customers are able to virtually view and compare Chevrolet vehicles, apply for finance packages, pay for vehicle reservation and other services, book a test drive, and so much more.

“We witnessed the shift in the purchasing journey of digital-savvy Filipino car buyers and we wanted to build a platform that will

integrate Chevrolet in that process,” shared Atty. Alberto B. Arcilla, President and Chief Executive Officer of TCCCI. “The launch of Shop. Click. Drive. is an exciting addition to our already focused digital programs, which allow us to meet our customers in the digital space and provide them with a simple and effortless car purchasing experience,” said Atty. Arcilla.

Finding the right Chevy

The first step in owning a Chevy is finding the right vehicle that complements one’s lifestyle. Customers can personalize their search by using the online platform’s filter function or choose the vehicle color that best suits their preference.

If one can’t decide whether to drive a fun compact car, a refined SUV, a capable pickup truck, or a spirited performance vehicle, Shop. Click. Drive.’s model comparison tool helps a customer to compare two to three

Chevrolet models or variants and weigh up their individual winning features.

When customers find the right Chevy for them, they can send an inquiry, book a test drive, or set an appointment with their preferred dealership and a Chevrolet Sales Consultant will assist them throughout the buying process.

payment options to its customers. Chevrolet has partnered with local payment gateway, PayMongo to provide a secure online payment process to Chevy customers. Vehicle reservations and other service payments can be made safely through credit card or GCash. Other online payment options are also available in Chevrolet dealerships.

Contactless Application and Payment

Drive your brand new Chevy

Chevrolet’s Shop. Click. Drive. supports customers throughout their online purchasing journey. Customers can get detailed payment estimates on their chosen vehicle and submit financial applications through the e-commerce platform. Shop.

Click. Drive. allows clients to seamlessly upload financing requirements, which will be immediately processed by their preferred Chevy dealership.

Shop. Click. Drive. also offers flexible

Customers can choose to take delivery of their newly purchased Chevy vehicle at home or preferred location or schedule a pickup at their preferred dealership.

Chevrolet dealerships implement safety protocols to ensure a smooth and safe vehicle turnover. Customers are also expected to follow procedures, including wearing of face mask and obser ving physical distancing.

Visit shopclickdrive.com.ph to experience a new way of buying a new Chevrolet vehicle.