BusinessMirror March 08, 2024

THE country’s manufacturing output posted a fourmonth high in January 2024, according to latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Based on the Production Index and Net Sales Index, PSA said the Volume of Production INdex (VoPI) grew 1.9 percent, the highest growth since the 9.3 percent posted in September 2023.

The PSA data showed the VoPI posted a growth of 1.6 percent in December 2023 and 7.3 percent in

January 2023.

“Of the remaining 19 industry divisions, eight registered yearon-year increases in January 2024. In contrast, 11 industry divisions posted annual declines during the period. The highest annual drop was observed in manufacture of textiles at 31.5 percent,” PSA said.

The data showed the VoPI growth was the 7.1-percent contraction in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products compared to its double-digit decline of 16.5 percent in December 2023.

The manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products also contributed with a growth of 28.9 percent in January 2024.

Also contributing to the performance was the slower annual decline in the manufacture of beverages at 0.3 percent during the period from a 14-percent annual decrease in the previous month.

The double-digit annual growth observed in the manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment at 11.5 percent in January 2024, contrib -

uted to the VoPI growth. The data also showed the top three industry divisions in January 2024 were the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products; fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment; and electrical equipment.

Meanwhile, the average capacity utilization rate for the manufacturing section in January 2024 was reported at 74.5 percent from 74.4 percent in the previous month.

Remolona Jr. said supply shocks such as higher oil and food prices increase inflation.

This would eventually create second-round effects such as wage hikes whose effects on inflation do not dissipate quickly. Combatting second-round effects is being done by the BSP through the appropriate monetary policy.

“The difference between the economy we now have and the economy we used to have is the dominance of supply shocks that's hitting us,” Remolona said.

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

TRANSPORTATION Secretary Jaime Bautista on Thursday admitted that the agency is hounded by right-of-way issues in its bid to complete the Metro Manila Subway. He said several homeowners are opposed to the subway’s alignment. There is also a building that the Department of Education (DepEd) owns that will be affected by the

alignment. Bautista noted that the building is an “important cultural property.” “Aayusin muna natin ‘yan... isa sa major issues na hinaharap ngayon [We will resolve that first...one of the major issues we are facing],” he said.

The agency started lowering the tunnel boring machines at the subway’s North Avenue station in Quezon City on Thursday.

JAPAN Credit Rating Agency’s (JCR) latest affirmation of the Philippines’ investment-grade credit rating of “A-” opens the country's access to cheaper financing from development partners and the international capital markets, according to Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto.

On Thursday, he described the high-credit rating with a stable outlook as a “major win” for all and a “strong vote of confidence” in the current administration’s sound economic policies.

“This allows the government to channel funds that would have otherwise been allotted for inter -

est payments towards more development programs such as more infrastructure projects, improved social services, better health care system, and quality education,” Recto explained. A high credit rating sends a signal of confidence to investors and creditors, resulting in lower interest rates and better returns for Philippine bonds, the DOF said in a statement. “It also attracts more foreign direct investments into the country, which will create better employment opportunities for Filipinos,” Recto added.

StarbUcKS @ EnchantED KIngDOM: anna Mamon, head of business Development & Digital transformation, cynthia r . Mamon, cOO, cesar O. Mamon, President and cEO, and Mr. nico r . Mamon, head of Organization Development & corporate Planning, spearhead the ceremonial opening of Starbucks coffee within the expansive Enchanted Kingdom. a s pioneers in local family outdoor entertainment and fantasy-Disney theme parks, their vision continues to transform experiences. BERNARD TESTA

WOMEn

This was the highest since December 2019 when the average capacity utilization rate of the manufacturing sector reached 84.4 percent.

PSA said almost all industry divisions reported capacity utilization rates of more than 60 percent during the month, except the manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations at 55 percent.

The top three industry divisions in terms of reported capacity utilization rate were manufacture of furniture (88.7 percent), manufacture of transport equipment (86 percent), and manufacture of rubber and plastic products (82.4 percent).

“The proportion of establishments that operated at full capacity [90 percent to 100 percent] was 26.7 percent of the total number of responding establishments. Meanwhile, 37.6 percent operated at 70 to 89 percent capacity, and 35.7 percent operated below 70 percent capacity,” PSA said.

The Production Index and Net Sales Index was previously known as the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries. It continues to monitor the production, net sales, inventories, and capacity utilization of selected manufacturing establishments to provide flash indicators on the performance of the manufacturing sector. Cai U. Ordinario

DMW confirms 2 Filipino sailors died in Yemen attack

THE

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

Department

of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it will extend aid to the families of the Filipino seafarers who died and were injured in the Gulf of Aden due to an attack by Houthi rebels.

In a statement on Thursday,

DMW confirmed two Filipino seafarers died, and another two were severely injured after their Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier True Confidence was hit by a missile attack.

The vessel had a crew of 20, comprising one Indian, four Vietnamese and 15 Filipino nationals. Three armed guards—two from Sri Lanka and one from Nepal—were also on board, according to the BBC.

“The DMW is in touch with the

DOTr…

Continued from A1

ship’s manning agency and shipowner to ascertain the conditions of the rest of the ship’s crew, particularly the remaining Filipino crew members, as we have been informed that they have been taken to a safe port,” the agency said.

It is now working on the repatriation of the remaining Filipino crew members.

For its part, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA ), an attached agency of DMW, said it has already reached out to the affected

At present the project has an “overall progress rate” of 40 percent, according to Subway Project Manager Mikee Mendoza.

families to provide immediate assistance and support.

“We stand in solidarity with the international community in supporting the call for continued diplomatic efforts to prevent further loss of life,” OWWA said in a separate statement.

Both agencies extended their condolences to the family of the slain seafarers.

The DMW reiterated its appeal to shipowners with ships navigating the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden sea lanes to implement appropriate risk-mitigation measures, such as rerouting vessels and deploying armed security personnel onboard such vessels.

At least one other person was killed in the attack on True Confidence, according to the US military. They are the first confirmed deaths of crew members since the Houthis began attacks in mid-November in one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.

The Iran-backed group, which controls much of Yemen, hit

“It corresponds to the design, right-of-way procurement, and construction,” she said.

However, the construction progress is only at 11 percent. This includes the construction of posts, tunneling works, and concourses for the stations of East Valenzuela, Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora, and North Avenue.

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Jeremy Regino noted that the agency will double down on the acquisition of easement with the filing of petitions for expropriation considered to be the “last resort.”

“We have now shortened the negotiation process. If there will be no agreement, we will have to file expropriation proceedings but without prejudice to continue with the negotiations,” Regino said.

Currently, the government has secured 55 percent of the right-of-way for the subway.

“We are on top of these, we are expecting we should be able to resolve all these right-of-way issues in due time. But still, we’re expecting that we should be able to complete this project by 2029,” Bautista said.

Due to the slow progress in the acquisition of right of way, the government had to delay

JCR…

Continued from A1

The DOF said JCR’s recent affirmation of its credit rating has allowed the country to maintain its high investment-grade status across all major regional and international debt rating agencies.

The country’s economic growth, underpinned by strong domestic demand, resilience to external shocks due to its low external debt and substantial foreign exchange reserves, and a solid fiscal foundation were cited by JCR as key credit strengths, the DOF said.

The Philippine economy expanded by 5.6 percent in 2023, making it the fastest-growing economy in Asean.

The DOF added that JCR noted the country's low government debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratios among the sovereigns rated in the A-range, which reached 60.2 percent at the end of 2023.

According to the Finance de -

the bulk commodities carrier around 11:30 a.m. Yemen time.

It was the fifth anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Houthis in the last two days, the US military said, indicating how they continue to be able to assault vessels despite almost two months of airstrikes on their positions by American and British forces.

The group says its attacks are in support of Hamas in its war against Israel. They will continue, the Houthis say, until Israel pulls out of Gaza.

The Houthis said the True Confidence was “a US ship,” which its owners and the Washington said was incorrect.

Until recently, the vessel was owned by Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital Management, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. A new owner took over in late February, according to the Equasis shipping registry. A representative for Oaktree declined to comment. With a report by Bloomberg

the award of Contract Packages (CP) 105, 108, 109 to the third quarter of 2024. CP 105 refers to the package that involves the underground stations in Kalayaan Avenue and Bonifacio Global City; CP 108, Lawton and Senate-DepEd Stations; and CP 109, the Naia Terminal 3 station. “We first have to secure the right-of-way, because it will be our problem when we enter into a contract with a contractor when we still have issues on right-of-way; the project might not start on time, there will be a prolongation,” Bautista said. So far, the DOTr has awarded four contract packages for the project: CP 101 for the first four stations mentioned above; CP 102 for Quezon Avenue and East Avenue; CP 103 for Anonas to Camp Aguinaldo; and CP 104 for Ortigas to Shaw Boulevard.

The first underground railway in the country, the subway is envisioned to be a 33-kilometer railway system that will connect Valenzuela City to Pasay City with a spur line at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 in Paranaque City.

The whole system is expected to be finished by 2029.

partment, JCR is “optimistic” about the prospects of the Philippine economy, projecting it to further grow by about 6 percent in 2024. This is seen to be driven by the higher demand in the tourism sector, stronger private consumption fueled by moderate inflation, and higher remittance inflows from overseas Filipinos.

The Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), the country’s first sovereign wealth fund, is also projected by the credit rating agency to support infrastructure investments in the country.

The Build Better More program, in which the government targets an annual infrastructure spending of 5 percent to 6 percent of GDP, will boost the country's economic growth, the JCR said.

The DOF said the credit rating agency believes that the Philippine government will maintain its fiscal soundness, noting that the fiscal consolidation efforts of the current administration are on track based on the MediumTerm Fiscal Framework (MTFF). Reine Juvierre Alberto

“The thing about the secondround effects is they’re asymmetric. So the oil price will come down, but the second-round effects don’t. They’re sticky downwards. And that’s what we worry about. Which means we can’t just look through supply shocks,” he explained. These supply shocks, Remolona said, include increased electricity rates; higher transport charges, oil prices, food prices; and strong El Niño weather conditions.

Based on the February inflation data, electricity, gas, and other fuel prices increased 0.4 percent on a month-on-month basis but contracted 4.3 percent on a year-on-year comparison. Transport costs overall increased 1.3 percent on a monthly basis and 1.2 percent on a yearly basis. The largest increase was in passenger transport services which increased 0.1 percent month-on-month and 2.8 percent year-on-year.

Food prices, meanwhile, posted a month-on-month growth of 0.3 percent and a yaer-on-year growth of 4.8 percent in February 2024. Rice inflation posted the highest increase in inflation of 23.7 percent on an annual basis and 1 percent growth on a monthly basis.

National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa earlier said rice prices accounted for 49 percent or 1.6 percentage points of the inflation of all income households and 79 percent or 3.3 percentage points of the 4.2 percent inflation experienced by the poorest Filipinos. (See: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2024/03/06/ high-rice-prices-cited-in-3-4-februaryinflation/)

“In our analysis of the supply shocks is that the supply shocks lead to inflation expectations. The oil price goes up. People think other prices will also go up,” Remolona said.

“Because oil, of course, is an input to the production of many things. And so prices go up for those other things. We call those things second-round effects,” he added.

Initially, Remolona said, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) did not share the views of the BSP. He said the IMF told the BSP to “look through supply shocks.”

However, he said, the IMF has since amended their views and are now helping the BSP strategize against supply shocks.

Part of what is helping the BSP in monetary policy is the fact that it is an inflation-targeting central bank. This helps, he said, anchor inflation expectations.

“Once you have inflation that’s well-anchored, then you are able to more easily manage second-round effects. We worry about whether inflation will remain well-anchored,” Remolona said.

“We worry about risks of deanchoring every time we meet as a monetary board. So that’s the new monetary policy strategy or the new monetary policy framework that we follow,” he added.

Earlier, Remolona told reporters that the monetary authorities do not expect any rate cuts soon.

However, he said it is also unlikely that the Monetary Board, the highest policy-making body of the BSP, will increase rates further.

Remolona said the proposal to increase minimum wages lodged at the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives would be considered a supply shock to the economy. (https://businessmirror.com. ph/2024/03/07/too-soon-to-declare-victory-vs-inflation/).

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Icon of Mother of God ‘Softening of Evil Hearts’ visits Philippines

THE miraculous icon of Mother of God “Softening of Evil Hearts” will be at the Iveron Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church at 35 Guam Street, Parañaque City on Sunday, March 10.

The icon has been continuously streaming myrrh for almost 25 years. It was an ordinary icon, bought by a resident of Moscow in an icon shop in 1998. It was consecrated on the relics of St. Matrona of Moscow, after which it began to stream myrrh.

Gradually, the icon became famous. People began to come to the house where the icon was located, and miracles began to happen. Therefore, the guardian of the icon decided to take the icon to different cities so that more people would have the opportunity to touch the source of Grace.

Since then, the icon has visited many cities in Russia and dozens of other countries (Europe, USA, Australia).

Various miracles happen from the icon: healings, demons are cast out etc. During some tragic events, the icon bled (during the death of the Kursk submarine, the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11, etc.). Myrrh and blood were repeatedly analyzed, and the miracle was documented.

The icon will be open for veneration from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and everyone is invited to witness the very rare miracle of Myrrhstreaming.

The icon will also be in the parishes of Russian Church in Tagaytay City on March 9 from 12:00 to 3 p.m. and at Siniloan on March 11 from 12:00 to 3 p.m.

PBBM bares review of NFA asset disposal procedure after rice sale

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

RESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos

PJr. said there is now an ongoing review on the disposal procedures being implemented by the National Food Authority (NFA) following the agency’s allegedly anomalous sale of 75,000 bags of “deteriorating rice.”   He said the ongoing Ombudsman probe would also cover possible lapses by concerned officials and protocol gaps.

“It also is an examination of some of the procedures within the NFA that were undertaken without Board approval, without the proper discussion within the NFA [National Food Authority] and with the DA [Department of Agriculture] and with the rest of the Cabinet,” Marcos told reporters in an interview in Melbourne Wednesday.

The Ombudsman initiated its probe on the matter based on the lettercomplaint submitted by NFA Assistant Administrator for Operations Lemuel R. Pagayunan to the Office of the President last month.

Foreigners with legitimate PHL passports, govt-issued IDs ‘national security concern’

TPagayunan claimed NFA Administrator Roderico R. Bioco and his administrators allegedly manifested partiality or gross negligence when they allowed the sale of aging rice to “preselected” traders for P93.75 million.

The Ombudsman decided to impose a six month preventive suspension to Bioco and 138 other NFA officials and employees.

DA Secretary Francisco T. Laurel Jr. said they are conducting their own comprehensive investigation into the matter, which, he said, would also cover transactions that date back to 2019.

Marcos said he supports the suspension of the concerned officials as a precautionary measure to ensure they will not be able to influence the ongoing probe.

“So, we have taken the safe measure of suspending all of those who have been shown to may have been involved in any of these wrongdoings, such as the anomalous sale but also the cavalier way in which the procedures that have been set out in the rules have been ignored,” Marcos said.

By Joel R. San Juan  @jrsanjuan1573

HE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Thursday sounded the alarm over reports that some unscrupulous foreign nationals are posing as Filipinos by using legitimate government-issued documents, such as Philippine passports, which they obtained using spurious documents and through illegal means.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the scheme should be treated as a “national security concern” and be addressed by all concerned government agencies.

“We see this as a national security concern that should be addressed holistically by all government agencies concerned,” she added.

Sandoval made the statement in reaction to Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers’ appeal to the BI and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to go after the members of the Chinese “mafia” that

has reportedly been posing as Filipinos by illegally procuring passports and other identification cards.

The scheme was made public during an investigation by the House Committee on Public Order chaired by Rep. Barbers, on the importation of 530 kilos of shabu.

It was learned during the hearing that the Chinese suspect, Willy Ong, allegedly had legitimate but illegally acquired Philippine passport and driver’s license.

On the other hand, Ong’s accomplices were allegedly able to secure a Filipino birth certificate through the “late registration” process, which was used to obtain a passport and other government-issued identification cards.

“Our officers and agents have intercepted numerous such cases of foreign nationals pretending to be Filipinos by using different Philippine documents,” Sandoval admitted. Sandoval assured that BI would cooperate and provide

data on their previous interceptions, future apprehensions and other information that would be needed in the conduct of an investigation.

The BI official also said that their personnel would continue to implement strict immigration formalities for both arriving and departing foreigners.

Sandoval assured that the agency would also be monitoring the activities of aliens permanently residing and those temporarily staying in the country. She also encouraged concerned citizens “to report any illegal alien who might be abusing Philippine documents to the BI for investigation, arrest, and deportation.”

On October 17, 2023, the BI arrested five Chinese nationals in separate operations in Palawan for working without proper documents.

One of the suspects was caught in possession of a Philippine driver’s license indicating his nationality as a Filipino.

Prior to this, immigration

authorities also arrested a Chinese national for attempting to leave the country using a Philippine passport under a different name and for possessing various government issued identification cards.

The Chinese national identified as Zhou Jintao, 24 years old, was intercepted at the Caticlan International airport in Boracay, Aklan last March 3 after presenting himself before immigration officers using a Philippine passport under the name Jansen Tan.

However, when BI officers questioned him, Zhou was unable to speak Filipino or any local dialect.

Aside from his passport, the BI said the Chinese national was also using a Philippine ID issued for persons with disabilities, a Tax Identification Number (TIN) ID, a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance and a birth certificate indicating that he was born in Sibulan, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur to a Filipino mother and a Chinese father.

PHL recovers SG, Canadian markets as inbound tourists reach 1.23 million

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM Special to the Businessmirror

OVER 1.23 million international travelers arrived in the Philippines from January to March 4 this year, up almost 23 percent than the same period in 2023. Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed the latest arrivals were about 82 percent of the arrivals in January to February 2019, prior to the spread of Covid-19 across the globe.

Of total arrivals this year, for -

tourists accounted for 1.16

January 2019.

According to its National Tourism Development Plan 2022-2028, the DOT is targeting international arrivals to reach 7.7 million and inbound receipts of P505 billion ($8.92 billion at P56.57:$1), under its baseline scenario.

South Korea is top source market SPEAKING at the Philippine Pavilion in International Tourism Exchange (ITB) Berlin, where she led a 60-man delegation composed of government officials and Philippine tour operators and destination management companies, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, “I would like to express my profound gratitude first to all our Philippine sellers

who continue to champion Philippine tourism…. Our presence at ITB Berlin underscores our shared commitment to elevating and expanding the demand for Philippine tourism. As one united Philippines delegation, we will showcase to the world the very best qualities of the Philippines—our distinct culture, our unique product offerings, and of course, our greatest asset—the warmth and love of the Filipino people.”

Compared to the January-February 2019 arrivals, this year’s data indicated a recovery in Singaporean and Canadian arrivals, and solid performances from Australia, South Korea, and the United States.

Of total arrivals in the Philippines this year, South Korea remains the top source market with 349,956, just 3 percent less than those who arrived in January-February 2019. It was followed by the US with 195,603 (-4.1 percent); mainland China with 85,876 (-71.88 percent); Japan with 73,159 (-34.64 percent); and Canada with 50,555 (up 0.28 percent).

The rest of the visitors came from Australia with 50,488 (a 1.97-percent dip from January-February 2019); Taiwan with 42,955 (-18 percent); the United Kingdom with 30,507 (-13.3 percent); Singapore with 25,253 (up 4.24 percent); and Germany with 20,816 (-8.1 percent).

NHA disburses ₧10.7-M aid for fire victims in QC, Muntinlupa, Palawan and Tawi-Tawi

TBy Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

HE National Housing Authority (NHA) released P10.71 million in cash assistance to fire victims in Muntinlupa, Quezon City, Palawan, and Tawi-Tawi.

The cash aid was distributed to 703 families under the NHA’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) this week.

“(The NHA) has been strengthening its coordination with vari -

ous local government units, national agencies, as well as the private sector in order to fast track the implement of its mandate and to ensure safe and adequate housing for Filipinos under the Bagong Pilipinas campaign,” NHA said.

Data showed 200 families from Muntinlupa each received P10,000 financial aid each to help rebuild their damaged homes. The beneficiaries, whose houses were destroyed by fire incidents from 2021 and 2022, were from Acero Compound, West Service

Road; No. 23 Interior Purok 1; and Aquino Damaso Compound/ RRSNA/PNR Site Purok 2.

Meanwhile, 135 families from Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City were also given a total of P1.35 million cash assistance at Villa España 2 Covered Court, San Isidro Calisaya Street, Barangay, Tatalon, Quezon City.

These fire-victim beneficiaries who lost their homes in a fire in February 2023, were given P10,000 each to help them recover.

The NHA Region IX also dis -

Travel growth may level out— expert

MEANWHILE , ITB Berlin is the world’s largest travel trade fair, where the Philippines Pavilion this year shined the spotlight on Bohol, Siquijor, Cebu, Camiguin, and Ilocos Sur. Guests at the Philippine Pavilion were regaled by performances from the Loboc Children’s Choir from Bohol and Kalumon Performers from Davao. Visitors also got to try on the traditional Filipino baro’t saya by designer Avel Bacudio, as they posed with Vigan as backdrop.

The travel trade fair was held from March 5 to 7 at the Messe Berlin, and featured 5,500 exhibitors from 170 countries. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization, reported that international travel reached 1.3 billion in 2023, up 34 percent from 2022, and 88 percent of the volume in 2019.

While many countries have recovered from the pandemic tourism slump, an expert warned that travel growth may level out. Charuta Fadnis, vice president of tourism market research company Phocuswright said, “Pent-up demand has been satisfied.”

She said international spending reached $2 trillion last year, back to pre-pandemic levels. However, she pointed out these inbound receipts were largely due to an increase in prices rather than an increase in travelers.

bursed P20,000 each to 331 fire victim families in Tawi-Tawi, amounting to P6.62 million.

The 37 families who lost their homes in Coron, Palawan received P20,000 each through the NHA Region IV. The total assistance reached P740,000.

The EHAP is used to help families who lost their homes due to typhoons, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fire, industrial accidents, terrorism, or armed conflict.

When calamities strike, marginal-income families are especially vulnerable, and they can’t afford to rebuild their homes, making it necessary for families to receive assistance from the government.

OPAPRU

THE Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) announced that former rebels and decommissioned combatants will now have access to vital health services under the Department of Health’s (DOH) Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP).

This as the OPAPRU and the DOH signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on March 4 formalizing their partnership to implement the initiative.

As this developed, OPAPRU Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. underscored that “health and peace must go together.”

He added that aside from the annual budget allocation of P58.8 million that has been allotted under OPAPRU’s budget to fund the PhilHealth premiums of former rebels and decommissioned combatants, the MOA bolsters the provision of healthcare and other medical services to the beneficiaries.

Under the MAIFIP, the beneficiaries will be able to avail of health services in public hospitals throughout the country with financial and medical assistance provided by the national government.

The implementation of conflictsensitive health programs such, as the

one to be carried out by OPAPRU and DOH through the MOA, will allow both agencies to work together to provide recipients with much-needed health services.

It is also seen to strengthen the government’s peace-building efforts, as it sends a clear and strong signal that it is determined to improve the lives of the beneficiaries and support their journey towards their complete and meaningful transformation.

The provision of socioeconomic assistance and services is among the key components of the Transformation and Normalization Programs that seek to sustain and build on the gains of the comprehensive Philippine peace process.

The Transformation Program is a community-driven intervention that is being implemented in parallel with the Local Peace Engagement (LPE) initiative, which aims to uplift the socioeconomic conditions of former rebels, their families, and communities.

On the other hand, the Normalization Program, which is under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is designed to help decommissioned Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants return to mainstream society as peaceful and productive citizens. Rex Anthony Naval

PNR chief says railway project work on track

THE construction of the P873.62-billion North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project will be completed, and trains will be up and running by 2028.

Chairman Michael Ted Macapagal of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) made the announcement in an interview held at his office in Tutuban, Manila.

“All human, financial, and technical resources of the PNR and its contractors are being made to bear on the flagship project of the current administration,” Macapagal said. “My boss, DOTr (Department of Transportation) Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, is under orders to finish it on time.”

“Finding a solution to the traffic gridlock is a promise made by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and we are determined to deliver on that promise,” the PNR chief said.

The first phase of the construction—from Clark to Valenzuela—is nearing completion. The civil works on the railway from Metro Manila to Alabang and from Alabang to Laguna will commence next month.

According to Macapagal, the NSCR and the Metro Manila Subway, whose construction are being undertaken at the same time, will ease, if not totally eliminate, traffic woes in and out of the metropolis.

The NSCR runs from Clark Global City in Pampanga to Calamba City in Laguna, a distance of 147 kilometers. Once

operational, it will be able to transport 800,000 passengers a day. Travel time from one end of the line to the other will be cut in half, from eight to four hours. Commute between stations along the way will be in a matter of minutes.

“A fleet of 60 electric multiple unit trains, each of which is at par with world standards in terms of safety and comfort, stand ready to serve commuters,” Macapagal said. The PNR chief also said that Bautista watches with a keen eye the expansion of LRT and MRT, with their lines being extended and stations being built along the way. He added that DOTr exercises administrative control over PNR, LRT and MRT, and the Metro Manila Subway.

The entire DOTr team, Macapagal said, works within the strict timetable set by the President.

NSCR is only a start. The President is also eyeing the construction of the North Long Haul, the South Long Haul, the Panay Railway, North Mindanao Railway, and San Mateo Railway, all spanning a total of 1,024 kilometers.

A number of giant corporations from the United States and Japan have signified interest to finance the Mindanao and Bicol railway projects. DOTr is evaluating the proposals and studying its options.

‘Gibo’ tells China: Be truthful and believable in your story

By Rex Anthony Naval

DEPARTMENT of National Defense (DND) Secretary

Gilberto “Gibo” C. Teodoro Jr. said Wednesday that any “right thinking state” would not believe China’s claims that its actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) are legal and professional.

Teodoro, in a statement, made this comment after noting the “propaganda mechanisms of the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] to once again attempt to justify their illegal acts against Philippine vessels over their socalled ‘indisputable’ claim over most of the South China Sea.”

This was after China Coast Guard (CCG) and its maritime militia on March 5 harassed and impeded Philippine rotation and

reprovisioning efforts for the contingent aboard the BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) in Ayungin Shoal last March 5.

In this incident, two Filipino vessels were damaged and four crew members were injured, even as one resupply ship managed to reach BRP Sierra Madre to deliver its cargo.

“They take great pains to mischaracterize their provocations as lawful under international law and the actions of their CCG and

maritime militia as ‘professional, restrained, reasonable, and lawful,’” the DND chief added.

“This claim is, simply put, one that no right-thinking state in the world agrees with and which many outright condemn. The PRC’s vain attempt to manufacture and sell this story falters in the face of real incontrovertible facts,” he noted.

Teodoro also said the actions of PRC agents in the WPS are patently illegal and downright uncivilized.

And to this end, the DND chief urged China to be “truthful and to be believable.”

RORE missions to continue

BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57), the sentinel ship standing watch and maintaining Philippine sovereignty in Ayungin Shoal, will be sustained despite increasing incidents of Chinese harassment in WPS.

In radio broadcast interview

Thursday, Western Command (WESCOM) chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos said the BRP Sierra Madre will definitely stay in Ayungin Shoal and the contingent manning

Military cites ADF’s role in developing AFP’s counter-terror, maritime domain capabilities

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) thanked the Australian military for its assistance in developing the AFP’s counter-terrorism and maritime domain awareness capabilities.

This took place after Australian Defense Force’s (ADF) Special

Operations Command (SOCOMD) chief Maj. Gen. Paul Kenny visited Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City last Wednesday where he was received by AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura.

“In their meeting, the two officers discussed ongoing efforts in the

AFP’s shift of focus to external defense. This will include force structure changes that will affect the AFP’s special operations units,” AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement.

To this, Kenny expressed their openness to share their experience,

it will be supplied.

“In response to the President’s orders [to stand firm in defending the country’s sovereignty in the WPS], we will ensure that the rotation and reprovisioning [RORE] missions for BRP Sierra Madre will continue,” he stressed in Filipino.

Carlos also emphasized that patrols and activities demonstrating Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the WPS will also continue.

He also said WESCOM remains undeterred by these challenges.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) earlier announced that it had conducted 28 RORE missions for its detachments in the WPS in 2023.

It added that 14 of these missions are for the BRP Sierra Madre, which is located in Ayungin Shoal.

Of the 14 missions for Ayungin Shoal, three encountered illegal actions or harassments or water cannon blasts by the CCG and maritime militia.

These harassments took place in August, November and December RORE to Ayungin Shoal.

specialist skills, and training.

Cordura also thanked the SOCOMD chief for their support to the AFP, especially in terms of counter-terrorism cooperation and the ADF for its assistance in enhancing maritime domain awareness.

“The real-time information [is] critical for us and the support that we get from your country could really boost our awareness and operations in these areas,” Cordura said.

Rex Anthony Naval

War games with Australia in ‘volatile’ WPS still under study, PBBM says

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos

Jr. said the country’s joint military drills with Australia in the West Philippines Sea is still under study due to its potential “risk” amid China’s growing aggression in the area.

“Well, the scheduling of this is really a risk, [it would] really depend upon the situation in the West Philippine Sea, whether or not the threat levels and the tension levels are increasing or decreasing,” the Marcos said in an interview with reporters in Melbourne Wednesday.

He made the remark after Chinese Coast Guard ships fired water cannons against Philippine vessels delivering supplies to Filipino troops stationed at Ayungin Shoal earlier this week.

Four people were hurt from the

incident, prompting the Philippine government to file a new protest to China.  Under the Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE), Australia will conduct joint military drills with its partner countries.  Marcos said he wants the country to regularly participate in the said drills since it will help boost the country’s defense and security as well as disaster preparedness.

“So, there are many benefits for us and I think that it is something that we should continue and should encourage,” he added.  Australia and the United States are the only two countries, which have a Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines.

Samuel P. Medenilla

DENR chief lauds PWRCC efforts in saving crocodiles ‘despite man’

SBy Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

ECRETARY Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga on Thursday acknowledged the efforts of the partners of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in protecting and conserving the country’s endangered species.

Speaking during the 29th Crocodile Week at the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC) in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan recently, the DENR chief underscored the importance of protecting and conserving the country’s two species of crocodiles, the endemic Crocodylus mindorensis, a freshwater crocodile and Crocodylus Porosus, a saltwater crocodile which is being raised in several DENR-accredited crocodile farms in the Philippines.

“As we reflect on the journey of Crocodile Week over the past 29 years, and as we actually toured the center, it struck me how, while we feel we have made big strides in crocodile conservation and research, these creatures are actually inextricably linked despite man. We have been only celebrating, well, now the 29th Crocodile Conservation Week, but they have been on this earth for millions of years. So, they

survived despite what humanity has caused in their environment,” Yulo-Loyzaga said.

Yulo-Loyzaga said man is the “wildest” of all species because “only man has the power to alter our landscape, alter our seascape, threaten species, and make our own survival the primary purpose of our existence rather than the preservation of the environment that we actually inherited from our ancestors.”

The crocodile, the DENR chief said, survived despite what humanity has caused in their environment.

“As a critically endangered species, the conservation of the Philippine crocodile is important to local communities in terms of both cultural and economic value, assess the potential to support livelihoods related to the ecological tourism that is actually present today,” the DENR chief said.

She noted that initially the Crocodile Farming Institute, now known as the PWRCC, in partnership with Japan, through JICA, made conservation of crocodiles possible.

She said the crocodile farm and the conservation effort in Palawan is one of the most significant milestones in the history of crocodile conservation for man, not only for Palawan and the Philippines but also for the world.

DAR turns over P3.8-M farm machinery, equipment, supplies to Benguet farmers

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has turned over some P3.8 million worth of farm machinery and equipment, and inputs to eight agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBO) in Benguet Province.

The farm machinery and equipment, including the inputs from DAR will benefit around 7,767 farmers in the province.

Lailani A. Cortez, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II highlighted that the DAR’s support extends beyond providing

land titles but also includes providing various services to empower ARBs with the tools and knowledge needed for sustainable agriculture and better livelihood.  She said the DAR’s initiative aims to enhance the ARBs’ farming practices and entrepreneurial success after they receive their land ownership certificates. She said that this will extend support beyond land allocation to include crucial training and resources, showcasing DAR’s dedication to the sustainable progress

and prosperity of the community.

“This is the fruit of hard work, patience, and perseverance. Congratulations to all the recipients of this project and for the DAR-Benguet,” Cortez said.

Cortez added that this is aligned with the “healthier” agenda to empower Benguet people with skills and resources by enhancing their ability to safeguard their livelihood, health, and environment against the evolving challenges of changing climate, and at the same time, maintaining productive farming.

“Through this project, ARBs will be equipped with knowledge and resources to maintain or increase their farm productivity,” she added. Cortez disclosed that the initiative, under the Climate Resilience Farm Productivity Support Project (CRFPSP), has two components—Major Crop-based Block Farm Productivity Enhancement (MCBFPE) and Sustainable Livelihood Support (SLS)—to equip the ARBs with the challenges posed by climate change.

Among the subsidies given were a hauling truck, multi-cab utility vehicle, power generator, hand tractor, water pump, grass cutter, battery-operated knapsack sprayer, and other assorted farm inputs.

Governor Dr. Melchor Daguines Diclas extended his gratitude to the DAR-Benguet for the continued partnership in the delivery of agricultural support to Benguet farmers and expressed his unwavering support for the farmers, as he assured them of implementing programs that are responsive to

the needs of the farming community.

The benefiting organizations include Binadang Agrarian Reform Cooperative from Tublay, Cabiten Agrarian Neighborhood MPC of Mankayan, Caliking Proper MPC of Atok, Balangabang ARB Farmers Association of Tuba, Pongayan Credit Cooperative of Kapangan, Pappa Farmers Agricultural Cooperative of Sablan, Tawangan Agrarian Reform Community MPC in Kabayan, and Taba-ao Cuba MPC of Kapangan. Jonathan L. Mayuga

2 Filipinos among crewmembers killed in Houthi’s 1st fatal assault on shipping

By Jon Gambrell & Tara Copp The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday killed three of its crewmembers and forced survivors to abandon the vessel, the US military said. It was the first fatal strike in a campaign of assaults by the Iranian-backed group over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The attack on the Barbadosflagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier True Confidence further escalates the conflict on a crucial maritime route linking Asia and the Middle East to Europe that has disrupted global shipping. The Houthis have launched attacks since November, and the US began an airstrike campaign in January that so far hasn’t halted their attacks.

“One Vietnamese and two Filipino crewmembers have lost their lives,” a statement from the owners and managers of the True Confidence said early Thursday. “A further two Filipino crewmembers have suffered serious injuries. All crewmembers were taken to Djibouti.”

Meanwhile, Iran announced Wednesday that it would confiscate a $50 million cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. aboard a tanker it seized nearly a year earlier. It is the latest twist in a yearslong shadow war playing out in the Middle East’s waterways even before the Houthi attacks began.

The US military’s Central Command said an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from a Houthicontrolled area in Yemen struck the True Confidence, causing significant damage to the ship. In addition to the three deaths, at least four crewmembers were wounded, with three in critical condition.

Two aerial photos released by

the US military showed the ship’s bridge and cargo on board ablaze.

“These reckless attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global trade and taken the lives of international seafarers simply doing their jobs, which are some of the hardest jobs in the world, and the ones relied on by the global public for sustainment of supply chains,” Central Command said.

The attack came after the ship had been hailed over radio by men claiming to be the Yemeni military, officials said. The Houthis have been hailing ships over the radio in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since beginning their attacks, with analysts suspecting the rebels want to seize the vessels.

After the missile hit, the crew abandoned the ship and deployed lifeboats. A US warship and the Indian navy were on the scene, trying to assist in rescue efforts.

The ship’s managers and owners said the ship’s crew of 20 included one Indian, 15 Filipinos and four Vietnamese. Three armed guards, two from Sri Lanka and one from Nepal, also were on board. The ship had been carrying steel from China to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Philippines’ Migrant Workers Department confirmed the deaths and the number of wounded from the attack.

The Philippines “calls for continued diplomatic efforts to deescalate tensions and to address the causes of the current conflict in the Middle East,” it said.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed the attack in a prerecorded message, saying its missile fire set the vessel ablaze. He said the rebels’ attacks would only stop when the “siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza is lifted.”

The United Nations called on the Houthis “to cease all attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, expressing serious concern about the continuing attacks, including the latest

incident where the status of the crew is unknown.

Dujarric said the attacks are causing risks “to property, to life, to ecology in the area.”

At the State Department in Washington, spokesman Matthew Miller condemned the attack. “We continue to watch these reckless attacks with no regard for the well being of innocent civilians who are transiting through the Red Sea. And now they have, unfortunately and tragically, killed innocent civilians,” he told reporters.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre separately warned: “The US obviously is going to continue to take action.”

The rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the IsraelHamas war, but up to Wednesday hadn’t killed any crewmembers. The vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthicontrolled territory.

Despite more than a month and a half of US-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels have remained capable of launching significant attacks. They include the attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertilizer, the Rubymar, which sank on Saturday after drifting for several days, and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars.

It was unclear why the Houthis targeted the True Confidence. However, it had previously been owned by Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based fund that finances vessels on installments. Oaktree declined to comment.

The Houthis have held Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014. They’ve battled a Saudi-led coalition since 2015 in a long-stalemated war there.

Iran separately announced the seizure of the crude oil aboard the Advantage Sweet through an announcement carried by the

Pressure grows on Israel to open more aid routes into Gaza Strip by land and sea as hunger worsens

By Tia Goldenberg & Wafaa Shurafa The Associated Press

RAFAH, Gaza Strip—Efforts to get desperately needed humanitarian aid to warwracked northern Gaza gained momentum Wednesday with the European Union increasing pressure for the creation of a sea route from Cyprus to Gaza and British Foreign Minister David Cameron saying that Israel’s allies were losing patience.

While aid groups say all of Gaza is mired in a humanitarian crisis, the situation in the largely isolated north stands out. Many of the estimated 300,000 people still living there have been reduced to eating animal fodder to survive.

The UN says that one in six children younger than 2 in the north suffers from acute malnutrition.

Amid the global pressure to alleviate the crisis, two Israeli officials said Wednesday the government will begin allowing aid to move directly from its territory into northern Gaza and will also cooperate with the creation of the sea route from Cyprus.

Israel would allow 20 to 30 aid trucks to enter northern Gaza from Israel on Friday, the start of more regular deliveries via that route, one of the officials said. It will also begin doing security checks

Sunday on aid in Cyprus before it’s delivered via sea to Gaza, the official said. The ship will be part of a pilot project to test the feasibility of the sea route. The aid is UAEfunded and made possible with US involvement.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the upcoming shipments with the media.

Aid groups have said it has become nearly impossible to deliver supplies within most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, the ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order. It is even more difficult to get aid to the north.

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid have to drive from the Rafah crossing with Egypt or the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, both on the southern edge of Gaza, through the conflict zone to reach the largely cut-off areas in the north.

Last week, an attempt by the Israeli military to facilitate the movement of aid ended in tragedy when more than 100 Palestinians were fatally shot by Israeli forces or trampled to death in a melee.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people ran along a seaside road on the outskirts of Gaza City to collect bags of flour and boxes of water and canned food donated by Turkey and Egypt and were part

judiciary’s state-run Mizan news agency. At the time, Iran alleged that the Advantage Sweet collided with another ship, without offering any evidence. The court order for the seizure offered an entirely different reason for the confiscation. Mizan said it was part of a court order over US sanctions it alleged barred the importation of a Swedish medicine used to treat patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over the body and eyes. It didn’t reconcile the different reasons for the seizure.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf in late April, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear that Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a bargaining chip to negotiate with foreign nations. Chevron, based in San Ramon, California, said Wednesday that the Advantage Sweet had been “seized under false pretenses” and that the company “has not had any direct communication with Iran over the seizure of the vessel.”

“Chevron has not been permitted access to the vessel and considers the cargo a total loss due to Iran’s illegal actions,” Chevron said in a statement. “We now consider the cargo the responsibility of the Iranian government.” Ship seizures and explosions have roiled the region since 2019. The incidents began after then President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

Copp reported from Washington. AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington and Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

7 in which Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. More than 100 of them were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November.

of a shipment trucked in from southern Gaza.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron met with Benny Gantz, a visiting member of Israel’s war Cabinet, and pressed him to increase the flow of aid into Gaza.

“We are still not seeing improvements on the ground. This must change,” Cameron said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

South Africa, which filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, asked the court Wednesday to order Israel to allow in aid “to address famine and starvation” in Gaza.

Meanwhile, European Union Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen will visit Cyprus on Friday to inspect installations at the port of Larnaca, from where aid would leave for Gaza if a sea route is established, Cypriot government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said.

EU spokesman Eric Mamer said the bloc is hopeful the corridor will open “very soon.”

Concerned by the lack of access to food, the United States, Jordan and other nations have begun making air drops of aid in recent days, but aid groups say only a fraction of the needed assistance can be delivered by air.

The war began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October

The attack sparked an Israeli invasion of the enclave of 2.3 million people. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Wednesday the Palestinian death toll from the war climbed to 30,717.

The ministry is part of the Hamasrun government and maintains detailed casualty records. It does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tallies but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed.

Israel says it has killed over 13,000 Hamas fighters, without providing evidence.

Aid groups say the fighting has displaced most of the territory’s population and pushed a quarter of the population to the brink of famine.

Meanwhile, efforts to negotiate a cease-fire to start before the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in a few days have so far borne no fruit. The US, Qatar and Egypt have worked on an agreement in which Hamas would release up to 40 hostages in return for a six-week cease-fire, the release of some Palestinian prisoners and a major influx of aid to Gaza. Hamas has said it wants a full end to the war and Israeli forces’ withdrawal.

Tia Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Julia Frankel in Jerusalem and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this report.

Putin’s crackdown casts wide net, ensnaring the LGBTQ+ community, lawyers and others

By Dasha Litvinova The Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia—

It’s not just

opposition politicians who are targeted in the crackdown by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government in recent years. Also falling victim are independent voices as well as those who don’t conform to

what the state sees as the country’s “traditional values.”

Russia’s once-thriving free press after the collapse of the Soviet Union has been largely reduced to either statecontrolled media or independent journalists operating from abroad, with few critical outlets still working in the country. Prominent rights groups have been outlawed or classified as agents of foreigners. Lawyers who represented dissidents have been prosecuted. LGBTQ+ activists have been labeled “extremists.”

A look at those who have come under attack during Putin’s 24-year rule that is likely to be extended by six more years in this month’s presidential election:

Independent print media

INDEPENDENT news sites largely have been blocked in Russia since the first weeks of the war in Ukraine. Many have moved their newsrooms abroad and continue to operate, accessible in Russia via virtual private networks, or VPNs. Reporting inside Russia or earning money off Russian advertisers has been difficult. Russian authorities since 2021 also have labeled dozens of outlets and individual journalists as “foreign agents”—a designation implying additional government scrutiny and carrying strong pejorative connotations aimed at discrediting the recipient. Some have also been outlawed as “undesirable organizations” under a 2015 law that makes involvement with such organizations a criminal offense.

Journalists have been arrested and imprisoned on a variety of charges.

“The Russian authorities decided to destroy civil society institutions and independent journalism completely after Feb. 24, 2022,” said Ivan Kolpakov, chief editor of Russia’s most popular independent news site Meduza, referring to the date of the invasion. Meduza was declared “undesirable” in January 2023.

More restrictions appear to be coming. Parliament passed a law banning advertisers from doing business with “foreign agents,” likely affecting not just news sites but also blogs on YouTube that need advertising and are a popular source of news and analysis.

Journalist Katerina Gordeyeva initially said she was suspending her YouTube channel with 1.6 million subscribers due to the new law but changed her mind after an outpouring of support. “Giving up now would be too simple and too easy a decision,” she said. “We will try to hang in there.”

Rights groups

DOZENS of rights groups, charities and other nongovernmental organizations have been labeled “foreign agents” and outlawed as “undesirable” in recent years. Many had to shut down.

In December 2021, a court in Moscow ordered the closure of Memorial, one of Russia’s oldest and most prominent human rights organizations. It drew international acclaim for its studies of repression in the Soviet Union; several months after the ruling, it won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. In yet another crippling blow, its 70-year-old co-chair, Oleg Orlov, was sentenced last month to 2½ years in prison over criticism of the war.

Another prominent rights group leader behind bars is Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of Golos, which monitored Russian elections since 2000. He is in pretrial detention on charges widely seen as an attempt to pressure the group ahead of this month’s vote. His arrest last year wasn’t a surprise, said the group’s other leader, Stanislav Andreychuk, in an interview with The Associated Press, because Golos has been under pressure since it detailed widespread violations in the 2011 parliamentary election that led to mass protests. Pressure against Golos came in waves, however, and at times, the group was able to work constructively with election authorities. It even won two presidential grants.

“We are like a town on a high river bank,” Andriychuk said. “The river eats away at the bank, and the bank recedes slowly.… At some point, we found ourselves on the cliffside.”

Lawyers

LAWYERS who represent Kremlin critics and work on politically motivated cases also have faced growing pressure. Some prominent ones have left Russia, fearing prosecution.

Continued on A16

The World

Putin’s crackdown casts wide net, ensnaring the LGBTQ+ community, lawyers and others

Continued from A15

Human rights and legal aid group Agora was labeled “undesirable” in 2023, making its operations and any dealings with it illegal.

Three lawyers who represented Alexei Navalny are jailed on charges of involvement with an extremist organization. Associates of the late opposition leader said it was a way to isolate him while in prison.

Prominent human rights lawyer Ivan Pavlov told AP the pressure has scared some attorneys away from political cases. Pavlov left Russia in 2021 while defending former journalist Ivan Safronov on treason charges. After Pavlov spoke out about the case, authorities opened a criminal investigation against him and barred him from using the phone and the internet. “They simply paralyzed my work,” he said.

Dmitry Talantov, another lawyer for Safronov, was arrested in 2022 for criticizing the war and is on trial. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

LGBTQ+ Community

THE crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights has gone on for more than a decade and often was accompanied by Putin’s criticism of Western nations trying to impose their values on Russia. In 2022, authorities adopted a law banning propaganda of “nontraditional sexual relations” among adults, effectively outlawing any public endorsement of LGBTQ+ rights.

Another law enacted in 2023 prohibited gender transitioning procedures and gender- affirming care, as well as changing a person’s gender in official documents and public records.

In November, the Supreme Court banned what the government called the LGBTQ+ “movement” in Russia, labeling it as an extremist organization. That effectively outlawed any LGBTQ+ activism. Shortly afterward, authorities started imposing fines for displaying rainbow-colored items.

Igor Kochetkov, human rights advocate and founder of the Russian LGBT Network, told AP the Supreme Court ruling was more about ideology than anything else.

“So far we haven’t seen attempts to ban gay relations” and criminalize them, as the Soviet Union did, Kochetkov said. Rather, it’s an attempt to suppress “any independent opinion that doesn’t fit with the official state ideology...and any organized civic activity that the government can’t control,” he added.

Religious believers

IN perhaps a similar vein, the government, closely allied with the Russian Orthodox Church, has cracked down on smaller religious denominations and groups, banning some. Authorities went further with Jehovah’s Witnesses, prosecuting hundreds of believers across the country, often simply for gathering to pray.

The Supreme Court in 2017 declared Jehovah’s Witnesses to be an extremist organization, exposing those involved with it to potential criminal charges.

Jehovah’s Witnesses spokesman Jarrod Lopes said over 400 believers have been jailed since then, and 131 men and women are in prison. Nearly 800 Jehovah’s Witnesses have faced charges, and over 500 were added to Russia’s register of extremists and terrorists.

“It’s absurd to us, because…part of our belief system is to obey the authorities. We want to be good citizens. We want to help our community,” he told AP. “We’re also not anti-government, we are neutral. We’re not going to stage a protest.”

In 2018, Putin himself said “Jehovah’s Witnesses are Christians, too, I don’t quite understand why clamp down on them,” and he promised to look into it. But the number of arrests and raids targeting them only grew.

Putin has distanced himself from the law enforcement and security structures that carry out the crackdowns, says Tatyana Stanovaya, senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

“They have a certain domain, and they have a mandate in this domain, and they act in accordance with it,” Stanovaya says. “Putin knows it and agrees with it.… It’s convenient for him.”

RIOT police detain two young men at a demonstration in Moscow, Russia on Septeptember 21, 2022. The crackdown by Russian President Vladimir Putin affects not only opposition politicians but also independent voices and those who don’t conform to what the Kremlin sees as the country’s “traditional values.” AP

RAVI,

HAREENDRAN,

Road

MIZUNO, TAKAYOSHI

Material Planning and Warehouse Assistant Manager

Brief Job Description:

Responsible

Salary

Basic

read and write Japanese language; strong leadership and decision-making skills; familiarity with latest technologies and methodologies

Salary

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SIMONS, MARIO

President of Operations

Brief Job Description:

Salary Range:

China’s aggression undermines calls for peaceful dialogue

The recent actions of China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have once again demonstrated its disregard for peaceful dialogue and the de-escalation of tensions in the region. National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya rightfully called out China’s “illegal and irresponsible” behavior, emphasizing that such actions negate any credibility it may have in advocating for peaceful resolutions. (Read the BusinessMirror story: “NSC exec: Chinese ‘aggressive’ actions in WPS negate peaceful dialogue calls,” March 6, 2024).

The incident on March 5, where Filipino ships were damaged and crew members were injured as China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels harassed and impeded a routine rotation and resupply mission, is a clear example of China’s aggressive tactics. The systematic and consistent manner in which China carries out these actions shows a complete disregard for international law and the rights of other nations. Malaya’s response to the CCG’s claims of professionalism and legality is justified. The evidence from independent media sources clearly shows that the CCG engaged in provocative, unilateral, and illegal acts. The attempt to shift blame onto the Philippine Coast Guard is nothing more than Chinese disinformation and fake news. The Philippines, in contrast, has consistently acted peacefully and responsibly in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and the legally binding 2016 Arbitral Award. The country’s commitment to upholding its sovereign rights over its maritime zones, including Ayungin Shoal, is unwavering.

From the Associated Press: “Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday that he had no choice but to defend his country’s territory in the South China Sea against what he called Chinese aggression and illegal actions in pursuit of Beijing’s own territorial claims.”

“It is unfortunate that despite the clarity provided by international law, provocative, unilateral and illegal actions continue to infringe upon our sovereignty, our sovereign rights and jurisdictions,” Marcos told the Lowy Institute international policy think tank in Melbourne, Australia.

It is not just the Philippines that has expressed concern over China’s actions in the WPS. The international community, including the United States, Canada, and France, has condemned China’s behavior and called for a peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with Unclos. These statements highlight the growing global consensus against China’s aggressive actions and its violation of international law.

The US State Department’s refusal to speculate on whether the recent aggression constitutes an armed attack under the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty is a matter of concern. However, the statement reaffirming the United States’ support in the face of dangerous and unlawful actions sends a strong message to China.

Canada and France also joined the chorus of condemnation, emphasizing the need for respect for international law, freedom of navigation, and peaceful dialogue. The international community must stand united in opposing any threat or use of force that goes against established norms and principles.

China’s actions in the WPS not only undermine regional stability but also pose a risk to the security of the Indo-Pacific region as a whole. It is essential that all nations committed to upholding international law and maintaining peace and stability in the region continue to speak out against China’s aggression.

Dialogue and peaceful resolutions are the only way to address disputes in the WPS. China must recognize the rights of other nations, respect international law, and engage in meaningful discussions to find mutually acceptable solutions. The Philippines and other nations directly impacted by these events remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice and the safeguarding of their sovereign rights.

The international community must pay attention to the situation in the West Philippine Sea and support the Philippines and other affected countries in their pursuit of a rules-based order. It is imperative to preserve the primacy of international law to ensure equitable and sustainable outcomes for all stakeholders in the region. Only through collective action can we ensure that the waters of the West Philippine Sea remain a zone of stability and cooperation, rather than a source of conflict and tension.

Addressing the gaps on government procurement

Msonny

M. angara

Better Days

ore than 20 years have passed since republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement reform Act was enacted into law. Introduced by my father, the former Senate President edgardo Angara, the GPr A was considered a world-class, landmark law for putting in place strong mechanisms to curb corruption in government procurement. In his sponsorship speech on the measure, my father described corruption as “a widespread cancer, entrenched and institutionalized throughout the bureaucracy, attending official transactions, big and small.” The World Bank estimated that between 1982 and 2002, the Philippines lost up to $48 billion to official corruption, an amount that could have covered the country’s budget deficit at the time and even provided a considerable surplus in return.

While the GPRA was able to make it hard for the unscrupulous to continue exploiting the system, over time they managed to find loopholes and found new ways to dip their hands into government contracts. In recent years we saw the conduct of investigations into overpriced facemasks and PPEs, as well as laptops for teachers. Corruption is not the only problem hounding the GPRA. A significant amount of funds are also wasted due to inefficiency, a lack of competition among bidders and limitations in the capacity of government agencies to undertake procurement activities.

A study conducted by the Government Procurement Policy Board, using 2012 data, showed that around 50 percent of failed biddings among

the state agencies are due to poor planning. This includes poor cost estimates, problems with technical specifications or the terms of reference, and the late submission by the agencies of their purchase requests.

Again, the World Bank was able to quantify the losses incurred by the government as a result of its weak procurement policy. In its 2019 report, the World Bank said the Philippines could have saved as much as 29 percent of its total procurement spend if only it had employed better procurement policies and strategies.

After three public hearings and 10 technical working group meetings, the committee on finance, which we head, has come up with our committee report on Senate Bill No. 2593 or the measure that introduces

amendments to the GPRA. The bill is being backed by no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who

in his last State of the Nation Address that amendments to the GPRA are needed to make public procurement more attuned to the changing times, in a bid for government “not only to become more effective, but more, to become truly transformative.” It is also among the priority measures identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council. The amendments to the GPRA include the introduction of new modes of procurement in order to provide the procuring entities with greater flexibility to choose the best mode for their needs. RA 9184 mandates that all government procurement be done via competitive bidding, save for certain exceptions where alternative modes are available. A provision on the Most Economically Advantageous Responsive Bid (MEARB) was also introduced in the bill to address the issues encountered with the award criterion under RA 9184 of the Lowest Calculated Bid or simply put, awarding the contract to the least expensive bid. Based on feedback from the different agencies, this has resulted in the procurement of subpar or low-quality goods. With the MEARB, the awarding of bids will factor in quality, alongside cost.

The Department of Budget and Management would be tasked to create procurement positions for the different government agencies. This will ensure the professionalization of government procurement practitioners, who will have the qualifications needed to effectively fulfill

their mandates. Agencies, particularly those that have trouble with the procurement process, will also be allowed to tap the services of a procurement agent to help them in completing their purchases. We also introduced steps to enhance competition by encouraging more suppliers to participate in the government procurement process. It has long been a complaint by newer, smaller players or the microenterprises and startups that they have trouble qualifying in government procurement contracts because of the stringent rules on eligibility such as the track record and largest government contract. The procuring entities and the GPPB will be mandated to implement policies and programs that will pave the way for greater participation of these suppliers.

There will be an emphasis on domestic preference in the supply of goods and services. This will not only broaden the options of government in sourcing their requirements, but will also help domestic industries grow and become more competitive. This is consistent with our Tatak Pinoy or Proudly Filipino advocacy, which is now a law. Debates on the measure will commence in the coming weeks and hopefully this measure will become a law within the year.

Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 19 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 10 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

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

Revisiting the CEDAW decision on Filipina comfort women

oDennis Gorecho

Flowers for Lolas

N International Women’s Day last year, March 8, 2023, the United Nations Committee on Convention on the elimination of Discrimination against Women (CeDAW) released a decision, which found that the “Philippines violated the rights of victims of sexual slavery perpetrated by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War by failing to provide reparation, social support and recognition commensurate with the harm suffered.”

The CEDAW Committee pointed out that the Philippine government had failed to adopt appropriate legislative and other measures to prohibit all discrimination against women and protect women’s rights on an equal basis with men.

It noted that while Philippine war veterans, who are mostly men, are en-

titled to special and esteemed treatment from the government, such as health care benefits, old age, disability and death pensions, there was no such action with the comfort women.

The Committee found such actions as a breach of the Philippines’ obligations under the CEDAW as a State Party.

The Committee recommended that the victims must be provided with “full reparation, including recognition and redress, an official apology, and material and moral damages” proportionate to the physical, psychological, and material damage suffered by them and the gravity of the violation of their rights experienced.

In a paper submitted to CEDAW committee on September 4, 2023, the Philippine government described as “more imaginary than real” the alleged restrictive and discriminatory provisions from legislation and policies relating to redress for civilian victims of war, including survivors of wartime sexual violence and slavery.

The Philippine government said that the alleged continuous discrimination committed is particularly anchored on the comparison made between the Philippine war veterans, who are predominantly male, and the women victims/survivors of wartime sexual slavery, specifically on the benefits from State- sanctioned special

and esteemed treatment, including educational benefits, health-care benefits, old age, disability and death pensions, and burial assistance.

The Philippine government argued that the divergent state actions accorded to the victims of wartime sexual slavery and war veterans are justified on the basis of existing substantial distinctions generally sanctioned by international law and domestic laws of the Philippines. While the sexual slavery victims and Philippine war veterans may have endured the same war, the Philippine government said that their individual experiences and involvement, as well as the very nature of their consequent sufferings from such are entirely different and distinct from one another.

It stressed that said groups must be classified separately because there is a substantial distinction between them, thus, they cannot and should not be treated as one and the same.

‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress’

TBy António Guterres

UN Secretary-General

HE fight for women’s rights over the past 50 years is a story of progress.

Women and girls have demolished barriers, dismantled stereotypes and driven progress towards a more just and equal world. Women’s rights were finally recognized as fundamental and universal human rights.

Hundreds of millions more girls are in classrooms around the world. And pioneering leaders have smashed glass ceilings across the globe.

But progress is under threat. And full equality remains light-years away.

Billions of women and girls face marginalization, injustice and discrimination, as millennia of male domination continue to shape societies. The persistent epidemic of gender-based violence disgraces humanity. Over four million girls are estimated to be at risk of female genital mutilation each year. Discrimination against women and girls remains perfectly legal in much of the world. In some places, that makes it difficult for women to own property, in others, it allows men to rape their wives with impunity.

Meanwhile, global crises are hitting women and girls hardest. Wherever there’s conflict, climate disaster, poverty or hunger, women and girls suffer most. In every region of the world, more women than men go hungry. In both developed and developing countries, a backlash against women’s rights, including their sexual and reproductive rights, is stalling and even reversing progress.

New technologies—which have such potential to dismantle inequalities—too often make matters worse. That can be because of unequal access, algorithms with baked-in bias, or misogynistic violence—from deep fakes to targeted harassment of specific women.

At our current speed, full legal equality for women is some 300 years away; so is the end of child marriage. This rate of change is frankly insulting. Half of humanity can’t wait centuries for their rights. We need equality now. That means accelerating the pace of progress. And that relies on political ambition, and on investment—the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day.

We need public and private investment in programs to end violence against women, ensure decent work, and drive women’s inclusion and leadership in digital technologies, peace building, climate action, and across all sectors of the economy. We must also urgently support women’s rights organiza-

Gorecho . . .

continued from A20

About 200,000 women from Korea, China, Burma, New Guinea, and the Philippines who were held in captivity and raped as part of one of the largest operations of sexual violence in modern history. The victims have spent their lives in misery, having endured physical injuries, pain and disability, and mental and emotional suffering.

Comfort women advocates Flowers for Lolas, Lila Filipina and Malaya Lolas are still pushing for the implementation of the CEDAW recommendation on the preservation of Bahay na Pula, or the establishment of another space to commemorate the suffering of the victims and honor their struggle for justice. The Philippine government, however, noted that it has no possession or title over the site of the Bahay na Pula since it is a privately owned property.

On November 23, 1944, the women from Mapaniqui, Pampanga were ordered to walk to the Bahay na Pula in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, which became a barracks where they became victims of military sexual violence and slavery. Upon arriving at the mansion, the soldiers forcibly dragged

tions fighting against stereotypes, battling to make women’s and girls’ voices heard, and challenging traditions and cultural norms. Currently they receive a paltry 0.1 percent of international development spending. That must change.  Investment may sound far removed from women’s everyday lives. But it takes investment to give schoolgirls the same opportunities as schoolboys. It takes investment to provide digital education and develop skills. It takes investment to provide the childcare that enables caregivers, who are mainly mothers, to do paid work outside the home. And it takes investment to build inclusive communities and societies with the full participation of women and girls of all backgrounds.

Putting money behind equality is the right thing to do, but it also makes financial sense. Supporting women to enter formal labor markets grows economies, boosts tax revenues and expands opportunities for all.

Securing the investment we need in women and girls requires three things. First, increasing the availability of affordable, long-term finance for sustainable development, and tackling the debt crisis strangling many developing economies. Otherwise, countries simply won’t have the funds to invest in women and girls. We need immediate action to provide breathing space for countries with unbearable debt repayments looming, and to encourage multilateral development banks to leverage far more private finance at affordable costs. Over the long term, we must reform the international financial architecture and make it far more responsive to the needs of developing countries.

Second, countries must prioritize equality for women and girls—recognizing that equality is not only a matter of rights but the bedrock of peaceful, prosperous societies. That means governments actively addressing discrimination, spending on programs to support women and girls, and ensuring policies, budgets and investments respond to their needs.

Third, we need to increase the number of women in leadership positions. Having women in positions of power can help to drive investment in policies and programs that respond to women and girls’ realities. I am particularly proud that since early in my tenure—and for the first time in history—we have equal numbers of women and men in senior management across the entire United Nations system.

Equality is overdue. Ending the patriarchy requires money on the table—it’s time to cough up.

the women, whose ages ranged from 13 to early 20s, into dimly lit chambers where they subjected them to heinous acts of sexual violence.

The Lola statues and the Bahay na Pula represent Filipino women’s dignity and stand as “a reminder that wars of aggression must always be opposed, and that sexual slavery and violence should never happen again to any woman, anywhere, at any time.”

The CEDAW decision said that the government should also cite the wartime sex slaves in school curriculum “as remembrance is critical to a sensitive understanding of the history of human rights violations endured by these women, to emphasize the importance of advancing human rights, and to avoid recurrence.”

From the more than 200 documented survivors in the late 1990s, less than 40 Filipino comfort women are still alive.

The dwindling number highlights a sense of urgency for them to receive a formal, unequivocal public apology and just compensation from Japan as well as accurate historical inclusion while their voices can still be heard.

Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez. com, or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786.

Happening all in one morning

ITito Genova Valiente annoTaTions

arrIved very early in the morning at my hotel. Waiting for the privilege (rare) to have an early check-in, I spent the hours looking out on the street. It was a little past 5 a.m., and the street was still empty save for two women behind what looked like a giant square crate. They were removing the big rope tied around it, sealing the box with cartons the two were lifting off. as each panel was peeled out, they would put each of them under a tree fronting a bank. The next time I see such cartons beneath a tree, I know they are not for the dump truck to collect.

Soon, a table, which doubled as a cabinet, materialized before them, as I watched this entrepreneurial drama unfold. A stack of soft drink boxes was standing beside the table, which had, by now, turned into a small cafe. Huge mason jars were now arrayed in front of them. I could see cookies and candies.

Another cluster of food was looking like noodles. On the left side, from my right, was a frying pan.

What must they be cooking? What could they concoct out of that makeshift kitchen, which also was, before us, (a security guard from the hotel had joined in) transforming into carinderia/cafe/ commissary. It was only when the store was finished being set up that I realized the green tricycle behind them. A little girl also began playing around the structure. Was she their child, only child? It cannot be; both were women. But why not? Why not indeed?

By the time the sun was dappling the street and trees that dotted the surroundings, the store was standing solid, with big umbrellas giving an extra adornment to the makeshiftness of their store.

What time did these two businesswomen leave their home, their bed?

Across the same street, as I started to look for my own kind of cafe, I saw a similar store. I decided to cross the street and inspect the structure up close. The

business was being managed by a very young man. Or, maybe he looked young. I had to ask myself: if he is poor, how does he manage to be young? He must be working hard so he could afford an injectable glutathione. The early morning had created in me a judgmental monster, with my own class as a filter.

In the cafe patronized by people like me, people who believe we belong to that class of thinking individuals with education in our voice and gestures, I seated myself close to the window. Cozily tucked against the red wall, I looked out of the window, imagining either a late winter or an early spring. Why don’t we have autumn, winter and spring?

Men and women, by virtue of the distribution of countries with four seasons and those with just a tandem of summer and non-summer with bits of rain to make some days bearable and different, are not created equal. There is always something glamorous about wearing thick clothes—sweater, cardigan, coats, etc.—and we know if we do not belong to the film industry, we have no right to wear trench coats or bomber jackets or cable knit sweaters in the winter, summer or fall in our mind.

Glam is so first world; our glamor is good only in magazines. The expensive ones, because glamor is really for the

moneyed. The poor can be merely smart, or tidy vis-a-vis the trash we consider given in being poor.

In the cafe, I remained cozy until the arrival of a gang of five plus one. The boss who came in was drunk (from last night?). The “Bossing” was loud in gesture and oral language: his voice rose above the din, a big bulk of which was contributed by an old air conditioner. Oh, he was loud. And the five people who came in before him were not loud; they all looked like those big-leafed plants— monumental in their repose so long as you ignore the small handbag they each carried. Were those guns? Or maybe hand grenade?

I went back to my hotel as soon as I sensed the Big Voice of Violence getting more agitated. Would I want to be caught at the crossfire? Maybe not, I offered an answer to myself. History would answer all my anxiety and questions. By the time I passed by the young man’s store, his tub of meat had all been sliced. Already, there were two young men partaking of a thick broth with meat and herbs and two more girls were in line. Business seemed good. The

glutathione angle came back. Early check-in arranged by the office. I had to thank my stars and the connection with the PR of this hotel. Inside the room, the TV was on. I looked at the screen. A handsome man had bruises on his lips and he seemed not to be able to work. His equally good-looking officemate asked him the stupid question: Are you ok? Came the more stupid answer: No. Of course No. The bruises speak for themselves like the wounds of Julius Caesar (I am being pedantic). More camera work: an effeminate-looking (cinema is an able stereotypist) man is surrounded by three women trying to look gorgeous but succeeding in erasing any allure from their face given their wooden acting. Came the next scene: a lovely woman a tad overdressed for the office committed to going home, upon the prodding of the mother through the brother. But the woman’s paramour or partner is convincing her not to because he has made a reservation in the restaurant.

Who writes this script? Who makes this kind of film?

They all happen in just one morning.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

Philippines at the IMO: Setting the sails for a sustainable future

By Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.

LeT’s start with the pandemic when the world shut down, all of it, and only the maritime industry, especially the merchant marine fleet and seafarers—mostly Filipinos—kept the global economy afloat. In response, we established a Green Lane for stranded seafarers to come ashore to accommodations free of charge. so far as we know none else followed.

We’ve been a member of the International Maritime Organization since 1964 and active in the IMO Council since 1997. At the last Council elections, we got the highest number of votes in all of our candidatures at the IMO. We had peanuts for a budget but real friends in the private sector like my long-time friend Doris Ho and my mom’s cousin, Carlos Salinas. Above all, UNIO and all your Posts helped with the qpqs. At every turn you were around to help. Thank you so much. You will be glad to know the London team put all the help to good use with a smart agenda: achievable concrete goals and commitments. Zero platitudes.

First. Climate change and keeping seafarers at the center of the IMO’s work and top of its agenda.

At the 80th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), we successfully advocated the inclusion of seafarer’s protection in the Revised IMO Strategy on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Shipping. There’s been Scandinavian chatter of crewless ships. I said that won’t happen anytime soon—if at all the leading expert Laleh Khalili told me at the book launch of her SINEWS OF WAR AND TRADE. Future achievements in automation, I said, are made possible by profits from the manual skill and labor of the seafarers yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Without them shipping won’t transition to a green economy. Anything else is a pipe dream. The message was well received.

The MEPC Resolution endorsed the Revised IMO Strategy acknowledging the key role of seafarers and other maritime professionals in ensuring the safe and successful implementation of the Strategy. It includes provisions on a comprehensive approach to regulating safety aboard ships utilizing zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies. IMO was urged to evaluate its instruments, guidance, and training standards to facilitate an equitable transition, necessarily en-

abled by seafarers, that will leave none of them behind. Without serious reskilling and upskilling, our seafarers will be left behind or consigned to the worst sectors of the industry.

We told the Integrated Technical Cooperation Program of the IMO that we will donate $30,000 to fund trainings relating to reduced Greenhouse Gas emissions. Our contribution will enhance our visibility in the IMO and the credibility to our vaunted commitment to the UN SDG goals on climate change and sustainable use of oceans.

Second, supporting capacity building initiatives for developing countries.

ITCP aims to assist governments lacking technical knowledge and resources to operate a shipping industry safely, efficiently, and responsively. Since 2003 the Philippines is home to the IMO Regional Presence for Technical Cooperation in East Asia; we have seconded staff to it. It’s been pivotal in delivering projects. We must expand it to further raise our visibility and help in our future candidatures.

On our recommendation, the Philippines last year donated $30,000 to fund trainings relating to maritime security and safety such as maritime casualty investigation, piracy prevention, and control of maritime pollution. We were thinking of the African states—with a sizable number of votes—aside from the benefits to us.

Third. Protection of seafarers and situation in the Red Sea.

With the high number of Filipino seafarers in the global fleet, we have been cosponsoring and supporting initiatives to protect seafarers from bullying in the maritime workplace and their abandonment in vessels abandoned by the owners. And there is piracy in the Red Sea.

Since November 19, 2023, the IMO Secretariat has recorded 27 acts of piracy against international shipping transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. This included the Bahamas flagged vessel MV Galaxy Leader taken by Houthi forces. The vessel—registered in the UK with

a Japanese operator—had onboard 17 Filipino seafarers, two Bulgarian captains, three Ukrainians, two Mexicans and one Romanian. The Houthis say the ship is owned by an Israeli business interest; adding only recently that they did it in response to Gaza.

Earlier in January, the new IMO Secretary-General briefed the UN Security Council on the situation in the Red Sea. The UNSC later adopted Security Council Resolution 2722 (2024). The SecretaryGeneral also met with the signatory states of the Djibouti Code of Conduct, which is instrumental in addressing piracy in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

Last February 21, the IMO SecretaryGeneral asked to meet me regarding the MV Galaxy Leader case. He mentioned the release of a Filipino seafarer onboard the seized oil tanker MV ST Nikolas. He asked about further efforts to release other crewmembers. He noted an escalation of maritime tension in the Red Sea and suggested the Philippines and his office share information that may be useful for the release of other crewmembers. He confided there is difficulty keeping contact with the UN Resident Coordinator in Yemen; but he is ready to help in any way possible. I said we are seeking help at the bilateral level; we have been in good standing with the regional powers involved or affected.

Fourth. Safety of navigation.

Our geographical location places the Philippine archipelago astride some of the world’s major maritime trade and passage routes. The designation of Archipelagic Sea Lanes ensures safety of navigation and regulation of maritime traffic. They are key to our territorial integrity.

In my term as SFA, the DFA already initiated the designation of ASLs at the IMO with the submission of a paper proposal by Angela Ponce. Last February 19, I was invited by the Senate Committee on Philippine Admiralty and Maritime Zones to the public hearing on proposed bills on Archipelagic Sea Lanes. Anne and I discussed the IMO procedure for submission and adoption of ASLs. I stressed that early crafting and minute compliance with requirements are imperative.

Rejection leaves a bad taste. London PE will judge its completeness before submission; we have an open channel with Senator Tolentino. The Senate Committee concluded discussions and created a technical working group to reconcile the bills including the House version.

Fifth. Gender equality in the mari-

time sector.

IMO is already addressing the current gender imbalance in the maritime sector to achieve SDG Goal 5. On Thursday, IMO will be celebrating International Women’s Day with the theme “Invest in women and accelerate progress”. Next week I will ask Ambassador Lagdameo and his NYPM team to mull elevating the issue at the UN’s Commission on Status of Women (CSW). It was an insistent London PE advocacy in Lagdameo’s time.

The role of women in ocean governance reflects a critical intersection between the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the SDGs, particularly in enhancing women’s participation in decision-making in relation to Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water on the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources. The Secretary of Environment, Tony Loyzaga, a leading expert in the field, will be in the UN next week.

Ironically, contributions of women in ocean governance remain largely unrecognized; their participation at the decision-making level is lower than men. And yet Rachel Carson trail-blazed this concern since the 1950s with her influential classic The Sea Around Us; Elisabeth Mann Borgese—dubbed “the mother of oceans” followed her. With Arvid Pardo, she wrote a proposed constitution and sparked the first international conference on the law of the sea held in Malta under the title of Pacem in Maribus; “pakem” if you took Latin formally.

Lastly, Elinor Ostrom got the 2009 Nobel Prize in Economics for lifetime work on the ocean commons, discrediting the tendentious claim that private property avoids “the tragedy of the commons.” The unintended culmination has been UNCLOS and, ironically, the enhanced commercial exploitation rather than political protection of vast stretches of sea. This has worked out largely for the benefit of France with 11.7 million square kilometres, US with 11.4, Australia 8.5, Russia 7.5, UK 6.8, Indonesia 6.2, Canada 5.6, Japan 4.5, New Zealand 4.1 and Brazil 3.8 million. And that’s it. Surprised our victory at the Hague got only much belated support from them; they finally realized that the rich fish where they want; the poor are barely able in their country’s own seas. Thank you and good day.

Mr. Locsin is ambassador of the Philippines to the United Kingdom, and represents the country in the International Maritime Organization Council.

100 US firms keen to invest in Clark City, BCDA reports

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

OVER 100 US companies have expressed interest in exploring investment opportunities in Clark, particularly in the areas of connective infrastructure, information and communications technology (ICT) and the critical minerals sector, according to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

BCDA President and CEO Joshua M. Bingcang said Clark’s tran -

“With significant developments happening in Clark, many

US companies are taking notice. This is why they want to have a big role in Clark developments,” Bingcang said in a statement on Thursday.

Last February 15, Bingcang, along with BCDA Chairman Delfin N. Lorenzana, participated in the Senior Leaders Seminar led by US Secretary of Commerce Gina

Raimondo at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC to pitch investment opportunities in BCDA’s subsidiaries such as the New Clark City, Clark Freeport Zone, and Clark International Airport.

For her part, Raimondo, who is set to lead the US Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines on March 11 and 12, 2024, “declared her commitment” to pitch the whole of Clark as an ideal investment hub for US companies eyeing to expand their business in the country, the BCDA said.

Before over 100 American firms, Lorenzana presented the BCDA’s “comprehensive” plans for New Clark City, Clark Freeport Zone and Clark International Airport, highlighting the potential for collaboration in the public-private partnerships.

Among the Clark development projects pitched, the BCDA noted, were the 296.5-acre Filinvest Innovation Park in New Clark City; US$3.17-billion Subic-ClarkBatangas Railway System; US$152million Clark National Food Hub; US$60-million expansion of airside capabilities of Clark International Airport; US$2-billion data center colocation facility in New Clark City.

More development projects pitched were the US$172-million solid waste management and wasteto-energy project in New Clark City; US$17.9-million solar photovoltaic power plant in New Clark City, and US$100-million Clark Integrated Public Transport System.

As of 2023, Clark houses over 1,000 companies, including semiconductor manufacturing firm Texas Instruments, American multinational company FedEx, multinational hospitality firm Hil -

ton, global multinational food and beverage company Nestle, multinational shipping firm (United Parcel Service) UPS and Mariott, a multinational hotel and lodging firm.

PBBM SAYS TO BACK ASEAN MEMBERSHIP OF AUSTRALIA

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

CITING the “active” role of Australia in supporting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said he will back its membership in the regional bloc.

In an interview with reporters in Melbourne, Australia, the chief executive recognized the contribution of Australia in supporting Asean initiatives.

During his intervention during the Asean-Australia Special Summit Leaders’ Plenary Session, the President thanked Australia for its support for Aseanled mechanism in the last 50 years.

“And for all intents and purposes, really, in all but name, they are already members of Asean. Yes, I think they would be very welcome to join Asean,” Marcos said.

He made the pronouncement after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ebrahim said he is open to Australia becoming a part of Australia.

“Well, I cannot see why that would not be a good idea. Australia has already been a very active part of Asean,” Marcos said.

Established in 1967, Asean currently has 10 member states namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and the

Philippines.

Timor Leste is poised to become Asean’s 11th member after it was admitted “in principle” to be the regional bloc in 2022. Under the Asean charter, a state applying to its member must comply with the following criteria: located in the recognized geographical region of Southeast Asia; recognized by all Asean Members; must agree to be bound and to abide by the Charter; and has the ability and willingness to carry out the obligations of membership.

The admission of an applicant will be decided by consensus by the Asean summit upon the recommendation of the Asean Coordinating Council.

Even without the membership, Australia is strengthening its ties with Asean through its Asean-Australia Plan of Action 2025-2029.

LORENZANA

MARCOS

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

PLDT Inc. is cutting its capital expenditures (capex) by more than a tenth this year, as it implements cost-cutting measures to free up cash, executives said on Thursday.

Danny Yu, the company’s CFO, said the integrated telco is allotting between p75 billion and p78 billion in capex this year, or about 12 percent lower than last year’s p85 billion. He said the amount will be “evenly distributed” in four areas: Mobile, port rollout, data centers, and submarine cables.

Manuel V. pangilinan, the company’s president and C e O, noted that the goal is to cut capex to be -

PBy VG Cabuag @villygc

HINMA Corp. on Thursday said its income expanded by 6 percent to p1.63 billion last year from the previous year’s p 1.53 billion on the sustained growth of its education business.

Consolidated revenues rose 20 percent to p 21.27 billion, up by 20 percent from the previous year’s p 17.66 billion.

The company said it also improved the cost-efficiency efforts of its construction materials group

low the p 80-billion mark. “We aim for total capex to be sub p80 billion,” he said. “We’ll likely be sub-40-percent capex-to-revenue intensity in 2024.” This will enable the pl DT Group to reduce its leverage and improve net debt-to- e bitda ratio, p angilinan added.

The budgeted capex for 2024 includes the estimated p 15 billion to p 18 billion carry over from the

budget overruns in 2022.

“There’s a good chance that we can generate free cash flow for 2024,” pangilinan said.

On Thursday, pl DT reported that its net income more than doubled to p 26.6 billion in 2023 from last year’s p 10.49 billion, on the back of strong revenue growth, managed costs, and one-time gains from the sale of its assets.

Service revenues increased slightly by 3 percent to p 201.83 billion from p 195.34 billion, while expenses decreased by 24 percent to p 158.47 billion from p 209.43 billion.

Telco core income was 3 percent up to p34.34 billion from p33.30 billion.

For 2024, pangilinan said the company aims to grow its revenues by “mid-single digit,” while telco core income is anticipated to be “north of p 35 billion.”

To bankroll its network expansion, pl DT secured a p 1-billion green loan facility from HSBC philippines.

This is HSBC’s first green loan facility to a philippine-based telco.

According to a disclosure to the stock exchange, the amount will “partially fund the ongoing nationwide modernization and expansion of its fiber network supporting internet delivery platforms such as fiber fixed broadband, mobile data services, and carrier-grade WiFi.”

“The availability of sustainable financing facilities will help pl DT’s commitment to ensuring longterm profitability by doing business responsibly. We are pleased to start this journey with HSBC and anticipate further expanding our sustainable financing portfolio with other sustainability projects,” Yu said.

By

Eand p hinma p roperty Holdings Corp. It said the hospitality segment took advantage of the continued recovery in domestic travel and events, particularly in the Mall of Asia area.

“Our stronger figures in 2023 prove that business can indeed be a force for good both for the general Filipino public and the company’s stakeholders. Doing good business also means helping improve the lives of our countrymen,” company chairman and C e O Ramon R. del Rosario said.

For the first semester of school

AS the world celebrates Women’s Month, stories of resilience, strength, and compassion take center stage. Among them is the story of lilia Conti, the Central purchasing Manager of eternal Gardens Memorial park Corporation, whose recent act of exceptional honesty and kindness has captured the hearts of many.

While shopping at S&R, Conti discovered a bag containing p100,000 in cash and a car key. Without hesitation, she immediately reported the bag to store personnel and ensured its safe return to its rightful owner.

“I felt really happy because I was able to make another person happy. And I know that God is happy over what I did—God is pleased,” Conti said. When asked about her motivation to return the money, Conti shared that she always aims to do good deeds. As a devout Christian, she expressed that she does everything for God.

“Ang sa akin ay ang gumawa ng kabutihan upang malugod ang Diyos. Yan ang una ko palaging pinapaalala sa sarili ko. Number one ‘yan kasi siya ang nagbigay ng second life sa akin. Kaya lahat ng ginagawa ko ay para sa kanya. Yan ang thinking ko, ang makagawa ng kabutihan sa kapwa,” Conti said.

positions versus short positions in the Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1, the exchangetraded fund that tracks the Nasdaq 100. Based on this, “this is the most oversold AA pl /QQQ has been since early 2018.” Bloomberg News

What she hopes others take away from her experience is that there are still people with kindness in their hearts who would do the same thing in this situation without expecting anything in return.

year 2023-2024, phinma e ducation Holdings Inc. logged its highest enrollment at 146,546 students in the philippines and Indonesia, an 18-percent increase compared to the previous school year while also achieving savings on operational cost.

Consolidated revenues and consolidated net income reached p5.44 billion and p 1.19 billion, respectively, for calendar year 2023.

Its construction materials group, composed of Union Galvasteel Corp., p hilcement Corp. and phinma Solar Corp., recorded

combined revenues of p 13.27 billion and a combined net income of p430.95 million.

Union’s sales volume grew as construction activities rebounded in the second half of 2023.

Its solar firm also secured 58 projects, totaling 9.39mW p via the government’s Green e nergy Auction p rogram. This was the only company that participated in the bidding for the solar rooftop segment.

p hinma raised its ownership in phinma p roperties last July to 76.81 percent from 40.1 percent.

“What I want people to see is that there are still people who return lost items. Because there are people who have lost hope in others, right? Na kung may mapulot man, hindi na ibabalik. That’s my message. Wag na nating pag-isipan pa kung ano ang makukuhang kapalit. Ang mahalaga ay ang kaluguran kay l ord,” Conti said.

“Ang akin as a good leader gusto ko na lagi kang maka-tao, makatulong, makagawa ka ng kabutihan,” Conti added.

eternal Gardens recognizes Conti’s exemplary conduct. Her dedication to honesty and compassion reflects the values that eternal Gardens strives to uphold and is a source of pride for the entire organization.

“Ms. Conti’s commitment to ethical conduct and genuine compassion exemplify the values at

the core of our company. We are deeply inspired by her actions and believe they serve as a testament to the positive impact individuals can make within our communities,” evan R. Mojica, AV p for Human Resources expressed. This heartwarming story serves as a powerful reminder of the positive values that still exist within our community. Conti’s act of honesty and kindness inspires others to embrace similar principles. Her commitment to ethical conduct encourages us all to build a more positive and supportive environment where kindness and integrity are celebrated.

eternal Gardens belongs to the A lC Group of Companies founded by the late Amb. Antonio l . Cabangon Chua, and is currently chaired by D. edgard A. Cabangon.

Lenie Lectura @llectura

eI power Corp. signed an agreement with Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital (DDVMH) for the installation of a 145.2-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (pV) rooftop system in Mayombo District, Dagupan City. The solar rooftop system that will be put up by the power subsidiary of eeI Corp. comprises 264 units of 550 watt-peak monocrystalline photovoltaic solar panels, which are expected to yield an average annual energy output of 183,680kWh.

Also, the project is projected to curtail carbon emission by approximately 128 metric tons annually, equivalent to planting 2,150 trees. Over its 25-year lifespan, the pV system is estimated to save DDVMH up to p20 million in electricity expenses.

Dr. Vivencio Jose p. Villaflor III, hospital and medical director of DDVMH, said the hospital is committed to environmental stewardship and sustainable development

TOYOTA Motor p hilippines Corp. (TM p) said it is set to enjoy more trade-related advantages, such as simplified customs processes, under a program of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

TM p, the country’s leading automotive company and the second top importer in 2023, said it recently received its accreditation from the government and became one of the pioneer organizations to be certified as Authorized e conomic Operator (A e O) l evel 2.

Under A e O l evel 2, TM p said it “will be granted the advantages of simplified customs processes and priority through a dedicated processing lane, advance clearance, periodic lodgment, one-time exemption certificate and expedited customs clearance for exports.”

TM p said the BOC’s Authorized e conomic Operator program is a custom-to-business partnership that aims to promote legitimate trade facilitation and provide “seamless” movement of goods through secure international supply chains. An accreditation certifies that TM p underwent a “rigorous” process of assessment and validation as well as met the general and security criteria of the BOC in accordance with the World Customs Organization (WCO) Framework of

through the adoption of clean energy sources.

DDVMH is a private 100-bed tertiary hospital sprawling across a two-hectare area in Dagupan City.

For eeI power, its general manager Salvador M. Salire Jr. said the deal aligns with the company’s dedication in providing accessible and cost-effective solutions. “It is our privilege to have been given the opportunity to partner with a wellrespected healthcare institution like Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital for this environmentfriendly initiative.” eeI power’s offerings extend beyond solar solutions to encompass a range of power-related products and services, including high, medium, and low voltage equipment, as well as preventive maintenance, upgrades, power quality analysis, among others. It is accredited as an electro-mechanical contractor by the philippine Contractors Accreditation Board and registered as an energy Service Company with the Department of energy.

Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAF e Framework).

The company said in a statement that these perks are on top of the l evel 1 benefits TM p has been receiving, including exemption from renewal of BOC accreditation, self-assessment of duty and tax liability, acceptance of goods declaration consistent with TM p ’s trade documents, and access to a dedicated help desk.

TM p said it became the first A e O-certified organization in the p hilippines for achieving l evel 1 accreditation back in 2022 pointing to the firm’s “strong compliance” with global trade standards and commitment to total quality assurance for Toyota customers.

Based on the Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 5-2017, among the goals of the A e O p rogram is to provide benefits to accredited members of the A e O p rogram, by way of incentive to customs stakeholders with “high level of compliance” with customs rules and regulations on import and export clearance and cargo security.

At the same event, the BOC also recognized TM p for being the country’s second top importer as it remitted p44 billion in duties and taxes to the agency’s “positive collection” in 2023. Andrea E. San Juan

Photo from www.eeiPower.com

BSP keen on issuing license to digi-banks

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

WBanking&Finance

DOF bullish on property valuation law

By Reine Juvierre Alberto

Anew law expected to widen the tax base could be out this month as the head of the Department of Finance (DOF) expects the proposed Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA) signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as soon as the bill gets legislative imprimatur.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto told the BusinessMirror he fervently seeks the Chief Executive’s signature on the proposed RPVARA, tagged currently as Senate Bill (SB) 2386, after the Senate approved the bill on second reading last Tuesday.

Recto said he expects the RPVARA “will simplify real property valuation and will be good for all stakeholders.”

The DOF chief expressed gratitude to the Senate for its “positive consideration” of the bill. Recto specifically cited Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian “for his leadership in sponsoring

digital banks have already generated around 8.7 million deposit accounts which represent around seven percent of the total in the Philippine banking system,” Tangonan said.

One of the difficulties of operating digital banks is extending loans. In the Philippines, Remolona said, humans are still needeed in collecting loan payments.

“In our culture, apparently, you need a human being to collect. But nonetheless, we’re hoping digital banks can figure this out, and a couple of them are figuring it out,” the BSP Governor added.

Apart from digital banks, Remolona said the BSP is also working on the Open Finance Framework which seeks to protect the privacy of clients of big banks.

The framework ensures that the financial data of clients are not used for other non-bank related purposes.

Through this, well-established banks would have to seek the permission of their customers first before using this information for other purposes.

“Our role here is to make sure that when you use your customers’ data, that you use it with their permission. They (customers) still own the data. You (banks) don’t own that data,” Remolona said in a recent forum of finance executives. As for financial technology (fintech), the BSP has a Regulatory Sandbox where fintechs can test their innovations against the regulations being performed by the BSP.

The piloting of these innovations will be checked against the regulatory implications these may have. This, Remolona said, reduces the regulatory uncertainties encountered by banks.

Remolona said entering a regulatory sandbox is recommended for fintechs. They will then b e assigned a regulator which could give them pointers on which aspects of the innovation are against existing BSP rules.

“The regulator is there to tell you what the regulatory implications might be if you succeed. We’re not there to judge whether you will succeed or not,” Remolona said.

“We’re just there to help you. If you succeed, you know what you’re getting into in terms of regulation. It’s about minimizing regulatory uncertainty,” he added.

Meanwhile, the BSP is also keen on Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Remolona said this is inevitable for the central bank given the prevalent use of AI in various industries.

However, the BSP is still weeding out risks that are linked to AI, particularly herding. Remolona said this happens when Generative AI has hallucinations such as information that did not or have never happened.

“There’s a tendency for what we call herding. They tend to give the same answers for several different questions. And the herding is something that is a source of systemic risk, a possible source of systemic risk,” Remolona told reporters.

[this] admin proposal.”

The RPVARA forms “Package 3” of the DOF’s “Comprehensive Tax Reform Program,” (CTRP), which aims to promote the development of “a just, equitable, and efficient real property valuation system.”

The proposal is expected to broaden the tax base used for property and property-related taxes of the national and local governments, as well as improve tax collections without increasing the existing tax rates or imposing new taxes, according to the DOF.

Gatchalian, the sponsor of SB 2386 and also chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, emphasized that RPVARA will “pave the way for (local government units) LGUs to automate their processes including revenue collection” once enacted into law. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/03/29/ real-property-valuation-reforma-win-win-for-all/)

The senator added that the RPVARA mandates the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) to “develop, adopt, maintain and implement uniform valuation standards,” which will be utilized by all appraisers and assessors in the LGUs and other concerned parties in the appraisal or valuation of lands, buildings, machinery, and other real properties for taxation and other purposes.

The bill specifically proposes the use of Schedule of Market Values (SMV) as the single basis of real property tax and real propertyrelated taxes of national and local governments.

The local autonomy of LGUs is pursued by the RPVARA through retaining the authority of local assessors to prepare SMVs and empowering LGUs to adjust assessment levels and tax rates while providing

technical oversight by the national government.

The bill is set for its third hearing in the Senate next week.

Market determination

ECONOMISTS at the nongovernment group Foundation for Economic Freedom Inc. have “strongly” supported the RPVARA, even expressing the law could “bring in additional revenues” for both the national and LGUs, “without imposing new or additional taxes.”

“Real property tax contributes less than 30 percent to LGU revenues due to outdated property values,” the FFEF has said through a statement. “This hinders growth in tax collections. Around 70 percent of LGUs have outdated property valuation.”

The group, which has Economist Raul V. Fabella as one of its advisers, explained that the “lack of uniform standards in determining the cost and value of real properties have led to confusion, causing distorted land values.”

“An updated and credible benchmark for valuation will protect property owners from being deprived of the full benefits that can be derived from their property. Better valuation also means better selling price, rental fees and collateral value,” the

FFEF has said.

It added that “valuation will be determined by the market thru professional appraisers, while the tax rates and assessment levels will be set thru an ordinance by the LGU thru its Sanggunian.”

“The LGUs will retain their autonomy to modify tax rates and assessment levels, taking into account the current level of development in their locality and comparing it with other LGUs,” the FFEF has said. “This will enable them to be more responsive to the needs of their constituents.”

Legislative agenda

THE DOF aims to pass the remaining key legislations by 2024 to generate revenues that will support the budget and meet the targets set in the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework. These include the following: imposing a value-added tax on digital service providers; the rationalization of the mining fiscal regime; the SingleUse Plastic Bags Tax Act; and, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy law.

“These reforms will not only finance development but will reduce the deficit and our dependence on debt,” Recto earlier said.

Leading through complexity Investors urged to keep PHL banks in portfolios

NEVER has there been a time when the work of an association executive has become more complex and challenging than it is now. In today’s rapidly evolving world, it is imperative for association leaders to dig deeper into an arsenal of resources to cope with these changes.

This was the premise of the recently-held webinar of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE) titled “Important Mindsets for Leading through Complexity” and presented by Sharon Newport, organizational consultant, facilitator, speaker, executive coach and principal of the Washington, D.C.-based Sharon Newport, LLC.

Some of the frameworks and approaches that Sharon shared:

1. The “VUCA” Model. “VUCA” stands for “Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity,” a model which highlights the key characteristics of today’s environment. Understanding and addressing these elements can help association leaders formulate strategies better suited to the challenges they face.

2. Mindsets and Skillsets. A mindset pertains to one’s beliefs and attitudes that influence how one approaches challenges and learning while a skillset refers to the practical and tangible abilities an individual possesses which apply to specific tasks or roles. Both mindset and skillset contribute to an association leader’s overall effectiveness and success in various aspects of organizational life.

3. Culture and Strategy. Culture refers to the shared values,

Octavio Peralta Association World

beliefs, norms and practices that define how members of an organization interact and work together while strategy involves a planned and deliberate course of action designed to achieve specific goals and objectives. An effective approach considers both elements, aiming to align the organization’s cultural attributes with its strategic goals to foster long-term success.

4. Change and Transformation. Change involves specific and incremental adjustments to processes, structures, or systems within an organization while transformation encompasses a broader and more comprehensive overhaul of the organization, affecting multiple dimensions such as culture, strategy, structure and processes.

5. Conflict and Integrity. Conflict refers to the disagreement or discord that arises when interests, goals, values, or opinions are incompatible among individuals or groups within an organization while integrity involves adherence to ethical principles, moral standards and values within an organization.

6. The “Scarf” Model. “Scarf” stands for “Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness.”

The “Scarf” suggests that these five social domains activate the brain’s threat or reward responses, influencing behavior, emotions and decision

➜ Pru Life UK opens new offices

THE Pru Life Insurance Corp. of UK announced opening eight new offices in the Philippines. In Metro Manila, two of its latest offices are located in Makati, one in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, and two in Pasig. The insurer also opened one office each in provincial metropolitan areas such as Mindoro, Nueva Vizcaya, and Cagayan de Oro. Since its inception in 1996, the insurance company has expanded its reach to over 170 branches general agency offices in the Philippines, with the largest number of more than 42,000 licensed agents. The firm recently launched a whole-life participating plan for as low as P87 per day with lifetime coverage up to age 100 and payment terms of 5 years, 10 years, 15 years or 20 years.

Roderick L. Abad

➜ Lender ranked 7th top employer SECUrIT y Bank Corp. (PSE: SECB) announced it was ranked 7th in the “Top 100 Employers for Fresh Graduates” list of the local office of New South Wales, Australia-headquartered Prosple Pty Ltd. SECB was ranked in the same list at 71 last year. The lender said through a statement that its ascent in the ranking “reflects its commitment to continuous enhancement and to nurturing young talent and fostering a supportive work environment. This achievement underscores [the bank’s] strategic investments in people transformation projects.” “Our commitment to continuous improvement is unwavering,” SECB Executive Vice President Nerissa Gloria C. Berba was quoted in the statement as saying.

making. By recognizing and supporting these social factors, association leaders can create environments that promote positive interactions, collaboration and employee well-being.

7. Polarities. Polarity involves acknowledging and navigating the interplay between two seemingly opposing perspectives that are both necessary for achieving optimal performance and balance. Polarity thinking suggests that certain organizational challenges are not problems to be solved, but rather ongoing tensions to be managed. Examples include structure and flexibility, big picture and details, stability and change, grounded and visionary.

8. Technical Problems and Adaptive Challenges. Technical problems are well-defined issues that have clear and known solutions based on existing knowledge, expertise, or established procedures while adaptive challenges are complex and dynamic issues that require individuals or organizations to adapt and change their behaviors, beliefs, or ways of working. Association leaders can choose or combine these frameworks based on the specific needs and context of their organizations. The key is to embrace a flexible and adaptive approach that aligns with the complexities of the environment in which the association operates.

Octavio Peralta is founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” The views he expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the BusinessMirror. E-mail: bobby@ pcaae.org.

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) announced that more medicines used to treat cancer and mental illness as well as maintaining hypertension have been included to the list of value-added tax (VAT)-exempt drugs.

According to the Revenue Memorandum Circular 23-2024 issued by the BIR on March 5, ten medicines for various diseases have been exempted from 12 percent VAT.

“The VAT exemption of these medicines for cancer, hypertension and mental illness is a step towards a healthier country. The BIR shares the noble intention behind more affordable medicines for the public,” BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. was quoted as saying in a statement released by the BIR last Thursday. Medications for cancer such as Sonidegib (as phosphate), Pemetrexed

THE Maybank Investment Banking Group (Maybank IBG) maintained a positive outlook on several Philippine banks, recommending investors to keep these banks in their portfolios.

In a brief on Thursday, Maybank IBG shared its outlook on six Philippine banks: the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), BDO Unibank Inc. (BDO), Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (MBT), Philippine National Bank (PNB), Security Bank Corp. (SCB) and Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP).

The Maybank IBG is optimistic of the recent digital initiatives of BPI saying this will lead to higher fees and lower costs for the bank. This will also be supported by branch and manpower rationalization efforts. The brief also projected a higher income for BDO at 4.1 percent in 2024 and 5.9 percent in 2025 on the back of “higher-than-expected loan yields.” As for MBT, Maybank noted its recent dividend declarations as well as its high non-performing loan buffers. Maybank said MBT’s regular dividend was raised to P3 per share from P1.6 per share. It also declared a special dividend of P2 per share which placed the current dividend yield at 8.1 percent.

Maybank IBG was optimistic about the sale of PNB’s foreclosed assets which raised P4.5 billion. This prompted Maybank to increase its net income forecast for the bank to 5.1 percent. “We raise our FY24 net income forecast by 5.1 percent to reflect the higher-than-expected loan yields in the fourth quarter of 2024,” said the securities broker. “Our BUY is predicated on PNB’s cheap valuations as we remain cautious on its still-elevated

(as disodium heptahydrate), Asciminib (as hydrochloride) and Palbociclib were added to the VAT-exempt list, based on the circular. Other anticancer drugs such as Pemetrexed (as disodium hemipentahydrate), Cabazitaxel and Entrectinib were also exempted. Meanwhile, medicines for maintaining high blood pressure that were also VAT-exempt are Losartan Potassium + Amlodipine (as besilate) and Irbesartan + Amlodipine (as besilate).

Cariprazine with various dosage strengths, used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar mania, was also added to the list of VAT-exempt medicines for mental illnesses, according to the circular. The circular applies to the sale or importation of drugs prescribed for cancer, mental illness, tuberculosis and kidney diseases by manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers.

NPLs (non-performing loans).”

Meanwhile, Maybank IBG said it cut its income forecast for SCB’s by 1 percent in 2024 and 8 percent in 2025. This was largely due to “huge trading & forex loss amounting to P1.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023, coupled with higher- than-expected opex and provisions growth.”

As for UBP, Maybank IBG said, 2023 was a “year of one offs” for the Philippine bank given the integration of Citi in UBP and the expansion of UnionDigital. The analyst expects UBP to still incur significant costs for UnionDigital and loan growth to be at 10 percent, the same as last year’s growth.

“We forecast lower costs for Citi and credit costs normalizing to 1.6 percent for FY2024 from 2.6 percent in FY2023, such that we forecast FY2024 net income to rise 62 percent year-on-year,” Maybank IBG said. In a recent forum sponsored by the Finance Executives of the Philippines, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. noted the health of local banks.

“The banks are okay. The banks should be doing well. They should be able to finance growth,” Remolona said. Remolona said in so far as the capital adequacy ratio of the banking industry, the average is at 16.4 percent. This is well above the regulatory standard or the regulatory floor at 10 percent. He also noted that in terms of the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR), this was at 183 percent. This is also higher than the 100 percent regulatory standard. The BSP Governor also said the average non-performing loan ratio remains manageable at 3.2 percent even if loans were growing at 9.8 percent. Cai U. Ordinario

The BIR said the circular was

Motoring

Friday,

Editor: Tet Andolong

HerecomestHe mGoNe

AFTER its teasing preview late last year, the MG ONE has officially made its Philippine debut. SAIC Motor Philippines, the official distributor of MG vehicles in the country, has ushered in the brand’s newest compact crossover SUV and the first-ever model equipped with smart tech.

The MG ONE compact crossover SUV is also an addition to the brand’s growing segment lineup and the latest addition to MG’s long legacy in the automotive industry.

“The MG ONE establishes the best that MG can offer Filipinos yet, and we’re excited to finally bring it to the Philippines and show motorists the best experience they could have on the road,” said Mr. Felix Jiang, President of SAIC Motor Philippines, Inc, parent company and manufacturer of MG.

“This beautiful crossover SUV, powered by the SIGMA platform, is the perfect, game-changing blend of contemporary design and futuristic smart tech, and we can’t wait for everyone to drive it,” he added.

Built on the SAIC Motor Intelligent Global Architecture (SIGMA) platform, which is a new generation of vehicle architecture, it pushes the limits of automotive design and development. The SIGMA platform’s flexibility can combine more than 100 kinds of high-value modules, creating various models in future MG vehicles that could meet the evolving needs of different customers.

Sporty and fashionable

A T a glance, a familiar design cue from the GT model is evident at the front. But the ONE’s unique, pronounced, and broad Sonic Boom Grille provided a distinction. There are also dynamic three-dimensional LED headlights and taillights. Another notable design is the sloping roofline, suggesting a coupe-like profile. Apart from all the sleek design elements, the wide 19-inch wheels complement the vehicle’s

dynamic and muscular exterior design. Dimension-wise, the vehicle is 4,579mm long, 1,866mm wide, and 1,617mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,670mm.

State-of-the-art and smart tech

I NSIDE is all about advanced tech, convenience, and space. MG claims the latest model is a futuristic and delightful ride for everyone, as evidenced by its classy interior and cutting-edge convenience features. The main highlight is the 30-inch wraparound triple screen, which consists of a 5.4-inch touch switch screen, 12.3-inch driver information center, and 12.3-inch touch screen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and An droid Auto capabilities.

The triple-screen display panels serve as a unified instrument cluster, and the infotainment display is the main highlight. The system alone surrounds the driver and ensures essential information is instantly accessible. There is also a smart key passive entry system with remote engine start, push-button start/ stop ignition, and a wireless phone charger inside the roomy and technologically advanced interior. Notably, the dash has no conventional buttons but touchoperated switches. Another unique is the gear shifter lever with that broad handle. Of course, seats are leather-wrapped.

Boosted engine and advanced safety features

M OTIVATION comes from a standard 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine generating 167 hp and a staggering 285 N-m of torque mated with a Continuous Vari -

Pandemic triggers ‘shift inside’

UR guest writer is none other than Danny “Sir John” Isla, the founding president of

He tells us about

Its functions include Adaptive Cruise Control, Intelligent Highbeam Control, Traffic Jam Assistance, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Door Opening Warning.

On top of that, the car is equipped with a 360-degree camera. Other standard inclusions are automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and up to six airbags around the vehicle. The vehicle’s rigid body structure keeps it sturdy and provides topnotch protection.

Pricing and colors

T HE MG ONE 1.5 CVT LUX variant retails at P1,458,888, while the lower 1.5 CVT STD variant is priced at P1,298,888. Available colors to choose from are Fizzy Orange (Two-Tone black roof), Brighton Blue (Two-Tone black roof), Extreme Speed Red (TwoTone black roof), Moon White (Two-Tone black roof), Iron Oxide (Two-Tone black roof), Meteorite Black.

Mitsubishi

denly transform him into a resident of Auckland, New Zealand, together with Joy, his jovial and lovely wife of 44 years. Here: ‘The long white cloud’

LIFE has a funny way of throwing unexpected twists on us. My wife and I never planned to live in New Zealand. It all started as a regular visit to our children living in Auckland, lasting usually just a month or two every year. But then, the pandemic struck and, suddenly, one of our visits turned into a longterm stay. Locked down in New Zealand for more than two years, we had ample time to reflect on our lives and our priorities. And, as we looked around at the peaceful surroundings, the warmth of our family, and the incred-

ible healthcare system, something shifted inside us. We realized that living in New Zealand could offer us so much more than just short visits. The benefits were undeniable—not only would we be closer to our loved ones, but we'd also have access to top-notch medical care, free of charge. Plus, all the other positive factors we'd come to appreciate during our extended stay—the clean air, the ease of doing business, and the general sense of tranquillity, almost eternally renting the air. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, uprooting ourselves from

our home in the Philippines and starting anew in a foreign land. But sometimes, life presents us with opportunities we never even knew

So,

THE

QC. Nelda Castro said it was the 67th 3S dealership opened nationwide. More power!

PEE STOP Honda’s Andre Vitug reports of a “homecoming promo” where service discounts can go as high as 50 percent on Honda’s 13 dealerships nationwide. Visit www. hondaphil.com for details. The promo is good up to March 31.

Editor: Tet Andolong

Monza Barcade shifts into high gear: Unleashes thrills at Bahrain Grand Prix Watch Party!

Monza Barcade, the Philippines’ first ever racingcentric social gaming haven, is set to hit the fast lane with an adrenaline-charged showcase as it hosts the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Watch Party.

This anticipatory event gives a sneak peek into what's to come when Monza Barcade officially opens its doors in May 2024, delivering an immersive fusion of racing, gaming, and Italian-European flair.

Bahrain Grand Prix Watch

Party: A Symphony of Speed, Music, and Flavor!

On March 1 and 2, Monza Barcade took over the iconic Arco De Emperador ArcoVia, Pasig City, for a two-day extravaganza during the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix. The event

featured top-tier OPM acts such as Barbie Almalbis, Over October, Twoshiba, and Lily Music. Attendees were treated to delectable dinners by Aston Specialties and innovative cocktails and mocktails along with the crisp taste of Heineken beer.

Adding a turbocharged touch to the celebration, Monza Barcade provided attendees with handson experiences in their top-ofthe-line racing simulator rigs. Enthusiasts and event-goers had the chance to step into the shoes

of racing legends, getting a taste of the thrill that awaits at the upcoming barcade.

Monza’s Roaring Roadshows

Take Metro Manila by Storm

W HILE the grand opening in May 2024 is eagerly anticipated, Monza Barcade has been thrilling crowds across Metro Manila with its Mobile Barcade roadshows. From

Arcovia Pasig to Venice Piazza

McKinley Taguig, Eastwood Quezon City, Mapua University Manila, Estancia Capitol Commons Pasig, and Greenhills San Juan, Monza's roadshows have been leaving an indelible mark.

Live for the Thrill MOnz A isn’t just about speed; it's about savoring the thrill in every moment. With a racing-themed Italian-European fusion restaurant and bar, Monza Barcade promises a feast for the senses both on and off the track.

Monza Barcade extends an open invitation to gamers, motorsport

racers, racing enthusiasts, and anyone seeking a pulse-pounding experience. As we gear up for the grand opening in May 2024, stay tuned for more Monza roadshows and the

much-anticipated launch of Monza Racing Sim Barcade.

As we prepare to unveil a new era of entertainment, Monza Barcade guarantees an extraordinary

experience for everyone who craves the thrill of the track. From heartpounding races to gastronomic delights, Monza is gearing up to redefine fun in the Philippines.

B6

•

Surot, rats, and Taylor Swi�t

PHOTO BY CAMILLE SAN VICENTE ON UNSPLASH

OH, Taylor, Taylor, Taylor. Why do you disappoint Filipinos so?

First you pull a face at Jo Koy’s dig versus the NFL during the Golden Globes (which you thought was against you, naturally), then your perform only in Singapore for your Eras Tour, despite all the other Southeast Asian countries you could have visited as well. (How easy you forget how your Pinoy fans excitedly received you when you performed in Manila in 2014 during your Red Tour. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.)

But it’s hilarious how some Filipino lawmakers are so mad at the Singapore government for striking an exclusive deal with Swift to perform only there, shutting out the Philippines and its other Asean neighbors. According to the Japan Times, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was unapologetic about the deal, which some of our local lawmakers described as unneighborly. Lee said: “It has turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don’t see that as being unfriendly.” (tinyurl.com/mw3wwk5j)

Japan Times also reports that Singapore paid Swift from government funds specially alloted to rebuild the city-state’s tourism industry after Covid-19 wreaked havoc across the globe, preventing

international travel. As per previously published news reports, that Covid reconstruction fund amounted to S$500 million, or almost P21 billion. In contrast, the Philippine government has alloted this year just P1.3 billion for branding and tourism promotion under the Department of Tourism and its marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board. Toink!

So our Swiftie politicos shouldn’t blame Singapore for their brilliant marketing coup. It was purely a business decision, and they reaped the rewards in turn. There is no estimate how many more tourists arrived in Singapore during Swift’s six days of concerts there, and how much it earned in terms of increased hotel and restaurant revenues, but one can safely assume that its tourism industry is more than satisfied with the outcome.

(In Manila, Cebu Pacific renumbered its flight 5J813 to Singapore 5J 1989, after one of Swift’s albums, as most of the passengers were supposed to be watching Swift’s concerts. That’s a 236-seater plane, which flew for six days, ferrying over 1,400 Swifties on that specific flight alone. Add to that CEB’s other ManilaSG flights, as well as its Cebu-Singapore service, along with flights by other Philippine carriers—that’s probably over 50,000 Pinoys who went to watch Swift’s concerts in Singapore.)

Meanwhile, Singapore’s former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilahari Kausikan ridiculed the criticism Singapore received from other countries over the Swift deal. In a Facebook post, he said, “Sour grapes. Whenever I hear calls for Singapore to be more ‘sensitive’ to others in Southeast Asia, it really means be as inefficient as they are.... What’s to have stopped any Southeast Asia country from negotiating an exclusivity deal with her if they had thought of it?”

He hits the nail on the head. Not only are our tourism promotion funds severely inadequate,

we lack any brilliant marketing plans to sell the Philippines abroad. Concerts, for instance, fall under Meetings, Incentive tours, Conferences, Exhibitions, collectively known as MICE. And yet to this day, according to my sources among MICE organizers and venue hosts, the DOT has yet to reveal its revised Philippines MICE Roadmap 2030 to help lift the sector.

Again, in contrast, Singapore published a MICE Sustainability Roadmap even before global pandemic restrictions were lifted. In fact, while the Philippines was still grappling with its community quarantines and alert levels, Singapore was already hosting MICE events in 2021 and implemented a simple Covidtracking mobile app for guests. The Philippines’s first in-person MICE event was the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit in April 2022, which attracted some 650 delegates and over 1,000 online participants.

Unfortunately, the government’s tourism marketing program consists of a lame new slogan, which forces foreigners to “Love the Philippines” even before they’ve visited; Bisita Be My (BBM) Guest, which tries to entice Filipinos abroad to bring in their extended family and friends by raffling off local tours and condo units; joining international travel trade fairs while officials had lawmakers and family members in tow, while forgetting to provide our private sector sellers unique giveaways for foreign buyers, to name a few. (It’s already a given that overseas Pinoys will come home for a visit; but there is no way to measure how many Fil-Ams had actually brought home, say, mainstream Americans who would have otherwise not considered the Philippines as a tourism destination.)

And while it’s certainly admirable that government is building clean rest rooms and souvenir stops across the country, or connecting our islands to the world with stronger Internet so our guests can immediately post videos of their enjoyable trips across social media, we have bed bugs and rats at the Naia. To be fair, DOT had already turned over those rattan chairs to the Manila International Airport Authority, which should have properly maintained them. But alas, that has always been the problem of our government. So, good luck when those tourist rest areas are turned over to the local governments. Let’s see how long the rest rooms remain clean.

When I saw the video of that rat scurrying across the ceiling of Naia-3, I immediately thought that perhaps the Office of Transporation Security had been hiring new personnel. Or it’s probably another Immigration Officer on her way to escort another VIP guest to his flight. Seriously, it’s bad enough our government lacks any solid and measureable tourism marketing plan, but incompetence and corruption at the Naia aggravates the situation.

Except for Jakarta and Manila, in other Southeast Asian capitals, immigration officers quickly stamp an arriving tourist through, and even on the latter’s departure there are no airport personnel waiting to rifle through the tourist’s bags or luggage to see what can be stolen.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS

DAY: James Van Der Beek, 47; Freddie Prinze Jr., 48; Camryn Manheim, 63; Aidan Quinn, 65.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rise above controversy this year. Deal with situations before they have a chance to grow. Be clear regarding your wants and needs if someone tries to invade your privacy or space or to pressure you to get involved in something. Don’t be afraid to do your own thing and to say no to anyone trying to change or manipulate you. Your numbers are 4, 10, 18, 26, 32, 37, 43.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Personal gain is a priority. Don’t waste time on empty promises or big talkers who don’t deliver. Put your energy where it will do you some good. A “me first” attitude and protecting yourself will spare you from being taken for granted. ★★★★

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t offer more than you can deliver. It’s time to update before it’s too late. Keep your life simple, take care of your business before you offer to help others and refuse to let compliments and manipulative people throw you off track. ★★

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Tread carefully. Say little, do a lot and leave no room for error. Be aware of other agendas and steer clear of being used for your attributes, skills and connections. Focus more on personal improvements and less on trying to change others. ★★★★★

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Evaluate situations, know who is on your team and prepare to indulge in pastimes that spark your imagination, bring back memories and reconnect you to soulmates you want in your inner circle. A change of scenery will motivate you. ★★★

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t second-guess yourself when you should be questioning others. Put your energy into what makes sense and will bring the highest returns or the most joy. Personal growth will require physical endurance, but it will be worth every ounce of energy you contribute. ★★★

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take the initiative to make things happen. Be the one to spread the word, take on projects and lead the way to positive change. Partnerships look promising if you keep your money separate and set boundaries to protect your rights and reputation. ★★★

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Relax and have fun. You don’t have to break the budget to enjoy life. A reunion with old friends or a walk in the woods or down by the waterfront will spark your imagination and sprout ideas and plans. Romance and self-improvement are favored. ★★★★★

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t make a rash decision before taking the time to verify information and consider how you’ll be affected by what’s happening around you. Use your ingenuity, and you’ll devise a plan that protects you from what you fear. Change begins with you. ★★★★★

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take a breather. You owe it to yourself and those you care about to digest your life choices and decide what’s best for you. Don’t let outside interference cost you mentally, emotionally or financially. ★★★★

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t take on someone else’s responsibilities when you need to concentrate on what you can do to get ahead or to live the life that suits you best. Your happiness is your responsibility, and the more you do to soothe your soul, the better. ★★★

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Stay calm, regardless of what others do. Distance yourself from situations and people who aren’t consistent or make last-minute changes that don’t fit your criteria. Focus on what works for you and personal growth. ★★★

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Being stubborn will deter someone who wants to take advantage of you. Don’t let temptation get the better of you. Be direct, don’t hesitate to say no and don’t pay for something you don’t want or for someone else’s mistake. Don’t share personal information. ★★★

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are insightful, resourceful and persistent. You are bold and persuasive.

Bravo and farewell, Ms. Jaclyn Jose

Tamong the nominees for Best Film (there were two dark horses: Eduardo Roy Jr.’s Pamilya Ordinaryo and Sheron Dayoc’s the latter getting the top prize). But in this land, there is a more awaited moment—the declaration of the year’s Best Actress. That night, it was made more special because in contention were some of the stellar performers in the industry, with Jaclyn Jose leading the pack for her memorable title role as character that brought her the reputation of being the first Southeast Asian and Filipino actress to win the Palme d’ Or from Cannes.

We were all absorbed with the preparation at the ABS-CBN theater when I heard the voice of Gigi Alfonso, one of the Manunuri, greet someone with a surprised “Hi Jane. What happened?” We all turned around and saw the lovely Jaclyn Jose, elegant but her (was it the left or the right?) arm in a sling. “I was afraid I would be late,” she said while speaking in that lazy drawl of hers how she fell down and everything. That night, the rumor was brewing that she would get the Gawad Urian for Best Actress. She would not win—Hasmine Kilip, relatively unknown, would get the nod from what pundits have always described as the “unpredictable” Manunuris—but many would remember her for being a trouper that she was known for and would be known by many.

‘RUST’ ARMORER CONVICTED OF INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER IN FATAL SHOOTING BY ALEC BALDWIN ON MOVIE SET

SANTA FE, New Mexico—A jury convicted a movie weapons supervisor of involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal on the set of the Western movie Rust

The verdict against movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed assigned new blame in the October 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after an assistant director last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm.

By the time I saw her in Jun Lana’s Kalel. I was already an admirer of her acting style that has been caricatured so often that many already started believing what the impersonators and copycats were doing. And yet, in Kalel, you don’t see any trace of the so-called “non-acting acting” of hers; what you would witness is this brisk essaying of the character of a woman, a mother who has been through all sadness and scandals that she might as well breeze through life with the bravado of a thug. She was terrifying as the mother of this boy who hid an affliction that had wrongly been stigmatized.

In Kalel, Gigi Alfonso writes: “Jaclyn Jose is as usual effective as the mother who wants a life of her own, quite outstanding in the family drinking bonding scene and consistently believable with effortless performance to push the narrative forward.”

Jaclyn Jose was always an excellent actor. There is a big difference though between effortlessness and the much vaunted but simplistic description of her approach to characters by way of a one-note inflection or an almost tepid recitativo. She is more than that; she was more than that.

It is quite unfair that when we talk of the art of acting according to Jaclyn Jose, we are limiting ourselves to the dark although excellent portrayals she did for films in the latter years. We neglect to recall the filmic excursions she was part of in the ‘80s when she entered the scene and left it with her indelible mark as a thespian.

Her debut was through films defined as “adult dramas,” a genre she would excel in for two exceptional reasons: she had the body for it and she possessed the soul to create the depth that

remarkable. For example, there was William Pascual’s Chicas and Chito Roño’s Private Show. She would secure a FAMAS Awards nomination for the latter. The next year, 1985, she would be Lino Brocka’s star in White Slavery, a role that would call the attention of the Manunuri. She would be nominated for that film. It was in 1986, though, in the film called Takaw Tukso, that she would get her first Gawad Urian for Best Actress. Her “adult” personality would gradually fade; she was just one of the best actors there was in the country. The period would see Jaclyn Jose being paired with some of the best actresses in the industry. You almost get this feeling, she was being pitted against the declared best but in reality the other big actresses were being tested against her presence, her undeniably exciting volatility onscreen rarely seen in other performers.

Thus, we see her with Gina Alajar and, predictably, with Nora Aunor in many films. In her last film, Adolf Alix’s Pieta, she is with the two actors, presences that have become a memorial, a gift to cinema.

But let us go back to her recent past. Her versatility is in full display in the oft-forgotten and underrated Mulanay (with Alajar) where as the doctor to the rural area, she introduced us to an idealist whose gumption and sense of humor carried her through the tragedy of underdevelopment and poverty. Without being facetious, Jaclyn Jose must be in her prettiest in this film, the sparkle in those eyes not even preparing us for the hot mama she would become in future, bleaker undertakings as she stepped short at the gates of hell, in films like Emmanuel de la Cruz’s Sarong Banggi and Brillante Mendoza’s Serbis. She won her Gawad Urian

Contemplacion’s husband that people would talk about Jaclyn Jose’s famous delivery of lines as she meets up with Nora Aunor, who plays Flor, on a rice paddy. And yet people forget that it is not her “declamation” that deserves a citation here but in those charismatically awkward gestures—they are fragile, minute dances of the body—as she retreats from the frame to give way to the real wife confronting the erring husband. It is a brief confrontation that, to the credit of Joel Lamangan and Jaclyn Jose, did not redound to a vulgar fight but painted the portrait of a defeated other woman. It is so stunningly embedded in filmic consciousness that it easily becomes a chamber theater for comedians.

But in the end, while there are others who continue to reduce her legacy to a quirky acting skill, we can only remember in awe of this persona being described as down-to-earth—a vulnerable, beautiful soul, selfless and devoid of any trappings celebrities cannot live without.

Victor Kaiba Villanueva, who directed Jaclyn in Patay na si Hesus, a turn that showed further her range, recalls how Jaclyn and he would argue a lot over a few scenes all because she was always thinking of how to create her character. Victor also said they were planning a reunion but that would, of course, never happen anymore. “I miss her dearly...I owe a great part of my career to her...” were the words from the young filmmaker. We all will miss her. Jaclyn Jose was a gem—a star—and our firmament has grown a bit dimmer with her passing. To quote her daughter, Andi Eigenmann, her mother’s obra maestra is her life. By this and more, she will be unforgettable. n

GMA Network, Viu strengthen collaboration in PHL

“We

Gutierrez-Reed also had faced a second charge of tampering with evidence, stemming from accusations that she handed a small bag of possible narcotics to another crew member after the shooting to avoid detection. She was found not guilty on that count. Immediately after the verdict was read in court, the judge ordered the 26-year-old armorer placed into the custody of deputies. Lead attorney Jason Bowles said afterward that Gutierrez-Reed will appeal the conviction, which carries a penalty of up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Santa Fe-based state district court Judge Mary Marlowe Somer did not immediately set a sentencing date. Baldwin, the lead actor and a coproducer on Rust, was indicted by a grand jury in January on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He was pointing a gun at Hutchins on a movie set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, when the gun went off, killing the cinematographer and wounding director Joel Souza. The trial was a preamble to Baldwin’s trial scheduled in July. He has pleaded not guilty. Messages seeking comment about Wednesday’s verdict from Baldwin’s spokeman and a lawyer were not immediately returned. Prosecutors said at trial that Gutierrez-Reed unknowingly brought live ammunition onto the movie set, and it remained there for at least 12 days before the fatal shooting, giving the armorer plenty of time to remove it. AP

COLIN FIRTH’S COSTUME FROM FAMOUS ‘PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’ WET-SHIRT SCENE NETS A TIDY SUM AT AUCTION

LONDON—What’s arguably the most famous wet shirt in television history sold for The white linen garment worn by Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the BBC’s 1995 was the star item at an auction of film and television costumes. Firth’s costume—including boots, moleskin breeches and velvet waistcoat—fetched double its top pre-sale estimate of £10,000 ($12,700) £25,000 ($32,000) once an auction house fee known as the buyer’s premium is added. The scene in which Firth’s brooding heartthrob emerges from a pond, startling soon-to-be true love Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle), was once voted the UK’s most It was later reimagined in Bridgerton in a scene featuring British actor Jonathan Bailey. Firth referenced his own performance with further romantic soakings in Love, Actually and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

Other items up for sale include a 1950s’ Christian Dior taffeta ball gown worn by Madonna in the 1996 movie Evita, which sold for £40,000 ($50,000) and Johnny Depp’s costume for Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow, which fetched £24,000 ($30,000). Clothes worn by Depp as the Earl of Rochester in The Libertine and as writer J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland were also among some 60 items that went under the hammer.

Proceeds from the auction will go to the Bright Foundation, an arts education charity founded by Academy Award-winning costume designer John Bright. The items have been donated by his costume house, Cosprop.

“My life’s work has been committed to costume design for film, TV and theater, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to pursue this path,” Bright said. “It is my firmly held belief that the arts and creativity can shape happier and healthier children and enable young people to reach their full potential.” AP

excited for our Viu-ers to ‘Enjoy the Viu’ of their favourite Kapuso programs for free on our platform.”

Kicking off this launch are three wellreceived GMA shows: Lolong (Crocodile Whisperer), Widows’ Web, and First Yaya (The First Nanny), which became available to binge watch on Viu on February 26. Lolong is hyped as GMA’s biggest adventure series starring Ruru Madrid in teh title role, with Christopher de Leon, Jean Garcia, Bembol Roco, Malou de Guzman, Rochelle Pangilinan, Paul Salas and Ian de Leon. As Lolong, Ruru’s character develops an affinity with a gigantic crocodile named Dakila. The bond makes Lolong notice peculiar things about himself,

and he soon realizes it is his calling to lead an ancient tribe and bring justice to his town.

Widows’ Web is the first suspense series by GMA, headlined by Carmina Villaroel, Ashley Ortega, Vaness Del Moral, and Pauline Mendoza. In the heart-pounding series, four women are caught up in a twisted murder case that entangles them in a web of secrets, mysteries, and lies.

First Yaya (The First Nanny) is GMA’s toprating romantic comedy series starring Gabby Concepcion and Sanya Lopez. The modern fairy tale is the story of Glenn Acosta, Vice President of the Philippines, and his children’s nanny, Melody Reyes. Romantic feelings eventually begin to blossom between them, but things get even more complicated when Glenn suddenly becomes president. Catch these top-rating GMA programs on Viu Philippines. The Viu app is available on App Store, Google Play and selected smart TVs, and on the web at www.viu.com.

FROM left: Nessa Valdellon, GMA Network first vice president for public affairs and senior vice president of GMA Pictures; Lilybeth Rasonable, GMA Network senior vice president for entertainment group; Atty. Annette GozonValdes, GMA Network senior vice president for programming, talent managemenmt, worldwide and support group, and president and CEO of GMA Films; Vinchi Sy-Quia, country manager of Viu Philippines; and Garlic Garcia, head of content of Viu Philippines.

COLIN FIRTH as Mr. Darcy in the hit BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Cool Smashers clobber Highrisers, share lead with idle Flying Titans

CREAMLINE showed off its dominance with a commanding 25-22, 25-17, 25-15 victory over Galeries Tower to join sister team Choco Mucho at the top of the standings in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City Thursday.

Tots Carlos slowed down from a career-high 31-point blast against the Akari Chargers last weekend with a nine-point output, but with solid performances from Michele Gumabao, Lorie Bernardo and Bea de Leon, the Cool Smashers didn’t solely rely on the former University of the Philippines standout for another explosive display of hitting prowess.

Gumabao came off the bench to fire 10 points, while Bernardo shone in the middle with six points and de Leon added five points, both in twoset stints.

Alyssa Valdez added eight points for the Cool Smashers, who also drew a pair of five-point outputs from Bernadeth Pons and Jema Galanza and four points from Rose Vargas.

Kyle Negrito took the game’s best honors with an 18-excellent set performance while emphasizing the challenging nature of the competition.

“There are no easy teams in the league. Against Galeries, we had to maintain focus on our system and execute our plays,” said Negrito, who also finished with two points.

The one-hour and 18-minute victory marked Creamline’s third consecutive win, keeping it in step with Choco Mucho.

The win also primed up the Cool Smashers for a challenging encounter against the formidable Chery Tiggo Crossovers on March 16 at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna.

“Based on their performance, everything went okay,” said Meneses, whose wards dominated all the scoring skills—spikes (45-32), blocks (7-2) and serves (6-1). “We’re very happy with our performance and we’re very proud of everyone,” Valdez said.

Galeries Tower, in contrast, suffered its third straight defeat in the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

Ysas Jimenez shone for Galeries with 11 points while Joy Doromal came up with nine markers. But lack of support from teammates, including Grazielle Bombita, Dimdim Pacres, Mary Ann Esguerra and Andrea Marzan, hindered their efforts.

The Highrisers actually came out strong in the third frame, and led, 10-7.

But the Cool Smashers countered and took four of the next five points to draw level at 11 and wrested control on a Galanza ace in the ensuing play and rolled to the victory on a decisive 13-4 closing run.

Despite the expected three-set romp, the Cool Smashers faced a momentary challenge in the opening frame, squandering a commanding 20-13 bulge with a series of errors, including back-to-back mishits from Carlos, enabling the Highrisers to pull within 22-24.

But the Cool Smashers regrouped and Negrito’s strategic play to Vargas secured the set.

Meneses made effective substitutions in the next, inserting de Leon and Pons into the rotation and the defending champions responded emphatically by racing to a 14-6 lead and maintaining control throughout the set.

Jimenez, determined to keep the Highrisers in the game, scored on another off-the-block hit, to halt the Cool Smashers’ run, but the latter re-imposed their will and cruised to another set-win aided by Carlota Hernandez’s attack error.

GENEVA—Israel faces no threat to its Olympic status ahead of the Paris Games despite the conflict in Gaza, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach confirmed Wednesday.

Some of the scattered calls Israel has faced for sporting sanction since October have come from Russia, which is isolated in world sports because of its invasion of Ukraine.

Bach’s frustration with Russian government and sports officials was clear in a one-hour online call with invited international media ahead of the Paris Olympics that open July 26.

Asked Wednesday about Israel teams and athletes not taking part in Paris, the IOC president said: “No, there is no question about this.”

The safety in France of the Israeli team—which had a record 90 athletes at the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021— also was raised with Bach.

The Israel men’s soccer team could play all three group-stage games outside the capital in cities like Marseille and Lyon. The tournament draw will be made in Paris on March 20.

In Paris, Israeli cyclists and marathon runners are set to compete outside secured venues on the city’s streets.

“Since the heinous attack on the Israeli team [during the 1972 Munich Olympics], there were always special measures being taken with Israeli athletes,” said Bach, who represented West Germany and won gold in team fencing at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

“The authorities feel comfortable that the same will be true of course

also for Paris, Marseille or wherever there will be Israeli representation,” he said.

This week, a document detailing attempts by lawyers acting for Russia at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to draw comparisons with the Israel-Palestinian conflict and other border disputes in a failed legal case against the IOC was published.

The Russian Olympic Committee appeal challenged its suspension by the IOC last October for a breach of the Olympic Charter by annexing sports bodies in illegally occupied regions of eastern Ukraine.

At the CAS hearing in January, the IOC’s lawyers dismissed the comparison with Russia and argued “there is no evidence that the Israel [Olympic body] has been recognizing Palestinian sporting organizations as its members.”

On Wednesday, Bach said the Russian legal argument also cited

Senator Go brings advocacy to sports clinic in Quezon S

ENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go brought his advocacy on sports as a means to steer the youth away from societal vices, notably illegal drugs during the opening of the Provincial Sports Clinic at the Alcala Sports Complex in Lucena City Tuesday.

“Get into sports, stay away from drugs to keep healthy and fit,” Go emphasized during the event organized by the provincial government of Quezon led by Governor Helen Tan with the support of the Philippine Sports Commission and through the efforts of Go. Go joined local officials including Mayor Mark Alcala and Vice Governor Anacleto “Third” Alcala III in highlighting the government’s commitment to nurturing young athletes and promoting a healthier lifestyle among the Filipino youth. According to Go, the clinic will play an important role in fostering

athletic skills, promoting physical fitness and nurturing sportsmanship among participants, who are studentathletes from Quezon National High School.

The clinic is designed to offer training and education in various sports, such as basketball, swimming and football.

“As your chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports and  Vice Chairman of the Committee on Finance, it’s an honor to see this kinds of projects bear fruits,” Go said. “Sports is not a hobby, it’s an important aspect of life that promotes discipline, camaraderie and healthy lifestyle. Through sports, we’re fighting illegal drugs.”

Senator Go, an adopted son of Calabarzon, expressed confidence that the clinic will serve as a vital platform for discovering and honing new talents.

Samanodi

However, challenges at the backside of the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates course, including bogeys on Nos. 10 and 16 and a double-bogey finish, resulted in a 40 and a 73.

“Some of the greens are really

Go authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11470 which established the National Academy of Sports (NAS) at the New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac.

The NAS, a government-run educational institution, offers a secondary education program integrated with a special sports curriculum crafted in collaboration with the Department of Education and the PSC.

The initiative underscores the senator’s vision of providing a conducive environment for student-athletes to excel academically and in sports.

Go also discussed Senate Bill No. 2514, which he authored and principally sponsored, known as the proposed Philippine National Games Act.

The legislation, also authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Majority Floor Leader Senator Joel Villanueva, aims to establish a comprehensive framework for a national sports program, merging grassroots sports promotion with the broader agenda of national sports development.

Go commended the collective efforts of the local officials in realizing such a beneficial project for the youth.

SENATOR Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada beams with pride as the Senate Lady Defenders are awarded the silver medal in the first UNTV Volleyball League. Estrada co-sponsored Wednesday Senate Resolution No. 934 commending and congratulating their remarkable and exemplary performance and teamwork in the competition.

slow. I had a 30-40 birdie putt on No. 16 and threeputted,” said Chan, who also muffed a birdie opportunity on the next.

“On No. 18, I hit it over the fence and ended up with another three-putt,” said Chan, who however remains optimistic about transitioning smoothly from his decorated amateur career to the professional

disputes in Kashmir and NagornoKarabakh to push the view the IOC was using double standards.

Asked later about hostile comments aimed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Bach said this was a “cynical interpretation” of the IOC’s position on letting only some Russian athletes compete in Paris if they pass vetting as neutral individuals but not in team sports.

“The Russian government apparently is ignoring the fact they have forced us [into] action,” the IOC leader said. “It is their invasion and in particular it is their annexation of parts of Ukraine.”

“What is also remarkable is that this aggressivity is coming from the very same government that was behind the scandalous manipulation of the anti-doping system before and during and even after Sochi,” Bach said of the 2014 Winter Games in Russia. Sochi was his first Olympics as IOC president where he was publicly close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A Russian doping case—of figure skating star Kamila Valieva—also rocked the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, and the teenager was banned for four years by the CAS in January.

Bach lamented it was “really very, very heavy to take” seeing Valieva photographed with Putin at a sports event two weeks ago.

“Now, she was misused for political purposes on top of that,” Bach said, “by having to stand next to the president, Putin, at the opening ceremony of the so-called Future Games. In this way showing the disrespect for all the worldwide antidoping rules.”

No Russians, Belarusians in Paralympics ceremonies

RUSSIAN and Belarusian athletes were barred Wednesday from marching in this year’s Paralympics opening ceremony in Paris, even if they are approved to compete as neutrals.

The  International Paralympic Committee set limits  on athletes from the two countries which are  stricter than those detailed by the International Olympic Committee  for the Paris Games that open one month earlier. The IOC in December decided against a blanket ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes over the invasion of Ukraine.

“As the athletes will participate in an individual and neutral capacity, they will not march in the Opening Ceremony on August 28 or have a flag bearer at the Closing Ceremony on September 8,” the IPC said from Bonn, Germany.

At the Paris Olympics, Russian and Belarusian athletes approved as neutrals—first by governing bodies of individual sports, then in further vetting overseen by the IOC—can take part in the  July 26 opening ceremony. That ceremony is set to be a parade of boats on the River Seine toward the Eiffel Tower.

The Paralympics and Olympics have broadly the same criteria for athletes to be approved as neutrals—that they have not actively supported the war, and are not tied to the military and national security agencies in Russia and Belarus.

The IPC has previously taken a tougher stand on Russia than the IOC.

The Russian team was excluded from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics in fallout from a scandal of state-backed doping and coverups. The IOC let almost 300 Russians compete at the Rio Olympics. AP

Ruby, Uy score aces in Intramuros

FLIP RUBY turned a casual night of golf into a joyous celebration with a hole-in-one on No. 18 of Club Intramuros in Manila last Wednesday.

Ruby, from Tandang Sora in Quezon City, wielded a TaylorMade SIM2 9-iron and Callaway No. 2 ball to conquer the challenging 158-yard closing hole of the short but tricky layout during a round with John Paul Lam, Jacob Perello and Aldren Peñaverde.

Meanwhile, Katherine Uy added her name to the list of hole-in-one achievers with her own on No. 16 during a recent night golf with Jill Raymundo and Dustin Marasigan. A member of the Forest Hills Golf and Country Club, Uy used a XXI0 Prime 9 and Titleist ProV ball to ace the water-guarded 95-yard hole.

Ruby and Uy secured gift certificates valued at P10,000, redeemable for various options, including green fees for future rounds, driving range, pro shop or at Club Intramuros Restaurant.

ranks with a 216 total. “I just have to clean up for some mistakes and give myself a chance for more birdies,” he added. Korean amateur Min Hyeok Yu likewise seemed poised to clinch his PGT card with a 217 after a 72, alongside former national team mainstay Kristoffer Arevalo and Japanese Ozeki Kakeru, who tied for fourth at 218 after 70 and 72, respectively.

IT always helps to have a caddie—just like leader Kuresh Samanodi’s—who knows the sport and course pretty well.

FLIP

MICHELE GUMABAO delivers coming off the bench.

International Women’s Day

www.businessmirror.com.ph

CELEBRATING WOMEN AT THE HELM

TODAY is International Women’s Day. It is a global celebration of the socio, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Each year, this day serves as a powerful reminder of the progress made towards gender equality and highlights the work that still needs to be done.

This year’s campaign theme is “Inspire Inclusion” which emphasizes the importance of diversity and empowerment in all aspects of society.

This year’s campaign theme underscores the crucial role of inclusion in achieving gender equality. It calls for action to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create environments where all women are valued and respected.

Inspire Inclusion encourages everyone to recognize the unique perspectives and contributions of women from all walks of life, including those from marginalized communities.

One of the key pillars of Inspire Inclusion is the promotion of diversity in leadership and decision-making positions. Women, especially those belonging to underrepresented groups, continue to face barriers when seeking leadership roles. By championing

inclusion, organizations and communities can harness the full potential of diverse perspectives leading to better decision-making and innovation. For this year’s special feature on International Women’s Day, BusinessMirror is featuring key women leaders who are making a difference in the companies they work for. They were asked five questions related to their leadership roles and here are their stories.

Cathy Yang, FVP & Group Head, Corporate Communications, PLDT and Smart

Host, Cignal TV's Thought Leaders with Cathy Yang CATHY Yang is a multi-awarded media personality and corporate leader who, in 2020 reinvented herself, moving beyond media and

embracing a corporate communications role in tech and telco at PLDT and Smart. It did not take long before an invitation to host her own talk show on Cignal TV One News came along, and in May 2023, she began hosting, concurrently, “Thought Leaders with Cathy Yang.”

Q: How do you define your leadership style, and how does it differ from your male counterparts?

A: I make no distinction from my male counterparts’ leadership styles, as I think not primarily from a gender lens, but from the perspective of what kind of leadership is called for at any particular point in time.

For instance, my move from media to telco happened at the height of a raging Covid-19 pandemic, a time which pretty much beckoned compassionate leadership, prioritizing my team’s well-being, creating cadences with our assigned alternates, in case anyone of us fell ill or had family members to take care of, so that we could carry on – unhampered – with our work deliverables. It was also a time that I had combined my PLDT and Smart teams into one Group Corp Comms, a process that required for the most part, purpose-driven leadership. As my team returned to the office following the pandemic lockdowns, getting a grip of our shared

sense of direction and commitment had become of paramount importance. So having each one find his or her own personal meaning at work facilitated better outcomes, as ultimately, it made each of us feel we belonged in the team, and ultimately, the wider organization. The wins we’ve made over the last three years are now leaning towards a coaching leadership style, which does not just involve me, but my whole team, where each one of us is empowered to be a coach – or coachee – to each other, so we’re all keeping ahead of the new skills needed for our ever-evolving jobs. A dynamic blend of these three leadership styles is now what’s coming

to define my own, where we get the job done, and done well, not only because we have to, but because we want to.

Q: Who inspired you to become a leader, and what motivated you to take on leadership roles in your profession or organization?

A: Speaking with trailblazers across different industries for the most part of my journalistic career made me curious about what life must be like for those who occupied positions of influence and where decisions impacted many. Early on in my media career, I had already reveled in securing breaking news first and fastest and in delivering the most visually and editorially impactful news features. I realized then that I am able to do all these as consistently, focusing on great output, when I worked and communicated well with my team. It was apparent that while I was at the forefront of the news gathering, producing and reporting – I, signing off on and owning my stories – it was my teammates not seen on screen – my camera crew, newsroom editors, research staff, production assistants, who enabled me to get the job done, and done well, every single day. Because of this, I had a great appreciation right off the bat of the

Cathy Yang

Arlyn Songco

International Women’s Day

CELEBRATING WOMEN AT THE HELM

importance of teamwork. I have since taken a particular interest in leading various teams, proud to recall that the interest to lead – and serve – started right on the field, when I was still a reporter. This collaborative mindset helped me transition to my corporate role, now backed by my dynamic Group Corp Comms team. And now, with my concurrent role as Host of “Thought Leaders with Cathy Yang,” I am able to lead yet another team, this time under Cignal TV. And I am honored to see that the teamwork we’re nurturing from both sides has started to reap rewards and recognition.

Q: What barriers have you faced as a woman in leadership and how did you overcome them?

A: I have generally found myself in the good company of women supporting women in media as well as in tech and telco. I have likewise found myself in the good company of men who help support women.

So I hold the view that behind every successful woman is a an equally supportive, successful man. I’d like to think the reverse is true just as much: that behind every successful man, is an equally supportive, successful woman.

I have however come across women leaders who have faced challenges because they are women. And it is heartening to learn from

them that among other things, they’ve overcome such barriers by just being prepared for every meeting. Because from there springs forth one’s natural confidence to speak and be heard. As a journalist, preparation has always been key. As a corporate leader, I have learned that such rigor is just as indispensable to achieving better outcomes.

Q: What benefits do you see in having women in leadership positions and how can we calculate the positive impacts of their contributions?

A: Well, we’ve seen collective women power at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, where countries led by women had seen better outcomes. Research revealed the relative successes of locking down earlier in countries led by women, such as Germany’s Angela Merkel, New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, Demark’s Mette Frederiksen, Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen and Finland’s Sanna Marin. Their proactive and coordinated policy responses saved lives.

Several studies suggest companies with strong female leadership at the executive level correlate with improved ESG performance. Women in leadership positions likewise serve as the driving force behind philanthropic initiatives. Female executives are actively involved in CSR programs, channeling corporate resources towards socially impactful projects such as in educa-

IN line with its commitment to women’s empowerment and gender equality, SM Supermalls, through its corporate social responsibility arm, SM Cares, launched this year’s Women's Month celebration with a series of events championing a safe, inclusive, and enabling environment for women.

Promoting safe spaces for women at SM NEARLY 17,000 SM Supermalls frontliners, employees, and partners gathered at the SM North Edsa Sky Dome and online on March 1, 2024 for a nationwide orientation on the Safe Spaces Act (Bawal Bastos Law) or Republic Act No. 11313. The Act penalizes gender-based sexual harassment committed in public spaces, educational or train-

tion and healthcare.

Female leaders also bring a diversity of thought and experience, fostering stronger innovation.

Credit Suisse’s report on Gender Diversity and Corporate Performance revealed companies with women in senior management positions tended to be more innovative, helping companies on average to reach higher returns on equity. On the other hand, Morgan Stanley’s Holistic Equal Representation Score gender diversity framework indicated firms with greater gender diversity celebrated better share price performance than less gender-diverse firms.

Embracing female leadership is not just a matter of strategic imperative, but an ethical one. Companies that recognize the immense value women bring to the table are better positioned to thrive.

Q: What advice would you give to young women who want to make a difference?

A: Slap on that sunblock, scour the expanse before you, and find your mojo. It is only in starting from the trenches you gain respect. So work it, and earn it. Stay hungry learning anything new. Help whenever you can. Be grateful. And when you’ve made it high enough in your career to be able to see the amazing horizon, don’t just stand there. Take a selfie and share it! Share your time and talent. For you were

once there needing to learn the most when you were just finding out the meaning of You.

Arlyn L. Songco, Senior Vice President, Creative Communications and Sales Services Division, Makati Medical Center

ARLYN Songco has been with Makati Medical Center since 2008 where she started out as the Director of the Marketing and Communications Division.

Prior to that she worked at ePLDT Inc., Bayan Telecommunications, Inc. Globe Telecom and Magnolia Corporation. She even started her own flower business.

At Makati Medical Center, Songco spearheads the strategic execution of revenue generating programs and leads the HealthHub Operations team. She also champions the creative and communications programs of the institution, leading to various Anvil and Quill Awards for its projects.

Q: How do you define your leadership style, and how does it differ from your male counterparts?

A: Because my field is on creative and sales/business development, my leadership style leans towards the visionary and coaching styles. Being in these “development” functions, I foster a relaxed environment to encourage collaboration after I have laid out a vision or an

ing institutions, workplaces, and online. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Atty. Benjo Santos M. Benavidez served as the forum’s keynote speaker and expounded on genderbased sexual harassment and the Safe Spaces Act. Organized by SM Cares, in partnership with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and the DOLE, the forum is part of SM’s ongoing nationwide campaign to promote a safe, inclusive and empowering environment for women, and builds on the success of the first Safe Spaces Act orientation in October 2023, which saw the participation of 7,614 attendees from SM malls across the country.

SM Assistant Vice President and Program Director Jessica Sy

reaffirmed SM’s commitment to preventing harassment and gender bias against women, especially within its premises, “We recognize that there are ongoing, systemic challenges that Filipinas continue to face today, both in the workplace and in society. By actively engaging with the public sector to educate our own people on the Safe Spaces Act, we remain committed to uphold the rights and dignity of women.” Sy also reflected on the legacy of her grandfather, Henry Sy, Sr., which underscores the importance of inclusivity and respect in everything SM does, and added, “Remembering this provides a richer context when we say, Bawal bastos sa SM.”

‘Walk in Her Shoes’ exhibit THE compelling interactive ex-

idea/concept for the team member to work on. As a woman, we are innately nurturers so coaching comes like second nature whether to a male or female staff – which may be a challenge for male leaders.

Q: Who inspired you to become a leader, and what motivated you to take on leadership roles in your profession or organization?

A: Being very decisive, efficient, organized, and analytical paved the path for me to become a leader. I first saw how a leader “must not be” which made me strive harder to become my ideal leader to subordinates – starting with just one assistant which grew to a handful then eventually to a big division.

Q: What barriers have you faced as a woman in leadership, and how did you overcome them?

A: Luckily, I became a leader when women leaders were already common in the industries I joined. Among the barriers I encounter are work-family life balance for a full-time mother and gender bias. Work-family life balance was achieved with a supportive spouse in a give-and-take relationship. Overcoming gender bias came naturally as my colleagues finally accepted that they can have a female superior and/or colleague who can achieve or do more than what they can.

hibit, “Walk in Her Shoes,” by the United Nations Philippines was also launched on the same day and is ongoing until March 10 at the SM North Edsa, Level 3, Main Mall. The exhibit features real stories from women and girls, shedding light on different forms of genderbased violence they experience. The exhibit strives to raise awareness about the widespread nature of violence against women (VAW), encourage reflection on harmful social norms, and inspire collective action to end VAW.

During the launch, UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez thanked the PCW for leading the efforts to empower women, and SM Cares and SM Supermalls for providing the space and platform to raise awareness

Q: What benefits do you see in having women in leadership positions, and how can we calculate the positive impacts of their contributions?

A: Women in leadership positions soften the organization and become key transformation advocates which lead to increased collaboration among the staff. As women are seen to be more compassionate, creative, outgoing, sensitive, and nurturing than men, conversations among staff are encouraged and discussions become more open as each is given a chance to speak up. Having women leaders alone is already seen as promoting equality in an organization.

Q: What advice would you give to young women who want to make a difference?

A: Don’t settle for second best if you know you can be the best at what you do. As women, we are already laden with responsibilities (family) and expectations (cultural and societal), so we either pace up or do more. Read and read (or watch), keep learning and upskilling, interact with different types of people and be genuinely interested in them, travel whenever you can, speak and converse well with correct grammar and proper diction, dress up and dress well. These are just some tips that will already put you ahead without effort, in any situation.

about gender inequality and gender-based violence.

“Gender equality demands a whole-of-government, whole-ofsociety approach. Only through collaboration across sectors can we dismantle harmful norms and build a world where women and girls enjoy the same rights and opportunities as men,” he said, adding that gender equality has economic impacts as it results in sustainable development.

SM lights up in purple to welcome Women’s Month

IN solidarity with the “Purple Your Icon” advocacy initiated by the PCW, several iconic SM landmarks and malls across the country lit up in purple to support the advancement of gender equality

and women’s empowerment for a brighter future.

“Adorning our surroundings this month with purple serves not only as a beautiful tribute, but also as a powerful symbol. Purple signifies the spirit of women's rights, highlighting the fight for equality and empowerment. It represents a future where limitations and stereotypes are transcended,” said PCW Officer-in-Charge Atty. Khay Ann Magundayao-Borlado.

SM Supermalls, through its social responsibility arm, SM Cares, champions women's equality, empowerment, health, and welfare through its ongoing programs aimed at building a future where every woman feels safe, valued, respected, and enabled to reach her full potential.

SM Seaside Cebu radiates in purple in solidarity with the country’s celebration of Women’s Month.

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Assistant Vice President and Program Director Jessica Sy

The iconic MOA Globe lights up in purple to celebrate Women’s Month.

SM Aura glows purple to usher in this year’s Women’s Month celebration.

SM Megamall turns purple to kick off this year’s Women’s Month celebration.

UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez at the opening of the “Walk in Her Shoes” exhibit.

AS the world celebrates International Women’s Day, MR.DIY Philippines proudly spotlights the remarkable achievements of its Chief Executive Officer, Roselle Andaya, in spearheading the company’s exponential growth.

of this milestone, stating, "Being '500 Stores Strong' reflects our brand's robust growth, deepening impact, and steadfast dedication to serving communities nationwide."

A Mantra for Aspiring Leaders

Looking forward, Andaya plans to use her achievements to empower others. "Beyond becoming CEO, I aim to share my knowledge and experiences," she said. Through initiatives like the Filipina CEO Circle, Andaya hopes to encourage and develop future women leaders, bringing positive change to society.

Aspiring leaders find inspiration in Andaya's motto, "Lead by Accountability." This principle stresses responsibility, integrity, and transparency in leadership, guiding individuals to success both professionally and personally.

Andaya's journey exemplifies resilience, determination, and the value of leadership that embraces diversity. As MR.DIY Philippines marks its milestone of 500 stores, Andaya's forwardthinking vision continues to motivate, fostering a future that prioritizes inclusivity and equity.

In the spirit of International Women's Day,

MR.DIY Philippines celebrates Roselle Andaya and her remarkable contributions to the company's success, embodying the ethos of leadership, empowerment, and inclusivity. To know more about MR.DIY’s milestones, head to MR.DIY’s official website at www.mrdiy.com/ph or follow / mrdiyPH on Facebook, and @ mrdiy.philippines on Instagram and TikTok. You can also check out MR.DIY’s stores nationwide here: https://www.mrdiy.com/ph/ storelocator.

International Women’s Day

Michelle Garcia-Arce: Brand builder

IMA BusinessMirror Special Feature

F you think of great wedding reception venues and Marriott Manila is top of mind, there is a strong chance it was because of Michelle “Mitch” Garcia-Arce and the ingenious way she transformed how hotels promote to the wedding market. Now leading her own retail and PR businesses at just 42, Mitch is one of the Philippines’ most accomplished young hotel marketers –the brains behind the much-celebrated Marry Me At Marriott.

During her stint as Marriott Manila’s director of marketing & communications, the concept of a fashion show to draw in the wedding market was unheard of in the hotel industry. There were wedding fairs, yes, but that was that. Her concept, Marry Me At Marriott, turned the spotlight on the creative prowess behind great weddings. Throughout the many early editions of the show, she featured designers such as Michael Leyva, Francis Libiran, Rosenthal Lee, Ryan Madamba, Happy Andrada, Hannah Kong, Avel Bacudio, and Mark Bumgarmer and event stylists Gideon Hermosa and Teddy

Manuel in a grand display of talent inside Marriott Manila’s 3,800-capacity pillarless ballroom. So significant was the program’s impact on the industry that a number of today’s luxury hotels now host their wedding fashion shows.

Marry Me At Marriott was named a finalist as one of the Philippine hotel industry’s best marketing campaigns during the Virtus Awards 2018 (the industry’s equivalent of the Oscars).

Her own boss

In 2021, she left Marriott as cluster head of marketing for its Manila, Cebu, and Iloilo properties and pursued her passion for business.

Mitch successfully acquired and relaunched Ultrafresh, an affordable diaper brand. Ultrafresh’s mission is to provide superior diaper quality at an affordable price, a business advocacy that has unsurprisingly resonated with many Filipino mothers affected economically during the pandemic.

In the Philippines, an average household will need to set aside at least P1 million to raise a baby in two years, with approximately five to six

Honor the inspiring women in our lives with essential gifts from Urbanize

ARCH of every year is International Women’s Month, a worldwide celebration that honors women’s extraordinary contributions to society and nation building. Apart from paying tribute to women of different stripes and backgrounds, the monthlong festival also aims to champion important issues that affect women at large: domestic violence, harassment, inequality in the workplace, gender-based discrimination, and so much more. For our part, it is our duty and responsibility to protect their rights and interests, and show appreciation for their unwavering strength and spirit.

What better way to celebrate International Women’s Month than to treat them like the queens that they truly are. This month, it is

only fitting to pamper the lovely women in our lives with some amazing deals and gifts to show respect for everything that they do for us. Here’s a curated guide from Urbanize, the country’s leading lifestyle hub in the Philippines, to help us express our sincerest gestures of admiration, love, and care to the women who have played an integral part in making our lives so much better.

Lihit Lab Altna Horizontal Tool Bag

A LARGE- capacity and convenient tool bag, this lightweight essential has a durable and resilient fabric that stands up firmly. It has an outer pocket for easy access to tools on both sides, and its material is made up of brushed

fabric that is easy for storage. Who says women can’t look tough? This bag represents everything about power and independence: a modern, digital katipunera that doesn’t back down to any challenges in life.

Lihit Lab Smart Fit Organizer

Carrying Pouch (A5)

FOR female professionals who want a pouch that they can carry with them at work, the Lihit Lab Smart Fit Organizer Carrying Pouch (A5) tops the list in terms of style, convenience, and durability. Aside from fitting smartly in your working scene, this iconic must-have is perfect for on-the-go scenarios or when you’re moving accessories and gear from one bag to another.

Lihit Lab Altna Vertical Tool Bag

FOR anyone looking for a convenient but stylish tool bag that is easy to pack and unpack, the Lihit Lab Altna Vertical Tool Bag is definitely one of the better options on the market. A super-sturdy bag with an understated yet pleasing design for all genders, this large-capacity essential has a spacious compartment that allows users to throw any stuff in it. It’s also great for a day of running errands.

Elecom Off Toco Multifunctional 3-Way Backpack

A backpack, messenger bag, and handbag all rolled into one, this multi-purpose bag showcases versatility and range for everyday use. What makes it standout is its dedicated pocket,

percent of the expense going to diapers alone. Not many Filipinos will be able to afford this, a unique opportunity that Mitch saw by offering high-quality diapers by Ultrafresh but at 30 to 40 percent less than branded ones.

Under Mitch’s leadership and strategic direction, the new Ultrafresh doubled its distribution in the Philippines – increasing market share in Luzon and penetrating the Visayas and Mindanao regions – and kept sales growth at a remarkable rate of 10 percent annually despite the challenges of Covid-19. She also gave back to her community. In 2022, when Typhoon Agathon devastated the Philippines, Mitch led the distribution of 200,000 pieces of free Ultrafresh diapers to affected areas.

As if that wasn’t enough, Mitch launched her own marketing communications agency, Storytellers Marcomms, to cater to clients in the hospitality, lifestyle, and F&B sectors. Her clients today include renowned hotels in Metro Manila, including restaurants, sports, and healthcare and cosmetic brands.

Her agency was involved in the iconic

which can store laptops up to 13.3 inches from the top. It also has a space on the top where you can sort and store small items, such as wallets, and a space on the right side where you can store clothes and shoes. Elecom Off Toco Organizational Backpack WITH a variety of colors to choose from, the Elecom Off Toco Organizational Backpack has an elegant but minimalist design suited for different types of personalities. Its outer fabric has a textured wrinkle finish, which emits a sophisticated vibe. An “off toco” backpack that makes you want to take it with you on holidays, this all-around essential doesn’t sacrifice style over convenience.

Elecom Off Toco Organizational

2 Style High Grade Camera Messenger Bag

THIS two-style camera bag is a high-grade

10th-anniversary show of couturier Michael Leyva at the National Museum of Natural History (which featured Anne Curtis wearing a 30kilo pantsuit decorated with old coins) and Ellis Co’s “Memoirs of the Future” show – projects that pushed the boundaries of what is possible in fashion, art, and experience.

A single parent for nearly 20 years

Mitch exemplifies a woman whose relentless and resilient spirit has simply defied how we see a successful corporate leader.

Mitch was a single parent for most of her life, beginning a promising career in the hotel industry at the same time as she was raising her daughter Azile. For nearly two decades, she raised Azile herself and supported her family –her brothers who were yet to finish college – a difficult task that required a delicate balance between personal and professional life.

Mitch – the woman behind Marry Me At Marriott – is now married to Ariel Arce. They live happily along with Azile, five-year-old Amos, and their troop of corgis and poodles.

model equipped with functions one rank higher. This can also be used as a normal messenger bag by removing the attached camera inner case.

While International Women’s Month is primarily about raising awareness about the issues that women face on a daily basis, it’s also a month-long celebration dedicated to inspiring ladies who deserve to be recognized and treated like royalty. Head over to Urbanize stores nationwide and take advantage of the great deals we’ve prepared just in time for International Women’s Month.

These products are available at Urbanize. Visit them at Urbanize stores nationwide. You may also purchase them online via www. urbanize.com.ph, Lazada, Shopee, and Zalora! For more information, make sure to follow and like Urbanize’s social media pages: FB: https://www.facebook.com/urbanizeph/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/urbanizeph/

SM Green Finds: Doing green business with women-led enterprises

MARCH is Women’s Month, and this is a good opportunity to honor and celebrate these women-led enterprises that not only help promote the well-being of our communities but that of our planet as well.

Ultima Linen

At SM Home, there is a line of bedsheets called Ultima Linen that are made of bamboo cotton. This product is a good addition to a green household and the lady behind this brand is Gigi Uy-Cirera.

Uy-Cirera related that she started Ultima in 1996 which, she said, was an offshoot of her wholesale bedsheet business supplying to Divisoria and to some of the provinces.

“We make sure that the products we sell are aligned with our goals and practices, especially now that we have decided to lean into the sustainability agenda with our products and with the way we run our company,” she related.

According to Uy-Cirera, she decided to offer her items for sale at SM Home when she noticed that more people were going to the malls for their needs.

“It was luck and foresight that made us decide to try and open up a wider market for us. So, we decided to approach SM Home,” she said.

She is grateful for the support SM Home has extended to her and to her brand, adding that consumers are more aware about sustainable items. “Brand awareness has also become important. This is good because consumers become educated about our products,” Uy-Cirera added.

Margaret Muir

Another SM Home supplier is Belinda Sarmiento who supplies the Marga-

ret Muir line of beddings. She started her retail journey in 1997 when she was working for a textile manufacturer that supplied SM Store.

“However, I decided to open my own retail business in 2008. Luckily, with my passion and perseverance, I was able to grow my business and I am grateful for the support of key people along the way,” Sarmiento said. She sourced her products from “reputable suppliers locally and

abroad that adhere to high quality and sustainable standards”.

Over the years, Sarmiento noted that SM Home had been continuously innovating and “bringing the best out of the retail landscape in the Philippines which made them number one.”

“Therefore, it is a strategic decision on my part to join SM Home and grow together as partners. From that standpoint, I was able to adapt to the direction of the group

which also greatly improved my product assortment,” she said. She also brought into the country, the franchise for Martha Stewart - a premium home essentials brand who made a name for herself in the very competitive home furnishing space. SM Home is Sarmiento’s lead retail partner for this product line.

“Throughout the initial months of its introduction, SM has been supportive in helping us launch the brand through social media advertorials, a big product launch and proper visibility in stores. These are all very essential for a new brand to grow in the market that has a lot of seasoned competitors already,” Sarmiento said. Expect Sarmiento to continuously innovate her products so that they align with SM’s green retail initiative, the SM Green Finds.

Eva Marie

If you are looking for fashionable and eco-friendly accessories, check out the Eva Marie brand of bags that are sourced from a local community. It was the parents of

of the advantages of being a supplier of Kultura is that their items are readily available.

“If my buyer wants to buy any of our products, I always tell them to go to Kultura,” she said. As for her future plans, Yu said they will continue to produce more designs.

“We want to continue with the good relationship we have been able to cultivate with SM and Kultura and make sure to maintain a certain level of quality when it comes to our products,” Yu said. Women play a very

Michelle Garcia-Arce | PHOTO BY JOEL GARCIA FOR THE PHILYEARBOOK 2024.