BusinessMirror May 17, 2019 by BusinessMirror

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Friday, May 17, 2019 Vol. 14 No. 219

BSP cuts reserve ratio of banks to fuel growth

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

FTER months of prodding from the local banking sector, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday decided to cut its reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 200 basis points (bps). BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno announced to the media that the Monetary Board (MB) decided to reduce the RRR of banks from 18 percent to 16 percent. The 200-bps cut will be done in three phases: 100 bps on May 31,

50 bps on June 28, and 50 bps on July 26. “This new policy will apply to universa l and commercia l banks only. For the other types of banks, the cut in RRR will be considered in the next MB

meeting,” Diokno said. The RRR is one of BSP’s monetary tools. It is the portion of depositors’ balances that banks are asked to keep idle in the BSP’s vaults as reserves. Even at 16 percent, the Philippines

“This new policy will apply to universal and commercial banks only. For the other types of banks, the cut in RRR will be considered in the next MB meeting.” —Diokno

still has one of the highest RRRs in the region. This means that a significant chunk of the bank’s funds are still kept in the BSP’s coffers instead of being lent out to fuel economic growth. Some officials said, however, that the timing and pace of a reduction in the banks’ RRR is crucial as it could stoke inflationary pressures in the real economy. See “BSP,” A4

‘PHL must export more nonfood items to S. Korea’

HE government has to focus on exporting nonfood goods and services—and not rely heavily on a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA)—if it wants to reduce the country’s trade deficit with South Korea, according to an expert. Lawyer Anthony A. Abad of Abad Alcantara and Associates said Manila has to expand its shipments to Seoul if it intends to reduce, if not erase, its trade deficit. To do so, he advised the government to focus on exporting nonfood products and services to the East Asian country. Continued on A2

PANDA BONDS 4 TIMES OVERSUBSCRIBED, GOVT SEES VOTE OF CONFIDENCE By Rea Cu

@ReaCuBM

HE order book for the republic’s second Panda bond issuance is more than four times oversubscribed at renminbi (RMB) 11 billion, showcasing what officials described as the strong vote of confidence in the Philippines’s economic stewardship and transformative reform agenda. A statement issued by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) on Wednesday night said the Panda bonds issued by the Philippines—amounting to RMB2.5 billion with a three-year tenor —were priced at 3.58 percent,

HOTEL GROUP Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat (left) administers the oath to the new officers of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association during the induction of HSMA’s Board of Directors. From left: Carmela Bocanegra, treasurer; Benjie Martinez, vice president; Christine Ibarreta, president; Pearl Maclang, director for PR; Joy de Mesa, director for ways and means; Tet Romualdo, director for membership; and Amie Villena, director for programs. See story on page A2. ROY DOMINGO

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.3540

allowing the Republic to achieve a tight spread of 32 basis points (bps) above the benchmark. “The success of our Panda bonds issuance, along with other recent issuances, resonates the positive market sentiment on Philippine credit. Through strategic and timely offerings, we are able to tap various markets even in a challenging environment that allowed for the Republic that resulted in more cost-efficient pricing,” said National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon. In terms of geographical breakdown of investors, leveraging on the Bond Connect See “Panda,” A12

PHL sees 10 biz-to-biz deals signed during Duterte’s trip to Japan

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By Bernadette D. Nicolas

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HE Philippines expects to sign at least 10 business-tobusiness agreements during President Duterte’s visit to Japan this end-May. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said on Thursday that these agreements include two memoranda of understanding and eight letters of intent on various areas, such as electronics, manufacturing, data analytics, services, energy, transportation and tourism. “In other words, companies that are already here that are intending to expand their operation, invest more, expand operations. These are big Japanese companies that we cannot also ignore, they still want to express their support and confidence for the current administration and they want to indicate their intent and invest

more,” Lopez said. However, the trade secretary said the President may not be able to witness the signing of these agreements although he did not elaborate why. The President is set to be in Tokyo on May 30 and 31 to speak at the 25th Nikkei Conference on the Future of Asia. This is his third trip to the country’s top source of official development assistance (ODA) since assuming office. Lopez added they are also arranging a roundtable and a business forum for the President to attend. “We will have a business forum that will allow the President to meet the Japanese companies, representatives, CEOs, as well as with, of course, the Philippine business delegation that would be joining the President,” he said. Lopez said he also expects the See “Duterte,” A4

n JAPAN 0.4778 n UK 67.2906 n HK 6.6700 n CHINA 7.6131 n SINGAPORE 38.2677 n AUSTRALIA 36.2656 n EU 58.6574 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.9618

Source: BSP (16 May 2019 )

A2 Friday, May 17, 2019

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‘Building more rooms key to tourism growth’ By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

@akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

LAWMAKER has enjoined the private hospitality industry to expand hotel capacities as the government tries to attract more foreign tourists to the country. Keynoting the 40th anniversary celebration of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) on Wednesday, Sen. Joel Villanueva said, “kindly build more rooms and please hire more Filipinos,” as the Department of Tourism (DOT) tries to attain an arrivals target of 12 million foreign tourists by 2022. “I think it’s doable and God’s favor is upon us with the reopening of our tourism’s crown jewel, Boracay,” he said. “We also expect positive changes with the refreshed ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ campaign slogan, not to mention, the country’s hosting of Southeast Asian Games by end of this year at the New Clark City.” Under its National Tourism Development Plan of 2016-2022, the DOT projects a need for 128,000 new hotel rooms by 2022 to accommodate the projected arrivals in both foreign and domestic tourists. Villanueva also expressed concern over the growing number of Chinese businesses and nationals working in Boracay, many of who came in first as tourists. He cited 64,087 special work permits (SWPs) issued by the Bureau of Immigration to Chinese nationals in 2018. “Don’t get me wrong—we’re not singling out a certain nationality, but the issuance of SWPs for Chinese nationals is simply exponential as compared to other foreign nationals that were issued the permit,” the lawmaker said. “I hope that we will continue to give preference to Filipino workers who are capable, able and willing to work in our

128,000

Number of new hotel rooms needed by 2022 to accommodate the projected arrivals in both foreign and domestic tourists, per the DOT’s National Tourism Development Plan of 2016-2022 hotels and resorts. Let me remind you that the ‘Filipino First Policy’ or preferential use of Filipino labor is guaranteed by the 1987 Constitution.” Before Villanueva’s speech, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat inducted the new HSMA board of directors for 2019-2021, as the organization celebrates its 40th anniversary. Elected to the board were: Christine Ann U. Ibarreta as president; Benjamin V. Martinez, vice president; Christina S. Carreon, secretary; Carmela H. Bocanegra, treasurer; Pearl Peralta Maclang, director for public relations; Michael Jaey C. Albana, director for education; Ma. Celeste M. Romualdo, director for membership; Amie C. Villena, director for programs; Joy D. de Mesa, director for ways and means; Margarita F. Munsayac, HSMA chairman; and Rose H. Libongco, Virtus chairman. Organized in 1979, HSMA is the premier organization of sales and marketing leaders in the Philippine travel and tourism industry, representing the hotels and resorts segment counts over 120 hotels and resorts in the country as member-partners. The organization announced the holding of its annual Virtus Awards, now on its fifth year, this October. Of this, Villanueva said, “It’s not enough that we have nice beaches, good weather, kind-hearted people or world-class entertainment; I think we should also care about good governance, deepen our patriotism and strengthen the ‘virtus’ of every Filipino to sell the Philippines to the world.” He recognized the need to strengthen the private sector’s role in charting the course of the country’s tourism industry, and agreed that “we need to revisit the Tourism Act of 2009 [or Republic Act 9353],” in a bid to duplicate the Singapore Tourist

Board’s role and functions in their country. In a news statement, the HSMA board is calling on industry professionals to participate in this year’s Virtus Awards, which recognizes the best in hotel sales and marketing. “Always be hungry for excellence; don’t be complacent with the present laurels—this is what we instill in our members through Virtus,” said Martinez. “Our benchmark is always the best.” There are four awards to vie for: Outstanding Sales and Marketing Associate; Outstanding Sales and Marketing Manager; Outstanding Sales and Marketing Leader; and Outstanding Marketing Campaign of the Year. “Our member-properties’ top professionals deserve to be recognized in the national arena of travel and tourism,” said Libongco. “Pitting them in a reputable award-giving body sharpens the associates, hones their skills, and prepares them for the bigger challenges of the Philippines’s quickly evolving and growing hotel and resorts industry,” she added. HSMA officers expressed hope these awards would inspire more of their colleagues to further push the promotion of Philippine tourism, through increased hotel sales. “I believe that one of the main drivers in increasing tourist arrivals are the hotels and resorts in the country—and the main drivers of these properties are the sales and marketing people,” said Bocanegra. “The various strategies employed by the private sector when it comes to selling the country are driven by sales and marketing. Participation in various trade shows, organizing our own properties’ sales calls and road shows—these all contribute to the goal of increasing tourist arrivals. When we promote our properties, we automatically promote the Philippines,” she underscored. Last year’s winners include Francis David of Hyatt-City of Dreams for Outstanding Sales and Marketing Leader; Fatima Mationg of Makati Diamond Residences for Outstanding Sales and Marketing Manager; and Timothy Santos of Bellevue Hotels for Outstanding Sales and Marketing Associate. Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar bagged Outstanding Marketing Campaign of the Year.

Lopez to 18th Congress: Pass bills on retail trade lib, Trabaho, PSA By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

RADE Secretary Ramon Lopez has once again called on the next Congress to finally pass economic bills on the liberalization of retail trade, the Public Service Act and the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-Quality Opportunities (Trabaho) bill. Lopez said the Executive has long been pushing for the passage of these measures. “Some bills or legislation that we would like to push,” Lopez said, pertain “generally to the liberalization of more industries that will be open to foreign equity—so the retail trade, public service and essentially shortening the foreign negative list, the tax reform package 2 that will bring down the corporate income tax” are crucial pieces of legislation they want to pitch to the 18th Congress. Lopez addressed reporters on Thursday

during The Virtual Presser hosted by the Presidential Communications Operations Office Global Media Affairs. The Retail Trade Liberalization Act aims to further open up retail trade industry to foreign participation. Lopez also since been pushing for the amendment of 82-year-old Public Service Act. According to the 1987 Constitution, public utilities must be solely operated by firms that are 60-percent owned by Filipinos. Under the 17th Congress, bills were filed in both houses of Congress seeking to clearly define what public utilities are, and in the process lift foreign ownership restriction on sectors that fall outside of it, particularly telecommunications. Meanwhile, the Trabaho bills seeks to gradually reduce corporate income tax to 20 percent by 2029, from 30 percent. On the other hand, it will rationalize in-

centives granted to firms located in special economic zones managed by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza). On the Trabaho bill, Lopez reiterated that they have been working with the Department of Finance to possibly smoothen the transition period, especially for existing exporters in the ecozones. This, he said, is the main issue with the Trabaho bill. “When we say smoothen the transition, if we are to put them on a time-bound basis, we just have to manage the transition. In other words, prolong the time-bound deadline of those incentives that they now enjoy —this is just for the existing—or probably agree to a higher GIE [gross income earned rate]. Right now they are at 5 percent and we can just say grandfather rule: in other words, all those who are enjoying [will] continue to enjoy but [must] pay a little more; and I think we are gaining acceptance on that alternative,” Lopez said.

‘PHL must export more nonfood items to S. Korea’ Continued from A1

“For example, the Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA] has stated that the Philippines’s top exports to Korea were bananas, pineapples and copper—all raw materials which have low value added,” Abad told the BusinessM irror. “By contrast, imports from Korea consist of high-end consumer electronics, automobile and processed cosmetic products. These items are much higher in terms of their value added, and, hence, it is expected that a trade deficit would exist between the two countries,” he explained. Last year bilateral trade improved 7.11 percent to $13.7 billion, from $12.79 billion in 2017, according to PSA data. However, shipments to South Korea declined 41.33 percent to $2.54 billion, from $4.33 bil-

lion, on a double-digit slowdown in exports of electronics and manufactures. At the same time, imports from the East Asian country went up 31.91 percent to $11.16 billion, from $8.46 billion. As a result, Manila’s trade deficit with Seoul more than double to $8.62 billion last year, from $4.13 billion in 2017, PSA data reported. “Further, we should also not forget that there were acquisitions under the army’s modernization plan, which imported from Korea. These items are usually of particularly high value,” Abad said. “Hence, what we cannot recover through value added in the value chain, we could recover through increased volume of our key exports,” he added. The trade lawyer named design-driven products, such as garments, furnishings and

holiday décors, as well as nonfood goods, including chemicals, electronics and software, as strong growth potentials for the Philippines. He also said services exports, particularly on education, language courses and business-process outsourcing, must be augmented. Abad argued that by increasing export volume of nonfood goods and services, the Philippines can mitigate its trade deficit with South Korea without relying too much on the proposed FTA. Manila and Seoul are negotiating an FTA in a bid to enhance trade and investment activities. The two camps are eyeing to conclude negotiations by November in time for the commemorative summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and South Korea.

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Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, May 17, 2019 A3

Thai ships in Subic for goodwill visit P12M seized, 356 nabbed in PNP anti-vote buying, selling operations during poll period By Henry Empeño Correspondent

U BIC B AY FR EE PORT—Two ships of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), with about 500 crewmen and officials, arrived here on Wednesday for what was announced as a goodwill visit to the Philippines. The Naresuan-class frigate HTMS Taksin (FFG-422) and the modified river-class patrol vessel HTMS Krabi (OPV-551) entered Subic Bay at about 4 p.m. and docked side by side at the Alava Wharf here. Com modore Tor ibio Adaci Jr., chief of the Philippine Navy’s FleetMarine Ready Force who THE frigate HTMS Taksin (FFG-422) and offshore patrol vessel HTMS Krabi (OPV-551) of the Royal Thai Navy welcomed the RTN offi- dock side by side at the Alava Wharf in the Subic Bay Freeport upon arrival on Wednesday for a goodwill visit cers and crew at dockside, in the Philippines. said the visitors will be here until Saturday. between the Philippines and its allies.” He added that some 500 servicemen aboard the two “The SBMA is always ready and willing to be of serRTN vessels will conduct training and “confidencevice in pursuit of regional cooperation, peace and secubuilding engagements” with counterparts in the Philrity, and the promotion of the Philippines as an active ippine Navy during the visit. partner in these endeavors,” Eisma added. On Thursday morning, Rear Admiral Sompong Adaci also underscored the significance of the visit Pooniang, who headed the mission, and Commander as a “continuing effort to strengthen the relationship Archarigaruth Noichinda also called at the office between our governments and navies.” of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to He said the RTN officials are scheduled to visit the present a ship memento. Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command SBMA Chairman Wilma T. Eisma said the naval in San Antonio, Zambales, while the crew will take visit “is not only an opportunity for the Philippine part in shipboard tours, reciprocal receptions and government to further strengthen maritime relafriendly games with the Philippine Navy. tions with the government of Thailand, [but] is also In turn, Pooniang conveyed his appreciation for the a manifestation of the critical role that the Subic Bay warm welcome and expressed enthusiasm for the schedFreeport plays in enhancing maritime cooperation uled interaction between the two navies.

By Rene Acosta

@reneacostaBM

HE Philippine National Police has confiscated a total of P12,208,958 in votebuying money during the heat of the just concluded midterm elections, which PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde earlier characterized as having been marred by massive incidents of buying and selling of votes. PNP Spokesman Col. Bernard Banac said the cash in different denominations was taken from at least 356 people who were arrested by the police in 225 cases of vote buying around the country during the period of the political exercise. “All of the suspects have [undergone] inquest [proceedings] and all of the cases have been filed before local prosecutors. All of the suspects were released for further investigation, but the confiscated amount remain in the custody of the PNP to be

used as evidence,” he said. Banac said the PNP noted that no one has been convicted or incarcerated yet on a vote-buying case, but he said they are determined to make the just concluded elections a model in their campaign against the crime of vote buying and vote selling by making a precedent out of the arrested individuals. “It is only during the midterm elections that the law against the buying and selling of votes was seriously enforced,” he said, adding that the PNP may even create an investigative body to include politicians who

are most likely to be the sources of the money, or, for whom the buying of votes were effected. Banac said it is high time that election-related crimes should be stopped as it has already become a practice or even as a norm by voters, especially in far-flung areas of the country. Based on the record of the PNP, Caraga emerged as the region where the biggest amount of vote-buying money was hauled, turning in at P7,976,100. It was followed by Northern Mindanao with P1,125,718. Ilocos region came in third with P561,000. While Metro Manila is not on the top 3 list, it however, emerged as the region where the highest number of suspects arrested in vote buying, turning in 136 people due to the active enforcement of the law by the National Capital Region Police Office under Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. A lbayalde said earlier that while the midterm elections may have been marred by cases of vote buying, harassments, intimidation and even bombings, these were just isolated cases that failed to undermine the results of the political exercise. He said the PNP were also able to address the concerns on time, even describing the conduct of the elections as “generally peaceful.”

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Budget delay forced DBM to scrimp in Jan-April By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said its releases as of endApril reached P1.323 trillion, a far cry from its record of P3.625 trillion in the same period last year, as the government operated under a reenacted budget.

BSP ...

Continued from A1

Impact on growth

SECURITY Bank Chief Economist Robert Dan Roces said the BSP’s decision to cut its RRR is a boon for the Philippines. “We think the cut is a positive for economic growth as domestic liquidity and aggregate demand will be augmented, especially in light of the disappointing first-quarter GDP print caused by the delayed budget passage and a tepid trade component,” Roces said. A cut of 2 percentage points in the RRR is estimated to inject some P200 billion in the local financial stream.

“ Tec h n ic a l ly, t h i s i njection will cause the peso to face st ronger de prec i at ion pressures with more money c i rc u l at i n g i n t he dome s t ic economy; a nd a sha r p er peso depreciat ion cou ld stoke inflationary pressures,” Roces added. However, the staggered implementation, Roces said, could help prevent this scenario. “As the RRR cuts are done in a gradual, managed nature, its end goal will be to bring down financial intermediation costs, as well as orienting monetary instruments to become more market-based, thereby leading to better credit growth that goes into capital formation and

₧3.625 trillion

The amount of funds released by the DBM in January to April last year Funds released by the DBM in the first four months of 2019 included the 2018 General Appropriations Act (GAA) as reenacted, automatic appropriations and continuing appropriations. Broken down, releases under obligational authority amounted to P653.8 billion, while those issued through special allotment release consumption,” he said. “ The depreciation of the peso, if any, will also be ideal for the export sector, one of the major underperformers of the economy in the first quarter,” he added. “Against these backdrops, we still expect fullyear GDP growth to be above 6 percent, but we now see greater upside risks to our inflation and dollar-peso forecasts.” Just last week, the BSP eased its monetar y-pol ic y stance with a main policy-rate cut due to its expectation of the continuous decline in inf lation rate and growth rates in recent months. A 25-bps cut to the BSP’s overnight reverse repurchase

orders (Saro) reached P668.8 billion. Allotment releases to line departments under the 2018 GAA as reenacted have reached P642.44 billion, which included funds allocated to agencies in the Executive branch, Congress, the Judiciary and the constitutional offices. “Allotment releases enable agencies to incur obligations to finance the delivery of public services, such as education, health care, poverty alleviation and infrastructure development,” the DBM said in a statement. The DBM also said money from the Special Purpose Funds amounted to P54.56 billion. These came from

was made at its monetar ypolicy meeting, effective May 10. The interest rates on the over n ight lend ing a nd de posit facilities were reduced accordingly. Diokno said this decision was based on the BSP’s assessment that inflation will be manageable as the decline in food prices and improved supply conditions will ease price pressures. Inflation is projected to fall further to 2.9 percent, from the BSP’s forecast of 3 percent two months ago. For next year, however, the BSP’s inflation projection was scaled upward to 3.1 percent from the earlier forecast of 3 percent.

notable releases from the Pension and Gratuity Fund, Budgetary Support to Government Corporations and the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund. Autom at ic appropr i at ion s reached P611.04 billion, with the Internal Revenue Allotment taking the lion’s share at P575.52 billion. Other releases under automatic appropriations include the Retirement and Life Insurance Premium, Tax Expenditures Fund and Custom Duties and Taxes, and the Special Account in the General Fund. As for the additional releases, P4.27 billion have been released

Duterte ...

Continued from A1

President to talk about the country’s economic gains, especially its recent credit rating upgrade from S&P from BBB to BBB+, the highest credit rating it received from a major ratings agency to date. The “S&P credit rating upgrade, the reforms that we are doing and we will continue to do especially with the new Congress, the new Senate,” are reforms, Lopez added, “that will attract more investments and entice more investments. The ease of doing business, the reforms that he’s doing for the economy.” Moreover, “the security aspect is really important because of stability. Security is important in attracting also investments. His passion to stop all

for continuing appropriations of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Health, among other agencies, on top of the releases from the Special Purpose Funds. To support the foreign-assisted projects of the Department of Transportation, P9.86 billion worth of unprogrammed appropriations have been released. These funds covered loan proceeds requirements for the implementation of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 Rehabilitation Project and Phase I of the North-South Commuter Railway Project. corruption, that’s always his commitment to investors, so I am sure he will also highlight that,” according to Lopez. He hoped the President’s visit to Japan, the country’s second-top trading partner, will boost trade relations between two countries, noting that they are working on gaining more market access in the Japanese market, especially with country’s banana exports. “Our exports there are strong, we’re one of the biggest supplier of banana, but we noticed that our tariff rates still have room to go down, so we are working toward the reduction in the tariff rate to gain more access in the Japanese market,” he said. Aside from being the country’s second-biggest trading partner, Japan is home to the country’s fourth-largest tourism market.

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DOLE online program aims to widen market for informal sector products

By Samuel P. Medenilla

@sam_medenilla

O boost the income of informal sector workers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is now extending to them a helping hand to market their products online. Last week, DOLE launched its DOLE Livelihood Beneficiaries Products Showcase (DLBPS) during its celebration of Labor Day for informal sector workers to provide an online platform to informal sector to help them sell their goods. Labor Assistant Secretary Benjo M. Benavidez said the program, which is an initiative of the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC), aims to augment their DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), to provide livelihood opportunities to disadvantaged workers.

Ultimately, he said, the program aims to make the business enterprises of their DILP recipients profitable. “We want you to have a sustainable livelihood. This is one of the tools we have developed to help you sell your products,” Benavidez said in a news statement. The site could be accessed at https://lbp.bwsc.dole.gov.ph/ and features several products ranging from wooden tables and chairs to friendship bracelets originating from Metro Manila and the regions. It has a star-based rating sys-

tem to allow customers to share their feedback to other potential customers. Among the program’s intended beneficiaries are construction workers, kasambahay associations, microentrepreneurs and tricycle drivers’ groups, among others. DOLE is now targeting to raise the economic participation of informal sector workers since they are estimated to comprise a large portion of the country’s labor force. “We recognize the unique contribution of workers in the informal sector in the country. We want to improve their status of living, strengthen their enterprises and livelihood, as well as to protect their rights as workers,” Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said in a statement. BWSC earlier said it will be advocating for the generation of more statistical data as to the numbers of informal sector workers so the government’s program for them would be more responsive to their needs.

Comelec told: Come clean on VCM, SD card ‘glitches’ By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

N elect ion watc hdog on Thursday pressed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to reveal to the public the full details of the problems that the poll body encountered in the conduct of the country’s fourth automated elections early this week. The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) issued the statement on Thursday after the Comelec admitted that 961 vote-counting machines (VCM) and 1,665 SD cards suffered “glitches” during the polls. It also called on the Comelec to fully explain the java error which caused the delivery of election returns to various recipients to stall. The Namfrel asked the Comelec to give them access to the logs of all machines used in the automated election system, without restrictions and consistent with Open Data Principles.

The Comelec was also asked to reveal the location of its Central Server and its backup, and who are managing their operations and to fully disclose and explain the “transmission router” or the “meetme-room” network set up, how it operates, and who are behind its operations, the watchdog said. The poll watchdog also asked the Comelec to report if those reported problems have resulted in disenfranchisement of voters. Comelec Chair man Sher if f Abas earlier said that out of 1,665 defective SD cards, the poll body was able to replace 1,253. Abas, meanwhile, vowed to probe the reasons of the glitches. Kontra Daya, another election watchdog, said 205 VCM malfunctioned during the 2010, 171 during the 2013 elections and 150 during the 2016 elections. Moreover, Namfrel said, volunteers in far-flung areas are still waiting for replacement vote-counting machines or SD cards. “While the count of the VCM

that broke down or malfunctioned, corrupted SD cards and the problematic Voter Registration and Verification Machines in pilot areas continue to tick, we have yet to determine the full impact of those problems to the voters, especially in remote areas of the country. Did those problems result to disenfranchisement of voters? This, we have yet to determine,” it added. “Hidden behind the cloak of secrecy are the Comelec’s Central Server and its backup, as well as what is referred to as the transmission router which in reality is a network of computers and devices through which all election results transmissions were routed,” the group added. According to Namfrel, the transparency server data outage on the night of election day was “worrisome” for stakeholders, especially among candidates, causing them to wonder the possibility of data manipulation. It said the data outage cast doubt on the integrity and credibility of election results.

RCBC unveils currency-backed PNPA rules out ‘stablecoin’ remittance platform foul play in death By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

IZAL Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) bared plans on Thursday to issue currencybacked “stablecoins,” hoping the new technology in banking will provide a better and faster remittance platform for overseas Filipino workers (OFW). Stablecoins are considered new virtual currencies that carry a fixed value, and are deemed less volatile than Bitcoins as these are pegged to an asset like a currency or exchange traded commodities. “RCBC is pleased to be an early innovator with our intent to issue our own peso stablecoin on World Wire, pending final approval from our regulators,” RCBC Group Head of Global Transaction Banking Emmanuel Narciso said. If RCBC’s plan come to fruition, the bank will be one of six around the world that had expressed intentions to issue stablecoins on IBM‘s World Wire—a platform that has the capacity to simultaneously clear and settle cross-border transactions to almost real-time efficiency. “Both these attributes will render international remittance transactions faster and easier for RCBC’s clients and partners beyond Philippine borders, and will greatly benefit Filipinos working overseas,” the bank said.

How does it work?

WITH stablecoins, OFWs can buy coins using their dollars or any foreign currency on hand and send it to their loved ones in the Philippines for redemption. “If an OFW buys $1,000 worth of Philippine peso stablecoins and the coins are priced at P50 per coin, the OFW gets 20 coins. He can send these coins to the Philippines, and his loved ones can redeem the coins in peso value which is P50,000,” Narciso explained. RCBC said this platform is expected to reduce the cost of sending money from abroad via a more secure channel. When sending money from abroad, Filipino migrant workers are usually charged between 2 percent and 7 percent for every $200 sent home, the bank said. RCBC further noted that at times, foreign currencies sent from abroad are also affected by the foreign exchange difference in the country as against the local currency’s value in the international market. “This ultimately results in a lower value remitted to OFW beneficiaries,” Narciso said. “While the amounts may seem small, when converted to local currency the charges do hurt their pockets,” Narciso added. World Wire is present in 72 countries and exchanges 48 currencies in partnership with 46 banking channels which includes banks and remittance companies.

of police cadet By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM

PHILIPPINE National Police Academy (PNPA) cadet died on Wednesday, hours after he was brought to the hospital after he collapsed while doing the afternoon run with other cadets. Cadet 4th Class Al-Rasheed Pendatun Macadatu, 21, of Kalilangan, Bukidnon, died on Wednesday morning, according to PNPA director Brig. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo. Macadatu was barely on his 10day New Cadet Summer Training Program at the PNPA. MalayosaidMacadatuwasbrought to the QualiMed Hospital in Santa. Rosa, Laguna, on Tuesday night after “flopping down” in their afternoon road run at around 4:45 p.m. He said the cadet was immediately picked up by an ambulance and was brought to the PNPA dispensary before taking him to QualiMed Hospital. “The attending physicians ruled there was no issue of hazing against 4CL Macadatu,” Malayo said. He also said the new cadet training program being implemented by the PNPA was the same program practiced by the academy with increased timeline in runs, pushups and pullups.

Newly hired OFWs in Japan rose to 15,840 in ’18

EPLOY MENT of newly hired overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Japan finally rebounded last year, thanks to its new bilateral agreement with the Philippines. In its initial 2018 deployment figures, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed the number of newly hired OFWs in Japan reached 15,840. “This includes those deployed under the TITP [Technical Internship Training Program (TITP)],” POEA said. Last year, POEA finally opened the processing of OFWs under the TITP, wherein they will be allowed to work in Japan as trainees with allowance in specific industries including construction, agriculture

14,947 Registered count of new hires deployed to Japan in 2017

and services. It said 7,825 Filipinos have since been deployed under the program. The latest figures from POEA was h igher compa red to t he 14,947 new hires deployed to Japan in 2017. It was the same year when the new number of new hires in the said country dropped for the first time since 2010.

To note, the number of deployed new hires in Japan in 2016 was at 15,606. The number of deployed OFWs in Japan is, likewise, expected to grow further this year with the implementation of the new Philippine-Japan Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC). The MOC is another mode of deployment of Filipinos in Japan, this time, as workers in 14 selected skilled categories by Japan. The said categories include health care, building maintenance and food services, among others. “The processing [of qualified applicants] are now ongoing,” POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia told the BusinessMirror via SMS. Samuel P. Medenilla

DPWH reports completion of 7 FMRs in Zamboanga del Norte By  Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

HE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed seven farm-to-market roads (FMR) in six municipalities in Zamboanga del Norte, paving the way for faster and easier movement of products and services in the province. Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar said this adds up to the agency’s 2,167-kilometers of completed FMR roads since he took over the department in 2016. This covers a total of P23.34 billion worth of projects that were identified by the Department of Agriculture (DA). The six roads recently completed are the 500-meter Balakan

“From 2016 to 2018, a total of 2,964 FMR were completed through the convergence program of DPWH and DA, while 1,110 are still ongoing. This is part of our government’s continued effort to support the agricultural sector.” –Villar

FMR in Barangay Balakan in the municipality of Salug (P5 million); the 700-meter Barangay Panabang FMR in the municipality of Liloy (P7 million); the 500-meter Barangay Tan-awan FMR in the municipality of Baliguian (P5 mil-

lion); and two 400-meter FMRs in Barangay Bagong Silang, Gutalac, and Barangay Pisawak, Bulacan in the municipality of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte (P5 million). These newly completed projects will help Zamboanga del Norte, which has the highest number of farms among the provinces in Western Mindanao with 104,070 farms, improve the logistics needs for the movement of its goods, specifically palay, corn, coconut, sugarcane and banana. “From 2016 to 2018, a total of 2,964 FMR were completed through the convergence program of DPWH and DA, while 1,110 are still ongoing. This is part of our government’s continued effort to support the agricultural sector,” Villar said.

Great Custom

BusinessMirro

A6 Friday, May 17, 2019 |

ELEVATING CUSTOMER

EXPERIENCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE N one of the most notable works of Kenneth Blanchard, he emphasized how just having satisfied customers isn’t enough to make it big in any industry. Instead, businessmen need to create raving fans to ensure success. The question is, how do you make your customers rhapsodize over your products or services? It all boils down to customer experience, or how your clients perceive your brand. While many businesses may seem to have mastered the art of managing customer perception, some struggle to maintain a good image. Indeed, it’s sometimes difficult to juggle all ingredients that contribute to great customer experience but, with proper planning, you may be able to pull all pieces together.

Think of customer experience as the end result of everything you do to make your company prosper—from the products you sell to the sale process and other internal factors. People, most often than not, want to be cared for by the brands they trust. If a customer doesn’t feel satisfied with the products or services they receive, they tend to have a negative perception of the brand. Fortunately, there are a lot of innovative ways that businesses can improve customer experience, especially in the digital era. It’s only a matter of realizing which technology will work best for you and your client’s advantage.

Customer-experience technology

THERE was a time in history when customer-experience technology and customer-relationship management were almost interchangeable. Technology in recent decades was used to connect customers through basic data, like e-mails, names, phone numbers and addresses. The emergence and explosion of customer technology, however, has redefined what customer experience is all about. With the continuous development of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality, businesses can put their employees

somewhere else to make real connections and improve efficiency. They can also transform an everyday chore into a total sensory experience for their clients. Yet, companies need to find a perfect balance between face-to-face and technologyfocused transactions.

Trends that can help improve customer experience

CONVERSATIONAL bots may change the playing field, especially when it comes to answering marketing- and salesrelated questions. The classic “Waiting Loop” principle used in many contact centers is slowly becoming obsolete since customers are now looking for more convenient ways to address their concerns. This is how using AI chatbots has become an essential tool to enhance customer service. Unlike their predecessors, new conversational bots can behave like human agents, which can easily respond to a specific concern by using emotional intelligence. One of the pioneers in this arena is Google. It has created a new system called Google Duplex, wherein users can make restaurant reservation by phone, with the help of an AI-based, human-

PHOTO FROM FREEPIK.COM

By Trisha Jean V. De Leon

sounding voice. Google, however, is still working on this feature since it’s still exclusive to their Pixel phones. On the other hand, people can use their phones to make financial transactions via mobile-banking apps. It’s a convenient way to deposit a check, pay for merchandise and transfer money without actually going to a physical bank. It’s a major leap in the banking industry since it has made the services available round the clock. Nonetheless, it still has

a fair share of controversy, most special when it comes to security. Some mobile-bank users don’t feel at ease when sharing information online. All banks, however, have security features to ensure information safety. Banco De Oro, for instance, provides a one-time password that is sent via text when logging in to your account. Robots are also one of the many innovations that may alter customer experience in the near future. In fact,

some businesses are already utilizing this technology. Botlr, Aloft Hotel’s robotic butler, is a fine example of the attempt to integrate robots into providing services. It has been in the roster of staff since 2014 in the said California-based hotel. Amazingly, Botlr works 24/7 delivering extra towels, snacks and drinks to different rooms. It can also take the elevator on its own. Apart from Botlr, Pepper is also a wellloved robot that is used to sell Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Gold Blend Barista coffee machines in selected home appliance stores in Japan. Note that Pepper is said to be the first robot to be able to read and respond to human emotion.

Customer-experience technology in the Philippines

ALTHOUGH Filipinos are considered techie, the country still needs to work on the integration of technology to improve customer experience. Businesses have to learn the ropes in building a brand that people could trust. They also have to get know what their customers really need and not focus solely on what they can gain. After all, happy customers can help bring a company to the top.

Excellent InLife movers awarded for going above and beyond for 2018 By Leony R. Garcia

ORE than creating wealth and money for the future, financial planning makes you prepare for untimely expenses brought about by accident, disability or death of a loved one. It is for this reason that financial planning is very important in providing coverage against any sudden loss. The awardees of the recent awards night by Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd. (InLife) couldn’t agree more. For Pedro Arela of Cebu City, and husband and wife Antonio and Lina Abrantes of Davao City, the assurance of providing money and services of trusted company, like InLife, makes the untimely loss somehow bearable. Antonio Abrantes of Davao Mega DSO is one of the awardees on the Non-Rookie Unit Manager category of the President’s Circle of Producers, while Arela is honored as the Master Agency Builder and Consistent Agency Builder Honor Roll. “For 108 years now InLife has been delivering continuous service for the Filipinos. As you know, insurance is a very challenging industry and InLife has stayed this long. That makes it a very strong and trusted company. Even during the [Second] World War up to the Typhoon Yolanda mishap, InLife continued its service, paid the beneficiaries whatever is due them. That’s the quality of life-insurance company that we really need, not those who will leave us or disappear, especially in times we needed them most,” Lina Abrantes said. The awardees said that success is sweet, but they truly have to work hard for it. “We have our various clients to take care for in this industry. We have to gain their trust as we build our integrity. Without integrity, we will never be successful in selling something that’s intangible and taking care of their hard-earned money, at the same time. Commitment, integrity and efficient after sales service—those are very important. Without these, it’s hard to prosper in this kind of business,” said the Abrantes couple whose children have benefited from their insurance business and are now highly successful in their chosen careers. For Arela, it’s his passion—and the company’s, as well—in helping others prepare for their future that has made him stick it out with the company for over four decades. “You know by having this kind of career, I have had the opportunity to help many others prepare for their future—income protection for the family and for almost everything. The best feeling is when you deliver the check that was promised by the company to the beneficiaries themselves,” he said. Meanwhile, InLife is an all-in-the-family business for him whose wife and three children are working together in his agency in Cebu. He said the kids have witnessed in how the business has grown for 43 years. They have graduated and practiced their professions, and are now assisting him in the agency. “Because, you know, what else

is there for them to pursue? In this business, they can create wealth here and, at the same time, help others, as well. Success is not a destiny, it’s a choice. My family started from nothing then, now, we have almost everything we need in life. That’s why we are also extremely happy and proud seeing our agents enjoying their success in life, especially now with the digitization of InLife. It has made our business a lot easier and enjoyable,” he added. Suffice it to say, it is for their dedication and passion that these agency leaders are among the cream of the cream awarded in the yearly InLife agency awards night. The spectacular night at Shangri-La The Fort displays in all its glory the company’s refreshed brand name and logo. The new corporate logo uses vibrant colors but retains the eagle as the icon. “The Philippine Eagle continues to be our icon because it is our connection to our Filipino heritage—as well as to our corporate heritage—as the very first symbol used when the company was established in 1910. We took the creative license to make a vector image of the eagle to make it look younger and friendlier. The eagle with its keen eyes symbolizes courage, strength, and immortality,” InLife Executive Chairman Nina D. Aguas said. “This is how we will project ourselves to the world out there—as a dependable and trusted brand [that] has been consistently evolving to be in step with the changing needs of our market and bold enough to take the lead in digital transformation, yet retaining the warmth and care that only a truly Filipino company can give,” she added. Together with the new logo is the tagline “A Lifetime for Good”, which is “not a marketing

spiel, but a way to communicate the clarity of who we are and our purpose as an institution, affirming our mission, our commitment, and vision in bringing the good today and in the future...for life.” Hundreds of InLife agents and agency leaders nationwide gathered for the muchawaited night themed “Astra per Aspera” (to the stars through hardship), in recognition of the group’s achievements in the past year. At the event over a hundred million-dollar round-table qualifiers were honored, as well as other top agents and agencies were recognized in various categories. InLife President Mona Lisa B. de la Cruz likened the top agents’ achievements to that of a star, noting that stars undergo extreme pressure before they are formed. “You are here tonight because you battled many obstacles along the way and emerged victoriously after. You are stars in your own right, formed as a result of the hardships you had to conquer,” she said. She also challenged the company’s top financial advisors and agency leaders to continue to shine through at the service of their clients and InLife policyholders; and announced some company initiatives that will enable them to focus on women customers through InLife Sheroes program. This women-focus initiative was earlier launched by InLife in an effort to help 1 million Filipinas in three years obtain products and services that’s specifically catered for them. “For the first time in the history of our country, there will be insurance products created specifically for women wherever they may be in their life stage,” Aguas added.

mer Experience

or Special Feature

| Friday, May 17, 2019

Delighting customers with easy-to-use solutions

‘D

By Leony R. Garcia

Consumers nowadays don’t just want to buy something—they want a great customer experience that complements the product or service. For example, provisioning connectivity or cloud storage should be as easy as making a pre-order on your Starbucks app and picking up your steaming cup of coffee five minutes later. Let’s take the case of two tech industry giants Amazon and Google. They both excel at seamless, effortless omnichannel customer experiences. What boosts customer loyalty further with these companies? The customer can choose what kind of relationship they can have with them and their depth of engagement. The key is that it’s easy to deal with Amazon and Google, and users feel they are in control. Simply put, the better the

experiences they can use, the more likely customers are to continue to remain loyal and participate in the ecosystem. This is why it’s important to deliver a level of customer experience that delights customers and builds an everlasting relationship with customers. Enterprises across the globe are busy introducing innovative artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and predictive analyticsenabled solutions to transform how they operate. Yet, too often, transformation strategies are focused on adopting technologies, platforms and automating processes without fully considering their impact on customers, or on how they interact with businesses. According to Lucjan Kierczak, head of marketing at Survicate, businesses should never ignore the importance of customer satisfaction. It’s important to work on improving this area in order

PHOTO FROM FREEPIK.COM

ELIGHTING customers” is an often used phrase in business. But generally, most customers, especially in the field of information technology, don’t want to be delighted—they just want solutions that are easy to use. This is according to the IT web site http://www.ejinsight.com.

to make their customers more loyal and eventually turn them into brand ambassadors. Here are five solid reasons why customer satisfaction is important and is also beneficial for your brand. A loyal customer is your golden treasure. Banks or mobile providers know it best, so they don’t have any problem with going the extra mile for a customer who is not quite satisfied

and often offer him something special. Not only it is more expensive, but also much more difficult to keep existing and loyal clients—let alone keeping them fully satisfied and happy!—than to gain some new ones. Take this rule into account while organizing your customer service processes and do your best to look after them. You may lose your clients in a heartbeat. You can’t gain customers’

satisfaction forever—you need to look after them all the time. Try to talk with them, instead of to them. Ask questions, offer constant support, send personalized messages or offers, use targeted web-site surveys, e-mail surveys or any other technique that will help you communicate with your customers. Take care of each and every one of your clients’ need, and you’ll be rewarded

with their gratitude and loyalty. It’s (all) about the money, too. It shouldn’t be surprising, but customer satisfaction is also reflected in your revenue. Customers’ opinion and feelings of a brand can gain or lose essential metrics, such as the number mentions and repeated transactions, and also customer lifetime value or customer churn. Measuring customer satisfaction should become your daily habit, not something you do from time to time and only if you’re about to face crisis management. Customer satisfaction is key to stand out of the competition. Your competitive rivals are just eyeing for you to make a slip. What is more, they can often play the role of an instigator. Being prepared for their provocations is not enough if you don’t know how to deal with the backlash. However, if you provide your customers with an amazing service, you can surely augment your business and gain their trust. Great customer experience can take your brand to places. The importance of customer satisfaction should never be neglected. You should consider it, especially while planning your marketing and positioning campaigns. Satisfied customers are more likely to share your content across social media. They may also keenly interact with your posts, leaving some delightful and admirable comments. Later you can use these as the source for case studies and success stories.

The World BusinessMirror

Friday, May 17, 2019

World economy rebound thrown into doubt by escalating trade war B

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Xi has $3.65-trillion fiscal war chest to counter Trump tariffs

HE esca lating US - China trade war is threatening to upend the global economy’s much-anticipated rebound and could even throw its decade-long expansion into doubt if the conflict spirals out of control. Fears that companies will shelve investment, consumers will cut spending and stocks will slide have been revived after Donald J. Trump and Xi Jinping’s fragile trade truce was shattered with both sides slapping fresh tariffs on the other’s goods. Reflecting the worries, stocks fell this week and two-year US Treasury yields dropped to the lowest since February 2018. World growth has already slowed and further weakness would reinforce the reluctance at the Federal Reserve and fellow central banks to raise interest rates, and perhaps even force them into fresh stimulus. Morgan Stanley, which still expects a US-China deal, is warning of a global recession—growth below 2.5 percent by 2020—if the two sides remain at odds. “Just as tentative sig ns appeared that a recover y is taking hold , t rade ten sions h ave re emerged as a credible and significant threat to the business cycle,” Chetan A hya, chief economist

at the bank, said in a report. He highlighted a “serious impact on corporate confidence” from the tariff slugfest. Reasons for concern were evident on Wednesday, with China reporting that industrial output, retail sales and investment all slowed in April by more than economists forecast. In the US, retail sales unexpectedly declined in April while factory production fell for the third time in four months. Although Germany’s economy emerged from stagnation to grow by 0.4 percent in the first quarter, the outlook remains fragile amid a manufacturing slump that will be challenged anew by the trade war. Investor confidence in Europe’s l a rgest economy une x pected ly weakened this month for the first time since October.

IMF forecast SUCH softness even before the conflict between the US and China reached new lows reinforces the concerns. Warnings about the fallout from protectionism were already behind the International Monetary Fund ’s April forecast for global growth this year to be the weakest since the financial crisis. The Organization for Economic

Cooperation and Development’s Composite Leading Indicator, designed to anticipate turning points six to nine months before they happen, fell for a 12th straight month in March, hitting its lowest level since 2009. In a new study, Bloomberg Economics calculated about 1 percent of global economic activity is at stake in goods and services traded between the two countries. Almost 4 percent of Chinese output is exported to the US and any hit to its manufacturers would reverberate through regional supply chains w it h Ta iwan and Sout h Korea among those at risk. US shipments to China are more limited, though 5.1 percent of its agricultural production heads there as does 3.3 percent of its manufactured goods. To be sure, many economists are still betting that the US and China will eventually strike a deal, perhaps at the Group of 20 summit at the end of June, when Trump and Xi are expected to meet. But they acknowledge that they’ve been surprised by the latest f lare-up in tensions and say the odds of a breakdown have risen. A trade war would compound an existing softening in global growth,

and add to a mix of issues, such as a cooling technology boom and weaker demand for cars, particularly in China. For companies, it means visibility about the broader global backdrop is low. US chip giant Intel Corp. is taking a “more cautious view of the year,” and Italian drinks maker Davide Campari-Milano SpA this month noted the “uncertain geopolitical and macro economic environment.” “The world economy has been in a significant slowdown for a period,’’ said James Bevan, chief investment officer at CCLA Investment Management. “People just have to wake up and look at the trade data.” For central banks, the darkening outlook will likely propel them deeper into dovish territor y after the Fed led the way in indicating it will keep rates on hold for a while. In a worst-case scenar io in which tensions persist for another three months and more tariffs are imposed, Morgan Stanley’s economists reckon China would ease fiscal policy by the equivalent of 0.5 percentage point of gross domestic product and try to boost credit growth. As for the Fed, it would cut its benchmark by an initial 50 basis points, they said. “If the tariff battle escalates, it’s going to be a fairly meaningful drag on the global economy and threaten the life of the expansion,” said JPMorgan Chase & Co. global economist Joseph Lupton. Bloomberg News

EI J I NG ’ S m a i n de fe n s e against trade-war fallout this year is more likely to come from the finance ministry than the central bank, no matter what President Donald J. Trump says. If tariffs begin to really hurt China’s growth this year, there’s plenty of direct fiscal firepower left to stoke the economy before the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) would have to cut interest rates, according to an analysis of government spending by Bloomberg. Data released on Wednesday showed an across-theboard slowdown in April. Central and local authorities in China have at least 25.1 trillion yuan ($3.65 trillion) unspent in their budgets this year, data compiled using official budget plans show. That’s 2 trillion yuan more than the ammunition China had in the same period last year—and about equivalent to the entire annual output of Germany. “Chinese leaders will be able to better utilize different kinds of policy tools than their US counterparts if the trade war persists, and that’s where China’s confidence comes from,” said Serena Zhou, an economist at Mizuho Securities Asia Ltd. in Hong Kong. “From monetary policy and fiscal policy to the dominant role of the stateowned enterprises, China’s control on the economy is obviously stronger than the US,” she said. Indeed, PBOC Governor Yi Gang has spent the last year saying he wants to avoid a “flood” of stimulus, pushing back against expectations of benchmark interest-rate cuts as he seeks to curb market bubbles and keep a lid on debt growth.

T hat said, economists f rom Morgan Stanley and China International Capital Corp. to Macquarie Securities expect further cuts to the proportion of deposits banks are forced to lock away, as authorities look to keep the credit taps flowing. The authorities have ramped up fiscal expenditure earlier this year than they usually do, with the most obvious front-loading coming in infrastructure-related areas such as transportation and environmental protection. Even so, more than two thirds of the total “augmented ” budget—the general public budget, the government fund budget and special government bonds together—remains unused. Of course, merely increasing this year’s spending isn’t the limit of fiscal action if the trade war blows out and impacts economic growth significantly. Officials can support growth by selling more debt via local government financing vehicles and policy banks, though that begins to run counter to the goal of cleaning up debt. “China may step up its progrowth policies if the US imposes additional tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods” and the preferable policy options include expansionary fiscal policy, such as tax and fee cuts, according to CICC economists. A severe growth slowdown is likely to produce a “whatever it takes” moment for China’s policy-makers. Otherwise, the Communist Party faces failure to meet its long-term growth target, just in time for its centenary in 2021. Bloomberg News

The World BusinessMirror

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Friday, May 17, 2019

TRUMP TO VISIT SOUTH KOREA Singapore urges US to accept AS NORTH KOREA TALKS STALL China’s rise, spare other nations P

INGAPORE urged the US to allow China to have a greater say in shaping global rules to avoid a prolonged clash that could force smaller countries to choose between the world’s biggest economies. Speaking to an audience in Washington on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said it won’t work to view China as an adversary that must be contained and called for “constructive competition” between the superpowers. A world that splits into

rival blocs would jeopardize gains made under the US-led world order over the past 70 years, he said. “My appeal to the United States is to double down, reap the rewards together,” Balakrishnan said at an event hosted by the Center for International and Strategic Studies. “Singapore wants both a sustained US presence, which we believe is positive, and we also want China to be able to assume its rightful place as it develops and becomes a superpower in its own right,” he said.

China is highly unlikely to under mine the US -led global system given it has been one of its biggest beneficiaries, Bala k r ishnan said. However, he added, it’s “an entirely legitimate expectation on the part of China” to have the right to revise global rules since it didn’t have a say when they were first written decades ago. Failure to strike a deal will disproportionately impact trade-reliant countries like Singapore, he said, adding that protracted ta l ks

have already created “great uncertainty and volatility for the markets.” “For us in the middle, especially for small countries, we do not wish to be forced into making invidious choices,” Balakrishnan said. “So we hope that both sides will work out a strategic response and take into account China’s increasing influence and weight in the international arena, and that both sides will find a way to accommodate each others’ legitimate interests.” Bloomberg News

Race for Thai prime minister could surprise investors yet again

HAILAND could surprise investors yet again when lawmakers meet soon to pick a prime minister after a disputed election in March. The most likely scenario remains the return of junta leader Prayuth Chan-Ocha as prime minister. His pro-military party, Palang Pracharath, has assembled a 134-seat alliance in the 500-member lower house, which would give him enough for a simple majority if the 250 military-appointed senators also back him in a combined vote that could take place by the end of the month. That outcome has reassured some investors: The Thai stock market is up 4 percent so far this year and the baht is one of the world’s best performing currencies. Beneath the surface, however, is an anti-junta coalition that only just missed a majority, and whose ongoing effort to boot Prayuth from power could yet complicate the picture. “The baht has been pricing in the positive of the election outcome having more clarity despite the negative external environment triggered by the US-China trade war,” said Tsutomu Soma, general manager of the investment trust and fixed-income department at SBI Securities Co. in Tokyo. “If there are more political jitters, the baht may reverse the gains.” Without a majority in the lower house, the pro-military coalition is likely to be unwieldy. Still the alternative scenarios below may lead to even greater uncertainty and gridlock, upsetting current investor calculations.

1. Anti-junta gambit

THE anti-junta coalition is led by Pheu Thai, a party linked to exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. It has 245 lower-house seats and argues it was robbed of a majority by an unconstitutional interpretation of electoral rules. Prayuth unseated a Pheu Thailed government in the 2014 coup. One of Pheu Thai’s leaders has said

the bloc is willing to give key ministerial positions or even the premiership to Bhum Jai Thai party chief Anutin Charnvirakul if he joins the alliance. While Bhum Jai Thai’s seats would give the coalition almost 300 members of parliament—enough for a stable government—the military establishment has repeatedly ousted governments led by Thaksin’s allies.

2. Third front

BHUM JAI THAI and Democrat are key, midsized swing parties, each with about 50 seats. They have yet to say which coalition they will join. One possibility is they form a third-front with other smaller parties that align neither with the junta’s proxies nor the alliance opposed to the military establishment. Such a mix is another recipe for gridlock as three camps—pro-military, anti-junta and nonaligned—duel for influence and power.

3. The outsider

A PERSON who isn’t an official prime minister candidate for a party can still become the leader under the militar y-backed constitution, the countr y’s 20th. Parliament would have to vote to allow this option in a joint sitting. The possibility of the so-called outsider would come into play if Prayuth fails to sweep the Senate and no other named prime minister candidate is able to muster the needed support. One person floated in local media as a potential consensus outsider candidate is Ampon Kittiampon, a privy councilor to King Maha Vajiralongkorn and a member of the Crown Property Bureau board. Ampon couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. “We could see an outsider premier candidate if parliament couldn’t agree on any of the choices,” Punchada Sirivunnabood, a visiting fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and

IRAN SAYS U.S. SANCTIONS ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ AS CRISIS MOUNTS

UBAI, United Arab Emirates—Iran’s foreign minister on Thursday slammed mounting US sanctions imposed on Tehran by the Trump administration as “unacceptable,” even as he insisted that his country is committed to an international nuclear deal that has steadily unraveled amid rising tensions in the Mideast. Recent days have seen allegations of sabotage attacks targeting oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, a drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline claimed by Yemen’s Iranian-allied rebels, and the dispatch of US warships and bombers to the region. Early Thursday, residents in Yemen’s capital of Sanaa said a wave of airstrikes by the Saudiled coalition hit rebel Houthi targets, as well as a residential house in the city. There were casualties, including civilians, the residents said without providing details. They spoke on condition of anonymity fearing for their safety. Saudi Arabia has been at war with the Houthis since 2015, leading a mostly Arab coalition that’s launching near-daily airstrikes

in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The drone attacks on a Saudi pipeline on Tuesday that were claimed by the Houthis marked one of the rebels’ deepest and most significant strikes inside Saudi territory since the conflict began. At the root of the recent spike in Persian Gulf tensions appears to be President Donald J. Trump’s decision a year ago to pull the US from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, embarking on a maximalist sanctions campaign against Tehran to cripple the country’s economy. In response, Iran’s supreme leader issued a veiled threat on Tuesday, saying it wouldn’t be difficult for the Islamic Republic to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels. He also said that while his country would not negotiate with the United States, Iran is not seeking war. On Wednesday, the US State Department ordered all nonessential government staff to leave Iraq, and Germany and the Netherlands both suspended their military assistance programs in the country in the latest sign of tensions. AP

an expert on Thai politics. “There’s usually some truth in Thai political rumors, so it’s likely that Ampon would be one of the candidates.” Bloomberg News

R E S I D E N T Donald J. Trump will visit South Korea while in Asia for the G-20 summit in late June, the White House said on Wednesday, amid concerns of a breakdown in nuclear talks with North Korea. Trump was expected to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss the nuclear talks, as well as ways to strengthen the US-South Korean alliance, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. Trump is expected to make the visit in conjunction with his travel to Japan for the international summit, where he has said he expects to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The announcement of his S outh Korea travel comes after two sets of North Korean missile tests this month that likely violated international re s t r i c t i o n s c h a m p i o n e d by Tru m p. The moves were seen as a provocation after Trump abruptly ended a summit with Kim Jong Un in February, saying the Nor th Korean leader had sought an easing of international sanctions

without demonstrating a willingness to dismantle his nuclear program. Both Moon and Trump, who have cited their talks with Kim as major diplomatic accomplishments, have played down the missile launches, with the US president saying they were “smaller misses” and that he did not see them as a “violation.” This left the door open for them to revive their faltering discussions with Pyongyang. But Japan, which has pushed a hard line against Kim, has said North Korea launched ballistic missiles and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the tests broke UN resolutions banning Pyongyang from firing off those kinds of weapons. Even though ballistic missile testing is banned by resolutions pushed by Trump’s administration, the US tamped down talk earlier last week of discussing the violations with the Security Council, a c c o rd i n g to t wo S e c u r i t y Co u n c i l diplomats who asked not to be identified. European officials suggested holding a meeting, but the US wanted to wait and assess the situation, diplomats said. Bloomberg News

A10 Friday, May 17, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

We need a better election system

HILE not accurate and in dubious context, Joseph Stalin is often quoted as saying, “It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.” However, the sentiment is extremely important in the background of elections in 2019. It has become a “custom” in virtually every country that the losing candidates claim that the election was rigged and the office that they ran for was stolen. The key, though, is not as Stalin “said” that the people must know that there was an election. We the people must be confident that the election was free, fair and the results accurate. It is not enough that the “winners” hold that confidence. The majority of the voters must feel comfortable with the truth of the outcome. That is the responsibility and obligation of the government, no matter who occupies the seats of power and authority. For the 2019 midterm elections, some 60 million voters could have gone to the polls. Assuming 70 percent did vote, that is about 40 million ballots that were cast. If we are to reform the election process, we need to start with the basics. In this election there were 62 official candidates for senator. Theoretically, each of the winning “12” could have received 40 million votes assuming all 40 million ballots went exactly the same way. Assuming all voters made 12 selections for senator, that is 480 million votes for Senate candidates. But in reality, 50 percent—or 31 candidates—received 2 million votes or less. Twenty-seven of the 62 Senate candidates received less than 1 million votes. Having this number of candidates does not enhance democracy. What it does is make for an unnecessarily long and complicated ballot, making the logistics of counting—even electronically—more onerous. The party-list “candidates” is even more absurd with 134 choices of which one received less than 7,000 votes. India has 900 million registered voters spread over 1 million polling stations, 2,000 local and national political parties, and using 1.6 million electronic voting machines. Yet they seem to do a better job than we do. This is partly because the election is held in seven phases, this year from April 11 to May 19. Its voting machines are simple, even battery operated and manufactured by a local Indian company. We must seriously rethink the way Philippine elections are conducted. That should include who can run for office. In many countries, a candidate must be sponsored by a legitimate and established political party or gather registered voters with verified signatures on a petition. The party-list system should start with a blank piece of paper and go from there. Perhaps, voting for national elective office should be totally separate from local elections. Any change in the election system is going to require hard work and may make elections more costly. Both are worth it. Participatory democracy is worth it. Since 2005

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TELLTALES

ARL ROVE, President George W. Bush’s political strategist, once said that politics is important because it provides an arena where the people determine whose ideas will lead the country and how these will change people’s lives. We have just gone through the elections where we installed the people who have convinced us that their ideas of leadership and governance will best serve our interests for the next three years. We can only hope that their ideas of government will work and provide solutions to our country’s problems. nnn

POVERTY remains the single biggest concern of our government. The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the poverty incidence dropped to 21 percent in the first half of 2018 compared to 27.6 percent in the first half of 2015. This is still very significant and means that roughly 23 million Filipinos don’t have incomes that meet the poverty threshold during the survey period. The Duterte administration has made notable strides in improving the plight of the poor by opening up millions of jobs through its “Build, Build, Build” program. And how many of them were raised above the poverty line by the government’s cash-transfer program? How many more will be alleviated by the proposed Trabaho bill, which is currently pending in Congress? These measures, however, are not definitely

enough to address the alarming level of poverty and huge income inequality in our midst. Now is the time to ask our newly elected officials how they will deliver their promises to help the poor. They should now unleash their anti-poverty program, if they have any, and resolve the extreme deprivation—lack of food, inadequate shelter, insufficient medical care and unaffordable education—of our destitute countrymen. This is the moment when the rubber meets the road. nnn

THE recently concluded polls showed that honest, clean and peaceful election is an illusion in our country. Elections in other countries are also marked by irregularities, but our election offenders have made a science of it. The challenge before us is how we can reduce the power of

money to influence our politics and elections. In the last elections, media have reported numerous incidents of vote buying all over the country. We cannot expect good governance if our public officials usurp their positions through fraud and illegal means. Office seekers’ reliance on contributions to fund their campaign cultivates patronage politics, which breeds corruption and influence peddling. Money-driven politics is the root of political evil. The enormous cost of running for public office lessens a candidate’s chance of winning if he has limited campaign funds. Contributors or investors expect a price for what they give. For corporate donors, they may ask favorable legislations, ease of doing business, lower taxes and labor costs, and liberal regulations that will serve their interests. For individual donors, they may demand powerful jobs, lucrative government contracts, approval of license or franchise and political anointment. This is a vicious cycle, which is endemic in our political system. We need genuine electoral reforms that will end money’s primacy in politics. nnn

IT’S incredulous how ingenious our election operators have become as borne out during the last polls. Now, unscrupulous charlatans have resorted to online money transfer to buy and sell votes. In future elections, enterprising shenanigans may set up vote-buying exchange to promote and facilitate the buying-and-selling of votes. Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez admits

that “online transactions constitute the bulk of vote buying.” He also added that, while vote buying is becoming rampant, it’s difficult to prevent because it happens secretly. Once there is an exchange, voters can sell their votes to the highest bidder. That will be the death of democracy in our country. nnn

CAMPAIGNING on high moral ground and winning the electoral contest on the strength of one’s moral principles and integrity deserve our respect. Certainly, there are honest and incorruptible candidates who emerged victorious despite all odds. We will constantly watch how they will comport themselves in office. Will they remain uncompromising and faithful to their convictions, which won our support, or will they reverse the moral calculus that installed them in public office? nnn

THE police arrested several persons for alleged vote buying. When arrested, the suspects yielded hundred of envelopes containing P200 each, allegedly intended for distribution to the voters. What a measly amount to sell your sovereignty. I remember a famous Jack Kennedy joke to deflect his opponent’s accusation that his super wealthy father was spending tons of money to ensure his election. “I have just received a telegram from my generous father: ‘Dear Jack: Don’t buy a single vote more than is necessary. I’ll help you win this election but I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay for a landslide.’”

Making our new leaders accountable to the nation

Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Efleda P. Campos Dennis D. Estopace

Online Editor Social Media Editor

Chairman of the Board & Ombudsman President VP-Finance VP Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Manager Group Circulation Manager

The root of political evil is money-driven politics

Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual

SERVANT LEADER

ROTHERS and sisters, Election Day has passed. Instead of treating it an end of a long day, following the chaotic and noisy campaign period of candidates, we must consider this a new beginning in addressing the current problems we are facing as a nation. But this will not be an easy feat. In Congress—the House of Representatives and the Senate—who will be the ones to prevail? Would it be those who value life, human rights and social justice? Or the senators and congressmen who don’t give importance to the life and rights of people? In our cities, who will be the ones to rule? Those who take action for the welfare of the poor and the environment? Or the leaders who prioritize their families’ and friends’

businesses, sacrificing the interests of the poor and even nature? To those who won their respective positions after the elections, those who would lead us in this new beginning, we must remember that our nation’s destiny lies at the hands of the people. According to Pope Francis from his Apostolic Exhortation EvangeliGaudium, “People...enhance the social dimension of their lives by acting as committed and responsible citizens, not as a mob swayed by the powers that be.”

That is why it is important that after this election, we must be vigilant in watching the actuations of our new leaders in the government. As they say, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” For example, if we believe in the sacredness of life, we must not allow laws that desecrate life to be passed, like the repeal of the death penalty—even if this is the will of the administration. We must encourage our leaders to prepare alternatives against cruel campaigns against crime and drugs, and challenge them to take responsibility for the thousands of killings of those neglected or those who were not afforded due process. If we believe in the common good, we must not allow our leaders to use their position in the government to sustain political power for their families through the adoption of federalism. We must not allow the constitution to be changed with the end in view of dividing our country and letting political dynasties to reign. If we believe that all Filipinos have the right to a peaceful life, we must

ensure that the winning candidates deliver their promised programs and services. We must urge them to formulate laws that help strengthen our economy to provide more jobs. Laws that provide equal opportunities for the poor to develop themselves and not dependent on government dole outs. In a society that seems to be covered in the darkness of cruelty, dishonesty, shallowness, and disrespect, we must not lose hope in achieving our goals as citizens after the May elections. Much like what Pope Francis said in his message to the bishops of America, “responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” Thus, it is our duty to watch over the new leaders of our nation and hold them accountable for their acts. Make it a habit to listen to Radio Veritas 846 Ang Radyo ng Simbahan in the AM band, or through live streaming at www.veritas846.ph and follow its Twitter and Instagram accounts @veritasph and YouTube at veritas846.ph. For your comments, e-mail veritas846pr@gmail.com.

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Let’s go back to the economy

Online, the world is depressed and migrating

Alvin Ang

Tito Genova Valiente

ANNOTATIONS

EAGLE WATCH

ITH the elections over and clear mandates have been settled, governance should go back looking at the economy. Last week, the first-quarter GDP results were announced by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The GDP growth was below analysts’ forecasts but was not unexpected. The main reason for the slowdown on top of everyone’s mind is the delay in the approval of the 2019 budget. This too was the reason cited by government. In fact, the economic managers claimed that the first-quarter GDP should have grown by a full percentage higher to 6.6 percent. Looking at the details of the GDP report, it shows that the budget delay is not the only reason for the growth decline. The growth slowdown looks to be broader than just those directly affected by government spending. We based this observation by looking at the average first-quarter growth in the last eight years. This covers at least two election periods (2013 and 2016) and one of the strongest El Niño weather phenomenons occurring during 2015-2016. This data provides us the potentials of the different GDP components and their seasonality. First analyzing the production-sectoral contribution, both agriculture and industry reflected slowdowns. Agriculture is expectedly slower due to the effects of El Niño. Industry, however, was affected by slower manufacturing and construction growth. Their performance was much lower than their eight-year averages. Both manufacturing and construction account for 25 percent and 6 percent, respectively, of total GDP. Historically, the first-quarter performances of these twosectors are as fast as their second-quarter growth. The decline in construction is directly linked to the budget delay with public construction contracting by almost 9 percent compared to a year ago. This was the first contraction of public construction since 2014. Turning to manufacturing, food manufacturing, which is the biggest manufacturing component, actually grew by 11 percent, its fastest since 2012. However, other components reflected slower growth or contraction after posting double-digit growths in 2018, notably those related to exports such as machineries and furniture. Meanwhile, services led by trade and transport subsectors grew faster as the impact of inflation in 2018 started to dissipate. Consistent with the faster growth in services trade is the faster growth of household consumption. This is an indication of income recovery after the period of high inflation last year. It is also possible that the early period and preparations for the elections also helped in a higher household expenditure. Contrary to what government was saying about the impact of the delayed budget, government expenditures actually grew faster than its eight-year average. This implies that the government was able to carry many of its commitments despite the budget delays. The impact of the delay is mainly in the public infrastructure

but not in overall government activities. This is also corroborated by the stronger growth of public administration services. What may have pulled down overall growth is the slowdown in investments and trade. Investments, which have been growing in the double digits in the last eight years, have been slowing down since the fourth quarter last year, and this is due to the slowdown in durable equipment. Durable equipment growth is seen normalizing either because most of the needed equipment are already in place or the current equipment capacities require the infrastructure that are yet to be completed. Similarly, the trade slowdown is reflected in both exports and imports reflecting lower single-digit growths. For a country like ours, which is strongly connected in the global value chain, the external factor plays a role in how we participate in international trade. With the uncertainties brought by the trade wars, it is possible that demand for international products are in a wait-and-see attitude last quarter. With the decision of the US and China to escalate the tariff war, it is possible that trade will at best remain at current levels. The budget was finally passed in the middle of last month. Combined with the traditional stronger household and government consumption during elections, it is possible that growth could be faster in the second quarter. However, it is not enough to put the efforts of a faster growth to the government. El Niño and the trade wars are external factors beyond our control, but to generate more jobs and investments are still within the purview of the private sector. A wait-and-see attitude at this point will only create further slowdown. The results of the elections should already move policy-makers to make the economy return to its faster growth path. With an overwhelming majority most likely in both houses of Congress, a lot of uncertainties should now be removed. It is important that the infrastructure program remain on track and a significant portion be completed by 2022. Realistically, GDP growth this year has already slowed, and we have adjusted our full-year estimates to 5.9 percent, from 6.3 percent. This can still go back to the 6-percent range especially as inflation starts to decline and with it, interest rates. But a lot depends on our confidence in our economy beyond today.

Production-Side 1. Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing a. Agriculture and Forestry b. Fishing 2. Industry Sector a. Mining and Quarrying b. Manufacturing c. Construction d. Electricity, Gas and Water Supply 3. Service Sector a. Transport, Storage and Communication b. Trade and Repair fo Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles, Personal and Household Goods c. Financial Intermediation d. Real Estate, Renting and Business Activities e. Public Administration and Defense; Compulsory Social Security f. Other Services Expenditure-Side 1. Household Final Consumption Expenditure 2. Government Final Consumption Expenditure 3. Capital Formation A. Fixed Capital 1. Construction 2. Durable Equipment 4. Exports 5. Imports Gross Domestic Product Source: PSA, ACERD estimates

2011-2018 1.53 2.48 -2.76 7.13 6.50 7.45 8.27 4.09 6.35 5.62

1Q2019 0.79 0.66 1.53 4.37 5.25 4.58 3.94 3.14 7.01 8.13

6.10 8.44 6.75

7.38 9.84 4.09

3.84 6.62

9.74 5.68

6.05 5.73 15.70 11.57 8.96 13.98 9.07 12.01 6.09

6.26 7.37 6.78 5.73 5.02 5.65 5.78 8.25 5.57

Friday, May 17, 2019 A11

HE newspapers are delayed and much too formal, restricted by old codes. The free TV is dumb, to be gentle about it. For us, in touch with our Internet selves, social media provided the data of who we are and what we are after the election. The landscape was bleak; the prospects grim. People admitted to being depressed. A filmmaker asked, “Am I the only one depressed?” To this rhetorical question, some responded: “Hindi ka nag-iisa [You are not alone].” For those with clear memories of our political histories, those lines harked back to the period of awakening after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino. That awakening went from waking up to standing and looking around. But, we know what happened. We went back to sleeping, if not, to feeling lousy and tired. The dictator or what was left of him was back before we could even count the number of years he was away. History does not touch on language, but takes place in it. Theodor W. Adorno said that. Our words about freedom are not merely affected by historical processes; our words about being free and being ourselves are in history or histories. Social media takes place in the present histories. Look at how we see and define and describe ourselves now in the present dispensation. Language tells on us. Language betrays us. Language speaks to us as it speaks of us. At 6 in the evening of May 13, the counting stopped. There were many explanations, each one obfuscating another, each word mystifying the listener. For seven or eight hours nothing happened. What is happening, we asked? The Commission tasked with this responsibility to choose the next group of leaders was not articulate enough to explain to us the situation. Java error. It was the first time that the term was heard. Unless you are a techie or a student of IT, then Java and its error conjured an exotic place, thoughts about Balinese cockfight as written by and mythologies through shadow plays came to mind. Then somebody posted comments attributed to Dr. Pablo Manalastas of Ateneo de Manila University. It says: “This explana-

tion of ‘Java error’ causing a reduction in tally percentage is made so that ‘normal folks’ [quotation marks mine] do not question Comelec, and to calm down people.” Manalastas goes on, however, to say that the explanation of a generic Java error is just not acceptable to the community of source code reviewers and the community of Filipino computer programmers. Simply put, the normal people—us—will accept or not accept the explanation, but we have no way of engaging the Comelec in a discussion. In the end, Manalastas simply asked: “What is the actual error, Comelec? What are you trying to hide?” There were many more comments, but these were couched in languages that normal people would not understand. We assume, however, that the Comelec would have in its headquarters people who are not normal enough to understand any error committed by the machines they have installed. And so it came to pass that one person simply asked: What happened in the seven hours the transmission of votes stopped? What happened indeed? The metaphors are running berserk in these queries: What happened in the seven or eight hours you are not in your house while someone was there? What happened when you allowed some strangers in your room for more than six or even more hours? What could they do? The latest from Comelec is their expression of willingness to allow a technical audit to address what people perceive as transparencyserver mess. But even

The latest from Comelec is their expression of willingness to allow a technical audit to address what people perceive as transparencyserver mess. But even in that sentence, we see language rearing its fierce head. What is a transparency server? It is a server that accepts all the election results so that they could be distributed to media networks.

in that sentence, we see language rearing its fierce head. What is a transparency server? It is a server that accepts all the election results so that they could be distributed to media networks. As of now, this transparency server is under the sole control of Comelec. In one post from a certain “John Ultra,” he calls the transparency server not transparent enough. Please take note, however, that we are able to talk about these servers and these transparencies because we are, as I said, in touch with our socialmedia selves. What about the 40-plus million in the C-D class structure and 8 million to 9 million in the E sector? Would they be bothered by these disputes? Would they be even interested in the discourse? In the meantime, the posts on Facebook are about loving but leaving

this country. My dear friend, Chito, advises his other friends that if they are so capable, then they could bring their children abroad and thus provide them a good future. For those who do not know my friend, I know he has New Zealand to escape to. But what about the others? Hannah, a former student but now a professor in Japan, says she still grieves for her father but now he grieves as well for her. Another friend, Deo, a great Nora Aunor fan, threatens not to come home. I tell him, but you are there already in the place where Mary Magdalene supposedly once lived. Amidst the depressing notes, someone posted, and I reposted, the results of the voting for senators in my city, Naga in Bicol. The now-legendary Otso Diretso—the eight opposition senators—were all there. Great writers like Ninotchka Rosca and Sylvia Mayuga took note of it. Sylvia saw poetry in the fact that there was a place where the opposition mattered. Actually, even before the Naga post, I sent to Sylvia already what had happened in Magarao, a small town in Camarines Sur. There, the eight were all in! Magarao is a town of healers, I said to Sylvia. Right now, we are not happy. Who cares? Adorno once said: Happiness is obsolete: Uneconomic.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

How the European Union can succeed on migration

By The Editors | Bloomberg Opinion

TART with the good news: Some 150,000 migrants sought to enter Europe illegally last year. That represents a 92-percent drop since 2015. The number of people seeking asylum in 2018 was 646,000, less than half of what it was three years ago. In numerical terms, Europe’s migration crisis is over. Politically, the issue remains as divisive as ever. Ahead of this month’s elections to the European Parliament, populists are intent on claiming that Europe’s societies are under siege, while blocking efforts to come up with an EU-wide policy for controlling the problem. At a time when shrinking populations threaten Europe’s growth, the far right’s anti-immigrant agenda is as economically disastrous as it is cynical. Defeating it requires European leaders to demonstrate they can avert chaotic surges in human traffic, like the one that overwhelmed Europe in 2015 — and to make the case for accepting newcomers in an orderly fashion. That means a comprehensive, shared strategy for securing Europe’s borders, reforming its asylum system and opening new pathways for legal immigration. In the area of border protection, the EU has made incremental progress. The European Commission has proposed increasing the budget of the

European Border and Coast Guard Agency to €11.3 billion for the six years starting in 2021, up from some €320 million this year. While that’s promising, the agency needs more powers—and support from member-states—to function effectively. The Commission wants the agency’s staff to grow to 10,000 by next year, but still must convince governments to provide security personnel to the force and adopt common training standards. EU border and coast-guard officers should also be empowered to perform certain duties alongside national authorities, such as patrolling border crossings and running identity checks on migrants. Lacking an adequate borderpatrol force, the EU is unprepared for the next crisis. The union’s rules on asylum also need to be rationalized, through a common, EUwide system to distribute asylum seekers across all member-states, rather than requiring that they be processed in the countries where

Lacking an adequate borderpatrol force, the EU is unprepared for the next crisis. The union’s rules on asylum also need to be rationalized, through a common, EU-wide system to distribute asylum seekers across all member-states, rather than requiring that they be processed in the countries where they arrive.

they arrive. This would ensure that front-line states, such as Italy and Spain, don’t bear a disproportionate burden for housing and processing asylum seekers. If populist governments such as those in Hungary and Poland refuse to accept their share, the EU should move ahead without them. French President Emmanuel Macron has hinted at revoking Hungary’s and Poland’s memberships in the passport-free Schengen Area if they refuse to take in asylum seekers. While such an extreme step is unlikely to be taken up, the EU shouldn’t shy away from imposing consequences for the populists’ defiance. For instance, it could make structural adjustment funds conditional on member-states adhering to common asylum rules. In the face of fearmongering about migrants, moderate voices

should emphasize Europe’s longterm interests in attracting workers from the rest of the world. The process for obtaining a Blue Card visa, a program for high-skilled workers that allows them to work in any member-state except the UK, Denmark and Ireland, should be streamlined. Brussels should offer funding for partnerships between individual governments and nonEuropean countries aimed at certifying workers who can fill critical labor-market needs. To sell voters on the benefits of pluralism, liberals should also recognize its limits. The EU needs to accelerate immigrant groups’ assimilation into host countries, through increased spending on integration and language-training programs. And it should invest much more diplomatic energy in securing agreements with countries in Africa and the Middle East to take back and protect asylum seekers whose applications are denied. The xenophobic rhetoric of rightwing populists is dangerous and selfdefeating. But it has tapped into legitimate public anxieties about the pace of social change. Defenders of the European project should get behind a more orderly and rigorously enforced response to illegal migration, while creating new ways for immigrants to contribute to Europe’s future.

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A12 Friday, May 17, 2019

Fitch: Duterte allies’ Senate victory a boon to economy

By Bianca Cuaresma

@BcuaresmaBM

ITCH Ratings on Thursday made a statement on the most recent partial and unofficial results of the country’s midterm elections, saying the leading administrative slate for the Senate could actually bode well for the country’s economics. Partial, unofficial results from the Commission on Elections show that the administration’s allies are bound to dominate the Senate, with most of the 12 senatorial seats going to pro-administration political parties or bets endorsed by either President Duterte or his daughter’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP). “Early results of the midterm

e le c t ion s s u g ge st P re s ide nt Duterte and his allies would secure a majority in the Senate. This outcome, if confirmed, could bode well for policy continuity during the President’s remaining term,” Fitch Ratings Associate Director Sagarika Chandra said. Earlier in the week, local economists said an administration-led Senate could prevent delays in the

“Early results of the midterm elections suggest President Duterte and his allies would secure a majority in the Senate. This outcome, if confirmed, could bode well for policy continuity during the President’s remaining term.”—Chandra

President’s legislative agenda. Security Bank chief economist Robert Dan Roces, in his views on the partial and unofficial election results on Tuesday, said future budget proposals are likely to be approved within the timeframe with a Senate full of administration bets. “With a Senate likely to be composed of admin bets, future budget proposals may most likely be passed within the time frame, and the tax-reform program will likely be revived,” Roces said. ING Bank Manila Nicholas Antonio Mapa echoed the view, saying the results will lead to faster budget

implementation in the future. “The election returns point to what most of us had expected, a strong showing for administration candidates. This will help further Duterte’s legislative reform agenda with more bodies to drive TR AIN packages and hopefully lead to faster implementation and passage of budgets in the future to avoid the 1Q snafu,” Mapa said. In the first quarter of the year, local economic growth was stifled by budget delays, as the two chambers of Congress failed to agree on certain budget provisions in the appropriations act. As such, growth for the first quarter of the year suffered, hitting 5.6 percent, the lowest growth in four years. For Fitch Ratings, the key economic factors they would be watching in the period ahead remain— the Philippines’s growth outlook, progress on tax reforms and fiscal policies. Fitch Ratings last affirmed the Philippines’s Issuer Default Rating last December at BBB/Stable.

World’s biggest, most powerful firms in China

HINESE financial institutions dominated the most recent Forbes Global 2000 List, filling up five of the top 10 spots in the international ranking of the world’s biggest, most powerful and most valuable companies. Hitting the top spot for this year is China’s Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) with asset

base of $4.03 trillion. This is the seventh consecutive year that ICBC was ranked No.1 on Forbes’s annual list. Other Chinese financial institutions also made it to the top 10 — China Construction Bank (CCB) at No. 3, Agricultural Bank of China at No. 4, Ping An Insurance at No. 7 and Bank of China at No. 8. The combined market share of

the five Chinese financial institutions exceeds $1 trillion. The United States’s top financial institutions also made it to the top 10 list—with JPMorgan Chase ranking second, Bank of America ranking fifth and Wells Fargo ranking tenth. In the list’s top 10, only two companies were not financial

institutions—United States’s Apple, a technology hardware and equipment company, ranked sixth; while The Netherlands’s Royal Dutch Shell, an oil and gas operations firm, ranked ninth. The rankings are based on an analysis of four metrics: sales, profits, assets and market value. Bianca Cuaresma

Panda. . .

Continued from A1

RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE AREA AFFECTING EASTERN SECTION OF LUZON as of 4:00 pm - May 16, 2019

scheme, 42.4 percent of final allocation was placed to China’s onshore investors, and 57.6 percent went to overseas investors. Major investors include commercial banks from China’s onshore and offshore markets. China Lianhe Credit Rating Co. Ltd. rated both the Philippines and this issuance as AAA, its highest rating. Aside from the local AAA rating, the Philippines has an international rating of Baa2/BBB+/BBB from Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s (S&P) and Fitch Group Inc. (Fitch). “ The success of the second Panda bond f loat, which has come on the heels of the similarly well-received float of eurodenominated offshore securities, illustrates the high level of confidence of the international markets in the Philippines amid the game-changing reforms initiated by President Duterte to sustain its upward growth trajectory and attract more investments,” said Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III. Philippine government officials held a nondeal road show in China in March before the issuance of the Panda bonds to let more Chinese investors know about the growth story of the Philippines. De Leon said the nondeal road show in China was met with strong interest for the Philippines as more than 500 Chinese participants attended the Philippine Economic Briefing, with a number of rural banks expressing interest in the Panda bonds. Five key cities in China were visited for the nondeal road show: Beijing, Nanjing, Fuzhou, Suzhou and Xiamen.

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SENATORS SET REVIEW OF MIDTERM ELECTION GLITCHES ON JUNE 4

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III fields questions from reporters at the Kapihan sa Senado on Thursday, but asserts that, in his view, “in general I think the elections were credible.” Nonetheless, he said that if the Senate cannot take up postelection issues in the next three weeks—the 17th Congress resumes sessions on May 20 but bows out soon after—he will ask the Committee on Electoral Reforms to take off from his 2016 privilege speech pushing for electoral reforms. ROY DOMINGO

HE Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, wielding oversight powers, is poised to summon Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials to review and assess the need for remedial legislation to avert reported glitches attending the May 20 computerized electoral process. “We will call the Comelec [on June 4],” Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, committee chairman, confirmed, after receiving reports of malfunctioning voting machines, even as the senator admitted he himself did not encounter any problem when he voted on Monday. “My personal experience is that it was a smooth election, wala akong problema [I had no problem].” However, Pimentel cited complaints reaching his office “of voting machines not functioning and ballots not being accepted” by the vote-counting machines (VCM). The senator noted there were “just too many complaints.... The problems should have been anticipated.” Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian earlier called on the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System to look into the series of glitches that occurred in the 2019 midterm elections. “We want to preserve the integrity and credibility of our automated elections,” said Gatchalian. “Hence, there is a need to look into the issues encountered by the Comelec during the recently concluded elections so we can avoid repeating them in succeeding elections.” Gatchalian griped that there were “hiccups that occurred in a number of areas on election day, causing delays in voting.” He noted reports that many VCM and Secure Digital (SD) cards malfunctioned. Gatchalian said malfunctioning VCM delayed voting in a number of areas, including Pasig, Makati, San Juan and parts of Cavite, adding that a total of 961 VCM, or 1.1 percent out of 85,769, malfunctioned in 2019, compared to 801 during the 2016 elections. He aired concerns about the number of defective SD cards, noting that it “jumped from just 120 in 2016 to 1,665 this year.” Then, there was the “buggy

software” controversy over the Comelec transparency server, housed in the command center of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), which suffered a seven-hour data outage, delaying the transmission of unofficial results to media partners. Further complicating the server issue, he noted that several news outlets monitoring election results noticed a sudden drop in transmitted results from the Comelec early on Tuesday. From 93 percent of the total votes received at 5:20 a.m., the number plunged to 49 percent just 30 minutes later. Moreover, Gatchalian cited reports of VRVM (voters registration verification machines) that malfunctioned, especially in Maguindanao and Cotabato City. Reports reaching Gatchalian’s office also showed a total of 776 or 72 percent of VRVMs in Maguindanao and Cotabato City failed to work, resulting in voters having to go through manual verification on election day. “All these issues call into question the integrity of the elections. Worse, [there may be] voters [who were] disenfranchised,” added Gatchalian. At the same time, Gatchalian grumbled over the Comelec’s failure to prevent what he described as “avoidable problems” despite its hefty P10.178billion budget. “Comelec had a big budget, and yet, there were still too many issues. We can’t blame the public if they are wary of cheating because the multiple glitches did nothing to allay their fears,” the senator said, partly in Filipino. Even if no cheating had taken place, public confidence might have been so affected because people were worried by the “fluctuating numbers,” he added. Still, Gatchalian’s gripe was appeased by the performance of teachers who served as members of the board of election inspectors (BEIs), prompting the senator to “thank them for their patience despite the glitches and the sweltering heat.” He aired hopes that the government would no longer deduct withholding tax from the teathers’ honoraria, an issue that the teachers had long been raised with Comelec and the BIR. ButchFernandez

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In the ad material of Notice of filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on May 1, 2019, the Company name and Address of Mr. Chen, Dejin should have been read as GATEWAYSOLUTIONS CORP. located at 8/F Citynet Central, Edsa Cor. Sultan, Highways Hills, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila and not as published. In the application published on May 8, 2019, the position of Mr. Corrales Gallego, Victor Manuel under INDRA PHILIPPINES, INC. should have been read as Senior Consultant and not as published. In the application published on April 23, 2019, the position of Ms. Tian, Yuqian under ELEVANTO GLOBAL MARKETING SERVICES, INC. should have been read as Mandarin Account Customer Support Officer and not as published. If you have any information / objection to the above mentioned application/s, please communicate with the Regional Director thru Employment Promotion and Workers Welfare (EPWW) Division with Telephone No. 400-6011. ATTY. ANA C. DIONE, CPA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

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RTC junks plea to quash arrest warrant vs Okada By Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

TRIAL court in Parañaque City has junked the plea of Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada and his associate, Takahiro Usui, to set aside the arrest warrant issued against them early this year on charges of estafa. The warrant of arrest was issued against Usui and Okada for allegedly embezzling some $3.1 million in the funds of the posh Okada Manila Resort Hotel. In an order dated May 6, Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Parañaque City Branch 257 Presiding Judge Rolando G. How denied the motion filed by Okada and Usui seeking to quash the arrest warrant for lack of merit. The trial court held that it was “not convinced that there is

clear absence of probable cause for the issuance of warrant of arrest.” Thus, the arrest warrant against the two remains valid and in effect. It can be recalled that the case was filed before the court after the Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors found probable cause to indict Okada and Usui for three counts of estafa, on complaints filed by Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment, Inc. (TRLEI), owner and opera-

tor of Okada Manila, the largest casino-hotel integrated resort in the country. TRLEI accused Okada and Usui of misappropriation of company funds, which happened when Okada was chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of TRLEI, and Usui was its chief operating officer. They were removed from TRLEI in June 2017. In its indictment, the DOJ found Okada, in conspiracy with Usui, to have received $3,158,835 in salaries and consultancy fees without any authority or approval of the TRLEI Board. Upon demand, the accused refused to return the money, thus appropriating the same to the damage and prejudice of TRLEI. Subsequently, the Parañaque court found probable cause and issued a warrant of arrest against Okada and Usui. The former TRLEI officers then questioned the order of arrest, arguing that there was no basis for the issuance of the warrant.

But, the court said “there was no Board Resolution which authorized Usui to determine the salary of Okada. There was also no Board Resolution which authorized Usui to pay Okada a consultancy fee.” It added that “the powers to determine the salary of Okada and to pay Okada a consultancy fee are not implied in his functions as COO” “Being just a mere subordinate, Usui had no power to arrogate to himself the power to fix and determine the salary and consultancy fee of his boss. The power to decide on the remuneration of Okada, who held the highest position as CEO of TRLEI, rests in the hand of the Board of Directors,” the court explained. Okada and Usui remain at large and are believed to be outside of the Philippines. In the same order, the court deferred resolution of the prosecution’s motion for the issuance of a hold-departure order until it is proven that Okada and Usui are in the country.

FDC income expanded by 50% in Jan-March

OTIANUN family-led Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC) on Thursday said it posted consolidated net income of P3.86 billion in the first quarter of the year, some 50 percent higher than last year’s P2.57 billion. Excluding one-off expenses in the first quarter of 2018, consolidated net income increased by 37 percent, the company said. The strong performance was on the back of revenue growth of 22 percent to P18.52 billion from P15.76 billion, composed of contributions from its core businesses in property at 43 percent and banking at 42 percent. The balance was contributed by its power segment, at 11 percent and the sugar group at 4 percent. “FDC believes that property, composed of the real estate and hospitality segments, continues to be a strong source of growth for the group, contributing more than half of FDC’s

bottom line,” it said. FDC’s banking unit, EastWest Banking Corp., delivered net income of P1.3 billion in the first quarter, 36 percent higher than the same period last ayear. The net income of its power subsidiary, FDC Utilities Inc. (FDCUI), grew 166 percent to P599 million. FDCUI revenues and other income surged 26 percent to P2.4 billion. It currently operates an aggregate 405-megawatt clean coal plant in Misamis Oriental, the largest operating baseload power plant in Mindanao. The income surge was partly due to additional power purchases arising from the nonavailability of hydroelectric power due to the ongoing El Niño and the sale of replacement power to other power generators. Rental revenues from Filinvest Land Inc. grew by 42 percent following the completion of six office buildings in 2018, adding a total of 118,000 square meters of gross leasable area to

its portfolio. The group is targeting a combined office and retail gross leasable area of 1.7 million square meters by 2023. Last month, the group opened Quest Tagaytay, bringing the portfolio of managed properties of FDC’s subsidiary, Filinvest Hospitality Corp., to six, with approximately 1,800 rooms under management under the Crimson and Quest brands. The group also has approximately 2,600 rooms that are in the planning and construction stages, with a target of managing 5,000 rooms by 2023. “We start a new phase in the FDC story with our entry into infrastructure and logistics parks in New Clark City. Not only will these provide balance to our more cyclical property and banking segments and add another layer of diversity to our income mix, but these will also complement existing investments in the dynamic Clark corridor,” FDC president and CEO Josephine Gotianun-Yap said. VG Cabuag

COPROCESSING OF PLASTIC WASTES Nestlé Philippines and Republic Cement and Building Materials Inc. have signed a memorandum

of agreement for the cement kiln coprocessing of postconsumer plastic wastes, a major source of environmental pollution. The agreement was signed by CEO and President Kais Marzouki (second from left) and Corporate Affairs Head Atty. Ernesto Mascenon (right) of Nestlé Philippines, and President Renato Sunico (left) and Director Nabil Francis of Republic Cement and Building Materials Inc. Mr. Francis is concurrently CEO of Republic Cement Services Inc.

Friday, May 17, 2019

Cirtek to ramp up output of military-grade power regulators, amplifiers By VG Cabuag

@villygc

AGU N A - B A SE D C i r t e k Holdings Philippines Corp. on Thursday said it is ramping up production of its militarygrade power regulators and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) products due to higher demand. Demand rose after the company passed a quality systems audit conducted United States Defense Logistics Agency in 2018. “Cirtek’s power regulator and amplifier products are officially certified as high-quality military standard,” it said. Power regulators are systems designed to automatically maintain a constant voltage level and use of all electronic components, while amplifiers are the core part of analog devices and are used with components like capacitors and resistors as voltage-amplifying devices. “ End appl ic at ions i nc lude cutting-edge military and spaceexploration applications,” the company said. MEMS’s end applications include critical automobile systems like airbag deployment, navigation operations, pressure sensors and various other stabilization and robotics systems.

MEMS tec h nolog y i mproves mechanical devices by making them very small but also fully compatible with integrated circuits processes to have more combined efficiency and the best of both worlds. “We are very proud of the highquality standards that Cirtek is able to achieve year after year, as shown by the continuous trust our customers place on us. With the continuous innovation in the technology world, automotive, defense, space, robotics and endconsumer products are always pushing boundaries to create more value,” Cirtek Chairman Jerry Liu said in a statement. “Cirtek is always updated by consistently investing in technology and will continue to showcase the world-class engineering of the Philippines to the world,” Liu added. The volume of MEMS products is expected to expand and reach up to 6 million units per year, with more devices developed every year. Output of power regulators is expected to hit 2 million units per year, with continuous year-on-year growth, the company said. Cirtek ended 2018 with a net income of $8.33 million, more than double from the previous year’s $3.15 million.

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Exports boost Agrinurture income by 75% in Q1

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

ISTED agricultural firm Agrinurture Inc. (ANI) on Thursday said it posted a first-quarter consolidated net income of P44.97 million, some 75 percent higher from last year’s P25.64 million on the back of the strong performance of its local and foreign businesses.

“The increase was due to the [hike] in sales in exports, retail and distribution, as well as the consolidation of Fucang’s operations from sale of commodities and real-estate properties,” ANI said in its disclosure. The exports came from Zongshan Fucang Trade Co. Ltd., one of the company’s subsidiaries. It also acquired 70-percent ownership of Guangzhou Lexian Fruit Industry Co. Ltd., a Chinese company engaged in wholesale trade. Consolidated sales reached P1.2 billion during the quarter, up 174 percent from last year, ANI said in a regulatory filing. “For the first three months of 2019, Philippine operations contributed 39 percent, while sales from foreign operations accounted for 61 percent of consolidated sales,” it said. Of the P1.2-billion sales, the group’s export receipts reached P406.12 million. The company said exports got a boost from the stable selling prices of banana and coco juice in the international market, constant supply of raw materials and increase in customers, especially in China market. ANI said it expects to continue increasing its shipments of bananas, mango and beverage products, such as canned coconut water, in the succeeding quarters. Local distribution sales posted an in-

crease of 3 percent to P32.4 million during the period from P31.6 million last year, mainly due to improvement in operations. ANI said it was able to post strong gross profit for the quarter even before it had actually participated in the importation of rice. The company said it intends to participate in the next round of rice importation, as trading was temporarily halted since 2018, pending the approval of the Rice Trade Liberalization Law. In line with this, ANI entered into a memorandum of agreement with Vietnam Southern Food Corp.—VinaFood II (VinaFood), a state-owned corporation duly designated and assigned by the Vietnam government to export rice and to help achieve food security in Southeast Asia. Under the agreement, VinaFood agrees to exclusively supply ANI up to 2 million metric tons of long grain rice per year. Retail and franchising sales, meanwhile, registered an increase of 10 percent to P24.6 million for the first quarter of 2019, from P22.4 million a year ago despite the shutdown of some subperforming outlets in the third and last quarter of 2018. The management said it is continuously improving the quality of products sold to different outlets, thus the increase in number of customers and franchisees during the period, it said.

Republic Cement helps rebuild Marawi City By Roderick L. Abad @rodrik_28 Contributor

OCAL cement manufacturer Republic Cement is targeting to assist 146 Maranao families displaced by the Marawi siege in rebuilding their homes via a project it is undertaking with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and other firms. Dubbed “Marawi Tibayanihan: Rebuilding Homes for a Stronger Marawi,” the project, which was launched this month, seeks to help households in three communities in Marawi City. A total of 44 families in Barangays Raya Saduc and Bubonga will gain from home repair or rehabilitation. Each of them will benefit from a grant for the construction materials, after an assessment of the condition of their homes and the required repairs. Republic Cement & Building Materials Inc. President Renato C. Sunico said in a statement that the firm will ensure the steady supply of cement needed for housing. “We are manufacturing cement called Mindanao. This will be exclusively distributed for the rehabilitation of Marawi City,” he said of the company’s blended cement Type 1P conforming to both PNS 63 and ASTM C595. Ideal for general concrete applications, this construction material will be bought directly from hardware stores and retailers in the war-torn city. Families who do not have the capacity to pay for labor and materials were prioritized. Under the program, the “Tibayanihan Crew” will render

labor services to each beneficiary-family. “We are funding the project to train construction workers, especially masons, to make their work more safe and sound,” Sunico said. The recruits are victims of the Marawi siege. They were given protective gears and trained in carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical wiring, welding and masonry. “I am happy because I can now repair my house and my neighbors’ homes. Aside from helping, the project will provide an opportunity for us to earn for the services that we will render,” said Dimard Fahad, trained Tibayanihan crew from Barangay Raya Saduc. “We are also excited for Tesda [Technical Education and Skills Development Authority] certification because it will prepare us for bigger construction projects,” he added. With their acquired skills, the building and reconstruction team of the Task Force Bangon Marawi could employ them if needed. Also, the provincial government of Lanao del Sur showed interest to help and include them in its pool of skilled workers. The project will also involve the construction of a drainage cover Area 1 Transitional Shelter in Sagonsongan. It is expected to benefit some 102 families. “Our drainage here remains uncovered since the time it was constructed. We already documented 40 children who accidentally fell in the drain. Some were hospitalized while others were treated at home for minor injuries,” said Saripada L. Pacasum, provincial disaster-risk reduction management officer of Lanao del Sur.

Worst outflows in a decade hit SE Asia ETFs on trade rift

VERSEAS investors in Southeast Asian stocks are selling out at the fastest rate in almost a decade, as key markets in the region get caught up in the escalating trade war. A group of US-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) operated by BlackRock Inc.’s iShares unit—tracking shares in countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand—posted net outflows of $86.5 million on May 13, the most since at least September 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The cohort also saw its biggest weekly outflow since August 2013, about $175 million, in the week to May 10, the data show. That same week, investors yanked more than $200 million from the iShares China Large-Cap ETF, the most since December 2016, as Chinese shares slumped. Equity markets across Asia have fallen back over the past two weeks as trade tensions between the US and China escalated and fresh tariffs were imposed. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index is down 4.8 percent so far this month.

Domestic issues

THERE are also regional dynamics in play for many of the biggest markets in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia’s Jakarta Composite Index is now down more 3 percent for the year, the first among Asian markets to wipe out 2019 gains, as investors await the final results of a hotly contested election now mired in dispute, and a current account deficit that widened to a four-year high. That sell-off deepened on Wednesday after the nation posted its biggest trade deficit since at least 2008 and sent the benchmark index below the key 6,000 level. In Malaysia, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index is among the worst-performing equity markets in the world with a 4.7 percent loss this year. Malaysians are growing discontent with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad one year on from his surprising election, as many campaign promises remain unfulfilled. Meanwhile, the Philippine Stock Exchange Index is mired at a four-month low following midterm elections in which opposition candidates to President Duterte were crushed, raising concerns about political risks over the apparent erosion of democracy in the nation. And export-heavy Singapore’s Straits Times Index has tumbled more than 5 percent from its year-to-date high in April. Bloomberg News

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PPA remits P9.4-B dividends, taxes to NG

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

HE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) remitted roughly P9.41 billion in dividends and taxes to the national government in 2018, an amount that a Cabinet official said could be used to finance more infrastructure, social welfare and health projects.

The ‘beyond tourism’ benefits of association events

SSOCIATIONS hold events and related activities in their own country, and in some cases, bid for or host international events for their affiliated overseas associations or federations. These events are collectively referred to as MICE (for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions). Traditionally, these association events are taken within the context of tourism, e.g., tourist arrivals, hotel room bookings, shopping and restaurant receipts. Current discussions in the association community, however, cover “beyond tourism” aspects which consist of knowledge/technology transfer, sustainable development and other related benefits. Such shift in thinking on the long-term contribution of association events to the local venue destination is a good thing. For one, this increases the significance and benefits of association events to both the destination and to the organizing association. Second, this also elevates the discussion and builds up the support system for the country’s policy-makers to include education, investment, and economic portfolios, aside from tourism. By expanding the support ecosystem for MICE, key stakeholders can reap the benefits that association events have long been contributing to the country’s economic development. It has been a long-held belief that business meetings are a major source of revenue for the destination. Economic impact studies released have proven to governments that these events were indeed key revenue generators. However, these reports are very much anchored on travel expenditures, reinforcing the concept that these meetings were primarily about tourism spending. A scoping study on events that covered beyond-tourism benefits was published by Business Events Sydney in May 2010, which cited the long-term economic and societal benefits and legacies of such events. The study mentioned, among others, collaborative learning, social interaction, workplace and industry policy improvement,

Association World Octavio Peralta which have provided a positive impact on the destination’s importance and reputation. Last year, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), in conjunction with Best Cities Global Alliance, launched the “Incredible Impacts Programme” which aims to celebrate the beyond tourism value of international association meetings and to create a powerful platform to advocate their positive societal impact. The “Global Economic Impact of Exhibitions, 2019 Edition,” a just-released report from UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, finds that exhibitions the world over are responsible for the creation of $325 billion in total economic output, 3.2 million jobs, and $197.5 billion in gross domestic product in 2018 alone. It’s high time for associations as well as economic policy-makers to go beyond the traditional “tourismfocused approach”—that association events are more than tourismrelated activities and that they contribute to the country’s broader overall sustainable development. The contributor, Octavio “Bobby” Peralta, is concurrently the secretarygeneral of the A ssociation of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (Adfiap), founder and CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE) and president of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizations (Apfao). The purpose of PCAAE—the “association of associations”—is to advance the association-management profession and to make associations well-governed and sustainable. PCAAE enjoys the support of Adfiap, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) and the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). E-mail: obp@adfiap.org

Broken down, P3.51 billion remitted were in the form of dividends, breaking the record in 2017, and P5.9 billion were in taxes— its highest in the last decade. The port regulator is mandated to remit at least half of its annual income to the national government. In 2018, the transportation subagency recorded P17.49 billion in revenues or 8.13 percent more than its target for the year, and 14 percent higher than the year prior. Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the robust fiscal performance of the port operator could help contribute to the administration’s f lagship infrastructure thrust, the

“Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program. “Their agency’s future fiscal performance shall be measured against their latest records. The agency has achieved so much in terms of dividends remittance despite the massive infrastructure spending for port rehabilitation and development. This kind of fiscal management shall truly aid the government in achieving the ‘Golden Age of Infrastructure,’” he said. Jay Daniel R. Santiago, the general manager of the port regulator, said having a stable financial performance allows the PPA to “continue sustaining port services of the highest standards.”

“The streamlining of port processes coupled with strategic port development and modernization have greatly contributed to this strong performance as we aim for our operations to be on par with global standards,” he said. Santiago added that the overall remittance of government-owned and -controlled corporations is a “positive indication of the country’s growing economic status worldwide.” “This is also a testament to the resiliency of the Philippine economy as it continues to thrive despite external pressures from different foreign economies,” he added.

BIR files ₧212.6-M case vs Tacloban trader found with fake cigarettes, excise stamps By Rea Cu

@ReaCuBM

HE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday filed a case against a Tacloban City businessman at the Department of Justice (DOJ) for possessing fake cigarettes with fake excise tax stamps, with the estimated aggregate deficiency excise tax liability amounting to P212.625 million. The BIR Eastern Visayas region said in a statement it has filed a criminal complaint against Paul Cartel Radam, for the unlawful possession of articles subject to excise tax without payment of the tax, and for possessing false, counterfeit, restored or altered stamps, in violation of the National Internal Revenue Code. Registered businesses owned by Radam include Paul Radam Realty as well as PR Petron Filling Stations, which are located at Nula-Tula, Tacloban City. An investigation was started last year by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Eastern Visayas region involving counterfeit cigarettes bearing fake excise tax stamps that were allegedly stored and sold in a warehouse in Barangay 74, Maharlika Highway, Nula-Tula, Tacloban City. A Mission Order (MO) was issued, directing revenue officers from Eastern Visayas to conduct verification, surveillance and seizure activities at the warehouse owned by Radam. After serving the MO, various master cases of cigarette brands were found by a composite team inside the warehouse. The discovery was witnessed by NBI operatives, Intellectual Property and Information Provider (IP2) Manila Associate Inc. and barangay officials. An inspection and systematic verification of 19 randomly selected master cases, using a Taggant reader, showed all selected cigarette

packs bore fake stamps and carried the same serial number. A Taggant reader is a BIR-registered equipment used to test the authenticity of the excise stamps affixed on cigarette packs. A total of 1,215 master cases containing various cigarettes with fake stamps were marked and seized from the warehouse. All the seized merchandise was then tested and verified in the presence of the NBI, barangay officials and Radam, who refused to participate in the testing. This is the 428th case filed under the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program of the BIR under the leadership of Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay. Meanwhile, the Department of Finance (DOF) together with the Department of Health (DOH) launched a new advertisement featuring Sen. Emmanuel D. Pacquiao in a fight against the iconic “Yosi Kadiri” with the campaign’s tagline being, “Hindi pa tapos ang laban [The fight isn’t over yet].” Pacquiao, better known as “Pacman” or the “Pambansang Kamao,” is shown in the new advertisement as a champion of the Filipino people’s health. DOF and DOH have revived Yosi Kadiri to help generate greater public support for, and persuade legislators to pass the bill increasing excise taxes on tobacco products. Considered as one of the most successful health campaigns in the 1990s, Yosi Kadiri was first launched by the DOH under the late former Health Secretary and Sen. Juan M. Flavier. The iconic Yosi Kadiri mascot was introduced to depict the detrimental effects of cigarette smoking on the health of both smokers and nonsmokers. Three pending bills in the Senate are separately pushing for further

increases in tobacco excise taxes from P60 to P90 per pack: Senate Bill 1599 filed by Pacquiao, which aims to increase tobacco excise tax to P60 per pack regardless of brand or price in the first year of implementation, and an additional 9 percent each year thereafter; SB 2177 by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian which proposes to increase it to P70 per pack; and Sen. JV Ejercito which proposes a P90 per pack tax under SB 1605. With only three working weeks left for the 17th Congress, the advertising launch is part of a multistakeholder push to increase tobacco excise taxes to at least P60 per pack to safeguard public health and sustain funding for the Universal Health Care (UHC) law. The UHC law aims for 100-percent health service coverage for all Filipinos, which is estimated to cost P257 billion in its first year of implementation alone, in keeping with President Duterte’s commitment to attack poverty and improve living standards. Simulations developed jointly by the DOF, DOH and the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that the DOF-DOH proposal on a P60-per-pack increase in the tobacco excise tax will bring down cigarette consumption by 16.8 percent and enable 3.2 million adults to quit smoking. Raising excise taxes on “sin” products is still the most effective policy tool to affect alcohol and tobacco prices to discourage consumption, and prevent the youth and the poor especially from smoking and binge drinking, according to the DOF. Both measures on increasing excise tax rates for tobacco and alcoholic beverages are part of Package 2 Plus of the DOF’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP).

Friday, May 17, 2019

Bayad Center App, the nextgeneration payment app

ILIPINOS may now pay over 1,000 types of bills and perform other financial transactions practically anywhere using the new version of the Bayad Center App. Bayad Center, in partnership with leading software solutions firm, MultiSys, recently launched the payment app in a bid to make digital financial services even more accessible, and promote cashless payments for consumers to make payments easily and securely via their mobile phones. According to Manny L. Tuason, president and CEO of CIS Bayad Center Inc., the new version of the app offers a more convenient way of settling one’s obligations. “Together with MultiSys, we are able to transform our bills payment app into a next-generation payment app where anyone can pay not only their bills, but even their government contributions, loan payments, professional license fees, even traffic violation tickets, in the comfort of their homes,” Tuason said. The new version of the Bayad Center App introduces additional features such as sending and receiving of mobile load and fund, payments via QR code, plus additional security features like fingerprint scanning, four-digit MPIN and one-time PIN (OTP) verification. Tuason added that their collaboration with MultiSys will continue as the app is set to add new services combining the different ride-hailing, food and parcel delivery, lodging and vehicle renta l, and even travel booking apps, into one lifestyle super app. The Bayad Center App is now available both on the App Store for iOS users and Google Play Store for Android users. MultiSys CEO David Almirol Jr. said their company aims to bring innovative and creative systems solutions to the Philippines to boost technology adoption in different sectors of the country. Earlier, the company announced the eight priority sectors for the rollout of its software technology services, namely: information technology, the government, health care, utilities, hospitality, retail, banking and finance, and academe. “We want to empower users by giving them the freedom to make payments whenever and wherever they want. Backed by our industry partners such as Bayad Center, we will continue to develop innovative and easy-to-use digital solutions that will provide convenience to more Filipinos,” said Almirol. In November 2018, PLDT invested P2.15 billion in MultiSys to achieve the telco provider’s goal of becoming a full-scale digital services provider.

EastWest Bank’s profit grows 36% in Q1 on trading income, lower credit cost By Bianca Cuaresma @BcuaresmaBM

ASTWEST Bank’s net profit in the first quarter jumped by double digits due to better trading income and lower credit costs, the bank reported on Thursday. The bank’s net income expanded at an annualized rate of 36 percent to hit P1.3 billion in the January-to-March period. In its report, the bank attributed the growth to the resumption of its rural bank subsidiary’s Department of Education loan program, improved trading income and lower credit costs. “In the first quarter of 2019, our rural bank continued to normalize its publicschool teacher financing program, we recovered from last year’s first-quarter trading loss and continue to benefit from

the seasoning of our consumer loan portfolio,” EastWest President and Deputy CEO Bobby S. Reyes said. The bank’s consumer loans comprise 71 percent of its total loans—one of the highest proportions of consumer loans as a percentage of its total loan portfolio among universal banks in the Philippines.

It total revenues rose by 13.3 percent to P6.6 billion, from P5.8 billion in the same period last year. This was primarily driven by fees and commissions, which grew by 29 percent to P1.3 billion, as well as securities and foreign-exchange trading gains ending at P525.1 million, a turnaround from the P136.5-million loss recorded last year. T he bank ’s operating ex penses, meanwhile, expanded by 19 percent to P4 billion, mainly due to business taxes such as gross receipts and documentary stamp taxes, as well as the continued marketing communication campaigns. Provisions for losses went down by 22 percent from the previous year to P872.6 million. The bank, however, assured that their loan portfolio is still

“properly provisioned for.” “For the rest of 2019, we expect market liquidity situation to improve and interest rates to go lower as the year progresses. This is expected to be felt in the second half of the year,” Reyes said.

“In the first six months of the year, we expect continued challenges on net interest margins as deposit costs are expected to remain high while competition will exert pressure for loan yield adjustments to be subdued.” he added.

B4 Friday, May 17, 2019

2019 ROLEX ENTERPRISE FINALISTS NAMED SUZUKI CLOSES FIRST QUARTER WITH CONSISTENT SALES GROWTH

UZUKI Philippines (SPH), the country’s pioneer compact-car distributor, wrapped up the first quarter of the year with consistent sales growth, securing the sixth spot in the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc.’s roster. The Ertiga remains the brand’s bestselling vehicle, accounting for 33 percent of

the total sales for the quarter. The Celerio came in second with 12.3 percent of sales while the Dzire contributed 11.6 percent. SPH’s strong performance this first quarter comes on the heels of a successful 2018, which marked strong sales, expansion in key cities across the country and back-toback recognitions from several renowned award-giving bodies.

“We started [the year] 2019 consistent and stable and, so far, we have maintained our momentum. Our performance at the start of the year is setting the pace for the rest of 2019. We are confident of achieving substantial sales growth and reaching more customers through aggressive marketing efforts and nationwide promotional campaigns,” shared SPH director and general manager for automobile division Keiichi Suzuki. SPH’s participation at the 2019 Manila International Auto Show in April reflected the brand’s competence in the market by highlighting how its vehicles deliver combined fun, functionality and comfort to give Filipinos optimal driving experience. InlinewithSPH’snationwideadvocacy of raising road-safety awareness, Suzuki safety scouts encouraged guests at the trade event to join the campaign. Visitors were able to register kids aged 4 to 14 for free, to become an official Suzuki Safety Scout. For more information, visit www. suzuki.com.ph.

OLEX names the 10 finalists of the 2019 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, which was launched more than 40 years ago, to support pioneering men and women advancing knowledge of the world, improving human well-being and protecting our natural heritage. The 10 finalists—all pioneers with inspiring projects to make the world a better place—were selected by an international jury of 10 experts in February. Emma Camp, 32, United Kingdom. British marine scientist Emma Camp is bringing hope for the world’s dying reefs through natural selection. She is identifying hot spots of naturally resilient corals that can withstand stresses, such as acidic and warming waters. Camp wants to transplant these “super survivors” to areas of the Great Barrier Reef that have been devastated by coral bleaching and enlist volunteers to monitor their survival. João Campos-Silva, 36, Brazil. In the Amazon, the giant arapaima, the world’s largest scaled freshwater fish weighing up to 200 kilograms, is headed for extinction. In close partnership with local associations and fishing leaders, the Brazilian fisheries ecologist has a plan to save not only the arapaima, but also the livelihoods, food supply and culture of the indigenous communities who depend on the region’s rivers for survival. Grégoire Courtine, 44, France. A scientist based in Switzerland, Courtine is developing a revolutionary approach to help people with paralysis walk again. His method relies on re-establishing communication between the brain and spinal cord using an implantable electronic “bridge”, potentially encouraging nerve regrowth and restoring control of the legs. Pablo García Borboroglu, 49, Argentina. The Argentinian biologist is proposing a worldwide campaign to address the plight of penguins that are among the most critically endangered seabirds. The so-called lawyer of the penguins is addressing the threats they face with a mixture of science, management and education, by fostering a conservation culture in communities and government. His innovative approach has, so far, helped secure 32 million acres of penguin habitat. Brian Gitta, 26, Uganda. Delaying treatment for malaria for weeks while waiting for test results is common in rural Africa. Gitta is conducting trials on a novel, low-cost, portable device— the Matiscope—that provides results

in minutes using light and magnets, without the need for a blood sample. Krithi Karanth, 40, India. Conservation scientist Krithi Karanth is determined to reduce the friction between wildlife and people living near Indian national parks by reducing threats to people, property and livestock, raising conservation awareness in communities and schools and, importantly, assisting with compensation claims through a toll-free helpline service. Yves Moussallam, 31, France. A French volcanologist, Moussallam is planning two expeditions aboard a traditional Polynesian sailing vessel to measure and analyse gases and aerosols emitted from 17 of the most active volcanoes along the the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of the world’s most volcanically-active region. His objective is to understand the effect volcanic gases have on global climate while sharing the adventure and his discoveries via the Internet. Sara Saeed, 32, Pakistan. Through a healthcare system that digitally connects a network of 1,500 home-based women doctors with people in rural and impoverished communities, Pakistani public health specialist and entrepreneur Sara Saeed is providing lowcost, high-quality, primary health care to tens of thousands of people, and helping to stem infant and maternal deaths. Miranda Wang, 25, Canada. Long involved in investigating how to solve the problem of plastic pollution, California-based, Canadian entrepreneur and molecular biologist Miranda Wang is spearheading an innovative process of turning unrecyclable plastic waste from items such as plastic bags and packing materials, into valuable chemicals for use in industrial and consumer products, including making cars and electronics. Topher White, 37, United States. On a mission to help save the world’s rainforests, American technologist Topher White has created a real-time warning system that can report illegal logging, using repurposed smartphones as “intelligent ears”. The phones also enable scientists to monitor the sounds of rare or important species of birds and animals, creating a vast digital library of raw acoustic data to aid conservation. The awards are a pillar of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet campaign, which is a legacy of the vision and values of the founder Hans Wilsdorf. Through this endeavor Rolex has joined forces with key individuals and organizations to help find solutions to environmental challenges.

BRINGING NEXT-GENERATION INNOVATION TO PHILIPPINE BUSINESSES

ROM the creators of the Philippine Retail Summit series comes another business-focused event, the Techfest2019, with a dynamic theme “The Next Gen in Unified Business Applications”. Retail Associates curates the Techfest 2019 as a collective answer to various daunting business tasks that are reducing the profit basket continuously. This initiative was channeled by their vision to continually serve the country through knowledge-driven medium that is relevant and valuable to the current Philippine economic standing. The Philippines, being a less digitalized country than its neighbors Singapore and Japan, has its majority of business process revolve around a combination of electronic and manual intervention to zero digital advancement at all. There are also emerging brands incorporated with system automation but, with siloed systems working independently, abolishing cohesiveness is required for perfect monitoring. Failure to realize the need for unified digital progression results to more paper waste, less proficiency on tasks and inevitable

errors—none of it spelling productive and progressive. This is the drive behind Techfest 2019—helping local and multinational business in the country comprehend better options when going for a total system upgrade. Techfest 2019’s comprehensive agenda covers full business-process blueprint with plenary topics, such as transforming your business with Microsoft Dynamics 365, unified commerce and tapping the future of e-commerce. The Techfest 2019 also features breakout sessions featuring specific industries and topics from retail, web stores, real estate, property management, analytics, hospitality, database, apps and Cloud. In partnership with technology leader Microsoft, the Techfest 2019 is all geared up toward the revolutionary IT knowledge imperative to every business; and is presented by Retail Associates and Microsoft, in partnership with EventBank, copresented by HP, Microsoft Dynamics, LS Central, DynamicWeb, Soft4, Jet Global, IDM, Microsoft Azure, Continia, Microsoft PowerApps and Microsoft SQL Server.

GAME-CHANGING INSURANCE PLATFORM LAUNCHED

SAVEMORE TAYABAS CITY BRANCH NOW OPEN Mayor Ernida Reynoso (in photo, second from left) led the ribbon cutting and opening of the newest Savemore branch in Tayabas City, Quezon, on Tuesday, May 14. This is Savemore’s 198th store and the third in Quezon province. The store stands on a 900-square-meter lot beside Tayabas public market. Also present at the event were (from left) Councilor Lovely Reynoso, Parish Priest Ramil Ansay and celebrity guest Gab Lagman.

‘I

Fgettinginsurancewouldbeaseasyasdrinkingyour morning coffee, will you get one today?” Jonathan Batangan, PJ Lhuillier Group Inc. (PJLI) insurance group head, asked this on in the recent launch of https:// www.protectnow.com/ at New World Hotel Makati. Yes, getting insurance for your car, home, family or travel is made a lot easier these days with the new insurance web site. An aggregator of insurance packages, the site allows users to choose the kind of insurance that suits their needs. This online insurance platform is set to change the game in the insurance industry, making it convenient for individuals to get protected via insurance. “With ProtectNow.com, Filipinos have the power to compare and personalize their insurance plan according to the coverage that they can afford and the insurance company that they prefer,” Batangan said. After searching, the web site will suggest an insurance provider or providers that meet a user’s preference and need. The web site also allows users to keep track of their insurance policies, transactions and e-documents through the insurance dashboard found in the platform. The unique feature is also equipped with a real-time conversation to a help desk, allowing users to connect to an insurance analyst. With the growing number of mobile users in the country, the Philippine market is ready with this digital journey. “With the use of technology, particularly mobile, they can be able to secure insurance policies in a convenient, easy and hassle-free manner.” Currently the insurance companies available in the web site are Malayan Insurance, Western Guaranty, FPG Insurance, PGA Insurance and Standard Insurance. As for the payment, users can have the option to pay through PayPal or at any Cebuana Lhuillier branch nationwide.

BUCKS WITH A FLOURISH!

Sports BusinessMirror

| Friday, May 17, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

MAGIC JOHNSON and Larry Bird will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. AP

MAGIC, BIRD HONORED N

EW YORK—Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, whose coast-to-coast rivalry in the 1980s propelled the National Basketball Association (NBA) to a new level of popularity, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Hall of Famers and 1992 US Olympic teammates will receive the award on June 24 at the NBA Awards, the league and Turner Sports announced on Wednesday. The honor comes on the 40th anniversary of their meeting in the 1979 NCAA championship game, when Johnson’s Michigan State team beat Bird’s Indiana State squad. That is still the highest-rated game on television in college basketball history. The two would see plenty more of each other across the next decade after Johnson went to the Los Angeles Lakers and Bird to the Boston Celtics. The Lakers won five championships in the 1980s and the Celtics won three, and the interest they drew forged a friendship and helped

the NBA move past its struggle for mainstream attention and set the stage for basketball to become one of the world’s most popular sports. Both players won three MVP awards, earned spots on the league’s list of 50 greatest players and were two-time Hall of Fame inductees, first as individuals and then with the Dream Team that captured the gold medal in Barcelona. Bird went on to serve as both coach and president of the Indiana Pacers and is the only person in NBA history to be voted MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year. Johnson also held both roles with the Lakers, though not with the same level of success. He served a short stint as coach (1993-94) and recently stepped down as team president after two seasons. His larger achievements since his playing days have come in the business world as CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises. Bill Russell was the first Lifetime Achievement winner in 2017 and Oscar Robertson was honored last year. AP

For Warriors, it’s strength in numbers

AKLAND, California—The Golden State Warriors displayed that familiar swagger, celebrated in front of the home crowd as they so love to do and got contributions on both ends of the floor from up and down the roster. They were playing with the kind of joy Coach Steve Kerr talks about when things just click. “You see like the morale, like everybody’s shoulders are up and smiles, and just aggressiveness all over the floor,” Stephen Curry said. “Whether that’s setting a screen, swing

STEPHEN CURRY: When you create good shots that way, it’s fun for everybody. AP

TORONTO’S Kawhi Leonard (2) is fouled by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. AP

The team with the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) best record this season found its stride at the perfect time.

By Tim Reynolds

The Associated Press

ILWAUKEE—Down for most of the game, clearly rusty at times after nearly a full week off, the Milwaukee Bucks looked very much like a team in trouble. Until the fourth quarter. The team with the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) best record this season found its stride at the perfect time. Brook Lopez scored 13 of his career playoff-high 29 points in the fourth quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 24 points and the Bucks closed the game on a 10-0 run to beat the Toronto Raptors, 108-100, in Game One of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night. Milwaukee forced Toronto to miss its final eight shots and outscored the Raptors 32-17 in the fourth. “I think it speaks a little bit to the character of the group,” Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer said. “They just stick with it. I think it’s become a little bit of a theme in the playoffs: I think eventually, hopefully, we feel like if we stick with what we’re doing, good things will happen for us.” Lopez had a dunk with 2:20 left to put the Bucks ahead for good, added a three-pointer on the next Milwaukee possession to push the lead to four and the Bucks—after trailing for the overwhelming majority of the game—did just enough in the final minutes to grab the series lead. “I think this game definitely made us better,” Antetokounmpo said. Malcolm Brogdon scored 15 and Nikola Mirotic had 13 for Milwaukee, which closed the game on a 10-0 run. “We just did a great job of sticking with what we’ve been doing all postseason long,” Lopez said. Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points and Kyle Lowry added 30 for the Raptors, who led by as many as 13 early and took an 83-76 lead into the final quarter. Lowry was five for seven in the fourth—and his teammates were zero for 15. “Fourth quarter killed us, 32-17,” Lowry said. “They outplayed us in that fourth quarter. They got a little bit more aggressive. They made some big shots, made some big plays. It sucks when you lose like that. But we had our chance and we’ve got to learn from it.”

Lopez added 11 rebounds for the Bucks, who had three players post double-doubles. Antetokounmpo had 14 rebounds and Khris Middleton finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee, which is now 9-1 in this postseason. The Bucks trailed for 37 of the game’s 48 minutes. Didn’t matter. They stayed just close enough until they could finish with a serious kick. “The way guys competed and just got after it...stands out to me,” Budenholzer said. Pascal Siakam scored 15 for Toronto, including a 3-pointer over Antetokounmpo to end the third quarter and give the Raptors a seven-point lead with 12 minutes left. It unraveled quickly from there. And now the Raptors, who came in on the high of winning a second-round Game Seven on a buzzer-beater by Leonard, have two days to regroup. “The game is over,” Toronto’s Marc Gasol said. “We got to look back at it and learn, but we can’t think too much about it. You come out Game Two and try to win. You can’t replay this one.” With the chants of Milwaukee’s motto—”Fear the deer! Fear the deer!”—bouncing throughout the building, the Bucks predictably came out flying. The flurry was brief. The Bucks missed seven consecutive shots, the Raptors made four 3-pointers in a span of three minutes, and that all helped become a 16-0 run by Toronto that turned an early 8-3 deficit into a 19-8 edge. The lead got as big as 13 later in the quarter on a fadeaway jumper by Leonard, and the Raptors held the lead the rest of the half. Milwaukee had a chance to take its first lead since the opening minutes when Antetokounmpo went to the line for a pair of free throws with 8:17 left in the third and the Bucks down by one. He missed both and the Raptors peeled off the next nine points to rebuild a 10-point lead again. But Toronto shot five for 22 in the fourth, the Bucks finally reclaimed the lead, and the Raptors’ chance to steal homecourt went awry. “We gave ourselves a chance to win on the road in an Eastern Conference final,” Raptors Coach Nick Nurse said. “And it didn’t turn out.”

or cutting hard, all that type of stuff. When you create good shots that way, it’s fun for everybody.” And he means everybody. Before the Western Conference finals began, Kerr told his team this series against Portland might allow for more guys to play key minutes and have opportunities for the two-time defending champs. Golden State’s bench players provided the perfect complement to Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in Game One as the Warriors withstood the absence of Kevin Durant for another impressive win. The Warriors lead the best-of-seven series 1-0 after beating the Trail Blazers 11694 on Tuesday night. “Strength in numbers has been the motto for this team, and it’s been proven over the last couple of years,” reserve guard Quinn Cook said on Wednesday after contributing eight points and a pair of 3-pointers in the win. “Obviously, we have the star power. But I think what makes this team so special is the guys who don’t get the recognition who come in off the bench and who put the work in daily.” Kerr reiterated that the Warriors expect to know more ahead of Game Two at Oracle Arena on Thursday about whether Durant can return during this series once he is reevaluated. He has noted that until Durant can do significant oncourt work to test the leg, he will not be ready. “It makes everything tougher for sure, when you lose a guy like Kevin,” Green said. “He’s important to things we do on both sides of the ball. But we also know one guy is not going to step in and make up for what Kevin brings up to the team, so it’s up to everybody to step their game up a couple notches, and for the last two games, we’ve done that.” The Warriors certainly looked more like themselves with the crisp ball movement—leading to 30 assists—with almost everyone finding a way to contribute to the victory. Curry had seven of those assists, Green and Andre Iguodala each had five, while Thompson and reserve Jordan Bell dished out three apiece. “It’s when we’re at our best in terms of everybody feeling like they are a threat on the floor,” Curry said. “I mean, honestly, even when K’s [Durant] out there, he’s our safety valve in terms of we can end a possession that way, but we try to get to those looks and those patterns as much as we can. It just puts so much pressure on the defense.” The Trail Blazers studied the film and saw everything that went wrong: 21 turnovers that led to 31 Warriors points, the breakdowns on pick-and-rolls that allowed Curry to go off for 36 points and nine 3-pointers, the defense against Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum that made it so difficult to find an offensive flow. The wide-open looks by Curry and Thompson much of the night might have hurt most. “That’s the last thing we need if we want to have any chance to beat this team,” Lillard said of what he called “practice shots.”‘’... I think we’ll be addressing a lot of things on both ends.” Curry’s nine 3-pointers matched his most in the postseason, also accomplished in Game One of last year’s National Basketball Association Finals against Cleveland. Portland Coach Terry Stotts said the Blazers would “have to rethink” defending the Warriors on the perimeter. “It was too easy for them, so we’ve got to make it more difficult,” McCollum said. For Portland, shooting 36.1 percent isn’t going to cut it, either. Lillard and McCollum combined to go 11 for 31 from the floor—and none of the Blazers wanted to offer any excuses, though they had just been pushed to Game Seven in the last round. They finished up at Denver on Sunday before flying straight to the Bay Area. The Warriors had the weekend off and were well-rested ahead of the series opener. Green and the Warriors expect much more from the Blazers. “As the series goes on, it’s going to get tougher and tougher, and that’s our understanding moving forward,” Green said. “We’ll need guys to continue stepping up when Kevin’s out, and also when he comes back, continue to play with that same aggressiveness.” AP

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Lady Archers bag football crown

E La Salle topped Far Eastern University, 2-0, for a record 11th crown in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 women’s football final on Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. After a goalless first half, the Lady Archers went on attack mode as Rocelle Mendaño opened the scoring with a 54th-minute header while rookie Shai del Campo netted her 10th goal of the

season with a 79th-minute strike that iced the win and the “three-peat” feat for De La Salle. Sara Castañeda, De La Salle’s heart and soul, was named the season Most Valuable Player. “I’m very happy and very thankful that I got the chance to play for this team,” said Castañeda, who also won the Best Midfielder award. “I don’t think we think the championship so much. More of

us, we try to play our best in every game.” Del Campo won the Rookie of the Year and Best Striker honors while her teammate Tashka Lacson bagged the Best Goalkeeper award. Hannah Pachejo of the Lady Tamaraws took the Best Defender plum, while the Lady Archers claimed the Fair Play award. University of Santo Tomas, last season’s losing finalist, finished third.

DREAM T COME TRUE

By Ramon Rafael Bonilla ERRENCE ROMEO, one of the more colorful players in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), is finally a champion. “I can’t express the feeling. Among all my dreams since I started playing basketball, it’s really about winning a championship that fantasizes me,” Romeo said after San Miguel Beer edged Magnolia in a thrilling Game Seven tiff—the closest of all margins at 72-71— for the team’s fifth-straight Philippine Cup title on Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Romeo admitted he is in cloud nine after winning his first title as a pro following a bizarre ride that saw him

hopping from NorthPort to TNT and to San Miguel Beer in a young career that is potential in many forms. Despite playing limited minutes in the stacked San Miguel Beer roster, the 5-foot-11 player accepted the challenge and trusted the system. Romeo contributed his talent to fill the void whenever the Beermen need him. The three-time scoring champion tuned down his role but the eagerness to hoist the trophy remained the same. “I sacrificed a lot to achieve my dream. I believe that God really has a plan for me. So I waited for the right timing. This was the perfect time,” Romeo said. “I am used to playing heavy minutes. Before I can do whatever I want. But when I transferred to San Miguel, I learned how to

SUBIC CITED AS BEST

By Henry Empeño

UBIC BAY FREEPORT—For consistently hosting sports events throughout the year thus helping position the Philippines as a competitive global sports tourism destination, Subic Bay was named 2016-2017 “Destination of the Year” by the Philippine Sports Tourism Awards (PSTA). The Cebu-based awards body that honors organizers and participants in the sports tourism industry presented a 14-inch gold trophy to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) last week to signify Subic’s recognition as a top sports tourism site for two consecutive years. PSTA Chairman Charles Lim told SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma that Subic received the PSTA’s nod after judges saw the consistency with which sports activities were held in the free port. “There’s a variety of sports events held in Subic almost every month, and that’s really a plus factor,” Lim said, noting that Subic has hosted major events like

the Ironman and Alaska races, as well as the annual regatta. “I hope Subic will continue to keep up the momentum, and we look forward to the nomination again of Subic for 2018,” Lim added. Eisma said the latest award only shows that Subic remains the sports destination in the country most preferred by local and international sports organizers. “The award speaks well of the natural beauty and the unspoiled environment of Subic amid continuous economic development,” Eisma said. “It means that Subic had successfully harnessed the synergy of sports and tourism to make it to No. 1 for two consecutive years.” The SBMA chief also pointed out that Subic won the gold award for best sports tourism destination in the 2017 Sports Industries Awards and Conference Asia (SPIA Asia) held in Thailand, and brought home the bronze award for the same category last year. According to Lim, sports tourism is now the fastest-growing component of

Superb short game gives Uy three-stroke lead over Ikeda

AGAYTAY—Daniella Uy moved in the threshold of a breakthrough win on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT), banking on a superb short game to shoot an eagle-aided 68 and rally from two-down to three-up over erstwhile leader Chihiro Ikeda after two rounds of the International Container Terminal Services Ic. (ICTSI) Tagaytay Midlands Ladies Challenge in Tagaytay City on Thursday. Uy bounced back strong from a three-putt miscue on the par-five No. 2, banging in a 2-footer for eagle off a brilliant second shot from 200 yards on the next par-5 on No. 6 then gunning down birdies on Nos. 7 and 15 inside 10 feet. She spiked her 33-35 card with a 45-foot birdie putt on the ninth to edge closer to a dream title with a 140. “Except on No. 2, I was on target around the green. I would get to great positions for birdie chances,” said Uy, whose

team-up with brother Lanz netted them a joint fourth-place finish in the Delimondo National Pro-Am at Splendido over the weekend. In all, Uy hit 15 greens and used her putter 29 times to underscore her splendid all around game. She, however, remained wary of her chances on a course that features reachable par-5s, stressing the need to take it one shot at a time. “Anything can happen in the final round tomorrow [today]. This lead could be wiped out in just a couple of holes if I would be careless, so I need to stay focused to win,” said the former Junior World titlist. Near flawless with a 70 in hot conditions in the first round on Wednesday, Ikeda had a flawed start this time on shaky putting, bogeying three of the first 12 holes to fall behind by as many as five. But the FilJapanese shotmaker battled back with two birdies in the last six to save a 73 and keep

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apply my talent without affecting the system of Coach Leo [Austria],” he said. Romeo scored only four points off the bench, but he hauled down seven rebounds and dished out three assists in almost 23 minutes of action in Game Seven. These contributions were valuable to give the starters a lift, especially that starting point guard Alex Cabagnot had his breakout night with 18 points, including the tough jumper with 57 seconds left that gave San Miguel Beer a piece of immortality. Best Player of the Conference June Mar Fajardo has done it all again, scoring 17 points that went with a new PBA record 31 rebounds. He won the Finals MVP trophy with his solid numbers throughout the series. Arwind Santos also had a great night with 17 points and 11 boards, while Chris

Friday, May 17, 2019

Ross tallied seven points and eight rebounds. Besides Romeo, also winning their first PBA championships were Kelly Nabong, Paul Zamar and rookie Christian Standhardinger. With a good company to play with, Romeo hopes to remember by heart all the lessons he learned to win a championship as a team player—and individual awards that he is accustomed to would have to come in the future. “Now that I am a champion, I need to be more mature and get myself more active on how I can contribute to the team,” he said.

TERRENCE ROMEO finally gets to taste a championship.

Chauca powers Titans vs AMA

T SPORTS DESTINATION

PHILIPPINE Sports Tourism Awards Chairman Charles Lim presents the 2016-2017 “Destination of the Year” award to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma.

the travel and sports industry. He said that with Subic hosting some of the sports in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in November, the estimated 5,000 participants and officials who will join sports events here may bring along an average of three family members or friends, relatives or supporters with them. “So the number could reach about 15,000 visitors. That means they will need at least

THAILAND’S Tiranan Yoopan strikes a pose while waiting for her turn on No. 8.

7,000 rooms, which would be a tremendous boost for the Subic economy,” Lim added. The PSTA was organized in 2015 by the Philippine Sports Commission, Department of Tourism, Philippine Tourism Promotions Board and Selrahco Management and Consultancy Services, as the lead private group. It is now managed by SelrahcoPrimetime headed by Lim. Uy within sight at 143 heading to the last 18 holes of the P750,000 championship put up by ICTSI. “My putting was awful and the greens were a bit slower than usual,” said Ikeda, who could’ve pulled within two had her chip-in bid for eagle on the last hole had dropped in. With the rest of the pack failing to strike in another punishing day at the rolling layout, the fight for the top P150,000 could go down to the top two players with Uy bracing for a shootout with a veteran, multi-titled rival in Ikeda. Thai Tiranan Yoopan, seeking to end a long search for a victory in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., shot three birdies but fumbled with five bogeys for a 74, slipping to third at 145, five strokes off Uy, while Pauline del Rosario failed to make her move and stood six shots adrift with a 72 for a 146. Eagle Ace Superal, who matched Yoopan’s 71 start on Wednesday, came away with five birdies and an eagle on No. 18 but made five bogeys and three double bogeys to finish with a 76 and drop to solo fifth at 147. The Country Club spearhead, however, remained on track for the low amateur honors with Nicole Abelar at 151 after a 72.

AMILY Mart-Enderun finally broke through after drubbing AMA Online Education, 116-94 in the Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League on Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. Valandre Chauca hit eight triples on his way to 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as five others got to double-digits to help the young Titans nab their first win in the developmental ranks and halt a six-game losing skid. “We never doubted that we’re going to get at least one win,” Coach Pipo Noundou said. “All the losses we had were just by single digits. It means we’re close, but with the lack of experience, we just had to adjust. And we took the challenge.” Richard Escoto tallied a double-double with his 17 points and 10 rebounds, John Vidal scored 10 of his 17 in the fourth period and Mark Gatdula had 14. Francis Sacundo nailed 13 points and eight rebounds, while Marvin Hayes had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Family Mart-Enderun took over in the final canto, breaking away from a close 81-78 affair and erupted for 35 points in the payoff period to improve to 1-6 won-lost in the Aspirants Group. Joshua Munzon finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and seven steals for AMA, which fell to 2-6.

Sexton, WNBA legend in town

OLLIN SEXTON of the Cleveland Cavaliers and WNBA legend Ticha Penicheiro will visit Manila to help coach the top youth players aged 13 to 14 in the 2019 Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska. National Training Camp participants will experience world-class basketball instruction at the Don Bosco Technical Institute on Saturday, with the most outstanding athletes competing in the boys and girls exhibition game at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on Sunday. Sexton and Penicheiro will help select the top 5 boys and five girls from the 80 finalists who will be named 2019 Jr. NBA Philippines All-Stars and serve as assistant coaches for the annual Jr. NBA Alumni All-Star Game. “I’m excited to work with aspiring young athletes and help contribute to their basketball development,” Sexton said. “The Jr. NBA is a perfect program for them to learn essential skills and values that will help elevate their game.” “Jr. NBA continues to be an inclusive platform for boys and girls, encouraging sports participation and instilling an active and healthy lifestyle among the Filipino youth,” Penicheiro said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to nurture their holistic growth and put them in a position to succeed in basketball and in life.” The National Training Camp finalists were selected from Regional Selection Camps in Benguet, Butuan, Dumaguete, Lucena and Metro Manila, and from the Alaska Power Camp. In addition, the 2019 Coaches of the Year will be identified during the camp.

Sports

Race jury give van Garderen lead back in Tour of California

BusinessMirror

| Friday, May 17, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

GERMAN WINS SCARY, RAINY FIFTH STAGE T GERMANY’S Pascal Ackermann celebrates as he sprints ahead of Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria (left) to win the fifth stage on Wednesday. AP

ERRACINA, Italy—Pascal Ackermann of Germany sprinted to victory at the end of the rain-affected fifth stage of the Giro d’Italia on Wednesday, while Slovenian cyclist Primoz Roglic kept the overall lead. It was Ackermann’s second stage win in his first Grand Tour after the 25-year-old Bora-Hansgrohe rider also took home Sunday’s second leg. Ackermann edged out Fernando Gaviria and Arnaud Demare in a bunch sprint at the end of the mainly flat but wet 140-kilometer

route from Frascati to Terracina. “It was a two-time sprint today. I had to brake at 250 meters to go but luckily Gaviria became the perfect lead-out man for me,” Ackermann said. “It was scary all day under the rain. All the stage was scary and sprint was scary because you can’t see much. It was cold all day.” The rain was so relentless that race organizers decided that times would be taken on the first passage of the finish line in Terracina before the final 9-kilometer loop in order to avoid another crash like the one that marred Tuesday’s fourth stage.

Spieth trying to buck odds at PGA Championship

ARMINGDALE, New York—Jordan Spieth needs to win the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Championship for the career Grand Slam. Masters champion Tiger Woods needs to win the next three majors to capture an unprecedented calendar Grand Slam. Based on how their seasons have gone, the question now is who has the better chance. Spieth smiled at the supposition, and then tried to play along. He first considered how physics major Bryson DeChambeau would approach it and figured that winning one major would be easier than winning three. And then he considered the Wisconsin man who placed a $100,000 wager on 100-1 odds of Woods winning all four majors this year, a bet that would return $10 million. “I would have better odds than that, right?” Spieth said. For someone mired in a slump—a word Spieth himself said on Wednesday on the eve of the PGA Championship—the 25-year-old Texan didn’t appear overly concerned about the opportunity in front of him at Bethpage Black. Only five other players have won the career Grand Slam. No one has completed it at the PGA Championship. Spieth wouldn’t appear to be a candidate at the moment. He is winless since getting the third leg of the slam in the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale. And while he had chances on the back nine of two majors last year, he hasn’t come close to winning since then.

In the eight stroke-play events this year when he played the weekend, Spieth on average has finished 14.5 strokes behind the winner. He has yet to finish in the top 20, with his best result a tie for 21st at the Masters. He talks mostly about progress and consistency, both defined more by what he feels than what anyone else sees. “I’ve shot some low rounds, but piecing together four has been difficult this season so far,” Spieth said. “I think it’s gotten more progressively consistent throughout the year, and out here you’re going to need that kind of consistency. You need your bad rounds to be held at about par to win this tournament, and you need your good rounds to go deep enough. If I can continue to make the amount of birdies I’ve been making and then just limit the mistakes a little bit, then I should be right in it.” Woods, who won the second leg of the calendar slam at Bethpage Black in 2002 when it hosted the US Open, is the betting favorite at 8-1. He is followed by Dustin Johnson and defending champion Brooks Koepka, two of golf’s most powerful players. Spieth is listed at 50-1 on a big golf course that might feel even bigger considering the 2 inches of rain since Sunday that has left it long and soft. AP

That crash split the peloton in half inside the final 6 kilometers and allowed Roglic to gain precious seconds over his rival. It also led to 2017 champion Tom Dumoulin abandoning the race a kilometer into Wednesday’s stage as he was in too much pain after injuring his left leg in the crash. “I came here for a three-week adventure and I wanted to finish it and I’m not ready to go home yet,” Dumoulin said. “I didn’t want to be home and in two days time, be able to ride when the swelling goes down and be sad that I abandoned so I needed to

try and push through with some painkillers today and it might’ve been possible. “I would’ve always asked myself that question and now I can ask myself and I know the answer.” Roglic, who has worn the leader’s pink jersey since winning the opening time trial on Saturday, remained 35 seconds ahead of British cyclist Simon Yates and 39 ahead of home favorite Vincenzo Nibali. Thursday’s sixth stage is a 238-kilometer route from Cassino to San Giovanni Rotondo, with an undulating finish. The Giro finishes in Verona on June 2. AP

SPIETH

ORRO BAY, California—Tejay van Garderen thought he had lost his overall race lead in the Tour of California after a string of bad luck in the final 2 miles on Wednesday. The race jury gave it right back a couple hours later. Tour organizers issued a controversial statement that said a major crash near the finish that held up van Garderen and many other top contenders would be treated “such that all riders affected by the incident and the road blockage will receive the field time,” effectively giving van Garderen the lead back. That rule is designed to protect overall leaders from the chaos that comes in the final 3 kilometers of a race, when sprints often lead to crashes. But the crash in California occurred just outside of the 3-kilometer-to-go mark, putting the decision of the commissaires into a harsh spotlight. They did not provide the reasoning behind their decision. Regardless, it meant that rather than falling to 13th place and 47 seconds behind Kasper Asgreen for the race lead, van Garderen kept his yellow jersey by six seconds over Gianni Moscon—a rider who also was held up by the pileup. “When they told me I was back in yellow, I was surprised,” van Garderen said. “I thought it was bad luck, and then they decided to give us the time from the crash because we were back on. I just have to applaud their decision.” It didn’t change the fact that Fabio Jakobsen won the stage with an inspired uphill sprint, the third straight for his Deceuninck Quick-Step team this week—all by different riders. Or that Jasper Philipsen finished second on the stage to give embattled UAE Team Emirates something positive, and that threetime world champion Peter Sagan took third to assume the sprinter’s green jersey. It changed just about everything else, though. “Sometimes the cards fall your way,” van Garderen said. Emirates pressed on Wednesday without climbing specialist Kristijan Durasek, who was implicated in an Austrian investigation into doping earlier in the day. The 31-year-old Durasek is accused of using a “prohibited method” during the 2017 season, the sixth cyclist to be ensnared in the scandal. He has been provisionally suspended by the International Cycling Union, the sport’s world governing body, and the team has sent him back to Europe to cooperate with the farreaching investigation. Back in California, van Garderen had steered clear of trouble while the peloton brought back the day’s early breakaway. But his chain snapped with about five miles to go, sending the 2013 race winner to the pavement. His teammate, Lachlan Morton, was there to give van Garderen his bike, and several more teammates dropped back in a desperate attempt to pace van Garderen back to the field. Then he inexplicably missed a hard right-hand corner with 2 miles to go, and the controversial crash just as van Garderen was catching the field slowed him down again, apparently dashing his hopes of holding onto his lead. It wasn’t until much later that the commissaires delivered their decision, though they did not say why they extended the 3-kilometer rule to where the crash took place. The fifth stage on Thursday is a hilly, 138-mile affair that takes the peloton from Pismo Beach to the beach town of Ventura. The stage includes a short, steep climb near the finish that could prove crucial for riders trying to make up ground on van Garderen in the overall standings. “It’s going to be a long stage. For sure there will be climbs again, I don’t know how many. It will be six hours,” Jakobsen said. “I hope tomorrow the sun shines again.” The three-stage women’s Tour of California also gets going with an out-and-back stage centered on Ventura. American climber Katie Hall is back to defend her overall title, but the race’s status part of the Women’s WorldTour means the field is loaded with more big names than ever before. Among them are Hall’s teammate, Anna Van der Breggen, a stout Trek-Segafredo team headed by former world champion Lizzie Deignan, and climber Ashleigh MoolmanPasio of Team CCC-Liv. AP

BEST EFFORT Philadelphia Phillies

first baseman Rhys Hoskins falls into the stands after chasing a foul ball by Milwaukee Brewers’ Orlando Arcia during the eighth inning of their Major League Baseball game on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Milwaukee won, 5-2. AP

God of salvation

EAR God, You are our refuge and stronghold. In hope and trust we pray: Heed our prayer, oh God. Help Your Church to address injustices with peace and grace. Thwart the plots of terrorists, hackers, scammers and actions of those who seek destruction and violence. Imbue, teachers, parents, guardians and coaches with goodness of life and wisdom in teaching. May God show us kindness and mercy, and grant us salvation, through Christ our brother. Amen. GIVE US THIS DAY SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life

SOMETHING LIKE LIFE: IN THE WAKE OF DEFEAT D3

BusinessMirror

Friday, May 17, 2019

Ryan Reynolds on ‘Pikachu’ and the future of ‘Deadpool’

BY JAKE COYLE The Associated Press

EW YORK—Ryan Reynolds once envisioned himself, best-case scenario, as Wilson on Home Improvement or Mr. Furley on Three’s Company. “When I started in this business, my highest goal was to be the wacky neighbor on a sitcom,” Reynolds says. “It took a much different path.” Against his own expectations, Reynolds has emerged as one of Hollywood’s top movie stars, thanks in large part to the runaway success of his two Deadpool movies, R-rated wise-cracking films that seemed to unlock Reynolds’s own powers of motormouthed sarcasm. In Pokémon Detective Pikachu, now in theaters, Reynolds uses his sharp-tongued talents for good—or at least, for a more cuddly, family-friendly movie. Reynolds voices the title character, a Pokémon who helps a 21-year-old man (Justice Smith) search for his missing father, Pikachu’s former partner. In an interview, Reynolds discussed his Pokémon transformation. You’ve voiced characters in a number of films, including The Croods and Turbo, but on Detective Pikachu, you also crafted the character through facial motion capture. I did about an hour of motion capture and performance capture on Deadpool 2 as Juggernaut. But this is the first time I’ve really been in that world in this immersive way where I’m shaping a character’s arc from beginning to end with motion capture. You’re wearing a tracking suit, head to toe. There are multiple cameras fixed to your head, which is completely

insane. I’m sure that in our Instagram world there are people wondering where they can buy that for their personal use. You must have had considerable free rein considering this was a Pokémon character rather than, say, an ape. It’s a mythical pocket monster. There’s no tether to reality whatsoever with this character. It’s pretty free rein, which is its own weird burden. Once possibilities become limitless, you can get a little locked up. It took me a couple sessions to realize everything’s possible and just to embrace that. It’s really just a matter of accessing that six-year-old part of your brain that’s fueled exclusively on imagination, and just let that run wild. I wish I could do every movie like this. Is there less PG-friendly B-roll of you in that environment? Dear god, yes. There’s probably an entirely different film that they could cut together that wouldn’t make the PG cut at all. When you’re feeling that kind of freedom, you don’t really govern yourself by ratings systems or that sort of thing. Your career seemed to really come alive when you carved out a path of less traditional leading men. Some of the stuff that I’ve done in the past that you would categorize as maybe didn’t work were moments where I was stepping into the role of the archetypal leading man role. It’s just not something I’ve ever been really that great at, to be totally blunt. I have immense respect for those who are great at it. But I also think our idea of a traditional, leading man, archetypal male is changing wildly day-to-day, over the last five years

“[Playing the archetypal leading man role] is just not something I’ve ever been really that great at, to be totally blunt. I have immense respect for those who are great at it.” in particular. And I think that’s great. I think that’s evolution, to put it in Pikachu terms. When Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, the culture clash was often represented by drawings of Mickey Mouse and Deadpool together. Do you have any concerns that future Deadpool films will be toned down under Disney? I don’t, no. I don’t have any reason to be concerned based on everything I’ve heard Disney say publicly and privately. So at this point, I have nothing to be particularly worried about.

You’ve become so connected to Deadpool. Was making Detective Pikachu a conscious pivot to something more family-friendly? People are already oozing over the cuteness. I’ve never really looked at things from the 30,000foot view of: How will this shape public perception of me? That stuff honestly makes me nauseous to even think about. Really it just came organically. They had animated a test example of Pikachu and they had obviously tried out a whole bunch of actors’ voices to it. And they tried out mine and for whatever reason, it worked, according to them. I think that juxtaposition between his visuals and me being kind of acerbic and grumpy as his voice is a match made in heaven. You’ve kind of carried over the tongue-incheek marketing of Deadpool to Detective Pikachu. You made a video extolling your immersive, method-acting to get into character as Pikachu. You seem to enjoy a side of the business that most disdain. I love marketing. I have a company, Maximum Effort Productions, and that’s what we do. We’re a film production company but we’re also a marketing company. We do the marketing for Aviation Gin, a lot of stuff for Deadpool, a lot of stuff for Pikachu and a few other companies. It’s a blast. I think marketing is most interesting when you’re acknowledging and playing with the cultural landscape. Part of that has been an ongoing mock socialmedia feud with Hugh Jackman. Do you have any message for him? (Laughs) I’ll save my catalog of insults for Hugh Jackman for our next interview. n

Society BusinessMirror

Friday, May 17, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Nikki Reed, 31; Derek Hough, 34; Trent Reznor, 54; Bob Saget, 63. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Take a serious look at the past, and rethink what you want to accomplish this year. Personal improvement should be your plan with the intent to do whatever it takes to reach your ultimate goal. Count on your skills, stamina and determination to help you reach your destination and receive accolades for your hard work and keen sense of timing. Your lucky numbers are 2, 6, 17, 23, 32, 44, 47.

NOVATEUR Coffee Concepts’s Mia Silva, WWF Philippines National Ambassador and JINNO RUFINO, Krystal Xamairy, Nelson, Sunshine Puey and Silva Sustainability Advocate Marc Nelson, Novateur Coffee Concepts’s Millet Valdez and Novateur Coffee Concepts Managing Director Patrick Pesengco

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Be gentle and understanding when dealing with others. Anger will lead to trouble. Avoid discord by taking care of what’s expected of you before someone complains. Don’t believe everything you hear or trust someone who is manipulative or asking for too much. HHH

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Put a little excitement in your life and show some enthusiasm when it comes to personal relationships. Rely on your keen sense of awareness, and make choices you know will please someone you love. Romance is in the stars. HHH

LEXI SCHULZE and Marilen Montenegro

ERIC and Kidd Dee

XANDRA ROCHA and Puey

BOBBY DY and Pesengco

Making an environmentally responsible choice

ACH cup of Nespresso is an extraordinary coffee experience that has changed, and continues to change, the way millions around the world start their day and round off their evening repasts. It is specialty coffee—conceivably the best cup of coffee money can buy—that is easy to make, convenient, consistent, and seeks to create a positive impact in society and the environment by empowering its users and club members to assume responsibility as change agents by recycling used capsules. An industry leader in coffee sourcing and carbon efficient operations, Nespresso’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond training and supporting coffee farmers to produce high-quality coffee in an economic, social and environmentally sustainable manner. It has also at the onset carefully considered proper management of its aluminum packaging, prompting it to launch its capsule recycling program in Switzerland in 1991, just a few years after it launched. Today, with more than 100,000 collection points across dozens of countries, the company has the

capacity to recycle more than 92 percent of used capsules and, by 2020, it aims to offer convenient recycling solutions to all its users. Nespresso recycled capsules have been used to make Victorinox Swiss Army knives, Caran d’Ache pens and even new capsules. In Singapore, it partnered with the Food Bank Singapore where coffee grounds are reused as compost to grow vegetables that are redistributed to beneficiary organizations. This year, Nespresso Philippines launched its local recycling program in partnership with organizations that share the same passion for sustainability. So how does it work? A portion of used capsules collected from Nespresso users are upcycled into decorative items by artisans at the Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) Foundation. The proceeds of the sold artworks provide livelihood for the local artisans, as well as funding for the organization’s social and livelihood programs. Shredded aluminum capsules, on the other hand, are sent to a smelter, which transforms them into recycled aluminum, ready to be used for the manufacture of new products. As coffee grounds are great fertilizers that help

improve drainage, water retention, and aeration in the soil, used Nespresso coffee grounds are sent to organic farm partners like Nutriganics Farm and Saret Organic Farmville, for use as natural compost. “In recent years, the concern about sustainability has grown stronger among Filipino coffee lovers,” said Patrick Pesengco, Novateur Coffee Concepts Inc. managing director. “We are launching this program to enable our customers to be responsible consumers. But most important, we want them to know that they, too, have a crucial role to play in this effort.” Consumer can bring their used aluminum capsules at the following collection points: Nespresso Boutique at the Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Nespresso Pop Up Stores at The Podium, Greenbelt (until June 2019), and One Bonifacio, BGC (starting July 2019); Rustan’s Department Stores (Makati, Shangri-La, Alabang). Home pick up is available for orders made via www. nespresso.ph, while direct collection is available for business-to-business accounts. The launch of the recycling program was met with enthusiastic support from not a few prominent personalities. n

Hard Rock Café Manila continues the party WORD has it that Hard Rock Café Manila is fast becoming the destination of choice for fans of music, live entertainment, good food and a whole lot of fun since its return to the Philippines late last year. The buzz became even louder when it held its grand opening party on at S’Maison. Since 1971, when it was founded at a Rolls-Royce dealership in London by two young Americans (Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton), the launch of every Hard Rock Café anywhere in the world is muchawaited. The April 30 opening event at

S’Maison was no different. It featured Pinoy rock star Arnel Pineda as the guest performer, with talented local band Ice Bucket providing additional excitement. Pineda joined Hard Rock International’s Anibal Fernandez, vice president of Franchise Operations; and Steve Yang, area vice president of Development and Operations for Asia Pacific; and The Bistro Group’s William Stelton, chairman and CEO; and Jean Paul Manuud, president and COO, at the symbolic guitar smash, the traditional way to open Hard Rock Cafés worldwide.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t let life get too complicated. If someone is trying to take advantage of you, know enough to walk away. Too much of anything will be what leads to trouble. Simplicity and keeping your relationships running smoothly should be priorities. HHH

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take the lead and see who follows. You have what it takes to get things going and to make a contribution and a difference to whatever and whoever you decide to get involved with. HHHHH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Keep your emotions tucked away until you see where everyone else stands. Making noise before you have all the pertinent information will put you in a vulnerable position. HH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Communication will be key when trying to get your message across. Whether dealing with friends, colleagues or relatives, share your thoughts and feelings in order to resolve any issues that could dismantle your plans. Romance is on the rise. HHHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You won’t have to look for trouble; it’s sure to find you if you are dealing with someone who is cranky or indulgent. Concentrate on personal accomplishments that deal with finances, health or any pending legal matters. HHH

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Drop in on someone you trust to give you valid information. A change in attitude will take place as you discover what’s been going on and what your options are. HHH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Work alone, and don’t share secrets or private information that could be used against you. Choose to be moderate in all you do, and you’ll avoid being talked about or taken advantage of by someone who isn’t trustworthy. HHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Make positive changes at home. Getting along with the people around you will encourage greater opportunities and the chance to work toward a goal you share with someone special. HHHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Emotional matters will escalate if you aren’t careful how you react or respond. Think twice before getting involved in someone else’s problems. Focus more on what you can do to broaden your outlook, skills and direction. HH

l HARD Rock Café and The Bistro Group execs, from left: Steve Yang, Hard Rock International area vice president of development and operations for Asia Pacific; Arnel Pineda; William Stelton, The Bistro Group chairman and CEO; Anibal Fernandez, Hard Rock International vice president of franchise operations; and Jean Paul Manuud, The Bistro Group president and COO.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Draw on your resources to make things happen. Call in favors and choose quality over quantity. Stick to your game plan, and use your skills and knowledge to give back to those who have helped you advance. Love is on the rise. HHHHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are driven, intuitive and energetic. You are resourceful and intelligent.

‘wedding traditions’ BY WREN SCHULTZ The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Gate closers 6 “Just a heads-up...” 9 “Heavens to ___!” 14 Holy name in Islam 15 “Totally tubular!” 16 Kick out 17 Something old 19 You, for one 20 Capital of Kansas 21 Sure things 23 Gun, as an engine 24 Application 25 When doubled, a dance 28 Something new 35 Mulligans 37 Harald V’s world capital 38 Insistent reply 39 Silver State sch. 40 Conductor’s conductor 41 Apt votes for a horse bill 42 Canal completed in 1825 43 First resident of Eden 44 Goosebumps author R.L.

5 Something borrowed 4 48 Watch display letters 49 “That’s your ___” 50 Saint Patrick’s Day dance 52 Focuses on at college 57 Weakness 61 You should remember it from US History 62 Something blue 64 T-bar rider 65 Resistor unit 66 Lauder of cosmetics 67 Pico de gallo, e.g. 68 Right this second 69 Prideful sounds? DOWN 1 Verb with “thou” 2 High, in instrument names 3 Apply hastily, with “on” 4 Less ruddy 5 Capital of Israel? 6 To and ___ 7 Talks and talks 8 Mental seed

9 Command 10 Joyously unrestrained 11 Healer of all wounds, it’s said 12 Bed frame part 13 Urges 18 Joe 22 Japanese-style bed 25 Like April, per Eliot 26 Painter Rousseau 27 Wing it 29 Yes-man 30 Cornerstone abbr. 31 iPhone video option 32 It’s more formal than a text 33 “Bye Bye Bye” band 34 Administered, as meds 36 Conquers 40 Exposes 44 Bart Simpson’s principal 46 Nature’s light show 47 City in Ventura County 51 Painter’s plaster 52 Every object has it 53 ___-Seltzer

4 Word before “break” or “bird” 5 55 Press 56 NYC neighborhood with many lofts 58 Self-referential 59 Disney CEO Bob 60 Long, long time 63 Vowelless automaker

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Relationships BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Friday, May 17, 2019

In the wake of defeat SOMETHING LIKE LIFE

MA. STELLA F. ARNALDO

BUTUAN NATIVE RETURNS FOR A GOOD CAUSE

A NUMBER of Filipino fashion designers have made it big in the global fashion arena. Michael Cinco, Francis Libiran and Lesley Mobo are some of the names that ring a bell. A designer from Butuan City, Resty Lagare, has also made it big internationally but is relatively unknown to Filipinos. He left Butuan in 1991 to pursue his dream to become a designer. Lagare said, “I vividly remember that I was on the boat from Nasipit and then I looked at Butuan to bid goodbye. I told myself I would come back one day when Butuan could be proud of me.” He graduated high school from the Father Saturnino Urios University in Butuan but dropped out of college. Skillful at drawing and the arts, he worked for a garment factory in Manila and then in a fashion house in Dubai. He is currently the resident fashion designer of Lovely Fashion, one of the biggest haute couture stores in Kuwait. He has dressed up celebrities for the Oscar and Grammy awards, and his clothes have been showcased in New York Fashion Week, LA Fashion Week, Phoenix Fashion Week and Germany’s Next Top Models, among others. Resty Lagare comes back to Butuan for a charity event, “The Resty Lagare Charity Fashion Show,” on May 20 at the LMX Convention Center in Butuan. The show is produced by Butuan-based social enterprise One Closet and all the Rotary Clubs of Butuan (Rotary Club Area 3I and 3J). Isabela Blancas, 15-year-old founder of One Closet, said, “It was not difficult to convince Tito Resty to come home. He agreed to return on the condition that we put up a charity fashion show.” The charity event aims to raise funds for two shelters for disadvantaged kids to help them with their education: Gesu Eucaristico Children’s Inc. (GECI), a shelter for abused girls in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, run by the Sisters Disciples of Jesus in the Eucharist; Balay Silonganan, a home for abandoned and neglected children in Barangay Pinamangkulan in Butuan run by the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Fatima. All of the event’s profits will go to the beneficiaries. Lagare said, “I’m very excited about the show because we are helping marginalized kids who are close to my heart. My parents worked hard selling fish in the market to provide for our family. I felt I was so blessed. My heart goes out to kids who have been abandoned or abused.” Aside from Lagare, local fashion designers Dannah Mae Paclibar, Edzel Macion, King Aranchado, Kim Amora and Johnbert Hubabib are also showcasing their creations. Models from the local modeling agency Butuan Beauties will walk on the ramp. Lagare said, “With this event, we get to show the creativity of Butuan’s fashion industry to attract both clients and investors. I myself am looking for investment opportunities to help my fellow Butuanons.” The Resty Lagare Charity Fashion Show, which is the first show of Resty Lagare in the country, is sponsored by the local government unit of Butuan City, Globe Telecom and GCash. For tickets, call Frederick Blancas at 0917-8632070.

@akosistellaBM

EFEAT. It’s an extremely deflating situation when you are on the losing end of a competition, a match or any contest. It doesn’t do wonders to anyone’s ego to be trounced in a fight, especially when one’s entire heart and soul has been put into it, driven by energy, defiance, and so much passion. And yet that is where we find ourselves, four days after the crucial midterm elections. If one were to believe the recent results from the Commission on Elections (Comelec)—and I continue to have doubts on the credibility of last Monday’s electoral process—a resounding vote was given to upstarts who don’t know a thing about crafting laws, a mixed bag of shady personalities with dubious political track records, and another with a criminal bent that would shame even most common jailbirds. Only one of the apparent winners is a levelheaded choice with a common-sense approach to issues. Even then, this candidate is also in danger of getting bumped off the magic circle of 12, thanks to the large number of votes to certain jokers. And so, the independent opposition has been shut out in an electoral exercise that was clearly stacked against them. I leave the dissection and analysis of the Comelec voting procedures and counting process especially on the IT aspect to the experts. I harbor no ill will toward the hardworking men and women of the agency, but clearly there were massive mistakes made despite their heads reassuring the public that the agency was fully prepared for this election. That said, if we are to accept the results of this electoral exercise, then we must go beyond conceding defeat. It is not a question of “moving on,” which is a trite and insensitive thing to say to people who have experienced a loss. The defeat of the opposition was a collective blow to many people’s principles, moral values and belief systems. We are grieving for the country’s future, with many feeling that we have let it down again. We are entitled to mourn, cry and tear our hair out. But grief-stricken we may be, we now have to work harder to prepare a better and stronger future for our children—and I don’t mean migrating to foreign shores. Preparations need to be made for 2022, when a new president will have to be elected. (That is, if federalism doesn’t overtake us first.)

The results of this year’s political exercise are a temporary setback. The opposition has some time to dissect the results, and go back to the ground for feedback. What went wrong? Was it the mode of campaigning? The messaging? We can all blame it on the lack of funding, but what opposition campaign hasn’t been beset by limited resources in this country? Millennials (18 to 29 years old) were thought to be the most responsive to the social-media campaigns of the candidates. That may be so, and they were probably the most active sharers, but when one analyzes the data from the elections, apparently there were not really that many of them who voted on Monday. From what I’ve read, the Comelec registered about 18.9 million millennial voters, accounting for 31 percent of the total voting population of 61.8 million in the Philippines. But of that age group, only 44 percent or 8.32 million was reported to have voted on Monday. According to projections of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the total population of the Philippines should be about 108 million this year, from 100 million as of the 2015 census. It also projects the 18 to 29 age group to have grown to 30 million by this year. Therefore, there should be 11 million more potential voters among millennials. This explains why the opposition may have

cleaned up most of the mock polls in colleges and universities, but this wasn’t duplicated in the actual elections. And while social-media teams targeted millennials on these online platforms, if these young people aren’t even registered to begin with, what’s the use of spreading one’s campaign in that arena? So if we are to do battle in the year 2022, we should already be encouraging millennials to register for the next elections. We should have the patience to explain to them why it’s so important to participate in electoral exercises. If they want healthy, comfortable and orderly lives in the future, they need to have their voices be heard by those who make the laws and govern the country. And we cannot overstress the importance of “voters’ education.” The majority of the voting public will not go beyond the song and dance of the candidates, nor the P500 or sneakers the candidates hand out during the campaign. We need to engage more with these voters, to help them realize on their own what kind of leaders they deserve. We can accept defeat for now. But after the grieving is done, let’s pick ourselves up and focus on the work in preparation for 2022. There may be no sure candidates yet, but steps already need to be taken to have analytical, critical and fully engaged voters by then. n

SM to hold cleanup drive SM by the Bay, in partnership with SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc., will hold its quarterly cleanup drive on May 18, 6 am, at the Central Park of SM by the Bay, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. This aims to mobilize and educate the public on the importance of protecting waterways, such as beaches, rivers, and the bay, to keep them free from litter and commercial trash. SM by the Bay’s regular cleanup drives support the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program, and has been in place since 2015. This initiative forms part of the retail giant’s commitment to the government, which will be followed by a cleanup of the portion of Parañaque waterways. Representatives from Pasay City Environment Office, nongovernment organizations,

employees from the US Embassy, local communities and employee volunteers from

SM are expected to participate in the quarterly cleanup activity.

“Coastal areas are important to everyone, especially for the marine ecosystem. As a member of the community, we want to do our share to achieve its healthy state. With this event, we are grateful to work with the local government and the community in caring for our bay and for the environment,” said Perkin So, SM Mall of Asia senior assistant vice president for operations. SM by the Bay regularly conducts cleanup drives and other environment initiatives led by its employees, community members and partners from the government and private sector. Every third Saturday of September, SM by the Bay leads the International Coastal Cleanup for Metro Manila in support of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day. SM Cares’s advocacies include programs on environment and sustainability,

persons with disabilities, children and youth, women and breastfeeding mothers, senior citizens and overseas Filipino workers (SM Global Pinoy). Other environment and sustainability programs of SM include solar panel rooftop installations which promote the use of clean energy; water recycling treatment for all malls, wherein all recycled water is used back for non-potable and industrial needs; the Automated Weather Stations; the monthly Trash-to-Cash Recycling Market; and the Green Film Festival, to name a few. As a responsible integrated property developer, SM ensures that its CSR programs serve as a catalyst for positive change in the communities that it supports. To know more about SM Cares, you may visit www.smcares.com.ph.

3 moral reasons parents need to get their children vaccinated against measles and other diseases BY JOEL MICHAEL REYNOLDS University of Massachusetts Lowell THE United States hit a terrible and entirely preventable milestone this week: Measles cases are at a 25-year high. This alarming statistic is not due to changes in public health policy or medical practice, but the rise of the anti-vax movement. Researchers who study the beliefs of parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated have found they have both religious and political motivations. As a bioethicist who investigates how cultural and societal values impact medical care, I consider the position of antivaxxers to be morally indefensible. Here are three reasons: 1. FAILURE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PUBLIC GOOD. Public goods benefit everyone. Take the example of roads, clean drinking water or universal education. Public health—the health of the overall population as a result of society-wide policies and practices—also falls into this category. Many ethicists argue that it is unfair to take advantage of

such goods without doing one’s own part in contributing to them. Years of research involving hundreds of thousands of people have proven vaccines to be safe and effective. One reason they are so effective—to the point of complete eradication of certain diseases—is because of what scientists call “herd immunity.” What this means is that once a certain percentage of a population becomes immunized against a disease through public health programs, it provides general protection for everyone. Even if a few people get sick, the disease won’t spread. The way herd immunity works is that those who aren’t vaccinated automatically benefit from the group-level protection. This, I argue, is unfair. For if everyone acted in that way, herd immunity would disappear. Indeed, this is exactly what happened in California, where measles made a comeback because so many parents chose not to vaccinate their children. These parents not only failed in their duty to contribute to the public good, they also actively undermined it, hurting others and also costing the economy millions of dollars. 2. IMPACT OF HEALTH CHOICES ON THE VULNERABLE.

Viruses do not affect everyone equally. Oftentimes, it is the elderly, infants and people with weakened immune systems who are most at risk. In my family, my brother Jason often had to be rushed to a hospital as he would easily catch a bug. So, when we had visitors, my family would inquire if they could let us know if they were sick. Often the answers were not truthful. Some would say, “I just have allergies,” and some others would be downright offended. My brother would end up catching the germs and more than once, nearly lost his life due to their lack of concern for his health. Ethicists like Robert Goodin have long argued for special obligations toward the most vulnerable. We need to be mindful of the impact of individual health choices on others, particularly those most at-risk. 3. HEALTH IS COMMUNAL. Political philosophers like John Dewey have argued that democratic public institutions necessarily rely upon belief in scientific evidence and facts. People can hold different personal beliefs, but there are some truths that are irrefutable, such as the fact that the Earth is round and revolves around the sun.

Anti-science attitudes are dangerous because they undermine our ability to make decisions together as a society, whether about education, infrastructure or health. For example, if too many people treat the scientific consensus on climate change as just “one perspective,” that will hinder our ability to respond to the massive changes already underway. In a similar manner, treating the science on vaccines as just “one perspective” negatively impacts everyone. In the face of overwhelming scientific evidence concerning the efficacy, safety and importance of vaccines, citizens have a duty to support vaccination and encourage others to do so, as well. At the foundation of each of these duties lies a simple and powerful truth: Health is communal. Health-related ethical obligations do not stop at our own doorstep. To think that they do is both empirically misguided and ethically indefensible. In order for local and federal government to effectively respond to this public health crisis, it is important to address not just the reasons and beliefs of anti-vaxxers, but also the morals. AP

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Friday, May 17, 2019

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Another Fernandez makes good GRAE FERNANDEZ

GAB FAB JET VALLE

@jetvalle GMA Entertainment Group Senior Vice President Lilybeth G. Rasonable with Jean Garcia

JEAN GARCIA REAFFIRMS TIES WITH GMA AWARD-WINNING actress Jean Garcia showed her loyalty to GMA as she recently renewed her exclusive contract with the network. The talented actress, who has starred in various projects with GMA for 13 years, said that she opted to renew her contract with the network because they continue to provide challenging and meaty roles for her. “I’m very grateful and thankful to GMA sa walang sawa nilang pagmamahal. Importante ’yung pagtitiwala nila sa akin, sa magagandang projects na binibigay nila sa akin every time.” Jean has topbilled numerous TV shows in GMA, including La Vendetta, Dyesebel, All About Eve, Stairway to Heaven, Ilumina, Alakdana, One True Love, Once Again, The Half Sisters, Ika-5 Utos and hit prime-time soap Kambal, Karibal. “’Yung experience ko sa kanila, never nila ako binigyan ng project na never ako magiging proud. Pinipili talaga nila ’yung charaters na ginagawa ko tapos tumatatak siya sa audience. That’s why I’m very thankful. Parating maayos, maganda ’yung characters at iba-iba,” she added. In the course of her stay in GMA, Jean has portrayed a myriad of roles that truly pushes the limits of actresses her age. Regardless of the project, Jean values her love for acting more than anything. “Isa lang naman ang nasa-isip ko: mahal ko ang pag-aartista at ang pag-arte, nage-enjoy ako. Ang mapa-promise ko lang is palaging 100 percent sa trabaho, hard work and siyempre ’yung loyalty and mapasaya ’yung ating audience,” the actress shared. During the contract-signing, GMA Entertainment Group Senior Vice President Lilybeth G. Rasonable expressed her admiration for the veteran actress’ expertise and passion for her craft. “Magaling talagang artista si Jean. Sino ba naman ang hindi mae-engganyo na bigyan siya ng roles na talagang challenging para sa kaniya. Ilang taon na siya sa GMA at nandito pa rin siya and I’m very happy.” Present in the contract-signing were Rasonable, GMA Vice President for Drama Productions Redgie A. Magno, GMA Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara, GMA Assistant Vice President for Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy, Senior Program Managers Redgynn S. Alba, Camille Hermoso-Hafezan, Ali N. Dedicatoria, Enri Calaycay and Manny Valera, Jean’s manager.

CINEMALAYA ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR SHORT FILM CATEGORY THE CCP and Cinemalaya Foundation Inc. announces the finalists for the Short Film Category of the 2019 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. From 168 submitted entries, the selection committee, composed of Nick Deocampo, Teddy Co, Milo Sogueco, Alvin Yapan and Law Fajardo, narrowed down the list and confirmed the 10 finalists. The 10 finalists are: ’Wag Mo Kong Kausapin by Josef Gacutan; Disconnection Notice by Glenn Lowell Averia; Gatilyo by Harold Lance Pialda; Heist School by Julius Renomeron Jr.; Hele ng Maharlika (Lullaby of the Free) by Norvin de los Santos; Kontrolado ni Girly Ang Buhay Niya by Gilb Baldoza; Sa Among Agwat (In Between Spaces) by Don Senoc; Sa Gabing Tanging Liwanag ay Paniniwala by Francis Amir Guillermo; Shoemaker by Sheron Dayoc; and Tembong (Connecting) by Shaira Advincula. Now on its 15th year, the 2019 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival will be on August 2 to 11.

RAE FERNANDEZ plays the antagonist to Edward Barber in ABS-CBN’s Hiwaga Ng Kambat, a drama-fantasy airing every Sunday night. Based on the pilot episode (which garnered a whopping 24.4-percent share, according to Kantar Media), it is indeed a nail-biting, action-packed show. Grae’s character is Mateo Baron, twin to Barber’s Iking Castro. The twins are separated at birth, with Iking possessing bat-like powers. Fate would bring them together and let’s just say the two do not hit it off, being rivals in almost everything, including school, sports and, of course, girls. Take note: they still do not know they’re twins actually. Anyway, back to Grae. People might think he just sprouted out of nowhere but this young man is part of showbiz royalty. He is the son of Mark Anthony Fernandez, making him the grandson of Rudy Fernandez and Alma Moreno. If we actually show one by one his other relatives in the industry, I might not be able to meet my deadline for this column, so just Google it. Speaking of Google, if you Google Grae Fernandez, you will find out that he worked hard for where he is now. He started out as a commercial model, then went on to TV guestings until six years ago when Star Magic corralled him with Nash Aguas, Joaquin Reyes, Brace Arquiza and John Emmanuel Bermundo to form the boy group Gimme 5. They were mainstays in ASAP and even released a self-titled album. Grae then ventured into acting, doing minor roles in ABS-CBN teleseryes Bagito, Bridges of Love and Pangako Sa ’Yo. If you go further to Google images of him, you will see the pictures of Grae and he is one hot guy. He looks like the typical jock, handsome in a familiar way—sort of like the best-looking guy you went to high school with. He has smoldering eyes and a curt smile with jaws and cheekbones for days. Flawless skin my derma would die for. And like many goodlooking guys, he looks like he is full of himself. The type of person who will use his looks to get his way and even bully a hapless person or two. But those closest to Grae will attest he is far from any of that. According to his comanager Paula Punla, he is a respectful young man, “super bait and tahimik. Ayaw niya ma-late sa mga schedules. At ang daming award sa school kahit busy.” Daming award...wait, what? Paula must have sensed my dumbfoundedness and showed me a picture of Grae holding an Excellence

Award from his school. “Pinaghirapan nya ’yan. Gusto niya lagi na binibigay niya lahat sa ginagawa niya.” And it shows. Consider this a fearless forecast but Grae will certainly go a long way. nnn METRO Channel received five accolades at the 17th Gawad Tanglaw for fostering the country’s cultural development, sustainability, and gender empowerment in its programs, a welcome recognition just a year after the ABS-CBN lifestyle channel was launched on cable. “When we were tasked to launch Metro Channel, we made sure to stay faithful to the Metro DNA with regards to production quality and curation. Storytelling and serving our market remains to be the heart and soul of why we do what we do. So we are truly grateful to have our efforts recognized by no less than Gawad Tanglaw on our first year of operation,” said Metro Group Head Christina Lopez. Three of Metro Channel’s food shows that showcase rich Filipino culture and dishes—Chasing

Madonna rebuffs Israel Eurovision boycott calls JERUSALEM—Pop star Madonna has rejected calls for her to boycott this year’s Eurovision song contest in Israel, saying she will “never stop playing music to suit someone’s political agenda.” Madonna issued a statement on Tuesday, ahead of her expected arrival in Tel Aviv for a performance at the Eurovision event. Madonna said her “heart breaks every time I hear about the innocent lives that are lost in this region and the violence that is so often perpetuated to suit the political goals of people who benefit from this ancient conflict.” She says she prays for “a new path toward peace.” The Palestinian-led boycott movement against Israel has urged artists to skip this week’s Eurovision in Tel Aviv. In a statement, it accused Madonna of “artwashing” and urged her to cancel. AP

Flavors, hosted by renowned chef Claude Tayag; Food Prints with restaurateur Sandy Daza; and Show Me the Market with Chef JP Anglo and The Marketman Joel Binamira—won the Jury Award for Cultural Development and Sustainability. Joey Mead-King’s talk show Women of Style, meanwhile, received the Jury Award for Gender and Development. The empowering program, which premiered in August last year, has featured outstanding Filipinas who embody confidence, substance and passion. Metro Home, a show that inspires viewers to add beautiful touches to their own abodes, was awarded the Jury Award for Sustainable Design and Innovation. It is hosted by furniture executive Stephanie Kienle-Gonzales and Metro Home magazine Editor in Chief Anton Barretto. Catch Food Prints, Chasing Flavors, Metro Home, Show Me the Market and Women of Style on Metro Channel (SKYcable channel 52 and channel 174 on HD), the home of chic living. n

‘FIRE AND FURY’ AUTHOR HAS NEW TRUMP BOOK OUT IN JUNE

NEW YORK—The author of Fire and Fury has more inside stories on the Trump administration. Michael Wolff’s Siege: Trump Under Fire comes out on June 4, Henry Holt and Co. announced on Wednesday. Like the million-selling Fire and Fury, which came out last year, Siege promises a juicy, behind-the-scenes look at the current White House and a president who is “volatile, erratic and exposed.” The new book will focus on tensions amid Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged ties between Russian officials and the Trump presidential campaign. According to Holt, Wolff spoke to more than 150 “sources,” although the publisher declined to say whether any are currently in the administration. Fire and Fury was among the first books to extensively document the ongoing conflicts in the Trump White House. AP

CBS defends handling of ‘Bull’ actor and misconduct claim BY LYNN ELBER The Associated Press NEW YORK—CBS is defending its handling of a sexual harassment claim against Bull drama series star Michael Weatherly. CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl said on Wednesday that Weatherly “owned” his mistake and was apologetic and remorseful. Last year, CBS reached a $9.5 million confidential settlement

with actress Eliza Dushku after she alleged on-set sexual comments from Weatherly made her uncomfortable. Dushku, who was starting a run as a recurring character, was written off the show after complaining about Weatherly. She said he had remarked on her appearance and made jokes involving sex and rape in front of cast and crew in early 2017. In renewing Weatherly’s series, CBS considered the totality of the actor’s long tenure at CBS, which included

more than a decade on NCIS, Kahl said. There were no complaints about Weatherly before or after Dushku’s, he said. “So, when we look at the totality of the situation, we felt comfortable bringing more back on the air,” he told a news conference on Wednesday to announce CBS’s 2019-2020 schedule. The network has taken a number of measures to improve its handling of workplace misconduct, including enhanced training and an anonymous

hotline, Kahl said. It’s an issue that has battered the company at the highest levels. Former CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves, one of TV’s most influential figures, was ousted in September after allegations from women who said he subjected them to mistreatment including forced oral sex, groping and retaliation if they resisted. Moonves is fighting the company’s decision to deny his $120 million severance package.

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Editor: Tet Andolong

Friday, May 17, 2019 E1

HYUNDAI, SM AND BABY COMPANY PARTNER FOR ROAD SAFETY

Story & Photo by Patrick P. Tulfo

ABY Co., the store that specializes in baby accessories, and retail giant SM, together with Hyundai, have joined hands to promote safety for children in an event aptly titled “Buckle Up Baby” held recently at the Atrium of SM Mall of Asia. The event was inspired by the passage of the long-overdue Car Seat Law, or the Republic Act 11229, otherwise known as the “Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act,” which was signed only on February 22. The bill’s principal authors Sen. JV Ejercito, has cited telling data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing that from the

period of 2006-2014, road crashes have already claimed the lives of 5,960 children. These figures translate to an average 662 deaths per year, at least 55 deaths per month and 1 death per day when the numbers are broken down. In 2017 alone, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) records showed that 7,861 people were seriously injured

PRESENT in the event were SM Retail CEO Ponciano Manalo Jr. (second from left); Baby Co. VP Theresa Ponce; Baby Co. ambassadors couple Edric and Joy Mendoza; Baby Co. SAVP for Marketing Cheryl Justiniano; and staff.

in road crashes that involve cars, which resulted in the death of 97 individuals. With the passage of this very important piece of legislation, the

government, as well as the private sector, see reduction of the number of fatalities and injuries among children under the age of 12. The law, by the way, mandates

the use of age-appropriate and quality child restraint system (CRS) in motor vehicles and prohibits children below 12 years old to sit beside the driver when the vehicle is moving. Violators will face heavy fines if caught, with the first offense resulting in P1,000 fine, P2,000 for the second offense and P5,000 if caught for the third time, that will also result in the suspension of license of the erring driver for a year. The event was not only meant to showcase the latest and most advance child seats that Baby Co. carries such as Graco, Joie, Piccolo, Aprica, Maxi-Cosi and Chicco, but more important to teach motorist, especially parents, on the importance of choosing the right seat for their kids depending on their age, size and weight. Because according to the representatives of the different brands mentioned, the wrong seat will not offer the highest level of protection to children, even if they are using one during road trips. The Child Safety Restraint or

Child Seat is a tool that was specifically designed to protect infants and children below 12 years old during a collision or even from sudden stops by restraining their movement away from the vehicle structure and distributing the forces of the crash over the strongest part of their bodies. Visitors had the chance to learn the science behind the design of different car seats to better understand their functions, aside from learning how to install them in the first place. Aside from the different child seats, three vehicles from Hyundai (the all-new Reina and Kona, and the family van Starex) were also on display. Nerisse Cordova of Hyundai Asia Resources Inc., or Hari, the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the country said, “All Hyundai vehicles being sold in the country are equipped with the latest safety features as the company puts a premium in safety.” She invited parents to check out their vehicles on display at their dealerships all over the country.

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E2 Friday, May 17 , 2019

THE new Avanza (1.5 G A/T) now looks more striking

The stunning new rear end

VOLKSWAGEN Philippines President Felipe Estrella III (right) and CW Home Depot General Manager Kenneth Tung shake hands on a fruitful fleet partnership that began in 2017

oring

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Friday, May 17, 2019

FIRST vice president for Corporate Affairs Atty. Rommel Gutierrez, first Vice President for Vehicle Sales Operations Sherwin Chua Lim, First Vice President for Brand and Product Planning Cluster Cristina Arevalo, Vice President for Marketing Services Department Elijah Marcial, and Vice President for Lexus Brand Department Carlo Ablaza presenting the new Avanza

THE Toyota Puerto Princesa City dealership in Palawan

SOME of the Toyota passenger cars commissioned during the event

Motoring BusinessMirror

E4 Friday, May 17, 2019

Another Toyota Roadtrek to make us whole again quaint, way. With motoring journalists playing the stellar roles—invited of course by TMP, in writing, mind you—the script year after year would see one and all ride a plane to get to a destination far from the so-called madding crowd.

Hearty breakfast

FF the assembly lines and boardroom battles to continuously devise plans for the future, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) did its other regular chore just last weekend that is also of monumental significance to its overall platform: Unleash its 15th edition of the Toyota Roadtrek. As usual, it was another smashing success. As everybody in the industry knows fully well by now, “Roadtrek” is Toyota’s adventure of fun, excitement and thrill—

name it, and that word redounds to the uplifting of both the spirit and the soul. Unveiled in 2005, the Roadtrek was a marriage of man and machine in a unique, if not

UPON disembarkation, the entourage would proceed to a Toyota dealership on board Toyota vehicles. There, they’ll partake of a hearty breakfast, after which they reboard their cars that are numbered from one to something. The journalists are grouped into threes/fours to comprise a team. These teams will ride their designated vehicles for hours of driving, ending usually in a beach. And not just a beach mind you but a resort that is usually world-class. As in the first Toyota Roadtrek in 2005, which was in Boracay.

Boracay first stop

TO get to Boracay then, we boarded a plane bound for Iloilo. From there, we went to Boracay by land. Along the way, there would be stops where games (Toyota calls them “challenges”) await everybody. In Boracay, dinner by the sea,

with torches lighting up the place, await us all. Good food. Drinks overflowing. Live music. The following day would be free day, with almost everybody enjoying the sun, sea and sand. Like wealthy tourists pampering themselves a la rich and famous. Name every high-end beach resort and, voila, Toyota has brought us all there. It has always been practically like that, each Roadtrek lasting three/four days.

Building friendship

NO car company has even, ever, approximated Toyota’s way of building friendship with the motoring media. To this No. 1 automaker in the world, It’s become almost a way of life. And so it was last weekend again, when the Roadtrek flew to El Nido, Palawan—the third time the annual event visited the worldfamed tourist destination. The first Roadtrek to El Nido was in 2008—at the Lagen Island, the favorite hideaway of Ambassador Kenny, the former American envoy to the Philippines. Next came in 2013, when the Roadtrek went to El Nido’s Miniloc. There is a third El Nido island, Pangalusian or something, but it

burned down a while back and was closed to the public.

Apulit Island

BUT the fourth of El Nido’s jewels owned by the Ayalas is the Apulit Island. That’s where we went to last weekend. Upon landing in Puerto Princesa, we had breakfast at the sprawling Garden Resort before motoring to the hi-tech Toyota dealership owned by the affable Robert Uy and ran by his athletic son, Robert Jr. There, we had our second round of challenge capped by snacks of native cakes and coconut/fruit salad. Deliciously satisfying! Then we drove to Taytay Port, where we took a one-hour sail aboard a modest-looking banca headed to Apulit Island, a cute and tiny islet boasting of calm blue/ green waters. It was during the land ride to Taytay that more “challengers” were thrown at us, mostly consisting of quizzes and mental writing calisthenics.

Rock stars

DINNER by the sea and live music, followed by singing —never mind if some were off key or not. Most journalists are rock stars but in a

different genre. The thing is, it’s fun singing? Didn’t I say that TMP’s top guns were always very supportive of the Roadtrek all these years? And so, Kei Mizuguchi, the TMP executive vice president, was there, arriving ahead of us at Apulit Island, formerly the Club Noah (remember?). The second day, the TMP president himself, Satoru Suzuki, arrived—another ineffaceable proof of how caring TMP’s top brass are to their media-guests—and that includes also Toyota bigwigs Tini Arevalo, Sherwin Chua-Lim, Carlo Ablaza, Elijah-won Marcial, Atty. Rommel Gutierrez and Lexus President Raymond T. Rodriguez. I am touched by your show of support, guys. Sincerity felt it all the way down the spines, indeed. PEE STOP Thanks again to Richard and Pearl Jacalan of ASAP Cebu, the power couple who handled yet again the Roadtrek in El Nido to wondrous delights. Cheers!... And thanks, too, to Toyota’s powerhouse team of Carlo Nemo, Jeane Sangalang, Royce Aquino, Jaemy Mejia, Nadine and their chief, Elvin “Pavarotti” Luciano. You made it all happen—again. Cheers! Take a bow, guys!

AUTOKID TRUCK SOLUTIONS NOW TRUCK REPAIR ARM OF STANDARD INSURANCE A AUTOKID Truck Solutions and Standard Insurance executives

UTOKID Truck Solutions has one aim, and that is to advance the trucking industry in the Philippines with its top-of-the-line truck products, as well as their repair services and parts from its one-stop shop. As a homegrown company, Autokid has and continues to provide this holistic offering that is truly rare in the trucking industry. In line with this, Autokid has chosen Standard Insurance as its key insurance provider. Standard Insurance, a leading motorcar insurance company in the Philippines, easily developed mutual trust. “We are very excited to work with Autokid and its young and dynamic leadership, led by its CEO Kevin McHale Yao. They play a key role in making Philippine business more efficient, cost-effective and delightful,” said Standard Insurance’s President and CEO John B. Echauz. Hence, Autokid has become one of the main truck-repair partners of Standard Insurance in Northern Luzon.

According to Autokid CEO Kevin McHale Yao, this development sets a “gold standard” in truck insurance. “We’re always finding new ways deliver the best truck solutions for our customers. Our partnership with Standard Insurance truly sets the gold standard for truck insurance services and repairs for the country,” enthused Yao. Autokid promises to provide swift truck repairs versus the industry’s long and complicated processes in insurance claims and repair. It has a comprehensive truck parts and accessories center, called Truckstop, that provides a wide range of brand new and original spare truck parts for many brands like Dongfeng, Foton, Howo, Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Hino, among others. Aside from Autokid’s parts availability, it also houses its own Service Care center, dubbed Truck City. Located at Autokid Santa Rita in Guiguinto, Bulacan, it offers truck-repair services with service bays that can hold over 80 trucks. Indeed, f leet

companies now have a go-to company that provides hassle-free, end-to-end service from truck insurance and accident repairs. An SEC-accredited corporation, Autokid operates mainly in Subic and is headquartered in Quezon City with over 200 personnel and a total of 12 branches. Its mission is to empower enterprises to achieve greater heights by discovering, developing and delivering effective, efficient and economic truck solutions. Standard Insurance Co. Inc., is the leading motorcar-insurance company in the Philippines serving the insuring public for more than 60 years. The company stands firm in its commitment to be one of the world’s finest nonlife insurance companies, thereby enabling the company to deliver strong, customer-focused services that meet the needs of the insuring public. To know more about Autokid Truck Solutions line of products and services, visit https://www.autokid.com.ph. Also, read about different trucking solutions at https://www.autokid.com.ph/blog.

SUZUKI rider Alex Rins has claimed a career-first MotoGP victory at Circuit of the Americas, coming through from seventh on the grid in a thrilling race.

MOTUL POWERS RINS IN MOTOGP F OR the Motul-supported Suzuki team there is much to celebrate, the win being the first since 2016 and one that was hard-fought, overcoming legends such as Valentino Rossi. Motul sends its warm congratulations to Alex Rins and the whole Suzuki Racing team. Reigning champion Marquez had looked well on course for a seventh consecutive win at the Circuit of the Americas but crashed out midway through the race. Rossi then took the lead but was powerless to shake off a hardcharging Rins, the 23-year-old Spaniard slipping past

Rossi on lap 17 of 20. Despite several attempts to re-take the lead by the Italian legend, Rins held on for the win by a margin of just 0.462 seconds. The famous Japanese corporation first entered a works team in MotoGP in 1974, and since then has gone on celebrate two World Championship titles and no fewer than 40 victories, this weekend at the Grand Prix of the Americas being the 40th. All these have been on Suzuki machinery lubricated to success by Motul.

Over this time, Suzuki’s engineers and Motul’s technical experts have forged a deep understanding and symbiotic working relationship. Tailor-made oils have been developed especially for Suzuki’s engines, including an exclusive lubricant for use in the MotoGP prototypes, which responds perfectly to the extreme conditions seen at the top level in two-wheeled competition. Other products used by Suzuki MotoGP are from Motul’s racing-dedicated Factory Line range and maintenance MC Care line.