BusinessMirror November 11, 2022

Marcos sees PTIC return cutting PHL’s trade gap with Vietnam

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

PRESIDENTFerdinand

seen the great success, the great economic success that Vietnam has enjoyed and with that even Filipi no investors have started to go to Vietnam to be part of this devel opment in your country, and since then our trade has increased,” Marcos said.

The President hopes the im proved trade partnership will help the country correct its "trade im balance" with Vietnam.

Last year, the overall trade be tween the Philippines and Vietnam reached $5.6 billion. The bulk, $4.2 billion represented the country's imports to Vietnam, while the re maining $1.6 billion were exports.

sought a “common ground” with Vietnam in terms of in ternational issues such as the rising tensions in Taiwan and the crisis in Myanmar.

“All of these issues are of extreme importance and of ex treme urgency. And that is why I believe Asean must find com mon ground from which to face those challenges,” Marcos said.

For his part, Prime Minister Chinh raised maritime issues during the meeting, which in cludes illegal fishing as well as the adherence to the Declara tion on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

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For his part, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara struck a positive outlook on the growth target. “We are hopeful the momentum and the growth from the first three quarters will continue into the last quarter of the year and that our growth target will be achieved and possibly surpassed.”

“We need to grow more to lift peo ple out of poverty and create more and better jobs,” Angara, chairman of the Finance committee, added.

For his part, Go said: “This eco nomic performance is no overnight miracle. I hope that we will continue to sustain the many gains achieved by the previous Duterte administration and the current Marcos administra tion as we march towards full and inclusive recovery soon.”

“As this report is the first quar terly report of the Marcos administra tion, allow me to say that it’s PBBM’s economy now. And it is showing signs of exceptional strength amid global headwinds,” he added.

Salceda said that the growth was evident in the Google Mobility Report for Asean countries, which showed the country’s growth with 34 percent more mobility in retail and 38 percent more in workplaces, saying all other areas grew in double digits as well.

“This is the highest mobility growth in Asean—which shows that we were always in the running to have the strongest growth in the region,” he said.

Remittances jumped

ACC oR DING t o Salceda, oF W remit tance figures also jumped in August, near the end of the quarter.

Marcos made the remark during his meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the sidelines of the 40th and 41st As sociation of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) Summits in Cambodia on

o n a seasonally adjusted quarterper-quarter basis, Balisacan noted that the Philippine economy grew by 2.9 per cent, which he said signifies the coun try’s “solid posture” against current domestic and external risks.

“With this, we are on track to achiev

Thursday.

He said the PTIC is “expected to enhance economic relations between Vietnam and the Philip pines.”

“In the past few years, we have

ing the government’s growth target of 6.5 to 7.5 percent for 2022. Given the lat est GDP outturn, our economy needs to grow by 3.3 to 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter,” Balisacan said on Thursday.

The socioeconomic planning chief and local economists agree that the eco nomic performance in the third quarter was mainly due to the further easing of mobility restrictions and the resump tion of face-to-face classes in August, which boosted consumption.

To note, 90 percent of the coun try’s rice imports come from Viet nam.

Maritime issues

A S IDE from trade, Marcos also

Balisacan said the relaxation of bor der restrictions and “more simplified” travel protocols also contributed to the growth of local tourism and other sec tors severely affected by the pandemic, resulting in economic expansion in the third quarter.

He said GDP growth in the third quarter would have been faster "if not for those increases in consumer prices” adding that, “one would have expected higher economic performance.”

He also lauded the country’s response to the pandemic and its high economic growth.

Vietnam, like the Philip pines, also has maritime ter ritorial disputes with China.

Risks to growth outlook T HE Ne da chief said the “only risk” facing the Philippines is the increase in prices. Economists said this could dampen consumer demand and affect the economic performance of the Philippines.

o x ford Economics said despite the “strong” outturn in the third quarter, the Philippine economy’s growth momentum will “decelerate in the coming quarters.”

“Inflation, which we see peaking in the fourth quarter, will continue to weigh on household spending. Moreover, growing external head winds, including elevated commod ity prices, tighter financial condi tions globally, a recession in the advanced economies, and China slowdown, will reduce demand for Philippines’s goods exports,” o x ford Economics said.

Unionbank Chief Economist Ru ben Carlo o. A suncion expects the Philippine economy to grow in the fourth quarter, albeit at a slower pace. Asuncion said growth will come from higher consumer spend ing during the holiday season.

"It was a surprise, the third quarter GDP print. This indicates the resiliency of the economy even amid rising inflation, higher inter est rates, and the weaker Philippine peso,” Asuncion told the Business Mirror.

“Nevertheless, I expect the fourth quarter GDP to be slower but still respectable. We now have to raise our end-2022 GDP growth expectations at this point. We are seeing higher demand amid the seasonal consumption that we will experience come the last quarter of the year,” he added.

Remedies

To tame inflation and protect the purchasing power of Filipinos, Balisacan said the government will continue to provide cash transfers, fuel discounts, and other forms of targeted assistance.

He said the government is also focused on boosting domestic ag ricultural production to ensure that Filipinos families would have adequate food supply.

“We are also considering the extension of Executive o rd er No. 171, which significantly reduces tariffs on rice, pork, and corn, thereby enhancing food security while food prices remain elevated,” Balisacan said.

To sustain economic growth, Michael Ricafort, Rizal Commer cial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist, said the govern ment should work on increasing the productivity of both agriculture and manufacturing sectors since both agriculture and manufactur ing sectors “account for at least 40 percent of jobs in the country and nearly 40 percent of the economy.”

Ricafort added that the focus on agriculture and the manufacturing sectors would create more jobs and accelerate GDP growth.

Citing the National Economic and Development Authority, Go said “this high GDP growth rate is brought about largely by increased mobility of peo ple, owing to relaxed travel protocols.

Hence, the administration senator affirmed that “as chair of the Senate Committee on Health, I continue to reiterate the need to further improve our vaccination efforts against Cov id-19 in order to fully open up more sectors of the economy.”

Goals attainable T HE B udget secretary pointed out that the third quarter GDP shows that the government’s socioeconomic ob jectives can be “achieved” amid a high inflationary environment, tightening monetary policy stance and deprecia tion of Philippine peso.

“The economic managers hope to sustain this growth by taking advan tage of economic opportunities and targeted programs such as the Tar geted Cash Transfer [TCT] Program, Fuel Subsidy Program, Fuel Discount Program, and Service Contracting Program,” Pangandaman said.

“This confirms that the outlook for the economy is positive. We continue to support this with a firm fiscal con solidation plan. We can move forward with confidence that the Philippine economy is sound and far from reces sion,” Pangandaman added.

‘Boom boom economy’

A N e conomist-lawmaker on Thurs day described the Philippine econo my as showing signs of “exceptional strength” amid global headwinds.

In a news conference, Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda described it as a “Boom Boom economy. “

“The first quarterly report of the Marcos administration is consistent with the bullish projections I released earlier. I note that the consensus of economists for this quarter was 6.2 percent. Apart from my office, which projected 7.5 percent, only one other known prognosticator got it right: At eneo de Manila University projected growth at 7.7 percent. So, it’s not a fluke. This growth is real,” he said.

“Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas [BSP] showed cash remit tances sent through banks stood at $2.72 billion in August, higher than the $2.60 billion a year earlier. The growth in remittances was the fast est since 4.4 percent in June. That boosted household consumption,” he added.

“There was also 24.79 percent year-on-year growth in tax collec tions in September, indicating that economic activity, the base of taxa tion, was getting stronger,” he added.

The September jobs report also showed that the largest year-on-year jobs gainer was manufacturing, at 1.09 million more jobs, he said.

He added manufacturing jobs growth tends to indicate positive mac roeconomic fundamentals. In total, 4 million jobs were created year-on-year by September.

Likewise, he said 1.5 million free lancers with foreign employers are not being accounted for in full in the national income accounts.

“In other words, the signs of strong growth were there,” he added. Salceda also noted that all demand areas posted quarter-on-quarter growth, indicating that there is mo mentum for growth.

Salceda said unrestricted move ment of people this Christmas season may lead to stronger economic per formance with a possible 8 percent fourth quarter GDP growth.

“The 4th quarter, a high-demand quarter due to Christmas spend ing and bonuses, will likely be bet ter than this quarter. President Marcos’s first year in office will probably notch the strongest GDP performance in the region, and one of the best in Asia,” he said.

“We can sustain this growth, espe cially given the Marcos administra tion’s shift from pandemic to endemic mode for Covid-19. Moving forward, the biggest threat to sustaining growth next year is still inflation. As I advised the President, it will still be food, feed, and fuel. I am now ready for your questions,” the lawmaker added. Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas, Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz, Butch Fernandez

already grew by 7.6 percent in the third quarter of 2022, faster than the 7.5 percent expansion in the second quarter of this year.

The President said also being eyed are investments in agricul ture (mechanization and food pro cessing); micro, small and medium e nterprises (MSMEs); energy; and low-cost housing.

These business opportunities, he said, are expected to increase as the local economy is now poised to achieve the government target of 6.5 to 7.5 percent growth by the end of the year.

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) earlier said the country’s economy

“It looks like the route that we have taken is taking the economy in the right direction and as I was tell ing some of the Cabinet members, I t hink the Philippine economy, the important elements are in place and you can feel that our economy is trying to grow, but is really be ing pummeled by the forces out side of which we have no control,” M arcos said.

Marcos is currently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to attend the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summits from November 8 to 13.

information and communication industry.

For August, some 42 percent of FDIs were poured into the manufacturing industry; 27 per cent went to real estate; 19 per cent went to other sectors; and 12 percent were invested in the

In the January to August pe riod, some 32 percent of invest ments were poured into the man ufacturing sector; 22 percent for other industries; 21 percent went to real estate; 14 percent for con struction; and 11 percent for fi nancial and insurance industries.

“Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. said the country is now eyeing to address its trade deficit with Vietnam with the return of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Ho Chi Minh City this year.

17 ex-NPAs get JAPIC certificates

By Glen Jacob Jose

ATOTAL of 17 former rebels (FRs) who previously sur rendered to the government have received their Joint Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police Intelligence Com mittee (JAPIC) Certificate, the Na tional Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said.

In a news statement issued on Thursday, NCRPO chief Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo said the program is in line with the invigorated efforts to support Executive Order 70 to end local communist armed conflict in the country and attain sustainable peace and balik-loob to FRs who sur rendered to the government.

T he JAPIC Certificate is a re quirement for the availment of En hanced Comprehensive Local Inte gration Program (E-CLIP) Program. The E-CLIP assistance granted to FRs covers livelihood, education, housing, medical, and other social services crucial to their reintegra tion into society.

H e said the 17 former rebels re ceived the JAPIC Certificate dur ing the opening of the two-day “Tulong Pangkabuhayan Program” on Wednesday held at the Regional Mobile Force Battalion(RMFB) Tagapaglunsad Hall, NCRPO head quarters, Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

BusinessMirror The Nation

7 killed as Army troops clash with Muslim rebels in Basilan

ARMY troops have clashed with Muslim guerrillas in a southern village, leaving at least three soldiers and four rebels dead and sparking fears that an es calation could threaten a 2014 peace pact that has considerably eased years of heavy fighting.

T he sporadic clashes erupted Tuesday and Wednesday in a vil lage in Ungkaya Pukan town on the island province of Basilan, where leaders of the military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) sep arately ordered their forces to halt the fighting and allow de-escalation talks on Thursday.

M ilitary and rebel commanders at the scene of the fighting accused each other of violating the 2014 peace accord, which eased years of bloody and extensive fighting between government forces and the Muslim rebel front, the larg est separatist insurgent group in the south of the largely Roman Catholic nation.

T he clashes left three soldiers dead and seven others wounded, the military said, while the rebels reported at least four dead and sev eral others wounded. The conflict underscored the fragility of law and order in a southern region faced with a surfeit of loose firearms, private armies, crushing poverty and a long history of violence.

Under the 2014 peace pact, the MILF dropped its secessionist de mand in exchange for a more pow erful and better-funded Muslim au tonomous region called Bangsamoro.

T he five-province Muslim re gion is now led by former guerrilla leaders under a transition period ending in 2025.

N early half of about 40,000 guerrillas have agreed to lay down their firearms and return to nor mal life in exchange for livelihood packages under the peace pact. Thousands of other rebels have kept their firearms while waiting to be subjected to a years-long “de commissioning process,” a subtle term for surrendering their weap ons. The process has been delayed amid complaints that former reb els have failed to receive promised cash and other incentives from the government.

This is very alarming because the implications are worrisome to us,” Naguib Sinarimbo, the inte rior minister of the Bangsamoro autonomous region, told The Asso ciated Press. “Our worry is if there are sparks like this, concerns may arise whether the decommissioning process would continue.”

Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, an Army brigade commander in Basi lan, said his forces were cracking down on armed men involved in extortion and intimidation using homemade bombs.

A mid the military campaign, the gunmen fled to a Basilan village called Ulitan, where they were pro tected by MILF guerrillas, he said.

T he rebels and the extortion gang were forced to leave Ulitan village in September amid the mili tary crackdown, but MILF guerril

las returned on Monday with their firearms in violation of an agree ment that rebel firearms and other weapons should be restricted in mutually identified MILF encamp ments, Gobway said.

Troops came under fire in Ulitan on Tuesday and Wednesday, prompt ing them to return fire and take ac tion to bring the situation under control, military officials said.

Mohagher Iqbal, who led the Muslim guerrillas in years of peace talks with the government, said the violence “was an unfortunate incident that no one desired to happen...while the peace process’ dividends have started to be felt by the people.”

Iqbal called for the combatants’ “immediate disengagement to pre vent the situation from escalating” and urged government and rebel cease-fire representatives to carry out an investigation to prevent a re peat of such deadly clashes.

Western governments have wel comed progress in years of peace talks between Manila and Mus lim rebels that have turned major battlefields into potential growth centers in the south in recent years, in the homeland for minority Mus lims who live in some of the poor est and least-developed provinces in the country.

Had the decades-old Muslim in surgency continued to flare in the southern Philippines, there were worries that large numbers of Mus lim insurgents could forge an alli ance with outside extremist forces

and turn the south into a breeding ground for extremists.

‘Stay the course’

THE Government Implementing Panel for the GPH-MILF (Govern ment of the Philippines-MILF) Peace Accord has called for calm and sobri ety following the recent armed clash es between government soldiers and fighters of a breakaway group of the MILF in Basilan.

But it also asked its counterpart from the MILF to help douse fiery commentaries on the incident.

“ We ask the cooperation of our partners from the MILF to stay the course and work together with the cease-fire mechanisms and govern ment forces to uphold the cease-fire agreement, which has been a product of arduous efforts from both parties in the interest of the welfare of our people and the preservation of the peace agreement,” said the statement from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru), formerly the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.

T he Opapru identified the fight ing Moro unit as elements of the 114th Base Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Force, the military arm of the MILF.

It said the armed clash happened in Barangay Ulitan, Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan province on November 8. The Opapru described the incident “an unfortunate untoward encounter between GPH and MILF forces de spite progress and headways gained

by the GPH and MILF parties in the peace process.”

It said it has immediately called for “sobriety and prudence of stake holders to assail misinformation cir culating on said incidence.”

“ The GPH and MILF cease-fire mechanisms, the Coordinating Com mittee on the Cessation of Hostilities [CCCH] and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group [AHJAG] are in place and are closely coordinating to immediately de-escalate the conflict to effect the cease-fire and mitigate further exac erbation of conflict,” it added.

T he Opapru said the government panel remained committed to imple ment the peace agreement as it asked for the support “of all parties from the government forces, BARMM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao] and the Basilan local government to work together to immediately cease the armed in cident and prioritize the safety of the affected communities.”

Brig. Gen. Gobway, commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade and Joint Task Force (JTF) Basilan con firmed on Wednesday the battle between Army soldiers and MILF forces in Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan province.

Gobway said there were an esti mated 100 MILF fighters involved in the battle that began at 12:25 pm on November 8. He said more MILF fighters have reinforced pushing sol diers on the defensive. He said the MILF should have refrained from sending reinforcements.

AP and Manuel T. Cayon

BusinessMirror

House panel OKs bill extending ACEF’s validity anew until ’28 DBM okays release of

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz  @joveemarie

THE House Committee on Ag riculture and Food on Thurs day approved a bill further extending the period of implemen tation of the Agricultural Competi tiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) until 2028.

Panel chairman and Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga said the extension was strongly backed and recommended by the National Economic and De velopment Authority (Neda).

“After considering the recom mendation of Neda...we approved the original version, the Republic Act 8178.  We will pass this before our Christmas break,” Enverga told the BusinessMirror

Enverga’s House Bill 2385 was approved following the motion of Quezon Rep. David Suarez.

T he bill seeks to amend Section 8 of RA 8178, as amended.

Enverga said Neda has suggested revisiting such proposed provision considering that the ACEF’s remain ing balance is at P4.4 billion as of August 2022.

“ We recommend that the ACEF executive committee improve the disbursement of the fund and justify

the additional allocation requested from import our quota collections,” said Neda in a position paper.

Under the bill, the fund shall con tinue to be set aside up to the year 2028, after which, the collection of duties from the minimum access volume (MAV) mechanism and the setting aside of the amount collected for the purpose shall terminate.

However, the bill said any remain ing balance(s) at the date of expira tion of the collection of duties for the fund shall not revert to the General Fund but shall continue to be used for the purpose for which it was col lected and set aside.

Pursuant to RA 8178, the ACEF shall receive allocation from the proceeds of the importation of mini mum access volume of agricultural products to be utilized for the de velopment of farm or agricultural infrastructure and machinery.

“ The life of ACEF which was op erated alongside the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act [AFMA] of 1997 and essentially supported the AFMA in modernizing and en hancing agricultural productivity and rural income was originally up to 2005,” said Enverga.

It was first extended to 2015 by virtue of RA 9496 [ACEF Exten

sion Law]. Another extension was made under RA 10848, which al lowed the Fund to be set aside until 2022. Even with the passage of RA 11203, the Rice Tariffication Law, which created a Rice Competitive ness Enhancement Fund or RCEF [earmarked the tariff collection from rice imports to the rice in dustry], the ACEF provision of RA 8178 was retained,” he added.

At present, Enverga said there is a need to extend the current ACEF provision of RA 8178, as the concept of earmarking tariffs for local devel opment remains valid.

What is needed is not to write the requiem to ACEF, but a law re forming and extending its validity to help farmers and fisherfolk im prove their productivity and com petitiveness,” he said.

“ Furthermore, the Asean eco nomic integration is already with us. Thus, our agricultural produce has to be competitive, as integration enlarges markets for both local and regional firms,” he added.

T he bill said within 120 days from the approval of this proposal the following reports shall also be submitted to the ACEF Executive Committee and the congressional oversight committee on agricultural

and fisheries modernization by the following agencies: the Bureau of Customs for duties collected from the MAV mechanism for the period 2016-2022; the Bureau of the Trea sury for funds remitted and cred ited to ACEF (Special Account 183); and, the Department of Budget and Management for the ACEF for funds released to the Department of Agri culture for the period 2016-2022.

Moreover, Enverga said ACEF’s mandate is not just to ramp up ag riculture production, but also to produce graduates of agriculture courses.

On hindsight, the scholarship component of ACEF is one of its few bright spots. Some loans for produc tion capital may have been misappro priated but by and large, the tuition to train human capital was not. While some borrowers may have left debt notes, ACEF scholars have diplomas as proof of grants well spent,” he said.

The reason, for which ACEF was created more than 20 years ago, on how to make our agriculture com petitive, remains valid and relevant in the challenging years ahead. Thus we need all the help we can get and all the resources we can tap on how to intensify the preparedness of Phil ippine agriculture,” he added.

CEED hails creation of investment council for OSW power developers

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

Thursday welcomed the proposed creation of an investment council meant to fast track the processing of applications from offshore wind

(OSW) power developers.

“Nearly half a year since his term started, it’s good to finally see a fol low-through from the President’s SONA [State of the Nation] promises on advancing renewables…But for this not to be another case of all talk and no action, Mr. Marcos needs to keep guard and push the DOE [De partment of Energy] to produce an energy transition plan which would provide clarity on where offshore wind development is located in our overall development, while taking into account ecological, social and cost implications,” said CEED Execu tive Director Gerry Arances.

On Wednesday President Ferdi nand R. Marcos Jr., met with Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla. The Office of the Press Secretary said the President was “in favor” of the DOE proposal to create Offshore Wind De velopment and Investment Council, which will serve as a “one-stop shop”

for OSW developers.

L otilla proposed the formation of the council amid the “strong interest” for foreign companies to provide the country access to OSW technologies.

CEED is hoping that this devel opment will “put to rest legislative priorities initially laid out during SONA on advancing midstream, downstream, and upstream gas.” Arances urged the DOE to develop an energy plan “that prioritizes a thriving mix of renewables, which is capable of providing genuinely sustainable and reliable power.”

Last April, the DOE and the World Bank Group (WBG) launched the country’s first-ever Offshore Wind Roadmap.

Under a “low-growth scenario,” the roadmap suggests that the Phil ippines has the potential to install three gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040, making up 3 percent of the country’s electricity supply.

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P335 million to the Bangsamoro Autono mous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for the region’s programs and projects.

I n a news statement, Budget Sec retary Amenah F. Pangandaman said she approved the release of BARMM’s share in tax collections last November 7.

“ The release of funds means more development projects to be imple mented for the people and govern ment of BARMM. This is important in their exercise of their right to selfgovernance,” Pangandaman said on Wednesday.

T he DBM noted that Republic Act 11054 or the Organic Law for the BARMM mandates revenue sharing between the national government and the BARMM.

T he national government receives a fourth of the total revenue gener

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

taxes

ated in BARMM while the remaining three-fourths will be for the use of the region.

However, the law mandates that the national government’s share from BARMM’s revenues for the first 10 years shall accrue to the Bangsam oro government.

“As a fellow Muslim, I am happy that in my capacity as Budget Sec retary, I have the opportunity to champion programs for BARMM and Mindanao,” Pangandaman said.

As mentioned, the DBM will con tinue to help BARMM, in every way we can, in their transition process,” Pangandaman added.

Earlier, the budget chief vowed to “promote inclusive development in Mindanao and educate more Fili pinos on financial inclusivity.”

“ The DBM plays a major role in helping them [BARMM] in their bud getary process because we want them to have their own government so we’re helping them in whatever way we can in terms of capacity building,” she said.

DEPARTMENT

of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III had or dered the immediate distribution of Camp Keithley military reservation in Marawi City “to give justice to the Bangsamoro” people.

A round 4,000 hectares of the total 6,667 hectares portion of the military reservation are being eyed for distribution.

T he distribution of governmentowned lands is DAR’s top priority in accordance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive under Ex ecutive Order No. 75, series of 2019, Estrella said.

T he EO seeks to distribute all idle government-owned lands to qualified beneficiaries to make them productive and boost the government’s food self-sufficiency program.

E strella noted that land survey activities are still ongoing with more than 200 hectares of the identified coverable area already set for distribution anytime this year under the EO.

It is only proper to indemnify the rightful claimants by distrib

uting this military reservation area to correct the historical in justices committed against them in the past,” Estrella said in a news release.

E strella had tapped Amihilda J. Sangcopan, Undersecretary for Mindanao Affairs and Rural Devel opment to head the newly created Task Force Camp Keithley Military Reservation Executive Committee, to oversee the perimeter surveying, procurement activities, validation, documentation, and approval of subdivision plans.

S angcopan will be assisted by Undersecretaries, Atty. Kazel C. Celeste of the Field Operations Office and Atty. Napoleon U. Galit of the Legal Affairs Office, particularly in areas subject to operational and legal interven tions. Celeste and Galit will serve as co-vice chairpersons.

D irector Abdullah M. Linog, the focal person for governmentowned lands in Mindanao Field Operations Office, Atty. Merlita S. Capinpuyan, assistant director for Operations in Western Mind anao, and Rushdi A. Mindalano, DAR-Lanao del Norte provincial officer, will serve as members of the task force.

THE Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) on

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

AMID the global celebration of the World Science Day for Peace and Development on Thursday, November 10, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian continues to push for the establishment of public math and science high schools in all provinces nationwide.

Gatchalian’s Senate Bill No. 476, or the Equitable Access to Math and Science Education Act, seeks to provide equitable access to quality education in the pure and applied sciences, mathematics, and technol ogy for all Filipinos to nurture future generations of scientists, mathema ticians, engineers, and other profes sionals who will serve the nation as catalysts for scientific, technological, and industrial progress.

A robust research and develop ment sector is essential to achiev ing high-income status,” the sena tor said, stressing “this specialized academic preparation opens doors to critical thinking, financial literacy and evidence-based decision-making and these skills are highly critical to the improvement of the nation’s economy as it relies on a workforce proficient in math and science.”

Gatchalian, chairman of the Sen ate Committee on Basic Education, assured that the enabling legislation (SB 476) affirms that investment in human capital will pay dividends, cit ing data from the Unesco Institute of Statistics, which revealed that the Philippines only has 186 researchers per million inhabitants, one of the lowest among Asean countries.

Justice dept creates three-man panel to handle Mabasa-Villamor slay case

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

lie L. Guhit and Josie Christina T. Dugay as members.

S ubpoenas are expected to be issued following the creation of the panel compelling Bantag and his co-accused to appear before the panel and answer the murder charges.

T he two murder complaints, according to Malcontento, will be consolidated with the first com plaint filed by the Philippine Na tional Police (PNP) last October 18 against self-confessed gun man Joel Escorial and his three alleged accomplices brothers Edmon and Israel Dimaculangan and a person identified only as Orly or Orlando.

B antag and his deputy security and operations officer (DSO)  Ri cardo Zulueta were charged as principals by inducement in the Mabasa killing.

Also charged as “principals by indispensable cooperation” were Bilibid inmates Denver Batung bakal Mayores, Alvin Cornista

Labra, Aldrin Micosa Galicia and Alfie Penaredonda.

Investigators said Bantag had a clear motive to effect the murders.

In the case of Mabasa, the two agencies pointed to his continued exposé of the issues against Bantag on hard-hitting radio program “La pid Fire” as the motive.

For Villamor’s death, authori ties  said the motive was to cover up the murder of Mabasa.

B antag and Zulueta were charged as principals by induce ments in Villamor’s death while PDLs Labra, Galicia, Mario Ger mones Alvarez and Joseph Medel Georfo were charged as principals by indispensable cooperation and PDLs Christam Dizon Ramac, Ricky Lamigo Salgado, Ronnie Pabustan de la Cruz and Joel Alog Reyes were charged as principals by direct participation.

Zulueta allegedly served as Ban tag’s conduit to NBP gang leaders who executed the plan to kill Lapid and Villamor.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday said La pid’s  “Cinderella Man” story could have triggered Bantag to order his killing.

T he justice chief said it was nar rated to him that Bantag skipped the graduation ceremony of the University of Perpetual Help for its student-inmates held last Septem ber 9 at the NBP after learning that Mabasa went to his house  that day to examine and take pictures of his house and vehicles.

Remulla noted that the event was very significant for the BuCor for Bantag to be absent.

Remulla said Bantag did not show up during the event because  he had hurriedly went back to his home in Laguna after finding out that  Ma basa went to his house  that day to examine and take pictures of his house and vehicles.

“ Bantag not returning there is a sign also that he was very mad, he was very livid about it,” Remulla said.

Lakas-CMD emerges as dominant political party in Albay

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

PRESIDENTFerdinand Marcos Jr.’s plan to import 150,000 metric tons of fertilizers next year will help farmers’ to boost local food production and stabilize domestic food prices, the Magsasaka party-list said on Thursday.

Magsasaka party-list 1st nominee Robert Nazal issued the statement following reports the President is set to sign a memorandum of agreement for the initial importation of 150,000 metric tons of fertilizer from China.

T he procurement would be done through the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

President Marcos has instructed the Department of Agriculture (DA), DTI and PTIC to find ways to support farmers and lower soaring food prices.

N azal said the rising cost of urea, which is the commonly used fertilizer by farmers, has contributed to higher food prices.

H e added that the DA, which is currently headed by Marcos, has allocated P4.1 billion to buy 2.277 million bags of fertilizers, which will be given to farmers for free.

Nazal said the move spells good news for farmers who are still struggling with the high cost of the farm input.

This is indeed a step in the right direction towards achieving food security while supporting our farmers and fighting rising food prices during this difficult period,” Nazal said.

T he party-list leader said the distribution of free fertilizers to farmers is laudable given the importance of fertilizers in food production.

municipal mayors of Albay took their oath as members of the ruling Lakas-Chris tian Muslim Democrats (CMD) on Wednesday before party president and House Speaker Ferdinand Mar tin Romualdez.

TEN

T he mayors, representing 10 of Albay’s 15 municipalities, swore alle giance to the ruling party and pledged to support its plans and programs.

I n brief remarks, Romualdez warmly welcomed the Albay mayors to the administration party. He said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was aware of the event and was happy that the mayors decided to join Lakas.

T he oath-taking was witnessed by House leaders and Bicolano stalwarts Rep. Zaldy Co (Appro priations Committee chairman)

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

THE government is eyeing to tap the potentials of forestry and mining sec tors to sustain economic growth and development in the Philippines, an official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.

DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Jonas R. Leones enu merated the plans on forestry and mining dur ing the 48th Philippine Business Conference and Expo hosted by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry last month in Ma nila, wherein he represented DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.

In a news release, he said the DENR’s strate gic plans and programs on forestry and mining are geared to “to support our country’s growth trajectory within the context of resilience and sustainable development.”

T he plans and programs are consistent with the policy statement of President Fer dinand R. Marcos Jr. during his first State of the Nation Address, wherein the highest official of the land highlighted the preser vation of the environment as key to “the preservation of life.”

H e said as the agency mandated to man age the country’s natural wealth, the DENR aims to develop acceptable, science-based and risk-informed strategies to conserve and protect the environment and natural resources through partnerships with vari ous government agencies, civil society or ganizations and advocates, industries and the academe.

To spur more investment in forestry, Leones said the DENR aims to establish a conducive investment climate by developing a real-time, single-point access forestry investment por tal that will provide information and services

about forestry investment and ready areas for development and utilization.

T he portal will have links to financial and credit facilities of partner financial in stitutions such as the Development Bank of the Philippines, which supports the DENR’s agro-forestry plantation program.

It will also offer access to insurance pack ages of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. for selected tree species in developed forest planta tions, he added.

L eones disclosed the DENR is open for public-private partnership to develop an estimated 960,000 hectares for timber and agro-forestry production.

H e said the forestry sector could also be a potential source of nature-based offsets in carbon trading and offsetting schemes that could generate climate finance from carbon market mechanisms through vol untary markets, compliance markets, and result-based payments through REDD+ or the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.

L eones said the DENR has also intensified forest protection by curbing illegal logging in reducing “hotspot” areas nationwide.

R ecognizing the various benefits of bam boo in stabilizing river systems and serving as a carbon sink, Leones said the agency is look ing into partnerships with the Department of Trade and Industry and other government agencies for the development of the bamboo industry, one of the main targets in its National Greening Program.

T he DENR currently oversees 15 million hectares of land classified as forestlands. In 2011, the country’s forest cover was 6.8 mil lion hectares but it increased by 5.6 percent or 7.2 million hectares based on the recent 2020 data captured by the National Map ping and Resource Information Authority or NAMRIA.

and Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda (chair man, House Committee on Ways and Means).

T he municipal mayors and other local officials who took their oath as Lakas CMD members are the following: Mayors-Adrian Salceda (Polangui); Paul Garcia (Guino batan); Wilfredo Maronilla (Libon); Atty. Sharon Escoto (Oas); Alan Arandia (Pio Duran); Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. (Camalig); Carlwyn Baldo (Daraga); Dick Galicia (Rapu Rapu); and Joseling Aguas (Sto. Domingo). T he following Albay provincial board members also joined the oath-taking: Jesus Salceda Jr.; Juan Miguel Salceda; Dante Arandia; Vic tor Ziga, Jr.; Melissa Abadeza; Eva Lopez Ribaya; Reynaldo Bragais; Glenda Ong Bongao.

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has created a three-man panel that will conduct the preliminary investigation of the two murder complaints filed against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gerald Bantag and several others in connection with the killing of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa last October 3 and the alleged middleman in the latter’s murder identified as inmate Jun Villamor.

Gatchalian pushes for science, math high schools in every province

DENR to tap forestry, mining resources to spur PHL’s economic growth, devt

Lawmakers laud PBBM’s fertilizer import plan

P rosecutor General Benedicto

A. Malcontento said the panel would be composed of Deputy

State Prosecutor Olivia I. Laroza Torrevillas, as chair, with Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Char

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HO XUAN HOAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

HOANG THI LIEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

HOANG THI THANH HUE Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

HOANG VAN TY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

NGUYEN VAN TU Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Basic

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

72.

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74.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

HY NGOC LINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LA VAN HUNG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LE QUOC THIEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language.

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Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NGUYEN XUAN HOC Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

NONG THI THU LUYEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

PHAM THI THUY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

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

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Brief Job Description: Managing Incoming calls and customer service inquires.

LE THI MY HUYEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LE THI TUYET Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LEO VAN HUNG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

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

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

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Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

PHAM XUAN NGHIA Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

PHAN THI QUY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

SON THI CHA RI DA Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

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

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Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LEO VAN THIEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LU VAN HOP Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LY THI THUY Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

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

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Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

SONG QUANG THANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

TRAN HUU THANH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

TRAN PHUONG NAM Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

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

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

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Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LY VAN PHONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

MAC DUC TINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

MAI PHAM CONG BANG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read, and Write Chinese Language

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

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

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Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

TRAN THI HUONG Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

TRAN VAN DINH Vietnamese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

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

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

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

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Brief Job Description:

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TRAN VAN TAM Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 107.

TRAN VAN THIEN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

TRUONG THI BAO TRAN Vietnamese Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Basic

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 108.

135.

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DO ANH TUAN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Providing IT assistance to staff and customers

GAO, XIN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting information and analyzing customer needs

HO THI KIM HOA Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification:

Basic Qualification: Excellent in Reading, Writing and Speaking Bilingual Languages

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

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

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

LIU, SHUANG Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

Basic Qualification:

working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills.

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

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing.

154.

155.

Brief Job Description: Collecting customer information and analyzing customers’ needs.

MA, GUOHUA Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

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

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing.

137.

Brief Job Description: Providing IT assistance to staff and customers

HONG NGOC LIEN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

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

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in Reading, Writing and Speaking Bilingual Languages

138.

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Brief Job Description: Providing IT assistance to staff and customers

JIAN, LIXI Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting information and analyzing customer needs

LANH VAN KUU Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Providing IT assistance to staff and customers

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

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

Basic Qualification: Excellent in Reading, Writing and Speaking Bilingual Languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Collecting customer information and analyzing customers’ needs.

SHU, QILI Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

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

156.

Brief Job Description: Recommending potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

SUN, YONGCHAO Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

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

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing.

157.

158.

Brief Job Description: Collecting customer information and analyzing customers’ needs.

TAO, DAMEI Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

Brief Job Description: Recommending potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

XU, XIAOYONG Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

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

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

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

141.

THINT PHYO LIN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Providing IT assistance to staff and customers

Basic Qualification: Excellent in Reading, Writing and Speaking Bilingual Languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 142.

159.

Brief Job Description: Recommending potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

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

ZHU, YAKUN Mandarin Speaking Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services to management by collecting information and analyzing customer needs.

FENG, JUNWEI Mandarin Speaking Customer Service

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in mandarin. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 FUWEALTH SERVICES INC. 18/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati 143.

160.

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YANG, HUIXIA Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

Brief Job Description: Recommending potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

YANG, JINGUO Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

Brief Job Description: Recommending potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

ZHANG, JINLING

Service Representative - Chinese Speaking Brief Job Description: Recommending potential products or services to management by collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs.

NG ZHI HOU Customer

Service Representative - Malaysian Speaking Brief Job Description:

customer information and analyzing customers’

Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

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

182.

YANG, SIH-MIN Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief

183.

LEE, JU-CHING Chinese Technical Support Representative

Brief Job Description: Attracts potential customers by answering product and service questions; suggesting information about other products and services

KOREAN AIRLINES CO. LTD. Lpl Plaza 124, L.p Leviste St. (alfaro), Bel-air, City Of Makati

HA, SANGYEOL Airport Service Manager

Basic

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

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking, reading and writing in English and their respective Native Language for the position applied for; Fluent in Chinese Mandarin is an advantage

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

Basic Qualification: Strong Organizational and Communication Skills, Including Written and Verbal

LIU, XIN Chinese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language

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

203.

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Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

LUO, DONG Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

RONG, LIAN Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

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

Basic Qualification: Able to Speak, Read and Write Chinese Language

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

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

184.

Brief Job Description: Act as manager for the operation and business transactions of its airport station

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

MARKETROLE ASIA PACIFIC SERVICES, INC. 27/f & 28/f The Enterprise Center Tower 1, 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

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DUONG THUC PHUONG Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service

HUYNH CHI PHU Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service

NONG TRUNG TIEN Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service

SINGNOI, NIRINCHANOK Chinese Speaking Customer Service Staff

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese / Mandarin fluently Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese / Mandarin fluently Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese / Mandarin fluently Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SHI, JIALONG Chinese Customer Service Representative

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Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

TANG, WENHUI Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

WANG, BINQUAN Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

WANG, YU Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

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

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

188.

Brief Job Description: Provide outstanding and exceptional customer service

Basic Qualification: Can speak Chinese / mandarin fluently Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower, C4 Rd. Edsa Ext., Barangay 76, Pasay City 189.

DAM TU QUYNH Call Center Agent

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

HOANG PHUONG THUY Call Center Agent

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

209.

210.

211.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

WU, XIAOZE Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

XIE, CHANGJIANG Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

YAO, MINJUAN Chinese Customer Service Representative

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

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

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

190.

191.

192.

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

HOANG THI DIEU Call Center Agent

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

LE THI NHI Call Center Agent

Brief Job Description: Customer Service

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

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

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

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

212.

213.

214.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

YIN, GUOHANG Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

YU, CHIHAO Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

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

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

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

215.

ZHANG, ZHAN Chinese Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

DELCIA FERANICA

Basic

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 216.

30,000 -

59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read,

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT Regional Office No. IV-A

4th Flr. Andenson Bldg. II, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City Telefax No.: (049) 545-7362

November 11, 2022

OF FILING OF APPLICATION/S FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT

NOTICE

PERMIT/S (AEP/S)

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

NO.ESTABLISHMENT

1 AMERICAN POWER CONVERSION CORPORATION (A.P.C.) B.V.

Lot 1, Block. 5, Phase 2, Cavite Economic Zone, Tejeros Convention, Rosario, Cavite

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL, POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

MACHADO, VALTER ANDRE

Portuguese Premium & Technical Services Representative

Brief Job Description:

Receive and manage customer queries via media.

AYE AYE SOE

2

ANOC99 CORPORATION

POGO 1 Building, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

3

ANOC99 CORPORATION

POGO 1 Building, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Burmese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification:

Must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering.

Salary Range: Php90,000 - Php149,999

Basic Qualification:

Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

10 MITSUBISHI MOTORS PHILIPPINES CORPORATION

No. 1 Auto Park Ave., Greenfield Automotive Park, Don Jose, City of Santa Rosa, Laguna

11 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

NARIMIYA, NORITAKA

Executive Vice President, Chief Finance Officer & Treasurer

Brief Job Description: Monitor all activities set by the company

KAUNG HTET

Burmese Customer Service Representative

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in related field

Salary Range: Php150,000 – Php499,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language.

12 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries.

WAI YAN TUN

Burmese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language.

13 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

FONG KAH WAI

Malaysian Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

4 ANOC99 CORPORATION

POGO 1 Building, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HII KOO TUANG

Malaysian Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

Able to speak, read and write Chinese language

5 DONG WON TEXCOM MFG. CORP.

Block 1, Lot 1, People’s Tech Complex, Special Economic Zone, Cabilang Baybay, Carmona, Cavite

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LEE, SANG JIN

Chief Executive Officer

Brief Job Description: Make decisions for the company

TAKAMATSU, TAKAHIRO

6

FUJIMOLDPHILIPPINES INC

Block 1, Lot 7, Light Industry and Science Park III, San Rafael, City of Sto. Tomas, Batangas

7 JT INTERNATIONAL ASIA MANUFACTURING CORP.

Lots

Assembly Manager

Brief Job Description: Teach and supervise in proper flow of the assembly line

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in the same field

Salary Range: Php60,000 - Php89,999

Basic Qualification: Expert in the same field

Salary Range: Php60,000 - Php89,999

Basic Qualification: Preferably Engineering graduate with strong knowledge of cigarette making equipment

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LI, JUN

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language.

14 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries.

WEI, MINGFENG

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

Able to speak, read and write Chinese language.

15 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHENG, TIANWEN

Chinese Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification:

Able to speak, read and write Chinese language.

16 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Brief Job Description: Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

BONG KWOK KLONG

Malaysian Customer Service Representative

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language.

17 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

Brief Job Description:

Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries.

DANIEL CHUA YUNG SHEN

Malaysian Customer Service Representative

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18 MOA CLOUDZONE CORP.

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Basic

8 KINGSMAN AEA CORPORATION

4027

Bank Road,

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YU CEO/ President

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Island Cove II, Covelandia Road, Pulvorista, Kawit, Cavite

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

DANNY LEE CHOON JIAN

Malaysian Customer Service Representative

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Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries

Brief

JONATHAN

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Manage incoming calls and customer service inquiries.

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Salary Range: Php30,000 - Php59,999

Basic Qualification: Able to speak, read and write Chinese language.

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100,000 Russian troops killed or injured in Ukraine, US says

By Tara Copp The Associated Press

WASHINGTON—Russia’s announced retreat from Kherson, a regional capital in southern Ukraine that it seized early in the war, and a potential stalemate in fighting over the winter could provide both countries an opportunity to negotiate peace, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday.

He said as many as 40,000 Ukrainian civilians and “well over” 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the war, now in its ninth month. “Same thing probably on the Ukrainian side,” Milley added.

“There has been a tremen dous amount of suffering, hu man suffering,” he said at The Economic Club of New York. Ukrainian President Volody myr Zelenskyy said Tuesday he

was open to peace talks with Russia to end the war but only on the condition that Russia return all of Ukraine’s occupied lands, provide compensation for war damage and face prosecution for war crimes.

Russia has said it is open to talks, and this week announced it had begun a retreat from Kherson.

Zelenskyy has warned that the Russians are feigning a

pullout from Kherson to lure the Ukrainian army into an en trenched battle in the strategic industrial port city, a gateway to the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.

Milley, the highest-rank ing US military officer, said Russia had amassed 20,000 to 30,000 troops in Kherson and a full retreat could take several weeks.

“The initial indicators are they are in fact doing it. They made the public announcement they’re doing it. I believe they’re doing it in order to preserve their force to reestablish defen sive lines south of the [Dnieper] river, but that remains to be seen,” he said.

Milley said it’s possible the Russians will use the retreat to reset their troops for a spring offensive, but “there’s also an opportunity here, a window of opportunity for negotiation.”

But for negotiations to have a chance, both Russia and Ukraine would have to reach a “mutual recognition” that a military vic tory “is maybe not achievable through military means, and therefore you need to turn to other means,” Milley said, cit ing the end of World War I as an example.

Ukraine boosts Southeast Asia ties with peace accord

By David Rising & Sopheng Cheang The Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambo dia—Ukraine signed a peace accord Thursday with Southeast Asian nations, a largely symbolic act that comes as Kyiv seeks to shore up inter national support in isolating Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minis ter Dmytro Kulbela signed the “Treaty on Amity and Coopera tion in Southeast Asia” as the annual summit of the Associa tion of Southeast Asian Nations got underway in Phnom Penh.

The Asean summit kicks off a series of three top-level meet ings in Asia, with the Group of 20 summit in Bali to follow and then the APEC economic forum in Bangkok. They come as Rus sia seeks new markets for its en ergy products to avoid Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.

As a group, the Asean nations, with a combined population of nearly 700 million, have been reserved in their stance toward the invasion, condemning the war but generally trying to avoid assigning blame. Eight of 10 Asean countries did vote in fa vor of the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russian aggression, with Vietnam and Laos abstaining.

Member state Singapore has taken the strongest stance, imposing unilateral sanc tions on Russia, while Cam bodia has been increasingly supportive of Ukraine in its Asean chairmanship.

In an early November call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Cambo dian President Hun Sen stressed the need for an end to the war “so that Ukraine can regain peace, stability, territorial integrity and development,” according to Hun Sen’s office.

“Cambodia is against the ag gression, the threat of or use of force over sovereignty and the territorial integrity of an independent state, and does

not support the secession or the annexation of territory by other countries,” Hun Sen said on the call.

The Cambodian leader also pledged to support Ukraine’s as pirations to become a “Sectoral Dialogue Partner” with Asean, a step toward the full “Dialogue Partnership” the group has with Russia, China, the United States and others.

The “TAC” peace treaty estab lished in 1976 commits parties to “mutual respect for the inde pendence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and nation al identity of all nations,” among other things.

Ahead of the summit, Daniel Kritenbrink, US assistant secre tary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said the inclusion of Ukraine was important, es pecially since Russia’s invasion “has sent shockwaves through out the Indo-Pacific, including Indo-Pacific economies, as we’ve seen through rising energy and food prices.”

He told a panel hosted by Wash ington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies in late Oc tober that the US would work with Asean to “ensure that Ukraine meaningfully participates and that the partners send a strong message that big countries can not simply take what they want from smaller neighbors.”

Asean is made up of Cambo dia, the Philippines, Malaysia,

Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei and Myanmar. Myanmar’s leaders are not being allowed to par ticipate in the current meet ings due to ongoing violence in the country, and rejected the offer to send non-political representatives.

US President Joe Biden is at tending the Asean and parallel East Asia Summit talks in per son, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is not—with Moscow instead believed to be sending Foreign Minister Ser gey Lavrov, though that is not yet confirmed.

Indonesia confirmed Thurs day that Putin will also not at tend the G-20 summit in Bali next week, and it seems unlikely he will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok that follows.

Putin’s absence should leave the door open for Ukraine to try and win more support, wrote Susannah Patton, the director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Insti tute, in an analysis published Thursday.

“While opinion in Asia about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine re mains mixed, the summits look likely to be better for Ukraine than Russia, and Putin’s absence will undercut talk of a Russian pivot to Asia,” Patton said.

R ising reported from Bangkok.

UKRAINE Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba applauds as Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn speaks during signing ceremonies of the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) by Spain and Ukraine on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Thursday, November 10, 2022. AP/VINCENT THIAN

GOP nudges closer to House win; Senate could hinge on tight races

By Sara Burnett, Jill Colvin & Will Weissert The Associated Press

WASHINGTON— Republicans inched closer to a narrow House majority Wednesday, while control of the Senate hinged on a few tight races in a midterm election that defied expectations of sweeping conservative victories driven by frustration over inflation and President Joe Biden’s leadership.

Either party could secure a Sen ate majority with wins in both Nevada and Arizona—where the races were too early to call. But there was a strong possibility that, for the second time in two years, the Senate majority could come down to a runoff in Georgia next month, with Democratic Sen. Ra phael Warnock and Herschel Walk er failing to earn enough votes to win outright.

In the House, Republicans on Wednesday night were within a dozen seats of the 218 needed to take control, while Democrats kept seats in districts from Vir ginia to Pennsylvania to Kansas and many West Coast contests were still too early to call. In a particularly symbolic victory for the GOP, Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, the House Democratic campaign chief, lost his bid for a sixth term.

Control of Congress will de cide how the next two years of Biden’s term play out, and wheth er he is able to achieve more of his agenda or will see it blocked by a new GOP majority. Republi cans are likely to launch a spate of investigations into Biden, his family and his administration if they take power, while a GOP takeover of the Senate would hobble the president’s ability to appoint judges.

“Regardless of what the final tally of these elections show, and there’s still some counting going on, I’m pre pared to work with my Republican colleagues,” Biden said Wednesday in his first public remarks since the polls closed. “The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans to be prepared to work with me as well.”

Democrats did better than his tory suggested they would. The

party in power almost always suf fers losses in the president’s first midterm elections, though even if the GOP ultimately wins the House, it won’t be by a margin as large as during other midterm cy cles. Democrats gained a net of 41 House seats under then-President Donald Trump in 2018, President Barack Obama saw the GOP gain 63 in 2010 and Republicans gained 54 seats during President Bill Clin ton’s first midterm.

A small majority in the House would pose a great challenge for the GOP and especially Califor nia Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who is in line to be House speaker and would have little room for error in navigating a chamber of members eager to leverage their votes to ad vance their own agenda.

In the fight for Senate control, Pennsylvania was a bright spot for Democrats. Lt. Gov. John Fetter man, who suffered a stroke five months ago, flipped a Republicancontrolled Senate seat, topping Trump-endorsed Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Georgia, meanwhile, was set for yet another runoff on Dec. 6. In 2021, Warnock used a runoff to win his seat, as did Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff—which gave Dem ocrats control of the Senate. Both Warnock and Walker were already fundraising off the race stretching into a second round.

Both Republican and Demo cratic incumbents maintained key Senate seats. In Wisconsin, Repub lican Sen. Ron Johnson prevailed over Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, while in New Hampshire, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan beat Don Bolduc, a retired Army general who had initially promoted Trump’s lies about the 2020 elec tion but tried to shift away those

views closer to Election Day.

AP VoteCast, a broad survey of the national electorate, showed that high inflation and concerns about the fragility of democracy were heavily influencing voters. Half of voters said inflation fac tored significantly, with groceries, gasoline, housing and other costs that have shot up in the past year. Slightly fewer—44 percent—said the future of democracy was their primary consideration.

Biden didn’t entirely shoulder the blame for inflation, with close to half of voters saying the high er-than-usual prices were more because of factors outside of his control. And despite the president bearing criticism from a pessimis tic electorate, some of those voters backed Democratic candidates.

Democrats counted on a midterm boost from the Supreme Court’s decision to gut abortion rights, which they thought might energize their voters, and the bet paid off. In four states where the issue was on the ballot, voters backed abortion rights. VoteCast showed that 7 in 10 national voters said overturn ing the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was an important factor in their midterm decisions. It also showed the reversal was broadly unpopular. And roughly 6 in 10 said they favor a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.

In the first national election since the January 6 insurrection, some who participated in or were in the vicinity of the attack on the US Capitol were poised to win elected office. One of those Republican candidates, Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin—who was outside the Capitol during the deadly riot— won a House seat. Another, J.R. Majewski, lost to Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur.

Republicans had sought to

make inroads in liberal New England but were shut out of House contests, with one Maine race still set to be determined by ranked choice voting.

Governors’ races took on out sized significance this year, par ticularly in battleground states that could help decide the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Democrats held on to governors’ mansions in Wisconsin, Michi gan and Pennsylvania, defeat ing Republicans who promoted Trump’s lies about a stolen 2020 election. Republicans held on to governors’ mansions in Florida, Texas and Georgia, another bat tleground state Biden narrowly won two years ago.

Trump found some success as well. He lifted Republican Senate candidates to victory in Ohio and North Carolina. JD Vance, the bestselling author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” defeated 10-term con gressman Tim Ryan, while Rep. Ted Budd beat Cheri Beasley, the former chief justice of the state Supreme Court.

Trump had endorsed more than 300 candidates across the country, hoping the night would end in a red wave he could ride to the 2024 Republican presidential nomina tion. After summoning reporters and his most loyal supporters to a watch party at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Tuesday, he ended the night without a trium phant speech.

Still, the former president in sisted on social media that he’d had “A GREAT EVENING.” Hours later, Palm Beach County issued an evacuation order for an area that included Trump’s club with Hur ricane Nicole approaching.

Tight California races may determine US House control

By Michael R. Blood AP Political Writer

LOS ANGELES—A string of too-early-tocall California US House races remains in play and might end up determining whether Republicans seize control or Democrats hang on to power.

With millions of votes still uncounted Wednesday across the nation’s most populous state, uncertainty remained for about a dozen of the state’s 52 House contests. The most competitive of those races were in the Los Angeles region and the Central Valley farm belt.

In Southern California, Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Mike Levin were locked in close races, despite President Joe Biden’s late-hour campaign swing on their behalf. East of Los Angeles, Republican Rep. Ken Calvert was trailing Democrat Will Rollins by 12 points, but less than one-third of the anticipated votes had been tallied.

In the Central Valley, GOP Rep. David Valadao, who voted to impeach then-President

Donald Trump, had 54 percent of the votes counted so far in his race against Democrat Rudy Salas, but most ballots had yet to be tabulated. Four years ago, Valadao lost a reelection bid after seeing a sizable lead on Election Day evaporate as late-arriving mail-in ballots were counted. He won back the seat in 2020.

Should Democrats defeat Calvert and prevail in other contests where they were leading or only slightly behind, the year would have echoes of 2018, when the party seized seven Republican-held California seats on the way to retaking the House.

But if Calvert hangs on and Republicans oust Porter and Levin and win an open seat in Central California, the scenario would look similar to 2020, when GOP House candidates flipped four seats in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2-to-1.

With votes still being counted in key races “we don’t know whether California is a political bellwether or an island,” said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the

University of California, San Diego.

If Democrats can hold the Porter and Levin seats and oust Calvert “this red ripple that went across the country becomes a blue counter-ripple,” he added.

More broadly, California hewed largely to its liberal leanings on Election Day. Gov. Gavin Newsom and US Sen.

Alex Padilla, both Democrats, were easily reelected, voters overwhelmingly endorsed enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution and the Legislature remained firmly in Democratic hands.

Democrats also appeared in position to retain their grip on all statewide offices.

A Republican hasn’t won one of those races in California since 2006 when Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected governor.

The potential for slight shifts mirrored the national political landscape, in which predictions for a Republican “wave” sweeping Congress into solid GOP control failed to materialize. Republicans were closing in on a slim House majority while Senate control will be decided by close races in Arizona,

Nevada and Georgia.

A loss by Porter would be stunning, after she spent more than $24 million to win a third term. She is a star of the party’s progressive wing, a prolific fundraiser with a national following and is frequently mentioned as a future US Senate candidate.

With about half the vote counted, she was virtually tied with Republican Scott Baugh, who had relentlessly criticized her over soaring gas and grocery prices in a closely divided coastal district with a conservative streak. Porter focused strongly on protecting reproductive rights, after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision.

Calvert—the longest serving Republican in the California congressional delegation— was first elected in 1992.

His support from Trump posed a challenge in a new, reshaped district about equally split between Democrats and Republicans, which included many transplanted Los Angeles residents and liberal Palm Springs, which has a large concentration of LGBTQ voters.

The Associated Press writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed.

HOUSE Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California arrives to speak at an event early Wednesday morning, November 9, 2022, in Washington. AP/ALEX BRANDON

Japan, US hold joint arms drills amid China, North Korea worry

By Mari Yamaguchi The Associated Press

TOKYO—Japan and the United States began a ma jor joint military exercise Thursday in southern Japan as the allies aim to step up readiness in the face of China’s increasing assertiveness and North Korea’s intensifying missile launches.

The biennial “Keen Sword” drills kicked off at a Japanese air base in southern Japan and will also be held in several other locations in and around Japan through November 19.

About 26,000 Japanese and 10,000 American troops, as well as 30 vessels and 370 aircraft from both sides, are to partici pate in the drills, according to

the Japanese Defense Ministry. Australia, Britain and Canada will also join parts of the drills, it said.

Joint field trainings that in clude amphibious landing exer cises are planned on southwest ern Japanese remote islands, including Tokunoshima, Amami and Tsutarajima, as Japan has been bolstering its defense capa bility in the region amid growing tensions over China.

China has reinforced its claims to virtually the entire South China Sea by construct ing artificial islands equipped with military installations and airfields. Beijing also claims a string of islands that are con trolled by Japan in the East China Sea, and has stepped up

South Korean president criticized for banning broadcaster from plane

By Kim Tong-Hyung The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea— Journalist organizations say South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attacked press freedom when his office banned a TV broadcaster’s crew from the media pool on his presidential plane this week for alleged bias in reporting.

Yoon earlier accused MBC of dam aging the country’s alliance with the United States after it released a video suggesting that he insulted US Con gress members following a meeting with US President Joe Biden in New York in September.

Yoon’s office told MBC it wouldn’t provide the broadcaster with “report ing assistance” in his upcoming trips to Cambodia and Indonesia for meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Na tions and Group of 20 leading rich and developing countries because of what it described as “repeated distortion and biased reporting” on diplomatic issues.

Yoon, a conservative who took office in May, doubled down Thursday on the decision to exclude MBC reporters from his plane, saying “important national interests” were at stake. Yoon leaves for Cambodia on Friday to attend the Asean meetings and will be in Indonesia the following week for the G-20 meetings. He will participate in a trilateral summit Sunday with Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Cambodia to discuss the growing threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.

“The reason the president uses so much taxpayer money to travel over seas is because important national in terests are at stake and that is also why we have provided reporting assistance to reporters covering diplomatic and security issues,” Yoon said. “(I) hope that the decision could be understood from that perspective,” he said about leaving MBC reporters off his plane, which will also exclude them from in-flight briefings and other media opportunities.

In statements provided to The Asso ciated Press, MBC said Yoon’s office was ignoring press freedom and democratic principles and that it will still send re porters to Cambodia and Indonesia on commercial flights to cover Yoon’s trip to serve the “public’s right to know.”

A coalition of journalist organiza tions, including the Journalists As sociation of Korea and the National Union of Media Workers, issued a statement demanding Yoon’s office withdraw what they described as an “unconstitutional and ahistorical restriction on reporting,” and for presidential officials involved in the decision to resign.

“The presidential plane is operated with taxpayer money and each media outlet pays with their own money to cover the reporting costs,” they said.

“Reporting and monitoring how the president as a public figure carries out public responsibilities and duties are an essential part of democracy. We can not repress our astonishment that the presidential office confuses reporters’ use of the presidential plane with the use of private property and sees it as charity extended by Yoon Suk Yeol the individual,” the statement read.

The groups compared the incident to

when the White House, under former US President Donald Trump, suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he had a heated con versation with Trump during a news conference.

Seoul-based newspapers Hankyoreh and Kyungyang Shinmun voluntarily gave up their seats on Yoon’s plane to protest what Hankyoreh called an “un democratic attempt at media control.” They said their reporters will use com mercial flights to cover the meetings in Southeast Asia.

The Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club issued a statement saying that “re strictions placed on one outlet for cover age deemed to be ‘distorted’ raise con cerns for the freedom of all press, domestic and foreign.” It called for all media to be treated with the “same principles of ac cess, regardless of the tone or nature of the journalistic coverage.” In September, MBC caught Yoon on tape talking to his aides and top diplomats following a brief chat with Biden on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly meetings. While the audio was unclear, Yoon could be heard using what seemed to be indecent language in comments the broadcaster captioned as, “Wouldn’t it be too darn embarrassing for Biden if those idiots at legislature don’t approve?”

Yoon’s meeting with Biden came after they both delivered speeches in support of the Global Fund, an international campaign to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The Biden administration has pledged $6 billion in US contri butions to the initiative through 2025, but it is pending congressio nal approval. Yoon’s government has promised $100 million.

Yoon’s office later insisted he wasn’t talking about the US Congress or Biden. Kim Eun-hye, Yoon’s spokesperson, said he was expressing concern that the South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly could reject his plan for the $100 million contribution. She insisted that the word MBC heard as Biden was actually “nal-li-myeon,” an expression that can be used to describe something being thrown away.

After returning to Seoul, Yoon said that media could put South Korea’s secu rity in danger by “damaging the alliance with reports that differ from facts.” He has yet to specifically address whether he described South Korean lawmakers as “idiots.”

Yoon’s predecessors have also been accused of suppressing freedom of speech.

Former liberal President Moon Jaein faced international criticism after members of his governing party in 2019 singled out a Bloomberg reporter with South Korean nationality over what they insisted was a “borderline traitorous” article, resulting in threats to the reporter’s safety. The article’s headline described Moon as acting as the “top spokesman” for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the U.N. General Assembly and described his efforts to salvage faltering nuclear diplomacy with the North.

Under Moon’s conservative prede cessor, Park Geun-hye, prosecutors in dicted a Japanese journalist on charges of defaming Park by citing salacious rumors about her whereabouts on the day of a ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people in 2014.

military harassment of selfruled Taiwan, which it says is part of China to be annexed by force if necessary.

The joint exercise also comes on the heels of intensifying mis sile firings by North Korea, which has launched more than 30 of them this year, including one on Wednesday that fell in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Last month, an in tercontinental ballistic missile flew over northern Japan.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishi da, citing worsening security in the region, has pledged to sub stantially increase Japanese mil itary capability and possibly al low pre-emptive strike capability to attack enemy missile launch sites from afar. The plans are

expected to be included in a re vised national security strategy and mid- to long-term defense guidelines later this year.

A move to develop strike capa bility is a major shift for Japan’s self-defense-only principle, though the country has rapidly expanded its military’s role and capability in the past decade to work more closely with the Unit ed States and other partners in the region and Europe.

Exercises like Keen Sword provide Japanese and US forces “opportunities to train together across a variety of mission areas in realistic scenarios to enhance readiness, interoperability, and build credible deterrence,” US Forces Japan said in a statement Thursday.

JAPANESE Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers a speech on the Maritime Self Defense Force’s helicopter carrier JS Izumo during an international fleet review in Sagami Bay, southwest of Tokyo on November 6, 2022. Japan and the United States began a major joint military exercise Thursday, November 10, 2022 in southern Japan as the allies aim to step up readiness in the face of China’s increasing assertiveness and North Korea’s intensifying missile launches. KYODO NEWS VIA AP

editorial

Will Aparri disappear under a rising sea?

TuvA

lu is an island nation located halfway between Australia and Hawaii. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, with a land area of 26 square kilometers and a population of 11,925 in 2021. With its limited resource base, it is extremely vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Worse, it is facing the highest risks associated with the climate crisis due to rising sea levels. Scientists say that as sea level rises, sand and gravel erode away into the seabed as the shoreline recedes; accordingly, a country like Tuvalu will eventually disappear under a rising sea.

Rainwater is the main source of freshwater in Tuvalu. Groundwater resources are no longer suitable for human consumption due to pollution from saltwater intrusion caused by rising sea levels. Salinity intrusion enhanced by the porosity of soil has destroyed pulaka crops, a swamp taro grown mainly in Tuvalu and an important source of carbohydrates for the inhabitants. As most Tuvaluans live in coastal areas, additional stress is being placed on the already vulnerable marine ecosystem. Rising sea temperatures also contribute to coral bleaching and decreasing marine productivity.

To draw attention to Tuvalu’s struggle against rising sea levels, Foreign Minister Simon Kofe gave a speech to the 2021 United Nations climate conference in Glasgow standing knee-deep in seawater to show how his low-lying Pacific island nation is on the front line of climate change. Images of Kofe standing in a suit and tie at a lectern set up in the sea, with his trouser legs rolled up, have been widely shared on social media.

From the Associated Press: “The world should confront climate change the way it does nuclear weapons, by agreeing to a non-proliferation treaty that stops further production of fossil fuels, a small island nation leader urged Tuesday. The proposal by Tuvalu came as vulnerable nations pushed for more action and money at international climate talks in Egypt, while big polluters remained divided over who should pay for the damage industrial greenhouse gas emissions have done to the planet.”

“We all know that the leading cause of climate crisis is fossil fuels,” Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano told his fellow leaders, adding that Tuvalu has joined Vanuatu and other nations calling for a fossil fuels non-proliferation treaty. “It’s getting too hot and there is very little time to slow and reverse the increasing temperature. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize fast-acting strategies,” Natano said.

Fossil fuel refers to an energy source made from fossilized animals and plants. This organic matter is compressed and heated over millions of years until it forms coal, oil, or natural gas. Burning these fuels is bad for the environment as they release carbon dioxide (CO2) that contributes to global warming. Climate activists, religious authorities including the Vatican, and some scientists have previously advanced the idea of a non-proliferation treaty for coal, oil and natural gas, but Natano’s speech gave it a boost in front of a global audience at COP27.

A rising sea level poses a serious threat to coastal life around the world. The highest elevation in Tuvalu is 4.6 meters above sea level. In the Philippines, we have towns equally vulnerable to rising seas. The town of Aparri, for example, has coastal areas with an elevation of one meter above sea level, and its lowest elevation is minus one meter below sea level. Seas are predicted to rise a foot by 2050, regardless of how much global carbon emissions can be reduced.

Like Tuvalu and other island nations, the Philippines is on its way to a major climate change disaster unless global leaders figure out soon how to avert the worst of global warming.

World leaders and diplomats attending the COP27 climate summit in Egypt have framed the fight against global warming as a battle for human survival. In her speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged countries to hasten action on climate change. “The global fossil fuel crisis must be a game changer. So let us not take the “highway to hell” but let’s earn the clean ticket to heaven,” she said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday said: “We are in the fight of our lives, and we are losing. Greenhouse gas emissions keep growing, global temperatures keep rising, and our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible.”

Unrealized potential in medical tourism

sonny M. angara

Better Days

healthcare professionals have long been recognized for their capabilities and professionalism, and the outstanding quality of care they provide their patients. Whenever I travel overseas, be it in the united Kingdom, the united States or some other jurisdiction that employs a significant number of Filipino healthcare workers, the feedback I get is always about how competent and dedicated they are to their jobs.

FIlIpIno

Mr. Juergen Steinmetz, chairman of the World Tourism Network, experienced firsthand how it was to receive medical treatment here in the Philippines. Last April, Mr. Steinmetz was in Manila as a delegate of the World Travel and Tourism Council global summit. During his visit, he contracted a rare skin disease and sought treatment at the Makati Medical Center. He described his ordeal as life changing and had nothing but high praise for the doctors who correctly diagnosed his condition and for the medical facility that he said was “beyond any standard I’ve seen anywhere in the world, including my home state in Hawaii.”

With hospitals that operate using state of the art equipment and facilities and with medical personnel that speak perfect English and with a human touch, Mr. Steinmetz was surprised why medical tourism is still not that big in the Philippines.

The same question has also crossed my mind several times, par-

ticularly on how we are missing out in terms of opportunities from medical tourism. I am a firm believer that Filipino doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are among the best in the world. Patients with all sorts of ailments can avail themselves of the best treatments and at a cost that is relatively lower than what similar facilities outside of the country are charging.

In the 2020 Medical Tourism Index, the Philippines ranked 24 out of 46 countries due in part to the inability to market the country as a prime destination and the lack of some key facilities and infrastructure. Globally, the size of the medical tourism market was estimated at $11.5 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow to $53 billion by 2028.

According to the Medical Tourism Association, around 14 million people travel outside of their countries for medical care every year. One research suggests that the global anti-aging market alone is already valued at $60.42 billion as of 2021.

There are still a lot of steps that we have to take before we can compete with our neighbors such as Thailand, South Korea and Singapore who are already reaping the benefits of their growing medical tourism industry. We need to do more to improve the marketing of the Philippines as a medical tourism destination. We should beef up our infrastructure. We should pursue this opportunity in a concerted manner, as part of our efforts to restart our ailing tourism industry.

This is expected to double in growth by 2030.

A McKinsey and Company report also indicated that 40 percent of people travel outside of their country to seek medical care due to the availability of advanced technology and highly trained professionals. For some patients, the cost of their procedures in the accepting country is lower than what their home countries are charging. In many cases, they do not have to wait for long periods to get the treatment they require.

One of the fast growing segments of medical tourism is cosmetic treatment, a specialized field that includes body fat reduction, skin rejuvenation, anti-aging and other procedures that people avail of to improve their appearance, self-esteem and self-confidence. I recently spoke at the 10th Annual Convention of the Philippine Academy of Aesthetic and Age-Management Medicine Inc. and I was made aware of the wide range of specializations of its physician

members. They include aesthetic and clinical dermatology, age-management and regenerative medicine, plastic and cosmetic surgery, multispecialty physicians well-versed in genetics, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiology, ophthalmology, family and internal medicine, anesthesiology, pathology, and geriatrics.

So there is no shortage of experts available in the country for medical tourists. Whatever treatment or procedure they want, they can find it here and be confident that they will get top-notch services and hospitality that is second to none. What makes the Philippines even more attractive as a medical tourism destination is its extensive list of tourist destinations that the patients can explore and enjoy after going through their procedures.

There are still a lot of steps that we have to take before we can compete with our neighbors such as Thailand, South Korea and Singapore who are already reaping the benefits of their growing medical tourism industry. We need to do more to improve the marketing of the Philippines as a medical tourism destination. We should beef up our infrastructure. We should pursue this opportunity in a concerted manner, as part of our efforts to restart our ailing tourism industry.

Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 18 years—9 years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and 9 as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

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

Little sign of relief expected in October US inflation

By Paul Wiseman | AP Economics Writer

many had expected.

WASHInGTon

The nation’s punishing inflation rate likely kept simmering in october, giving the Federal Reserve little cause to ease up in its drive to slow price increases by steadily raising interest rates.

The Labor Department is expected to report Thursday that consumer prices jumped 8 percent from 12 months earlier and by a sharp 0.6 percent from September to October, according to a survey of economists by the data firm FactSet. A separate measure called core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, is expected to have surged 6.5 percent in the past year and 0.5 percent from September to October.

Like many other countries, the United States is struggling to control inflation, which is pressuring millions of households and dimming the outlook for the economy as the Fed keeps raising borrowing costs for businesses and consumers. The acceleration of inflation was unleashed by shortages of supplies and labor

after the pandemic recession, by a burst of consumer spending fueled by vast federal aid and by cutoffs of food and energy after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

So far this year, the Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate six times in sizable increments, heightening the risk that prohibitively high borrowing rates—for mortgages, auto purchases and other high-cost expenses—will tip the world’s largest economy into recession.

Inflation was near the top of many voters’ minds in the midterm congressional elections that ended Tuesday. Their economic anxieties contributed to the loss of Democratic seats in the House of Representatives, though Republicans failed to score the huge political gains that

Even at its current high levels, inflation by some measures has begun to ease and could continue to do so in coming months. Most measures of workers’ wages, for example, show that the robust pay increases of the past 18 months have leveled off and have begun to fall. Though worker pay is not a primary driver of higher prices, it can compound inflationary pressures if companies offset their higher labor costs by charging their customers more.

Except for automakers, which are still struggling to acquire the computer chips they need, supply chain disruptions have largely unsnarled. Shipping costs have dropped back to pre-pandemic levels. The backup of cargo ships off the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach has been cleared.

And as declines in new rents that have emerged in real-time measures from such sources as ApartmentList and Zillow begin to be captured in the government’s forthcoming measures, that factor should also reduce inflation.

Even as many fear that the economy will fall into recession next year, the nation’s job market has remained resilient. Employers have added a healthy average of 407,000 jobs a month, and the unemployment rate is just 3.7 percent, close to a halfcentury low. Job openings are still at historically high levels.

But the Fed’s rate hikes have inflicted severe damage on the American housing market. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage has more than doubled over the past year, topping 7 percent before falling slightly last week. As a result, investment in housing collapsed in the July-September quarter, falling at a 26 percent annual rate.

Higher mortgage rates have depressed sales. Home prices are slowing sharply compared with a year ago and have begun to fall on a monthly basis. The cost of a new apartment lease is also declining.

Yet because of how the government calculates housing costs, See “Little,” A19

The state of the Philippine power transmission system

Counting cultures

Tito Genova Valiente

annoTaTions

Can one count cultures? Why even count cultures?

EaGLE WaTCH

COnnECTIng both producers and consumers, the country’s power transmission network serves as the backbone of the electric power industry. It is a complex network of transmission lines, substations, transformers, and related facilities that delivers electricity from the power generators to commercial, industrial, and residential consumers.

The Electric Power Industry Reform Act intended to make the industry’s power generation sector more competitive and open, while the transmission and distribution sectors remained regulated. As mandated in Section 8 of the EPIRA, the National Transmission Corp. was created to assume the electrical transmission function of the National Power Corp. TRANSCO commenced operation in March 2003, maintaining and managing the entire power transmission system that connects the different power plants to the electric distribution utilities across the country. Section 21 of the same law mandated the privatization of TRANSCO in an open competitive bidding either via an outright sale or a concession agreement.

In December 2007, a 50-year congressional franchise was awarded to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to manage, operate, and develop the Philippine transmission system through Republic Act 9511. Nevertheless, ownership of all transmission assets remains with TRANSCO. And 60 percent of the outstanding capital stock of the NGCP consortium is held by Monte Oro Grid Resources Corporation and Calaca High Power Corp., while 40 percent is held by the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC). This NGCP consortium holds the 25year concession contract to operate the country’s power transmission network.

The Philippine power grid is critical for properly carrying out the dayto-day functions of our economy. Without an efficient system of delivering electricity from the power generators to the distribution utilities and electric cooperatives, endconsumers of electricity will not be able to have high-quality, reliable, secure, and affordable supply of electric power, as purposefully envisioned in the EPIRA. NGCP’s franchise with the government is drawn along the same lines, with the intention of providing the opportunity of a safe, efficient, reliable, and affordable electricity supply.

However, over the years of its operation, NGCP has had its fair share of criticism. For instance, there were some concerns regarding the national security of the grid. From the 2020 hearings conducted by the Senate Committee on Energy led by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, it was disclosed that the transmission grid may be vulnerable to cyberattacks and physical intrusions, especially with the growing risk of cyber-terrorism on a global scale. Claims of China being able to remotely control the power grid likewise circulated. Perhaps, this was also fueled by reports of NGCP’s refusal to subject itself to a technical audit from TRANSCO.

NGCP, on the other hand, insists

Perhaps one of the most crucial concerns pertains to the delay in several of NGCP’s transmission projects. To date, there is still no unified national grid that connects the three main island groups in the country. Mindanao is yet to be looped into the LuzonVisayas grid.

that the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system they use is a stand-alone system and not connected to the Internet or any virtual private network. What remains to be true is the fact that our power transmission system is, indeed, an infrastructure imbued with national security interest, and that it is important that we have control of this vital national facility.

Another issue has to do with ancillary services for energy security. This is the capacity required of the system to maintain the power quality, reliability, and security of the grid. The Department of Energy has advised NGCP to acquire this reserve capacity to supplement baseload power supply and prevent yellow and red grid alerts translating to power outages.

It can be recalled that certain areas in Luzon went through rotating brownouts in September 2022 when the electricity supply was not enough to meet the demand. Contributory to this was the unexpected or unplanned outages by some power generators including derated power plants operating below capacity. The concern is on the type of contracting for these ancillary services.

DOE advised for a firm contracting type of procurement for ancillary services, where NGCP commits to buy, and the power generators commit to supply a specific capacity at a certain price. NGCP, on the other hand, insists that doing so will simply lead to higher power prices. To this, the DOE calls for a competitive selection process in the procurement of such ancillary services.

But perhaps one of the most crucial concerns pertains to the delay in several of NGCP’s transmission projects. To date, there is still no unified national grid that connects the three main island groups in the country. Mindanao is yet to be looped into the Luzon-Visayas grid. This prevents any excess capacity in Mindanao from augmenting power requirements in Luzon or Visayas, and vice versa. The completion of this project will surely lead to a more optimal sharing of our indigenous energy sources and help create a more reliable, secure, and more resilient power grid.

Last 24th of October, I received an invite to attend the Fourth International Conference on Cultural Statistics and Creative Economy organized by the national Commission for Culture and the arts in cooperation with Unesco.

At the core of the program was the attempt to measure the effect of cultures on society through research and assessment. This is articulated in Unesco’s “thematic indicators for culture” and the coming together of culture and sustainable development. Fuzzy and abstract, the same concepts can be intimidating unless they are operationalized.

In the handbook, Culture Counts: The Pilot Implementation of the UNESCO Culture/2030 Indicators in the Philippines and Baguio City, four thematic dimensions are identified with which the analysis of how this grand notion called Culture can inform the multipronged development of particular communities. These dimensions are: Environment and Resilience, Prosperity and Livelihood, Knowledge and Skills, as well as Inclusion/ Participation.

For each theme, indicators were formulated.

Under environment and resilience, the following indicators have been outlined: (1) expenditure on heritage; (2) sustainable management of heritage; (3) climate adaptation and resilience; (4) cultural facilities, and (5) open spaces for culture. This theme is presented first and comes across as the most interesting but also the most contentious. The problem perhaps is the use of “resilience,” which lately has been under attack as not promoting an activistic attitude to our physical environment.

It is when the respective indicators are sampled that we realize how amazing and formidable this project is. For expenditure on heritage, the explanation points to, as an example, “total expenditure per capita spent on the preservation, protection and

conservation of all cultural and natural heritage.” What makes this aspect creatively efficient is that all municipalities and cities profess to have a real understanding of culture and how it works to help in the development of a place. In other words, highways and infrastructures are easy to pinpoint as factors of development but how does one measure not only the presence of cultural awakening but also evaluate where cultural events figure in the social life of citizens. The fiery and melodramatic speeches can only convince up to a point but figures matter.

Broken down, the type of heritage can be divided into cultural and natural. Do your local executives protect a reef? Does your mayor allocate funds to identify important cultural workers in your city or do they easily grant money to beauty pageants? Are there books published about the town or city and are they disseminated in schools?

The seemingly common questions can go on. Under cultural facilities, the note mentions the distribution of cultural facilities by way of spatial mapping. Are there museums and libraries? With regard to the libraries, do people use them and read the books? The responses to this question do not end with nos and yeses. We need to count. How many books are read? How many use special collections? Who goes there to read newspapers and magazines? Are the periodicals updated?

On a recent visit to Tagum, where I conducted a workshop on film education, I was brought to the upper portion of the city’s cultural center and was amazed to see the entire floor devoted to a library. This is exemplary. Then come the observa-

tion and the measurement, and the counting. Examine the names of those people coming to the library. Disaggregate them according to age and gender, and include the organization. At the end of each month, the librarian can report to the local executives and ask the question: is it all worth it?

One of the most engaging facilities in the Tagum Historical and Cultural (note the term) Center are the meeting rooms available for all users. With the permission of those utilizing the space, the Library Staff can do cursory research on the type of individuals using the space and their organization. Without disrespecting privacy, it is worthwhile also to ask them why they meet in that area and what their topics (in general) are.

Still on the indicator “open space for cultures,” the NCCA handbook explains this as the “number and size of open spaces used for cultural purposes by type of use.” To understand this concept of open cultural space is to ask the simplest question: How much do we spend on heritage? How wise is our budget for cultural sites? What venues do we favor?

Imagine at this moment our politician’s propensity to build structures that are so multi-purposed one has difficulty finding the purpose for that space. Sometimes, this is not

the issue of space but the distortion of space. In Camarines Sur, a church in Bombon known for its leaning belfry is covered entirely by, yes, a multipurpose hall.

Recall Bohol’s Virgin Island’s desecration, where vendors proliferated on that tiny space, the sandy site overtaken by vendors of overpriced meals.

From Nabunturan, part of what is now Davao de Oro, I was convinced to wake up at four in the morning for a drive to Maragusan, a place noted for the “sea of clouds.” From the heights of mountain ranges, you look down on clouds so thick you feel you could walk on them. This is Nature at one of its finest displays of grandeur and serenity. Nothing else is needed. Except, perhaps for a good cup of coffee. But proprietors of clouds have other things in their mind: heart-shaped monstrosities and tacky circles of steel draped in plastic flowers destroy what could have been the visual gift of infinity. Does this pass the test of cultural statistics?

There are many concepts in the handbook that will unsettle anthropologists. But that is fine. Cultural Statistics as we know it at present is a compelling way to count the ways —effects and impacts—of cultures.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

Climate projections again point to dangerous 2.7C rise by 2100

By Eric Roston | Bloomberg Opinion

ThEresearch partnership Climate action Tracker on Thursday released its latest projections of how greenhouse gas emissions may dangerously raise the global average temperature. The result is similar to last year’s—a troubling 2.7C increase above pre-industrial levels if policies don’t improve—but a different point of comparison adds a new dimension to the finding.

The key numbers in the updated projections:

n If current policies remain in place, the world will heat up by an average of 2.7C by 2100. That’s very, very deep into the danger zone.

n If 2030 targets are implemented, that figure drops to 2.4C—the same as CAT’s estimate last year.

n If countries pursue their stated, more aggressive carbon-cutting targets, it falls to 2C, which still fails the Paris agreement test of “well below” that very mark.

n In an optimistic scenario, where everything that can possibly go right goes right, warming is limited to 1.8C. But that’s a figure that Inger Andersen, UN Environment Program executive director, recently described as “not currently credible.”

of 1.5C. Existing gas infrastructure alone pushes the world off the International Energy Agency’s “net zero emissions” pathway by 2030. As it stands, gas use by 2030 needs to be at least 30 percent below 2021 levels.

“If this were only about replacing the Russian gas, we are totally overdoing it,” said Niklas Höhne, a climate policy scientist at Germany’s New Climate Institute who contributes to Climate Action Tracker. “And that is not good news.”

The focus on gas and its potential to thwart climate goals puts a grimmer focus on the situation than the International Energy Agency’s recent World Energy Outlook, which cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a turning point in the race toward clean energy “not just for the time being, but for decades to come,” according to IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.

International Energy Agency’s recent World Energy Outlook, which cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a turning point in the race toward clean energy “not just for the time being, but for decades to come,” according to IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.

ing that the annual UN talks would finally pay off in an agreement. Barack Obama, then in the first year of his presidency, was so eager for a deal that he flew to Copenhagen for the final, disastrous days. Small-island nations and like-minded developing countries went to Denmark pushing an aggressive temperature goal— 1.5C above the pre-industrial average—that might give them a fighting chance of survival.

economists think the price of housing might have surged in October and elevated broader inflation measures. The government measures the cost of all rents, including most rents that are under existing leases. Asking rents for new leases, though, are slowly declining.

And economists expect to see prices decline for many key goods. Used cars, which skyrocketed in price last year as shortages of computer chips sharply reduced the availability of new cars, are expected to have fallen from September to October. Wholesale used-car costs have declined steadily but have yet to show fully show up in retail prices. AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this report.

The estimates are in line with a UN report released last month projecting a 2.5C end-of-century average temperature rise if countries meet only their current commitments.

In a report detailing the projections, CAT researchers also document how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to accelerate a global rush for gas. There is more gas infrastructure proposed, approved or under construction than can likely exist without the world exceeding the Paris Agreement warming limit

The report lays down a stark dilemma: Either the gas building boom will put lower levels of global heating out of reach, or countries are rushing to construct assets that they will just as soon abandon. Some efforts by industry to curb methane emissions may be too little, too late from the standpoint of carbon accounting, according to the report. Efforts to reduce “fugitive emissions,” or infrastructure leaks, are common in many national plans, “but this misses the real challenge: to move beyond coal, oil and gas by phasing out production,” the CAT authors write. “Just as there is no such thing as ‘clean coal,’ there is also no ‘clean oil’ nor ‘clean gas’.”

The focus on gas and its potential to thwart climate goals puts a grimmer focus on the situation than the

A clear move away from gas has taken hold in places as renewable energy continues to expand, Höhne said. “These are two competing trends,” he said. “And for us, we would say it’s a bit too early to say which one will win.”

The CAT numbers are further sharpened by the hard reality that 1.2C of warming—the current level —is already bringing worse impacts than expected, he said.

Yet viewed from another perspective, the 2022 numbers are less grim: They are a vast improvement over the best case scenario at COP15 in Copenhagen, where Climate Action Tracker released its first projections.

The year 2009 was a long-distance sprint for diplomats, scientists, activists and business leaders expect-

That didn’t happen until six years later, in Paris. But near the close of the COP15 talks a consortium of researchers calling themselves Climate Action Tracker released a briefing paper with some sobering news. The most aggressive targets that developed countries were then offering would leave the world at roughly 3.2C of warming by century’s end. The less ambitious goals might bring about 3.5C of warming—and utter catastrophe.

From the standpoint of the 2009 Copenhagen COP, then, the 14th year of Climate Action Tracker is rather incredible.

“It’s 1.5C degrees better than in 2009. That’s, I think, remarkable,” said Höhne, who was the lead author of the 2009 CAT analysis.

“And it’s something that motivates me to keep doing this, because you have so much bad news. This is the good news.”

An individual UN climate conference might not seem to make much of a difference, he said. “But if you look at the system as a whole—the conferences since 2009 until now—they have definitely achieved something. Now we are in a different world.” With assistance from Janet Paskin / Bloomberg.

Ms. Clarissa Ruth s Racho-sabugo

Ms. Clarissa Ruth S. Racho-Sabugo is a graduate student at the Department of Economics of Ateneo de Manila University.

MBC PITCHES ‘ROBUST’ DISASTER RESILIENCE TO PROTECT BIZ, PEOPLE

THE Makati Business Club (MBC) is calling on the national and local govern ments to ensure “robust” disaster resilience programs in their re spective cities and municipalities to protect the country’s indus tries and people.

T he MBC made this remark after Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan underscored on Thursday that the country still faces “a considerable burden in the form of high inflation due to heightened external risks and the brunt of recent typhoons.”

B alisacan said this after the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) announcement that the Philippine economy grew by 7.6 percent in the third quarter of this year. He stressed that de spite positive growth prospects, the country is facing a “greater challenge” on disaster resilience.

“ There are many challenges both external and domestic. For us, the greater challenge is ad dressing quickly the adverse ef fects of natural disasters like the recent five typhoons in the span of a few months. That is quite dif ficult for our fellowmen especially those in agriculture...the damage was quite high,” he added.

W ith this, the socioeconomic planning secretary unveiled that one of the key features in the Phil ippine Development Plan 2023-

2028 ensures that jobs will not be easily washed away by typhoons.

“In our Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 we put a lot of em phasis on resilient growth making sure that the jobs that we create do not disappear just by the strike of one typhoon,” Balisacan said.

To be resilient from disasters, the socioeconomic planning sec retary said the government focus es on climate change adaptation measures such as reforestation and coordinated flood or water management across local govern ment units (LGUs).

“ We will ensure a timely re sponse to address the damage in flicted by extreme weather events in the country,” Balisacan noted.

I n October, based on the dam age assessment report of the De partment of Agriculture (DA) Di saster Risk Reduction and Man agement Operations Center (DADRRM OpCen), 108,594 farmers and fisherfolk lost income due to the devastation brought by Ty phoon “Karding.”

M eanwhile, tropical storm Paeng, which ravaged the regions of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the Western Vi sayas, among others, resulted in the loss of potential income of 762 farmers, according to DADRRM OpCen’s report two weeks ago. Andrea E. San Juan

Think tank advises destinations to pivot to huge Indian market

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

INDIA can be the new outbound travel powerhouse, replacing the Chinese market on which most Asia Pacific destinations rely.

F orwardKeys, in its new report released during the just concluded World Travel Market in London said, “Although India’s size as an international outbound market is largely attributable to its signifi cant global diaspora, its middleclass population is growing, and the number of outbound leisure travel ers from the country is increasing as a result.”

T he report added, “Moreover, while India’s intra-regional out bound travel market is relatively small, it had experienced more growth (+10.4 percent) than any of the other major Asia Pacific out bound markets —both interna tional and intraregional—over the five years before the pandemic. Now that the country has fully reopened, ForwardKeys expects its develop ment as an interregional outbound market to accelerate.”

B eijing continues to implement a zero-Covid policy such that travel in and out of China’s boarders remain severely restricted. “[Even] if China were to reopen next year, the eco nomic challenges currently facing the country—including a property market crisis and issues relating to the pandemic—would result in a slow travel recovery, particularly in the long-haul segment. Until China’s outbound travel market fully reacti vates, regional destinations that had developed a dependency on Chinese tourists in the years preceding the pandemic will need to shift their at tention to other important markets,” said the report.

Arrivals growing

IN 2019, China was the Philippines’s second top source market for tourists with 1.74-million arrivals, account ing for  21 percent of the 8.26 million total arrivals.

Meanwhile, Indians have a high interest in the Philippines, not just because of the country’s wealth of natural attractions and business op portunities, but also because of the

large local Filipino-Indian population.

D ata from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed India as the seventh largest source market for tourists from February 10 to Novem ber 8, despite the absence of direct flights to the Philippines. Visitors from India accounted for 2.04 percent or close to 40,000 of the 1.96-million total foreign arrivals for the period.

P ioneering flag carrier Philip pine Airlines flew between Mum bai and Manila from 2010 to 2013, but cancelled the route due to poor demand. Indian nationals are re quired to secure a visitor visa be fore traveling to the Philippines, unless they have an existing visa from the United States, Japan, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, or Schengen countries. So far, PAL has no plans to add more international routes.

Other replacement markets

FORWARDKEYS noted other pos sible alternative tourism market sources like Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. Prior to the pandemic, South Korea was the top source mar ket for tourists in the Philippines. As of November 8,  South Korea ranked second at 272,299 arrivals; while Ja pan is in sixth place at 73,054 visi tors, and Thailand is in 18th place at 12,295 visitors.

O ther top tourist markets for the Philippines were: the US, which ranked first place at 373,372 (19.04 percent of total); Australia 93,011 (4.74 percent); Canada 85,784 (4.37 percent); the UK 74,777 (3.81 per cent); and Singapore 38,270 (1.95 percent).

Founded in 2010, ForwardKeys compiles and provides air ticketing data to tourism organizations, ho tels, and retailers. Its latest report  is based on actual air tickets as of October 18, 2022, combining his toric results and booked tickets until the yearend. These bookings showed that arrivals in the Philippines was just 55 percent behind its 2019 arriv als of 8.26 million, compared to the entire Asia Pacific region which was still 76 percent of its pre-pandemic arrivals.  (See, “PHL among most visited Southeast Asian destina tions,” in the BusinessMirror , November 9, 2022.)

PBBM eyes removal of VAT on utilities, House sets study

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

to consult the DOF on what hap pened to Maynilad and Manila Wa ter; when we removed the VAT and increased the franchise tax,  hindi bumaba ang collection ng govern ment [government collection did not go down],” he said.

The committee will seriously study the removal of the VAT on utilities provided that we will in crease the franchise tax,” he added.

T he economist-lawmaker also noted that under Section 119 of the National Internal Revenue Code the franchise tax cannot be passed on to consumers.

ease the burden of Filipino con sumers reeling from the effects of the Covid pandemic and runaway inflation.

“ We refiled House Bill 5994 or the bill removing value-added tax (VAT) on systems loss in electricity, House Bill 5995 removing VAT on electricity bills, House Bill 5996 re moving VAT on toll fees , and House Bill 5997 removing VAT on water bills as concrete steps in alleviat ing the plight of Filipino consumers and lowering their bills,” said the teacher-lawmaker.

I n a news conference, House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said there was an instruction last Octo ber from the President—through his intermediary secretary—to carefully study the removal of VAT on utilities.

As soon as the relevant bills are due for discussion, we will present our findings. We are working out the committee schedule for that. PBBM gave this instruction as we have been corresponding on eco nomic issues, and as is my usual role in the administration, I give and am sought to give my advice,”

said Salceda.

We diligently study every pro posal, which may provide relief to consumers but considering the im pact on government revenues,” he added.

A ccording to Salceda, his com mittee will consult the Department of Finance as the Congress has al ready done it with Maynilad and Manila Water.

T he removal of the 12-percent VAT is due to the passage of Re public Act Nos. 11600 and 11601 granting this to Maynilad and Ma nila Water.

“ We will deal with it. We need

There is one rule: government revenues cannot decline so there will be funds for social services,” he added.

“

Definitely, we try to avoid any revenue negative action. We will try as much as possible to avoid any downgrade arising from higher deficit and debts we are very con scious of that,” said Salceda.

‘Anti-VAT’

THE Makabayan bloc led by House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro on Thursday refiled the “anti-VAT” package of bills to

“An example is that in the case of electricity by removing the 12-per cent VAT on a P2,000 electric bill of a consumer, around P240 can be saved, of the hard-earned money of consumers,” said Castro.

These bills were first filed by Bayan Muna in the previous Con gresses but we believe that the ap proval of these anti-VAT bills are more imperative now because of the dire hardships that Filipinos are enduring,” she added.

T he bloc urged the House lead ership to immediately hear these bills and added that Malacañang should also classify them as urgent as a way to help the people.

The Asean we want: Romualdez shares view

SPEAKER Martin G. Romual dez on Thursday called for a concerted effort among mem bers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to build a resilient, peaceful, and progressive regional community.

Romualdez made the statement after attending the Asean Inter-par liamentary Assembly (AIPA) inter face with Asean leaders at the Sokha Hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

R omualdez heads the Philippine delegation to AIPA, which includes Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Glona Labadlabad, chairperson of the House committee on inter-parlia mentary relations and diplomacy.

Today, we come together, as we do every year, to consolidate our efforts in building a cohesive, resilient Asean community that

is peaceful, secure and stable, but more than that, we come together to foster the closest possible rela tions with our fellow AIPA parlia mentarians,” Romualdez said.

T he House leader affirmed the Philippines’s“strong commitment to supporting AIPA in its initiatives and resolutions to make it an effec tive pillar of community building in the ASEAN region.”

Our task of preparing the state ment of the AIPA President should strengthen our vision of an AIPA that is instrumental in enhancing peace, stability, and security in the region, as well as building a prosper ous, inclusive, and people-centered community,” Romualdez said.

He also acknowledged the meet ing’s chairman, Cheam Yeab, who is the first vice president of the

National Assembly of Cambodia, members of the host country’s legislature, and delegations from ASEAN-member nations.

T he Speaker also thanked the National Assembly of Cambodia “for the warm hospitality and excellent arrangements for this meeting.”

“ We look forward to a fruitful meeting in a spirit of unity and un derstanding,” he told his colleagues in the region.

I n his message, President Ferdi nand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. ac knowledged AIPA’s important role as well as the intensified coopera tion between the executive and leg islative branches of government in harmonizing laws and regulations among ASEAN Member States and in ensuring the effective implemen tation in the region of resolutions

and decisions ASEAN has passed.

He noted that earlier this year, he had enumerated his administration’s priorities before the Philippine leg islature, which are meant to ensure and assist in post-pandemic recovery.

A mong others, Marcos noted that he called for the creation of a Medical Reserve Corps and a Na tional Disease Prevention Man agement Authority, as well as the creation of the Virology Institute of the Philippines to ensure the country is better prepared to face future public health emergencies.

M arcos also said he seeks to in crease the capacities and capabili ties of the Philippine government in the digital platform to streamline government processes and render timely and efficient service to the citizens.

Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

PRESIDENTFerdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed the House of Representatives to study the removal of value-added tax (VAT) on utilities to ease the burden of Filipinos, a leader of the House of Representatives said on Thursday.

NUTRIBUN REDUX Senator Imee Marcos distributes Nutribun to children, senior citizens and PWDs in Navotas City and Malabon City on Thursday. “We must restore the Nutribun Feeding Program's place as a viable solution to undernutrition among children. It can't remain an intermittent and sporadic advocacy,” Marcos had said in September, when she started the campaign for the program's revival. Health experts have repeatedly raised the alarm over the high rate of stunting among Filipino children, saying this has dire impacts on productivity of future generations of adults. ROY DOMINGO

JG Summit trims net loss on strong demand growth

By VG Cabuag @villygc

into the fourth quarter our stance on margin recovery remains cautious.”

petroleum gas trading.

2Go swings to profit in January-September

Conglomerate

Jg Summit Holdings Inc. said it recorded a consolidated net loss of P859 million in January to September, narrower than the P2.4-billion loss it incurred last year due to the impact of the foreign exchange losses and other mark-to-market adjustments.

Core net income for the period reached P6.5 billion, a tenfold increase from the previous year’s P600 million, driven by both the significant improvements in the operating results of its consumer-facing businesses.

During the period, the company booked a P3.2-billion gain from the sale of its 3.2-percent stake in Manila electric Co. in July.

“o u r core businesses in food, airline, real estate and banking continue to benefit from the sustained

strong demand brought about by the increase in economic activity and mobility despite the high inflationary environment while our petrochemicals business continue to suffer from weaker export demand,” Lance gokongwei, the company’s president and Ceo, said. “We have implemented strategies from gradual pricing actions and cost management initiatives to cushion the impact on our bottom line and margins. While we anticipate to finish the year stronger with topline momentum continuing

Consolidated revenues grew 34 percent to P224.8 billion for the period, with its key subsidiaries in food, property and banking posting double-digit topline growth, while its airline saw strong recovery as travel restrictions were eased.

For the third quarter alone, it had revenues of P73.7 billion, a growth of 46 percent from the previous year.

Cebu Air Inc., which owns Cebu Pacific airline, halved its losses to P12 billion during the period, as its margins were still greatly affected by higher jet fuel costs and the peso devaluation throughout the quarter.

Forward bookings have increased as the year-end holidays draw near coupled by the success of its seat sales, the company said.

Jg Summit olefins Corp. had a net loss of P9 billion for the period due to higher depreciation, interest and forex losses.

revenues fell 4 percent to P26.2 billion mainly due to lower polymer sales. This was cushioned by the fresh contributions from the sale of aromatics, butadiene and liquefied

Converge plans to go slow on capex

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. expects its capital expenditures (capex) guidance for 2023 to be “trending downward” given its massive portfolio of unused capacities.

During the announcement of its financial results for January to September, Converge Chief Financial Advisor Matthias v uk ovich said Converge currently has 5 million inactive ports in its network, which means that the company still has enough capacity to accommodate the demand for fiber broadband.

Currently, Converge has about 6.7 million fiber ports nationwide.

“We expect next year to be actually lower than higher. This does not mean we are slowing down our expansion,” he said. “We will continue to invest in hardening our network… [but] our capex should be trending downward.”

Converge is spending between P21 billion and P23 billion in capital

outlays in 2022, lower than its initial planned capex of P25 billion.

“We have been, over the last years, front loading a lot of our capex. As we are growing to be a more mature business…we will become cashflow positive. We will continue to invest in our core business and digitalization projects,” vu kovich said.

Converge booked P6.11 billion in net profits in nine months, a 17.5-percent growth from P5.20 billion the year prior, thanks to the steady growth in demand for fiber broadband.

Its top line rose by 30 percent to P24.5 billion from P18.83 billion, driven largely by its residential business.

The consumer broadband business grew by 30.5 percent to P21.36 billion from P16.37 billion, while its enterprise vertical expanded by 26.9 percent to P3.12 billion from P2.46 billion.

“Despite the macroeconomic pressures experienced throughout the year, Converge has continued to achieve solid financial growth. This was driven mainly by the growth in

our subscriber base,” said Converge President Maria grace Uy.

Currently, Converge has 1.85 million residential subscribers, 16 percent higher than the year prior. Supporting the residential subscriber growth is the rollout of fiber ports with Converge deploying more than 411,000 fiber to the home (FTTH) ports nationwide in the third quarter alone.

With its continued rollout of fiber ports, Converge’s household coverage is now at 53 percent. It is on track to reach the accelerated target to cover approximately 55 percent of households in the Philippines by 2023.

o u r fiber digital highway is now running around 600,000 kilometers, reaching our northernmost provinces in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions up to Palawan and the Bicol region, and the major islands in the v i sayas and key cities in Mindanao. And it’s not yet over. o u r mission is to reach the underserved areas in the country with our world-class fiber infrastructure,” said Converge C e o Dennis Anthony Uy.

In May, the company was forced to shut down its cracker and downstream polymers and extraction units given the weak demand for both domestic and export markets, especially with the sustained lockdowns in China and elevated freight costs.

These plants were restarted within August and September, although below full capacity, as supply-demand dynamics improve while remaining cautious due to the lingering global recession sentiment.

robinsons Bank Corp.’s net income grew 37 percent to P1.3 billion, surpassing its full-year 2021 profits, as gross profits grew 11 percent to P7.7 billion.

The equity income of the company rose 17 percent to P5.5 billion, driven by the continuing growth in energy sales and increased earnings of its power generation business in Singapore.

These results already take into account the lower ownership stake of Jg Summit at 26.4 percent as of the third quarter from 29.6 percent last year given the share sale in July.

2g o group Inc., the logistics firm owned by conglomerate SM Investments Corp., said it posted a net income of P240 million in January to September, a reversal of last year’s net loss of P939 million.

The strong performance was driven by continued growth across major business lines with a focus on the quality of revenue and customers combined with efficiencies in operations and controlled costs, the company said.

“The normalization of economic activity in the Philippines is fueling a demand for more transportation and logistics services to move goods and people across the country. We will continue working to provide customers with reliable end-to-end logistics solutions that

enable businesses, communities, and the nation as a whole,” Frederic C. DyBuncio, 2g o President and C e o, said.

The company said its revenues grew 20 percent during the period to P14 billion from the previous year’s P11.5 billion.

Shipping revenues rose 68 percent, as freight grew 47 percent, while travel grew 259 percent, the company said.

Shipping saw continued volume momentum in shipment of goods, while the passenger business continued to improve as Filipinos travel interisland, 2g o said.

Logistics and other services revenue grew 28 percent, boosted by the growth in cold chain services, forwarding and e-commerce fulfillment. VG Cabuag

THe Million Trees Foundation Inc. (MTFI) has commended San Miguel Corp. (SMC) for its continuing support to protect the environment through various projects.

Through the years SMC has always championed environmental protection even as it pursued its business interests, MTFI President and executive Director Melandrew T. velasco said in a statement.

“We have witnessed how SMC has grown to become one of the biggest businesses in the country. When we take a closer look, we cannot deny that along its growth is the company’s advocacy to promote sustainable development,” velasco said. “Aside from its various environment protection programs, SMC is also MTFI’s leading major annual donor.”

SMC has extended financial support to MTFI for the construction of

the Million Trees nursery and ecolearning Center located at the La Mesa Watershed compound in Quezon City. MTFI Chairman emeritus gen. reynaldo v velasco (ret) said SMC is MTFI’s major annual donor, providing P5 million to bankroll the construction and operations of the foundation. He recalled that during his stint as Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Administrator, SMC has supported the Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC) that he initiated.

“The Million Trees Foundation was established to ensure the success of AMTC and the foundation is grateful to have SMC as a partner in our efforts to rehabilitate critical watersheds,” velasco said.

r ecently, SMC handed over to MTFI another P5 million, making it the biggest donor in the roster of the foundation’s supporters.

“We greatly appreciate this act of generosity from SMC and its President and Ceo r a mon S. Ang. I still have to meet a business person who can approximate what r SA has done for our country’s degraded environment,” velasco said.

SMC was also a donor for the conversion of a greenhouse at the Million Trees nursery and eco Learning Center into the SMC Multipurpose Hall named eddie’s Barn in honor of the late President Fidel v r a mos.

The multipurpose hall is now being utilized as venue for ecology-related workshops and seminars. In his inspirational message read by Major general edgard Arevalo (ret) during the inauguration of the multi-purpose hall last october 23, Ang said, “We at San Miguel can only hope to make as lasting an impact on the environment as the r amoses and other notable champions.” Jonathan L. Mayuga

San Miguel backs green projects of MTFI

NGCP to file appeal against penalties slapped by ERC

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

TheNational Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) will appeal the decision of the energy Regulatory Commission (eRC) to penalize it for non-compliance with the policies on ancillary service issued by the Department of energy (DOe), according to Synergy Grid and Development Philippines Inc. (SGP).

SGP, the indirect controlling shareholder of NGCP, said t hu rsday it was informed that “NGCP intends to file a Motion for r e consideration within the period allowed by the rules and regulations.”

i t did not provide other details. t h e NGCP has yet to reply as of press time. A check with the e r C had it that NGCP has 15 days upon receipt of the order to file an appeal.

During the board meeting held November 9, SGP said it received notice from the NGCP that the erC , in a decision promulgated last October 27, imposed a penalty of P5.1 million for alleged non-compliance with DO e Department Circular 2021-10-0031, entitled “Prescribing the Policy for the tr ansparent and e f ficient Procurement of Ancillary Services by the System Operator” (AS-CSP Policy) requiring procurement of AS or reserves.

t he erC likewise directed NGCP to submit the te rms of r e ference ( t Or ) and i n structions to Bidders ( i t B) to the DOe in compliance with Section 7.4 and 7.5 of the ASCSP Policy within 30 days from receipt of the decision.

Based on the decision, the agency considered NGCP’s failure to submit the t Or and i t B as one violation; and its failure to publish and maintain on its website without prior DOe approval of the i tr and i t B , another violation.

t he NGCP said last tuesday that it was “sorely disappointed at the recent turn of events,” and that the grid operator is “still dealing with

the same economically motivated political maneuvers.”

“We were wary and defensive, given the overtly biased and intrusive political atmosphere prevailing at the time. t he relentless attacks we suffered, and the fault finding where there was no fault to be found was a clear indication to us that this, and other contemporaneous moves undertaken by certain players in the industry, were part of a larger, orchestrated plan to put their economic interests above ours, even at the expense of the consumers,” NGCP said. it did not elaborate.

Under the said DOe circular, all AS must be procured via an open and competitive process under a firm contracting agreement. t h is aims to improve transparency, competitiveness, and wide dissemination of bid opportunities among qualified facilities. For energy security, it is crucial for NGCP to meet and maintain the required reserve levels, the e r C said.

Section 7.4 of the policy requires NGCP, as System Operator (SO), prior to the publication of the i t B , to submit for DOe s approval the t Or to determine if such is consistent with the CSP policy and the draft instruction to bidders.

i n its explanation filed with the erC , the agency said the NGCP admitted that it did not comply with Section 7.4 of the AS-CSP since the said provision is allegedly not valid. Given this admission and what it deemed as an unmeritorious de-

ALI real estate investment trust’s income hits ₧2.43B

By VG Cabuag @villygc

Areit i nc. on t hu rsday said its net income in January to September rose by 35 percent to P2.43 billion from last year’s P1.79 billion, due to the contribution of the assets it acquired in 2021 and the continuing stability of its tenancy and operations.

t he real estate investment trust of property developer Ayala Land i nc. (AL i ) said the figure excludes the fair value change in investment properties and the one-time gain on finance lease.

r e venues for the period grew to P3.55 billion, a 68-percent increase from the previous year’s P2.11 billion.

“Areit reported an average occupancy rate of 97 percent and a rental collection rate of 98 percent as of September,” it said.

For the third quarter alone, the company said it had a net income

growth of 69 percent to P814.21 million from the previous year’s P481.29 million. r e venues, meanwhile, also grew at the same pace to P1.19 billion from last year’s P703.35 million.

During the company’s regular board meeting held October 11, the company declared a P0.49 per share in cash dividends from operations in the third quarter of the year, bringing the total dividends to P1.46 per share for the nine months, 12 percent higher year-on-year.

t h e company filed with the Securities and e x change Commission last June, the deed of exchange on the infusion involving six Cebu-based office buildings. i t is awaiting regulatory approvals for this second property-forshare swap with its sponsor Ayala Land within the year. t h is transaction will expand Areit’s gross leasable area to 673,000 square meters.

fense, the erC found the NGCP in violation of its obligations under Section 7.4.

Section 7.5 of the AS-CSP policy requires the t h ird-Party Bids and Awards Committee ( t P BAC) to publish and post the i t B in accordance with the periods specified in the DOe Circular. t he erC said it found that when NGCP proceeded to publish and post the i t B without prior DOe approval, it committed a violation of said provision of the AS-CSP policy.

NGCP said it submitted to the DOe the appropriate submissions on AS-CSP. However, “as if timed to the hour, the erC show-cause [order] was issued the very next day,” the NGCP said.

“On the alleged willful disregard mentioned by the erC , this has to be put in the proper context, and our acts shouldn’t be taken in isolation,” it added.

t he NGCP is willing to cooperate with the industry leadership “if

vested interests are set aside, and fairness made to prevail,” hoping that “national economic recovery and energy stability will be prioritized above self-interest.”

t he erC decision further stated that no amount of monetary penalty can sufficiently equate to or compensate for the willful disregard by NGCP of validly issued regulations of the government and its administrative agencies.

SGP indirectly owns 60 percent of the outstanding capital stock of NGCP, SGP’s sole operating asset, with an effective equity interest of 40.2 percent.

NGCP holds a 25-year concession and a 50-year Congressional franchise to expand and operate the country’s power transmission grid. NGCP is the sole and exclusive operator of the country’s nationwide transmission network linking the power generators and distribution utilities to deliver electricity to end-users.

200.38  -15.29%  -8.23%  -7.27%  -14.03%

-4.87%  -23.3%

-14.72%

-6.1%  -14.69%  phiLAM

-6.22%  -14.8%  phiLequiTY

-4.94%  -4.08%  -15.7%

phiLequiTY

31.8567  -14.2%  -6.66%  -4.92%  -12.95%  phiLequiTY

-A 0.8092  -15.7%  -8.36%  N A -14.04%

4.2727  -15.09%  -7.46%  -5.44%  -13.87%

phiLequiTY

711.74  -15.29%  -7.53%  -5.46%  -14.09%

-17.75%  -11.1%  -8.03%  -15.36%

Banking&Finance

Crypto-exchange FTX hurtles toward bankruptcy with $8B hole, US probe

THE crisis engulfing Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX.com is rapidly worsening, with the onetime crypto wunderkind warning of bankruptcy if his firm can’t secure funds to cover a shortfall of as much as $8 billion.

Bankman-Fried informed investors of the gap on Wednesday, shortly before rival exchange Binance abruptly scrapped a takeover offer. He said FTX.com needed $4 billion to remain solvent and is attempting to raise rescue financing in the form of debt, equity, or a combination of the two, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

“I f---ed up,” Bankman-Fried told investors on the call, according to people with knowledge of the conversation. He said he would be “incredibly, unbelievably grateful” if investors could help.

Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and chief executive officer of FTX Cryptocurrency Derivatives Exchange, speaks during the Institute of International Finance (IIF) annual membership meeting in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. This year’s conference theme is “The Search for Stability in an Era of Uncertainty, Realignment and Transformation.”

An FTX representative declined to comment.

The acknowledgment of his firm’s deepening troubles and limited options is a stunning turn for Bankman-Fried, who was once worth $26 billion and likened to John Pierpont Morgan. It also underscores the uncertainty hanging over FTX, its clients and cryptocurrency markets. US authorities are investigating FTX, the vast bulk of BankmanFried’s wealth has evaporated and rivals are benefiting from his woes. Robinhood Markets Inc. has seen its biggest crypto inflows ever in the last two days, Chief Executive Officer Vlad Tenev said Thursday. Binance and Coinbase Global Inc. have also seen large inflows, data from CryptoQuant show.

Investor Sequoia Capital wrote down the full value of its holdings in FTX.com and FTX.us, an indication that the firm sees no clear path to recouping its investment.

Big-name backers

HANGING in the balance as the exchange teeters is not just the fate of its investors and lenders

but anyone who has been unable to retrieve customer assets since it halted some withdrawals earlier in the week. The failure of crypto firms Celsius and Voyager saw billions in client money tied up in bankruptcy proceedings.

FTX has a prominent list of backers such as Sequoia Capital, BlackRock Inc., Tiger Global Management and SoftBank Group Corp. Still, Bankman-Fried remained defiant during a hectic period of roughly 24 hours that included mounting speculation that Binance wouldn’t go through with the deal.

He repeatedly told investors during the conference call on Wednesday afternoon that it was simply not true that Changpeng Zhao was walking away from the takeover, the person said.

About an hour later, Binance said it was indeed backing out.

“Our hope was to be able to support FTX’s customers to provide liquidity, but the issues are beyond our control or ability to help,” Binance, the crypto exchange founded by Zhao, said in a statement.

Drawing attention IN addition to the financial strains, FTX is drawing attention from US authorities.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are investigating whether the firm properly handled customer funds, as well as its relationship with other parts of Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire, including his trading house Alameda Research, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday. Officials from the Justice Department also are working with SEC attorneys, one of the people said.

Zhao said in a memo earlier on Wednesday that there was no “master plan” to take over FTX, and that “user confidence is severely shaken.”

The renewed concern about contagion risk is showing up in the plunging prices of digital assets. Bitcoin fell below $16,000, the lowest in two years, after Binance’s announcement.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said in a Bloomberg TV interview last Tuesday that if the deal with Binance fell through, it would likely mean FTX customers would take losses.

“That’s a not a good thing for anybody,” he said. Bloomberg News

Associations and Banking

THERE is no arguing that associations and business organizations learn from each other on management practices and models. For example, some businesses have adopted the associations’ membership-like activities while some associations have undertaken business-like revenue generating ventures.

Coming from a banking background, I ‘m sharing some banking terms that may create ideas for associations:

1. KYC Know Your Customer).

KYC requires that financial institutions make an effort to verify the identity, suitability, and risks involved with maintaining a business relationship. Tweaking KYC into KYM (Know Your Member) in the association context, not from the risk perspective, but for member engagement may be worth exploring.

Creating member personas (refer to my post here entitled, “Association Member Personas,” February 21, 2018 https://businessmirror.com. ph/2018/02/21/association-memberpersonas/) is an example of KYM.

2. Relationship Manager. The position of relationship manager has been made permanent in most banks and the job description, in general, includes building client rapport, giving personalized advice, and providing quick responses to

inquiries. Associations are in the relationship-building business and can learn from what banks have been doing in this area.

3. Private banking. This consists of personalized financial services and products offered to high net-worth clients of a bank and include a wide range of wealth management services provided under one roof. Associations can adopt this concept with a twist, having a one-stop hub for premium members, for example.

4. Banking day. A business day during which an office of a bank is open to the public for substantially all of its banking functions. In like manner, associations may organize, for example, an “Association Day.”

5. Grace period. An amount of time when a borrower can delay making a payment on a loan or credit card account without paying a penalty or incurring interest charges. An association, for instance, can offer an extended time for members to pay their annual membership dues.

6. Mobile banking. Refers to

‘No foregone revenues if coal tariffs permanently removed’

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas @jearcalas & Lenie Lectura @llectura

ing “for the consideration of the body—the commission in modification—that we need to remove the tariff on coal.”

need a stable, reliable and sufficient energy supply.”

Stability, predictability

INDEPENDENT

power producers (IPPs) believe there is more to lose if tariffs on all types of coal would remain while a permanent removal of these would see more gains to the country and not impact revenues.

“Tariff removal would diversify the country’s import sources ensuring energy security and there is no foregone revenue as we traditionally import from Afta [Asian Free Trade Area] countries,” said Anne EstorcoMontelibano, president of the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association Inc. (PIPPA).

Montelibano spoke during a Tariff Commission hearing last Wednesday when she also said the group supports the petition by the Foundation for Economic Freedom. The nongovernment group FEF seeks to extend lower tariff rates on coal products under the tariff heading 2701.11.00, 2701.12.10, 2701.12.90 and 2701.19.00.

Members of the PIPPA are: SMC Global Power Holdings Corp.; Aboitiz

Power Corp.; Semirara Mining and Power Corp.; First Gen Corp.; Quezon Power Philippines Ltd. Co.; AC Energy Corp.; TeaM Energy Corp.; Filinvest Development Corp.; and, Meralco PowerGen Corp.

The FEF, on the other hand, is managed by Trustees led by former Finance Secretary Roberto De Ocampo and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe M. Medalla.

The FEF petitioned the extension of Executive Order (EO) 171 that lowered tariff rates on various imported commodities, which include coal products.

Export ban MONTELIBANO said that aside from supporting the position of the FEF, the Pippa is also propos-

“Our rationale for this is we need to diversify imported coal sources.”

Montelibano, also a lawyer, explained that it has become imperative for the Philippines to diversify its coal sources amid geopolitical uncertainty surrounding Indonesia, which accounts for 99 percent of the Philippines coal imports.

She said that 99 percent of the country’s coal imports for power are sourced from Indonesia. She emphasized that “the January event, the coal export ban, exposed significant risks due to our dependence on Indonesian coal.”

Coal-fired power plants account for almost 60 percent of the country’s total power supply mix.

According to Montelibano, the political and regulatory uncertainty in Indonesia “poses an ongoing risk for the export ban recurring.”

Hence, she urges that the Philippines should explore other sources of coal amid increasing worldwide coal prices.

“There is a need to ensure [the country’s] energy security,” she said.

“This is the most important as we are recovering from a post-pandemic world and we are trying to achieve our goals to fully develop our country, we

BASED on the Pippa’s estimates, the economy loses about P556 million for the loss of 500 megawatts in five hours.

Aboitiz Power Corp. Assistant Vice President for Fuel Management Team Mark John C. Lim said the permanent tariff removal will be “most ideal for us because that will enable us to contract longer term and provide more stability and predictability in terms of pricing.”

“This year, it has been helpful that tariffs were lifted temporarily but that also only enabled us to purchase on spot basis, meaning within the year,” Lim said. “But it has not able to give us enough stability to buy longer term because of the unpredictability of tariffs.”

The group estimated that an increase by $100 per metric ton of coal in the world market translates to an additional P1.7 per kilowatt-hour in terms of fuel cost.

Montelibano said that the Philippines loses P556 million in just five hours “if we don’t have stable electricity.

“Every time we experience a blackout or brownout, it greatly impacts our economy to the point that we lose that much,” she emphasized.

Bank pledges 10,000 trees at the La Mesa Watershed

SECURITY

Bank Corp. announced that it and Security Bank Foundation Inc. (SBFI) committed to plant 10,000 seedlings at the La Mesa Watershed over the next five years, contributing to reforestation efforts that began in 1999.

In a statement, the lender said that Security Bank employees planted 2,000 seedlings of Lago and Malapapaya trees at the watershed. This was in partnership with a program of the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. This program, according to the lender, has been serving the community in protecting one of the biggest sources of clean water in Metro Manila.

The La Mesa Watershed is the largest rainforest in Metro Manila and the region’s major source of potable water. The activity involved

more than 200 employee volunteers and generated 1,600 volunteer hours. The lender said SBFI is this year’s top private donor for La Mesa Watershed reforestation.

“We know and understand that protecting the environment is critical to uplifting the quality of lives. Our commitment represents 45 percent of the La Mesa Watershed’s remaining area for reforestation. By planting these seedlings, we will help increase the country’s forest cover, offset carbon emissions that affect global warming, prevent flooding, and ensure the cleanliness of Metro Manila’s water supply,” said Melissa R. Aquino, trustee and corporate secretary of SBFI, the lender’s corporate social responsibility arm. The commitment to plant 10,000

trees in five years will be complimented by environmental education efforts, which is also in line with the bank’s education advocacy, the lender said.

“Security Bank Foundation’s adoption of 25 hectares of the La Mesa Watershed for five years is proof of their long-term commitment to protecting and preserving the environment; the ABS-CBN Foundation is honored to be a partner in their advocacy,” said Joseph Alfonso T. Ascalon, head of the ABSCBN Foundation program called “Bantay Kalikasan.”

The lender said that prior to the tree-planting event, employees of SBFI and Security Bank’s Sustainability Unit conducted virtual learning session with employees on the

importance of climate change, the bank’s sustainability efforts, and how employees can contribute to achieving the Bank’s sustainability goals.

“We are determined to build a society that values sustainability and the protection of our natural resources to ensure the future of the coming generations. Through this landmark project with the La Mesa Watershed and the ABS-CBN Foundation, we are one step closer in fulfilling the reforestation target set for La Mesa,” said Jeanne Nicole B. Lizares, head of the Sustainability Unit of Security Bank.

The lender said the SBFI continues to support education through its flagship program that build new classrooms.

BDO Trust wins Asset Management Award

availing banking services with the help of a mobile phone which associations can turn into member services via mobile phone apps or, in a larger context, an online community where members can access many more services.

7. Lender of last resort. This is when a financial institution from which one can turn to for urgently need funds has already exhausted all other options. An association can be a service provider of last resort or a “go-to” place for its members needing assistance to grow their business in the case of a trade association, or further develop their career in case of a professional association.

Postscript: I actually tried most of these banking-related ideas with good results when I was leading an association of development banks. Even today, I find them handy in my new job managing a sustainability advocacy organization. In the end, adopting banking business practices in associations may be a good idea for you.

Octavio B. Peralta is currently the executive director of the Global Compact Network Philippines and founder and volunteer CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives, the “association of associations.” The PCAAE is holding its Associations Summit 10 (AS10) on November 23 and 24, 2022. E-mail: bobby@pcaae.org.

BDOTrust and Investments Group (BDO Trust) announced it won the Asset Management Award for the fifth straight year at “The Asset Triple A Sustainable Investing Awards.”

In a statement, BDO Trust said it “continues to demonstrate its leadership in product and service innovation through constant improvements on its investment offerings.”

The bank said one of these is a pension product. The lender said this product “is a comprehensive corporate retirement plan solution designed to help companies fulfill retirement benefit obligations efficiently while encouraging loyalty from employees and improving their talent recruitment and retention outcomes.”

Another newly-created product that BDO calls “Money Manager,” designed to help retail clients develop a well-diversified portfolio to reach their long term investment goals.

The lender said “enhancements are also being carried out” to enable customers have full mobile access on BDO’s (Unit Investment Trust Funds (UITF) and Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) with its “easy investment plan” capabilities for all UITF products, and a full-service online functionality for smoother transactions.

“These technology-driven ini-

tiatives aim to give customers an easy and accessible investment platform, which also supports BDO’s sustainability efforts in reducing carbon footprint,” the

lender said. “While BDO Invest Online and BDO Mobile Banking offer convenience, BDO Trust continues to leverage on BDO’s vast network and reach with more than 1,500 branches nationwide.”

“Our clients are at the center of what we do and we consistently find ways to achieve their business goals,” Rafael G. Ayuste Jr., senior vice president and head of BDO Trust, was quoted in the statement as saying.

“I am truly proud of my diligent and persevering team who continues to deliver for the past 5 years and enhance customer journeys.”

According to BDO, the Asset Triple A Awards “recognize companies that have established a comprehensive platform for investing across various asset classes and servicing the needs of institutional, corporate and retail clients.”

“They have consistently shown exceptional performance and set the tone for innovation and industry practice including ESG (environmental, social and governance) integration,” the bank said. “The Awards judges use highly stringent criteria which include client feedback, testimonials and information gathered during the review period.”

Apart from the “Asset Awards,” BDO Trust said it has received multiple recognitions internationally from various prestigious publications.

Octavio Peralta

Association World

Ayuste JR.

Relationships

THIS week, we were treated to the rantings of one lawmaker who believes media should only publish what is good and beautiful about the Philippines.

He sought journalists’ help to uplift the country’s image abroad, after the United Nations Human Rights Council took the Philippine government to task over its so-called “war on drugs” and the killings of media practitioners, which has had a chilling effect on the profession.

He even cited the recent execution of broadcaster Percy Lapid, implying it was a one-off since government immediately worked to investigate and solve the crime. (The National Bureau of Investigation, however, posits that there may be others higher than the alleged mastermind, the former Bureau of Corrections chief, who ordered the hit. Lapid’s family, represented by veteran journalist and former Foreign Affairs reporter Roy Mabasa, thinks the list of over a hundred suspects in the killing of his brother should include a former government official.)

The lawmaker tries to disprove the common belief among workers in our profession that the Lapid killing has had a chilling effect on our industry, by inviting us to China where media isn’t free to write anything contrary to the Communist Party’s line. (Here he goes referring to China again, even after his recent lost-in-translation episode.) In his eagerness to prove that Philippine media is free, he also cites the situation in Malaysia and Vietnam, where the press is censored. Imagine this guy becoming ambassador when he’s through being a politician.

For all his years in politics, this lawmaker still doesn’t get the relationship between government and media. An event happens, we ask questions, and we inform the public the facts of the matter. If an issue involves a politician or government official, media will publish his side. All of these to provide clarity to the issue.

However, media isn’t government’s propaganda arm; state officials understand this—that’s why they hire publicists (or pay for troll farms) to toot their horns. Journalists are not required, nor is it our responsibility, to “beautify” the country’s image. Even lifestyle journalists, who may write pieces about how great Manila is for visiting tourists, will truthfully mention that traffic here is hell, and taking public transportation is like playing the slots...you lose lots of money at more times before hitting the jackpot (that would be a safe, convenient ride). Or what about that largely laughable e-arrival card that just replaced the confusing One Health Pass?

While it’s true that Philippine media is relatively free to write about news events and the general goings-on in society, they do so with a lot of anxiety. You can see it in the way many of them ask questions these days of people in authority. There are more questions that enable officials to blow hard, before the more incisive reporters ask the pointed questions that get to the meat of the matter, or topic at hand.

That’s because reprisals against journalists and broadcasters are all too real. According to the

National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, 196 journalists have been killed since 1986, with Lapid’s murder being the 197th, and the second since July this year. The Committee to Protect Journalists World Impunity Index of 2021 ranks the Philippines number seven among countries where journalists are killed, while perpetrators remain scot-free.

The Philippine media didn’t have to “blow up” the news of Lapid’s killing, as also claimed by the lawmaker, because it was so shocking and fearsome, even the ambassadors of foreign countries who reside here were alarmed. Their embassies, in fact, issued statements warning how media killings have a “chilling effect that curtails the ability of journalists to report news freely and safely.”

Media didn’t give the murder of Lapid undue publicity...that is, unless the lawmaker thought it was a small incident that shouldn’t have been reported at all. It’s irresponsible statements like these coming from a supposed respectable politician that are pushing the public to turn against real journalists, and on to fake news purveyors who serve to foment divisiveness in society.

In the many years I’ve worked as a journalist, I’ve known our industry to be mainly fair and objective in the issues and people we cover. Of course, there are a few bad eggs in our profession, the same as any, but most of us authentic media practitioners follow the basic tenets of journalism in the search for the truth.

In a similar vein, as a journalist with some 30 years of work under my belt, I’ve also observed a number of politicians behave foolishly, and state executives working mostly to their benefit instead of the taxpayers.

Perhaps the lawmaker can enjoin other government officials to do their jobs better and implement policies that ease the burdens of ordinary Filipinos. Being in positions of power, they can foster a more conducive atmosphere for living here in the Philippines, so we don’t have to keep writing about their incompetencies and inefficient government processes. That will make for a truly beautiful Philippines. n

haven’t heard from your friend’

Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Anthony Hill, 35; Leonardo DiCaprio, 48; Demi Moore, 60; Marc Summers, 71.

HAppY BIRTHDAY: Trust in your ability to develop solutions and unique ways to improve the world and your life. Put a ceiling on spending by considering what’s necessary, and you’ll get the most for the least this year. A change will tempt you, but before you begin, map out a plan that doesn’t infringe on your financial, physical or emotional safety. Your numbers are 4, 18, 20, 23, 31, 35, 42.

aARIES (March 21-April 19): Trust in your strength, ability and courage to follow through and get things done on time. A gathering will give insight into possibilities. Talk to someone who has always supported you, and it will help you decide what to do next. HHHH

bTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keep your money, belongings and ideas to yourself. Gather information, prepare yourself for change and arrange to spend time with someone who helps you maintain a positive attitude. Don’t give in to outside influences. Do what’s best for you. HHH

cGEMINI (May 21-June 20): Put your energy where it counts. Take care of business and leave nothing to chance. Keep busy and avoid temptation. Update your knowledge and skills to match what’s trending. HHH

dCANCER (June 21-July 22): Engage in something that will give you a platform to share your thoughts or physical skills. Your impact on someone will help bring about change in your community or core group. HHH

eLEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Problems will crop up at home if you move things around or change your schedule without getting approval first. A partnership will experience a difference of opinion and require patience and fancy footwork to avoid a fallingout. Don’t risk your health or wealth. HHH

fVIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Be careful how you delegate work, or you may end up being phased out by someone you least expect. Don’t trust anyone with information that is time sensitive. Be aware of what others do or say. HH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your mind will be in overdrive. Study something you want to pursue, and you’ll be well on your way to accomplishing what you want. A social event will give you access to people who can enlighten you about things you hadn’t considered. HHHHH

hSCORpIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take the high road, regardless of the path others choose. Don’t limit what you can do by making unrealistic promises to someone who wouldn’t do the same for you. Keep your eye on your goal and your money in a safe place. HHH

iSAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Spend time with someone who has been there for you. Listen to grievances and offer solutions. Hands-on help will be appreciated, and the rewards will be better than anticipated. Don’t share information you receive, or someone will blame you for being irresponsible. HHH

jCApRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change will brighten your day. Switch your routine, and engage in something that offers a different perspective on life, love and happiness. Indulge in a pursuit that helps a cause that concerns you. HHH

kAQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Push through and don’t stop until you are happy with the results. Refuse to let anyone ruin your day or stand in your way. Concentrate on what pleases you and encourages you to improve your balance between work and play. HHHHH

lpISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Less drama will improve your day. Sidestep someone’s revenge or scam by focusing on you, how you look and getting involved in a pursuit that makes you feel good about yourself and how you live. HH

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are spontaneous, distinctive and charismatic. You are relentless and extravagant.

H: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. HH: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. HHH: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. HHHH: Aim high; start new projects. HHHHH: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

BY GUILHERME GILIOLI

The Universal Crossword/Edited by Anna Gundlach

se asOn t wO Of max Original ‘gOssiP girl’ Premieres

the second season of the max original Gossip Girl debuts on December 1, available to stream on hBo Go. Developed by showrunner Joshua Safran, a writer and executive producer on the original series, the new series is based on the bestselling novels by Cecily von Ziegesar and the original show, developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. it’s the second semester of junior year, and Gossip Girl is leaving no stone unturned in her effort to control the scandalous lives/spin the scandalous lies of manhattan’s elite. She’s learned a thing or two from her first go-round— namely, what her audience wants, they shall get. it’s time for her turn the heat up on what’s been simmering (Julien, have you met monet?) as well as look at her own impact, and how she can make it more catastrophic than it was before. even if that means lying to do it. old enemies, new allies, constantly shifting sands—this semester, there can only be one queen, and by the end of the school year, everyone will know where the bodies are buried, and just who was holding the shovel.

the cast of the second season, includes Jordan a exander, eli Brown, thomas Doherty, tavi Gevinson, emily alyn Lind, evan mock, Zion moreno, Whitney Peak, Savannah Lee Smith and Grace Duah. michelle trachtenberg guest stars. audiences can stream or download Gossip Girl Season 1, which debuted in July 2021 on hBo Go more information is available at www.hbogoasia.ph.

PaPa Obet gives back this christmas thrOugh latest single ‘regalO’

DiSC jock Papa obet releases his newest self-composed Christmas ballad under Gma music, titled “regalo.” the song is now available on all streaming platforms worldwide. the song is about what’s going on in people’s minds and their feelings as Christmas draws near. it’s not about wanting material things, but being in the presence of one’s family, friends, coworkers, or even pets in this season of giving.

Papa obet is delighted to release another self-written Christmas song this year: “this is my second Christmas song and gusto kong mag-ipon ng Christmas songs so masaya talaga ako to release this. Matagal ko na kasi itong naisulat at nalagyan ng tono.” he also shares his inspiration in writing “regalo”: “Kung ano ’yung tumatakbo sa isip ng mga tao, kung ano ’yung nararamdaman nila kapag sumasapit ’yung Pasko at ano ’yung feels pag Pasko. Kung ididikit ko ito sa isang specific situation, para ito sa mga oF W.

Hindi lang ito for romantic relationships, pwede rin itong relasyon sa pamilya, sa kaibigan, o sa mahalagang bagay na ating tini-treasure. ’Yung parang last Christmas kasama kita pero ngayon bakit wala ka na, eh ayaw kong makatanggap ng materyal na bagay, ang gusto kong ma-receive ay ikaw, ’yung presence mo “So ’yun ang gusto kong ihatid, na importante ’yung presensya this Christmas kumpara sa materyal na bagay na mari-receive natin.”

Forcing destinies in Lav Diaz’s ‘When the Waves are Gone’

in destiny, the individuals in the film face fate as a disclosure, not a contract.

There are three acts in When the Waves. One moves around Hermes, one of the best investigators in the organization. He has the burden and honor of having sent his mentor to jail. Out of duty. Primo is the mentor. He does not forget what his protegee has done to him. He crosses the sea, a demented Acheron out in search for souls to ferry. He converts the first follower, a lowly boatman.

comes to this island and seeks the company of women, to perform and minister for them. He is a pastor without a cult. The truth that consumes him is his desire to kill Hermes because that will make the latter real and his recrimination proper.

SOMETHING has changed in the film of Lav Diaz. I like the shift. It is a tremor underneath the story, a trembling within those frames. A nervousness is felt—a fear more terrifying than any fear—and then it comes, the breakdown happening inward and outward, threatening all moving images on site and on sight. The film: When the Waves are Gone.

The novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas is mentioned as the takeoff point for Diaz this time (Dostoyevsky is said to have fueled the sweep of Ang Babaing Humayo). Does this explain why the proportion in its plot is massive, sometimes exaggerated at certain points? Monumental, each character arc takes on bigger-than-life personas in operas, the plot moving on a track that borrows from storms rather than from screenplays. I see here a film that has freed itself of many things—from time and space and their impositions of control as well as their gratuity. Remember, we are dealing here with a filmmaker whose past visions were embedded in cinemas that went from 10 to nine hours, then settling for the four hours, and now this—a three-hour presentation and a bit more of parables.

Indulge me: this review has been urged by Verdi’s opera, La Forza del Destino, a favorite opera and an obsession for me. As with all operas, La Forza is huge. It romances the notion of destiny as relentless. It binds star-crossed individuals to love or its extreme opposite.

Destiny is a force as well in When the Waves are Gone But while the characters in Verdi’s opera are caught

Charo returns to the spotlight

have the idea of who we are as people.”

Thus, it is very apt that ABS-CBN Films Restoration would pay tribute to this passionate woman and her countless contributions to Philippine cinema in Sagip Pelikula Spotlight, featuring the online screenings of her restored classics, including the comedy classic My Juan En Only

Primo has to deal with vengeance while Hermes is tortured by the most difficult place in his biography, his home. There, his sister stands to remind him of the filial duties he has forgotten.

In the confrontations of these three characters are the most amazing mise-en-scene in the history of Philippine cinema and an application of chiaroscuro reaching a point of indulgence. Using a 16mm camera, Larry Manda, the director of photography, encounters a similar exciting problem the great Romy Vitug did in the third segment of Lino Brocka’s Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa. Rendered in sepia, the cinematography of Bukas, Madilim, Bukas has lights breaking out, dissipating shadows and lines, and yet coming out of this monochromatic experience in gothic splendor.

In When the Waves, direction, production design (many “found” landscapes and seascapes) and cinematography work to present the darkest of darkness, the blackest of black, and a washed out background to three actors who have thrown caution to the four winds. We begin with Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, a presence. Known for her calculating artistry, Buencamino in When the Waves delivers a frighteningly new characterization, negating all restraint required before a camera and acquiring this spread-eagle gestures, ready to fly and pick with her talon from the ground any request for forgiveness or expression of regret. As sister to Hermes, she frightens her own brother. CenteneraBuencamino is a thespian of great majesty here.

The avenging investigator, Primo, is played by Ronnie Lazaro. The actor, an old reliable, has always been self-effacing but this time he choreographs his cruelty to the rhythm of madness and silliness. He

Finally, John Lloyd Cruz is Hermes. Essential. Compelling. He arrives in front of their home in the village, a wayward angel at the portal of hell and heaven. His sister drives him away as he falls to the ground. The next scene, Nerissa is Pieta—a tableau vivant of an earlier reference to the photographs of Raffy Lerma of victims of the Duterte drug war— cleaning the scabs from the scalp of her brother.

Hermes speaks of the disease as guilt and conscience.

In one of the most unforgettable scenes in the film, Cruz’s Hermes steps out of the dark into the street and dances a jig, on and on. Grace and absurdity cloak this man whose despair is another man’s redemption.

Primo comes down to seek Hermes, who has then ran into the night.

Hermes and Primo would find each other eventually because for them death and destiny are merely two sides of the same coin. With the sea behind them, sensed but not seen, the two men settle a grudge, natural and narcissistic. The beauty of negation is disclosed as we learn from this film upholding meaninglessness lessons not necessarily moral, but physical—in our guts, as all good works of art do. Given the relative brevity of When the Waves Diaz has a piece that will enter our consciousness not because the tale is told with forever as an ideal but because of its ephemera held in moments of lucidity and fantasy, how we have this capacity to kill, then to understand and be in love again.

When the Waves are Gone was part of the recently completed 35th Tokyo International Film Festival.

I want to express my gratitude for the festival for allowing me access to the films in the festival.

The production companies behind the film are Sine Olivia Pilipinas, Epicmedia, Films Boutique, and Rosa Filmes. Listed as film producers are Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Joaquim Sapinho and JeanChristophe Simon; with Eva Jacobsen, Mikkel Jersin and Katrin Pors as co-producers. n

affection which always ends up in silly mishaps.

AS a fan of Charo Santos-Concio, I am glad to learn that this formidable media personality, known by many as “Ma’am Charo,” too, is a fan. Well, not of myself but a movie fan in general. It is in fact her being a fan that drove her passion for restoring and archiving classic Filipino films she is a fan of.

In an interview with ABS-CBN Films Restoration head Leo Katigbak, she said, “It’s coming from the fact that I am a movie fan. I grew up watching [classic] films and saw the need to fix and restore these for future generations because it reflects our culture and the changes within our society. That is where you

The latest installment of its Spotlight series recognizes Ma’am Charo’s work as an actress with her performances in Kisapmata, Itim and Brutal, among others; and also as a producer of some of the country’s most seminal films, including Himala, Soltero and Oro, Plata, Mata

Kicking off the Spotlight series for Charo, Sagip Pelikula brings viewers the restored version of her 1982 comedy classic My Juan En Only, costarring alongside Comedy King Dolphy, with Panchito, Babalu, Paquito Diaz, Bibeth Orteza and more.

The family-romance comedy tells the story of Juan (Dolphy), a beloved businessman in his provincial town known for his countless acts of generosity to others. His heart of gold also catches the attention of the town’s seamstress, Akang (Charo). He becomes her secret admirer constantly giving her gifts to show his

But their happy love story turns topsy-turvy when Juan’s siblings from the city enter the picture to spend time with him by imposing their urban preoccupations on his humble lifestyle. Little does he know that some of his siblings are conspiring with their uncle to ruin his relationship with Akang in fear of losing much of Juan’s supposed inheritance for them.

The digitally-restored My Juan En Only, featuring a pre-show interview with Charo herself, is now streaming on KTX. Passes are available at bit.ly/ MyJuanOnKTX for only P150.

Netflix, meanwhile, has added Himala and Oro Plata Mata to its library of Filipino film titles. They are just the first two films that ABS-CBN Film Restoration has digitally restored and remastered to be available on demand via the streaming giant. One of Dolphy’s most iconic films of all time, Markova: Comfort Gay, is also now among its film offers.

Audiences can also watch the restored versions of Star Cinema’s all-time romantic hits, such as One More Chance, Now That I Have You, Dubai and Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit.

Shamaine CenteneraBuenCamino and John Lloyd Cruz in the Lav Diaz film When the Waves are Gone.

Meralco unit MPower ramps up support for DepEd’s K-12 education program

MPOWER , the local retail electricity supplier of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), and its partners have poured in over P8 million for various education programs that benefitted some 3,000 kindergarten students in 19 schools in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

In line with the resumption of face-to-face classes this year, MPower recently donated P875,000 worth of school supplies to seven beneficiary schools which include printers, hard drives, as well as hygiene products and antigen test kits.

Amid modular and blended learning during the height of the pandemic, 12 schools received P1.2 million worth of school items, including headphones and microphones to help teachers in their transition to online distance learning set-up.

The Back-to-School Donation Drive was an extension of MPower’s flagship Kinder Classroom Project which started in 2015 in support of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) requirement to have kindergarten included in a child’s formal schooling.

Since the inception of the Kindergarten Classroom Project, MPower has already turned over nine kindergarten classrooms to beneficiary schools with the help of donations

from partners worth around P6 million.

The beneficiary schools are Lagundi Elementary School in Plaridel, Bulacan; Malabon Elementary School in Malabon; San Antonio Elementary School in San Pedro, Laguna; Dela Paz Main Elementary School in Biñan, Laguna; and Halang Elementary School in Naic, Cavite.

One Meralco Foundation, the social development arm of Meralco, has been MPower’s principal partner in the procurement of items, facilitation of constructions of classroom and their turnover.

With OMF’s support, MPower continues

to make a lasting impact to the lives of Filipino children by supporting quality education and nation-building.

In 2021, MPower received the 2021 Gold Award from Zuellig Pharma Corporation and the 2020 Outstanding Partner of DepEd City Schools Division of Biñan for its Kindergarten Classroom Project and back-to-school program initiatives.

MPower was also recognized by local governments of Plaridel, Bulacan and Malabon City for its innovative and integrated approach in support of public education.

MVP Group Explores New Sustainability Frontiers in 2nd Group Sustainability Summit

Achieve fizz-free, naturally straight hair with new hair care products from Brazil

IF you are looking for the healthiest and most effective way to achieve ultra-smooth, frizz-free, and naturally straight hair that’s perfect for your holiday festivities, we found the right product for you; a salon professional product at zero percent Formaldehyde and zero percent harmful chemicals that can provide that ultra-sleek hair for more than three months is now available in the Philippines.

Straight from Brazil, New Summit Colors Distribution Inc., the company that exclusively distributes Revlon Professional, American Crew, and CND brought us another wonderful product, this time in the hair straightening category, Argila Amazonia.

Experts say that the key to ultra-sleek hair is the formula of the product being used by the stylist. That is why we searched for a product and a stylist that has both the perfect solution to achieve that beautiful straight hair and in the midst of it all. We were introduced to Argila Amazonia, a product formulated free of formaldehyde, parabens, ammonia or any other chemical that could be considered harmful. However, we took an extra effort to get to know Argila Amazonia by learning its ingredients.

White Clay from Amazon: White Clay is a rare and extremely pure substance, found only on the Island of Marajo. The island, located where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean, is one of the best-preserved ecological sanctuaries in Brazil. The clay forms through the decomposition of certain types of rocks for thousands of years, rich in minerals such as magnesium, zinc, calcium, and iron. White Clay is famous for its use in skin care, commonly used to hydrate skin and lower stress levels. Argila Amazonia is the first hair care brand to take White Clay in a powder form, maintaining all its beneficial properties, and using it in a professional quality haircare product. White Clay’s molecular structure allows it to efficiently and effectively reach the hair’s capillary structures. Once inside, it enriches hair with a protein called L-cisteine, an amino acid naturally produced in straight hair. This leaves your hair amazingly naturally looking straight.

Murumuru Oil: The Murumuru seed,

from which the Murumuru oil is extracted, grows naturally in the Brazilian state of Para in the Amazon region. It’s found along riverbanks and in flooded areas, in dense or semi-dense forests. It grows on a thorny palm tree and is easily recognizable due to its large leaves and long thorns. Murumuru Oil offers numerous benefits to hair, it helps hairs to recover long-lost moisture and regain its natural elasticity. Murumuru Oil is a powerful, nourishing anti-frizz oil that is unique to the Argila Amazonia line of products.

We talked to experts from New Summit Colors Distribution Inc., and they shared the procedures on how every hair straightening service should be performed when Argila Amazonia is at work. The first step is, Argila’s Detoxifier Pre-Treatment Shampoo 50ml: Its high pH removes toxins and impurities, preparing the hair cuticles for the straightening process, followed by Argila’s Activator Smoothing Cream Solution 100ml, which restores and improves frizzy hair, leaving it healthier and more manageable, and the service ends with a spray of Argila’s Murmuru Sealer Protection Spray that served as thermal protection before blow dry and ironing. Finally, they mentioned that you should get a home maintenance, that is called the Argila Home Care kit which includes the Prolonging Shampoo, Masque, and Murumuru Spray, that’s supposed to sustain the beauty of my hair for more than three months.

We know that the holiday season is coming and here’s a list of salons where Argila Amazonia is being offered: Bench Fix salons, Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell, Stud & Sassy Barber Salon, The BLOC by Junie Siera and Co., and Haircology Salon, LIpa Batangas. Book an appointment now!

ENERTECH Systems Industries, Inc., “The Boiler Technology People,” carries the Filipino flag as it continues to lead and innovate in the local and global boiler and thermal equipment manufacturing industry at the recently concluded 70th Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers Convention, at the SMX Convention Center last October 20 to 22, 2022.

Spearheaded by Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), the MVP Group Sustainability Summit assembled key thought leaders who tackled integral topics on futureproofing businesses for the succeeding generations, as well as how today’s actions impact the state of the planet and its people in the coming years.

“Prioritizing sustainability is key to our role as a reliable partner in nation building, as it creates a concrete roadmap for us to charter a better future for our people and our planet,” said MPIC Chairman, President, and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan in his opening remarks. “I hope we can learn a lot from this Summit, and more importantly, put such lessons into practice.”

Staying true to the Group’s commitment to elevate its sustainability footprint, the summit was designed to create discourse and share best practices on relevant subjects such as business resiliency and innovation, investment stewardship and impact investing, green jobs, and accountability, among others.

Aligning with global best practices in sustainability begins with ensuring that decision-makers are kept abreast with recent developments and trends. To achieve this goal, the Group purposely partnered with established institutions who graciously

shared their insights during the summit.

Ernst & Young Singapore Partner and APAC Supply Chain Leader Atul Chandna delved into the topic “How can Supply Chains balance Resiliency and Sustainability”. A succeeding panel discussion on the Global EESG Outlook featured inputs from McKinsey & Company Partner Vaibhav Dua and UBS Managing Director and Head of ESG Advisory Brendan Tu, and International Finance Corporation Principal Investment Officer Victoria Delmon.

Industry Platform Pte. Ltd. Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Irza Suprapto talked about “Navigating the Intersection of Sustainable Growth, Business & Technology”. BlackRock Head of Investment Stewardship Asia ex-Japan, Australia Shinbo Won addressed “What Investment Stewardship means for Investors”.

Credit Suisse Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing Advisory Dr. James Gifford talked about “Mobilizing Capital into Impact Investing”. EY Philippines Philippine Tax Incentives Champion Atty. Cheryl Edeline Ong discussed the overview of Green Tax Incentives in the country.

The Summit also tackled the role of finance in sustainability and adopting sustainable and resilient business models; accountability and systems transformation of the private sector; and material ESG issues from a ratings perspectivediscussed respectively by Accounting for Sustainability Executive Chair Jessica Fries, World Benchmarking Alliance Executive Director Gerbrand Haverkamp, and

The

MPIC Chief Finance, Risk, and Sustainability Officer Chaye A. CabalRevilla closed the Summit, saying, “We have been driven by our purpose to put sustainability at the heart of our group’s business agenda, to fortify our resilience and safeguard our existence as humanity. Bringing together like-minded organizations through this Summit, symbolically unifies the positive and pervasive impact we create with our collective action. We will continue to forge the path for a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future for all.”

Hosted by MPIC Head of Government Relations and Public Affairs Atty. Mike Toledo, MPIC Vice President for PR and Corporate Communications Melody del Rosario, and PLDT and Smart First Vice President and Group Corporate Communications Head Cathy Yang, this Summit emphasized Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s role as the largest catalyst for a Sustainable Philippines, aimed to improve the lives in the country through providing essential services and mobilizing advocacies that uplift the quality of life of all Filipinos.

It is also a testament to MPIC’s efforts to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.

Enertech impressed international and Filipino contractors and organizations alike, with its platinum standard of craftsmanship, technology, and service. Enertech partners Grundfos Pumps, Rockwell Automation, Industrial Combustion, Schneider Electric, Nippon Steel, Tai & Chyun, Macwell Electrical Systems, Assistco and Axis Corporation were also in attendance showcasing their collaborative prowess and loyal support to the industry leader.

Built to last, perform, showcase the Filipino, save clients’ resources, and give back to communities, Enertech brings to light their advanced capabilities in the boiler, thermal equipment and biomass energy sector. Carrying the banner of the Philippines, ESII sets the standard with over 900 active customers and 3,000 boiler installations in nine countries. Geared for the future and harnessing the latest technology, Enertech utilizes the best innovations like the proprietary Brain++ Boiler Automation System and BRAM (Boiler Remote Access Monitoring) System for the highest quality and performance worldwide.

Enertech Systems Industries, Inc. is a leading ASME-Certified (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) boiler manufacturer

and mechanical, electrical and civil works expert in the Philippines. It is the only 100 percent Filipino company that passed the rigid quality standards of ASME and earned the five ASME stamps: “U” Stamp for the manufacture of pressure vessels, “A” Stamp for the Assembly of Power Boilers, “S” Stamp for the Manufacture of Power Boilers, “R” Stamp for metallic repairs and alterations at shop and field locations and “PP” Stamp for fabrication and assembly of pressure piping.

Enertech has been serving the industry for more than 44 years here and abroad and has retained its innovative prowess, quality and platinum standard service. “Our biomass boiler systems equipped with the Brain++ Boiler Automation System (BAS) and the Boiler Remote Access Monitoring (BRAM) system has been our flag bearer here and abroad in terms of quality, durability and customer satisfaction”, according to Enertech’s CMO and Vice President of Corporate Services, Malu Simeon-Florendo.

Enertech is known worldwide for delivering efficient operations. “Since 2000, Enertech Biomass boilers have been and are still preferred and recognized by local and global industry players and conglomerates. Our top 10 clients include: San Miguel Corporation, Universal Robina Corporation, Shangri-la Hotels, Peter Paul, Axelum, Franklin Baker, Frabelle, Primex Coco, Yakult and Jollibee Corporation'', she adds. For more information about Enertech Systems Industries, Inc., visit the official website at https://enertech.com. ph/ or follow the official facebook at / EnertechSystemsIndustriesInc.

AS PART of its Back-to-School Donation Drive, MPower and One Meralco Foundation turned over school supplies to the teachers from Lagundi Elementary School in Plaridel, Bulacan.

THE Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP) Group of Companies traversed new sustainability frontiers with the help of an impressive line-up of global environmental, social and governance experts in its second Group Sustainability Summit held virtually.

Sustainalytics Sr. Manager for Sustainable Finance Solutions Marika Stocker.

United Nations Global Compact Head of China Office Meng Liu shared about “Sustainable Leadership of Business Leaders.”

Enertech showcases Pinoy brand of ingenuity at PSME’s 70th National Convention 2022

PHL’s best vie in PSC martial arts festival

THE cream of the crop of the country’s female combat athletes will see action in the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) eighth Women’s Martial Arts Festival starting Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

A mong the top national athletes competing in the six-day event are world and Southeast Asian Games taekwondo champion Jocel Ninobla, last year’s world muay Thai double gold medalist Islay Erika Bomogao, world silver medalist Hannah Mae Ibutnande and SEA Games queen Francine Padios in pencak silat.

Jiah Pingot, who bagged silver medals in 2019 and 2021 SEA Games, and is currently the national, is also joining the wrestling competition.

Former SEA Games and Asian Games medalist Cherry Mae Regalado will also be returning to the competition stage in pencak silat.

“ We’re very excited to gather our top Filipina athletes in one event. It will be a great feeling to watch them perform live in our own turf,” PSC oversight Commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo said.

PSC Chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” Eala is expected to grace the opening ceremonies on Saturday at 10 a.m. All events, including the opening ceremony, will be streamed live on the PSC and PSC-Women’s Martial Arts Festival Facebook pages.

E leven sports will be played in the event ending November 17—regular sports pencak silat, wrestling, sambo, taekwondo, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, jiu-jitsu and kurash, and demonstration sports arnis and judo.

A ll the events will be played simultaneously at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, PSC Multipurpose Gym (formerly Ninoy Aquino Stadium) and the Philippine Judo Federation Dojo, which are all PSC-operated facilities inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.

G O21 Incorporated supports the event by providing snacks for the opening and closing ceremonies while Pocari Sweat-Otsuka Solar Philippines Incorporated remains as a partner of the event.

Charity races set for natl athletes

THE Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) will hold five charity races for the benefit of the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games-bound national athletes on November 13 at the Metro Manila Turf Club Inc. in Malvar, Batangas.

The Philracom Board, through chairman Aurelio “Reli” de Leon, designated the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) as the beneficiary of the charity races.

“ We are one with the Philippine Sports Commission in its mission to serve the best interests of our Filipino athletes,” De Leon said. “We want to help the PSC in our own humble way by organizing five charity races for the benefit of our national athletes.”

“ The Philippine Racing Commission led by Chairman Reli de Leon has always been a partner of the PSC in all of its sports programs and agenda,” PSC Chairman Noli Eala said. “And today’s project of extending charity races is a huge boost towards ensuring the success of our Filipino athletes in the forthcoming SEA Games.”

GILAS GOES TALL AGAINST JORDAN

height and picked 6-foot-10 naturalized player Ange Kouame, 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto, 6-foot-7 JP Erram, 6-foot-9 Japeth Aguilar and 6-foot-7 Jamie Malonzo.

H ead Coach Chot Reyes expects Jordan, ranked 35th in the world, to utilize their home court advantage against the Filipinos in their 12 midnight (Manila time) game as they try to improve on its 3-3 winloss record in Group E.

But Reyes said Gilas, which also has a similar 3-3 record, is ready.

This is going to be a test of our agility and our versatility,” said Reyes, who didn’t include Thirdy Ravena from the 12-man line up for the Jordan game.

R eyes and his coaching staff— Barangay Ginebra Coach Tim Cone and Jong Uichico—prioritized

C ompleting the roster are Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, De La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao, Bobby Ray Parks and Dwight Ramos.

The No. 41 Gilas Pilipinas will also face Saudi Arabia in Riyadh midnight (Manila time) Monday.

Jordan is coming off 72-100 beating from solo leader New Zealand, but beat India, 80-64, in August’s fourth window. The Philippines also split its fourth window assignments—losing to Lebanon, 81-85, and beating Saudi Arabia, 84-46—with Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson in the lineup. Clarkson isn’t available for the window because of the ongoing National Basketball Association, Dar Tucker is Jordan’s leading scorer with averages of 18 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the five windows.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Executive Director Sonny Barrios said the games are important although the Philippines is already qualified as co-host of next year’s World Cup.

“ Every competitive game our

Lascuña locked, loaded but wary of ICTSI Villamor Match Play field

Eala added: “We are truly grateful, proud and glad to be a partner of the Philracom in our thrust of caring for our Filipino athletes like no other, and we hope that this will just be the start of more meaningful projects with them.

More than 800 athletes make up Team Philippines to the Cambodia SEA Games, according to chef de mission Chito Loyzaga.

The 32nd edition of the Southeast Asian Games will feature 49 sports with a record-setting 608 events set from May 5 to 17 next year.

Cabral, Divinagracia win in Tayasan

ARIEL CABRAL and Hannah

Divinagracia upset top-seeded rivals in their respective age groups to bag the MVP honors in the PPS-PEPP Tayasan national tennis championship at the Tayasan Municipal courts in Negros Oriental last weekend.

C abral, from Bais City, repulsed local bet Kurl Barrera and Ayeen Pantaran from Pagadian City via the same 6-4, 6-4 scoreline to clinch the

boys’ 16- and 18-and-under plums, respectively, while Divinagracia foiled Shara Paliwag, 7-6(2), 6-0, in the girls’ 16-U finals of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.

D ivinagracia, from Bacolod City, later trounced top local entry Therese Gauran, 6-2, 6-1, in the premier division of the upsetmarred event which served as part of the country’s longest talentsearch put up by Palawan Pawnshop

Umandal, Ismail lead North Cotabato against Bulacan in Champions League

NORTH

Cotabato AMC swept One Balagtas Bulacan, 25-21, 25-18, 25-15, to claim the No. 2 ranking in men’s Pool B of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League at the PhilSports Arena Thursday.

Jao Umandal scored 12 points, Fauzi Ismail added 10 points and two service aces while Lloyd Josafat, who was fielded in the second set, contributed eight points to the G-Spikers.

With a 3-1 record, North Cotabato made Friday’s knockout quarterfinals of the tournament supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Rebisco, PLDT, Philippine Olympic Committee, Cignal HD, One Sports, Cignal Play, F2 Logistics and Amigo Segurado.

National University-Pasay City was unscathed in four matches in Pool B, capping its domination by a 25-13, 25-16, 25-15 romp of Aklan Wednesday night.

The Republicans were very much in the match in the first two sets, but ran out of steam in the third as Umandal, Ismail and Wewe Medina delivered the goods. Cian Silang fired two of his four points from the service zone in the third set.

Pool A’s PGJC-Navy and Cignal and Pool C’s TARAG-Lolek Bacolod and Army Taguig City are also in the quarterfinals.

Imus City kept its hopes alive as one of two best third-place finishers

to advance in the quarterfinals following a 25-20, 25-10, 25-15 win over Aklan in the other Pool B match.

The Cavite-based went 2-2 wonlost. Santa Rosa, which finished at No. 3 in Pool C with a 2-2 card, stayed in the quarterfinals hunt, while Basilan Ten nun and VNS Quezon City, tied in third in Pool A at 1-3, still has a shot.

Hero Austria had 12 points, including two service aces, and Madz Gampong and Ronniel Rosales had 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Led by Imus native setter Ish Polvorosa, decorated Coach Sammy Acaylar is happy to handle the team.

“Actually, we had one week of preparations for this,” Acaylar said.

“Of course, it is a good exposure for the players.  We get players from Imus itself to develop our own product.”

With the short tournament, Acay lar had to work hard in jelling the team.

Of course, the chemistry itself because they are getting to know each other. But then through these games, I inject chemistry and communication to each other,” said Acaylar.

Yoyong Mendoza hammered nine kills, while John Mendoza added eight points for Bulacan, which ended its Pool B stint with a 1-3 record.

Earlier, John Paul Mangahis and John Steven Aligayon combined for 48 points as UE Manila outlasted Baguio, 25-20, 25-14, 25-27, 24-26, 15-12, to wrap up its Pool C cam paign with a 1-3 card.

NCAA DENIES BENILDE’S APPEAL

THE Management Com mittee (ManCom) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) denied on Thursday an appeal by the College of Saint Benilde for its players not to be penalized for their actions in their brawl-marred game against Jose Rizal University (JRU) last Tuesday.

“ We asked that the suspension on three of our players be lifted but our appeal was denied,” said Dax Castellano, Saint Benilde’s representative to the ManCom.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Al Panlilio, meanwhile, said in a statement on Thursday that the federation condemned the violent incident and urged the NCAA, a member of the SBP, to adopt preventive measures to avoid the incident from happening again.

It’s a collective decision by the ManCom, it’s en banc, so it’s final and we respect it,” he said.

L adis Lepalam Jr. was suspended one game for entering the court without reporting to the table while his fellow Blazers Mark Daniel Sangco and Chris Jay Flores were suspended for two games for participating in the fight.

The Saint Benilde-JRU game went down in Philippine basketball history as one of the darkest. Heavy Bomber John Anthony Amores again lost his top and went amok and went after a fan and a referee and engaged his opponents in a fist fight.

BusinessMirror reported on Thursday that an unidentified fan and referee Dennis Escaros caused Amores to go berserk in that particular game.

The NCAA banned Amores for the rest of the season and formed an investi gation committee to tackle his case.

Nine players from JRU—Jason Tan, William Sy, Joshua Guiab, Jason Celis, Marvin Dionisio, Jan Marc Abaoag, Jonathan Medina, Karl de Jesus and CJ Gonzales—were suspended for one game for entering the court during the brawl, while William Sy and Ryan Arenal were suspended for two games for committing disrespectful acts to the ManCom.

JRU apologized for Amores’s behavior and also suspended him indefinitely from the team.

The referees called the game, which was halted with more than three minutes remaining when the fight broke out, in favor of the Blazers, 71-51. Josef Ramos

FOILED

in the last three regular Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) events, Tony Lascuña seeks to snap the spell and end the season in a triumphant mode when the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Villamor Match Play Invitational unwraps Tuesday at the Villamor Golf Club.

But like the general mood at the upcoming tournament, the multi-titled campaigner is setting out for the four-day event with guarded optimism given the sheer unpredictability of the one-onone format and the depth of the competing field.

Match play is far different from medal. In head-to-head, every shot

president/CEO Bobby Castro.

D ivinagracia likewise rode on her masterful 6-1, 6-2 romp over Gauran in the 16-U semis then wore down Paliwag in the first set of the finals before shutting down the Valencia, Negros Oriental bet in the second frame.

B arrera, meanwhile, lived up to his top billing in 14-U class, beating David Sepulveda, 6-1, 6-3, while Armik Serillo from Dumaguete added to Sepulveda’s woes when he hacked out a tough 5-7, 6-4, 13-11 escape over the 12-U top ranked bet in the event backed by ProtekTODO,

counts since you can’t predict what your rival would shoot on a particular hole. So you have to make the most of your chances. There’s little or no room at all for errors,” said Lascuña in Filipino.

The winningest on Tour with four Order of Merit titles, Lascuña is hardpressed to come up with a top podium finish after ending up second in the last three PGT legs closing out the season at Eagle Ridge-Aoki, Riviera and Pradera Verde.

“ Most frustrating was my playoff loss to Juvic (Pagunsan) at Riviera,” he said. “I was leading going to the final hole but still lost. But that’s golf, you just have to learn from your mistakes and try to get better.”

PalawanPay, the Unified Tennis Philippines and UTR (Universal Tennis Rating).

Paliwag, meanwhile, made up for her setback in 16-U finals by besting top seed Gauran, 6-4, 6-2, for the 14-U diadem while Alexa Cruspero delivered the second win for the hosts with a come-from-behind 5-7, 6-2, 10-4 win over Jan Dagoon from Olongapo City in the girls’ 12-U finals.

ARIEL CABRAL and Hannah Divinagracia hold their trophies after stamping their class in the Tayasan.

Chess Hall of Famer Torre No. 1 on PSA list of October performers

CHESS got the right moves as disciples of the game led the Philippine Sportswriters’ Association’s (PSC) list of achievers in October.

Venerable Grandmaster (GM) Eugene Torre was formally inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in memorable ceremonies in Missouri, joining the hallowed company of greats like his late best friend Bobby Fisher, Gary Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov.

Torre, 70, is the first Asian to be

inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame. He was enshrined after a long line of accomplishments highlighted by his emergence as the first GM in Asia, first to defeat Kasparov and first to reach the Candidates stage of the World Championship.

C amarines Norte’s Efren Bagamasbad, meanwhile, soared to prominence as he ruled the Asian Seniors Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.

B agamasbad, 66, went undefeated and posted 7.5 points on six wins and three draws to reign supreme and earn an outright International Master title and the first of three norms to become a GM.

Athletes from weightlifting, pencak silat and sambo also delivered stellar performances to open the last quarter of 2022 on a bright note.

R ose Jean Ramos, a 17-yearold prospective heiress to Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz, snagged a bronze medal in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Manama, Bahrain, against older rivals in the women’s 45-kg division. Ramos’s 85-kg lift in the clean and jerk put her on the podium.

NORTH Cotabato’s Jao Umandal does what he does best at the net against Bulacan’s Uriel Mendoza and John Estavillo.

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission Chairman Noli Eala pays Philippine Racing Commission Chairman Aurelio “Reli” De Leon a courtesy visit.

By Josef Ramos

THEPhilippines plays Jordan in an away game at the Prince Hamza Arena in Amman on Friday in the fifth window of International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup Asia qualifiers.

HEAD Coach Chot Reyes and his staff pick a tall lineup for the Amman game.

Gilas Pool plays is important because it gives confidence building, fine tuning of plays, camaraderie development, team cohesion and everything,” Barrios told BusinessMirror

Motoring

ISUZU DAVAO INAUGURATES BIGGER AND BETTER IOS DEALERSHIP

AS part of its ongoing efforts to improve the brand’s reputation through the Isuzu Outlet Standardization (IOS) program, Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) has recently inaugurated the bigger and better Isuzu Davao dealership. Operated by Southern Motors of Davao, Inc. (SMDI), the company has been serving the needs of city residents for more than seventy years. Isuzu Davao is reiterating its commitment to give the people of Davao the most exemplary customer satisfaction with the improved facilities.

Isuzu Davao replaced their old red fascia with a new Anthracite Gray metal mesh façade design, officially following the IOS corporate design philosophy. The newly constructed

facility sits on the same 10,000-sq.m lot at 122 MacArthur Highway, Ma tina, Davao City. The new dealership design also represents Isuzu’s reputa tion for manufacturing dependable,

long-lasting products. For a better client experience and more effort less business flow, the dealership’s interior is clean and spacious, thanks to its sleek and simple design. Based on consumer and dealer productiv ity viewpoints, each component of the IOS design is carefully laid out. As a manifestation of the SMDI’s long-standing contribution to the city, Isuzu Davao’s grand opening was graced with prominent guests from the local government, IPC, SMDI, and fleet accounts. No less than former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa

Duterte

Davao.

“With the booming economy of Davao City, it is suitable that we el evate their experience with this new IOS dealership, which not only pro vides a more conducive atmosphere

Lexus partners with Marvel Studios

but operational efficiency from sales to aftersales, so that ultimately, we can achieve ‘Customer Success,” said Murakami.

Besides the upgraded design, Isuzu Davao also expanded the dealership’s floor area to 5,100 sq.m, creating more showroom and service center space. The more extensive showroom can accommodate three light-commercial vehicle units on display and one truck unit. The service center now has six service bays to accommodate trucks and around thirty light-commercial vehicles. The new facility also doubled its Body Repair and Paint (BRP) bays to ten to improve service time and accommodate more service demands. Moreover, SMDI expanded its stock yard by acquiring an additional 4,000 sq.m area to ensure units are readily available for Isuzu Davao.

Fueled by their commitment to “quality customer service at all times,” Isuzu Davao President Jock son Liu expressed how humbled he is by the opportunity and trust be stowed on him to rebuild SMDI, their family business, for seventy-three years. Furthermore, to face the new and more progressive business envi ronment in Davao. Both the renova tion of the facility and the integration of the new Dealer Management Sys tems in the operations ensure Isuzu Davao’s long-term business sustain ability for many more years to come.

As one of the loyal customers of SMDI, Duterte expressed his trust in the Isuzu brand for providing the most durable vehicles and his appre ciation to Isuzu Davao for being the oldest dealership in the city, provid ing the best customer satisfaction to Davaoeños.

As part of their “Road to 50” deal ership program aiming to increase the number of Isuzu outlets nationwide, IPC is also improving the current facilities of existing dealerships to provide a world-class customer ex perience from all Isuzu dealerships.

About Lexus

LEXUS began its journey in 1989. In 1998, Lexus introduced the luxury crossover, Lexus RX. As the luxury hybrid sales leader, Lexus delivered the world’s first luxury hybrid and has since sold over 2.33 million electrified vehicles including HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs (as of the end of November, 2021).

About Wakanda Forever

TOKYO , Japan—To join the ranks of the nation of Wakanda’s elite Dora Milaje warriors, one must possess extraordinary qualities—and their choice mode of transportation does, too.

E nter the all-new, all-electric RZ 450e, Lexus’ technologically-advanced BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) that brings another specialized trait to the Dora Milaje’s arsenal: An electrifying attitude.

T his fall, the Marvel Studios’ Black Panther franchise and Lexus will once again join forces as the official automotive partner of the highly-anticipated Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Ahead of the film ’s global release beginning November 9 2022, the RZ 450e, driven by Dora Milaje warriors, will star in heart-pumping 60-, 30-, and 15-second spots called “An Electric Future.”

D irected by Anthony Leonardi III, the visually-thrilling spot finds General Okoye (played by Danai Gurira) in the RZ 450e as she prepares to fulfill her national duty in the unfamiliar roll of public speaker.

Gener al Okoye is joined by her fellow Dora Milaje as they embark on what becomes a car chase experience filled with

spectacular jinks, explosions, and pinpoint accurate vibranium spear throws.

T he RZ 450e welcomes General Okoye’s adventure in stride, allowing the Dora Milaje to dodge their pursuers with its precise Steer-by-Wire steering, balanced handling thanks to DIRECT4 all-wheel drive, and a seamless ondemand application of power via front and rear eAxle motors. And because of the RZ’s BEV-specific seating placement and versatile digital rearview mirror, all-around visibility for General Okoye’s driver and front passenger is optimal.

“ The power, elegance, and futureforward vision of the Lexus brand aligns perfectly with the Black Panther franchise. We couldn’t be happier to team-up with Lexus once again to bring an action- packed story and supporting 360 campaign to life,” said Mindy Hamilton, Senior Vice President of Global Partnership Marketing at The Walt Disney Company.

We’re excited and honored to continue our collaboration with the Marvel Studios’ Black Panther franchise,” said Michael Moore, Lexus International’s General Manager for Strategic Communication. “Our all-electric RZ 450e is a perfect fit in the Dora Milaje’s cutting-edge arsenal, bringing an elevated driving experience that intuitively connects with its users through advanced technology and compelling performance.”

IN Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, opens in theaters November 2022.

PEE STOP The Vios remains as the run away leader in passenger car sales from January to September, with 24,086 units sold. Mirage is second with 6,317 and City third with 2,781. Innova is No. 1 in the MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) cat egory with 12,773 units sold, followed by Xpander 10,831 and Ertiga 2,629. In pickups, Toyota leads again with the HiLux hitting 19,144, followed by Navara 8,737 and Ranger 7,484.

Editor: Tet Andolong • www.businessmirror.com.ph

attended and accompanied by his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña and Senator Bong Go. Also present were Davao Vice Mayor J. Melchor Quitain Jr., IPC President Noboru Murakami, and Isuzu Davao President Jockson Liu. They all ini tiated the ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the bigger and improved Isuzu

Story & Photos By Randy S. Peregrino

(FROM left) LV Ledesma Construction President Ludwig Ledesma, IPC Sales Assistant Division Head Robert Carlos, IPC President Noboru Murakami, SMDI President and General Manager Jockson Liu, Former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Davao City Government Vice Mayor Jay Melchor Quitain, Jr., Former SMDI President and General Manager Frank Liu, Jr., Honeylet Avanceña, and Senator Bong Go.

HERE is Jade B. Sison again, this time updating us on Lexus’ huge hop from purely selling to dwelling on the silver screen. It’s another bold leap that only the brave can muster. Jade’s item:

THE newly renovated Isuzu Davao