BusinessMirror November 26, 2021 by BusinessMirror

BM, EJAP Business News Source of the Year for 4th time

HE Philippines’s platform for a broader look on business was honored for the fourth straight year as Business News Source of the Year at the 30th Economic Journalism Association of the Philippines (Ejap) Awards. BusinessMirror reporters Cai U. Ordinario and Lenie Lectura were honored as Best Macroeconomy Reporter of the Year and Best Energy Reporter of the Year, respectively. Ordinario’s stor y “Pandemic highlights PHL property problems for poor Pinoys” was awarded the Best Feature Story of the Year. See “BM,” A2

Rotary Club Of Manila Journalism Awards

2006 National Newspaper of the Year 2011 National Newspaper of the Year 2013 Business Newspaper of the Year 2017 Business Newspaper of the Year 2019 Business Newspaper of the Year

Screenshot of the announcement at the virtual 30th EJAP Awards flashing winners of the main prize, the Business News Source of the Year—given to the newspaper that won the most categories. BusinessMirror and PDI bagged three category prizes each, thus sharing the award. File photo shows BusinessMirror’s three previous Business News Source of the Year Awards, making this latest win a 4-peat.

BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business

Friday, November 26, 2021 Vol. 17 No.49

ejap journalism awards

business news source of the year (2017, 2018, 2019) DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY

DATA CHAMPION

BUdGET DEFICIT WIDENS TO P1.2T AS OF END-OCT T www.businessmirror.com.ph

P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 24 pages | 7 days a week

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

HE national government’s budget deficit widened to P1.2 trillion as of end-October this year as state expenditures continued to exceed revenues. The latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed the shortfall from January to October this year was 27.94 percent higher than the P940.6 billion in the same period in 2020. It is also equivalent to 65 percent of the revised full-year programmed budget deficit of P1.9 trillion. State revenues accumulated

dur ing t he 10 -mont h per iod have reached P2.49 trillion, up by 5 percent from P2.37 trillion a year ago. Meanwhile, government expenditures as of end-October climbed by 11.51 percent to P3.69 trillion this year from P3.31 trillion in 2020. See “Budget,” A2

‘HIGHER SPENDING ON HEALTH, MORE JABS KEY TO COVID’S END’

NDING the pandemic will require all countries working together to speed up vaccinations and increase health spending, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap). In a Unescap blog, Unescap Social Development Division Director Srinivas Tata said vaccine hesitancy is slowing vaccination rates worldwide. He said this contributed to the “fourth wave” in many European countries. Apart from this, health spending by many governments remains well below 5 percent of GDP, leaving millions of people relying on out-of-pocket payments to finance their health needs.

“No one is safe unless everyone is safe, and we cannot afford to leave any one behind in our response to the pandemic,” Tata said. Inequality in vaccine supply also remains a challenge. Tata said as of November 2021, 100 percent of high-income countries (HIC) and 78 percent of upper middle income countries (UMICs) are on track to vaccinate 40 percent of their populations by the end of 2021. These figures are significantly lower compared to only 4 percent of low-income countries (LICs) and 33 percent of lower middle income countries (LMICs). See “Higher,” A2

PESO exchange rates n US 50.5180

BIKERS from different organizations together with government officials and civilians participate in the Cycle to End Violence Against Women at the Quezon City Hall grounds, November 25, 2021. The activity is part of the national commemoration of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women, and the National Bike Day. NONOY LACZA

PSA: Pork sufficiency at 7-yr high in 2020 By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas & Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

ESPITE the devastation of African swine fever ( A S F ), t h e c o u nt r y ’s pork self-sufficiency rate rose to a seven-year high in 2020 based on government data, prompting hog raisers to question the veracity of the figure released by the Philippine Statistics Au-

thority (PSA). PSA data showed the self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) of pork last year improved by 3.9 percentage points to 91 percent from the 87.1 percent recorded in 2019. The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), however, said it found “somewhat distorted information” on the pork SSR data released by the PSA. Historical PSA data showed

the country’s pork SSR exceeded 90 percent after seven years. The last time pork SSR breached 90 percent was in 2013, when it hit 91.8 percent. Industry players, however, said the PSA data does not present a “realistic picture” of the country’s pork supply situation since ASF first unleashed its wrath in local hog farms in 2019. L eaders of t he Ph i l ippi ne Chamber of Agriculture and Food

Inc. (PCAFI) and the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. (NFHFI) questioned the statistical agency’s methodology. PC A FI President Danilo V. Fausto and NFHFI President Chester Warren Y. Tan are wondering why the PSA’s formula in estimating the country’s SSR does not include the demand for a given commodity.

n japan 0.4377 n UK 67.3354 n HK 6.4780 n CHINA 7.9032 n singapore 36.9257 n australia 36.3477 n EU 56.5852 n SAUDI arabia 13.4686

See “PSA,” A2

Source: BSP (November 25, 2021)

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Friday, November 26, 2021

BSP chief: Data to dictate timing of unwinding By Bianca Cuaresma

In a virtual briefing on Thursday, Diokno told reporters that they continue to be patient in still keeping monetary policy rates at record lows amid the early expectations of growth and tamer inflation in the economy. “The decision on the timing

and circumstances under which BSP will unwind its pandemicinduced support measures depend primarily on the evolution of various factors,” Diokno said. “ These include domestic forces such as the outlook on inf lation and output, liquidity and

credit conditions, financial sector risks, state of public health, as well as global developments and spillovers,” he added. In 2020, the BSP let out its most aggressive cycle of monetary policy easing yet to the total of 200 basis points and pushed the monetary policy rate of the country to its all-time low to support the economy during the pandemic. For the rest of 2021, the BSP opted to keep the record-low rates steady. “When domestic developments warrant a scale-down of policy support as economic recovery gains traction, the BSP will ensure a smooth transition in winding down its time and state-bound measures,” the governor said. Several local and international economists have projected the BSP would start hiking its policy rates next year as cases continue to drop and the economic prospects continue to improve. The latest of these is international think tank Fitch Solutions. In an assess-

Budget...

For the month of October alone, the national government’s budget deficit rose by 4.77 percent to P64.3 billion from P61.4 billion in the same month last year.

Revenues for the month stood at P253.1 billion, growing by 10.9 percent from P228.2 billion in the previous year. Expenditures hit P317.4 billion, increasing by 9.6 percent from P289.6

@BcuaresmaBM

ANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said the timing of their monetary policy support unwinding is not set in stone and will still largely depend on evolving data on the economy’s recovery.

Continued from A1

ment published earlier this week, the research arm of the Fitch Group said the BSP will begin hiking its policy rate in cycle in 2022, forecasting the policy rate to rise from 2 percent as of end-2021 to 2.75 percent by the end of next year. “ Wit h t he Phi l ip pines still in the process of relaxing domestic Cov id-19 restrictions and vaccinating its population, the economic normalization process w i l l st retc h into 2022. As such, we believe the BSP will take a gradual approach to monetary policy normalization,” Fitch Solutions said.

billion. T he budget def icit as a percentage of the economy as of end-September also increased to 8.29 percent from 6.88 percent a year ago, the BTr said. W hile the October budget deficit this year was slightly wider compared with that of last year, Rizal Commercial Banking Cor p.(RCBC) Chief Economist Michael Ricafort noted that this was the narrowest in six months since P44.4 billion in April this year. He attributed this to how the reopening of the economy increased economic activity, which led to higher state revenue collections and reduced gover nment ex penditures. “ Na r ro we r bud ge t def icits cou ld f undamentally lead to reduced need for additional gover nment bor row ings/ debt, thereby a step in the right direction to improve the country’s fiscal performance and debt management in a more sustainable manner in view of less lockdowns, going forward,” Ricafort said. Howe ver, R ic a for t warned that the risk of surges in Covid-19 infections and lockdowns amid more contagious variants as well as further delays in Covid-19 vacc ine/ booster shot arrivals may result in a relatively wider budget deficit. “As a result, wider budget deficits could result in more government borrowings and higher debt stock, from 63.1 percent of GDP as of 3Q 2021, up from 54.5 percent of GDP in end-2020, and also sharply up from a low of 39.6 percent in end-2019 [pre-Covid],” he said. In 2020, the government’s budget deficit more than doubled to a record-high 7.6 percent of GDP or P1.37 trillion, from only P660.2 billion or 3.4 percent of GDP in 2019. Fi n a nce S e c ret a r y Carlos Dominguez III ea rl ier sa id t hey a re working on a fiscal consolidation plan to bring down the government’s debt and budget deficit levels as a share of the economy.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BM...

Continued from A1

BusinessMirror shares the Business News Source of the Year with the Philippine Daily Inquirer whose three reporters—Miguel Camus, Karl Ocampo, and Ben de Vera were awarded the Best Telecommunications and Transportation Beat Reporter, Best AgriMining Reporter, and Best Finance Reporter, respectively. The other individual awards were won by: BusinessWorld’s Luz Wendy Noble for Banking, Philippine Star’s Louella Desiderio for Trade, and Philippine Star’s Iris Gonzales for Capital Markets. The awards are given for the reporters’ body of works for year 2020.

PSA...

Continued from A1

The PSA’s SSR only compares the share of production of a commodity in relation to the country’s total supply. But the PSA defines SSR as the “magnitude of production in relation to domestic utilization” as it “indicates the extent to which a country relies on its own production resources.” “The self-sufficiency rate must be benchmarked against the demand for the concerned commodity. The best way to do that is to compare the production volume in comparison to total demand as computed based on per capita consumption,” Fausto told the BusinessMirror. He said the PSA’s self-sufficiency figure has implications on policy-making and investment as it does not paint an accurate picture of realities on the ground. Fausto noted that the self-sufficiency last year was even higher than the self-sufficiency level in 2018, when the country saw a record pork output. The country’ pork SSR in 2018 was at 86.1 percent, the lowest level on record, historical PSA data showed.

‘Investors could be misled’

“You’re giving the wrong data. Any prospective investor could be misled. That is the problem when the country does not have a national information data system,” he said. “Given that PSA figure, it seems that we are better off with ASF since we have a higher sufficiency rate during a crisis.” The higher pork SSR last year was attributed to lower pork output and lower pork imports, which pulled down the total supply compared to those recorded in previous years. PSA data showed pork output last year declined to 1.806 million metric tons (MMT), 6.7 percent lower than the 1.936 MMT recorded in 2019. Pork imports, based on PSA data, declined by 37.28 percent year-on-year last year to 179,669 MT.

Higher... Continued from A1

Tata noted that about 92 percent of HICs have procured enough vaccines to inoculate 70 percent of their populations by mid-2022, compared to only 7 percent of LICs. “For this vast gap to be closed, the COVAX facility must receive vaccines on a priority basis, without precluding bilateral arrangements between LICs and manufacturers,” Tata said. Efforts to address these problems, Tata said, requires governments to focus on three pillars—vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics—in the medium to long term. He added that regional cooperation also plays an important role in pooling resources for vaccine research and manufacturing. These efforts should also be complemented by the harmonizing of drug approval as well as sharing of technology and information. Ending the pandemic is imperative. Based on a recent study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Senior Research Fellow Valerie Gilbert T. Ulep, the country’s long-run productivity losses from direct and indirect health impacts of the pandemic reached P2.3 trillion. Ulep said more than half of this cost is attributed to productivity losses

The 4-peat in the EJAP Awards comes a month after the BusinessMirror, founded on the promise of providing “A Broader Look at Today’s Business,” celebrated its 16th anniversary in October. It was founded in 2005 by the late ambassador and business leader Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, whose children have continued his involvement in mass media—the publisher is T. Anthony C. Cabangon; the chairman of the board and of the ALC media group is D. Edgard A. Cabangon. The 30th EJAP Business Journalism Awards board of judges was chaired by former Finance undersecretary Milwida Guevara. It opened with remarks by National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon who expressed optimism of economic growth and addressing the debt-toGDP ratio.

Citing their own computation, Tan said the country’s pork SSR at present is at least 85 percent today. Tan said pork output is estimated at 1.25 MMT, or 150,000 MT lower than the 1.4-MMT total demand based on a per capita consumption of about 14 kilograms. Latest PSA data showed the country’s total swine inventory as of October 1 reached 9.866 million heads, 12.45 percent lower than the 11.269 recorded herd in the same a year ago.

Computations

In a document sent to the BusinessMirror, the Neda said the formula applied by the PSA would yield “somewhat distorted information” because of lower imports due to the trade slowdown during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. When the Neda computed the SSR using only local hog production, it found that 2020 marked the country’s lowest SSR for pork in five years at 86.3 percent. Based on Neda staff estimates, the country’s highest SSR was recorded in 2018 at 96.3 percent then in 2016 at 95.6 percent; 2017, 95.5 percent; and 2019, 93.9 percent. “The [Neda] formula provides an estimate of SSR based on local production to indicate the level of imports needed to meet local demand,” the document read. PSA Assistant National Statistician Vivian R. Ilarina told the BusinessMirror the formula the agency used was recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Ilarina said the PSA had discussions with FAO back in February. It was decided that the PSA will continue to generate the SSR using the FAO formula. Apart from this, she said the PSA is not keen on changing the formula due to the need for comparability. She said the PSA regularly submits data to FAO and altering Philippine data could lead to problems with comparability. “We follow the standards followed by countries and we do not change the formula regardless of the current environment,” Ilarina said. “We have already this [distorted information] and maybe we just need more advocacies [regarding the use of PSA data].”

linked to non-Covid morbidities due to lack of health care. Based on Ulep’s computation, P1.7 trillion of these losses can be attributed to non-Covid morbidities; and P398 billion to non-Covid deaths due to the lack of health-care services. He added that only P160 billion are attributed directly to Covid-related premature deaths and morbidities, including long-Covid. This is composed of P94 billion for Covid premature deaths and P66 billion for Covid-morbidity, including long-Covid. Data obtained by Ulep from the Department of Health (DOH) showed the number of tuberculosis tests contracted 49 percent to 556,773 in 2020 from 1.08 million in 2019. The target for testing is 2.45 million. He added that the number of those diagnosed and treated, whether new infections or relapse, declined 37 percent to 256,541 in 2020 from 409,167 in 2019. The target for diagnosis is 442,600. In terms of HIV, Ulep said the number of HIV tests done in 2020 only reached 480,285, or a decline of 61 percent from the 1.22 million done in 2019. Further, the number of newly diagnosed cases declined 37 percent to 8,058 in 2020 from 12,778 in 2019 while newly enrolled clients in ART also contracted 28 percent to 8,429 in 2020 from 11,654 in 2019. Cai U. Ordinario

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The Nation BusinessMirror

4 parties coalesce to support BBM and Sara 2022 poll bid By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

OUR major political parties on Thursday joined forces to form the UniTeam Alliance to support the presidential bid of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, while Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso is now being backed by several labor unions for next year’s elections. Dubbed the “UniTeam Alliance Agreement,” the coalition between Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) vowed to pursue “good governance, reforms to reboot and rebound the economy, sustained campaign to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic, national unification and healing, and address other enormous problems facing the Philippines.” Dur ing the hybr id signing of the UniTeam Alliance Agreement, party officials also sought stronger cooperation in ensuring the preservation of the country’s democratic processes, including the conduct of peaceful and orderly polls. Under the agreement, all parties agreed to give their full and unqualified support to Marcos and Duterte. L a k as- CMD President a nd House Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez, PFP President and South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr., HNP President and Davao Occidental Gov. Claude

Bautista, and PMP President Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada signed the agreement.

‘Labor groups for Domagoso’

MEANWHILE, Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano said labor unions from different companies met with city officials and registered their support to Moreno’s presidential candidacy. Va le r i a no s a id le ad e r s of the labor unions at Secur it y Bank, Bank of Makati, Nestle Cabuyao, Nestle Lipa, Maynilad and Manila Water met with Manila officials. “This is the third Sunday that union workers have met with Manila public officials. Previously, the officers of the Bataan FPF employees Union, Monde MY San Workers Union, Monde MY San Calamba Workers Union, Miescor Builders Labor Organization, Meralco Industrial Miescor Employees Union also met with us and expressed support for Yorme Isko,” Valeriano said. The said unions are under the aegis of the Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization (PTGWO), which is listed by the Department of Labor and Employment as one of the biggest federation of labor unions in the country in terms of membership. Its workermembers are employed in almost all industries. Its local unions are scattered nationwide. The workers cited Manila’s record in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. “Workers in all industries are now supporting Yorme…,” said Valeriano.

Yang asks SC to ‘limit’ scope of Senate probe into P42-B pandemic fund mess By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM & Joel R. San Juan

@jrsanjuan1573

ORMER presidential adviser and Duterte businessmanfriend Michael Yang is asking the Supreme Court to bar Senate probers from demanding records from Yang’s companies that he claimed have nothing to do with the Senate’s constitutional mandate to craft laws or conduct inquiries in aid of legislation. Lawyer Raymond Fortun said his client was forced to file a petition for certiorari and prohibition with the High Court because the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) has overstepped its mandate and has been compelling Yang, who is based in Davao, to provide the BRC documents on his companies’ enrollment of their employees in SSS, Pag-Ibig and PhilHealth, among others. In his petition, Yang asked the Court to nullify and lift the warrant of arrest that the Senate issued against him last September 21. He also asked the SC to nullify the lookout bulletin that was issued, at the Senate’s behest, as such is an infringement of his constitutional right to travel. Yang thinks the Blue Ribbon panel is overreaching in its questions and its demand for documents that have nothing to do with the inquiry, such as documents on properties and other assets. These matters—on properties and assets, and documents for the

social security enrollments—are not pertinent to the ongoing Senate investigation into the “use of P42 billion in Department of Health funds” for pandemic supplies that were transferred to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), Fortun said in a radio interview before he went to the Supreme Court. “Looking into the tax liabilities of corporations—that’s the job of the Bureau of Internal Revenue; checking the ACRs [alien certificates of registration] of aliens— that’s for the Bureau of Immigration,” Fortun added. He noted that Yang recently received a letter of authority from the BIR, which has apparently begun looking into tax records of one of his companies, indicating, Fortun noted in Filipino, “that the process has advanced.” Meanwhile, he asserted that the Senate has no standing to question tax liabilities.

Not stopping inquiry

FORTUN stressed, “We are not asking for a stop to the [Senate] inquiry, acknowledging the chamber’s constitutional mandate, but only to delimit the scope of the inquiry.” The lawyer assured that Yang will continue to attend the BRC hearings virtually, while the SC has yet to decide on their urgent petition. “Ang layo na po ng issue; hindi na po maganda iyan [The issues have strayed; that’s not good],” Fortun added.

DOF chief: Duterte admin ready to assist in ’22 power transition By Manuel T. Cayon

@awimailbox Mindanao Bureau Chief

AVAO CITY—The Duterte administration has sent an early feeler to the next administration to signify it is ready to assist in the transition period in four important economic concerns. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the transition period next year would be important for the next administration to be apprised and versed “in addressing four primary concerns that will affect the Philippines’ economic stability beyond 2022.” “These four issues involve: prudent debt management in relation to growing the economy above 6 percent per year; inflation caused by global shortages; pandemic-induced inequalities; and climate change,” the finance chief said. Why he said that the economic team was ready to assist in the transition was because of the promising comeback the economy showed recently “after going through a difficult episode amid the pandemic.” “The Philippines is poised for a strong recovery towards a more inclusive economy owing to the strength of its institutions and the firm foundations laid by the Duterte administration over the last five years,” he said. Dominguez said the worst of the pandemic has passed and the country is well on its way to a strong rebound as it scales up its Covid-19 vaccination program to cover 100 percent of the adult population and persons aged 12 to 17 years old. “We have strengthened our public health system and we will continue to do so in the coming years. Our people have woven health protocols into their daily lives,” Dominguez said. “As we relax restrictions on movement, our domestic economy appears to be responding with strength. After so many challenging months, the numbers are now all in our favor,” he added. He cited the Philippines’s increasing foreign direct investments (FDI), growing remittance inflows from

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III

overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), more-than-enough international reserves despite the sharp spike in oil prices, stable exchange rate and rising revenue collections as indicators of an economy on the way to a strong recovery. Dominguez also cited the country’s solid fiscal position under the Duterte administration—as reflected in its sustainable debt-to-GDP ratio, high credit ratings, successful bond issuances amid the pandemic, to name a few—as the other factor that will ensure the country’s strong economic rebound. He said that on top of ensuring fiscal prudence, the Duterte administration also introduced numerous policy reforms to build a businessfriendly environment, among them, the reduction of red tape; the digital transformation of public agencies; implementation of a National ID system; infrastructure modernization; and a rationalized corporate income tax (CIT) and fiscal incentives policy through the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law. The remaining period of President Duterte’s term will be focused on rapidly modernizing governance; accelerating the rollout of the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program; and continuing with the market-friendly reforms attractive to investments, Dominguez said. He emphasized that accountability and transparency are paramount

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, November 26, 2021 A3

to ensure the prudent use of these funds that come from taxpayers. “The Duterte administration will ensure that the next presidency will be ably assisted during the transition period in addressing four key issues that will impact the Philippines’s economic stability. These include ways on how to prudently manage the debt we have accumulated and grow our GDP at a rate higher than 6 percent per annum as we have done. We need to deal with the issue of inflation brought about by shortages around the world,” Dominguez said during a virtual economic forum. “We need to manage the inequalities exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic—both within the country and among countries. And finally, we need to address climate change without stretching the fiscal space of the country,” he added.

Debt issue

DOMINGUEZ pointed out that debt and lower revenue collections were the “unexpected costs of the pandemic” triggered by pandemic curbs. He said the country’s debtto-GDP ratio climbed up to about 63.1 percent in the third quarter of this year. Dominguez said the strong point with the Philippines was that managing the debt problem “remains eminently sustainable, especially as more than two-thirds of our borrowings are being sourced from our very liquid domestic market.”

“The stability of the peso indicates this. We expect to begin working down our debt by next year,” he said. Dominguez said he also expects the government’s programmed budget deficit to start declining, with next year’s target reaching 7.7 percent of GDP. “This is well-supported by the rebound of revenue collections, which puts less pressure on our borrowing requirement and debt sustainability threshold,” he said. The government’s measures to transition to a digital economy, such as the use of electronic channels by the main revenue-generating agencies to enable them to overshoot their collection targets, and the migration of transactions online to develop broad-based and inclusive capital markets, such as those initiated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), are among the reforms that have been put in place and expanded by the Duterte administration, Dominguez said. He also underscored the timely passage of the CREATE law that offered businesses the biggest stimulus package ever to help them recover from the pandemic, and modernized the fiscal incentives system to encourage more high-value investments and innovation. He said CREATE complements the other reform efforts initiated by the Duterte administration to make the Philippines more business friendly. These include the Anti-RedTape Act (ARTA), Ease of Doing Business Act, infrastructure modernization program, and establishment of a National ID system, among other measures. The Philippines will take full advantage of its demographic sweet spot, where its young and talented population means a work force prepared to swiftly adjust to the transformations taking place in the economy, Dominguez said. He urged entrepreneurs to maximize the impact of these businessfriendly measures by shifting to the circular economy and other sustainable practices.

He lamented as well that besides demanding documents from Yang that were not germane to the investigation, the BRC has infringed on the constitutional right of his client to be deemed innocent until proven guilty because the Blue Ribbon panel, chaired by Sen. Richard J. Gordon, has treated supposed “resource persons” like suspects, occasionally scolding and shaming them. He said the process smacks of a “fishing expedition” to keep demanding for documents in the hopes of spotting “a possible error” on his client’s part. Fortun reiterated what his client had kept telling Senate probers: his only role in the case of the Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. was to link it to some Chinese suppliers of face masks, shields, among other pandemic-related items. Yang has denied providing funds to Pharmally, a Singapore-based top executive disclosed to senators in one hearing. “No evidence has been shown to prove that Michael Yang gave funds to Pharmally,” Fortun said. “Have they proven that even a centavo of public funds ended up in Michael Yang’s companies?” Fortun asked aloud. The substance and manner of questions do not fit into the Senate’s oversight mandate, the lawyer added. Fortun also asserted “the Senate is not the best venue to clear Michael Yang’s name.” “Acting with grave abuse of dis-

cretion amounting to a lack or excess of jurisdiction, the respondent Senate Committee had violated the petitioner’s rights to privacy by compelling him to reveal his properties, corporate papers and business transactions despite the same not having any connection to the matter in inquiry, including asking about his supposed links to illegal drugs despite the sheer absence of evidence of his engagement therein,” Yang said. Echoing President Duterte’s statements in one of his tirades against Gordon and BRC members, Fortun dared senators to simply “file a case” against concerned parties “if they see something wrong.” The BRC will hold its 14th hearing on Friday (November 26), with the focus expected to be on the Dargani siblings, top Pharmally executives now detained at the Senate after they went into hiding and were caught in Davao as they were about to take a chartered flight to Malaysia. Sen. Risa Hontiveros revealed on Wednesday that the aborted chartered flight was booked for a whopping P1.85 million, and the Darganis must explain who put up the money that was raised, since they paid “puny” sums in taxes last year. Gordon earlier sought documents from the local partner of the Singapore-based owner of the Learjet, to determine who booked the two flights of Mohit and Twinkle Dargani—first, from Davao-SingaporeDavao; and the aborted flight from Davao-Kuala Lumpur.

Expert belies ecological benefits of WTE in vlog

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

NEW campaign against waste-to-energ y ( W TE) dubbed Waste Burning Exposed by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)-Asia Pacific has debunked the alleged “myths” of garbage disposal by turning it into some form of energy. The “Public Service Announcement” posted on YouTube featured distinguished professor and environmental scientist Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, discussing matters WTE which is now being eyed by the government as a solution to the country’s perennial garbage problem. “WTE is simply waste incineration in disguise. It burns ton of municipal wastes to generate a small amount of net energy, while emitting massive amounts of toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases,” he said. Similar to other countries in the Global South, waste incinerators are being peddled in the Philippines, despite a national incinerator ban, as a solution to managing waste. In a privilege speech in September 2020, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian proposed the inclusion of WTE facilities in managing and treating the country’s growing waste. Citing “sustainability” and “stability,” he justified that “incinerators

do not only minimize waste but also generate energy.” Environmental NGOs, private individuals, and communities have raised concerns stating that the supposed benefits far outweigh the health, economic, and environmental costs on cities and communities. These claims was substantiated by Emmanuel in his campaign material, indicating “incinerators do fail in living up to their promises.” “Continuous monitoring of the state-of-the-art waste-to-energy plant in Harlingen, Netherlands revealed dioxin levels exceeding legal limits so much so that grass and eggs in farms up to 10 km away had high amounts of dioxins. Even when governments adopt international emission standards, it doesn’t guarantee that dangerous emissions aren’t being released, especially in developing countries where there is no technical capacity to monitor emissions continuously,” he said. In a news statement, Yobel Novian PutraofGAIAAsiaPacific,saidthereare several waste incinerator proposals in the Philippines and all proposals claim that incinerators are clean and safe. “What they don’t tell is that even in Europe, where standards are high, waste incinerators have been recorded toemithighlytoxicpollutants—suchas dioxins and heavy metal—and release immense amounts of CO2,” he said.

Economy A4

BusinessMirror

Friday, November 26, 2021 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug

Philippines joins WTO discussion on services domestic regulation By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad @TyronePiad

HE Philippines has joined the joint initiative on services domestic regulation by the World Trade Organization (WTO). In a news statement, WTO said that the Philippines is the 66th member to participate in the said negotiation. The initiative now covers over 90 percent of the world services trade. “Implementing the new disciplines will help promote regulatory practices that support trade in services and deepen the Philippines’ integration into global value chains,” the intergovernmental organization noted. The Philippine delegation, WTO said, shared that the regulations being finalized will complement its Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 and regional trade pacts. Previously, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said that the services sectors, which are major economic drivers, need further assistance to recover amid the pandemic. “More than providing access to services markets, it is imperative that we also provide a transparent and predictable regulatory environment to help services firms engage in the international market,” he explained. As such, he said, “It may be worth considering the work the WTO undertook to

establish disciplines on services domestic regulations under the WTO Joint Statement Initiative discussions.” “Although considered as a plurilateral arrangement, it is encouraging to see that a group of like-minded members are ready to commit to a shared goal of mitigating the unintended trade restrictive effects of regulatory measures in their economies,” Lopez said. He explained that promoting good governance for the services sectors is key to developing more trade opportunities, especially for the micro, small and medium enterprises “who are burdened by uncertain and costly requirements and procedures.” The WTO said that the services domestic regulation negotiations are “on track” for the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference on December 2. The guidelines are expected to be adopted for declaration by then. “The objective of the new disciplines is to mitigate the unintended trade-restrictive effects of measures relating to licensing requirements and procedures, qualification requirements and procedures, and technical standards,” the WTO said. “By improving the predictability and transparency of regulatory frameworks for authorization procedures for service suppliers, participants aim to create a more conducive environment for services trade.”

Lawmaker urges govt to fill up vacant positions in bureaucracy

O ease rising unemployment, a lawmaker on Thursday urged government agencies to fill vacant positions totaling almost 178,000 in the entire bureaucracy. In a news statement, Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor said Congress allocates funds for salaries in the annual budget on the basis of existing permanent positions, including those that are unfilled. According to Defensor, many state offices choose not to recruit additional personnel to save funds, which they then use for other purposes with the approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Malacañang. “We should stop this practice by compelling agencies to hire needed personnel. Funds for salaries should be used for salaries,” he said. “The government is the country’s biggest employer. It can ease the unemployment problem by hiring personnel to fill job vacancies, for which there are funds in the annual budget,” the lawmaker said. Citing the 2022 budget documents submitted to Congress, Defensor said the bureaucracy has permanent positions numbering 1,899,747, from the president, who holds Salary Grade 33 (P415,728 a month), down to the lowest-paid worker, who receives P12,034 (Salary Grade 1) in basic pay.

Of the total number of permanent positions, 1,721,753 are filled or occupied, while the remaining 177,994 are vacant, Defensor said. He added that the number of permanent jobs, filled positions and vacancies reflected in the budget documents excludes those in local government units throughout the country. “This means that agencies have the funds to hire personnel to fill vacant positions,” Defensor stressed. In filling job vacancies, he urged state agencies to give priority to so-called contractof-service (COS) and job-order (JO) workers who could qualify for the vacant positions. “These contractual personnel have already been doing the job of those who are supposed to occupy the vacancies. They are not hired on a permanent basis perhaps because they lack certain requirements like civil service eligibility,” he said. Defensor said there are an estimated 530,000 COS and JO workers in the bureaucracy. The lawmaker also supported the plea of these employees for a year-end gratuity pay of at least P10,000 each. “President Duterte may grant their request. The DBM can source the needed funds from savings,” he said. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

De Guzman vows ₧125-B MSME recovery fund if elected president

A Leody de Guzman, presidential candidate of Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM), bared his plan for a P125billion stimulus fund for small and micro enterprises to facilitate their recovery from the pandemic-induced economic recession. On top of the P125-billion stimulus for 2022, Ka Leody’s wealth tax-funded recovery plan includes a public jobs generation program that will also provide a fixed wage subsidy for 1 million workers employed in distressed micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). “Government support for small business was lacking and not distributed efficiently at the height of the recession. Millions of workers, who lost their jobs or received lower wages and benefits, bore the

brunt of the administration’s negligence to the MSME sector,” he said in Filipino. According to the DTI, MSMEs employ about 63 percent of the labor force. “We need to protect MSMEs because millions of workers are relying on them. They are not like big monopolies that have a larger capitalization and have a faster credit access to banks and financial institutions. Hence, the lives of livelihood of those employed in big businesses were not as threatened. Government should help small enterprises to recover from the recession without resorting to lay-offs or to diminution of wages and benefits. A vibrant MSME sector is key to the recovery of our local economy,” he added.

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PHL receives tepid response in London travel trade event By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror

HIS year’s World Travel Market (WTM) in London wasn’t quite as spectacular as previous years, according to Philippine sellers, due mainly to the buyers’ wait on the country’s actual reopening to international travelers. Gregor Zajc, general manager of Blue Horizons Travel & Tours Inc. told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail, “The main question the buyers are asking remains when the international tourists will be allowed to enter the Philippines. Hence, they are hesitant in doing future bookings until they know for sure that tourists will be allowed to travel again.” He noted an apparent “70 percent decrease” in engagements versus WTM 2019. “There were significantly less buyers, but also less expositors. Some countries were simply missing this year.” Zajc attended the London event in person. This was echoed by Margie Munsayac, vice president for sales and marketing at Bluewater Resorts: “My sales managers attended and they said appointments were few, and majority were OTAs [online travel agencies], media, and press.” She expressed hope “there will be some traction from the OTA market.” For his part, Rajah Tours Philippines President Jose C. Clemente III, an online participant, said, “We managed to get around six buyers. I think the people are experiencing virtual meeting fatigue. The quality of buyers were also not that good. My theory, it’s also because of the uncertainty in our status as to when we will reopen to foreign tourists. I think [the buyers’] priority are those countries ready to accept tourists.” WTM is one of the largest travel trade events in Europe, held annually in London. Prior top the pandemic, it gathered more than 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers, and international media, generating billions of dollars in travel industry contracts. This year, it was held from November 1 to 3 in ExCel, and November 7 to 9 for virtual meetings. Travel participants from the Philippines also noted how the Philippines continues to be an e x pensive dest i n at ion, compared to others in Southeast Asia.

Friday, November 26, 2021 A5

PSA reports sharp decline in rice, corn inventories as of October 1

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

@jearcalas

HE country’s rice inventory as of October 1 declined by 26.2 percent year-on-year to 1.954 million metric tons (MMT) as stocks across three sectors contracted during the reference period, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

In its latest monthly report, PSA said rice stocks inventory at the start of October was almost 700,000 MT lower than the 2.647 MMT recorded inventory level in

the same period of last year. “On the other hand, rice stocks inventory rose by 46.7 percent from the previous month’s level of 1.332 [million] metric tons,” PSA said in

All hands on deck for net zero emissions–UN climate expert By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

ATIONS will fail to achieve their climate goals if power and energy companies are indifferent in committing to net zero emissions, a United Nations official said on Thursday. During the Conference of the Electricity Power Supply Industry (CEPSI), UN Compact Executive Director Sanda Ojiambo challenged the private sector to “use your influence for good” and help in the battle against the “terrifying impact of climate change.” “National climate goals will never be met if business doesn’t play part. Public and private sectors must reinforce each other. Government policies adopt clarity and market confidence for Asian companies are critical to drive business action and to incentivize companies to move towards net zero,” she said. She said the world may be able to achieve a 1.5-degree future, if “all hands are on deck.” “A rapid move towards renewable energy requires local governments, unions, and the private sector to get involved, supporting affected communities and people by generating green jobs. A just transition is an

integral part for people-centered climate action and will benefit sustainable long-term growth,” she said. As companies and all sectors work to halve global emissions by 2030, Ojiambo said, they must simultaneously ensure that there will be positive impacts for their employees and their communities. “One positive impact is the opportunity for green jobs, and according to the International Labor Union, 25 million jobs can be created in a green transition with a loss of only 7 million,” Ojiambo added. She explained that the recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), the UN Global Compact, together with the ILO and the International Trade Union Confederation, launched a think lab on just transition to partner with businesses and shape thought leadership in this area. “For Asian companies, technolog y transfer and finance are essential to achieve a just transition. To future proof businesses and protect communities, it is also essential for the private sector to work with governments on climate resilience solutions and infrastructure,” she said.

its report, titled “Rice and Corn Stocks inventory.” The PSA noted that rice stocks inventory in all sectors—household, commercial and National Food Authority (NFA)—contracted year-onyear during the reference period. “Rice stocks inventory in all sectors were lower than their respective levels in the same period of the previous year. As a result, stocks in the households declined by 2.6 percent, commercial warehouses/wholesalers/retailers by 23.9 percent and NFA by30.7 percent,” PSA said. The PSA said more than half or about 1.059 MMT of the total rice inventory were stored in households, while 37.3 percent or about 728,690 MT were held by the commercial sector. Rice stocks in NFA

warehouses, which reached 166,340 MT, accounted for 8.5 percent of the October 1 inventory. “Compared with their previous month’s records, increments in stocks inventory were noted in all sectors. Stocks in the households, commercial warehouses/retailers, and NFA depositories were higher by 66.1 percent, 34.2 percent, and 10 percent, respectively,” PSA added. In the same report, PSA said the country’s corn inventory as of October 1 declined by 47.9 percent year-on-year to a seven-month low of 513,930 MT. It was 471,610 MT lower than the 985,540 MT recorded in the October 1 corn inventory last year, based on PSA data. “Likewise, corn stocks inventory fell by 8.3 percent from the previ-

Looking for Prince Charming?: Romance online fraudsters dupe Pinay OFWs in HK By Marilou Talosig-Bartolome

NLINE scams perpetrated by “Valentino” predators are victimizing homesick and lonely Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong. A Filipino community news site in Hong Kong, The Sun Hong Kong, has reported that at least two Filipino maids who were duped by as much as P200,000. A 38-year-old married Filipina said she was initially attracted to a Facebook advertisement of a job offer in Discovery Bay with a monthly salary of HK$ 6,000 (P38,800). His employer, who introduced himself as Tommy and a Canadian expatriate, said he was looking for a nanny for his eight-year-old daughter. After accepting the job offer, the Pinay maid was wooed by the Valentino employer by his daily messages via FB Messenger and even showing his face during video chats. He would project himself as a religious man and a devoted father—to the extent of being dramatic sometimes by crying during video calls. As the maid falls in love with him, the conman slowly asked for money. First, he said, he needed HK$3,000 to pay for the visa of his daughter and asked if the maid could lend him. The maid had to use her salary for that month to be able to send the money to her supposed employer/ lover. Later, he started asking for more in trick-

les in a Hong Kong bank account, to a remittance center to a recipient in Benin and to a bitcoin account. At one point, the fraudster even suggested that she pawn her passport. And she did so that she can send him HK $3,000. Another OFW, also encountered the same modus who duped her HK$ 10,000 (P64,000). She entered into the same romantic relationship and then the fraudster would share his “vulnerabilities.” He said to send his daughter to Hong Kong and needs HK$3,000. PhilippineConsulGeneralRalyTejada confirmedthereareOFWsinHongKong who reported to them that they were victimized by these online scammers. He said the consulate provided them with counseling, but since the consulate cannot intervene in resolving criminal cases, they simply referred these maids to Hong Kong police cybercrime division to file for-

‘Trespassing’ China should observe Unclos–Lorenzana continued from a10 China to PHL: Remove ship

THE Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement earlier in response to claims by Lorenzana that China continues to harass and intimidate the Philippine transport boats that carried food supplies to soldiers stationed in Ayungin Shoal. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian insisted Ayungin Shoal (international name: Second

Thomas Shoal, Chinese name: Ren’ai Jiao) is part of China’s Nansha Qundao” or South China Sea. “China demands that the Philippine side honor its commitment and remove its grounded vessel on Ren’ai Jiao. This position remains unchanged,” Zhao said during a media briefing in Beijing. In 1999, the Philippines, despite its lack of naval flotilla to monitor the country’s vast coastline, had de-

liberately run aground the vintage ship Sierra Madre. It happened five years after Manila discovered Beijijng’s occupation and reclamation of Panganiban Reef (international name: Mischief Reef), some 40 kilometers away west of Ayungin Shoal. A small contingent of Marine soldiers are deployed to guard the shoal ever since. This week, the Philippine supply boats resumed their resupply mission,

but Lorenzana complained that the Chinese Coast Guard still deployed a team on a tugboat near the shoal and took pictures and video of the unloading of food supplies. Zhao insisted that China allowed the Philippine transport boat to pass through Ayungin Shoal “out of humanitarian considerations” and that the access provided to the Philippine boat “is a provisional and special arrangement.”

DOH won’t rush to say Covid ‘now contained’ Moreover, data from the WHO, as of November 23, 2021, also showed the country ranked 65th in terms of countries with most number of active cases, 134th in terms of C-19 cases per million, 120th in terms of deaths per million, and 93rd in terms of case fatality rate. These rankings, the DOH noted, have improved since the end of case peaks recorded in the country in September 2021. “DOH had remained resolute and persistent, working diligently at both

policy and operational levels anchored on the whole-of-government, wholeof-society, and whole-of-systems approach. Our agile decision-making is always data-driven and informed by best available evidence, and always centered on what is best for the safety and health of Filipinos,” Duque said.

Covid response

WHILE no government has perfected its Covid-19 response, the DOH, together with other national government agencies and local government units,

continued to adapt policies and implement measures based on case trends and projections, available resources, and evolving evidence, he said. “Despite the limited health systems capacity, we were able to achieve better health outcomes because of the whole-of-nation approach. And as we continue to work towards realizing the vision of a Universal Health Care for all Filipinos, we would like to dedicate our wins against the pandemic to our health-care workers who have selflessly devoted their lives in providing

ous month’s level of 560,610 metric tons,” PSA said. PSA data showed that corn stocks in households reached 213,160 MT while the remaining volume of 300,770 MT were held by the commercial sector. “Inventories of corn stocks in the households and commercial warehouses/wholesalers/retailers declined by 49.3 percent and 46.8 percent, respectively, relative to their levels in the previous years,” the PSA said. “In comparison with their previous month’s levels, corn stocks in the households increased by 13.8 percent, while stocks in commercial warehouses/wholesalers/retailers decreased by 19.4 percent,” it added.

continued from a10

both Covid and non-Covid-19 health care to Filipinos,” added Duque. With the availability of vaccines as an added defense against the disease, the Philippines also bids to protect more of its population through vaccination. The government is set to hold a three-day vaccination drive on November 29 to December 1. The DOH asked the public to take to heart the bayanihan spirit and work together to reach the goal of 15 million individuals inoculated during the event.

mal complaints. Tejada clarified though that the scammers are not targeting OFWs. Even Hong Kong locals were also victimized by these romance cybercrooks with millions of Hong Kong dollars. “ Pero mas masak it sa mga kababayan natin kasi kakarampot lang sweldo tapos natatangay pa,” he told the BusinessMirror. The consul general said that these cybercriminals lurk on popular socialmedia sites and would profile those who like or comment to “lay the bait.” “Sa 1,000 na susubukan ng sindikato, I’m sure may sasagot dyan, di ba? Di nila alam yung kausap pala nila na akala ay isang Prince Charming ay actually miyembro ng isang criminal syndicate. May mga kababayan kasi tayo na minsan madali magtiwalaatmahulogangloob.Anglagikong sinasabi—sigeOKlangnamanmakipagchat peropaghuminginangperaibangusapanna. Mag-ingat na,” Tejada said.

Friday, November 26, 2021

TheWorld BusinessMirror

Germany latest country to pass 100,000 deaths from Covid-19 B

ER L I N — O f f ic i a l f i g u res re le a se d T hu rsd ay show Germany has become the latest countr y to record 100,000 deaths from Covid-19 since the pandemic began. Germany’s disease control agency said it recorded 351 additional deaths in connection w ith the

coronavirus over the past 24 hours, taking the total toll to 100,119. In Europe, Germany is the fifth country to pass that mark, after Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy and France. The Robert Koch Institute, a federal agency that collects data from some 400 regional health offices,

said Germany also recorded a new record number of daily confirmed cases—75,961 in a 24-hour period. Since the start of the outbreak, Germany has had more than 5.57 million confirmed cases of Covid-19. The surge in cases prompted Germany’s government-in-waiting on Wednesday to announce the creation

of a new permanent expert group to advise officials on how to tackle the pandemic. Hospita ls have war ned that intensive care beds are running out, and some facilities in the countr y’s south and east have begun transferring patients to other regions. AP

Covid-19 resurgence threatens Europe’s economic recovery: EU

R U S S E L S —T h e m a s s i v e spike in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks is threatening the European Union’s recovery from the deep economic slump caused by last year’s onset of the pa ndem ic, t he bloc’s economy chief said Wednesday. And medical experts warned that the public health situation could get much worse. Only two weeks ago the EU executive raised its growth forecast for an economy bouncing back from the worst of the pandemic. But EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said Wednesday the upbeat picture was now in doubt again amid rising infections and with restrictions being reintroduced in a growing number of member states. The fear is that the fall forecast for 5 percent growth this year in the 19-nation eurozone could still be hurt by the end-of-year virus crisis. “Our only message is: Take the situation very seriously,” Gentiloni said, “but without thinking that the economic impact will be the same one as one year ago.” Medical experts warned of more hardship ahead, and called for urgent measures that could impact crucial sectors like the restaurant, bar and tourism industries, already badly hit by the virus last year. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said in a report Wednesday that the burden from the highly contagious Delta variant first detected in India “ is expected to be very high in December and January,” unless drastic government action is taken and vaccinations tick further upward. It all goes against initial expectations for the holiday season when it was thought that Europeans unburdened by Covid-19 restrictions would dip into their forced savings of the past year and spend, giving the economy a major shot in the arm. Now, the ECDC warned, “the end-of-year festive season is traditionally associated with activities such as social gatherings, shopping and travelling, which pose significant additional risks for intensified transmission of Delta.” ECDC Director Andrea Ammon spoke of health systems already being overwhelmed in some EU nations, and others being close to it. “We have to take it now really serious in the sense that measures have to be applied in order to reduce transmission.” In the past though, this has meant lockdowns and wholesale closures of businesses that were responsible for the unprecedented economic slump. Ammon was addressing everything from less intrusive measures such as mandatory mask wearing or remote work to lockdowns. “We still have some time until Christmas,” Ammon said. “But if the situation doesn’t get better, it might mean that these measures should be taken over Christmas as well.” AP

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US GDP slowed sharply in Q3, big rebound expected in Q4

ASHINGTON—The US economy slowed to a modest annual rate of 2.1 percent in the July-September quarter according to the government’s second read of the data, slightly better than its first estimate. But economists are predicting a solid rebound in the current quarter as long as rising inflation and a recent uptick in Covid cases do not derail activity. The increase in the gross domestic product, the economy’s total output of goods and services, is up from an initial estimate of 2 percent for the third quarter, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. But the revision was still well below the solid gains of 6.3 percent in the first quarter this year and 6.7 percent in the second. The small increase from the initial GDP estimate a month ago reflected a slightly better performance for consumer spending, which grew at a still lackluster 1.7 percent rate in the third quarter, compared to a 12 percent surge in the April-June quarter. The contribution to GDP from business inventory restocking was also revised up. The economy’s weak summer performance reflected a big slowdown in consumer spending as a spike in Covid-19 cases from the Delta variant caused consumers to grow more cautious and snarled supply chains made items such as new cars hard to get and also contributed to a burst of inflation to levels not seen in three decades. While Covid cases in recent weeks have started to rise again in many parts of the country, economists do not think the latest increase will be enough to dampen consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of economic activity. The expectation is that the economy in the current OctoberDecember quarter could grow at the strongest pace this year, with some economists forecast GDP could surge to an 8 percent rate in the fourth quarter. For the whole year, the expectation is that the economy will grow by around 5.5 percent, which would be the best showing since 1984 and a big improvement from last year when the economy shrank by 3.4 percent. That was the biggest annual decline since an 11.6 percent plunge in 1946, when the nation was demobilized after World War II. “After experiencing one of the most severe economic shocks of the past century in 2020, the US economy has displayed one of the most rapid recoveries in modern history in 2021,” Gregory Daco, chief US economist for Oxford Economics, wrote in a note to clients. Daco predicted GDP in the current October-December period would rebound to a growth rate of 5.6 percent. So far, the improving economy this year has not boosted the approval ratings of President Joe Biden because the US, with one of the most rapidly recovering economies, is also caught up in a global supply chain squeeze that is driving prices higher for everything from new cars and gasoline to the cost of food and airline tickets. Biden this week nominated Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for a second four-year term to head the central bank. Powell and other Fed officials had earlier in the year insisted that temporary factors, such as those snarled supply chains, were causing the spike in prices. However, recently the central bank has stressed that if the price increase persists it will be ready to start raising interest rates sooner than expected to slow growth as a way of dampening inflation pressures. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said he now expected the Fed to boost its benchmark interest twice next year in September and December. Those rate increases will translate into higher borrowing costs for consumers and businesses. But analysts don’t believe the expected two quarter-point rate hikes will be enough to derail the recovery. They are also optimistic that the global pandemic will be less of a drag next year. “I think each new wave of Covid cases will be less disruptive to the economy because more people are getting vaccinated,” Zandi said. AP

Putin tests experimental nasal vaccine against coronavirus

OSCOW—President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he has taken an experimental nasal vaccine against the coronavirus, three days after he received his booster shot. Russia is facing its worst surge of infections and deaths since the pandemic began and is struggling to overcome widespread vaccine hesitancy. Putin was vaccinated with Sputnik V, Russia’s domestically developed Covid-19 vaccine, in the spring. On Sunday, he said he received a booster shot of Sputnik Light, the one-dose version of the jab, and said he wanted to take part in testing the nasal version of Sputnik V. Denis Logunov, deputy director of Russia’s state-funded Gamaleya Center that developed Sputnik V, told Putin on Sunday the nasal vaccine is yet to go through clinical studies and is currently being tested “off-label mostly”—on the center’s staff members. In accordance with established scientific protocols, the vaccine will need to go through several trial phases, including those involving thousands of people, to establish that it is safe and effective to use. Last month, Russia’s Health Ministry gave a regulatory go-ahead to early trials of the nasal form of Sputnik V among 500 volunteers, but it was not immediately clear whether it has already started. Putin told a government meeting Wednesday that “exactly six months after vaccination my titers

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TheWorld

Supply-chain crisis only getting worse with China’s 7-week port quarantine

hina’s increasingly extreme Covid Zero policies are standing in the way of a full recovery for the shipping industry and prolonging a crisis that’s snarled ports and emptied shelves worldwide. In its attempts to keep the virus out, China continued to prohibit crew changes for foreign crew and recently imposed as much as a seven-week mandatory quarantine for returning Chinese seafarers. Even vessels that have refreshed their crew elsewhere have to wait two weeks before they’re allowed to port in China. To comply, shipowners and managers have had to reroute ships, delaying shipments and crew changes, adding to the supply chain crisis. “China’s restrictions cause knock-on effects,” said Guy Platten, the secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents shipowners and operators. “Any restrictions to ship operations have an accumulative impact on the supply chain and cause real disruptions.” The world’s biggest exporter, China is a key hub for the shipping industry. It is also the last country to hew to a Covid Zero policy, with increasingly radical measures. In recent weeks, authorities locked in 34,000 people at Shanghai Disneyland for mandatory testing. A Beijing school held primary school children overnight after a teacher tested positive. The definition of “close contact” now extends to people separated by as much as a kilometer. Around the world, factories, shipping and consumers are still adjusting for a pandemic that’s not going anywhere. Supply shortages are showing signs of easing in the US but worsening in the U.K. Some ports in Asia are getting less congested, but in California, loaded vessels are still piling up. Ship managers and operators are calling for China to relax its restrictions and governments to prioritize seafarers and shipping, or risk continued disruptions that may go deeper as mariners bear the brunt of the toll. The latest restrictions at China’s ports target Chinese crew, requiring them to quarantine for three weeks before their return to China, then another two weeks at the port of arrival, and two more weeks in their province before they can reunite with their families, according to Terence Zhao, managing director of Singhai Marine Services, one of the biggest Chinese crew supply agents. “The ports’ main focus is on quarantine and health matters,” he said at an online industry forum Monday. “The regulations change very often, depending on the local Covid situation.” Even seafarers w ith emergency medical needs aren’t allowed to get care in China, ship managers said. An Anglo-Eastern chief officer with a severe tooth abscess couldn’t get off his vessel for treatment. The ship had to divert to South Korea before he could see a dentist. “China is a major issue,” said Bjorn

of protective [antibodies] have dropped, and specialists recommended the procedure of revaccination, which I did.” He said he didn’t experience any unpleasant effects after taking the nasal vaccine. In recent weeks, Russia has been swept by its highest ever Covid-19 surge, with officials regularly registering record-high numbers of new infections and deaths. The surge came amid low vaccination rates and lax public attitudes toward taking precautions. Fewer than 40 percent of Russia’s nearly 146 million people have been fully vaccinated, even though the country approved a domestically developed Covid-19 vaccine months before most of the world. Russians are currently offered four domestically developed vaccines, with Sputnik V and Sputnik Light dominating the market. Data on efficacy of two other ones, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac, is yet to be released; just like Sputnik V, these two shots have been given regulatory approval before completing late-stage trials necessary to establish their effectiveness in preventing disease.

Hojgaard, chief executive officer of ship manager Anglo-Eastern Univan Group and the chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association. “They are doing a good job at keeping Covid at bay but at the cost of not letting seafarers in—even Chinese seafarers sometimes can’t get back into China.” Operating in China has become challenging even for the biggest operators, including Cargill Inc. “We’ve had vessels that ran into demurrage”—late fees—“we’ve had instances where we had to deviate, either before we call China, or after,” said Eman Abdalla, global operations & supply chain director at Cargill. “There are instances where the delays are within hours, but there are also instances where the delays could go on to days.” Euronav NV, one of the world’s largest owners of oil supertankers, has spent an estimated $6 million handling disruptions related to the crew change crisis, including the likes of deviations, quarantines and higher travel costs. “In the past, it was pretty nice to do crew rotation when we were in China,” said Chief Executive Officer Hugo De Stoop. “And now basically it’s not possible.” The industry has largely absorbed the extra costs with some of the highest container rates on record due to demand, capacity constraints and port congestion. At $9,146 per 40-foot container at the end of the week on Nov. 18, rates have soared six-fold compared to the five-year average through 2019. Rates for oil tankers and bulk carriers have not risen nearly as much. Ship owners and operators also acknowledge that they are managing China’s restrictions by shifting the burden to the workers on board. Chinese authorities won’t allow more than three Chinese seafarers on a flight to the mainland, so their return home can be stretched to months after they’ve signed off from vessels, said Hojgaard. Anglo-Eastern said as of this week, 555 out of its 16,000 active crew are overdue for relief, and nearly 60 have been on ships for more than 11 months, the maximum mariners are allowed by international law to be on board. “We are trying our best to get them off but can’t,” said Hojgaard. This month, China’s coronavirus czar defended the nation’s strict Covid measures and signaled there wouldn’t be an easing of rules. Meanwhile, the industry’s supply chain disruptions don’t show signs of abating. According to a new Oxford Economics survey of 148 businesses Oct. 18-29, nearly 80 percent of respondents said they expect the supply crisis still has scope to worsen. “China is determined to achieve zero Covid and it will not relax regulations due to the policy,” said Singhai Marine’s Zhao. “It may even step up rules due to the winter Olympics in February next year.” Bloomberg News

Russia’s Health Ministry is expected to approve a version of Sputnik V for teenagers aged 12 to 17 on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told Putin during the government meeting. According to the Russia’s state registry of clinical trials, the jab, which is in essence a smaller dose of Sputnik V, was being tested on more than 3,600 volunteers. No data on its efficacy has been released yet. The immunization drive in Russia has been hampered by widespread vaccine hesitancy. A poll released by the independent pollster Levada Center earlier this month showed that 45 percent of Russians weren’t willing to get domestically developed shots. In an effort to boost vaccine uptake, doctors from 11 Russian hospitals released an open letter Wednesday, inviting those skeptical of vaccines—and a number of prominent public figures in particular who are known to air their skepticism in public—to visit coronavirus wards and intensive care units with Covid-19 patients. “Maybe after that you’ll change your mind and fewer people will be dying,” the letter read. Bloomberg News

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Friday, November 26, 2021

Italy targets unvaccinated with restrictions as cases rise R

OME—The Italian government on Wednesday decided to exclude unvaccinated people from certain leisure activities in a bid to contain rising coronavirus infections and stave off financially crippling lockdowns just as the economy is starting to grow again. Starting December 6, only people with proof of vaccination or of having recovered from Covid-19 can eat at indoor restaurants, and go to the movies or sporting events, excluding the ability to access such venues with just a negative test. A new government decree also made vaccinations mandatory for law enforcement, military and all school employees, among others. Previously, vaccines were only required for health care workers and anyone who worked in eldercare homes. Premier Mario Draghi said the measures were necessary to prevent the “slow but steady” increase in infections from

growing while preserving the gains Italy has made in rebooting the European Union’s third-largest economy, which shrank 8.9 percent last year. The concern is particularly acute given the upcoming holiday tourism season and the winter wave of infections. Regional officials in the north, for example, are desperate for Italy’s ski industry, which in normal times generates 1.2 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in annual revenues and employs 5,000 permanent and 10,000 seasonal workers, to remain open after losing two seasons to Covid-19. “We’ve begun to return to normality. We want to conserve this normality,” Draghi told a press conference after the Cabinet unanimously approved the measures. Italy, where Europe’s outbreak began in February 2020, is seeing a rise in infections but to a more measured degree than other EU countries, recording around 10,000 new cases and

fewer than 100 deaths a day. It has fully vaccinated more than 84 percent of its over-12 population, but first-dose appointments have leveled off and 20 small towns in northern Italy where vaccination rates are among the lowest in the country went into semi-lockdown on Wednesday because infections there were rising fast. The aim of the new measures is to prevent such blanket lockdowns—an 8 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew and closure of bars and restaurants at 6 p.m.—from returning across the board. The new decree would allow restaurants and other venues to remain open even when cases rise and hospitals fill up, but only to those with proof of vaccination or of having recovered from Covid-19. Unlike other countries, Italy never relaxed many of its restrictions even as cases tanked with the vaccine: Indoor mask mandates remain in place and Italy last month became the first country in the West to

require a health pass to access the workplace. The so-called “Green Pass” contained proof of vaccination, of being cured of Covid-19 or a negative test. With the new decree, the government is introducing a “reinforced” Green Pass that excludes the ability to test into certain indoor activities. Non-vaccinated people, for example, won’t be able to go to the movies or theater or eat indoors from Dec. 6-Jan. 15, or beyond that date in regions where infection and hospital admission rates are rising. The decree also added activities for which even a basic Green Pass is needed, including to check into a hotel or use regional or local public transport. Previously, a Green Pass was necessary only for long-distance public transport. The decree calls on local authorities to devise beefed-up controls, and report weekly to the Interior Ministry on how they’re going to enforce the new measures. AP

Friday, November 26, 2021 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

Time for DOST to recalibrate?

he world continues to discover and prove the efficacy of more medicines against SARS-CoV-2, which is good. Now, the next step is to make sure these become easily available in the country, and at reasonable costs. That should substantially bring down the usual costs that Filipino families shoulder when Covid hits them. Meanwhile, however, a recalibration by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) may be needed, as it spends considerable resources to study and promote the use of herbs like lagundi and tawa-tawa as well as virgin coconut oil (VCO) as adjunct therapies for Covid-19. While we have no quarrel with natural remedies, the situation right now may require some tweaking in its focus and resources. Merck and Pfizer have started securing emergency use authorization (EUA) for their anti-Covid oral pills in different jurisdictions. Before this, drugs like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab were already being used to treat Covid patients. Aside from these medicines, the Philippine inoculation program has progressed to the booster shots phase, and we are now also starting to vaccinate children. This may be one factor that led to the decline in the number of Covid cases. The DOST, meanwhile, continues to spend time and resources for its push for tawa-tawa, lagundi, and VCO despite the outcome of its clinical studies that only showed “promising” results from the use of these natural remedies for Covid patients. A report published in the BusinessMirror on October 6 had Dr. Imelda Agdeppa of the DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute sharing this information: when VCO was mixed in the meals of mild Covid patients who participated in their study, it helped to significantly reduce the reported signs and symptoms of the virus, with the symptoms gone by the 18th day. On the other hand, the results of the UP-Manila Institute of Herbal Medicine study showed an insignificant difference in the clinical recovery time of mild Covid patients given 600 milligrams (mg) of lagundi formulation every day compared to the placebo group, or those not given lagundi. The lagundi given in the study is not a concoction from the leaves but already in the medicine form. To progress with the study, the DOST still needs to subject these “adjunct therapies” to Bio Safety Level 3 (BSL-3) trials, something that is not done in the Philippines. The department said that at a BSL-3 laboratory, VCO, lagundi, and tawa-tawa will be tested against live SARS-CoV-2. Why? Because, while the effects of these remedies have been established on the Covid symptoms, their anti-viral properties still need to be proven, scientists explained. This BSL-3 study, as well as the other requirements that must be hurdled to declare tawa-tawa, VCO, and lagundi as Covid therapies, of course, will not only cost additional funding, but, crucially, time. Unfortunately, neither time nor money is on our side in the fight against Covid. The current, fragile decline in cases we enjoy came at a high price: wholesale lockdowns that gutted the economy to arrest infections while government raced to secure, with billions of borrowed money, the vaccines. There’s another question: will doctors recommend these natural remedies to patients, when medicines proven effective in clinical trials are already around? Recently, DOST came up with another announcement that VCO, lagundi and tawa-tawa “are not substitutes to Covid-19 vaccines.” A patient still needs the clearance of doctors for VCO, while tawa-tawa clinical case study has yet to prove its efficacy. Again, this could be another case of needing to recalibrate the priorities for allocating resources. For one, experts continue to harp on the need to improve the capacity to test so as to identify Covid patients in timely manner and isolate them immediately. The sad state of contact tracing efforts requires attention. Maybe the DOST could funnel more resources to technologies that boost our contact tracing and testing instead? The DOST might do well to consider going back to the drawing board and cross-checking their plans vis-a-vis the latest developments in the global fight against Covid before putting too much stock just on natural therapies. Don’t get us wrong: we want DOST at the forefront of discoveries, especially if these involve the use of indigenous materials. However, at this point, a recalibration may be in order.

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EAGLE WATCH

ow will the new (next) normal look like? Here are some points to consider:

1. Revenge demand As consumer confidence returns, spending will increasingly become intense in the first two years of the new normal. “Revenge shopping” or bottled-up demand will be released. This happened after all previous economic downturns. What differs now is that among the sectors, it is services that was hit hardest. “Revenge demand” will happen in this sector, especially in travel, accommodations, and restaurants. How quickly confidence will recover depends on whether there will be new lockdowns, a faster rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, and how the government will successfully manage the contagion. 2. Shifts in consumer behavior altering retail businesses The pandemic has accelerated online shopping; the sector still has much room for expansion. Digital retail will become a permanent fixture, as some consumers have gotten accustomed to this type of buying. A significant number of shoppers tried digital services, according to the e-Conomy SEA 2020 report by Google-Temasek and Bain & Company. About 37 percent of all digital service consumers were new (slightly

higher than the SEA average), with 95 percent of these new consumers expected to continue their behavior post-pandemic. In the same report, it was shown that e-commerce growth in the Philippines last year was at 55 percent. Sectors that will thrive in the new normal include information technology, telecommunications, health and wellness, and education technology. 3. Changes in the world of work The pandemic has accelerated “working from home.” McKinsey Global Institute estimates that more than 20 percent of the global workforce—mostly in high-skilled jobs in sectors like finance, insurance, and IT—could work the majority of their time away from the office—and be just as effective. Online work was also hastened because of advances in automation and digitization. Demand for office space and business travel will decrease because of the shift toward remote working and cost pressures that companies face. Another challenge is how to adapt the workforce to the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution— automation, digitization, and other technologies—through significant

reskilling or upskilling. The legal framework for these new forms of work will also change. With remote work, there will also be decentralization of economic activity toward the peripheries and suburbs where the cost of living is much cheaper. 4. Rebalancing and shifts of global supply chains Globalization will not be reversed, and supply chains will not disappear. Nevertheless, we can expect more emphasis on regional diversification, nearshoring of production, and resilience rather than cost-efficiency in terms of supply chains. Before, global supply chains were largely focused on cost-efficiency. In the new normal, governments and companies will give more weight to a resilient and reliable supply of strategic products. Supply chains will be reviewed. Production will become more diversified and sourced locally. Also, increasing amounts of stock and inventories will be held. 5. Going green for environmental sustainability Businesses need to respond to the increasing sustainability bias of investors. The pandemic foretells what will happen during a global climate crisis. There is a case, then, for businesses to take concrete steps to limit their climate risks by making their investments climate-change-resilient and friendly or by diversifying supply chains. Growth opportunities and investment returns from a green economy will also be huge. Green growth opportunities abound across massive sectors such as energy, mobility, and agriculture. 6. States becoming bigger The policy and program responses to the pandemic have

been quick and massive. These have highlighted an increasing role of the state in many areas of the economy. The pandemic might have catalyzed desirable reforms by the state (e.g., improvement of social protection programs), but it might have also intensified market intervention (e.g., price controls). In crises, the need to support innovation will also push the state to become entrepreneurial and lead the private sector in starting relatively higher-risk investments. The need for more resources by the government to respond to the pandemic and during the transition to the new normal may also result in higher debt burdens in a post-Covid-19 world. 7. Exacerbation of inequality Covid-19 has exacerbated income inequalities, uneven cross-country wealth distribution, and inequality of access to opportunities. Access to digital technologies being skewed toward richer families affects the education of lower-income students. High cost of health services during the pandemic has disadvantaged the poorer classes who are dependent on insufficient subsidies from national health insurance. Inequality and increased vulnerability of people from marginalized groups have negative externalities to the country as a whole in terms of increased contagion risks, rural-urban migration, and crime rates. The new normal must be able to tackle this social malaise. Dr. Fernando T. Aldaba is Senior Fellow of Eagle Watch, Professor of Economics, and former Dean of the School of Social Sciences of the Ateneo de Manila University.

On the road again: Travelers emerge in time for Thanksgiving

Lourdes M. Fernandez

Senior Editors

Creative Director Chief Photographer

Describing the new (next) normal

By David Koenig | AP Airlines Writer

ALLAS—Determined to reclaim Thanksgiving traditions that were put on pause last year by the pandemic, millions of Americans will be loading up their cars or piling onto planes to gather again with friends and family.

The number of air travelers this week is expected to approach or even exceed pre-pandemic levels, and auto club AAA predicts that 48.3 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday period, an increase of nearly 4 million over last year despite sharply higher gasoline prices. Many feel emboldened by the fact that nearly 200 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. But it also means brushing aside concerns about a resurgent virus at a time when the US is now averaging nearly 100,000 new infections a day and hospitals in Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado and Arizona are seeing alarming increases in patients. The seven-day daily average of new reported cases went up nearly

30 percent in the last two weeks through Tuesday, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says unvaccinated people should not travel, although it is unclear whether that recommendation is having any effect. More than 2.2 million travelers streamed through airport checkpoints last Friday, the busiest day since the pandemic devastated travel early last year. From Friday through Tuesday, the number of people flying in the US was more than double the same days last year and less than 9 percent lower than the same days in 2019. At Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Christian Titus was heading to Canada to visit

extended family. Titus says he’s spent much of the pandemic inside but is willing to risk flying on a crowded airplane because he misses being around his family. He got a booster shot to increase his protection. “My mental health does better by being around my family during these times,” he said. “Yeah, it’s dangerous. But you love these people, so you do what you can to stay safe around them.” Meka Starling and her husband were excited for many members of their extended family to meet their two-year-old son, Kaiden, for the first time at a big Thanksgiving gathering in Linden, New Jersey. “We’ve put pictures on Facebook so a lot of them have seen pictures of him, but to get to actually touch him and talk to him, I’m excited about it,” said Starling, 44, of West Point, Mississippi. For their part, airlines are hoping to avoid a repeat of the massive flight cancellations—more than 2,300 apiece—that dogged Southwest and American Airlines at different times

last month. The breakdowns started with bad weather in one part of the country and spun out of control. In the past, airlines had enough pilots, flight attendants and other workers to recover from many disruptions within a day or two. They are finding it harder to bounce back now, however, because they are stretched thin after pushing thousands of employees to quit when travel collapsed last year. American, Southwest, Delta and United have all been hiring lately, which gives the airlines and industry observers hope that flights will stay on track this week. “The airlines are prepared for the holidays,” said Helane Becker, an airlines analyst for financialservices firm Cowen. “They cut back the number of flights, the industry has enough pilots, they are putting more flight attendants through their [training] academies, and they are paying flight attendants a premium—what I’m going to call hazardous-duty pay—to encourage people See “Thanksgiving,” A9

Opinion BusinessMirror

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The business of election polling

Friday, November 26, 2021

Reading the Return Tito Genova Valiente

annotations

Manny F. Dooc

TELLTALES

onducting a survey to determine voters’ opinion, preference or attitude regarding particular candidates, parties or platform of government has been a fixture in our electoral process. No election has taken place without any pre-election polls being undertaken to gauge the electors’ sentiments and guide political campaigns to achieve victory in the election. By far, polling is a reliable tool to obtain both qualitative and quantitative data, which capture public opinion from a random sample of the population. The results of the poll help the candidate and his campaign staff to craft their campaign strategy based on the polees’ knowledge, perception and opinion of the candidates. Campaign strategists can focus on issues and programs that appeal most to voters. Political advertisements can be channeled on matters favorable to the candidates, which have not gained traction with the public. Polls invariably help in crafting pithy slogans and messages that can catch fire among the viewers and the public. These make polling an indispensable component in running a successful political campaign. Polling is not a one-time exercise. After the initial poll, which provides the baseline data, tracking polls are regularly conducted which run up until the election day. These polls monitor the candidates’ standing at the poll and help determine the candidates’ SWOT. Thus, the candidates can make corrective adjustments to improve their poll ratings and strengthen their appeal to the voters. They can deemphasize issues that hurt their campaign and harp on proposed programs that can boost their chances of winning. In the past national elections, major pollsters have more or less been accurate in their election forecasts. Pollsters have become more sophisticated in their methods; they have been careful in wording their questions to avoid ambivalence and ensure that the polling sample is representative of the target demographic population to avoid bias. Election polling in this country has come of age. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, our leading pollsters like SWS, Pulse Asia and other reputable outfits have become a reliable partner in producing a credible electoral process. The next pre-election survey, either by Pulse Asia or SWS, bears watching. Hopefully, it will cover the period after November 15, 2021, the last day for filing of substitution and withdrawal of candidates for the May 9, 2022 elections. Pollsters should now include Bong Go, together with Ping Lacson, Bongbong Marcos, Isko Moreno, Manny Pacquiao, and Leni Robredo, who are considered the leading presidentiables out of 8-dozen candidates. The latest survey for the presidential contest conducted by SWS for the period October 20 to 23 showed Bongbong Marcos leading the way with 47 percent of the votes. The rest of the candidates obtained the following votes: Robredo, 18 percent; Isko Moreno, 13 percent; Manny Pacquiao, 9 percent; Ping Lacson, 5 percent and Bato de la Rosa 5 percent. Three percent of those surveyed were undecided and expressed no preference at all. It’s likely that another survey, although not yet released, was already held after the period of substitution and withdrawal of candidates for the presidency was completed. It will be most interesting to find out the results of that poll. Definitely, with the entry of Bong Go, the withdrawal of Bato de la Rosa and with Mayor Sara running in tandem with Bongbong Marcos, the numbers from the last SWS survey will have to change. The changing configurations and new alignments will alter the equation with some numbers moving favorably or adversely against some candidates. Added to this would be

the recent attacks leveled by President Duterte against BBM, which many did not expect. As the survey frontrunner, BBM is drawing the flak from all sectors. Getting a negative drug test result will not resolve all his current woes. He needs the best, and definitely the most expensive, legal mind to handle the disqualification cases lodged against him. He may eventually overcome the cases but it will distract him from his campaign while his opponents are busy criss-crossing the country. Moreno, Lacson and Go have inundated our TV screens with their campaign ads hoping to catch up with the leading candidates and score better in the next survey. My sense is that BBM’s number will decrease but even if he loses 15 points, he will still remain on top of the field with over 30 percent of the votes. VP Leni should gain at least 5 points to keep her within striking distance of BBM. As the perceived “real” opposition and antithesis to the Marcos-Duterte dynasty, disgruntled elements of our society may rally behind her banner now that the lines are clearly drawn. Mayor Isko, as my friend has keenly observed, has not gained traction lately. His message should now graduate from his introductory “Ako si Isko” to a mature and actionoriented leader worthy of our trust to improve his numbers. Pacman and Lacson have a lot of catching up to do but they have the skills and talents, and the resources in the case of Pacman, to be able to keep pace. The big question is how many votes will the newcomer Bong Go get on his first salvo at the polls? And where will he get them? Since politics is a zerosum game, Go’s gain will be another man’s or woman’s loss. Go’s absence in the early polls has benefited BBM. Now that Go has joined the race, Duterte’s loyalists will just go back to Go. Mayor Sara during the inauguration of the BBM-Sara DuterteCarpio’s campaign HQs in Davao had appealed to her constituents to “protect” Marcos. But can Mayor Sara prevent the Duterte’s faithful from deserting BBM and trooping to Go? Whose command shall be followed? Some Mindanao voters who were inclined to vote for Go but voted for another Mindanawon, Pacman, will revert to Go. Thus, unless Pacman picks up votes elsewhere, his number from the last survey may suffer. The next poll survey of the presidentiables will set the trend and firm up the current candidates’ standing until the end of the year. Candidates will need to spend real money when the election period begins in February. The coming Christmas Season is the time when big donors decide where their checkbooks will go and the latest survey may serve as their gauge to select their bet. However, the survey is not foolproof. Even George Horace Gallup who founded the Gallup Poll in 1935, the most successful statistical method of public polling, had committed a colossal blunder when he wrongly predicted that Gov. Thomas Dewey would defeat President Harry Truman in the 1948 US presidential contest. The Chicago Daily Tribune even printed it as its banner headline on November 3, 1948. Right or wrong, pollsters are here to stay. If you disagree, let’s ask SWS or Pulse Asia to do a survey.

photograph has gone viral online. It is about a gathering of people in red, in front of a provincial capitol. In this country, where candidates have attached their political luster to colors, we all know who these supporters are. But this is the world of social media and avid users are either fools, knaves or experts. Those who are not easily duped by visuals—the experts—looked, and looked again at the gloriously numerous fans and wondered where they had seen a similar gathering, with the same people, in the same arrangement and jubilation. The photo was a celebration of LGBTQIA+ somewhere across the ocean there but not here in the country. This is just one example of photos meant to prove something is even when it is not. It has happened early on in this administration. Images were manipulated, with the origins of photographs attributed locally were disclosed to be not from any point in the Philippines. The person or company who posted the same were called out but I do not remember anyone admitting to the distortion and the lie. Or, have you? Not everyone gets to realize the rectification and, therefore, not everyone is lucky to be reoriented, reassured, re-informed. The lie was never committed when it was not proven to be lie; to them who missed the correction they received the truth that was not the truth. Perhaps, when the time comes for the reckoning and by some machinations the candidate who wears red wins, then they will go back to this photo of admirers in front of the capitol and be hurt as well as convinced of that man’s power. Never knowing how a lie nurtured an assent, never realizing that an illusion can bring about triumph. Which brings me to this most infamous political comeback in our history: the ascent of the dictator’s son. During the three-day People Power revolution, the discourse was

about total change. That would not happen. Even those not attuned to the theorizing closest to what we dreamt after the dictator fled knew there would be no complete upheaval, no restructuring of class. But it was good enough that after decades of being kept silent, we began to talk, to be heard, to curse them who occupied the Palace. We drove them away. That would be the slogan of People Power. Not peace, but the brave act of driving them away. My generation can still recall the siege of the Palace. On TV, this was vivid: the chief of the dreaded Metrocom, Gen. Prospero A. Olivas was pleading to the mob not to destroy the Palace. Huwag nating sirain.Sa atin ito (Let’s not destroy these. We own them). It was a sanctimonious plea. We all knew what the PC Metrocom did and we knew what it could have done more if the people did not become a power. But those were good people, those who stormed the Palace or they would have turned to the general and lynched him. Or maybe we are not that good a people after all. The road to the Palace was endless. We needed to see the mythical shoes. We wanted to gaze at the table with astrological signs. We made sure the hospital bed was true and not political fiction. We were exorcising the bad spirits that haunted the huge

house by the river. Then one day, over the radio in a taxi, I could hear a woman crying. “Tears of happiness, after all we had been freed,” I was thinking to myself. The woman continued to wail and I could hear the words, “ang ating… mahal…na pangulo” (our…dear… President). I had to ask the taxi driver what was the matter. The woman was crying for Marcos! This cannot be happening. That was the beginning of the other tale of People Power. A few months from that day, every now and then, old women and a few men in red would gather around chanting for the return of the Marcoses. They looked pathetic. A puny crowd that amused observers. Then the members of the family began coming home. Then the dictator’s body arrived. Then it was buried in the lot for heroes. I should have read the wailings of that old woman. I should have read my histories. During martial law, there was hope that the good men were many and with their persistence would bring down the government built upon evil might. But after the incarcerations of the few good men, the new government with the purported New Society it was creating, began to attract intelligent and tech-

nologically adept individuals willing to work for an administration no matter what. They were called technocrats. When the dictatorship fell, it was the task of many observers to take note of the “Marcos” boys who, deliberately, quietly, adeptly ingratiated themselves with the new government. For a society whose core value, according to sociologists, includes “hiya” or shame, these politicians were bereft of shame and decency. Their heritage: a lesson from notso-ancient histories. Remember the story of elite and intelligentsia at the turn of the 19th century? When the flag of Spain, the same dispensation from which their property and statuses were sustained, was brought down, as it was written, these rich families were the first to raise the American flags from their windows. Merely, we are the heirs to this politicking. We and the politicians we vote into office share in general in this decrepit notion of survival and mercenary loyalty, the very same structure that allows the departure of the discredited politicians and the return of the same when the winds of change have shifted not their direction but their odor.

E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com

Sweden’s first female prime minister quits hours after historic appointment By Niclas Rolander

Bloomberg Opinion

weden’s first female prime minister, Magdalena Andersson, got the worst possible start to her tenure when she was forced to resign only hours after her historic appointment. The resignation was triggered after a junior partner to Andersson’s Social Democrats left her government over the loss of next year’s budget vote. The 54-yearold former finance minister, who had to step down to get another go at securing the top seat, said she is still ready to lead a one-party cabi-

Thanksgiving. . . continued from A8

not to blow off work.” The airlines have little margin for error right now. American expected to fill more than 90 percent of its seats with paying customers on Tuesday. That’s a throwback to holiday travel before the pandemic. “There is not a lot of room to put people on another flight if something goes wrong,” said Dennis Tajer, a pilot for the airline and a spokesman for the American pilots’ union. By late afternoon Wednesday on the East Coast, airlines in the US had canceled fewer than 100 flights, an unusually low number, according to FlightAware. The Federal Aviation Administration reported very few airports affected by significant delays. “The airport was easy. It took us five minutes to get through security,” said Ashley Gregory, who returned home to Dallas with her husband and daughter after a few days in Jacksonville, Florida. “But our bags are late,” she added, glancing at the empty baggage car-

net and will now face a new vote as soon as Monday. The latest turbulence shows how the rise of the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats has made it extremely difficult to form viable coalitions. Long seen as a two-horse race between a relatively unified center-right and a bloc of left-leaning parties led by the Social Democrats, the country’s political landscape has been upended by the nationalists, whose popularity is fed by worsening gun crime and tensions over immigration. “I understand that this may look very messy, and what has happened is completely unique,” Andersson

said as she announced her resignation less than 8 hours after being appointed. “Despite the fact that the parliamentary positions appear unchanged, the issue should be tried anew. I don’t want to lead a government whose legitimacy might be questioned.” The government briefly collapsed once already this year because of opposition to a plan to ease rent controls on new apartments. Andersson’s predecessor Stefan Lofven quit in June before being reinstated, and then surprised by announcing a resignation in August. The former union leader, a figure that was able to cobble together

impossible alliances, had banked on cooperating with the center-right to keep the Sweden Democrats out of power. Now, with an election less than 10 months away, the rising political instability may help the nationalists finally get a shot at power. Still, current opinion polls indicate no clear winner. While the junior partner, the Green Party, said it won’t be part of Andersson’s cabinet, it said it won’t block her appointment. That means that she will probably get voted again even if governing will remain incredibly difficult with elections due in September.

ousel at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Several travelers interviewed at DFW said their flights were full but people behaved well. The Justice Department said Wednesday it will prioritize prosecution of passengers who violate federal law on flights— the latest in a series of crackdowns against violence on planes. In the worst incidents—some captured on video and posted to social media— flight attendants have been injured. Casey Murray, president of the pilots’ union at Southwest, said he had not received any reports of major incidents involving passengers for several days. “I don’t think anything is going to make video, which is good,” Murray said. “That’s just another layer of stress, complexity and fatigue on top of everything else that is going on.” At Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, hundreds of travelers waited in security lines snaking around in a half-dozen loops. The terminals were packed with people, and with seats all taken, travelers sat in floors as they waited for their flights. There were also long lines for food at a

time when some Phoenix airport workers are on strike in a dispute over wages and benefits. At the Denver airport, Rasheeda Golden arrived from Houston with her boyfriend and his sister on their way to a snowmobiling excursion over Thanksgiving. “It’s exciting to be traveling now, especially with things opening back up, some sense of normalcy going on. I welcome it,” she said. Golden added that she’s not worried about flying, but she remains cautious when she is in “a cluster of too many people.” “As long as we have our masks on, I’ve done my part,” she said. “The rest is to enjoy my vacation.” For holiday travelers going by car, the biggest pain is likely to be higher prices at the pump. The nationwide average for gasoline on Tuesday was $3.40 a gallon, according to AAA, up more than 60 percent from last Thanksgiving. Those prices could be one of several factors that will discourage some holiday travelers. In a survey conducted by Gasbuddy, which tracks pump prices, about half of the app users who responded said high prices

will affect their travel plans this week. About two in five said they aren’t making as many trips for a variety of reasons. President Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered 50 million barrels of oil released from America’s strategic reserve to help bring down energy costs, in coordination with other major energy consuming nations. The US action is aimed at global energy markets, but also at helping Americans coping with higher inflation and rising prices ahead of Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel. The price at the pump was a bit of a shock to Tye Reedy, who flew into California from Tennessee and borrowed his friend’s truck for some sightseeing. Gas was running $5 a gallon at the Chevron in Alameda, and it cost $100 to fill up the truck. “We did not travel last year because of Covid restrictions and all,” Reedy said. “We’re confident enough... with the vaccine and where things are now with the virus that, you know, we felt comfortable traveling.” AP staff writers Ted Shaffrey and Seth Wenig in Newark, New Jersey, Terry Chea in Alameda, Calif., Brian Skoloff in Phoenix and Thomas Peipert in Denver contributed to this report.

A10 Friday, November 26, 2021

‘Trespassing’ China should observe Unclos–Lorenzana

By Rene Acosta @reneacostaBM & Malou Talosig-Bartolome

HINA should honor its commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) by leaving Ayungin Shoal instead of demanding that the Philippines remove the partly sunken BRP Sierra Madre from the area.

“Ayungin lies inside our EEZ [exclusive economic zone] which we have sovereign rights. Our EEZ was awarded to us by the 1982 Unclos which China ratified,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday. He was reacting to the Chinese foreign ministry’s statement on Wednesday demanding that Manila honor its supposed word of removing the Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal.

But Lorenzana said he does not know of any commitments involving the removal of the ship, which is being used as an outpost by Marine troops guarding the shoal. The area came into focus last week when two Chinese Coast Guard vessels attacked with water cannons for an hour the Filipino civilian ships on a resupply mission to the Sierra Madre after blocking them to prevent them from entering Ayungin.

“As far as I know there is no such commitment. That ship has been there since 1999. If there was a commitment it would have been removed long time ago,” he said. Instead of issuing narratives to justify its illegal presence in Ayungin Shoal, Beijing should comply with its obligations under Unclos, to which it was a signatory. “China should abide by its international obligations that it is part of. Furthermore, the Arbitral award ruled that the territorial claim of China has no historic nor legal basis,” he said. “We can do whatever we want there and it is they who are actually trespassing. We have two documents proving that we have sovereign rights over our EEZ while they do not have, and their claims have no basis,” he added. Lorenzana said the situation in Ayungin “is calm and normal” after Tuesday’s delivery of supplies to the soldiers aboard the Sierra Madre. On Tuesday last week, Chinese Coast Guard vessels attacked with water cannons the two ships bringing the supplies, thus

aborting the mission.

Integrity Index

MEANWHILE, Lorenzana took note of the published Government Defence Integrity Index 2020 report from Transparency International which ranked the Philippines in “Band C.” The report classified the Philippines as having “moderate” risk overall,“ making it the only Asean country together with Singapore to be in the same bracket. Other countries in Band C include Australia, Canada, South Korea and the United States. “We believe that our Defense System of Management, which institutionalizes our judicious use of resources in our acquisitions for the continued improvement of our defense capabilities as well as our consistent upholding of transparency and accountability in all our procurement processes played a great part in achieving our rating by Transparenc y Inter nationa l,” Lorenzana said in a statement through DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong. Continued on A5

D.O.H. WON’T RUSH TO SAY COVID ‘NOW CONTAINED’ By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Correspondent

HE Depa r t ment of Health (DOH) on Thursday clarified it will not rush to declare that the Philippines has contained or controlled Covid-19 despite the agency’s data showing a further decline in the average daily cases in the recent week while the nationwide risk classification remains low—with a negative 49 percent two-week growth rate in the recent weeks. “We are not going to declare this [Covid-19 is controlled or contained] soon, we are just coordinating with WHO [World Health Organization] on the process and the determinants of disease control or containment,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said when asked for comment following an interview where Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said they will seek guidance from WHO “if we can declare that the Covid-19 pandemic in the Philippines has been controlled and contained.” On Thursday, the DOH logged 975 additional Covid-19 cases,

bringing the total number of infections in the country to 2,829,618. There were also 1,029 recoveries and 193 deaths. In an interview on Wednesday, Duque said, “for two weeks, we hope to have a positivity rate lower than 5 percent” and then added he will ask for guidance from WHO. DOH data also showed that moderate average daily attack rate at 1.55 cases per 100,000 population. Out of 121 provinces, highlyurbanized cities and independent component cities in the country, 89 percent are under Alert Level 2 with minimal to low-risk case classification, while the remaining are under Alert Level 3, and with 1 province at Alert Level 4.

PHL ranking

THE DOH said that based on the information generated from ‘Our World in Data of the Oxford University’ as of November 22, 2021, the Philippines has lower confirmed Covid-19 cases and deaths per 1 million population compared to some neighboring countries in Asean. Continued on A5

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

24 INCH GAUGE CONSTRUCTION INC. L4 Blk. 4, Near Kay Buboy Bridge, San Dionisio, City Of Parañaque

CHEN, LIANGSHENG Marketing Specialist 1.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for coordinating with other marketing and sales professionals to implement innovative campaigns for branding or product launches

Basic Qualification: Ability to work under pressure and motivation to succeed in a competitive environment; Should have a bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing, communications or a related field; Good communication and interpersonal skills Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

LIANG, JIANWEI Marketing Specialist 2.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for coordinating with other marketing and sales professionals to implement innovative campaigns for branding or product launches

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

ACCENTURE, INC. 7f, Robinsons Cybergate Tower 1, Pioneer St, City Of Mandaluyong KUMAR, RAHUL Application/cloud Support Senior Manager 3.

Brief Job Description: Communicate with the client functional design incharge about the detail of requirement definition and function design ANDRES, TANITA Transaction Processing Senior Analyst

Brief Job Description: Performs invoice processing, reconciliations, reporting and helpdesk function related to accounts payable transactions of medium to high complexity for Thai market

Basic Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science or other relevant fields

18.

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Preferably a graduate of accountancy, finance, or any business-related cource Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

19.

20.

ALLSECTECH MANILA, INC. 3rd Floor, Market! Market! Mall, Bonifacio Global City, City Of Taguig

ALAJANGI, SUMANTH Sales Head- Sea (HRO) 5.

Brief Job Description: The position will expect a fair knowledge of the HR/ payroll in sourced, outsourced, SaaS, HRMS market in the Philippines. The position is expected to have a high level understanding of HR/Payroll requirements

Basic Qualification: Preferably with Masters degree in Business Management/ Human Resources Management. Preferably with experience in selling BPO Payroll Service in Philippines Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

ANDES CONSULTING ADVISORY INC. 35/f Tower 1 The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxas, San Lorenzo, City Of Makati HSU, YU-CHIEH Mandarin Speaking Financial Consultant 6.

Brief Job Description: Execute Assigned Business Projects According to Clients Requirements LO, SHU-HAN Mandarin Speaking Financial Consultant

Brief Job Description: Execute Assigned Business Projects According to Clients Requirements SU, YI-CHEN Mandarin Speaking Financial Consultant

Brief Job Description: Execute Assigned Business Projects According to Clients Requirements TSAI, CHEN-MING Mandarin Speaking Financial Consultant

Brief Job Description: Execute Assigned Business Projects According to Clients Requirements WANG, YU-SHU Mandarin Speaking Financial Consultant

10.

Brief Job Description: Execute Assigned Business Projects According to Clients Requirements WONG JIEN VERN Mandarin Speaking Financial Consultant

11.

Brief Job Description: Execute assigned business projects according to clients requirements

WU, YI-HUA Mandarin Speaking Financial Consultant 12.

Brief Job Description: Execute Assigned Business Projects According to Clients Requirements

21.

SU, YUPING Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires TANG, LE Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires ZHANG, XIUQUAN Chinese Customer Service Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires CHEN, YUYUAN Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires KHANT ZUU NGONE Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires KYAW NAING TUN Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires ZHAN, YANZHU Chinese Customer Specialist Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Brief Job Description: Knack for Implementation of corrective action programs per requirements of Israeli Clients

SOH SEE PENG a.k.a. SU SHIPING Compliance Senior Associate 22.

Brief Job Description: Develop and execute a compliance review program to cultivate a continuous business process

TRAN VIET ANH Operations Executive 23.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in Speaking , Reading and Writing in Mandarin

Brief Job Description: Serves as a Liason between the customer and various departments and ensures that basic CS Functions are performed

INJILIA SIGAR Payment Executive 24.

Basic Qualification: Proficient in Speaking , Reading and Writing in Mandarin

Brief Job Description: assess financial risk while maintaining appropriate level of cash flow required to support business operation

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 SUSANTO Payment Supervisor 25.

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

Brief Job Description: Assist in organizing workflow, schedules and provide training to executives

ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f To 10/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D., Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street, Tambo, City Of Parañaque

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

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

27.

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

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

28.

Brief Job Description: Interviews, hired and trains marketing staff members.

VAN DEN HEUVEL, HANS PETER ALEXANDER Package Manager 29.

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

Brief Job Description: The Package Manager manages, monitors, and supervises the execution of the Site Clearance, Dry Earth Movement & Rock Works according to the contract in order to realize the project in a safe, timely, qualitatively optimal and cost-efficient manner. ERNEST HERNANDEZ, XOCHITL SYLVIA Social Lead Coordinator

30.

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

LEE, DONG HUN Marketing Manager

Brief Job Description: The Social Lead Coordinator together with Employer is the Interface in stakeholder management during the preparation and realization of a large complex, on-and offshore dredging & land development project.

Basic Qualification: Hebrew Language Speaking, long-term experience for 3 years, and knowledge of regulatory requirements for Israeli Accounts

DAI, SUNLIANG Mandarin Software Quality Assurance Analyst

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

31.

26.

SEECHOMPU, NANTHIYA Risk And Compliance Executive Brief Job Description: initiates and process customer verification

Brief Job Description: You shall managing a team of mandarin staff including programmers, analysts and support specialists, evaluating the functionality of systems, consulting computer users to ascertain needs and to ensure that facilities meet user or project requirements, selecting and purchasing appropriate hardware and software, managing IT budgets, ensuring software licensing laws are followed, implementing and managing security or integrity and backup procedures, scheduling upgrades, providing user training, support, advice and feedback, testing and modifying systems to ensure that that they operate reliably managing secure network access for remote users, keeping up to date with new technology, designing maintenance procedures and putting them into operation training new staff. Ensure software packages contain no errors by analyzing development data, regularly interpret data and analysis in Mandarin.

Basic Qualification: Must be native Thai, Indonesian /Vietnamese/ Taiwanese/ Chinese/ Korean/ Japanese / Taiwanese Fluent in English language with atleast a year experience in similar field

Basic Qualification: must be native Indonesian/ Vietnamese/Cambodian fluent in English and respective native language; proficient in Microsoft applications

LIN, CHIA-WEI a.k.a. WANG, CHUN-YAO Mandarin Software Quality Assurance Analyst

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

Basic Qualification: Must be native Cambodian/ Vietnamese/Chinese/ Thai/Indonesian/ Korean/ Japanese/fluent in English and respective native language; with atleast a year experience in similar field Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: University or Higher Professional Education level in Civil Dredging Construction. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: University or higher professional education related to Stakeholder Management like Social Sciences, International Relations. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: You shall managing a team of mandarin staff including programmers, analysts and support specialists, evaluating the functionality of systems, consulting computer users to ascertain needs and to ensure that facilities meet user or project requirements, selecting and purchasing appropriate hardware and software, managing IT budgets, ensuring software licensing laws are followed, implementing and managing security or integrity and backup procedures, scheduling upgrades, providing user training, support, advice and feedback, testing and modifying systems to ensure that that they operate reliably managing secure network access for remote users, keeping up to date with new technology, designing maintenance procedures and putting them into operation training new staff. Ensure software packages contain no errors by analyzing development data, regularly interpret data and analysis in Mandarin. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

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

Basic Qualification: Must be Native Cambodian/ Thai/ Chinese / Indonesian / Vietnamese / fluent in English and respective native language; With at least 3 years experience in similar field

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

BZC IT SERVICES INC. 3f Salcedo One Center, 170 Salcedo St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

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

Basic Qualification: College degree in any field; must be native Cambodian/ Singaporean , fluent in English and Khmer/ Mandarin / with atleast 2 years experience in similar function

Basic Qualification: Must build on products apart from others in the market to give them a unique selling point.

BOSKALIS PHILIPPINES INC. R-5008-b12/f A-place Bldg., Cbp Coral Way Drive, Brgy. 076, Pasay City

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

Brief Job Description: initiates and process customer verification

Basic Qualification: must be native Cambodian/ Vietnamese/Chinese/ Thai/Indonesian/ Korean/ Japanese/fluent in English and respective native language; with atleast a year experience in similar field

BOGIL FOODS CORPORATION 3-4/f Skygate Bldg., 4 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Bagong Ilog, City Of Pasig

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

ZHANG, WEN Risk And Compliance Executive

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

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

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

No.

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

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

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

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

AVANTICE CORPORATION 19/f Pbcom Tower, Ayala Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

AZRIEL, OLYA Quality Expert

Basic Qualification: Proficient in Speaking , Reading and Writing in Mandarin

GIANG VAN KHOM Chinese Customer Service

A11

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

ASIA PRO OUTSOURCING OPC No. 5/f Double Dragon Plaza Tower 2 Bldg., Edsa Ext. Macapagal Ave. St. Zone 10 District 1, Barangay 76, Pasay City

Basic Qualification: Proficient in Speaking , Reading and Writing in Mandarin Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Friday, November 26, 2021

32.

A12

BusinessMirror

Friday, November 26, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

LIN, WEIXING Mandarin Software Quality Assurance Analyst

33.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: You shall managing a team of mandarin staff including programmers, analysts and support specialists, evaluating the functionality of systems, consulting computer users to ascertain needs and to ensure that facilities meet user or project requirements, selecting and purchasing appropriate hardware and software, managing IT budgets, ensuring software licensing laws are followed, implementing and managing security or integrity and backup procedures, scheduling upgrades, providing user training, support, advice and feedback, testing and modifying systems to ensure that that they operate reliably managing secure network access for remote users, keeping up to date with new technology, designing maintenance procedures and putting them into operation training new staff. Ensure software packages contain no errors by analyzing development data, regularly interpret data and analysis in Mandarin.

No.

PAN, CHANGLIANG Mandarin Marketing Assistant Manager 41.

WANG, XIN Mandarin Software Quality Assurance Analyst

34.

Brief Job Description: Assist marketing managers in coming up with focused branding and marketing. LU, XIANHUA Mandarin Marketing Manager

42.

Brief Job Description: Tracks sales and feedback and adjusts marketing strategies as necessary.

YE, YUAN Mandarin Speaking Marketing Specialist 43.

Brief Job Description: Develop and create marketing materials and collaborate with the internal teams.

MOROISHI, AYANA Japanese Operations Supervisor 44.

Brief Job Description: Base on client’s SLA and business requirements, develop actionable KPI’s metrics, Targets, and performance standards for all members of the Operations Team.

35.

Brief Job Description: Manage foreign exchange positions, control exchange rate risk, and gain exchange gain through effective judgments on changes in exchange rates.

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

HUANG, QINGNA Marketing And Sales Agent 45.

36.

Brief Job Description: Coordinates with China based company of the supplies. ZHANG, LINA Mandarin Purchaser

37.

Brief Job Description: Handles the purchase and communicate with supplier

Basic Qualification: Knows how to read and write Chinese characters.

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

LI, HAIYU Marketing And Sales Agent 46.

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

XIA, WEIHONG Marketing And Sales Agent 47.

38.

Brief Job Description: Support worker communication with the management team

CAI, YUEMAO Technical Officer 39.

Brief Job Description: Providing high level technical support and advice for employees

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

ZHANG, FAN Marketing And Sales Agent 48.

SHEWALE, ASHLESHA VIJAY SW Test Engineer 40.

Brief Job Description: Focuses mainly on test execution and hands on validation and certification of the software readiness.

Brief Job Description: Researches and develops various marketing strategies for products and services and implements marketing plans and works to meet sales quotas

49.

Brief Job Description: Managing daily cash balances; ensuring that cash flows are adequate to allow business units to operate effectively. Preparation of financial accounts and other reports based on accounting standards. Arranging financial audits and reviews as required.

SHAO, LIN Deputy Tunnel Construction Manager 50.

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

Brief Job Description: Communicate district and corporate information to the project team. Responsible for the overall management of the project to ensure complete solution is delivered on time. Lead and direct the work of others. Manage cost, schedule, and program documentation.

Basic Qualification: Designing, developing and maintaining equipment to ensure effective and safe use

54.

LI, YANGCHUN Logistics Manager 51.

Basic Qualification: Must be fluent in English and can understand Indian language; At least college degree or above and have at least 1 yr experience in the same field as SW Test Engineer.

Brief Job Description: Plan and monitor inbound and outgoing deliveries. Supervise logistics, warehouse, transportation, and customer services. Organize warehouse, label goods, plot routes, and process shipments. Research ideal shipping techniques, routing, and carriers.

CHI, HAIRUI Technical Manager 52.

Brief Job Description: Serve as the technical expert for detailed design and construction aspects of the project. Propose and oversee timelines for engineering proposals and submissions are met. Set up procedure and processes in monitoring and tracking of engineering related documentation throughout project lifestyle.

WANG, QINGBIN Technical Manager 55.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 WEI, JIANJU Technical Manager Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

56.

Basic Qualification: Can contributes information, ideas, and research to help develop marketing strategies; can help to detail, design, and implement marketing plans for each product or service being offered.

Basic Qualification: Have fluent or native mandarin traditional chinese language skills in speaking, reading, and writing areas. Strong planning, problem-solving and organizational & time management skills and is able to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and deadlines. With good written and oral communication skills.

Basic Qualification: Demonstrates success in managing large complicated construction projects. Demonstrates ability to motivate staff/ project team, inspire teamwork and take a leadership role. Strong prioritization and organizational skills and detail-oriented.

57.

Basic Qualification: Ability to work in a highpressure, deadline-driven environment. Exceptional communication and reporting skills. Solid working knowledge in all required software and programming languages. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to work in a highpressure, deadline-driven environment. Exceptional communication and reporting skills. Solid working knowledge in all required software and programming languages. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to work in a highpressure, deadline-driven environment. Exceptional communication and reporting skills. Solid working knowledge in all required software and programming languages. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Ability to work in a highpressure, deadline-driven environment. Exceptional communication and reporting skills. Solid working knowledge in all required software and programming languages. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Has a strong working knowledge of grading, drainage, paving, bridge construction, retaining walls, and all other highway construction scopes. Creativity and innovation are a must. Strong prioritization and organizational skills and detail-oriented.

FOKUSI CONSTRUCTION INC. #5 Carlo Drive Sta. Maria, Industrial Estate, Bagumbayan, City Of Taguig

58.

WU, JIAMING Project Manager Brief Job Description: Construction

Basic Qualification: Fluent in mandarin, both oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

FRONTIER POINT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS INC. 29/f Techzone Bldg., Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati GOH BEE KIAN Mandarin Accounts Staff 59.

Brief Job Description: Responsible in answering customer questions about product and services of the company CHEN, WEI-HUNG Mandarin Team Leader

60.

Brief Job Description: Responsible in answering customer questions about product and services of the company HSU, YUNG-WEI Mandarin Technical Support

61.

Brief Job Description: Responsible in answering customer questions about product and services of the company YEN, CHIEN-LIANG Mandarin Technical Support

62.

Brief Job Description: Responsible in answering customer questions about product and services of the company

Basic Qualification: Proficiency in English Mandarin and other MultiLingual Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficiency in English Mandarin and other MultiLingual Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficiency in English Mandarin and other MultiLingual Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficiency in English Mandarin and other MultiLingual Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

GENX SPORTS & MEDIA PRODUCTION CORP. 26th And 27th Flr. Eastwood Cyber One Bldg., Eastwood City Cyberpark, No. 188 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave. Bagumbayan 3, Quezon City

HAN, JIE Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 63.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services by management Collecting Customer Information And Analyzing Customers Needs

HE, JIANWEN Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 64.

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

65.

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

Brief Job Description: Prepare project status reports and work to ensure work adheres to contract specifications. Lead and direct the work of others. Create and execute project work plans. Manage cost, schedule, and program documentation.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

Basic Qualification: Solid understanding of logistics and inventory management software. Outstanding analytical, problem solving and organizational abilities. Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.

ZHANG, JIE Tunnel Construction Manager

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

CREAVALUE PRIME HOLDING INC. Unit 1501 Park Triangle Corporate Plaza, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Basic Qualification: Bachelors degree, any field, preferably businessrelated, passed JLPT N1 exam/native speaker

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

LIU, HAIWEI Technical Manager

ENERGY CHINA PHILIPPINES BRANCH OFFICE Unit 1718, High Street South Corporate Plaza Tower 1, Bonifacio Global, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

SHEN, LUNING Chinese Accounting Manager

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

Basic Qualification: Knowledgeable in preparing report on purchase.

COLLABERA TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED, INC. U-40 A-d, 40/f Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Ave., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

53.

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

Basic Qualification: Expertise in marketing and fluent in mandarin speaking

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION HUANG, LI Technical Manager

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

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

Basic Qualification: Production Experience in the relevant industry

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

CITY OF GOOD HOPE HOLDINGS CORP. Unit 401 Valero One Center, 102 Valero St., Bel-air, City Of Makati JIANG, YUNHUI Operation Manager

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

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

CHAOSHAN FOODS CORPORATION #821 A. Bonifacio Ave., 1, Pag-ibig Sa Nayon, Quezon City HONG, CHUANYUN Mandarin Manager

No.

EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503, Nueva St, , Binondo, City Of Manila

CHANG HWA COMMERCIAL BANK., LTD., MANILA BRANCH 43/f Philamlife Tower, 8767 Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati

CHIEN, YU-HSIN Account Officer

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

E-GUARDIAN PHILIPPINES INC. Unit A & B 6/f Alphaland Southgate Mall, 2258 Chino Roces Ave. Ext., Magallanes, City Of Makati

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

Basic Qualification: Master degree in business field. 3-5 years experience in banking industry, fluent in mandarin and English, both verbal and written, with extensive knowledge of local and Taiwan regulation, proficient in MS office, Unisys, and other banking system, exclusively handling Taiwanese client.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

DA SUCCESS BUSINESS TRADING INCORPORATED 2503 The Finance Centre, 26th Street Corner 9th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: You shall managing a team of mandarin staff including programmers, analysts and support specialists, evaluating the functionality of systems, consulting computer users to ascertain needs and to ensure that facilities meet user or project requirements, selecting and purchasing appropriate hardware and software, managing IT budgets, ensuring software licensing laws are followed, implementing and managing security or integrity and backup procedures, scheduling upgrades, providing user training, support, advice and feedback, testing and modifying systems to ensure that that they operate reliably managing secure network access for remote users, keeping up to date with new technology, designing maintenance procedures and putting them into operation training new staff. Ensure software packages contain no errors by analyzing development data, regularly interpret data and analysis in Mandarin.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

www.businessmirror.com.ph

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

HUANG, ZHENHONG Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services by management Collecting Customer Information And Analyzing Customers Needs

LI, JIAQI Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 66.

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

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

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION LI, ZHIHUI Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking

67.

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

YAN, AIYONG Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 68.

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

ZHOU, XIAOSHUANG Customer Service Representative - Chinese Speaking 69.

Brief Job Description: Recommends potential products or services by management Collecting Customer Information And Analyzing Customers Needs

JOSEPH CHEE VAI KEET Customer Service Representative - Malaysian Speaking 70.

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

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE 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 particularly within the industry and good communication skills

No.

FENG, DEFENG Marketing Consultant - Mandarin Speaking 82.

LIAO, MENGLIN Marketing Assistant 83.

71.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for producing, information, transcribing, formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving, copying, and transmitting data and graphics from English to Mandarin

84.

72.

Brief Job Description: Book tickets, reserve accommodations, organize travel rental transportation LIU, WEN Mandarin Travel Consultant

73.

Brief Job Description: Book tickets, reserve accommodations, organize travel rental transportation TANG, YUHONG Mandarin Travel Consultant

74.

Brief Job Description: Book tickets, reserve accommodations, organize travel rental transportation XIE, HANG Mandarin Travel Consultant

75.

Brief Job Description: Book tickets, reserve accommodations, organize travel rental transportation YANG, RENBING Mandarin Travel Consultant

76.

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

Basic Qualification: Extensive, thorough & fluency in Mandarin language and characters

LUO, WENBING Marketing Assistant 85.

77.

Brief Job Description: The Mandarin Project Manager will be strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goal.

WEI, BINGYI Marketing Assistant 86.

Basic Qualification: Able to speak Mandarin Chinese and English

Basic Qualification: Able to speak Mandarin Chinese and English LI, CHUNLEI Sales Executive

Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999 Basic Qualification: Able to speak Mandarin Chinese and English

87.

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

Brief Job Description: The Mandarin Business & Legal Manager will be strategist and a leader able to steer the company to the most profitable direction while also implementing its vision, mission and long term goal.

Brief Job Description: Identify business opportunities, researching and analyzing sales options. Identify product improvements or new products on industry trends, market activities, and competitors. Responsible in maintaining good relation with customers.

Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Korean through blogs, micro blogs and forums SHIN, JIN WOO Korean Customer Service Representative

80.

Brief Job Description: Track main industry trends in Korean through blogs, micro blogs and forums

Basic Qualification: Able to speak Mandarin Chinese and English

LIU, LIN Sales Executive 88.

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as a Mandarin Project Manager , Familiarity, knowledge and awareness on Machinery and Heavy Equipment use by company, Demonstrable experience in developing strategic business plan.

Basic Qualification: Atleast college graduate, speak and write Korean fluently

81.

Brief Job Description: Manage the complexities of the sales operation including the implementing priced detached positioning

Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least Bachelor’s/College Degree in Marketing. Detail oriented. Can work independently. Excellent in written and oral communication. Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least Bachelor’s/College Degree in Marketing. Detail oriented. Can work independently. Excellent in written and oral communication

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

Basic Qualification: Graduate of business course; 3-5 years experience in the same field Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

92.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least Bachelor’s/ College Degree in Business Studies/Administration/ Management, Marketing or equivalent. Excellent knowledge with communication and interpersonal skills. Active listening skill, resilience, self-motivated and competitive. Able to establish trust with the customer/clients

QI, YANG Sales Executive 89.

Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least Bachelor’s/ College Degree in Business Studies/Administration/ Management, Marketing or equivalent. Excellent knowledge with communication and interpersonal skills. Active listening skill, resilience, self-motivated and competitive. Able to establish trust with the customer/clients

93.

94.

95.

96.

97.

XUAN, WULAN Sales Executive 90.

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

98.

99.

100.

101.

91.

Brief Job Description: MANAGE IT RELATED PROJECT, ASSIST SYSTEM USERS TO SOLVE SYSTEM ERRORS, PROVIDE TRAINING, ENHANCE THE SYSTEM, BUILD UP REPORTS

Basic Qualification: BACHELOR IN IT AND 3 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN ERP SYSTEM

103.

104.

105.

JEGAL, DOHYEON Korean Speaking Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: responsible for handling service support calls

KIM, TAEWON Korean Speaking Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

PARK, SUNGRYUNG Korean Speaking Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

CHANG, CHUN-KAI Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

CHEN, HUNG-CHUN Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information CHOU, CHENG-CHOU Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information HOU, CHUN-CHENG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information HOU, SHUN-LUNG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information HUANG, WEI-TING Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider

LI, CHIA-HAN Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information LIN, YI-CHENG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information LIU, WEIKANG Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling service support calls

106.

107.

108.

Salary Range: Php 90,000 - Php 149,999 109.

MCKINSEY & CO., (PHILS.) 7th Floor Zuellig Bldg., Makati Avenue Cor. Paseo De Roxas, Urdaneta, City Of Makati

Brief Job Description: responsible for handling service support calls

LEONG HUP (PHILIPPINES), INCORPORATED Penthouse 6 Landsdale Tower, #86 Mother Ignacia Ave., Paligsahan, Quezon City

LOH CHEE CHENG IT Manager

HAN, SANGCHUL Korean Speaking Customer Service Representative

Brief Job Description: responsible for handling service support calls

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

Basic Qualification: Advanced degree; at least 3 years in a service line related-role; experience as team leader with excellent relevant professional knowledge, grasp of department and firm operations (or comparable knowledge) extensive communication, interpersonal and organizational skills, including excellent ability to manage multiple people as well as projects simultaneously and over longer timeliness; fluent in English

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

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least Bachelor’s/College Degree in Marketing. Detail oriented. Can work independently. Excellent in written and oral communication

Brief Job Description: Oversee all operation-related activities in section and monitor service levels, develop section to ensure delivery of world-class service; oversee all personnel-related issues in section; lead a team of 50+ motivate and monitor team members to enhance their effectiveness and overall job satisfaction; create action plan for section development and share/implement best practices.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

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

102.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Atleast college graduate, speak and write Korean fluently

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

MATUSZEWSKI, OSKAR PIOTR Assistant Services Operations Manager

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

Basic Qualification: Proven experience as a Mandarin Business & Legal Manager, Familiarity, knowledge and awareness on Machinery and Heavy Equipment use by company, Demonstrable experience in developing strategic business plan.

JJ-LAPP (P) INC. 5th Floor Orion Bldg., 11th Ave. Cor. 38th St., Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

HNG CHENG LAI General Manager

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

J-NA ALLOUT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS CORP. 3/f Lipams Bldg., #48 President Avenue, Bf Homes, City Of Parañaque

79.

Basic Qualification: Candidate must possess at least Bachelor’s/College Degree in Marketing. Detail oriented. Can work independently. Excellent in written and oral communication

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

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

LEE, JAEGEUN Korean Customer Service Representative

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

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

No.

Basic Qualification: Knowledge in data analysis and market research

Basic Qualification: Able to speak Mandarin Chinese and English

INSPIRING PG INC. 3f Filhome Builders Center, #68 Dona Soledad Avenue Better Living Subdivision, Don Bosco, City Of Parañaque

78.

Brief Job Description: Research and identify marketing trends and opportunities. Assess pricing and competitive behavior. Monitors/track product movement. Prepares forecast and inventory reports.

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

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

CHEN, LIN Mandarin Business & Legal Manager

Brief Job Description: Research and identify marketing trends and opportunities. Assess pricing and competitive behavior. Monitors/track product movement. Prepares forecast and inventory reports.

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

HENGTONGPH INC. Units A&b 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower, 6784 Ayala Cor. V.a. Rufino St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

WANG, CHUNYU Mandarin Project Manager

Brief Job Description: Research and identify marketing trends and opportunities. Assess pricing and competitive behavior. Monitors/track product movement. Prepares forecast and inventory reports.

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

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

Brief Job Description: Research and identify marketing trends and opportunities. Assess pricing and competitive behavior. Monitors/track product movement. Prepares forecast and inventory reports.

LIAO, YIJUN Marketing Assistant

GLOBAL PACIFIC KNOWLEDGE CONSULTANCY INC. Unit 905 9/f, The Pearlbank Centre, 146 Valero St., Bel-air, City Of Makati GONG, DAOHANG Customer Service Representative (Mandarin Speaking)

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

JUDD WISY GROUP INC. Unit 2c One Ecom Bldg., Ocean Drive Mall Of Asia Complex St. Zone 10 District 1, Barangay 76, Pasay City

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particularly within the industry and good communication skills

Brief Job Description: Researching and analyzing the market for favorable conditions to release a particular product knowing ups and downs in the market

A13

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

JQ INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION INC. Unit 9 & 10, 2f Bttc Centre,, 288 Ortigas Ave., Brgy. Greenhills, City Of San Juan

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proven working experience in digital marketing particulary within the industry and good communication skills

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Friday, November 26, 2021

LIU, YEN-TING Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information LU, CHE-WEI Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information SHI, YU-YAN Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information WU, CHIEN-HUA Mandarin Speaking Customer Relations Service Provider Brief Job Description: Open and maintain customer accounts by recording account information

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

A14

BusinessMirror

Friday, November 26, 2021

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

No.

XIE, YAJUAN Chinese Customer Service

MINDSCAPE CREATIVES INC. Unit 19-o, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati FEI, YIQI Mandarin Operation Specialist 110.

Brief Job Description: Committed to improving customer experience and operational efficiency MA, JIAMING Mandarin Operation Specialist

111.

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

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

133.

134.

112.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries FENG, QISEN Chinese Customer Service

113.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries FENG, TAO Chinese Customer Service

114.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries FENG, ZHIQI Chinese Customer Service

115.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries FU, WEITING Chinese Customer Service

116.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HU, JIATAI Chinese Customer Service

117.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HU, YONG Chinese Customer Service

118.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries HUANG, JIADING Chinese Customer Service

119.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LEI, YIFAN Chinese Customer Service

120.

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

121.

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

122.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries LIU, SIYU Chinese Customer Service

123.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires NGUYEN THI HANG Chinese Customer Service

124.

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

125.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries QIAO, SHAN Chinese Customer Service

126.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires SUN, JIAYAO Chinese Customer Service

127.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires TAO, YE Chinese Customer Service

128.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries WEI, CHEN Chinese Customer Service

129.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries WU, CAIWANG Chinese Customer Service

130.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries WU, HONGMEI Chinese Customer Service

131.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries WU, SHULIANG Chinese Customer Service

132.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

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

135.

136.

137.

138.

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

139.

140.

141.

142.

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

143.

144.

145.

146.

147.

148.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries MIAO, DEZHOU Chinese Customer Specialist

149.

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires NGUYEN HONG PHONG Chinese Customer Specialist

150.

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

MARTAN Chinese Customer Specialist

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LUO, JINHUI Chinese Customer Specialist

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

LIU, PENG Chinese Customer Specialist

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

HA QUOC DAT Chinese Customer Specialist

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

CHEN, WANGJIE Chinese Customer Specialist

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHU, YUAN Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries

ZHU, YIBIAO Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Able to speak, read, and write Chinese language

ZHAO, YINGCHI Chinese Customer Service

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

ZHANG, RUOYU Chinese Customer Service

ZHANG, YIXIN Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

ZHANG, XIAOWEI Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires ZHANG, LI Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries YAO, JUNSHUAI Chinese Customer Service

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquiries YANG, ZHAOYANG Chinese Customer Service

MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower, C4 Rd. Edsa Ext., Brgy. 076, Pasay City FAN, LU Chinese Customer Service

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires XU, XING Chinese Customer Service

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires ZHANG, XIN Chinese Customer Specialist

151.

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

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

ZHOU, LIN Chinese Customer Specialist

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

152.

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

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

KUROKAWA, SUSUMU Japanese Trainer/consultant 153.

Brief Job Description: Assist in teaching student to speak, comprehend and write Japanese language

No.

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

154.

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

155.

156.

157.

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

158.

159.

160.

161.

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

Brief Job Description: To serve as operation system consultant, to train Filipino hairstylists

KIM, DONG KYU Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer relations service provider KIM, SEOKHAN Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer relations service provider KWON, DAON Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Customer relations service provider

MI, LEI Executive Director Brief Job Description: Developing and directing organizational strategy.

162.

163.

LAI, SIMEI Mandarin Customer Service Specialist Brief Job Description: Customer Service ZHANG, YUE Mandarin Customer Service Specialist Brief Job Description: Customer Service

OKUMURA, TORU Executive Director 164.

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

Basic Qualification: Licensed cosmetologist Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin, both oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin, both oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin, both oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: At least with 5 (five) years experience Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Fluent in Mandarin both oral and written Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

Brief Job Description: Responsible for generating profit for the bank by building portfolio of potentials clients, enhancing customer base, and fostering relationships with customers and regional counterparts

Basic Qualification: Has experience in managing a team of professionals and has extensive knowledge in the Japanese and Korean financial requirements of Japanese and Korean corporates Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

THERMA LUZON INC. 14/f Nac Tower, 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, City Of Taguig

165.

166.

TOOHEY, JOHN FRANCIS Steam Turbine Expert Brief Job Description: Advise, maintain, commission steam turbine

Basic Qualification: OEM trained GE/HITACHI/ TOSHIBA Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

LAWRENCE, BRIAN VINCENT Vice President For Operations - Pulverized

Basic Qualification: Engineer

Brief Job Description: Oversee plants generation

Salary Range: Php 500,000 and above

TIGER RESORT, LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Okada Manila, New Seaside Drive, Entertainment City, Barangay Tambo, City Of Parañaque

LEE, DONG HWAN Assistant Vice President - Creative Entertainment 167.

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

Brief Job Description: To lead the development of marketing strategies and implementing events and programs which promote the leisure and entertainment

SUEN, WONG SHING Executive Chinese Chef 168.

Brief Job Description: To implement all standardized procedures, rules and regulations systematically to be in lined with hotel standards and policies

Basic Qualification: Must have international experience in creative entertainment, productions and managerial roles for at least 10 years Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Must have an international experience and specialization in Chinese cuisine for at least 10 years and must be knowledgeable of improvement programs in food and beverage culinary Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

Basic Qualification: Oversee and manager student behavior.

REDSHIELD SERVICES INC. Rm. 127 12/f Times Plaza Bldg., Un. Cor . Taft Ave., 072, Bgy. 666, Ermita, City Of Manila

Basic Qualification: Proficient in speaking reading and writing in Mandarin

SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION - MANILA BRANCH 21/f Tower One & Exchange Plaza, Ayala Ave., Cor. Paseo De Roxas, Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

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

SPEED QUALITY TECH INC. 20/f Techzone Bldg., 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., San Antonio, City Of Makati

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

Brief Job Description: Provide counseling and support on policies and procedures

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

SKY DWELLER HOLDING INC U-54b Zeta Ii Bldg., 191 Salcedo St., San Lorenzo, City Of Makati

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

SKY DRAGON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES CORP. 2f-5f, Unit 710 Shaw Blvd., Global Link Center, Brgy. Wack Wack, City Of Mandaluyong

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

Brief Job Description: Responsible for inbound and outbound service calls

OGAKI, SHIGEKI Salon System Specialist & Consultant

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

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

SHUJI KIDA HAIR SALON Unit 1f City Center Bldg., #338 Ortigas Ave., Greenhills, City Of San Juan

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

LIU, CONG Mandarin Speaking Customer Service

ZHANG, HAORAN Mandarin Speaking Human Resource Officer

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

Brief Job Description: Serve customers by providing product and service information

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE

SEAGULL-WORLD INC. Unit 2807 28/f Cityland, Pasong Tamo Tower, 2210 Chino Roces Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

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

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION YONG LO WELL Site Customer Service- Mandarin

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

ONE WORLD JAPANESE LANGUAGE CENTER INC. Unit 15-a Atherton Place #1 Tomas Morato Ave., Cor. Don A Roces Ave. 4, Laging Handa, Quezon City

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

Brief Job Description: Managing incoming calls and customer service inquires

www.businessmirror.com.ph

SAKUHARA, NORIYUKI Executive Host, International Marketing 169.

Brief Job Description: Supervise daily operations and ensure customer relationship is build up and maintained through established service standards

Basic Qualification: Must have lived, studied and worked in Japan for at least 10 years and is accustomed to its culture; must naturally speak and write Japanese language Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION LAN, WEI-TING Manager, International Marketing

170.

Brief Job Description: To promote TRLEI while enhancing and retaining relationships of VIP casino players and cultivating new VIP players from regions

TSAI, JING-RU Manager, International Marketing 171.

Brief Job Description: To promote TRLEI while enhancing and retaining relationships of VIP casino players and cultivating new VIP players from regions

LAMA, RAJESH Security Control Room Manager 172.

Brief Job Description: Responsible for managing the efficient operation of the security control room to maximize the protection of the property and ensure a safe and secure environment

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Must have lived, studied and worked in Taiwan for at least 10 years and is accustomed to its culture; must naturally speak and write Taiwanese language

No.

184.

173.

Brief Job Description: Provide comprehensive and quality customer care at all times. Communicate effectively and efficiently with internal and external customers.

Basic Qualification: Must have lived, studied and worked in Taiwan for at least 10 years and is accustomed to its culture; must naturally speak and write Taiwanese language

185.

174.

Brief Job Description: Report on a daily basis operation of call center activities performing customer-oriented telephone activities and various background operation duties ZHANG, GUOFENG Chinese Language Customer Service Representative

175.

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

Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

LUO, ZHU Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999 Basic Qualification: Must have intense international training specifically in security control room operations

186.

REN, JIE Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

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

Basic Qualification: Highly proficient in oral and written Portuguese and English. Experience in handling Portuguese accounts, or Portuguese related duties and responsibilities is preferred

187.

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

188.

TRI7 SOLUTIONS, INC. Unit 9-a 9/f Marvin Plaza Bldg., 2153 Don Chino Roces Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati XIE, XIAOMENG Chinese Language Customer Service Representative

LIANG, WENYU Chinese IT Specialist

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

TPPH-FHCS, INC. Teleperformance Center, Ayala, Corner Sen. Gil J Puyat Avenue, City Of Makati

HENRIQUES, ALBINO SANANA Customer Service Representative

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading, and speaking in both English and Chinese/ Bahasa

189.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading, and speaking in both English and Chinese/ Bahasa

190.

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

SHI, YALING Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

SU, GUOQUAN Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

SUI, JIALE Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

SUN, AIHUA Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

TRIVES TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION Tower 4 Bayport West, Naia Garden Residence, Naia Road, Tambo, City Of Parañaque ZHANG, HONG Mandarin Customer Support Specialist 176.

Brief Job Description: Expert at their product and their primary duty is to resolve customer issues quickly and efficiently

Basic Qualification: Able to speak and write in Mandarin/Fukien and at least college level with related BPO experience

191.

177.

Brief Job Description: Ensures HR 201 files for database and Personnel files for Chinese & Vietnamese employees are well organized, maintained, kept up-to date and follows rules & regulations of the company. She will assist in Chinese/ Vietnamese foreigners’ application and management LIANG, YINGMINGHUI Mandarin Human Resource Officer

178.

179.

Brief Job Description: Ensures HR 201 files for database and Personnel files for Chinese employees are well organized, maintained, kept up-to date and follows rules & regulations of the company. They assist in Chinese foreigners’ application and management

Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 months -1year as HR Staff/ Admin Staff; Fluent in Mandarin, Vietnam and English Language

192.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 193.

180.

181.

182.

Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

CHEN, XIANHUI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

FU, MI Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

183.

Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

YU, RENJUN Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

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

YUAN, SHUAI Chinese IT Specialist

194.

Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 months -1year as HR Staff/ Admin Staff; Fluent in Mandarin, Vietnam and English Language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

195.

Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking

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

ZHANG, YUHANG Chinese IT Specialist Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

AN, YANLONG Microwave Employee 196.

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking

Brief Job Description: Focusing on microwave products including microwave survey; network design; project roll out such as site microwave survey; provide low microwave planning; provide technical remote and site troubleshooting support for microwave project; diagnosis difficult problems

No.

200.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking

201.

202.

203.

197.

LU, LINLIN Bilingual Admin Officer Brief Job Description: Updates and maintains office policies and procedures

LIAO, WEI Bilingual Technical Support Specialist Brief Job Description: Evaluates expansions or enhancement by studying work load capacity

LIN, SHUO Bilingual Technical Support Specialist 199.

Brief Job Description: Evaluates expansions or enhancement by studying work load capacity

NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION YEN, CHUNG-YU Bilingual Technical Support Specialist Brief Job Description: Evaluates expansions or enhancements by studying work load capacity of computer system ZHANG, JIAPEI Bilingual Technical Support Specialist Brief Job Description: Evaluates expansions or enhancement by studying work load capacity KEVIN JEREMY Indonesian-speaking Customer Service Officer Brief Job Description: Prepares product or service reports by collecting and analyzing customer information BUI TRUNG ANH Vietnam-speaking Customer Service Officer Brief Job Description: Prepares product or services reports by collecting and analysing customer information

QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: foreign language speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Foreign language speaking Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

XUSHENG TECHNOLOGY CORP. Flr. No. 1-5 Bldg., No. 0050 F.b. Harrison St. Cor. Williams And Roberts St., Zone 4, Barangay 013, District 1, Pasay City

204.

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

KENNY NGIAN SHENG HANG Bilingual Technical Support Brief Job Description: Deals with hardware and application support queries and issues reported to the support desk

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

Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking

ZENMOV PHILIPPINES INC. 11/f Insular Life Bldg., 6781 Ayala Ave. Cor. Paseo De Roxs, Bel-air, City Of Makati

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

205.

206.

207.

208.

209.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking

210.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking

211.

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: College graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices. Fluent in Mandarin & English speaking

212.

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

Basic Qualification: To provide consulting, technical and advisory services Salary Range: Php 60,000 - Php 89,999

Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Excellent in writing, reading and speaking in bilingual languages Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

SEKITA, TOSHIFUMI Director Brief Job Description: Management of the corporation’s business and affairs; implementation of the company’s by laws

Basic Qualification: Fluent in Japanese and English; college graduate, technical support experience of more than 3 years Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ZIMI TECH, INC. 29th/f Burgundy Corporate Tower, Sen. Gil Puyat Ave., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

213.

HARIANTO KUSUMA Bahasa Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling calls and providing customer support

JULIANI CHANDRA Bahasa Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling calls and providing customer support MIMI Bahasa Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling calls and providing customer support CHAU MY HONG Vietnamese Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling calls and providing customer support CHU THI AI LINH Vietnamese Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling calls and providing customer support LE BAO TRAN Vietnamese Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling calls and providing customer support LE TAN LOC Vietnamese Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling calls and providing customer support VO THIEN NHAN Vietnamese Language Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Responsible for handling calls and providing customer support

Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking English and other language needed to attain its job Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking English and Bahasa Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking English and Bahasa Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking English and Vietnamese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking English and other language needed to attain its job Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking English and Vietnamese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking English and Vietnamese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: Proficient in writing, reading and speaking English and Vietnamese language Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

ZONAC AND SHIBATA SERVICES INC. 4/f Pbcom Tower, 6795 Ayala Ave. Cor. Rufino St., Bel-air, City Of Makati

214.

VPC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED 11/f 100 West, Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Cor., Washington St., Pio Del Pilar, City Of Makati

Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 300 vacancy/college graduate with experience in maintain gaming devices, fluent in mandarin and english speaking

Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

A15

ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS

VOLENDAY INC. U1406 14/f Pacific Star Bldg., Sen. Gil Puyat Cor. Makati Ave., Bel-air, City Of Makati

198.

JIA, RUOCHEN Chinese IT Specialist

YANG, HUAN Chinese IT Specialist

Basic Qualification: Preferably 6 months -1year as HR Staff/ Admin Staff; Fluent in Mandarin, Vietnam and English Language

VERTEX DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 1439 Adriatico Cor. Sta. Monica St., 072, Bgy. 669, Ermita, City Of Manila

CHEN, SHENGNAN Chinese IT Specialist

Brief Job Description: Maintain the operations of electronic gaming devices

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

UNITED MOTION BUSINESS CONSULTANCY INC. U-2215 22f Cityland 10 Tower 2, 154 H.v. Dela Costa Cor. Valero Sts., Bel-air, City Of Makati DUONG THI CHIEN Mandarin Human Resource Officer

XIONG, LEI Chinese IT Specialist

Friday, November 26, 2021

215.

ANDY CHANDRA Indonesian Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of incoming calls, handle customers SINTA PRONICA Indonesian Customer Service Representative Brief Job Description: Manage large amount of incoming calls, handle customers

Basic Qualification: 1 year related experience, proficient in computer Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999 Basic Qualification: 1 year related experience, proficient in computer Salary Range: Php 30,000 - Php 59,999

*Date Generated: Nov 25, 2021 In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on November 11, 2021, the position of SHAUK WU under MOA CLOUDZONE CORP., should have been read as CHINESE CUSTOMER SPECIALIST and not as published. In the ad material of Notice of Filing of Application for Alien Employment Permits published on September 23, 2021, the position of KOROLEVA, ELENA under ACCENTURE, INC., should have been read as SW/APP/CLOUD TECH SUPPORT SPECIALIST and not as published. Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE National Capital Region located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE National Capital Region if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.

ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR

Companies BusinessMirror

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

Italpinas proposal to raise capital stock gets SEC nod

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the application of boutique property developer Italpinas Development Corp. (IDC) to increase its authorized capital stock, which it will use for future fundraising.

The company said the SEC has approved its application to amend its articles of incorporation to increase its authorized capital stock to 700 million shares, divided into 1.3 billion common shares with par value of P0.50 and 100 million preferred shares with the same par value. The number was an increase from the previous 377.99 million shares divided into 655.98 mil-

lion common shares and 100 million preferred shares both at a par value of P0.50. “The proposed amendment to increase the authorized capital stock will provide IDC more flexibility for any potential business opportunities in the future that would need sufficient authorized and unissued shares that can be issued promptly,” the company said. To satisfy the subscription re-

quirement, the board approved the declaration of stock dividends equivalent to between P100 million and P250 million in favor of all stockholders of record in proportion to their respective shareholdings, payable on a record date to be set by the president after the SEC approves the hike in its authorized capital stock. For January to September, the company's net income fell 39 percent to P28.27 million from last year's P46.73 million. Net sales fell 29 percent to P248.5 million from last year's P353.34 million, which the company said was partly due to the compliance with the accounting principles related to the recognition of sales. “The company continued to expand its operations. On the other hand, control measures were implemented to effectively manage the costs and expenses. This caused the general and administrative expenses to decrease,” it said.

The company said it saw an 8-percent decline in rental income. “There were cancellations in 2020 for default accounts in which the corresponding collections were forfeited, thus, an income to the company for last year,” it said. As of end-September, the company had total assets of P2.71 billion composed primarily of receivables from sale of condominium units, real estate inventories for sale and investment properties. Its real estate for sale represents remaining inventory of Primavera City phase 1 and also the net cost incurred for projects under construction of Primavera City phase 2 and Miramonti Green Residences phase 1. The company has secured development loans from Landbank of the Philippines for the construction of Primavera Residences Tower A, Bank of the Philippine Islands for Tower B, Development Bank of the Philippines for Primavera City phases 1 and 2 and also from Landbank for Miramonti phase 1.

Govt wants bike routes in Google Maps By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

he Department of Transportation (DOTr) is boosting its active transport initiatives by asking Google to include bike lane routes in its map mobile application. According to Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, adding bike routes in Google Maps will provide Filipino cyclists better navigation for their daily routes. “This will be a very good innovation for Google Maps considering that many Filipinos now are riding bikes as their main mode of transportation which brings significant health and environ-

Meralco ties up with Amber

anila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Amber Kinetics have partnered to introduce the use of long-duration flywheel energy storage systems in the Philippines, the companies announced on Thursday. The tie-up allows Meralco to test and demonstrate Amber Kinetics Flywheel Energy Storage System (FESS) at its Meralco Power Tech Center in Pasig City. This will strengthen the clean energy initiatives of both companies, they said in a statement. “With Amber Kinetics as one of its partners, Meralco efficiently paces its progress toward meeting its sustainability goals,” the statement read. Meralco aims to develop 1,500 MW of clean energy over the next seven years, a goal that is part of its environmental protection and sustainability efforts. Amber Kinetics’ FESS claims to “bridge the gap between traditional energy and energy generated from natural resources.” The system is said to be distinguished for its 4 hours discharge duration, non- degradation in performance, and long lifespan, with the flywheel clocking in at a 30-year design life. Its sustainability feature is also augmented as the technology is made up of recyclable steel, and does not contain nor emit any hazardous materials. Lorenz S. Marasigan

mental benefits especially amid the pandemic,” said Tugade. The agency is now in talks with Google for this initiative. Tugade said the DOTr is waiting for Google’s approval but he “feels confident that the tech giant will most likely pursue the department's request as it is a supporter of active transport.” “We have asked Google to consider this suggestion top priority considering the increasing number of Filipino cyclists. We are confident that we can win their support on this,” said Tugade. Due to t he pandemic, t he agency has been promoting active transport since 2020. It developed a network of bike lanes

across the Philippines, spanning 500 kilometers. Bike lanes have pavement markings, physical separators, solarpowered road studs, thermoplastic paints, road signages, and bike racks. The project was funded under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act. The DOTr and the Department of Public Works and Highways formally inaugurated in July the country’s longest bike lane network--the Metro Manila Bike Lane Network-for dedicated, safe and quality bike lanes for all cyclists. The bike lane network in Metro Manila has an overall length of 313 kilometers and cuts through 12 cities: Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, Caloocan, Manila, San Juan, Man-

daluyong, Makati, Pasay, Las Piñas, Parañaque, and Taguig. The lanes also measure between 1.5 to 3 meters in width depending on the road’s configuration. The Metro Manila Bike Lane Network forms part of the completed 497 kilometers of bike lanes created in Metro Cebu and in Metro Davao. The transportation chief said the Metro Manila bike lanes use concrete delineators and flexible rubber bollards to separate the bikers from motor vehicles. The bike lanes also make use of white and green pavement markings using thermoplastic paint, bollards bolted to the ground, bike symbols and signages, solar-powered road studs, and bike racks.

Ayala unit inks deal with Newbie Station

yalaLand Logistics Holdings Corp. (ALLHC) recently sealed a deal with Newbie Station Logistic Inc., granting the latter a 13,000-square meter of gross leasable area of ready-built facilities at the ALogis Biñan 4 warehouse hub at Laguna Technopark, one of ALLHC’s premier industrial estates spanning the cities of Sta. Rosa and Biñan. Newbie Station Logistic Inc. is a logistics company serving top ecommerce industries. Leasing a total gross leasable area of 13,000 sqm, the company sees its first warehouse facility in the Philippines after being registered this year 2021. Newbie Logistic General Manager Yingjun Lan said their company is very pleased and honored to work with AyalaLand Logistics Holdings. “The Laguna Technopark project is an upscale modern industrial compound—the location, design, and quality suit our operations.” “We are also very grateful for the support and trust which Ayala Land Logistics has given us. We would like to grow our business here in the Philippines with solid partners like the Ayala group of companies.” In a statement, ALLHC President and CEO Rowena M. Tomeldan said this agreement will generate more employment opportunities for Laguna residents as ALLHC expects about 100 workers to be hired under Newbie Logistic. “Apart from our goal of building our national footprint through our industrial

ALogis Biñan 4 where the 13,000 sqm of gross leasable area of ready-built facilities are being leased by Newbie Station Logistic Inc. Contributed Photo

real estate projects, ALLHC likewise strives to be a strong partner in nation-building. We are thankful to Newbie Logistic as they open more jobs for our fellow Filipinos.”

Building lasting relationships

With its vision to be the leading industrial real estate company in the country, ALLHC continues to transform places into dynamic centers across the country, developing world-class industrial parks and logistics facilities that are hubs of convergence and business activity. ALLHC Industrial Parks and Real Estate Logistics Head Patrick Avila shares, “We are grateful to Newbie Logistic for trusting ALogis in Laguna Technopark to be its first home in the country. We welcome them as one of our anchor lessees in our Biñan 4 facility, and we eagerly anticipate their company’s growth and success with us in the coming years.” ALLHC owns and manages an ALogis portfolio of 8 properties in 5 key locations in Luzon. With expansion

ongoing, the company broke ground for ALogis Naic 2 in January 2021, while ALogis Calamba is currently undergoing redevelopment. AyalaLand Logistics is a subsidiary of Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), the leading industrial real estate company in the country. It is ALI’s vehicle to pursue real estate logistics and industrial estate development, with ALI owning majority interest in ALLHC. ALLHC is present in five growth areas nationwide with its core businesses in industrial parks, warehouses, cold storage facilities, and commercial leasing. Among its developments are the world-class industrial estates: Laguna Technopark, Pampanga Technopark, Cavite Technopark, Laguindingan Technopark in Misamis Oriental. Its ALogis standard factory buildings are located in Biñan and Calamba, Laguna; Naic in Cavite; Porac, Pampanga, and Manila, and complemented by the ALogis Artico cold storage facility in Biñan, Laguna.

Friday, November 26, 2021

Record new domains blocked in PLDT ops

LDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) have uncovered and blocked new domains in the past 24 hours, in its war against SMS spamming, protecting customers from fraud and scammers. From October 21 to November 20 this year, the group had already blocked at least 15,000 mobile numbers, as well as at least 60 domains directly related and involved in the ongoing SMS spam offering fake jobs to users. The modus was recently exposed by PLDT and Smart’s Cyber Security Operations Group (CSOG) as a scam, victimizing unsuspecting subscribers with promised commissions. As the scammers devise more sophisticated tactics, the group’s threat intelligence, cybersecurity and cybercrime investigation units are also relentlessly maintaining their operations 24/7. “We have already blocked 60 domains connected to this scam, and we are unceasingly uncovering new domains that have surfaced recently. These have already been barred from our system, preventing our subscribers from accessing malicious links and disallowing fraud to proceed. We take decisive action once we see—after conduct of a thorough investigation—that the facts show the complaint to be valid," said Angel T. Redoble, the Chief Information Security Officer of PLDT and Smart’s Cyber Security Operations Group. The said scheme is believed to be operating on a global scale, in which scammers successfully obtain the

bank account numbers of mobile users who choose to engage. To protect subscribers from cyber attacks, PLDT and Smart have been aggressively conducting spam detection and blocking activities against unsolicited, fake job hiring content. This month alone, the system has blocked an average of 600 mobile numbers daily, a figure which is approximately 16.5 percent of the total 3,435 scam and phishing sites blocked from SMS, emails, bank customer reports, and intelligence operations in November. Despite the sudden growth of SMS scams and phishing attacks, the numbers reveal that such malicious activities occur substantially even outside text messaging. As such, PLDT and Smart are also sustaining their collaboration with other stakeholders and government agencies for intelligence and information sharing. “We continue to work closely with the Department of Trade and Industry, National Telecommunications Commission, and the National Privacy Commission in addressing this issue. We realize the urgency of the need to protect the public from these scammers,” said Atty. Roy D. Ibay, Smart Vice President for Regulatory Affairs. “Having said that, we also believe that we need to balance, ensuring that when we block URLs and MINs, we do so in a manner that is fair, lawful, and responsible. We do not want to inadvertently harm legitimate users of our services in pursuit of a handful of unscrupulous individuals.”

Companies BusinessMirror

Friday, November 26, 2021

EnterPH, Creative Zone to assist local start-ups

By Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

@TyronePiad

onsultancy firm EnterPH teamed up with a Dubai-based business setup advisory company to help bring more Philippine enterprises to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

EnterPH—led by entrepreneurs RJ Ledesma and Ricardo Chan— announced its strategic partnership with Creative Zone, which will provide a platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and aspiring startups looking to open their business in Dubai and other

Gulf Cooperation Council markets. “Dubai has always been close to my heart, and educating my fellow entrepreneurs on the overlying opportunities and business potential that can be leveraged whilst within the country is a novel approach,” Ledesma said.

“Companies like Creative Zone make it much easier by providing business owners with flexible and cost-effective solutions about how and where to set up and operate their companies locally in the UAE. I look forward to this fruitful partnership encouraging the spirit of entrepreneurship.” Aside from helping Philippine startups expand in Dubai, Lorenzo Jooris, chief executive officer of Creative Zone, said they also offer start-to-finish business solutions. The business setup firm said that the cost of services and requirements depends on the nature of the business activities and the number of visas, among others. “ Toget her w it h EnterPH ’s wealth of knowledge in the Southeast Asian market, this partnership will pave the way in materi-

alizing the global entrepreneurship concept more effectively and quickly,” Jooris said. The Creative Zone official has a bullish outlook for the Philippines given its link with the Asean market, in addition to its significant consumer base and remittances from Filipinos working abroad. He also noted the country’s robust business process outsourcing sector and electronics manufacturing. “There is a considerable spike in entrepreneurs and startups expanding their business to the Philippines, and with the help of EnterPH, we would be able to tap into this community and ease the business setup process by removing the complexity and holdups from the entire course of the journey,” Jooris added.

Exec: Clark aviation firm, labor union reach accord

n official of the government-r un C lark International A ir port Cor p. (CIAC) on Thursday said the agency and the labor union Samahan ng mga Manggagawa sa Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (SMD) are set to sign a new collective bargaining agreement next month. “The CIAC board of directors has approved a new CBA, a significant accord to be formalized in the coming weeks, and another early Christmas present to our deserving employees,” Aaron Aquino, CIAC president, said. The SMD was named after the old corporate identity of the Clark International Airport and is the duly certified labor organization established in 2001 as the exclusive bargaining representative of the CIAC rank-and-file employees. Aquino said the new CBA covers a period of five years and contains non-economic provisions. “However, (the new CBA) will also include the provision on the

grant of the outstanding 2019 Collective Negotiation Agreement Incentive, so all CIAC personnel will receive P25,000.00 this year as incentive for the mutual efforts in reaching this new accord,” Aquino added. Dennis Lumanlan, union president, said his group commended the efforts of the CIAC management negotiating panel, headed by lawyer Cynthia Dungca, for their “openness to uphold the workers’ interests in the final CBA.” “The CNA incentive is granted as an act of goodwill and in recognition of the joint-efforts and in fulfillment of corporate objectives and performance targets at lesser cost which are consistent with applicable laws, rules and government regulations,” Aquino said. He added savings generated from various cost-cutting measures such as the conservation of fuel, electricity, water and office supplies, and other improvements will be used for the CNA incentives.

mutual funds

November 25, 2021

NAV

One Year Three Year Five Year

per share

Return*

Y-T-D Return

Stock Funds ALFM Growth Fund, Inc. -a

236.57

4.23%

-1.22%

-0.39%

4.12%

ATRAM Alpha Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a

1.7005

31.58%

8.06%

4.62%

29.51%

4.67%

-4.74%

ATRAM Philippine Equity Opportunity Fund, Inc. -a 3.2854

-3.17%

4.86%

Climbs Share Capital Equity Investment Fund Corp. -a 0.758 -4.52%

-4.7% n.a.

-6.74%

First Metro Consumer Fund on MSCI Phils. IMI, Inc. -a 0.8065 8.23%

-0.14% n.a.

8.75%

First Metro Save and Learn Equity Fund,Inc. -a

5.2911

First Metro Save and Learn Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a MBG Equity Investment Fund, Inc. -a

7.34%

1.16%

1.52%

7.08%

0.7935

3.74%

-0.94%

-2.25%

-4.28% n.a.

-4.74%

97.04

2.36%

PAMI Equity Index Fund, Inc. -a

48.6892

4.28%

0.46%

1.28%

3.95%

Philam Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

508.21

4.11%

0.46%

0.6%

3.94%

Philequity Alpha One Fund, Inc. -a,d

1.1844

Philequity Dividend Yield Fund, Inc. -a

1.3459

Philequity Fund, Inc. -a

37.0437

11.4% n.a. n.a.

7.94%

16.08%

3.06%

2.76%

15.21%

7.58%

1.13%

1.95%

6.54%

Philequity MSCI Philippine Index Fund, Inc. -a

0.9591

4.83% n.a. n.a.

5.05%

Philequity PSE Index Fund Inc. -a

5.0164

5.08%

1.26%

1.95%

4.7%

Philippine Stock Index Fund Corp. -a

837.77

4.93%

1.26%

1.91%

4.51%

Soldivo Strategic Growth Fund, Inc. -a

0.7689

6.55%

-2.8%

-1.25%

6.96%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Equity Fund, Inc. -a 3.8142

5.56%

-1.49%

0.26%

5.25%

Sun Life Prosperity Philippine Stock Index Fund, Inc. -a 0.9554 4.48%

0.91%

1.65%

4.11%

United Fund, Inc. -a

0.81%

2.59%

5.42%

1.48%

2.4%

3.4986

6.02%

2.2%

Exchange Traded Fund First Metro Phil. Equity Exchange Traded Fund, Inc. -a,c

112.6732

5.02%

4.76%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities $1.1605

-0.29%

7.1%

6.29%

-3.52%

Sun Life Prosperity World Voyager Fund, Inc. -a $1.8532

ATRAM AsiaPlus Equity Fund, Inc. -b

15.98%

16.59%

12.52%

10.78%

0.42%

2.24%

Balanced Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ATRAM Dynamic Allocation Fund, Inc. -a

1.7059

3.49%

1.46%

ATRAM Philippine Balanced Fund, Inc. -a

2.2956

1.44%

1.83%

0.73%

0.45%

First Metro Save and Learn Balanced Fund Inc. -a 2.7341

4.29%

3.38%

2.46%

4.08%

First Metro Save and Learn F.O.C.C.U.S. Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a 0.2076

4.69% n.a. n.a.

NCM Mutual Fund of the Phils., Inc. -a

3.67%

2.73%

2.0261

3.18%

PAMI Horizon Fund, Inc. -a

3.7953

0.48%

3.09%

1.69%

0.14%

Philam Fund, Inc. -a

16.9888

0.55%

2.82%

1.57%

0.29%

Solidaritas Fund, Inc. -a

2.139

2.43%

1.71%

1.35%

2.29%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Balanced Fund, Inc. -a 3.6744 3.07%

0.63%

1.17%

2.83%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2028, Inc. -a,d 0.998

-2.12% n.a. n.a.

-2.41%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2038, Inc. -a,d 0.9538

0.63% n.a. n.a.

0.48%

Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund 2048, Inc. -a,d 0.9452

1.45% n.a. n.a.

Sun Life Prosperity Dynamic Fund, Inc. -a

8.35%

0.9588

1.44%

1.38%

4.8%

1.3% 8.01%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Cocolife Dollar Fund Builder, Inc. -a

$0.0377

-3.8%

2.72%

1.47%

-3.58%

PAMI Asia Balanced Fund, Inc. -b

$1.07

-4.69%

4.64%

3.93%

-5.31%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Advantage Fund, Inc. -a $4.8045 10.78%

11.86%

9.13%

6.46%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Wellspring Fund, Inc. -a $1.2153 3.54%

6.63%

4.81%

1.09%

Bond Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

373.33

0.93%

2.92%

2.6%

0.6%

ATRAM Corporate Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.9226

1.29%

1.4%

0.42%

1.17%

Cocolife Fixed Income Fund, Inc. -a

3.2435

1.06%

3.15%

0.87%

Ekklesia Mutual Fund Inc. -a

2.2444

-2.06%

1.84%

1.8%

-2.35%

First Metro Save and Learn Fixed Income Fund,Inc. -a 2.4199 -1.27%

3.15%

1.89%

-1.36%

Philam Bond Fund, Inc. -a

4.3936

-5.02%

4.2%

1.96%

-5.11%

Philam Managed Income Fund, Inc. -a

1.3163

3.79%

2.6%

-0.38%

Philequity Peso Bond Fund, Inc. -a

3.9606

-0.52%

4.4%

2.79%

-1.01%

Soldivo Bond Fund, Inc. -a

1.0236

-1.29%

4.89%

2.3%

-1.91%

Sun Life of Canada Prosperity Bond Fund, Inc. -a 3.1766

-0.56%

4.85%

3.92%

-0.92%

4.06%

3.24%

-1.81%

Sun Life Prosperity GS Fund, Inc. -a 1.7232

-1.35%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$488.6

1.33%

3.03%

2.47%

0.95%

ALFM Euro Bond Fund, Inc. -a

Є219.72

0.57%

1.15%

0.96%

0.23%

ATRAM Total Return Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -b $1.2006

-5.23%

2.27%

1.75%

-6.19%

First Metro Save and Learn Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a $0.0259 -2.26%

1.46%

0.87%

-2.63%

PAMI Global Bond Fund, Inc -b

$1.0181

-6.71%

-0.19%

-0.7%

-6.6%

Philam Dollar Bond Fund, Inc. -a

$2.4857

-1.55%

5.19%

2.77%

-2.14%

Philequity Dollar Income Fund Inc. -a

$0.0623963

0.5%

3.12%

2.03%

0.15%

-2.04%

3.18%

1.51%

-2.25%

Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Abundance Fund, Inc. -a $3.151

Money Market Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities ALFM Money Market Fund, Inc. -a

2.55%

0.91%

First Metro Save and Learn Money Market Fund, Inc. -a 1.0568 0.94% n.a. n.a.

131

0.83%

Sun Life Prosperity Peso Starter Fund, Inc. -a,1 1.3136

1.14% 1.49%

2.88% 2.65%

2.53%

1.29%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities Sun Life Prosperity Dollar Starter Fund, Inc. -a $1.06

0.81%

1.48% n.a.

0.61%

Feeder Funds Primarily invested in Peso securities Sun Life Prosperity World Equity Index Feeder Fund, Inc. -a,d 1.3614

26.58% n.a. n.a.

20.52%

Primarily invested in foreign currency securities ALFM Global Multi-Asset Income Fund Inc. -a,d

$0.97

0% n.a. n.a.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

November 25, 2021

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

ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK CITYSTATE BANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FIRST ABACUS FERRONOUX HLDG IREMIT MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH VANTAGE

31,900 1,435,620 1,588,780 208,377,883 528,570 48,084,003 258,500 6,563,530 400 3,392 235,800 2,272,575 2,753,710 139,660,796.50 8,700 151,380 55,800 1,138,900 10 577 6,100 122,165 843,450 100,457,143 99,990 10,623,654 40,000 68,200 3,381,000 14,009,780 150,000 88,500 4,000 13,600 337,000 339,770 115 113,020 290,000 182,700 7,540 1,576,330 69,000 56,580

869,360 -27,779,883 -3,557,668 98,735 -73,527,563 -49,665 -18,550,494 4,227,486 23,520 -116,050 80,700 -1,319,110 -

INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 11.88 11.9 11.9 12 11.84 11.9 50,309,100 600,527,006 ALSONS CONS 1.12 1.14 1.12 1.12 1.12 1.12 50,000 56,000 30.65 30.7 30.7 30.75 30.55 30.65 433,500 13,288,660 ABOITIZ POWER 0.63 0.64 0.66 0.66 0.62 0.64 20,563,000 13,003,240 BASIC ENERGY FIRST GEN 29.2 29.25 29.4 29.4 29.25 29.25 91,500 2,680,185 72.9 73 72.9 73.05 72.9 72.9 40,960 2,988,210.50 FIRST PHIL HLDG 299.6 301 299 301 299 301 144,790 43,466,616 MERALCO MANILA WATER 25.4 25.45 25.5 25.5 25.2 25.4 1,449,300 36,789,820 3.36 3.38 3.41 3.43 3.34 3.36 1,023,000 3,451,760 PETRON 4.26 4.3 4.26 4.26 4.24 4.24 100,000 424,310 PETROENERGY PHX PETROLEUM 10.68 11.04 11 11.1 10.62 11.04 220,400 2,388,544 21.2 21.25 21.6 21.6 21.05 21.25 440,800 9,400,720 PILIPINAS SHELL 13.98 14 14 14 13.98 14 26,300 368,056 SPC POWER AGRINURTURE 3.97 3.98 4.04 4.04 3.92 4 99,000 392,480 2.69 2.7 2.69 2.7 2.68 2.7 406,000 1,093,950 AXELUM 26.4 26.45 26.4 26.5 26.35 26.45 786,000 20,764,225 CENTURY FOOD DEL MONTE 14.64 14.8 14.8 14.8 14.66 14.68 35,100 516,644 8.97 9.06 8.95 9.1 8.94 9.06 2,735,900 24,753,012 DNL INDUS 17.8 17.9 17.78 18.1 17.66 17.8 1,410,000 25,080,800 EMPERADOR SMC FOODANDBEV 76 76.2 76.2 76.2 75.9 76.2 24,240 1,844,538 0.56 0.6 0.61 0.61 0.56 0.6 512,000 293,640 ALLIANCE SELECT FRUITAS HLDG 1.25 1.26 1.26 1.29 1.24 1.26 10,123,000 12,701,030 GINEBRA 103.9 104 105.1 105.8 103.5 103.9 5,770 602,654 244.6 245.4 246 246.6 244 245.4 505,870 124,113,954 JOLLIBEE 27.3 28 28 28 28 28 1,600 44,800 LIBERTY FLOUR MAXS GROUP 6.87 6.88 6.85 6.95 6.85 6.88 86,700 596,388 0.164 0.173 0.164 0.164 0.164 0.164 30,000 4,920 MG HLDG MONDE NISSIN 17.8 17.88 17.9 18.08 17.42 17.88 77,049,300 1,369,085,220 SHAKEYS PIZZA 8.88 9 9 9 8.84 8.88 151,100 1,343,719 0.69 0.71 0.7 0.72 0.7 0.7 450,000 315,740 ROXAS AND CO 4.53 4.65 4.65 4.65 4.65 4.65 1,000 4,650 RFM CORP SWIFT FOODS 0.115 0.118 0.115 0.116 0.115 0.116 950,000 109,380 132.2 132.4 130.8 132.8 130.2 132.2 1,210,420 159,829,008 UNIV ROBINA 0.75 0.76 0.78 0.78 0.75 0.75 707,000 539,250 VITARICH CEMEX HLDG 1.19 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.19 1.2 703,000 842,830 14.1 14.14 14.06 14.14 14.04 14.14 44,700 629,160 EAGLE CEMENT 6.51 6.56 6.5 6.7 6.5 6.56 62,700 409,128 EEI CORP HOLCIM 5.55 5.58 5.7 5.7 5.58 5.58 257,400 1,450,481 1.67 1.68 1.69 1.7 1.64 1.68 77,741,000 130,463,570 KEEPERS HLDG 5.6 5.61 5.7 5.7 5.55 5.61 1,058,000 5,961,272 MEGAWIDE PHINMA 16.7 16.8 16.5 16.8 16.5 16.8 19,000 318,720 1.08 1.12 1.14 1.14 1.08 1.08 5,307,000 5,792,450 VULCAN INDL 1.72 1.73 1.74 1.74 1.73 1.73 28,000 48,680 CROWN ASIA EUROMED 1.5 1.54 1.54 1.54 1.5 1.5 13,000 19,610 4 4.41 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 1,000 4,200 MABUHAY VINYL CONCEPCION 21.5 22.45 21.5 21.5 21.5 21.5 1,600 34,400 GREENERGY 2.43 2.44 2.44 2.44 2.41 2.43 2,447,000 5,936,590 8.94 8.96 8.93 9 8.91 8.94 291,400 2,606,809 INTEGRATED MICR 0.74 0.77 0.75 0.75 0.74 0.74 71,000 52,830 IONICS PANASONIC 5.89 6 6.02 6.02 6 6 37,100 223,322 1.11 1.14 1.1 1.11 1.1 1.11 71,000 78,500 SFA SEMICON 4.24 4.25 4.3 4.3 4.21 4.24 752,000 3,194,300 CIRTEK HLDG

75,717,412 -1,645,625 11,460 164,625 -1,724,704 -13,526,136 4,459,990 -704,180 518,940 -53,294 -99,190 674,980 13,990,330 129,712 -4,499,388.00 -1,125,474 -178,088.00 37,890 90,980 -18,707,390 58,921,174.00 8,400 4,650 -68,518,700 -76,500 240,000 -83,204 -14,300 -293,466 -2,646,930 64,362 -79,660.00 -8,700 705,063 11,100 25,830

HOLDING & FRIMS

ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MJC INVESTMENTS METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS SYNERGY GRID SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

45.1 130.4 91 25.25 8.48 9.62 50.5 17.38 20.3 57 20.05 118.8 106 1.77 4.02 0.59 3.26 1 982 0.63 209 0.81

1 5.27 883.5 51.5 12.02 5.62 7.25 0.95 0.47 5.17 7.7 7.8 0.27 602 58.3 5.98 0.65 3 10.94 1.15 4.07 3 1.25 2.75 14.86 975.5 113.9 125 0.245 0.176

45.2 131.4 91.45 25.3 8.5 9.63 50.8 17.4 20.4 57.7 20.25 118.9 106.2 1.78 4.1 0.63 3.4 1.05 999 0.69 217.6 0.82

1.01 5.79 884 52.4 12.08 5.64 7.59 0.97 0.48 5.18 7.71 8 0.29 602.5 59 6.2 0.68 3.03 10.96 1.25 4.09 3.09 1.29 2.96 14.9 978 115 127 0.255 0.188

44.5 132 90.9 25.3 8.48 9.65 51.5 17.4 20.6 57.7 19.9 121.8 107.5 1.68 3.92 0.59 3.4 1.05 1,000 0.63 210.2 0.82

1.04 5.5 891 51.5 12.1 5.71 7.32 0.96 0.46 5.2 7.95 7.76 0.27 620 59.2 6.1 0.68 3.06 11.1 1.2 4.1 3 1.27 2.95 14.76 980 114.9 125 0.255 0.189

45.2 134.1 91.45 25.8 8.48 9.7 51.5 17.4 20.65 57.7 20.25 121.8 107.5 1.78 4.25 0.59 3.4 1.05 1,000 0.63 210.2 0.82

1.05 5.5 892 54.2 12.12 5.71 7.59 0.96 0.495 5.2 7.95 8 0.27 620 59.5 6.1 0.68 3.06 11.14 1.2 4.1 3.09 1.32 2.95 15.08 980.5 115 125 0.255 0.19

44.5 130.4 90.2 25.25 8.48 9.63 50.5 17.4 20.3 57.7 19.9 118.6 105.3 1.68 3.92 0.59 3.4 1 982 0.63 209 0.82

1 5.27 877 51.2 11.86 5.62 7.1 0.95 0.46 5.16 7.68 7.76 0.27 602 58.2 5.98 0.65 2.97 10.86 1.2 4.05 3 1.25 2.95 14.74 973 113 125 0.245 0.189

45.2 130.4 91.45 25.3 8.48 9.63 50.5 17.4 20.4 57.7 20.05 118.9 106 1.78 4.1 0.59 3.4 1 982 0.63 209 0.82

1.01 5.27 884 51.5 12.08 5.62 7.25 0.95 0.495 5.18 7.7 8 0.27 602 58.3 5.98 0.68 3 10.96 1.2 4.09 3.09 1.29 2.95 14.86 978 115 125 0.245 0.19

6,245,000 6,600 415,900 1,611,030 2,441,800 634,100 121,400 55,000 40,000 231,600 6,983,000 17,300 10,000 186,080 447,500 23,200 70,000 2,011,000 8,357,700 2,000 9,013,000 9,000 83,000 22,000 6,716,700 132,930 85,110 311,100 240,000 140,000

6,372,140 35,025 368,669,945 83,947,051.50 29,306,068 3,571,973 872,003 52,550 19,100 1,201,135 54,338,044 135,346 2,700 113,329,760 26,229,718 141,136 46,690 6,047,510 91,787,826 2,400 36,738,160 27,360 104,780 64,900 99,914,898 129,819,245 9,732,034 38,887,500 59,300 26,480

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.64 0.65 0.63 0.64 0.63 0.63 336,000 211,870 ANCHOR LAND 6.92 7.17 7 7.26 6.92 6.92 5,700 39,872 36.8 37.1 37 37.1 36.65 37.1 2,375,300 87,684,235 AYALA LAND 1 1.03 1.02 1.03 1.02 1.03 23,000 23,660 ARANETA PROP AREIT RT 49.4 49.5 50 50 49.5 49.5 849,100 42,224,000 1.37 1.39 1.4 1.4 1.37 1.37 106,000 145,850 BELLE CORP 0.81 0.83 0.81 0.84 0.81 0.83 117,000 95,000 A BROWN CITYLAND DEVT 0.75 0.79 0.76 0.77 0.76 0.77 137,000 105,290 0.102 0.106 0.108 0.108 0.102 0.108 120,000 12,480 CROWN EQUITIES CEBU HLDG 6.28 6.5 6.29 6.29 6.27 6.27 9,100 57,217 CEB LANDMASTERS 2.91 2.93 2.85 2.93 2.85 2.93 2,318,000 6,736,930 0.43 0.435 0.435 0.435 0.43 0.43 2,930,000 1,270,200 CENTURY PROP 8.76 8.8 8.71 8.81 8.71 8.8 953,200 8,339,196 DOUBLEDRAGON DDMP RT 1.81 1.82 1.85 1.85 1.81 1.82 3,159,000 5,750,870 6.77 6.91 6.72 6.92 6.7 6.9 324,000 2,231,940 DM WENCESLAO EMPIRE EAST 0.265 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.265 0.27 320,000 86,300 EVER GOTESCO 0.315 0.32 0.325 0.325 0.31 0.315 6,240,000 1,969,950 7.9 7.92 7.94 7.95 7.85 7.92 4,132,200 32,717,487 FILINVEST RT 1.12 1.13 1.12 1.13 1.12 1.13 2,642,000 2,983,950 FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE 0.87 0.89 0.89 0.89 0.89 0.89 23,000 20,470 9.91 10 10.3 10.46 9.8 10 485,900 4,914,445 8990 HLDG 1.15 1.19 1.16 1.16 1.15 1.15 425,000 490,750 PHIL INFRADEV CITY AND LAND 0.89 0.94 0.88 0.91 0.88 0.89 62,000 55,410 3.3 3.31 3.31 3.35 3.28 3.3 11,210,000 37,113,340 MEGAWORLD 0.29 0.295 0.28 0.3 0.28 0.29 27,550,000 8,018,150 MRC ALLIED MREIT RT 18.28 18.32 18.32 18.32 18.28 18.28 3,012,800 55,144,844 0.57 0.58 0.65 0.65 0.55 0.58 46,100,000 26,892,890 PHIL ESTATES 2.02 2.04 2 2.08 2 2.04 536,000 1,087,370 PRIMEX CORP RL COMM RT 7.4 7.42 7.31 7.42 7.31 7.42 8,750,300 64,467,651 18.94 19 19.02 19.12 18.72 19 1,308,900 24,855,920 ROBINSONS LAND 0.217 0.225 0.221 0.221 0.215 0.215 820,000 179,270 PHIL REALTY ROCKWELL 1.5 1.57 1.51 1.52 1.5 1.5 31,000 46,630 2.6 2.62 2.58 2.63 2.58 2.62 12,465,000 32,391,050 SHANG PROP 2.9 2.98 2.98 2.98 2.98 2.98 50,000 149,000 STA LUCIA LAND SM PRIME HLDG 37 37.05 36.6 37.05 36.15 37.05 8,790,000 322,203,980 3.75 3.88 3.8 3.88 3.72 3.88 4,000 15,120 VISTAMALLS SUNTRUST HOME 1.37 1.38 1.34 1.38 1.33 1.37 225,000 306,460 VISTA LAND 3.82 3.83 3.75 3.84 3.73 3.83 755,000 2,864,260 SERVICES ABS CBN 13.7 13.74 13.62 13.74 13.62 13.74 29,200 400,508 GMA NETWORK 13.96 13.98 14.1 14.1 13.92 13.96 518,700 7,250,556 0.405 0.43 0.425 0.435 0.405 0.43 320,000 133,850 MANILA BULLETIN GLOBE TELECOM 3,500 3,528 3,600 3,616 3,500 3,500 75,155 265,203,400 PLDT 1,743 1,745 1,749 1,753 1,728 1,745 62,340 108,660,460 0.077 0.078 0.082 0.083 0.076 0.078 430,620,000 34,088,260 APOLLO GLOBAL 30.35 30.4 31.5 31.65 30.2 30.35 23,640,400 722,365,020 CONVERGE DFNN INC 2.81 2.84 2.82 2.84 2.82 2.84 173,000 490,570 6 6.01 6.13 6.16 6 6 6,439,400 38,846,027 DITO CME HLDG 1.85 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2,000 3,800 JACKSTONES NOW CORP 1.63 1.67 1.66 1.67 1.63 1.67 291,000 482,250 0.315 0.32 0.32 0.33 0.32 0.32 2,280,000 731,850 TRANSPACIFIC BR PHILWEB 2.03 2.09 2.05 2.09 2 2.09 655,000 1,325,970 2GO GROUP 7.8 7.95 7.8 7.8 7.8 7.8 2,400 18,720 13.8 14.2 14.2 14.2 14.2 14.2 8,000 113,600 ASIAN TERMINALS CHELSEA 1.7 1.72 1.74 1.74 1.7 1.72 695,000 1,189,700 CEBU AIR 48 48.4 48.95 49 47.9 48.4 238,100 11,466,695 197 197.9 195 198 193 197 1,069,610 209,767,902 INTL CONTAINER 21 22 22.55 22.55 22.55 22.55 2,200 49,610 LBC EXPRESS LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.9 0.96 0.91 0.91 0.9 0.9 10,000 9,080 6.25 6.3 6.4 6.47 6.1 6.3 1,903,700 11,974,670 MACROASIA 1.36 1.41 1.41 1.41 1.39 1.39 60,000 84,560 METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B 1.14 1.76 1.46 1.46 1.43 1.43 18,000 25,990 0.94 0.99 0.95 0.95 0.93 0.94 294,000 277,860 HARBOR STAR ACESITE HOTEL 1.48 1.54 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 10,000 15,000 DISCOVERY WORLD 2.09 2.15 2.08 2.16 2.08 2.16 10,000 21,160 0.49 0.5 0.495 0.495 0.49 0.49 244,000 119,860 WATERFRONT IPEOPLE 6.96 7.47 7.48 7.48 6.91 6.95 11,000 77,312 BERJAYA 6.15 6.32 6.44 6.44 6.15 6.37 105,600 662,987 7.72 7.9 7.94 7.94 7.71 7.9 963,700 7,543,828 BLOOMBERRY 2.01 2.09 2 2.09 2 2.01 13,000 26,570 PACIFIC ONLINE LEISURE AND RES 1.5 1.54 1.52 1.52 1.48 1.5 1,045,000 1,563,860 0.85 0.86 0.89 0.89 0.85 0.86 563,000 486,060 PH RESORTS GRP 0.445 0.455 0.45 0.455 0.44 0.44 2,160,000 964,950 PREMIUM LEISURE PHIL RACING 5.7 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 30,000 174,000 0.74 0.75 0.74 0.75 0.73 0.74 50,673,000 37,463,180 ALLDAY 9.69 9.7 9.25 9.7 9.25 9.7 589,300 5,605,662 ALLHOME METRO RETAIL 1.42 1.43 1.42 1.44 1.42 1.43 653,000 929,350 40.55 40.75 41.6 41.6 40.55 40.55 1,081,200 44,005,230 PUREGOLD 66 66.25 66.6 66.6 65.5 66 358,260 23,611,797.50 ROBINSONS RTL PHIL SEVEN CORP 92 93 95 95 93 93 6,240 580,520 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.2 1.22 743,000 906,600 SSI GROUP 31 31.05 30.5 31.15 30.5 31 3,630,100 112,511,905 WILCON DEPOT APC GROUP 0.223 0.236 0.23 0.236 0.23 0.236 730,000 172,050 4.2 4.58 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 6,000 25,200 EASYCALL IPM HLDG 6.95 7.02 7 7.02 7 7.02 8,000 56,020 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.78 0.79 0.66 0.9 0.65 0.79 227,475,000 181,369,980 MINING & OIL ATOK 5.96 5.99 6.1 6.1 5.95 5.99 39,600 237,128 1.4 1.41 1.42 1.42 1.39 1.41 55,000 77,120 APEX MINING 6.36 6.38 6.4 6.41 6.35 6.38 414,600 2,652,399 ATLAS MINING BENGUET A 5.02 5.2 5.21 5.44 5.02 5.02 322,200 1,683,360 0.275 0.285 0.275 0.275 0.275 0.275 170,000 46,750 COAL ASIA HLDG FERRONICKEL 2.18 2.19 2.19 2.2 2.12 2.19 6,583,000 14,410,770 LEPANTO A 0.125 0.129 0.125 0.127 0.124 0.125 3,900,000 488,090 0.13 0.137 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 200,000 26,000 LEPANTO B 0.009 0.0093 0.0091 0.0091 0.0091 0.0091 15,000,000 136,500 MANILA MINING A MARCVENTURES 1.47 1.48 1.41 1.47 1.4 1.47 8,147,000 11,742,520 1.02 1.05 1.05 1.05 1.05 1.05 12,000 12,600 NIHAO NICKEL ASIA 5.28 5.29 5.21 5.3 5.21 5.28 3,379,400 17,814,230 ORNTL PENINSULA 0.77 0.78 0.81 0.81 0.75 0.79 1,994,000 1,501,090 4.91 4.94 4.9 5.05 4.9 4.93 119,000 588,240 PX MINING 22.95 23 23 23.15 22.6 23 889,900 20,408,420 SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON 0.0065 0.0066 0.0065 0.0065 0.0065 0.0065 1,000,000 6,500 23.8 23.9 22.7 23.95 22 23.8 633,100 14,876,640 ACE ENEXOR 0.01 0.011 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 16,900,000 169,000 ORNTL PETROL A PHILODRILL 0.0091 0.0093 0.0092 0.0092 0.0092 0.0092 2,000,000 18,400 6.12 6.15 6.02 6.18 6.02 6.12 111,400 676,173 PXP ENERGY PREFFERED HOUSE PREF B 100 101 100 100 100 100 100 10,000 HOUSE PREF A 98.6 101.5 100 100 100 100 180 18,000 510 515 511 511 510 510 7,000 3,573,200 AC PREF B2R 31.55 67.45 31.55 31.55 31.55 31.55 200 6,310 BC PREF A CEB PREF 48.2 48.5 48.3 48.5 48.25 48.5 22,200 1,072,575 95 100 101.6 103 100 100 58,860 5,900,480 CPG PREF A 100.5 100.8 100.8 100.8 100.5 100.5 49,460 4,975,851 DD PREF FGEN PREF G 105.4 109.9 109.9 109.9 109.9 109.9 1,090 119,791 1,000 1,010 1,010 1,010 1,010 1,010 5 5,050 JFC PREF A 1,000 1,023 1,023 1,023 1,000 1,000 14,710 14,780,225 JFC PREF B MWIDE PREF 2B 100 100.8 100.9 100.9 100.9 100.9 100 10,090 102.2 104.8 103.2 104.8 102 104.8 4,050 415,170 PNX PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 997 998 999 999 996 998 1,860 1,853,490 PCOR PREF 3A 1,021 1,120 1,031 1,120 1,020 1,120 11,300 11,638,325 1,106 1,145 1,122 1,122 1,103 1,106 65 71,835 PCOR PREF 3B SMC PREF 2F 79 79.5 79.3 79.35 78.3 79 167,050 13,230,384 SMC PREF 2H 75.8 76 75.9 75.95 75.7 75.7 77,000 5,836,748.50 79.3 79.45 79.5 79.5 76 79.35 210,360 16,330,953 SMC PREF 2I SMC PREF 2J 76.4 76.8 77 77 76.8 76.8 250 19,220 SMC PREF 2K 75.9 76 75.9 75.9 75.9 75.9 760,900 57,752,310 PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 13.3 13.7 13.36 13.36 13.3 13.3 92,800 1,237,430 GMA HLDG PDR 13.5 13.7 13.7 13.7 13.5 13.5 69,500 945,150 WARRANTS TECH WARRANT 1.02 1.05 1.06 1.06 1.02 1.02 659,000 680,140

-82,250 -59,585,615 -17,977,566 -1,300,138 -273,053 37,950 -23,750 125,451 -4,082,337 -2,376 51,841,375 -18,235,449 1,071,280 27,130,828 10,899,800 130,522 -78,021,185 -3,821,231 -14,067,290 22,761,350 6,950.00 99,970 -57,217 4,113,160 8,600 -5,854,131 341,780 0 13,455,144 2,014,750.00 20,665 -5,972,000 -39,153,410 141,500 3,554,575 -3,110,894 -28,600 45,717,435 1,330,710 68,513,900 18,075,755 -69,120 -422,394,835 -2,987,440 177,870 -7,800 -229,780 -3,301,800 -46,441,595 31,570 -443,700 -698,936 8,360 247,900 -200 -8,900 10,902,710 3,624,050 11,360 -35,495,455 1,364,208.50 -59,660 128,900 4,270,710 -11,750 934,840 8,520 -17,280 -3,908,120 3,900 3,233,940 1,057,045 -90,550 6,331,200 3,556,145 6,040 5,100 580,425 10,100 -5,050 - -1,090,684 212,350

-1.02% SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES 18.6 1.9 3.56 2.45 3.15

"While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the

ALTUS PROP ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH MAKATI FINANCE MERRYMART

newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."

FIRST METRO ETF

112

a - NAVPS as of the previous banking day. b - NAVPS as of two banking days ago. c - Listed in the PSE. d - in Net Asset Value per Unit (NAVPU). 1 - Renaming was approved by the SEC last July 8, 2021 (formerly, Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund, Inc.).

19.26 1.91 3.73 2.6 3.16

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS

112.5

18 1.86 3.74 2.45 3.2

19.26 1.98 3.74 2.45 3.22

18 1.86 3.55 2.45 3.11

19.26 1.9 3.55 2.45 3.15

229,200 1,362,000 9,000 5,000 1,858,000

4,216,244 2,600,780 32,360 12,250 5,875,000

-7,328 326,220

112.5 112.5 112 112 5,110 573,412 30,260

Banking&Finance

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace • Friday, November 26, 2021

BTr sets domestic borrowing program in Dec at only ₧70B

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

@BNicolasBM

HE Bureau of the Treasury has set a significantly smaller domestic borrowing program for December at only P70 billion, lower than what it used to borrow in the previous months.

Broken down, the Treasury is set to borrow from the local debt market a total of P30 billion through Treasury Bills (T-bills) and P40 billion via Treasury Bonds (T-bonds). In November, the Treasury programmed to borrow P200 billion by offering P140 billion in T-bonds and P60 billion in T-bills. National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon explained their decision to go with a smaller borrowing program for December by noting that they have already

taken advantage of the strong demand for Retail Treasury Bonds (RTBs) and because there are fewer auction days given the holidays. The public offer period for 5.5-year RTBs with a gross interest rate of 4.625 percent per annum is scheduled to last until today, November 26. “Given that we have been seeing strong demand for our ongoing RTB 26 issuance, we have the room to scale down our December auction sizes, especially the T-Bills as this will allow us to

lengthen our domestic average residual maturity,” De Leon told reporters in a message. Moreover, De Leon said the reduction in the December borrowing program will enable them to ensure that the government can stay within its annual borrowing program and maintain the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio “at “sustainable levels.” For 2020, the national government programmed to borrow a total of P3.1-trillion, mostly to be raised through domestic sources. As of the end of the third quarter, the country’s debt as a percentage of GDP has climbed to 63.1 percent due to the unexpected costs of the pandemic and lower revenue collection given the lockdowns. The internationally acceptable debt-toGDP ratio threshold for emerging markets is at 60 percent. Earlier this year, the Department of Finance projected the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio to settle at 59.1 percent by yearend and peak at 60.8 percent by 2022 before tapering down to 60.7 percent in 2023 and 59.7 percent in 2024.

Association membership model review

HE pandemic has made associations review their membership models to ensure they will stay relevant and sustainable into the future. A membership model (i.e., how your membership, communications, content, and dues rates are organized and structured) is key to attracting, recruiting, and retaining members. In a webinar conducted by Australiabased A nswers for A ssociat ions, speaker Belinda Moore, director at Strategic Membership Solutions, a specialized consultancy providing strategic, membership and sponsorship advice, assistance and training, talked about membership model reviews and shared useful tips and tools. Below are my key takeaways from the session: 1. Changes in membership models: From the traditional “service provider” model where an association is a knowledge and content creator/supplier, associations are now evolving into: (a) contemporary “community” model, i.e., an association is a facilitator or platform; (b) a bespoke model, e.g., franchise; and (c) a hybrid model (a mix of the other models). While there is a “no one size fits all” model, what is emerging to be a good model to emulate is the community (platform) model. 2 . Star ting point: Rev iewing your membership model starts with knowing: (a) your purpose (i.e., why you exist); (b) who you serve or who you should be serving to attain your purpose; and (c) how you serve (i.e., what activities you need to do to achieve your purpose). On the last item, there are five activities an association can do in relation to the purpose of its membership model: (a) Mobilization: to gain as many adherents to the cause and motivate them to action. (b) Representation: to provide strength in numbers, funds, and influence by targeted members who can bring forth one or more of these. (c) Participation: to generate sustainable participant numbers by getting non-members to try, commit, and progress along pathways. (d) Service provision: to develop an ongoing source of active users of association products and services. (e) Community: to build a large and active user group who habitually engage with others in

Association World Octavio Peralta the community. 3. Next steps: (a) Create an aligned model by deciding which membership model concept aligns best with your purpose, those you serve, and your activities; developing aligned membership categories, eligibility, fees, and data requirements; generating buy-in and

agreement for the concept before investing further time; and determining the details by developing your member value framework. (b) Build strong foundations through technology, data, and reporting; governance and decision-making pathways; component frameworks and volunteering tracks; product and service offering; revenue sources and sales frameworks; branding and positioning and staffing structure. (c) Operationally plan and execute: transition and launch; planning and monitoring; stakeholder experience and engagement; sales and marketing; communications; organizational culture; meetings and events; and partnerships and sponsorships, etc. 4. Potential challenges: These include buy-in by members and/or decision-makers; appetite to evolve vs. transform; technol-

Based on its schedule of offerings for December, the Treasury will be auctioning off P10 billion in 91-day, 182-day, and 364-day T-bills in each of the three weekly auction days on Mondays, particularly in November 29, December 6, and December 13. Apart from T-bills, it will also sell P20 billion in 10-year T-bonds on December 7 and another P20 billion in 7-year T-bonds on December 14. The government borrows to meet its spending requirements as well as to finance its budget deficit. The Treasury also reported on Thursday that the national government’s cumulative budget deficit from January to October widened to P1.2 trillion, higher by 27.94 percent than P940.6 billion in 2020. The wider gap resulted from government expenditures overtaking state revenues. As of end-August this year, the national government’s outstanding debt hit a new record-high of P11.64 trillion, up by more than a fifth from P9.62 trillion a year ago. It is expected to reach P11.73 trillion by the end of this year and P13.42 trillion by end-2022.

ogy selection; transitional resourcing (staff and funding); shift in work force skill set requirements; potential cultural shift required; funding shift execution; and transitional planning. Finally, Belinda stressed a point: “Associations do not exist to recruit or retain members. They exist to make a positive impact for those they serve. As such, its membership model must align to this.”

The column contributor, Octavio ‘Bobby’ Peralta, is founder & CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives. The purpose of PCAAE—the “association of associations”—is to advance the association management profession and to make associations well-governed and sustainable. PCAAE enjoys the support of Adfiap, the Tourism Promotions Board, and the Philippine International Convention Center. Email: obp@ adfiap.org

Relationships

Friday, November 26, 2021 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

BusinessMirror

Friday was no fun day

Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last

STELLA ARNALDO

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Peter Facinelli, 48; Garcelle Beauvais, 55; Tina Turner, 82; Rich Little, 83.

AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN Before

meeting my friends for lunch last Friday, I tripped on the matting in the al fresco dining space of The Podium and landed splat, face, chest and hand down at the mall entrance step. Look how far I “flew.” PHOTO BY

www.businessmirror.com.ph

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Put negativity and anger aside; learn to enjoy what life has to offer. Set goals, and get involved in something that fuels your interest and prompts you to engage in projects with people who make you think outside the box. Put long-term plans in motion, and make lifestyle changes that encourage greater freedom to do as you please. Your numbers are 4, 15, 22, 29, 34, 37, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t put your health or reputation at risk. Surround yourself with people you can trust, and search for outlets that will help ease stress and give you a moment to reorganize your thoughts and plans. Don’t act in haste; think. HHHHH

OR most people, Friday is a day to rejoice as it heralds the weekend. We can let loose and do whatever we want to relax and recharge. However, last Friday, November 19, was a day full of grief for me. I was on the way to meet friends, C and T, for lunch at The Podium, but as I alighted the cab and stepped down from the curb, my sneaker got caught in a raised portion of the matting laid out on the floor. Through sheer momentum, I “flew” and landed on the step toward the entrance. My mouth hit the top of the step, and my entire chest and left hand landed forcefully on the step’s sharp 90-degree angle. I got the wind knocked out of me, and while the security guards of the mall quickly came to my aid, I had to tell them to let me rest on that step awhile so I could completely regain my senses. (The matting is used to mainly hide the wires and cables that run from inside the mall, where the electric outlets are, to the taxi curb, so the mall could set up lights and cooling systems for its al fresco dining area.) I rang C and T to tell them I would be a bit delayed as I took a spill outside. Thereafter, I texted an SM official to tell him to please instruct his staff to fix the matting because I just had an accident and would probably need to see a doctor. The official apologized for what happened, thanked me for informing him of the matter, adding that he would tell the area manager to address it immediately. I proceeded to lunch with C and T, and was just thankful I was having steak to comfort my gadawful pain. Kudos to Mamou Prime’s waitstaff who escorted me to their restaurant, immediately offered to carry my bag and get a bag of ice to ease my throbbing, soonto-be-swelling hand. Soon enough, SM’s area manager came to see me to apologize for what happened, and assured me they would immediately fix the matting at the entrance to prevent future accidents from happening. When he left, C immediately said, “He didn’t even leave his card or tell you to contact him in case you needed anything.” I could only look up to the sky. (C has long been in the public relations profession, and this kind of poor customer handling was just too glaring.) The nurse, by the way, took some time to arrive as apparently The Podium has no medical clinic, and she had come from SM Megamall. She tried to put a splint under my fingers, bandaged it poorly, and as I said I would probably need to see a doctor and get an X-ray, the mall CRS (a higher-ranking security guard) with her offered to take me to the doctor. It only meant he would transport me to the medical facility. I sighed in displeasure. I suppose the CRS guy noted my reaction and reported this to his bosses, because not long after, the mall manager, a thirtysomething girl, came to the restaurant and this time offered to actually get me checked up and my aching body parts X-rayed. (She said she had already been with the area manager earlier to see me. I didn’t remember her, frankly, because she didn’t speak.) Departing The Podium, the mall representatives showed me that they attended to my complaint immediately and had taped down the matting so it was now flat and smooth. I rode in their vandressed-up-like-an-ambulance to get procedures done at Keralty Clinics. (Thank you to Dr. Siapno for

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll face opposition that will leave you in a compromising position. Take a step back, reevaluate your situation and redirect your energy toward personal growth, honing your skills and calculating the best way to get what you want. HH

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Play to win. Put everything you’ve got into getting ahead. Focus on the best way to win a challenge or outdo the competition. Go over and above what it takes to reach your goal and outshine anyone trying to outmatch you. HHHH

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Avoid making an emotional purchase. Debate how much you need what you want to buy. Channel your energy into something more creative or unique that doesn’t put a dent in your wallet. Plan a freewheeling day with someone you love. HHH

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Listen to your heart, and do what comes naturally. A disciplined attitude will help you sum up what you need to accomplish to reach your expectations. Networking functions will give you a chance to convince others to see your vision. HHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Refuse to let someone dictate how you move forward. Look at your options, and make adjustments that allow you to veer off in a direction that excites you. Avoid senseless battles and people who try to interfere in your life. HHH

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Call someone you can count on, and you’ll figure out how to resolve a problem. You will have to put in the time and energy to gain stability in your personal life. Choose discipline over indulgent behavior. HHHH

explaining the X-rays to me, and I was just so glad I didn’t have any broken bones despite the physical trauma I had experienced. But she told me to put a warm compress on my hand so the swelling would go down, and prescribed painkillers warning me I would hurt for the next few days.) After what seemed an eternity, I finally was able to get a cab to bring me home. I thanked the SM official via text for having assisted in the medical checkup and procedures. He responded, “That’s the least we could do” and apologized once more for the incident. By the way, since my accident I’ve been made aware of other incidents in the mall, with my sources claiming there were no proper protocols followed to help victims and give them immediate medical relief. To be frank, if I were just an ordinary mall customer and didn’t have the mobile number of certain SM officials, I’d be left to my own devices. In fact, no one from the mall bothered to check on me the next day, like, if I even made it home alive. (Thankfully, C did as well as my other friends and family.) As I write this, I do so slowly as my left hand continues to be in pain, although the swelling has significantly gone down. My entire chest is still black and blue, with angry and intense bruises. Breathing in causes a slight pain in the middle of my chest. Three days after the accident, I was contacted by

SM’s internal publicist, a nice Ilongga, to ask what else they could do for me. On Wednesday, The Podium management sent me a nice gift basket from Terry’s, no doubt prodded by SM’s PR gal. “Wishing you good health and a speedy recovery,” read the card written in a woman’s hand. Thanks. But guess what? I feel like preaching: n Mall owners must ensure their establishments are safe, and in case of accidents, implement first-aid measures or emergency protocols to alleviate the pain and anguish of the victim. For one, there should be a medical clinic and regular medical staff on duty. n Establishments, whether these be malls, restaurants, banks, government or private offices, etc., should train their staff to focus on ensuring the immediate comfort of the injured party, instead of figuring out how to escape culpability. n Companies should train their staff, especially those occupying management positions, in social graces. Surely, there must be some other way of striking up a conversation with injured parties outside of noticing one’s mobile phone theme, or giving a rundown of the establishment’s current promotions. n If you are an accident victim, demand to receive proper medical attention and aid from the establishment’s management.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t let your emotions take over and ruin your day. Set your sights on a creative project or something that challenges you to make personal improvements. Refuse to allow personal and professional problems to spill over into one another. Distance yourself from trouble. HH

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Tidy up loose ends, and move on to pastimes that bring you in touch with people you enjoy being around. Take pride in what you do, and you’ll attract people who encourage you to pursue the goals that offer the most excellent satisfaction. HHHHH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Think big, but budget wisely. Put in the time and energy required to succeed. A change someone makes will challenge you to step up and do your part. Take a unique approach to the way you handle responsibilities. HHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Refuse to let someone make decisions for you. Stand up for yourself and your rights. Say no to anyone trying to challenge you or take charge. Be smart by focusing on using your skills to benefit yourself. HHH

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You don’t need to explain yourself. Do whatever it takes to get things done on time and within budget. Know your limitations and your strengths, and use your resources and intuition to help you deal with inconsistency and confusion. HHH BIRTHDAY BABY: You are informative, determined and pioneering. You are imaginative and optimistic.

‘i'm gone!’ BY JOSH GOODMAN The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Attract, as attention 5 Throw for a loop 10 Out Magazine letters 14 Top-notch 15 Pheasant relative 16 Golden ___ (vanilla cookie) 17 Person with a 1.7 GPA, e.g. 19 Lightbulb unit 20 Assumed identity 21 Indian state by the Arabian Sea 23 NYC subway org. 24 Cheese in Indian cuisine 26 Line dances 28 ___-bitty 29 Will’s legal ending, usually? 31 Separated 32 Casual top 33 Iroquoian people, or a Great Lake 35 Song division 36 Grannies 38 When Song’s identity is revealed, in M. Butterfly 41 Not quite right 42 Relaxation destination

45 46 47 48 51 53 54 55 56 58

Third little pig’s building material Mont Blanc, for one School orgs. Clipping that can expire Puts to rest It’s often taken lying down “___ who?” Sea star’s locale, maybe And others, for short “Pretend I’m not here,” or advice for reading the starred clues’ answers 62 ___ and dine 63 Baker with eight Grammys 64 Auction website 65 Postcolonialism founder Edward 66 Acknowledge knowing 67 Draft an e-mail, say DOWN 1 Beavers’ construction 2 ___ v. Wade 3 Somewhat slow, to Scarlatti 4 Snipes of Blade 5 Sea star’s locale, maybe 6 Failures 7 Actor Daniel ___ Kim

8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 24 25 26 27 30 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44

Special vocabulary Name that anagrams to “lento” Like aces, in some card games Tense subject? Improves How salt might be added Form a knot in Sources of mezcal and tequila Peach’s center Consumed “Really, dude?!” Gibbons, for example Zone Short poems that Kobayashi Issa is known for Get just right “Sweet!” 1980s game featuring a chomping character with a hair bow Nightline presenter Zagreb’s country Orchestral kettledrums Remain faithful to Pony up Stubborn animal

47 49 50 52 55 57 59 60 61

Mercury or Mars One of seven on a harp Atmospheric layer with holes Floral garland Apt-sounding name for a car buff Pioneered Little thing to pick It may be topographic Pupil’s place

Solution to today’s puzzle:

Show BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

• Friday, November 26, 2021

A woman awakens in ‘Vera Dreams of the Sea’ TIES THAT BIND

THE politician is publicly defending the son of a powerful person from recent charges and allegations. And many are speculating why, considering that it’s election season and he could be jeopardizing his chances at seeking national office. But if you recall, an important event in the politician’s life was held in a place owned by the powerful person. The event even reportedly displaced a previously booked occasion. So it means that the politician has ties to the powerful person. It’s just strange to see the politician, who is normally so righteous, getting involved in such sensitive topics that could mar his record as a public servant.

NO LABELS

MANY people were surprised when the actress and the actor called it quits because they have been together for quite awhile now. What many people don’t know is that the actress and actor had a no-label relationship and they were free to date other people. The actress was actually flirty with other men and so was the actor. The latter is reportedly very close to an actress-singer who he has worked with but so far, there is no romance involved. People around them want them to get together because they seem well-suited to each other. The actress, on the other hand, is said to be falling for her leading man although it’s said that she’s open to going out with others.

RICH WIFE

NETIZENS have been bashing the TV personality for being “ungrateful.” They’ve been saying he is nothing without his former network. While it is true that the personality’s former network played a huge part in his success, it’s all thanks to his wife that he continued to live a lavish lifestyle that allowed him to indulge in his expensive hobbies during the time that his income was diminished. The wife’s businesses are doing very well. The personality comes from a well-off family so, yes, his former network helped him gain fame and fortune and he is very grateful but life has to go on.

NO THIRD PARTY

SO the young actress and her boyfriend, a male starlet, are no longer an item. It’s sad that this happened because the male starlet went through so much to defend his love for the actress. Meanwhile, the actress had to convert to her then boyfriend’s religion because their relationship could not go on otherwise. But eventually, their differences resulted in the actress and male starlet feeling stifled in the relationship. It’s not clear if there was a third party in the break-up and if there was, it was not the major cause of the split. The split was a casualty of the pandemic and the couple just grew apart.

CELEBRITIES AIRA LOPEZ AND KYLE MACEDA HOST ‘CYCLING UNLIMITED’ IN MARCH 2022 ON CNN PHILIPPINES By Leony Garcia IF there’s one thing this pandemic has highlighted, it’s that the bicycle is essential. With people looking for a safe, healthy and affordable means of transportation, the demand for bikes of all kinds skyrocketed and re-ignited the Filipino’s passion for this twowheeled mode of transport. For enthusiasts, cycling gives them joy and different adventures which see them through the hard times brought about by the pandemic. With more and more Filipinos turning to biking, entrepreneur Romeo Martin thought of coming up with a blocktime TV show dedicated to cycling. Aptly titled Cycling Unlimited, this show to be aired on CNN Philippines will explore anything and everything about cycling from the perspective of hobbyists, enthusiasts and athletes. The show also aims to be the glue that will bond a community of cyclists and help people gain more insights about bicycles, the best practices of cycling, and the many benefits it offers. To be hosted by triathlete/vlogger and champion cyclist herself, Aira Lopez, and model and biking enthusiast Kyle Maceda, this infotainment TV show will chronicle the “Journey of a Filipino Cyclist”—from the joys of cycling to the rights and responsibilities of a good rider—and every good stuff in between. The 23-year-old former flight attendant, Lopez has been biking before her teens and is excited to share her experiences and her many wins in various cycling competitions. Together with Maceda, they would be giving tips not only about bikes and cycling but also the beautiful places of the Philippines, its culture, and food and dining destinations, among others. A weekly program directed by Peter Allan Mariano, Cycling Unlimited makes its debut in March 2022.

N Vera Dreams of the Sea, we meet a woman who dreams of a good life after her husband’s retirement. Following what happened to the husband, she still dreams of the sea but this time in turmoil. She wakes up from it and decides for the first time to talk. There is a reason for Vera to dream about the good life. She has a stable and singular work—that of a sign-language translator for TV news broadcast. Her coiffed hair may look formal but it is what she is, calm and collected. She goes home to a husband who may have a set habit but nevertheless provides security for her, a daughter and their grandchild. If Vera has an immediate problem, it is because she should hurry up for the birthday of the beloved husband. Along the way, she has to pick up a delicacy—a baklava, a pastry dessert common in the region—and she will find something amiss with how the dish has been cooked. That could rattle Vera. Then it happens: the husband is suddenly gone. Vera comes home to a dead husband, with the baklava still to be served. At the funeral, a friend who also holds an important government position leads the obligatory eulogy for the dear departed. A cousin of Vera’s husband, Ahmeti, displays at the table after the funeral an emotion which seems so out of place that people are bound to comment on that behavior. Ahmeti speaks how Fatmiri has always considered him an important part of his life. Sara, however, sees through this lament of her father’s cousin. Then Vera is all alone now, save for her daughter who, it seems, cannot find success in her profession as a theater artist. In bed, Vera struggles with the solitude. No detail about the death is ever shown at this point, no image is left for us to assess so that we may be companions of Vera in her mourning. Each night, Vera curls up and drifts to sleepiness and wakefulness, and the seas come again. She dreams of the wet floor in the bathroom where she chanced upon her husband days ago. A visit from the wife of Ahmeti discloses how Vera’s late husband had promised the country home to Ahmeti. Nothing is written, just a word from the cousin to the cousin. No document, which is uncanny given that the donor of the property was a man of law. This brings havoc to the widowhood of Vera; womanhood is also in transit in this woman caught in the patriarchy of the society. Bereft of the male presence, the wife as an important feature of a home vanishes. The men in Vera’s country will only talk to her but not necessarily accede to what she desires to have. The house though is important because Vera has

received an offer from a corporation interested to acquire the lot on which the house is built. She has dreamt of these with her husband—a new home for their daughter and, perhaps, a journey to enjoy the sea. Vera meets up with Ahmeti again, this time right there in the contested home. The cousin brings men, the elders of the society. These men insist the retired judge, a native son, indeed had given the property to Ahmeti. The men present themselves as the reliable witness because they are men. In Katrina Krasniqui’s film, the woman is subjected to stressors all created and sustained by men who believe it is natural to hear their voices as the wellspring of truth, justice and any notion of rights. Thus, when Vera refuses to give up the house, the threats begin. That when this system of patriarchy is questioned, the men resort to force if only to stop women’s “fully authorized, political speech,” to borrow Spivak’s words. Will Vera give up her claim to the house and the entire property? Editing, that technique relegated always in favor of screen performances—the more actor-centric viewing and reading of cinema—is the liberating tool in the film. By this, I just do not mean the action of cutting scenes but also the writing of tales that should finally go into the narrative. The death of the husband is a work of silence and framing: the bathroom where death happens is not a stage for hysteria or revelation. The camera confronts the wet floor. Is that all there is? Death is all that is there. The film is not about the death of the husband than it is the life of a woman and the slow erosion of

her status. And there is that skillful writing of the screenplay when Vera confronts the friend of her husband. She does it right there in the café for the deaf, a place where the loud language of man does not serve any purpose. It is after all the only place where Vera reigns most supreme, for in that space the sign language is the accepted currency for exchange. To the question of whether Vera will expose all the truths, truth be damned, the answer is in that café. Incredible is the conceit of radical change coming from a language devised for those who do not have the voice. It is from that sign language that Vera succeeds in revealing the weaknesses of both her husband and the man who ruins him. As Vera, Teuta Ajdini Jegeni holds the screen with a magisterial presence borne by an ordinariness that surprises because it hides courage. In films about women, woman’s righteousness has always been linked to the womb. In this film, the actor herself plays the game in the world of technology and communications, instrumentalities fueled by masculine force. Vera Dreams of the Sea is the Grand Prix winner of the 34th Tokyo International Film Festival. Doruntina Basha is credited for the screenplay; cinematography is by Sevdije Kastrati. The editing was done by Vladimir Pavlovski and Kaltrina Krasniqi. Production design is by Burim Arifi and Blendina Xhema, with music by Petrit Ceku and Genc Salihu. The production companies involved in the film include Isstra Creative Factory, Dream Factory, Papadhimitri Production. Kosovo/Albania and North Macedonia are stated as origins of the film. n

Top GMA directors talk shop MEDIA giant GMA is home to the best and most decorated TV shows not just in the local scene but internationally as well. With an endless string of award-winning and fan-favorite soaps, the network has solidified its presence among millions of households worldwide. In retrospect, behind every great feat the network has accomplished is a roster of talented and passionate individuals that have brought to life stories that were once just written on paper. GMA’s drama directors Mark Reyes, Don Michael Perez, Mark dela Cruz, Irene Villamor, LA Madridejos and Dominic Zapata are known for their inspired works on various series. “I’ve been directing for more than 25 years,” shared Mark Reyes, who famously directed the network’s highly successful fantasy series Encantadia. “I am very thankful to GMA that they gave me the chance to direct different genres from all forms of dramas, to live shows around the world for GMA Pinoy TV and live Sunday afternoon musicals and films, as well.” With the network since 2005, Don moved his way up from being a spiels director: “Since then I have gone on to direct numerous shows, anthologies and series for primetime and the afternoon block. I would say I have been able to hone my craft to meet the demands of the current TV landscape.” On the other hand, Mark dela Cruz is looking forward to engaging a wider audience reach. “With all the new emerging media platforms, I’m looking forward to new genres that will tackle a wider range of audience not only in the Philippines but the global market as well,” he said. Meanwhile, LA is also pushing for new techniques to adapt in the local and international industry: “Ang daming learnings especially sa industry natin kasi need naming maging updated sa trends, technologies, techniques, etc. Lalo

na ngayon na we are also looking na maipalabas ang shows natin sa mga streaming platforms.” For his part, Dominic continues to find enjoyment in directing: “With every new project, I continue to be genuinely thrilled with the process of its creation, and every time I am still fascinated with how I can execute a script in a different, perhaps fresh new way. For me, there is a pureness in the joy of telling a story.” Newly signed director Jerry Sineneng, on the other hand, is looking forward to working on a new horizon: “I am most excited with the prospect that I will be working with a group of actors, creative team, staff and crew, whom I have never worked before. I believe that life is a continuous learning process, and I am excited to interact with a different brand of talents.” Similarly notable GMA drama directors who have made significant contributions to the industry are Jorron Monroy, Zig Dulay, Monti Parungao, Ricky Davao, Gina Alajar, Laurice Guillen, Rico Gutierrez, Neal del Rosario and Rechie del Carmen. Focusing on elevating local cinematography, Jorron is pushing for worldwide recognition of Filipino content. “With the rise of on-demand streaming platforms, the taste of the Filipino audiences has been elevated. It paved way for us artists to be more experimental in giving new and artful executions to our TV programs. My primary aim is for original Filipino content to be able to compete in the world stage,” he said. On the other hand, Zig is keen on having more cultures and people represented on teleseryes: “Looking forward ako na sana magtuloy-tuloy pa rin sa pagkakaroon ng mga serye na kagaya ng Sahaya at Legal Wives, na hindi

lang magbabahagi ng mga kuwento ng mga indigenous peoples kundi ng mga taong nasa gilid-gilid at madalas walang representasyon o boses sa mainstream media.” Ricky says GMA shows are made for the appreciation of both local and international audiences, “from exploring new storylines, themes and different platforms. I am also excited because GMA has invested in state-of-the-art equipment to bring these stories to life with beautiful visuals. I look forward to these stories being presented across the country and worldwide.” Gina looks to adapt and create new practices in her upcoming projects, “Since I am a fan of Korean dramas, hopefully in the future we can try different approaches in the making of dramas, with different star combinations, and hopefully we can have more epic dramas.” For Laurice, GMA is home sharing that one of the projects she is most proud of is the top-rated daytime drama series Ika-6 Na Utos. “It was a proud moment not just for me but for the entire team—production, creative, technical, and the actors. In all the years I have been a director with GMA, I have felt very happy and at home. The company has always kept a personal and professional connection with me, which I value very much,” she said. Rico may have done it all, but he continues to find joy in his work: “I’m grateful I get to direct different types of TV shows, from children shows, game/reality shows, musical shows, even news and public affairs shows, and action/ fantasy shows. Masaya siya. I don’t want to sound cliché but I love my work.” Whether it’s a drama or a romcom, one thing is for certain, GMA’s directors and other creatives behind the camera are happy to give their best for viewers every single time.

TEUTA AJDINI JEGENI as Vera

B6 Friday, November 26, 2021

Batang Sining creates nurturing space for children, families amid social realities

Cardinal Santos holds send-off ceremony for volunteer PNP nurses

ARDINAL Santos Medical Center (CSMC) recently held a send-off ceremony to mark the end of the hospital deployment of five medical personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP). In October, PNP entered a partnership with Cardinal Santos for the deployment of five of its nurses to the private hospital. The agreement was implemented in line with the national government’s efforts to address the shortage of healthcare workers amidst the COVID-19 surge. The highlight of the event was the awarding of certificates to the five nurses, whom the hospital lauded for their courage and dedication in serving the nation. The nurses awarded were

PLT Modesto D. Nahiwan, PLT Daryl O. Faustino, PLT Carlo Jason T. Turqueza, PCpl Toni Angelo P. Parungao and PSSG Robert S. Opena. Leading the awarding ceremony were CSMC’s President and CEO Mr. Raul C. Pagdanganan, Department of Health - Metro Manila Center for Health Development Director Dr. Gloria Balboa, and PNP Health Service Chief Nurse PCOL Michelle Arban. In his response speech, PLT Faustino, the team leader of the PNP nurses assigned at the hospital, recalled how their tour of duty proved to be an effective method of sharing best practices between private and public medical institutions. On behalf of his teammates, PLT

Faustino thanked Cardinal Santos for the opportunity to be immersed again into hospital duty, which fired up their passion and vocation for service as nurses. He also lauded the hospital’s standards in patient care and infection control practices, which he hopes to share and emulate as he returns to his mother organization. Closing the program, Mr. Pagdanganan thanked the PNP and the DOH for coming together to support the healthcare industry’s battle against the pandemic, adding that such collaborations are integral part of a bigger strategy to build back the country and create healthier, safer and higher quality of life for all Filipinos.

CARDINAL Santos Medical Center (CSMC) President and CEO Mr. Raul C. Pagdanganan (center) honors nurses from the Philippine National Police as they complete their tour of duty in the hospital during the COVID-19 surge. Joining them are CSMC Vice President and Head for Human Resources Ms. Maria Louzel Diaz-Tiozon (left most), CSMC Director for Nursing Ms. Leona Paula Macalintal (second from left), PNP Health Service Chief Nurse PCOL Michelle Arban (center), Department of Health - Metro Manila Center for Health Development Director Dr. Gloria Balboa (right from center), and CSMC Assistant Vice President and Head of Ancillary Services Dr. Monserrat Velasquez (right most).

Smart, Cleanfuel deliver affordable connectivity solutions

EADING mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is partnering with one of the country’s independent petroleum firms Cleanfuel in making connectivity devices more accessible to Filipinos. Under the partnership, interested subscribers can avail of a 50% discount on Smart Bro pocket WiFi and Prepaid Home WiFi devices for every Php500 single purchase of gas, diesel, or autoLPG at any Cleanfuel station nationwide. A simple event marked the launch of the team-up, held at the Cleanfuel station in Barangay Barreto, Olongapo City, led by PLDT and Smart Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Sales Group Alex O. Caeg and Atty. Jesus “Bong” Suntay, President of Cleanfuel Group of Companies. Joining them were PLDT and Smart representatives led by John Palanca, Smart First Vice President and Luzon Regional Head for Consumer Sales Group; Leonides Nivado, Smart Assistant Vice President for Regional

Customer Development in Luzon; George Loyola, Smart Senior Area Development Manager; Camille Bartolo from Smart Regional Marketing in North and Central Luzon, and Cleanfuel executives Ralph Atienza, Cleanfuel Vice President, Marco Atienza, Cleanfuel Director, and Kris Lim, Cleanfuel Head of Marketing. Also in attendance were Smart’s Regional Distributor partners President Mark and Cecil Santos and General Manager Earl Abastillas, along with Provincial Distributor partners Gino Majaba and Ronnie Majaba. “We are honored to partner with Smart, one of the largest telecom providers in the country. At Cleanfuel, providing affordable and quality fuel has been our driving force. This synergy brings mobility and connectivity together,” said Atty. Suntay. Smart Bro Pocket WiFi and Prepaid Home WiFi are powered by the Philippines’ fastest mobile data network, as reported by third-party

ATTENDING the partnership event, from left: Cleanfuel Director Marco Atienza, Cleanfuel Vice President Ralph Atienza, President of Cleanfuel Group of Companies Atty. Jesus Suntay, PLDT and Smart SVP and Head of Consumer Sales Group Alex O. Caeg, Smart First Vice President and Regional Head for Luzon Consumer Sales John Palanca, and Smart AVP for Regional Customer Development in Luzon Leonides Nivado.

mobile internet analytics firms such as Ookla®. The Smart Bro Pocket WiFi allows users to maximize Smart’s mobile network through big data allocations and fast and reliable internet access and can also accommodate up to five devices. The Prepaid Home WiFi, on the other hand, is a ready-to-go, plugand-play device which allows the connection of up to 10 devices. As a bonus, this family-sized prepaid kit also comes with free 10 GB of data, valid for seven days. “The Internet is a bridge that keeps us Filipinos connected. The unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 have taught us technology’s limitless possibilities, which we at PLDT and Smart will continue to bring to all Filipinos to make life better,” said Caeg. “We, at PLDT and Smart, thank Cleanfuel for being our partner in making connectivity solutions more accessible to all through this program. We have now made available affordable high-speed wireless broadband devices to motorists anytime through Cleanfuel’s stations, which are open 24 hours a day. Together, we can help more Filipinos in their journey towards building a Better World,” he added. The 50% off promo on PLDT and Smart Wi-Fi devices applies to all branches of Cleanfuel nationwide and runs from November 18 to December 31 of this year. Known for offering ‘Quality fuel for less’, Cleanfuel prides itself as one of the country’s pioneers in using cleaner alternatives to gasoline. This partnership is in line with PLDT and Smart’s campaign to provide connectivity for all and is aligned with the Group’s long-standing commitment to help the Philippines attain the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

HE Cultural Center of the Philippines empowers the Filipino children, their families and communities through Batang Sining, a series of weekly fun and educational activities, happening from November 19 to December 8, 2021. Following the theme "Sining para sa Kalusugan, Kumunidad, at Kalikasan," Batang Sining invites the nation to create safe and nurturing spaces for children, families and communities as they respond to health, social and environmental needs at present. This year, the CCP Arts Education partnered with Black Canvas to reimagine arts education through online workshops, streamings, conversations and safely conducted in-person events supporting the holistic growth of Filipino children to explore creative expression, promote social awareness, and develop empathy to become more mindful, resilient and empowered beings of the future. Under the direction of Abner Delina Jr., with the guidance of Arts Education Department, Audience Development Division, Batang Sining takes an ecological approach in empowering the Filipino children and reconnecting to the world through arts and culture. Part of CCP’s program for children, Batang Sining was originally conceptualized by the late Rene Villanueva and Hermie Beltran in 1989 as a workshop primarily focused on introducing the child to the different art forms and discovering for themselves their own creative expressions. Dr. Luis Gatmaitan, Amihian BonifacioRamolete, Vim Nadera, Edna Mae Landicho, Frank Rivera, Buddy Ching, Eric Rosales, Posh Develos, Magel Cadapan, Edilberto Cruz, are some of the artists who have joined Batang Sining as resource persons. Through the years, Batang Sining evolved from offering children’s summer art workshop to arts strategies for healing and arts education training for primary and

secondary school students. In the next three weeks, Batang Sining offers exciting activities that will expose and provide students with hands-on experiences on various art forms, help deepen their understanding and appreciation of Philippine arts and culture, while providing them with opportunities to engage in creative expressions. Batang Sining also involves parents/ families, teachers, communities and other stakeholders through asynchronous campaigns and/or competitions such as family photography, and family dance moves, among others to be uploaded online with prizes for the outstanding entries. As we continue to face the challenges brought by the pandemic and climate emergency, Batang Sining hopes to teach children about empathy and community spirit through in-person art activities, donation drives, community pantries. Children helping children by sharing, extending support and helping their friends. Follow the CCP, Batang Sining, and CCP Arts Education Facebook pages for more information and updates.

J&P 9-Ball Cup 2021 pushes on December 6-11

&P 9 ball cup tournament is the most sought after amateur pool tournament in the country. After being sidelined due to the current pandemic we are back again on a weeklong tournament on December 6 to 11, 2021, at House Manila pool bar and lounge, basement 1 of Holiday Inn express, Newport city, Resorts World Manila, Pasay city. To follow health safety health protocols of the government we wil limit the number of participants at 128 slots on schedule basis. Only vaccinated players are allowed to join.

At stake is P108K guaranted cash prizes plus the all expense paid trip to JAPAN for the CHAMPION. The winner will join the Japan Open tournament in Tokyo next year sponsored by NAVIGATOR JAPAN. Plus ORIGIN CUES will give one brand new cue stick worth.US$1,400. Registration is ongoing right now at House Manila from Monday to Saturday 5pm till midnight. Register now before it runs out of availabe slot.

Sports BusinessMirror

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

By Josef Ramos

N what could be construed as government avoiding meddling into purely national sports association (NSA) affairs, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) gave Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) a mediation submission agreement to help resolve the burning issue that has tainted Philippine sports even on the global stage. But to absolutely solve the crisis, both parties—Obiena and Patafa—must agree to the mediation agreement, which, in the end, is nonbinding although it would serve as a platform that could ease the tension and negative effects of the dispute. “The role of the mediator is merely to facilitate communication, identify issues and help the parties arrive at a settlement,” PSC Chairman William Ramirez said in a statement. “My role as mediator is not to decide who is right or wrong. We are after a win-win solution for both sides. The goal is to preserve relationships of the disputing parties.” The crisis stemmed from the Patafa telling Obiena to explain why he hasn’t paid his Ukranian coach Vitaly Petrov in earnest. The

PSC DRAWS LINE VS. INTERVENTION RAMIREZ

federation directive was supposed to be confidential but was leaked to media, spurring an exchange of claims by both parties. From what was described as first a non-payment issue, the Patafa shifted its inquiry into Obiena as a late payment. Obiena and Petrov went online on Sunday to quell Patafa’s accusation. Ramirez said that he expects both parties to signify their agreement by signing the document. “Once the mediation submission agreement is signed, it will initiate

the mediation process, a mode of alternative dispute resolution to assist the parties in resolving their dispute speedily and amicably,” the PSC statement added. Government intervention into purely NSA affairs is taboo in the Olympic Movement. The International Olympic Committee has fervently enforced and protected this initiative to the extent that it suspends national Olympic committees which cross the line on non-government intervention. “The mediation agreement aims to formalize the appointment of the mediator, the rules to be used, the language and place of mediation,” the PSC said. “The agreement also provides that, in case there is no settlement within 30 calendar days from commencement of the mediation, the dispute shall be finally

resolved by arbitration.” The PSC added: “This is the second step of the PSC’s action on the matter. After the said mediation efforts, the PSC Board will evaluate the facts to decide its next course of action.” The Senate withheld approving the PSC’s 2022 budget unless the government sports agency help solve the Obiena-Patafa row. Ramirez said he is worried about the crisis and expressed hopes that the issue be settled soon. “I am worried about them both. EJ is carrying this burden all alone overseas, away from family and friends. I am concerned about Mr. Juico’s health,” he said. “The earlier we can sit down and talk, the earlier we can resolve this.” The PSC also told both sides to refrain from going to mainstream and social media to air their grievances.

CARGO MOVERS CHAMPIONS

THE F2 Logistics Cargo Movers top the first-ever Champions League in style.

PSC ‘Rise Up, Shape Up’ episode on information, media workers

HE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) joins the UNESCO’s World Development Information Day celebration with a special episode of “Rise Up, Shape Up” featuring select media workers and personalities on Saturday. PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram said that information and effective dissemination are vital to improving the day-to-day lives of Filipinos. “Factual information is very important now and always, especially now that we are in a global health crisis,” Kiram said. “We want to honor the people doing a great job in disseminating information with integrity and reliability.” In this episode, “Rise Up, Shape Up” goes on a hike on Mt. Batolusong, also known as Mt. Susong Dalaga, in Jalajala, Rizal ,with influencers Renz Marcelino and Aliyah Bianca Dio, film director Enzo Manago, sports editor Jasmine Payo and broadcast correspondent Pauline Verzosa. “We are grateful for the cooperation and partnership extended to us by friends in the information and media industry,” Kiram said. “The episode will also demonstrate how a mindful walk in nature can be beneficial for the fitness of the body and mind.” Kiram will also discuss a brief history of trekking in the “K-Isport” segment. The episode will also present tips and benefits of mindful walking to be discussed by Eileen Tupaz, a mindfulness advocate, meditation teacher,and co-founder of WhiteSpace Mind and Body Wellness Studio.

2 LOGISTICS topped the inaugural Philippine National Volleyball Federation Champions League with a flourish on Thursday, beating Chery Tiggo, 25-20, 25-20, 25-22, at the Aquamarine Recreational Center in Lipa City. The Cargo Movers won all their five matches without dropping a set, a feat that delighted Head Coach Ramil de Jesus. “I am very happy because it’s a first ever national volleyball tournament title,” De Jesus said. “It feels so good.” Playing for the first time since March 2020, the Cargo Movers hardly missed a beat, displaying the form that made them one of the most successful clubs in the country. “The players are crying because this is the first time they played as a team after two years due to pandemic,” De Jesus said. “The advantage is that they have been

together for a long time. Some of them also played in Thailand as part of the Philippine team.” Earlier on Thursday, Petro Gazz rebounded from a stunning loss to a team of high schoolers a day before by slipping past Tuguegarao-Perlas Spikers, 25-11, 26-24, 19-25, 25-20, to secure the bronze medal. Chery Tiggo, which missed Jaja Santiago who is currently playing in the Japan V.League, failed to follow up its Premiere Volleyball League Open Conference championship run and settled for the silver medal. Kalei Mau came through with 16 kills, 19 receptions and nine digs, while Iris Tolenada, who was acquired by F2 Logistics only last month as first-choice setter Kim Fajardo is recovering from injury, tossed 17 excellent sets to go with four service aces and a block. The Cargo Movers’ net defense was rock-solid in the one-hour and

29-minute match with their nine blocks—three each from Majoy Baron and Kim Kianna Dy. Dy was named the Most Valuable Player and Best Opposite Hitter to lead F2 Logistics’ “Dream Team” awardees in the week-long tournament that has Rebisco, Pitmaster Foundation Inc., Top Speed, 1Pacman Partylist, Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee as platinum sponsors and F2 Logistics, Asics, PLDT, MVP Sports Foundation and Mikasa as gold sponsors and BCDA, Philippine Red Cross, Lipa City, Davis Paint and Emerald PVC Pipes, Fittings and Doors as silver sponsors with PNVF godfather, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, chairman of the Champions League, giving his full support. Aby Maraño, who contributed eight points, bagged the First Best Middle Blocker honors, Tolenada took the Best Setter plum and Dawn Macandili, who collected 13 digs on Thursday, was the competition’s Best Libero. The Cargo Movers already clinched the gold medal after claiming the second set but still pressed on with their usual game to shut out the Crossovers to complete the perfect championship run. Dindin Santiago-Manabat had 17 points for the Crossovers while Mylene Paat added 14 points and eight digs. Manabat and Maika Ortiz were named the Second Best Outside Hitter and Second Best Middle Blocker, respectively. Petro Gazz’s Ces Molina completes the “Dream Team” by capturing the First Best Outside Hitter award. Josef Ramos

Friday, November 26, 2021 B7

HARMIE CONSTANTINO leads by two strokes entering the final round.

Constantino zeroes in on crown with 69

ARMIE CONSTANTINO shouldered past Mafy Singson and Chanelle Avaricio with a pair of birdies to stay on top by two strokes and move closer to another title romp with a second-round 69 in the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) Riviera Ladies Challenge in Silang, Cavite, on Thursday. Locked in a frenetic chase for the lead with Singson and Avaricio, Constantino outplayed the top amateur in the closing holes in the last flight, birdying Nos. 13 and 16 of the Couples course that went well with her opening 35 for the tournament-best three-under card that moved her 18 holes away from nailing a third crown in an impressive maiden pro season on a 141 aggregate. “I played steady, hit a lot of greens but didn’t hole much putts,” said Constantino, who birdied Nos. 2 and 7 to negate a mishap on the sixth. When asked what it will take to win again after struggling to finish fourth in harsh conditions at Tagaytay Highlands two weeks ago, the former national champion, who swept the Eagle Ridge-Aoki legs, said: “Consistency. Couples is tough, it’s shorter but tighter compared to the other championship courses.” Avaricio, twice foiled for a breakthrough by absentee Princess Superal at Sherwood and Eagle RidgeNorman last July, tied Constantino at two-under overall after a birdie on No. 15 in a flight ahead. But the Alabama State U product bogeyed the 17th and settled for a 71 to slip to second at 143. “My game was much better than yesterday [first round]. I just stayed patient and calm although I played careless on some holes,” Avaricio said. “But I’ll to do better tomorrow [Friday], I’m not expecting too much but I think patience will be the key.”

Warriors slip past Vanguards

AMBOABGA Sibugay scored a 72-67 victory over Roxas in the Chooks-toGo Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Mindanao Challenge on Thursday at the Pagadian City Gymnasium in Zamboanga del Sur. Trailing by eight with three minutes left, Jaymar Gimpayan and Marlon Monte went to the line thrice but could only sink two as Anak Mindanao Warrior Lester Reyes converted a putback on the other end for a 71-63 count with just 1:06 remaining. Monte and Embons Bonleon connected late for Roxas but it was too late, allowing Zamboanga Sibugay to escape with the win. “I always tell the boys to control

Ancajas figures in unification fight against Japanese on New Year’s Eve

ERWIN ANCAJAS aims to add Kazuto Ioka’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight belt to his International Boxing Federation (IBF) crown when he faces the Japanese in a unification fight on New Year’s Eve at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons on Thursday confirmed the the unification fight which the BusinessMirror broke last October 14. Ancajas and his trainer-manager Joven Jimenez will be flying to Japan from Los Angeles on December 11 to start their preparations in earnest. “We are so happy that Ancajas, one of our first world champions, is getting this tremendous opportunity to unify his IBF title with the WBO

belt,” Gibbons said. “Jerwin has waited a long time for this.” Ancajas (33-1-2 win-loss-draw record with 22 knockouts) said he would do everything to win in enemy territory, noting that he expects the 32-year-old Ioka (27-2 record with 15 knockouts) to also train smart and hard. “I’m very excited and it feels so good. This is my dream fight,” Ancajas, 29, said. “I have waited six years for a signature fight to prove to everyone that I am the best 115 -pounder in the world.” It will be his 10th defense of the crown he won six years ago. He said setting up camp in Japan won’t be a burden when he finally faces Ioka, who defeated Mexican Francisco

Singson, who matched Constantino’s opening 72 for a share of the lead, held her ground with a oneunder card after 11 holes but lost her momentum and bogeyed three of the last six and reeled with a 74. She tumbled to third at 146, now five strokes behind Constantino and in a tie with fellow amateur Laurea Duque, who shot the day’s other 70, and Chihiro Ikeda, who matched par 72. “Not so good,” said Singson of her game which she actually kept in check with a three-birdie, two-bogey card after 11 holes. “But I missed a lot of putts, I had 3 three putts.” Like Constantino, Singson, the back-to-back low amateur in the last two legs of the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized circuit, said emphasis will be on consistency in the final 18 holes of the P750,000 championship put up by ICTSI. “I’ll try to play consistently, and not to miss the easiest side of the pins,” added Singson, who headed straight to the practice green to polish her stroke. Sunshine Baraquiel, who ruled the Tagaytay Highlands leg in harsh conditions for her first win two weeks ago, fought back from a 76 with a 72 although her 148 put her seven shots adrift of the former national champion poised to nail a third crown after dominating the first two Eagle Ridge-Aoki stops. Korean rookie pro Jane Jeong, meanwhile, fumbled with a 75 after a 74 for a 149 while Florence Bisera threatened to crash the big guns’ party with an impressive two-birdie feat after three holes, only to fade with a string of bogeys—seven—and finished with a 77. She dropped to joint eighth at 152 with Marvi Monsalve and Daniella Uy, who also skied to a pair of 79s after matching 73s, and amateur Eagle Ace Superal, who battled back with a 74 after a 78.

INTERNATIONAL Boxing Federation super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (center) signs the contracts for his fight on December 31 in Tokyo. With him MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons (left) and trainer manager Joven Jimenez

the game and be composed all the time,” Warriors head coach Arnold Oliveros said. “We must execute and convert.” Rhaffy Octobre had a doubledouble off the bench in just 16 minutes with 16 points and 14 rebounds, eight on the offensive end—two more than the Vanguards’ total. The Warriors got 29 offensive boards, resulting in 19 secondchance points. Jan Jamon added 10 points while eight other players scored four points or more for the balanced attack of Zamboanga Sibugay. The win brought Zamboanga Sibugay to 2-2 won-lost for solo fourth spot while Roxas slipped to 1-2 and with Iligan City at fifth spot. Rodriguez last September 1 via unanimous decision also in Tokyo. “We can adjust three days after our arrival there. I am ready to fight anywhere,” he said. “I have been to Japan and I love the Japanese fans, they are some of the best in the world and they respect all fighters and root for the best man to win.” Ancajas last fought in April 10 in Connecticut where he beat Mexican Jonathan Javier Rodriguez via unanimous decision. He returned for a vacation in his native Panabo City but flew back to Los Angeles with Jimenez last August. “We’re already studying Ioka’s style. We’re focusing on Ancajas’s speed and timing, too,” Jimenez said. “We’ve been in the training camp seriously and we safeguard everything starting with his weight and diet.” Ioka is a formidable foe having been a four-division world champion— minimum, junior flyweight, flyweight and junior bantamweight. Josef Ramos

Motoring BusinessMirror

Henry Ford Awards Best Motoring Section 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011 Hall of Fame

Friday, November 26, 2021

Editor: Tet Andolong

Chevrolet brings in the

All-New Trailblazer Premium Compact SUV

The all-new Chevrolet Trailblazer premium compact SUV. photos by chevrolet Philippines Story by Randy S. Peregrino

FTER the successful launch of the Tracker, Chevrolet Philippines recently brought in its latest contender in the highly-contested compact SUV segment—the All-New Trailblazer. The Trailblazer premium compact SUV is poised to step above the competition, built to target the forwardthinking, tech-savvy, and independent audience. “We are proud to introduce the allnew 2022 Chevy Trailblazer to the Philippine market,” said Atty. Albert

B. Arcilla, president and Chief Executive Officer of Chevrolet Philippines– TCCCI. “The Trailblazer is a continuation of the new design language for Chevy’s crossover family and extends our momentum into one of the industry’s fastest-growing segments. It continues the SUV heritage of the revered nameplate now loaded with safety and convenience features that anticipate the needs of today’s most discerning customers,” he added. This latest model from Chevrolet Philippines will cater to individuals who lead active lifestyles and put a premium on

being connected. Further, environmentconscious buyers will be pleased with the vehicle’s highly efficient yet exhilarating powertrain. With a long list of safety features supplementing the drive, the Trailblazer offers added peace of mind behind the wheel.

Outstanding design According to Stuart Norris, design director of global Chevrolet compact SUVs, the Trailblazer doesn’t simply let customers express their style—it encourages it. “Its design is bold, confident, and full of personality.”

Dark-themed and sporty interior design.

Upfront is a Camaro-inspired fascia with Intellibeam LED Headlamps, LED daylight running lights, and LED fog lamps. Notable is Chevrolet’s signature dual-port grille providing that multilayered and dimensional appearance. Moreover, there is an accent bar integrated with the headlamps and a simulated front skid plate. The flanks, meantime, have taut character lines, a sleek roofline, and a bold hood shape to accentuate its youthful character. As for the rear end, there is a LED high-mount stop lamp, a hands-free power liftgate, LED taillamps, a rear camera, and sensors. Rounding off the exterior are the 17-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels.

Versatile interior with unmatched connectivity Inside, the jet-black leather interior is accented by white stitching all around. Front seats are heated as well. The dashboard has an eight-inch MyLink with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Also, there is an automatic HVAC with Air Moisture Sensor and AC Cabin Pollen Filter for added comfort for all passengers. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has embedded cruise and audio controls. Both Electronic Power Steering (EPS) and Push Button starter are standard on both Premium and LT variants. The second row, meantime, has splitfolding 60/40 seats. The cargo area also features a two-tier cargo floor. Entry to the cabin is effortless thanks to the Passive Entry System.

State-of-the-art engine technology Under the hood is GM’s next-generation Euro IV E-Turbo engine. The

YTD sales jump 23.8%

ALES last month improved by 5.1 percent as reported by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA). October results saw 22,581 units sold as compared to 21,493 units recorded in September. Getting better and better? CAMPI President Atty. Rommel Gutierrez said: “The auto sector remains strong and will certainly surpass last year’s overall performance, thus ensuring full recovery of the industry as the country’s economic growth outlook is upgraded.” Fighting words anchored on solid data. Year-to-date (YTD), the industry has sold 214,186 units, a 23.8-percent

1.3-liter inline three-cylinder DOHC turbocharged power plant del ivers 155hp at 5,600rpm and 236 N-m of maximum torque between 1,600rpm and 4,000rpm. Highlights include an active thermal management system that maintains optimum engine and transmission temperature through various sensors. There is also a variable displacement oil pump that ensures oil delivery is optimized depending on the engine load. Then an electric water pump that is independent of the engine and eliminates parasitic drag. Aiding with engine temperature management are active grille shutters that close on the highway runs with reduced engine cooling requirement, decreasing aerodynamic drag and maximizing aerodynamic efficiency. Power delivery to the front wheels is via Hydramatic VT40 CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). This new-generation lightweight six-speed CVT operates on a multi-drive-mode system to match road conditions. There is also an engine start/stop system that helps save fuel and reduces emissions.

Standard safety features and added driver-assist technologies Available as standards are the threepoint seatbelts, six airbags (driver, front passenger, side, and curtain airbags), four-eye rear sensors with a camera, a tire pressure monitoring system, and tire-fill alert. Other standard features are Antilock Braking System, Traction Control, Electronic Stability Control, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Hill Start Assist, Cornering Brake Control, Roll Over Protection, and Engine Drag Control. growth compared with the same period last year. Rise Philippines!

Honda VCP

HONDA’s Colene Jalalon informed Full Tank that the company’s Vehicle Certification Program (VCP) is as dedicated as ever in its implementation of periodic maintenance services at all Honda dealerships and service centers nationwide. “Honda vehicles are certified based on the compliance to standard periodic maintenance platforms,” said Jalalon. “This certification ensures that the vehicle has followed the timely replacement of all parts and lubricants. The certificate will come in handy for those looking for pre-loved Hondas, as it certifies that the used vehicle being sold has gone through proper care and maintenance, ensuring a higher resale value.” To qualify, customers must complete six periodic maintenance service visits from purchase date. Those with vehicles beyond three years from the sale date must complete four consecutive standard visits after the warranty period. The use of non-genuine Honda parts and the act of vehicle modification will disqualify the owner from the Honda Certification Program. For more details, visit www.hondaphil.

The All-New Trailblazer also comes with a host of brake assist systems such as Brake Pre-Fill, Fading Brake Assist (FBA), and Panic Brake Assist (PBA). Mini Spare Detection automatically detects if an emergency or spare tire is in use. This system adjusts the brakeforce, torque and power applied on the spare. The parking brake is also electronically actuated. Cutting-edge driver assistance systems available are Forward Collision Alert, Following Distance Indicator, Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, and Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning. Rear Camera, Rear Park Assist, and Rear Cross Traffic alert are present to ensure an added layer of protection from untoward incidents. The Torque Vectoring by Brakes (TVBB) system applies a brake to the inside wheel during a turn to assist in enthusiastic cornering. Light brake force is applied to the front inside wheel as soon as it loses grip, sending more engine torque to the outside wheel with more grip. The Chevy Trailblazer is manufactured at the General Motors Incheon plant in South Korea. The model, built on a global GM platform, is available in North America, South Korea, China, and now in the Philippines. The new Chevy Trailblazer will be available in two variants. The LT retails at P1,488,888 million while the tope spec Premier retails at P1,621,888 million. Exterior color options are Summit White, Black Meet Kettle Metallic, Crimson Metallic, Blue Glow Metallic, Vivid Metallic, Mahogany Red Metallic, Abalone White Tri-coat, and Satin Steel Grey Metallic. The all-new Chevy Trailblazer is now available in all Chevrolet dealerships nationwide. It comes with a five-year warranty, automatic enrollment to the 24/7 Chevrolet Roadside Assistance for three years, and immediate access to the 24/7 Chevy Hotline for convenient vehicle service and ownership needs. com or inquire with any of the 37 Honda Cars dealerships nationwide. ERRATUM: No, Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) did not donate Hilux units to the Philippine National Police (PNP) as reported here last week. Instead, TMP helped dispatch 90 Hilux 4x4 vehicles and 127 of 411 Hilux 4x2 units, through then PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, for distribution to the various regions in the country. The event was highlighted by a blessing ceremony of the vehicles that was also attended by vice chairman Vitaliano Aguirre II of the National Police Commission. My apologies.

PEE STOP Lexus has launched the myLexus Mobile App, reports Jade B. Sison. The new platform ensures an unprecedented access to Lexus brands in a dealership closest to you. It also assists you to an emergency roadside assistance, a booking service appointment, tracking the progress of your deposited vehicle, and a tour of the showroom for more discoveries of t he Lexus of your dreams…TMP’s JM Oleo says Toyota diehards have only four days left to avail of big discount promos on Wigo, Vios, Altis, Rush, Innova, Fortuner and Hiace. Visit toyota. com.ph for more details.